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Nepal, China joint drill begins

The first ever Nepal-China joint military drill Sagarmatha Friendship-2017 started at Nepal Armys Para Training School Maharajgunj in Kathmandu on Sunday.
NOC to issue public shares to raise capital

Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has planned to issue shares to the general public in the next fiscal year in a bid to increase its capital base. The state-owned oil monopoly has aimed to boost its paid-up capital to Rs20 billion from the existing Rs290 million.
Our proximity to India doesnt mean we cant develop close ties with China

How accurate is the perception that Nepal is more eager to review the 1950 treaty than India?
Participatory politics

Less than a month remains before the scheduled date for local elections, and there are myriad problems that remain to be resolved. Some of these are logistical in nature.
Pence warns NKorea 'era of strategic patience is over'

In a trip full of Cold War symbolism, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence traveled to the tense zone dividing North and South Korea and warned Pyongyang that after years of testing the U.S. and South Korea with its nuclear ambitions, "the era of strategic patience is over."
Prez Bhandari leaves for five-day state visit to India

Leading a 33-member delegation, President Bidya Devi Bhandari has left Kathmandu for India on a five-day state visit at the invitation of Indian President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday.
Prez on special goodwill India visit

President Bidya Devi Bhandaris state visit to India beginning on Monday is a special goodwill visit, which, officials of both countries say, will help strengthen bilateral ties further.
Two killed in assorted road accidents in Nawalparasi

Two persons died in separate road accidents in Nawalparasi district on Sunday night.
By Moses Kyeyune

Kampala Capital City Authority Minister Beti Kamya has welcomed the call by NRM Secretary General Kasule Lumumba to lure FDC Party President rtd Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu, back to the ruling party.

Lumumba, who has described Muntu as a man of unmatchable character and a potential replacement of President Museveni says that the former army commander is dining with a wrong team in the opposition, and that he should cross over to the NRM in the bid to consolidate his chances of leading Uganda as president.

Meanwhile, Beti Kamya says that the oppositions Forum for Democratic Change lost track and that Muntu should indeed think of reconciling his woes with the NRM.

Kamya, a founder member of the FDC quit the party in 2008 following disagreements on the election of the National Party Chairperson, before forming her Uganda Federal Alliance.
Abubaker Kirunda

The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has cautioned people involved in production of goods exported under the African Growth and Opportunity Act [AGOA] against producing poor quality products.

While addressing stakeholders under AGOA in Jinja town Rebecca Kadaga said, high quality goods will enable Ugandans to reap big from the US market.

Meanwhile, the presidential advisor on AGOA Suzan Muhwezi revealed that the US government has allowed Uganda to export AGOA products for ten more years without export duty.
By Moses Kyeyune

The First Lady also minister of Education and Sport Janet Kataha Museveni has once again sounded calls for parents to pack food for their school going children.

The minister made the call during Easter Prayers in Ntungamo district yesterday; urging parents to take center stage in their childrens learning outcomes.

Although the First Lady has in the recent past faced open criticism from sections of politicians and activist as being arrogant, she maintains that feeding is the ultimate responsibility of parents.

She has also challenged parents to live by the religious teachings and heed to their role as custodians of Gods Children, warning that starving a child might attract unknown repercussions from God.
MINNEAPOLIS  Court documents unsealed Monday in the investigation into Princes death suggest a doctor and a close friend helped him improperly obtain prescription opioid painkillers, but they shed no new light on how the superstar got the fentanyl that killed him.

The affidavits and search warrants were unsealed in Carver County District Court as the yearlong investigation into Princes death continues. The documents show authorities searched Paisley Park, cellphone records of Princes associates, and Princes email accounts to try to determine how he got the fentanyl, a synthetic opioid drug 50 times more powerful than heroin.

The documents dont reveal answers to that question, but do provide the most details yet seen on Princes struggle with addiction to prescription opioids in the days before he died.

Prince was 57 when he was found alone and unresponsive in an elevator at his Paisley Park estate on April 21. Just six days earlier, he fell ill on a plane and had to be revived with two doses of a drug that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose.

Associates at Paisley Park also told investigators that Prince was recently going through withdrawals, which are believed to be the result of the abuse of prescription medication.

The documents unsealed Monday allege Dr. Michael Todd Schulenberg, a family physician who saw the musician twice last April, told authorities he prescribed the opioid painkiller oxycodone to Prince but put it under the name of Princes bodyguard and close friend, Kirk Johnson, for Princes privacy, one affidavit said.

Schulenbergs attorney, Amy Conners, disputed that. She said in a statement that Schulenberg never directly prescribed opioids to Prince, nor did he ever prescribe opioids to any other person with the intent that they would be given to Prince.

F. Clayton Tyler, Johnsons attorney, released a statement saying that after reviewing the documents, we believe that it is clear that Kirk Johnson did not secure nor supply the drugs which caused Princes death.

Schulenberg is practicing family medicine in Minnesota and Conners said there are no restrictions on his license.

It is illegal for a doctor to write a prescription for someone under another persons name.

Joe Tamburino, a Minnesota defense attorney who is not associated with the Prince case, said while Schulenberg and Johnson could face charges if the allegations are true, its unlikely state or federal prosecutors would pursue them. He called them low-level offenses that wouldnt draw prison time.

He said for prosecutors, the source of the fentanyl is the big target.

The oxycodone in this case is only tangential to the whole case, Tamburino said. If this was a fentanyl script, oh boy, it would be a totally different situation. ... The real meat and potatoes is going to be that fentanyl thing.

The documents said Prince did not have any prescriptions, including for fentanyl.

James L. Jones, a spokesman for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administrations field office in Chicago, said anyone convicted of writing a prescription for someone under another persons name could lose their DEA registration  meaning they could no longer prescribe medications  and could face discipline from their state medical board.

In practice, laws against prescribing drugs for someone under a false name are not usually enforced when a doctor intends to protect a celebritys privacy, said Los Angeles attorney Ellyn Garofalo. She represented a doctor who was acquitted of all charges, including false name allegations, in the death of Anna Nicole Smith, the Playboy model and reality TV star who died of an accidental overdose in 2007.

They would be indicting every pharmacist in Beverly Hills if this were strictly enforced, Garofalo said Monday.

Oxycodone, the generic name for the active ingredient in OxyContin, was not listed as a cause of Princes death. But it is part of a family of painkillers driving the nations overdose and addiction epidemic, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 2 million Americans abused or were addicted to prescription opioids, including oxycodone, in 2014.

Patients who take prescription opioids eventually build up a tolerance and need to take stronger doses to get the same effect. In some patients, the cycle leads to dependence and addiction.

A search of Princes home yielded numerous pills in various containers. Some were in prescription bottles for Johnson. Some pills in other bottles were marked Watson 853, a label used for a drug that is a mix of acetaminophen and hydrocodone, another opioid painkiller. Last August, an official with knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press that at least one of those pills tested positive for fentanyl, meaning the pill was counterfeit and obtained illegally. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation.

In addition to the dozens of pills recovered, authorities also found a pamphlet for an addiction recovery center in California, the documents unsealed Monday show. The day before Prince died, Paisley Park staffers contacted the California addiction specialist as they were trying to get Prince help.

Dr. Howard Kornfeld sent his son, Andrew, to Minnesota that night, and the younger Kornfeld was among those who found Princes body. Andrew Kornfeld was carrying buprenorphine, a medication that can be used to help treat opioid addiction. The Kornfelds attorney, William Mauzy, has said Andrew had intended to give the medication to a doctor.

Prince did not have a cellphone and authorities searched multiple email accounts that they believed he was using, as they tried to determine how he got the drug that killed him, according to the search warrants. The search warrants dont reveal the outcome of the email searches.

The documents also say some of the drugs in Princes bedroom were in a suitcase with the name Peter Bravestrong on it. Police believe Bravestrong was an alias that Prince used when he traveled.

Investigators have said little publicly about the case over the last year, other than it is active.
Ashleigh Thurman, 16, of Merrillan was found Sunday in La Crosse County by authorities after she had run away from home last week.

Officials have not released any specifics about why Thurman ran away, but Thurmans parents have been notified that she has been found.

Thurman was last spotted in Black River Falls on Friday, April 7, after leaving work at Donna Ks at about 2 p.m. Police said she then fled with her boyfriend. She was not believed to be in any danger.

Her mothers vehicle was also found in the Chippewa Falls area, but the license plates were removed.

She had been speaking with her friends, but she refused to come home.
DEAR AMY: I have been divorced for two years now. I said that I would never get married again, and I still feel that way today.

But I miss my ex-husband. I think we are better as friends.

I felt like I was wearing the pants AND the skirt in the relationship and during our marriage.

I dont know how to move on, or if I should move on.

I wonder if I should continue to be friends with my ex-husband.

I have to constantly pull information out of him. He doesnt share his feelings until I make mention of my own.

I have isolated myself from basically everyone because they dont understand why I am depressed about my divorce.

What should I do? Should I move on?

 Lonely Lady

DEAR LONELY: Life is nothing but a series of opportunities to move toward, move through and move on. Yes, you should move on.

One advantage of being divorced is the rock-solid fact that unless there are children involved, you really dont need to concern yourself with your exs feelings.

It is not necessary to leave the relationship with your ex, but it IS necessary to emotionally separate from him. You dont seem to have done so.

He isnt sharing information with you because he has emotionally separated from you. He seems to have moved on.

According to you, you carried the entire burden of your marriage. Whether or not this is strictly true, this is your perception. And now you continue to carry the burden of your divorce.

The best way to heal from the trauma of divorce is to feel your authentic feelings, and then find ways to release them. If you are stuck in this tough in-between space, youll need help and support from a counselor, spiritual practice or creative outlet or by nurturing relationships with people who will hold onto you through this. Dont expect others to understand this, but ask them to be there for you while you learn to cope with your new reality. Please, make an effort not to isolate yourself, and be screened for depression.

The person you should not be turning to for this help and healing is your ex. Your contact with him keeps you stuck in place.

Divorce is one of the most challenging life events to recover from. I hope you will focus on your personal healing, but dont look for your ex to provide it.

DEAR AMY: I am 13 years younger than my husband, which unfortunately means I am only six years older than his oldest child.

I didnt help raise any of his four children, while my husband helped me to raise my young son after we got married.

I have a great relationship with all of the children, their spouses, and nine grandchildren.

When I was a child, my mother made me write thank-you notes. I hated it. I am now a dedicated note writer and I understand why it is important to acknowledge a gift. I want to know the recipient received the gift.

My grandchildren do not send thank-you notes. I would take a text of thanks or a phone call.

If my stepmom (who did not raise me) told me my children should write thank-you notes, I would be upset, if not angry.

I dont want to stir up a hornets nest, but I also want my grandchildren to know the courtesy of thank-you notes. Should I ask my husband to say something?

 Young Grandma

DEAR GRANDMA: If you have a great relationship with all of your husbands kids, then you should enlist them to help you to feel acknowledged.

You cannot insist that these parents force their children to put pen to paper and write thank-you notes, because this is basically trying to force them to be different parents than they are. Presumably you are training the child you raised to be gracious in this way.

You can ask the parents, Hey, could you do me a favor and have your child shoot me a quick text or a little video when they receive something from me  that way Ill know that it landed in their hands. Also mention this to the children when youre in touch with them.

DEAR READERS: Sometimes people who dispense advice run out of answers. If youve ever been curious about the life behind my advice, read my new book, Strangers Tend to Tell Me Things: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Coming Home (2017, Hachette).
Hmong students who say the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse isnt listening to them made their voices heard Monday.

Members of the UW-L Hmong Organization Promoting Education and their allies demonstrated at the university clock tower Monday afternoon, voicing concerns about the universitys Hmong heritage language program. The students brought Change.org petition with more than 530 signatures, addressed to UW-L Chancellor Joe Gow.

What do we want? Our voices heard! more than 50 students chanted as they marched to Gows office to deliver the petition. When do we want it? Now!

The petition demands the university listen to the students voices and meet their expectations, which include teaching Hmong language classes in the manner they want and a formal apology to the classs instructor Bee Lo and the Hmong community. Gow was out of the office traveling on Monday. Reached by phone, he said he appreciated students exercising their free speech rights but that such issues regarding academic classes are best handled by faculty and administrators experienced in those areas.

Protesters called out the universitys other top leaders and said they were upset none appeared at the rally. In the crowd were affirmative action director Nizam Arain, Provost Betsy Morgan, outgoing Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Paula Knudson and others, including many staff members from the universitys Campus Climate Office.

The clash between students and the university started in December when UW-L decided not to offer the spring session of a two-part Hmong heritage language program. University staff cited low enrollment. Classes in the series have been canceled in the past due to low enrollment, but this year members of HOPE and the Hmong community have demanded action.

UW-L offered a distance learning Hmong language course in partnership with a Hmong language professor at UW-Stout. The La Crosse Area Hmoob Cultural and Community Agency also offers a number of Hmong language classes and cultural practices training throughout the year.

But Hmong students dismissed the compromise, saying they couldnt learn the language this way, as Hmong was too hard to learn through distance learning. They also said they wanted to be able to take the class from instructor Bee Lo, and as a result, no students enrolled this semester for the course.

Hmong students took their case to the UW-L Student Association, which passed a resolution in December in support of the students and called on the university to reverse its decision. Students and Hmong elders also spoke at a public forum that month, repeatedly stating how important language is to Hmong identity and culture.

This is about more than just a degree, one of the Hmong students who spoke at the forum said. It is about us as a people.

Despite being open to the public, Julia Johnson, dean of the College of Liberal Studies, stopped any members of the public or the media from recording the event, which upset HOPE co-chair Linda Xiong. She said UW-L staff promised to provide a transcript of the comments made but has yet to do so.

The university keeps talking about how they want to be transparent, Xiong said in an interview. This whole process has not been transparent.

A UW-L task force, which includes Hmong faculty in its membership, has been working this semester on ideas on how to improve the language course as well as the campus Hmong cultural offerings as a whole. Morgan said the goal is to offer a Hmong Studies Certificate at UW-L starting next fall for those students interested in learning about the culture and language of the Hmong people, with the Hmong language courses counting toward the certificate.

Members of the HOPE organization have met with members of the university task force. HOPE member and former UW-L student senator Chevana Vang, 21, of Holmen said she was told the task force wasnt looking for student input yet and were still working on curriculum for the universitys Hmong cultural offerings.

Students were also upset when they learned the university planned to offer any future courses to all students, not just those of Hmong heritage. While the university has said the Hmong heritage language courses never excluded non-Hmong students in the past, students have spoken of how the classes were treated as Hmong-only, giving the students a safe space where they could learn about the culture among themselves.

There is absolutely no way this would happen, Morgan said. It would not be legal. Classes should be open to anyone who meets the prerequisites.

At the protest Monday, Hmong students carried two large banners on white canvas proclaiming, UWLAX is racist. Ask me, JGow@uwlax.edu and White supremacy is alive. Speakers spoke about how they feel marginalized on campus for being Hmong and the struggles they face because of it.

Many said they believe the university, which they called an institution of white supremacy and privilege, has failed them, especially Vang, who spoke at the rally about her experiences and how she dedicated so much time to protesting institutional racism on campus she didnt pass her classes.

I did not fail this university, she told the crowd assembled at the rally. This university failed me.

Earlier this month, HOPE members voted to have Xiong act as the groups Hmong studies chair and be its representative to work with the task force. Xiong said she will start in the new role next school year and hopes to be the go-to person for the task force in providing student perspectives.

This whole process has been really frustrating for students, she said. We feel constantly shut down. We feel that administrators dont value the students.

Lynette Prieur Lo, the staff adviser for HOPE, is also the wife of Bee Lo, the instructor who previously taught the language courses at UW-L. Morgan said the university has opened up enrollment for the fall heritage language course; so far only one student has signed up. It is unclear whether Bee Lo, listed as an office associate in Multicultural Student Services, will be the instructor of the language class.

The task force has welcomed student input, Morgan said, and the universitys curriculum committee has student members. But she said faculty and administration have the right to determine what classes are taught and by whom, and the ongoing debate over the issue was becoming a distraction from the larger diversity work the university is undertaking.
LANESBORO, Minn.  When the water behind a dam starts coming out the other side, people start to worry.

People in Lanesboro have been worried for some time.

The Lanesboro Dam, built in 1868, leaks.

Twenty-five feet tall and 220 feet long, it was built with unmortared limestone blocks and is one of six of similar construction remaining in the country. Originally built to power grist mills, the dam was converted to a hydropower site in 1895 and produced electricity for the Lanesboro community for more than a century. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the dam is also classified as a high hazard dam by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources  meaning it does not meet standards of safety for stability and its failure could cause the loss of human life.

Lanesboro residents worried that further deterioration of the stressed and aged dam could have negative impact on their tourism industry. Removal of the dam would affect fishing, tubing and canoeing, and sudden failure of the dam would have disastrous impact.

For nearly a decade funding to repair the dam has popped in, then out of bonding bills at the state Legislature.

Rep. Greg Davids, R-Preston, said hes been pushing for the repairs for almost a decade and in the last several bills it would have funded, had the bill passed.

The $3.6 million dollar project to repair the dam in its historical form was included in the 2016 omnibus bonding bill which failed to pass the Senate.

Davids said it was ironic that the House Democrats were saying they supported the project and bonding in general, and blamed them for the failure to pass last years bill.

Davids was very adamant that the dam was in very bad shape, noting especially that it leaks, but was also very positive about the chances of having it included in the Houses bonding bill, and that the bonding bill will be proposed.

There will be a bonding proposal coming forward, Davids said. Itll be in there.

So far only the governor has gone public with his proposals to include in a bonding bill, but did not include the dam project.

House DFLers are pushing for a bonding bill, and last week five representatives from the House DFL made it down to the Lanesboro Dam to talk about both the towns need for water infrastructure and the Legislatures need to put aside the bargaining.

The representatives told a crowd of around 35 that there are many such projects in the bill, ranging from roads and bridges to education building funding and other local government projects, but its being held by House Republicans in an attempt to leverage the governor.

Rep. Rick Hansen, DFL-South St. Paul, said they were there to show that the idea of a rural/urban split is manufactured and that projects in the bill benefit the entire state.

Were here to try to show support for our Minnesota, Hansen said. Particularly for the bonding bill we need to have teamwork.
Members of the public will have a chance to weigh in today on a Georgia timber companys plans to fill more than 16 acres of wetlands in order to build a $65 million frac sand facility in Monroe and Jackson counties.

Meteor Timber, one of the largest private landowners in Wisconsin, wants to build a processing and loading facility along Interstate 94 near the town of Millston to dry and ship frac sand the company will mine from a nearby site it acquired in a 2014 purchase of nearly 50,000 acres.

The company expects to ship about 1.5 million tons of processed sand each year using the adjacent Union Pacific rail line.

Meteor applied last year to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for permission to fill the wetlands, including about 13 acres of pristine hardwood swamp. The DNR, which has made a tentative decision to approve the permit, will hold a public hearing Tuesday in Tomah.

The scope of the plans are massive in comparison to the total of 26 acres of wetlands the DNR has allowed frac sand mining companies to fill since 2008, according to Midwest Environmental Advocates, which says the wetlands in question are a critical ecosystem and habitat for a threatened and endangered species including the Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake.

Since the proposal first received media attention, Meteor has proposed to restore and preserve more than 640 acres of other land  including what it calls high quality wetlands  which is roughly 40 times the amount of wetlands the project would destroy.

Thats not an acceptable trade-off for the people of Wisconsin, according to the nonprofit environmental advocacy group, which contends Meteor has not satisfied requirements for exploring alternatives with less impact.

To us it seems like theyre trying to skew the normal regulatory framework and kind of the established guidelines for DNR decision making, said MEA staff attorney Sara Geers.

Wetlands are a key component of the ecosystem, acting as natural water filters and supporting a wide range of wildlife, including a disproportionate number of rare and endangered species. According to the DNR, Wisconsin has only about half the amount of wetlands it did when the first European settlers arrived. Most of those remaining 5.3 million acres are in the northern third of the state.

Both the DNR and Army Corps of Engineers have questioned the projects economic viability, given the precipitous drop in demand for sand since domestic fracking peaked in 2014.

In spite of a recent industry slump, Meteor is in a unique position to have a profitable mining operation, according to an economic analysis prepared by a Pennsylvania consulting firm. Thats because the group owns land with large reserves of fine sands that are now in demand and if allowed to move forward would be able to load entire trains and put them onto the Union Pacific system, which would provide a direct link to Texas oil fields.

Meteor has said it cannot find another location to accommodate such a large plant along the UP rail line.

The company has also said permitting its project is the only way to prevent much of the 752-acre site from being clearcut.

About three quarters of the land is owned by the A&K Alexander Cranberry Co., which was cited in 2013 by the Environmental Protection Agency for illegally filling 5.6 acres of wetlands. As part of the penalty, the EPA required A&K to restore 2.2 acres of the filled wetlands and to get an after-the-fact permit for another 3.63 acres.

According to documents filed in support of the application, A&K managing partner Marty Alexander took out a one-year loan in August for $321,470 to settle the case. In a letter to Meteor, Alexander said if the sale does not go through logging would be his only way to avoid foreclosure.
LA CRESCENT  The act of welcoming refugees has become a controversial topic, but Kathy Rosenberg and her Refugee Response Team are working to change that.

Based at La Crescents Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, the team has not only been educating itself about refugees, but it has sponsored Kwot Gora, an Ethiopian refugee, since February 2016.

The Refugee Response team will host a speaker and education series in April, Tuesdays in April  Refugees: A World-Wide Crisis.

My husband Randy and I, we were paying attention to the news about the refugee crisis in Syria, Rosenberg said. It was disturbing. We started the conversation asking what we can do and what our church can do to respond to this.

Rosenberg was inspired by her mother, Dona Krienke, who helped Hmong refugees settle in the Eau Claire and La Crosse area after the Vietnam War.

It was a mission of her heart, she said. She dedicated decades of her life to refugee work. She passed away in May 2014, and when this stuff started happening I thought about her response to the Hmong, which was, What can we do?

The first day the Refugee Response Team met in January 2016 was also the day the members Gora. He was introduced to the community through a talk with the Rev. Kent Johnson.

As a team we want to become more educated selves. With knowledge and understanding comes empathy and with empathy, a reason to reach out and help people instead of being afraid of them and hating them. Instead loving them, she said.

Gora shared his story as an Ethiopian refugee. He has been in the U.S. for 20 years. Most of his family is currently at the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya.

As members of the Anuak ethnic group, they fled Ethiopia after the December 2003 massacre. More than 400 Anuak men, women and children were killed in three days.

The Anuak are majorly farmers and are from the Gambella region of Ethiopia. The aggressors in the attack have not been made clear, and it has been blamed on the Nuers, another ethnic group, as well as the Ethiopian government.

Gora has a brother in Dadaab who has six childrenone withepilepsya sister in Dadaab who also has a family, a brother who stayed in Gambella with his family, a brother in Austin, Minn. and a brother who has recently settled with Gora in the Twin Cities.

His brother Zemecha came over from Dadaab in December 2016.

We helped Kwot complete his resume that resulted with him being hired as a refugee resettlement counselor through Catholic Charities Winona. He got the job but had to move to Austin. We felt like it was divine intervention. This man comes to our congregation and ends up with a job helping other refugees, Rosenberg said.

Gora was let go after President Donald Trumps refugee immigration ban in January, which has threatened the potential for refugees to enter the country.

Gora, who was living in La Crosse when he met the Refugee Response Team, is currently unemployed and is trying to support his family in Kenya. He is an American citizen.

The Refugee Response Team has given Gora $300 a month, as well as over $3,000 to help with a brothers medical stay in Nairobi. They have also given money to Goras family to travel from Nairobi to Dadaab.

According to Rosenberg, before the team started helping Goras family the money his family received in Dadaab only covered two weeks worth of food.

When we started this, we thought we were going to sponsor a Syrian family, Rosenberg said. When we started our research we found out that the likelihood of a Syrian family being resettled in Minnesota was low. The people in the news, who are on those boats, they are not coming over right now.

The average wait time in a refugee camp is 17 years. They have to fill out extensive paperwork proving their identity, medical records and family records. They go through rounds of interviews and background checks.

According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, one in 113 people were either a refugee, asylum-seeker or an internally displaced person in 2015.

Refugees are defined as people forced to flee their homes due to persecution, violence or war.

Our main goal is education, said team member Cyndy Reichgelt. We meet once a month and spend that time learning. We watch TED talks and try to learn about whats going on as much as possible.

Tuesdays in April  Refugees: A World-Wide Crisis is meant to educate the community about the refugee crisis happening in todays world.

Among others, the series will feature Somalian refugee Habibo Haji and John David, an immigration lawyer.

The Refugee Response Team meets once a month on Sundays at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in La Crescent and is open to new members.
Why should college students let their enemies speak? Naked self-interest.

Another week, another heretical speaker bullied and physically intimidated on an illiberal college campus.

Last week it was pro-police Manhattan Institute scholar Heather Mac Donald, who was invited to speak at Claremont McKenna College in California. Hundreds of protesters blocked the entrances to the building where she was scheduled to talk, chanting Black lives matter, F  the police and Shut it down. Student journalists who tried to document the protest were swarmed, pushed and verbally threatened.

Mac Donald spoke via live-stream to a mostly empty room, as protesters banged on the windows and shouted; police cut the talk short and escorted her out of the building.

Just a few weeks earlier, conservative political scientist Charles Murray had been hounded by a mob at Middlebury College in Vermont. There, protesters sent his (liberal) faculty escort to the emergency room.

These are but the most recent examples of attempts to suppress speakers, viewpoints, teaching materials and works of art that students  usually liberal students  find unsafe.

Each time something like this happens, pundits make impassioned pleas that the solution to speech you abhor should be more speech, not less; that you must be brave enough to face your ideological enemies, not muzzle them; that the free exchange of ideas is critical to scientific and moral progress; that censorship is contrary to American values, included those enshrined in our Constitution.

Clearly, this appeal to high-minded principles and character development isnt working.

So lets try another tack: naked self-interest.

To todays (predominantly liberal) college students, I offer five reasons that granting your ideological enemies a chance to speak benefits you, even  perhaps especially  when you believe their words are dangerous or hateful.

First, youre giving the speakers you abhor a much bigger platform when you martyr them.

As Ive written before, censorship tends to generate more public interest, not less, in whatever message is being censored. This is true for paintings as well as paid lecturers.

Professional troll Milo Yiannopoulos grew especially adept at monetizing this phenomenon. Violent protesters helped him gain attention, speaking gigs and (at least until his comments about sex with underage boys went viral) a book deal. He and other, more-principled conservatives would never have gained their large followings absent the telegenic hysterics of angry liberals.

Second, suppressing ideas you disagree with dulls your ability to cogently, convincingly rebut them.

If you want to win arguments  let alone elections  honing your rhetorical chops will be crucial. Getting up and asking a tough question at a speech is good practice. Especially for when youre no longer able to call in an in-loco-parentis administrator to punish or expel your adversaries.

Third, and relatedly, youre not actually crushing opposing views by shushing them; youre merely forcing them underground, where they can fester and mutate into more dangerous forms.

Its no wonder that so many campuses have struggled with nasty anonymous comments and harassment on apps such as Yik Yak. When students feel they cant speak openly because they fear being branded a bigot or traitor, they turn to the anonymous fever swamps.

If youre right, as you believe you are, its better to engage, argue and attempt to dissuade your opponents, out in the open. As Brookings Institution scholar Jonathan Rauch once put it, Suppressing speech thats wrong-headed and hateful is like curing global warming by breaking the thermometers. The root problem is fear and ignorance and hatred, and you go for that by correcting people.

Fourth, you may not realize it yet, but youre breeding resentment and reactionaryism  and turning potential allies into enemies.

President Trumps jihad against political correctness not only appealed to those who long for the days when they could sexually harass their secretaries with impunity; it also resonated with some less regressive types who have soured on what they see as the lefts illiberalism and virtue-signaling. Dont fuel the Trumps of the world by shutting down debate.

Finally, the same censorship tools youve developed to silence your enemies will be used against you.

Right-wing students and allies have already begun adopting tactics to intimidate intellectual enemies and muzzle ideas they dislike, including through trigger warnings, professor watchlists, proposed ideological litmus tests for college hiring and even speech codes.

Remember, liberal snowflakes. Youre playing the long game, which includes the day when you may no longer be in a position of power. Be smart. Before you have that debate tomorrow, from the minority position, set some fair ground rules today.
Veteran CBS News journalist Bob Schieffer closed out an extraordinary round of discussions last week at the Newseum with a call for even better journalism  and a reminder of its place and importance to our democracy.

The morning program, The President and the Press: The First Amendment in the First 100 Days, included White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway, and journalists from news outlets such as Breitbart News, CNN, Fox News, The Washington Post and The New York Times.

The goal of the symposium, Newseum CEO Jeff Herbst said in his opening remarks, was to look for areas of common agreement on how best to report on the Trump presidency. Schieffer took up that challenge as he ended the program.

Noting that the 2016 presidential campaign was the 14th that he covered as a journalist, Schieffer observed that  unlike other campaigns where the candidates slogans were memorable catchphrases  this campaigns hallmark slogan will be Have you ever...?

Schieffer wryly commented that every campaign he has seen has an all the fault of the media phase. He recommended not overreacting to even this years really nasty attacks on the press, saying This is all part of the job. It is something we all know about and expect...that part is not to be taken seriously.

Schieffer said much of the criticism leveled at journalists during the campaign was contradictory. Some accused the press of electing Trump because we gave him too much exposure. Other critics said the press missed the story because we did not take him seriously. And yet others said the news media did not really make much difference because Trump used social media to go around us. Not all of those could be true, he said.

Serious lessons that can be taken from the election: Too much information opened the door for a flood of fake news. New media outlets and social media need to take some responsibility for what the information is they are distributing.

Too many so-called surrogates and strategists made their way onto television and were given far more credibility than they deserved in a misguided effort to show balance, Schieffer said. It didnt take long to listen to them to understand they had no understanding, and really no contact with either campaign.

Schieffer also said the press paid too much attention to polling and the drama around what he called meaningless one-point leads by candidates. Journalists should get back to knocking on doors and asking people how they feel, he said.

In his eloquent defense of a free press, Schieffer said politicians are there to run the campaigns. Government officials are there to run the government. They are there to deliver a message. Our job is simply to check out the message, determine if its true, and if so, what will be its impact on the governed.

Those who would undermine the function of a free press undermine the foundations of this country, Schieffer said. We are not the opposition party, as some would have you believe...nor is it our place to sit down and shut up and let the world pass by, as some would have us do.

Inevitably, Schieffers even-handed call for better reporting roused spiteful comments from some of those tuning into the event through social media. One Twitter user wrote that TRUTH is the enemy of...hacks like Bob Schieffer. We are making corporate propagandists like him extinct. He is bitter and fearful.

Far from going extinct, Schieffers defense of good journalism rings true  now and for future generations of journalists. Its more likely that such critics  bitter and fearful by their very verbal venom  are the ones who will eventually fade from sight.
Can someone reacquaint President Donald Trump with Steve Bannon, his ideologist whom the president now professes barely to know?

Trumps jaw-dropping public distancing from Bannon is the latest twist in a struggle that is astonishing even by the standards of a White House that deserves its own Chris Buckley novel.

For Bannon, the internal fight with the presidents son-in-law Jared Kushner is going about as well as could be expected, which is to say it couldnt be going much worse.

No one can know for sure how this ends. Perhaps its all papered over, or maybe Bannon keeps his head down to fight another day. But its hard to see how Kushner doesnt prevail in one form or other, together with the faction including his wife, Ivanka Trump; the influential economic adviser and former Goldman Sachs president Gary Cohn; and deputy national security adviser Dina Powell.

Who says bipartisanship is dead? With the exception of Dina Powell  a nonideological Republican  this group is all Democrats who have marinated for decades in the financial and social elite of Manhattan.

Their ascendancy would potentially represent Trumpisms Thermidor. If Jared and Ivanka end up running the joint, itd be hard to overstate the turnabout from last years campaign.

A candidacy whose supporters reviled so-called RINOs may produce a White House run by people who arent even RINOs. A populist revolt that disdained people who allegedly spend too much time at Georgetown cocktail parties may result in a White House run by people who have spent too much time at New York cocktail parties. The biggest middle finger the mainstream media has received in modern American politics may empower people who care deeply about whats written about them in The New Yorker and Vogue.

For his part, Gary Cohn could have been the totem of everything Donald Trump was running against in 2016. To put it in Jacksonian terms, it would be like Andrew Jackson inveighing against the Second Bank of the United States and then handing his domestic-policy portfolio over to its president, Nicholas Biddle.

How did we get here? Bannon is saddled with the failed first travel ban, and (fairly or not) the rocky first several months that have seen Trumps numbers sink while the Republican Congress spins its wheels.

Bannon hasnt sought out self-glorifying media when presumably gobs of it were on offer, yet he has been hurt by the narrative, driven by the press and used against him by internal enemies, that he is Trumps Svengali.

None of this is endearing to President Trump. He doesnt like attention-hounds besides himself, and wants victories and popularity. As for Jared and Ivanka, they must worry that the family patriarch is being ill-served in ways that may hobble his presidency and damage their brand. So a shake-up looms.

If Bannon goes, it could be a sign that everything is up for grabs. President Trump could begin to react to political pressures from the world of Jared and Ivanka that so far havent affected him.

Trumps views on immigration, climate change, abortion and policing are socially embarrassing, sometimes even in Republican elite circles, let alone in liberal ones. All of them would potentially be subject to softening or reversal in a White House that cares too much about polite opinion.

The weakness of Trumpism in Washington is that it doesnt have a congressional wing and it represents only a faction within the White House, and apparently not even the dominant one. Perhaps Trumps genuine, if inchoate, populism and Vice President Mike Pences conservatism would be enough for the administrations basic orientation to survive any constellation of White House aides.

Certainly, there are all sorts of ways to try to moderate Trumps image while still staying true to a tempered version of his populism. But a sensible recalibration would seem out of character, and its not the next chapter Buckley would write.
When Myxee Thao came to UW-Madison, she hoped to focus her undergraduate studies on the experiences of fellow Hmong-Americans.

But the sophomore from Wausau soon learned that the university offers only one consistent course exclusively focused on the ethnic group and its time in the United States. Some other classes had units on Hmong-Americans, but they touched on the group only briefly.

That spurred Thao to join with several other Hmong-American undergraduates, forming an organization that is pushing UW-Madison administrators to hire more faculty who study the ethnic group and launch a program through which students can earn a certificate in Hmong-American studies.

They envision a program that focuses on Hmong-Americans in America today, Thao said, with courses on culture, history, educational policy and social welfare. Thaos organization, the Hmong-American Studies Committee, also wants the university to open an on-campus Hmong cultural center, similar to a center for black students that is opening this semester.

It will be difficult to make the students idea a reality, though, as they are calling for UW-Madison to add faculty and advising positions at a time when state budget cuts have led departments around the university to slash jobs.

Greg Downey, associate dean for social sciences in UW-Madisons College of Letters and Science, said the university has kept funding for its broader Asian-American studies program stable amid cuts elsewhere. But Downey said there are no plans to hire new faculty in any particular specialty area.

These are tough choices in what are tough budget times for the university, but (the College of Letters & Science) is committed to helping (the Asian-American studies) program succeed in its current scope, Downey said.

As to the request for a Hmong-American student center, UW-Madison spokeswoman Meredith McGlone said campus officials are gathering more information, but have not made any decisions.

Classes not enough, students say

Students can currently earn a certificate  UWs version of an undergraduate minor  in Asian-American studies, while the universitys Center for Southeast Asian Studies offers six semesters of Hmong language courses. Other classes, such as an Asian-American Studies course on Southeast-Asian refugees during the Cold War, include Hmong-American experiences among other topics.

As a student whos been taking these courses, its simply not enough, Thao said.

There were more than 47,000 Hmong-Americans in Wisconsin as of the 2010 census, making them the largest Asian population group in the state; Wisconsin is home to more Hmong-Americans than all but two states. Hmong-Americans on and off campus say those figures point to a need for more classes on the group at UW-Madison, the states flagship public university.

Thao said taking that step would show that UW values Hmong-Americans, and provide an opportunity for non-Hmong students in fields such as social work to understand the group better.

Its important to be able to know how to work with this vulnerable population, Thao said.

Small field of study

The field of scholars studying the Hmong  both before and after the group began leaving Southeast Asia in large numbers following the Vietnam War  is a small one. UW-Milwaukee offers a certificate in Hmong Diaspora Studies, while students at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota, can earn a minor in Hmong Studies.

McGlone noted that the 2014 hiring of professor Yang Sao Xiong made UW-Madison the first school in the country with a tenure-track faculty member in Hmong-American studies.

Xiong said the ethnic group is often misunderstood and highly under-studied.

Students are looking for much more in-depth, long-term study, Xiong said.
Childless adults who sign up for Wisconsins Medicaid program would be screened for drug use and required to pay premiums under a proposal Gov. Scott Walkers administration plans to submit next month to the federal government.

The state Department of Health Services released a summary of the proposal Monday. The department will issue a detailed plan Wednesday and gather public comment before submitting it May 26 to President Donald Trumps administration for approval.

Wisconsin would be the first state with mandatory drug screening for Medicaid enrollees, said Robin Rudowitz, a Medicaid expert with the Kaiser Family Foundation. Walker has also announced plans to drug test able-bodied adults seeking food stamps and unemployment payments.

Public hearings on the Medicaid proposal will take place in Wausau on April 26 and Milwaukee on May 1.

Under the proposal, adults without dependent children who seek BadgerCare, the states main Medicaid program, would have to submit to drug testing if screening called for it. Those who refuse testing would go six months without coverage. Those who test positive could enroll in BadgerCare and would be referred to treatment.

Enrollees with annual individual incomes of $2,412 to $12,060, the cutoff for BadgerCare, would have to pay monthly premiums of $1 to $10. For those who engage in healthy behaviors, the amount would be halved.

In other proposed changes, childless adults would face higher premiums if they didnt complete a health risk assessment.

They would have to pay $8 for an emergency room visit and $25 for a second visit the same year.

Coverage for able-bodied adults younger than 50 would be limited to four years unless they work or are in job training.

Some of the changes are similar to rules in Indianas Medicaid program. Vice President Mike Pence, Indianas former governor, changed that states program along with consultant Seema Verma, who now oversees Medicaid and Medicare for the Trump administration.

It is designed for moving folks from dependence to independence, Michael Heifetz, Wisconsins Medicaid director, said in discussing the proposals earlier this year.

The work and job training requirement would affect about 49,000 people, and the job training and administration would cost about $48 million a year when fully implemented, said John Dyck, a Medicaid analyst for the Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

No cost estimate for the drug testing was available, he said.

Health care advocates say the changes would make coverage more difficult for those who need it.

Dr. Richard Brown, a substance use expert at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, said many drug users can quit for a few days before testing or find ways to avoid detection.

If the purpose of this policy is to sustainably discourage drug use, then the policy is doomed to fail, Brown said.

Most drug users would still end up on Medicaid, he said.

Voluntary drug screening in health care settings works better than mandatory screening and testing by the government, Brown said. Drug testing can result in false positives, and the state could face lawsuits if it doesnt do the testing properly, he said.

Robert Kraig, executive director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin, said the drug screening and testing plays into stereotypes about people on BadgerCare.

It may be very good politics for a governors race, but thats mostly what it is, Kraig said.

Jon Peacock, research director of the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families, said many people who sign up for BadgerCare dont have checking accounts or credit cards.

Even small increases in premiums cause many low-income people to lose their insurance coverage, Peacock said. It will also result in a less healthy workforce and a significant increase in the cost of uncompensated care for hospitals.

The changes were approved by the Legislature in 2015, in the last two-year budget.

Currently, about 147,000 of the 977,000 people on BadgerCare are childless adults.

Nearly 1.2 million state residents get some form of Medicaid.

Wisconsin is one of 19 states that refused the Affordable Care Acts Medicaid expansion, which provides federal funding for at least 90 percent of the cost for new enrollees who make up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level.

Walker and the Legislature opted instead to cover all adults under the poverty level, allowing about 130,000 childless adults to sign up but shifting roughly 63,000 parents off Medicaid.
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On April 21, 2017, Disneynature will debut its seventh theatrical feature Born in China. To commemorate the opening, Producer Roy Conli held a roundtable Q&A about the various challenges involved in creating this True Life Adventure film.

On getting involved with Born in China: I was asked to come in right after Big Hero 6. The project actually started in 2013, and then I got involved right around 2014This is the first time Ive done anything like this. Early in my career I did a little live-action (I really came from theater) but I really fell in love with this format. For the first half of my career I probably thought of myself as a theatrical producer working in animation, and since Ive been working with John Lasseter, I really feel like Im an animation producer who used to work in theater, and thisI really feel like Im just a producer now. I feel that this type of storytelling is quite different than animationYou know, when you work in animation you start with whole cloth, and you start with a script and you start boarding and then you start putting up sequences and you start from an idea to an image.

Here, its almost exactly opposite. You start with an image, and you work back, and somewhere you meet in the middle, and you create the story. Youve got these these amazing cinematographers who are out in some of the most remote places in the world filming this stuff and journaling everything that theyre seeing so you depend on those incredible cinematographers to help feed you with the information you need to tell that True Life Adventure because theyre the one who are actually experiencing it.

Shane Moore, who was the cinematographer for the snow leopard unithe was 253 days shooting over four trips, over six seasons. He was living in a little uninsulated shack, next to a monastery in the Qinghai Plateau. He and his very small team would leave before dawn and get back after dark and shoot straightfor the length of their visas. Now, they were coming in on journalistic visas, and essentially had to leave after three months. The first shot of snow leopard that we got was ninety days into his first stay. He had to leave the day after he got his first shot. But, its a testament to what kind of, not only perseverance, but what kind of professionals these guys are.

Pandas are incredibly isolated and they dont like a lot of companionship around them. And theyre also 800lb animals. So a mother panda with an 800lb cub can be somewhat dangerous. So what the cinematographers on that crew did was essentially don panda suits and would put panda scent on them (you can imagine what panda scent is) and would stay a significant distance awayShane, on the snow leopard front, started about 400 meters away with telephoto lenses and really focusing on building that relationship. By the time he ended, he was somewhere between 40-50 meters away.

On striking a balance between creating a narrative and keeping the integrity of the animal behavior: What were committed to is making sure that, within the filming, that were not setting anything up, and then when it comes to the actual reportage, its those journals that the cinematographers keep that really help us in terms of shaping the story. Then we brought on Phil Chapman and Brian Leith and a really wonderful writer by the name of David Fowlerthey do an awful lot of research, we make sure we have scientists working with our writer to ensure that any information that is being passed on is accurate to the species and whats being done, and then hes using those journals to actually shape a story. Then (Director Lu) Chuan is using all that information in terms of compiling the end product.

Now the cool thing, and what Im so proud about with this film, is what Chuan was able to do within the structure, was bring in the Earthly, being the chiru, and the Spiritual, being the crane, and kind of parenthesizing this amazing story. Up to now, weve had a film called Bears, and it was about bearswhat I love about this is that its a broader swath, and that theres an uber theme that kind of runs through, and that theme became very important. And thats what you craft, is how to tell the story so that theme can come through.

On the importance of True Life Adventures to children: Its interesting because we really refer to these as True Life Adventures as opposed to documentaries, in the sense that these are more narrative, and yet we shoot with the concept of documentary. We wont go and set up shots, we wont go and alter what is actually happening in nature.

But for meI grew up watching the True Life Adventures that Walt Disney actually released.

From 1948-1960 he made thirteen True Life Adventures which won eight Academy Awards, and through the 60s and 70s, they would use those on The Wonderful World of Disney, so you saw those used in different ways. I grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles, so my introduction to wildlife was through these films. So I think the Disneynature label really gives an opportunity for not only kids, but adults as wellI think it really introduces children and adults into the wonder of this world, and understanding what an amazing world the natural life has to offerIts incredibly beautiful and incredibly important to protect.

Born in China opens in US theaters April 21, 2017. GO SEE IT OPENING WEEK (April 21-27, 2017)Based on opening-week attendance, Disneynature, via the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, will make a contribution to the World Wildlife Fund to help protect wild pandas and snow leopards in China.

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Photographs taken by Linda Eckwerth.

A new tour offering at Disneys Animal Kingdom is Caring for Giants, which offers guests the opportunity to get a closer look (80-100ft) at the African elephant herd otherwise seen on the Kilimanjaro Safari attraction.

Guests check in at the tour desk near the entrance to the Kilimanjaro Safari attraction and are given a brief run-down of the upcoming activities, as well as admonishments not to take photos while backstage. We were also reminded that the elephants roam on their own and their closeness to the viewing area is not guaranteed.

Afterwards, youre taken on a short jaunt through some backstage areas to an awaiting van that takes the tour group through the savanna to your vantage point.

Once you reach your observation spot

 elephants!

During the 30 minutes you have to spend in the observation area, two cast members talk briefly about the elephants and aspects of their lives, both in Animal Kingdom, and in their native home of Botswana.

Some of the information shared:

African elephants are a keystone species of the savanna and help to maintain the entire ecosystem.

The elephant herd is a matriarchal system in which females form a large bonded family and males are kicked out in their teens to lead largely solitary lives.

The country of Botswana is underpopulated and home to the largest number of elephants in Africa.

In order to preserve their crops from the elephants, farmers there utilize bee boxes. These swinging boxes of bees emit bee sounds (and some bees) when disturbed by elephants. The elephants in turn leave and emit elephant vocalizations  low-pitched sounds virtually inaudible to humans  that can warn off other elephants from five miles away.

The baby is named Stella.

While the tour is pretty brief, it affords a nice look at animals that are not always sufficiently cooperative to display themselves to the Kilimanjaro Safari. Additionally, for people trying to pack a lot into their WDW vacation days, it represents a relatively small investment of time and money.

Tours cost $30 and can be reserved by calling (407) WDW-PLAY or (407) 939-7529. At this time, reservation can not be made online. Disney Vacation Club members and Annual Passholders qualify for discounts.

We all felt it was well worth the money to experience the elephants in such a unique way.

All proceeds from the tour go toward conservation efforts.

If youve taken the tour, why not write a short review to help other visitors!

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U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has warned that the United States has not ruled out using military force to deal with an increasing nuclear threat from North Korea.

He spoke of recent U.S. military strikes in Syria and Afghanistan as evidence of President Trumps strength and resolve.

The warning came as Pence visited South Korea at the start of a four-nation Asia trip. He spoke during a joint appearance in Seoul with South Koreas acting president, Hwang Kyo-ahn.

Pence urged the U.S. to move away from a previous policy of what he called strategic patience. He said this policy had failed to produce lasting progress with North Korea.

For more than two decades, the United States and our allies have worked to peacefully dismantle North Koreas nuclear program, and alleviate the suffering of their people. But at every step of the way, North Korea answered our overtures with willful deception, broken promises and nuclear and missile tests.

Pence noted that during the past 18 months, North Korea had carried out two nuclear tests and more missile tests than ever before.

Kim Jong Uns government conducted its latest missile test on Sunday, just before Pences arrival. The test failed when the missile exploded shortly after launch.

Stopping a North Korean nuclear missile

While Vice President Pence is in Asia, he is expected to seek support for increasing pressure on North Korea to end its nuclear and missile development programs.

All options are on the table, Pence told reporters at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates North and South Korea.

However, U.S. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said he is not currently considering a military option. On a TV news program, McMaster said U.S. officials are aiming to contain the threat peacefully.

The Trump administration is reportedly considering new economic restrictions on North Korea. These could include an oil embargo, a global ban on its airline, stopping cargo ships, and punishing Chinese banks that do business with North Korean companies.

Other players in the area

China remains an important partner for the U.S. on North Korea. But Chinese officials have not supported strong measures against North Korea, which is a close ally of China. Those measures could cause instability at Chinas border and increase U.S. power in the area.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman called for restarting multi-party talks that ended without agreement in 2009. He also spoke out against deploying the THAAD missile defense system in South Korea. Both Pence and Hwang repeated their support for THAAD as a way to protect against North Korean missile strikes.

In Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said a diplomatic effort is important to maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula. But he said dialogue for the sake of having dialogue is useless.

We need to apply pressure on North Korea so they seriously respond to a dialogue, Abe told a parliamentary meeting. He urged the international community, especially China and Russia, to play a bigger role in the issue.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from VOA News, the Associated Press and Reuters. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

resolve  n. determination

patience  n. being able to wait a long time without becoming annoyed or upset

dismantle  v. take something apart or completely get rid of it

alleviate  v. reduce the pain or difficulty of something

overture  n. something offered with the hope that it will improve a relationship, agreement, etc.

deception  n. act of making something seem true that is not

embargo  n. a government order that limits trade in some way

dialogue  n. discussion held between groups in attempt to come to an agreement
On Nov. 1, Linn Benton Food Shares warehouse in Tangent received two truckloads of food and household supplies arranged by the local branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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CNN speaks to the people of Ankara ahead of a referendum that could dramatically change the Turkish political system.
SACRAMENTO, Calif.  It is now the wettest year on record in the Northern California mountains, National Weather Service officials said Thursday.

An index of precipitation at eight sensors showed that just under 90 inches of rain and snow have fallen this winter in the northern Sierra Nevada.

The previous record of 88.5 inches was set in the winter of 1982-1983. The average for the region is 50 inches a year, according to the state Department of Water Resources.

The record was surpassed less than a week after Gov. Jerry Brown officially declared an end to California's drought emergency  a largely symbolic pronouncement that left in place some water-conservation rules for the 40 million residents of the nation's most populous state.

More snow and rain is likely to pad the record before the wet season ends.

A winter weather advisory was in effect for the northern Sierra for much of Thursday with forecasts for moderate to heavy snow along with rain at lower elevations. More storms were forecast for next week.

The measurements were taken from sensors spread from Mount Shasta near the Oregon border to Pacific House between Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe.

Winter storms have blanketed mountains in snow, flooded urban areas and caused damage that could top $1 billion.

The weather also taxed reservoirs, dams and levees designed to control floods and capture winter rain and snow for agriculture and drinking water throughout the state.

The five sensors that make up the San Joaquin region have recorded 68.2 inches of rain  almost double the average for this time of year and roughly on pace with the 1983 record of 77.4 inches, according to the Water Resources Department.

Further south, the Tulare Basin  the area hit hardest by the drought  has received 45 inches of rain and snow  178 percent of the average precipitation, state officials said.
SUN VALLEY  Konditorei is joining forces this Earth Day with the Environmental Resource Center of Ketchum to raise awareness of environmental responsibility.

Resource center staff will be on-hand at the eatery from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. They will share information about the centers programs and initiatives to inspire and cultivate a healthy environment.

Our environment is precious, so its our duty to protect it, Environmental Resource Centers executive director Hadley DeBree said in a statement. By raising awareness about the challenges we face and exploring solutions, we can come together and make a difference in creating a more vibrant community.

Additionally, Konditorei will donate 10 percent of its Earth Day event proceeds to the Environmental Resource Center. Special Earth Day menu items include earth-themed pastries, locally-roasted organic and fair trade coffee, and Idaho beer and wine.

We are dedicated to the environment and sustainable practices, stated Matt Robinson, the Konditoreis manager.

The restaurant offers coffee grounds to customers who wish to take them home for their soil, and all of its menus are printed on recycled paper.
STANLEY  The Sawtooth National Recreation Area will hold a public meeting April 26 to discuss a forest-health project in the Elk Mountain and Dry Creek area.

The community meeting  in conjunction with the Sawtooth Valley Wildland Fire Collaborative  will be 4-6 p.m. at the Stanley Community Building on Idaho 21 for a presentation on the Elk Mountain East Vegetation Management Project and public comment.

The projects goals are to restore vegetation health after insect and disease infestations and the long-term exclusion of fire, and to reduce the amount of accumulated fuel, reducing the risk of large, severe fire.

Information: Michelle Erdie, SNRA fuels planner, 208-727-5036.
SHOSHONE  After three years away from law enforcement, former Idaho State Police detective and Twin Falls County sheriffs candidate Cliff Katona will be publicly sworn in Tuesday as the new Shoshone police chief.

Katona was officially sworn in and took over the department last month, but the Shoshone mayor will hold a public ceremony at the City Council meeting Tuesday. The department has had two interim chiefs since Marshall Emerson resigned last August to take over a Nevada police department.

Im committed to making this one of the best small agencies in Idaho, Katona said Friday. After working for a larger agency, Im able to bring a lot of experience here. The morale here is so high  we have younger officers, and Im looking forward to mentoring them  I think I have a lot to offer.

Katona, 56, began his law enforcement career with the Pocatello Police Department where he worked seven years before transferring to ISP, where he was a trooper for three years and a detective for 19.

In early 2015, Katona had retired from ISP and set his sights on becoming Twin Falls County sheriff. He announced his candidacy more than a year before the Republican primary and campaigned relentlessly to unseat incumbent Tom Carter.

The challenger ultimately fell short of his goal  Carter secured 59 percent of the vote with Katona winning 40 percent.

After retiring from ISP but before his sheriffs campaign, he worked security at St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Center; after the campaign, he became director of security at the Crisis Center of South Central Idaho. And all the while, he continued to stay involved in the community organizations he frequently met with during the campaign.

It was the security job with the Crisis Center that ultimately led him to Shoshone. When two officers from the department brought a patient to the center, they mentioned Shoshone was looking for a new chief, and Katona beat out five other applicants for the position.

Its a great community up here, Katona said. Very friendly.

Maintaining a strong relationship with the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office remains a top priority and is essential for his small department, Katona said, a sentiment echoed by former Shoshone Police sergeant and interim chief and current Lincoln County Sheriff Rene Rodriguez.

Its been great so far, the communication and cooperation has been great, Rodriguez said. Were both committed to working together and training together. We rely on each other, since were both small departments.

Katonas nearly two decades as an ISP detective will be a huge asset to the sparsely populated county, Rodriguez said.

With his investigation background, he can help guide the new guys and even the veteran guys, the sheriff said. We can always rely on somebody with 19 years of investigation experience.

Katonas been on the job just two weeks but has already dived in head-first, recruiting an ex-Nez Perce Tribal Police officer who has a police dog trained in drug detection and officer safety.

Weve got (several) major highways that run through here, Katona said. Id venture to guess some drugs travel through Shoshone.

Katona already has a house in his new community and says this isnt a short-term position.

Ive been received so well, he said. Im here for the duration.
TWIN FALLS  A 5-year-old alpaca named Sprite is a star wherever she goes.

Her adorable, fuzzy face and loving demeanor may have something to do with it. Or maybe its her handler  Twin Falls High School senior Drew Moffitt  and his outgoing, friendly personality.

For his senior project, 18-year-old Moffitt became certified to use Sprite as a therapy animal.

He brings her to assisted living centers like Brookdale Twin Falls and schools, including Vera C. OLeary Middle School special education classes and the Idaho School for the Deaf and the Blind in Gooding.

Moffitt wrapped up his senior project two weeks ago with more than the required 40 hours of hands-on work. But he continues to volunteer with Sprite.

On Wednesday, Moffitt and Sprite made their first-ever trip to Magic Valley Rehabilitation Services in Twin Falls. The nonprofit agency strives to help people who have disabilities gain the skills they need to be independent.

Client ShyRea Harrell talked with Moffitt, who offered to let her to feed Sprite.

But the alpaca didnt eat at first. If you put your hands together, shell be able to see better, Moffitt told Harrell.

Once Sprite started eating out of her cupped hands, Harrell squealed with delight.

The group was part of Magic Valley Rehabilitations adult day health program, where participants learn life and communication skills.

It was the first time theyd received a visit from a therapy animal, rehabilitation director Randalyn Hauser said, adding it was amazing to see the reaction from clients.

But an alpaca isnt exactly a common therapy animal. So how did Moffitt come up with the idea?

During his junior year of high school, he was brainstorming potential senior project topics. It was his mothers idea to get an alpaca certified as a therapy animal.

The family lives on a four-acre property near the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple in Twin Falls. They have three alpacas  including Sprite  and three llamas.

Moffitt said he loves animals and is interested in animal genetics, but also loves interacting with people.

Ive always been interested in medicine, he said, and he wants to become a pediatrician.

The alpaca therapy project is a natural fit for the teen, whos also an active community volunteer.

Moffitt was recently recognized through the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

The nationwide program honors middle and high schoolers for their community service efforts.

Twin Falls High nominated Moffitt, who volunteers at a soup kitchen, for the College of Southern Idaho Refugee Center and as a student ambassador for the Twin Falls Area Chamber of Commerce.

And now, he provides alpaca therapy, too. Moffitt hadnt heard of anyone using an alpaca as a therapy animal.

After doing Internet research for his senior project, he discovered a nonprofit organization called Pet Partners, which registers therapy animals.

He completed an eight-hour online course and Sprite went through a health screening.

The alpaca, who has been part of Moffitts family for four years, already had experience being around 4-H children. Plus, shes hypoallergenic, so she wont cause anyone to have an allergy attack.

She was already human acquainted and all that, Moffitt said.

The next step was helping Sprite become comfortable inside buildings.

Moffitt called D&B Supply stores in Twin Falls and Jerome with an unusual request: Could he bring Sprite into the store? Employees said yes.

Moffitt spent an hour each week with Sprite inside a store. Sometimes, they stayed for even longer to visit with curious shoppers.

Sprite learned valuable skills like how to meet friendly strangers, walk through a crowd and navigate sliding glass doors.

After going through final testing in Rupert, Moffitt became registered to provide animal therapy services. Then, he made flyers and distributed them to care centers in Twin Falls.

While working on a research paper for his senior project, Moffitt learned alpacas are sensitive animals and are great around people who have a disability, such as autism.

And Sprite has behaved during the outings. She even waits to take a bathroom break until they arrive home.

Moffitt and Sprite will continue to make their rounds until July. Then, Moffitt will leave for Brazil on a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Once he returns, he plans to study biology or animal sciences at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.

After that, he hopes to get into medical school at the University of Washington and eventually return home to Idaho.

Back at Magic Valley Rehabilitation last week, a crowd of at least a dozen people filtered in and out of a back room to see Sprite.

One employee told a client: Come check this out. It looks like a stuffed animal, doesnt it?

Moffitt answered questions while dressed in professional attire and wore a Pet Partners identification badge. He let adults who were interested feed and pet Sprite.

He told the group Sprite loves to roll around in the dirt.

How do you transport her, one employee asked. Moffitt collapses the back passenger seats in his white Toyota Matrix to make room for Sprite.

She usually jumps in, he said, but sometimes she makes me pick her up.

As the visit was winding down, Harrell patted the top of Sprites head and announced she loves the alpaca. She told the animal: Nice to meet you.
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TWIN FALLS  Shoshone Streets intersections with Fourth and Sixth avenues East are to be rebuilt, and the City Council is scheduled to vote on the preliminary design Monday.

The intersections are being redesigned with an eye toward reducing the number of accidents and improving mobility both for pedestrians and vehicles, according to a memo in the City Council agenda packet, and includes new traffic signals and left turning lanes. It will eliminate some on-street parking spaces on Shoshone but leave them untouched on Fourth and Sixth.

The state is picking up most of the tab through the Local Highway Safety Improvement Program, with the citys share expected to be a little more than $39,000. Although those two intersections are the only ones on Mondays agenda, there are three other downtown Shoshone intersections the city also hopes to upgrade.

Other than that, the agenda is heavy on presentations and light on action items. There will be a presentation on the progress on the future City Hall, being built in the former Banner furniture building on Main Avenue, and the Public Safety Complex, being built at the site of the current police station and former City Hall. The citys Long Term Planning Committee, which has been evaluating what the city can do in regard to capital projects and staffing to meet the goals in its Strategic Plan, will make a presentation with its recommendations on what the city should do over the next few years. Police Chief Craig Kingsbury will deliver his departments 2016 report. The Council will also present design awards to Jay Bryan and Jean Roberts for their work designed the planned archway over Shoshone Street.

The Council will meet first at 3:30 p.m. to tour the future City Hall and Public Safety Complex, and will be at the City Council chambers, 305 Third Ave. East, at 5 p.m. for the regular meeting. The agenda and related materials are available online via the citys website, tfid.org.
Fitness

Aquatic MS Class, 1 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday at the YMCA, 1751 Elizabeth Blvd., Twin Falls.

The water class provides resistance to help strengthen muscles, improve endurance, flexibility, balance and increased range of motion. Participants with multiple sclerosis are welcome to bring someone to help with their needs.

The class is free to YMCA members and an assistant, or $10 day pass for both nonmember and an assistant. 208-733-4384.

Recovery support

Safe Harbor will hold Al-Anon meetings at 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Recovery group meetings at 7 p.m. Thursdays at 213 Fifth Ave. W. in Twin Falls,

A meal will be provided at 6 p.m. Thursday; donations accepted.

Information: 208-735-8787.

Victims support

Support group for victims of domestic violence, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Tuesday at the Mini-Cassia Shelter Haven of Hope, 323 First St., Rupert.

Information: Rachel, 208-312-7021.

Alzheimers support

Alzheimers Association, Greater Idaho Chapters Caregiver Support Group meeting, 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Twin Falls Senior Center, 530 Shoshone St. W. The group meets on the third Wednesday every month.

Information: Pattie Dennis, 208-734-4264 or 208-539-4290

Grief support

Suicide Prevention Action Network of south-central Idaho offers a free support group for anyone who has lost someone to a suicide.

The support group meets from 7 to 8 p.m. on the third Wednesdays at the Church of the Ascension, 371 Eastland Drive N. in Twin Falls., and is open to everyone.

Information: Donna Stalley, 208-733-1462.

Blood drives

The American Red Cross has scheduled community blood drives this week in Jerome, Buhl and Gooding.

Blood donation opportunities will be available from noon to 6 p.m. Thursday at St. Jerome Catholic Church, 216 Second Ave. E., Jerome; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday at the Moose Hall, 1101 Main St., Buhl; and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at Goodings War Memorial Building, 203 Third Ave. W.

To schedule an appointment to donate, use the free blood donor app, visit redcrossblood.org or call 800-733-2767. Completion of a RapidPass online health history questionnaire is encouraged.

Anxiety support

Anxiety Support Group, 6 p.m. every Thursday at Magic Valley Fellowship Hall, 801 Second Ave. N., Twin Falls.

Support for those who experience anxiety, panic attacks or depression. Learn about the signs, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and coping skills.

Information: Cathy Shaddy, 208-410-2768.

Asthma education

Free asthma education class for patients and caregivers to assess and manage asthma will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday. The class is presented by St. Lukes Magic Valley and meets on the third Thursday of each month.

Pre-registration is required. To register and for location of the class: 208-814-8765.

Grief support

Griefshare meeting, 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Lighthouse Church, 960 Eastland Drive, Twin Falls.

Anyone who has lost a loved one or friend is welcome to attend. A separate class for pre-teen and teens will meet at the same time. Participants can attend any session. Enter through the east doors at the rear of the building.

Information: 208-737-4667.

Discussion for parents

South Central Public Health District and the Idaho Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program will hold a free dinner and discussion, Bridging the Gap: A Guide for Healthy Family Communication, 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Burley Inn and Convention Center, 800 N. Overland Ave. in Burley.

Parents of middle and high school youth and others in the community are invited to attend. The goal of the event is to help parents learn how to talk to their kids about sex. With guidance of trained facilitators, local youth will present a slideshow, pertinent video excerpts and role-plays that model honest dialogue between teens and parents.

Make reservations by Monday, contact Adria Masoner at 208-678-8221.

Dental sealants

Delta Dental of Idaho will offer free dental sealants and fluoride varnish through its Grins on the Go program for students in Gooding, Jerome and Burley.

Dental clinics will be held for students in first, second, seventh and eighth grades, starting Thursday at North Valley Academy in Gooding and April 26 at Heritage Academy in Jerome.

The clinic will start May 2 for students in first and second grades at Dworshak Elementary School in Burley.

Dental sealants fill the deep grooves of a childs back teeth, and fluoride varnish helps protect the smooth surfaces of teeth. Clinics are on-site at schools serving low-income families as part of Delta Dental of Idahos community outreach efforts.

A parent or guardian must sign a permission form and fill out a health history for a child to receive the free treatments. Permission forms are available at the schools.

The Grins on the Go clinic doesnt bill Medicaid or private insurance. There is no cost associated with the program.

Information: Delta Dental community outreach, 208-489-3541.

CPR, first aid

St. Lukes Magic Valley Education Department is offering a Heartsaver Pediatric CPR, First Aid and AED class, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Learning Center, 840 Meadows Suite 2, Twin Falls.

The course provides training for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid and using an automated external defibrillator.

Cost is $60. Pre-registration is required, 208-814-9050.

Tobacco cessation

South Central Public Health District is offering adult tobacco cessation classes in Hailey.

Cody Orchard, health education specialist, will lead the Freedom From Smoking classes designed to help those wanting to stop using tobacco.

The free classes will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Mondays, April 24 through May 22, at St. Lukes Wood River Clinics Carbonate Room, 1450 Aviation Drive.

To pre-register, contact Orchard at 208-737-5968. Information: phd5.idaho.gov.

C-sections

Caesarean childbirth class, 6:30 to 9 p.m. April 25 in the Oak Rooms 2-4 on the lower level of St. Lukes Magic Valley, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls.

Topics: Caesarean delivery procedures, pain management, and non-conforming labors.

Free; pre-registration is required, 208-814-0402.

Joint replacement

Free community education class on joint replacement (hip, knee or shoulder surgery), 6:30 p.m. April 25 at BridgeView Estates, 1828 Bridgeview Blvd., Twin Falls. Meet in the lobby.

Topics: Preparing for surgery, recovery time, insurance coverage, care after surgery, discharge planning and long-term rehabilitation. Tours of the BridgeView rehabilitation facility are available.

Pre-registration is required, Amy at 208-280-0047 or Sarah at 208-280-0045.

Childbirth

St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Centers prepared childbirth classes, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays, April 26 through May 24, in Oak Rooms 2-4 on the lower level of St. Lukes, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls.

Topics: Wellness during pregnancy; labor and delivery process with relaxation and breathing techniques; caesarean birth; postpartum care for mother and newborn; infant CPR; car seat and home safety; and a tour of the maternal and child units. Bring a labor-support person if possible.

Cost is $25 for a five-week session. Pre-registration is required: 208-814-0402.
When I interviewed then-candidate Mike Pence at the Reagan Library during the 2016 campaign he, and we, were told that he would not be taking a tour of the museum. However, once he got there, he wanted to see the museum dedicated to his political hero. So that's what he did.

So it should have been no surprise that despite the fact that he, and we, were told that for security reasons, now-Vice President Mike Pence would be limited in his movements at the Korean Demilitarized Zone, when the time actually came, he would push those limits.

The vice president was supposed to stay inside the enclosed glass of what is known as the Freedom House, which is adjacent to the military demarcation zone (MDL) that technically separates the Korean Peninsula. But when he found himself getting briefed about the North Korean military with soldiers standing little more than 100 feet away, he wanted to go outside and really see if for himself.

That sent those of us in the media traveling with him, and more importantly, his security and the military personnel, scrambling.

It also sent the North Korean soldiers into motion. They had already sensed that a dignitary of some sort was about to come, because a South Korean military cordon was preparing to go outside, as is the protocol for a visiting VIP.

When the North Korean soldiers saw that it was the vice president of the United States, they whipped out strongest weapons allowed in the DMZ -- cameras.

It is their protocol to snap pictures, lots of them, when dignitaries come to observe and get briefed.

What ensued was nothing short of bizarre. The US vice president, looking at the MDL and the North Korean building behind it, while North Korean soldiers took pictures of the vice president looking at them.

Still, Pence did obey orders not to go where other officials at calmer times generally go -- a series of blue buildings known as conference row. Inside those buildings, one can actually cross the MDL and technically be in North Korea. Now, given all the saber-rattling and missile testing, that was a no-no, even for the limit-testing Pence.

He did, however, take in another traditional site for visiting dignitaries -- a watchtower called Observation Ouellette. From there, one can easily see the rolling hills of North Korea and hear the notorious propaganda blaring from loudspeakers of the rogue regime.

Before coming, a former top military official who spent time at the DMZ told me this is a place that is always inches and seconds away from a grave miscalculation. That could not have been clearer.

And to think: it has been a place on edge since a truce suspended the Korean War in 1953 with no victor. The armistice was supposed to be temporary. Yet now, 64 years later, the "truce village" of Panmunjom is still one of the tensest places on the planet.
This appeared in Sundays Washington Post.

For decades, and particularly since President Richard Nixons administration, public pressure has led presidents to become steadily more open with citizens about how they conduct business, and more mindful of ethics. Major party candidates have released their tax returns, revealing information about their finances and any potential conflicts of interest. Presidential relatives have avoided high office. The Justice Department has insulated itself from the Oval Office. And, as of the Barack Obama presidency, the White House has released voluminous records on who visited the executive mansion grounds so citizens could know who was meeting with the president and his staff.

Some of these practices flowed from formal rules, others from norms based on the American notion that the president works for the people and that transparency and ethical guidelines are essential checks against abuse of that trust. Though presidents have chafed at the expectations that follow from this principle, none before President Donald Trump has so brazenly attempted to reverse the decades-long trend toward an above-board presidency.

The latest news is that Trump will not routinely release White House visitor records, as Obama did. The White House cited grave national security risks and privacy concerns. The former is not persuasive, since a national security exception was built into the policy. So Trump must argue that his right to privacy, or that of the lobbyists coming to see him, outweighs the publics interest in knowing who is getting an audience. We dont find that persuasive, either.

Trumps decision to claw the White House logs back into the shadows follows several other moves that show contempt for the public. As a candidate, Trump promised to disclose his tax returns; then postponed the release date; then seemed to decide that he never need keep that promise. His excusethat the IRS is auditing his recent tax formshas been thoroughly discredited as a rationale, and provides not even phony cover for refusing to release older returns. Given Trumps sprawling, secretive business, and unanswered questions about its ties to Russians, his departure from tradition in this matter is particularly unsettling. Nor has he made as clean a break from his business as taxpayers have a right to expect.

Judging from his public statements, Trump calculates that there is little to no political price to be paid for flouting norms of ethics and openness. But his dismal poll numbers consistently show that Americans question his honesty. A time may come when he needs to ask the American people to have confidence in him. After undoing the nations progress toward transparency, he may find that the reservoir of trust is very shallow.
Despite opposition from the US Congress, Turkey is set to receive its first F-35 Joint Strike Fighters on Thursday during a ceremony in Fort Worth, Texas, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
The question is, who is taxed?

Well circle back around to that, as we review the last hot topic of the Idaho legislative session, the grocery tax.

Or, to be more precise, the sales tax as it applies to groceries, which in Idaho it does. In nearly all of the 45 states that impose a statewide sales tax, groceries are exempt from the tax, or in some cases their sales carry a reduced rate. Idahos in the minority on this one.

The idea of exempting groceries from the Idaho tax has been around for decades, and it has had backers from both political parties. (Shall we mention that Idahos current sales tax was pushed through half a century ago by a Republican governor and legislature?) In an era of tax cutting among anti-tax legislators, the grocery sales tax cut hasnt engendered really strong support for a long time. But backing for it energized this year, picking up support from various wings of the Republican legislative caucuses and among Democrats as well. The vote margins were strong enough that a veto likely would have been overridden if the Legislature were still in session.

All that said, the veto by Gov. C.L. Butch Otter, who proudly has pointed to many tax cuts in recent years, but also criticized the repealer bill, did not come as a shock.

This section of his veto message did, though: The advice from Utah was simple and straightforward: Dont do it. The ramifications of lifting the sales tax from food had made budgeting much more difficult with the loss of what indisputably was their most stable and consistent source of revenue for essential government operations. Taxpayers benefited almost imperceptibly while lawmakers found themselves dealing with the peaks and valleys of income tax and other financial supports that are far more susceptible to economic fluctuations. Everyone benefits from some kind of government service. Everyone eats.

Theres a real logic to this, a reasonable case. Whats a little shocking is that Otter, he of such libertarian background and inclinations, would be the one making it. You could make similar arguments for any number of the tax cuts enacted over his governorship, which have been estimated at a billion dollars worth, but Otter never did before this. Otter making the case for a veto that a benefit to taxpayers would be imperceptible while legislators would have to struggle? Imagine what he might say if a Democratic governor ever had the temerity to use that line of logic.

We dont much have to guess, since the response from other Republicans has been mostly angry. On Facebook, legislator Marv Hagedorn (a contender for lieutenant governor) declared himself Very disappointed. This repeal would not have affected the next years budget, so we would have had next years session to tweak it as needed. There is no way to know how much sales taxes come in for food alone as the state has no method of garnering that information, nor do we know how much sales taxes are being lost due to Idahoans shopping across state lines where there are no taxes on food.

Lt. Gov. Brad Little, one of Otters closest allies, took the unusual step before the announcement of publicly urging Otter not to veto, setting himself up to take the contrary point of view in the race for governor. In that developing and crowded race, he wont be alone; at least two of his fellow candidates also favor repeal.

What constituents might be pressing for, at least as much in the coming debate though, is an answer to another question.

In a legislature so eager to cut taxes, why has this oneone of the most regressive taxes on the bookshad so much more trouble making a way to passage over the course of so many years, than so many other tax cuts? Not only Gov. Otter should be the recipient of that question.
THE Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines welcomed President Rodrigo Duterte s plan to create a Department of Overseas Filipino Workers to attend to the needs of Filipinos living and working abroad.

The President made the announcement during his visit to Qatar, adding he would discuss this with Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III as soon as possible.

CBCP -Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People (CBCP-ECMI) chairman Bishop Ruperto Santos said the plan of Presidento Duterte to create a department for overseas Filipino workers would definitely help millions of OFWs, particularly those in distress..

We at CBCP-ECMI appreciate kind gestures and compassion of our government towards our OFWs, the bishop said.

Remittances from overseas Filipino workers fuel household consumption. They play a crucial role in the economys growth.

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The prelate said it was high time and very necessary to give more importance and caring protection to our OFWs.

We support the creation of department for OFW so that their specific needs will be properly attended to; their basic interests will solely be safeguarded and their personal rights and privileges will be promoted and preserved, Santos said.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration will be under the watch of this new Department for OFW, so that common and united efforts for the welfare and wellbeing of our OFWs will be rightly and justly addressed, the CBCP official added.

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Prime Minister-designate of the UN-Government of National Accord (GNA) and head of the Presidential Council, Fayez al-Sarraj called for an urgent intervention in an open letter addressed to the International Community including the UN, European Union and the Arab League. The call for foreign intervention has been termed as an unconstitutional decision by the Tobruk-based House of Representatives (HoR). Clashes between the Libyan National Army (LNA) loyal to the HoR and forces obedient to the GNA have been ongoing for more than a week in the Southern part of the country with both sides citing different reasons.

Serraj warned that the sudden and unjustified military escalation by the LNA around the Tamenhant air base controlled by forces under the GNAs command could lead the country into a civil war if a firm and decisive stance is not taken by the international community. He added that the GNA will support all decisions to re-establish security and stability in Libya.

The HoR stressed that it is willing to do all that it could to prevent foreign intervention as it reminded the international community to respect the will of the Libyan people and its democratic institutions. The parliament in Tobruk considers itself as the legitimate authority in Libya. It also alleged that the GNAs call for intervention is in favor of the armed militias and the smuggling gangs and the groups that destroyed the country.

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Libya has claimed that Chadian paramilitaries have been involved in the clashes in the South on the sidelines of the Misratan Third Force and Benghazi Defense Brigades (BDB). It warned that foreign fighters posed a dangerous development to the crisis, peace and reconciliation efforts.

On the other hand, the LNA is believed to have Sudanese nationals in its ranks.
Libyas internationally recognised Parliament; House of Representatives has charged nominal Prime Minister Faiez Serraj for calling for foreign intervention in the south of the country as fighting rage between HoR-backed Libyan National Army (LNA) and Misrata forces backed by the Serraj-led Presidential Council.

Voices have risen in Libya noting the involvement of Chadian mercenaries fighting on the side of PC forces following Serrajs calls for outside support.

The HoR pointed out that the enrolment of Chadian fighters in the Misratan Third Force and Benghazi Defence Brigades (BDB) fighting LNA is detrimental to the country and would benefit militia leaders, human traffickers and drugs and weapons smugglers.

The LNA led Khalifa Haftar is believed to be fighting terrorists among whom the BDB.

The HoR claimed that some Chadian fighters who managed to flee were shown on Chadian TV stations confessing their actions in Libya.

The HoRs claims align with boycotting PC member Ali Gatranis condemnations against Serraj.

The PC member also from the East claims that Serraj has proven his inability to lead the country. He also argues that Serrajs call for foreign intervention is a call for foreign countries to control Libya and the will of Libyans.

He accused Serraj of supporting al-Qaeda-linked BDB adding that the LNA should be given means and endorsement to weed out terrorists.

The HoR has opposed the PC and the Libyan Political Accord signed in December 2015 in Morocco. It argues that Serraj and the PC are tied to foreign forces which want to control the oil-rich North African country.
The Egyptian interior ministry announced Sunday the arrest of 13 terrorists across the country accused of plotting terror attacks against state officials, institutions and Christians one week after two subside bombings killed at least 45 people.

The terrorists according to the ministry were arrested in four provinces, including Alexandria where a subside bomber killed several people at a Church service on Palm Sunday.

The ministry further noted that security forces discovered in Alexandria and Beheira (North) provinces two farms used as factories for explosives and weapons warehouse.

The ministry did not say when and where the attacks were to take place. This new revelation came as Egyptian Christians mark the Easter celebration put under tight security measures.

The country has been under state of emergency since Sunday April 9 attacks.

Countrys President, al-Sisi has vowed to hunt down the attacks perpetrators linked to the Islamic State group (IS). The terror group indicated that two subside bombers staged the attacks.

The interior ministry identified Mahmoud Hassan Mubarak Abdullah, 31-year old Suez resident as the subside bomber who blew up himself at Saint Marks Cathedral Church in Alexandria.

The ministry also that Abdullah had links with the Islamic State group (IS) which responsibility for the two attacks.

Authorities also said they are working to identify the Tanta attacker and as well as 19 other suspects believed in the connection with the attacks. A 100 thousand Egyptian pound ($5,515.72) reward has been promised for any information on them.
Gov. Rick Scott added some tension to the feud between the House and Senate over priority legislation and on Monday endorsed Senate President Joe Negron's proposal to build a deep-water storage reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee on existing state lands to reduce the need to discharge polluted water in fragile estuaries.

But the governor added a new proposal, urging legislators to find $200 million to loan the federal government to accelerate improvements to the Herbert Hoover Dike.

I support storage south of the lake in the A2 Reservoir which utilizes state-owned land and does not take peoples private land,'' Scott said at a rare press conference about a pending legislative issue. "This is a big step toward protecting our pristine environment. This additional storage, in conjunction with our currently planned projects around the Lake, will help reduce harmful discharges to the estuaries in South Florida."

Sen. Rob Bradley, the Fleming Island Republican who has shepherded the bill through the Senate with a 36-3 vote last week, met with Scott early Monday said the announcement was "a huge step forward in bringings this in for a landing."

"The legislative process is about compromise and I look at the governor's statement today as nothing other than a positive development,'' he said. "Everybody doesn't get everything in this process...We now have the governor's endorsement, all we need is our House partners to get on board."

Scott said that he wants the state to lend the federal government $200 million to help accelerate the repairs to the dike by three years. The federal government has committed to repairing the dike by 2025 and, Scott said Monday.

"My goal is for the dike to be completely repaired by 2022, and I look forward to continuing to work with the Trump Administration to complete this, which would substantially reduce future discharges,'' he said.

Bradley said that leaves many unanswered questions, such as where the money will come from and how the state will get paid back for its loan to the feds.

"Those of us in the Senate want to learn more details about what assurances we will have from the federal government that they would pay us back that $200 million,'' he said. "That is a federal responsibility of course and it's important the federal government maintain its responsibilities. They own the dike, maintain the dike. They built the dike and it is their responsibility."

Scott added what Negron has emphasized, that money for the project not be taken from existing restoration projects, such as the building the C43 and C44 canals.

"Also, it is important to me that whatever is passed does not impact any persons job,'' he said. And embracing the position of House Speaker Richard Corcoran, the governor said: "We have dedicated record funding toward Everglades restoration and I am confident we have the funds available to get these projects done without taking on more debt."

Bradley said the Senate plan does not call for bonding in the first year but leaves open the door for bonding in future years to pay for land under the state's existing bonding authority. Bradley said he wants to see how the governor envisions the plan working without that.

"We need to see the cash flow,'' he said.

When asked if the governor, whose political committee has accepted $425,000 from U.S. Sugar, said he has not spoken to the sugar industry about Negron's retrofitted proposal which many farmers have rejected.

Here's the governor's statement:
@ByKristenMClark

Florida lawmakers thisweek set into motion a budget process that will result in several highly consequential policy reforms affecting public education to become law this year in one form or another.

But if years of precedent are any indication, what exactly those final laws might be will now be determined through deal-making and negotiations that will take place largely in private, behind closed doors and out of the public eye.

The policy ideas  each tied to hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer funding  range from reforming oversight and student financial aid for the states public colleges and universities to financially enticing privately run public charter schools to compete with failing K-12 neighborhood schools.

MORE: House fights over $200 million incentive for charter schools, but bill passes

Citing the fact that such policies are linked to the annual budget lawmakers are constitutionally required to pass, both chambers of the Legislature made a pivotal choice on Thursday to send these substantive education bills to a conference committee. That panel of House and Senate members will be tasked with hashing out a compromise on both the policy and the funding.

Conference is a common annual process for the budget, but lawmakers in recent years have shied away, in most cases, from using it as a vehicle to pass drastic policy reforms that are otherwise amended, debated and voted on on the House and Senate floors.

By comparison to the day-to-day legislative process, conference committee proceedings typically are not transparent and are more unabashedly a display of a preordained outcome.

Leaders in the Republican-led House and Senate reject that conference committee decisions havent been open, but at the same time, theyve also pledged to make the meetings more transparent and accessible to the public this year.

Well have public comments in the conference committee meetings if people want to talk, Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, told reporters.

Full story here.

Photo credit: Rep. Richard Corcoran, a Land OLakes Republican who is now House speaker, talks with Rep. Jose Oliva, R- Miami Lakes, on the House floor during the 2016 session. Scott Keeler / Tampa Bay Times
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders has announced that he will be campaigning across Montana in May to support the campaign for Congress of Democrat Rob Quist, a folk musician from the Flathead Valley.

"Rob Quist is the only person in this race who understands that we need a government in Washington that works for all Montanans and all Americans and not just the special interests and the billionaire class," Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, said in a press release.

"Congress right now is dominated by politicians who worry about the needs of their wealthy campaign contributors. We need members of Congress like Rob who will work to rebuild the shrinking middle class, who will fight all attempts to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and will oppose tax breaks for the very rich. Rob is a populist, grassroots candidate fighting for the working families of Montana. I look forward to campaigning with him in May and working with him in Congress."

No specific dates or locations for Sanders appearances have been set.

Quist, who gained fame during his days as a musician in the popular Mission Mountain Wood Band, is a political newcomer. He is a Democrat challenging Republican Greg Gianforte to take Montana's lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mark Wicks, a Libertarian candidate, will also be on the ballot on May 25. The seat has been unoccupied since Ryan Zinke was tapped by Trump to become Secretary of the Department of the Interior.

"I'm excited that Bernie Sanders recognizes that our grassroots campaign is building momentum and has the best chance in decades to take back Montana's U.S. House seat for the rest of us," Quist said. "In the U.S. House, I'll be a voice to protect our public lands, fight for working families, work for better health care, and stand up to Wall Street and special interests."

Sanders made a stop in Missoula last spring during his campaign to be the Democratic nominee for president, which he ultimately lost to Hillary Clinton. Sanders did win the Democratic nomination in Montana, however.

A huge crowd turned out for Sanders' speech on a sunny day in May in Caras Park last year to hear Sanders, who built his campaign around issues such as raising the minimum wage and fighting climate change. Sanders has been a vocal opponent of President Donald Trump's agenda.

Sanders' appearances in Montana on behalf of Quist will not be part of the "Come Together and Fight Back Tour," which the Democratic National Committee announced last week. That tour listed Montana as one of the destinations.

The fight back tour will pair Sanders with newly-elected DNC Chairman Tom Perez.
Flip Jennings of Frenchtown doesnt know exactly what John Verner Jr. did at the Battle of Cowpens in 1781.

But Jennings is living proof that Verner survived and began begetting.

Five generations and 236 years later, Jennings counts his great-great-great grandfather as his ticket into the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, a patriotic service organization for men who can prove their family ties to the Revolutionary War.

Verner, a young private with the South Carolina militia, helped defeat the British that cold January day. It was a key victory for the Americans in the pivotal year of the war, and one reason why we dont drive on the left side of the road.

A real big battle at the very end, Jennings said last week. It was featured, roughly, in that movie, The Patriot with Mel Gibson.

Jennings, a retired insurance agent, knows this because he has Verners 1833 pension application for service in the Revolution. It helped him become a charter member of the Liberty Tree Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution in Missoula, which took root one year ago.

Monday is Patriots Day. On Tuesday, the Liberty Tree Chapter holds its first annual meeting at the Missoula Country Club. And Wednesday marks the 242nd anniversary of the battles of Lexington and Concord outside of Boston, where the shot heard round the world signaled the start of the war for independence from Great Britain in 1775.

The Liberty Tree roster is already up to 20 names.

And weve got two more in the application process, so were off to a good start, said Larry Mylnechuk, the driving force behind the new chapter.

There was one more: Chapter members scrambled to get World War II hero David Thatcher in the club shortly before he died last June. Theyre looking for more men from the Greatest Generation to enroll.

Mylnechuk is a tall man who is retired from a 30-year career in the pension fund consulting business. He has researched and found direct family ties to three privates, a captain and a minuteman who served in the Revolutionary War. Earlier this month he was elected president of the Montana State Sons of the American Revolution (SAR).

***

The SAR was organized in 1889 and incorporated by Act of Congress in 1906. Its a separate but sibling organization to the Daughters of the American Revolution, which has had a presence in Missoula through its Bitter Root Chapter since 1919.

The Sons have chapters in the Flathead, Great Falls and Bozeman, and Mylnechuk said the state organization is hoping to open new ones in Helena and the Butte/Dillon area.

The Liberty Tree Chapter of Missoula, in conjunction with the state SAR and local DAR chapter, plans to make service recognitions a common occurrence  for veterans and Eagle Scouts, teachers and law enforcement, firefighters and students. It presented its first award, a Silver ROTC Medal, to University of Montana cadet Adams Stevens at the end of March.

Mylnechuk owns a couple of handcrafted Revolutionary War-era uniforms, one that he wears to classrooms as Capt. John Grover, his great-grandfather times five, who fought with the New York militia at Saratoga in 1777. You can expect to see it, and him, in color guards at civic events around the valley such as Flag Day.

Hes a relative newcomer to Missoula. His wife, Sandy, grew up in the Anaconda area and they retired here from Oregon two years ago to be close to family. Hed been a part of SAR in Portland since 1993 but Mylnechuk has been tapped into historic research for 50 years.

Most recently, he joined Warm Springs Productions and other Missoula researchers to help produce Lies and Legends: The Patriots, a 10-part Fox News series on the Revolutionary War. Mylnechuk researched and wrote story outlines for episodes on Benedict Arnold and on African American soldiers.

Last year he enlisted the help of Dennis Tate, an 85-year-old Korean War veteran who tried unsuccessfully to start an SAR chapter in 1988, to get an SAR chapter rolling.

Tates wife Blanche is the regent (president) of the DAR Bitter Root Chapter, which among other projects is on hand at naturalization ceremonies in Missoula and presents Good Citizen awards to area high school seniors.

She was the one that kind of got me interested in this, Tate said. In those days you didnt have the internet. We had to do it by traveling here and there and digging out the information, and it resulted in a 521-page book I wrote on our family.

Featured prominently in the book is Robert Tate, an ensign in the Virginia Militia who fought on the winning side in the Battle of Kings Mountain in 1780.

***

The objects of the Sons of the American Revolution are threefold: patriotic, historical and educational.

Im hoping that our organization will help to continue to keep the flame alive of the reasons why we became an independent nation and why its important to study the Revolution time frame, said Jim Hutcheson, an Army veteran and charter member of the Missoula chapter. Because of our country, many, many other countries have followed suit (in gaining independence.) Our own young people need to continue to know why we were founded and how they can be of service to the nation going forward.

Hutcheson, who moved to Missoula from California 33 years ago, is tied to the Revolution by Judge Paul Carrington of Virginia, who served in various Revolutionary Conventions in 1775 and 76. He was appointed to a Committee of Safety during the war and later served in the Virginia Senate. With nary a stumble, Hutcheson can reel off the names of each of the four forefathers (and mothers) between him and Carrington.

Jennings has his connections to Pvt. John Verner on paper if not all in his head.

Eight months before the Battle of Cowpens, Verners brother James died a prisoner in the hands of the British after the fall of Charleston, South Carolina. According to his 1833 pension application, John Verner entered the service as a substitute for another brother, David. When he turned out as a volunteer with Col. Robert Andersons South Carolina state militia after Charleston, and fought at Cowpens, he was 17 years old.

We can only guess at what young Verner saw and did at the battle. He must have been among the militia summoned by Gen. Daniel Morgan to the well-known crossroads and frontier pasturing ground in northern South Carolina. Here Morgan waited to take on the British troops under a hard-charging Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton on Jan. 17.

Morning dawned clear and bitterly cold, according to an account of the battle by the National Park Service. Morgan organized his troops into three lines, with selected sharpshooters out front. They picked off 15 of Tarletons Dragoons, then retreated 150 yards to join Verner and the militia under Andrew Pickens. After firing two volleys, the second line retreated back to the third but were chased by the fearsome Dragoons.

As the militia dodged behind trees and parried saber slashes with their rifles, William Washingtons Patriot cavalry thundered on the field of battle, seemingly out of nowhere, the Park Service history reported. The surprised British Dragoons, already scattered and sensing a rout, were overwhelmed.

They retreated at a trot, to their own beating drums and fifes and shouts of halloo. But Tarleton had held his 71st Highlanders in reserve. Now they charged, the wild wail of bagpipes adding to the noise and confusion.

The Patriots retreated, but upon Morgans command they did an about-face and, on order, fired in unison. A fierce bayonet charge turned the tide. Enclosed, the British infantry began a mass surrender, though Tarleton and others fought on valiantly before turning tail toward the camp of Lt. Gen. Charles Cornwallis.

The battle had lasted less than an hour and proved a complete victory for the undermanned Patriots. British losses were 110 dead, more than 200 wounded and 500 captured. Morgan counted 12 of his men killed and 60 wounded. He quickly retreated north to join Gen. Nathaniel Greene, who outraced Cornwallis to Virginia for supplies.

Verner, however, didnt leave South Carolina. He returned home to Abbeville, where he survived a bout of small pox and rejoined the militia in May and June for the Siege of 96 in western South Carolina. Later he guarded against "Tories and Indians" on the frontiers of South Carolina. In all, young John served the Patriot cause for more than 14 months, all before he turned 20. The flintlock rifle Verner used at Cowpens is now in the museum there, a gift from a cousin or a second cousin, Jennings said.

Verner went on to marry Rebecca Dickey, and they had 11 children. They still lived in South Carolina in 1815 when one of them, Ebenezer Pettigrew Verner, was born.

For Flip Jennings of Frenchtown, so it began.
If Donald Trumps first months in office are any indication of the future of this nation under his presidency, well be lucky to survive his promise to make America great again. In truth, the world is on edge since he walked into the Oval Office and almost immediately began to reverse the positions on which he had campaigned. That process has only accelerated as the chaos within the Trump administration spills out into the public eye on a daily basis while his apparent inability to tell the truth  or recognize it  continues unabated. If this is our nations return to greatness were in deep trouble, fellow Americans.

The list of Trumps reversals is far too long to put in one short column, but certainly some things are beginning to stand out. Notably, putting America first sounded great on the campaign trail. Trumps pledge to get out of the dozens of international military involvements was music to our war-weary populace and war-drained Treasury. After all, weve been in Afghanistan for 16 years, our longest war in history. Weve been in Iraq for 13 years. Both countries show almost nothing positive for all the billions, perhaps trillions, of hard-earned American taxpayer dollars we have spent trying to turn them into Western-style democracies. Its just the opposite as al-Qaida, our once-target and excuse for starting the wars, has morphed into the much larger and more capable ISIS.

Yet, two weeks ago Trump, after condemning President Obama for his failed Middle East conflicts, decided to crank up American involvement to a new and dangerous level with a barrage of cruise missile attacks on Syria, exactly what he had previously urged Obama not to do. Its worth noting, by the way, that he did so without congressional approval or even notification in an apparent misunderstanding of how our government works and a total disregard for the law and the three separate but equal branches of our government.

Then, late last week, he ordered the military to drop the mother of all bombs  Americas largest non-nuclear weapon  on Afghanistan to destroy an ISIS bunker complex. Previously, Trump had called the invasion of Afghanistan a mistake. At a cost of $16 million per bomb, we spent almost $500,000 on each of the estimated 36 ISIS fighters killed in the attack  and of course that was just for the bomb, not the bombers, pilots, air bases and support.

In the meantime, just to keep already edgy world leaders even more nervous about the unknown quantity now occupying the White House, Trump sent an aircraft carrier battlegroup to conduct military exercises just off the coast of North Korea in a supposed show of power. Should some nation do the same to the U.S. one might suspect it would be called a dangerous provocation instead.

It would be expected that Trumps actions are being criticized by his political opponents, but increasingly his former supporters are wondering whats going on with the constant reversals of his campaign promises. Draining the swamp is tough to do when you import a whole new pile of alligators. Spending taxpayer dollars on American needs is impossible if those billions are going to bomb sovereign nations around the globe. And rest assured Mexico wont be paying for a border wall  if it ever gets built, which is increasingly doubtful.

Our nation is stumbling backwards, not forward, under Trumps unpredictable presidency. Every day more and more millions of Americans, both former supporters and opponents, wonder just how much more of being great again we can take.
Energy Corps is an AmeriCorps program developed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology in collaboration with the Corporation for National and Community Service. Energy Corps was created to address community energy and sustainability needs by fostering community sustainability, promoting sustainable energy consumption through outreach and education, as well as mitigating the impacts of global climate change in a local setting.

Missoula is no stranger to the Energy Corps program, having hosted members since its beginning, but this round (2016-2017) of Energy Corps is particularly notable. Missoula is currently hosting the most Energy Corps members it has ever had, with five members across different host sites.

***

Sean Doty serves the city of Missoula as the zero waste and energy and climate educator. In partnership with Missoulas energy conservation coordinator, Sean helps to develop and coordinate a citywide Zero Waste Plan, which includes creating and delivering communications, reports, presentations and educational content.

***

Erika Barnett is Missoula Countys first Energy Corps member, serving as the sustainability coordinator. She is primarily responsible for generating the countys baseline greenhouse gas emissions inventory, developing a sustainability assessment which evaluates policies and practices within county operations pertaining to sustainability, energy conservation and environmental health, as well as introducing sustainable initiatives throughout county operations.

***

Alexa Holliday is the Zero Waste educator for Home ReSource, and otherwise facilitates ZWAP! (Zero Waste Ambassadors Program) in Missoula. Alexa is also responsible for drafting the ZeroByFifty: Missoulas Pathway to Zero Waste plan for the city of Missoula.

***

Hailey Jorgensen serves as Climate Smart Missoulas energy and climate coordinator. She provides program support to promote the goals set forth in the Community Climate Action Plan, as well as energy and climate specific initiatives such as the Solar Smart and Energy Smart programs.

***

Brittany Weber is the third AmeriCorps member to serve with the National Wildlife Federation as their habitat and sustainability education coordinator. She supports the Missoula Community Wildlife Habitat Initiative, with the goal of recognizing Missoula as Montana's first certified Community Wildlife Habitat through the use of native plants and landscaping to develop natural habitats for wildlife. She also coordinates the Eco-Schools USA Program throughout the state, which provides a free framework to help educators integrate sustainability principles throughout their curriculums.

***

This year, by hosting the largest number of Energy Corps members, Missoula is creating more avenues for collaboration across host sites. The members have weekly meetings to identify opportunities for cooperation, as well as to provide support for partner projects and goals.

Cultivating meaningful partnerships throughout the greater Missoula community has generated a network of those passionate about leading sustainable lifestyles, energy conservation, and environmental stewardship as methods of confronting climate change. The Energy Corps members hope to encourage the growth of this network, not just in Missoula, but throughout the state. The Energy Corps program proves that local community action can make a profound impact.
Much has been said recently about the fact that Greg Gianforte is originally from New Jersey and therefore does not have Montana values and interests at heart. From a personal standpoint, I moved to Montana in 1961 because of the landscape and the people. I started a business and have supported my adopted community of Polson. I consider myself to be a Montanan.

We should be thankful someone with Greg Gianforte's intellect and organizational abilities chose to come to Montana to launch a business that continues to employ hundreds of Montanans in good-paying jobs. He recognized Montana as the treasure it is; a place to raise a family, support business growth, people and communities in Montana.

Just because he came to Montana from another state does not mean that he does not support the values and interests of Montana. To think otherwise is a disservice to Greg and what he stands for.

When you vote in May, vote for Greg Gianforte, the candidate who has a proven track record of creating hundreds of jobs in Montana, supporting Montana's education programs and its students, and supporting charitable causes in Bozeman and other communities.

Chuck Jarecki,

Polson
The Dakota Access Pipeline protesters are finally gone. Calling themselves Water Protectors," they contaminated a thousand acres of pristine grassland (also a sensitive wildlife habitat) and left behind mountains of trash, human waste and hazardous fuels.

An early thaw turned their campsite into a muddy cesspool. Included in the debris were dozens of abandoned cars, structures, propane tanksand 12 dogs!

In Late February the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spent $1.1 million to clean up the protest camps, hauling away 835 dumpsters (8,170 cubic yards) of trash and debris. The local tribes were concerned that snowmelt would inevitably wash tons of garbage and waste into the Cannonball River.

Of course, it's impossible to remove every drop and particle of waste. The Missouri River downstream from the Cannonball is almost certainly polluted. Don't drink that "protected" water!

Some of the "Water Protectors" may have been paid protesters. (Do they really care?) The Sierra Club and Greenpeace were among the organizations that compensated them. Among environmentalists, these organizations are respected and considered responsible. So why did none of their check writers bother to contract for trash dumpsters and outhouses? This is shocking negligence!

The Dakota Access protest is reported to have provided inspiration and a blueprint for protests against pipelines elsewhere. If future protests don't include facilities for waste disposal, they will do only harm. In the spirit of good environmentalism, recycle bins should also be provided.

I'll take my chances with the pipeline company. They know how to handle oil spills and will respond immediately. Oil doesn't mix with water like sewage does. Let the oil flow! Cheap energy from fossil fuels now supplies 86 percent of the world's energy and has kept seven billion people from starving. Google "The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels." It's good reading.

Dale Ferguson,

Polson
One of three remaining energy development leaseholders in the Badger-Two Medicine area south of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation has sued the federal government for access to the land, despite the Department of Interiors cancellation of the leases in January.

W.A. Moncrief of Fort Worth, Texas, filed his case on April 3, claiming sudden cancellation of a federal oil and gas lease more than 35 years after its issuance. Moncriefs case goes before the same federal judge in Washington, D.C., who is hearing the case of Solenex LLC.

Solonex had a permit to drill in a place the Blackfeet consider sacred ground, but the Department of the Interior canceled that permit last year.

The national forest land ringed by the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex has drawn attention for several years as the Blackfeet Tribe pushed its case that numerous energy exploration leases granted in the 1980s were invalid.

Tribal members revere the 130,000-acre area as the site of their ancestral creation stories and present-day cultural activities. Last year, officials with the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management agreed the leases were granted without proper tribal consultation or environmental review.

The Blackfeet are not against oil and gas development, Tribal Chairman Harry Barnes stated in an April 14 press release. But we have always been and will always be against oil and gas development in our most sacred places.

On the issue of lease cancellation, Barnes wrote, Solenex and Moncrief can blame no one but themselves.

They ignored multiple Blackfeet resolutions declaring the land sacred, even before they purchased the leases; they declined myriad offers by the Blackfeet Nation and the U.S. government to negotiate a solution; they refused to join the vast majority of companies who exited the Badger-Two Medicine on good terms; and they forced cancellation as a last-resort option by their aggressive litigation and refusal to consult and cooperate. They have taken a radical position, and so have forced an outcome no one wanted.

In his suit, Moncrief maintains the Interior Department gave him no warning of his lease cancellation before issuing a press release about the action on Jan. 10. He argued that shows the agency was playing politics at the end of President Barack Obamas administration instead of considering the scientific or historical merits of the lease.

Barnes responded that the tribe had offered Moncrief tax credits, cash offers, alternative leases and pre-drilled wells in other parts of the reservation in compensation for the Badger-Two Medicine leases. He called Moncriefs claim that the cancellation was a last-minute action by Obama preposterous.

Our 1971 declaration of the B2Ms sacred nature was signed one day after President Obamas 10th birthday, Barnes wrote. "The history here runs deep, and establishes clearly that this is anything but last minute.

At a lease-cancellation signing with tribal members on Nov. 16, then-Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said her staff was working to resolve the remaining leases. On Jan. 6, Moncrief was paid $27,874 for past lease payments, filing fees and other charges on his 7,640-acre lease. The J.G. Kluthe Trust of Nebraska was paid $30,560 for costs related to its 3,982-acre lease.

Solenex owner Sydney Longwell sued the government several years ago, claiming federal officials were dragging their feet on completing his permit to drill for oil and gas on his Badger-Two Medicine leases. In a parallel analysis, the federal officials decided Solenexs lease was invalid and canceled it last March.

Earthjustice attorney Tim Preso, who represents a coalition of tribal and conservation groups against Solenex, said the Moncrief challenge didnt appear to raise any different issues.

They never applied for and do not hold a drilling permit, and they cant do anything on the land without that, Preso said. The Solenex case is much further along in the judicial process. Theyve been assigned to the same judge, so unless something extraordinary happens, the outcome of the Solenex case would likely apply to this new case.
Police reports

WOMAN HOSPITALIZED AFTER ASSAULT

A woman was hospitalized early Saturday morning after police said her husband assaulted her for more than an hour. Officers arrived at a home on the 2600 block of Colusa Street around 1:30 a.m. on a report of an assault. Police said the victim told them her husband came home drunk, hit her, knocked her down, strangled her, and bashed her on the ground. Police found the man, Dennis White, 45, on a nearby street and arrested him for felony partner/family member assault for serious bodily injury. Police said the woman had injuries to her face, neck, head, and arms consistent with the attack she described and was taken by ambulance to the hospital.
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders has announced that he will be campaigning across Montana in May to support the campaign for Congress of Democrat Rob Quist, a folk musician from the Flathead Valley.

"Rob Quist is the only person in this race who understands that we need a government in Washington that works for all Montanans and all Americans and not just the special interests and the billionaire class," Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, said in a press release.

"Congress right now is dominated by politicians who worry about the needs of their wealthy campaign contributors. We need members of Congress like Rob who will work to rebuild the shrinking middle class, who will fight all attempts to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and will oppose tax breaks for the very rich. Rob is a populist, grassroots candidate fighting for the working families of Montana. I look forward to campaigning with him in May and working with him in Congress."

No specific dates or locations for Sanders appearances have been set.

Quist, who gained fame during his days as a musician in the popular Mission Mountain Wood Band, is a political newcomer. He is a Democrat challenging Republican Greg Gianforte to take Montana's lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mark Wicks, a Libertarian candidate, will also be on the ballot on May 25. The seat has been unoccupied since Ryan Zinke was tapped by Trump to become Secretary of the Department of the Interior.

"I'm excited that Bernie Sanders recognizes that our grassroots campaign is building momentum and has the best chance in decades to take back Montana's U.S. House seat for the rest of us," Quist said. "In the U.S. House, I'll be a voice to protect our public lands, fight for working families, work for better health care, and stand up to Wall Street and special interests."

Sanders made a stop in Missoula last spring during his campaign to be the Democratic nominee for President, which he ultimately lost to Hillary Clinton. Sanders did win the Democratic nomination in Montana.

A huge crowd turned out for Sanders' speech on a sunny day in May in Missoula's Caras Park last year. He gained national recognition for campaigning on issues such as raising the minimum wage and fighting climate change. Sanders has been a vocal opponent of President Donald Trump's agenda.

Sanders' appearances in Montana on behalf of Quist will not be part of the "Come Together and Fight Back Tour," which the Democratic National Committee announced last week. That tour listed Montana as one of the destinations. It will pair Sanders with newly-elected DNC Chairman Tom Perez.
Editor's Note:

The No Greater Love committee actually has raised $107,000 of the $135,000 fundraising goal for the project, said musical director Gary Funk.

Butte is about as "Americana" as it gets, which suits New York City theatrical director/playwright Edward Morgan just fine.

He's done his share of Americana theater and is ready to take on the elaborate two-day production of Butte's "No Greater Love" musical June 9 and 10 at the Mother Lode Theater.

After getting a "crash course" visiting Butte and its rough-and-tumble mining history last week, Morgan is firmly on board to direct the elaborate play honoring the 100th anniversary of the 1917 Granite Mountain-Speculator Mine Fire that killed 168 brave miners.

The original musical drama commemorates one of the most definitive events in Butte history. Most of the cast and crew are Montanans. Many are Butte-ites.

About six weeks ago, as musical director Gary Funk sought a sure-fire director, his daughter, actor Angela Billadeau of Missoula, suggested Morgan.

The New Yorker had directed her in a 2008 Virginia Stage Company show in Norfolk, "Hank Williams: Lost Highway," "a show that would really be loved here in Montana," said Billadeau.

"Although I had worked on the professional stage since 1998, he was the first director I had encountered who truly cared enough to spend one-on-one with me (and all other actors in the show)," she added. "And he was the first I'd experienced who actually, well, directed me  and officially helped me better understand the truth-telling of acting  of vulnerability."

Like a hoist crew ready to haul equipment down a mine shaft during a busy shift, Funk and Morgan hit it off quickly.

"Once we were in discussion, I wanted the job," Morgan told The Montana Standard. "First and foremost, I had an opening in my schedule. I do a lot of plays."

DIGGING AMERICA'S ROOTS

Funk and co-writer/wife Sylvia Funk's script fit Morgan's project criteria, too: a director's passion for telling truthful stories that deal with America's roots.

It says so on his stylish business card.

"It's rare to find a project where you have such a fabulous intersection of story and real life," Morgan said. "The anniversary and the significance of these events to Butte and to Montanans and the passion and involvement of the people here made it much more interesting and resonant."

"No Greater Love" is a tale of two cities, one below ground in the mines and one above, where wives and children waited to hear the fate of their husbands, sons, and fathers.

The major character is Manus Duggan, a 25-year-old miner who led a heroic effort to save his co-workers after a 1,200-foot cable broke loose in the Granite Mountain Shaft. It fell 1,000 feet.

An open flame from a lantern accidentally sparked a roaring fire. Dense smoke and poisonous gas rolled into the tunnels, trapping and eventually overwhelming the miners.

DOING HIS HOMEWORK

Morgan has already done his homework. Prior to getting a Larry Hoffman and Tom Holter-led mine tour, he made an obligatory visit to the Granite Mountain Memorial and met with costume manager Irene Scheidecker and the "No Greater Love" organizing board, among many other stops.

Even more so, the juxtaposition of "artistic challenge and real life" of the well-documented disaster fascinate Morgan.

"Before I got here, I read 'Copper Camp' and 'Fire and Brimstone' several times, so my impressions are already filtered through all the research and the story. I'm looking already through those glasses," said Morgan.

"I'm from the south, so I was surrounded by history. What I don't like is Disney history. I like real history."

"Copper Camp: The Lusty Story of Butte, Montana, the Richest Hill on Earth" by the Writers Project of Montana (2001) and "Fire and Brimstone: The North Butte Mining Disaster of 1917" by Michael Punke (2007) are the requisite tomes he studied.

A CELTIC MUTT

Morgan, who splits his time between New York and the Dominican Republic, where his physician wife, Raquelina Luna, runs an integrated medical clinic, calls himself a "Celtic mutt." He grew up in Maryland, Virginia, and spent time in Appalachian coal mining country.

His heritage includes Welsh and "35 percent Irish."

"I've directed a lot of Irish plays, so a part of that culture would be very familiar to me," he said.

Among his extensive directing credits are "Molly Sweeney," "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "The Shaughraun," "The Sunshine Boys," "Appalachian Voices," "A Moon for the Misbegotten," and "To Kill a Mockingbird."

But those are merely a segment of the ore bin.

He is a casting partner for the popular Cirque Du Soleil, as he auditions clowns as part of the job.

A playwright, too, he boasts an impressive resume, which includes "Sounding the River, Huck Finn Revisited" and "Last Ride at the Bold Calhouns," both at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, and cabaret shows like "An Irish Reunion Concert" ('97 and '92) and "Shine On, Harvest Moon," all at the Milwaukee.

A complete performer, Morgan has deep classical and Shakespearean acting chops, too, mostly at the Virginia Shakespeare Festival and Milwaukee Rep.

He teaches and lectures at a wide range of institutions, from college-level to young audiences tours. Disciple Billadeau sings his praises from the rafters.

"He is a generous communicator and comes to the director's table with a richly effective foundation, not only as a top-notch director but as a talented actor, playwright, and teacher," Billadeau said.

"And the best part is that he carries that colorful palette with grace, not with a burdensome ego. He only yearns to tell the truth in the best way possible for the stage."

PRODUCTION FUNDRAISING

The show organizing committee, busy as miners mucking before the whistle blows, has raised $107,000 of its $135,000 goal for the production, said Gary Funk.

The latest rage? The mostly-Butte-extracted commemorative copper coins organizers are selling; they have 400 of 2,000 left. See www.nogreaterlovebutte.com.

So far, Morgan characterizes his time in Butte and the disaster story as "wonderfully immersive."

He returns in May, when the cast starts rehearsals at various venues, including the Pioneer Club above Headframe Spirits, the Knights of Columbus ballroom, and the Butte Central High School auditorium  all in the same handy neighborhood.

Major players in the cast are heavy-hitters with extensive acting credits:

 Jeff Kitto as protagonist Manus Duggan. Kitto grew up in the Gallatin Valley.

 John Hosking, Vigilante Theater Co. co-founder as Gummy Montgomery. He lives in Belgrade.

 Angela Billadeau, an award-winning Missoula actor, as Madge Duggan.

 John Garic, former Highlands College dean and New Orleans native as Norman Braley.

 Andree O'Shea, Butte High School Drama Club adviser, Butte native, and experienced actor as Madame McGinnis.

Funk said the musical score is "eclectic  something for everyone," symbolizing Butte's early culture when immigrants swarmed into town from around the world to work the mines. It encompasses a broad range of orchestral styles, said Funk: Irish jigs, neo-romantic, and the blues.

All told, 27 countries are represented in the story.

Morgan calls Funk's score "lyrically beautiful."

"The music is representative of Butte and the people," added Sylvia Funk.

Perhaps Morgan's business card is his best selling point for the job of directing such a production. It reads: "I love directing plays with rich emotions and heightened language, as long as there's some grit."
Evan Barretts response to Judge Neil Gorsuchs confirmation to the United States Supreme Court (April 7 Standard guest column) is a churlish attempt to make people mistakenly think that 75 percent of Montanans supported Testers vote against Gorsuchs confirmation. This is deceptive.

On the contrary it appears a majority of Montanans supported Gorsuch, including Sen. Steve Daines, Atty. Gen. Tim Fox, Indian tribes, Montana Chamber of Commerce and The Billings Gazette.

Fox wrote, With my 30 years of Montana and national experience as an attorney, and with hundreds of appearances before judges in local, state and federal courts, including federal circuit court and Supreme Court advocacy, I find Judge Gorsuch to be extremely well qualified, mainstream, and worthy of confirmation.

Yet Barretts article infers that Sen. Jon Tester Sided with 75 percent of Montanans on Gorsuch vote? Whats the illusion?

Barrett writes: Specifically, Tester said he believed that Gorsuch supports the massive intrusion of corporations into our election processes . since the Supreme Courts Citizens United decision.

Gorsuch had nothing to do with that decision, which is now the law of the land. Gorsuch testified during his confirmation hearing he accepts the law of the land, which is very different from supporting a court ruling.

Citizens United allows political expenditures by non-profit corporations, for-profit corporations, labor unions and other associations. Many Montanans for good reason dont like Citizens United. The Montana Supreme Court said in 2011 existing Montana campaign finance laws restricting corporate campaign contributions prevailed. This ruling was reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2012.

Montana voters responded in 2012 with 75 percent approving a bipartisan ballot initiative I-166 that stated corporations are not entitled to constitutional rights because they are not human and, in effect, hammered Citizens United.

What Barrett wants us to believe is this:

 75 percent of Montana voters in 2012 approved I-166 against Citizens United.

 Tester voted against Gorsuchs confirmation in 2017 because Gorsuch supports Citizens United.

 Thus, Barrett argues Tester sided with 75 percent of Montanans with his confirmation vote against Gorsuch.

This reasoning is misleading. First, a bipartisan, single-issue ballot initiative in Montana is very different from a partisan, multi-issue, U.S. Senate confirmation process. Second, there is a big difference between supporting and accepting.

Barretts argument fails on misleading comparisons and on a false assumption  saying Gorsuch supports Citizens United, when, in fact, he accepts the law of the land.

Barrett tries to persuade readers that Tester sided with 75 percent of Montana voters with his confirmation vote against Gorsuch. Besides being ridiculous, Barrett offers no relevant evidence to support his position or that his conclusion is true.

-- Cort Freeman of Butte is a former business reporter, businessman, and retired corporate communication executive.
I wish to thank U.S. Sen. Jon Tester for supporting the filibuster against Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court appointment.

Tester stood up for his constituents by not voting for a terrible candidate who does not deserve a lifetime position on the highest court in America.

Many of Gorsuchs past rulings have shown him to be out of touch with the kind of values most folks in Montana believe in.

I am grateful for Senator Testers position concerning such a critical situation and standing up for what is best for our country. Thank you, Jon Tester.

-- Debbie Lyman, Heron
BILLINGS  A Wheatland County Sheriffs deputy did not use excessive force when using a Taser to subdue an 84-year-old Harlowton man March 17, the Montana Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation has ruled.

Richard "Dick" Stoltz was shocked multiple times while being arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license, obstructing a peace officer and resisting arrest. Stoltz pleaded not guilty to all counts in Harlowton City Court on March 23.

Wheatland County Sheriff David Jones and County Attorney Linda Hickman requested that DCI review the events leading up to Stoltzs arrest and the department's use of force.

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.

In a summary of the review, Mike McCarthy, training specialist for the Montana Law Enforcement Academy, concluded Deputy Michael Barrett did not use excessive force on Stoltz.

McCarthy said in the summary that he reviewed audio and video recordings of the traffic stop in addition to the Wheatland County Sheriffs Office policy on the use of an electronic control device, in this case a Taser.

The policy identifies nine risk factors in the use of an ECD, including increased risk related to use on children or senior citizens. The policy cautions officers on the dangers of using an ECD on seniors but does not prohibit their use.

McCarthys incident review said Stoltz exhibited aggressive behavior throughout the traffic stop. He refused to follow commands and became unruly after he was told he was under arrest. Barrett called for backup, and Stoltz continued to resist.

The deputy first tried to use a Drive Stun technique with his Taser, pressing the weapon against Stoltz instead of shooting the probes into his body to incapacitate him. This method was not effective.

In response to being hit with the Taser, Stoltz told Barrett, Im going to take your f---ing head off.

At this point Barrett shot the Tasers probes into Stoltzs back.

Due to the narrow probe hit, Mr. Stoltz was still able to turn back toward Deputy Barrett and then slowly go to the ground under his own control, McCarthy said in his review summary.

After the second jolt, Stoltz responded to the deputy, "God damn you buddy," the report states.

The deputy said Stoltz continued to be defensive as backup officers tried to place him in handcuffs.

Stoltz declined to comment for this story, citing his pending case.
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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 []
Is it possible that someone out there turns his or her nose up at the offer of a grilled cheese sandwich?

Ive never met a grilled cheese hater and suspect I never will.

Cooked bread and cheese is an ancient food according to food historians, popular across the world in many cultures.

Evidence in both print and word-of-mouth indicates that in the United States the modern version of the grilled cheese sandwich originated in the 1920s when inexpensive sliced bread and American cheese became readily available. Written accounts tell us the cheese dream, an open-faced grilled cheese sandwich, became popular in this country during the Great Depression. U.S. government cookbooks describe Navy cooks broiling American cheese filling sandwiches during World War II.

Many variations of the grilled cheese sandwich can now be found on restaurant menus all across the land as well as internationally.

It comes as no surprise to most Americans that grilled cheese sandwiches are often served with soup  usually tomato soup  offered here and abroad as a whole meal, qualifying without question as comfort food on the list of dishes that we turn to when good health and warm-and-fuzzy feelings are promoted.

Focusing on the adult population, a pair of New Yorkers maintain there is nothing better than pairing grilled cheese sandwiches with a hearty beer.

Brewer Kevin VanBlarcum and chef Eddie Davis have teamed up to bring together a number of winning combinations in a most uncommon cookbook, Grilled Cheese & Beer (Hatherleigh Press, $16.95). The collaborators have combined an extensive knowledge of brewing beer, tasty sandwiches that focus on numerous cheese varieties and their own brand of humor.

Inside Grilled Cheese & Beer, foodies can expect to find more than 50 one-of-a-kind grilled cheese sandwich recipes, perfectly paired with craft beers designed to draw out the full flavor of each ingredient.

A sampling of the recipes and beer pairings include: Bacon Me Crazy with Stone Brewerys Arrogant Bastard, The Nature Boy Ricotta Flair with Moosehead Lager, The Big Kahuna with Hell or High Watermelon, Dia de los Quesos with Modelo Especial, The Ham of La Challah with Briney Melon Gose, Johnny Apple Cheese with Angry Orchard, Muenster Mash with Stella Artois, Funky Batard with Unibroue La Fin du Monde and Turkey in the Rye with Keegan Ales Mothers Milk.

Not only do we aim to elevate the grilled cheese, but we want to give it a companion, the authors point out. A best friend. A comrade. A brother in arms. A partner in crime. A pairing worthy of the perfection that is melty cheese slapped between two delicious pieces of perfectly toasted bread.

And that is the malty, citrusy, piney, chocolatey, fruity, sour, dry goodness that is the immensely varied selection of beers now available to everyone. There is something for everyone and everything. Every cheese and ingredient combo has a perfect beer out there to send it over the top.

VanBlarcum is a brewer at Keegan Ales in Kingston, New York. After graduating from the University at Albany, he began pursuing a career in the brewing industry. Born and raised in the Catskill Mountains, he currently resides in Pine Hill, New York.

Davis has honed his skills as a chef from Brooklyn to the Catskills. He fell in love with the culinary arts and began his career at a local New York favorite, The Caboose.
Some 2,000 cyclists are expected Saturday for the 10th annual Wine Valley Cycle for Sight/Rotary Ride for Veterans that begins and ends at the Justin-Siena High School campus in north Napa.

The event last year raised more than $100,000 for the Pathway Home Project at the Veterans Home of California in Yountville and Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind in the hills west of Napa, said Gary Rose, race's executive director.

There are routes of 15 miles, 25 miles and 50 miles, all of which start at Justin-Siena and run through the entry of the Veterans Home. The 50-mile route has been reworked this year to avoid storm damage on Mount Veeder and Dry Creek roads, Rose said.

A festival offering food and drink follows the rides at Justin-Siena. Local musician Johnny Smith will perform from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Bay Area's Price & Joy will perform from 1 to 3:30 p.m.

The public can buy tickets for the festival only.

Proceeds help pay tuition for low-income children at Enchanted Hill Camp and support rehabilitation services for veterans.

Some 300 signs will be put up at week's end for the "Memorial Mile" along the driveway to the Veterans Home. People and businesses pay $100 per sign to honor people serving in the military, veterans generally, and others.

Registration is from 7 to 10 a.m. Saturday. Helmets are required on all routes.

For more information, go to http://www.cycle4sight.com/
Bountiful rainfall across Napa County has contributed to a surge of mosquitos this spring, although the risk of West Nile virus may not be greater later this year.

Workers with the Napa County Mosquito Abatement District have kept busy with an abundance of the blood-drawing bugs following repeated rains that have broken five years of drought, according to Manager Wes Maffei.

Locally, however, much of the increase appears to be in species that dwell in marshes in and bordering the south county  species that are not among those known to transmit West Nile, a virus that can cause a flu-like, and occasionally life-threatening, illness.

Weve had a pretty fierce emergence of marsh mosquitos  holy schmoly, I cant get out without being eaten alive, said Maffei of the annual mosquito control effort, which includes spraying thousands of marsh-covered acres by ground and air. Ive been here (in the district) 20 years and Ive not seen this much water.

The surge is being driven by the maturation of mosquitos in the wintertime salt marshes of American Canyon and Carneros  as well as wetlands along Highway 37 in Solano County, as well as Sonoma and Marin counties  and should last several more weeks, Maffei said last week.

But while females of those species are aggressive in biting humans and drawing blood, he added, such insects are not considered incubators of West Nile, which is passed through bites to birds and horses as well as people.

To help tamp down the chances of Napans becoming infected, the Napa mosquito district is asking residents to look inward toward their own homes  and to eliminate any water sources, however small, that may grow stagnant and allow immature mosquito larvae to thrive and later hatch into winged adults.

Our focus is in telling folks to manage their water, Maffei said last week about the districts outreach to local home and property owners. The fewer containers that hold water, the better  containers in the backyard, sumps that arent working correctly, abandoned pools, ornamental water features that are not being maintained. Were not always aware of them, because were not in everybodys backyards every day.

The Napa mosquito districts staff of five full-time field workers sprays year-round, focusing on wetlands and ditches in winter and also covering storm basins and winery ponds in the warmer months, according to Maffei.

Insect control consists largely of the bacterial pesticide known as Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis)  which attacks only the waterborne larvae  and methoprene, a synthetic hormone that prevents larvae from maturing into pupae and eventually flying adults.

Of the 20 mosquito species known to live in Napa County, three are known to carry West Nile to birds and mammals, state public health officials say: Culex stigmatosoma, Culex tarsalis and Culex pipiens.

One in five people bitten by West Nile-bearing mosquitos develops flu-like symptoms, and one in 150 comes down with more severe sickness that can result in death, according to the website of the UC San Francisco Medical Center.

Infection rates for West Nile, which made its first U.S. appearance in 1999 in New York, have swung sharply since the virus was first detected in California 15 years ago. The number of human illnesses from the pathogen zoomed from three in 2003 to 880 just two years later, sank to 111 in 2010, then jumped back to 782 with a record 53 deaths in 2015, according to state public health statistics.

Unusually high rainfall can in some cases reduce habitat for West Nile-bearing mosquitos, according to the state Department of Public Health. An added benefit to the heavy rainfall this winter and spring is that mosquito adults, larvae, or eggs that are collected within storm drains and drainage ditches are likely flushed out, department spokesman Jorge de la Cruz wrote in an email last week.

More critical to the severity of a West Nile outbreak are summer and fall weather conditions, which can increase the number of human and animal illnesses if long stretches of hot weather allow more time for the viruses to incubate.

Lower autumn temperatures in 2016 may have factored into that years lower numbers of viral illnesses compared to the previous year  442 people sickened and 19 dead  despite a virtually identical number of dead and infected birds found, a common marker for the spread of West Nile, state health officials said.

Weve had a pretty fierce emergence of marsh mosquitos  holy schmoly, I cant get out without being eaten alive, said Wes Maffei, manager of the Napa County Mosquito Abatement District.
Queen of the Valley Medical Center will lose more than $2 million in federal funds over three years because of various hospital-acquired conditions, including a high rate of a bacterial infection that causes diarrhea.

According to the California Department of Public Health, in 2015 Queen had 30 hospital onset cases of Clostridium Difficile Infection, called CDI or C. diff, nearly twice the expected infection total.

These bacteria can multiply in the gut and colon when patients take some antibiotics to kill off other germs. It can also spread through contaminated surfaces or hands.

The Department of Public Health estimated that a facility the size of Queen of the Valley should have had only 17 such cases.

As a result these bacteria infections and other hospital-acquired conditions, the Queen will be penalized 1 percent of its Medicare payments for three years ending this October.

According to the hospital, 2016 Medicare net revenue totaled an estimated $76.5 million. In recent years, approximately 30 percent of net patient revenues comes from Medicare, said the Queen.

As a non-profit organization called to care for all members of our community, every dollar matters, said Vanessa deGier, a Queen spokeswoman. That said, we are confident that the decrease in reimbursement is temporary, as we have addressed the (CDI) data and plan to see full reimbursement in the near future.

We are continuously working to improve patient care, said Maureen Disbot, Northern California regional vice president, quality and performance improvement at St. Joseph Health Northern California.

The Queens CDI standardized infection ratio of 1.8 in 2015 compares to the Adventist Health St. Helena ratio of 1.4, the Northbay Medical Center ratio of 1.6, the Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital ratio of 1.4, and Kaiser Vallejo a ratio of .9. The ratio for Kaiser Hospital in Santa Rosa was 1.8.

The Queen performs rigorous internal reviews of our quality and safety and performs exceptionally well in the majority, if not all, reviews, Disbot said.

However, No individual single data source provides a complete picture of the care provided at a hospital, said Disbot.

As to the 2015 CDI data, We have taken steps and achieved considerable improvement in CDI infection rates, said Disbot.

For example, Disbot said that from July 2015 to December, 2015, the Queen had 19 cases total. From July 2016 to Dececember, 2016, the Queen had only 10 such cases, a 47.3 percent reduction.

Some of the steps the Queen has taken include:

 Improved laboratory testing to ensure the Queen captures current CDI infections rather than individuals who are colonized with CDI. According to Disbot, colonized individuals are carriers of CDI but do not have an active infection. Such cases were erroneously included in the 2015 numbers, Disbot said.

 Implemented the use of an ultraviolet light device, a full spectrum germ-killing robot, to clean patient rooms and units.

 Instituted a robust antibiotic stewardship program that provides appropriate restrictions to the use of antibiotics, which is a major contributor to the cause of CDI in hospitals.

 Enhanced infection prevention education provided to staff, especially around strict hand hygiene practices.

Queen of the Valley isnt the only hospital affected by Medicare cuts. In 2016, the federal government cut payments to 769 hospitals that had high rates of patient injuries, which include antibiotic resistant bacterial infections like CDI.

In California, 96 hospitals are being penalized, including Kaiser Oakland, Kaiser Vacaville, Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, Stanford Health Care, UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento and California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco.

The Queen was the only Napa County hospital penalized for the most recent fiscal year, according to a Kaiser Health News analysis.

While it does not appear on the penalized list for this past year, St. Helena hospital had its Medicare payments reduced by 1 percent for the fiscal year that ran from October 2014 through September 2015. That reduction was due to high rates of potentially avoidable mistakes that can harm patients, known as hospital-acquired conditions.

These most recent punishments come in the third year of Medicare penalties for hospitals with patients who most frequently suffer from potentially avoidable complications, including various types of infections, blood clots, bed sores and falls.

While the government did not release the total dollar amount of the penalties, they will exceed $1 million for many larger hospitals. Nationally, hospitals will lose about $430 million, 18 percent more than they lost last year, according to an estimate from the Association of American Medical Colleges.

The reductions apply not only to patient stays but also will reduce the amount of money hospitals get to teach medical residents and care for low-income people.

Each year, at least 2 million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, including nearly a quarter million cases in hospitals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 23,000 people die from them.

While it can be treated by antibiotics, CDI or C. diff can become so serious that some patients need to have part of their intestines surgically removed. C. diff can cause diarrhea and can be deadly for the elderly and other vulnerable patients.

C. diff has challenged infection control efforts nationally. While hospital infections dropped 8 percent from 2008 to 2014, there was a significant increase in C. diff that final year, the CDC says.

The federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality estimated there were 100,000 hospital cases last year.

The reality is we dont know how to prevent all these infections, said Dr. Louise Dembry, a professor at the Yale School of Medicine and president of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

The hospital industry has raised objections about Medicare fines. Many hospitals complain that they are penalized because of their vigilance in detecting infections, even ones that do not cause any symptoms in patients.

Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, contributed to this story.
Similar to a game of executive director musical chairs, two well-known Napa nonprofits announced three key leadership changes.

Sally Sheehan-Brown, longtime First 5 Napa County executive director, retired on March 31.

Joelle Gallagher, a 16-year Cope Family Center veteran and the agencys current executive director, will become the new executive director of First 5.

Michele Grupe, currently the associate director at Cope, has been promoted to fill Gallaghers shoes.

Cope Family Centers mission is to prevent and address the root causes of child maltreatment through an array of programs and services. First 5 is funded by Proposition 10, essentially a tobacco tax. It provides resources to support a system of services that ensures children ages 0-5 enter school healthy and ready to learn.

It has been a great 17 years at First 5, and I am so very grateful to those original commissioners who offered me a job back in February 2000, said Sheehan-Brown.

However, Its time for someone else to do this work, she said. Joelle has lots of ideas for the agency going forward.

I am very excited to work with the First 5 Commission and staff, said Gallagher.

After working at Cope and running an agency that provides direct services to the community, Im very interested in pursuing more of the policy, advocacy and system-building side of an agency, Gallagher said.

Grupe said her many years of work at Cope with Gallagher and a succession plan will ensure a smooth transition. Im honored to lead the Cope team in the next stage of the organizations development, she said.

Sheehan-Brown recalled the beginnings of First 5 Napa County, which she started from the ground up.

Those early days were exciting and a little terrifying, she admitted. She did not come from an early childhood education background, so my learning curve was steep at the time.

The impact of First 5 has been huge and the influence we have had statewide is greater than any of us could ever have imagined, Sheehan-Brown said. I am so very proud and privileged to have been a part of it.

Gallagher said she was attracted to the work that First 5 does in terms of taking a look at all of the different components that play a part in early childhood and creating a system that works for young children and families. And I thought this was a great opportunity to move in that direction.

The two agencies are markedly different in size. Cope has an estimated 30 employees. First 5 Napa County has the equivalent of about five full-time employees.

Joelle brings a lot of experience and enthusiasm to the work that is planned for First 5 Napa County as we embark on a journey that will shift how we accomplish the organizations work, said Debbie Peralez, executive director of Child Start, Inc. and president of the First 5 Napa County Commission.

We intend to actively engage the community in planning for this change, and Joelle will help lead this process, ensuring that our future is aligned with the needs of Napas children and families and reflective of the changing vision of the commission, Peralez said.

Under Sheehan-Browns leadership, the commission has weathered many storms, including threats to funding during Californias lean state budget years.

Sheehan-Brown kept her focus on what is good for kids and families and helped lead the commission to create funding strategies that could best meet their needs. We will miss her at First 5, said Peralez.

Gallagher noted that Grupe has already been associate director and development director at Cope. She has a very good handle on all pieces of the agency. Shes entirely well equipped to take on this role, she said.

Because Grupe is also a member of the nine-person First 5 commission, she recused herself from the First 5 executive director recruiting process, she said.
A 72-year-old St. Helena man was seriously injured Saturday when his motorcycle hit a guardrail on Howell Mountain Road, west of Pope Valley Road, ejecting him, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The incident happened at 5 p.m. as the driver, Barry Robert Kessey, was attempting to make a left-hand curve. He was transported by air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital in Santa Rosa with major injuries.

On Monday morning, Kessey was in the hospital's intensive care unit. The hospital did not release his condition.
Seated next to his daughter and wearing a red hat adorned with an American flag, Ygnacio Lopez told the story of how he  a 67-year-old uneducated man from Mexico  came to be an American citizen.

Lopez first came to the United States when he was 30. He couldnt read or write in Spanish and didnt speak any English. More than three decades later, he still struggles with both, but with the help of volunteers from Napas On The Move, Lopez spent months studying American civics, passed his citizenship test and interview.

I didnt want, but my daughters tell me you have to become (a citizen), Lopez said in Spanish. Three out of five of his daughters have made it to the United States and to Napa County where Lopez spent his life working in the fields.

I was working hard to give them the best, he said. My priority was to give them a better education in Mexico.

His daughter, Cecilia Lopez, 24, did just that. She finished high school and even studied a year of nursing in Mexico. When she came to the United States at age 19, she got a job as a dishwasher and currently works in a warehouse driving a forklift.

It is my goal for citizenship, she said. I very nervous for the interview.

Cecilia Lopez applied for citizenship in January and has already provided her fingerprints for her biometric services appointment, which is used to confirm the identity of applicants in addition to running a background check.

I tell her please dont be afraid, Ygnacio Lopez said.

The test, though, might actually be more difficult for Cecilia than it was for Ygnacio since she has to take it in English.

Ygnacio is almost an exception, said Henni Cohen, one of the tutors at On The Move.

Thanks to Ygnacios age and how long he had been a legal permanent resident, he was able to take his test and do his interview in Spanish. His daughter, who has been in the U.S. for only a few years and isnt fluent in English, has to not only study for the civics test and memorize her application answers, she has to do it all in English.

It may be called an interview, but its actually a test, Cohen said. And, like any other test, she said, it can be stressful, especially if youre new to the language youre taking it in.

The test can range from 15 minutes to 45 minutes  we never know whats going to happen, said Leslie Medine, founder and former executive director of On The Move.

Even if someone answers every question correctly, the interviewer can still fail them, Medine said. The majority of people who use the On The Move tutors pass, but the few who didnt, did not fail because they got the answers wrong. They failed because the interviewer decided they didnt know enough English, she said.

It depends on the interviewer, agreed Miriam Rodriguez. Rodriguez said that when she took the test two years ago, she was lucky  her interview took only 10 or 11 minutes.

It was really, really hard for me to take the test in English, she said, but the five months of preparation she did with her tutors made her more comfortable and confident.

Since becoming involved with On The Move and earning her citizenship, Rodriguez, who had been working at Subway, now works as the site coordinator for Napa Valley Parent University at the McPherson Family Resource Center.

For adults, the big barrier is the language, Rodriguez said. This space, they give you the tools.

Im nervous  scared because my first language is not English, said Giuliana Mendoza, 23, who is preparing now for her citizenship interview and test. Mendoza said that she came to Napa when she was 18-years-old  her family gave her the option to come with them or to stay back in Mexico alone.

I cry because I dont want to come, she said. Now, though, this is where her husband and her children are. Thats why she decided to become a citizen, so that, no matter what, she and her children could be secure.

Its better for my life, she said.

Mendoza hopes to pass her citizenship test with help from her tutors.

They give me a lot of support, she said. They make me really comfortable  make me feel special.

The tutors, who are all volunteers, help each student according to their needs. In addition to helping them study using a textbook and flashcards, the tutors also help their students practice speaking in English, role-play the interview and, sometimes, theyll even help get them to the test, which for people in Napa County, is usually in San Francisco.

On The Moves tutoring program is part of the One Napa Valley Initiative  is a county-wide effort designed to help Napa Countys foreign-born residents become citizens. On The Move partnered with Puertas Abiertas, the Napa Valley Community Foundation, UpValley Family Centers, and the International Institute of the Bay Area as well as more than 125 donors to launch the initiative.

Over the last three years, the tutoring program, which meets weekly, has helped approximately 50 people become citizens, Medine said. Its a real community effort.
Tax March (April 15), Earth Day/Science March (April 22), and the Peoples Climate March (April 29) beckon us to participate. If youve ever marched, you know the energy, enthusiasm and hope that it generates. The Womens March  Hear Our Voice  on Jan. 21 was just such an event. The message of respect, equality, equal pay, equal access to health care and education was loud and clear.

Our group, Women Stand Up, is an offspring of that event. Youve probably seen our signs "In Our America . . ." around town. We are actively responding to specific bills before the United States Congress: HR 861: Termination of the Environmental Protection Agency; HR 610: Federal Funds for Private Schools (Vouchers); HR 899 - Terminate the Department of Education; HR 354: Defund Planned Parenthood; HR 147 Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (Criminalizes Abortion).

Specific information (real facts) can be found at congress.gov. This site provides the actual text of the bill and amendments. In addition, you can go to countable.com to review these bills. This site offers a link to send a direct message to your legislator. The more voices they hear, the better the representation.

PBS Newshour reported on April 6 that Senator Dianne Feinstein received 112,000 phone calls on Gorsuch, overwhelmingly against. Every call your legislator receives must be logged in. Numbers matter. Voices matter.

In addition to responding to these congressional matters, we are also developing a plan to increase voter registration. Have you registered to vote? Do you know what the requirements to vote are in California? Does your employer allow time off to vote? Good questions.

Visit us on Earth Day/Science Day in St Helena. Well be the ones with signs that read "In Our America." If youd like to join us, we can be reached at womenstandup.sthelena@gmail.com. Our next meeting is Tuesday, May 9 at 3 p.m. at the St. Helena Presbyterian Church.

Beth Lincoln and Mary Burton

Women Stand Up!
NEW YORK: Days after Facebook suspended 30,000 fake accounts in France, the social networking giant has disrupted spam operations it had been combating for six months.

In a post, Facebook's Technical Programme Manager Shabnam Shaik said the spam was made up of inauthentic likes and comments that appeared to come from accounts located in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and a number of other countries.

"We found that most of this activity was generated not through traditional mass account creation methods, but by more sophisticated means that try to mask the fact that the accounts are part of the same coordinated operation," Shaik added.

With this disruption of inauthentic likes, Facebook said almost 99 per cent of affected Pages having more than 10,000 likes will see a drop of less than 3 per cent.

The fake accounts generating spams used tricks to avoid detection, for example, by redirecting their traffic through "proxies" that disguised their location.

The social networking giant believes that the aim of the spam-campaign was to deceptively gain new friend connections by liking and interacting primarily with popular publisher Pages on its platform, after which point they would send spam.

"By disrupting the campaign now, we expect that we will prevent this network of spammers from reaching its end goal of sending inauthentic material to large numbers of people," Shaik noted.

To reduce the spread of misinformation and spam shared by creators of fake accounts, Facebook has disabled over 30,000 such profiles in France.

This move is in line with Facebook's efforts to reduce the distribution of misinformation, spam or false news on Facebook.

Read Also:

Google's Android Pay Now Works With Mobile Banking Apps

Solar-Powered Device Harvest Water From Dry Air
University to honor its authors on Thursday

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southern Illinois University Carbondale will celebrate the accomplishments of faculty and staff who have recently seen their works through to book publication.

The biennial Celebration of Campus Authors will recognize the creative, research and academic work of 28 university employs who published works in 2015 and 2016. The ceremony and reception, which will also recognize the universitys 2017 Excellence Award recipients, begins at 3 p.m., Thursday, April 20, in Morris Librarys John C. Guyon Auditorium..

The criteria these authors were required to meet included:

Items include complete books or e-books (monographs).

Items include subsequent editions for which one author was an active employee of SIU in 2015 or 2016.

At least one co-author must have been an active SIU Carbondale employee in 2015 or 2016.

Items must have been published by a recognized publisher or vendor.

A list of previously recognized authors is available here.
The municipal government in China's capital told major state-owned property developers on Monday not to talk up the market through "operational and market activities", a Chinese real estate industry portal said.Representatives of the firms were summoned to a meeting with the Beijing government on Monday, the Chinese Real Estate Business (CREB) said, citing sources familiar with the matter.State-owned developers have been a major force driving up home prices in the past year with aggressive bids for land to increase market share, CREB said, adding that such firms may be forced "to change their land strategy" after the meeting.State-owned developers successfully bid for nearly half of China's most expensive land in the first five months of 2016, it added.China's real estate sector rebounded this year, despite authorities' curbs on buying and lending since October in an effort to tame prices. That has prompted a new round of harsher measures by local governments since mid-March.China is due to release official March home price data on Tuesday. REUTERS AKC 1721 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0432-857741.Xml
Sri Lankan authorities on Monday continued search operations to find more victims buried under the rubble of a garbage dump near here, after the toll from its collapse rose to 30. Rescue officials by Monday morning had recovered 30 bodies and the army said it would continue searching for victims as there was no exact figure of those missing in the Meetotamulla incident, Xinhua news agency reported. "No one has actually come forward and given any information as to how many are exactly missing. Therefore, we will continue the search," military spokesperson Brigadier Roshan Seneviratne said. Over 1,000 troops were involved in the rescue and search operations. Organiser of the "Movement against Meethotamulla garbage dump" Nuwan Bopage told Xinhua that at least 10 more persons were missing at the dump. He said residents still hoped to find the bodies of the victims so that their final rites could be performed. The funeral of 15 more victims was held in Meetotamulla on Monday. Hundreds were displaced as tne mountain of the garbage slid and collapsed, and were in urgent need of basic facilities such as water, food, mosquito nets, milk and medicines. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has vowed to shut down the dump, which had absorbed much of Colombo's garbage for several years as much of the capital has undergone extensive renovations. Wickremesinghe, who reached Vietnam on Sunday afternoon, has decided to cut short his visit because of the tragedy at Meetotamulla. President Maithripala Sirisena instructed authorities to provide relief to the victims, without any financial restraints. The 91-metre tall massive garbage dump collapsed on Friday evening, burying over 100 homes and displacing over 600 people just as the country celebrated its traditional New Year. --IANS py/vt ( 301 Words) 2017-04-17-18:30:08 (IANS)
Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump, is in talks to sell his stake in a technology company focusing on the real estate sector, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. The talks to sell his stake in WiredScore are underway within the framework of Kushner's aim to divest himself of his private business activities so that no conflicts of interest exist, given his role as a close adviser to the President, EFE news cited the Journal. Sources close to the negotiations confirmed to the daily that the discussions were underway, although they did not specify precisely how much money the sale could make for Kushner. Previously, the young real estate magnate, who is married to Trump's older daughter Ivanka, had valued his stake in WiredScore at between $5-25 million. The Journal reported that, despite the talks and other similar negotiations for other business interests, critics of the Trump administration feel that neither Kushner nor the President have done enough to de-link themselves from their private business affairs. Kushner, who comes from a wealthy New York family with millions of dollars in real estate holdings, has become one of Trump's closest advisers on a wide range of issues. WiredScore, develops tools to assess the speed and quality of office buildings' Internet connections, according to the Journal. Kushner is pursuing the negotiations with a group of investors including the Los Angeles-based Fifth Wall Ventures although the talks have not been finalised and could end without an agreement. --IANS lok/ ( 264 Words) 2017-04-17-04:58:09 (IANS)
Besides, the main petition which was filed against Tata Sons was also rejected.

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) here dismissed the plea filed by Mistry's investment companies -- Cyrus Investment and Sterling Investment Corp -- the order on which will be released on Friday, April 21.

Under the current rules, only a shareholder with more than 10 per cent effective shareholding can file a minority interest petition with the NCLT.

However, the Companies Act empowers the NCLT to waive off this requirement for a petitioner to hold at least 10 per cent of the total issued share capital of the company to qualify for filing a minority interest petition.

The NCLT had ruled against the maintainability of the petition filed against Tata Sons, which cited governance lapses and compromise of minority shareholder interests after Mistry was ousted as Chairman of the holding company of the industrial conglomerate.

On October 24 last year, Tata Sons' Board ousted Mistry as its Chairman and appointed Ratan Tata as Interim Chairman.

--IANS rv/dg

( 211 Words)

2017-04-17-18:20:08 (IANS)
The Satyagraha continued for the second day on Monday.

Hundreds of villagers, who are likely to lose their land to the power project, are sitting with the legislator under the banner of Jameen Bachao Sangrash Samittee.

Last month, a public hearing on land acquisition by the Adani Power was conducted, at which majority of the participants consented to give their lands for the project.

However, the JVM-P legislator, who also joined the public hearing, alleged that "fake land owners" were called to the public hearing. After the legislator's supporters created unruly scenes, police resorted to lathicharge to disperse them.

An arrest warrant was also issued against Yadav last week.

"People are supporting the Satyagraha. Our President Babulal Marandi will also join the Satyagraha. We request the state government to stop land acquisition for the Adani Power," Yadav told reporters.

The Adani Power last year signed an MoU with the state government to set up a 1,600MW power plant in Santhal Pargana area of the state.

--IANS ns/nir/vt

( 203 Words)

2017-04-17-18:22:09 (IANS)
He, however, refused to reveal the names of these companies.

"We have been receiving complaints regarding adulteration. There are complaints of adulteration in bottled drinking water against two companies. We have been working on a mechanism to address the issue," Paswan told media persons here on the sidelines of the Central Consumer Protection Council meet.

He also said that the state governments have been asked to ensure provision of clean drinking water to people as per the standards laid down by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Paswan said the helpline for consumer protection will be operational across the country in three months.

--IANS spk/vgu/dg

( 145 Words)

2017-04-17-18:40:07 (IANS)
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday said it has issued notice to Vasan Health Care Pvt Ltd, its promoter Karti P Chidambaram, the son of former Finance Minister P.Chidambaram, and Advantage Strategic Consulting for violating foreign currency laws to the tune of Rs 2,307 crore. The ED said it had served notice to Vasan Health Care Pvt. Ltd, its promoters and their relatives for violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) to the tune of Rs 2,262 crore. Advantage Strategic Consulting was served notice for Rs 45 crore for sale of Vasan Health Care's shares to overseas investors. The ED also added that further investigations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) are going on in respect of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval given to Aircel-Maxis by the then Finance Minister Chidambaram wherein foreign inflow was Rs 3,500 crore (appx.). As per the government policy and FIPB guidelines, the competent authority for any inflow above Rs 600 crore was the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs. According to ED, preliminary investigations into the foreign investments received by Vasan Health Care, both in the primary market as well as secondary, revealed that the company had received investments from the Mauritius-based Sequoia and WestBridge and also through the investment arm of GIC, Singapore. The overseas investors acquired shares of Vasan Health Care by acquiring Compulsorily Convertible Preference Shares (CCPS) directly from the company by investing a total amount of Rs 432 crore in different rounds of investments from February 2009 to November 2014. The shares were acquired by the overseas investors on the face value of Rs 100 each. In addition, investors acquired equity shares of Vasan Health Care from its promoter A.M. Arun of MA Associates - a partnership firm belonging to Arun and his father-in-law Dwarakanathan and Advantage Strategic Consulting, which, the ED said, was found to be in the control of Karti Chidambaram. "The first tranche of sale took place in the end of 2010, when the shares were sold at Rs.7,500 per share. The second tranche of sale took place in March and May 2012, when the shares were sold Rs 5,242 per share," the ED said. The total amount invested by the overseas investors, which ultimately benefited the above mentioned existing shareholders, is Rs 357.72 crore. Meanwhile Arun's wife transferred 300,000 shares to her father without receiving any consideration, while Arun organised the transfer of 150,000 shares from Dwarakanathan to Advantage Strategic Consulting for just Rs 50,00,000 which was paid a year later - the latter was never connected to the activities of Vasan Health Care till that date. Arun also facilitated and ensured sale of shares held by Advantage Strategic Consulting, which sold 30,000 shares out of 150,000 shares it got to Sequoia group for Rs 22.5 crore. The investigating agency said the CCPS were issued to the overseas investors without determining upfront the price/conversion formula. "Further, as per the Agreements, the Overseas Investors were given assurance of the Returns in one form or other. Such assurance of Returns and non determination of the Price/conversion formula upfront are not permitted and are in contravention of FEMA," the ED said. The ED also found that the parties had agreed on profit sharing mechanism whereby the transferee agrees to pay the transferor, a sale profit derived when they exit Vasan Health Care. "Such clauses are akin to 'deferment of payment' and are not permitted without the approval of the Reserve Bank," the ED said. The ED also said Vasan Health Care had not followed any of their statutory obligations as envisaged under FEMA in their reporting mechanism to Reserve Bank of India and failure on their part also resulted in contravention of FEMA. Similarly, Arun didn't followed the statutory obligations of reporting the shares transferred by him to the overseas investors. During the investigation, the ED also noticed that Vasan Health Care had transferred around $ 6.8 million with intimation of setting up a wholly owned subsidiary at Singapore but had not received the mandatory share certificates to confirm the investments made abroad. The ED nalso oticed that subsequent to the transfer of amount from India to Singapore, further onward transfers were made to Dubai and Sri Lanka and setting up of step down subsidiaries by the company, without informing the regulatory authorities, leading to contravention of Overseas Direct Investment regulations to the extent of Rs 162 crore. --IANS vj/vd ( 743 Words) 2017-04-17-18:56:08 (IANS)
The Supreme Court on Monday asked the official liquidator of the Bombay High Court to auction the Aamby Valley property of the Sahara group to recover the money it has to pay to market regulator Sebi to be returned to investors. Directing Sahara Group chief Subrata Roy to be personally present in the court on April 27, a bench of Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice A.K. Sikri said that "on that day, this Court may rethink of varying the interim order of bail and think of sending the contemnor to custody". The bench directed the auctioning as it noted that Subrata Roy has not deposited any amount as directed earlier. "As no amount has been deposited by the contemnor, we are inclined to go ahead with auction for the Aamby Valley City near Lonavala, Maharashtra," it said. Asking the official liquidator to set in motion the process of auctioning Aamby Valley, the court, in its order, said that the counsel appearing for Security and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) will "provide the necessary details of the said property to the Official Liquidator, who with his team, shall make the valuation and proceed with the auction". It also directed that Roy too "shall provide all the necessary details of the property also to the Official Liquidator within 48 hours". Observing that it had "heard a lot" in the matter and was "tired", the court in its order said: "We are absolutely sure that the contemnor shall be guided by the affidavit that has been sworn and filed before this court and not play truancy with the contents of the affidavit. "He who plays truancy with the majesty of law, invites the wrath and, may, ultimately, has to suffer the peril," said the bench. Cautioning Roy, it said" "If he resiled from his earlier undertaking, only peril awaited him." "It just can't go on like this. We will send him to jail. You say something today. Resile from it, come with another idea," the bench said as senior counsel Salman Khurshid, appearing for Roy, tried to tell the bench that Roy had some shares in Aamby Valley and that can only be sold. Telling Roy that he was granted parole to perform last rites of his mother, the bench said: "He went on a parole for the death of his mother. He should have been back in jail in 12 days. Besides Roy, the court directed the presence of Prakash Swany - the power of attorney holder of MG Capital Holdings LLC, New York. The court in the earlier hearings of the matter was told that MG Capital Holdings LLC intended to offer $550 million for Sahara's stakes in Plaza Hotel at New York. It had agreed to deposit Rs 750 crore with SEBI Sahara Refund Account to show its bona fides. However, on Monday, its lawyer Sriram Parakkat told the court that after due diligence, the company has found that there is difficulty to go with the transaction. Taking exception to the way things have developed, the court directed that Swamy will deposit Rs 10 crore in the SEBI Sahara Refund Account, which shall be forfeited towards costs. The amount has to be deposited in 10 days and on failure to do so, the court warned it may issue non-bailable warrants against him. Asking the Ministry of External Affairs to ensure that Swamuy does not leave the country, the court also directed the Centre to issue a Red Corner Notice against him in the course of the day. The top court had in 2012 asked Sahara to return the investors' money that Sahara India Real Estate Corp Ltd and Sahara Housing Investment Corp Ltd had raised in 2008 and 2009. --IANS pk/vd ( 635 Words) 2017-04-17-21:14:07 (IANS)
During her 'last official week in NYC,' the Desi girl is packing up her house there, 'until next time.'

PeeCee took to Twitter to express, "Packing up the house is such a conflicted emotion! so many things pop out that u didn't remember..Last official week in NYC until next time.."

Though she is coming back to India in a week, the actress will return to the US soon for the promotions of her Hollywood debut 'Baywatch.'

The upcoming American action-comedy film, featuring Priyanka as the antagonist Victoria Leeds, is based on a popular television series of the same name.

Directed by Seth Gordon, the movie also features Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron.

On a related note, shooting for the second season of 'Quantico' ended in March and as per reports, there may be another season on the cards.

Meanwhile, the 'Bajirao Mastani' actress also wished Happy Easter Sunday to everyone and tweeted, "Happy Easter Sunday to everyone celebrating. Hope this day is full love love and laughter".(ANI)
Yes, you heard it right!

Kriti Sanon, during the trailer launch of their much-awaited movie 'Raabta,' revealed, "The easiest way to impress Sushant is to give him chocolates."

Further speaking about her co-star, the 'Dilwale' actress told the media here, "Even after a year of completion of the film, Sushant was still in his character."

From the time the two came together for 'Raabta,' a lot has been spoken about them, including the allegation that Sushant's equation with Kriti was the reason for his split with long time girlfriend Ankita Lokhande.

But both the actors rubbished the rumours and allegations with utmost dignity.

However, during the event, the 'Kai Po Che' star finally opened up on his chemistry with the 'Heropanti' beauty and said, "We both are engineers and from Delhi, so we have a lot in common between us."

The Dinesh Vijan directed flick that speaks about 'Life,' 'Death,' 'Love,' and their connection, is scheduled to release on June 9. (ANI)
The actor, who was present here at the trailer launch of his upcoming film "Raabta", told media persons: "As an actor or even as a responsible citizen, we should not, in any way, endorse one particular skin tone over another."

Sushant's comment comes after actor Abhay Deol slammed fairness cream advertisements, featuring celebrities like Sonam Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham.

However, while asked about the raging topic of national interest -- award of death sentence in Pakistan to alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, Sushant said: "Where has it been written that we have to have opinion on everything?"

Jadhav has been sentenced to death on charges of espionage and waging war against Pakistan. Islamabad says Jadhav was arrested in Balochistan. India says he was abducted from Iran.

The trailer of "Raabta" was launched in the presence of director Dinesh Vijan and producers Homi Adajania and Bhushan Kumar along with Kriti Sanon, Jim Sarabh and Sushant. The film is set to release on June 9.

--IANS dc/dg

( 198 Words)

2017-04-17-17:04:07 (IANS)
Ikhwan commander Rashid Billa was gunned down in Hajin town of Kashmir's Bandipora district late Sunday night.

According to police sources, the gunmen barged into Billa's home and opened indiscriminate fire, killing him on the spot.

The incident comes within an hour of unknown gunmen killing former public prosecutor advocate Imtiyaz Ahmad Khan.

Imtiyaz was shot dead by suspected militants in Shopian district in Jammu and Kashmir.

The incident took place in Pinjura village.

Yesterday, in a similar attack, militants barged into a medical shop owner named Bashir Ahmad Dar's house in Srinagar last night and shot him dead. (ANI)
Former public prosecutor advocate Imtiyaz Ahmad Khan was shot dead by suspected terrorists in Shopian district in Jammu and Kashmir. The incident took place in Pinjura village. This is the second such incident in two days, as terrorists barged into a medical shop owner named Bashir Ahmad Dar's house in Srinagar last night and shot him dead. (ANI)
The 32-year-old alleged that he was facing death threats from two Delhi Police personnel, a woman head constable and an Assistant Sub-Inspector, after he exposed their love affair.

According to Sonepat SP Ashwin Shenvi, the deceased wrote on the wall that he was "facing threat to his life from a married woman in his neighborhood and her alleged lover after he told her husband about their illicit relationship".

"The woman and her paramour are employed with the Delhi Police, while her husband is part of the Haryana Police. Deepak wrote on the wall that the woman, an ASI, had an affair with an Inspector and after he came to know about it, he narrated everything to her husband," said Shenvi.

The police has registered the FIR in the case and investigation is underway. (ANI)
The issuance of an advisory by the Jammu and Kashmir Police for their personnel in wake of the soaring violence in the Valley, advising them to avoid visiting their hometowns for the next few months hasn't gone down too well for former chief minister of the state Omar Abdullah. Abdullah took to Twitter to condemn Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's governance and quipped that she had completely failed to provide leadership and direction to the state. "Every day we get more evidence of @MehboobaMufti's complete failure to provide any leadership & direction in J&K leading to this drift," he tweeted. Earlier in the day, the police advised their personnel, citing their security was of paramount importance. The advisory issued by the police headquarters referred to the recent unfortunate incidents in the valley where terrorists and anti-national and anti-social elements have cause damage to the life and property of police personnel. "In view of these unfortunate incidents, police personnel, particularly from south Kashmir, are advised to exercise extreme caution while visiting their homes. They should preferably avoid visiting their homes for the next few months as their personal security is of paramount importance," the advisory said. All the unit heads have been directed to brief their officers and men regarding the threat and ensure that the life and property of police personnel was well secured. Earlier on April 2, at least 14 police personnel were injured in a grenade attack by militants in Nowhatta area of old Srinagar. In March, at least 10 gun-wielding militants vandalised the home of a senior officer in south Kashmir's Shopian district and warned his relatives that he should quit his job or face the consequences. Earlier, Mufti had said the "failure" of the previous Abdullah government to deal with the issue of stone-pelting had led to the unrest last year and the situation in the Valley at present. Her remarks came as a response to National Conference chief and Omar's father Farooq Abdullah's statement that the Mufti government was "financing stone-pelting". (ANI)
In a press briefing yesterday, Joint secretary in the External Affairs Ministry Sudhakar Dalela informed that Bhandari will have delegation level talks today.

He said, during the visit, the Bhandari will meet with President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Dalela said India and Nepal have air services agreement and both the countries are quite open to improve it also the work on two rail links Biratnagar and Jaynagar are being implemented out of five rail links.

He said the energy cooperation between the two countries is witnessing a new high.

Apart from official engagements in New Delhi, the Nepal President will also be visiting some temples.

This is the first state visit of Bhandari after assuming office of the President in October 2015.

The visit reflects the priority that both the nations attach to further strengthening of their age-old, unique, wide-ranging partnership, underpinned by shared historical and cultural linkages and strong people-to-people connections. (ANI)
Kerala Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran has ordered a vigilance probe into the controversial entry of women devotees of restricted age group in the world famous Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala. In a release here today, the Minister said Devaswom Vigilance will inquire the incident, alleging that a particular person has facilitated VIP entry for certain women devotees between ten and 50 in the famous temple. "As per the High Court verdict, the entry of women devotees in the age group of above ten and below 50 was banned. The police personnel stationed in Pampa were taking necessary steps to restrict entry of women in particular age group into the temple," he added. However, the women devotees under below ten and above 50 have no objection for entry into the temple as per the custom. The probe was ordered following some photos, showing the entry of women devotees in the temple, which is widely circulated in social media. The Minister also clarified that if anybody is getting undue advantage from the temple administration to manipulate the custom will not be allowed.UNI DS CS 1104 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0324-857153.Xml
AITC secretary and state education minister Partha Chatterjee told reporters that the party supremo would visit Odisha only to see the ailing Sudip Banerjee, accused of his involvement in the Rose Valley scam.

Mr Banerjee, a senior MP and leader of TMC parliamentary party, was arrested by the CBI in January last.

The TMC said Mr Banerjee arrest was politically motivated by the ruling party at the Centre for his strong opposition on demonetisation of big notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 in November last.

Mr Chatterjee said there is no political programme either of the party or their party supremo in Odisha.

" Last time myself and Subrata Bakshi visited the ailing MP in jail and on that time Mr Banerjee had wished to see the party's top leader." Mr Chatterjee said.

Initially, media reports said that Mamata Banerjee would visit to seen the ailing MP as well as for party programme in Odisha .UNI PC BM

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Mr Mukherjee, soon after arrival at Patna airport, drove straight to S K Memorial Hall, venue of function organised to felicitate the freedom fighters. Tight security arrangement has been made for visit of the President.

Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, state Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, DGP P K Thakur and a host of other dignitaries were present at airport to receive President.UNI KKS BM

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The Indian Naval ship was dedicated to this city by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami at a function held here.

Speaking after the dedication ceremony, he said the fishermen of Tamil Nadu must be protected so that they could peacefully carry out their traditional occupation. Referring to the frequent and recurring attacks and arrests of fishermenby the Sri Lankan Navy on the high seas, Mr Palaniswami said ''their rights in the region must be safeguarded''.

He said it was a proud moment to dedicate this Naval warship to Chennai.

''This gives an apt recognition to the rich history and sea bearing tradition of this state'', the Chief Minister said.

Recalling that the Pallavas, Cheras and Chola dynasties have maintained navies and have carried extensive maritime activities, Mr Palanisami, while thanking the Navy and the armed forces for their services to the Nation, also assured continuous cooperation from the state government to the armed forces.MORE UNI GV CS 1311

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The Karvan-e-Aman bus, operating between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), left this morning for Kaman Post, the last Indian military post on this side of the border, to cross over to other side of the Line of Control (LoC). "Yes the bus left here early this morning for Kaman post, the last Indian military post, on this side of LoC," official sources told UNI. He said the bus has since reached Trade Facilitation Centre (TFC) Uri. However, he said the exact number of passengers travelling to PoK will be known later in the afternoon. The bus service, major Confidence Building Measure (CBM) between Indian and Pakistan after 1999 Kargil War, continued despite unrest in Kashmir last year and tension on the LoC due to ceasefire violation and the surgical strike in the PoK. The cross-LoC bus service, started on April 7, 2005 despite opposition by militant organisations, has helped thousands of families, divided in 1947 due to Partition, to meet each other after India and Pakistan agreed to allow travel of state subjects from both sides on travel permits instead of international passport. However, travel permit is issued to citizens from both sides of the LoC only after their names are cleared by intelligence agencies from India and Pakistan.UNI BAS SB ADG 1226 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0153-857188.Xml
Jammu and Kashmir Police has registered a case against Army for tying a youth to a jeep as a 'human shield', a video of which sparked outrage after it went viral on social media few days ago. Official sources said an FIR was filed at Beerwa police station in Budgam, where the video was allegedly shot on April 9, when bypolls to Srinagar Parliamentary constituency were held. The bypolls were marred by low voter turnout and violence that left eight youth dead and over 150 others, including 100 security force personnel, injured in clashes across Budgam district. Taking to social networking site Facebook, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti wrote, ''In the 'human shield' video case an FIR has been registered under RPC in Beerwah police station on April 13. Investigation is being conducted by SDPO Magam.'' ''We shall ensure that investigations are taken to a logical conclusion so that action is taken,'' she further wrote. A video has gone viral on social networking sites, including Facebook and Twitter, in which a youth can be seen tied to an Army jeep and a warning can be heard, saying stone pelters will meet the same fate. The video drew sharp criticism in Kashmir and rest of the country from different sections of society, including politicians and retired Army officers. Terming the incident shocking, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said, ''it requires an urgent inquiry and follow up now.'' ''This young man was TIED to the front of an Army jeep to make sure no stones were thrown at the jeep? This is just so shocking!!!! #Kashmir,'' Mr Abdullah, who is the working president of main opposition in the state National Conference, wrote on micro-blogging site on April 14. Following the outrage, Army has also ordered an internal inquiry.UNI ABS AE ADG 1237 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0153-857222.Xml
Cushman & Wakefield, a global leader in commercial real estate services, today announced the appointment of Badal Yagnik as Managing Director for Leasing Services, India.Badal will lead the commercial leasing team at a pan India level.His role will focus on providing effective transaction solutions for corporate office occupiers ranging from new market entry, to expansion, consolidation and rationalization of corporate realestate. He will align with our transaction teams to create innovative, value based solutions for our clients. Badal willalso be providing strategic supervision to the landlord representation business and work towards maximising rental revenue potentials for with developers.Anshul Jain, Managing Director, India, Cushman & Wakefield said, ''Badal's appointment is a significant addition to our team that is looking at an accelerated pace of growth. His understanding and experience across various geographies in India will provide clients with a strong and focused approach geared towards longterm business benefits. His role would be crucial for the company in activating a new phase of growth and expansion.'' Commenting on his appointment Badal Yagnik said,''Cushman & Wakefield is a unique combination of pace and agility in the market, backed by its legacy. In India, the company has been a part of many landmark real estate deals and benchmark innovations. The team has always been an inspiration for their commitment and entrepreneurial spirit. I look forward to working with the dynamic team at this company'' Badal joins Cushman & Wakefield after a decade's stint with Jones Lang LaSalle, where he last headed the business for Delhi-NCRregion, overseeing Commercial Markets, Retail, Residential and Capital Markets sides of the businesses. Backed by more than two decades of work experience, Badal has strategized end-to-end real estate solutions for key corporate occupiers and developers including advice on leasing, renegotiations, sale / purchase, sub-leasing & sale and lease-back.UNI JS SM1315 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-857303.Xml
Talking to newsmen here, he said that there is no question ofsupporting any party to form the government if the national partiesfail to get majority on their own.

"We have experienced the outcome after having supported bothCongress and BJP and do not want to commit the same mistake'',he added.

JD(S) and Congress had formed a coalition government and senior Congress leader N Dharam Singh was the Chief Minister and Mr Kumaraswamy withdrew the support to join BJP and form thegovernment. However, the second coalition also failed as JD(S) not keepup its promise to handover the Chief Minister post to BJP as per theagreement.

The JD(S) failure paved way for BJP to make inroads for thefirst time in the South by winning 110 seats on its own and form thegovernment in 2008 under the leadership of B S Yeddyurappa.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah after the success in the recentbyelection to the Assembly from Nanjangud and Gundlupet assertedthat the party would face the election on its own without anyalliance or understanding with the JD(S).UNI MSP CNR CS 1341

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Mr Singh, who is incharge of party affairs in the State will bearriving the State for the first time after the resignation offormer external affairs minister S M Krishna who switched over tothe BJP.

Mr Singh will hold meeting with party leaders including KarnatakaPradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office bearers including itsPresident G Parameshwara, who is also the Home Minister and WorkingPresident Dinesh Gungurao, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah among others.

The issue of senior Congress leaders quitting the party andjoining BJP, Senior leaders including former Minister Vishwanath,Janardhan Poojary, openly criticising the functioning of the ChiefMinister and steps to be taken to strengthen the party to retain thepower by winning the 2018 election to the Assembly.

Former Minister V Srinivas Prasad, who enjoyed power being UnionMinister and State Minister, had quit the party and joined BJP. Hecontested in the recently held bypoll to retain his seat fromNanjangud. However, he tasted defeat at the hands of Congress.

Mr Parameshwar and Mr Gundu Rao, who had a meeting with party highcommand at Delhi a couple of days back, have issued strict warningto party leaders and workers against openly airing criticism againstfunctioning of the Chief Minister or any Minister.UNI MSP CNR CS 1344

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Ms Bhandari will also go to Gujarat and Odisha where she will be visiting Somnath and Puri temples.

She is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising leaders from various segments.

Ms Bhandari is visiting India on the invitation of President Pranab Mukherjee. Mr Mukherjee had extended the invitation during his visit to Nepal last year.

The Nepalese President will stay at Rashtrapati Bhawan as a state guest and would meet Mr Mukherjee, Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and leaders from the ruling and Opposition parties and top Indian officials will also call on her.

"The visit reflects the priority that both India and Nepal attach to further strengthen their age-old, unique, wide-ranging partnership, underpinned by shared historical and cultural linkages and strong people-to-people connections," Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs Sudhakar Dalela said here. UNI NAZ RSA SHK 1453

-- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0091-857425.Xml
Police said that the victim Harshal was rushed to K R Hospitalwhere he succumbed to injuries yesterday.

His friend Manoj, received burn injuries, was admitted tohospital and undergoing treatment.

The Metagalli police have collected samples of the soil and sentit to the forensic laboratory for analysis.

Deputy Commissioner Randeep inspected the spot and called inexperts to analyse the issue.

As of now, the district administration is stating that there is astrong underlying geological reason behind what is going on at the spot.

District in-charge Minister Dr H C Mahadevappa, who visited thespot, said that exact reason for the death of the boy can be knownafter a scientific examination and added that a team of experts havebegun studying the issue.

"Special teams from Bengaluru will come to Mysuru soon. Laterthe exact reason for the incident will be known. Only scientificexaminations can reveal if the tragedy was caused due to chemicalwaste from the factories or due to any other reason, " he saidpromising to do the needful to release compensation to the family ofthe boy.

Lok Sabha Member Prathap Simha too has pressed for compensationto the family of the deceased.UNI BSP MSP CS 1512

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The case against Gazdar was filed under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The agency had arrested Gazdar on February 16, following his involvement in "all the illegalities" at Naik's behest and instructions.

According to reports, the 250-page charge sheet contains statements of five persons, including Gazdar himself, Zakir Naik's sister and an accountant of Naik's NGO, Islamic Research Foundation (IRF).

The case against Gazdar is that he was appointed director in almost six firms started by Naik where the funds were laundered.

The ED had registered a case of money laundering against Naik and others last December after taking cognisance of a complaint registered by the National Investigation Agency under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The NIA had filed the case against Naik and some IRF officials under section 153-A of IPC (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion) and the UAPA. (ANI)
Special Inspector General of Police (IG) Vishwash Nagare-Patil today recommended the state government to order a CID inquiry in Rs 9.18 crore robbery at the house of Zunjar Mahadevrao Sarnobat. Mr Nagare-Patil said here today that as seven investigating officer from Sangli Local Crime Branch, were booked in the case as complainant Sarbnobat had claimed his unaccounted Rs 3.18 crore was missing. He said that police officials might have illegally misplaced the amount. Kodole police have booked all police officials and two accused under section 454,380,120(B), 166 and 34 of Indian Penal Code (IPC).Mr Patil said he would likely to take suspension action against all the police officer. It may be recalled that on March 13,2016, accused Mohiddin Mulla had robbed Rs six crore from the house of Sarnobat and kept in his house at Miraj, near Sangli. Sangli police had picked him up and during interrogation, Mulla confessed that he had conducted robbery at Sarnobat house in Kolhapur. On the basis of Mulla information, Sangli police conducted raid at Sarnobat house on March 15,2016 and seized another Rs 3.18 crore. In October 2016, Mr Sarnobat had expressed suspicion on ongoing investigation by police inspector Vishwanath Ghanvat and asked Mr Nangare-Patil to make a thorough inquiry in the case. Mr Patil had constituted an inquiry committee headed by Additional Superintendent of Police Sohal Sharma, who submitted its report to the department. On the basis of report police were booked in the case. The accused were identified as Police Inspector Vishwanath Ghanvat, Suraj Chandanshive, API, Deepak Patil, head constable, Sharad Kuralpakar, API,Kuldeep Kamble, constable, Ravindra Patil, Shankar Patil, head constable of LCB Sangli and two accused Mulla and Pravee Savant and were booked for misappropriated of seized money. According to present investigation officer Harsh Potddar, there was possibility of more police officials involved in this big amount racket and Mr Nangare-Patil had already suggested to detain all suspected police officials for detail inquiry and after then police would arrest all of them.UNI SSS NV/ST SW SHK 1534 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-857477.Xml
The Punjab Congress has castigated the elements standing up in support of Canadian defence minister Harjit Singh Sajjan, saying there was enough documentary and circumstantial evidence on record to prove the Indo-Canadian's Khalistani sympathies. Those criticising Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh were playing into the hands of anti-Indian forces, which were out to destroy the secular fabric of the nation, said Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) leaders Ravneet Bittu and Gurjit Aujla, in a statement here today. They urged all organisations, including political parties, not to indulge in petty politics over such a serious issue, which had grave implications for the future of Punjab and its people. The pro-Khalistani leanings of Sajjan, scheduled to kickstart his controversial India visit this evening, had been endorsed by several leaders of his own Liberal Party, many of whom had quit the party in protest against his candidature as a Liberal, the PPCC leaders pointed out. Sajjan's brazenly pro-Khalistani stance had also not gone down well with the Indian government when the Liberal candidate, at a Surrey temple Remembrance Day event in 2011, had warned his colleagues not to allow themselves to be photographed near posters of Khalistani martyrs. So much so that Ottawa was forced to apologise to India over the event, the PPCC leaders said, adding that as per publicly reported information, the apology followed complaints from some Punjabi-Canadians that religious fundamentalists would hijack a solemn day to honour the sacrifices of Canadian soldiers.More UNI DB RSA SHK 1609 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0292-857532.Xml
Punjab Congress leader Kewal Singh Dhillon today lambasted Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal for politicising the issue of the attack on a Muktsar journalist despite the prompt and stern action taken by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh in the matter. The Chief Minister had taken a suo motu cognizance of the incident based on media reports and had immediately directed senior police officials not only to provide security to the journalist and his family but also to ensure a free and fair investigation, without political bias. The police moved quickly, without any delay, to book the accused in the case, and even ensure free medical treatment for the victim in the civil hospital, Mr Dhillon pointed out, adding that the Chief Minister had made it clear that the law will take it due course and no political pressure or interference would be tolerated in the case. Mr Badal's allegation of vendetta politics was not only frivolous but, in fact, indicated that the erstwhile SAD government, in which he was deputy chief minister, had patronised the media, along with other institutions and bodies, to further its political interests. The media, as the fourth pillar of the Indian democracy, was expected to be free and neutral but by linking the assault on the Muktsar journalist with politics, Mr Badal had clearly shown that such had not been the case under the Akali government over the past 10 years, Dhillon said. Sukhbir's charges were even more ludicrous when seen in the context of his own dealings with the media, which had no freedom to function in a neutral manner under the SAD-BJP regime, Mr Dhillon further said. He pointed out the case of an attack on a Kotkapura journalist in which Mr Badal himself had been an accused and was released on bail by a sessions court in Faridkot, said the PPCC leader. In the circumstances, the high moral ground being taken by the SAD president was laughable and not worthy of consideration, said Mr Dhillon, adding that the loss of power had clearly dented the Akali leader's ability to think clearly and coherently. According to Mr Dhillon, Mr Badal's reaction was triggered by panic in the face of the imminent expose of his and his government's misdeeds with the Capt Singh government getting ready to release a white paper on the same. The Akalis were also apprehensive about the findings of the Commission set up to inquire into the false cases registered under the Badal regime and also the fresh investigations launched into the various sacrilege cases during their tenure, he added. The flippant charges being made by Mr Badal and other SAD leaders against the Amarinder government were a sign of the fear psychosis under which they were living as a result of the steps initiated to identify their acts of commission and omission, he said.UNI DB SW SHK 1716 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0292-857657.Xml
The Indian Union Muslim League strongman won by 171,023 votes. He got 515,330 lakh votes, the highest anyone has secured in the constituency in northern Kerala.

M.B. Faisal of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) got 344,307 votes. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate N. Sreeprakash finished a distant third with 65,675 votes.

As Kunhalikutty came out of his home, jubilant supporters shouted slogans hailing him and lifted him on their shoulders.

Kunhalikutty said his party led even in village councils controlled by the Left.

"This is because the electorate has placed faith in me as I spoke about the need for a secular outlook. Also, the unity (in the Congress-led) UDF helped us."

The IUML leader added: "Literate Kerala has voted for secular politics. Kerala's vote has never been on communal lines."

He said the BJP was the biggest loser in the contest while the IUML bounced back strongly in the assembly segments Perinthalmanna and Mankada where it had performed poorly in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Kunhalikutty remained far ahead of his nearest rival -- the young Faisal -- throughout the counting process.

The April 12 election was necessitated by the death of IUML MP and former central minister E. Ahamed.

Malappuram is an IUML citadel and Ahamed won in 2014 with a record margin of 1.94 lakh votes.

Kunhalikutty secured 55.04 per cent of all votes, compared to Ahamed's 51.28 per cent.

The Left's vote share went up from 28.47 per cent in 2014 to 36.77 per cent. The Bharatiya Janata Party's vote share dipped from 7.59 per cent to 7.01 per cent.

The IUML is the second biggest partner in the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), which was ousted from power in Kerala last year.

--IANS sg/mr/bg

( 335 Words)

2017-04-17-18:26:10 (IANS)
"The list of FIR includes all 12 persons who were purportedly seen receiving money in the Narada sting operation footage. Trinamool Congress MP Aparupa Poddar's name is also included in the list of FIR," agency spokesperson Devpreet Singh told IANS.

Among those whose names figure in the FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation are Trinamool Vice President and Rajya Sabha member Mukul Roy, the party's Lok Sabha members Sougata Roy, Sultan Ahmed, Kakali Ghosh Dastidar, state ministers Subrata Mukherjee, Firhad Hakim, city mayor and state minister Sovan Chatterjee and former minister Madan Mitra.

The Calcutta High Court ordered a CBI preliminary inquiry into the Narada sting footage case exactly a month back, on March 17, and asked the federal investigation agency to submit the report within 72 hours.

The Trinamool appealed to the Supreme Court on March 21, challenging the High Court' order.

However, the apex court refused to interfere with the high court order, but extended the deadline for the preliminary probe to one month.

The controversy erupted in election-bound West Bengal in March last year when Narada News portal uploaded a series of video footage purportedly showing a number of high-profile Trinamool leaders, including former and present ministers, MPs and state lawmakers, receiving money in exchange of favours to a fictitious company.

--IANS mgr-ssp/vd

A

( 256 Words)

2017-04-17-18:42:07 (IANS)
Security forces today burst teargas shells to disperse students at several places in the Valley, demonstrating against the use of alleged disproportionate force on graduates, including girls, in south Kashmir district of Pulwama. Scores of students, besides security force personnel, were injured. Hundreds of students of SP College took to the streets at M A road in the city to protest against use of alleged disproportionate force by security forces on docents, including girls, at Degree College Pulwama on Saturday. When the grads tried to march towards Lal Chowk, security forces, deployed in the area, teargassed the demonstrators. Pupils also clashed with security forces outside Degree College Shopian after a protest march, against Pulwama Degree college violence, was foiled. Several students were injured. More than a dozen scholars were injured in similar clashes in Degree College Kulgam. Students of Amar Singh College and Women's College in M A Road also held protests in solidarity with the grads of Pulwama. Peaceful protests were also held in Kashmir University and Central University of Kashmir. In north Kashmir, similar protests were held in Sopore Degree College and Baramulla Degree College. Around 40 students, including girls, were injured when security forces burst teargas shells to disperse the demonstrators, who were protesting against a checkpoint established by forces outside the campus of Degree College Pulwama on Saturday. Condemning the use of force by security forces against students, lone CPI (M) MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami alleged the present government has become reckless and wasn't ready to read the writing on the wall. " It is sheer recklessness that on the one hand the Chief Minister asks for maximum restraint and on the other hand law enforcing agencies become more aggressive in dealing with the situation," he said. Degree College Pulwama has been closed for two days from today in view of the tension.A spokesperson said,'' It was informed that the step has been taken in view of certain unavoidable circumstances.'' UNI ABS SW-RP1737 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0153-857675.Xml
Haryana Police have arrested eight people, including two women, who were planning to commit robbery in a house in DLF Phase-II, Gurugram, and recovered two country-made pistols, as many cartridges, an iron bar, a sharp-edged weapon and a rope from their possession. Stating this here today, a Police Department spokesman said police got information that some people were planning to commit loot with the help of the maid in that house. Acting swiftly, the police nabbed all the accused who have been identified as Sunil, Satyanarayan, Rajkumar Thakur, Ram Kalesh alias Hritik, Arvinder and Mohammad Zahir, all residents of Bihar, and Madhuri, a resident of Odisha. Besides, the police have also arrested maid Manju alias Poonam, a resident of Odisha. He said that Manju was known to Satyanarayan, who was the kingpin of the gang. According to the plan, Manju served sedative-laced food to members of the family but the police nabbed the gang before they could commit the crime. During the interrogation, it was found that Satyanarayan was also involved in various other such crimes and had recently come out of jail. The accused were being interrogated intensively, the spokesman said.UNI DB RSA SHK 1813 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0292-857860.Xml
The Board, which held its 143rd meeting presided by Chairman andExecutive Director T Venkatesh, before fixing the crop size tookinto consideration the requests of the growers and growerrepresentatives, indents given by the manufacturers and exportsthrough M/s ITA, past export and domestic performance, global supplyand demand position, uncertainty about purchase of M/s PhilipMorris International, a major customer for Karnataka tobacco,according to a release here.

The Board also noted, while determining the crop size, that thesmall farmers of tobacco have no other altgernative crop whichfetched decent returns as FCV tobacco in the last successive droughtyears and in the interest of the growers considered 4 per centincrease in the crop size during 2017-18.

The Board also resolved to limit the horizontal expansion oftobacco and instructed that no new barns shall be allowed to beconstructed. Following the decision of the Union government, theBoard also decided not to allow shifting the barns during 2017-18Karnataka crop season.

As the tobacco transplantations are fast approaching and thefertilizer deliveries are to be made to growers starting from firstweek of May, the Board resolved to commence the registration processfrom last week of April.

Mr P V Basavarajappa, grower member of the Board fromPeriyapatna, Karnataka, was elected as the Tobacco Board ViceChairman for one year.

Mr Gokaraju Gangaraju, MP and Tobacco Board member, N Ramesh,Director, Export Promotion (Agri) Div, Ministry of Commerce andIndustry, Dr D Damodar Reddy, Director (CTRI), Rajahmundry wereamong others who attended the meeting.UNI MSP CNR ADB1955

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0287-858070.Xml
Police arrested Charanjit Singh Dhillon, Anil Kumar and Harwinder Singh, all residents of Gidderbaha and produced them in a court, which remanded them to 14-day judicial custody. Police claimed to have recovered a revolver and the vehicle used to commit the crime.

Gidderbaha police had booked Charanjit, Jaspreet Singh, a personal assistant of Indian Youth Congress president and Gidderbaha MLA Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, and 15 other unidentified people for allegedly assaulting journalist Shivraj Raju at his shop-cum-office near Bharu Chowk at Gidderbaha.

A case was registered under Sections 323, 342, 355, 427, 506, 148 and 149 of the IPC and 25, 27 of the Arms Act.

In the complaint, Raju (40) had alleged that irked over a news report on his family dispute, Charanjit, along with his accomplices, barged into his shop-cum-office and beat him up. He said Jaspreet had threatened him a day before the incident.

Several political parties and media organisations condemned the alleged attack on the journalist.

In a statement here yesterday, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had told the police to treat the case on merit and warned Congress men against interfering in the functioning of police and administration.UNI DB SW SHK 1930

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-858020.Xml
"The technical committee of NTCA has approved the relocation and they may take 10 to 15 days to complete the process. The state government has approved it in principle," Bengal Chief Wildlife Warden Pradeep Vyas told IANS.

Tapping into the scientific and management skills gained from the successful tiger relocation exercise at Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, wildlife experts and forest officials have proposed introduction of six big cats in BTR from the northeast Indian state.

Fringed by the forests of Bhutan and Assam, Buxa in north Bengal has not reported consistent sighting of tigers in nearly three decades.

The tiger introduction plan involves habitat improvement, prey augmentation and working with local stakeholders to mitigate possible human-tiger conflicts.

According to WII scientist K. Ramesh, who was involved in the Panna Tiger Recovery programme and in other tiger recovery efforts in the country and in Cambodia, Buxa reserve looks good in terms of habitat.

"Now the ball lies with the state government," Ramesh said.

Buxa Tiger Reserve, spanning 760.87 sq km, is situated in Alipurduar Sub-division of Jalpaiguri District, Bengal and is part of the Terai-Dooars ecosystem.

Because of the similarity in climate conditions and genetics, tigers from Assam were selected.

--IANS sgh/vd

( 238 Words)

2017-04-17-21:46:08 (IANS)
RJD supremo Lalu Prasad today slammed the BJP for its symbolic celebration of "Champaran Satyagrah", saying the contrast ideologies of Mahatma Gandhi and Nathuram Godse cannot run together. Mr Prasad, while addressing an event organised to felicitate freedom fighters to mark the centenary celebration of Champaran Satyagarh, said that BJP has soft corner for Godse, who assassinated Gandhi. "It is ironical to note that on the one hand, BJP leaders garland the statue of Mahatma Gandhi and on the other they also support Nathuram Godse," the RJD supremo said, adding that both could not run together. The BJP's celebration was ''symbolic'' as the saffron party leaders had no faith in the ideology of Gandhi and were in fact supporters of Godse, Mr Prasad remarked.The RJD chief accused BJP of fanning communal hatred in the country and vitiating the atmosphere of love, amity and mutual coexistence. In an oblique reference to the growing incidents of intolerance related violence in the country, he said that Grand Alliance was formed in Bihar to counter the sinister design of BJP of dividing the society on communal lines. Mr Prasad said the then US President Barrack Obama had remarked during his visit to India that communal confrontation in the country had increased, which was not good for its unity and integrity. On his return to the US, Mr Obama had elaborated it further and said Mahatma Gandhi would have felt ashamed to see the communal tension and intolerance in the country, had he been alive, he recalled. The RJD supremo, castigating senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for not attending the function, said that it was not proper for him to behave in such a way.If Mr Singh was not interested to attend the function, he should not have given his consent, he said and questioned why Mr Singh had given his consent, if he was not to attend it. Mr Prasad said that BJP led NDA Government at the Centre was trying to change the constitution and withdraw the reservation facilities for backwards, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes in the Government services. Saffron leaders would not be allowed at any cost to succeed in their efforts of snatching the rights given to backwards and oppressed in the constitution, he thundered.UNI KKS AD SHS SNU 2328 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0364-858205.Xml
The body of a young man was found dead today at the Tizu River under the Phek district of Nagaland.Official sources informed that the body was found in the river by Khuza villagers of the Phek district and reported the matter to the police. The body was later identified as one Pochung of Khiamniungan tribe. The young boy, who is believed to be in his 19 or 20 years of age, studying in class 7 at the Government Higher Secondary School in Phek Town. He was staying with a Lecturer serving in Phek Government College. However, the sources informed that the cause of the death is yet to be ascertained and investigation was on to find the actual cause of death. UNI AS AD SHS SNU 2304 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0364-858222.Xml
In a continuing crackdown against the subversive activities of India's western neighbour, one more operative of a gang, working for the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was placed under arrest here today. "Avdhesh Dubey, who hails from Janjgir-Champa District's Akaltara, was remanded in police custody," Superintendent of Police Mayank Srivastava said. Based on intelligence inputs, two suspects were apprehended a couple of days back on the charge of involvement in anti-national activities. The duo acted as a conduit for passing on ISI funds to other agents. Manendra and Sanjay, who possess numerous accounts in many banks, had links with Satna-resident Rajeev Tiwari who is Dubey's relative. On Tiwari's directives, Sanjay and Manendra transferred money to other accounts or individuals. At least one NGO also acted as a medium. Interrogation revealed that seven others, including two from Akaltara, are complicit. Following Army inputs, Satvinder Singh and an accomplice were collared in Jammu and Kashmir. An alert was issued to Madhya Pradesh Police whose Anti-Terrorism Squad arrested Tiwari and 11 others including those associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party and Vishva Hindu Parishad. The modus operandi was hawala via a parallel phone exchange set up through the medium of the Internet.UNI XC-AC SHS SNU 2301 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0044-858161.Xml
"Our military is building and is rapidly becoming stronger than ever before. Frankly, we have no choice!," the President tweeted on Sunday.

The GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb (MOAB), nicknamed the "mother of all bombs" was dropped at 7:32 p.m. local time Thursday to target a network of fortified underground tunnels that ISIS had been using to stage attacks on government forces in the province according to the U.S. administration.

Afghan officials claimed that at least 94 Islamic State fighters were killed in the attack.

Also, the U.S. has been expressing concerns over North Koreas escalated efforts to develop its nuclear weapons program and Washington has not ruled out military action to halt it.

In latest developments, President Donald Trump and his military advisors have been briefed on North Korea's apparent failed missile launch on Sunday. (ANI)
U.K. Home Secretary Amber Rudd has been urged to consider revoking the British passport of Asma al-Assad, the U.K.-born wife of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, after her social media posts in support of his regime. The Liberal Democrats, led by their foreign affairs spokesman Tom Brake, have written to Rudd calling on her to use her powers to withdraw Asma Assad's citizenship, The Guardian reports. "The first lady of Syria has acted not as a private citizen but as a spokesperson for the Syrian presidency. Boris Johnson has urged other countries to do more about Syria, but the British government could say to Asma Assad, either stop using your position to defend barbaric acts, or be stripped of your citizenship," Brake said. The Tory MP Nadhim Zahawi backed the call, saying she was "very much part of the propaganda machine that is committing war crimes." Earlier, after the U.S. counterstrike on the Bashar al-Assad regime, a message was posted on one of Asma's accounts saying, "The presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic affirms that what America has done is an irresponsible act that only reflects a shortsightedness, a narrow horizon, a political and military blindness to reality and a naive pursuit of a frenzied false propaganda campaign." Asma Assad worked as an investment banker in Britain before she married in 2000. (ANI)
Officials said they were looking for Steve Stephens in connection with the case.

"We need to bring this to a conclusion - today. There is no need for any further bloodshed in this incident tonight," CNN quoted Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams, as saying.

Cleveland officials said that Stephens didn't know the elderly person he killed around 2 p.m., before a manhunt began

Authorities said Stephens was a black male - 6-feet 1-inch and weighs 244 pounds. He has a full beard.

Stephens is suspected to have committed multiple homicides.

"What happened today is senseless and if Steve has an issue, he needs to talk to some folks to get that resolved," Williams said. (ANI)
US Vice President Mike Pence stared across the demilitarised border between North and South Korea today, a day after North Korea's failed missile launch, reiterating that the US "era of strategic patience" with Pyongyang was over.Pence is on the first stop of a four-nation Asia tour intended to show America's allies, and remind its adversaries, that the Trump administration is not turning its back on the increasingly volatile region.The demilitarised zone (DMZ) is a heavily mined, four-km-wide strip of land lined with barbed wire running across the Korean peninsula, with soldiers on both sides in a continual eyeball-to-eyeball standoff.Pence, whose father served in the 1950-53 Korean War, said the United States would stand by its "iron-clad alliance" with South Korea and was seeking peace through strength."All options are on the table to achieve the objectives and ensure the stability of the people of this country," he told reporters as tinny propaganda music floated across from the North Korean side.He said U.S. President Donald Trump has made clear he won't talk about specific military tactics."There was a period of strategic patience but the era of strategic patience is over," Pence said.The United States, its allies and China are working together on a range of responses to North Korea's latest failed ballistic missile test, Trump's national security adviser said yesterday, citing what he called an international consensus to act.HR McMaster indicated that Trump was not considering military action for now, even as a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier strike group was heading for the region."It's time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully," he said on ABC's "This Week" programme. "We are working together with our allies and partners and with the Chinese leadership to develop a range of options."There is an international consensus now, including the Chinese leadership, that this is a situation that just cannot continue," McMaster said.The Trump administration is focusing its North Korea strategy on tougher economic sanctions, possibly including an oil embargo, a global ban on its airline, intercepting cargo ships and punishing Chinese banks doing business with Pyongyang, Reuters reported last week, citing U.S. officials.While Trump has employed tough rhetoric in response to North Korea's recent missile tests, the new US president's options appear limited in dealing with a challenge that has vexed his Oval Office predecessors.Most options fall into four categories: economic sanctions, covert action, diplomatic negotiations and military force.Pence landed in South Korea hours after the North's failed missile launch. His visit came a day after North Korea held a military parade in its capital, Pyongyang, marking the 105th anniversary of the birth of founding father Kim Il Sung.What appeared to be new long-range ballistic missiles were on display in the parade."WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS"Tensions have risen as Trump takes a hard rhetorical line with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has rebuffed admonitions from China and proceeded with nuclear and missile programmes seen by Washington as a direct threat.Trump acknowledged on Sunday that the softer line he had taken on China's management of its currency was linked to Beijing's help on the North Korea issue."Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem? We will see what happens!" Trump said on Twitter. Trump has backed away from a campaign promise to label China in that way.Pence said Trump was hopeful China "will take actions needed to bring about change in policy" in North Korea."But as the president has made very clear, either China will deal with this problem or the United States and our allies will," he said.Trump's decision to order a cruise missile strike on a Syrian airfield this month, in response to what he said was Syria's use of chemical weapons, raised questions about his plans for reclusive North Korea.Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urged North Korea to refrain from taking further provocative actions, comply with UN resolutions and abandon its nuclear missile development."Japan will closely cooperate with the US and South Korea over North Korea and will call for China to take a bigger role," Abe told parliament.However, a US foreign policy adviser travelling with Pence sought to defuse some of the tension, saying Sunday's test of what was believed to be a medium-range missile had come as no surprise."We had good intelligence before the launch and good intelligence after the launch," the adviser told reporters on condition of anonymity.China has spoken out against the North's weapons tests and has supported UN sanctions. It has repeatedly called for talks while appearing increasingly frustrated with the North.Beijing banned imports of North Korean coal on February 26, cutting off Pyongyang's most important export. China's customs department issued an order on April 7 telling traders to return North Korean coal cargoes, trading sources said.Pyongyang has conducted several missile and nuclear tests in defiance of UN sanctions, and regularly threatens to destroy South Korea and the United States. North and South Korea are technically still at war because their 1950-1953 conflict ended in a truce, not a treaty.The North has said it has developed and would launch a missile that can strike the US mainland, but officials and experts believe it is some time away from mastering the necessary technology, including miniaturising a nuclear warhead.Sunday's missile launch was a calculated move, the China Daily newspaper said in an editorial."And making it without prompting a furious response from Washington surely qualifies as a win to some degree from Kim's perspective," it said, referring to Kim Jong Un."Trump, too, can claim a win. That the nuclear test did not happen will surely be seen as the pressure working."REUTERS SV PM1032 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0103-857130.Xml
Congo's government today said it had returned the body of a tribal leader whose death last year triggered a conflict in Kasai Central province that has killed more than 400 people.The return of the body of Kamuina Nsapu - the leader of a tribal militia by the same name - has been one of its key demands during a brutal conflict that started last July and worsened when Congolese forces killed Nsapu the following month.In a statement, interior ministry spokesman Louis d'Or Balekalayi also said the government would recognise his successor Jacques Kabeya Ntumba as a customary chief. Failure to do this for Ntumba's predecessor was one cause of the uprising.The fighting in Kasai has become the most serious threat to President Joseph Kabila, whose decision to stay in power even though his mandate ran out in December has stoked rebellion and lawlessness in different parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo."His body was left with the family who buried him in his village on the same day," the statement said. "The family solemnly declared the end of the war, specifying that anyone who continues to do criminal or terrorist acts does not represent them."It was not immediately possible to reach the family or any of the militia's leaders for a reaction. However, it was unclear whether this gesture by the government would sooth tensions.Initially contained in one area, the rebellion has since spread to five of Congo's 26 provinces. The fighters operating under the name "Kamuina Nsapu" appear to do so independently and without a clear leadership structure, and some recent violence appears to have degenerated into ethnic score-settling.Many of the dead have been dumped in mass graves, a violation of local customs.Analysts fear growing violence in Congo could spark a repeat of the conflicts between 1996-2003, mostly in the east, in which millions died, mainly from hunger and disease. Dozens of armed groups continue to fight over natural resources and prey on the civilian population.Two UN officials, one a US citizen and one Swedish, were kidnapped and killed by unknown assailants in Kasai-Central last month. Four Congolese accompanying them were also kidnapped, but their bodies have not been found.Congolese authorities said on Friday they had arrested two people suspected of involvement, but one of the prisoners has escaped.REUTERS PS 0403 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-857031.Xml
A former Mexican state governor on the run from police for more than five months who has come to symbolize corruption within the country's ruling party was arrested yesterday night in Guatemala and now awaits extradition.Javier Duarte, wanted on charges of graft and organized crime, was detained in a hotel lobby in the picturesque lakeside town of Panajachel, 80 miles (130 km) west of Guatemala's capital, the national police said in a statement.Local television footage showed a calm Duarte, formerly governor of Veracruz state, being led by police outside the hotel on Saturday night, his hands cuffed behind his back.Duarte, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, was at the hotel for a couple of days using an assumed identity along with his wife; she has not been charged with any crimes."He wanted to pass as a Mexican tourist," said Stu Velasco, deputy director of Guatemala's national police.Duarte likely entered Guatemala by land sometime in early November, and used private planes within Guatemala while on the run, said Omar Garcia, chief of criminal investigations within Mexico's attorney general's office, at a Sunday news conference at the Mexican embassy in Guatemala.He declined to detail Duarte's travels in the Central American country, or who was helping him, but said he had kept a low profile in Panajachel."He didn't leave his hotel room," said Garcia.Duarte, 43, was transferred early on Sunday to the Matamoros prison in downtown Guatemala City, a facility known for holding drug traffickers and former Guatemalan government officials charged with corruption.Rodrigo Sandoval, a Guatemalan lawyer representing Duarte, visited him at the prison later yesterday."I had the opportunity to talk with Mr. Duarte, and he says he's waiting for his extradition and for his lawyers in Mexico. My understanding is that he will accept extradition," said Sandoval.REUTERS PS 0555Agriculture and oil-rich Veracruz, on Mexico's Gulf coast, is one of Mexico's largest states, and it has historically been a stronghold of President Enrique Pena Nieto's Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI.Elected governor in 2010, Duarte presided over a sharp deterioration in security in the state punctuated by the discovery of mass graves and a spate of killings of journalists during his watch.He has been accused of carrying out massive personal enrichment schemes with illicit resources, potentially totaling in the hundreds of millions of dollars and involving assets in Mexico and abroad.Duarte is charged with using ghost companies to transfer and hide public funds.Once seen as a rising young star within the PRI, Duarte was expelled from its ranks in October as accusations of graft mounted.He resigned as governor that same month, a few weeks before his six-year term was due to end.In June, Miguel Angel Yunes of the opposition National Action Party won a hotly contested race to succeed Duarte in a stinging defeat for the PRI, long the political party of the state's governors."He plundered our state, and left us in a financial disaster," said Yunes at a news conference in Boca del Rio near Veracruz city, celebrating the arrest.Yunes said 1.2 billion pesos ($65 million) had been recovered from Duarte's illicit diversion of public funds and added that "billions of pesos" still remain in the possession of Duarte family members, former officials and criminals who posed as businessmen.Several of Duarte's top cabinet officials have been arrested on corruption charges, while others are being investigated. ($1 = 18.4977 Mexican pesos) (Additional reporting by Dave Graham, Anahi Rama and David Alire Garcia; Writing by David Alire Garcia; Editing by Steve Orlofsky and Bill Rigby)Download StoryShare via Email Date17/04/2017 04:21 Word Count619 Copyright(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Click For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp Source News FeedsReuters World Service IDtag:reuters.com,2017:newsml_L1N1HO0BA:2112264692 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-857040.Xml
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe today urged North Korea to refrain from taking further provocative actions, comply with UN resolutions and abandon its nuclear missile development.Tensions on the Korean peninsula have escalated as US President Donald Trump takes a hard rhetorical line with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has rebuffed admonitions from China and proceeded with missile tests. North Korea launched a failed ballistic missile test today.Abe, speaking to parliament, said that he would exchange views on North Korea with Russian President Vladimir Putin when they hold a summit meeting later this month.The United States, its allies, and China are working together on a range of responses to North Korea's latest test, US President Donald Trump's national security adviser said on Sunday, citing what he called an international consensus to act.REUTERS PS 0700 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-857045.Xml
US Vice President Mike Pence, pledging an "unshakeable" commitment to South Korea, landed at a US military base next to the demilitarised border with North Korea, a day after a failed missile launch by the North.Pence flew to South Korea on the first stop of a four-nation Asia tour intended to show America's allies - and remind its adversaries - that the Trump administration is not turning its back on the increasingly volatile region.The demilitarised zone (DMZ) is a heavily mined, four-km-wide (2.5-mile-wide) strip of land lined with barbed wire running across the Korean peninsula, with soldiers on both sides in a continual eyeball-to-eyeball standoff.Pence, whose father served in the 1950-53 Korean War, said he was humbled to be at the DMZ and hailed the alliance with South Korea."It is a testament to the unshakeable bond between our people," he said.The United States, its allies and China are working together on a range of responses to North Korea's latest failed ballistic missile test, US President Donald Trump's national security adviser said on Sunday, citing what he called an international consensus to act.H.R. McMaster indicated that Trump was not considering military action for now, even as a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier strike group was heading for the region."It's time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully," he said on ABC's "This Week" programme. "We are working together with our allies and partners and with the Chinese leadership to develop a range of options.""There is an international consensus now, including the Chinese leadership, that this is a situation that just cannot continue," McMaster said.The Trump administration is focusing its North Korea strategy on tougher economic sanctions, possibly including an oil embargo, a global ban on its airline, intercepting cargo ships and punishing Chinese banks doing business with Pyongyang, Reuters reported last week, citing US officials.While Trump has employed tough rhetoric in response to North Korea's recent missile tests, the new US president's options appear limited in dealing with a challenge that has vexed his Oval Office predecessors.Most options fall into four categories: economic sanctions, covert action, diplomatic negotiations and military force.The North Korean missile blew up almost immediately after its test launch on Sunday, the U.S. Pacific Command said.Hours later, Pence landed for talks on the North's increasingly defiant arms programme. His visit came a day after North Korea held a military parade in its capital, Pyongyang, marking the 105th anniversary of the birth of founding father Kim Il Sung. What appeared to be new long-range ballistic missiles were on display in the parade."WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS"Tensions have risen as Trump takes a hard rhetorical line with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has rebuffed admonitions from China and proceeded with nuclear and missile programmes seen by Washington as a direct threat.Trump acknowledged on Sunday that the softer line he had taken on China's management of its currency was linked to Beijing's help on the North Korea issue."Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem? We will see what happens!" Trump said on Twitter. Trump has backed away from a campaign promise to label China in that way.South Korea said the North's latest show of force "threatened the whole world".Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urged North Korea to refrain from taking further provocative actions, comply with UN resolutions and abandon its nuclear missile development."Japan will closely cooperate with the US and South Korea over North Korea and will call for China to take a bigger role," Abe told parliament.However, a US foreign policy adviser travelling with Pence sought to defuse some of the tension, saying Sunday's test of what was believed to be a medium-range missile had come as no surprise."We had good intelligence before the launch and good intelligence after the launch," the adviser told reporters on condition of anonymity.China has spoken out against the North's weapons tests and has supported UN sanctions. It has repeatedly called for talks while appearing increasingly frustrated with the North.Beijing banned imports of North Korean coal on February 26, cutting off Pyongyang's most important export. China's customs department issued an order on April 7 telling traders to return North Korean coal cargoes, trading sources said.Trump's decision to order a cruise missile strike on a Syrian airfield this month, in response to what he said was Syria's use of chemical weapons, raised questions about his plans for reclusive North Korea.Pyongyang has conducted several missile and nuclear tests in defiance of UN sanctions, and regularly threatens to destroy South Korea and the United States. Impoverished North Korea and the rich, democratic South are technically still at war because their 1950-1953 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty."The president has made clear that he will not accept the United States and its allies and partners in the region being under threat from this hostile regime with nuclear weapons," McMaster told ABC.But McMaster, who was speaking from Afghanistan, acknowledged the likelihood of North Korean retaliation if Washington used military force in an attempt to stop its weapons programmes, describing the Pyongyang regime as "unpredictable".The North has warned of a nuclear strike against the United States if provoked. It has said it has developed and would launch a missile that can strike the US mainland, but officials and experts believe it is some time away from mastering the necessary technology, including miniaturising a nuclear warhead.REUTERS PS 0723 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-857048.Xml
South Korean prosecutors today charged ousted president Park Geun-hye and Lotte Group chairman Shin Dong-bin with bribery in the latest twist to a corruption scandal that rocked the country for months.Prosecutors charged Shin without detaining him.The retail giant Lotte, with interests ranging from hotels and retail to food and chemicals, becomes the second conglomerate mired in the political scandal after Jay Y Lee, the chief of the biggest, Samsung Group, was arrested suspected of bribing Park and her friend, Choi Soon-sil.Lee, Park and Choi are being held at detention centres.Lotte, South Korea's fifth-biggest conglomerate, is grappling with the Chinese shutdown of dozens of its stores in China, after it agreed to provide land for the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system outside Seoul.South Korea, which accuses China or discriminating against some South Korean companies working in China, and the United States say the sole purpose of THAAD is to guard against North Korean missiles. China says its powerful radar can penetrate its territory and undermine its security and spoke out against it again today.Lotte's chief Shin is also on a separate graft trial involving family members charged with embezzlement and breach of trust.Prosecutors accused Park of colluding with Choi to receive 7 billion won (6.16 million dollars) from Lotte for favours, they said in a statement. Park was also charged with abuse of power and coercion by pressuring big businesses to contribute funds to non-profit foundations, the prosecutors said.Park is also charged with taking bribes worth about 29.8 billion won from Samsung scion Lee in exchange for supporting his succession, according to the prosecutors' statement.Lotte denied allegations that it made improper deals with Park, or those linked to her, for favours, but said it would explain itself at court to resolve suspicions."We find the decision on the indictment regrettable," Lotte Group said in a statement.Park, Lee, Choi and Samsung Group have also denied wrongdoing.REUTERS AKC AS1416 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0432-857405.Xml
President Bhandari is leading a 34 member delegation comprising of Foreign Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat and Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Sita Devi Yadav.

During her visit, she will meet President Mukherjee, Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

She is also scheduled to visit temples in Gujarat and Odisha.

This is the first ever visit to India by President Bhandari since assuming office in 2015.

The visit reflects the priority that both nations attach to further strengthening of their age-old, unique, wide-ranging partnership, underpinned by shared historical and cultural linkages and strong people-to-people connections.

She was scheduled to visit India last year but the then government led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli cancelled the visit citing the laggings in preparations.

Meanwhile, the Nepal Government declared public holidays on the day of President Bhandari's departure and also on her return from New Delhi. (ANI)
Supporters of Tayyip Erdogan waved flags in the streets while opponents banged pots and pans in protest in their homes, after a narrow referendum victory gave the Turkish president sweeping powers and laid the nation's divisions bare.The referendum will bring the biggest overhaul in Turkish politics since the founding of the modern republic, abolishing the post of prime minister and concentrating power in the hands of the president. Unofficial results, which the opposition said it would challenge, showed a narrow victory with 51.4 per cent of votes cast in favour.Erdogan, a populist with a background in once-banned Islamist parties, has ruled since 2003 with no real rival, while his country emerged as one of the fastest-growing industrial powers in both Europe and the Middle East.He has also been at the centre of global affairs, commanding NATO's second biggest military on the border of Middle East war zones, taking in millions of Syrian refugees and controlling their further flow into Europe.Erdogan survived a coup attempt last year and responded with a crackdown, jailing 47,000 people and sacking or suspending more than 120,000 from government jobs such as schoolteachers, soldiers, police, judges or other professionals.The changes could keep him in power until 2029 or beyond, making him easily the most important figure in Turkish history since state founder Kemal Ataturk built a modern nation from the ashes of the Ottoman empire after World War One.In a signal of the direction he now plans for his nation, Erdogan said he would call a referendum to restore the death penalty, ending once and for all Turkey's decades-long bid to join the European Union, the impetus for years of reforms.CHRONIC INSTABILITYErdogan has long said the changes to the constitution were needed to end the chronic instability that plagued the country over decades when the military repeatedly tried to seize power from weak civilian governments."For the first time in the history of the Republic, we are changing our ruling system through civil politics," he said in a victory speech.But the narrow referendum result could itself be a sign of more instability to come. The changes won strong backing in conservative rural areas, but were strongly opposed in Istanbul and other cities, as well as in the restive Kurdish southeast.Thousands of supporters waved flags and blasted horns into the early hours today in celebration of a man who they say has transformed the quality of life for millions of pious Turks marginalised for decades by the secular elite.There were scattered protests against the result, but these were more sporadic. In some affluent, secular neighbourhoods, opponents stayed indoors, banging pots and pans, a sign of dissent that became widespread during anti-Erdogan protests in 2013, when the police crushed demonstrations against him.The main opposition said the vote was marred by irregularities and it would challenge the result."The referendum is won but it is no victory. The results did not yield a meaningful 'Yes'," Abdulkadir Selvi, a pro-government columnist wrote in the Hurriyet newspaper.The High Electoral Board (YSK) confirmed late tomorrow the results had shown the "Yes" campaign with 1.25 million more votes than the "No" camp. The official results are expected within 12 days.The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) demanded a recount of up to 60 per cent of the votes. It cited a last minute decision by the electoral board to count ballots that had not been stamped by officials as a potential irregularity.Erdogan said 25 million people had supported the proposal, which will replace Turkey's parliamentary system with an all-powerful presidency. That was a smaller margin of victory than the decisive result for which he and his ruling AK Party had aggressively campaigned.Nevertheless, by ending uncertainty the result triggered a two percent rally in the Turkish lira from its close last week. It traded at 3.6380 against the US dollar early today, firming from 3.7220 on Friday.'NO EARLY ELECTIONS'Under the changes, most of which will only come into effect after the next elections due in 2019, the president will appoint the cabinet and an undefined number of vice-presidents, and be able to select and remove senior civil servants without parliamentary approval.There has been some speculation that Erdogan could call new elections so that his new powers could take effect right away. However, Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek told Reuters there was no such plan, and the elections would still be held in 2019."Yesterday the president made it very clear that elections will be held in November 2019," he said. "It is very clear. We have work to do."Erdogan served as prime minister from 2003 until 2014, when rules were changed to hold direct elections for the office of president, previously a ceremonial role elected by parliament. Since becoming the first directly elected president, he has set about making the post more important, like the executive presidencies of France, Russia or the United States.In a sign of his authority, he was set to chair a cabinet meeting later today, a role traditionally carried out by the prime minister although he has chaired such meetings before.Pro-government media painted the result as a victory for the Turkish people, transforming a constitution left over from a 1980 military coup. The Sabah daily hailed "The People's Revolution". The Star's headline was "The People's Victory".However, the opposition daily Cumhuriyet's headline said "The ballot box is overshadowed", reporting opposition objections to what they said were irregularities in the voting.European politicians who have had increasingly strained relations with Turkey, expressed concern about the divisions revealed by the narrow victory margin.Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel of Germany, where an estimated 4 million Turks form one of the largest minorities from a single country in Europe, said in a statement that Berlin respected the right of Turks to change their country's constitution.But they added: "The tight referendum result shows how deeply divided Turkish society is, and that means a big responsibility for the Turkish leadership and for President Erdogan personally."The European Commission, the executive body of the European Union, said the close result meant that Ankara should seek "the broadest national consensus" in implementing the vote.Relations came under strain during the referendum campaign when EU countries including Germany and the Netherlands barred Turkish ministers from holding rallies to support the changes. Erdogan provoked a stern German response by comparing those limits on campaigning to the actions of the Nazis.REUTERS AKC 1557 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0432-857563.Xml
The narrow result in Turkey's referendum giving the president sweeping new powers lays bare deep divisions, the office of French President Francois Hollande said today, urging dialogue between all political sides."It's up to the Turks and them alone to decide on how they organise their political institutions, but the published results show that Turkish society is divided about the planned deep reforms," Hollande's office said in a statement.In a separate statement, France's foreign ministry called on the Turkish government to respect the European Convention on Human Rights and its ban on the death penalty. REUTERS AKC 1628 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0432-857610.Xml
Mothers Noha, a Shi'ite, and Samira, a Sunni, were besieged for nearly two years on each side of Syria's civil war. At the weekend they finally escaped the suffocating blockades under an evacuation agreement - but their ordeal was not over.As they waited at two transit points miles apart outside Aleppo, a bomb attack hit Noha's bus convoy, killing more than 120 people including dozens of children. After ambulances rushed off the wounded, new buses arrived and the two convoys eventually reached their destinations - one in government territory and the other in rebel territory.In the hours leading up to Saturday's attacks, the two women spoke to Reuters about what they had left behind, their families being split up, and the likelihood they would never return home.Reuters was not allowed back past security to try to find Noha after the blast, and lost contact with Samira after speaking to her earlier on another evacuee's phone."We've lost everything. We hope to go back one day, but I don't expect we will," said Noha, 45, asking not to be identified by her last name.Noha left al-Foua, one of two Shi'ite villages besieged by Syrian insurgents in Idlib province with her two youngest children and 5,000 other people under a deal between the Syrian government and armed opposition.In exchange, 2,000 Sunni residents and rebel fighters from the government-besieged town of Madaya near Damascus - Samira's hometown - were given safe passage out, and bussed to Idlib province, a rebel stronghold, via Aleppo.Thousands of Syrians have been evacuated from besieged areas in recent months under deals between President Bashar al-Assad's government and rebels fighting for six years to unseat him.The deals have mostly affected Sunni Muslims living in rebel-held areas surrounded by government forces and their allies. Damascus calls them reconciliation deals and says it allows services to be restored in the wrecked towns.Rebels say it amounts to forced displacement of Assad's opponents from Syria's main urban centres in the west of the country, and engenders demographic change because most of the opposition, and Syria's population, are Sunni.But backed militarily by Russia and Shi'ite regional allies, Assad, a member of Syria's Alawite minority, has negotiated the deals from a position of strength."There was little choice. We had to leave, we were scared," said Samira, 55, who was travelling with her five adult sons.She had feared her sons would be arrested or forced to join the Syrian military and fight once troops and officials of the Damascus government moved into the town.Like Noha, Samira was relieved to have escaped a crushing siege which had caused widespread hunger - and in the case of Madaya, starvation - but had left everything behind, including family."We owned three houses, farmland and three shops in Madaya town. Now, we don't have a single Syrian pound," she said.Her daughter, pregnant with a third child, had stayed in Madaya because her husband had vowed to "live and die" there, she said.Samira has not heard from her own husband for nearly four years after he was arrested by Syrian authorities.NOWHERE TO LIVEWith nothing left and no place to stay in Idlib other than camps, Samira said she would try to migrate, joining the 5 million Syrian refugees who have left since the war broke out in 2011. More than 6 million are internally displaced."I don't want to be in Idlib, we know no one there. Also you don't know when or where the jets might bomb," she said, referring to the heavy bombardment by Russian and Syrian warplanes of rebel-held areas in Idlib - including a recent alleged poison gas attack."The plan is to try to get to Turkey, to leave Syria for good."Noha was also heading into the unknown."I don't know where we'll live, whether they (authorities) have anything set up. At the very least, we just want to be safe. The children jump at night from the sound of rockets. We just want security, wherever they take us," she said.Her adult son and daughter had stayed in al-Foua but were hoping to leave in the next stage of the evacuation deal. Noha's husband had been killed, but she did not say how.Both women said they would never have left their hometowns but for the strangling sieges, which caused severe food and medicine shortages, and the gradual change of control in each area.Government forces moved into Madaya on Friday. Rebels are also due to leave nearby Zabadani as part of the deal. In al-Foua and Kefraya, hundreds of pro-government fighters were evacuated, and the agreement will pave the way for insurgents to take over.Russia, Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah have helped Assad gain the upper hand against rebels in the west of the country in the last 18 months and he now controls all of Syria's most populous cities there, although insurgents have made gains in some areas.But with the war that has killed hundreds of thousands far from over, those displaced in swap deals see return a long way off."People have built their houses and worked their whole lives setting themselves up, and now they've left, with nothing, zero," Noha said. REUTERS AKC 1728 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0432-857759.Xml
Lavrov made these comments during a news conference in Moscow in the wake of Pyongyang's failed missile launch over the weekend, Efe news reported.

"We do not accept Pyongyang's reckless nuclear and missile actions in violation of numerous UN Security Council resolutions," Lavrov said.

"But this does not mean that it is possible to violate international law in the same way by using force," he added, referring to a possible strike by the US military against North Korea.

"I very much hope that there will be no unilateral actions, like those that we saw recently in Syria," said Lavrov.

On April 6, US President Donald Trump ordered the bombing of the government-held Shayrat Airbase, located in the Syrian province of Homs, following reports of a chemical attack on the town of Khan Shaykhun that left at least 80 people dead.

Lavrov's comments came shortly after US Vice President Mike Pence said during a trip to Seoul that "North Korea would do well not to test (Trump's) resolve".

--IANS ksk/dg

( 200 Words)

2017-04-17-18:22:10 (IANS)
Flights to Vladivostok, Beijing, and Shenyang were delayed on Monday, with airline authorities failing to provide a reason.

The Russian embassy posted an announcement on Facebook that Air Koryo had delayed the flights while providing "no rational basis for the delays".

"Over 30 Russian nationals are waiting at (the) departure lounge," the announcement stated, adding that diplomats were monitoring the situation.

"We strive to get an update from the North Korean Foreign Ministry and air service and demand that Russian citizens take their flights on designated routes," the Facebook post continues.

Meanwhile, NK News reported that some of its journalists, along with other foreign reporters, were among those who scheduled to travel on Air Koryo Flight JS 151 to Beijing. Other affected journalists include those from CBC, CBS, the LA Times, and Russia 24.

The journalists were in North Korea to cover the 105th birthday event of former leader Kim Il-sung and the military parade that followed.

The Air Koryo office in Beijing said the delays were being caused by bad weather, with NK News reporting that a local airport security officer was overheard telling a tourist that it was due to "rain clouds" in Pyongyang.

However, weather in Pyongyang appeared to be clear on Monday.

Air Koryo, headquartered at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport, operates flights to 23 destinations in Asia.

--IANS ahm/dg

( 267 Words)

2017-04-17-18:30:07 (IANS)
Turkey's referendum did not live up to standards set by the Council of Europe, a representative from the European human rights organisation's observer mission said today, citing an inadequate legal framework and late changes in ballot counting.Turks tomorrow voted by a narrow 51.4 per cent margin to change their constitution and grant President Tayyip Erdogan sweeping new powers. The main opposition party has demanded the result be nullified, saying the voting was marred by irregularities.Cezar Florin Preda, head of the delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe that monitored the vote, made the comments at news conference in Ankara. Turkey is a member of the Council of Europe.Preda was joined by Tana de Zulueta, head of another team of international observers, who said the referendum fell short of international standards.Turkey's High Electoral Board made a last-minute decision on Sunday to count ballots that had not been stamped by officials.REUTERS AKC 1822 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0432-857897.Xml
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov today said that Moscow would look to US President Donald Trump's words on his willingness to normalise relations with Russia rather than to critical statements by his assistants."We will look to what President Trump has reaffirmed once again rather than to his assistant's words. And the President has reaffirmed that he wants to normalise relations with the Russia, and we also stand ready for that," Mr Lavrov said at a press conference.Mr Lavrov was commenting on US National Security Advisor Herbert McMaster's statement that it is now time for "those tough discussions" with Russia over its actions in Syria and in Europe.He said, "it's not Russia that is responsible for the chaos" caused by interference by Western countries in the affairs of other countries, and Russia should not pay for the consequences of these actions."It's not the approach of a partner, and we don't accept it," he said.UNI XC SHS SNU 2024 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0364-858132.Xml
The US Supreme Court sidestepped a turbulent debate over illegal immigration today, turning away an appeal by a group of asylum-seeking Central American women and their children who aimed to clarify the constitutional rights of people who the government has prioritized for deportation.The families, 28 women and 33 children ages 2 to 17 from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, had hoped the justices would overturn a lower court's ruling preventing them from having their expedited removal orders reviewed by a federal judge.That Philadelphia-based court said the status of the families, all apprehended in Texas and later held in Pennsylvania, was akin to non-citizens who are denied entry at the border and they were not entitled to a court hearing to challenge that decision.Immigration has become an even hotter topic than usual in the United States since President Donald Trump took office in January. His administration has ordered construction of a border wall with Mexico intended to curb illegal immigration, and plans to expand the number of people targeted for expedited removal, a process that applies to non-citizens lacking valid entry documents.The families have said they were escaping threats, violence and police authorities unable or unwilling to help in their home countries.Lead plaintiff Rosa Castro fled El Salvador to escape years of rape, beatings and emotional abuse by the father of her son, who was 6 years old when they arrived in the United States in 2015, according to court papers. Lesly Cruz, who also arrived in 2015, fled Honduras to protect her daughter from sexual assault by members of the Mara Salvatrucha armed gang, the court papers said.The families were apprehended in Texas within hours of illegally crossing the US-Mexican border. After claiming asylum, they were determined by immigration judges to lack "credible fear" of persecution, and placed in expedited removal proceedings.The families were detained at Berks County Residential Center in Leesport, Pennsylvania, where 12 women and their children remain. The others have been released under orders of supervision, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing them.The women challenged in federal court the rejection of their asylum claims, alleging a violation of their right to due process under the US Constitution.In August, the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia said they may be treated the same way as non-citizens seeking initial admission to the United States, who do not have any constitutional rights of review if denied entry.The women appealed to the Supreme Court.There has been a 93 percent drop since December of parents and children caught trying to cross the Mexican border illegally into the United States, which US officials attribute to the Trump administration's tough policies.REUTERS AKC 1943 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0432-858056.Xml
"As far as Ehsanullah Ehsan is concerned, he is in our custody. When there is more information regarding him to share, we will do so," The Express Tribune quoted the head of military's media wing as saying during a press briefing.

Commenting on the ongoing Radd-ul-Fasaad military operation, Major General Ghafoor said that 15 major operations were conducted across the country.

"The army performed two big operations in Punjab, one in Sindh, four in Balochistan and eight in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa," he said.

Claiming that the security forces recovered over 4,083 weapons, the ISPR chief said that over 500 absconders have surrendered since the launch of the military offensive.

He added that "4,535 intelligence-based operations have been conducted while 723 joint check-posts were established in coordination with the police".

4,510 suspects including 1,859 unregistered Afghan nationals were detained as a result of the operations, Major General Ghafoor said, adding at least 108 terrorists were killed during exchanges of fire. (ANI)
The Pakistan Police has opened a hate speech investigation against two clerics in connection with the killing of a university student over allegations of blasphemy. The clerics are accused of attempting to disrupt the funeral of Mashal Khan, a student of Abdul Wali Khan University in Mardan who was killed by a violent mob on campus premises after a dormitory debate followed accusations of blasphemy. According to the Dawn, the police is investigating the clerics in Mashal's hometown of Swabi for attempting to disrupt funeral proceedings and instigate hatred against his family. "The two clerics [used]... the mosque loudspeaker for hate speech against the slain student and his family and ... created hurdles for the people and another cleric to participate in the funeral," said a senior Swabi police official. A local imam had reportedly refused to lead Khan's funeral prayers last Friday and a technician who was asked to do so in the cleric's place was confronted by several people afterwards. Earlier in the day, a large number of protestors took to the streets in the Zaida town, to defend Mashal as they chanted slogans "Be Gunah, Be Gunah (innocent), Mashal Khan Be Gunah." Relatives and friends, political workers and representatives of civil society groups and the general public participated in the march. It was probably for the first time in the area that a large number of women, with their heads covered, took part in a mourning procession that turned into a public meeting at a square in the town, reports the Dawn. Mardan police on Sunday claimed to have arrested seven more suspects in relation to the case with the total number of those arrested reachin 20. All the seven suspects were produced in the court of a magistrate on special duty on Sunday who remanded them in police custody for a day. Meanwhile, Inspector General Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Monday said there was no evidence to suggest that Mashal committed blasphemy. (ANI)
As Russian hopes of swift detente under President Donald Trump have fizzled, state media, which hailed his election win, have made a U-turn. Yesterday, they said he was scarier than North Korea's Kim Jong-Un.Trump's decision to launch a missile strike against Syria, a Russian ally, drop a giant bomb on Afghanistan, and stick with Obama-era policies on Crimea, mean Russian hopes of him befriending the Kremlin have been on the slide for a while.If state TV is a guide, his tough talk on North Korea's nuclear programme and decision to despatch a naval strike force to the region appear to have buried any Russian hopes that he might intervene less in foreign affairs than his predecessors.Dmitry Kiselyov, anchor of Russia's main weekly TV news show "Vesti Nedeli," on the Rossiya 1 channel, is widely seen as the top pro-Kremlin presenter. He had already began to dial back the Trumpomania and start criticising the US president.But today, his first broadcast since Rex Tillerson's maiden visit to Moscow as US secretary of state, Kiselyov, who once praised Trump for his "independence" from the US political establishment, removed the proverbial gloves."The world is a hair's breadth from nuclear war," said Kiselyov. "War can break out as a result of confrontation between two personalities; Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un. Both are dangerous, but who is more dangerous? Trump is."Kiselyov went on to say that Trump was "more impulsive and unpredictable" than the North Korean and to say both men shared some of the same negative traits: "Limited international experience, unpredictability, and a readiness to go to war."Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to say whether Kiselyov's views chimed with the Kremlin's, but said his opinions weren't necessarily always interchangeable with the official position. "His position is close, but not every time," said Peskov.The fact that Kiselyov is being given free rein to use such tough rhetoric about Trump is nonetheless likely to reflect how deep the Kremlin's anger runs about what it sees as Trump's failure to deliver on his pledge of better ties with Moscow.Speaking in front of a picture of the North Korean leader and military commanders juxtaposed next to Trump's image, Kiselyov said Kim Jong-Un was less scary than the US president because he was ready for talks, had not attacked other countries, and had not sent a naval armada to the US coast."He (Kim Jong-Un) is after all on his home territory. He doesn't plan to attack anyone just for the sake of it," said Kiselyov, who was a cheerleader for state TV's strong anti-American tone under the Obama administration and once said Moscow could turn the United States into radioactive ash.Delivering a personal jibe, Kiselyov sarcastically told viewers that the North Korean leader's young daughter did not, unlike Ivanka Trump, have an office in her father's official residence.Other state-controlled and pro-Kremlin media have walked back their initial euphoria for Trump in recent weeks too, but Kiselyov tends to set the tone for everyone else and his intervention is the most robust on Trump yet.RUSSIANS GO COLD ON TRUMPPolls suggest state TV's U-turn over Trump has filtered through to the public, most of whom get their news from TV.A survey by state pollster VTsIOM showed today that the percentage of Russians who hold a negative view of Trump has jumped to 39 from seven percent in a month, and that feelings of distrust and disappointment towards him have grown too."The US missile strike on Syria was a 'cold shower' for many Russians," said Valery Fedorov, the pollster's general director."Donald Trump's aggressive behaviour has resurrected distrust and ill-will towards America, something that has characterised Russian society for the last two decades."Despite annexing Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014 and continuing to back pro-Russian separatists in east Ukraine, Moscow has long criticised successive US presidents for interfering in other countries' affairs.Like many others, it bought into Trump's pre-election "America First" rhetoric. Though things have not worked out as it hoped, officials say they still want to try to improve ties with the United States, something they badly need to try to get financial sanctions imposed over Ukraine eased.The Kremlin realises however, those same officials say, that the process will be harder and take longer than originally thought and the result is likely to be more limited in scope.Officials privately say they regard many of Trump's policy positions as no different to, or tougher than, Obama's.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticised Pyongyang for its "reckless nuclear actions" today, but made clear Moscow wanted Trump to de-escalate."I really hope that the kind of unilateral action we recently saw in Syria won't happen (in North Korea) and that the USA will follow the line which President Trump repeatedly set out during his pre-election campaign," said Lavrov. REUTERS SHS BL2332 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0329-858283.Xml
Syria's ambassador to North Korea denounced what he called US aggression and its "history of interventions" today and said that it sending a "message" to North Korea with an attack on a Syrian airfield was irresponsible.North Korea has conducted several missile and nuclear tests in defiance of UN sanctions and has said it has developed a missile that can strike the US mainland. Its latest missile test yseterday failed a few seconds after launch.US Vice President Mike Pence warned North Korea on Monday that recent US strikes in Syria, one of North Korea's few close allies, and Afghanistan showed that the resolve of President Donald Trump should not be tested.The US Navy this month struck a Syrian airfield with 59 Tomahawk missiles after a chemical weapons attack. On Thursday, the US military said it had dropped the largest non-nuclear device it had unleashed in combat on a network of caves and tunnels used by Islamic State in Afghanistan.Syrian Ambassador to North Korea Tammam Sulaiman said the United States was wrong to send messages with attacks on other countries."Whatever they do, this is clear aggression. If they want to mention this they ought to do this as a message or whatever, it has no sense to talk about this," he told Reuters, in English."Because what is sense is to see whether the US is really serious in finding solutions, whether in Syria or Korea. If they want to keep sending messages, then you are not talking with a responsible state or a responsible administration. It is not about giving messages, it is about taking a position."A high-level government official at North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Reuters in a separate interview today that North Korea would have been attacked a long time ago like other countries if it did not have strong military capabilities."The Syrian incident proves that our policy to bolster our national defence capabilities by tightening our belts is the correct policy," said Kim Son Gyong, Director General of the European Department at North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Asked whether he thought the US was sending Pyongyang a message by striking Syria, he said: "We are not startled or surprised in the slightest by this kind of act. If the US thinks this kind of thing will startle us, then they have misjudged us."North Korea's KCNA news agency on Monday carried a letter from leader Kim Jong Un to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad marking the 70th anniversary of Syria's independence."I express again a strong support and alliance to the Syrian government and its people for its work of justice, condemning the United States' recent violent invasive act against your country," Kim said.Asked to what extent North Korea supported the Syrian military in its fight against rebel forces, Sulaiman said there was "nothing of military cooperation".North Korea in 2013 denied it was sending military aid to the Syrian government after media reports said that Pyongyang had sent advisers and helicopter pilots.Kim Son Gyong declined to comment when asked about the kind of military aid North Korea currently provides Syria.Sulaiman said the "acquisition of nuclear weapons should not be a goal" for any country."But I can understand in the case of North Korea, I can understand why (it) is building its nuclear capabilities to face the American aggression, clear aggression."REUTERS SHS BL2340 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0329-858294.Xml
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-16 17:51:31|Editor: xuxin

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SEOUL, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Major South Korean presidential candidates on Sunday condemned the failed test of a missile by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), calling for restraint on provocations.

The DPRK test-launched an unidentified missile earlier in the day, but it was believed to have exploded during the launch. It was seen as a failure, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The test-launch came amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula, which were caused by the dispatching of the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier and its accompanying warships to the peninsula.

The presidential election campaign camp of Moon Jae-in, a frontrunner in recent opinion polls and a former chief of the biggest Minjoo Party, described the attempted missile test as reckless provocations.

The Moon camp said in a statement that it was not understandable for the DPRK to conduct any provocative acts when the U.S. Carl Vinson strike group is approaching the Korean Peninsula.

The camp with Ahn Cheol-soo, a runner-up to Moon in opinion polls and a former head of the centrist People's Party, condemned the acts by the DPRK, asking key political parties to call in the meetings of committees for defense and foreign affairs to prevent any possible military conflicts.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 02:03:06|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

Several thousand people attend the "March of the Living" to commemorate the Hungarian victims of the Holocaust during World War II in Budapest, Hungary, April 16, 2017. In 2000, the Hungarian Parliament designated April 16 as the Day of Remembrance for Hungarian Victims of the Holocaust. More than half a million Hungarian Jews perished during the Holocaust. (Xinhua/Csaba Domotor)

BUDAPEST, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Several thousand people attended the 15th "March of the Living" on the Memorial Day for Hungarian Victims of the Holocaust here on Sunday.

The crowd started its solemn march at the "Shoes on the Danube Bank" memorial on the bank of the Danube. The empty bronze shoes of sculptor Gyula Pauer honour the people (mainly Budapest Jews) who were shot into the Danube in the WWII. They were ordered to take off their shoes, and were shot at the edge of the water so that their bodies fell into the river and were carried away. It represents their shoes left behind on the bank.

The participants placed flowers and candles on the shoes before going south until the chain bridge and crossing over the Danube.

Organizers said that the aim of the march was to enable people to honour the memory of the Hungarian Holocaust victims, regardless of their religion or political belief, and to take a stand for "social solidarity and democratic political culture."

Gabor Gordon, head of the March of the Living Foundation told participants, "This day is also a warning for us all, that shows the dangers of exclusion, which can lead to an irremediable tragedy through small, everyday, unnoticeable steps."
Photo provided by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on April 24, 2016 shows top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un recently guiding on the spot the underwater test-fire of submarine ballistic missile.(Xinhua/KCNA)

WASHINGTON, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The latest missile test conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is provocative and destabilizing, U.S. national security adviser said Sunday.

"It just fits into a pattern of provocative and destabilizing and threatening behavior on the part of the North Korean (DPRK) regime," H.R. McMaster said in an interview with American Broadcasting Company.

The DPRK attempted early Sunday to test-fire an unidentified missile on its east coast, which was believed to have failed, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. The Pentagon confirmed later that the latest missile launch by the DPRK had failed.

U.S. President Donald Trump "has made clear that he will not accept the United States and its allies and partners in the region being under threat from this hostile regime with nuclear weapons," McMaster said.

Trump has asked the National Security Council to integrate the efforts various agencies to provide options and have them ready for him if DPRK's pattern of destabilizing behavior continues, McMaster added.

In the interview, the senior U.S. national security official also urged the DPRK to stop the destabilizing behavior, stop the development of missiles, and denuclearize.

"That is the best interests of everyone in the region, and ultimately it's in the best interests of the North Korean (DPRK) people as well," he said.

DPRK's new missile test, which took place near the port city of Sinpo, South Hamgyong Province, came hours after the DPRK showed in a festive parade all of its most-advanced ballistic and tactic missiles, including a submarine-launched ballistic missile which could strike targets 1000 km away.

According to U.S. Pacific Command spokesman Commander David Benham, the command detected and tracked what the U.S. military assessed was a DPRK missile launch at 11:21 a.m. Hawaii time (2121 GMT) April 15.

"The launch of the ballistic missile occurred near Sinpo," said Benham. "The missile blew up almost immediately. The type of missile is still being assessed."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 06:09:44|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ANKARA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The legitimacy of Turkey's referendum on an executive presidency is open to debate, the head of Turkish main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) said on Sunday, as he criticized the High Electoral Board for making the vote "controversial."

Turkish main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Kemal Kilicdaroglu said those who advocated a "Yes" vote in the referendum may have gone beyond the boundaries of the law, private broadcaster NTV reported.

Earlier on Sunday, the CHP deputy leader Erdal Aksunger said it will object to the referendum results on grounds that the vote for the constitutional amendment were manipulated in terms of content and method.

The party reportedly would demand a recount of up to 60 percent of the votes.

Unofficial results showed a narrow 51.4 percent lead in the referendum for constitutional amendments that will change governing system from parliamentary system to presidential one.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 06:29:48|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MEXICO CITY, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Mexicans cheered the arrest of Javier Duarte, the former governor of the Gulf Coast state of Veracruz, who has been on the run for nearly six months, local media reported on Sunday.

Video posted on social networks showed diners at a restaurant in Veracruz breaking into cheers and applause as news footage of his arrest in Guatemala late Saturday was broadcast on TV.

Duarte, on the lam since last October, was the second fugitive governor captured in a week, after Italian authorities arrested the ex-governor of northern Tamaulipas state, Tomas Yarrington, last Sunday. He had been in hiding for nine years.

Both fled Mexico facing charges of corruption, illicit enrichment, money laundering and collaborating with drug trafficking organizations.

Both politicians were also prominent figures of the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), leading to allegations from the opposition that the arrests were timed to give the PRI an advantage in upcoming regional elections.

The PRI is lagging behind rivals in key gubernatorial races for the states of Coahuila, Nayarit and Mexico State, and appearing to be clamping down on corruption for the purpose that it might convince voters it has turned a new leaf, say opponents.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 06:49:52|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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SAN FRANCISCO, April 16 (Xinhua) -- A solar-powered device, working under conditions of 20-30 percent humidity, was able to pull 2.8 liters, or 3 quarts, of water from the air over a 12-hour period, using one kilogram, or 2.2 pounds, of certain metal-organic framework, or MOF, material.

The prototype, known as a water harvester, was constructed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) using the MOF produced at the University of California, Berkeley.

"This is a major breakthrough in the long-standing challenge of harvesting water from the air at low humidity," said Omar Yaghi, one of two senior authors of a paper published in the journal Science, who is a professor in chemistry at UC Berkeley and a faculty scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. "There is no other way to do that right now, except by using extra energy."

Yaghi invented metal-organic frameworks more than 20 years ago, combining metals like magnesium or aluminum with organic molecules in a tinker-toy arrangement to create rigid, porous structures ideal for storing gases and liquids. Since then, more than 20,000 different MOFs have been created by researchers worldwide, some hold chemicals such as hydrogen or methane, others are able to capture carbon dioxide from flue gases, catalyze the reaction of adsorbed chemicals or separate petrochemicals in processing plants.

In 2014, Yaghi and his UC Berkeley team synthesized a MOF, a combination of zirconium metal and adipic acid, that binds water vapor, and he suggested to Evelyn Wang, a mechanical engineer at MIT, that they join forces to turn the MOF into a water-collecting system.

"One vision for the future is to have water off-grid, where you have a device at home running on ambient solar for delivering water that satisfies the needs of a household," said Yaghi. "To me, that will be made possible because of this experiment. I call it personalized water."

The system Wang and her students designed consisted of dust-sized MOF crystals compressed between a solar absorber and a condenser plate, placed inside a chamber open to the air. As ambient air diffuses through the porous MOF, water molecules preferentially attach to the interior surfaces. Sunlight entering through a window heats up the MOF and drives the bound water toward the condenser, which is at the temperature of the outside air. The vapor condenses as liquid water and drips into a collector.

"This work offers a new way to harvest water from air that does not require high relative humidity conditions and is much more energy efficient than other existing technologies," Wang was quoted as saying in a news release from UC Berkeley.

The proof of concept harvester leaves much room for improvement, Yaghi said. The current MOF can absorb only 20 percent of its weight in water, but other MOF materials could possibly absorb 40 percent or more. The material can also be tweaked to be more effective at higher or lower humidity levels.

Yaghi and his team are at work improving their MOFs, while Wang continues to improve the harvesting system to produce more water.

"It's not just that we made a passive device that sits there collecting water; we have now laid both the experimental and theoretical foundations so that we can screen other MOFs, thousands of which could be made, to find even better materials," Yaghi said. "There is a lot of potential for scaling up the amount of water that is being harvested. It is just a matter of further engineering now."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 07:25:09|Editor: Mengjiao Liu

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PARIS, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Tenth-seeded David Goffin of Belgium secured a second-round berth after overcoming compatriot Steve Darcis 6-2, 6-1 at ATP Monte-Carlo Masters on Sunday.

Goffin showed his dominance throughout the first-round match which only lasted 72 minutes, and 30 unforced errors were much to blame for Darcis' lopsided loss.

Trailing by 1-5 in the first set, Darcis managed to save two set points, before Goffin held his serve in the eighth game to build a solid start.

He went on to take all three games early in the second, and a furious Darcis threw his racket onto the ground. However, it turned out in a useless manner, as Goffin conceded only one game to make into the last 32.

"I played well from the start, and was solid in long rallies. It's never easy to take on a friend. I'm very satisfied with my performance today," said Goffin, who awaited Nicolas Almagro or a qualifier in the second round.

After beating Malek Jaziri of Tunisia 6-2, 6-2, French player Gilles Simon booked a second-round encounter with the second seed Novak Djokovic, who enjoyed a first-round bye.

Joao Sousa of Portugal eased past German player Florian Mayer 6-3, 6-2.

Third-seeded Stan Wawrinka made good preparation for his singles appearance in the tournament as he and Italian partner Fabio Fognini eliminated the duo of Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor 6-4, 7-6 (2) in the doubles first round.

The ATP Monte-Carlo Masters will run until April 23, with Roger Federer and Kei Nishikori absent from the tournament.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 08:36:00|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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COLOMBO, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Death toll from the collapse of a rubbish dump in the Sri Lanka capital of Colombo has risen to 26 on Sunday evening, the local police said.

The garbage pile collapsed burying adjoining households. Rescue work was still underway with the assistance of Sri Lanka Army, Airforce and the police.

Among the dead were seven school children.

This is the first such tragedy to hit Sri Lanka. Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka told the media that he would take steps to remove the garbage dump.

"There is a land of 21 acres here covered with garbage piled over the years. We will take back that land for development as an urban park," he said.

The 91-meter-high massive garbage dump collapsed on Friday evening, burying over 100 homes and displacing over 600 people as the country celebrated its traditional New Year.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 10:31:23|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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HAVANA, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Cuba's tourism industry, now the country's most dynamic economic sector, is looking to boost visitor numbers by attracting larger cruise ships.

International cruise operators, such as Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, have regularly sailed into Cuban ports. The plan is to expand the ports' infrastructure to accommodate larger passenger ships.

Jose Manuel Bisbe, president of tourism business group Viajes Cuba, believes the cruise segment could take off with ships carrying more than 2,000 passengers.

Bisbe told reporters that currently, 12 different cruises have arrived at the ports of Cienfuegos in central Cuba, Santiago de Cuba in the east, and Havana in the west, but none carried more than 1,000 passengers.

That could change this year, said Bisbe.

Cuba's port infrastructure, including the main three segments mentioned above and a fourth at the Isle of Youth in the southwest, currently handles up to 21 cruise ships a week.

But more than 100 cruises from different countries sail the Caribbean sea each week, as part of an industry segment that generates billions of dollars a year. So the potential for growth -- or more accurately, recovery -- is there, said Bisbe.

Cuba's cruise segment used to receive more than 100,000 passengers a year and generate more than 15 million U.S. dollars in revenue, until the country's main cruise client, Spain's Pullmantur, was bought by U.S. firm Royal Caribbean, which was barred by U.S. laws from doing business with Cuba.

The island's cruise tourism dried up between 2005 and 2007, scaling back to a trickle of just 11,000 passengers.

The sector bounced back after Cuba and the United States restored diplomatic ties, and cruise companies that sail the Caribbean, the world's No.1 cruise destination, once again placed Cuba back on their itineraries, despite existing U.S. sanctions against Cuba.

To get around the restrictions, U.S. cruises to Cuba must offer itineraries with supposed educational, religious, humanitarian or cultural purposes in keeping with U.S. government regulations.

Cruise tourism to Cuba picked up slightly in 2016, with the arrival of 88,000 passengers, and has continued to rise gradually, with some 55,000 passengers arriving in the first two months of 2017, according to Bisbe.

The industry forecasts the total number of cruise passengers will reach 200,000 to 300,000 this year, as Cuba is expected to receive about 4.2 million tourists in total in 2017.
An aerial view of the highway to Medog, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, March 30, 2017 (Xinhua/Purbu Tashi)

China's last isolated county was connected to the national road network when a highway to Medog County was built in Tibet in 2013.

An aerial view of a highway in Medog, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, March 30, 2017 (Xinhua/Purbu Tashi)

The road with a total investment of 950 million yuan (about 155 million U.S. dollars) stretches through hidden paths in primeval forests, tunnels under snow-covered mountains and bridges over big rivers.

An aerial view of a highway in Medog, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, March 30, 2017 (Xinhua/Purbu Tashi)

The road is accessible for eight to nine months per year, bar major natural disasters.

An aerial view of Medog County in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, March 30, 2017 (Xinhua/Purbu Tashi)

Near China's border with India, Medog locates in the downstream of the Yarlung Zangbo River and south of the Himalayas. Its name means the "secret lotus" in Tibetan. And as the name suggests, it is a beautiful place surrounded by snow-capped mountains. It used to be known as China's last and only county without a highway link.

A U-turn of the Yarlung Zangbo River in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, March 30, 2017 (Xinhua/Purbu Tashi)

The county is quite different from other areas in Tibet in terms of both scenery and weather. Surrounded by mountains, it is humid and rich in resources.

Medog residents in a banana plantation in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, March 30, 2017 (Xinhua/Purbu Tashi)

Medog's breath-taking scene had attracted visitors around the world even before the road was built. Its hiking paths through mountains are famous among backpackers.

People have to trek on rugged paths to carry in and out goods in Medog, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region before the road was built. Photo taken on Oct. 19, 2004. (Xinhua/Purbu Tashi)

But reaching Medog used to be a dangerous journey. People had to climb over Galung La and Doxong La, two snow-capped mountains rising over 4,000 meters above sea level. During the journey, there were frequent accidents such as landslides and collapses.

Vehicles pass a waterfall on the highway to Medog in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, March 30, 2017. (Xinhua/Purbu Tashi)

Rugged mountain paths were once the only travel routes in Medog. Complicated geological conditions and frequent natural disasters had thwarted seven previous attempts to build a highway in the area since the 1960s.

Bridges to Medog in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region before the road was built. Photo taken on Oct. 19, 2004. (Xinhua/Purbu Tashi)

Local people called the rugged way "monkeys' path," as only people who were light and flexible like monkeys could make their way out of the mountains.

People have to trek on rugged paths to carry in and out goods in Medog, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region before the road was built. Photo taken on Oct. 19, 2004. (Xinhua/Purbu Tashi)

A makeshift road dug along cliffs was built in 1994, but was only accessible between July and September, with frequent fatal traffic accidents.

An aerial view of the highway to Medog in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, March 30, 2017 (Xinhua/Purbu Tashi)

The building of the new road was approved by the State Council, China's cabinet, in 2008. Work officially began in April 2009.

Medog children in a grocery store in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, March 30, 2017 (Xinhua/Purbu Tashi)

The opening of the Medog road has greatly lowered transportation costs and commodity prices. It has also brought in opportunities for the locals and helped in poverty relief.

A temple in Medog, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, March 30, 2017 (Xinhua/Purbu Tashi)

In 2016, over 70,000 tourists visited Medog, double the amount before the road went into operation in 2013. Most local residents now go in for tourism and transportation businesses.
YANGON, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar President U Htin Kyaw on Monday urged the country's more than 100 ethnic nationalities to combine their diversity and turn it into force in the new year in pursuit of national reconciliation and peace.

U Htin Kyaw made the remarks in his message delivered on the occasion of the first day of the Myanmar calendar New Year after a four-day water festival.

Vowing to make utmost efforts to make the best use of peace funds acquired at home and abroad, U Htin Kyaw anticipated that the country would gain good and encouraging results in the new year.

The president thanked the people for having trust and understanding in the government while it is struggling to overcome the country's social difficulties after it came into power last year.

He said 2017 will be a year of peace with good outcomes economically.
TOKYO, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-three people were taken to hospital with one of them sustaining serious injuries, after a private bus carrying 54 firefighters and a car collided in Fukuoka Prefecture on Monday, according to rescue officials.

The driver of the passenger car, a man in his 20s, suffered a broken pelvis, but all others involved in the collision sustained only minor injuries, local reports said, quoting rescue officials.

The crash occurred at 7:45 a.m. local time (2245 GMT Sunday) in the city of Iizuka, in central Fukuoka Prefecture, when the bus hit a car traveling in the opposition direction, local police said.

According to the police, the bus was on its way to a fire academy in the prefecture.
South Sudan refugee children share a meal at Uganda's newly opened Palabek Refugee Settlement in the northern part of the country, April 13, 2016. Fighting that occurred about two weeks ago between government troops and the rebels forced over 5,000 South Sudanese to flee to the northern Ugandan district of Lamwo. Uganda has called for international assistance to help cater for the increasing number of South Sudan refugees. (Xinhua/Ronald Ssekandi)

by Ronald Ssekandi and Yuan Qing

YUMBE, Uganda, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Uganda is paying the price of having an open refugee policy that has attracted thousands of refugees from neighboring countries.

The east African country has the biggest Refugee Settlement in the world, hosting over 270,000 South Sudanese refugees. The country is host to over 1.5 million refugees from neighboring countries.

Once a refugee arrives in Uganda and goes through the necessary documentations, he or she is allocated a piece of land where they can cultivate their own food instead of entirely depending on relief especially in the face of dwindling financial support to humanitarian agencies.

The country last year announced that refugees will be allowed to work to gain income to cater for their families. The skills gained would also be helpful when they return home.

All these measures are geared towards empowering refugees to become self-reliant and reduce their dependence on humanitarian aid.

These measures are summed up in the country's five-year 350 million U.S. dollar project dubbed Refugee and Host Population Empowerment.

The project has already received endorsements from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

UNHCR head Filippo Grandi on a visit to the refugee settlements in northern Uganda last year, he urged the world to embrace the policy noting that it can be a global model on refugee management and response in the longer term.

Since then, Uganda and humanitarian agencies have been calling for support but it has not been coming in as expected.

Uganda is now arguing that it is at a breaking point because the influx of refugees is already putting pressure on the meagre resources government has to cater for the rest of its citizens.

Experts are now arguing that the world should come to the rescue of Uganda noting that the country should not pay the price for being good to refugees.

Wellington Carneiro, who has experience with working on humanitarian crises in Chad, Cameroon, Sudan argues that the world should not let Uganda's policy die off.

"Uganda has turned out to be the biggest refugee host country in Africa with over 1.3 million refugees. Uganda needs support and this operation is critically underfunded," Carneiro told Xinhua in an interview at Ngomoromo, a border post between Uganda and South Sudan through which refugees are fleeing to Uganda. Carneiro works for the UNHCR as a field officer at Ngomoromo.

Gilbert Kamanga, National Director, World Vision Uganda argues that if the international community is hailing Uganda for its open refugee policy, it should be able to fund it because the policy is an example to the world.

"In Uganda, we have a better model that can work for both the host community and the refugees because this problem is not coming to an end soon. The international community should think and act responsibly," Kamanga said.

He said in the face of dwindling international support to humanitarian crises, the Uganda model is critical in ensuring self-sustenance.

Uganda's refugee policy is perhaps an example to the world on how to manage the refugee question if the world is for a bright future.
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Three militants have been killed and 35 detained after Afghan Special Operation Forces waged two raids in southern Kandahar province, provincial police department said on Monday.

"In one raid, 35 suspected militants were captured in Barmo locality, Maywand District Sunday night and five motorcycles used by the militants were destroyed at the site. In addition, three militants were killed after they clashed with special forces in Mulid area of Takhta Pul District Sunday morning," it said in a statement.

No civilian or security force was hurt during the above raids, the statement added.

Security situation has been improving in Kandahar, the stronghold of Taliban, over the last months, as security forces have conducted several search and cordon operations across the province.

The Afghan security forces have beefed up security operations against militants recently, as spring and summer known as the fighting season, are drawing near in the Central Asian country.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 14:37:31|Editor: Mengjiao Liu

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CHANGCHUN, April 17 (Xinhua) -- FAW, China's oldest automaker, plans to open 21 sales shops for Hongqi, or "Red Flag," the country's homegrown car brand, as it is striving to expand into the private car market.

Du Xiaodong, general manager of FAW Hongqi Sales Co. Ltd., said the Hongqi H7 was aimed at the high-end car market.

He said that Hongqi would debut the fashionable H5 model and a renovated version of its flagship H7 model, with both hitting the market later this year, at the upcoming Shanghai Auto Show from April 21 to 28.

Du said 95 percent of Hongqi's first group of 21 sales shops would be run by auto dealers listed as in the country's top 100, with a background in selling premium brands.

Du said that by 2020 Hongqi would have eight models ranging from large family cars to compact cars and SUVs.

FAW's were originally built as official limousines. In 2013, when Foreign Minister Wang Yi abandoned his Audi A6 for the Hongqi H7 sedan, the industry anticipated a new dawn for Chinese brands, but only 3,000 H7s were sold that year.

Industrial insiders said that Hongqi products lack variety. Its flagship H7 model does not have solid market positioning, as it seeks both the business and private car market. In December 2016, only 1,001 Hongqi cars were sold.

Currently Hongqi has 22 showrooms nationwide, where H7 cars are the only exhibit.

Xu Ping, chair of FAW, said Hongqi represented self-dependent innovation, which would continue to be the principal of the brand's development.

FAW unveiled its first Hongqi SUV, the Hongqi LS5, in 2015, with a 4.0t twin-turboc engine and an eight-speed tiptronic. The company plans to adjust the brand to cater to younger customers.
File photo shows South African President Jacob Zuma speaks during the Chris Hani Wreath Laying Ceremony and handover of the Chris Hani heritage site in Boksburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa, on April 10, 2017. (Xinhua/DOC/Kopano Tlape)

CAPE TOWN, April 17 (Xinhua) -- South African President Jacob Zuma on Sunday rejected calls for him to step down, saying his fate is to be determined by the majority.

"I will only step down once the majority says so," Zuma said at an Easter Service at the Twelve Apostles of Christ Church in Umgababa, south of Durban.

Zuma said he would not walk away unless most South Africans want him to do so.

"Only the people of South Africa will remove me from office," Zuma said.

He said some people wanted him to step down because he's "telling the truth."

Zuma was responding to widespread protests taking place on April 7 and onwards amid growing calls for him to step down.

The protests were sparked by a cabinet reshuffle effected by Zuma on March 31. The reshuffle, which saw the sacking of well-respected Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and nine other ministers, led international rating agencies Standard & Poor's and Fitch to downgrade South Africa's sovereign credit rating to junk status, respectively on April 3 and April 7.

In his remarks on Sunday, Zuma linked the protests to colonialism.

The recent civic action calling for him to step down "is merely a defence of colonialism," said Zuma.

Zuma said he would continue to strive for economic transformation so as to fix problems that have existed for long.

The economic power should be shifted to the people so everyone can enjoy it, he said.

Zuma called for an end to poverty among blacks, saying: "Even if they remove the president who says this, the next one will do the same."

The president urged members of the church to pray for the country and its leaders.

"I wish you to pray very hard for our nation so that the respect should come back ... and (pray) that our country should have good governance," Zuma said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 15:02:39|Editor: xuxin

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SINGAPORE, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's Changi Airport Group (CAG), Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Singapore Tourism Board (STB) will jointly invest 33.75 million Singapore dollars (24.17 million U.S. dollars) to promote inbound travel, said CAG on Monday in a press release.

The partnership among the three parties will focus on promoting Singapore as a stopover or twinning destination to travelers globally.

This augments the previous approach of only targeting travelers from specific long-haul markets such as the United States and Europe, the release added.

CAG said the partnership will also focus on the broadening of a marketing program to woo business and Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) visitors.

The partnership will further refresh the Free Singapore Tour (FST), to include more authentic experiences curated based on travelers' interests, such as a foodie tour where participants get to sample a popular local delight.

Lionel Yeo, chief executive of Singapore Tourism Board said, "STB's collaboration with CAG and SIA is a prime example of how we partner with industry players for tourism success."

"This partnership between our airport, national carrier and national tourism body is a powerful one that has helped to boost Singapore's tourism growth in the recent years," he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 15:07:41|Editor: xuxin

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GAZA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The armed wing of Hamas al-Qassam Brigades said that one of the group's militants was killed overnight Monday in a tunnel collapse in eastern Gaza.

Medical sources at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City confirmed the militant's death. The sources said three others were injured.

Hamas uses tunnels underneath Gaza as a strategic weapon either to store arms, to hide during wars or to carry out attacks using the tunnels into Israel.

Over the past three years, more than 20 militants died in the same circumstances, according to Gaza rights groups.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 15:32:50|Editor: xuxin

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XINING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- After three months' nomination, examination and election, Wang Fucun is on the final delegate candidate list for the upcoming national congress of the Communist Party of China.

Wang is a village Party head of Gaomiao Township in the city of Haidong, northwest China's Qinghai Province.

At the end of this month, the CPC Qinghai Provincial Committee will vote from a candidate list consisting of Wang and 32 others to determine the delegates for the 19th CPC National Congress later this year.

"I'm glad that my work and conducts are recognized by Party members and people recommending me. No matter whether I'm elected, I have felt a huge responsibility," he said.

Nationwide, a total of 2,300 delegates will be elected before June to represent China's 88 million CPC members to take part in the national congress.

The meeting, slated for the second half of the year in Beijing, will discuss and set the future direction for the Party and state, as well as elect a new central leadership.

Li Changlong, secretary of CPC Gaomiao Township Committee, remembered how Wang was initially nominated.

"Our committee organized a meeting involving 23 Party branches across the township as required on January 18. Six candidates, including Wang, were nominated," he said.

Three days after the committee submitted the candidate list to the higher administrative level, Ledu District, the CPC Ledu District Committee sent a team to examine their files and solicit public opinion.

"The key of their visit was to check whether they had corruption issues or public complaints against them," Li said.

Similar procedures were performed by CPC committees of district, city and provincial levels in the following months, shortening the list of 87 candidates to 33.

After retiring from the army in the 1980s, Wang organized villagers in his hometown to work as construction workers in the cities, helping the village to shake off poverty. He was elected as head of the village in 2005 and Party head of the village in 2014.

The nationwide drive to enhance rural areas since 2009 brought challenges as well as opportunities to Wang.

Facing numerous village affairs such as road construction, garbage collection and house renovations, Wang established a standard procedure to deal with village affairs to ensure transparency and public participation.

The procedure requires each project be discussed by the village committee and Party branch of the village for a solution, followed by a CPC member deliberation, a full village vote and complete disclosure on the project and its solution.

"With the standard procedure, we are able to supervise the village affairs in a transparent way and have our questions responded in time," said Wang Kerong, one of the villagers nominating the veteran.

According to the election work plan of the province issued by the Organization Department of CPC Qinghai Provincial Committee, the entire nomination, examination and election process would show "zero-tolerance" to CPC members with flaws.

Candidates found with fake files, problems with corruption, or those that engage in drug use, gambling, prostituting or drink driving are exempt, according to the plan.

Disciplinary departments are requested to investigate any public complaints.

To welcome wide participation, authorities in the provincial capital Xining wrote a public letter to all CPC members, which was published across a range of media. It was also translated to Tibetan, which many in the city speak.

Fan Peiyou, a poverty relief worker in Zhujiazhuang village, Huangzhong County, said 35 CPC members of the village had discussed the nominees on three occasions.

"The task force visited CPC members with walking difficulties at home to listen to their opinions, and those who work in cities were solicited for comments via WeChat," he said.

Statistics show 99.2 percent of the CPC members of the province participated in the grassroots nomination, with 24,000 making comments.

A 32-member examination panel was also organized to examine the candidates and solicit opinions on them.

Xu Xinge, deputy head of Organization Department of CPC Qinghai Provincial Committee, said widespread public participation had also created solutions on particular issues.

"Since we have asked opinions from all parties related to the candidates, including their superiors, subordinates, colleagues and the people they serve, some previously unnoticed problems emerged," he said."With the comprehensive election procedure, problematic CPC members will be banned from becoming delegates."
Aerial photo taken on March 31, 2017 shows Baiyangdian, north China's largest freshwater wetland, in Anxin County, north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua)

Hi, here is what you need to know about China.

BEIJING -- China's centrally administered state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have voiced support for Xiongan New Area in Hebei province, pledging efforts to participate in its construction.

Telecom giants China Unicom, China Mobile and China Telecom said they would offer advanced communication services to the area, supported by innovative models such as cloud computing, big data and e-commerce. xhne.ws/YJzCD

----

BEIJING -- China's first cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-1 is to be launched into space between April 20 and 24, according to the office of China's manned space program.

The cargo spacecraft was transferred with a Long March-7 Y2 carrier rocket from the testing center to the launch zone in Wenchang, southern China's Hainan Province, according to a statement from the office Monday. xhne.ws/VxEMv

----

VILNIUS -- China and Lithuania have agreed to facilitate closer cooperation and stronger ties as China's top legislator Zhang Dejiang concluded his visit to the Baltic country on Sunday.

"The history of China-Lithuania ties shows that it could achieve stable and healthy growth as long as the two countries respect each other, treat one another equally, understand and support each other on issues regarding respective core interests and major concerns," Zhang told Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite. xhne.ws/WYZEQ

----

LJUBLJANA -- China is willing to speed up the discussion over the signing of a MOU of the Belt and Road Initiative with Slovenia in order to promote bilateral economic cooperation, visiting Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli said here on Friday.

"China is ready to enhance a top-down design to promote the integration of the development strategies with Slovenia and conduct substantial cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative," Zhang said in his meeting with Slovenian President Borut Pahor. xhne.ws/KpGMB
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 16:08:05|Editor: xuxin

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SEOUL, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Visiting United States Vice President Mike Pence said on Monday that "an era of strategic patience is over" on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Pence made the remarks during a joint press conference with South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn who is serving as acting president. They held talks in Seoul before the televised press conference.

Since 1992, Pence said, the United States and South Korea made joint efforts to achieve the denuclearized Korean Peninsula through peaceful means.

The U.S. vice president, however, said "all options are on the table" though the U.S. wants peaceful means for the denuclearization of the peninsula.

Citing two nuclear tests and multiple ballistic missile test-launches the DPRK conducted in the past 18 months, he said the era of strategic patience is over.

The strategic patience refers to a U.S. policy on the DPRK advocated by the previous Obama administration.

Pyongyang carried out its fourth and fifth nuclear detonations in January and September last year respectively. After the January atomic bomb test, the country launched a long-range rocket that put a satellite into orbit.

The rocket launch is seen by South Korea and the U.S. as a disguised test of a banned ballistic missile technology. The DPRK is banned from testing such technology under UN Security Council resolutions.

Shortly before Pence's arrival in South Korea, the DPRK test-launched an unidentified missile from its east coast. It exploded seconds after the launch, which was assessed by the South Korean military as a failed test.

Pence arrived in South Korea on Sunday as part of his 10-day trip to Asia. He will leave for Japan on Tuesday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 16:13:06|Editor: xuxin

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SEOUL, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Former South Korean President Park Geun-hye was indicted by prosecutors Monday on multiple corruption charges, while Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin was prosecuted for bribery charge.

Prosecutors, tasked with a probe into the corruption scandal embroiling Park, said the former leader was indicted on 14 charges including bribery, abuse of power, coercion and the disclosure of confidential information.

Park was impeached on March 10 by the constitutional court and taken into custody three weeks later.

The Lotte chairman was also charged with offering millions of U.S. dollars in bribes in return for gaining business favors.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 16:28:11|Editor: xuxin

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TOKYO, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday called for increased diplomacy rather than the use of force in dealing with the current situation regarding rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Abe's remarks were made at a lower house parliamentary committee as tensions on the Korean Peninsula have heightened of late.

In response to how Japan is planning to protect the nation and its people if a provocative act were to occur, Abe said although Pyongyang may be showing its military might and capabilities, peace must be maintained through diplomatic efforts.

During a military parade on Saturday, the DPRK showcased a wide array of missiles and military hardware and a day earlier Pyongyang attempted to launch a ballistic missile, informed Japanese sources here have said.

But Abe said serious dialogue with the DPRK's leadership would be indispensable in preventing an escalation in hostilities.

Abe said his government would continue to work closely with the United States, South Korea and Russia, as well as China, in a bid to deescalate tensions in the region.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 17:03:19|Editor: xuxin

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JERUSALEM, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of Palestinians jailed in Israeli prisons launched Monday a hunger strike, demanding to improve their captivity conditions, in one of the largest protests in recent years.

About 700 prisoners joined the protest, which was announced overnight between Sunday and Monday, to coincide with the Palestinian Prisoners' Day.

The strike is led by Marwan Barghouti, a high-profile Fatah-linked prisoner, who is considered by some as a potential successor to President Mahmoud Abbas.

The prisoners said in a statement that they would fast until Israel accepts a 13-item demands list, including visitation rights and access to telephones.

Under Israeli regulation, prisoners are entitled to family visits once every two weeks. However, Palestinians from the West Bank need an entry permit to enter Israel and the Israeli authorities often deny such permits.

Even when a permit is granted, the families are required to wait in a yard outside the prison, sometimes for hours without sits or shades.

The prisoners also demand to have periodic medical checkups and to increase the number of visits by the International Red Cross.

Other requirements include installing air condition systems, allowing prisoners to keep books, newspapers, clothes, and food, as well as stopping administrative detentions, an indefinable incarceration without charges for renewable periods of six months, and solitary containment.

The Palestinian National Council, the legislative body of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and Hamas have expressed their support to the strike.

The Palestinian Prime Minister's Office said in a statement "A mass hunger strike started today calling for basic needs and rights of prisoners in an attempt to put an end to the practice of arbitrary administrative detention, torture, ill-treatment, unfair trials, detention of children, medical negligence, solitary confinement, inhuman/degrading treatment, deprivation of basic rights such as family visits and the right to education."

A statement released by Hamas warned the Prison Service against harming the hunger strikers. "Any delay in answering their just demands will explode the situation inside all prisons," the statement read.

The Israel Prison Service threatened to punish the hunger strikers. "Prisoners who decide to strike will face serious consequences," the Prison Service said in a statement, adding that "strikes and protests are illegal activities and will face unwavering penalization."

It also stated that "in accordance with the policy set by the minister of public security, the Prison Service does not negotiate with the prisoners."

According to figures provided in February by Israel's Prison Service, at least 6,820 Palestinians, including hundreds of minors, are incarcerated in Israeli prisons.

Most of them are jailed for participating in the struggle against the Israeli control over the West Bank and Gaza, lands that Israel seized in the 1967 Middle East War and where the Palestinians wish to establish their future state.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 17:03:22|Editor: xuxin

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MANILA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine government on Monday condemned the killing of a Filipino hostage by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), vowing to exert all efforts to find the victim's remains and bring to justice the members of the bandit group to answer for their crimes.

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said Malacanang, the Philippine presidential palace, also sent its sincerest condolences to the bereaved family of Noel Besconde, a fishing boat captain, who was reportedly beheaded by the ASG during the Holy Week. The Armed Forces of the Philippines confirmed the death Sunday.

"We strongly condemn this senseless and coldblooded murder committed during the Holy Week. Local authorities and our security forces are exhausting all means to locate the captain's remains, as our troops continue to pursue this bandit group and hold them accountable for their crimes," Abella said.

Phlippine military said the Abu Sayyaf beheaded sickly Besconde because he is delaying the group's movement to evade pursuing government troops. The Abu Sayyaf had earlier demanded 3 million pesos (60 thousand U.S. dollars) for Besconde's release.

Armed Forces of the Philippine (AFP) chief Gen. Eduardo Ano said on Monday that the Abu Sayyaf's recent beheading of a Filipino fishing boat captain in Sulu has increased the motivation of soldiers to deliver "lethal blow" to the lawless group.

Besconde's execution came two months after the Abu Sayyaf's beheading of German kidnapping victim Jurgean Kantner in Indanan town, also in Sulu, after more than three months in captivity.

In January, Ano set a new deadline of six months, or until June, for the military to defeat the Abu Sayyaf. The group is still holding around 30 foreign and Filipino kidnapping victims in Sulu.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 17:18:28|Editor: ZD

Rescuers work at the accident site in Kaiyang County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, April 17, 2017. Ten people died and five others were injured when a bus plunged into a river in Guizhou Province Monday, local authorities said. (Xinhua/Ou Dongqu)

GUIYANG, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Thirteen people died and six were injured when a bus plunged into a river in southwest China's Guizhou Province Monday, local authorities said.

The accident occurred around 8:30 a.m. in Kaiyang, an outer county of the provincial capital Guiyang, the county government said in a statement.

The 19-seat bus, traveling from Kaiyang to Weng'an county in Bouyei-Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Qiannan, was carrying 19 people when it veered off a bridge on a provincial highway and fell into the river.

The injured are being treated in a local hospital.

Local police are holding several people in custody for questioning.

An investigation is ongoing.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 17:28:32|Editor: ZD

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JUBA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) have started pullout from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), ending a five-year peacekeeping mission in the war-torn African country.

UNMISS Spokesman Daniel Dickinson confirmed to Xinhua on Monday that the first batch of the Japanese troops would leave Juba on Monday and others will follow in shifts.

Tokyo started contributing a contingent of 350 GSDF to the UN mission in 2012 to assist in construction of roads and other infrastructure.

The Japanese government announced the withdrawal of the troops from UNMISS in March, nearly four months after it approved new security roles for the GSDF that would enable them to use guns and rescue colleagues caught up in attacks.

The South Sudanese government said last month that bilateral relations with Japan will remain "unshakable" after Tokyo ended the peacekeeping mission.

The government said it expected Tokyo's continued contribution in nation building in other development projects.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 17:28:32|Editor: ZD

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BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- China firmly supports the European integration process and positively views the development prospects of Europe and the European Union (EU), a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday.

Lu Kang said at a routine press briefing that China and the EU, as two important global powers, are comprehensive strategic partners, and stable development of bilateral ties is very important.

China's policy toward Europe remains consistent, and China hopes that Europe can maintain prosperity, stability and opening up, Lu said.

He said China-EU relations have maintained sound development, with the creation of four partnerships of peace, growth, reform and civilization moving ahead steadily.

Both sides have attached more importance to strengthening strategic communication and coordination on major global issues, he added.

China and the EU will hold their seventh round of high-level strategic dialogues on Wednesday in Beijing, and Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi will co-chair the dialogue with Federica Mogherini, EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, as well as vice president of the European Commission.

Lu said both sides will take advantage of the dialogue to plan for the development of bilateral ties in the next stage and exchange in-depth views on global and regional hotspot issues of common concern in order to deepen mutual trust, promote cooperation and maintain the development momentum of China-EU relations.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 17:53:37|Editor: xuxin

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HOHHOT, April 17 (Xinhua) -- About 100,000 ethnic Mongolians from across China went to the mausoleum of the 13th-century great conquerer Genghis Khan Monday for a grand memorial ritual.

The annual spring ceremony for Genghis Khan has been practiced for nearly 800 years.

Worshippers stepped into the shrine in Ordos in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, offering hada, a ceremonial silk scarf, and tea bricks, among other offerings. Genghis Khan's relics are enshrined at the site.

The ritual was hosted by members of the Dalhut families who have been guarding the mausoleum for generations.

"I attend the spring ritual every two or three years," said a Mongolian teacher. "The ancient ceremony allows me to feel and touch the history and culture of our ancestor."

After the main ritual ended, attendees participated in a milk-sprinkling rite outside the shrine to pray for blessings.

Ethnic Mongolians claim to be the descendants of Genghis Khan, who united the tribes in northern China and founded the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. His grandson, Kublai Khan, established the Yuan Dynasty, which ruled China from 1271 to 1368.

The mausoleum was established by Genghis Khan's son, though where he was actually interred remains unknown. Genghis Khan memorial rituals are protected as a state intangible cultural heritage.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 18:38:47|Editor: ZD

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KATHMANDU, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Nepal expressed high appreciation on Monday towards the Chinese government for helping to conduct free, fair and credible elections.

Nepal made the remarks while formally receiving the election related logistics under the assistance of China for holding the local level elections slated for May 14.

The official delivery and acceptance ceremony was held here on Monday with the presence of election commission officials, officials of the Chinese embassy in Kathmandu and media workers.

The delivery and acceptance certificate of China-aided materials were exchanged between Gopi Nath Mainali, Secretary of Nepal Election Commission and the Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Yu Hong in the presence of Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav.

"The election commission is thankful towards the government of China for its generous support for the smooth and effective management of local level elections," Yadav said.

This is the first foreign assistance received by the election commission of Nepal for the much-awaited elections, to be held after a hiatus of two decades.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 18:43:49|Editor: xuxin

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ANKARA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- A campaign bus belonging to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) was attacked by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants over the weekend, and one people was killed, news reports said on Monday.

The attack was carried out late Saturday by long-barreled weapons against the motorcade of district head Ibrahim Vanli in eastern Turkish province of Van, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Vanli's nephew and village guard Adnan, who was following the motorcade, was killed in the attack.

On Sunday after this attack, over 55 million Turkish citizens cast their votes in a historic referendum proposing key constitutional changes, including giving wide-ranging executive powers to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Some 251,800 policemen and 128,455 gendarmerie members are deployed to secure the voting, while 17,000 security forces are safeguarding critical locations such as power supply and transmission units, according to news reports.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 18:53:53|Editor: Lu Hui

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SEOUL, April 17 (Xinhua) -- South Korean prosecutors on Monday indicted former President Park Geun-hye, who has been impeached and arrested, on multiple corruption charges including bribery and abuse of power.

Park was accused of taking a total of 59.2 billion won (52 million U.S. dollars) in bribes both directly and indirectly from business conglomerates, called chaebol here, and their founding families.

A total of 18 criminal charges were levied against Park, including bribery, abuse of power, extortion and the leakage of confidential documents.

The disgraced leader became the third South Korean president to be indicted by prosecutors.

Park was removed from office on March 10 as the Constitutional Court ruled unanimously to impeach her over a corruption scandal. She was taken into custody three weeks later.

Park, 65, was charged with colluding with her longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil to receive tens of millions of U.S. dollars in bribes from Samsung Group and Lotte Group, while demanding millions dollars from SK Group.

Choi, who is now in custody, has been branded by prosecutors as a criminal accomplice of the impeached leader.

Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin was separately indicted without detention on bribery charges.

The country's fifth-biggest family-controlled conglomerate is suspected of offering millions of dollars in bribes to one of two non-profit foundations controlled by Choi who is at the center of the influence-peddling scandal.

The contribution, which was made by Lotte in May last year, was returned back to Lotte, right before prosecutors' raid in June into the Lotte headquarters and offices for Shin's charges of embezzlement and dereliction of duty.

In March last year, Chairman Shin met face-to-face with Park and his conglomerate regained its lost license to run duty-free shops in downtown Seoul. The contribution is suspected of being made in return for business favors.

An additional contribution of SK Group was also demanded by the Choi-controlled foundations, but the country's third-biggest family-run conglomerate refused to do so, helping Chairman Chey Tae-won escape indictment.

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong has already been detained for offering tens of millions of dollars in bribes to the non-profit foundations controlled by Choi and a German company owned by Choi.

Park was seen as being embroiled in the Samsung bribery. In return, the Samsung heir was charged with receiving illicit assistance to inherit the management control of the country's biggest conglomerate from his ailing father Chairman Lee Kun-hee who has been hospitalized for almost three years.

The former president was also accused of leaking confidential government documents to Choi who allegedly intervened in state affairs though she was a civilian without any government post.

Prosecutors had questioned Park five times over the allegations since she was arrested on March 31, but she reportedly had denied all charges levied against her.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 19:04:00|Editor: xuxin

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ANKARA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Relations between Turkey and the EU will be based on "common interest" in the post-referendum period, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said Monday.

Speaking to the reporters one day after Turkey's crucial constitutional referendum, Simsek said areas of common interest would be focused on in the post-referendum process, Daily News reported.

"Some of the 'noise' in Turkish-EU relations will calm down after elections in EU are completed," he said.

Simsek also noted that there are no plans to hold early polls in Turkey before the 2019 elections.

He said that after the referendum the uncertainties have eased, adding that the economic growth would likely speed up in the medium-term.

Tensions have been escalated between Turkey and Europe, especially Germany and the Netherlands, after Turkish ministers were banned from holding rallies as part of the referendum campaign.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 19:04:01|Editor: xuxin

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By Feng Yingqiu

YANGON, April 17 (Xinhua) -- A large number of Yangon residents have been crowding around pagodas since Monday morning, especially the sacred Shwedagon Pagoda, and were paying their respects to the Buddhha there.

They bathed statues and sprinkled scented water on the images of Buddha as part of Myanmar's centuries-old heritage practiced on the traditional new year day, after the conclusion of the four-day water festival, which ran from Thursday to Sunday.

As the New Year was being ushered in on Monday, Myanmar people, who are mostly Buddhist, are busy with their annual rituals such as visiting monasteries, stupas, temples to take precepts, making donations and meditating.

On this day, young people normally pay their respects to their parents, grandparents, teachers and elderly people. Some of them give their elders baths, shampoo their hair or give manicures in old people's homes as a gesture to preserve Myanmar's age-old customs and traditions. Other youngsters offer their seniors naturally fragrant sticks of bark.

Also during the New Year, it is customary for people to free caged birds into the wilderness and fish in aquariums into the lakes, as a symbol of love for nature.

During the annual four-day traditional Thingyan water festival, people throw water on each another. By nature, water is cold and clean and, therefore, Thingyan water makes people feel cool, fresh and pleasant, and happy. It symbolizes the cleansing of sins from the previous year and making a fresh and auspicious start to the New Year.

Water is a symbol of not only cleanliness but also of auspiciousness. The people in Myanmar believe that through the celebration of the water festival, vices and evil deeds accumulated during the previous year can be washed away and replaced with happiness and hope for a better life in the incoming year.

In old days, Myanmar people were content to sprinkle water on each other using leaves, which was the traditional way of observing the water festival.

Nowadays, however, more people are soaking each other using water guns or plastic hoses usually accompanied by loud guffaws, reflecting the fun and enjoyment.

This year's water festival in Myanmar was celebrated joyfully by the people across the nation. Especially in Yangon and Manadalay, people introduced a "walking water festival" as a new form of celebration, with a huge wave of people in festive yet soggy clothes walking along the streets and roads, shouting and chanting, while having water thrown on them by spectators.

With heavy rain and cool weather providing nature's backdrop for the last two days of the festival due to the impact of cyclone Maarutha making landfall in west Myanmar's Rakhine coast, this year's Thingyan water festival ended on Sunday evening.

The festival was brought to a close with a ceremony at the Yangon City' Pandal, comprising a number of songs and dances.

Throughout the year, people look forward to the Myanmar water festival as an occasion to thank the deities for their good lives and to pray for peace and prosperity for their communities.

Among Myanmar's 12 seasonal festivals held every year, the Thingyan water festival is considered the grandest and the most anticipated event by the people of Myanmar.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 19:09:03|Editor: ZD

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BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The United States is welcome to play a positive role in peacefully resolving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang on Monday.

"We are willing to work with all parties concerned to achieve denuclearization and safeguard peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," Lu told a daily press briefing.

Lu made the comments in response to the remarks of U.S. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster on Sunday.

McMaster urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to stop destabilizing behavior, saying it was the bottom line of the United States to stop the DPRK developing nuclear weapons and to denuclearize the peninsula.

"We have taken note of the remarks,"said Lu, adding that seeking a peaceful solution to the Korean Peninsula issue is a right direction and meets interests of all related parties.

Dialogue and consultation is the only way to resolve the Korean Peninsula issue, said Lu, reaffirming China's stance.

China has put forward a "dual-track approach" and a "suspension for suspension" proposal to ease tensions on the peninsula and create conditions for peace talks, said Lu.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 19:09:03|Editor: xuxin

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RAMALLAH, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday called on the international community to press on Israel to rescue the life of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners who started a hunger strike in Israeli jails.

The Palestinian state-run news agency (WAFA) reported that Abbas greeted the 6,500 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails as they mark the Palestinian Prisoner's Day. Around 1,500 of the prisoners began on Monday an open-ended strike.

Abbas stressed that he is doing all he can to secure their release and end their suffering.

He said the prisoners' issue remains a central one for his administration and for the Palestinian people in general.

The president warned that the situation is bound to get worse if the Israeli government persists in denying them their basic human rights and refuses to treat them with dignity as required by international agreements, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention.

The Palestinians in the occupied territories and all over the world mark Monday the national Prisoner's Day in support for hundreds of prisoners imprisoned in Israeli jails.

Head of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Detainees Affairs Commission Eassa Qaraqe' said early on Monday that several hundreds of prisoners have begun an open ended hunger strike this morning.

The Palestinian Prisoners Club (PPC), Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Detainees Affairs Commission and other organizations to defend prisoners' rights announced that a series of public activities are to be carried out during the day to express solidarity with more than 7,000 Palestinian and Arab prisoners behind the bars in Israel.

They said that over 1,500 are expected to join the open-ended hunger strike against the Israeli prisons' services, calling for improving their daily living conditions in jail.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 19:14:04|Editor: Lu Hui

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Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi (R) and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh co-chair the 10th meeting of the China-Vietnam steering committee on cooperation in Beijing, capital of China, April 17, 2017. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The 10th meeting of the China-Vietnam steering committee on cooperation was held Monday, co-chaired by Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.

In the past year, China-Vietnam relations have continued their good development momentum, and exchanges in various fields have continuously deepened, Yang said.

He called for joint efforts to ensure the success of mutual visits by the leaders of the two parties and countries within the year and to upgrade the quality and standard of pragmatic cooperation.

Echoing Yang on the status of bilateral ties, Pham Binh Minh said his country highly values its comprehensive strategic cooperation with China, and expressed the Vietnamese side's willingness to deepen strategic coordination, enhance political trust, and beef up pragmatic cooperation.

Minh also expressed his wishes for the success of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to be held this year.

Yang and Minh hailed the significant role the steering committee mechanism has played since its establishment around 10 years ago.

Both sides agreed to implement the consensus reached by their leaders and map out plans for the whole year, spearheaded by deepened high-level visits.

The two sides also reached consensus on advancing their comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation by jointly promoting China's Belt and Road Initiative and Vietnam's "Two Corridors and One Economic Circle" plan, expanding cooperation in such areas as investment, capacity, infrastructure, people-to-people exchanges, accelerating the building of cross-border economic cooperation zones, as well as properly managing differences to safeguard maritime peace and stability.

After the meeting, Yang and Minh attended the signing ceremony of the meeting minutes of the 10th meeting of the China-Vietnam steering committee on cooperation.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 19:14:04|Editor: xuxin

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LONDON, April 17 (Xinhua) -- British Prisons Minister Sam Gyimah announced Monday that the country has set up its first specialist squad to tackle the threat to prison security posed by drones.

The squad, comprised of a specialist team of prison and police officers, will work closely with national law enforcement agencies and the Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) to inspect drones recovered from prisons, in a bid to identify and track down those who attempt to smuggle contraband to inmates.

Minister Gyimah said: "We are absolutely determined to tackle the illegal flow of drugs and mobile phones (cellphones) into our prisons and turn them into places of safety and reform."

"The threat posed by drones is clear, but our dedicated staff are committed to winning the fight against those who are attempting to thwart progress by wreaking havoc in establishments all over the country.

"My message to those who involve themselves in this type of criminal activity is clear: we will find you and put you behind bars."

The newly-formed team will include staff from the police and HMPPS. They will bring together intelligence from prisons and the police nationwide and then pass to local forces and organized crime officers.

The announcement came following the recent successful convictions of a number of offenders, including two offenders, drug dealer Remo White-Channer and robber Romaine Gayle, both 24 and from London.

Their collective sentence spans over a decade, the longest sentence of this type after a joint operation taken by the police and prison officers during which the two were caught.

The two were jailed for six years and six months, and four years and four months respectively for attempting to flood prisons across counties around London with contraband worth around 60,200 U.S.dollars.

The pair had tried to use drones to fly packages containing cannabis, spice and heroin, as well as phones into three different prisons.

"The strong sentences send a clear message that those found flying drones into prisons will face significant time behind bars," said the MoJ.

Three others have been jailed for attempting to smuggle drugs and mobile phones into prisons in England.

The MoJ said the new squad is the latest step in efforts to disrupt the flow of drugs and mobile phones in prisons.

Justice Secretary Elizabeth Truss has secured funding for 2,500 extra frontline prison officers, as well as introducing mandatory drug testing and the training of over 300 drug detection dogs.

The government has made it a criminal offence to possess any psychoactive substance in a prison, an offence punishable by up to two years behind bars.

A 3.8 million dollar intelligence hub to tackle gang crime behind bars has also been established by Truss.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 19:19:06|Editor: xuxin

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by Jit Kumar

NEW DELHI, April 17 (Xinhua) -- One of the biggest trials India has been fighting since gaining independence from Britain in 1947 has been against female foeticide, which is the result of the country prioritizing sons over daughters.

Government after government have chalked out strategies and policies to revert the practice but have apparently failed because of several impediments at the central, state and local level. This has raised new challenges and has only made the fight tougher to deal with.

A lack of coordination at central and state levels has also been a major drawback towards arresting those involved in committing foeticide. It is reflected in several cases that have been reported in the recent past, which has opened a can of worms that suggest only half-baked attempts have been made to curb this social malady.

The arrest of Dr. Babasaheb Khidrapure from Sangli in the western Indian state of Maharastra and the recovery of 19 female fetuses from the hospital run by him, suggests a racket was being run by medical professionals and health officials in allowing illegal sex determination.

This glaring case, which was uncovered after the death of a young woman who had undergone an abortion at Dr. Khidrapure's clinic, revealed the dark secrets and the societal bias that continues to run in the favor of men.

Selective foeticide has become so rampant in India that growing technology and improved literacy rates have failed to act as deterrents.

A look at the recent figures further unveils the sorry state of affairs. As per the 2011 census, the sex ratio dropped to 914 girls per 1,000 boys. It was 866 in Delhi and 899 in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

Haryana and Punjab, two northern states which have been infamous for low sex ratios, continued to record the same trend with sex ratios at 830 and 846 respectively. The proliferation of sex-determination clinics has only added to the problem as even in Rajasthan, the sex ratio dropped from 909 in 2001 to 883 in 2011.

"Several steps have been taken in the last decade to check on the female foeticide problem but the issue has become rife," said Balwinder Singh, a Delhi-based doctor.

"One of the major action plans was the creation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act or PCPNDT Act to stop female foeticide in 1994. However, it was so poorly implemented by the states that India's Supreme Court had to issue firm guidelines in 2013 to give it more teeth," Balwinder said.

Another step which was expected to yield positive results was the registration of female foeticide cases under the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). However, this was started as late as 2014 and most cases have since been recorded from states which are already infamous for their skewed sex ratio, such as Punjab and Haryana.

"It is true that none of the measures that has been taken now have worked. It is a vicious circle and the central government will blame the state government and vice-versa. There is no system to keep track of either the pregnancies or the abortions. We need to start from the bottom, with effective measures also coming from the top. And this has not been happening," said Ravi Rai, a social worker.

The closer to the Indian capital, the deeper and murkier the problems get.

As per the NCRB data, Haryana, the neighboring state, tops the chart for cases registered under female foeticide, with 10 in 2015. Despite a national drop in cases, it recorded an increase as compared to four cases registered in 2014.

Haryana also comes under the spotlight for having the worst sex ratio at birth (SRB), standing at 836 females per 1,000 males, according to the latest National Family Health Survey data. It is a whopping 114 points below the national average, assuming that the deaths of over a hundred girls have gone unaccounted for in the state in 2015-2016.

The social fabric of Punjab is no less glowing with the government having tried all measures from cracking down on illegal ultrasound centers to hiring private detectives. The male-female sex ratio in Punjab in 2011 was 846, while in 2001 it was 798.

A study by the country's premier All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences last year found selective abortion of female fetuses rampant in the nation's capital with female fetuses and new-borns being abandoned in large numbers just within the southern Delhi area.

Added to this, the last UNICEF report states that 500,000 female fetuses are aborted annually, but, for some, these figures are often considered just numbers.

"However, they are for everyone to see and require action more than deliberation. Investigations have often highlighted the modus operandi between touts, midwives and doctors at the local and state level. This means authorities at the state and central level have only been scratching at the surface of the problem, without really knowing how to deal with the problem," said Dr. G.K. Parthasarthy.

It is a well-known fact that India has a strong son preference. There is an endless pursuit of male heirs. It is a way of life for people, the doctor explained, adding that governments have tried to help by creating policies in favor of female children but that it is not enough.

"Every policy needs action at the local level. We need to keep a check on doctors and continue to raise awareness to change our values and views about women. We need committees and all departments in-sync to reassure parents that a girl is not a burden," the doctor concluded.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 19:19:07|Editor: xuxin

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KUNDUZ, Afghanistan, April 17 (Xinhua) -- An Afghan army general was killed and another people wounded following an ambush attack in the northern Kunduz province on Monday, local authorities said.

"Major General Abdul Hai Atahai was killed after armed insurgents ambushed his vehicle in Musazai locality, Khan Abad District in the morning. And one army officer was also wounded during the gunfight," district Governor Hayatullah Amiri told Xinhua.

The deceased general was in charge of Military Operational Coordination Command of northern Baghlan province and he was travelling in his official vehicle from neighboring Badakhshan to Baghlan before the attack, he said.

A pursuit operation was launched against the fleeing rebels.

The Afghan security forces' casualties have risen recently as they struggle against a surge in attacks by Taliban militant group and other anti-government fighters.

The Kunduz province, as well as neighboring Baghlan and Takhar provinces, has been the scene of heavy clashes over the past couple of months as Taliban has been trying to challenge the government forces in the once relatively peaceful region.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 19:24:11|Editor: ZD

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CHANGSHA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- An international youth forum promoting creativity and heritage protection along the Belt and Road opened Monday in a 1,000-year-old academy in central China's Hunan Province.

More than 100 people from 65 countries along the Belt and Road, UNESCO staff and foreign diplomats attended the forum in Yuelu Academy which was founded in 976.

In a congratulatory message to the forum, Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong encouraged the young people to view the world with an attitude of appreciation, mutual learning and sharing to promote exchange and co-existence.

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova sent a video message to the opening ceremony of the forum.

Participants will listen to academic reports, hold symposiums and visit cultural heritage sites in Changsha, capital of Hunan, and Quanzhou in Fujian Province.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 19:39:15|Editor: xuxin

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BERLIN, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The German government on Monday urged Turkey to hold "respectful dialogues" with different political factions in Turkey after the narrow referendum victory.

In a joint statement, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said that the outcome of the vote has indicated a "deeply divided" Turkish society.

Therefore, "the German government expects the Turkish government to look for a respectful dialogue with all political and social groups in the country," according to the statement.

It also stressed the importance of the political talks between Turkey and the European Union regarding the implementation of the constitutional changes.

During Sunday's vote, about 51.35 percent backed the constitutional changes, compared to 48.65 percent for the "no" side, according to figures by state-run Anadolu Agency.

The constitutional reforms were set to grant more power to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The amendments to the constitution are likely to allow Erdogan to hold the office for two more terms until 2029.

Many of the votes are coming from the Turks residing overseas in Germany, reportedly at 1.6 million.

Berlin has been critical of the referendum and somehow sees it as an undemocratic move. Some German states and cities have blocked campaigns on their soil before Sunday's vote, severely straining the ties between Ankara and Berlin.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 20:04:20|Editor: xuxin

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ANKARA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's main opposition party presented Monday a video showing suspected fraud in referendum, while repeating its accusations against the election watchdog and calling on the Supreme Election Board (YSK) to annul the referendum results.

In the video showed by the Republican People's Party (CHP), some election officials stamping many ballots continually after the ballot boxes opened and counting started.

"The only way to end ongoing discussions over the referendum's legitimacy is to annul it. What is necessary is the annulment of this referendum," CHP's Vice Chairman Bulent Tezcan told reporters at a press conference Monday.

Tezcan said they were preparing their files to apply to the YSK for the annulment of the referendum, vowing that they would also apply to the Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights if necessary.

"This referendum will take its place in the dark pages of history with its open voting but secret counting. The YSK did not and cannot stage a safe election," Tezcan said. "This referendum will always be remembered as illegitimate."

The CHP accused the YSK of deeming unsealed ballot papers as valid even though the election law forbids such a practice.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan late on Sunday declared "yes" to be the winner with a very narrow advantage of 51.4 percent in the controversial referendum that included 18 constitutional amendments and the presidential system reform.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 20:09:21|Editor: xuxin

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MOGADISHU, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The World Food Programme (WFP) said Monday it had launched investigations into an explosion that left two security guards escorting its team slightly injured on Sunday.

WFP Somalia spokesperson Amor Almagro confirmed that the roadside bomb explosion occurred 100 meters behind a moving WFP convoy in Mogadishu.

"The occupants of the WFP vehicles -- including WFP staff and a visiting journalist -- are all safe, although two private security guards escorting the team were slightly wounded," Almagro told Xinhua.

"We are investigating the incident, including whether or not the convoy was the intended target," Almagro added.

She said the convoy was returning from KM-13, an area on the outskirts of Mogadishu where WFP is providing life-saving emergency food and nutritional assistance to people affected by drought.

Somali militant group Al-Shabaab said in a statement posted on its website on Sunday they used a remote controlled landmine to attack the WFP convoy and its escorting soldiers.

The insurgents, who have upped their attacks since new Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed was elected into office, claimed that the explosion struck through one of the vehicles and inflicted casualties on WFP staff members.

Nearly 3 million people in Somalia are in urgent need of food assistance due to severe drought, but humanitarian workers there are increasingly targeted by the Al-Shabaab that is fighting to topple the Somali government .

"It is vital that relief agencies are able to safely reach drought-affected communities to provide lifesaving humanitarian assistance as this drought crisis worsens," Almagro said.

The humanitarian community has said the volatile security situation continues to impact on civilian lives and create a challenging environment for the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 20:14:22|Editor: xuxin

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MOMBASA, Kenya, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan authorities on Monday launched an investigation into the mysterious death of two wanted terror suspects.

The two were killed and dumped in Naivasha County, 90 km northwest of Nairobi.

One of the suspects, Fatuma Mohamed Masou, had a 20,000 U.S. dollar bounty on her head. She escaped police dragnet in Mombasa in 2015.

Masou, the wife of terrorist Kassim Omondi, who was killed in a police raid in 2013, was accused of hiding yet another terrorist, Ishmael Shosi. Shosi was killed by police in September 2016 in Mombasa.

The other wanted terror suspect was Farid Omar Awadh, who had been on the run for almost two years.

Awadh and Masou are suspected of recruiting and funding terror activities in Kenya.

The two were killed on Friday.

Police spokesman George Kinoti said on Monday that detectives will probe circumstances leading to the killing. He denied claims that security forces were involved in the alleged extrajudicial killing of the two.

"We have launched investigation to establish the motive of the killing with possibility of apprehending those involved in the cold-blooded murder," Kinoti said. "It's too early to accuse our agents without proof."

Sources indicate that the two might have been abducted by unknown gunmen before they decided to execute them. Family members of the two did not attend their burial in Naivasha.

A senior National Intelligence Service officer said Awadh was on the police radar over alleged recruitment for and funding of terrorism activities. Awadh's family denied that he had terrorism links.

There have been accusations that anti-terror police units were involved in forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of terror suspects.
ISLAMABAD, April 17 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were killed and five others injured in three separate incidents of bomb explosion and firing in Pakistan on Monday, local Urdu media reported.

Dawn News said that a four-year-old boy was killed while his two playmates were injured when a bomb exploded near them in Quetta in southwest Balochistan Province.

Police said the kids were playing outside their home when the incident happened.

Izzat Ali, a police officer in the area, said that they were investigating the motive behind the explosion.

In a separate incident in Karak district of the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, three people including a woman were killed and two others injured in a militant attack.

Police said that the victims were on their way home after hearing at a local court when some unknown militants sprayed bullets at their vehicle and fled the scene.

The injured people have been shifted to a nearby hospital.

In the third incident in Nowshera district of the province, four people were killed when some unknown attackers opened fire at them after entering their home.

No group has claimed any of the attacks yet.

Police cordoned off all the three areas for investigation following the incidents.
A screenshot captured on April 17, 2017 from the Google Maps shows the location of Tires near Lisbon, Portugal.

LISBON, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Five people have confirmed dead after a small airplane crashed near a supermarket in a residential area on the outskirts of Portuguese capital Lisbon on Monday, local SIC TV reported.

The crash took pace around 11 a.m. near Lido supermarket at Tires, outskirts of Lisbon, killing five people including a pilot and three passengers on board.

The plane, which arrived in Portugal on Friday and is flying to Marselille of France, crashed shortly after taking off from a Tires airport.

Fire and smokes were seen rising on the scene after the plane crashed into a truck. Around 50 rescue workers are taking part in the rescue operation.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is on the site to inspect the rescue operation.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 21:49:45|Editor: xuxin

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan makes statements in Istanbul, Turkey, on April 16, 2017. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared on Sunday night that the proposed constitutional changes were accepted in a referendum, paying the way for the country to introduce the presidential system. (Xinhua/DHA/Depo Photos)

by Burak Akinci and Qin Yanyang

ANKARA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared victory in a constitutional reform referendum that will give him sweeping powers, amid an outcry from the opposition that the voting was rigged.

Internationally, the idea to give too many powers to one man is hard to sell, particularly to the European Union, which Turkey was trying to join.

Turkey's Supreme Electoral Council declared late Sunday that the "yes" camp has won the referendum that includes 18 constitutional amendments and that will allow Erdogan to remain in power till 2029.

With 99 percent of the ballots counted, the constitutional changes were supported by 24.9 million voters against 23.6 million who voted against them, said the electoral council. Final results will be announced in 11 to 12 days, it said.

Erdogan declared that the proposed constitutional changes were accepted in the referendum. "For the first time in the history of the republic, we are changing our ruling system through democratic politics," he said late Sunday.

He also said the referendum has ended Turkey's decades-long history of military intervention in government.

In front of a cheering crowd, Erdogan once again promised to reinstate the death penalty, a move that, in the opinion of experts, will definitely kill his country's long-lasting bid to join the EU.

Turkey abolished the death penalty in 2004 as part of its EU membership bid.

Western nations have expressed concerns about the referendum, saying it would give too many powers to the president, such as directly appointing ministers and high court judges.

Erdogan supporters say the changes are needed to establish stability in the country.

They also argue that a strong, centralized government will make Turkey more able to tackle other challenges such as the troubled economy.

According to initial results, Turkey's globally connected, industrialized, educated areas usually voted "No" while its inward-looking, poorer, poorly educated areas generally voted "Yes," political commentator Deniz Zeyrek told Xinhua.

"Europe should now fear Turkey, which has become more powerful with the chieftain Erdogan at its helm. We will not take order from them, they have to understand this fact clearly," Miktad Ecel, an Erdogan supporter, told Xinhua on Sunday night.

Erdogan's victory fell shortly of the 60 percent majority that he and his followers had expected.

"Never mind the narrow victory, in fact we were expecting something around 60 percent, but it's still a victory and we are rejoicing it for the wealth and peace of our people," said Ecel.

Kati Piri, a Dutch member of the European Parliament and also rapporteur for Turkey, said on his Twitter account that the outcome of the vote reflects "a sad day for democracy" in Turkey and that the constitutional changes, if put in place, will be "a major shift away from European values."

But Piri also stressed that the narrow margin shows that million of Turks share the same European values. The EU should never close doors to them, he tweeted.

After having spent a decade as a pro-European, the Turkish leader turned aggressively against European leaders and institutions, blaming them for ever rejecting his country's bid for the bloc.

"Turkey has been westernizing in the last 200 years or so, and in the last year we are seeing a de-westernization, with a clear derailment on European values," professor Cengiz Altar of Istanbul Policy Center told Xinhua, hinting at a point of no return in the arduous relationship between Ankara and Brussels.

Some other experts, quoted by the Turkish press, were more positive, believing that Erdogan may seek ways to try to rebuild relations with the West after his victory at home.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 22:24:52|Editor: ZD

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by Mahmoud Fouly

BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- "The lifestyle that I see here is much higher than my expectations," said German philosophy professor Frank Zenker at one of the busy sidewalks of Beijing's Haidian District.

Being in Beijing for only four days, the 40-year-old professor is one of thousands of foreign visitors who found a different image than they had in mind about the Chinese culture and people.

"The media push on us certain things that stick to our minds, but they tell the wrong story," said Zenker. "I have now a deeply more positive impression about China."

As for Chizi Kalu from the United States, a young lady who has been working in inbound tourism in Beijing for over three years, all she knew about the Chinese people before she first visited the country was nothing more than "there were a lot of them."

"In school, we studied ancient Chinese history and touched on China in relation with the Opium War, but study of modern China, its people and culture was not at all center of the Eurocentric education in America," Kalu from Columbus, Ohio, told Xinhua.

"After arriving, the modernness of China surprised me," she continued. "There was a variety of social media tools, WeChat being the most prominent. The subways were laid in a way that made them user-friendly even to non-Chinese speakers. People proved to be helpful and generous particularly when I got lost. I also noticed how family-oriented the culture was."

Most visitors and tourists commented in some way or another on how the city looks neat and clean with everything in order -- large and tall buildings, modern shopping malls, food courts, a systemized subway, bicycle parking lots, bedazzling nightlife and all.

A 23-year-old man from the Netherlands who gave his name as Arent noticed that the Chinese people in general and the students in particular are very hardworking.

"I am not sure if they like it but people here do work a lot and study very hard," said Arent, who has been studying in Beijing for a few weeks.

He added that he didn't expect China to be so nice before he really set feet on its soil.

With more than a dozen districts, the huge Chinese capital city is China's political and cultural center with a variety of historical sights and key government and cultural institutions.

Beijing, with almost 22 million inhabitants, hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics and is scheduled to host the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Taking a walk with a friend in one of Xicheng District's main streets, a young Serbian who gave his name as Nikola said that before he first visited Beijing he heard it was so polluted and the people were a bit rude. "My impression completely changed. It's much more positive than I originally expected. The worst part is definitely the smog but everything else is definitely great."

Khaled Abdel-Latif, 30, from Egypt, was surprised by the Chinese people's manners, the way they dress, the brands of cars in the streets, the devices people hold, the buildings, among others. He said they show how much China has developed over the past decades.

"I visited many Asian countries like Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand and these are my first few days in China. I did not imagine the country to look as advanced as Japan. What I liked most here is the cleanliness and order as well as the people's friendliness and respect," he told Xinhua.

Nabi Ihsan, a 30-year-old Ph.D. student from Pakistan, said: "The Chinese culture is completely different from mine. I like it here in Beijing because it's more developed than my hometown. This city is really exciting."

Analyzing the various impressions, expectations and perceptions, Guan Juanjuan, a Chinese media expert and an official with China Radio International, referred to how China is depicted in the outside media outlets, particularly Western ones, in what she called "negative reporting."

She explained that for some media, bad news is news but good news is not news, while the perceptions of people about a country they have never been to are mainly formed by media platforms. "The bad news and sensational stories sell."

"We cannot say we are getting the truth but we're approaching the truth. To approach the truth you have to give a more complete picture, not just part of the picture," she said.
PHNOM PENH, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodian government has signed concessional loan agreements in a total amount of 8.3 billion U.S. dollars with bilateral and multilateral partners from 1993 to 2016, according to the Cambodia Public Debt Statistical Bulletin on Monday.

The bulletin, released by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, said that for bilateral partners, Cambodia has signed to borrow 3.6 billion dollars from China, 899 million dollars from Japan, 510 million dollars from South Korea, 124 million dollars from France, 86.6 million dollars from Thailand, 75 million dollars from India, 44.5 million dollars from Vietnam, and 7.8 million dollars from Malaysia.

For multilateral partners, the Southeast Asian nation has inked to borrow 2 billion dollars from the Asian Development Bank, 794 million dollars from the World Bank, 87 million dollars from the International Fund for Agricultural Development, 70 million dollars from OPEC Fund for International Development, and 10.6 million dollars from Nordic Development Fund.

The bulletin said that the present value of public external debt to GDP was 22.5 percent, far lower than the threshold of 40 percent.

Based on the international best practice, Cambodia's public debt remains sustainable and low risk of debt distress, it said.

According to the bulletin, over the period, the government has made debt service payment of 885.5 million dollars, in which 497 million dollars was principal and 388.5 million dollars was interest and other fees.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 22:39:59|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MANILA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- At least seven people, including two soldiers and three policemen, were injured in twin explosions that rocked a gas station in Tacurong City in the southern Philippines on Monday, police said.

The first explosion occurred around 6:40 p.m. local time on the rooftop of the gas station along a highway.

Two soldiers and three policemen who responded to the first explosion were injured when the second explosion happened at 7:10 p.m., police said, adding that two civilians were also hurt in the twin blasts.

Senior police superintendent Raul Supiter told local media that two suspects were immediately arrested and being investigated.

He added that a hand grenade was seized from the suspects.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 22:39:59|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ISLAMABAD, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani security forces have killed 108 terrorists in a major anti-terror operation launched in February, the military said on Monday.

The operation codenamed "Radd-ul-Fasaad," or "Reject Discord" in English, was launched after a series of terrorist attacks that killed over 100 people nationwide.

The regular army and other law enforcement agencies are jointly conducting the intelligence-based operation.

Sharing results of the operation, army spokesman Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor said at a news conference that about 4,500 suspects have also been taken into custody during the operation.

The operation will continue till the complete elimination of terrorists, their abettors and sympathizers, he said.

Ghafoor said that work on fencing along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border is continuing, and under the first phase, the country's border in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province with Afghanistan will be fenced.

In the second phase, border in southwestern Balochistan Province with Afghanistan will be fenced, he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 22:50:03|Editor: Mengjiao Liu

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MOSCOW, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Russia hopes the United States will not use force unilaterally against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.

Earlier in the day, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said in South Korea that "the era of strategic patience is over" with the DPRK.

"If the figure of speech is interpreted as a threat to use force unilaterally, then it is a very risky way," Lavrov told a press conference.

"I hope very much that there will be no unilateral actions similar to those we have recently seen in Syria and the United States will follow the line repeatedly voiced by President (Donald) Trump during his election campaign," he added.

The DPRK attempted early Sunday to test fire an unidentified missile on its east coast, which was believed to have failed. It was the latest of a string of missile launches and nuclear tests that have incurred worldwide criticism and tighter UN sanctions.

"We do not accept Pyongyang's adventurous actions with nuclear missiles in violation of numerous UN Security Council resolutions. But this, in no way, means that it is possible to violate international law in the same manner using force contrary to the UN Charter," Lavrov said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 23:00:07|Editor: Xiang Bo

Police vessels leave Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, April 17, 2017. Two Chinese maritime police vessels on Monday left Sanya for a China-Vietnam joint fishery inspection. The inspection in the Beibu Gulf involves two police vessels from each side and will be conducted over three days, ending Thursday. Joint inspections began in 2006 as an annual event, and were increased to twice a year in 2016. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)

SANYA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Two Chinese maritime police vessels on Monday left here for a China-Vietnam joint fishery inspection.

The inspection in the Beibu Gulf involves two police vessels from each side and will be conducted over three days, ending Thursday.

Maritime police will observe the fishing activities and occasionally board fishing boats to carry out random checks, according to China's maritime police authorities. The two sides will also discuss ways of improving cooperation.

The gulf is a traditional fishery ground for fishermen of both countries. China and Vietnam signed an agreement on the demarcation of the gulf in 2000. Deals on peaceful exploitation of resources were later signed.

Joint inspections began in 2006 as an annual event, and were increased to twice a year in 2016.

Chinese maritime police said the joint inspection provided a means for smooth contact with their Vietnamese counterparts, creating a peaceful and harmonious environment for the fishermen.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 23:20:11|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Major celebrations of China's Space Day will start on April 24 in Xi'an, capital city of northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

This year's celebrations will focus on the applications of space technology in economic and social development, said Tian Yulong, chief engineer of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence.

Chinese astronauts and scientists will give talks during the celebrations, and exhibitions will be held in Northwestern Polytechnical University, said Tian.

The exhibitions will showcase the achievements of China's lunar probe and the BeiDou satellite navigation system.

China designated April 24 as Space Day last year to mark the anniversary of the country's first satellite launch Dongfanghong-1 in 1970.

Xi'an is home to more than 200 aerospace research centers and enterprises.

Also, there will be over 200 events in other cities in China to celebrate the Space Day.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-17 23:40:15|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DHAKA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will embark on a three-day visit to Bhutan on Tuesday, during which six deals in different areas are expected to be signed.

At a press briefing here on Monday, Bangladeshi Foreign Minister A.H. Mahmood Ali said Hasina's visit at the invitation of her Bhutanese counterpart is aimed at deepening bilateral relations and bolstering further economic cooperation with Bhutan.

Hasina is slated to hold meetings with Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and discuss bilateral and regional issues.

According to the minister, the meetings will be followed by the signing of deals on removal of double taxation, agriculture, cultural affairs, use of Bangladesh's inland water by Bhutan, standards of products and land given to Bangladesh for establishing a permanent embassy.

Hasina is expected to unveil the foundation stone of the new chancery of the Bangladeshi embassy in Hejo where Bhutan has given a piece of land.

During the visit, Hasina will also attend an international conference on autism on Wednesday, the minister said.
Iraqi federal police members patrol the street in western Mosul, Iraq, on March 29, 2017.(Xinhua Photo)

BAGHDAD, April 17 (Xinhua) -- A United Nations' aid agency on Monday said that nearly half a million people have been displaced in six months of an offensive to dislodge the Islamic State (IS) militants from their last major stronghold in Iraq's northern city of Mosul.

Hundreds of thousands more may flee their homes in the coming weeks, the United Nation's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement.

"Our worst case scenario when the fighting started was that up to one million civilians may flee Mosul. Already, more than 493,000 people have left, leaving almost everything behind," the statement quoted Lise Grande, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, as saying.

"The sheer volume of civilians still fleeing Mosul city is staggering," Grande said.

According to the statement, there are still some 500,000 people trapped in their homes in the IS-controlled neighborhoods in the western side of Mosul, including 400,000 in the densely populated old city center.

The international humanitarian aid agencies are working around-the-clock to expand the emergency sites and camps to shelter the hundreds of thousands more who may flee their homes in coming days and weeks, the statement said.

"Mosul has pushed us to our operational limits as 1.9 million people have received life-saving assistance since the fighting began," Grande said.

"We're doing everything we can but this has been a long battle and the assault on the old city hasn't started," Grande warned, pointing out that the battles in the western side of Mosul is very different than in the east.

"It's much tougher. There are more trauma injuries, homes are being destroyed, food stocks are dwindling quickly and families are at serious risk because there isn't enough drinking water," she said.

"Civilians in Mosul face incredible, terrifying risks. They are being shot at, there are artillery barrages, families are running out of supplies, medicines are scarce and water is cut-off," Grande added.

The international humanitarian law obliges all parties in the conflicts to protect civilians, and to ensure that innocent people can get the assistance they need and limit damage to civilian infrastructure.

"Nothing is more important than protecting civilians. Nothing," Grande concluded.

OCHA statement came as fierce battles are underway to drive out the extremist IS militants from the western side of Mosul, including the densely-populated old city center with its old houses at the maze-like narrow allies.

The progress in the old city center is much slower than the early phases of the offensive as the IS militants showed stubborn resistance, while the troops were forced to restrict the use of bombs and increased sniper fire against terrorist militants holed up in the city center.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, announced the start of an offensive on February 19 to drive extremist militants out of the western side of Mosul, locally known as the right bank of Tigris River which bisects the city.

Late in January, Abadi declared the liberation of the eastern side of Mosul, or the left bank of Tigris, after more than 100 days of fighting against IS militants.

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.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-18 01:20:34|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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by Magdalena Stoszek

WARSAW, April 17 (Xinhua) -- "I wish that the 'Belt and Road' initiative can take advantage of Polish hospitality and settle in our country, making Poland its European transport hub and the main port for Chinese investment in the region," Krzysztof Senger, Executive Vice-President of Polish Investment and Trade Agency told Xinhua here in an interview.

Presenting the potential of the Belt and Road initiative from the Polish point of view, Senger said that Poland is keenly watching the development of this ambitious initiative proposed by China.

This initiative can also be viewed from a wider Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region's perspective -- it can serve as "the strongest stimulus" that strengthens relations with China, Senger said.

The initiative will involve huge resources and last a long time, which can also be beneficial for regions in Poland, where many projects are being developed on the basis of logistics and infrastructure, Senger explained.

The initiative may cover a large part of the world, including its more remote places, in which Polish entrepreneurs are becoming more and more interested. Therefore, it gives a sense of commitment to a stable, long-term, interesting prospects for Poland and the whole CEE region, according to Senger.

While talking with representatives of companies and administrations of Polish cities and regions, Senger said, "We see their growing awareness that participation in international projects developed within the 'Belt and Road' framework will not only bring new contracts, but also allow to enter new markets and gain a wide circle of new partners around the world."

Senger said he believes that Polish-Chinese relations have never been better -- based on good relations and mutual trust. "Such relations are a great basis for developing mutual investments, improving trade relations and creating a strong partnership in this part of Europe," he said. Poland, as the biggest CEE region country, is active both as a 16+1 member and an AIIB founding member from the CEE region.

Poland perceives the cooperation under Belt and Road initiative as the pillar and the starting point for this partnership strategy and counts on private-public partnership or the creation of consortia with the Chinese in various international projects, according to Senger.

"We hope that thanks to such cooperation, Poland can quickly become the logistic center of Europe," Senger added. "We also hope that China will see the potential Poland has as an investment attractiveness leader of the CEE region, and boldly implement various greenfield projects here."

"We count on investments in the food sector," he said. "Chinese people are buying more and more imported food every year, while Poland is famous for high quality food products."

Senger said Chinese investors could take advantage of the expertise of Poland's food market experts and sell the quality food products worldwide, thanks to the development of the New Silk Road connection network.

Both China and Poland are in the process of changing their economies to more initiative and trying to achieve sustainable development, he noted. The Belt and Road initiative is one of the tools to search for new technologies and cooperate in research fields, including joint development of green and modern energy sector. "Thanks to many similarities, it is easier for us to communicate and to achieve synergies on many levels of mutual cooperation," Senger said.

He also expressed hope that the Belt and Road initiative would become a platform to promote Poland and Polish know-how in Asia.

According to Senger, Polish Investment and Trade Agency is assisting the Chinese companies interested in investing in Poland. Currently, the Agency is leading six Chinese projects worth a total of 409 million euros, he said. Poland is the largest recipient of Chinese investments among the Visegrad Group countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-18 01:30:36|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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KHARTOUM, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Sudan is to participate, for first time, in summit meetings of Chief of Staff of America-European-African Group (AFRICOM) in Stuttgart, Germany, according to Sudanese army spokesman.

Sudanese Army's Joint Chief of Staff Emad Eddin Mustafa Adawi will lead Sudan's delegation to the meetings, the spokesman said.

"Sudan's participation in these meetings is an indicator for surpassing the phase of sanctions lifting to cooperation in issues that Sudan is committed to combating such as cross-border crimes, terrorism, illegal immigration and money laundering," said Sudanese army spokesman Ahmed Khalifa Al-Shami, in a statement Monday.

"This participation is evidence on the breakthrough in the relationship with the United States and a move towards lifting Sudan's name from the U.S. list of countries sponsoring terrorism and fully lifting the American economic sanctions," he noted.

The U.S. military command in Africa (US-AFRICOM) is one of the U.S. Unified Combatant Commands under the U.S. Department of Defence. It is responsible for the U.S. military operations in and relations with 53 African countries. It is headquartered at Kelley Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany.

Sudan's participation in these meetings comes after a relative improvement in the relationship between Khartoum and Washington, which, last January, partially lifted economic sanction been imposed on Sudan since 1993.

Sudan's name is still in the U.S. list of countries sponsoring terrorism.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-18 02:00:41|Editor: Mengjiao Liu

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by Zheng Jianghua, Shuai Rong

BRUSSELS, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The cooperation between the European Union (EU) and China has never been so important in a moment when multilateral global governance is open to doubt, EU's High Representative for Foreign affairs and Security Policy and European Commission Vice Presdent Federica Mogherini told Xinhua in an exclusive written interview ahead of her visit to China.

China will be Mogherini's first stop of her seven-day diplomatic trip kicking off from April 18, followed by India and Russia.

In China, Mogherini will co-chair the 7th EU-China Strategic Dialogue with Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi on April 19, in order to lay the groundwork for the 19th EU-China Summit in Brussels scheduled for June.

"The European Union and China share the view of a global order based on multilateralism and on the UN system: our cooperation has never been so important, in a moment when multilateral global governance is put in question from many sides," Mogherini said.

She underscored that a greater engagement from China in world affairs can "open so many opportunities, on so many issues of common interest," noting that a Chinese special envoy attended the international conference on supporting the future of Syria and the region earlier this month, and praising China's crucial role in the Afghanistan peace process.

"I know there are people in the world who have concerns about a more confident and outward-looking China. I don't share this view," she said, adding, "China can play a very positive role on so many fields, from Afghanistan to Syria, and we Europeans are ready to step up our cooperation in all these fields."

Even in the area of defence, Mogherini also saw deepened cooperation between the EU and China. "One example that comes to mind is that our respective military commanders in Mali and Somalia have identified possibilities for cooperation on capacity-building support."

She also expressed hope that the EU and China can achieve progress regarding the Korean Peninsula issue.

With the 19th EU-China Summit on the horizon, the EU foreign policy chief said it will be another opportunity to deepen not only bilateral cooperation, but also common work for a more cooperative global order.

"We hope that the Summit will register progress on the investment agreement, adopt an ambitious statement on climate change and clean energy and agree joint connectivity projects," she said.

"If we act together, we can be an irresistible force for a free and fair trade, for multilateralism and sustainable development," she added.

She also resonated with the concept of "a community of common destiny for mankind" put forth by Chinese leaders, saying she very much shared what she thought the core of the vision: the quest for mutually beneficial solutions among equal partners.

"This means promoting multilateralism and the importance of the United Nations, committing to a free and fair trade, and promoting a more sustainable development, with more equality inside our countries and among countries," she said.

"We also have an interest, or I would rather say a duty and a responsibility, to work together to tackle climate change and implement the Paris agreement. " she added.

Admitting that there are differences between the two sides, Mogherini underscored it is in both sides' interests to overcome differences and "isolation is not the answer to any of the problems of our times."

"China is a country with the size of a continent: it only makes sense that you look for interlocutors of your size," Mogherini said.

"It is essential that Europe and China continue to make the case for a fair and open international system," she said. " We must demonstrate with real action that we stand on the side of cooperation, of engagement, of strong and just global rules."
File photo taken on July 18, 2013 shows the first direct cargo train leaving from Zhengzhou to Europe at the railway container center in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang)

WARSAW, April 17 (Xinhua) -- "I wish that the 'Belt and Road' initiative can take advantage of Polish hospitality and settle in our country, making Poland its European transport hub and the main port for Chinese investment in the region," Krzysztof Senger, Executive Vice-President of Polish Investment and Trade Agency told Xinhua here in an interview.

Presenting the potential of the Belt and Road initiative from the Polish point of view, Senger said that Poland is keenly watching the development of this ambitious initiative proposed by China.

This initiative can also be viewed from a wider Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region's perspective -- it can serve as "the strongest stimulus" that strengthens relations with China, Senger said.

The initiative will involve huge resources and last a long time, which can also be beneficial for regions in Poland, where many projects are being developed on the basis of logistics and infrastructure, Senger explained.

The initiative may cover a large part of the world, including its more remote places, in which Polish entrepreneurs are becoming more and more interested. Therefore, it gives a sense of commitment to a stable, long-term, interesting prospects for Poland and the whole CEE region, according to Senger.

While talking with representatives of companies and administrations of Polish cities and regions, Senger said, "We see their growing awareness that participation in international projects developed within the 'Belt and Road' framework will not only bring new contracts, but also allow to enter new markets and gain a wide circle of new partners around the world."

Senger said he believes that Polish-Chinese relations have never been better -- based on good relations and mutual trust.

"Such relations are a great basis for developing mutual investments, improving trade relations and creating a strong partnership in this part of Europe," he said.

Poland, as the biggest CEE region country, is active both as a 16+1 member and an AIIB founding member from the CEE region.

Poland perceives the cooperation under Belt and Road initiative as the pillar and the starting point for this partnership strategy and counts on private-public partnership or the creation of consortia with the Chinese in various international projects, according to Senger.

"We hope that thanks to such cooperation, Poland can quickly become the logistic center of Europe," Senger added. "We also hope that China will see the potential Poland has as an investment attractiveness leader of the CEE region, and boldly implement various greenfield projects here."

"We count on investments in the food sector," he said. "Chinese people are buying more and more imported food every year, while Poland is famous for high quality food products."

Senger said Chinese investors could take advantage of the expertise of Poland's food market experts and sell the quality food products worldwide, thanks to the development of the New Silk Road connection network.

Both China and Poland are in the process of changing their economies to more initiative and trying to achieve sustainable development, he noted.

The Belt and Road initiative is one of the tools to search for new technologies and cooperate in research fields, including joint development of green and modern energy sector.

"Thanks to many similarities, it is easier for us to communicate and to achieve synergies on many levels of mutual cooperation," Senger said.

He also expressed hope that the Belt and Road initiative would become a platform to promote Poland and Polish know-how in Asia.

According to Senger, Polish Investment and Trade Agency is assisting the Chinese companies interested in investing in Poland. Currently, the Agency is leading six Chinese projects worth a total of 409 million euros, he said.

Poland is the largest recipient of Chinese investments among the Visegrad Group countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-18 02:10:44|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BUJUMBURA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Burundi reiterated on Monday the government's call for the repatriation of Burundian refugees who fled the country's 2015 crisis.

"The campaign of sensitizing Burundian citizens living in refugee camps in neighboring countries has continued during the past three months and results are satisfactory," said Home Affairs and Civic Education Minister Pascal Barandagiye while presenting the three-month activity report.

"We are convincing them to return home and come to build their nation," said the minister.

According to him, many among those refugees were just "scared or fled rumors."

"We visited to Nakivale camp hosting Burundian refugees in Uganda and we also went to Tanzania to meet authorities in order to plan visits in refugee camps located in Tanzania," he said.

He added that if financial means are enough, visits to other countries hosting Burundian refugees will be made.

Barandagiye indicated that belongings of refugees were kept safely in their home villages.

Burundi has suffered turmoil since April 2015 when President Pierre Nkurunziza decided to run his controversial third term in violation of the national constitution and the 2000 Arusha Agreement that ended a decade-long civil war.

Over 500 people in Burundi are reported to have been killed during the crisis.

Updated figures from the UN Refugee Agency released on April 10 reveal that over 400,000 people fled to neighboring countries, mostly Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda since the outbreak of the crisis.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-18 03:36:11|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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UNITED NATIONS, April 17 (Xinhua) -- A UN spokesman said Monday that nearly half a million people had been forced to leave from their homes since the start of military operations to retake Mosul that began six months ago.

Citing the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq Lise Grande, who called the sheer volume of civilians still leaving the city "staggering," Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the worst case scenario was that up to 1 million people might flee Mosul.

The UN estimates that as many as 500,000 people remain in the Islamic State-controlled parts of western Mosul, including 400,000 people in the old city.

Grande was cited as saying that although nearly 2 million people had received life-saving assistance and families were being reached with aid, Mosul had pushed humanitarian agencies to their operational limits.
Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli (L) meets with Albanian President Bujar Nishani in Tirana, Albania, April 17, 2017. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

TIRANA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- China and Albania agreed on Monday to enhance cooperation in areas of infrastructure, production capacity, tourism and agriculture under the framework of Belt and Road Initiative and the 16+1 mechanism featuring China and Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries cooperation.

The pledge came as Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli paid a visit to the Balkan country.

Hailing the geographic advantage of Albania in southeast Europe, Zhang said Albania is a major country along the Belt and Road.

"China is willing to conduct more substantial cooperation with Albania taking the country's features and actual needs into consideration under the Belt and Road Initiative and the 16+1 mechanism," Zhang said during his meeting with Albanian President Bujar Nishani on Monday.

He encouraged the two countries to speed up the negotiation and signing of an inter-governmental MOU on the Belt and Road initiative to better plan and guide bilateral cooperation so as to yield more fruitful results.

The initiative, proposed by China in 2013, aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road trading routes, leading to mutually beneficial economic outcomes for every nation it reaches.

China would like to align its development strategy with that of Albania and conducted in-depth discussions on projects, measures and effects of cooperation to realize common development, Zhang said during his talks with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Monday.

He called on both countries to expand scales of the two-way trade and investment. China will further expand the import of Albanian products with comparative advantages such as olive oil, and encourage Chinese enterprises' investment in Albania, Zhang added.

China would like to take an active part in Albanian major infrastructural and energy projects such as roads, hydro-electric power stations and economic development zones, and strengthen cooperation on cultural and people-to-people exchanges, film-making, education and tourism, the Chinese vice premier said.

Speaking highly of Chinese achievements and its role in the international affairs, Nishani said a sound Albania-China relationship is of special importance to his country.

Albania expects to see greater contribution China will make to the world economy and the prosperity of the Balkan region, the Albanian president said.

He affirmed that Albania will firmly adhere to the one-China policy and would like to lift bilateral ties to a higher level through deepening cooperation.

Albania forged diplomatic ties with China on Nov. 23, 1949, some one month later after the founding of the People's Republic of China. It is one the earliest countries to establish diplomatic ties with China.

According to statistics from Chinese Ministry of Commerce, the bilateral trade volume reached 636 million U.S. dollars in 2016, up 13.9 percent year on year. Currently, China is Albania's major trade partner and main investment source.

Regarding the 16+1 cooperation, a platform created in April 2012 by China and 16 CEE countries, Zhang said China appreciates Albania's long-term support to the mechanism and expects to see the its leader's attendance at this year's 16+1 leaders' meeting to be held in Hungary.

China is ready to implement the consensus reached at the 16+1 leaders' meeting in Riga, Latvia last November to deepen mechanism construction on economy and trade, education, science and technology, culture, forestry, agriculture, and local governments, as well enhance cooperation on logistics, e-commerce, small and medium enterprises and environment so as to let the 16+1 cooperation benefit more people in China and the CEE countries, Zhang said.

Rama said Albania is looking forward to the cooperation with China and welcomes more Chinese enterprises in the country. He expressed the Albanian side's hope that the two countries can find cooperation projects that may yield results soon under the Belt and Road Initiative and 16+1 framework.

Zhang arrived in Tirana on Sunday from Ljubljana to continue his five-leg Eurasia tour. His nine-day visit already took him to Moscow and Tallinn, Estonia, and will also take him to Astana, Kazakhstan for bilateral meetings.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-18 03:51:16|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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LILONGWE, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Five people died and 11 others were still missing after an overloaded boat carrying about 70 people capsized on Lake Malawi on Sunday, police said Monday.

The Malawi Police Service (MPS) and the Malawi Defense Force (MDF) Monday evening intensified the search for the 11 people who were still missing.

The boat carrying worshippers who were returning from Easter celebrations Sunday was faced with harsh weather just a few minutes after it set sail. It capsized near a place called Mlowe in Rumphi, in the northern region of the country.

The district's police officer in-charge, Denis Banda, said a total of 54 people survived, some by swimming, while others were rescued by the local lakeshore communities who rushed to the scene with their boats.

Eight of the rescued people, who were in critical conditions, were still in hospital as of Monday evening.

The boat was believed to have been overloaded, according to police.

One of the survivors, Graciam Mtonya Kondowe, told local radio Zodiak that he had survived by clinging to a bag of maize flour that was floating.

He described the tragedy as the worst scenario he had ever encountered in his life, saying on board were also women and children.

In August 2016, over 15 worshipers, the majority of them children, perished in a road accident in Mzimba District in the same northern region when the minibus they were traveling in was involved in a pile-up that involved three vehicles.
Palestinians hold pictures of their relatives in the Israeli jails during a rally marking Palestinian Prisoner Day in the West Bank city of Nablus, April 16, 2017.(Xinhua Photo)

JERUSALEM, April 17 (Xinhua) -- A leader of a sweeping hunger strike of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails was put in solitary confinement on Monday as Israel was seeking to break the protest, officials and local media said.

Assaf Librati, a spokesman for the Israel Prison Service, said the hunger strikers will be "disciplined."

He also said Marwan Barghouti, a high-profile Fatah-linked prisoner, was transferred from the Hadarim Prison in central Israel to the Kishon detention center in the north.

Barghouti is a leader of one of the largest protests in Israeli jails in recent years, where some 1,200 detainees in several prisons announced on Monday an indefinite hunger strike until Israel accepts their demands to improve incarceration conditions.

Dozens of other prisoners the Prison Service considers leaders of the protest were also transferred to other jails, according to local media.

Librati confirmed that the Prison Service "has started taking disciplinary measures against the strikers, and some prisoners have been transferred to separate wings."

"It is to be emphasized that the (prison service) does not negotiate with prisoners," he said.

Earlier on Monday, Barghouti, who is seen by some as a potential successor to President Mahmoud Abbas, published an Op-Ed article in the New York Times.

Under the title "Why we are on hunger strike in Israel's prisons," Barghouti wrote that 50 years of Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip has proved that Israel has been using an "inhumane system" incarceration to break "the spirit of prisoners...by inflicting suffering on their bodies, separating them from their families and communities and using humiliating measures to compel subjugation."

"As part of Israel's effort to undermine the Palestinian struggle for freedom, an Israeli court sentenced me to five life sentences and 40 years in prison in a political show trial that was denounced by international observers," he wrote. "Israel has tried to brand us all as terrorists to legitimize its violations, including mass arbitrary arrests, torture, punitive measures and severe restrictions."

He promised that the new hunger strike "will demonstrate once more that the prisoners' movement is the compass that guides our struggle, the struggle for Freedom and Dignity, the name we have chosen for this new step in our long walk to freedom."

The article riled the prisons authority. The Hebrew-language Ynet news website reported that the Prison Service launched an investigation to find out how Barghouti "smuggled" the article outside the jail.

The prisoners' 13-item demands list includes visitation rights, installing public telephones and air conditioning systems, allowing prisoners to keep books, newspapers, clothes and food as well as stopping administrative detentions, an indefinable incarceration without charges for renewable periods of six months, and solitary containment.

Under Israeli relevant regulations, prisoners are entitled to family visits once every two weeks. However, Palestinians from the West Bank need an entry permit into Israel and Israeli authorities often deny such permits.

Even when a permit is granted, the families are required to wait in a yard outside the prison, sometimes for hours without sits or shades.

The prisoners also demand periodic medical checkups and to increase the number of visits by the International Red Cross.

According to figures provided in February by Israel's Prison Service, at least 6,820 Palestinians, including hundreds of minors, are incarcerated in Israeli prisons.

Most of them are jailed for participating in the struggle against the Israeli control over the West Bank and Gaza, lands that Israel seized in the 1967 Middle East War and where the Palestinians wish to establish their future state.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-18 04:26:27|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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WASHINGTON, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The United States is not seeking conflict or "regime change" in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and is looking for signal that the DPRK is willing to abandon its unclear weapons program, a senior U.S. State Department official said on Monday.

Stressing that the U.S. goal remains the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Susan Thornton, acting assistant secretary of state, said at a briefing that the United States prefers to solve the issue peacefully.

"The U.S. has been clear that we want to resolve this issue through the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," said Thornton. "We're definitely not seeking conflict or regime change."

However, the United States remains committed to defending its people and its allies, should it be necessary, Thornton added.

According to Thornton, the preference of the U.S. administration under President Donald Trump is "to put pressure" on the DPRK to force it to roll back its "illegal programs."

Thornton also said that the current conditions are "not really ripe" for any kind of talks with the DPRK. However, she said the United States is looking for any promising signs.

"We're really looking for some kind of signal that they (DPRK) have realized that the current status quo is unsustainable and that they will have to make a fundamental decision about getting rid of these illegal programs in order to turn the page and have a more normal engagement with the international community," said Thornton.

The DPRK attempted on Sunday to test-fire an unidentified missile on its east coast, which was believed to have failed, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The Pentagon confirmed later that the latest missile launch by the DPRK had failed.

The DPRK is banned from testing ballistic missile technology under UN Security Council resolutions.

Earlier on Monday, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said in South Korea that "an era of strategic patience is over" on the issue of DPRK.

In another development, the United Nations on Monday called on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to take all the steps necessary to de-escalate the situation and return to dialogue and denuclearization, said a spokesperson.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-18 04:36:29|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MAPUTO, April 17 (Xinhua) -- More than 10 kilograms of rhino horns ready for embarking in the Maputo International Airport were seized by police on Saturday, said the spokesperson of Maputo city police, Orlando Madumane, on Monday.

The seizure is just few weeks after airport authorities in Malaysia discovered 18 rhino horns coming from Maputo in an operation. The continuous unveiling of rhino horns' smuggling in the capital city of Mozambique indicates that the slaughtering of endangered species such as elephants and rhinos is still going on in this country.

The police's struggle to stop this practice remains far from succeeding as the criminal network gets more and more sophisticated. This time the suitcase in which the horns were found had no identity, let alone left any clue for the police to find out the destination of the product.

"The owner of the suitcase ran away soon after realizing that the police had found out the content inside, now we are investigating to identify the owner of the product," said Madumane.

The police admits that slaughters and the entire chain are adopting cunning tricks, since they find it hard to explain how the smugglers successfully get the suitcases checked in when observing the whole process and then run away after the content is found out.

Mozambique and South Africa in 2016 created a commission to harmonize the legislation of both countries when dealing with this matter, to make the legal framework much tougher for an effective fight against poachers.
One of the protest organizers addresses the crowd to call on President DonaldTrump to release his tax returns in downtown Chicago, the United States, April 15, 2017. Thousands of protesters took to the streets across the United States Saturday to demand that President Donald Trump release his tax returns. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

WASHINGTON, April 17 (Xinhua) -- White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said on Monday that President Trump's 2016 tax returns are under audit and will not be released.

"The president is under audit, it's a routine one, it continues, and I think the American public knows clearly where he stands, this was something he made very clear during the election cycle," Spicer said at the White House daily press briefing.

"We are under the same audit that existed, so nothing has changed." said Spicer.

One day earlier, Trump questioned if protesters over his tax returns were being paid, responding to the weekend's nationwide demonstrations seeking for the release of his tax returns.

"Someone should look into who paid for the small organized rallies yesterday," Trump tweeted Sunday. "The election is over!"

"I did what was an almost an impossible thing to do for a Republican-easily won the the Electoral College! Now Tax Returns are brought up again?" he tweeted earlier Monday.

Trump's latest remarks imply that he has no intention to issue his tax returns, some U.S. media reports commented.

Demonstrators in dozens of U.S. cities and towns, including Washington D.C., New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Palm Beach, where Trump was spending Easter Weekend at his resort Mar-a-Lago, marched on Saturday to demand Trump release his tax returns. Some rallies were joined by thousands of people.

Protesters gather at Daley Plaza to call on President Donald Trump to release his tax returns in downtown Chicago, the United States, April 15, 2017. Thousands of protesters took to the streets across the United States Saturday to demand that President Donald Trump release his tax returns. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

During his campaign and after the election victory, the Trump camp repeatedly refused to release Trump's tax returns, saying Trump's tax returns were under audit. However, many tax experts say Trump is not barred from releasing the information during the audit.

While U.S. presidents are not required to release their tax returns, nearly all U.S. presidents had voluntarily released them since 1970s.

Shortly after Trump's inauguration in January, Kellyanne Conway, senior counselor to Trump, told U.S. media that Trump would not release his tax returns, citing voters' indifference to the issue as one of the reasons.

However, multiple polls have found that the majority of Americans want Trump to release his tax returns. A petition demanding Trump release his tax returns garnered more than 1 million signatures. Many lawmakers, including some Republicans, have also called on Trump to make them public.

April 18 is the traditional tax deadline in the United States.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-04-18 05:46:44|Editor: huaxia

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CHICAGO, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) grains futures closed lower on Monday with wheat posting the biggest percentage decline since Mid-March.

The most active corn contract for May delivery fell 4.5 cents, or 1.21 percent, to 3.665 dollars per bushel. May wheat delivery slipped 8.75 cents, or 2.04 percent to 4.21 dollars per bushel. May soybeans was down 2.25 cents, or 0.24 percent, to 9.5325 dollars per bushel.

The U.S. agricultural exports last week indicated above-expectation sales, especially for its corn and wheat. However, the news gave little support to the CBOT market amid rising estimates for U.S. and global stockpiles.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)last week put its domestic wheat stockpiles at 1.159 billion bushels, up from a previous projection of 1.129 billion bushels.

Meanwhile, favorable temperatures and precipitation in the Midwest and other U.S. growing areas, a signal of bigger harvest, added further pressure to the wheat futures, said analysts.

Plentiful U.S. corn stockpiles, expected to be 2.32 billion bushels last week, and profit taking following a two-session rise in its future prices before the Easter holiday, led to the down-turn on Monday.

The USDA also projected increased Brazilian soybean stockpiles at 22.6 million tons, sending a bearish tone to the market. Enditem
Missing teens recovered, man detained

A 21-year-old man from Barrackpore has been arrested and up to yesterday was assisting police in their investigations into the report of Semoy Ramdhanie, 13, being reported missing two Sundays ago.

According to police, Ramdhanie left her home at Mission Road in Freeport and failed to return home.

Her mother Indira Ramdhanie made a report to Gran Couva police and on Holy Thursday at about 10.45 pm, police acting on information, went to a house in Barrackpore where they found Ramdhanie.

They arrested the 21-yearold man.

In the second incident, relatives reported to San Fernando police that Shania Ali, 16, of Rushworth Street, San Fernando, left the home at about 7.25 pm on Wednesday last and all subsequent attempts to contact her proved futile.

On Holy Thursday, Ali walked into the Sangre Grande Police Station and told police she was spending time with relatives at Fishing Pond in East Trinidad.

Investigations are ongoing.
Woman, 2 men arrested

According to police, at about 5 pm on Saturday, the suspects went to a Chinese supermarket in Carapichaima and ordered an employee to hand over cash from the register. The employee complied and the bandits seized $1,000 and an undisclosed amount of cigarettes before escaping in a car parked nearby.

A report was made to the Freeport Police Station and an all-points-bulletin was issued.

The report added that police set up a road block exercise at Taitt Madoo Road in Freeport where they later spotted and intercepted the getaway vehicle.

Officers arrested three persons including the lone female occupant but two other suspects managed to elude the police by running off into a bushy area.

Up to yesterday the two suspects remained at large but police are confident of arresting them soon as their identities and addresses were revealed during an interrogation of the three detained suspects.
Cops arrest Coast Guard officer

It was a case of handcuffs versus handcuffs, but in the end the Police Service prevailed as the policeman called for back-up. The coastguardsman was taken to the San Fernando Police Station where he was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and playing loud music in a vehicle while it is in motion.

The confrontation between PC Sujeet Ramcharan and the coastguardsman took place at about 4 am at Cross Crossing in San Fernando, in an area commonly known as The Cross which is popular with limers. A police report stated that a vehicle entered the The Cross which is lined with food stalls, but its music was blaring so loudly that it triggered the alarm in several parked vehicles.

PC Ramcharran spoke to the driver about the loud music, the report stated, but the driver shouted, Whos you? I is ah Lieutenant in the Coast Guard! I could lock you up! PC Ramcharan and PC Mahabir were at the time armed and wearing tatical police uniform. Nearby a police vehicle with its blue lights blinking, was parked.

The driver was asked for his licence and insurance, but replied, Boy, you doh know nothing.

I is ah Lieutenant and I now from a function with the Prime Minister! The driver came out the vehicle, the report stated, and shouted, I go call (Prime Minister) Dr (Keith) Rowley for allyuh...you know I could lock all yuh up to! The man eventually handed over his drivers licence and insurance to the officers who advised him to follow them to the police station. Allyuh have to get a sergeant to lock up me tonight! I is a lieutenant, the man shouted. PCs Ramcharan and Mahabir confronted and attempted to arrest the driver who pulled out a pair of handcuffs and swung it at the officers.

The driver charged at PC Ramcharan and shouted, I could arrest you under Section 14:01.

I will lock-up two ah allyuh! All yuh is constable, I is Lieutenant. PC Mahabir radioed for back-up. Officers from the Southern Division Task Force arrived and the driver was arrested and taken to station.

A breathalyser test was administed which the driver failed. He was then charged. The driver later confessed he was not a Lieutenant but an Able Body Seaman in the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard was contacted and officers arrived at the police station and took their colleague into custody. He will appear before a San Fernando Magistrate tomorrow.
Prison officer held with gun

The officer was arrested in the early hours of Friday morning following a brawl at a bar in Siparia.

From Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday, Siparia takes on a festive atmosphere due to the La Divina Pastora celebrations.

Police reports state that at 2 am on Good Friday, the officer was involved in a fight when he ran to his car and pulled out a gun.

He was arrested shortly after by officers of the Siparia Police station. Meanwhile, a 27-year-old soldier assigned to Camp Ogden in Long Circular, St James is also expected to appear in court tomorrow on charges of trafficking cocaine.

Police reported that the soldier who lives in Cunupia, attempted to smuggle the cocaine which was hidden in scented candles at Piarco International Airport.

The drugs were found when the soldier was searched by officers of the Organised Crime Narcotics and Firearms Bureau at the Airport.

Police later searched the soldiers home and reportedly found a police uniform, ammunition and 20,000 in TT currency
Soldier held with drugs

According to reports, Colin Clarke, 28, of Cunupia, attempted to smuggle the drugs in the scented candles through DHL courier service. A search at Clarkes home was carried out and police found 50 rounds of 9 mm ammunition, $200,000 in cash and police apparel. Clarke is attached to Gulf Company at Camp Ogden.
Alfonso: Deal above-board

She said her fee for acquiring the Galicia, of several hundred thousand dollars, was calculated at the Law Associations rate of $2,250 per hour. Alfonso made it clear she was not in charge of the tendering or evaluation process and had no knowledge of several issues being raised. She reiterated that payment received was for her expertise as a maritime lawyer and not as any ship broker.

She said the Law Association sets fees for all attorneys in one of four bands, from A to D, of which she is in the highest pay-grade as she is an instructing attorney/maritime law specialist, with 20 years experience.

She said the associations banded rate at the time was $2,250, which at present is $2,500 per hour.

That bill is 11 pages long and has four very distinct set of assignments each with billable hours. Im deeply disturbed someone in port or government finds it necessary to share my bills, the attorney said in reference to newspaper reports which outlined money paid to her. Alfonso said as she was invited to tender to source a vessel, she would not be in any position to say how the shortlist of nine bidders was made up and how the eventual winner  Intercontinental  was not on the short list.

Apparently a lot of documents have been circulated in the press but they have not been by me. So I assume the person or persons distributing what I consider to be confidential documents would have shown them (the media) a document that had nine people on it, but I wouldnt know anybody besides myself. Asked her role in the affair, she said, I was asked to find a vessel on an emergency basis when the previous vessel, Warrior Spirit, was leaving service for repairs. So on that instruction in December 2013, I went out and found five or six different vessels in a week or two. Alfonso said she supplied the authority with details of these boats including specs, location and cost.

We looked at availability that met their specs for passengers and for cargo. Subsequently they told me that Central Tenders Board had told them they must do some form of limited tender, to which I agreed, from a procurement standpoint notwithstanding that legislation was not in place. I was told that of the vessels that were located, Super Fast Galicia appeared to be the most suitable one, given its size, capacity, speed and age.

I was told that bearing in mind that I had brought this boat forward and it looked good, then I would be allowed to participate (in the tender) because of that. Alfonso refuted media reports of her being the Galicias broker. I see my name being starred as a broker, but I had asked that the broker who had procured the majority of those (short-list) vessels, who is located in Gibraltar, be allowed to tender. That is what I requested. She recalled supplying the Port Authority with the brokers contact details, yet ultimately the tender documents ended up being addressed to her firm, ND Alfonso. She clarified that the Galicia never actually came to TT on an emergency basis but joined the line with eight other boats up for tender.

What I requested specifically is that once they said the boat would be allowed to tender, I asked that they invite the broker to tender...not me.

But the tender invitation came to me in February 2014. It had my name on it, not the broker. That was not my doing as Ive never been a member of the Port management. She said it was done by the Port official carrying out the tender process.

Alfonso scoffed at claims that another Port officials report had warned against the Galicia by saying its cost would triple within six months. I find that nonsensical.

When a vessel comes in whatever the fuel or lubricant or crew  if shes coming in on a charter you have one fixed rate per day. You cant tender for US$14,750 per day, I think thats what she chartered at and say next month or in six months time it is US$15,500 or US$16,000. Alfonso refuted media claims that a Port official who is now saying he cannot talk, once rejected the Galicia as incompatible with port infrastructure.

She said that at a Port meeting in 2014, this same port official publicly said the Galicia was the best vessel and this statement should have been recorded in Port minutes.

Alfonso also refuted the idea of rejecting the Galicia due to a need to dredge the harbour, saying that this exercise was needed for any new vessel. (See Page 9A)
Rowley to meet Tobago Chamber on Galicia

This meeting comes days after a letter was penned to the Prime Minister by Chamber chairman Demi John Cruickshank requesting a sit-down to deal with issues surrounding the usage of a barge to transport goods to Tobago from April 21, after the Galicia departs.

Speaking yesterday evening, Cruickshank said he received word from the Prime Minister that a meeting was carded for noon next Monday.

We have received word that the meeting has been set. We are hopeful to meet with the Prime Minister on the issue, which is of national importance, especially for the people of Tobago, Cruickshank said.

He is adamant that Rowley needs to tell Tobago if a barge is really what he wants for the inter- island sea transportation of goods.

At this point in time, the chamber in Tobago and other stakeholders are calling for the resignation of the Minister of Transport (Rohan Sinanan). As important as the highway from San Fernando to Point Fortin is to the people of Trinidad, the inter-island cargo situation is the lifeline for the people of Tobago, he added.

Cruickshank said priority must be given to Tobago and nothing less will be accepted.

He said at a recent stakeholders meeting held with Minister Sinanan at Mt Irvine Bay Hotel, the Minister was told by the Tobago Chamber in no uncertain terms, the barge will not be accepted as a means of cargo transport on the sea bridge.

In the meeting, we made it clear to the minister motorised barge, tug barge, any type of barge system, we are not willing to accept, the Chairman said.

Approximately two weeks ago, news broke of the recall by the owner of the Galicia.

(See Page 6A)
Archbishop: Love is whats needed

All of us have lived many Easters, told Almighty God easy promises of rejecting sin but most of us remain the same after Easter.

Our country needs us to take Easter seriously.

Our country needs us to take the new life seriously...

Our duty is not to ensure we become richest nation on Earth but a nation of peace, love and justice. You see, resurrection is about new life and what newer life can we have that a nation once known for bobol and corruption now known as a nation of peace, love and justice? So if we are serious about resurrection and new life, we have to change our lifestyles. Father Harris was addressing worshippers during the Easter Sunday service yesterday morning at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Independence Square, Port-of- Spain. Comparing the dreams of Jesus disciples prior to His death to those of TT citizens who believed in the message of a new political order that was promised by National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) during the the 1986 General Election, the Archbishop recalled that, there was talk of a new movement __ One Love. It was a dream that everyone held dear...but in a short while, the government that was supposed to help make that dream real began to disintegrate.

Once more, a sense of disappointment took over but my dear friends, dreams do not die if there is a will and the disciples in spite of their disappointment, kept on dreaming (after Jesus crucifixion). Although he didnt refer to crime or murders in TT during yesterdays homily, Father Harris spoke about how the ideals of One Love can lead to an improved TT.

Jesus, after the resurrection, purified that dream __ no longer were disciples to dream of a kingdom of this world.

Now they dreamed of a kingdom yes but (one) captained by love, by justice, by peace.

My brothers and sisters, you and I are descendants of those first disciples. While we all want One Love, we have to understand that the kingdom we seek is not of this world.

It is of love, justice, peace.

That only comes about by living the new life that Jesus showed us in how he lived his life, death and resurrection, Father Harris advised.

As the men, women and children gathered at the cathedral paid close attention, Father Harris said Jesus showed us, through his actions, how to live this new life.

This included eating the Passover meal on Holy Thursday family-style with His disciples because Jesus considered them his bothers.

He also washed their feet, a job normally reserved for servants at the time, to demonstrate that we must become the servants of one another.
Priest chides twice-a-year church goers

Sirju gave his homily at the 10 am Easter Sunday Mass yesterday to a packed congregation gathered inside the Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish on Harris Promenade, San Fernando. Easter, considered the central feast of the Christian faith, celebrates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead after being crucified three days before.

Jesus resurrection represents for Christians, the triumph of life over death and the promise of resurrection for those who love and serve him. But many have failed to do so, Fr Sirju said, reminding church-goers that being baptised comes with certain responsibilities.

Sirju said that many have kept their baptism in the tomb, having never resurrected it through acting out the requirements of their faith  such as attending Holy Mass every weekend.

But that doesnt stop them from asking for my recommendation when theyre applying to go to a new school. Yesterday, a young man came to me asking for a letter of recommendation.

I had never seen this young man before.

What is worse, the man only knew about three or four people from the church. How could I recommend someone I do not know, Fr Sirju asked.

I am sure that doesnt happen in the Pentecostal church.

There is something seriously wrong with the way we live our lives. Sirju called upon Catholics to remember and to fulfill the requirements of their faith, and not just seek what they can gain from being associated with the Catholic Church
Galicia set to sail off

However, Diane Hadad, Chairman of the Inter-Island Transport Committee of the Tobago Division of the TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce, says she has no clue about when a new vessel would begin operating on the sea bridge.

This is the best-kept secret, Hadad declared while speaking with Newsday yesterday. I have no idea. There is no communication with us on whether they have found anything and whether whatever will be presented. I have no clue. Im not in the know. In contrast, Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan and Chairman of the Port Authority of TT (PATT) board Allison Lewis both expressed confidence that a decision on a replacement vessel would be made tomorrow.

Sinanan told Newsday the PATT board will meet tomorrow, at which time they will evaluate all the information thats been sent to them (and) finalise their decision. Asked if there was enough time between a possible decision on Tuesday and the replacement vessel assuming duties on Saturday, Sinanan replied, Yes, yes, definitely. Remember we had already put on the table the three options.

I understand theres another option, thats four, and there are still some other options that are coming. So Tuesday we will evaluate all of the options we have and make a decision. Sinanan said apart from the barge which several Tobago stakeholders have denounced, the options referred to are some other vessels that people would have sent submitted as a possible replacement. Some of them are in the region but they take a day or two to come in. Sinanan assured that if one of these vessels was chosen, there would be no delay while they sailed from their current location into TT.

We definitely will have vessels here by Saturday. Meanwhile Lewis told Newsday that subsequent to the PATT boards meeting last Thursday, we had some additional work to do. Lewis said the board asked PATTs management to review the available options and to have their findings ready for presentation during tomorrows board meeting. Although she declined to say exactly how many options are on the table, Lewis did say, its quite a few, the barge being one of them.

Im very hopeful, Lewis told Newsday, that the PATT will have a decision by tomorrow afternoon on the Galicias replacement.

The Galicia is a 13-year-old vessel that began principally transporting cargo between the islands in July 2014.

The previous administration paid $48 million for an initial 12-month charter. Following the expiration of that contract, the vessel has been on a month-to-month contract with the PATT for the past 18 months.

Vilma Lewis-Cockburn, Manager of Marketing and Public Relations of the Trinidad and Tobago Inter-Island Transportation Company, said yesterdays ferry service was back to normal after a couple days of delays during the annual Easter rush to get to Tobago. Today (Sunday) the water taxi left Port-of-Spain at 7 am. We had a 9.30 am sailing and a 3 pm sailing but we decided to merge the two due to a lack of demand for seats. The water taxi, which usually runs from PoS to San Fernando, was recruited to assist the fast ferries, the TT Express and TT Spirit, by making one roundtrip this past Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

While things were quiet on the port yesterday, Lewis-Cockburn expects demand to surge at the Scarborough port today and tomorrow (Tuesday), as people try to get back in time for start of the new work week, even though they may have a ticket for Wednesday or Thursday.
Penal water woes spread

He told the Newsday that since Holy Thursday, of the 517 households affected, approximately 264 are fitted for pipeborne water but have not had water for the past month.

Sammy said that along Penal Rock Road and adjoining traces, residents have not had water since February 27. As a matter of fact, the chairman added, some residents who live along Radhyram Trace, off Bunsee Trace, have not had water since Christmas.

Sammy said that Barrackpore is also badly affected as are all high points in the Penal district. Requests for water to be delivered by the corporation, he added, have also come from public institutions in areas on the outskirts of Penal such as Palmiste, Bronte Village, Monkey Town and areas in Debe district.

The problem has been going on for weeks, without a schedule or apology from WASA. Twice Ive requested the intervention of Minister Kazim Hosein (Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Minister) without success. Sammy said that the corporation has been delivering truck-borne water to approximately 400 homes which are not being serviced by WASA, as well as homes which have water mains. He said that WASA has warned against the corporation delivering water to such residents whose homes are fitted for pipe-borne water.

But what can we tell residents who call us and virtually plead for water. Water is a right, not a privilege and we must respond to the call within our physical and financial capability, Sammy said.

Councillor for Penal Shanti Boodram yesterday said that residents of Ramdeen Trace, Fazal Avenue, Bobby Avenue, Aquart Village and Old Quinam Road, have been begging her via her facebook page, for water.

She visited these areas yesterday and heard residents complaints, many of whom said that because they live on higher ground, water has not flowed in their mains for several weeks. Boodram said, We have been asking WASA to pump the water such that those on the higher ground will be able to get water. Some areas did get a pipeborne supply yesterday...but others remain high and dry.
Tourism briefing for High Commissioner London

London was appointed weeks after demitting office as Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) and also as Political Leader of the Tobago-arm of the ruling Peoples National Movement (PNM). Davidson-Celestine is a former Secretary of Tourism in the Assembly who also was not selected by the PNM to contest any seat in the recent THA election.

The objective of the briefing, conducted by Ethlyn John, Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry and other senior tourism executives, was to sensitise and equip this countrys overseas representatives with information that would assist them in promoting destination Trinidad and Tobago in their assigned countries.

In her welcome remarks, John committed to strengthening the Ministrys existing ties, and collaborating even more closely, with this countrys Overseas Missions as the local tourism sector continues to play a key role in the economic transformation of Trinidad and Tobago.

Comprehensive PowerPoint presentations were made on the National Tourism Policy, other sub tourism policies as well as TTs Convention Bureau and the recently launched Go TrinBago mobile application.

Among the many areas discussed were visitor safety and security and optimising the use of our Diaspora in terms of investment and marketing destination Trinidad and Tobago.
Blame PNM for Galicia corruption

R owley last week Thursday, during a live interview on a radio station said that very disturbing documents on the leasing of the Galicia were sent to AG Faris Al-Rawi for possible action and that the public will soon know more about these documents.

Because of how the public has been manipulated, it is important the Government provide all the information and all the documents, Rowley said during that interview. He pointed to probable criminal conduct in other quarters. Rowley added that many critics of his governments handling of the Galicias departure from the sea bridge, were mere mouth pieces for persons who had, their noses in the trough, in an arranged situation.

You have people committing Government to expenditure of millions and millions of dollars, without appropriate authority. You see persons starting out at one end as lawyer for the Port (Authority) and then being a broker for the boat (Galicia), Rowley alleged.

People have been the beneficiary of largesse coming their way because of improper procurement procedure, Rowley further alleged, adding he has told AG Al-Rawi to read the documents and decide on whatever action is necessary.

However, Moonilal in a press release, said it was the PNM Government that promised in its 2016-17 Budget, presented on September 30, that the Procurement Regulator and Board of Procurement Regulation will be established within six months.

By the end of March 2017, if not before, all agencies that procure or dispose of public property would be able to do so in accordance with the Public Procurement Act, the country was told. But this turned into yet another failed promise, Moonilal said, from, a bungling and clueless Rowley regime.

And incredibly, Moonilal added, Rowley is now conceding that, people have been the beneficiary of largesse...because of improper procurement procedures. As with several other vital legislative and policy measures, Moonilal said, this essential procurement structure and procedure has been sidestepped by an inept administration. Rowleys revelation of the Galicia bobol, the Opposition MP stated, is nothing but, a raw admission of incompetence and recklessness by a useless regime. He must be held directly responsible, Moonilal said in reference to the Prime Minister.

Moonilal described the referral of documents to AG Al-Rawi as, barefaced public relations, designed to score, cheap political points, in the face of Rowleys, appalling national leadership. The national community, Moonilal said, must insist that officials of the Government who are guilty of public criminal conduct, as identified by Rowley, must be held accountable.

Timely implementation of the procurement measures would not only have averted the Galicia scandal, but also several other acts of corruption at the levels of the Central Government, statutory bodies, State enterprises and Tobago House of Assembly (THA), Moonilal added.

He ended his release by saying that the Galicia scandal was a direct indictment on a hopeless and failed administration.
The best U.S. states to survive a grid down nuclear power apocalypse? Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada

In todays society, there is a lot of uncertainty about the future. We are on the cusp of a possible nuclear World War, as well as looming threats from natural disasters and other apocalyptic events. In such a time, it is a good idea to know where to go to survive such scenarios. There are currently five U.S. states that offer the best chance of surviving at least one of the above scenarios. According to a map presented by the Union of Concerned Scientists, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada are five states where there are currently no nuclear reactors, which makes them the safest places to be in order to survive a grid down nuclear power apocalypse.

However, before you load up a moving van and hit the road, be aware that an electricity-generating nuke plant is apparently in the works for eastern Idaho, but it wont become operational until 2024. The project, which aims to replace traditional coal-fired power plants, calls for six to 12 modular reactors that can generate 50 megawatts of power each.

A grid down blackout situation in states with operational reactors could be a scary life-threatening disaster given the likelihood of nuclear fallout that could harm the population and contaminate the food supply.

A prolonged outage across 15 states and Washington, D.C., according to the University of Cambridge and insurer Lloyds of London, would leave 93 million people in darkness, cost the economy hundreds of millions of dollars and cause a surge in fatalities at hospitals, TheHill reported.

There have been repeated warnings about the vulnerabilities of the U.S. power delivery infrastructure, particularly to an electromagnetic pulse attack, and if the electric grid goes down, nuclear reactors have a high chance of failure. (RELATED: Read more about the nuclear threat at RadiationScience.com and Nuclear.news)

In a power failure, battery backup power systems that cool nuclear reactor cores with water will kick in to prevent overheating. Most of those backup systems operate for up to 24 hours before they run out of juice. While diesel or propane generators are present at many sites, they depend on the delivery of fossil fuels, which may be seriously disrupted. At that point, any affected reactor is prone to a meltdown. It could take days or weeks before authorities would be able to restore the power grid following a widespread emergency.

As Natural News explained a few years ago:

Though they obviously generate power themselves, nuclear power plants also rely on an extensive system of power backups that ensure the constant flow of cooling water to reactor cores But if the emergency results in longer-term power losses, and backup generators run out of power, this constant flow of cooling water will eventually run dry. This is what happened at Fukushima, resulting in several reactor cores melting right through their containment structures into the ground.

Radiation sickness and death, contamination of the food and water supplies, and a collapse of essential services are among the projected outcomes in a nuclear apocalypse event. About a year ago this month, the FBI warned that the U.S. power grid is also vulnerable to cyberwarfare. By some estimates, a grid down scenario brought on by a natural disaster or a hostile attack could kill 90 percent of the American population.

Sources:

UCSUSA.org

DeseretNews.com

TheHill.com

NaturalNews.com

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Morocco has been described as the country least affected by terrorism in North Africa and the Sahel with zero attacks reported in 2016 said the annual study dubbed: Terrorism in North Africa and the Sahel in 2016, issued by the Inter-University Centre on Terrorism Studies (IUCTS) and the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies.

During 2016, Morocco continued to improve its counterterrorism capabilities, as demonstrated by multiple arrests of suspected terrorists, seizing weapons, and aborting violent plots, said the report

Particular mention should be made of the leadership of King Mohammed VI in denouncing terror and proposing the excommunication of Muslims who use their faith as justification for political violence. And in early 2017, Morocco banned the production and sale of the burqa out of concern that the shroud-like garment, which covers the entire face and body of Muslim women, would be exploited to mount terrorist attacks, the document added.

In sum, Rabats holistic security strategies, ranging from expanded international cooperation (e.g., joining the African Union) to developing tolerant Islamic approaches, seem to serve as a practical model to bring potential terrorist threats to manageable levels, the report highlighted.

The number of terrorist incidents in the Maghreb and Sahel regions of Africa rose 14% in 2016, reaching the second highest level since 9/11, according to the study.

The report listed Libya, Mali, Tunisia and Algeria as the most terrorism hit countries in the Sahel and North Africa with 125, 64, 16 and 13 incidents respectively.

The study also warned of the increasing links and recruitment in the region notably due to the surge of the ISlamic State group in Syria and Iraq as well as Al Qaida affiliates across the region. Countries in the Maghreb and Sahel are not immune to the broader threat of violence emanating from Iraq and Syria, the study underscored.
To counter extremism, King Mohammed VI has set up a training center for Imams, Murshideen and Murshidat (male and female preachers) to spread the true values of Islam, said Monday the Irish Times.

The center, opened in 2015, is housing 1,200 live-in students from Morocco, sub-Saharan Africa and France. Dubbed Mohammed VI Institute for the Training of Imams, Murshideen and Murshidat, the centers international reach reflects its status as a major tool in Moroccos efforts to encourage a moderate strain of Islam, not just domestically but beyond its borders, underlined the Irish newspaper.

This is part of a wide-ranging strategy by Morocco and its king to counter extremism through an array of soft initiatives. These have included establishing a radio station, Radio Coran, which broadcasts prayers throughout the day, and even the 2015 pardoning of 37 apparently repentant Salafists serving prison sentences for terrorism-related offences, added the Irish Times

Moroccos concerns about extremism were prompted, in great part, by a 2003 terrorist attack in Casablanca, which killed 45 people, followed by another in Marrakech in 2011, which killed 17, explained the daily.

A Moroccan national investigation bureau, set up in 2015, has made about 600 arrests and dismantled about 40 cells. But it is Moroccos king Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, whom many credit with controlling the extremist threat, stressed the Irish newspaper.

It also hailed the views and stands expressed by King Mohammed VI during his speech made last August wherein the Sovereign called on monotheists to pool efforts to fight terrorism, which is sparing no community and no country.

Those who engage in terrorism, in the name of Islam, are not Muslims. Their only link to Islam is the pretexts they use to justify their crimes and their folly. They have strayed from the right path, and their fate is to dwell forever in hell, said the Monarch.

They think  out of ignorance  that they are engaging in jihad. Since when has jihad been synonymous with killing innocent people? The Almighty says: Do not transgress limits, for Allah loves not transgressors, stressed the Sovereign.
Around 100 members of the Separatist Movement have joined ranks of the Islamic State group (IS) in Libya and in Sahara desert, head of Moroccos BCIJ (Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation) Abdelhak Khiame, told France24.

Suspected for ties with terrorist organisations, the separatist movements connection with IS is a bombshell and puts Moroccos security under threat.

Algeria, god-father of the separatist movement is also under threat despite its support, BCIJ Boss noted.

Khiame also feared for security of the region which he said has been reluctant for cooperation.

Khiame urged Algerian authorities to cooperate with Morocco in the fighter against terrorism in the Sahel region.
Habib al-Adly, Mubaraks interior ministry until his demise in 2011 has been handed seven-year in prison sentence for corruption related charges, reports say.

Known as Mubaraks iron man, Adly served as interior minister from 1997 to 2011 when a popular revolt swept away the Egyptian autocratic leader and his regime. He was the longest serving interior minister of the country.

Adly was not in court on Saturday during the ruling. Reports say he can appeal the decision on condition that he shows up in court.

The court found him and other 10 interior ministry officials guilty of money embezzlement during his tenure at the head of Egypts security apparatus. They siphoned more than two billion pounds (about $110 million), reports say citing the court.

Two other defendants also received seven-year sentences, while the court sentenced six others to six years in prison each and two to three years, the New Arab reports.

The court ordered the former minister and nine other defendants to restore 529 million pounds (about $29 million) that they took during the ministers period at the head of the ministry.

Adly has been put under house arrest after being acquitted on charges of using his political influence to acquire illicit gains amounting to 181 million pounds (about $10 million) in March 2015.

His condemnation comes less than a month following the release of his boss acquitted for ordering killing of hundreds of protestors in the revolution that removed from power in 2011.

Adly himself other security officials have also been acquitted for the mass murder charges.
ICE agent. Photo: David Maung/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Immigration arrests are up more than 30 percent in the first months of the Trump administration, with 21,362 people detained from January 20 through March, compared to 16,104 in the same period last year, reports the Washington Post.



The majority of immigrants detained had criminal convictions, but the number noncriminal immigrants who were arrested  5,441  doubled compared to this time in 2016. Overall deportations in January, February, and March hit 54,741, a slight decrease of 1.2 percent, but with noncriminals making up a larger chunk of those deported.

Despite the uptick, immigration arrests do not deviate that drastically from periods in the Obama administration. For example, from January 20 to March 2014, immigration arrests reached 29,238. A total of 7,483 of those arrests included people who did not have criminal records. The number of immigrants without convictions dipped substantially in 2015 and 2016, following an Obama administration directive to dedicate resources to detaining those with criminal background and recent arrivals.

At least the perception of an immigration crackdown appears to be deterring illegal border crossings in the first weeks of the Trump administration. Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly noted huge declines  as high as 70 precent  in the number of people apprehended at the border, reports USA Today. That trend reportedly began in February, when illegal border crossings plunged about 40 percent.

Kelly admitted that the Trump administration is moving fast to crack down on illegal immigration, and it has somewhat broadened its criteria of who is subject to immediate deportation  such as those with drunk-driving arrests. Kelly also insisted that, even as illegal border traffic has slowed, that wall is still getting built.
Erdogan supporters wave images of the president at a rally in support of the yes vote. Photo: Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images

Turkeys president Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared victory on Sunday night in a narrowly decided referendum granting the populist leader significant new powers over the country. The result of the nationwide vote, which opposition parties are already contesting, sets in motion the most significant constitutional changes in the history of the Turkish Republic, allowing the next elected president vast new control over the country. Supporters say the changes are necessary to modernize the country, but critics believe the reforms will only strengthen Erdogans already tight grip on power and put the country on the path to one-man authoritarian rule.

The official vote count has not been confirmed, but with almost 99 percent of ballots counted, the yes side had more than 51 percent of the vote, but the final results wont be announced for nearly two weeks. Turkeys primary opposition parties have already demanded a recount of much of the vote. Opposition leaders have also complained of potential voter fraud and many opposition members were reportedly targeted by an intimidation campaign in the lead up to the vote. The no side also received significantly less press coverage from Turkeys state-run and state-influenced media.

The voter-approved reforms will replace the countrys parliamentary system with an executive presidency following the presidential election in 2019. The post of prime minister will be abolished, with those powers transferring to the president. The president will also have greater control over the judiciary, including the ability to appoint judges and government officials who would theoretically provide a check on his power, and he would be able to effectively dominate the countrys parliament as well.

The nationalist and Islamist Erdogan, should he win the next election as expected, may now be able to legally rule Turkey until 2029 or longer, based on the term-limit changes approved by the referendum. He has already been effectively running the country as prime minister or president since 2003.

Supporters of the changes argue that the expansion and centralization of the presidents power is needed to help modernize the country and combat threats like ISIS and Kurdish separatists, but outside analysts see the changes as a degradation of the countrys already-weak democracy. In fact, Erdogan has already been controlling Turkey with almost no checks and balances since 2014, and he and his allies have already purged roughly 130,000 people from the government thanks to the state of emergency declared following last years failed coup attempt. In some ways, the referendum just validates and legalizes power that Erdogan and his ruling A.K.P. party had already taken.
Dont blame me, I voted for Jong-un. Photo: KCNA/AFP/Getty Images; Alex Wong/Getty Images

President Trump is bleeding support from his populist base of white, working-class Russians. A new survey from the Kremlin-backed pollster VTsIOM finds that 39 percent of Russians have an unfavorable view of Trump, up from only 7 percent in March. But unlike Trumps other political troubles, this decline really can be blamed on fake news  or state-run propaganda, anyhow.

The Kremlins favorite television personality, Dmitry Kiselyov, spent the first months of this year singing paeans to the new American presidents statesmanship, and his wise decision to seek warmer relations with Russia. Now, Kiselyov is warning his viewers that the conflict over North Koreas nuclear-weapons program pits an impulsive, untrustworthy madman against Kim Jong-un.

Trump is more impulsive and unpredictable than Kim Jong-un, Kiselyov said on his Sunday-night program, according to a translation from Bloomberg. Kiselyov also described Trump as more dangerous than his North Korean counterpart, and lamented that the world is a hairs breadth away from a real nuclear war with all its catastrophic consequences.

The state-run television show went on to suggest that the North Korean dictator, who inherited his post from his father (who inherited the post from his father), was a more principled opponent of nepotism than Trump: After all, Kim hasnt given his daughter a cushy government job, while Trump has provided Ivanka with her own White House office. (Kim Jong-uns daughter is 4 years old.)

Ivanka already convinced Trump to bomb Assad, what if she convinces him to bomb Kim? one Russian state television newscaster, Irada Zeynalova, recently asked.

Officially, Russia condemns the brinksmanship of North Koreas ballistic missile tests. But Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has emphasized that it would be both unwise  and illegal, under international law  for the United States to use unilateral force against Pyongyang.

I really hope that the same unilateral actions we saw in Syria wont happen, Lavrov said Monday.

It wouldnt be totally crazy for the Kremlin to see Trump as less predictable than Kim Jong-un. Three weeks ago, the White House was officially indifferent to toppling Bashar al-Assad, while the president had publicly mocked the idea that America has a responsibility to stop foreign dictators from using a little gas on their own people. Then, two days after an apparent gas attack by the Assad government on rebels in Idlib province, Trump ordered an air strike on a Syrian airfield, so as to protect Americas vital national-security interest in deterring the use of chemical weapons.

This about-face came as an unpleasant surprise to the Kremlin, which has invested no small amount of blood and rubles in propping up the Assad regime.

Still, its possible that Trump will win back his disappointed supporters in Moscow before 2020. The presidents communications adviser Michael Anton told Politicos Susan Glasser Monday that people are reading too much into one little missile strike:



Trump, he says, doesnt intend to use the U.S. military to effect regime change in Syria, which is completely consistent with everything he said during the course of his campaign, not just about Syria, but about other countries. The president, Anton tells me, is also still eager to pursue reconciliation with Russia despite the current tough words over Russian backing of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and thinks that he can even build a positive relationship with Vladimir Putin.

For now though, Moscow appears to be getting less out of red America than it bargained for.
Yesterdays Turkish referendum granted increasingly authoritarian President Recep Tayyip Erdogan even more power over the country in a narrow vote. Nevertheless, it has created at least one meme. Nusret Gokce  the sunglasses-wearing, seasoning-sprinkling chef known as Salt Bae  cast his vote in the same way he adds salt: with pinched fingers and a bit of flair.

The chef wrote Islem tamam, which translates to the Process is complete. He did not indicate whether he voted in support of Erdogans new powers. Last July, a failed coup to overthrow the Turkish president resulted in hundreds of deaths and thousands of arrests.
As YouTube becomes big business for some family vloggers, are the kids adequately protected? Photo: Paramount Pictures

In 2011, along with tens of thousands of others around the world, a 13-year-old girl named Allie started a YouTube channel. (Ive changed her name at her request.) She had grown up with the platform, founded in 2005, and shed been dreaming of making her own videos for years. Like many of the YouTubers she watched, Allie was, and remains, a bit of an obsessive. Her greatest love as a preteen was a collection of Bratz-esque fantasy dolls, a group of monster-themed high-school friends who, she felt, reflected her offbeat aesthetic. She eagerly followed, and yearned to join, the young community of vloggers  a term that itself was in its infancy  springing up around the dolls.

Finally, after years of watching and a few false starts, Allie and her best friend launched a channel of their own. Their initial plan was to write and produce a series using their dolls as their actors, but after she posted a few videos reviewing her growing collection, she fell in love with that format and shifted direction.

Allie began posting just as toy-review channels were becoming a full-fledged phenomenon on the growing video-sharing platform. In a typical video, a child, an adult, or most often a pair of disembodied hands will open a new toy and play with it or put it together, usually gushing over each feature as they describe it. The content of these videos is formulaic and fairly inane. As YouTube has become more competitive and commercial, most of the creators are either fanatics, or sponsored by big brands, or both. The reviews most often feel like low-budget infomercials written by children  because, you know, they are. Still, they are insanely popular with young kids, who respond more to novelty and enthusiasm than to nuance and originality. Thousands, probably tens of thousands of these channels exist, but viewer communities tend to coalesce around certain brands  as Allies did. After a few months of work, her video on a newly released collection went viral among the doll collections obsessors. In seven months, she had 15,000 subscribers. In a year, she had close to 100,000.

Her parents knew that she was making YouTube videos  shed had a similar channel a few years before that never took off  but they didnt take much interest until her viewership skyrocketed. Her mother encouraged her to monetize the channel. Since 2008, YouTube has allowed users to enable advertising before their videos play, and to earn 55 percent of the profits they yield. Monetizing is as easy as checking a box, and earnings are deposited in a Google AdSense account.

Allie set up an account in her mothers name, and before long, she was averaging a few thousand dollars a month. The money piled into the AdSense account, where it sat, untouched and unavailable to Allie, presumably being kept for her until adulthood.

But as her success skyrocketed, her spirits plummeted. As Allies popularity and profits increased, her mother started pressuring her to work long hours filming and editing.

I was staying up all night editing videos, she said. I wouldnt be able to wake up in the morning, and my mom would be like, oh, youre so lazy. But I was just working, working, working. It was never enough.

She wanted me to be famous enough and make enough money where I could provide for the entire family, Allie said. She would be able to quit her jobs; my dad would be able to quit his job  She always told me that she would never touch a cent, and then it became, I want 30 percent; I want 50 percent; Im owed this. (Allies mother didnt respond to repeated requests for comment.)

Allie developed an anxiety disorder, and eventually left her mothers house without a word to stay with her father, abandoning the doll collection shed long begun to resent.

Family vlogging has ballooned on YouTube in the last five years. Parents and their children turn the camera on as they play, craft, bake, go on trips, or review toys, as Allie did, and kids all over the world watch in droves. Collectively, the top family vlogs bring in half a billion views a week, and millions in revenue.

YouTube really sort of appealed to the geek side of me, said Melissa Hunter, who started MommyandGracieShow with her daughter, then 8, in 2012. She loved the mines of data she could gather, analyze, and manipulate on the platform. And then I started helping other people who were starting channels, or who wanted to start channels and didnt know how.

The mother daughter team mostly review but occasionally dabble in lifestyle vlogging, going on outings, playing games, or participating in challenges (a huge part of YouTube culture that goes far beyond the Cinnamon Challenge you remember from 2012).

Hunter co-founded the Family Video Network (FVN) three years ago. FVN began as a proprietary network, the subsidiary of a multi-channel network (MCN) called Creative Nation, which works directly with YouTube  the interlocking ecosystem of these subgroups gets convoluted pretty quickly. Now an MCN itself, FVN acts as an intermediary between YouTube and individual channels, as well as between the channels themselves. It provides expertise and advice, encourages cross-promotion, and creates sponsorship opportunities.

The network only accepts family-friendly producers, and Hunter educates her channels on the inner workings of the industry, and talks to them about the way they manage their childrens privacy and exposure to the business. Her brand is built on personal attention, and she is careful only to take on clients whose values and practices she can support.

Hunter thinks carefully about the way she manages her own daughters fame and earnings. She encourages Gracie, now 13, not to read the comments or get used to the notoriety, and works to balance Gracies desires and interests with a sense of personal responsibility. She dictates what  you know, shell go and pull stuff off the shelves. If theres a priority or if we agreed [to film a certain video], Ill be like, Hey, we agreed. Remember, we agreed to do this? Well, we have to do this right now. And shell be like, Okay, lets go do it.

But she acknowledges that her philosophy is probably not the norm. It seems to me that its the parents making the decisions, and then telling the kids what theyre going to film, she said. I dont know how much of this is delusion on the parts of the parents, because Ive talked to people about, you know, Do you think that somewhere down the road your children are going to hate you for this  or feel like, feel exploited?

Allies case is certainly not universal, but its also not uncommon. This arrangement  in which advertisers pay YouTube, and creators are essentially commissioned  exists outside of the traditional rules for which both labor laws and advertising regulations were written, and this loophole has spawned a gaping chasm, which no one wants to take the responsibility to close.

Typically, child performers work on contracts, and their hours, schooling, and working conditions are strictly controlled. Coogan laws  so named for the 1920s child star whose mother and step-father stole his fortune  also protect a certain percentage of their earnings until adulthood. But YouTubes creators arent subject to these regulations, so the only thing standing between a child and abuse is a parent.

Many parents join online communities of family vloggers, both on YouTube and outside of it. They share their experiences, ask for advice, and support each other as their families and businesses change. These communities are useful and largely positive, but they can also become an echo chamber of support for parenting perspectives outside the norm. Influencer marketing, in which popular internet personalities are paid to use or endorse products, has been a huge boon, especially for products targeted toward kids and teens, and families can quickly become reliant on the extra income. As their businesses grow, its tempting to start treating kids like employees, and these pockets of support help justify practices like scripting videos, filming emergency room and dental visits, and homeschooling kids to better accommodate a work schedule. There are channels making more in a month than some people could ever hope to make in a year, in their life. Hunter said. So I think some parents are delusional because they dont want to give up the money.

When Hunter posted a video criticizing the industry in one of these private groups, urging parents to check in with their kids about how they were feeling, the thread was immediately flooded with defensive comments. My thing was, go talk to them, she said. Have a real heart-to-heart conversation, and, you know, make sure that they understand that its okay to tell you no, or that its okay to tell you, That makes me uncomfortable.

Most parents are roped into vlogging by their kids, and done right, it can be a great opportunity for families to bond. Its an extra activity that the boys do, said Felicity Kane, whose sons, now 8 and 9, begged her to start a channel for a year and a half, until she caved last fall. Theyre having fun, and if they dont want to do it, you know  we just dont do a video.

Kanes channel is monetized, though comparably very small (about 700 subscribers), and shed love to see it grow  that will all go into something for their university, which is awesome  but ultimately, she just wants her boys to enjoy what theyre doing. They are kids, and they cant think about it from a business perspective. Theyre not gonna start branding themselves. They still have to just do it when and if they feel like it.

No doubt hoards of kids will come out of this industry no worse for wear, with a host of video-editing skills, a tidy college fund, and a permanent and easily accessible childhood archive. But the potential for abuse is enormous, and at the moment, institutions are doing little to discourage it. Advertisers and YouTube itself share some responsibility for guarding against bad behavior, but the financial incentives, and the potential cost of finding and resolving abusive situations, make each of these groups hesitant to take action.

At the end of the day, they really dont care, Allies father said of YouTube and its advertisers. Like most vloggers I spoke to, his daughter had never communicated directly with anyone at the company. They just want to run their ads at the beginning of a video  As long as they get their paycheck from their advertisers, they dont really care what happens. YouTube provides community guidelines for content creators and viewers, but while they specifically prohibit explicit material, violence, and copyright infringement, no mention is made of consent, or compensation for people who appear on channels they do not own.

Creator and advertiser pairings are also opaque for both sides. Each selects the other by product category and demographics, and its rare that either knows where their money came from or where its going. This black hole of imperfect, algorithmic matching has been the subject of some interrogation lately, after several high-profile advertisers discovered that they were being run before hate videos and ISIS recruitment.

But monitoring viewer and creator behavior at that scale is a challenge. YouTube does not have any legal authority over creators, nor do they have the resources to examine and approve the 400 hours of new content uploaded to YouTube every minute. And the viewer reports they typically rely on to catch misconduct are not as effective with an audience overwhelmingly comprised of primary schoolers on Moms iPad. Still, the platform could do a lot more to develop and promote guidelines for best practices.

Theres no reason why companies cant  say, you know, were throwing down the gauntlet and saying if youre going to play on our platform with your content, here is our code of conduct, said Linnette Attai, a compliance expert in kids technology. Without singling out YouTube, she encourages web platforms to self-regulate, and argues that its historically been fairly effective at protecting kids on various online media.

When approached for comment on these issues, a YouTube spokesperson offered the following statement: Its inspiring to see that families create content together and start and grow their own businesses on YouTube. We strive to provide all our creators with information on best practices and resources and will continue to make additional resources available.

Allies channel went dormant for a year and a half, as she regained her confidence and forcefully took back control of the AdSense account linked to her channel.

Last summer, she returned with a video, frankly telling her story. After all of the years of lying to my fans, it needed to be told, she said of the video, which detailed her years-long struggle with depression, self-harm, and emotional abuse. Every day, I would see comments like, Youre so lucky; youre so spoiled  in my head Im like, These kids actually think that Im living a good life  I wanted to expose the truth for what it was because I felt like I owed it to everybody.

Her video and others like it hint at the start of a backlash, as the first children of this industry reach adulthood.

I foresee a ton of very interesting videos like my daughters popping up within the next four years, her father said. And theres gonna be some messy ones; some kids who have really been pushed past their limit.

Allies channel led to years of pain, but shes excited to be making videos again. Like so many other kids on the platform, it was she who grew up watching YouTube; she who fell in love with videos of kids like her; and she who wanted desperately to make her own.

YouTube was something Ive always wanted  I wanted to be able to do the things I wanted to do  makeup, funny videos, story time, things like that  just being myself, she said. It was always for me.
Photo: Getty Images

New Yorks Sex Diaries series asks anonymous city dwellers to record a week in their sex lives  with comic, tragic, often sexy, and always revealing results. This week, an engaged copywriter who has a craving for someone else: 39, straight, engaged, DUMBO.

DAY ONE

8:15 a.m. Im in line for my morning coffee and Jamie, a guy I went out with three years ago, is in front of me. What are the chances? He looks really good. I recognize him but Im not sure he recognizes me. I say hi 

8:17 a.m. He remembers me. We have a pleasant exchange  even though the whole thing should be super awkward. Why? Because I blew him off pretty hard core after that first date, three years ago, and two because  I am engaged  and my fiance is in the bathroom.

8:20 a.m. I introduce Jamie to Luke, my fiance, but I make sure not to say fiance. I just say, This is Luke. I wonder if either of them pick up on my obvious lack of detail. I dont like jewelry and rarely wear the engagement ring, so that wasnt there as a clue.

9:30 a.m. Luke and I are finishing up our work stuff (we work together as freelance advertising copywriters) and Jamie is still at the cafe on his laptop. Im distracted. All I want to do is make out  with Jaime.

10 a.m. I take a yoga class, still thinking about Jamie. I was not into him on our first date, arranged via Bumble. I thought he was cute but not that cute, and maybe too gritty. I remember him making it really clear that he didnt have money, would never make much money, and came from a poor family. On a first date, it was all a lot to take in. I dont come from money either, but I work hard and have financial goals.

1 p.m. Luke and I are at a different coffee shop now. Luke is great; I love him a lot. Weve been together for two years. Its a healthy, happy relationship. We dont have a date set for our wedding, but were starting to talk about it. Were also starting to talk about having kids. Hes 42 and Im 39  its time.

6:30 p.m. On the walk to our apartment from the coffee shop, Luke asks how I knew that guy, Jamie from the morning. I could easily say, We had a date once. Luke would get a kick out of that. But instead I say, He dated my sister, but she thought he was gay. Somehow, I subconsciously threw the gay thing in there to give me more protection, in case I ever contact Jamie. I want to contact Jamie 

9:30 p.m. Luke and I cook dinner  a stir-fry chicken-and-rice thing with coconut milk  and have two glasses of wine each. Shortly after, he goes down on me for a few minutes and then we fuck doggy style. I come first, and hard, as usual. Our sex is always good.

DAY TWO

8:30 a.m. There was something else about the Jamie date, three years ago, that I keep thinking about. My best friend had just died. Suicide. He was the first date I went on after the funeral, after three weeks of mourning. He brought me a small trinket to represent strength, because he knew I was suffering. It was so kind. I remember thinking it wasnt quite enough to garner a second date, but nevertheless I was touched. I keep the trinket on my bedside table and look at it often. It doesnt mean Ive thought of Jamie often (or at all) since, but now that Ive run into him again, I feel compelled to let him know how sweet that was and how much I love that little thing.

10 a.m. On the way to yoga, I look through my phone to see if I even stored his name in there. It is there, but spelled wrong. Thats how little I gave a shit about him. I decide to wait until later to text. I know myself and once I text, theres no turning back. Ive never cheated on Luke, but Ive cheated on boyfriends before. Im not polyamorous or anything, but I also dont think straying (once in a blue moon) is the biggest deal in the world. I am sure Luke has made out with a girl here or there, or had a fling with an ex, or something at some point. Hed probably call me cynical and delusional for assuming that, but Im just saying I dont place too much weight on 100 percent fidelity 100 percent of the time. Im just being realistic.

3 p.m. Luke has client meetings and Im working in a coffee shop. I text Jamie. I write it was great seeing him and that, FYI, the little gift he gave me still sits next to my pillow and means a lot to me, and Im sorry I never thanked him properly. Its a long, rambling text, but when youre not single and there are no consequences, you can relax with that stuff. No rules.

3:10 p.m. Jamie writes back an equally long and overly friendly text. Hee-hee!

4 p.m. Lots of texts. Not too flirty. More like old-friend-y.

5 p.m. Luke and I have to make our way to Westchester tonight for a cousins birthday party, so I dont text Jamie any more and the night ends up being lovely with friends and family.

10:30 p.m. Home again, we have sex in the kitchen from behind, against the wall. I come from rubbing my own clit as Luke fucks me, and then Luke comes on my ass.

DAY THREE

8:30 a.m. When I wake up, theres a text from Jamie asking if that guy is my boyfriend.

9:30 a.m. I write back, Yes! without any specific fiance label. He responds, Lucky guy!

10:30 a.m. I go to pee and notice that Im ovulating. When I ovulate, I have tons of rubber-cement-like discharge. I am also incredibly horny when I ovulate. Its very primal.

3 p.m. I worked all day and didnt text much with Jamie.

7 p.m. Luke and I pick up Korean BBQ and take it home to watch in front of the TV. I am so horny. I tell Luke I want to fuck twice tonight  something we never do, as once is usually enough. He does not need to be convinced. First, we fuck in the kitchen as soon as we get home. And then we eat, knowing well get back into it again later.

8:30 p.m. The Americans is not good this season. My mind drifts to Jamie. His eyes looked so green when we ran into each other. I dont remember his eyes looking so green!

10 p.m. During our second round of fucking, I have a hard time coming. I pretend its Jamie giving it to me, while telling me what a cunt I was for never returning his calls. I fantasize that its very rough and that Jamie is pulling my hair and punishing me for being awful. I come hard.

DAY FOUR

8 a.m. Luke is heading home for Passover week, to California. Im staying here to do Easter with the side of my family that lives on the East Coast. One thing I love about us is how drama-free everything is. No one is neurotic, theres never any pressure, its always very easy.

11 a.m. My mind drifted during yoga. I wonder if the fact that Jamie was my first date after my friends death has something to do with this weird infatuation now. Like, seeing him makes me feel closer to her, because he was in my orbit around that time. Is it that deep? Im not sure. Maybe Im just boy crazy by nature.

12:30 p.m. I text Jamie to see if he wants to continue catching up. It had to happen.

3 p.m. He texts back that he has a thing with his girlfriend tonight but tomorrow hes around. Ahhhh, he has a girlfriend! Well, good for him. I am not emotionally affected by this at all. We make a plan for tomorrow. I have no idea what will happen and Im not really worried one way or another about it.

8 p.m. Talk to Luke for a while on the phone. Hes happy to be with his nieces and nephews. Hes going to be an incredible dad someday.

DAY FIVE

8:30 a.m. I have coffee with a friend visiting from San Francisco, Daniella. We talk about our love lives the entire time. Shes single and has all these hilarious dating stories. Luke gives all my single friends hope because hes cute, nice, interesting, and has no major issues. And tall and not bald! I tell her Im seeing a random dude tonight and she is mostly amused by the whole thing. She doesnt judge. Maybe she should?

4 p.m. I get a ton of work done because I know Im going to be hungover tomorrow.

6 p.m. I clean our apartment just in case there is a visitor later. I tell Luke that Im seeing Daniella for dinner. Its a white lie. Hes super preoccupied with his family so I dont think hell check in again until later tonight or even tomorrow morning. For all I know, hes rekindling with someone out West too. I dont go down that rabbit hole. Like I said, its not my style.

8 p.m. Jamie and I meet up at a dive bar that has great burgers. I like that he has a girlfriend. Nothing about meeting up makes me nervous. Its just a friend thing and  well see.

8:15 p.m. He gives me a big hug and we start to drink.

9:30 p.m. Hes telling me how surprised he was that I never wanted to go out again, since he thought we had a terrific first date. I explain that I was looking for something specific and I dont know why, but he just wasnt it. Its pretty straightforward, but I have nothing to lose. We get to talking about our significant others. His GF sounds really nice and devoted, but I dont think hes that into her. I tell him what a blessing Luke is, and when I get to the engagement part, Jamie doesnt seem hurt or pissed about anything. Hes a class act. At this point, Im wondering if hed even hook up if I wanted to 

10 p.m. Who am I kidding?

10:30 p.m. Weve each had a couple of drinks. No missed call from Luke, not that Im too concerned. Jamie walks me home.

10:45 p.m. He comes up to my apartment because we both know whats happening. I go to pee and I can tell Im still ovulating. Somehow this makes me wake up from the haze of the fun night a little bit. I walk out of the bathroom door a little more sober than I was two minutes ago. He is sending a text  I presume to his girlfriend. I say, You should probably go home. We lock eyes and its so hot, its almost as good as physical touch. We hug 

11 p.m. The hug turns to some hot and heavy making out. Very steamy. And very innocent. He leaves before any clothes come off. I have no regrets about anything tonight.

DAY SIX

9 a.m. I have a hangover but at least not the kind of hangover that comes with a What the fuck happened last night? I think I got the Jamie thing out of my system.

10 a.m. Its Saturday so I just organize the apartment all day and catch up with friends and family on the phone.

1 p.m. Luke and I FaceTime. I miss him. I cant wait to marry him. I tell him to talk to his parents about what theyre thinking in regards to our wedding location. Ill talk to mine too. Lets do this 

7 p.m. I get into bed to watch the last two episodes of Big Little Lies. How ironic!

DAY SEVEN

8 a.m. Im heading home to Boston for a week or so with my friends and family. Taking Amtrak. Im excited to listen to S-Town on the ride. I put on my engagement ring since a few of my family members still need to see it. Its a beautiful sapphire that belonged to Lukes grandmother.

10:30 a.m. From Penn Station, I send Jamie an email telling him how wonderful it was to reconnect. I tell him Im going to listen to S-Town, which he had made me promise to do. He texts a little bit, but the fire has died down. I think we both feel fine about that.

8 p.m. I FaceTime Luke with my parents, my brother, and his kids. They call him Uncle Luke. We tell him as a family that the wedding should be this Labor Day  maybe in Cape Cod. He suggests Laguna Beach. And here we go!

Want to submit a sex diary? Email sexdiaries@nymag.com and tell us a little about yourself.
I can't stop thinking about what the victim felt in his last moments. So awful. His poor family. I saw an interview with his family and my heart hurt so much for them.



I hope they get this asshole before he hurts anyone else.

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if you mean what happens in the video where he kills the older man -



[ warning about gruesome video ] the killer is in a car and points the camera to an old man walking on the sidewalk with a grocery bag. he tells the camera he will be his next victim. he goes up to the man and tells him to say a womans name (his ex gf). the old man (mr.goodwin) is confused and says something, then the killer says something like "shes the reason why this is about to happen to you". he pulls up his gun, mr. goodwin says something and holds his hands up to defend his face, then the killer shoots him in the head. he points the camera at mr.goodwin's body on the ground and goes back to his car.



Edited at 2017-04-17 03:43 am (UTC) if you mean what happens in the video where he kills the older man -

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oh my

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I hate guns and gun culture and how many people get shot



it's a sickness and a public health crisis



this is so disgusting and awful :(

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I think you just helped me put something into words that I've been thinking for years. While I don't hate guns, I do hate gun culture. It truly is disgusting and toxic.

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that poor man wasnt doing anything and was gunned down by this heartless psychopath. For him to blame his mother and his ex girlfriend for him going on a killing spree is just another level of disgusting. I feel horrible for that man's family to know their loved one was murdered in a violent act for no reason. This is just breaking my heart.

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Men are always blaming women for things but at the end of the day they're always the ones pulling the trigger and fucking shit up for everyone else. I'd love to see a man just take responsibility for his own shitty life for once instead of pushing the blame off on other people. It would be more groundbreaking than Harry Styles breaking all the gender norms and solving homophobia with his album cover.

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Its just so frustrating. Its like the shooter Elliot Rodgers who made those whiny ass youtube videos before he went off and killed a bunch of people saying that he was angry because he was a virgin and women didnt see him as the catch he was.



I am sick and tired of these domestic terrorists not taking responsibility for their actions. YOU MADE THE CHOICE TO KILL PEOPLE. NOBODYS FINGER WAS ON THE TRIGGERS BUT YOURS AND YOUR ALONE.

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Mfte

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I'd love to see a man just take responsibility for his own shitty life for once instead of pushing the blame off on other people.



exactly. so tired of men who think that because they're suffering eveyone else must suffer too.

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mte, it's always men too, isn't it? You never see women going and murdering random people because they're mad at some man. Toxic masculinity, smh

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For him to blame his mother and his ex girlfriend for him going on a killing spree is just another level of disgusting.

This has been plaguing me.



I can't stop thinking about this and how it's just normal for cis males to blame women for them reaching some breaking point when they could stop themselves by exiting toxic situations instead of fucking causing them. I'm disgusted and honestly terrified.







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'May God bless us all' Khloe what? Shut up.



I swear to God 'Black Mirror' is just going to start doing dramatisations of things that have actually happened. What the actual fuck? Also Facebook should have shut this down immediately. Someone filming themselves committing murder is obviously feeding off people watching it.



Edited at 2017-04-17 02:57 am (UTC)

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They need to just get rid of live video features or at least have a delay so the vieeo can be reviewed before posting like Amazon Reviews. Yall should have someone taking like 2 minutes to see that the shit being streamed isnt fucked up.

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It was up for THREE HOURS after.

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They've allowed gang rapes to be live streamed so.....

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Facebook live is a mess. A few people have commited suicide while live on FB, too.

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Facebook is literally SHIT at shutting down live video.



Two months ago, a guy in my country started a live stream on FB at 2am after he violently beat up another guy, and in the stream he just taunts and smacks the unconscious guy... the police found the body at 4am because of so many reports. The public video stayed on this guys page until 6pm that same day, so it took FB more than 16 hours of countless reports to take it down. The victim died due to injuries a day later.

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I really want to make a swipe at Nekci. But instead I'll just say i hope they find this damn shooter. I hope he's lying about his victim count. And i feel truly awful for the deceased and his family. He deserved better, and now his family and friends will spend the rest of their lives trying to make sense of something you can't make sense of.



Stay safe Cleveland.

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yup. she just makes it so easy. and unlike most of those who ONTD hates for little to no reason, there is a real reason to hold her accountable. I've read some of the stuff in the news about what her bro did (allegedly *eyeroll) and my god. if she'd have said she loved her brother, and supported him but he needed to face what he did, that i could respect.



paying for the lawyer who is trying to trash and tear a little girl apart? there aren't enough swear words or ways to tell her to fuck off. it legit bothers me that young girls look up to her or want to emulate her. when there is a child, a fucking baby whose been dragged through the mud for having the courage to speak up. makes me sick.



tl:dr: IA bb, IA.

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Oh my God. That's so sad.. I'm gonna need to stay off Facebook because people always post images w/o regard.

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Yeah I watched the first five seconds and then noped out of it.

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I remember when that newscaster was murdered in live tv and someone posted a screen cap of the video.. like, some people don't want to see that. Reading this stuff is awful enough, I don't need visuals as well.

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One thing I don't miss about FB is all the gory videos people would share

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Yeah, people search for, watch, repost SNUFF like it's normal now. It makes it hard to navigate and just read the news (when the news do it with no warnings too!)

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Wut @ halsey??

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idk about media but the usual suspects online are trying to disparage BLM bc he supported it/the movement has been silent about this!!1!11!!

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I haven't seen that anywhere but...morons.

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Early on, ppl were claiming that bc he trimmed his beard a certain way, it meant he was committing the crimes bc of Islam, even tho i haven't seen anything wrt his religion and pretty much was blatant about why he was committing the shootings.

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how senseless. jfc. I honestly don't know how they'd even stop things like this from happening anymore - you read news like this and it feels surreal.

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And manage to use it? It's in a case and you have to pop the cap off and then jam that thing properly into your thigh.

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I'm listening to the scanner rn. Another Ford Fusion sighting across from a church apparently. Hopefully one of these tips ends up credible.

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Well, now that literally anyone with metal problems can get a gun, this will become a (even more) recurrent situation.



My heart goes to the family of the victims.

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I mean not much has changed in terms of gun control (lack thereof) and sadly things like this have happened for a long time and will continue unless we employ stricter gun laws nationwide.

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I mean, serial and spree killers aren't usually mentally ill so I wouldn't connect the two tbh.

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This is so awful. That poor man who died for nothing.

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we live in a sick world

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i see this sick fuck got inspo from vester flanigan.

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the guy who shot the reporter and photojournalist in Virginia while they were live on air.

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He was the former reporter who killed two of his colleagues on live television and he wrote a manifesto, I think.

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I'm always missing Elementary, if its not work its because they keep preempting it for something else.

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The next five episodes should air every week without any other preemption, which is sooo generous of CBS.

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I enjoyed tonight's episode! It was worth the wait.

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I heard there was no delay this time around and the Bee Gees concert was actually quite enjoyable, so that's nice.



Snobbish Sherlock is my new fave Sherlock lol.

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wait, there was a new ep tonight?? off to primewire

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Only if you didn't already watch 5x19 last week.



I did so as a reward from CBS I have to wait two weeks for the next one.

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ohhh that explains it. i don't have a tv/cable so i assumed 5x19 was last week's epi. tyvm!

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Me neither. Last week it was preempted by golf so TV-only folks got screwed.



Anyway looking at your username, since the title of that episode is High Heat I was waiting for a Nikki Heat reference but nope, it had nothing to do whatsoever with Castle.

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lol my first thought when i saw the ep title but overall too soon! Lol /still healing

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Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in Hello! Your entry got to top-25 of the most popular entries in LiveJournal!Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in FAQ

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Good eps

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i was so confused by elementary bc i didn't realise it was last week's all over again. i couldn't figure out how i was seeing 5x19 as last week but it was showing as airing this week.



d'oh. looking forward to next week

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Yeah this week was supposed to be an off week for Elementary but as you know CBS and golf messed up last week's schedule.

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i don't live in the states so i stream everything. i just know what day things are supposed to air and go by streaming sites to figure out if it aired or not :)

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Me too. This is why I'm so grateful for Canada's unfailing commitment to actually air new episodes the day they are scheduled to air.

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Sherlock was doing too much even by his standards.

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Omg I nearly choked at my desk

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Those stupid fucking hats. Burn down the factory that makes them tbh.

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I feel like that's just standard behavior for him- taking something that isn't his and giving it away and someone else thinking he's so generous.

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I had like a two month streak that ended on Friday of posting The View.



Just want to say thank you for no more pre-recorded stuff. Whoopi is insufferable today.

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Seriously Whoopi just spews out so much nonsense. I don't mind her voicing her opinion but she rambles on and on forever and it sounds like nonsense.

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I'm always here for Whoopi shutting down Jed's nonsense but overall I'm tired of her antics. She has the sourest face whenever anyone talks about anything. She's constantly rolling her eyes when any of the co-hosts talk about themselves, and then takes up most of the time giving her opinion and no one can get a word in.

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Melania should've pretended she didn't see and let him stand there like the buffoon he is.

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That tree looks scary

I'm on my phone and it looks like there's some fucked up hole

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lmao omg, i cannot

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Literally tears, fuck

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Melania Trump reads to children https://t.co/7SUBV1NJil Found it oddly disturbing #flotus,as a mom, nvr botherd 2 show the kids the pictures  kym (@kymztime) March 28, 2017 B/c Melania doesn't know how to show the pictures to kids

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wow she truly needs to pick up a book and read to herself

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america first, right pic.twitter.com/i1cEjY1m5s  Jordan Uhl (@JordanUhl) April 17, 2017

Obama was called a traitor. And let's not forget how people treated Gabby Douglas.

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Fox News would have flayed and eviscerated Obama for this.

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No lies detected.

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I love that Melanie showed up in a gown, it's like the tight face sis didn't know what event she was going to.

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Fuck this family

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Marching for him to release his tan returns seems like a waste of time.



Also I don't ever recall putting my hand on my heart for the national anthem. Only for the pledge but if it's expected of him then it should be routine at this pt

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It should be for the pledge but a lot of people do it for the NA. Gabby Douglas got dragged to hell and back at the Rio Olympics bc she didn't put her hand over her heart for the NA.

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I remember that. I guess she stood out bc she was the only teammate who didn't. In reality, a lot of athletes didn't

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I never quite understood that - except it offered another bullshit excuse for racists to abuse and berate an accomplished, talented POC.

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marching for him to release his taxes wont make him release them but it brings a lot of negative attention for him so its still important.

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eh, i don't know if would call the marches a waste: he's not going to release his returns (willingly) but it's important that people see that the opposition to him has not dissipated

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lol @ tan returns

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Lmfao same, I'm so glad I came into this post

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I watched it live today because my mom was home and she had it on. That Jedediah woman was pissing me off when she was talking about the North Korea situation.







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I briefly read this morning about some couple who was kicked off their united flight but a lot of ppl were questioning their story

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I mean, I believe the visual but I wish they were more comparable photos.

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i mean, aside from how he's probably going to get us all killed by either inciting war or letting climate change ruin our ability to live on this planet, he's just a genuinely embarrassing person

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the tax marches over the weekend got so fucking violent.

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I think just in Berkeley. I didn't see it reported anywhere else. The one closest to me was fine.

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no, they didnt. there was a clash at an alt right rally in berkley. that wasnt a tax march

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...and I shit myself the other week when the Canada Revenue Agency mistakenly sent me out a letter saying I owed $63,000 in taxes. When I called and the man on the phone apologized I was like "I can't imagine owing that much in taxes" and he was like "that's nothing compared to what we see sometimes." Like, that doesn't surprise me but at the same time it does.



Edited at 2017-04-17 10:29 pm (UTC)

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It came with the envelope to pay in full and an online account #. I was like ??????????? and shaking. Like lemme just pay $63k in full real quick. I almost had my mom call lmao cause I was shaking so much. Stupid ass disorganized Canadian government.

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OMG. Glad you cleared that up!



I keep getting some dumbass calls from these people claiming to be the CRA demanding that I give them money that's so obviously a scam.

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Oh damn and I freaked if the CRA ever did that to me.



At least you had it cleared out.

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Id be like "well, I'm leaving the country and changing my name" if I got a letter like that.



Edited at 2017-04-18 01:43 am (UTC)

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Two years ago I got a bill like that, but for $20,000. It came with a return envelope for payment and a due date. Of course it was a mistake, but one they made, determining an amount as income (which it wasn't), and taxing that amount.



It took ten months of letters and copies of documents going back and forth before they reduced the bill to $1,000. I honestly didn't feel like I owed any of it, but it would have taken an attorney and even more preparation of financial documents to continue arguing with them, and after almost a year of this they had worn me down and I just paid it. I'm pretty sure they know an attorney will cost more than simply paying a thousand dollars, so this is just another way for them to collect money that isn't even owed to them.



Edited at 2017-04-18 01:47 am (UTC)

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$63k!!! JESUS. I'd have a stroke if I saw that. I'm glad you got it fixed.



My friend owes $2k this year and I'm so mad for him. They've been living in fucking TX to save money and it isn't helping. His employer from 2016 totally fucked up. He desperately wants to come back to CO so bad, his gf is dragging her feet a little, and this $2k he owes is going to screw them over for monthsssss. I miss my friends. :(

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my bff just got one of those (for $200k) because he didn't fill in the paperwork properly in regards to his children. big dude full on bawled his eyes out only to find out there was a clerical error and it's only 200$.

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Shopping spree!

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take some hookers on a shopping spree and do some blow

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The best combo.

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lmao

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build me a new body like a fucking sim, ngl.

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vacation around the world until the money ran out.

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get some hot, straight, tested male hookers, and have them blow me

(well, not blow me technically, but still)



Edited at 2017-04-18 12:48 am (UTC)

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Travel the world. Get a personal trainer. Pay someone to cook for me.

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Mine sounds boring I would travel for a little bit but in the long run, I'd want to be smart and save a majority of it and limit the amount to a reasonable resources although splurge once in a while on good food, activities and killer handbags.



People seem to burn money quickly so I think it's smart to build on what you have and watch the pot of gold accumulate.

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Fix up my house, or buy some real estate somewhere exotic....





buy lots of tennis shoes

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Pay off my stupid $7k in credit card debt (most of that is from a down payment on a new car) and my stupid $9k-ish in student loans. Then I'd buy a bigger place. Then I'd go on a shopping spree, get all my planned tattoos...

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 @ dis thread



Shopping, getting cute shit for my new house and unmmmm more nice gifts to give away, and more video games. Actually no, I'd spend $$$$ for everything cyberpunk. And thick ass strong asf potent weed to fuvk u up. Aww Yeaaah

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Me? Porcelain veneers, buy my parents and grandparents new homes, take a vacation somewhere out of the country, and if there's anything left... travel to a couple of different states to see GaGa and some of my favorite RPDR Queens on tour w my bff. Lol

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Buy a condo or some kind of real estate, invest then travel

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build tiny houses for me, my mom and my brother. we could park together but no longer actually live together, it'd be nice.

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i worked part time for a few months last year and made ~2000 and they took away ~300 should i bother with filing? i know i dont have to. is there any free way to easily file taxes? i'm just a single student, no loans, still dependent so nothing complicated



Edited at 2017-04-17 10:31 pm (UTC)

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I used Turbo Tax, totally free.

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unless you have 1099s. then use credit karma and you won't have to pay.

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Yes. You'll probably get most of it back.

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Just fill out a 1040EZ and mail it in. It takes maybe 10 minutes

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I used credit karma because it's free for federal + state.

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if you make less than 30,000 a year then turbotax is free. i got over a 1000 refund because i used it.

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Use Turbotax or Taxhawk! I've used Turbotax the past two years and it's really easy.

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I used Credit Karma this year. Totally free, got our federal refund back in a week (today actually.) Still waiting on state.

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How do wealthy people fuck this kind of shit up so badly??



I didn't owe any taxes but made bank on my return.



Edited at 2017-04-17 10:32 pm (UTC)

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Most of them have accountants so it really has never made sense to me. Like how do you just....not file taxes when you're that crazy rich? It just slipped their accountants mind? What?

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But even if they have accountants, the person has to file something. My mom and step-dad don't do their own taxes, but they still have to sign forms. I mean, unless the person is just expecting the accountant to forge a signature. Also, even if you have an accountant, surely there are things you have to turn into them for your taxes, such as charity donations, and such.



Shit, I'm not rich, but I have someone do my taxes, but I still have to put all my stuff together to send to her. I have to get my stock stuff I got from work and my personal stock. My renters credit. My regular tax forms. Gah! So much stuff! Do the ultra ultra rich just have every single financial thing go straight to an accountant? Surely, they'd get some things that have to go through them that they then get to the accountant come tax time.

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Haha.gif  Celebs who don't pay taxes are idiots and deserve to be slammed by the IRS.

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Same

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How do you fuck up your taxes that badly? Good christ.



We got a $2k refund back in February and it is sitting in our savings account. I know that it's bad to get a refund that big - it means you could have had less taken out of every paycheck - but I don't mind giving the government a loan when I am getting it back in one lump sum.

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Yeah I don't mind doing that because it forces me to save/spend less.

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I'm the same way, I'm terrible at saving money and have no kids so I just list 0 dependents. I figure it's a way for the government to save money for me and then I can either save a lump sum or treat myself/have extra $$ for traveling that I'd never be able to save on my own.

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i'm the same way tbh

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i'm the same way too

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Girl I got one for 4k and I was mortified.

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I'm the same way. It's the bomb because I pay for my vacations using that money.

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ITA, I'm getting $6k back I think. It's nice to save a ton all at once.

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I'm getting over $1,000 back this year and I'm happy about that, instead of having less taken out of my check, because I'm taking that, combined with a Christmas check, and opening an account with Fidelity. I've got to start spreading out money in different places so I can retire before I'm too old to enjoy it.

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the only reason i got any money back was because i went back to school. otherwise i would have gotten back 2 dollars.

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i got $1,300 back for three months of work and was like... wtf, why am i letting them take so much? but yeah, a lump sum does wonders.

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My husband and I deliberately set up our taxes so we take the fewest exemptions(?) and get a decent return. We got like $1150 back from federal and like $350 back on state.

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Better they take too much and you potentially have a bigger refund than they take too little and you owe in the end! What you are doing is the smart and sensible move, and I have no idea why you think that's "bad"?!?

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I mean, it's not "bad", per se, it's just not financially ideal. There are ways that you can figure out exactly how much to withhold to cover your taxes without over or under paying. Because I am not going to those lengths, and just have my exemptions at 0, I am giving the government a zero interest loan of my money for the year. If I kept that extra money throughout the year and invested it, I could be making more money for myself.



Like I said, I don't mind doing this because I get the lump sum back, but I could be doing the extra work to figure out exactly how much to withhold, and I am not.

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It's really hard to have sympathy for her at this point. Granted no one taught her about money management but at a certain age she should have looked into it herself. Plus Randy was dealt the same hand and as far as we know he's making it work. I do feel bad for her kids though. They truly had no say in the mess they've been born into.

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omg its past the 15th now isnt it?

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Yep

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Since the 15th was Saturday today is the deadline. ETA: Oops, tomorrow, my bad!



Edited at 2017-04-17 10:38 pm (UTC)

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i'm never gonna get em done by today tho :/

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Yep but taxes aren't due until today because the 15th was a saturday

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Have they confirmed it? Because direct garnishment of $707k from bank accounts would take a hell of a lot of legal wrangling that would have made the news before this.

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how do you owe 80k on your credit card jesus christ

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I have a total of $7k on ours (most of which is from a car down payment we put on a zero-interest card...all our cards are zero-interest for the next year at least) and it makes me so fucking anxious. I'd probably shoot myself if I owed $80k on credit cards.

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Well if they never paid it and there's a high interest rate - yikes I can see how that would happen it makes me sick to think about it.

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If I had an extra $700,000 I'd buy a condo in Hawaii.



And yes, my taxes are done. We're actually getting a refund because we didn't work for two months while we were moving/traveling/between jobs.



Edited at 2017-04-17 10:39 pm (UTC)

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you can buy one for under $100K on Kauai

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More money for mai tais!

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Omg

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1. Yes, I paid my taxes, with next to nothing coming back.

2. With $707,000, I would a) finish paying my student loans off and then b) buy 1)a house on the lake in my neighborhood or 2) a sweet top floor condo either a) in my neighborhood or b) overlooking the capitol square



tl;dr: loans and a home

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I'm boring so I'm buying a fucking house and paying that shit in damn near full



I got a ~3k refund and paid off 95% of my credit card debt. My credit score is about to be SICK



Edited at 2017-04-17 10:40 pm (UTC)

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that's exactly what i'd do. i want my own house so bad.

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Slay! I had $8k on zero-interest cards, with a big chunk of that being from a down payment on a car for my husband because his old one shit out in November. We got back about $1400 total so I'm putting most of it on the credit card with the down payment. Then we'll have $7k on credit cards, all of which are zero-interest. My credit score is killer because my credit limit is like $65k and I'm using less than 20% of it.



I'd also get a house and pay it off tbh. Our mortgage is $950 a month and I'd much rather have that money in hand than be paying a mortgage.

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so sad that Brooklyn is become synonymous with hipster fools like these.

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i know, right? meanwhile, the POC who would see through such foolishness rarely get to tour nationally..let alone internationally. :(

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that's a canadian thing, not a nobody thing. canadian people don't support anything lmao.

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This is so fucking true and awful. I hate how apathetic Canadians are - especially to Canadian artists. If Drake had never become famous in the US, he would have never been a successful rapper. Canadians wouldn't have given a single fuck about Jimmy from Degrassi and his music. But once a Canadian finds success abroad then it's all "ohhh he's Canadian!".

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except hockey!

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i take some offense to this. i just saw prozzak live and my first concert was jann arden. love me some bryan adams, philosopher kings, and jacksoul.



i also loved kung fu the legend continues, danger bay, little mosque on the prarie and street legal !!!!!!!



not all canadians. and i appreciate can content laws.

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Lol I always assumed Canadian artists got some love at home. I remember people laughing when Metric was supporting Paramore in the US but the opener got changed to LIGHTS for the Canadian dates. At least you guys got to experience Girlicious.

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ONTD, a place of status now?

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I love her on twitter tbh. I started following her a few months back.

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I recently discovered Tanya's music. Very cool. Didn't expect her speaking voice to sound like that.



Good that the band changed their name. It was the least thing they could do.

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I'm glad the band changed their name, but I also hope there was some education cause tbh if you're adopted and you only know the name of your mother's tribe, you most definitely aren't gonna learn shit about Native American/First Nation tribes in anything you're given at a US school.



In any case, claps to Tanya.



(Further thoughts: Also the band leader could've done some research and realised you just avoid any titles/tribe names known in popular culture. I'm not a specialist on NA anthropology/language by any means but I am a linguist, and I know that if you're not a member of the group you want to work with, you DO NOT get involved with indigenous North American languages or people unless you are going to educate yourself up and down, be respectful humble and listen to everyone before making a contribution, and you're going to accept what you're wrong about. Granted that goes for ANY linguist/anthropologist, but North/South America and Pacific/Australian/NZ contexts require a lot more care from point 1 for obvious reasons. But like in general, just never use a quick google for PC or not info on indigenous groups because jfc, the info out there is pretty appalling and outdated unless it's done by the tribe/group in question themselves or a closely related specialist.)

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Hey, fellow Polynesian mix, but I'm half Viet from when Viets were being moved to Australia. Don't know any of my Polynesian family except my grandma but she moved to Vietnam in her 20s. Learning about New Caledonia has been interesting.

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dont fuck with canadians

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Canadian treasure!

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I love footage of hockey players being sweet to young fans. It's one of those things that just instantly brightens my day.

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Omg yesssss that gif <3

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Tagaq released a statement that Pitchfork picked up explaining her reason for doing it publicly:



The word Eskimo is a slur for many Inuit. The name being applied to a band by a non-Inuk person incensed me. I applied the same tactic that I have used a multitude of times with offending appropriators or groups (RIDM Festival, Ungava gin, Black Pussy), which was one of aggressive public scrutiny. This tactic is taken because often when I privately contact these groups they dismiss me completely until there is a public outcry.



Edited at 2017-04-17 11:08 pm (UTC)

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is Eskimo offensive? Has it always been?

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She's Inuit. She's entitled. And they deserved to be shamed for it.

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can we all collectively move on from hipster culture? im so tired of these ugly white weirdos and their quirky bullshit.

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ia. it's played out at this point.

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Reminds me of that band formerly known as Viet Cong. Mess.

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It sucks because they're actually a great band. I'm glad they changed their name to Preoccupations, but it's so stupid that they chose that name in the first place and were legit defending the decision for a little while.

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those fools are assholes..it took them forever to change their name despite repeated attempts. plus they're super unprofessional..some friends of mine here in NYC played a festival with them and said they were disrespectful.

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as someone who lives in portland



PLEASE

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well..at least they changed it. it looked super tryhard anyways.

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More thing need to be like this.



"This is offensive because _____"



"Ok, we're changing it."



easy

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If only! People get way too invested in defending something like a name or a brand.

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they should change their name to homeaux!

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if she's half tlingit, why didn't she just call the band tlingit?

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tbh i thought it was weird that they had eskimeaux as a name in the first place, seeing as it's ... bad? i can relate tbh, i have a father whose culture i'm not aligned with like at all and have used some embarrassing names online for myself as a result. O is also a bad name i hate liking this kind of music all the bands have awful names jfc

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The age of good band names is dead and gone. I can't think of a recent band with a decent name that's come out in the last 10 years. So long to names like Sonic Youth, The Rolling Stones, and Nirvana.

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O just reminds me of O PAON (R.I.P) tbh

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why

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mte. aint no one got time for that shit



(plus she looks like she smells but i wont go there)

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this "music" sounds incredibly dated

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This morning, Vice President Mike Pence stood 100 feet from North Korean soldiers in the Demilitarized Zone to declare his administrations newest departure from established American foreign policy.

"We're going to abandon the failed policy of strategic patience, Pence stated, situated in the middle of the Korean peninsulas rivalling states. But we're going to redouble our efforts to bring diplomatic and economic pressure to bear on North Korea. Our hope is that we can resolve this issue peaceably.

Pences visit came just hours after U.S. and South Korean officials confirmed a failed missile launch by North Korea on Sunday following a showy military parade for the countrys Day of the Sun celebrations.

As pointed out by New York Times reporter David Sanger last month, President Donald Trump is perhaps better briefed about tensions with North Korea than any other international situation, likely due to a pointer from his predecessor President Barack Obama. The first month of the freshman politicians agenda saw more meetings about the Asian showdown that any other single national security issue.

In the days leading up to the vice presidents visit, Trumps tweets urged China, North Koreas main international ally, to negotiate with Pyongyang regarding the countrys nuclear ambitions.

I have great confidence that China will properly deal with North Korea, the president tweeted, following a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. If they are unable to do so, the U.S., with its allies, will! U.S.A.

Trumps message reverberated in foreign and American news media. U.S. allies in East Asia  a category dominated by Japan and South Korea  had been incorporated into hinted military action, presumably without prior consult. Related: Who Holds The Power In Todays Oil Market?

American foreign policy since the Korean truce of 1953 has been to support the existence of the DMZ to prevent direct conflict between the fiefdom of the Kim family and one of the most vibrant economies in all of East Asia.

The capital of said economy, Seoul, sits right next to the demilitarized zone, making any nuclear solution to the North Korean regime detrimental to the livelihoods of millions in the region. The economic carnage of a non-nuclear mother of all bombs (MOAB) attackakin to the one carried out in Afghanistan last week without Trumps direct authorizationon the Korean peninsula would pale in comparison to the massive loss of innocent North Korean lives.

President Trump has been getting increasingly friendly with U.S. military weapons systems over the past couple of weeks. The presidents authorization of a 59-missile attack on Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad airfield created somewhat of a media frenzy that included an interview at the Fox Business Network, in which President Trump stated that all 59 missiles hit, while General Joseph Votel, who heads U.S. forces in the Middle East, confirmed that only 57 hit the mark.

Less than a day after the attacks, Assad used the attacked airfield to launch strikes against his regimes dissenters  counteracting Trumps claims that the operation had been a success.

This failed military action by the new administration makes the escalation of tensions with North Korea even more concerning, as outlined by a flurry of expert opinion on the peninsulas pains.

Some called for the continued support of Seoul against Pyongyang, but without the belligerent use of social media that could instigate inadvertent military mobilization.

It would be risky for Mr. Trump to let overconfidence and bombast, expressed in tweets and public statements, box him into some kind of showdown with the Norths ruthless leader, Kim Jong-un, who has displayed similarly macho traits, The New York Times Editorial Board said on Monday. South Korea, Japan and even Russia have urged both sides to avoid a devastating miscalculation.

Others suggested an abandonment of South Korea, in favor of spending time and manpower to develop stronger relationships with the rest of Asia. Related: Iran Ready To Join OPECs Production Cut Extension

The Korean Peninsula has lost its geopolitical significance, South Korea its helplessness and Americas Korea commitment its purpose, Doug Bandow of Foreign Policy, claimed in his opinion piece for Foreign Policy last week. While there is much to criticize in the approach of Donald Trump's administration to the rest of the world, the president correctly sees the need for a foreign policy that more effectively protects America's interests.

Bandow points to the U.S. outdated presence in South Korea as a key cause of the countrys stagnant military prowess. If American forces were to withdraw, it would push Seoul to develop its defense and return the status of the Korean conflict to a local dispute, instead of the superpower struggle with China it has become. The nuclear concern with irresponsible North Korea would likely be curtailed by Beijing, which is equally as unenthusiastic towards Pyongyangs nuclear program as is Washington.

North Koreas response to Pences posturing so close to the DMZ remains to be seen. As of this articles writing, the DPRK news services Twitter feed still boasts the national elections 100 percent legitimacy, compared to the constitution-altering polls in Turkey that were marred by graft.

The ball remains in North Koreas court.

By Zainab Calcuttawala for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Russias policies regarding the South China Sea (SCS) dispute are more complex than they might seem. Moscows official position presents Russia as an extra-regional actor with no stakes in the dispute. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Russia had never been a participant of the South China Sea disputes and considers it a matter of principle not to side with any party. However, behind the facade of formal disengagement is Russias military build-up in the Asia-Pacific region, and the multi-billion dollar arms and energy deals with the rival claimants. These factors reveal that even though Moscow may not have direct territorial claims in the SCS, it has strategic goals, interests, and actions that have direct bearing on how the SCS dispute evolves.

One-fourth of Russias massive military modernization program through 2020 is designated for the Pacific Fleet, headquartered in Vladivostok, to make it better equipped for extended operations in distant seas. Russias military cooperation with China has progressed to the point that President Putin called China Russias natural partner and natural ally. The two countries most recent joint naval exercise  Joint Sea 2016  took place in the SCS, and became the first exercise of its kind involving China and a second country in the disputed SCS after The Hague-based tribunal ruling on Chinas nine-dash line territorial claims. However, Russias relations with Vietnam are displaying a similar upward trend: Russia-Vietnam relations have been upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership comparable to the Russia-China relationship. Russia and Vietnam are developing joint gas projects in the SCS, and Moscow also is trying to return to the Cam Ranh naval base and to sell Hanoi advanced weapon systems that enhance Vietnams defense capabilities.

Moscows actual behavior, therefore, hardly conforms to the neutrality of its official statements. The simultaneous enhancements of military cooperation with both Beijing and Hanoi  two of the major direct disputants in the SCS  make Russias intentions hard to interpret, and require a more holistic framework that encapsulates different levels of Russias foreign policy interests. Related: Attack On Syria: U.S. Has Returned To Business As Usual

Great powers play multi-level foreign policy games that may overlap in specific issue-areas. For Russia, the SCS issue is where two levels of its policies  systemic anti-hegemonic balancing and non-systemic regional hedging  intersect.

The first level  systemic balancing  is driven by the global power distribution and perceptions of major threats. As a systemic balancer, Russia challenges the U.S.-led unipolarity in multiple ways, as evidenced by its policies in Georgia, Ukraine, and Syria. The drive to balance the system leader (the United States) makes Russia seek alignment with China, which, like Russia, also challenges American unipolar dominance and perceives the U.S. Pivot to Asia as a major threat to its security. Thus, Russian and Chinese assessments of external threats coincide in that both countries consider U.S. policies  NATOs eastward expansion in the Russian case and the Pivot to Asia in the Chinese case  threatening. The pressure originating from the U.S.-led international system, and the resultant incentives to resist it, generate a strong bottom line that pushes Russia and China together. From this perspective, the SCS for Russia is a part of a bigger global game that dictates that Russia does not go against Chinas interests, but rather provides some tacit, if not open, support.

The second level  regional hedging  is motivated by domestic and regional considerations and materializes in a combination of policies aimed at diversifying Russias regional links and averting potential instability that could affect Russias economic interests in the Asia Pacific. It also heads Moscows commercial desire to profit from energy, infrastructure, and arms deals. By strengthening connections with Hanoi, including arms exports, military-technical cooperation, and joint energy projects, Moscow creates a more balanced power-and-interest configuration around the SCS, and simultaneously diversifies its portfolio of Asian partners, with Vietnam also serving as an inroad to the ASEAN community. This explains why Russia, while not opposing Chinas policies, also appears sympathetic towards Vietnams concerns in the SCS. The intersection of the two levels creates the intrinsic ambiguity of Russias SCS policies.

The main implication of this two-level game is that the nature of the SCS dispute for Russia, as well as Russias corresponding policy responses, is a variable rather than a constant: the more the SCS dispute deviates from a regional issue of sovereignty into the realm of China-U.S. confrontation, the more Russias behavior in the region carries the features of anti-unipolar balancing. Conversely, the less the United States is involved, the more Russias policies in the area remain aloof from the system-level balancing and the more likely they are to carry features of regional hedging.

So far, the aforementioned two layers of Russias policies in the SCS have worked well without contradicting each other:

Vietnam has benefited from cooperation with Russia not only because such cooperation is valuable in its own right, but also because given the closeness of China-Russia relations, it provides an extra gateway for improving relations with China, which Hanoi values. Unlike relations with the United States, partnership with Russia provides Vietnam with needed access to advanced arms and energy technologies while simultaneously helping to avoid being locked between the hammer and the anvil of China-U.S. competition. Plus, Hanoi has a lot of experience using Russian arms and military equipment. Related: Why Oil Markets Are Not Recovering Much Faster

Russias policies also resonate with Beijings strategic calculations. While the Russia-Vietnam strategic partnership with its strong military component may look anti-China, in reality it works for Beijings interests because it helps to prevent the consolidation of a Hanoi-Washington alliance. While being unhappy about Russias arms transfers to Vietnam, Beijing recognizes that a decline or termination of such transfers would result in Hanoi shifting from its current policy of diversifying military contacts, to a stronger lean towards Washington; this shift would close the U.S.-led containment ring around China. Therefore, despite the emphatic resistance against the internationalization of the SCS dispute, Beijing accepts Russias greater involvement as well as Russia-Vietnam military cooperation.

Russia, by engaging both China and Vietnam, realizes its regional and global goals. It increases its stake in the Asian balance of power, slows down the U.S.-Vietnam entente, and shapes the SCS dispute so that there is more room for multilateral negotiations. For Russia, maintaining the status quo, however imperfect it is, is better than dealing with a victory of one party over another.

By Centre for Security Studies

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
As Beijings interest in renewable and non-traditional sources of energy grows, Chinese companies are demonstrating their interest in untapped nuclear energy markets, according to new reports emerging from the region.

Nuclear power investments in Silk Road countries could amount to a $580 billion market, Wang Shoujun, the chairman of China National Nuclear Corp. (CNNC) told reporters on Monday.

About 72 countries have been or are planning to develop nuclear power, among which 41 are along the Belt and Road route, and most of them are still in the earliest stages of nuclear power development, the business man observed.

We estimate that if their nuclear energy were raised to reach development levels comparable to those of the U.S. or Japan, it would spawn a market worth [$580 billion].

Chinese President XI Jinping proposed the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013, envisioning the unification of 65 countries in Asia, Europe, and Africa along ancient trade routes between the nations.



Related: Attack On Syria: U.S. Has Returned To Business As Usual

The Ministry of Environmental Protection has confirmed 36 operational nuclear reactors in China, with 20 more under construction. By the end of the decade, 58 million kilowatts of Chinese energy demand will be satiated by nuclear power.

The National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) tested the safety of Chinas nuclear power program last year. Both groups found the countrys nuclear and radiation safety to be in accordance with international standards.

An anonymous NNSA source told People.cn that China had maintained safe nuclear power operations for the past three decades, with zero incidents exceeding Level 2 on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale, which has seven levels total. The same official added that a shortage of space available to dispose of fuel and radioactive waste has limited the progress of the program, however.

By Zainab Calcuttawala for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Irans President Hassan Rouhani announced the start of phases 17-21 at its giant offshore South Pars gas fielda development stage worth $20 billion. Rouhani told media that gas output from the field had reached 570 million cu m and that Iran had plans to overtake Qatar as gas producer.

Currently, Iran produces 885 million cu m of gas dailyalmost the same as Qatarbut most of it is being consumed domestically. Oil fields need gas injections to increase output, so much of what Iran is producing from its gas deposits is being used to stimulate oil production. According to BP data, gas exports have yet to become viable given the current level of domestic natural gas consumption.

Still, Iran has ambitions to become a major gas exporter, beginning with 50 million cu m daily to neighbor Iraq, as soon as the latter arranges payments for the exports.

Qatar is not wasting time ramping up its own output, however. Last month, Doha removed a 12-year ban on new drilling in its part of the South Pars, which it calls the North Field. Qatar Petroleum announced it will begin work on a new project that should add 2 billion cu ft of natural gas to the countrys daily exports, increasing the production capacity of the North Field by 10 percent.

Qatar is the worlds top LNG exporter and has clear intentions to keep the top spot.

At the South Pars inauguration Zanganeh said Iran has no worries about Qatars new drilling at the North Field: They can carry out their development projects as we do ours, he said, as quoted by Bloomberg. We do our job and let them do theirs.

Related: China Ready To Cut Oil Supplies To North Korea

In this job, Iran has enlisted the assistance of Chinas CNPC and Frances Total, which said last month in a regulatory filing that it wanted a 50-percent stake in South Pars and was willing to pay $4 billion for it. Yet the company has postponed its final investment decision, waiting to see how President Trumps anti-Iran rhetoric develops.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
OPEC officials told The Wall Street Journal last week that the blocs biggest members are hoping for a $60 barrel from their oil supply rebalancing efforts that are currently underway.

The anonymous sources said that Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Kuwait would support an extension of the cartels existing 1.2-million-barrel per day production cut during the summit in Vienna next month.

$60 barrel prices would allow for additional investment in the international energy sector, without allowing the United States shale producers too much additional financial leverage to undo the effects of the output cuts.

Iraq wants prices to rise to $60. This our aim, Iraqs oil minister Jabbar al-Luaibi told WSJ in an interview. Other sources corroborated Saudi Arabia and Kuwaits support of Iraqs stated goal, which will barely generate enough revenues to sustain Baghdads ongoing war with the Islamic State in Mosul.

The countries that are a part of OPEC control 40 percent of the worlds oil exports, meaning that their actions hold large sway in the direction of the oil price. Still, major disturbances in Chinese oil demand, Russian output, or other aspects of geopolitics can overpower the effects of the blocs efforts.

Kuwait needs the price hike to fill a $26 billion hole in its national budget. For Saudi Arabia, a $60 barrel would serve as a healthy price for the much-awaited initial public offering of Saudi Aramco in 2018.



Related: Can Lenin Solve Ecuador's Oil Crisis?

Some of the recent attempts at valuing Aramco have placed the companys total worth at somewhere between US$400 billion and US$1 trillion, according to various assumptions about the tax rate, the cost of capital, ability to generate cash flow, oil price projections, and potential political sensitivity for future investors.

But Saudi officials maintain that the company should be valued at roughly $2 trillion, which if true, would make it the largest IPO in recent history.

By Zainab Calcuttawala for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Sentiment has turned up in the gold market the last few weeks. And new data from the worlds top consuming center  India  shows there may indeed be cause for optimism amongst bullion buyers.

Data reported in the local press showed that Indias gold imports saw a big jump during the most recent quarter, January to March 2017. With total imports for the period hitting 230 tonnes.

To put that in perspective, consider some numbers from recent quarters  during which Indias gold imports showed some of the weakest figures on record.

During April to October 2016, gold imports totalled just 264 tonnes. Meaning that incoming shipments for that entire seven-month period were barely above the figures for the most recent three months.

That suggests a major surge in gold demand is happening here. In fact, imports for the Jan-Mar 2017 quarter were the strongest for those months since 2013.

The pick-up in buying appears to be related to the Indian governments recent crackdown on cash. With the government having banned small banknotes effective as of early November.

Since that event, gold imports have jumped to 360 tonnes for the five months from November to March. More than 35% higher than total imports for the preceding seven months.

Indias citizens are reportedly turning to gold as a safe haven amid doubts about paper money. Which bodes well for continued support in this key gold market as 2017 goes on.

How big a lift could that give to global gold prices? If we annualize the figures from the past quarter, India is on pace to import 920 tonnes for this year. Which would represent a massive improvement from the 13-year low imports of 571 tonnes the country saw in 2016. Related: Why Oil Markets Are Not Recovering Much Faster

Its notable that global gold prices also perked up during the past quarter. As the chart below from Kitco shows, weve gone from $1,150/oz at the beginning of January to $1,280 recently.

The gold price jumped in Q1 as imports to India also showed a notable rise

Its actually unusual to see Indias demand growing when gold prices are going up  with Indian buyers usually cutting back purchases when the metal gets more expensive.

The fact that prices and demand are rising in tandem could signal an important and positive shift in fundamentals  watch for April import figures in a few weeks to see if the trend continues.

Heres to coming back to life.

By Dave Forest

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Protecting minorities in Pakistan is Constitutional responsibility of govt: Nawaz Sharif

ISLAMABAD: Protecting minorities living in Pakistan is the moral and Constitutional responsibility of the government, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Sunday.



In his message on Easter, the PM lauded the role of the Christian community for the development of Pakistan. The PM reassured the members of Christian community and all other minorities that Pakistan belonged to them and stressed that the countrys peace and prosperity lay in the unity of all Pakistanis.



It is a moral and national obligation of our nation to protect the constitutional rights of each and every Christian and all other minorities, living in Pakistan as enshrined in our Constitution, he said.



The prime minister extended his heartiest felicitations to the Christian citizens on the occasion of their religious festival, Easter.



I wish our Christian brothers and sisters living in Pakistan the happiness and joys of Easter, a press release from the PM Office quoted him as saying.



He further noted with appreciation that Pakistani Christians were playing an important role in the progress and development of the country.



We deeply appreciate and are indebted to their valuable contributions and services towards our collective national objective of securing a truly strong, progressive and stable Pakistan, he said.



In his message to Christian community on the occasion, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif proclaimed that all minorities in Pakistan enjoyed equal rights and the government had taken concrete measures for their welfare. He believed that Easter was celebrated in the name of spending time with deserving people and sharing happiness by thinking above ourselves. The chief minister asserted that the Christian community was playing its due role for the countrys progress. Shahbaz Sharif pronounced that the Constitution of Pakistan had provided a guarantee for equal rights and complete protection for all minorities.



The Christian community in Pakistan celebrated Easter on Sunday with religious zeal and fervour. Strict security arrangements were put in place at churches around the country. A large number of people, including children and elders, thronged to the churches in Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar and other cities where special prayers were offered for the country. Members of the Christian community attended Easter vigil service at churches in Lahore. Prayers to mark the event began last Sunday, also known as Palm Sunday, followed by Good Friday and then Easter Sunday. The stretch is a holy week for Christians around the world. One of the main attractions of this festival is the gift of Easter Eggs, made of chocolate, given specially to children. Celebrations are also underway in other countries where religious leaders have urged their followers to spread love and peace. Egyptian Coptic Christians observed Easter Mass under tight security with the ancient minority group still reeling from twin church bombings that killed dozens just days before.



Kashmir issue: Separately, Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif called upon the international community to play its role for the just resolution of the Kashmir issue according to the aspirations of Kashmiris.



In a solidarity message issued on Sunday, he said that the global community should play its role to prevent human rights violations by the Indian forces in Held Kashmir.



He stated that brute force is being used against the innocent Kashmiris because they refused to participate in the fake elections in Occupied Kashmir. Sharif said that the people in Occupied Kashmir had been deprived of their basic rights.
Turkish President won historic referendum

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan narrowly won a historic referendum on Sunday that will tighten his grip on power, but the knife-edge result left the country bitterly divided and the opposition crying foul. The sweeping constitutional changes approved in the vote create a presidential system that will grant Erdogan more power than any leader since modern Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and his successor Ismet Inonu.



The 'Yes' campaign won 51.4 per cent of the vote against 48.6pc for 'No', the election commission said in figures quoted by state news agency Anadolu, in a count based on 99.5pc of the ballot boxes. Turnout was a high 85pc.



As huge crowds of flag-waving supporters celebrated on the streets, Erdogan praised Turkey for taking a historic decision.



With the people, we have realised the most important reform in our history, he added.



But opposition supporters in anti-Erdogan districts of Istanbul showed their dissatisfaction by bashing pots and pans with kitchen utensils to create a noisy protest. Hundreds also took to the streets in the areas of Besiktas and Kadikoy.



Supreme Election Board chief Sadi Guven confirmed that the 'Yes' camp had emerged victorious, but the opposition has vowed to challenge the outcome.



The referendum was held under a state of emergency that has seen 47,000 people arrested in an unprecedented crackdown after a failed military putsch against Erdogan in July last year.



In a nail-biting end to a frenetic campaign, the 'No' share of the vote climbed as more ballots were counted, after lagging well behind in the early count, but failed to overtake the 'Yes' votes.



This is a decision made by the people. In our democracy's history, a new page has opened, said Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, whose job will disappear under the constitutional changes.



In a television interview on Friday Erdogan had predicted a far clearer victory saying polls showed a 55-60 percent share of the vote.



But voting patterns showed Turkey deeply divided over the changes, with the 'No' vote victorious in the country's three biggest cities.



The 'Yes' vote held up strongly in Erdogan's Anatolian heartland but the Aegean and Mediterranean coastal regions and Kurdish-dominated southeast backed the 'No' camp.



In a major disappointment for the president, the 'No' vote was just ahead in his hometown of Istanbul and in the capital Ankara and clearly ahead in the third city of Izmir.



A statement issued by European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker and EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said that in view of the closeness of the result, the Turkish authorities need to seek the broadest possible national consensus for the changes.



Erdogan made relations with the EU a key issue in his referendum campaign, lambasting Brussels for failing to make progress on Ankara's stalled accession talks and he accused Germany and the Netherlands of acting like the Nazis when they barred pro-government rallies.



Turkey's two main opposition parties said they would challenge the results over alleged violations.



The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) said it would challenge two-thirds of the votes, saying: There is an indication of a 3-4 percentage point manipulation of the vote.



Republican People's Party (CHP) chief Kemal Kilicdaroglu said the actions of the election authorities caused the referendum's legitimacy to be questioned insisting that the 'No' side had won at least 50pc of votes cast.



Believe me, this election is not over, deputy CHP leader Erdal Aksunger told CNN Turk, quoted by the Dogan news agency. This is totally invalid. We are declaring this here.



The opposition had already complained that the referendum was conducted on unfair terms, with 'Yes' posters ubiquitous on the streets and opposition voices squeezed from the media.



Closely watched on Monday will be the initial assessment of the international observer mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).



Erdogan again warned Brussels he would sign any bill agreed by parliament to reinstate capital punishment, a move that would automatically end Turkey's EU bid.



If the opposition failed to support the bill, Erdogan said another referendum could be held on reinstating the death penalty.



Western reactions to the referendum will be crucial after Erdogan accused Turkey's allies of failing to show sufficient solidarity in the wake of the failed coup.



We would like other countries and institutions to show respect to the decision of the nation, Erdogan said.



The new system would dispense with the office of prime minister and centralise the entire executive bureaucracy under the president, giving Erdogan the direct power to appoint ministers.



It is due to come into force after elections in November 2019. Erdogan, who became president in 2014 after serving as premier from 2003, could then seek two more five-year terms.
The mathematical (and other) thoughts of a (now retired) math teacher,
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.
Gov. Andrew Cuomos Excelsior Scholarship program to provide free tuition for eligible students at SUNY and CUNY schools is coming under fire for different directions.

E.J. McMahon of the fiscally conservative think tank the Empire Center penned an guest essay in The Poughkeepsie Journal criticizing the program as coming with too many strings and what is portrayed as Free will cost the state.

Students are required to take a full course load and they must stay in New York for as many years as they took the scholarship.

McMahon also pointed out the harsh cutoff on the income restriction of up to $125,000. A household income of $125,000 means vastly different things in upstate versus New York City.

Also, free is not really free.

Cuomos program will have to be paid for by a combination of higher taxes  including taxes paid by parents of students getting the new scholarships  and by higher tuitions for SUNY and CUNY students who arent in the program, he wrote.

There is a $200-per-year increase in SUNY and CUNY tuition as part of the budget plan.

Other criticism has come from the fact that the scholarship only covers what the Tuition Assistance Program and other programs do not and it does not include room and board, .which are often much higher at these colleges.
POULTNEY, Vermont -- Police are looking for a man who tried to rob a convenience store just over the New York state line late Sunday night.

Police said the man entered the Irving Oil store on Main Street shortly before 10 p.m. and told a clerk he had a gun. He demanded money, but the female clerk refused and the man left the store.

Vermont State Police said the man did not display any weapon. Poultney is just east of Washington County, and police in Washington County were assisting Vermont police.

Anyone with information in the case was asked to call police at 802-773-9101.
The U.S. militarys dropping of its most powerful non-nuclear bomb on ISIS positions in Afghanistan last week was the correct action to take, said U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, who was in the Middle East at the time of the strike.

Gen. John Nicholson made the decision tactically that was the best ammunition to utilize, Stefanik said in a telephone interview on Monday about a congressional delegation she led to the Middle East last week.

Stefanik said she learned about the attack the next day.

I learned about it on the news as I was in Kuwait, she said.

Stefanik and the delegation of House Defense Committee members had met Nicholson, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, the previous day.

Nicholson did not inform them of the pending attack, but briefed them on the challenges of terrorists operating from underground tunnels and caves in the eastern section of Afghanistan.

We were not given any specific information about the MOAB, Stefanik said, referring to the acronym for the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb.

The GPS-guided bomb is also commonly known as the Mother of All Bombs.

Stefanik said rank-and-file military personnel she spoke with after the strike seemed supportive of it.

Much of the discussion was the fact that there are over 20 organizations who were making inroads in that region of Afghanistan, and Afghan forces are continuing to work to take back those regions, she said. Its of concern to me that Afghanistan is still the country with the highest number of terrorist organizations around the world. And I believe that it is our role  to continue to work with the Afghans in a support and advise and assist role.

Stefanik led the delegation in her new role as chairwoman of the House Defense Committee Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities.

Reps. Tom Suozzi, D-Long Island, Anthony Brown, D-Md., and Keith Roffus, R-Pa., were also part of the delegation.

I thought it was an important opportunity for some of the newer members who are on my subcommittee to get an assessment of what is happening on the ground, she said.

The six-day trip included visits to three regions of Afghanistan, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Jordan.

In Kuwait, the delegation met with the Marine Corps unit focused on countering terrorism in Iraq and Syria, Stefanik said.

They also visited U.S. military units in various locations of the four countries.

I had the opportunity to visit and have lunches and dinners with numerous constituents from South Glens Falls, from Saratoga, from Saranac Lake, from Massena, from all over the district, she said. One of the biggest takeaways is the professionalism and the extensive service and sense of mission of the men and women in uniform.
QUEENSBURY  Sheryl Webster was shocked.

There, on a screen at a hearing on a proposed expansion of the main runway at Warren County Airport, was a proposal for the county to demolish her house and two others on Chestnut Ridge Road to lengthen the auxiliary runway.

It was upsetting, she said. I had no warning whatsoever.

Webster said a number of people she talked to at the April 6 hearing, which focused on the environmental impact of the runway extension, left the hearing believing there was a plan to take down homes near the airport through eminent domain proceedings.

Eminent domain allows the government to take over private property for a public works project by paying owners fair market value for their land.

But county Public Works Superintendent Jeff Tennyson said the information was posted at the meeting to show attendees that other options had been considered instead of the 1,000-foot extension to the main runway. When the main runway extension was approved a decade ago, the other options were shelved and have not been reconsidered.

There are no plans to extend the shorter east-west (corrected) runway or take any houses through eminent domain, he said.

That was one of several ideas a number of years ago, but that plan was rejected, he said of the proposal to cut obstructions on Chestnut Ridge Road.

He said he believed it was made clear during the hearing that the proposal was not still on the table. The only active plan is to take vacant land in the direction of Quaker Road, which is owned by developer Vic Macri, through eminent domain proceedings that are ongoing.

Webster lived in fear the past week or so, trying to get more information and worried the plan that would have taken her house was still on the table.

People in Websters historic neighborhood of Chestnut Ridge live with the air traffic crossing over their homes. Years ago, beacons were placed on towers on the ridge that stands just west of the airport.

Every plane that flies into the airport flies over my house, Webster said.

Webster said she was relieved to learn from a reporter that the plans shown at the airport hearing were from years ago.

My house is over 200 years old. There is a lot of history in this house, she said.

A group of county legislators and residents has organized to fight the $8 million to $9 million runway extension, arguing it is not needed and is a waste of taxpayer money. About 95 percent of the cost would be paid by state and federal funds.
HUDSON FALLS  Matt Rozell may be busier in retirement than he is as a full-time history teacher at Hudson Falls High School.

Its going to be a busy year, he said of the remainder of 2017, starting when his teaching duties end in late June. At least now I will have more time to do the writing. We have all these interviews, but its not as simple as just transcribing them. Theres a lot of work involved in turning them into books.

For the past two decades, Rozell and his students have been interviewing World War II veterans, which has led to two books and a series of reunions among Holocaust survivors and the U.S. soldiers who rescued them in Germany in April 1945.

The more you look into it, the more you find. People read about our interviews, then they have our stories to tell, said Rozell, who has already published The Things Our Fathers Saw, which focused on his interviews with Pacific War veterans; and A Train Near Magdeburg, about Jewish captives during the Holocaust and the U.S. soldiers who rescued them.

This year, he is turning to the air war in Europe for another volume of The Things Our Fathers Saw, which he hopes to have done in time for Memorial Day. That book will be on the air war in Europe, and Rozell said its really the first half of an air war book that he hopes will be completed by the end of the year and eventually published in a single volume.

As a taste of the first new book, Rozell is going to offer his regular readers  They are sort of my fan club, he said  a shorter publication called A Tuskegee Airman Over Europe, from his interviews with Clarence Dart of Saratoga Springs.

You get some of these interviews, and they are really stories in themselves, he said. This interview is about one-sixth of the first air war book, and I want to get it out there so the people who have been buying my books can see it.

More to come

Rozell wants to complete a multi-volume history of World War II, much like nationally known author Rick Atkinson did with his three-volume set on the war in Europe and James D. Hornfischer and Ian Toll have done for the Pacific.

I could see one on the Mediterranean theater, another on the European war with D-Day, and then the invasion of Germany, Rozell said. And of course, I will need to revisit the Pacific.

Rozell said he has done more than 200 interviews with veterans and is looking forward to digging into the stories he has not gotten to yet.

Working on video

At the same time, Rozell is working with Mike Edwards, a documentary filmmaker whose film, Searching for Augusta  The Forgotten Angel of Bastogne, won an Emmy in 2015 for best historical documentary.

That film grew out of the book and movie Band of Brothers, and in it, Edwards chronicled historian Marin King and his search for a nurse from the Congo who helped care for U.S. soldiers at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.

Her name was Augusta Chiwy and she was the biracial daughter of a Congolese woman and a Belgian veterinarian. The Augusta Chiwy Foundation was created to celebrate the strength of the human spirit and encourage selfless service to humanity through a combination of education and inspiration.

One of the ways the foundation is pursuing its goal is to produce additional films on similar topics. Edwards and his company, The 5 Stones Production Group, is now working on a film called Farsleben, which focuses on the train, Rozells discoveries and the reunions that followed.

Edwards was at Hudson Falls High School last week for Rozells presentations to students.

We have done our initial interviews, but we are really getting started, said Edwards.

Its really amazing all the work he has done, and all the people he has connected, Edwards said of Rozell.

Rozells readers know the stories are not done coming.
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:
That deluge didn't let up on Sunday, when a local news outlet in Houston reported that a couple had been kicked off their flight from Houston to Costa Rica for their wedding.

Michael Hohl and Amber Maxwell said they boarded their flight on Saturday and were about to take their seats when they saw a passenger napping across the row they were assigned to.

Hohl said that instead of waking the man, he and Maxwell decided to sit a few rows in front of their assigned seats.

"We thought not a big deal, it's not like we are trying to jump up into a first-class seat," Hohl told KHOU, a CBS affiliate in Houston. "We were simply in an economy row a few rows above our economy seat."

Hohl said that after he and Maxwell sat down, a flight attendant asked if they were in their assigned seats. When the couple said no and explained why they had moved, Hohl said the attendant denied their request for an upgrade and asked them to return to their original seats.

Hohl said that although he and Maxwell did as they were told, a US marshal boarded the flight and asked them to get off the plane. The couple said they complied with that demand as well but found the overall experience "strange."

"They said that we were being disorderly and a hazard to the rest of the flight, to the safety of the other customers," Hohl said. "I think customer service and the airlines has gone real downhill.

"The way United Airlines handled this was really absurd," Hohl added.

United has disputed Hohl's version of events, saying the couple had repeatedly tried to sit in upgraded seats and refused to comply with requests to move back to their assigned seats.

"We're disappointed anytime a customer has an experience that doesn't measure up to their expectations," United said in a statement to KHOU. "These passengers repeatedly attempted to sit in upgraded seating which they did not purchase, and they would not follow crew instructions to return to their assigned seats. We've been in touch with them and have rebooked them on flights tomorrow."

United has been engulfed by controversy since a video emerged last week that showed 69-year-old David Dao being violently dragged off a flight after refusing to give up his seat to make room for crew members. Dao's attorney said on Thursday that Dao sustained injuries and planned to file a lawsuit against the airline.

United has adopted a rule that crew members can't displace passengers already on board the plane, The Associated Press reported.
Trump on classified executive-branch reports he said showed that members of the transition team had been swept up in government surveillance.

Trump, who tweeted in early March that President Barack Obama had illegally wiretapped Trump Tower phones, said afterward that he felt "somewhat vindicated" by Nunes' findings. But Nunes reiterated in multiple press conferences that there was still no evidence to suggest that Trump or his team had ever been surveilled illegally.

"The identities of US persons may be released under two circumstances: 1) the identity is needed to make sense of the intercept; 2) if a crime is involved in the conversation," said Robert Deitz, a former senior counselor to the CIA director and former general counsel at the National Security Agency.

"Any senior official who receives the underlying intelligence may request these identities," Deitz said, noting that while "the bar for obtaining the identity is not particularly high, it must come from a senior official, and the reason cannot simply be raw curiosity."
"I have found in Russia a new happiness, a life without the albatross of frustration and resentment towards ones homeland, and a future detached from the partisan divisions and animosity that has thus far engulfed my entire adult life," Marinelli wrote on Monday. "Consequently, if the people of Russia would be so kind as to welcome me here on a permanent basis, I intend to make Russia my new home."

He added that he will "not return to California in the forseeable future," so "

He said in an interview in December that he was looking specifically to countries with veto power on the UN Security Council (UNSC)  Russia and China  to support his movement and recognize the results of an independence referendum in the event that the US and its UNSC allies rejected its legitimacy.

"We don't think that Russia needs to be an enemy of California, or that it even is one to begin with," Marinelli said. "The idea that Russia is an enemy of the US  that's a Cold War mentality."

hopes that "
This year's Easter Egg Roll will be smaller than those of past years (35,000 people attended the Obamas' final event). President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, and their 11-year-old son, Barron, who lives in New York City with the first lady, hosted kids and costumed characters at the executive mansion.

The event  which has been described as the "Super Bowl of White House social events"  is an early test for Melania Trump, whose office is responsible for organizing the day.

There were signs that planning for it got off to a rocky start when, in February, the wooden-egg manufacturer, Wells Wood Turning, tweeted a reminder of the deadline for ordering the commemorative eggs.

"It's the single most high-profile event that takes place at the White House each year, and the White House and the first lady are judged on how well they put it on," Melinda Bates, who organized all eight White House Easter Egg Rolls under President Bill Clinton, told The New York Times the week before the event.

"I'm really concerned for the Trump people, because they have failed to fill some really vital posts, and this thing is all hands on deck," Bates said.

See how the Trump's Egg Roll turned out:

"Looking forward to hosting the annual Easter Egg Roll at the @WhiteHouse on Monday!" Melania Trump said on Instagram on Friday.

The first lady addressed the crowd from the Truman balcony on Monday.

President Trump spoke to the crowd alongside the White House Easter Bunny.

Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president, attended the event with her family.

Here's Conway conducting an interview with her daughter by her side.

A young attendee donned bunny ears atop her "Make America Great Again" Trump campaign slogan cap.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer read "How To Catch The Easter Bunny" to kids.

Spicer also posed with the White House Easter Bunny  a role he played in Bush's Egg Roll of 2008. On Saturday, comedian Melissa McCarthy parodied his Easter Bunny stint during a "Saturday Night Live" skit.

Sources: Business Insider

Kids posed with one of the Easter Bunnies on the South Lawn.

Costumed characters (eggs, perhaps?) prepare to welcome kids.

Sesame Street's Elmo awaits young visitors on the South Lawn. Trump's proposed federal budget would eliminate funding for Elmo's network, PBS.

Source:

Melania Trump reads aloud to a group of kids gathered on the South Lawn.

Trump does some crayon coloring with a group of kids.

Trump shows off a note he wrote at the kids craft table.

The president and first lady blow the whistle to start the egg roll, as Tiffany Trump looks on.

On to the main event  egg rolling!

Vittoria Colonna, 4, of Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, rolled an egg down the lawn.

Young participants in the Egg Roll let one loose on the lawn. The Reagan White House started using wooden eggs in 1981.

Source:
Even if you're only moving a few blocks away, packing up all your stuff and getting it from point A to point B is a total pain. Luckily, technology is here to help.

While mobile apps can't make your move pain-free, they can help streamline the process, eliminate mix-ups, and hopefully save you some money.

Here are 12 apps to download before your next move:

Getting started

Zillow is a real estate marketplace of more than 110 million homes.

Zillow's platform is one of the broadest and most reliable sites for finding an apartment. Unlike Craigslist  which can have fake or unreliable listings  Zillow's listings are photo-heavy and easy to filter.

Zillow is available for iOS and Android.

Flip helps you get out of your lease by finding credible subletters.

Streeteasy is a marketplace for finding New York City real estate.

Much like Zillow, Streeteasy is an easy-to-use app for finding available rentals. You can enter filters like "no brokers fee," "laundry in building," and more. The downside: the app only lists property in the New York City area at the moment.

Streeteasy is available for iOS and Android.

Moved is a free concierge that helps plan your move.

Moved pairs you up with a personal assistant who will help coordinate and execute every step of your move via text. The service is free and operates everywhere within the US (with international moves coming soon). Moved makes money from referral fees.

Moved is available for iOS.

Packing up your place

Sortly helps you organize your stuff so you can find it later.

We've all carelessly thrown an item in a box, pre-move, only to desperately tear through every box looking for it later. That particular headache is what Sortly helps you avoid. The app lets you catalog everything you own by snapping photos and storing them in the app. You can then create custom labels for each box that have scannable QR codes, telling you exactly what's inside each box.

Sortly is available for iOS.

ThredUP helps you get paid for the clothes you no longer want.

Moving is the best possible time to get rid of old clothes or things you'll never wear. And if you need a little extra cash, thredUP is here to help. The service will send you a huge plastic bag with prepaid return shipping  all you have to do is fill it up with the clothes you don't want that are still in great condition and from name-brand stores (bonus points for clothes with the tag still on). Once it's full, send the bag back to thredUP and they'll buy the good stuff and donate the clothes they don't want.

ThredUP is available for iOS and Android.

Letgo is a platform for buying and selling your stuff.

Moving is also the best time to get rid of extra furniture and old technology, but it's not always easy to do. Fortunately, Letgo helps you do that. The app is a hyperlocal, Craigslist-style marketplace for connecting buyers and sellers.

Letgo is available for iOS and Android.

The move itself

Unpakt helps you get the best rates on movers.

Unpakt is like Kayak for moving companies. By entering your move date, where you're going, and creating your inventory within the platform, Unpakt compiles rates from several different moving companies and helps you find the best option for you.

Unpakt is available for iOS.

Ghostruck connects you with movers at a discount.

Ghostruck is an on-demand moving service that utilizes partially filled or empty trucks that are already out for another job. Users take photos of their stuff, find a truck, and pay within the app. Ghostruck primarily operates on the West Coast in cities like Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, but also services Boston and Washington, DC.

The app is available for iOS.

Dolly supplies the muscle for any moving need.

Dolly is an app for connecting you with movers who will cart your stuff around town. Whether it's your entire move or just picking up new furniture, Dolly lets you book movers within the app  and a vehicle, if you need it. Dolly currently operates in Seattle, San Diego, Denver, and Chicago.

The app is available for iOS and Android.

Bellhops is an on-demand service for small-scale moves.

Tennessee-based Bellhops operates in more than 50 cities nationwide and is staffed by local college students. What sets Bellhops apart from other movers is its convenience. You can instantly get a quote online, reserve a moving crew for $1, and choose from three different types of moves.

Bellhops is available for iOS and Android.

Lugg will pick up your Craigslist couch, take your junk, or move your stuff to storage.

Lugg supplies you with two movers who will take your stuff wherever you need it to go, pick up a large item from a store, move your stuff into storage, or haul away your old junk. Lugg operates in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, and Orange County.
The NPP while in opposition accused the Mahama administration of engaging in excessive borrowing, promising to cut down on it when voted for in the 2016 elections.

Speaking on Koforiuda-based Kingdom FM, Assibey-Yeboah said:"Nobody should think that the NPP government is not going to borrow ,there is no government in the world that doesnt borrow even the US government secures loans, so the NPP government will continue to go for loans but that should be smart borrowing which can repay itself.

According to him, it will be impossible to manage the economy without borrowing, making reference to the state of the economy president Nana Akufo-Addo inherited from ex-president Mahama.

The Member of Parliament for New Juaben South said unlike the Mahama administration which borrowed for consumption, the NPP is borrowing into the productive sectors of the economy.
Femi Joseph, the Ondo State Police Command Public Relations Officer (P.R.O) confirmed the incident in an interview with Channels Television News.

According to reports, Daudu was abducted on Ikare-Owo road located around Ose Oba Akoko where a former Regent of Akungba-Akoko was also taken two years ago.

The police P.R.O however expressed a firm belief that the traditional ruler would be rescued from his captors as the force is already on their trail.
Punch reports that the suspect was working as a security guard with the Nnewi Anglican diocese at its proposed university site at Ozubulu.

According to the reports, the suspect allegedly used the facility to sell and supply human parts to eaters and ritualists.

When reached, the administrative secretary of Diocese of Nnewi Anglican Communion, owners of the higher institution the suspect allegedly guarded, Ven. Dr. Godwin Agba, however, denied that the suspect was employed at their facility.

A source said, An eyewitnesses said the suspect whose name was not given was seen by hunters during a hunting expedition who had no premonition that a human killer was in the bush.

The hunters were in the bush with their two dogs which went ahead of them, only to come back to inform their owners with signs they interpreted to mean that there was an unusual discovery.

When the hunters followed the dogs to a particular point in the bush, they were startled to see fresh dismembered human body including the legs, hands, and head without the ears as well as clothes suspected to belong to victims spread on a tree.

The hunters including one Mr. Paul and Chimezie were said to have rushed back home to contact members of Ozubulu vigilance group who immediately followed them to the spot in the bush but could not see those human parts anymore.

After a long search, a man was seen in the bush who happened to be a security man working at a higher institution under construction.

He was confronted by a combined team of the hunters and vigilantes who arrested him in connection with the discovery.

The source adds that the suspect was overpowered before he finally led them to the river bank where the human parts were hidden.

Punch reports that the suspect roasted the human parts for his customers who would show up in the forest late at night to buy the parts for rituals or for eating.

The remains of the victims found with the suspect has been deposited at the mortuary while the suspect has been handed over to the police.

The Anambra state commissioner of Police, Mr. Sam Okaula, has confirmed the arrest of the suspect.

ALSO READ: 2 suspected ritualists caught with human parts in Ogun

However, he said that there was no evidence yet to suggest that the suspect was a seller of human parts.

He said,  He is with us. Some human parts were found in his possession, and I think he is just a cannibal.
He was presented with a 24 quartz gold medal, a brass bust of him including him being named after a state of the art first aid centre constituting three ultra-modern Ambulances and a helicopter ambulance.

A citation accompanying the award read, "With an extreme can-do spirit, you were poised to initiate the seemingly impossible dream regardless of the numerous conspicuous obstacles and lack of resources. Through your unstoppable dream, Ghana now boasts of a world-class Cardiothoracic Centre, Red Cross Society and Heart Foundation."

The theme for the event was "Celebrating excellence and diligence among clinicians to promote quality health for quality livelihood and development."

READ ALSO: Samira Bawumia pushes for tougher sanctions against child traffickers

Seventeen (17) other individuals and organisations were also honoured at the ceremony, the first ever to be organised by the Media Men Ghana Limited  a Consulting Firm.

They included Prof Sir Joseph Acheampong, a Specialist in Internal Medicine, Dr Ellen Boakye and Dr Tabitha Botwe, both General Medical Practitioners, Dr Agyekum Addo, a Pharmacist.

Unity Television and Vodafone - a telecommunications company, were also rewarded for contributing to the growth of the health sector.

Their prizes included sashes, citations and certificates.

Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II applauded the awardees for their service to humanity and encouraged them to continue to do more to save lives.
The robbers, who were on a motorbike, were said to have entered the offices of a licensed cocoa buying company, and took away an amount of about Gh580,000, meant for workers salary, the Daily Graphic reports.

They subsequently decided to escape through Agogo with the money, so they used the Bompata road, the Konongo Divisional Police Commander, Superintendent Ohene Boadi Bossman said.

However, the said lone police lance corporal from Bompata commandeered a landcruiser vehicle and chased the robbers.

According to the Konongo Divisional Police Commander, the suspected robbers burst their tyre on their way and so they stopped a taxi, where the taxi driver was said to have run into a ditch on their way. He tried to escape but was shot and killed by the robbers.

The robbers subsequently stopped another taxi and ordered the passengers out. One of the robbers decided to drive while the taxi driver was taken hostage at the back of the seat.

The police officer, however, managed to close in on them and shot through the car after giving a warning shot.

This made the driver lose control, resulting in the taxi veering off the road and hitting a nearby house.
Weve suspended the issuance of small scale mining license so that we can restructure the sector. Weve developed a five-year multilateral mining integrated projects to improve the management of small scale mining to protect the environment but at the small time to allow Ghanaians to mine in a regulated and sustainable manner, he said a Town Hall meeting organised by Joy FM to mark the 100 days of the NPP administration.

So under this five year integrated multilateral project, we will be identifying effective areas for small scale mining where we will then direct the small scale miners to those particular areas so that they are not just mining haphazardly. When we direct them there, we know that weve already prospected and there is gold in that area, he said.

READ MORE: Minister calls the bluff of galamseyers over vote threat
She said "John Mahama and the NDC are very wicked, incompetent and desperate and do not deserve another four years in office. The eight years of economic mismanagement is enough and I encourage Ghanaians to say no to the NDC at the December 7 polls and bring in Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo."
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!
He told Starr FM: "Signal in terms of pronouncement , signal in terms of programs or initiatives that it has taken and signals in terms of certain concrete actions that the government has taken.

"If you look at the signal, you can predict whether ultimately, we will get good outcomes.

"So if you look at this government in particular, take the area of agriculture for instance, they signal very strongly that they want to revamp the agric sector, in fact in the cocoa, they are talking about getting back the one million tonnes a year every soon.

"This idea of planting for food and jobs is a very interesting idea and it is a strong signal. Let us monitor over time to see how it evolves.

"And if you go to the other sectors, they have given strong signal. so for me my judgement is based on the signal that we have seen so far and on that score, I thing the government has done very well."

President Akufo-Addo is marking the 100th day of his presidency after a stormy start in which he promise to improve the economy and also called for unity among Ghanaians.

The National Democratic Congress in its assessment of the president said he has been a "disaster."

According to its National Organiser, Kofi Adams, president Akufo-Addo has veered off from the trajectory he inherited from his predecessor, John Mahama.

READ MORE: Nana Addo renews pledge to fight corruption

But government spokespersons say a lot has been achieved in the first 100 days of the NPP administration.
Courtesy I'll Push You(NEW YORK) -- Imagine trekking 500 miles across mountains, rivers and even a Spanish desert. Now imagine doing that with your best friend who's in a wheelchair.



Justin Skeesuck and Patrick Gray have known each other since they were born. Their parents attended the same church and the two went to middle and high school together.



Gray, 41, was even there when Skeesuck, also 41, was diagnosed with multifocal acquired motor axonopathy, a neuromuscular disease that causes symptoms similar to ALS.



"I have to have my clothes put on. I have to be bathed in the bathroom. I can do some stuff on my own. I can get around on my own. I use a power wheelchair," Skeesuck told ABC News. "But my wife is my primary caregiver and then Patrick steps in and hes kind of my No. 2. I call him the vice president of my inner circle."



So when Skeesuck, who lives in Eagle, Idaho, wanted to trek the 500 miles of Spains Camino de Santiago trail after watching a travel show, Gray didn't hesitate.



"I just knew I needed to do it," Skeesuck said of getting the idea in 2013.



After a year of training -- and convincing their spouses and families -- they hit the trail on June 3, 2014. They traversed mountains, rivers and desert terrains "with the helping hands and hearts of well over a 100 pilgrims," Gray said.



Although the two admit they were a bit nervous initially, they really just used the opportunity to have fun.



"We were going to try to make it, come hell or high water," Skeesuck said, adding that they were just "focused; trying to have fun throughout the process."



The two eventually documented their experience in a book, "Ill Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends and One Wheelchair," out June 6. They also have a documentary about their trip due out this fall.



Gray said he stole a phrase from his best friend on why they're sharing their experience: "'Its too much hope not to share it.'"

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
He announced this when he joined the chiefs and people of Obomeng in the Kwahu South District at a grand durbar to climax the coronation of the Obomenghene, Nana Effa Opinamang III.

President Akufo-Addo said his government would tackle financial leakages and waste.

This he believes will go a long way to generate resources for development.

He used the occasion to appeal to residents in the area to solidly back the fight against illegal mining to in order to curb the destruction of the environment.

He said the pollution of water bodies and massive degradation of the natural vegetation could not continue and would not be allowed.

President Akufo-Addo also revealed governments intentions to give strong support to the private sector to become more vibrant.

He therefore invited local businesses to take advantage of the deliberate policies and interventions it was putting in place, to expand their operations to create jobs and wealth for the people.

He hinted of plans to build a bridge over the Afram River between Adawso and Akye-Amanfrom, to allow for easy evacuation of large quantity of foodstuffs produced in the Afram Plains to the marketing centres.

He said they were already in talks with some South Korean investors to get the project done.

Nana Pinamang publicly declared the release of a 200-acre stretch of land to be developed into a free zone enclave for investors.

He appealed to the President to do everything to bring a lasting solution to the destruction of food crop farms and water bodies by Fulani herdsmen and their cattle in the area.
"The recent Kansas election (Congress) was a really big media event, until the Republicans won. Now they play the same game with Georgia-BAD!" Trump said in the tweet.

Republican Congressional candidate Ron Estes won a special election for an empty House seat in Kansas on Tuesday.

The election was widely viewed as an early indicator of Republican fortunes in the 2018 midterm elections, and somewhat of a referendum on the early days of the Trump presidency.

Estes's seven-point victory was conspicuously narrow for a district that Trump won by 27 points in the presidential election.

Democrats will have another chance to break through in a conservative district on Tuesday, when voters in Georgia will choose a candidate to replace Tom Price, the former House member Trump tapped as his secretary of health and human services.
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! 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!
Through a joint effort with members of the SEDCO Community Vigilante, the officers who are stationed at the Enerhen Police Divisional Headquarters were able to foil the attack on the woman.

The killing of the robber which happened on Sunday, April 16, 2017. around Dugbo Estate located in Uvwie Local Government Area of the state is expected to bring relief to residents who have stayed too long under his reign of terror.

CSP Hassan Galadima, a Divisional Police Officer in Enerhen confirmed the shooting of Tompolo in a chat with the Daily Post News.

He said, "Im aware of the incident. Its not just the vigilante that killed the robber.

"They were on patrol with the police. We shot him and the rest escaped with bullet wounds.

"We recovered from them some expended and live cartridges inside the gun."
Thousands of young people defied the elements and partied under the rain. The wet weather did not stop some Nigerian acts from performing and international DJ Diplo from putting up one hell of a show despite adverse conditions.

It was a celebration of life, liberty and love. Nigeria might be a conservative society but a few couples at Gidi Fest locked lips for the kiss cam.

People came out to have good fun, party with their friends and just have a nice time. It was serene atmosphere just to see people come out to have a nice time after a comical week of whistle blowing and stashed funds in empty service apartments in Ikoyi.

Also with the congregation of young people, one could not miss the scent of that tropical herb that is getting legitimatized in many parts of the world.

With the dope atmosphere of Gidi Fest 2017, one has to ask if it can be the nation's youth festival.

From what was witnessed on Saturday, it has the chops to be. It was a celebration of the best of Nigerian music and young people. It brought together thousands of Nigerians of different background, social standings and class. It wasn't an Island thing or a mainland thing, it was a youth thing.

There is no festival right now that possesses the atmosphere that Gidi Fest brings right now.

However for it to be a proper festival for the Nigerian youth it must also incorporate all other elements as well.

Arts, movies and literature can be incorporated into future Gidi Fest events when it stretches from a one day rave to a celebration of the vibrant Nigerian spirit.
He, however, stated that great comedians can make jokes from the circumstances surrounding a sensitive topic or event. He used the example of Oscar Pistorius who murdered his girlfriend and proceeded to make a joke about it. A funny one at that.

Trevor Noah didn't make a joke about the act but the circumstances surrounding the act. It's a fine line but only great comedians can pull it off. Only great comedians see the fine line between an edgy joke and a bad one.

Last night, Sunday, April 16, 2017, top Nigerian comedian AY held his annual Easter comedy event and it was packed as usual.

While on stage he brought the contestants of the Big Brother Naija reality show and spoke about the 'rapey' incident between Kemen and Tboss.

AY normalised Kemen's actions and said every man in his position would do the same thing. He also said that "we should encourage this young man, he no kill person" in reference to Kemen.

If it looks like a cow, smells like a cow and sounds like a cow, then it is a cow. Or rather if it smells like cow faeces, and looks like cow faeces it is bull...you can complete the rest.

AY's statement is a blatant endorsement of rape culture. Facts.

Sorry Mr AY but not all men are led by what dangles in between their legs. They have what is called self-control. They were raised better. Having a beautiful woman on your bed doesn't give you the right to sexually molest her. Only F boys do that.

Why should we encourage Kemen? What he did was wrong. There is nothing to encourage here. AY must be living in a parallel universe where men with loose fingers are not held accountable for their actions.

Sorry, he is not in a parallel universe, he is Nigeria, where madmen are politicians and convicted thieves, are given a hero's welcome and a chieftaincy title.

From the clip above you could see people laughing in the hall. Well, not all of them but most of them. You are a product of your environment. This is why AY can get away with what he said. Nigerians do not know better. We believe rape victims are the architects of their own misfortunes.

A prominent figure like AY should know better and do better. He should use his platform to educate the nitwits out there who think rape is okay. What he said yesterday is a total disappointment. In a normal country, no brand will be associated with him this morning. But Nigeria is not a normal country.

You can't make a joke about rape. Can you make a joke about the circumstances surrounding rape? I think only a female comedian can pull that off. It's not in the place of any man to decide what is funny about rape.

AY is not a great comedian. He is famous and successful no doubt. He has the uncanny ability to promote his shows and turn bland movies into hits. He is our own Kevin Hart, just that Kevin Hart is funnier.

One thing he is not, however, is a great stand up comedian. He should leave the jokes alone especially the rape jokes. He should stick to movies and skits.
The rally which was attended by Governor Aminu Masari, occurred at the end of it.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday, Ibrahim who is the Senates committee chairman on Police Affairs said he is hale and hearty and was unharmed.

Ibrahim said that Funtua people are peace loving, noting that he would neither be distracted nor succumbed to the antics of political thugs.

The veteran politician said he is committed to proactive representation of his people and work for their upliftment by pursuing development programmes in the interest of the constituency and nation at large.

He said disruptions at political events are normal, especially as the APC was receiving hundreds of defectors from different political groups, who chanted the praises of their respective political leaders.

He alleged that the disruption was from political opponents looking for recognition at all costs and enjoined party loyalists to disregard their antics.

I have contested and won elections in all my polling units at various times without a single record of using thugs or rigging elections Ibrahim said.

He noted that some people had contested with him and lost elections and they always challenged his victory at various quarters but failed, stressing that the use thugs should be condemned in the interest of democracy.

The Senator enjoined the people to vote wisely based on candidates records of achievements and counseled politicians to promote virtues and prudent governance.

He pledged to continue with his efforts of improving the welfare of the people.

In a fortnight, he plans to unveil a skill empowerment training programme for about 600 youths beside the ongoing provision of 750 wells with 750 water pumping machines for irrigation farmers in the constituency.

The senator said a free eye treatment in which about 515 people underwent surgeries while 330 persons received medicated glasses and 1,908 others were treated for various eye defects was conducted this month.

Last year Ibrahim sponsored the training of 1,775 persons in various small scale businesses that included soap and pomade makings, livestock and poultry keepings, food processing, perfume and cream makings, decoration and air freshener making as well as animal feeds processing.
Ndume was suspended for six months after he demanded that the Senate President Bukola Saraki be investigated for allegedly importing a vehicle with fake documents.

He also called for the investigation of Senator Dino Melaye for allegedly forging his Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) degree.

Saraki and Melaye both denied the allegations and were later cleared by the senate committee on ethics and privileges.

Speaking to his constituents on Sunday, April 16, Ndume said he would rather be isolated in the Senate than betray Nigerians.

The lawmaker said his colleagues are against him because of his support for President Muhammadu Buhari's anti-corruption war and for backing the confirmation of Ibrahim Magu as the substantive chairman of the Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

"As far I am concerned, I wronged no one in the senate and I am not regretting my loyalty and support for President Buharis fight against corruption as well as all forms of financial crimes," he said.
Mr Joseph Attah, Public Relations Officer of the Service, made the appeal while addresding the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

He said that the service anti-smuggling strategy was yielding positive dividend, adding that in the past three months, the service had seized 136,506 bags of rice.

All Nigerians should see smuggling as a crime so that they will support the service to succeed in our ongoing war against smugglers.

Seeing smuggling as a crime means that you will be willing to give creditable information that will help us succeed.

As villagers that live around border line, they should be willing to support customs officers whenever they make seizures and they are encountering some difficulties, rather than supporting the smugglers against customs

 In Nigeria when a thief is arrested or an armed robber is arrested, you hardly get to see people going to beg for them.

But today when a smuggler is arrested you see Nigerians, including some respected ones in our society, coming to beg for such persons to be released because they dont see smuggling as a crime; they see it as a trade, Attah said.

He said that some Nigerians often times accused the NCS of not doing enough in its service delivery.

According to him, smugglers now take advantage of the porous borders, adding that oftentimes they are supported by villagers at the border line and unpatronic well to do individuals in carryiny out their smuggling activities.

 NCS cannot 100 per cent vouch for its officers like any other human organisation; it is totally wrong to suggest that every criminal activity must be with the connivance ofan operative, he added.

Attah said that the service would remain focused on its statutory function of enforcing government polices rather than being distracted by the blame game
Keyamo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos, that the various revelations about money stashed and abandoned in some places were the positive effect of the whistle blowing.

People are now ready to blow whistle, the populace now have confidence in assisting the government to fight corruption through whistleblowing."

The war against corruption which seemed to be lost is now turning back to a win situation and revival for the country. The only warning is that we are not yet there but we have taken a huge step forward."

Whistleblowing is very good and everybody is now a watchdog. I commend the policy, a situation whereby everybody can raise alarm and also alert the Economic Financial and Crime Commission (."

We are gradually winning but we are not there yet as there are many things to be done in this regard, he said.

Keyamo said that though whistleblowing had recorded some success stories, there must be deligent investigation before trial in court to forestall loss of corruption cases.

The second part of the anti-corruption fight is that we must strengthen the arm of prosecution if we dont want corruption cases as an exercise in futility."

The investigative part of the alleged crime must be diligent so that by the time people are taken to court, the case is solid enough and it will be easy for the prosecution to do the job."

In most cases, by the time the case gets to the prosecutor, the case is hazardly done. But on the other way round, investigation should have been properly carried out and prosecutor will do his part."
The victim, who worked at the state-owned Glory FM 97.1, was reportedly killed in his house.

According to The Cable, the assailants invaded Giobaros apartment within a bungalow at INEC Road, Kpasia in Yenagoa, the state capital, around 5am.

They were said to have gained access to the compound after scaling the fence with a ladder. They proceeded to his kitchen and pulled down the door. As soon as the armed men entered his bedroom, they shot him in the stomach, the report said.

It was gathered that two other men who were in the house at the time of the attack hid in the wardrobe and toilet.

Reports said that the attackers did not steal anything and they did not attack other occupants of the bungalow, making the incident appear like an assassination.

ALSO READ: Gunmen kill 3 persons at a Lagos restaurant

Confirming the incident, a spokesman for the state police command, Asinim Butswat said he did not have full details.

The Chairman, Bayelsa council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), John Angese, expressed shock, saying Giobaros death was a huge loss to the union.
Mr Chinedu Okoronkwo, the National President of the association, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that pipeline vandalism was causing the nation huge losses.

He said the setting up of the team signified the readiness of IPMAN to support the Federal Government on the surveillance of petroleum pipelines.

The IPMAN boss expressed concern over incessant pipeline vandalism, especially in the South-West zone of the country.

He, however, lauded governments initiative on incessant vandalism on pipeline network with a view to curbing the menace.

Very soon, the menace will be stamped out."

I urge my members to bear with government on the ongoing challenges facing loading at some depots."

It is our collective responsibility to check and bring pipelines culprits to book, Okoronkwo said.

Earlier, Alhaji Debo Ahmed, Chairman, Western Zone of IPMAN, had told NAN that the association would support necessary efforts to curb incessant vandalism, especially on the system 2B which he pumped products from Atlas Cove to five depots in the zone.

He called on the stakeholders in the oil and gas industry to form a synergy with security agencies toward tackling pipeline vandalism.

Ahmed also urged them to join hands with the government in fighting vandalism out of the system, noting that the country had suffered greatly from such menace.

The zonal chairman further urged the stakeholders not to open their eyes to watch some criminal elements destroying national assets.

It costs government billions of naira to revive the oil pipelines.

 Members of IPMAN, Western zone, have agreed to join hands with government and other security agents to embark on 24-hour surveillance of the pipelines network.

We believe that mutual cooperation between the association and security agencies will lead to greater success in the fight against the menace.

There is need to intensify the fight against vandalism because it is having adverse effects on the economy and the businesses of our members, Ahmed said.

Ahmed also assured that IPMAN would not rest on its oars in providing environment that would enable security personnel perform their duty effectively and reduce the impact of pipeline vandalism.

He lauded the management of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for re-opening the Ejigbo and Mosimi depots, after one year of closure due to activities of vandals.
He urged the leaders to give priority to female education as they did with their male counterparts.

The people need to prioritise their commitment toward the education of female just like their male counterpart.

We appeal to everybody, especially well- meaning individuals irrespective of party differences, to provide the environment to aid girl-child education, he said.

The monarch also admonished the people of Kano to support each other and work as a team for the overall development of the state.

He commended the proprietor of the school for his foresight and contribution to the development of education in the state.

Earlier, the proprietor of the school, Alhaji Aminu Dabo, had said that the school was established two years ago to promote educational development in the state.

He said that 80 per cent of the institutions students population was women.

Dabo added that the school would collaborate with Kwara University and another university in Malaysia for degree courses.
The upper legislative chamber also told the NNPC to go beyond sacking and redeploying staff involved in the recent unauthorized sale of 132 million litres of fuel.

The Senate made the comments via a statement by its spokesman, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi.

The statement reads in part:

The Senate is appalled that NNPC is not contemplating on doing something about the involvement of officials of the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) which actually played key roles in the missing products case.

It is instructive that NNPC did not do anything on the case until the matter was raised on the floor of the Senate and the press picked the matter up from the motion.

The unauthorized sale of 132 million litres of fuel kept in the storage tanks of MRS and Capital Oil designated as strategic reserves is a grave occurrence. This probably is not the first time it is happening and NNPC must review its operations. It should in fact carry out a shakeup in the PPMC.

The Senate also praised the NNPC for responding to the motion moved by the Chairman, Committee on Petroleum Downstream Sector Senator Kabiru Marafa, on the theft of petroleum products kept in the tank farms of MRS and Capital Oil.

The Senate further urged the NNPC to initiate a comprehensive restructuring of its operations which presently allow officials and other firms to appropriate national resources for their personal use, thereby contributing to the suffering of the people.
He made the comments on Sunday, April 16, during the 22nd National Ummah Convention in Sokoto, Daily Trust reports.

Much is needed from the government and the general public to tackle hunger, as our laziness could not aid our progress, the Sultan said.

Yes, there is hunger in the country, but we have been so much lazy to tackle the issue, as we always depend on government and other wealthy individuals to assist us.

Moreover, no one could solve our own problems, but we should improve more on agriculture, in order to tackle them and yield a better society, he added.
According to a report by Punch Newspaper, the ex-governor of Rivers State has issued a seven-day ultimatum to Fani-Kayode and Olayinka to publicly apologise to him over their remarks on the recovered $50million in one of the flats at the Osborne Towers in Ikoyi, Lagos.

While Olayinka was asked to also apologise in five national dailies and pay the sum of N750 million as compensation for the malicious and defamatory claim on his (Olayinka) Twitter handle, Fani-Kayode was asked for the sum of N500 million from Fani-Kayode as compensation for the malicious and defamatory claim.

The duo of Fani-Kayode and Olayinka had individually linked the minister to the recovered cash which is believed to be proceeds of loots from the last dispensation under President Goodluck Jonathan.

It was also reported that Amaechi had through his lawyer, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), had written to Fani-Kayode and Olayinka, claiming that he had been defamed by their statements.

Amaechi also warned that there would be stiff legal actions should Fani-Kayode and Olayinka fail to adhere to his demand over the alleged defamatory acts.

The two letters dated April 14, 2017 read: The $43 million is Rotimi Amaechis. He owns the flat it was found in (sic) too. NIAs story is fake news! NIA does not keep cash in ministers flats.

The Osborne Towers, a luxury residential complex in Ikoyi, Lagos, where EFCC said it found $43,449,987, 27,800 pounds N23,218,000 on Wednesday is owned by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi."
According to a report by SaharaReporters, the wife of the Director-General of the Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA) had been fingered to have been the one moving cash into the apartment in haggard looking clothes.

It was further reported that one of the whistleblowers responsible for the discovery described Oke's spouse as a woman who spoke fluent Yoruba and repeatedly brought huge bags of money to Apartment 7B.

ALSO READ: Confusion rages over ownership of N50m

The report also revealed that apartment 7B was known to guards as Apartment Dash-Dash because in the records there were two dashes where the name of the owner ought to be.

He further said Folashade, on the first occasion, gave him N10,000 as a gift, and on the second, N500.

The whistleblower further said the woman would spend about two hours in the apartment, then go freshen up in the gym at the back of the building before leaving.

ALSO READ: Buhari set to fire NIA boss
My message is for us to live in peace and unity. I know that we will continue to make sacrifices; and we should be hopeful that the country will get better, Saraki told journalists in Ilorin, Kwara state over the weekend.

We should be hopeful that we will attain our promises with time. We just have to stay focused and determined and should not get distracted. Im sure at the end of the day we will get there.

But the most important thing is that there must be unity and peace and we must be able to come together and support government to be able to do our best. People should not give up; they should be rest assured that all is going to be well, he added.
According to the speaker's interview with NIGERIA NOW magazine, Dogara suggested that the exercise will be put on hold till 2019 elections to avoid possible displacement of sitting elected lawmakers.

In the interview, the Speaker noted that there have been clamour for more constituencies in view of rising population and other factors, and urged INEC to muster the political will to conduct the exercise in accordance with law.

He said: "The delineation is the responsibility of INEC, I dont know why they are not doing it, its not the responsibility of the National Assembly. So they will need to muster a lot of political will, as a matter of fact, there were even a lot of constituencies, state constituencies really, not federal, that were merged without reason. Its been the basis of clamour, some have even gone to court and won the cases that they should restore those constituencies."

"For example, a constituency in Benue State and my constituency were even affected. In Tafawa Balewa, we used to have a member representing Bula in the House and Lere, but Bula and Lere were merged, so its one of them. INEC has even submitted the report to us that these were the constituencies that were merged and the Supreme Court has said go and demerge them, but up till now its not been done.

ALSO READ: Reps to initiate policies to improve conditions of IDPs - Dogara

"Now I understand having had preliminary discussions with the authorities that there may be some kind of reasons because if you now say you are demerging them right now, those who have won elections in those constituencies, it will amount to annulling those elections, they would have to conduct fresh elections in those constituencies. So the commitment is that they may do that, but it would be in the 2019 general elections, they may introduce the elections in those places."
Also referred to as the servant of the most high, Private Elijah made the statement in response to Obasanjo's statement that the church leaders encourage corruption in Nigeria.

Reacting to the statement, Primate Ayodele, said Obasanjo himself introduced corruption into the church.

The prophet disclosed this during an interview with The Sun in his church headquarters at Oke-Afa Lagos State.

It was Obasanjo himself who introduced corruption into the church when he invited eminent politicians and personalities into his church in Ogun State, to donate heavily to the church.

So, he has no moral right to condemn men of God, saying they encourage corruption.
Ayodele told The Sun, I want to advise President Buhari to stand down on his fight against corruption and allow the demon to fight itself.

The best thing for Buhari to do now is not to be distracted by the complicated work of fighting corruption but exert more energy on bettering the lot of Nigerians, improving the economy and providing jobs for our teeming unemployed youths.

It will get to a time corruption itself would fight itself. God will ensure that happens very soon. If Buhari really wants to uproot corruption in this country, he would have to kill all our political leaders and government appointees and that is evidently mission impossible.

So, the president should rather concentrate more on delivering on other aspects of his partys manifesto geared towards improving the quality of life of average Nigerians, especially the masses who wholeheartedly keyed into his change promise and voted massively for him with high hopes.

President Buhari should leave corruption to kill itself; otherwise the menace would perish his government."
The Commandant of the corps in Borno, Mr Ibrahim Abdullahi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Maiduguri that operators of the fake centre were defrauding applicants.

He said that men of the command also arrested one Abizo Precious Idowu, a 31-year-old from Imo who had collected N1,200 each to register about 180 students under the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Without any doubt, the command had discovered that the Computer Based Test Centre (CBT) is fake. Even the server is for Abia state.

His accomplices are on the run but the command is doing all it can to track them.

We will make sure he refunded all the money he collected from the students while he will be made to face the law.
"The (German) government expects that the Turkish government will now seek respectful dialogue with all political and social forces in the country, after this tough election campaign," Merkel said in a statement issued jointly with Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel.

The 'Yes' camp won with 51.41 percent in Sunday's vote on giving Erdogan sweeping new powers, according to near-complete results, but angry opposition groups have cried foul and demanded a recount.

Merkel said Germany "respected the right of Turks to decide on their constitution", but added that "the close result shows the extent to which Turkish society is deeply divided".

During the referendum campaign, Erdogan lashed out at Germany and the Netherlands, accusing them of acting like the Nazis when they barred rallies for the 'Yes' camp.

Merkel called for political discussions with Ankara"as quickly as possible".
They toil under the gaze of a caravan of camels who will carry their salt bricks to market, in a trek that historians estimate has gone on since the 6th century.

But with the Ethiopian government opening the isolated northern region to investors and tourists by cutting new roads through surrounding mountains, the labourers, traders and caravan drivers that make up the industry say their traditional way of life could soon be lost.

"If it continues like this, it will stop our work," miner Musa Idris said as he stood on the cracked earth that fringes Lake Asale, where the miners work amid temperatures that can reach 50 degrees C (122 degrees F), making it one of the world's hottest places.

Salt mining was once so vital to the economy of the depression that the seven-kilogramme chunks of salt Idris and his colleagues hack from the ground were used as currency.

While the trade is still important, it is no longer the only game in town.

Tourism moves in

Restaurants and hotels have sprung up in the area, also known as the Danakil depression, to cater to tourists who come from across the globe to visit the uniquely desolate landscape formed by the intersection of three tectonic plates.

The region has also attracted foreign firms that want to mine potash and send it to Asia.

The presence of salt in the area has not escaped the attention of mining companies.

A handful of kilometres away from where Idris and his colleagues gather, an Ethiopian company has built a plant that sucks water from the lake into evaporation ponds, creating salt the miners say is of a better quality but costs more than the square blocks they mine from the lakebed.

"The traditional way is quite different from ours. That one takes more toil and time," evaporation plant manger Maheri Asgedew said of the manual way of mining.

Asgedew predicts that his plant, which only recently went into operation, would one day be the main supplier of salt in the area.

From camels to trucks

Perhaps no development has impacted the traditional salt industry like the new roads.

Ethiopia is Africa's second most populous country and one of the continent's best-performing economies, with growth reaching nearly 10 percent in 2015.

The government has made projects such as dams and road-building a priority as part of its strategy to end the poverty that afflicts around one in three of its citizens.

Getting the salt-laden camels from Lake Asale to the nearest city Mekele used to be a four-day trek down rock-strewn gullies.

Now, the caravans terminate in Berhale, the region's main salt trading outpost which road builders connected to Mekele by tarmac about five years ago.

The journey takes only three days, an improvement that some of the camel drivers and labourers who help offload the salt bricks have welcomed, but which others worry is a sign that technology will soon put them all out of business.

About 5,000 blocks of salt arrive each day at a trading post situated on a dry riverbed at the edge of Berhale, from which they are loaded onto trucks that take them as far away as neighbouring Kenya, said Ahmed Ali Ahmed, the deputy of an association of salt miners.

"The road has brought a lot of change, because we can easily transport salt to Mekele," Ahmed told AFP.

Ahmed is hopeful that, some day, they won't need to use camels at all.

"We hope there will be something like cars," he said.

'We don't have anything else'

The Lake Asale miners like Idris have also grown tired of the industry's backbreaking labour and low wages, despite its long history in the area.

"We have no water and sometimes we eat bad food," said Musa, whose daily pay of 500 birr ($22, 21 euros) affords him a house in Hamed Ela, a ramshackle settlement of huts near the salt fields.

"If technology comes and changes it, it would be better."

But others embrace the traditional way. For them, it's simply the family business.
For more than a week, militias allied to the UN-backed Government of National Accord have fought off rival forces trying to capture an airbase in the south of the North African country.

"We ask you to take a firm and decisive stance with regards to this escalation and we will support all decisions to re-establish security and stability in Libya," GNA head Fayez al-Sarraj wrote in a letter published Saturday.

Sarraj called for an "urgent intervention" from the international community "to end the deterioration of the situation in south Libya", in an open letter addressed to bodies including the European Union, the United Nations and the Arab League.

He did not specify the nature of what form such intervention could take.

Clashes erupted last week after the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army, commanded by military strongman Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar and loyal to Libya's eastern authorities, battled to seize the Tamenhant air base from militias backing the GNA.

"This sudden and unjustified escalation... puts the country on the brink of civil war", Sarraj said.

The GNA, which both Haftar and the eastern-based parliament have refused to recognise, has announced a counter-offensive against the LNA.

The LNA has said the Tamenhant base was a launching pad for fighters who seized key oil terminals from its control last month, before the LNA retook them days later.

But the unity government has denied any link with the attacks on the oil facilities in Libya's northeast.

The GNA, which was born of a UN-brokered deal signed in late 2015, has struggled to assert its authority nationwide since taking office in Tripoli in March last year.
Some 145 homes were destroyed when the 300-foot (90-metre) rubbish mountain came crashing down on Friday afternoon at Kolonnawa on the northeastern edge of Colombo. Police say many more buildings were damaged and could collapse at any time.

Hundreds of soldiers have kept up the search for survivors amid reports that seven people from four families were still missing after the disaster, which followed heavy rain the previous day and a fire hours earlier.

It came as the country celebrated the traditional new year and followed a warning to parliament that the 23 million tonnes of rotting garbage posed a serious health hazard.

"We are keeping up the search but we are not very hopeful of finding anyone alive in these conditions," military spokesman Roshan Seneviratne told AFP on Monday.

The discovery of a man's body and a dismembered limb during the search Monday had pushed the death toll to 28, Seneviratne added.

Disaster management officials said 1,700 people had been moved to temporary shelters in state schools while the government looked for alternative accommodation.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was visiting Japan at the time, said arrangements had been made to clear away the garbage dump, but it came crashing down before work could begin.

About 800 tonnes of solid waste from the capital is added to the open dump every day. Efforts are under way to generate electricity using the waste.

Police have stepped up security in the area following reports of looting and said they arrested 23 men suspected of stealing victims' belongings.
The referendum was seen as crucial not just for shaping the political system of Turkey but also the future strategic direction of a nation that has been a NATO member since 1952 and an EU hopeful for half a century.

The 'Yes' camp won 51.41 percent in Sunday's referendum on a new presidential system and 'No' 48.59, according to near-complete results released by the election authorities.

But Erdogan's victory was far narrower than expected, emerging only after several nail-biting hours late Sunday which saw the 'No' result dramatically catch up in the later count.

Turkey's three largest cities -- Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir -- all voted 'No' although 'Yes' prevailed in Erdogan's Anatolian heartland.

With the opposition crying foul over alleged violations, all eyes will be on Monday's announcement by international observers from the OSCE and the Council of Europe who will give their initial assessment of the vote.

"On April 17, we have woken up to a new Turkey," wrote the pro-government Hurriyet columnist Abdulkadir Selvi.

"The 'Yes' was victorious but the people have sent messages to the government and opposition that need to be carefully considered."

The new system is due to come into effect after elections in November 2019.

'Shadow over polls'

In a bid to get back to business after the bitterly-contested campaign, Erdogan was on Monday to chair a cabinet meeting at his presidential palace, Turkish media said.

Erdogan declared that Turkey's had made a "historic" decision and appeared standing on top of a bus in front of thousands of cheering supporters outside his Huber Palace Istanbul residence on the shores of the Bosphorus.

But the opposition were not content to rest on their better-than-expected performance despite a lopsided campaign in which the 'Yes' camp enjoyed vastly greater resources and dominated the airwaves.

Both the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) said they would appeal the results from most of the ballot boxes due to alleged violations.

They were particularly incensed by a decision by the Supreme Election Board (YSK) to allow voting papers without official stamps to be counted, which they said opened the way for fraud.

"The Higher Election Board has thrown a shadow on the people's decision. They have caused the referendum's legitimacy to be questioned," said CHP chief Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

The HDP said there were indications of a manipulation amounting to three or four percentage points while deputy CHP leader Erdal Aksunger said up to 60 percent of the ballot boxes could be appealed.

Monitors from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) are to give their own assessment of the vote at 1200 GMT.

Overnight, sporadic protests by disgruntled 'No' voters erupted in parts of Istanbul, with demonstrators banging pots and pans to voice their discontent.

"A victory of the nation," said the headline in the pro-government Yeni Safak daily. "Turkey has won."

But the Cumhuriyet opposition daily focused on the alleged violations: "A shadow fell over the ballot boxes," it said.

Reviving the death penalty?

Throughout the campaign, Erdogan launched bitter attacks on the European Union, accusing member states of behaving like the Third Reich in failing to allow his ministers to campaign among expats.

The initial reaction from Turkey's Western allies was far from ebullient, with top EU officials saying Turkey had to find the "broadest possible" agreement on the changes in view of the closeness of the result.

In an indication more strife with Brussels could be in the offing, Erdogan said he would now hold talks on reinstating capital punishment, a move that would automatically end Turkey's EU bid.

If the opposition failed to support such a bill, he said another referendum could be held on reinstating the death penalty.

The new system would dispense with the office of prime minister and centralise the entire executive bureaucracy under the president, giving Erdogan the direct power to appoint ministers.
"This is a very risky path," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a news conference in Moscow.

"We do not accept the reckless nuclear missile actions of Pyongyang that breach UN resolutions, but that does not mean that you can break international law," he said.

"I hope that there will not be any unilateral actions like the one we saw recently in Syria."

Pence on Monday warned North Korea not to test President Donald Trump's resolve, declaring that "all options are on the table" for curbing its missile and nuclear weapons programmes.

Defying international pressure, the North on Sunday tried to test-fire another missile in an attempt that failed, but which fuelled fears that it may be preparing for its sixth atomic weapons test.

Pence said that the era of US "strategic patience" in dealing with the North was over, after more than two decades.

"In the past two weeks, the world witnessed the strength and resolve of our new president in actions taken in Syria and Afghanistan," Pence said.
Here are some of the main reactions:

European Union

"In view of the close referendum result and the far-reaching implications of the constitutional amendments, we... call on the Turkish authorities to seek the broadest possible national consensus in their implementation," said a statement issued by European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker, EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini and EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn.

Germany

"The (German) government expects that the Turkish government will now seek respectful dialogue with all political and social forces in the country, after this tough election campaign," said Chancellor Angela Merkel in a joint statement with Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel.

Council of Europe

Thorbjorn Jagland, secretary general of Europe's top rights watchdog, said Turkish leaders "should consider the next steps carefully ... in view of the close result."

It is of the utmost importance, said Jagland, "to secure the independence of the judiciary in line with the principle of rule of law enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights."

Turkey is a full member of the Council of Europe, which "stands ready to support the country in this process", Jagland added.

Austria

According to Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, the referendum "shows how divided the country is". He added that "collaboration with the EU will be even more complex."

Denmark

"Strange to see democracy restrict democracy. The majority has the right to decide, but I'm quite concerned about (the) new Turkish constitution," Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said on Twitter.

NATO
RBU hosts get together of senior citizens

Educational institutions of the SGPC are leading in every field: Sukhminder Singh
1. Record Store Day

The 10th annual Record Store Day  the official national holiday honoring local record stores and their products  is this Saturday. Join in the musical celebrating at Quad-City record stores. Along with record releases and all-day deals, live music is planned from acts such as Speaking of Secrets, Dead Forms, The Right Now, Bill MacKay, Archeress and Haunter from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Ragged Records, 418 E. 2nd St., Davenport. Additionally, check out Co-Op Records, 3737 Avenue of the Cities, Moline. For more information, recordstoreday.com.

9 a.m. Saturday, Ragged Records. Free

2. Putnam photo shoot

The Putnam Museum & Science Center, 1717 W 12th St., Davenport, is hosting a second free community-wide photo event this weekend, a project celebrating the museum's 150th anniversary. During the first event, more than 1,200 people participated by having black-and-white portraits taken. All the portraits will be displayed in the Putnams Grand Lobby through the year and will then be part of the museum's permanent collection. For more information, visit putnam.org.

Noon to 3 p.m. Friday-Sunday, Putnam Museum. Free

3. Baked's grand opening festival

The Quad-City's newest brewery is officially opening this week. Baked Beer & Bread Co., 1113 Mound St., Davenport, is unveiling its restaurant and brewery with a four-day festival. The event, billed as 420 Fest, kicks off Thursday with a dinner in the theme of "The Great Gatsby," plus live music from Liz Moen and Harsh Times. Shows are set for Friday and Saturday with a brunch planned on Sunday morning. For a full lineup and tickets, visit bakedbeerandbreadco.com.

Thursday-Sunday, Baked, $15-$80

4. Layers of Maquoketa

The inaugural Layers of Maquoketa, a five-day celebration of the city's people, history, places, art, businesses and more, kicks off Tuesday and wraps up Saturday with a downtown festival, including performances by school jazz bands, a grand opening of the renovated downtown, a pancake breakfast at Maquoketa Caves, Hurstville Interpretive Center Earth Day activities in the Green Space, food vendors, a show by the Coronado Car Club and retailers open until 8 p.m. For more information, visit layersofmaquoketa.com.

Tuesday-Saturday, venues in Maquoketa, Iowa, prices vary

5. Tale of a tin woman

The Black Box Theatre opens its latest show, "The Tin Woman," this weekend. "The Tin Woman" tells the story of a woman who receives a heart transplant and her meeting with the family of the donor. Along with performances this weekend, you can see "The Tin Woman" April 27-29 at the Black Box Theatre, 1623 5th Ave., Moline. For tickets, call 563-284-2350 or visit theblackboxtheatre.com.

7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Black Box Theatre, $16

6. St. Ambrose Shakespeare project

The St. Ambrose Theatre Department is taking on one of William Shakespeare's most well-known tragedies this weekend. You have three chances to see the student production of "Richard III" as part of the college's ongoing Shakespeare Project, at the Galvin Fine Arts Center, 518 Locust St., Davenport. Tickets: $13 for adults, $11 for faculty/staff/alumni/senior citizens, $9 for non-St. Ambrose students and $8 for groups. Admission is free for St. Ambrose students. To buy tickets, call 563-333-6251 or visit sau.edu.

7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday, Galvin Fine Arts Center, $8-$13

7. Rock at RIBCO

The Obsessed, a hard rock group from Maryland, returns to town with openers Karma To Burn and Fatso Jetson this weekend at Rock Island Brewing Company, or RIBCO, 1815 2nd Ave., Rock Island. For tickets, visit ribco.com.

9 p.m. Friday, RIBCO, $18

8. Scavenger hunt on wheels

Grab your bike and join the Spring Scrabble Social Ride for an on-wheels scavenger hunt around the Quad-Cities. The ride, which falls on Earth Day, kicks off at Happy Joe's Pizza Grille, 2900 River Drive, Moline, and follows a route with stops at surprise locations leading to clues. Proceeds go to the Children's Therapy Center of the Quad-Cities. To register, visit scrabblesocialride.com.

Noon Saturday, Happy Joe's Pizza Grille, $25

9. Let's get musical

Looking for an upbeat night of tunes? See Calliope Musicals, billed as a psychedelic party folk band from Austin, Texas, this weekend. The show, with opener Paper Bird, is set for Friday at the Redstone Room, 129 N. Main St., Davenport. For tickets, visit rivermusicexperience.org.

8 p.m. Friday, Redstone Room, $10
When it was passed in 2013, backers of Iowa's business property tax reform law said it would be a boost for Iowa's economy, that it would help businesses expand and create new jobs. But as the four-year-old law has become a target amid the state's revenue struggles, critics say it has failed to live up to the hype. Instead, they say, it left the state cash-strapped and has done little to boost the economy.

The wide-ranging reform law, years in the making, was a high priority for Gov. Terry Branstad. He had complained for years the states commercial property tax rates were among the highest in the nation. When he signed the bill in June of 2013, after it received bipartisan support in the Legislature, he hailed it for the things that were to come.

"This tax relief bill will put more money in the pockets of Iowa families and make it easier for Iowa businesses to invest and grow in our state," the governor said at the bill signing ceremony at Hawkeye Ready-Mix Concrete in Hiawatha.

The law had a lot of parts, but its centerpiece was a provision that changed how much a commercial and industrial propertys actual value was subject to taxation, lowering it from 100 percent to 90 percent. Already, residential properties see about half their assessed value exempt from taxation, and business owners had complained they were being treated unfairly.

In addition, the law provided a business property tax credit that was aimed at helping Main Street enterprises.

Those two things together led to a lower tax burden of $15.7 million in Scott County for taxes paid in 2016/17, according to the Iowa Department of Revenue.

But has it worked? Has it helped the economy?

The governor says it has.

"Gov. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Reynolds believe that implementing the largest commercial property tax cut in Iowas history in 2013 has made a real difference on our Main Streets and in our communities, said spokesman, Ben Hammes. Iowa continues to experience the lowest unemployment rate in 16 years and there is no doubt that businesses small and large benefit by a lower tax payment on property.

Critics of the law scoff at the notion that changes to property taxes have boosted the economy. They say a lot of things go into a business's decision whether to expand or locate here.

I would be doubtful that it had much of an impact on economic growth, said Peter Fisher, research director for the Iowa Policy Project, which criticized the proposal when it was in the Legislature. He said that much of the benefit is going to retailers, including larger ones based out of state, as well as other businesses whose operations are driven by local market conditions, not tax policy. Big boxes, he says, are getting a good deal, but he adds: Its hard to see any of that benefiting Iowa.

In the Quad-Cities, the economy has bumped along since the law was passed.

The average unemployment rate for Scott County in 2013 was 5.6 percent. That dropped to 4.6 percent this past year. But that decline has come as the size of the labor force has shrunk, not more people being employed. In fact, the number of people employed in the county has shrunk by 400 on average between 2013 and 2016.

Statewide, the economy has performed better. The jobless rate dropped from 4.7 percent in 2013 to 3.7 percent in 2016. But, unlike in Scott County, the number of people employed in the state went up from 2013 to 2016 -- by about 40,000 to 1.638 million people.

Henry Marquard, director of government relations for the Quad-Cities Chamber of Commerce, which backed the law, said the tax changes help. He said it is important for Iowa to compete with other states that are improving their tax climates. Were continuing to see all of these states we compete with step up their game, and its important that we keep up, he said.

Marquard said he believes Kraft Heinzs decision to build a new plant at the Eastern Iowa Industrial Center was partly attributable to a better property tax climate.

Defenders of the law say that it has improved Iowa's competitiveness with other states. A study of commercial property tax rates released last year by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Minnesota Center for Fiscal Excellence said Iowa's rankings improved after the law was passed.

For example, for a commercial property with a value of $100,000 Iowa's property ranked 22nd highest in the country. The year before, it was ranked 10th highest.

For a property with a $1 million value, Iowa ranked 9th highest; The year before it was 5th.

Critics of the law say there's more to making a state attractive to business than just the tax climate, and property taxes are only a piece of that.

Dave Swenson, an economist at Iowa State University, dismisses the idea there was an impact on the states economy. Instead, he said, there was just a shift of the tax burden.

The advantages have accumulated to the commercial sector but were offset to the disadvantage of the taxpayers at large. Its a zero sum game, he said.

He added, "The transfer to commercial property owners comes at the expense of spending those dollars on public programs, which do tend to have a higher multiplier effect."

As for Iowas low jobless rate, Swenson said the state has traditionally been well below the national average.

Local impact varies

Property taxes are the lifeblood of local government. They are the revenue source mayors and aldermen have the most control over, and their rise and fall guide budget-making.

Local governments have extraordinary sway over property taxes, and that can have an impact on how state tax policy rolls out.

Take Frontier Management, Corp., the owner of the Best Western Plus Steeplegate Inn in Davenport. The hotel is one of two the company owns in Iowa. The other is in Dubuque.

Dan Huber, the company's chief executive, said the commercial tax break was welcome. But, he noted, that in Dubuque the assessment on the hotel there spiked significantly in 2015. The company appealed, but it still ended up being higher. That higher assessment, combined with a slightly higher tax rate, led to a nearly $16,000 tax increase over the year before.

That was more than the benefit gained by the reduction in the amount of the commercial property's value subject to tax.

"The work that the legislature did to provide relief is very, very welcome, and as a small business we appreciate it. But at the same time, when your assessed values and so on are going up and up, it can certainly negate some of the work that is done in the legislature," he said.

Deere and Co.'s Davenport Works on East 90th Street is another example of how local changes can have an impact on individual properties. Taxed at just 90 percent of value instead of 100 percent, Deere's tax bite under the new system against the old system, results in a $94,000 savings from what it would have been otherwise. But the City of Davenport re-evaluated all its commercial properties in 2016, and for Deere that will result in a 20 percent increase, to about $29 million, in assessed value for the 2017/2018 tax year.

"For Deere, the 10 percent commercial property rollback has been completely offset by higher assessed property values," said Ken Golden, a Deere spokesman.

For their part, local governments say their budgets have come under greater pressure because of the property tax reform law. The state is reimbursing for lost commercial and industrial tax revenues. But it isn't paying local governments for revenues lost because of the law's changes to apartments and similar multi-residential properties.

The law is changing how those properties are being taxed, so that by 2022 they'll be treated the same as single family homes.

"It makes it difficult for us to keep up with the pace of growth were having," said Brandon Wright, the City of Davenport's finance director. "The result of that is a tighter and tighter budget every year."

Tax cut back in the crosshairs

This year, the property tax law has become much more controversial because of the state's financial struggles.

Three times since the fall, the state has revised downward its revenue expectations. That included a report in March in which the Revenue Estimating Conference said income for the rest of the fiscal year, which ends June 30, would fall $131 million short of expectations.

That means the state will likely draw from reserves to balance the budget.

Already, Democrats and other critics say the state is shortchanging education and other priorities, and the property tax reform law, along with generous business tax credits, have taken important dollars off the table. The impact has clearly been weve been struggling to finance basic services, said Fisher, of the Iowa Policy Project.

In the face of such shortfalls, there is talk about overhauling existing business credits, and some lawmakers have said the 2013 reform law should be reexamined, too.

Meanwhile, the legislature faces pressure from local governments who already are fretting the state will back off reimbursing them for the lost revenues from the 2013 law. Branstad's office, though, stressed that the governor has committed to replacing those revenues -- and that it stands by policies aimed at making it easier to run a business in the state. "Gov. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Reynolds remain focused on policies that will create an even better environment for our job creators to provide more job opportunities for Iowans," Hammes said.
Under threat from the Republicans, U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack, Iowa's lone Democrat, set a personal fundraising record for the first quarter after an election, taking in $258,846, federal records show.

As of March 30, the congressman had nearly $1.2 million in the bank, which also is a record for this time in the election cycle.

Loebsack, who represents Iowa's 2nd District, raised close to $124,000 from individuals and nearly $135,000 from political action committees for the three-month period, which ran from Jan. 1 through March 30. First-quarter financial reports were due to the Federal Election Commission over the weekend.

Loebsack's first-quarter haul exceeds the $197,000 he raised in the first quarter of 2015.

The Iowa City Democrat, who has never been the most prolific fundraiser, is expected to seek a seventh term next year. But he would do so in an unusual political climate. President Donald Trump won Iowa handily in last November's elections, including Iowa's 2nd District, which typically leans to the Democrats. That success has emboldened Republicans, whose political arm in the House has put Loebsack on its initial target list for the 2018 elections.

No Republican has announced a candidacy yet, but the state party has made clear the district is a priority. The Democrats' House political operation also has put the 2nd District seat on its radar screen.

This quarter's fundraising totals come on the heels of a rather tame election season for Loebsack. Last year, he went up against Republican Christopher Peters, who had little money or name recognition. As a result, the congressman spent only about $600,000 on the race, less than half of what he spent in either 2014 or in 2012. That allowed him to conserve cash, and he goes into this two-year cycle with far more money on hand than usual. Typically, he's had less than $200,000 on hand at this part of the campaign cycle, according to federal records.
Official or political, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner's message in the Quad-Cities on Monday was much the same as it was when he was here last week: It's mostly House Democrats who are standing in the way of resolving the state's financial woes.

The governor made a stop Monday at the iWireless Center in Moline to speak to members of the Quad-Cities Chamber of Commerce. Rauner praised Senate Democrats, even more so than last week, and said they want a balanced budget and a deal to end the two-year old budget impasse.

"I applaud them for that," he said. "I'm cheering for them."

Rauner has long focused on House Speaker Mike Madigan for much of what is wrong in Springfield. He didn't as harshly take on the Democratic leader as in the past, but the point was the same. He said there is "real reluctance to do anything."

Steve Brown, a spokesman for Madigan, responded by questioning Monday whether Rauner wants a deal himself. He accused him of derailing a deal in the Senate and said that Madigan is open to a deal but that it must be "balanced."

The governor's stop Monday was his second in the Quad-Cities in less a week. This one was an official visit. Last Tuesday, Rauner was in Rock Island for what he described as a political event  not paid for with taxpayer funds.

Critics called the visit last week the unofficial kickoff of his 2018 campaign. Rauner denied that, saying he was simply trying to communicate with Illinoisans. But whether it was this week or last, Rauner emphasized changing the political equation in Springfield.

"The biggest thing you all can do is reach out to members of the ... House Democratic caucus," Rauner told the chamber members.

In fact, there is only one Democrat left in the Illinois Quad-City House delegation: Rep. Mike Halpin, of Rock Island. Democrat Mike Smiddy was ousted last election, with Rauner supplying much of the money to target him.

Before Rauner's visit Monday, about 100 people gathered outside the iWireless Center to protest him. Many were from area labor unions.

A succession of speakers accused the governor of being dictatorial and failing to negotiate in good faith. They said schools, human service agencies and working people have been hurt by the impasse and, in a common refrain, they repeatedly told him to "do your job."

One speaker, Carlene Erno, a state worker and Quad-City area union leader, chided Rauner for recent television ads paid for by a group allied with him. "Quit spending money on stupid commercials, wearing flannel and holding duct tape," said Erno, president of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, Local 2615. "Do your job."

In addition to the Quad-Cities, Rauner also was making a stop in Peoria on Monday.
A man convicted in the Davenport murder of a well-known Quad-City bartender during a robbery in 1983 will get one more shot to have his latest petition for post-conviction relief heard after the Iowa Court of Appeals kicked it back to Scott County District Court.

B. C. Basil Pendleton, 57, of Waterloo, and Daryl Louis Hollins, 58, of Davenport, each were convicted in separate trials for the murder of 56-year-old Carol Stinger during a robbery of the St. Louis House, a Davenport tavern.

Pendleton has filed for post-conviction relief at least three times. The first two times occurred in 1989 and 2002. Both of those petitions were denied and the decisions were upheld on appeal.

His latest petition for post-conviction relief was filed in September 2013. In that petition, Pendleton claimed he had an affidavit from a witness at his trial who claimed he was recanting his trial testimony because it was all a fabrication. Pendleton also claimed he had a second piece of evidence for his case, an unsigned affidavit in which one man recanted his 2003 testimony to police, although it was never offered at trial. In view of this alleged new evidence Pendleton wanted his conviction for murder overturned.

After a hearing on Oct. 23, 2014, Scott County District Judge Mary Howes summarily dismissed the petition for post-conviction relief at the States request saying that the second piece of evidence was immaterial since the man never testified at trial. She also said that while the first piece of evidence is material to the case, it is unlikely that it would overturn the jurys guilty verdict as there were other stronger witnesses in the case.

But according to the Iowa Court of Appeals, it does not appear that Pendleton got the chance to argue against the summary judgement. Also, the record of the hearing before the Court of Appeals was incomplete.

So even though the Court of Appeals said in its ruling that Howes could rule to dismiss the petition once again, it still goes back to District Court for another hearing, which has been set for Jan. 19, 2018.

The robbery and murder

At 12:45 a.m. August 18, 1983, Pendleton and Hollins, both then 24, walked into the St. Louis House, a tavern located at 402 W. 2nd St., Davenport.

Hollins, armed with a gun the two men had purchased that night at another tavern, planned to rob the St. Louis House, according to testimony from the case.

When the two walked in, they found Stinger, who was alone behind the bar and who had worked at the tavern for six months.

According to court testimony given by Tawana Harris, who at the time lived with Pendleton, Pendleton told her he was taking cash from the registers when he heard a shot and looked to find Hollins standing over Stingers body.

Frank Lingard, the owner of the tavern, was walking in an adjoining door and saw the two men running north on Ripley Street.

He found Stinger behind the bar, but didnt know shed been shot until, while calling police, he noticed a pool of blood forming on her clothes. Stinger, who had been a popular bartender in the Quad-Cities for 35 years, had been shot once in the chest. She was pronounced dead about 45 minutes later at Mercy Hospital.

According to testimony in Pendletons trial, Stinger was shot because she saw their faces during the robbery.

The men ran away with about $400 and two guns they found behind the counter.

Pendleton and Hollins were indicted on murder and robbery charges Jan. 31, 1984. Pendleton already was in the Scott County Jail at the time of the indictment and had testified during grand jury proceedings.

Hollins was captured in San Francisco and returned for trial.

Pendleton had a chance to serve a 25-year-prison sentence in the case as part of a plea agreement to plead guilty to first-degree robbery and testify against Hollins. Pendleton initially agreed, telling Scott County District Court Judge Margaret Briles that he was not armed during the robbery. He said as they left the bar he heard a shot and found out later that Hollins had shot Stinger.

But the next day, Pendleton changed his mind, according to court documents, as he was afraid he would be killed by a prison gang if he testified against Hollins, who allegedly was a member of the Almighty Unknown Vice Lords. That put fear into my heart, Pendleton told Judge Briles.

The St. Louis House had been around for 137 years at the time Stinger was killed. In its early years, it was a favorite stopping place for farmers who hauled produce in from the country in horse-drawn wagons and usually stayed in Davenport overnight before making the long, slow trip home.

Bill Davis who was the county attorney at the time the murder occurred, said that since the transcript of the hearing was not made part of the record of appeal, the court was lacking what Howes used in making her decision.

"I'm sure she did it right," Davis said of Howes.

The St. Louis House was torn down not long after the murder.

Both men were convicted and sentenced to a prison term of life without the possibility of parole.

Hollins currently is serving his time in the Clarinda Correctional Facility, according to Iowa Department of Corrections online records.

Pendleton is housed in the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison.
As Rose Frantzen sees it, this week marks Maquoketas "reawakening."

Frantzen has lived in Chicago and New York and travels around the world at least four months out of the year, but the painter known for creating Portraits of Maquoketa always finds herself back in her hometown.

There's so many wonderful things about Maquoketa that I wonder if people who never leave really know how good they have it, she said. Weve been through a lot of versions of ourselves, and like a lot of small towns, weve sort of lost our way.

To help find their way, area organizations teamed up to host a community festival, called Layers of Maquoketa, that kicks off Tuesday and runs through Saturday.

We are looking at our history, who we are and who we want to be, Frantzen said. Its bringing the community together and talking about what gives us a sense of place. Were imagining a different and better future.

A pilot program

Layers of Maquoketa, a pilot program sponsored by the University of Iowas Art Share Program, has been in the works since 2016.

The university approached us and said they would support our examining of a deep map of Maquoketa, Bob Osterhaus, president of the Maquoketa Art Experience, said. We started with a blank piece of paper and just kept adding things."

Osterhaus and a committee brainstormed a long list of layers  including people, history, agriculture, places, art and businesses  that define the Jackson County community. They created events around those that highlight the city's past, present and future.

The hope is that by working closely with a community on a variety of creative projects over the course of several months, we can help instill a sense of local pride, deepen the ties among residents and strengthen the University of Iowas relationship with the community, said Alan MacVey, a professor and co-chair of the University of Iowa Arts Advancement Committee. When considering possible sites to pilot this idea, the city of Maquoketa was a natural choice. It is a community with many interesting layers to explore.

A new downtown

The project is set to culminate Saturday with a full day of activities, including a pancake breakfast at Maquoketa Caves, an Earth Day cleanup, music from the Maquoketa High School band, car shows, food vendors and a presentation, including dance, food and history, from Maquoketas Micronesian community.

Saturdays event also serves as the grand reopening of Maquoketas renovated downtown, following the citys Downtown Streetscape Project, which closed much of Main Street in stages for roughly six months last summer.

When you walk through the downtown, everything is new. This wasnt just curbs and sidewalks, but a full-scale renovation of infrastructure, Nicolas Hockenberry, who is with the Jackson County Economic Alliance, said. Thats why we wanted to have the events there, to bring people back to what was historically the heart of the city.

The downtowns look has improved since Nancy Mayfield, who is on the Maquoketa Art Experience board and works with Maquoketa Newspapers, moved to town four years ago.

It looked rundown, Mayfield said. It looked like some things were bottoming out. Now I think the citizens of Maquoketa are prospering a little more than they were back then.

Part of that lull followed the 2008 fire that destroyed five downtown businesses.

That was a big crisis for our community, Osterhaus said. Weve worked hard to rebuild our downtown over the years. We think we've come a long way, and we think we're becoming an attraction.

Thanks to a $400,000 grant from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, the downtown soon will be outfitted with colorful benches, garbage cans and street banners.

That has afforded us the opportunity to be a little more artistic, Nancy Kilburg, Maquoketa Art Experiences educational coordinator, said. Were trying to make this a true historic district.

Just the beginning

Kilburg has fielded a lot of questions from residents about the Layers project.

It's a whole new thing, and I think people are curious, she said. And its still in the process of being defined.

She said Layers of Maquoketa festivals could happen annually or semi-annually.

Its bringing together people from all areas of town," she said. "Its not just professionals or organizations, but John Doe off the street. Its forcing people to think outside of their own silos. Theres hopefully this unifying factor.

The community can get a clearer definition Saturday when Frantzen leads a discussion about Layers of Maquoketa.

My hope is that this gives everything a new narrative, she said. When teenagers leave Maquoketa, I hope they think this is a good place to launch from and come back to.

That has been Frantzen's experience.

Theres a lot of conversations in small towns about how theres nothing to do, she said. We want to show people there's a lot happening."

More than that, she hopes people get involved.

"Its quite possible to make a difference in a small town, she said. That's what this is all about. And this is just the beginning of the conversation."
Saneha Borisuth, a senior at Moline High School, has been recognized as one of the countrys most outstanding high school leaders by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation and has been awarded a $20,000 college scholarship.

She was selected from a pool of almost 86,000 initial applicants from across the country.

Saneha Borisuth is part of a diverse group of extraordinary high school seniors that have shown a steadfast commitment to educational excellence, leadership and service to the school and community, said Claude Nielsen, Chairman of the Board of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation.

Borisuth will join other Coca-Cola Scholars as they travel to Atlanta for Scholars Weekend. She will participate in a Leadership Development Institute to further develop her leadership skills, engage with former Coca-Cola Scholars and participate in a group community service project.
As you know by now, Gov. Bruce Rauner toured the state for two days last week. He denied that the tour had anything to do with the 2018 election, but it was pretty darned clear that he and his team were tuning up the band for the big show down the road.

Campaign funds not only paid for the tour, but political money was used to promote in it advance. I'm told Rauner's advertising on social and online media served over a million impressions in the days leading up to the fly-around.

And like a musician touring to promote a new album, Rauner played up his latest hits. The Chicago Machine Democrats just want to duct tape the state's problems instead of fixing them. Rauner's latest TV ads, paid for by a "dark money" subsidiary of the Republican Governor's Association, feature him in a pristine workshop using duct tape to explain how Springfield politicians don't ever really fix problems.

Whatever he lacks in governing abilities, there's no doubt that Gov. Rauner is a master at laying out a very simple, popular and easy to understand message and then staying on that message no matter what. During his Peoria appearance, Rauner slammed the House Democrats' stopgap budget as just "taping over our problems - duct taping cracks in our system." The only thing missing was the bright, sharply pressed flannel shirt he wore in the TV ad.

As with all established bands on tour, the governor also played popular tunes from his recent albums. Since about the beginning of the year, when he was asked by a reporter to grade his first two years in office, Rauner has repeatedly pointed to his own successes at unilaterally cutting unspecified waste from the system (which plays right into the hugely popular notion that waste is the state's biggest problem) and then contrasted that with the obstructionism of the "Madigan Democrats" in the General Assembly.

"They've created the worst crisis of any state in America," Rauner said of the Democrats while speaking in Springfield. "On things that I can control, we've done wonderfully. Where the General Assembly has blocked progress, they've made the problem worse.

Rauner even brought back a line from his February budget address, when he encouraged the Senate's leaders to hammer out a grand bargain. He spoke about that effort as if he'd never actually knocked the grand bargain off the rails in March.

And, of course, he brought out the old standards that he's been playing for years: Property tax freeze, term limits and becoming "much more pro-growth, pro-business, pro-investment, pro-job creation," as he said in Rockford.

The Democratic candidates, for their part, stuck to their #DoYourJob theme in response to Rauners tour, saying the governor should be getting a budget deal done rather than campaigning. None mentioned that the House and Senate are in the midst of a two-week spring break, so doing a deal or even meeting with the other leaders probably wouldn't be possible. Also, governors often use spring breaks as an opportunity to hit the hustings. This is nothing new.

Much of the Chicago-based print media focused on the fact that Rauner denied he was campaigning while obviously campaigning. But they never put that into the broader context of the governors habit of saying one thing (cheerleading the Senate's grand bargain) while doing another (killing the Senate's grand bargain).

Channel 7, the most-watched television station in Chicagoland, ran a purely positive piece.

"I want all of you to have a better future, I want your children to have great schools and I want your salaries to go up," Rauner said during the Chicago station's report. There was no mention of the fact that none of that has happened since he became governor, and there is no foreseeable time when any of it will happen as long as we have this never-ending gridlock.

Rauner also appeared via phone on several talk radio programs during his tour and faced mostly softball questions from conservative hosts. Even conservative activist Dan Proft, who has sharply criticized the governor on his radio program since the start of the year, allowed Rauner to endlessly rattle on about his main talking points, duct tape and all, without much of a peep.

For those on Rauner's side, this was a good tour. For those on the other side (and polls show there are a lot of them), well, they wouldn't like it anyway. Those in the middle probably got the message that the governor and his team wanted to send, with a big assist from the media.
A new coalition of business and religious leaders launched Monday to advocate for changes to the nations immigration policy.

Eighteen individuals from churches, colleges and businesses have formed the Iowa Coalition for Immigration Reform. The coalition is sponsored by the New American Economy, a group that says it is bringing together mayors and business leaders to support immigration reforms that will help create jobs in the United States.

Many of the initial coalition members are based in central Iowa, including officials from Des Moines Area Community College, the Ames Chamber of Commerce, the Waukee City Council and Simpson College.

While the Iowa coalition is pushing for comprehensive immigration reform, it is not prescriptive on what that reform should be, said Megan Peiffer, a representative for New American Economy, during a conference call Monday.

The intention with this particular coalition is to bring together all those different voices from different areas to create one united voice to get the attention of our congressional delegation to talk about the issue of immigration reform, Peiffer said.

During the call, some coalition members said they would support a pathway to citizenship, securing the borders of the United States and argued that foreign-born members of the states workforce can help address a shortage of workers.

Its not about us, its about the jobs that we need to fill to keep Iowa strong economically, said Rob Denson, president of Des Moines Area Community College.

Bishop Richard Pates of the Des Moines Roman Catholic Diocese said he supports a controlled immigration system at the countrys borders but also protections for immigrants who already reside in the country.

We need to speak to justice as we address those individuals and families that have been in our country, and thats why we advocate very strongly for a pathway to citizenship, recognizing the economic contributions of these individuals and the values they have brought to our country, Pates said.

Rob Barron, a Des Moines School Board member, said his board is focused on supporting families and students already residing in the United States.

For us, what we want to see out of comprehensive immigration (reform) is some level of certainty for families that are already here, he said.
A judge has thrown out a lawsuit that challenged voting by absentee ballot in Detroit, saying a Republican candidate for secretary of state failed to produce any evidence of violations. Wayne County Judge Tim Kenny says critics have raised a red flag of election law wrongdoing. But Kenny says his ruling takes down that flag. Kristina Karamo and others sued to try to force Detroit voters to vote in person or go to the city clerks office to get an absentee ballot. They made a variety of allegations about how Detroit reviews signatures on absentee ballots and monitors ballot drop-off boxes. The judge says they failed dramatically to back up any of it.
FOWLER, Kan. | Authorities say three people were killed in a fiery four-vehicle crash that involved a camper-trailer becoming unhooked on a southwestern Kansas highway.

The Kansas Highway Patrol tells KAKE-TV that a pickup truck driver was exiting a bridge on U.S. 54 about 6:50 p.m. Friday near Fowler when his trailer somehow came loose and went across the highway.

A tractor-trailer driven by 43-year-old Zachery Duncan of Watertown, South Dakota, drove through the trailer, flattening a tire and causing his brakes to lock. The patrol says that semi then went across the highway and hit another tractor-trailer driven by 56-year-old John Kemp Jr. of Brandon, Mississippi.

Troopers say both big rigs caught fire.

Both truckers were killed along with a passenger in Duncan's rig  35-year-old Manda Price of Watertown.
SIOUX FALLS | Churches in South Dakota's largest city are working together to address the city's rising poverty rate in an effort to help children and families.

The Argus Leader reported that Sioux Falls' poverty rate jumped to 14 percent last year.

Empower Sioux Falls hosts forums every six to eight weeks where church leaders from all denominations can share ideas about how to help the community and coordinate outreach efforts.

"A lot of churches, we were doing similar things," said Zach Bauer, pastor at Red Door Church. "The goal was, how could we come together and collaborate and communicate better."

Empower formed last fall. Empower co-founder Rich Merkouris was serving on a school board and wanted to do something to help unite the city's faith community.

"It was the vastness of the need," he said that motivated him to reach out beyond his own church congregation.

Empower hopes to encourage people to become mentors for kids through groups such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and Lutheran Social Services.

Lutheran Social Services member Doug Morrison said the organization has had a shortage of volunteer mentors.

"You got to educate everyone that there's a need out there," he said.

Young children are the most affected by the increasing poverty. Almost half of Sioux Falls kids qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Some elementary schools in the Sioux Falls School District give free meals to all students due to the high number of qualifying children.
SIOUX FALLS | When he learned about the first ethanol pump opening up in Milbank, Orrie Swayze hopped off his tractor, drove his 1974 Ford to the station and filled its tank with fuel made mostly from corn.

"It ran as good or better on straight E85," Swayze said.

Swayze, now 73 and retired, has been an advocate ever since for corn-based fuel. Ethanol came to the rescue of growers like Swayze, injecting a new value into crops, driving prices higher and boosting the state's economy. Much of the industry's expansion since the 1990s depended on federal policies, including new rules to ensure clean air, fuel economy and a marketplace for renewable fuels.

But like many of his peers in corn and ethanol, the next four years leave Swayze with questions.

A Donald Trump White House means a new, uncertain political landscape. Some of the Trump administration's leaders have deep ties to the oil industry. The seismic political transition raises questions and concerns for the benefactors of a multi-billion-dollar industry that also happens to drive South Dakota's economy.

Ethanol was far from a major talking point for Trump on the campaign trail. Even after touring a Poet biorefining plant in Iowa, he uttered just a few sentences about renewable fuel and its impact on Midwestern jobs.

"I went out to see some of the folks on the ethanol," Trump said at the 2015 rally in Fort Dodge. "And good stuff and great people. Put a lot of people to work out here too, I want to tell you. I just want to tell you that."

The president never mentioned ethanol on Twitter. He has since expressed support for upholding the renewable fuel standards. But people on his team have allegiances elsewhere. Some have been outspoken critics of ethanol and federal biofuel regulations.

Appointments of naysayers doesn't necessarily mean dark days ahead for ethanol policy, which is also shaped by Congress, said Jon Schaff, a political scientist at Northern State University in Aberdeen.

It just means the next four years will be less than predictable.

"It's always difficult to make a definitive statements about, 'this is what the Trump administration thinks,'" Schaff told the Argus Leader. "There seems to be a lack of discipline."

It didn't take long for new players in seats of power to raise the hackles of corn growers and the ethanol industry.

Early signs of turbulence have since died down thanks to assurances from Trump that he supports federal biofuel standards as written, but those in the industry are making trips between South Dakota and Washington, D.C., just to make sure they're heard.

Reliance on federal regulations

Corn-based fuel depends on regulations such as the Congress-approved renewable fuel standards, which have historically driven demand and lifted commodity prices.

South Dakota's economy depends on its corn crop. The corn crop depends on ethanol production, which depends on federal mandates.

It's a confusing reliance on federal regulations for a red state. But as much as most South Dakotans sniff at the idea of big government, the state's economy rises and falls with the listed value of a bushel.

That value has been plummeting in recent years. Steady decreases have resonated across the state and in Sioux Falls as sales tax revenues fell short of expectations.

Ethanol producers and corn growers look to federal policymakers for answers. As Scott VanderWal, president of the right-leaning South Dakota Farm Bureau said, mandates supporting ethanol are fair because of the petroleum industry's reluctance to accept biofuels.

"You have to take into account that the oil industry is subsidized," VanderWal said. "Until that would go away, then it's probably appropriate to keep doing things the way we have been."

Ethanol plays a major role in the state's economy in its own right. There are 15 ethanol plants in South Dakota, each employing dozens people. Plants in the state produce more than 1 billion gallons of ethanol and 2.4 million metric tons of byproduct, according to South Dakota State University.

The American Coalition for Ethanol, based in Sioux Falls, represents more than 500 members, including growers, producers and other industry stakeholders. Like some of its members, the group bases faith in the White House on comments made by the president during his campaign.

It's the same faith rural voters placed in the president when they voted for him in November, said Brian Jennings, executive vice president of the nonprofit.

"Rural America is credited with helping lift him to victory," Jennings said. "One of the key issues in rural America in terms of the economy is demand for crops to make biofuels."

The coalition encouraged members to be politically active during the White House transition. Others in the state have joined in the activity since January, including South Dakota farmers, advocacy groups and ethanol producers. Leaders from the state's biggest ethanol producer visited the White House last month.

"We met with several of President Trump's key people," said Jeff Broin, founder and CEO at Poet. "Poet is always involved in the politics surrounding biofuels, as are our competitors in the oil industry."

South Dakota's congressional delegation is also protective of the industry driving the state's economy.

U.S. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said he asked Trump's environmental and agricultural appointees whether they were committed to the federal government's renewable fuel standards, which, among other rules, mandate a minimum usage each year for ethanol. Both assured him and others they would uphold the rules as written.

"We will be holding them to that," Thune said. "We'll be paying close attention."

The head of the state's biggest ethanol producer said his industry has a history of helping to drive demand in times when prices are low and there is more corn than demand.

The history of the U.S. agriculture industry is dotted with periods of high supply and low land values.

Ethanol has long been an answer to flagging grain prices, going back to the emergence of the industry in the late 1980s.

"Ethanol was really born at a time when ag commodities were in major oversupply in this country," Broin said. "We entered the industry literally at the bottom of the land value era."

New demand for corn

Ethanol created new demand for corn. The number of bushels going to livestock feed or for international trade has remained mostly flat, while demand for ethanol and ethanol byproducts such as feed supplements grew within the first few years after the current renewable fuel standards were passed, but flattened out in 2010. The easing of demand, along with increased activity from corn growers, led to what Broin calls an "ag crisis."

Keith Alverson, a 37-year-old farmer in Chester, said ethanol is vital to growers. He grows corn and soybeans on about 2,500 acres.

"That is the most important thing that we've seen in South Dakota as far as a driver of our state's ag economy," Alverson said.

Carl Icahn: Weeks into the new administration, one of Trump's special advisers ruffled feathers with a rumored deal to tweak the EPA's renewable fuel standards.

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn was involved in an effort to shift the burden of meeting federal biofuel minimums from oil refineries to blenders. Moving the so-called "point of obligation" would free oil producers and importers from the requirements, shifting it to a larger number of smaller entities, including some gas retailers.

Icahn is majority owner of a Texas-based oil company, CVR Energy Inc. A New York native like Trump, Icahn was an active supporter of the president during the campaign. He was named the president's special adviser on regulation in December, even as members of the outgoing administration pointed to potential conflicts of interest because of his ties to oil.

He ducked conflict-of-interest claims last month by saying he wasn't a paid government employee.

Scott Pruitt: The new head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency blasted biofuels when he was attorney general of Oklahoma. His ties to the oil industry are well documented by national news outlets and in thousands of emails that have since been published online.

His office regularly corresponded with the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, including emails about the "obvious shortcomings" of the renewable fuel standards.

The group sent Pruitt's office a template for a waiver petition against the "economic harm (caused) by the ethanol blend wall." Pruitt later filed a legal brief as part of a lawsuit against federal ethanol mandates, saying ethanol is harmful to cars and diverts corn from the U.S. food supply. Icahn celebrated the president's decision to nominate Pruitt as EPA chief in December.

Point of obligation: Evidence of the administration's unpredictability is clear in a letter Thune and others sent the president last month in response to Icahn's efforts to change the biofuel standards.

The White House has since indicated it wasn't considering the deal proposed by Icahn. Word of the agreement was enough to prompt stern language from Thune and 22 other U.S. senators in a letter to Trump.

The bipartisan group said moving the responsibility of meeting biofuel requirements to smaller vendors would eliminate incentives for oil refineries for making ethanol blends and put more of a regulatory burden on small businesses in rural areas.

Volume Obligation: Another federal rule on the radar of South Dakota's corn growers and ethanol producers is the required volume of renewable fuel produced annually.

Congress set the target at 15 billion gallons annually in 2007 with the approval of the renewable fuel standards. The EPA pulled back the obligation in November, prompting concern in the industry, and the White House placed a regulatory freeze on the requirement in January, lifting the freeze last month.

Waiver for E15: Poet's Broin would like to see the federal government remove some of the red tape around a higher blend of ethanol. Some parts of the U.S. block certain blends during the summer months based on vapor pressure, but lower percentage blends such as E10, or 10 percent ethanol, have a waiver from the EPA.

The federal agency has not granted such a waiver to 15 percent blends, which creates extra work for station owners who pump it year-round, Broin said. Stations selling E15 to all drivers during the cooler months must swap to a flex fuel rig during the summer, then back to a standard rig in the winter.

Fuel economy and clean air: Ethanol has traditionally benefited from clean air regulations because of its reduced emissions, said Alverson, the Chester-area corn grower. The same goes for recent efforts to improve how much cars get out of each gallon of gas.

Ethanol has more octane, allowing it to improve mileage for appropriately designed engines. Former President Barack Obama set a goal of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025 as part of his federal fuel economy standards, which would penalize American car manufacturers for fleets that fall short of targeted averages.

Trump announced plans last month to review the so-called Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards, which have been around since the 1970s.
Initiation of criminal case against ex-head of Russias Mari El Republic Markelov appealed

MOSCOW, April 17 (RAPSI) - Ex-head of Russias Mari El Republic Leonid Markelov, charged with receiving a large-scale bribe, and his alleged accomplice Natalia Kozhanova have appealed a ruling to launch a criminal case against them, Trunov, Aivar & Partners law firm announced on its website on Monday.

According to lawyer Igor Trunov representing interests of Kozhanova, head manager of Telecompany 12 Region, investigators order to carry out searches in the place of residence for his client was also appealed. The attorney asks the Basmanny District Court of Moscow to find actions of an investigator unlawful and to return documents and material property seized during the searches to their owners.

Earlier, Markelov and Kozhanova have been detained until June 12.

Markelov pleaded not guilty to receiving a 235 million-ruble (about $4.1 million) bribe. According to the ex-head of Mari El, investigators are confused regarding figures related to the transfer of money between companies and individuals.

Law enforcement agencies believe that transfer of bribe was disguised by fictitious deals involving organizations controlled by the defendants in this case.

Markelov insists that financial relations between the companies were related to the construction of a large agricultural holding. Former head of the region called himself a lobbyist, in a good sense of word who managed to attract 370 billion rubles ($6.4 billion) of investments into the dead region. He added that he could not influence transfer of government subsidies to the Akashevskaya factory.

According to the Investigative Committee, the probe was opened into Markelov and other persons in relation to alleged reception of bribes, giving a bribe and mediation in bribery. Investigators believe that Markelov has received a 235 million ruble bribe from the head of Akashevskaya factory Nikolay Krivash for patronage and assistance in the property payment of funds provided by state support for development of the agricultural complex. Kozhanova is charged with mediation in bribery.

On April 6, Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted voluntary resignation of Markelov, who was governing the region for 16 years.
Google to pay all fines as part of settlement with Russian antimonopoly watchdog

MOSCOW, April 17 (RAPSI)  Russian Federal Antimonopoly Agency (FAS) and Google have reached an amicable agreement in a dispute over corporations refusal to comply with the antimonopoly watchdogs ruling with Google taking an obligation to pay all the imposed fines, RIA Novosti reported on Monday.

According to the deputy head of FAS Alexey Dotsenko, a federal court has approved the settlement and a two-year-long court battle between the watchdog and Google has finally come to an end.

Google is to pay all fines imposed by FAS. Those include 438 million rubles (about $6.7 million) fine for violating administrative legislation and 1 million rubles (about $17,900) in fines for refusal to comply with the watchdogs ruling. Payments are to be made within two months.

The agreement was concluded for 6 years and 9 months.

In September 2015, the watchdog held that Google Ireland Ltd. and Google Inc. abused their dominance on the Russian market of mobile applications by preinstalling applications on Android smartphones and therefore violated anti-monopoly law. Google was fined 438 million rubles (about $6.7 million). Google refused to comply and challenged this ruling in Russian courts. In time, FAS imposed additional fines against Google, amounting to nearly 1 million rubles in total.
Bill on penalties for cartel collusion signed into law

Context State Duma passes bill on penalties for cartel collusion

MOSCOW, April 17 (RAPSI)  Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a bill on administrative liability for cartel form of collusion into law, the official website of legal information reads on Monday.

The State Duma adopted the initiative in the third and final reading on April 7.

According to Russian legislation, signing competition-restrictive agreements, concerted actions towards restriction of competition and coordination of economic activity may result in administrative penalties. However, different forms of collusion result in different levels of danger to society, which is why authors of the bill propose to specify liability further.

Currently, officials involved in collusion may face fines ranging from 20,000 to 50,000 rubles ($357 - $892) or disqualification for one to three years. Legal entities are to pay a fine ranging from 0.01% to 0.15% of the amount of the offender's income from the sale of goods, services or expenses for the purchase of goods, but no less than 100,000 rubles ($1,785).

The law establishes the largest penalty for cartel agreements. Officials are to face fines ranging from 40,000 to 50,000 rubles ($714 - $892) or disqualification for one to three years. Legal entities are to pay a fine ranging from 0.03% to 0.15% of the amount of the offender's income from the sale of goods, services or expenses for the purchase of goods, but no less than 100,000 rubles ($1,785).

According to the law, punishment for vertical agreements is to be softened. Officials face fines ranging from 15,000 to 30,000 rubles ($267 - $535) or disqualification for one year. Companies are to pay a fine ranging from 0.01% to 0.05% of the amount of the offender's income from the sale of goods, services or expenses for the purchase of goods, but no less than 100,000 rubles ($1,785).
Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Home Minister Bimalendra Nidhi

Kathmandu, Nepal: The statement of Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Home Minister Bimalendra Nidhi over the issue of election preparation and security arrangement during elections is highly criticized from different sectors.

Not only the Election Commission (EC) but also the people in general have criticized Nidhi through different social Medias expressing their serious concerns over the statement of DPM Nidhi.

Nidhi had made a tweet at around 3 AM on his official twitter account on Monday stating that the EC as well as security arrangements are not sufficient for holding local polls on May 14.

As Nidhis anti elections remark has come out in the mean time when the agitating Madhes based parties have announced their protest program targeting to foil the scheduled local level elections, his remark is also labeled as suspicious from different quarters.

In the tweet message, DPM Nidhi has stated that political settlements through dialogues among the parties are must for successful elections. The remark of DPM Nidhi is criticized even labeling him as loyal to the agitating Madhes based parties and neighboring India.

A board meeting of the EC was held on Monday just to discuss over the remarks of DPM Nidhi. The meeting has conclusion that the DMP Nidhi's statement was not true as claimed. The EC has also reiterated its commitment for conducting the local polls on time.

The remark of DPM Nidhi is not true; we are saddened by the Home Minister's statement and the EC has been working round the clock for the local level elections, the press release issued with the sign of EC Spokesperson Surya Prasad Sharma has stated.

As the EC has already formulated various regulations and directives related to the election, published the voters list, printing voters ID is reached at final stage and the printing of ballot papers would complete by Thursday, there is no true in the statement of DPM Nidhi, EC spokesperson Sharma has stated in the statement.

Reminding the DPM Nidhi that the security arrangement for the election is the responsibility of the government, the EC has elaborated all the works that it has done so far as part of the preparations of the scheduled local level elections.

The EC would like to remind that maintaining peace and security during the elections is the duty and responsibility of the government of Nepal, which has also frequently been assuring the EC over the security arrangements, states the press release.

The twitter creates confusion among general people over the EC's activities when the EC is fully committed to hold the local level elections in a single phase, read the press release further.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Chinese Defence Minister Chang Wanquan shake hands during latteras official visit to Nepal in March

Kathmandu, Nepal: The first ever Nepal-China joint military drill named as Sagarmatha Friendship-2017 which is started in Nepal from Sunday, has raised eyebrow in different sectors particularly in the diplomatic and military sectors.

Though none of the foreign countries have made any formal comments regarding the joint military drill between Nepal and its northern neighbor China, southern neighbor India and some western countries have raised their concerns over the motive of the exercise.

The first ever Nepal-China joint military drill was begun at Nepal Armys Para Training School Maharajgunj in Kathmandu. In the 10-day long military exercise, Chinese Peoples Liberation Armys squad is participating to conduct the military course on counter terrorism and disaster response.

As the military exercise between Nepal and China is begun just a day before President Bidya Devi Bhnadaris state visit to southern neighbor India, it is not only taken as a coincidence but taken meaningfully. President Bhandari is embarking her five day state visit to India from Monday.

Nepalese and Chinese military officials have given high preference to the joint military drill even though such joint military exercise with other countries are common for the Nepal Army.

The joint military exercise would help Nepal and Chinese armies to boost their professional capabilities, Director-General of Military Operations of Nepal Army General Binod Kumar Shrestha had said while inaugurating the joint drill.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari

Kathmandu, Nepal: President Bidya Devi Bhandari is embarking her five day state visit to India from today. This is the first state visit of the President after assuming office of the President in October 2015.

President Bhandari and her lead Nepali delegation is scheduled to return to Kathmandu on Friday.

The government has announced public holiday for Monday on the name of giving continuity to the tradition. However, the decision to announce public holiday is highly criticized from different quarters.

A Nepali high-level delegation that comprises cabinet ministers, MPs and senior officials including some nearer and dearer are accompanying president Bhandari.

Nepal government has expected that the state visit of President Bhandari will help to further strengthening the age-old and unique relationship between the two neighboring countries.

It is said that president Bhandari will meet her Indian counterpart Pranav Mukharjee on April 18. Likewise, she is also scheduled to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others as well.

During her stay in India, President Bhandari will also visit the Dwarka and Somnath Temples in Gujarat and the Jagannath Temple in Puri.

President Bhandari was scheduled to visit India in May last year. But the visit was cancelled after the government did not endorse the visit citing lack of preparations on the part of the government.

The first scheduled visit was cancelled due to the souring relationship between two neighboring countries. Bilateral relations between the two countries had faced turbulence after India had imposed unofficial blockade to Nepal.
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sacw.net - 17 April 2017

A culture of fear, suspicion, and paranoia pervades Kashmir, including our educational institutions, in the broader context of the totalitarian practices that have become normalized in the region.

The tranquility of Jammu and Kashmir has been shattered by the heavy hand of political and military totalitarianism, and the erosion of indigenous politics. The Valley seethes with a repressed anger. The history of Kashmir is replete with egregious errors. As one scholar, Vincent H. Smith (1928: 176), wrote, aFew regions in the world can have had worse luck than Kashmir in the matter of government.a The saga of Kashmir has been one of oppression, political persecution and undemocratic policies. Since the pervasion of an exclusive cultural nationalism, religious fundamentalism and rampant political corruption it has become a challenge to lead a dignified existence in J & K.

The armed conflict has changed political combinations and permutations without either disrupting political, social and gender hierarchies, or benefiting marginalized groups. The social, economic, political and psychological brunt of the armed conflict has been borne by the populace of Kashmir. The uncertainty created by over two decades of armed insurgency and counter-insurgency has pervaded the social fabric in insidious ways, creating a whole generation of disaffected and disillusioned youth. Lack of faith in the Indian polity has caused Kashmiris to cultivate an apathy to the electoral process because it is a given that persons best suited to carry out New Delhias agenda will be installed in positions of political import, regardless of public opinion. The earlier enthusiasm that accompanied democratization seems futile in the current leadership vacuum in the state. Lack of accountability among the J & K polity and bureaucracy has caused a large number of people to toe the line by living with the fundamental structural inequities and violence, instead of risking the ire of groups and individuals in positions of authority.

Political organizations, including separatist ones, in the Valley have eroded mass bases and are in a moribund state. There seems to be an unbridgeable gulf between figures of authority and the electorate, who have been deployed as pawns in the devious political game being played by Indian and Pakistani state-sponsored agencies. The glaring lack of a well-equipped infrastructure in the Valley makes unemployment rife and underscores the redundancy of the educated segment of the population.

In the current scenario, it becomes necessary to productively discuss concrete methods of rehabilitating victims of violence, either state-sponsored or militancy-related. Representatives from Indian- and Pakistani-administered Jammu and Kashmir should discuss the socioeconomic hardships, psychological neuroses and political marginalization caused by dislocation, dispossession, and disenfranchisement. It is the need of the hour to mobilize women for effective change in political and social structures. Representatives from both sides of the Line of Control must vehemently endorse diplomacy and peaceful negotiations in order to further the IndiaaPakistan peace process; withdrawal of excessive forces from both sides of the Line of Control (LOC); decommissioning of militants; rehabilitation and integration of Kashmiri Pandits to rebuild the syncretic fabric of Kashmiri society; and rehabilitation of detainees.

Nyla Ali Khan is the author of Fiction of Nationality in an Era of Transnationalism, Islam, Women, and Violence in Kashmir, The Life of a Kashmiri Woman, and the editor of The Parchment of Kashmir. Nyla Ali Khan has also served as guest editor working on articles from the Jammu and Kashmir region for Oxford University Press (New York), helping to identify, commission, and review articles. She is on the Advisory Council of the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women. Nyla Ali Khan is also a member of the Oklahoma Academy, a state-wide policy planning organization.
Highway 58 Crash Claims Life of Salem Man

The names of all involved will not be released at this time.



Fatal crash on Hwy 58 (Oregon)

Photo: OSP



(KLAMATH COUNTY, Ore.) - There was a fatal motor vehicle crash near milepost 67 on Hwy 58, this morning about 7:15, according to Oregon State Police. The accident scene is about 5 miles west of Crescent Lake in Klamath County.

The preliminary investigation determined that a 2004 Subaru was westbound on Hwy 58 when it lost control on the icy roadway. The Subaru then slid into the eastbound lane where it struck a 2010 Nissan SUV. The passenger side of the Subaru was impacted.

The operator of the Subaru was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The operator of the Nissan and two passengers were transported to St. Charles Medical Center in Bend where they are being treated for non-life threatening injuries.

One of the occupants was transported by Air Link and the other two were transported by ambulance by Crescent Lake Fire Department.

The names of all involved will not be released at this time. Once family members have been notified we will release the names in an update.

The Oregon State Police was assisted by Crescent Lake Fire Department, Air Link, and the Oregon Department of Transportation.

One lane of the highway was closed for approximately three hours. Vehicle restraints were used in both vehicles.

Source: Oregon State Police #OSP

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RCA RecordsJack Antonoff has shared another cut from his sophomore Bleachers album, Gone Now. The new track is called "Hate That You Know Me," posted now on YouTube.

"Hate That You Know Me" is the second track to be released from Gone Now, following the lead single "Don't Take the Money." The album will arrive in full on June 2.

In other Bleachers news, the band will perform "Don't Take the Money" on tonight's episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, airing at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC.

Bleachers will kick off a headlining tour in support of Gone Now on April 25 in New York City.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
All but two lanes of I-20 are closed, compounding Atlanta's gridlock problems.
A man who allegedly killed an elderly father after he had enjoyed an Easter meal with his children -- then posted a video of the killing on Facebook -- is now the subject of a manhunt spanning several Midwest and Northeast states, police said Monday.
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 Split Second Circuit panel declares within-guideline child porn possession sentence of 225 months "substantively unreasonable" | Main | Lots of litigation leading to lots of uncertainty as Arkansas execution dates arrive 

April 17, 2017

"Should NC sex offenders pay to be on registry?"

The question in the title of this post is the headline of this local article, which gets started this way:

Sex offenders would have to pay an annual fine to be listed on the states sex offender registry under a bill proposed by N.C. Rep. Ted Davis, R-New Hanover. There is a cost to continuing to have them on that registry, Davis said. The point of this is to get revenue to keep these people on the sex offender registry. House Bill 684 calls for sex offenders to pay an initial and annual fee of $90 to be on the registry. The money would be directed to county sheriffs offices to offset the costs associated with registering sex offenders, according to the bill. Failure to pay the fee does not mean a registered sex offender isnt listed on the registry -- the state attorney generals office could sue to collect unpaid fees, according to the bill. Many states require fees to be listed on the registry. In Tennessee, for example, the fee is $150 per year. Cristina Becker, criminal justice debt fellow for the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina (ACLU), said the bill could amount to adding an additional burden to someone who has served their jail term, serves on probation, lives under the restriction of the sex offender registry and is already facing a host of other fees associated with their conviction. It can become a perpetual form of punishment, she said of an annual fee. Becker said that because many released offenders are indigent, their probationary periods can be extended for as long as they owe money.

April 17, 2017 at 04:52 PM | Permalink

Comments

If their conviction predates the imposition of the fee (or if their conviction is out of state), ex post facto should engage. If it's not part of the conviction, then it cannot be required. At least in my view.

Posted by: federalist | Apr 17, 2017 5:15:13 PM

Outrageous. I find the idea of the sex offenders register difficult enough to deal with and that's before lunacy like this. Any chance of a shoplifter's register - more likely to be a recidivist to fund the drug habit you know.

Posted by: ome misesrum | Apr 17, 2017 5:17:52 PM

Pay to be on a sex offender registry, sounds like something Hillary Clinton and her motley crew would dream up. Absolutely positively nobody pays to be on any registry of any kind. Are they brain dead.

In fact Registrys need to be banned, just another item to give bleeding hearts to complain on some poor soul that is on one.

Definition of a sex offender, there isnt one really. An 18 yr old kid having sex with his 17 yr old girl friend, a guy taking a wiz outside by a tree and having a cigarette, but theres a park 50 ft away, its winter and nobody is around e cept for a sicko cop.

Many people are in sex registrys and shouldnt be. Politicians dont have the guts to get involved in that dark area. So my vote is to ban all registrys.

Posted by: MidWestGuy | Apr 17, 2017 5:35:38 PM

The registry is a government cash cow.

Posted by: kat | Apr 17, 2017 5:47:56 PM

I think it would have to be prospective and would assume that it would be in effect an amendment to the current criminal law / a sort of mandatory fine. A continuing fee sounds gratutious and at the very least should be needs based.

My virus software blocked access to the article as dangerous.

Posted by: Joe | Apr 17, 2017 5:52:15 PM

Thank you. I am adding Registry Sharking to my Parole and Probation Sharking review.

http://davidbeharmdejd.blogspot.com/2017/01/or-parole-sharking-officials-practicing.html

Posted by: David Behar | Apr 17, 2017 6:50:33 PM

Hell no...it's their law and they put the SO who finished their sentence back on probation with out cause. No they should not have to pay anything!!

Posted by: Book38 | Apr 17, 2017 7:30:34 PM

Great, lets make these abominations self funding so no one ever has to think about them again. And further penalize a group of people, many of the least dangerous of whom have paid dearly with outrageous, disproportionate sentences.

Posted by: Fat Bastard | Apr 17, 2017 7:55:38 PM

It is more sex offender exceptionalism.. The issue isn't whether this is right or wrong in the abstract the issues is why do sex offenders have to do things that other criminals do not after they leave prison? All the collateral consequences to being a sex offender are the Scarlet Letter of our day. Sure the letter isn't branded into their skin but it achieves that exact same effect for the exact same reason. It stigmatizes a minority for what the majority sees as sexual deviance.

Posted by: Daniel | Apr 17, 2017 7:59:26 PM

Very good information on Sex offenders. Thank you. Keep posting.

Posted by: Lily Dove | Apr 18, 2017 5:37:12 AM

@Daniel:

The answer is because the sex offender is the proving ground for the next wave of societal control. Mass incarceration has fallen into disfavor, but given advances in technology and the surveillance state, we don't actually need prisons anymore to exert a relatively similar level of control.

So the government imposes these burdens on the sex offender to soften the blow when they decide to impose them on the DUI offender, the meth offender, until we wind up where everyone is on a registry of some sort.

Posted by: Guy | Apr 18, 2017 8:44:03 AM

North Carolina has a long tradition of defying revenue agents even with violent means, especially in the Appalachians. Some of these former SO's may hail from that part of North Carolina sharing that tradition and may view the makers and enforcers of such a registry payment law the same way they look at revenue agents--and act accordingly. I wouldn't want to be the official saddled with enforcing such a revenue law.

Posted by: william r. delzell | Apr 18, 2017 9:17:05 AM

Sexual crimes have a special horror particularly when done against children. They violate an intimacy given a special importance in society & this is reflected in part in constitutional rights to privacy in particular.

There is also an assumption that sex offenders are particularly dangerous, unable to be subject to self-control. Not sure what other group would comparably be put on registries though some are in effect by being labeled "felons" and being denied rights, having problems getting employment opportunities etc.

Finally, there is likely some long term "Puritan" (putting aside the historical status of that group) sentiment about sexuality and the fear of sex crimes, seen as "dirty" and a specter.

Posted by: Joe | Apr 18, 2017 10:26:42 AM

ETA: To be clear, not supporting such reasons necessarily, but trying to get a sense of why.

Posted by: Joe | Apr 18, 2017 11:36:39 AM

I live with a cousin who is on the NC SOR. He was accused at 16 of intercourse of a younger half-sister. Held in the county jail until he was 18, and then prosecuted as an adult, ther was no trial or testimony, because he was forced into a plea deal by inadequate counsel. Now 30, he can petetion off the registry, but that is not guaranteed. Most of all, the victim has recanted more than 10 years ago - he is innocent, but still branded.

Non-lawyer here, but we track the RSOL sites to keep up with what is going on.

Posted by: Wolfe W | Apr 18, 2017 4:55:19 PM

My opinion is once a debt to society has been paid, no further punishment should be applied. A habitual criminal will get habitual punishment. I find a lot of problems with our judicial system.

Posted by: LC in Texas | Apr 20, 2017 3:36:45 PM

The state forces people to register, then says There is a cost to continuing to have them on that registry. Unbelievable.

Posted by: Huh? | Apr 22, 2017 9:21:43 PM

You want a CJS, Amerikuh, YOU gotta PAY for it. Otherwise, you're stealing!

Posted by: Oswaldo | Apr 30, 2017 11:20:32 PM

Post a comment
Chrissie Hynde: A Musical Biography (University of Texas Press), by Adam Sobsey

Adam Sobsey has written a fans book about the voiceand prime moverbehind The Pretenders. But through all the rock goddess cliches and gushing enthusiasm, a plausible portrait emerges. Chrissie Hynde is, to use another cliche, one of a kind, complex and willful, perhaps paradoxical or even jarringly unpredictable. Sobsey sketches an interesting account of her early life in Ohio, the magnetic draw of London and her emergence out of punk rock into pop stardom. Her one-night championing of The Violent Femmes in 1981 receives a footnoteevidently, Hynde was occasionally willing to lend a hand to emerging talent.

Gold Experience: Following Prince in the 90s (University of Minnesota Press), by Jim Walsh

As pop music critic for the St. Paul Pioneer Press in the 1990s, Jim Walsh was ringside during the round of Princes career when the Artist Formerly Known declared independence from the record industry and solidified his own industry. Gold Experience is compiled largely from Walshs articles from those years, including coverage of invitation-only record release parties (Will Smith and Magic Johnson were there), analysis of albums, reviews of unannounced club jams and full concerts, reports on the business of Paisley Park and meditations on the meaning of Princes famous symbol. Walshs writing reflects a unique insiders perspective. Prince seemed to like him.

Notes from the Velvet Underground: The Life of Lou Reed (Doubleday), by Howard Sounes

Lou Reed changed the direction of rock with the Velvet Underground and several of his early solo albums, especially the brilliant Transformer. And yet, as biographer Howard Sounes readily admits, Reed was an inconsistent artist. Notes from the Velvet Underground never fawns before its subject: Sounes appraises Reeds varied work with the critical honesty of a sometimes disappointed fan. Interviewing many of Reeds associates, Sounes draws a picture of a man as inconsistent as his music, cruel yet compassionate, sexually complicated, plagued by addictions and never certain whether he wanted to be a poet or a derelict character from a Charles Bukowski poem.

Stay on top of the news of the day

Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays. SIGN UP

Out of the Basement: From Cheap Trick to DIY Punk in Rockford, Illinois, 1973-2005 (Microcosm), by David A. Ensminger

Not unlike Milwaukee, Rockford nurtured a punk rock scenereally a succession of scenes spurred by each micro-generationlargely unnoticed in the outside world. Reading scholar-activist David A. Ensmingers thoughtful first-person account of growing up with Rockfords hardcore scene brings to mind similarities and differences between his hometown and Milwaukee. With a weaker cultural heritage and fewer reasons to stay in town (Ensminger finally lit out and teaches in Texas), Rockford comes across as worse and yet, it too has socialism in its DNA and was a factory town fading to rust by the 80s. Despite or because of its dead-end feel, subcultures reared up in Rockford under the gentle avuncular gaze of those hometown heroes, Cheap Trick. Working from face-face contact in the pre-Internet age, Rockford punks organized all-ages shows, printed fanzines and released recordings with virtually no assistance from the culture industry.

Talking Guitar: Conversations with Musicians who Shaped Twentieth Century American Music (University of North Carolina Press), by Jas Obrecht

A century ago the guitar was barely audible on sound recordings, but with the advent of the electric guitar and the range of newly invented effects, the instrument assumed orchestral dimensions. As editor of Guitar Player magazine, Jas Obrecht had the opportunity to talk to the great guitarists of the 20th century blues, rock and jazz. Talking Guitar is composed from the complete transcriptions of many of those interviews. They were long and leisurely discussions between Obrecht and the musicians conducted on the plane of mutual respect. Among the interesting bits is Ry Cooder investigating the mysteries of early blues, Carol Kaye on recording as part of Phil Spectors crew and Jerry Garcia on how he would love to have seen Charlie Christian play.
SIOUX CITY | A mostly sunny Monday will likely give way to a rainy early this week.

"Monday's high of 72 will be beautiful but scattered showers and thunderstorms will be likely for Monday night, especially after 4 a.m.," said Janice Maldomado, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls.

An increase in clouds will keep Monday night mild. The low will be in the mid-50s and the chance for precipitation is 50 percent.

The chance for precipitation will continue Tuesday and Tuesday night.

"Tuesday's high will be in the mid-70s and the low will be around 48," Maldomado said. "Rainfall should be very light all day Tuesday."

A greater chance for thunderstorms is in the forecast for Wednesday.

"Showers are likely for Wednesday, especially after 1 p.m.," Maldomado said. "In addition, the temperature will cool down significantly."

Indeed, Wednesday's high of 55 will be at least eight degrees cooler than the average high of 63.

"It will probably feel cooler since we've been so warm lately," Maldomado said.

The rest of the week should be sunny with highs that are average or slightly below average.

"We'll be in a wet period for a while," Madomado said. "Things will clear up again by the weekend."
SAC CITY, Iowa | A man accused of growing marijuana with his mother has pleaded not guilty.

Keegan Cross, 34, of Schaller, Iowa, entered his written plea Friday in Sac County District Court to charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, failure to affix a drug tax stamp and dependent adult abuse.

Cross and his mother, Glenda Turnquist, were arrested March 30 after Sac County Sheriff's deputies executed a search warrant at a home in the 500 block of Perth Street and found 80 marijuana plants, growing lamps, watering pumps, potting soil and fertilizer. Cross is accused of using his grandfather's credit card to buy supplies needed to grow the marijuana.

Turnquist, 58, of Schaller, was arrested and charged with conspiring to manufacture the marijuana with her son. She faces the same three charges as Cross and has yet to enter her plea.
SIOUX CITY | A Sioux City man has pleaded not guilty to stabbing a woman while robbing her of her marijuana.

Colten Stroman, 21, entered his written plea Wednesday to charges of first-degree robbery, going armed with intent and assault while participating in a felony.

According to court documents, Stroman met the woman March 30 at a house in the 800 block of 15th Street to buy 6 grams of marijuana for $80.

After the woman arrived, she was escorted to a back porch and Stroman, dressed in dark clothing and a handkerchief concealing his face, confronted her while displaying a small folding knife and demanded she give him the drugs, court documents said.

The woman was stabbed multiple times in the hand and eyebrow area during an ensuing scuffle. She was treated and released from UnityPoint Health -- St. Luke's.
SIOUX CITY | A Woodbury County jury has returned a guilty verdict against a Sioux City man who was fired upon by a Sergeant Bluff police officer.

John McPherson, 47, was found guilty Wednesday at the conclusion of a one-day trial in Woodbury County District Court to assault on a peace officer and carrying a dangerous weapon. A sentencing date has yet to be set.

Officers called to the Bridge Mobile Home Park in the 100 block of Eighth Street in Sergeant Bluff to serve an arrest warrant on someone else on Oct. 20 encountered McPherson, who was sitting in the driver's seat of a parked Jeep.

A Sergeant Bluff police officer approached McPherson, who, police said, made movements with his hands toward his waistline.

The officer then fired one shot, which went though the window of the vehicle, but did not strike McPherson. Police removed McPherson from the vehicle and found a .45-caliber handgun in the waistband of his pants.

Prosecutors had previously dismissed charges of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and drug tax stamp violation after a crime lab determined that a substance found in the car was not methamphetamine.
ORANGE CITY, Iowa | Additional charges have been filed against a Hawarden, Iowa, couple accused of physically abusing their child during a six-month period.

A judge also has ordered that if the two go to trial, they will be tried together.

Sioux County Attorney Thomas Kunstle last week filed an amended trial information document against Matthew Spaans that included seven new counts of felony neglect of a dependent person and two additional counts of misdemeanor assault causing bodily injury or mental illness. Spaans was previously charged with seven counts of assault and seven counts of felony child endangerment.

Nina Spaans, 33, also faces a new charge of neglect of a dependent person and two additional counts of assault causing bodily injury or mental illness. She had previously been charged with six counts of child endangerment and two counts of assault.

Both have pleaded not guilty. They are scheduled to stand trial July 18 in Sioux County District Court. District Judge Edward Jacobson on Friday ordered the cases consolidated at trial.

Matthew and Nina Spaans were arrested in February after the Iowa Department of Human Services received several allegations they had abused the child.

According to court documents, on at least three occasions from September through February, Matthew Spaans caused injuries to the child with his hands, a clothing dryer and a 56-inch sword, causing severe bruising to the child's head, legs, neck and face. Nina Spaans told the child to make up stories about how the injuries happened and did not protect the child from further abuse, court documents said.

On Feb. 3, the child told a teacher about the abuse, and authorities were notified.

The new charges of neglect of a dependent person allege that the parents exposed the child to a hazard or danger from which the child could not be expected to protect itself.
OMAHA | A South Sioux City man pleaded guilty Monday to federal drug and gun charges.

Jose Sandoval, 47, entered his plea in U.S. District Court in Omaha to charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime. Sentencing was set for July 17.

As part of a plea agreement, charges of distribution of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine will be dismissed at sentencing.

According to a federal indictment, Sandoval and Martha Tapia possessed and sold more than 50 grams of meth from April 1, 2016, through May 9, 2016. Each of them was carrying a firearm at the time, according to the indictment.

Tapia, 38, of South Sioux City, pleaded guilty in January to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime. She is scheduled to be sentenced June 5.
ROSALIE, Neb. | An autopsy showed that Ernest Warnock was dead before his rural Rosalie home was set on fire.

The same autopsy report said that Warnock had multiple stab wounds, and investigators believe that Derek Olson had killed him during an altercation before fleeing with his father, Jody Olson.

Derek Olson, 27, of Oakland, Nebraska, has been charged in Cuming County Court with second-degree murder, accessory to a felony, use of a weapon to commit a felony, first-degree arson and cruelty to an animal. He awaits a May 11 preliminary hearing.

His father, Jody Olson, 47, also of Oakland, was bound over to district court in Cuming County last week on a charge of accessory to a felony. His arraignment is scheduled for June 1.

Court documents filed in the case show that Nebraska State Patrol troopers talked to Derek and Jody Olson during a traffic stop on March 11, the same day authorities were alerted to a fire at Warnock's home.

An affidavit filed in Cuming County Court said that a trooper pulled over the vehicle in Dakota County and saw blood and a knife in the car. Derek Olson told the trooper that Jody Olson, another passenger, had been stabbed in the chest and arm at another location in Dakota County. Troopers found no evidence of a stabbing at the location Olson had given them.

On the afternoon of March 11, Warnock's body was found in the burned rubble of his home. During the investigation into the death, troopers determined that Derek and Jody Olson had been at Warnock's home before they had been stopped in Dakota County. Interviews revealed that an altercation had taken place, and Derek Olson stabbed Warnock. He and his father left in Jody Olson's vehicle, court documents said.

Investigators have recovered what appeared to be a knife with blood on it. Court documents say the knife is of the same design as one known to have been present in Warnock's home.

Cuming County Attorney Daniel Bracht said in a news release last week that the investigation into the fire and Warnock's death is still ongoing.
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The following companies are subsidiares of Caterpillar: Advanced Tri-Gen Power Systems LLC, Anchor Coupling Inc., Asia Power Systems (Tianjin) Ltd., AsiaTrak (Tianjin) Ltd., Banco Caterpillar S.A., Berg Propulsion International Pte Ltd., Bucyrus, Bucyrus Australia Surface Pty. Ltd., Bucyrus Europe Holdings Ltd., Bucyrus Europe Limited, Bucyrus International (Chile) Limitada, Bucyrus International (Peru) S.A., Bucyrus Mining Australia Pty. Ltd., Bucyrus Mining China LLC, Bucyrus UK Limited, Cat Rental Kyushu LLC, Caterpillar (Africa) (Proprietary) Limited, Caterpillar (China) Financial Leasing Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (China) Machinery Components Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (HK) Limited, Caterpillar (Huainan) Machinery Service Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Langfang) Mining Equipment Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Luxembourg) Investment Co. S.a r.l., Caterpillar (NI) Limited, Caterpillar (Newberry) LLC, Caterpillar (Qingzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Suzhou) Logistics Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Thailand) Limited, Caterpillar (U.K.) Limited, Caterpillar (Wujiang) Ltd., Caterpillar (Xuzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar (Zhengzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar Acquisition Holding Corp., Caterpillar Americas C.V., Caterpillar Americas Co., Caterpillar Americas Funding Inc., Caterpillar Americas Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Asia Limited, Caterpillar Asia Pacific L.P., Caterpillar Asia Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Asset Intelligence LLC, Caterpillar Belgium S.A., Caterpillar Brasil Comercio de Maquinas e Pecas Ltda., Caterpillar Brasil Ltda., Caterpillar Brazil LLC, Caterpillar Castings Kiel GmbH, Caterpillar Centro de Formacion S.L., Caterpillar China Limited, Caterpillar Commercial Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Commercial LLC, Caterpillar Commercial Northern Europe Limited, Caterpillar Commercial S.A., Caterpillar Commercial S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Commercial Services S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Communications LLC, Caterpillar Corporativo Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Cote DIvoire, Caterpillar Credito S.A. de C.V. SOFOM E.N.R., Caterpillar DC Pension Trust Limited, Caterpillar Digital Services & Solutions SARL, Caterpillar Distribution International LLC, Caterpillar Distribution Services Europe B.V.B.A., Caterpillar East Real Estate Holding Ltd., Caterpillar Emissions Solutions Inc., Caterpillar Energy Solutions Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Energy Solutions GmbH, Caterpillar Energy Solutions Inc., Caterpillar Energy Solutions S.A., Caterpillar Energy System Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Engine Systems Inc., Caterpillar Equipos Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Eurasia LLC, Caterpillar FS (QFC) LLC, Caterpillar Finance France S.A., Caterpillar Finance Kabushiki Kaisha, Caterpillar Financial Acquisition Funding LLC, Caterpillar Financial Aftermarket Solutions Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Australia Leasing Pty Limited, Caterpillar Financial Australia Limited, Caterpillar Financial Commercial Account Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Corporacion Financiera S.A. E.F.C., Caterpillar Financial Dealer Funding LLC, Caterpillar Financial Funding Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Caterpillar Financial Leasing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Financial New Zealand Limited, Caterpillar Financial Nordic Services AB, Caterpillar Financial Nova Scotia Corporation, Caterpillar Financial OOO, Caterpillar Financial Receivables Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Renting S.A., Caterpillar Financial SARL, Caterpillar Financial Services (Dubai) Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services (Ireland) plc, Caterpillar Financial Services (UK) Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services Argentina S.A., Caterpillar Financial Services Asia Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Financial Services Belgium S.P.R.L., Caterpillar Financial Services CR s.r.o., Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Services GmbH, Caterpillar Financial Services India Private Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services Leasing ULC, Caterpillar Financial Services Limited Les Services Financiers Caterpillar Limitee, Caterpillar Financial Services Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Caterpillar Financial Services Netherlands B.V., Caterpillar Financial Services Norway AS, Caterpillar Financial Services Philippines Inc., Caterpillar Financial Services Poland Sp. z o.o., Caterpillar Financial Services South Africa (Pty) Limited, Caterpillar Financial UK Acquisition Funding Partners, Caterpillar Financial Ukraine LLC, Caterpillar Fluid Systems S.r.l., Caterpillar Fomento Comercial Ltda., Caterpillar Forest Products Inc., Caterpillar France S.A.S., Caterpillar GB L.L.C., Caterpillar Global Investments S.a r.l., Caterpillar Global Mining America LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Equipamentos De Mineracao do Brasil Ltda., Caterpillar Global Mining Equipment LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Europe GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Expanded Products Pty Ltd, Caterpillar Global Mining Germany Holdings GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining HMS GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Holdings GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Hong Kong AFC Manufacturing Holding Co. Limited, Caterpillar Global Mining Hong Kong Limited, Caterpillar Global Mining LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Mexico LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Global Mining SARL, Caterpillar Global Mining U.S. Parts LLC, Caterpillar Global Services LLC, Caterpillar Group Services S.A., Caterpillar Holding (France) S.A.S., Caterpillar Holding Germany GmbH, Caterpillar Holdings Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Hungary Components Manufacturing Ltd., Caterpillar Hydraulics Italia S.r.l., Caterpillar IPX LLC, Caterpillar IRB LLC, Caterpillar Impact Products Limited, Caterpillar India Private Limited, Caterpillar Industrial Inc., Caterpillar Industrias Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Industries (Pty) Ltd, Caterpillar Insurance Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Insurance Company, Caterpillar Insurance Holdings Inc., Caterpillar Insurance Services Corporation, Caterpillar International Finance Designated Activity Company, Caterpillar International Finance Luxembourg Holding S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Finance Luxembourg S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Holding S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Luxembourg I S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Luxembourg II S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Product SARL, Caterpillar International Services Corporation, Caterpillar International Services del Peru S.A., Caterpillar Investment Limited, Caterpillar Investment One SARL, Caterpillar Investment Two SARL, Caterpillar Investments, Caterpillar Japan LLC, Caterpillar Latin America Services S.R.L., Caterpillar Latin America Services de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Latin America Services de Panama S. de R.L., Caterpillar Latin America Servicios de Chile Limitada, Caterpillar Latin America Support Services S. DE R.L., Caterpillar Leasing (Thailand) Limited, Caterpillar Leasing Chile S.A., Caterpillar Leasing GmbH (Leipzig), Caterpillar Leasing Operativo Limitada, Caterpillar Life Insurance Company, Caterpillar Logistics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Logistics (UK) Limited, Caterpillar Logistics Inc., Caterpillar Logistics ML Services France S.A.S., Caterpillar Logistics Services China Limited, Caterpillar Luxembourg Group S.ar.l., Caterpillar Luxembourg LLC, Caterpillar Luxembourg S.a r.l., Caterpillar Machinery Nantong Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Marine Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Marine Asset Intelligence, Caterpillar Marine Power UK Limited, Caterpillar Marine Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Maroc SARL, Caterpillar Materiels Routiers SAS, Caterpillar Mexico LLC, Caterpillar Mexico S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar Mining Canada ULC, Caterpillar Mining Chile Servicios Limitada, Caterpillar Motoren (Guangdong) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Motoren GmbH & Co. KG, Caterpillar Motoren Henstedt-Ulzburg GmbH, Caterpillar Motoren Rostock GmbH, Caterpillar Motoren Verwaltungs-GmbH, Caterpillar Netherlands Holding B.V., Caterpillar North America C.V., Caterpillar Operator Training Ltd., Caterpillar Overseas Credit Corporation SARL, Caterpillar Overseas Investment Holding SARL, Caterpillar Overseas Limited, Caterpillar Overseas SARL, Caterpillar Panama Services S.A., Caterpillar Paving Products Inc., Caterpillar Paving Products Xuzhou Ltd., Caterpillar Pension Trust Limited, Caterpillar Poland Sp. z o.o., Caterpillar Power Generation Systems (Bangladesh) Limited, Caterpillar Power Generation Systems L.L.C., Caterpillar Power Systems Inc., Caterpillar Power Ventures International Ltd., Caterpillar Precision Seals Korea, Caterpillar Prodotti Stradali S.r.l., Caterpillar Product Services Corporation, Caterpillar Propulsion AB, Caterpillar Propulsion International Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Propulsion Italy S.R.L., Caterpillar Propulsion Namibia (Proprietary) Limited, Caterpillar Propulsion Production AB, Caterpillar Propulsion Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Propulsion Singapore Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar R&D Center (China) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe LLC, Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe Servicios S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar Reman Powertrain Indiana LLC, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Drivetrain LLC, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Renting France S.A.S., Caterpillar Reynosa S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar SARL, Caterpillar Services Germany GmbH, Caterpillar Servicios Limitada, Caterpillar Servicios Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Servizi Italia Srl, Caterpillar Shrewsbury Limited, Caterpillar Skinningrove Limited, Caterpillar Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd., Caterpillar Special Services Belgium S.P.R.L., Caterpillar Switchgear Americas LLC, Caterpillar Switchgear Holding Inc., Caterpillar Tianjin Ltd., Caterpillar Torreon S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Tosno L.L.C., Caterpillar Transmissions France S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Tunneling Canada Holdings Ltd., Caterpillar Tunnelling Canada Corporation, Caterpillar Tunnelling Europe Limited, Caterpillar UK Employee Trust Limited, Caterpillar UK Engines Company Limited, Caterpillar UK Group Limited, Caterpillar UK Holdings Limited, Caterpillar Undercarriage (Xuzhou) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Underground Mining Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Used Equipment Services Inc., Caterpillar Venture Capital Inc., Caterpillar Work Tools B.V., Caterpillar Work Tools Inc., Caterpillar World Trading Corporation, Caterpillar Xuzhou, Caterpillar of Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar of Canada Corporation, Caterpillar of Delaware Inc., Centre de Distribution de Wallonie SPRL, CleanAir Systems, Downer Freight Rail, ECM Railway Evolution Romania s.r.l., ECM S.p.A., EDC European Excavator Design Center GmbH, EMC Holding Corp., EMD International Holdings Inc., ERA Information & Entertainment (BVI) Limited, ERA Mining Machinery Limited, Electro-Motive Diesel Limited, Electro-Motive Locomotive Technologies LLC, Electro-Motive Technical Consulting Co. (Beijing) Ltd., Energy Services International Limited, Equipos de Acuna S.A. de C.V., Eurenov S.A.S., F. G. Wilson (Proprietary) Limited, F. Perkins Limited, FG Wilson (Engineering) Limited, GB Holdco (China) Inc., GFCM Comercial Mexico S.A. de C.V. SOFOM E.N.R., GFCM Servicios S.A. de C.V., Gremada Industries - Assets, Hong Kong Siwei Holdings Limited, Inmobiliaria Conek S.A. de C.V., JCS Co., Kemper Valve & Fittings Corp., Leo Inc., Locomotive Demand Power Pty Ltd., Locomotoras Progress Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Lovat, M2M Data Corporation, MGE Equipamentos & Servicos Ferroviarios, MWM, MWM Austria GmbH, MWM Benelux B.V., MWM Energy Australia Pty Ltd, MWM France S.A.S, MWM Real Estate GmbH, MaK Americas Inc., MaK Americas Inc. (Canada), Magnum Power Products LLC, Marble, Maschinenbau Kiel GmbH, Mec-Track S.r.l., Metalmark Financial Services Limited, Motoren Steffens GmbH, Nippon Caterpillar LLC, P. T. Solar Services Indonesia, PT Caterpillar Finance Indonesia, PT. Bucyrus Indonesia, PT. Caterpillar Indonesia, PT. Caterpillar Indonesia Batam, PT. Caterpillar Remanufacturing Indonesia, Perkins Engines, Perkins Engines (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd, Perkins Engines Group Limited, Perkins Engines Inc., Perkins Group Limited, Perkins Holdings Limited LLC, Perkins India Private Limited, Perkins International Inc., Perkins Japan LLC, Perkins Limited, Perkins Machinery (Changshu) Co. Ltd., Perkins Motores do Brasil Ltda., Perkins Power Systems Technology (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Perkins Small Engines (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Perkins Small Engines LLC, Perkins Small Engines Limited, Perkins Technology Inc., Progress Metal Reclamation Company, Progress Rail Arabia Limited Company, Progress Rail Australia Pty Ltd, Progress Rail Canada Corporation, Progress Rail Equipamentos e Servicos Ferroviarios do Brasil Ltda., Progress Rail Equipment Leasing Corporation, Progress Rail Holdings Inc., Progress Rail Innovations Private Limited, Progress Rail Inspection & Information Systems GmbH, Progress Rail Inspection & Information Systems S.r.l., Progress Rail International Corp., Progress Rail Leasing Canada Corporation, Progress Rail Leasing Corporation, Progress Rail Leasing de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Progress Rail Locomotivas (do Brasil) Ltda., Progress Rail Locomotive Canada Co., Progress Rail Locomotive Chile SpA, Progress Rail Locomotive Inc., Progress Rail Maintenance de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Progress Rail Manufacturing Corporation, Progress Rail Raceland Corporation, Progress Rail Rocklin Corporation, Progress Rail SA Proprietary Limited, Progress Rail Services Corporation, Progress Rail Services Holdings Corp., Progress Rail Services LLC, Progress Rail Services UK Limited, Progress Rail Switching Services LLC, Progress Rail Transcanada Corporation, Progress Rail Welding Corporation, Progress Rail Wildwood LLC, Progress Rail de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pyroban Group, Pyroban Group, Pyrrha Investments B.V., Pyrrha Investments Limited, S&L Railroad LLC, SCM Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd., SPL Software Alliance LLC, Sabre Engines, Servicios de Turbinas Solar S. de R.L. de C.V., Shandong SEM Machinery Co. Ltd., Solar Turbines, Solar Turbines, Solar Turbines (Beijing) Trading Services Co. Ltd., Solar Turbines (Thailand) Ltd., Solar Turbines CIS Limited Liability Company, Solar Turbines Canada Ltd./Ltee., Solar Turbines Central Asia Limited Liability Partnership, Solar Turbines EAME s.r.o., Solar Turbines Egypt Limited Liability Company, Solar Turbines Europe S.A., Solar Turbines India Private Limited, Solar Turbines International Company, Solar Turbines Italy S.R.L., Solar Turbines Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Solar Turbines Middle East Limited, Solar Turbines New Zealand Limited, Solar Turbines Saudi Arabia Limited, Solar Turbines Services Company, Solar Turbines Services Nigeria Limited, Solar Turbines Services of Argentina S.R.L., Solar Turbines Switzerland Sagl, Solar Turbines Trinidad & Tobago Limited, Solar Turbines West-Africa SARL, Tangshan DBT Machinery Co. Ltd., Tecnologia Modificada S.A. de C.V., Towmotor Corporation, Traction & Mining Motor Repairs Pty Ltd, Turbinas Solar S.A. de C.V., Turbinas Solar de Colombia S.A., Turbinas Solar de Venezuela C.A., Turbo Tecnologia de Reparaciones S.A. de C.V., Turbomach, Turbomach Endustriyel Gaz Turbinleri Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited, Turbomach France SARL, Turbomach GmbH, Turbomach Netherlands B.V., Turbomach Pakistan (Private) Limited, Turbomach S.A. Unipersonal, Turbomach Sp. Z o.o., Turner Powertrain Systems Limited, UK Hose Assembly Limited, Underground Imaging Technologies Inc, United Industries LLC, VALA Inc., Vasky Energy Ltd., Wealdstone Engineering, Weir - Oil & Gas Division, West Virginia Auto Shredding Inc., Western Gear Machinery LLC, Wetland Sustainability Fund I LLC, Williams Technologies, Yard Club, Zhengzhou Siwei Mechanical and Electrical Equipment Sales Co. Ltd., and okyo Rental Ltd..

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The following companies are subsidiares of Tenneco: A.E. Group Machines Limited, AE International Limited, Anand I-Power Limited, Anqing TP Goetze Liner Co. Ltd., Anqing TP Goetze Piston Ring Co. Ltd., Anqing TP Powder Metallurgy Co. Ltd., Armstrong Properties (Pty.) Ltd., Ateliers Juliette Adam SAS, Autopartes Walker S. de R.L. de C.V., Beck Arnley Holdings LLC, CATAI s.r.l., CEDS Inc., Carter Automotive Company LLC, Clevite Industries Inc., Componentes Venezolanos de Direccion S.A., Cooperatief Federal-Mogul Dutch Investments B.A., Coventry Assurance Ltd., DRiV Automotive Inc., DRiV IP LLC, DRiV Incorporated, Dongsuh Federal-Mogul Co. Ltd., F-M Holding Daros AB, F-M Holding Goteborg AB, F-M Holding Mexico S.A. de C.V., F-M Motorparts Limited, F-M Motorparts TSC LLC, F-M TSC Real Estate Holdings LLC, F-M Trademarks Limited, FDML Holdings Limited, FM International LLC, FM PBW Bearings Private Limited, FM Participacoes e Investimentos LTDA, Farloc Argentina S.A.I.C. y F., Federal Mogul (Thailand) Ltd., Federal Mogul Aftermarket Egypt Ltd., Federal Mogul Argentina S.A., Federal Mogul Dis Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Federal Mogul Hungary Kft., Federal Mogul Powertrain Otomotiv Anonim Sirketi, Federal Mogul SAS, Federal Mogul Services Sarl, Federal Mogul Systems Protection SAS, Federal-Mogul, Federal-Mogul (Anqing) Powder Metallurgy Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul (Changshu) Automotive Parts Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul (China) Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul (Chongqing) Friction Materials Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul (Dalian) Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul (Langfang) Automotive Components Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul (Proprietary) Limited, Federal-Mogul (Shanghai) Automotive Parts Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul (T&N) Hong Kong Limited, Federal-Mogul (Tianjin) Surface Treatment Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul (Vietnam) Ltd., Federal-Mogul Aftermarket Espana S.A., Federal-Mogul Aftermarket France SAS, Federal-Mogul Aftermarket GmbH, Federal-Mogul Aftermarket Southern Africa (Pty) Limited, Federal-Mogul Aftermarket UK Limited, Federal-Mogul Anand Bearings India Limited, Federal-Mogul Anand Sealings India Limited, Federal-Mogul Asia Investments Holding Korea Ltd., Federal-Mogul Asia Investments Limited, Federal-Mogul Automotive GmbH & Co. KG, Federal-Mogul Automotive Pty Ltd, Federal-Mogul Automotive Verwaltungs GmbH, Federal-Mogul Betriebsgrundstucke Burscheid GmbH, Federal-Mogul Bimet Spolka Akcyjna, Federal-Mogul Bradford Limited, Federal-Mogul Bremsbelag GmbH, Federal-Mogul Burscheid Beteiligungs GmbH, Federal-Mogul Burscheid GmbH, Federal-Mogul Canada Limited, Federal-Mogul Chassis LLC, Federal-Mogul Componentes de Motores Ltda., Federal-Mogul Controlled Power Limited, Federal-Mogul Coventry Limited, Federal-Mogul Deva (Qingdao) Automotive Parts Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Deva GmbH, Federal-Mogul Dimitrovgrad LLC, Federal-Mogul Distribucion de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul Dong Feng (Shiyan) Engine Components Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul EMEA Distribution Services, Federal-Mogul Employee Trust Administration Limited, Federal-Mogul Engineering Limited, Federal-Mogul FIL-P43 S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul FIL-S43 S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul Filtration LLC, Federal-Mogul Finance 1 LLC, Federal-Mogul Finance 2 LLC, Federal-Mogul Financial Services Poland Sp.z.o.o., Federal-Mogul Financial Services S.A.S., Federal-Mogul Financing Corporation, Federal-Mogul Friction Products Barcelona S.L., Federal-Mogul Friction Products Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Friction Products GmbH, Federal-Mogul Friction Products International GmbH, Federal-Mogul Friction Products Limited, Federal-Mogul Friction Products Ploiesti SRL, Federal-Mogul Friction Products S.A., Federal-Mogul Friction Products a.s., Federal-Mogul Friction Spain S.L., Federal-Mogul Friedberg GmbH, Federal-Mogul Garennes SAS, Federal-Mogul Germany Investments Holding GmbH, Federal-Mogul Global Aftermarket EMEA, Federal-Mogul Global Growth Limited, Federal-Mogul GmbH, Federal-Mogul Goetze (India) Limited, Federal-Mogul Gorzyce Sp. z o.o., Federal-Mogul Holding Deutschland GmbH, Federal-Mogul Holding Sweden AB, Federal-Mogul Holdings Ltd., Federal-Mogul Iberica S.L., Federal-Mogul Ignition GmbH, Federal-Mogul Ignition LLC, Federal-Mogul Ignition Products India Limited, Federal-Mogul Ignition Products SAS, Federal-Mogul Industria de Autopecas Ltda., Federal-Mogul Investment Ltd., Federal-Mogul Investments B.V., Federal-Mogul Italy S.r.l., Federal-Mogul Izmit Piston ve Pim Uretim Tesisleri A.S., Federal-Mogul Japan K.K., Federal-Mogul Juarez S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul Lighting S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul Limited, Federal-Mogul Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Federal-Mogul MP US LLC, Federal-Mogul Motorparts (India) Limited, Federal-Mogul Motorparts (Netherlands) B.V., Federal-Mogul Motorparts (Pinghu) Trading Limited, Federal-Mogul Motorparts (Qingdao) Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Motorparts (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Motorparts (Thailand) Limited, Federal-Mogul Motorparts (Zhejiang) Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Motorparts Colombia S.A.S., Federal-Mogul Motorparts Holding B.V., Federal-Mogul Motorparts Holding GmbH, Federal-Mogul Motorparts LLC, Federal-Mogul Motorparts Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Motorparts Minority Holding B.V., Federal-Mogul Motorparts Philippines Inc., Federal-Mogul Motorparts Ploiesti SRL, Federal-Mogul Motorparts Poland Sp.z.o.o., Federal-Mogul Motorparts Pty Ltd, Federal-Mogul Motorparts Services SRL, Federal-Mogul Naberezhnye Chelny, Federal-Mogul Nurnberg GmbH, Federal-Mogul Operations France S.A.S., Federal-Mogul Piston Rings LLC, Federal-Mogul Plasticos Puntanos S.A., Federal-Mogul Powertrain (Netherlands) B.V., Federal-Mogul Powertrain Eastern Europe B.V., Federal-Mogul Powertrain IP LLC, Federal-Mogul Powertrain Italy S.R.L, Federal-Mogul Powertrain LLC, Federal-Mogul Powertrain Mexico Distribucion S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul Powertrain Russia GmbH, Federal-Mogul Powertrain Solutions India Private Limited, Federal-Mogul Powertrain Systems S A (Proprietary) Limited, Federal-Mogul Powertrain Vostok OOO, Federal-Mogul Products US LLC, Federal-Mogul Pty Ltd, Federal-Mogul R&L Friedberg Casting GmbH & Co. KG, Federal-Mogul Risk Advisory Services LLC, Federal-Mogul S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul S.A., Federal-Mogul SP Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul Sealing System (Nanchang) Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Sealing Systems GmbH, Federal-Mogul Sejong Co. Ltd, Federal-Mogul Sejong Tech Ltd, Federal-Mogul Serina Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Sevierville LLC, Federal-Mogul Shanghai Bearing Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Shanghai Compound Material Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Singapore Investments Pte. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Sistemas Automotivos Ltda., Federal-Mogul Sistemas de Limpadores de Para-Brisas Ltda, Federal-Mogul Sorocaba-Holding Ltda, Federal-Mogul Systems Protection Hungary Kft., Federal-Mogul Systems Protection Morocco SARL AU, Federal-Mogul TP Europe GmbH & Co KG, Federal-Mogul TP Liner Europe Otomotiv Ltd. Sti, Federal-Mogul TP Liners Inc., Federal-Mogul TP Piston Rings GmbH, Federal-Mogul TPR (India) Limited, Federal-Mogul Technology Limited, Federal-Mogul Transaction LLC, Federal-Mogul UK Investments Limited, Federal-Mogul UK Powertrain Limited, Federal-Mogul VCS Holding B.V., Federal-Mogul VCS LLC, Federal-Mogul Valve Train International LLC, Federal-Mogul Valve Train S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul Valvetrain GmbH, Federal-Mogul Valvetrain La Source SAS, Federal-Mogul Valvetrain Limited, Federal-Mogul Valvetrain Schirmeck SAS, Federal-Mogul Valvetrain s.r.o., Federal-Mogul Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH, Federal-Mogul Verwaltungs-und Beteiligungs-GmbH, Federal-Mogul Wiesbaden GmbH, Federal-Mogul World Trade (Asia) Limited, Federal-Mogul World Wide LLC, Federal-Mogul Yura (Qingdao) Ignition Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul Zhengsheng (Changsha) Piston Ring Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul de Costa Rica S.A., Federal-Mogul de Guatemala Sociedad Anonima, Federal-Mogul de Matamoros S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Federal-Mogul de Venezuela C.A., Federal-Mogul of South Africa (Proprietary) Limited, Felt Products MFG. CO. LLC, Ferodo America LLC, Ferodo Limited, Fonciere de Liberation, Forjas y Maquinas S. de R.L. de C.V., Frenos Hidraulicos Automotrices S.A. de C.V., Fric-Rot S.A.I.C., Gabilan Manufacturing, Gasket Holdings LLC, Gillet Exhaust Manufacturing Limited, Gillet Pressings Cardiff Limited, Goetze Wohnungsbau GmbH, ISA Installations Steuerungs und Automatislerungs GmbH, J.W. Hartley (Motor Trade) Limited, Jurid do Brasil Sistemas Automotivos Ltda., KB Autosys (Zhangjiagang) Co. Ltd., KB Autosys Co. Ltd., KB Autosys India Private Ltd., Kinetic Pty. Ltd., Kontich, Leeds Piston Ring & Engineering Co. Limited, Maco Inversiones S.A., McCord Payen de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., McPherson Strut Company LLC, Monroe Amortisor Imalat Ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Monroe Australia Pty. Limited, Monroe Czechia s.r.o., Monroe Holding S. de R.L. de C.V., Monroe Manufacturing (Proprietary) Ltd., Monroe Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Monroe Packaging BVBA, Monroe Ride Performance Sweden AB, Monroe Springs (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Montagewerk Abgastechnik Emden GmbH, Motocare India Private Limited, Muzzy-Lyon Auto Parts LLC, Parts Zone (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Payen International Limited, Piston Rings (UK) Limited, Precision Modular Assembly Corp., Productos de Frenos Automotrices de Calidad S.A. de C.V., Proveedora Walker S. de R.L. de C.V., Pullman, Pullman Standard Inc., Qingdao Tenneco FAWSN Automobile Parts Co. Ltd., Raimsa S. de R.L. de C.V., Ride Performance Canada Inc., Ride Performance Japan Ltd., Ride Performance Korea Limited, Ride Performance Mexico Holding LLC, SAXID Limited, Sapav Marketing Ltd, Saxid, Saxid s.r.l., Servicio de Componentes Automotrices S. de R.L. de C.V., Servicios Administrativos Industriales S. de R.L. de C.V., Shanghai Tenneco Exhaust System Co. Ltd., Sibirica Energy Limited, Sintration Limited, Speyside Real Estate LLC, Subensambles Internacionales S. de R.L. de C.V., T&N Industries LLC, T&N de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., TA (Australia) Group Pty. Ltd., TM S.r.l, TMC Texas Inc., TPR Federal-Mogul Tennessee Inc., Taiwan Federal-Mogul Motorparts Co. Limited, TecCom GmbH, Tenneco (Beijing) Exhaust System Co. Ltd., Tenneco (Beijing) Ride Control System Co. Ltd., Tenneco (Changzhou) Ride Performance Co. Ltd., Tenneco (China) Co. Ltd., Tenneco (Dalian) Exhaust System Co. Ltd., Tenneco (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Tenneco (Jingzhou) Ride Performance Co. Ltd., Tenneco (MSCan) Operations Inc., Tenneco (MUSA), Tenneco (Mauritius) Limited, Tenneco (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Tenneco (Suzhou) Emission System Co. Ltd., Tenneco (Suzhou) Ride Control Co. Ltd., Tenneco (TM Asia) Ltd., Tenneco (TM Belgium) BVBA, Tenneco (Tianjin) Ride Performance Co. Ltd., Tenneco Asheville Inc., Tenneco Asia Inc., Tenneco Automotie Nederland B.V., Tenneco Automotive (Thailand) Limited, Tenneco Automotive Brasil Ltda., Tenneco Automotive Deutschland GmbH, Tenneco Automotive Eastern Europe Sp. z.o.o., Tenneco Automotive Europe BVBA, Tenneco Automotive Europe Coordination Center BVBA, Tenneco Automotive Foreign Sales Corporation Limited, Tenneco Automotive France S.A.S., Tenneco Automotive Holdings South Africa Pty. Limited, Tenneco Automotive Iberica S.A., Tenneco Automotive Inc. 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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.
(EDGE) A Texas man sentenced to life in prison for raping and shooting a teenage lesbian couple in Texas is being sued for $500 million by the survivor of the attack, My San Antonio reports.

David Strickland, 30, was found guilty last year of raping and shooting Mary Kristene Chapa, 18, and her girlfriend Mollie Olgin, 19, in a park near Corpus Christi, Texas in 2012. Olgin died at the scene but Chapa, who was shot in the head, survived the brutal assault. The girls were found several hours later by people passing by.

Related: Man Given Life Sentence for Rape, Murder of Lesbian Couple

Last September, Strickland was convicted of capital murder, aggravated sexual assault and aggravated assault. He was sentenced to life in prison.

Chapa has now filed a lawsuit against Strickland, his father Larry Joe Strickland and Taft Pharmacy, Larry Joe's company, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in San Patricio County, obtained by the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.

The court documents say Chapa suffers from lifelong injuries because of the shooting. She has tunnel vision and a limp and has undergone physical rehab and medical treatment.

The suit alleges that during the initial trial, David Strickland "showed absolutely no remorse for his actions."

"Indeed he sneered at Chapa and her family throughout the criminal trial, and cavalierly maintained he was not guilty despite the overwhelming evidence against him," the suit reads. It goes on to claim Larry Joe Strickland "was well aware of his son's violent tendencies, but did nothing to warn others or take action to stop his son's proclivities."
Several U.S. universities are implementing free menstrual products in their restrooms  male, female and gender neutral bathrooms alike.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison announced they will provide pads and tampons in three on-campus buildings, with their Red Gym building making the products available in the mens restroom. The purpose is to provide help to transgender men or gender non-binary persons who menstruate.

Menstrual products will be available in all of the bathrooms of the Red Gym so that they are available to any student who might need them, spokesperson Steve Wagner told The College Fix.

Student Representative Katrina Morrison told the campus publication The Badger Herald that purchasing menstrual products was a deficit and an unnecessary burden for students. Having them be free and readily available in campus buildings is definitely a necessity, she said.

The program resembles similar programs from the University of Michigan, University of Maryland and Brown University, which are developing and implementing free menstrual product systems on their campuses.

We wanted to set a tone of trans-inclusivity and not forget that theyre an important part of the population, Brown University student president Viet Nguyen told NewsWeek. Id be naive to say there wont be push back. Ive had questions about why were implementing this in male bathrooms as well. Its an initial confusion, but people generally understand when we explain it.

Other schools, like private liberal arts college Bowdoin College, are offering free tampons in mens restrooms  with mixed results. According to student publication The Bowdoin Orient, someone defecated in one of the menstrual product trash receptacles in the mens restroom.

In addition, many of the freely available tampons and pads had been thrown away unused, according one of the schools housekeepers.

Nevertheless, the school has received a generally positive reception for implementing free menstrual products.

I think people would be lying if they said that seeing them in the mens bathrooms didnt make them initially curious, one student told The Orient. But then I realized that it makes a good amount of sense just considering the fact that you dont know who biologically is entering those bathrooms, versus who they identify as, so theoretically it could be useful to the people that also want to use those bathrooms.
Updated with response from FL Rep. David Richardson and Gill Foundation.

A case of a pimp building debt inside a Florida correctional facility was one of multiple topics discussed during a presentation last month in Tallahassee.

He had made a career out of pimping women, said Terry Coonan, an associate professor at Florida State University.

Coonan, who holds a Juris Doctorate, addressed the Democratic Womens Club of Florida at the organizations annual Tally Days conference. The featured luncheon speaker, Coonan described situations involving prostitution and forced labor contracts around the Sunshine State.

When a number of his women got arrested and jailed for prostitution he would reach out and use them as recruiters, Coonan said, describing a Marion County case. Floridas department of corrections didnt realize that canteens accounts that these young women had anybody could put money in.

Florida Representative David Richardson (D-Miami Beach) said canteen accounts are accounts that allow prisoners to purchase food and hygiene items. Richardson, who has spent the last two years auditing the states prison system, said canteen accounts are operated by a third party vendor and the contract is being revised and will go through a bidding process.

In the case involving the Lowell Correctional Institute outside of Ocala, 75-year-old Richard Rawles was busted for essentially putting a down payment on prisoners.

(Rawls) was putting money into these canteen accounts of young women who were typically in prison for a couple years for prostitution or a drug offense, Coonan said. He was actually building a debt that they would owe to him. He would tell them, Im going to wait for you the minute you get out of prison. Im the only one that cares for you.

After they were released from prison, the victims were taken by Rawles to Orlando to a place investigators called Pimp Plaza. There, Coonan revealed, the women were beaten, drugged and forced into selling their bodies.

These young women were forced into prostitution, Coonan said. All of them owed him (Rawles) several thousand dollars from their canteen accounts and he exploited that. They were in a Florida correctional facility and they were being set up for sex trafficking once they were released.

Women are not the only victims of human trafficking, Coonan noted during his presentation. He also spoke of a Miami case involving young men from the central European nation of Hungary.

Prosecutor Katherine Fernandez Rundle discovered a prostitution ring advertised on the gay dating website, PlanetRomeo.com

They actually worked as male escorts in Hungary, but they were promised jobs doing the same thing here in the United States, Coonan said, adding it was Hungarian policemen who arranged for the male escorts travel to Miami.

Once they got them here, Coonan said. They were forced into repeated acts of gay sex and gay prostitution.

Hungarian police officers brutally exploited these escorts, Coonan said and threatened to harm their families if they quit escorting.

On April 7, a Miami-Dade circuit court judge handed out hefty sentences to two men convicted of orchestrating the prostitution ring. The men, Gabor Acts and Viktor Berki, will each spend 25 years in prison, reports SFGN & the Miami Herald. It remains unclear in what country the men will serve their prison terms.

On the culture front, human trafficking is bringing together two different groups of people. In Colorado, the Gill Foundation, an LGBT philanthropic organization, and Focus on the Family, a conservative Christian policy institute, reportedly, joined forces to strengthen laws combatting human trafficking.

A person familiar with the situation told SFGN that Ted Trimpa, a longtime gay activist and lobbyist for Gill Foundation founder Tim Gill, worked with Daly and a coalition to fight human sex trafficking in Colorado. The person would not disclose their name due to the sensitivity of the topic, but told SFGN the coalitions work resulted in a law being passed in Colorado to curtail human sex trafficking.

Focus on the Family Chief Executive Officer Jim Daly described the peacemaking as the first step of many things theyd hope to do together particularly where it concerns the stability of families and the betterment of children.

Daly is scheduled to speak at the Mayors Prayer Breakfast, April 28, at the Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale.
(WB) Former Vice President Joe Biden on Friday condemned the arrests of gay men in Chechnya.

I am disgusted and appalled by reports from both the Russian media and non-governmental organizations that authorities in the Russian republic of Chechnya have rounded up, tortured and even murdered individuals who are believed to be gay, said Biden in a statement he posted to the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagements Facebook page. When faced with such crimes of hate and inhumanity, it is the responsibility of every person of conscience to speak out  to oppose this campaign of violence before it continues further.

Every man or woman on this earth is entitled to be treated with dignity  to live without fear and to love freely, he added. Unfortunately, the human rights abuses perpetrated by Chechen authorities and the culture of impunity that surrounds them means that these hate crimes are unlikely to ever be properly investigated or that the perpetrators will see justice. But that does not mean that we should fail to defend basic human rights, fundamental freedoms and universal values.

Novaya Gazeta, a Russian newspaper, has reported authorities in Chechnya, which is a semi-autonomous Russian republic in the Caucasus that is predominantly Muslim, have arrested more than 100 men in connection with their non-traditional sexual orientation, or suspicion of such.

Novaya Gazeta said authorities beat and tortured the men with electric shocks. The newspaper also reported at least three of the men who Chechen authorities arrested later died.

Novaya Gazeta earlier this week reported gay men have been sent to secret prisons that have been described as concentration camps. The Russian LGBT Network confirmed these reports to the Washington Blade.

Chechnya officials target newspaper that broke story

The State Department last week said in a statement that it is increasingly concerned about the situation in Chechnya, but it has not publicly commented on the secret prisons.

Vitit Muntarbhorn and other U.N. human rights experts on Thursday urged Chechen authorities to release the gay men who remain in custody. They also called upon the Russian government to take urgent measures to protect the life, liberty and security of gay and bisexual people in Chechnya and to investigate, prosecute and punish acts of violence motivated by the victims sexual orientation.

British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson and Randy Boissonnault, who advises Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on LGBT and intersex issues, are among the world leaders who have also condemned Chechen authorities. President Trump, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson  who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Kremlin officials in Moscow on Wednesday  and U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley have not publicly commented on the gay mens arrests.

I hope that the current administration lives up to the promises it has made to advance human rights for everyone by raising this issue directly with Russias leaders, said Biden in his statement. The United States must lead the way to demand an end to these egregious violations of human rights.

A spokesperson for the Russian government said the arrests are a question of law enforcement agencies. A spokesperson for Chechnyas leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, told a Russian government news agency earlier this month it is impossible to prosecute those who are not in the republic.

If such people existed in Chechnya, law enforcement would not have to worry about them, as their own relatives would have sent them to where they could never return, said Kadyrovs spokesperson.

Kadyrov is a close Putin ally.

Novaya Gazeta on Thursday said in a statement that one of Kadyrovs advisers described its reporters as enemies of our faith and our homeland in a speech he delivered at the main mosque in the Chechen capital of Grozny on April 3.

The statement said 15,000 people attended what it described as an emergency meeting at the mosque.

Novaya Gazeta noted Chechen media broadcast Kadyrovs advisers remarks and other speeches. The statement also points out the meeting ended with the approval of a resolution that it says will incite violence against its reporters and editors.

The resolution encourages religious fanatics to violence against journalists, said Novaya Gazeta.

 Michael K. Lavers, Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBTQ Media Association.

If you want to help gay men flee Chechnya, you can participate in this Facebook fundraiser here.
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.




Terminus of Kangerlugssuup Sermerssua glacier in west Greenland Timothy Bartholomaus, Univ. of Idaho

A new NASA-funded study has identified which glaciers in West Greenland are most susceptible to thinning in the coming decades by analyzing how theyre shaped.

The research could help predict how much the Greenland Ice Sheet will contribute to future sea level rise in the next century, a number that currently ranges from inches to feet.

There are glaciers that popped up in our study that flew under the radar until now, said lead author Denis Felikson, a graduate research assistant at The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) and a Ph.D. student in The University of Texas Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics. Feliksons study was published in Nature Geoscience on April 17.

The Greenland Ice Sheet is the second largest ice sheet on Earth and has been losing mass for decades, a trend scientists have linked to a warming climate. However, the mass change experienced by individual coastal glaciers, which flow out from the ice sheet into the ocean, is highly variable. This makes predicting the impact on future sea-level rise difficult.

We were looking for a way to explain why this variability exists, and we found a way to do it that has never been applied before on this scale, Felikson said.

Of the 16 glaciers researchers investigated in West Greenland, the study found four that are the most susceptible to thinning: Rink Isbrae, Umiamako Isbrae, Jakobshavn Isbrae and Sermeq Silardleq.

Umiamako Isbrae, Sermeq Silardleq and Jakobshavn Isbrae are already losing mass, with Jakobshavn being responsible for more than 81 percent of West Greenlands total mass loss over the past 30 years.

Rink has remained stable since 1985, but through shape analysis researchers found that it could start to thin if its terminus, the front of the glacier exposed to ocean water, becomes unstable. This is a strong possibility as the climate continues to warm.

Not long ago we didnt even know how much ice Greenland was losing, now were getting down to the critical details that control its behavior, said Tom Wagner, director of NASAs cryosphere program, which sponsored the research.

The analysis works by calculating how far inland thinning that starts at the terminus of each glacier is likely to extend. Glaciers with thinning that reaches far inland are the most susceptible to ice mass loss.

Just how prone a glacier is to thinning depends on its thickness and surface slope, features that are influenced by the landscape under the glacier. In general, thinning spreads more easily across thick and flat glaciers and is hindered by thin and steep portions of glaciers.

The research revealed that most glaciers are susceptible to thinning between 10 and 30 miles inland. For Jakobshavn, however, the risk of thinning reaches over 150 miles inlandalmost one-third of the way across the Greenland Ice Sheet.

Jakobshavn is particularly vulnerable to thinning because it flows through a very deep trough that extends deep into the ice sheet interior, making the ice thick and the surface flat, Felikson said.

Felikson said these calculations will help identify which areas of Greenland may be most susceptible to melting and thus contribute most to future sea level rise. However, while the method can point out vulnerable areas, it cant predict how much mass loss is likely to occu

Still, knowing which glaciers are the most at risk can help scientists allocate limited resources, said co-author Timothy Bartholomaus, an assistant professor at the University of Idaho. The approach we demonstrate here allows us to identify which outlet glaciers are not yet changing rapidly, but might, Bartholomaus said. With that knowledge, we can anticipate potential sea-level rise and set up the observational campaigns in advance to understand these glacier changes.

Among other sources of data, Felikson and his team used a bedrock topography map created with data from NASAs Ocean Melting Greenland project to determine the thickness of the ice and a digital elevation model from the Greenland Ice Mapping Project, which uses measurements from the Japanese-provided Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument on NASAs Terra satellite, to separate glacier catchments.

Ginny Catania, an associate professor in the University of Texas Jackson School of Geosciences and research associate at UTIG, said the group has plans to apply the shape analysis technique to other glaciers. Our plan is to extend the analysis so that we can identify glaciers in Antarctica and around the rest of Greenland that are most likely to be susceptible to change in the future, she said.

Study collaborators include researchers at Icelands Institute of Earth Sciences, the University of Copenhagen, the University of California, the University of Kansas, Oregon State University and the University of Oregon. The research was funded by NASA and The University of Texas Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Department.

Read the study here: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2934
JUICE ESA

NASAs partnership in a future European Space Agency (ESA) mission to Jupiter and its moons has cleared a key milestone, moving from preliminary instrument design to implementation phase.



Designed to investigate the emergence of habitable worlds around gas giants, the JUpiter ICy Moons Explorer (JUICE) is scheduled to launch in five years, arriving at Jupiter in October 2029. JUICE will spend almost four years studying Jupiters giant magnetosphere, turbulent atmosphere, and its icy Galilean moonsCallisto, Ganymede and Europa.

The April 6 milestone, known as Key Decision Point C (KDP-C), is the agency-level approval for the project to enter building phase. It also provides a baseline for the missions schedule and budget. NASAs total cost for the project is $114.4 million. The next milestone for the NASA contributions will be the Critical Design Review (CDR), which will take place in about one year. The CDR for the overall ESA JUICE mission is planned in spring 2019.

Were pleased with the overall design of the instruments and were ready to begin implementation, said Jim Green, director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. In the very near future, JUICE will go from the drawing board to instrument building and then on to the launch pad in 2022.

JUICE is a large-class missionthe first in ESAs Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 program carrying a suite of 10 science instruments. NASA will provide the Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS), and also will provide subsystems and components for two additional instruments: the Particle Environment Package (PEP) and the Radar for Icy Moon Exploration (RIME) experiment.

The UVS was selected to observe the dynamics and atmospheric chemistry of the Jovian system, including its icy satellites and volcanic moon Io. With the planet Jupiter itself, the instrument team hopes to learn more about the vertical structure of its stratosphere and determine the relationship between changing magnetospheric conditions to observed auroral structures. The instrument is provided by the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), at a cost of $41.2 million.

The PEP is a suite of six sensors led by the Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF), capable of providing a 3-D map of the plasma system that surrounds Jupiter. One of the six sensors, known as PEP-Hi, is provided by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, and is comprised of two separate components known as JoEE and JENI. While JoEE is focused primarily on studying the magnetosphere of Ganymede, JENI observations will reveal the structure and dynamics of the donut-shaped cloud of gas and plasma that surrounds Europa. The total cost of the NASA contribution to the PEP instrument package is $42.4 million.

The Radar for Icy Moon Exploration (RIME) experiment, an ice penetrating radar, which is a key instrument for achieving groundbreaking science on the geology, is led by the Italian Space Agency (ASI). NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), in Pasadena, California, is providing key subsystems to the instrument, which is designed to penetrate the surface of Jupiters icy moons to learn more about their subsurface structure. The instrument will focus on Callisto, Ganymede, and Europa, to determine the formation mechanisms and interior processes that occur to produce bodies of subsurface water. On Europa, the instrument also will search for thin areas of ice and locations with the most geological activity, such as plumes. The total cost of the NASA contribution is $30.8 million.

How will JUICE complement NASAs Europa Clipper multiple flyby mission, also scheduled to launch in the early 2020s?

The missions are like close members of the same family. Together they will explore the entire Jovian system, said Curt Niebur, program scientist at NASA Headquarters. Clipper is focused on Europa and determining its habitability. JUICE is looking for a broader understanding how the entire group of Galilean satellites formed and evolved.

Niebur says by examining the complexity of the Jupiter system, we will learn more about how habitable areas form in our solar system and beyond. Weve learned that habitable environments can arise in surprising places and in unexpected ways. Life may not be limited to the surface of Earth-like worlds orbiting at just the right distance from their suns.
Los Angeles is ready for a cat cafe. It was clear two years ago when the temporary Catfe pop-up in Chinatown was mobbed for the entirety of its four-day lifespan that the citys feline faithful would line up for a space that allowed them to engage in heavy petting while they sipped delicious brews. After all, LA already has a doggo cafe, where patrons can swing through to pick up coffee cups or rescue pups. Now, Crumbs & Whiskers on Melrose Avenue allows for cat lovers to do the same.

Like their first location in Washington DC, the LA Crumbs partners with a local shelterin this case Karma Rescueto provide in-need cats a temporary home in between when theyre rescued and adopted. The cats chosen for the cafe are sociable and do well with people. On my visit, I could see that the cats were comfortable and very happy while they played with toys and bounced off the cat-friendly furniture.





Setting up a trip to Crumbs is simple but requires a bit of advanced planning. You make a reservation online and pay a fee of $22 per person, which buys a whole 75 minutes of cat timeduring which you can play with, take photos of, pet, or even talk to any of the cats that strike your fancy. Spaces are booked pretty fast, especially on weekends. When you arrive, you can purchase drinks from a menu of espresso beverages, iced coffee, and teasproceeds from drink sales go toward taking care of the cats. In LA, Crumbs is partnered with Open Space just a few blocks awayorders are made there and delivered.

Crumbs is set up in a way that encourages interactiona little nook with soft, fluffy pillows encourages floor-sitting and cat and human mingling. At any given time, there are about 1520 cats roaming about. While some may be resting or sleeping, an ample selection of toys ensures general energetic cuddliness.





If you happen to fall in love with a cat on your visit to Crumbs, you can adopt it through Karma Rescue. So far, there have already been 26 adoptions in LA, and 182 total including those at the DC location. Whichever side of the country youre on, a new family member is just a cafe trip away.

Tatiana Ernst, who lives in Los Angeles, is a staff writer for Sprudge. Read more Tatiana Ernst in Sprudge.
2017 marks the eleventh consecutive year that Standardbred Canada and the Atlantic provinces have partnered to offer the Atlantic Provinces Bursary Program. This project could award up to five students in the Atlantic provinces bursaries towards their post secondary education this year.

If you are a student residing in the Atlantic provinces and attending a post secondary institution (trade school, community college or university this fall), this is an opportunity that could help you pay for your tuition.

The bursaries will be awarded based on participation in the industry, academics and financial need. Applicants will be required to submit a typewritten essay on one of the following topics:

What unique ways can Standardbred Canada and the host tracks promote the WDC events to the general public in 2017? How can racetracks/associations celebrate the 250th anniversary of horse racing at their track or in their community in 2017?

Applicants must be Canadian citizens and be a child or spouse of an active Standardbred Canada member or an SC member themselves. Applicants must be currently enrolled in a post secondary institution as of September 1, 2017. Past recipients of the Atlantic Bursary are not eligible and students pursuing graduate degrees are not eligible.

A maximum of five bursaries worth up to $1,000 each will be awarded. Applications are available now and must be received at Standardbred Canada by June 26, 2017.

The successful applicants will be announced in early July.

This program is supported and funded by various organizations from the Atlantic provinces and Standardbred Canada. Partners from the Atlantic provinces include the Nova Scotia Harness Racing Industry Association, Prince Edward Island Harness Racing Industry Association, and the 'Stretch Drive Fund,' a fund created by the Atlantic Provinces Harness Racing Commission's race officials.

Presentations to the successful applicants will be made during Atlantic Grand Circuit Week at Truro Raceway and Old Home Week at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at Charlottetown Driving Park. For a bursary application, email [email protected] or click here.
Nine Things You Should Know About Late-Term Abortions

Contact: Troy Newman, President, 316-683-6790 ext. 111; Cheryl Sullenger, Senior Vice President, 316-516-3034; both with Operation Rescue

ALBUQUERQUE, April 17, 2017 /Standard Newswire/ -- Cheryl Sullenger releases the following and is available for comment:

Nestled at the foot of the picturesque Sandia Mountains is the beautiful southwestern city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. While Albuquerque is well known for its annual hot-air balloon festival and as the home of motor racing royalty, the Unser family, Albuquerque also has a darker distinction: It is the Late-Term Abortion Capital of the United States.

Photo: One of many women who suffer life threating abortion complications at Southwestern Women's Options in Albuquerque.

Since 2010, Operation Rescue has worked with local activists Bud and Tara Shaver, to expose abuses at Southwestern Women's Options (SWO), the largest late-term abortion facility in the U.S. We have repeatedly exposed the link between SWO and the University of New Mexico (UNM) , which used tax dollars to expand abortion in New Mexico.

Rep. Marsha Blackburn, who chaired the Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives that looked into the illegal trafficking of aborted baby remains, will be in Albuquerque this week to address her Panel's findings and concerns about the Southwestern Women's Options abortion business and its questionable relationship with the publicly University of New Mexico.

Continue reading for the Nine Things You Should Know About Late-Term Abortions and learn about this week's events in Albuquerque that you are invited to attend.

This report includes a video released today that shows Medicaid paying ALL COSTS of aborting a 30-week Down syndrome baby.
By Olivia Rose

BREXIT is still an urgent concern for the Turks and Caicos Islands since the country is a beneficiary of European Union (EU) funding.





On June 23, 2016, the people of Britain voted for a British exit, or Brexit, from the European Union in a historic referendum.





The announcement prompted jubilant celebrations among Eurosceptics around Europe and sent shockwaves through the global economy.





Although it will take Britain at least two years to leave the EU, the shift has already changed the financial dynamics of the entire world.





It has since resulted in the slowing down of commerce in the UK and brought the British pound down to its lowest in history last year, not to mention the escalation of the volatility of the financial markets.





Premier Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson in a press statement issued on Wednesday (April 12) said that the Turks and Caicos Islands and all other overseas territories will undoubtedly be affected by the decision.





She said: "Late last week I received a joint official communique on the critical matter of Brexit from Mr Robin Walker, MP and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for

Exiting the European Union and the Rt Hon Baroness Anelay, Minister of State for the Overseas Territories.





"The country would recall that I travelled to the UK for a meeting on February 7, 2017, that was attended by overseas territories leaders and representatives from all inhabited territories of HM Government of Gibraltar participating as observers.





"The UK OTs also used this opportunity to meet in its separate association (UKOTA) to share our immediate and individual concerns.





That meeting sought to facilitate political engagement and collaboration between the UK Government and the Governments of the Overseas Territories to ensure that OTs requirements are taken into consideration in the preparation of the UKs exit.





She revealed that the UK government has since triggered Article 50 to begin the process for the UK to leave the EU.





She continued: "The Turks and Caicos as a beneficiary of EU funding continue to have this as an immediate concern and to a lesser extent the freedom of movement.





"The UK had then and as recent as last week, has again committed to a dialogue with its OTs and it is proposed that this dialogue be managed through expert-level, sector specific roundtable meetings.





"The UK has set dates for the sector specific roundtables and Tracy Knight of the Premiers London Office will attend on TCIGs behalf.





In addition to the technical round tables, the FCO will continue to hold discussions with OT representatives on wider policy issues and interests linked to EU exit, including OT priorities and options for their future relationship with the EU.





To this end the Joint Ministerial Council Terms of Reference has been issued and the UK Overseas Territories JMC on European Negotiations Framework for Technical Level Dialogue states that the aim of these round tables will be: "To ensure that the UK departments have comprehensive information on OT interests in relation to EU exit in areas of their policy competence.





"To understand OT desired outcomes on areas of EU negotiations that affect them.





"To develop further the technical papers produced on key issues in advance of the next meeting of the Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) and to feed into development of UK policy and its evolution during the EU negotiation.





The Premier emphasised that this is an important issue and her Government will continue to update the people as it develops.




By Olivia Rose

A WORKING committee has been established to improve the current education curriculum, which will pave the way for a more learner-friendly environment in schools across the nation.





Education minister Josephine Connolly made this disclosure on Tuesday, April 4, during her 100 days report which sought to update the public on strides made by the new Government during its first 100 days in office.





According to Connolly the education curriculum reform is in keeping with the Governments change document which focuses on the holistic development of the child.





Coupled with this the education minister noted that during the first 100 days she embarked on a familiarisation tour in an effort to listen to the challenges facing the various departments under her purview.





"We got to hear first-hand some of the concerns and challenges, teachers, students and parents are facing.





"The aim is to ensure critical resources are placed according to needs, it is true that some of our schools are overcrowded and some are in need of critical upgrades, and there is a need for resources and to make schools ready for new programmes.





"That is why I fought to ensure additional resources for the upcoming fiscal year in this area that is why we moved swiftly to engage with the CDB at an early stage to determine how we could form and strengthen our partnership in education.





To this end she pointed out that Premier Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson recently signed the European Development Fund (EDF 11) in Aruba





Under this programme, the TCI is set to receive an additional 14.6 million which is slated for improvements in the education sector, particularly in the area of vocational training.





She said: "Our change document highlighted the modernisation of schools, curriculum and education system and the curriculum is key to that objective.





"With that in mind, during the first 100 days I established the Curriculum Development Working Committee.





"This working committee was formed to accelerate the curriculum review and give important feedback to ensure that the new way of teaching and learning is current, relevant and meets the needs of all learners.





"I also commissioned a forum that will ensure participation by key stakeholders. The forum is available at www.gov.tc/forum





According to the minister the working committee is comprised of various stakeholders with an interest of curriculum development; the acceleration of the review will introduce a pilot programme for performing arts as well.





Education for all

Premier Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson last month (March 5) during the launching of Education Week said the traditional method of teaching is a disservice to tech-savvy students and thus her Government is working assiduously to revamp the curriculum.





In this vein she said that in order to solve the technology shortfalls in classrooms, teaching methods must be tailored to the dynamic milieu.





The technology currently available in schools across the Turks and Caicos Islands is woefully inadequate for the task of preparing students for the 21st century workforce.





The new curriculum, when introduced, will bridge this gap enabling smooth post-secondary transition, and ensuring future economic development.





The premier in calling for the modernisation of teaching tools said: "Success for every learner means that we must be inclusive.





"Yes, it also means that some people work better with their hands but it also means that our teaching methods must be adapted to the changing environment.





She pointed out: "We are living in an age of technology and it should pain all of us who allow our children to sit at home on iPads and tablets and then send them to school only to learn only from chalk board and chalk.





"We are doing these techy babies in this technical generation a disservice. We must upgrade the tools with which we give our teachers to teach.





The Government envisages the bringing together of administrators, educators, parents and community members.





The state-wide school modernisation initiative will define the root cause, identify new sources of funding, and develop transparent implementation systems.





The Premier said: "Our Governments focus on adult training and lifelong learning will set us on an important path.





"We must change the historical focus of concentrating on school age children in the primary and secondary school.





"We must give the ministry a wider mandate and encourage through strategy the realisation that every citizen can be a learner and truthfully much more must become learners.





"So if we talk of success for every learner, we must be more inclusive and more far-reaching in our efforts.





Premier Cartwright-Robinson recognised the need to create comprehensive strategy to achieve the goal, "success for every learner.





"We must acknowledge and realise the fact that people learn differently.





"We must meet each learner where they are - be it the special need student, the school age or adult learner or the student who learns better with his hands.





"In fact I wish that I could create a law that stops the use of the phrase not academically inclined.





"I personally detest this phrase. Some people just learn differently and we must pull out of them the skills and gift that God has given them.





She underscored the importance of vocational training in this regard.




By Olivia Rose

THE GOVERNMENT is in the process of crafting a comprehensive flood mitigation plan to quickly alleviate flood waters during the rainy season.





Minister of Infrastructure Housing and Planning, Goldray Ewing at a press conference on Tuesday, April 4, revealed that the plan will target low lying flood prone areas.





He said: "A comprehensive drainage plan is finally being established to address excess flooding during the rainy season.





"This comprehensive drainage system will be implemented gradually in phases as monies and funding becomes available.





The infrastructure minister stressed the importance of the drainage plan since residents of flood prone areas have bemoaned the lack of proper drainage for years.





Deputy Premier Sean Astwood during an interview with the Weekly News last year decried the previous administrations lack of action as it relates to the drainage issue facing the Turks and Caicos Islands.





At that time Astwood said: "Government must take a serious look and get proper engineers to address the drainage issues the country at large.





He pointed out that residents of Five Cays and other flood prone areas are constantly subjected to prolonged flooding due to lack of proper drainage and irrigation systems.





"Drainage is a problem throughout this country and I think its too long now, and the Government must do something about it now.





He asserted that an ample study be conducted to ascertain the flaws in the drainage network efforts must be made quickly to find a solution to this problem.





"They really need to invest the money behind it, otherwise we will continue to experience what weve been experiencing so far and thats unacceptable.





Astwood underscored that residents also have a major role to play in keeping their communities clean and drains litter-free.





The Turks and Caicos Islands frequently experiences intermittent rainfall and localised flooding.




PTI

E-commerce major Snapdeal's CEO Kunal Bahl and two others have been summoned by a Delhi court on a criminal complaint of an entrepreneur who alleged that his idea of connecting sellers and buyers through an e-platform was unauthorisedly usurped by the firm and its officials.

Additional Sessions Judge RK Tripathi issued a notice to Snapdeal CEO Kunal Bahl, COO Rohit Bansal and its former chief financial officer (CFO) Vijay Ajmera for allegedly cheating entrepreneur Gaurav Dua's concept of "non-inventory holding marketplace model for retail" in the garb of collaborating with him.

"Heard. Record perused. Issue notice of revision petition to respondents vide all prescribed modes returnable for May 17, 2017," the judge said. Dua had lodged a criminal complaint against the founders and the CFO under sections 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC, which was dismissed by a trial court earlier. He had then filed a revision petition before sessions court.

As per his complaint, Dua, an engineer and entrepreneur, founded portals marketsdelhi.com in 1999 and indianretail.net in 2005 and brought the benefits of digital technology to the retail community.

He claimed in his petition that he was the brain behind the non-inventory holding marketplace model for retail in India and alleged that the Snapdeal officials cheated him under the garb of raising funds for his business. "Snapdeal founders, who claimed to champion the approach which put them ahead of other e-commerce companies, cheated Dua in the garb of collaboration with him and raising venture funds for his validated business.

Instead, "under the garb of collaboration and funding, held extensive discussions over many months but instead duped him by deploying all criminal tactics to part with the insights and workings of his work done over 10 years," the complaint alleged.

He claimed that for two years, the Delhi Police failed to register an FIR on his complaint after which he knocked the door of the court. The trial court, however, dismissed his complaint, after which he filed a revision petition before the present judge.
hidden

With 100 million new internet users every year, Amazon is betting big on India, but a major new investment in homegrown rival Flipkart means the battle to dominate the fast-growing e-commerce market is set to heat up. Flipkart announced this week that top international companies including Microsoft, eBay and China's Tencent had pledged investments totalling $1.4 billion, among the largest sums ever raised by an Indian start-up.

The 10-year-old e-commerce company needs all the help it can get to compete with Amazon after the Seattle-based giant made India's 1.25 billion inhabitants a global strategic priority, earmarking $5 billion in investment funds. "They need to have a substantial amount of cash in order to fight in the market with Amazon," said Jaideep Mehta, South Asia director at the International Data Corporation.

Every three seconds, an Indian connects to the internet for the first time, according to Google. One in three Indians currently uses the internet, but the number is forecast to swell by 300 million by 2020, mainly due to growing smartphone use. McKinsey analyst Ashish Tuteja said 70 percent of online sales in India were done on a smartphone. "It's very much a mobile-first market," he told AFP.

Projections for the size of the market by 2020 differ wildly, ranging from $50 billion to $120 billion. But all agree that it will be worth considerably more than the current $15 billion, thanks to an expanding middle class and rapidly growing internet use. Amazon only opened its doors in India in 2013, but quickly overtook local start-up Snapdeal to become the second-biggest player.

E-retailers in India typically adopt a "marketplace" structure, acting as platforms that connect buyers and sellers rather than stocking their own products. Amazon marketed its services aggressively, touring markets around the country with its "chai carts" to sell the idea of e-commerce to small traders over a cup of tea. Under another initiative dubbed "Feet-on-Street", an Amazon employee would be sent to photograph their products and help them to sign up online.

Alibaba ambush - Flipkart, Amazon and Snapdeal are now engaged in a price war, with each Indian festival an occasion for aggressive cuts. "At some point, they will have to make money," said Mehta -- something experts say will necessitate consolidation of the sector. That process has already begun, with Flipkart absorbing two rival portals, Myntra and Jabong. According to Indian media, a deal for Flipkart to buy Snapdeal is next.

India also represents a chance for a rematch after Amazon lost out to Alibaba in China. Although currently more focused on Southeast Asia, billionaire Jack Ma's group has made no secret of its interest in India. The Chinese giant has taken a stake in Indian online payments company Paytm and has ambitions to develop as an online sales platform in its own right.

For Amazon, India is the "last big frontier", said Mehta. "Amazon is a 100-billion-dollars-plus retailer. To keep driving growth, they need to keep leadership positions in large markets outside the US," he said. "They will continue to be very committed."

AFP
PTI

The email address launched by the finance ministry for getting tips about black money received over 38,000 emails, but only 16 percent of them were forwarded for further inquiry, CBDT said in a reply to an RTI query earlier this month. Jitendra Ghadge, a city-based Right To Information activist, had asked for information about the response to the email address 'blackmoneyinfo@incometax.gov.in', launched last December.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes said in its reply dated April 7 that 38,068 emails were received, and 6,050 or about 16 percent of them were forwarded to the respective Director Generals Of Income Tax (Investigation) for further inquiry. The remaining 32,018 emails were closed without any action, it said. To Ghadge's query about a number of "false" emails received, CBDT said this information was "subject to completion of the investigation".

In December last year, revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia announced the launch of the email address blackmoneyinfo@incometax.gov.in for whistleblowers. "Over 84 percent tip-offs have been closed without any inquiry. This shows that either most emails were frivolous, or the authorities did not take them seriously or may be the shortage of staff forced them to do so," Ghadge said.

Ghadge had also filed another RTI query seeking the number of demonetised notes deposited with RBI after January 1, 2017. However, the Central bank refused to furnish the information, citing exemption under the RTI Act.
Aditya Madanapalle

So far, various people and agencies associated with Aadhaar have repeatedly proclaimed that the Aadhaar database is adequately secured. The list includes the Unique Identity Authority of India (UIDAI), UIDAI CEO Ajay Bhushan Panday, the Minister of State for Electronics and IT PP Chaudhary and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who did it twice. The statements were in response to reports of various breaches and leaks in the wider Aadhaar ecosystem, but not in the Aadhaar database itself.

Arun Jaitley responded to concerns of data breaches in the Rajya Sabha, by saying If firewalls can be broken, and hacking can be done, it will be done whether Aadhaar is there or not. Dont say it is due to Aadhaar.

Jaitley is missing the point, however. It is difficult to hack a database that does not exist.

The very existence of an Aadhaar biometric database makes it a high value target. Harsh laws can apply to Indian citizens, but it is difficult to bring to task state-sponsored foreign hackers.

Destroy the Aadhaar Database

Any database of the intimate details of the bodies of people is something that unnecessarily exposes the people to risk. The Aadhaar database can be repurposed for other uses, just because the database is there. Swarna Subba Rao, Surveyor General of India, while launching the Nakshe mapping service said, We wanted to make passport mandatory for this service, but then not all people have passports, so we have made Aadhaar mandatory for people.

This is despite the fact that the Aadhaar Act clearly states that The Aadhaar number or the authentication thereof shall not, by itself, confer any right of, or be proof of, citizenship or domicile in respect of an Aadhaar number holder.

A more insidious use for the service took place when the UIDAI itself asked the SC to not use Aadhaar for criminal investigations. The Goa Police, however, were handed over the biometric details of citizens, even though Aadhaar was not meant for that purpose.

The problem is that no biometric authentication system in the world is a hundred percent accurate. When finding a match with the Aadhaar database, the UIDAI itself claims a false positive rate of 0.057 percent. In the population the size of India, this marginal failure rate, as well as the false positive rate, can disproportionately affect lakhs of people if Aadhaar is not used for what it was built for, and the reason that the people of India have trusted the government with their biometric information.

Rajesh Bansal, senior advisor at Bankable Frontier Associates and former assistant director general at UIDAI has indicated that the fingerprints are themselves not stored on the server used for Aadhaar authentication, instead the database only stores the templates of the fingerprints needed for verification.

We have various levels of firewalls and end to end encryption mechanisms to ensure that only authorised entities have access to the Aadhaar database. Also, fingerprints are never stored on the servers, only the templates are stored. Till now, there hasnt been a single case of any compromise on our data Bansal has said.

A biometric database is a civil rights issue, which is why developed countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France and Australia have resisted the creation of biometric databases for national identity schemes. In fact, a biometric database that was being maintained for five years was destroyed in the United Kingdom over concerns of privacy, and to to scale back the power of the state and restore civil liberties. Most of the goals of the UIDAI can be achieved without the need for a biometric database.

A biometric database gives the government too much unnecessary power over its citizens and the government is unnecessarily involved in the daily lives of the people. The PAN card, filing Income Tax returns, having a driving license, registering a vehicle, owning a SIM card and booking railway tickets are all in some way or other being linked to the Aadhaar database. The government can authenticate and verify identity without the need for having a biometric database. The Electronic Frontier Foundation recommends protests against any government that chooses to implement a national biometric database.

Experts in cybersecurity believe that the Aadhaar ecosystem needs to be secured better. The UIDAI and the authorities are repeatedly dodging the question of the security of the Aadhaar ecosystem by pointing out the flawless record of the Aadhaar database. The question of security is being addressed with more or less the same response, but the question of Privacy is also getting increasingly urgent. The situation is made worse by the lack of any dedicated laws on data security and privacy in India.

Issue an actual smartcard

One of the problems with Aadhaar is that it is not an actual smartcard. A hacked smartcard can be replaced with a new one, but biometrics cannot be replaced. Once they are hacked, people cannot regrow their fingers or replace their eyeballs. Even though Aadhaar is being mandatory for a number of reasons, it is not practically of any real use.

It cannot be used as a proof of identity or citizenship, according to the Aadhaar act. However, it is still used for banking services and for getting a passport. This begs the question: Why not use it as an identity proof?

There is no reason why a smart Aadhaar card cannot be used as a proof of identity or citizenship. If Aadhaar is linked to the PAN card, the bank accounts, the driving license, the passport and other documents, there is no reason why Aadhaar cannot be used instead of all these plastic cards.

The Aadhaar system exists in the air right now, without any physical presence or control in the hand of the users. Some may be fooled into thinking that as long as one is in possession of ones own fingers, it cannot be hacked. This is, however, not necessarily true. Hacking fingerprints is surprisingly easy and low tech, and can even be achieved with just a candlestick.

In fact, if the merchant is unscrupulous, handing over your biometric information to pay for groceries is as much as a security risk as handing over the merchant your banking password. If a smartcard is used to authenticate transactions, there is that much less of a security risk, as in case of theft or loss, the smartcard can simply be replaced with a new one.

Would you tell a shopkeeper your debit card's PIN? No. Then why share your fingerprint? A fingerprint is like an unchangeable PIN. #Aadhaar  Pranesh Prakash (@pranesh) February 3, 2017

The Aadhaar card stands to benefit the citizens of the nation in a much better way if it is actually implemented as a smart card. This thought is such a natural progression over the very idea of a nationalised identity system, that the government has actually asked its users to not fall for Aadhaar Smart Card scams, where the Aadhaar details were being printing on plastic cards.

Make linking to services optional

The Aadhaar system, if implemented correctly, can actually make life easier for the citizens. One of the important aspects about this is giving the choice to the user, instead of making it increasingly difficult for users to choose not to get an Aadhaar card.

Giving a deadline for integration with third party services, puts unnecessary pressure on the citizens to get an Aadhaar card. Caregivers of the mentally ill, senior citizens and the differently abled are disproportionately affected by harsh deadlines. Aadhaar was initially introduced as an optional program, but it has been increasingly integrated into the daily lives of people.

Just as the UIDAI dodges questions on the security of the Aadhaar ecosystem by pointing out that the Aadhaar database is adequately secured, the UIDAI blames third parties for any issues that pop up with linked services. For example, if users have a problem with the Aadhaar number being linked to the Pan card, the blame for setting a harsh deadline goes to the Income Tax department, and not UIDAI.

Another major concern was the linking of Aadhaar for the distribution of benefits. Here, Aadhaar has shown its usefulness. Implementation of Aadhaar has saved the government Rs 36,144 crore over a period of just two years. In one smooth operation, over one million farmers in Karnataka received benefits, through direct dispersal.

However, the Supreme Court has ruled that those without an Aadhaar card should not be deprived of benefits. The government subsidies and benefits continued to be distributed even for those without an Aadhaar card, but there is a caveat. The actual implementation on the ground is a Hobsons choice  you can either have an Aadhaar card or be in the process of getting one. In the same ruling, the SC said that the government cannot be stopped from using Aadhaar for authentication purposes, such as in the filing of income tax returns.

If there is no biometric database, the Government can take a number of approaches for a national identity program, without making it a civil rights concern. Giving the citizens granular control on what services they use Aadhaar for gives them the convenience of a digital identity, and at the same time takes away unnecessary power from the hands of the government.
tech2 News Staff

Following the events after the alleged remarks made by Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel, according to an allegedly disgruntled ex-employee, anonymous Indian hackers are now claiming to have leaked a database of 1.7 million Snapchat users. According to a report, the hack was done last year.

The Indian hackers said that there was a vulnerability in Snapchat's database last year revealing details of 1.7 million users. The data has been leaked on the darknet as a move to retaliate the company's remark against India.

All of this began when there was an allegation made by a former Snap Inc. employee, Anthony Pompliano, who accused Snap Inc CEO Evan Spiegel of making this statement: This app is only for rich people. I dont want to expand into poor countries like India and Spain.

The hackers also went on to say that they had found the bug long back but had not misused it. However, the comments made by the Snapchat CEO provoked the hackers to leak the data.

Snapchat has however not confirmed about any leak or hack as of yet.

Snap Inc has come on record to dismiss these allegations as false. This is ridiculous. Obviously Snapchat is for everyone! Its available worldwide to download for free, said the Snap Inc. statement.

It has also alleged that Pompliano worked with Snapchat for only three weeks, and that these allegations were nothing but the rants of a disgruntled employee.
tech2 News Staff

As India moves ever closer to its dream of digitisation, issues of security and privacy are rearing their head in increasingly alarming numbers. A close second to privacy issues, the security of digital banking transactions is an important one to consider.

There is some good news on this front. A recent incident involving a $171 million heist from the Union Bank of India (UBI) was resolved, if reports are to be believed, in record time. All the money has also been recovered claim reports.

The Hindu, which published a full report on the incident, states that the investigation into the heist, which took place in July 2016, spanned seven countries. The investigation involved of Indian organisations and close cooperation with the government. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) were also involved.

Arun Tiwari, Chairman of the UBI and Indias Chief Information Security Officer Dr Gulshan Rai told The Hindu that the money was recovered within 6 days.

Investigations have revealed that the heist was enabled by an infected email that was opened by an unnamed bank official. The contents of the email and the nature of the malware that resulted in the attack are unknown, but what is known is that by the next day, $171 million was stolen and transmitted to at least 5 different locations. This includes banks in Cambodia, Thailand, Taiwan and Australia. The Hindu reports that the funds were routed through Citibank and JP Morgan Chase in New York. The Swift messaging service for financial transactions was used for the hack.

A Swift official told The Hindu that the Swift service itself wasnt compromised. The official alleges that the breach occurred at the banks end in the first place and that they have no control over a banks lax security policies. Cyber security and management policies need to keep pace, said the official. Security guidelines have already been issued to customers, adds the official.

The heist was discovered by a UBI treasury official who was surprised to note that an amount of $171 million was debited without his approval. He then reported the issue to senior management, who reported the theft.

Once the full extent of the breach was known, it was just a matter of working with the respective governments involved to track down and retrieve the money. There was, apparently, some trouble with retrieving the money from Taiwan as India doesnt have diplomatic ties with the Taiwanese government and a court order was needed to reverse the transaction.

Last years hack involving the Bangladesh Central Bank (BCB) was an attempt to steal $951 million electronically. Luckily for the BCB, not all the transactions succeeded and it "only" lost around $100 million rather than 10 times that amount. Much of the money was recovered.

The Bangladesh heist is telling because the mechanism of the hack bears a striking resemblance to the UBI breach.

Hackers infected BCB computers with the Dridex malware by using infected Word files sent over email. Once the word document was opened, the malware was downloaded and the PC infected. This was used to record the banks transaction process and to steal credentials. Once the hackers had what they needed, they simply issued multiple transactions via Swift to transfer the money.

Luckily for the bank, the thieves misspelled the name of one of the beneficiaries, which caught the eye of banking officials.

While most of the money was recovered, the perpetrators were never identified.

In the case of the UBI hack as well, it appears that identifying the perpetrators will be impossible.

In both cases, its quite clear that lax security practices resulted in these heists.

The Dridex malware, for example, spreads via Word and Excel documents sent in spam or phishing mail. Worse still, the document will need to be opened by the user, macros will have to be enabled in Word or Excel (these are off by default) and only then will the PC get infected.

Dridex is hard to block via an anti-virus program, so adherence to stringent security policies is the best means of protection.

As Swift Indias CEO Kiran Shetty explains, installing firewalls on servers and following safe computing practices alone can prevent 85 percent of cyber-attacks.

Banks need to buck up and sort out their security practices. Financial fraud is expensive and banks are a huge and easy target for hackers.
Sheldon Pinto

After its grand global announcement in New York, Samsung is finally bringing its flagship smartphone for the current year, the Galaxy S8 to India on 19 April. The launch event is set to take place in Delhi at 12:00PM and we will be there to give you all the details, including the devices price tags as soon as launch takes place.

Compared to previous years, Samsung this year decided to go with a polished all-rounder that seems to not just cover the basics, but also brings something new in the form of the Infinity display and the Samsungs Bixby digital assistant.

Hardware

The Samsung Galaxy S8 is also expected to be launched in India in two variants like it has internationally. This would include the Galaxy S8 with a 5.8-inch display and the Galaxy S8+ with a 6.2-inch display both of which come with the same 1,440 x 2,960 resolution but with different 3,000mAh and 3,500mAh batteries respectively.

The displays are Super Amoled units which have now been tagged as Infinity displays, because the bezel is only visible at the top forehead and the bottom chin, meaning that the entire front face is just the display and nothing else.

But thanks to the Infinity display, Samsung had to move the fingerprint reader on the back, next to the camera. So after years of having it placed on the front, users may find it annoying to reach for it at the back.

Another detail that is new, is the use an invisible home button. While the hardware keys at the bottom (along with that fingerprint reader) have been removed thanks to the new display, Samsung even with its software navigation keys has included an invisible Home button, that will deliver haptic feedback when pressed, giving users the impression of pressing down on a physical home button. While there are no buttons on the front and the back, the usual volume rocker and power button on the sides is now accompanied by a dedicated Bixby button to summon the new voice assistant.

The device features a polished metal chassis that is covered by curved Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and the back. It is expected to be available in Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Artic Silver, Coral Blue and Maple Gold at launch.

This time around Samsung has gone in with Type-C reversible port at the bottom and even thrown in IP 68 rated dust and water resistance.

Smartphone Samsung S8 Samsung S8+ Display Size (inch) 5.8 6.2 Resolution (pixels) 1,440 x 2,960 1,440 x 2,960 Pixel Density (PPI) 570 529 Display Type Super AMOLED Super AMOLED Dimensions(mm) 148.9 x 68.1 x 8 159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1 Weight (gm) 155 173 Dual SIM Yes (Variant) Yes (Variant) SIM Type Nano-SIM Nano-SIM Connectivity Types GSM / HSPA / LTE GSM / HSPA / LTE Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 83, Exynos 8895 Qualcomm Snapdragon 83, Exynos 8895 CPU Cores Octa-core, Octa-core Octa-core, Octa-core CPU Clock Speed (GHz) 4x2.35 GHz Kryo & 4x1.9 GHz Kryo and 4x2.3 GHz & 4x1.7 GHz 4x2.35 GHz Kryo & 4x1.9 GHz Kryo and 4x2.3 GHz & 4x1.7 GHz GPU Adreno 540 Adreno 540 RAM 4GB RAM 4GB RAM Ruggedness IP68 IP68 On-Board Memory 64 GB 64 GB Expandable Memory Yes, upto 256GB Yes, upto 256GB Sensors Iris scanner, fingerprint, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity, Compass, Barometer, Heart-rate, SpO2 Iris scanner, fingerprint, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity, Compass, Barometer, Heart-rate, SpO2 Primary Camera 12MP, f/1.7 12MP, f/1.7 Optical Image Stabilization Yes Yes Camera Array Single Camera Single Camera Autofocus System Phase detection Phase detection Secondary Camera 8MP, f/1.7 8MP, f/1.7 Video Capture 4K 4K Flash LED LED OS Version Android 7.0 Nougat Android 7.0 Nougat AI (Smart Assistant) Yes, Bixby Yes, Bixby GPS Yes Yes Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot Bluetooth v5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX v5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX NFC Yes Yes Infrared No No Fingerprint Scanner Yes, Rear button Yes, Rear button 3.5mm jack Yes Yes Radio No No USB Type Type-C Reversible connector Type-C Reversible connector USB Standard USB 3.1 USB 3.1 Battery (mAh) 3,000 3,500 Quick Charge Yes Yes Colors Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Arctic Silver, Coral Blue, Maple Gold Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Arctic Silver, Coral Blue, Maple Gold Prices in India To be announced To be announced

Software

Software would indeed be the highlight of Samsung Galaxy. No, we are not talking about Android 7.0 Nougat coupled with TouchWiz, but Samsungs second attempt at a voice assistant called Bixby.

Samsung Bixby is your typical voice assistant that will get things done in a manner similar to what you can already accomplish with Google Assistant on your current flagship. But it does have a few news tricks up its sleeves.

Bixby comes with Bixby Vision that will let you search by pointing the Bixby camera at an object. Bixby Vision basically detects what a user is looking at and provided related information which could either be related search results, images, or even app links to buy a product. The best part about Bixby is its ability to automate tasks or practically do anything in an app using voice that can otherwise be accomplished by touch. Indeed this would need support from third-party app developers. But sadly, users will not get to use the voice features of Bixby because it just won't be available at launch. According to a statement issued by Samsung, Bixbys voice features would only be available from spring this year.

What else is new?

At the hardware level, there is one new thing. It is called Samsung Dex and Dex is basically an attempt to ape Microsofts Continuum which is basically an emulated desktop-like OS. All you have to do is place your Samsung Galaxy S8 into a dock that connects the smartphone to keyboard, mouse and monitor. Once thats done, you basically end up with a larger screen to play and work with.

And well, if you are switching from an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, you will be treated to a 3.5mm jack as well.

Pricing

We expect the price tags to start from Rs 50,000 with the bigger model easily hitting the Rs 60,000 mark. Also Samsung would be launching the Galaxy S8 and S8+ two days before the international launch on 21 April.
tech2 News Staff

While cab aggregator Uber has pretty much laid its foundation in India with cab services, it is now ready to venture into something different with UberEats. While the app has been available both in the Play Store and the App Store for long, Uber according to the Economic Times is looking to launch its food aggregator app UberEats in India in the second quarter of 2017.

UberEats will run in India as a separate operation. The team behind UberEats will be different from the ridesharing app at both national and city levels. The company plans to execute the same by hiring city level managers for both operations, branding and sales.

The service according to the source will start with just one city at first which will reach a total of six cities by the end of the year. That short list of cities includes Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai, Chennai and Gurugram.

The launch that should happen in the coming months is being headed by Manan Javeri who will report Allen Penn, Uber's Asia Pacific head.

Penn told the Economic Times that the company is currently in the process of settings things up, which would involve acquiring talent from the best of the restaurant industry and those with experience in logistics management.

The news comes when food delivery and food aggregator apps are planning on expansion and even Google has been helping out with its new Areo app.
ADB meet in Japan on May 4-7

Business Desk :

The 50th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Board of Governors will be held on May 4-7 at the Pacifico Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan.

Over 3,500 finance and development ministers, central bank governors, and other government officials, private sector leaders, development partners, civil society representatives, members of the academe and journalists are expected to join the meeting, according to ADB media release.

The theme of the 2017 Annual Meeting is "Building Together the Prosperity of Asia."

The meeting will look at the current development challenges and opportunities in Asia and the Pacific, while exploring how ADB and its development partners could work together in achieving a more inclusive and sustainable growth for the region.

The flagship Governors' Seminar on May 5 will discuss reforms in trade, investment, and finance, as well as lessons learned from the past 50 years of development in the region.

A special book launch, as part of ADB's 50th anniversary celebrations, will be held on the opening day of the Annual Meeting to discuss and share ADB's role and future direction.

Another session will focus on public-private partnerships as a way to meet Asia's large infrastructure needs, estimated at $1.7 trillion per year until 2030.

A joint seminar with the International Monetary Fund will discuss ways on how countries in the region can transcend the middle-income challenges, and how multilateral institutions can effectively and efficiently address them.

The key sessions will be streamed live. Follow ADB on Twitter at ADBYokohama for updates on the Annual Meeting.

Delegates may also find the latest Annual Meeting updates by downloading the free Event App in iOS and Android.

All invited participants, including media, are reminded to register online to confirm their attendance. For overseas media requiring a visa to Japan, the deadline for online registration is 21 April 2017. Interview requests from the media involving ADB Management and senior staff will be handled by ADB's Department of External Relations, while interview requests involving Japanese officials will be referred to the Japan Organizing Committee.

The ADB Annual Meeting is an ISO-certified sustainable event, and both ADB and Japan will promote the principles of sustainability throughout the event.

Established in 1966, ADB, based in Manila, is celebrating 50 years of development partnership in the region. It is owned by 67 members- 48 from the region.
April: The STD awareness month

Life Desk :

The Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Awareness Month is observed annually in April in the U.S. The 2017 theme for the month is 'Syphilis Strikes Back'. The World Health Organization estimates suggest that approximately a million cases of treatable STDs occur every day across the globe.

'April is marked as the Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Awareness Month. The entire month is dedicated to joining hands in raising awareness and helping STD victims across the U.S.A.'

STDs are infectious diseases that can be transmitted from one person to another via intimate sexual contact. One of the key points of ignorance in the context of STDs is the public belief that they can be transmitted only through sexual intercourse. That, however, is a myth! While intercourse is the primary means of transmission, STDs can also be spread through skin to skin contact with an infection or sore. Not only that, if untreated, venereal diseases can be passed on from mother to child.

Let us take a look now into the 2017 STD Awareness Month theme-'Syphilis Strikes Back'.

How much do we, the common man, know about syphilis? Very little, unfortunately, since the disease was known to have been largely wiped out since World War II, following the discovery of penicillin. However, our time to rejoice might end soon, since syphilis is back - with a bang!

Syphilis occurs in four stages - primary, secondary, latent and tertiary. Each stage shows different symptoms of the disease. A primary syphilis patient usually has sores in the genital area, in the anus or rectum, and around the mouth. Secondary syphilis can manifest itself in skin rashes, swollen lymph nodes and even fever. But these signs are mild and can go unnoticed for the most part. Untreated syphilis then progresses to the latent stage where there are no significant symptoms. Yet the infection can continue to grow in the body. The final stage, tertiary syphilis on the other hand, can take severe forms, affecting the eyes, brain, heart, as well as other organs of the body. This stage can show up several years after the infection first entered the body.

The 2015 U.S surveillance data revealed a staggering 19% increase in the number of reported cases since 2014, and the highest annual number of reported cases of syphilis in over 20 years. From a matter of negligible concern, the disease has suddenly become a major public health issue, in the States, and around the world.

Syphilis, however, is treatable.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia, undertakes the month long awareness and prevention programs for STDs in April, making the best they can of this yearly opportunity to reach out to millions of STD infected people across the States. Worse still, a very high percentage of people do not know that they are infected in the first place!

STDs, when left untreated, are liable to causing permanent damage such as infertility, and even death. And of course, if you are infected, and do not know it, you are a risk not only to yourself, but to every single person who ends up being your sexual partner at some point of time.

In 2017, each week in April will be dedicated to a particular aspect of the syphilis onslaught.

Syphilis in the U.S (April 1-8): The first week of the month focuses on general awareness, in efforts to acquaint the public with the fundamentals of the disease and to raise the alarm regarding this potentially life-threatening disease.

Syphilis among gay, bisexual and other MSM (Men having Sex with Men)(April 9-15): The second week will focus entirely on the sections of the population that are worst hit by the disease. Extensive awareness campaigns will also be undertaken to create leadership in healthcare for the affected population.

Syphilis among women, pregnant women, and newborns (April 16-22): This week will concentrate on the growing incidences among women. Since syphilis is transmittable from mother to child, it is essential for sexually active women to get themselves tested, and treated, in case they are diagnosed positively.

Disrupt Syphilis! (April 23-30): The final week will bring up the rear with treatment and prevention strategies, aiming to chalk out a path to address the menace of syphilis in the coming days.

Some of the key means of getting STDs are:

Engaging in sexual activity at an early age: Starting out early increases the risk of infection. The younger you start the more likely you are to be reckless, to have unprotected sex, and a larger number of sexual partners.

Multiple sex partners: More number of people you choose to have sexual encounters with, even though it may not involve intercourse, the greater your risk of infection. Individuals who lead a largely monogamous life are therefore at significantly lesser risk of contracting the disease.

Unprotected sex: Indulging in unprotected sex increases your chances of getting infected by leaps and bounds. Protect yourself every time you have intercourse.

Syphilis is not the only type of STD you can be afflicted with. Several other types of venereal diseases are prevalent in the States, and all over the world.

Chlamydia: Chlamydia is the most commonly notifiable disease in the U.S. with the highest incidence recorded among all STDs. Young women are generally worst hit.

Gonorrhea: This is the second most commonly reported STD in the U.S. Studies have revealed that gonococcal infections can be complicit in HIV transmission.

Human Papillomavirus: 90% of HPV infections exhibit no significant symptoms. In women, HPV accounts for about 70% of reported cervical cancer incidences in America.

Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV): HSV Type 1 and Type 2 often go undiagnosed. However, the heightened rate of clinical visits for HSV infection over the years is a possible indicator of increased diagnosis.

It should be noted that syphilis, gonorrhea, and HSV patients are at higher risk of contracting HIV which in turn can progress to AIDS. Life expectancy of untreated AIDS patients is usually 1-3 years.

The Indian Scene

India's STD scenario is steadily assuming mammoth proportions. It registers the 3rd highest rates of HIV incidences in the world; currently the country spends about 5% of its health budget on HIV/AIDS treatment.

In different parts of India, chancroid, gonorrhea, herpes and syphilis incidences are alarmingly high, with the highest incidences recorded among the Indian youth. Most heart-rending about the Indian situation is the rise of STD rates among children, which indicates a devastating incidence of child trafficking, child sexual abuse and complete lack of sex education in the country.

The myth that intercourse with a virgin cures STD is still rampant in the Indian society, thereby aiding in the continued practice of abusing young girls to cure oneself. Lack of screening and diagnosis of sex workers, and stigmatization of STD patients are also responsible for STD spread.

Untreated STDs can prove fatal, yet they have the most significant effects on women, who run the risk of infecting their babies for life. Thus, if you are diagnosed, seek help. Remember there is no shame in getting treatment, and perhaps saving more than one life!

Source: Medindia
Wine, Yaba of Tk.250 cr destroyed

Md Ruhul Ameen, Divisional Commissioner speaking at Bangladesh -India Joint Border Conference at Chittagong Circuit Houses as Chief Guest recently.

Chittagong Bureau :

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan MP destroyed huge seized contraband foreign wine, intoxicated yaba worth about Tk.300 crores at bank of the river Karnaphuli yesterday evening. The minister as chief guest on the occasion of destroying programs as arranged by Coast Guard force Zonal Commanding office here at fishery harbout on either bank of the river . Before destroying the seized contraband intoxicated drugs, a discussion meeting over the blue economy within the water territory of Bangladesh in the Bay. The minister in his brief deliberations emphasised the strengthening the Coast guard forces to save the blue economy of the country .The minister recollected the contribution of the father of Nation Bangabandhu to develop the naval forces in the Bay and formulated Territorial Water and Maritime Zones Act 1974 . With this continuation, Coast Guard forces was established in 1995 . Later Home minister unveils the destroying process of the contraband drugs at about 4 pm in presence of the senior officials of Naval forces, Coast guard and port & customs officials, sources said.

794 bottles of phensidyle recovered

Chandgaon thana police under CMP recovered 794 bottles of contraband phensidyle from a private at Bahaddarhat bus terminal yesterday morning. Acting on secret information, Chandgaon thana police led by Officer- In -charge Saiful Islam detained the car at bus terminal and after searching these huge number of contraband drugs were recovered. Police also detained the driver Didar along with the car. Driver Didar hails from Feni district , police said. Sources said these phensidyle were brought from Feni in Chittagong aimed at selling in Chittagong.


Historic Mujibnagar Day observed at BSMRMU



The Historic Mujibnagr Day-2017 was observed on the temporary campus of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Maritime University (BSMRMU) in the city's Pallabi area on Monday in a befitting manner.

Marking the day, a discussion was held tilted "Historic Mujibnagar Day and Independence of Bangladesh", said a release.

BSMRMU Vice-Chancellor Rear Admiral A S M Abdul Baten addressed the discussion as chief guest.

BSMRMU Treasurer Commodore M Khurshid Malik, Registrar Commodore M Abidur Rahman, deans of different faculties, teachers and students of the university were present at the function, among others.

Addressing the discussion, A S M Abdul Baten highlighted the role of Mujibnagar Government in leading the liberation war and mobilizing global support for Bangladesh's independence during the 1971 Liberation War.

He called upon all to work for country's development reflecting the spirit of Mujibnagar Day.

Besides, an essay competition and cultural event were held at the university's auditorium on the campus.

Later, the VC distributed prizes among the winners of essay competition, the release added.
Need for a treaty to ban nuclear weapons

Sergio Duarte :

The nine possessors of nuclear weapons and most of their allies chose to ignore the negotiations on a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination.

This unprecedented initiative resulted from a proposal by South Africa, Austria, Brazil, Ireland, Mexico and Nigeria and was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2016 by an overwhelming majority.

The first Session, from 27 to 31 March, ended on an optimistic tone. There was wide convergence of views on the core prohibitions relating to stockpiling, use, deployment, acquisition, development and production of nuclear weapons.

Other questions such as verification of compliance, clauses for accession by nuclear-armed and other States, timelines for elimination of stockpiles and the relationship of the new instrument with existing treaties such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), among others, will be further discussed during the second Session, from June 15 to July 7, when the President of the Conference will introduce her draft. The future instrument may soon be opened to the signature of States.

It is clear that these negotiations will not bring about a sudden shift in the mindsets of the nine governments that threaten the rest of the world with the willingness to use the most cruel, indiscriminate and destructive weapon ever invented.

It is undeniable, however, that even at this early stage public opinion in many countries have begun to pay attention to the potential impact of a prohibition treaty through press articles and analyses in specialized publications.

The mantra "a world free of nuclear weapons" has become the stated and uncontroverted objective of the community of nations.

Opponents of a ban argue that such an agreement would impede or at least render more difficult efforts for reductions of atomic arsenals under the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and that a treaty to which the current nuclear powers choose not to adhere would not bring about any tangible results in reducing or eliminating nuclear weapons.

They consider that negotiating a prohibition is "premature" and even counterproductive as it risks unraveling the disarmament architecture put together over the past decades.

Supporters, for their part, contend that a ban treaty would establish a clear legal standard rejecting nuclear weapons on humanitarian grounds and would enable States to formalize such a rejection besides enhancing the stigma against those weapons.

They add that it would reaffirm their unacceptability and incompatibility with universally recognized principles of international law and would re-state and strengthen commitments assumed under other treaties. It would enhance, not detract from such commitments.

They hope that it will set into motion a trend toward further specific agreements on nuclear disarmament.

In fact, one of the major challenges for the universality and full effectiveness of a ban treaty is precisely how to design a mechanism that will ensure the possibility, in a second stage, of adherence of States currently under the "umbrella" of nuclear-armed powers and ultimately the adherence of the latter themselves.

Before we can hail a treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons as a worthwhile accomplishment or dismiss it as futile, the two sets of arguments must be checked against the results that the treaty may bring about in the short, medium and long run.

If the ban proves at least to be a positive ingredient to infuse life and energy into the moribund multilateral disarmament machinery or to create viable alternative, but not conflicting paths we may consider it useful and justifiable. If not, it will simply fall into oblivion or at best remain as a monument to human fallibility.

The push for negotiations on a nuclear arms ban treaty grew out of years of mounting frustration over the lack of progress in efforts under the NPT regime.

Whether or not parties to that instrument, possessors of nuclear weapons have displayed little or no inclination to fulfill the commitment enshrined in its Article VI, which requires all its Parties "to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament".

Possessors are currently engaged in a new round of the nuclear arms race as they seek to enhance the destructive power, accuracy and range of their weapons. As a result, confidence in their real motives and intentions waned in recent years.

In the recent past, a new and powerful force helped to propel forward the drive to finalize a treaty banning nuclear weapons and brought this matter to the forefront of the preoccupations of a large majority of States.

The collective conscience of humankind has increasingly taken to heart the unanimous concern expressed at the 2010 Review Conference of Parties to the NPT over the catastrophic consequences of nuclear detonations as well as the conclusions of three international Conferences held in 2013 and 2014 on such consequences.

In 2015 a large majority of States supported the humanitarian pledge to "stigmatize, prohibit and eliminate" nuclear armament. Civil society organizations contributed studies and discussion forums that helped shape specific, realistic proposals.

The thrust of the movement to ban nuclear weapons is not directed against any State in particular, but against the inhuman nature of nuclear weapons themselves and their disastrous effects on populations and the environment.

The movement does not advocate unilateral disarmament but rather good faith compliance with treaty commitments and with imperatives dictated by humanitarian international law and the universal principles of civilized behavior.

Accordingly, it does not discriminate against "good" or "bad" possessors, whether these are States or non-State actors. No country should be allowed to possess the means to annihilate whole populations and render the planet uninhabitable under the pretense that this would somehow protect their own security.

In his vote in the legal suit brought last year before the International Court of Justice by the Marshall Islands against the nine countries possessing nuclear weapons Judge Cancado Trindade stated: "A world with arsenals of nuclear weapons, like ours, is bound to destroy its past, dangerously threatens the present, and has no future at all. Nuclear weapons pave the way into nothingness".

It is time for mankind as a whole to act decisively in defense of its own survival.

This article originally appeared Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 10 April 2017: TMS: A Treaty to Ban Nuclear Weapons Is in the Making.

(Sergio Duarte is a Brazilian Ambassador, former United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs; former Chairman of the Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons; former President of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Amb. Duarte's Op-Ed first appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS). Amb. Duarte's Op-Ed first appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS).
Promotion of varsity teachers on political consideration

THE New Nation on Sunday carried out a report to say that promotion of teachers in public universities is no longer based on their excellence in research and developing innovative methods to improve the quality of education. It is now based on political consideration of the University Syndicates to reward people linked to the party in power. How much a teacher is active to promote ruling party politics in the campus and outside is real issue now instead of his or her intellectual merit and performance in the classrooms and research labs. In fact meritorious teachers even don't get selection for promotion and research if they are not accepted by ruling party men while political elements are dominating the scene.



The UGC has rightly highlighted that the standard of the country's higher education is only deteriorating despite the fact that the government is spending huge money for the purpose which is being routinely misused and grabbed by vested interest quarter in the name of promoting research to bring transformation in teaching curriculum linked to changing needs of the country's socio-economic development.



Universities are lighthouses for change and teachers are mandated to use half of their time to classroom teaching while the remaining time must go to research. Our universities must be equipped with newer knowledge and technology to support national efforts to create manpower to meet the demands for skilled workforce and managerial persons for fast growing industries and service sectors. But as it appears, most of our senior public university teachers and younger ones are working for private universities at times keeping absence from routine classes at their workplace. They seem to be least bothered to basic research.



It is a total chaos breaking varsity discipline depriving students of devotional teaching. Many teachers are interested to go abroad for higher studies and then don't come back. It appears that teachers working at public universities outside the capital leave the campuses after 2pm giving the look of part time teachers to work in the remaining part of the day for others. It is a crime and not acceptable at all. Moreover private universities don't offer scope for research and their recruitment is also highly political.



The fate of the 300 research works that the government introduced under the Higher Education Quality Enhancement Projcet (HEQEP) against an allocation of Tk 600 crore showed the extent of misuse of the fund without much accountability. Candidates selected mainly on political consideration have left the scheme in total chaos.



The UGC observation that teaching quality is poor in Bangladesh than in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka deserves to be seriously taking into account. Educationists and even the UGC report has warned of not using education sector to political purpose and our policy makers must pay heed to it. Politicization of the University Education must stop before it undermines the entire higher education system.
Nishikori replaces Nadal in top five





Japan's Kei Nishikori climbed two places to fifth in the latest ATP rankings released on Monday at the expense of Rafael Nadal, who slips to seventh.

Britain's Andy Murray continues to lead the top 10 which is unchanged aside from Nishikori's upward move, which could have a bearing on his and Nadal's seeding for the upcoming Barcelona ATP tournament.

The pair met in the final last year, with Nadal prevailing.

Nishikori has opted to skip this week's Monte Carlo Masters where Nadal goes for an unprecedented 10th title.
PM pays homage to Bangabandhu

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina along with party leaders paid tributes to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreaths at the portrait of great leader at Dhanmondi-32 on the occasion of historic Mujibanagar Day on Monday.

UNB, Dhaka :

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday morning paid tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreaths at the portrait of the great leader in front of the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi-32 in the capital on the occasion of historic Mujibnagar Day.

She first placed a wreath as the Prime Minister and stood there for some time

in solemn silence as a mark of respect to the architect of independence.

Flanked by senior leaders of the party, Sheikh Hasina laid another wreath as the Awami League President paying homage to Bangabandhu.

Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Commerce Minister Tofael Ahmed, Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, AL leaders Dr Abdur Razzaque, Dr Hasan Mahmod, Enamul Haque Shamim, Ahmad Hossain were, among others, present.

On this day in 1971, the nation witnessed the oath-taking of the country's first government.

On April 17, 1971, the mango-grove village at Baidyanathtala witnessed the ceremonial formation of the provisional government of Bangladesh and millions of freedom-loving people listened to the announcement of the formation of the government through radio.

Following the Pakistan occupation army's attack on unarmed people on the night of March 25 in 1971, the first government of an independent People's Republic of Bangladesh was formed on April 10 in 1971 comprising the elected representatives with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as its President, while Syed Nazrul Islam Vice-President and Tajuddin Ahmad Prime Minister.
ABC/Image Group LAYou wouldnt be surprised to see Tim McGraw and Faith Hill on the cover of People or Billboard, but this summer, theyll show up in a more unexpected place.

The celebrity-super-couple will be featured on the cover of an upcoming issue of Architectural Digest, showing off their vacation home in the Bahamas: one that just happens to be located on a 17-acre private island.

In a teaser video, Tim and Faith bring the focus back to more mundane concerns, giving AD a glimpse into their everyday lives. While they both agree theyd each like to do away with the others cellphone, Faith paints Tim as a typical male who misses the hamper and loves his La-Z-Boy.

The Louisiana native, on the other hand, shies away from criticizing his Mississippi bride.

I love her, Tim says. She just brightens every room she walks into, especially mine.

He does miss the mark a bit, though, when asked about the key to a happy marriage.

Just say Yes maam a lot, he grins. Faith counters, "[Its] not saying yes all the time.

The Soul2Soul tour partners agree its Faith who has the most talent when it comes to design.

You like a lot of light and you like things to be really clean and neat, Tim says, describing her style.

You will be rewarded for that answer, Faith laughs.

You can check out the new video at ArchitecturalDigest.com.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Russia warns US against unilateral strike on N Korea

AFP, Moscow :

Russia on Monday warned Washington against launching a unilateral strike on North Korea, after US Vice President Mike Pence said the era of "strategic patience" with Pyongyang was over.

"This is a very risky path," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a news conference in Moscow.

"We do not accept the reckless nuclear missile actions of Pyongyang that breach UN resolutions, but that does not mean that you can break international law," he said. "I hope that there will not be any unilateral actions like the one we saw recently in Syria."

Pence on Monday warned North Korea not to test President Donald Trump's resolve, declaring that "all options are on the table" for curbing its missile and nuclear weapons programmes.

Defying international pressure, the North on Sunday tried to test-fire another missile in an attempt that failed, but which fuelled fears that it may be preparing for its sixth atomic weapons test.

Pence said that the era of US "strategic patience" in dealing with the North was over, after more than two decades. "In the past two weeks, the world witnessed the strength and resolve of our new president in actions taken in Syria and Afghanistan," Pence said. "North Korea would do well not to test his resolve, or the strength of the armed forces of the United States."
Some missiles paraded in N Korea fake or empty

North Korea\'s ominous show of force. Internet photo

ABC News :

Some missiles paraded in North Korea on the weekend may have been fake or empty, but the world's intelligence communities are justifiably taking the weapons on display very seriously, experts say.

As the parade was under way on Saturday, many people watching coverage took to social media to say some missiles were wobbling in the wind and at least one appeared to be bent.

"I suspect they all might be mock-ups aimed to impress the outside world," Lee Il-Woo, a senior analyst at the private Korea Defence Network, said.

However security and international diplomacy expert at RMIT University, Joseph Siracusa, said while some of the weapons could have been fake or simply empty, it was unimportant because experts could identify real weapons systems which showed, for the first time, North Korea had second strike capability - the ability to respond to a major strike on the nation. Professor Siracusa said second strike capability was something the world's "big boys" possessed. Euan Graham, the director of the international security program at the Lowy Institute for International Policy, agreed, saying while some of the missiles could have been fake it was ultimately inconsequential.

"Particularly in terms of the canisters in the parade, they are essentially the wrapper in which the missile may or may not be contained, and it doesn't mean that they haven't developed it," he said.

"It is just kind of operational good sense for North Koreans to parade an empty canister. They achieve nothing by filling it with a missile, especially if they are worried about air strikes - it just creates an extra level of complication and risk. "It may be a bluff or it may be that the missiles are stored separately - the point is it creates the doubt and uncertainty that defence planners will have to take into account."

Both experts said the world's intelligence communities were scouring the footage for information on the regime's weapons capability and plans.

Professor Graham said the parade signalled an obvious ambitious shift in North Korea's weapons program.

"My big takeaway from [the parade] is the emphasis on the very long range, previously unsighted systems is a statement of grand ambition on Kim Jong-un's part that North Korea is not just settling for a minimum deterrent. It wants the Rolls Royce," he said. He said it showed North Korea's military intentions were more than defensive.

"If it was only that [defensive] then it would be easier to live with, but I see the ambition of North Korea as being more destabilising than that," he said.

"If that's all they wanted to do there's no need to develop ICBMs [intercontinental ballistic missiles] or any of these extraordinarily costly and complex systems - even going for a submarine second strike capability, which for a country that's struggling to compete with Ethiopia in terms of GDP terms is an extraordinary level of perverse ambition." The two experts warned the threat posed by North Korea should not be underestimated.

Professor Siracusa said time was running out for the nation to respond to international demands to stand down before it faced war.

Countless analysts and government officials have described North Korea as "unpredictable", Stan Grant writes, but in truth the Kim regime is anything but. He said if the rogue state's failed missile test on the weekend had been a successful test of an ICBM, the US strike group currently in waters in the region would have responded with force. He said China did not want North Korea to start a nuclear war on its doorstep and was essentially telling North Korea to "get your house in order".

He said it was extremely telling that China was allowing the US strike group, led by the USS Carl Vinson, in the waters around North Korea and the communist government was also working so closely with the US on how to deal with the rogue state, he said. Professor Siracusa added if China and the US failed to rein in North Korea, Japan would not hesitate to act with force.

Professor Graham said the risk of immediate conflict was "overblown", but North Korea's power to destabilise the region was not. "I think that's a more subtle but more realistic risk that you get trouble playing out below the nuclear threshold under that enhanced deterrent that North Korea is acquiring," he said.

"I don't see this now on a short fuse to military confrontation.

"I think the coercive element will be kept there. Really the challenge for the US is to see this through beyond the short term. "This may be the one time where the US is able to use this peculiar window of [having] rather an unpredictable presidency.

"For all its faults in the policy-making process, it does have that ability to lever off that uncertainty - particularly on China's point to actually keep the pressure up - and even if North Korea doesn't denuclearise, I think a lot can be done to make it more difficult for them to develop [weapons]."
Syria slams US air attack a `message` to North Korea

Reuters, Pyongyang :

Syria's ambassador to North Korea denounced U.S. aggression and "history of interventions" on Monday and said sending a "message" to North Korea with an attack on a Syrian airfield was irresponsible.

North Korea has conducted several missile and nuclear tests in defiance of U.N. sanctions and has said it has developed a missile that can strike the U.S. mainland. Its latest missile test on Sunday failed a few seconds after launch.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence put North Korea on notice on Monday, warning that recent U.S. strikes in Syria, one of North Korea's few close allies, and Afghanistan showed that the resolve of President Donald Trump should not be tested.

The U.S. Navy this month struck a Syrian airfield with 59 Tomahawk missiles after a chemical weapons attack. On Thursday, the U.S. military said it had dropped the largest non-nuclear device it had unleashed in combat on a network of caves and tunnels used by Islamic State in Afghanistan.

Syrian Ambassador to North Korea Tammam Sulaiman said the United States was wrong to send messages with attacks on other countries.

"Whatever they do, this is clear aggression. If they want to mention this they ought to do this as a message or whatever, it has no sense to talk about this," he told Reuters, in English.

"Because what is sense is to see whether the U.S. is really serious in finding solutions, whether in Syria or Korea. If they want to keep sending messages, then you are not talking with a responsible state or a responsible administration. It is not about giving messages, it is about taking a position."

North Korea's KCNA news agency on Monday carried a letter from leader Kim Jong Un to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad marking the 70th anniversary of Syria's independence.

"I express again a strong support and alliance to the Syrian government and its people for its work of justice, condemning the United States' recent violent invasive act against your country," Kim said.

Asked to what extent North Korea supported the Syrian military in its fight against rebel forces, Sulaiman said there was "nothing of military cooperation".

North Korea in 2013 denied it was sending military aid to the Syrian government after media reports said that Pyongyang had sent advisers and helicopter pilots.

Sulaiman said the "acquisition of nuclear weapons should not be a goal" for any country.

"But I can understand in the case of North Korea, I can understand why (it) is building its nuclear capabilities to face the American aggression, clear aggression."




Mujibnagar Day observed

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday morning paid tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreaths at the portrait of the great leader in front of the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi-32 in the capital on the occasion of historic Mujibnagar Day.

She first placed a wreath as the Prime Minister and stood there for some time in solemn silence as a mark of respect to the architect of independence.

Flanked by senior leaders of the party, Sheikh Hasina laid another wreath as the Awami League President paying homage to Bangabandhu.

Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Commerce Minister Tofael Ahmed, Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, AL leaders Dr Abdur Razzaque, Dr Hasan Mahmod, Enamul Haque Shamim, Ahmad Hossain were, among others, present.

On this day in 1971, the nation witnessed the oath-taking of the country's first government.

On April 17, 1971, the mango-grove village at Baidyanathtala witnessed the ceremonial formation of the provisional government of Bangladesh and millions of freedom-loving people listened to the announcement of the formation of the government through radio.

Following the Pakistan occupation army's attack on unarmed people on the night of March 25 in 1971, the first government of an independent People's Republic of Bangladesh was formed on April 10 in 1971 comprising the elected representatives with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as its President, while Syed Nazrul Islam Vice-President and Tajuddin Ahmad Prime Minister.

On April 10, the elected representatives firmly supported and approved the declaration of independence by Bangabandhu on March 26, 1971, and issued a formal proclamation of independence.








Bangabandhu Satellite replica handed over to Hasina

Staff Reporter :

State Minister for Post and Telecommunications Tarana Halim on Monday handed over a replica of the Bangabandhu Satellite to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the beginning of the cabinet meeting.

The satellite is scheduled to be launched in the track on December 16 this year.

The Bangabandhu Satellite, with a capacity of 1,600 megahertz, will have 40 transponders and the physical equipment of the space capsule that measures the capacity. Half of the capacity will be reserved for the country while the rest will be rented out.

The Bangabandhu Satellite-1 is scheduled to be launched on December 16, 2017. It will take two weeks to reach its destination of the orbiter slat 119.1 degree east longitude. Earlier of this month Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Chairman Dr. Shahjahan Mahmood said, to ensure better telecommunication services, BTRC always felt the need of having its own satellite network.

In order to materialise the dream, BTRC formed a committee in April, 2008 which was then reformed in January, 2010. This committee performed various important activities like submission of electronic filing for 1020 E and 690 E to ITU, Coordination Request (CR) notification to ITU etc, he said.

The committee also maintained a continuous liaison with ITU to perform all secretarial jobs in this regard. This is to be mentioned here that every member state of ITU has to follow ITU regulations in order to launch their satellite, said the Chairman of the regulator body.

Recognising the importance of the satellite launching preparatory activities, BTRC formulated a project with the title "Preparatory functions and Supervision in Launching a Communication and Broadcasting Satellite"-which was then approved by the government on 26 January, 2012 with an estimated project cost of Taka 8,681.51 lakh and with an implementation tenure from 01 July, 2011 to 30 June, 2015, BTRC sources said.

As the allotment process of orbital position and relevant frequencies from ITU is very complex and Bangladesh had no previous experience in satellite launching activities, the need of expert consultant to assist in the primary activities was highly felt, and a USA based consultancy firm Space Partnership International (SPI), was appointed under the project on 29 March, 2012 following proper rules and regulation, the sources added.
Let controversial statue go: PM



Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has again advised Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha either to remove the sculpture of Greek Goddess Themis from in front of the High Court or take proper initiatives so that it could not be seen from the National Eidgah.

The PM reiterated her government and party's stance over the statue in a span of only 48 hours when the issue came up for an unscheduled discussion after the regular Cabinet meeting at the Secretariat on Monday.

Earlier on Saturday, the PM while inaugurating Judges Complex in the city had expressed her surprise how the sculpture of Themis wearing Bangalee women's traditional costume sharee was installed in front of the High Court without any consultation.

Four Ministers, who were present at yesterday's Cabinet meeting, confirmed the matter. Wishing anonymity, a Minister said the issue was first raised by State Minister of Labour and Employment Mujibul Haque Chunnu.

Chunnu thanked the PM for taking such stance over the issue. At the same time, some other Ministers picked up the matter. At one stage, the PM also took part in the unscheduled discussion.

"Without any consultation, a statue of a woman has been installed in front of High Court - Supreme Court. Although it is called Lady of Justice's statue, it is dressed up with sharee.Did the Greek goddess used to wear sharee? Besides, it is installed in such a position which is also visible from the National Eidgah. In fact, it is not an impressive sculpture," the PM was quoted as saying.

The PM was also quoted: "I talked to the Chief Justice over the matter on Saturday after inaugurating Judges Complex. I told him that the sculpture was not spectacular at all. There is also controversy over the statue. Either you remove it or replace it or cover it so that it could not visible from the National Eidgah."

According to mythology, Themis is an ancient Greek Titaness, which means "divine law". She is described as "the Lady of Good Counsel" or "Lady of Justice", and is the personification of divine order, fairness, law, natural law and custom.

Her symbols are the Scales of Justice, tools used to remain balanced and pragmatic. Some classical representations of Themis showed her wearing a blindfold and holding a sword, believed to represent her ability to cut fact from fiction.

Meanwhile, hardliner Islamist pressure groups, soon after the installation of the idol, have started registering their protest demanding the removal of the Lady of Justice statue from the High Court premises.

Of them, the Hefazat-e-Islam took part in a protest in Dhaka on February 24 demanding the removal of the sculpture while similar protests were staged in Chittagong and Narayanganj on the same day. Earlier on February 14, they had submitted memorandums to the PM and the Chief Justice stating the "idol" anti-Islamic.

Against this backdrop, the PM in a meeting with different Alems and Ulemas led by Hefazat-e Islam ameer Allama Ahmad Shafi at Ganabhaban last week assured them of removing the statue from the court premises.

During the meeting, the Hefazat-e Islam demanded removal of all 'idols' installed in the name of sculptures or statues across the country, and also called upon the government to take initiatives so that any 'idol' is not installed anywhere in future.
Extra seats still there

Many became stranded as fewer buses plied in the city routes following withdrawal of so-called \'Gate Lock\' and \'Sitting Service\' buses for 2nd day on Monday. This photo was taken from Kawran Bazar area.

M M Jasim :

Buses are yet to remove all the extra seats, although the leaders of Dhaka Road Transport Owners' Association (DRTOA) pledged that no seats would be set up in the risky zone of the buses.



The buses operating on the city roads on Monday were seen that they just unlocked their gates only, but charged extra fares and running with additional seats.



At least five to seven passengers sat on these seats, which were set up on the engines at every bus.



Shamim Patwary, a businessman of Gulistan area, told The New Nation on Monday, "I have come from Kazipara in Mirpur by Bihangga bus service. I sat a seat on the engine. It was very disgusting because it was difficult to sit there as the hot air of the engine disturbed my health."



Rifat Hossain, another businessman, said, he was going to Sadarghat by a Swajon Paribahan bus. The fare was Tk 15 when it was "sitting service." But it is maximum Tk 10 for local bus. The conductor took Tk 15 from me almost forcibly. It was very unfair, he said.



The city people also raised question about the role of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) what they said, how dare of the drivers and conductors to violate the BRTA and owners' decision.



They said, the BRTA and the owners should sit in another meeting to implement their decision.



Meanwhile, the Chairman of BRTA Md Moshiar Rahman on Monday said that the route permits of the bus services, which were not running after the authorities banned 'seating' or 'gate locked' services in the city, would be cancelled.



Monitoring a mobile court in front of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh in the city, he told reporters that the names of the owners, who refrained from operating their bus services on city roads, would be listed.



'And the route permits of the buses would be cancelled', he said.



Khandakar Enayetullah, Member Secretary of Dhaka Road Transport Owners' Association, said that they would give all kinds of assistance to the BRTA in this regard.



'The problem would not be resolved in one day', he said.



The mobile court was operating at five points of the city on Monday.



Earlier, the leaders of Dhaka Road Transport Owners' Association (DRTOA) have decided not to operate any special services and remove additional seats, rooftop carriers and side angles from buses from April 15 and sought legal help from BRTA to implement the decisions.



The BRTA also announced the 'sitting service' or 'gate lock service' totally illegal while it was mandatory for all Dhaka city service buses to follow the government-fixed fare chart.



Since Sunday morning BRTA's five executive magistrates were conducting mobile courts at Tejgaon, Agargaon, Asad Gate, Ramna, Jatrabari and Airport areas where five vigilance teams, formed by DRTOA, were also present to assist the drive.


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Last year, the District of Columbia paid Uncle Sam $37,000 per person in federal income, payroll and estate taxes. The next closest was Delaware, at $16,000 per person. Louisiana sends $8,500.

As Tax Day approaches, show some love for the good people who live in the nations capital.

Washington, that swampy den of iniquity that politicians love to scorn, sends the most tax dollars per person to the U.S. government.

By a lot.

Last year, the District of Columbia paid Uncle Sam $37,000 per person in federal income, payroll and estate taxes. The next closest was Delaware, at $16,000 per person. Louisiana sends $8,500, ranking No. 19 on the list.

Its where the money is, said Roberton Williams, a fellow at the Tax Policy Center. The reason the District pays so much in taxes is that there are a lot of high-income people there.

Washington is an outlier because, despite years of lobbying, it is not a state. It doesnt even have a vote in Congress. It is, however, a city with a relatively high cost of living.

West Virginia, Mississippi and New Mexico have low median household incomes, which helps explain why they their residents pay far less in federal taxes. West Virginia paid $3,600 per person last year, while Mississippi paid $3,900 per person and New Mexico residents paid a little more than $4,000.

The Associated Press calculated each states per-capita tax bill using data from the IRS and population estimates from the Census Bureau.

The deadline to file federal tax returns is Tuesday. It was pushed back because the usual April 15 deadline was Saturday, and because Monday is a holiday in the District of Columbia.

The IRS says millions of taxpayers have yet to file their returns. As they do, they shouldnt feel too bad for D.C. residents.

The nations capital gets a good return on its tax investment. For every dollar the District sends to the federal government, it gets back almost $4, according to a 2015 study by the New York state comptroller.

For years, the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y., would document that New York paid more to the federal government than it got back. In 2015, the states comptroller took up the cause.

Washingtons rate of return is higher than any state  most of it comes from wages for federal employees. The closest state is Mississippi, which gets back $2.57 in federal spending for every dollar it sends to Washington. New Mexico, West Virginia and Alabama are also big winners when it comes to federal taxes and spending.

These states are big takers because they have a lot of residents who get federal benefits, including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, disability benefits and food stamps.

They have lower incomes so they pay less in taxes and, because they have lower incomes, they get more federal aid, said Morgan Scarboro, a policy analyst at the Tax Foundation.

So why do so many of these states that benefit from the federal government produce conservative politicians who complain that the government is too big?

There is this perception that so much money is being spent on things that dont benefit them, Williams said. They ignore the things that do benefit them.

Williams cited foreign aid as a favorite target, even though it makes up only 1 percent of the federal budget, if you count military assistance.

People view the world as cut my taxes and cut his spending, Williams said. His spending is wasteful and my taxes are hurting me badly.

Most states are winners when it comes to getting more money from the federal government than they pay in taxes. On average, Americans get $1.22 for every dollar they send to Washington, according to the New York study.

Thats why the federal government has a budget deficit.

The federal spending comes from social programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, as well as grants to state and local governments and spending on infrastructure.

States such as South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia benefit from having large military bases.

The biggest losers when it comes to taxes and spending are New Jersey, Wyoming and Connecticut. New Jersey gets back just 77 cents for every dollar it pays, while Wyoming gets back 81 cents and Connecticut gets 83 cents.

New York gets 91 cents for every dollar it sends to Washington, according to the comptrollers report.

All these states have incomes above the national average.

Its a good example of a progressive tax code, Scarboro said. That is how it is designed to work.

Follow Stephen Ohlemacher on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephenatap
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Editor's Note: The following are letters and thoughts from sixth graders at Cairo Junior/Senior High School. Mary Beth Goff, a 14-year-veteran of Cairo public schools, encouraged her students to wage a letter-writing campaign.

There are times in every teacher's career when something happens within the school or community that impacts the students. That moment happened for me this week when half of my students were told that they were being relocated out of public housing in Cairo. When I entered my classroom on Tuesday morning and looked into my students eyes and hearts, I saw kids who were broken. As a teacher there is no worse moment. I have always taught my students that we are a family and that their voices have power and so we began to talk about what our voices would look like and what we wanted for the future. I want my students to feel safe and to live in a place that is as clean and free from filth that other kids around the country enjoy. I want them to know they are loved and that they have the power to be anything they want to be and that they are worth people caring for and about them.

Mary Beth Goff

Sixth-grade teacher

Cairo Public Schools



HUD: Do your part

We have been learning about housing and housing conditions for the last month. We have seen pictures of what housing is like in poor countries around the world and then compared it to where we live. Ours is worse because it should be better in the United States.

Here is what it is like. Some of us are afraid to play outside, even though we are kids. Some of us have bugs in our house and mold and mice no matter how much our mamas clean. Some of our mamas spray bug spray around our beds so the roaches dont crawl in our ears and mouths while we sleep. Some of us have asthma and are afraid that we will die or that our little brothers and sisters will.

This is not right. Just because we are poor does not mean we should live like this. At the same time most of us do not want to leave. What we do want to understand is why there was money that was given to housing to keep it up and it was stolen. If we steal money we get in trouble. Why dont the grown-ups?

Our teacher talked to us about rent. Rent is a contract and we paid ours. Why isnt HUD doing their part? We do not think it is fair because we were born and raised here and dont have anywhere else to go. You are asking us to leave what we know. To leave our friends and family and the only place we have known. Do you think that is easy? Because it is not. Since the news came out people have been trying to figure out what to do and where to go. Our mamas have been crying and trying to find someplace to go. This is our life and for some of us it is life and death. Why does that not matter to people? Why dont we matter?

Cairo Junior/Senior

High sixth-graders



Individuals

I feel angry about the whole thing. If a lot of people move away we could lose our school and our sports. Pircola

If this happens I will miss my friends and my family. Mikayllah

I will lose over half my friends ... I will be very upset. I hate that this is happening. Paris

I wish they would not tear down Elmwood and McBride. They should just send maintenance to do their job and clean them up. Roneka

I feel sad because I dont want to move. I love it here. Demarion

I think this is very wrong. Something should have been done earlier to solve the problem. I wish this was just a nightmare. Keri

I wish we could find the money to fix all the chaos that is going on. Latrece

If this happens, I will have so many emotions I will not be able to explain. Gabriella

I feel mad and sad. I wish ACHA had not taken the money. Chazzidy

I have been in Cairo since I came home from the hospital. I have memories in McBride. My memories of my grandma are there. She died of breast cancer and when I go there I think of her. Here is my question: Where is all the money that was supposed to go to the projects? I need to know because I feel like the people who stole the money are running free and here we are getting put out of Cairo. Aurhea

I have been wondering why someone doesnt ask what happened to the hundreds of thousands of dollars that was supposed to go to housing. We have paid our rent. We are kids trying to do big things in life. Why cant you help us? Karmond

Residents in housing dont like the conditions but dont want to move either. Housing conditions are horrible but getting run out of town is worse. Latrece

I think the people who stole the money should go to jail because they ruined everything for us. Pircola

I am currently living in the housing projects. I have been living there my whole life. At times, I hate living in the in the projects, but Im always gonna love where I came from. Why doesnt anyone care about us? Robert

I think you all feel like people who live in the projects are nothing. John
CARBONDALE  With birds chirping in the background and an early warm spring sun shining down, the steps at the back side of the building became the backdrop for Thursday's Street S.M.A.R.T.S. class at the Boys & Girls Club.

The three students in that day's Whiz Kids class answered questions about what child abuse is, how to recognize it and how to keep themselves and others safe from danger. They sometimes answered with all the bravado an about-to-be-10-year-old could muster or the whimsical and childlike responses of a child.

"What are some of the effects of child abuse?" asked Denise Blair, a social work intern at the Carbondale Boys & Girls Club. "How do you think people feel once they've (been abused).  How do you think the child feels if they're being abused?"

"Devastated," said Yani Taylor, who turned 10 on Saturday. "Devastated and hurt, too."

"Nasty. They feel nasty," said Sarah-Nay Powell. "They're probably gonna take showers every five seconds."

Why would they be inclined to take lots of showers, 10-year-old Corey Gilbert Jr. wanted to know.

"'Cause maybe they want to wash the pain away," Blair began to explain.

The youth in the class were learning what child abuse is, and how to report it and combat it. Also leading in the discussion that day was Zach Myers, a volunteer with AmeriCorps.

The Street SMARTS is a life skills program that teaches about violence prevention, conflict resolution, staying safe and gang resistance. The small group discussed some seemingly mature topics, such as how they would respond if an adult family friend came to them, saying they would give them money for touching or being touched inappropriately.

On a question about child abuse taking the form of food deprivation or forced hunger, three children seemed to have a hard time grasping what food-deprivation would look like. But, they agreed in the end, if they saw "Billy Bob," a fictitious classmate, looking hungry or malnourished, they would alert their teacher or some other adult.

Or, as Sarah-Nay noted, "I know we're not supposed to share our food, but I'd give him some of my food."

Program celebrating 13 years

The program has existed since the club was started in 2004, according to Tina Carpenter, the center's director of operations.

The Street SMARTS program is a component of the national Boys & Girls Clubs' SMART Moves  Skills Mastery And Resilience Training  part of its life skills training program created to help youth deal with such issues as drug and alcohol use and premarital activity. In addition to the Street Smarts program, the Carbondale club also has a Passport to Manhood program for 11 to 14-year-olds and its SMART Girls healthy lifestyles and self-esteem enhancement program for 8- to 17-year-old girls.

At the Carbondale location, the program's components include its Smart Moves and Street Moves components. The Smart Kids component, for 6- to 9-year-olds, teaches youth to practice healthy behaviors and avoiding risky behavior, such as becoming involved with drugs. The Start Smart component, for 10- to 12-year-olds, adds to instruction components about teaching self-esteem and peer support. Stay Smart, for 13- to 15-year-olds, adds conversations about postponing sexual activity. Street Smarts, a gang and violence prevention curriculum is targeted toward 10- to 14-year-olds.

The programs run year-round. Street Smarts, for instance, is typically taught in the spring and the Smart Moves in the fall.

"We have the curriculum guide that we are provided, but we also make sure that they provide us a basis, and then we will tweak it to meet the needs of the kids we serve at the time, Carpenter said.

In this area, there is focus on understanding bullying and what role that the youth, as a bystander, observer, perpetrator or victim, play and experience, Carpenter said. She said that teaching is also extended to focus on equipping youth to be able to withstand the pressure to join gangs, which she said are in the region.

"Theyre not the gangs of Chicago, but there is gang activity, and we talk a lot with the kids of what do gangs provide for them  thats positive and negative." she said. For example, one positive perception could be that gangs give children a sense of belonging, she said.

But, she noted, the youth are taught that some of the negative aspects of being in a gang are that one loses one's identity.

"A way to combat that (gang membership) is to help kids build self-esteem and self-confidence," she said. "They have the tools and skills to overcome something like that. Its really about them ... We got to teach them to value who they are as a person, in order to help them be resilient to that. Resiliency is key, giving them the skills to be resilient."

The classes are offered to youth who are members of the Boys & Girls Club; membership is $20 a year, but membership is provided for youth who are unable to pay it, Carpenter said. Membership for teens is $10 a year.

Community can help youth feel safer

A community can play a huge part in making it safe for youth and in helping them feel secure, Carpenter said. She said it is not uncommon to have youth come to the center and say they heard gunshots outside their home the night before.

"And you think, 'this is Carbondale,' that shouldnt be happening," she said. "One way to support the kids is to assure them and let them know where their safe place is: where can they go that they have a safe place."

In addition to businesses, that could include churches or other youth-focused outlets.

"We need people to step up, Carpenter said. Just simple things like when you see a child, smile at that child.  I tell people, show them some teeth. Youre letting them know, hey youre a kid, Im not above you. We need to just talk to kids, (promote) youth-friendly businesses.  What that means is there are some businesses where they dont want kids coming in there unless they are with adults."

"How do we make a youth feel like if things are bad at home, I can go hang out at the local Hucks (or some other business, church or center) and people are going to talk to me," she said.
The coffee industry is known for being kind of closed off and snobby, McCraw said while fixing drinks. We want to begin to build community. You dont have to know all the language before we treat you with love and respect and teach you about coffee.
Dear Doctor: My daughter's school recently sent home a flier about potential exposure to hand-foot-and-mouth disease. How worried should I be?

Dear Reader: Hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) is very common. It occurs most often in infants and children younger than 7 years of age and is caused by one of 16 types of enterovirus. Outbreaks are more likely in the late summer and early fall, when children are starting a new year of school or preschool.

Because the viruses that lead to HFMD are largely intestinal, they're usually passed via stool. Small amounts of the virus then make it onto the hands of the child. The virus passes from one individual to another when it ends up on food, the fingers or the pacifier of another child, ending up in the mouth. The fecal-oral transmission is the most common way the virus infects others, but it can also be passed through oral secretions, through coughing, and through the fluid from the blisters seen in hand-foot-and-mouth disease.

Regardless, the virus makes its way down to the lower intestine, spreading to the lymph nodes and from there to the rest of the body. The typical time that it takes for the enterovirus to be ingested and for the first symptoms to appear is three to five days.

Symptoms of the disease begin with mouth or throat pain or the refusal to eat. The most striking symptom of hand-foot-and-mouth disease is the blisterlike rash that occurs both within the mouth and on the hands and feet. Some species of enterovirus also cause fever, nausea and vomiting. Rarely, enteroviruses can lead to dehydration, viral meningitis or heart inflammation.

I would ask school officials at which date the infected child began having symptoms of HFMD. If it was more than five days ago, I would be less concerned about your child now developing the disease.

However, because the virus can be shed long after disease, I would stress the importance of hand-washing. If your daughter does get hand-foot-and-mouth disease, the symptoms likely will not last long, and any discomfort can be treated with acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Watch for warning signs of potential complications, such as listlessness, severe headache or neck stiffness. Consult your pediatrician if your child has these symptoms.
Anthony Broughton says he will always be a Mister.

The director of Claflins Call Me Mister since January 2017 said taking over the program at the Orangeburg university was a natural progression for him. Call Me Mister recruits male minority students to take on jobs as K-8 teachers upon graduation.

Im always going to be a Mister, Broughton said.

He is proud of his completion of Call Me Mister as an undergraduate college student and his lifetime mission as a Mister.

He even refers to himself as Mister Dr. Anthony Broughton.

A Mister is a student who becomes a part of the Call Me Mister program that originated in 2000 at Claflin, Benedict, Morris and South Carolina State. It is run from Clemson University.

Call Me Mister is today a part of the teacher education programs at 20 institutions in South Carolina and is expanding to other states.

Minorities in the program are predominantly black males, but others are eligible, including white males, because men are in the minority as teachers, Broughton said. In schools at present, 75 percent of teachers are white females.

The program produces graduates  Misters  with a commitment to improving education and a passion for teaching, Broughton said. I think we have the most innovative teaching.

If you see a Mister in action, it will move you, he said. The passion comes from wanting to make a difference.

The Claflin Call Me Mister program has 10 students. More would be ideal but the funding is only there for from 10-15, with about 25 percent of enrollees on each level from freshman to senior.

The program provides funding toward tuition, book support and stipends for upperclassmen. Misters engage in leadership activities, meet twice a week and follow an individualized education plan.

The success rate is nearly 100 percent, Broughton said. Nearly all Misters move into teaching and remain there.

At age 30, Broughton brought significant experience to Claflin, where he became an assistant professor of early childhood education in the fall 2016 semester.

He is a graduate of Cross High School, Benedict College, Columbia College with a masters degree in divergent learning and the University of South Carolina with a doctorate in early childhood education at age 29.

He became a part of Call Me Mister at Benedict as a freshman. The program inspired me to be myself.

He taught as a fourth-grade teacher for a year in 2009 in Allendale County, where he said he gained an appreciation for what all students can do.

Allendale schools are belittled as poor, but that is an uncorroborated manipulation of information, Broughton said. "The children there are not failures."

I loved Allendale, he said.

But the call to return to Benedict and Columbia brought Broughton back to the Benedict College Child Development Center  to teach kindergarten. He said the experience was among the most rewarding things he has ever done.

It was a bold move, Broughton said. I was the first male teacher they would ever have.

Some parents really saw the need for a male figure to be in the lives of the children, he said.

After the kindergarten experience at Benedict, Broughton took over as 4-K regional coordinator for the S.C. Department of Education, making sure teachers in rural school districts were upholding the state standards.

I had a blast doing that. I was familiar with what they should know in kindergarten, he said.

He also taught at Anderson University in Anderson for a year before the Claflin opportunity.

I deem myself a visionary  I want to be a part of that vision, said Broughton, whose mother is a Claflin alumna. He is also a United Methodist minister, giving him a natural connection with UMC-affiliated Claflin.

Coming to the university was a big honor, Broughton said.

He has used his musical talent as part of the educational process. Im a very musical, artistic person.

Broughton has produced two childrens CDs, both teaching the alphabet via the use of music. His video on You Tube has more than 200,000 views.

He said he is accustomed to questions about his motives as a man wanting to be in early childhood education.

You block out the negativity, he said.
Belligerence is in the air in Washington. President Donald Trump is enjoying (extremely rare) bipartisan praise for a cruise-missile attack on Syria. There's tough talk from some Republicans about more. And even tougher talk about Russia. North Korea too.

Meanwhile, the public's reaction is ... huh? For millions of American voters, the two most striking aspects of the U.S. action against Syria were 1) How quickly Trump moved, and 2) How little he explained his actions.

Explaining -- laying the groundwork, making a case -- is an essential part of presidential leadership. That's especially true when what is involved is an act of war. Leaders contemplating military action prepare the public to support that action. They explain why it is needed. They explain why it is in the national interest of the United States. Then they repeat the explanation.

No, that doesn't mean they reveal exactly what they're going to do and when they're going to do it. Trump said many times on the campaign trail that he would not telegraph his actions to foreign adversaries. To do so, he said, would be to give up the critical element of surprise.

But leaders don't surprise the voters with an out-of-the-blue act of war. In the case of Syria, Trump moved so quickly, and with such little effort at public persuasion beforehand, that he maintained the element of surprise on his own voters. That's not a good idea.

Indeed, the public reaction, measured by early polls, is not optimistic for the president. After the attack, Washington Post pollsters asked, "Do you support or oppose President Trump's decision to launch a missile strike on a Syrian air base in retaliation for the Syrian government using chemical weapons against civilians?" The result was 51 percent support, 40 percent oppose. Among registered voters, Trump's support level was a bit higher at 57 percent.

Then the Post asked, "Would you support or oppose additional U.S. air strikes against the Syrian government at this time?" Just 35 percent said support, while 54 percent said oppose. Again, Trump's support was a little better, 39 percent, among registered voters.

Either way, the fact is, the barest of majorities supports a new president sending military forces into action for the first time as commander-in-chief.

"They are not good numbers," says Republican pollster David Winston. Winston points out that it is often hard to assess Trump's poll results because he won the presidency with an unfavorable rating of 60 percent -- that alone should tell everyone that Trump is a different kind of president, as far as polling is concerned. Nevertheless, it's possible to conclude that support for more military action appears tenuous at best -- unless Trump makes the effort to build public support.

"He needs to realize that there is a level of explanation that he needs to do, particularly when you're about to put American lives potentially at risk, given that starting point of 60 percent unfavorable," Winston says. "It's not that people are going to disagree with him, but when they hear something he has done, 60 percent of the country starts off with the viewpoint of, 'That guy I don't like.'"

Trump's no-explanations style is particularly bad for his political fortunes because, beyond what he promised would be a quick, intense, and winning effort to destroy ISIS, he did not campaign on the idea of going to war. Just the opposite; Trump campaigned day after day on a platform of keeping the United States out of the mess in the Middle East. Trump often excoriated George W. Bush for the "big, fat mistake" of going to war in Iraq.

Now, Trump's quick conversion to military action has left some prominent supporters unhappy -- and warning of problems to come.

"The thing that's most important right now for Donald Trump is to remember those core issues that he so successfully campaigned on," conservative radio host Laura Ingraham said on Fox News Tuesday morning. "It was all focused on America first. Jobs, the economy, wages going up -- that's it.

"What I think is difficult at the same time is to manage this war footing that we increasingly seem to be on," Ingraham continued. "I do have my concerns about this administration getting mired again in another conflict in the Middle East ... I'm not sure getting rid of Bashar al-Assad was at the top of the list of the people in Pennsylvania."

At the same time, Trump is winning plaudits of those in his party who tried hardest to defeat him. Bill Kristol called the White House execution of the attack "impressive" and welcomed Trump as a potential convert to regime change. "It would be ironic if Trump, who campaigned against regime change, ends up pursuing it in both Syria and North Korea," Kristol tweeted Tuesday. The day after the attack, Kristol tweeted, "Punishing Assad for use of chemical weapons is good. Regime change in Iran is the prize."

No, that is probably not what Trump voters in Pennsylvania had in mind. If Trump has changed his views from what he said in the campaign, or even if he has simply decided that Syria should be a one-time exception to his general opposition to military interventionism, he owes voters all around the country more of an explanation than he has given so far.
The United Airlines fiasco with a passenger being dragged off a plane went viral because of social media. The companys handling of the visibly shocking episode was the classic example of making matters worse.

United quickly became a model for businesses everywhere  of what not to do.

In a world where customer service seems to have gone by the wayside, United by accounts is not the worst of the airlines. But United got caught, and now must try to fix things.

Steven Riznyk is the CEO and senior litigator of San Diego Biz Law, a high-level negotiator, and business strategist hired to analyze and resolve complex and crisis issues worldwide. He examines the situation numerically:

1. TRY TO RESOLVE IT WITH SOMETHING THAT COMES EASILY TO YOU BUT YOUR CUSTOMER VALUES. Four staff members required a flight at the last moment. United was able to offer incentives to three seat holders but not a fourth. First mistake. The staff knew that the only option available was to forcibly remove the passenger, 69-year-old Dr. David Dao. Even if it did not end up on social media, the passenger could have made a scene or any one of a number of things could have happened to make it more colorful an event than United would want. It would have been so much easier to put their own staff member on another airline or hire someone to replace the person. They could even have a policy in place to prevent last-minute shifting of staff at passengers expense.

2. AVOID CALLING THE POLICE FOR A NON-CRIMINAL INCIDENT. The police should NOT have been called. That was a huge mistake. At this stage, they created a common divide and there was no way to ever patch the relationship with the passenger again. United should have had a senior representative talk to Dao or offer something to other passengers.

3. SHOW THEM WHO THE MANAGEMENT REALLY IS, AND DEMONSTRATE COMPASSION FOR THE SITUATION. When this story made it to social media, the first response from the CEO would be an instant public apology. The public needs to think of him as a nice, warm individual who just had the bad luck of hiring someone as inept as the person who made this decision, and those on the ground who supported it. Every company has bad luck with employees from time to time. Unfortunately, the CEO or president is held responsible. Instead of apologizing to the elderly Dao, United CEO Oscar Munoz apologized for having to re-accommodate these customers. By doing so, he alienated Dao and loyal customers.

4. YOU MAY LOYALLY STAND BEHIND YOUR STAFF BUT NOT WHEN THEY ARE IN THE WRONG. The CEO, after the event, stated to his staff, I want to commend you for continuing to go above and beyond to ensure we fly right. That sends the wrong message to the staff. Even at the point that Dao was being dragged off forcefully, we are not aware that a single United staff member stepped in to keep the situation under control; they all watched and enjoyed their newfound powers the CEO endorsed. The CEO should have explained to his front-end staff that they should follow protocol and offer the amounts the airline should have offered for the seat and if it took a bit more to avoid dragging someone off, that should have been done before the police were called.

5. DO NOT ANGER A CUSTOMER AND THEN ACCUSE HIM OR HER WITH BEING BELLIGIRENT. This is a common tactic used by the police to arrest persons. Something happens that would affect someone emotionally, the person gets upset, and they are blamed for being upset. Munoz, instead of apologizing to Dao, decided to use the same tactic that litigators use all the time in court: get a witness upset and then use their reactions to show how unreasonable they are.

6. IF YOU CANT SAY ANYTHING EMPATHETIC, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT. After the CEOs comments commending his staff and demeaning Dao, there is very little credibility left.

7. BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR WORDS AND POSITIONING OF YOUR FIRM. Even if he leaves United, Munoz has a beautiful parachute and soft pillow to land on. The company, on the other hand, will have to burn through millions to overcome this tragedy.

8. WORK IT OUT BEFORE IT BECOMES A LAWSUIT. If a situation is so out of control that a lawyer has been hired or litigation is threatened, resolve it immediately. Negotiate and work out a settlement or understanding of some sort. Keep it confidential if you have to, or be generous and go public with it. This is especially the case if you are in the wrong. In todays world of Yelp and social media, one event can put a small company out of business.

If this situation had been resolved early, United could have received points for handling a bad situation well and could have still maintained the publics respect. Now, it is going into litigation and you can see Daos attorney on television screens everywhere. This free airtime damaging United would not be going on had this fiasco been settled.

Sooner or later, every business has a crisis. How it handles it will determine its success or demise. United Airlines has shown what not to do.
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By Azernews





By Amina Nazarli

Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan will develop tourism cooperation, as the tourism associations of the two countries signed a memorandum on boosting the interaction.

The memorandum was inked by the heads of the tourist associations of the countries - Nahid Bagirov (Azerbaijan) and Nabijan Kasimov (Uzbekistan) within the framework of the international tourist exhibition "The World of Leasure " held in Tashkent.



The two sides will exchange experience and information in the development of the tourism industry, organize joint tours and events related to the promotion of tourism, as well as organize mutual trips, promote health tourism and provide support in strengthening of the tourist flow.

In addition, within the framework of the signed memorandum, advertising banners of Azerbaijan's tourism potential will be installed in the central streets of Tashkent in the coming days. Advertising will be strengthened also on the leading TV channels of Uzbekistan.

Azerbaijan stand at the World of Rest exhibition this year was presented by the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center operation under the Azerbaijani Embassy in Uzbekistan.

The stand featured samples of the rich cultural heritage of the country, its tourism potential, reflected in the publications prepared by Azerbaijans Ministry of Culture and Tourism.



During the exhibition, a presentation of the "Baku Shopping Festival" was held, where visitors were provided with booklets prepared specially about the shopping festival.

Azerbaijans Naftalan city hotels such as "Chinar" and "Gashalty" also presented their tour packages at the international tourism exhibition.

Speaking about the Uzbek tourists visiting Naftalan, Samir Abbasov, Director of the Azerbaijan Cultural Center, said that work carried out by the center for three years to attract tourists from Uzbekistan to Azerbaijan has yielded successful results.

Abbasov noted that in recent years the number of Uzbek tourists visiting Naftalan has significantly increased, according to the information of the sanatorium.

Located some 360 km west of Baku, the town of Naftalan, where the oil originates, has a special treatment center with unique natural treatments that cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. Naftalan, a rare type of oil from Azerbaijan, is a thick, black-brown liquid with a specific, aromatic odor, which is used only for medicinal purposes. Azerbaijani doctors have prescribed it for years to successfully treat various skin, joint and bone diseases such as psoriasis, arthritis and rheumatism.

"Bearing in mind the historical proximity between our peoples, the visa-free travel regime between the countries and existence of direct flights between Tashkent and Baku, carried out twice a week, there is a huge potential in tourism between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan," Abbasov said.

Alongside Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan is also developing tourism with regional neighbors- Turkey, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan  to launch a joint pilot tourist product Great Silk Road.
By Azernews





By Kamila Aliyeva

The issues of strengthening regional cooperation in rail transport are being discussed in Baku as important meetings scheduled for April 17-18 on rail transport initiated by the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) are underway in Baku.

Thus, Baku hosts the 13th Meeting of the Heads of ECO Railway Authorities/7th Meeting of Railway Committee of ECO Transit Transport Coordination Council (TTCC).

Deputy Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways Igbal Huseynov addressed the event and informed about the railway projects being realized with participation of Azerbaijan.

He also informed the guests about the process of upgrading infrastructure and technical structure of Azerbaijan Railways, role of international transport corridors in increasing the transit potential, spokeswoman for Azerbaijan Railways Sevinj Gadirova told Trend.

Overall, this meeting will review the latest developments and progress with regard to the regular operation of the ECO Container Trains, challenges being faced on the way of the train services, progress on the railway infrastructure projects of regional importance and new regional initiatives.

The 3rd High-Level Working Group meeting on Qazvin-Rasht-Astara (Iran)- Astara (Azerbaijan) Railway Project will be held on April 18.

This meeting will discuss the latest status of the construction works along the route in the territories of Republic of Azerbaijan and Iran and challenges being faced by the concerned parties in the course of construction works.

Representatives of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Peoples Republic of China, as well as the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), the Intergovernmental Organization for International Carriage by Rail (On Time In Full  OTIF) , the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and ECO-TDB (ECO Trade and Development Bank) attend the events.
By Azernews





By Amina Nazarli

Azerbaijan will assemble smartphones under the Made in Azerbaijan brand.

CEO of CRM Group Ramin Suleymanov announced about this while talking to Trend on April 17, adding that the production areas allocated for the launch of assembly of these devices will be ready by fall.



"In general, we acquired the patent right to localize the assembly of about 10 different types of IT products, including tablet computers, laptops, printers, etc. The product assembled in Azerbaijan will be exported to regional markets," Suleymanov said.

The localization of computer and peripheral equipment assembly is included in the company's priority plans for 2018, according to the CEO.



"The deployment of an assembly of high-tech equipment is the first large-scale project implemented in the country. We consider it a big step and an investment in the country's economy. Neighboring Turkey, for example, assembles laptops under the Casper brand. We are going to adopt this practice and implement it in Azerbaijan, said Suleymanov.
By Trend





President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev made a phone call to President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan on April 16.

President Ilham Aliyev congratulated the President and people of Turkey on the successful conduct of a referendum on amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey and on the majority of the population`s voting for these amendments. The President described the results of the referendum as the Turkish people`s great support for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan`s policy.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan thanked for attention and congratulations.

The heads of state expressed their confidence that friendly and brotherly relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey will continue to successfully develop in all areas.
By Trend





Azerbaijani Presdent Ilham Aliyev chaired a republican conference of non-oil exporters in Yevlakh on April 17.

President Aliyev, addressing the event, said 2017 will be very successful for the country taking into account indicators of the first quarter of the year.

The indicators of this year are truly pleasant. I have already said this, and I would like to repeat that the results of the first three months of this year inspire us very much. This once again demonstrated that the decisions we made and reforms we started in 2016 have produced wonderful results in a short space of time, President Aliyev said.

The President further added that the non-oil sector of economy grew 2.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2017, calling this a very good indicator.

Our non-oil industry rose 2 per cent, agriculture increased 3.5 per cent More than 80,000 jobs were created in three months. Our trade turnover increased 15 per cent, exports saw a nearly 50 per cent growth, and imports fell 17 per cent. The export of agricultural products increased 44 per cent, he added.

President Aliyev mentioned that Azerbaijan made a profit of $1 billion in the first quarter of the year. Our foreign exchange reserves are growing. This positive dynamics allows us to say that we will achieve even greater outcomes this year, the President added.

Today we can confidently say that Azerbaijan managed to have diversified its economic potential. The non-oil sector today accounts for around 65 per cent of our economy, said President Aliyev. But we cannot say this about our exports. The largest part of our exports falls on oil and gas, which is obviously natural for the current period, because we are increasing our oil and gas potential. But one of the outstanding tasks for us is to ensure diversification of our exports. We need to achieve this in exports, just like we have done it with the Gross Domestic Product.

The head of state highlighted results of regional development programs, saying thousands of new enterprises have been established across the country.

The President said that 1.7 million jobs have been created, including 1.3 million permanent ones, in Azerbaijan.

The decisions, laws and decrees I signed last year created good opportunities to diversify our economy even more. In particular, the measures taken to promote export of non-oil products yield good results, the President said.

We began to apply a promotion system. I have told about this in the past years, too. Because the system of promotion has justified itself in some other countries and led to growth of export. We have studied appropriate advanced experience in the world and on this basis we applied promotion of investing and exporting systems in Azerbaijan. Both systems are successfully functioning. The entrepreneurs may be even didnt believe the state would render them such assistance. Sometimes they were even surprised. Now, they see if their products reach the world markets, the state returns some percent of its price to themselves. That is, this is a great initiative for stimulation. The entrepreneur gains extra profit, on one hand, and this has moral sense, on the other. Because, people have strong confidence for them, and they work confidently and involve high amount investments for the country," the President underlined.

President Aliyev further stressed that development of entrepreneurship is one of the priority issues for the state.

The government is providing both political and great methodological support for the development of entrepreneurship. Aran Regional Development Center for entrepreneurs in Yevlakh district was built and commissioned by the Azerbaijani government. And this is another sign of support for the development of entrepreneurship," President Aliyev said.

"We are holding meetings with entrepreneurs on a regular basis several times a year. We have held hundreds of meetings with entrepreneurs over the past 13-14 years. I have personally attended the opening of a number of enterprises in the field of entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurs are well aware that a great support, as well as political support is given to their activities by the state," the President said.

President Aliyev noted that low-interest loans totaling more than 2 billion manats have been granted to entrepreneurs by the state through the National Fund on Entrepreneurship Support in recent years.

The president went on to say that practical measures have been taken to promote Made in Azerbaijan brand worldwide.

The brand is already gaining world fame, said the President. The head of state said several export missions have been dispatched to foreign countries, adding that this has been of great benefit. We decided to open Azerbaijani trading houses in several countries, and we are already close to doing it. All steps taken by the state create additional opportunities for entrepreneurs.

The head of stat said: We need to try to completely provide ourselves with consumer products in the next 3-4 years. This will create additional opportunities for export. We should constantly increase production in order to fully meet the domestic demand and present competitive export products.

President Aliyev also stressed the importance of food security, saying Azerbaijan is close to completely providing its food security.

Other speakers at the event included Azerbaijani Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev, chairman of Wine Exporters' and Producers' Association Elchin Madatov, chairman of Hazelnut Producers and Exporters Association Ismayil Orujov, CEO of Azersun Holding Sava? Uzan, Executive Director of Az-Granata LTD Rovshan Farhadov, CEO of Gok-NUR Baku LLC Farid Farhadzade, founder of D-Fruits Farming Isamaddin Damirov and Business Incubator participant Ariz Mikayilov.

President Ilham Aliyev made a closing speech at the conference.
By Azernews





By Rashid Shirinov

The Nagorno-Karabakh and Transnistria conflicts will be priority for the new Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Subcommittee on conflicts, Chairman of the Subcommittee Stefan Schennach told Report on April 17.

He said that the third priority conflict will be determined later, and work in this direction is ongoing.

He added that the first meeting of the subcommittee will be held in Helsinki in May, and another meeting will be held in Vienna in June.

Schennach was elected the chairman of the new PACE subcommittee on conflicts in March. He is also a co-rapporteur of the PACE Monitoring Committee.

For more than two decades the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains the trouble spot of the South Caucasus region. Two countries are in a state of war following Yerevans aggression, ethnic cleansing policy and illegal territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions in a brutal war in the early 1990s.

Despite a fragile ceasefire agreement signed in 1994, Armenia keeps violating armistice with Azerbaijan.
Bahrains Labour Fund Tamkeen has added a range of professional certificates in cloud computing to its range of certification programme, in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) .



The Tamkeen Professional Certifications Scheme provides students with financial support to attain one of many internationally recognised professional certifications.



At Tamkeen, we continuously monitor the advanced systems across the world as a part of our efforts in making the Kingdom the first technology destination in the Middle East region, said Tamkeen chief executive Dr Ebrahim Janahi.



He added: Tamkeen has worked in supporting a number of professional certificates in building and developing cloud systems, which goes along with the continuous changes in the labour markets needs, in order to refine Bahrainis skills and equip them with the necessary tools to be the employee of choice. - TradeArabia News Service
















A total of 15 government and private organisations will exhibit in the UAE Pavilion at the upcoming Hannover Messe, the worlds largest manufacturing industry trade fair, to be held later this month, in Germany.



The UAE is sending a delegation to Germany to participate in the prestigious exhibition for the tenth consecutive year, which will take place from April 24 to 28.



Across two halls and 1,000-sq-m, the organisations representing the UAE will present their latest developments, investment opportunities and market insights to over 250,000 expected visitors, businessmen and government officials from around the world, said a statement.



During the press conference, Juma Al Kait, assistant undersecretary from the Ministry of Economy, and Khalifa Salem Al Mansouri, acting undersecretary of the Department of Economic Development  Abu Dhabi, discussed objectives and expectations from this years participation at Hannover Messe.



The press conference was held at the Abu Dhabi Economic Media Club, in the Department of Economic Development headquarters.



The two also outlined the sixth annual UAE Investment & Business Forum, during which high-profile business leaders will provide insights into the UAEs industrial outlook in the post-oil economy, national applications of innovation and technology, and international investment opportunities throughout the Emirates.



Speaking on the side-lines of the press conference, Al Kait said: The manufacturing sector is a major pillar of our countrys economy. It accounts for around 13 per cent of our non-oil gross domestic product (GDP), which we aim to further raise to more than 20 per cent in the next few years.



It plays a central role in sustaining our economic diversification efforts geared towards ushering in a post-oil era. Our active participation in the event forms part of our continuous efforts to further develop our industrial capabilities with a sharp focus on manufacturing, research and development, innovation and sustainability, Al Kait added.



Al Mansouri said: The participating organisations will provide insight into the variety of specialisations and operations across different sectors and industries, which provide international stakeholders and investors with strategic investment and business opportunities, thus contributing to national economic growth.



The manufacturing industry contributed 5.6 per cent to the GDP in 2016, up from 3.6 per cent in 2015, he added.



Hannover Messe will be home to Strata, Emirates Global Aluminium, ZonesCorp, DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre), Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry, added the statement.



Also participating is Abu Dhabi Ports, Dubai Airport Freezone, the Industrial Development Bureau, Abu Dhabi Business Centre and Environment Agency  Abu Dhabi. The countrys developing Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are represented this year by CCTC (Control Contracting & Trading Company), EEKMASEC and Excellent Fire & Safety, it said.



Saeed Eisa Al Khyeli, director general of ZonesCorp, said: Participating in Hannover this year as part of the UAE delegation represents a valuable opportunity to showcase the Abu Dhabis manufacturing and industrial success story to the world and the leading role played by ZonesCorp in attracting major local and international industrial companies to the local market.



This is part of a wider strategy to diversify sources of income and develop a sustainable, economy based on knowledge and innovation, he said.



Commenting on Stratas participation, Ismail Ali Abdulla, deputy CEO of Strata, said: We would like to thank the Department of Economic Development - Abu Dhabi for leading the UAE delegation to Hannover Messe.



At the event we will be discussing with experts how we will incorporate the most advanced industrial technology to build our new Strata 2.0 facility, which is set to deploy leading 4th Industrial Revolution technologies and Smart Factory Ecosystem principles, including smart building, operational processes and smart manufacturing, he said.



Participating in the fair alongside these UAE leading industrial companies embodies our role in the UAEs Vision 2021 that is centred around sustainable development and economic diversification, with a focus on driving innovation, research and development and building a knowledge based economy, he added.



UAE Pavilion has witnessed other participations from DOCAB, Emirates steel, Emirates Floating glass, Al Mimari UPVC, Al Shoumoukh Group, Danat Factoy, Agthia, Alfoah, Newpharma, Bait Al Nokhada Tents, Emirates Gazals for furniture and decoration, Tam perfumes industry, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
The Board of Directors of Smart Dubai Office (SDO) discussed the latest innovative technologies that were approved by SDO and employed by SDO's teams during its recently held 9th meeting in Dubai, UAE.



Presided over by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, chairman of the Board, the meeting also discussed the ICT policies as a key enablement tool to promote all city sectors and monitor development of the ICT environment to ensure compatibility with the general policy and national strategies.



Other points discussed included green technology policies, cloud computing, digital ID management, data dissemination and availability, e-commerce activation, Internet of Things, Blockchain technology, web accessibility and digital Arabic content, enabling Dubai to play a pioneering and pivotal role among the advanced cities of the world competing in the field of smart cities.



Further, the members discussed the Dubai Blockchain Strategy launched last October by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and chairman of the Executive Council, and is currently being executed collaboratively by the Smart Dubai Office and the Dubai Future Foundation.



The strategy aims to transform Dubais government into the world's first government to conduct all its applicable transactions via the Blockchain network by 2020.



The agenda of the meeting included discussion on the draft policies of the Dubai Data Law and how much progress is achieved in attracting strategic partners. It also included exerting all efforts possible to engage the private sector and obtain data to be classified and made available to the public, an advanced step by Smart Dubai to encourage high transparency and yet ensuring high level information security.



"Our main concern in Dubai is to achieve the highest level of happiness for its population. For this purpose, the latest citywide innovations and smart solutions are embraced to enhance the happiness experience of living in Dubai, said Al Tayer.



We partner and collaborate with all parties producing innovative projects for Dubai to be 10 years ahead of other cities of the world in implementation of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, as embodied in the X10 Initiative, UAE Centennial 2071 and the smart initiatives launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed for Dubai to become the smartest and happiest city on earth.



Dr Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr, director general of Smart Dubai Office, said: "Thanks to its prudent leadership that harnesses all its resources to fulfil its keen vision, Dubai has been able to make great strides to be a modern and smart city.



This has positioned Dubai among the pioneering nations of the world with a potential of becoming the happiest and smartest city on earth. We at Smart Dubai are still in the process of achieving a delightful living experience for Dubai inhabitants by employing and harnessing the latest technology to make life in Dubai easier, safer, seamless and more impactful leading to happier lives for all Dubai residents and visitors.  TradeArabia News Service
Irans President Hassan Rouhani will inaugurate oil projects worth about $20 billion on Sunday, said a senior Iranian official in a report.



A new phase of South Pars Gas Field in addition to oil layer of the giant field and some major petrochemical projects will become operational, Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, was quoted as saying in an Iran Daily News report, citing Irna.



Iran's average daily exports of oil and gas condensates crossed the 2.6-million-barrel mark in the year to March 20, he said, adding that his ministry will continue the ascending trend in the year to March 2018.



Phases 11, 13, 14, 23, 22 and 24 of South Pars will be inaugurated in the Iranian year to March 2019, added the minister.



Zanganeh further noted that Iran's gas production from joint South Pars field has reached the level exploited by Qatar noting that Iran will develop its production as Qatar start to boost extraction.



He said that Iran will increase its daily oil production to 4 million barrels by extracting more from joint fields.



According to IRNA, development of phases 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 of South Pars Gas Field was implemented during President Rouhani's tenure and will be officially inaugurated on Sunday in a ceremony attended by Iranian and foreign officials, added the report.
Saudi Aramco plays a crucial role in diversifying the kingdoms energy mix through various projects and initiatives that aim at promoting the use and adoption of renewable energy, said a senior executive.



The company's renewable energy efforts are aimed at reducing emissions and to achieve a better environmental performance, while meeting the kingdoms future energy demand, said Abdulaziz Al-Judaimi, Saudi Aramcos acting senior vice president - downstream.



Speaking at a panel discussion during Saudi Arabias Renewable Energy Investment Forum 2017, he said Saudi Aramco has already delivered on its renewable energy initiatives and demonstrated the integration of solar PV (photovoltaic), and solar CPV (concentrating photovoltaic) at its current facilities with several pilot projects, including one of the worlds largest solar carport systems.



In addition to the vast solar energy resources in the kingdom, wind energy is among the best worldwide with wind capacity twice the global minimum in numerous areas in northern and northwest regions of the kingdom, an Aramco statement said.



The recent inauguration of the first wind turbine in Turaif demonstrates Saudi Aramcos strategy of integrating renewable energy into its operations. The wind turbine will create enough power to supply 250 homes, which has the potential to displace 19,000 barrels of oil equivalent, and generate 2.75MW of energy, thereby reducing demand for electricity from the national grid, it said.



The introduction of renewable energy will reduce the kingdoms greenhouse gas emissions and will contribute to global climate efforts, as outlined in the Paris Climate Agreement (COP21).



Committing the kingdom to renewable energy also achieves part of the National Transformation Plan (NTP) and Vision 2030. Through NTP, the kingdom is targeting 3.45GW of renewable energy by 2020 and 9.5GW by 2023. The 9.5GW will result in avoiding 16-18MM ton CO2/year by 2023.



The Ministry of Energy is leading the launch of the National Renewable Energy Program, which will be a phased process and systemic in its pursuit of long-term goals where Saudi Aramco is a key stakeholder in this effort, and as part of its strategy, it will be investing in renewable energy, the statement said. - TradeArabia News Service
Global hospitality group Swiss-Belhotel International has named Laurent A. Voivenel as senior vice president, Operations and Development for the Middle East, Africa and India.



This strategic announcement comes well in time for Arabian Travel Market 2017 where Swiss-Belhotel International will have a strong presence.



Swiss-Belhotel International currently manages a portfolio of more than 145 hotels, resorts and projects worldwide and is targeting the Middle East, Africa and India region as a key growth market.



Making the announcement, Gavin M. Faull, chairman and president of Swiss-Belhotel International, said: With an outstanding portfolio of globally-recognised brands, we are aggressively expanding our footprint across the world, and the Middle East, Africa and India region is big on our development plans. To support this massive growth it is crucial to have strong leadership. We are delighted to welcome Laurent A. Voivenel on board who will spearhead our operations and development in the Middle East, Africa and India. We are confident with his impressive track record, vast experience and extensive local network, he will be instrumental in strengthening and accelerating our expansion in the region.



Voivenel will be based in the groups regional office in Dubai.



Commenting on his new role, Voivenel said: It is an enormous privilege to join the Swiss-Belhotel International at this pivotal point when it is one of fastest growing hospitality groups. I am very excited to take up this new challenge and truly grateful to Swiss-Belhotel International for having given me this fantastic opportunity. I look forward to working closely with Gavin M. Faull and other team members to capitalize on the enormous opportunities in the Middle East, Africa and India in order to build on the groups strong presence in the region.



Voivenel has over 30 years of outstanding international hotel and asset management experience with some of the worlds leading and most prestigious hospitality brands including Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Hilton Hotels & Resorts. Prior to joining Swiss-Belhotel International he was the chief executive officer of HMH  Hospitality Management Holding.



With a Masters in Business Administration, Voivenel has a proven track record in spearheading corporate mergers and acquisitions, hotel development and investment, multi-brand operations, as well as excellent management experience across Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

Being based in the Middle East for the last 16 years, Voivenel also has a deep understanding of the region's unique business dynamics and culture that has resulted in a solid network and close ties with hotel owners, developers and investors. - TradeArabia News Service
The first edition of Dubai HeliConference, the Middle Easts only dedicated conference for the helicopter industry, kicked off today (April 17) at the Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai.



Held under the support of HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and CEO and chairman of the Emirates Group, and backed by the Dubai Helishow - the biennial Helicopter Technology and Operations Exhibition, the show will run until April 18.



Honeywell, a Fortune 100 company that creates solutions for improving the quality of life of people around the globe, has stated that approximately 3,900 to 4,400 civilian helicopters will be delivered worldwide between 2017 and 2021. Based on a five-year customer survey, 22 per cent from the Middle East are expected to purchase civilian helicopters for fleet replacement or expansion, making it the second-highest new purchase rate.



As for the usage, 31 per cent will cater to general utility while 27 per cent will be for the corporate sector. In addition, 15 per cent will be used in law enforcement, 13 per cent for both emergency/medical and oil and gas use, and 1 per cent by media. With a highly optimistic purchase outlook for turbine-powered, civilian helicopters, Dubai HeliConference 2017 offers a perfect platform to gain industry insights, receive future outlook about the market, and meet stakeholders. - TradeArabia News Service
The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai brings back the well-received Mamemo Majlis this Ramadan.



The spectacular Majlis produced by Mamemo Productions is one of the most sought after Ramadan experiences in Dubai Marina.



Blending traditional Arabic essences with contemporary refinement the Majlis transforms the LOULOU'A 1-5 ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton, Dubai into an exquisite Majlis that will be serving both Iftar and Suhoor throughout the month. The meticulously designed interior with specially selected furniture and art pieces make the specially created tent the pinnacle of style and comfort.



The contemporary style of Mamemo Majlis is complemented with a traditional crafted food souk, uniquely made for the occasion, showcasing an extensive selection of cuisine inspired by countries from across North Africa, the Middle East and Asia. With live cooking stations offering Ouzi, Fatteh and Arabic Grilled meats. Each night a unique station that changes daily will be offering favorite dishes from Italy, Asia, Turkey & Latin America. Along with a Ramadan juice station and Date market, it promises to be a truly unforgettable Iftar and Suhoor experience this season.



Each night live Arabic musicians will provide a soulful calming ambience, with their repertoire of classic tunes to set the mood. With Shisha being served throughout the Majlis during Sohoor period, Mamameo Majlis is the complete Ramadan experience for all the family.



Iftar

Break your fast with an array of delicacies enthused with influences from the across the Arab world, with only the very best in fresh ingredients displayed in a traditional style buffet.



Time: From Sunset till 8.30 pm

Price: Dh220 ($59.8) per adult Ramadan juices and water

Dh110 ($29.9) per child (5 -12 years old, below 5 years free of charge)



Suhoor

A seasonal a la carte menu featuring Arabic and international dishes along with over 25 flavors of the finest shisha and live Arabic music to complement the ambience over the course of the evening.



Time: Sundays to Wednesdays: 10pm - 2am (last order 1am)

Thursdays to Saturdays: 10pm - 3am (last order 2am)



Price: A la carte menu (Dh150/$40.8 minimum spend per person)

Private Majlis Seating Areas (Dh1,600/435.5 minimum spend)

Aromatic shishas available from Dh85 ($23) each. - TradeArabia News Service
Meet award-winning artisans and buy their products at Kerala Arts and Crafts Village
When Dan Cooper was a child he moved around a lot. His father was a nuclear engineer and the family followed his jobs. As an elementary student, Cooper noticed that the birds in his bird book werent in the regions where they should be.

He asked his father about it and received his first lesson on climate change. He learned of disrupted natural environments and the ways that those changes can be watched and tracked, even by a child.

Cooper is 72 now. He lives in Casper and works as an engineer in the oil and gas industry. Hes one of two Casper volunteers for the Citizens Climate Lobby, a group proposing a carbon tax to combat climate change.

After the election of President Donald Trump, a spate of activism erupted in the U.S., from womens marches across major cities to private Facebook groups where members could discuss ways to get involved. As the conservative members of Congress got to work in Washington and the new president swore to uphold the Constitution, Americans were becoming more interested in an area of politics that some had taken for granted: energy. And with energy development comes a conversation on climate science.

Potential cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency and the elimination of climate change sections on government websites further fueled citizen interest in the issue.

The flare-up of activism has also happened in Wyoming, a traditionally libertarian state with conservative political views and an economy powered by fossil fuels. Groups like Wyoming Rising-Northwest cropped up online, and longstanding groups like Citizens Climate Lobby attracted new interest.

The Lobby is not one of the march-and-protest groups, its volunteers say.

Its a policy group, and its mission is to add a fee to fossil fuel emissions per ton. That revenue would be paid back to citizens in the form of a dividend check, making up for an increase in electricity bills.

The fee-and-dividend policy would fuel the economy, supporters say. Operators who export fossil fuels would get a refund on their fee. It would be revenue-neutral and disincentivize the burning of fossil fuels, proponents argue.

Simple or complicated?

The idea of a carbon tax has been around a long time in various forms, with some environmental advocates promoting it as the best way to reach a sustainable future. Its also being promulgated by many conservatives.

The Climate Leadership Council is pushing a fee-and-dividend plan similar to the Climate Lobbys, though with a much higher fee on emissions. The group includes conservative statesmen like James Baker, former secretary of state under President George H.W. Bush; Martin Feldstein, former economic adviser to President Ronald Reagan; and Rob Walton, former chairman of the board for Walmart.

Other surprising nods to the concept have come from the oil and gas industry. In a February blog post from ExxonMobils new CEO, Darren Woods, the chairman of the multinational oil and gas company said government has a role in both funding energy research and developing sound policy.

One option being discussed by policymakers is a national revenue-neutral carbon tax, he said. This would promote greater energy efficiency and the use of todays lower-carbon options, avoid further burdening the economy and also provide incentives for markets to develop additional low-carbon energy solutions for the future.

But digging into the economics of a fee-and-dividend plan can get messy. There are many opponents to versions of a carbon tax that have arisen over the years, who argue it will hurt the countrys GDP, including the group Americans for Tax Reform. Proponents say thats why the dividend is so crucial.

Yet, for the fee-and dividend-plan, some question how to fairly design the fee based on economic models and how to ethically pay back that money to current and future generations.

Middle of the road

The divisions are great, but various viewpoints can be worked through, and the carbon tax is a bipartisan solution to a real concern, said Barb Deshler, a retired teacher from Laramie and a volunteer for the Citizens Climate Lobby.

Deshler looks and sounds like a teacher. Shes soft-spoken, curious and deferential in conversation. Shes seen the polemics regarding climate science, and for a long time the vitriol kept her from being more active.

But with the carbon tax pushed by the Lobby, there is a commitment to bipartisanship and dialogue, and most of all, there is hope, she said.

Deshler admits that she felt dispirited after the elections. Then she checked her email. Members of the group were active, discussing what to do next. They werent behaving like people who were giving up, she said. It was particularly the young people, she added.

Once hesitant to even join a group with lobby in the name, the retired teacher was galvanized.

The group holds monthly call-ins with experts from various backgrounds, economics and government to the military. They have a book club on economic policy and climate science.

Shes become braver, she said.

Deshler is the Laramie groups liaison to Sen. Mike Enzi. She has yet to sit down with the former mayor of Gillette but hopes that meeting will happen soon.

For the everyday people becoming involved in the national debate on climate change, middle-of-the-road solutions are the future, she said.

Cooper, the oil and gas engineer, doesnt like to think of himself as an activist any more than Deshler, and hes less hopeful. Where the Lobby in places like Laramie and Riverton has more rolling members, Cooper is usually working with one other volunteer. Hes tired and sees some of the energy policy put forward by politicians as little more than boondoggles.

But hes also an engineer at heart  someone who knows that things can be built, changed, adapted, he said.

In the carbon tax, Coopers found a goal. It keeps him going, he said.

Fossil fuel is so cheap that we have the opportunity to totally wreck the future with it, he said. I believe that what we need to use fossil fuels for is to keep the economy running strongly so we can build a renewable infrastructure for the future.
Have an event, trend or general energy happening youd like to see in the Energy Journal newsletter? Send it to Star-Tribune energy reporter Heather Richards at heather.richards@trib.com. Sign up for the newsletter at www.trib.com/energyjournal.

This week in numbers

Friday oil prices: West Texas Intermediate (WTI) $53.18, Brent (ICE) $55.89

Natural gas weekly averages: Henry Hub $3.12, Wyoming Pool $2.72, Opal $2.78

Baker Hughes rig count: U.S. 847, Wyoming 18

Bonding coal

Contura Energy will replace its $71 million in collateral bonds, a labor-intensive way of guaranteeing eventual cleanup costs based on the value of equipment at its mines.

The move was precipitated by environmentalists questioning Contura's financial statements and a subsequent request from state regulators for more thorough financial analysis.

Contura is the offshoot of Alpha Natural Resources, the first large coal company operating in Wyoming to declare bankruptcy in 2015. Its environmental reclamation responsibilities sparked a conversation on how best to bond coal mines, a contentious issue to this day.

Coal and carbon dip

Carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation nationwide fell by 5 percent in 2016, the year coal fell to its knees. Wyoming production hit record lows last year, a nationwide trend due to natural gas competition, bankruptcies and declining demand.

Coal miner money

Wyoming received $2 million to help coal miners get back to work. A Department of Labor grant that was approved earlier this year green-lights up to $2 million for retraining Wyomingites affected by the coal layoffs.

Pressed for time

Western organizations asked Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to spend more time reviewing the BLM's methane emissions rule and to offer public input. The rule has come under fire from multiple camps but is staunchly supported by many in the West.

In addition to an ongoing court battle and a congressional attempt to slash the rule, it is now under review by the Department of the Interior, with a promise from Zinke to finish the initial examination in a matter of weeks. The groups asked for a time extension and public comment periods.

In the headlines
A leaked draft of a new priority list from the Bureau of Land Management recently put energy development front and center among the agencys initiatives.

In Wyoming, where the BLM manages 17.5 million acres of public land, any changes in how the agency permits and leases land for drilling oil and gas, or digging coal, sparks debate between those seeking to do business and those who want to reserve more land for public use and conservation.

The five-point draft from the BLM lists a number of priorities for the agency, like promoting energy independence for the U.S. and developing habitat improvement projects. The majority of the bullet points concern fossil fuel development. They include streamlining the drilling application process, opening new lands for drilling and addressing a backlog of industry requests. E&E News obtained a copy of the document and reported on its contents April 10.

A spokeswoman for BLM said the list reflects the multi-use responsibility of the BLM but emphasized that it is not a final draft.

While these documents are still in draft form, these talking points are being assembled by the team at the BLM to clearly lay out our continued commitment to ensure opportunities for commercial, recreation and conservation activities on BLM-managed lands, said spokeswoman Megan Crandall in a statement. Our multiple-use and sustained yield mission for managing public lands on behalf of all Americans supports an all-of-the-above energy plan, shared conservation through tribal, state and local partnerships, public access for recreation and other activities and keeping Americas working public landscapes healthy and productive.

The apparent energy-first platform reflected in the agencys talking points has been expected by both industry and environmental advocates since new leadership arrived in Washington.

The new Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke, formerly a congressman from Montana, has repeatedly expressed his belief that increasing energy development on public lands can be done without harming conservation commitments.

Let me make one thing clear: The Interior Department is in the energy business, he said in March, after approving a $22 million coal lease in Utah. It is my hope that working together he will help identify areas where we can expand responsible mineral development while still conserving habitat and wildlife

***

Not everyone shares the secretarys confidence that uses of public land will be balanced.

The bullet points for the conservation stewardship section are incredibly minimal, said Chris Merrill, director of the Wyoming Outdoor Council.

One priority laid out is to increase volunteerism. Another professes to develop priority habitat plans, which pleased Merrill. There is no specific mention of issues like sage grouse, which has dominated habitat conservation goals on public land in places like Wyoming.

In a larger sense, the protection of habitat should be a key priority for the foreseeable future, Merrill said. When it comes to wildlife, habitat is everything ... not just improvement projects, but protecting the habitat we already have, and it doesnt seem to be in this document.

Merrill takes issue with the energy aims, and the attitude that there is an overwhelming backlog of requests to drill.

The first thing that struck me is that [the talking points] seem to ignore the reality of energy markets, he said. The reason, for example, that the price of natural gas plummeted is we have a glut on the market. Its not as if there is this huge desire on the part of energy companies to be drilling more. They have so many leases that they could be drilling. They are not because of market decisions, not because of anything the BLM is doing.

Yet the idea of streamlining processes for drilling or for permitting could be viewed as simple good housekeeping, said Charles Mason, an economist at the University of Wyomings Center for Energy Economics and Public Policy.

I dont know how you are going to make a compelling case for retaining or reinforcing (bureaucratic) frictions of that sort, he said of the BLMs plan to increase efficiency.

From an economic standpoint, however, the list reflects a shortsighted outlook on how to deal with federal mineral resources, he said.

The Trump administration is taking the view that increased leasing and drilling is a way to boost economic activity, he said. Another way to look at it is how increased drilling or mining can impact the supply and demand cycle, he said, echoing the concern that Merrill voiced on overproduction.

The government is a proxy agent handling public assets, and their end goal should be getting as much of a return on federal minerals as possible, Mason said.

The question for me becomes, are we doing the right thing in facilitating the acquisition of maximum dollars? he asked. Do we make that happen by dumping a lot of that stuff on the market at the same time?

***

Yet, there are some in Wyoming waiting for an open door from federal regulators, and the talking points speak directly to their hopes. Many in industry believe federal agencies had marching orders from the Obama administration to inhibit energy expansion by increasing red tape.

The good housekeeping, described by Mason, the UW economist, would potentially decrease the time it takes to process expressions of intent, the first step operators make when scoping federal land for potential drilling.

Its imperative to streamline that process in Wyoming, said Steve Degenfelder of Casper-based Kirkwood Resources.

It currently takes 1.5 years, BLM will say 56 weeks minimum, from receipt of the EOI to those lands being offered at an auction, he said in an email. The time period should be less than 3 months. Conducting such a thorough analysis on leases just being offered for sale has resulted, as the industry predicted, [in] a scheme to reduce the number of acres being offered for sale.

By the time the paperwork is filed, some operators have moved on and given up on the tracts altogether, eliminating that potential state and federal revenue, Degenfelder added.

Applications for permits to drill are similarly backlogged, while federal fees have skyrocketed, he said.

The BLMs first lease sale in 2017, one of four that take place per year, sold more than half the amount of acreage sold in all of 2015. Oil and gas operators were ecstatic at what they hope is a new direction for federal leasing in Wyoming.

If the trend is toward development, its a directional change that industry has been waiting for.

Thought the U.S. experienced a historic drilling boom under Obama, including on federal land, the on-the-ground experience in the last eight years has been one of frustration for people like Degenfelder.

Now, BLMs steps are being closely watched by competing interests, with both sides concerned about whose political influence will be the strongest.

My biggest fear is that the more environmentally acceptable points of the agenda will be followed first, and those dealing with oil, gas and coal will take a back seat, said Degenfelder.

Land advocates like Merrill fear the reverse.

There is a need to strike a balance and that means allowing for development in some places where it make sense and not allowing for it in other places where the other values are so important that they should be protected, he said.

If the leaked draft is a fair sign of where the public land management agencys is going in the next four years, then a friendlier environment for oil, gas and coal developers may be at hand. The impact on environmental agendas, however, is less clear.
Casper police arrested a woman Friday who allegedly threw a knife at her husband and waved a gun at him during an argument.

The man reported to police Friday night that Amanda Capshaw had been drinking and was threatening him, according to her arrest affidavit. In a later interview with police, the man said that the two had been arguing. He said that Capshaw first started trashing the kitchen by throwing dishes and silverware on the floor.

Capshaw then retrieved a handgun from a closet and started waving it around, according to the affidavit. The man said the gun was always loaded. The man said he tried to take the gun from Capshaw and she pointed the gun at him as he attempted to disarm her. After he took the gun from her, he said that Capshaw threw a kitchen knife at him and that it hit him.

When officers arrived at the home on Lincoln Avenue, they found Capshaw on the porch yelling for her dog. She refused to speak with officers and listen to their requests that she calm down.

Officers then attempted to handcuff Capshaw, which she resisted by scratching one of the officers hands with her nails, the affidavit states. After she was handcuffed, she sat on her lawn and refused to speak to officers other than to threaten that she was going to sue all of them.

The man had scratches on his arm, a small cut near his wrist  potentially from the knife  and red marks on his face and chest where he had been hit, the affidavit states.

Police drove Capshaw to the Natrona County Detention Center, where she was booked on suspicion of aggravated assault and battery, a felony. Capshaw was set to face formal charges Monday afternoon in Natrona County Circuit Court.
The city of Cheyenne is moving forward with plans for its 150th anniversary celebration this year.

Mayor Marian Orr named a committee to prepare the celebratory events about two months ago, and committee coordinator Mona Pearl says theyve already planned a host of events scheduled from July 4 through at least Aug. 18.

The first will be a formal kickoff on July 4 at Cheyennes Romero Park, featuring a hot dog eating contest and games for children.

It is a beautiful, safe place to be near the banks of Crow Creek, and it also offers us an indoor option if the weather is bad that day, Pearl said.

The proximity to Crow Creek is important because Gen. Grenville Dodge and his survey crew in 1867 first plotted the site that would become Cheyenne at the point where the Union Pacific Railroad crossed Crow Creek.

Other celebrations this summer will feature live music, a fireworks show and a history night.

Pearl said the committee has two events planned for Aug. 8, which marks the day the city was officially incorporated 150 years ago.

The first will be in Romero Park, where Orr and the City Council will dedicate a time capsule, which will then be buried with instructions to be reopened in 2067. The mayor and council members also will open the time capsule buried during Cheyennes centennial celebration in 1967.

Later in the evening, a party at the Cheyenne Depot Plaza will feature live music, fireworks and enough birthday cake for 6,000 people.

This working committee, in a very short amount of time, has come up with an absolutely amazing schedule of events that will really serve as the backbone for an entire year of celebration, Orr said Friday.
RIVERTON  The Riverton Chamber of Commerce has responded to about 3,800 requests for visitor information through March of this year. And many of the inquires involve the solar eclipse.

Chamber executive director Jim Davis says "not a day goes by" without a phone call to the chamber inquiring about local celebrations and events for the Aug. 21 solar eclipse.

The Riverton chamber is collaborating with other local agencies and groups who are promoting the Wind River Eclipse in hopes of making Fremont County a tourist destination. The event is expected to bring as many as 10,000 visitors to the area.

Crowheart, Pavillion, Riverton and Shoshoni will all experience the total eclipse for at least 140 seconds.
A Rock Springs otolaryngologist has been honored with the Wyoming Medical Societys Physician Achievement Award winner for 2017.

Sigsbee Duck, R.Ph., M.D., has been a practicing otolaryngologist, also known as an ENT physician for the practices focus on the ears, nose and throat, for more than 35 years, according to a news release from the medical society. He practices at Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County and recently completed two years as chief of staff for the facility.

"I am genuinely appreciative and humbled to receive this award," Duck said in the release. "I proudly accept this honor on behalf of myself and the many physicians I have had the pleasure to know in our state who work diligently, without recognition, to maintain and improve the quality of health care in our great state."

The award honors an outstanding Wyoming medical doctor each year.
JACKSON  Teton County's sheriff is proposing an allowance for deputies who have been pushed out of the area because of the high cost of housing.

Sheriff Jim Whalen says only five of the department's 23 sworn deputies live in the valley, which leaves the county vulnerable during emergencies. In a letter to county commissioners, Whalen pointed to the department's inability to properly respond to a powerful snowstorm that closed the Snake River Canyon and Teton Pass for several days in February.

He says "Teton County needed to have a robust emergency response and we couldn't provide it."

The sheriff has pushed for housing allowances in the past but has been unable to get approval.

Whalen says not incentivizing emergency personnel to live in the area puts people at risk.
WASHINGTON  As Tax Day approaches, show some love for the good people who live in the nations capital.

Washington, that swampy den of iniquity that politicians love to scorn, sends the most tax dollars per person to the U.S. government.

By a lot.

Last year, the District of Columbia paid Uncle Sam $37,000 per person in federal income, payroll and estate taxes. The next closest was Delaware, at $16,000 per person.

Its where the money is, said Roberton Williams, a fellow at the Tax Policy Center. The reason the district pays so much in taxes is that there are a lot of high-income people there.

Washington is an outlier because, despite years of lobbying, it is not a state. It doesnt even have a vote in Congress. It is, however, a city with a relatively high cost of living.

West Virginia, Mississippi and New Mexico have low median household incomes, which helps explain why they their residents pay far less in federal taxes. Arizona is seventh from the bottom, with residents paying $5,446. West Virginia paid $3,600 per person last year, while Mississippi paid $3,900 per person and New Mexico residents paid a little more than $4,000.

The Associated Press calculated each states per-capita tax bill using data from the IRS and population estimates from the Census Bureau.

The deadline to file federal tax returns is Tuesday. It was pushed back because the usual April 15 deadline was Saturday, and because Monday is a holiday in the District of Columbia.

The IRS says millions of taxpayers have yet to file their returns. As they do, they shouldnt feel too bad for D.C. residents.

The nations capital gets a good return on its tax investment. For every dollar the district sends to the federal government, it gets back almost $4, according to a 2015 study by the New York state comptroller.

For years, the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y., would document that New York paid more to the federal government than it got back. In 2015, the states comptroller took up the cause.

Washingtons rate of return is higher than any state  most of it comes from wages for federal employees. The closest state is Mississippi, which gets back $2.57 in federal spending for every dollar it sends to Washington. New Mexico, West Virginia and Alabama are also big winners when it comes to federal taxes and spending.

These states are big takers because they have a lot of residents who get federal benefits, including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, disability benefits and food stamps.

They have lower incomes so they pay less in taxes and, because they have lower incomes, they get more federal aid, said Morgan Scarboro, a policy analyst at the Tax Foundation.

So why do so many of these states that benefit from the federal government produce conservative politicians who complain that the government is too big?

There is this perception that so much money is being spent on things that dont benefit them, Williams said. They ignore the things that do benefit them.

Williams cited foreign aid as a favorite target, even though it makes up only 1 percent of the federal budget, if you count military assistance.

People view the world as cut my taxes and cut his spending, Williams said. His spending is wasteful and my taxes are hurting me badly.

Most states are winners when it comes to getting more money from the federal government than they pay in taxes. On average, Americans get $1.22 for every dollar they send to Washington, according to the New York study.

Thats why the federal government has a budget deficit.

The federal spending comes from social programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, as well as grants to state and local governments and spending on infrastructure.

States such as South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia benefit from having large military bases.

The biggest losers when it comes to taxes and spending are New Jersey, Wyoming and Connecticut. New Jersey gets back just 77 cents for every dollar it pays, while Wyoming gets back 81 cents and Connecticut gets 83 cents.

New York gets 91 cents for every dollar it sends to Washington, according to the comptrollers report.
We've collected a few front pages from newspapers.com to give you a look at some April 17 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.
A former Tucson Fire Department captain likely will spend the rest of his life in prison for killing his ex-wife, her mother and her mother's friend.

David Watson was sentenced Monday to 16 years in prison for killing his ex-wife Linda Watson; a life sentence for killing her mother Marilyn Cox; and another life sentence for killing Cox's friend Renee Farnsworth.

The sentences will run consecutively and Watson will serve 66 years before he is eligible for parole. He must first serve the 16-year sentence and 25 years each of the life sentences. He was given credit for 723 days already spent incarcerated.

Watson was convicted March 17 of the three murders in a second trial after his first trial last year ended in a hung jury. Before sentencing Monday, a judge denied Watson's request for a new trial.

Watson, 48, was convicted of one count of second-degree murder in the 2000 death of Watson, 35. He also was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder in the 2003 fatal shootings of Cox, 63, and Farnsworth, 53.

Linda Watson disappeared in 2000 from her house in the 2600 block of West Curtis Road. Investigators found blood in several locations inside the house.

Three years later, her skull was found near the Silverbell Mine northwest of Tucson. The skull wasnt identified as hers until 2011, due to a mistaken assumption it belonged to someone who died after crossing the border illegally.

Cox tried to find her daughters killer and fought David Watson and his then-wife, Rosemary Watson, in court for visitation rights to Coxs granddaughter, who was 4 years old when her mother disappeared.

In 2003, Cox and Farnsworth were fatally shot in Coxs driveway by a lone gunman after Coxs first unsupervised visit with the Watsons daughter, Jordynn.

On Monday, Jordynn Watson said Judge Deborah Bernini was sending an "innocent man" to prison and called the trial "truly a failure of our justice system."

"I lost my mother and grandmother and now I've lost my father," she read from a prepared statement as her hands shook the paper.

She said her father was "very kind-hearted" and tried to provide a "safe environment" for her.

Her mother and grandmother are "looking down disgusted" at the investigation and trial, where "a lot of untruths" were told.

Defense lawyer Natasha Wrae pointed to letters of support for Watson filed with the court by firefighters who "don't believe he had the capacity to do this." She also noted Watson was promoted at TFD, which she said was a sign of his good character.

Wrae asked that Watson be sentenced to the minimum term, which would have been concurrent sentences with the possibility of release after 25 years in prison.

Deputy County Attorney Jonathan Mosher said Watson showed "severe disregard for the value of human life" and asked that he be sentenced to the remainder of his natural life.

David Watson said he is innocent, despite being "labelled as guilty." The murders were "very tragic" and the "tragedy will continue" as he spends years in prison.

He asked Bernini to give him concurrent sentences "so maybe I can be back with my kids," he said as he choked up.

Watson said he was hopeful his appeal would exonerate him.

Pat Hinkle, sister of Marilyn Cox and aunt of Linda Watson, tearfully read a prepared statement in which she said her niece was disposed of "like a sack of trash."

She lamented there would be no more conversations with her sister about "silly shoes" or sharing coffee and doughnuts. Instead, her sister and niece were killed by the "same sadistic coward."

Bernini cautioned that no matter what sentence she handed down, "there is no closure" to anyone whose lives were "hopelessly shattered" by Watson's crimes.

"There is a darker nature to all of us, but some people hide it better than others," she said, and Watson's darker nature rendered him capable of the murders.
Pima Vocational High School is accepting new students for its next session that begins April 25.

Students between 16 and 21 years old are eligible to apply. Interested students have to attend a two-day orientation on April 20 and 21 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the schools south campus, 175 W. Irvington Road.

To reserve a spot, call 724-9740. For a registration packet, visit pimavocational.org online.

The high school is a program of Pima Countys community services, employment and training department. Students can get real-world work experience on top of academic classes.

More than 500 students have graduated from the school with diplomas and career plans since it opened in 2000.

Students win financial analysis competition

An Orange Grove Middle School team won a state competition on analyzing financial situations and providing recommended strategies.

Sydney Loudermilk and James Yang of the school won a case study competition sponsored by the Arizona Council for Economic Education. They first had to submit a written analysis, which they then presented at state finals on April 7.

Two of the six finalist teams were from Orange Grove Middle School, 1911 E. Orange Grove Road. The school is within the Catalina Foothills School District.

Junior Shark Tank program open to teens

Tucson-area high school students will get a chance to participate in a summer science, technology, engineering and math mentoring program.

The SYSTEM Coalition is putting on a four-week summer STEM program, during which high school teams will be mentored by industry and business professionals and develop ideas into products.

At the end of the program, the teams will compete to win $1,000 to $5,000 in scholarships.

All high school students, including seniors who are graduating this May are eligible. Students who will be freshmen in the fall are not.

The registration fee for the program is $300, but students who qualify for free or reduced lunch are eligible to pay a smaller fee. Applications are due April 30.

To apply, visit systemcoalition.org/jr-shark-tank.

Graduation safety messages sought

The Pima Association of Governments is challenging high school students to come up with a graduation safety message.

To participate in the contest, high school students should submit a video and/or a safety message for social media that PAG can use on social media by May 5.

Entries from finalists will be posted on PAGs Facebook page from May 10 to 12. At least 200 likes are required for entries to receive cash prizes for first, second and third places.

For more detailed criteria, email SafetyContest@PAGregion.com. Entries should be submitted there also.

The contest aims to spread awareness on the importance of safety during graduation week, when there is a greater number of car accidents.
A short time after he announced he would run against U.S. Rep. Martha McSally as a Democrat, Billy Kovacs spent several hours Monday explaining that he wasn't a Republican.

Kovacs, the operations manager of Hotel Congress, stressed in a statement to the Arizona Daily Star that he had been a registered Democrat since 2008.

The Arizona Department of Motor Vehicles made a clerical error last year, he said, changing his registration in August, formally making him a Republican. Kovacs wasn't aware of the issue until he was asked about his registration by the Arizona Daily Star.

"I am a registered Democrat," he said. "This error was part of a systemic wide issue at the DMV that affected countless others in Southern Arizona last year. The Secretary of State has corrected this error in my party affiliation. I am dismayed this happened to me as it did to countless others last year."

This campaign has since turned over the document he submitted to the DMV, showing he indicated he was still and did not want to change his party registration.

However, Kovacs wasn't always a registered Democrat. He registered as a Republican in 2006, election records show. He registered as a Democrat in October 2008, shortly before the election of President Barack Obama.

In his announcement Monday, Kovacs said he would challenge McSally since she has refused to stand up to the President Donald Trump.

"Donald Trump and his administration's policies and rhetoric are divisive, un-American and offensive. Congresswoman McSally is complicit, and her pledge to be an independent voice has turned out to be a false promise," he said. "With her 100 percent support of President Trump's agenda, she has proven herself to be nothing short of a rubber stamp for a President whose policies crush working and middle-class families in Southern Arizona."

Kovacs has worked in Cochise County at his family's vineyard in Pearce and cofounded Tucson eatery Prep and Pastry.

He joins a crowded field of Democrats vying to run against McSally. Other candidates who have filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run for the Congressional District 2 seat include William Foster and Charlie Verdin.

Jeff Latas, who ran for the Democratic nomination for Congress in Southern Arizona in 2005-2006, has also indicated he is considering a run for the seat.
More than two years after the $18.8 million La Canada Drive widening was largely finished, the legal battle that flared up in its wake between Pima County and the main contractor for the project is now largely concluded.

In early April, the Western Surety Co.  acting as the attorney for contractor Select Development and Construction  agreed to a $1.3 million offer from the county, payable to Select but delivered to the surety company.

It was Western, not Select, that accepted a settlement because the contractor failed to either accept it on its own or post $1.1 million in collateral after Western took on sizable losses from claims paid on this project and settlements of others, according to letters obtained by the Star through a public records request.

In late 2015, Select filed a lawsuit alleging the county was responsible for a number of costly delays that resulted in the project being extended 132 days. Those delays resulted in nearly $5.6 million in additional costs, which it sought in the suit, along with interest, attorney fees and a final payment of $970,000 held by the county.

The delays were caused by untimely responses to company requests for information, including one request that took the county nine months to respond to, as well by project plan errors, interference from utility companies and sequencing problems, the complaint says.

In its response, the county rejected the companys claims and said that any delays were caused by the companys failures to diligently pursue the work and any additional costs  incurred arose from its repeated failures to properly manage the project.

Pima also countersued, claiming that Select had failed to promptly pay subcontractors and properly report those payments, allegations the company later denied, according to court documents. The final payment was withheld to ensure the company met such contractual obligations.

While the project to widen La Canada between West Ina and River roads was underway, the county determined the company was not paying certain of the subcontractors and suppliers, according to the finalized settlement.

County Transportation Director Priscilla Cornelio said the suit had been a headache for Pima County, and Im glad its all been settled.

I think it was a good settlement, in particular for the subcontractors to be paid, she added.

As a part of the settlement, Western agreed to pay most of the subcontractors with outstanding claims, which exceed $210,000. However, the company has asserted defenses to claims made by contractors A&M Fencing and European Pavers.

Matt Gage, owner of A&M, said hes nevertheless hopeful hell see at least a part of his companys remaining $34,600 claim in the wake of the settlement. However, he said he feels the county should have been more cautious contracting with Select, which he said had previously been accused of not paying subcontractors.

All that stuff is right there, he said.

A brief search of Pima County Superior Court records turned up a handful of cases in which subcontractors and other parties sued Select, alleging nonpayment and other issues.

For example, the Antech Corp. sued Select in 2007 for an unpaid balance of over $70,000 in labor, materials and equipment, according to court records. Antech won a judgment in that amount, plus interest and attorney fees. A settlement was reached later.

The county also canceled a $10 million 2013 contract with Select for improvements to Magee Road between La Canada and North Oracle Road after significant delays and similar complaints from subcontractors, marking the first time the county had ever taken that step on a major project. The La Canada contract was awarded the year before.

When evaluating bidders, the county does a number of things, including license verification and checking corporate standing through the Arizona Corporation Commission, as well as seeing if they have been debarred from federal projects, according to written comments provided by county Procurement Director Mary Jo Furphy.

In the case of Select, the county was aware  of past litigation prior to awarding the first contract, Furphy said. As a result, the county took additional measures, including getting performance references from other companies, which were positive. Additionally, county bonding requirements ensure both that projects get completed  even if a contractor goes under or is otherwise unable to finish a job  and subcontractors get paid.

There are protections in place, Furphy said.

The Star attempted to contact Select representatives for comment through a number of means, but was unsuccessful. CNA Financial, Westerns parent company, said it does not comment on litigation.

DOWN THE ROAD

In last weeks column, the Road Runner gave readers the heads-up about an upcoming six-month closure at Interstate 19s southbound on-ramp at Pima Mine Road starting Monday. On Thursday, ADOT sent an update that the on-ramp will not be closed for six months beginning Monday, April 17. The closure is still coming, and an ADOT spokesman said he doesnt expect the delay to be too long.

Its just taking a little longer to get things in place for the work, ADOT spokesman Tom Herrmann told the Road Runner.

On Tuesday, city contractor Markham will install temporary traffic signal wires and take out existing signal poles at the East Grant Road/North Sixth Avenue intersection. The work will take place between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, during which east and westbound left turn lanes will be temporarily closed and left turns from Grant to Sixth will not be allowed. Right turns will not be impacted. The work is part of Phase 2 of the Grant Road Improvement project.

Early Monday, Tucson Estates Parkway at Arizona 86 (Ajo Way) will close for roughly five weeks to allow for intersection work and new road construction. Access will be maintained with a detour from South Kinney to West Bopp roads.

Also Monday morning, Arizona 86 traffic will be shifted south at the South Camino Verde intersection for lane striping. There will be a similar shift to the north once the striping is complete.
The dog lady President of Animals' Crusaders is a stray's best friend

Bonnie Henry, The Arizona Daily Star

The dog was frantic.

One minute it was riding along in a car with its owners. The next minute it was out on Mission Road. Dumped. Alone. And running down the road after the fast-disappearing car.

"I was afraid it was going to get hit, but my car was so full of stuff I couldn't stop," says Marian Rudigier. "I got rid of the stuff and went back for the dog.

"By then it had been hit. I kept flagging down cars. Finally this Indian man helped me get it to the vet."

Too late. The dog had gone into shock and had to be destroyed.

"People can be so cruel," says Rudigier, who is president of Tucson's Animals' Crusaders, a non-profit all-volunteer agency that for the last 33 years has provided low-cost pet spaying and neutering.

Four years ago, the organization took on an extra task after Rudigier learned that hundreds of stray dogs, as well as cats, were being dumped inside the boundaries of the San Xavier District of the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation, southwest of Tucson.

Rudigier, whose work with animals in Tucson dates to 1971, went to investigate.

"When I first went out there, you could hardly find an animal that wasn't in some stage of dying."

And so the woman who's spent half a lifetime helping animals began yet another shoestring operation: rescuing strays left to fend for themselves over some 72,000 acres of reservation land.

"In the beginning, I just stopped my car anyplace I saw a skinny dog and put out plates and boxes of food," says Rudigier, who drives a 1984 Oldsmobile station wagon with 102,000 miles under the hood.

In the beginning, she also hauled her own water, in 5-gallon buckets sloshing around in the back of the Olds.

"I was really aggressive. I'd go up to houses, fill up a bowl with water. If people stuck their heads outside, I'd say, 'I'm giving the dogs water.' "

Not everyone appreciated - or understood. Complaints started flowing in to the San Xavier District Council, which governs that portion of the reservation.

"It never occurred to me," says Rudigier, "but they were wondering, 'Why is that obnoxious white woman out here?' "

"Back then, there was some skepticism," says Austin Nuez, current chairman of the district. "We didn't know what her intentions were."

An explanation was in order. Rudigier soon found herself in front of the District Council.

"There was absolutely no reaction from the members after my talk," she remembers. "The next day I ran into a council member and I said, 'Well, I guess I blew it.' But he said, no, in fact they were going to pass a resolution allowing me to do this."

Since then, the council has solidly backed her. "It's great what she's doing," says Nuez. "She's cut down on the strays about 50 percent."

During Rudigier's first three years, close to 1,000 strays were placed in homes outside the reservation. But another 80 animals - too injured or diseased to be rescued - had to be euthanized.

As for the animals taken in by the people who live on the reservation, Rudigier offers them help as well - everything from food and water to tick dips and spaying.

"Our animals are all healthier," says Nuez.

To date, hundreds of pets living on the reservation have also been treated for everything from valley fever to snakebites.

The bill for all this comes due to Animals' Crusaders, which uses the services of the Santa Cruz Veterinary Clinic.

"Animals' Crusaders works with about 20 vets, but we only use Santa Cruz for the reservation work," says Rudigier, 62, whose volunteer work has ranged from the Salvation Army and Head Start to a half-dozen animal-aid groups.

"I've volunteered both for people and animals," she says, "but there's nothing like working for animals. They're so grateful."

Come October, however, Rudigier will leave her duties both as head of Animals' Crusaders and on the reservation. Her husband, Joe, is retiring, and they plan to move to Phoenix, where children and grandchildren live.

Between now and then, Rudigier is training volunteers to take her place. "I hope to have two teams of two volunteers each, with each team going out once a week."

In the meantime, Rudigier continues to visit the reservation at least twice a week, roaming for hours over rutted roads, looking for animals in need.

These days, Rudigier no longer has to haul the water in, but instead gets it straight from reservation faucets. However, much of the water still has to be carried by bucket from spigot to watering trough.

"I'd like to run a pipe to here," Rudigier says as she stands near a feeding station in the shadow of Mission San Xavier del Bac.

But until she can find volunteers to dig the trench and supply the pipe, hauling the water in by the bucketful will have to do.

Four buckets of water and two automatic dog feeders line up in a row. "The dogs come across the cemetery to feed and water here," she says, pointing toward the west.

During the past three years, 30,000 pounds of pet food has gone out to reservation animals, much of it doled out in automatic feeders set up at several feeding stations.

Some of the food is donated; some is bought outright by Animals' Crusaders. And just about all of it comes in via Rudigier's station wagon - though the Olds may be getting a break.

The owner of a storage shed company has promised Rudigier a shed to store the pet food on the reservation.

Food and water are not her only concerns. "Spaying is our main objective," says Rudigier, who's constantly hauling female dogs into the veterinarian's office.

"At first the people were apprehensive, but I told them, 'I'll bring the dog back in three days,' " says Rudigier, who always gets permission from the owner for such procedures.

If she spots a serious medical emergency, however, and the owner's not home, Rudigier will tack a note on the door, then take the animal in for treatment.

"I'm over at Santa Cruz Clinic a lot," says Rudigier. "My all-time record was five times in one day. (Dr.) Dan (Riley) said he was going to set up a cot for me."

Says Riley: "As far as the patients we see, reservation animals tend to be a little more down the road in terms of care they need."

Once a month during all but the winter months, Animals' Crusaders and the Humane Society of Tucson hold a free tick and mange dip on the reservation, along with a free shot clinic.

Though hesitant at first, residents now bring their dogs by the hundreds to these clinics. As a result, thousands of shots have been given to prevent parvo, distemper and upper respiratory infections.

The tick dips and clinics, says Rudigier, have brought gratifying before-and-after results.

"I used to see puppies die who were so infested with ticks that the ticks sucked the life out of them."

As for the shots, "We've pretty much eliminated parvo and distemper," says Rudigier, who still harbors memories of animals on the reservation staggering with distemper.

As might be expected, medical care remains the No. 1 expenditure for Animals' Crusaders, which is now averaging more than $10,000 in medical costs during a given year.

Donated pet food, fencing, water buckets, even lumber to build doghouses for the coming winter - all are welcome. "But we really need money donations for the medical bills," Rudigier says.

Meanwhile, Rudigier continues her rounds.

She begins one recent Tuesday morning behind the shopping plaza south of the mission. Rudigier and volunteer Terri Haller had just finished filling up two watering troughs - one for dogs, the other for horses.

"There are six adults and two colts that come here to water," says Rudigier. "They look pretty good."

The two then climb into Rudigier's station wagon, whose back end is crammed with cages, several buckets of dog food and a plastic bottle filled with cat food.

"Cats don't last out here unless they're kept inside," says Rudigier. "Coyotes."

The cat food is for Mabel Pablo, who lives in a brick and adobe family compound not 300 yards from the whine of traffic on Interstate 19.

Seven dogs with names like Bear and Bonnie, Vicky and Daisy live here, along with a half-dozen cats. "They're all strays," says Pablo, who's taken them in. "We like animals."

Rudigier greets the dogs warmly by name, then quickly checks their ears. "They've all been to the tick dip," she says approvingly.

"Oh, yes. We just put them in back of the pickup," says Pablo, pointing to a Ford truck parked in the shade.

The next stop lies at the end of a washboard road. Such roads are taking their toll on the Oldsmobile, which has gobbled up $1,200 worth of repairs in the last eight months.

A modern ranch house comes into view. Rudigier steps out of the car at the gate and is instantly surrounded by four energetic tail-waggers.

She and Haller dole out a bag of fast-disappearing dog biscuits. "There's little sister and brother, spayed and neutered," Rudigier says as she nuzzles two of the dogs. "OK, guys, let's go up and look for water."

A horse stands in the back corral. Though well-cared-for, its only water comes in a 5-gallon bucket. Haller heads for the hose by the house.

"I told the woman who lives here that the next time I'm at the swap meet I'll look for a horse trough," says Rudigier, as Haller fills up the bucket.

One of the dogs has a matted eye - sometimes a symptom of valley fever or tick fever.

Rudigier queries a little girl who's come out to investigate: "Is your mother home?" The little girl shakes her head. No, only an older sister.

Rudigier decides the eye can wait until her next visit, three days from now.

On the way to the next stop, the Oldsmobile passes a "No Dumping" sign, one of many recently posted on reservation land by the Humane Society of Tucson. "Dumping animals is against the law!" reads the first line on the sign.

"I think the signs are helping," says Rudigier, who lobbied for a year to get the signs erected.

The next destination is a house off Mission Road, where Rudigier will pick up three kittens ready for spaying.

The owner is gone. "Marian, I'll be back at 1. Ernie," reads the note on the door.

"I'm not waiting till 1," says Rudigier. She and Haller find the kittens behind the house, inside a wooden fence.

"Think we can jump it?" asks Haller.

But Rudigier is hesitant about the kittens. "I'm still not sure they're old enough," she answers. "I think I'll put them off till next Tuesday."

Instead, they fill water bowls for two dogs escaping the noonday sun beneath the bellies of two old cars.

Then Rudigier spies it - a bathtub - sitting at the side of the house. "I wonder if Ernie would sell me that bathtub," she says to herself, mentally converting the tub to a horse trough.

There's one final stop on reservation land, at a house whose puppy is going to get its parvo-distemper shots today. Haller will be giving the shots, one of the few things Rudigier does not do.

"I got someone pretty quick to come out with me to give the shots," says Rudigier, who over the years has introduced dozens of volunteers to the reservation.

"Some are just curious," says Rudigier. "I had a couple of University of Arizona students who'd never been on an Indian reservation. What did they think was out here, tepees?"

But most, she allows, are dedicated. "People will come out here as long as they can, but then they get a new job, or they go back to school."

While Rudigier holds the puppy, Haller gives it the shot. That done, there's a new complication. For inside the house are two week-old kittens, orphaned after dogs killed their mother.

Standing in the doorway is Brenda Pablo, nursing the kittens with evaporated milk, which seeps through a hole in a rubber glove finger.

"I'll get you some formula and bring it back," Rudigier says as she and Haller head for the car.

Fifteen minutes later, they're off reservation land and inside the clinic.

"I need two cans of formula and a case of cat food," Rudigier tells veterinarian technician Rose Rice.

As she waits for the supplies, Rudigier looks ahead to October. "Oh, I know I'll still be doing something with animals."

She will no longer, however, do animal rescues. "It's too emotional."

Still, she reflects on the rewards. "People come out now and say, 'Gee, these dogs out here really look good.' Well, they should. They've had a supply of food for the past 3 1/2 years. But if they'd seen what I saw when I first came out here. . . ."

Rice is back with the kitten formula, along with a tiny baby bottle. "Tell them to use a hot needle on the nipple," she tells Rudigier.

Five minutes later, Rudigier and Haller are back in the Oldsmobile, ready to head out to the reservation.

"A lot of people think I'm a nut," says Rudigier. "But I don't think there's anyone on that reservation who doesn't know me - the dog lady."

For more information on Animals' Crusaders, of if you wish to help with a donation, call 327-7427 or write to the organization at P.O. box 31586, Tucson 85751.
NOGALES, Ariz.  Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora, share something more meaningful than their city name. They also share a source of water that is vital to their region of the border.

Officials from Sonora and Arizona say binational water cooperation is essential to their survival and growth. Both also acknowledge the relationship related to water and the issues involved.

We know that Arizona wouldnt be Arizona without water, probably our most precious resource, said Arizona Secretary of State Michele Reagan. People dont realize that things are grown in other countries.

Border towns commonly share water resources. In this case, both cities share the Santa Cruz River. At 184 miles in length, it flows from Arizona to Sonora and back into Arizona.

One organization that works to promote water cooperation between the two countries is the Sonoran Institute. Its CEO, Stephanie Sklar, says binational cooperation around water is essential and that the Sonoran Institute works with lawmakers to promote it.

Theres nowhere that we work that we are not dependent upon what is happening to a river or range of rivers that are providing sustenance to communities, Sklar said.

Politicians from both sides of the border said they acknowledge that most of the issues related to water have originated on the Mexican side of the river.

We are doing our part regarding water research with not only the water that comes through Nogales but the water that comes through the Santa Cruz, said Sonoran Secretary of State Miguel Pompa. That way the contaminated water does not come down to this side. We are working on that.

Pompa said that local, state, and federal governments in Mexico are cooperating to create a first-of-its-kind solar water-treatment plant in Sonora. Water treatment on the Santa Cruz is done in the U.S.

What we are currently doing  and it is working  is treating the residual water in Nogales and sending clean water into the U.S., said Esteban Martinez, a city councilman from Nogales, Sonora.

Pompa also said that federal governments on both sides are to blame for most of the issues pertaining to water in that Washington and Mexico City dont understand the border because they arent on the border.

Echoing Pompa, Sklar also said she hopes federal politicians minimize interference with water around the border.

I would like to not be distracted from what we do by politics taking the front seat, she said. Were very connected to the land in the West and we are very connected to our natural resources. That is something that I think transcends politics  a river cant be healthy on one side and not healthy on the other.

Nogales, Arizona, Mayor John F. Doyle said he commonly deals with issues related to mishandling of water on the Mexican side. He said factories in Sonora dump toxic waste into shared waterways.

He added that drug cartels commonly use the sewers that run under the border wall to transport bundles of narcotics. These bundles have become dams in the waterways, which lead to infrastructure problems such as blocked pipes and overflowing sewers.

What we want to see is that (the Sonoran government is) more on top of things and that the revelations dont just come from this side, Doyle said. If not, we end up dealing with this problem here.

Many factories in Sonora are owned by American companies. Under the NAFTA agreement, their waste is to be treated by American plants.

Gilbert Anaya, an environmental engineer with the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), said he focuses on educating factories in Sonora in order to combat some of the water pollution issues.

International wastewater treatment is handled by the IBWC plant . It treats about 9.9 million gallons of water from Mexico a day.

The goal is to educate them and say dont do it this way, and if you have waste that you need to dispose of, you need to know who to call, Anaya said. You arent going to get in trouble for calling and asking for help. You cant get rid of any waste without doing it properly.

Anaya said some of these American-owned factories, also known as maquiladoras, contract to smaller local Mexican companies which can lead to miscommunication and improper treatment of waste.

Youre shooting yourself in the foot; youre going to hurt yourself and everybody else if you dont treat your waste properly, Anaya said.

Recently leaders from both countries met to discuss issues pertaining to water cooperation. Doyle and other lawmakers, politicians, and business people from Sonora and Arizona gathered in Nogales, Arizona, to discuss the economic growth in the border region. The panel consisted of Reagan, Pompa and Doyle, who brought up water issues related to agriculture.
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TCN News

Aligarh : Professor Faizan Mustafa, Vice-Chancellor of NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad today delivered a special talk on the topic, Freedom of Religion and Solidarity during the Valedictory Function of All India Sir Syed Memorial Debate, 2017, organised by Aligarh Muslim University Students Union (AMUSU) and University Debating and Literary Club at the Assembly Hall, University Polytechnic (Boys).

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During the lecture, Mustafa pointed out that a country cannot be secular without giving equal right to minorities and without making minorities live without fear.

Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, Mustafa said that Gandhi was convinced that genuine religion and its practice leads to solidarity within different communities living in a country.

Commenting on the policies of economic development, Mustafa further said that if a countrys human development index is poor, then all the ideas of economic development and progress become irrelevant. He also pointed out that countries in the contemporary world have now started measuring their happiness-index.

Talking on the issue of Triple Talaq, Mustafa pointed out that banning triple divorce by the Supreme Court is misplaced, as banning would invariably mean prohibiting some conduct generally through the instrumentality of criminal law.

Judiciary cannot create new crimes. We need an Act of Parliament to make an act criminal. If government is interested in reforms, it can bring in a law, but will it work?, asked Mustafa during the lecture.

He further said that religion is the substance to any culture and if religion is taken away from society, there will be a down fall in moral and social values too. He said, Indians are religious people and they live under the jurisdiction of various faiths they follow, which makes them honest and law abiding citizens as well.

Even in India, secularism has sustained not because of religious minorities, but because of the liberal people from the majority Hindu community, who have always protested suppression of religious, ethnic and linguistic minorities.

Mustafa also emphasized that religion has huge contribution in structures of societies and cultures as it provides checks and balances in the behavior of people. A God fearing man, will abstain from committing sins while abiding with existing laws in the country, said Mustafa adding that however, there are people, who kill in the name of religion because there is a decline in spirituality and increase in religiosity.

After the lecture, Mustafa was joined by Mohibul Haq, Associate Professor at Department of Political Science; Omar S Peerzada, AMU Public Relations Officer and Faizul Hasan, President AMUSU for the distribution of prizes to the winners of the Sir Syed Memorial Debate 2017.

Professor Mairaj Ahmad, Asif Akhlaq and Wajahat Jilani conducted the program, while Faizul Hasan proposed the vote of thanks.
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A Civil Rights activist for decades and well-known lawyer, Parvez Imroz is the Chief of the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) and possesses a long-standing experience of human rights activism in Kashmir. He also represents the International Peoples Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice in Indian-administered Kashmir and is accorded with international recognitions for efforts carried out to bring anomalies of conflict in Kashmir to the outside world.

Kashmir many a time witnessed state sponsored attacks on human rights organisations, activists and lawyers. Last year, Khurram Parvez, another leading figure of JKCCS was arrested and prevented from boarding his flight to Switzerland as directed by the Intelligence Bureau even after his possession of a valid VISA with an official invitation when scheduled to attend a session organised by the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. Parvez Imroz had then led the delegation and sought to build opinion in support of their efforts. In early 2005, he had stated in a press conference that the Indian Army and the Government are conspiring to kill him.

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Mohammed Sirajuddeen, a doctoral researcher at the Centre for Political Studies, School of Social Sciences, JNU, interacted with Parvez Imroz in February 2017 at the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) Office in Srinagar.

Mohammed Sirajuddeen (MS): Why are people getting mobilised given the fact that security establishment is tough in every corner of Kashmir?

Parvez Imroz: No doubt the history of Government conduct has been tough. A fear element in Kashmiris has gone to an extent that stake of remaining silent is more costly than resistance. The young generation is politically mature in their struggle. Palestine is an example in front of us and Israeli settlement is the model of Indian occupation. Kashmir does not need a Palestinisation. RSS Chief believes that demographic changes are the only solution to Kashmir problem. Now, the Article 370 is being diluted even by judicial acts. A process to that direction has started. There is a conservative turn globally and a globalisation of mediocrity. No concrete solutions are coming from Indian authorities.

MS: How will you characterise the behaviour of Indian Armed Forces?

Parvez Imroz: Army is getting communalized and with the coming of Modi government, that process got intensified. Defense Ministry took an aggressive stand. Army camps in Kashmir have succumbed to Mandir culture and the State is hell-bent on bringing radical Hinduisation of Army ranks. Even though aggressive attitude of Army men existed earlier, the communalisation process is a recent phenomenon and in many cases, it is reported that behaviour of Army men hailing from North belt of Indian mainland characterised belligerent attitude to Kashmiri people. Hence even after 25 years, we witness no delivery of justice, and institutional mechanisms also proved inadequate.

MS: Will you compare Kashmir with Palestine?

Parvez Imroz: The World has condemned atrocities in Palestine and Israel was vetoed in UN. The government cannot be as brazen as Israel because Indian ruling class is different. As different from Palestine, for Kashmir, Pakistan factor is pertinent therefore there cannot be a plain comparison with Palestine. While Palestine has a 4 million diaspora, Kashmir lacks diaspora and Palestine got global support in all terms. At the same time, we have seen parallels in patterns of state atrocities in both the places.

MS: What are your views on Indian Left since it said that the only spectrum that speaks for Kashmir is Left groups in India?

Parvez Imroz: We have seen vibrant left movement in Palestine like that of The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PLFP), Kashmir is the only national liberation movement where there is an absence of Left movement. The only visible left group in Kashmir is represented by Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami and he functioned as a collaborator like mainstream Indian Political Parties. From experience, for Kashmiris, Left and Right political groups in India stands as two sides of the same coin. Indian Left has played a treacherous role with respect to the need of resolving Kashmir question. Barring Maoists and radical humanists all streams of Parliamentary Left in India didnt care about Kashmir and confined to rhetoric.

MS: There are criticisms that if granted freedom, Kashmir will become an Islamic State, any comments?

Parvez Imroz: Many scientific surveys in past years pointed that majority of Kashmiris aspired azadi. Since there are no non-Muslim entities and notable non-Muslim figures in Kashmirs resistance movement, vested interests in India sought to frame it otherwise. But in reality, we cannot ignore the role of religion in Kashmir. Every time, those who criticise Kashmir forget the fact that India is a Brahminical Hindu State. Though there are Bhutan and Nepal, they say that Kashmir will be at peril if given freedom that too at the hands of Pakistan and China. This is Colonial-British logic and we reject it.

It is a self-defeating proposition that Kashmir is becoming an Islamic State. Those who argue this leave no scope for self-determination and they undermine our cause. Unlike other South Asian turmoil, outfits like Taliban has no much influence in Kashmir and the visible militant group Hizb-ul-Mujahideen is based on indigenous cadre base. While in Pakistan, electoral politics witness no more than 3% support for religious political parties, India mandated a Hindu party with more than 31% voting. India represents as a burning pot of 16,000 communal riots and a history of mass atrocities against minorities. The condition of Muslims are worse than the situation of Dalits and they are considered as second-class citizens. Here in Kashmir, Hindus are over represented institutionally and we believe in brotherhood.

MS: What is your vision of Azadi?

Parvez Imroz: During the early 1990s, militancy was a result of an emotional outburst, a sentimental reaction and the State responded with a heavy hand and it was an ugly phase. Even after militancy receding and reaching a low in scale and spread, state repression continues unabated. Militancy in present Kashmir is organised by Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and Lashkar,,, their method is qualitatively different in the sense that they rely on romanticism and glorification techniques to gain mass support. The question of freedom is a dream, our primary concern is to put the military out and a majority in Kashmir believe that Pakistan is an option which is lesser an evil than the present regime.
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Patna, (IANS): President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday honoured freedom fighters from across the country to mark the ongoing year-long centenary celebrations of the Champaran Satyagraha.

Mukherjee, who arrived here by a special Indian Air Force plane, inaugurated the felicitation ceremony. Later, he honoured 15 selected freedom fighters on the stage.

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It is a matter of pride to honour freedom fighters, who have played important roles in the freedom movement of our country and fight against the colonial rule, Mukherjee said in his address.

He said: I pay respect to all freedom fighters who are alive and pay homage to those who are dead.

Mukherjee said the nation cannot forget the important contributions made by freedom fighters in the countrys freedom movement.

He said Mahatma Gandhi transformed the Satyagraha into a powerful tool. Gandhis first Satyagraha began in Champaran, Bihar. In fact, with it Gandhi began a new chapter for the country.

Champaraan is the laboratory of freedom movement of Satyagraha by Gandhi, he added.

Hundreds of freedom fighters from across the country arrived here and were honoured by the state government.

Freedom fighters from different states were honoured by President Pranab Mukherjee as part of the centenary celebrations, said Vinodanand Jha, an official of the state Education Department.

According to Jha, freedom fighters from 19 states  including Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi  were honoured by the President.

In all, 2,972 freedom fighters from across the country, including Bihar, were honoured.

As per the plan, the President honoured 264 freedom fighters from 19 states and 554 of the 2,708 freedom fighters of Bihar, Jha said.

The year-long celebrations to mark the 100th year of Mahatma Gandhis first major resistance against British rule, popularly known as the Champaran Satyagraha, began last week in Bihar.

Mahatma Gandhi launched his Satyagraha  a non-violent agitation  against the forced cultivation of indigo by the British rulers in Champaran district on April 10, 1917.
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New Delhi, (IANS): The Janata Dal United (JD-U) on Monday called for wide ranging debates on triple talaq, or instant divorce, in Parliament as well as state legislative assemblies, to build a consensus on the issue.

In the context of recent ongoing debate over triple talaq, the JD-U is of the firm view that any change in the law must come through constructive dialogue between all the stakeholders, party spokesman K.C. Tyagi said.

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Considering the multi-cultural and multi-religious nature of our country, the issues of triple talaq and the Uniform Civil Code should be put to wide ranging debates in Parliament as well as legislative assemblies and other forums of civil society, he added.

He said that party President and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in his letter to Law Commission has already said that JD-U welcomes any kind of positive changes in the polity and laws of the country, but it must be based on broad consensus rather than imposing it in an authoritarian way.

Tyagi said that Nitish Kumar has also expressed deep concern over forceful imposition of the majoritarian views on the religious practices of minorities.

The party considers that the state must endeavour to bring in the Uniform Civil Code. However, it must be based on broad consensus rather than imposing it in an authoritarian way.

Any attempt to impose UCC without thorough consultations and consensus, especially with the minorities and various religious groups, could lead to social friction and an erosion of faith in the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion, he added.
Though it is questionable how much the European Union truly believes in the principle of liberal democracy when it expects its applicants to adhere to that principle, it seems President Erdogan has no interest in conforming to the EU's expectations, as yesterday's referendum has proved.

Turkey has been on the EU's waiting list for some time now. But during Mr. Erdogan's tenure as prime minister in 2003-14, he successfully clamped down on freedom of speech, the freedom of the press and the rights of its LGBT and Kurdish citizens. Reporters without Borders ranked Turkey 100 on the Press Freedom Index during his first term as prime minister.

EU officials at the time refused to allow Turkey to join the superbloc due to Mr. Erdogan's failure to respect the free press.

Add to these strains Turkey's persistent illegal occupation of northern Cyprus and Mr. Erdogan successfully scuppered his country's application before reaching the office of president. After a further clampdown of the free press during last year's coup and winning yesterday's referendum that will enable President Erdogan to further solidify his power base, he might as well withdraw Turkey's EU membership application immediately.

It remains questionable why the EU want Turkey to join them. With a population that dwarfs that of their most influential member, Germany, Turkish MEPs would flood the European Parliament, overtaking the current makeup of German MEPs.

The EU's existence may only be limited to a number of years, but it seems Mr. Erdogan has unintentionally let it live to fight another day. Mrs. Merkel no longer has to fear Turkey overtaking Germany's role in shaping the European agenda. To give credit where it's due, perhaps Stronger In did get something right last year; Turkey will definitely not be allowed to join the EU until 3000 and beyond. But it's doubtful the superbloc will be alive by then anyway.
Turkish opposition parties have refused to admit defeat in yesterday's referendum on constitutional reforms.

The main opposition party to Turkish President Recip Tayyip Erdogan, the People's Republican Party (CHP), have issued a statement saying the predicted result is illegitimate.

Erdal Aksunger, deputy chairman of the CHP, said bullying tactics had been used to skewer the referendum result in the Government's favour.

He said nearly 3 million votes cast yesterday are fraudulent.

But President Erdogan hit back at critics, saying they are trying to dwarf his conceded triumph in a vote that will grant him significant new powers.

However, the electoral board is yet to confirm the final count and informed the Turkish head of state it will be clarified in over a week's time.

Transition to a presidential system

If the final result suggests the Government won the vote, Turkey will immediately transition from a parliamentary democracy to a presidential one.

Yet this would result in Mr. Erdogan being able to secure power until 2029.

Because of these changes, the post of prime minister will be abolished.

Instead, the current President would possess the power to draw up budgets, issue a state of emergency and implement decrees appointing ministers by avoiding parliamentary approval.

Turkey is expected to hold elections in 2019, which will witness these constitutional changes implemented by then.

Bitter divisions

This referendum has bitterly divided Turks throughout the country. Opinion polls suggest the 'yes' side will win with a narrow margin, but cities like Istanbul and the Kurdish southeast are likely to vote 'no.'

President Erdogan defended the radical changes he intends to introduce. He says the current constitution is outdated due to changed circumstances since the 1980 military coup.

This event enabled generals to dictate the terms of the constitution in order to tackle political and security issues in Turkey and end the practice of forming weak coalition governments.

Yet opposition parties have attacked President Erdogan for failing to respect the current constitution.

They claim this referendum has been staged to enable him to gain more powers to prevent events like last June's revolt, which saw 200 journalists arrested and 120 media outlets closed.

The electoral board is fighting back against claims from opposition parties that many ballots are fraudulent.

They provided a statement on their website before the polls closed saying they will refuse to certify fraudulent votes.

Vow to challenge the result

Despite this, the CHP is refusing to acknowledge Erdogan's victory. They vow to challenge 37% of votes, arguing the Turkish Government interfered with the ballots to push for a 'yes' victory.

A Kurdish opposition party also refuses to accept the result.

Istanbul, one of the cities that overwhelmingly rejected the changes, saw residents protest against the result by banging pots and pans from their neighbourhoods.

But Turkish Prime Minister, Binali Yildirim, said this result marks a new beginning for Turkish democracy.

President Erdogan said to reporters in Istanbul that he believes he won by a margin of 1.3 million votes.

After acknowledging the part Turkish citizens played in delivering the likely result, he challenged Western powers to respect the wishes of his people to approve of 18 constitutional changes.

However, this result could cause further strains in Turkey's relationship with the European Union.

Turkish EU membership was a hot issue in last year's EU Referendum in Britain, which saw the pro-Brexit group Vote Leave claim it will happen soon. But Stronger In, the pro-EU group, claimed Britain could veto their membership bid and that they will not be able to join until the year 3000.

This is due to their lack of democratic government and occupation of northern Cyprus.

This referendum could see Turkish EU membership being delayed beyond the year 3000.

Relations between Turkey and the superbloc were also strained by failures to draw up an agreement to ensure the smooth passage of refugees to Europe.

Before becoming president in 2014, Mr. Erdogan was prime minister in between 2003-14.
British friends joined us on a trip to Namibia. How rewarding it is to share Africa with those who experience it for the first time! Namibia sees a lot of German Tourists, which is not a big surprise as it was formerly a German Colony but British travellers not as frequent visitors to Namibia as the Germans. The direct flight out of Frankfurt, Germany is available every day of the week, but it is seldom that British travellers are on the flights.

Africa is a great place to visit if you have Pounds in your pocket because of the exchange rates. With Brits anticipating cheap European holidays becoming a thing of the past as a result of Brexit, perhaps more will get to experience the wonder of Sossusvlei in the future.

Namibia - a land of the remotest beauty

Namibias gravel roads are excellent and are very well maintained by a fleet of grader drivers who set up their semi-permanent camps in the middle of nowhere, in a land of the remotest beauty. They add a sense of real adventure on the way to Sossusvlei from Windhoek airport.

There was a sense of real journeying, of real adventure. Now and then, we passed occasional farmers going about their business, or simply children wandering through the sands and rock seemingly on a mission to nowhere. On the way down to the dunes at Sossusvlei, we traversed the Gamsberg pass at 2330m above sea level. With care, we slowly navigated down the steeply winding road, stopping to capture images of the distant desert sprawled lazily in the sands below the escarpment.

At the Gaub Pass, we were in for a treat as the 'upside down' pass is a huge hole in the ground. There at the bottom of the great canyon twinkled a cool, clean river and round about were scattered thorn trees, majestic and almost impossible in a land so stark. Birds and small animals abounded in the deep cool haven at the bottom of the pass.

Solitaire - famous for apple pie

Moving on, we hit the flats and away behind, the faint blue of the escarpment met a sea of yellow-white grass that escorted us into Solitaire. Miniscule Solitaire is indeed drowsing away peacefully, framed by the miles of yellow grasses nodding towards the red dunes in the distance. The best part of Solitaire is the apple pie.

Famed throughout the land - it is highly recommended and completely scrumptious!

Destination Sesriem

The Sesriem camp in the Namibia National Parks Camp lies about sixty kilometers away from Sossusvlei proper, but here is there a delightful campsite, made even more enticing by the fact that there are a bar and restaurant just next door. Beneath a shady camel thorn we set up our camp, and above the tents hung vast thatched nests of social weavers. Generations of birds had been hatched in those nests, and now they fluttered in and out to delight us.

Our camp was deliberately simple. We had two small two-person tents and a small gazebo for shade. The back of the four wheel drive vehicle was our pantry and a folding table was just fine to sit around and enjoy good company and food under the desert starlight.

Then to bed, as the temperature fell. Night in the desert is cold so we were glad for the down sleeping bags we had packed.

Rain in a Namibian desert

Late in the night, with a rush of wind and a monstrous growl, thunder burst over the camp and wild-eyed with delight we scrambled out the tents to stand in the rain, oblivious of the lightning. Rain in the desert is a rare phenomenon. Our friends from the UK joked that they had brought the rain with them. What an experience that was! The wonderful aroma of fresh rain on African sand left us deeply inhaling for more. Is there anywhere in the world where the smell of rain on dry badlands is quite so aromatic?

Up early, fresh and hungry, we grabbed some breakfast that next morning and were charmed by a pair of crystal bright starlings who joined us for the feast.

Adventure tourism

The road to the Vlei was strung with clumps of grass feebly trying to climb into the red dunes, but they gave up the fight and faded away as we drove deeper into the desert. Red dunes gleamed like silk, yellow dunes swept by like frozen waves and they were all swathed in the colours of the early morning. At every side of us were opportunities to take photographs. Namibia makes an expert photographer of everyone! Even auto point and shoot photos work when everything is so desperately beautiful.

Up high on one dune were sticklike figures of tourists out for adventure. Tobogganing down the dunes they whooshed for hundreds of metres in the soft sand. Tour buses waited at the bottom for the bruised, weary and very sandy people to board and carry on their journey.

We passed on that adventure and continued on our way to find the heartbeat of the desert.

At the main entrance gate, where the sand was thick and deep, with some apprehension and laughter we lowered the pressure in the tyres, engaged low range and pushed on through the deep drifts of sand. But we made it and arrived at Sossusvlei in time to make a pot of tea, eat some food and explore around about.

The utter silence of the Namib desert

The vlei was empty. No standing water gleamed on the dry salty bed, but the big green thorn trees told a story of water beneath the sands. Above the trees loomed the great red dunes. The absolute silence was stunning. But no - it was not silence - it was just the absence of man-made sound.

Slowly we started to hear again. First our own breathing, then our heart beats, the sound of our shoes on the sand, and then the wild things. The beetles made a scratching sound, the birds sighed with their wings outstretched. Antelope stepped daintily on tip-toe as if afraid to break the silence. An ostrich strode by as if out for a very 'important date.'

Soon thousands of weaver birds had scented our peeled oranges and sliced tomatoes and soon we were inundated by the little birds who snatched away our lunch greedily, thirsty for every drop of moisture. Big signs hung round about warning that people should not feed the birds, but the sheer numbers of them brought Stephen King to mind. It was easier to just surrender the food to the mob than fight to the death for a scrap of cucumber.

At first glance, the desert does look as if there is no life, but as we wandered around the sculpted sands and beneath the church-like trees we saw delicate springbok, fussy ostriches, splendid oryx and slithering snakes. Ants scurried, gleaming and precise through the grains of sand and countless lizards scurried into the trees as we walked by. There was it seemed, an abundance in the midst of nothing.

Deserts can be deeply meaningful places

Deserts never fail to hold some deeply meaningful mystery. The mystery is elusive but the mind knows, somehow instinctively that there is a spiritual meaning in the astonishing land of plenty that appears to be dead, barren and bereft of life at first glance.

Perhaps it was the rain, or just being able to share one of my secret African places with my British friends, but this trip to Sossusvlei will always be remembered as special.

British travel - come and discover the best of Africa

For British travellers who like the independence of self-driving, a Google search about Windhoek and Namibia will produce some very good quality hire to drive vehicle companies. Some of them come complete with camping equipment and guidance on stop overs, and other useful information. Come, share the best of Africa - Namibia can proudly boast to be one of the finest destinations on the continent of Africa.
The Society for the Improvement of Conditions for Stray Animals (SICSA) in Kettering, Ohio, came up with the idea of yoga with cats around two years ago. According to them, the adoptable cats often seem to form partnerships with the human participants in the yoga classes.

As reported by KIRO7, SICSA development coordinator, Sam Lake, says it is a very popular event that soon fills up each month, but its also good socialization for the felines. Along with their other efforts, the yoga classes are doing well, as reportedly the Kettering animal shelter has found homes for 1,654 animals in the last year, pretty much evenly split between cats and dogs.

Participants and felines enjoy Yoga With Cats

The Yoga With Cats class reportedly happens on the third Saturday of every month, with Matt Turner, a registered instructor with the Dayton Yoga Club, leading the sessions. According to Turner, its his way of giving back to the community and generally sharing yoga with everyone. AJC.com reports that Turner himself is an animal lover and considers himself a cat person, having two rescue cats, Frank and Sally, living in his home. He is also, reportedly, the founding member of the Dayton Yoga Club.

According to Turner the good thing about practicing cat yoga is that it attracts people who might normally be hesitant to try the sport.

Whether its their age, or they believe they dont have the right body, that puts them off, people do tend to come for the cats. Once they experience it, they stay  and even come back  for the yoga. As for the felines, reportedly they love the texture of the yoga mats and for that reason, Turner doesnt encourage people to bring their best mats with them to class as the cats might damage them.

He did add that the cats tend to bond with particular people during the sessions. Turner mentioned one occasion where a participant was in the downward dog pose (how appropriate for cat yoga) and one of the cats apparently walked under her shirt and curled up asleep. He also said that during kitten season there are always little ones running around who tend to climb on people as they do their yoga poses.

Extra stress relief at 'Yoga With Cats'

According to Turner, the cats offer additional stress relief to participants in the yoga sessions, which they limit to 25 participants, while in return the cats get catnip and treats. While its great for both cats and yoga participants, it is also a good fundraiser for the animal shelter, bringing awareness to the cats who are looking for their own fur-ever homes.

Coming soon: Knitting With Kittens

Besides the yoga, there are plans afoot for the younger animals currently housed at SICSA. Lake says they are planning to start Knitting With Kittens sessions on June 11. If they find the classes are successful, they will schedule these on a regular basis.

According to Lake he enjoys working at SICSA as he feels his time and efforts do something positive for the animals. He hopes the various events will bring more people to SICSA to adopt the great cats and dogs they have at the shelter.

While not filmed at the Kettering SICSA, the video below published by the Fairfax County Government gives an idea of how much fun Yoga With Cats can be.
On Friday, President Donald Trump met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the two had an awkward exchange on more than one occasion. Despite the fact that much of the controversy was done in front of the press, Trump is pushing back on social media.

Trump on Twitter

It's no secret that Donald Trump and Angela Merkel don't see eye to eye when it comes to politics and policy. Even during his presidential campaign, Trump would criticize the German leader, mostly over her stance on immigration and handling the rise of radical Islamic terrorism into the West.

Following their meeting at the White House, Trump appeared to ignore a request from Merkel to shake hands with each other, while later making a controversial joke about being wiretapped by former President Barack Obama. Trump even went as far as accusing a German reporter of reading "fake news," which led to Merkel turning her head and looking at the president with confusion. These moments were caught on camera, but Trump is still insisting that he had a "great" meeting with his German counter part. As seen on his Twitter account on March 18, Trump had a few things to get off his chest.

Despite what you have heard from the FAKE NEWS, I had a GREAT meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Nevertheless, Germany owes.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 18, 2017

...vast sums of money to NATO & the United States must be paid more for the powerful, and very expensive, defense it provides to Germany!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 18, 2017

Taking to social media to vent his frustration, Donald Trump found a way to praise his meeting with Angela Merkel, while smearing the country of Germany over the course of a two-part tweet.

"Despite what you have heard from the FAKE NEWS, I had a GREAT meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel," Trump wrote on Twitter Saturday morning."

Rifts between Donald Trump and Angela Merkel apparent during first meeting https://t.co/j2ZbBroUHN pic.twitter.com/ttxEVUMOQH  Newsweek (@Newsweek) March 18, 2017

Not stopping there, Donald Trump then decided to insult the country by claiming Germany must pay back money that had been lent to them in the past.

"Nevertheless, Germany owes vast sums of money to NATO & the United States must be paid more for the powerful, and very expensive, defense it provides to Germany!," he tweeted.

Next up

After just over 50 days in the White House, Donald Trump is creating new controversy on an almost daily basis. Whether it's signing executive orders, proposing controversial policies, or his interaction with world leaders, the former host of "The Apprentice" doesn't look to be changing his style anytime soon.
Since Donald Trump first accused former President Barack Obama of wiretapping Trump Tower during the election, speculation has continued to grow on a daily basis. As Trump and the White House stand by their story, without evidence, hosts from all the three major cable news channels have all come to the same consensus.

Cable news vs Trump

During the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump was forced to fight off allegations that his campaign was linked to Russia. Since being elected and sworn into office, those allegations have followed him into the White House.

As the pressure mounted, the billionaire real estate mogul attempted to shift away from the scandal, and did so by promoting the aforementioned wiretapping conspiracy. Trump sent out multiple tweets on the matter, but has yet to reveal the original source of his information. Trump did, however, blame Fox News for some of his information during a press conference on Friday, but the network was quick to push back. As seen on Twitter on March 17, rival cable hosts are coming to the network's defense.

Shep: FOX News cannot confirm Judge Napolitano's commentary https://t.co/Y5Z8HT9rNm  Shepard Smith (@ShepNewsTeam) March 17, 2017

After Donald Trump told a reporter to "ask Fox News" about some of the wiretapping information he has spoke about, in particular allegations made by Judge Andrew Napolitano, host Shepard Smith pushed back and disputed the claim.

Not long after, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough praised Smith and Fox News for standing their ground against the White House. "'Fox News know of no evidence of any kind.' Shep kicks ass. Full stop," Scarborough tweeted out.

"Fox News know of no evidence of any kind."

Shep kicks ass. Full stop. https://t.co/wNEwwinlH4  Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 17, 2017

In addition to Joe Scarborough's comments, CNN host Jake Tapper also pointed out that the White House had incorrectly quoted Fox News host Bret Baier during White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer's defense of the wiretapping earlier this week.

"More obfuscation: WH citing @BretBaier as backup on wiretapping allegation. Baier did no report, he referenced @RCP write-up of Levin charges," Tapper wrote on his Twitter account.

More obfuscation: WH citing @BretBaier as backup on wiretapping allegation. Baier did no report, he referenced @RCP writeup of Levin charges  Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 16, 2017

Next up

As hosts from all three networks have found common ground against Donald Trump, it's likely that the former host of "The Apprentice" will only increase his war of words with the media. Though Fox News have been a safe space for Trump, there are a growing number of hosts and contributors who appear to have had enough of the administration's actions.
It seems united airlines has not learned a lesson yet. In the latest report, a Bride And Groom who were heading to costa rica for their wedding were kicked off a United flight out of Houston. The incident took place on United Airlines Flight 1737, which was headed from Houston to Costa Rica on Saturday, Apr. 15.

Before Michael Hohl and Amber Maxwell boarded on United Airlines Flight 1737, they flew from Salt Lake City and had a stopover at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. According to Hohl, his fiance, Maxwell was the last person to board the plane.

When Hohl and Maxwell went to their seats, 24 B, and C, they saw a man was spread across their row napping. Both of them did not want to disturb the person, and since the flight was half full, they decided to sit on another seats as they thought it wouldn't matter.

After taking their seats, a flight attendant came to them and asked if they were in their ticketed seats. Hohl said "no, " and he explained why and asked the attendant if they could get an upgrade, but unfortunately, the attendant said they needed to return to their assigned seats.

In a Boeing 737-800, United Airlines considers Row 21 economy plus," an upgrade, according to Khou. After complying with a flight attendant, a U.S. Marshall came to them and asked them to get off.

The couple followed the instruction, but it is unclear to them why they have been kicked off. According to United, the couple actually tried to sit in an upgraded seat "repeatedly, will" and the couple has refused to follow the crew's instructions.

United Airlines to change its policy

Following a horrific incident of Dr. David Dao, United announced that would change its policy.

The airline vows to improve their customer services and its crew will be given assigned seats at least an hour before the plane flies, BBC reports.

David Dao removed from a plane due to overbooking

This is not the first that United kicked removed passengers from a plane. Last week, United received a massive backlash on social media after a video of Dr.

David Dao being dragged by airport police.

The 59-year-old lung doctor from Kentucky has been confined in a Chicago hospital for a treatment of his injuries. He lost two front teeth, and contains a broken nose.

Aftermath the incident, the Chief Executive Officer Oscar Munoz released a statement apologizing to the public. However, he claimed the passenger was disruptive and belligerent, which made people furious over his claim.
The police force in #Ohio have told residents in the states nearby to be alert and on the lookout for a man who they claim shot and #killed an old man at random before positing the video on Facebook Social Media Site.

The man, #Steve Stephens, is being tracked down for a charge of aggravated murder regarding the sudden and cruel death of #Robert Godwin Senior in the city of Cleveland on Sunday. On Monday, police broadcast a statement that warned residents of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Michigan and New York to keep an eye out for the suspected man who may have traveled beyond his own state of Ohio.

In the troubling and violent #Facebook video, shot on a shaky phone camera, Stephens departs from his car and heads in what appears to be a random move to target Godwin. Stephens then announces the name of a woman, and the older Godwin does not appear to know the name but gets killed anyway.

A few seconds after this, Stephens tells Godwin that "she's the reason that this is about to happen to you," before pointing the #gun at the old man. In a devastating shot, Godwin shields his face by holding the plastic shopping bag up.

Godwin's son speaks out

The #murdered man's son, Robert Godwin Junior, has been recorded as saying to Ceveland.com that he doesn't want to watch the video and can't even handle seeing the news or the media reports.

His father, Godwin Snr was a retired worker from a foundry who he was in the habit of collecting aluminum cans. He walked around the city often with a shopping bag into which he placed aluminum cans. This is what Godwin Jnr believed his father was doing when Stephens cruelly approached him on Sunday.

Facebook was live during the killing

At one point during the day the suspect Stephens did, according to #Facebook, go live on the social media site, but the killing was not a live event. Police, however, had earlier claimed that Stephens did indeed broadcast it live on the social media site. The #video of the murder was appearing on Facebook for around three or two hours when it was actually removed by the social media company.

On the same day, Stephens's Facebook page was then also taken down from live status by the social media site and they kept it off from that point on.

A Facebook spokesperson said that they try very hard to keep the site a safe environment and that they were in touch with police whenever there are threats to someone's physical safety.

Stephens posted in yet another video on #Facebook claiming to have killed more than 12 other people. He said that he was working on "14 as we speak." The FBI too has been investigating the situation and hopes to contain more information soon. However local police havent verified other shootings and the video may indeed be the claim of a sociopath looking for attention.

Police Chief Calvin Williams said there were no other deaths reported in the area and that there were no more victims that they knew of being connected to him. But that didnt stop police from saying that the alleged murderer Stephens was definitely considered #Armed And Dangerous.

On Monday authorities continued to ask the public for help and also begged the suspect to give himself over to police. Accordingly, #police have searched many areas and locations and they have attempted to talk to the suspect on his cell phone after the murder took place. Now the hunt for Stephens grows and develops in Ohio and next door states as the nation grows weary of the chain of events.

"Obviously, this individual is armed and dangerous, and quite frankly at this point he could be in a lot of places," Stephen Anthony, an #FBI Special Agent in Charge told a news conference in Cleveland.
Last week, a special election was held in Kansas to fill a vacant congressional seat. After the Republican candidate was declared the winner, President Donald Trump spent part of his Easter lashing out at how the media handled the results.

Trump on Twitter

Not long after Donald Trump was elected president, the attention quickly shifted to who would surround him in the White House. As the weeks moved forward, questions were raised over some of Trump's cabinet and administrative picks, including adding former Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo as the new director of the C.I.A.

With Pompeo coming on board to the administration as the C.I.A director, his seat in Congress was left vacant. A special election was set up, with Republican Ron Estes, Democrat James Thompson, and Libertarian Chris Rockhold all running to fill the void. The results were announced last Tuesday, but Trump decided to sound off on the issue during a April 16 Twitter tirade.

The recent Kansas election (Congress) was a really big media event, until the Republicans won. Now they play the same game with Georgia-BAD!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2017

According to the New York Times, Ron Estes formally the Kansas State Treasure, pulled out the win with just over 52 percent of the vote, grabbing 63,505 votes in the process.

James Thompson came in a respectable second place, with 45.7 percent of the vote in a distract that Donald Trump won by 27 points in the general election against Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton last November. Libertarian Chris Rockhold finished in distance third place, pulling in only 1.7 percent of the vote.

BREAKING: Republican Ron Estes wins Kansas special House election to replace GOP's Mike Pompeo, named Trump's CIA director.  The Associated Press (@AP) April 12, 2017

In response, Donald Trump took to his Twitter account not long after the results were announced and lashed out at the media for allegedly pulling back their coverage once a Republican was confirmed as the winner.

"The recent Kansas Election (Congress) was a really big media event, until the Republicans won," Trump tweeted out, before adding, "Now they play the same game with Georgia-BAD!" The former host of "The Apprentice" has spent much of his Easter Sunday on Twitter, which included various tweets to start the day. Trump railed against North Korea and the current tension between the two nations, while also taking a shot at the nationwide protests that took place over the weekend calling for the release of the president's tax returns.

Georgia Democrats See Chance To Send A Message With Special Election Upset https://t.co/5L5ulcHl4Z  NPR Politics (@nprpolitics) April 16, 2017

Georgia on my mind

Donald Trump's reference to George is in regards to the upcoming special election being held this Tuesday to fill the empty seat left by Tom Price who was recently appointed as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Democrat Jon Ossoff is currently polling in the lead over the 17 other candidates, with Republican Karen Handel in a distance second place.
The perpetrator, who filmed himself shooting and killing a 74-year old man in Cleveland over the weekend, is still at large. A warrant of arrest for Aggravated Murder has already been issued, but police are still trying to pinpoint the shooter's whereabouts as of this writing.

A senseless act of violence

The shooter, who has been identified as Steve Stephens, filmed himself with his smartphone as he approached a random elderly man and shot him dead. The 37-year old mentor for foster kids at Beech Brook mental health center then uploaded the video on Facebook with the title, "Easter day slaughter," using his account named "Stevie Steve."

The incident took place in the Glenville neighborhood in Cleveland at around 2 p.m., Sunday.

The victim has been identified as one Robert Godwin.

Inflicting his pain on others

Subsequent videos that were uploaded on Stephen's Facebook account reveals that his alleged killing spree would be his act of revenge directed at his girlfriend, Joy Lane. The reason behind their fight or why he wanted to seek revenge is still unknown.

Stephens even declared this to be so in the Facebook murder video itself. The shooter approached Godwin and told him to say the name, "Joy Lane." When Godwin replied with the name, Stephens then told the old man that she was the reason that he was going to kill him.

Ongoing manhunt

Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams recently appeared at a news conference and described the incident as "senseless." Williams then warned citizens that Stephens is to be considered armed and dangerous and that he was last sighted in northeast Cleveland near the Lake Erie shore.

Authorities are still unsure if he is still in the area, but they are getting the help of the FBI and the Ohio State Highway Patrol to apprehend him.

Threat of more murders

In his various videos uploaded to Facebook, which have already been taken down, Stephens had claimed that he had already killed as many as 15 other people.

However, authorities don't believe this to be the case as there have been no other victims that have been reported.

Despite this, citizens were warned to stay away from the perpetrator if they spot him. Stephens is described to be a tall African-American male around 6 foot tall, bald and with a full beard. The shooter was also last seen driving away in a white Ford Fusion with temporary tags. Students at the Cleveland State University were also told to stay away from the campus until the perpetrator was apprehended.
Over the weekend Russia, Syria, and Iran firmly cautioned U.S. President Donald Trump. In a protest against the United States-led strike on Friday, the three countries warned against any new strikes on Syria. According to the report by the Associated Press, the three nations are calling for the United Nations international body to launch an investigation into the chemical assault that killed about 90 Syrian individuals.

Russia warns of grave outcome globally

Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister facilitated the Iranian and Syrian officials in Moscow.

Lavrov also issued a statement stating that the U.S. rocket strike on Syria was an "egregious infringement" of worldwide conventional law. The Russian Foreign Minister warned that if such activities should occur again, it would encompass grave results on a global scale.

Walid Moallem, the Syrian Foreign Minister said hopefully the meeting sent a "solid message" to U.S. politicians in Washington. Iran's official Mohammad Javad Zarif also stressed that the one-sided activities by the American government were unsatisfactory. Earlier, the U.S. blamed the Assad government for purposely attacking its citizens with dangerous chemicals after an assault in Khan Sheikhoun killed scores of Syrians on April 4.

However, Russia's Vladimir Putin has charged that the casualties resulted from toxic agents after Syrian war planes were hit by a rebel chemical arsenal. Moscow's Putin cautioned against laying any claims against Damascus until the United Nations fully investigated the incident and issued its final results.

Russia blasts UN for not investigating chemical attack

On Friday, Lavrov lamented that the United Nations' investigators failed to visit the Syrian town to ascertain the cause of the deadly incident. Russian officials have also argued that the United Nations Organization should enlarge its scope to incorporate specialists from other countries when dealing with investigations involving chemical weapons attacks on civilians.

Additionally, Lavrov outlined that the United States and several European nations have no reason to fear the formation of the new body because those involved will work together to assure that the investigation is straightforward and eliminates the possibility of concealing pertinent information.

The U.S. strike, according to Lavrov, undermines the international peace treaty and highlights President Trump's ambition to expel Syria's President Bashar al Assad from power. Russia's Foreign Minister, in his conclusion, added that Washington's endeavors will not succeed.
James Thompson lost in Kansas' Special Election, but he feels hopeful about the Democratic party. According to Occupy Democrats, Thompson issued a warning to the Liberals that they should listen to before the 2020 election.

Thompson reveals the reason he lost

James was written off by the Democratic party as he fought to win a Congress seat for the state of Kansas. He claims that the Republicans poured over $100,000 into ads and advertising getting Ron Estes name out there. They had Ted Cruz (R-TX), Paul Ryan (R-WI), and President Trump help the Kansas Republican candidate.

Kansas, let's scare the hell out of Trump and get James Thompson elected tonight. Please go vote! #KS04 pic.twitter.com/ec70ajNQaV  Roentgens (@roentgens9) April 11, 2017

It wasn't until two days before the election that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) finally allocated funds for Thompson to advertise and get his name to the voters.

Don't write off red states

Thompson said he learned that one of the fatal mistakes that Democrats are making is they write off the red states. Tuesday's election was close --- Estes beat Thompson by five points.

James urges the Democrats to campaign in the red states, even if they think there is no chance they can win the election. He feels confident in time, Kansas could have Democratic senators, governor, and representatives.

Thompson said that he will run for the same seat in 2018 and hopes he can win this time. He has 18 months to campaign, and he feels good about his chances.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly confirmed that the War on Drugs would not include any current changes to Marijuana reform. Kelly said that there are only three drugs they are worried about right now --- Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Cocaine. John went on to say that Trump is working with Chris Christie to combat opiate addiction.

Marijuana is not a factor in the drug war

Kelly appeared on NBC's Meet the Press, and he talked at length about Trump's war on drugs. He cleared up the rumor that the president wanted include Marijuana in the war on drugs.

Apparently, Donald doesn't see a benefit in "arrested a bunch of cannabis users," thus costing the taxpayers more money.

Instead, the Department of Homeland Security Secretary explained they plan to target Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Cocaine users. They hope, in time, to reduce the demand in the United States for the dangerous drugs.

Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly says weed is "not a factor" in the drug war https://t.co/gqs3BFmUkm pic.twitter.com/dLcnVN0iRi  Newsweek (@Newsweek) April 17, 2017

"Yeah, marijuana is not a factor in the drug war," Kelly explained on Meet The Press. "It's three things. Methamphetamine. Almost all produced in Mexico. Heroin. Virtually all manufactured in Mexico.

And cocaine that comes up from further south."

In 2015, the above three drugs were responsible for the deaths of 52,000 people and cost the country over $250 million. They need a plan to end the drug crisis in America.

Trump's plan is aggressive

The plan does not involve arresting a bunch of users and throwing them in jail. Kelly doesn't think that will help matters and usually results in the addict not getting the mental health help they need to overcome their dependence.

Instead, John said the new policy is to substantially reduce the demand for these drugs by setting up the addicts with the help they need, organize an effective rehabilitation system, and use law enforcement when necessary.

Kelly admitted that they would need to use the legal court systems for some users. Not every addict is ready to give up their drugs, and they may have to be forced.

For those who aren't willing to attend drug rehabilitation, they will face legal consequences. They will either have to enter a court order treatment center or face time in jail.

RT MERRYJANE: Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly Admits Weed Is Not a Factor in the War on Drugs:  pic.twitter.com/tEdZqhSPaQ  FlowerBoyz (@_flowerboyz) April 17, 2017

The last step in the war on drugs will be to cut the poppy and coca fields off and not let them bring their drugs into the United States. Kelly explained that the process could take "years to implement."

One DUI could spell trouble for illegal immigrants, under new policy

Kelly revealed that under the new immigration law, immigrants who get one DUI (Driving under the influence) could trigger deportation proceedings.

He added that if a legal resident has multiple DUIs convictions that it would "undoubtedly" result in being deported.

John said that Trump's administration differs from Obama's in how they handle the treatment of immigrants. Kelly cautioned that one single DUI could result in a deportation hearing. He added that it would depend on the circumstances.

Kelly said that the definition of being a criminal includes DUI convictions. He was quick to point out that he and ICE do not deport anyone ---it is the justice department that does that.

The Department of Homeland Security Secretary said that there is a plan to hire 10,000 new ICE agents and 5,000 border control agents. It looks like Trump is moving forward with his "deportation task force."

'A single DUI' could now spark deportation, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly says: https://t.co/jYEpxOPrvJ pic.twitter.com/K7K4m3BEUW  NBC Chicago (@nbcchicago) April 16, 2017

Kelly acknowledged that deporting immigrants is not a black or white issue.

There are other factors to consider. Many of them marry American citizens and have children born in the United States and they have built a life in this country.

It's good news that the Trump administration does not plan to try to criminalize Marijuana. Do you agree with Trump's new drug and immigration new policies?
Despite currently dealing with a PR nightmare involving a doctor being forcibly dragged out of one of its flights, united airlines is now once again in the middle of a new issue concerning an engaged couple. The couple, who were on their way to get married, were reportedly escorted by a Federal Marshal off a flight from Houston, Texas.

Conflicting stories

The couple, identified to be one Michael Hohl and his fiancee, Amber Maxwell, claimed in their statements that they were escorted by a federal marshal off the flight. However, United Airlines outright denied these claims on their own statement explaining that neither a marshal nor any other security personnel was involved in the incident.

No upgrades allowed

According to United's statement, the couple apparently tried to upgrade their seating and would not comply with the flight crew's instructions. Despite being denied their request to pay an additional amount for upgraded seats, which United calls "economy plus," the couple apparently insisted several times. The crew then asked the couple to return to their original seats, but the couple refused.

The other side of the story

In an interview with KHOU, the couple explained that they only wanted to upgrade because they found another passenger sleeping across their seats when they arrived on the plane. The couple then moved up a few rows over to empty seats but were asked by the flight's crew to return to their assigned seats.

"We thought not a big deal, it's not like we are trying to jump up into a first-class seat. We were simply in an economy row a few rows above our economy seat." Hohl had explained during the interview.

Fourth incident in a row

United has recently been the topic of a big controversy involving a viral video of a bloodied man dragged off of a flight.

The company is also likely to face a lawsuit from the victim and it is also currently dealing with some financial repercussions from the public outcry. The video, which has since become viral, has incited some passengers to boycott the airline entirely, while others have expressed their outrage over the incident on social media.

Prior to the incident, United was also involved in an incident involving its denial of passengers who were wearing yoga pants and another incident involving scorpions found inside the plane. The airline's stocks suffered from the various public relations disasters resulting in a net loss to the company's market cap by $770 million. United Continental Holdings Inc (UAL.N) dropped by 4 percent last week and closed at $69.
After the missile attack on Syria, the North Korean Republic declared that they were right in going in for an independent nuclear program. They felt this is the only way to survive against an American attack. The United States has moved a carrier group into the Korean waters and general McMaster the national security advisor has said that all "options are on the table." The North Korean leader Kim Jong may have thought that he would show to the world and the United States something new by way of a missile launch. Unfortunately, it appears that the missile launch failed.

The information is that the missile exploded just after takeoff. In other words, the missile test was a damp squib.

Kims' show of force

The Korean dictator Kim Jong wanted to mark the occasion of the founder of the North Korean state by the launch of the missile.The test was monitored by South Korea and the US. As usual, Pyongyang is silent and no comment is forthcoming. Though the test failed, Kim Jong showed his belligerence with a massive military parade in the capital. The parade showcased a string of rockets and missiles. However, it is a moot point if the missiles shown in the parade are as effective as claimed. One thing is now clear; that the North Korean technology has miles to go before it can be a cogent threat to the United States.

North Korea does have nuclear weapons but what they lack is a delivery system. They do not have any aircraft which can carry a nuclear device and reach Japan or even South Korea

China attitude

The North, however, does have IRBM in limited numbers and at best they can just hit South Korea. This is something that will have to be factored in and Donald Trump will have to factor this in if he goes for a preemptive strike.

Donald will however not go in for a strike till he gets an assurance from China that it will not intervene. The bravado which he has shown in Syria, may not work in North Korea. There is enough indication that the north will hit South Korea. In case, that happens it will turn out to be a pyrrhic victory.

North Korea, not a great power

Donald may well be aware that North Korea by itself cannot do much. There is no need to get worked up about the missiles of North Korea. It will take at least a decade for Korea to master the ICBM technology. At that time nobody can forecast what the global scenario will be. When the United States was fighting the war in Vietnam, it was never on the cards that the Vietnam and the Chinese would fight each other. So one cannot forecast what the future holds for the Korean peninsula.
The results of the 2016 presidential election still have millions of Americans in shock and awe, with many devastated over Donald Trump's election win. For comedian Bill Maher, he has his sights set on the future.

Maher on 2020

Through the entire election cycle, no one really thought that Donald Trump would become the new commander in chief. Even after locking up the Republican primary last summer and gaining steam in the fall, the idea that the former host of "The Apprentice" could be the new leader of the free world was too much for people to handle.

Despite this, Trump found a way to pull off the upset and be responsible for one of the most historic, and controversial, election wins in recent history. After just two months in the White House, critics of the president are looking at who could potentially challenge him in 2020. As seen during the March 17 edition of "Overtime with Bill Maher" on YouTube, Bill Maher has a name in mind.

(Maher's comments start at 2:45 in the above video.)

Following Friday night's episode of "Real Time with Bil Maher," the show shifted over to their "Overtime" segment on YouTube. While speaking to panel guests Andrew Sullivan, retired Rep. Barney Frank, and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Maher made his case for who the next Democratic presidential nominee should be.

"Who is going to be the Democratic candidate in 2020? Maher asked, while adding, "we cannot f**k this up."

Gavin Newsom adds a new plank to his 2018 campaign for California governor: A statewide universal healthcare system https://t.co/7fELow3wJQ pic.twitter.com/16339VHhVm  Los Angeles Times (@latimes) March 14, 2017

"We can't live under the illusion that the electorate is going to go for somebody who isnt charismatic, okay and a great salesman," Bill Maher explained.

"I know a guy," he said, before listing current Lt. Governor of California Gavin Newsom. "This guy should be president. He can win," Maher predicted. "He's going to be governor in 2018, and I know that's a short time to be governor before a four-year run, I don't give a f**k," he noted.

I got a guy: Bill Maher predicts 2020 Democratic presidential candidate if they dont f*ck it up https://t.co/vz2ho2CIDX pic.twitter.com/rBkbfQSx81  Raw Story (@RawStory) March 18, 2017

Next up

While it's unknown who will be in the running to challenge Donald Trump in 2020, the Democratic Party will first have to regain seats in the 2018 midterm election. With Republicans in majority-control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the Democrats will have to pull out all the stops to tip the balance of power in Washington.
Earlier this week, rapper Snoop Dogg released a new music video where he appeared to pull out a toy gun and point it at a clown-inspired version of Donald Trump. In response, the president fired back on Twitter, which resulted in instant backlash from the political left and right.

Tomi on Snoop

In the music video for the song "Lavender," Snoop Dogg mocks Presidential Donald Trump as a clown, giving the White House the nickname the "Clown House." During the video, Snoop Dogg is shown pointing a gun at the president, pulling the trigger, but only revealing a flag with the word "Bang" written across.

On Wednesday morning, the president lashed out on social media over the incident, tweeting, "Can you imagine what the outcry would be if Snoop Dogg, failing career and all, had aimed and fired the gun at President Obama?," before calling for the rapper to serve "Jail time!" After Trump's comments, fellow rapper Bow Bow came to the defense of his uncle, and sent a threatening message to the First Family. "Ayo @realDonaldTrump shut your punk ass up talking shit about my uncle @SnoopDogg before we pimp your wife and make her work for us," Bow Wow wrote. These issues, and more, were highlighted with Tomi Lahren on the March 18 edition of "Watters' World" on Fox News.

(Lahren's comments on the issue start at 3:00 in the above video.)

Joining Fox News host Jesse Watters was right-wing firebrand Tomi Lahren, who didn't hold back her thoughts on the issue at hand.

After playing a clip from the aforementioned music video, Lahren ripped into the rappers for their comments, while calling out liberals in Hollywood for not coming to the defense of the Trump family.

From Comedy Central to Clown Videos: A timeline of Snoop Dogg & Donald Trump's relationship https://t.co/iOVDT11KAB pic.twitter.com/hU2voImZcF  billboard (@billboard) March 16, 2017

"Can you imagine if that were a President Obama clown," Lahren asked, before predicting, "there would be an uproar." "I'm wondering where all the celebrities are?" Lahren went on to say, calling out actor Ashton Kutcher for not speaking out against Bow Wow's remarks, while being a strong advocate against sex trafficking.

Can you imagine what the outcry would be if @SnoopDogg, failing career and all, had aimed and fired the gun at President Obama? Jail time!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 15, 2017

Tomi on Lahren

The conversation then shifted to "The View" co-host Whoopi Goldberg, who is now looking to take legal action against a conservative blogger who published a false news story that the actress says endangered her family's life.

After running a clip of Goldberg's comments, Tomi Lahren mocked the award-winning actress, while sarcastically wondering why she hasn't left the country, despite vowing to do so after Donald Trump's election win.
Astronomers have discovered the first planet outside our solar system similar to Earth that has an atmosphere around it. This is the first time an atmosphere was detected around an exoplanet similar to our planet, according to the AFP news agency. The discovery was made public on Thursday in The Astronomical Journal.

Planet similar to our planet

Scientists explain that this discovery is an important step, even if they didn't find life on another planet yet. They say that it's the first time that they are detecting an atmosphere around a planet which has a mass and a size similar to Earth.

The exoplanet is named GJ 1132b and it's located 39 light years from Earth in the Vela constellation. However, the planet is about 16% larger than Earth and it's located on an orbit too close to its Sun -- a red dwarf -- to be habitable.

Giant temperatures on the surface of the planet

According to the astronomers, the temperature on the surface of the planet exceeds 250 degrees Celsius. Observations led scientists to believe that the atmosphere is rich in water or methane. However, more measurements with other powerful telescopes will be required to identify the chemical substances which are present in the exoplanet's atmosphere.

The scientists say that these types of stars -- red dwarfs -- are the most common ones, and the discovery of a planet with an atmosphere orbiting around this type of star system suggests that the conditions for the existence of life can occur very often in the Universe.

The study of the planet will be a priority for astronomers

This new discovery makes GJ 1132b a priority target for observations with the Hubble Space Telescope, with the European giant telescope observatory from Chile, or with the future James Webb Space Telescope -- which will be launched in 2018.

The team of researchers who made this new discovery, including astronomers from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany, used the telescope European ESO/MPG in Chile to capture images of the Star GJ 1132 and measure the reducing light intensity of the exoplanet.

These measurements of the light absorption of the star allowed the researchers to determine the existence of an atmosphere. The existence of an atmosphere was unknown when it was first discovered in 2015.
Researchers in Indonesia reported their findings of discovering jewelry and pigments inside an Ice Age-era cave. The artifacts that were found are believed to be anywhere from 22,000 to 30,000 years old. The team of researchers published their discovery in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences scientific journal.

What was found

The research team that reported these findings have explored the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, located east of Borneo, since 2014. They have been on the island searching for traces of its earliest inhabitants. Back in 2014 they found hand stencils and a painting of a babirusa that were over 35,000 years old.

This new discovery came when excavating the Leang Bulu Bettue cave. On the walls of the cave were purple and red hand stencils that were basically identical to those found earlier. The researchers found stone artifacts that had been carved into various geometric patterns and chunks of ochre, an earthly pigment that got used in cave painting. They found a finger bone from a bear cuscus that had a hole drilled in it, which they believe was used as a necklace. Lastly, they found some unfinished beads that were disk-shaped and were made from the tooth of a babirusa. They believe that these were shaped with a primitive chisel and used as a jewelry on necklaces.

Why this discovery is important

There is plenty of Ice Age-era artwork and artifacts from Europe since these sites have been studied since the 1800s and are the best documented on Earth.

However, evidence and artifacts of art from this early in human history is much harder to find in other regions, although there has been an uptick in recent years. Since the jewelry that was found is made from bones of animals that are only found on Sulawesi, it has the research team speculating that early humans got drawn to the place because of the exotic animal species on the island.

Out of the 2000 islands that make up Wallacea, which is located between the main islands of Borneo and New Guinea, only seven have yielded artifacts dating back to the era of the Ice Age. Therefore, this discovery adds just a little bit more knowledge for researchers to learn about the early humans that lived in the region.

It also adds more to the collective knowledge of early human rock art, since it was believed that there was none in the region.

Some American Ice Age-era artwork

A few years ago in Florida, a 13,000-year-old bone fragment from the Ice Age was found. It is the only known example of a proboscidean (mammals with trunks) ever found in the Americas. In 2013 the oldest rock art in North America was found in Nevada. The petroglyphs were abstract designs that looked like trees or leaves. They are estimated to be between 10,500 and 14,800 years old.
The Global Innovation Exchange (GIX), a partnership between Tsinghua University and the University of Washington, announced that it is accepting applications for its second GIX Innovation Competition.

The competition, which was announced at a ceremony on the University of Washington campus in Seattle on Thursday, is for university students and worldwide innovators who have graduated within the past five years. It was created to spur solutions to global challenges.

The theme for this year's competition will be Connected Devices, which includes areas such as the internet of things (IoT), wearable devices, intelligent hardware, virtual and augmented reality, ubiquitous computing, intelligent sensors and natural interactions.

Teams made up of two to three members must submit an application by May 31, 2017. Then judges will select 50 teams to move on to the next round of the competition.

Next, six finalists will be chosen by July 12 and they will work with a mentor in July and August to prepare their projects for the final round. The six finalist teams will be flown to Seattle for a Sept 15 event, where they will present their final prototypes to the judges.

The winners will be announced at that time, with the first-, second-, and third-place winners dividing up an expected $100,000 in prize money between them. TusStar of Beijing is sponsoring the competition again this year.

In the first year of the GIX Innovation Competition, there were nearly 300 entries from China, the United States, Britain, France, Australia and other countries. The winning projects included solutions in air pollution, navigation for the blind, and renewable energy.

This year's announcement coincides with the visit to Seattle of Yang Bin, vice-president and provost of Tsinghua University, and Professor Shi Yuanchuan, dean of GIX.

"Last year's competition was a great success and showed just how innovative (that) teams of motivated students can be," said Yang. "With this year's competition, we're hoping to raise the bar even higher."

lindadeng@chinadailyusa.com
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HA NOI  "Viet Nam has not exported live poultry to any country yet so that a ban by Saudi Arabi has no effect on Viet Nam," an official of the Department of Animal Health in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Viet Nam said today. He spoke after Saudi Arabias Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture temporarily banned the import of live birds, hatching eggs and chicks from Viet Nam due to concerns over bird flu on Sunday.

Currently, only one Vietnamese company is planning to export processed chicken to Japan. This enterprise has built a chicken slaughtering and processing factory in the southern province of ong Nai, the official said.

Osama Bin Abdullah Al-Saleh, Saudi Arabias director general of the Department of Animal and Plant Quarantine, said that the ban was imposed following a bird flu warning in Viet Nam issued by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

Several cases of avian flu have been detected, therefore, the import suspension will remain in force until the disease is eradicated, Osama added.

On March 26, Saudi Arabias ministry also banned the import of live poultry, hatching eggs and chicks from Tennessee after a form of highly lethal bird flu was detected in the United States. This suspension was imposed after WOAHs warning and will remain in force until Tennessee is free of the disease.

In March, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture said two flocks of chicken were found to be infected with H7N9 flu.  VNS
HA NOI  The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAA) will co-operate with the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) to conduct an assessment of CAAs capacity to oversee safety in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organisation standards in May.

The move is a preparation step for the FAAs International Aviation Safety Assessment Programme, which is an attempt to appreciate the local aviation authoritys ability to adhere to standards and recommended practices for aircraft operations and maintenance.

The CAA last year set up a project on strengthening supervision capacity of aviation safety with the financial aid of US$0.56 million, funded by the US Trade and Development Agency.

The project, which is aimed at helping Viet Nam reach FAAs Category 1 rating (CAT 1), focused on perfecting the CAAs action plan on supporting vocational training on supervision and updating related regulations and legal documents.

If the local aviation authority is qualified for CAT 1, Vietnamese air carriers will be able to transport goods and passengers directly between Viet Nam and the United States.

Viet Nam currently has no direct route to the United States. National carrier Vietnam Airlines last November asked the Ministry of Transport to allow it to open a direct route to the US by the end of 2018. However, a prerequisite for the United States to consider approval is that the countrys aviation authority has reached CAT 1 rating.

According to reports, some 689,000 passengers traveled between Viet Nam and the US in 2016, marking an average growth rate of 8.4 per cent per year in the 2010-16 period.  VNS
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked the Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam (BIDV) to continue its pioneering role in supporting business investment abroad, especially in Laos and Cambodia.  VNA/VNS Photo Thong Nhat

HA NOI  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked the Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam (BIDV) to continue its pioneering role in supporting business investment abroad, especially in Laos and Cambodia, and becoming a leading commercial bank in the region.

Speaking at a ceremony in Ha Noi on Saturday to mark the banks 60th founding anniversary, the PM said BIDV must consider assistance to companies as an international mission, helping speed up Viet Nams global integration and enhance its prestige, initially in Laos, Cambodia and Russia.

The ceremony was attended by former Party General Secretary Le Kha Phieu, former National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung, and Lao National Assembly Chairwoman Pany Yathotou, among others.

He urged the bank to engage in the reform of credit institutions, whose focus is settling bad debts and banks with poor performance, as the largest joint stock commercial bank in the country.

At the same time, the bank should continue renovating and improving its financial management, operational effectiveness and competitiveness, thus entering the list of top 25 largest commercial banks in ASEAN.

Learning that BIDVs current charter capital of about US$1.5 billion is lower than that of many regional banks, he asked the bank to increase its financial capacity and make that a priority.

Along with making the best use of information technology to take advantage of the fourth industrial revolution, BIDV should improve its management and governance capacity towards international standards, while simplifying procedures to enable capital access for lenders, he asked.

BIDV was also requested to ensure capital for socio-economic development programmes as well as major national projects and prioritised sectors, such as agriculture, high tech industries, export, support industry, while supporting startups and small and medium-sized enterprises.

The banks assets have grown to VN1 quadrillion, with over 1,000 branches and transaction offices with over 25,000 employees. Annually, the bank contributes VN5 trillion to the State budget. It has become the first bank to invest abroad in six countries, including Laos and Cambodia.

At the ceremony, PM Phuc presented the Labour Order first class to the bank.

On the occasion, BIDV was honoured with Laos Independence Order, first class, and Cambodias Monisaraphon Medal, Moha Seruivanth class.  VNS
Vinamilks organic dairy farm in Da Lat is the first in Viet Nam to be certified as meeting European standards.  VNA/VNS Photo Pham Kha

HCM CITY  Viet Nam Dairy Products Joint-Stock Company (Vinamilk) projects a total revenue of VN51 trillion (US$2.26 billion) in 2017, an increase of 8 per cent over last year.

Vinamilk also targets a post-tax profit of VN9.73 trillion, a yearly rise of 4 per cent, general director Mai Kieu Lien said at the companys annual shareholders meeting on Saturday.

The company also plans a post-tax dividend for 2017s business performance at the lowest rate of 50 per cent (or VN5,000 per share).

There will be two dividend payments for 2017. The first in August or September 2017, and the second in May or June 2018.

The remaining dividend for 2016 will be paid at the rate of 20 per cent (or VN2,000 per share). Shareholders must complete registering for dividend payments by May 5, 2017 and the payment will be made on May 22.

In the first quarter of 2017, Vinamilk recorded a yearly rise of 16.1 per cent in revenue and 34 per cent in post-tax profit compared to the same period in 2016.

Lien also said Vinamilk was ready for its strategic development by 2021. The company would continue to study and develop products to maintain similar growth, cooperate with overseas partners and expand its operation in other markets, such as the US and New Zealand, to ensure a sufficient source of input materials.

In 2021, Vinamilk forecasts a total revenue of VN80 trillion, including VN19 trillion from overseas markets. Vinamilk is also planning to acquire a US dairy factory whose sales reached $13 million.

Its average yearly growth rate in the domestic market is projected at 10 per cent, and the revenue from the domestic market in 2021 is predicted at VN61 trillion.

New corporate governance model applied

Vinamilk chairwoman Le Thi Bang Tam said the company would apply a new corporate governance model.

Vinamilk would remove the old supervision board and replace it with a new internal supervision sub-commission, directly managed by the management board.

By setting up the new team, the number of management board members in Vinamilk increased to nine from the current six with the appearance of Nguyen Ba Duong, chairman of the Coteccons Construction Corporation (Coteccons). Duong is also among the three independent members of the management board.

Phan uc Hieu, deputy director of the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM), said at the meeting that the new corporate governance model was widely used in the world.

The new model would help Vinamilk operate its business and protect the rights and benefits of minor shareholders in a way that is more transparent, he said.  VNS
HA NOI  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has halted construction of the US$10.6-billion Hoa Sen Ca Na steel plant in south-central Ninh Thuan Province, while requiring more studies to be completed on the consumer demand and the environmental impact of the plant.

A statement from the Government Office has cited Phuc as saying that the preparations for the project had been too hasty and had only provided a preliminary assessment.

Accordingly, he asked the province to clarify the effects on the environment, domestic steel demand, as well as the total investment of the project.

He further said all parties should carefully review the planning of steel plants, material supplies and suitable time and scale for the construction.

In addition, they also need to assess the technology and possible environmental impacts to prevent a disaster similar to the one caused by Taiwans Formosa, he said, adding that the Ca Na project can proceed if studies prove it is viable.

The project should also clarify how it fits in the overall development of deep seaports, railways and roads.

The PM noted that the project was proposed after the Formosa scandal, thus making it very sensitive.

Earlier, the public voiced concerns that the project, which will produce about 16 million tonnes of products per year, might harm the environment.

Also, Vietnamese citizens worried that the project near the sea could bring about damages similar to those caused by Taiwanese steel firm Formosa along the central coast, which resulted in massive fish deaths earlier last year.

The Ca Na construction of the project was expected to be done in five stages between 2017 and 2031. The first stage would begin operation in 2019, take up an area of 240ha, and enable a manufacturing capacity of 1.5 million tonnes per year. Hoa Sen Group leaders said the company would try to minimise environmental impacts with various measures, including approaches that save materials and optimise production capacity.

Almost 97 per cent of Hoa Sen shareholders approved construction of the mammoth steel plant.

The company, based in the Song Than 2 Industrial Zone in southern Binh Duong Province, reportedly represents 40 per cent of the steel sheet market and 20 per cent of the steel pipe market in Viet Nam. It exports products to 65 countries and territories.

Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh said at a meeting with national legislators in November that steel plants will not be built at the cost of the environment. The ministry has included construction of the plant in a national steel development plan for 2025, with a vision toward 2035, despite the project not being officially licensed.  VNS
The Viet Nam Software and IT Services Association (VINASA) honoured 64 IT products and services on Saturday that had won Sao Khue Awards.  Photo thanhnien.vn

HA NOI  The Viet Nam Software and IT Services Association (VINASA) honoured 64 IT products and services on Saturday that had won Sao Khue Awards.

In the three months since the launch in January, the organiser presented awards to excellent products and services, based upon their socio-economic efficiency, brand reputation, revenue and market share, as well as technological innovations.

Prestige Top 10 Sao Khue Awards were given to seven excellent products and three services which achieved large turnover and were effective in solving problems, while further improving Viet Nams position on the international IT map.

Revenues for the top 10 winning entries reached more than VN12.1 trillion (US$539 million), higher than the software sectors revenue in 2008, offering employment to 16,700 people.

The award was first launched in 2003. Since then, they have been presented to over 669 outstanding Vietnamese products and services. Among the Top 10 was one startup, a positive sign for the potential of startup communities.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Vu uc am said the IT sector had contributed significantly to the countrys socio-economic development.

The community has been facing a glorious but challenging mission to exploit potentials and advantages for the countrys rapid and sustainable development, as well as escaping from the average income trap, am said, adding that the IT community should have breakthroughs in development that were greater than those from 15 to 20 years ago.

He noted that the broadband infrastructure should cover all mountainous, remote and rural areas. Notably, Viet Nam plans to soon launch its 4G network, thus further serving the nations development.

He added that IT applications should be created for all services to improve transparency and efficiency. He urged a breakthrough in education and training of IT human resources in the shortest time to increase the number of people working in the sector, to double or triple the number from the current 300,000.

Is it time for us to obliterate the knowledge of technology so that in the shortest time all Vietnamese people must be equipped with necessary knowledge to contribute to the countrys growth, he said, adding that VINASA and the Viet Nam IT community should be brave, intellectual and enthusiastic.

The Deputy PM also lauded the contribution of VINASA and entrepreneurs for the IT development and the countrys economic growth during the past 15 years.

VINASA has 350 member enterprises, accounting for 60 per cent of IT human resources and 70 per cent of the sectors total revenues.  VNS
HA NOI  Saudi Arabia has urged Vietnamese exporters of meat and seafood products to register their companies with product information on its Food and Drug Authority website.

On the Ministry of Industry and Trades website, its department of African, Western and Southern Asian markets has stated that the ministry received a note regarding the registrations from the Embassy of Saudi Arabia on March 31.

Saudi Arabia recommends that Vietnamese food export firms register information via the link: sfda.gov.sa/ar/food/eservices/Pages/FERS1.aspx, the MoIT said on its website on Monday.

The Middle Eastern kingdom said registration is compulsory for all firms that export food and drug products to the country so as to facilitate the export process.

Saudi Arabia is working to improve its monitoring process with regards to food hygiene and safety of imported products.  VNS
HA NOI  Vietinbank has not completed acquiring PGBank as the two sides have not finished all required procedures and got approval from the authorities.

At Viet Nam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trades (Vietinbank) annual shareholder meeting today, chairman Nguyen Van Thang said all documents related to the merger of the two banks were submitted to the State Bank of Viet Nam in 2016.

After reviewing the papers, the central bank asked Vietinbank to review and update the result of assessment on PGBanks share price and re-calculate and discuss the convert ratio between the two banks shares, he said.

Vietinbank has hired audit firm Deloitte Viet Nam to re-assess the price of PGBank shares and re-calculate the ratio to convert PGBank shares into Vietinbank shares, Thang said, adding that the two banks are in talks to finalise and submit the results to the central bank.

Under the previous agreement that was approved by shareholders of the two banks in 2015, the ratio to convert PGBanks shares into Vietinbanks was 1:0.9, or each PGBank share was equal to 0.9 Vietinbank share.

Based on that ratio, Vietinbank will issue an additional 270 million shares in exchange for 300 million PGBank shares. Another 30 million shares will be issued for Vietinbanks current shareholders.

In 2017, Vietinbank expects to increase its total assets by 14 per cent year-on-year to more than VN1 quadrillion (US$44.4 billion) from 2016, raise its pre-tax profit by 3 per cent to VN8.8 trillion and pay a 5-7 per cent dividend.

Vietinbank general director Le uc Tho said the bank will improve its super-micro customer and small- and medium-sized enterprise segments in 2017.

According to its report for 2016, Vietinbank recorded charter capital of VN37.23 trillion and ownership equity of VN60.4 trillion.

Those numbers were 24 per cent and 6 per cent lower, respectively, than the targeted figures for 2016 as the bank had to use its 2016 profits to make dividend payments instead of increasing its capital as planned.

Vietinbank, in 2016, saw its total assets rise 22 per cent year-on-year to VN949 trillion. Its lending increased by 18 per cent to VN722 trillion and its bad debt was 0.9 per cent.  VNS
HA NOI  The Vietnam Railway Corporation (VNR) will ink a deal with the Saigon Newport Corporation this April to build two inland container depots (ICDs) in Binh Duong Province and Ha Noi.

New VNR chairman Vu Anh Minh said the two ICDs will be constructed in the Song Than Industrial Park in the southern province of Binh Duong and in Ha Nois ong Anh District.

Saigon Newport accounts for half of the countrys market share of container shipping services, he noted, adding that it has also gained a large percentage of the container market share - 90 per cent and 70 per cent - in HCM City and the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, respectively.

VNR will also sign an agreement with the Vietnam Tourism Association and the Nha Trang business association in Khanh Hoa to increase the number of rail passengers.  VNA
HA NOI  Most Vietnamese cities lack the capacity to confront climate change challenges, experts say, calling for greater preparedness efforts.

Cities have to be ready to adapt to new situations and unexpected developments, ensuring essential services to residents at all times, they add.

Surveys done by the Urban Development Agency under the Construction Ministry have found cities in mountainous areas particularly vulnerable to natural calamities.

In Lao Cai City, capital of the eponymous province, and Gia Nghia Town, ak Nong Province in the Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) region, it was found that transportation facilities and potable water supply systems were not equipped for emergency situations.

The studies also found that the early warning systems for storms and flashfloods were not completed in several cities.

In the Tay Nguyen region, urban areas like Gia Nghia Township have not been able to supply residents with clean water during prolonged drought, badly affecting daily life and production.

Urban development plans prepared by local administrations failed to include solutions for climate change impacts, the agency found.

Major cities, too

For instance, HCM City has been suffering flooding on a regular basis because 72 per cent of the land area is lower than sea level. About 12 per cent of the citys residents, 47 per cent of them poor, are hit hardest by the flooding.

From 2005-2011, the central city of a Nang was hit by 14 storms that destroyed about 15,000 houses and 26,623ha of forests.

According to the Institute for Social and Environment Transition (ISET), about 300 coastal urban areas have been suffering climate change impacts, including flooding, saline intrusion, and big tides; and nearly 150 urban areas in the mountainous areas have been affected by land erosion, flash floods, and drought.

Experts emphasise that not factoring climate change in the urban planning process has not just made cities more vulnerable, it has also worsened the impacts.

In many urban areas, infrastructure development has not kept pace with increasing population. For instance, most areas do not have separate drainage systems for rainwater and wastewater, and in some cases, existing systems are so degraded that they meet just 60 per cent of demand.

Climate change is unpredictable and variable, Nguyen Hong Tien, head of Technical Infrastructure Department under the Construction Ministry told Nhan Dan Cuoi Tuan (The People) Weekly.

Meanwhile, urban cities infrastructure works have not been designed and built to respond to specific natural calamities, Tien said.

According to weather experts, new records are likely in terms of temperature and rainfall as well as frequency of natural calamities in the coming years. So the losses suffered would be much worse if preventive measures are not prepared, he said.

Bach Tan Sinh of the Institute for Science and Technology Strategy and Policy said there were many shortcomings in getting urban areas adapt to climate change in Viet Nam.

"These include lack of capacity among local administrations, lack of investment and weak knowledge and awareness among both officials and the general public," he said.

"At present, there is no regulations on associating measures of climate change adaption with the socio-economic development in general and urban development plans in regular," Tan said.

Tien called for the development and application of advanced space and remote sensing technologies to get early warnings about natural disasters as well as development of infrastructure adaptable to climate change impacts, including natural disasters. -- VNS
BINH INH  The central provinces environmental department has ordered three titanium exploitation companies to suspend operations, which have continued for the last three years despite expired licences.

The three companies - My Tai Co Ltd, Tan Phat Co Ltd and Ban Mai Production & Commerce Co Ltd - were only granted permission by the provinces Peoples Committee to carry out mining activities until the end of 2013, according to Huynh Quang Vinh, deputy head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DoNRE).

Once this period was over, the local authorities asked the three companies to complete environment restoration at the exploited area by the end of August 2015. However, the three companies defied the order and continued to hire workers and deploy heavy machines to extract titanium at the site in Phu My District, prompting anger of the locals.

Binh inh Peoples Committee has told Phu My District to coordinate with the provincial DoNRE to work on administrative fines applicable for the offences according to existing law and seize all machines and other assets for further investigation.

In a related development, locals of Van Thai Village in My Tai Commune of Phu My District have submitted a denunciation letter against Hoang Khiem Co Ltd, saying the company has illegally exploited sand in the riverbed of the La Tinh River from 2016 to now, without licences. The overexploitation of sand has led to heavy erosion on the riverbank, adversely affecting lives and production.

Phu My authorities said the province is still processing Hoang Khiem companys documents asking permission to carry out mineral prospecting, specifically sand used in construction, on a 2.4ha area. However, the company has gone on with exploitation operations without obtaining any licence.

On April 15, chairman of Binh inh Provinces Peoples Committee Ho Quoc Dung asked the provincial police, especially environment police forces, to conduct inspection of mineral exploitation sites and handle violations. Initially, the focus would be on "hot spots" like in Phu My and Phu Cat districts, he said.  VNS
LOS ANGELES  The Fate of the Furious debuted in super-high gear this weekend, taking in US$100.2 million on North American screens and roaring to record global revenues of more than a half-billion dollars, industry analysts estimated on Sunday.

Exhibitor Relations said the latest chapter in Universal Studios Fast and Furious series accounted for nearly two-thirds of North American revenues over the three-day Easter weekend, leaving previous frontrunner The Boss Baby, a Fox/DreamWorks animation, in its dust with just $15.5 million in sales.

Behind megastars Vin Diesel and Dwayne The Rock Johnson, the latest Furious film opened exceptionally well in the rest of the world.

Led by China, which set a three-day record of $190 million, the film brought in $432.3 million in some 60 countries.

It was the No 1 film everywhere, website BoxOfficeMojo.com reported.

The $532.5 million global debut, once North American revenues added in, would break the record of $529 million held by Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

It would also surpass such other box-office monsters as Jurassic World ($524.9 million) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 ($483.2 million).

The film, directed by F. Gary Gray of Straight Outta Compton fame, also features Charlize Theron, Tyrese Gibson and hip-hop star Ludacris.

In it, Diesels Dom Toretto character is coerced to join forces with a cyberterrorist played by Theron, who turns him against his team.

For all its strong showing, the manic muscle-car-filled film earned nearly a third less in its first North American weekend than the previous Fast and Furious chapter, which drew $147.2 million.

But Universal is not about to apply the brakes: additional Furious chapters are planned for release in 2019 and 2021.

Beauty and the Beast continued to draw viewers to North American theatres this weekend, earning $13.6 million in its fifth week.

The Disney blockbuster, starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens, has taken in $454.7 million domestically while pushing past $1 billion internationally.

The animated Smurfs: The Lost Village from Sony was fourth with $6.5 million. That was half its opening take from a week earlier.

Holding fifth spot on North American screens was Going in Style. The Warner Bros. comedy, starring Morgan Freeman, Alan Arkin and Michael Caine as ,aging bank robbers, had weekend sales of $6.3 million.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

Gifted ($3.0 million)

Get Out ($2.9 million)

Power Rangers ($2.9 million)

The Case for Christ ($2.7 million)

Kong: Skull Island ($2.7 million).  AFP
HA NOI  Italy lovers will have the opportunity to indulge in the countrys culture and lifestyle through journalist Truong Anh Ngocs latest book  Nghin Ngay Nuoc Y, Nghin Ngay Yeu (Thousand Days in Italy, Thousand Days of Love).

While my first book about Italy, titled Italy, My Love Story, records my initial state - young and enthusiastic about the country - the second one is like a handbook about the culture and lifestyle of Italians, Ngoc said during the book release, held last Saturday in Ha Noi.

Thousand days in Italy is the length of my term of work in Italy and thousand days of love is the period during which I had the chance to observe people and their way of life, Ngoc said.

The book features a collection of his writings over the past three years, some of which have been published in magazines.

The first part  Live Like Italians Do  features the culture of Italy, while the second part  Love Like Italians Do  is about the love story of a street puppet artist in Navona Square of Rome, whose name is Marcel Gorgone, and a Vietnamese woman, as well as the love stories of others. The last part features the authors trip to other areas of Italy.

I cant explain my special love for Italy. Its like first love. To me, Italy is not only a place where my family and I lived for seven years and where I worked, but also where I realised my dream to visit lands that I had only seen in books, films and cards when I was small, Ngoc said.

When I read this book, fond memories of Italy come flooding back , journalist Minh Tri, who also spent some time in Italy, said.

Anh Ngocs unique perspective captured in this book will evoke special emotions for readers, Tri said.  VNS
HA NOI  A film about autistic children will be screened on Saturday in Ha Noi, followed by a discussion about autism with international health experts working at Family Medical Practice Hanoi.

The film Jack of the Red Hearts is a movie telling an emotional story about parenting, powerfully depicting the challenges caring for and teaching an autistic child. The movie is directed by Janet Grillo, a critically acclaimed filmmaker, Emmy Award-winning producer and the mother of a child diagnosed with autism.

Following the screening, there will be a panel discussion on early detection, early intervention and parenting a child with autism. Panelists will include pediatricians, early development/intervention specialists and parents of autistic children.

All are welcome to this event which is sponsored by Family Medical Practice Hanoi and the US Embassy.

The event will be held at 2pm at Toong Co-working Space (inside the Trade Union Hotel) located at 98 To Ngoc Van Street, Tay Ho District of Ha Noi. You can register via email to hanoi_events@vietnammedicalpractice.com.  VNS
NA Economic Committee Deputy Chairman Nguyen uc Kien.  Photo tienphong.vn

NA Economic Committee Deputy Chairman Nguyen uc Kien tells Tien Phong (Vanguard) that a land bank can help avoid difficulties and risks relating to land accumulation.

Agricultural land accumulation appears to have become a trend now. Can you tell us something about this?

Agricultural land accumulation is actually taking place in many places, mainly in three ways: the first one is where farmers gather their land together and plant the same crops, use the same inputs (like fertilizers); the second way is for firms to negotiate with each household individually to rent or buy their land; and the third is for authorities to rent land from farmers and lend it to firms.

Each way has its own advantages and risks. If farmers gather land together and can work well with each other, thats good, but not good enough. If they cant find markets for their output and dont apply new technologies in their production process, theyll be vulnerable to market fluctuations.

On the other hand, if firms rent farmers lands directly, they may be doing good because they have financial resources and output markets. But if firms dont do well, they wont be able to pay their rent to farmers.

So the land bank is where farmers can deposit their land and earn interest from lending them to enterprises.

Can you elaborate? How exactly would this work?

A Land Bank would be set by the Government. Farmers can deposit their land in it, like they would deposit money in normal banks. So, the land would be money deposited in the bank for a certain period of time, on which they would earn interest no matter what the bank does with it.

Enterprises can borrow land from this bank to do business, with the condition that they have to use on-the-spot workers, in this case, the farmers. So, even if the firms dont do well and go bankrupt, farmers wont lose their land.

According to the Constitution, once a land lot that is allocated to an individual remains unused, it can be taken back and allocated to another person. But this would not happen if that individual deposits the land in a land bank.

Farmers can then have two income sources: one from land rent and the other from working for enterprises.

What do you think about proposals to expand land limits?

It would be difficult to make changes to the Land Law to expand land limits.

Lets take a look at the option where firms buy land from farmers to accumulate land. If a firm buys up to 30 hectares of agriculture land from 3,000 families, it means roughly 15,000 people would have to find another way to earn their living instead of doing farm work. A firm can recruit at the most 3,000 people. What about the rest?

The Government needs to look at this matter and think of a way to harmonise the interest of firms and farmers, a solution that accumulate agriculture land for large-scale production, but does not create other troubles.

Regarding the adjustment of land limit, as a National Assembly deputy, I would consider voting for it, but there needs to be a calculation and comparision of benefits created by expanding land limits and the socio-economic risks this entails.

The number of enterprises investing in agriculture is still modest. Do you think policy incentives are needed to increase this number?

We cant force enterprises to invest in the agriculture sector. In a market economy, once an industry can generate profits, investors wouldnt hesitate to invest in it.

Its been a custom that when talking about agriculture, we are usually talking about rice, while there many other things to talk about. For instance, in Son La Province, farmers raise cows, plant oranges and earn billions of ong each year. Do they need to expand land limits? So there is a certain mindset about farming when we talk about land limits or expanding them.

We have to admit that, without enterprises, farmers can still survive. But without farmers, enterprises cant. Enterprises need to understand that farmers are their source, and if they want to thrive, they need to share their benefits with farmers. They can contribute money and technology, and farmers can contribute their land and labour.--VNS
Female workers at a construction site.  Photo dantri.com.vn

Nguyen Thi Hai Van, head of the Employment Department of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, speaks to Dan Tri.com.vn about the Governments decision to cut employers contributions to the unemployment fund.

Why has the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs asked the Government to cut 0.5 percent from employers contribution to the national unemployment insurance scheme?

To help enterprises overcome difficulties, the Government has adopted several measures, including extending deadlines for payment of value added and income taxes, lower land rental price, extending deadlines for paying land use fees for enterprises facing financial difficulties.

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) has also proposed reducing employers contributions for their workers to the Unemployment Insurance Fund from 1 percent to 0.5 percent. If our proposal is accepted, the fund will be reduced by about 25 percent per annum. In 2016, the Unemployment Insurance Fund collected VN 11,728 billion ($517.2 million) from employers nation wide

According to our calculation, enterprises can save about VN3 trillion ($132.3 million) a year, so no doubt it will help cut down costs and ease pressure on enterprises to raise prices. And finally, it will help enterprises increase their competitiveness.

On April 7, 2017 a Government resolution was approved adjusting employers contributions to the Unemployment Insurance Fund to 0.5 percent, as proposed by the MOLISA.

The adjustment will take effect once its approved by the National Assembly and be in effect until Dec. 31, 2019.

The decision is good for employers, but not for workers. Do you agree?

Cutting down unemployment insurance costs for employers is one way of preventing layoffs. Both the rights of employees and employers regarding unemployment insurance will be fully guaranteed.

In some countries, both the employees and employers have to pay the same percentage of unemployment insurance. But the percentage is changed annually depending on the expenditure projection for that year.

However, in Viet Nam both the employee and employer each have to pay 1% and the central Government contributes a maximum rate of 1%.

The Unemployment Fund is not statics. It is subject to change periodically. Thats why I think the decision is right given the sluggishness of the economy.

Might the unemployment fund become unbalanced in the future?

During the writing of the proposal we have to calculate very carefully various scenarios, including the Law on Unemployment Insurance; the collection/spending on unemployment and others.

It is projected that by 2020 the Fund will remain safe and benefits of both the employers and workers will be protected. VNS
HA NOI  Eight task forces will be established to investigate corruption cases that have received public attention in 20 provinces and cities. The decision was adopted today by the Anti-Corruption Central Steering Committee, chaired by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

The Party General Secretary also issued an order to provide resources for expanding the investigation of corruption at the Viet Nam Petroleum Construction Corporation (PVC), with a focus on the arrest and extradition of Trinh Xuan Thanh, former head of the State-owned enterprise.

Trong commended the efforts of various law enforcement agencies in the investigation and prosecution of 11 defendants involved in embezzlement and in "deliberately acting against State regulations in economic mismanagement, causing serious consequences" at PVC.

He urged continued perseverance in the next phase of the cases against Ha Van Tham, former chairman of Oceanbank, whose malfeasant practices caused a loss of VN2 trillion (US$88.1 million), and Pham Cong Danh, former chairman of Viet Nam Construction Bank, a central figure of a VN9 trillion ($396 million) loss.

The Party chief also approved the plan for concluding the investigation and trial of 12 other related cases in 2017, including those involving Sacombank, TPBank, BIDV and the State Bank of Viet Nam.  VNS
By Thu Ngan

HCM CITY  When asked how many bridges had been built as a result of his fund-raising efforts, farmer Mai Van Vo, a former war veteran, had no idea.

Decades ago, the 71-year-old, who lives in Gia Lai Town in the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu, began seeking funds to replace cau khi (foot bridges) with cement bridges.

Although the number of new bridges exceeds 300, Vo said he had never bothered to count.

I did this for local people because I wanted them to have better transportation, he said.

Working hard and never boasting about their contributions to society appears to be part of the character of many former soldiers.

Warm heart

Like many farmers living in the Mekong Delta, Vo is not well-off but has a generous nature.

Recalling the first cement bridge that was built, he said: Im a member of the Veterans Association of ong Hai District in the province. More than 10 years ago, we started the programme of replacing foot bridges in response to the provincial plan of studying and following Ho Chi Minhs ideology, morality and lifestyle.

Vo said the initial work was difficult as many people thought it was the Governments responsibility and few people wanted to donate money.

However, Vo was determined to continue raising funds, seeing local schoolchildren and residents struggle every day as they crossed the foot bridges.

ong Hai District has more canals than any area in the province. Some island communes had no roads or even foot bridges at the time. They had to use small boats as their daily vehicles, he said.

Pursuing his plan, Vo identified sites to build bridges and then set up a budget, while also encouraging families to persuade their local authorities to contribute money.

With his prestigious position of being a war veteran and party secretary of his commune, he explained to local residents how important the bridges were and the benefits they would receive.

He told them that ong Hai District had many bridges that needed to be replaced and that they could not wait for the Government to do all the work.

As a result, he began to see a more positive response.

Poor residents were willing to pitch in between VN100,000 and VN200,000, and those with better incomes contributed from VN2 million (US$90) to VN5 million ($220). People who could not offer money took part in building the bridges.

The first cement bridge was built in An Trach Commune in ong Hai District.

When the bridge was completed, people were so happy. Vo said. I remember that the bridge was about 60-70m wide and it was finished in a month.

With one bridge project completed, Vo had the confidence to pursue his goal of replacing all the foot bridges.

Along with calling for contributions from locals, Vo met sponsors in HCM City who donated funds for the bridge project.

Today, there are no foot bridges in ong Hai District.

Thanks to the new bridges, peoples living standards have improved, with many shops serving residents who live near the bridges.

The districts Veterans Association said that since 2011, Vo had called for VN14 billion to build 337 bridges. The cost for each bridge ranged from VN30 million ($1,300) to VN200 million ($8,000).

Vo also called for money to repair eight roads with a total length of 10,000 metres.

Now older, Vo has decided to leave the job of mobilising capital for new bridges to a new generation, who, he hopes, will devote their lives to help farmers have a better life. VNS
QUANG NAM  Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh has asked authorities of the central Quang Nam Province to investigate reports of illegal gold exploitation in the Bong Mieu mine area.

He also asked inspectors of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to work with the authorities of the province and report the result to the Government this month.

Nguyen The Vinh, Chairman of the Peoples Committee of Tam Lanh Commune, Phu Ninh District, Quang Nam Province, said an average of 60 illegal gold exploiters flock to the area every day, some of whom are local residents and others mostly from northern provinces.

Despite efforts by local authorities and police to set up checkpoints, the influx has not stopped. The scavengers lived in camps, and when police show up they run into the forest.

Bong Mieu Gold Company had been granted a licence for exploitation at the mine, however, the licence expired in March 2016 but the mine wasnt handed over to local authorities.

The chairman warned that the mine area was a source of water pollution and ran a risk of tunnel collapse.

A large amount of toxic chemicals were transported by illegal gold exploiters and then discharged directly into the surrounding environment, directly affecting the lives of local people, according to the chairman.

He added that the mine had 40 tunnel gates, but many tunnels have been unoccupied for a long time and were vulnerable to collapse.

"The current situation in Bong Mieu is very complex, local authorities face difficulty dealing with the issue, the chairman said.

Nguyen Canh, Secretary of the Phu Ninh District Party Committee, said district authorities had discussed with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment how to retrieve the gold mine from the Bong Mieu Gold Company, but the problem hadnt been resolved.

An official of Quang Nam Province Peoples Committee said district and commune authorities are responsible for managing mineral resources and applying strict measures to ensure security, social order and safety.

He said Bong Mieu Gold Company should move all the explosive materials out of the mining area, then Tam Lanh Commune authorities would control the operation of the mine and stop illegal exploitation at the area.  VNS
Illustrative Image.  Photo baocongthuong.com.vn

HA NOI  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has given the investment green light to building two large-scale reservoirs with capacities of nearly a million cu.m each..

The ong Mit Reservoir in the central province of Binh inh and Canh Tang Reservoir in the northern province of Hoa Binh aim to improve irrigation for agriculture production, improve water supply and living standards in the two provinces.

The ong Mit Reservoir, with a designed capacity of 89.8 million cu.m, will need an estimated VN2.14 trillion (US$94.1 million) to build. It is expected to boost socio-economic development while improving the local ecosystem and environment in Binh inhs four districts of An Lao, Hoai An, Hoai Nhon and Phu My.

The construction of the reservoir is expected to be completed in 2021.

The Canh Tang Reservoir, constructed during 2017-2020, will have a designed capacity of 93 million cu.m, and need a total investment of over VN3.1 trillion (roughly $136 million).

The project, located in Phu Yen Commune, Lac Son District, will include the building of a river dam, a flood drainage gate and other supportive facilities for a water supply and sewage system.

The reservoir is expected to irrigate about 6,460ha of farmland in 17 communes of Hoa Binhs Lac Son and Yen Thuy districts, and supply water to the 200ha Lac Thinh Industrial Zone in Yen Thuy District.

It is also expected to provide dry season irrigation for 2,500ha in Thach Thanh District, Thanh Hoa Province

Officials said the reservoir would also help restructure the agricultural sector and improve living conditions of people in Hoa Binhs Yen Thuy and Lac Son districts, as also Thanh Hoa Provinces Thach Thanh District.

As a lower riparian country in the Mekong and Red River deltas, most dams and reservoirs in Viet Nam have been constructed for multiple purposes, including flood control, irrigation, hydropower, water supply and other flow management.

There are about 3,600 reservoirs of various sizes, of which less than 15 per cent are large or medium with capacities of a million cu.m or a height of more than 10 metres.
HA TINH  A protest against toll collection by local residents at Cau Rac toll station in Cam Xuyen District disrupted traffic for two hours on Sunday.

This comes on the heels of several similar incidents in many localities in the country recently, where people believe there are too many toll stations on the BOT (Build-Operation-Transfer) highways and the fees are too high.

On Sunday morning, people from Cam Trung Commune in Cam Xuyen District drove around 50 cars and trucks at snails speed at a toll station on National Highway 1. Each of the vehicles had banners stuck on them that read: We dont use the BOT road, why are you forcing us to pay the fee?

Protestors argue that the BOT toll station is located at an unreasonable spot. In 2005, Ha Tinh-based Song a Infrastructure One Member Ltd Co built a 16-km road to bypass Ha Tinh City. The toll station, however, is located at Cau Rac, which is 30km away from this road.

A truck driver, who took part in the protest, told Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper that he pays the VN50,000 (US$2.2) fee at least eight times a day. I mainly transport materials for people in the commune and the neighbourhood. I dont drive on a single metre of the BOT road, he said.

It took the commune police and the provincial transport police two hours to persuade the protestors to disperse and restore traffic order.

Pham ang Nhat, chairman of Cam Xuyen District Peoples Committee, later told Thanh Nien If local people think the toll collection is unreasonable, they should sign a petition and submit it to the authority. We will arrange a meeting to address the issue.

Trinh Xuan Phuc, director of Song a company, said the company had earlier proposed to the Ministry of Transport to cut the toll by half for residents of Cam Xuyen, but it had not got any feedback.

Last week, the ministry waived fees for several types of vehicles owned by residents of some localities in Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces while crossing Ben Thuy 1 toll station, which connects the two provinces.

The move came after repeated protests by local residents at the toll booth since the end of March.  VNS
HCM CITY  An appeal court in HCM City on Monday upheld the death sentence of a Vietnamese-born Australian national for trafficking heroin.

Pham Trung Dung, 40, was arrested on May 17, 2013, as he and his partner were about to board a flight to Australia, after authorities at Tan Son Nhat International Airport found two packages containing a white powder hidden in his suitcase.

It was later confirmed that the white powder Dung was carrying was 3.5kg of heroin.

Dung, who has lived in Australia since 2000, told the investigative body that while he was visiting his family in HCM City, he met a person named Kien, who has not yet been identified. Dung said that at Kiens request he agreed to carry two suitcases to Australia and hand them over to a man named Loi for AUD$40,000 (VN600 million).

On August 24, 2016, at the second hearing, the HCM City Peoples Court found Dung guilty and handed him a death sentence.

On Monday, the HCM City Superior Court said Dung and his lawyers had failed to put forth new evidence or circumstances for the ruling to be commuted.

The court also upheld the decision that his partner was innocent as there is no evidence to show that she was an accomplice.

Viet Nam has tough drug laws, and death penalty is handed down to those convicted of producing or selling 100 grams or more of heroin, or 300 grams or more of other illegal narcotics.  VNS
HCM CITY  Of the 407 petrol stations to be opened in HCM City from now until 2030, 62 of them will be on boats on local waterways.

The new plan was approved and signed by the deputy chairman of HCM City Peoples Committee, Tran Vinh Tuyen, after a previous decision about the matter became invalid.

Most of the new petrol stations will be located in outlying districts.

To develop river tourism, 62 stations will be located on boats in waterways along districts 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, Thu uc, Nha Be, Hoc Mon, Can Gio, Cu Chi and Binh Chanh.

On-land stations include 22 in District 2; 26 in District 12; 51 in Binh Chanh District; 53 in Cu Chi District; 21 in Can Gio District; 20 in Nha Be District, and 16 in Hoc Mon District, among others.

Around 106 petrol stations have already been closed, with 532 stations operating as of 2016, according to the Department of Industry and Trade.

Along with the new stations, there will be a total of 939 stations in HCM City by 2030.

The department said the volume of petrol consumption is expected to reach 2.35 million cu.m in 2020, 3.25 million cu.m in 2025, and 4.3 million cu.m in 2030.

More petrol stations are needed to meet demand resulting from an increase in population, it said.  VNS
MUNSAN, South Korea  Mike Pence arrived at the gateway to the Demilitarised Zone dividing the two Koreas today, in a show of US resolve hours after North Korea failed in its attempt to test another missile.

The US vice president flew by helicopter into Camp Bonifas, a US-led United Nations command post just a few hundred metres (yards) south of the DMZ.

From there, he was expected to move to the truce village of Panmunjom that straddles one of the most heavily militarised borders on Earth.

"It is particularly humbling for me to be here," Pence told those assembled.

"My father served in the Korean war with the US Army, and on the way here we actually saw some of the terrain my father fought alongside Korean forces to help earn your freedom.

"We are grateful to all of those who each and every day stand in the gap for freedom here at the DMZ."

Tensions

Tensions between Pyongyang and Washington have soared in recent weeks, as a series of North Korean weapons tests have wrought ever-more bellicose warnings from Donald Trumps administration.

The new US president has indicated he will not allow North Korea to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the western United States.

Pyongyang insists it needs a powerful arsenal -- including atomic weapons -- to protect itself from what it says is the ever-present threat of invasion by hostile US forces.

A top White House foreign policy advisor on Sunday became the latest Trump official to warn that while diplomatic pressure was preferable, US military action is very much on the table.

"We have a wide array of tools at disposal for the president should he choose to use them," the official said.

Speaking on Sunday before a handful of the 28,500 US military personnel stationed in South Korea, Pence denounced the latest North Korea test as a "provocation."

"Let me assure you that under President Trumps leadership our resolve has never been stronger, our commitment to this historic alliance with the courageous people of South Korea has never been stronger and with your help and Gods help freedom will ever prevail on this peninsula," he said.

The tests and resultant harsh warnings appear to have put the United States and North Korea -- two nuclear powers -- on a collision course.

North Koreas leader Kim Jong-un has shown no indication he will heed the warnings and abandon WMD programs.

Anniversary

The latest launch -- which failed when the missile blew up seconds after blast off -- came a day after the North held a defiant massive military parade in Pyongyang showcasing nearly 60 missiles -- including a suspected new intercontinental ballistic missile.

The North has a habit of test-firing missiles to mark major dates such as Saturdays 105th anniversary of the birth of the nations founder Kim Il-Sung, or as gestures of defiance when top US officials visit the region.

South Koreas foreign ministry said that by conducting the latest test just a day after displaying a series of missiles, "North Korea has threatened the whole world".

After visiting the DMZ, Pence is expected to hold talks with South Koreas Acting President Hwang Kyo-Ahn in Seoul.

Pence will try to steer clear of South Koreas tumultuous domestic politics ahead of elections next month.

But he will no doubt address worries in Washington that any new government may slow-walk the deployment of THAAD -- a system designed to shoot down missiles from North Korea or elsewhere.

On Sunday a White House adviser appeared to hint the election could result in some delays.

"As in any government decision, it may slip a couple of weeks or months. Its moving, but candidly until they get president... in the early part of May I think its rightfully so it should be a decision for the next president."

This is Pences first visit to South Korea -- part of an Asia swing that also includes stops in Japan, Indonesia and Australia -- and although it was conceived months ago, could hardly come at a time of higher tension.

Away from immediate security matters, Pence will try to reassure allies concerned about Trumps commitment to decades old security guarantees and protectionist rhetoric.  AFP
SEOUL  Prosecutors today will indict ousted President Park Geun-hye on bribery and other charges related to 13 criminal allegations, and conclude their probe into the influence-peddling scandal that brought her down, prosecution sources said.

Prosecutors have sought to wrap up their monthslong investigation and Parks indictment before this weeks launch of the official campaign for the May 9 presidential election. The official campaign period kicked off earlier in the day, with 15 hopefuls vying for the top elected office.

The former president went through five rounds of questioning at a detention centre, south of Seoul, after she was arrested on March 31 on charges of bribery, abuse of power, coercion and leaking government secrets.

Park is accused of colluding with her friend Choi Soon-sil in coercing large conglomerates into donating to non-profit foundations controlled by Choi and receiving tens of billions of won in bribes from Samsung.

Park reportedly denied all the charges during her in-prison questioning.

Woo Byung-woo, senior presidential secretary for civil affairs from 2015 to 2016, is expected to be put on trial, along with Park, for his alleged involvement in the scandal, the sources said.

He is accused of aiding and abetting Choi in meddling in state affairs and amassing profits using her ties to Park, though a local court refused to issue a warrant to arrest him last week.

Eyes are also on whether chiefs of South Koreas conglomerates Lotte and SK will stand trial on charges of bribery.

Prosecutors have been expanding their probe into the business groups after indicting Lee Jae-yong, Samsung Groups de facto leader, on charges of giving kickbacks to Choi in return for business favours.

Choi and Lee, as well as the other business tycoons, are flatly denying the allegations.  YONHAP
ISTANBUL  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan narrowly won a historic referendum on Sunday that will tighten his grip on power, but the knife-edge result left the country bitterly divided and the opposition crying foul.

The sweeping constitutional changes approved in the vote create a presidential system that will grant Erdogan more power than any leader since modern Turkeys founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and his successor Ismet Inonu.

The result could also have even wider implications for Turkey which joined NATO in 1952 and for the last half-century has set its sights on joining the European Union.

The Yes campaign won 51.4 per cent of the vote against 48.6 per cent for No, the election commission said in figures quoted by state news agency Anadolu, in a count based on 99.5 per cent of the ballot boxes.

As huge crowds of flag-waving supporters celebrated on the streets, Erdogan praised Turkey for taking a "historic decision".

"With the people, we have realised the most important reform in our history," he added.

Supreme Election Board chief Sadi Guven confirmed that the Yes camp had emerged victorious, but the opposition has vowed to challenge the outcome.

New page opened

The referendum was held under a state of emergency that has seen 47,000 people arrested in an unprecedented crackdown after the failed military putsch against Erdogan in July last year.

In a nail-biting end to a frenetic campaign, the No share of the vote climbed as more ballots were counted, after lagging well behind in the early count, but failed to overtake the Yes.

"This is a decision made by the people. In our democracys history, a new page has opened," said Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, whose job will disappear under the constitutional changes.

In a television interview on Friday Erdogan had predicted a far clearer victory saying polls showed a 55-60 per cent share of the vote.

But voting patterns showed Turkey deeply divided over the changes, with the No vote victorious in the countrys three biggest cities.

The Yes vote held up strongly in Erdogans Anatolian heartland but the Aegean and Mediterranean coastal regions and Kurdish-dominated southeast backed the No camp.

In a major disappointment for the president, the No vote was just ahead in his hometown of Istanbul and in the capital Ankara and clearly ahead in the third city of Izmir.

A statement issued by European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker and EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said that in view of the closeness of the result, the Turkish authorities need to seek the "broadest possible national consensus" for the changes.

Erdogan made relations with the EU a key issue in his referendum campaign, lambasting Brussels for failing to make progress on Ankaras stalled accession talks and he accused Germany and the Netherlands of acting like the Nazis when they barred pro-government rallies.

Totally invalid

Turkeys two main opposition parties said they would challenge the results over alleged violations.

The pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) said it would challenge two-thirds of the votes, saying "There is an indication of a 3-4 percentage point manipulation of the vote."

Republican Peoples Party (CHP) chief Kemal Kilicdaroglu said the actions of the election authorities "caused the referendums legitimacy to be questioned".

"Believe me, this election is not over," deputy CHP leader Erdal Aksunger told CNN Turk, quoted by the Dogan news agency. "This is totally invalid. We are declaring this here."

The opposition had already complained that the referendum has been conducted on unfair terms, with Yes posters ubiquitous on the streets and opposition voices squeezed from the media.

Supporters see the change as an essential modernisation step for Turkey that will remove the risk of the political chaos that blighted the 1990s and is blamed for the 2000-2001 financial crisis.

Opponents fear it risks granting Erdogan authoritarian powers and allow him to ride roughshod over key institutions like the judiciary and parliament. Closely watched on Monday will be the initial assessment of the international observer mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

Robust and muscular

Erdogan again warned Brussels he would sign any bill agreed by parliament to reinstate capital punishment, a move that would automatically end Turkeys EU bid.

If the opposition failed to support the bill, Erdogan said another referendum could be held on reinstating the death penalty.

Western reactions to the referendum will be crucial after Erdogan accused Turkeys allies of failing to show sufficient solidarity in the wake of the failed coup.

"We would like other countries and institutions to show respect to the decision of the nation," Erdogan said.

The new system would dispense with the office of prime minister and centralise the entire executive bureaucracy under the president, giving Erdogan the direct power to appoint ministers.

It is due to come into force after elections in November 2019. Erdogan, who became president in 2014 after serving as premier from 2003, could then seek two more five-year terms.

"I dont think he (Erdogan) will reverse course. I dont think Erdogan will change the robust and muscular approach to politics that he has adopted so far," said Fadi Hakura, Turkey expert at London-based Chatham House think tank.  AFP
Character Counts is a national ethics program for young people based on six pillars of character. It was founded in 1996 by the Josephson Institute Center for Youth Ethics in California and introduced to Iowa schools the very next year thanks to former Iowa Gov. Robert D. Ray.

Tuesday evening the Cedar Valley held its annual Champions of Character award ceremony at Tama Hall on the Hawkeye Community College campus to celebrate individuals and organizations that have demonstrated commitment to positive character development.

The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University serves as the central base of Iowas Character Counts, and the program is directed by Waterloo native Scott Raecker.

An important element of Character Counts is positive role modeling where all stakeholders in the community share the same commitment to positive character development.

The programs six pillars of character are trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. In these times character often seems to be lacking, making programs like Character Counts more necessary than ever, said Raecker. Our mission is to provide practical strategies and tools to instill a positive learning environment for students and foster a culture of kindness.
WATERLOO  A Waterloo man has been detained on probation charges and his brother has been charged with attempting to support ISIS following a series of FBI raids.

The Waterloo resident, 37-year-old Wayne Johnathon Jones II, is only being held for allegedly absconding while on probation for a 2001 misdemeanor battery conviction out of Kenosha, Wis., according to jail officials and court records. He was taken into custody during a predawn raid at his Western Avenue apartment Wednesday.

He is currently in the Black Hawk County Jail and is being held without bond.

Officials at the FBI declined to comment on the Waterloo operation.

In a simultaneous raid in Illinois, Wayne Jones brother, 35-year-old Joseph D. Yusuf Abdulahad Jones, and his brothers friend, Edward Abdul Wali Schimenti, 35, both of Zion, Ill., were taken into custody. Both are charged with conspiring to provide and attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, a terrorist organization.

The Illinois men allegedly gave cellphones to a person they believed was an ISIS devotee traveling to fight in Syria. The cellphones were to be used as detonators for improvised explosive devices. Joseph Jones told the man he hoped the phones could be used to kill many nonbelievers, court records state.

Joseph Jones and Schimenti also drove him to an airport to begin his journey overseas. Schimenti told him to drench that land with they, they blood, court records state.

The traveler, it turned out, wasnt an ISIS follower going to Syria. He was a confidential informant working with the FBI.

According to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, Joseph Jones and Schimenti pledged their allegiance to ISIS and advocated on social media for violent extremism.

In one online posting, Joseph Jones bemoans his inability of find a good black Islamic State flag on eBay. Nothing but filthy Shia and Iranian flags pop up, he wrote, according to court records.

In the fall of 2015 the two met three people they believed were fellow ISIS followers, but two of the individuals were undercover FBI employees and the third was cooperating with law enforcement.

Over the next several months Joseph Jones and Schimenti met the undercover informants on numerous occasions, during which Joseph Jones and Schimenti discussed their devotion to ISIS and shared ISIS execution videos, the complaint states. Some of the meetings took place in Waukegan, Zion, Bridgeview, North Chicago, Highland Park and Chicago.

One of the undercover operatives eventually brought Joseph Jones an Islamic State flag and in April 2016, Joseph Jones allegedly shared photos of himself and Schimenti holding the flag in front of a sign reading Welcome to Illinois Beach State Park, court records state.

Joseph Jones allegedly asked an undercover FBI agent to share the photo on his Google+ account with a caption reading Support from dar ul fuffar, meaning support from the land of the infidels.

During a later recorded conversation with the cooperating source, Schimenti commented he would like to see the ISIS flag on top of the White House, according to court records.

In February and March 2017, Schimenti worked out with the cooperating source at a gym in Zion, the complaint states. Schimenti believed the man intended to travel overseas to fight for ISIS, and Schimenti commented the exercises would make you good, you know, in the battlefield, according to the complaint.

At one point in the sting operation, Schimenti allegedly made comments about the Great Lakes Naval Station in the Chicago area, and investigators believed he was considering it as a target. At another point, the complaint refers to comments Schimenti made about being angry at a gay coworker.

Sharia [Islamic Law] comes here, we are putting you [homosexuals] on top of Sears Tower and we drop you, Schimenti said, according to the complaint.

Last month the pair furnished several cellular phones to the cooperating source, believing they would be used to detonate explosive devices in ISIS attacks, the complaint states. On April 7, Joseph Jones and Schimenti drove the cooperating source to OHare International Airport in Chicago with the understanding he would travel to Syria to fight with ISIS, the complaint states.
WATERLOO  A Waterloo man has been indicted on weapons charges in connection with ammo and a gun that police found following a shooting that injured a 17 year old in November.

A grand jury handed up the indictment charging Eric Cortez Sallis, 26, with felon in possession of ammunition and felon in possession of a firearm on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids. The charges were unsealed on Thursday.

On Nov. 27, Tyran Collins was shot in the hand while at a home at 749 Kern St. Witnesses told police Sallis had been in the house at the time of the shooting, and officer found a car belonging to Salliss relative with two bullet holes parked in front of the residence, court records state. Authorities also found 9mm ammunition at the time, according to court records.

No one has been arrested in the shooting.

On Dec. 10, Waterloo police stopped Sallis on a warrant for allegedly missing a court date in an unrelated case and found marijuana and cash in his vehicle, and they discovered a loaded 9mm Sig Sauer pistol in an apartment.

He was arrested on state firearm and drug charges in December. Those charges were dismissed because of the federal case.

Sallis is barred from handling firearms because of a prior conviction in a 2007 shooting that injured two teens.
WATERLOO  A fire in a clothes dryer forced a Waterloo family from their home Sunday afternoon.

Residents at 622 Columbia St. were home around 6:45 p.m. Sunday when they noticed heavy smoke coming from the basement. They were able to flee the house without injury.

Crews from Waterloo Fire Rescue quickly extinguished the dryer. The damage was confined to the dryer, firefighters said.

The American Red Cross has been called to assist the family.
WATERLOO  In early 1945 an Iowa soldier stood over his brothers grave in Europe following the Battle of the Bulge.

Weeks prior to that, his own fate had been unknown to the rest his family.

Curtis Mather of Ottumwa was a corporal in the 84th Infantry Division. He was a Jeep driver  he named the vehicle Effie May after his wife. But in January 1945 she received an ominous telegram.

Out on a resupply mission, hed become separated from his unit in December at the start of the Bulge, a massive German offensive in which many units were overrun. He found himself 20 miles behind enemy lines at the onset of the offensive and unable to contact his outfit. He was declared missing in action.

After two weeks, he was found alive after working his way back to Allied lines, and rejoined his outfit. A short time later, his brother Otis, also of Ottumwa, was killed in action Jan. 19, 1945, serving with the 10th Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Armys 5th Infantry Division, part of the U.S. Third Army under Gen. George S. Patton Jr. The division had been involved in action along the Sauer River, pushing the Germans back. A Jeep Otis was in was attacked and he was killed.

Curtis and his family settled in Waterloo after the war. The Mather brothers are just two members of their family who served in the military over four generations  dating back to when their grandfather, George Mather, and great-uncle David, served in two Ohio regiments of the Union Army during the Civil War.

For that reason, the Mather family is receiving the Grout Museum Districts Sullivan Brothers Outstanding Military Family Award for exemplary community service. Theyll receive it at the Grouts annual fundraising event, An Evening at the Museum on Saturday at the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum. The museum and award are named for the five Waterloo brothers who died together during World War II.

Its overwhelming, said Byron Mather Jr., Curtis grandson, who served in the Army and Army Reserve from 1983 through 2006. I always knew my grandpa was in and he talked about how his brother was killed in the Battle of the Bulge. Curtis Mather died in 1981.

Byron Jr.s father, and Curtis son, Byron Sr., now of Arizona, served with the U.S. Air Force 1st Commando Group in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including service in Vietnam. His brother, Curtis son and longtime Waterloo Schools educator Jim Mather, served in the U.S. Marine Corps and Army Reserve from 1968 through 2002, including service in Operation Just Cause in Panama in 1989.

Were very excited about being honored with this award, since our family has been dedicated to the United States (armed) services since 1861, said Byron Jr.s wife, Vickie Trent, a retired University of Northern Iowa professor, the unofficial family historian. We have this long history of military commitment, and were proud that they were able to support our freedom.

She, Byron Jr. and Jim said the recognition is especially significant for Byron Sr., because his Vietnam service predated the 1964 Tonkin Gulf Resolution that President Johnson used to escalate the war. Prior to that, some 16,000 Americans served there as military advisers without a formal declaration of war.

In Vietnam, Byron Sr.s unit, nicknamed the Jungle Jims, would fly into combat in outdated World War II era aircraft and drop supplies to troops under fire. Byron Sr. is returning from Arizona for the award.

Byron Jr. said he and his father, like Curtis, were able to visit Otis grave in Luxembourg, in the same cemetery where Patton is buried.

When I was stationed in Germany, my dad came over and we went, in the early 90s, Byron Jr. said. Asked what that experience was like, he could only muster a sigh, with a lump in his throat.

The Grout event will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday.

Tickets for the event are $35. To purchase tickets call 234-6457 or go to www.gmdistrict.org/2017Gala.
CEDAR RAPIDS  For abortion advocates, a bill making its way through the Iowa Legislature has become more worrying.

The Senate this week once again is expected to debate Senate File 471, a bill that would ban almost all abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. But this time, the legislation also will include an amendment that would enact a 72-hour waiting period before any abortion and require physicians to perform an ultrasound as well as offer the woman the ability to listen to the heartbeat, a description of the baby and counseling.

The basic right to life should belong to every single human being, said Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison, during debate of the bill earlier this month. It passed the House on a 55-42 vote. Unborn lives matter, thats why this legislation matters.

Eleven children on average are aborted every day in Iowa, he continued, saying the legislation could prevent an estimated 51 abortions each year.

But Planned Parenthood of the Heartland argues the legislation puts an undue burden on women, forcing them to return to a health center unnecessarily.

In addition, the bill requires biased counseling that lacks scientific foundation and shames a woman making a deeply personal, private, safe and legal health decision, the womens health care organization said in a statement. (We) will continue to fight for womens rights to make their own health care decisions.

Twenty-seven other states already have enacted waiting periods, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health care policy and research organization. However, Iowa joins only a handful of states Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Utah  that have extended that time frame to three days.

Elizabeth Nash, senior state issue manager at the Guttmacher Institute, said the length of the waiting period does not necessarily have that much of an effect. Nearly 90 percent of women have made up their minds before they go to get an abortion, according to a Guttmacher study.

Its not just the waiting period thats the issue here, she said. Its all the logistical factors of getting to the abortion clinic.

Waiting periods mean women now will have to make two trips to the clinic timed very close together, she said. If the clinic only performs abortions on certain days of the week, the waiting period could push the procedure into the next week entirely.

Women also might have to take more time off work, coordinate transportation if they dont drive and spend more for child care, she said.

I think its also true that the burdens of an abortion restriction fall on women who are younger and poorer more than they do on older women who are more financially secure, Nash said. They dont have the same resources.

In Iowa, women 15 to 29 years old accounted for more than 3,000 of the 4,400 abortions performed in 2013, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Data. More than 3,600 were unmarried. Guttmacher estimates nearly half the women who obtain abortions live below the federal poverty level.

This bill is going to reshape abortion access in the whole state, Nash said. It will fundamentally change how abortion is accessed in Iowa, and not for the better.
DES MOINES  Many times, state lawmakers are in complete agreement on legislation, and a bill passes unanimously.

Many times, a bill divides lawmakers by political party; all Republicans support a bill, and all Democrats oppose it, or vice versa.

And every once in a while, there is near-unanimous agreement on a bill, except for a solitary member.

There were 11 lone wolf votes  in which nearly all legislators voted in favor of a bill and just one voted against it  cast during this years legislative session through the end of last week.

Thats a tiny number of the nearly 300 bills voted on this year in the Iowa House and Senate  3.8 percent, to be exact  and the reasons vary for those solitary stands.

According to the legislators who cast those lone wolf votes, some were the result of general opposition to a state program. Others were based on ideology. And sometimes, the vote was cast in error.

Whatever the reason, legislators said it can feel strange to look at a final vote tally and their name as the only dissenting voice among all of their colleagues.

It makes you laugh a little bit. Its like, Oh, my goodness, said Rep. Skyler Wheeler, a first-year state legislator from Orange City who cast one of those 11 lone wolf votes this year. But its just one of those things. You have to stand by what you believe in.

Of the 11 lone wolf votes cast this year, nine have been cast in the Iowa House, by nine different members. Two have been cast in the Senate, both by Sen. Tony Bisignano, a Democrat from Des Moines.

Both of Bisignanos lone wolf votes were on bills related to liability. One bill said property owners were not responsible for duty of care to a trespasser; another said the Iowa State Fair would not be liable for injury or death caused by pathogen transmission caused by animals at the fair. Both bills passed 48-1.

Bisignano also cast one lone wolf vote each in 2015 and 2016. He is among a group of four legislators with multiple lone wolf votes over the past three years. The others are Reps. Bruce Hunter, Chuck Isenhart and Jake Highfill.

You vote your conscience, vote your district, vote what you feel is right, and it doesnt really matter if youre the only no vote there, said Highfill, a Republican from Johnston.

Two legislators have cast three lone wolf votes in a single session over the past three years.

Sen. David Johnson of Ocheyedan cast three lone wolf votes in 2016 while he was a Republican. He changed his party affiliation to independent before the 2017 session.

Rep. Dan Kelley, a Democrat from Newton, cast three lone wolf votes in 2015. He lost his 2016 re-election bid in a primary.

There were 20 lone wolf votes cast in 2016 and 21 in 2015. Many of the legislators who have cast lone wolf votes said they wear those votes as a badge of independence.

Its a point of pride to me because I like to tell my people back home that I dont just follow the company line. I dont just do what my caucus and leadership tells me to do, and Ive got multiple examples that prove that, said Rep. Bruce Bearinger, a Democrat from Oelwein. And I vote for the people within my district, and I listen to the people in my district.

Here are some examples of lone wolf votes cast over the past three years:

Rep. Skyler Wheeler

Wheeler was the lone vote against a House bill that updates state alcohol regulations by, in part, allowing small distilleries to sell their product on site, similar to small breweries and wineries.

The bill passed the House on a 93-1 vote; it has not yet been debated by the full Senate.

Wheeler said he voted against the bill because he viewed it as the expansion of alcohol production and consumption in Iowa, which he said he thinks is not good for the state.

Wheeler said he thinks the late Dwayne Alons, who represented northwest Iowa in the Iowa House from 1999 to 2014, also would have voted against the bill for the same reason.

I think it increases the consumption and production of alcohol, and Im not for that, Wheeler said. Ultimately, thats what it came down to. It passed, and Im not going to lose sleep over it.

Wheeler also said his vote proves his independent thinking on proposed legislation.

Rep. Bruce Bearinger

Bearinger was the only legislator to vote against a bill that proposes the state public defender coordinate representation of indigent persons who have been arrested and charged with a crime.

The bill passed the House on a 93-1 vote and has not yet been debated by the full Senate.

Bearinger said the voted against the bill because of an amendment that would have the state public defenders office, when involved in a case regarding a violation of a local law, seek reimbursement from that local government.

Bearinger said he thinks that is shifting the cost to city governments, and he fears it will force cities to either find money to cover the additional costs or local police will attempt to prevent any additional costs by bringing fewer criminal charges.

Bearinger said he contacted his local police chief, who shared the concern.

I voted against it because I believe its soft on crime by forcing cities into that position, Bearinger said. And it is a further example of (state lawmakers) saying we love local control until we dont.

Rep. Tim Kacena

Kacena, a first-term Democrat from Sioux City, cast the lone vote in opposition to a bill that would add certain designated lanes to legal turns on red at stoplights.

The bill passed the House, 95-1, passed the Senate on a unanimous 49-0 vote and on March 23 was signed into law by the governor.

Kacena, a retired firefighter, said he voted against the bill because he thought it was a safety issue.

Ive been on way too many accidents, and now you can double lane turn on red, he said. Basically, it wasnt good for traffic, I didnt think.

Rep. Cindy Winckler

In 2015, Winckler, a Democrat from Davenport, was the lone vote against a bill that would have extended the deadline for contributions to the states college savings plan.

The proposal passed the House, 94-1, but was not voted on by the Senate.

Winckler said this week she recalls her vote was a mistake, that she intended to support the bill.

Sometimes, you try and juggle a little too much, which is part of the job, and I accept that, Winckler said. But mistakes happen with those kinds of things.
ST. LOUIS  Yaksap, the graffiti bandit who has left what many consider infuriating and illegal marks on the sides of numerous St. Louis buildings, could take a valuable lesson from Paco Rosic.

This 37-year-old Bosnian immigrant from Waterloo took his teenage love for graffiti way beyond the delinquent tagging of buildings. Hes become famous for his painstaking and vibrant trompe loeil murals created exclusively out of spray paint for both public and private spaces.

Now hes in town shaking it up with hundreds of cans of paint to create a mural celebrating St. Louis history on the ceiling of a soon-to-be-opened restaurant in Benton Park.

Like any hard-core artist, hes a bit obsessive about it. Hes set up an air mattress in the basement of the building at Arsenal Street and Lemp Avenue so he can paint whenever he pleases. He has a wall in the lower level of the building dedicated to draft renderings along with his massive graffiti lettering for inspiration.

I cannot stay in a hotel, he said Thursday while wearing a full camo outfit and a black skull cap striped with bands of glittery silver thread. His necessary air mask hung from scaffolding nearby.

I get inspired. And when it hits me, its usually around two or three in the morning.

Rosic is a bit of an art folk hero in Waterloo where his family settled in 1997 when he was 18 after years of refugee status to escape persecution in his hometown of Sarajevo. His parents  his mother Catholic and his father Muslim  fled to Germany in 1992 after living in a series of safe houses to survive. Even after the civil war in their native country ended, the family knew there was no chance they would be accepted back because of religious persecution. So when their asylum status was revoked after five years in Germany, the family uprooted again to America. Waterloo, it turns out, was very welcoming to Bosnians.

In Iowa, broke from years of displacement, the family saved every penny from 10 years of working at a Hy-Vee grocery store to buy a dilapidated building and open a restaurant.

The food at Galleria de Paco is fusion, but the ceiling is sky-high Renaissance because Rosic spent five months atop scaffolding to recreate a roughly half-scale version of Michelangelos Sistine Chapel ceiling in Krylon spray paint. Media from around the country have highlighted the mural. But even before that attention, Rosic was making a name for himself.

He did his first mural when he was 14 and living in the suburbs of Sarajevo. As an impressionable teen, he became entrenched in the graffiti art and break dance street culture in Germany. He was devastated when the family relocated to Iowa and said he fell into a deep depression.

In his isolation, he began doing graffiti art on Masonite board because he could not afford canvas. Over time, he got the attention of art teachers at the local community college and later the support of the city to do murals on dilapidated buildings and other structures. But one of the more interesting connections he made early on was an arts leader in Waterloo.

She loved his graffiti art and commissioned him to make two pieces for each of her teenage sons. He was paid $400  a fortune at the time for him. One of her boys, Scott Scully, now lives in St. Louis. He is part owner of the building on Arsenal in which restaurateur Vito LaFata plans to open a casual Italian eatery called Cafe Piazza this summer. Formerly home to Benton Park Coffee Bar, its across Lemp from Gus Pretzels.

LaFata told Scully he wanted something visually unique in the restaurant to spur conversation and laid-back social gatherings  in the spirit of an old-school authentic Italian cafe. Scully introduced him to Rosic.

Rosic has spent the past 3 1/2 weeks on scaffolding spraying out his glossy vision of St. Louis history. The mural, about three-quarters done, is in the style of Andrea Pozzos Apotheosis of St. Ignatius. That series of trompe loeil frescoes, painted to fool the eye into thinking the work is three-dimensional, was done by Pozzo between 1688 and 1694.

Rosics mural relies heavily on columns to give the illusion dimensionality. Stand in the middle of the restaurant and the columns appear to rise skyward. Move toward one end of the room and the columns flatten out, but three Clydesdale horses appear to crash out from under an architectural arch.

Rosics mural focuses on five eras of St. Louis history. Each is marked by a random floating page from a book and enhanced by landmarks and portraits of key places and figures.

The book pages also are an ode to Michelangelo, Rosic said. In the front corner of the restaurant, Rosic has spray-painted a painstaking replica of the Libyan Sibyl, one of 12 prophets and sibyls Michelangelo included in the Sistine Chapel. The sibyl, labeled Libica, is holding an open book behind her shoulder.

Rosic said the pages floating on the ceiling were from the book. Visitors can piece together the history among iconic images of St. Louis places and people over time, he said.

But lest one think the artist is too classical and too prim, he said he also was inspired by one other St. Louis landmark: the graffiti-laden flood wall along the Mississippi River.
Q. Where is Senator Grassley holding open public forums?

A. Sen. Chuck Grassley currently has two town meetings on his schedule during the two-week recess. He will be hold a town hall from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Keokuk County Courthouse, 101 S. Main St., in Sigourney. He also will hold a town hall in Sac County from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday at the Iowa State Bank Meeting Room, 500 Audubon St., in Sac City. Future events will be available online at www.grassley.senate.gov/news/events.

Q. I just purchased my first home and moved in December. I was just notified I owe property taxes in March for the year 2015. I didnt even live here then. Shouldnt the old homeowner be responsible for these back taxes?

A. You may be reading your bill incorrectly. Property taxes payable in September 2016 and March 2017 are based on the 2015 assessed value of a home, under Iowa law. Any prorating of property taxes or different arrangements should have been handled in the sale transaction with the previous owner.

Q. Hawkeye Community College bought a house at 6315 Hammond last year; now they're building something behind the house. What is that?

A. Hawkeye officials said the sustainable construction program is building a classroom for the construction equipment operator program. Plans have not been finalized for use of the house itself, which was purchased in November 2015.

Q. Is the show "Castle" still on?

A. No, the show ended last spring.

Q. Is there a way to take off old registration stickers from a license plate? There's a thick build-up on mine.

A. Try applying something like Goo Gone or WD-40 to the stack of stickers and let it sit for a little while, then use a razor blade or scraper to remove the stickers. Use caution, though -- it's easy to scratch the plate or hurt yourself if you're not careful.

Q. Does the city of Cedar Falls have a full-time mechanic on staff designated to maintain police and fire equipment?

A. Mark Ripplinger, director of municipal operations and programs with the city of Cedar Falls, responds, "The city of Cedar Falls vehicle maintenance facility is located at 2200 Technology Parkway. There are three full-time equipment mechanics and three permanent part-time assistant equipment mechanics that complete maintenance and repairs for all city vehicles, which includes police and fire."

Q. I live in Grundy County but have Cedar Falls Utilities for electricity. Am I allowed to use the Cedar Falls compost facility?

A. Cedar Falls Public Works and Parks Manager Brian Heath responds: The Cedar Falls yard waste facility is funded with refuse user fees and is available only for residents that live within the Cedar Falls city limits.

Questions are taken on a special Courier phone line at 234-3566. Questions are answered by Courier staff and staff at the Waterloo Public Library.
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April 13, 2017

On April 1112, the third consultative meeting of BRICS special representatives took place in Visakhapatnam, India. The conference was attended by Russias Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa Mikhail Bogdanov, Indias Deputy Foreign Minister Sanjay Singh, South Africas Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Nomaindiya Mfeketo, Chinas Special Envoy on the Middle East Gong Xiaosheng and Brazils Director of Department of Middle East Affairs Ligia Maria Sherer.

The sides adopted a joint communique.

Joint Communique on the Meeting of BRICS Special Envoys on Middle East

BRICS Special Envoys on Middle East expressed their concern about internal crises that have emerged in a number of states in the region in recent years. They firmly advocated that these crises should be resolved in accordance with the international law and UN Charter, without resorting to force or external interference and through establishing broad national dialogue with due respect for independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the countries of the region. The participants emphasized the legitimacy of the aspirations of the peoples of the region to enjoy full political and social freedoms and for respect to human rights.

They strongly condemned recent several attacks, against some BRICS countries, including that in the Russian Federation. BRICS members stand for consolidating international efforts to combat the global threat of terrorism. They stressed that counter-terrorism measures should be undertaken on the firm basis of international law under the aegis of the UN and its Security Council.

In the course of the meeting, the role of the UN Security Council as the international body bearing the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security was underlined. It was also stressed that military interventions that have not been authorized by the Security Council are incompatible with the UN Charter and unacceptable.

BRICS Special Envoys expressed their deep concern with regard to the continuing violence in Syria, deterioration of humanitarian situation and growing threat of international terrorism and extremism in that country.

The participants confirmed their strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and the need for a peaceful solution, led by the Syrians, to the conflict. They supported all efforts towards a political and diplomatic solution in Syria through talks based on Resolution 2254 of the United Nations Security Council. They welcomed the three rounds of talks held in Astana and the outcome of fifth round of talks in Geneva. They acknowledged that Astana talks paved the way for resumption of Geneva talks. They expressed resolve for renewed and committed efforts to find a political and diplomatic solution in Syria. In this regard, the efforts of the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General Staffan de Mistura aimed at resumption of Geneva process were welcomed. The efforts of BRICS countries in providing humanitarian aid to Syria were welcomed. They called for continuing humanitarian assistance to Syria by BRICS countries and collaborating in the reconstruction of Syria.

While strongly condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, they called upon all Syrians to join hands in the face of this dangerous threat and urged the international community to strictly abide by all the obligations pursuant to various relevant UNSC resolutions.

While strongly condemning the use of chemical weapons by anyone under any circumstances, they called upon the international community to remain united while addressing any use or threat of use of chemical weapons and stressed the importance of continued cooperation between OPCW Technical Secretariat, OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism with the Syrian authorities.

They expressed serious concern about the political and security situation and escalation of the armed conflict in Libya, highlighting its extremely negative consequences for the Middle East (West Asia) and North Africa and the Sahel region. It was noted that the military intervention into this country in 2011 led to the collapse of integrated state institutions, which in turn resulted in the rise of activities of terrorist and extremist groups.

They stressed their commitment to the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Libya. They expressed their support for the steps undertaken by Libyan authorities in combating the terrorist threats. They reaffirmed the need to overcome the dissensions between Libyan political forces and to achieve consensus in functioning of the Government by all stakeholders in pursuance of the Libya Political Agreement (LPA), In this context, they expressed their support for the efforts by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Libya Martin Kobler, neighboring countries and by the African Union. The global efforts to defeat Islamic State (IS) in Sirte, Libya were welcomed.

They expressed concern over the continuing presence of terrorist formations including ISIS in other regions of the country and they supported the UN-sponsored international efforts aimed at inter-Libyan dialogue destined to achieve creation of unified authorities based on the recognition of interests of Libyan political forces, regions and tribal groups.

BRICS Special Envoys expressed their full respect for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq. They supported the efforts by the Iraqi government to combat terrorism and restore control over the territories taken by the so called Islamic State of Iraq and Levant. They stressed their concern for the humanitarian impact of the ongoing military operation for the liberation of Mosul. The participants of the meeting expressed hope that all ethnic and confessional parties in Iraq enhance national reconciliation as the only way to overcome ongoing turmoil, bring long-awaited peace and economic recovery for the Iraqi people. In this regard they called on all parties to support all-inclusive national reconciliation process in Iraq taking into account the interests of all segments of the Iraqi society. They referred to the importance of an Iraqi-led national dialogue able to strengthen the countrys stability, territorial integrity and democratic institutions. They also urged the International community to provide continued assistance and humanitarian support for Iraqi refugees and internally displaced people.

They expressed their concern over the continuing armed conflict in the Yemen Republic which led to the killing of thousands of civilians, including women and children, and to the destruction of a significant part of vital civilian infrastructure, bringing the situation in Yemen to a humanitarian catastrophe. They called for urgent measures by the international community in order to ease social and economic situation in this country, unlimited access to humanitarian aid to all parts of the Yemen Republic.

In this regard the Special Envoys called for immediate ceasefire in Yemen, urging all parties to the conflict to resume the nation-wide dialogue in which representatives of Yemeni political forces and different groups of Yemeni population could participate in discussing the future of their country. The participants supported efforts taken by Mr. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed in this regard.

BRICS members declared their readiness to provide relevant humanitarian aid and diplomatic assistance in resolving the situation in Yemen.

They were unanimous that the period of the fundamental transformations that is taking place in the Middle East (West Asia) and North African states should not be used as pretext to delaying resolution of long-standing conflicts, in particular the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. In this regard they confirmed their commitment to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of the universally recognized international legal framework including respective UN Security Council resolutions, the Madrid principles and the Arab Peace Initiative.

They called for an early resumption of the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations aiming at establishing an independent, viable and territorially contiguous Palestinian State within the borders based on June 4, 1967 lines and with East Jerusalem as its capital. They supported the Russian role in the Middle East Quartet aimed at achieving these ends as soon as possible. They expressed their readiness to contribute on a bigger scale towards a just and lasting resolution of the Middle East conflict.

The participants of the meeting appealed to the Palestinians and Israelis to undertake positive steps towards each other to restore mutual trust and create favorable conditions for restarting talks, avoiding unilateral steps, that endanger the two-state solution, in particular illegal Israeli settlement activity in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. They stood for overcoming the inter-Palestinian split based on the PLO political platform and the Arab Peace Initiative.

They expressed the intention to convene next consultations at the level of Deputy Foreign Ministers of BRICS countries in China in 2017.

The participants of the meeting also agreed on the advisability of holding regular consultations on the Middle East (West Asia) and North Africa topics at various venues, including the UN, and confirmed their support for holding informal meetings of their representatives.

[contentcards url=http://thailand.mid.ru/en/key-issues/2345-press-release-on-brics-consultative-meeting-on-the-middle-east]

WtR
A startup needs to test an idea quickly. For this, an MVP is created. MVP, Minimal Viable Product  a test version of a product or service with a minimum set of functions (up to one or two), which allows you to see the product's value for consumers and the market. MVP is created to test hypotheses and check the viability of the intended product: is it worth developing the project further, what changes should be made? The sooner a startup brings its MVP to market and tests the idea, the better. This article will look at how no-code technology can help founders achieve their business goals.

This article will try to cover everything that a founder needs to know about no-code at the initial stage of creating a startup.

What is no-code?

No-code, zero-code platform is a tool for creating websites, applications, chatbots, and other programs without the need for direct code writing by programmers. No-code is a valuable alternative to traditional development.

No-code is confused with low-code, but there is a difference in these terms. Low-code includes no-code and the ability to "finish code", add parts of code and the functionality.

A user of a no-code platform usually does not need to know layout, programming languages, or hire a team of programmers. The user of the no-code tool creates an application using a visual block constructor, which he fills with the necessary content and functions, and the no-code platform itself does the processing of requests, compiling the application and other "magic." It generates code using AI and/or contains blocks of code pre-written by programmers.

No-code allows the startup founder to create an MVP himself, entrust it to his employee with basic technical literacy and understanding of the project, or hire a no-code developer. Even in the case of hiring a no-code developer, the cost of creating an MVP will be significantly lower than with classical development with programmers. For example, you can read the interview of a startup and no-code developer on our website, who initially worked as a Product Manager and was able to master no-code for his project himself.

Benefits of no-code for a startup founder

There are the following key advantages for a startup founder in using no-code technology:

a large selection of no-code tools, platforms, and their integrations at the moment  already in 2022, there are many tools and platforms for creating an MVP, a larger project, or even a finished product on no-code, but few people still know about them, and others are far from all startups and founders use their potential;

cost  no-code development saves the money by speeding up the development process, not hiring professional programmers or no need to maintain a developer department, monitoring functions and quick bug fixes, avoiding or reducing the growth of technical debt;

speed is the main advantage over classical development  no-code allows you to build a simple application in a weekend, and a more complex one can be built in a month. In this way, you can test an MVP and even several versions of an MVP very quickly;

low entry threshold  to master a no-code platform, you often do not need technical education at all, but only an understanding of a company's business processes or product from the inside. In the case of pro-level no-code platforms, technical education is required, but you can get used to it hundreds of times faster than with any programming language. This makes no-code available to almost everyone who wants to work with technology;

ease of use  no need to write hundreds of code lines  just move the blocks and assign links between them. Work on a project can be entrusted to your employee without communicating with a team of third-party developers. You can speak "in your language" without the need to understand the "inner kitchen" of developers;

flexibility  with the help of no-code, it is easy for a startup founder to add new functionality and new features right during a project or a MVP testing without a significant increase in development costs.

Possible disadvantages of no-code for a startup founder

As often, any property can be, under certain conditions, both a disadvantage and an advantage. In no-code, many of the benefits with the wrong choice of tool can turn into disadvantages:

no-code is not always a budget solution for a project. Sometimes in a no-code development package, you get unnecessary functions and additions (on AppMaster.io you can separately connect the frontend and pay only for the backend or only for those functions that you are using); if you do not understand the needs of your project, then you can make a mistake with the choice of a no-code tool and not be able to implement the necessary functions on it, or it will be too difficult to implement them; often, no-code tools fail to ensure proper data security and contribute to data leakage (but AppMaster.io allows you to host a finished application on any server); no-code tools often do not provide the ability to upload source code or provide uploading in an inconvenient format, which makes it difficult to move to another tool or to your development. You have to choose a no-code tool "once and forever immediately" (AppMaster. io gives you the ability to download the source code. Also, we generate human-readable code and you will not have any difficulties with its transportation); most no-code tools on the market are not suitable for creating a finished product, and there are significant difficulties with scaling the project if the MVP is successful (AppMaster.io is a professional no-code platform and our capabilities allow us to implement and support the finished product and scale it in the future).

Forewarned is forearmed. Choose your no-code tool wisely and take full advantage of your choice.

Types of no-code platforms

Conventionally, all no-code tools can be divided into several types: no-code devices with a low entry threshold (you can create frontend and not very powerful backend on them), integrators that help connect applications and services, and professional no-code platforms (they strive to replace the code completely, provide the ability to create a robust backend and high bandwidth).

The basic principle of operation of your MVP and the choice of a no-code platform depend on such a conditional division into types. For example, if you make a simple application like a diary, you can limit yourself to a no-code tool with a low entry threshold and a beautiful design.

If your application has powerful potential, high bandwidth, multi-user interface, and works with large amounts of data or real-time data, it is better to choose a professional no-code platform like AppMaster.io or Direcual.

If you use several services at once, link them on integrators like Integromat and Zapier.

Adalo

An easy-to-learn designer with a relatively user-friendly interface. The free version is helpful for learning. The free version contains Adalo watermarks and does not allow you to upload your applications to GooglePlayMarket and AppStore. Beginners often choose this no-code platform to create their first applications with simple logic.

Bubble

It will take more time to learn Bubble , but the platform allows you to work with the backend, databases, business processes, and layout. There are many plugins. The free plan allows you to master the tool, and you can start developing at the middle rate. The price increase is due to the rise in the number of users.

Integromat

It is an integrator. Experts talk about it as a simple and affordable platform for linking applications and services. Scenarios can be created personally, or you can use templates. If you need to connect an application with a service not from the Integromat database, fill out the form and connect to its API via HTTP.

Zapier

This is an integrator for linking applications with each other or with other external services. You can transfer data between thousands of applications. There is a script constructor (one event starts a chain of necessary actions).

Directual

The no-code platform positions itself for creating MVP applications (Minimal Viable Product, minimum viable product) and full-fledged applications of finished products. Scenarios are the backbone of the platform. Using scripts, you can automate the backend logic of the application, create and combine workflows. The Directual catalog includes out-of-the-box connectors, HTTP requests, webhooks, database listeners, and integration with popular services.

AppMaster.io

No-code next-generation platform for creating native and web applications on a real backend. Visual drag-and-drop designer, user-friendly business process designer, one-click app publishing to AppMaster Cloud, or integration with any cloud platform. Push notifications, authorization using social networks. Networks, email, and more. Connect applications to hundreds of services or programmatically access them using APIs. The ability to upload source code and documentation in a human-readable format and transfer it to your servers. Documentation auto-generation. Modern and fast language GoLang at the core.

No-code perspectives for startups

No-code development is gradually gaining popularity around the world. There are already more than 500 no-code tools for creating websites and various types of applications.

According to the forecasts of IT world experts, no-code will develop more and more actively and capture parts of the market responsible for medicine, small online business, small business, and all niches where it is possibly necessary to optimize and automate development processes.

The mass shift of businesses and their customers online and to gadgets has increased the demand for the fast and inexpensive creation of mobile applications that would work according to a single quality standard and have a simple, understandable, user-friendly interface.

Conclusion

No-code is visual programming in the form of a constructor without directly writing code. Usually, basic knowledge in development is enough to build applications on no-code.

The logic of no-code constructors is intuitive: the application interface is assembled from blocks, icons, buttons, and text which are connected to the database. Usually, you can choose a suitable template or do everything from scratch. Speed and economy are the main advantages of no-code tools.

No-code is suitable for creating an MVP, testing an idea or new features in a product, saving time for solving standard tasks. PRO level no-code platforms can provide you with a finished product, an application.

If you don't have an account on AppMaster.io yet, join us. After registration, you will be given a free trial period for 14 days, in which all the basic functionality of the platform is available. It will allow you to learn the intricacies of working with a professional-level no-code platform and understand its potential.
MILTON, MA, April 17, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Delphi Academy of Boston's May 7th open house allows parents to get to know the school before registration. Classroom space is currently available for students from pre-kindergarten to 7th grade, and students can enroll at any time. With open enrollment, aspiring students may enroll at any time during the summer and fall terms, so long as a spot is available. The May 7th open house will go from noon to 2pm at the school, which is located at 564 Blue Hill Avenue, Milton, Massachusetts 02186.



Delphi Academy of Boston accepts students from ages 2.9, on the condition that they are fully potty-trained, to age 12. When students apply, Delphi Boston gets to know them and assesses their current situation. Students age 9 and up are given diagnostic tests and further interviews to determine eligibility for the program. In contrast to other schools, Delphi students advance based on their demonstrated competence rather than by their age or the number of months spent in a particular class or level. This means that students advance at their own pace and take as long as they need to fully comprehend the learning material.



At the school's open house, prospective students and their parents can tour the school, meet faculty and staff, and learn more about the Delphian Program. Questions are welcomed and encouraged. For more information and to RSVP, please contact the Delphian school via email at [email protected] or by phone at 617-390-8214. Visit the Delphi Boston website at delphiboston.org/get_info.



Delphi Academy of Boston is an independent, coeducational, non-sectarian day school offering a preschool through eighth grade program. Academics focus on providing students with a solid grounding in the basics, a rich and challenging hands-on curriculum and the ability to study purposefully and independently. Children may enroll as early as two years and nine months in the preschool program. To find out more visit http://www.delphiboston.org/.



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Apr 17, 2017 | By Benedict

Malaysian architecture student Haseef Rafiei has come up with a radical idea for futuristic housing: a vending machine skyscraper that 3D prints its own dwellings. Rafieis Pod Skyscraper design received an honorable mention at the 2017 eVolo Skyscraper Competition.

Vending machines are a godsend when youre dying for a drink at the train station or having a 3PM sugar crash at work. But could you imagine buying your next home from a vending machine?

According to young architect Haseef Rafiei, a future breed of skyscraper could function just like a vending machine, 3D printing homes from a giant 3D printer on its top floor and lowering them into place using a system of cranes.

This radical housing concept, which Rafiei has called the Pod Skyscraper, might sound like a futuristic fantasy, but its actually heavily influenced by a 1972 architectural masterpiece.

Haseef Rafiei's 3D printing Pod Skyscraper concept

The Nakagin Capsule Tower, a mixed-use residential and office building located in Tokyo, was designed by architect Kisho Kurokawa, and contains 140 modular capsules bolted on to one of two main shafts that form the center of the building.

The building has something of a cult status in the Japanese capital, but has been under threat of demolition for several years.

Tokyo's Nakagin Capsule Tower (Image: Jordy Meow)

Like Kurokawas Capsule Tower, the Pod Skyscraper puts a focus on modularity and interchangeability: Rafiei says that several pods, each containing basic living amenities, could be 3D printed and joined together to form larger dwellings or even offices and commercial buildings. The 1972 Capsule Tower operates on a similar principle: side-by-side capsules can be joined to form a larger space, giving occupiers flexibility when renting or buying a space.

But while the modularity of the Pod Skyscraper follows an architectural heritage, its method of self-construction does not: Rafiei says that each pod of the building could be manufactured on site by a giant construction 3D printer, before being lowered into position using cranes.

That, of course, would require a level of additive manufacturing technology far more advanced than what we see today. Could it work? Were doubtful, but 3D printed housing and construction is growing at a surprisingly fast rate.

Haseef Rafiei's 3D printing Pod Skyscraper design

According to Rafiei, his high-concept 3D printable skyscraper would also be part of a closed loop system, in which disused or faulty pods could be dismantled, repaired, and recycled. Their components could then be fed back into the 3D printer to be made into new pods.

The Pod Skyscraper received an honorable mention at the 2017 eVolo Skyscraper Competition two weeks ago, proving that the design isnt quite as crazy as it sounds. Rafiei is currently completing his RIBA Part II at the Manchester School of Architecture.

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Apr 17, 2017 | By Benedict

Researchers at Swansea University in the UK are developing 3D printed smart bandages that can precisely monitor the healing of a wound. The bandages would use 5G data to transfer information about a wound to computers or other smart devices.

In order to see how a wound is healing up, it is generally necessary to remove any obstructing bandages and dressing. That familiar practice could soon be a thing of the past, however, because researchers at Swansea University in the UK are developing 3D printed smart bandages that can do the observation for you.

The researchers say that these incredible futuristic swathes, packed with sensors and 5G data transfer technology, could help doctors track the healing progress of a patients wound, reducing the need for constant checkups while providing immediate warnings if the injury appears to be infected or otherwise a matter of concern. The work is being led by Swansea University's Institute of Life Science.

According to the Swansea researchers, monitoring of the wound would be carried out by tiny sensors developed by nanotechnology experts, while 3D printers would be used to fabricate the bandages in an affordable manner. Trials of the futuristic bandages could be carried out through the Arch wellness and innovation project in south west Wales, where up to one million volunteers would be able to help.

Professor Marc Clement, chairman of Swansea Universitys Institute of Life Science, told the BBC that a 3D printed smart bandage would connect [the] wound to a 5G infrastructure that would know things about you: where you are, how active you are at any one time. The professor added that the bandages would enable doctors to monitor the performance of the specific wound at any specific time, allowing them to tailor the treatment protocol to the individual and wound in question.

The 3D printed smart bandages are part of a larger project to implement 5G technologies in the region. Last month, UK prime minister Theresa May signed off a 1.3 billion investment in the Swansea Bay City Region, part of which involves creating a 5G test hub for digital innovation. 5G is an opportunity to produce resilient, robust bandwidth that is always there for the purpose of healthcare, Clement explained.

Excitingly, these 3D printed smart bandages could be trialled within the next 12 months, putting Swansea University on the map as a hotbed for medical innovation while providing patients with next-level healthcare.

Traditional medicine may be where a clinician might see a patient and then prescribe the treatment approach for a month or three months, Clement said. What the future holds is a world where there's the ability to vary the treatment to the individual, the lifestyle, and the pattern of life.

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by Paul Braterman

What's wrong with this argument? More than you think!

All men are mortal.

Socrates is a man.

Therefore Socrates is mortal.

It's perfectly valid, meaning that if the premises are true, the conclusion must also be true. Despite this, as Bertrand Russell explained very clearly many years ago,[1] the argument is almost totally worthless.

There is no real doubt that Socrates is mortal. Just look at the poor chap, clearly showing his 70 years. Bent, scarred from the Peloponnesian War, his brow furrowed by decades of unhappy marriage, and even more unhappy attempts[2] to persuade his fellow citizens that the best form of government is a fascist oligarchy. Besides, he is on trial for doubting the existence of the gods, and the news from the Agora is not good. Take my advice, and do not offer him life insurance.

Even if we didn't know about his circumstances, we would readily agree that he is mortal. We see decrepitude and death around us all the time, few people have been known to live beyond a hundred years, none beyond 150, and we have no reason to believe that Socrates is any different. In fact, from our experience, we are a lot more certain that Socrates is mortal than we are that all men are mortal. Ganymede, Elijah, and the Virgin Mary were all, according to various traditions, taken directly up into heaven without having to go through the tedious process of dying. However, no Zeus-worshipper or biblical literalist or devout Catholic would for such reasons doubt the mortality of Socrates. So the premise, that all men are mortal, is actually less certain than the conclusion, and if we seriously doubted Socrates's mortality, we would simply deny that premise. In other words, this classic example of deductive logic tells us nothing that we didn't already know.

Ascension of Elijah, Gustave Dore', ca. 1865

We have run up against a very general limitation of deductive arguments about the world. Our reason for believing in Socrates' mortality is not really deductive, but inductive, reinforced in this case by our knowledge of his own personal circumstances. Logical arguments of this kind do indeed have an important place, but in and of themselves their conclusions tell us nothing new; nothing that was not already implicit in the premises. They are important, not because they give us new reasons for believing the conclusion (they don't),[3] but because they force us to clarify our premises. Ultimately, what we get out of them is already implicit in what we put in.

With this in mind, let us examine an argument sometimes applied to evolution:

All theories are uncertain.

Evolution is a theory.

Therefore evolution is uncertain.

The standard response, which I have used myself, is to point out that the argument is fallacious because it involves an equivocation, or bait-and-switch, between two meanings of the word theory. It is like saying that if all lemons are yellow, and my car is a lemon, then my car must be yellow. In ordinary speech, perhaps, you only say theory when you are uncertain, but we are now talking about scientific theories, which include examples that no reasonable person would now seriously doubt, such as atomic theory or the heliocentric theory.

And yet the argument really is alive and well. It was used, with deeply damaging effects on education in Turkey, by the then Minister of Education in the secular (!) government of the 1980s. Until 2001, the Alabama State Board of Education required biology textbooks carry a sticker saying [M]acroevolution has never been observed and should be considered a theory. Even where evolution is generally and officially acknowledge, it persists, and is used, by people who really should know better. There was a striking example recently on BBC TV, when the anchorman (Jeremy Paxman, who has a degree in English from Cambridge) turned portentously to Prof Alice Roberts, who was arguing against the teaching of creationism in schools, and actually uttered the words Evolution is a theory.

Sticker attached to biology textbooks in Cobb County, GA, until removed by court order in 2006

When, as here, a thoroughly bad argument persists in the face of what looks like a clear, much-repeated, logical refutation, when in addition it is readily expose as a piece of special pleading, when it is repeated in the media by intelligent and well educated people, and when it is even used to justify the actions of governments, it is worth asking why it has managed to survive.

There are several possibilities. The refutation may be emotionally unsatisfying, it may itself not stand up to close logical examination, or it may fail to address some deeper error which gave the fallacy its appeal in the first place. In any case, the correct response may be to bypass the fallacy by moving on as quickly as possible to the underlying facts. All of these, I maintain, applies to the Evolution is a theory, argument.

When confronted by Paxman, Prof Roberts responded in exactly the way I am advocating here. After saying that it was a theory like the Earth going round the Sun is a theory, she addressed herself to the factual evidence for evolution, leaving him floundering. That, I maintain, is the correct response. We should not waste time defending evolution from specious arguments, but go straight on to the attack by shifting the focus to the evidence.

As to why the two meanings defence fails to satisfy, the first reason to my mind is just this, that it is a defence, and thus gives unwarranted stature to the attack that it is meant to rebut. Qui s'excuse, s'accuse.

The second reason is that it feels like special pleading, and that feeling is at least in part justified. Words always carry with them a penumbra of possible meanings, and when Darwin speaks of my theory of the origin of species, or when Dalton spoke my theory of atoms, as they did, who are we to say that they were using words in the narrow technical sense that we assign to them now, after generations of subsequent discussion by philosophers of science?

Actually, it's worse. Defenders of evolution have reacted to the only a theory argument by constructing their own implausible analysis of the word, and then upbrading the rest of us for not using it. To quote one of many examples, a much cited scientific American article reads

A scientific theory is an explanation of some aspect of the natural world that has been substantiated through repeated experiments or testing. But to the average Jane or Joe, a theory is just an idea that lives in someone's head, rather than an explanation rooted in experiment and testing A word like 'theory' is a technical scientific term The fact that many people understand its scientific meaning incorrectly does not mean we should stop using it. It means we need better scientific education.

How patronising and presumptuous! If people are misled by the creationist's use of the term theory, it's not up to us to use less ambiguous language; it's their own fault for not being better educated. And if they are misled when we insist on using language in a specialised technical manner, thats their fault, not ours!

And it gets worse yet. The claim being made here is not only arrogant but untrue. Even within technical scientific discourse, there is no built-in assumption that a theory has, by definition, been substantiated. We speak of phlogiston theory, even though we know it to have lacked substance, and of string theory, for which a test that could substantiate it has yet to be devised. We even speak of a theory of everything, although we do not as yet possess such a theory and some even doubt whether it is possible. We also speak of, and use, theories that we know to be strictly untrue. Ideal gas theory makes unrealistic assumptions about the properties and behaviour of gas molecules, but from this starting point goes on to make useful limiting predictions (Boyle's Law, Charles' Law, and a justification of Avogadro's hypothesis) that to a good approximation do describe the behaviour of real gases under normal conditions. Newton's theory of celestial motion is also strictly untrue, and fails to predict the precise behaviour of the planet Mercury. Nonetheless, we carry on using it to predict next year's tides.

Worst of all, the two definitions defence no longer works even on its own terms. For the creationists, helped perhaps by their Intelligent Design colleagues, have discovered Popper. They now argue like him that if evolution is a scientific theory, in the technical sense that Scientific American and others are advocating, it must in principle be falsifiable. This as prelude to sliding, by innuendo, from falsifiable to uncertain. So this month, the State Board of Education of South Carolina is considering language that requires students to understand that the theory of evolution, like any other scientific theory, may change as new scientific information is obtained. And since 2012, the Alabama State Board has deployed a new disclaimer, which uses the seemingly innocent utterance

Scientific theories are based on both observations of the natural world and assumptions about the natural world. They are always subject to change in view of new and confirmed observations

(but what assumtions dothey have in mind, I wonder) to soften us up for the highly specific and inaccurate

The theory of evolution by natural selection is a controversial theory that is included in this textbook. It is controversial because it states that natural selection provides the basis for the modern scientific explanation for the diversity of living things. Since natural selection has been observed to play a role in influencing small changes in a population, it is assumed that it produces large changes, even though this has not been directly observed.

Of course large changes, as defined here, have not been directly observed, because by definition they need more time than scientists have been around to observe them. And of course the focus on what has been directly observed ignores multiple lines of evidence, each in itself conclusive. No matter. The State of Alabama still sees fit to single out evolution, telling its students that being a scientific theory, it is subject to change. Serve us right, for perpetrating the dangerous myth that there is something mysteriously different about science, that separates it from other areas of human activity. Of course our theories about evolution are subject to change in view of new and confirmed observations, but so is all our knowledge about the world.

Now of course neither the State of Alabama nor the State of South Carolina is seriously interested in the theory of evolution. They would not, for instance, be satisfied if we were to start telling students (as we should, and many of us do) that there has for more than 40 years been genuine controversy about the relative importance of natural selection and neutral drift. What they want to cast doubt on is the plain fact of common ancestry, and the implications of this for an ancient Earth. This is the solid ground on which we should be fighting, not the treacherous quagmire of terminology.

When the creationists say All theories are uncertain, it looks as if they are making a factual statement about theories. If so, their argument would lose all credibility when, as often happens, we refer to the theory of gravity as an example of a theory, and invite them to jump out of an upper story window.[4] Yet it survives, because in yet another bait-and-switch, we are invited to assume that this uncertainty is part of the very definition of a theory. And so, if we are not careful, we find ourselves scrutinising the fine print of dictionaries, or, equally bad, coming up with the two meanings defence, which is itself another statement about definitions.

The absolutist (and creationists generally are absolutists) puts things in boxes, reads the label on the box, and uses what is written on the label to draw conclusions about the contents. Using two boxes instead of one sounds (is) artificial and defensive, and while it does sidestep the unwelcome conclusion, it commits the same logical error.

This error lies in pretending that we can answer a question of substance by examining the meaning of words. But the same error is present in the two meanings defence. Whether or not this or that definition of theory is correct, or is applicable in any particular case, has nothing to do with the real issue. Is evolution a theory? That depends on how you are using the word theory. Is evolution true? Yes.
Editors Note: My sister Azra has kindly given us permission to publish remarks that she delivered to The Citizens Foundation gala in Houston a few days ago. She will provide translations of the Urdu poetry soon.

by Azra Raza

Thank you Dr. Abdullah Jafari, thank you TCF, thank you Houston for giving me this opportunity to speak tonight. I am greatly honored. This evening, we are going to celebrate the women of Pakistan.

In the 1930s of Aligarh, my mother was sent to Merath for a vacation. She was barely ten years old. In Meerath, she became homesick in the house of her relatives. A few weeks later, she learnt that her father would be visiting a nearby town so she wrote begging her mother that her father should take her home to Aligarh when he returned. This one simple act of letter writing caused a major upheaval in Aijaz Manzil because the first thing my Naana wanted to know was how Naani Amman found out about Ammis unhappiness. Naani Amman had to produce the letter which was examined carefully. My Naana was scandalized by the idea that his daughter had secretly learned to read and write, an activity considered subversive and dangerous. While a good head and a good heart in a woman was a desirable combination, adding a pen to that was tantamount to outright rebellion.

I remembered this story because when my own daughter Sheherzad was ten years old and I asked her one day what she would do if she won the lottery and had millions of dollars, her instantaneous and forceful response was, Finish my education, of course! What a contrast between two 10-year olds separated by one single generation. Sheherzad did not have to think twice about her education because of the sacrifices made by my mother and by the women of her generation in the pre-partition subcontinent. So if we are going to celebrate the women of Pakistan, let us begin with the pioneers. Ms. Fatima Jinnah and Begum Rana Liaqat Ali Khan, Lady Haroon and Begum Shaista Ikramullah. My mother became deeply involved in womens education in Karachi and through her tireless efforts, managed to provide for both primary and higher education to hundreds of underprivileged students. When she died 15 years ago, my epitaph for her was the famous Faiz sher:

Karo kaj jabeen pay sar e kafan

Meray qaatiloun ko gumaan na ho

Kay ghuroor e ishq ka baankpan

Pas e marg ham nay bhula diya!

(Faiz)

(Keep the shroud tilted on my forehead as a sign of defiance and pride. Let not my assassins have the misapprehension that in death, they succeeded in crushing the honor and pride I took in my passions).

The first University open to women was in Bombay in 1882 while Harvard Medical School admitted women for the first time in 1945. As far as Pakistan is concerned, let us do a little math. The population is roughly 186 million. There are 296,832 students enrolled in degree level education which comes to 0.1% population. Despite these dire statistics, the good news is that 62% of them are women and the level of achievement of girls is consistently higher than that of the boys. Girls outclass boys in examination, and they are also higher achievers. And yet, when it comes to the work-force, their efforts are not rewarded equally. I was horrified to hear the goal announced at the International Womens Conference last year: 50-50 by 2030 meaning equal pay by 2030. Why?

Women dont need to be championed and revered; they need to be treated as equal. In my opinion, women should be getting paid more than men because they are always multi-tasking, doing two jobs at least. They should be paid more because they are superior in most ways that matter today; they are fundamentally caring, yet pragmatic, cooperative yet competitive, skilled in navigating through complex negotiations without entangling egos and exceptionally charming and skillful in getting the best out of people. They are builders not destroyers, and most importantly, they are not distracted by impulses of violence.

A great nation is not founded on the battlefields but on the countless seemingly unattractive jobs performed by its underpaid, disrespected, overworked citizens just as much as by its intellectuals and artists, its thinkers and leaders. Here again, we see the role of lower middle class women of Pakistan providing the infrastructure for the country through critical teaching, nursing, factory worker and clerical jobs. These harried women who dont have the luxury to complain, they work at home and they step out for thankless jobs which sap their energies, claim their health, age them prematurely and subject them to a thousand indignities a day. These young girls, engaged in timeless routines common to all women everywhere, become wives and mothers, face impossible odds but continue to function with impossible grace. These women have an undefined and unacknowledged courage. This lonely courage is not the kind that can be added to a CV or win them gold medals; but theirs is the kind of valor to which nations should dedicate monuments.

We were visiting my mother in Karachi once when Sheherzad was 6 years old and she wanted to take all her little friends to the newly opened McDonald on Tariq Road. Zehra, the 10 years old daughter of the cook was given some chore by her mother at the last minute and could not come with us so we brought back a Happy Meal for her. The next day, when Sheherzad asked her if she enjoyed the meal, an utterly delighted and perfectly content Zehra, responded: Of course I have not eaten it yet! I have been saving it so I can look at it. I even got up twice last night to look at it.

My friend Sara Suleri told me recently about her housekeeper Halima in Lahore who lost a 6 years old son to a common infectious disease. When she delivered a second son a few years later and Sara congratulated her, Halimas impassive response was, Bibiji, I dont know if I should celebrate or start grieving already.

These fragile women shackled to bodies doomed to be violated, used and thoughtlessly discarded, captives of harsh, unyielding battering blows of poverty and want. These women who cannot heal the misfortunes that assail their bodies, still manage to prove their grit by showing us how their souls respond to the struggles they face. And they respond by accepting their fate and they continue to work and smile and maintain their dignity through thick and thin. That is heroism. Let us celebrate the unacknowledged, quiet nobility of our unsung heroines, the Zehras and Halimas of Pakistan, through the words of Saghir Nizami who was ravished by the astounding beauty of a young bhikaran at Aligarhs railway station:

Aah bhikaran, wah bhikara

Dekh idhar lillah bhikaran!

Mailay Mailay gaaloun wali

Uljhay uljhay baloun wali

Wu deewani qismat waali

Wu shahani soorat wali

Kaisa zewar kiska gehna

Oo saada fitrat kya kehna

Sar mein gard aur khaak badan par

Maila maila kurta tan par

Yay teri noorani surat

Yay chehray par gard or hasrat

Baal naheen mohtaj e shaana

Surma aankhoun se begaana

Mehndi se hay paak hathaili

Jab chaaha angrai lai li

So gai jub neend aankh mein aai

Uth baithi lekar angrai

Jo kuch miljai khaa laina

Chupkay chupkay kuch ga laina

Uff ray teri shan e tawakkaul

Ye sin yay saaman e tawakkul

Dekh kay dil bhar aaya mera

Aa mein bhar doun kaasa tera

Loot lay jitna loota jaayay

Maang lay jo kuch maanga jaayay

Di lay lay eemaan bhi lay lay

Jee chaahay to jaan bhi lay lay

Ban ja bazm e dil ki raani

Iss dunya mein kar sultaani

Mein tera jogi ban jaoon

Surat e sael bun kar aoon

Tujh se maangoun bheek sukoun ki

Ho jayay taskeen junoon ki

Saaghir tera saqi tera

Tu meri aur baaqi tera!

Recently, I was introducing a famous speaker at Grand Rounds at Columbia University. This happened to be International Womens Day. I began by speaking to the women directly. My message came from Frederick Douglas, the courageous Black slave who fought for his freedom. He says in his auto-biography: I prayed for twenty years and nothing happened until I prayed with my legs. Either women succumb to the bitterness of despair or let loose their wings and fight for their rights every day. Thankfully, there are people and organizations dedicated to helping them. Just look the incredible work that The Citizens Foundation is doing. Thank you TCF and thanks to all of you for your generosity in opening up your pockets and sharing your good fortunes with TCF. But you know one thing which is definitely more precious than money is time. I ask you, no matter how busy you are, to take out some hours from your busy lives to engage in activities that help women and will bring a smile on the faces of little girls going to school under horrific conditions. Can you help Abdullah and Anjum Jafri with investment of your time, your intellectual input, your emotional and moral support?

For example, you can teach young girls around you, your daughters and your friends and families daughters to speak up and to reject humiliating and sexist remarks and demand dignity. Teach them not to be pressured to hide or change their authentic selves. Teach them to stop anyone trying to dampen the bright spark of their potential. Teach them not to sacrifice their just ambitions and to express their feelings fearlessly. Teach them to be assertive when needed and to set boundaries when needed. Teach them to embrace their gender identity and to have the courage to take on leadership roles. And then: Ask not what you can do for women. See what women will do for you!

And now, let us cheer and celebrate the doers, the accomplished women of Pakistan living and working outside of Pakistan, the women in this roomall of you. Much to her annoyance, I often remind Sheherzad that if her generation is doing well in America, it is not a surprise because they have been born and raised in the system, attending private schools and Ivy League colleges. It is the immigrant women who came to a foreign land, leaving the securities of home and hearth behind, and faced real competition from the people raised within the system. Whether they are home-makers or professional women, they proved their mettle, showing spunk and determination, courage and fortitude. What area or discipline has remained un-dominated by these astonishing women possessing giant sized talents that managed to out-perform every obstacle and outclass every hurdle?

Tu Falatoon o Arastoo hay tu Zohra Parveen

Teray qabzay mein hay gurdoon teri thokar mein zameen

Haan utha, jald utha, pa e muqaddar se jabeen

Mein bhi ruknay ka naheen waqt bhi ruknay ka naheen

Larkharda ai gi kahaan tak kay sanbhalna hay tujhey

Uth meri jaan, meray saath he chalna hay tujhe!

And finally, the internationally acknowledged heroines from Pakistan who would raise the stature of any nation anywhere on earth, who represent the best of the best and would be proclaimed as such from the rooftops of every corner in the world. Their art and creativity, their dedication and their energy and their commitment are nothing short of miraculous. They made sacrifices, faced personal dangers, stood up to men and bullets and even gave their lives for their principles, their art, their passion. Their talents so outstrip the norm that they rule in their respective areas as unquestioned queensthey have taken the world stage by a storm. The list is endless but let me name a fewPolitics? Benazir Bhutto and Sabeen Mehmood, Asma Jahangir and Malala Yusufzai. The UN? Nafis Sadiq and Maleeha Lodhi. Her Excellency Aisha Farooqi, the Consul General of Pakistan in Houston is present in the audience and deserves a big hand of applause for her many services to the women of Pakistan. Writers? Zaheda Hina and Bajia, Kishwer Nahid and Parveen Shakir, Fehmida Riyaz and Bano Qudsia, Bapsi Sidhwa and Sara Suleri, Fatima Bhutto and Kamila Shamsi. Music? Madam Noorjehan and Farida Khanum, Mukhtar Begum and Iqbal Bano, Abida Parveen and Tina Saani, Noor Zehra Kazim and Sanam Marvi. Film? Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Mehreen Jabbar. Arts? Shahzia Sikander and Zubaida Agha, Saleema Hashmi and Sughra Raza, Shehrzad Alam and Noorjehan Bilgrami. Sports? Rabia Ashiq and Syeda Mahpara. Physics? Tasneem Zehra Hussain and Nargis Mavalval. Oncology? Shakila Parveen and Shagufta Naqvi, Aziza Shad and Seema Khan, Uzma Iqbal and Zeba Aziz. We salute the breathtaking accomplishments of these magnificent womenPakistani Women, ZINDABAD!

Let us end with my friend and the great Urdu poet, Fehmida Riyaz, whose words issued a clarion call to all women of Pakistan:

Kuch log tumhain samjhain gay

Wu tumko khauf dilayangay

Jo hay wu bhi kho sakta hay

Is raah mein rahzan hain itnay

Kutch aur yahaan ho sakta hay

Kutch aur tu aksar hota hay

Par tum jiss lamhay mein zinda ho

Yay lamha tum se zinda hai

Yay waqt naheen phir aayay ga

Tum apni karni kar guzro

Jo hoga dekha jayay ga!
by Katrin Trustedt

While the murder series of the right-wing terror trio National Socialist Underground (NSU) has generally escaped major international attention (especially in comparison with Islamist terror attacks), one of the assassinations continues to come up. The murder of Halit Yozgat, the 9th assassination of the NSU, resists the fate of the others, because of one rather delicate detail: a secret service agent was present at the crime scene at the time of the murder. When Halit Yozgat was shot in the head by two members of the NSU on April 6, 2006, from a close distance with a silenced Ceska CZ 83 pistol (the signature style of the NSU assassinations), Andreas Temme, an agent of the Hessian domestic intelligence service, was in the internet cafe in Kassel. When Halit Yozgat's father, Ismail Yozgat, found his son when he returned to the cafe a few minutes after the murder, Temme was gone.

The agent claimed first to have been at the cafe the day before, and then that he had left the place right before the murder. He later changed his statement when confronted with overwhelming evidence placing him at the scene when the murder happened. He then claimed he didn't see or hear Yozgat getting shot while he was chatting with his online affair; that he put coins on the reception desk and left, not noticing that Yozgat was dying on the ground behind the desk; and that he didn't report back to the police like all the other witnesses in the cafe because he didn't want his pregnant wife to find out what he was doing there. The police, the court and his employers at the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution accepted his testimony. But his presence continues to raise suspicions that government agencies might in some way be involved in the murders, fueling conspiracy theories in various directions. Much justified criticism of the authorities' handling of the case came from the left, pointing out the general trivialization of right-wing violence by state agencies combined with racist prejudices when it comes to the victims, when the various agencies investigating the murders had disregarded the possibility of right-wing terror and rather investigated the victim's families for possible criminal ties, thereby doubling the crimes they were supposed to prevent. Against this background, the fact that an agent of the domestic intelligence service was present at the scene raised the suspicion that government agencies might have actively protected or enabled the NSU. Meanwhile there are, on the other hand, many rumors in the right-wing scene itself claiming the NSU murders were orchestrated by the state authorities in order to hurt the scene.

Forensic Architecture, a research agency based at Goldsmiths around the architect Eyal Weizman, have launched an independent investigation into the case and recently presented preliminary results.

Their operations are based on evidential material gained by the state authorities, but they elaborate and investigate the material with a wider focus, surpassing the narrow scope the authorities have operated with in this case. Based on the reenactment of the crime scene with Temme himself at the request of the Hessian State Police, Forensic Architecture constructed a life-size model of the Internet cafe and recreated Temme's moving field of vision both digitally within a computer model and with cameras attached to the head of an actor in a reenactment within the life-size model. By investigating the prosecution's model in this elaborate way, Forensic Architecture has, in a sense, adopted and taken over the procedures and operations the prosecution employed, refining and re-investigating these techniques, while also redefining the purpose and significantly shifting the positions, turning it on the state authorities themselves. With this model, they investigated what Temme, the agent of a state authority, must have or cannot not have seen. The architecture here becomes the primary witness, and needs to be interrogated in complex ways, as a witness to who was the witness  a witness testifying to the question as to what Temme could have or must have seen, heard, and smelled.

Forensic Architecture concluded from the reconstruction of Temme's moving field of vision that Halit Yozgat, lying face down behind the reception desk, would have indeed been visible to him at the time he placed his coins on the desk. They determined that the gunshot was audible from the position of the agent. The results on the smell are still pending. The main prosecution, represented by the state attorney, has throughout the trial tried to keep the focus solely on the accused members or helpers of the NSU and to reject any further investigation of the possible enabling role of the police and the domestic intelligence service, as not pertaining to the actual charges. The accessory prosecution, representing the victim's families, is ascribed only a supplementary role, namely to just support the state attorneys in prosecuting the defendants. From their supplementary position, however, they prove to be a driving force, opposing the limited scope of the main prosecution, pressing the questions about the role of the respective state institutions and their informants in the Neo-Nazi scene. Through the accessory prosecution, Forensic Architecture's findings have now also been submitted in evidence to the NSU trial in Munich on behalf of Ismail Yozgat. Thus, they have now become part of the prosecution, while, at the same time, operating as a counter force against it.

"Counter forensics," as Weizman and his team call their work, is supposed to offer a counter force to state forensics and state policing, trying to hold authorities accountable. In this case, it gives the accessory prosecution, the survivors and victim's families, international impact and visibility. Commissioned by "the People's Tribunal Unravelling the NSU Complex", the counter forensics of Forensic Architecture, claiming "to examine not only the killing but also its possible cover-up and the protection of Temme from within the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution as a crime in its own right" is part of that supplementary force. And yet as such it also raises the question what exactly the role of such a force competing with the main prosecution actually could be. Who are "the people", on whose behalf this is undertaken, if it's not the people represented by the state's prosecution? The victims as not being part of the state represented by the state attorney? The "real people?" By taking over the task of the prosecution and actually prosecuting the agents of the state authorities, the counter forensics reflect on the general question of "our" role in a trial like this.

"Kassel_6.April.2006" is a project among a series of other projects of the Forensic Architecture, devoted to investigating combat operations and drone attacks inside buildings in urban warfare places. Seeing it in the context of this series marks the NSU assassination as a case of violence that happened in buildings in cities, right among us, and that involves the state as a violent actor. It also exposes the differences that distinguish this case from the war crimes Forensic Architecture investigates. On the basis of the material available so far, what seems most likely is not the active involvement of the state authorities in the NSU murders. While there are, of course, very real conspiracies, in this case the conspiracies probably have mostly to do with the attempts to cover up the stupidity, institutional racism and fuck-ups that have made it possible for the authorities and the public to let the NSU get away for so long with ten murders, at least 14 bank robberies, and two nail bomb attacks. What is being unveiled in this sophisticated counter investigation seems to be the blatant lack of sophistication and awareness with which the "State Office for the Protection of the Constitution" (Verfassungsschutz), handled the acts of terrorism they are supposed to prevent.

Like the populism that is drawn to them, conspiracy theories tend to presume an (evil) mastermind behind the surface, orchestrating every move. The story of agent Temme is probably way more banal. In all likelihood, he was at a place he shouldn't have been, and, when the assassination happened, he got away and tried to cover it up. But his story in all its pathetic insignificance nonetheless seems symptomatic for this case. Halit Yozgat's was the 9th in the series of assassinations with the same weapon, in the same close range style, and the 8th victim with a Turkish background. Halit Yozgat's murder stands out not only because of a secret service agent present, but also because this murder so obviously could have been prevented. Except for the victim's families and communities, who weren't listened to, nobody was looking in the right direction, with the necessary urgency. Temme probably was not a perpetrator but rather a bystander, didn't do or say anything, and claimed he didn't see or hear what was going on right in front of him. In this sense, former agent Andreas Temme is not the evil other. He is all of us.
by Paul Braterman

R: Sagan warns us against fallacies. But is exposing fallacies enough to shield us from the demons?

I had been waiting for a quiet moment to write about this, but there isn't going to be a quiet moment, so now will have to do.

Debaters regularly accuse their opponents of using fallacies. These can be formal fallacies, such as simple errors of logic, or informal fallacies, such as appeal to authority, ad hominem and strawman arguments, among others. If a piece of reasoning depends on any of these fallacies, so it is claimed, the conclusion does not really follow from the premises, and while it might still be true we have not been given any good reason to believe it.[1] And so books that discuss logic, and science-promoting blogs (including one I follow), regularly include descriptions of informal fallacies, with stern instructions to avoid committing them.

In an article entitled The Fake, the Flimsy, and the Fallacious: Demarcating Arguments in Real Life, Maarten Boudry, Fabio Paglieri and Massimo Pigliucci (henceforth BPP) challenge this view. BPP is written for the perusal of trained philosophers, which I am not, but I use it here as a jumping off point, while mixing in further content of my own.

BPP apply what they call the fallacy fork test to accusations of informal fallacy; either the reasoning is obviously erroneous, in which case no one would really use it, or else it is not obviously erroneous in context, and we still have all the work to do. In the first case, formal analysis is redundant; in the second, the facts of the matter need further consideration. So naming and shaming the particular kind of fallacy is either unnecessary or uncalled for. I agree, and suggest that we drop the label "fallacy" for such informal arguments, since to make the label stick we have to show on other grounds that the argument as used really is fallacious. The discussion made me think of my own reflections on formally valid logical arguments, which only work because the conclusion has actually been accepted in advance, otherwise we would not have accepted the premises. In both cases, the formal or semi-formal reasoning, while seemingly at the heart of the argument, is an unnecessary elaboration, and we can cut out the middleman.

Going beyond this, it is becoming increasingly clear that the logical is only one aspect, and not usually the most important aspect, of an argument. More important are the heuristic and rhetorical aspects; will the reasoning point us towards a way of acquiring new knowledge, and how useful is it in the attempt to persuade our opponents to change their minds. (In passing, I suggest that if our objective is to persuade others to change their minds, we are not arguing in good faith, unless we are at least in principle open to the possibility that we too might change ours.)

BPP focus on four particular kinds of alleged fallacy, ad hominem (criticism of person used as criticism of argument), post hoc ergo propter hoc (false claims of causation, just because one thing follows another), genetic fallacy (discounting a statement because of the person who makes it or the way in which it comes to be made), and ad ignorantiam (sometimes called the argument from ignorance; mistaking absence of evidence for evidence of absence).

Post hoc ergo propter hoc : I took the medicine, I got well, and I conclude the medicine cured me. This is induction from a single case, a logically invalid procedure, and maybe I would have got better anyway. I have obviously jumped to the wrong conclusion if I'd taken a homoeopathic medicine, but what if I'd taken penicillin? What if I'd taken penicillin, but it then turns out that I was suffering from a virus, which penicillin doesn't touch? The reason we dismiss the possibility of homoeopathic cure has got nothing to do with the shortcomings of post hoc ergo propter hoc reasoning. It depends on something else altogether; the fact that homoeopathic medicines don't actually contain anything except water and random trace impurities. In other words, we don't believe in homoeopathy because we don't see how it could have done the job, and a single example isn't going to make us change our minds.

There may be cases sufficiently complex that we don't know whether a plausible mechanism exists or not. The Congressman's allergies got better after he was stung by a bee. Congress decided that the National Institutes of Health should devote some small fraction of their budget to exploring such unorthodox treatments, and was right to do so.

Then there is the tragic case of the antivaxx movement. Children had been vaccinated, some developed autism, and it was alleged that the vaccination caused the autism. Never mind that this is bound to be the case, because the vast majority of children get vaccinated shortly before the age at which autism would if present be diagnosed. This claim was uncritically publicised to a mass audience on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Now we have measles epidemics caused by refusal to vaccinate, and the self-righteous apostles of antivaxx have blood and pus on their hands.

Doesn't this illustrate the importance of identifying fallacies, such as post hoc propter hoc? Not really. The antivaxxer movement took off because of a fraudulent paper in a respected medical journal, general suspicion of the pharmaceutical industry and of official guidance, the emotional appeal of the natural (immunity by infection) as opposed to the technological (immunity by vaccination), the chance fact that more cases of autism were being diagnosed because the definition had been broadened, and a handful of passionate and glamorous advocates. A lot more to it, alas, than a simple error of logic.

Ad hominem: dismissing a statement by discrediting the person making it. BPP give the example of climate change. X is a member of a right-wing think tank, and I invite you to ignore X's argument against the reality of global warming. Apply the fork. Yes, I have used an ad hominem argument. But it really is relevant that X is likely to be biased in his choice of examples, and that we need to take this into account. We are receiving messages all the time from people with an agenda to pursue; advertisers, politicians, representatives of particular interest groups. Indeed, there is one important situation  the court case  where it is the duty of the advocates to be biased. If we simply ignored their arguments for that reason, we would indeed be guilty of the ad hominem fallacy, but it would be just as stupid if, for fear of committing such a fallacy, we failed to take their bias into account. Again, as BPP urge, invoking the name of the fallacy does not relieve us from the hard work of weighing the evidence. And, far from misleading us, ad hominem reasoning can usefully remind us that the evidence itself might be weighted.

Next, BPP discuss argumentum ad ignorantiam, the alleged fallacy of taking absence of evidence for evidence of absence. They consider two cases. On the one hand, a sceptical response to the waves of witchcraft hysteria that periodically sweep the United States, and led talk-show host Geraldo Rivera to say of satanic child abuse "The odds are that this is happening in your town." The sceptic would point to the complete lack of evidence in support of such allegations, apart from dubious and highly fantastical "recovered memories". BPP then consider the case of evolution, and the absence that in 1859 Darwin deplored of the intermediate fossil forms that evolution implies. Darwin's response was to admit that this was indeed a weakness, attributing it to the rarity of fossil formation and the fact that so little of the Earth's surface had been surveyed for fossils, and to hope that the weakness would be cured in time, as it has been.[2] We quite correctly use an argumentum ad ignorantiam to discount Geraldo, while objecting to its use against Darwin. The difference is, that if Geraldo's claims had been based on fact, we would have expected abundant material evidence for them, so their absence gives us good reason to reject them, whereas absence of the necessary evidence in 1859 was not really that surprising even if (as we now know) Darwin was essentially correct.

Notoriously absent from the Precambrian

The argument from absence now strongly confirms the evolutionary sequence. As the pioneer geneticist JBS Haldane is said to have remarked, oover fifty years ago, there are no rabbits in the Precambrian. Once again, the issue turns, not on the logical structure of the argument, but on the background plausibility expectations that we bring to it.

The genetic fallacy, of which the ad hominem fallacy is a special case, is when we reject an argument because of its origins; "genetic", of course, is being used here in its older sense of "related to origin". We might be accused of committing this fallacy, as BPP point out, if we dismiss religion on the grounds that we see it as an evolutionary adaptation, or if we were to oppose smoking bans on the grounds that such bans had been instituted by the Nazis. But once again, whether or not a fallacy has been committed depends on background information, not the logical structure of the argument. If we could explain religion in evolutionary terms, that would not refute religion, but it would nonetheless be a valid counter to Calvin's doctrine that the propensity to believe is evidence for a Creator. One argument (it increases fitness) really does undermine another argument (it must be God-given), and we have all the work of sifting the evidence still to do. And few of us would be so foolish as to advocate meat-eating on the grounds that Hitler was a vegetarian.

In all these cases,to label the argument from the outset as a fallacy is to assume what is meant to be proven.[3] This really is a fallacy.

There remain two further fallacies that, unlike BPP, I do regard as well-defined and always fallacious. Firstly, there is the argument from nature. BPP think it legitimate to argue that it is wrong to feed a cat on vegetables, because it's not natural. But it is equally unnatural to neuter the cat, or even to feed it on factory-prepared cat food. The reason it is wrong to feed the cat on vegetables is that the cat can't digest them. There is no need to appeal to nature in a broader sense at all, and such appeals, which reach across the usual left-right political spectrum, are dangerous and damaging. I have already mentioned how they feed into the antivaxx movement. They are used to justify opposition to GMOs (as in the slogan "Frankenfood"), and also lie behind restrictive sexual moralities, such as the Catholic ban on contraception, which do great harm

My other example is the strawman fallacy. I think you really are committing a fallacy if you claim to have demolished an opponent's argument, but the argument demolished was different from the one being put forward. For example, A might accuse B of denying Israel's right to exist, when B really did no more than criticise Israel's administration of the Occupied Territories. B may then accuse C of anti-Muslim bigotry [4] if C criticises Muslim inheritance law. Given sufficient goodwill on both sides, further discussion could make this clear, and leave A, B, and C with a more nuanced understanding of each other's true positions, although in these cases I doubt that this would happen, and indeed the fallacies may well have been committed deliberately, as a way of sabotaging discussion.

Socrates  still mortal

Finally, I return to my own earlier critique of the traditional example of sound argument: all men are mortal, Socrates is a man, therefore Socrates is mortal. Of course the argument is formally valid; if the premises are true, the conclusion cannot possibly be false. But the argument is useless, because we had already implicitly accepted the conclusion (that Socrates is mortal) before we assented to the initial premise. Indeed, the conclusion is easier to establish than the premise; we will accept it even if we believe that Elijah, Ganymede, or the Virgin Mary were taken up into heaven while still alive.

BPP describe the entire activity of searching out fallacies, and indeed of arguing by reference to formal structures, as uncharitable. I agree. There are, moreover, much more serious errors of reasoning, such as confirmation bias, cherrypicking, respect or even reverence for the ideas that define one's own group, and focusing on the recent, the spectacular, and the unusual (terrorist drivers as a cause of death, for example, rather than drivers distracted by cellphones). These, however, must be addressed, not in terms of the formal logic of the arguments, but rather of their psychological underpinning. We are the flawed products of our evolutionary history, and no amount of appeal to formal rules can rescue us from our fallibility.

1] The conclusion may nonetheless be true, for other reasons, and the erroneous view that it is bound to be false is sometimes known as the fallacy fallacy.

2] Our museums are now overflowing with intermediate fossils, but that does not stop evolution deniers from perpetuating the argument, focusing attention on particular cases where the record is thin, such as the early Cambrian, and quote-mining Darwin in support of their case.

3] This is what is properly referred to as begging the question, although the meaning of this expression has lately become blurred.

4] I avoid the term "Islamophobia" because it so strongly invites precisely this kind of confusion.

Homoeopathic Rhus Toxicodendron (Poison ivy) image, by Wikidudeman, public domain. Socrates image by Eric Gaba, username Sting, via Wikimedia Commons, under Creative Commons licence 2.5.


Founded in 1979 by San Francisco's beloved band of queer, roller-skating nuns, the Hunky Jesus Competition was started to combat Catholic anti-gay sentiments. Now going on its 38th year, iterations of the Prophet have never looked more woke.

Golden Gate Park is a place where anything goes, from the ever-present nuances of burning cannabis wafting through the air to dogs costumed in full-on Easter regalia. As such, there's no better place to celebrate a totally inclusive Easter in San Francisco.

"It's a day out with the family," said Paul Margolis to SFGate on Sunday, sitting with his husband and two dogs, Hans and Otto, as they found solace from the rain under two wide-brimmed umbrellas.

Margolis, the director of Our Town SFan all-volunteer organization and resource center that works closely with San Francisco'sLGBTQ+ communitywas quick to point out the number of volunteers helping out at this year's festivities.

"It's great to see all these volunteers come out. These are people who really care about the community. I like to get together with the good people," he concluded.

To end the egg-centric Easter Celebration, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgencealong with the help of a few modern-day Jesus lookalikesperformed a not-so-PG exorcism on a Donald Trump doppelganger, pelting a Donald in drag with an orange hailstorm of Cheetos while chanting cleansing affirmations.



The shamanistic ritual eventually ceased, leaving the Donald Double looking dazed and perplexedbut fresh-faced, now completely void of any satanic entity.





So which contestant took home the coveted award for Hunky Jesus 2017: The one who was soaked in holy water, naturally.

For more great photos, check out SFist.
Winter storm could mean 7" of snow from Aberdeen, 2.5" for Watertown

The first winter storm of the season is on its way, and that could mean 7 inches of snow for Aberdeen and 2.5 inches of snow in the Watertown area.
By Cody Jordan

October 20, 2004 was the day my son came into my life. Holding him in the parkade of the hospital, I vowed to give him the life he deserves and to teach him what he needs to know to make this happen. Little did I know at the time, he would teach me more about life, love, and compassion than I could ever have hoped to teach him. All this in the five short years hes been in my life.



His development was normal at first; he met all his markers. The only thing was that he often got low-grade fevers that intensified and grew longer in duration as he got older. He was at the end of another cold and feverish spell when I took him in for his 12-month well visit. His pediatrician assured us that despite his illness, it was still okay to give him his MMR, Hib, Varicella, and his first flu shot. A few weeks later, he got his flu shot booster. A few weeks after this (Christmas Eve) his fever spiked to over 103, but the on-call pediatrician told us to monitor his temperature for at least another 24 hours. On Christmas Day, he was so sick, flushed, and hot that we rushed him to the emergency room, where his temperature was between 105 and 106. A chest x-ray revealed a very severe case of pneumonia. The ER doctor said that if we would have waited much longer, his chances to make it would not have been so good.



After his pneumonia is what I call the big switch. His development came to a screeching halt, and he lost most of the vocabulary he once had. At one year of age, he had about 10 words, and when he was evaluated at age two, he had regressed to two words, used infrequently at best. He quit showing interest in his peers and, more importantly, me and my wife. Looking back on video footage, this was when he started toe walking, hand flapping, and he became increasingly repetitive in everything he did.



This is when I came across Defeat Autism Now! and their list of physicians who use a biomedical protocol. It would forever change my sons life. The long drives didnt matter; the money didnt matter. It was something I had to do for my sons sake. I loved him far too much to give him any less. What happened over the next 2  years is nothing short of a miracle.



As any parent treating an autistic child with a biomedical protocol knows, its a never-ending line of supplements, medicines, and homeopathics given in every imaginable way, and my son was no different. The amazing thing about him is that he hasnt complained about any of it; he takes it as though he somehow knows it is helping him recover. There was one homeopathic in particular he was taking for a gut issue. Right after he took it for the first time, he immediately went to the bathroom and threw it up. The next night, he was at the kitchen counter, asking for it again. He took it again and almost threw it up, but he fought to keep it down. This is just one example about how hes never complained about the supplements, medicines, or countless hours in various therapies. This is almost as exciting and amazing of the recovery that started to take place.
Thus the choice of Justice as a brand name seems a misnomer, given that the company sells products containing endocrine-disrupting chemicals to pubescent children. And in 2010 the chain was forced to recall jewelry that contained cadmium , a toxic heavy metal OSHA says is known to cause cancer and targets the bodys cardiovascular, renal, gastrointestinal, neurological, reproductive, and respiratory systems.

After Whelan noticed a noxious synthetic odor emanating from pajamas hed purchased from the tween store Justice, he contacted their staff  but got no definitive answers about the stinks source. So he had the pajamas analyzed by a lab, which detected potentially problematic chemicals including a carcinogenic flame retardant similar to Tris [Tris(2,3-dibromopropyl) phosphate] , and phthalates , endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that cause systemic malfunction by mimicking natural hormones. Like ethylmercury in the vaccine preservative Thimerosal, EDCs are hazardous at very low levels and are linked to birth defects.

Stink was produced and narrated by Jon Whelan, a father of two and former co-CEO of Afternic.com. In 2009 Whelans wife died of breast cancer, a heartbreaking experience and catalyst for his research on chemicals in everyday consumer products. As a single parent he was now solely responsible to protect his daughters even, as it turned out, from their sleepwear.

Case in point  the 2015 documentary Stink . The film begins with one parents look at flame retardants in a childs pajamas, then expands into an investigation of the huge fragrance industry  merchandise, companies, executives, trade groups, regulatory agencies and politicians.

As consumers injuries and deaths increase due to unregulated chemical poisoning from myriad products, more parents are becoming vocal advocates working to improve peoples health and safety. My 2014 Age of Autism article described profiteering corporations, chemicals and fabricated advocates that harm the publics health by lying about the toxicity of flame retardants. Victims and families are creating their own potent cumulative synergism when vocally pushing back against institutional denials of health harm from chronic low-dose exposure to poisonous chemicals.

When we fix one problem, we sometimes create another  thats a frustrating paradox in todays society. Product manufacturers risky use of potentially harmful chemicals in our food, clothing, care products and furnishings mirrors the ethical tradeoffs and fraud in the U.S. Centers for Disease Controls one-size-fits-all vaccine program. By ignoring reports of vaccine adverse reactions due to mutagenic metals and toxic chemicals at extremely low doses, public health policymakers perversely allow autism and chronic disease rates to rise.

In one scene Whelan raises a stink with Tween Brands Inc. CEO Michael Rayden, confronting him outside a shareholders meeting. When Whelan tells Rayden that by not listing his products chemicals he is not doing the right thing by consumers, Rayden evasively replies, Who is?

Just what is the definition of fragrance? Manufacturers ingredient labels use that word as an umbrella term for up to 100 synthetic chemicals. Because these formulas are considered proprietary, they are government-protected trade secrets  like the recipes for soda pop or fast food. Fracking fluids and fragrance share many of the same toxic ingredients, Whelan said.

Consumers know fragrance is found in perfumes and colognes, shampoo, deodorant, lotion and makeup. And its easy to detect noxious chemical scents from fingernail polish, cleaning fluids or dryer sheets. But chemical fragrance can also be found in the food we eat, the toys our children handle, the paper products we use  and all those smaller exposures add up.

Tuolene, styrene, parabens and formaldehyde are just a few of the chemicals allowed to be in Health & Beauty Care (HBC) products without warning labels. Unfair, said Whelan, who believes requiring explicit labeling gives consumers data necessary for truly informed choice. If these chemicals are safe, then why is industry so afraid of disclosing them? he asked. They are testing their products on us we are guinea pigs.

According to Whelan, women and teenaged girls use up to 20 scented personal care products a day, while men use about half that. Routes of toxic chemical and metals exposures include absorption through skin, inhalation, ingestion and the most direct route, injection. Over time, daily low exposures to chemicals and metals result in bioaccumulations in our tissues until our body burden reaches its unique toxic tipping point.

Because everyone reacts differently to chemical exposures, debate continues over whether the toxicity science is truly settled. Doubt permits the chemical industry to ignore the precautionary principle, often with detrimental or even lethal results for consumers. Theyre sick people, theyre dying people, theyre people that have birth defects or learning disabilities, said Dr. Jennifer Sass, senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council. With toxic chemicals, we keep being exposed  until were certain that it might cause harm. That means waiting for data, and those data are body bags.

Stink spotlights the frightening near-fatal experiences of New Jersey teen Brandon Silk, who suffered an anaphylactic reaction to Axe body spray. After a hospital challenge test confirmed Axe was the culprit, Brandons mother asked Unilever for a list of the pungent colognes ingredients  but initially the company refused. Eventually the boys doctors were given a list of Axes ingredients, but not until they had signed a medical gag order. (New Jersey is also home to many companies such as BASF, Johnson & Johnson, Proctor and Gamble, Revlon and LOreal, all heavy chemical users.)

Preventing such life-threatening reactions was a government priority forty years ago. The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) was signed into law by President Gerald Ford in 1976. But it wasnt long before chemical industry trade associations stepped up lobbying to avoid government regulations. Starting in the 1980s, state governments began passing laws to counteract lack of federal enforcement of TSCA  so trade unions expanded their lobbying efforts to the states.

Though 80,000 chemicals are now in use worldwide, the strong federal laws and central agency needed to carefully monitor and regulate use do not truly exist. The combined efforts of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Food and Drug Administration and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (criticized as captured agencies controlled by industry) only provide an ineffective scattershot approach to chemical regulation.

The law has not given the EPA the authority it needs to identify the chemicals that may be problematic, and secondly, even where we do get info that indicates a chemical is of high concern, EPA lacks the authority to regulate that chemical, said Dr. Richard Denison, a senior scientist with the Environmental Defense Fund.

Globally the World Health Organization issues reports on human biomonitoring of toxic exposures, but its inability to enforce policy implementation by industry renders it nearly toothless.

Non-government consumer advocacy groups such as the Environmental Working Group and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics work hard to engage the consciences and votes of legislators, activists and the under-informed general public. According to Andy Igrejas, director of Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, Most people dont quite realize that chemicals that are used in the products that you buy that you take into your home are not really regulated by the federal government. That lack of a regulating agency is, he says, by design.

Like vaccines and adverse reactions to them, other chemical solutions to societys problems have had a history of backfiring. After a tragic series of childrens deaths linked to burning sleepwear, the Flammable Fabrics Act was created in 1953. It first operated under the auspices of the Federal Trade Commission, then later was shifted to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The flame retardant Tris was once used to make childrens sleepwear fire-resistant. Then Dr. Arlene Blum of the Green Science Policy Institute and her 1970s research team discovered Tris was capable of mutating genes. The CPSCs subsequent ban of Tris was overturned by a court decision, yet manufacturers stopped using it anyway. But Dr. Blum said manufacturers simply replaced it with chlorinated Tris, a form now used in mattresses and sofas. Its estimated that every U.S. home now contains four lbs. of flame retardant chemicals.

The rise in autism the rise in certain childhood cancers all have to be due to environmental factors, EDFs Dr. Denison said. His line graph showed that the recent steep jump in chemical use parallels the spike in infant and childhood disorders such as autism. However years ago Safeminds produced a similar chart showing matching sharp increases in autism concurrent with an increase in Thimerosal-containing childhood vaccines. Though both toxic sources could be causing neurological damage, the chemical and vaccine industries use such duplicative data explications to instead obfuscate the causality issue.

In 2003 UC-Daviss MIND Institute launched CHARGE (Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and the Environment), the first comprehensive study of environmental causes and risk factors for autism and developmental delay. However CHARGE has been criticized for avoiding study of vaccine causality and for affiliating with Autism Speaks, whose focus is awareness and searching for the autism gene.

The same utilitarian greater good arguments extolled by vaccine researchers to rationalize vaccine injury and lifelong chronic illness to consumers are also leveraged by chemical companies. Said Dr. Blum, Ive heard statements, If even one life is saved, its worth putting these chemicals in their products. [But] there is a mountain of science showing harm.

On September 6, 2012, Jon Whelan drove to the New York State Assemblys public hearing on flame retardant chemicals in childrens products. There an American Chemistry Council lobbyist, well-funded ACC president & CEO Cal Dooley, testified against the ban. Dooley stated that the industry should not have to start using the precautionary principle because you would never be able to prove with certainty that anything is perfectly safe.

Denouncing Dooleys phrasing as political doublespeak, Whelan later intercepted him in the hallway after a Congressional hearing. When asked whether consumers should be told about undisclosed carcinogens and endocrine-disrupting chemicals for safety and transparency, Dooley again avoided the question by saying, We place a great deal of confidence in our regulatory agencies.

Whelan is working toward two key changes in U.S. chemical use laws:

Companies disclose all ingredients in their products; Congress fixes TSCA.

He may get part of his wish: In 2016 Congress passed a bill to reform TSCA, the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (LCSA). However the bill is a mixed bag; like this countrys Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, LCSA may eventually hamstring the EPA and limit state rights. And like VICP, it ends up perpetuating secrecy.

In addition Jon Whelan wants the U.S. to prevent the personal care product industry from using chemicals that have been banned by other countries. The European Union has banned more than 1,200 chemicals it considers harmful to human health. Their law regulating chemicals in commerce is known as REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals). REACH requires that before a chemical can be approved for use, manufacturers must submit toxicity data in full to the European Chemical Agency.

But enacting a similar federal law will likely be a hard sell in Washington, DC. Business is writing the rules for chemical use, said Seventh Generation co-founder Jeffrey Hollender. When I go shopping in a store, I assume someones made sure that its safe that if a product was dangerous, toxic, carcinogenic  [it] wouldnt be allowed to be sold. And thats a fundamentally inaccurate assumption. No ones made sure that its safe.

Weve been fooled into thinking that all the products in our homes are safe, Whelan said. Im trying to do the right thing for my kids, but because companies are hiding whats in their products, I cant We are quietly becoming genetically modified by toxic chemicals.

Like the many parents of vaccine-injured children, Jon Whelans life became transformed by a health-related tragedy. At the crossroads of complacency and action, he saw only one ethical choice.

Once you know, you look at things through a different lens, Whelan said. And then youre left with two choices: Help fix whats broken, or live with the status quo.

###

TESTIMONY EXCERPT

Examining the Current State of Cosmetics:

Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on

Energy and Commerce House of Representatives, March 27, 2012

Rep. Edward Markey (Massachusetts) and Michael M. Landa, FDA:

Mr. MARKEY. If a company decided to include arsenic in 2012 as a component of a face cream, would they even have to notify the FDA first?

Mr. LANDA. It would not.

Mr. MARKEY. Now, if the arsenic was used as a component of a fragrance mixture, would the company be required to list arsenic on the product label?

Mr. LANDA. As a component of a fragrance, it would not.

Mr. MARKEY. It would not. So that would come, I think, as a shock to most people The FDA does not have the authority to require that to be disclosed to the public, and I think therein lies the problem. [F]rom my perspective everyone has a right to be protected, everyone has a right to know what could happen to them because of exposure to these chemicals.

Nancy Hokkanen is Contributing Editor to Age of Autism.
April 17, 2017

Today Iran stands at the forefront of the battle and confrontation with the project of the Islamic caliphate, in a way that it funds more than 90  armed militia groups in Islamic cities, the narrator proclaimed in a newly released Islamic State (IS) video in which Shiite-majority Iran is portrayed as the source of division in the Muslim world.

In the 37-minute clip published in late March, titled Persian Land, From Yesterday to Today, Iranian IS members list what they see as crimes against Sunnis committed by the Islamic Republic and call on their brethren to take up arms against Tehran, saying, Our war has started against the Persians.  I call in particular on the Sunnis in Iran to prepare for this war  and we are behind you.

Despite Irans important role in degrading IS, the terrorist group has not been able to carry out any attacks inside the Islamic Republic, unlike much of the rest of the Middle East, Europe and the United States. Since its establishment in 1979, the Islamic Republic has been under constant domestic and foreign threats. As a result, it has developed a sophisticated intelligence and surveillance network that has effectively dealt with internal threats. In terms of external threats, Iran prefers to fight them in neighboring countries and has in those endeavors managed to prop up and support various proxies including Shiite, Sunni and secular groups across the region. Perhaps the most potent aspect of this strategy to deal with external threats has been the streamlining of the Iranian decision-making process.

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Brett McGurk, who was pushing the White House for a military response to IS advances in Iraq in the summer of 2014, must have envied Qasem Soleimani, the powerful commander of Irans Quds Force, who was on the front line in Jalawla in Diyala province deploying Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) advisers and heavy artillery to stop IS at that time. I was advocating as aggressive a response as possible, just given how dire the situation was. So those who were responding  that this needs a political solution, I just thought they were completely out of their minds, McGurk recalled in a PBS documentary.

Soleimani, who has battled IS and other groups since 2012, knew the dangers that IS posed to Iran and presented the Islamic Republics strategy in dealing with the threat, Daesh [IS] is a plague and a grave catastrophe in the world, said the Iranian commander. To safeguard the security of our nation, we need to quarantine our borders and aid our neighbors so this cancer does not spread to our country.

Iranian officials are quick to point out that this strategy has been successful and that IS has not succeeded in carrying out attacks inside their country. Due to the vigilance of  the security forces and the people, Daesh [IS] has not been able to even set off a firecracker for propaganda [purposes], IRGC public relations chief Ramazan Sharif said last year.

But the cancer that Soleimani referred to may have already spread to Iran  and Tehran might come to regret one pillar of its strategy in dealing with external threats in the region.

From 2001, when the US-led invasion forced the jihadis of al-Qaeda out of Afghanistan, and until late 2011, when US forces left Iraq, Iran reportedly turned a blind eye to jihadis transiting its territory in order to bleed the United States and coalition forces in both countries. Salafi jihadis from eastern Iran, near the Afghan border, are said to have traveled freely across Irans Sunni heartland. Toleration of jihadis so long as Tehran was not at the receiving end of their violence is reported to have created a mass following for these groups in Irans Sunni areas.

For instance, the number of young Kurds adopting Salafi jihadi ideology has greatly increased in western Iran since 2001. Many Iranian Sunnis have traveled through Turkey to join IS and other jihadi groups in Iraq and Syria, often facing IRGC commanders aiding Iraqi and Syrian forces on the front lines.

Some IS supporters in Irans Kurdish areas even celebrated IS gains in the summer of 2014, as the group swooped across northern Iraq, according to Kurdish media. In the latest IS video, which is labeled as originating from the IS wilayah (province) of Diyala in Iraq, four members of the Popular Mobilization Units are seen kneeling down. They are then beheaded by four IS militants, two of whom are apparently Iranian Kurds.

Secular Kurdish activists inside Iran often complain about how parts of Iranian Kurdistan have been turned into battlegrounds where supporters of IS and Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (previously known as Jabhat al-Nusra) settle scores in the streets. Indeed, there have been reports in the Iranian media about a number of clashes between elements that espouse IS ideology and the security forces in Kurdish areas.

As Salafi jihadis become degraded and lose their territory in Iraq and Syria, some of the Iranian Sunnis who have honed their military and intelligence skills over the years will inevitably survive the battlefield and pose a threat to the Iranian state.

Tawhid Qoureishi, an Iranian Sunni religious scholar, traveled to northern Syria via Turkey to join IS along with two other Iranians in the fall of 2013. Prior to that, he engaged in religious studies near the Afghan border and then became a preacher in a Sunni village in the northern Iranian province of Gilan. Qoureishi, who was 30 when he joined IS, stayed with the group for over six months, roaming around northern Syria and meeting many high-ranking IS members. However, he later came to question some of the brutal methods IS deployed, which created division among Salafi jihadis. He participated in the first battles between IS and Jabhat al-Nusra, but soon afterward, he became disillusioned with the group and returned to Iran in the spring of 2014, where he was arrested upon arrival. The main reason [I left IS] was the crimes that were committed there [in Syria], such as killing people.  I went there to defend people and confront oppression, Qoureishi said from an Iranian prison when asked why a young man from a village in northern Iran would go to Syria to join IS.

He is now serving a seven-year prison term in Iran.

While most Iranian Sunnis reject the ideology promulgated by IS and other Salafi jihadi groups, some of the government policies deemed oppressive appear to push more young Sunnis into the arms of jihadi groups, which are quick to exploit such situations. "Iranian Jews live in security under the protection of the government and have synagogues in Tehran and Esfahan, said the narrator in the IS video from March, comparing the status of the over 1 million Sunnis in Tehran with that of the Iranian Jews who are mostly concentrated in the capital. There is not a single mosque for the Sunni people in Tehran, disputing the Iranian authorities assertion that there are nine Sunni mosques in the capital.

This [jihadi] thought is spreading day by day. I think they must have grown by a hundredfold since the Taliban era," warned Qoureishi in the prison interview, adding, "I dont think it is possible to contain these movements.
April 17, 2017

According to Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, the spokesman for Irans judiciary, former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his former Vice President Hamid Baghaei still have open legal cases. During an April 16 press conference, Mohseni-Ejei did not talk about the nature of the case or what the charges are. Ahmadinejad shocked Iranians when he registered April 12 for the Iranian presidential election. He told reporters that his registration for a third term was in order to show support for Baghaei, who held a number of Cabinet positions during Ahmadinejads two terms in office.

Mohseni-Ejei added that having an open legal case does not preclude someone from becoming a candidate. All of the more than 1,600 candidates who registered to run in the presidential election will go through a vetting process by the hard-line Guardian Council. As an example, Mohseni-Ejei said that its possible some candidates may have committed a crime 20 years previous to their registration but have not done anything illegal since and these people would likely be allowed to run.

However, given that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has previously publicly opposed a third term for Ahmadinejad, the judiciary and Guardian Council may look for justifications to bar him from running. In 2013, Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was the last former president to register for a third term. He was disqualified from running. Though no official reason was given, indirect comments were made that his age played a factor. Rafsanjani died in January.

Another surprising registration for the election was that of Hassan Rouhanis first vice president, Eshaq Jahangiri. According to Shargh Daily, Jahangiris registration was the most important election tactic for Rouhanis re-election. Mohammad Reza Aref, the head of the Reformist List of Hope bloc in parliament, said April 16 that Jahangiris registration was an idea presented by the Supreme Council of Reformists in order to make sure that Rouhani did not face the conservatives alone in the election.

Reformists and moderates had previously decided to unite and support Rouhanis re-election campaign. Conservatives, on the other hand, are running a wide range of candidates, including well-known names such as head of Astan Quds Razavi foundation Ibrahim Raisi, Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and former parliamentarian Alireza Zakani.

If Jahangiris candidacy is approved, he then can serve both as a buffer in the television debates against the potential attacks on Rouhani and can counterattack while Rouhani tries to stay above the partisan bickering. In this case, Jahangiri would then ultimately pull out before final voting. The strategy worked well by default in the 2013 presidential debates when Ali Akbar Velayati, the supreme leaders foreign policy adviser, broke with convention and attacked then-candidate and nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili over his rigid stance in the nuclear talks. At the time of Velayatis comments, the nuclear issue was rarely discussed and only the official line was reflected in the media. It is not known whether Velayati and Rouhani had such an agreement beforehand or whether Jahangiri has the clout to pave new ground the way Velayati did, but his candidacy certainly adds a layer of unpredictably against the conservatives.

Since losing in the 2013 election, Jalili has been vocal about his opposition to the nuclear deal between Iran and the six world powers. He announced April 16 that he would not register for the election but stressed he would remain involved with the conservative candidates. Jalili said that in the last four years he expressed his opposition to the administrations policies but that during an election their incorrect policies must be challenged.
Alabama's richest person Jimmy Rane has committed $12 million to Auburn University that will be used to create a new culinary science center.

Rane is the founder of the lumber business Great Southern Wood Abbeville. Rane is best known as the "Yella Fella" in his popular advertisements.

The Auburn Board of Trustees - of which Rane is a member - approved the naming of the facility of at its April 7 meeting as the Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center in honor of Rane's parents.

The new center will be adjacent to the Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center. It will have a restaurant, teaching and demonstration kitchens, a "beverage appreciation center" a terrace and rooftop event space, and a spa. It'll also have board rooms, hotel rooms, suites and apartments.

"Not only will the center's facilities provide our students with unparalleled opportunities for hands-on lessons and demonstrations in culinary arts and luxury accommodations from the best in the industry, but it also will provide guests with an immersion in hospitality that is second to none," College of Human Sciences Dean June Henton said in a press release.

Forbes magazine listed Rane as richest person in the state last year with an estimated net worth of $610 million. He graduated from Auburn in 1968 with a bachelor's degree in business administration before founded Great Southern Wood Preserving in 1970.
AT&T fiber Ready

Three business parks in Limestone County now hold the AT&T Fiber Ready certification. AT&T fiber trucks sit outside the Robotics Technology Park near Calhoun in Tanner on April 17, 2017. (Lucy Berry | lberry@al.com)

When Tom Hill started his career in economic development 25 years ago, infrastructure was mostly roads, electricity, natural gas, sewer, water and telephone.

Limestone County EDA Executive Director Tom Hill and Dave Hargrove of AT&T Alabama sign an agreement April 17, 2017 at the Robotics Technology Park in Tanner. (Lucy Berry | lberry@al.com)

Fiber connectivity is now one of the most critical infrastructure needs for companies looking to expand in Limestone County, he said.

"In economic development, you're always competing with other states and other sites," said Hill, executive director for the Limestone County Economic Development Association. "To have something that's fiber ready, that can be connected to the company during their construction period, gives us an advantage over a lot of locations."

AT&T Alabama announced Monday three Limestone County industrial parks  Breeding Industrial Park, Elm Industrial Park and Southpoint Business Park  are officially AT&T Fiber Ready sites. Breeding and Elm are located in the Athens city limits, while Southpoint operates in a Huntsville-annexed portion of the county.

The certification is important because it makes Limestone County more competitive and helps leaders drive job creation throughout the state.

"While we continue to invest, innovate and improve our networks, our services and our products to meet our customer demands, we're listening to economic development leaders like Tom and others to establish the tools that they tell us they're going to have to have to be competitive," said AT&T Regional Director of Communications Dave Hargrove.

The AT&T fiber network provides the bandwidth needed to support data intensive services, including video, collaboration, cloud services and more through products such as Ethernet, Virtual Private Networking, Managed Internet Service and AT&T Business Fiber.

Hill said the high-speed Internet may be attractive to automotive suppliers, advanced manufacturing companies, warehouse distributors and other businesses hoping to move to or expand in Limestone County.

"The companies nowadays want the fastest possible connections that they can get and I think would AT&T would be able to provide that," he said.

AT&T, which invested nearly $1.2 billion in its wireless and wired networks in Alabama from 2013-15, has been deploying fiber in Alabama since the mid-1980s. Hargrove said the company has invested in Alabama infrastructure for more than 138 years and has over 5,400 employees installing fiber-based infrastructure throughout the state.

"While our presence in Limestone County isn't new, the Fiber Ready designation is new to the county," he said.

AT&T announced in late March it is offering a 1-gigabit connection on its fiber network to homes, apartments and small businesses in the Huntsville area, including parts of Athens, Florence and surrounding communities.

Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks said the Fiber Ready certification is one more tool the city can use to recruit new industry.

"We're one of the hottest areas that I know of here in the Tennessee Valley and North Alabama," he said. "You can't be proactive and progressive without this and this is an opportunity to expand that."
Kelly Kazek | kkazek@al.com

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(Contributed by Singing River Sculptures Facebook page)

Play air guitar alongside Sheffield's giant aluminum rock star.

By KELLY KAZEK

The 18-foot-tall aluminum statue in Sheffield was the first of several planned monuments for a project called the Singing River Sculptures to honor the areas musical heritage. A second was erected in Muscle Shoals and another is currently being sculpted for Tuscumbia.

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AL.com/JOE SONGER

Make a movie set pilgrimage.

Take a tour of sites in Alabama where movies were made. Just a few examples are: Birmingham's Rickwood Field were "42" was filmed (the accompanying photo shows mannequins used in crowd scenes for "42"); homes in Eufaula seen in "Sweet Home Alabama;" Mooresville where "Tom and Huck" was filmed; the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, where "Space Camp" and other space movies were filmed; and various sites from filming of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," listed here. Find more info at the Alabama Film Office website.

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(Source: AuburnAstro.org)

Stand on the rim of a Jordan-Hare-sized meteor crater.

Scientists estimate the meteorite that struck Wetumpka 81 million years ago would have been the size of the bowl of Auburn University's Jordan-Hare Stadium. The rim of the crater is visible for visitors to see today. The Wetumpka Library says: "The enormity of the Wetumpka explosion is hard to comprehend. The impact of a large object traveling at 40,000 miles per hour would cause an explosion that would dwarf even the largest thermonuclear weapons."

Of only 157 craters on earth, only six, including this one, are visible above ground. This photo by the Auburn Astronomical Society shows the sides of the crater.

http://www.auburnastro.org/wetu.htm

(Source: AuburnAstro.org)

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Kelly Kazek | kkazek@al.com

Spend an afternoon reading epitaphs at the Coon Dog Cemetery.

Despite its isolated location, the Key Underwood Coon Dog Cemetery near Cherokee in Colbert County is a draw for visitors. People come to see the only cemetery in the world designated specifically for registered coon-hunting dogs. More than 300 are buried there, with names like Beanblossom Bommer, Doctor Doom, Strait Talk'n' Tex, Flop, Hammer Tyme Red, Tennessee Bawling Barney and Easy Goin' Sam. Their graves are marked with everything from wooden crosses to granite markers etched with art work, as well as some heartfelt and humorous epitaphs. Read more here.

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See if you can spot the outline of Jesus on the hospital door.

After someone spotted the visage of Christ in the wood grain of a door at Walker Baptist Medical Center in Jasper, so many people wanted to see it that hospital officials preserved it with a clear, protective cover and moved it to the entrance of the chapel. Find directions here.

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(Contributed by J.J. Vincent)

Throw your shoes over the line at Spectre, "Alabama's best-kept secret!"

If you fondly recall the scene in the movie Big Fish where a little girl throws Edward Blooms (Ewan McGregor) shoes over the line so he cant leave, you can follow in his bare footsteps. Visit Jackson Lake island in Millbrook and see the preserved set of the fictional town of Spectre, complete with shoes on the utility line.

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Kelly Kazek | kkazek@al.com

Bask in the shade of the Tree that Owns Itself in Eufaula.

Just don't invade its personal space. Yes, the property into which this tree's roots grow were deeded to the tree itself, as a plaque on its fence states. Find out more by clicking here.

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Here, Annie Sullivan, is played by Auburn student Jamie Connolly, and Helen Keller is played by 10-year-old Evie Rosa Butler. Photo courtesy of Freda Butler

Prime the pump where Helen Keller learned to spell W-A-T-E-R.

The actual water pump where the deaf-blind Helen Keller learned to communicate in 1887 is still located at her childhood home, Ivy Green, preserved as a museum in Tuscumbia. The pump is used in the play The Miracle Worker, performed each summer at Ivy Green.

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AL.com File Photo

Place a banana on the grave of Miss Baker, the monkeynaut.

Visitors to the U.S. Space and Ricket Center in Huntsville often honor Miss Baker by leaving bananas on her memorial. Miss Baker was a squirrel monkey, one of two monkeys who would become the first animals to be launched into space by the United States and be recovered alive. Miss Baker was born in 1957 and made her 16-minute space flight in 1959. She and Able, a rhesus monkey, returned to earth healthy and were treated as celebrities. Able would die four days later from complications of surgery to remove electrodes embedded for her flight. Miss Baker lived out her life in Huntsville, dying of kidney failure Nov. 29, 1984.

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Kelly Kazek | kkazek@al.com

Take a selfie with Rusty the Big Red Dog in Northport.

A metal sculpture of a big red dog on a rooftop is the first thing visitors see when they enter downtown Northport. He marks the site of the renowned Kentuck Arts Center, where you can watch artists at work and see their creations in an outdoor gallery.

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(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

See if you see the Face in the Courthouse Window.

Do you see it? A large arrow points to the pane in the Pickens County Courthouse window where the visage of a prisoner held there in 1876 can still be seen. Read the story here.

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(AP Photo/Columbia Pictures/ Suzanne Hanover)

Holler Ricky Bobby's immortal line "If you ain't first, you're last..."

... from the grandstands of the Talladega Superspeedway. For fans of the movie, this one's self explanatory. Find directions and a history of the speedway here.

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AL.com File Photo

Take a ride on the Gee's Bend Ferry.

Gee's Bend, a community along the Alabama River renowned for its beautiful folk-art quilts, is reached most easily by ferry. Ferry crossings stopped in the 1962, reportedly to make it more difficult for the black residents of Gee's Bend to vote, but it resumed in 2006. Find more info and crossing schedules here.

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AL.com File Photo/Press-Register

See if your car defies the laws of nature on Gravity Hill Road.

An area in Oak Grove near Sylacauga is known as a mystery spot. According to the Alabama Tourism Department, here's what to do: "You will have the most fun if you position your car south on Gravity Hill so that your car goes uphill backward. Drive to the stop sign on Gravity Hill at the U.S. 280 intersection. Pull up to the stop sign. U.S. 280 should be in front of your car and the rest of Gravity Hill in your rearview mirror. Make sure no one is behind you. Put your car in neutral and take your foot off the brake. Your car should start to roll backward and uphill. Be sure to keep your foot close to the brake pedal, as you will pick up speed as you coast uphill. This little adventure is so amazing that you'll find yourself driving back to the stop sign to try it again." The tourism site also gives directions. Click here to find more Alabama mystery spots.

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(Source: Silverquil via Waymarking.com)

Sit a spell at the World's Largest Office Chair.

But unless you're really tall, you can't sit in it. You'll have to settle for sitting at its base. Built by Leonard "Sonny" Miller in 1981 to promote his Anniston furniture store, the 33-foot office chair held the title of World's Largest Office Chair until 2003 when a company from Italy built a larger one.

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(Source: PrattvilleAL.gov)

Pretend you're visiting China at the Bamboo Forest.

In a section of a 26-acre area in Prattville called Wilderness Park, bamboo grows as much as 60 feet high and 6 inches in circumference. It was the first designated wilderness park in the country. In the 1940s, someone sent a packet of seeds to the owner of the property, who planted them. Before long the exotic plants covered a wide area of the property. The trees form a canopy overhead, making it a unique hiking spot, according to PrattvilleAL.gov.

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Source: AlabamaBirdingTrail.com

Play limbo beneath a goat tree limb.

Dauphin Island is home to some unusual oaks, known as Goat Trees, with low-hanging limbs that grow nearly parallel to the ground. According to AlabamaBirdingTrails.com, the trees located near Shell Mound Park once served as shelter for wild goats that inhabited the island. The trees have limbs that reach as far as 50 feet and provide a perfect climbing surface for goats  or a good limbo dance. These days, the Goat Tree Preserve is listed as part of the National Wetlands Inventory and provides habitat for dozens of birds, including warblers, vireos and gnatcatchers. It is a favorite destination of bird watchers.

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(Source: US Gulf Coast States Geotourism)

Have an ice cream on the spot where Harper Lee lived.

Mels Dairy Dream

at 216 South Alabama Avenue in Monroeville is an old-fashioned walk-up dairy bar was built on the site of Harper Lees childhood home. The house was demolished after the Lee family moved out in the 1950s. Mels is a favorite spot for locals and for fans of Harper Lee, who died in 2016.

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AL.com File Photo

Walk into a shark's mouth.

Souvenir City has been a fixture at Gulf Shores since 1956. The massive shark at the entrance was damaged by Hurricane Ivan in 2004 but was repaired. Visitors can enter through the shark's mouth and look through windows inside its belly to see what it has eaten.

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AL.com File Photo

Take cover in the tree where Civil War soldiers hid.

At the Ghost Town of Blakely, now part of a state park, visitors can crouch inside the Hiding Trees large, human-sized opening. Legend says that during the Civil War, soldiers would crouch in the natural hollow, either to hide from attackers or to ambush them.

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Kelly Kazek/kkazek@al.com

Pet a brontosaurus.

Not a real one. Duh. This Bronty is one of four dinosaur replicas commissioned by George Barber. They stand in the woods surrounding Barber Marina in Elberta, just waiting for visitors.

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(Source: Billy Garrett)

Guess how many parts it took to make the Junkosaurus Rex.

Local artist Mike Goggans, who spends his daylight hours as a responsible adult as a telecommunications engineer at Ladd Engineering, is the proud papa of a 21-foot-tall, 1.5-ton "baby" known as Junkosaurus Wrecks. It is one of several junk-sculpture animals at his roadside attraction on Lookout Mountain Parkway known as The Barnyard EIEIO. Read about them here.

(Source: Billy Garrett)

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(Source: RuralSWAlabama.org)

Use an award-winning restroom.

What's in a restroom? Most of us don't want to know. But Alabama has one public toilet facility that is as eye-popping as it is utilitarian. The facility at Perry Lakes Park in Marion, Ala., designed and built by architecture students at Auburn's Rural Studio, was named a finalist in November 2015 in America's Best Restroom Contest.

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AL.com File

Take a selfie with a car-bumper rooster.

An oversized rooster sculpture made of car bumpers has been greeting motorists on U.S. Highway 231 for 54 years. The rooster, which is about 15 feet tall and weighs more than a ton, was created by artist Larry Godwin to stand outside his gallery, called Art Wurks.

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(Source: Richee R via Yelp.com)

Eat a National Champion BLT at Rama Jama's.

If you're into quirky food challenges, here's one for you: A bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich with 16 slices of bacon! At Rama's Jama's diner on Paul Bryant Drive in Tuscaloosa, an extra piece of bacon is added each time the UA football team wins a national championship. You can also try the National Championship Burger, which has 16 ounces of beef.

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(Source: Jacquelyn Martin)

Run from zombies at Sloss Fright Furnace.

Even if you don't enjoy haunted attractions, a visit to Birmingham's Sloss Furnaces is fun and unusual any time of year. After all, there are very few places on earth where you can tour a defunct blast furnace preserved as a museum and arts center. If you do enjoy being scared, click here to learn how to visit one of Alabama's top haunted attractions.

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Is the playground next to Huntsville's historic Maple Hill Cemetery haunted by the ghosts of children? It's an oft-told urban legend that stems from the park's location next to the graves. In actuality, both the playground and cemetery are quiet, picturesque places to visit. (Source: Wil Elrick)

Play in the Dead Children's Playground.

Is the playground next to Huntsvilles historic Maple Hill Cemetery haunted by the ghosts of children? Its an oft-told urban legend that stems from the parks location next to the graves. In actuality, both the playground and cemetery are quiet, picturesque places to visit.

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(Source: Auburn.edu)

Step over the Auburn University seal for good luck.

According to tradition, you shouldnt step directly on the bronze seal laid in concrete in in front of Langdon Hall. So visitors always step over, or around.

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(Source: Elmore County Museum)

Pay tribute to a little girl known as Creama Tarter.

The headstone for 9-year-old Caroline Bostick Catlen (1843-1852) lists a series of nicknames that makes people scratch their heads. The tombstone read: "Henry Ritter / Ema Ritter / Dema Ritter / Sweet Potato / Creama Tarter / Caroline Bostick / Daughter of / Bob & Suckey Catlen, / Born at Social Circle, / 1843 / Died at Wetumpka 1852." The marker was so unusual that postcards were apparently printed of it. The one on file with the ADAH is dated June 10, 1916. At some point, the unusual stone was removed from the little girl's grave and is now displayed at the Elmore County Museum in Wetumpka. The museum at 112 South Main Street is open from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

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(Source: Original Oyster House))

Take a ride in Alabama's Yellow Submarine.

. OK, so you can't really ride in it. And it's not a submarine. But it is yellow. The old Russian sea rescue pod, or enclosed lifeboat, makes a great photo opp. It's located at the Original Oyster House on Battleship Parkway in Spanish Fort.

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(Source: Huggin' Molly's)

Have a good cry over the gun that killed Ole Yeller.

Some people call the scene in which the dog is shot in Ole Yeller one of the saddest in film history. Visit Huggin Mollys Restaurant in Abbeville and see the prop gun used in the film displayed on a wall. Remind yourself it was just a movie, and the actor dog survived, but youll probably cry anyway, just thinking about it.

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(Source: Goldwing via Waymarking.com)

Stand in the center of the state. If you can find it.

According to several online sources, the passage of the Submerged Lands Act of 1953 changed the location of the geographic center of the state of Alabama. If true, the historic marker was never moved to reflect the change. It still stands, oddly enough, on the grounds of Reynolds Cemetery in Montevallo.
Dr. Timothy Gadson III, who was bit of a lightning rod for dissent after being revealed as one of the five finalists for the position of Birmingham City Schools superintendent, has removed himself from consideration, citing the "political climate" of the search.

In an email, obtained by AL.com and sent on Sunday to Dr. James Wright of the Alabama Association of School Boards, which was contracted to handle the vetting of applicants, Gadson, who is currently superintendent designee and executive director of curriculum and schools at Robbinsdale Area Schools in Minnesota, said:

"I have discussed with my family what is happening right now with Birmingham City Schools, the political climate and controversy over the superintendent search. Correspondingly, after much thought and reflection, I have decided to withdraw from consideration at this point.

"I think whoever is selected to serve as superintendent will have an uphill battle to prove himself/herself worthy to have been hired for the job and to do the work that is needed to move Birmingham forward.

"While I feel I could do an outstanding job to help make Birmingham a world-class education system, I don't want to join an organization where some have a deficit mindset and/or discriminate against any candidate simply because he/she is not a native of Birmingham or the great state of Alabama.

"I do want to thank Ms. [Wardine] Alexander and Ms. [April] Williams for their graciousness, professionalism and leadership. They both reached out to congratulate me and speak with me about the interview process. I am grateful for their consideration.

"I wish the Board of Education, students, staff and all stakeholders the best in finding the superintendent that will lead Birmingham to the next level.

"I truly feel the students of Birmingham are worth the best that any superintendent has to offer.

"Thank you for believing in me."

When the list of five finalists was announced last Tuesday, three board members, as well as some within the community, expressed disappointment that none of the candidates were from within the Birmingham City Schools system or the state of Alabama.

Gadson drew particular scrutiny because an Internet search revealed a 2014 grading controversy that occurred during his tenure as associate superintendent of the Atlanta Public Schools system. An investigation into a school principal who had resigned found that teachers who reported to her, among other charges, felt pressured by the principal to pass failing students. The principal denied the allegations.

Gadson, however, had not yet come aboard at APS, so when asked to address the matter he told WBS-TV: "There's a new administration in Atlanta Public Schools and that we're about change."

Most dissenters are upset that none of the finalists are from the Birmingham school system or Alabama.

Williams, the Birmingham City School Board member who heads the search committee, says the board is reaching out to the AASB to determine who is "next on the list" of candidates.

Interviews are scheduled for Wednesday, April 19, and the board has said it will hire a candidate by July 1.

[Edited to clarify that Gadson was not at APS when the 2014 incident occurred.)
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Even in a city wracked by crime, the calls that came in to police Sunday afternoon seemed unbelievable. Numerous people were watching a man ranting about his miserable life in a broadcast on Facebook and threatening to kill someone at random. And then he did just that.

In the videos Steve Stephens, 37, of Cleveland, took during and after the Easter Sunday Facebook killing, he seemed calm and even laughs about the pain and fear he knew he would cause the city.

His victim -- Robert Godwin Jr., a 74-year-old father of nine and grandfather of 14 -- just happened to walk into the path of deranged gunman about 2 p.m. on East 93rd Street, just south of Interstate 90 in Cleveland's Glenville neighborhood. Stephens filmed the shooting and posted it to his Facebook page.

Stephens' Facebook was deactivated about three hours after Godwin was killed, but the videos were grabbed and shared by news outlets across the world and posted onto YouTube.

In the moments leading up to the shooting, Stephens pulls his car up to a curb on East 93rd Street, near the intersection with Carr Avenue, and calmly said, "I found somebody I'm about to kill. I'm going to kill this guy right here. He's an old dude too."

Stephens got out of the car and approached Godwin, saying, "Hey can you do me a favor?" and asked him to say his girlfriend's name. Godwin appeared confused but said the woman's name.

Stephens then pulled a handgun and pointed it at Godwin's head, telling him that the woman is the reason why he was about to shoot him. Godwin's hands went up to shield him and pleaded with Stephens, saying, "Look, I don't know anybody by that name!"

Stephens fired one fatal shot at Godwin's head, and he zooms in on Godwin's bloody body on the sidewalk before walking back to his car and getting inside.

Cleveland police started receiving calls about Godwin's killing during and after the Facebook video aired, Cleveland police spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said.

Authorities searched all night for a white newer-model Ford Fusion with a temporary tag of E363630, though Cleveland police Chief Calvin Williams said at a Sunday evening press conference that the plates may have been changed.

In a second five-minute long video after the shooting, Stephens is seen on the phone with an unidentified person. Stephens encourages him to go onto Facebook and watch the shooting.

He then begins explaining to the person on the telephone about why he shot Godwin, saying "I'm at the point where I snapped" and that no one ever took his problems seriously when he tried to talk them out.

"I shamed myself. I snapped, I snapped. I just snapped, I just killed 13 motherf******, man," Stephens says on the phone. "I'm about to keep killing until they catch me, f*** it. I'm telling them to catch me."

In the video, Stephens also mentions that he works for Beech Brook, a Cleveland organization that provides counseling services for youth. He was wearing his name badge in the videos that identified him as a Beech Brook employee.

He also takes a moment in the second video to blame the killings on his girlfriend, saying that he woke up on Friday and just decided that he had enough.

"Now I'm just massacring people," Stephens said with a laugh.

The woman repeatedly mentioned in the first and second videos is fully cooperating with law enforcement, a senior law enforcement official told cleveland.com.

Though Stephens has claimed that he killed more than a dozen people, Cleveland police have said that Godwin is Stephens' only known victim. Williams and Mayor Frank Jackson have continued to urge Stephens to turn himself in.

"Whatever concerns or problems that he's having, we're here to have a conversation with him," Jackson said.

Stephens is considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached if he is spotted. Anyone with information about Stephen's whereabouts should immediately call 911, Williams said.
A federal judge is considering whether to make public all or part of a federal report regarding allegations of misconduct in the criminal prosecutions of former Alabama governor Donald Siegelman.

Siegelman's son, Joseph Siegelman, in January 2016 filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice's Office of Professional Responsibility after that agency denied his request, under the Freedom of Information Act, for a copy of its report on the misconduct allegations against prosecutors.

The lawsuit, among other things, cites a December 2014 article by the Project On Government Oversight ("POGO") entitled "Justice Department Downplays Evidence of Politics in Probe of GovernorThe article discussed a letter sent from the Office of Legislative Affairs of the DOJ to U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Michigan, on June 3, 2010 which purported to summarize the findings of OPR's investigation. In that letter, the DOJ admits that "several" of its officials involved in the Siegelman case acted improperly.

On June 12, 2015, Joseph Siegelman submitted the Freedom of Information Act request to the OPR seeking a copy of the full report of its findings from its investigation that revealed the prosecutorial misconduct referenced in the June 3, 2010 letter and POGO article.

U.S. District Court Judge Madeline Haikala on March 31 granted Joseph Siegelman's request for her to review the report of OPR's investigation to decide whether he should receive the report. But she denied Joseph Siegelman's motion for summary judgment against the OPR and denied OPR's motion for summary judgment to dismiss the lawsuit in its favor.

On April 10 the OPR told the judge that it had sent by Fed Ex the Report of Investigation prepared by OPR in response to allegations of misconduct in the criminal prosecutions of former Alabama governor Donald Siegelman.

Don Siegelman was released from the Oakdale Federal Correctional Institution in Louisiana where he served a 78-month sentence. He remains on electronic monitoring and home confinement - except for going to work - at his Vestavia Hills home until Aug. 8.

A jury convicted Don Siegelman in 2006 of bribery for appointing HealthSouth founder Richard Scrushy to a state hospital board in exchange for $500,000 in contributions to the governor's campaign for a lottery.

In 2015 more than 100 former attorneys' general submitted briefs on Don Siegelman's behalf. Appeals courts, however, have rejected claims that his prosecution was tainted by politics.

The U.S. Supreme Court also has turned down a request to review his conviction.
capitol jan 2017.jpg

(Mike Cason/mcason@al.com)

A dozen Republican state senators are signed on as supporters of a proposal to change the Alabama Constitution so that the governor and lieutenant governor would run on the same ticket and serve as a team, like the president and vice president.

The proposal, which would require approval by voters, would remove the lieutenant governor's role as president of the state Senate.

Instead, the lieutenant governor would be like a "vice governor," working as the No. 2 official in the executive branch.

Sen. Gerald Dial, R-Lineville, said the state would benefit by having a lieutenant governor who could work on behalf of the governor and stand in for the governor on initiatives like recruiting industries.

The amendment says the Senate would elect a president from its members, like the House of Representatives elects a speaker.

Dial said he had proposed the bill in previous years. He said he brought up the idea to the Senate's Republican Caucus recently and got a lot of support.

Alabama hasn't had a lieutenant governor for a week now, since Kay Ivey took the oath to replace Robert Bentley as governor.

Bentley resigned as part of a deal with state prosecutors to plead guilty to two misdemeanors involving campaign funds.

The state will be without a lieutenant governor until after the 2018 election.

Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh is presiding over the Senate.

Sen. Dick Brewbaker, R-Montgomery, a cosponsor of Dial's bill, said the lieutenant governor could do more meaningful work if relieved of the responsibility of presiding over the Senate and placed in the executive branch full-time.

Brewbaker said a lieutenant governor in that role would be more well prepared to move into the governor's office because of death, removal from office or resignation of the governor, as happened with Bentley.

"That person would be up to speed on everything going on in the executive branch," Brewbaker said.

The Senate's Governmental Affairs Committee is scheduled to consider Dial's bill on Tuesday.

The bill would have to win support of 21 of 35 senators and 63 of 105 House members in order to be placed on the ballot for voters.

The Senate has not adopted an agenda for Tuesday. Brewbaker and Dial said they expect controversial bills to be considered this week, such as a proposal to end the requirement for a permit to carry a concealed handgun.

Tuesday is the 18th meeting day of the legislative session, out of a possible 30. The session must end by May 22.
On the eve of what Arkansas officials hoped would be the state's first executions in more than a decade, they faced off with death-row inmates in multiple legal battles over whether these lethal injections would take place as scheduled.

At the heart of the fight is an unprecedented flurry of executions that have pushed Arkansas to the forefront of the American death penalty at a time when states are increasingly retreating from the practice. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, R, had scheduled eight lethal injections to take place over an 11-day window, a pace unmatched in the modern era, which he defended as needed because one of the state's drugs was set to expire, and no replacement could be guaranteed amid an ongoing shortage.

Hours before the first execution was scheduled to begin, fights continued on several fronts in state and federal court. A federal judge had issued an order over the Easter weekend staying all of the executions, while other court orders had already stayed individual executions and barred the state from using one of its lethal-injection drugs.

While most executions are carried out with little public notice, the scheduled lethal injections in Arkansas have reverberated far beyond the state due to the compressed timetable.

Death penalty opponents have criticized the scheduling, while former corrections officials urged the state to rethink the timeline, warning that it heightened the chances of a mistake. Inmates have argued against the three-drug lethal-injection protocol Arkansas plans to use as well as specific elements of their cases and sentences.

State officials say their timetable is necessary and that the inmates have used up their appeals and are trying to use the courts to dodge lawful sentences. Some relatives of victims of those killed said they support the executions after long waits; each of the eight men slated to die was convicted of capital murder, and all were sentenced by the year 2000.

"Their guilt - and the justice of their sentences - is beyond dispute," Arkansas officials wrote in a federal court filing late Saturday.

A flurry of late filings are common in the days and hours before a scheduled execution, but adding to the unusual situation in Arkansas, drug companies recently joined the debate, asking courts to block the use of their drugs and, in one case, accusing the state of misleading the company and then going back on a promise to return the drugs.

The first of the executions is scheduled to begin Monday evening at a prison 76 miles southeast of the state capitol in Little Rock, and under Hutchinson's original schedule, it was to be followed by another later that night, with three more back-to-back executions were set for nights this week and next.

The Arkansas Department of Corrections says it is continuing to prepare for the executions - the state's first since 2005 - while awaiting the appeals pending in various courts.

On Saturday, U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker issued an order saying that she was "compelled to stay these executions" following hearings last week.

Baker wrote she had determined that inmates would not have enough access to their attorneys under the Arkansas execution policy, saying that if only one attorney is permitted to witness the execution but must leave to petition a court, that inmate would be left without legal representation.

In her order, Baker also said she found "a significant possibility" that the inmates would succeed in their Eight Amendment challenge to the Arkansas lethal-injection procedure.

The state plans to execute the inmates using three drugs: Midazolam, a controversial sedative when used in executions; vecuronium bromide, a paralytic; and potassium chloride, which stops the heart.

Each of these drugs has prompted controversy in this case, but none more than midazolam. This sedative is expiring at the end of April, Arkansas officials say, necessitating the state's timetable.

According to documents obtained by The Washington Post, Arkansas acquired this drug in 2015, just days after U.S. Supreme Court upheld the use of the drug in Oklahoma's lethal injections. In recent years, the drug's use in lethal injections has been intensely debated after it was utilized in a bungled execution in Oklahoma (which officials later blamed on a misplaced IV) and unusually prolonged executions that, in some cases, saw inmates gasping for breath in Ohio, Arizona and, in December, Alabama.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, writing earlier this year in a dissent after the justices declined to hear a death-penalty case, detailed these incidents, which she called "terrifying." Sotomayor also wrote that "with respect to midazolam-centered protocols, prisoners executed by lethal injection are suffering horrifying deaths beneath a 'medically sterile aura of peace.' "

Baker pointed to these executions in her order, saying that testimony on these bungled or extended lethal injections "is personal and rings true." While saying she "does not doubt the good faith" of Arkansas corrections officials, Baker wrote that they do not have a plan in place regarding whether any executions should be canceled or postponed if there are complications.

In an appeal filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, state officials pushed back on Baker's order and said it ignored "undisputed evidence" about midazolam's usefulness as a general anesthetic.

In the brief, submitted by Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge and Solicitor General Lee Rudofsky, they also wrote that Baker lacked "sufficient scientific evidence" and "resorted to basing decision on a few anecdotal accounts of executions in other states - most of which used completely different drug protocols or experienced problems unrelated to midazolam."

The other drugs involved have also prompted criticism. Drug companies have sought to stop the state from using any of their chemicals, including the midazolam, and questioned how the state obtained it. In a brief last week, two firms - Fresenius Kabi USA and West-Ward Pharmaceuticals - asked Baker to prevent the state from using their drugs, which the companies said they believed to be the midazolam and the potassium chloride.

McKesson, a drug distributor, went to state court on Friday to prohibit the state from using vecuronium bromide the company said Arkansas obtained under false pretenses and promised to return.

Judge Wendell Griffen of the Pulaski County Circuit Court, who Rutledge criticized for attending death-penalty demonstrations Friday, issued an order that same day prohibiting the state from using the drug. The company later said it was withdrawing its complaint after Baker's order staying all of the executions, though it vowed to keep trying to get its drug back and suggested it could file another complaint if the federal stay is lifted.

State officials, in a filing Saturday, said that an order preventing them from using the vecuronium bromide would essentially halt all of the executions, noting that they have been unable to obtain more.

Hutchinson had expressed misgivings about the execution schedule, saying that he set the dates because of the looming expiration date on the midazolam. After the orders by Baker and Griffen, Hutchinson said that he knew the lethal injections being scheduled would set off court filings and reviews.

"I understand how difficult this is on the victims' families, and my heart goes out to them as they once again deal with the continued court review; however, the last minute court reviews are all part of the difficult process of death penalty cases," he said in a statement Saturday.

Under Hutchinson's original schedule, Don W. Davis, 54, is the first inmate facing execution. Davis, 54, was convicted and sentenced to death in 1992 for killing Jane Daniel. According to court filings, Davis entered her home and found her alone while her husband was away on a business trip, killing her in what state officials called an "execution-style murder." A relative of Daniel's declined to be interviewed.

Davis was originally scheduled to be the first of two inmates facing execution Monday night. After his lethal injection, the state intended to execute Bruce Ward, 60, who was sentenced to death in October 1990 after being convicted of killing Rebecca Doss, an 18-year-old convenience store clerk.

On Friday afternoon, the Arkansas Supreme Court issued an order staying Ward's execution without explanation. In a petition to that court, Ward's attorneys described him as a diagnosed schizophrenic who has spent decades in solitary confinement without treatment for his mental illness and argued that he was not competent to be executed. Arkansas is appealing and seeking to have that stay vacated.

A federal judge had earlier this month called off another execution after a state parole board said it would recommend changing that inmate's sentence to life in prison without parole.
An Egyptian court on Sunday acquitted Aya Hijazi, a dual U.S.-Egyptian citizen who has been held in detention for nearly three years over accusations related to a non-governmental organization she founded to aid street children.

Authorities arrested Hijazi, her husband and six others in May 2014 on charges of abusing children that were widely dismissed as bogus by human rights groups and senior U.S. officials, who called for her release.

The arrests came as part of a wider clampdown on civil society especially following the military overthrow of an elected Islamist president in 2013. Prosecutors provided little if any evidence to support the allegations.

U.S. Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia voiced his joy and relief for Hijazi's release in a statement.

"This wonderful news was a long time coming," he said.

Beyer was among several members of Congress who have called on Egypt to release Hijazi. Hillary Clinton reiterated the demand as well in a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi last September, when she was the Democratic presidential candidate.

U.S. President Donald Trump did not publicly mention the case when he welcomed el-Sissi to the White House earlier this month, but a senior White House official had said ahead of the meeting that the case would be addressed.

Wake McMullen, an attorney who handles human rights cases before international tribunals, said administration officials had prioritized Hijazi's case. He also said the case was brought up during el-Sissi's meeting with lawmakers in Washington.

McMullen said he believes that international pressure helped call attention to the case, especially that there was "zero evidence" condemning Hijazi and her co-defendants.

"There was no reason the case should have been brought in the first place," he said.

The court's decision to acquit surprised Hijazi's mother, Naglaa Hosny, who told The Associated Press "we were expecting the worst and hoping for the best."

Hijazi's Egyptian lawyer, Taher Abol Nasr, said Hijazi would likely remain in detention another two to three days while her acquittal is processed. He expects all the defendants to walk free by the end of the week. It was not immediately clear if Hijazi would remain in Egypt.

Hijazi, 30, grew up in Falls Church, Virginia. She received a degree in conflict resolution from George Mason University in 2009, and then returned to her native Egypt.

Along with her husband, Hijazi established a foundation by the name Belady, Arabic for "our nation," in 2013 with the aim of providing shelter for street children.

A few months later, authorities raided the foundation's office after a man alleged that his son was missing and blamed it on Belady.

Egyptian authorities have clamped down on civil society, particularly human rights groups and other organizations that receive foreign funding. Such groups played a central role in the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak, and pro-government media often present them as part of a conspiracy to undermine the state.

The authorities also arrested thousands of people in the months following the 2013 overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi, mainly his Islamist supporters but also a number of secular and liberal activists.
In March 2016, First Baptist Church of Tuscaloosa's senior pastor Gil McKee issued a short statement about two of his congregation's most high-profile members - then-Alabama Governor Robert Bentley and his alleged mistress and former adviser Rebekah Caldwell Mason.

"While church discipline is a church family matter, both Governor Robert Bentley and Mrs. Rebekah Mason are no longer members of First Baptist Church Tuscaloosa. I continue to pray for each of them," McKee said.

Now, a year after the pointed announcement and a week after Bentley resigned as part of a plea deal related to campaign finance and ethics violations, documents from the House committee investigating his impeachment have shed new light on what took place at the church.

A deposition from Heather Hannah details some of the events surrounding Robert Bentley and Rebekah Mason's exit from the church, as well as the involvement of former First Lady Dianne Bentley and Mason's husband, Jon Mason. The incident occurred just before the release of audio tapes in which the governor discussed touching Rebekah Mason's breasts and kissing her, even as Jon Mason served as Bentley-appointed leader of SERVE Alabama, the Governor's Office of Faith Based Initiatives.

Jon Mason's resignation was submitted last week at the request of Gov. Kay Ivey.

Questions and answers from deposition:

Question: "... (The) First Baptist Tuscaloosa confrontation with Bentley and Mason. (The) Pastor...confronted Jon Mason?"

Answer: "Yes, so, Pastor McKee at First Baptist Tuscaloosa gave a big sermon and it was pretty obvious that is was targeted at Rebekah and Jon and Gov. Bentley. And the Governor got real upset about it, but Pastor McKee kind of talked to Jon Mason about it.

"But then ultimately, he ended calling all four of them into the office, or three of them with Mrs. Bentley, to sit down and just kind of say, "OK, is this happening and made everybody admit to the fact that they knew (about the affair.)

"And then he asked the governor to no longer be a member of the church. Asked the Masons to no longer attend the church and removed the governor from his position as deacon and Sunday school teacher."

Question: "When you say the pastor confronted Jon Mason afterwards, what does that mean?"

Answer: "I'm not sure...From my recollection it was just the pastor came to Jon and tried to figure out if Jon knew about the affair or not."

On March 13, 2016, around the time of the reported meeting, McKee said from the pulpit: "No church will ever move to a spiritual depth that is any deeper than the spiritual depth of its leaders. Of course, that means the pastors...but it's not just the pastors, it's the other spiritual leaders of the church, the deacons, the Sunday School teachers, people who have places of leadership in the congregation."

He went on to say "a spiritual church is not some kind of social picnic club with which Satan and those who will follow him should be comfortable or supported."

"Why is it that we think that people who are living in known, unconfessed ongoing sin should be able to come into our churches where we are preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and they should be comfortable? The truth of the matter is that some of us ought to feel uncomfortable," McKee said.

Bentley and Rebekah Mason first met at First Baptist Tuscaloosa before his 2010 run for governor. The 74-year-old former governor had served as a Deacon and Sunday School teacher at the church, chairing its Board of Deacons four times and serving as a member of the Youth for Christ Advisory Board and the Family Counseling Advisory Board.

After leaving First Baptist Tuscaloosa, Bentley joined First Baptist Prattville.

Text messages also included in the impeachment report show both Bentley and Mason referencing their religious beliefs - even as they text love notes back and forth.

"You can only be who God made you to be," Rebekah Mason wrote to Bentley in 2015. "You honor God by doing what He says you should do. Not what man says you should do."

In another text she wrote "Your purpose. Your mission. Your ministry. Your service is being stolen from you."

"
Auditor Jim Zeigler's audit of state-owned property will include Wynfield, a mansion reportedly used by former Governor Robert Bentley and his alleged mistress Rebekah Caldwell Mason.

Zeigler's staff is at the Governor's Mansion on South Perry Street today, comparing the database of state-owned property with items at the home. The audit comes a week after Bentley resigned as part of a plea deal over charges he violated campaign finance and ethics laws. On Friday, Bentley - accompanied by moving vans - took his personal items out of the Mansion.

The audits are required with each administration change.

"Bentley is responsible for 257 state assets worth $891,682 at the historic mansion," Zeigler said.

Auditors will also check property at the Governor's Office in the Capitol, the state-owned beach house in Fort Morgan and Wynfield, the former home of late business magnate Wynton "Red" Blount. The 12,336-square foot home and 103 acres of surrounding land adjoining the Alabama Shakespeare Festival were donated to the state in 2008. The donation was valued at $28 million.

In September 2015, the Governor's Office denied claims by Zeigler that Bentley had abandoned the Governor's Mansion in favor of Wynfield in the wake of his divorce from Dianne Bentley, his wife of 50 years.

Interviews released last month as part of the House impeachment investigation into Bentley's relationship with Mason referenced Wynfield as a possible meeting spot for Bentley and Mason.

In her interview, Heather Hannah, an aide to Dianne Bentley, was asked is Mason was allowed to stay at Wynfield.

"(Bentley) allowed (Mason) to stay in the guesthouse at the Governor's Mansion. And then Stan Stabler (former head of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency) reported to us that the governor and Rebekah Mason spent time together at the Wynfield estate which is part of state property," she replied.

Hannah added that Bentley also allowed Mason free access to the pool house at the beach.

Jim Ziegler's office starting audit of items at governors mansion. Joined by Asst Auditor Hope Curry. #alpolitics pic.twitter.com/dkI0FODDaL  Mike Cason (@MikeCasonAL) April 17, 2017
November 27, 2016

Trump campaigned against Americas powerful foreign policy communitywhat one of President Obamas advisors

the Blob. Its members include prominent Democrats and Republicans with similar views on foreign policy. He

one foreign policy disaster after another, and promised to develop a new foreign policy direction for our country. This was precisely the message many voters wanted to hear, and the president-elect now has the opportunity to change how the United States deploys its power around the world.





Over the past twenty-five years, American leaders have pursued a policy of liberal hegemony, which calls for the United States to dominate the entire globe. This strategy assumes every region of the world matters greatly for American security, and it calls for extending the U.S. security umbrella to nearly any country that wants protection as well as trying to spread democracy far and wide. In practice, this objective means toppling regimes and then doing nation building. Small wonder the United States has been at war for two out of every three years since the Cold War ended.





Liberal hegemony is a bankrupt strategy. The United States has worked to topple regimes and promote democracy in six countries in the greater Middle East: Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen. Each attempt has been an abject failure: wars are raging in every one of those countries except Egypt, which is once again a military dictatorship. This campaign has also made Americas terrorism problem worse: Al Qaeda has morphed and multiplied, and we are now at war with ISIS, which is largely a consequence of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq.





In Europe, the United States foolishly tried to integrate Georgia and Ukraine into the West, precipitating an unnecessary crisis with Russia that upset the peace in eastern Europe and made it harder for Moscow and Washington to cooperate on other matters, like ending the bloodletting in Syria.





Spreading democracy, especially by force, almost always fails. It inevitably involves large-scale social engineering in societies that most Americans poorly understand. Dismantling and then replacing existing political institutions inevitably creates winners and losers, and the latter usually take up arms in opposition, which forces the U.S. military to wage costly counterinsurgency campaigns that are extremely difficult to win. The end result is precisely the sort of quagmire we faced in Afghanistan and Iraq.




Byrne_April17_1.JPG

U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne, R-Fairhope, speaks on Monday, April 17, 2017, during a town hall meeting in Wilmer, Ala. The town hall, attended by approximately 60 people, was the first of 11 the congressman will be hosting in his coastal Alabama district this week. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com).

North Korea is "the most serious threat in the world today," according to U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne who just returned Sunday from a week-long trip to Asia.

He said foreign threats in Afghanistan, Syria, Russia and Iran currently pale in comparison with North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un and the Pyongyang regime.

"None of these people in the Middle East, at present, are working at miniaturizing a nuclear device and putting it on an intercontinental ballistic missile to deliver to the west coast of the United States," Byrne, R-Fairhope, said Monday in Wilmer following the first of 11 town hall meetings he's hosting throughout his coastal Alabama district this week.

"North Korea is not just trying, they are making progress toward long-range ballistic missiles and miniaturizing a warhead to deliver ... to the U.S.," Byrne said. "If they can they will and we can't let that happen."

He added: "These people are brutal. They have no respect for human life. This man, Kim Jong-un, is brutal. I don't believe the leadership in North Korea is rational. How do you deal with someone that is irrational?"

Byrne joined about 15 other federal lawmakers on a three-day trip to Japan and a two-day stop in South Korea. While in Japan, the group met with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and visited the U.S. Navy's Seventh Fleet.

In South Korea, the lawmakers met with the U.S. commanders and went to the military demarcation line that separates the two Koreas, which is the same area visited by Vice President Mike Pence on Monday.

Pence, while in Seoul, warned North Korea not to test U.S. resolve by pursuing a nuclear weapons program. He cited recent U.S. strikes in Syria and Afghanistan as proof of America's "strength and resolve."

Thanks to South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se for the candid conversation. Our countries must continue to stand together. @MOFAkr_eng pic.twitter.com/1wlJsCpTzv  Rep. Bradley Byrne (@RepByrne) April 14, 2017

North Korea's Vice-Foreign Minister Han Song-ryol told the BBC on Monday that his country intends to continue frequent missile tests and, if the U.S. plans to take military action, is prepared for "all-out war."

North Korea's attempted missile launch on Sunday was considered a failure after it exploded within a few seconds. But the country has caused alarm with its acceleration of nuclear and missile tests in recent years.

"The threat level has risen seriously," said Byrne.

The congressman criticized former President Barack Obama's non-confrontational approach with North Korea in past years, saying it's only gotten the regime "closer and closer to causing substantial harm to us."

Pence, also on Monday, warned North Korea that the "era of strategic patience is over."

"I think President Obama made a mistake in being patient," said Byrne. "I don't think these are people to be patient with. They are brutal dictators, they are thugs and they don't understand anything but force."

In this Saturday, April 15, 2017, photo, North Korean men and women wave flags and plastic flowers as a float with model missiles and rockets with words that read "For Peace and Stability in the World" is paraded across Kim Il Sung Square during a military parade in Pyongyang. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

Byrne's comments come as a recent national poll shows a majority of Americans support military force against the regime to defend its allies such as Japan, South Korea or the Philippines.

A Pew Research Center poll, published April 5, shows that 64 percent support military action if need be, while 61 percent think sanctions - rather than attempts at closer ties - is the best way to deal with the nuclear threat posed by the North Korea regime.

The poll also shows that, unlike other public opinion on aspects of U.S. foreign policy, there are no significant partisan divides on attitudes about North Korea.

But when it comes to concerns about North Korea's nuclear arsenal, there are slight partisan differences with 74 percent of Republicans labeling themselves as "very concerned" about a weapons program, compared with 66 percent of Democrats.

The biggest public opinion difference in views about North Korean and nuclear weapons comes with age. According to Pew, nearly 78 percent of Americans ages 50 and older say they are "very concerned" about North Korea having nuclear weapons, compared with only 42 percent of 18 to 29-year-olds.
Alabama State Rep. Jack Williams announced on Monday his candidacy for the State Senate seat being vacated by Senator Rusty Glover, R-Semmes, who is seeking the lieutenant governor's job.

In his announcement, Williams praised Glover's work during as a three-term senator representing areas of north Mobile County. Williams, thus far, is the only person to announce a run for the District 34 Senate seat. The primary is scheduled for June 5, 2018.

"Senator Glover has been one of the most honorable public servants we have ever had represent our community," said Williams, R-Wilmer. "He has been a great friend to our community and to me. As a freshman in the legislature he put his hand out and resumed his role as a teacher helping me understand how to navigate the ugly water in Montgomery. Senator Glover: thank you for your service."

Williams, who was first elected to the Legislature in 2014, said that filling Glover's shoes will be tough. "I've been working hard my whole life to make our community a stronger, better place to live and I'm going to keep doing exactly that, I'll just be two floors up from where I work today," he said.

Williams currently represents the House District covering the area along Moffet Road northwest towards Citronelle.

"I already represent the majority of the Senate District and I've been working on so many issues important to our community, I feel like this is just a natural progression to keep us moving in the right direction," said Williams.

Williams, from Georgetown, is the former owner of Tom Dodd Nursery Inc. in Semmes. He also is a cattle and timber farmer.

"I ran for the Legislature because I felt we needed a Christian conservative who would stand up for our beliefs in northwest Mobile County," said Williams. "If the voters want me to keep that going in the State Senate then I'd be honored. I'm just going to keep standing up and fighting for us while taking all this one day at a time."
A concern over the health of Robert Bentley led to a request for the former governor to give a deposition in a lawsuit in which he is a defendant.

The lawsuit, filed last year by former ALEA Director Spencer Collier, came after Bentley fired Collier from the post as the state's top cop.

"Defendant Bentley is 74 years old, his heart condition is now public knowledge and he has suffered some stress related to all that has happened to him over the last month," the filing stated.

Bentley, who resigned under pressure last week and pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors in a deal with prosecutors, was briefly hospitalized twice in the last month because of heart issues.

"It is important for plaintiff to be able to preserve defendant Bentley's testimony in case his health deteriorates," the filing stated.

A judge put a hold on the lawsuit last year but Collier attorney Kenneth Mendelsohn, in a filing Monday morning, asked that there be a partial lift of that stay to allow the case to go forward.

The only defendant that would still be protected by the stay is Rebekah Mason, according to the filing. Mason last year asked for a stay because "she is, or may be, the subject of ongoing criminal investigations relating to, among other things, her prior employment as a senior political adviser" to Bentley.

Collier took the Bentley/Mason romance public last year at the same time he was dismissed by Bentley.

The filing was made before Montgomery County Circuit Judge Greg Griffin, who took over the case last week when Judge Roman Shaul recused himself.

Shaul similarly recused himself two weeks ago when Bentley filed a lawsuit to stop the House impeachment committee and prevent release of the committee's report against Bentley.
A Dothan woman convicted of Medicaid fraud was sentenced to federal prison last week.

Catrina R. Copeland, 43, was sentenced to five months in prison and five months of home confinement, Acting U.S. Attorney A. Clark Morris, Alabama Attorney General Steven T. Marshall, and Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson announced today.

Copeland was charged with defrauding the Alabama Medicaid Agency and the federal government. Records show she owned The Counseling Place, a Dothan company that contracted with Medicaid to provide counseling to at-risk youth. The business received most of its work through referrals from schools and juvenile court systems, a press release today showed. Copeland also worked in the business as a counselor.

An investigation by the AG's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit discovered Copeland was billing Medicaid for counseling services that were never provided, court records showed.

"When you defraud Medicaid, you are stealing from every taxpayer," Morris said.

"Medicaid fraud not only targets taxpayers, but also victimizes the most vulnerable of our state who rely on Medicaid services for their well-being," Marshall said. "...Medicaid fraud will not be tolerated and those who commit such crimes will be held to account."

The Program Integrity Division of the Alabama Medicaid agency referred this case to the AG's MFC Unit. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General investigated this case,. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Ross and Assistant Attorney General Bruce Lieberman are prosecuting.
Heroin: Law enforcement in Alabama

Heroin seized in a law enforcement raid. (Tamika Moore/tmoore@al.com)

(TAMIKA MOORE)

Judge David Carpenter

By David Carpenter, Circuit Court Judge Jefferson County, Bessemer Division, Presiding Judge of the Criminal Division

Alabama and the rest of the country is currently facing an epidemic of heroin and fentanyl abuse. The number of fatal overdoses and felony convictions related to these drugs has skyrocketed in recent years. It is time to address the problem with policies and programs that are effective.

On April 11, 2017 the Alabama House unanimously passed an ill-conceived proposal that will explode the prison population, increase prison costs, will likely result in federal intervention to manage Alabama's prisons, and it will fail at being a deterrent to abuse of these dangerous drugs.

Mandatory sentences are ineffective

It is understandable for one to believe that if we increase the likelihood of going to prison, or if we increase prison sentences, then people will be less likely to commit crime. The prospect of spending time in prison deters forward-looking, rational potential offenders from criminal activity, encouraging more-constructive pursuits like staying in school or holding down a job.

But drug addiction prevents people from being forward thinking and rational. They are concerned with the immediate need to satisfy their addiction above all other needs. Even a pregnant addict will continue to use these drugs knowing full well the risk posed to her baby. If the risk of losing a baby isn't an effective deterrent, a mandatory prison sentence will surely not be effective.

Statistics, scientific research, history, and experience establish that mandatory sentences have very little, if any, effect on deterring criminal activity. From 1972 to 2012, the U.S. incarceration rate quadrupled as America's courts began handing out longer sentences, especially for drug crimes. According to a 2014 report commissioned by the Justice Department, "the evidence base demonstrates that lengthy prison sentences are ineffective as a crime control measure," the report noted.

Many studies that have examined this issue found that longer prison sentences were associated with a three percent increase in the likelihood that the offender would repeat again.

Researchers have also compared the impact of serving a prison sentence versus receiving a community corrections like sanction, where the offender remains in society under strict supervision. Incarcerated offenders were found to have a seven percent increase in their likelihood of offending again, as compared to offenders in community corrections programs.

In fact, the research also found an increased likelihood that lower-risk offenders, such as drug offenders, were more negatively affected by incarceration. Prisons are good for punishing criminals and keeping them off the street, but there is no evidence that prison sentences deter future crime. Prisons actually may have the opposite effect: Inmates learn more effective crime strategies from each other, and time spent in prison may desensitize many to the threat of future imprisonment.

Mandatory sentences will increase prison population

As a result of sentencing and parole reforms enacted in 2013 and 2015 Alabama's prison population has finally begun to decline. In the last three years Alabama has seen a 10% decrease in its prison population. The reason for the reduction is that fewer nonviolent offenders, including drug offenders, are being incarcerated. While Alabama's prison population has declined, so has Alabama's crime rate. So apparently incarcerating more people did not improve public safety.

Now, the Alabama Legislature is on the brink of reversing the progress that has been made. As we look back at the failed sentencing and correctional policies that have quadrupled the U.S. prison population over the last 40 years, it should become obvious that incarceration alone does not work. And the consequences are costly

California should serve as an example. California began aggressively increasing sentencing in the late 1980s and 1990s in response to nationwide fear about high crime rates. California enacted more than 1,000 laws that increased sentencing, including three-strikes laws. During that time it was said that legislators were competing with each other to see who could be tougher, and that any politician seen as being soft on crime ran the risk of losing his seat. Sound familiar?

The result of mandating incarceration and lengthening prison sentences had almost zero effect on crime. The new laws did, however, explode California's prison population.

As California's prison population grew it had to do away with many of its reform programs, including education and work training. These days, California prisoners get released without any skills and often end up back in prison on parole violations. Nearly 65% of California's inmates go back to prison again within just three years.

In 2011 a federal court determined that California's overcrowded prisons violated the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. The Court ordered California to begin mass release of prisoners.

At the time of the federal court order, California's prison population was at almost 180% of capacity. The Court mandated no more than 137% of capacity.

Today, Alabama's prison population is 173% of capacity. The bill passed recently by our Legislature could easily increase Alabama's prison population to over 200%. At that point it will only be a matter of time before a federal court steps in.

Solutions

Drug treatment is a proven and viable option that needs to be utilized to decrease illegal drug use, thereby decreasing Alabama's prison population. To effectively address these dual problems we must focus more on rehabilitation than punishment.

The State should invest in treatment programs for the indigent who are not in the criminal justice system. Many addicts cannot afford private rehabilitation programs. The State could also mandate that health insurers cover comprehensive substance abuse treatment. Addressing substance abuse before the user is in the criminal justice system will save law enforcement resources, judicial resources, and will make people more productive members of society.

Treat addiction first as the public health issue that it is, and the addict will not end up in the criminal justice system.

For those who are criminally charged, Treatment Court programs such as Drug Treatment Court, Mental Health Treatment Court, and Veteran's Treatment Court, are highly effective at correcting the behaviour that brought the offender in to the criminal justice system. Success in these programs results in dismissal of the defendant's guilty plea, allowing them to return to the life of a productive citizen without a felony record.

Treatment Court programs in Jefferson County are managed by UAB TASC. TASC provides Jefferson County with case management, criminal justice supervision, random urinalysis and drug treatment services. Through TASC, Courts are able to tailor treatment and rehabilitative programs for each individual offender.

TASC is also the designated community corrections administrator for Jefferson County's Community Corrections Program. Community Corrections Programs are designed for convicted offenders as an alternative to prison incarceration. These programs have been very effective at providing intense supervision of convicted felons while they remain in society. TASC assess the risk of each offender and determines the best course of treatment for the individual. TASC then makes a recommendation that the Court order the offender to the appropriate treatment.

Unfortunately, Community Corrections is only available for offenders who qualify for prison incarceration under Alabama's Mandatory Sentencing Guidelines. First time non-violent offenders, and those charged with simple possession of heroin or fentanyl, do not qualify for incarceration, and therefor don't qualify for Community Corrections. The Legislature should allow offenders charged with heroin or fentanyl to be placed in Community Corrections.

TASC is an invaluable participant for courts that manage Treatment Courts and Community Corrections Programs. Unfortunately, TASC is not available State wide. Most counties in Alabama do not have a similar program to manage Community Corrections or Treatment Courts. The State should fund TASC for every County in Alabama.

For incarcerated inmates the State should create specialized correctional facilities for substance abuse. These facilities should be staffed with medical professionals who can tailor a rehabilitation program for the individual needs of the prisoner. These programs should include the availability of suboxone or methadone for treatment.

Finally, there must be effective and substantial post treatment supervision and reentry to help the prisoner become a successful member of society after release.

Effective programs to address heroin and fentanyl addiction, and all addiction, will cost money. But the costs of these programs are far lower than the costs associated with incarceration.

If a bill was proposed establishing a tax to cover the increased cost of mandating a minimum prison sentence of one year, the Alabama Legislature would certainly balk at the proposal. The bill introduced earlier this month was silent with regard to such funding. It passed unanimously because it appears to be "tough on crime" without costing anything.

But the bill will result in an explosion of the prison population, which of course will increase prison costs. Incarceration is a very expensive punishment. For this reason alone the bill is fiscally irresponsible. We need to fund programs, not prisons.

Spending on drug treatment for non-offenders, treatment courts to prevent offenders from becoming convicted felons, community corrections programs to keep convicted felons from being incarcerated, and real treatment programs inside the department of corrections will save money and improve the life outcomes of people in need of help.
Bentley and Trump.JPG

Then President-elect Donald Trump with former Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley at a December rally in Mobile.

J. Pepper Bryars, who grew up in Mobile and lives in Huntsville, is a conservative columnist for AL.com. Contact him at www.jpepperbryars.com.

One glaring distinction between conservatism and liberalism is that conservatives believe there is usually a clear right and wrong on most social questions, or at the very least a more virtuous way to behave in difficult situations. Whether at first glance or after careful study, we find very few actual gray areas in our mostly black and white world.

In fact, Russell Kirk considered this understanding to be our movement's initial principle.

"First, the conservative believes that there exists an enduring moral order," Kirk wrote in his famous summation of conservatism. "That order is made for man, and man made for it; human nature is a constant, and moral truths are permanent."

Loyalty. Fidelity. Honesty. These are but a few virtues found within this enduring moral order. While some may cast them aside as relics of a puritan past, we are governed by them no less than our ancestors were. For who wants to be betrayed, cheated upon, or lied to? As Kirk said, they are permanent, and we cannot change them no more than we can change human nature itself.

When we ignore them, or worse, accept their opposite as a fact of life, we take a chisel to the foundation of society and chip away a bit of something very important.

That's why it's extremely disheartening to read that most Republicans suddenly don't care if our president cheated on his wife. And to add insult to injury, it appears that Democrats have taken the high-ground on the matter.

"Republicans and Democrats have significantly altered their views on the acceptability of affairs," read a recent survey compilation by the Deseret News. "Republicans today are 15 points more likely to say an affair wouldn't matter as compared to 2007."

When asked if they would support a candidate who had an extramarital affair, 57-percent of Republicans said it wouldn't matter - the first recorded time that it's ever been more than half of our party. Democrats, on the other hand, had a 22-point swing in the other direction. Nearly two-thirds of Democrats didn't care if our president was unfaithful to his wife 10-years ago, but now more than half say it matters indeed.

President Donald Trump is clearly the reason for this, and while I can understand why Democrats made such a partisan swing, Republicans, at least the conservatives among them, should be utterly ashamed. But perhaps the greatest scorn should be heaped upon evangelicals. They were a big voting bloc for Trump, and now 53-percent of them say that it doesn't matter if a presidential candidate cheated on his wife.

Is that what they teach their children?

To borrow the title of Judge Robert Bork's excellent book on the decline of Western morality, this seismic shift on the question of infidelity is no less than slouching towards Gomorrah.

"A society in which men and women are governed by belief in an enduring moral order, by a strong sense of right and wrong, by personal convictions about justice and honor, will be a good society," Kirk wrote. "While a society in which men and women are morally adrift, ignorant of norms, and intent chiefly upon gratification of appetites, will be a bad society - no matter how many people vote and no matter how liberal its formal constitution may be."

Kirk explained that this order isn't so much a method of restraint than a means to harmony, and that it exists both in the inner order of the soul and the outer order of government. In short, there is no real difference between our private and public faces - unless one is a mask.

Liberals, libertarians, and I guess now a bunch of Republicans say this still shouldn't matter. We have serious problems, and better to have an unapologetic adulterer in the White House advancing our agenda than someone there opposing it.

Sure, but must we sell our souls in the bargain?

People are imperfect, and repentant adulterers deserve forgiveness just like everyone else, but remember: just a quarter century ago conservatives asked how anyone could trust Bill Clinton to be faithful to the voters if he was serially unfaithful to his wife.

Now, with Trump in office, I guess we've finally answered: pretty easily.
Al Jazeeras Baher Mohamed reflects on his time in a brutal Egyptian prison and promises to keep campaigning for those still in jail.

Al Jazeeras Baher Mohamed, Mohamed Fahmy and Peter Greste, along with seven colleagues outside Egypt, were accused of spreading false news during their coverage of demonstrations protesting against the military overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

They were arrested on Sunday, December 29, that year.

Mohamed spent 437 days in jail, many of them in solitary confinement. He was finally freed in September 2015.

As journalists around the globe prepare to mark World Press Freedom Day on May 3, another Al Jazeera reporter, Mahmoud Hussein, remains in jail after being arrested on December 20, 2016.

READ MORE: Mahmoud Hussein  Freedom of expression is valuable

Some of Husseins detention has also been spent in solitary confinement.

These are Mohameds reflections on his imprisonment, solitary confinement, and a weighing sense of guilt as many experience the same abusive treatment as he endured.

1.

After a long day of interrogation, the person who has been questioning me says, with a fake smile on his face: You know what? I believe you didnt do anything wrong. I will send you to a nice place to rest.

He leaves and the guards come in.

I find myself alone in a dark room, its about two square metres and surrounded by four cement walls. Broken toilet on the left and a filthy sink next to it.

The guards place handcuffs on my hands. Then they drag me to a nasty and smelly police pick-up truck. I keep on asking: Where are you taking me? And can you remove my handcuffs? I dont get an answer.

Finally, the pick-up truck stops after almost 45 minutes of driving.

I find myself inside a huge complex and in front of me there is a big steel gate. We wait for five minutes until someone brings the keys because the gate doesnt open from inside.

Several officers are waiting for my arrival and one of them shouts at me: Take off all your clothes immediately. I ask him, Why, where am I?.

Another officer looks at me, smiling, and says: You are in Scorpion maximum security prison.

The first officer repeatedly shouts: I said take off all your clothes, and I dont want to hear you speaking!

I remove my clothes and they hand me a disgusting polyester white uniform and two dusty, dirty blankets.

It is freezing, so I ask to keep my coat but the answer is: We want you to freeze to death.

Two officers and three guards walk me to my cell. I am pushed into a cell and the guard slams the door.

I find myself alone in a dark room; its around two square metres and surrounded by four cement walls. Broken toilet on the left and a filthy sink next to it. The sink is designed in such a way that when the tap is turned on, the water sputters everywhere.

There is nothing to sleep on and there are insects and cockroaches everywhere. Mosquitoes are all over the wall. There is a hole in the wall across the cell and it is covered with bars and wire mesh. I am shaking from the cold and I cant use the blankets.

I take off my shoes, use them as a pillow, and lie on the floor. I am kept in this solitary confinement cell for 1,124 hours. I am not allowed visits from my family or my lawyer. During these hours, I dont see the sunlight and am not allowed out, except for when I am sent for interrogation.

2.

I have cried for nights and days. Nightmares wake me up almost every night. One night, I cry because I dream that my father has died and I know I wont see him again. Another time, I cry the entire night because an officer threatens me that if I dont sign fake confessions, he will torture and rape my wife and mother in front of me.

At a certain point, I need someone to speak to. This someone is Wilson. Wilson is an onion. Wilson helps me a lot and is a good listener.

I keep asking myself, why am I here? I did nothing wrong. I was only doing my job professionally. That leads me to realise that Im in prison for something bigger than me.

Im in prison for a cause, Im in jail for press freedom. I have to stand strong and fight for that superior principle. I start thinking of those who stood for big causes, such as Gandhi and Mandela.

They were not different. They were humans and stood for something big. At this moment, I decide to be strong and fight for this principle which I truly believe in. I know that it wont be an easy fight and I find myself having to take a long breath.

Here, I realise that the human mind is magnificent. It can lead you to craziness or peace. I decide to live day after day and night after night. I dont have to think of the next hour or the next day. I should live the moment and control my mind.

I know that I will have down times and I have to live with it. I know that I may stay in prison for years, but deep in my heart and mind, I know that good always wins.

I start to look after Wilson, making sure I change his water every day.

I start exercising in the cell, one hour in the morning and one hour at night. I start listening to the testimonies of Muslim Brotherhood officials and talk to them through the doors. I feel that Im in this prison with them for a reason. I should listen to what they say and write about it someday. Their testimonies are very important and they were in power during one of Egypts most crucial times.

3.

On February 14, I am transferred to a better prison. I believe my colleagues and I have been moved to this prison for two reasons.

First, a huge campaign was launched to release us. Second, nationalities. My colleagues Peter Greste and Mohamed Fahmy are from Australia and Canada respectively. What I mean is they were foreigners and not Egyptians. That is also the reason I was released from prison: I was in a group with foreigners.

Despite the love I have for Peter and Mohamed, it really hurts that my country treats its citizens worse than foreigners, that my country, Egypt, deals with foreigners better than Egyptians.

I recall two incidents here. The first, when Peter was released. The warden didnt tell me Peter was being deported. When I found out later, I went to thank him  he cared for my feelings and didnt tell me. He became very angry. He said: If I was doing a police operation with foreign officers and something wrong happens, are they going to give up on me?

The second was more recent, after my own release, when an Italian PhD student, Giulio Regeni, was kidnapped, tortured and killed by security forces.

The Italian media said something true and tough: He was killed as if he was Egyptian.

If anyone is Egyptian, half Egyptian or a dual citizen, he or she is likely to be thrown in prison for a very long time, possibly for good.

Two living examples include Ibrahim Halawa, a young Irishman of Egyptian parentage who was arrested more than three years ago when he was just 17, and Aya Hegazy, a young Egyptian American who was in jail for almost three years for helping street children.

Imagine, then, how hard it is for those who with only Egyptian citizenship. Imagine how hard seeking justice will be for Al Jazeera journalist Mahmoud Hussein, and the tens of other reporters in Egyptian prisons.

4.

It is really killing me. I have a huge amount of guilt that Im not doing anything for journalists behind bars. Unfortunately, there is not enough campaigning going on for those who are in jail in Egypt. I wish I could do more than writing about them, but I dont know where to start.

If I could send a letter to those in jail, I would say

Dear Mahmoud, Ibrahim, Sohaib, Khalid, Samhy, Fakharany, Adly, Shawkan and every journalist in prison 

You are not forgotten. You are always on peoples minds. Im sorry that there is not enough campaigning for you. I promise you that Ill do my best to cover your stories. Your steadfastness is inspiring me and the world.

I keep tell my children about each single one of you.

Ibrahim, my son, wants to be like you. He wants to protect his sisters like you did.

Shawkan, my daughter, wants to become a photojournalist.

And Aya, congratulations to you and your husband on being acquitted  may this be a sign of things to come. My daughter wants to help poor children like you have.

I dont know if this is right or wrong, but my children hate the police because of what has been happening to you and me.

Every one of you should be proud. Be sure that good will win and I wont allow you to give in.

Follow Baher Mohamed on Twitter: @Bahrooz








A refugee camp in a small German town stands on the spot of a mosque built to entice Muslims to fight for the kaiser.

Wunsdorf, Germany  Its late afternoon in Wunsdorf, a small town 50km south of Berlin. Winter has left the landscape dry and hazy, so the lights are already on in the local refugee camp.

A team of guards, all of them German, has been watching over the facility since it opened last February. Its a sprawling campus, complete with its own kindergarten, infirmary and school.

Families sleep in the main building  a former government administrative office. Young, single men sleep in containers outside  two or three in each room.

According to Wolfgang Brandt, spokesman for the regional home affairs office, it currently houses 630 people from several countries, including Syria, Iraq and Iran. The occupancy rate, however, is well below the camps capacity of 959 people.

READ MORE: 10 attacks a day against refugees, shelters in 2016

One of the residents, Mohammed Al-Khayeri*, is currently working out at the camps gym located inside the main building. Since arriving in Germany last September, the 23-year-old Iraqi has tried to spend as much time exercising as he can.

Im a little fat. I want to lose my belly, Al-Khayeri says as he cracks a smile that belies his otherwise sombre demeanour.

Dressed in a black T-shirt, grey sweat pants and white Puma trainers, he recounts how he had to leave his family behind in 2014, as he fled the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS).

Exodus of refugees

Travelling via Turkey and along the Balkan route, he spent a total of $3,200 getting to Finland. But when his asylum application was rejected after a year and 10 months of waiting there, he was forced to take refuge in Germany.



The Syrian refugee: Giving back to Germany

Al-Khayeri had known very little about Germany before he came, only that Chancellor Angela Merkel was welcoming refugees at a time when other countries were not. That was enough.

Germany hosts nearly a million refugees, most of them came last year as part of the exodus of refugees to Europe fleeing war in Syria and Iraq.

He and his 100 or so travelling companions  all single men  sometimes had to sleep in the forest or contend with thieves. Maybe Ill die today, or tomorrow, he says he often thought to himself in his darkest moments. He struggles to contain his emotions as he recounts his journey.

Al-Khayeris family is still in Iraq.

Al-Khayeri makes sure to pray five times a day in the camps prayer room. There is no mosque here though  an observation which would be unremarkable in any other location. Here that fact is noteworthy because this is the exact site on which Germanys first mosque was built back in 1915 as part of a plan to encourage young Muslim men to fight for Germany during World War I.

It all goes back to a time when war was starting to smoulder across Europe. The German aristocrat, adventurer and diplomat Max von Oppenheim presented Kaiser Wilhelm II with a grand plan.

To boost Germanys chances of winning the war, he reasoned that the country should re-engage Muslim soldiers captured from Russian, British and French forces by convincing them to wage a religious war against the allies  the British, French, and Russian alliance.

In 1914, Oppenheim wrote: In the battle against England  Islam will become one of our most important weapons.

The German-Ottoman alliance

The plan, a convenient corollary of the German-Ottoman alliance, was formally launched by Turkish Sultan Mehmed V shortly after the start of the war. From a mosque in Constantinople, the Sultan declared Britain, France and Russia the enemies of Islam, calling upon the Muslim subjects of those countries and their colonies to resist their oppressors.

According to the fatwa that was subsequently issued, any Muslim that engaged in war against the Ottomans would have to pay the highest penalty.

In the same year, two prisoner of war camps were built in Wunsdorf and Zossen  7km away. Wunsdorfs Halbmondlager (Half Moon Camp)  so called because of the high concentration of Muslims  held about 5,000 prisoners at its peak, while Zossen had more than 12,000.

READ MORE: Welcome to Germany  Inside the Bavarian refugee hotel

The prisoners, captured from auxiliary Allied troops from India and African colonies, as well as from the Crimea, Kazan and Caucasus, received special treatment in Wunsdorf.

The camp had a relatively small number of occupants per square metre, friendly prison staff and the free exercise of religion. Complete with a cupola, minaret and prayer room, the wooden mosques inauguration coincided with the beginning of Ramadan in 1915.

Islam was seen as a tool to achieve Germanys political and military objectives. It was actually the Germans who were observing whether all the rituals that belong to [the] Islamic faith were [being] carried out or not, says Reinhard Bernbeck, a professor of Near Eastern Archaeology at the Free University of Berlin.

It was the Germans who strongly encouraged the Muslims to pray five times a day, for example, Bernbeck adds.

Friday sermons were used to politicise the prisoners, and a propaganda newspaper called al-Jihad was circulated within the camps. The mosque, stylised to remind the prisoners of different Islamic civilisations, included calligraphic inscriptions urging them to join the religious war.

Germanys relationship with Islam

Despite the calculated efforts, only a small proportion of the Muslim prisoners of war ended up fighting for the German side. At least 1,100 people from Tatarstan  now part of Russia  1,084 Arabs and 49 Indians defected.

But some of those soldiers requested to be sent back to the PoW camp because the preferential treatment they had enjoyed there was so much better than life at the front.

Ultimately the project was considered a failure.

Only 15 years after its inauguration, the mosque was demolished.





The camp stood beside the Moscheestrasse (Mosque Street), which exists as a relic in the town, which has a current population of 2,485. The town keeps no record of the number of immigrants. It is the only street with that name in the entire nation. As if to serve as commentary on Germanys relationship with Islam, the street is very short  about 100m long  and it leads to a cul de sac.

The Wunsdorfs PoW camp was also used to pursue scientific ends. Linguists, ethnographers and biological anthropologists were invited to capitalise on the good fortune of having had the world brought to them.

The researchers thought of cultures in terms of standardised units, where basically everybody was an object that stood for a lot of people, says Bernbeck.

Researchers measured everything; from the circumference of prisoners skulls to their body mass. They were made to dance and sing and generally put their culture on display. A Lautarchiv, or sound archive, was set up in 1915 by Wilhelm Doegen to catalogue words and sounds as well. Using a phonograph invented by Thomas Edison in 1877, prisoners were called upon to record idioms, fairy tales or even the story of the Prodigal Son into the device.

As Bernbeck puts it: This was part of the trajectory of German academic culture that went straight into the Nazi period.

Muslim immigrants

By 1917, most of the prisoners were sent to labour camps in Romania. Since then the Muslim community in the region has remained small, although it has never entirely disappeared.

Out of Germanys population of 82 million, nearly five million are Muslims, according to the most recent census data released in 2015.

World of Doner  a Turkish-run shop  is one of the only shops open on Zossens main square on a Saturday afternoon.

Berdan Cacan, 17, is there most weekends to help out in the family business. His brother first came to Germany from Turkey, and many of his relatives have settled here too, including brothers, uncles and cousins.

He hopes to continue living in the area after doing an apprenticeship at an insurance company. And although he says he has not experienced much discrimination, he recalls one incident that caused him concern. Two or three guys came in here demanding my father go back to his country, he says.

Cacan says the men did not get violent, adding that the event was an outlier. He regrets that there is still no mosque in the area. If there were one, we would go, he says.

Across the street, a woman in a bright blue headscarf pushes a baby stroller as her small son skips along beside her. The child, recognising Cacan, runs across the otherwise vacant square towards him and they chat in German.

Wunsdorf has played a strategic role in many of Germanys key historic moments. Between 1939 and 1945, the Wehrmacht High Command was located nearby and from the end of World War II until 1994, Wunsdorf served as the headquarters of the High Command of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. With 35,000 Soviet troops stationed there, along with their families, the area came to be known as Little Moscow by local residents.

Refugee camps attacked

Today, the area is in the news again because of the refugee camp lying on exactly the same patch of land where the mosque stood decades before. Like a number of other refugee centres across Germany, the Wunsdorf camp suffered an arson attack.

On May 16, 2015, shortly before its planned opening, two young locals with alleged links to the far-right set fire to two waste containers. According to the Frankfurt Allgemeine newspaper, the suspects drove into a heap of sand while fleeing from the police. Fireworks and 20 banners with xenophobic slogans were found in the car.

Opinions about the camp among other residents are mixed. Do you think its fair that they get money from the government whereas we have to work? says one Wunsdorf local, a native German, who declined to be named.

READ MORE: Record number of refugees opt to leave in 2016

His car is parked outside a kebab shop called Necos Grillhaus, down the road from the camp. The shop is run by a Turkish man named Ali Ilker, who commutes between Berlin and Wunsdorf each day to take care of the business his uncle set up in 1996.

Ilker says he knows everyone in the town by name, From the youngest of children to the oldest residents, he adds proudly, lifting his hand from his knee to above his head.

Sure, some people were against the refugee camp before it opened. This place has a long history with foreigners, you know? But since the refugees arrived at the camp, there have been no problems, Ilker says.

His burly German customer, however, disagrees. He recalls a scenario in which refugees were caught shoplifting, a situation which, to his dismay, did not lead to the police being called. You can be sure the police would have been called if it had been a German, he says.

A group of similarly disgruntled residents have come together to start a facebook group called Wunsdorf Wehrt Sich (Wunsdorf fights back). It has 2,039 followers and features posts that, among other things, have celebrated Donald Trumps election as US president.

Al-Khayeri, the Iraqi refugee, recalls an afternoon last October when he and some friends took a walk around town. They came across a former bunker with a sign in front of it. It contained a warning written in several languages, including Arabic, telling people not to walk in the area. Undetonated bombs still lay in the ground. That made me think of Iraq, he says.

A Syrian refugee who now works for the Red Cross explained to him that the bunker is from World War II. The Syrian also told Al-Khayeri about the Muslim prisoners kept here during the war that preceded it.

When asked about how it makes him feel to live in a place with that kind of history, Al-Khayeri just shrugs his shoulders. Right now he just wants to focus on getting his papers and moving on with his life. He smiles politely and goes back to the gym.

* Name changed to protect his identity.

A version of this article was first published in Exberliner Magazine. Visit www.exberliner.com.
On Palestinian Prisoners Day detainees and their relatives tell horror stories of torture and abuse in Israeli jails.

Since 1974, when the first Palestinian prisoner was released in an exchange deal, Palestinians have been commemorating April 17 as the Palestinian Prisoners Day to shed light on the plight of prisoners in Israeli jails.

Currently, there are 6,500 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails. The number includes 300 children and 53 women, according to the Jerusalem-based Palestinian prisoners support and human rights association, Addameer. Laith Abu Zeyad, Addameers international advocacy officer told Al Jazeera that between 500 and 700 arrests of children are made each year in the Israeli-occupied West Bank .

Upon arrest, Palestinian civilians residing in the West Bank are sent to be tried in Israeli military courts, where conviction rates are as high as 99.7 percent, according to Abu Zeyad. Being tried in a military tribunal is a violation of international law, and means that civilians due process rights are routinely disrespected.

Meanwhile, administrative detainees are arrested based on Israeli military intelligence data, to which the detainee has no access. Administrative detainees can be held without charge or trial for six months at a time, and their detention can be indefinitely renewed.

A joint report issued by several Palestinian non-governmental organisations ( NGOs ) indicated that 509 arrests were made in March 2017 alone, including 75 children. The most common accusation made against children is throwing stones, said Zeyad.

Last year marked the worst on record for child prisoners. A change in Israeli laws allowed Palestinian minors under the age of 14 to be sent straight to prison, instead of receiving custodian sentences. In 2016, 21 minors were under administrative detention. In the same year, a wave of Palestinian children received lengthy sentences, some amounting to more than 10 years of imprisonment.

What it means to be a Palestinian prisoner in Israel https://t.co/t3vGiWESyO #PrisonersDay pic.twitter.com/x7IGdKAyrP  Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) April 17, 2017

According to Addameer, the youngest Palestinian prisoner today is a 12-year-old boy, who has been charged with throwing stones.

The eldest prisoner is 76-year-old Fouad al-Shobaki, who is serving a 20-year sentence since 2006 for providing Palestinian armed groups with weapons. Among women prisoners, Zeyad said, are 19 mothers, some without visitation rights implemented as a punitive measure. To us, all of the arrests are arbitrary, he said. The laws are arbitrary, detainees are denied access to lawyers, and are often kept in interrogation periods that last for up to two months.

According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, there have been approximately one million arrests made against Palestinians since 1948.

Below, two ex-prisoners share their experiences in detention, and a mother shares her experience of being away from her incarcerated sons.

Natalie Shoukha, 15, Ramallah, Occupied West Bank

On April 29, 2016, Natalie and her friend Tasneem were walking past a military checkpoint in Beit Ur al-Tahta village, west of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. Caught off guard, Natalie was surprised to be surrounded suddenly by a number of Israeli occupation soldiers, just before she was beaten by the soldiers to the ground.

No one listened to their cries for help as they continued to be beaten unconscious, and eventually, Natalie was shot by one of the soldiers, she recalled.

I was shot with a bullet in my shoulder and it started bleeding uncontrollably. I didnt lose consciousness until they beat me to the ground and kicked me with their feet. I couldnt handle the pain and, in that moment, I wished for everything to stop, she told Al Jazeera.

Natalie was transferred to an Israeli hospital in Jerusalem , where she fell into a coma for three full days. Right after she underwent surgery to remove the bullet from inside her body, Natalie said she was awakened by the shouting of an Israeli interrogation officer.

The interrogator stormed into the hospital room and started shouting and slamming his hands hard on the table in front of me. I wanted to rest for a minute and I couldnt talk much, but he wouldnt stop interrogating me for a long time, she said.

I couldnt process or register what was going on around me, why they shot me and why I was arrested. How was I going to jail now and what was I going to see there? I was terrified and all I wanted was to go back home, Natalie added.

Days passed and the Israeli authorities would not allow Natalie to see her parents, she said. Eventually, her mother was able to visit her, after several attempts of trying to obtain a permit to get into Jerusalem from the West Bank.

Palestinians residing in the occupied West Bank are prohibited from entering Israeli territory and occupied East Jerusalem without being issued a permit.

READ MORE: Meet Israels youngest Palestinian prisoner

More often than not, according to Addameer, these permit requests needed for families to make regular visits to Israeli prisons are rejected by Israeli authorities.

Seeing my mother gave me the strength to recover and instilled a sense of peace in me, said Natalie, adding that she was not given sufficient time to heal, and was quickly transported to HaSharon prison in Israel.

I was transported on a prisoners vehicle, which is divided into little dark cells surrounded with iron bars. I was in a lot of pain and frightened like never before, said Natalie. I wondered how long was I going to be locked up for, and if I was ever going to go home.

Natalie was convicted of attempting to carry out a stabbing attack. Twelve court sessions later, she was sentenced to a year and a half in prison.

I was in total shock from the prisons atmosphere and for being denied the right to see my family. I thought about them all the time and longed for my mothers warm hugs.

Throughout her detention, Natalies family were not permitted to visit her in prison.

Whenever they would reject my mothers request to visit, I would cry uncontrollably. I would dream of being with her, holding her hand and kissing her. But eventually, Id wake up, and realise that she isnt next to me, said Natalie.

One year later, she was released on bail for a total sum of 4,000 Israeli shekels ($2,000). A day after her release, Natalie picked up her schoolbag and rushed to school. She had missed her friends, and was determined to be among the top of her class.

In prison, I used to study very hard and managed to get good grades. I now want to continue my education and be with my friends, I can now finally go back to school, she said.

Natalies mother, Roqayah, said that she was in a constant state of worry when her daughter was in detention. Being apart was devastating, I used to look at her picture and talk to it all the time, said Roqayah.

Ill do whatever Natalie wants. Ill make sure she gets everything she was deprived of in prison, she added. Ill never let her out of my sight.

Nedal Samarah, 44, Qalandiya refugee camp, Occupied West Bank

In just a few months, 44-year-old Nedal Samarah from northern Jerusalems Qalandiya refugee camp, is expecting a newborn. He plans to name his son Wassim, to honour his late brother who died while Samarah was detained in Israeli prisons.

Since 1986, Samarah was detained seven times. His last arrest was made in 2001, bringing his total number of years in detention to 19.

Samarah was arrested four times in different years, each time on May 17. The last arrest was made 15 years ago, when he served as a presidential guard to one of the Palestinian Authorities security service units. The unit would regularly receive orders from the president, which included direct confrontation with Israeli military.

During his last arrest, Samarah remained in interrogation for 120 days. According to Samarah, prisoners with him at the time dubbed him Sheikh (leader) of the Palestinian prisoners.

I was psychologically tortured for 30 days, before prison investigators started escalating their torture methods, Samarah told Al Jazeera. Soon after, they started torturing me physically, he added.

Samarah explained that they would sit him on a chair on his knees, with his hands tied behind his back. In addition, he was tied and left hanging on a ladder for prolonged hours as part of a night interrogation session.

While speaking to Al Jazeera, Samarah experienced coughing fits from a respiratory illness, which he says is a result of the torture he experienced years ago. According to Samarah, Israeli interrogating officers would strip him naked and place him in front of an air conditioner, blasting cold air directly towards him.

READ MORE: Smuggled child meets father in Israeli jail

One day, they forced me into a cell with signs all over the wall that read my son Bassel is gone, my wife is gone, my mother Haleemah is gone, and my brother is gone, he said, reflecting the voices of previous detainees who would not confess in interrogation.

The officer would momentarily step out of the cell, and suddenly, the lights would go off and I would hear footsteps around me, Samarah added. The footsteps would come closer and closer, and they [guards] would start beating me and yelling in my ear, which would last for 30 minutes at a time.





According to Samarah, after 70 days of interrogation, an Israeli officer pretended to be a lawyer in order to trick him into confessing to various accusations.

Israeli courts, he said, convicted him for carrying out numerous shooting attacks against Israeli soldiers, for attempting to kidnap them, and for establishing Fatahs armed faction, known as the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.

Throughout the interrogation period, I thought I would only be detained for six months or so, thinking that the Palestinian Authority would work on releasing me and the others that were detained with me, Samarah said, pointing out that shortly after his conviction, 23 Palestinian prisoners were freed as part of several release deals.

On March 23, 2012, Samarah learned that his eldest son, 16, was arrested after being accused of throwing stones towards Israeli soldiers.

I wasnt surprised or sad, he said. I knew my children would somehow resemble me. Samarah said that he refused to visit his son at first, fearing that he would quickly grow attached to him. He was convicted for 15 months based on his fathers history, he said.

Anaam Hamed, 55, Silwad, Occupied West Bank

Sitting on her balcony in west Ramallahs town of Silwad, Anaam Hamed flipped through her sons pictures. Abdullah, 26, who was detained two years ago.

He was such a beautiful child, and now he grew up and has become the most handsome of young men, Hamed told Al Jazeera.

Hamed is hopeful and is counting down the days until she is reunited with her son who was sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted by Israeli courts of carrying out a shooting attack near an Israeli settlement in Nablus back in June 2015.

A month later, Abdullah was detained after Israeli soldiers raided his home in Silwad and Hamed watched her son walk away with his hands tied behind his back for the second time.

According to Hamed, Abdullah was detained for 13 months, five years ago. After the last arrest, Abdullah was kept in interrogation for two months. I waited for his return home, but the Israeli courts issued a verdict calling for life imprisonment, she said.

They wouldnt let me attend the court hearings; the only time I saw him was when the verdict was being read out. I didnt show him my weakness, that I was upset. I held back my tears. I was strong in front of him and told him hed get his right; hed get his freedom.

Until this very day, Hamed is in shock. She says she still cannot believe the verdict that is going to keep her son away from her for many years to come.

I have a feeling Abdullah will come back to me and will be home from detention soon, she said.

Hameds husband passed away when Abdullah was five years old, she explained. Hamed was forced to raise Abdullah on her own, being both a mother and a father to her son.

Abdullah has flourished into a great man, hes well-mannered and lovable. Whenever a prisoner who had crossed paths with him is freed, theyd telephone me to congratulate me on my sons behaviour, she proudly said.

Although it has been two years since Abdullahs arrest, Hamed said she only managed to visit him three times, as her request for a permit is usually denied on the grounds of security.

After a long and painful process of obtaining a permit, I sometimes discover upon arrival that Abdullah has been transferred to another prison, and most times, I am not allowed past Israeli military checkpoints, she explained.

But whenever she did manage to visit, Hamed said she would quietly sit behind a glass window and contemplate, looking at her sons face, unable to utter a word.

I lose my ability to speak when I see Abdullah. I forget all the conversations I had mentally prepared for on my way over to see him as I become overwhelmed with happiness when I lay eyes on him, she said.
Palestinians in Europe conference a success despite attempts from pro-Israeli activities to block it, organisers say.

Rotterdam, the Netherlands  As the Palestinians in Europe conference in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, comes to a close, participants drew attention to the suffering of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, as detainees mark Palestinian Prisoners Day by going on a mass hunger strike.

The 15th annual conference, which ended on Saturday, saluted Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, describing them as freedom fighters and demanding international law to pressure Israel for justice.

The event brought together thousands of Palestinians from across Europe as well as Dutch politicians, and Arab intellectuals that discussed issues central to the Palestinian cause in parallel panels and exhibitions.

Among the discussed topics were the Palestinian right of return to the homes they were expelled from in 1948, when Israel was established, as well as the illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, and the state of the refugees.

Though organisers were faced with efforts from pro-Israeli activists to block the conference, who called it a gathering of terrorists, the one-day event was successfully held.

Holding this conference for 15 continuous years is a clear indication of an institutional, rooted, cultivated work to build a Palestinian European commitment to the work for the rights of Palestinians, especially with new Palestinian generations born in Europe, Hossam Shaker, a Palestinian media adviser from Jaffa, told Al Jazeera.

Shaker, who has been living in Austria for 25 years, and participated in the Palestinians in Diaspora discussion, said he views the gathering as a signal to the Palestinian diasporas consciousness of their responsibility towards Palestine, especially in the current critical political situation.

Iman Abu Shwemah, Palestinian Italian womens activist, stressed the importance of using social media tools to reach the European communities with solid information on the Palestinian narrative in European languages.

Al Jazeeras Palestine Remix interactive project was suggested in the final statement of the conference as a tool to be used within the Palestinian European communities.

Holding this conference for 15 continuous years is a clear indication of an institutional rooted cultivated work to build a Palestinian European commitment to the work for the rights of Palestinians by Hossam Shaker, Palestinian media adviser from Jaffa

The event also featured a number of workshops, seminars, and exhibitions as well as cultural shows.

Ahmad Muhaisen, vice president of the Union of Palestinian Communities and Associations in Europe, a Palestinian from Nilin village near Ramallah, born in Amman and living in Germany for 40 years, remembers the first Palestinian European conference in London in 2003.

I did not expect that it will be that big in the years to come, he said. I attended the 2003 conference and did not know any of the organisers. Yet, it was clear in the second conference in Berlin, [in] 2004, that there is a huge Palestinian community eager to make this conference a real landmark.

Ghassan Faour, vice chairman of the Palestinian Return Centre (PRC), agrees. The conference was a small idea. The London first one was small, but we took the decision to hold it every year in a different capital or city in Europe.

As the conference grew larger, said Faour, it became clear that this is becoming a real institute.

Over 500 volunteers from all ages worked for six months to organise the event.
Why has President Joseph Kabila chosen to cling to power beyond his constitutional term limit  which expired in December of 2016? Why has the man who organised Democratic Republic of Congos only two multiparty elections since independence chosen to sow chaos and instability just when the country needs peace and stability the most? Why did he not proudly allow Congos first ever peaceful transfer of power to take place, which could have been his greatest legacy?

These are perhaps the single most important questions analysts, as well as journalists, pro-democracy activists, development workers and a great number of other people in and outside Congo, have been thinking about for some time  and rightly so.

Many hypotheses on why he chose not to leave office have since been presented. For example, one of his top lieutenants, Bernabe Kikaya, argued that Kabila, who has been in power since 2001, is clinging to power (in defiance of Congos constitution) to save Congo from a political crisis  a claim only the truly deluded would advance or subscribe to.

According to supporters of Kikayas theory, Kabila can only cede power once a new president has been elected  and election for this new president can only be organised by an electoral commission he controls, once Congos constitution has been changed to allow him to stand again because only he can be president.

The real reason, however, I suspect, Kabila has chosen to cling to power is more frightening.

Kabila and many of his supporters across Congo and a great number in Kigali and Kampala are frightened that if he cedes power, many of them (even if Kabila himself and a handful others are shielded from justice as a pre-condition for an honourable retirement) would be held accountable for aiding and abetting wars and conflicts that killed over 5.4 million Congolese people between 1998 and 2008 and left more wounds on the bodies of Congolese women than on the streets and buildings of the country.

Repealing the New Years Eve agreement





Last week, Kabila named Bruno Tshibala as the new prime minister  his second in four months  in attempt to repeal the New Years Eve power-sharing agreement, a radical pathway that Congos conference of Catholic bishops (CENCO) secured to end the political violence that killed over 200 pro-democracy protesters.

Under this agreement, Kabila agreed, first, not to seek a third term; second, not to alter Congos constitution, and last but not least to free all political prisoners.

In return, the opposition coalition known as the Rassemblement agreed to form a government of national unity, pick a prime minister and organise elections that are free and fair. As part of this deal, the Rassemblement also agreed to guarantee a smooth, non-violent transfer of power at the end of 2017, by which time it was agreed Kabila, who stayed for a year as a ceremonial president, will cede power.

READ MORE: Tattoos in Kinshasa  Overcoming conflict and taboos

But Kabila, who never made his opposition to this agreement a secret, has not stopped trying to repeal it so he could have his way  and he is doing it openly and with confidence because the odds are in his favour.

France, the US and Congos neighbours

There are three main reasons behind Kabilas confidence.

In this grim context, it is rather difficult, if not impossible, to think of a reason why Kabila would want to cede power, if he is not forced. by

The first is France. One of the reasons the EU couldnt impose sanctions that would have made life difficult for Kabila, degrade the ability of his regime and ultimately destroy it was  according to rumours in humanitarian circles  the French veto.

France, I suspect, was nervous that if the Congolese people manage to push Kabila out that wind will blow westward across the Congo River to Brazzaville, and then across the French-speaking West Africa, where almost every president, with the exception of one or two, is a dictator clinging to power by force.

The second is Trumps White House. Whether or not President Donald Trump will take a tougher stance against Kabila than President Barack Obama remains to be seen, but the Trump administrations recent decisions do not look promising for the Congolese people.

The United States recently decided to cut the number of UN troops in Congo and refused to take punitive actions against Kabila even after two UN officials were abducted and murdered for investigating massacres, which according to videos circulating on social media were committed by the regimes troops. The US also did not sign a joint statement by the European Union, the African Union, the United Nations and the International Organisation of La Francophonie, which was published in February in support of the power-sharing agreement signed between Kabilas government and the opposition.

READ MORE: UN says soldiers kill 101 in clashes with Kamwina Nsapu

The third and final reason behind Kabilas confidence is Congos neighbours. From east of Lake Kivu to the west of the Congo River, Congo is circled by dictators clinging to power by force. These dictators are openly hostile to the Congolese peoples fight for democracy and their attitude is encouraging Kabila not only to cling to power but to also crush anyone who questions his legitimacy.

In this grim context, it is rather difficult, if not impossible, to think of a reason why Kabila would want to cede power, if he is not forced. It is even harder to imagine he would willingly allow the creation of a transitional government, led by Felix Tshisekedi, Rassemblements choice for prime minister, in which opposition figures like Ndongala, Diongo, Fayulu, Muyombo and Katumbi could have important ministerial roles, including power to appoint a new head of the police, army, intelligence, supreme court, electoral commission and ambassadors  positions through which Kabila has managed to rule Congo as his private fiefdom.

Unanswered questions





However, the question of whether or not Kabila will survive the ongoing protests as president is still unanswered. We do not know how many people his security forces would have to kill or imprison for him to cling to power and what sort of a country he would be ruling over if he does.

We also do not know, if Kabila is eventually pushed out, what form this ousting will take, and how many of his family and friends or how much of their huge fortune they would lose in the process.

And finally, we do not know whether the EU, US and AU would side with the Congolese people during these troubling times.

Only time and the Congolese peoples resolve to push Kabila out will answer these questions. But I am hopeful because what the past two years of anti-Kabila protests tell us, beyond everything else, is this: Kabila is neither wealthy enough to corrupt every Congolese opposition leader nor strong enough to subdue a determined people  and I havent met a people as determined to fight for their country and democracy as my beloved Congolese people.

Vava Tampa, a native of Congo, is a community organiser and founder of the rights group Save the Congo!. He can be reached on Twitter: @VavaTampa

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Trumps reluctance to level with US allies about his Syria strategy will only lead to further bloodshed.

Syria suddenly became high on the White House agenda after the Khan Sheikhoun chemical attack on April 4. In a matter of 48 hours, President Donald Trumps administration switched positions from suggesting its up to the Syrian people to decide their future to asserting that the reign of President Bashar al-Assads family is coming to an end.

That ambivalent approach has led allies and foes to wonder where the US stands on Syria.

Trump is putting to use his shock-and-awe campaign style in international affairs, with the White House having tested Russian President Vladimir Putins commitment to the Syrian regime in recent weeks. The purpose of this test is to elevate the moral cost of supporting Assad.

Asked by reporters if Moscow knew in advance about the chemical attack, the US President gave a classic Trump answer: I think its certainly possible; I think its probably unlikely, before deferring to the Pentagon group that does that kind of work (mind you, thats the Central Intelligence Agencys job, but thats another story).

I tend to believe the US strike on the Shayrat airbase was a message to Moscow rather than to Damascus. As Richard Nixon did before him, Trump is aiming for a Sino-Russian split. While having the most beautiful piece of chocolate cake, the US President told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping about the Tomahawk cruise missiles that were hitting Syria. Soon after, Trump retracted earlier statements that China is a currency manipulator, while Beijing abstained from voting on a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an investigation into the chemical attack.

All about internal politics





Yet, the US and Russia have not yet reached the point of no return and are unlikely to. Most of the warmongering background noise is about internal politics in both countries; Putin wants to look strong at home and defying Washington is the ultimate national sport, while Trump is eager to gain much-needed anti-Putin credentials. Both leaders will get over this at some point.

However, as Rex Tillerson, H R McMaster and Nikki Haley are taking turns to convey a non-consistent Syria policy, the Pentagon cautiously seeks a balance between striking a tough tone and averting an unintended military impact. For now, at least, the US-Russian tension has not affected the Pentagon priority of defeating the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS). To the dismay of Arab allies, Washington has been focusing on Russia, not Iran, which is another indication that the endgame for the Trump administration is Russias calculus and not altering the dynamics of the Syrian war.

ANALYSIS: Trump is no global humanitarian or friend to Syrians

If the US continues to walk towards a collision course with Moscow in Syria, the Pentagon will ultimately put a break on the White House rhetoric. The question is to what extent can the Trump administration push the buttons of Putin in Syria without affecting both the Raqqa battle and Iraqs stability. A US decision to deter both Russian and Iranian influence in Syria will have significant repercussions in Iraq  the Pentagons highest priority in the Middle East.

While Trump enjoys keeping his cards close to his chest, leaving others to wonder if he is a genius or clueless, Washington has no intention of becoming directly involved in the Syrian war. The current mind game with Russia can last for a few weeks and dominate the news cycle, but it will become a dangerous game down the road if the US continues to lack a clear strategy in Syria. Tomahawk missiles are a good overreach attack, but their use is limited, especially if you pre-notify your targets.

The crucial question that should be asked is whether the Trump administration will put money where its mouth is in Syria. Otherwise misleading the Syrian people will only lead to further bloodshed. by

Most of all, the strike on Shayrat airbase signalled the return of US foreign policy to Syria after the transitional period from Barack Obama. In that interim period, the trio  Russia, Turkey and Iran  obviously failed to fill the vacuum or achieve a breakthrough. The return of the US will undoubtedly alter the dynamics of the Astana and Geneva talks and will change the calculus of the trio who hold significant leverage in Syria.

If the US continues to confront Russia politically, Ankara will side with Washington whereas Tehran will get closer to Moscow, while a US re-engagement with Russia will to an extent sideline both Turkey and Iran.

Misleading the Syrian people

On the domestic level, Assads hopes of a US-Russian deal to his benefit are fading, and the US strike was rather a needed wake-up call that there are limits to violence and the clock is ticking to compromise.

Yet, once again, Trump gave us another flip-flop on April 12 when asked in an interview about whether Assad must go to reach peace: Are we insisting on it? No. But I do think its going to happen at a certain point.

In return, while the Syrian opposition has been betting on a US deterrence of Iran, it was heartened by Trumps moves  yet exaggerating the extent to which he is willing to intervene. It will realise soon that Trumps attention span on any issue, especially in foreign policy, is short-term and he will most likely shift to his domestic agenda sooner or later. The concern is that Trump is drawing his own blurred redline by acting beyond a chemical attack.

OPINION: Syrians should not be thanking Trump for the strikes

The only two viable options to oust Assad from power are either by launching a military campaign or engaging Moscow to transit him out of power. The Trump administration needs to level with its allies that while its posture has changed, the US strategy remains the same with limited options in Syria unless it decides to move towards direct military involvement. Hence, the crucial question that should be asked is whether the Trump administration will put money where its mouth is in Syria. Otherwise misleading the Syrian people will only lead to further bloodshed.





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.
At least eight, including pregnant woman and child, died trying to cross the Mediterranean over Easter weekend.

Nearly 8,300 asylum seekers were rescued from unseaworthy smugglers boats in the Mediterranean over the Easter weekend, according to NGOs and rescue workers.

More than 1,400 of the rescued were saved by European border and coastguard agency Frontex, which said it was involved in 13 search-and-rescue operations over the past three days.

Those saved were transferred to ships sailing to southern Italy.





A UN refugee agency spokeswoman, Carlotta Sami, tweeted on Monday that rescuers worked incessantly over Friday, Saturday and Sunday to save those people.

On Sunday, the bodies of seven people, including a child, were found during the latest rescue operations off the coast of Libya, a Maltese NGO and the Italian coastguard said.

Since Saturday, the Malta-based Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) said it has been involved in the unprecedented rescue and assistance of nine boats containing as many as 1,800 people.

When their rescue vessel reached capacity, the MOAS crew were left supervising more than 1,000 people on the remaining boats as they waited for assistance to arrive, the NGO said.

According to the International Organization of Migration, 666 people have been logged as dead or missing off the Libyan coast so far this year out of an estimated 27,000 who have tried to reach Italy from Libya.

Last year, the estimated death toll among migrants and refugees on the Mediterranean was at least 5,000  a new annual record, according to UN agencies.

READ MORE: 2016  The year the world stopped caring about refugees

Deaths linked to Mediterranean crossings by refugees spiked in 2016, as arrivals to Europe fell. In 2015, more than one million people crossed the sea  mostly from Turkey to Greece  with 3,771 deaths recorded.

Maltas president, meanwhile, appealed for support from the international community on managing an ongoing refugee influx, amid reports of humanitarian organisations struggling to conduct rescue operations.

I urgently appeal to all countries of Europe and the Mediterranean, and to all people of goodwill, to act in solidarity, supporting the humanitarian initiatives currently under way to save lives, President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca said.
A guide to where the five major runners stand on issues including religious minorities, foreign policy and immigration.

When French people elect their next president, they will be choosing between dramatically different visions of how the countrys future will look.

Candidates such as Jean-Luc Melenchon on the left and Marine Le Pen on the far right want to redefine Frances future relationship with the EU ; theyve gone as far as mulling over the countrys withdrawal from the bloc.

Emmanuel Macron, on the other hand, is a passionate defender of the EU and wants France to play an integral role in its future.

Europe is just one of the fault lines, with candidates also divided on the economy, foreign policy, immigration, and relations with Frances Muslim community.

Below is a guide to where the five-leading candidates stand on key issues affecting the country.

Candidates are positioned according to how they performed in an Ipsos opinion poll carried out on April 12 and 13.

Emmanuel Macron

EU

The former investment banker refers to himself as a convinced European and wants a more integrated EU, in which member states are more strongly embedded.

Economy

An economic liberal, Macron wants to reduce corporate and wealth taxes, as well as cutting public spending by $64bn and reducing the states headcount by 120,000 positions.

Foreign policy

Macron backed intervention against the Syrian government for its apparent chemical weapons use in rebel-held territory.

The candidate is opposed to purported Russian attempts to assert its influence on French domestic policy and accuses Moscow of working against his campaign.

He has also criticised Frances colonial legacy in Algeria as a crime against humanity.

Immigration

Macron favours strong external EU borders and a united European policy, so countries such as Greece are not disproportionately affected.

Religious minorities

Macron has spoken out against discriminatory policies targeting the countrys Muslim population and has declared: No religion is a problem in France.

Marine Le Pen

EU

The far-right leader wants to renegotiate Frances relationship with the EU and has warned of a French withdrawal from the eurozone if she wins.

Economy

Le Pen is a critic of austerity policies and has promised to protect state workers, as well as reducing the retirement age to 60.

Foreign policy

Le Pen wants stronger ties with Moscow and is against intervention against the Syrian government.

She is also a critic of Frances membership of NATO .

Immigration

The National Front leader wants to drastically cut immigration to no more than 10,000 people a year.

Religious minorities

Le Pen is a critic of Islam and has aligned herself with other anti-Muslim far-right leaders across Europe

She has compared prayers that spill over on to public streets to the Nazi occupation of France.

Her recent comments denying French involvement of Jews in Paris during the Holocaust drew criticism from Jewish groups.

Jean-Luc Melenchon

EU

The leftist is a critic of the EU, arguing that it is a vehicle for neo-liberal economic policies.

As president, Melenchon would renegotiate Frances ties to the EU and put the countrys continued membership of the bloc to a referendum.

Economy

Melenchon wants to end austerity policies, increase public spending, and introduce a 100 percent tax on earnings above $35,000 a month.

Foreign policy

Melenchon is an opponent of NATO and of belligerent ties with Moscow.

He is also against intervention against the government of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad .

Immigration

The leftist has has paid condolences to refugees who have drowned in the Mediterranean but has not offered an alternative to Frances current immigration policy

Religious minorities

Melenchon is a staunch defender of French secularism and is against public displays of faith, but has compared rhetoric against Muslims to what French Protestants and Jews historically experienced.

Francois Fillon

EU

The conservative candidate backs to EU but is opposed to the Schengen system of borderless travel between members of the bloc.

Economy

A fiscal conservative, Fillon wants to slash public spending by more than $100bn over five years and cut 500,000 state jobs.

Foreign policy

Fillon favours closer ties with Moscow but wants France to remain strong allies with the US and NATO countries.

Immigration

The former prime minister wants the introduction of a quota limiting the number of immigrants entering France.

Religious minorities

The devout Catholic has called for a Islam of France and says he wants Muslims to do more to tackle hardline groups.

Benoit Hamon

EU

Hamon is pro-European but backs reforms that would give elected European officials more oversight of the eurozone.

Economy

The Socialist Party candidate wants to introduce a basic income for all French citizens and cut the working week down to 32 hours, as well as increasing public spending by introducing taxes on the wealthiest.

Foreign policy

Hamon backed recent strikes by the US on a Syrian military installation and wants a tougher stance on alleged Russian belligerence against the EU.

Immigration

The former minister for education wants a more open asylum policy that emphasises the integration of those seeking refuge.

Hamon wants refugees to have the right to work shortly after arriving, as well as free French classes.

Religious minorities

Hamon has criticised the politicisation of French secularism to target Muslims.
Deadly man-made disaster could have been avoided, residents say, as grim search operation continues for fourth day.

The death toll in a disastrous collapse of a rubbish dump in Sri Lanka rose to at least 29 on Monday, as traumatised residents accused authorities of ignoring their previous warnings over the sites safety.

Rescuers continued digging through heaps of mud and rubbish that collapsed on to a clutch of homes near a rubbish dump just outside Sri Lankas capital, killing at least 29 people and possibly burying dozens more.

Hundreds of people had been living in the working-class neighbourhood on the fringe of the towering dump in Meetotamulla, near Colombo, when a huge mound collapsed on Friday night during a celebration for the local new year, damaging at least 150 homes.

AL JAZEERAS MINELLE FERNANDEZ IN MEETOTAMULLA, NEAR COLOMBO: There is not much hope of finding survivors from what were hearing from rescue authorities and residents around the area. Some came back to the scene of the disaster to let it sink in as to whats happened to their homes, which were swallowed by this huge mound of garbage. A lady we spoke to who was in charge of the area said she couldnt even recognise the terrain here. She said all the two-storey houses were completely swallowed. Residents are very angry and traumatised; they said this was an absolute disaster waiting to happen. According to one estimate, there were 23 million tonnes of garbage which built up over many years  its not something that started recently. From time to time, people have barricaded roads, set fire to things, spoken to politicians, conducted sit-down protests. They were assured that something would be done. We had one assurance by the municpal authorities that dumping here would stop back in 2013 and we are now in 2017. Until Friday, when this disaster happened, there were still lorryloads of garbage brought here. Many say this could have been prevented if authorities had seen the scale of the disaster. Every time there are heavy rains, the garbage becomes saturated and then slides and slips. The houses that fell were at the doorstep of this garbage. Government officials say they have just signed agreements with Japanese experts to look at solid waste management. They are expected in the country shortly.

By Monday morning, authorities had pulled 29 bodies from beneath the debris, according to lawyer Nuwan Bopage, who has worked with local residents to protest against the dump.

Authorities were unsure how many more people could still be trapped, but about 30 were reported missing, Bopage told the Associated Press news agency.

Residents are very angry and traumatised, Al Jazeeras Minelle Fernandez, reporting from Meetotamulla, said.

They said this was an absolute disaster waiting to happen.

Authorities vowed over the weekend to shut down the dump, which has absorbed much of Colombos rubbish over several years amid heavy construction and renovations in the capital.

As the rubbish piled up, it began threatening the nearby homes, prompting residents to stage regular protests while complaining of health hazards.

These people did not choose to live next to a dump. But they brought the garbage in and made this place horrible, said rickshaw driver Dilip Mirmal, 34, whose home was spared while those surrounding were completely subsumed. He counted 23 of his neighbours among the dead.

This is a government-made disaster, he told the Associated Press news agency.

I have a mix of feelings  of anger, frustration and sorrow. We have been trying to protest and raise these issues, but no one was listening.

The whole area was shaking

On Monday, soldiers were digging with backhoes and shovels, as relatives of the missing pointed out where their houses once stood amid coconut, mango and banana trees.

Those homes now lay in piles of collapsed concrete walls encased in a wall of mud up to eight metres high and mixed with plastic bags, broken glass and other rubbish.

Bicycles and auto-rickshaws were crushed or lying topsy-turvy.

More than 600 of the areas residents were sheltering in nearby schools, while 11 people were being treated at a hospital for injuries.

One auto-rickshaw driver described a narrow escape. He was returning home with his wife, two sons and daughter when they stepped out from his rickshaw and his daughter said the ground seemed to be moving beneath her feet.

There was a strong wind from the side of the dump, and my daughter shouted that the mound was splitting, Rasika Sanjeewa, 41, told AP. Suddenly, one slice of the mound came crashing down. The whole area was shaking.

Debris blocked them from fleeing immediately, but eventually they found a way out, Sanjeewa said.

When they arrived later at their friends home, where they had planned to celebrate the new year, they found it buried and their friends dead  a mother and daughter who worked as daily wage labourers.

Many say this could have been prevented if authorities had seen the scale of the disaster, Al Jazeeras Fernandez said.
UN says civilians face terrifying risk as 400,000 people remain trapped as six-months of fighting rages on in Mosul.

Iraqi forces have gained ground in door-to-door fighting in the Old City of Mosul, a military spokesman said, as the US-backed offensive to capture ISILs de facto capital in the country entered its seventh month.

Iraqi federal police forces are engaged in difficult, house-to-house clashes with Daesh [ISIL] fighters inside the Old City, a military media officer told Reuters news agency on Monday.





Drones are being used to locate and direct air strikes on the group, which is dug in among civilians, he said.

Troops have had the centuries-old al-Nuri Mosque in their sights for weeks, as capturing it would mark a symbolic victory over the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group.

It was from the mosque that ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a caliphate in July 2014 after the group swiftly seized large areas of Iraq and Syria.

A police spokesman said that the troops were closing in on the mosque without indicating the remaining distance.

Progress has been slow as about 400,000 civilians, or a quarter of Mosuls prewar population, are trapped in the Old City, according to the United Nations.

As many as half a million people are estimated to remain overall in neighbourhoods still under control of ISIL in western Mosul, the UN said in a statement on Monday.

Civilians in Mosul face incredible, terrifying risks, said Lise Grande, UN humanitarian coordinator for Iraq.

They are being shot at, there are artillery barrages, families are running out of supplies, medicines are scarce and water is cut off.

WATCH: Mosul survivors describe ISIL cruelty

The war between ISIL and Iraqi forces is taking a heavy toll on several hundred thousand civilians trapped inside the city, with severely malnourished babies reaching hospitals in government-held areas.





Mosul has pushed us to our operational limits, Grande said.

At least 493,000 people have fled Mosul, leaving almost everything behind, she added.

The largest city in northern Iraq, Mosul was captured by ISIL in mid-2014.

Government forces, including army and police, have taken back most of it, including the half that lies east of the River Tigris.

ISIL is now surrounded in the northwestern quarter, including the historic Old City, using booby-traps and sniper and mortar fire against security forces.

Police on Sunday reported a toxic gas attack on its troops that caused no deaths. It also said ISIL was increasingly using suicide attackers on motorbikes.

OPINION: ISIL after Mosul: Insurgency and rivalry

The narrow alleyways restricts the use of suicide car bombers by the group, and tanks, armoured personnel carriers, and Humvees by the government forces.

Fighting has killed several thousand civilians and fighters on both sides, according to aid organisations.

Residents who managed to escape from the Old City say that there is almost nothing to eat but flour mixed with water and boiled wheat grain.

What little food remains is too expensive for most to afford, or is seized by ISIL members and their supporters.
Violence breaks out as students protest a police raid on a college amid rising tensions in Indian-administered Kashmir.

At least 100 Kashmiri students have been wounded during clashes with security forces in Indian-administered Kashmir as anger over a weekend police raid on a college led to protests.

Police on Monday fired tear gas and rubber bullets as demonstrations broke out in the main city of Srinagar before spreading to other parts of the Kashmir Valley.

We were peacefully protesting; our brothers were being thrashed inside (the college), we came for their support as we couldnt tolerate this, Isma, a student participating in the protest, told Al Jazeera.





The Kashmir University Students Union, a banned student body, had called for protests in all colleges and universities after more than 50 students were wounded on Saturday in clashes with security forces at a college in southern Kashmirs Pulwama town.

Students in Pulwama alleged that police and paramilitary troops fired pellets and tear gas as they raided the college to try to arrest students involved in anti-India protests in the area.

In a statement, the union said the police action was designed to help the state rule by repression and fear.

Here we are facing oppression, from one year we are facing oppression, we are not going to tolerate this oppression, we cannot tolerate more.

READ MORE: Mirza Waheed  Violence will not end Kashmir conflict

Tensions have once again flared in Kashmir in recent days, following the killing of eight people by police and paramilitary troops during clashes in an April 9 by-election.

On Friday, an 11-second clip posted on social media sparked further outrage, as it showed a man tied to a jeep and used as a human shield by soldiers in Kashmir to protect them from demonstrators hurling stones.

This young man was TIED to the front of an army jeep to make sure no stones were thrown at the jeep? This is just so shocking!!!! #Kashmir pic.twitter.com/bqs4YJOpJc  Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) April 14, 2017

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British rule in 1947. Both claim the territory in its entirety.

Rebel groups in Indian Kashmir have for decades battled with troops and police, demanding independence or a merger of the territory with Pakistan.

India accuses Pakistan of backing separatist fighters  a charge Islamabad denies.

Armed encounters between rebels and government forces have become more frequent since the killing of a popular rebel leader by security forces last July sparked widespread unrest.

The violence has killed scores of civilians and wounded more than 12,000 civilians and security force personnel.
Mike Pence, the US vice president, used a visit to the heavily militarised border between the two Koreas on Monday to reiterate Washingtons position that all options are on the table in dealing with Pyongyang, the day after the Norths latest missile test.

Pences trip to the flashpoint frontier underscored the US shifting policy towards the isolated state after years of nuclear and missile tests carried out in defiance of the international community.

AL JAZEERAS CRAIG LEESON, REPORTING FROM SEOUL: The main message Pence is delivering during his trip is that South Korea has the unwavering support of the United States  thats a message he will be delivering very strongly as he meets political and business leaders throughout his two-day visit here. But this morning, there was an unscheduled stop. He flew out to Panmunjom on the border at the DMZ. He spoke to both US and South Korean soldiers and told them how his father fought in the Korean war between 1950 and 1953. In the army, he was awarded a bronze star during that war. Its a very personal trip as well for Pence. This afternoon, when he gets down to business he will meet Hwang Kyo-ahn, the acting president, to discuss the denuclearisation of North Korea and how the US and South Korea can bring that about, possibly with the assistance of China. He will be here until Tuesday, when hell fly to Japan for similar talks with political leaders there.

The latest launch  which failed when the missile blew up seconds after blast off, according to US and South Korean officials  came a day after the North held a defiant massive military parade in Pyongyang showcasing nearly 60 missiles, including a suspected new intercontinental ballistic missile.

Washington wants to achieve security through peaceable means, through negotiations, Pence said at the village of Panmunjom inside the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ).

But all options are on the table as we continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of South Korea.

Pence, speaking at Freedom House, a few metres from the military demarcation line that he described as a frontier of freedom, said Americas relationship with South Korea was ironclad and immutable.

The people of North Korea, the military of North Korea should not mistake the resolve of the United States of America to stand with our allies, Pence said, adding that the era of strategic patience is over and expressed hopes that China would do more to help solve the problem.

Rising tensions

Tensions between Pyongyang and Washington have soared in recent weeks, as a series of North Korean weapons tests have wrought ever-more bellicose warnings from Donald Trumps administration.

The new and inexperienced US president has indicated he will not allow North Korea to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the western United States.

Pyongyang insists it needs a powerful arsenal  including atomic weapons  to protect itself from what it says is the ever-present threat of invasion by hostile US forces.

A top White House foreign policy adviser on Sunday became the latest Trump official to warn that while diplomatic pressure was preferable, US military action is very much on the table.

We have a wide array of tools at disposal for the president should he choose to use them, the official told the AFP news agency.

Speaking on Sunday before a handful of the 28,500 US military personnel stationed in South Korea, Pence denounced the latest North Korea test as a provocation.

The North has a habit of test-firing missiles to mark major dates such as Saturdays 105th anniversary of the birth of the nations founder Kim Il-sung, or as gestures of defiance when top US officials visit the region.

South Koreas foreign ministry said that by conducting the latest test just a day after displaying a series of missiles, North Korea has threatened the whole world.

After visiting the DMZ, Pence is expected to hold talks with Hwang Kyo-ahn, South Koreas acting president, in Seoul.

This is Pences first visit to South Korea  part of an Asia tour that also includes stops in Japan, Indonesia and Australia.
Deputy foreign minister warns Washington that Norths nuclear weapons are not an illusion, following US threats.

North Korea has warned its army is on maximum alert after the US vice president visited the heavily militarised border between the two Koreas and reiterated Washingtons position that all options are on the table in dealing with Pyongyang.

Sin Hong-chol, North Koreas deputy foreign minister, told Al Jazeera in an exclusive interview on Monday that Donald Trumps administration should look at the world with open eyes.





The time of dictating orders by brandishing the US military might has gone. If those businessmen in power in the US thought of intimidating us by any military or sanction threats  as the [Barack] Obama administration used to do and failed  they will soon find out such threats are useless, Sin said.

If we notice any sign of assault on our sovereignty, our army will launch merciless military strikes against the US aggressors, wherever they may exist, from the remote US lands to the American military bases on the Korean peninsula, such as those of Japan and elsewhere.

Sin also said that the six-nation talks aiming to make the Korean peninsula free of nuclear weapons were throttled at birth.

The nuclear weapon in our possession is not illusion; it is not a commodity that may be traded for American dollars  nor is it for sale. So it cannot be put on the negotiating table with the aim to rip it off, he said.

OPINION: Will China intervene in North Korea?

Tensions between Pyongyang and Washington have soared in recent weeks as a series of North Korean missile tests have wrought ever-more bellicose warnings from Donald Trumps administration.

On Monday, US Vice President Mike Pence  visiting the worlds most heavily militarised border that divides the two Koreas  hinted that military options against the North have not been ruled out.

The people of North Korea, the military of North Korea should not mistake the resolve of the United States of America to stand with our allies, Pence said, adding: The era of strategic patience is over.

All options are on the table as we continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of South Korea, he said from the village of Panmunjom, inside the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ).





On Sunday, Pyongyang conducted its latest missile test, which the US and South Korea said crashed in failure only a few seconds after launch.

The Trump administration has indicated it will not allow North Korea to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the western United States.

Pyongyang insists that it needs a powerful arsenal  including atomic weapons  to protect itself from what it says is the ever-present threat of invasion by hostile US forces.

Speaking to Al Jazeera from Seoul, Korea specialist and author Donald Kirk noted that the rhetoric between the rivals continues to escalate and a violent confrontation was a real possibility.

Certainly the tension level is very high. Vice President Pence talked very tough today  He left open the possibility of a pre-emptive strike, said Kirk.

READ MORE  North Korea: Whatever comes, we will handle it

Tensions between Pyongyang and Washington go back to the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. But the heat has been rising rapidly since Trump took office in January.

The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier has been diverted back to the waters off the Korean peninsula after heading for Australia, and US satellite imagery suggests that the North could conduct another underground nuclear test at any time.
Pakistans military spokesman confirms prominent leader of Jamaat-ur-Ahrar Taliban faction has turned himself in.

Islamabad, Pakistan  A prominent leader of the Pakistani Talibans Jamaat-ur-Ahrar (JuA) faction, Ehsanullah Ehsan, has surrendered to security forces, the military said.

The announcement was made on Monday by Asif Ghafoor, Pakistans military spokesman, at a press briefing in Rawalpindi, near the capital Islamabad.

Ghafoor gave no further details about the arrest, including when and where it took place.

The people, the state and the institutions of Pakistan have made considerable progress in the betterment of the countrys security situation, said Ghafoor.





We have progressed to the point that the people whove been planning attacks on Pakistans soil from across the border have started to see that the situation has changed.

In this regard, I would like to share with you that the banned Jamaat-ur-Ahrar and Tehreek e-Taliban [TTP] spokesperon Ehsanullah Ehsan has surrendered himself to security forces.

Al Jazeera could not independently verify the capture, but Ehsan had been conspicuously absent from his prominent role in liaising with journalists since late 2016.

If a person who is doing the wrong thing feels that they are on the wrong side and that they should come back towards good, then I dont think there can be a bigger success of the state than this, Ghafoor added.

JuA did not immediately offer a comment on the security forces claim. If true, it would mark the highest-profile surrender by a Pakistani Taliban commander in years.

In recent history, the group has carried out some of the most violent attacks in Pakistan.

PROFILE: The Pakistani Taliban

In February, more than 130 people were killed in a series of suicide attacks across Pakistan, several of which were claimed by the JuA.

It also claimed responsibility for the 2016 Easter Sunday bombing in Lahore that killed more than 70 people.

In August, the United States added JuA to its list of specially designated global terrorists.

The JuA was formed in August 2014 as a breakaway faction of the central TTP by chief Omar Khalid Khorasani, the commander of its Mohmand district, and Ehsan, who left his post as a central TTP spokesman.

JuA rejoined the central TTP the following March but is known to operate independently of the central TTP leadership, which is led by Mullah Fazlullah.

Pakistan army launched a countrywide counterterrorism operation in February and claims to have killed at least 108 suspected fighters and arrested at least 4,510.

In addition, 558 suspected terrorists have surrendered to security forces since the operation was launched, according to Ghafoor.
Some 1,500 Palestinian political prisoners held by Israel launched a mass hunger strike on Monday to press for basic rights and shed light on the difficult humanitarian conditions inside Israeli prisons, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Center for Studies.

The open-ended hunger strike, one of the largest in recent years, coincides with Palestinian Prisoners Day, annually commemorated on April 17. Led by jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, the strike will see Palestinian prisoners from across the political spectrum participate from within six prisons inside Israel.

They have central demands and will continue to fast until they achieve them. The prisoners see hunger striking as the only door they can knock on to attain their rights, Amina al-Taweel, the centres spokesperson, told Al Jazeera.

Even though it is one of the most dangerous and difficult decisions, they are only making this choice because conditions [inside the prisons] have reached a new low, said al-Taweel.

Rallies are expected to take place across major Palestinian cities in the occupied territories including Ramallah, Hebron and Nablus, in solidarity with the plight of prisoners.

Rami Hamdallah, prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, released a statement directed at the prisoners and the Palestinian people, ahead of the strike.

On this day, we are reminded of the pain of imprisonment, the cruelty of the occupation and the injustice of the prison cells, as we are reminded of our pride in your steadfastness and sacrifice, he said in a recorded video message shared on his Twitter page.

In the midst of this battle I call on all the Palestinian people and national institutions to show more solidarity so we can deliver the message of the prisoners to the whole world, he continued. Let us all push for the largest international, popular and official movement to stand by the prisoners in this critical time.

INFOGRAPHIC: What it means to be a Palestinian prisoner in Israel

There are currently 6,500 Palestinian political prisoners held by Israel, including more than 500 administrative detainees, according to Jerusalem-based prisoner rights group Addameer.

Prisoners demands include installation of a public telephone in all prisons to allow communication with relatives, resuming bi-monthly family visits, allowing second-degree relatives to visit, increasing duration of the visits and allowing prisoners to take photographs with their families.

The Israeli government will be responsible for any and all of the consequences of this hunger strike - if a prisoner dies, or becomes extremely ill, they are the ones that will have to handle the outcome. by Amina al-Taweel, spokesperson for the Hebron-based Palestinian Prisoners Center for Studies

Many prisoners suffer from medical negligence in jails. Prisoners must pay for their own medical treatment, and are not provided with adequate healthcare. Sick prisoners have also reported being denied water.

Since 1967, more than 50 Palestinian prisoners have died owing to medical negligence inside Israeli jails, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. Some people wait four years to get surgery, said al-Taweel. Theyre calling for an end to this deliberate medical negligence.

Additionally, prisoners are demanding better treatment when being transferred between prisons or between courts and prisons. Detainees are transported in a vehicle with blacked-out windows, known as the Bosta.

The vehicle is divided into tight metal cells, whereby the prisoner is chained from their arms and legs to a chair in a confined space, for long periods of time in the dark.

Other demands include installing air conditions in prisons, restoring kitchens, allowing detainees to keep books, newspapers and clothes, as well as ending the policies of administrative detention and solitary confinement.

Administrative detainees are arrested on secret evidence, unaware of the accusations against them, and are not allowed to defend themselves in court. Their detention periods can be indefinitely renewed.

The Israeli government will be responsible for any and all of the consequences of this hunger strike  if a prisoner dies, or becomes extremely ill, they are the ones that will have to handle the outcome. Palestinian prisoners have been demanding these basic rights for years, said al-Taweel.

READ MORE: Israeli prison like being inside a grave

Al-Taweel said there are high expectations that the Israeli Prison Service will carry out a campaign of prisoner transferrals, which she said would be an attempt to try and break the will and determination of the prisoners.

Al Jazeera reached out to the Israel Prison Service for comment but did not receive a response.

Under international humanitarian law, prisoners from occupied territories must be held in the occupied territory, not in the territory of the occupying power. Though most Palestinian political prisoners hail from the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, they are placed in prisons inside Israel, in direct contravention of international law.

Families of Palestinian prisoners must apply for permits to visit them and are regularly denied entry into Israel on security pretexts.

One of the most significant concerns is a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch), told Al Jazeera.

Palestinian prisoners are placed inside Israel as opposed to the West Bank and Gaza strip. This is a crippling restriction on access to family and loved ones, explained Shakir.

A recent report from UK-based rights group Amnesty International also condemned Israels policy of holding Palestinian prisoners inside Israel, describing it as unlawful and cruel.

Instead of unlawfully transferring prisoners outside the occupied territories, Israel must ensure all Palestinians arrested there are held in prisons and detention centres in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Until then, the Israeli authorities must stop imposing excessive restrictions on visitation rights as a means of punishing prisoners and their families, and ensure that conditions fully meet international standards, the report read, quoting Magdalena Mughrabi, deputy regional director at Amnesty International.

Hunger striking as a method for pressuring Israel has become increasingly prevalent among Palestinian prisoners in recent years. In 2012, approximately 1,500 Palestinian prisoners launched a similar hunger strike for close to a month before managing to obtain their rights.

And, in 2014, 800 prisoners staged a strike against administrative detention for 63 days before a reaching a deal with the Israeli prison authorities and deciding to end their strike.

According to Shakir, a mass hunger strike is an attempt by Palestinian prisoners to shed light on such practices that raise serious questions about Israels policies under international law.

It can help return the issue of Palestinian prisoners on top of the international communitys agenda. Its about the plight of Palestinians behind bars, said Shakir.

Additional reporting by Farah Najjar.
A man is wanted after allegedly shooting dead a passerby at random in Ohio before uploading the video to Facebook.

Police in the US state of Ohio have urged residents in surrounding states to be on alert for a man who they said shot and killed an elderly passerby seemingly at random and then posted a video of the murder on Facebook.

Steve Stephens, 37, is wanted on a charge of aggravated murder in the death of Robert Godwin Sr. in the city of Cleveland.





In a statement early on Monday, police warned residents of Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana and Michigan to be on the lookout for Stephens, who they said may have travelled out of state.

In the video, which appears shaky, Stephens gets out of his car and appears to randomly target Godwin, 74, who is holding a plastic shopping bag. Stephens says the name of a woman, whom Godwin does not seem to recognise.

Shes the reason that this is about to happen to you, Stephens tells Godwin before pointing a gun at him. Godwin can be seen shielding his face with the shopping bag.

READ MORE: Is gun violence in the US infectious?

Facebook said the suspect did go live on the social media website at one point during the day, but not during the killing. Police earlier had said that Stephens had broadcast it on Facebook Live.

The video of the killing was on Facebook for about three hours before it was removed. Stephenss Facebook page also was eventually removed.

This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook, said a company spokesperson in a report by the Associated Press news agency.

We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety.

The victims son, Robert Godwin Jr., told Cleveland.com that he cant bring himself to watch the video.

I havent watched the video. I havent even looked at my cellphone or the news, Godwin said. I dont really want to see it.

He said his father, a retired foundry worker, collected aluminum cans and often walked with a plastic shopping bag, picking cans up if he saw them on ground. The son said he believed his father was looking for cans on Sunday when Stephens approached him.

In a separate video posted on Facebook, Stephens claimed to have killed more than a dozen other people.

Like I said, I killed 13, so Im working on 14 as we speak, he said.

Police have not verified any other shootings or deaths, Police Chief Calvin Williams said.

There are no more victims that we know are tied to him, said Williams.

Police said Stephens should be considered armed and dangerous. The FBI said it was assisting in the investigation.
Sundays vote was conducted on an unlevel playing field, a criticism termed prejudiced and unacceptable.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told international election observers on Monday to talk to the hand after they criticised the conduct of Turkeys referendum, saying it was held on an unlevel playing field.

Sundays narrow referendum victory gave the Turkish president sweeping powers. Unofficial results, which the opposition said it would challenge, showed a narrow victory with 51.4 percent of votes cast in favour of the Yes campaign.

Erdogan said concentrating power in the hands of the president was vital to prevent instability, adding that the Yes vote had ended all debate on forging a stronger presidency.





The crusader mentality in the West and its servants at home have attacked us, he told a crowd as he arrived at Ankara airport, in response to the vote monitors assessment.

We neither see, hear, nor acknowledge the political reports youll prepare, Erdogan said later at the palace.

Well continue on our path. Talk to the hand. This country has carried out the most democratic elections, not seen anywhere in the West.

The new constitutional changes transform Turkeys governance from a parliamentary system to an executive presidency, significantly expanding the powers of the top office.

Earlier on Monday, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said a lack of equal opportunities, one-sided media coverage, and limitations on fundamental freedoms had created an unlevel playing field in Turkeys vote.

In general, the referendum did not live up to Council of Europe standards. The legal framework was inadequate for the holding of a genuinely democratic process, said Cezar Florin Preda, head of the delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

In response, Turkeys Foreign Ministry labelled the comments prejudiced and unacceptable.

The assessment that suggests that the referendum process fell short of international standards is unacceptable, it said in a statement, blasting the monitors as biased.

READ MORE: Recep Tayyip Erdogan hails referendum victory

The ministry said that the statements made by OSCE officials before the referendum showed they arrived in Turkey with prejudices and  disregarded the principles of objectivity and impartiality.

Turkeys voter turnout rate of 85 percent could serve as an example to other OSCE participating states, the ministry added.

The main opposition Republican Peoples Party demanded a recount, citing voting irregularities. There were demonstrations in various parts of Istanbul challenging the results.

The referendum gives the president to be elected in 2019 new powers to appoint vice-presidents, ministers, high-level officials, and senior judges.

It will also allow the president to dissolve parliament, issue executive decrees, and impose states of emergency.
Syrian ambassador to North Korea blasts comments that US cruise missile attack was a message delivered to Pyongyang.

Syrias ambassador to North Korea denounced what he called US aggression and its history of interventions on Monday, adding that sending a message to Pyongyang with an attack on a Syrian airfield was irresponsible.

US Vice President Mike Pence earlier warned North Korea that recent American cruise missile strikes in Syria, one of North Koreas few close allies, and a massive bombing in Afghanistan showed the resolve of President Donald Trump should not be tested.

The US Navy this month struck a Syrian airfield with 59 Tomahawk missiles after a chemical weapons attack. On Thursday, the US military said it dropped the largest non-nuclear device it had ever unleashed in combat on a network of caves and tunnels used by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group in Afghanistan.

OPINION: Will China intervene in North Korea?





Syrian Ambassador to North Korea Tammam Sulaiman said the United States was wrong to send messages with attacks on other countries.

Whatever they do, this is clear aggression. If they want to mention this they ought to do this as a message or whatever, it has no sense to talk about this, Sulaiman told Reuters news agency.

Because what is sense is to see whether the US is really serious in finding solutions, whether in Syria or Korea. If they want to keep sending messages, then you are not talking with a responsible state or a responsible administration. It is not about giving messages, it is about taking a position.

A high-level official said on Monday that North Korea would have been attacked a long time ago  like other countries  if it did not have strong military capabilities.

The Syrian incident proves that our policy to bolster our national defence capabilities by tightening our belts is the correct policy, said Kim Son-gyong, director-general of the European Department at North Koreas Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Asked whether he thought the US was sending Pyongyang a message by striking Syria, he said: We are not startled or surprised in the slightest by this kind of act. If the US thinks this kind of thing will startle us, then they have misjudged us.

Exclusive: N Korea minister  Time of dictating is over

North Koreas KCNA news agency on Monday carried a letter from leader Kim Jong-un to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad marking the 70th anniversary of Syrias independence.

I express again a strong support and alliance to the Syrian government and its people for its work of justice, condemning the United States recent violent invasive act against your country, Kim said.

Sulaiman said the acquisition of nuclear weapons should not be a goal for any country.

But I can understand in the case of North Korea, I can understand why [it] is building its nuclear capabilities to face the American aggression, clear aggression.
William Walker said he feels understood in the classes designated for his major.

Before pursuing her minor, Jessie Wang said she didnt fully understand the history in grained in Chinese culture.

Both UF seniors are among a group of students ghting for their respective studies  the African-American studies major and the Asian American studies minor  to ensure the resources are still available for their programs to continue to grow.

The ght for both programs growth is being led in part by Sharon Austin, the director of the African American studies program. Austin, who has been at UF for 16 years, said the goal is to expand the African American studies program into a center and increase the amount of faculty available for the Asian American studies minor.

A lot of people dont like to talk about issues with race and ethnicity, but those are

issues in our society that arent going away, Austin said.

  

Austin isnt the rst person to try to push UFs African American studies program into a center.

As the programs longest-standing director aside from the original director, Austin said she watched other directors before her try and abandon the process, leaving successors to start from scratch.

Her first attempt to push the program into a center was in 2015. But it failed, so she wanted to try again this year. She said turning the program into a center will help them add a masters program and recruit faculty.

Programs cannot offer tenure, so professors in African-American studies must also work in other departments, dividing their time.

Its almost like having two jobs, but you have a lot more work than the average faculty member, Austin said. It puts professors at a disadvantage, especially professors of color, because they tend to be the people hired in these joint-appointed positions.

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The number of students with an African American studies major has continued to grow. Austin said their program has more students in the major than any other university in the nation. The major was first offered in 2013, and there are currently about 100 students in the program. Walker said he thinks making changes to the African American studies program would help with retention and improve understanding of the black community on campus.

We want something loud and proud on the University of Floridas campus saying that the University of Florida accepts the culture that has helped the University of Florida progress throughout the years, he said.

Initially Walker was frustrated by the delay in the programs transition to becoming a full fledged department, but said he now recognizes the importance of having a stepping stone.

We understand, especially in a conservative space such as Florida, we understand that sometimes you cant get the whole pie, Walker said. You have to take what you can get  take a slice  and then come back later and get a little bit more.

Once Austin drafts the formal proposal, it will be reviewed by layers of administration, starting with administration in the College of Liberal Arts and Science. Costs, space and other details will be worked out as the paperwork moves forward, eventually up to being signed off on by President Kent Fuchs and Provost Joe Glover and approved by the Board of Trustees.

Mary Watt, the associate dean for UFs College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said they support the center, but its a long process to develop it. She said right now theyre tweaking the proposal with Austin.

Its really embryonic right now, Watt said. There is a lot of work still to be done.

Austin said that while on the long path to becoming a center, the program will continue

to grow. We have few resources and we have few faculty, but we have a very committed Student Body, she said.

  

Wang has seen Asian American studies go from a certificate to a minor, but she still fears its progress will be erased. In less than two weeks, shell be the ninth student to graduate with the minor.

As a person of color, you always have to fight for your resources, the 21-year-old UF psychology senior said. Wang has helped push for letters of support on behalf of the minor.

She said though the minor is new, it doesnt have many classes or faculty to sustain it. Wang wants to see the Asian American studies minor grow even more  but realistically, she just hopes it continues.

The classes she took for the minor, particularly Asian American politics, gave her a sense of empowerment and direction.

Its important to bring awareness to communities of color, and we do that through ethnic studies, she said. Because as displaced people, as immigrants, as minorities, in a country, its super important to know your own history so you know about these systemic issues that are impacting you whether or not you like it.

Tara Chang, the 10th student to declare the minor, has also worked to gather letters of support. Chang said she got the idea from Austin, who thought letters might be beneficial. The business administration senior was worried when one of the professors who taught a course moved away, leaving the class without a teacher.

Its not that theyre going to cut (the minor), the 21-year-old said. Its just, how are you going to continue to grow the minor and allow people to continue learning if youre not even able to offer courses for that?

Austin said the small number of people in the minor doesnt show a lack of interest, but a lack of publicity.

The minor is really relatively new, she said. A lot of people dont know about it.

Austin said the lack of faculty also hurts the minor. Getting more faculty is one of the things Chang and Wang hope to see. Wang feels that the value of ethnic studies goes beyond the pages of a textbook and the walls of a classroom.

The difference between ethnic studies and chemistry, per se, is that its not academia thats isolated, she said. Its something thats living and breathing, and it affects the lives of people today.

Contact Romy Ellenbogen at rellenbogen@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @romyellenbogen
In front of about 8,000 people, Richard Andre held his breath moments before his head was pushed under water.

Ive been a Christian my whole life, but Ive never fully given myself to the Lord, he said.

Andre, 21, was one of many who volunteered to be baptized during Sundays Easter service hosted by Greenhouse Church, a group unaffiliated with a Christian denomination, in the OConnell Center. Across Gainesville, UF students and residents gathered to celebrate the major Christian holiday, which commemorates their belief that Jesus rose from the dead after his crucifixion on Good Friday.

It was the first time the Greenhouse Church, which offers weekly services on UF campus, celebrated Easter in the OConnell Center, said Danely Martinez, a coordinator for one of the churchs locations. The services sermon was given by Pastor Mike Patz, and attendees could be baptized in tubs afterward, a process in which Christians are submerged in water or have it placed on them as a symbol of their faith.

I bet there hasnt been a lot of baptisms in the stadium before, Patz said.

Lauren Paul, a UF political science freshman and member of the Greenhouse church, said the arena Easter service was a way to bring people together.

I think its important to not seclude your religion to a place, the 19-year-old said. Its amazing they gathered everyone here.

About 8,000 people sing Christian songs together as the large screen showed lyrics. Service at the O'Connell Center was held Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

At St. Augustine Church on West University Avenue, about 50 people stood and sang in the warm foyer, waiting to pace into the packed main area for the Catholic Easter Sunday mass.

Father Marek Dzien said about 800 people attended the 9 a.m. mass, and he expected even more at the 11:30 a.m. service. To prepare, they set up an overflow room to seat an additional 300. Dzien also led Spanish masses later in the day.

The night before Sundays mass, Dzien was at the church until 2 a.m.

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Its nothing new, he said. Like for a doctor to go into the hospital to treat people, or for the teacher to go into the school, it is our job.

For Aryssa Tognozzi, Easter is a time to connect with her family, celebrate life and reflect on personal growth.

Tognozzi, a 22-year-old UF animal science senior, said despite being away from her family, her college friends help fill the gap.

Weve all been raised with the same values, so its easy to talk to them, Tognozzi said. Its easy when you have friends who have been very close, and were like family.

Heather Pancoast, the co-director at Gator Wesley Foundation, a student Methodist group, said she hopes students attending the churchs Easter service received a message of hope. In her first year at the church, near University Avenue and 13th Street, she has seen students feel overwhelmed and stressed.

I would hope they walk away today feeling lighter, really hopeful that there is a bigger plan and there is something greater than them, she said.

Contact Romy Ellenbogen at rellenbogen@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @romyellenbogen

Contact Meryl Kornfield at mkornfield@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @MerylKornfield

The Easter Bunny and Charles Young, pastor of Alive Church, located at 1826 W. University Ave., wave to passing drivers before heading inside for an evening service.
Taking an opportunity that comes once every 20 years, a group of Florida college students are trying to propose changes to the states constitution.

Students chosen at the Future of Florida Summit, held in February at UF, will submit three possible amendments to the states constitution revision commission this year, said TJ Pyche, the chair of the summits student organizing committee. Some of the 37-member constitution revision commission will meet April 26 at UFs Phillips Center for the Performing Arts for a public hearing, part of the year they are given to gather ideas.

The commission will review amendments proposed by the public and choose some for voter consideration for the 2018 general election ballot. This is one of five ways the Florida constitution can be amended, said Pyche, a 22-year-old UF journalism senior.

The February summit was hosted by the Bob Graham Center for Public Service and about 130 students attended  with about 70 from UF and the rest from about 25 other Florida colleges and universities. The students were divided into groups and encouraged to brainstorm ideas, with each group presenting to a panel of six judges, who chose the best three.

I think it exposed a lot of students to a process that a lot of folks dont know about and that the state of Florida faces, Pyche said.

The summits three proposed amendments are raising judges obligatory retirement age from 70 to 75 years, requiring school superintendents, county commissioners and other elected constitutional officer positions to be non-partisan in non-charter counties, and getting rid of a write-in loophole for elections, said Trevor Tezel, a second-year UF law student who attended the summit.

The winning groups, with the help of Tezel and other UF law students, are drafting papers to further ex- plain the amendments. Tezel said he became involved with the project because he thinks students ideas are often overlooked.

I see this as an opportunity to elevate the students place in the conversation on Floridas constitution, the 24-year-old said.

Jon Mills, UFs Levin College of Law dean emeritus, said he was one of the judges at the summit. Mills, who was on the 1997-1998 constitution revision commission, said he was impressed with the students ideas.

I was very impressed by their dedication and thoughts, Mills said. I think these students are part of the generation thats going to be living with this constitution.

Contact Jimena Tavel at jtavel@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @taveljimena

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I have seen many of the photographs. I have read the news. I have cringed as I read through tweets about the crisis in Syria, where more than 80 people, including children, died in a chemical gas attack on April 4, and then hated myself for cringing when I should be translating that sorrow and disgust into action. So today, I provide you  by way of researching this myself  ways we can support Syrian refugees.

Donate to groups like Islamic Relief USA. According to its website, Islamic Relief USA provides items such as mattresses, shoes, food and medical help to Syrian refugees in the country and surrounding areas. With the help of monetary donations, Islamic Relief USA not only supports these refugees abroad but also within the U.S., helping them access job training and shelter in a new country.

Read and share stories about refugees and their experiences. If youre active on social media, share responsible, charitable websites that allow others to donate to people and areas affected by the Syrian crisis. Stay up-to-date on current events with real news sources  try Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, NPR or The Associated Press if youre in doubt  and encourage your friends and family to do the same. Set your standard for truth at a high bar by confirming your facts with multiple reputable sources before clicking the share button (i.e., dont accept the words coming straight from our press secretarys mouth).

Sign petitions supporting refugee resettlement in the U.S. and contact your representatives about anti-Muslim and anti-refugee legislation. Make sure your voice is heard among the officials we have collectively elected to public office; tell them to fight against prejudiced executive policy and discrimination. Refuse to vote for them in the upcoming midterm and general elections if they dont.

If youre wondering why you should perform any one or more of these actions, I could give you a list of reasons. Syrian refugees are innocent victims, and we ought to assist those who havent provoked attack themselves. The gases used in the attacks were banned by the Chemical Weapons Convention, and thus we should help those affected by this illegal and devastating weaponry.

These refugees, stateless as a result of years of civil war, are particularly vulnerable in ways similar to the Jewish people in the years leading to and during the Holocaust: Stripped of their identities, their nationalities and their homes, Syrian refugees are shunned and turned away at the doors of countries who label them as problematic, criminal or dangerous. Perhaps the ultimate causes and consequences of this comparison is the subject of another column. The underlying message, however, holds true: We should not stand idly by and allow history to repeat itself with only the names changed.

I dont care what reason you choose in supporting Syrian refugees; you should just do it.

Do it for the common humanity that we share and for the pain these families are suffering at the hands of dictatorship and brutal warfare. And, of course, if you have other ways to help, share them. Add to my list. We cannot look away.

Mia Gettenberg is a UF criminology and law and philosophy junior. Her column appears on Mondays.

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Jaxport CEO Eric Green said the $23.5 million grant marks a milestone in our initiatives to build the port of the future and move cargo in the most efficient and eco-friendly way possible.
For those whose feelings have not yet been blunted by the endless truck bombs in civilian markets in Iraq and Libya, the deliberate targeting of children in Syria, and Jihad murder attacks in Europe --- not to mention 9/11 -- please note that a car bomb at a bus depot in Aleppo, Syria, has just killed more than 100 people, including an estimated fifty children.

The world has stood by and done exactly nothing while jihad war has broken out in the least stable parts of the Middle East, in what we know are proxy wars between Shi'ite and Sunni power blocs, led by Saudi Arabia and the Sunni Arab Gulf states versus the Shi'ites of Iran, through proxies like Hizballah, the Houthis of Yemen, and Assad. 

In Syria and Africa, murder battalions like Al Nusrah and Boko Haram routinely kill innocents, because, in their view, after death "Allah will know his own." So it doesn't matter who you kill.

Donald Trump and James Mattis have introduced a change in U.S. policy by dropping the biggest "conventional" bomb, the MOAB, on an underground cave and tunnel complex occupied by ISIS in Afghanistan.

Our perverse media was desperately trying to find "civilian casualties" over there, possibly a wedding party in progress deep underground, to play up the victim angle. But this time enemy propaganda didn't work. The results seemed to be about 100 dead ISIS killers, which can only be good for civilization.

But only one week after the MOAB drop on ISIS, one hundred innocents have been killed at a Syria bus stop. Bus stops are not military targets. They are intended to create mass murder and immense emotional suffering for those who have lost their loved ones.



It is long past time for the civilized world to revive the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention, which explicitly prohibited "acts aimed at spreading terror among the civilian population... The civilian population as such, as well as individual civilians, shall not be the object of attack. Acts or threats of violence the primary purpose of which is to spread terror among the civilian population are prohibited..."

It is worth repeating that acts of murder and mayhem against innocent civilians, using mass weapons of war, is explicitly prohibited by international treaties, and even by United Nations conventions.



Secretary of Defense Mattis cited international law against the use of poison gas in war in his statement after U.S. retaliatory bombing of the Syrian airbase responsible for launching the attack:

"The president directed this action to deter future use of chemical weapons and to show the United States will not passively stand by while Assad murders innocent people with chemical weapons, which are prohibited by international law and which were declared destroyed." (by Russia)

It is important to understand that civilized nations have an obligation to retaliate against internationally prohibited acts of terrorism and prohibited weapons.



This is not just an American responsibility. It must be done by a coalition of civilized nations, including Egypt, whose president has expressed a horror of jihadist violence, Jordan, Morocco, India, China, Indonesia, and Europe. 

Putin's Russia is also on the record against jihadist terrorism, and Vladimir Putin actually rose to power after two major terrorist assault in Russia, one in Moscow and the other in Byelorussia.

Western Europe has been cowardly beyond belief in the jihad war, and still is.

American cannot take on the burden of civilized defense against retrogressive jihad warfare alone. Europe is as wealthy as the United States, it has as many educated people and as much industrial capability as we do. But Europe relies on the United States for its defense, and has done so for sixty years. Donald Trump is absolutely right in calling on them to do their share. There are some signs that NATO is finally getting that point.

We have to keep insisting on their full participation in the common defense. No more sucking off Uncle Sam's teat.



There was a time not so long ago when every decent nation in the world understood the prohibited nature of terrorism and gas warfare, and swore it would never happen again. Today the mass media are covering up the well-established criminal nature of mass terrorism. These are crimes against humanity, according to international conventions.



Yet we have watched the return of truly primitive warfare, mass rape, routine sadistic mutilations, the deliberate murder of infants, mass kidnapping of girls and boys, slave-taking and bombing of clearly prohibited civilian targets, most often in the Middle East and Africa, but also in France, South-East Asia, the United States, Britain, and other countries.



It must be emphasized that Karl Marx and his followers like Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot and the rest, all of them militant atheists, also practiced deliberate, strategic mass terror for political goals.



This is not just a religious problem, as ignorant people like to think.



Atheistic world-conquering cults like the Nazis and Communists have been just as inconceivably evil as war theologies.



This fact is so simple that even our ruling class must know it. But Democrats like Hillary and Obama still love the money coming from Soros and the Muslim Brotherhood, and they are happy to overlook blood-stained money.



Nor is it true that all Muslims are violent jihadists.

The most important speech to come out of the Muslim Middle East in recent years was given by President Abdul Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt:

"It is inconceivable that the ideology we sanctify should make our entire nation a source of concern, danger, killing, and destruction all over the world. It is inconceivable that this ideology I am referring not to "religion," but to "ideology"  the body of ideas and texts that we have sanctified in the course of centuries, to the point that challenging them has become very difficult."



"It has reached the point that [this ideology] is hostile to the entire world. Is it conceivable that 1.6 billion [Muslims] would kill the world's population of seven billion, so that they could live [on their own]? This is inconceivable."

El-Sisi's historic speech was overlooked by our media and political class during the Obama years. It seem as if the civilized world is suffering from a case of amnesia. For liberals, who cannot conceive of intentional sadistic killing and cruelty for political goals, it cannot exist.

This is how useful idiots reason.

Mass terror attacks are strategic, not accidental. They are not committed by crazy people or by "lone wolves." Jihad has always been a matter of religious doctrine, and the means of violent Jihad -- not matter how cruel and inhumane -- are deeply embedded in religious faith and law.



This seems to be inconceivable to Western audiences, and even to political leaders like Angela Merkel and her ilk. Winston Churchill understood it better, because he saw Jihad warfare as a young journalist in the Sudan.



Today, China remembers the Rape of Nanking by the Divine Emperor cult of Japan. Russia remembers Nazi murder battalions in the Great Patriotic War. The Jews remember the Holocaust, and East Europeans remember Stalin's Ukrainian Holodomor.



Africans remember any number of massive crimes against humanity committed by African dictators, as well as whites. Indians and Pakistanis remember the massacres of the Partition of 1948.



It is only our mass media and our politically correct indoctrination schools that fail to draw the obvious lessons of history, again and again.



In perhaps most cases, mass terror attacks reflect carefully thought out strategic and tactical decisions by some chain of command, which makes it even more demonic.

One chain of command leads back to the Muslim Brotherhood. Others lead back to Wahhabi and Salafist priesthoods, and to the mullahs of Iran.



In Israel's defensive wars knowing the enemy is called "having a return address." If Hamas lobs mortar bombs at your villages, you know the return address. The Hamas perps will run away from their rocket launchers and dive into tunnels, but you know where to find them. They are dead men walking, and they know it.

Knowing the return address has not stopped terror attacks against Israel, because the mullahs and the sheikhs of the Gulf keep sending more money. But pinpoint retaliation works, even if the leftist media keep blaming the victims of terror.



One of the dismal failures of our fake news is their apparent ignorance or unwillingness to remind us of those international treaties. Last week, when Sean Spicer pointed out that even Hitler did not use poison gas bombs in war, some bloody-minded lefty tried to claim that Spicer was a Holocaust denier, since Hitler used poisoned gas to kill millions of Jews and others in the gas chambers. Apparently the Fakestream really doesn't know the facts of WW II, or they just took the opportunity to smear Donald Trump with another lie. Hitler did not use explosive gas bombs and shells in WW II, unlike WW I, for fear of retaliation.



Or maybe as Obama told us, there are really not that many people killed by terrorism --- apparently he was not even thinking about the Muslim Middle East and Africa, which suffer the most.



Yes, there are more people killed on the highways. But decent people and governments do everything in their power to minimize the toll on the highways. When nations and powerful gang commit clear crimes against humanity, they must be stopped, and if necessary, destroyed.



I believe that Secretary of Defense Mattis and Donald Trump have started to change the narrative.
Perhaps the most moving poem with imagery evoking the horror of the first World War is "Dulce et Decorum Est" written in October 1917 by Wilfred Owen, the British writer who was killed in action a year later, aged 25. His condemnation of the use of gas against people haunts us today.

It is not clear which country, France or Germany, first used poison gas in that war. But the most memorable occasion was the use on April 22, 1915 by Germany of lethal chlorine gas against French colonial, mostly Algerian, divisions, at the second battle of Ypres. About this horror of the use of gas, Owen wrote, "In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, he plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning." Chlorine did produce choking and suffocation, but the contending armies in the war soon used stronger gases, phosgene and above all, mustard gas.

Revulsion at the use of gas was quickly expressed officially after the end of the war. In 1919, the Versailles Treaty forbade the use of poison gas. in 1925, the League of Nations approved the Geneva Protocol that banned the use of chemical weapons, and also banned bacteriological weapons. Yet, it did not ban the production or stockpiling of chemical weapons.

The world is now aware of at least one country which has stockpiles of such weapons and uses them against so called enemies of its regime. Syrian President Hassan Assad has the dubious honor of being champion of this activity, and has illustrated this on a number of occasions, spreading terror by targeting civilians with chemical weapons.

President Assad is one of the world's great prevaricators and a ruthless individual. He has denied ever using chemical weapons, but in fact has killed his foes with chemicals that are nerve agents. These include sarin, which is almost impossible to detect because it is clear, colorless, and tasteless. His first event of international significance was the use of rockets filled with gas fired at rebel-held suburbs of Damascus on August 21, 2013 killing more than 1,400.

This was the moment of truth for President Barack Obama, who had stated that the use of chemical weapons was a "red line" that would lead to "serious consequences " for the Assad regime. When the red line was crossed, Obama did not engage in any meaningful consequences, serious or not. As recently as April 14, 2017, Leon Panetta, former Secretary of Defense under Obama, stated that the Obama administration "failed to enforce the red line but sent a message of weakness to the world." This inaction of Obama indeed became symbolic of his whole foreign policy.

That weakness was not mitigated by the deal arranged by Russia and the U.S. that Assad would not be punished but would give up his stockpile of chemical weapons. Predictably, Syria gave up some of them, but still controlled a certain amount. Some of these were used on April 4, 2017 when Syria attacked a rebel-held town, Khan Sheikhoun in northwest Syria. Aircraft dropped bombs filled with sarin on that area, killing more than 80 people.

President Donald Trump responded, two days later, to the use of gas by ordering a direct attack by 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at the Shayrat airbase that, according to the Pentagon, has been used to store chemical weapons and was the base from which Syrian aircraft had left to kill people with nerve gas. The base, parenthetically, was notable for other reasons: it is the base where Russian-made Su-22 and MiG-23 planes were housed; it is used by Hizballah and Iranian-backed Iraqi fighters.

The president did not seek Congressional approval for his action, but he did explain his change of heart in dealing with Syria. He was moved by the affront to humanity with the "killing of women, small children, and beautiful little babies." Trump, alluding to his predecessor, and evidently moved by the use of gas, declared the Syrian attack crossed "many, many, lines beyond a red line." It is generally accepted that Trump had used U.S. military power in a precise and proportional manner against the use of chemical weapons.

However laudable the Trump response on April 6, the U.S. action raises important questions, especially because Trump has not yet formulated a broad statement of U.S. policy or the means by which it will be implemented. One can anticipate certain strikes in Yemen, continued fighting in Syria and Iraq, possibly more strikes on Assad, and above all the war against ISIS.

Nevertheless, the country needs to speak with a unified voice, and decide on the desirability or not of global action and international commitments. Trump is not an isolationist, but clearly, according to campaign rhetoric, does not wish to be drawn into the affairs of other countries, and is not anxious to be involved in foreign entanglements, responsibilities, and alliances. Hence the contradictory positions of Trump on the U.S. role in NATO.

In this regard, the issue of the national security of the U.S. comes to the forefront. In 1947, President Harry Truman signed the National Security Act, which established the National Security Council to advise the president. But the act did not define national security, and the problem remains for each administration to define and implement it in relation to specific issues. After the strike on April 6, Trump declared, "it is in the vital national security interest of America to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons." The action sent a signal, but does a signal make a policy?

U.S. participation in international affairs is central because of its political assets, wealth, and military power. It is worth considering some complex issues. Does everyone agree that the April 6 attack was in the nation's vital national interest? Should the U.S. take the lead in preventing and deterring the spread of deadly chemical weapons, a task in which all civilized nations should be involved? Should U.S. policy be based on upholding justice, and on establishing stability over disruption? Should policy be influenced, if not based on humanitarian intervention for violations of human rights, and providing aid where necessary? Or should the U.S. concentrate on preventing the emergence of a threat to world order as well as to the U.S. itself?

A difficult problem, which the Bush administration tried to confront, is whether the U.S. has a mission to bring about democracy in the world. Altruism and empathy are desirable in international affairs as in life, but force is often necessary as well as diplomacy and soft power to deal with offenders. What one can say with assurance is that the outlawing and action against the use of poison gas in any of its forms is an essential moral imperative. In this case Trump has upheld desirable values.
What political dilemma is the regime in Iran intending to resolve through this presidential election?

In 2005, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, having the final say in all state matters, thought to spread his meddling across Iraq and the region, parallel to broad ambitions of obtaining nuclear weapons. As a result, firebrand Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was selected as president.

In 2013, Tehran needed to respond to the issue of nuclear negotiations.

Iran needs to solve a major riddle. The regime in its entirety, including all factions, seeks to defend its very existence in the face of an increasingly aggressive onslaught. This phenomenon can be described as a full house of intertwined calamities, defined as major political disorders caused by the regimes own measures.

This means that relations between various currents and systems comprising the mullahs regime are suffering from numerous rifts threatening their entire existence.

A) The ruling powers are now divided, and the separated components are placing crosshairs on each other, crippling or weakening their rivals. This is far beyond the factions loyal to Khamenei and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. We are also witnessing growing divides and disintegration among Khamenei loyalists.

B) A destabilizing dynamism can be seen in the struggle to determine who will succeed Khamenei, known to be ill with cancer.

C) Most important is the powder-keg society ready to explode into an uncontrollable uprising. Iran has in the past twelve months witnessed the most significant rise in protests since 2010.

D) The conflict placing Irans oppressed minorities, including Baluchis, Arabs, Kurds, and others against the ruling establishment has intensified.

E) Irans deep involvement in three wars across the region, including Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, without no end in sight.

F) The regimes major defeat in their plot against the Iranian opposition People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Members of this group were transferred collectively and as an organization from Iraq to safety in Europe, delivering a significant blow to Tehrans plans for their annihilation.

G) While highly flawed, the Iran nuclear deal has significantly reduced Tehrans ability to realize its ambitions of obtaining nuclear weapons, at least for the time being.

For the mullahs, this is a defeat far more disastrous than the Iran-Iraq War.

H) The Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), has become a political failure. We are witnessing how international sanctions are taking effect in different methods and may even be expanding. The JCPOA could only be effective under the Obama Doctrine, and Tehran has seen this window of opportunity slammed shut.

I) Rouhanis administration has been nothing but a failure, both politically and economically. He has also lost his main supporters, those being former Iranian president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and influential cleric Abbas Vaezi Tabasi, who died last year.

This defeat was fundamental. In fact, the so-called moderates have reached a dead end after continuously playing an important role in preserving the regime in power.

J) The process of rallying investments in Iran under the mullahs rule is suffering immeasurably. A very large portion of Irans money is wasted in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen.

Moreover, the very structure of the mullahs regime is a major stumbling block in this regard, with no solution in sight. Deep recession, a failing banking system, the government going bankrupt, and financial instability are various fruits of this crisis.

K) The environment in Iran, largely neglected, is reaching a critical point. This is of grave importance, especially an emerging water shortage dilemma linked tightly to political and social tensions.

L) A high percentage of the population is tormented by hunger, with at least 10 million people being unemployed and 20 million living in city outskirts.

How is all this related to Irans presidential election?

The end of Obamas term and the accompanying rapprochement has left the regime in Iran weaker than ever before, creating a slate of dangerous consequences for Tehran.

Iran sees a serious need to first merge all divides amongst its senior ranks, parallel to restructuring its political establishment.

From Khameneis perspective, this is exactly why Ebrahim Raisi, a cleric close to Khamenei, has been brought into this calculation. However, Raisis introduction can be defined as the establishment having no clear solution for the abovementioned crises.

Rouhani going on to a second term would mean the continuation of a failing status quo, while Raisi would be fueling a dangerous flame. The two dont provide two different solutions. In fact, they are merely guards of different doors leading to the regimes epicenter, that being Khamenei.

They both registered as candidates after gaining Khameneis blessing. A legitimate question is to ask who the supreme leader prefers.

No ruling power has much tolerance for partners or rivals. The Iranian regime, however, has no tolerance at all. Considering Irans powder-keg society and the peoples hatred of this regime, Khamenei is forced to tiptoe a tightrope to prevent triggering a new uprising.

To this end, as far as Khamenei is concerned, the best-case scenario would be to have Raisi become president. And one step prior to the worst-case scenario is to have Rouhani continue on to a second term.

However, which scenario will Khamenei be able to materialize remains a guess, especially after Ahmadinejads shocking entry into the campaign. The regimes status domestically and internationally will also influence the outcome.

Rouhani and Raisi merely represent two different regime factions quarrelling over their portion of power and plundering the countrys wealth. Their only dispute is over how to maintain this regime in power, while overlapping extremely on objectives and general policies.

Moreover, the crises riddling this regime from within should not be minimized in regard to the May 19th polls. In fact, these disputes reflect the high-stakes tensions existing between the ruling regime and the people.

These predicaments should also not be viewed merely through an economic perspective, as they pose substantial political threats for the regime in its entirety.
Once again, the confused logic of liberals is almost impossible to comprehend. Take, for instance, the multi-million dollar steel suicide barrier about to be constructed in San Francisco. After 1,600 people, tragically died since 1937 by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge, an obstacle to suicide will soon run the 9,000-ft. length of the bridge.

Whats perplexing is that this compassionate enterprise is taking place in a liberal state where assisted suicide is legal, and where, in 2011, out of 802,400 pregnancies, 184,552, or 23%, ended in abortion.

San Francisco is a city whose majority likely endorses the 3,000 abortions performed every day in America. Yet Bagdad-by-the-Bay plans to spend 211 million in taxpayer dollars to deny one person, every two weeks, the right to choose to do what California law otherwise maintains should hinge solely on personal choice.

In other words, by erecting suicide barriers on the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco liberals, who, for the unborn denounce the right to life, and, for the sick and dying support the right to die, want to inflict life on those who prefer death.

Even still, liberal Californians would probably argue that jumping off a bridge is different because, according to state law, to qualify for death with dignity one must be succumbing to physical, not mental, illness.

Sorry to have to be the one to say it, but, especially in a liberal bastion like San Francisco telling one group, they have a right to die while refusing another that same right smacks of the sort of discrimination liberals usually pride themselves on avoiding.

Nonetheless, if the rationale behind the Golden Gate Bridge safety net were to thwart back alley suicides, maybe a better idea would be to gather up distraught bridge jumpers and shuttle them to a clinic where the downcast could be administered the legal End of Life Option drug secobarbital. After all, ending ones life in a less public place would be tidier, would shield the iconic reputation of the bridge, would spare the U.S. Coast Guard having to spend hot afternoons fishing bloated corpses out of the celebrated city bay, and, most importantly, would safeguard the lefts highly-prized right to choose.

Either way, except for when it comes to limiting things like guns and junk food, liberals typically insist that deterrents fail to work. As a matter of fact, it was San Franciscos Nancy Pelosi who once said that if the GOP denied funding safe and legal abortion, via Obamacare, women would have to resort to rusty hangers and, in turn, die on the floor.

So, if banning abortion doesnt keep women out of back alley clinics, how does Nancy explain her contention that curtailing the legal Second Amendment will save 90 lives a day? Or, more germane to the Golden Gate Bridge conversation, how does steel suspended from a bridge keep those desperate enough to end it all from finding another bridge?

Notwithstanding the belief that gun control and suicide nets impede fatalities, when it comes to building a wall on the border, liberals like Pelosi argue that physical restrictions do nothing to prevent dangerous immigrants from entering the US illegally. Meanwhile, in 2015, a woman named Kate Steinle died on a San Francisco pier after she was shot to death by an illegal felon named Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez who, despite being deported five times, repeatedly snuck back across the southern border.

The stunning contradiction here is that this tragedy took place in a Sanctuary City where liberals who claim that walls do not stop illegal felons are now stringing up a steel barrier to stop suicides.

Thats why, even though San Francisco has strict gun laws, and thanks to their backing of open borders, a bullet from a .40-caliber handgun, stolen from a U.S. Bureau of Land Management ranger, ricocheted off a sidewalk, entered Steinles back, and severed the 32-year-olds aorta.

Recently, at the Golden Gate Bridge Suicide Deterrent Commemoration Ceremony, Democratic Leader, Catholic-abortion-supporter, and open-borders-advocate Nancy Pelosi had this to say about the steel suicide barrier:

What a bittersweet day. The joy of the prospect of saving lives, the sadness of those weve lost. The Golden Gate Bridge is a source of immense pride in the Bay Area, but for far too many families it has also been a place of pain. We are honoring a deep moral responsibility to save lives whenever and wherever we can.

Likewise, for those yet to be born, Nancy Pelosi also honors a deep moral responsibility to ensure pre-born bridge jumpers never make it out of the womb alive.

Under the banner of choice, when not hindering suicide, San Francisco continues to feverishly abort human beings and dispense legal euthanasia drugs and does so while refusing to enforce laws necessary to protect the likes of those who, if given the choice, would have chosen to live.

Jeannie hosts a blog at www.jeannie-ology.com
I'm in a Georgia hotel room with my wife Mary. We're here from Florida, campaigning to stop Jon Ossoff, the Democrat Trojan horse leftist candidate from taking the GOP congressional seat.

This weekend, I watched Netflix on my computer; a documentary, "Night Will Fall." It chronicled the unbelievable inhumanity in the Nazi death camps. Oh my gosh, I was not prepared for what I saw. Even now, I am welling up just thinking about it. How could human beings do what the Nazis did to other human beings? There were warehouses filled with huge sacks of human hair, large piles of human teeth and eye glasses of Jews they murdered or starved to death; hills made of hundreds of thousands of skin and bone dead bodies. How could they? Dear Lord Jesus, how could they?

It occurred to me. This is a glaring example of what happens when one group of people believe the lives of another group of people do not matter. And yet, this is exactly what the deplorable satanic organization, Black Lives Matter is advocating. BLM minions are outraged whenever anyone dares to say "all lives matter."

Remember when BLM stormed the stage demanding that Democrat presidential candidate Martin O'Malley apologize for saying all lives matter? O'Malley shamefully pandered to evil by apologizing.

Illustrating the danger of such thinking, black youths are playing the "knockout game" and "polar bear hunting." The goal of both games is to deliver such a powerful punch to an unsuspecting white person that you knock them out with a single blow. Black youths proudly post videos of their attacks on YouTube in which white seniors and women are knocked out.

These black youths feel justified because they have been taught by BLM, fake news media, and Democrats that white lives do not matter.

I remind you again that BLM declared an open season on killing whites and cops.

Clearly, BLM's message that white lives do not matter is resonating. Whites are being raped, beaten and murdered; an epidemic of police assassinations.

BLM thugs raped and murdered a white girl, then fed her to alligators.

Seventeen BLM activists doused a white girl with gasoline and burned her alive. A white man begged for mercy while BLM thugs beat and dragged him in Charlotte, NC. In Texas, a white veteran was hospitalized, severely beaten by BLM. Black flash mobs attacked white families at a state fair and malls. A black mob beat a 61-year-old white man in Baltimore.

The common thread connecting these attacks is the belief that white lives do not matter.

I call out all Democrat politicians and media who prop up and help promote Black Lives Matter to stop it. BLM is nothing more than a leftist terrorist group, well-paid to wreak havoc in our streets solely for political gain. Democrats, fake news media, and Hollywood have blood on their hands. They should be ashamed of themselves. I realize I sound like a grandmother saying that, but it is true.

Ask yourselves -- why does BLM only care about a black life when it is taken by a white person? Meanwhile, BLM refuses to address and even attacks anyone who addresses record-breaking black-on-black murders happening in cities controlled by Democrats for decades.

My brother and sister Americans, we cannot put up with Leftists' evil divisiveness any longer. It is time for all decent Americans to just say no to Black Lives Matter.

The Nazi death camps are evidence of the horrific consequences of nurturing the Godless lie that all lives do not matter.

Lloyd Marcus, The Unhyphenated American

Author: Confessions of a Black Conservative: How the Left has shattered the dreams of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Black America.

Singer/Songwriter and Conservative Activist
The United States should stop arming the world. We should stop arming rebels, moderate rebels, freedom fighters, opposition forces, insurgencies, regimes, and most -- if not all -- nation states. These armaments spill American blood and the blood of people unrelated to the fray in which we picked sides. It is easier to act with moral clarity and mission purpose while striking military bases than while arming strangers.

President Obama shipped pallets of unmarked bills to our enemy, and lied about it, right around the time social-media campaigns began dubbing his the scandal-free presidency. United States companies selling equipment and chemicals that end up in the hands of dictators like Slobodan Milosevic and Kim Jung-un is grim. The U.S. government arming people who seem to have a righteous cause, but then sell the weapons to third parties who may have no such thing, is dreadful.

In Iraq

Gulmurod Khalimov, a top Minister of War ISIS commander, was trained by the U.S. State Department, and not in some murky Cold-War past, but as recently as 2014. This has been confirmed multiple times, including to CNN by State Department spokeswoman, Pooja Jhunjhunwala:

From 2003-2014 Colonel Khalimov participated in five counterterrorism training courses in the United States and in Tajikistan, through the Department of State's Diplomatic Security/Anti-Terrorism Assistance program.

Now the State Department has a three-million-dollar bounty on his head.

The NPR interviewees and hack politicians who overestimate the value of nuance always talk about the "complexity of the situation on the ground, assuming that figuring it out is possible and our responsibility. But they are correct in that the situation on the ground is always complex  too complex to predict. Whoever approved the shipment of 3,000+ armored Humvees to Iraq either knew that ISIS would get 2,300 of them, and should be hanged, or did not know ISIS would get them, and has demonstrated that even in microcosms with a strong U.S. presence, the fate of weapons cannot be predicted one year out.

In Afghanistan

There are decades of history of the U.S. and Russia arming factions in Afghanistan. So much so, the definition of proxy war in the Oxford Dictionary includes this sentence: "The west pumped in aid and loans to buy weapons -- from western arms manufacturers -- to fight the proxy war against Soviet-backed rebel groups."

Currently, the United States and Afghan forces are fighting a Taliban that has traded in its Russian AK-47s for U.S. M-16s. We gave thousands of M-16s to Afghan security forces, but they sell them to the Taliban, even though they are fighting the Taliban. Call it non-accidental friendly fire. One Afghan army colonel, who asked to be identified only by his last name, Ahmadzai, said entire groups of soldiers manning various checkpoints have sold their weapons and ammunition to the insurgents. And Taliban commanders say theres a thriving black market for US-supplied guns that even includes dealers from neighboring Iran.

In Syria

Democrat Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard with CNN's Jake Tapper on Jan 25th 2017:

Ill tell you what I heard from the Syrian people that I met with walking down the streets in Aleppo happiness and joy at seeing an American walking through their street they said, why is it that the United States, its allies, and other countries, are providing support, are providing arms, to terrorist groups like Al Nusra, Al Quaeda, Ahrar al-Sham, ISIS, who are on the ground there raping, kidnaping, and killing?  Why is the United States and its allies supporting these terrorist groups that are destroying Syria?  There are no moderate rebels. Who are these moderate rebels that people keep speaking of?

Or, as Donald Trump put it to the Wall Street Journal shortly after the election, Now were backing rebels against Syria, and we have no idea who these people are.

In Yemen

There is a war between President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, backed by Saudi Arabia, and Houthi insurgents armed by Iran. After a Saudi attack on Yemens capital killed 140 civilians in October 2016, the State Department halted a $390-million sale of arms to Saudi Arabia. $390 million is 0.67% of the $58 billion worth of arms we sold to them between 2009 and 2015. We really put our foot down. Trump will not stop selling weapons to the Saudis; neither would Hillary Clinton. Weapons we sell to the Saudis will disperse and one day be used against us, or some other group we are backing.

These are a few examples of the absurdity and darkness, and we didn't discuss the Libyan Jihadis we armed, the 2,000 guns of the Fast and Furious operation that were sent to Mexico, the implications of lifting the arms embargo with Vietnam, or the billions worth of equipment we gift to Egypt, which according to Forbes, has been used to kill tourists.

George Orwells most profound warnings were not about the surveillance state, but about perversions of political language. Is moderate rebel one such perversion? Can one moderately demand assault rifles for guerrilla street war? Maybe -- if moderate is relative to rape camps and beheadings. Arming moderates seems defensible, except that the greater evil they are fighting may also be using our weapons. We know the promise of beneficent ends does not necessarily justify violent means. Also the reverse is true: means that seem justified in one situation cannot be continued as doctrine if they lead to unexpected and terrible ends.

To those who blame America for all the planets woes: wouldn't you favor a world less full of Lockheed Martin death machines? To those who claim to put America first: can you justify supplying munitions that may be used against us, even once, and paying for the privilege? To progressives who regurgitate in the afternoon the memes they are fed in the morning: do you know that your political heroes are gunrunners?

The balefulness of our arms dealing is obscured by its sheer prevalence, as though the world can operate no other way. We don't want other countries to expand their influence, but whats the nature of our influence and what good has it done us? If violence is intrinsic to man, and wars will be fought regardless, then let them be fought with less sophisticated arms. Clearly, we are not reducing the violence of the world, and its not worth the money, the taxpayer money, or the money arms manufactures rake in. When we fight, let us fight with better weapons than our enemy, not advanced ones we gave them. Let America try to light the world, and in battle, take the high ground.
Easter weekend is a time of peace for most of us  quiet reflection on the meaning of faith and a time to spend with family.

Unless you happen to live in Chicago.

In an 18-hour period from Saturday night into Easter Sunday, 28 Chicagoans fell victim to gun violence. Authorities say there was only one fatality. But most of the shootings were targeted at people just milling around, not bothering anyone, when, out of the blue, they found themselves victims of Chicago's out-of-control violence.

Chicago Tribune:

Several of the attacks also injured multiple victims as gunmen opened fire on groups of people. Two shootings that occurred in the Chatham and Back of the Yards neighborhoods each injured three people. Anderson, whose address was not known, was killed in the Douglas Park neighborhood was shot in the head and back and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:57 p.m., according to police and the Cook County medical examiner's office. In the same shooting, a 19-year-old man was shot in the hand and also taken to Mount Sinai, where his condition was stabilized. The truck driver, who grew up on the same block, said he didnt know the victims and thought they lived in a different neighborhood. He said he heard rapid-fire shots before police came. Another man who was a DJ at a party on the block said he heard as many as 20 gunshots. Police had made arrests in incidents in East Ukrainian Village and Lakeview, but none of the others. In the East Ukrainian Village shooting around 6 a.m., a 32-year-old man was walking in the 1100 block of North Ashland Avenue when someone in a passing car fired shots before fleeing, police said. The man walked into a nearby fire station and was transported to Stroger Hospital in good condition. Officers nearby saw the shooting and pulled over the driver three blocks away for an arrest in connection with the incident, police said. Officers found a weapon and spent shell casings inside the man's silver SUV.

The Tribune published the complete list of incidents of wounded residents, including:

A 27-year-old man was driving east in the 9700 block of South Genoa Avenue in Longwood Manor when someone in a black SUV fired shots, striking him. The man drove himself to Little Company of Mary Hospital and was transferred to Advocate Christ Medical Center in serious condition with gunshot wounds to the chest, back, and left arm.

A 17-year-old girl was shot in the right leg in the 6900 block of South Artesian Avenue in the Lithuanian Plaza neighborhood about 11:40 p.m. She was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where her condition was stabilized. The girl was walking in an alley with a small group of people when someone inside a dark-colored vehicle fired several shots before fleeing.

Earlier, three people were shot about 11 p.m. in the 600 block of East 79th Street in the Chatham neighborhood. A 46-year-old man and a 26-year-old man were shot multiple times, and they were taken in serious condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center and Northwestern Memorial Hospital, respectively. A third man, 25, was shot multiple times and taken to Stroger Hospital in stable condition. The men were standing on the sidewalk when a man came up and opened fire.

Just 15 minutes earlier, three people were shot in the 5100 block of South Wood Street in the Back of the Yards neighborhood about 9:20 p.m. A 20-year-old man was shot in the left ankle, and a 23-year-old man was shot in the right hand. Both of them were taken to Holy Cross Hospital in good condition. The third man, 29, was shot in the abdomen and taken to St. Bernard Hospital in serious condition. The men told police they were standing outside when they heard shots and felt pain.

Urban terrorism is the only way to describe it. People don't expect to be shot just standing around doing nothing. In a matter of seconds, many of the victims' lives are changed forever  a result of living in a city that has failed to fulfill the number-one function of government: protect its citizens.

It's safe to say that not all the victims were gang members or involved in gang activity. Their "crime" was living in a gang-infested neighborhood, where sitting in your living room can result in a stray ricochet killing or wounding anyone in the house.

Americans shouldn't have to live as though they're in the middle of a war zone. But that's what living in Chicago has become.
President Trump's top counterterrorism adviser, Sebastian Gorka, has been the victim of quite a few dirty tricks from the Alinskyite left.

Last month, there was a false report from an actual Nazi who had never met Gorka claiming that Gorka had sworn allegiance to them, along with a scurrilous claim that a pin Gorka was wearing was Nazi stuff. That fell flat fast. Turns out the pin was an emblem of his father, who was a noted Hungarian Freedom Fighter (this is where the original term "freedom fighter" comes from) who resisted Soviet tanks in 1956. Gorka issued a denial about the fake claim, and Gorka's Jewish friends as well as the Jerusalem Post called the claims for the lies they were.

It didn't stop the left. This month, they published heavily doctored tapes claiming that Gorka was a Nazi, which were called out as "shoddy journalism" by disinterested people who don't even know Gorka, as well as an Alinskyite attack. To me, it resembled Soviet desinformatsiya. If anything, Gorka came out looking even more impressive when the full tape was located, showing him to be someone who, with no prompting, does and says the right thing for its own sake. The bottom line, once again, is that Gorka is not anti-Semitic, he's not anti-Jewish, and there is considerable evidence he's proactively a good friend of Israel.

Incredibly, this hasn't stopped the lies. It's one thing if a far-left blog full of ignorant trolls does it, but one of the big perpetrators is former Obama White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes, tweeting and retweeting the false "narrative" (his specialty) about Dr. Sebastian Gorka as if these scurrilous claims were facts.

On April 15, Rhodes wrote:

Gorka is affiliated with anti-Semitic paramilitary groups and Nazi sympathizers. despite those revelations he still works at the WH. Why? https://t.co/5tCvdAVBRv  Ben Rhodes (@brhodes) April 16, 2017

There's not a drop of truth in Rhodes's tweet that Gorka was a Nazi. Yet this person, who is supposed to have held a high level of power in the U.S. establishment on a non-partisan basis, is stooping to the lowest, craziest attacks on his White House successors. It's unprofessional as hell.

It's bad enough that he's treading into libel lawsuit territory, but without speculating on that, let's look at the mindset of such an unprofessional person  who, as an aside, was closely affiliated with former NSC adviser Susan Rice, who has been caught red-handed using U.S. raw intelligence reports to spy on political rivals.

Rhodes, according to our sources, is pretty much the spearhead of Deep State attacks on the Trump presidency. He is said to be bitter about Hillary Clinton's loss and spends his time attacking the new Trump administration. Asked about the unseemly harshness of the attacks, one after another, on individuals  one of whom is Gorka  he has told our source that he doesn't think his nonstop attacks are unfair at all, though our source does. Rhodes told him "they did it to us, they did it to us," presumably in reference to Republican criticisms.

Known among members of the press as a "twerp" (even by the Washington Post) and a "flim-flam man," Rhodes was a creative writing major whose main accomplishment, at least when he was hired, was being the brother of CBS president David Rhodes. As a specialist in creative writing, he cooked up "narratives" for the Obama administration and made himself valuable. Two of his biggest whoppers were the infamous Benghazi talking points and his open admission of deception on the Iran deal. Besides his time with the mullahs, he spent considerable time with the Castros out of some sort of worshipful leftist obsession and was one of the few U.S. officials who went to Fidel Castro's funeral. He was never able to get a U.S. security clearance  a surprising development, given that the bar for that was so low during the Obama years. The White House refused to answer congressional questions about it.

According to Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), in an interview with the Washington Free Beacon:

What did the FBI find that led them to suggest Ben Rhodes be denied a security clearance? Why was Ben Rhodes the only applicant out of 187 to be rejected for an interim security clearance? Why did he go on to become the president's most trusted foreign policy advisor?" Franks asked. "We need to know this information in order to judge Mr. Rhodes' legacy as a senior foreign policy adviser, and protect the integrity of our security clearance processes.

Someone with a past as apparently unsavory as Rhodes's would be very likely to project his failures and shady past onto others. The blameless Dr. Gorka is just his latest target. It's astonishing that Rhodes continues to get away with it, using his public influence to spread not opinions, but lies.

Is there anything to be done about his behavior? Maybe it will take a lawsuit to find out. In the meantime, it's an appalling scenario that is likely to cost him his reputation in the long run.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is claiming victory in a referendum that gives him extraordinary new powers.

The vote  much closer than many anticipated  makes Erdogan a virtual dictator. Turkey, previously a nominal parliamentary democracy, will now embrace a presidential system of government, granting the chief executive the power to issue decrees and exercise authority previously reserved for the legislature.

CNN:

Voters were asked to endorse an 18-article reform package put forward by the ruling Justice and Development Party that would replace the current system of parliamentary democracy with a powerful executive presidency. "God willing, these results will be the beginning of a new era in our country," Erdogan said at a news conference Sunday night, explaining that unofficial totals indicated the "yes" votes had prevailed in the referendum by about 1.3 million ballots, while Anadolu pegged it at closer to 1.14 million. Several groups fighting in Syria tweeted their congratulations to Turkey, and according to Anadolu, Azerbaijani, Palestinian, Qatari, Pakistani, Hungarian, Macedonian, Saudi, Sudanese and Kenyan leaders passed along congratulatory messages to Turkey's Foreign Ministry. Shortly before Prime Minister Binali Yldrm declared a victory for Erdogan, thousands converged in celebration at the Ankara headquarters of the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, that Erdogan founded. The revelers danced, sang, chanted, lit flares, honked their car horns and waved Turkish flags along with white flags saying, "Evet"  Turkish for yes  which appeared to be the way the majority of voters cast their ballots. Many in attendance saw the referendum's result as an important message for the world, not just the nation. Wasin Yalcin, 24, said the vote represented "a new hope for us to get rid of foreign forces," while Yusuf Basaran, 20, said he believed "Europe's spine has cracked. This referendum will be the most effective thing in the rebirth of the Ottoman Empire." Added Aysel Can, a member of the AKP's women's branch, "For a strong Islamic state, for a strong Middle East, Turkey had to switch to this executive presidency system. This is a message to the world to shut up; Turkey is getting stronger. America has to know this, too. We are the voice, we are the ears, we are everything for the Middle East."

It's hard to overstate the incredible transformation of Turkey over the last decade under Erdogan's rule. The country has gone from a secular democracy to a full-blown Islamist state. Erdogan has cleansed the bureaucracy, the army, cultural institutions, and politics of the last vestiges of secularism that was the hallmark of Turkish society since the end of World War I. The army, former guarantor of this secularism, has been purged and remade in the image of Erdogan's notion of "Islamist democracy."

Erdogan used the failed coup of last July as an excuse to deliver the coup de grace to any opposition to his rule. Tens of thousands remain under arrest or were fired from their jobs. It only remained for the Turkish people to supply the death blow.

Now there is an Islamist government in the heart of Europe in one of the most strategically located countries on Earth, with a large, well trained modern army armed with the latest NATO weapons. The referendum victory gives Erdogan enormous leverage with NATO and the U.S. Quite simply, the U.S. will have a hard time fighting ISIS and blunting Iranian ambitions without the cooperation of Turkey.

This is a strategic setback of the first order for NATO and U.S. security interests.
Among the horde of Republicans running in the Georgia 6th special election, Amy Kremer is by far the true conservative We the People candidate. Through grassroots and the Tea Party, Amy worked her way to national relevance and influence. Amy played a powerful role in electing Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, Allen West, and other faithful conservatives.

Despite her impressive resume, Amy lacks a political establishment pedigree. Like Trump, Amy is considered an outsider, not willing to play "sell out the voters" ball with the big guys. Consequently, Amy's campaign has been undermined.

Folks, I have been an activist in the Tea Party movement from its beginning. After Rick Santelli's 2009 rant leading to the Tea Party insurrection, Amy Kremer was a mom who helped to plan hundreds of April 15 Tea Party rallies.

It was an exciting time  an amazing grassroots spontaneous phenomenon. Huge crowds showed up at Tea Party rallies, attracting worldwide media attention. Some people jumped on the Tea Party bandwagon because they saw an opportunity for fame and riches. Over the years, I have seen patriot pretenders come and go, crash and burn.

Fake news media did everything in their power to destroy the movement by branding us a bunch of redneck racists against the black president. I thought it unwise to aid leftists' negative branding by writing about insincere Tea Party opportunists. I kept my pen targeted at defeating our real nemesis: liberal Democrats and their media operatives.

Amy Kremer has remained faithful to the principles and values we shared since day one of the Tea Party movement. She has grown even more passionate about urging the GOP to have the courage to deliver for We the People.

One would assume that Republicans would rally behind and celebrate Amy's passionate commitment to honoring the Constitution, conservatism, and making America great again. Such is not the case.

Like Trump, all our patriot sister Amy Kremer has in her corner cheering her on are you and I  We the People.

Lloyd Marcus, The Unhyphenated American

Author: Confessions of a Black Conservative: How the Left has shattered the dreams of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Black America

Singer/Songwriter and Conservative Activist
As if things weren't dicey enough in Korean waters with an American carrier group looming off the coast of North Korea ready to strike if Kim makes a provocative move, Russian and Chinese intelligence ships are also in the area, apparently keeping an eye on the Americans.

Associated Press:

China and Russia have dispatched intelligence-gathering vessels from their navies to chase the USS Carl Vinson nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, which is heading toward waters near the Korean Peninsula, multiple sources of the Japanese government revealed to The Yomiuri Shimbun. It appears that both countries aim to probe the movements of the United States, which is showing a stance of not excluding military action against North Korea. The Self-Defense Forces are strengthening warning and surveillance activities in the waters and airspace around the area, according to the sources. The aircraft carrier strike group, composed of the Carl Vinson at its core with guided-missile destroyers and other vessels, is understood to be around the East China Sea and heading north toward waters near the Korean Peninsula. China and Russia, which prioritize stability in the Korean Peninsula, showed concern over the tough U.S. stance, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov saying the issue should be resolved peacefully through political and diplomatic efforts. The dispatch of the intelligence-gathering vessels appears to be partly aimed at sending a warning signal to the United States. Following the 105th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung, North Korea's founding father, on April 15, North Korea will celebrate the 85th anniversary of the foundation of its military on April 25. It maintains the stance that it intends to conduct its first nuclear test since September last year, which would be its sixth test, and test-launch intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Russian and Chinese ships keeping an eye on the American carrier is not necessarily provocative  unless they get too close for comfort. There isn't much chance of a confrontation, although the possibility of accidents happening cannot be dismissed.

The fact is, "political and diplomatic efforts" to convince North Korea to halt its aggressive and provocative nuclear and ICBM programs have been tried for the last 20 years and failed. Besides, Russia and China are not disinterested players. They may not like the idea of a nuclear-armed North Korea, but they approve of using the Kim regime as a way to keep the U.S. off balance in the region. North Korea as a nuclear wild card does not threaten the interests of either China or Russia. But it does worry Washington, which suits them just fine.

The their gamesmanship is moving into dangerous territory. The U.S. is trying to impress on both powers the extraordinary seriousness with which we take the North Korean threat. The window to take action to prevent the North from achieving the capability of launching missile strikes against U.S. allies is rapidly closing. Do we allow a murderous, paranoid regime to have that capability? Or do we do something about it?

President Trump says China wants to help rein in the North Korean nuclear program. Just how helpful will the Chinese be in this effort? If they want a peaceful solution to the crisis, they are going to have to do a lot more than what they have previously shown.
The University of California-Davis's student senate voted to allow the removal of the American flag from its meetings.

Saying "patriotism is different for every individual," the senate voted to make displaying the flag optional.

Any idiot can see where this is headed.

Fox Insider:

Pete Hegseth pointed out that the senate appeared to say that there would be instances where the flag's presence was inappropriate. "We've got patriotism triggering people now," Campus Reform reporter Cabot Phillips remarked. In a statement, Student Senator Jose Antonio Meneses further clarified that the flag was not banned from meetings, but only had its mandated presence lifted. Phillips said the vote was not an isolated incident, recalling a situation in New Mexico where a student was forced to remove a flag from his dormitory window.

Does anyone doubt that some snowflake will call for the flag's removal? The student senate thought they were being clever in hiding their intent behind sophistry, but if there isn't at least one member of that body who will complain about displaying the flag, I'll be shocked.

The problem isn't so much that one or two people will object to displaying the flag. It's that there will be intimidation to force others to go along with it. That's the true fascism on the loose on college campuses  the forced acceptance of a minority viewpoint through intimidation and threatened ostracizing of anyone who disagrees.

Anyone who feels uncomfortable about a national symbol that has stood as a beacon of liberty and freedom for the truly oppressed people of the world is probably too sensitive to survive outside a university setting. Most of them will be unable to live on their own and will end up living with their parents or marrying someone who will be forced to care for them.
Last Tuesday, there was a special election in Kansas with no incumbents, and the Republican won only by 8%. As a result, the media gave the standard warning that Republicans had better worry about 2018. These warnings have occurred continuously since at least 2006, when Democrats took over the U.S. House and Senate, and will certainly kick into high gear if Republicans lose the open seat in Georgia soon.

I remember that after the 2008 election, when Obama won and Democrats held on to the House and Senate, the media and others warned Republicans that they had better move left, or they would never win again. Instead the Republicans moved right with the formation of the Tea Party and won over 600 seats nationwide in 2010. Not once did I hear the media say Democrats must move right in future elections. Most of the media reports indicated that the reason Democrats lost was because they didn't get their message out.

Obama won again in 2012, but Republicans continued to pick up seats nationwide, and again Republicans were warned that they had better moderate and move left, because demographics are changing, or they would never win the presidency again.

In 2014, the Democrats got their clock cleaned nationwide, including in the U.S Senate, and again I did not hear many in the media say Democrats had better move their policies to the right.

When I was doing research for this article, I found what I consider an extremely amusing article by NPR in March 2016 giving what they believed to be the main reasons Democrats had lost over 1,000 seats nationwide since Obama took office. The article is titled "Why the Democratic Party got crushed during the Obama Presidency." They gave four main reasons: 1) There are two different electorates in America. (It would certainly be much easier for Democrats and the media to win if there was only a Democratic Party.) 2) Bad luck. (It is obviously bad luck that the public has so many more sources to get information from than it used to.) 3) Democrats don't care about state and local elections. (This has to be the biggest joke. The NPR reporters should come to Illinois to see how hard and dirty Speaker Madigan plays to keep independent redistricting maps and term limits off the ballot to maintain his over 30-year reign, and they should investigate how Obama was able to get in-the-tank judges to unseal records of two political opponents. Of course, Democrats and the media pretend they are against personal destruction.) 4) Too many Democrats live in cities. (Maybe they could redistribute Democrats to rural areas and small and midsize towns to teach those hicks who cling to their religion and guns the proper way to vote, that government dependency works so well.)

Does anyone notice what is missing? The NPR reporters obviously can't understand why anyone would oppose Democrat policies, so that is never the reason Democrats lose. The taxpayers should obviously stop funding NPR and PBS, because they are essentially an arm of the Democratic Party. They should be funded by the DNC and Democrats, whom they support.

In 2016, we continually heard that Trump would lose and that the U.S. House and U.S. Senate were at risk along with governorships. The Democrats, including the media, were wrong on all counts, so what were the reasons we have heard from Hillary, Democrats, and the media as to why the predictions were wrong? This time, it was the collusion by the Russians and WikiLeaks. Women didn't vote right, and maybe Donna Brazile didn't give Hillary enough answers.

Again, no one is blaming the Democrats' far-left policies of expanding the power of government while reducing individual freedoms. The public just doesn't like the government continually taking more money and power. The reason the media and Democrats don't see that is because they have groupthink. They mostly hang around with and get advice from people who agree with them.

Almost all polls taken are overpopulated with Democrats, even though that is not the way the public votes or thinks. By skewing the polls, the media get the results they want. It is surprising that Trump is in the upper 30s with the amount of trashing he takes each day. Rasmussen has had Trump in the mid-40s to mid-50s since he was elected (on Monday, he was at 50%), but the AP, major networks, USA Today, the WaPo, and the NYT won't report that, because it doesn't match their agenda.

I believe that a poll should be conducted with the following question: do you think men should be allowed in a locker room or restroom with your grandmother, mother, wife, girlfriend, daughter, or granddaughter? My guess is that over 80% of the public would say no, which is why the question will never be asked. I believe that if the question were put to blacks, Muslims, Jews, union workers, and women (all Democrat voters), the results would be the same. Yet the media will respect politicians who boycott North Carolina while gladly doing business with Iran, Cuba, and other countries that truly mistreat gays and women. They will treat politicians who agree with the majority of the public about women's privacy as extremists.

Republicans should remember never to listen to the media, Hollywood, or Democrats when these groups give advice on how they should vote on policies, because no matter how much they moderate or kiss up, the media and Democrats won't vote for them. An example is John McCain. They respected him before 2008, when he was a "maverick" Republican, and they trashed him when he ran against Obama. They did not care at all what he said during Obama's eight years, but now they like him again. It is a shame that he doesn't realize that the media and Democrats are using him.

If the Republicans move left to join the Democrats, they are worthless. They should always stay faithful to the principle that the government should work for the people, not the other way around.
Open borders advocates are concerned with President Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration. But the fact is, the U.S. government doesn't even have to lift a finger to drastically reduce the flow of illegals across our border.

Nothing is more illustrative of this point than the decision by tens of thousands of Haitians who are waiting to make the trip north to the U.S. from South America. The change in U.S. policy toward illegals has stopped 97% of them from making the attempt to enter.

Washington Times:

Not only had the Obama administration begun deporting Haitians after a six-year humanitarian pause, but President Trump also had just been elected, presaging an even tougher policy. Many of those en route, such as the hundreds staged at migrant camps in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, figured they had gone that far and had little to lose by trying to finish the journey north. But for the tens of thousands of Haitians in Brazil, Chile and elsewhere in South America who had been planning to journey north, the news was devastating. In a matter of weeks, the northward stream of people dried up. It is one of the biggest among a plethora of success stories from the southwestern border, where illegal immigration appears to have nearly dried up in the two months since Mr. Trump took office. Six months ago, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers manning the ports of entry were encountering more than 100 Haitians a day. By March, only weeks into Mr. Trump's tenure, that had dropped to just 100 for the entire month  down a stunning 97 percent. Rep. Duncan Hunter, a California Republican who was one of the first to expose the surge of Haitians last year and has tracked the issue since, said all it took was a commitment of enforcement to stem the flow. "The fact that these numbers are not just down, but so significantly reduced, is a direct credit to the Trump administration," said Joe Kasper, Mr. Hunter's chief of staff. "It shows what a message of enforcement first signals to the rest of the world and the extent to which the Obama administration's policies were a problem." "We did everything we could to warn the Obama administration about the seriousness of the problem it created and a solution that centered on strong leadership and good decision-making. They were willfully deaf to it all," Mr. Kasper said. "Now we're seeing a change in approach and results, all of it without passing a single piece of legislation or providing new authorities." The changes go well beyond Haitians. The number of "inadmissible" migrants showing up at U.S. ports of entry and demanding to be let in has dropped from more than 20,000 in October to about 4,400 in March, a cut of nearly 80 percent. And the number of illegal immigrants nabbed while trying to sneak into the U.S. between the ports is down from more than 46,000 in October to a little more than 12,000 last month.

To state the obvious, you don't have to deport people who never cross the border. Of course, the stats won't please open border advocates. They don't believe that the U.S. should enforce its sovereignty under any circumstances  even though the other 188 countries in the world with strict border controls see it differently from how they do.

For all the agitation on both sides of the immigration debate, it is the powerful psychological effect of making it clear that the U.S. government has changed its policies and that there is close to zero tolerance for those who break the law in seeking a new life in America.

If you want to come, get in line, fill out the paperwork, and wait your turn. That's a message we should have been sending for the last 30 years or more.
Just how close was the Kansas special congressional election won by GOP candidate Bob Estes?

If you read the media the following day, you might have thought Estes's 8-point victory was "razor close," or it "threw a scare" into Republicans.

President Trump pushed back against that notion with a series of tweets.

Politico:

President Donald Trump on Sunday night accused news organizations of downplaying the special congressional election in Kansas after the Republican candidate won  and suggested the same will happen in the upcoming Georgia special election. "The recent Kansas election [Congress] was a really big media event, until the Republicans won," he tweeted. "Now they play the same game with Georgia-BAD!" Interest was high in the recent race in Kansas and the upcoming one in Georgia because they represented unexpectedly close battles for House seats long and easily held by Republicans. In last week's race, Democrat James Thompson lost to Republican Kansas Treasurer Ron Estes by about 7 percentage points in the heavily Republican Fourth District. They were vying to replace Mike Pompeo, Trump's CIA director. Pompeo and Trump had both won the district easily in November.

For the record, Estes's 8-point victory in the district exceeded the GOP win margin of Governor Brownback in 2016. Nobody was talking about Republicans being in trouble at that time.

The facts  as any high school student interested in politics could tell you  contradict the Democrat and media narrative of the special election. Democrats have whipped up their supporters into a frenzy of hate against Donald Trump, making them far more likely to vote in an off-year contest. In fact, an argument could be made that the Democrat candidate, James Thompson, actually underperformed, given the turnout of about 25% and the lackluster campaign run by Estes.

Democrats are salivating at the prospect of winning the Georgia special election to fill the seat vacated by HHS secretary Tom Price. But the illusion here is perhaps even more pronounced. There is only one serious Democrat candidate, Tom Ossoff, running against a dozen Republicans. If no candidate receives 50% of the vote, a runoff will be held in May.

Ossoff has raised an astonishing $8 million, mostly from outside the state. And yet he stands at only 39% in the polls. If the Republican candidate in the lead, Karen Handel, can unite the party, Ossoff will be swamped in the runoff election.

For a media narrative to be effective, it must contain a germ of truth. In both special elections, it appears that Democrats are failing to meet that standard.
They say timing is everything. This year, North Korea's Kim Jong-un's "Day of the Sun" parade to celebrate the birthday of North Korea's founder and show off North Korea's Musudan missile ended up heralding North Korea's sixth failed missile/nuclear test. It coincided with Passover Week and Holy Week's Saturday Easter Vigil (both Catholic and Orthodox) celebrations around the world.

By Easter Sunday morning, Kim Jong-un's party had ended but was not over. The U.S. Pacific Command was still in place. And China supposedly had terminated North Korea's coal imports, among other reported conciliatory concessions, ever since China's visiting leader, Xi Jinping, enjoyed "the most beautiful piece of chocolate cake that you've ever seen" at the Xi-Trump Mar-a-Lago summit.

Kim wasn't the only one who got trumped by Trump over a crucial interval. By Sunday, the mainstream media could have shared stories of their own with Kim.

Start with the not to be missed news conference with Conan Nolan (Los Angeles KNBC4 local news) featuring Congressman Ed Royce, chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, referencing the existing North Korea Sanctions Act to pre-empt North Korea selling fissile material and parts. That wasn't good news for Kim.

Next up, @CNNSOTU: Congressman Royce cited specific sanctions to effectively impose on North Korea, this time with Jake Tapper: "Shut down any foreign banks doing any kind of business in hard currency with North Korea"  and, Royce deftly added, "some 10 Chinese banks." That wasn't good news for Xi.

Oh, wait  the analysts must have their say. Easter Sunday morning is the perfect time for CNN to bash the United States Navy & United States military, especially its commander-in-chief. Six minutes into their idle chitchat, when Jake's producer suddenly cues Jake to check the Twitterverse...say what?! The tweeter-in-chief was tweeting his own personal message worldwide, live from Florida, serving up the second "most beautiful piece of chocolate cake you've ever seen."

Jake, Xi, and Kim were left to eat that cake.
When Peter Bellerby couldnt find the perfect handmade globe for his fathers 80th birthday, he took matters into his own hands. He decided he would create two globes from scratchone for his father and one for himself.

After all how difficult can it be to make a ball and put a map on it?, he wondered.

But making a globe is extremely difficult, as Bellerby found out. Correctly applying the little strips of the map, called gores, onto the spheres itself took eighteen months to perfect. Some of the poorly constructed models Bellerby found had overlapping gores that wiped out entire countries, or had latitude lines that were drawn straight across the map with a ruler. Bellerby wasnt prepared to settle on such poor quality finish. Today he runs Bellerby & Co Globemakers out of a London Studio. They are one of only two workshops in the world that still make modern hand-painted artisanal globes.

When Bellerby first started making globes, he had to license a map from a reputable source. But Bellerby found out that the maps were not reliable.

It had incorrect capitals, most of the names in the Middle East were either rubbish or incorrectly spelled or positioned. Don't let me start on the Aral Sea, he said.

Over the course of a year, Bellerby and his assistants spent at least six hours per day redesigning the map using Adobe Illustrator, a piece of software that he describes as not so difficult and compares it to how intuitive basic internet and the email are to his parents.

In the end we changed everything.

Once the map was made, he found a friend who created a program to morph the rectangular map into gores so that it fit onto a sphere.

The sphere itself proved to be another source of trouble.

I found several companies prepared to make a 50cm sphere mould, but the moulds were neither round, often had plateaus on and were far from accurate. Now the actual globe is not exactly round, but thats not really the point. In the end we have relied on Formula 1 fabricators to make our moulds. The reason being that when you have a tolerance (error) on a sphere, you might as well multiply this by Pi (3.14159 etc etc) ...if you can imagine sticking 24 pieces of map on a sphere and each one is 0.1mm too small you have a 2.4 mm gap to contend with.

Now Bellerby and his small team of trained globemakers create high quality globes each expertly hand crafted using traditional and modern globemaking techniques.

Our globes are not a throw-away item, Bellerby said. Part of the problem with many of the globes made in the past was the materials they usedmeaning any antique globe now is more like a museum exhibit and each touch and spin will likely degrade the item. We hope our globes will be future heirlooms and something that customers want to pass down within their families.

Some of Bellerbys clients are high-profile. In 2011, he was commissioned to make two globes for the film Hugo. Recently, the Louvre Museum of Paris asked them to make a copy of Coronelli's original celestial globe, first made for Louis XIV in 1683. The Louvre will display the piece on the grand staircase at the museum.

All photographs courtesy of Bellerby & Co Globemakers and Stuart Freedman, Ana Santl, Jade Fenster, Cydney Cosette, Gareth Pon, and Tom Bunning.

Sources: www.bellerbyandco.com / FT.com / Slate / Solid Smack / Wikipedia
Donald Trump gets to work on his Nobel Peace Prize

Russian and US relations are are at all time low. Well, so say the papers. Two big players in the Balkanisation of the Middle East are at loggerheads. How did this happen?

Ever since Donald Trump became President stories of his ties with the Russian regime have ridden high on the news cycle. Talking and doing business with Russia were portrayed as wrong. We were even told that Trump was Vladimir Putins puppet. A video of Trump being urinated on by prostitutes in a Moscow bedroom was being used to blackmail the leader of the free world. Well, so they said. We never did see the tape. And big deal that a reality TV star should feature in such a sodden sex video. The footage might even explain why Kim Kardashians husband, Kanye Went, feels comfortable hanging out with The Donald.

Whats odd is that from being in Putins pocket, Trump is now striking a blow for freedom and the American way.

He achieved this by bombing a Syrian airbase. Dinners and sex are bad. Bombs are good. So goes the narrative. So much for Trumps isolationism and withdrawal from the Middle East. To be Presidential you need to bomb the hell out of another country.

Interventionism is the American way. Trump is the commander in chief who can order the U.S. military into action whenever it suits his judgment. And if the enemy is horrific enough, its all good.

Trump was pricked into action by news that Syrias President Assad had used chemical weapons on his own people. The use of such weapons was President Obamas red line. Assad is, said White House spokesman Sean Spicer, worse than Hitler  words that demean the Holocaust and echo the Lefts pre-bombing view that Trump is Hitler incarnate.

Interfering in someone elses war means taking sides. In the hierarchy of killing machines, chemical weapons are worse than Syrian rebels pulling up alongside busloads of evacuees and blowing up 126 of them  including 68 children. Pick your poison. Were going with the rebels. They seem nice.

And so just a few months into office and Trump is morphing into his predecessors: positioning America as the words great therapeutic power and well-armed moral policeman. Vote Tump. Get Hillary Clinton. No need to explain your domestic policy and do the hard bits. Just look for something nasty on the worlds woodshed and blow it up.

And Trumps got a taste for the Establishments way. No sooner had he fired missiles into Syria, then he dropped a massive bomb on Afghanistan. Hes rattling his sabre at North Korea. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says the era of strategic patience is over. Pyongyang should prepare.

This is how you win the Nobel Peace Prize. President Obama scored his in 2009. His administration oversaw the expansion of the CIAs targeted killing program, which the Bureau of Investigative Journalism estimates has killed between 2,528 and 3,648 individuals in Pakistan since 2004 Among those civilians, according to Amnesty International, was a Pakistani grandmother killed alongside 18 civilian laborers in a 2012 strike. The grandmothers family came to Washington, D.C., last month to testify before Congress and urge an end to drone warfare.

Trumps no disruptor. Hes more of the same old. When its hard at home the President defines America by his adventures overseas. And the media always cheers.

Paul Sorene

Posted: 17th, April 2017 | In: Key Posts, Politicians, Reviews Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
China is willing to develop more balanced economic and trade ties with the United States, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday in response to US President Donald Trump's saying he no longer regards China as a currency manipulator.

"We have no intention to stimulate exports through devaluing the currency, and there is no basis for the continuous devaluation of (Chinese currency) renminbi," spokesman Lu Kang told a news conference.

Lu said that during the first meeting between President Xi Jinping and Trump in Florida last week, the two leaders had a "long and deep discussion" on economic and trade issue. The two sides reached an important consensus on making joint efforts to expand cooperation in all areas and properly handle disagreements, he added.

"China is, of course, not a currency manipulator, which is an objective fact," Lu said, adding that China will continue to push forward the reform on the formulation mechanism of RMB exchange rate.

Lu's comments are in response to the recent remarks by Trump that his administration won't label China as a currency manipulator. Trump also complained that the US dollar is too strong.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, Trump said "they (China) are not currency manipulators".
If youre considering a subscription to the Disney Plus streaming service, you may be wondering how much it costs. The service is available on both
YEREVAN, APRIL 17, ARMENPRESS. The Turkish constitutional referendum results lead the country on a path where the country will be very difficult to control, Etienne Mahchupian, Istanbul-Armenian intellectual, chief advisor of Turkeys former PM Ahmet Davutolgu told Al Jazeera.

The two parties which presented the constitutional changes proposal jave over 63% votes jointly, however they managed to get only 51% with this referendum. The AKP- MHP coalition failed to give a desirable result. They lost three major cities. All this leads us to a difficult-to-control Turkey, Mahchupian said.

He stressed that on one hand they will have one person having all powers in his hand, therefore bearing the entire responsibility, and a Cabinet formed around him, a system which have significant impact on both the judicial and legislative systems.

This situation, frankly speaking, doesnt seem reasonable. Viewing from the political perspective we see that we have suffered a loss of prudence in Turkey. I am concerned that all this will have negative consequences, which Turkey wont be able to eliminate easily. The restoration of these consequences might require very long time, he said.

He also touched upon the close results, saying that a bit more than 50% cannot be considered to be sufficient for constitutional changes.

We are changing the rules of game, while the half of the society doesnt wanna play under those rules. Forcing something upon this half can have severe public and political consequences, he said.

Mahchupian said the results are positive for the Nationalist Movement Party MHP, mentioning that the party has become an important partner of the ruling party.

From now on the AKP will show it is condemned to MHP. MHP emerged as a winner in this. AKP lost, because what it could have achieved on its own, it achieved with someone else. AKP must learn a lesson from this. As someone who has supported from the beginning and is supporting the AKP, I say this was the biggest mistake of the party up to now, he said.
YEREVAN, APRIL 17, ARMENPRESS. Bulent Tezcan, Vice-President of the Turkish Republican People's Party CHP announced they will go till the end in disputing the April 16 constitutional referendum results, Sputnik News reported.

Tezcan said they will present their objection to the Supreme Electoral Commission. Based on the results, the party plans to appeal to the Constitutional Court of Turkey, followed by the European Court of Human Rights.

Earlier leader of the CHP Party Kemal Klcdaroglu announced their objection on the referendum results.

He said over 1,5 million invalid votes were counted as yes.
YEREVAN, APRIL 17, ARMENPRESS. The National Security Council of Turkey will convene a session on April 17 to discuss extending the state of emergency in the country, Vice Prime Minister of the country Nurettin Canikli told A Haber.

The issue of extending the state of emergency will be discussed in the National Security Council, he said.

The Vice PM ruled out the possibility of holding early election after the referendum, saying no such issue is included in the councils agenda.

A state of emergency was declared in Turkey following the July 15 2016 military coup attempt. The 90-day state of emergency was extended two times by the National Security Council, once on October 11, and again on January 3.
That is one devoted audience member: Using her free-flying privileges as a now-retired pilot, [Beverley Bass] has followed the musicals developmental journey from La Jolla to Seattle to Washington to Gander to Toronto to New York, often with other female pilots in tow. Ms. Bass is both watching the show and reliving the events, clutching her husbands hand as the emotions return.
Labuan is an offshore, Malaysian island, which has the benefit of low tax regimes while still retaining the protection of Malaysias laws and regulations. This means Labuan entities benefit from nearly all the Double Taxation Agreements (DTAs) Malaysia has signed with over 70 countries while profiting from tax exemptions under the Labuan International Banking and Financial Center (IBFC).

Considered the pearl of Borneo, Labuan is located off the coast of the eastern Malaysian state of Sabah and borders Brunei by sea. The territory is strategically located in close geographical proximity to financial capitals like Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore. Labuan is technically comprised of seven islands  Labuan Island proper and six smaller satellite islands  and enjoys tropical weather. Labuan offers multiple ferry connections to mainland Malaysia and Brunei; its airport is served by two daily flights to Malaysias capital Kuala Lumpur and one daily flight to Kota Kinabalu, the Sabah state capital. The island has a deep sea port and is planning to further develop its airport.

With a population of just under 100,000 residents, Labuan offers a highly skilled workforce.

Economic Profile

Since its establishment as a Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in 1990  now referred to as Labuan IBFC  Labuan has become a premium offshore financial center for regional companies looking to expand internationally as well as for global companies entering Asian markets.

Though prominently a financial hub, Labuan has five main industries: financial services; oil and gas; tourism; halal products; and fishing.

Financial Services

Labuan offers comprehensive banking, insurance, factoring, and money brokering. In tandem with conventional banking, the Labuan IBFC also boasts well-developed Shariah compliant financial infrastructure. While Labuan is an offshore entity, the island is attempting to diversify into a midshore role by offering niche areas with high potential growth such as leasing, captives, commodity trading and wealth management.

Oil and Gas

Labuan is surrounded by oil and gas fields. Offshore oil and gas are handled by the Labuan Crude Oil Terminal and Labuan Gas Terminal. The Malaysian Government declared Labuan one of the countrys petro-chemical hubs. Petrochemicals account for more than 70 percent of Labuans total exports, approximately US$3.3 billion. Petronas Chemicals Methanol is the largest methanol producer in Southeast Asia and the fourth largest in the world. The majority of oil and gas are transported by freight. Being a duty-free island, Labuan does not impose import duties on goods and most services as opposed to mainland Malaysia where duties are applicable  a major incentive for processing oil and gas.

Tourism

Labuan brought in 673,000 tourists in 2015 (notably over 6 times to local population). The majority of these tourists are considered to be domestic, though no official figures are readily available. In hopes of transforming Labuan into an international tourist destination, the local authority of Labuan recently sold 24 hectares of land at the Rancha-Rancha industrial zone for tourist development. Labuans natural beauty offers tourists opportunities for water activities like snorkeling, sport fishing, and diving (including dive tours through historic sea wrecks). The Malaysian government is also looking to make Labuan a cruise hub which would dramatically increase the number of foreign tourist arrivals.

Developing halal hub

Though originally slow to begin proper developments, Labuan is investing technology and infrastructure into developing halal products, hoping to benefit from its proximity to fish resources while servicing a rapidly growing market.

Fishing

The Malaysian government has identified the tuna industry as a growing sector with potential to generate US$112 million. Consequently, the government plans to invest US$4.5 million to upgrade Labuans fishing infrastructure, specifically deep sea fishing. Labuan Fisheries estimates that approximately four tons of tuna are brought to the island daily. Out of this, three tons are exported and the remaining ton is used for domestic consumption. Labuan is already attempting to increase the domestic appetite for tuna with new tuna-based dishes released on a regular basis.

Investing in Labuan

According to the Labuan Financial Services Authoritys 2017 Annual Report, there are currently 14,201 companies registered in Labuan with an additional 52 trust companies and 151 foundations. Labuan FSA in 2017 approved three investment banking licences bringing the total number of approved banks to 54. This was an increase of 5.9 percent over the previous year. Of the total approved, 53 banks are currently in operation. Labuan FSA in 2017 approved 14 insurance and insurance-related licences, comprising six captives, four brokers, two reinsurers, one life insurer and one general insurer. This brings the total number of approved Labuan insurance and insurance-related entities to 203, which, however, was a decline of 0.5 percent from the previous year. Finally, Labuan has 380 leasing companies.

Setting up a company in Labuan

As per Section 7(5) of the Labuan Companies Act 1990, both residents and non-residents of Malaysia are allowed to establish Labuan companies. Furthermore, a company only requires one director, one shareholder, and one resident secretary  the director is not required to live in Malaysia. Labuan-based companies are offered the option of either paying a flat corporate tax of Ringgit 20,000 (US$4784) or at a rate of three percent of net audited profits. With effect from January 1, 2019, however, Labuan-based companies will not be allowed to exercise the option of paying the flat amount as tax. They will, however, be permitted to pay tax at the three percent rate even if they carry out business transactions in the Malaysian Ringgit or do business with Malaysian residents. Currently, they are eligible for the three percent tax rate only when they carry out transactions in currencies other than the Ringgit and among Labuan-based businesses or with foreign companies. While Labuan enjoys nearly all the DTA benefits of Malaysia, there are 14 countries which do not recognize Labuan as part of Malaysia because of its status as an IBFC. These countries include:

Australia

Chile

Germany

India

Indonesia

Japan

Luxembourg

Netherlands

Seychelles

South Africa

South Korea

Spain

Sweden

United Kingdom

Labuan companies wishing to tap into DTAs with the above mentioned 14 countries can, however, do so by opting to be taxed under the Malaysian Income Tax Act, 1967 (ITA). Under the ITA, a Labuan companys net profit would be taxed at 25 percent instead of the regular three percent Labuan tax.

Conclusion

This may be a viable option for a trading company as there is no significant taxation differences between Labuan and Malaysia in foreign sourced passive income (i.e. interest, dividends, royalties) or capital gains. Though the oil and gas sector has cooled down on the island, Labuans economy is diversified and has been working to increase its niche financial services, fishing sector, tourism, and halal industry. Government projects working to develop the fishing industry as well as increase the number of foreign tourists is a positive step towards a more dynamic economy.

Labuan is considerably more affordable than Hong Kong or Singapore as an offshore destination. The island is well situated between China and India as well as many of ASEANs financial hubs to take advantage of trade by sea as well as offshore services. As Labuan continues to diversify its financial portfolio of offerings, the island will become less dependent on oil and gas and begin catering to a wider array of needs. Labuan has the additional advantage of tailoring financial services to both conventional and Shariah-compliant forms. Companies looking to establish themselves in ASEAN and Asia more generally can look to Labuan as an establishing platform.

Editors Note: This article was first published on April 14, 2017 and has been updated on November 28, 2018 and December 12, 2018 as per latest developments.
Op/ed by Bob Shead

The Philippines Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) defines BPO as the delegation of service-type business processed to a third-party service provider. The industry is generally divided into the following sectors: Contact centers, back office services, data transcription, animation, software development, engineering development and game development.

BPO in the Philippines is becoming a key developing industry, primarily due to the relatively low cost of living, and a workforce which composed mainly of young and educated Filipinos with good spoken English language skills. The majority of international research and data companies have placed the Philippines as the no 1 trending country as the top outsourcing destination. In 2015, the Philippines replaced Mumbai as the 2nd ranking BPO destination and will in all likelihood continue to maintain a high position in the Top 10 worldwide outsourcing destinations (dominated mostly by Indian cities) in 2017.

RELATED: Pre-Investment and Market Entry Advisory from Dezan Shira & Associates

The growth in the Philippine BPO sector therefore remains bullish for this year, and the industry is expected to hit a Government revenue target of US$25.5 billion and 1.4 million people employed by the year end. The sector currently contributes 9 percent of the countrys GDP growth. However, the Philippines Government need to continue to provide increased Government support to speed the development of national infrastructure projects, for this rapidly expanding industry.

Future for the BPO Industry in the Philippines

In 2016, BPO in the Philippines continued to experience a positive growth rate. Activity in the industry appears to be robust enough such that the industrys projected total income range would reach US$ 40 to 55 billion by 2020. The Industry, currently employing about 1 million Filipinos, is also projected to increase employment by providing a total of about 1.3 to 1.5 million new jobs in the next three years, both in terms of employees directly and indirectly employed. The BPO industry is regarded as a priority by the Philippines Development Plan as essential to the countrys ten high priority development areas. To further entice investors, existing government programs include incentives such as tax holidays, tax exemptions, and simplified export and import procedures. Additionally, there are University training programs available for would-be BPO employees.

For local industry sectors, the leading subsector is Call Centers. The Philippines BPO industry has overtaken India as the leading call center country, and due to this, the subsector is projected to continue to maintain the largest contribution to the industrys growth in future years. According to a UA&P (University of Asia and the Pacific) industrial economist, the call center sector is projected to continue a robust growth rate until 2020. However, the increasing advances of IT and computer generated voice services may cause (according to speculation provided by the Philippine Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas) a slow-down and reduction by this time. In other words, a move in reliance from human voice sources of information will develop, in favor of computer generated responses.

Possible Future Risks to the Philippines BPO Industry

Though the industry outlook is overall very positive, there remain future problems, mainly due to possible policy shifts introduced by the Philippines Government. One major issue is the possibility of proposed changes to the tax holiday benefits that currently are in place, that allow temporary reductions or eliminations of corporate taxes. This proposal has discussed the reduction of tax holidays for the BPO industry, with the compromise of having their income tax reduced from 30 percent to 15 percent. According to Industry experts, the threat here is that, though tax costs would decrease, this might serve as a deterrent for foreign companies to enter the Philippine market due to a reduction of the countrys competitive advantage. Other possible issues and challenges to the BPO industry, are the possible lack of suitably educated employees, due to the Philippine universities being unable to cope with the high increase in an educated labour force, as well as high turnover rates, and the rate at which employees are replaced, which can be up to 50 percent of the workforce.

Future Opportunities for the Philippines BPO Industry

Though the possible shift in demand for voice information services is an issue to be faced by the industry, the BPO industry is projected to move with the demand in terms of accommodating new businesses that wish to invest or expand in the KPO (Knowledge Process Outsourcing) sector, which could then cater to a new demand, and cover a wide set of new roles. The higher expertise required is projected to be in these roles: Market Research; Fraud Analytics; Equity Research and Investment; Banking Insurance; Actuarial Engineering Services; Web Design and Development; Data Integration; Project Management Research and Development; Medical Transcript Preparation, and Legal Processes.

However, it should be stressed that the growth in the Philippine BPO industry continues to show significant improvements with an average annual expansion rate of 20 percent. Statistics provided by the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), show that export revenues for the Philippines have increased from US$1.3 billion in 2004 to a total revenue of US$ 25 billion in 2016.

Top 36 BPO company offices in the Philippines, with revenue generated in Pesos (2012 figures)

Accenture Inc. (P28.104 billion in revenues); Convergys Philippines Services Corp. (P17.281 billion); JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A-Philippine Global Service Center (P10.80 billion); 24/7 Customer Philippines Inc. (P7.711 billion); Telephilippines Inc. (P7.241 billion); TeleTech Offshore Investments B.V. (P6.978 billion); Sutherland Global Services Philippines Inc. (P6.805 billion); Stream International Global Services Philippines Inc. (P6.738 billion); Sitel Philippines Corp. (P6.364 billion); Deutsche Knowledge Services Pte. Ltd. (P5.754 billion); Sykes Asia Inc. (P5.617 billion); IBM Daksh Business Process Services Philippines Inc. (P5.516 billion); Aegis People Support Inc. (P5.445 billion); TeleTech Customer Care Management Philippines Inc. (P5.402 billion); IBM Business Services Inc. (P5.211 billion); Telus International Philippines Inc. (P4.962 billion); Shell Shared Services (Asia) B.V. (P4.821 billion); HSBC Electronic Data Processing (Philippines) Inc. (P4.700 billion); ePLDT Inc. (P4.147 billion); SPi CRM Inc. (P3.501 billion); ACS of the Philippines Inc. (P3.492 billion); VXI Global Holdings B.V. (P3.266 billion); Emerson Electric (Asia) Ltd. (P3.230 billion); StarTek International Ltd. (P3.094 billion); IBM Solutions Delivery Inc. (P3.019 billion); Sykes Marketing Services Inc. (P2.760 billion); SPi Technologies Inc. (P2.626 billion); Genpact Services LLC (P2.552 billion); Macquarie Offshore Services Pty. Ltd. (P2.522 billion); Thomson Reuters Corp. Pte. Ltd. (P2.265 billion); AIG Shared Services Corp. Philippines (P2.357 billion); Hinduja Global Solutions Ltd. (P2.194 billion); Lexmark Research and Development Corp. (P1.956 billion); ANZ Global Services and Operations (Manila) Inc. (P1.869 billion); Maersk Global Service Centers (Philippines) Ltd. (P1.859 billion); Manulife Data Services Inc. (P1.745 billion).

These 36 international companies posted a combined revenue of P192 billion in 2012.

BPO giants such as Accenture and Convergys currently have more than 35,000 employees each in the Philippines. More recently, India-based call centers and IT-BPOs have expanded operations to the Philippines, including: Compvue, iOPEX, OmniGlobe, and TCS. Wipro Technologies, an outsourcing company headquartered in Bangalore, has already set up a center in the Philippines, and now employs close to 2,000 employees.

Salaries and Wages in the Philippines

In general, salaries have been increasing in Makati, Manila, Eastwood, Ortigas, Fort Bonifacio (BGC) and the rest of the Philippines due to economic growth, especially in the BPO/IT/Call Center industries. However salaries have now stabilized, and in some cases reduced slightly. Some international companies from USA, Canada, Europe and Australia with Call Centers and BPO offices companies in the Philippines have reduced product sales, and this has resulted in some layoffs of Filipino employees. Nevertheless, this is regarded as a short term problem. IT professionals (developers, programmers, designers etc), technical support, and call center representatives salaries are still significantly lower than Western countries.

The average monthly salary of technical or customer support representatives in the Makati, Central Manila, Eastwood, Ortigas, and Bonifacio Global City areas, ranges from US$300 to US$500. Outside of Metro Manila, and in the rest of the Philippines, salaries range from US$200 to US$400. Salaries of IT professionals and developers in the Philippines can range anywhere from US$300  US$2,000 depending on experience, skill set and management capabilities. On top of monthly salaries, a thirteenth month salary must be included.

All employees in Metro Manila and the rest of the Philippines are college graduates, with college degrees, and are proficient in English.

Figures for Employees in Philippines BPO offices

The Philippines offshoring/outsourcing industry is composed of shared service offices, global in-house centers, and third party outsourcing providers. Multinational companies outsource functions of their operations to the Philippines, and international 3rd party providers offer services from the Philippines to foreign multinationals, plus independent Philippine companies provide services to international clients. Through these options, many offshore outsourcing services performed in the Philippines can be offered to companies of all sizes and needs. The two main areas of expertise are Contact Centers and BPOs. The Philippines formerly ranked second in outsourcing worldwide, just after India. However, recent developments in the global outsourcing industry have pushed the Philippines to the top spot in voice BPO, and ranking 2nd in non-voice complex services.

The Philippines ranks in the top 3 for location for talent according to analysts, both in the graduate level pool, and among professionals in IT-BPO sectors such as accounting, engineering, health care, finance and other non-voice, complex services and as such, is among the top 3 IT-BPO locations globally, after India and China in terms of the number of graduates employed in the industry. The Philippines records approximately 500,000 tertiary graduates annually.

The outsourcing BPO industry is considered one of the fastest growth industries in the world. It has grown at an average annual expansion rate of 20 percent. The IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) has stated that the IT-BPO and Global In-house Center (GIC) industry is the Philippines most important generator of jobs. Its contribution to the Philippines GDP is approximately 17 percent in 2016, and it is now the Philippines second largest net foreign exchange earner after remittances from an estimated 10m overseas workers.

The BPO boom in the Philippines is currently led by demand for offshore call or contact centers. As mentioned earlier, in 2016, the Philippines revenue in these BPO centers generated revenues of US$25 billon, placing it third behind India and China. This is compares to the US$ 21.5 billion the country earned in 2015.

As mentioned earlier, the more recent, growth of the outsourcing industry in the Philippines has been fueled, not by traditional low value added call centers but by the high end outsourcing or Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO). Though call centers still comprise the largest part of the IT-BPO sector, the Philippines is now using the potential of its creative design talent pool, large numbers of legal professionals, and CPAs/Accountants. The demand for the IT-BPO and Global In-house Centers (GIC) industry has meant that the current figures employed in this industry in the Philippines is 1.4 million. Given the expected 20 percent annual increase in BPO centers, the projected employment figures by 2020 may well be in the region of 2.5 million.

Comparison between the Philippines and India for BPO centers

India has lost significant outsourcing ground to the Philippines over the past few years, especially in the business process outsourcing market segment. The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry in India has reported a 70 percent loss in its outsourcing market share with Call Centers and BPO services. Several factors have contributed to the reduction in the Indian market of BPOs in favour of the Philippines, these are an accent neutrality, lower labor costs and more government support.

Clear communication is a must when you rely on outsourcing for customer support and other business processes. Without clarity in speech, you run into many problems for getting your business goals accomplished, and lose out on the productivity benefits outsourcing exists for. On the customer facing side of the equation, brand reputation rests on the customers experience. If customers/clients cannot get assistance they need, then they will probably look towards a competitor.

According to Flatplanet, the Australian based HR company with a large Philippine presence, it has reported that the Philippines has a 92.5 percent English proficiency rating, and that the English is (after some training) accent neutral, that many potential investors in the BPO business look for in their customer support departments. In addition to a neutral accent, Filipinos have many Western cultural influences that are recognised and accepted internationally.

Compared to India, the current generations in the Philippines grew up with more Western/American influences. Whilst recognizing the British colonial influences in India that make English the overall business language, the English language abilities in the Philippines are more internationally recognised. The Philippines media includes American and English Asian TV channels, while India does not always have the same ease of access. Because of exposure to this media, American accents and idioms are already part of the Philippines culture.

The Philippines like India is a developing country, and has similar or lower costs than India. This means that BPO investors do not need to fund an increased investment to switch their outsourced operations. This increase in BPO operations in the Philippines is to the benefit of employees, as BPO positions provide higher than average local wages, thus encouraging greater numbers of individuals looking for a good job. Many Filipino employees choose customer support positions, while Indian employees are apparently more averse to the instability offered by a position with high turnover, it is understood that there is a 28 percent turnover rate in India, compared to a 20 percent turnover in the Philippines.

BPO Centers outside of Manila

There has also been a rapid development of BPO Call Centers throughout the Philippines. Foreign investors typically want to work only in Manila when they outsource to the Philippines, but when these investors looking to set up shop in the Philippines take a look at the talent in the provinces, they are interested, and this has resulted in the rapid development of BPO Centers in Cebu, Davao, Dumaguete, Clarke (Angeles City) Baguio etc. Companies get to do business for much less cost, while the communities get to benefit from the influx of jobs and investments. For example, three years ago a BPO Call Centre was set up in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental. Today, it was one of the largest employers in the city. There are many next-wave cities in the Philippines, and not just major capitals like Davao or Cebu, but also smaller ones in Palawan, Ilocos and Negros. These new locations are just as capable of absorbing the skilled work the BPO industry is moving towards. Approximately 30 percent of BPO employment and jobs are outside of Manila, and it is estimated that this figure will grow to 50 percent over the next 5 years.

It has been reported that one of the important shifts in the Asia Pacific Region in this years list of BPO Centers, was the rise of Cebu City, which moved from 8th to 7th spot. The city has a continuously improving infrastructure, and PEZA (Philippine Economic Zone Authority) counts a combined 27 IT Centers and IT Parks now operating in Cebu. There is also an enlarging talent pool that draws diverse talent from this part of Central Philippines (the Visayas), and this has allowed the citys IT-BPO sector to sustain recent developmental gains. Cebu is considered the educational hub of Central and Southern Philippines, with the Central Visayas Region boasting 138 higher education institutions (public and private) that produced approximately 260,000 undergraduate students for the academic year of 2013-2014. Large international corporations such as, JPMorgan Chase, Aegis, Accenture, Teletech, IBM and Convergys etc, have all established BPO Centers across Cebu Citys numerous IT Parks and Centers.

Health Related Issues in the Philippines BPO Industry

The Call Centers, are the largest sub-sector in the Philippine BPO industry, and have been a major subject on a case study on health and working conditions. Some commonly identified health problems are: employees experiencing back and shoulder pains due to workstation setups and monitor visual levels, employees have complained of experiencing throat irritations, due to multiple calls a day, coupled with a high stress work environment, and concerns regarding damage to hearing, due to exposure to higher audio levels.

There have also been some negative effects to the psychosocial aspect of health with regard to Call Centers. The major workplace stress problems are the irregular work schedule, due to international time differences. These can disrupt social and family life, and the Philippines is a very conservative country, where the family are of very high importance. An irregular work schedule also causes problems with transportation, and the related problems of safety and availability, especially for female employee. Case studies have addressed these psychosocial stressors, and that they may also be a major cause or amplifier with regards to the health issues stated above.
Sanjay Dutt was accompanied by his film Bhoomis producer Sandeep Singh for the hearing.

Sanjay Dutt exits from the Andheri Court today after his hearing on the Noorani case.

Mumbai: A bailable warrant had been issued to actor Sanjay Dutt yesterday for his non-appearance before the court in a matter pertaining to alleged threats to filmmaker Shakeel Noorani.

The actor appeared before Andheri court today, where the bailable warrant issued against him got cancelled; which came as a huge sigh of relief to him.

He was accompanied by his comeback film Bhoomis producer Sandeep Singh for the hearing.

Sanjay was present in the court for exact eleven minutes and then made a safe exit from the court.

What is the entire case?

Advocate Gupta, Nooranis lawyer quoted ANI as saying, The case is that my client was producing a film in 2009 named Jaan Ki Baazi wherein Sanjay Dutt was cast for lead role and a huge amount was also paid to him, but he didnt come for the shooting, therefore, the film could not be completed Noorani thereafter filed a complaint before producers associations. The association directed Dutt to play a certain amount to Noorani, since Dutt did not pay such amount. So Noorani filed a petition before High Court.

The lawyer told ANI that after the High Court attached Dutts properties in the case; Noorani allegedly received threatening calls from the underworld.

Speaking about the arrest warrant that they issued against Sanjay yesterday, he said, Since for so many days Sanjay Dutt was not appearing before the court, therefore we made an application for the issuance of the warrant. And considering continuous absence in the court, today the court was pleased to issue an arrest warrant against Dutt.
Directed by Dinesh Vijan and produced by Homi Adajania and T-Series, the film is set to release on June 9.

Mumbai: Actress Kriti Sanon said her co-star Sushant Singh Rajput kept her on her toes during the shooting of their upcoming film Raabta.

"He (Sushant) is fabulous. He is an amazing actor so he keeps you on your toes. He gets into the skin of the character and does a lot of homework in detail. If you have a good co-actor your performance also enhances," Kriti told reporters.

The actress was talking on the sidelines of International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) voting weekend press meet here today.

Ever since Sushant and Kriti began shooting for their upcoming romantic drama, reports of their growing closeness started doing the rounds.

When asked about the same, Kriti said, "It's better to ignore them."

The 26-year-old actress will be seen doing some action sequences in Raabta and she enjoyed every bit of it.

"There is a section in the film that requires action. I always wanted to do it. So I am excited about it. It makes you feel little stronger when you doing and learning it. It is very difficult to do it. I have had lot of cuts and bruises but it was a great experience," she said.

Directed by Dinesh Vijan and produced by Homi Adajania and T-Series, the film is set to release on June 9.

Kriti was last seen in 2015's Dilwale and had no release last year, but the actress said absence from big screen did not bother her.

"I was working constantly. If I am not working and sitting at home then I get very restless. But I was constantly working. I have finished 'Raabta' and 'Bareilly Ki Barfi'. I will have back-to-back releases. Release of a film is unfortunately not in my hands," she said.
India had already announced that it would appeal against the death sentence to Jadhav.

File photo of former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of 'espionage'. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Keeping its options open for a case-by-case basis, the Government has, quite interestingly, not declared openly that it will freeze bilateral exchanges with Pakistan although this is precisely what is being done for the moment. Asked about whether there was a freeze on bilateral exchanges with Pakistan, a senior Government source on Sunday said he had no information in this regard.

This comes even as New Delhi is awaiting the Pakistani response to its fourteenth request for consular access to Indian former naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav who was sentenced to death recently by a Pakistani military court.

Curiously, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) has maintained a studied silence and refused to either react or issue a statement after New Delhi called off a three-day conference between the Indian Coast Guard and Pakistans Maritime Security Agency that scheduled from April 16 to 19. The Coast Guard functions under the purview of the ministry of defence.

Government sources also said on Sunday there was no scheduled meeting between senior officials of the two countries on the Indus Water Treaty issue in Washington this month and hence there was no question of any cancellation.

Meanwhile, sources said on Sunday that New Delhi is yet to get a response from Islamabad on its demand for a certified copy of the chargesheet as well as the military court order awarding death sentence to Jadhav. Government sources said. India had already announced that it would appeal against the death sentence to Jadhav.
The alleged RAW agent was sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial in Pakistan this month.

File photo of former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of 'espionage'. (Photo: PTI)

Islamabad: Pakistan is likely to hand over attested copies of the chargesheet and the court order against alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav to India, officials said.

Senior officials at the foreign ministry said that the issue was discussed and most people think there is no harm in providing India these details.

Providing consular access may not be on the cards, but the copies of the chargesheet and the court order may soon be made available to India. They details of the case have already been in the media so there is no great opposition on this issue, an official said.

Last week, India asked Pakistan to provide attested copies of the court order and the chargesheet against Jadhav. Indian high commissioner to Pakistan Gautam Bambawale had met foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua in this regard. The Indian envoy had also demanded consular access to the convicted spy.

The alleged Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agent was sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial in Pakistan this month. Jadhav has the right of appeal within 40 days to an appellate court and he may lodge a mercy petition to the army chief within 60 days of the decision by the appellate court.
Many security forces personnel have been killed in Kashmir, but the trend of attack on families is causing worry in Srinagar and Jammu.

Srinagar: It appears the situation is growing worse and Kashmir is more or less back to square one. The attacks on mainstream political activists by suspected militants have intensified over past week which is reminiscence about difficult times they had faced in early 1990s.

On Sunday night, a local attorney was shot dead by gunmen inside his house in southern Shopian district. Imtiyaz Ahmed, a former public prosecutor, who was associated with opposition National Conference (NC) received a call on his mobile phone. Soon three masked men barged into his house in Pinjora village of Shopian and shot him from a point-blank range. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him as brought dead. However, another report said that, after being called on his phone, Ahmed was shot at near his house.

The incident came a day after a pharmacy owner and ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) activist Bashir Ahmed Dar was shot dead by suspected militants in Qasbayar village of neighbouring Pulwama district.

His cousin Altaf Ahmed Dar was critically wounded in the shootout. A couple of more mainstream political activists have been targeted in similar fashion elsewhere in the Valley during past few days, spreading fear among others and their families.

A notorious pro-government gunman Rashid Billa who had worked for various security forces in the past and was involved in a number of murders including the October 5, 1996 massacre of seven civilians in Sadaerkote Balla of Bandipore was also shot dead by gunmen inside his home in Hajin area of the district on Sunday night, the police said.

Also, gunmen have over the past couple of weeks, visited the homes of pro-India political activists and some police officers across the Valley, mainly south Kashmir, asking them to mend your ways or face dire consequences. While the activists have been asked to stay away from political engagements, the police officials were told to quit their jobs.

In Soaf Shalli village of Kokernag in Anantnag district, a PDP worker was severely thrashed at the weekend by suspected militants who also asked him to publicly apologise for being associated with the party.

This is reminiscent of early 1990s when hundreds of political activists, mostly those belonging to the NC, announced izhar-e-la taluqi (disassociating themselves from their respective parties) through paid advertisements in local vernacular newspapers. Dozens of those including sitting and former legislators and ministers who resisted it and stayed obstinate were murdered later.

A militant outfit had last month asked the pro-India activists to disassociate themselves from their parties and stay away from their political activities or be ready to face consequences. The outfit had said that these political activists should decide also on the call of their conscience as terrible atrocities were being inflicted on the people of Kashmir by the government forces.

While the security already provided to prominent people from these parties was reinforced or, at least, their personal security officers were alerted against possible attacks, the fate of others has been left at the mercy of militants as, the authorities maintain, it is not possible to provide security cover to each and every political worker.

Following the Soaf Shalli incident during which the intruders had also ransacked the home of the political activist, the police detained two members of rightwing Jamaat-e-Islami. But, as is being largely believed in the area, the police is groping in the dark. Amidst this hapless situation for the mainstream political activists, a number of amateur videos showing some of them being harassed and apologizing for being associated with traitor parties at gunpoint or otherwise have gone viral on social media.

The police sources said that more than two dozen such incidents have been reported from south Kashmir district of Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian alone recently. In fewer cases, the gunmen politely asked the political activists and policemen or their families that they should quit in the interest of freedom movement and the people.

However, in the case of police officials they have been really furious. We have reports that gunmen visited the homes of many officials over past two weeks in their absence as they are performing their duties elsewhere and threatened their families that their wards would be harmed unless they quit, said a senior police official.

In view of the disturbing trend, the police department has issued an advisory asking its field personnel to avoid visiting their homes for the next few months. While referring to the recent unfortunate incidents wherein militants and anti-national and anti-social elements have caused damage to the life and property of police personnel asked them to exercise extreme caution while visiting their homes.

They should preferably avoid visiting their homes for the next few months as their personal security is of paramount importance," the advisory said. It also asked all the heads of various formations to brief their officers and men regarding the threat so the life and property of police personnel were secured.

On March 8, J&Ks Director General of Police, Shesh Paul Vaid, had issued an indirect warning to separatist militants that their families could be harmed too if they try to target those of policemen fighting the 27-year-old insurgency in the State.

My take is; we should not bring the families into this conflict whether those of terrorists or policemen. Families have nothing to do with this. We must keep them away from this, Vaid had said while speaking to this newspaper.

The warning came days after militants had barged into the residence of a police officer of Dy SPs rank in Shopian and after damaging electronic appliances and breaking windowpanes warned his family that he should quit his job or face the consequences. They had also told the family the police and other security forces were damaging the properties of the people and should know we can also do it.

The police officer is posted in Srinagar. Reacting to it, the DG police had said that the militants too have families. "Militants should realise they too have families. Let militants take this as a warning", he had told a TV channel earlier adding that it was between police and militants and that families should not be brought into the conflict. If the police start doing this, what will happen to their families?", he had asked.

In August 2016 when the Valley was on the boil in the aftermath of the killing of Hizb-ul-Mujahedins Internet-savvy poster boy Burhan Muzaffar Wani, Kashmirs indigenous militant outfit had asked the J&K policemen to stay at home and not to be part of the measures aimed at containing the unrest.

We appeal police personnel to sit at their homes like the employees of other departments are doing. The fate of the policeman who attends duty will be nothing but death, one of its commanders Riyaz Naik had said in an 11-minute video that surfaced on the social media.

He also ahead of a police recruitment rally asked the Kashmiri youth to ignore enticement aimed at breaking their ranks and threatened those who wished to join the police force should also be ready to face the consequences. However, the threat was ignored by, at least, more than 5,000 youth who participated in the rally.

In December 2016, another Hizb commander Zakir Rashid Bhat had in a video message warned family members of local policemen that they would be targeted if they (policemen) continue to harass relatives of militants.

You (police) have committed a big mistake by harassing our families, by involving our families. If you touch our families, we will not spare your families. You think your families are in Jammu so they are safe. Even if your families are in Kanyakumari, we have the capacity to kill them there, he had warned.

During the post Wani killing, the height of anger against the security forces particularly the J&K police and CRPF was such that there were a few attacks at the families of local policemen by enraged mobs.

One such attack took place at Chadrigam in Tral area of southern Pulwama on July 12, 2016 when a mob barged into the house of a police official Muhammad Ashraf and beat up his wife and daughter. However, the thrashing of the mother-daughter duo evoked condemnation in the Valley and beyond and many people took to the social networking sites to voice their disapproval.

Though hundreds of policemen have been killed and injured in militant attacks during more than two and a half decades old militancy and issuing of threats to them by various militants outfits is a routine, gunmens choosing to barge into their residences to threaten them or their family in a new trend which has caused much worry in Srinagar, Jammu and Delhi.
The decision comes a month after the Supreme Court extended the time given to the CBI for conducting preliminary inquiry in the case.

New Delhi: The CBI on Monday booked 12 top TMC leaders, including MPs and ministers, in connection with the Narada sting operation case, drawing a sharp reaction from the party chief Mamata Banerjee, who called it a "political game".

The list comprises the who's who of TMC leadership and also an IPS officer.

In the sting operation, which was claimed to have been carried over two years, the TMC leaders are seen purportedly accepting money from representatives of a fictitious company in return for favours.

The tapes, broadcast by a portal Naradanews.com just before the assembly elections last year, had sent shock waves through West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress but the party posted a resounding victory under the ebullient Banerjee.

The TMC leaders against whom the CBI has registered the FIR include Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Roy, Lok Sabha MPsSaugata Roy, Aparupa Poddar, Sultan Ahmed, Prasun Banerjee and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.

West Bengal ministers including Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim, Transport Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Environment Minister Sovan Chatterjee, Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Minister Subrata Mukherjee have also been named in the FIR.

Former Minister Madan Mitra, MLA Iqbal Ahmed and IPS officer Saiyaad Mustafa Hussain Mirza have also been made accused in the case. Mirza, who was then posted as the Superintendent of Police of Burdwan, was too purportedly seen accepting money on camera.

Banerjee, who has been frequently locked in confrontation with the Modi government over a host of issues, including alleged involvement of TMC leaders in the chit fund scam cases, termed the registration of FIR a "political game" which, the West Bengal Chief Minister asserted "we will fight politically".

"Because they (CBI) have filed the FIR, does it mean that their guilt is proved? Let them (CBI) first prove the guilt. There is no cause for any worry," she told reporters at the state secretariat in Kolkata.

The Calcutta High Court had ordered the CBI to conduct a preliminary enquiry in the matter. The order was challenged by the West Bengal government in the Supreme Court which refused to provide relief on March 17 and gave the CBI one month to file an FIR, if required.

The FIR has been registered under Section 120 (b) of IPC related to criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act dealing with bribery and criminal misconduct.

The maximum sentence for these crimes ranges from five to seven years imprisonment.

The sting operation was supposed to be published in a magazine where Mathew Samuel, the man behind it, was then working. However, the tapes were later run on Naradanews.com where he is now the CEO.
In the coming two years, the PM wants to double the revenue receipt to Rs 26 lakh crore, he added.

Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the BJP National Executive meet here on Sunday, proffered two newly coined acronyms  P2 and G2  to exhort party leaders and workers to work for further expansion of the BJP in the country. P2 stands for pro-poor and G2 implies good governance.

Briefing mediapersons about the main contents of the PMs address, Union shipping and road transport minister Nitin Gadkari said the Mr Modi said since more and more people were voting for the BJP in successive elections, it was the responsibility of the elected leaders to adhere to the norm of P2 and G2 to live up to their expectations through good work and efficient and transparent administration.

The PM said, a few years ago the leaders of rival political parties were taunting the BJP leaders saying Hum Do, Hamare Do as we had only two members in the Parliament. Now, those parties have almost lost their significance in Indian politics and the BJP has emerged as the largest ruling party. Mr Modi, while cautioning the party leaders against any slackness in view of the growing popularity of the party and recent Assembly polls victories, called for working hard to wipe out tears of every Indian, said Mr Gadkari.

The PM also stressed on judicious management of Jan Dhan (Jan Dhan bank accounts), Jala Dhan (water resources) and Van Dhan (forest resources), he informed.

Mr Modi, said Mr Gadkari, told the National Executive that when his government came to power in 2014, the total revenue receipt was Rs 13 lakh crore which has now gone up to Rs 20 lakh crore. In the coming two years, the PM wants to double the revenue receipt to Rs 26 lakh crore, he added.

On the triple talaq system, the minister informed, the PM said the endeavour should be made to provide social justice to women who undergoes the agony of this system.

The PM categorically said the BJP does not want to create clashes in the in Muslim society by taking a certain stand on talaq, Mr Gadkari said.
Adityanath, known for his hardline Hindutva image, questioned the "silence" of the political class on the "burning issue" of triple talaq.

Lucknow/New Delhi: Narendra Modi's pitch against 'triple talaq' has added fuel to the contentious debate on the Muslim divorce practice, with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday saying those silent on the issue were as "guilty" as the ones practising it.

The All India Shia Personal Law Board (AISPLB) asked the Uttar Pradesh government to draft a strict law against triple talaq, similar to the one which banned the practice of sati, to prevent Muslim women from getting victimised.

The Hindu far right also reacted angrily to the All India Muslim Personal Law Board's (AIMPLB) assertion that Muslims have a constitutional right to follow their personal laws of which 'triple talaq' was a part, contending the Sunni outfit was responsible for "all problems" faced by the community.

While deprecating any outside meddling with the Muslim personal law, the AIMPLB had said it would issue a code of conduct under which those pronouncing 'triple talaq' without valid reasons mentioned under 'Sharia' (Islamic law) will face social boycott.

Adityanath, known for his hardline Hindutva image, questioned the "silence" of the political class on the "burning issue" of triple talaq.

Drawing an analogy between the silence of politicians on triple talaq and that of the nobles during the disrobing of 'Draupadi' in the Mahabharata, he said in Lucknow, "Those in the political class that are keeping mum need to be put in the dock along with the perpetrators of the crime and their accomplices."

Reacting sharply, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) termed Adityanath's remark as "jaahilaanaa" (foolish).

"These days, there is a new debate in the country on a burning issue. Some people are maintaining silence on this issue. This reminds me of the scene in the Mahabharata in which Draupadi is being disrobed and she asks a question to the gathering as to who is responsible for this incident, this sin?" Adityanath said.

"No one uttered even a single word. Only Vidur said people who have committed the crime, the accomplices and those who maintained silence on this issue are equally responsible," he said, referring to the practice of triple talaq.

Adityanath made these remarks at an event to mark the 91st birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar.

Calling for an end to the Muslim practice of triple talaq the Chief Minister also advocated a uniform civil code in the country.

His remarks came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch against the divisive issue of triple talaq, insisting that exploitation of Muslim women should end and justice be done to them.

Modi had, however, spoken against any attempt at creating a "conflict" within the Muslim community on the issue and suggested tackling it through social awareness.

On Adityanath's statement, AIMPLB General Secretary Maulana Wali Rahmani said, "I don't know how to react to the jaahilaanaa (foolish) statement. He is linking talaq with a greater issue -- the disrobing of Draupadi. No sane person will do so. He is looking at things using a different lens (doosraa chashmaa)."

Meanwhile, the All India Shia Personal Law Board (AISPLB) spokesman Maulana Yasoob Abbas said merely boycotting those guilty of pronouncing talaq without reasons mentioned under the Sharia will not amount to doing justice to the aggrieved woman.

The Shias among Muslims do not practise triple talaq.

Abbas drew a parallel between pronouncing triple talaq in one go and the sati, the banned Hindu practice of the wife immolating herself on the dead husband's funeral pyre.

"The need of the hour is to enact a strict law against triple talaq in one go that is similar to the anti-sati law to prevent any Muslim woman from getting victimised and ensure that the culprit is punished," he told PTI in Lucknow.

"Triple talaq is wrong as also is the tendency to remain silent on this issue. Giving triple talaq in one go to a woman is a sin, but it cannot be equated to disrobing (of Draupadi)," he said, referring to Adityanath's analogy.

With the hugely divisive issue being hotly debated, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad attacked the AIMPLB on triple talaq, saying the Islamic body was not ready to give equal rights to women, whom they treat as an "object".

"AIMPLB is responsible for all problems faced by Muslims. They still assume women as objects and are not ready to give them basic fundamental right of equality.

"Muslim women should have equal rights in cases of talaq at par with men," Jain said in a statement in New Delhi, asking the Modi government to bring a law guaranteeing equal rights to Muslim women.
The deceased, Raju Tamang, had shifted to Delhi around two years back. His family is in Nepal while he was staying in the city alone.

New Delhi: A 28-year-old man allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself inside his room in southeast Delhi's Okhla area on Sunday morning, police said.

The deceased, Raju Tamang, had shifted to Delhi around two years back. His family is in Nepal while he was staying in the city alone, they said.

Tamang was staying on the second floor of the building where he was working as a peon, police said.

The incident was reported by the victim's colleague, who had to break open the door of Tamang's room after he did not answer the former's calls.

The co-worker found Tamang's body hanging from the ceiling, they said.

No suicide note has been found, police said, adding that investigation is on.
The BJP had released its manifesto, promising to provide meals priced at Rs 10 apart from pledging not to levy any new municipal taxes.

New Delhi: The AAP on Sunday termed the BJP manifesto for MCD polls as a document of "lies and failures", while the Congress said the party has not been able to fulfil promises made in the earlier civic body elections.

AAP's Delhi unit convenor Dilip Pandey said the BJP has been raising questions over implementation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's assurance to abolish the house tax, while it had made a similar promise in its 2007 manifesto.

"They have not kept the promises made to the people of Delhi in the previous MCD elections in 2007 and 2012. The manifesto is nothing but a document of lies and failures of the BJP over the past 10 years in power in the MCDs. They have turned Delhi into a big dustbin.

"They promised to abolish house tax during the 2007 MCD polls, but they failed to keep the promise," Pandey said.

AAP leader Harish Awasthi claimed that out of a total of 50 lakh registered properties for house tax, currently the MCD gets house tax, legally, from 11 lakh properties.

"This means the BJP-led MCD exacts money through unlawful means like touts from the rest of the 39 lakh houses," Awasthi alleged.

Ajay Maken, the Delhi unit president of the Congress, said the BJP's manifesto should be looked in the light of party's ten year rule in three municipal corporations which was "plagued with corruption."

The BJP had released its manifesto, promising to provide meals priced at Rs 10 apart from pledging not to levy any new municipal taxes.

It had made 44 promises with Delhi people in 2012 MCD polls out of only 38 remain to be fulfilled, Maken claimed.

"So, the BJP's score card is 6 out 44. Its leaders should be asked how they are going to fulfil the new promises they have made with people which they could not do in last ten years," he added.

The Yogendra Yadav-led Swaraj India said the manifesto was a "bunch of lies and unkept promises".

Raising the issue of street vendors, Pandey said the BJP has not done anything for their welfare in the past 10 years.

"We will constitute town vending committees (TVCs), regularise street vendors as quickly as possible and formulate an action plan for their welfare after coming to power in the MCDs," Pandey said.
The Union government, in December 2016, had created the email ID and asked the common public to inform it about black money hoarders.

Only 20 per cent of the cases are being probed.

Mumbai: The email ID that was set up to inform the authorities about black money-related activities has seen an overwhelming response, but only 20 per cent of the cases are being investigated, a Right To Information (RTI) query by a Mumbai-based activist has revealed.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), which functions under the aegis of the ministry of finance, has so far received 38,068 emails on the ID blackmoneyinfo@incometax.gov.in. However, no action was taken in the case of over 80 per cent  32,018  of these emails, the RTI reply revealed.

The Union government, in December 2016, had created the email ID and asked the common public to inform it about black money hoarders. The government also claimed that around 16 per cent of such emails, which is 6,050, were forwarded to the officials concerned for investigation.

On the number of false emails received, the CBDT in the RTI reply said this information was subject to completion of investigation.

Over 84 per cent tip-offs have been closed without any inquiry. This shows that either most emails were frivolous, or the authorities did not take them seriously, or there may have been a shortage of staff, which forced them to do so, RTI activist Jeetendra Ghadge said, slamming the CBDT.

Mr Ghadge had also filed another RTI query seeking the number of demonetised notes deposited with the Reserve Bank of India after January 1, 2017.

In November 2016, the CBDT had admitted that the real estate, manufacturing, trading and educational sectors were hotbeds for activities involving black money.

It had also revealed that from 2013 to 2016, the income tax department searched 1,559 groups, who collectively declared undisclosed income of Rs 32,000 crore approximately, and seized assets worth Rs 2,228 crore.
Vice Admiral Arun Kumar Singh retired as Commander-in-Chief of the Navy's Eastern Naval Command in 2007. A nuclear and missile specialist trained in the former Soviet Union, he was also DG Indian Coast Guard.

India has shown some interest in Duqm port for industrial investment and connectivity, and as an energy corridor.

Experts predict that the next 10 years will be critical for India as the economic gap with China will continue to widen, but after 2027 this gap will start to reduce. (Photo: AFP)

With a $12 trillion economy still growing at about 6.5 per cent annually and $3 trillion in foreign exchange reserves, China is moving very rapidly to become a true global power with a two-ocean Navy. Its defence budget of $152 billion is four times that of Indias paltry $40 billion, while the Chinese Navys share of the defence budget is about $50 billion, as compared to approximately $5 billion allocated to the Indian Navy.

All this at a time when disturbing media reports indicate that a bankrupt American Westinghouse (owned by Toshiba) is still trying to sell six civilian nuclear reactors to India, and the US is trying to get Pakistani help in extricating its forces from Afghanistan, is now expected to rehyphenate Pakistan with India by offering it a similar nuclear deal, and Indias open wooing of the US since 2006 has alienated our age-old strategic partner Russia, who is now selling arms to Pakistan, supported Chinas one belt, one road (OBOR), at a time when tensions are rising further with Pakistan sentencing Kulbhushan Jadhav to death for spying.

China is using cheque book diplomacy to make friends and also acquire real estate in strategically-located foreign lands as part of its global OBOR, which using China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will connect it to Europe by sea and land for trade.

On July 12, 2016 when the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague ruled against China stating that it had no historic rights based on the Nine-Dash Line and creation of artificial islands in the South China Sea, the Chinese waived-off all outstanding loans of Cambodia, which prevented the Asean nations from issuing a joint statement supporting the PCA ruling about the South China Sea. Similarly, it offered aid and assistance to the Philippines, whose new President, Rodrigo Duterte, made overtures to Beijing.

The first nation to learn a bitter lesson from Chinas cheque book diplomacy was Sri Lanka, which under the previous pro-China President Mahinda Rajapaksa, allowed the Chinese to build a new railway, a new container terminal at Colombo port, super highways connecting Colombo to the tourist centre of Galle and then onwards to the new Chinese-built port of Hambantota, with a new Chinese-built Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport near Hambantota. Today both the new Hambantota port and its nearby airport lie unused and have become a financial burden on cash-strapped Sri Lanka. The Chinese invested about $9 billion, and when the Lankans expressed inability to start repayment of the loan (about $1.1 billion for the Hambantota port), a controversial agreement is being worked out shortly as debt relief, which would permit a Chinese company to hold 60 per cent to 80 per cent of the management control for a 99- or a 50-year lease. If this agreement between Sri Lanka and China is finalised, a Chinese naval base in Hambantota port and airbase in the nearby airport may become a reality.

To resolve its Malacca Dilemma in 2016, China agreed to invest $14 billion in building a new Malaysian port named Melaka Gateway to be initially ready by 2019, with other facilities to replace Singapore as a tourist-cum-commercial hub by 2025, with the ability to handle 100,000 ships annually.

While the new Djibouti Chinese base (expected to be ready by September 2017) will give it a presence in the Red Sea choke point, China has also moved to invest in the land near the brand new Duqm port, Oman. In 2016, Oman announced that China had been permitted to invest $10 billion to build an industrial park by 2022 in an area adjacent to the Duqm port and that the Chinese companies building this industrial park would be allowed to lease the land to Chinese investors. Duqm port is strategically located as its near Oman oil fields and faraway from the Strait of Hormuz, where global oil exports by merchant ships are vulnerable to blockade.

India has shown some interest in Duqm port for industrial investment and connectivity, and as an energy corridor. China has also invested $800 million in Maldives to construct a second 2.5 km runway on Hulhule Island, is building a 1.39 km sea bridge to connect Hulhule Island to Male and a 15 km road on Laamu Atoll. Maldives relies on tourism and majority of the tourists are Chinese, so its economy is now dependent on China, which will invariably demand a military base in Indias backyard.

China is investing $56 billion in CPEC and Pakistans loan repayment starts in 2020 at an annual rate varying between $2.5 to $3.5 billion, with a total debt burden of $90 billion to be repaid in 30 years. Pakistan will be in no condition to repay this enormous debt. Hence, we are likely to see another lease agreement handing over some strategic parts of Pakistani territory to the Chinese.

Experts predict that the next 10 years will be critical for India as the economic gap with China will continue to widen, but after 2027 this gap will start to reduce. To expedite Indian growth, Prime Minister Narendra Modi needs to urgently amend our laws to encourage FDI from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the UAE. Other Indian counter measures will involve deterring war by doubling its naval budget, modifying its no first use nuclear doctrine, finding an asymmetric non-nuclear response to Chinas growing seapower and using some of our 1,197 islands as military bases, and also as attractive foreign tourist destinations like the Maldives.

And finally, media reports indicate that Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand are expected to include Indian Navy warships in their joint/coordinated patrols of the strategic Strait of Malacca. This move, if true, will go a long way in regional maritime cooperation to counter the sea dragon.
The Supreme Court has recently intervened in cases where women have sought abortion because the foetus is deformed, triggering demands to allow women to determine the course of their pregnancies. India was one of the 15 countries that passed a liberal abortion law in 1971. Today, the government must bring it in line with international standards and reflect both medical advances and the rights of women over their own bodies.

It is estimated that 11.5 million abortions take place in India every year, a significant proportion of the global annual figure of 56 million. In India, unsafe abortion is the third biggest cause of maternal deaths. This is a matter of concern in modern times, when, as the WHO states, When performed by a skilled provider using correct medical techniques and drugs, and under hygienic conditions, induced abortion is a very safe medical procedure. There is an urgent need to identify gaps in ensuring availability of comprehensive abortion care (CAC) services for women and preventing deaths and disabilities. Chief among these is the lack of access to safe abortion services, apart from a general lack of awareness among women, particularly those in rural and remote areas of the country.

Abortion has been legal in India by virtue of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, passed in 1971, which allows for termination of pregnancy up to 20 weeks of gestation for a broad range of conditions including when continuation of pregnancy is a risk to her physical or mental health, if pregnancy is a result of rape or incest, foetal abnormality, or failure of contraceptive method used by a married woman or her husband.

Under Section 5 of the law, upper gestation limit of 20 weeks does not apply when it is necessary to conduct terminations any time during the pregnancy to save the womans life.

When this law was passed over four decades ago, the only available technology for termination of pregnancies was dilatation and curettage (D&C)  now an outdated invasive medical procedure  that required the use of anaesthesia for removing products of conception using a metal curette. The safety provisions in the law, including provider definition, training requirement, opinion etc, were defined keeping womens safety in light of this technology.

The then progressive law has today lost its relevance in light of recent technological advancements. Newer and safer technologies that make abortion a very safe out-patient medical procedure that can be completed using manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) or a combination of prescription drugs (medical abortion) are considered to be the gold standard today.

These technologies do not require services of specialist doctors, and world over there is a trend now towards task-shifting for safe abortion to other cadres of healthcare providers. Another critical factor to be aware of is the significant improvement in diagnostic techniques for determining foetal abnormalities incompatible with life.

The proposed amendments to the MTP Act in 2014 included, one, a proposal to expand the provider base and allow AYUSH providers, nurses and ANMs to conduct early terminations after training, and, two, increasing the gestation limit from 20 to 24 weeks for vulnerable categories of women further to a recommendation from the National Commission for Women.

This proposal underscored additional challenges faced by some categories of women like survivors of rape and incest, very young women, women with disabilities etc. Recent court cases reiterate the need for increasing the gestation limit to 24 weeks for such and more vulnerable categories of women.

Another significant feature of the proposed amendments is that no upper gestation limit for termination of pregnancy would apply in case of diagnosed foetal abnormalities incompatible with life. This is in line with international standards and global recommendations.

The proposed amendments also make provisions for contraceptive failure to apply to all women and men, removing the marriage criterion that is otherwise not applicable to any other condition for termination under law.

If we look at abortion laws in the rest of the world, 60 countries have laws prescribing gestational limits. 52 per cent, including inter alia France, the UK, Austria, Ethiopia, Italy, Spain, Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland and even our neighbouring country Nepal, allow for termination beyond 20 weeks on diagnosis of foetal abnormalities. Laws in 23 countries, including countries as diverse as Canada, Germany, Vietnam, Denmark, Ghana and Zambia etc., are truly liberal, allowing for abortion any time during the pregnancy on request of the woman  for social reasons and foetal abnormalities.

Recent cases in the Supreme Court have brought out the debate on diagnosis of foetal abnormalities and womens agency to exercise their reproductive rights for termination of pregnancy.

Womens groups have strongly argued for reducing regulation of pregnancy outcomes for women and allowing women to be the judge for the course of their pregnancy. The decision to continue a pregnancy (or not) is very personal and women have their reasons for the same. Women are owners of their bodies as well as caretakers of their families. The decision about when to have children, the number of children and how to care for them, is theirs and theirs alone. While arguing very strongly for provisions for managing pregnancies with confirmed foetal abnormalities incompatible with life, it needs to be understood that less than two per cent of women experience such a situation in their pregnancy. India was one of the 15 countries that passed a liberal abortion law in 1971. Today, it must amend the law and bring it in line with international standards and global recommendations. But, women of this country are still waiting for the legislature to take a decision, making it a reality.

There is a need to also focus on strengthening programme implementation strategies and community level action on abortion. Research shows that even today, less than 20 per cent of women are aware that abortion is legal in India. The stigma around abortion takes precedence over the law and becomes a compelling factor leading women to choose unsafe pathways for termination of pregnancy when they should have access to the same, free-of-cost, from public health facilities.

We need to address these social barriers and strengthen womens access to safe abortion services, and hold ourselves accountable for the needless deaths and disabilities faced by women in a liberal legal environment.

Unsafe abortion is the third biggest cause of maternal deaths in India

20% women are aware that abortion is legal in India.

India: 11.5 mn abortions take place every year.

Globally: 56 mn abortions are done every year.

Case studies

March 2017: The Supreme Court rejected a plea made by a 37-year-old woman from Maharashtra to terminate her 26-week-old foetus on the ground that it suffered from Downs syndrome after a medical board advised it. The Supreme Court held that Downs Syndrome is not a life-threatening condition, and that there is no physical risk to the mother from the pregnancy.

July 2009: The Supreme Court allowed a mentally-challenged rape victim who doctors said had a maximum IQ of a nine-year-old to give birth to her baby, saying nature will take care of the orphan mother and child.

In 2008, the Bombay HC denied a woman, whose foetus had been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, permission to abort her 26-week foetus. The court held that abortion of the foetus was only permissible within 20 weeks. As there was no risk to the life of the pregnant woman, the court denied the petitioners the right to abort the foetus.

(The author is executive director of Ipas Development Foundation, an NGO that has been working closely with the government at the national and state levels for over a decade to increase womens access to comprehensive abortion care with the purpose of reducing deaths and disabilities faced by women. For more information visit www.ipasdevelopmentfoundation.org)
The world's largest online social network, used by more than 1.2 billion people every day, condemned the accused killer's action.

Police said Stephens used Facebook to post video of him killing the man, who police identified as 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr. Stephens is not believed to have known Godwin. (Photo: Facebook)

Ohio: Cleveland police urged a suspect who they said posted video of himself on Facebook killing an elderly man on Sunday to turn himself in to authorities.

Officials in the Ohio city said they were looking for Steve Stephens in connection with the one confirmed killing but had found no evidence to support what police said was a claim he made in the video of having killed more than a dozen other people.

"Everybody is out there looking for Steve," Calvin Williams, the Cleveland police chief, told a news conference, where he joined Mayor Frank Jackson in asking Stephens to turn himself in. They said Stephens might be driving a white or cream-colored Ford Fusion, and that he was armed and dangerous.

"We want this to end with as much peace as we can bring to this right now," Williams said, adding police knew of no other victims.

Police said Stephens used Facebook to post video of him killing the man, who police identified as 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr. Stephens is not believed to have known Godwin, police said.

The world's largest online social network, used by more than 1.2 billion people every day, condemned the accused killer's action.

"This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook," said a spokesperson for the company. "We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety."

It is not the first time a serious crime has been posted on Facebook. In January, four black people in Chicago were accused of attacking an 18-year-old disabled white man and broadcasting the assault on the service while making anti-white racial taunts.

A month later, the suspects pleaded not guilty to assaulting the man.
Mike Pence said that the era of US strategic patience in dealing with the North was over, after more than two decades.

Moscow : Russia on Monday warned Washington against launching a unilateral strike on North Korea, after US Vice President Mike Pence said the era of "strategic patience" with Pyongyang was over.

"This is a very risky path," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a news conference in Moscow. "We do not accept the reckless nuclear missile actions of Pyongyang that breach UN resolutions, but that does not mean that you can break international law," he said.

"I hope that there will not be any unilateral actions like the one we saw recently in Syria." Pence warned North Korea not to test President Donald Trump's resolve, declaring that "all options are on the table" for curbing its missile and nuclear weapons programmes.

Defying international pressure, the North on Sunday tried to test-fire another missile in an attempt that failed, but which fuelled fears that it may be preparing for its sixth atomic weapons test.

Pence said that the era of US "strategic patience" in dealing with the North was over, after more than two decades. "In the past two weeks, the world witnessed the strength and resolve of our new president in actions taken in Syria and Afghanistan," Pence said.

"North Korea would do well not to test his resolve, or the strength of the armed forces of the United States."
Sharif welcomes Trumps willingness to help India, Pak resolve differences.

Islamabad: US national security advisor Lieutenant-General H. R. McMaster arrived in Pakistan on Monday on an unannounced visit a day after he hinted that Washington could take a tougher stance with Islamabad.

It was the first visit by a top member of President Donald Trumps administration to Pakistan.

At his previous stop in Afghanistan, he suggested Washington might take a stronger line with Islamabad, for years seen as an unreliable US ally.

A statement by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs office said Mr McMaster had assured that the new administration was committed to strengthening bilateral relations and working with Pakistan, to achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan and in the wider South Asian region.

Mr Sharif on Monday reiterated his firm conviction on sustained dialogue and meaningful engagement as the only way forward to resolve all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan including the Kashmir dispute.

Talking to Mr McMaster here, PM Sharif welcomed US President Donald Trumps willingness to help India and Pakistan to resolve their differences, particularly on Kashmir.

Mr McMasters visits are being closely watched for clues to the Trump administrations future course of action in the region.

US-led NATO troops have been at war in Afghanistan since 2001.

The US has at least 8,400 troops in the country with another 5,000 from NATO allies, as efforts to negotiate a lasting peace settlement between Kabul and the Taliban have repeatedly fallen through.

Afghanistan routinely accuses Pakistan of providing safe haven to the Afghan Taliban.

As all of us have hoped for many, many years, we have hoped that Pakistani leaders will understand that it is in their interest to go after these groups less selectively than they have in the past and the best way to pursue their interest in Afghanistan and elsewhere is through diplomacy, not through the use of proxies that engage in violence, Mr McMaster said in an interview with Afghanistans ToloNews on Sunday.

The US embassy said Mr McMaster also met Pakistans Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and described the meetings as productive.
Envoy said that a joint operation against Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan leader Mullah Fazlullah and his group could be possible in near future.

Islamabad: Pakistan and Afghanistan are set to launch a joint operation against the Taliban in the near future, Afghan ambassador to Pakistan Dr Omar Zakhilwal said.

The envoy said that a joint operation against Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leader Mullah Fazlullah and his group could be possible in near future, as he expressed hope for improvement in Pak-Afghan relations this year.

The ambassador said Afghanistan could never allow India to use its soil against Pakistan, terming such an impression to be an insult to the whole Afghan nation.

In an interview with a Pakistani television channel, he expressed the hope that bilateral relations between Islamabad and Kabul would improve despite the current chill.

Hinting at back-channel efforts for normalisation of relations between the two neighbours, Dr Omar Zakhilwal said, The year 2017 will see the relations between the two countries turning warm from cold.

He dispelled the impression of framing anti-Pakistan policies. He said his country was a sovereign state and it charted its policies on foreign affairs, national security and economy purely in line with the national interest.
Pope Francis also condemned the bomb blast on a crowded Syrian bus convoy that killed at least 112 people outside Aleppo as an ignoble attack.

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis denounced oppressive regimes in his Easter message on Sunday but in an apparent call for restraint urged world leaders to prevent the spread of conflicts, as tensions rose in North Korea and Syria.

Pope Francis, marking the fifth Easter season of his pontificate, said Mass before tens of thousands of people under exceptional security measures in St. Peters Square following recent vehicle attacks against pedestrians in London and Stockholm.

More police vans and Army vehicles than usual were positioned at the entrances to the Vatican and people were stopped at several check points leading into the square, which was decorated with 35,000 flowers and trees.

In his Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) message, delivered from the central balcony of St. Peters Basilica, Pope Francis spoke of a world lacerated by conflicts and laced with tensions.

From the same balcony from where he first appeared to the world on the night of his election in 2013, Pope Francis spoke of God walking beside all those forced to leave their homelands as a result of armed conflicts, terrorist attacks, famine and oppressive regimes. He did not name any specific governments.

Pope Francis also condemned the bomb blast on a crowded Syrian bus convoy that killed at least 112 people outside Aleppo as an ignoble attack. Speaking on the most important day in the Christian liturgical calendar, he called for peace in South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ukraine.

A surprise downpour hit Rome as the Mass was held but it passed quickly, allowing Pope Francis to ride around in an open vehicle. During Holy Week services, Pope Francis has drawn attention to the plight of war victims, refugees and migrants.
the incident happened on Sunday in a remote area of the Mohammad Agha district where the government does not hold authority.

Kabul: An Afghan official says that Taliban militants have stoned a man and a woman accused of adultery to death.

Salim Sallhe, spokesman for the governor of Logar province, said the incident happened on Sunday in a remote area of the Mohammad Agha district where the government does not hold authority. Sallhe says a preliminary police investigation says the stoning did not take place in public.

Elsewhere in northern Sari Pul province, officials say Taliban militants killed three women and a young boy who were accused of spying.

Zabiullah Amani, the spokesman for the provincial governor, said the victims were accused of providing the government with information from inside Taliban-held territory.

Taliban Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid had no comment on the two reports.
When the woman's family learned of the friendship her father Manzoor called Masih's father and warned them of dire consequences.

Lahore: A 21-year-old Christian man was allegedly assaulted and burnt with hot iron rods by the family of a Muslim woman for 'befriending' her in Pakistan's Punjab province, according to a media report.

Ansar Masih first established contact with the Muslim woman two years ago and their friendship grew with time, Dawn News reported. They often spoke over phone and Masih would also visit the woman's neighbourhood to meet her, according to the First Information Report (FIR) signed by Masih's sister at a Sheikhupura police station.

When the woman's family learned of the friendship, her father, Manzoor, and her brothers called Masih's father asking him to tell his son to stay away from the woman, warning them of dire consequences if their instructions were not followed,the FIR stated.

Earlier this month, Ansar's mother sent him to run an errand in the woman's neighbourhood where he was allegedly kidnapped by the accused and his two sons, the report stated. The three unclothed him, beat him and burned him using hot iron rods, it said.

The FIR further stated that the accused then brought Ansar to his house and told his family that he had met with an accident.

Ansar's family then rushed him to Sheikhupura's District Headquarters Hospital where, after gaining consciousness, henarrated the incident.

He received severe burn wounds and after failing to get proper medical care in Sheikhupura, he was shifted to a hospital in Lahore. Ansar's condition was reported to be stable.

His sister lodged the FIR following which the police took the accused into custody.The victim's father was quoted as saying that the family was being pressured by the accused as well as the area police to reconcile and take back the case.
Iraq's Federal Police said it had made a new push against the ISIS holed up in the Old City.

Federal Police forces moved 200 metres deeper into the Old City, getting closer to al-Nuri mosque. (Photo: AP)

Baghdad: Iraqi police on Sunday accused Islamic State of using chemical weapons against their forces in Mosul, but said that had not stopped them making new ground towards the militants' last stronghold in the city.

Mosul, Iraq's second biggest city, was captured by the ultra-hardline Sunni Muslim fighters in 2014, but government forces have retaken much of it during an operation that has lasted six months.

Officers in Iraq's Federal Police told Reuters that Islamic State shelled government forces with chemical weapons agents in the Urouba and Bab Jadid districts on Saturday.

The attack caused only minor wounds, the force said in a statement, without giving more details.

The UN said last month that 12 people, including women and children, had been treated for possible exposure to chemical weapons in Mosul. But Iraq's UN ambassador, Mohamed Ali Alhakim, said days later there was no evidence for that.

Iraq's Federal Police, one of several forces attacking the militants, said it had made a new push against the group holed up in the Old City, where tanks and heavy vehicles are not able to operate because of its narrow streets.

The front has hardly moved for over a month.

Federal Police forces moved 200 metres (yards) deeper into the Old City, getting closer to al-Nuri mosque, a statement said.

The mosque is highly symbolic because it was there that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared himself head of a self-proclaimed caliphate.

Troops have had the centuries-old mosque with its leaning minaret in their sights since last month.

A captain in the Federal Police said Sunday's advance had started in the early morning with troops fighting the militants house-to-house.

"Daesh (Islamic State) suicide motorcycles now are their favourite weapon inside the Old City," he said.

"We have to watch every single house to avoid attackers on motorcycles packed with explosives."

Iraqi government forces, backed by U.S. advisers, artillery and air support, have cleared the east of Mosul and half of the west and are now focused on the Old City.

Some 400,000 people are trapped in the area and more than 300,000 have fled fighting since the operation started in October, officials say.
As per custom, public holidays are announced in Nepal whenever the head of the state embarks on an official foreign visit.

Home Ministry officials said the two days will be public holidays in Nepal to mark the departure and arrival of Bhandari after concluding her five-day visit to India. (Photo: File)

Kathmandu: The Nepal government has announced public holidays on April 17 and April 22 - the days when Nepalese President Bidya Devi Bhandari begins her first foreign visit to India and returns to the Himalayan country.

Home Ministry officials said the two days will be public holidays in Nepal to mark the departure and arrival of Bhandari after concluding her five-day visit to India.

As per custom, public holidays are announced in Nepal whenever the head of the state embarks on an official foreign visit.

This will be Bhandari's first foreign trip after assuming the office in October 2015, following the promulgation of the new Constitution in Nepal.

She is visiting India at the invitation of President Pranab Mukherjee and will stay at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

A high-level delegation comprising several ministers and MPs will accompany her.
During the Regina Caeli, Pope Francis invited all the faithful "to 'act quickly' and 'go out' to announce to the men and women of our time" the "message of hope" of the Risen Lord. We are able to undertake acts of solidarity and welcome, and feed the universal desire for peace and the aspiration for an environment free from degradation. May the Virgin Mary "intercede especially for the persecuted and oppressed Christian communities that are called to a more difficult and courageous testimony."

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  Asserting the value of life . . . is already starting to rise, Pope Francis said in his address to the pilgrims who had gathered St Peters Square for the Regina Caeli, the Marian prayer recited in lieu of the Angelus during Easter celebrations.

"We shall be men and women of the resurrection, he added, if, in the midst of events that trouble the world and the worldliness that keeps away from God, we are able to undertake acts of solidarity and welcome, and feed the universal desire for peace and the aspiration for an environment free from degradation. These are shared and human signs that, inspired and sustained by faith in the Risen Lord, can acquire an efficacy far greater than our capacities. Yes indeed, Christ is alive and active in history through his Holy Spirit: he redeems our miseries, reaches every human heart, and gives hope to anyone who is oppressed and suffering."

Earlier, speaking about today's Gospel, which refers to invitation of the angel to the women at the tomb (Then go quickly and tell his disciples, He has risen from the dead, Mt, 28:7), Francis noted, "we also feel directed at us the invitation to 'act quickly' and 'go out' to announce the message of hope to the men and women of our time. Ever since the dawn of the third day, when the crucified Jesus rose, the last word is not death, but life. "

Finally, "May the Virgin Mary, the silent witness of the death and resurrection of her Son Jesus, help us to be clear signs of the Risen Christ amid the events of the world, so that those who are in distress facing difficulties may not remain victims of pessimism, but find in us so many brothers and sisters who offer their support and consolation. May our Mother help us believe strongly in the resurrection of Jesus, the wonderful mystery of salvation, and in his ability to transform hearts and lives. May she intercede especially for the persecuted and oppressed Christian communities that are called to a more difficult and courageous testimony."

After the Regina Caeli prayer, amid the greetings, the pontiff said: "Take every good opportunity to bear witness to the peace of the Risen Lord.
Photo of the 2017 Prius Two courtesy of Toyota.

Toyota has introduced a lower-cost Prius gasoline-electric hybrid into its 2017 lineup with the Prius One, that carries a starting price that's $1,210 lower than the Prius Two, according to a Cars Direct report.

The move could be a response to the arrival of Hyundai's 2017 Ioniq Hybrid, which undercuts the Prius Two by $2,535 with a more fuel efficient model. Toyota sent a letter to dealers announcing the move.

The Prius One is nearly identical to the Prius Two, except it doesn't come with a spare tire, rear wiper, and driver/passenger seatback pockets. The Prius One will include the Toyota Safet Sense P driver assistance package that includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert with steering assist, adaptive cruise control and auto high beams.
17 April 2017 11:15 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

After a lapse of 23 years cotton sowing has started on the territory near the Leletepe height, which was liberated from the Armenian occupation in April 2016.

Resident of the Horadiz village Rasim Agayev told Azertac that he will grow cotton on an area of 200 hectares near the contact line.

Earlier, this territory was very dangerous. After the liberation of the Leletepe height from the occupation, we can easily engage in cotton growing here. We started sowing cotton a few days ago, the farmer said.

Rufat Mehdiyev, an agronomist of the cotton production company MKT Istehsalat Kommersiya, told reporters that the company concluded a contract with 161 land owners on the cotton sowing on an area of 820 hectares.

Farmers are fully provided with seeds, fertilizers and equipment," he said.

The cotton sowing is expected to increase fourfold in the Fuzuli region of Azerbaijan as compared to 2016. In detail, the regions agricultural office informed that cotton was grown on an area of 505 hectares in Fuzuli last year; however, it is planned to sow cotton seeds on an area of 2,050 hectares in the current season. Currently, sowing of cotton successfully continues in the region.

Azerbaijan expects to see a real growth in cotton production, as the government has focused on giving a new life to this industry. At the recent conference on the development of cotton-growing in Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev said that the government has been providing large state support to cotton growing since last year.

This industry has already created 64,000 jobs in Azerbaijan during last year, while more 200,000 jobs on cotton-growing are expected to appear in the country this year.

--

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17 April 2017 11:54 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Azerbaijans State Agency on Alternative and Renewable Energy Sources is taking part in international tenders for supply of engineering solutions, Jamil Melikov told Trend.



The deputy head of the state agency said that there are certain prospects in the sphere of exporting solutions and technologies in alternative energy.

"These prospects are small, because it is very difficult to compete with Chinese equipment manufacturers in the field of alternative energy," Melikov said. "However, we are trying to position ourselves in the solutions export market more than in the goods export market."

The economic feasibility of the alternative energy development remains even if energy prices are low, he added.

"Alternative energy uses free resources," Melikov noted. "Almost 70 percent of the cost of electricity and any other type of energy include the cost of energy resources. So, theoretically, I think that the renewable energy will have no competition in the near future. Currently, our small projects in alternative energy can seriously compete with the projects regarding traditional energy."

He added that nowadays, it is difficult for the State Agency to compete in the areas where traditional energy has been used over a long period of time, where power transmission lines are already stretched, as well as in the areas having substations and extensive electricity network.

Global warming and long-lasting changes in all components of the climate system made many nations to seek help in renewable and alternative sources of energy today. The usage of renewable energy is expected to significantly reduce emissions and thus protect nature.

In recent years, more and more attention is paid to the development of renewable energy sources in the energy-rich country of South Caucasus -- Azerbaijan.

Offering 2,400-3,200 hours of sunshine per year, Azerbaijan has also good potential for solar electricity and heat generation. While its technically feasible potential remains underexploited, hydro power is currently the most developed renewable energy source.

Currently, the capacity of Azerbaijans electricity system exceeds 12,000 megawatt. The total potential of renewable energy sources exceeds 25,300 megawatt in the country.

The major part of the country's potential in this sphere accounts for solar energy and this potential is estimated at 5,000 megawatt.

Wind energy accounts for 4,500 megawatt, biomass - 1,500 megawatt, geothermal energy - 800 megawatt and the remaining 350 megawatt accounts for the small hydro power plants.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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17 April 2017 13:25 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Israel plans to build a company for production of vegetable and fruit crops seeds in Azerbaijan,

Alex Kaplun, the president of the Israel-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IACCI) told Trend.

The project on the seed production company construction was initiated a year ago by Azerbaijans Agriculture Ministry and the IACCI.

"In late 2016, in anticipation of the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Baku, a contract was signed between Azerbaijans Agriculture Ministry and the Israeli Plain Sciences (IPS) company to create a state enterprise for seed breeding and production," Kaplun noted.

The IPS will be the contractor of the project from the Israeli side, he said, noting that the IPS will act in partnership with several leading Israeli companies and will be headed by Oded Sagi, Ph.D. in agricultural science, who is one of the best Israeli specialists in the field of breeding new seeds and their production.

Kaplun noted that the quality seeds of own production are the basis for successful farming, and using quality seeds well adapted to weather conditions enables farmers to get fruitful harvest.

"Azerbaijan has excellent conditions for the development of farms. Establishment of local seed production will make it possible to abandon the import of seeds, save the state budget funds and create new jobs, believes Kaplun.

Today, Azerbaijans agriculture sector completely depends on the imported seeds. Many seeds are produced by European companies, and these seeds are not adapted to local weather conditions, he noted.

"The establishment of the enterprise will open new opportunities for the economy of Azerbaijan, and the country will be able to export seeds in the future, and this will become a positive and significant step in the development of the entire agro-industrial complex," he said.

"Teaching Azerbaijani specialists the technologies for breeding new varieties of seeds ideally adapted to the Azerbaijani climate and consumer priorities will become an integral part of the project," Kaplun added.

For this purpose, laboratories for the research and breeding of new varieties of seeds will be built within the framework of the project, he said.

Azerbaijan seeks to achieve an economy driven by the non-oil sector, but not petrodollars. That means putting more effort to develop local production and more support to agriculture, one of Azerbaijans best non-oil sector development options.

The agricultural sector is important in Azerbaijan not only to increase export potential, but also to restore and protect the countrys food security.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



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17 April 2017 12:44 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

The issues of strengthening regional cooperation in rail transport are being discussed in Baku as important meetings scheduled for April 17-18 on rail transport initiated by the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) are underway in Baku.

Thus, Baku hosts the 13th Meeting of the Heads of ECO Railway Authorities/7th Meeting of Railway Committee of ECO Transit Transport Coordination Council (TTCC).

Deputy Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways Igbal Huseynov addressed the event and informed about the railway projects being realized with participation of Azerbaijan.

He also informed the guests about the process of upgrading infrastructure and technical structure of Azerbaijan Railways, role of international transport corridors in increasing the transit potential, spokeswoman for Azerbaijan Railways Sevinj Gadirova told Trend.

Overall, this meeting will review the latest developments and progress with regard to the regular operation of the ECO Container Trains, challenges being faced on the way of the train services, progress on the railway infrastructure projects of regional importance and new regional initiatives.

The 3rd High-Level Working Group meeting on Qazvin-Rasht-Astara (Iran)- Astara (Azerbaijan) Railway Project will be held on April 18.

This meeting will discuss the latest status of the construction works along the route in the territories of Republic of Azerbaijan and Iran and challenges being faced by the concerned parties in the course of construction works.

Representatives of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Peoples Republic of China, as well as the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), the Intergovernmental Organization for International Carriage by Rail (On Time In Full  OTIF) , the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and ECO-TDB (ECO Trade and Development Bank) attend the events.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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17 April 2017 15:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

In an effort to improve the business environment, Azerbaijan pays a great deal of attention to privatization aimed at promoting the activation of state enterprises, which in turn, will help to create new jobs.

Azerbaijans State Committee on Property has sent invitations to 500 foreign companies, investment banks and pension funds to participate in the process of privatization of state-owned enterprises in the country, Kerem Hasanov, the chairman of the department, said at an expanded meeting dedicated to the results of the first quarter of 2017 and future tasks.

In the first quarter of this year, nearly 250 state-owned enterprises, including small enterprises, joint-stock companies, vehicles, as well as 63 non-residential and land plots, were privatized, he stressed.

The head of the State Committee on Property stressed the need to speed up work to attract investors to privatize state-owned enterprises in regions that have the potential and can contribute to the country's socio-economic development.

In his speech, Hasanov recalled that the State Committee launched a special website dedicated to privatization. In January-March 2017, almost 200,000 people used it, and almost 600,000 people used the website since its launch.

The third stage of privatization in Azerbaijan started in the framework of the presidential decree dated May 19, 2016. Under the decree, the acceleration of the state property privatization process has been defined as an important direction of the economic policy.

The portal for privatization  privatization.az, launched in July 2016, reflects all necessary information about the facilities, their addresses, location, and even initial cost and aims at facilitation of the process. The website is available in two languages - Azerbaijani and English. Why Azerbaijan is special section available on the website explains the reasons and advantages of investing in the country.

The privatization process is designed to attract both foreign and local investors, as well as improve the business environment of Azerbaijan.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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17 April 2017 17:56 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijani designers have presented their new collections as part of Baku Fashion Night.

The 6th fashion show was co-organized by FMS Models Agency and of Excelsior Hotel & SPA in Baku.

The gala evening began with presentation of gorgeous fashion collection from Atelier Desire, headed by Diana Bagirova.

Further, the fashion house Gunay Exclusive, headed by Gunay Guliyeva presented a stunning collection of gowns.

Renera Shamsieva`s brand "RENARA" presented stylish collection of cardigans. The gala evening ended with a collection entitled 50 shades of grey by designer Gulum Asadullaeva.

The guests also familiarized with collections form "Fashion Lab Catherine" by Eren Allakhverdiyeva and Liana Allakhverdiyeva, designer accessories by Khuraman Kaplan, Bahari handmade in Azerbaijan, accessories made of natural stones by Asmer Dominguez, Anastasia Bektimirova`s accessories etc.

The fashion project, which runs since 2014, is regularly held twice a year for the Fall-Winter and Spring-Summer seasons.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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17 April 2017 14:42 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The absurd statements of Armenian power structures officials about military power and new weapons of the country, are misleading the public, said military expert Kamal Huseynov.

Retired Colonel Huseynov announced about this while commenting on the statement of Deputy Chief of the Armenian Air Defense Forces, Colonel Arthur Poghosyan, who said that Armenia has purchased man-portable air-defense systems Verba.

Poghosyans statement that the acquisition of this weapon will change the balance of power in the region in favor of Yerevan is absurd, said Huseynov.

Any international expert who directly studies the balance of power between the two countries and analyzes the situation in detail unequivocally confirms multiple superiority of Azerbaijan over Armenia from a military point of view," the expert said.

Huseynov noted that unlike Armenia, the financial capacity of Azerbaijan allows not only to purchase a sufficient number of modern weapons and military equipment for the army, but also allows to develop the countrys military-industrial complex.

Indeed, Azerbaijan, which is in war with neighboring Armenia over the latter's groundless territorial claims during more than 20 years, keeps in focus the armament. The country works closely with leading companies and firms in various fields of military industry, and at the same time creates its own progressive armament at military factories.

Azerbaijan provides the national Army with sufficient military budget every year. Defense spending of Azerbaijan determined in the state budget for 2017 made up 2.64 billion manats ($1.59 billion), which exceeds the spending for 2016.

Meanwhile, Russian expert on international conflicts Evgeniy Mikhailov said that Azerbaijan purchases weapons that are way stronger than Armenias.

Mikhailov expects no dramatic change in the balance of armaments with the supply of the Verba systems to the Armenian Armed Forces.

The expert added that Armenians will not be able to use these air-defense systems in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The use of Verba in Nagorno-Karabakh will be illegal. The systems may be used for the defense of Armenia, but the use in Karabakh would be on the conscience of the aggressor, he told Day.Az.

Azerbaijan and Armenia for over two decades have been locked in conflict, which emerged over Armenian territorial claims to Azerbaijan. Since the 1990s war, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions. The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal from the occupied lands of Azerbaijan, but they have not been enforced to this day.

While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign State with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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17 April 2017 17:34 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The Nagorno-Karabakh and Transnistria conflicts will be priority for the new Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Subcommittee on conflicts, Chairman of the Subcommittee Stefan Schennach told Report on April 17.

He said that the third priority conflict will be determined later, and work in this direction is ongoing.

He added that the first meeting of the subcommittee will be held in Helsinki in May, and another meeting will be held in Vienna in June.

Schennach was elected the chairman of the new PACE subcommittee on conflicts in March. He is also a co-rapporteur of the PACE Monitoring Committee.

For more than two decades the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains the trouble spot of the South Caucasus region. Two countries are in a state of war following Yerevans aggression, ethnic cleansing policy and illegal territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions in a brutal war in the early 1990s.

Despite a fragile ceasefire agreement signed in 1994, Armenia keeps violating armistice with Azerbaijan.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter:

@RashidShirinov

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17 April 2017 09:56 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev made a phone call to President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan on April 16.

President Ilham Aliyev congratulated the President and people of Turkey on the successful conduct of a referendum on amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey and on the majority of the population`s voting for these amendments. The President described the results of the referendum as the Turkish people`s great support for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan`s policy.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan thanked for attention and congratulations.

The heads of state expressed their confidence that friendly and brotherly relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey will continue to successfully develop in all areas.

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17 April 2017 11:42 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The Azerbaijani Armed Forces have launched large-scale exercises on April 16 in line with the plan approved by Azerbaijans President, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev, said Azerbaijans Defense Ministry.

About 30,000 servicemen participate in the drills that will continue until April 21.

Also, more than 250 tanks and armored vehicles, up to 200 missiles and artillery systems, multiple launch rocket systems and mortars, and 25 combat aircraft are involved in the drills.

The Armed Forces conduct military maneuvers in order to inspect combat readiness, organization of command and control of troops and means, including their interoperability in a combat simulated environment.

The Azerbaijani Army, which today is considered the most modern army in the Caucasus, consists of Air Force and Air Defense Forces, the Navy, and the Land Forces.

The skills and combat readiness of the Azerbaijani army are growing year by year, as the countrys Armed Forces regularly conduct military exercises. The Azerbaijani army is supplied with modern weapons and technical equipment for maintaining a high level of combat capability.

Russia Today agency has recently noted that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces are the richest in the region, and the country has increased its military budget by 20 times since the early 2000s.

The army building process is of particular importance for Azerbaijan, as twenty percent of the country's territory is under Armenian occupation and the country is in a state of war with Armenia.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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17 April 2017 14:15 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan will develop tourism cooperation, as the tourism associations of the two countries signed a memorandum on boosting the interaction.

The memorandum was inked by the heads of the tourist associations of the countries - Nahid Bagirov (Azerbaijan) and Nabijan Kasimov (Uzbekistan) within the framework of the international tourist exhibition "The World of Leasure " held in Tashkent.



The two sides will exchange experience and information in the development of the tourism industry, organize joint tours and events related to the promotion of tourism, as well as organize mutual trips, promote health tourism and provide support in strengthening of the tourist flow.

In addition, within the framework of the signed memorandum, advertising banners of Azerbaijan's tourism potential will be installed in the central streets of Tashkent in the coming days. Advertising will be strengthened also on the leading TV channels of Uzbekistan.

Azerbaijan stand at the World of Rest exhibition this year was presented by the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center operation under the Azerbaijani Embassy in Uzbekistan.

The stand featured samples of the rich cultural heritage of the country, its tourism potential, reflected in the publications prepared by Azerbaijans Ministry of Culture and Tourism.



During the exhibition, a presentation of the "Baku Shopping Festival" was held, where visitors were provided with booklets prepared specially about the shopping festival.

Azerbaijans Naftalan city hotels such as "Chinar" and "Gashalty" also presented their tour packages at the international tourism exhibition.

Speaking about the Uzbek tourists visiting Naftalan, Samir Abbasov, Director of the Azerbaijan Cultural Center, said that work carried out by the center for three years to attract tourists from Uzbekistan to Azerbaijan has yielded successful results.

Abbasov noted that in recent years the number of Uzbek tourists visiting Naftalan has significantly increased, according to the information of the sanatorium.

Located some 360 km west of Baku, the town of Naftalan, where the oil originates, has a special treatment center with unique natural treatments that cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. Naftalan, a rare type of oil from Azerbaijan, is a thick, black-brown liquid with a specific, aromatic odor, which is used only for medicinal purposes. Azerbaijani doctors have prescribed it for years to successfully treat various skin, joint and bone diseases such as psoriasis, arthritis and rheumatism.

"Bearing in mind the historical proximity between our peoples, the visa-free travel regime between the countries and existence of direct flights between Tashkent and Baku, carried out twice a week, there is a huge potential in tourism between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan," Abbasov said.

Alongside Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan is also developing tourism with regional neighbors- Turkey, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan  to launch a joint pilot tourist product Great Silk Road.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



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17 April 2017 13:06 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

The 1st International Forum of Caucasus Studies Scholars kicked off in Baku on April 17.

Co-organized by the Presidium of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) and the Institute of the Caucasus Studies, the forum brings together 175 scholars and researchers from Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, US, UK, Israel, Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Georgia.

In his opening remarks, ANAS president Akif Alizade highlighted the importance of the forum.

Head of the Department of Humanitarian Policy Issues of the Presidential Administration Fatma Abdullazade read out President Ilham Aliyev`s message of greetings to the forum participants, Azertac reported.

There is a good political and economic relationship between Azerbaijan and Russia. Today, we can see Azerbaijan's agricultural products in the Russian markets. It also shows that the economic relations between the two countries are at a high level, said Academician Gennady Matishov, chairman of the Southern Scientific Center of the Russian Academy, as he addressed forum.

We should try to strengthen the relations between the two nations, he added. Gennady Matishov proposed to sign a protocol of intent on cooperation at the end of this forum.

The Institute of Caucasus Studies of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences and Southern Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences signed a memorandum of intent on bilateral scientific cooperation as part of the 1st International Forum of Caucasus Studies scholars in Baku.

The document was signed by Director of the Insttute of Caucasus Studies Musa Gasimli and chairman of the Southern Research Center Gennady Matishov.

The Institute of Caucasus Studies also signed a memorandum of intent on cooperation with the Institute of History of the New Turkey Strategic Research Center. The document was signed by Gasimli and director of the Institute of History Kemal Cicek.

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17 April 2017 16:28 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The Islamic Republic of Iran supports the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and stands for a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the norms and principles of international law.

Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Parliament) of Iran Ali Larijani said this at a meeting with Azerbaijans Defense Minister, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov in Tehran on April 17, Azerbaijans Defense Ministry reported.

During the meeting, Hasanov hailed the importance and great contribution of numerous meetings and mutual visits of Azerbaijani and Iranian presidents and officials to the expansion of bilateral ties, as well as to the development and strengthening of the bilateral cooperation.

Touching upon security issues in the region, the minister informed Larijani about the ongoing negotiations on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, in particular about the incidents that have occurred recently on the contact line between the troops.

For more than two decades Armenia and Azerbaijan are in a state of war following Yerevans aggression, ethnic cleansing policy and illegal territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenia keeps under control over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions in a brutal war in the early 1990s. Despite a fragile ceasefire agreement signed in 1994, Armenia keeps violating armistice with Azerbaijan.

The sides also discussed prospects for the development of Azerbaijan-Iran cooperation in the military and military-technical sphere, and considered regional, global and a number of issues of mutual interest.

Heading a high-ranking military delegation, Hasanov arrived in Tehran on April 15 at the invitation of his Iranian counterpart.

Earlier, Hasanov has held fruitful talks with Irans Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan and Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran Ali Shamkhani.

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17 April 2017 12:27 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Average price of AZERI LT CIF, extracted at Azerbaijans Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli block of fields, was $56.2 per barrel on April 10-14 or $1.58 per barrel more than the previous week.

The highest price of AZERI LT was $56.44 per barrel, while the lowest price was $55.93 per barrel during the period.

Azerbaijan sells AZERI LT via the Turkish port of Ceyhan and Georgian ports of Batumi and Supsa. The oil is supplied to Ceyhan via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and to Georgia via the Baku-Supsa pipeline, as well as by rail.

Average price of URALS (EX-NOVO), exported from Azerbaijan via the Novorossiysk port, was $52.89 per barrel on April 10-14 or $1.06 per barrel more than the previous week.

The highest price for URALS was $53.03 per barrel and the lowest price was $52.63 per barrel on April 10-14.

Azerbaijan sells the oil supplied via the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline through Russias Novorossiysk port.

Average price of Brent Dated was $54.86 per barrel on April 10-14 or $1.55 per barrel more than the previous week.

The highest price for Brent was $54.98 per barrel and the lowest price was $54.67 during the period.

The countrys oil output in March 2017 amounted to 733,300 barrels, 40,000 barrels of which accounted for condensate.

The Energy Ministry further informed that 596,000 barrels of oil, 40,000 barrels of condensate and 23,000 barrels of petroleum products were exported daily.

Last December, 11 non-OPEC countries, including Azerbaijan, agreed to curtail oil output jointly by 558,000 barrels per day. The agreement was signed for the first half of 2017, with the possibility of extension.

The participation of Azerbaijan in joint oil production cuts is defined at 35,000 barrels per day.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
17 April 2017 17:21 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Crude oil fell slightly on April 17 on signs that the United States is continuing to add output largely counteracting OPEC efforts to cut production.

On NYMEX (New York Mercantile Exchange) cost of the U.S. Light crude oil decreased $0.43 to stand at $52.75. Price of the Brent crude oil at the London ICE (Intercontinental Exchange Futures) fell $0.46 to trade at $55.43.

U.S. drillers last week added rigs for a 13th straight week, bringing it to its highest in roughly two years.

Moreover, investors are also putting money into the industry, suggesting U.S. output gains will continue.

Increasing U.S. output is undermining attempts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other major oil producers to curb output and sustain higher prices on oil market.

U.S. crude oil production reached 9.24 million barrels per day (bpd), according to the latest Energy Information Administration data, making it the world's third-largest producer after Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Currently, OPEC, the average daily production of which by the results of the first quarter amounted to 32.02 million barrels per day, actually balances supply and demand.

Meanwhile, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said that most of the participants in the agreement on the reduction of oil production want to extend it. Iranian official noted that the Islamic Republic supports the extension of the deal if other countries comply with its terms.

In addition, India decided to cut down the import of Iranian oil in 2017-2018 by about 20 percent. Nevertheless, Iran does not view this decision as a threat since India is one of Tehran's most important customers.

Due to the long period of low energy prices, the authorities of the oil states are trying to find other sources of income.

Thus, Saudi Arabia plans to develop 30 projects in the field of solar and wind energy to increase electricity production and reduce oil consumption, according to the Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources of Khalid al-Falih. It is assumed that under this plan the world's largest oil exporter will produce 10 percent of its energy using renewable energy sources.

Since mid-2014, the oil market has faced an excess of supply over demand, which has led to a sharp decline in oil prices.

In December 2016, OPEC and non-OPEC producers reached their first deal since 2001 to curtail oil output jointly and ease a global glut after more than two years of low prices.

Non-OPEC oil producers such as Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, Sudan, and South Sudan agreed to reduce output by 558,000 bpd starting from January 1, 2017 for six months, extendable for another six months, taking into account prevailing market conditions and prospects.

OPEC agreed to slash the output by 1.2 million barrels per day from Jan. 1, with top exporter Saudi Arabia cutting as much as 486,000 bpd.

The meeting in Vienna scheduled for May 25 will discuss whether the OPEC group will prolong the agreement for another six months.

---

Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
17 April 2017 11:28 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won a historic referendum on April 16 that will greatly expand the presidential powers.

It is a major sign that our nation is protecting its future, Erdogan said in a post-referendum speech at Huber Palace in Istanbul.

That decision was no ordinary one. Today is the day when a change, a decision to shift to a truly serious administrative system was made, Erdogan said, adding that Turkey has resolved a 200-year-old conflict in its administration.

With nearly all ballots counted, the yes vote stood at 51.41 percent, while the no vote was 48.59 percent, according to Anadolu Agency. The head of Turkeys electoral board confirmed the Yes victory and said final results would be declared in 11-12 days.

More than 55 million Turks were eligible to vote in Sundays referendum and there was a large turn out at 167,140 polling stations across the country.

Voters from abroad have provided a strong support to the referendum with more than 48 percent turnout. More than 59 percent of expats, who participated, voted in favor of the constitutional amendment.

The constitutional amendments proposed by the governing Justice and Development Party (AK Party) were backed by the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

Turkeys main opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP) had been campaigning for a no vote, against the proposed changes.

The yes means Turkeys constitution to be amended to replace the parliamentary system, scrap the office of the prime minister and transform the presidency from a ceremonial position to an executive one.

Erdogan stated that the new system of government will be enacted after elections in 2019.

All articles of the constitutional change will not go in effect soon. Especially, the changes related to the presidential system will be enacted after elections on November 3, 2019, he said.

The president also called on the other countries to respect the decision of the Turkish nation.

Against the backdrop of the initial referendum results, the national currency of the Turkish lira lost value and fell from 3.68 to 3.75 per dollar.

---

Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
17 April 2017 12:58 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Turkmenistan will hold next parliamentary elections on May 21, 2017.

The county will simultaneously hold the election of members to local governing bodies Halk Maslahaty (Peoples Council) and Gengeshi in connection with changes in the administrative and territorial structure of the regions.

The countrys Central Election Commission (CEC) reported that currently candidates are being nominated.

The Democratic Party and initiative groups of citizens nominated the candidates to the parliament in the constituency # 7 Gunesh in Ashgabat and in the constituency #106 Vekil in Mary province.

Several candidates are nominated for one seat in all districts. As soon as the process of nomination ends, the registration of candidates will be conducted. Later, the meetings with voters will be held.

In accordance with the constitution of Turkmenistan, the countrys parliament adopts laws, makes changes and additions to the basic law, approves the state budget, addresses issues of holding a national referendum, appoints the president election, the parliamentary election, as well as members of representative bodies.

The Turkmen parliament also ratifies and denounces international treaties, decides on changing of the state border and the administrative-territorial division of the country.

MPs are elected for a period of 5 years on the basis of universal, equal and direct voting by secret ballot. The number of MPs in the parliament is 125.

---

Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva
17 April 2017 16:12 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

A trilateral meeting on Syria between Russia, the United States and the United Nations is scheduled for April 24 in Geneva, a diplomatic source said.

"The meeting has been tentatively scheduled for April 24," TASS cited the source as saying, adding that Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov will represent Russia.

Earlier, Russia' Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said that next week, Geneva may host a trilateral meeting on Syria between Russia, the US and the UN.

"A trilateral meeting is planned, we are expecting a confirmation from our U.S. counterparts," he said adding that the meeting may involve deputy foreign ministers or department directors.

Russia and the U.S. have been experiencing tensions in relations since President Trump ordered a missile strike on Syria earlier this month in retaliation for a chemical attack blamed on Syrian President Bashar al-Assads forces.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson failed to resolve these tensions at talks last week, which came hours before Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on Syria.

The long-running UN-sponsored Syria peace talks are due to resume in May. The latest round of Geneva talks under the auspices of the United Nations concluded on March 3, with the parties agreeing on a number of separate "baskets" to be addressed during the next rounds, including the issues of governance, constitution, elections and counterterrorism.

Armed conflict continues in Syria since March 2011. Government troops are confronted by militants of different armed rebel groups. Russia has begun airstrikes on terrorist facilities in Syria since September 30, 2015. The Russian military involvement follows an official request from President Bashar Assad to President Vladimir Putin.

---

Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
17 April 2017 16:45 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Tehran has lashed out at the UK for preventing the Islamic Republic from buying nuclear yellow cake from Kazakhstan, according to the Irans Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi.

Iran is authorized by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to purchase natural uranium or yellowcake. However, to do so, it needs to obtain the approval of the Joint Commission, a body of representatives from Russia, the UK, China, France, Germany, the US, and the EU.

Qassemi said that UKs negative vote on the purchase was contrary to its commitments under the nuclear deal.

We hope the UK returns to its commitments under the JCPOA. They have acted contrary to the JCPOA, Qassemi said.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Qssemi commented on the prospect of the JCPOA under Irans future government as the country is planning a presidential election May 19, saying any Iranian government will continue to enact the deal.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
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Axel Andresson has become something of a cult hero since joining Bath City on loan from Reading FC.

The Icelander has made a huge impact on the side, shoring up the defence alongside Jack Batten to the point that he had not lost a National League South game in black and white until Saturday's defeat at East Thurrock United.

Andresson gave up a family Christmas in his home nation to spend the festive period playing for the Romans and bagged five goals in 15 games - solving the Romans penalty woe in the process.

The commanding centre-half's attitude on and off the pitch has even impressed manager Gary Owers to the point that he has taken over the captaincy at the tender age of 19 for the past two games, with Frankie Artus out of action.

(Image: Simon Howe)

The adoration that City fans have shown their loan star is not a one-way street either, as Andresson says the experience has been fantastic for his development.

"That's been marvelous," he said. "I'm so proud of coming into a team and from day one everyone has supported me; the fans, the players.

"It's been the best experience for me. Especially as I'm young and I have many years to come, and I will always appreciate Bath.

"A great connection. As I said before, everything has been spot on, positive. Everything has been lovely."

Watch the full interview in the video above for Andresson's thoughts on the defeat to East Thurrock and his time away on tour with Iceland under-21s.
The search for Steve Stephens, the man suspected of shooting and killing a 74-year-old man Sunday in Cleveland and then posting the video to Facebook, is now a nationwide manhunt, officials said Monday afternoon.

Suspect ID'd as 37-year-old Steve Stephens

Police: He shot and killed man, posted video on Facebook

FBI has been called in to investigation shooting, join manhunt

Cleveland Police said the 37-year-old Stephens, a job counselor for teenagers and young adults, uploaded a video to Facebook that showed him walk up to Robert Godwin Sr. at about 2 p.m. while he was collecting aluminum cans.

Stevens pointed a gun at Godwin's head, said a few sentences and then pulled the trigger.

The Cleveland Police Department announced at about 3:15 p.m. Monday that there's a reward of up to $50,000 for information the leads to the arrest of Stevens.

Godwin was out picking up cans in a plastic shopping bag, his daughter told the Associated Press.

"Not because he needed the money, it was just something he did," said 52-year-old Debbie Godwin. "That's all he was doing. He wasn't harming anyone."

She said her father, who had 10 children, was a gentle man with nothing mean about him. "We called him the junk man," she said. "He'd pick up things off the street and fix them. He picked up bikes and he fixed them."

The motive for the shooting wasn't entirely clear from the shaky video, in which Stephens told Godwin a woman's name and said, "She's the reason that this is about to happen to you." Godwin did not seem to recognize the woman's name.

The suspect then pointed a gun at Godwin, who shielded his face with the plastic bag.

The woman Stephens mentioned, Joy Lane, said in a text to CBS that "we had been in a relationship for several years. I am sorry that all of this has happened."

Facebook said the video was posted after the killing but wasn't broadcast on Facebook Live as police initially indicated. The suspect did go live on the social media site at another point Sunday.

The video of the killing was on Facebook for about three hours before it was taken down. Stephens' Facebook page also was eventually removed.

Investigators said that Godwin was the only victim so far linked to Stephens, despite the suspect's claim in a separate video on Facebook that he killed over a dozen people.

The Cleveland Police Department has been spreading pictures of him and his car.

Actual photo of Steve Stephens, homicide suspect's, actual vehicle. Please call 9-1-1 if seen. Plate not yet available. pic.twitter.com/hn8a8nQEAP  Cleveland Police (@CLEpolice) April 16, 2017

Authorities also warned people in Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana and Michigan to be alert for Stephens, who was wanted on a charge of aggravated murder.

Williams said Stephens may be driving a newer-model white Ford Fusion, possibly with a temporary license plate. He is described as a black man with a bald head and beard, 6-foot-1 and weighing 240 pounds.

If you see Stephens, call 911. If you have tips about the crime or his whereabouts, call the FBI tipline 1-800-Call FBI.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
Food trucks are becoming more and more popular in our area, but not for some drivers in downtown St. Petersburg.

Food trucks causing traffic concerns in downtown St. Petersburg

Trucks blocking traffic lane cause for potential accidents

St. Pete PD plans to address issue, says spokeswoman Yolanda Fernandez

Food trucks have been fighting for the prime spot downtown as construction crews look to grab a quick bite to eat.

However, according to Erin Hamilton-Mullin, many times that prime spot is in her lane of traffic.

The other day there was a pickup truck in front of me. He swerved all of a sudden in the middle lane. And that car is honking at him. Im going, whats going on? Hamilton-Mullin explained.

Hamilton-Mullin said the spot where food trucks tend to park is along 4th Street South between 2nd and 3rd Avenue South.

There are workers standing behind it. There are three of them there, someone serving. And Im slamming on my brakes. The car behind me is slamming on their brakes. And now weve got to move over, she said.

Hamilton-Mullin said she understands the needs of the workers downtown, and isnt looking to remove the trucks entirely, just to make it safer for everyone.

I would just like to see cones or some signs or something. I mean, the last thing we need is a pedestrian or another worker getting hit, she said.

Bay News 9s traffic expert, Chuck Henson, reached out to the St. Petersburg Police Department for help and said they have been made aware of the issue and plan to address it with the food truck drivers to make sure they dont block the traffics right of way.
March for Science on Central Oregon Coast, April 22

Published 04/17/2017 at 4:43 AM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff





(Newport, Oregon)  On April 22, scientists and citizens around the world will come together to march for science. This includes the Oregon shoreline, where Newport organizers will create their own version, called the the People's March for Science. It will be held in the science district of town: the district of South Beach, which houses the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, Hatfield Marine Science Center, the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, as well as the Oregon Coast Aquarium and even a branch of Portland's OMSI.

One of the big aims of the event is to impart the excitement of science and hopefully inspire young people to work in the world of discovery. This year, however, carries a somber and even urgent aspect, with the current administration's disdain for numerous facets of science, doing what Neil DeGrasse Tyson described as the cherry picking of scientific areas they like and do not like: as in disregarding basic and proven concepts such as evolution or environmental science.

Oregon coast organizers include familiar names from the region such as Fran Recht, Paul Engelmeyer, Michele Longo Eder, and Trina Kosydar. They have been working together on the march since the end of January, hoping to provide the community with an event that brings together scientists and citizens, to celebrate science, and to defend publicly funded and publicly communicated science as a pillar of human freedom and prosperity.

The South Beach science district is a thriving and robust scientific community which organizers are looking forward to spotlighting to the public. Participants will be walking around an impressive neighborhood that is home to much revered scientific agencies, which includes sights such as magnificent research vessels.

The march route will begin north of the roundabout on Marine Science Drive, in South Beach. Marchers will walk south along Marine Science Drive, turn left on 25th Street, march around the Hatfield Marine Science Center, and end with a rally on the northern lawn of the public wing. Participants are encouraged to carpool, and parking is provided at the South Beach Marina boat launch parking lot. Public restrooms can be found at the boat launch parking lot, and portable toilets will be provided on the Hatfield Marine Science Center grounds.

Gathering will begin at 10:30 am, north of the roundabout, marching will begin at 11:00 am, and the rally will begin at noon, featuring Dr. Rick Spinrad. Dr. Spinrad is a celebrated scientist with over 30 years in the field, and has served as the head of NOAAs Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and the head of the National Ocean Service.

Peoples March for Science organizers are selling t-shirts as a fundraiser to cover costs associated with the April 22nd march and rally, including items such as a sound system, chairs, and shelter. March organizers worked with local company, Specifically Pacific, for this fundraiser. T-shirts are available for purchase at Canyon Way Restaurant and Bookstore, during business hours of Monday through Thursday from 10 am to 5 pm, and Friday from 10 am to 8 pm. Shirts are $20, and are made in America.

Specifically Pacific created a unique logo just for the Newport march, by incorporating Newports iconic Yaquina Bay Bridge into the national March for Science logo, and donated the design to the march committee. The logo appears on much of the Peoples March for Science social media and other forms of publicity, including a giant banner that will be carried at the front of the march.

On April 17th, volunteers will be hosting a sign making party at the Newport Public Library from 4 pm to 8 pm. Supplies will be provided, but donations are also welcome. Everybody is welcome to come and create their own sign to carry during the march.

March organizers would also like to acknowledge the businesses and organizations who have supported Peoples March for Science: Port of Newport, City of Newport, MidCoast Watersheds Council, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Canyon Way Bookstore, Specifically Pacific, Canyon Way Restaurant and Bookstore, Local Oceans Seafood, and dozens of citizens.

To make a donation, visit www.midcoastwatersheds.org/donate or send a check payable to Peoples March for Science, c/o to MidCoast Watersheds Council 23 N. Coast Highway, Newport Oregon 97365. Newport Hotels for this event - Where to eat - Map and Virtual Tour













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Healthcare advocates throughout Missouri worry that the upcoming switch of Medicaid recipients to a managed care system has not been properly publicized, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Here's what you should know:

1. The Missouri Foundation for Health, an independent, philanthropic foundation, worries patients will fall through the cracks after the changes become effective May 1.

2. Currently, 54 state counties use a managed care system. Starting May 1, all 115 state counties will move to managed care systems.

3. Seniors and disabled residents are exempt.

4. In addition to the switch, Aetna  which previously managed care for 55 percent of Medicaid recipients  is no longer an option. The state awarded UnitedHealthcare a contract over Aetna. WellCare and Home State Health Plan will also be marketplace options.

5. The state required Medicaid beneficiaries to select from the three payers beforehand, but the Post-Dispatch reports less than 20 percent of 750,000 eligible people have done so. The state will automatically enroll the remaining beneficiaries into a plan.

6. Healthcare advocates worry the low response rate is an indicator that beneficiaries are unsure of the change.
Throughout an eight-month period, 10 infants at UC Irvine Medical Center neonatal intensive care unit tested positive for the same Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain, according to The OCR.

Here are five key points:

1. The most recent MRSA case occurred in March. Officials reported the first UCI infection in August 2016.

2. Four UC Irvine employees positive for the MRSA strain but the strain did not infect any of the employees. UC Irvine said all four employees test negative for MRSA at this point in time.

3. Marian Hollingsworth, a member of California's Healthcare Associated Infection Advisory Committee, filed a complaint to the California Department of Public Health about the MRSA outbreak. She said her main concern is with the county health officials and the hospital failing to alert the public about the infections.

4. The California Department of Public Health found the medical center did not violate any regulations in an April 3 inspection report.

5. In a statement, UC Irvine said the hospital successfully treated all the infants with antibiotics and topical medicines. The hospital also stated it has conducted repeated deep cleaning and decolonized staff members since the most recent MRSA case and is screening all infants for MRSA upon admission and weekly until discharge.
Here are seven things to know for April 17, 2017.

Lee Health gets green light for $140M outpatient medical campus featuring surgery center

Florida-based Lee Health received board approval to build its new $140 million outpatient medical campus in Estero, Fla.

Price: Physicians should recommend new payment models: 5 points

As physician burnout rates continue to climb and physicians struggle to comply with CMS' many reporting requirements, HHS Secretary Tom Price, MD, said physicians should recommend ideas for new Medicare payment models. Dr. Price urged physicians to provide recommendations during the first Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee meeting.

The Joint Commission names top 10 challenging standards for 2016

The Joint Commission named its top 10 most challenging standards in 2016 for ASCs and the number of ASCs facing these challenges. Some of the standards ASCs violate include:

Failing to reduce the risk of infections associated with medical equipment, devices and supplies  53 percent

Failing to grant initial, renew or revise clinical privileges to individuals who are permitted by law and the organization to practice independently  47 percent

Failing to maintain fire safety equipment or fire safety building features  37 percent

Virtua's $1B medical campus with ASC one step closer to CON approval

The New Jersey State Health Planning Board voted to approve Evesham Township, N.J.-based Virtua's plans for a medical campus and hospital in Holly, N.J.

Ohio Gastroenterology & Liver Institute opens HyGIeaCare Center

The Ohio Gastroenterology & Liver Institute's Pradeep Bekal, MD, opened the HyGIeaCare Center in February. The HyGIeaCare Center features machines that improve bowel preparation quality. Both are located in Cleveland.

TeamHealth names medical directors, advanced practice clinician of the year

Knoxville, Tenn.-based TeamHealth named its 2017 Dr. Gar LaSalle Medical Directors of the Year and Advanced Practice Clinician of the Year awards.

Key Capital announces positive liver cancer immunotherapy results due to product use

Key Capital announced positive results for its liver cancer immunotherapy product hepcortespenlisimut-L. Hepcortespenlisimut-L is a once daily tablet of an oral immunotherapeutic vaccine. Key Capital proved it was safe and highly effective in treating 75 advanced liver cancer patients through a phase II study.
Social media can benefit physicians and medical professionals who use it to accrue new patients or maintain relationships with current patients. However, a recent study found some physicians exhibit "unprofessional" social media practices, according to UPI.

The study polled recently graduated urologists. Approximately 75 percent of participants had publicly identifiable Facebook profiles.

Here are five key notes:

1. Forty percent had unprofessional or "potentially objectionable" content on their profiles.

2. Some profiles featured profanity while others violated medical ethics and contained information about a patient's health.

3. Kevin Koo, MD, lead researcher, said physicians play an important role in ensuring the patient-provider relationship remains intact and in upholding patient confidentiality standards.

4. American Medical Association 2010 guidelines recommend physicians set "appropriate professional boundaries" with patients over social media.

5. A different study found 92 percent of U.S. state medical boards conducted online professionalism violation investigations. Patients or their family members reported most of the violations, according to UPI.
Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Holdings released preliminary financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2017 on Monday, which fell short of analyst expectations.

The for-profit hospital operator said it expects first-quarter revenue of about $10.62 billion, up from $10.26 billion in the same period of 2016. However, HCA's expected first-quarter revenue is lower than the $10.78 billion top-line consensus estimate of analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters, according to CNBC.

"Results for the first quarter of 2017 were affected by changes in payer mix and the loss of one day when compared to the first quarter of 2016," said HCA.

The company saw its percentage of Medicare admissions rise in the first quarter of FY 2017, while commercially insured patients made up less of its payer mix. On a same-facility basis, HCA's Medicare admissions comprised 48.1 percent of admissions in the first quarter of FY 2017, up from 47 percent in the same period of 2016. The company's managed care/health exchange admissions comprised 27.4 percent of admissions, down from 28.6 percent in the first quarter of 2016.

HCA said it expects first-quarter net income of $659 million, or $1.74 per diluted share, which fell short of the $1.79 analyst consensus.

The company's warning of a first-quarter revenue and earnings miss weighed heavily on shares of two of HCA's competitors  Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare and Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems. In afternoon trading on Monday, HCA's shares dropped 2.7 percent, while Tenet's shares fell 8.7 percent and CHS' shares dropped 7.5 percent, according to MarketWatch.

More articles on healthcare finance:

CMS' 2018 IPPS proposed rule: 9 things to know

11 health systems with strong finances
Waco, Texas-based Providence Healthcare Network tapped Steven Province to serve as interim president, effective May 2. Mr. Province replaces Brett Esrock, who is leaving to take on the CEO position at Health First's Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, Fla.

Mr. Province is Providence's senior vice president for operations and COO. Prior to joining Providence, he worked at Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente in numerous roles, including director of performance improvement. He also served in the United States Navy for 10 years and was a pharmaceutical representative for New York City-based Pfizer.

A fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Mr. Province holds an MBA degree from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla.
After being ghosted by a surgical resident during medical school, one first-year resident promised herself she would be a more effective communicator when she became a mentor  until she accidentally ghosted one of her own students.

Jennifer Okwerekwu, a first-year resident in the adult psychiatry training program at Cambridge (Mass.) Health Alliance, detailed her experience as a mentee and mentor for STAT. Dr. Okwerekwu aimed to communicate effectively with her medical students and not leave them behind like her mentor had left her. However, after mistakenly failing to tell her students about a schedule change, she said she realized how much her students rely on her for guidance.

"A lot of what [physicians] learn, we learn from more experienced doctors, and that includes everything from our physical examination skills to our bedside manner  When it was me being ditched [by my surgical resident], I was angry  So, when I saw my own medical student running toward me, frazzled, with her white coat flying behind her, I felt really bad. I had failed her in the way so many residents had failed me, and I had been determined from the onset not to let this happen  Seeing her frustration reminded me, as a rule, to think about the people a few steps behind me. That's all it takes to be a better teacher, a better mentor and a better doctor  I wanted to teach her about efficient, effective and empathetic communication. Instead, she ended up teaching me."

Click here to view the full article.

If you would like to contribute a quote for this series, please email Alyssa Rege at arege@beckershealthcare.com to be featured in "Quotes from the Front Line," a daily series that highlights the joys and the frustrations medical personnel face while on the job.
Becker's Hospital Review is pleased to release the 2017 edition of its list of "50 experts leading the field of patient safety."

The professionals included on this list are prominent advocates for patient safety. They include clinicians, advocacy group leaders, professors, researchers, administrators and healthcare providers who have received awards, published articles and led initiatives to facilitate the reduction of patient harm in the healthcare setting.

The Becker's Hospital Review editorial team selected patient safety leaders for inclusion on this list based on nominations, current leadership positions, and an examination of pertinent awards, publications and various achievements in the field of patient safety. Nominations were also considered during the selection process.

Note: Leaders are presented in alphabetical order and could not pay for inclusion.

Jason Adelman, MD. Chief Patient Safety Officer, Associate Chief Quality Officer and Director of Patient Safety Research at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center (New York City). Prior to his current role, Dr. Adelman served as the patient safety officer for Bronx, N.Y.-based Montefiore Health System from 2003 to 2015. [READ MORE]

David W. Baker, MD. Executive Vice President, Division of Healthcare Quality Evaluation at The Joint Commission (Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.). In addition to his role as editor-in-chief of The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, Dr. Baker serves as the executive vice president for the Division of Healthcare Quality Evaluation at The Joint Commission. [READ MORE]

David J. Ballard, MD, PhD. Chief Quality Officer of Baylor Scott & White Health (Dallas) and President of the STEEEP Global Institute. Dr. Ballard formerly served as the chief quality officer of Dallas-based Baylor Health Care System from 1999 to 2013, until Baylor merged with Scott & White in 2013 and he took on his current role. [READ MORE]

Carol Barsky, MD. Senior Vice President and Chief Quality Officer of Hackensack (N.J.) Meridian Health. Prior to joining Hackensack Meridian Health in July 2015, Dr. Barsky served as the medical director for clinical performance and associate chief of patient safety and quality for Yale-New Haven (Conn.) Hospital. [READ MORE]

David Westfall Bates, MD. Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Patient Safety. Dr. Bates is a practicing general internist who also serves as the senior vice president and chief innovation officer of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. [READ MORE]

Don Berwick, MD. President Emeritus and Senior Fellow of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Dr. Berwick founded the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in 1991 and served as its president and CEO for nearly 20 years. [READ MORE]

Leah Binder. President and CEO of Leapfrog Group (Washington, D.C.). Under Ms. Binder's leadership, The Leapfrog Group launched the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade to assess patient safety at hospitals across the country. [READ MORE]

Pascale Carayon, PhD. Proctor & Gamble Bascom Professor in Total Quality, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition to her professorship role at the University of Wisconsin-Madison,Dr. Carayon heads the Center for Quality and Productivity Improvement within the university's College of Engineering and serves as co-editor-in-chief of the journal Applied Ergonomics. [READ MORE]

Mark R. Chassin, MD. President and CEO of The Joint Commission (Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.). Dr. Chassin is the president and CEO of The Joint Commission as well as president of The Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare, which collaborates with hospitals and health systems across the country to address critical safety and quality issues like healthcare-associated infections, hand-off communications and wrong-site surgeries. [READ MORE]

Michael R. Cohen, RPh. President of The Institute for Safe Medication Practices. Along with his role at ISMP, Dr. Cohen serves as co-editor of the ISMP Medication Safety Alert! newsletter, which reaches more than 2 million health professionals and consumers in the U.S. [READ MORE]

Jan Compton, BSN, RN. Chief Patient Safety Officer of Baylor Scott & White Health (Dallas). In her role at Baylor Scott & White Health, Ms. Compton oversees the development and implementation of evidence-based safety practices aimed at reducing inpatient mortality rates. [READ MORE]

Patrick Conway, MD. Deputy Administrator for Innovation & Quality and CMO of CMS. In his role at CMS, Dr. Conway manages the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality, which develops quality measures for all of CMS' programs and clinical standards, and heads the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. [READ MORE]

Sara Cosgrove, MD. President of Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. In addition to her leadership role at SHEA, Dr. Cosgrove acts as the director of the antimicrobial stewardship program and associate hospital epidemiologist at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. [READ MORE]

Jack Cox, MD. Senior Vice President and Chief Quality Officer of Providence St. Joseph Health (Renton, Wash.) and Senior Vice President and CMO of St. Joseph Health (Irvine, Calif.). Prior to joining St. Joseph Health in 2015, Dr. Cox served as the senior vice president and chief quality officer for Newport Beach, Calif.-based Hoag Hospital. [READ MORE]

Cathy E. Duquette, PhD, RN. Executive Vice President of Nursing Affairs of Lifespan (Providence, R.I.). Before stepping into her current role at Lifespan, Dr. Duquette served as the vice president of nursing and patient care services and CNO of Newport (R.I.) Hospital for five years and chief quality officer and senior vice president of Rhode Island Hospital in Providence for three years. [READ MORE]

Terry Fairbanks, MD. Associate Director of MedStar Health Institute for Innovation (Columbia, Md.). In his current role as associate director, Dr. Fairbanks oversees the MedStar Health Institute for Innovation's National Center for Human Factors in Healthcare and the Simulation Training & Education Laboratory, which aim to improve the quality and safety of healthcare through research and innovation. [READ MORE]

Derek Feeley. CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Mr. Feeley served as the executive vice president of IHI from 2013 to 2015 before stepping into his current role as CEO. [READ MORE]

Karen Frush, MD. Chief Patient Safety Officer of Duke University Health System (Durham, N.C.) and Vice President, Quality of LifePoint Health (Brentwood, Tenn.). Dr. Frush serves as LifePoint Health's vice president of quality and chief patient safety officer of Duke University Health System, a position she took over in 2004 after completing the National Patient Safety Leadership Fellowship program. [READ MORE]

Tejal K. Gandhi, MD. President and CEO of the National Patient Safety Foundation. Dr. Gandhi is currently the president and CEO of the National Patient Safety Foundation, which is merging with the Institute for Healthcare effective May 1. [READ MORE]

Atul Gawande, MD. Author and Endocrinologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston). Dr. Gawande practices general and endocrine surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital and teaches at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. [READ MORE]

Mark Graber, MD. Senior Fellow in the Healthcare Quality and Outcomes Program for RTI International. Dr. Graber is the senior fellow in the Healthcare Quality and Outcomes Program for RTI International and serves as president of the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine, which he founded in 2011. [READ MORE]

Linda Groah, MSN, RN. Executive Director and CEO of the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses. Prior to joining AORN in 2007, Ms. Groah served as the COO of Kaiser Foundation Hospital in San Francisco, where she implemented numerous patient safety initiatives, including the "Just Culture" concept, which became a national healthcare standard. [READ MORE]

Hitinder Gurm, MD. Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Cardiology at the University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center (Ann Arbor). Dr. Gurm serves as the associate chief of cardiovascular medicine for VA Ann Arbor Health System and the associate chief for the division of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Michigan Health System. [READ MORE]

Helen Haskell. President of Mothers Against Medical Error. Ms. Haskell has sought to improve patient safety and quality after her son, Lewis, died from a medical error in 2000. [READ MORE]

Ann Hendrich, PhD, RN. Senior Vice President and Chief Quality/Safety and Nursing Officer of Ascension Health (St. Louis). In addition to her executive roles at Ascension Health, Dr. Hendrich serves as the executive director of the health system's Patient Safety Organization, where she oversees the implementation of clinical excellence and patient safety initiatives at all of Ascension's healthcare facilities across 24 states. [READ MORE]

Mark Jarrett, MD. Senior Vice President of Clinical Excellence and Chief Quality Officer of Northwell Health (New Hyde Park, N.Y.). In his position at Northwell Health, Dr. Jarrett is charged with the responsibility of conducting systemwide initiatives in quality and safety at one of the largest hospital systems in the New York metro area. [READ MORE]

Brian Kaminski, DO. Vice President of Quality and Patient Safety and Patient Safety Officer at ProMedica (Toledo, Ohio). Dr. Kaminski was appointed to his role at ProMedica in 2013. [READ MORE]

Joe Kiani. Founder of the Patient Safety Movement Foundation. Mr. Kiani founded PSMF in 2013 for the purpose of eliminating preventable patient deaths by 2020. [READ MORE]

Clifford Y. Ko, MD. Director of American College of Surgeons' National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. As the director of American College of Surgeons' National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, Dr. Ko oversees all the organization's quality improvement programs, including the cancer accreditation program and the trauma verification program. [READ MORE]

Stephen Lawless, MD. Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer at Nemours Children's Health System (Jacksonville, Fla.). In addition to overseeing quality and safety across the Nemours Children's Health System, Dr. Lawless is a board-certified pediatric physician and a professor of pediatrics at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. [READ MORE]

Lucian Leape, MD. Physician and Adjunct Professor at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (Boston). Dr. Leape became an innovator in health policy after spending more than two decades working in pediatric surgery. [READ MORE]

Jeffrey C. Lerner, PhD. President and CEO of ECRI Institute. Prior to assuming the role of CEO at the ECRI Institute, Dr. Lerner held the position of vice president for strategic planning for 17 years. [READ MORE]

Helen Macfie, PharmD. Chief Transformation Officer of MemorialCare Health System (Fountain Valley, Calif.). In her role as chief transformation officer of MemorialCare, Dr. Macfie oversees systemwide clinical quality and patient safety improvement initiatives across a nonprofit health system with five hospitals and more than 200 care locations. [READ MORE]

Julie Marhalik-Helms, BSN, RN. Senior Director of Quality Improvement of North American Partners in Anesthesia (Melville, N.Y.). In her role at NAPA, which provides anesthesia services to more than 200 clinical sites, Ms. Marhalik-Helms is responsible for the patient safety and quality program. [READ MORE]

Ken Maxik. Director of Patient Safety of CompleteRx (Houston). Mr. Maxik has held his current position with CompleteRx  a hospital pharmacy management and patient care company  since 2006. [READ MORE]

David Mayer, MD. Vice President of Quality and Safety at MedStar Health (Columbia, Md.). Dr. Mayer is responsible for overseeing clinical quality and directing the patient safety and risk reduction programs at MedStar Health, a 10-hospital health system. [READ MORE]

Lisa McGiffert. Director of Consumers Union's Safe Patient Project. Ms. McGiffert joined Consumer Unions in 1991 where she began working on Texas health issues including care access, health system reform, physician and hospital regulation and measuring quality of care. [READ MORE]

James Merlino, MD. President and CMO of Chief Strategic Consulting for Press Ganey (South Bend, Ind.) Dr. Merlino brings more than 20 years of healthcare experience to his position at Press Ganey where he leads a consultancy team that works to aid providers in improving the delivery of safe care in a patient-centered environment. [READ MORE]

Rustin Morse, MD. Vice President of Quality at Children's Health (Dallas). In his current role, Dr. Morse works to improve patient safety and quality at Children's Health where he practices as an emergency medicine physician. [READ MORE]

Elizabeth A. Mort, MD. Senior Vice President for Quality and Safety and Chief Quality Officer of Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston). Prior to joining Massachusetts General, Dr. Mort served on the American Hospital Association's panel on healthcare-acquired conditions, was a member of the National Committee for Quality Assurance's Women's Health Management Advisory Panel and the National Quality Foundation Steering Committee for Additional Priorities for Acute Hospital Quality Measures. [READ MORE]

Brigitta Mueller, MD. Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Patient Safety Officer of Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital (St. Petersburg, Fla.). Dr. Mueller assumed her role at All Children's Hospital in 2013 and became a member of the core faculty at the influential Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality in Baltimore in 2014. [READ MORE]

Patty Murray. Senior U.S. Senator from Washington. First elected in 1992, Ms. Murray, a Democrat, became the first female Senator from Washington. She has placed significant focus on healthcare-associated initiatives in her time as a legislator. [READ MORE]

Margaret E. O'Kane. President of the National Committee for Quality Assurance. Ms. O'Kane founded the National Committee for Quality Assurance in 1990 and currently serves as the organization's president.[READ MORE]

Barbara Pelletreau. Senior Vice President of Patient Safety at Dignity Health (San Francisco). Ms. Pelletreau has been with Dignity Health for more than 14 years and in her current role is responsible for implementing consistent, evidence-based practices in high-risk clinical areas across a 39-hospital health system. [READ MORE]

Peter Pronovost, MD, PhD. Director of the Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality. Dr. Pronovost also serves as senior vice president for patient safety and quality at Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Medicine in addition to his role at the Armstrong Institute. [READ MORE]

Anne Schuchat, MD. Acting Director of the CDC. Dr. Schuchat began her career in public health in 1988 as an epidemic intelligence service officer with the CDC. [READ MORE]

Joan Silver. Vice President of Organizational Quality and Performance Improvement at PinnacleHealth (Harrisburg, Pa.). Ms. Silver has been with PinnacleHealth since 1984. [READ MORE]

Robert M. Wachter, MD. Professor and Chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco. Dr. Wachter has published more than 200 articles and six books on the topics of healthcare quality, safety and health policy. [READ MORE]

Stephen Weber, MD. Vice President of Clinical Effectiveness and CMO of University of Chicago Medicine. Dr. Weber is the author of numerous studies on the prevention and management of healthcare-associated infections, primarily those caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens. [READ MORE]

Ronald Wyatt, MD. Patient Safety Officer of The Joint Commission. As the first-ever patient safety officer of The Joint Commission, Dr. Wyatt promotes quality improvement and patient safety initiatives in health systems and works to expand the influence of the organization in public policy. [READ MORE]
The 2016 presidential election motivated many in the healthcare industry to become more politically involved in various capacities, according to Medscape.

Here are five points of context:

1. Clinician Action Network was founded after the 2016 election to help healthcare workers advocate for "evidence based health policies that put patients first." CAN's first effort was opposing the AMA's endorsement of Tom Price, MD, for HHS Secretary.

2. Proposed healthcare reform tends to spur physicians to enter politics, as seen in the 1990s when President Bill Clinton spoke about "Hillarycare" and in 2010 with the ACA.

3. Six Republican physicians were elected to the House following the ACA's passage.

4. Professional societies such as the American Psychiatric Association allow physicians to advocate for issues they care about while retaining enough clinical detachment to remain effective.

5. Physicians' opinions on apolitical medical scenarios tend to be the same while politicized health issues differ based on their political party identification, according to a 2016 study published in PNAS.





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5 neurosurgeons to be honored at AANS annual meetings
Tobias Mattei, MD, joined Easter Maine Medical Center in Bangor.

Here are five notes:

1. Dr. Mattei now practices at EMMC Neurosurgery and Spine Specialists.

2. He specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery, complex spine and deformity surgery, oncological spine surgery, spinal stimulation, kyphoplasty and artificial cervical and lumbar discs.

3. Dr. Mattei treats brain and spinal tumors, spinal stenosis and scoliosis.

4. He completed his scoliosis and complex spine surgery fellowship at University of Illinois at Peoria.

5. Dr. Mattei also completed an oncological spine surgery fellowship at Ohio State University in Columbus.
Siobhan, Carla and Emma with some of the extras they employ

Extras Dept co-founder Siobhan Allan thought she had a nice sideline job... then HBO came calling.

Q. You founded The Extras Dept, formerly called Extras NI, 10 years ago, before Northern Ireland was a popular film and TV location. Why did you think it was a good business opportunity?

A. I didn't know anything about the industry. My daughter, Emma, did her degree in film and media and had just got a job working on a Maeve Binchy adaptation. She came home one Friday night at the end of December 2006 and said, "I have to find 250 extras".

I said, "Surely there must be an agency?", but she said there wasn't, so I thought I would set one up because I was looking for something new to do.

Emma said that if I was going to do so, I must meet this girl, Carla Stronge, who did a degree in film and media. She became my business partner.

When we opened in March 2007, we had our first production. Then that big production with Bill Murray - City of Ember - came and it just has never stopped to this day.

Q. Building up contacts in the industry must have been essential. How did you do that?

A. The first thing we did was set up open castings in the Wellington Park Hotel in Belfast, so we could start building up our database.

At the end of our first year I think we had around 900 people. With those 900 people we were able to go to production companies and introduce ourselves as an extras agency and find out what was coming.

Northern Ireland Screen were a great help to us. If a production approached them about work, they were very good about flying the flag for us.

Q. And what was it like back in those early days?

A. It was really, really tough. A production would come and say, for example, that they needed big bulky guys over six foot, so we would go out to all the gyms and ask the managers if we could find out about people who were interested in being extras.

Carla would be out on the streets of Belfast with a camera, taking people's photographs, getting their phone numbers and getting these into files so that when someone was looking for something like a street scene of old and young people, she would go through the files and ring the people.

There wasn't a massive demand at that stage, but it was starting to grow.

Carla and I were on our own, working around 15 hours a day, preparing people for set, making sure they knew the protocol, and how to behave and then making sure they were looked after.

A. few times in those early days I thought, "This isn't what I thought it was going to be". I thought I could have done it as a wee part-time job, but the whole thing just kept growing and growing.

Q. Was there one specific project that really set you on your way?

A. The pilot for Games of Thrones was big. They asked us to do that in our second year. It was pretty big that HBO, one of the biggest production firms in America, was leaving the US for the first time and coming to Northern Ireland, and we got that opportunity. Over those 14 weeks, we had to make sure we did everything well. If they asked us for six dwarfs and one amputee, we always managed to get what they were looking for, even if it seemed impossible.

Q. You have supplied extras to all the major TV and film productions filmed here. Can you tell me a little more about that?

A. The logistics of supplying extras now is very different from what it was in the early days. Last year, we had seven productions all running at the one time, for example, Game of Thrones series seven, Let It Ride, Line of Duty, Millie Inbetween and My Mother and Other Strangers.

We also work on children's productions and commercials, but we have an amazing team now working for us.

We have five permanent staff and another seven who come in on a temporary basis, which could be anything from a couple of months to six months or longer.

Being an extras co-ordinator is not an easy job - it takes quite a bit of training. We have been working with Northern Ireland Screen on their training programme for the past three years, and we have employed someone from their training programme for each of those three years.

Q. What about you? Do have a background in the arts?

A. Absolutely not. When I came up with the idea of Extras NI, I never could have done it without Carla, and she couldn't have done it without me. We both recognise that.

I have learned a lot during the past 10 years, but I have no background in the arts.

I didn't enjoy school at all. I went to Foyle (College) and I remembering sitting in my physics and chemistry classes thinking, "Why am I here? I am never going to do this." Eventually, I was allowed to leave and go to Clondermot, which was a secondary school, because I wanted to do secretarial work, which is what I did end up doing initially. But then I didn't like that either.

When I left, I left with just the bare minimum and started working in administration for a local company.

I always knew from an early age that I wanted to work for myself. I wasn't very good at doing what I was told, so I thought that if I worked for myself, I wouldn't have to do what I was told - I could do what I wanted.

Really, that and a little bit of luck, which I am a great believer in, was the background to how Carla and I got together.

Q. For anyone who is wondering, how do you become an extra, and can anyone do it?

A. At this stage, I would say go to our website at theextrasdept.com, where you can put in all your details.

The main thing I would say to people is be honest and tell us the truth about your height and size, because quite often we will be fitting people into uniforms that are given to us.

It will only backfire on the person if they are not honest.

These days, it is also necessary to attach photographic ID and then send everything to us.

A good clear photograph from the knee up is needed. So long as everything is in order, that's it.

Q. What would you say are the key qualities needed to be an extra?

A. For a start, anyone can be an extra so long as they are between two and 90 years of age.

The key qualities are being reliable and flexible and being able to keep to the rules.

We always remind people of the golden rules of not taking your phone onto set and not approaching the actors. If they approach you, that's fine.

With regards to availability, if people can't do a specific job, it's not a black mark against them because, of course, we realise people may not be free at short notice.

We have a lot of self-employed and retired people on our books, and they are flexible and reliable.

Q. Is there a living to be made that would pay the mortgage?

A. No. We always tell people, "Don't give up your full-time job", but some of our extras also get paid very well. It depends on continuity.

Last year, our average was 94 per day, and some people did quite a lot of days. We never guarantee work, but it isn't going to pay the mortgage. It might pay it for one month, but it won't pay it for the next three.

Q. Do extras ever go on to get speaking or starring roles? And is this a good way into the industry?

A. Again, it is a very small minority that will happen to, but I always tell people to remember that Brad Pitt, Renee Zellweger and Ben Affleck were all extras. The first time that any of them walked onto a film set was as an extra, so it can happen, but the chances are very small.

We have had extras that have been upgraded to feature roles. We also have an extra that was cast in Line of Duty and took part in a big shoot-out scene, so it can happen.

It is a great opportunity for people who are interested in working in the industry as crew to get a good insight into the different departments and how it all works.

Q. You have just marked the 10th anniversary of The Extras Dept. What are your plans for the company the next 10 years? Do you think you will set up another business?

A. I would like to think that I will still be involved with extras. Our biggest step as a company, which is now under way, is to move into Dublin. We already have 2,000 extras on our books in the city, but we would still like to get some more.

Q. Have you ever been in front of the camera yourself?

A. No, never. I like to stay on my side of the camera and I have no inclination at all to go in front of it, although my family have been.

My husband was in Game of Thrones because it is something he loves to be able to say.

He decided he wanted to be a cop too, but I had to tell him that he couldn't because the girls in the office said he was too old.

Q. Your late mother, Marlene Jefferson, who passed away just two years ago, has her own claim to fame since she was the first female mayor of Derry. What was it like for you growing up in the city with a famous mother?

A. I have to say that so much of it just went over my head. I didn't appreciate what my mother really did until I looked back.

In 1972, she made BBC headline news - it was actually reported all over the world that she had topped the poll in the Bogside.

Catholics and Protestants voted her in, but a big vote that took her into council was the Catholic vote, and that in itself in those days was amazing.

I grew up in the heart of the town with my best friend, who was also called Siobhan, and we planned how I was going to go to Mass with her and she would come to Sunday School with me. This was at the height of the Troubles.

I probably didn't appreciate how amazing my mum was until I started to mature and do things, but she was always there with good advice. She was pretty inspirational. Growing up with her, people would say to me, "Oh, is Marlene your mum?"

Q. What did she think of you setting up The Extras Dept? Was she proud of you?

A. This is my third business. The first business I set up was in retail when I was 25. I did that until I was 33, and then I set up my IT business, which I did for 10 years.

When I said to my mum I was fed up doing the IT and was setting up the extras business, she just asked me how I was going to go about it. I told her, "Oh it is going to be really easy, I am going to get all these people on my books and it is going to be wonderful" - in ignorance of the reality.

My mum was very supportive, as she was to all of her children. She never would knock you or put you down for anything.

She was very proud, but she would always tell me you should be telling your story, that more people should know what you are doing. She would be delighted with this.
A fresh election must be called if crisis talks to restore Stormont do not deliver a deal, Gerry Adams has warned.

The Sinn Fein president said another snap poll - the third in a year - was the only way to proceed in the event of negotiations not producing agreement.

The parties have been locked in talks to break the political impasse that threatens to end 10 years of devolved government in Northern Ireland. The negotiations are currently suspended for Easter.

Secretary of State James Brokenshire has said that if there is no breakthrough by "early May" he will either trigger an election or move to a return to direct rule.

Addressing an Easter Rising commemoration in Carrickmore, Co Tyrone, Mr Adams said: "Sinn Fein wants a deal. But if there is no deal then there has to be an election."

He added: "The role and responsibility of the Irish Government must be to assert that an election is the only legal course open to the British Government if the current talks fail to elect an Executive."

Mr Adams also warned that a change in approach was needed from the DUP.

The Irish language and legacy issues are among a range of sticking points between the parties. Last week the DUP hinted at a shift with party leader Arlene Foster pledging to meet Irish language speakers to hear their concerns.

While Sinn Fein welcomed her comments as a "positive step", Mr Adams insisted the DUP must go further.

"A new generous unionist approach will be embraced and met with flaithiulacht (generosity) from Sinn Fein and other progressives.

"However, if what we have seen from the DUP in recent times continues, that will only guarantee that there will be no DUP First Minister and no return to the status quo at Stormont," he said.

The DUP is seeking to secure protections for Ulster-Scots speakers and has pressed for the introduction of a military covenant in Northern Ireland.

Mr Adams said seeking a "counter balance" represented a "flawed approach".

"The DUP leader can cast about for some 'counter balance', some quid pro quo, to legitimate progressive measures which benefit everyone," he added. "She will achieve absolutely nothing but continued division if she thinks she can build a strategy on such a flawed approach."

Elsewhere yesterday Sinn Fein national chairperson Declan Kearney claimed the DUP and UK Government were living in denial, and represent an anti-equality axis which has blocked progress in the Stormont talks.

He claimed that unless their position changes after Easter, they would be responsible for continuing political deadlock.
A dissident republican threat to continue their campaign of violence has sparked fury from politicians and the wife of a police officer brutally murdered by gunmen.

The comments were made during a speech delivered in Lurgans Kilwilkie estate on Saturday as part of an illegal Easter Rising parade organised by Republican Sinn Fein.

Those in attendance were told: The only way they (the British) will be removed is by force.

A spokesman for the Continuity IRA (CIRA) paid tribute to members who continue to be at the forefront of removing the British presence from our land.

Kate Carroll, the widow of police officer Stephen Carroll, who was killed by the CIRA, said: These people need to have their show of power for survival but their flags and dark glasses have achieved nothing in the past, just broken hearts.

This country is rapidly becoming one of the most depressing places to live. I dont want to live in rubble with a lone flag flying, because that seems to be the end result.

Upper Bann DUP MP David Simpson said the PSNI must act, and demanded prosecutions be pursued over the parade.

The full rigour of the law must be brought to bear on those who do this, they must face the consequences, he said.

Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie said decisive police action must follow the illegal event in Lurgan.

PSNI Chief Inspector Bernard OConnor said a robust investigation was under way as part of an effort to bring law breakers before the courts, adding police took the issue of illegal parades and protests very seriously.

Meanwhile, an Irish Republican Socialist Party demo in west Belfast yesterday appears to have breached a Parades Commission determination.

It was only given approval following assurances from organisers that it would be significantly different from last year when participants were photographed wearing sunglasses and scarves to mask their face. But many were pictured yesterday in similar attire.
Enjoying the Big 100 event at Nutts Corner were Paul Stray with daughters Lillie Ann and Naomi Lee

A sea of blue tractors greeted the many visitors from all parts of Ireland, north and south, at the Big 100 event at Nutts Corner on Saturday.

Organised by the Braid Valley Vintage Enthusiasts Ltd, a small Broughshane-based group of tractor fans, the Big 100 celebrated 100 years of Fordson, Ford and New Holland tractors.

Planning for the big day started over three years ago when the small club of around 25 members decided to do something big for the anniversary, while at the same time raise money for Marie Curie. And, all their efforts were rewarded on Saturday when 862 tractors and thousands of people arrived at Nutts Corner, Co Antrim, in support of the cause.

There were also 250 lorries parked across the road in the truck park that had brought the tractors from all parts of Ireland to the show.

As well as tractor enthusiasts, fans also travelled from all parts of Great Britain, and from as far afield as Switzerland, The Netherlands, Belgium and America, to attend.

John Crothers, chairman of the Braid Valley Vintage Enthusiasts Ltd, said: "We have been planning this event for over three years and are very happy it has been such a success."

He added: "The club thanks everyone involved in making this a special day."
Police are treating a fire at a derelict property in Portrush, which was tackled by fifty-two firefighters, as suspicious.

The blaze occurred in an unoccupied end-of-terrace property at Bath Terrace in Portrush, Co Antrim.

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said the alarm was raised at about 9pm on Sunday night.

The blaze was reported to police at around 9.10pm. The NIFRS, who attended and extinguished the flames, now believe the fire may have been caused deliberately.

The fire was described as well developed with crews from Portrush supported by others from Coleraine, Portstewart, Ballymoney, Ballycastle, Ballymena, Northland and Strabane.

The fire was said to be under control after midnight but crews were expected to remain on scene for several hours to ensure it was fully extinguished.

Detective Sergeant Wallace from Reactive and Organised Crime said: The building will be entered and examined by PSNI Crime Scene Investigators once building control officials have determined it is safe to do so.

"I would appeal to anyone with information about this crime to please contact police by calling 101 quoting reference number 1029 16/04/17.
The PSNI has appealed to the public for help in its search for two missing teenagers

Police in Northern Ireland have appealed to the public for help in its search for two missing teenagers.

Police and the families of the missing girl and boy have said they are becoming increasingly concerned.

Both teenagers have been missing for more than a week, and are understood to be together.

Katie Jackson Lilburn (14) was last seen in the Saintfield area of Co Down more than a week ago, on Friday, April 7.

It is believed she may now be in the Belfast area. She is described as being approximately 5ft 4ins in height, of slim build, with blue eyes and very long blonde hair with red ends.

When last seen she was wearing black jeans, a grey and black striped zip-up top, black Nike trainers, and was carrying a black Adidas bag.

Darren Braxton (15) - who is also known as Darren Rossbottom - was last seen in the Loughview village area of Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, on Tuesday, April 4.

He is described as being approximately 5ft 11ins tall, of slight build, and with short, light brown hair.

Police believe the teenagers are in each other's company and have been for a number of days.

The PSNI has urged the teenagers - or anyone who knows of their whereabouts - to make contact with police at Lisburn Road station by calling the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 910 April 6 for Katie, and reference number 1096 April 4 for Darren.
The DUP's Jeffrey Donaldson has said as things stand in the current political crisis he believes Northern Ireland is "heading towards direct rule" - but vowed the party would be ready to fight a snap election.

The current talks aimed at forming an Executive and solving the political impasse will resume after Easter.

The parties missed the deadline in forming a government within the six weeks after the election.

Secretary of State James Brokenshire has said that if there is no breakthrough by "early May" he will either trigger an election or move to a return to direct rule.

Legacy, an Irish Language Act and Brexit have become major stumbling blocks to the Stormont negotiations.

Last week the DUP hinted at a shift with party leader Arlene Foster pledging to meet Irish language speakers to hear their concerns.

Speaking on Monday to the BBC Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said "as things stand we are heading towards direct rule".

He said in order to strike a deal it would require a "change in attitude" from Sinn Fein.

However on Sunday Sinn Fein said the same about the DUP's approach.

Mr Donaldson told Good Morning Ulster: "It will require Sinn Fein to change their attitude.

"They are constantly making public statements and talking about negative outcomes.

"We are not. We have focused on the issues, we are in the talks, we are negotiating we are putting forward our positions. We are talking to Sinn Fein and the other political parties.

"But as things stand at the moment I think we are heading towards direct rule."

The Lagan Valley MP said that was not what the party or the Northern Ireland public wanted.

Speaking later on Monday he said, however, if there was an election the DUP would be "out to win".

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Mr Donaldson criticised the way Sinn Fein had treated negoatiations.

He said: "They haven't entered into negotiation mode in the meetings, they turn up and exchange views and leave but aren't negotiating.

He added: "I hope Sinn Fein this week will really begin to negotiate."

Mr Donaldson also slammed what he called the BBC's "obsession" with the Irish Language act.

He said: "It would appear to people it's all about the Irish language.

"The BBC's obsession with the Irish Language Act. Every time I do an interview all you want to talk about is Sinn Fein's wishlist.

"There are other parties here in the talks, other parties with other issues."

A BBC spokesman said it did not "editorialise on political or public policy issues".

He said: "We have covered the range of issues being considered by the parties and governments as part of the continuing talks at Stormont. Cultural diversity has been one aspect of these talks and this has been appropriately reflected within our coverage. We do not editorialise on political or public policy issues."

On Sunday Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said a fresh election must be called if crisis talks to restore Stormont do not deliver a deal.

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He said: "The role and responsibility of the Irish Government must be to assert that an election is the only legal course open to the British Government if the current talks fail to elect an Executive."

He added: "A new generous unionist approach will be embraced and met with flaithiulacht (generosity) from Sinn Fein and other progressives.

"However, if what we have seen from the DUP in recent times continues, that will only guarantee that there will be no DUP First Minister and no return to the status quo at Stormont."
A former double agent in the IRA is to tell detectives in the Stakeknife inquiry that he believes the State deliberately sacrificed the lives of informers.

Martin McGartland, one of the only persons to ever escape from the clutches of the IRA's internal security unit, will tell officers from Operation Kenova that he suspects that his handlers abandoned him to die - and that the same happened to others.

The investigators are due to meet him at a secret location in England after he contacted them last week.

They have told him that they will need up to three days to interview him.

Stakeknife has been linked to the murder of at least 18 alleged informers, and Mr McGartland will tell detectives that he believes the intelligence services deliberately didn't intervene to save their lives.

He said that he personally knew west Belfast mother-of-three Caroline Moreland and Chris Harte, who were both executed by the IRA's 'nutting squad'.

He told the Belfast Telegraph: "I jumped from a window of the flat in Twinbrook where I was being held in August 1991.

"I had told my handlers the day before that I had been summoned to meet the IRA and that I didn't want to go. But they promised me that their surveillance teams would follow me and that I'd be safe.

"Nobody came to rescue me, I saved my own life. I believe many other informers were made similar false promises and were just left to die by the State because they'd outlived their usefulness."

A 50-strong team of detectives, led by Bedfordshire Chief Constable Jon Boutcher, has been set up to investigate the activities of Stakeknife, the British Army's most senior known agent in the IRA.

Expand Close Belfast IRA man on patrol in West Belfast 1987 - Pacemaker / Facebook

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West Belfast man Freddie Scappaticci was identified in the media as Stakeknife in 2003. He has denied the allegation. A BBC Panorama programme last week linked Stakeknife to at least 18 murders.

Mr McGartland said he had faith in Operation Kenova to uncover the truth.

"I know that other senior English policemen like John Stalker and John Stevens have tried their best but failed because of massive opposition from the security services," he said.

"I think this time will be different because there has been such a furore over Stakeknife, the British know they have to do something. I believe that Jon Boutcher's investigation will result in criminal charges."

Mr McGartland was recruited by Special Branch to spy on republicans in 1987 when he was 17. Four years later the IRA became suspicious of him and he was summoned to a meeting in Sinn Fein's Connolly House headquarters in Andersonstown.

"When I told my handlers about it, I expected them to whisk me out of the country but instead they told me to go," he said.

"They promised that they'd be monitoring my every movement and that I'd be totally safe."

Mr McGartland was taken from the building by Paul 'Chico' Hamilton and Jim McCarthy.

"I knew I was in big trouble when the car started to speed away," he recalled. "I kept expecting the Branch to ram the car and rescue me.

"When we reached a block of flats in Twinbrook and there was still no sign of them, I really started to panic."

Mr McGartland was taken inside, informed he was "under arrest" and had a gun put to his head. He was tied up and forced to lie on a sofa face down with a blanket over his head.

"I prayed that soldiers would come bursting through the door but nobody came," he said. After seven hours, the informer asked to go to the toilet and then jumped out off a third-floor window.

"My handlers later claimed that the police lost me on the journey from Connolly House. At first I accepted this but I don't anymore. Special Branch's surveillance teams were first-class operators."

The former agent claimed that Hamilton and McCarthy had been filmed leaving Connolly House with him.

He believes that Operation Kenova detectives will find a similar pattern of "false promises" made to other informers.

Mr McGartland said that he had been sworn into the IRA with Harte (24), whose body was found on a border road in Tyrone in February 1993 after he had been abducted by the nutting squad six days earlier.

He also knew 34-year-old Ms Moreland, who was murdered by the IRA just six weeks before its 1994 ceasefire

"I fear that other informers were also encouraged to meet the IRA by their handlers, lied to and told that everything would be okay.

"I believe that many were effectively sent to their deaths.

"I had the chance to escape and took it.

"So I want to speak up for all those who weren't so lucky," he said.
A lamp post slap bang in the middle of a new footpath has been slammed as "ludicrous".

It is just the latest fiasco in the long-running saga of the 5.7m Millennium Way road project in Lurgan.

Instead of providing fresh incentive for local residents to get out for a walk, it has instead exercised their ire - and that of their representatives.

Officials have defended the strange sight by saying the work on the project has not yet been completed.

The new roadway has been proposed for decades - and repeatedly delayed - with the completion date pushed back several times.

Now locals have been left scratching their heads after a lamp post was left planted in the middle of the footpath.

Alfie Greenaway said he had to stand back and look twice before believing what was before him.

He took this photo on Saturday morning on the way to work and posted it to his Facebook page where it sparked disbelief.

"This section of the road looks complete and is open. It's strange that they left the lamp post in the middle of the footpath," he told the Belfast Telegraph.

"I take my grandkids for a walk here, and if holding one in each hand, will have to move onto the cycle path to get around it. If cyclists are coming then we could have total gridlock."

Upper Bann DUP MLA Carla Lockhart described the lamp post as a hazard and queried whether there was any liaison between the street lighting and road surfacing crews during the work. She said she plans to contact Roads Service to instruct the contractor to move the lamp post.

"It is ludicrous to think that this would be acceptable in what is a 5.7million project," she said. "There was obviously a lack of joined-up working with regards to street lighting and surfacing. Whilst I understand the workmanship is not complete, I do feel it is a hazard for pedestrians and needs resolved immediately. I look forward to the completion of this long awaited road."

Roads expert Wesley Johnston said he has seen "this sort of thing" happen before.

"Since lamp posts are often sited in footpaths I assume there's some particularly unusual feature with this one. If it is to be moved, usually it happens if the party who owns the street lamp hasn't had the time or resources to relocate it," he commented.

A Department for Infrastructure spokeswoman said works on the scheme are expected to be completed in late May.
Police in Northern Ireland are treating a serious assault on two men outside a bar in Coalisland as a hate crime.

It happened in the Main Street area shortly before 9pm on Sunday April 16. Police said the two men aged in their thirties were set upon by a group of men.

They sustained cuts and bruises as well as possible facial fractures in the attack.

Condemning the attack, Sinn Fein MLA for Mid Ulster Linda Dillon: The Latvian community, and indeed those from other countries who have chosen to make Coalisland their their home, are an integral part of our community and are very welcome.

Those responsible for this attack are a disgrace.

We will not tolerate attacks against anyone due to their nationality, the language they speak or any other reason for that matter. There can be no place whatsoever for racism in our society.

"I would encourage anyone with information on this attack to contact the police."

PSNI inspector Neil Beck said: The victims of this assault are both Latvian nationals and we are treating the incident as a hate crime. I would urge anyone who was in the Main Street area and who saw what happened to get in touch with police. The number to call is 101, please quote reference 1012 16/04/17.

"If someone would prefer to provide information without leaving their name they can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."
Sinn Feins Raymond McCartney, Mary Lou McDonald and Elisha McCallion at the unveiling of the headstone

Unionists reacted with anger yesterday after republicans unveiled Former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness's gravestone with an inscription referring to his IRA past.

The dedication on Mr McGuinness's Celtic cross gravestone reads 'Oglach Martin McGuinness, Oglaigh na h-Eireann, MP, MLA, Minister'.

Oglach is the term used by the IRA to describe its volunteers.

Mr McGuinness was described as "one of the greatest republican leaders Ireland has ever seen" as the memorial was unveiled by Sinn Fein deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald, as well as Foyle MLAs Raymond McCartney and Elisha McCallion.

Mr McGuinness's sons Emmett and Fiachra and daughters Fionnuala and Grainne were present at the ceremony, which took place at the Sinn Fein Easter commemoration in Derry City Cemetery.

Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie said those who believed Mr McGuinness had "undergone a transformation" had been "duped" and that his headstone reflected that he "hadn't moved on from his IRA past".

"I am not surprised. Martin McGuinness may well have become a statesman, he may well have become a politician in the eyes of many, but the reality was that he was, until the day he died, an IRA volunteer," he said.

"What they have put on his headstone trumps everything that people think about this man. Martin McGuinness didn't move on from his IRA background, he remained linked to the IRA until the day he died and the headstone clearly reflects that past.

"He was an IRA man and he is being remembered as an IRA man. Anybody who bought into his transformation from gunman to so-called statesman has been duped in some way.

"What is on his headstone is exactly what I would expect to see on his headstone.

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 Expand Previous Next Close 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 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 PA The coffin of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness is carried to his home in Londonderry after he died aged 66. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams and Michelle O'Neill, stand over the coffin of former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness as it is carried to his home in Londonderry after he died aged 66. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA The coffin of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness is placed on a stand as it is carried to his home in Londonderry after he died aged 66. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA Message placed on the wall of Connolly House, Andersonstown, Belfast, from Gerry Adams after the death of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness aged 66. Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA The wife of former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, Bernie (R), helps to carry the coffin of her late husband in procession through the Bogside neighbourhood of Derry to his family home on March 21, 2017. AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams (R) and Northern Ire;and Leader, Michelle O'Neill (L) adjusts an Irish flag on the coffin of the late Martin McGuinness watched by his wife Bernadette McGuinness (C) on March 21, 2017 in Derry (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images Sinn Fein President, Gerry Adams (R) and Sinn Fein Northern Leader, Michelle O'Neill (L) comfort a mourner as they await the coffin of the late Martin McGuinness on March 21, 2017 in Derry (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams (R) and Sinn Fein Northern Ireland leader, Michelle O'Neill (L) carry the coffin of the late Martin McGuinness past Free Derry corner on March 21, 2017 in Derry, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images An Irish Flag flys at half mast in the Bogside neighbourhood of Derry on March 21, 2017 as a mark of respect after the death of former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness. AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Bernadette McGuinness (R) carries the coffin of her late husband Martin McGuinness on March 21, 2017 in Derry, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images Well wishers carry the coffin of the late Martin McGuinness past the murals at Free Derry corner on March 21, 2017 in Derry, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images Well wishers carry the coffin of the late Martin McGuinness past the murals at Free Derry corner on March 21, 2017 in Derry, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images Well wishers carry the coffin of the late Martin McGuinness past the murals at Free Derry corner on March 21, 2017 in Derry, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Getty Images The sons of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness , Fiachra (left) and Emmet, carry his coffin to his home in Derry after he died aged 66. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire PA The coffin of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness is carried to his home in Londonderry after he died aged 66. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA Mourners pictured at the removal of Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness to his home in the Bog side. Photo by Stephen Hamilton / Press Eye. Mourners pictured at the removal of Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness to his home in the Bog side. Photo by Stephen Hamilton / Press Eye. Mourners pictured at the removal of Sinn Feins Martin McGuinness to his home in the Bog side. Photo by Stephen Hamilton / Press Eye. Mourners pictured at the removal of Sinn Feins Martin McGuinness to his home in the Bog side. Photo by Stephen Hamilton / Press Eye. Mourners pictured at the removal of Sinn Feins Martin McGuinness to his home in the Bog side. Martin's wife Bernie pictured during her husband's removal. Photo by Stephen Hamilton / Press Eye. Mourners pictured at the removal of Sinn Feins Martin McGuinness to his home in the Bog side. Martin's wife Bernie pictured during her husband's removal. Photo by Stephen Hamilton / Press Eye. Mourners pictured at the removal of Sinn Feins Martin McGuinness to his home in the Bog side. Photo by Stephen Hamilton / Press Eye. Mourners pictured at the removal of Sinn Feins Martin McGuinness to his home in the Bog side. Martin's wife Bernie pictured during her husband's removal. Photo by Stephen Hamilton / Press Eye. Mourners pictured at the removal of Sinn Feins Martin McGuinness to his home in the Bog side. Presseye Stephen Hamilton Mourners pictured at the removal of Sinn Feins Martin McGuinness to his home in the Bog side. Sinn Feins president Gerry Adams Presseye Mourners pictured at the removal of Sinn Feins Martin McGuinness to his home in the Bog side. Sinn Feins president Gerry Adams The sons of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness , Fiachra (left) and Emmet, carry his coffin to his home in Londonderry after he died aged 66. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA The coffin of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness is carried to his home in Londonderry after he died aged 66. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA The coffin of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness is carried to his home in Londonderry by his wife Bernie McGuinness (front right) after he died aged 66. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA The coffin of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness is carried to his home in Londonderry after he died aged 66. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams and Michelle O'Neill, stand over the coffin of former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness as it is carried to his home in Londonderry after he died aged 66. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA The coffin of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness is placed on a stand as it is carried to his home in Londonderry after he died aged 66. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA The coffin of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness is carried to his home in Londonderry after he died aged 66. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA The coffin of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness is carried to his home in Londonderry after he died aged 66. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA A flag flies at half mast in the bogside area of Londonderry after the death of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness aged 66. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire PA A flag flies at half mast in the bogside area of Londonderry after the death of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness aged 66. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA A Derry Country GAA flag flies at half mast in the bogside area of Londonderry after the death of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness aged 66. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA A passerby stops at the gates of Connolly House, Andersonstown, Belfast to read a message from Gerry Adams after the death of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness aged 66. Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA Constituency staff of Belfast West MLA Alex Maskey tie lilies to the gates of Connolly House, Andersonstown, Belfast, after the death of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness aged 66. Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA Constituency staff of Belfast West MLA Alex Maskey tie lilies to the gates of Connolly House, Andersonstown, Belfast, after the death of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness aged 66. Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA Constituency staff of Belfast West MLA Alex Maskey placing a message from Gerry Adams to the gates of Connolly House, Andersonstown, Belfast, after the death of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness aged 66. Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA Constituency staff of Belfast West MLA Alex Maskey tie lilies to the gates of Connolly House, Andersonstown, Belfast, after the death of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness aged 66. Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA Lilies left in remembrance to Martin McGuinness at the gates of Connolly House, Andersonstown, Belfast, after the death of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander aged 66. Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA A passer by stops at the gates of Connolly House, Andersonstown, Belfast to read a message from Gerry Adams after the death of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness aged 66. Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA William Cosgrove signs the book of condolence in remembrance to Martin McGuinness at Connolly House, Andersonstown, Belfast, after the death of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander aged 66. Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA A floral tribute left at the gates of Connolly House, Andersonstown, Belfast following the death of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness aged 66. Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA A woman carries a child past a Republican mural in the Bogside neighbourhood of Derry in Northern Ireland on March 21, 2017 near the home of former deputy first minister Martin McGuinness, whose death was announced this morning. Martin McGuinness, a one-time Irish Republican Army commander who later helped negotiate an end to the conflict in Northern Ireland, has died aged 66. His Sinn Fein party, which opposes British rule in Northern Ireland and was long considered the political arm of the IRA, announced the death in a statement on March 21, 2017, expressing "deep regret". / AFP PHOTO / Paul FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Murals in the bogside area of Londonderry after the death of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness aged 66. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA A general view of the bogside area of Londonderry after the death of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness aged 66. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA A black flag and the national flag of Ireland referred to as the Irish tricolour, fly at half mast at Connolly House, Andersonstown, Belfast following the death of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness aged 66. Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA A black flag and the national flag of Ireland referred to as the Irish tricolour, fly at half mast at Connolly House, Andersonstown, Belfast following the death of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness aged 66. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday March 21, 2017. Mr McGuinness stood down in January in protest at the DUP's handling of the 'cash for ash' energy scandal, triggering a snap election. See PA story DEATH McGuinness. Photo credit should read: Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA Floral tributes left at the gates of Connolly House, Andersonstown, Belfast following the death of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness aged 66. Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA A woman leaves flowers at the gates of Connolly House, Andersonstown, Belfast after the death of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness aged 66. Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA Sinn Fein for Belfast City Council Emma Groves signs the book of condolence at Connolly House, Andersonstown, Belfast, following the death of Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness aged 66. Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp 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

"People who have lost loved ones to the IRA will see what I see, that he was a member of a terrorist organisation and he supported them until the day he died."

Mr McGuinness passed away on March 21. He was 66.

He had been suffering from a rare heart condition.

In the wake of his death controversy has resurfaced over his IRA past.

East Londonderry DUP MP Gregory Campbell said the inscription on Mr McGuinness's headstone was "lauding his murderous past" and a "permanent insult to the victims of IRA violence".

"Given the lengths that people went to at the actual funeral to try and elevate Martin McGuinness and try to allot him the status of a statesman, I think that most people will now see what the real and lasting tribute really is," he said.

"What happened at the funeral was just a day and a moment in time, the headstone is something that will be there for generations."

Speaking yesterday, Ms McDonald paid tribute to Mr McGuinness. "Our great leader and friend lies here now," she said.

"Martin McGuinness, whose heart came alive and kept faith with the Bogside.

"Martin McGuinness, a faithful son of Ireland. Martin McGuinness who fought, who made peace and who will never be forgotten. Martin led from the front, he took risks for freedom and risks to build the peace.

"We are stronger because of him, braver because of him, closer to reconciliation and freedom."
A new rector is to be appointed to the troubled church at Knocknamuckley in Co Down.

Reverend Geoffrey Haugh is to take over, according to the Church of Ireland website.

St Matthias Church, Knocknamuckley, hit the headlines in 2015 after a new rector ignited an unholy row over his style of ministry - with some of the congregation supporting his more modern style of worship, while others preferred a more traditional approach.

The trouble escalated as the congregation divided in reaction to the teaching adopted by their rector, the Rev Alan Kilpatrick, who is associated with the Bethel Church of Supernatural Ministries. Bishop of Down and Dromore Harold Miller intervened personally in the dispute.

The row at the small rural church eventually ended with the Rev Kilpatrick leaving and the congregation splitting in two.

Yesterday, as Christian communities around the world celebrated Easter Sunday, Bishop Miller announced that the Rev Haugh, curate of Holywood Parish in the Diocese of Down, had been appointed as incumbent of the Parish of Knocknamuckley.

Rev Haugh studied in Dublin and is married with four daughters.

In 2015 he was a signatory to an open letter reaffirming the Church of Ireland's opposition to same-sex marriage, written in the context of the Republic's 2015 referendum on the issue.

The letter criticised two Church of Ireland bishops who had said they would support the referendum proposal to permit same-sex marriages in the Republic.

The Date of Rev Haugh's institution at Knocknamuckley is still to be announced.
Northern Irelands retail industry needs devolved government back up and running as soon as possible, a trade body said today.

The Northern Ireland Retail Consortium spoke as figures showed March was the third consecutive month of declining footfall here.

Numbers were down 3.7% year-on-year in March, though the fall was less steep than 4.1% a month earlier.

High street and shopping centre footfall were down by 3.6% and 3.9% respectively.

Aodhan Connolly, director of the NI Retail Consortium, said businesses had been fighting the trend of falling numbers by trying to offer customers greater choice.

He said: This same focus is what we would like to see from our politicians in the next few weeks as the window for an agreement closes.

Mr Connolly said the industry was already at a disadvantage here, where discretionary income is much lower than in the rest of the UK.

We can be unequivocal in saying our industry believes that devolved government for Northern Ireland is worth having and has delivered results. We need it back up and running as soon as possible not only for our industry and others, but for the Northern Ireland consumer who already has half of the discretionary spend of our Great Britain neighbours.

Our members already support the Government in areas as diverse as employment, health and the economy, but we need to have an Executive working for a common purpose, that of making Northern Ireland a better place to do business, to invest and of course to live.

Peter Murray, manager of the Buttercrane Shopping Centre in Newry, said it had also experienced a fall in footfall during March.

He cited research by information company Experian, which recorded a 5.22% fall in footfall in shops last month.

But he said the later timing of Easter this year  in the middle of April instead of the end of March  accounted for some of the year-on-year discrepancy.

Diane Wehrle, marketing and insights director of Springboard, said it was too early to panic over the local retail sector.

March was the second consecutive month with a decline in Northern Irelands high street footfall, and the third for its shopping centres, but given the historic trend for swings in footfall from positive to negative and back again it is too early to state categorically that its retail destinations are under strain, she said.

But she added retail in Northern Ireland was in stark contrast to the UK as a whole. Footfall in high streets in the UK rose by 1.7%, while shopping centre visits were up 0.2%.

She said that much of the 1.3% growth in footfall across the board had been in the hours after 5pm.

This all lends further evidence to the fact that retail is no longer the sole driver of footfall, with a strong leisure/hospitality offer being a critical element to secure retail success, she added.

Retailers here had hoped that the later timing of Easter this year would bring out greater crowds than last year.
Two easyJet passengers were ordered to leave an overbooked flight and told they would have to wait four days before they could travel again. PA

Two easyJet passengers were ordered to leave an overbooked flight and told they would have to wait four days before they could travel again.

The couple, who were flying from London Luton Airport to Catania in Sicily, are understood to have been told to leave the aircraft after boarding because there were no seats left.

The incident, which occurred last Monday on flight EZY2383, came just one day after a doctor was violently manhandled off an overbooked flight in the US.

Footage which surfaced of the incident on the United Airlines plane provoked global outrage.

EasyJet described the circumstances on board its aircraft as "very unusual" and said it was "genuinely sorry" for what had happened.

The couple, who said the situation was "incredibly humiliating", were told their only option was to get a flight four days later, The Independent reported.

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They were not informed they were due compensation or that they should have been flown to Italy by another airline on the same day, the paper said.

An easyJet spokesman said: "We are very sorry about the situation that the couple experienced due to the overbooking of their flight.

"Whilst they were emailed a link to the web page for EU261 compensation applications and the website clearly outlines our policies, we accept that our agents could have pointed this out more explicitly.

"The circumstances were very unusual and resulted from a manual error at the gate. We have listened to our call recordings and at no point did we refuse alternative travel or EU261.

"We want to reassure our customers that we will be providing additional training to our contact centre agents to make sure that future customers are not put through a similar experience.

"This should also have been handled better at the airport on the day so this has been picked up with the individuals concerned."

Around 50,000 passengers a year are bumped off British flights, many of which have been deliberately overbooked, according to the Civil Aviation Authority.

Under EU regulations, airlines are required to pay immediate compensation if a person is forced off a flight.
My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty rests his hand on the coffin of his father Simon Doherty during his funeral service at St Michael's Catholic Church in Ashtead, Surrey

Travellers from across the UK and Ireland came together for the funeral of TV personality Paddy Doherty's father.

Hundreds of mourners joined the Big Fat Gypsy Wedding and Big Brother star to say goodbye to Simon Doherty, remembered as the "father of all travellers".

Friends and family attended a service at St Michael's Church in Ashtead, Surrey on Monday.

More than a dozen silver Rolls Royces, each bearing the Irish tricolour, lined up outside the church.

Mr Doherty's coffin was emblazoned with the colours of the Irish flag and the message: "Simon Doherty - Blacksmith, King of all Doherty's".

"He was like mafia in his own way, not in a bad way - any trouble they would go to him," the 58-year-old former bare knuckle fighter said.

"He was like the godfather - what he said was law.

"He said I want no one crying at my funeral, I want them happy, singing and get them drunk."

He sat with his hand resting on his father's coffin throughout the service and tributes, which included video footage of Mr Doherty in a horse race and a group of Irish dancers.

"He wasn't an average man - he was outstanding, a great man," he added.

"Everything had to be five stars for him, he lived the best and was the best.

"My poor mother - her heart is devastated, her heart is broken.

"I'm so grateful how many people have turned out - we just want everything to go well, everything has to be tremendous and over the top."

Close family members wore red ties, Mr Doherty's favourite colour, which they threw into his grave at St Mary's Catholic Cemetery at Kensal Green, north London.

The coffin was driven to the cemetery in a horse and carriage and carried up a red carpet to the sound of bagpipes.

Floral tributes were laid at the grave in the shape of an Irish shamrock, horseshoes, bottles of whisky, pint of Guinness and a Rolls Royce.

A bunch of green shamrock balloons and six white doves were released into the air as laments were sung at the graveside.

Mr Doherty, known as Simey, had 15 children and more than 150 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The great-grandfather, who was in his 80s, died in hospital in Epsom last week surrounded by his family after battling an ongoing illness.
Chris King, the UK's first double hand transplant patient, applauds the Leeds Rhinos rugby league team on to the pitch at Headingley Carnegie stadium in Leeds ahead of their Super League match against Widnes Vikings. PA

Chris King, the first person in the UK to have a double hand transplant, has celebrated the success of his operation by clapping his beloved Leeds Rhinos on to the pitch for a rugby league clash.

Mr King, 57, made his first visit to Headingley Carnegie Stadium in Leeds to watch the Rhinos play cross-Pennine Super League rivals Widnes Vikings.

In July last year, both his hands were replaced in a pioneering operation at Leeds General Infirmary.

Mr King, from Rossington near Doncaster, clapped from the stand when the teams ran on to the pitch.

And he was applauded himself at half-time when he went on to the pitch and pulled out the winning ticket for the golden gamble draw.

Mr King lost his hands in a work accident when they were caught in an industrial cutting machine.

He was the second patient in the UK to have a hand transplant operation by Professor Simon Kay but the first to have both done.

Expand Close Chris King, the UK's first double hand transplant patient, holds up a Golden Gamble ticket after the Leeds Rhinos rugby league team ran onto the pitch at Headingley Carnegie stadium in Leeds ahead of their Super League match against Widnes Vikings. PA PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp Chris King, the UK's first double hand transplant patient, holds up a Golden Gamble ticket after the Leeds Rhinos rugby league team ran onto the pitch at Headingley Carnegie stadium in Leeds ahead of their Super League match against Widnes Vikings. PA
Those behind the justice campaign set up in the wake of the murder of Donegal woman Danielle McLaughlin have issued an international plea for assistance in the case.

Buncrana woman Danielle (28) was found dead in a field in Goa on March 14 after attending a beach party celebrating the Hindu spring festival Holi. She had been raped and strangled.

A 24-year-old man was later arrested and confessed to the crime.

Danielles childhood friend Christy Duffy (33), who raised over 40,000 to bring her body back to Ireland from Goa, has helped set up the Truth for Danielle campaign and said family and friends have started the fight for justice. He has appealed to people across the world to assist in any way they can.

To date, one person has been charged with criminal offences in relation to the untimely death of Danielle, said Christy.

We seek truth and justice. We have an international legal team and are now making an international plea for help and assistance to all those who believe they can provide us with any information at all.

At this time we are especially interested in any mobile phone or cellular device footage that you may have, if you were present in Goa for the Holi festival in the area of the Festival Valley at Palolem Beach and Collomb Bay on March 13 and the days leading up to it.

We are seeking to identify all potential witnesses from the footage and photographs that so many people have already sent to us.

If you feel that you can help, upload what images or footage you have with date, time and location, identifying any person that you can. Any assistance will be much appreciated by Danielles family, friends and legal team. You can upload images and footage to christytduffy@gmail.com or you can email the lead lawyer acting on behalf of Danielles family at des@desmondjdoherty.co if you believe you can help with any information.
President Joko Jokowi Widodo (center) is joined by several ministers and officers as they tour KRI Imam Bonjol near the Natuna islands, June 23, 2016.

Indonesians appear convinced that Chinas challenge over their gas-rich Natuna Islands represents an urgent national security threat, according to a recent study.

Jakarta has pushed back against Chinese claims that waters surrounding the islands are part of its traditional fishing grounds, in a shift in position driven by an increase in Chinese incursions around the resource-rich area.

Media research showed that Jakarta had successfully convinced the Indonesian people that the Chinese aspirations in the NI (Natuna Islands) waters represented an urgent national security threat, i.e., Jakarta had successfully securitized the NI issue, Patrik Meyer, a visiting professor at Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, who conducted the study, told a seminar in Washington on Monday.

He said that the Indonesian governments discussions and policies around the Natuna islands went from being exclusively a cultural issue to one of urgent national security in the past three years.

It was successful. People discussed the Natuna islands as a national security issue, he told participants of the seminar Escalating Tensions in the South China Sea: Will Indonesia Fight Back? organized by New America, a U.S.-think tank.

President Joko Jokowi Widodo and his officials have framed the Natuna islands, an archipelago at the far southern end of the disputed South China Sea (SCS), as a security threat posed by Chinas efforts to exert fishing rights around the islands.

Beijings claims overlap Indonesias 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone around the Natunas.

Indonesia finds itself cornered by the actions of the giant in the region, Meyer said, adding that his study of Facebook and Twitter keywords showed that Jakarta had waged a successful media campaign following a spate of face-offs in 2016 between its navy and Chinese fishing boats off the Natuna Islands.

In a report published earlier this year, Indonesias Swift Securitization of Chinas Claims in Natuna Islands, Meyer said Beijings assertiveness has woken up a dormant conflict with Jakarta, its closest ally in the region, over the sovereignty of the Natuna islands territorial waters that now threatens to erupt into an outright military confrontation.

Later, he wrote, It is the recent intensification of Chinas verbal and physical assertiveness in this complex power and legal confrontation that has forced Jakarta to break its silence and leave its long held position of honest broker to join the resistance to Chinas expansion in the SCS.

Security

While Meyer said messaging has quieted in 2017, government officials continue to stress the need to maintain security.

This is a priority, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan told BenarNews in Jakarta, Monday.

Securing the area of outer islands, such as the Natunas, is crucial to maintain the stability of Indonesia security. We are multiplying our imaging satellites and strengthening the rapid response unit there, he said.

Indonesian legislator T.B. Hasanuddin agreed on the need to defend the islands while continuing diplomatic efforts with China.

If we can, we need to have a patrol unit that oversees the territories. The presence of this unit is very useful to prevent the recurrence of such incidents, he said, referring to incidents where Chinese Coast Guard ships protected fishing boats in the region.

We still maintain a good relationship, but we should not surrender our sovereignty, Hasanuddin told BenarNews.

Warning

Meyer offered a warning to Indonesian officials about what they could face in the future.

China, he said, will continue to expand its presence in the SCS and likely will encroach on Indonesias territory. Such encroachment is not reversible.

They act more than they talk, he said referring to the government of Xi Jinping.

Pragmatism, not populism, should guide Jakarta, he said, adding that Jokowi and other government leaders should be firm but not confrontational.

China will negotiate with you, he said, adding that Indonesia should squeeze China for economic benefits. The report states that China is Indonesias main trading partner with exports totaling $15 billion (200 trillion rupiah) or 10 percent of Indonesias exports.

In addition, Indonesia needs to reject Chinas traditional fishing grounds argument, develop the islands economy and improve military and marine infrastructure. He said it appears Jokowis government is taking positive steps regarding the economy and military buildup in the region.

Jakarta and Beijing should approach their legal battle in a flexible and creative way and avoid unnecessary and costly confrontations, he wrote in the report.

Lintang Sulastri in Jakarta contributed to this report.
Peoples Justice Party President Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (second from left) shows a copy of the lawsuit filed on behalf of her husband, Anwar Ibrahim, at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, April 17, 2017.

Launching a new legal effort to win back his freedom, jailed de facto Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim filed a lawsuit Monday alleging that the government falsified evidence that led to his five-year sentence on a sodomy charge.

The lawsuit alleges that Anwars conviction was based on perjured testimony by his former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, the prosecutions main witness, whom the founder of the opposition Peoples Justice Party PKR) was accused of sodomizing.

Anwars attorneys filed the suit on his behalf at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, naming the Malaysian government as the defendant.

Saiful had testified perjured evidence under oath known by the defendant as false, Anwars lawsuit stated. The defendant fabricated false evidence in the form of an alleged DNA sample and used it to support the perjured evidence of Saiful.

In December 2016, Anwar, 69, lost his final appeal to be freed from prison after the Federal Court, the countrys highest court, rejected his application to review his conviction by the lower Court of Appeal.

The High Court acquitted Anwar in 2012 but the Court of Appeal reversed that decision and sentenced him in 2014 to five years in prison.

In January, the Court of Appeal allowed Anwar to pursue a legal challenge to a decision by the Pardons Board that went against him in March 2015.

Unless Anwar is pardoned, he cannot challenge Prime Minister Najib Razak in a general election expected to take place in mid-2018 because Malaysian law disqualifies a convict from running for political office.

According to the new lawsuit filed by Anwar, the Malaysian government fraudulently and intentionally brought forward the aide as the main prosecution witness although it had proof that the aide was unreliable.

Because of Saifuls alleged fraud, the lawsuit stated, Court of Appeal and Federal Court judgments are invalid and must be set aside as provided under Section 44 of the Evidence Act.

Anwars lawyer said new facts would be presented during a hearing on the claim.

Anwar is innocent. We will prove his innocence in court, lawyer N. Surendran said.

Anwars wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, and daughter, Nurul Nuha, were with Surendran at the courthouse.

Even a single day spent in jail is cruel for an innocent man, said Wan Azizah, who serves as president of the Peoples Justice Party.

This is Anwars second sodomy conviction.

In 2004, he was acquitted of a sodomy charge filed in 1998. He claimed then that he was framed by the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the party that leads Malaysias ruling bloc, and that was led at the time by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

Malaysian government officials and UMNO leaders have denied framing Anwar.

Mahathir has since left the party and has joined with Anwar in criticizing the current prime minister, Najib.
Philippine soldiers wade through a river in Inabanga town, Bohol province, as they search for Islamic militants on the run, April 12, 2017.

Updated at 8:45 a.m. ET on 2017-04-18

Malaysian government officials held a high-level meeting Monday in the eastern state of Sabah on safeguarding the region near the Islamic militant-infested southern Philippines from kidnappings at sea amid other security concerns.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and state Chief Minister Musa Aman co-chaired the first meeting of the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZONE) Advisory Board, which included the national security chief and heads of the armed forces, national police and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).

ESSZONE's advisory board was established by Prime Minister Najib Razak in January to strengthen security in eastern Sabah and improve coordination among various agencies working in the region, the state-run Bernama news agency reported.

This is to ensure that security threats such as kidnapping for ransom, smuggling, entry of illegal immigrants and a second infiltration by the Sulu Sultanate militants can be prevented or appropriately tacked, the statement said, according to Bernama. It was referring to an incursion in the state by an armed group from the Philippines calling itself the Royal Sulu Army, and that local security forces put down four years ago.

The meeting in state capital Kota Kinabalu took place against the backdrop of ongoing concerns about maritime kidnappings carried out by Abu Sayyaf Group militants based in the southern Philippines. Since 2016, dozens of Malaysian and Indonesian sailors have been abducted by suspected Abu Sayyaf gunmen off ships sailing in waters between northern Borneo island and the southern Philippines. Most of the hostages have been freed.

They can enter Sabah easily

A Malaysian security source said the government is concerned about the threats of movements across the Sabah-Philippines border by militants linked to Islamic State. Members of several militant groups based in the southern Philippines have pledged their allegiance to the Middle East-based extremist group.

They can enter Sabah easily and easily hide among the huge numbers of migrants already living and working in Sabah, the source told BenarNews on condition of anonymity.

Last week, Philippine forces killed six suspected ASG gunmen, while thwarting a raid by Islamic militants on Bohol island, a popular tourist destination in the Central Philippines. The slain suspects included Muammar Askali (also known as Abu Rami), an Islamic State-linked spokesman for ASG who allegedly had participated in kidnappings and executions carried out by Abu Sayyaf, the Philippine military said.

At least three southern Philippine militant groups linked with Islamic State were involved in the Bohol raid in which militants were allegedly plotting to carry out a bombing and kidnap tourists from the area that lies far from their traditional strongholds in the south, according to a report by the Associated Press over the weekend.

Apart from Askali, another key Abu Sayyaf figure, Edimar Isnain was among the six militants who died during a shootout that also killed three soldiers and a police officer, according to the AP report that cited information from three anonymous Philippine security officials. Edimar had worked with Malaysian and Indonesian militants in building bombs and training ASG recruits to handle explosives.

Although Askali was accused of playing a direct role in some maritime kidnappings and the video-taped execution of hostages, including Malaysian Bernard Then, the militants death does not mean that cross-border crime will diminish, the security source in Malaysia told BenarNews.

With the Philippines military in hot pursuit of the militants, we have to make sure they dont slip across into our borders. They can hide out for long periods of time, and then strike when least expected, the official added.

New Sabah role for defense minister

In other developments related to security in Sabah, the Malaysian government announced last week that Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein would add to his portfolio a new role as the so-called Special Functions Minister in charge of security in the eastern state.

My main task now is to help the prime minister with safeguarding security in Sabah, The Star newspaper quoted Hishammuddin as saying on Monday.

However, the defense minister did not attend Mondays ESSZONE Advisory Board meeting in Sabah. He spoke to the newspaper in Kuala Lumpur after taking part in a monthly assembly at the Defense Ministry.

An earlier version reported incorrectly that ESSZONE was established by the prime minister in January 2017.
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By Amber Stark 99

Where some people see another obligation, Sarah Hercules sees opportunity  an opportunity to learn something new, to meet someone new, to grow.

The third-year student at Bowling Green State University has a history of embracing new opportunities, and encourages other students to do the same.

BGSU offers so many opportunities, embrace them, is the advice she would give to new students. I dont ever question whether to embrace an opportunity. Instead, I have to determine which opportunities to embrace when they occur simultaneously.

She suggests that students weigh their options and take initiative from the get go  something she did when her high school guidance counselor told her about the BGSU Award of High Distinction Scholarship, now the Presidential Scholars Award.

I had heard about BGSU, but I didnt know much about it, she said. I didnt think itd hurt to apply.

One visit later, on Scholar Day, and she was hooked.

I absolutely loved it, she said. I immediately felt that the school cared about me as an individual. I valued the community, coming from a small community, and the resources of a large university.

Deep down, I knew Bowling Green was where I was meant to be.

Deep down, I knew Bowling Green was where I was meant to be.

Hercules said that coming to BGSU was one of the best decisions shes made, and that embracing that opportunity set in motion many, many more opportunities.

Once she arrived on campus, a week before most students because shes a twirler in the Falcon Marching Band, she said she didnt give [herself] a chance to breath. She lived in the Honors Learning Community her first two years on campus, and quickly got involved.

Shes the current president of Alpha Lambda Delta-Phi Eta Sigma and a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Beta Kappa, Omicron Delta Kappa, the Actuarial Science Club and Gamma Iota Sigma. She is also in the Honors College, a tour guide and a scholar recruitment coordinator.

Alpha Lambda Delta-Phi Eta Sigma provides opportunities for national conferences, networking, scholarship, leadership and service, Hercules said, adding that the other organizations offer similar opportunities. They are not just something you join to put on your resume. You get out of them what you put in.

These opportunities led Hercules to her Honors College project, which she combined with the capstone for her major, data science. Her project looks at college applicant and retention data to predict student success in the Honors College. She will present and publish this project, which focuses on under-represented students.

Hercules major and minor, insurance, did not exist when she started at BGSU, but she embraced the opportunity to switch to them on the suggestion of a professor.

Data science is up and coming, she said. It will market my skills in a broader way  what does data mean, how do you analyze it, what does it show us? It can be applied to a wide variety of fields, criminal justice, insurance, biology.

While she doesnt know exactly where shell use these skills after graduation, Hercules is getting experience necessary for the decision-making process.

An internship isnt required by my major, but its a way into entry-level positions, she said.

Her first internship, with the Cincinnati Insurance Companies, in the property-casualty field, dealt with driverless cars, quantifying how they would impact companies. This summer, after receiving offers from all three places she applied, she will intern at Northwestern Mutual in Milwaukee, in the life insurance field.

Now I will have internships on both sides, she said. When I pick a career direction, Ill know why, Ill know how it fits with my values. I want to be fulfilled at the end of the day, and love my job.

Until that time comes, after graduation in May 2018, Hercules will continue making the most of the opportunities that cross her path.

I couldve graduated early, but I had no desire to, she said. Youre going to work the rest of your life. I want to embrace opportunities. I wanted to be here for four full years.

I wish I knew how quickly it would go by.
Bowling Green State University senior Kelly Largent recently received the Charles J. Ping Student Service Award from Ohio Campus Compact.

The Charles J. Ping Student Service Award was designed to recognize and honor Ohio Campus Compact member undergraduate students for their outstanding leadership and contributions to community service or service-learning on their campus and within their community. These students represent the next generation of civic leaders and problem solvers.

Largent was nominated for the award by BGSU President Mary Ellen Mazey.



Throughout my college experience at Bowling Green State University, it could be said that I have lived and breathed Math Camp, Largent said. While I have been highly involved in other service opportunities such as MLK Day of Service, tutoring programs and opening weekend events, the experiences I am most grateful for are those involving Math Camp.

Largent, a middle childhood education major from Strongsville, Ohio, said BGSUs version of Math Camp stems from Thailands Kamphaeng Phet Rajabhat University, where preservice teachers serve local grade schools in day-long math adventures in an exciting camp-like atmosphere.

BGSU preservice teachers volunteer their time on Saturdays, traveling to schools in northwest Ohio to impact the lives of students in first through eighth grade. Largent most recently volunteered for the Napoleon Elementary School Math Camp on Feb. 25. She led teams of students in a problem-solving activity and assisted with the other team-building and energizing components of the camp.

On my drive home, I reflected on the day with great pride and joy, said Largent, who also previously served on the Executive Math Camp Leadership Team as the station's coordinator for a year. This made me responsible for creating several new mathematical and problem-solving stations for a variety of age groups as well as working with a team of leaders to plan the logistics of Math Camp.

Countless hours of research, brainstorming and innovating went into Largents leadership role. It even took her across the world for two weeks to Thailand, where she learned new ideas and strategies from the KPRU students.

I can easily say Math Camp tremendously impacted me as a person and a future teacher, which is why I was so reflective when I left Napoleon Elementary.

Volunteering at Math Camps over the past year, as a former leadership team member, has given Largent time to reflect on the impact the program makes on the communities it serves, the University students who volunteer and her own growth.

Elementary and middle schools welcome us back each year because they see that their students have become more engaged and more confident in their own abilities to problem solve and use mathematical reasoning, she said. At every camp, students who once were apathetic toward mathematics and lacked confidence in their problem-solving abilities, beg us to come back next Saturday.

The University student volunteers show growth in the areas of teacher self-efficacy, classroom management and rapport with students, Largent said.

I can attest to this personally because Math Camp has given me a purpose as a Bowling Green community member and the means to continuously reflect and grow as a preservice teacher, she said. I love being able to reach individual students and make their Math Camp experiences positive. I have gained confidence in my ability to impact students lives and in my ability to lead others to do the same. I will be forever grateful for my service learning experiences through BGSUs Math Camp.

Ohio Campus Compact is a statewide non-profit coalition of 42 college and university presidents and their campuses working to promote and develop the civic purposes of higher education. The Ping Award is named in honor of Ping, who served as president of Ohio University from 19751994. He has been a tireless advocate for campus-community partnerships and increased opportunities for students to become active and engaged citizens.
Dr. Brett Holden, theatre and film, has fully captured the essence of service-learning in his teaching and his co-curricular activities. As a true believer in the equal and complementary value of both service and learning, he has woven service into his literature and film courses in such a way that students are engaged to apply what they are learning in the classroom to real-world issues off campus  specifically, the challenges of veterans and active-duty service people and their families.

His dedication to serving the needs of these populations while educating a new generation of citizens about the realities of war and military service has earned him the David Hoch Memorial Award for Excellence in Service. The award was presented by Ohio Campus Compact, a nonprofit membership organization of 42 Ohio colleges and universities working to promote and develop the civic purposes of higher education. The Hoch award honors the outstanding work in service-learning and/or civic engagement by a faculty or staff member at an Ohio Campus Compact member institution.

The Hoch award is the latest in a number of recognitions Holden has received for his work with military service people and the agencies that support them. He has used his position at Bowling Green State University to make students, faculty and staff more aware of both the contributions and the needs of those who have served their country while giving service members an outlet for sharing their experience.

Holdens engagement with service-learning goes back many years. He was among the founding faculty of BGSUs inaugural living/learning community, Chapman, whose philosophy was based in a coherent, cohesive curriculum that included service as part of its core. Chapman became a model for many other living/learning communities in the nation.

Before joining the Department of Theatre and Film in 2008, Holden was deeply engaged with veteran issues through war-literature and war-film courses of his own design in the Chapman Learning Community.

As a natural offshoot of my courses, I developed the Veteran Assessment and Service Team (VAST), a student organization that engaged students in direct service to veterans and military families, he said. After joining the department, I transitioned these experiences into two solid service-learning courses I have offered for many years: War, Film, and the Soldier Experience and Iraq War Cinema. Students in these courses not only examine popular portrayals of military service, U.S. service personnel, and military families, but take part in on-site service to these individuals and their respective branches of the military in order to more fully understand why images relating to these branches and individuals tend to be so negative and harmful to these populations. Service projects have varied from driving veterans for Honor Flight of Northwest Ohio, assisting our local National Guards Family Readiness Groups, and engaging in an equine therapy program.

His work has earned him gratitude and recognition from numerous community partners, along with several awards. Therese Sadowski, Yellow Ribbon Support Specialist with the Air National Guard, has worked with Holden and his students for two years. As the event coordinator for the programs reintegration program to promote the well-being of National Guard and Air Reserve Service members and their families, she said Holden reaches out to the organization for opportunities to enhance students class experience while also lending a helping hand.

His objective is always to help his students gain a better understanding of military service personnel and to break down the negative image of those who have been deployed as often portrayed in Hollywood films, she wrote in recommending Holden for the Hoch Award. Dr. Holden is remarkable; he is genuinely interested in learning about the challenges of deployment and reintegration of the families. He exudes professionalism and executes an amazing sense of urgency whenever involved with our program. . Dr. Holdens passion and sincerity shine through every time I interact with him. We could find no better advocate for our program!

Students appreciate his commitment as well. Senior Matthew Henkes, a film production major, has taken several classes with Holden and worked on numerous service projects. As a filmmaker, he said, the classes have challenged him to analyze any preconceived notions and have pushed him to research thoroughly the stories and characters he wants to represent.

Dr. Holdens commitment to educating students through community-based learning pedagogy is inspiring, and has deepened my connection to not only the academic material but to the northwest Ohio region, he wrote in support of Holdens nomination. The environment and culture of learning that Dr. Holden is able to create has expanded my critical thinking ability and has inspired me to make connections between academic material and my personal experiences I never would have been able to see before.

That is Holdens goal.

As a faculty member, I feel that it is my duty to help develop engaged, principled BGSU graduates who can immediately engage in working on behalf of others, he said. I have always held that while my passion is working with military veterans and their families, my students develop a transferable skill set that could just as easily prepare them to work on behalf of the homeless, of cancer survivors and caregivers, of environmental groups or a variety of other volunteer organizations.


Media Advisory, April 17, 2017 Contact: Blake Kopcho, (805) 708-3435, bkopcho@biologicaldiversity.org Protest to Urge Feinstein to Resist GOP Attacks on Wildlife, Civil Rights Groups Demand Democrats Oppose Funding for Trump's Border Wall, Budget Riders to Defund Planned Parenthood, Gut Environmental Laws SAN FRANCISCO Constituents of Sen. Dianne Feinstein and members of the Center for Biological Diversity will gather outside her San Francisco office tomorrow at noon to demand that the senator and her Democratic colleagues resist right-wing attacks on wildlife and civil rights. Tomorrow's protest comes as President Trump and congressional Republicans are exploiting the federal budgetary process to try to include additional funding for Trump's border wall and dangerous policy riders that would block funding of women's reproductive health services and undermine the Endangered Species Act and other environmental laws. Congress must pass the continuing budget resolution by April 28 to avoid a government shutdown. Politicians in both major parties often exploit budget showdowns to attach riders on behalf of powerful interest groups. Feinstein last year used a budget rider to weaken protections for endangered salmon and delta smelt. Protesters tomorrow will demand a clean budget bill and unified Democratic opposition to Trump's divisive agenda. What: Rally calling on Feinstein and the rest of California's representatives in Congress to strongly oppose attacks on wildlife and civil rights in the must-pass continuing budget resolution. When: Tuesday, April 18 at noon Where: Outside Sen. Dianne Feinstein's district office, 1 Post Street, San Francisco Who: The rally is being organized by the Center for Biological Diversity, MoveOn.org, Indivisible San Francisco and other groups.



We need strong, unified resistance to Trump's dangerous agenda. Feinstein and other Democrats must reject the border wall, defend Planned Parenthood, and protect our environment, said Blake Kopcho, a political organizer with the Center. Developers, ranchers and the oil industry are trying to use this budget showdown to undermine bedrock environmental laws. It won't work if Feinstein and her colleagues stand firmly with their constituents. 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, April 17, 2017 Contact: Miyoko Sakashita, (510) 845-6703, miyoko@biologicaldiversity.org Alaska's Senators Introduce Bill to Roll Back Arctic Ocean Protections Legislation Could Hurt Endangered Polar Bears, Beluga Whales by Expanding Offshore Oil, Gas Drilling WASHINGTON Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, both Republicans from Alaska, have introduced legislation to expand oil and gas drilling in the Arctic Ocean and Cook Inlet, putting fragile ecosystems and endangered wildlife at risk. In December 2016 President Obama permanently protected large areas of U.S. waters in the Arctic from oil and gas drilling. The new bill  Senate Bill 883  would effectively cancel these protections and force the Department of the Interior to quickly approve new oil and gas leasing. It's not possible to drill safely in the Arctic, as we just saw from the leaking oil and gas well on the North Slope, said Miyoko Sakashita, ocean programs director at the Center for Biological Diversity. This legislation's nothing more than a giveaway to oil companies. It'll hurt Alaska's healthy habitat and endangered wildlife. S. 883 would require Interior to add at least three leases each in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas and one in Cook Inlet to each five-year leasing plan. The agency would be required to establish a new near-shore Beaufort planning area with annual lease sales for the next three years. The bill would also overturn President Obama's decision to stop exploration and drilling permanently in most of the Chukchi and Beaufort seas under Section 12(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. These areas are home to several endangered species, including polar bears and bowhead whales. If we let oil companies drill the Arctic, a catastrophic oil spill is just a matter of time, Sakashita said. It's shameful that the Alaska congressional delegation has so little regard for the horrendous damage the oil industry could do to this fragile ecosystem and the people who live and work along this coast. Leading climate scientists say the vast majority of untapped fossil fuels must stay in the ground to avoid catastrophic, irreversible changes to the climate. Unleased federal waters contain an estimated 75 billion barrels of crude oil, more than twice that of unleased federal lands. Stopping the expansion of new leases in federal waters would keep 61.5 gigatons of carbon dioxide out of our atmosphere and oceans. 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.
The bus strike, which was initiated on Wednesday, 12 April 2017, left hundreds of bus commuters without transport over the Easter holidays.

Numsa general secretary, Irvin Jim said in a statement:

Numsa will continue to pressurise the Department of Labour to do proper oversight in the bus passenger sector. The fact that our members, even under the new wage agreement will continue to be exposed to dangerously long hours without compensation is shameful.

We are inspired by our members who demonstrated great courage and determination during the course of the strike. They were also extremely disciplined. We salute you for fighting for a dignified life for yourself and your families. We call on all workers in the sector to unite behind Numsa as we fight to transform the industry and restore dignity and equality to our members.
Multiple news agencies, U.K. official and United Nations pin genocidal killings on Salva Kiir's army. Photo:Facebook

Statement By Joint Opposition -- South Sudan

April 17, 2017.

As genocide unfolds in South Sudan, much of the world looks away.

In one of the gravest crimes of the 21st century, President Salva Kiir and his regime are wiping out non-Dinka communities through ethnically targeted massacres in Greater Upper Nile, Equatoria and Western Bahr El Ghazal regions.

The unfolding genocide is a repeat of this same regimes December 2013 Juba massacres of ethnic Nuer civilians, which resulted in reprehensible reprisal attacks against Dinka civilians in other parts of the country. This chain of events triggered the still on-going civil war that was imposed on the people barely two years after the country gained independence on 9th July 2011.

By definition, genocide is a state-devised plan to annihilate, in whole or in part, minority communities. Kiirs regime, with direct participation of the SPLA army and state-sponsored Mathyiang Anyor militia, are carrying out cold-blooded and calculated executions of community and church leaders, torturing and raping civilians and carrying out other dehumanizing acts. The intention is to violently expel women, children and the elderly from their homes and villages or exterminate them completely. This odious scourge policy is unprecedented in scale and has serious ramifications for the survival of South Sudan as a country, and peace and security of the region.

As a result of the ongoing massacres by Salva Kiirs regime, the United Nations reported that 3 million South Sudanese have been uprooted by the violence, resulting in hugely unprecedented displacement of populations from their homes, which is considered to be the biggest cross-border exodus in Africa since the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

In addition, Kiirs regimes policy of actively blocking" and preventing aid access and using food as a weapon of war, has engineered widespread regime-made famine in the country.

As this murderous campaign unfolds, the Region and the broader international community, for the most part, have stood by, excused the aggressor and justified the inaction of the world on the intransigence of the perpetrator. This impunity and inaction by the world, continue under the wrong assumption that such acquiescence will earn the trust and hence entice the cooperation of Juba to behave in a more civilized fashion, has only fueled the genocide. Emboldened by the sense of no consequences for their actions and transgressions, President Kiir and his regime have gone on rampage killing and destroying the country in total disregard for international law.

A commendable exception to this apparent conspiracy of silence is the honest and accurate assessment by Hon. Priti Patel, British Secretary for International Development who, while in Kampala  Uganda on 12th April 2017, said that "There are massacres taking place, people's throats are being slit ... villages are being burnt out, there's a scorched-earth policy,  it is tribal, it is absolutely tribal, so on that basis it is genocide."

This frank admission follows similar conclusion reached in the report of Mr. Adama Dieng, the Special Adviser to UN Secretary General on the Prevention of Genocide.

We urge other world leaders to similarly recognize and condemn the genocidal actions of Kiirs regime; their continued silence and denial only emboldens, encourages and indeed rewards the perpetrators of the crime and punishes their victims.

We urge the region and the international community to urgently investigate, document, prosecute and punish the perpetrators of recent genocide in Wanduruba, Yei, Lainya, Pajok and Kajokeji in Equatoria, Wau in Bahr el-Ghazal, and in all of Upper Nile before appropriate courts or tribunals.

All such targeted killings anywhere of innocent Dinkas or non-Dinka civilians are reprehensible and inexcusable and should be subject to the same due legal process.

The Region and broader international community has a moral and legal obligation to prevent genocide and cooperate in prosecuting the perpetrators. We therefore call upon the AU, the UN Secretary General and the UN Security Council to issue a full, frank, and just acknowledgment of the unfolding genocide as a necessary first step to honor the victims and their families and signal a glimmer of hope for the future.

President Salva Kiir and his regime must be forced to comply and to take full responsibility for their actions and crimes.

Only then can a peaceful political process to end this unprecedented and untold suffering begin.

Signed by:

The Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement - In Opposition (SPLM IO)

The Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement - SPLM Leaders (FDs)

The National Democratic Movement (NDM)

The Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM)

The South Sudan National Movement for Change (SSNMC)

The National Salvation Front (NAS)

Contact: [email protected]
Akshaya Tritiya Vrat Katha And Vidhi Praise God oi-Lekhaka

Akshaya Tritiya is a very popular festival among the Hindu population around the world. Every year, Akshaya Tritiya is celebrated during the Shukla Paksha of the Vaishakha month.

Shukla Paksha refers to the 15 days after the Amavasya (no moon day) when the moon grows in size. Akshaya Tritiya is perhaps the most auspicious day among all in the Hindu calendar.

This festival is celebrated to thank the almighty for the good that has happened in the year before and to pray to the Gods to help maintain and increase the wealth and happiness in life.

Though it is one of the prominent festivals of the Hindus, it is not dedicated to one GOD.

Unlike the other festivals that the Hindus commonly celebrate, Akshaya Tritiya is a day when your worship to any God or Goddess will give you increased results.

Lord Maha Vishnu is the God that presides over the day, but on this day, other Gods are worshipped too. Goddess Lakshmi is prayed for wealth and prosperity.

Goddess Annapoorna, who is a form of Goddess Shakti, is prayed to make sure that the kitchen is always filled with healthy and delicious food.

Lord Ganesh is worshipped by entrepreneurs and businessmen who embark on a new venture. This is because Lord Ganesha is the remover of all obstacles.

Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati are worshiped by married couples or couples who are about to marry. Doing so will ensure marital bliss in their lives.

Another way of worship is to observe a fast or Vrat. Akshaya Tritiya Vrat is simple and effective. One doesn't need to have much means to perform the Akshaya Tritiya Vrat.

You don't need to follow complex guidelines too. The basics things that you will need to remember is that you must keep an upavas or be on a fast, worship the God of your choice and donate goods with a positive energy to the poor or Brahmins.

For a detailed guideline on the Akshaya Tritiya Vrat and Vidhi, continue reading.

Akshaya Tritiya Vrat & Vidhi

You must wake up early in the morning on the day of Akshaya Tritiya. Your first task would be to clean the house completely.

It is said that Goddess Lakshmi never enters a dirty house. Next, clean yourself and deal with the daily ablutions. When done, you must place an idol or a picture of Lord Maha Vishnu or any God/Goddess of your choice in a clean part of your house. This is usually done in the pooja room.

Chant the following while placing the Idol or picture:

Mamakhilapappakshayapoorvak sakala shubha phala prapyate|

Bhagavatpreetikamanaya devatrayapoojanmaham karishye||

Bathe the Idol or the picture with 'Gomootra'

Follow the Shodashopachara vidhi to offer worship to the Lord.

Lord Maha Vishnu is decorated with pleasant smelling flowers. Garland with fragrant flowers is offered to the Lord Maha Vishnu.

Vishnu Sahasranama is a good mantra to chant on Akshaya Tritiya Day.

At the end, offer Tulsi leaves.

Perform the Aarti and distribute any prasad to everybody.

Akshaya Tritiya Vrat Katha

Once upon a time, there lived a good and pious man named Dharmadas. He was very polite and respectful of poor people and the Brahmanas.

He had but one worry in his life. It was that he had a large family and he was finding it very difficult to make the ends meet. During such a time, Dharmadas happened to hear a discourse about Akshaya Tritiya Vrat.

That year, when the Akshaya Tritiya day arrived, Dharmadas went to the River Ganges. Next, He placed his idols and started to reverently pray to the Lord. He then started donating.

Wheat, jowar, rice, dal, gold and other substances made up of good vibes and positivity were donated.

His wife constantly tried to dissuade him from donating so much but Dharmadas did not listen. His relatives had turned against him.

He was old and was sick all the time too. But in spite of all this, he continued to donate and worship.

As a result of his prayers, Dharmadas, who was a Vaishya by caste, was born as the King of Kushavati city. He became famous and rich with the help of this Vrat.

This Vrat Katha must be read or listened to after breaking the fast. Listening and reading the Vrat Katha will bring you immense prosperity and good fortune.


A file photo.

WASHINGTON (PTI): North Korea launched a missile on Monday but it blew up almost immediately after its launch, the US military said, a day after Pyongyang warned Washington that it is "prepared to respond to an all-out war with an all-out war".



The attempted launch occurred a day after the regime of Kim Jong Un showed off a bevy of new missiles and launchers at a large-scale military parade.



"The missile blew up almost immediately. The type of missile is still being assessed," the US Pacific Command (USPACOM) said in a statement.



The US Pacific Command detected and tracked what it assessed was a North Korean missile, the statement said.



"The launch of the ballistic missile occurred near Sinpo," US Pacific Command spokesman CDR Dave Benham said.



Sinpo, a port city in eastern North Korea, was also the site of a ballistic missile test earlier this month in which the projectile fell into the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea.



"USPACOM is fully committed to working closely with its allies in the Republic of Korea and in Japan to maintain security," Benham said.



Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said that President Donald Trump and his military team are aware of the missile launch.



"The President and his military team are aware of North Korea's most recent unsuccessful missile launch. The President has no further comment," said Mattis.



South Korean and US intelligence officials are trying to determine what type of missile was used on Monday, but it was described as a land-based missile.



The launch came just hours before Mike Pence, the US vice president, arrived in Seoul for talks with the South Korean government over how to deal with Pyongyang's nuclear ambition.



North Korean state media has made no comment on the launch.



Choe Ryong Hae, who is believed to be the second-most powerful official in North Korea, said in a speech on Sunday that the country is ready to stand up to any threat posed by the United States.



He criticised the new US administration under President Donald Trump for "creating a war situation" on the Korean Peninsula by dispatching strategic military assets to the region.



"We will respond to an all-out war with an all-out war and a nuclear war with our style of a nuclear attack," Choe said.



Speaking after North Korea's "failed" missile test, US national security adviser H R McMaster said Trump will not allow Kim Jong Un's regime to have the capacity to threaten the US.



"While it's unclear and we do not want to telegraph in any way how we'll respond to certain incidents, it's clear that the president is determined not to allow this kind of capability to threaten the United States," McMaster told ABC News.



"Our president will take action that is in the best interest of the American people," he said.



McMaster said the launch "fits a pattern of provocative and destabilising and threatening behaviour on the part of the North Korean regime."



"I think there's an international consensus now, including the Chinese and the Chinese leadership, that this is a situation that just can't continue.



"And the president has made clear that he will not accept the United States and its allies and partners in the region being under threat from this hostile regime with nuclear weapons," said McMaster, speaking to ABC from Afghanistan.






PYONGYANG (AP): North Korea rolled out intercontinental ballistic missiles and other military hardware at a massive parade on April 15 to celebrate the birthday of the country's late founder, as third-generation leader Kim Jong Un looked on in delight.



State television showed Kim, wearing a black suit and white shirt, stepping out of a limousine and saluting his honour guard before walking down a red carpet. He then stepped up to a podium and clapped with senior government officials to acknowledge the thousands of soldiers and civilians taking part in the parade at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, the capital.



The festivities, celebrating the 105th birthday of Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Un's grandfather, took place amid concerns that North Korea is possibly preparing for its sixth nuclear test or a significant rocket launch, such as its first flight test of an ICBM.



State television showed what appeared to be several KN-08 missiles rolled out on trucks at the parade. Military analysts say the missiles could one day be capable of hitting targets as far as the continental United States, although the North has yet to flight test them.



North Korean soldiers paraded large rockets covered by canisters that were rolled out in two different types of transporter erector launcher trucks, or TELs. An official from South Korea's Defence Ministry couldn't immediately confirm whether any of the rockets represented a new type of ICBM.



Kim Dong-yub, a North Korea expert at Seoul's Institute for Far Eastern Studies, said the canisters and trucks suggested that the North was developing technology to "cold launch" ICBMs, ejecting them from the canisters before they ignite.



This would allow North Korea to prevent its limited number of ICBM-capable TELs from being damaged during launch and also make the missiles harder to detect after they're fired, he said.



Other military hardware at the parade included tanks, multiple rocket launchers and artillery guns, as well as a solid-fuel missile designed to be fired from submarines. Also on display was a powerful midrange missile that outside analysts call a "Musudan," and which can potentially reach US air bases in Guam, as well as a new solid-fuel midrange missile that can be fired from land mobile launchers, making them harder to detect before launch.



Military planes flew in formation, creating the number "105" above Kim Il Sung Square.



Choe Ryong Hae, who some say is the second-most powerful official in North Korea, said in a speech that the country is ready to stand up to any threat posed by the United States. He criticised the new US administration under President Donald Trump for "creating a war situation" on the Korean Peninsula by dispatching strategic military assets to the region.



"We will respond to an all-out war with an all-out war and a nuclear war with our style of a nuclear attack," Choe said.



Other senior officials joining Kim at the podium included Kim Won Hong, who the South Korean government had said earlier this year was fired from his job as state security minister, presumably over corruption. South Korea has a spotty record of tracking developments in North Korea, as information about the secretive, authoritarian state is often impossible to confirm.



Kim Jong Un didn't speak before North Korean television ended the live broadcast.


Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/04/2017 (2031 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

While some people marked the weekend with Easter egg hunts and other activities, many of those in the local Christian community spent their time reflecting on the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Each church will draw a different message from this crucial moment in Christianity, but at Brandons First Presbyterian Church, the sermon Rev. Dong-Ha Kim shared on Easter Sunday was of joy.

There were a lot of people in the pews to celebrate the days recognition of the defining moment in Christianity, he said after the days service, during which he reiterated the key messages he strived to share with his congregation.

Tyler Clarke/The Brandon Sun First Presbyterian Church Rev. Dong-Ha Kim is seen at the pulpit following this years Easter Sunday service.

In the Biblical story of Jesus resurrection, those in Jerusalem expected to find his corpse in a tomb three days after his crucifixion, but instead they found nothing.

The empty tomb for us is the fruition of our Lords message, his promise coming true, Kim said.

Our joy, really, is in knowing that his promise to us has come to fruition  That is what we take away from our service of worship here; that the message is true and that the Lord has risen.

In seeing the Lords message come true, people have become empowered to live as Christians, he said, adding we go out there rejoicing knowing that we can uphold the values of justice, compassion in servitude of others and are courageous enough to stand against those things which challenge the justice, compassion and love for one another.

Palm Sunday found the congregation of St. Georges Anglican Church take to the streets in a public parade through their neighbourhood, during which they marked the optimism that followed Jesus as he entered Jerusalem.

In Biblical stories, this optimism faltered by Good Friday, at which time Jesus was crucified. It was then reaffirmed by the discovery of his empty tomb on Easter Sunday, at which time the joy Kim cited in his latest sermon became what he called Christianitys defining moment.

 tclarke@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/04/2017 (2031 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Still a relatively new organization trying to find its feet, the Canadian Wild Turkey Federations local area chapter (Southwest Strutters) held their second annual Hunting Heritage Banquet on Saturday.

With a silent auction lining the walls of the events space at Victoria Inn, Canadian Wild Turkey Federation director of operations Steve Nicholson explained that all proceeds are going toward increasing local programming.

Their ultimate goal is to offer more programming for youths  the generation for whom the organization is trying to preserve the environment and wild turkey population for.

Tyler Clarke/The Brandon Sun Volunteer Jared Lindsay sells tickets during Saturdays Hunting Heritage Banquet at the Victoria Inn, with proceeds going toward efforts of the local Southwest Strutters chapter of the Canadian Wild Turkey Federation.

The local organization may do event days for kids, teaching them the ins and outs of safe firearm handling, and they might do habitat programs, Nicholson said, adding that itll be up to the individual chapters to determine what efforts best fit their communities.

Saturdays banquet included a table for area youths, with every youth aged 16 years and younger going home with a prize.

Its not only youth programs the local chapter hopes to do more of, but also more trap and transfer efforts, which local volunteers are currently undertaking with other organizations. They trap and transfer nuisance birds as well as strategically move birds to help grown their populations.

They also link up with other organizations, such as Ducks Unlimited, to protect the environment in a more general sense, since they all share in this goal and are more effective when working together as a team, Nicholson said.

By doing efforts that protect those birds, it also benefits all the other wildlife, he said. Were not just turkey hunters, were waterfowl hunters, were deer hunters, so we love it all and we want to do what we can to help all of those species.

The Canadian Wild Turkey Federation has been around for almost four years and has footprints in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba.

The local chapter has been around for about two years. For more information about the local organization, visit their website at southweststrutters.ca.

Tyler Clarke/The Brandon Sun Canadian Wild Turkey Federation director of operations Steve Nicholson is seen at the Southwest Strutters second annual Hunting Heritage Banquet at the Victoria Inn on Saturday.

Protecting the environment, such as what Canadian Wild Turkey Federation chapters strive to do, is important not only for hunters but for anyone who cares about the natural world, Nicholson said, adding if we dont do efforts now, then it may not be here for future generations.

 tclarke@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/04/2017 (2031 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Bashar al-Assad cannot be part of the way forward for Syria, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau concluded this week, because he is guilty of war crimes against innocent children.

That sounded as though Canada had made a decision, but it was really just empty words. The United States administration of Barack Obama made the same apparent decision on Aug. 18, 2011, with the support of other western countries, and yet President Assad is still there, still withstanding the rebel forces who want to remove him from power. The western countries that keep dismissing Mr. Assad from power have no army on the ground to remove him and no better candidate to put in his place.

Canadas Chrystia Freeland and the foreign ministers of the other G7 industrial nations met in Lucca, Italy, this week to talk about Syria and agree that Assad must go.

Since they have no means to make him go, they sent U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson off to Moscow to ask Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to ask his boss, Vladimir Putin, to get rid of Assad. But Assad is Putins client and the basis for his claim to a role in Middle Eastern affairs. Putin will gain nothing by dumping his faithful ally.

Canada is not going to do anything on its own about bringing peace to Syria. Canada might act as part of a coalition, along with the U.S., other industrial democracies and Middle Eastern nations.

The prospects for building such a coalition and bringing peace and stability to Syria are, however, extremely dim.

Former U.S. president George W. Bush decided in 2001 that he had to topple the Taliban government of Afghanistan, and led a coalition invasion with Canada and others. The Taliban were kicked out of the capital, but they still dominate parts of the country. The U.S. and its allies are still trying to extricate their forces from the continuing conflict. Mr. Bush decided in 2003 he had to topple Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. The U.S.-led invasion achieved that aim and started a civil war that still continues 14 years later. The North Atlantic Treaty nations, including Canada, sent bombing runs against Libyan dictator Muammar Ghaddafi in 2011, helping local insurgents defeat his forces. The country has been in turmoil ever since.

The U.S. and its allies have no appetite for another such campaign. U.S. President Donald Trump hurled a volley of cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase last week to show his displeasure at Assads alleged use of nerve gas against beautiful babies. Assad shrugged and went back to killing the babies with cluster bombs and barrel bombs.

Canada, of course, wants to be on the side of peace and justice in Syria. Mr. Trudeau knows that his people are watching the same television news reports that so distressed Mr. Trump. If a coalition seems to be forming that has both the means and the intention of bringing stable peace to Syria, Canada should act within that coalition to keep its goals realistic and its actions humane. Since this probably involves an invasion, a war with Russia and the erection of a new ruling group to take Assads place, Canadians should not expect it to happen soon.

Canada can help pull some survivors to safety. But we should not lead anyone to expect we are going to war against Bashar al-Assad.

 Winnipeg Free Press
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/04/2017 (2031 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Prove youre religious

Christmas and Good Friday and Easter Monday are religious holidays based on the birth and death of Jesus Christ. Since we no longer say the Lords Prayer in school as has been determined by the human rights group, and any reference to the Lord and religion are forbidden in any government office, then why do federal, provincial and municipal employees have these days off and are paid for them as well? The only way these persons should have any time off is if they provide a note from their priest or minister proving that they actually attend church. Since these days off are determined to be religious holidays, only those persons who practise and attend church should have the time off. It would save the taxpayer millions.

The other costs of flooding

The back of my house faces Grand Valley Road. On a recent Saturday morning, I watched it being closed due to flooding. At one point there were eight trucks sitting on Grand Valley Road, one on 18th Street and a flatbed with a loader. Id like to know how much that little manoeuvre cost us! Probably all on overtime, too!

Thanks for Law Day

Law Day in Brandon on April 9 was very much appreciated. It was informative and enjoyable. Many thanks to the organizers, tour guides and presenters.

Immigrants and refugees

Just to clarify the difference between an immigrant and a refugee. Immigrant: a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country. Refugee: a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution or natural disaster. These two terms are used in the wrong context all the time. Maybe if people who understood what they meant it would help them muster up some compassion for people who are fleeing unimaginable living conditions created by conflicts they had no part in creating. There are way too many people who have no idea of the daily situation faced by millions of people who were born into situations rather than causing them.

Living in a mans world

Just turned off the local panel discussion about the budget on cable. I am furious and disgusted. A group of men only to discuss this important item when at least half the population is female and a large percentage are seniors. Dont tell me there wasnt someone in these two groups who was not knowledgeable enough. Or were the men afraid the women would out-knowledge them? Shame. Shame. Shame.
US President Donald Trump has warned North Korea it "Gotta behave", a day after its failed missile test.

It came after his vice-president Mike Pence visited the Korean Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) to warn America's "era of strategic patience is over".

North Korea's deputy UN ambassador, meanwhile, accused the United States of turning the Korean peninsula into "the world's biggest hotspot" and creating "a dangerous situation in which a thermonuclear war may break out at any moment".

Mr Pence's visit to the tense DMZ dividing North and South Korea came at the start of a 10-day trip to Asia and underscored US commitment. It allowed the vice-president to gaze at North Korean soldiers afar and stare directly across a border marked by razor wire.

As the bomber jacket-clad vice-president was briefed near the military demarcation line, two North Korean soldiers watched from a short distance away, one taking multiple photographs of the American visitor.

Mr Pence told reporters Mr Trump is hopeful China would use its "extraordinary levers" to pressure the North to abandon its weapons programme, a day after the North's failed missile test launch.

But Mr Pence expressed impatience with the unwillingness of the North to move towards ridding itself of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

Pointing to the quarter-century since the United States first confronted North Korea over its attempts to build nuclear weapons, he said a period of patience had followed.

"But the era of strategic patience is over," he declared. "President Trump has made it clear that the patience of the United States and our allies in this region has run out and we want to see change.

"We want to see North Korea abandon its reckless path of the development of nuclear weapons, and also its continual use and testing of ballistic missiles is unacceptable."

Mr Trump himself appeared to reinforce the message at the White House, replying "Gotta behave" when a reporter asked what message he had for North Korean leader Kin Jong Un.

In New York, the North's deputy UN ambassador Kim In Ryong said US-South Korean military exercises being staged now are the largest-ever "aggressive war drill". He said his country "is ready to react to any mode of war desired by the US".

In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he hopes there would be "no unilateral actions like those we saw recently in Syria and that the US will follow the line that president Trump repeatedly voiced during the election campaign".

China made a plea for a return to negotiations,with Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang saying tensions need to be eased on the Korean Peninsula to bring the escalating dispute to a peaceful resolution.

Mr Lu said Beijing wants to resume the multi-party negotiations that ended in stalemate in 2009 and suggested US plans to deploy a missile defence system in South Korea are damaging its relations with China.

Later on Monday, Mr Pence reiterated in a joint statement alongside South Korean acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn that "all options are on the table" and said any use of nuclear weapons by Pyongyang would be met with "an overwhelming and effective response". He said the American commitment to South Korea is "iron-clad and immutable".

Noting Mr Trump's recent military actions in Syria and Afghanistan, Mr Pence said: "North Korea would do well not to test his resolve."

- AP
Mike Pence warned North Korea the "era of strategic patience is over" as he visited the Korean Demilitarised Zone within 24 hours of Pyongyang's failed missile test.

The US vice president said Washington and its allies will achieve its objectives through "peaceable means or ultimately by whatever means are necessary" to protect South Korea and stabilise the region.

He said President Donald Trump is hopeful that China will use its "extraordinary levers" to pressure the North to abandon its weapons.

Mr Pence, who had previously called the failed missile launch "a provocation," arrived at Camp Bonifas on Monday morning for a briefing with military leaders and to meet American troops stationed there.

The joint US-South Korean military camp is just outside the 2.5-mile-wide DMZ.

He later stood a few yards from the military demarcation line outside Freedom House, gazing at two North Korean soldiers across the border and then a deforested stretch of North Korea from a lookout post in the hillside.

Mr Pence said there had been a period of patience in the 25 years since North Korea first obtained nuclear weapons.

"But the era of strategic patience is over," he said.

"President Trump has made it clear that the patience of the United States and our allies in this region has run out and we want to see change.

"We want to see North Korea abandon its reckless path of the development of nuclear weapons, and also its continual use and testing of ballistic missiles is unacceptable."

Mr Pence's visit, full of Cold War symbolism, comes amid increasing tensions and heated rhetoric on the Korean Peninsula.

While the North did not conduct a nuclear test, the spectre of a potential escalated US response accompanied Mr Pence as he began a 10-day trip to Asia.

The US national security adviser cited Mr Trump's recent decision to order missile strikes in Syria after a chemical attack blamed on the Assad government as a sign that the president "is clearly comfortable making tough decisions".

But at the same time, HR McMaster said: "It's time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully."

In a TV interview that aired on Sunday, Mr McMaster said the US would rely on its allies as well as on the Chinese leadership to resolve the issues with North Korea.

He said the US is focussed on stopping the North's weapons development and making the Korean Peninsula nuclear-free.

"It's clear that the president is determined not to allow this kind of capability to threaten the United States. And our president will take action that is in the best interest of the American people."

Mr Pence will be tasked with explaining US policy in meetings with leaders in South Korea and Japan during the trip, which will also include stops in Indonesia and Australia.

He will aim to reassure allies in South Korea and Japan that the US will take appropriate steps to defend them against North Korean aggression.

A North Korean missile exploded during launch on Sunday, US and South Korean officials said.

The high-profile failure came as the North tried to showcase its nuclear and missile capabilities around the birth anniversary of the North's late founder and as a US aircraft carrier neared the Korean Peninsula.

Mr Trump, spending the Easter weekend at his Florida resort, reinforced his commitment to the armed forces under his control.

"Our military is building and is rapidly becoming stronger than ever before," he tweeted.

More directly on North Korea, the president returned to a theme of placing much emphasis on China for reining in the North.

Last week, he said he would not declare China a currency manipulator, pulling back from a campaign promise, as he looks for help from Beijing, which is the North's dominant trade partner.

On Sunday he tweeted: "Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem? We will see what happens!"

- AP
A brawl erupted at a shopping centre after a vigilante group of "paedophile hunters" confronted a man suspected of grooming a 14-year-old girl.

The 29-year-old man was met by the members of the group called "The Hunted One" at the Bluewater Shopping Centre in Greenhithe, Kent, on Easter Sunday.

A Facebook Live video showed one of the group ask the suspect "You're here to meet a child for sex, yeah?"

When questioned, the man denied the group's suggestions and said that the girl, who he had been in contact with on an online chatroom, had told him she was aged "18 plus".

As the confrontation continues, a man in a red top attacks the suspect and can be seen kicking and punching him as several people try to contain the situation.

Security guards from the shopping centre step in to prevent any further violence before police officers arrive.

Detective Chief Inspector Emma Banks, of Kent Police, said a 29-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of grooming and officers were investigating the disturbance.

She said: "Officers from Kent Police arrested a 29-year-old man from East London at Bluewater Shopping Centre on suspicion of grooming at 2.27pm on Sunday 16 April 2017.

"The arrested man is in custody. Police are also investigating a disturbance which took place in connection with this incident.

"I strongly discourage people taking the law into their own hands to avoid them and others including individuals which may have been wrongfully identified, being put in any danger. Any acts of violence reported will always be fully investigated and enquiries into this incident are ongoing."

A request from the Press Association for comment from The Hunted One was declined.
The looming supply crunch in the gas market will require federal government intervention in the national interest to stave off shortages, says the nation's peak manufacturing body.

In a letter to the government on Monday, the Australian Industry Group (AI Group), makes a detailed case for intervention taking advantage of low international prices to head off an emerging gas supply crisis in the manufacturing sector.

The call came as the Queensland government also went public with the demand for Canberra to assist with new pipeline developments to help ensure new gas fields can reach the market - a call which won immediate backing from gas explorers.

Tough restrictions on onshore gas exploration in Victoria and NSW brought in at the same time as a series of new export projects in Queensland has boosted demand for gas to meet export sales commitments has pushed domestic gas prices to record levels,
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at a military parade on Saturday. Credit:AP One is negotiation. This can work. The Iran agreement of 2015 is a case in point. Iran has dismantled part of its nuclear infrastructure in return for the easing of harsh UN sanctions. Its progress towards nuclear missiles has been halted. Would this work with North Korea? Bill Clinton's administration tried it. Pyongyang merely gamed the negotiations. Commandoes march across Kim Il-sung Square during Saturday's military parade in Pyongyang. Credit:AP The Kim dynasty's regime took the inducements offered, cheated on its compliance promises, and continued covertly working on the nukes.

Another is armed force. This can work, too. Israel bombed Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor in 1981 before it could become operational. This set back the Iraqi nuclear weapons program. However, if other events had not intervened, Iraq could have rebuilt. A determined regime can always rebuild, perhaps in underground facilities that are harder to attack. Would this work in North Korea? A military strike on North Korea's nuclear facilities faces an insurmountable problem. It would likely provoke the very event that North Korea has spent 60 years preparing for. Pyongyang has massive arrays of artillery and missiles aimed just south of the border, at Seoul and the US bases nearby. They are kept in permanent readiness to launch. Seoul is a densely populated city of 10 million, some 50 kilometres away. No system exists that could protect against devastation. North Korea doesn't need nukes to kill millions in short order. To contain any such retaliation, a pre-emptive attack on North Korea would need to be so intense, perhaps nuclear, that it would unleash the very carnage that the world is seeking to avoid.

A third is the modern variation on armed force, cyber war. This can work too. The US and Israel attacked Iran's underground uranium centrifuges using a computer virus, the Stuxnet worm. The limitation here is that it is only a temporary setback to a nuclear program. Could cyber war work on Pyongyang? There is strong suspicion that it already has. A years-long phase of North Korean missile failures suggests to some analysts that American cyber war is responsible. But, again, this has its limitations. North Korea is making undeniable progress regardless. Finally, there is the guarantee of security under the protection of major nuclear power. This can work, too. The US has successfully prevented a nuclear arms race in Asia for 70 years by putting its allies under its protection, the so-called nuclear umbrella. A nuclear strike on Japan, South Korea or Australia would be answered by a strike by the US. Could this work in North Korea's case? It already has a defence treaty with China, a nuclear power. It is conceivable that Beijing could persuade Pyongyang to abandon its own nuclear plans and take shelter under a Chinese nuclear umbrella. This leads to the inevitable destination for any really workable solution to the North Korean problem  China.

Despite China's recent rhetoric, there is ample evidence that Beijing has been content to allow the Kim dynasty to barrel ahead with its nuclear program. When the South Korean navy managed to recover fragments of a North Korean missile that exploded over the Sea of Japan recently, its technicians discovered missile components supplied to North Korea by Chinese firms, including state-owned firms. Whether this is deliberate Chinese supply or merely lax Chinese enforcement of UN sanctions, it suggests that Beijing has not been serious about curbing the Kims' nuclear ambitions. David Asher, who led the North Korea Activities Group within the National Security Council in the George W. Bush White House, says that China has never been serious about curbing Pyongyang: "China has been financing their economy for a decade. They give direct material assistance to China. They have done nothing to distance themselves strategically from North Korea. "China knows more about North Korea's nuclear program than we do. Why haven't they stopped it?"

His conclusion: they don't want to. "North Korea and China are allies against the United Nations," a reference to the fact their opponents in the Korean War were lead by the UN. "China's strategists think North Korea is extremely useful." Asher's experience of dealing with China and North Korea from 2002 to 2005 made him deeply sceptical of China's assurances: "China assured us we could combine to bring North Korea to heel. And none of that ever happened." As the Trump administration now seeks to work with China on the Pyongyang problem, the former negotiator has this advice: "China will only take this seriously if they are coerced into it." Loading Is Trump prepared to exert this much pressure on China? Would he sacrifice some of the US relationship with China in order to deliver real results in North Korea?
A motorcyclist has died after a crash in Brisbane's north as a horror end to the Easter holidays continues.

A previously fatality-free holiday period came to a sad end on Monday evening when a man and woman were killed on the Bruce Highway, south of Maryborough and a teenage boy was left fighting for life.

On Tuesday morning, a North Lakes man, 33, was killed when his bike collided with a ute in Hendra about 5.45am, police confirmed.

Paramedics and police urged motorists to avoid the area, at the intersection of busy Nudgee Road and Gadara Street, metres from the north-east Brisbane suburb's police station.
As the 44-year-old senior sergeant began to speak to the man near Musk Avenue, the man became agitated.

Video footage released by Queensland Police showed the man, who appeared to be talking on a mobile phone, walk towards the police car from the middle of the road.

About 11.10pm a patrolling officer saw a man walking in traffic on Kelvin Grove Road, Kelvin Grove.

A man who assaulted a police officer in Brisbane on Sunday night remains on the run.

A police officer tries to arrest a man on Kelvin Grove Road. Credit:Queensland Police Service

The officer, with a grip on the man's arm, placed the man's wallet and phone on the hood of the police car and attempted to handcuff him.

While doing this, the man lunged at the officer and pushed him to the ground.

He then took back his belonging that were on the police car and fled on foot.

Police patrolled the area but could not find the man.
Snap has denied a claim its CEO Evan Spiegel said Snapchat was "only for rich people" and that he did not "want to expand into poor countries like India and Spain".

"This is ridiculous. Obviously Snapchat is for everyone," a spokesperson for Snap said. "It's available worldwide to download for free."

Advertisers need 'education' about the Snapchat platform, Spiegel says. Credit:Bloomberg

The alleged comments came to light last week when the company released a court complaint from former employee Anthony Pompliano.

Pompliano, who worked at Snap (then Snapchat) in 2015 for three weeks, alleges Spiegel made the comments in a meeting to discuss the company's international expansion plans, according to Variety.
Residents annoyed at the smell and smoke from grilled meat drifting through their balcony windows and ventilation have forced the closure of an inner Melbourne steakhouse.

The Longhorn Saloon in Elgin Street, Carlton, shut its doors on Friday after it was hit by an improvement notice from the City of Melbourne, which found that the smoke, food and cooking odours being emitted by the restaurant were "offensive and constituted a nuisance".

In addition to a series of complaints about the smell, a group of upset residents from a neighbouring apartment building had also objected to the council about excessive noise from the kitchen's extractor fans.

The restaurant had been given three weeks to install new ventilation systems when the initial order was given on March 22, but owner Will Balleau said meeting that timeframe was impossible. He said the cost of the work had been quoted at $100,000.
When the city built the underground Library Lane parking structure, it spent an extra $5 million on foundations to support a future building above it. Plans for a conference center there foundered on cost issues during the recession, but now the site is back in play: City council is expected to vote this month on whether to sell the air rights to Chicago-based Core Spaces for $10 million. Core wants to erect a colossal seventeen-story apartment building thatll dominate Division and transform downtown.

But selling city property requires a council supermajorityeight of the eleven membersand three are already against it: Jack Eaton, Sumi Kailasapathy, and Jane Lumm. Ive opposed selling that property for this kind of development for some time, says Ward Fours Eaton. Ive been active with the Library Green group [which advocated for a park on the site] even before getting elected to council. But to block the sale, theyll need someone else to stand with them.

In mid-March, no one else was committing themselves either way. Asked where he stood on the project, mayor Christopher Taylor replied, I dont yet know where Im going on this one.

With more than 350,000 square feet of floor space, the Collective on 5th would be even larger than the controversial Foundry Lofts two blocks north. It squeezes under the citys size limits only by counting Library Lane, a small street connecting Division and Fifth, as part of its footprint. That wouldnt be possible if it were a public streetbut when it opened in 2012, the Downtown Development Authority made Library Lane a private road. (That density bonus went unmentioned when the Observers Question Corner asked about the designation the following yearwe were told only that it didnt meet the citys minimum dimensions for a public street.)

Taylor doesnt object to its size. Im not going to deny its big, he quips. But big as big doesnt offend me.

Big offends Will Hathaway, head of the Library Green Conservancy. His group has advocated turning the entire site into a public park. Though the Conservancy now accepts that most of it will be developed, Hathaway says the Core Spaces design is totally out of context. Its going to overshadow everything [including] the historic buildings on Fifth and Liberty.

Hathaway and others point out that when the city marketed the site, it created a highly unusual commission arrangement: the brokers fee will be based not just on the price of the air rights but on the total value of the completed project. That created an incentive to bring in the biggest possible plan.

Taylor sees nothing wrong with that, either. So theyre saying we incentivized the broker to get as much money coming to the city as possible? he asks. In part, our goal in selling the parcel was to maximize the money coming into the city, so we could use that money to improve basic services and enhance the quality of life.

Taylor sees plenty of benefits to the project: A major building at the center [of downtown] would bring thousands of people to that area and connect the two main downtown hubs. Another pro is the city does not have resources presently in its affordable housing trust fund, and this will be at least $5 million into the trust fund. And there is some workforce housing in the project itself.

Eaton isnt buying. We would be spending too much money on too few. We should use our own land and build something that is affordable housing. Five million dollars wont buy much affordable housing, and itll probably go into maintaining rather than adding.

The Main St. and State St. area business associations have raised questions about Core Spaces request for 196 spaces in the underground lot and 165 spaces in two other structures for up to fifty years. But Taylor says that wont figure into his decision. The DDA has concluded that the parking system has the ability to handle it.

Former DDA chair Ed Shaffran disagrees. People are concerned with parking now, and with more people coming into town than ever before, what do we do next? Are we going to build a new parking structure? The DDAs 2015 study says the city faces a parking deficit of 860 spaces by 2019and director Susan Pollay says its unclear whether that took into account spaces needed to develop Library Lanes air rights. Yet the group has no current plans to build more parking.

Still the mayor has faith. Its DDAs job to make sure the parking system is efficient and maintained in a manner that supports the health of the downtown. Theyve done a great job to date.

If he shares none of the other objections, what is it about the project that might cause him to vote against it? I dont know that it stirs the soul, he says. The image of the building we have before us is not the final proposal. They could request a more slender, attractive project that would be in conformity with all aspects of zoning but require a height limit variance.

Told Taylor hasnt decided yet, Hathaway says, Thats hopeful. Chris is a strong leader, and whatever he decides, the rest of the council majority will follow his lead. I hope he concludes its not in the best interests of Ann Arbor. Wed be overjoyed.

Whatever the decision, the vote will no doubt be an issue in a pair of rematches in the August primaries: Jaime Magiera will once again take on Jack Eaton in the Fourth Ward. In the Fifth, Conservancy supporter David Silkworth, who lost to Chip Smith as an independent in November, will try again as a Democrat.

Though not entirely in favor of the current project, councilmember Kirk Westphal would like to do something soon: We could quibble for another decade over plaza size, glass or brick, or how much parking were willing to include, he says.

Politically, its always easiest to kick the can down the road. But at the end of that road, we might find that nobody wants to buy land from the city anymore because we keep changing our mind.
Ankara: A defiant Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denounced the West's "crusader mentality" after European monitors criticised a referendum to grant him sweeping new powers, won with a narrow victory.

Addressing a crowd of flag-waving supporters from the steps of his palace in Ankara, Erdogan told election observers to "talk to the hand" and said it would not be so important to Turkey if the European Union broke off accession talks.

Sunday's vote ended all debate on forging a stronger presidency, Erdogan said. But the main opposition party rejected the result and called for the vote to be annulled.

Thousands of people marched through suburbs of Istanbul, some chanting "Thief, Erdogan", "no to the presidency" and "this is just the beginning".
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Truth be tolled, one local congressman thinks its time for a change.

Staten Island Rep. Dan Donovan has asked the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to study the impact of reestablishing a two-way toll on the Verrazano Bridge, which would nix the current one-way toll thats been blamed for rush-hour traffic jams that stretch as far north as Gowanus and Park Slope.

As the Staten Island Rep for a Republican-dominated House, Donovans support would be crucial for any changes to the federally-controlled Verrazano Bridge, and his sudden interest in a new study is a good sign that change may finally be coming to the spans loathsome toll structure, according to Community Board 6 District Manager Craig Hammerman.

If theres a sense conveyed to the government and MTA that there is interest and support on both sides of the Verrazano Bridge for this, then I dont see how this wouldnt happen, said Hammerman, who in January fired off a letter to Gov. Cuomo requesting a similar study of a two-way tolls impact.

Designed to appease denizens of New Yorks other island borough, the bridges current one-way toll exists  bizarrely  thanks to a 1986 Act of Congress, making it the states only municipal span governed by federal lawmakers.

Back in the dystopian helter-skelter of the early 1980s, Staten Island voters kicked up a fuss about pollution generated by the Verrazanos massive toll plaza, which ensnared traffic on the other boroughs side of the span.

But the new toll structure not only benefitted Richmond County residents, but also commuters from Dirty Jersey, who realized they could take advantage of the new one-way toll  which only taxes drivers headed into Staten Island  and save money on their trip by taking the bridge into Brooklyn instead of the tunnels into Manhattan.

And the toll-skipping scheme is especially cost-saving for truckers, who can be taxed more than seven-times what passenger cars pay for a trip across the bridge.

In the more than three decades between then and now, transit advocates throughout Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan  including Board 6, Bay Ridges Community Board 10, and Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler  have called for drivers to be once again taxed heading in both directions along the Verrazano, citing traffic concerns and lost revenue.

But Staten Island congressmen have routinely thwarted change on behalf of their right-of-center constituency, making the reform impossible in a congress that  barring a few years during former President Obamas first term  has been dominated by Republicans.

But Hammerman renewed the push for a two-way toll with his January letter to Cuomo in light of new cashless toll technology, which, in combination with the EZ-Pass, allows drivers to breeze across the bridge without stopping to pay a toll, relieving Staten Islanders of their pollution argument when it comes to preserving the one-way tax scheme.

At the time, a rep for Donovan told Brooklyn Paper the congressman wouldnt support any changes without a study proving its efficacy, and his comments proved to be more than just hot air after the federal lawmaker fired off a letter to acting MTA chairman Fernando Ferrer requesting a study to determine the traffic and revenue generating impacts of the toll change.

Donovans newfound interest in the Verrazano comes as a very welcome development in the long push for reason, according to Hammerman.

Having Donovan on board would obviously be extremely helpful, if not critical to making this happen, the district manager said.

The congressman went on to indicate that if a study found that a two-way toll would create positive change, hed be more than happy to support it.

If the MTA is going to recoup the millions of dollars theyre losing now by having a one-way-toll and it doesnt cause more traffic  in fact it lessens traffic  and we could use some of that revenue that they would now generate to help the people of Brooklyn and Staten Island, then it is something I would very much consider, Donovan said.

In response to Donovans request, Transit Authority president Donald Spero wrote in a letter dated April 4, we are certainly willing to look at these potential impacts, but stopped short of confirming an actual study is underway. A request for clarification from the transit authority only yielded greater confusion, with spokesman Chris McKniff pulling back on Speros comment and stating Donovans request was merely under evaluation.

The congressman seems to feel differently. In an April 14 letter to Spero, Donovan wrote that he was pleased that your agency will analyze commercial vehicle routes, traffic impacts on Staten Island and Brooklyn roads, and revenue impacts as part of your review, and asked the agency president to please share an approximate timeline for your analysis.
Live election coverage: All eyes on PA as voters head to the polls

The nation is closely watching PA as it could decide the balance of power in Washington. Check back regularly for statewide coverage updates.
I don't know how many young women come to this blog or how many are parents of teenage or young adult women, but here are some safety tips from Kelsey's Army:

T

I

P

S

1. Trust your instincts - If something feels wrong then something probably is wrong.2. Know your surroundings - know who and what is around you.3. Always have a plan for where you would go and what you would do if a situation arises.4. Be willing to make a scene in order to be noticed.5. Let someone know where you are going and when you will be back.Remember the acronym TIPS:ake Chargenform others of your whereaboutsrepare for any situationurvival Mentality (role play situations so you will respond should they happen)For more information, go to Kelsey's Army
State Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-10) presented a check to Yardley Borough Police Chief Joseph Kelly for $68,600 for the purchase of a new police vehicle and motorcycle during a visit to the station. Our police put themselves on the line every day to keep our community safe, said Sen. Santarsiero. Dating back to when I was a Lower Makefield Township Supervisor more than...
The underlying reason for Joan and Bettes feud, other than their obvious dislike for each other, has always sort of existed in the background of Feud. Its been sort of explained in those awful documentary sections that Joan and Bettes rivalry was based on jealously, but it wasnt exactly clear who was jealous of what and why  until now.

In this episode, titled Abandoned! Bette and Joans cold war with each other finally explodes and all secrets are revealed. Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon has never been on screen together more, the tension has never been more palpable and Feud: Bette and Joan has never been better.

Is Feud Focusing Too Much on Joan and Not Enough on Bette? >>>

Feuds are About Pain

Abdandoned! begins with much of the same from Feud: Bette and Joan. Joan is simmering in hatred as Bette charms the entire cast, crew and director Bob Aldrich. Joan is doing an amazing job on the picture, and everyone agrees that she could very well win an Oscar for the role. Joan is too consumed by her hatred of Bette and the fear that Bette is trying to undermine her to care about her performance. This alarm grows even stronger when Joan discovers that Bette is a producer on the movie. Even though Bob Aldrich assures Joan that it is a vanity title, it confirms Joans worst fears that people respect Bette more than her.

Feud does (thankfully) offer ample exploration of Bettes side of the story. It is revealed in a sex scene between Bette and Bob (something no one needed to see) that Bette has always envied Joans beauty. Bette didnt care about her acclaim as an actress that she wanted Joans popularity and desirability. Moaning about being ugly is rather ridiculous coming out of Susan Sarandons mouth, but Bette Davis was not a conventionally attractive actress. This jealously is very likely true to life. Joan Crawford was the sexy movie star and Bette Davis was the weird character actress. Joan and Bettes rivalry being reduced to such simple terms could be dehumanizing, but it is not. As silly as it might be, this is all very relatable and kind of heartbreaking. Bette and Joan are movie stars, but theyre just as fragile as anyone else.

Everything comes to a head in one gloriously meaty scene. Joan gets drunk after feeling dismissed by Bette. Joan wakes up alone on set and, feeling abandoned, rushes to confront Bette. The amount of tension and bitterness of the entire season comes crashing down in one explosive argument.

Joan accuses Bette of not being a better actress, just a louder one. Bette tells Joan that she is just a glamorous phony. It goes back and forth with each actress (Lange/Crawford and Sarandon/Davis) giving it their all. Its not campy as other arguments have been; rather, it is raw and emotional. Towards the end, in an honest and vulnerable moment, Bette asks Joan what it was like to be the most beautiful girl in the world. Joan responds that it was wonderful, but it was never enough. Joan fires back by asking Bette what it was like to be the best actress in the world, and Bette repeats Joans earlier response: it was wonderful, but it was never enough.

A Crowning Achievement in Jealously

Bette and Joan never being fulfilled in life could have been another beautiful way for the two to come together, but it doesnt happen. The actresses dont grow closer after their blowout; the rivalry just gets worse. When Bette and Bob (harmlessly) cut a monologue from Joans character in the script, Joan suddenly comes down with an illness. Joan checks herself into a hospital and refuses to come to work on the movie because she is too sick. Bette and the rest try to coax Joan back to work. It works on a few occasions too, but the second Joan feels a slight from Bette, she immediately checks herself back into the hospital due to her mystery illness.

The fake sickness routine is Joans magnum opus of pettiness. It is a credit to Jessica Lange, and Feud as a whole, that Joan isnt completely despicable in these moments  and she is not. Joan is awful, as this sickness ruins far more than Bettes time and money, but there is a real sense that Joan feels justified in it. Its terrible, but its also terribly sad, which describes most things about Joan Crawford for this series.

Quiz: Which TV Sidekick Are You? >>>

Losing It All Everywhere

Getting nowhere with Joan, Bette tries to exert some control in her personal life. She allows her daughter, B.D., to get married to a much older man named Jeremy (shes 16, hes 29), but Bette wants full control of the wedding. Bette believes that she is just indulging a fantasy of B.D.s and eventually her daughter will come back to her. B.D.s relationship with Jeremy is real, though, as the two are still married to this day. Bette tries to dissuade her daughter from being with Jeremy. Bette tells her that it wont work, but B.D. is insulted and horrified. In trying to bring her daughter closer to her, Bette just loses her.

No one ends up losing more than Joan. Joan fakes her illness for so long that the studio sues her for violating her contract. Joan is fine with losing tons of money to the lawsuit as long as she can ruin the movie and Bettes next step in her career. Bette is one step ahead of Joan. Bette convinces her friend, Olivia de Havilland, to take over Joans role. When Joan finds out in the hospital, she freaks out and throws a vase at poor Mamacitas head. This is the last straw for Mamacita, and she walks out of Joans life. Joan loses everything  her movie, her money and Mamacita  and it has all been of her own doing.

What did you think of the episode? How do you feel about Bette and Joans jealously for one another? Did it feel real or too simple? Which actress do you feel worse for now? Can you still sympathize with Joan? Did you ever sympathize with her? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Feud: Bette and Joan airs Sundays at 10/9c on FX. Want more news? Like BuddyTVs Facebook page.





(Image courtesy of FX)
The new game of Russian Roulette for fire-prone ecosystems

Hot and dry weather after wildfires leads to decreased plant diversity, a concern for California, other areas

Fire is a natural process in many ecosystems. But some biodiversity hotspots, like southern Africa, are imperiled due to increasingly common drought-like conditions that limit the ability of plants to regrow after fire. 

BUFFALO, N.Y.  Increasing prolonged periods of severe hot and dry weather during the first summer after wildfires is inhibiting vegetation recovery and causing loss of plant diversity, according to a new international study on climate change.

The importance of fire in sustaining and even enhancing natural systems has long been known but the cycle of regeneration is being negatively impacted by climate change in some ecosystems, say the researchers.

The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, are a concern for fire-prone ecosystems around the world, including regions of the United States  such as California, along with forest areas of the West and Southeast.

Fire is a natural process in many ecosystems. But some biodiversity hotspots, like southern Africa, are imperiled due to increasingly common drought-like conditions that limit the ability of plants to regrow after fire, said Adam Wilson, assistant professor of geography in the UB College of Arts of Sciences, a co-author of the study.

In addition to Wilson, the 44-year study of shrubland vegetation in South Africa  one of the most biologically diverse regions of the world  was led by researchers from three other U.S. institutions and four South African institutions.

The researchers found species diversity declined in the study area, the Cape of Good Hope section of the Table Mountain National Park, because of progressively longer periods of consecutive hot and dry days along with the legacy impact of invasive species. The increase in these extreme weather patterns over the past half-century suggests that opportunities for successful regeneration of vegetation will become increasingly rare.

Climatic variability may continue to provide years sufficiently benign to allow successful recruitment, but many species in ecosystems that regenerate the first year after a fire event  most species in our study  are subject to a form of climactic Russian roulette, said Jasper Slingsby of the University of Cape Town, the studys lead author. Unfortunately, as climate change intensifies, there are fewer empty chambers in the gun.

The exacerbation of this post-fire mortality by increasingly severe weather extremes is likely to drive major shifts in the composition and structure of fire-prone ecosystems, according to the researchers.

The study represents one of the few examples of climate-drive diversity loss in natural communities. It demonstrates an important interaction between climate change and disturbance by fire that suggests flammable ecosystems may be particularly sensitive to climate change.

Research was supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Research Foundation of South Africa.

Wilson is funded by NASA to continue researching the impact of climate change on biodiversity in this ecosystem. He will return to South Africa to continue his field work next month.

In addition to Wilson and Slingsby, researchers include John A. Silander Jr. of the University of Connecticut; Nicky Allsopp of the South African Environmental Observation Network; Cory Merow of Yale University; Matthew Aiello-Lammens of Pace University; Stuart Hall of Stellenbosch University; Hayley Kilroy Mollmann of UConn, Ross Turner of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Everything you need to know for election day in Burlington County

elections
Tigran Sargsyan, Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission, notified Kyrgyzstans President Almazbek Atambayev on the preparation of the Eurasian Economic Supreme Councils session, which is due on April 14 in Bishkek.

April 13, 2017, 15:28 Tigran Sargsyan and Kyrgyzstans President meet ahead of Bishkek session

STEPANAKERT, APRIL 13, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: The EEC told that issues of economic partnership of EEU member states and the possibilities of the integration potential of the union and commercial ties with third countries were discussed during the meeting.

President Atambayev drew special attention on the fact that the commissions activity must be directed on providing the best conditions for the development of business in the Eurasian territory.
Since 2013, TIPNG - through its Community Coalition Against Corruption - consistently asked for an investigation into the award of the contract to Borneo Pacific Pharmaceuticals after tendering rules were changed and the company was awarded a contract which cost the people of PNG nearly K100 million.

It is not easy for the public service to follow procedures established to protect the interests of the people and the rights of qualified suppliers to compete fairly to provide goods and services," said Mr Stephens.

TRANSPARENCY International PNG (TIPNG) has welcomed the announcement by the Central Supply and Tenders Board chairman, Dr Ken Ngangan, that the medical supplies contract will be subject to the results of a public tender.

A reasonable explanation was never given and this money could have been better used, Mr Stephens said.

It is good to see the chairman of the Central Supply and Tenders Board reject yet another attempt by that company to be given preferential treatment and to oblige it to compete fairly.

Poor decisions in contract awards deprive our people of their rights and undermine the efforts of legitimate companies to comply with the laws.

Good procurement should meet public needs, secure value for money for the people and be fair to the bidders, he said.

TIPNG continues to insist that contracts should be awarded fairly and welcomes efforts by the CSTB to insist on fair play.

The ultimate goal of public procurement is to satisfy public interest. A good procurement process is one that obtains goods, works or services in the correct quantity, of the appropriate quality, at the required time, from the best supplier, with the optimum terms and under appropriate contractual obligations.

Mr Stephens said strong signals need to be given and he welcomed Dr Ngangan's signal that the rights of the people be placed ahead of the demands of companies and their co-conspirators in decision-making positions to push PNG down paths it should be avoiding.
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In the past, when 46-year old information technology (IT) professional Nirmalya Barua had to book hotel rooms for business or leisure travel, he would go to the website of an online travel agency because it offered a wide range of choices. When looking for budget options, he would book through hotel room aggregators, where he was assured of value-for-money pricing and no-frills but standardised quality. Lately, he has begun to rely on multiple mobile apps, depending on his needs, which include travelling at the last moment or seeking a room at his desired price. In recent times, these apps, which negotiate for discounts with hotels on the customers behalf, have grabbed travellers attention in a big way.

Book a room at the last minute: Imagine you have to travel to a city for a business meeting at short notice and have not booked a hotel room in advance. Or, your one-day trip to a new city gets extended at the last minute, leaving you without an accommodation for the night. In all these scenarios, you can turn to the Nightstay app on your mobile phone.

This platform aggregates unsold inventory from hotels and sells it to last-minute customers at a discounted rate. Says Nasr Khan, founder and chief executive officer, Nightstay: Hotel inventory is a perishable commodity. If you dont sell it today, the unsold inventory goes waste. We ask hotels to put their unsold rooms on our platform at a discounted rate. Across India, informs Khan, the average occupancy of hotels is only 61 per cent. In other words, 39 per cent of the inventory goes waste.

The inventory available for the day is put up on the Nightstay app and website at nine in the morning. Starting then, you can book until midnight. Nightstay has tie-ups with 800 hotels across 12 cities.

The rates you can get at Nighstay are at least 25-30 per cent lower than you would on the hotels website. Sometimes, if the supply of unutilised inventory is high, discounts can soar to 40-50 per cent or more (see table).

The Nightstay management ensures the rates on their platform are lower than those offered anywhere else. If a hotel wishes to be showcased by us, it must give us the lowest rates. We check regularly the rates that others are offering for the same hotels. If the prices they have given us are not the lowest, we send a notification. If the hotel still doesnt make amends, our system stops displaying it on the app, says Khan.

Until recently, one limitation of the Nightstay app was that you could book only on the same day. Also, your stay cant extend beyond three nights. We target the unplanned traveller. Our experience has been that unplanned travel does not generally extend beyond three nights, says Khan. Lately, they have relaxed their rules to permit bookings one day in advance. But in that case you must book for at least two nights.

Quote your price: Nowadays, some apps even allow you to quote the price you wish to pay for a hotel room. Findmystay lets you do so through what is known as the reverse bidding model. Customers first enter the date of stay, city and sub-location, and then state the price they are willing to pay for a room.

If you are a novice traveller or unfamiliar with the destination, you would wonder what the average rate of a hotel room in that city and locality is where you wish to stay. To overcome this problem, Findmystay has provided a tool called price slider. It tells you the average cost of the hotel room in a particular locality and of a certain star quality. You can then quote a price lower than that. But, of course, you should not quote one that is ridiculously low, says Simran Sial, co-founder, Findmystay. Next, you get a list of hotels that have accepted your price, and you can choose from these. Sial says travellers can, on an average, get a discount of around 30 per cent through the platform. Findmystay covers about 45 cities and offers accommodation in 4,000-odd hotels.

To get a good rate, it is advisable to book in advance. Rates are lower when a lot of inventory is available and move up as it diminishes, says Sial. He adds that customers are usually able to get a good discount by booking seven days in advance.

Big discounts for small businesses: Large have their own travel desks. Since they can promise large volumes to hotels, they are able to negotiate good discounts. Smaller corporates dont command the same heft. Therein comes Savvymob. We aggregate the demand from a number of smaller and offer it to the hotel. If we offer 10 of our clients to a hotel, it offers us better rates, says Bikram Sohal, chief executive officer.

He adds that they are able to get a price at least 20-30 per cent cheaper than what is offered by an online travel agency. Savvymob now has tie-ups in at least a hundred countries and can offer its customers an inventory of about 300,000 hotel rooms. These apps get you rooms spanning the entire spectrum from budget to luxury and at both business and leisure destinations.

Ensuring quality: Besides a good price, another aspect that worries travellers is whether they will have a quality experience at a hotel. Many of these platforms have tied up with TripAdvisor and offer its ratings of hotels on their app and web site, which you can consult. They also check the hotels standards before signing it up. We have a checklist of 20-25 criteria. Only if a hotel passes them all do we bring it on board. Further, if we get two or three complaints about a hotel, we drop it from our platform, says Nightstays Khan. For these players, ensuring quality is a paramount concern since about half of their business comes from repeat customers.
Many of the famous founders of Indian are fast losing their halo, as marquee investors capture centre stage at the business.

With a growing appetite for returns and exit in a marked-down market, investors who poured billions of dollars into such as Flipkart, Snapdeal, Ola, Zivame and others are now in full control of the operations of several online majors.

According to experts, while founders such as Sachin Bansal, Binny Bansal of Flipkart, Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal of Snapdeal have all been celebrated as pioneers of the Indian sector for long, it is the firms with money bags, whether in Silicon Valley or New York, Tokyo or Hong Kong, which are taking the core business decisions.

Consolidation in the sector, which has seen eBay India become a part of Flipkart and the proposed merger between Bengaluru-based firms merger with Snapdeal, is being handled by top executives from SoftBank, Tiger Global and eBay.

It all boils down to who owns the largest percentage in the company. If investors hold more, they would be the ones calling the shots, said Sandeep Aggarwal, founder and chief executive officer (CEO), Droom.

Even as Flipkart and Snapdeal founders might have at times clashed on social media, the rivalry was not factored in when SoftBank, biggest investor in Snapdeal, decided to sell the firm to Tiger Global, one of the biggest investors in Flipkart, a source said.

According to at least three persons close to the board of Snapdeal, founders Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal, who together hold only 6.5 per cent stake in the company, are mere spectators now, as executives at SoftBank are taking all the calls.

SoftBank holds 33 per cent stake in the company, while the founders hold just 6.5 percent combined. Right now all they are trying to do is get a good deal for them, as well as the employees who were given employee stock options, said a source close to the board.

In a letter to employees, Bahl indicated he was requesting the board to not leave his team in the lurch.

Experts believe investors have been calling the shots for some time now. This is because investors saw that even after multiple funding rounds, founders were not able to improve either the top line or bottom line.

After two to three rounds of funding, if the business is still not performing, investors had to step in. This is going to be the trend, going forward, said Arvind Singhal, chairman and managing director, Technopak.

Things are not different down south in Bengaluru, home to Flipkart. Tiger Global, which owns close to 35 per cent in the company, has been at the centre of many decisions in the company. Last January, when Binny Bansal became the CEO, replacing Sachin Bansal, it was largely seen as a move to show to investors Flipkarts seriousness to take on Amazon.

However, exactly a year later, Tigers go-to turnaround man, Kalyan Krishnamurthy, was brought in as CEO. It was only after that did the company manage to orchestrate the $1.4-billion funding round and the merger with eBay.

Giving the reins to professional CEOs is a time-tested way in the Silicon Valley to ensure a company performs.

Back home, another online company  Zivame  recently witnessed a lot of churn. Former CEO-Founder Richa Kar gave her resignation to the board in February even as the company pivoted to a marketplace model. The investors, which include Zodius Technology Fund and Khazanah Nasional Berhad, investment holding arm of the Malaysian government, reportedly said the founders were not able to handle the pressures of running a multiple shareholder-held company.

According to recent media reports, the investors in Zivame found running the company via a person appointed by the board much better than founders who might not be able to handle the demands of investors and shareholders.
By any reckoning, it will be an uphill task for India to build capacity of 300 million tonnes (mt) by 2030 against the current 125 mt or so. In fact, if any proof of that is needed, the confirmation came from the government itself when earlier in the year the policy was revised principally to give the an extra five years to achieve the targeted capacity.
Doha-based has sought a significant increase in capacity entitlements and access to seven new cities as it aims to counter the growth of its rivals  Etihad Airways and Emirates  in India.
Delhi BJP President Manoj Tiwari addressing as senior leader Shyam Jaju looks on during a press conference releasing BJP ''Sankalp Patr'' manifesto for MCD elections in New Delhi on Sunday. Photo: PTI

The BJP today promised to provide meals for Rs 10, besides pledging not to levy any new municipal tax, as it released its manifesto with an eye to win the upcoming MCD polls for the third consecutive time.

The 'Sankalp Patra' (manifesto), described by BJP leaders as the "charter of commitment", also promised to work towards a Delhi "as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi".

On the lines of the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government's proposal to provide food at subsidised rates and the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) decision to start its own canteens, the manifesto promised to provide meals for Rs 10 under a new scheme.

"A scheme, the Deendayal Antyodaya Rasoi Yojana, will be launched and the civic bodies will provide meals priced at Rs 10," said Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari, who released the manifesto along with senior party leaders, including Union ministers Harsh Vardhan and Vijay Goel.

The elections for the 272 wards of the three municipal corporations in New Delhi are due on April 23. The BJP, which ruled the unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), had also won the three corporations after the trifurcation of MCD in 2012.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government had announced the launch of its own canteens which would provide meals for Rs 5 to Rs 10. One such canteen is functioning at the LNJP hospital.

Kejriwal's decision to open 'Aam Aadmi Canteens' replaced the 'Jan Ahaar' project, which was launched by former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit.

According to media reports, the Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is mulling opening 'Annapurna Bhojanalayas' which will serve breakfast and lunch for Rs 3 and Rs 5 respectively.

BJP's MCD poll manifesto contains 41 points, including promises, proposals as well as plans after the victory in the election. It will be reviewed every two years.

"The sankalp patra embodies Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies and the views of party president Amit Shah.

"We are committed to work towards a Delhi of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dreams after winning the corporation election," Tiwari said.

"No new tax will be levied or rates hiked if the party is voted to power," the manifesto said.

This comes in the backdrop of the Aam Aadmi Party's allegation that power and water tariffs will go up if the BJP wins the MCD polls.

"Kejriwal is trying to scare the people. We will neither levy any new tax or hike rates, nor allow anyone else to do it. We will strongly resist any such move," said Tiwari.

The exemption from getting building plans approved for plots measuring up to 105 square metres will now be extended to plots measuring up to 500 square metres, he added.

Tiwari also said the BJP will work for direct transfer of funds from the Centre to the municipal corporations.

Over the last two years, the BJP-ruled civic bodies and the AAP government had been engaged in a war of words over transfer of funds amid strikes by sanitation workers in east Delhi.

"The Delhi government has an annual budget of Rs 48,000 crore in which, the civic bodies have a share of Rs 9,000 crore. But, they received only Rs 2,800 crore. We will force the government to release the dues," said Tiwari.

Taking a dig at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for his allegations of corruption and non-performance in the civic bodies, he said, "He (Kejriwal) should sit in the parks of MCD and his cough, for which he goes to Bengaluru, will be cured."



The manifesto promised a "transparent and corruption- free" rule. It also promised to regularise the temporary sanitation workers, digitalisation of citizen services, putting pressure on the Delhi government for regularisation of unauthorised colonies.

It also promised a Rs-10 lakh insurance cover for the students in the MCD schools, health cards for citizens, open gymnasiums, scrapping factory licences, promoting enterprises run by women under the Centre's Startup India scheme, special arrangements to address the problems faced by the people of north-east in the city.

Autorickshaw and taxi stands with restrooms for drivers and issuance of licences to hawkers and street vendors under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 have also been promised.

The 27-page 'Sankalp Patra' devoted two pages to the party's allegations of corruption against the Congress and the AAP.
Those using recklessly and without justification should be made to face social boycott, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) said on Sunday at the conclusion of its executive meet in Lucknow.

The body, which represents major sects, also came out with a code of conduct for divorce, in case the separation becomes inevitable. It notably does not recommend instant divorce or as a way of separation.

"It has been decided in the executive meet that men who arbitrarily use should face social boycott," AIMPLB member Kamal Farooqui told IANS.

He said that the decision comes in the light of the fact that Islam deems divorce as unpleasant and its used only as the last resort.

"We have also formulated a code of conduct for divorce, in case it becomes inevitable. We are appealing to all the imams (prayer leaders) across the country to publicise it during Friday sermons," he added.

The code of conduct put forth by the Board advocates using single talaq as a last resort if other attempts at reconciliation fail. A man can rejoin with his wife in three months after single talalq, and can remarry after three months without the woman having to go through nikah halala.

Farooqui said that the AIMPLB is always ready to help the victims of triple talaq, but noted that is a matter of Shariah and Muslims are free to practise their religion.

"Just as it is unfair to impose Islam on the unwilling, in the same way it is unfair to force Muslims to follow laws from other religions," he said.

Farooqui said that the AIMPLB would ask parents to make it a point to give the girls their share in paternal property rather than giving fancy dowry in marriage.

On the question of Babri Masjid dispute in which AIMPLB is also a party, Farooqui said that the body would go by the Supreme Court's verdict.
At the moment, Ubers brand is in tatters. It has weathered a long series of scandals and controversies stemming from its aggressive fight against regulators and competitors. (Photo: Reuters)

The Delhi High Court today restrained two taxi drivers' unions from disrupting services of cabs run by Ola and in the capital region.

Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw passed a decree "permanently injuncting" the two unions and anyone associated with them from blocking cabs of Ola and .

The court also stopped the unions and their members or associates from removing or confiscating the mobile devices installed in the app-based cabs.

It also restrained them from staging any dharna or causing any commotion or violence within 500 metres of the offices of Ola and here.



The court passed the order after the two app-based cab companies said that efforts to settle the dispute with the two unions -- the Sarvodaya Driver Association of Delhi (SDAD) and the Rajdhani Tourist Drivers' Union -- by mediation have failed.

Uber, represented by senior advocate Rajiv Nayar, also claimed that a pamphlet was being circulated by the taxi unions calling for a strike tomorrow.

The lawyer appearing for SDAD contended that the pamphlet was not being circulated by its members or associates as there are several other taxi unions operating in the capital.

The court, earlier, had sent the companies and the unions to mediation to resolve the matter.

The court had also asked Delhi Police to ensure safety of the drivers working for the two companies.

It had also said that their vehicles should not be stopped or blocked from plying and should not be damaged.

The pleas were moved after hundreds of drivers of Uber and Ola went on an indefinite strike from February 10 in Delhi-NCR to protest against "low fares" and "lack" of basic amenities from the app-based cab companies.
Melissa DeRosa, Gov. Andrew Cuomo's chief of staff, has received a history-making promotion.

DeRosa will succeed Bill Mulrow as secretary to the governor. She is the first woman to hold the position as the governor's top aide.

Before becoming secretary to the governor, DeRosa was Cuomo's chief of staff and communications director. She joined the Cuomo administration in April 2013 after serving as state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's deputy chief of staff and acting chief of staff.

During her time with Cuomo's office, DeRosa is credited with leading the campaign to raise the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour and the most recent effort to provide tuition-free education at New York's public colleges and universities.

Early in her career, DeRosa held numerous positions with political campaigns and lobbying firms. Most notably, she was state director of President Barack Obama's Organizing for America.

She earned a bachelor's degree in industrial and labor relations and a master's degree in public administration at Cornell University.

DeRosa's promotion was one of several administration appointments announced by Cuomo Monday.

The notable appointments include:

 Jill DesRosiers, another longtime Cuomo aide, will serve as executive deputy secretary to the governor.

 Michael Schmidt has been named deputy secretary for economic development. He was a member of a policy advising team on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign.

 Adam Zurofsky, who previously operated a consulting firm, will serve as deputy secretary for energy and financial services.

"From tuition-free college for the middle class to the nation's boldest infrastructure agenda, our administration has an unprecedented record of success in fighting for greater social and economic opportunities for all," Cuomo said in a statement. "These additions bring new ideas and talent to strengthen our team and build on our accomplishments to work together to continue to move New York forward."
The Supreme Court today asked Bombay High Court's official liquidator to sell the Rs 34,000 crore worth of properties of the owned by the Sahara Group and directed its chief Subrata Roy to personally appear before it on April 28.
Inviting more trouble for Tamil Nadus All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), the Delhi police on Monday filed a First Information Report (FIR) against party general secretary TTV Dinakaran for allegedly bribing the Election Commission for the two leaves symbol for his party.
An IRS officer on Monday moved the Madras High Court seeking the formation of a panel headed by IAS officer U Sagayam to probe into the circumstances leading to the death of late chief minister J .

The petition filed by Assistant Commissioner (Customs) Balamurugan of the Central Excise and Service Tax Tribunal (CESTAT) came up for before the bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar.

The bench tagged the officer's plea with similar other petitions and posted the matter for further hearing on July 4.

The petitioner submitted that Tamil Nadu Governor C H Vidyasagar Rao had visited at Apollo Hospital in Chennai only 10 days after her admission, that too after the opposition parties raked up the issue of her hospitalisation.

While was admitted on September 22 last year, Rao had visited the hospital only on October 2 and returned without actually meeting her, he submitted.

He had handed over a fruit basket to someone else and returned, only to issue a press statement that she was recovering well, he alleged.

The petitioner raised some more queries, including as to why Apollo hospital did not allow Jayalalithaa's niece Deepa Jayakumar to see her, why Jayalalithaa was not discharged after being cured of fever and why the hospital did not allow the former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) supremo to go abroad for further treatment.

When the matter came up, Government Pleader M K Subramanian argued that the charges were baseless.

IAS officer Sagayam had earlier been appointed as Legal Commissioner by the high court to look into charges of illegal mining in Madurai district on a plea by 'Traffic' Ramaswamy.
Praying for "better sense", a Pakistani newspaper on Monday moaned there was "very little scope for an immediate improvement" in India-Pakistan relations.

Commenting on New Delhi's reaction after a Pakistan military court sentenced an alleged Indian spy to death, The News International said in an editorial: "Good intentions aside, there seems to be very little scope for an immediate improvement.

"Ever since Narendra Modi has come to power, he has torn to shreds whatever scraps of a peace process were left."

The daily said Modi had warned that he would try to isolate Pakistan internationally, "something it seems he is still intent on doing.

"The plain truth is that we do not have a partner in peace right now and for the foreseeable future. May better sense prevail."

New Delhi has warned that if the alleged spy Kulbhushan Jadhav was hanged, it would amount to "premeditated murder".

Jadhav has been sentenced to death on charges of espionage and waging war against Pakistan. Islamabad says Jadhav was arrested in Balochistan. India says he was abducted from Iran.
Not everyone is having a great start to the week this Monday it seems. sure is one person who is not happy with being woken up early by loudspeakers blaring the Azaan from a mosque and his tweet has created the proverbial storm in the Indian Twitter cup.
Prime Minister who arrived in Surat on a two-day visit will inaugurate a series of projects in the states.

He will inaugurate Kiran Multi-Super Specialty Hospital and Research Centre, built by a private trust in Surat and a diamond manufacturing unit of a Private company at Hira Bourse Special Economic Zone at Ichhapore in the district.

The Prime Minister will also go to Bajipura village in Tapi district to inaugurate a cattle feed plant and ice-cream plant of Sumul Dairy and lay the foundation stone for dairy products plant at Nava Pardi.

He will also address a large gathering there. Prime Minister Modi will then visit Silvassa town in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, where he will address a gathering apart from inaugurating a few projects.

The Prime Minister in Saurashtra will inaugurate phase-1 of the ambitious Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran Irrigation project for Botad and surrounding districts and also lay foundation stone for the phase-2.

Under the project divided in four phases, the Gujarat Government plans to fill 115 dams of Saurashtra region with overflowing water of Sardar Sarovar Dam across river Narmada through a web of pipeline network.

This is Prime Minister Modi's second visit to his home state this year. He had visited Gandhinagar on March 8 to address women sarpanchs from across the country on International Women's Day.
Commuters in Delhi-NCR may face hardship in hiring taxis on Tuesday as the drivers of two app-based cab aggregators Ola and Uber have threatened to go off the roads for a day against low fares.

This is the second round of strike called by the drivers.

They had gone on strike in February, too, which had lasted 13 days, causing inconvenience to commuters in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon and Faridabad.

The strike might hit private transport service in Delhi and neighbouring cities, as some groups of tourist taxi providers, autorickshaw union, as per agitating Sarvodaya Drivers Association, have extended their support to it.

The association, which claims to represent around 125,000 app-based taxis in Delhi-NCR, demands that fares be increased from existing Rs 6 per km to around Rs 20 per km.

It also demands abolition of 25 per cent commission the drivers are charged by companies.

Ravi Rathore, vice-president of the Sarvodaya Drivers Association, said drivers will take out a protest march against the Delhi government which, he alleged, is not intervening to resolve the issue.

The protest march will be taken out from Majnu-ka-Tila to the CMs residence in North Delhis Civil Lines area. There is anger among drivers that government is not intervening in raising their issues with Ola and Uber, Rathore said.

He said the association has called for the one-day strike in favour of the demands and if companies and government do not pay heed, they will go on an indefinite strike.

According to the association, the app-based cab companies made tall promises to drivers  like they would earn as much as Rs 1.5 lakh every month.

But the situation is different. They are making us run taxis at Rs 6 per km while they charge 25 per cent from us, Rathore also said.

Contrary to the associations claim that most autorickshaw and tourists associations have decided to lend their support to the strike, Delhi Autorickshaw Sangh and Delhi Pradesh Taxi Union (yellow-black taxis) said they will not participate in it.

"We will not support the strike in Delhi," Rajendra Soni, general secretary of both the associations, said.

Earlier in the day, the Delhi High Court restrained two taxi drivers' unions - the Sarvodaya Driver Association of Delhi (SDAD) and the Rajdhani Tourist Drivers' Union - from disrupting services of cabs run by Ola and Uber in the capital region.

Welcoming the court order, Uber in a statement said it hopes it will enable drivers to stay behind the wheel, without fear or harassment.
Between 2010-11 and 2015-16, student enrolment in across 20 Indian states fell by 13 million, while private acquired 17.5 million new students, according to a new study that offers insights into Indias public-school education crisis.

Average enrolment in schoolswhere teachers are paid, on average, salaries that are four times those in Chinadeclined from 122 to 108 students per school over five years, while it rose from 202 to 208 in private schools, according to this March 2017 research paper by Geeta Gandhi Kingdon, professor of education and international development at the Institute of Education, London.

Yet, 65% of all school-going children in 20 states, about 113 million, continue to get their education from schools, according to District Information System for Education (DISE) and education ministry data.
The Supreme Court on Monday set in motion the process to sell Maharashtra-based luxury township of Aamby Valley to recover the dues owed by the Sahara Group to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi).
U.S. Rep. John Katko kicked off the 2018 election cycle by collecting most of his campaign contributions from outside of the 24th Congressional District.

An analysis of Katko's itemized donations found he received $202,375 from outside of his district. His district is comprised of Cayuga, Onondaga and Wayne counties, plus the western portion of Oswego County.

According to a campaign finance report submitted to the Federal Election Commission, Katko, R-Camillus, raised $261,184.17 in the first quarter of 2017  Jan. 1 through March 31. His campaign spent $79,418.14 during the same period.

He has $467,467.35 cash on hand.

Katko received significant support from executives at Bankers Healthcare Group, a Florida-based company with an office in Syracuse. Bankers Healthcare Group provides medical practice financing and health care professional loans, according to its website.

Robert Castro, Bankers Healthcare Group's co-founder, donated $5,400  the maximum allowed for the primary and general elections. The company's CEO, Albert Crawford, also donated $5,400.

Four other Bankers Healthcare Group employees  COO Eric Castro, Human Resources President Michelle Crawford and two real estate professionals, Barbie and Sofia Castro  each gave $5,400.

The Bankers Healthcare Group employees who contributed to Katko's campaign reside in Cazenovia, which is outside the 24th district, or in Florida.

Other major donors to Katko's campaign included House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy's Majority Committee Political Action Committee, which donated $10,000.

Katko also received $10,000 donations from two corporate PACs  Anheuser-Busch Companies, which has a plant in Baldwinsville, and Osi Systems.

Osi Systems designs and manufactures airport security equipment. Katko is chair of the House Subcommittee on Transportation and Protective Security, which oversees the Transportation Security Agency.

John Deere's PAC and the U.S.-Cuba Democracy PAC each donated $5,000 to Katko for Congress. He also received $4,000 from AT&T's PAC.

Scalise for Congress, the campaign committee for House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, donated $2,000.

The companies involved in the transfer of the James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant also supported Katko's campaign. Exelon donated $2,500, while Entergy gave $1,000.

Entergy sold FitzPatrick, a nuclear power plant in Oswego County, to Exelon. The plant is in Katko's district.
founder Yogendra Vasupal, arrested last month on a charge of cheating filed by an earlier client company, says he's contemplating what next to do to clear his company of the allegedly false allegations.
Three men on a motorcycle allegedly stole over Rs 26 lakh from a van in central Delhi's Rajendra Nagar.

The accused stole a box containing Rs 26.17 lakh from the van while it was replenishing at an ATM, last evening, police said.

One of the custodians and the gunman were waiting outside the ATM leaving the rear door of the van open, they added.

The trunk containing the cash box was unlocked.

Police is probing the role of some of the employees of the cash delivery company in the theft.

The two custodians, one security guard and the cash van driver, who were present at the spot, are being questioned.

Around 4.15 pm on Sunday, cash custodian Jitender Singh informed police that the cash box had gone missing while he was refilling the ATM of a private bank near the Bada Bazar in Old Rajinder Nagar.

Singh told police that they had filled two other ATMs in Karol Bagh and were heading to Connaught Place. He had gone to the ATM with a guard, while his colleagues, Mohd Nadeem and Gaurav were waiting outside near the cash van.

The driver Sanjay had stepped out to relax when the three men stopped behind the van, entered the rear compartment and stepped out with the cash box, without anyone noticing.

Nadeem and Gaurav claimed that they were busy in a conversation and had not noticed the bikers. The CCTV footage from the ATM is being scanned to identify the men.

One of the accused was wearing a cap while two others were facing away from the camera.

It is suspected that the bike-borne men were following the cash van and were waiting for the opportunity to steal the cash box.

Police has asked the cash delivery company to share details about their previous employees and the four employees who were present on the spot.
Prime Minister Narendra Modis pitch against triple talaq has added fuel to the contentious debate on the Muslim divorce practice, with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath saying on Monday those silent on the issue were as guilty as the ones practising it.

The All India Shia Personal Law Board (AISPLB) asked the Uttar Pradesh government to draft a strict law against triple talaq, similar to the one which banned the practice of sati, to prevent Muslim women from getting victimised.

The Hindu far right also reacted angrily to the All India Muslim Personal Law Boards (AIMPLB) assertion that Muslims have a constitutional right to follow their personal laws of which triple talaq was a part, contending the Sunni outfit was responsible for all problems faced by the community.

While deprecating any outside meddling with the Muslim personal law, the AIMPLB had said it would issue a code of conduct under which those pronouncing triple talaq without valid reasons mentioned under Sharia (Islamic law) will face social boycott.

Adityanath, known for his hardline Hindutva image, questioned the silence of the political class on the burning issue of .

Drawing an analogy between the silence of politicians on and that of the nobles during the disrobing of Draupadi in the Mahabharata, he said in Lucknow, Those in the political class that are keeping mum need to be put in the dock along with the perpetrators of the crime and their accomplices.

Reacting sharply, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) termed Adityanaths remark as jaahilaanaa (foolish).

These days, there is a new debate in the country on a burning issue. Some people are maintaining silence on this issue. This reminds me of the scene in the Mahabharata in which Draupadi is being disrobed and she asks a question to the gathering as to who is responsible for this incident, this sin? Adityanath said.

No one uttered even a single word. Only Vidur said people who have committed the crime, the accomplices and those who maintained silence on this issue are equally responsible, he said, referring to the practice of .

Adityanath made these remarks at an event to mark the 91st birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar.

Calling for an end to the Muslim practice of triple talaq the Chief Minister also advocated a uniform civil code in the country.

His remarks came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch against the divisive issue of triple talaq, insisting that exploitation of Muslim women should end and justice be done to them.

Modi had, however, spoken against any attempt at creating a conflict within the Muslim community on the issue and suggested tackling it through social awareness.

On Adityanaths statement, AIMPLB General Secretary Maulana Wali Rahmani said, I dont know how to react to the jaahilaanaa (foolish) statement. He is linking talaq with a greater issue  the disrobing of Draupadi. No sane person will do so. He is looking at things using a different lens (doosraa chashmaa).

Meanwhile, the All India Shia Personal Law Board (AISPLB) spokesman Maulana Yasoob Abbas said merely boycotting those guilty of pronouncing talaq without reasons mentioned under the Sharia will not amount to doing justice to the aggrieved woman. The Shias among Muslims do not practise triple talaq.

Abbas drew a parallel between pronouncing triple talaq in one go and the sati, the banned Hindu practice of the wife immolating herself on the dead husband's funeral pyre.

The need of the hour is to enact a strict law against triple talaq in one go that is similar to the anti-sati law to prevent any Muslim woman from getting victimised and ensure that the culprit is punished, he told PTI in Lucknow.

Triple talaq is wrong as also is the tendency to remain silent on this issue. Giving triple talaq in one go to a woman is a sin, but it cannot be equated to disrobing (of Draupadi), he said, referring to Adityanath's analogy.
A leading Pakistani politician once explained to me, Pakistan is a security state. Until we change that, we will always act from a place of vulnerability. A couple of years later, while I was interviewing a colonel in Lahore, he echoed this line of thought. He told me that all the wars we had fought  whether in 1947, 1965 or 1971  were fought to protect the country from its enemies. Pakistan is, after all, a defensive state and we have always acted to defend ourselves, he reasoned.
Ahead of Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan's seven- day visit India visit on Monday, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said he would not meet him alleging that the Canadian Minister is a "Khalistani sympathiser".

Canada had termed the allegation as "disappointing and inaccurate".

During the Sajjans visit starting today, India and Canada will explore ways to deepen bilateral defence and security cooperation.

Sajjan will have wide-ranging talks with Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on a range of bilateral issues, particularly on ramping up defence and security ties.

"I look forward to my first trip to India since becoming Canada's Minister of National Defence. This visit will further strengthen Canada and India's bilateral defence cooperation, and expand our partnership in the security and defence sectors," he said, before leaving for India.

Sajjan, a Sikh, will also travel to Amritsar, Chandigarh and Mumbai.

In Punjab, Sajjan will visit the Golden Temple and civil society organisations, while in Chandigarh, he will inaugurate the new office of the Consulate-General of Canada.

In Mumbai, Minister Sajjan will visit the Mumbai Port, and meet several business and industry leaders.

Canadian High Commissioner Nadir Patel said there is untapped potential in further strengthen ties between India and Canada and Sajjan's visit provide the opportunity to delve on them.

"Minister Sajjan's visit is an ideal opportunity to highlight strong links between Canada and India, and to boost our people-to-people ties. There continues to be enormous potential for more cooperation in all areas of the bilateral relationship," Patel said.
The much-awaited Rs 42,000-crore Barmer refinery in Rajasthan by state-run Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) may get a fresh lease, as the ministry of petroleum and natural gas may sign a fresh memorandum of understanding with the Rajasthan government this week with revised fiscal package for the project.
The ban on slaughterhouses and the proposed shifting of tanneries from Kanpur in name of cleaning the Ganga is hampering leather exports from the country, with enterprises in Kanpur losing business to their competitors in Pakistan.
While solar installations in India have picked up speed, tender and auction activity have been slowing down over the last few quarters. The slowdown in activity has been disconcerting to developers and manufacturers that have been positioning for much higher levels of activity based on Indias solar installation goal of 100 GW by 2022.
approached the Delhi High Court on Monday to protest against the 80 percent stake sale of Religare Health by former Ranbaxy promoter's Malvinder and Shivinder Singh. The objection to the April 9 sale of Religare's business with private equity fund True North Managers marks Daiichi's latest attempt at securing the assets of the Singh brothers for the realisation of a Rs 2,562 crore Singapore arbitration award in favour of the Japanese pharmaceutical major.

Senor advocate C A Sundaram began Monday's proceedings by claiming that the former Ranbaxy promoters had, by conducting the Rs 1,300 stake sale, brazenly violated the court's earlier orders which had directed them to apply to court before transferring any of their unencumbered assets on March 6. Highlighting the history of the case, Sundaram mentioned that Daiichi had from the very beginning, questioned of the activities of the Singh brothers and their ability to pay for the arbitral award. "Time and again, they have reiterated that there was no intention to sell unencumbered assets. Daiichi has been cheated through the violation of this assurance," said Sundaram in court.

In support of Daiichi's stance, Sundaram also mentioned how the issue of asset security had been examined by the court on several occasions in the past, after the Japanese company had highlighted significant discrepancies between asset declarations made by the former Ranbaxy promoters on affidavit, as compared to other sealed envelopes and auditor statements filed before the court. According to Sundaram, this fact had been carefully considered by the court - which had directed the Singh brothers to file appropriate responses to these allegations on the last date of hearing.

Reacting to the Sundaram's remarks, senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing on behalf of the Singh Brothers, mentioned that Monday's date had been fixed only for directions and that the introduction of such contentions by Daiichi, was unwarranted at this stage. "At some point it must be seen what this award is worth. We will move to vacate all these interim applications (to secure the assets of the Singh brothers), such that the matter can actually be heard," said Salve.

After hearing the submissions made, Justice Jayant Nath - who was hearing the matter for the first time since the change of rosters in the high court - listed the case for further arguments on April 24 and 26.



We have complied with all the orders of the Honble Court. The order is applicable only in respect to the unencumbered assets to parties to the litigation, namely RHC Holding and Oscar Investments. The operating listed entities of the group, including Religare, are not party to the litigation, said a spokesperson of RHC Holding Private Limited.

The enforcement of the April 2016 arbitral award, along with an additional claim of Rs 1,000 crore in interest and lawyers' fees comes on the backdrop of actions initiated by Daiichi against the former Ranbaxy promoters in relation to a 2008 purchase of a majority stake in the Indian pharmaceutical enterprise. The Japanese company had alleged that the stake sale was made through the concealment and misrepresentation of critical information regarding US Federal Drug Administration and Department of Justice proceedings, which cost Daiichi $550 million in settlement fees in the year 2013.




The Auburn Rotary Club will host its annual AMBA blood screening from 6 to 10 a.m. Saturday, June 3, at the Auburn YMCA, 27 William St., Auburn.

The screening costs $40, and checks for cholesterol levels, anemia, and kidney and liver functions. Optional low-cost tests are also available for PSA, hemoglobin, TSH, vitamin D and colorectal functions.

Authorization from a personal physician may be required.

The event, which has been held for more than 25 years, is a fundraiser for the Auburn Rotary Club.

For more information, or to register, call (800) 234-8888.
The US on Monday asked Pakistan to "confront" terrorism in all its forms as America's National Security Adviser (NSA)held talks with the top civilian and military leadership in Islamabad during an unannounced visit, the first by a top Trump administration official to this country.

US NSA H R McMaster, who arrived in Islamabad earlier on Monday, held talks with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Pakistan NSA Lt Gen (retd) Nasser Janjua and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi.

"McMaster expressed appreciation for Pakistan's democratic and economic development, and stressed the need to confront terrorism in all its forms," said a US Embassy statement on McMaster's meeting with the top civilian and military leadership here.

The two sides discussed a range of bilateral and regional issues, it said.

During McMaster's call on, Sharif, while talking about Indo-Pak ties, reiterated his "firm conviction" to sustained dialogue and meaningful engagement as the only way forward to resolve all outstanding issues, including the Kashmir dispute, a Prime Minister's Office (PMO) statement here said.

Sharif welcomed President Trump's willingness to help India and Pakistan resolve their differences particularly on Kashmir and noted that this could go a long way in bringing sustainable peace, security and prosperity to the region, the statement said.

The Prime Minister reaffirmed his commitment to a peaceful neighbourhood and apprised the US NSA of the steps taken by Pakistan to reach out to both India and Afghanistan, the statement said.

Sharing his concerns over the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and the continuing impasse, Sharif conveyed Pakistan's readiness to work with the community to explore ways in which the Afghan crisis can be resolved, it said.

McMaster's visit to Afghanistan and Pakistan comes just days after the US dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb targeting an Islamic State complex in Afghanistan, close to the border with Pakistan.

This was McMaster's first visit to Pakistan as the US NSA and the first formal high-level exchange between the US and Pakistan under the new Donald Trump Administration.

During his meeting with McMaster, Sharif stated that across-the-board consensus was achieved by his government to combat extremism and terrorism, the PMO statement said.

Sharif said that as a longstanding friend and a partner, Pakistan was looking forward to forging a strong and mutually beneficial partnership with the US and to working with the new administration, to promote peace and security in the region and beyond, the statement said.

In his call on with Sharif, McMaster conveyed President Trump's greetings and assured the Prime Minister that the new administration was committed to strengthening bilateral ties and working with Pakistan, to achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan and in the wider South Asian region, it said.

The visiting delegation included US Ambassador to Pakistan David Hale, Acting US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Laurel Miller, Senior Director for South Asia Lisa Curtis and Director Pakistan in the National Security Council Jay Wise.

The meeting was also attended by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Aziz, Fatemi, Janjua, and other senior officials.

Earlier, McMaster also met Aziz, who gave a detailed briefing on the policies being pursued by the Pakistan government that have resulted in improved security environment and the "economic turnaround" in Pakistan, the Foreign Office here said in a statement.

The Pakistani side also shared its perspective on the "plight of Kashmiris" in India and the status of relations with New Delhi, the statement said.

Aziz reiterated Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's vision of a peaceful neighbourhood and commitment to dialogue and engagement while also apprising the visiting US delegation of the steps taken by Pakistan to reach out to both India and Afghanistan, it said.

On terrorism, Aziz noted that "impressive gains" had been made in eliminating terrorists and Pakistan remained determined to continue this fight as part of the National Action Plan until the scourge of terrorism is completely eliminated from its soil, the Foreign Office said.

Conveying Pakistan's concerns over the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, Aziz reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to working with the community to support efforts for peace and reconciliation in the war-torn country.

He also highlighted the importance of effective border management as part of the actions required to achieve sustainable peace in the region.

On his part, McMaster thanked Aziz and acknowledged Pakistan's "sacrifices" in combating extremism and terrorism, the statement said.

The US NSA also renewed the commitment of the new Trump administration to work closely with Pakistan in strengthening mutually beneficial relations and also work towards the shared objectives of peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region.

McMaster's visit was a part of regional consultations that included a stop in Kabul yesterday.
Viewing his adversaries in the distance, US Vice-president travelled to the tense zone dividing North and South Korea and warned Pyongyang that after years of testing the US and South Korea with its nuclear ambitions, "the era of strategic patience is over."



Pence made an unannounced visit to the Demilitarised Zone on Monday at the start of his 10-day trip to Asia in a US show of force that allowed the vice-president to gaze at North Korean soldiers from a far and stare directly across a border marked by razor wire.

As the brown bomber jacket-clad vice-president was briefed near the military demarcation line, two North Korean soldiers watched from a short distance away, one taking multiple photographs of the American visitor.

Pence told reporters near the DMZ that President Donald Trump was hopeful China would use its "extraordinary levers" to pressure the North to abandon its weapons program, a day after the North's failed missile test launch. But Pence expressed impatience with the unwillingness of the regime to move toward ridding itself of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

Pointing to the quarter-century since the United States first confronted North Korea over its attempts to build nuclear weapons, the vice president said a period of patience had followed.

"But the era of strategic patience is over," he declared. "President Trump has made it clear that the patience of the United States and our allies in this region has run out and we want to see change. We want to see North Korea abandon its reckless path of the development of nuclear weapons, and also its continual use and testing of ballistic missiles is unacceptable."



Later Pence reiterated in a joint statement alongside South Korean Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn that "all options are on the table" to deal with threat and said any use of nuclear weapons by Pyongyang would be met with "an overwhelming and effective response."



He said the American commitment to South Korea is "iron- clad and immutable."



Pointing to Trump's recent military actions in Syria and Afghanistan, Pence said, "North Korea would do well not to test his resolve," or the US armed forces in the region.

The vice president earlier visited a military installation near the DMZ, Camp Bonifas, for a briefing with military leaders at the joint US-South Korean installation, which is just outside the 4.02-kilometre-wide DMZ.

Under rainfall, Pence later stood a few meters from the military demarcation line outside Freedom House, gazing at the North Korean soldiers across the border, and then peered at a deforested stretch of North Korea from a lookout post in the hillside.

Meanwhile, China made a plea for a return to negotiations. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said today that tensions need to be eased on the Korean Peninsula to bring the escalating dispute there to a peaceful resolution.

Lu said Beijing wants to resume the multi-party negotiations that ended in stalemate in 2009 and suggested that US plans to deploy a missile defense system in South Korea were damaging its relations with China.

In Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, speaking to a parliamentary session today, said: "Needless to say, diplomatic effort is important to maintain peace. But dialogue for the sake of having dialogue is meaningless."



"We need to apply pressure on North Korea so they seriously respond to a dialogue" with the community, he said, urging China and Russia to play more constructive roles on the issue.

Pence's visit, full of Cold War symbolism, came amid increasing tensions and heated rhetoric on the Korean Peninsula. While the North did not conduct a nuclear test, the specter of a potential test and an escalated US Response has trailed Pence as he undertakes his Asian tour.

Trump wrote yesterday on Twitter that China was working with the United States on "the North Korea problem." His national security adviser, HR McMaster, said the US would rely on its allies as well as Chinese leadership to resolve the issues with North Korea.

McMaster cited Trump's recent decision to order missile strikes in Syria after a chemical attack blamed on the Assad government, as a sign that the president "is clearly comfortable making tough decisions."



But at the same time, McMaster said on "This Week" on ABC that "it's time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully."



The Trump administration is hoping that China will help rein in North Korea in exchange for other considerations. Last week, Trump said he would not declare China a currency manipulator, pulling back from a campaign promise, as he looked for help from Beijing, which is the North's dominant trade partner.
North Koreas increased nuclear sabre-rattling has the world on edge. With South Koreas opposition party pushing for potential dialogue with the countrys authoritarian northern neighbour, TC Global is resurfacing this relevant analysis, originally published in February 2017, of how to better deal with the countrys nuclear threat.
A top leader of Tehreek-e- Taliban's Jamaat-ul Ahrar faction and the militant group's former spokesman has surrendered himself to the security forces, Pakistan army said on Monday.

Ehsanullah Ehsan is a known face of violence in Pakistan as former spokesman of the Tehreek-e- Pakistan (TTP), who joined Islamic State linked Jamaat-ul-Ahrar outfit after 2014 military operation 'Zarb-e-Azb'.

Military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said that it was big achievement for Pakistan that "our biggest enemies" were surrendering.

"I want to take this opportunity to announce that Ehsanullah Ehsan, the former spokesperson of the TTP and a leader of the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, has turned himself into our security agencies," he told reporters.

He did not share more details about the surrender.

The official said operation 'Radd-ul Fassad' launched in February against militants was going on successfully and no militant groups would be spared.

He said 15 major operation were carried out as part of it and 108 militants were killed and 4,510 suspects arrested.

"The people, the state and the institutions of Pakistan have made considerable progress in the betterment of the country's security situation. We will completely destroy militancy," he said.

He also said the military courts had decided 274 cases and awarded death sentence to 161 militants.

He said border with Afghanistan was being fenced to stop infiltration of militants from across the border.

The spokesman also alleged that India was repeatedly violating the ceasefire agreement in Kashmir and its violation of LoC has increased.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi could meet on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Astana in June notwithstanding bilateral tensions, according to a media report here.

The Express Tribune, citing diplomatic sources, said that influential countries in the SCO are pushing Pakistan and India to re-engage in order to ensure that the next summit is held in a conducive environment.

It reported that both countries were admitted to the SCO on the condition that they would work together to improve bilateral ties as well as promote the interest of the organisation.

That was one of the main reasons that both Prime Minister Sharif and Modi met in Ufa, Russia, at the sidelines of SCO summit in 2015, it said.

It is "very much possible", a senior Pakistani official said when asked about the possibility of a meeting between Sharif and Modi at the margins of the SCO summit in Astana in June.

The official said that Pakistan did not want the issue of Kulbhushan Jadhav, sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court, to undermine the overall bilateral engagement process with India.

"As has been the case in the past, the two nuclear- tipped neighbours may bring yet another surprise, as Foreign Office officials and diplomatic sources do not rule out the possibility of a meeting between the prime ministers of the two countries in June," the paper said.

The two leaders would be in Astana, Kazakhstan, for the SCO summit.

At the forthcoming summit of the SCO, which comprises countries such as Russia, China and Central Asian states, Pakistan and India will be formally admitted as full members.

Meanwhile, another Pakistani daily The News International, in an editorial, said there seems to be "very little scope" for an immediate improvement in Indo-Pak ties.
In January 2015, heavy rains triggered unprecedented floods in Malawi. Over the next five weeks, the floods displaced more than 230,000 people and damaged over 64,000 hectares of land

Almost half the country was labelled a disaster zone by Malawis government. And as the humanitarian crisis unfolded, relief agencies, such as the Red Cross were faced with the daunting task of allocating aid and resources to places that were virtually unrecorded by the countrys mapping data, and thus rendered almost invisible.
The US embassy in London summoned a three-month old for an interview after his grandfather mistakenly identified him as a terrorist.

According to the Guardian, Harvey Kenyon-Cairns was due to fly to Orlando in Florida for his first overseas holiday until his grandfather Paul Kenyon made the error on a visa waiver form.

On the part of the Esta form which reads "Do you seek to engage in or have you ever engaged in terrorist activities, espionage, sabotage, or genocide?" Kenyon ticked yes instead of no.

He learned of his error when his grandson's travel was refused.

"I couldn't believe that they couldn't see it was a genuine mistake and that a three-month-old baby would be no harm to anyone," said the 62-year-old.

The baby was taken from his home in Poynton, Cheshire, to the embassy in Grosvenor Square, London, to be questioned by officials. The round trip took about 10 hours longer than the nine-and-a-half-hour flight time from Manchester to Orlando.

"He's obviously never engaged in genocide or espionage, but he has sabotaged quite a few nappies in his time, though I didn't tell them that at the US embassy," joked Kenyon.

The mess-up cost Kenyon an extra 3,000, as the new visa didn't arrive in time for the family's flights.

"It was a very expensive mistake, but I was hoping the US embassy would realise that it was just a simple error without us having to jump through all the hoops," said Kenyon.
It is rare for any stock to rise 40 per cent in just one trading session. And, this feat has been achieved by Indiabulls Real Estate, which closed the day at Rs 148 a share on BSE as compared to its previous close of Rs 105.85.
Even as leading doctors and executives of Tata Trusts in their personal capacity have filed a PIL (public interest litigation) petition against public sector insurance companies for their investments in stocks, the petitioners have omitted an important investor category of stocks: The that own shares in companies.

One of the petitioners, Sumitra Hooda Pednekar, wife of the late Satish Pednekar, former minister of Maharashtra who died of oral cancer, has been vocal about the taxes that the government earns from tobacco industries, and also the profits that Life Insurance Corporation, financial institutions, and have made from their investments in tobacco companies.

Statistics collated by this newspaper show own shares of Rs 14,000 crore in tobacco companies, with Rs 13,500 crore in tobacco major ITC as of March 2017.

On Thursday, Pednekar and six others filed the petition in the Bombay High Court, seeking the courts directions to public sector insurance firms to sell their holding in tobacco companies. The petition said while the government had committed itself to tackling the problem of tobacco and its harmful effects, the insurance companies, along with SUUTI (Specified Undertaking of Unit Trust of India), in complete disregard for the governments policy, continue to invest in ITC.

Tobacco products are responsible for millions of deaths worldwide each year as their use is considered a major factor in stroke, heart attack, lung diseases, and cancer. Investment companies, including mutual funds, in the US and Europe are egged on to sell their stakes in tobacco companies.

Investments by insurance companies in the West are especially targeted because they not only sell health and life insurance but also slap higher premiums on smokers. Hence, critics say they profit from investing in tobacco companies and charging higher premium from smokers.

But over the years, some funds, especially retirement funds and insurance companies in the US, Canada, and Scandinavian countries, have sold their sin stocks, which fall in the tobacco, gambling, arms, and liquor segments, and casinos.
Christina Baker Klines breakout novel was Orphan Train, which published in 2013 and is still selling briskly. Orphan Train brought attention to a little-known story: Between 1854 and 1929, thousands of young children were put on trains to the Midwest, stopping in various cities for people to adopt the children. Sometimes they found loving families, other times they were merely used as free labor.

Klines novel told that story through the character of Vivian, an elderly widow who shared her history with a teenage girl doing community service work to stay out of trouble. Her next book, A Piece of the World, takes another true story, artist Andrew Wyeths famous painting entitled Christinas World, and fictionalizes the lives of Wyeth and his model, Christina Olson.

Christina Olson was born near the turn of the 20th century in the small town of Cushing, located on the rocky coast of Maine. She lived with her brothers, Sam, Fred and Alvaro, and her parents on a small farm, and times were difficult.

She had a degenerative disease, one that left her in constant pain and made it nearly impossible to walk. Christina was a smart girl, and her teacher had given her hope that one day she could be the towns schoolteacher.

But her illness and the subsequent debilitation of her mother and father made that dream impossible. Christina was needed at home to care for her parents and help with the farm.

As the years went by, Christina became more of an invalid, and her brothers Sam and Fred married and moved to their own homes. Christina and Alvaro stayed home to care for their parents and the farm.

One day, a young woman named Betsy, a summer resident, came by, bringing along a painter named Andy Wyeth. Andys father was a famous artist, N.C. Wyeth, and Andy fell in love with the farm.

He called it a place filled with stories and maneuvered his way into Christina and Alvaros house, taking over an upstairs bedroom with his painting supplies. Every day, Andy would troop up to the farm and, after talking with Christina, head upstairs to paint.

Andy felt that he understood Christina, because he, too, was sickly as a child. He was also somewhat introverted like Christina. They had a connection, and that connection led Wyeth to paint his most well-known work, Christinas World.

Klines novel is beautifully evocative, placing you inside Christinas world, the farmhouse on the hill, a place Christina called sometimes a sanctuary, sometimes a prison.

Her writing is exquisite, and she can make you sigh with emotion, like when a young man says to Christina, Ive already discovered the treasure. All this time you were here, waiting to be discovered.

She writes some emotionally charged scenes, especially the ones between Christina and her brother Alvaro as Christina fears that he is falling in love and will leave her behind. Those scenes are heartbreaking, and you can actually feel Christinas panic and Alvaros pain at wanting a life of his own, but feeling responsible for his sister.

Kline also excels at character development. Even the less prominent characters, like Betsy and Christinas father, are well-drawn and fleshed out. But it is Christina who owns this book; she is such a complicated, complex woman. Her stubbornness costs her friendships, and maybe even a chance at finding life in the bigger world. Her sense of responsibility may have also cost her those as well.

Kline did a great deal of research for this novel, and reading the authors note at the end gives one a terrific look at how she created this masterful novel. She spoke with members of the Wyeth and the Olson families, and that gave her insight that adds a deeper dimension.

The Olsons were related to John Hathorne, a presiding judge at the Salem Witch Trials, and one of the women hung for witchcraft cursed the Hathorne descendents. That specter hung over Christinas family in this novel.

Reading A Piece of the World will send you looking for Wyeths painting, Christinas World, which Kline helpfully includes at the end of the novel. I found myself studying it with a much deeper appreciation after reading this haunting, heartfelt novel.

Ive read most of Klines novels, and A Piece of the World is by far her best work yet. If you were one of the millions who loved Orphan Train, A Piece of the World is one you must put on your to-read list. I highly recommend it.
An increasing number of farmers in the country are using the commodity futures market, with help from both non-government bodies and some major corporate groups.
Canadian Defense Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan is visiting India from April 17 to 23, during which he will hold meetings with several senior ministers of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.

During his trip, the minister will travel to New Delhi, Amritsar, Chandigarh and Mumbai.

He will be meeting his Indian counterpart Arun Jaitley, Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and other senior officials.

In Punjab, Minister Sajjan will visit the Golden Temple and civil society organisations, and in Chandigarh, he will inaugurate the new office of the Consulate-General of Canada.

In Mumbai, Sajjan will visit the Mumbai Port and meet several business and industry leaders.

"I look forward to my first trip to India since becoming Canada's Minister of Defense. This visit will further strengthen Canada and India's bilateral defence cooperation, and expand our partnership in the security and defence sectors," the Minister said on the occasion.

India-Canada bilateral relations have seen a transformation in recent years underpinned by expanding economic engagement, regular high level interactions and long-standing people-to-people ties. During the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Canada in April 2015, the two sides agreed to elevate the bilateral relations to a strategic partnership.

Sajjan, the highest-profile Indo-Canadian in the Justin Trudeau government, is the fifth Canadian Minister to be in India just this year, and the eighth within the span of only nine months, upping the intensity of the bilateral dialogue process.

During Prime Minister Modi's visit to Canada between April 14 and 16, 2015, bilateral defence and security engagement formed a significant component of the joint statement that was issued after the delegation-level talks, and it is being presumed that both sides will now take this forward during Minister Sajjan's visit.

It may be recalled that in 2015, the Prime Ministers of India and Canada agreed that terrorism, extremism and radicalisation present security challenges to the peace, stability and prosperity of the two countries and humanity as a whole.

Both then reaffirmed their strong condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and called for further efforts to eliminate terrorist safe havens and infrastructure; dismantle terrorist networks, their support systems and financing; and stem the cross-border movement of terrorists.

The Prime Ministers affirmed the need to expand and deepen their continuing cooperation in countering terrorism, radicalisation and violent extremism through joint efforts, and greater cooperation between their relevant government departments, including in the areas of extradition and mutual legal assistance, joint research, countering narcotics and Improvised Explosive Devices.

They also welcomed the meetings between the Indian and Canadian Security Advisers and the Plan of Action agreed during the 13th meeting of the India-Canada Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism held in New Delhi on March 19, 2015. Both Prime Ministers viewed the productive dialogue on security issues positively and looked forward to the outcomes of the next round of the dialogue.

They agreed to intensify bilateral engagement and exchange perspectives on emerging threats to security, including in the cyber domain. In this context, they welcomed the signing of the MoU between the Indian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness of Canada on cooperation in the area of cyber security. Recognising the importance of a free, open and secure internet they welcomed the commitment to a broader framework for future dialogue on cyber issues.

The Prime Ministers then recognised defence cooperation as an important element of the overall bilateral security cooperation. To this end, they agreed to explore cooperative possibilities in diverse fields, including cold climate warfare, peacekeeping, and participation in respective defence staff college training. They also agreed to explore further cooperation in enhancing naval linkages, and staff exchanges.

They also welcomed the signing of the Statement of Intent between Defence Research and Development Organisation of India and Defence Research and Development Canada, aimed at exploring potential cooperative initiatives in defence and security science and technology.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A major fire broke out in a warehouse in Delhi's Okhla Phase II on late Sunday evening.

As many as 30 fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the fire, a fire official informed.

No injuries or casualties have been reported so far.

Further details are awaited.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor on Monday disclosed that Ehsanullah Ehsan, the spokesman for the Jamaatul Ahrar faction of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has surrendered to the security forces.

"As far as Ehsanullah Ehsan is concerned, he is in our custody. When there is more information regarding him to share, we will do so," The Express Tribune quoted the head of military's media wing as saying during a press briefing.

Commenting on the ongoing Radd-ul-Fasaad military operation, Major General Ghafoor said that 15 major operations were conducted across the country.

"The army performed two big operations in Punjab, one in Sindh, four in Balochistan and eight in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa," he said.

Claiming that the security forces recovered over 4,083 weapons, the ISPR chief said that over 500 absconders have surrendered since the launch of the military offensive.

He added that "4,535 intelligence-based operations have been conducted while 723 joint check-posts were established in coordination with the police".

4,510 suspects including 1,859 unregistered Afghan nationals were detained as a result of the operations, Major General Ghafoor said, adding at least 108 terrorists were killed during exchanges of fire.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With the Valley witnessing relentless violence, authorities in Kashmir today snapped Internet services until further notice.

According to reports, 4G and 3G services have been suspended, while broadband still prevails.

The development comes in the wake of the fresh violence that erupted across the valley today, as college students clashed with security forces over alleged police brutality in a Pulwama college.

Hundreds of students, clashed with the security forces in Kashmir earlier today during protests against police action in a college on Saturday.

The violence erupted in Srinagar after a day-long protest, and spread within hours to other parts of the Kashmir Valley including Tral and Sopore.

Yesterday two killings were reported from Jammu and Kashmir where suspected terrorists barged into the house of a 'pro-government gunman' Rashid Billa and shot him dead.

Ikhwan commander Rashid Billa was gunned down in Hajin town of Kashmir's Bandipora district late on Sunday night.

According to police sources, the gunmen barged into Billa's home and opened indiscriminate fire, killing him on the spot.

The incident came within an hour of unknown gunmen killing former public prosecutor advocate Imtiyaz Ahmad Khan.

Imtiyaz was shot dead by suspected militants in Shopian district in Jammu and Kashmir.

The incident took place in Pinjura village.

On Saturday, in a similar attack, militants barged into a medical shop owner named Bashir Ahmad Dar's house in Srinagar last night and shot him dead.

Also all schools in Jammu and Kashmir's Nowshera have been closed for the time being in wake of the ceasefire violation by Pakistan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh on Monday brushed aside a Conference (NC) demand for imposition of governor's rule in the state and asserted that the PDP-BJP government will combat the existing situation.

Accusing Pakistan of disturbing the tranquillity in the valley, Singh said that both the Centre and the state government are trying to deal with the situation and predicted that Islamabad will taste defeat.

"The state government as well as the central government will deal with the situation. We are doing our best to control the situation and we shall be able to do it," said Singh.

"Our efficient and brave security forces are doing their bit and I am sure we will able to combat the situation. All this disturbance is created by Pakistan, but they will have to face defeat," he added.

Soon after the by-poll results were announced, former chief minister Farooq Abdullah demanded the imposition of governor's rule in Jammu and Kashmir.

"I request the Government of India and the President to dismiss the present state government and impose governor's rule in J & K. Even the by-poll for Anantnag seat should be held under the Governor's rule," Abdullah said.

The bye-poll for the Anantnag parliamentary constituency has been rescheduled to May 25.

Asserting that the situation in Kashmir was at its worst, the Conference president stressed the need to open a dialogue with all stakeholders, including the Hurriyat Conference and Pakistan, to restore peace in the valley.

"War is no option. Many wars were fought in the past but nothing came out of them," he said in Srinagar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In the wake of the spiraling violence in the Valley especially the fresh clashes between college students and security forces, all universities, colleges and higher secondary schools of Kashmir division are set to remain closed on April 18th as a precautionary measure.

The development comes in the wake of the fresh violence that erupted across the valley today, as college students clashed with security forces over alleged police brutality in a Pulwama college.

Hundreds of students, clashed with the security forces in Kashmir earlier today during protests against police action in a college on Saturday.

The violence erupted in Srinagar after a day-long protest, and spread within hours to other parts of the Kashmir Valley including Tral and Sopore.

Yesterday two killings were reported from Jammu and Kashmir where suspected terrorists barged into the house of a 'pro-government gunman' Rashid Billa and shot him dead.

Ikhwan commander Rashid Billa was gunned down in Hajin town of Kashmir's Bandipora district late on Sunday night.

According to police sources, the gunmen barged into Billa's home and opened indiscriminate fire, killing him on the spot.

The incident came within an hour of unknown gunmen killing former public prosecutor advocate Imtiyaz Ahmad Khan.

Imtiyaz was shot dead by suspected militants in Shopian district in Jammu and Kashmir.

The incident took place in Pinjura village.

On Saturday, in a similar attack, militants barged into a medical shop owner named Bashir Ahmad Dar's house in Srinagar last night and shot him dead.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Pakistan Police has opened a hate speech investigation against two clerics in connection with the killing of a university student over allegations of blasphemy.

The clerics are accused of attempting to disrupt the funeral of Mashal Khan, a student of Abdul Wali Khan University in Mardan who was killed by a violent mob on campus premises after a dormitory debate followed accusations of blasphemy.

According to the Dawn, the police is investigating the clerics in Mashal's hometown of Swabi for attempting to disrupt funeral proceedings and instigate hatred against his family.

"The two clerics [used]... the mosque loudspeaker for hate speech against the slain student and his family and ... created hurdles for the people and another cleric to participate in the funeral," said a senior Swabi police official.

A local imam had reportedly refused to lead Khan's funeral prayers last Friday and a technician who was asked to do so in the cleric's place was confronted by several people afterwards.

Earlier in the day, a large number of protestors took to the streets in the Zaida town, to defend Mashal as they chanted slogans "Be Gunah, Be Gunah (innocent), Mashal Khan Be Gunah." Relatives and friends, political workers and representatives of civil society groups and the general public participated in the march.

It was probably for the first time in the area that a large number of women, with their heads covered, took part in a mourning procession that turned into a public meeting at a square in the town, reports the Dawn.

Mardan police on Sunday claimed to have arrested seven more suspects in relation to the case with the total number of those arrested reachin 20.

All the seven suspects were produced in the court of a magistrate on special duty on Sunday who remanded them in police custody for a day.

Meanwhile, Inspector General Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Monday said there was no evidence to suggest that Mashal committed blasphemy.

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Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari arrived on her maiden five-day visit to India on Monday at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee.

President Bhandari is leading a 34 member delegation comprising of Foreign Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat and Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Sita Devi Yadav.

During her visit, she will meet President Mukherjee, Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

She is also scheduled to visit temples in Gujarat and Odisha.

This is the first ever visit to India by President Bhandari since assuming office in 2015.

The visit reflects the priority that both nations attach to further strengthening of their age-old, unique, wide-ranging partnership, underpinned by shared historical and cultural linkages and strong people-to-people connections.

She was scheduled to visit India last year but the then government led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli cancelled the visit citing the laggings in preparations.

Meanwhile, the Nepal Government declared public holidays on the day of President Bhandari's departure and also on her return from New Delhi.

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The Pakistan Army has ruled out any consular access to alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, saying he is not eligible for it as per the laws.

"Kulbhushan is not eligible for consular access nor will be granted consular access," said Pakistan Armed Forces spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor.

He alleged that Jadhav, caught on anti-state activities, was trialed under court martial.

"This was purely an act by the Army to which the Army as an institution said we will not compromise on his sentence," he said.

Major General Ghafoor said Jadhav's death sentence process will move ahead as per the law, adding it will go in the applet court and the army shall wait for the verdict.

Asserting that Jadhav was sentenced on undeniable evidence, Major General Ghafoor said the Pakistan Army will defend their case with all resources in light of the undeniable evidence if questioned on any of the forum.

The Pakistan Army had earlier said there will be 'no compromise' on the issue of death sentence awarded to Jadhav.

Jadhav was awarded the death penalty on April 10 in an unprecedented decision that sparked a diplomatic spat between the two hostile neighbours.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa have agreed not to come under pressure from India over the issue.

During a meeting, the Army Chief took the Prime Minister into confidence regarding Jadhav.

Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has warned Islamabad that it risked damaging bilateral ties with New Delhi if it went ahead with the execution of Jadhav.

Jadhav was arrested in March last year in the restive Balochistan province and accused of being a Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) agent.

India has, however, so far categorically denied such charges.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
April may be bringing us her showers in preparation for Mays blooms. And, of course, the month is also known for hosting the dreaded tax day! But did you know that April is also National Volunteer Month in the United States? The month is dedicated to honoring all of the volunteers who make our communities stronger and more caring. The secondary, but no less important, focus of the month is to encourage volunteerism in others.

As weve stated so many times before, volunteers are the critical component of so many local charitable endeavors. Additionally, local employers not only recognize and reward their employee volunteer efforts, they actively encourage them. Heres just one example.

According to SCAT Van Director Sue VanEpps, the organization's office desperately needed to upgrade its computer systems as well as its office furnishings. With grants from two local foundations (Emerson and French), it was able to purchase new computers, a printer, a copier, a fax machine and a scanner, as well as software. The grants allowed SCAT Van to purchase new desks for the office. But thats only part of the story.

Currier Plastics, a local business and community partner, stepped in to ensure that SCAT Van was getting what it needed. The business sent over production manager Stevel Salls and the IT manager, Larry Jedik, to evaluate the organization's technology needs. Currier then helped select the right equipment and assist in the purchasing. Once the equipment and software was received, Currier then set up the new equipment and installed the necessary programs. It has returned numerous times to help troubleshoot a number of issues.

Recently, Currier employees returned to the offices to assist in putting together the new desks, and removing the old desks. Assisting in this effort were Corey Richardson, John Ciampi, Tim Currier, Brian Richardson and Erik Bergerstock.

After the new desks were assembled, the Currier volunteers loaded them onto the Currier truck and transported them to a local church, where they will get a second life! SCAT Van is so lucky to have received money from these two wonderful foundations and help from a great company like Currier Plastics, Sue said.

Currier Plastics is just one of many local employers who support the community both financially and with volunteer efforts. Other examples include Nucor, Chemung Canal Trust Co., Generations Bank, Auburn Community Hospital, Medent and Bass Pro. And thats just a few!

Seniors play a critical role in many of our areas nonprofits. In 2016, Retired and Senior Volunteer Program volunteers numbered 466 and donated more than 74,500 hours at some 34 sites. The age range for this group is from 55 to 85 plus, with an average age of 74. A majority of these individuals volunteer their time weekly. Two individuals donated an average of 40 or more hours during the last year.

RSVP volunteers assist at the hospital, nursing home and area food pantries. Some of them even rely on the SCAT Van to get to their designated jobs!

The RSVP program has been in operation locally since 1973 and can always use a few more helping hands. If youre 55 years or older and interested in learning more, contact them at (315) 255-1733.

The Cayuga County Office for the Aging is currently seeking nominations for its 2017 volunteers(s) of the year. If you know of a Cayuga County resident who is 60 or over who has made a significant contribution locally through their volunteer efforts, consider nominating them. Nominations are due by May 1. For more information, check out cayugacounty.us/aging.

Volunteering is a wonderful way to become involved in your community, meet new people, try new things and to give something back. Consider helping out an organization or cause thats important to you. And, as we celebrate National Volunteer Month, lets take a moment to recognize and thank the thousands of local individuals who give of their time and talents to make our community better.
In what can be called as a major development hinting towards sewing up of an unprecedented merger between the two warring factions in the Tamil Nadu Government, the V.K. Sasikala and the O. Panneerselvam groups of the All Anna India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) met on late Monday night to discuss and deliberate over the possibilities of their unification.

The focus of the meeting was on the residences of Thangamani and Udumalai Radhakrishnan where two separate meetings went on to discuss the resignation of Sasikala's nephew T.T.V. Dhinakaran and being a back seat driver of the party.

Briefing the media after the meeting, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister D. Jayakumar said all 123 AIADMK lawmakers and party cadres were on the same page and discussed about the possibilities of retaining the 'Two Leaves' symbol, which had been frozen by the Election Commission.

"We discussed about keeping the party united. O. Panneerselvam gave an opinion which we welcome. We discussed about how we can take the party forward in a united way," Jayakumar said.

"Having welcomed his opinion, we will further hold discussions and deliberate about the merger," he added.

Jayakumar further said that an affidavit would be given to the Election Commission to claim the AIADMK's symbol.

"This is like a fight between brothers. We will unite and retrieve the two leaves symbol together," senior AIADMK leader Velumani said.

When asked if Sasikala would quit from the party in case the merger took place, Jayakumar said, "We have no information regarding this."

Jayakumar further said the talks about the merger would take shape once party's deputy general secretary and Sasikala's nephew Dhinakaran arrives in Chennai.

The developments come after the Delhi Police booked Dhinakaran on charges of bribing Election Commission officials to get the 'Two Leaves' symbol.

The Delhi Police Crime Branch recovered approximately Rs. 1.3 crore from alleged middleman Sukesh Chandrashekhar.

Dinakaran, who is considered to be a close Sasikala aide, later said that he was ready to legally face any summons from the Delhi Police.

The case against the AIADMK general secretary came soon after I-T raids on 50 locations in Tamil Nadu during which the officials seized Rs. 5.5 crore from Tamil Nadu Health Minister Vijaya Baskar's associates.

Vijaya Baskar is said to be a supporter of Dinakaran.

Dhinakaran's faction had contested on the hat symbol after the Election Commission froze the two leaves symbol while acknowledging the split in the party.

The AIADMK underwent major political changes post former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa's demise, following which Panneerselvam was elected as the chief minister until Sasikala was chosen as the party general secretary.

The schism within the party further deepened when Panneerselvam alleged that he was forced by the Sasikala-led faction to step down from the post.

Sasikala, however, suffered a major jolt when the Karnataka High Court held her and her aides guilty in a 19-year-old disproportionate assets case and ordered her to finish the remaining jail-term of four years.

Subsequently, Dhinakaran was elected as the deputy general secretary of the AIADMK and Elapadi K. Palanisamy as the Chief Minister.

If the merger does come successful, this will be a new chapter in the political drama of the AIADMK post Jayalalithaa's demise.

A unification of the warring factions can augur well for the AIADMK and the state politics especially considering the fate the recently-held R.K. Nagar by-polls met with.

The merger may, however, prove to be a deterrent in Sasikala's intended future in the Tamil Nadu politics.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday stressed upon acknowledging 'Design in India' apart from 'Make in India' for the growth of gems and jewellery sector.

"As far as the gems and jewellery sector is concerned our aim should not only be 'Make in India' but also 'Design in India'," the Prime Minister said while addressing the inauguration of Diamond Manufacturing Unit of Hare Krishna Exports here.

Talking about Surat's contribution to the jewellery sector, Prime Minister Modi said the city has made a mark in the diamond industry.

"Surat has made a mark in the diamond industry but can we now look at the entire gems and jewellery sector," he added.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the Kiran Multispeciality Hospital at Katargam in Surat.

The Prime Minister later in the day will also go to Bajipura village in Tapi district to inaugurate cattle feed plant and ice-cream plant of Sumul Dairy, and lay foundation stone for dairy products plant at Nava Pardi.

He will then visit Silvassa town in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, where he will address a gathering apart from inaugurating a few projects.

The Prime Minister in Saurashtra will inaugurate phase-1 of the ambitious Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran Irrigation project for Botad and surrounding districts and also lay foundation stone for the phase-2.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Global icon Priyanka Chopra is dealing with 'conflicted emotions,' as she prepares to bid the New York City adieu 'officially.'

During her 'last official week in NYC,' the Desi girl is packing up her house there, 'until next time.'

PeeCee took to Twitter to express, "Packing up the house is such a conflicted emotion! so many things pop out that u didn't remember..Last official week in NYC until next time.."

Though she is coming back to India in a week, the actress will return to the US soon for the promotions of her Hollywood debut 'Baywatch.'

The upcoming American action-comedy film, featuring Priyanka as the antagonist Victoria Leeds, is based on a popular television series of the same name.

Directed by Seth Gordon, the movie also features Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron.

On a related note, shooting for the second season of 'Quantico' ended in March and as per reports, there may be another season on the cards.

Meanwhile, the 'Bajirao Mastani' actress also wished Happy Easter Sunday to everyone and tweeted, "Happy Easter Sunday to everyone celebrating. Hope this day is full love love and laughter".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Supreme Court on Monday called on the Home Secretaries of six states to come up with a road map regarding the steps they would take to fill up police vacancies.

The apex court bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar, said that if the Chief Secretaries are unable to make an appearance, then another representative would appraise the top court about the plans on filling up the vacancies.

The six states are Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

Manish Kumar, who is the petitioner in the case, sought the top court's intervention and a direction to fill up the police vacancies as soon as possible.

Kumar in his petition said that the six states which are having maximum number of vacancies are Uttar Pradesh with 1.50 lakh, West Bengal with 37,000, Bihar with 34,000, Jharkhand with 26,000, Karnataka with 24,000 and Tamil Nadu with 19,000 are needed to be filled up.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Supreme Court will on Monday hear a plea filed advocate Prashant Bhushan in connection with Goa illegal mining case.

A day before, former Goa chief minister Digambar Kamat was summoned by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Goa crime branch in connection with the same.

Earlier in October 2012, the apex court suspended all iron ore mining and transportation in the state following a report submitted by Justice M.B. Shah Commission, which found that millions of tonnes of iron ore was illegally mined by a dozen mining companies.

The report also stated that illegal mining was being carried out in collusion with the government including the then chief minister Digambar Kamat, who pegged the losses to the state at about Rs. 35,000 crore.

The Supreme Court later in May 2013 relaxed its order allowing mining with an annual cap of 20 million tonnes.

In 2015, the State Government renewed 88 mining leases, all owned by the very same lease-holders who were involved in illegal mining.

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Shah Rukh Khan, who was recently given a special tribute at 60th San Francisco International Film Festival, has revealed that he felt overwhelmed with the gesture.

Khan, who was the first ever Indian actor to have such a special tribute, "thanked" the festival for such a gesture.

When asked about the tribute, the 51-year-old-actor said, "Very humbling, as I've said before. Also I know why I'm given a tribute like this. First of course, thanks to the San Francisco Film Festival. I know it's the love of the people from my country which kind of attracts people, the diaspora too, you know, convince people around in different cities around the world that Indian films are important."

He also shared how wonderful he felt by seeing so many people screaming and watching his film 'My Name is Khan'.

He added, "So, like I've always said, I just happen to be in the right place at the right time and I'm getting the right kind of love. It's very humbling and very wonderful to see so many people screaming and shouting and watching 'My Name Is Khan' again. So I felt very grateful."

The actor's 2010 film screening of 'My Name is Khan' was held as part of the line-up of films at the festival.

Hollywood director and producer Brett Ratner who was host of the conversation that took place between him and SRK also expressed his wish to work with him in a Hollywood project.

On a related note, Shah Rukh Khan, whose first film of this year, 'Raees', also became the year's first film to enter the 100-crore club, is currently busy shooting for Imtiaz Ali's next directorial opposite Anushka Sharma.

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A son from Muktsar in Punjab has appealed to the India Government to use all its might and resources to save his father, who has been languishing in a Pakistan jail since 1971.

Amrik Singh was a toddler when his father Surjit Singh was captured by Pakistan during the 1971 India-Pakistan war. Surjit, who was serving the Border Security Force (BSF) in Samba sector of Jammu and Kashmir during the war, disappeared one day.

The Indian Army repeatedly searched Surjit but he wasn't traced. In 1974, Surjit was declared dead and his family was given all benefits.

In 2004, when few prisoners were freed by Pakistan then Amrik and his mother Angrej Kaur came to know that Surjit was alive and lodged in Kot Lakhpat Jail as a prisoner of war.

Since then, Amrik has been running from pillar to post to get his father released from Pakistan.

The case of Indian Navy official Kulbhusan Jadhav, who has been awarded death sentence by a Pakistan military court, has made Amrik and his mother fearful. "We fear that one day we should not listen to the news of my father's fate like of Jadhav," said Amrik, who has written a letter to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

"They will hang my father too. The death sentence awarded to Jadhav has shaken us," Amrik said in his letter to Swaraj, adding he wants to hug his father at least once in his lifetime.

He wants that the Indian Government should leave no stone unturned to save his father and other Indian nationals who have been languishing in Pakistani jails.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chiming in the current row surrounding the controversial Triple Talaq, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday attacked those not speaking out against the issue, saying they are equally guilty as the ones backing it.

"People maintaining silence are equally guilty," Adityanath said while addressing a launch of book on former prime minister Chandra Shekhar Singh.

Quoting Singh, the Chief Minister said," If our criminal suits and marriages are similar, then what is harm to implement Uniform Civic code in the country."

Citing the example of Mahabharata's Draupdi's 'Cheer-haran', he said that the society would also be equally guilty if it does not utter a single word on the issue.

Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Modi said that justice should be given to Muslim women by eradicating the practice of triple talaq in the country.

"Our Muslim sisters deserve justice. We should try to solve this issue at the district level. We should also proceed on the formula of a new India. We can't simply move forward on a slow pace, but charge ahead with full speed," he said during the BJP Executive Meeting here.

During a discussion on the Commission for Backward Classes, the Prime Minister suggested that the party should hold conferences for 'backward Muslims'.

A five-judge constitution bench of the apex court will start hearing from May 11 the petitions against triple talaq.

The court will hear pleas filed by several Muslim women challenging the practice under which men can divorce their wives instantly by uttering the word 'talaq' thrice.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in partnership with the World Bank Group, released the Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP) 2017 for implementation by States/UTs on 13.04.2017.

The BRAP includes 405 recommendations for reforms on regulatory processes, policies, practices and procedures spread across 12 reform areas, that is, labour regulation enablers; contract enforcement; registering property; inspection reform enablers; single window system; land availability and allotment; construction permit enablers; environmental registration enablers; obtaining utility permits; paying taxes; access to information and transparency enablers and sector specific reforms spanning the lifecycle of a typical business.

This year there are 103 new set of reforms (out of 405) focusing on central inspection system, online land allotment system, online single window system for granting construction permits, registration under Inter State Migrant Workmen (RE&CS) Act, 1979, approval for boiler manufacturer and boiler erector etc. BRAP 2017 also includes two new sectors i.e. Healthcare and Hospitality.

The last date to implement the reform is 31.10.2017.

DIPP will carry out a comprehensive business-to-government (B2G) feedback exercise this year whereby feedback will be taken from businesses on the quality of implementation of the reforms claimed by the States and UTs. For each State/UT, the scores will be aggregated over all the surveys conducted to yield an overall score for the State/UT.

The feedback scores will be used to generate a ranking of States/UTs in terms of reform implementation. Such a ranking will be different from the last year's ranking, which was a ranking of de jure reforms (or reforms based on evidence submitted by States).

The online portal shall soon be enabled to allow States/UTs to upload the reforms implemented along with the evidence.

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With BWI North America Inc., USA

Endurance Technologies has entered into a License and Technical Assistance Agreement with BWI North America Inc., USA on 15 April 2017 for joint development of ABS products for application in two and three wheelers.

This would help the company to cater to its OEM customers to comply with the new regulations that would require all existing two wheeler models to be fitted with ABS by April 2019.

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To deploy Intellect Quantum Central Banking System

Intellect Design Arena announced that the Central Bank of Armenia, the primary financial institution in the Repulic of Armenia, has selected Intellect Quantum Central Banking System for its Digital Transformation.

Intellect will work with its strategic partner for the region, Intracom Armenia, for implementation of this project. The Intellect Quantum Central Banking System will be deployed along with complete currency life cycle management and comprehensive treasury management solution.

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Government to incentivize growth in local content in goods and services in O&G Sector by policy for providing Purchase Preference to the manufactures/services providers (linked with local content) - PP LC

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved signing of Framework of Understanding (FoU) on Cooperation in the Hydrocarbon Sector with Bangladesh, setting up of Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE) at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh as "an Institute of National Importance" through an Act of Parliament and also approved the Policy to provide Purchase Preference (linked with Local Content PP-LC) in all Public Sector Undertakings under Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas on 12th April, 2017.

The Secretary for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri K D Tripathi said that the 'Make in India' initiative was launched by Prime Minister in September, 2014 as part of a wider set of nation-building initiatives devised to transform India into a global design and manufacturing hub. In tune with the campaign, the Government has decided to incentivize the growth in local content in goods and services while implementing oil and gas projects in India through a policy for providing Purchase Preference to the manufactures/services providers who meet the local targets in oil and gas business activities.

Under the policy, progressively increasing targets of Local Content are being stipulated for procurement of goods, services and EPC contracts for oil and gas business activities. The manufacturers/service provider who meet the local content targets and whose quoted price is within 10% of lowest valid price bid, would be eligible for 10% purchase preference for a stipulated portion of the purchase order, on matching such price. For example, Drilling/Workover Rigs/WSS units construction in the onshore sector the local content would be pegged at 50% in the first year and progressively increased to 60% in the next two years and they to 70% in last two years. Similarly, for premium bids as wells as specialized drilling and completion services the local content stipulated is 10% in the first year and progressively increased to 15% in the next two years and then to 20% in the last 2 years.

He added that the policy is expected to encourage suppliers and service providers to progressively adopt 'Make in India' practices and add value to their goods and services within the country. It will facilitate growth of activities related to manufacturing, services and EPC in the Indian economy. This will boost productivity and help in growth of employment at all levels in the oil and gas sector.

Shri Tripathi said that this policy is applicable to all the Public Sector Enterprises and their wholly owned subsidiaries under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas; Joint Venture that have 51% or more equity by one or more Public Sector Enterprises under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas; attached and subordinate offices of MoPNG.

The Cabinet had approved a Framework of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Hydrocarbons. This was first discussed during the visit of Petroleum Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan to Dhaka in April 2016 with the objective to work as an umbrella framework to initiate, monitor and pursue activities of mutual interest in the oil and gas sector. It will give an institutional mechanism for our engagement with Bangladesh in the Hydrocarbon sector.

Salient Features of the proposed Framework document include -

Promotes the energy trade and integration of oil and gas grids of the two countries

Promotes investments in each other's countries as well as in third countries, technology transfer, R&D, conducting joint studies and capacity building of human resources.

Provides increased trans-border economic cooperation and connectivity.

Promotes bilateral cooperation at the sub-regional and regional levels

Exchange of information to energy policy formulation in the region.

This Framework of Understanding shall remain in force for a period of five years, and shall be automatically renewed thereafter for a period of every five year.

The visit of PM Sheikh Hasina which took place on April 8-10 has given a further impetus to the Indo Bangladesh relations, as 22 documents were signed, including many in the field of oil and gas. Minister of State (I/C) for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan had visited Bangladesh during 18-19 April, 2016 and in the last two years there have been at least 7 meetings between him and his counterpart in Bangladesh. There is an institutionalised Energy Dialogue at the level of Secretary which met last month in Dhaka.

The comprehensiveness of the relationship between India and Bangladesh comes from the fact that we are already engaged in Supply of HSD from Siliguri to Parbatipur, Setting up LNG Terminal at Kutubdi island, Setting up LPG Terminal in Chittagong / Kutubdi island, Providing gas for the Khulna Power plant in Bangladesh, Working of gas grid connectivity, Refurbishment of refineries, Building of pipelines and Upstream activity in Bangladesh by Indian companies etc.

India and Bangladesh have signed three Documents: Sale Purchase Agreement between Numaligarh Refineries Ltd (NRL) and Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation for supply of High Speed Diesel to Bangladesh; Setting up of an LNG terminal in Kutubdia Island by Petronet LNG Ltd and Setting up of an LPG Terminal by IOCL in partnership with Petrobangla. In addition to these Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi along with Prime Minister of Bangladesh flagged off the Rail Rake carrying 2200 MT of HSD from Radhikapur in India to Parbatipur in Bangladesh. The rail rake travelled on the newly constructed rail route. The length of the new route is around 260 kms, almost half of the old route.

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To meet specific requirements of Indian Armed Forces

Reliance Infrastructure promoted Reliance Defence has entered into a strategic partnership agreement with South Korean defence major LIG Nex1.

As part of this partnership, two companies will explore opportunities in the identified range of defence products required by the Indian Armed Forces. LIG Nex1 are emerging leaders in smart heavy weapons in category of Anti-ship Missiles, Anti Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM), and Guided Rockets.

Currently, there are multiple programs for the Indian Armed Forces that the two companies plan to address together. This will potentially include improvements to the existing weapon systems which are part of LIG Nex1 portfolio to meet the specific requirements of the Indian Armed Forces. Cumulative value of Programs being targeted will exceed multi billion.

Two companies have also identified Air Defence & Surveillance Radar that can be manufactured in India, as potential area of co-operation.

Two companies will also work on performance enhancement for various systems / platforms in the portfolio of LIG Nex1, to meet the specific requirements of the Indian Armed Forces.

India and South Korea relations were upgraded to Special Strategic partnership during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Seoul.

Skills developed and the experience gained through this collaboration will further add to Reliance Group's capabilities and establish lead position in the Indian Market.

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Some 1,000 contractual workers have recently been retrenched from various public and private banks in West Bengal in the name of e-governance and e-surveillance, bank unions said on Monday.

"About 1,000 contractual workers, security guards, in particular, were retrenched from the ATMs and branches of different public and private sector banks in recent times. If the process continues, a few thousand will be thrown onto the streets within a couple of months," said Biswajit Ghosh, General Secretary of Bank Contractual and Contract Workmen Union (West Bengal), which is affiliated to Bank Employees Federation of India's (BEFI) state unit.

He said such moves were taken in the name of "e-governance and e-surveillance".

The retrenchment decision of the banks' management along with the government is disastrous for the security of the customers in ATMs and other branches, Ghosh said.

The union has planned to organise massive rallies of such workmen along with their family members in the city on Tuesday and Thursday.

Bank unions also alleged that minimum wages were denied to them as they are getting salary of 18 days even though they worked for 30 days.

"The workers working for many years from morning till late night in the cash management services of various banks are denied of central government notified minimum wages. Provident fund and ESI are not deposited to competent authority," BEFI's General Secretary Joydeb Dasgupta told reporters here.

"All ATMs of public sector banks are being handed over to private corporates, which is a first step towards privatisation," he added.

--IANS

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Almost one million foreign nationals worked on the Chinese mainland in 2016, the media reported on Monday.

In the 1980s, less than 10,000 foreigners came to China for work each year, Zhang Jianguo, head of China's State Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs said on Sunday during the 15th Conference on the International Exchange of Professionals, held in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

According to Zhang, foreign experts are the "indispensable power in the National Strategy of Innovation-Driven Development", the Global Times reported.

"China should launch practical projects to attract foreign talents that cater to their features to avoid the 'waste of talents'," Zhang noted.

In December 2016, the Ministry of Public Security announced 10 rules related to China's entry and exit policies, which authorised the Shanghai Zhangjiang National Innovation Demonstration Zone and the Shanghai Free Trade Zone to recommend high-level foreign staff for permanent residence permits, or "Chinese green cards".

These allow foreign talents to enjoy the same rights as Chinese citizens in areas such as investment, housing and schooling.

Moreover, the total number of Chinese overseas students who have returned to China is increasing every year, with more than 432,000 students returning in 2016, the highest since the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, when only 248 returned.

--IANS

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Ten people were killed and five injured when a bus plunged into a river in China's Guizhou province on Monday, an official said.

The 19-seat bus en route from Kaiyang to Weng'an county and fell into the river in Kaiyang, Xinhua news agency reported.

--IANS

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At least 13 persons were killed and six injured when a bus plunged into a river in China's Guizhou province on Monday, an official said.

The 19-seater bus, en route from Kaiyang to Weng'an county, fell into the river in Kaiyang, Xinhua news agency reported.

An investigation has been launched into the incident.

--IANS

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Global airline organisation IATA on Monday said that air passenger carriers should be allowed to continue the long-established overbooking practices.

"The airline business is unique in that once a flight takes off, the seats on that flight are no longer available for sale; it's a time-sensitive, perishable product," said the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

"Through sophisticated revenue management systems that airlines deploy, they know the historical percentage of no-show passengers for any given route. As a result, airlines can, with a degree of certainty, overbook a flight considering the number of no-shows expected, thereby maximising the capacity available to customers."

IATA's comments on overbooking came after an incident in which a passenger was forcibly evicted out of US-based United Airlines flight.

The global airline association pointed out that some governments were considering regulations which would restrict the current practice of overbooking, where airlines, in some cases, book more passengers on a flight than the number of seats available.

"The airline business is highly marginal in nature; banning the practice of overbooking will reduce already-thin margins, and could reduce connectivity in turn," IATA said.

--IANS

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With an eye to the 2019 assembly polls in Odisha, Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) National President Amit Shah is set to visit the state again, where he will be interacting with the grassroot-level leaders to strengthen the party's base.

After successfully holding the party's National Executive meeting, Shah will visit the state again in June and August, according to a Union Minister.

"Amit Shahji will visit Odisha for six days in June and August this year. He will connect with booth-level workers and strategise the plan for strengthening the party," said Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram.

The BJP President had chalked out a plan for strengthening the party across the country, for which he would embark on a 95-day programme and connect with booth-level workers in the country, he said.

The BJP, which held its two-day National Executive meeting in Bhubaneswar attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders, believes that the party can boost its prospects due to anti-incumbency factor against Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who has been in power since 2000.

Besides, the dwindling fortunes of the Congress and internal strife in Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal (BJD) could favour the BJP.

The ruling BJD on Monday exhibited its strength by organising a massive bike rally in Bhubaneswar and holding several programmes across the state on the occasion of the 20th death anniversary of legendary leader and former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik.

Later, BJD leaders took a dig at the BJP-led government at the Centre for ignoring the genuine demands of the state.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said they would take Odisha ahead as per Biju Babu's vision. He said the agenda of the state government was for inclusive development of the people.

--IANS

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Delhi commuters will need to brace up for a no-show of taxis and autos on Tuesday as a total of 13 associations of app-based taxi and auto-drivers will observe a day-long strike against their partners Ola and Uber.

The strikers will gather at Mata Sundari Gurudwara off the Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and will march to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's house in Civil Lines.

"We had a similar protest in February but that time we were only one association, this time as many as 13 unions will be agitating with us. This is going to be a very big demonstration," Sarvodaya Drivers Association of Delhi President Kamaljeet Gill told IANS.

The taxi drivers will be joined by auto and yellow-black taxi drivers, which may pose a serious inconvenience to daily commuters on the day.

The agitating drivers demand a stop be put to 'share' service employed by Ola and Uber, where many commuters share a cab to various points in the city lying along one route.

They also want that these taxis be run according to a Delhi government authorised meter, which should be certified by Standardisation Testing and Quality certification (STQC).

"These companies are big swindlers. Just as a crook sells movie ticket in 'black', when there are more buyers than there are seats, they too do the same, they only name it 'Surge' pricing or 'peak-hour' pricing. They tell you that you will be charged Rs 6 per kilometre but you end up paying Rs 18-20 instead," Gill added.

Gill, who heads one of the yellow-black taxi drivers' associations, said his organisation too will join the agitation, since all drivers are fighting for the same cause.

"The strike is mainly by Ola and Uber drivers. But we will extend our support for half-a-day and will be part of the strike," Sanjay Samrat, President of Delhi Taxi, Tourist Transporters and Tour Operators Association, told IANS.

On the other hand, Uber issued a statement that it had secured a restraining order against the leaders and association members who are going on the strike, and warned them not to prevent Uber drivers from going about their work.

"The Delhi High Court has issued a perpetual injunction restraining unions, their leaders, members and their followers from preventing Uber driver partners from going about their work. We welcome the court's order and hope that it will enable drivers to stay behind the wheel, without fear or harassment henceforth," a statement from Uber said.

-- IANS

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An Afghan Army General was killed and another person injured in an attack in Kunduz province on Monday, authorities said.

The commander of Baghlan coordination command General Abdul Hai Atayi, who was travelling from Badakhshan to Baghlan, was ambushed by Taliban militants, Khaama Press reported.

Several other officials accompanying Atayi were also killed in the atatck but the exact number was not ascertained so far.

The Taliban have not yet commented on the incident.

Kunduz is among the relatively volatile provinces in Afghanistan where the Taliban insurgents are active.

The latest attack on the commander comes despite the Afghan intelligence said there was panic among the Taliban insurgents following the death of their leader Mullah Abdul Salam.

--NAS

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Austria on Monday called on the European Union (EU) to end membership negotiations with Turkey in the wake of a referendum result on constitutional reform that would afford greater powers to the country's President.

Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said the outcome of Sunday's referendum went against EU principles, Efe news reported.

On Sunday, Turkey went to the polls in a referendum on introducing an 18-point overhaul of the constitution that involves scrapping the office of Prime Minister and handing most executive power over to the President.

About 55 million Turks were eligible to vote in the referendum to establish a presidential system with wide-ranging executive powers instead of the current parliamentary model.

Speaking to Austria's public radio, ORF, Kurz said the "Yes" vote win was "a clear signal against the European Union".

While he recognised that almost half the population voted "No", he said the narrow 51.4 per cent win for the controversial constitutional reform meant that Turkey continued to move away from the principles of the rule of law and democracy.

The head of Austrian diplomacy said he hoped for a response from the EU and a change in the stance of members who defended Ankara's accession process.

Turkey could not become a member of the EU, he said.

He added that after Sunday's referendum result, the work of NGOs and political opponents of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would not be easy.

He also expressed his support for and solidarity with the citizens who voted against the reforms.

"We must end EU accession negotiations and instead work on a neighbourhood policy agreement with Turkey," Kurz tweeted.

--IANS

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A day after the Telangana legislature passed a bill increasing the quota for backward Muslims, the BJP launched protests by laying siege to offices of district collectors across the state.

Terming the "religion-based" reservation as "unconstitutional", Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and workers participated in the protests in all 31 districts.

Police arrested the protestors as they sat in front of office buildings and raised slogans against the government.

The protest at the office of Hyderabad District Collector led to tension. There was a heated argument between the police officers and BJP leaders.

Police personnel bodily lifted the protestors and detained them. Those detained included BJP's national General Secretary P. Muralidhar Rao and member of Telangana legislative council Ramachandra Rao.

Muralidhar Rao slammed the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government for taking unilateral action on increasing the reservation quota for Muslims from 4 to 12 percent.

He said the bill providing reservation for Muslims was twice struck down by the High Court in the past.

The state assembly and council on Sunday unanimously passed a bill for hiking quota for Muslims and Scheduled Tribes.

All five members of BJP were suspended from the assembly for stalling the proceedings during the debate on the bill. Its lone member in the council staged a walkout.

Meanwhile, BJP's Telangana unit President K. Laxman said the party would continue its protests.

--IANS

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At least eight people were killed and five others injured in three separate incidents of bomb explosions and firing in Pakistan on Monday, local Urdu media reported.

Dawn News said a four-year-old boy was killed while his two playmates were injured when a bomb exploded near them in Quetta in southwest Balochistan province.

Police said the kids were playing outside their home when the incident happened.

Police officer Izzat Ali was quoted by Xinhua as saying that they were investigating the motive behind the explosion.

In a separate incident, in Karak district of the country's northwest Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, three people, including a woman, were killed and two others injured in a militant attack.

Police said the victims were on their way home after attending a hearing at a local court when some militants sprayed bullets at their vehicle and fled the scene.

The injured people have been shifted to a nearby hospital.

In the third incident, in Nowshera district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, four people were killed when some assailants forced entry into their home and opened fire at them.

No group has claimed any of the attacks yet.

Police cordoned off all the three areas for investigation following the incidents.

--IANS

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Actress Mehreen Pirzada, last seen in Anushka Sharma's "Phillauri", says busy work life keeps her grounded and makes her respect what she has achieved so far in her career.

With nearly half a dozen projects in her kitty currently including Telugu films "Raja The Great" and "Jawaan", she is fast rising as one of the busiest actresses in southern filmdom.

"I have realised that I am nothing without my work. The busier I get with projects, I become even more grounded because this lifestyle has made me respect my work and take it even more seriously," Mehreen told IANS.

She doesn't find it challenging to juggle multiple projects. In fact, she enjoys being busy.

"I have always asked for more. It's a blessing that I have been presented with so many opportunities. I just have to focus on working hard. I like the whole process of waking up early, working out and then going to the sets," she said, admitting she did have to face setbacks.

"After Krishna Gaadi Veera Prema Gaadha', the rest of the last year was not great. Films that were supposed to start were postponed and I was a little worried. Luckily, it all changed this year as I signed back-to-back projects," she added.

Talking about working with Ravi Teja in "Raja The Great", she said, "It's amazing to be working with a star so early on in my career. Although he plays a blind character, audiences are going to love him in this role. I have an equally different role."

Mehreen also has Telugu project "Mahanubhavudu" with Sharwanand, and she's all praise for its director Maruthi.

"He is the coolest director I have worked with yet. This is a fun project and it's special for Sharwa because it's coming after his hat-trick of hits," she said.

This year, she will be making her Tamil debut with Suseenthiran's "Aram Seidhu Pazhagu", a bilingual which also stars Sundeep Kishan and Vikranth.

"I feel lucky to be launched my Suseenthiran sir. In the film, I'm paired with Sundeep. This year is going to be very special for me," she concluded.

--IANS

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Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan on Monday began his maiden visit to India during which he will meet top Indian leaders, an official statement said.

Sajjan will be meeting his Indian counterpart Arun Jaitley, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and other leaders and senior officials during his week-long visit, said the Canadian High Commission here said in a statement.

On his first trip to India since becoming Canada's Defence Minister, Sajjan said: "This visit will further strengthen Canada and India's bilateral defence cooperation, and expand our partnership in the security and defence sectors."

High Commissioner Nadir Patel said: "Minister Sajjan's visit is an ideal opportunity to highlight strong links between Canada and India, and to boost our people-to-people ties. There continues to be enormous potential for more cooperation in all areas of the bilateral relationship."

Sajjan will speak at an event hosted by the Observer Research Foundation here on Tuesday.

He is also slated to visit Punjab, where he will visit the Golden Temple and also inaugurate the new consulate in Chandigarh. This part of his visit has come under controversy with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh having announced his decision not to meet the Canadian dignitary, whom he has termed a "Khalistani sympathiser".

Sajjan will visit Mumbai, where he will meet several business and industry leaders.

--IANS

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The CBI on Monday filed an FIR against a dozen senior leaders of West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress and an IPS officer in the Narada sting footage case, raising the political temperature in the eastern state.

The opposition launched an all-out attack against the Trinamool, with the Left Front bringing out a large number of rallies demanding the resignation of the government.

However, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said mere filing of FIR does not mean the accused are guilty. "It is a political game, and has to be tackled politically," she said.

A Central Bureau of Investigation spokesperson said the list of FIR includes all 12 persons who were purportedly seen receiving money in the footage. "Trinamool Congress MP Aparupa Poddar's name is also included in the list of FIR," the spokesperson told IANS.

Among those whose names figure in the First Information Report are Trinamool vice president and Rajya Sabha member Mukul Roy, the party's Lok Sabha members Sougata Roy, Sultan Ahmed, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Prasun Banerjee.

Also featuring in the list are state Ministers Subrata Mukherjee, Firhad Hakim, Suvendu Adhikari, city Mayor and Minister Sovan Chatterjee, legislator Iqbal Ahmed and former minister Madan Mitra.

IPS officer S.M.H. Mirza was the other person named in the list. He was seen in the sting footage and the Narada website claimed he described himself as a "key person who collects funds for the Trinamool Congress".

The accused have been charged with criminal conspiracy and under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

"CBI conducted the Preliminary Enquiry into the said allegations expeditiously. Enquiry revealed prima facie material for registration of a Regular Case (FIR) under the charges of ciminal conspiracy to commit a crime (IPC 120B) and Section 7 and 13(2), 13(1) (a) and (d) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Further investigation is continuing," a CBI press release said.

The Calcutta High Court ordered a CBI preliminary inquiry into the case exactly a month back, on March 17, and asked the federal investigation agency to submit the report within 72 hours.

The Trinamool appealed to the Supreme Court on March 21, challenging the High Court' order.

The apex court refused to interfere with the high court order, but extended the deadline for the preliminary probe to one month.

On Monday, Narada News CEO Mathew Samuel welcomed the CBI move, saying the agency's action proved that the visuals in the sting footage are not doctored and there was no conspiracy behind the sting operation.

"For these reasons they have come to the conclusion to file an FIR," said Samuel, who had carried out the sting operation on behalf of the news portal.

The opposition tore into the ruling party.

State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury targeted the Chief Minister for having earlier claimed that no such scandal has taken place.

"She needs to be asked whether she still feels false cases have been lodged against the Narada accused?" he asked.

Senior Communist Party of India-Marxist leader and noted lawyer Bikash Bhattacharya said the latest development was inevitable.

"This shows the big role that money plays in politics of Bengal, or entire India. We hope there will be no political interference impeding the CBI probe," added Bhattacharya, who had fought the case for the petitioners seeking a CBI probe into the case.

State Bharatiya Janata Party President Dilip Ghosh said the filing of FIR was expected.

"People of whole West Bengal were waiting for this. The probe is proceeding in the right direction," he said.

The controversy erupted in election-bound West Bengal in March last year when Narada News portal uploaded video footage purportedly showing the Trinamool leaders receiving money in exchange of favours to a fictitious company.

Three PILs were filed seeking a CBI probe, and the opposition went all guns blazing on the issue. But the Trinamool managed to retain power, and soon after Banerjee ordered a police probe to find out the "conspiracy" angle to the sting.

However, the Calcutta High Court ordered an interim stay on the police probe.

--IANS

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In a bid to clear a crucial bottleneck in the proposed East West Metro Rail in the eastern metropolis, a Union Cabinet note has been prepared to seek exemption of embargo on construction within 100 metres of heritage buildings, a minister said on Monday.

"Once approved by the Cabinet, it would facilitate laying of tracks near three such structures in the Metro corridor," Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise Babul Supriyo told the media here.

According to guidelines of the Ministry of Culture, construction within 100 metres of heritage buildings and archaeological sites is not prohibited.

"Some technical issues have emerged in Phase II (Sealdah to Howrah Maidan) of the project. A Cabinet note has been prepared seeking exemption from the embargo on construction within 100 metres of the heritage buildings, as laid down in the guidelines, for laying of tracks. The tracks are about 30 metres from three such buildings," he said.

"The nod from the Cabinet has been sought and I do not know what would be its decision. A feedback is expected soon given the urgency of the project," he added.

Beth El synagogue, David Maghen synagogue and the Currency building are the three heritage sites situated along the proposed East West Metro corridor.

Supriyo said the Ministry of Railway and the West Bengal government had earlier requested the Ministry of Culture to consider the guidelines.

"The way technology has advanced in the last five years, such embargos need to be reviewed," Supriyo said.

"IIT-Kharagpur was asked to prepare a study report to examine whether laying of Metro tracks would be harmful or not to such buildings. They submitted the report saying no harm is expected if tracks pass by 30 metres away from these buildings," he said.

Kicking off a new chapter in India's transport history, the nearly Rs 9,000-crore project envisages the country's first-ever railway tunnel under a riverbed.

A tunnel boring machine (TBM) started off its arduous 520-metre work under the Hooghly river here on Saturday, taking forward the work on the long-delayed 16.6-km-long East West Metro project.

The minister on Monday entered the tunnel for inspection.

He was handed over two silver containers containing soil of the river. "I will present one container to the Prime Minister and will keep the other for myself," he said.

Supriyo said the commercial operation of the first phase of the project from Salt Lake Sector V to Sealdah Station would start from June next year.

Due to some land-related issues, the West Bengal government had proposed a change in alignment in Phase II of the project and it got halted.

The target date for completion of the Phase II, connecting Sealdah with Howrah Maidan, is August 2019.

The Metro rail project was originally slated to be operational by 2012, but the deadline got pushed back repeatedly due to land and other issues.

The project has a total elevated portion of 5.8 km, while the underground part covers 10.8 km.

The projected daily passenger load is seven lakh in 2020, 8.10 lakh in 2025 and nine lakh in 2035. The total number of stations is 12 -- six elevated and six underground.

--IANS

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Soon after the Dalai Lama's visit to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, which drew an angry response from China, former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said on Sunday that Chinese Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui assured him that he he will "take up all our issues" with Beijing.

In a series of tweets tagged with pictures, Gogoi said that Lao visited his residence and they discussed a range of issues, including the Tibetan spiritual leader's visit to Arunachal Pradesh earlier this month that had raised the hackles of Beijing.

"I am glad to welcome H.E #LuoZhaohui, Chinese Ambassador to India at my Residence & along with @GauravGogoiAsm..," the veteran Congress leader said in a series of tweets.

"and we discussed a range of issues v.i.z River Brahmaputra, historic stilwell road for road connectivity to China from Assam,NE terrorism

"& Dalai Lama's visit.He have assured to take up our issues with Chinese Govt. & i have also assured to take up his issues with @PMOIndia".

China has been very vocal in protesting the Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh from April 4 to 11 saying it would hurt bilateral ties with India.

India has maintained that there has been no change in its policy towards Tibet and the negotiations with China over the border along Arunachal Pradesh following the Dalai Lama's visit.

Ahead of visiting Arunachal Pradesh, the Tibetan spiritual leader also visited Assam where he attended the Namami Brahmaputra river festival organised by the state government.

The Stilwell Road, constructed during World War II, connected Assam with Kunming in China.

--IANS

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"The rift has accelerated since end of the last year", reported all the major news agencies in North America and elsewhere. "It may get close to a full break, never seen before in the history," they added.

This "breaking news" is about Antarctica's fourth-largest ice shelf, Larsen C, measuring 48,600 sq km, five times the area of Israel, irreversibly breaking away, several kilometres at a time, from its mother continent due to exceptionally high temperatures.

NASA and British Antarctic Survey scientists have in the last three decades observed a dramatic collapsing of smaller parts, Larsen A and B, as noted by the Nobel Prize-winning Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Larsen C, which is the largest of the three, is now clinging by the umbilical cord of about 25 km before finally breaking away.

The ABC drama is captivating, because these would constitute some of the world's biggest icebergs ever to break off from an Antarctic ice shelf. What is more, it is taking place early in 2017, when the ABC of the "disruptive" policies of US President Donald Trump on climate change have also started unfolding.

The year gone by has decidedly broken the temperature record as the warmest year since modern observations began in 1880. This year is already turning to be the second-warmest in recorded history, according to data released recently by the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NASA, indeed, said in a statement that January 2017 was the third-warmest January in nearly 140 years of record-keeping.

The National Snow and Ice Data Centre at Boulder, Colorado, has recorded that the cover of Arctic ice, which expands and contracts in an annual cycle during winter and summer, probably reached its maximum size this year on March 7, when it spanned 14.42 million square kilometres, breaking the record as the smallest winter maximum extent ever observed in records dating to 1979.

While melting of the floating icebergs does not cause the sea level to rise, melting of the large volume icebergs makes the way to glaciers from the land mass of the Arctic and Antarctic to pour into the oceans, resulting in the sea level rising. What is more frightening is that loss of ice would cause more global warming because the heat from the Sun would get absorbed and not get reflected back due to loss of white cover of ice. The vicious feedback loop could trigger record-breaking runaway warming never seen in human history.

Loss of ice cover in the Arctic and Antarctic is not the only reason for the uncontrolled and accelerated warming of the earth. An active layer of ice of 0.3 to 0.4 metres thickness along the Arctic coast and deep in southern Siberia and the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, is about 24 per cent of the ice-free land area on our planet, equivalent to 19 million square kilometres -- the area of China and the US combined.

This is called permafrost, because of the permanency of ice there. A study released by Nature Climate Change on April 10 has revealed that global warming will thaw about 20 per cent more permafrost than previously thought, potentially releasing significant amounts of greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide trapped under the layer of ice into the Earth's atmosphere.

Around 35 million people live in the permafrost zone. A widespread thaw could cause the ground to become unstable, putting roads and buildings at risk of collapse. Such runaway release of greenhouse gases has already begun as the Arctic is warming at around twice the rate as the rest of the world. There is fear of not only mass coastal migration of human population due to rising sea levels but also from high latitude regions. The entire biodiversity is likely to be in mass-migration in search of survival.

Rising temperatures and sea levels, increasing acidity of the oceans due to additional absorbed carbon dioxide, escalation of intensity and surge of frequency of extreme weather events like droughts and floods are forcing land-based bio-species to move polewards by an average of 17 km per decade -- and marine species by 72 km per decade as per new analysis recently presented by the University of Tasmania.

The New Scientist magazine said in March 2017 that ticks that spread Lyme disease in animals and humans are moving towards North America and Europe as the winter there is getting milder. A 10-fold rise has been seen in the UK since 2001. Lyme disease is the most common infection in humans following a tick bite in the US. The Centre for Disease Control estimates that 300,000 Americans contract Lyme disease each year, calling it "a major US public health problem". This "ticking" time bomb in 2017 and 2018 is predicted to cause major Lyme disease outbreaks in areas that have not faced the threats any time before.

The benefits to humans being provided by other species, and the complex ecosystems they live in, are also at risk due to rising temperatures and acidity of oceans. Mangroves, for example, are migrating pole wards in Australia and in the southern US, meaning the storm protection and fish nurseries they provide are being lost in some places.

Food production, including coffee and wine that need a cooler climate, will move towards higher latitudes, causing economic and social destabilisation in poor countries like Ghana, the Ivory Coast and Costa Rica. Fish stocks that depend on the marine supply chain will migrate to cooler and less acidic waters as the coral reefs get bleached as has already happened in Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

Iceland's cooler water has already witnessed a quantum jump from 1,700 tonnes in 2006 to 120,000 tonnes in 2010. The memories of the "mackerel war" of the 1980s and recent fish wars in troubled waters have heightened the possibility of "cod wars" in the post-Cold War era.

A pioneering study by Science last year stated that current warming (just one degree Celsius) has already left an obvious mark on 77 of 94 different species and ecological processes. The study hints at possible genetic changes due to climate change and even physical traits including body size and shape.

The number of authoritative studies on climate change in the first quarter of 2017 by prestigious institutes around the world also stand to break the record this year. Last but not the least of these is the study released in March by the American Psychological Association (APA), which says that climate change also takes a significant toll on mental health.

The loss of personal and professional identity, loss of a sense of control, feelings of helplessness, fear and fatalism, and worry about actual or potential impact of climate change can lead to stress that can build over time and eventually lead to stress-related problems such as substance abuse and depression, according to research reviewed in the report.

Do not we already witness this transformation among the leaders and among us who elect them?

(Rajendra Shende is Chairman TERRE Policy Centre, an IIT alumnus and former Director UNEP. The views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at shende.rajendra@gmail.com)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi Congress on Monday released the first of its three-part election manifesto for the upcoming civic polls, announcing a slew of measures for the upliftment of the urban poor, including setting up of a Department of Urban Poverty Alleviation.

"The party would also introduce health and accident insurance for daily-wage labourers in Delhi if it comes to power in the civic polls," Delhi Congress Chief Ajay Maken told reporters here.

Maken said it was only the first phase of the party's election manifesto and that it would announce the rest of its "plans and roadmap" for Delhi's development in two more phases on Tuesday and Wednesday.

"Tomorrow (Tuesday), we would release our manifesto on urban infrastructure, which would talk about house tax, parking issues and other matters of developed areas of Delhi.

"It would be followed by our 'youth manifesto', which would be launched day after tomorrow (Wednesday) near the Delhi University," Maken said.

Municipal polls for 272 wards would be held on April 23 and the results would be declared on April 26.

Dismissing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a minor player, Maken said it would be a straight contest between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Talking about his party's proposed schemes for urban poor, especially daily-wage labourers, Maken said the municipal corporations under the Congress rule would ensure three months' salaries for them in case they did not find work.

"For domestic workers, which are one of the most neglected sections, we would create a helpline number. We would also establish a comprehensive system for their formal registration, their verification and ensure their welfare," he said.

Maken also promised to issue five lakh licences for street vendors, so "they don't have to pay bribes every day to set up their stalls".

"For unauthorised colonies, we would set up a separate development fund worth Rs 2,000 crore," he said.

The Congress leader said all this would be accomplished by boosting the revenue inflow of the three -- East, North and South Delhi -- municipal corporations.

"We have done elaborate analysis and made concrete plans to boost revenue of the three civic bodies by an additional Rs 5,200 crore every year," he said.

In the run-up to the April 23 civic polls, the Delhi Congress has earlier released its roadmaps for sanitation, public health and education.

It promised to transfer all municipal hospitals to the Delhi government in exchange for primary healthcare centres, saving Rs 652 crore every year.

It also promised improving education standards and infrastructure as well as filling vacancies of teachers in municipal schools.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A US couple headed to Costa Rica for their wedding got booted off a United Airlines flight in Houston, the media reported.

The incident took place on United Airlines Flight 1737 which was headed from Houston to Liberia, Costa Rica.

Michael Hohl was boarding the plane on Saturday with his fiancee, Amber, when they noticed a passenger spread out across their seats, napping over their row, he told Houston's Khou TV on Sunday.

Hohl said that they did not want to disturb the passenger so they decided to sit three rows up in an upgraded area within the economy seating.

"We thought not a big deal, it's not like we are trying to jump up into a first-class seat," Hohl told the news station.

"We were simply in an economy row a few rows above our seat."

In a Boeing 737-800 like the one the couple was on, United considers Row 21 "economy plus," an upgrade.

After sitting, Hohl said a flight attendant approached and asked if they were in their ticketed seats. The couple explained they were not and asked if they could get an upgrade, but instead they were told they needed to return to their assigned seats.

Hohl told Khou TV that after complying with the flight attendant's demand, a US Marshall came onto the plane and asked them to get off.

The couple cooperated and got off the plane without incident.

"They said that we were being disorderly and a hazard to the rest of the flight, to the safety of the other customers," said Hohl.

However, United Airlines in response claimed that they actually tried to sit in an upgraded seat "repeatedly" and they "wouldn't follow crew instructions".

The couple were rebooked for another flight on Sunday morning, but Hohl said they will never fly United again and described the whole situation as "quite strange".

United Airlines has faced a firestorm of negative reactions from passengers and the public after security officers forcibly removed passenger David Dao when he refused to give up his seat for United crew members on a flight from Chicago to Louisville last week.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The 20th death anniversary of former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik was observed in the state on Monday.

Political leaders, cutting across party lines, and people from all walks of life paid rich tributes to the leader on the occasion.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the son of Biju Patnaik, offered floral tributes to the legendary leader at a function in the assembly premises.

"On the 20th death anniversary of Biju Babu, we should remember all the great works he did for Odisha and tremendous sacrifices he made for the state," said the Chief Minister, who also visited the Biju Patnaik memorial in Puri to offer his tributes.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which has been named after the legendary leader, organised several programmes across the state apparently to counter the impact of the BJP national executive meeting, which concluded here on Sunday.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi took out a roadshow during the executive meeting, several stalwarts of the saffron party, including BJP Chief Ministers, attended the meet.

Meanwhile, renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik paid tribute to legendary Biju Patnaik by creating a sand art, requesting the Bharat Ratna for the leader. Several BJD leaders also demanded the Bharat Ratna for the former Chief Minister.

Bijayananda Patnaik, born on March 5 in 1916, was a two-time Chief Minister of Odisha.

--IANS

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Delhi Police on Monday booked AIADMK Deputy General Secretary and V.K. Sasikala's nephew T.T.V. Dinakaran on charges of bribery, an officer said.

Dinakaran has been accused of attempting to bribe Election Commission officials to get the party's 'two leaves' symbol.

Police said his close aide Sukesh Chandrasekar was arrested on Sunday night from a south Delhi hotel with Rs 1.3 crore which he was to give the poll officials as a bribe in exchange for the symbol that was suspended a couple of weeks ago.

"Dinakaran has been booked for criminal conspiracy, personating a public servant and corruption after Chandrasekar disclosed his name during a late night police raid at the hotel where he was staying," the senior police officer said.

The police had raided the hotel following a tip-off, the officer added.

Reacting to the development Dinakaran told reporters in Chennai: "I do not know anybody by the name Sukesh Chandrasekar."

"Somebody is scheming to destroy the AIADMK," Dinakaran added.

"I will meet the allegation legally. If I am summoned by Delhi Police I will meet it legally," Dinakaran said.

Dinakaran also added that he will be meeting Sasikala, his aunt and also AIADMK's General Secretary in the Bangalore jail and discuss various issues.

The AIADMK has been cleaved into two camps since December 2016, when its leader and late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa died.

Her closest aide, Sasikala, was named the new party chief but was jailed within weeks after the Supreme Court found her guilty of corruption.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan narrowly won a referendum on Sunday to expand presidential powers.

With 99.97 per cent of ballots counted, the "Yes" campaign had won 51.41 per cent and "No" 48.59 per cent, and the electoral board called victory for "Yes", BBC reported. Final referendum results will be released within 11-12 days.

The social-democratic CHP party, the country's main opposition force, which campaigned against the reform, said the Supreme Electoral Board had helped the "Yes" option win.

CHP spokesman Erdal Aksunger told reporters that the party will challenge the ballots cast at 37 per cent of the precincts because there was "much manipulation" and will demand a recount.

The opposition's chief concern is the statement issued by the board late on Sunday saying that it will consider ballots not previously validated by the electoral precinct authorities to be valid, a move the opposition claims opens the door to manipulation.

"They're saying that ballots and envelopes without the official seal are valid. That's illegal. That means that they can bring votes in from outside," EFE news quoted CHP Vice-President Bulent Tezcan as saying.

The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) suggested "an indication of a three-four percentage point manipulation of the vote".

"Today, Turkey has made a historic decision on a 200-year-old conflict in its administrative system... Today is the day when a change, a decision to shift to a truly serious administrative system was made," the state-run Anadolu Agency quoted Erdogan as saying in a post-referendum speech at Huber Palace in Istanbul

Erdogan said 25 million "Yes" votes were cast, with a 1.3-million vote margin of victory, according to unofficial results.

Referring to the military coups which marred Turkish for decades, including a failed coup attempt in last July, Erdogan said Turkey changed its governmental system through civilian means for the first time in its republic history.

"For the first time in the history of the Republic, we are changing our ruling system through civil politics," Erdogan said,

Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak said the results were not what they expected. "The 'yes' votes are lower than what we expected, but still they are ahead," Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying.

However, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the Turkish nation gave its final word by voting "Yes" in the country's constitutional referendum.

Speaking at the Ankara headquarters of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Yildirim said: "I thank and express my gratitude to all our citizens who went to the ballot box with a high turnout, and who protected our democracy."

"We have voiced different things to the nation but the nation gave its final world by saying 'Yes'," Anadolu agency quoted him as saying.

Saying that Turkey's new government system would be put into practice in the 2019 general elections, Yildirim said: "Our nation made its choice, and it confirmed the presidential system."

The leader of Turkey's Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Devlet Bahceli, who supported the "Yes" campaign, said the outcome of the referendum was an "undeniably successful achievement" and should be respected.

"The Turkish people have gone to the polls with a great dignity and decided on shifting to the presidential system of their own free will," Anadolu Agency quoted Devlet Bahceli as saying in a statement.

More than 55 million people in the country were registered to vote, while another 1.3 million Turks cast ballots abroad.

Sunday's referendum asked voters to choose 'Yes' or 'No' on an 18-article bill that would see the country switch from a parliamentary to a presidential system,

The draft states that the next presidential and parliamentary elections will be held on November 3, 2019 when Erdogan's current term ends. It sets a limit of two five-year terms for the President.

It enables the President to directly appoint members of Turkey's top judicial body, top public officials, ministers and assign one or several Vice-Presidents.

It gives the President authority to annul parliament and declare an election. It introduces accountability before law for the President, but makes it more difficult for the President to be referred to the Constitutional Court for trial.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actress Kriti Sanon, who will be seen doing some action sequences in her upcoming film "Raabta", says she really enjoyed doing stunts and it makes her feel stronger.

"I really enjoyed doing those action sequences and given an opportunity I would like to do that again. Somehow I felt stronger while doing them but it was difficult," Kriti told the media during the trailer launch of the film.

Kriti will be seen playing two characters named Saira and Saiba. "Raabta" revolves around reincarnation.

"It's very interesting as I can relate to Saira so closely since she is a girl from present time, I also enjoyed essaying Saiba's character, which is from a historic era," she added.

Directed by Dinesh Vijan and produced by Homi Adajania and Bhushan Kumar the film is releasing on June 9.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The German government on Monday urged Turkey to hold "respectful dialogue" with different political factions in the country after the narrow referendum win backing constitutional changes.

In a joint statement, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said the outcome of the vote had indicated a "deeply divided" Turkish society, Xinhua news agency reported.

Therefore, "the German government expects the Turkish government to look for a respectful dialogue with all political and social groups in the country", said the statement.

It also stressed the importance of political talks between Turkey and the European Union regarding the implementation of the constitutional changes.

During Sunday's vote, about 51.35 per cent backed the constitutional changes, compared to 48.65 per cent for the "no" side.

The constitutional reforms were set to grant more power to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The amendments to the constitution are likely to allow Erdogan to hold office for two more terms until 2029.

Many of the votes are coming from the Turks residing overseas in Germany, reportedly at 1.6 million.

Berlin has been critical of the referendum and somehow sees it as an undemocratic move. Some German states and cities have blocked campaigns on their soil before Sunday's vote, severely straining the ties between Ankara and Berlin.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Goa Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar on Monday said the constant pestering of tourists by hawkers on the state's beaches has forced the state Tourism Ministry to come down on the menace.

Speaking to reporters, Ajgaonkar said groups of hawkers physically grab foreign tourists and don't let go until they buy their ware.

"Some hawkers... what they do is... five-six of them hold foreigners' hands and they don't let go. This message has to go to everyone," Ajgaonkar said.

The minister also said that tourism department personnel, including security guards and life guards, had been allotted areas on Goa's popular beaches in order to keep them hawker-free.

"I have told them that if hawkers are found, you will be suspended," Ajgaonkar said.

Goa attracts more than four million tourists annually, of which half a million are foreign nationals.

--IANS

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The Delhi High Court on Monday was informed by the Central government that it had constituted a high level committee which has proposed guidelines for regulating taxi services in the country.

Justice Manmohan was informed by advocate Manish Mohan appearing for the Road Transport and Highways Ministry that a committee was constituted to examine issues related to black/yellow taxis, radio taxis and aggregators like Ola and Uber, and the report has been forwarded to the state governments for taking appropriate action.

Delhi government counsel Rahul Mehra told the court that government was looking into the guidelines of Central government.

The court, posting the matter for August 2, asked Delhi government to file a fresh action taken report on the issue.

The court was hearing a batch of petitions filed by radio taxi operators against the Delhi government for allowing Ola and Uber to operate without any licence, while the two companies have filed contempt pleas against each other for alleged violation of court orders.

--IANS

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Beer is endangering the giant jewel beetle by ruining males ability to mate successfully. Its not what you think  the beetles are not drinking the beer and then failing to perform. No, the problem is far more serious, and at the same time far more absurd.

During mating season, males of this species fly over arid regions of western Australia searching for females. The aspect of females that they find attractive is the females shiny, brown, dimpled elytra (modified, hardened front wings of beetles). Unfortunately, what they find even more attractive are discarded beer bottles, known in that country as stubbies.

Male beetles find stubbies irresistible, perhaps because they look like the biggest, most beautiful female beetles ever. The shiny, brown glass with the dimples that are designed to prevent humans from losing their grip are drawing in male jewel beetles in a way that no female beetle can match. Males swoop down towards stubbies ready for action.

Male beetles are so smitten with these beer bottles that while attempting to mate with them, they will ignore actual female beetles that are right there and willing to mate with them. Though these males are poor at mate selection, nobody can fairly say that they have commitment issues. Rather, they are so committed to the lovely bottles that they will continue in their attempts to mate with them indefinitely, without ever producing any offspring. (The bottles are infertile, you see.)

During their unsuccessful attempts at reproduction, they endure being eaten by ants as well as the blazing suns heat, either of which can eventually kill them. Thats right, the male beetles keep trying to mate with their beloved beer bottles until death do them part.

Biologists Darryl Gwynne and David Rentz published their observations about giant jewel beetles (and the beer bottles that are messing with them) over 30 years ago. However, it wasnt until 2011 that they were officially honored for this work, receiving the Ig Nobel Prize in Biology. Ig Nobels are awarded to people whose research first makes people laugh, and then makes them think.

Other 2011 Ig Nobel Prizes included an award for developing a wasabi smoke alarm after trying hundreds of possible odors and determining the ideal density of airborne wasabi to awaken people in case of fire (Chemistry  to a team in Japan) and an award for demonstrating that the problem of luxury cars parked illegally can be solved by running them over with an armored tank (Peace  to Arturas Zuokas, mayor of Vilnius, Lithuania).

Beer and giant jewel beetles are forever linked in the minds of many people, including the owners of the Lagunitas Brewing Company. They named one of their products Bug Town Stout to honor this odd example of humans threatening the survival of another species. Every bottle says, Catch the bug! right underneath a drawing of a giant jewel beetle, but I hope they dont really mean it. Presumably, they dont actually want you to toss yet another troublesome bottle into the Australian landscape!
"Masaan" and "Raman Raghav 2.o" actor Vicky Kaushal revealed that he was never part of any happy film and hence he had a ball shooting for romantic comedy "Love per square foot".

"It's a romantic story mixed with comedy about a boy and girl trying to find a house in Mumbai. I have never been a part of a happy film. All my earlier films have been on intense side, so I had a ball shooting for this one," Kaushal told reporters, here.

"My character Sanjay is ambitious and street-smart. This film will be a proper commercial Hindi film with lot of dancing and singing incorporated in it," added the actor on the sidelines of the IIFA voting weekend 2017 in Mumbai.

Talking about his experience with IIFA, he said: "IIFA awards are really special to me because last year IIFA honoured me with best debut award. This time IIFA is being held at New York so I am sure that Indians who live there will support this event wholeheartedly as it is biggest celebration of Bollywood on international platforms".

"Love per square foot" is directed by Anand Tiwari and produced by Ronnie Screwvala under his production RSVPA(Ronnie Screwvala Productions). It is also a Bollywood debut of Angira Dhar who had earlier acted in web series "Bang Baaja Baarat".

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Haryana Police have arrested six men and one woman, all members of the same gang who were planning to commit loot in a house in DLF Phase-II of Gurugram, adjoining New Delhi, police said on Monday.

Police recovered two country-made pistols, two cartridges, an iron bar, a sharp-edged weapon and a rope from their possession.

"Police got information that some persons were planning to commit loot in a house in DLF with the help of the maid in that house.

"Acting swiftly, the police nabbed all the accused who have been identified as Sunil, Satyanarayan, Rajkumar Thakur, Ram Kalesh alias Hritik, Arvinder and Mohammad Zahir, all residents of Bihar, and Madhuri, a resident of Odisha. Besides, police have also arrested maid Manju alias Poonam, a resident of Odisha," a police department spokesman said here.

He said that Manju was known to Satyanarayan, who was the kingpin of the gang.

According to the plan, Manju served sedative-laced food to members of the family. But police nabbed the gang before they could commit the crime.

The spokesman said that during the interrogation, it was found that Satyanarayan was also involved in various other such crimes and had recently come out of jail.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Between 2010-11 and 2015-16, student enrolment in government schools across 20 states fell by 13 million, while private schools acquired 17.5 million new students, according to a new study that offers insights into India's public-school education crisis.

Average enrolment in government schools -- where teachers are paid, on average, salaries that are four times those in China -- declined from 122 to 108 students per school over five years, while it rose from 202 to 208 in private schools, according to a research paper by Geeta Gandhi Kingdon, professor of education and international development at the Institute of Education, London.

Yet, 65 per cent of all school-going children in the 20 states, about 113 million, continue to get their education from government schools, according to District Information System for Education (DISE) and Ministry of Education data.

Why are students opting out of government schools, which educate the poorest and most vulnerable students until the age of 14 for free, and migrating to fee-charging private institutions in such large numbers?

The study, which uses DISE data, traced this student migration to the belief among parents that private schools offer better value for money and better teaching. Multiple evaluations after controlling for students' home backgrounds indicate that "children's learning levels in private schools are no worse than, and in many studies better than, those in government schools", said Gandhi.

Despite the Rs 1.16 lakh crore ($17.7 billion) spent on Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) -- the national programme for universal elementary education -- the quality of learning declined between 2009 and 2014.

Less than one in five elementary school teachers are trained. In Delhi, capital city and its richest state, by per capita income, half of all government-school teachers are hired on temporary contracts. They are likely to be less motivated and accountable than teachers with full-time jobs.

The preference for private school education and the differences in learning outcomes of private and government schools vary between states. For instance, in 2015-16, in Uttar Pradesh, over 50 per cent of children studied in private schools, while in Bihar, less than four per cent of children attended private schools, according to DISE data.

In 2016, in Kerala, the proportion of children (aged 11-14) enrolled in government schools increased from 40.6 per cent in 2014 to 49.9 per cent. In Gujarat too, it increased, from 79.2 per cent in 2014 to 86 per cent, according to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2016 data. ASER is a learning assessment of children in rural India.

In Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, government schools outperformed private schools in reading skills in local languages, once household and parental characteristics were controlled for, according to a state-wise analysis in ASER 2014.

In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where government schools were better than private schools to start with, learning outcomes improved between 2011 and 2014, once other factors were accounted for.

States with better-functioning government schools have more elite -- that is, more expensive -- private schools because there is no market here for the "low-fee" budget private schools that have been sprouting across the country, Gandhi's study said.

This explains why in poorer states, such as Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Orissa, about 70 per cent to 85 per cent of children studying in private unaided schools pay less than Rs 500 per month as school fees. Up to 80 per cent of private schools are "low" fee schools when benchmarked against per capita and daily wagers' incomes, the data show.

In 2016, for the first time in 10 years, private-school enrolment did not increase in rural areas -- it fell from 30.8 per cent in 2014 to 30.5 per cent in 2016, according to the ASER 2016 report. But this has not stemmed the growth of private schools nationwide.

Between 2010-11 and 2015-16, the number of private schools grew 35 per cent, while the number of government schools grew one per cent. Section 6 of the Right to Education Act 2009 legally obligates states to create more government schools.

The migration out of government schools has left many unviable, with high per-pupil expenditure, and low value-for-money from public education expenditure. About 24,000 government schools across Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh have closed, according to the study.

India's government teachers earn more than not just their counterparts in private schools but also in other countries, Gandhi's analysis shows.

Despite being paid at least four times the salaries of teachers in China (in terms of multiples of their respective per capita incomes), the performance of Indian teachers judged in terms of their students' learning levels, has been poor in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test in 2009, with India ranking 73rd and China ranking 2nd, among 74 countries.

Up to 80 per cent of India's public expenditure on education is spent on teachers -- salaries, training and learning material, according to a six-state report. Teacher salaries in of teachers in Uttar Pradesh are four to five times India's per capita gross domestic product (GDP) and more than 15 times the state's, according to a 2013 analysis by Amartya Sen and Jean Dreze. This is much higher than the salaries paid to teachers in OECD countries and India's neighbours.

"This suggests the need to link future teacher salary increases to the degree of teachers' acceptance of greater accountability, rather than across-the board increases irrespective of performance or accountability," said Gandhi.

The private education sector offers salaries based on market factors of demand and supply, said Gandhi, and given that there is a 10.5 per cent graduate unemployment rate in India, jobless graduates are willing to settle for low salaries in private schools.

A common suggestion is increasing India's spending on education. In 2015-16, central government spending on school and higher education was less than other BRICS countries -- India spent three per cent of its GDP on education, compared to Russia (3.8 per cent), China (4.2 per cent), Brazil (5.2 per cent), and South Africa (6.9 per cent).

However, increased government spending in education is not enough to improve educational outcomes. Between 2006 and 2013, public expenditure on school education increased from 2.2 per cent to 2.68 per cent of GDP. The education policy must be thoroughly revised to put in place better accountability and monitoring mechanisms to exploit the gains of increase in fiscal outlays on education.

Public private partnership (PPP) model may be the solution, Gandhi argued, combining the best of both worlds-public sector funding and private resources for education.

Before choosing any particular form of educational PPP, India must study these different designs and their relevance/applicability/adaptability, and must also pilot test the chosen models before scaling up any novel intervention, Gandhi suggested in her paper.

(In arrangement with IndiaSpend.org, a data-driven, non-profit, public interest journalism platform. Devanik Saha is with the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex. The views expressed are those of IndiaSpend. Feedback at respond@indiaspend.org)

--IANS/IndiaSpend

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A significant digital gap exists between the best and worst performing brands in India and the country needs 'Digital Business Leaders' who can address the digital experience that businesses provide to their customers, a new report said on Monday.

Only eight per cent of Indian customers who are unsatisfied with their digital experience would continue to remain loyal to the brand, added the "India Digital Experience" report by SAP, a leader in enterprise application software.

It found that 59 per cent of consumers were delighted and 15 per cent unsatisfied with their digital experience.

On average, consumers delighted with the digital experience are five times more likely to disclose information with organisations across industry.

"Digital transformation will be crucial for accelerating the growth of India's economy. The report corroborates the need for the industry to identify 'Digital Business Leaders' who can address the digital experience that businesses provide to their customers," said Deb Deep Sengupta, President and Managing Director, SAP Indian Subcontinent.

It said that India achieved a digital experience score of 44 per cent and automotive is the top performing sector when it comes to delivering best digital experience followed by banking sector.

"Telcos, utilities and government are laggards in providing good digital experience," the report said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) rode on a brilliant batting effort from Manish Pandey and Yusuf Pathan to beat Delhi Daredevils by four wickets in a thrilling Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017 match at the Feroz Shah Kotla here on Monday.

Pandey, who remained unbeaten on 69 off 49 balls rescued the visitors with a brilliant 110-run fourth wicket stand with Pathan (59) to turn the tide in favour of the visitors after a dreadful start in pursuit of Delhi's 168/7 in 20 overs.

Needing nine from the last over, Mishra got Chris Woakes stumped off his second delivery but couldn't prevent Pandey from hitting him for a six off the fourth ball and then leaked two runs off the next to lose the tie.

Earlier, skipper Zaheer Khan gave Delhi a perfect start with the wickets of his opposite number Gautam Gambhir (14) and Colin de Grandhomme (1) while Pat Cummins sent back one down Robin Uthappa (4) to reduce the visitors to 21/3.

Zaheer struck in the opening over of the innings to remove KKR's debutant de Grandhomme, who holed out a short of length delivery to give a simple catch to Sam Billings at deep square leg.

The next over saw Cummins getting belted for two boundaries by Gambhir and one from Uthappa before the Australian hit back with the wicket of the KKR stumper on the last ball of the over.

The third over witnessed the fall of an in-form Gambhir, who found a leading edge from Zaheer to be smartly latched on by Angelo Mathews running back a few steps at backward point. The southpaw faced 12 deliveries and fired two boundaries.

Thereafter, Yusuf Pathan (59) and Manish Pandey batted sensibly to resurrect the visitors' innings with a 110-run fourth wicket stand, as KKR went past the 100-run mark with ease in the 13th over.

Pathan, expectedly was the more aggressive of the two with the Baroda right-hander slamming two consecutive boundaries off Cummins before lofting Mohammed Shami for a huge one-handed six over long-on.

The 34-year-old Pathan brought up his first half century of this year's IPL in style by dispatching Zaheer for a flat six over long on while completing the 100-run stand off 66 deliveries.

Pandey, at the other end, played the perfect second fiddle, by hitting the occasional boundaries to get to his half century off 37 balls.

Just when the match seemed to be slipping out of Delhi's hands, South African all-rounder Chris Morris provided some respite to the capacity crowd at the Kotla with the wicket of the dangerous Pathan.

Pathan, who had by now faced 39 deliveries and struck six boundaries and two maximums, got a leading edge off a quick delivery from Morris, who took it on his own follow through.

The fall of Pathan, brought in Suryakumar Yadav (7), who chipped in with a 21-run fifth wicket stand with Pandey before Cummins dismissed him on the penultimate ball of his fourth over.

In the end, Pandey kept his cool, striking four boundaries and three sixes to help the visitors get over the line.

Earlier, promising wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant's late surge helped Delhi Daredevils reach 168/7 as the hosts squandered a promising start by the openers after electing to bat.

Delhi rushed to a 50-run opening stand in just 4.4 overs with the opening duo of Sanju Samson (39) and Sam Billings (21) sending the KKR bowlers on a leather hunt.

Samson's purple patch continued to help the home side, with the Kerala youngster slamming seven boundaries, including three off pacer Umesh Yadav's over to lay the platform for a massive total.

Billings looked good during his brief 17-ball stay, helping the ball to the ropes on two occasions before being caught behind by Robin Uthappa off pacer Nathan Coulter-Nile.

With Delhi at 63/2 after the eighth over, Shreyas Iyer (26) and Karun Nair (21) joined forces to add 43 runs for the third wicket before the Mumbaikar was undone, in his attempt to steal a second run, by a superb throw from de Grandhomme straight on the stumps.

KKR made a brilliant comeback after the initial onslaught, to stop the flow of runs in the middle overs before Pant (38) took the attack to the opposition in the 17th over from Umesh.

Pant slammed four mammoth sixes, including a brilliant flick down the legs towards square leg, besides two boundaries as Delhi neared the 150-run mark.

Morris then struck two consecutive fours off Woakes to take Delhi to 168 with a 9-ball 16.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
IUML legislator P.K. Kunhalikutty was on Monday elected to the Lok Sabha from Malappuram in Kerala by a margin of 171,023 votes. The winner called it a victory for "secular politics".

The Indian Union Muslim League strongman won by 171,023 votes. He got 515,330 lakh votes, the highest anyone has secured in the constituency in northern Kerala.

M.B. Faisal of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) got 344,307 votes. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate N. Sreeprakash finished a distant third with 65,675 votes.

As Kunhalikutty came out of his home, jubilant supporters shouted slogans hailing him and lifted him on their shoulders.

Kunhalikutty said his party led even in village councils controlled by the Left.

"This is because the electorate has placed faith in me as I spoke about the need for a secular outlook. Also, the unity (in the Congress-led) UDF helped us."

The IUML leader added: "Literate Kerala has voted for secular . Kerala's vote has never been on communal lines."

He said the BJP was the biggest loser in the contest while the IUML bounced back strongly in the assembly segments Perinthalmanna and Mankada where it had performed poorly in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Kunhalikutty remained far ahead of his nearest rival -- the young Faisal -- throughout the counting process.

The April 12 election was necessitated by the death of IUML MP and former central minister E. Ahamed.

Malappuram is an IUML citadel and Ahamed won in 2014 with a record margin of 1.94 lakh votes.

Kunhalikutty secured 55.04 per cent of all votes, compared to Ahamed's 51.28 per cent.

The Left's vote share went up from 28.47 per cent in 2014 to 36.77 per cent. The Bharatiya Janata Party's vote share dipped from 7.59 per cent to 7.01 per cent.

The IUML is the second biggest partner in the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), which was ousted from power in Kerala last year.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) legislator P K Kunhalikutty won the Malappuram by-poll in Kerala on Monday by 171,038 lakh votes.

The IUML strongman remained far ahead of his nearest rival -- Communist Party of India-Marxist candidate and youth leader M.B. Faisal throughout the counting process.

The Bharatiya Janata Party candidate N. Sreeprakash came a distant third.

Earlier Kunhalikutty came out of his home as jubilant supporters shouted slogans and lifted him up.

Speaking to the media Kunhalikutty said the party has led in village councils where the Left was ruling.

"This is because the electorate has placed faith in me as I spoke about the need for a secular outlook. Also the unity of the Congress-led-UDF has helped us in this," Kunhalikutty added.

The total turnout at Malappuram by-election on April 12, was 71.33 per cent.

With Kunhalikutty far ahead in the race right from the time counting began, he always had more than 50 per cent of the counted votes.

The re-poll was necessitated after the death of sitting MP and IUML leader Ahamed.

Malappuram district is the citadel of the IUML and Ahamed won the 2014 polls with a record margin of 1.94 lakh votes.

But during the 2016 assembly elections, the margin of the IUML legislators, who won in all the seven assembly constituencies, came down to 1.18 lakh votes.

The outcome of the poll could well be the first indicator on how well the 10-month-old Pinarayi Vijayan government has functioned.
In a surprise twist to the infamous Jawaharbagh incident, in which over two dozen people, including two senior police officers were killed in Mathura last year, a forensic lab report says that the DNA of prime accused Ram Vraksh Yadav, reportedly found dead, does not match with his son's.

The Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), Hyderabad, in its report has inferred that the DNA picked from the corpse supposedly of Ram Vraksh does not match with his son's DNA.

A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ashwani Upadhyaya had petitioned the Allahabad High Court, seeking a DNA test on the body of Ram Vraksh to ascertain whether the allegedly dead person was him or not.

Following this, the High Court had ordered a DNA verification by the CFSL, report of which was submitted before the court on Monday.

Yadav and his men had encroached upon a multi-acre park in the centre of Mathura and when on orders of a court, police went to clear them out in June last year, the police team was fired upon in which SP (City) Mukul Dwivedi and SO Santosh Kumar Yadav were killed.

Later, as many as 24 persons, including many encroachers, were also killed in the violence that followed.

The incident had made international headlines for the scale of violence and the fact that senior police officials were also killed.

After the DNA report, police now suspect that Ram Vraksh might be alive and hiding, and the body considered as his was of somebody else.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Colleges, universities and other higher education institutes in will remain closed on Tuesday following the unprecedented protests by students across the valley, authorities said.

All examinations scheduled for Tuesday have also been postponed, an official said.

Internet facilities were also suspended on Monday to prevent uploading of pictures from the protests by youths on the social media.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) legislator P.K. Kunhalikutty, who on Monday was elected to the Lok Sabha from Malappuram, said "literate Kerala has voted for secular politics".

The IUML strongman won by 171,023 votes. He got 515,330 lakh votes, the highest anyone has secured in the constituency.

A beaming Kunhalikutty told reporters that this was a huge margin of victory in a by-election.

"I will say literate Kerala has voted for secular . Kerala's vote has never ever been on communal lines. Instead, it has always been a political vote.

"The BJP has turned out to be the biggest loser. Personally for us, the IUML, we have been able to come back strongly in two assembly segments -- Perinthalmanna and Mankada."

In the 2016 assembly polls, the IUML only scraped through in these two constituencies. Kunhalikutty said: "This time we have dramatically increased our lead there. This clearly shows that the Left has performed very poorly."

In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, however, then IUML candidate E. Ahamed, whose death led to the by-election, was above 1.94 lakh.

The CPI-M's M.B. Faisal got 344,307 votes and the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate N. Sreeprakash was a distant third with 65,675 votes.

Kunhalikutty secured 55.04 per cent of all votes, compared to Ahamed's 51.28 per cent.

The Left's vote share went up from 28.47 per cent in 2014 to 36.77 per cent. The Bharatiya Janata Party's vote share dipped from 7.59 per cent to 7.01 per cent.

The turnout in the Malappuram by-election on April 12 was 71.33 per cent.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two hikers have been reported missing in the Grand Canyon. According to a press release, on Saturday evening, April 15 the National Park Service received an alert from a personal locating beacon in a backcountry area of Grand Canyon National Park near the confluence of Tapeats Creek and Thunder River. An Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter flew to the location where a hiking party reported two members of their party missing.

The hiking party reported that the two hikers were last seen crossing Tapeats Creek below the confluence with Thunder River when they lost footing and were swept down Tapeats Creek.

The first hiker is described as a 62 year old female, 55, 145 pounds, blonde hair, and green eyes. She was last seen wearing khaki zip-off shorts, a blue/green button down short sleeve shirt, and blue water shoes size 8.5. She was carrying a homemade blue backpack with a maroon fleece and hiking poles attached.

The second is described as a 14 year old male, 58, 105 pounds with black hair. He was last seen wearing black Nike shorts, a long sleeve white Columbia t-shirt with COLUMBIA written on the sleeve, and navy blue Chaco sandals size 10. He was carrying a new sage green backpack.

The National Park Service is currently conducting a Search and Rescue operation. National Park Service crews were flown to the scene this morning and are searching the Tapeats Creek area. Backcountry hiking groups and Colorado River trips in the area have also been alerted.

A missing persons investigation is on-going. No further information is available at this time. Any individual with information should contact National Park Service at 928-638-7805.
In a major boost for clean energy, the Madhya Pradesh government has signed an agreement for its 750 MW Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Limited (RUMSL) project, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) said on Monday.

The project, which is expeccted to generate clean energy at a record low of Rs 3.30 per unit, will be functional by next year. The project will supply power to the Delhi Metro and Madhya Pradesh Power Management Company.

A World Bank constituent, IFC has termed this a major boost to India's 100 GW solar power goal by 2022.

"With a record low tariff of US cents 4.4 per kilowatt hour offered through a competitive bidding process, the project achieved the lowest tariffs ever awarded for a solar project in India, bringing solar tariffs in the country on par with fossil fuels for the first time," IFC said in a statement.

IFC is the lead transaction advisor for this project, that will mobilise $550 million in private investment and avoid a million tonnes of green house gas emissions.

"The Rewa solar park transaction will have an enormous ripple effect, helping create new markets for large solar projects across India and the region," said Philippe Le Houerou, IFC Executive Vice President and CEO.

He added that the agreement signed by India in the past and including Rewa park, are the next step in IFC's efforts to help India be a global leader in renewable energy and secure a clean, sustainable future.

IFC advised in designing the structure, balancing public and market risks, and creating a competitive auction process for RUMSL.

RUMSL is a joint venture between the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) and Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (MPUVN).

The Rewa solar power project will also receive financing from the World Bank with more than $1 billion in lending over financial year 2017, as well as supporting the India-led International Solar Alliance, which aims to promote solar use globally by mobilising $1 trillion in investments by 2030.

"We are very proud that Madhya Pradesh is leading the way in large-scale renewable power developments in India," said Manu Srivastava, Chairman of RUMSL and Principal Secretary, New and Renewable Energy Department of the Madhya Pradesh government.

Srivastava added that for the first time in the country, the solar power has achieved grid parity, which means that the ambitious renewable energy targets set by the Indian government are within reach.

The project was auctioned in three packages of 250 MW each, and will be one of the biggest single site solar projects in the world. The three winning bidders for the project are Mahindra Renewables, ACME Solar, and Solenergie Power.

"India is IFC's top country exposure, globally. IFC's committed portfolio in India is over $5 billion as of June 30, 2016. In 2016, IFC committed $1.1 billion in new investments in the country," the IFC statement said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Current national political issues and issues relating to election-bound Tripura are likely to dominate the two-day Central Committee meeting of the CPI-M in New Delhi starting from Tuesday, party sources said on Monday.

"The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politburo meeting is being held today (Monday) in New Delhi and the party's two-day Central Committee meeting would start from tomorrow (Tuesday). At both meetings, prevailing political issues and matters relating to Tripura would be discussed," a CPI-M leader said.

He said Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, also a CPI-M politburo member, left Agartala for New Delhi on Sunday to attend the meeting and other Central Committee members from Tripura were on their way to Delhi.

The Left leader said that opposition parties, especially the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), had already started their campaign for the Tripura assembly elections, due in February next year.

"The BJP leaders are conspiring against the Left Front government in Tripura. The BJP-led government at the Centre has been reducing funds in various central projects, including MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), to put the state in an awkward position," the CP-M leader said.

Tripura's ruling Left Front last week lodged a protest with the Election Commission against state BJP chief Biplab Kumar Deb following his alleged comments about manipulation of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in favour of his party in the upcoming assembly polls.

The Tripura BJP President, however, denied the allegations, saying he had said that the EVMs could not be manipulated.

Quoting media reports, the CPI-M-led Left Front lodged a protest with the Election Commission alleging that Deb, during a public meeting in western Tripura on April 12, had said that the results seen in Uttar Pradesh and Manipur assembly polls would be repeated in Tripura too and even if Chief Minister Sarkar would cast his vote for his party, it would go to 'Lotus', the BJP's election symbol.

CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury wrote a separate letter to the Election Commission on the issue and demanded fool-proof workability of EVMs in Tripura polls.

A large numbers of leaders and workers from various parties, especially Congress, recently joined the BJP.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari arrived here on Monday on a five-day visit to India at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee.

This is Bhandari's first foreign tour after assuming office in October 2015.

She is accompanied by a 33-member delegation that includes Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat and Peace and Reconstruction Minister Sita Devi Yadav, five women MPs and senior officials.

Bhandari will be given a ceremonial reception and accorded a guard of honour at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday.

Also on Tuesday, she will pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat and visit the Yamuna Biodiversity Park.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister Susham Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will call on the visiting dignitary.

Vice President Hamid Ansari will also call on Bhandari at the Rashtrapati Bhavan where she will stay. She will call on President Mukherjee and attend a banquet hosted by him.

"Neighbourhood first," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted, announcing the President's arrival.

On Sunday, Sudhakar Dalela, Joint Secretary (India and Bhutan) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said India's ties with Nepal were people-centric and focused on improving connectivity between the neighbours besides improving energy infrastructure.

The visit reflects "the priority India attaches to further strengthening the age-old unique partnership with Nepal and our shared historical and cultural linkages and strong people-to-people connection", he said.

Though wide-ranging discussions are expected to be held on bilateral issues, no agreement is expected to be signed.

Bhandari will visit Gujarat and Odisha on Wednesday and Thursday before leaving for Kathmandu on Friday.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Amid wide criticism, the Nepal government has decided to roll back its decision to declare a public holiday on Friday, the day when President Bidya Devi Bhandari is scheduled to return home at the end of a five-day state visit to India.

Earlier, the government had announced public holidays on April 17 and April 22 -- days when the President was slated to leave for her foreign tour and return home, the Kathmandu Post reported on Monday.

On Monday morning, Bhandari, leading a 33-member delegation, left Kathmandu for India on a five-day state visit at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee. A public holiday was observed on Monday.

In monarchical Nepal, public holidays were customarily announced whenever the King embarked on an official visit to any nation or returned home after the visit. The announcement on Sunday by Law Minister Ajay Shankar Nayak about the public holidays on April 17 and 22 appeared a continuation of the previous practice -- but strident criticism from almost all quarters forced the government to have a re-think on the decision.

This is Bhandari's first foreign tour after assuming office in October 2015.

Her delegation includes Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat and Peace and Reconstruction Minister Sita Devi Yadav, five women MPs and senior officials.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari arrived here on Monday on a four-day state visit to India.

This is Bhandari's first visit to India after assuming office in October 2015.

Bhandari will be given a ceremonial reception and accorded a guard of honour at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday.

"Neighbourhood first," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted while announcing the President's arrival.

Also on Tuesday, she will pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat and visit the Yamuna Biodiversity Park. She will call on President Pranab Mukherjee and attend a banquet hosted by him.

Bhandari will also visit Gujarat and Odisha before returning home.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Online pharmacy Netmeds Marketplace Ltd will open 10 physical pharmacy outlets here by July 2017 in order to reach out to medicine buyers faster, said a top company official.

"We will be opening 10 outlets under the franchisee model. Our investment will be around Rs 15-20 lakh per outlet in technology and other aspects," CEO and Founder of Netmeds Pradeep Dadha told IANS.

According to him, it will be a pilot project and based on the response, expansion would be considered.

The decision to have an offline channel is not because of any declining trend in online sales or due to declining prices of life saving drugs, Dadha added.

"Our franchisees will pay a minimum guarantee fee and also variable fee based on the volume of business done," he said.

Queried about the impact on the revenue with the central government fixing the retail sale prices of life saving drugs, he said that the revenue has gone down.

"But the discount percentage on sale of drugs to customers depends on the margins that we get," Dadha added.

According to him, there will not be any difference in the sale price of drugs at the physical stores as compared to online sales.

"But some of the offers available for online purchasers will not be available for offline customers," Dadha said.

Last year, Netmeds closed a funding of $50 million from healthcare-focused investment firm OrbiMed and others.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Sushant Singh Rajput says that being an outsider, he does not have a problem with nepotism in Bollywood and that it can co-exist with constant encouragement of talent from outside the industry.

"I think nepotism can co-exist with the idea of encouraging new talent from outside of the film industry. I, being an outsider, got the opportunity and luxury of choices to choose the film that I wanted to do. So I have no complaints.

"But having said that, if new talents won't get a chance, and only the practice of nepotism continues, then the industry will collapse in some time," the actor told media at the trailer launch of his forthcoming film "Raabta" on Monday.

Sushant started his acting career with television, and gained popularity with the show "Pavitra Rishta". He later made his Bollywood debut with "Kai Po Che" in 2013.

His next "Raabta", opposite actress Kriti Sanon, will release on June 9.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
South Korea's former President Park Geun-hye was indicted Monday on multiple charges, including bribery, as prosecutors wrapped up their probe into the influence-peddling scandal that ousted her last month.

Park is accused of abuse of power, coercion, bribery and leaking government secrets, prosecutors said. She was taken into custody on March 31, Yonhap News Agency reported.

In addition to allegations that Park colluded with her friend Choi Soon-sil in coercing conglomerates to donate 77.4 billion won ($68 million) to two non-profit foundations -- Mir and K-Sports, the former leader is also accused of soliciting bribes from Lotte and SK groups.

Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin was put on trial on charges of giving 7 billion won to the K-Sports Foundation, allegedly controlled by Choi.

SK Group avoided prosecution as it did not give 8.9 billion won in donations sought by the former President.

Prosecutors suspect that Park promised favours in relation to the conglomerates' bids for duty-free shops and other business projects.

The retail giant Lotte was selected by the Korea Customs Service (KCS) to operate the lucrative shop in Seoul, together with Hyundai and Shinsegae, in December.

Park reportedly denied all the charges during her five rounds of questioning in jail.

Woo Byung-woo, senior presidential secretary for civil affairs from 2015 to 2016, was also indicted for allegedly neglecting his duty in preventing Choi from meddling in state affairs and abusing his authority.

Prosecutors have been accelerating the investigation to conclude it before Monday's launch of the official campaign for the May 9 presidential election.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistani military on Monday announced that Ehsanullah Ehsan, former spokesperson of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and senior member of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, had turned himself in to Pakistan's security agencies.

The Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor announced that Ehsanullah Ehsan had turned himself over to the security forces. He did not say when and where, however.

"I want to take this opportunity to announce that Ehsanullah Ehsan, the former spokesperson of the TTP and a leader of the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, has turned himself in to our security agencies," he added.

Maj. Gen. Ghafoor said, "There can be no bigger achievement for Pakistan than the fact that our biggest enemies are now turning themselves in."

He said, the people, the state and the institutions of Pakistan "have made considerable progress in the betterment of the country's security situation."

"We have progressed to the point that the people who've been planning attacks on Pakistan's soil from across the border have started to see the error of their ways," the ISPR Director General said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Around 1,300 Palestinians in Israeli prisons on Monday started an indefinite hunger strike to demand an improvement in their conditions.

Akram Atallah, of the Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs Commission of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), told Efe news that it hopes more prisoners will continue joining the call, which coincides with the national Palestinian Prisoners' Day held every April 17.

PNA Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah declared his support for the hunger strike that demands prisoners have their basic needs and rights met.

Hamdallah said in a statement that the strike was an attempt to end arbitrary administrative detention, torture, unfair trials, the detention of children, medical negligence, solitary confinement, inhuman treatment and the deprivation of basic rights such as family visits and education.

According to figures from the PNA, about 6,500 Palestinians are in 22 Israeli prisons and in detention centres, including 300 minors, 12 lawmakers and 28 journalists.

Prisoners' advocacy organisations like Addameer and the Palestinian Prisoners Club say that 1,500 prisoners are in poor health and receive little medical care.

The hunger strike was called by one of the leaders of the nationalist Fatah party, Marwan Barghouti, who is serving five life sentences for attacks during the Second Intifada.

Under the motto "Strike for freedom and dignity", the prisoners presented a series of demands, including the improvement of the visits system, and the end of solitary confinement and administrative detention, which allows detention without charge or trial for periods of six months renewable indefinitely.

Yousef Jabareen, a member of the Israeli parliament, has called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to deal with the demands and accused the Israeli authorities of violating the Fourth Geneva Convention.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US Vice President Mike Pence on Monday said that his country's "era of strategic patience" with North Korea is over and warned Pyongyang not to test the resolve of the US.

Speaking in Seoul, Pence linked recent US military strikes in Syria and Afghanistan with the situation in North Korea, saying they showed the "strength and resolve of our new President."

Pence arrived in Seoul on Sunday, hours after North Korea carried out a failed missile launch, CNN reported.

"We will defeat any attack and we will meet any use of conventional or nuclear weapons with an overwhelming and effective response," Pence said, adding that when it came to North Korea "all options are on the table".

On Monday, the US and South Korea launched a joint air force military exercise to ensure readiness against North Korea, according to the South Korean media.

Tensions on the peninsula have ratcheted up in recent weeks, amid tit-for-tat sabre-rattling from the US and North Korea and analysts' warnings that North Korea was preparing for a sixth nuclear test, CNN reported.

Amid concerns the US might launch a preemptive strike on North Korea, Pence said Washington would "closely consult" with Seoul "as we make decisions moving forward."

Earlier in the day, Pence visited the Korean demilitarized zone (DMZ), which he described as the "frontier of freedom", according to the report.

The DMZ is the highly-fortified de facto border between North and South Korea.

Speaking alongside South Korea's acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn later, he said North Korea had conducted nuclear and missile tests as the previous US administration had observed a policy of "strategic patience", but this was now over.

He reiterated US support for South Korea, telling his host: "We are with you 100%".

Hwang hailed the early deployment of the controversial US missile defence system (known as THAAD) designed to protect against threats from North Korea.

Pence said he was disappointed that China had taken retaliatory actions against South Korea in response to the move.

The US has leaned on China -- North Korea's main ally -- to apply pressure on Pyongyang to curtail its nuclear ambitions.

At the same time, the US has increased its military footprint in the region by deploying a naval carrier strike group to waters off the Korean Peninsula.

Pence said on Monday that Trump was "very hopeful that China will take actions to bring about a change of policy in North Korea. An abandonment of its nuclear weapons programme and its ballistic missile programme."

The US Vice-President will leave for Japan on Tuesday. His trip includes visits to Indonesia and Australia.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US Vice President Mike Pence on Monday visited the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas at a moment of heightened tension with Pyongyang amid repeated weapons tests.

A few metres from the tense border with North Korea, Pence once again stressed the importance of the alliance between Washington and Seoul and the determination of the American people and President Donald Trump to resolve the situation through peaceful means, Efe news reported.

However, Pence said the US has run out of patience and that all options are on the table for achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, as he hinted at the possibility of using military action if necessary.

Pence travelled from Seoul in a Blackhawk military helicopter to Camp Bonifas, a defence compound near the DMZ named after one of two US soldiers killed by North Korean troops in 1976.

The DMZ is a 4 km-wide strip full of mines that crosses the border between the two countries.

It is the only point where North and South Korean troops come face to face.

Hours before Pence landed in South Korea on Sunday, the Kim Jong-un regime carried out yet another failed ballistic missile test.

In response to an earlier missile, fired on April 5, the Pentagon sent nuclear aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and its attack group to the Korean Peninsula.

On Monday, Pence will also meet South Korean Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn and National Assembly speaker Chung Sye-kyun.

Pence and Hwang are expected to discuss ways of urging Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear and missiles program through diplomatic pressure and a hardening of sanctions.

Pence will leave for Japan on Tuesday. His trip includes visits to Indonesia and Australia.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
People who are illiterate and falsely accuse others of blasphemy should be educated and strictly dealt with, the Imam of Makkah's Grand Mosque, Shaikh Saleh Bin Muhammad Ibrahim, has said.

The visiting Imam-e-Kaaba told Geo News in an interview aired on Sunday that Islam is a of peace, forgiveness and tolerance and that people should be educated about the in a peaceful way.

The Grand Mosque prayer leader's statement came days after a mob on April 13 lynched and killed Mashal Khan, a journalism student, in Pakistan's Mardan city for alleged committing blasphemy.

According to the Imam, terrorism and extremism have nothing to do with Islam and it is the Muslim world that is bearing the brunt of extremism.

He said that when it comes to accusing someone of blasphemy, there are two types of people - "those who are illiterate and those who misuse Islam for personal gains".

He said those "whose hearts are plagued with disease misuse Islam intentionally" and that there was no reprieve for such people.

However, the Imam also stated that such people who openly commit blasphemy could not "remain unmonitored".

"We must make stern decisions to protect our faith, principles, sanctity or values."

"Allah has said that he will not reveal his signs to those who act as an authority on the Earth," the Imam said, adding that such people "will never choose to follow the right path even if directed towards it".

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday honoured freedom fighters from across the country to mark the ongoing year-long centenary celebrations of the Champaran Satyagraha.

Mukherjee, who arrived here by a special Indian Air Force plane, inaugurated the felicitation ceremony. Later, he honoured 15 selected freedom fighters on the stage.

"It is a matter of pride to honour freedom fighters, who have played important roles in the freedom movement of our country and fight against the colonial rule," Mukherjee said in his address.

He said: "I pay respect to all freedom fighters who are alive and pay homage to those who are dead."

Mukherjee said the nation cannot forget the important contributions made by freedom fighters in the country's freedom movement.

He said Mahatma Gandhi transformed the Satyagraha into a powerful tool. Gandhi's first Satyagraha began in Champaran, Bihar. In fact, with it Gandhi began a new chapter for the country.

"Champaraan is the laboratory of freedom movement of Satyagraha by Gandhi," he added.

Hundreds of freedom fighters from across the country arrived here and were honoured by the state government.

"Freedom fighters from different states were honoured by President Pranab Mukherjee... as part of the centenary celebrations...," said Vinodanand Jha, an official of the state Education Department.

According to Jha, freedom fighters from 19 states -- including Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi -- were honoured by the President.

In all, 2,972 freedom fighters from across the country, including Bihar, were honoured.

"As per the plan, the President honoured 264 freedom fighters from 19 states and 554 of the 2,708 freedom fighters of Bihar," Jha said.

The year-long celebrations to mark the 100th year of Mahatma Gandhi's first major resistance against British rule, popularly known as the Champaran Satyagraha, began last week in Bihar.

Mahatma Gandhi launched his Satyagraha -- a non-violent agitation -- against the forced cultivation of indigo by the British rulers in Champaran district on April 10, 1917.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister on Monday said that the Central government had fixed prices for as many as 700 medicines for the benefit of the people as part of a comprehensive healthcare policy.

Inaugurating a Rs 500 crore multi-speciality hospital set up by diamond merchants of Surat, he also assured that the government would make sure that the doctors prescribe only generic medicines. "This will break the monopoly of big medicine outlets," he added.

"In the benefit of poor people, the government has fixed the prices for as many as 700 medicines so as to ensure they can afford it," he said.

Modi claimed his government rightly understood the value of a healthy society and had been working tirelessly towards building one and after a long gap of 15 long years that it was his government that had come up with a good healthcare policy.

He added the government had given much required attention to preventive healthcare measures in the country by the Swachh Bharat mission, which is a part of promoting preventive healthcare habits.

He commended the people of Surat for adopting the habit of cleanliness in such a way that it could provide a good example for other cities to emulate.

Referring to the Rs 500 crore Kiran Hospital that he inaugurated, Modi said that more than the price paid for setting up such projects, it was the hard work that went behind it was important.

"Whether the medical facility is worth Rs 500 crore or Rs 5,000 crore, it is the family values and diligent efforts that have ultimately anointed it as a blessing for public," he opined.

"I wish no one falls into such a situation requiring hospitalization, but if in case the need arises, may he be cured completely so as not to visit a hospital-like place again, I pray," he added.

The Kiran Hospital has been set up by philanthropic efforts of the diamond merchants of Surat, some of whom invdividually pitching crores of rupees. This is the only hospital in Gujarat with a facility for a helipad on its terrace.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad has questioned a last-minute decision of Home Minister Rajnath Singh to stay away from an official function in Bihar on Monday where hundreds of freedom fighters were honoured.

President Parnab Mukherjee felicitated the freedom fighters from across the country to mark the ongoing year-long centenary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi's Champaran Satyagraha here.

The Grand Alliance government in Bihar led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had invited top leaders from all political parties including senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, RJD chief Lalu Prasad, CPI leader Satnarain Singh for the function.

All except Rajnath Singh attended the ceremony. This was after Singh accepted the invitation and confirmed he would attend it.

With Rajnath Singh not present at the function, state Bharatiya Janata Party leaders also boycotted the function, alleging that it was being politicised.

"This function is neither for Nitish Kumar nor Lalu Prasad, it is being held to honour the freedom fighters. Rajnath Singh should not have... in last minute decided not to attend it," Lalu said.

Lalu Prasad expressed his displeasure, and said: "Singh made up his mind not to attend after being informed that Lalu and Rahul will share the stage with him. It has made no difference to us..."

Nitish Kumar in his address at the function said the state government had invited all political parties, but it was for them to attend it or not.

Senior BJP leader from the state Mangal Pandey defending Rajnath Singh's decision to abstain from the function, admitted that the BJP had boycotted the ceremony.

The year-long celebrations to mark the 100th year of Mahatma Gandhi's first major resistance against the British rule, popularly known as the Champaran Satyagraha, began last week in Bihar.

Mahatma Gandhi launched the non-violent agitation against the British rulers' decision to force farmers of the Champaran district to cultivate indigo for export on April 10, 1917.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
leader T T V Dinakaran, a nephew of jailed party chief V K Sasikala, was on Monday accused of trying to bribe the Election Commission with crores of rupees to reclaim the party's disputed and now frozen "two leaves" symbol.

The issue which came to light after the arrest of his "close aide" from a Delhi hotel with a huge amount of cash, sparking of a political row. While Dinakaran denied any links with the arrests accused, the Tamil Nadu's opposition PMK demanded dismissal of the government.

A Delhi Police officer told IANS that they arrested Dinakaran's close aide Sukesh Chandrasekar from a south Delhi hotel on Sunday with Rs 1.3 crore that was meant for bribing the poll panel members.

After a long search for a judge, Chandrasekar was presented before a judge at her residence, who sent him to eight days police custody, sources said.

Chandrasekar reportedly told police that he was Dinakaran's "middleman" and was asked to pay the money to the officials in exchange for the symbol.

"Dinakaran has been booked for criminal conspiracy and corruption after Chandrasekar disclosed his name during the late night police raid at the hotel where he was staying," the police officer said.

The officer said the 27-year-old suspect, who is said to own a fleet of luxury cars, confessed he was playing the middleman.

Police raided the hotel following a tip, the officer said. A police team is expected to travel to Chennai to summon Dinakaran.

Dinakaran, who is the candidate of the ruling faction for the R.K. Nagar assembly constituency in Chennai, told reporters there that he didn't know "anybody by the name Sukesh Chandrasekar" and called it a conspiracy to destroy the AIADMK -- divided between two factions after its leader J. Jayalalithaa died on December 5 while she was the Chief Minister.

"Somebody is scheming to destroy the AIADMK. I will meet the allegation legally. If I am summoned by Delhi Police, I will meet it legally," he said.

The by-poll, due on April 12, was postponed following allegations of cash distribution to voters on a massive scale by the ruling AIADMK.

A couple of days prior to the by-poll and on receipt of complaints of large scale distribution of cash to the voters, the Income Tax Department raided the official residences of state Health Minister C.Vijayabaskar, his relatives, business associates, party officials and also the residence of actor-turned-politician Sarathkumar.

According to the documents seized by the IT officials during their raids, the price of one vote in the R.K. Nagar constituency is Rs 4,000.

A senior IT official told IANS that around Rs 100 crore has been distributed by the Sasikalar faction of AIADMK in R.K. Nagar.

Sasikala made Dinakaran the party in charge before she went to prison.

The other faction is led by O. Panneerselvam, who was also close to Jayalalithaa and used to stand in for her as Chief Minister. The two factions have been fighting over ownership of the AIADMK.

The battle reached the Election Commission that gave the two factions new symbols and ordered a freeze over "two leaves" on March 23.

Dinakaran also said he would meet Sasikala in the Bengaluru prison.

Meanwhile, the alleged attempt to bribe the Election Commission by Dinakaran may hasten the process of uniting the two AIADMK factions, said former MP K.C. Palaniswamy, a Panneerselvam supporter.

"If the election panel decided that Sasikala's election (as AIADMK General Secretary) was not legal, then every other thing in the party will automatically settle down," Palaniswamy told IANS.

"First they bribed the voters and now they attempted to bribe the Election Commission officials. The Sasikala faction is bringing shame to Tamil Nadu," he added.

Members of the Panneerselvam camp told IANS that talks are on between the leaders of both the camps towards unification.

Meanwhile the meeting between Chief Minister Palaniswami and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha M.Thambidurai here on Monday has fuelled the patch up speculations between the two factions of AIADMK.

PMK's S. Ramadoss however said the attempt to bribe the Election Commission by Dinakaran should not be seen as his own act but as the act of Tamil Nadu government led by Chief Minister Palaniswami.

"To save themselves and their posts these people would not even hesitate to negotiate with the Supreme Court and the Parliament," he added.
Senior defence officials from South Korea, the US and Japan will hold talks on North Korea on Wednesday, Seoul authorities announced on Monday.

The regional powers plan to hold the Defence Trilateral Talks (DTT) in Tokyo, the ninth session of the forum launched in 2008, according to South Korea's Ministry of National Defence.

It would be the first set of talks since the launch of US President Donald Trump's administration and seek to put more pressure on Pyongyang over its development of weapons of mass destruction, Yonhap News Agency reported.

In the upcoming meeting, the ministry added, the three sides will discuss partnerships against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and "various ways for cooperation", including military exchanges among them.

South Korea will be represented by Wee Seung-ho, Deputy Minister for Policy.

His American and Japanese counterparts will be David F. Helvey, Assistant Secretary of Defence for Asian and Pacific security affairs, and Satoshi Maeda, Director General for Defence Policy.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
South Korea's presidential campaign for the May 9 elections, following the removal of former President Park Geun-hye, started on Monday with opposition Democratic Party's Moon Jae-in leading the polls.

In total, 15 politicians have officially registered as candidates for the presidency and will participate in this 22-day election campaign, which will conclude on May 8, Efe news reported.

Moon, a candidate from the Democratic Party, which currently has the most seats in the South Korean parliament, is the favourite to become the new head of state, following Park's dismissal on March 10.

Park was remanded on March 31 for her ties to a massive corruption scandal, while the Prosecutor's Office is expected to file charges against her later on Monday.

As a result, the campaign will focus almost exclusively on the fight against corruption as well as on the limitation of the power of "Chaebol" (South Korean large business conglomerates), most of which are involved in the corruption scandal.

Among the other main candidates are Ahn Cheol-soo, from the centre-to-left Popular Party; Hong Joon-pyo, from the conservative Korea Freedom Party (Park's party), and Yoo Seong-min, from the conservative Bareun Party, a faction that split from Korea Freedom Party in the wake of Park's corruption scandal.

Many analysts see these elections as a clear race between two contenders, Moon and Ahn, who, between them, garner some 80 per cent of voting intentions, according to the latest polls.

Moon, who was defeated by Park in the 2012 presidential elections, has led the polls from the start, although last week his lead over Ahn has reduced to only three percentage points, according to some estimates.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Supreme Court on Monday said that it may set up a constitution bench to hear the appeal of Delhi's AAP government challenging Delhi High Court verdict holding that Lt. Governor had the primacy in the administration of the national capital.

A bench of Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said that a constitution bench may be set-up when court reopens after summer vacations after senior counsel Gopal Subramaniam, appearing for the Aam Aadmi Party government, urged the court to hear the matter early.

The bench of Justice A.K.Sikri and Justice R.K. Agrawal had on February 15 referred to the constitution bench a batch of petitions filed by the Delhi government over conflict with the Union government over the powers of the elected government to administer the national capital.

While not framing the questions to be adjudicated by the constitution Bench, the court had asked the Union government and the Arvind Kejriwal government to argue their respective cases before the larger bench.

The Delhi government, through a clutch of petitions, has challenged the high court verdict, contending that the elected government can't be treated subservient to an overriding authority of the Lt. Governor. The hearing by the two judge bench of the Delhi government's appeals had also seen the court favouring a balance in the exercise of powers by the Delhi government and the Lt. Governor for good governance.

Delhi was given an assembly and an elected government through Article 239-AA incorporated in the Constitution by the 69th amendment in 1991. --IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Speculations about a patch-up between the two warring AIADMK factions touched a new high on Monday with Chief Minister K.Palaniswami calling all lawmakers supporting him here on Tuesday.

"The Chief Minister has called all legislators supporting him here on Tuesday in connection with warship INS Chennai function. There will also be a meeting of the legislators," an AIADMK lawmaker told IANS.

The AIADMK has been divided into two camps soon after its leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa's death in December 2016.

Her closest aide, V.K. Sasikala, was named the new party chief but was jailed within weeks after the Supreme Court found her guilty of corruption.

Before going to jail, Sasikala had appointed her nephew T.T.V.Dinakaran as the party's Deputy General Secretary.

The other faction is led by O. Panneerselvam, who was also close to Jayalalithaa and used to stand in for her as Chief Minister. The two factions have been fighting over ownership of the AIADMK.

The battle reached the Election Commission that gave the two factions new symbols and ordered a freeze over "two leaves" on March 23.

The Delhi Police on Monday registered an FIR against Dinakaran and his aide Sukesh Chandrasekar for allegedly attempting to bribe Election Commission officials for a favourable order in the election symbol compliant.

Meanwhile Panneerselvam on Monday welcomed the idea of merger of the two factions.

Panneerselvam said talks will be held if somebody comes with the plan to merge the two factions, adding that their revolt is only against Sasikala and family.

Welcoming Panneerselvam's remarks, Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M.Thambidurai told reporters that there may be disputes in a democracy and everyone should stand united to fulfil the dreams of Jayalalithaa.

Thambidurai met Chief Minister K.Palaniswami on Monday which added fuel to the merger speculation.

Members of the Panneerselvam camp told IANS that talks are on between the leaders of both the camps towards unification.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Over two dozen students and security men were injured as students in different parts of the Kashmir Valley clashed with security personnel on Wednesday to denounce the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl.

The protests first flared in Anantnag town where the students of a college took on the security forces, who fired tear smoke shells. Over a dozen students were injured, doctors at a hospital said.

Clashes also erupted in the other south Kashmir towns of Pulwama, Tral and Awantipora.

Students at Anantnag, Awantipora and Tral also boycotted classes and hit the streets protesting against rape and murder of a minor from a nomadic community, an incident which has triggered nationwide outrage.

Reports reaching here said two policemen were injured in clashes with students of the Awantipora Islamic University of Science and Technology in Pulwama district.

A police statement said: "Today morning a peaceful protest was taken out in Anantnag which was allowed by police and the district administration.

"Subsequently, some miscreants indulged in stone pelting and turned violent and tried to enforce a forceful shutdown in Anantnag town." It said the situation was now under control.

The statement added that the clashes in Pulwama started during an anti-encroachment drive.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, along with two of their children, attended an Easter service at an episcopal church in Palm Beach, Florida.

Wearing a black suit and red tie, and with Melania dressed in white, and accompanied by his younger daughter Tiffany and the couple's son Barron, the first family visited the Bethesda-by-the-Sea church on Sunday morning, Efe news reported.

Donald Trump and Melania were married in this church in 2005 and have observed other important holidays there.

Also with the group, which entered the Gothic style church by a side door, were Melania's parents.

A nearby street was closed to vehicular traffic starting early Sunday morning, the South Florida daily Sun Sentinel reported, publishing a photo of the president greeting the public near Bethesda-by-the-Sea, which opened its doors for Mass at 10.30 a.m.

Other people attending the service had to pass through a metal detector at the entrance and later, inside the church, Trump gave a thumbs-up to some of them.

At about 12.15 p.m., shortly before the service ended, Trump and his family left the church to take part in the traditional Easter egg hunt.

Joining the president at Mar-a-Lago mansion were his sons Eric and Donald Jr., and their families.

Earlier on Sunday morning, Trump sent out a "Happy Easter to everyone!" message on Twitter.

Trump and the First Lady will participate in the traditional White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday, which Melania will host in a century-old tradition to be attended by thousands of children.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump, is in talks to sell his stake in a technology company focusing on the real estate sector, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

The talks to sell his stake in WiredScore are underway within the framework of Kushner's aim to divest himself of his private business activities so that no conflicts of interest exist, given his role as a close adviser to the President, EFE news cited the Journal.

Sources close to the negotiations confirmed to the daily that the discussions were underway, although they did not specify precisely how much money the sale could make for Kushner.

Previously, the young real estate magnate, who is married to Trump's older daughter Ivanka, had valued his stake in WiredScore at between $5-25 million.

The Journal reported that, despite the talks and other similar negotiations for other business interests, critics of the Trump administration feel that neither Kushner nor the President have done enough to de-link themselves from their private business affairs.

Kushner, who comes from a wealthy New York family with millions of dollars in real estate holdings, has become one of Trump's closest advisers on a wide range of issues.

WiredScore, develops tools to assess the speed and quality of office buildings' Internet connections, according to the Journal.

Kushner is pursuing the negotiations with a group of investors including the Los Angeles-based Fifth Wall Ventures although the talks have not been finalised and could end without an agreement.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The result of the referendum that grants sweeping new powers to the President of Turkey is valid, the head of the electoral body said on Monday.

Sadi Guven, the chairman of the Supreme Election Board (YSK), was speaking after the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) cited irregularities, including the use of unstamped ballot papers, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's push for an executive presidency succeeded with over 51 per cent votes for the "Yes" campaign.

In a news conference in Ankara, Guven said the "voting papers and envelopes that were claimed to be void and disputed are YSK-made, real, legitimate, non-fake ballots."

During Sunday night's count, the YSK announced that unverified votes -- which had not been verified as genuine by election officials -- would be allowed.

He said a similar procedure had been used in past elections.

This led to a protest by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), which said it would contest the count and complain about other violations during the vote.

CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu said: "We respect the nation's will but the decision on unsealed ballots overshadowed it."

The CHP demanded a recount of 60 per cent of the votes.

The win was met with both celebrations and protests across Turkey.

Three of Turkey's biggest cities - Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir - all voted "No" to the constitutional changes, BBC reported.

Opposition supporters took to the streets of Istanbul to bang pots and pans, a traditional form of protest, in a series of noisy demonstrations.

Meanwhile, flag-waving supporters of Erdogan celebrated as their President praised them for their "historic decision" that could keep him in office until 2029.

With 99.97 per cent of ballots counted, the "Yes" campaign had won 51.41 per cent of the votes cast, while "No" had taken 48.59 per cent.

The turnout was said to be as high as 85 per cent.

Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said there would be no early elections following the result.

Responding to Sunday's result, the European Commission issued a statement saying it was awaiting the assessment of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the ODIHR International Observation Mission.

It urged Erdogan to respect the closeness of the vote and to "seek the broadest possible national consensus" when considering the far-reaching implications of the constitutional amendments.

The US said it is following the results and but won't comment on them until the OSCE releases its report.

Former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, who heads the liberal group of MEPs in the European Parliament, said Erdogan needed to change course, noting the result was very tight.

Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said on Twitter that "it shows how divided the country is. Collaboration with the EU will be even more complex."

The final referendum results will be released within 12 days.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Eight people, including two women, have been arrested here in Haryana when they were planning a robbery at a house in the upscale DLF Phase II, police said on Monday.

Those arrested were identified as Satyanarayan (28), Sunil (27), Ramkumar (24), Ramkalesh alias Rithik (19), Arvind (27) and Mohamad Zahir (27). All of them belonged to Madhubani in Bihar.

The arrested women were identified as Madhuri and Manju alias Poonam, both 20 years old and hailing from Odisha.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Summit Kumar told reporters that the arrests were made by the Crime Branch early on Monday.

The officer said Satyanarayan headed the gang and was known to Manju alias Poonam, who worked as a domestic help in DLF Phase II.

They were planning to rob Poonam's employer's house on the basis of information provided by her.

Poonam had served sedative-laced food to members of the family. But police nabbed the gang before they could commit the crime.

Two pistols, cartridges and iron rods were seized from the gang.

Satyanarayan reportedly shifted to Gurugram this year after being released from Delhi's Tihar jail.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Arrests at the immigration points in the US rose 32.6 per cent in the first months of President Donald Trumps administration, a Washington Post report said.

and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 21,362 immigrants, mostly convicted criminals, from January through mid-March, compared to 16,104 during the same period last year, the report said on Sunday.

Arrests of immigrants with no criminal records doubled to 5,441, the clearest sign yet that President Trump has ditched his predecessor Barack Obama's protective stance toward most of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US.

Advocates for immigrants have said that the unbridled enforcement has led to a sharp drop in reports from Latinos of sexual assaults and other crimes in Houston and Los Angeles, and terrified immigrant communities across the US.

ICE spokeswoman Jennifer Elzea said her agency "remains sensitive" to victims and witnesses and helps them obtain visas or stays of deportation in some cases, reports the Washington Post.

ICE "focuses its enforcement resources on individuals who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security," spokeswoman Jennifer Elzea said in a statement.

"However, as (Homeland Security) Secretary (John F.) Kelly has made clear, ICE will no longer exempt classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement."

Nearly three-quarters of the immigrants arrested from January 20 to March 13 had criminal convictions, an increase of 15 per cent over the same period last year.

But the biggest spike is the arrest of immigrants with no criminal records, with immigration field offices in New York, Boston and other places doubling or tripling their numbers from last year.

ICE's Atlanta office arrested the most immigrants who had never committed any crimes, with nearly 700 arrests, up from 137 the prior year.

Philadelphia had the biggest percentage increase, with 356 non-criminal arrests, more than six times as many as the year before, the Washington Post report said.

The ICE field offices with the largest total number of arrests -- more than 2,000 each -- were in Dallas, which covers north Texas and Oklahoma; Atlanta, which includes Georgia and the Carolinas; and Houston, which spans Southeast Texas.

Overall, deportations were down by 1.2 per cent, to 54,741 in January, February and March, compared to the same period last year.
This undated photo provided by the Cleveland Police shows Steve Stephens. Cleveland police say they are searching for Stephens, a homicide suspect, who broadcast the fatal shooting of another man live on Facebook

Police on Monday were searching for a man who allegedly killed a senior citizen in the US state of Ohio and broadcast the murder live on .

The suspect, Steve Stephens, later said in a separate video post that he had killed 13 people and was looking to kill more, BBC reported.

Cleveland police confirmed one killing but said they did not know of any other victims.

City authorities identified the homicide victim as Robert Godwin, 74.

"From what we can tell now, it's just a random person that he picked out. We don't know why," Cleveland police chief Calvin Williams said.

Godwin had just left his children's home after eating an Easter meal and was walking home when he was killed, CNN affiliate WOIO reported.

"We need to bring this to a conclusion -- today," Williams said, adding: "There is no need for any further bloodshed in this incident tonight."

The FBI is assisting Cleveland police in the search. Nearly five hours after the shooting, Williams said authorities hadn't had a report of a sighting of Stephens, CNN reported.

Authorities said Stephens is a black male who is 6-feet 1-inch and weighs 244 pounds. He has a full beard.

"What happened today is senseless and if Steve has an issue, he needs to talk to some folks to get that resolved," Williams said.

"He needs to turn himself in so that he can get the help that he needs and he can't keep victimising this community based on his issues," Williams added.

In a statement, a spokesperson said the shooting was a "horrific crime".

"We do not allow this kind of content on . We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety," the statement said.

It is not the first time that a fatal shooting has been captured on Facebook Live. Last June, a man was shot dead while live-streaming a video of himself on the streets of Chicago. In March, an unidentified man was shot 16 times while broadcasting live.

Facebook's live-streaming feature allows anyone to broadcast online in real time. It was launched in 2010 but has become more central to the social network's strategy in recent months.
US National Security Advisor Herbert McMaster on Monday assured Pakistan that the Trump administration is committed to strengthening bilateral relations with the country.

McMaster, who arrived here early on Monday, made the remarks during his meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

It was McMaster's first visit to Pakistan as the US National Security Advisor and the first formal high-level exchange between the US and Pakistan under the administration of President Donald Trump, the PM's office said.

"General McMaster conveyed the greetings of President Trump and assured the Prime Minister that the new administration was committed to strengthening bilateral relations and working with Pakistan to achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan and in the wider South Asian region," said a statement of the office.

Sharing his concerns over the deteriorating security in Afghanistan and the continuing impasse, Sharif conveyed Pakistan's readiness to work with the international community to explore ways to solve the Afghan crisis, it said.

On relations with India, the Prime Minister reiterated his firm conviction on sustained dialogue and meaningful engagement as the only way forward to resolve all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan, including the Kashmir dispute.

The US advisor started the Pakistan visit after his first trip to Afghanistan where he met top Afghan leaders and assured them support of the Trump administration.

Earlier, he met and held talks with Pakistani Foreign Affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz on combating extremism and terrorism.

--IANS

ahm/vt

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US National Security Adviser Herbert McMaster on Monday arrived here in Pakistan's capital city for talks on security situation in Afghanistan and bilateral matters.

McMaster discussed with Pakistan's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz bilateral relations between the two countries and security situation in the South Asian region, particularly in Afghanistan, Radio Pakistan reported.

McMaster is the first senior US official of the Trump's administration to visit Pakistan.

The visit came after his talks with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah in Kabul.

McMaster will later in the day meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to discuss the ongoing tension between Pakistan and its neighbours -- India and Afghanistan -- and progress on the Pakistan-Afghan border system.

He is also likely to call on Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Bajwa to share views on the regional security, focusing on peace in Afghanistan, Daily Times reported.

McMaster's visit comes three days after a key meeting of 11 regional countries in Moscow opposed military solution and called for a peaceful solution to the Afghan problem.

--IANS

py/vt

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Against the backdrop of immigration rules proposed under US President Donald Trump, the Missouri State University in the US on Friday announced its support for Indian students and said that it wants Indian students to "stay on in the university".

"Missouri State University (MSU), a long-established university of mid-west US, announces that the university values the presence of all Indian students. MSU wants Indian students to be in the university, to be engaged in university activities, and to be successful," said a statement from the varsity.

It said that since the decision on travel ban in January, the university has been engaged in one-on-one interactions with the international students and has been guiding and supporting them.

"At Missouri State University, there are 2,500 international students, all of whom have been given thorough support in every aspect," the statement said.

Crackdown on illegal immigration was one of the prominent promises of Trump during his election campaign. He had also proposed more than once to ban Muslim immigrants into the US.

"We have welcomed Indian students for over ten years and will continue to do so with the same zeal and enthusiasm," Associate Vice-President of the university's International Studies Department Stephen Robinette said in the statement.

In January this year, Trump signed an executive order clamping a travel ban on nationals of seven countries which comprised Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Somalia and Sudan for 90 days.

Several states in the US sued the administration against the ban, resulting in a court order which temporarily restrained the imposition of the ban. The matter is still under judicial consideration.

In March, Trump issued a revised executive order, lifting the ban from Iraqi nationals and syrian refugees till indefinite period, but putting it in place for other Muslim countries.

-- IANS

vn/vgu/vt

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Widespread protests by students in the Kashmir Valley on Monday heightened tensions as dozens of students and policemen were injured in clashes.

The students clashed with police in Srinagar, Bandipora, Baramulla, Anantnag, Pulwama, Kupwara, Kulgam and Shopian districts.

The students had called for protests against Saturday's incident in Pulwama town in which over 50 students were injured in fighting with security forces after objecting to the setting up of a security post outside the college.

Security forces had entered the Pulwama college on Saturday.

Students of S.P. College in Srinagar blocked the Maulana Azad Road on Monday as police used tear smoke in a bid to clear it.

The students resorted to massive stone pelting at the police, resulting in injuries to the Station House Officer of Kothibagh police station and two of his guards.

Three students were also injured in the clashes.

Police used dozens of tear smoke shells to disperse the students who kept regrouping to engage the police on the streets.

Girls from a women's college in Srinagar also joined the protests as police battled hard to bring the situation under control.

Markets in neighbouring Residency Road and Lal Chowk areas closed as tension spread.

Protests and clashes also erupted between students in Pulwama town despite the authorities having ordered the closure of the college there for two days following Saturday's incident.

Students also indulged in heavy stone pelting at the security forces in Baramulla, Shopian, Kulgam, Anantnag, Dooru, Kupwara, Ganderbal, Tral and Bandipora towns.

Protests took place inside the Kashmir University and the Central University here but these were peaceful.

Reports said over three dozen students and two dozen security men were injured in Monday's clashes in the Valley.

Police said they were maintaining "extreme restraint" while dealing with the student protests.
Suspected female militant Naureen Leghari who was arrested in a military operation in Lahore is not associated with any terrorist organisation, her brother claimed on Monday.

Naureen's brother Afzal Leghari told Geo News that his sister was kidnapped on February 10 and was "not associated with any terrorist outfit".

"We refuted her ties with any [terrorist] organisation in the past, and we refute them again," Afzal said. "We stand by our statement that Naureen was kidnapped."

"We want the truth to be disclosed so we [Naureen's family] can be aware of the real situation," he said.

IS militant Ali Tariq was killed and Naureen was arrested when army personnel on Saturday foiled a "major terror plan" for Easter in Lahore.

According to Punjab Counter Terrorism Department, Naureen had joined the IS and received training in Syria for using weapons before she came back to Lahore a week ago.

"We have mixed feelings about the news. If our sister is in police custody, we have found her but, God forbid, an element of association with a terrorist outfit is included in the case," he said.

Afzal on Sunday confirmed that the woman in police custody was his sister Naureen who had gone missing from Hyderabad, in Sindh.

He said she had left home for college and had been missing until law enforcement personnel informed her father over phone about her arrest.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad police said she was inspired by the ideology of the IS group and went to join them on her own.

According to the police, Naureen and Ali had tied the knot after coming into contact with each other on Facebook.

The couple was helped by absconding militant Azeem alias Abbu Fauji, who got them a rented house in Lahore.

Naureen had also shared her radical religious views on social media. A video showed that she had left for Lahore on February 10 and said on social media that she had reached the land of Khilafat.

Sindh police chief A.D. Khowaja told Dawn News: "We are in touch with Punjab police to get an official word from them and then we will share facts with the media. I have just spoken to Hyderabad range DIG Khadim Rind in this regard.

The law enforcement agencies have also arrested four people suspected of being linked with the IS network in Lahore.

--IANS

py/dg

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With reference to Debashis Basus thought-provoking article Want the government to act? Think again (April 17), he has raked up the genuine issue of the commercialisation of education in our country. Mind you, the strong protests by the aggrieved parents in Gurgaon and Faridabad over the steep hike in fees by some 40 private schools could merely be the tip of an iceberg as its an all-India phenomenon. In fact, this man-made crisis has already assumed serious proportions with the government doing lip service only as its indifferent attitude politically suits it. Basu has rightly remarked, We dont realise that it is the government that is the problem here. He also sarcastically points out that the business of education is so foul that only politicians and people close to them can wade into this by citing the living example of educational institutions in Maharashtra where the self-serving and high brand politicians virtually call the shots.
With reference to Economy braces for Met forecast (April 17), interlinking of rivers is the best way to beat water scarcity. The various state heads, leaders and politicians should rise above petty politics to help the people who are affected by water scarcity. Although Marathwada and Latur are in focus, there may be many places in India which are facing acute water shortage. The news that this year will witness above normal has brought cheer to one and all. Nevertheless, this is the right time to spread awareness about saving rainwater and water harvesting. Since the rainy season is fast approaching us, the government should take necessary steps to preserve rainwater by speeding up work such as digging up wells and repair and maintenance of ponds and dams. Rainwater should not be allowed to waste as far as possible. Although strict measures such as penalty for wasting water are welcome, awareness is a more powerful way of conserving water. Like-minded people and NGOs should start visiting schools, colleges, housing societies, parks to build awareness.
Senior Tamil Nadu Ministers are holding urgent consultations here tonight amid talk of merger of the rival All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) factions led by V K Sasikala and T T V Dhinakaran and former chief minister O Panneerselvam.
The Congresss suspicion on electronic voting machines (EVMs) seems to be growing by the day as the Grand Old Party further hardened its stance against EVMs and accused the Centre of deliberately delaying paper trail facility in ballots.
Dubbing the Bill hiking reservation for Muslims in Telangana as a "trash paper", the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday said it has no legal and constitutional sanctity and would be "quashed" at the central government level.

The BJP also made it clear it would utilise this issue to politically "rise" in the state and project the ruling TRS in "bad light".

"At the party level, we are going to utilise this as a great opportunity for the rise of BJP in Telangana. And at the (central) government level, this will be quashed right at the beginning," party spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao told PTI.

The Bill, passed by both houses of Telangana Legislature yesterday, has no legal and constitutional sanctity, as the state government did not follow due process and system, according to him.

"Religion cannot be a basis for reservations, and legally its not viable as both High Court and Supreme Court has capped reservation at 50 per cent," Rao said.

The local BJP unit would go to court challenging the Bill. "They (the government) haven't followed process and so the Bill is just like a trash paper, it does not have any validity," he said.

"It will not stand the scrutiny of courts."



In the just-concluded BJP national executive in Bhubaneswar, this issue (the Bill) has been raised and discussed, he said. The Bill would go "no further" as the government has not followed due process.

"It has given us a great opportunity to project TRS in bad light because it's been irresponsible as a government, and it has undermined the rightful constitutional reservation for Backward Classes," he said.

The party would launch a "massive agitation" against reservation for Muslims, Rao said. "It (the agitation) is not going to be reactive one...One day or two days. We are going to expose TRS duplicity through one to one-and-half years leading up to elections".

He said the BJP is okay with increasing reservation for Scheduled Tribes.

Both the houses of Telangana Legislature yesterday passed a Bill which increases the reservations for Scheduled Tribes and backward sections among the Muslim community in government jobs and educational institutions.

Under the Bill, quota for STs would be increased to 10 per cent from the existing six per cent, while that for BC-E category (the backward sections among the Muslim community) would go up to 12 per cent from the existing four.

The total reservations in the state, consequently, would go up to 62 per cent from the existing 50 per cent.
An alarm at an ATM counter located in Odisha's Koraput district village thwarted attempts by miscreants to loot it on Monday.

The miscreants broke the shutters of the ATM counter at Jeypore in the early hours but failed to loot the cash as the alarm went off, IIC Jeypore sadar police station N K Mohapatra said.

"Though the miscreants have damaged the ATM counter and have disconnected the wires of the CCTV camera, they failed in looting cash from the machine as the alarm of the ATM went off," he said adding they fled the spot apparently out of fear.

The miscreants had come in a vehicle resembling an ambulance and police have seized it. Two persons have been detained for interrogation in connection with the incident and investigation is on, he added.
Pakistan's Balochistan province Chief Minister has said that Balochs can never become "slaves" of India at the behest of a handful of "elements".

Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri, while addressing a gathering at Anjera Kalat, Balochistan, yesterday said "Balochs live in Pakistan as brothers."



Zehri said people in Balochistan can never become "slaves of India" at the behest of a handful of "elements propagating enemy's agenda" in the province, Dawn reported.

He was quoted as saying that elements "sitting abroad" were trying to use the youth for their nefarious designs.

"Social media is not the criteria for liberation, in fact, the Baloch people stand for prosperous and peaceful Pakistan," Zehri said.

He said that if the suspected militants shun violence and come down from mountains, they would be welcomed by the government, the report said.

Zehri, however, clarified that the writ of the government would be ensured at all cost.

He was speaking at the fourth "Zehri martyrs" commemoration event held in remembrance of those killed in an April, 2013, attack in which Zehri's convoy was targeted during the election campaign.

Zehri's son, brother and a nephew were killed in the attack.

Pakistan has often accused India of supporting insurgency in Balochistan. The accusation has been outrightly dismissed by India.

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The Orissa High Court today granted bail to Congress leader Arindam (Bapi) Sarkel, arrested last November for his alleged involvement in the murder of a shipping company official at Paradip.

The bench of Justice J P Das granted bail to the Congress leader on a bail bond of Rs one lakh with two sureties of the same amount.

Among other conditions, Sarkel has been asked to surrender his passport and cooperate with the investigating police officer. Earlier, the Jagatsinghpur district and sessions court had turned down his bail plea.

The Congress leader had surrendered before Jagatsinghpur police last year soon after Jagatsinghpur SP issued a 'lookout' notice against him in connection with the murder of Mahendra Swain in October 2016.

Pleading innocence in the case, Sarkel had filed bail applications which, however, were turned down by two lower courts in the district.

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British MPs today wrote to Home Secretary Amber Rudd, seeking revocation of the citizenship of Asma al-Assad, the UK-born wife of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, for her support to his regime on social media.

"The first lady of Syria has acted not as a private citizen but as a spokesperson for the Syrian presidency... [UK foreign secretary] Boris Johnson has urged other countries to do more about Syria, but the British government could say to Asma Assad, either stop using your position to defend barbaric acts, or be stripped of your citizenship," Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson, Tom Brake said.

Brake is leading a group of his party MPs calling on Rudd to use her powers to withdraw Asma Assad's citizenship for her support to Assad's regime on social media.

"This is a barbarous regime, yet Asma Assad has continued to use her international profile to defend it, even after the chemical weapons atrocity," he said.

Conservative party MP Nadhim Zahawi backed the call, saying she was "very much part of the propaganda machine that is committing war crimes".

After a US strike, Asma Assad posted a message on one of her accounts saying: "The presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic affirms that what America has done is an irresponsible act that only reflects a shortsightedness, a narrow horizon, a political and military blindness to reality and a naive pursuit of a frenzied false propaganda campaign."



The 41-year-old was educated in Britain and worked as an investment banker before she married in 2000. Withdrawing her passport would not leave her stateless, however, because she is thought to be a dual British-Syrian national.

Social media accounts in Asma Assad's name have some 500,000 followers and are used as pro-regime tools.

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BSE will bring 22 companies under enhanced surveillance measures and move seven of them into the restricted trading category.

As per two separate circulars issued today, while the exchange will shift seven firms to Stage 1 of the Graded Surveillance Measure (GSM), it will transfer 15 to Stage 2.

Among the seven firms to be shifted to Stage 1 of the GSM are Jagson Airlines, JD Orgochem, Kachchh Minerals, Skyline Ventures India and SVC Superchem.

A total of 15 firms, including Colinz Laboratories, Dhruv Estates, Rama Petrochemicals, Shree Precoated Steels, Sparc Systems and Transglobe Foods, would be shifted to Stage 2 of the enhanced surveillance.

The measures on these firms would be effective from April 18.

In Stage 1, the scrip is moved to the "trade for trade" segment with the permitted price band of 5 per cent or lower as applicable.

In Stage 2, there would also be a requirement for Additional Surveillance Deposit (ASD) of 100 per cent of trade value charged to the buyer.

The BSE has asked members to take "adequate precaution" while trading in the shares of these firms, as the settlement would be done on trade-to-trade basis and no netting off would be allowed.

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Unidentified miscreants today shot dead a businessman at Supaul haat in Supaul district of Bihar.

Sadar police station SHO Rajeshwar Singh said the businessman has been identified as Subhash Singh who had a furniture shop at Supaul haat.

The miscreants shot him on his head killing him on the spot, the SHO said.

Personal enmity was suspected to be the motive behind the killing.

The police were conducting raids to nab the culprits, the SHO said.

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Satyanand Gaitonde, a Close Protection Officer with a security agency in Canada, who has been providing soft skills training to Mumbai police personnel here for the last few months, says he took up this task in order to serve his country, a wish harboured by his late father.

Mumbai-born Gaitonde is presently associated with a national level security agency in Canada. He specialises in soft skills training and imparts counselling besides holding personality development seminars for policemen abroad following which he was roped in by Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Milind Bharambe, to train traffic cops here last year.

"My dad always used to encourage me to do something for the country. I always used to delay it (the decision). He eventually convinced me to come here. But the day I landed here (November 1, 2016) he passed away. That strengthened my determination to work for my country," he told PTI in an informal chat.

Gaitonde, who earlier served with Toronto Police for a decade till 2012, has conducted various soft skills seminars in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Nashik since his arrival in India.

"There is no dearth of trainers in India, but they lack someone to provide soft skill training. Soft skills is a thing that Indian police lacks. So they decided to use my expertise and I started giving lectures on various platforms.

It is first time that Indian police have been given soft skills training. I provide them proper personality development guidance on topics like anger management, stress management, and behavioural issues."



To utilise my skills to the fullest, Milind Bharambe brought me to the Byculla Traffic Training Institute, the 50-year-old officer said.

Following the success of his seminars there, Gaitonde's services were utilised at the Marol Police Training school in suburban Andheri here to train new recruits.

"The Principal of the training school told me that instead of providing training to senior constables and senior officials, if I teach fresh recruits then it will benefit a lot. I took it as a challenge and conducted 16 seminars there, which culminated on Saturday," he said.

During his stint at Marol, Gaitonde trained over 640 new recruits.

He will return to Canada this week.

Gaitonde also penned a book called "Mumbai Traffic Management and Police Officer Safety" after reading about police constable Vilas Shinde, who was allegedly beaten to death by a juvenile biker and his elder brother in Khar here in September last year.

"I was deeply saddened by the death of Shinde. He didn't know the technique for communication or a self-defence skill," he said.

"I have written a book on police officer safety. It is not for publication, but for policemen only. I have given a copy of it to Bharambe and will give one to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also."



Speaking about his work in the agency at Canada, he said, "We are a semi-government organisation and an undercover agency. We don't spy or do anything as such. We deal with cyber crime, provide security on spot and support CIA and FBI on security matters.

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Sukesh Chandrashekhar, who was arrested by the Delhi Police for allegedly taking money from AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran to bribe Election Commission officials in getting his party the AIADMK's poll symbol of two leaves, is an accused in several cheating cases.

He is also known as a flamboyant conman having a fetish for luxury cars.

At the age of 27, Chandrashekhar has cases of cheating and illegal money laundering against him in the Enforcement Directorate, the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Chennai Police and the Bengaluru Police, a senior Delhi police officer said.

He was arrested yesterday from a five-star hotel here.

He claimed that he has known AIADMK (Amma) leader TTV Dhinakaran for the last four years and had told him that he would get a favourable verdict from the Election Commission (EC) in the party symbol case, the officer said.

Chandrashekhar had allegedly told Dhinakaran that he has contacts in the EC and they will help the Sasikala faction to get the AIADMK's poll symbol of two leaves in the by-election to the R K Nagar Assembly seat in Tamil Nadu.

Police got on Chadrashekhar's trail after they received a tip-off from an informer about certain EC official being approached.

"We were having some information that Dhinakaran is trying to reach out to the EC through a middleman, who was later identified as Chandrashekhar," he said.

It has been learnt that the conman had struck a deal for Rs 50 crore for helping the AIADMK (Amma) faction to keep the 'two leaves' symbol, said an officer privy to the probe.

Till now, he had got Rs 10 crore of the deal amount and the remaining was to be given to him in a time-bound manner. Yesterday, police recovered Rs 1.30 crore in cash and two luxury cars--a BMW and a Mercedes--from him.

One of the cars also had 'MP' written on it, thereby hinting that he used to pose as a Member of Parliament to dupe gullible people.

It has been found that he was getting money through a Chandni Chowk-based hawala operator. Police also has some phone conversations between the AIADMK leader and Chandrashekhar, sources said, adding that some part of the money was also paid in Kochi.

It is also being probed whether Chandrasekhar had any links with any Election Commission officials.

The official said that the man is known for his conversation skills and used to drive around in cars with red beacon to show people that he exercises influence in political circles.

He claimed that he knew a political leader and used his name to con people.

Chandrashekhar also claimed that he is married to actress Leena Maria Paul, who had also acted in a film 'Madras Cafe', and arrested in 2013 here by a team of Delhi and Chennai police.

He and Leena were arrested on the charges of duping Canara Bank in Chennai of Rs 19 crore, the officer said, adding that he had allegedly duped the bank by posing as an IAS officer and Leena as his aide.

While Leena was arrested from Delhi, Chandrashekhar was held from Bangalore in connection with the case after the actress gave the police a tip-off about his whereabouts.

She, at that time, had claimed that he had befriended her on the pretext of getting her modelling offers.

Chandrashekhar is an alumnus of the Bishop Cotton School in Bengaluru and an MBA dropout. He had floated a company "King Investment" and allegedly made Rs 2,000 crore by duping people through the firm.

While in Bengaluru, he had even posed as the grandson of DMK chief M Karunanidhi and conned people. He used to buy luxury cars through the money he earned by conning people.

He has conned more than 100 people till now and has more than 15 FIRs lodged against him, the officer said.

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China said today that it was willing to work with "all parties" to achieve denuclearisation and stability on the Korean Peninsula, hours after US Vice President Mike Pence warned North Korea against pursuing its nuclear ambitions.

"We are willing to work with all parties concerned to achieve denuclearisation and safeguard peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," Lu Kang told a daily press briefing while responding to Pence's comments in Seoul.

"Just in the past two weeks, the world witnessed the strength and resolve of our new president in actions taken in Syria and Afghanistan," Pence told media referring to missile strikes in Syria for deadly chemical attack and Mother Of All Bombs dropped on an ISIS tunnel complex in Afghanistan.

"North Korea would do well not to test his resolve or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region," Pence said.

Lu said the situation in the Korean Peninsula washighly sensitive, complicated and high risk and all sides should avoid taking provocative actions that add fuel to fire.

Asked about US National Security Adviser H R McMaster's comments that North Korea should stop destabilising behaviour and stop developing nuclear weapons, Lu said "We have taken note of the remarks."



He said seeking a peaceful solution to the Korean Peninsula issue was a right step and meets interests of all related parties.

Dialogue and consultation is the only way to resolve the Korean Peninsula issue, Lu said, reaffirming China's stance.

China has put forward a "dual-track approach" and a "suspension for suspension" proposal to ease tensions on the peninsula and create conditions for peace talks, he said.

Pence visited the tense zone dividing North and South Korea and warned Pyongyang that after years of testing the US and South Korea with its nuclear ambitions, "the era of strategic patience is over.

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For two years now, David Kroese has traveled the country visiting National Park Service sites, with hopes of visiting them all by the end of the 2017.

Were not just talking about the 59 parks in the system.

Kroeses lofty goal encompasses all 417 locations, including national battlefields, memorials monuments and beyond.

You can find people that went to the 59 national parks as designated by Congress, but when you include the monuments, memorials and battlefields, thats when you get to the big numbers, he said with a laugh from the Homestead National Monument of Americas Heritage Center. Ive been traveling amongst the parks heavily for the past several years. I have a goal to see all the units of the park service. So far I've made it 396 of the 417 units that exist today. I hope to finish by this year.

His trip to Homestead was more than another visit. Kroese came bearing gifts for the monument, in the form of two NPS lapel pin collections that will be on display at the Homestead for the coming months.

One of the pin sets is for the Find Your Park campaign, and the other celebrating the park service centennial celebration.

The two displays at the Heritage Center contain a total of 482 pins from National Park Service sites. Kroese received assistance from the Park Service to assemble the collections, and the only pin missing is from Moores Creek National Battlefield in North Carolina.

I went there twice last year and I knew what I wanted, we just never got our act together, he recalled. To complete these sets, even though I actually visited all these sites last year, I had to get help from eastern and western national associations, which sponsor the park stores. They represent, between the two of them, almost 250 parks around the country.

Kroese added that the centennial pins were especially difficult to collect, since they were a popular item with many park visitors.

They first came out in summer of 2015 in advance of the centennial, he explained. Some of them became hard for me to get. Two parks had the centennial pin made after I visited the park last year. I was very fortunate that I decided to do this in 2015. As we got into 2016 these pins, especially the centennials, were very popular and they started to sell out.

Kroese said both the collections, which will travel to a variety of park sites, and his desire to visit those sites stem from a love of history and appreciation for the National Park Service.

Since I was a little boy Ive always loved history, both human and natural history, he said. Its my way of saying thank you to the park system and its employees for all the kindness that was shown to me at places like this. I got a lot of assistance and help when I went through the parks last year and I went to 76 new parks. I wanted a tangible way to give something back. Thats where these came in.
Chinese handset maker Transsion Holdings will introduce its smartphone brand 'Tecno' in India this month, further intensifying competition in one of the world's largest mobile phone markets.

"India is our top priority market across the group and the 58 countries that we operate in, including Middle East and Africa," Transsion Holdings Vice-president Arif Chowdhury told PTI.

He added that the company is examining prospects of setting up local manufacturing and a research and development team in India to tap into the opportunity here.

Chowdhury, however, declined to comment on investment details and market share that the company was aiming for in the Indian market.

Transsion had launched its 'itel' brand in India last year and is now exploring the potential of launching its third brand  Infinix  in the country.

In the past few months, India has seen Chinese mobile phone brands like Lenovo, Vivo and Oppo swarming the market and gain market share.

With a new player coming in, competition in the multi- billion Indian handset market is set to intensify further.

According to research firm IDC, 25.8 million smartphones were shipped to India in October-December quarter of 2016. Of this, the share of China-based vendors stood at 46 per cent.

Apart from Korean player Samsung that led the market in the said quarter, others in the top 5 tally  Xiaomi, Lenovo, Oppo and Vivo  were all Chinese players.

Transsion's 'itel' brand stood at the second spot in the overall mobile phone market in the last quarter of 2016.

"We will launch four smartphones - i3, i3 Pro, i5 and i5 Pro in the Indian market and then, our flagship in May, in the Rs 8,000-15,000 price range," Chowdhury said.

Except for the entry-level model, all other devices will have a fingerprint scanner and improved selfie with front and back LED flashes.

"These products have been developed exclusively for India, these are not available in any other country," he said.

While these devices will initially be available in Rajasthan, Punjab and Gujarat, the company will go pan-India by the end of the year.

"We have a complete 'offline' focus. In the three states where we are starting, we have partnered about 10,000 retailers through 129 local distributors," he said.

Chowdhury added that the company would also look at setting up its own service centres in India, a model it has followed in other parts of the world.
China's Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui today visited Pobitora wildlife sanctuary, which has the world's densest population of Great Indian one horned rhino, and praised its bio-diversity.

Luo Zhaohui, who is leading a six-member high level official team, appreciated the bio-diversity of the 38.8 sq km sanctuary in central Assam, which has other animals such as leopard, wild boar, barking deer, wild buffalo, birds and reptiles, official sources said.

The Chinese diplomat, however, declined to take questions of waiting journalists on Sino-India relations, the recent visit of the Dalai Lama to Tawang and dams on Brahmaputra in his country.

Zhaohui went around the sanctuary with his wife looking at rhinos and migratory birds in Pobitora which has the world's densest population of the one-horned rhinoceros in only 16 sq km effective rhino habitat, said official sources.

The Chinese ambassador also visited the World War II memorials and monuments in Tinsukia district during his two-day official visit to Assam, the sources added.

Meanwhile, former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told reporters that he had raised his concern about the construction of big dams in China whish is affecting the flow of rivers in Assam during his meeting with Zhaohui during the day.

The Chinese ambassador, Gogoi said, had assured him that China would do no such thing and that the dams there will not affect Assam.

Zhaohui also said his country has never given shelter to any Assam-based insurgent outfit, including the Paresh Baruah-led ULFA(Independent, he added.

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A 21-year-old Christian man was allegedly assaulted and burnt with hot iron rods by the family of a Muslim woman for 'befriending' her in Pakistan's Punjab province, according to a media report.

Ansar Masih first established contact with the Muslim woman two years ago and their friendship grew with time, Dawn News reported.

They often spoke over phone and Masih would also visit the woman's neighbourhood to meet her, according to the First Information Report (FIR) signed by Masih's sister at a Sheikhupura police station.

When the woman's family learned of the friendship, her father, Manzoor, and her brothers called Masih's father asking him to tell his son to stay away from the woman, warning them of dire consequences if their instructions were not followed, the FIR stated.

Earlier this month, Ansar's mother sent him to run an errand in the woman's neighbourhood where he was allegedly kidnapped by the accused and his two sons, the report stated.

The three unclothed him, beat him and burned him using hot iron rods, it said.

The FIR further stated that the accused then brought Ansar to his house and told his family that he had met with an accident.

Ansar's family then rushed him to Sheikhupura's District Headquarters Hospital where, after gaining consciousness, he narrated the incident.

He received severe burn wounds and after failing to get proper medical care in Sheikhupura, he was shifted to a hospital in Lahore. Ansar's condition was reported to be stable.

His sister lodged the FIR following which the police took the accused into custody.

The victim's father was quoted as saying that the family was being pressured by the accused as well as the area police to reconcile and take back the case.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today accused the previous UPA governments of failing to allot land to tribal people in those union territory areas "where it had a direct control."



He also accused the Congress-led UPA governments at the Centre of not fulfilling its duty of according land rights to tribal people and blaming the states instead for it.

Addressing a public meeting here, he said while it is the duty of the Centre to accord land rights to the tribal people, the previous Congress government always blamed the states for it.

"Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh saw best progress in giving land rights to the tribals. But the government of India and the Congress leaders used to instigate the tribals that the Modi government (when he was the Gujarart chief minister) was not giving land rights to the tribals," he told the gathering.

He said when he became the Prime Minister, he realised it is the duty of the Centre and not the states to hand over the land rights to the tribals.

"When I became the Prime Minister, I was stunned to find out that they (the UPA government) had not given the land rights to a single tribal person in the Union territories, where they had a direct control," Modi said.

"They were in power for 10 years, but they always put the states on the docks (for not giving land rights)... Not even a single tribal in the Union Territory was given the land rights," he said.

Modi said he was the first Prime Minister to visit this Union territory in the last 35 years. Earlier, erstwhile Prime Minister Morarji Desai had visited Silvassa.

Before the meeting, Modi handed over the land rights documents to the tribals, gas connections to the women and other aids to the physically challenged people.

"After we came to power, we decided to give land rights to tribals. Tribals were tilling the land for years, but they did not get the land rights for years. Today, 2,325 families have been given land rights for the first time," Modi said.

Modi promised houses to tribals in Dadra and Nagar Haveli under the 'Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojna,' by 2022.

"We have conducted a survey here in Dadra and Nagar Haveli. We found out that 6,234 people do not have houses in rural areas while 800 do not have houses in Silvasa town. All of them will get houses by 2022," he said.

On the occasion, financial assistance and distribution of equipment to the physically-challenged was announced for 21,000 beneficiaries of different Central schemes.

Modi accorded the financial assistance and distributed equipments to some of the beneficiaries.

Continuing his broadside, the Prime Minister said the Congress contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections on the plank of increasing subsidised gas cylinders from nine to 12.

"But after we came to power, we have provided gas connections to 2 crore households," he said adding that it has helped improve the health of women who used to cook using wood as fuel.

Referring to his government's push for generic medicine, Modi said the poor should also get the medicines and asserted that the cheap medicine does not mean it lacks quality.

He also cautioned people against the propaganda that generic medicines lack quality.

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A Delhi court on Tuesday ordered lodging of an FIR against a woman police official for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl, who had earlier accused her teacher of molesting her.

Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Yadav passed the order after the 13-year-old child told the court that she was sexually assaulted by the woman investigating officer (IO) of the case and she had lodged a complaint to the police against her but no action was taken.

The court also dismissed the third bail plea of the teacher of a government school, facing prosecution in the case, saying there was no change in circumstances.

"Today separate directions have been given for lodging of FIR against the IO in this case for having committed penetrative upon the child victim and creating false evidence.

"Needless to say, false evidence was being created by the IO solely to accord benefit thereof to the applicant/accused Manoj Rathi (teacher). Be that as it may, I do not find any change in the circumstance warranting taking different view. The bail application of the applicant accordingly stands dismissed," the judge said.

The court directed the SHO of Mangolpuri in north west Delhi to get the FIR registered against woman IO, a sub inspector, through a senior officer and file a status report in the matter on April 29.

The girl, in her complaint, alleged that the IO had threatened her father to get the victim medically re-examined or she would implicate her in a false case.

The child alleged that initially the woman official sexually assaulted her and later took her to a hospital where the doctors conducted her internal medical examination without her consent.

The police, which is already probing the aspect of on the minor by her teacher, had earlier informed the court that it has also registered an FIR against the girl's father in view of the alleged confession letter which was given to the police by the school staff.

The school staff had earlier given to police an alleged confession letter of the girl's father that he had repeatedly sexually assaulted her.

The initial incident occurred in August last year when the girl, a Class V student of a government school in Aman Vihar area of North-West Delhi, asked a question to the teacher who told her to meet him alone later.

The girl said in her complaint that the teacher allegedly molested her and when her parents came to the school next day to complain about his conduct, he threatened them and took thumb impression of the child's father on a blank paper.

The teacher then allegedly wrote a confession letter on behalf of the girl's father that he had repeatedly sexually assaulted his daughter and got the signatures of other colleagues, she had alleged. Later, a case under the POCSO Act was registered by the police against the accused teacher.

The police has also lodged a case against other school teachers and principal for not informing them about an alleged confession letter of a minor girl's father.
Veteran actor Dennis Quaid has joined the second season of Amazon series "Fortitude".

"I wasn't in Season One, but (Michael) was there on the island. I guess he was one of the background people. He's an American ex-pat who's been (in Fortitude) as a fisherman.

"He landed on the island and met his now-wife, Freya (Michelle Fairley, Caitlyn Stark from "Game of Thrones"). She has Lou Gehrig's Disease, where you lose control of your muscles. He's on a quest to save her," Quaid, 63 told New York Post.

The series, a UK production, is shot in Iceland (exterior shots) and in London (interior shots).

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An Egyptian court has acquitted Aya Hijazi, a dual US-Egyptian citizen, after nearly three years of detention over accusations related to running a foundation dedicated to helping street children.

Egyptian authorities arrested Hijazi, her husband and six others in May 2014 on charges of abusing children in her care and engaging in human trafficking, kidnapping, sexual exploitation and torture.

Local human rights groups have said the charges are fabricated and part of a crackdown by Egypt's government on civil society.

The trial has been delayed multiple times on what human rights groups say are absurd pretexts, like the inability to turn on a computer at a court hearing.

Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, along with several congressmen and international rights groups, had called for Hijazi's release.

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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today said Turkey could hold a referendum on its long-stalled EU membership bid after Turks voted to approve expanding his powers in a plebiscite.

"For 54 years, what did they make us do at the EU's door? Wait!" Erdogan told supporters outside the presidential palace in Ankara, referring to Turkey's long-standing membership bid.

He hit back at threats by EU leaders to freeze accession talks, adding: "We will sit down and talk, and we can hold a referendum for that (EU bid) too!"



Erdogan added such a vote would be like that in the UK where last year, Britons voted to leave the bloc in a similarly close result.

He repeated the refrain he used often in speeches during the referendum campaign that it did not matter what the EU thought.

"What George, Hans or Helga say does not interest us," he said, using typical European names. "What counts for us is what Ayse, Murat, Mehmet, Hatice says. What Allah (God) says!" he added, using Islamic-rooted Turkish names.

Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern said earlier today that Brussels should end talks after the results of yesterday's referendum in which 'Yes' won by 51.41 per cent.

"With what happened yesterday, (Turkey's) membership prospects are buried, in practical terms," Kern said.

Erdogan repeated in his speech that he would approve the death penalty if a bill was submitted to him, adding there could be a referendum on capital punishment as well if necessary.

The EU has been quick to warn Turkey any return of the death penalty would mean the immediate end of its membership bid.

Turkey abolished the death penalty in 2004 as part of its bid to join the bloc.

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Hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli jails launched a hunger strike today following a call from leader and prominent prisoner Marwan Barghouti, a movement that could mark a serious challenge to Israeli authorities if sustained.

The hunger strike was called for in connection with Palestinian Prisoners Day, observed annually, but also ahead of commemorations this summer marking 50 years since the 1967 Six Day War and the start of Israel's occupation.

Hunger strikes by Palestinian prisoners occur regularly, but rarely on such a large scale. A series of protests were also being held in Palestinian cities in connection with prisoners day.

Barghouti's call for the strike has given it added credibility, with the 57-year-old serving five life sentences over his role in the violent second Palestinian intifada.

He is a popular figure among Palestinians, with polls suggesting he could win the Palestinian presidency. Graffiti showing the iconic image of his cuffed hands raised above his head flashing a peace sign while being led away by Israeli authorities can be seen in the West Bank.

"Decades of experience have proved that Israel's inhumane system of colonial and military occupation aims to break the spirit of prisoners and the nation to which they belong, by inflicting suffering on their bodies, separating them from their families and communities, using humiliating measures to compel subjugation," Barghouti wrote in a New York Times op- ed.

"In spite of such treatment, we will not surrender to it."



Issa Qaraqe, head of prisoners affairs for the Palestinian Authority, said that "around 1,300 Palestinian prisoners" were participating in the hunger strike and the number could rise.

The Palestinian Prisoners Club NGO put the number at 1,500.

Israeli prison service spokesman Assaf Librati said that some 1,100 detainees had announced their intention to begin a hunger strike across at several prisons.

"The prisons service has started taking disciplinary measures against the strikers and in addition a number of prisoners have been transferred to separate wings," he said.

"It is to be emphasised that the (prison service) does not negotiate with prisoners."



Some 6,500 Palestinians are currently detained by Israel for a range of offences and alleged crimes.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's office called on Israel to respond to the prisoners' demands for "freedom and dignity."



Barghouti's wife Fadwa told AFP at a demonstration in Ramallah that the demands were in line with "international law and recognised as part of human rights."



The last large-scale hunger strike was in February 2013, when 3,000 Palestinians refused to eat for one day to protest against the death of a fellow detainee.

Israel says it must be vigilant to prevent fresh eruptions of violence, particularly following a wave of knife, gun and car-ramming attacks that erupted in October 2015.

The violence has greatly subsided in recent months.

While many Palestinians view Barghouti as a hero, Israelis point to the bloody suicide attacks of the second intifada and his role in the uprising.

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Scientists at IIT Kharagpur are developing resources and tools to help computers provide a better online experience to an user to read Bengali texts and find answers to his queries in the same language.

Prof Sudeshna Sarkar, head of the department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT-KGP said, currently the institute is working with Google to develop a Bengali treebank which is an important resource to understand the grammatical structure of Bengali texts as well as their meaning.

Sarkar gave examples about how their final product would work.

"If you wish to know about flood related reports in West Bengal that have appeared in various Bengali newspapers over the past 10 years, the computer can prepare a report for you with dates and locations of the events as well as the steps taken by the government," she said.

Likewise if an end user wants to know what several Bengali authors since the time of Rabindranath Tagore had said about Kolkata in their works, the computer can give the answer, she said.

"We are trying to create tools and resources for understanding Bengali by the computer. Such tools will enable a far better online experience for a Bengali language user and give him better access to the information available in Bengali texts," Prof Sarkar said.

The researchers at the Computer Science and Engineering department are developing resources and tools for Bengali, which will facilitate word level as well as sentence level grammatical analysis of Bengali texts.

"The research will enable better understanding of Bengali language so that the computer can retrieve answers to your questions," she said.

"We had been involved in a project called Sandhan partnering with several institutions to develop a cross-language Indian search engine. Typing a query in Bengali, the system will also let you access relevant documents in other languages such as Hindi and English," she said.

The 'Sandhan' system also handles Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Odia and Assamese.

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Actress Kriti Sanon, who has so far appeared in light hearted romantic movies, says she would like to do more action films.

Kriti will next be seen in "Raabta" directed by Dinesh Vijan and the actress has tried her hands in action for the first time in the film.

"I have always been wanting to do action. I have not done much action in 'Raabta' but whatever little bit I did I enjoyed it. It is tough to do it especially in the place where we were shooting it.

"If given an opportunity I would love to learn and do more action," Kriti told reporters here at the trailer launch of the film.

The upcoming romantic drama will for the first time see Kriti romancing Sushant Singh Rajput.

"Shiv the character is cheesy, likes himself a lot. Sushant was behaving like that and when I asked about it he said he was in his character. Probably this is one character that is like him as even after the film got over he was behaving like that. This character is like him," she said.

The movie deals with reincarnation and Kriti said even though she does not believe in the concept of rebirth, she does feel that few things are destined to happen.

"My character believes in that (reincarnation). When we meet someone we either get a good or bad vibe and that is maybe because there is some connection and I do believe in this," she said.

"I feel everything is connected as I feel I was meant to do 'Raabta'. Before I had signed 'Heropanti' and Dinesh Vijan (director) had narrated me the first chocolate scene of 'Raabta'. So even before I was getting into films this movie came my way," she added.

The movie is scheduled to release on June 9.

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South Korean consumer electronics major is scouting for partnership with telecom operators in India to offer its 'smart appliances' connected with Internet of Things (IoT) technology.

The company is taking small steps to introduce its appliances equipped with features such as HomeChat and SmartThinQ that enable consumers to control and operate home appliances through smartphones. These appliances are connected through the internet.

By partnering with a telecom operator, it is looking to address the requirement for a network provider to connect with the different appliances in a household.

"Already we are prepared for smart home, IoT related products but this is not just a standalone device," Electronics India Managing Director Ki Wan Kim said.

Being a total solution and service concept, it functions with devices which are connected through the internet, he added.

"Device is easy, it only needs protocol interface. That is why, I will be meeting the head of a telecom service provider tomorrow to discuss this," he added.

While he did not disclose the name of the telecom firm, Kim said ultimately a partnership will be decided on how it would help end consumers.

When asked if LG is looking to join hands exclusively with a single or multiple telecom operators, KIm said: "Anyone who is partnering with us for the sake of our goal, it is fine. LG stands for Life is Good, so our responsibility is enhancing the lifestyle of Indians."

In advanced markets like South Korea and the US, Kim said it is the telecom operators which had taken the lead in offering IoT service so that consumers can subscribe plans according to their needs.

LG HomeChat allows customers to receive notifications and reminders on smartphones about steps and status of progress on activities such as washing or cooking and accordingly control it.

Likewise, the company's SmartThinQ allows consumers control connected appliances at home from anywhere to control various activities, including starting wash cycles, checking refrigerator inventory and even resolving problems.
Nine months after it announced subsidy for the onion growers in the state, who had incurred losses during the 2016 kharif season, the Maharashtra government has now decided to disburse the financial aid.

"The subsidy of Rs 100 per quintal is finally going to be disbursed to the onion growers from the Maharashtra government's contingency fund," state Marketing Minister Subhash Deshmukh told PTI today.

There are around 1.25 lakh farmers in the state, who would benefit from this financial assistance. As of now, the total amount is estimated to be Rs 48 crore to Rs 50 crore, he said adding, "If the state government gets more applications, we will disburse the amount accordingly."



According to the minister, similar financial assistance was given to farmers in 2009 by the state government, wherein they were given Rs 50 per quintal.

Recently, the government had issued a GR stating that only those farmers, who incurred losses in July and August 2016 after selling their yield to agriculture produce market committees (APMCs) in the state, will be covered under this scheme.

Every eligible onion cultivator will get financial assistance of Rs 100 per quintal. The amount will be provided to up to 200 quintals only. If a farmer has produced and sold more than 200 quintals of onion, he will get a financial assistance only up to 200 quintals, the GR added.

To get the subsidy, the farmers have to submit an application mentioning their Aadhaar number linked bank account number, 7/12 receipt of land record and the Aadhaar number attached with a copy of the APMC, where the onion was sold, the GR said.

Meanwhile, Raghunath Patil, a farmers' leader from Sangli district, criticised the government saying that the subsidy being provided to the farmers was to low.

"The state government is fooling the farmers by claiming that it is providing an assistance of Rs 100 per quintal. It had given Rs 50 in 2009 and after seven years it has increased it to Rs 100," he said.

"All the prices generally get doubled in seven years, hence the financial assistance (to onion growers) in 2009 and 2016 is qualitatively at the same level. The government's claim of doubling the aid is misleading and half-truth.

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The Maharashtra government is mulling to double the inland fish production from the current Rs 1.5 lakh metric tonne, Fisheries Minister Mahadev Jankar said today.

Jankar said there are 30 fish seed production centres in the state with 2,414 lakh spawn production capacity per year for catering to inland fishing.

The government will now set up 53 portable hatchery centres on co-operative basis all over the state close to large ponds, reservoirs and lakes, Jankar told reporters here.

He said the cost of setting up each facility would be Rs 3.5 lakh.

Jankar said earlier the state government would procure fish seeds from West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

"With the hatchery set up of our own, we will save Rs 3 crore on seed purchase," he said.

Jankar informed that the marine production is 4.5 lakh metric tonne annually which has remained stagnant for a few years.

"One-third of the marine production is exported," he added.

The Minister also said new licenses for Purse seine nets are not being given.

These nets are to be used for fishing mackrel (bangda) and Sardin (Tarli) fish since they move in groups.

Purse seine nets can stretch from 500 metres up to 1 kilometres and sometimes fishermen attach two or three such nets and cover an area of 3 kilometres, pulling out a large proportion of fish population. The nets have codend size (mesh ) spanning from 25 mm to 35mm that blocks small fish, fishlings and fish eggs from falling back into the ocean, thereby stopping them from multiplying.

"Now, the codend size has been expanded. There are 494 purse seine net licenses in the state," he added.

Out of the 1.92 lakh fishing community members, biometric cards have been given to 1.86 lakh, Jankar said.

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Maharashtra's Chief Information Commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad was beaten up by some persons in Aurangabad today, police said.

Six persons, including an ex-corporator of Prakash Ambedkar's Bharip-Bahujan Mahasangh, have been detained in connection with the assault, which took place at the state government's Subhedari Guest House, police said.

"We are checking if the assailants were supporters of Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar, who has been critical of Gaikwad over demolition of the 'Ambedkar Bhawan' in Mumbai in June last year," a police official said.

Ambedkar, grandson of Dr B R Ambedkar, had filed an FIR against Gaikwad, former Chief Secretary, and Madhukar Kamble, trustee of the People's Improvement Trust, in connection with the demolition of the historic Ambedkar Bhavan in central Mumbai.

Gaikwad, who was in Aurangabad to attend a meeting, was attacked after he got out of his car, police said.

Police personnel present at the guest house rushed to Gaikwad and rescued the former IAS officer, Aurangabad Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar told PTI.

Ambedkar was immediately not available for comment.

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West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to undertake a three-day visit to Odisha beginning tomorrow.

Arya Kumar Gyanendra, the state convenor of Trinamool Congress, which Banerjee heads, said her tour is "purely personal and has nothing to do with politics".

Official sources said she would be a state guest and is scheduled to have a darshan of Lord Jagannath in Puri.

Asked whether Banerjee would meet Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik after her arrival here tomorrow evening, Gyanendra said "We have no information in this regard."



CMO sources, however, said Banerjee is likely to meet Patnaik during her visit. Both the chief ministers had met at the Parliament House in Delhi on April 10.

The proposed meeting of the two non-BJP and neighbouring chief ministers assume significance as the ruling parties in Odisha and West Bengal have been entangled in the chitfund scam which is being investigated by CBI.

As both the regional parties - TMC and BJD are being targetted by BJP Banerjee and Patnaik may draw a specific strategy to counter the saffron surge in their respective states.

Gyanendra said TMC has been trying to expand its base in Odisha and has already set up its unit in Bhubaneswar but its presence has not turned out to be impressive so far.

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A neuroscientist from Panchkula area of Haryana has alleged that he has been forced to live separately from his Russian wife because of the civic authority's "delaying tactics" in issuing him a marriage certificate.

"Is it a crime for an Indian national to marry a Russian girl?," 31-year-old Mohit Rana asked.

He alleged that he has been running from pillar to post since the past two months to get his marriage registered, but to no avail.

Mohit and Russian national Aygul Rakhimkulova (29), both neuroscientists, married here in January this year after a five-year courtship.

"Mohit could not take his wife to Santiago in Chile, where he is an established neuroscientist. Aygul, had to return to Germany, where she is a PhD scholar at University of Tubingen," Mohit's brother Sumit Rana said.

Sumit said Mohit has been forced to live apart from his wife because of the "delaying" attitude of the municipal department in Panchkula.

However, Panchkula's Deputy Commissioner, Gauri Prashar Joshi denied the charges and said the couple lacked relevant documents.

"They had come to register their marriage, but they did not have relevant documents. They had their papers in foreign language. The girl had the papers in her language which none of us could comprehend. We asked the girl to get the documents authenticated from the (Russian) embassy," he said today.

Sumit, however, said that the couple had all the relevant documents and these were duly checked by clerk Shabana and declared "complete in all respect".

He said when the case was forwarded to Arvind Balyan, dealing officer in Municipal Corporation Panchkula, the latter refused to register the marriage claiming that it was beyond his power.

"We told him about clause 1.4 of Haryana Compulsory Marriage Act 2008, stating that a Registrar could register the marriage if either the bride or groom was a resident in an area under his jurisdiction.

"Even the dealing clerk Shabana verified the same saying that a number of marriages with foreign nationals have been registered under the Act, and the only document required was a 'No Objection Certificate' (NOC) from the Embassy where the foreign national lived," Sumit said.

"The NOC was submitted to the MC after it was obtained from the consulate general of Russia in Frankfurt, Germany, where Aygul had been living for the past nine years. Where is the language problem as the document is in English?" he asked.

When contacted, Balyan said he did not harass the couple or deliberately delayed issuing certificate to them.

"I do not recall having deliberately delayed giving marriage certificate to anyone. In this particular case too, what I asked for is proper documents, and there is nothing wrong in that," he told PTI over phone.

Sumit, however, contested that Balyan wrote that the documents were of foreign country and they needed to be embossed by Deputy Commissioner's office.

He claimed that despite an "assurance" from the Deputy Commissioner's office, Balyan did not do anything and said that he would write to the Russian embassy to verify domicile status of Rahimkulova.

"When we contacted the Russian embassy they told us that they could verify no such document as passport was a proof of domicile in itself. They said if an officer (Balyan) had any doubt on the authenticity of the passport, he should enquire as to how a visa was granted to Rahimkulova by India," Sumit said.

Sumit added that the family had knocked every door, but nothing has been done in this case.

"We need media's help in this matter, otherwise the couple will be forced to marry again in Chile, where it is easier to get a marriage registered than in our own country," he said.

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A man carrying a reward of Rs 21,000 on his head and his accomplice were arrested today from Rajasthan's Dholpur district, police said.

Kedar Gujjar, who is wanted in 30 cases, including dacoity, murder, robbery and rape, was arrested along with his accomplice Pooja Gujjar from Daang area, SP Dholpur Rajesh Singh said.

The cases against him are lodged at different police stations in Bharatpur, Dholpur and Agra, he said.

Two country-made rifles, a pistol and 44 cartridges were seized from them, Singh said.

A case has been registered at the Basaidaang Police Station against the accused under relevant sections of the IPC, including attempt to murder, and provisions of the Arms Act, the SP said.

They are being interrogated, he said.

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A bride and groom headed for their wedding were booted from a United Airlines flight here after they relocated to empty seats three rows up without permission, the latest public relations headache for the major American company.

Michael Hohl and Amber Maxwell boarded Flight 1737 on Saturday, from Houston to their wedding in Costa Rica, along with friends to find a napping man sprawled across their assigned seats, 24B and 24C, they were quoted as saying by the local TV KHOU.Com.

They relocated to empty seats three rows up, 21B and 21C, with Hohl saying they were "simply in an economy row a few rows above our economy seat" on the apparently half-full flight.

Hohl said after complying with the flight attendant's demand to return to their assigned seats, a US Marshall came onto the plane and asked them to get off. They left the aircraft without incident, the report said.

United, however, offered a different account in a statement KHOU obtained.

"These passengers repeatedly attempted to sit in upgraded seating which they did not purchase and they would not follow crew instructions to return to their assigned seats," the airline said. "We've been in touch with them and have rebooked them."



"They said that we were being disorderly and a hazard to the rest of the flight, to the safety of the other customers," Hohl said.

They were rebooked for another flight the next morning, but Hohl said they won't be flying United again and described the whole situation as "quite strange."



"I think customer service and the airlines has gone real downhill," said Hohl. "The way United Airlines handled this was really absurd."



United Airlines recently made headlines and remains under scrutiny following its treatment to the Vietnamese-American passenger, David Dao, who was physically dragged off an "overbooked" flight when he refused to give up his seat for United crew members on a flight from Chicago to Louisville.

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A 40-year-old man was killed and his cousin injured during a clash between two groups over a land dispute in Palson village here, police said today.

Mohan Shyam was yesterday killed and his cousin Sukhadeo injured in the clash, SP (Rural) Arun Kumar Singh said.

Maksudan had purchased a farm from Shyam and started cutting crops allegedly without paying the full price of the land to the latter, he said.

It led to a violent clash between the supporters of Shayam and Maksudan. On getting information about the clash, police reached the spot following which both the groups escaped, Singh said.

Police rushed Shyam and Sukhadeo, who were injured, to a hospital but the former died on the way, he said, adding Sukhadeo is undergoing treatment at a private hospital.

Cross-FIRs were registered on the basis of complaints by both the groups, the SP said, adding probe is underway in the matter.

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The Democrat leadership has made constant, profound and incredible pronouncements that one's supportive vote for Republicans is tantamount to surrendering Democracy forever. Understanding their sincere thinking in their extreme position: How will you still vote on this election day?

Democrat; because the continuance of this Democracy from the existential threat of extreme Republicans is paramount.

Republican; the process of having a choice is the democratic method within what "Democracy" exists.
More than 3,000 Syrians are expected to be evacuated on Sunday from four areas as part of a population transfer that was briefly stalled the day before by a deadly blast that killed scores of people, most of them government supporters.

The United Nations is not overseeing the transfer deal, which involves residents of the pro-government villages of Foua and Kfarya and the opposition-held towns of Madaya and Zabadani. All four have been under siege for years, their fate linked through a series of reciprocal agreements that the UN says have hindered aid deliveries.

Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, and Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV said 3,000 people will be evacuated from Foua and Kfarya, while 200, the vast majority of them fighters, will be evacuated from Zabadani and Madaya.

Abdurrahman said Saturday's blast which hit an area where thousands of government loyalists evacuated the day before had been waiting for hours killed 112. He said the dead included 98 people from Foua and Kfarya.

After the blast, some 60 buses carrying 2,200 people, including 400 opposition fighters, entered areas held by rebels in the northern province of Aleppo, Abdurrahman said.

More than 50 buses and 20 ambulances carrying some 5,000 Foua and Kfarya residents entered the government-held city of Aleppo, Syrian state TV said, with some of them later reaching a shelter in the village of Jibreen to the south.

UN relief coordinator Stephen O'Brien said he was "horrified" by the deadly bombing, and that while the UN was not involved in the transfer it was ready to "scale up our support to evacuees".

He called on all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, and to "facilitate safe and unimpeded access for the UN and its partners to bring life-saving help to those in need".

Residents of Madaya and Zabadani, formerly summer resorts, joined the 2011 uprising against President Bashar Assad. Both came under government siege in the ensuing civil war. Residents of Foua and Kfraya, besieged by the rebels, have lived under a steady hail of rockets and mortars for years, but were supplied with food and medicine through military airdrops.

Critics say the string of evacuations, which could see some 30,000 people moved across battle lines over the next 60 days, amounts to forced displacement along political and sectarian lines.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sandeep Kumar, a former minister in the AAP government in Delhi who was sacked from the party last year over a sex tape purportedly featuring him, has triggered a row by allegedly campaigning for the BJP in the upcoming MCD polls.

The saffron party though has denied that Kumar has campaigned for one of its candidates.

A video clip had recently surfaced purportedly showing Kumar slamming Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and extending his support to the BJP candidate from Narela, Savita Khatri.

Yesterday, the Sultanpur Majra MLA was allegedly present in person at Khatri's rally.

AAP legislator Alka Lamba hit out at the BJP for "inviting" Kumar to campaign for its candidate.

"BJP has been defaming AAP by taking Kumar's name on radio (commercials). Now, they are even using him in their campaign," she alleged on Twitter.

BJP denied the charge saying Kumar was not invited by the party for campaigning and alleged that it was the AAP which had "hatched a conspiracy" to defame the saffron party.

"It's a well planned conspiracy of AAP to harm the BJP's poll prospects at Narela," said Delhi BJP vice-president Rajiv Babbar, adding that Kumar was not invited to the rally and he went away after talking to the media.

"AAP volunteers are running a social media campaign to defame our party," said Delhi BJP spokesperson Naveen Kumar.

"We have lodged a police complaint in this regard," he added.

Kumar was removed from the Delhi cabinet by Kejriwal in August, 2016.

Subsequently, he was arrested on a complaint from a woman after a video clip surfaced purportedly showing her in a compromising position with Kumar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The opposition BJP today dubbed as "trash" the bill passed by the TRS government to increase reservation for backward sections among Muslims and held protests in Hyderabad and elsewhere in Telangana against it.

BJP state president K Laxman told reporters that they would intensify their opposition and take up a long term agitation against the bill.

Laxman, BJP national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao and other leaders led the protests at different places.

Laxman said the party would take up fast from morning till noon on April 20 in all mandals of the state against the bill and other issues.

"On April 26 and 27, the state executive would meet at Sangareddy (near Hyderabad) to chalk out a long-term battle plan against the policies of the state government," he said.

BJP spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao earlier told PTI that the bill has no legal and constitutional sanctity.

"Religion cannot be a basis for reservations and legally it's not viable as both the high court and the Supreme Court have capped the reservation at 50 per cent," Rao said.

He said the local BJP unit would go to court and challenge the Bill.

"They (the government) haven't followed process and so the Bill is just like a trash paper, it does not have any validity. It will not stand the scrutiny of courts," Rao said.

The Telangana legislature yesterday passed a bill which raises the reservation for the backward sections of Muslims and scheduled tribes, taking the total quota in the state jobs and educational institutions to 62 per cent from 50 per cent.

Laxman alleged that the ruling TRS is indulging in vote bank politics by trying to appease Muslims and doing injustice to backward classes and STs in the process.

"To get Muslims' appreciation, you give 12 per cent reservation because their population percentage is 12. You don't talk about 'Divyangas' (persons with disabilities) whose population is three per cent.

"The Scheduled Caste population is 18 per cent and you say you will try to increase quota by one per cent that too at a later date. So, what is clear is, this bill is for the appeasement of Muslims and you ignore SCs, STs and BCs," he said.

The TRS had promised three per cent quota for persons with disabilities but there was no mention about it in the bill, he said.

Rao said, "It has given us a great opportunity to project TRS in bad light because it's been irresponsible as a government and it has undermined the rightful constitutional reservation for Backward Classes."



He said the party would launch a "massive agitation" against the bill.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
: Naval ship INS Chennai was formally dedicated to the city today in the presence of Chief Minister K Palaniswami, Eastern Naval Command, Flag Officer and Commanding-in-Chief, Vice-Admiral, H C S Bisht.

The dedication ceremony of the 'P15A Guided Missile Destroyer' was marked by a series of drills and events, besides unveiling of a plaque by Palaniswami at the Chennai Port Trust here, an official release said.

Vice Admiral Bisht in his brief address said the Navy was fully geared to meet the challenges at sea.

Named after the city, the ship is commanded by captain C R Praveen Nair and has 45 officers.

INS Chennai has been anchored here since April 15 and was visited by more than 5,000 people, including 2000 students, the release added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indian Navy's indigenously designed guided missile destroyer "INS Chennai" was today formally dedicated to the city by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister urged the Navy to protect the maritime interests of the state and the fishermen.

The dedication ceremony of the 'P15A Guided Missile Destroyer', which is anchored here since April 15, at the Chennai Port Trust was marked by a series of drills and events.

A plaque commemorating the occasion was unveiled by Palaniswami.

"We are proud of our armed forces who protect us from external enemies. They ensure that we are able to enjoy our freedom and democracy. The Indian Navy has always assisted the state during natural disasters", the Chief Minister said.

"I urge the Indian Navy to protect the maritime interests of India and Tamil Nadu. Our fishermen must be protected against attacks so that they peacefully engage in the tradition of fishing in the exclusively economic zone", he said.

Noting that the state government had always addressed issues relating to armed forces, he said it would continue to provide all necessary support in this regard.

Eastern Naval Command, Commanding-in-Chief, Vice-Admiral, H C S Bisht, who was present, said the Navy was fully geared to meet the challenges at sea.

Named after the city, INS Chennai is commanded by captain C R Praveen Nair and has 45 officers.

The ship, commissioned by then Defence Minister Manohar Parikkar last year, is one of the most potent warships to have been constructed in India.

The vessel's anti-submarine warfare capabilities include indigenously developed rocket and torpedo launchers. Besides, it is equipped to fight under nuclear, biological and chemical warfare conditions.

An unique feature of the ship is the "high level of indigenisation" incorporated in the production.

Some major indigenised equipment on-board INS Chennai include combat management system, rocket launcher, torpedo tube launcher, automated power management system and the bow mounted SONAR.

During its call here, INS Chennai was visited by more than 5,000 people, including 2,000 students, officials said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Media firm on Monday said its Board will soon meet to consider potential sale of certain strategic assets by its subsidiary.

"Board meeting of the company is being convened to consider, inter alia, potential sale of certain strategic assets by certain material subsidiary(ies) of the company," said in a BSE filing.

NDTV, however, did not elaborate on the assets the company will consider for sale or the date of the Board meeting.

The stock of was trading 0.97 per cent higher at Rs 72.50 on BSE.
Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari left for India today on her first foreign visit, during which she will hold talks with the top Indian leadership to strengthen bilateral ties.

She left for New Delhi in a special Nepal Airlines flight from the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. The TIA had yesterday announced a 35-minute flight restriction from 10:30am to 11:05am local time for security reasons.

Nepal government has announced a public holiday today to mark her visit. As per custom, public holidays are announced in Nepal whenever the head of the state embarks on an official foreign visit.

April 22, when she returns home, will also be a public holiday in Nepal.

She is visiting India at the invitation of President Pranab Mukherjee and will stay at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

It will be Bhandari's first official visit abroad after assuming the office in October 2015. A high-level delegation comprising several ministers and MPs is accompanying her.

In the past six months, there have been several high- level visits between Nepal and India. Nepal Prime Minister 'Prachanda' visited India twice - in September and October - and President Mukherjee visited Kathmandu in November.

Bhandari, 55, was scheduled to visit India in May last year, but the trip was cancelled after the then Cabinet did not endorse her visit programme, citing lack of preparations on the part of the government.

In India, she will hold talks with President Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow, exploring ways to expand cooperation between the two neighbours whose ties were strained over the agitation by the Madhesi community last year.

Vice President Hamid Ansari, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will also call on the Nepal president.

The bilateral ties between the two countries faced turbulence last year due to the Madhesi agitation and the subsequent blockade of border trading points which halted the supply of essential goods to landlocked Nepal from India.

Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin, had been demanding that the new Constitution be amended to include their concerns about adequate political representation and redrawing of federal boundaries.

MEA's Joint Secretary (North) Sudhakar Dalela said in New Delhi yesterday that Bhandari's visit will reflect the priority that India attaches to strengthen the "age-old and unique partnership with Nepal, shared cultural and historical linkages, and strong people-to-people relationship."



Tomorrow, she will attend a business event organised by industry chambers CII, FICCI and ASSOCHAM. She is also scheduled to visit Gujarat and Odisha and pay obeisance at temples of Dwarka, Somnath and Puri.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nepal's President Bidhya Devi Bhandari arrived here today on her first overseas tour during which she will hold talks with top Indian leadership to strengthen bilateral ties.

"Neighbourhood first. Bidhya Devi Bhandari, President of Nepal, arrives in New Delhi on State Visit to India," the external affairs ministry spokesperson tweeted.

She will hold talks with President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, exploring ways to expand cooperation between the two close neighbours whose ties faced some strains following the agitation by the Madhesi community last year.

Vice President Hamid Ansari, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will also call on the Nepalese President.

Bhandari was scheduled to visit India in May last year, but the trip was cancelled after the then cabinet did not endorse the visit, citing lack of preparations on the part of the government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The UK has set up a new specialist police unit to monitor growing incidents of unmanned drones dropping contrabands like drugs and mobile phones into prisons.

"We are absolutely determined to tackle the illegal flow of drugs and mobile phones into our prisons and turn them into places of safety and reform," said UK Prisons Minister Sam Gyimah.

"The threat posed by drones is clear, but our dedicated staff are committed to winning the fight against those who are attempting to thwart progress by wreaking havoc in establishments all over the country. My message to those who involve themselves in this type of criminal activity is clear; we will find you and put you behind bars," he said.

There has been a sharp increase in incidents involving drones in the recent years, with gadgets being detected in or around jails in England and Wales 33 times in 2015, according to official figures.

This is up from two the year before and there were no recorded incidents in 2013.

The new squad of prison and police officers will work with law enforcement agencies and HM Prison and Probation Service to inspect drones that are recovered in a bid to identify those involved in attempts to smuggle in contraband.

Investigators will bring together intelligence from across the prisons and the police to pin-point lines of inquiry, which will be passed to local forces and organised crime officers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Paradip Port Trust and Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) for transporting imported crude oil from Paradip port in Odisha to Numaligarh in Assam for its proposed refinery expansion.

Under the NRL's proposed refinery expansion project from the existing three MMTPA to nine MMTPA, a 28-inch diameter 1400 km long crude oil pipeline of one MMTPA capacity will be laid for transporting six MMTPA of imported crude oil from Paradip port to Numaligarh.

The MoU provides for utilizing IOCL's spare capacity of existing SPMs (Single Point Mooring) at Paradip.

Paradip Port Trust will extend land space for installation of crude storage tanks, pump house and township at Paradip, a NRL release said today.

The tripartite MoU was signed between Paradip Port Trust Chairman Rinkesh Roy, NRL Director(Technical) B J Phukan and IOCL ED (Pipelines) A K Tiwari at Bhubaneswar yesterday in the presence of Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari and Minister of State(I/C) for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan.

Assam Finance, Health, Education and Planning Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Commerce and Industry Minister C M Patowary, NRL MD P Padmanabhan and IOCL Director(Pipelines) IOCL Aneesh Agarwal were also present on the occasion, the release said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
While 49 other states are scratching their heads figuring out how to promote manufacturing jobs, North Carolina's General Assembly's lack of action on prohibition-era laws may actually be destroying manufacturing growth, turning down the opportunity of a lifetime.The manufacturing jobs I'm referring to here are provided by brewers and distillers whose only crime is deciding to open up shop in the communities they love, but are now being penalized by the state for becoming too successful.Craft brewers have succeeded because they embark into new frontiers with their products and processes. Some brewers only serve their product on tap, while others find opportunity in expanding and creating manufacturing lines of bottles, cans, and kegs, reaching wider audiences. These entrepreneurial decisions are creating jobs - manufacturing jobs!Oddly enough, however, the state is sending mixed signals. It willingly subsidizes out-of-state companies to move into North Carolina, but erects barriers restricting the ability of homegrown companies to expand. In just the last few years, beer manufacturers New Belgium and Sierra Nevada were given millions of dollars in corporate welfare by the state to open manufacturing plants in North Carolina, bringing in hundreds of jobs that arguably were not worth the cost. These jobs were paid for by the taxes imposed on North Carolinians, including the competitors of these subsidized companies, like Red Oak, Olde Mecklenburg and NODA.Local craft brewers on the other hand are creating opportunity and the only investment they are looking for is for North Carolina to eliminate restrictions holding them back.Currently, breweries can sell their own beer directly to retailers or self-distribute up to 24,999 barrels of beer a year. These mandates greatly hinder manufacturing growth. When a brewery becomes too successful for North Carolina politicians, producing its 25,000th barrel of beer, it has to fire its distribution team and hand over 100 percent of its distribution and branding rights to a third-party distributor. Should a brewery try to self-distribute its own beer above 24,999 barrels a year, the brewery will be breaking the law, be labeled a criminal, and be punished by the state, thereby coercing the brewery against its will. HB 500 (along with HB 67 and HB 313 ) doesn't eliminate the distribution cap like Colorado and California systems, but it does increase the self-distribution limit to 200,000 barrels allowing the brewery to self-distribute if it wants, and voluntarily work with a third-party distributor when the right incentives are available. It's not perfect but it's a small step in the right direction.The craft beer industry is an ever-expanding and productively disruptive market. Entrepreneurs are continually changing their models and ideas to offer the highest value product to benefit consumers. This is all true whether the brewery creates 50 barrels a year, decides to produce a few thousand as a neighborhood pub, or expands to produce and manufacture nearly 1 million annual barrels of beer like New Belgium. All these business models are working and all of them are a result of expanded opportunity and eliminating restrictions on the marketplace.We are seeing a market grow up in the face of the worst odds against it. Multi billion-dollar beer companies and foreign imports control 96 percent of the North Carolina beer market. In addition, wholesaler associations - well entrenched in lobbying efforts long before the craft beer movement came along - are looking to continue the forced use of their services.Now these powers are trying to stifle local manufacturing potential on a market that only produces 4 percent of the beer consumed in the state of North Carolina by lobbying to keep the distribution cap in place and harm their smaller upstart competitors and customers.North Carolina craft brewers are in the fight of their life, forming CraftFreedom.org advocating for reform. What's disturbing about the battle, is brewers are only trying to keep their private property rights in order to grow their businesses and as a result create opportunity for their communities, but are being stymied by large corporations and lobbyists. Some manufacturing jobs will probably never return to the United States or North Carolina after moving. The state of North Carolina is no stranger to this, with multiple industries having left in recent decades.Its obvious North Carolina's elected officials are willing to spend millions of taxpayer dollars on corporate welfare to out-of-state companies for the sake of jobs. So why not pass HB 500 and allow for market-driven manufacturing job growth? These jobs won't cost taxpayers a dime.
Pakistan said today that it has briefed the US about the "plight" of Kashmiris and the status of its relations with India as America's National Security Adviser held talks with top officials here during a visit, the first by a top Trump aide to this country.

US National Security Adviser (NSA) H R McMaster, who arrived here earlier in the day, held talks with Pakistan Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz.

Aziz gave a detailed briefing on the policies being pursued by the Pakistan government that have resulted in improved security environment and the "economic turnaround" in Pakistan, the Foreign Office here said in a statement.

The Pakistani side also shared its perspective on the "plight of Kashmiris" in India and the status of relations with New Delhi, the statement said.

Aziz reiterated Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's vision of a peaceful neighbourhood and commitment to dialogue and engagement while also apprising the visiting US delegation of the steps taken by Pakistan to reach out to both India and Afghanistan, it said.

On terrorism, Aziz noted that "impressive gains" had been made in eliminating terrorists and Pakistan remained determined to continue this fight as part of the National Action Plan until the scourge of terrorism is completely eliminated from its soil, the Foreign Office said.

He said that Pakistan was "determined to maintain the existing momentum" on both the security and economic fronts to lead the people of Pakistan towards a prosperous and secure future, it said.

Conveying Pakistan's concerns over the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, Aziz reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to working with the international community to support efforts for peace and reconciliation in the war-torn country.

He also highlighted the importance of effective border management as part of the actions required to achieve sustainable peace in the region.

On his part, McMaster thanked Aziz and acknowledged Pakistan's "sacrifices" in combating extremism and terrorism, the statement said.

The US NSA also renewed the commitment of the new Trump administration to work closely with Pakistan in strengthening mutually beneficial relations and also work towards the shared objectives of peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region.

McMaster's visit to Pakistan marks the first visit by any senior official of the Donald Trump administration to Pakistan. Yesterday, McMaster visited Afghanistan.

In his meeting with Aziz, McMaster was accompanied by US Ambassador to Pakistan David Hale, Acting US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Laurel Miller, Senior Director for South Asia Lisa Curtis and Director Pakistan in the National Security Council Jay Wise.

Aziz was accompanied by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi, National Security Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Nasser Khan Janjua and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With Panjab University facing "financial crisis", the Congress government in the state today assured help to the institute and accused the previous SAD-BJP dispensation of not providing adequate funds to it.

"We will try and help them (Panjab University)," state finance minister Manpreet Badal said.

However, any decision regarding providing financial support to the Panjab University will be taken after the government comes out with a white paper on the state's finances, he said.

"First, we will release the white paper. Then whatever we can do we will certainly do for PU," Badal said.

The Congress government had announced that it will come out with a white paper on the state's finances.

Notably, PU Vice Chancellor Arun Kumar Grover has written to the Punjab government seeking a meeting to apprise the government about the university's financial situation.

"I have got a letter from the VC and I will try to meet him," Badal said, adding he felt sad at the events that unfolded in Panjab University.

The finance minister regretted that the state had frozen the funds meant for Panjab University.

"Every year Punjab gives Rs 20 crore to PU and this amount has been frozen," he said and accused the previous SAD-BJP government of not properly prioritising the allocation of funds which led to the financial mess.

"Can you imagine that the last government spent Rs 2,000 crore on monuments and memorials? They spent Rs 180 crore on Tirath Yatras and gave just Rs 20 crore to PU. Priorities of the last dispensation were wrong," Badal said.

"The Vice Chancellor of PU is right that the Punjab government should have provided more support," he said.

With PU in a financial mess, it has been getting Rs 20 crore per annum for the last several years after Punjab froze its share to this amount despite it was supposed to bear 40 per cent of the PU's fiscal deficit.

Gasping for funds, the Panjab University has now demanded 12 per cent hike in allocations from the state government to meet the rising expenditure.

"We are demanding that you (Punjab government) must increase the fund being allocated by 12 per cent from this year. Every year, expenditure on employees' salary, DA allowances and other expenses has been rising," PU Registrar Guljit Singh said.

With a total budget of about Rs 500 crore, the Panjab University has projected a deficit of about Rs 250 crore for fiscal 2017-18. Last month, the university senate raised the tuition fee for several courses which was strongly opposed by the many students' organisations.

On April 11, violence erupted at PU campus after students clashed with police during a protest against the fee hike.

Meanwhile, National Students Union of India (NSUI) chief Amrita Dhawan said a delegation of students will meet Vice President M Hamid Ansari, who is also the Chancellor of PU, to apprise him of the situation.

"We will seek time from Vice President and apprise him of situation," Dhawan said, adding the Centre should intervene and provide sufficient funds to the university.

Strongly condemning the fee hike, she said with this, poor students will not be able to get university education.

"Education should not be made commodity," Dhawan said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Attacking the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on its directive on triple talaq, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Monday alleged that it was not ready to give equal rights to women as it continued to treat them as "objects".

Pitching for equal rights for Muslim women, VHP general secretary Surender Jain accused the AIMPLB of "imposing centuries-old orthodox and conservative traditions" on them.

The remarks came a day after the AIMPLB issued a directive on the contentious issue of triple talaq, asserting that Muslims enjoyed the Constitutional right to follow their personal law.

The AIMPLB also claimed that a majority of Muslims in the country were not in favour of any change in their personal law.

"AIMPLB is responsible for all the problems faced by Muslims in the country. It still considers women as objects and is not ready to let them enjoy their fundamental rights.

"Muslim women should have equal rights as regards talaq, on par with men," Jain said in a statement.

He also urged the Centre to introduce a law which would ensure equal rights for Muslim women.

Speaking on the AIMPLB's resolution, in which it has rejected the Supreme Court's suggestion of an out of court settlement on the Ram Mandir issue, Jain accused the board of being stubborn.

He alleged that this exposed the double standards of the AIMPLB as it wanted the court to resolve the temple issue but did not want the judiciary's interference as regards 'triple talaq'.
The National Green Tribunal has dismissed as "infructuous" a plea opposing auto industry body SIAM's call to defer the new emission norms, which came in force from April 1, for selling unsold stock of BS-III compliant vehicles.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said there was nothing left in the petition as the Supreme Court has already banned the sale and registration of non BS- IV compliant vehicles.

"The counsel appearing for the applicant submits that in view of the order passed by the Supreme Court of India, this application has become infructuous," the bench said.

On March 29, the apex court had prohibited registration of vehicles which do not meet Bharat Stage-IV emission standards saying the health of the people was "far, far more important than the commercial interests of the manufacturers".

The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by Dr R K Sharma, who said he was aggrieved by the conduct of SIAM for its call to defer the new emission norms and seeking extension of time to sell underlying stock of BS-III compliant vehicles.

The plea had sought directions that all types of vehicles, even those manufactured this year, should not be permitted to be sold and registered after April 1, 2017 unless they comply with the BS-IV standards.

"Some vehicle manufacturers are lobbying for a relaxation in the deadline for BS-IV norms for flooding the market with their old BS-III vehicles on the ground of alleged unsold inventory. Thus, the vehicle manufacturers seek to sell and register non-BS-IV vehicles even after April 1, 2017," the plea had said.

Last October, the Environment Pollution Control Authority had said it would not allow the sale or registration of any pre-BS-IV vehicles from April 1.

The government had in August 2015 said the sale of four- wheelers not meeting Bharat Stage (BS)-IV emission norms will be barred in India from April 2017 with a view to bring the entire country under the ambit of tighter pollution control standards.

"From April 1, 2017, the mass emission standards for Bharat Stage IV shall come into force all over the country. With this, only those newly manufactured four wheeler vehicles, which are compliant with the BS-IV standards, will be allowed to register and move on roads with effect from the notified dates in the notified areas," the Road Ministry had said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The work of rebuilding the British-era Mahad bridge, which had collapsed in August last year and claimed around 30 lives, is almost done and it is likely to be opened for public from June 5 this year.

Maharashtra Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Chandrakant Patil gave this information to reporters.

"The bridge is almost ready and we hope to open it for public on June 5. The bridge will be inaugurated by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray," he informed.

Patil was speaking after a review meeting held here with Gadkari and the authorities of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

"The state has spent around Rs 27 crore on rebuilding the bridge," he said.

When asked whether the Maharashtra government would also denotify state highways in the backdrop of the Supreme Court ban on liquor outlets along the highways, Patil said, "We do not have any such plans and in Mumbai, it was just the Western and Eastern Expressways that were transferred to MMRDA."



"We also do not have any plans of denotifying the Sion-Panvel highway," he said.

The British-era Mahad bridge across the River Savitri on the Mumbai-Goa highway, collapsed on August 2, taking with it two buses and two private vehicles, carrying over 40 persons.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Senior railway officer RN Singh today assumed the charge of Divisional Railway Manager, Delhi, here.

Prior to this, Singh was Executive Director in Railway Board.

A government release said Singh is from the Indian Railway Services of Engineers, 1986-batch.

He spearheaded expeditious completion of track upgrade and modernisation of Indian Railways during his stint in the Railway Board.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Weaving together the historical and sartorial significance of indigo, a special travelling exhibition and a series of curated talks have been lined up by the NIFT to mark 100 years of Gandhi's Champaran Satyagraha.

The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) has planned various commemorative events across its 16 centres which would kick off from its campus in Patna, the city where Gandhi had arrived on April 10, 1917 on way to meet the indigo farmers of Bihar.

"Champaran was the crucible in which the philosophy of civil disobedience was forged on the Indian soil. And, cultivation of indigo was at the centre of the entire movement. So, we thought it was the right occasion to talk about its historical significance.

"But, the story and evolution of indigo is much bigger and deeper. It is not just limited to the 20th century, but harks back even to the Indus Valley civilisation. And, hence we are holding curated 'Indigo Talks' on our various campuses," Director General of NIFT, Sarada Muraleedharan told PTI today.

The word indigo traces its origin to the Greek word 'indikon' - blue dye from India, reference to which dates back to Pliny the Elder, of the early Roman empire era.

"Besides the talks, which would be delivered by scholars and designers who have either worked with indigo or studied it, special lectures and workshops would be conducted to educate our students and perhaps insipre them to work and experiemnt with indigo dye, natural or artificial.

"An important component of this entire commemoration would be a travllling exhibition-- Indigo Champaran Exhibition -- that will kick off from our Patna Campus on April 19," she said.

The exhibition will then travel to campuses in Kolkata, Delhi, Jodhpur, Hyderabad and Chennai, Director, NIFT Patna, Sanjay Shrivastava said.

"It is a proud moment for us to host an exhibition of this nature and scale. Gandhi came to Patna (Bihar) for the first time in April in 1917 and now, 100 years later we are paying tribute to him in a unique way, beginning here," he told PTI.

In fact, Santanu Das, a conceptual artist from National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, will be delivering the first of the 'Indigo Talk' today on the Patna campus. Then two workshops are lined up on April 20-21, he said.

"Leaves of the plant 'Indigofera tinctoria' are fermented to produce the distinct blue colour, using a unique process of reduction and oxidation for dyeing.

"For the exhibition display purpose, we have sourced cakes of indigo dye, to really give people a real picture. After all, how many of us have really seen an indigo plant," Shrivastava said, adding, "We have made our talks, workshops and exhibitions, open to the public".

Muraleedharan said as the exhibition travels from city to city, it will "organically evolve" and at the end of the journey, will turn into someting significant, both in the context of its history and the evolution of texitile and colour industries.

"The objective is to disseminate information regarding the Champaran agitation and to understand and contextualise indigo dye and its significance to Indian culture and fashion," she added.

"At the end of the exhibition, we will also come up with an 'Indigo Module' that will become like a dossier for our students and faculty for furhter research," she added.

The NIFT DG emphasised that due to the exploitation of farmers during the colonial era, somewhat "negative connotation" has been attached to the plant indigo itself.

"There was nothing wrong with the plant, it was its over-cultivation by planters and undue taxation, which were proving exploitative.

"And, so this exhibition and the talks would also help remove those misconceptions, besides educating fashion and textile students about this dyeing vocabulary. And, sort of revive it and link it with khadi and Swadeshi, i.E., hand- woven and hand-crafted textile, and how indigo dye can be used with indigeneous textile," she added.

"It was denim (jeans) that had brought indigo (dye) back into vogue, and we hope these events would give a fresh filip in instilling interest among the students to work with indigo and swadeshi fabric," she said.

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Turkey's ally Saudi Arabia today praised the "success" of a referendum giving President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sweeping new powers.

The cabinet, at its weekly meeting, voiced "congratulations to President Erdogan of Turkey and the Turkish people on the success of the referendum regarding constitutional reforms," the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

The cabinet said it hoped the vote would contribute to "more development success across the country".

The "Yes" camp won more than 51 per cent in yesterday's referendum while the "No" side got almost 49 per cent, according to near-complete results released by Turkey's election authorities.

International observers said the referendum campaign was conducted on an "unlevel playing field," while Erdogan's opponents fear the result will hand him one-man rule.

Saudi Arabia and Turkey, two Sunni Muslim powers, have become increasingly close over the past year, sharing in particular a backing for the opposition in Syria's war.

Saudi King Salman hosted Erdogan when he visited Riyadh to further strengthen ties in February.

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The Supreme Court today asked Bombay High Court's official liquidator to sell the Rs 34,000 crore worth of properties of the Aamby Valley owned by the Sahara Group and directed its chief Subrata Roy to personally appear before it on April 28.

"Enough is enough. You cannot say something today and resile tomorrow," a bench, comprising Justices Dipak Misra, Ranjan Gogoi and A K Sikri, said, taking strong note of non- submission of over Rs 5,000 crore by the Sahara group.

The bench also cautioned Roy from playing with the court's order and said non-compliance of its order would invite the wrath of the law and ultimately he will be at his own peril.

The bench asked the official liquidator, attached with the Bombay High Court, to auction the Aamby Valley properties, estimated to be worth Rs 34,000 crore, and directly report to it.

The bench also directed Roy and his group as well as SEBI to provide all necessary details relating to the properties to the official liquidator within 48 hours.

Meanwhile, the top court restrained one Prakash Swamy, who has filed an affidavit with regard to the sale of Sahara hotels in the USA, from leaving India and asked him to deposit Rs 10 crore as fine with the market regulator SEBI.

Swamy will also have to appear in person in the apex court on April 28.

The Supreme Court had on April 6 warned the Sahara Group that if it failed to deposit Rs 5092.6 crore in SEBI-Sahara refund account by April 17 in pursuance of its order, it will be "compelled" to auction its property at the Aamby Valley in Pune.

The top court had told the group that no extension of time would be granted for depositing the amount.

The observation had come when the lawyer mentioned an interim plea seeking extension of time for depositing the money in the SEBI-Sahara refund account.

The court had also observed that it had clearly told the group that a "substantial amount" must come in the refund account.

"Whatever you do, we had told you that a substantial amount must come. Otherwise we will be compelled to put up Aamby Valley for auction," the bench had said, noting "What matters is the money coming in the kitty."



The apex court had on February 28 said "in case, the substantial amount is deposited, this court may think of extending the time, otherwise appropriate direction shall be issued".

The court had last month ordered an international real estate firm, which had shown willingness to buy Sahara's stake in New York-based Plaza Hotel for USD 550 million, to deposit Rs 750 crore in the SEBI-Sahara refund account, instead of the apex court registry to show its bonafide.

The top court had earlier directed attachment of Sahara Group's prime property for realisation of money to be paid to its investors.

It had also asked the group to provide it within two weeks the list of "unencumbered properties" which can be put up for public auction to realise the remaining over Rs 14,000 crore of the principal amount of around Rs 24,000 crore that has to be deposited in the SEBI-Sahara account for refunding the investors.

The court had on November 28 last year asked Subrata Roy to deposit Rs 600 crore more by February 6 in the refund account to remain out of jail and warned that failure to do so would result in his return to prison.

It had on May 6, 2016 granted a four-week parole to Roy to attend the funeral of his mother. His parole has been extended by the court ever since. Roy was sent to Tihar jail on March 4, 2014.

Besides Roy, two other directors -- Ravi Shankar Dubey and Ashok Roy Choudhary -- were arrested for failure of the group's two companies -- Sahara India Real Estate Corporation (SIRECL) and Sahara Housing Investment Corp Ltd (SHICL) -- to comply with the court's August 31, 2012 order to return Rs 24,000 crore to their investors.

However, director Vandana Bhargava was not taken into custody.

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Clashes broke out between security forces and agitating students near a college here today, police said.

A group of students were holding a protest rally near Sri Pratap (SP) College on Moulana Azad Road close to the Lal Chowk city centre this morning, a police official said.

He said security forces asked the protesters to disperse but they did not budge and started pelting stones on the forces, leading to clashes.

Security forces used tear smoke shells to chase away the protesters, the official said, adding clashes were going on when last reports came in.

Students' groups had called for protests against the "brutality perpetrated by forces on students" of Degree College Pulwama in south Kashmir, where clashes with security forces left many injured.

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Christina Hoff Sommers, also known as YouTube's "Factual Feminist," spoke last Wednesday at UNC Chapel Hill. Her talk, titled "The Failures of Feminism," was sponsored by the UNC College Republicans. The former philosophy professor and author of Who Stole Feminism: How Women Have Betrayed Women lamented how, in her view, the academy is radicalizing feminism and robbing women of their intellectual freedom.Sommers, now a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, still considers herself a feminist, but believes in what she calls "equity feminism," which "stands for the moral, legal, [and] social equality of the sexes." In other words, men and women should be treated equally because of their shared humanity and dignity; one sex is not superior to the other.Those values, said Sommers, guided the original feminists in the 20th century and are rooted in the humanistic traditions of the Enlightenment. However, the current feminism taught in most universities is a radical distortion of equity feminism known as "intersectional" feminism.This new brand of feminism focuses on the intersection of race, class, and gender. Its overarching message is informed by the philosophy of Karl Marx and Michel Foucault: certain groups (here, women) are systematically oppressed by a more powerful group (here, white men).Intersectional feminism, according to Sommers, does not educate college women about their human dignity. Instead, its narrow focus on systematic oppression encourages them to feel victimized and resentful toward men. (Since she does not conform to intersectional feminism, Sommers now refers to herself as a "dissident" feminist.)It wasn't until the early 1990s that Sommers became aware of the dubious turn feminism had taken. Around that time, she was asked to teach a feminist theory class at Clark University. After reading the assigned textbooks, she said she realized they were one-sided and propagandistic.In her view, those textbooks broke a "sacred commandment" of the academy: "thou shalt present both sides of the story." Sommers argues that today things have gotten worse. Only a "fanatical" form of feminism is being taught, and anyone who disagrees is demonized. Instead of encouraging students to think for themselves, the university is telling them what to think.It is evident that universities are heavily promoting intersectional feminism. The National Women's Studies Association, for example, says it is committed to intersectional scholarship and fighting "systems of privilege or structures that oppress." And a textbook published by the University of North Carolina Press, The Intersectional Approach: Transforming the Academy Through Race, Class, and Gender, states explicitly that intersectionalism "dominates the undergraduate curricula of the majority of women's studies units."In North Carolina, Chapel Hill women's and gender studies (WGS) students recently attended a conference that promoted "intersectional approaches" in order to oppose "interlocking systems of oppression." UNC Asheville's WGS department wants students to learn to "recognize individual and institutional power dynamics, [and] how they create privilege and oppression." And UNC Greensboro's WGS department will host an event on April 22 "dedicated to...engaging in meaningful conversation around systemic oppressions."Nationally, this focus on how women are "systematically oppressed" may be causing students to react with hostility toward opposing views. Two years ago Sommers was invited to speak at Oberlin College. Students posted fliers warning of a "dangerous person" coming to campus. The fliers were so hostile that the administration provided Sommers with a security escort. Thirty women fled to a "safe space" during her talk.At other universities, such as Georgetown and California State University, Los Angeles, Sommers received similar responses of outrage and furor. Such close-mindedness is not limited to students, however; Sommers said that when she presented a paper at an American Philosophical Association meeting, audience members stomped their feet and hissed at her.Intersectional feminism's oppression mania may be influencing other aspects of higher education. Today, for example, universities urge women to enter fields in which they allegedly are "underrepresented," such as science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).But according to the American Physical Society, women make up about 60 percent of biology majors and roughly 50 percent of chemistry majors. Sixty percent of neuroscience majors are female. Moreover, from 2012 to 2016, women made up between 45 to 50 percent of medical school graduates. Clearly, women are not so oppressed that they can't enter difficult fields of scientific study; in some cases they represent the majority of the majors.And although men greatly outnumber women in physics and engineering, it seems unlikely that "societal oppression" and "cultural bias" are to blame. Perhaps women tend to be interested in different areas of study. But to even suggest this as a possibility provokes accusations of being "anti-woman" or even "non-woman," as Sommers says she is sometimes labeled.In an interview after her talk, Sommers said that more universities should try to emulate Robert P. George's James Madison Program at Princeton University. The Program encourages scholars from various backgrounds to present ideas in an open and respectful atmosphere. Sommers said that such initiatives give other universities incentives to promote greater intellectual freedom.It appears that modern feminism desperately needs that kind of intellectual freedom. It is now dominated by academics who aggressively promote theories of oppression, giving short shrift to other concepts, such as equity feminism, which Sommers says is now "a relic of the past." Until this climate changes, those who question intersectional feminism will either be silenced or forced to look elsewhere for a more open intellectual environment.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today met Chinese Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui here and discussed various issues of mutual interest and concern.

Sonowal said that "since Assam has geographic proximity with China, they can be natural allies in furthering business interests which can be beneficial to the people of both the sides."



Seeking cooperation from the Chinese Ambassador in sending a delegation from the state to study the successful management of Huang Ho River in China, Sonowal said, "Managing Brahmaputra River is a big concern for Assam and the state would be benefitted by learning from the Chinese how the Huang Ho has been turned into a resource from a problem."



Responding to Zhaohui's request to reopen the Stilwell Road, Sonowal said, "The Centre has taken keen interest in developing the Northeast region as a major trade hub of South East Asia under the Act East Policy and opening roadways with the neighbouring countries is high on the agenda."



The Chinese Ambassador also extended invitation to Sonowal to attend the Trade Summit in Kunming in June this year.

Accepting his invitation, Sonowal too informed the Chinese Ambassador of the Global Business Summit to be held in November this year and urged him to facilitate participation of Chinese companies at the summit.

Sonowal also stressed on the need to increase people to people contact and cultural exchange which will bring people of Assam and China closer and facilitate an environment of growth and prosperity.

Referring to Chinese traveller and scholar Hiuen Tsang's historic visit to the state, Sonowal said that the age old ties between China and Assam must be revived for scripting the future growth story.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Students clashed with security forces in several places in Kashmir valley today during protests against the alleged "highhandedness" of security forces at a college in Pulwama in south Kashmir.

The students also boycotted classes.

The protesting students, mostly from degree colleges across the valley and some universities, tried to take out rallies but were stopped by police, leading to clashes, police officials said.

The clashes led to disruption in normal activities in various places including Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the city, the officials said.

Various student groups had called for protests today against the "brutality" perpetrated by forces on students of Degree College Pulwama in south Kashmir on Saturday, leaving many a students injured.

The trouble started when a group of students took out a rally near Sri Pratap (SP) College on Moulana Azad Road in the vicinity of Lal Chowk against the Pulwama incident, leading to clashes between the protesting students and the law enforcing agencies, the officials said.

They said police fired dozens of teargas shells and used batons to chase away the protesting students who indulged in stone-pelting and fought pitched battles with them.

The clashes created panic in the area, forcing shopkeepers to pull down the shutters of their establishments, the officials said, adding traffic on Moulana Azad Road was also affected.

Soon after, protests broke out in nearby Women's College and other colleges in the city and elsewhere in the valley.

Protests were going on in various colleges in the valley including in Ganderbal, Baramulla, Shopian and Pulwama districts, the officials said.

They said the clashes left many, including security forces personnel, injured.

"We are compiling the details of the injured," an official said.

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Senior Bihar BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi today demanded a CBI probe into the alleged benami properties and lands owned by RJD president Lalu Prasad and his family, and the sacking of his two minister sons in connection with it.

"The Chief Minister should show courage and hand over to CBI the probe into the benami properties and land amassed by RJD president Lalu Prasad and his family through corrupt means. Nitish Kumar should neither come under pressure from Lalu Prasad nor should he fear that his government would lose power," he said.

Kumar should also sack Prasad's sons -- Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav-- for amassing properties worth crores of rupees through corrupt means, he said.

Sushil Modi, who is the leader of the Opposition in the State Legislative Council, has been making repeated allegations and provided purported documentary evidences that Prasad and his family got prime lands and properties transferred, including a two acres plot near Saguna Mor in the city where Bihar's biggest mall is being constructed, in their names through shell companies.

He had also alleged that Lalu Prasad as Railway Minister had sold off two hotels belonging to it at Ranchi and Puri to the owner of Sujata Hotel Harsh Kochar, who in turn had got two acres of land registered in the name of 'Delight Marketing Company Pvt Ltd' in 2005.

The 'Delight Marketing Company Pvt Ltd' was re-christened as 'LARA Projects Pvt Ltd' in which Rabri Devi, Tejashwi and Tej Pratap were made the only directors in 2014.

Sushil Modi again charged Prasad's family of becoming owners of parcels of prime land in the city worth crores of rupees. The land was earlier owned by A K Infosystems Pvt Ltd, which had been set up in 2006.

Amit Katyal and Rajesh Katyal of that company had set up a liquor factory at Bihta in Patna in 2003-04 when Rabri Devi was chief minister and handed over the firm to Prasad's family for helping them in setting up a liquor factory, he alleged.

Tej Pratap Yadav had concealed in his election affidavit and annual assets declaration that he had bought 45.24 decimal land worth Rs 53.34 lakh in 2010 in Aurangabad district, whose current value is around Rs 15 crore, the BJP leader had claimed on Friday last.

He had also sought action by the Election Commission for concealing of facts in Tej Pratap's election affidavit.

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India-born British business tycoon Lord Swaraj Paul today paid a visit to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat today.

Describing it as a courtesy visit, Banerjee said, "This is a courtesy visit. He (Swraj) is a senior person. I had visited him during my visit to London."



The meeting lasted for nearly 40 minutes.

The head of the multi-billion dollar Caparo Group was in the city to attend a private programme.

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday hit out at the Telangana government over its decision to increase by three-fold the quota for Muslims, saying the TRS dispensation was "communalising politics" and the decision will create "social tension".

Terming the decision as "unconstitutional", BJP National Secretary Muralidhar Rao said the move defies the laid down principles of affirmative action on the reservation of SC, ST and OBC, based on social and economic factors.

Both Houses of Telangana Legislature on Sunday passed a Bill which increases the reservations for Scheduled Tribes and backward sections among the Muslim community.

As per the Bill, quota for STs would be increased to 10 per cent from the existing six per cent, while that for BC-E category (the backward sections among the Muslim community) would go up to 12 per cent from the existing four.

Claiming that Muslims in Telangana have never faced social discrimination or economic deprivation, the BJP, in a statement said "this decision of appeasement, based on religion, will create social tensions."

"The step is against the fundamental principles of the democracy and the unity of the nation. TRS is communalising out of desperation and following the Congress model of divisive aimed at vote bank," Rao was quoted as saying in the statement.

He said it was a "black day" for Telangana and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has malafide intentions.

The people of Telangana wishes to celebrate September 17 as Liberation day, when the state was liberated from the despotic rule of the Nizam, he said.

By opposing the public demand for Liberation day, TRS government is following the same attitude of Nizam and Razakars, he alleged.

However, he said BJP supports the empowerment of Muslims, but not on the basis of religion and as a common citizenship.

He said the BJP will fight the divisive of TRS based on religion.

The party also condemned the arrest of BJP Telangana state president K Laxman, state assembly floor leader Kishan Reddy and others who were protesting against the TRS government's decision.
A teenage girl has allegedly starved to death at a village in Uttarakhand's Almora district triggering an outrage with the Opposition Congress terming it a "blot" on the face of the state.

Almora district magistrate Savin Bansal said Chaukhutiya sub divisional magistrate has been sent to Khajurani village to investigate the matter.

While camping in the area last week, he had cleared pension for four members of the family who had been found to be mentally unstable, he said, adding the process has been started and they will soon start receiving pension.

Mahesh Negi, the BJP MLA from Dwarahat-Chaukhutia constituency where the death took place, has informed Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat about it.

17-year-old Sarita died allegedly due to starvation on April 15, he claimed in a Facebook post.

"Considering the seriousness of the issue, I spoke to the Chief Minister on telephone and informed him about the incident by fax," the MLA said.

Negi said the Chief Minister has immediately initiated action after taking cognisance of the issue. However, he did not elaborate on what action was taken.

Holding the state government responsible for the alleged starvation death, state Congresschief Kishore Upadhyay termed it as a "blot" on the face of 'devbhoomi' Uttarakhand.

In a letter to the Chief Minister, Upadhyay blamed the state government's "indifference" for the death of the girl and asked him to take due cognisance of it.

He demanded immediate financial assistance for the family besides personally extending an assistance of Rs 21,000 to the girl's kin.

"The death.... Due to starvation in Khajurani village of Almora's Chaukhutiya area reflects the inaction of the one- month-old BJP government in the state. No one has control over death. But if deaths occur due to human error it is definitely a matter of concern," Upadhyay said.

"The poor are not getting pension in the state and are dying of starvation. The government should pay attention to it. It is all the more worrisome as the starvation death has been reported from the home district of heavyweights like state BJP chief Ajay Bhatt and Minister of State for Child and Women's Welfare Rekha Arya," he said.

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Three chief ministers of BJP ruled states will visit in the next two months to strengthen party organisation and unseat ruling CPI-M, a party spokesman said today.

"This is our tactical decision to unseat the CPI-M from the power which has been ruling the state for over two decades.

"During our national executive meeting in Bhubaneswar, the party has decided to send three chief ministers - Yogi Adityanath of Uttar Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan of Madhya Pradesh and Raghuvar Das of Jharkhand to guide the state unit. Within the next two months all of them would visit the state", state BJP spokesperson Victor Shom told reporters.

Besides, several other union ministers would come here to help the party and boost the workers and party President Amit Shah would visit the state on May 6, Shom said.

Shah had taken strong note of the "attacks" on party activists in Tripura, he said.

Shom said BJP would emerge as the strongest party in and fight the election alone in the state where elections are slated to be held next year.
The farmers from Tamil Nadu staging a protest for over a month at Jantar Mantar here resorted to a unique 'grass-eating' agitation today to highlight their woes.

The farmers brought grass to the protest venue and ate it in front of mediapersons.

"We are trying everything to make the prime minister take note of our plight, but in vain. So, we are eating grass," one of the protesting farmers told PTI.

The farmers have been coming up with unique ways to highlight their problems. Yesterday, they wore sarees with wedding knots.

Several politicians of regional and national parties, actors and farmers' unions have extended support to the protesting farmers.

"Despite parleys with Union ministers, our situation has remained unchanged," said the farmer.

The demands of the farmers include a Rs-40,000 crore drought relief package from the Centre, farm loan waiver and setting up of the Cauvery Management Board.

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Disaster case management , which provides direct, long term support in navigating state and federal recovery programs, may be requested by email via ncdcm@lscarolinas.net or by calling 919-861-2886. This program is supported by a $4.5 million FEMA grant.

, which provides direct, long term support in navigating state and federal recovery programs, may be requested by email via ncdcm@lscarolinas.net or by calling 919-861-2886. This program is supported by a $4.5 million FEMA grant. Housing counselors are assisting survivors at Transitional Shelter Assistance Centers in Cumberland, Edgecombe and Robeson counties. Requests may be made to the State Helpline at 855-336-2002.

are assisting survivors at Transitional Shelter Assistance Centers in Cumberland, Edgecombe and Robeson counties. Requests may be made to the State Helpline at 855-336-2002. To request crisis counseling support, survivors may call their local Department of Social Services office or the State Helpline.

Contact: Ford Porter

Ford Porter govpress@nc.gov

LUMBERTON: Governor Roy Cooper today met with Robeson County leaders to urge progress in programs that help families and communities recover from Hurricane Matthew; he also toured several locations impacted by the storm. Last week, he announced a request to Congress for nearly $1 billion in additional funding to address the $4.8 billion in damages identified in the 50 disaster-declared counties.Governor Cooper said.Cooper met for a roundtable discussion with local government, tribal and school leaders along with Department of Public Safety Secretary Erik A. Hooks, Director of Hurricane Recovery Dempsey Benton, N.C. Emergency Management Director Mike Sprayberry and FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Libby Turner. Conversation focused on the progress made so far in Robeson County, including special grants and programs that are bringing additional resources to the hard-hit communities here and elsewhere.Robeson County suffered significant damage from the storm, which brought record-setting rainfall to much of central and eastern North Carolina Oct. 8-9. The school system sustained widespread damage, the city water plant became in operable after taking on more than five feet of water, and hundreds of low-income apartments were damaged or destroyed.Collaborations between state, federal and local partners, with support from corporations and volunteers, are helping the community recover. Mobile purification units, onsite within 24 hours, restored the flow of water to 24,000 homes and allowed workers room to repair the water plant. The majority of displaced households have returned home or found other places to live. State and federal funds have been allocated to address some of the most pressing infrastructure and public facility losses.Nearly one-fifth of the 2,420 applicants who requested expedited processing through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program are from Robeson County. The program includes the options of elevation, acquisition and demolition ("buyout") or mitigation reconstruction (demolition and rebuild) for eligible applicants. Applications from Lumberton and Princeville, also heavily damaged, will be given priority.Robeson also is one of four counties designated to receive funds from a $198 million grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Along with Cumberland, Edgecombe and Wayne counties, it will share $159 million to support housing, economic development, infrastructure and efforts to prevent further damage. Public comment on draft plans is being taken through Friday on the ReBUILD NC website.While the state Disaster Recovery Act of 2016 requires all affected communities to develop or enhance resiliency planning, Lumberton is one of six communities participating in a pilot project that provides additional resources. The others are Fair Bluff, Kinston, Princeville, Seven Springs and Windsor.Housing remains an immediate need for many families, Cooper said. More than 250 families remain in hotels through a temporary sheltering program - nearly half of them in Robeson County - down from a total of more than 3,100 households. More participants are expected to move out of hotels in coming days as they return home, relocate to rental housing or find other housing.Community-based services are available to help survivors move forward in their recovery plans:Disaster recovery has made clear a lack of affordable, available housing in eastern North Carolina that has hindered relocation efforts. In his State of the State address, Governor Cooper asked legislators to work with him to change legislation passed in 2013 to restore allowing the use of federal money for housing so eastern North Carolina can start to build its way out of this affordable housing shortage.Half of the state has been approved for federal funding assistance to help individuals and small business owners recover and rebuild. Nearly 82,000 households have registered with FEMA requesting financial help. So far, FEMA has awarded more than $96 million in grants and the U.S. Small Business Administration has approved another $97.3 million in low-interest loans to help people rebuild their homes and businesses, get back to work and move on with their lives.Following the roundtable discussion, Governor Cooper toured local sites affected by the storm, including Currie's Chainsaw, the Lumberton Water Plant and Robeson County Public Library, which lost its bookmobile and hundreds of books to flooding. With thousands of donated books and a new cargo van, it is celebrating National Library Week with the launch of "Robeson Reads," which delivers weekly, rotating assortments of pre-selected books for children through adults at a number of locations.Additionally, Governor Cooper, Public Safety Secretary Hooks, NCEM Director Sprayberry and others lent a hand with N.C. Baptist Men, which is helping to rebuild a Lumberton home that was heavily damaged by Hurricane Matthew.Governor Cooper said.
Tunisia's social affairs minister said today new policies were needed to keep children in school until the age of 16 as the country seeks to curb child labour.

The North African nation needs to "establish adequate policies... To guarantee that children go to school until they are at least 16 years old, under Tunisian law," Mohamed Trabelsi said.

"We have 100,000 children who leave school early for one reason or another, especially in the rural regions. It mainly affects girls," he said.

The minister spoke at the launch of a project to fight child labour in Tunisia over the next three years, which was developed with the International Labour Organization and has received USD 3 million in funding from the United States.

Naima Zaghdoudi, national coordinator for the project, said child labour in Tunisia seemed to be most common in "agriculture, mainly in family-run farms", in domestic work for young girls, small carpentry workshops, garages and hairdressers.

But "we can't talk about a child labour phenomenon today in Tunisia because there isn't really any data", she said.

In an attempt to remedy this, she said the National Statistics Institute would survey 15,000 homes to obtain statistics on child labour that should be known in September.

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Two farmers committed suicide, apparently due to loan burden, in Malegaon tehsil in Nashik district on two consecutive days, police said today.

Manoj Sawant (25), a resident of Wake village, allegedly jumped into an agricultural pond yesterday, a police official said, adding that his body was later fished out.

He said Sawant's family members told the police that he was worried over the piling dues as the water scarcity had severely affected his crop.

Another farmer, identified as Rakesh Shewale (24), hanged himself to a tree in his field in Nimbayati village this morning.

Police have registered two separate cases at the Malegaon taluka police station in this regard.

Meanwhile, addressing a rally in the city today, the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil accused the BJP-Shiv Sena coalition government of being "insensitive" towards the plight of farmers in the state.

Vikhe Patil reiterated the Congress' demand for a complete loan waiver for farmers.

He is part of the "Sangharsh Yatra" or a joint campaign being undertaken by the opposition Congress and NCP, which reached the city today.

State unit Congress president Ashok Chavan, senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar, Samajwadi Party's Maharashtra unit president Abu Asim Azmi also raised the pitch for the loan waiver.

They alleged that incumbent Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis used to generate a hue and cry over the issues concerning farmers when he was in the opposition.

"Fadnavis used to demand filing of cases against the leaders of the erstwhile UPA government in the state for homicide over the suicides of farmers.

"However, after assuming power, Fadnavis is now turning a blind eye to the problems faced by the farmers," the leaders said.

The Sangharsh Yatra will visit Shivadi village in Sinnar taluka of the district tomorrow, where the opposition leaders will interact with the farmers protesting against the government's survey of their land for the proposed "Samruddhi Highway" infrastructure project, which aims to connect Nagpur to Mumbai.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
People who have better understanding of finance are less likely to be worried about the later stages of their life, a new study has found.

It seems financial literacy - the ability to understand how money works, enables people to accumulate more assets and income during their lifetime, and so increases confidence for the years ahead, researchers said.

Additionally, financial literacy seemingly engenders a greater perception for risk and enables those who have it to face off later-life's dilemmas with ease.

The findings, from Associate Professor Yoshihiko Kadoya of Hiroshima University and Mostafa Saidur Rahim Khan of Nagoya University in Japan, stem from a study which asked people questions assessing their calculation skills, understanding of pricing behaviour, and financial securities such as bonds and stocks.

Respondents were also asked about their accumulated wealth, assets, and lifestyle - and to rate the level of anxiety they felt about life beyond 65.

The study suggests that men, and those with a higher level of education are more financially clued-in than women, and those with less education respectively.

The overriding thrust is that the more financially literate earn and accumulate more during their lifetime - and thus worry less about growing old.

It also appears that financial literacy helps shape people's perception towards risk and uncertainty - making them more capable and confident in tackling whatever problems life throws at them.

Financial literacy increases our awareness about financial products, builds a capacity to compare all available financial options, and changes our financial behaviour - all which bodes well for our perceptions of, and actual experiences during our seniority, said Kadoya.

While financial literacy taken alone was seen to reduce anxiety - its affect was further heightened by other factors.

Married respondents had even lower levels of anxiety about growing old than financially literate singletons.

This could be down to married couples together planning more-effectively for the future due to familial responsibilities.

Age also plays a significant role, with anxiety levels peaking around 40. The researchers suggest that people at this age have the most home and workplace responsibilities, but with less money and time to support them, increasing anxiety about the here and now - and the journey ahead.

As people get older their anxiety levels drop off on gaining access to social security, government funded health care and pensions - all taking the sting out of the post- retirement blues.

Having dependent children on the other hand increased anxiety levels - presumably due to respondent's worry for their children's wellbeing - as well as their own.

It is increasingly perceived that a pension is insufficient for daily expenses without a backup pool of savings and assets - putting the financially literate at a distinct advantage, researchers said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan should use diplomacy and not "proxies" that engage in violence to pursue its interests in Afghanistan and elsewhere, said US National Security Adviser Lieutenant General H R McMaster as he criticised the Pakistani leadership for selectively targeting terror groups.

McMaster in an interview to Afghan television channel ToloNews appeared to take a "tougher line" on Pakistan, which has been accused of using the Taliban as a proxy force and giving its leaders sanctuary.

"As all of us have hoped for many, many years - we have hoped that Pakistani leaders will understand that it is in their interest to go after these groups less selectively than they have in the past," McMaster said during his latest visit to the war-torn country, according to a report in The New York Times.

"The best way to pursue their interests in Afghanistan and elsewhere is through the use of diplomacy, and not through the use of proxies that engage in violence," it quoted him as saying.

The report added that Afghan officials aware of the discussions with McMaster said there was a common understanding of the threat of terrorist groups emerging from Pakistan.

"And there are other indications that the United States may be weighing a tougher stance on Pakistan, among them General McMaster's reported pick of a point person on the country who has strongly advocated that the United States stop treating Pakistan as an ally and condition any future military aid on fighting terrorist groups," the report added.

It said many analysts, as well as some coalition partners, have been critical of the United States' uphill struggle to persuade Pakistan to crack down on the Afghan Taliban leadership, which has used Pakistan as a base for its battles in Afghanistan.

"Many people in Afghanistan are wondering about the nature of relations between the United States and Pakistan, particularly the fact that everyone recognisers the principal role of Pakistan in supporting Taliban and other terrorist groups," said Davood Moradian, the director of the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies.

Moradian said the new administration realised that the prior "appeasement policy" with Pakistan had not worked and needed to be reconsidered.
Villagers in the Vietnamese capital are holding dozens of policemen in a land dispute in a rare defiance of the communist government.

The standoff began over the weekend in the suburban district of My Duc when police clashed with villagers who allege their land was illegally seized for sale by a military-run telecoms firm.

Some villagers were arrested.

Online newspaper Vnexpress reported that more than 30 people, many of them riot police, have been held by villagers.

Lawyer Tran Vu Hai told The Associated Press that Hanoi Mayor Nguyen Duc Chung in a phone call Monday morning assured village representatives that the remaining six villagers had been released. He also pledged direct talks to address their grievances on Tuesday.

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Police in Kavinagar here arrested a criminal carrying a Rs 50,000 award and his accomplice after a brief encounter near Raheespur village and seized sophisticated weapons from them.

SSP Deepak Kumar said that on secret information this morning at about 6.00 am police intercepted a car and arrested two persons.

Upon searching the vehicle, police seized one carbine of 30 bore, 2 pistols of 9 mm, and one single barrel gun.

One country-made pistol of 315 bore, 27 live and 39 used cartridges of all bores and Rs 32,000 cash.

The duo has been identified as Sumit Jaat and Ashu Chaddha alias Monty one of their associate Ajay alias Happy escaped from the spot.

Sumit was carrying a Rs 50,000 award on his head in 11 criminal cases in Ghaziabad and Meerut district, while Ashu alias Monty is wanted in seven criminal cases of loot, murder and extortion.

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Exhorting farmers to adopt modern technology, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said his government has decided to double their income by 2022 when India would celebrate 75 years of Independence.

Modi made the announcement while dedicating the Rs 1,500 -crore phase I of link-II pipeline canal of SAUNI (Saurashtra Narmada Avataran Irrigation) project to the people and laying the foundation stone for Rs 1,694-crore phase II of link II of the project.

The phase II of the project envisages laying of a 74- kilometre pipeline network connecting Bhimdad dam to seven other dams in Botad and Bhavnagar districts.

The SAUNI scheme would take water from Narmada to 115 dams in the parched Saurashtra region.

The PM asked farmers to adopt modern farming methods like drip irrigation and said his government has decided to double the farmers' income by 2022.

"Centre has decided to double farmers' income by 2022 by improving technology, increasing milk production, use of solar light, honey production. Fifteen years ago people would not have thought that we can come out of drought-like situation (in this region)," he said.

"We will have to make it our nature to adopt modern technology. Entire government -- be it the Central government or the state governments -- and banks should come under your mobile phone," he said, while urging the people to download BHIM app and earn money by helping others to download it.

Being a former CM, he understood farmers' issues better, he said.

"I am the first person to become the PM after serving as a CM for a long time. And that is why I know how much farmers are troubled when they do not get urea or water in time. For me, it is easy to understand people's problems," he said.

"When as the Gujarart chief minister I would go to the Centre for meetings and say that we spend a large part of our budget on water, many would criticise me saying you cannot win elections that way. I don't work to win elections but to serve the people of Gujarat. It is only water and not money that can make rural Gujarat progress," the Prime Minister said.

"Today Goddess Narmada herself has descended to bless the people here. Water is like God, we have no right to waste it," he said.

Modi also praised Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for his 'Narmada Yatra' campaign.

"Gujarat farmers should be grateful to Chouhan government. To ensure that the Gujarat farmers do not face any water scarcity, the MP government has organised Narmada Yatra and asked people to plant trees along its (Narmada's) banks," he said.

"Shivraj Singh Chouhan government of the BJP is raising forests so that Mother Narmada does not go dry even after hundred years," Modi said.

The project which Modi dedicated to the region today comprises a 51-kilometre network of underground pipeline to carry Narmada water from Limbdi-Bhogavo-II Dam in Surendranagar district to Bhimdad Dam in Botad district.

Last August, the Prime Minister had dedicated phase 1 of Link-I canal network of the project. SAUNI Yojana envisages channelling floodwater through Narmada Dam project by laying 1,126-kilometre network of pipelines to feed 115 reservoirs in Saurashtra and irrigate 10.22 lakh acres of land.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A group of women staged a dharna and blocked road traffic in Bopada here protesting against the shifting of a liquor shop from near a highway to their village.

The protest took place yesterday and traffic movement on the Mansurpur-Shahpur road was affected for several hours, an official said.

The liquor shop was shifted to the village following the Supreme Court's order shutting liquor outlets and bars within 500 metres of national and state highways to tackle the problem of drunken driving.

The official said that security has been tightened in the area.

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Jacobs New Address: A School of Choice

On Tuesday, the Charlotte Observer reported that the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools planned to use a book titled "Jacob's New Dress" in all first-grade classes as part of the district's anti-bullying efforts.After teachers raised objections to the book, which tackles the "unique challenges faced by boys who don't identify with traditional gender roles," school district officials announced plans to replace it with "Red: A Crayon's Story," a book about "finding the courage to be true to your inner self" that apparently "can be read on multiple levels."Setting aside the issue of conflicting values and morals, parents and teachers were right to question the use of these materials in elementary school classrooms. Anti-bullying programs in the early grades need not address the various motives for the behavior but simply the behavior itself. That is because the types of cognitive operations needed to recognize complex, abstract concepts typically do not arise until the child approaches adolescence. I am not a child psychologist, but I think a compelling case could be made that "Jacob's New Dress" is developmentally inappropriate.Even more serious is the fact that "Jacob's New Dress" is a distraction from the core mission of public schooling. Taxpayers invest billions of dollars in North Carolina public schools to ensure that all children receive a "sound basic education," that is, the attainment of a core body of knowledge and skills that will enable all students to have an equal chance of success in their chosen career or college. Yet, state test results from 2016 show that only around 53 percent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools students, and less than half statewide, are "career and college ready."For school districts that have appeared to abandon their focus on high-quality and developmentally appropriate instruction, parents are faced with a choice. Work within the district system to ensure that the focus remains on providing a "sound basic education" or choose a private, home, or charter school that better meets the educational needs of their children. Increasingly, parents are choosing the latter.Mecklenburg County had a 44 percent increase in homeschooling between 2011 and 2016. Homeschool enrollment in the eight counties in the region (Cabarrus, Catawba, Gaston, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Iredell, Rowan, and Union) has increased at a similar rate. Private school enrollment growth in the region has been more modest, only increasing 2 percent during this period. There has even been a slight decrease in private school enrollment in Mecklenburg County, although that may be indicative of the popularity of charter schools.Not including the two statewide virtual charter schools, nine of the ten largest charter schools in North Carolina are in the eight-county region mentioned above. Franklin Academy, the third largest charter in the state, is in Wake County. The remaining nine Charlotte-area charter schools enroll approximately 14,000 students. That figure does not even include other large charters in the region, such as Piedmont Community Charter School in Gastonia (over 1,300 students) and Queen's Grant Community School in Mint Hill (over 1,200 students) that did not make the top ten. All told, tens of thousands of parents have opted to send their children to charter schools in the area. Many cross county lines and travel great distances to do so. Tens of thousands of additional parents never get the chance.According to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction's Office of Charter Schools, over 37,000 students are on one or more charter school wait lists. And that December 2016 survey included only 103 of the state's 167 charter school in operation. While Office of Charter Schools officials did not provide additional details in their report to the state legislature, there is little doubt that Charlotte-area parents are well represented in this figure.What can be done? Currently, state statute permits charter schools to increase their enrollment by 20 percent each year. The State Board of Education may authorize enrollment growth of greater than 20 percent if certain conditions are met. It is time to increase the yearly enrollment cap or issue waivers that authorize charter schools with sizable wait lists to provide as many seats as their infrastructure will allow. Such measures could later be reversed when the supply of charter school seats is able to meet the demand.In sum, the best response to the "Jacob's New Dress" controversy has nothing to do with launching an investigation, reprimanding the district, or taking even more drastic or punitive measures. Rather, lawmakers should do something positive - ensure that every family in North Carolina has the access and the means to high-quality educational options.
South Asian countries in particular India need not worry much from potential protectionist measures from the US and other developed nations as such a move is bound to benefit them and open up new vistas of opportunities, a top World Bank official said on Sunday.

"We remain optimistic that South Asia is the fastest growing region in the world. We believe that even if there are mounting protection pressures (from the West) they will not affect South Asia too much. If anything, they may provide new opportunities," World Bank South Asia Region Chief Economist Martin Rama told PTI in an interview.

"In light of the recovering advancing economies we strongly believe that South Asia should continue to look outward and not to think about an inward oriented growth strategy," Rama said as the World Bank released its report 'Globalisation Backlash' of its latest twice-a-year edition of South Asia Economic Focus.

The report, released ahead of the annual spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, says that South Asian countries could even benefit from the backlash against globalisation. It also confirms that South Asia remains the fastest-growing region in the world, gradually widening its lead relative to East Asia.

Rama said the report tries to address the concerns that South Asian nations would be hit by potential protectionist measures from the US and European nations post-Brexit.

"We hear voices that say, 'Oh, South Asia should basically look inwards.' That's what this report tries to address. What it tries to do is, it doesn't forecast what will happen with trade policy in advanced economies. It has hypothetical scenarios. If trade policy was to go in this direction, what will happen to South Asian countries? If it was to go in this different direction, what will happen? That's what it does," he said.

If indeed there are protections, it will be more expensive, especially in the US, to import goods from other parts of the world - China, Mexico perhaps.

"We are at the point where advanced economies see growth accelerating. We may have these two forces that may play in opposite direction, trade barriers that make it more difficult to export, more growth and make it easier to export.

"And where we come out is in a very negative scenario, where there will be protection across the board. It will not be too good for South Asia, but it will not be devastating, because the effect of the tides will not be too high and because the faster growth in advanced economies will have settled," he said.

Rama said the report talks about hypothetical scenarios as to what would happen to countries in the region like India and Bangladesh if the US and other nations adopt protectionist measures.

Noting that countries like China and Mexico are likely to be badly hit by such protectionist measures, the top World Bank official said that countries like India and Bangladesh could fill up some of the space created by it.

"There will be trade diversion. South Asian countries could be taking some of this space for exports that others will be facing difficulties with, he said, adding the report says that it is not advisable for South Asian countries to give up on the idea of pushing for exports or pushing for global integration.

"In fact, if this scenario where there is different degree of protections with different countries material, if in the country, South Asia was to diversify its exports, it could gain quite a lot," Rama asserted.

However, the report does not cover the issue of H-1B, which of late has emerged as of utmost importance for India.

Indian companies believe that Indian would be badly hit if the US adopts a protectionist approach on H-1B visas.

"That (H-1B) is an important issue. It's not among the issues we cover in more detail in these reports. We refer to it. But the impression is the following, is that..., anything that is barriers to trade, barriers to mobility, we don't think it's good for development, he noted.

"But if highly qualified people from India cannot go to work in the US, there may be firms that come to India to work with them. Capital and labour have to be together. If labour cannot go where the capital is, capital may come where the labour is," Rama said.

The first of its kind of report - based on a survey of a group of 200 economists from the region - recommends South Asian nations to diversify their export basket.

"The main message is, try to diversify exports, try to have an elastic response so that you seize the opportunity when it arises. These are policies that have to do with infrastructure, with logistics, with the business environment, with the kind of things that help the private sector move in that direction," he added.
Supreme Court on Monday ordered auction of Sahara's Rs 34,000 crore Aamby Valley properties over the business conglomerate's failure to deposit money for refunding to its investors.

The Supreme Court bench also directed that Sahara Group's Subrata Roy be personally present in the next date of hearing on April 28th in the case.

"Enough is enough. You cannot say something today and resile tomorrow," a bench, comprising Justices Dipak Misra, Ranjan Gogoi and A K Sikri, said, taking strong note of non- submission of over Rs 5,000 crore by the Sahara group.

The bench also cautioned Roy from playing with the court's order and said non-compliance of its order would invite the wrath of the law and ultimately he will be at his own peril.



If you can't pay, go to jail, the top court said.

The Supreme Court had earlier warned the Sahara Group that it would auction its prime property worth Rs 39,000 crore at Aamby Valley in Pune if Rs 5092.6 crore is not paid by the company by April 17 as promised.

Last month, a bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra directed the international real estate firm, which had shown willingness to buy Sahara's stake in New York- based Plaza Hotel for $550 million, to deposit Rs 750 crore in the SEBI-Sahara refund account instead of the apex court registry to show its bonafide.

"We will auction your (Sahara) Aamby Valley project if the money is not deposited within the stipulated time period as promised," the bench, also comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and A K Sikri, observed.

The apex court had also asked Sahara Group to provide it within two weeks the list of "unencumbered properties" which can be put for public auction to realise the remaining over Rs 14,000 crore of the principal amount of around Rs 24,000 crore that has to be deposited in the SEBI-Sahara account for refunding money to the investors.

SC on May 6, 2016 granted a four-week parole to Roy to attend the funeral of his mother. His parole has been extended by the court ever since. Roy was sent to Tihar jail on March 4, 2014.

Besides Roy, two other directors -- Ravi Shankar Dubey and Ashok Roy Choudhary -- were arrested for the failure of the group's two companies -- Sahara India Real Estate Corporation (SIRECL) and Sahara Housing Investment Corp Ltd (SHICL) -- to comply with the court's August 31, 2012 order to return Rs 24,000 crore to their investors.

However, director Vandana Bhargava was not taken into custody.
Taking a tough stand towards unruly passengers delaying its flights, the national carrier Air India has unveiled new rules to make such passengers pay a large amount of fine.

For delaying a flight upto 60 minutes, the airline will levy a fine of Rs 5 lakh, Rs 10 lakh for delay between one and two hours and Rs 15 lakh for delaying beyond two hours.

Earlier, after the Ravindra Gaikwad incident, Air India had said that it would establish a "No-Fly List" in consultation with the ministry, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation is drafting an amendment to the Civil Aviation Requirements on ways to deal with "unruly passengers".

Following is the list of new set of rules:

It will impose Rs 5-lakh fine for one-hour delay, Rs 10 lakh for delay between one and two hours and Rs 15 lakh for beyond two hours.

It has forbidden its employees to have a direct interaction with the media.

In case, Air India has to deal with an unruly passenger, it would file an FIR/police complaint mmediately under relevant section of the IPC.

When such an incident occurs, the first person to be informed will be the airport manager/ SM/ RD/CD and CMD office.

Air India will train its security and airport staff to deal with the situation involving unrule passengers.

The move comes after it faced situations with three MPs in recent times. Air India in its new set of rules mentioned the incidents of the late arrival of TMC MP Dola Sen on April 7, 2017, Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad assaulting an employee and thereby causing a delay and YSRC MP Mithun Reddy assaulting an officer at Tirupati and thereby causing a delay in 2015.




FILE - People gather near a shelter in Salt Lake City Friday, Feb. 24, 2017, in Salt Lake City. Legislative leaders and the mayors of Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County announced they're abandoning two of four planned homeless resource centers for the city. Officials said they'll still build two other 200-bed shelters and will select a site for a third shelter in Salt Lake County by March 30. House Speaker Greg Hughes, R-Draper, says officials have also decided they'll close the 1,000-plus bed downtown homeless shelter by June 30, 2019.(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  A state report shows that Utah taxpayers donated twice as much to fight homelessness than to support education in 2015.

Taxpayers donated the most money to fight homelessness, contributing about $70,000, while handing off about $35,000 for education.

With Tax Day approaching, Utah residents have their latest opportunity to send in donations with their tax returns. The most recent report examining donations on tax returns also shows that there has been a downward trend in the amount of money that residents have contributed over the last 25 years.

In 1990, there was nearly $450,000 in donations, but by 2015 that amount had decreased to about $191,000.

Billy Hesterman, of a nonprofit taxpayer group, says some people may simply not know that they can contribute through their tax returns.
Dear Diary, It is the eve of Easter and all is well at the rabbit patch.I did not spend the day dying eggs nor hiding them. Lyla is in Wilmington, celebrating her great-grandmothers' ninety-second birthday. Lylas' dad, Will, adores his grandmother. He has been talking about the party for weeks. The pictures, I have seen, of the event, are lovely. Everyone looks so happy, especially, Grandma Thompson. I have said this before, when a child is born in to a family where love is abundant, that child is born "with a silver spoon in their mouth."Tomorrow, we will have a special Sunday dinner, with a turkey and all of the usual trimmings. . . but today, we started "spring cleaning". I started early this morning, in the pantry. I burned more branches too, and if no one goes in the back yard, they will find the rabbit patch territory, tidy. I cleaned out the "housekeeping" closet and washed blankets as I did. I find house work enjoyable, if I needn't rush. Tonight, I will look at what was accomplished and take great satisfaction in that. I am by no means finished, but there is more order in the old house, this evening, than there was this morning.Tonight will be a sleepless night for the youngest children. How can they sleep knowing a kind rabbit will bring them baskets of chocolates and brightly colored eggs? I still remember the chocolate rabbits from my own childhood. Sometimes we got buckets with shovels. Mama made cakes shaped like rabbits for Easter Sunday.My sisters and I always got a new dress for Easter. There were also hats, gloves and little white pocketbooks, to match our white patent leather shoes. I loved the shiny little shoes, even if they were hard and were difficult to buckle. We would not wear our black patent leather shoes again-til after Labor Day. I still stick to that rule, though all of the fashion experts have given us permission to throw "caution to the wind" and wear white when you please.Mama rolled our hair on Saturday night. That was another reason it was hard to sleep. Both of my sisters had hair that curled beautifully. My curls fell out in Sunday School, no matter how much "Adorn" Mama sprayed on them. That was also about the time, that the lace that trimmed every thing we wore , started to itch and the fancy shoes started to pinch. I was also tired of the little gloves. I could not color well with gloves, but at least, I had a new pocketbook to put them in.There were always several egg hunts to attend. The Sunday school teachers had one and our family had one too. I do not know why, but I was never good at finding eggs. Children would rush to their parents exclaiming they had twenty or thirty eggs. I told Mama I had four, in a whisper. I who find wild violets and four leaf clovers, could not find the brightly colored eggs. Sympathetic mothers encouraged their children to"share" with me. The children filed by with sullen faces and would toss a few eggs in my basket, begrudgingly. It was the same every year, and to this day it remains a mystery, for me, that I could not find the brightly colored eggs in the spring grass. Thank Goodness, I have seen a picture of Lyla , in Wilmington, with a heaping basket of eggs, already. She can find eggs, so she must have dodged that dreadful gene.Dear Diary, It is Easter, and the day has dawned fair.The turkey is cooking, in the very old roasting pan as the first golden rays declare the morning. I have pulled out dishes in all sorts of pastels. There is a pink butter dish, shaped like a rabbit and the lovely set of salt and pepper shakers, that Rae gave me. They are shaped like rabbits, too. I have a platter with birds on it, that my sister gave me, for the turkey-so the table should be particularly inviting. I will search the rabbit patch for something to go in a vase. I will probably pick up a few branches along the way, too.Last year, it rained all day on Easter. I remember gathering flowers in the rain. Today, more than makes up for it. There is a light breeze blowing gently. The dogwood is blossoming and the azaleas at the rabbit patch are doing their part, to remind us of life renewed. . . as do brightly colored eggs and the young rabbits that play on the rabbit patch , while the birds, build their nests.
AFRIQUE :: So Bookul Calls for a Decentralization of Francophone Literature :: AFRICA

Some may rather speak of the urgency of decolonizing African literature- the French-speaking one, because on the English-speaking side things have considerably evolved. It still seems unthinkable that a book published in Africa be included in the final list of a great Parisian literary prize. Meanwhile, as we have seen, Chigozie Obioma's book The Fishermen, published by a Nigerian publisher, ended up in the shortlist of the Londons Man Booker Prize 2015.

Its been recently said in a Cameroonian website that since more than four decades, no Cameroonian author living in Cameroon has been awarded a certain Parisian literary prize dedicated to Sub-Saharan Africa, and the article concluded that the African writers from the diaspora who have been distinguished by the said prize were more inspired than their fellows edited in Africa because of their exile. Could it be otherwise, since the books of non-exiled African authors, or at least not dealing with a publishing house from the metropolis, are not taken into account? Note: the book awarded in the latest edition of that contest was amongst the 101 pre-selected works of the Grand Prix of Literary Associations 2016, but didnt appear in the shortlist, made of nine works, some being from African publishers.

The Parisian media grant their visibility only to books published in France. Sometimes this is not enough, it is necessary that the author resides or travels to France. This media discrimination also contributes to strengthening the monopolization of Francophone literature by Paris, to the detriment of Africa, and even of the rest of the world, according to an article published in Le Monde on March 21st, 2014, which drew the alarm bell on this excessive centralization of French-speaking literature by Paris (Literary prizes, Francophone authors, big publishing houses ... everything passes through Paris, to the detriment of foreign authors who broadcast our language /Prix litteraires, auteurs francophones, grandes maisons tout passe par Paris, au detriment des auteurs etrangers qui diffusent notre langue  ).

The risk is obviously that we could miss many geniuses, who will be extinguished in anonymity. The verdict of the GPLA 2016 proved this. It is possible that there are still potential young people in Africa such as Eric Mendi who can produce works like AFANE that may validly be compared with other writers works awarded in the highest levels of Western literary prizes. How not to miss them? By giving more consideration to African literature, made in Africa, in major literary events as well as in the Western giant media. And to the Africans, both from the diaspora and from the soil, here is an excerpt from "Afrotopia", the work by Felwine Sarr awarded in the Research category of GPLA 2016: "This alienation is also recognizable in the unbridled desire of certain intellectual and artistic elites to be dubbed and sanctified by Western recognition bodies: academies, literary and artistic prizes, university degrees, etc., this recognition being perceived as the only consecration that is worthwhile. A word to the wise...

Offered by Reading is So Bookul
"From an individual perspective if they don't have it and don't get sick they are lucky to have a good immune system or they are relying on herd immunity where lots of other people have had the flu vac and therefore it doesn't spread as much when there aren't as many carriers," he said.
I'm not the most dextrous or artistic of individuals but instructor Nick Adams - an established artist in his own right who's sending two works off to a Made in Australia exhibition in Germany later in the year - was patient and calm throughout the process. He kept me from injury or from making a complete fool of myself in front of the observers in the public gallery. In effect, I was assisting Nick throughout the creation of the tumbler; I was hands on but secondary, which is as it should be for an absolute beginner.
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The Montana Territory Peacemakers will hold a cowboy action shooting match on Saturday, April 22, at the Billings Rod and Gun Club pistol range.

Registration opens at 8 a.m. The match begins at 9 a.m. and is open to the public. The cost is $10.

Round count for the match is 50 rifle, 50 pistol and 25-plus shotgun. A side match following the main match will require an additional 10 pistol, nine rifle, and two-plus shotgun rounds.

Youth ages 12-18 must be accompanied by an adult. Spectators and photographers are welcome. Eye and ear protection are required.

For additional information visit montanaterritorypeacemakers.org, which also will provide notice in the event the match is canceled. Additional information is also available via email at mtpeacemakers@gmail.com.
Administered by Finance, the system permits bureaucrats and officials to buy the lowest practical airline fare - the cheapest ticket that suits the "practical business needs of the traveller". Public servants are required to book semi-flexible economy seats, unless they are entitled to business class travel or are given specific approval to upgrade.
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 ...
WASHINGTON  For a reminder of how new administrations can quickly get into trouble in foreign policy, consider that today, April 17, marks the anniversary of the catastrophic Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy. Bad things can happen to good presidents, and vice versa.

President Donald Trump, after a mostly disastrous first two months, has had a good run these past two weeks in foreign policy. He acted decisively in Syria, gained China as a possible partner in dealing with North Korea, repaired relations with NATO, and began addressing the serious tensions with Russia.

Why is Trump making better decisions now? And what could disrupt his progress toward a more coherent foreign policy?

Trump is making gains because he has assembled a competent national-security team  and listens to their advice. There was a consensus among his top advisers for a quick, limited strike on a Syria air base, and Trump took the recommendation. He didn't amplify, augment or otherwise disrupt it with his own "tweets." He allowed the process to work.

If Trump goes back to his freewheeling, tweeter-in-chief role, or if the disruptive would-be chief strategist Stephen Bannon regains influence, then chaos could return. But for now, Trump has bonded with his core team. And in this White House, starved for a win, nothing succeeds like success.

Contrast the quick, relatively clean decision on the Syria military strike with the chaotic White House discussions about the 1961 Cuba invasion. The CIA didn't level with Kennedy about its doubts that Cuban exiles could succeed without air cover; the Pentagon resented the covert paramilitary operation; Kennedy let himself get dragged into a mistake that prefigured the 1962 Cuban missile crisis and nearly led to nuclear war.

The Bay of Pigs illustrates what happens when a policy process goes bad.

The Trump team, for now, is basking in self-congratulation. Bannon's power is diminished and H.R. McMaster has taken over as a disciplined national security adviser. Comity reigns in part because Defense Secretary James Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson hammer out common positions before every meeting in the Situation Room.

Trump's strength and weakness is his emphasis on personality politics. That was evident in his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which included nearly four hours of one-on-one conversation. Trump was bubbly at a Wednesday news conference in describing the "good chemistry" of the meeting. Such talk is the elevator music of summits but in this case, the two do seem to have developed a mutually opportunistic bond. Xi is signaling that China's interests are served by working with the U.S. to check North Korea, short of war. Will that last? We'll see.

Trump's North Korea strategy had a coherent rollout. First Mattis visited the region, followed by Tillerson; as tensions rose this week, the U.S. signaled resolve by dispatching an aircraft-carrier task force. Behind these tactical moves are some big strategic ideas about a future North Korea that wouldn't threaten China's interests.

The danger is over-personalizing policy. Trump likes people who make him look good (as Xi has done). But personal success can't be the engine of statecraft.

Bye-bye Bannon

Trump's first two months were a case study in self-destructive actions. An example of how he undermined his team's good ideas was a plan back in January for defusing trade and immigration tensions with Mexico. The centerpiece would have been a visit to Washington by President Enrique Pena Nieto. But Trump got defensive about criticism that he was backing away from his campaign rhetoric and unleashed an inflammatory tweet that led Pena Nieto to cancel the visit.

The Mexico flap added to the uproar and disarray of Trump's first weeks. Trump was running at government with his head; he was behaving like a guy who gets into bar fights. Somebody (presumably Bannon) must have told him this was a good idea. That's how advisers lose clout.

Over the past week, Trump has adopted an approach closer to the foreign policy mainstream he and Bannon derided during the campaign. But it also gives Trump a taste of the success he craves.
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.
When the Toyota Raize came into the picture early this year , it commanded the kind of attention that made you think of it as possibly just ...
A United Tribes Technical College student has received a $5,000 grant to make a short film using the voices of the young Native American activists involved in the Dakota Access Pipeline protests.

Dakota Eagle, an enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes and graduate of Standing Rock High School, said her intent for the film is to encourage other Native American youth to become engaged in issues and make their voices heard.

Over the next two months, she plans to compile interviews of these youth activists, many of whom are from the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. Early during the Dakota Access protests, a group of Native youth in North Dakota ran a petition against the pipeline to federal officials in Washington, D.C.

What made them say, I need to do something? And how can we capture that so others can say, Well, I can do that, too,'" Eagle said. I think a lot of people dont consider themselves activists, but really they are, and it just takes one person to make a difference."

Eagle, 30, resides in Bismarck with her husband and their two sons. She's obtaining a bachelor's degree in elementary education at United Tribes and hopes to become a teacher. She started her career as a paraprofessional at Cannonball Elementary School, which is the town where she grew up.

The goal is to not even give them a voice, because they give themselves a voice by standing up, but to use that as a tool for their peers, a tool for their parents, a tool for educators  anybody who works with youth, to say, well, maybe theres something I can do to give it a little bit of a push," Eagle said.

She applied for the grant with the help of Cheryl Kary, the director of the Sacred Pipe Resource Center, a local nonprofit that assists Native Americans and their families.

I think its wonderful whats shes doing, because she is a teacher at heart. The kids are always at the center of what she does, Kary said. Shes all about, How do we help the kids?'

The grant, from the nonprofit Native Americans in Philanthropy, aims to encourage and empower Native youth and support the "long-term engagement of youth leaders in advocacy efforts," according to the organization's website.

The funds will be used for various expenses, including transportation for the youth if they have to travel far for an interview, Eagle said. She's also hoping to make the most of the funds, so, if there's a camera and other equipment available, rather than buying new equipment, she'll just use them.

Eagle said she's grateful for the help she got through the Sacred Pipe Resource Center.

Im very thankful that I was able to reach out to Cheryl, and that she was so willing to provide her experience and services, and just willing to work with me and encourage me to do things like this," Eagle said.

As a teacher, she also said she benefited from learning how to apply for a grant.

"There are limited funds for teacher, and I think thats a strong tool teachers can have to build their classrooms," said Eagle, who plans to have the film completed by June.
A family road trip turned into a nightmare for several Tampa residents, after they allowed their 14-year old son to drive a 2000 Ford Explorer.



According to Florida police, cited by Fox13News, the SUV veered off the I-4 highway, near mile marker 4, on Saturday, around 7 pm, when the teen tried to switch lanes, but lost control and hit a barrier wall.

All 7 occupants were rushed to the hospital, including the young driver, his 32-year old mother, who was reportedly riding shotgun, her 34-year old boyfriend with their three young children, aged 3, 6 and 6, and another 16-year old teen. Besides the latter, all of them suffered serious injuries.

The teen drivers grandfather was baffled by the fact that his mother allowed him to drive the Explorer, but was grateful that he got to spend Easter with his grandchildren, while theyre recovering at home. The man added that his daughter, along with her boyfriend, were most seriously injured, and had several surgeries.

Police charged the 14-year old kid for careless driving and driving without a license, and the adults are expected to be charged as well.

PHOTO GALLERY
The first pictures of the Skoda Vision E Concept have surfaced on the web, courtesy of Autowp, ahead of its official debut at the Shanghai Motor Show later this week.



Previewed by a series of sketches, the electric concept looks better in the flesh as we can see it will be a stylish crossover with sharp character lines, a slender greenhouse, and massive alloy wheels. A closer inspection reveals a sculpted hood, a panoramic glass roof, and stylish LED lighting units.

While we can only see a few darkened glimpses of the interior, Skoda has previously revealed the model will have four individual seats and a relatively open cabin that lacks a central transmission tunnel. Passengers will each be treated to their own infotainment system as well as a phone box with a wireless charger that is located in the door.

Power is provided by a lithium-ion battery pack and an electric powertrain that develops a combined output of 301 hp (305 PS / 225 kW). This will enable the crossover to hit a top speed of 111 mph (180 km/h) and travel up to 310 miles (500 km) on a single charge.

Besides having an eco-friendly electric powertrain, the Vision E Concept has a Level 3 autonomous driving system. This will enable the model to operate independently in traffic jams, go into autopilot on motorways, stay in lane and swerve, carry out overtaking maneuvers, independently search for free parking spaces, and park and leave parking spaces alone.

The concept doesnt necessarily preview a production model but Skoda has plans to introduce five electric vehicles by 2025. The first model is slated to arrive in 2020, shortly after the company launches the Superb plug-in hybrid.

H/T to Niko

Photo Gallery
Magro, a Mechanics Institute [now Rochester Institute of Technology] graduate, was notified yesterday of his selection. There were nearly 5,000 applications for 50 animating jobs. He has been granted a years leave of absence and will leave for Hollywood at the close of the present school term. The young Rochesterian, whose works have been shown in Memorial Art Gallery and in the Art Center where he lives, stumbled into the opportunity to work for Disney through Herbert M. Stern, Rochester architect. Stern met two Disney representatives on a train coming from California, listened while they described their trouble in finding competent draftsmen, and steered Magro to them for a tryout during Easter week in New York.

After working 18 months at Disney, Magro returned to Rochester to resume his job as a high school art teacher. During World War II, he served in the Armys animation unit, the Signal Corps, including a stint in India.

After the war ended, he launched a short-lived animation studio in New York, Minitoons, with former Disney colleagues Bob Leffingwell and Wilbur Streech. It is unclear if he worked in animation beyond the 1940s, but Magro did continue a career in the arts.

In 1953, Magro moved to Italy as the European representative for the dArcy Advertising Company. He was managing the Coca-Cola account at the time, and lived in Italy throughout the 1950s. Magro had a bit of a history with Coca-Cola. One of the projects he had worked on at his own studio, Minitoons, had been a 90-second commercial featuring Cokes mascot at the time, Sprite Boy. While the animation has been lost to time, here is a model sheet from the project:

Below is the entire collection of the Magro caricatures drawn by his Disney co-workers. [Note: This post was updated on April 17, 2017, to include new information discovered about Magro.]

(Thanks, Mark Mayerson)
Photo: Dustin Godfrey

A motorcyclist has been rushed to Kelowna General Hospital with serious injuries on Sunday.

Officers responded to the scene of the single-vehicle collision in Summerland at about 4:30 p.m.

The motorcycle could be seen in a ditch just off Highway 97 near Bentley Road.

It is not clear what caused the collision, but an officer said it appears the driver was travelling too fast.

with files from Dustin Godfrey
Photo: Contributed

Only one of the leaders of British Columbia's main political parties was on the campaign trail Sunday, with two others opting to take Easter off.

B.C. New Democrat Leader John Horgan spent the day visiting some hotly contested suburban ridings in the lower mainland.

He began the day with an Easter egg hunt at a supporter's home in Maple Ridge and later stopped by a restaurant in Surrey to make samosas and have lunch with two of his candidates.

Liberal Peter Fassbender captured the Surrey-Fleetwood riding by about 200 votes in the last election.

Horgan said he's feeling good about his party's prospects, but what really matters is what voters have to say come election day on May 9.

"I think that every election is about putting forward your ideas. What happened last time is not relevant. What happens next is the important thing" he said.

"And in 23 days, we'll find out how the people in Surrey-Guilford and Surrey-Fleetwood feel about the plan we're putting forward."

Horgan reiterated his party's commitment to eliminating tolls on the Port Mann and Golden Ears bridges, saying on Sunday that it's not fair to have a certain segment of the population paying for infrastructure.

B.C. Liberal Leader Christy Clark has dismissed the promise as a costly scheme that would result in tax hikes. Her party has promised to cap tolls for the bridges at $500 annually.

Clark did not take part in any events Sunday, instead putting out a statement wishing all British Columbians a happy Easter Weekend.

"For Christians, Easter is a time of hope  a lesson that one person's simple message of peace and love can change the world, forever," the statement said.

"Regardless of your faith, the Easter weekend is an opportunity to spend more time with the people you love."

Green party Leader Andrew Weaver also took the day off from campaigning, but posted holiday wishes on his Twitter account along with a photo of he and some others roasting what appeared to be a pig on a spit.
Photo: DriveBC

Multiple firefighters and police officers are on scene at a collision in Kaleden.

The collision took place on Highway 97 at Highway 3A at about 7:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Early reports indicated that there were multiple vehicles but there has been no confirmation on the number of vehicles involved.

DriveBC told Castanet they are "waiting for an update from the contractor at this time."

Castanet will update as more information becomes available.
Photo: Google Street View

A body has been pulled from Thompson River after a truck submerged on Saturday.

Kamloops Search and Rescue deployed their swift-water rescue team south of Ashcroft. The RCMP dive team recovered both the truck and a body.

"A tough call yesterday to stand down our swift-water rescue teams from Kamloops, Vernon and Salmon Arm," said a post on the Kamloops Search and Rescue Facebook page.

"It seemed very likely the subject was still inside the submerged vehicle but with the RCMP dive team available the next morning, attempting a recovery then didn't seem worth the risk to our volunteers or to risk losing the vehicle," they said.

Police would not provide any information on the deceased.

"KSAR is glad to see the RCMP was able to safely recover the vehicle and subject and bring closure to the family and community," said the post.

Castanet has contacted RCMP in Ashcroft and Kamloops and will update once more information is available.
Photo: CTV Vancouver

A Liberal MLA that was the first Japanese-Canadian to be elected to B.C.'s Legislative Assembly says she was the target of hateful graffiti.

Yamamoto says more than 30 of her signs have been smashed or vandalized since the start of the campaign, which kicked off last week.

The two-term MLA was the first Japanese Canadian elected to the Legislative Assembly, and she is the daughter of a parent interned at Lemon Creek, B.C., during the Second World War.

A number of other candidates from various parties have reached out to condemn the messages, including North Vancouver BC Green Party candidate Joshua Johnson.

"Regardless of political views, this extremely offensive display is completely unacceptable," Johnson said on social media.

-with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: CTV Vancouver

A union representing staff at two B.C. newspapers says it has reached a tentative deal to save jobs after dozens of employees were laid off.

Postmedia announced plans last month to lay off 54 employees at The Vancouver Sun and The Province in a bid to cut costs at its Pacific Newspaper Group chain.

Union plans to fight back against the 54 jobs lost.

The union has issued a statement saying a tentative deal has been reached with the company that includes saving a number of jobs.

No details were provided, but the union says members will vote on the agreement on Wednesday.

with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: Madison Erhardt

Environment Canada is predicting mild temperatures this week.

Monday afternoon should reach a high of 15 C with a chance of showers later in the afternoon.

Tuesday and Wednesday are both calling for cloudy periods and 14 Celsius.

Thursday will be the nicest day of the week with the sunshine sticking around all day and a high of 18 C.

The weekend will hover around 17 C with possible showers on Saturday afternoon.

DriveBC reports that the roads are smooth with no major issues or traffic concerns, but if you come across something you can email [email protected]
Photo: The Canadian Press

Air Canada is apologizing to a Prince Edward Island family after the airline bumped a 10-year-old boy from a flight.

Brett Doyle booked four tickets from Charlottetown to Costa Rica for his family last August.

A day before the vacation during March break, Doyle says he checked his family in for the flight online, but could not select a seat for his son.

After hours on the phone with Air Canada, Doyle's wife drove to the airport and was told the flight was oversold and their son had been bumped.

The family drove to Moncton to catch a different Air Canada flight to meet the Costa Rica flight in Montreal, but when that flight was cancelled they were forced to drive to Halifax and stay overnight in a hotel.

Air Canada said in an email that the airline has apologized to the Doyle family, and that the situation should not have occurred.

Doyle said he was offered a $2,500 voucher, which expires in one year, and was told Air Canada may cover his expenses.
State legislators are struggling to reach a deal on how to fund repairs at the Double Ditch Historical Site.

A conference committee debating the issue has devised a plan to fund $1 million of the $1.25 million needed to finish the anti-erosion project, but members disagree on how or whether to fund the final quarter million.

The three representatives want to cut off the funding there. The three senators want the $3.5 million project to be fully funded by the state.

On Friday, the committee decided on a plan to fund $500,000 from the state disaster relief fund and $500,000 from a fund in the Parks and Recreation Department budget meant for developing recreational opportunities on sovereign lands near waterways.

Rep. Roscoe Streyle, R-Minot, insists that will be it.

"That's private funds or out of their base," Streyle said of the additional quarter million for the State Historical Society of North Dakota. "If they want to borrow it, they can pay for it through their donations."

But Sen. Karen Krebsbach, R-Minot, said she would like the committee to instead authorize the State Historical Society of North Dakota to borrow $250,000 from the Bank of North Dakota. The idea is that the state would pay back the loan.

Krebsbach called it an "unfair burden" on the historical society to make it raise the additional dollars.

"What we need to do is to get Double Ditch taken care of," she said.

Legislators have been debating how to fund repairs needed to stop erosion at the state-owned Mandan Indian earthlodge village since the House took away backing for a $1.25 million loan authorized last session to complete the project.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Omar Khadr's official criminal record in Canada contains oddities and errors that are at odds with how the federal government viewed him on his return from the notorious prison on the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The record, obtained by The Canadian Press, makes no reference to the fact that Khadr, 30, was convicted by an internationally condemned U.S. military commission for purported offences he committed as a 15-year-old in Afghanistan.

Instead, the document states only that he was convicted at "Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (Youth Court)." It makes no reference anywhere to the United States or the commission.

While it's not clear when the record was first created, Khadr's Canadian lawyers call it bizarre. For one thing, they note there's no such thing as a Guantanamo Bay youth court.

However, despite the document, the Canadian government argued strenuously for years against treating Khadr as a young offender  placing him, for example, in a series of maximum security adult prisons on his return to Canada in September 2012.

Additionally, the lawyers say, the record appears to formalize the fact that Khadr was convicted as a youth for alleged crimes that occurred in a war zone, which would make him a child soldier  a label the government has also always avoided.

Dennis Edney, one of Khadr's lawyers, who was initially unaware of the document, expressed profound surprise at its contents.

"There's not such a being as a criminal youth court in Guantanamo," Edney said from Edmonton. "Why would you do that? Internationally, the place was condemned because it didn't distinguish between Omar being a child and Omar being an adult."

The Americans captured the horrifically wounded Khadr in the rubble of a bombed out compound in Afghanistan in July 2002 following a fierce firefight that left an American special forces soldier dead and another partly blinded.

In October 2010, the Canadian citizen pleaded guilty to five war crimes before a military commission at Guantanamo Bay, and was handed an eight-year sentence. The Toronto-born Khadr, who has long maintained the Americans tortured him during his lengthy captivity, later said he only pleaded guilty so he could return to Canada.

Edney said it's important people understand the context of the convictions  something sorely lacking in the official record.

"It shows absolute ignorance. It misstates itself in a very fundamental way," Edney said. "It shows no understanding of what Guantanamo is (and) demands an explanation as to why it is so described."

The RCMP document also erroneously states that Khadr was sentenced to five concurrent eight-year terms for each of his five charges, In fact, Canadian courts have ruled Khadr was handed a single eight-year sentence on all counts.

Co-counsel Nate Whitling, who also had not seen the document, called it unsurprising Khadr has a record in Canada given his transfer here to serve out his sentence. But Whitling still called it "weird." He noted there's no such thing as a concurrent sentence at Guantanamo Bay, and suggested Canadian authorities had "tried to fit a square peg into a round hole."

Khadr's lawyers say his conviction record should not enjoy legal recognition in Canada given that it has no reference to a legitimate court in a foreign country but arises out of military commissions that were set up to avoid U.S. constitutional scrutiny. Still, the criminal record could have an impact on Khadr, who hopes to study nursing, when he applies in the future for employment.

Barney Brucker, the Justice Department's lead lawyer on the Khadr file, did not respond to a request for information. Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale was not immediately available to comment on Monday.

Khadr was granted bail in Alberta in 2015 pending an ongoing appeal of his U.S. conviction  a process that will likely take several more years at least. The appeal rests on the fact that he was convicted for acts that were not crimes at the time he did them.
Photo: The Canadian Press

The federal public safety minister says the plan to legalize recreational marijuana does not include a general amnesty for past pot convictions.

Ralph Goodale tells The Canadian Press not to expect a blanket pardon for people with records for possessing small amounts of the drug.

The C.D. Howe Institute, a prominent think-tank, has recommended the government consider pardoning people convicted of pot possession  and drop any outstanding charges  to free up much-needed resources for legalization.

Goodale notes there is already a formal process to have a criminal record set aside.

Those convicted of simple possession of up to 30 grams of marijuana are eligible to apply for a pardon, now known as a record suspension, five years after their sentence is completed.

An internal Public Safety Canada briefing note, released last year under the Access to Information Act, said the issue of record suspensions would be "important to consider during the marijuana legalization discussions."

 Follow @JimBronskill on Twitter
Photo: Contributed

Horses that were struggling after falling through thin ice in northwestern Alberta were saved by rescuers who cut paths to the shore with chainsaws.

Trevor Grant, the County of Grande Prairie's fire chief, says 10 horses fell through a frozen dugout on a rural property on Sunday.

Only their heads were visible above the open patches of water that surrounded them.

Firefighters in yellow suits and wearing safety tethers to connect them to the shore were armed with chainsaws and other equipment as they ventured onto the ice to try to help the animals.

Grant says one horse had already died of injuries and two more died from exhaustion, but seven made it to safety.

Grant says he spoke with a veterinarian who told him the seven survivors are doing well.

"It was pretty overwhelming having that sheer number of horses in need," Grant said Monday. "Bystanders were pretty excited, but the crews were able to get control of the situation and develop a plan."

Grant said the animals weren't as calm as regular horses because they were rodeo broncs. Still, he said, animals in need typically understand that people are there to help them.

Some of the firefighters were specially trained for large animal rescue, Grant said. They know how to save horses and livestock that fall though ice, get stuck in mud or fall down slopes.

In total, 35 firefighters helped in the rescue, which lasted nearly two hours.

"They were able to cut pathways in the ice to get the horses out to the shoreline. And then they used some specialized rigging such as slings to assist the horses out and onto the shore."

Some of the animals were able to walk out and others were lifted to safety with special rigging.

RCMP weren't able to say Monday whether they are investigating.
Photo: The Canadian Press

A decades-long legal battle culminates in British Columbia on Tuesday with the start of a trial for a breakaway Mormon leader charged with polygamy.

Winston Blackmore of Bountiful is accused of having two dozen wives over a 25-year period.

The legal battle dates back to the early 1990s when police first investigated allegations that residents of an isolated religious community were practising multiple or "celestial" marriages.

A lack of clarity around Canada's polygamy laws led to failed attempts at prosecuting Blackmore, followed by several efforts to clarify the legislation, including a reference question to the B.C. Supreme Court. The court ruled in 2011 that laws banning polygamy were constitutional and did not violate religious freedoms guaranteed in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Blackmore is not the only Bountiful-area resident who has been charged. James Oler will face trial alongside Blackmore for allegedly marrying four women between 1993 and 2009.

None of the allegations have been proven in court and the case is being heard by judge alone.

Oler was appointed to lead Bountiful following Blackmore's excommunication from the Mormon splinter group in 2002 by Warren Jeffs, head prophet of U.S.-based Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-day Saints.

Last week, Justice Sheri Ann Donegan of the B.C. Supreme Court dismissed a request from Blackmore's lawyer, Blair Suffredine, to hold separate trials for Blackmore and Oler.

Suffredine argued the polygamy charges involve separate and different allegations. If tried together, evidence against Oler could be prejudicial to Blackmore and vice versa, he said.

Peter Wilson, a special prosecutor appointed by the provincial government, argued that expert evidence was going to be called from witnesses in the United States and that it wouldn't make sense to have them come to Canada again for a second trial.

Donegan said she wanted to "balance the interests of the public and the accused" and was not persuaded that the trial needed to be separated. She is expected to give her full reasons for the decision before the trial begins Tuesday.

The trial in Cranbrook is expected to last several weeks.

Suffredine said in an interview there's no question surrounding the validity of Canada's polygamy laws, but rather whether his client is entitled to an exemption for religious reasons.

"The dilemma is this, put simply: If you went out and slept with 20 women and made kids with each one of them, but then ran away and didn't pay for them, you would not have committed any crime," he said.

"But if you go through a ceremony where you promise to live with her or look after her and the children all your life, now you've committed a crime."

Oler doesn't have a lawyer for the trial. An impartial adviser has been appointed to assist the court and provide balance.
This is Up and Down, where we give a brief thumbs up and thumbs down on the issues from the past week.

Up

Howard Henry can rest easy. Nearly 70 years ago he launched a campaign against parking meters in North Dakota and got them banned. Attempts to bring back the parking meters have failed over the years. An effort in the Legislature, Senate Bill 2247, to revive the money collectors died in the House last week. The Tribune editorial Board believes that was the right vote. Theres still some hope for the meters in the Department of Transportation budget bill, which has an amendment allowing cities to have parking meters if voters approve. Twenty percent of the meter revenue would go into the state public transportation fund, which seems like a roundabout way for the state to collect fees. The amendment should be rejected.

Down

The Environmental Protection Agency has made it easy for the public to dislike them over the years. Many of its rules have been intrusive and difficult to implement. However, as a story by reporter Jessica Holdman points out, if all of President Donald Trumps budget cuts are implemented at the EPA, North Dakota could suffer. The state could lose a number of grants that help fund state-run programs that protect the air and water. Changes are needed at the EPA, but they should be done carefully to avoid harming good programs.

Up

Simle Middle School students got a visit from Gov. Doug Burgum and state Superintendent Kirsten Baesler last week. The students were honored for being the state finalist in Samsungs Solve for Tomorrow Contest. The young scientists created a solar-powered charging station to be placed somewhere in the community for homeless people. The kids were excited by the challenge and their work paid off. Its an example of how learning can make a difference and how American students can compete on the global stage. The kids and teacher Ryan Townsend deserve the honors.

Down

It was sad to learn of the death near the Cannonball River close to the former protest sites. The victim, Damjan Nedelkovski, apparently came to North Dakota hoping to be a positive influence. Not everyone agreed with the protesters, but their overall intentions were to do what they thought best for society. While people wont always agree, we need to show respect for each other and look out for everyone.

Up

Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. did the right thing when it agreed to a lower rate increase. AARP had challenged MDUs original request, arguing it was too high. The new MDU request won the support of AARP. The compromise still gives MDU an increase, but it lessens the impact on consumers. Finding a solution is better for all involved and hopefully avoids any hard feelings.
Editor's note: This is a rerun of Sunday's C4 story that misidentified the veteran.

Though he is a little hard of hearing from the concussion of Navy guns fired in Vietnam, Edward Vanover, of Bismarck, knows his experience was a bit more serendipitous than that of many others who served during that tumultuous era.

Vanover, 69, served two tours in Southeast Asia throughout 1968-69, first spending a year aboard the USS Gridley and then some time the following year aboard the USS Samuel Gompers.

During his tour aboard the Gridley, he was among the crew members sweeping and scrubbing the deck twice a day as well as lengthy shifts on watch duty.

We did every crummy job there is on the ship, Vanover recalled.

For the Topeka, Kan., native, he split time between multiple branches of service.

During a single year at Kansas State University, he was drafted into the U.S. Army but got a student deferment.

That was a rude awakening to get that in the mail, Vanover said of the draft notice.

He did serve in the Air Force ROTC program during his college years. Afterward, he moved to a data-processing job with the Santa Fe Railway.

In 1967, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, completing boot camp at Navy Station Great Lakes in Illinois.

From there, he was assigned to the USS Gridley, which was already on its way to Southeast Asia. During his first tour, spent in and around the Gulf of Tonkin, the ship would be out to sea for three to four weeks at a time, then would move closer to shore or docked for several days to a week.

Vanover still finds himself a bit hard of hearing because of the time spent helping load and fire the ships guns at the enemy.

You feel the concussion of every one, Vanover said of the large guns.

During his time aboard the Gridley, he became acquainted with a little-known officer aboard while on watch: John Kerry, who went on to become a U.S. senator, unsuccessful 2004 Democratic candidate for president of the United States and later U.S. Secretary of State.

I talked to him every day, said Vanover, adding that, on a couple of occasions, Kerry claimed hed be president one day.

Toward the end of 1968, the Gridley returned to the United States; within a month, he was assigned to the USS Frank E. Evans and was headed back to Vietnam.

A miracle happened. I was reassigned to the USS Samuel Gompers, Vanover said.

For Vanover, it was a big deal because timing was everything.

Early on the morning of June 3, 1969, the Evans was performing military exercises in the South China Sea with ships from multiple other countries. The Australian aircraft carrier Melbourne collided with the Evans during early morning maneuvers, after the Evans turned in front of the far, far larger ship.

The impact sliced the Evans in two; 74 crew members died.

Vanover had been reassigned shortly before the collision.

During his tour of duty aboard the Samuel Gompers, he was a data processor, a much more desirable job that matched his private sector experience.

After returning to Kansas, he spent time in the Navy Reserves, his service ending in December 1975.

Vanover moved to Bismarck in 1977 and worked in the insurance business, first for a local firm and later independently. He retired about 10 years ago, but, due to the increase in oil activity he now works part-time, managing his mineral acre interests in the western part of the state.

He also served with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary for a few years in the mid-1980s but was never deployed.

Anybody thats been in the military, its changed them in some way forever. Some good and some bad, Vanover said. Probably everyone should have a little taste of the military.
Average retail gasoline prices in Chattanooga have risen 2.7 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.12 per gallon on Sunday, according to GasBuddy's daily survey of 170 gas outlets in Chattanooga. This compares with the national average that has increased 1.1 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.40 per gallon, according to gasoline price website GasBuddy.com.

Including the change in gas prices in Chattanooga during the past week, prices Sunday were 22.0 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and are 14.3 cents per gallon higher than a month ago.

According to GasBuddy historical data, gasoline prices on April 17 in Chattanooga have ranged widely over the last five years:

$1.90 in 2016, $2.19 in 2015, $3.48 in 2014, $3.28 in 2013 and $3.72 in 2012.

Areas near Chattanooga and their current gas price climate:

Knoxville- $2.18, up 7.5 cents per gallon from last week's $2.10.

State of Tennessee- $2.17, up 2.9 cents per gallon from last week's $2.14.

Huntsville- $2.18, up 4.0 cents per gallon from last week's $2.14.

"The national average gasoline price climbed to its highest level since Sept. 5, 2015, on the $6 per barrel rise in oil prices over the last few weeks, supported by last week's decline in oil inventories and pressure from geopolitical tensions," said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy.com.

"While some states in the Great Lakes saw average gasoline prices ease after leading the nation by rising double digits each of the last two weeks, most the country saw a continued rise. However, the national average may reach its peak for the year in the next few weeks barring major escalation in Syria as refiners have generally concluded seasonal maintenance work and summer gasoline's

May 1st

deadline for refiners is just around the corner. While average prices are far below their 5-year average, they remain notably higher than last year. Today shows just 405 gas stations in the U.S. selling gasoline at $2 per gallon or less, a far cry from a year ago when over 80,000 stations were at the level."
Chicago's top venture capitalists are well-known leaders whose identities often define their firms. But what about those who aren't on the marquee? Behind the big names, there are principals and associates finding deals, mentoring startups and figuring out how to improve the industry they work and play in. Blue Sky introduces you to some of the folks helping Chicago firms figure out where to invest their millions.

David Vandegrift, associate, Pritzker Group Venture Capital

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Age: 26

Role: Member of the investment team, primarily focused on deal diligence within the emerging technology and artificial intelligence space

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Signature deal: RepIQ

Mentor: Matt McCall 

Education: B.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Georgia Tech

Social media: @davidvandegrift on Twitter

David Vandegrift spends a lot of time thinking about the future  but not necessarily his five-year plan or anything like that. This young venture capitalist is more concerned with the technologies of today that could be major forces tomorrow.

An associate at Pritzker Group Venture Capital, Vandegrift considers deals from companies dealing in emerging technologies: virtual reality, augmented reality, drones, the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence. He said he spends about half his work time on A.I. and organizes an independent local Meetup group on the subject.

Vandegrift studied industrial engineering at Georgia Tech, with a focus on technologies related to machine learning. That, coupled with a few years at McKinsey as a consultant and at the head of a startup that lasted 18 months in his native Atlanta, gives him a bit of a "leg up" in assessing A.I. companies, he said. Now 18 months into the job, his varied background helps him connect with founders on a human level while digging into their tech.

"I want to get to that next layer of authenticity where we can have a real conversation, as opposed to the super-formal pitch where it's buttoned up and rehearsed," he said. "You have to come from a place of genuine empathy."

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That's important for getting the full story on a company, especially since Vandegrift wants to see venture capitalists focus more on the future in the way that he does. He pointed to Elon Musk as an example of an entrepreneur with radical ideas  and a cautious approach to A.I.

"I think the promise (of A.I.) is absolutely massive, but the downside risk is huge as well," Vandegrift said.

Done right, he said, A.I. has the potential to do more than make life easier in some ways. Vandegrift said he sees it as a way to give certain groups access to different resources. As an example, he imagined an artifically intelligent "tutor," a knowledge-filled and interactive program that could provide free instruction to anyone, anywhere.

"That's why I'm so excited about A.I.," he said. "Some people are born with a lot of opportunity, and other people are born with less opportunity  and I think artificial intelligence can do a lot to bridge that."

Vandegrift said he also cares deeply about diversity and inclusion  "Personal passion No. 1 is A.I., personal passion No. 2 is diversity and inclusion"  and thinks the dialogue around those topics is gaining momentum in tech and VC circles.

In December, Vandegrift co-authored an essay called "Why your boss is still a white guy" with friend and fellow venture capitalist Samara Mejia Hernandez, a senior associate at MATH Venture Partners.

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Coming tomorrow: Jackie DiMonte of Hyde Park Venture Partners talks about living on "the extremes of emerging tech."

aelahi@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @aminamania
The Crate & Barrel store on Michigan Avenue is seen April 12, 2017, in Chicago. The building, with approximately 35,000 square feet, could become a Starbucks Roastery store. (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune)

Starbucks is ready to bring its sprawling Roastery store concept, which the company calls "coffee as theater," to Chicago's Magnificent Mile.

The coffee giant is negotiating a potential deal to move into the four-story, approximately 35,000-square-foot building that Crate & Barrel leases at North Michigan Avenue and Erie Street, according to real estate sources.

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If a deal is completed for the entire building, the Chicago space would be larger than any of the five other known Roastery locations, the largest of which is a planned 30,000-square-foot shop in China.

Barista Sean Smoot prepares a beverage on a high-end espresso machine at the new Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. Billed as part coffee shop-part experience, the concept could be coming to Michigan Avenue where Crate & Barrel is currently located. (Erika Schultz / Seattle Times)

The only current Roastery is in the company's hometown of Seattle. Starbucks also has disclosed plans to open big Roastery stores this year and in 2018 in New York, Milan, Shanghai and Tokyo.

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Roastery shops are a hybrid of coffee shop, tourist attraction and educational experience, where customers watch and learn about the roasting and brewing of higher-end, small-batch coffees. Cups of pour-over coffee and bags of beans are sold in the stores.

"Our Seattle Roastery experience created something that had never been done before, transforming a retail environment into something far beyond just a coffee shop and into the single best retail experience of any kind," Howard Schultz, now the company's executive chairman, said in an April 2016 news release when Starbucks disclosed plans to open in New York.

Starbucks spokeswoman Haley Drage declined to comment.

The coffee chain also is believed to have considered other large spaces on North Michigan Avenue, including the Apple store less than a block away from Crate & Barrel. Apple is set to move to a new store under construction along the north edge of the Chicago River.

Crate & Barrel's future on Michigan Avenue has long been in question. The home goods and furniture chain's lease is nearing expiration and its building is owned by a venture of Gordon Segal, the Crate & Barrel co-founder who no longer owns the company.

Crate & Barrel spokeswoman Vicky Lang declined to comment on plans for the Michigan Avenue store.

Brokers Adam Secher, a principal at Baum Realty Group who represents Starbucks, did not respond to requests for comment. Camille Julmy, a vice chairman at CBRE who represents Segal, declined to comment.

Crate & Barrel's rent is well below rates the space would fetch today on the Mag Mile, where ground-floor leases often exceed $500 per square foot annually, according to real estate sources.

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Crate & Barrel's other store in Chicago is on North Avenue in the Clybourn Corridor shopping district.

rori@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @Ryan_Ori
Washington  President Trump plans to nominate a vocal critic of the U.S. Export-Import Bank to serve as its president.

The White House announced late Friday that Trump plans to nominate Scott Garrett, a former Republican congressman from New Jersey, to serve as president of the credit agency, which helps overseas buyers get financing to purchase U.S. exports.

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Trump will also nominate Spencer T. Bachus III of Alabama, another former House member, to serve as a member of the bank's board of directors.

Garrett voted against renewing the bank's charter while he was in Congress, denouncing it as "corporate welfare."

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"I opposed the House's vote to reauthorize the corporate welfare program known as the Ex-Im Bank. #CronyCapitalism," he tweeted in 2015.

It's a view he used to share with Trump  at least until this week.

During his campaign, Trump called the credit agency an unnecessary giveaway to politicians and certain companies.

"I don't like it because I don't think it's necessary," Trump told Bloomberg, describing it as "sort of a featherbedding for politicians" and "a few companies."

"These are companies that can do very well without it. So I don't like it. I think it's a lot of excess baggage," he added.

But this week Trump announced that he'd changed his mind, telling the Wall Street Journal in an interview that he now supports it.

"It turns out that, first of all, lots of small companies will really be helped, the vendor companies, but also, maybe more importantly, other countries give it," he said. "And when other countries give it, we lose a tremendous amount of business."

"So instinctively," Trump added, "you would say it's a ridiculous thing but actually it's a very good thing and it actually makes money. You know, it actually could make a lot of money."

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The bank has been hobbled in recent years without enough board members to produce a quorum, blocking it from approving transactions exceeding $10 million.

Much of the bank's financing benefits large corporation such as Boeing, General Electric and Caterpillar.

Many moderate, business-minded Republican groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce support the bank. But vocal opponents, including many tea party Republicans and outside groups such as the Heritage Foundation, have said it practices crony capitalism, awarding most of its financing to well-connected corporations.

Trump's reversal on the subject is just one of several he's made in recent days as he approaches his 100th day in office.
Janesville, Wis.  At 7:07 a.m., the last Tahoe reached the end of the assembly line. Outside it was still dark, 15 degrees with 33 inches of snow - nearly a December record - piled up and drifting as a stinging wind swept across the acres of parking lots.

Inside the Janesville Assembly Plant, the lights were blazing, and the crowd was thick. Workers who were about to walk out of the plant into uncertain futures stood alongside pensioned retirees who had walked back in, their chests tight with incredulity and nostalgia. All these GM'ers had followed the Tahoe as it snaked down the line. They were cheering, hugging, weeping.

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The final Tahoe was a beauty. It was a black LTZ, fully loaded with heated seats, aluminum wheels, a nine-speaker Bose audio system and a sticker price of $57,745.

Five men, including one in a Santa hat, stood in front of the shiny black SUV holding a wide banner, its white spaces crammed with workers' signatures. "Last Vehicle off the Janesville Assembly Line," the banner said, with the date, Dec. 23, 2008. It was destined for the county historical society.

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Television crews from as far away as the Netherlands and Japan had come to film this moment, when the oldest plant of the nation's largest automaker turned out its last.

Janesville lies three-fourths of the way from Chicago to Madison along Interstate 90. The county seat of 63,500 people is the home town of House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican - an old United Auto Workers town in a state led by a new generation of conservative, Republican Gov. Scott Walker It is a Democratic town still, though the economic blow that befell Janesville is the kind of reversal of fortune that drove many working-class Americans to support Donald Trump for president.

Outside of the Local Union No. 95 UAW in Janseville, Wis., a signs warns of a strict parking enforcement. (Alyssa Schukar / For The Washington Post)

The assembly plant began turning out Chevrolets on Valentine's Day 1923, and, for 8 1/2 decades, the factory, like a mighty wizard, ordered the city's rhythms. The radio station synchronized its news broadcasts to the shift change. Grocery prices went up along with GM raises. People timed their trips across town to the daily movements of freight trains hauling in parts and hauling away finished cars, trucks and SUVs.

And so, when the plant stopped in the midst of the Great Recession, the people of Janesville - even as they began to reinvent themselves and their town - clung to a faith that GM would reopen the plant so their future could be like their past. Over time, though, people began to confront a question they had not considered before: What choices to make when there were no more good choices left?

- - -

Aug. 24 was coming up soon. The first day of classes. And Mike Vaughn knew he couldn't put it off much longer. He couldn't remember the last time he'd kept a secret from his dad, let alone a whopper like this one. But in this Janesville summer of 2009, every time he imagined telling his father, he couldn't get past the very real possibility that the man who'd always stood behind him might not be able to stand behind him now. So Mike waited a few more days and a few more days, until time was running out.

How do you tell your father that you're going to the other side?

Mike Vaughn, at center, watches a University of Wisconsin basketball game with his father, Dave, and his wife, Barb. When the Janesville Assembly Plant stopped production, the Lear Corp., which had made the seats for GM vehicles, closed, too, ending Barb's job, then Mike's. Mike eventually gravitated away from his family's long history as local union leaders. (Alyssa Schukar / For The Washington Post)

The shadow of the three generations of Vaughn union history kept stopping him. The family lore was his lore. It went back to the lead mines that had been scattered through Wisconsin's southwest corner in places with names like New Diggings and Swindler's Ridge, and the McCabe Mine in which his great-grandfather had been killed. Mike's grandfather, Tom, had come to Janesville to work for a GM job in the "See the USA in Your Chevrolet" 1950s, doubling his wages from $1 an hour to $2. He became a zone committeeman representing 1,000 GM'ers in UAW Local 95.

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Mike's father, Dave, was hired into the assembly plant in 1967 as a teenager, and three years later, while Tom was on the union bargaining committee, they went on strike together for 11 weeks. Dave became a Local 95 vice president a couple years after Mike got hired at Lear Corp., making seats for the assembly plant. Dave loved the union so much that now, with the assembly plant closed, he and a buddy stepped out of retirement to reprise their old gigs as its vice president and president.

The Vaughns were one of only two families in town who had three generations on the Local 95 executive committee. Union pride ran as deep in Mike as in the generations before. But the truth was that his father had been retired for five years and his grandfather buried for a year by the time his wife, Barb, lost her job at Lear and his own would end soon.

What does a union man do when there are no workers left to represent? Mike trolled unionjobs.com in three states, but the more he considered the possibility, the less he could imagine leaving Janesville. This discovery he made about himself - startling to his core - had come along gradually, but there it was: There were limits to what he was willing to do to keep standing on the union side.

When the assembly plant closed in 2008, Matt Wopat went back to school to retrain, hoping for a job at a utility company. Shortly before he was to graduate, he made the hard decision to transfer to a GM plant in Fort Wayne, Ind. He still commutes the 4 hours to Indiana every Monday morning, driving home late Friday nights to spend the weekend in Janesville, Wis., with his wife and daughters. (Alyssa Schukar / For The Washington Post)

Nothing in his family's past had prepared him for the choices he was confronting. As he struggled with what to do, he watched Barb in astonishment, her head deep into her schoolwork at Blackhawk Technical College, retraining to go into criminal justice, turning crisis into opportunity.

As it happened, Blackhawk Tech was starting a human resources program, with predictions of jobs at the end. He'd be crazy not to sign up.

But the jobs weren't union jobs. He'd be management. What would his father think?

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The moment came during his father's 61st birthday party, as they sat on his parents' screened porch together with their smokes. Mike turned to his father and said, "I've decided what I'm going to do."

He started with the easy stuff. The stuff about going back to school in 20 days, and Blackhawk's new program, and the government's training money. Then he launched into the part that was hard. About how he had come to see that human resources management was a way to educate workers, too. About how he figured that, if he'd been doing it from the union side, how different could it be from the company side?

As he was talking, he kept a close watch on his father's expression. Was that a flicker of sadness? Yes, it was there. But his words didn't say what Mike had feared the most: that Mike was going over to the dark side. No, the old union leader told the young union leader he was proud of him for taking this opportunity to better himself. Then his father wrapped him, the last generation of the union Vaughns, in a hug.

With his father's arms still around him, he heard the words he had imparted to Lear's job-losing workers: If you don't change with the times, you'll be left behind.

- - -

Just get going, Matt Wopat whispered to himself. Go. He was in his Sierra pickup, in his garage, merely a few feet from the open doorway to the laundry room where his wife, Darcy, and the girls were crowded together. He watched them as if in a picture frame. They were crying. They were blowing kisses his way.

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He saw his daughters turn away from the doorway. He saw Darcy wave a last goodbye and shut the door, as if she couldn't take it anymore. He was alone, fighting tears himself. He had tried hard to sound reassuring, to convince them that everything would be fine. Now he wondered how persuasive he'd been, because, frankly, he wasn't sure he believed it himself.

A twist of the key in the ignition, and Matt felt the aging truck's familiar idle. His hand drifted to the gear shift, but he couldn't make himself shift into reverse.

Karlos Denson, 9, plays an acrobatic version of football outside of his home in the Fourth Ward, considered to be one of Janesville's rougher neighborhoods. (Alyssa Schukar / For The Washington Post)

A weight pressed on him, the kind of weight that presses hard on a man who is on the cusp of his fifth decade when he discovers that doing everything right is not enough. Not enough to live by Plan A, as his father and his father-in-law had done, working on the assembly plant until the years added up to 30 and they could retire. He came up with a Plan B, learning to climb utility poles, just in case the assembly plant failed to reopen. But Plan B wasn't looking good, either.

By this Sunday afternoon in March 2010, seven months had gone by since Matt began to study electric power distribution - finding himself in the throng of out-of-a-job factory workers who pivoted to Blackhawk. Peculiar and embarrassing as it had seemed at first, he made peace with spreading his schoolbooks on the kitchen table after dinner, along with his three daughters, all of them doing their homework and him sometimes even asking his oldest in 12th grade for help with his math.

His main instructor, Mike Doubleday, had been a journeyman lineman for a power company until he heard that the college needed an instructor to help with the backlog of people wanting to learn to do jobs like his. Mike already had an instinct for predicting which of his students were going to succeed. Matt was going to make a good lineman somewhere, Mike was pretty sure.

What he could not see in Matt was that, as he was puzzling out algebra formulas and electrical theory with some of the guys in class, he also was worrying. Matt is a deliberate man, and deliberate men do not let their mortgage payments slip behind, but there it was. He and Darcy had lived near the edge of what General Motors' $28 an hour could buy, as so many GM'ers did, paying $270 a month on their camper, trading in cars for newer models. So even though, as a GM'er, Matt was lucky to get his union Supplemental Unemployment Benefits on top of his unemployment checks, and the federal government was covering his tuition and textbooks and gas mileage to campus and even the right clothes for climbing utility poles, it didn't add up to anywhere near $28 an hour. The reality was that he and Darcy didn't have much cushion, and his SUB pay was about to be cut in half, and his GM health benefits were going to run out.

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He just needed to hang on until May, until he got his technical diploma and could grab onto the kind of job that Mike used to have - if one existed.

Kayzia Whiteaker and her mother, Tammy, share a laugh outside. After Kayzia's father was laid off from GM, she and her twin sister, Alyssa, teenagers at the time, worked five part-time jobs between them, sometimes helping their parents buy groceries and pay utility bills. (Alyssa Schukar / For The Washington Post)

By this winter, hundreds of Janesville GM'ers had morphed into GM'ers working far from Janesville. Their UAW contract gave them these transfer rights. Some were in Kansas City, Kansas. Some were in Arlington, Texas, which was still turning out the Tahoe SUVs that Janesville had made. And a few were in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to assemble Chevy Silverado trucks, which were so popular that the plant was adding a third shift and sending job offers to more Janesville GM'ers, including Matt.

GM gypsies, they were called, because even the ones in Arlington, nearly 1,000 miles away, had, for the most part, left their families behind and were commuting home as best they could. Matt had been firm that he was not going to become any gypsy. No way.

But he and Darcy didn't want to move, either. They'd had long, soulful, repeated conversations on this subject. They were in agreement. Close as they were to both their families, how could they leave?

But that was before the mortgage payments started slipping behind, and his benefits were about to get cut, and the GM jobs opening up were in Fort Wayne, which, while 4 1/2 hours away, was closer than Kansas City or Arlington. That was why, one day, Matt and a bunch of the GM'ers learning to climb utility poles with him decided that it was time to stay after class and ask their instructor, Mike, a tough, pointed question: If they stayed in school to graduate, would linemen's jobs be waiting for them or not?

Mike started by laying out the benefits of electric power distribution. But the more he talked, the more he felt he needed to be a straight shooter with these guys who already had lost so much. The truth was, he had to admit, not many of his Blackhawk graduates got jobs last year.

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"If I were you guys and had an opportunity to get GM wages," the instructor said, "I would run and not look back." That was when Matt understood that the option he'd rejected was the only choice he had left. He couldn't even call it a choice, because he felt that it had all come down to either Fort Wayne or possible bankruptcy, and responsible men don't file for bankruptcy.

As his mind churned on this jam he was in, he could find no one to blame. Not the instructor who was just leveling with him. Or the government, dutifully paying for classes for a job he might never get. Not GM, shelling out for his benefits even as the company had gone bankrupt itself. Not even himself, because every time he'd rethought the exceedingly hard question of whether he had missed a clue, whether he had overlooked some narrow passageway that would have led him out of the maze, he had come to the conclusion that he had not.

Nine weeks of classes to go before he was to get his diploma, Matt left school.

With the decommissioned Janesville GM Assembly Plant at back, Mary Johnston tries to fix the oxygen sensor on her Ford Taurus. Her father taught her how to fix cars, she said, but she was missing the necessary wrench to finish the job. (Alyssa Schukar / For The Washington Post)

So now, in less than 24 hours, he would be working at a GM plant he'd never seen in a city he'd never visited. He couldn't think of anything he wanted to do less, or anything he needed to do more.

It won't be so bad, he had told his family. He would be back every weekend.

Now, sitting in the Sierra with his hand on the gear shift, it was time to pull out of the garage and head south into Illinois, past the Belvidere Chrysler plant - not hiring, of course - and then east into Indiana, where he would crash on the couch of another Janesville GM'er because Matt didn't have a clue where he was going to live.

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Plan A, Plan B or whatever plan it took, he would at least be the man he'd always understood himself to be: Who would rather put himself out than his family. Who always kept his word when he said he'd do a job. Who understood that, to protect his family, he had to leave them.

- - -

Kayzia Whiteaker tiptoed over to the couch, where her mom, Tammy, was still up, as she often was now on weekend nights, working her scissors through a stack of coupons.

"Want to go grocery shopping?" Kayzia asked, gently as she could, trying to make it sound as if it was no big deal, as if it was the most ordinary thing in the world for a 16-year-old kid to offer to take her mom to Woodman's and pay.

She realized, as she asked, that her childhood was slipping away. This night near the end of 2011 was what growing up too fast looks like, and it had been creeping up on her for a while.

A child wouldn't notice that, the longer her dad, Jerad, worked as a jail guard, his third not-good-enough job since GM, the more depressed he seemed. Or that her mom, plowing through her coupons while her dad was asleep, had become the chief worrier.

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After 10 months at her first after-school job, at Culver's, home of the ButterBurger, she had more in her checking account than her parents had in theirs. It wasn't so rare anymore for one of her parents to ask her or her twin, Alyssa, very politely, whether they could lend a few dollars for groceries or gas. That her dad tried sarcasm - "We supported you the first half of your lives, you can support us the second half" - to hide that asking killed him, every time.

Kayzia and her parents might joke, but they didn't talk about the stark facts. She didn't talk about money with her friends. She didn't talk about it even with her grandmother, who she noticed had been quietly sending her parents a little extra each month for the mortgage. There was someone, however, with whom Kayzia talked about everything: Alyssa. In eighth grade, they had huddled on their beds in their basement bedroom, trying to figure out what it meant that their dad was home for breakfast.

They had tried to approach this problem in an optimistic and practical way. Kayzia would add a second job - working as a receptionist for a chiropractor in town. Still, once in a while, she and Alyssa have let their minds drift further outward. What if a day came when their parents can't pay the mortgage? How will they afford college? Can Alyssa achieve her dream of becoming an engineer? Kayzia's of becoming a general practitioner?

But that was for the future. The immediate problem was that the fridge was nearly empty again, and her parents were low on cash. And that specific problem, not the future, pulled Kayzia to decide that tonight was the time to tiptoe over to the couch and ask her mom the grocery question.

Her mom looked up from her scissors and her coupon stack. From her expression, Kayzia could tell she'd used the right tone. Whew! It was a delicate matter, after all, this scheme to pay for the family groceries.

She found Alyssa in the paneled family room, watching TV with Justin, her boyfriend. "Do you want to come with?" Kayzia asked, putting it that way because she didn't want her sister to feel pressure to help. But Alyssa was in, of course. Justin, too.

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Before they left, Kayzia and her mom looked through the coupons to see which ones would be useful. Her mom made a grocery list. Then they were in the car, Tammy at the wheel and Kayzia in the front seat, with Alyssa and Justin in back, as if this thing they were doing wasn't completely topsy-turvy. First stop was the Blackhawk Community Credit Union ATM, where Kayzia and Alyssa jumped out and got $100 each. Then they shot off to the all-night Woodman's on the north side of town. By the time they arrived, it was almost midnight, the wide aisles nearly empty of shoppers.

Kayzia had worked out the details. Justin took charge of the coupons, Alyssa worked the calculator, and she pushed the cart and helped her mother load. They bought chicken because they'd been having too much pasta. Lunch meat, because Kayzia was sick of PB&J. Cocoa Puffs and Cap'n Crunch for a change, instead of generic cereal. And then they came to an aisle so tempting but unnecessary that Kayzia let herself walk down it only because it was, after all, her own money: the aisle with frosted chocolate chip cookie dough Pop-Tarts.

The crucial part of the whole venture, the key to its success, was the checkout. They needed to do it just right. No clue that her mom wasn't buying the groceries the way mothers usually do. So, in line, the girls slipped Tammy their crisp $20 bills.

On the ride home, groceries in the trunk, Kayzia relaxed. Sure she was tired, but the thought of Cocoa Puffs in the morning made her as happy as the little girl she used to be. Funny she should think that, she told herself, because, at this moment, she was feeling more grown up than ever in her life. Taking responsibility. With her bringing home $150 to $200 from Culver's every two weeks, and trying to save $100 of it. Sometimes she resented the sacrifices and the responsibilities. But she reminded herself that she and Alyssa had been taught to help people since they were little. They donated to the National Honor Society blood drive and raised money for Parker High's Relay for Life. So why, really, when her parents need the help, should it be any different at home?

As they got to the house, Kayzia felt relief that her dad was asleep. All this time after his General Motors job went away, with him bumping in and out of other work that doesn't pay enough, she knew that he still wasn't over the idea that he was supposed to provide for his family. He was so hard on himself, she thought, not giving himself credit for looking online all the time for better jobs. In the morning, she knew, he would not be happy to find the refrigerator filled by this midnight shopping adventure fueled by his daughters' checking accounts.
Consumers are demanding more antibiotic-free meat. At McDonald's, so is a group of nuns.

The world's largest burger chain and its fast-food brethren have made commitments to remove antibiotics from chicken, but plans to curb the use of antibiotics in beef and pork have been far less common. It's a far more complex and expensive proposition, and fast-food chains are largely taking a wait-and-see approach before changing the way their burgers and bacon are made.

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KFC, a holdout in the wave of major fast-food restaurants vowing to curb the routine use of antibiotics in chicken, jumped on board earlier this month in response to pressure from animal and environmental groups. A number of major restaurant chains and producers have made promises, of varying degrees, to only use antibiotics on chicken when they're sick, a step back from widespread usage of the drugs.

But promises to curb the use of antibiotics in cows and pigs have been far less common. A renewed push by a group of socially conscious nuns asking McDonald's to announce a plan for antibiotic-free pork and beef highlights the hurdles that the industry will have to jump over to meet consumers' growing appetite for "clean" meat.

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In a regulatory filing last week, McDonald's revealed that the Benedictine Sisters of Boerne, Texas, intend to submit a proposal at the company's annual meeting in May, asking it to set goals and timelines to phase out the routine use of antibiotics in pork and beef. The sisters have pushed McDonald's for similar promises in recent years. Antibiotics are often given to healthy animals in industrial or so-called factory farms to prevent disease in close quarters.

Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem across the world. More than 70 percent of antibiotics important to human medicine in the U.S. are sold for livestock use, according to the Food and Drug Administration. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have said the overuse of antibiotics has led to a global health crisis because the more people are exposed to them, the less effective they are. Every year in the U.S., at least 2 million people become infected and 23,000 people die after becoming infected with drug-resistant bacteria, according to the CDC.

McDonald's recommends shareholders vote against the proposal. The world's largest burger chain said it's too early to set timelines for committing to a rollout of antibiotic-free pork and beef because it doesn't purchase the entire cow or pig as it does with chicken, which the company says limits its "ability to directly influence change."

Second, McDonald's said complex sourcing makes it more difficult to trace the animal's exposure. Animals may move from farm to farm during their lives, McDonald's said, and "there is currently a lack of traceability" in some cases between those farms in the U.S. and other countries from which McDonald's sources beef and pork.

The supply chain for beef and pork gets complicated quickly. McDonald's buys beef from thousands of ranches, each with an average of just 50 cows. That contrasts with just two main U.S. suppliers for chicken. McDonald's said that with chicken, it "has a clear line of sight from farm to table."

McDonald's said it could also see meat shortages if it moves too quickly to antibiotic-free pork and beef. While chicken are slaughtered in just weeks, cattle can be 2 years old when they go to market, leaving far more time in which an animal can get sick. That raises the likelihood that a farmer would need to use antibiotics, even if they weren't using them routinely in the animal's feed as is commonplace in many industrial farms.

"We need to ensure that any change is purposeful, acceptable to customer preferences, and is designed for a continuous supply of products for McDonald's restaurants," the company said in its response to the shareholder proposal. "The company continues to work with farmers, producers and other purchasers of food animals to influence meaningful change across the agricultural sector."

McDonald's is the biggest purchaser of beef in the United States and a major buyer of pork, used in menu items like breakfast sausage and the McRib, so the move to lessen the use of antibiotics in the meat it buys could have ripple effects across the industry. When McDonald's announced last year it would move to all cage-free eggs within 10 years, more than 100 companies followed suit.

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A McDonald's spokeswoman declined to comment further. McDonald's, which will release its first-quarter earnings next week, is in its pre-earnings quiet period, which means the company is limited in what it can say to analysts, investors and the media.

The process of stripping out antibiotics from the supply chain is a slow one, to be sure: McDonald's began focusing on antibiotic use in food animals in 2003. In 2015, it released a Global Vision for Antibiotics. That year, it first made a commitment to clean up its poultry supply. Last year, it stopped using antibiotics important to human medicine in chicken served at U.S. restaurants, nine months ahead of its original 2017 deadline.

Some fast-food rivals have moved far faster to strip out antibiotics, but many more have only recently made commitments, like Starbucks and Burger King. Still, those promises are only for chicken.

"There's been a lot of progress in the poultry industry in a relatively short amount of time," said Jonathan Kaplan, director of the Natural Resources Defense Council's Food and Agriculture Program. "In the pork and beef sectors ... the atmosphere is still not super enthusiastic."

An earlier version of this story misstated the name of the organization where Jonathan Kaplan works.

sbomkamp@chicagotribune.com

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NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J.  A New Jersey woman has sued Wells Fargo Bank, saying she was fired for refusing to participate in a scheme to manipulate accounts and sell products that weren't in customers' best interest.

Melinda Bini filed a lawsuit in state court in New Jersey on April 5 against the bank and three supervisors from the branch she worked at in Highland Park, NJ.com reported.

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In the lawsuit, Bini accused her superiors of running or knowing about the scheme and says she was retaliated against and later fired for refusing to participate. Bini, a former assistant vice president and regional private banker, is seeking her job back and damages.

In September, San Francisco-based Wells Fargo & Co. agreed to a $185-million settlement with Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency after employees were found to have created as many as 2 million checking, savings and other accounts in customers' names without those customers' knowledge or consent.

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The tactics, blamed on onerous sales goals, were first uncovered by the Los Angeles Times in 2013.

Kevin Friedlander, a spokesman for the bank, said the company doesn't tolerate retaliation against employees who express their concerns.

"Our nonretaliation policy makes clear that no team member may be retaliated against for providing information about suspected unethical or illegal activities or possible violations of any Wells Fargo policies," Friedlander said.

Friedlander said the supervisors are still employed, but he wasn't able to comment further on the allegations because it was an ongoing legal matter.

The scandal over the unauthorized accounts led to last year's resignation of John Stumpf, Wells Fargo's chairman and chief executive, and the early retirement of Carrie Tolstedt, the head of the community banking division.

More than 5,000 bank workers also lost their jobs over unethical practices, which prompted some lawmakers to chide the bank for firing low-ranking, front-line workers while regional and national executives kept their jobs.

In early March, Wells Fargo said it would cancel bonuses and revoke millions of dollars in compensation from eight top executives, including Tim Sloan, who succeeded Stumpf as CEO in October. The bank also eliminated sales goals for front-line workers as a part of a reform of its incentive compensation system.

In a long-anticipated report released last week, the bank pinned the blame for the scandal on weak corporate oversight, calling out Stumpf and Tolstedt. It also said it would take back more than $47 million in pay from Tolstedt and $28 million from Stumpf.

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Times staff writers James Rufus Koren and James F. Peltz contributed to this report.

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UPDATES:

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8:35 a.m.: This article was updated with background information about Wells Fargo's accounts scandal.

This article was originally published at 6:45 a.m.
A five-bedroom, 6,800-square-foot house in the Lakeview neighborhood's Southport Corridor that talk show host Rosie O'Donnell owned during the production of her short-lived "The Rosie Show" in Chicago came on the market Friday for $3.195 million. (Michael Loccisano / Getty Images)

A five-bedroom, 6,800-square-foot house in the Lakeview neighborhood's Southport Corridor that talk show host Rosie O'Donnell owned during the production of her short-lived "The Rosie Show" in Chicago came on the market Friday for $3.195 million.

O'Donnell owned the house from 2011 until 2012, while she was taping "The Rosie Show" at the Near West Side studio that formerly had housed "The Oprah Winfrey Show." O'Donnell's show was canceled after just five months owing to low viewership, prompting her to return fairly quickly to her New York home.

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As a result, O'Donnell, who had paid $2.25 million in 2011 to buy the house from Oprah Winfrey Network President Erik Logan, turned around and sold the house at a loss in April 2012 for $2.103 million.

Now the house has been listed for more than $1 million more than its owners paid O'Donnell for it. Built in 2007, the extra-wide house sits on a 37.5-foot-wide lot and has had some recent updates, according to listing information.

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The house has six baths, an open floor plan, three fireplaces, a master suite with two large walk-in closets, a kitchen with white cabinets, granite countertops and an oversized island, a roof deck with a putting green, a home theater room and a three-car heated garage with another roof deck containing a pergola and a full-service bar.

Listing agent John Mawicke of @properties declined to comment on the listing.

Bob Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.







Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 16 (VHT Studios)

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 5 Billionaire Ken Griffin, Illinois richest man, paid $58.75 million in November for the top four floors in the Near North condominium building at 9 W. Walton St., known as No. 9 Walton. This photo shows a rendering of the lobby. (JDL Development / E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune (inset))
Randolph Row's newest wine-and-food playground, The Lunatic, The Lover & The Poet (shortened simply to Lunatic), has a lot going on.

By the numbers, it's three floors, clocking in at 7,000 square feet. The space took about two years to build out, with two private dining rooms  on the second floor and in the wine cellar. Wines currently hover around 75 bottles, with 24 on tap; 200 bottles is the goal, with 100 on a special reserve list. Cocktails, too, are numerous, with 40-plus dotting the iPad you can scroll through in lieu of a paper menu.

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If all this sounds ambitious, it is. But the man behind it is an industry veteran: Tom Powers, the former director of West Loop giants Marche and Vivo, among others. He's joined by other vets like Steve Carrow (Naha, Brindille), who will helm the cocktail program; in the kitchen is executive chef Jessica Nowicki, also formerly of Naha and Brindille. Drinks are the focus, Powers says, with wine and cocktails driving the food menu.

The wine list, Powers' domain, celebrates American and European classics, with a showing of avant garde and esoteric offerings, from orange wines to pet-nats  and also a healthy selection of common varietals like zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir and, yes, chardonnay, an affront to the "ABC" (anything but chardonnay) trend in recent years.

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"While there were oceans of bad malolactic chardonnays being produced that damaged the reputation of the grape, there are so many producers out there making really beautiful, really balanced wines," Powers says. "We're celebrating classic winemakers like Jim Clendenen from Au Bon Climat, Ted Lemon from Littorai, but also new guys like Matt Linklater from Lioco."

Carrow, meanwhile, brings a list of both classic and modern cocktails, including 10 kangaroos (vodka-based martinis), a Hemingway daiquiri and the Bushido Blade, featuring Japanese whiskey, black tea and yuzu pearls. Martinis can be ordered in opulent pitchers, serving parties of four or eight.

Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. >

As mentioned, this menu is available via iPad, created by local startup Uncorkd. The menu is deep; learn about a wine's terroir or alcohol by volume, or read about a specific gin found in one of Carrow's cocktails.

In the kitchen, "no foam or tweezers," Powers says. Nowicki is focused on simple preparations of in-season ingredients. A beet and smoked trout salad features trout from Rushing Waters farm in Wisconsin, while a burrata dish makes use of local Mighty Vine tomatoes. "They're good all year round," Powers says.

Roasted beet salad has smoked trout, arugula, roasted hazelnuts and a horseradish vinaigrette. (Alyssa Pointer / Chicago Tribune)

Lunatic's design can be best described as moments. In the upstairs lounge, an exposed brick wall is subtly etched with the Act 5, Scene 1 of "Midsummer Night's Dream," from which the restaurant takes its name. Carrow, also an accomplished artist, has art throughout the space, from a mural of the Champagne method of making wine, to handmade wallpaper of famous drinking quotes.

Only the first floor is open right now. Anchored by a 1900s-era Belgian workbench in the front window, the space seats 40 guests in the dining room and 15 at the bar. On a recent Wednesday night, the bar was packed and noisy with cheerful pop music and the buzz of happy drinkers. "We want this floor to rock," Powers says.

For guests who want a quieter space, the more subdued upstairs lounge is on track to open by the end of the month. "Opening all at once is not a recipe for success," Powers says. "We waited this long; let's do this right."

The Lunatic, The Lover & The Poet, 736 W. Randolph St., 312-919-6135, www.thelunaticloverpoet.com

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jbhernandez@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @joeybear85






The life of this poet is a life on the move.

On Monday, young poet/educator/activist/musician Malcolm London sat in a South Side school and talked about his life and work with some grammar school students who are members of a writers club. Thursday he will be performing his increasingly mature and passionate and acclaimed work when he headlines an event at the Chop Shop, 2033 W. North Ave. (www.chopshopchi.com), his first stop on a 12-city tour in support of his recently released debut album titled "Opia" (malcolmlondon.com).

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When I first met London some four years ago, he told me, with the charming naivete of youth, "I do not do what I do for money. I come from a place with no money and don't expect I will ever have a lot of it. But I think that being a teacher and poet can be a viable career."

He was 19 then, living in the Austin neighborhood with his mother and younger brother, fresh out of Lincoln Park High School, working at a Whole Foods grocery store and for Young Chicago Authors, fresh off winning individual honors at the Louder Than a Bomb youth poetry festival.

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He is older now and wiser in many ways.

"I still believe what I said then, but you grow up and you sort of have bills to pay and rent so I do sort of need money to pay for such things," he says, now living in his own apartment in the Garfield Park neighborhood.

It has been a very active four years. He has been across the country teaching and performing. He has shared a stage (and become friends) with actor Matt Damon; appeared on PBS for the first televised TED Talk with such people as John Legend and Bill Gates on the topic of "ways to reinvent education"; and hosted events with his friend and fellow YCA alum Chance the Rapper, whose big 24th birthday bash he attended Sunday night here.

In all this time he has never stopped thinking about the place in which he lives.

Local Chicago poet Malcolm London, 24, poses for a portrait at Drive Thru studios on April 17, 2017, in West Town. London was at the studio rehearsing for an upcoming tour for his newly released album, "OPIA." (Alyssa Pointer / Chicago Tribune)

"No one in this city  no mother, father, grandmother or grandpa  raises their child to be killed or to be a murderer," he says.

Says Kevin Coval, the poet (his most recent collection is "A People's History of Chicago") and head of YCA, "Malcolm is that rare and important breed of poet-activist who can engage in a civic conversation via his art. I believe he is in the tradition of Gwendolyn Brooks and Haki Madhubuti, writers who care deeply for their craft and communities."

Over the last years, London's activism has become more prominent. It landed his name in the papers when he was arrested and charged with aggravated battery to a police officer. This happened on Nov. 24, 2015, when he was part of a large protest in the Loop in the hours after the release of the Laquan McDonald video.

But after 14 hours in custody the charges were dropped during a brief appearance at a bond hearing. His friends and supporters cheered; the same friends and supporters who had created a Free Malcolm London hashtag and had been urging people to call police to demand his release.

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A tweet at the time from the Black Youth Project 100, which organized the march and of which London is co-chair of the organization's Chicago chapter, put it this way: "He was just standing there and the police snatched him up."

He is not a trouble maker. "It doesn't matter the uniform, or the color of a person's skin. I live and work to end violence  all kinds of violence," he says.

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But he knows trouble, having grown up in and still a part of the city's tougher and most disenfranchised areas, about which he once said, "I see defiled vacant lots, buildings boarded up and decaying. And I see men and women who are decaying too. There are a lot of kids like me in places like this, places kind of pushed into the shadows by the people who run this city."

His arrest and incarceration was "not so much a wake-up call but a revelation," he says. "Teaching in schools, working for YCA and doing organizing was all-consuming. I didn't have the chance, the time, to write as much as I love to and it occurred to me that as important as it was to be in the streets, it was even more important to write the narrative of why we were there, to give voice to the issues and troubles of the day."

No one who lives here is unaware of those issues and troubles, and many have lost faith in the future. But London hasn't, saying, "Every day I see people who are actively fighting for a better life. I think the powers that be  the people who close schools, who misappropriate funds  are the ones without hope. But I don't lose hope because of the young people who, whether they see a funeral or people they know go off to prison, are still able to find hope in themselves and in this city."

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rkogan@chicagotribune.com

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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)

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 101 Soft Science extends that legacy on its third album, Maps (Test Pattern), and adds its own twists. The soft, almost cooed vocals of singer Katie Haley bring a pop veneer. Read the review. (Test Pattern)
MINNEAPOLIS  A doctor who saw Prince in the days before he died had prescribed the opioid painkiller oxycodone under the name of Prince's friend to protect the musician's privacy, according to court documents unsealed Monday that revealed nothing about how the pop superstar got the fentanyl that actually killed him.

The affidavits and search warrants were unsealed in Carver County District Court as the yearlong investigation into Prince's death continues. The documents show authorities searched Paisley Park, cellphone records of Prince's associates, and Prince's email accounts to try to determine how he got the fentanyl, a synthetic opioid drug 50 times more powerful than heroin.

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They don't reveal answers, but do shed light on Prince's struggle with addiction to prescription opioids in the days before he died. Oxycodone, the generic name for the active ingredient in OxyContin, was not listed as a cause of Prince's death. But it is part of a family of painkillers driving the nation's overdose and addiction epidemic, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 2 million Americans abused or were addicted to prescription opioids, including oxycodone, in 2014.

Patients who take prescription opioids eventually build up a tolerance and need to take stronger doses to get the same effect. In some patients, the cycle leads to dependence and addiction.

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Prince was 57 when he was found alone and unresponsive in an elevator at his Paisley Park home on April 21.

Just six days earlier, Prince fell ill on a plane and made an emergency stop in Illinois as he was returning home from a concert in Atlanta. First responders revived him with two doses of a drug that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose.

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A search of Prince's home yielded numerous pills in various containers. Some were in prescription bottles for Kirk Johnson, Prince's longtime friend and associate. Some pills in other bottles were marked "Watson 853," a label used for a drug that is a mix of acetaminophen and hydrocodone, another opioid painkiller. Last August, an official with knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press that at least one of those pills tested positive for fentanyl, meaning the pill was counterfeit and obtained illegally. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation.

In addition to the dozens of pills recovered, authorities also found a pamphlet for an addiction recovery center in California, the documents unsealed Monday show. The day before Prince died, Paisley Park staffers contacted the California addiction specialist as they were trying to get Prince help.

One affidavit says Dr. Michael Todd Schulenberg, a family doctor who saw Prince April 7, 2016, and again on April 20, acknowledged to authorities that he prescribed oxycodone for Prince the same day as the emergency plane landing "but put the prescription in Kirk Johnson's name for Prince's privacy."

Authorities also searched Johnson's cellphone records, to see who he was communicating with in the month before Prince died.

Messages left with attorneys for Schulenberg and Johnson weren't immediately returned Monday. Schulenberg has an active medical license and is currently practicing family medicine in Minnesota. His attorney, Amy Conners, told the AP last week that there are no restrictions on his license.

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Investigators haven't interviewed either Johnson or Schulenberg since the hours after Prince died, an official with knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

While authorities have the power to ask a grand jury to investigate and issue subpoenas for testimony, that step hasn't been taken, the official said.

Prince did not have a cellphone, and authorities searched multiple email accounts that belonged to him, as they tried to determine who he was communicating with and where he got the drugs that killed him, according to the search warrants. The search warrants don't reveal the outcome of the email searches.

The documents say some of the drugs in Prince's bedroom were in a suitcase with the name "Peter Bravestrong" on it. Police believe Bravestrong was an alias that Prince used when he traveled. The suitcase also contained lyrics for the song "U Got the Look" that appeared to be in Prince's handwriting.

The day before Prince died, Paisley Park staffers contacted California addiction specialist Dr. Howard Kornfeld for help. Kornfeld sent his son, Andrew, to Minnesota that night, and the younger Kornfeld was among those who found Prince's body.

Andrew Kornfeld was carrying buprenorphine, a medication that can be used to help treat opioid addiction. The Kornfelds' attorney, William Mauzy, has said Andrew had intended to give the medication to a doctor who planned to see Prince on April 21.

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Investigators have said little about the case over the last year, other than it is active. The official who spoke to the AP said the case has taken investigators to Illinois and California, as authorities have interviewed friends, family and any potential witnesses, including the flight crew and hospital staff that were present when Prince overdosed on the plane.

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The Rev. Darrell Scott, left, speaks to then-Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump during a conference at the New Spirit Revival Center in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, on Sept. 21, 2016. (Mandel Ngan / Getty-AFP)

Cleveland pastor Darrell Scott's much ballyhooed summit of what he publicly told President Donald Trump were Chicago's "top gang thugs" is back on.

It's not happening in Englewood, Austin, or any of the other Chicago neighborhoods struggling with gun violence  but in a hotel in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.

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And Scott is no longer describing the attendees as "top gang thugs." Now they're "former street guys."

"It's what I always said it was going to be," Scott told Chicago Inc.

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During a televised Feb. 1 meeting with Trump, Scott said he had secured a commitment from gang leaders to "lower the body count" in exchange for federal funds for social programs. That claim was greeted with widespread skepticism by Chicagoans, an impression that wasn't improved when Scott last month canceled a proposed summit in suburban Rosemont on short notice, saying some attendees could not make it.

But Scott said Monday that "the location of the meeting isn't important  what matters is the content of the meeting." Torrence Cooks, a 44-year-old reputed former member of the Gangster Disciples who reached out to Scott to request his help, is bringing a delegation of 15 people from Chicago to the D.C. meeting, Scott said. Representatives of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, business leaders and charities will attend, he said.

Scott, who has been criticized as being out of touch by Chicagoans who are attempting to tackle street violence, acknowledged Monday that he has not been to Chicago for two years. He said that it would have been harder for him to get federal officials to attend a meeting in Chicago.

"What do you want me to do  go walking down the street in Chicago so people will know who I am?" he said.

"I never set out to be the hero of Chicago. If someone had called me from Fairbanks, Alaska, or Omaha, Nebraska, and said 'We have a problem,' I would have helped them, too  it just happened to be Chicago."

kjanssen@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @kimjnews
President Franklin D. Roosevelt talks to the nation in a Fireside Chat from the White House in November 1937. Roosevelt introduced his radio talks to explain administration policies and to appeal to the people for support during the diffcult 1930s. (AP file photo)

Like it or not, you and I are witnesses to a turning point in history destined to be remembered as a textbook chapter title. Previous examples include "The Battle of the Bulge" and "The End of Prohibition."

The chapter being written now: "The Repeal of the New Deal."

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It takes a concerted effort to see that it's afoot. President Donald Trump is like a magician whose patter gets an audience to focus on his right hand while his left hand is palming a playing card.

Not a day goes by that Americans aren't on the phone asking each other: "Can you believe what the president said?" One day it's "Obama wiretapped Trump Tower." Another day it's "Mexico will pay for our border wall." Like the chorus in a Greek tragedy, Trump's aides echo his outrageous claims. Sean Spicer, his press spokesman, suggested that the British secret service helped bug Trump.

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Those whoppers will eventually fade from memory. God willing, the present confrontation between the United States and a Syrian dictator backed by Russia won't escalate into a nuclear Armageddon.

But decades from now, schoolchildren will still memorize 2017 as the year the New Deal died. That is what Trump is really up to  while distracting both supporters and critics with a flood of tweets and babble.

The New Deal was born in 1933, as President Franklin D. Roosevelt's strategy for fighting the Great Depression, which had America on the ropes. But it has been with us for so long that it's hard to imagine what life was like without it.

So let's adopt the methodology of "It's a Wonderful Life." In that classic Christmas-season movie, an angel shows a despondent protagonist, played by Jimmy Stewart, what his hometown would be like had he not be born.

If there hadn't been a New Deal, there wouldn't be an office at 77 W. Jackson where parents can sign a newborn up for a Social Security card. Before FDR, the government didn't provide retirement incomes for senior citizens.

Out of work Americans were on their own. The government didn't cut them a monthly check until they found a job.

Before the New Deal, employers didn't have to pay a minimum wage. They could put children to work in mines and mills. There was no eight-hour workday.

Before the New Deal, Wall Street could play fast and loose with investors' money, and many Americans lost their life's savings when the stock market crashed in 1929. When a bank went belly up, customers with savings accounts were out of luck. The government didn't guarantee deposits.

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Farmers were vulnerable to the inevitable cycle of rich and lean harvests. The federal government didn't prop up agricultural commodities or make loans so farmers could buy seed.

In short, before FDR's administration, citizens only interacted with the federal government at income-tax time or when buying stamps at a post office.

The New Deal changed that. It begat President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society programs. Medical care was provided to senior citizens and the poor. Head Start offered early education opportunities to poor children. Civil rights legislation ensured that the government would march alongside those fighting discrimination.

All this was based on the assumption that the problems of modern society are beyond the capacity of an individual to solve. But conservatives decried such reforms, saying they breed dependency and proliferate bureaucracy.

From Roosevelt's day to the present, Republicans have drawn a bead on the New Deal's legacy. President Gerald Ford depicted the agencies created to run FDR's programs as the bogeyman. "A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have," he warned.

President Ronald Reagan thundered like an Old Testament prophet: "Government is not the solution, government is the problem."

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Yet for all their heat and light, Republican presidents didn't fulfill the logical conclusion of their criticism. They didn't dismantle FDR's legacy.

Trump, though, is determined to bury the New Deal's offspring. He chose Cabinet members philosophically opposed to the mandate of the departments they head.

Rick Perry, secretary of the Department of Energy, advocated abolishing the department. Scott Pruitt, head of the Environmental Protection Agency, is a climate change denier. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos touted historically black colleges  established to separate the races  as pioneers of school choice. Secretary of Health Tom Price opposes requiring health insurers to offer birth control coverage. Attorney General Jeff Sessions badmouthed Dominican-Americans as uneducated forgers of immigration documents.

With a team like that, Trump is turning the clock back to before the New Deal was born. If he stays on course, the little guy will again be on his own. That's not a good place to be, with good-paying jobs outsourced or given to robots. If Obamacare goes, won't Social Security be the next target?

What's to stop Trump, unless congressional Republicans belatedly recognize the political wisdom of Dwight Eisenhower? The first Republican president who could have repealed the New Deal, he declined, saying:

"Should any political party attempt to abolish Social Security, unemployment insurance and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear again of that party in our political history."

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rgrossman@chicagotribune.com
If you've been in the workforce for any length of time, chances are you've had a horrible boss.

You know, the kind that hovers over you to make sure you're doing things exactly the way he or she wants it done. After all, no one could possibly be smarter than the person who sits behind the big desk in the company's biggest office.

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I certainly know what it's like to have a boss who is never satisfied, no matter how much you give of yourself. I spent a year working for one when I was in my mid-20s. That's why, if I dig deep enough, I can conjure a tiny bit of pity for Sean Spicer.

Look, I know what you're going to say. Spicer isn't some naive kid, fresh out of college, trying to figure out how to be an adult. He's been around the block a few times. He knew exactly what he was getting into when he agreed to be the spokesman for President Donald Trump. And no one is forcing him to remain shackled to the president.

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Spicer, after all, served five years as communications director for the Republican National Committee. During the presidential campaign season, he also took on additional duties as the RNC's chief strategist. In that role, he was, among other things, the party's head honcho in negotiating the rules for the presidential debates.

Now he's in a no-win situation. His boss flip-flops on the issues, makes outlandish accusations and refuses to acknowledge facts. The press secretary's job is to spin that to the media so that the president comes out sounding smart. It's a dead-end job.

But it could explain why someone with such an impressive resume and loads of experience dealing with the media often comes off like a buffoon whenever he holds a press conference.

I'm going to assume that Spicer knew that one of the first rules of politics is to never make a comparison to Adolf Hitler, for whom there simply is no comparison. And you certainly don't do it in a room full of journalists, as he did at last week's press briefing.

Certainly, Spicer must have known that before he could finish saying that Hitler "didn't even sink to using chemical weapons," the backlash would begin. His efforts to explain himself only made it worse.

Though Spicer later said in a CNN interview with Wolf Blitzer that he was aware of Hitler's gas chambers used to kill millions of Jews, he responded to a reporter's follow-up question at the news conference with this: "I think when you come to sarin gas, he was not using the gas on his own people the same way that (Syrian President Bashar) Assad is doing."

With this kind of material, a "Saturday Night Live" skit could practically write itself.

Why would a press officer with so much experience say something so stupid? I can only surmise that he was channeling his boss. Trump has disrespected African-Americans, disabled people, Muslims, Latinos, Asians, women and just about every other group you can think of.

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How hypocritical would it be for Trump to reprimand an employee for making a disparaging comment about the Holocaust when the president himself had to be forced to speak out against the desecration of Jewish cemeteries?

This is just the latest in a string of embarrassing moments Spicer has had since he started the job in January. It began with his first televised Q&A with the media, in which Spicer allowed no Q's.

He started by criticizing the media for what he called "deliberately false reporting." A reporter had tweeted that a bust of Martin Luther King Jr. had been removed from the Oval Office. Turns out the reporter just didn't see it and later tweeted that he'd made a mistake. But to Spicer, the reporter was "irresponsible and reckless." So much for making a mistake.

The biggest mistake Spicer made, though, was to try and convince members of the media that what they saw at the inauguration wasn't what they actually saw. And that the photographs of the crowd size misrepresented what the cameras actually saw.

On his boss' orders, Spicer stood before the media and lied. "This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration  period  both in person and around the globe," he said. And with that, his credibility leaped out the window.

It's clear that Spicer has never been a part of Trump's inner circle. According to some news reports, Trump never wanted him for the job. He preferred Kellyanne Conway. There have been times when the press secretary has been sent out to face the media with insufficient and even outdated information.

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Spicer seems to be eager to trade off his own professional credibility for a boss who never had any credibility. If it were me, I would have burst into that big Oval Office long ago and told my boss to take this job and shove it.

dglanton@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @dahleeng
Khaled Haj Khalaf expresses his relief after his 23-year-old daughter, her husband and their now-18-month-old daughter were finally allowed to join the rest of the family in the U.S. after being stuck in limbo by an executive order banning immigrants from war-torn Syria. (Chicago Tribune) (Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

The Haj Khalaf family is safe now, and all together.

It's a sense of peace the Syrian refugees have cherished even during the most mundane moments since their tearful reunion at O'Hare International Airport in February, when the family's 23-year-old daughter, her husband and now 19-month-old daughter were finally allowed to join her parents and siblings in the U.S. after being stuck in limbo by an executive order banning refugees from the war-torn country.

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In just a few short months, the family has gone from sweating and sleeping together in a single cloth tent at a Turkish refugee camp to a life in America that surpasses all they prayed for while hoping to be rescued.

Khaled Haj Khalaf, the family patriarch, has found work as a pastry chef at a popular Ravenswood takeout restaurant, returning to the profession he was forced to abandon when war shut down businesses in Aleppo, where they lived.

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His children are enjoying the freedom to voice their political views for the first time, and the whole family is amused by the smiles that, to them, seem like permanent expressions on Americans' faces.

"Here, faces are always happy," Haj Khalaf, 46, said through an interpreter. "I've been here seven months and I'm trying to smile the way people smile here, but I can't."

No matter how relieved the Haj Khalafs feel to pile into the two neighboring Skokie apartments where they sip tiny cups of jet-black Syrian coffee, regardless of how grateful they are to the strangers who furnished their living spaces and continue to show them kindness, images persisting on TV news and in their Facebook feeds remind them that the horrors they escaped in their native country are still real.

"We come from a war and from hard times," Haj Khalaf said about his home country, where civilians continue to die in a civil war that's dragged on for years. He, his wife and their four children fled their home in the middle of the night  still wearing their pajamas  after the home behind theirs was bombed in an air attack in 2012.

Politicians continue to debate what the role of the U.S. and United Nations should be in a war in Syria, which reached a new sense of international urgency this month after 87 Syria residents were killed in a chemical weapon attack in Khan Sheikhoun, prompting a U.S. airstrike on a military base.

Locally, about 50 protesters gathered at Federal Plaza Thursday, when local demonstrators joined a national movement calling on the Trump administration to let in 75,000 refugees from Syria. Executive orders from President Donald Trump  which have been halted by the courts  proposed slashing all refugee admissions to the U.S. this fiscal year from 110,000 to 50,000.

But for the Haj Khalafs, there is no debate about saving more innocent Syrians caught in the horrors of the war or forced into oppressive living conditions in refugee camps.

"The question is, 'Why wouldn't you care?'" said Fattoum Bakir, Khaled Haj Khalaf's wife. "May God help them."

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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 22 Abdulmajeed and Baraa Haj Khalaf laugh with her mother, Fattoum Bakir, on July 16, 2018, at their apartment in Skokie. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

The family members say it is hard for them to make sense of the starkly contrasting responses to the Syrian war they have encountered as they settle in the Chicago suburbs.

There are helpful Chicagoans  the nonprofit Refugee One, an Evanston church and a Lincoln Square moms group, in particular  who held up signs welcoming them in Arabic when they stepped off the plane at O'Hare. Members of those groups now drive them to weekly appointments and take turns stopping by for encouragement, helping them navigate public transportation and offering other practical assistance.

There also are resentful Americans who, on TV and online, contend that Americans have no responsibility to devote resources to a country at war with itself on the other side of the world. Bringing in more Syrian refugees, some say, could inadvertently allow in terrorists.

Perhaps, Khaled Haj Khalaf said, reconciling both positions is not unlike the realization he had when he first saw potholes on Chicago's streets  in a country he assumed would be "heaven on Earth."

Nothing is perfect, not even in the U.S.

"People are very loving here, and they really love strangers," he said. "But I didn't expect to see the streets full of holes like in our country."

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Still, potholes are nothing compared with the conditions the Haj Khalaf family endured in Syria and the refugee camp in Turkey where they lived for nearly five years.

In Turkey, the family joined tens of thousands of other Syrian refugees resigned to pass the time in a makeshift outdoor encampment, where people stood in long lines for food and to use the bathroom.

Women wore hijabs and grew dizzy from the heat in the desert sun. The food menu was a tiresome rotation of pasta, bulgur and rice, often served by Turkish workers who chided the refugees for their sorry circumstances.

Khaled's daughter Baraa Haj Khalaf, who arrived at O'Hare with her husband and their daughter in February, said it wasn't uncommon to be called savage or barbarian. She moved out of the refugee camp soon after she married her husband, Abdulmajeed Haj Khalaf (who has the same last name).

Because her husband had a job, the young couple was able to afford a small apartment not far from the refugee camp. But she visited her parents and siblings often and she saw the difficult conditions yet again.

"I once told (my family), if I cut myself, you will find bulgur, pasta and rice because there is no blood anymore," Baraa said.

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It was because Baraa and her husband had their own young family that they were not permitted to come to the U.S. with her parents and siblings when they arrived in Chicago in September. Turkish authorities contended that the second generation of Haj Khalafs needed separate paperwork, interviews and background checks  which they had finally completed by Jan. 30, when they were scheduled to arrive at O'Hare.

But Baraa, Abdulmajeed and their daughter weren't permitted to come to the U.S. after Trump signed an executive order that banned Syrian refugees indefinitely. For an excruciating week, the family waited at a relative's apartment in Istanbul for word that the entry to the U.S. would still be possible. They were heartened by calls from American lawyers and refugee organizations, who worked tirelessly to bring over the family when the executive order was blocked by the courts.

For days after their emotional reunion, witnessed by dozens of members of Unitarian Church in Evanston and the Lincoln Square moms group, Baraa said she was overcome with joy and gratitude.

"Until now, every time I remember (the reunion) my heart just beats a huge beat," she said. "We're very, very happy."

The Haj Khalaf family still is learning their new surroundings.

On one occasion, a few weeks after Khaled's arrival, he and his youngest daughter, Aya , went outside for a stroll in their neighborhood. After walking for some time, the father and daughter panicked when they realized they were lost. Thankfully, the 19-year-old had the phone number of one of the sponsoring church members, Jane Kenamore, saved in her phone.

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Kenamore, of Evanston, said she was puzzled when she picked up the call to hear Aya trying to describe the problem in English.

"She said she lost her father. Then I realized she meant she was lost with her father," Kenamore said, adding that she found the pair more than a mile away from home, only after Aya sent photos of their surroundings which included a day care center for which she could locate an address.

Family members have been hesitant since then to venture too far from their apartments, although they try more every day, they said.

New jobs have also allowed several of the family members to get their bearings. Mohamad, 22, and Uday, 15, have taken part-time positions packaging products at a prepared food company. They have hopes of attending college in the future. Baraa said her goal is to finish her degree in literature.

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Her husband, who completed his degree in economics before fleeing Syria, is looking for a job in the U.S. in his field.

Three weeks ago. Khaled was offered the opportunity to work at Real Kitchen, a takeout restaurant in Ravenswood owned by former Charlie Trotter chef Nick Schmuck. In an effort to help the family, the restaurant buys ingredients for Khaled to make Syrian pastries. After the cost of the ingredients, the family receives all the profits from the sale of the treats.

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This week, Khaled spent hours layering phyllo dough, pistachios, walnuts, ground coconut and other ingredients for hundreds of pastries. Then he accompanied Schmuck to a fundraiser in River North benefiting international refugees, where he sold his wares.

Before the event began, Schmuck saw him pause to take in the breathtaking view of Chicago from the venue's rooftop deck.

"He just wanted to sit and look for a while," Schmuck said. "You can see the peace, in a sense, is kind of entering back into his body."

vortiz@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @vikkiortiz
A 24-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the thigh is helped on Easter Sunday in the 7200 block of South Green Street in Chicago. He was shot when an unknown occupant in a vehicle approached and fired April 16, 2017, police said. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)

Updated April 17, 2017 12:06  The Easter holiday was one of the most violent weekends of the year in Chicago, with about half of the 45 victims shot over six hours late Saturday to early Sunday, according to data collected by the Tribune.



The shootings occurred across the city, from a party at a Lakeview apartment on the North Side to down the street from a CTA station on the South Side. Two of the shootings were fatal.



The weekend was the most violent in the city since New Year's weekend, when 55 people were shot, five of them fatally, according to Tribune data.

Still, Chicago continues to see a slight decrease in the number of homicides and shootings compared with last year.



At least 915 people have been shot this year compared with 955 people shot this time last year, according to the data. There have been at least 166 homicides this year, down five from 171 this time last year.

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Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, citing such incremental declines in gun violence, acknowledged that although his department has made some progress, "by no means are we claiming victory."

"I think if we keep running the drill, stay the course and keep receiving the community input that we're getting now, I think we're in the right direction," Johnson said.



One of the fatal shootings during this past weekend occurred around 2:40 a.m. Monday near the Garfield Red Line station, police said.

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A 33-year-old man was arguing with another person on the platform in the 200 block of West Garfield Boulevard when a CTA worker told them to leave, police said. As they walked away from the station, the other man pulled out a handgun and shot the victim in the head and chest, police said.

Authorities previously said the shooting happened at the station.



The second fatal shooting occurred around 2:30 a.m. Sunday in the Douglas Park neighborhood on the West Side, police said.



Tywan Anderson, 23, was shot in the head and back in the 1300 block of South Fairfield Avenue, half a block north of Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to police. A 19-year-old man was shot in the hand and also taken to Mount Sinai.



Anderson was among 21 people shot over a six-hour stretch between 9:20 p.m. Saturday to 3:10 a.m. Sunday, according to police.



They included the weekend's youngest victim, a 14-year-old boy, who was shot in the right arm in the 1100 block of West 18th Street in the Pilsen neighborhood, police said.

Johnson said the surge in violence this weekend was likely because more people were out. He said he can staff based on historical data and he can move people around to different areas based on need as well. The important thing is for police to continue to put a dent in the number of shootings.

"We're slightly down in murders and slightly down on shooting incidents. And we really should focus in on the shooting incidents because if we can get those down, then the murders should follow," Johnson said.

The Tribune's Jeremy Gorner contributed.
Two men were injured late Sunday in a two-vehicle crash in the Bridgeport neighborhood on the South Side, according to officials.

Just before midnight, a 27-year-old man, driving a white sedan, was going southwest in the 2800 block of South Archer Avenue when he crashed into a motorist that was driving northeast on Archer, Chicago police said.

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The man heading northeast was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital. The 27-year-old man's condition was stabilized at Stroger Hospital.

The Chicago Fire Department reported that one of the drivers was taken in serious condition while the other was taken in critical condition. Officials suspect street racing could have played a factor in the crash, according to the Fire Department.

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The crash remains under investigation.
People of faith in Europe increasingly face exclusion from whole professions because of their moral beliefs. I write about the latest chapter in this tale  how disregarding the free market helped cause it, and how free market economic principles can help alleviate it  in a new commentary for The Steam.

Last week, the Swedish Labour Court ruled against Ellinor Grimmark, a pro-life midwife who has been denied employment opportunities because she refused to participate in abortions. While this entails issues of science, conscience, morality, and freedom, it is also a byproduct of the Nordic model of government-dominated healthcare:

[T]he Swedish government formed a cartel. Only government-approved midwives may practice, and training includes abortion.

Whenever government dominates any area of society, that sector will reflect the values of government bureaucrats  and those most able to influence them. As a result, the Catholic and Orthodox churches of Europe have warned, traditional Christians are being excluded from certain roles or professions, as their right to conscientious objection is disregarded. In Egypt, Coptic Christians endure a more blatant form of employment discrimination.

In both cases, arbitrarily excluding people from the workforce hurts the nation as a whole. Its true concerning Egypts economy, and its true in Sweden, where the Wall Street Journal reports that women face a shortage of midwives.

The opposite of bureaucratic cartels is the free market:

So, what saved Ellinor Grimmark from being locked out of her chosen field completely? Global competition. Grimmark made the tough decision to commute four hours  each way  to a hospital in Norway.  Her commute  roughly the distance from Scranton to New York City  crosses national borders. The freedom to work in Norway allowed her to be a midwife without breaking the Ten Commandments.

Norway and Sweden differ little on social issues. But Norway seems more committed to letting women access quality care than in assuring the doctrinal purity of its caregivers. That role of self-interest, an economic truth dating back at least to Adam Smith, helped preserve Grimmarks conscience rights.

Specifically, what allowed Grimmark to fulfill her vocation serving families was consumer choice, allowing the diversification of marketplace services, removing government barriers to employment, and the free movement of labor.

As I wrote in my piece, respecting conscience would be most desirable. However, [w]hen people of faith find themselves under a government that does not share their views  as the Church has for centuries of her existence  the free market may provide the only protection we have.  Well-meaning pro-life advocates, who support giving the government more power and authority, may want to dwell on this case before insisting that economic liberty is opposed to the right to life.

You can read my full piece in The Stream here.

(Photo credit: Alliance Defending Freedom International.)
A handgun was found Monday afternoon during a search at a middle school in Berwyn and four people were being detained as part of an investigation, police said.

According to posts on the Berwyn Police Department's Facebook page, police went to Lincoln Middle School, 6432 W. 16th St., about 1:38 p.m. after being informed that a "juvenile student" posted a video on Snapchat that showed the student in possession of what appeared to be a handgun.

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After the school was placed on a hard lockdown, a search was conducted. During the search, a handgun -- "the weapon in question" -- was recovered, according to the police's posts. Four "subjects" were being held in connection with the incident.

Police said "there is no threat or danger to the greater public or within the school." Police said they were working with school authorities during the investigation.

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Officials from the police department, the city of Berwyn and Berwyn North School District 98 were not immediately available to provide further details.

Check back later for updated information.
Chicago's city Law Department released videos April 6, 2017, of the events leading up to the July 4, 2013, shooting death of 17-year-old Christian Green by veteran tactical Officer Robert Gonzalez, 42, in Englewood. (Chicago Tribune)

A Cook County jury resumed deliberations Monday in a wrongful-death lawsuit brought by the mother of a black teen fatally shot in the back by a Chicago police officer during a chase on the Fourth of July nearly four years ago.

The 10-member jury began deliberating the case against Officer Robert Gonzalez about 12:30 p.m. Friday after hearing seven days of evidence and more than two hours of closing arguments.

After four and a half hours of talks without reaching a verdict, the panel was sent home by Circuit Court Judge Elizabeth Budzinski and told to resume deliberations Monday morning. They did so about 9:45 a.m.

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While Gonzalez has claimed that 17-year-old Christian Green turned and pointed a weapon at him before he opened fire  an account backed up by the three other tactical officers at the scene  a lawyer for Green's mother said in closing arguments Friday that story makes no sense.

Green had already tried to ditch the weapon once as officers chased him in two unmarked vehicles into a vacant lot, attorney Victor Henderson told the jury. The skinny teen was running full tilt away from the police and was about to make an escape when one of the 11 bullets fired by Gonzalez struck him in the back.

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"Christian is 5 feet, 5 inches, 116 pounds," Henderson said. "He's being chased by a Crown Vic. He's got to be scared to death! ... If you heard the story that these officers told and it was just regular people, you wouldn't believe it. Because it isn't true."

Assistant Corporation Counsel Victoria Benson, however, said Gonzalez was absolutely justified in firing at Green once he saw the open barrel of Green's semiautomatic handgun pointed at him. She said while "no one wanted that day to end the way it did," it was Green's own actions that led to his death.

"Why would Officer Gonzalez decide to kill Mr. Green for no reason?" she said. "He wouldn't, and he didn't."

Henderson did not ask for a specific dollar award should the jury find in favor of Green's mother, Patricia. But he asked them to consider the pain and suffering Green suffered as well as the grief his family continues to go through  the kisses his mother no longer gets in the morning, the graduations, birthdays and grandchildren she will never see.

"The money doesn't bring Christian back, but it is a symbol," Henderson said. "It shows that, yeah, he was somebody. Yeah, he mattered. Yeah, he counts."

According to court records, Gonzalez and his partner, Officer George Hernandez, were patrolling around 1 p.m. on July 4, 2013, when they responded to a call that fellow tactical Officers Manuel Leano and Douglas Nichols Jr. were chasing a person with a gun.

Surveillance video from a nearby liquor store that was played during the trial showed Green trying to throw a gun into a trash can as he sprinted up to 57th and State streets. The gun bounced off the can's rim onto the sidewalk. Green doubled back, bent quickly and picked it up before taking off again.

Gonzalez testified Friday that he saw Green pick up the weapon and was yelling from his unmarked SUV, "Police! Drop the gun! Drop the gun!" But the teen ignored him, he said. As the vehicle came to a stop at the edge of the lot, Gonzalez said he saw the barrel of Green's gun pointed in his direction from about 25 feet away, but he could not recall the exact position of the teen's body at the moment he opened fire.

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"I was just focused on the gun," Gonzalez testified. "That barrel was pointed right at me, and I fired my weapon as quickly as I could."

Green was struck in the left side of his back by a bullet that pierced his lung and heart before exiting his chest. He died en route to Stroger Hospital. His gun, meanwhile, was found in the vacant lot about 75 feet from his body, according to court records.

Henderson has alleged that a shoddy investigation by the Police Department and the Independent Police Review Authority allowed Gonzalez and his colleagues to conspire to get their stories straight before they were interviewed about the shooting. The much-maligned IPRA ruled in September 2014 that the shooting was justified.

The officers' accounts of the shooting were contradicted last week by a witness, Laticia Whitehead, who said she saw Green running full speed away from the police and that he never turned before Gonzalez opened fire. After the boy jerked and fell to the ground, Whitehead said, the officer who shot him got out of the vehicle, put a foot on his motionless body and started yelling.

"Mother------! You wanna run? Huh? Huh?" Whitehead quoted the officer as saying in a videotaped deposition played in court. "You see how f------ far you got?"

Though she said she bore no animosity toward police, Whitehead testified she would "never forget what that officer said to that baby."

"They didn't have to do that to him," she said, breaking into sobs on the video being played for jurors last week in the darkened Daley Center courtroom. "He was just running. That's all he was doing."

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In his closing argument Friday, Henderson noted that Green's body was found 150 feet from where the shell casings from Gonzalez's weapon landed on State Street, calling into question the officer's claim that he could clearly see the barrel of the gun pointed at him.

Henderson also said it made no sense that Gonzalez would miss 10 of 11 shots from just 25 feet away.

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"Officer Gonzalez is sitting here telling you guys a bunch of lies because he doesn't want to admit that he did something wrong," Henderson said as Gonzalez, dressed in a gray suit, sat expressionless at the defense table.

Green's shooting was one of three fatal police shootings that Gonzalez was involved in over a two-year span, records show. In the other two cases  the 2012 shooting of 16-year-old Rickey Childs and the 2014 shooting of Ronald Johnson III, 25  it was Gonzalez's partner who opened fire.

Henderson was barred by the judge from asking Gonzalez about the other police shootings he's been involved in or his alleged connection to a corrupt team of officers in the early 2000s.

Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson was called to testify early in the trial because at the time of Green's shooting he was the acting street deputy who responded to the scene and signed off on the officers' use-of-force reports of the incident. He also gave a sworn deposition in the lawsuit last year.

Johnson testified that police officers are sometimes justified in shooting a fleeing suspect in the back. He recounted being shot at years ago by a fleeing suspect who had turned and pointed a weapon at him, grazing him in the head.

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"Just like this," testified Johnson, demonstrating for the jury by moving his body a quarter-turn and pointing with his finger like a handgun at the wall behind him. "So I know it can happen."

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @jmetr22b
The star witness who will identify the killer of Colin Nutter should not be believed because he's only seeking leniency for his own involvement in the crime, the defense attorney for Philip Vatamaniuc said during the opening of his trial Monday.

Vatamaniuc was 17 when he and two friends were accused in shooting death of 20-year-old Nutter, of Highland Park, whose body was dumped near the Edens Expressway in Wilmette.

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One of the friends, Benjamin Schenk, is expected to testify that Vatamaniuc was the one who pulled the trigger after the two of them and a third friend, Michael Coffee, decided to target Nutter and rob him of marijuana and his car on June 3, 2013.

However, Vatamaniuc's attorney, Patrick Quilty, said during opening statements that Schenk told a fellow inmate in Lake County Jail that he did the killing but would peg it on Vatamaniuc.

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Quilty contends Schenk agreed to talk only in exchange for a plea deal he took and the prospect of a lighter sentence if he testifies against Vatamaniuc.

"Almost everything (prosecutors) said comes from one person's mouth," Quilty said, referring to Schenk.

Quilty sought to portray Vatamaniuc as young and impressionable, and that he simply went along with the Schenk and Coffee because he saw them as the "cool kids."

Vatamaniuc's biggest crime was "hanging around this group," Quilty said.

Quilty did acknowledge that his client was involved in what happened after the killing but said he was not the one who robbed or shot Nutter.

In the prosecution's opening statement, Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Reginald Mathews called Nutter's killing "an ambush of extreme cowardice."

Mathews described how the three men arranged to meet Nutter, ostensibly to buy marijuana from him, and how Vatamaniuc shot Nutter in the back of the head as Coffee cranked rap music and yelled, "Do it!"

Mathews detailed a series of blunders that he said then took place, with the three trying to clean the car, planning to bury the body, eventually rejecting that idea and dumping the body but then going back to find it again after realizing they hadn't taken Nutter's wallet.

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Authorities said Coffee and Schenk then used Nutter's keys to enter his parents' house, from which they eventually stole another car. The three later drove both cars into Chicago but abandoned one there after a fender bender.

After opening statements, the first to testify was a Skokie woman who found Nutter's body when she was out walking her dog on the evening he was killed. She said her dog started behaving oddly, sniffing at a particular spot on the ground, and then she noticed what first looked like a mannequin. She called her mother, who came to the scene and called 911. The body's arms and legs were in an unnatural position and there was blood on the face, the women testified.

Later Monday afternoon, an acquaintance of Michael Coffee, Francisco Martinez Jr., testified that Coffee stayed at his house for several days in late May while Martinez's parents were out of town. Martinez said he held several gatherings during that time and that Nutter showed up at one.

Authorities said a gun belonging to Martinez's father was used to kill Nutter, apparently taken from the Martinez home by Coffee when he was left there alone while Martinez was at work.

Martinez was charged with obstruction of justice in connection to Nutter's death, but the charges were later dropped in exchange for his testimony against Vatamaniuc.

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Martinez's father, Francisco Martinez Sr., testified that he didn't know his gun was missing until police came to his Highland Park home to question him several days after Nutter's death. Police asked to see the handgun, and it was then that Martinez Sr., who was overcome with emotion during his testimony, learned it was gone.

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Another acquaintance of Coffee testified that Coffee shot off a gun in his home shortly before the slaying, and shell casings there were matched to the weapon used to kill Nutter, authorities said.

Two other people who knew Coffee testified that they ran into him, Vatamaniuc and Schenk the night before Nutter's death and that Coffee showed them a gun tucked into his waistband. The men testified that Schenk appeared to be angry with Coffee for doing that.

Schenk, now 24, could testify as early as Tuesday. Despite his plea deal, he still faces a minimum of 20 years in prison when he's sentenced after the trial.

Vatamaniuc, now 21, appeared in court in jail-issued clothing. He was led in with his legs shackled and hands cuffed. He remained mostly expressionless during the first day of testimony and focused his attention on each witness.

Coffee has been found unfit to stand trial.

Susan Berger is a freelance reporter.
After 15 years of administering the ACT to juniors at Illinois public high schools, the company's contract ended and ACT got pushed out in a lucrative and contentious procurement process. About 30 public school districts and private schools will still be giving the ACT to their students. (Chuck Berman / Chicago Tribune)

Thousands of public high school juniors statewide are taking the SAT college entrance exam for free this month, but some students get to take the rival ACT as well, courtesy of their districts.

New Trier Township High School on the North Shore, Adlai Stevenson and Warren Township in Lake County and Lyons Township High School District 204 are among about 30 public school districts and private schools that are giving the ACT to their students, according to a list provided by ACT Inc.

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After 15 years of administering the ACT to juniors at Illinois public high schools, the company's contract ended and ACT got pushed out in a lucrative and contentious procurement process. The College Board's SAT was the winner of a multimillion-dollar contract from the state to give its exam to more than 140,000 juniors in Illinois, starting this spring.

But the history and connection to the ACT didn't go away, some educators say.

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In many districts, students took precursor tests in earlier grades that paved the way to take the ACT as juniors.

"So we've started them on the path to the ACT, but the state decided to go with the SAT in the middle of all this and we didn't feel it would be fair for our students to not have a test they were familiar with," said Scott Eggerding, director of curriculum and instruction at Lyons 204. He expects about 900 juniors to take the ACT at school Wednesday  the day when most districts participating will offer the ACT.

Doubling up on college entrance exams in those districts comes at a time when Illinois has been trying to cut down on what many parents and students consider too much testing. Illinois this school year eliminated the state reading and math exams called PARCC at high schools, where administrators pushed back about the loss of instructional time for students.

Even providing both college entrance exams, Eggerding said, the high school PARCC exam would have taken longer and "it wouldn't have been accepted by colleges."

The ACT tests students in four subjects: English, math, reading and science. The highest score is 36. An additional writing component can be included. The SAT, which has recently been revised, tests students in reading, writing and language and mathematics, plus an optional essay. The top score is 1600. Both tests are used for admission to colleges.

Stevenson's students took the ACT in late February. Spokesman Jim Conrey said it was a "one-time decision on the part of our school district, because we wanted to honor the commitment we had made to juniors that had received ACT-focused training in their first two years of high school."

"We will not be providing the ACT after this year because next year's juniors will have had one year of SAT preparation under their belts," Conrey said.

In Warren Township High School District 121, Wileen Gehrig, assistant superintendent over instructional services, said the district is providing a no-cost ACT to about 1,000 juniors so it can track students' progress. This school year's juniors took ACT's Explore test as freshmen, and the Plan test as sophomores, so that series would lead to the ACT.

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However, she said this will be the last school year that the district will provide the ACT to juniors for free. The exam, with a writing component, costs nearly $60 per student, with the total cost of about $58,500 to the district, Gehrig said.

Not all districts can afford that price tag, exacerbating the already large gaps in revenues and spending in various districts. Students can take a college entrance exam on their own dime at a national testing site, but getting the exam free at school is a bonus.

Other districts providing the ACT for free at school include Joliet Township District 204 in Will County, Riverside Brookfield High School District 208 in west Cook County, the Illinois State University Laboratory Schools as well as several other downstate districts, and Catholic and other private schools, according to ACT.

Meanwhile, most Illinois high school juniors took the SAT college entrance exam April 5, with testing to continue for students who need accommodations and for make-up exams.

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

In Indian Prairie Community Unit School District 204, in DuPage, the SAT experience was a positive one, said Patrick Nolten, executive director of assessment, research and evaluation.

"We saw a tremendous buy-in from kids from the continuum  high-end kids, average kids, kids challenged by school," said Nolten.

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But in Lyons, curriculum and instruction director Eggerding said his kids were not as familiar with the SAT. "I'm afraid they didn't take it as seriously, perhaps."

Taking the ACT Wednesday will be familiar, though. "These students have been raised with the ACT being the law of the land, so they feel a little more confident," Eggerding said.

College Board spokesman Zach Goldberg said the company "worked closely with (the Illinois State Board of Education) and educators during the transition to prepare students and their families. There has been a positive response throughout the state."

Results from the April 5 SAT exam at public schools will be available in early May, Goldberg said.

drado@chicagotribune.com
A scaffold fell out of place on the roof of the MILA luxury apartment building at the northwest corner of Michigan Avenue and Lake Street on April 17, 2017. No one was injured, but authorities closed Lake in case the scaffolding moved again. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune)

A problem with scaffolding resting on top of a high-rise that forced the closure of Lake Street at Michigan Avenue in the Loop on Monday afternoon is now under control, officials said.

As of about 7 p.m. the incident at 201 N. Garland Ct. was resolved, according to the Chicago Fire Department.

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"The platform is safe. Crews will be working for a while on roof,'' the department tweeted.

No one was injured or trapped during the ordeal which began about 3 p.m.

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Photos from the scene showed scaffolding straddling a corner of a 41-story glass high-rise at the corner of Lake and Michigan.

The scaffolding system developed a problem with its control system or the ropes holding it, according to Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford.

He said firefighters were called to the scene as a precaution.



Check back for updates.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks, Monday, April 4, 2016, during a campaign rally in a hangar at the Bong Airport in Superior, Wis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) (Jim Mone / AP)

MADISON, Wis.  President Donald Trump is planning to sign an executive order that seeks to make changes to a visa program that brings in high-skilled workers.

Trump is heading Tuesday to Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he plans to sign an order dubbed "Buy American, Hire American," said administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity despite the president's frequent criticism of the use of anonymous sources.

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The officials said the order, which Trump will sign at the headquarters of tool manufacturer Snap-on Inc., would direct the departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Labor and State to propose new rules to prevent immigration fraud and abuse. Those departments would also be asked to offer changes so that H-1B visas are awarded to the "most-skilled or highest-paid applicants."

The White House said the program is currently undercutting American workers by bringing in cheaper labor and said some tech companies are using it to hire large numbers of workers and drive down wages.

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Administration officials said the order also seeks to strengthen requirements that American-made products be used in certain federal construction projects, as well as in various federal transportation grant-funded projects. The officials said the commerce secretary will review how to close loopholes in enforcing the existing rules and provide recommendations to the president.

The order specifically asks the secretary to review waivers of these rules that exist in free-trade agreements. The administration said that if the waivers are not benefiting the United States they will be "renegotiated or revoked."

During his campaign, Trump said at some points he supported high-skilled visas, then came out against them. At one debate, he called for fully ending the program, saying: "It's very bad for our workers and it's unfair for our workers. And we should end it."

The officials said the changes could be administrative or legislative and could include higher fees for the visas, changing the wage scale for the program or other initiatives.

About 85,000 H-1B visas are distributed annually by lottery. Many go to technology companies, which argue that the United States has a shortage of skilled technology workers.

But critics say the program has been hijacked by staffing companies that use the visas to import foreigners  often from India  who will work for less than Americans. The staffing companies then sell their services to corporate clients who use them to outsource tech work.

Employers from Walt Disney World to the University of California in San Francisco have laid off their tech employees and replaced them with H-1B visa holders. Adding to the indignity: The U.S. workers are sometimes asked to train their replacements to qualify for severance packages.

On the planned order by Trump, Ronil Hira, a professor in public policy at Howard University and a critic of the H-1B program, said, "It's better than nothing." But he added, "It's not as aggressive as it needs to be."

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The tech industry has argued that the H-1B program is needed because it encourages students to stay in the U.S. after getting degrees in high-tech specialties  and they can't always find enough American workers with the skills they need.

Congress is considering several bills to overhaul the visa program. One, introduced by Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin and Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, would require companies seeking H-1B visas to first make a good-faith effort to hire Americans, a requirement many companies can dodge under the current system; give the Labor Department more power to investigate and sanction H-1B abuses; and give "the best and brightest" foreign students studying in the U.S. priority in getting H-1B visas.

Trump's stop at the world headquarters of Snap-on Inc. would come as the president faces an approval rating of just 41 percent in Wisconsin, a state he barely won in November. The visit also would take him to the congressional district of House Speaker Paul Ryan, who won't be joining the president because he's on a bipartisan congressional trip visiting NATO countries.

Trump has traveled to promote his agenda less than his recent predecessors. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Trump wanted to visit "a company that builds American-made tools with American workers."

Trump carried Wisconsin in November by nearly 23,000 votes  less than 1 percentage point  making him the first Republican to win the state since 1984. He campaigned on the promise of returning manufacturing jobs that have been lost in Upper Midwest states.

Founded in Wisconsin in 1920, Snap-on makes hand and power tools, diagnostics software, information and management systems, and shop equipment for use in a variety of industries, including agriculture, the military and aviation. Its headquarters are in Kenosha and it has eight manufacturing sites in North America, including one in Milwaukee. The company employs about 11,000 people worldwide.

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Associated Press writer Paul Wiseman contributed to this report.
U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi hasnearly $1.7 million in campaign cash in the bank at the start of April, federal reports show. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

WASHINGTON  U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi is dead last in seniority in the Illinois congressional delegation, but he is first in fundraising with receipts exceeding $826,000 so far this year.

That effort left the first-term Democrat from Schaumburg with nearly $1.7 million in campaign cash in the bank at the start of April, federal reports show.

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A fat war chest is a way to discourage potential challengers in the months leading up to 2018 midterm elections. For freshman lawmakers in particular, big cash totals suggest they can pass the plate while learning the ropes in Congress.

Democratic Rep. Brad Schneider of Deerfield had the second-highest fundraising for the first quarter of 2016, raising nearly $676,000. Last year, he won back the House seat in the North Shore and north suburbs that has remained one of the most reliably competitive districts in Illinois.

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And Republican Rep. Peter Roskam of Wheaton was next in line, raising nearly $586,000, Federal Election Commission reports showed. The longtime congressman already has been targeted by some Democrats for 2018 because his northwest suburban district both re-elected him last year and voted for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Democratic Rep. Bill Foster of Naperville had the most cash on hand among Illinois' House delegation, holding on to more than $2.1 million as of the end of March. His $171,000 in fundraising so far this year put him in the middle of the pack, though. The wealthy physicist and inventor still owes $1.13 million in loans he gave his campaign from 2008 and 2012, reports said.

Federal elections are costly. Candidates who won House races in 2016 spent an average of almost $1.52 million, according to the nonpartisan Campaign Finance Institute in Washington. The figure does not include the big bucks that outside groups plow into competitive races.

Three other Illinoisans had million-dollar-plus treasuries at the start of April, including Democratic Rep. Cheri Bustos of Moline, with nearly $1.69 million, who amassed the sum after winning a competitive race last year.

Two Republicans with little or no opposition in 2016 also crossed the million-dollar mark: Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Channahon had more than $1.53 million in the bank, and Rep. John Shimkus of Collinsville had just over $1 million.

One former Republican official hasn't raised much toward another run, though. Last year, Schneider won his seat by ousting a three-time rival, Republican Rep. Bob Dold of Kenilworth.

Theirs was the costliest House race in the state in 2016. Dold's campaign spent $5.65 million to Schneider's $5 million. Outside groups dropped more than $8.2 million in the race, with more of that going to help Dold, the Campaign Finance Institute said.

Dold's latest campaign finance report showed debts of nearly $164,000, just over $1,000 in cash in the bank and contributions of just over $500 in the period.

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Democratic Rep. Bobby Rush of Chicago had campaign debts of nearly $26,000 at the end of the period, or more than 10 times his cash on hand of $2,431. His wife Carolyn Rush died March 13.

Rush had one contribution in the quarter: $5,000 from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Political Action Committee.

Meanwhile, indicted ex-Rep. Aaron Schock of Peoria still is plowing through old campaign dollars to pay his legal bills, which totaled more than $117,000 in the first three months of the year, reports show. The former Republican lawmaker quit in March 2015, but people with campaign accounts still have to file regular reports.

The GOP lawmaker left Congress with more than $3.2 million in his campaign treasury and has paid out millions to lawyers. He is awaiting trial on a 24-count federal indictment for alleged theft of government funds, fraud, making false statements and filing false tax returns.

As April began, Schock had about $161,000 in his campaign treasury and a big debt to a law firm that he still owes nearly three-quarters of a million dollars.

kskiba@chicagotribune.com

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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

Democratic governor candidate J.B. Pritzker on Sunday accused the media of trying to divide the primary field into categories of establishment and progressive contenders and said he's firmly in the progressive camp despite his immense wealth.



"Let's be clear that it's the media that's decided to break it down into an establishment versus progressive. I'm a progressive," the billionaire investor and entrepreneur said on WGN AM-720 in describing his work on child care, education, social justice and job creation.



"There's nobody running in this race and nobody on the other side  for sure, the governor  who's created jobs like I have. So job creation is hugely important. It's something I'm running on. I don't know what you want to call that. I call that good for the state," he said in reference to founding the private investment firm the Pritzker Group and the tech incubator 1871.

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Pritzker is seeking the Democratic nomination for the chance to take on Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner along with another wealthy rival, Chris Kennedy of the iconic political family. Two others seeking the nomination  47th Ward Ald. Ameya Pawar and state Sen. Daniel Biss of Evanston  have warned Democrats they should not try to combat Rauner's wealth by nominating a wealthy candidate and have sought support among populist progressives in the party.



Pritzker, who put $7 million into his campaign fund Friday, said he will push for a graduated state income tax to replace the state constitutionally mandated flat tax rate. He said his own wealth makes him the best-positioned candidate to go up against Rauner, a wealthy former equity investor, on the issue.



"I'm the best person in a general election to stand up to Bruce Rauner and say, 'It's time to implement a progressive income tax,' that Bruce Rauner should pay a higher tax than someone who makes $30,000 a year, and so should I. And we need to raise wages in this state and create jobs and you (Rauner) haven't created any. I have," he said.



But Pritzker also said changing the constitution isn't something that would happen quickly. It takes a three-fifths majority of lawmakers in the House and the Senate to put a proposed constitutional amendment before voters. Such a proposal is unlikely until at least 2020, which would not provide any quick revenue fix for the state.



"When you think about how we're going to get there, the progressive income tax is hugely important  for a variety of reasons  to talk about now so that you can get it done in a reasonable amount of time," Pritzker said. "You know we could get it done in the second year of a new administration."



Asked about his ability to work with veteran Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan, Pritzker said governors "don't get to choose  who the speaker is."



"I'm an independent thinker and independent leader. I have been my whole life," he said.



Rauner, Pritzker said, is seeking a second term by asking people to forget about his first term.



"He's now campaigning for re-election pretending the last 2 1/2 years didn't happen, as if to say it's his agenda going forward, but we should just forget that 2 1/2 years have gone by," Pritzker said of Rauner.



Pritzker said Rauner has shown a lack of leadership in trying to negotiate a state budget, leading to the state's historic impasse.



"When you're governor, you've got to step up to the plate, you've got to make a proposal for a balanced budget. That's the requirement. And then you've got to sit down and negotiate if the folks that you need to work with disagree with you on points," he said.



"Instead, what did he do? He went into the room. He said, 'Great, lay all of your ideas on the table.' They did. Then he walks out of the room and lambasts all the people in the room. And then he walks back into the room and says, 'Great, let's keep negotiating.' And then he walks out of the room and lambasts every one of the proposals and then walks back into the room. And that's his idea of negotiating," Pritzker said.

Last week, Rauner spent two days touring the state on a campaign-funded tour. He blamed Democrats for stonewalling on his economic agenda. (Rick Pearson)

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What's on tap

*Mayor Rahm Emanuel will kick off the city's road paving program for this year.

*Gov. Rauner is scheduled to be in Moline to discuss "changes to get Illinois back on track" and in Peoria to discuss "changes to fix Illinois' broken system."

*Democratic governor hopeful Pritzker plans to campaign in Springfield and Champaign.

*Today before midnight is the deadline for filing state campaign finance reports.

*City Council committees will consider an agreement with the Park District for more police in parks and a new proposal for gun range zoning.

*The week ahead: On Tuesday, the Finance Committee could consider a plan to send more TIF district surplus money to Chicago Public Schools. On Wednesday, the City Council meets and Illinois Treasurer Mike Frerichs will speak to the City Club of Chicago.

From the notebook

*Blame game, part 2,579: Gov. Rauner offered a new defense Friday against criticism that his involvement in bipartisan Senate talks aimed at achieving a "grand bargain" resolution ended up killing it. The Republican governor sought to pin blame on his favorite political target  Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan.

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"The House Democratic leadership has been sending over some of their lieutenants and some of the their leaders of their special interest groups that fund them over to attack the Senate Democrats and try to blow up the 'grand bargain,'" Rauner said Friday on WBEZ-FM 91.5.

"You should check with the Senate Democrats about the pressure they're getting. President Cullerton has been under relentless pressure, special interest groups beating him up," he said.

Cullerton spokesman John Patterson questioned Rauner's assertion of House Democratic involvement.

"I don't think they had anything to do with  Republican votes for the budget deal disappearing overnight," he said. (Rick Pearson)

*The chase for cash: Some U.S. House veterans from Illinois are amassing fat war chests long before the 2018 midterm elections, which is one way to try to scare off potential rivals.

Republican Rep. Peter Roskam of Wheaton, whose seat a few Democrats are eyeing, reported campaign receipts of almost $586,000 in the first three months of the year, leaving him with almost $533,000 in the bank on March 31, a Federal Election Commission report shows.

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The six-term lawmaker swept to re-election last fall with 59 percent of the vote, but he's alone among Illinois Republicans in Congress since his district favored Hillary Clinton.

Democratic Rep. Cheri Bustos of Moline did even better, garnering 60 percent of the vote in a district went for Donald Trump. The three-term lawmaker started out the second quarter of the year with nearly $1.69 million in her war chest after receipts of almost $342,000 in the first three months of the year, an FEC report shows.

Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Channahon had $1.53 million in the bank at the end of March after receipts of just over $210,000 in the quarter, his report said. He faced only a write-in candidate last November.

Democratic Rep. Danny Davis of Chicago, who had nominal opposition last November, had nearly $303,000 in the bank after receipts of more than $15,000, his report showed.

Then there's four-term Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, who wouldn't face voters again until 2020 if he chooses to seek another term. He'll be 75 years old then. He started out the second quarter of the year with $1.06 in the bank after quarterly receipts of $392,000. (Katherine Skiba)

*On "The Sunday Spin": Tribune political reporter Rick Pearson's guests were Bill Ward, executive vice president of the Home Builders Association of Illinois; Democratic governor candidate J.B. Pritzker; and state Rep. Will Guzzardi, D-Chicago. "The Sunday Spin" airs from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. on WGN AM-720. Listen to the full show here.

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What we're writing

*Rauner tour allowed governor to remind supporters he's up for re-election and attempt to account for why his agenda stalled.

*Pritzker pours $7 million of fortune into his governor bid.

*Two Illinois lawmakers among 312 state employees who haven't filed 2014 tax returns.

*Cubs World Series ticket offer violated rules, county watchdog says.

*Stakes are high for workers, businesses as Illinois considers minimum wage hike.

*Thousands in Daley Plaza for Tax Day protests, demand Trump release returns.

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*29 people shot in 18 hours in Chicago.

What we're reading

*Sued, found unfit and a friend mysteriously shot  a Chicago cop's rocky record.

*Taste test: How does the new frozen Billy Goat 'cheezborger' compare to the original?

*Typically monogamous penguins caught in love triangle that isn't just black and white.

Follow the money

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*It's deadline day for state campaign finance reports. Watch them roll in here.

*The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform has a week in review.

*Track Illinois campaign contributions in real time here and here.



Beyond Chicago

*Trump claims tax return protesters were paid.

*Trump appointees raise potential ethical conflicts.

*Womp-womp: North Korea missile launch fails, but experts say weapons display impressive.

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*Turkey's Erdogan claims victory in referendum to expand his powers.
Marine Le Pen, French National Front political party leader and a candidate for French 2017 presidential election, delivers a speech during a campaign rally in Paris on April 17, 2017. (Christophe Petit Tesson / EPA)

Paris  The impossible is now possible, French far right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said in celebration after Donald Trump won the U.S. presidency. But the Trump effect may not bring Le Pen the boost she had once expected.

That's in part because Trump has not turned out to be the soul mate Le Pen was counting on. Trump bombed Syria and abandoned support for President Bashar Assad, whom Le Pen backs. He alienated Russia even as Le Pen consolidated her alliance with Vladimir Putin. And Trump's administration has been fraught with internal troubles.

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French voters have learned at least one thing from Trump's surprising victory and Britain's surprising vote to leave the European Union: They need to be ready for a surprise.

With only six days left before Sunday's first-round vote, polls show the four leading French candidates are so close in popularity that there's no clear front-runner. The top two candidates advance to a May 7 runoff.

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Le Pen, campaigning against immigration and Europe's open borders, has a good chance of reaching the runoff but little chance of winning it  at least according to pollsters, who have suffered their own Trump effect after failing to predict his presidency.

Populists elsewhere in Europe have had mixed success in elections since November. Dutch voters rejected firebrand Geert Wilders, favoring the status quo. Italians voted against the establishment, while Austrian voters rejected a far right presidential contender.

In France, Trump's victory has given new focus to Le Pen's rivals.

Independent centrist Emmanuel Macron is framing himself as a bulwark against the nationalism and protectionism of Trump's America and Putin's Russia.

"The world around us is changing. War, terrorist threat, the uncertainty on the other side of the ocean (a reference to Trump), the threat at our borders of several authoritarian regimes. Yes, we will have to be strong, uncompromising," Macron told a big campaign rally Monday.

Other candidates are warning that Le Pen's dreams of leaving the EU and the euro would wipe out voters' savings and devastate the economy. French media pressured Le Pen last week for questioning whether the French state was really responsible for deporting tens of thousands of Jews to death in World War II during the Nazi occupation.

Le Pen enjoyed a boost from the Trump phenomenon  the rise of anti-establishment sentiment, especially from working classes who lost out from the globalization that transformed the world over the past generation. Le Pen has courted that electorate for years and saw Trump's election as vindication of that strategy.

Hours after Trump was elected, Le Pen said, "What happened tonight is not the end of the world, it's the end of a (certain) world." She called his victory and the Brexit vote "democratic choices that bury the ancient order and are as many stones to build the world of tomorrow."

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She also plays to security fears after a string of deadly Islamic extremist attacks on France.

But the Trump presidency has shown that implementing populist promises isn't as easy as it seems. And Trump's own reversals have frustrated Le Pen.

"We have seen that Trump's latest positions are so contrary to what Marine Le Pen had hoped," said Thierry de Montbrial, president of the French Institute of International Relations. Nationalist candidates "no longer recognize themselves" in Trump anymore.

Le Pen distanced herself from Trump after the U.S. missile strikes on Syria earlier this month, angry that he is trying to be "the world's policeman."

Trump's reversal on NATO  which he once called obsolete  also frustrates Le Pen. She wants to pull France out of its command structure and sees the alliance as an unnecessary threat to Russia now that the Soviet Union is defunct.

"If there is a Trump effect on the campaign, it is that in many minds, it's assumed that anything is possible," said Emmanuel Riviere, director of Kantar Public's polling in France. "It's not unreasonable to have a victory of a candidate who is improbably excessive, and unexpected."

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Le Pen's electorate is not an exact mirror of Trump's, though they both attract support from "white people whose social standing has fallen," Riviere said.

She doesn't have a powerful party machine like that of Trump's Republicans, and has less support from older generations who supported Trump. But Le Pen enjoys more support from youth.

Riviere said any lingering Trump effect on the French campaign could also favor other candidates, such as far-left Jean-Luc Melenchon, who rails against free trade. Or conservative Francois Fillon, who has adopted Trump-style criticism of the media and a justice system he said is conspiring against him.

"We are in a very unprecedented moment in French politics," Riviere said. "This presidential term will be something we have never seen before."
Russell Paulson shows up for coffee at the Quik Mart in Kiron, Iowa. Regulars gather one by one each morning and afternoon, except Sundays. (Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post)

KIRON, Iowa  Russell Paulson had already heard by the time he arrived at the Quik Mart for his afternoon coffee. Walt Miller had died.

"Died last night, huh?" someone was saying as Russell pulled up a chair.

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"Yeah, last night," another man said.

Russell listened; he had known Walt. At the age of 80, he knew almost everyone in Kiron, a town of 229 people, one of whom is U.S. Rep. Steve King, who has a house on the edge of town. Russell knew King, too, knew that he was the sort of person always stirring controversy, often by raging against what he called "cultural suicide by demographic transformation."

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More recently, King had said that "we can't restore our civilization with somebody else's babies," a comment embraced by prominent white supremacists and widely condemned around the country as demonizing Latino and other non-European immigrants.

There was little controversy across King's district, though, a swath of rural America made up of tiny towns with tiny, aging white populations that routinely elected King with more than 70 percent of the vote. In Kiron, people brushed it off as King being King, a man they all knew, expressing a plain truth they all understood: the white population was shrinking and towns like theirs were vanishing, with the few exceptions being places such as Denison, Iowa, a pork-processing town 20 minutes down the highway where population growth was being driven by immigrants from Mexico and Central America.

Kiron, meanwhile, was losing steam. According to the most recent census figures, the population included nine Mexicans; the other 220 were all white, and their numbers were decreasing by 10 or so each year, and now, on a Wednesday, by one.

"Oh Walt Miller? He did pass?" Dwain Swensen, 67, said, sipping his coffee.

"What'd he have, pancreatic cancer or something?" said Ron Streck, 70.

"Liver," said Herman Kohnekamp, also 70. "I think that's what it was, wasn't it, Russell?"

"I knew he passed but didn't know any details," Russell said.

It was a quiet afternoon, the ritual 3 p.m. coffee in a place where, as one regular put it, "You can figure out Steve King by understanding all of us."

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Every day but Sunday, the bell on the front door rang as they arrived. The wood-paneled backroom was waiting. The Bunn-o-Matic and the Styrofoam cups. The space heater humming. The clock with the squinting Merit cigarette man on one wall, the calendar on the other, the cracked blinds dangling over the window where the view through the slats was a sea of farm fields, and on a hill in the distance, a stand of evergreens where the cemetery was. Now the bell on the front door rang again, and Russell looked up.

"Oh," Ron said under his breath, seeing who it was. "Here comes trouble."

Bob James, left, Herman Konnenkamp, center, and Russell Paulson often gather for coffee around 6:30 a.m. in the wood-paneled backroom of the Quik Mart in Kiron, Iowa. (Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post)

It was Kevin Lloyd, 52, who came in occasionally, and had been in the day before, all riled up about the latest Steve King situation, waving his hands and going on about how people had misunderstood what he'd meant about "other peoples' babies."

"If you're American, you got to take care of America!" he had said then. "I love that people want to come here from Mexico, from Ukraine, from the Middle East, but they need to come here legally."

Dwain, Ron, a woman named Jane Gronau and Russell had been there, sipping their coffees, as Kevin had continued that he had no idea why people would call King a "white supremacist," or, for that matter, why people would call President Donald Trump racist. "Now, is Barack Hussein Obama a Muslim? In my opinion, yes," he had said, and that had brought him to the other thing he figured King meant about babies. He had meant Muslim babies of the Muslims that Obama had allowed into the country.

"And here, I'm going to quote a great president, Abe Lincoln," he had said. "He said the fall of America will come from the inside. Well, if you're allowing all these children in, and if they hate America, how long is it going to be before we're not the United States of America anymore?"

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Jane had nodded: "If you study the number of Muslims, there are going to be so many here, and they're going to have so many kids, they're going to be able to take over that way."

Dwain had nodded: "They say 'freedom of religion' but if you're Muslim, and you become Christian, you're ousted. Sometimes, they kill 'em."

"They behead 'em," Kevin had said into a quiet Iowa afternoon.

"I think what King was trying to get across is, look: We can only grow so many hogs, so much beans and so much corn," Kevin had said. "If we let everybody in, we're going to be without a food source. And what happens when that's gone? Then we're all in trouble."

Chaos, beheadings, starvation, the death of one America and the rise of another - that was the trouble Kevin had raised the day before, and now he was back, interrupting the conversation about Walt Miller.

"What are you up to, Mr. Paulson?" he said to Russell.

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"Just listening and learning," Russell said, looking at the floor, holding his coffee. "Every once in a while, I learn something here. Every once in a while, I learn something about myself."

"So how old was Walt?" Ron continued.

"Mid-60s, I'd say," said Herman.

"Died last night," Ron said again.

"Last night," Herman said again.

After a while, Russell asked, "I wasn't sure if he was home?"

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"Yeah, he was at home," Herman said, and Russell was quiet the rest of the afternoon.

Russell Paulson, 80, holds a portrait of his wife, Glenda, who died 18 months earlier. (Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post)

The next day, Russell had his morning coffee and got into his car.

He stopped by the bank where he'd been going since the 1940s.

"Hi Russell," the one teller said to her one customer.

He got back into his car and drove one block to the edge of town, turned onto the two-lane highway, then one long gravel road after another, straight lines stretching out into still-fallow fields.

"Some of the roads have been abandoned," he said. "Because there's not as many people living out here, the roads just disappeared."

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He knew the roads better than anyone. His own family's roots in the area stretched back to the 19th century, when the U.S. government was aggressively removing Native American tribes to make way for one of the largest immigration waves in American history. The Swedes came, the Germans came, the farms, the towns and generations of babies, one of whom was Russell Elmer Paulson, born in 1927. He was raised on his mother's family farm in rural Kiron and never left other than a stint in the army, and one in Dubuque, Iowa.

"It wasn't for me," he said, driving along.

He and his wife, Glenda, inherited land when Russell's parents died and lived on it until they retired and moved into town. Russell's work had been farming and insurance adjusting. His culture was being a Methodist, a Mason and listening to polka, though most of that had fallen away. The church he and Glenda had gone to "died for lack of people and money," he said. There were hardly any Masons left. Polka was not enjoying a revival. His kids had left for jobs in other areas. Glenda had died last year.

"See that ridge? That's the old railroad bed," he said now, driving along, squinting through his gold-rimmed glasses.

"My aunt bought this," he said, passing a stand of trees where farmhouses had been.

"Walt would go there," he said, pointing out a repair shop where Walt Miller had coffee, and soon he turned onto a narrow dirt road leading to the farm where he and Glenda had lived, a collection of storage buildings where Russell now kept his old tractors, and one he used as an office, where he went these days to work crossword puzzles or just sit and think.

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"Commune with God and the birds," he said. "Well, not too many birds now."

He glanced around at the old buildings, now shuttered and locked, though someone had broken into one of them recently.

"They stole a bunch of tools and such," Russell said, pulling back onto the gravel road. "No need to get all worked up about it."

He had a huge bag of peppermint Life Savers on the console, and he unwrapped one and put it in his mouth. He passed a rotting barn and a bird on a stretch of barbed wire, and after a while, a gray house with a huge American flag.

"This is Steve King's house here," he said, looking at it.

He had known King a long time and saw no reason to be bothered by something or other he said. He supported King -- "I have no reason in the world to dislike the man" -- but wasn't one to rant about politics. He had no computer, no smartphone. His television had no cable. He watched a half-hour of national news, a half-hour of local, followed by "Wheel of Fortune" and Lawrence Welk. He ate chicken tenders and food he described as "American."

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"He's just kind of one of us," Russell said of King, driving on past a field where a church had burned down, and the home of a man who'd died last year. It began to rain.

"When it comes down like it's doing now, it's just wonderful," he said.

He drove past fields and more fields until he came to another stand of trees on a hill.

"This is the cemetery," he said, pulling in.

He drove slowly past the headstones. "A lot of these people I knew," he said and began reading names.

"Larson."

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"Lind."

"Gustafson."

"Paulson -- this would be my folks right here," he said, and then he noticed the time, almost 3 p.m.

He headed back to town, pulling onto Main Street where a wooden sign said, "Kiron, Blessed with the Best."

After King had made his comment about babies, some out-of-town protest group had put up another sign below that one that said, "White Supremacist."

The sign didn't make any sense to Russell and, after it was removed, his main worry was that the protesters might have damaged the town sign, which had started to rot a few years ago.

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Russell had taken on the job of maintaining it. He had trimmed the tree branches that had grown through the wood. He had taken down "Blessed with the Best" and repainted each of the letters. He went to a lumberyard and had a new K, I, R, O, and N made, painting each letter several times and spraying them with wood preservative. One year, he and Glenda had planted a bed of petunias and geraniums.

"I don't think we will ever have a better display of flowers," he said now, and soon he was pulling up to the Quik Mart for the afternoon coffee. As he walked inside, he saw a funeral notice on the front door with a photo of a smiling man in gold-rimmed glasses.

"Oh," Russell said, pausing for a moment. "There's Walt."

He glanced at the funeral information for Walt Miller, poured his fourth coffee of the day, and sat down in the backroom. Dwain and Charlie Harm were already there but they weren't talking. A car swooshed by. An eighteen-wheeler swooshed by. Charlie tapped his nails on the table.

The Kiron Cemetery sits on a hill overlooking the tiny town of Kiron, Iowa. (Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post)

The next day, the bell rang as the door with the funeral notice swung open, and it was Dwain, then Bob James, then Herman, then Russell. The Merit cigarette clock showed a few minutes after 3 p.m. Russell got the coffee pot and poured. The bell rang again, and it was a man named Glen Ballantine.

"Time for plowing?" Herman asked the 84-year-old farmer.

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"Two weeks," Glen said, sitting down.

Bob was reading the paper. Russell was sipping his coffee, looking out the window.

"Got the visitation tonight," Herman said.

He didn't have to mention Walt Miller's name because they all knew what he meant.

They went back to talking about plowing, and Glen was saying how different farming was now than when he was a young man, which for some reason reminded him of one of his first jobs, digging graves.

"For 18 bucks," he said.

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"You dug a regular grave for 18 bucks?" said Dwain.

"Oh yeah, and we had to fill 'em back up again," said Glen.

"I helped dig one once," said Russell. "You know, manually. Only one. I don't know what I got paid. But. That's a long way down to the bottom of that."

"If there was frost in the first foot, you got $1 more," said Glen.

"What'd you use to get through the frost?" asked Bob.

"Pickax and sledgehammer," said Glen. "And when we'd fill 'em, we'd fill 'em in 14 scoops. We were just little kids, more or less."

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"We had more dirt than we needed," Russell said. "And had to --"

"Had to haul that away," said Glen, finishing his sentence.

"Had to put that on the pickup," said Russell, and they went on talking like that until Herman got up to leave. It was after 3:30 p.m.

"Funeral home starts, what, at 4?" Herman said.

"Four till 7, it says on there," Russell said.

The funeral home was in Denison, and the sun was going down as Russell turned onto the two-lane highway toward one of the only towns in Steve King's district that was growing, and which appeared in the distance as a cluster of lights and rising steam from the pork-processing plant.

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Russell turned by the Walmart, bustling on a Friday payday, and turned again into a neighborhood where Latino kids were playing in a yard. Up a hill, he parked in front of the funeral home, where people were still streaming in near 7 p.m.

Russell made his way through the receiving line, his hat off, comb lines visible in his gray hair. He shook hands with Walt's family, who thanked him for coming, and inched forward until he reached the open casket.

He stood there a moment. He looked at Walt. He looked at the light-blue satin lining and the farm scene etched into it. A man stood next to Russell.

"Went fast," he said of Walt, who had passed away soon after his diagnosis. "That's what you hope for."

"I do," said Russell, still looking at Walt, and soon, he headed back to Kiron.

The fresh grave of Walt Miller at Kiron Cemetery in Kiron, Iowa. (Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post)

The funeral was the next day at Zion Lutheran Church in Denison, and more people came from Kiron and other vanishing towns like Odebolt and Ida Grove. They sat in jeans and dresses and suits on the wooden pews of a church founded in 1872, and read about Walt in the program, where it was said that "farming and fixing equipment and household items were his favorite things to do," and soon the church bells began ringing.

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The pews creaked as everyone stood and watched the pallbearers roll in the coffin draped in a white cloth with a red cross, and a procession of dozens of family members that included exactly one baby, a girl with a black ribbon around her head.

"Your world has changed," the pastor began.

When it was over, people got back into their cars and drove 20 minutes up the highway to the cemetery in Kiron, a long procession of headlights passing through fields and more fields, then turning right, then heading up the hill to the stand of evergreens, and afterward, at 3 p.m., the bell on the Quik Mart door began ringing.

It rang for Herman, who arrived with a loaf of homemade bread. It rang for Dwain, for Bob, and for Charlie, who shuffled into the backroom and said, "Buried a nice guy this morning."

It rang for Russell, who poured his coffee, walked back into the wood-paneled room, and pulled up a chair.

"Strawberries come to life this time of year, Russell?" Dwain asked.

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"I don't know," Russell said.

They talked about the frost, and when spring might arrive.

"Well, I better get moving," Charlie said and headed out.

"I got things to do, too," Russell said, but then he didn't leave, not yet.

He got up and sat where Charlie had been, closer to the window.

"Well, I gotta go," Herman said.

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"See you, Herman," Russell said.

"Bye, Herman," Dwain said, and now there were just the three of them left.

Dwain cleared his throat. A car passed by. The space heater hummed. Bob finished his coffee. Russell swallowed the last of his.

"You want more coffee, Mr. Bob?" Russell asked.

"Do you?" said Bob.

"Yeah," Russell decided, and walked over to get the coffee pot.

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He poured some into Bob's cup. He poured some into Dwain's cup. He filled his own and sat down again. He tapped his thumb on the table. Eventually he stood up and walked toward the door, where Walt's funeral notice no longer was.

"See ya, Russell," said Dwain.

"See ya, Russell," said Bob.

"I hope so," Russell said.
This Sunday Christians all over the world (East and West together this year!) celebrated Easter or Pascha, the feast of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the holiest day of the liturgical year, the beginning of a festive season that lasts for the next forty days.

Im Greek Orthodox, and in Orthodox churches (and Eastern rite Catholic churches) it is traditional for the priest to read the Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom. Drawing upon Isaiah 14:9 and 1 Corinthians 15:55, Chrysostom elaborates on how Hades, the realm of the dead, was conquered by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ:

It took a body and came upon God! It took earth and encountered eaven! It took what it saw, but crumbled before what it had not seen! O death, where is thy sting? O Hades, where is thy victory? Christ is risen, and you are overthrown!

What was seen was the humanity of Christ. What was unseen was his divinity. As the Author of Life (Acts 3:15), he could not be contained by death. What appeared to be the ultimate victory for evil turned out to be a Trojan horse for good. Christ could not stay dead; he rose again, offering the promise of resurrected life to all who follow him. Hades crumbled before what it had not seen!

Oddly  no doubt because I work here at Acton  listening to this, I found myself reminded of the French economist and statesman Frederic Bastiat, who wrote,

In the department of economy, an act, a habit, an institution, a law, gives birth not only to an effect, but to a series of effects. Of these effects, the first only is immediate; it manifests itself simultaneously with its cause  it is seen. The others unfold in succession  they are not seen: it is well for us, if they are foreseen. Between a good and a bad economist this constitutes the whole difference  the one takes account of the visible effect; the other takes account both of the effects which are seen, and also of those which it is necessary to foresee. Now this difference is enormous, for it almost always happens that when the immediate consequence is favourable, the ultimate consequences are fatal, and the converse. Hence it follows that the bad economist pursues a small present good, which will be followed by a great evil to come, while the true economist pursues a great good to come,  at the risk of a small present evil.

Of course, Bastiat is just talking about economics. He mostly has material causes and effects in mind. But his words are applicable beyond that.

Hades is a bad economist. The immediate consequence seemed favourable, but the ultimate consequences were fatal to it, and will be even more so at the resurrection to come.

Conversely, Jesus is a good economist: for the joy that was set before him [he] endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2). He pursue[d] a great good to come,  at the risk of a small present evil.

So, too, in our spiritual lives we ought to learn to endure all things, for true love endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:7), and in so doing we find the greatest joy.

Similarly, in our economic lives we ought to look to the long term as well. The economist John Maynard Keynes once quipped, In the long run, we are all dead. His point was that we shouldnt neglect short term means of relief for the sake of a distant and fabled long run when things will be better.

This is a fair point, so long far as it goes, but runs the risk of encouraging the very short-termism that to Bastiat characterizes the bad economist. We shouldnt use looking to the long term to neglect our responsibilities in the present, just as in our spiritual lives we shouldnt be, as the cliche goes, so heavenly-minded that we are no earthly good. But If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable (1 Corinthians 15:9).

So, too, if we do not look to the long term in economics and have no hope for the future, we will quickly find our short term help has only distracted us from a fatal future, if not sped its arrival.

A Christian perspective reminds us that not death but resurrection is the true long run, either a resurrection to new life or to second death. What we do now matters, because our futures are open and salvation is possible, not just for our souls, but even for our economies.

We should alleviate all the suffering we can in the present, but not at the cost of greater suffering for our sons and daughters in the future. Properly caring for them promises a greater joy in the present than any pleasures that may distract us from our long term responsibilities.

So if our national debt is ballooning at an alarming rate (which it is), we should be willing to sacrifice a little now to ensure stability for our future.

If massive programs like Social Security and Medicare will be insolvent in a decade or so (which they will), we should be willing to make some cutbacks (e.g. means testing benefits, raising the retirement age) in order to ensure that they will still be available for those who will truly need them in the future. We need to care for our elders in the present, of course. But the youth of today are the elders of tomorrow. Caring for our elders should include them as well.

These things  financial instability, massive cuts to massive programs  are still invisible to us; their effects (economic crisis; needy elders and disabled persons without sufficient state support) are not simultaneous with their cause (economic irresponsibility). But the suffering to come will be far greater than any we might have to endure in the present for the joy of a healthier economic future.

We shouldnt be like Hades. Hades is a bad economist. And on Pascha, we celebrate Hades defeat.

We should be like Jesus instead: having the hope to foresee a better future and having the courage to do what is necessary to attain it.

Christ is risen! Happy Easter!
A team of scientists Monday documented what they're describing as the first case of large-scale river reorganization as a result of human-caused climate change.

They found that in mid-2016, the retreat of a very large glacier in Canada's Yukon territory led to the rerouting of its vast stream of meltwater from one river system to another  cutting down flow to the Yukon's largest lake, and channeling freshwater to the Pacific Ocean south of Alaska, rather than to the Bering Sea.

The researchers dubbed the reorganization an act of "rapid river piracy," saying that such events had often occurred in the Earth's geologic past, but never before, to their knowledge, as a sudden present-day event. They also called it "geologically instantaneous."

"The river wasn't what we had seen a few years ago. It was a faded version of its former self," said lead study author Daniel Shugar of the University of Washington, Tacoma of the Slims River, which lost much of its flow due to the glacial change. "It was barely flowing at all. Literally, every day, we could see the water level dropping, we could see sandbars popping out in the river."

The study was published in Nature Geoscience. Shugar conducted the study with researchers from six different Canadian and U.S. universities.

The study found that the choking of the Slims River in turn deprived Kluane Lake, the largest body of water in the Yukon Territory. The lake level was at a record low last August, and two small communities that live on the lake may now have to adjust to the lower water levels.

"The Kluane lake level dropped last year and is likely to continue dropping," Shugar said. "If it drops enough that the lake level is below its other outlet, at the north end, it becomes what is called a closed basin. That will have changes to the chemistry, the structure of the lake, the biology."

The precipitating event for all of this happened in summer 2016, when meltwater from the retreating Kaskawulsh glacier burst through a channel of ice, suddenly draining a glacial lake that had fed Slims river and directing waters into a different river that ultimately heads south toward the Gulf of Alaska. Previously, these waters had ultimately fed into the vast Yukon river, which empties on Alaska's west coast.

The researchers found only a minuscule probability that the retreat of Kaskawulsh glacier - which retracted by nearly half a mile from 1956 to 2007 - could have occurred in what they called a "constant climate." They therefore inferred that the events in question could be attributed to human-caused climate change.

The beneficiary of the change, in hydrologic terms, is the Alsek River, known for its whitewater rafting. It saw far higher flows than normal as a consequence - and empties eventually into the Gulf of Alaska, which should now be seeing a new infusion of freshwater.

It's important to underscore the scale of the changes this represents: The Kaskawulsh glacier is around three miles wide at its front, or "toe." The river it used to fuel, the Slims River, had a floodplain a mile wide and a flow that ranged from .2 to .4 miles in width. The lake that it fed - Kluane Lake - is 45 miles long and more than 250 feet deep in places. Now, all of this is changing.

These events have occurred in a relatively sparsely populated wilderness area, and so will not have ramifications for large human populations - but they give a sense of just how dramatic and sudden climate-linked changes can be. Similarly, recently mountain glacier changes in the Bolivian Andes have created the risk of dangerous outburst floods that could imperil communities below them.

The current study represents "a great example of a threshold response to warming over the last century-and-a-half," said Ken Tape, an Arctic ecologist at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, who was not involved in the research. "The glacier has been retreating gradually, but at a threshold encountered in summer 2016, the drainage abruptly changed in a matter of weeks and completely reorganized downstream ecosystems."

Tape cautioned that "most glaciers, when they retreat, do not have downstream consequences as dramatic as in the case presented here. Flows increase or decrease commensurate with glacier mass balance, but rivers are not usually lost or gained in the process, and change is more gradual."

The Kaskawulsh glacier, at only 60 degrees north latitude, is in a relatively temperate region well below the Arctic circle, helping to make it particularly susceptible to climate change. The researchers provided measurements suggesting that just before the river reorganization, the glacier was experiencing quite warm temperatures for the springtime, which seems to have triggered a large burst of meltwater.

Shugar said that the researchers do not expect the glacier and the river system that depends on it to flip back - rather, it has entered a new state.

"We did some preliminary estimates of what it would take for the Slims River to be reestablished," said Shugar, "and it seems unlikely to occur in the current climate."
President Donald Trump's approval polling remains dreadful by historical standards. In the latest Marist poll, he draws only 39 percent approval, 49 disapproval (statistically insignificant from a month ago, when his numbers were 38 percent/51 percent). Gallup shows him with 40 percent approval, 54 percent disapproval (up, but not dramatically, from his low point). Overall, his RealClearPolitics average is 41.4 approval and 51.6 percent disapproval. All this follows confirmation of his Supreme Court pick, now-Justice Neil Gorsuch, and a show of force against Syria. There are a few takeaways from this.

First, Trump is such a polarizing figure, even when compared with Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, that he is unlikely ever to rise above his election total (46.1 percent of the vote). While the press and political insiders inspect day-to-day events for hints as to whether this will help or hurt Trump, many voters (especially those disturbed by his election) do not. Even a significant event  such as the Syria missiles strikes  may have only minimal impact on ordinary voters, if not followed by a dramatic policy change.

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Second, while Breitbart News and the rest of the alt-right crowd threaten to go after Trump if he fires Steve Bannon, it is not clear that Trump will dump his chief strategist altogether. For now, Trump seems content to belittle him and take away job responsibilities. Breitbart et al. will have a hard time rallying the base to the cry of "Give Bannon more to do!" Even if Bannon did get booted, it's not clear that Trump's hard-core followers would be upset. Trump has fired plenty of staff (Corey Lewandowski, Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn) without much fuss from his supporters.

Third, Trump does risk losing "Main Street" Republicans who held their noses to vote for him. These voters knew that they didn't want Hillary Clinton as president, although they were wary of Trump. They figured they would give him a shot to perform and make good on GOP agenda items. That, in essence, was House Speaker Paul Ryan's, R-Wis., rationale for supporting him  Trump would deliver on the GOP wish list. If, at the end of a couple of years, Trump still has not delivered on health-care reform, job and wage growth or tax reform, these voters may sit home in 2018 and look for alternatives in 2020.

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So what, if anything, will cause the floor to drop out from under Trump?

I can think of only two events, both largely beyond his control. First, the potential for an economic setback should keep the Trump team up at night. He won with the pretense that he is a consummate businessman who would know how to make Americans successful, just like he did for himself. If he cannot do even that, voters may figure that they might as well go with steadier, more experienced and less ideologically erratic leaders. Second, the Russia investigation hangs like a cloud over him. Reports suggesting that British intelligence officials have evidence of "collusion" should be taken with a grain of salt. They do remind us, however, that U.S. intelligence agencies are not alone in their hunt for proof of Russian meddling. The presence of so many witnesses (Manafort, Flynn, Carter Page) who might provide information to the intelligence community could provide critical evidence. In other words, if Trump and his cohorts have lied, misled or concealed evidence of ties to Russia and/or cooperated with Russian officials, this could shake loose even devoted followers. Then again, if that happens, Trump would have bigger problems than keeping the alt-right in his tent.

The Washington Post

Jennifer Rubin writes the Right Turn blog for the Post, offering reported opinion from a conservative perspective.
Pennies at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia in 2007. (Stephen Hilger / Bloomberg)

The lowly penny and the $5 bill are dedicated to the quintessential American icon, Abraham Lincoln.

Our 16th president preserved the Union through the catastrophic carnage of the Civil War. By his assassination, he fulfilled his own poetic prose, by giving his "last full measure of devotion" as he strove to heal his fractured nation's wounds "with malice toward none and charity for all."

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Although many remember Lincoln's sublime rhetoric, most have forgotten one of his most ubiquitous legacies.

Take a look at a Lincoln penny. It seems almost worthless in our era with a national debt of a "score" of a trillion dollars. (Let's hope Congress solves the problem long before it becomes "four score" trillion.)

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That humble coin (as well as all our currency) bears the national motto, "In God we trust." Have you ever wondered how those words got there?

Salmon P. Chase, Lincoln's secretary of the treasury, proposed the national motto be placed on American coins. According to House Speaker Schuyler Colfax's eulogy for Lincoln, this became the president's last official act.

Just before he was assassinated, Lincoln signed into law Congress' legislation, which passed on March 3, 1865. Although Lincoln had throughout his life struggled with depression and doubt, in his last act he called on Americans in their daily acts of commerce to trust in God.

A day after Congress passed the bill, in his second inaugural address, Lincoln openly manifested trust in God. He declared, "The Almighty has His own purposes." Lincoln appealed to "the providence of God," insisting that "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether."

On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth's .44-caliber derringer delivered its fatal blast. Lincoln died the next morning, on April 15.

In an accident of history, ever since 1954, Tax Day has been April 15 (except when it falls on a weekend or holiday, like this year). Thus, for more than 60 years, the day of Lincoln's demise has normally been the day that the federal government collects (or confiscates) Lincoln pennies, Lincoln bills and a whole lot more. Taxpayers often feel like they have given more than their "last full measure of devotion."

So on Tax Day this year, remember Honest Abe and his final official act and ask if we still trust in God as a nation. If we've forgotten Lincoln's date of death and his final official act, it's not surprising that in our national amnesia we may have forgotten God too.

This would be no surprise to Lincoln.

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On March 30, 1863, in the midst of the war, Lincoln joined Congress in calling for a day of prayer and fasting. He declared:

"We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. ... Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!"

Look again at Lincoln's visage on the penny. Give thanks to God for his leadership. Give thanks, too, that you've made enough this year to have to pay taxes.

And, if you can, declare with Lincoln, "In God we trust."

Tribune Content Agency

Peter A. Lillback is the president of the Providence Forum in King of Prussia, Penn.
The Washington Post reports:

"President Donald Trump lashed out Sunday at the protesters who took part in marches across the country Saturday to demand that he release his tax returns, declaring on Twitter that 'The election is over!'

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"Trump's comments followed a nationwide Tax March that drew thousands of people in dozens of cities on the country's traditionally recognized deadline to file taxes, April 15."

He bizarrely argued: "I did what was an almost an impossible thing to do for a Republican - easily won the Electoral College! Now Tax Returns are brought up again?" The one has nothing to do with the other, of course. Voters didn't put him there to act as an autocrat, responsible to no one.

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That's the voice of the authoritarian Trump from the presidential campaign, a man contemptuous of democratic norms and disdainful of dissent. I won, so shut up. Well, American politics has never worked that way. Trump's stance is not going to end the debate, or serve him well, for a number of reasons.

First, he actually promised that he would release his taxes after his "audit" was over. Were we to somehow know he was lying, or does he have an obligation to make available, as he promised, returns not under audit (e.g. his 2016 return)? So long as he stonewalls, he's essentially acknowledging that he lied to voters. Were the voters he duped, like the students of Trump University, supposed to have known better?

Second, his accusation once again that we should be interested not in the turnout of thousands of Americans exercising their constitutional rights but only in "those who paid for the small organized rallies yesterday" takes us back to 2009. Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., dismissed the tea party rallies as "Astroturf." Heritage Action for America chief executive Michael Needham, a fan of the tea party, also seems to have forgotten how that kind of condescension comes across. He had this uncomfortable exchange on Fox News Sunday:

NEEDHAM: The  the American people really don't care, as he kind of said at the end, about his tax returns. That's why he won. And what he does is he sets up with these fights a situation where the media goes crazy over something that the American people don't care about.

CHRIS WALLACE: But wait a minute, Michael, that wasn't the media, that was tens of thousands of your fellow Americans taking to the street. That  and I've got to say, that was not something that the media even 

NEEDHAM: It was very well organized by liberal groups and  and there was money behind it.

WALLACE: But that was democracy when the Tea Party did it.

Ouch. Mass movements always involve organizers and the organized, but treating the latter as if they are stooges is a surefire way to grow their ranks and increase their anger.

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Third, Americans actually do care about his tax returns. Democrats and Republicans by substantial majorities think he needs to release them. This will be one more item  along with conflicts of interest, filling his Cabinet with Goldman Sachs alumni, violating the emoluments clause  that Democrats will use in the 2018 midterms. The argument is simple: Trump is more secretive, more indifferent to corruption than his predecessors  and Republicans are too meek and unprincipled to object. Trump's conduct cries out for divided government; without it, his contempt for clean, transparent government grows with each passing year.

Fourth, at some point in the investigation into the Trump team's association with Russians, either the intelligence community or members of the House or Senate intelligence committees likely will want access to the tax returns and/or other financial records. After all, how can investigators determine the extent of ties between the Trump campaign and the Russians without examining financial records (up to and including tax returns) of the candidate? It's hard to make the case that those records wouldn't be relevant to determining what connections, if any, existed. Depending on what information the intelligence community has already gathered, Trump's financial records may become critical to determining the Trump family associations with the Russians. If Democrats have control of one House, he could well face a subpoena. In any event, continuing to stonewall requests for such evidence will be interpreted by many voters as evidence of illicit conduct.

Trump's ire at the protesters will only embolden them, provide Democrats with fuel for their candidates and increase interest in his financial records as part of the Russia probe. Perhaps what is in the records is so damaging that it's worth losing one or both houses of Congress. Right now, it sure looks that way.

Washington Post

Jennifer Rubin is a Washington Post columnist.
Turkey's steady march toward dictatorship just went into full gallop.

Voters on Sunday narrowly approved a raft of constitutional changes that shift even more power to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who already maintains an iron grip over his country. Beginning in 2019, the post of prime minister will disappear, and Erdogan can make Cabinet appointments without any parliamentary oversight. His control over the country's judiciary will expand. He can also dissolve parliament at any time, for any reason. And, starting with the 2019 elections, Erdogan, who took power as prime minister in 2003, can run for two more five-year terms.

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Erdogan's margin of victory was razor-thin, and there were strong indications that the vote was far from fair. International election observers criticized the decision by Turkish election officials to allow as valid more than a million ballots that had been cast without an official stamp. Without the stamp, authorities can't be sure those ballots aren't fraudulent. During the campaign, authorities arrested a leading opposition politician campaigning against the "Yes" movement and cracked down on journalists critical of the referendum.

An undemocratic election shouldn't surprise anyone, given Erdogan's track record for authoritarian governance. After a failed coup attempt, his government arrested more than 40,000 perceived opponents of the regime and purged more than 100,000 from their government jobs. Erdogan blamed the coup attempt on his primary political rival, Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric who once was a close Erdogan ally and who now lives in Pennsylvania. Washington has rejected Ankara's requests for Gulen's extradition, saying Turkey must convince U.S. courts that there's enough evidence to charge Gulen with a crime.

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So far, the West has reacted to the election with measured criticism. The State Department said irregularities on the day of the election and the run-up to it led to an "uneven playing field" in favor of the "Yes" movement. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the close vote reflected the deep divisions within Turkish society, and she urged Erdogan loyalists and opposition leaders to talk out their differences.

If Western leaders choose their words carefully about Turkey, it's because they have to. Turkey is a NATO member integral to the fight against Islamic State in Syria. It allows the U.S. to use an air base at Incirlik for its airstrikes and drone flights into Syria. It also has provided haven to more than 3 million Syrian refugees and has a deal with European leaders to keep refugees from traveling on to Europe.

But if Turkey is going to fulfill its decadeslong goal to join the European Union, it needs Western backing. Expecting Erdogan to reform isn't realistic, but that doesn't mean Europe should compromise its principles for EU inclusion. Those principles require EU applicant nations to maintain "stable institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights ." Turkey is veering away from  rather than approaching  those principles. Erdogan also has been talking about holding a referendum on the reinstatement of the death penalty, which would nix the country's bid for EU membership.

Erdogan can't have it both ways. He can't run roughshod over democratic principles and then expect the EU to welcome Turkey, no questions asked. Turkey's too valuable in the fight against Islamic State to treat like a pariah. But it's not so valuable that the European community should abandon core ideals it applies to other countries that join.

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Scholars from the Acton Institute will be speaking at The Henry Symposium on Religion and Public Life. The Symposium will be held April 27th  29th, 2017 at the Prince Conference Center on the campus of Calvin College.

On Friday April 28th from 8:15 AM to 10:00 AM Dr. Andrew McGinnis and Dylan Pahman will both be presenting papers on the panel Blurring at the Boundaries? Lines Between the Spheres in 19th Century Presbyterian and Reformed Social Thought. Dr. McGinniss paper is titled, Spiritual Principle or Social Practice? The Church and the Social Question among Early 20th Century Presbyterians. Mr. Pahmans paper is titled, Toward a Kuyperian Ethic of Public Life: On the Spheres of Ethics and State.

Later Friday afternoon from 4:15 PM to 5:45 PM Rev. Robert Sirico will be participating in a roundtable discussion on How Did Charitable Choice and the Faith-Based Initiative Become Mainstream? Or didnt They?

Saturday April 29th from 11:00 AM to 12:45 PM Dr. Jordan Ballor will be presenting a paper on the panel Christianity and Classical Political Economy. His paper is titled, Fountainheads of Fusionism? The Relationship between Edmund Burke and Adam Smith Revisited.

Attendance at the symposium is open to anyone interested in the intersection of religion and public life. Register on-line here.

A number of panels are also free and open to the public:
Children start the search for plastic eggs during the Community Christian Church's Easter Egg Hunt and Carnival in Lincolnshire. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)

Nearly 300 people came out Saturday underneath clear skies to scour the Community Christian Church in Lincolnshire and hunt for thousands of eggs during the church's "Easter Egg Hunt and Carnival" event.

As part of four staggered egg hunts, participants searched for more than 4,000 total plastic eggs during the event, said Judy Mankus, a secretary for Community Christian Church, who also credited the church's youth group for helping to organize the community event.

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"The youth have really been working so hard," Mankus said. "This is really one of their fundraising events."

Kids a part of the group, called Youth Mission Trip, raise money to fund annual service trips. Later this summer, the group, made up of 12 kids in sixth grade up through college, will travel to South Dakota for a mission trip, Mankus said.

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Lincolnshire resident Grace O'Neil, 13, a seventh grader at Daniel Wright Junior High School, was one of the many kids at the church who helped pack plastic eggs for the egg hunt Saturday.

"Helping others makes you feel good," O'Neil said. "And while you're helping others, it gives you the chance to be able to help more people."

The event was free but the church welcomed donations.

A "Youth Mission Market" at the event had seasonal items available for purchase. Proceeds, along with a raffle, helped raise funds for the youth group's upcoming mission trip.

The egg hunt also included carnival games and a bouncy house, organizers said.

In nearby Buffalo Grove, park district officials were scheduled to host the "Bunny Bash" for area families on Saturday.

The event featured three different egg hunts for kids, along with face painting, craft activities and photo opportunities with the Easter bunny, according to the Buffalo Grove Park District website.

Karie Angell Luc is a freelance photographer and reporter for Pioneer Press.
Lincolnshire officials now want to work with neighboring Buffalo Grove on possible improvements to Milwaukee Avenue, a major thoroughfare and commercial corridor that runs through both towns.

After reviewing options April 12, Lincolnshire Village Board members directed staff to seek a partnership with Buffalo Grove on a possible grant from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning to help fund a widening project along Milwaukee Avenue, said Village President Liz Brandt said.

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Officials previously were thinking about planning for the project this year on their own, she said.

"It really wasn't that in-depth of a discussion because the choice was, do we go ahead right now on our own as just Lincolnshire or do we partner with Buffalo Grove because they have a small portion of the corridor?" Brandt said. "So, the board decided to go for the grant and wait until 2018."

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The move comes after the Illinois Department of Transportation presented preliminary plans to the Lincolnshire board on the potential options to widen Milwaukee Avenue, Brandt said. Lincolnshire will be required to pay for a portion of any plan, which may include upgrades to street lighting and other costs, she said.

Board members reached a consensus on the partnership with Buffalo Grove after looking at their planning options.

"We felt, what's the difference of six to nine months?" she said. "If we can get a grant, we can partner. We can coordinate, since we're neighbors. There is cost efficiency to it. So, it makes sense."

Lincolnshire still plans to lead the project.

Board members directed Adam Letendre, assistant village manager and community and economic development director for Lincolnshire, to reach out to CMAP for assistance with the corridor study, as well as Buffalo Grove officials about the grant application, Letendre said.

Lincolnshire has until the end of June to apply for the grant with CMAP, which is expected to select eligible projects in October, Letendre said.

Depending on the project's specific needs, the actual planning process would begin in January, he said.

Lincolnshire already has started preparing the potential widening project by leaving room along the road for utility improvements and decorative light stands, as well as pedestrian paths, Brandt said.

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Before choosing to seek a grant, Lincolnshire had budgeted $65,000 for the project, she said. Officials have talked about the widening of Milwaukee Avenue since Brandt was first elected to the board as a trustee in 2001, she said.

"We've been discussing improvements and the widening of Milwaukee Avenue for at least that long," Brandt said. "I'm not sold that (the project) will happen in the next couple of years, but we'll see."

Milwaukee Avenue spans two miles and fronts 600 acres of commercial, residential, office and mixed-use properties as it passes through Lincolnshire, village officials said.

If Lincolnshire works through CMAP, the agency would fund 80 percent of the cost and the village would fund the remaining 20 percent, Letendre said.

The potential partnership with Buffalo Grove also makes sense for officials there, Brandt said.

"It doesn't make sense for them to spend a lot of money either," she said. "They don't have much square footage on Milwaukee. Yet, it is a benefit to have a contiguous, thought-out plan."

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Phil Rockrohr is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Elmhurst police were still looking Monday for a missing person described from the 800 block of North Indiana.

Justin Antony, a 24-year-old of Indian descent, is considered endangered due to a seizure disorder and he has not taken his required medication, which places him in significant danger, police said.

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Antony left his home on a silver mountain bicycle about 5:30 p.m. Friday and his family last had contact with him at 8:33 p.m. He was expected at a church service in Bellwood but never showed up. Family members reported Antony missing at 11:08 p.m.

Police said he is known to hand out in parks.

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He is described as 5-feet, 6-inches tall, 150 pounds, with short black hair described as a buzz cut. He was wearing a yellow hoodie and blue jeans.

Police ask anyone with information to call 630-530-3050.
A red light camera could add a special precaution at Grand Avenue and the Metra tracks, a source of safety concerns in the past. (Pioneer Press / Pioneer Press)

Elmwood Park officials have entered an agreement with an outside firm to explore for the village the feasibility of stepped up enforcement around traffic signals in some areas, including the possibility of installing a red light camera at problem intersections.

At their April 3 Village Board meeting, trustees approved an agreement with Red Speed Illinois LLC to provide hardware, software and technicians to identify and enforce violations of traffic control signals within the village.

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The terms of the agreement are for six years after installation. Red Speed and village officials will mutually agree to the intersection that will be enforced based on community safety and traffic, said Village Manager Paul Volpe in his report. If a camera is installed, the village would pay a monthly fee of $1,400 for each active camera, he said.

The village would also pay individual fees for associated services rendered under the agreement, he said.

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Village President Angelo "Skip" Saviano said the proposal is still in the fact-finding stage, with the village and company exploring which locations would warrant enforcement based on community safety and traffic needs. He said sites under consideration would be in "areas where we have had safety issues."

One area that could possibly get a camera  "and that's what the study is about," stressed Saviano  is North and Harlem avenues, where a Walgreens is located on the village's side. The intersection also touches Chicago, Oak Park and River Forest.

The intersection includes a bus stop, "a lot of pedestrian traffic," and no designated turn lane  all adding up to "a lot of action" there, he noted.

North and Harlem avenues, with plenty of pedestrian traffic, a bus stop, and cars turning, is one possible candidate for a red light camera. (Pioneer Press / Pioneer Press)

Another possibility is the village's railroad tracks at Grand Avenue and the Metra station, where accidents have occurred over the years, including a multi-vehicle collision in 2005. Some kind of deterrent there "would be a very good thing," said Trustee Alan Kaminski.

"Despite the horrible incident that happened years ago, people still stop on the tracks; they change lanes on the tracks," he said. "If you try to wait on one side for traffic to clear, people, they go around you, they honk their horns. It's not a safe situation."

Saviano noted that cameras at that location, highlighting the safety issue, could be used to buttress the village's effort to secure funding for a reconstruction of the crossing.

"So it could be a win-win for us," he said.

Following the meeting, Saviano observed that the village did have a red light camera at one time at 76th and Grand Avenue but ended up taking it down, "because so many of our residents were being affected, and it was kind of a catch-all, and from a safety standpoint I don't know if it was necessary. We put up new signage, and that seems to be working. But on some of our busier outskirts, the state highway areas, we have some safety concerns."

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For instance, "Grand Avenue is a major thoroughfare from Bensenville all the way to the lakefront, so you have a lot of people who may not be familiar with that crossing," he noted. If a camera were installed at that location, the village could send violators a warning, underlining officials' safety concerns.

"This is not a revenue-generating thing for us," he said. "It's more of a safety thing."

In addition, he said, the village could use the findings in support of its bid to receive federal money to reconstruct the crossing, regarded as one of the most dangerous in the state.
Franklin Park and Northlake are among seven near west suburban communities using grant funding from Cook County to redevelop "brownfield" locations.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency presented Cook County with a $600,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant in 2014, according to a news release. Those funds are being distributed among seven Cook County municipalities: Franklin Park, Bellwood, Forest Park, Melrose Park, Maywood, Northlake, and Schiller Park.

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According to a fact sheet on the 2014 grant, a brownfield is an area in which "the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse ... may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant."

"Eradicating contaminants on brownfield sites will increase the fiscal stability of our communities by allowing vacant properties to again contribute to the tax base," Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle stated in a news release. "It will also help improve the health of residents who suffer from problems, such as asthma."

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According to information provided by Cook County, brownfield locations can include areas such as abandoned factories and gas stations.

"The grant pays for a plan of action that tells developers what they need to. So for instance, encapsulate an area with a parking lot or dig out 22 cubic yards of dirt. With this plan already paid for, developers can then just call someone up to start doing it," said John P. Schneider, Franklin Park's director of community development.

The grant covers cost of the study and planning phases of a site's remediation.

"So when we talk to developers who are interested in our village's land, we can show them that the land is clean or not clean, and the extent of the remediation that might be needed," said Eric Richard, a Franklin Park village planner. "It lowers their risk going in and saves them money  and a lender who will finance a developer will want to see this type of assessment anyways, so it's an incentive for developers."

The seven Cook County municipalities benefiting from the grant have at least 87 vacant, abandoned, or underused sites have been identified by the Center for Neighborhood Technology in these seven communities, according to a release. Additionally, the Illinois State Fire Marshall has identified 684 petroleum-related underground storage tank locations in these seven communities, according to information provided by Cook County.

Franklin Park's planning department lists the following seven village-owned sites as either currently having or will have environmental assessments made regarding the village's brownfield status: 2504 Rose St., which was formerly an abandoned multifamily building; 3010 Mannheim Road, which was formerly a Super 8 Motel site and also contains vacant land; 9545 Belmont Ave., the village's former police station; 9621 Pacific Ave., the former Leyden News Agency building, and vacant land at 10500 Grand Ave., 10424 Grand Ave., and 3300 River Road.

"I think we're going to have some good success stories using this grant funding in the village," said Schneider.

Alex V. Hernandez is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Without fire trucks and other equipment and technology, early La Grange firefighters relied on their own strength to reach a fire, said William Ruting.

The retired fire chief is writing a history of the early years of the La Grange Fire Department titled "Steel Men and Wooden Ladders."

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"It adds to the whole concept of what firefighting was. You realize that, at one time, hose carts were drawn by men. It was hundreds of pounds of equipment," Ruting said.

The lack of equipment in the 1920s and '30s are among the more interesting things he said he's discovered.

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The books delves into some important fires in village history. In 1886, a fire broke out in a meat market on Burlington Avenue, and spread to a barbershop, house, police magistrate's office, real estate office and shoe store before it was checked, according to Ruting's website.

In another conflagration, 17 horses were killed in a fire in 1906 in a stable on Calendar Avenue.

"With all the fires they had, there was only one human death (in those 60 years)," Ruting said.

A firefighter also died in the line of duty from heat exhaustion following a fire in 1902.

Ruting, who lives in Lyons, joined the department in 1970 as a paid on call firefighter, became a full-time firefighter in 1977 and was appointed chief in 1996. He retired in 2004.

He has about 400 pages written so far and anticipates writing another four chapters. The book covers about 60 years from the 1886 to 1945.

Ruting said he gathered the information for his book from records from the village, historical society, fire department and local newspapers. Scrolling through microfilm was interesting, but sometimes he got sidetracked by other interesting tidbits he found in old newspapers.

"There was so much going on. It's easy to get distracted," he said.

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Ruting got started on his project after fire chief Don Gay asked him to look into the department's history.

"I was trying to find out more about the department and I knew Bill had a lot of knowledge and the tenacity to look into it," Gay said.

It was Ruting's decision to turn the information into a book for which he plans to seek a publisher for or to self-publish.

"The more information I found the more I realized I would be able to turn this into something quite extensive," Ruting said.

Gay looks forward to reading the book.

"It's a start," he said. "It's fantastic and, with Bill starting it, who knows if there maybe someone on the department that will want to run with it."

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More information on the book is available at steelmenwoodenladders.com.

amannion@tribpub.com

Twitter @triblocalam
Tyler M. Jancovich, 20, of Twin Lakes, Wis., is being held on $1 million bail after being returned from California on home invasion and kidnapping charges. (Round Lake Park Police \ Handout)

A 20-year-old man from Twin Lakes, Wis., who allegedly fled to California after committing a home invasion in Round Lake Park, was returned to Illinois and is being held in Lake County Jail Monday on $1 million bail.

Tyler M. Jankovich, 20, of the 2900 block of 400th Avenue, was charged with two counts of home invasion, kidnapping, aggravated domestic battery, criminal trespass to residence and unlawful restraint for an incident on March 7, said Police Chief George Filenko.

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Police became involved on March 8 around 1 p.m. when a man flagged down a police officer in the 400 block of Kenwood Drive and said there had been a home invasion at his girlfriend's house, Filenko said. He added that police learned a 20-year-old female and her 4-month-old daughter had been held captive since the day before.

According to Filenko, the woman told police her ex-boyfriend, Jankovich, forced his way into her home on March 7 around 3:30 p.m. and would not let her leave or use a phone to call authorities. The two were forced into an upstairs bathroom where they stayed for two hours while he was destroying items inside the home, Filenko said, adding that she tried to make one escape, but she was stopped and sustained a facial injury.

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"The victim negotiated her way out of the bathroom using methods she had observed on television," Filenko said.

Around 5:30 p.m., according to Filenko, the suspect allowed her and the child to come out of the bathroom, but only under the condition that she call his cellphone and maintain an open connection for at least 30 minutes. After she heard him leave, she texted her current boyfriend and delayed notifying police for about 20 hours, he said.

After a warrant was issued, investigators learned Jankovich had fled to California and with the help of the U.S. Marshall's Great Lakes Regional Task Force and the Lake County Warrants Division, they were able to pinpoint his whereabouts in Norwalk, Calif., where he was taken into custody March 28 after leaving a house there, Filenko said.

He said Jankovich waived extradition and appeared in Lake County bond court Monday.

fabderholden@tribpub.com

Twitter @abderholden
Armani cargo shorts from 2006, when they were the height of fashion and were priced at $68.

The hint of summer over the Easter weekend had men across America digging into the bottom of their closets, pulling out their cargo shorts. That's where they left them last fall.

There is a growing throng who believe those cargo shorts should stay at the bottom of the closet.

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This anti-cargo shorts movement has been fostered, I am told, by elites who disdain this comfortable summer apparel. Cargo shorts, or more specific, cargo-pocketed shorts, are considered by some to be a pox on men.

Besides elites  those who forget there is a country between the East and West coasts  many women also feel this to be true. Or so I have been led to believe.

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I first noticed the cargo shorts rebellion last summer when business and fashion publications began railing against males cavorting in them, warning they are "the single worst item a man can wear in the summer." One magazine said they were "a scourge," gleefully reporting that sales of cargo shorts are at their lowest levels in a decade.

Even the 55-and-older set has weighed in on the topic. The magazine of AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, had a "style debate" in a recent edition, noting men "look better in a more tailored pair of shorts." Cargo shorts, the author snorted, are "drab and formless" and "outdated."

This is the time for a full disclosure: I'm outdated. I like cargo shorts. They are utilitarian, comfortable and classic.

Some who once served in the military recognize cargo shorts as the evolution from field pants, jungle fatigues or what were called by those in S-4 logistics simply "trousers, combat". Government issue has that certain bland terminology. That's why when wearing "trousers, combat," they never clashed with "coat, men's, cotton."

Instead of tags giving washing instructions, tags on military clothing back in the day would have lists pointing out how to use your clothes. They have such interesting facts as: "Coat is made larger than normal in order that Load Bearing Equipment does not cover pockets." Or: "Drain holes provided at the bottom of each pocket to allow water to drain out." Or one of my favorites: "Front closure can be opened for ventilation and should be closed for protection against insects." Like you didn't know these things?

But you did know that what came to be termed cargo pants could hold extra ammo, lighters, knives, C-ration pound cake, cleaning kits  you name it  in those jumbo pockets. And so, one-time military clothing has morphed into cargo shorts, whose pockets, I have an inkling, now hold all sorts of surprises, from cellphones to Swiss Army knives, to key chains loaded down with more keys than one can use.

Lake County News Sun Twice-weekly News updates from Lake County delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

A poll of guests at an Easter brunch found a divide split along gender lines, with men praising cargo shorts, women either disliking them or neutral about men's fashion. One millennial noted her generation jokes about wearing cargo shorts, but at the same time they still wear them. Take that, elites!

My observations have found that cargo shorts, while mocked by some, remain the summer clothing of choice for most males, although I don't recommend the plaid ones I saw on one gentleman last week. They were just so wrong in so many ways.

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If there is any indication that cargo shorts have peaked, I don't see it. Indeed, the flier in my weekend News-Sun from Menard's  "the total man's store!" as one women describes it  showed cargo shorts on sale for $7.11 (after all applicable rebates). I challenge you to get there before I grab all of them for my summer wardrobe.

And, wear your cargo shorts proudly.

Charles Selle is a former News-Sun reporter, political editor and editor.

sellenews@gmail.com

Twitter: @sellenews
A rendering of the proposed new entrance at Lake Zurich High School. (Courtesy of Lake Zurich Community Unit / HANDOUT)

A new, secure main entrance is coming to Lake Zurich High School after district board members recently approved nearly $1.17 million in construction contracts.

On April 12, board members at Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95 awarded a $1,168,921 contract to Manusos General Contracting of Fox Lake to build the new high school entrance, along with additional upgrades to the building, for $767,503, as well as $351,418 to complete safety projects at other district buildings.

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The new entrance at the high school will feature a secured vestibule and create a "more identifiable main entrance" for the first time, said Vicky Cullinan, assistant superintendent of business and operations for District 95.

"(The project) will be started right after the school year ends and will be completed before the start of next school year," Cullinan said.

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Lake Zurich High School currently has a main entrance near the flagpole in its circular driveway, but that space cannot be converted to include a vestibule, she said.

The new main entrance will be created at an existing entrance near the gym, between the field house and the current main entrance, Cullinan said.

Aside from general construction of the main entrance, the construction contract includes various alternate bids to cover minor upgrades at the high school, such as new lighting at the new entrance, outdoor benches and extra lighting under a new canopy by the proposed entrance, school officials said.

Officials initially budgeted $500,000 for the entrance work but increased it to $700,000 during the early stages of design, Cullinan said.

Other safety projects a part of the contract include door and hardware replacements at Isaac Fox School, May Whitney School, Middle School North, Middle School South, Sarah Adams School and Spencer Loomis School, as well as the replacement of solarium-style windows at Isaac Fox and Middle School South.

The new vestibule at Lake Zurich High School will provide a security station and waiting area for visitors before they are admitted to the school, Cullinan said.

In February, Superintendent Kaine Osburn said the new high school entrance should allow security officials a better opportunity to monitor every visitor entering the school.

"Our goal is to have an entrance that requires every visitor to be approved by security before physically entering the high school," Osburn said.

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Phil Rockrohr is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Oak Grove School District 68 Superintendent Lonny Lemon visits with students at Ignacio L. Vallarta Primary School in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. During his annual trip each year, he gives the school lost pencils from Libertyville. (Lonny Lemon)

For years, Lonny Lemon has been collecting pencils dropped on classroom floors and delivering them to a school in Mexico.

Lemon is the superintendent at Oak Grove School District 68 in Libertyville and Green Oaks, and each year when he visits his time-share property in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, he said he brings with him a stack of pencils.

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"Each day the janitors sweep the rooms and hallways and there's a big pile of dust bunnies, paper, candy wrappers and pencils," Lemon said. "One random day I was thinking about my trip to Puerto Vallarta when I saw all the pencils in a pile and I thought to myself 'they're just throwing them away.'"

When he went to the resort at the end of March, Lemon said he took 2,800 pencils in one of his luggage bags.

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The tradition started in 2006 when he was superintendent of the downstate Pawnee School District 11 and continued through a number of subsequent jobs, including his five years in Oak Grove, he said.

Ignacio L. Vallarta Primary School is located behind several prominent restaurants in the downtown area of Puerto Vallarta, and Lemon said he and his wife walk by it when they go from their resort to the dining district. For years, Lemon would toss his stack of pencils through an open window or roll it through a fence toward the front door.

"We usually go during winter break or spring break, and I've done this for 10 years but (I've) never seen the kids," Lemon said. "During winter break, the schools in Mexico are out for Christmas. The same for spring break, because they have Easter off."

This year was different because Easter was later.

"It was just fate that I saw them this year," Lemon said. "We had enough of the sun and decided to go downtown. I happened to hear them when we were walking by, and oddly enough we dropped the pencils off the night before."

Lemon said he was able to meet with a school official and then tour the building.

"There's nothing in those classrooms," Lemon said. "There's a cement floor that hasn't been painted in 25 years, some gnarled up desks that have to be at least 50 years old, and there's a teachers desk with a file cabinet and a typewriter. That's it. There's no bookshelves, no resources, nothing."

Although they had never met, Lemon said the school officials knew who he was because last year he attached a photo of himself and Oak Grove's maintenance director Ozzie Suarez, who grew up in Mexico.

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"Here at Oak Grove we have six custodians who are native to Mexico," Lemon said. "While this was my idea, much of the effort these past few years has been from the custodial staff who got behind it, and probably because they know how rough it can be down there."

During the tour, Lemon said he noticed that a majority of the pencils he saw were American brands. After doing a head count and asking the teacher a few questions, Lemon said he concluded that each student received between 15 and 20 pencils from Oak Grove per year.

"Back in the day we would use pencil sharpeners to see how small we could whittle a pencil and still use it," Lemon said. "These kids had pencils that small, but out of necessity."

Students at Oak Grove were aware of his efforts. Lemon said he had a contest for kids to guess how many pencils were in his pile.

"It really makes you appreciate what you throw away, because it could be gold to someone else," Lemon said.

However, with more publicity, Lemon said he assumes more parents will tell their kids to keep better track of their costly pencils.

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"Whatever happens, this is still a good lesson in easy ways to be philanthropic," Lemon said. "It could be as simple as saving space in a carry-on bag during a trip you're already taking."

Not all pencils he found went to Mexico. Lemon said he still gave a portion to Oak Grove teachers for their "community pools." He estimates 13,500 pencils have gone to Mexico from the various schools he's worked at over the years.

Looking ahead, Lemon said he's curious about finding ways to get the school newer desks.

rkambic@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @Rick_Kambic
Short of time and money to travel? No problem. You can spend "April in Paris" with the Park Ridge Chorale. Director Edward Zelnis has created an eclectic program for the April 22 concert, focusing on aspects of that magical city, that's guaranteed to please music lovers of all tastes.

"I've always had an affinity for Paris and all the arts elements that surround it," Zelnis said. "Throughout the whole history of the city, every great painter and writer from Europe, from America, ended up in Paris at one point. So, it provided a tremendous spectrum of musical ideas and cultural ideas to use."

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Zelnis noted that since the Park Ridge Chorale members enjoy performing all kinds of music, "We'll usually do many different styles in the same concert. Paris was one of those themes that opened up so many possibilities."

The program includes selections from "Beauty and the Beast." "It's set in France and the lead characters are Parisian," Zelnis explained. He added, "It is rather amazing how many Broadway shows and how many films with music are tied in to Paris as a theme." Songs from "Les Miserables," "La Cage Aux Folles" and "Gigi" made the cut for the concert.

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Other selections include two Edith Piaf songs and selections from two Cole Porter Broadway shows centered around Paris, "Can-Can" and "Fifty Million Frenchmen."

The theme from "The Pink Panther" is also on the program. "It's a fun arrangement where, in addition to singing, the choir is doing a lot of percussion  finger-snapping and slapping rhythms on their bodies," the director said.

Corrine Bachar, who has been a member of the Park Ridge Chorale for nearly 20 years, described the two Piaf songs as "very recognizable. And we're doing those in French so those are my challenge but I have enjoyed those a lot."

Bachar has been selected to sing a duet, "I Remember it Well" from the movie "Gigi."

Adrienne Dimopoulos has been a member of the group for over 20 years. She praised the theme of this concert, saying, "I really like  and it's also quite timely  all the 'Beauty and the Beast' music we're doing," she said. "That's a fun, upbeat set."

Dimopoulos added that an especially appealing aspect of this concert is, "So much of this music is so familiar. We all realized that over the years there have been so many French-related musicals and composers. There were so many things based in Paris."

Dimopoulos is also doing a duet. "It's part of a piece called, 'Paris,'" she said. "It's the opening number of the concert. We're supposed to be this couple sitting at a cafe singing about how wonderful Paris is and then the rest of the group starts singing." The selection is from "Abelard and Heloise."

The show will conclude with "The Best of Times" from "La Cage Aux Folles," which Zelnis described as "a wonderful, uplifting, inspiring anthem to life. It embodies to me the spirit of Paris."

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Park Ridge Chorale presents, 'April in Paris'

When: 7 p.m. April 22

Where: St. Luke's Lutheran Church, 203 N. Prospect, Park Ridge

Tickets: $16 adults, $14 seniors, in advance; $18 and $16 at the door; free for those under 18

Information: (224) 585-3403; www.parkridgechorale.com
The Park Ridge City Council is being asked to approve the addition of more paramedics and police officers over the next year. (Jennifer Johnson / Pioneer Press)

The city of Park Ridge will be hiring additional paramedics and police officers over the next year.

The Park Ridge City Council on Monday approved the city's 2017-18 municipal budget, which includes salaries, pension contributions and benefits for three more firefighter/paramedics and two additional patrol officers.

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Appearing before elected officials on April 12, Fire Chief Jeff Sorensen and Police Chief Frank Kaminski presented their cases for why additional personnel are necessary within their respective departments.

Sorensen cited increasing call volume as the key reason for boosting staffing levels within the fire department. The department's 2016 annual report showed crews responded to a total of 4,868 calls last year  a new record high. In the last 10 years, calls have increased by 13.7 percent, the data shows.

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Sorensen told the City Council he expects calls for service will continue to climb as new multi-family housing developments are built in the city.

"More people means more calls," he said. "And that [proposed] assisted living facility [at Greenwood and Northwest Highway] for sure equals more calls."

Sorensen noted that his department no longer has a deputy fire chief and personnel are "doing things as lean as we can do it."

The cost for the three additional paramedics, including pension contributions, is estimated at $306,936 for the first full year they will be on staff, which is 2018-19, Sorensen's memo indicates.

Within the police department, Kaminski requested the addition of two officers, whom he said will be assigned to patrol. Kaminski said the officers are needed because the department is never fully staffed, due to injuries, illnesses, extended leave, training, time off and retirements. Gaps also exist when officers have to be in court, he said, and more may be created as officers retire. Currently, there are five officers who have 25 years of police service, Kaminski told the council.

"We're just trying to prepare to handle the demands," he said.

Four police officer positions and two full-time community service officer positions were eliminated by the City Council in 2010.

The two additional police officers will result in a cost of approximately nearly $210,000 in 2018-19, according to a memo from Kaminski to the City Council. The additions will increase total staffing from 54 sworn officers to 56, he said.

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Both Sorensen and Kaminski noted that the new hires will reduce the amount spent on overtime within their respective departments, offsetting the total expense to hire them.

In the fire department, the reduction is anticipated at approximately $100,000 per year, while in the police department, the savings is estimated at $40,000 in 2018-19 and $60,000 in 2019-20, according to documents shared with the council.

Kaminski is also seeking one additional civilian employee within the records department. The proposal calls for a full-time records technician, who will work with two part-time technicians. The position is necessary due to an ever-increasing workload, which includes responding to a growing number of Freedom of Information Act requests, and the likelihood that the department will begin rolling out officer body cameras in 2018, Kaminski told the council.

"Current news articles indicate that agencies that have implemented body cameras have needed to add additional staff to manage the videos and handle FOIA and court-related requests for video footage," Kaminski's memo read.

Having part-time records technicians resulted in high turnover as some of the employees have left for full-time positions elsewhere, the police chief said. The department saw three records technicians depart within the last year, he added.

"I'd be glad to move forward with three full-time records people, but I think that request is unrealistic," Kaminski told the council.

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The new position would result in a cost of $47,892 for salary, pension contributions and other benefits, according to the police chief's memo.

Sixth Ward Ald. Marc Mazzuca expressed criticism of the police department proposals.

Mazzuca said he didn't agree with the argument for the full-time records technician and questioned why it was taking so long for the police department to begin using body cameras. As for the two additional officers, he also pointed out that the annual department reports have shown crime declining over the past few years in the city.

"It seems like we're getting along just fine, at least from the metrics," he said.

Kaminski said he is concerned about officer burnout if the department continues to rely on overtime instead of adding two new officers.

"Look at this as an investment in the current officers you have that are doing a good job," he said.

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In addition to the police and fire positions, the adopted city budget includes a request for a full-time human resources assistant, who will work with the human resources manager and generalist.

jjohnson@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter: @Jen_Tribune
Jackson County Board of Supervisors.jpg

In a 3-2 vote, Supervisors Barry Cumbest, Melton Harris, and Troy Ross voted to keep Acadian Ambulance Services as the county's EMS provider. (file photo/Gulflive.com)

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - In a 3-2 vote, Acadian Ambulance Services has retained and will continue to be the medical service provider for Jackson County.

The issue was settled at Monday's Board of Supervisors meeting as Supervisors Barry Cumbest, Melton Harris, and Board President Troy Ross outvoted Supervisors Ken Taylor and Randy Bosarge to enter a contract with Acadian Ambulance Services.

Last week, Taylor took to Facebook to express his displeasure and voice concerns with Acadian requesting an additional fifty-nine seconds in regards to response times.

Taylor said he was going public with his concerns because he felt the Board of Supervisors were "failing" the citizens of Jackson County entering with a contract with Acadian. At Monday's meeting, Taylor read his resolution asking that the county not enter negotiations with Acadian and instead enter contract negotiations with American Medical Response (AMR).

Taylor did not receive any support from any of his supervisors, resulting in failure of his resolution. Last week, Bosarge said he supported Taylor although he did not provide the necessary vote for Taylor's resolution to be considered.

"I did not second Mr. Taylor's motion simply because this is a Request for Proposals (RFP)," Bosarge said. "The RFP clearly says eight minutes - not eight minutes and 59 seconds - its eight minutes. If we are to be fair and set a precedence with this board, I have a problem with renegotiating this contract for fifty-nine seconds.

Bosarge continued: "I feel as if the fifty-nine seconds should have been afforded to all the other people who bid this proposal therefore, I can't support this contract unless the fifty-nine seconds is removed or the other companies can re-bid at the eight minutes fifty-nine seconds. I support the language of Mr. Taylor's resolution, but I did not want to go enter discussions with anyone who had not had the opportunity to bid for the allotted time requested."

According to Ross, he too had concerns about the additional fifty-nine seconds and said that he decided to look deeper to find evidence supporting the requested change - which he did.

Ross cited an article from 2014 from the National Association of EMS physicians that spoke to the eight minute, fifty-nine second as being the national standard.

The additional fifty-nine seconds provide ambulance services a grace period not to exceed those additional seconds. Because that is the national standard, Ross determined he did not have an issue with Acadian's request.

"Be it good or bad, it is a standard that exists and that is why we have records they show they were within their standard with the eight and eight minute fifty-nine seconds all along," Ross said. "So in essence, everyone was given an opportunity in the beginning to bid for eight minutes fifty-nine seconds."

Taylor inquired with counsel regarding the contract language specifically asking for eight minutes and not the additional time requested - counsel agreed with Ross. Ross went on to cite another quote from research he gathered that further cemented his point regarding the time frame, along with four additional charts.

"It is clear that there is enough information that says that eight minutes fifty-nine seconds is the standard and not something someone just pulled out of the air because if it was, it's not something that would exist in Dallas, California, New York, and in Mississippi," Ross said.

"I don't think the RFP said industry standard, the RFP said eight minutes with an 80 percent response time reliability," Bosarge said.

Taylor continued to ask Acadian spokesman Bennie French questions regarding contracts Acadian bid to surrounding counties such as Hancock and Harrison. French told Taylor that he did not have those contracts with him, but he would check them and provide Taylor with a response if needed.

Ross called conversation being held after the RFP had been awarded irresponsible and that Monday's conversation should have been held during the RFP process.

"This conversation should have been had during the RFP award process, not after the award has already been made," Ross said. "I think it is irresponsible to take the award apart and then create an environment that destroys the outcome of a decision you didn't like because you think fifty-nine seconds may or may not be in play."

The Mississippi Press attempted to speak with Bennie French of Acadian during Monday's meeting, but he refused comment and walked away.
The following are stories as they appeared in The Lake County Star, a weekly newspaper started more than 150 years ago that covered all of Lake County and most of Porter County. The paper was owned and operated by the Wheeler family, descendants of Crown Point founder Solon Robinson. Items are replicated here as they originally appeared.

April 20, 1917

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At a meeting in Chicago last Thursday with Hinton G. Claybaugh, superintendent of the federal secret service for the central states, Sheriff L. E. Barnes and Marshal Platt were given federal authority, together with the chiefs of police in Hammond, East Chicago and Gary. Each official was given printed instructions which are as follows: "Under the proclamation of the President, dated April 6, 1917, it is unlawful for alien enemies to have in their possession the following articles: Any firearm, weapon or implement of war or component part thereof, ammunition, maxim or other silencer, bomb, or explosive, or material used in the manufacture of explosives, any aircraft or wireless apparatus, or any form of signaling device or any form of cipher code or any paper, document or book written or printed in cipher or in which there may be invisible writing"

Washington, April 19  The United States is now ready to place $3,000,000,000 to the credit of the entente allies and to spend $4,000,000,000 toward America's part in the war against Germany.

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Administration suggestions as to possible new sources of taxation through which to raise approximately one-half of the estimated cost of the first year of the war, or $1,807,250,000, were submitted by Secretary McAdoo to the senate finance and house ways and means committees. Outstanding in the suggestions are greatly increased income and excess profit tax rates, taxing of many imported articles now admitted free, and stamp, liquor, amusement, sugar, coffee, tobacco, soft drink, freight and passenger transportation receipts, and automobile taxes. Probably the most far reaching proposal concerns income taxes. The secretary estimates that a 50 percent increase on both individuals and corporations for 1916, collectable next June, would yield $165,000,000 additional.

April 24, 1942

E. Miles Norton, chairman of the government's sugar rationing program in the county, announced Tuesday morning that registration for card allotments has been set for April 28 and 29 for commercial dealers, public and private institutions, and May 4, 5, 6, 7 for consumers. The registration of both groups in the Crown Point area, Chairman Norton said, will take place at the high school building on West Joliet street, and will most likely take the full time allotted to complete the big job of registering several thousand applicants. The Crown Point high school building will also be place of registration for dealers and institution heads in Winfield and Center townships on April 28-29, Martin Howkinson, rationing chairman for the county's rural areas said Wednesday. While the basic ration will be eight ounces a person weekly, actual distribution will be for two-week periods. Thus, the first four coupons in the ration book will enable the consumer to call at his grocery every two weeks and obtain a full pound of sugar. Thus a family of four will be entitled to four pounds of sugar for the first two weeks.

While Victory salvage is being collected here this week as part of the April clean-up campaign instituted by Governor Henry F. Schricker and sponsored by the state Civil Defense organization, Mrs. Carl Davis, chairman of the women's division, calls attention to the continued need for used rubber, on the critical list along with scrap iron. Sources of rubber salvage about the home include tires for automobiles, bicycles and other "wheel goods," rubber shoe soles, drug sundries, rubberized clothing and hundreds of such miscellaneous household articles as rubber stamps, and pads, matting, hose and fruit jar rings.

April 21, 1967

Tuesday evening on the Bulldog diamond, Crown Point hardballers downed Gary Wirt 7-0 behind the no-hit pitching of Senior Jack Pettit. Pettit throttled the tough Wirt squad, walking only tow while fanning 12 in the seven inning contest. Wirt was last year's Calumet Conference champion. The Wirt hurler, Mike Popescue, had a no-hit game going into the fifth inning,  but then the Hub bats began to speak. Senior Larry Fisher led the attack as he smacked two singles in the inning and scored one run. Senior Terry Fricke drove in three runs with a long double, and he scored himself on Fisher's second single. Seniors Dave Hodge and Pete Horst also contributed a single to the attack. The leading hitter for the Bulldogs after the Wirt game is sophomore Rich Bonesteel, who has a .500 average in six official at bats. Junior Bob Corbin is hitting at a .400 clip with two-for-five. Senior Dave Hodge is the highest among the Hub regulars as he is batting .333 in 12 official at bats. The over-all team average is .226.

Crown Point track team defeated Lake Central 65-54 Monday evening at the Lake Central fieldhouse in Dyer. Senior Dave Schramm once again took top honors in the 440-yard run  a thing that has become a habit for the lanky scholar. Sophomore Dave Kielman placed third in this event. Junior John Carter won first in the 100-yard dash, as well as the 220-yard dash, to lead the Bulldogs in scoring. He also teamed with juniors Cole Viers and Jim Graden and senior Bob Bieker to win the half-mile relay. Graden powered his way to first in the shot put, and Bieker took second in the low hurdles. In the pole vault the Bulldogs finished extremely well, with junior Dennis Lorenz capturing first and senior Steve Wilson, second. Joe and Jerry Kacmar, a valuable junior-senior combination for the Hub, placed first and third in the high jump, respectively. Junior Warren Johnson won first in the two-mile run, and Viers captured first in the long jump. In the 880-yard run, Joe Kacmar placed second and sophomore Mike Conquest, third. Juniors Jerry Lear and John Isley teamed up to take second and third, respectively in the high hurdles for the Bulldogs.

One parent has paid his share, $180.65, on the costs of vandalism damage to Crown Point school buildings committed by three teenagers earlier this year. Buildings suffering damage were the Lake Street Elementary school, South Ward school, and the high school building, school board members were told Thursday night.

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kconley@post-trib.com
Happy Birthday

April 20: Triple header: Jerry Davich, Eric Doris, and Todd Kleven. The baby is 40.

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April 22: Jack Allendorf

April 23: Kim Goletz (she is married to Little Mike)

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April 25: Marisa Schweitzer shares this day with Tim Tully

April 26: Shawn Ballentine shares date with Tina Pease Poling

Happy Anniversary

April 21: Christy and Andy Yoder

At 9 a.m. on Saturday, Old Sheriff's House Foundation 226 S. Main St., Crown Point is hosting a volunteer training orientation. The group needs tour guides, gift shop workers, and volunteers with painting, carpentry, electrical, plumbing or lawn mowing skills.

Flight Night at Zoobilee will be held from 6-10 p.m. Saturday at the Michigan City Airport, 1300 Indiana 212 N. The event is presented by Washington Park Zoological Society and it will feature special performances by the Indiana Ballet Theatre. This casual evening will feature samples of food, beer, wine and dancing from around the globe. This is a 21 and over event only. Tickets are available at www.washingtonparkzoo.com/events, the Zoo window or call 219-873-1510.

April 28, 29 and 30 is the Indiana Dunes State Park "glamping" weekend and vintage camper rally. Glamorous camping, or "glamping," is a way to experience the outdoors without forgoing creature comforts. Vintage campers will also be on display, with an open house scheduled for Saturday from 2-4 p.m. Camping is available for both vintage campers and those with more modern camping units. Visit www.camp.in.gov or call 1-866-622-6746 to make reservations. There will be $2 per person donation for a sunset hayride, free Beach Yoga sessions on Saturday and Sunday in front of the beach pavilion, relaxing in the outdoors, beach glass jewelry making, a camping recipe tasting and exchange and example glamping sites and much more.

Become a life saver: From 3-6 p.m. on April 29 and 7 a.m. to noon April 30, Holy Spirit Catholic Church Parish Life Center will be registering healthy adults between 18 and 55 years old to be a potential bone marrow donor at 7667 East 109th Ave in Crown Point. To register, a volunteer will swab the inside of each cheek for 30 seconds, and you have to fill out a form. There is no charge to register. The confirmation students at Holy Spirit are hosting the drive. The students partnered with DKMS, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to eradicating blood cancers like leukemia and other blood-related illnesses inspiring both men and women around the world to register as bone marrow and blood stem cell donors. For more information, go to dkms.org.

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My husband Dennis is enjoying the clear vision after having both of his cataracts removed. He is thrilled  he can see again and is once again able to drive. He said what amazed him the most was how bright the world around him looks now. It was very dark before.

Congratulations to Nicole Uran who passed the Air Traffic Controller entrance exam for the U.S. Air Force and is now headed to basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Tex. After getting through an intense three months of basic training, she will be transferred to Keesler AFB in Biloxi, Miss for either 72 days of technician school or an entire year of study to be a new Air Traffic Controller. According to her proud dad, Mayor Dave Uran, she has been designated as a squad leader. Nicole is 21 years old. Her family is going to have to get used to only communicating with her by snail mail for the extent of her basic training in San Antonio. She will not have access to any form of electronic communication.

kconley@post-trib.com
Although the Barker Mansion has offered walking tours in the fall, the Michigan City institution has not offered one in spring  until now.

Springtime History Hike departs Saturday from the Barker Mansion and covers several sites along a route that spans approximately 1 mile. Reservations are required via Eventbrite or by calling the mansion.

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"The Barkers played a key role in Michigan City's history," said TJ Kalin, heritage interpreter for the mansion. "People come to the mansion and a lot of times people want to learn about Michigan City history in general. We like to start at the mansion, talk about who the Barkers are, see where the factory was and the buildings they built in Michigan City, such as Barker Hall and the YMCA.

"There's a lot of history in the mansion, and that history expands out in the neighborhood."

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Springtime History Hike includes the site of the former Barker and Haskell Car Co. factory founded in 1852, the historic Barker and Haskell workers' cottages on 4th Street and the location of the original Barker house, where the family lived before the mansion was built.

Other stops on the walking tour include the site of the first log cabin in Michigan City, Trinity Church, the library and the post office.

"Along the way we will talk about the history of the Barkers in Michigan City, as well as the history of the city itself," Kalin said in a statement.

"When the tour heads down Franklin Street we will talk about Maj. Isaac C. Elston's role in the founding of the city and how he shaped Michigan City's downtown today. Trails used by Native Americans and fur traders that crossed downtown before the city was founded will also be pointed out."

Kalin, of Valparaiso, has been working with the Barker Mansion for 11 months, focusing on interpreting the Barkers' history.

"I plan programs like this. I give our daily tours. I also spend a lot of time doing research here," he said. "We're in the process of organizing archives and finding out what we have in the archives. I hope to get some sort of book out on just the history of the Barkers and their place in the region.

"A lot of time is spent doing research. I just like being at the mansion and educating people about history, just trying to take the local history and people's heritage and bringing it out to them, taking what I know and sharing that knowledge and educating people about their own history.

"I like bringing out that public history."

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Built by freight car industrialist and philanthropist John Barker in 1905, the Barker Mansion has 38 rooms and was presented to Michigan City in 1968 by Barker's daughter Catherine Barker Hickox.

Springtime History Hike through downtown Michigan City is co-led by Jessica Rosier, director of the Barker Mansion, along with volunteers Bruce and Pat Frankinburger.

"We recommend comfortable shoes. We'll provide reusable monogrammed Barker Mansion water bottles. It'll be an hour and a half outside. If it's raining outside, we'll have a special tour inside instead," Kalin said.

"If there's inclement weather, we'll offer a behind the scenes tour, which is probably one of our most popular events. You can see the basement and all 30,000 square feet of the mansion."

Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

Springtime History Hike

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When: 10 a.m. Saturday

Where: Departs from the Barker Mansion, 631 Washington St., Michigan City

Tickets: $10 adult; $5 senior or age 15 and younger (includes monogrammed reusable water bottle to take home)

Information: 219-873-1520 or www.barkermansion.com, click Special Events under Mansion.
Blossom was thrown out of a semitrailer at a local steel mill.

Erin was found under a trailer, starving and in kidney failure. Virginia weighed five pounds and had broken through the mobile home floor where she was living to escape.

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And then Michelle Duca and her Feline Community Network got involved, giving the cats and many more a refuge of last resort, saving them from death or a life of suffering and loneliness.

Duca doesn't normally take in strays or cats surrendered at her Hobart location, but she does provide a safe and comfortable home for what she calls "community cats," ones that have been cast aside by their owners, are injured or starving, until they're adopted.

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"If funds and space are available, we'll take cats we find that are hurting, but only those in Lake and Porter counties," said Duca, who added that FCN, which just completed its first full year in operation, is run solely on donations and volunteers.

While the Feline Community Network's current location at 154 S. Illinois St., Hobart, has ample space for the 40-some cats there now, Duca is hoping to move into a new location on two acres in north Hobart, giving the rescue and adoption agency room to grow.

"It's just not working for us," she said of the current location.

She said the owners of the property she is eyeing are asking about $150,000 for the 2,500-square-foot building and land.

Hobart zoning director Carroll Lewis said zoning would not be a hurdle for Duca if she secures the new building.

"She runs an adoption agency, not a kennel. She does not buy, sell, breed or take in animals while their owners are on vacation. She adopts animals. Zoning wouldn't be an issue," Lewis said.

To make her goal, she needs donations to purchase the property. A fundraising event is planned for May 14 at Woodland Park in Portage to help.

Duca said she'd like to bring back her Kibble Kitchen Pet Pantry, which provided pet food for families in need. She operated the pantry out of her current location before switching course last year to cat rescue and adoptions

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She would like to start an education component and a spay and neuter clinic. She also has a small store in her building, selling pet-related items.

And of course there would be more room for the cats that she finds and nurtures until they find permanent homes.

Hobart Fire Chief Brian Kerr said if Duca moves to a different building, there would need to be an inspection.

"She runs a very clean and well-run cat shelter," said Kerr. He said Duca helped him and his family take care of two kittens they adopted from another rescue shelter that had to be euthanized for health reasons and the mother cat his family still has.

A recent visit to the shelter found most cats kept in clean oversized cages with beds, toys, scratching posts, ample food and water. They get veterinary care and needed medication.

A few "teenagers" shared one large cage with a scratching tower with a window view, a scratching post and a settee to hide under, along with toys, food and water.

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A pregnant cat about to give birth had her own private room with a laminate wood floor, birthing pool and cage with a dark area.

Those with health issues are placed in isolation in a separate area.

Duca said her goal is to find good, permanent families for the cats.

"If we don't get any adoptions, we can't get more cats," she said.

Karen Caffarini is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

Learn more about the group

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For information, visit its website at www.felinecommunitynetwork.org or follow it on Facebook at www.Facebook,com/felinecommunitynetwork, or on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/Felinesmatter.
A blind woman being terrorized by a stranger for reasons she doesn't understand decides to level the playing field in "Wait Until Dark." The Theatre of Western Springs is presenting Frederick Knott's thriller under the direction of artist-in-residence Greg Kolack of Elmhurst.

Kolack said that he knows the 1966 play very well because he was in a production of it some 30 years ago, playing the villain, Harry Roat. In addition, he saw a staging of it at the Theatre of Western Springs about 20 years ago, plus several other productions through the years. "I know this show inside and out," Kolack said. "That's been very helpful because it's an extremely complicated technical show. There's a ton of details."

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He added that it's quite different from the 1967 film version which starred Audrey Hepburn and Alan Arkin "but it still retains the spirit and the plot."

Abigail Madden plays the blind woman, Susy Hendrix, who becomes the target of a trio of con men. Madden described preparing for this role as "exciting, and a little nerve-wracking. Besides the normal preparation that you do, there's a lot of added elements playing someone who's blind."

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Madden, who is managing director of Chicago's Red Orchid Theatre, has been doing extensive preparation in order to be convincing as a blind person, including spending a morning at Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital. "They have a really amazing program for veterans that either have become recently blind or through a degenerative disease have lost their sight," she said. "I went through some of the sessions. The first one, they blindfolded me and I worked with someone walking around with me as a guide. The second one, I learned how to use a stick blindfolded. The next two, I observed some of their patients. I came out of there with a lot of respect for both the staff and their patients."

One of the things Madden learned is that in playing a blind person, she shouldn't make eye contact with anyone, "which is an interesting thing as an actor," she said.

"She has to focus with her ears as opposed to her eyes," Kolack explained.

There's more to Susy than her blindness, though. "She's independent and loving," Madden said. "She's strong-willed. She's one of the bravest characters that I've ever played. She never gives up."

David Rodriguez plays the villain Harry Roat. "There are so many avenues that can be taken with this character," he noted. "It's been really enjoyable as an actor to toy with it."

Rodriguez, who is the artistic director of Vera Voce in St. Charles, described Roat as very much like Sherlock Holmes' nemesis Moriarty. "He is in control of every situation, even when it veers off the rails and goes in a different path," the actor said. "He has already more or less accounted for what could possibly happen."

As far as the director's expectations for the audience's reaction, Kolack said, "I hope we can keep them on the edge of their seats."

The Theatre of Western Springs presents, 'Wait Until Dark'

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When: 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Sundays, April 20-30; plus 7:30 p.m. April 23 and 2:30 p.m. April 29; there will be talkbacks after the show on April 21 and 28

Where: 4384 Hampton Ave., Western Springs

Tickets: $20-$22

Information: (708) 246-3380; www.theatrewesternsprings.com
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Jackson County Judge T. Larry Wilson set bond at $40,000 Monday for the owner of an Ocean Springs martial arts school accused of sex with a minor.

Wilson set bond at $20,000 for each of the two counts of sexual battery against 48-year-old Allen Todd Pisarich of Ocean Springs, owner of the Academy for Mixed Martial Arts, located on Old Spanish Trail across from Ocean Springs Middle School. Wilson also issued a no-contact order prohibiting Pisarich from having any contact with the victim.

During Monday's initial hearing, Pisarich reportedly said the charges against him are the result of a "smear campaign," according to the Sun Herald.

Pisarch was arrested by U.S. Marshals last Thursday afternoon. Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell said the arrest came after a five-month investigation of Pisarich which began in November after allegations of sexual abuse and inappropriate conduct by Pisarich towards juveniles known to him.

Court documents say that on Oct. 13, 2016, Pisarch engaged in sexual penetration with a minor, who was not a student at his martial arts school.

Ezell said additional charges against Pisarich "are expected." If convicted of the current charges, Pisarich faces up to 30 years in prison for each count.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact the Jackson County Sheriff's Office at 228-769-3063/3065 or Mississippi Coast Crimestoppers at 877-787-5898.
It's Election Day, Pueblo. Make sure your vote is counted

Ballots must be returned to a staffed voter center or a drop box by 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8 at the latest to be counted. It's not too late to register.
Factory farms are now required to report their dangerous air emissions, and there will be more opportunity for citizens and public interest groups to expose the harm that factory farms cause to humans, animals, and the environment. Photo by The HSUS

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Last week, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals nullified a Bush-era regulation that gave something of a free pass to factory farms that pollute the air and water. The regulation wrongly exempted factory farms from any obligation to report releases of toxic air emissions, including ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, which can cause so many problems for animals and for homeowners sharing the same drinking and breathing resources with the massive animal operations. The HSUS and a coalition of public interest groups filed suit, challenging the regulatory exemption, arguing that it violated the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation & Liability Act. The Circuit Court found EPA doesnt have carte blanche to ignore the statute[s] whenever it decides the reporting requirements arent worth the trouble. As a result, factory farms are now required to report their dangerous air emissions, and there will be more opportunity for citizens and public interest groups to expose the harm that factory farms cause to humans, animals, and the environment.

Its a timely ruling in light of two cases pending in two of the three biggest pig-producing states  Minnesota and North Carolina. As the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported today, residents and neighbors in Todd County filed suit in 2014, with the assistance of HSUS lawyers and concerned local attorneys, alleging that a massive gestation crate confinement facility with 4,000 pigs constituted a legal nuisance. But now the state legislature is attempting to pass a bill protecting factory farms from being sued for the nuisance and danger they present to rural communities. As reported by the Star Tribune, a neighbor of the facility told legislators the dust and smell became so bad that her youngest son began having terrifying asthma attacks. He couldnt play outside, he couldnt wait for the bus, she said. Then, after her son had an attack so severe they feared they couldnt get to the hospital in time, they moved. Many other local residents cannot afford to leave and are forced to simply endure the smell and noise from the facility, including neighbor Joel Walsh, who explained: In our backyard, we have a couple of apple trees, but she couldnt hardly stand to pick because on the other side of those trees was where they had their dead bodies. The smell was so bad.

The Minnesota case was set to go to trial this week, but the trial has been continued until later this year. A similar case filed by HSUS attorneys against an even larger gestation crate factory farm in North Carolina challenges another sweeping federal exemption from pollution reporting for massive animal confinement facilities. Despite attempts by the defendant to have the case dismissed on technical grounds, that matter is set to go to trial next year.

The whole factory farming system is showing cracks under the weight of the problems it spawns. Air quality and water quality problems in communities are just two consequence of their operations. An even less discussed problem in factory farming is our governments response and massive taxpayer spending to contain disease outbreaks in confinement facilities for chicken and turkey flocks. In 2014-2015, during the highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak in commercial poultry, the disease spread rapidly, and the response was massive depopulation actions from state and federal personnel. During the outbreak, agents killed more than 48 million birds across 15 states in 223 facilities. The bulk of the birds were killed in Iowa (32 million) and Minnesota (nine million). The cost of the outbreak was estimated at $3.3 billion (starting to be real money in the words of Sen. Everett Dirksen) and 18 trading partners imposed bans on the shipment of U.S. poultry and products and another 38 imposed partial restrictions. In other words, this was a serious issue for the birds, the factory farms, and for taxpayers.

In a follow-up investigation, it was determined that the virus was so infectious and spread so rapidly that the old methods of depopulation were too slow. It was proposed as a new goal that, once a poultry facility was determined to be infected, all the birds in the facility had to be killed within 24 to 48 hours to prevent the spread of the virus to other facilities. The American Veterinary Medical Association, the leading trade association for veterinarians, has now produced draft guidelines for how mass depopulation (of hundreds of thousands if not millions of birds) might be achieved within 24 to 48 hours. We can sympathize with those involved in producing these draft guidelines. On the one hand, they are asked to prescribe a response to massive public health threats involving highly pathogenic bird flu strains (outlined in great detail by my former colleague, Dr Michael Greger, in his 2006 book on bird flu). On the other, how does one humanely kill hundreds of thousands of birds within 24 hours?

The AVMA favored public health concerns over humane treatment by approving Ventilation System Shutdown (VSD) to kill the birds in place (literally lock the doors and shut off all air systems so the indoor air gets so hot that the animals suffocate) or burial alive leading to suffocation in a pit covered by dirt, among other methods. Members of the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association considered these options and decided that they could not endorse either method. Our veterinarians acknowledge that its a terrible dilemma once these pathogens are unleashed because if they spread, millions more animals will die, because of the effect of the disease or as a consequence of the control efforts. But sanctioning demonstrably inhumane methods is a non-starter with people whove taken an oath to protect animals from distress and cruelty.

Here again, the real culprit is the structural system of factory farming that confines enormous numbers of mammals and birds who are uniquely vulnerable when something goes wrong (whether theres a tornado, a failure in a cooling system, or an introduced pathogen). The whole system must change. And the immediate question is, why should adjacent communities and taxpayers have to bear the costs of foreseeable problems not of their making and that are almost an inevitable consequence of putting too many vulnerable beings in a single place? Tens of thousands, or even millions, of animals are unmanageable once something goes wrong.

Every veterinary student at graduation now swears to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health and welfare, the prevention and relief of animal suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge. This oath has its share of inherent conflicts, but some practices are simply outside the realm of acceptability, even in an emergency response. We are very pleased that our affiliate, the HSVMA, acknowledged the need to promote public health but not to subordinate animal welfare to other important imperatives in the conduct of veterinary work.
With the scope and penalties of Chinas social credit system being further clarified in 2021, legal and regulatory compliance has become more important than...
China remained Africa's biggest trading partner as bilateral economic relations boomed, said Jiang Zengwei, head of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

Bilateral trade between China and Africa reached 149.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2016, Jiang said at a meeting on investment opportunities between China and Sao Tome and Principe in Beijing on Friday.

While trade relations between China and Africa had been growing rapidly, investment ties have also prospered, with Chinese companies investing 3.2 billion dollars in the continent in 2016, said Jiang.

Investment by Chinese firms, mainly in construction, manufacturing, services, mining, agriculture and infrastructure, has brought about benefits and development for both Africa and China, he said.

As for Sao Tome and Principe, Jiang said China, as the world's second largest economy, is equipped with ample funding, a complete industrial system and advanced technological equipment to contribute to the economic and social development of the African country.

Sao Tome and Principe Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada is on his first official visit to China from April 12 to 18.
Despite speculation to the contrary, the U.S. government has decided not to brand China a currency manipulator. After seeking truth from facts, the United States has chosen a direction that will benefit the two economies and the world at large.

In a semiannual report to the U.S. Congress published late Friday, the Treasury Department declared that no major trading partner of the U.S., including China, was manipulating its currency.

While it is a sharp reversal from the rhetoric of U.S. President Donald Trump's campaign trail, nearly three months into his presidency, this different tone chimes with a more realistic view of China's currency.

It shows his tough talk on China was only campaign rhetoric, said Wei Benhua, a senior researcher at Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University.

Economists have argued that China currently does not merit the label of currency manipulator, and the Chinese currency, RMB, has been at equilibrium level in recent years.

The Treasury uses three measures to decide if a country is being manipulated: whether the country runs a sizeable surplus in trade with America; whether its current-account surplus exceeds 3 percent of GDP; and whether it spends more than 2 percent a year to buy foreign assets to suppress the value of its currency.

China only meets the first criteria by running over 20 billion U.S. dollars of trade surplus with the United States, said Zhu Jianfang, chief economist with the Citic Securities.

China has spared no efforts to keep the RMB at a stable level over the past few years; exactly the opposite of currency manipulation, he added.

Over the last decade, China's effective exchange rate has appreciated more than any other major currency, rising more than 40 percent, said David Dollar, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Brad Setser, a researcher with the Council on Foreign Relations, noted that the RMB exchange rate is now close to equilibrium. He expects the RMB will remain stable at the current level with China's current account surplus and its efforts to deal with capital outflows.

The U.S. administration's new stance on the currency issue was likely influenced by the recent meeting of the leaders of the two countries in Florida, where they were able to better understand each other, said Zhao Xijun, a finance professor with Renmin University.

With the currency spat subduing, economists said the chance of a trade war between the world's two largest economies will be slim at most.

"The possibility of a trade war could be ruled out as the U.S. government has dropped the manipulator claim, " Zhu Jianfang said, adding the two countries have huge space for cooperation, which is good for both sides.

"It would be hard for me to imagine a full on trade war between the U.S. and China as it would be too damaging to the two greatest economies in the world, and it could easily pull the rest of the world into the biggest recession we will ever see," said John Ling, president of the Council of American States in China.

As many of the new U.S. cabinet members have experience in the private sector working with China, he said, it was a positive sign that there would be disputes and issues, but both sides will try to maintain a relationship that will benefit the citizens in both countries.

Economists also foresee that the news will help keep the RMB stable.

It seems the market was given a stable expectation for the RMB trading and big fluctuations of the RMB will not occur, as the market could always be greatly influenced by significant government talks, Zhao Xijun said.

Observers also said the RMB's exchange rate is essentially decided by China's economic fundamentals which currently do not warrant a weaker RMB.

Thanks to China's consistent efforts to allow the market to decide the exchange rates, the International Monetary Fund declared the RMB as no longer undervalued in 2015.

Under Obama administration, the Treasury also dropped its previous assessment that the RMB was "significantly undervalued".
Liu Yunshan (C, rear), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, addresses a meeting for further implementation of a year-long education campaign within the CPC to strengthen Party discipline in Beijing, capital of China, April 16, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping has called for further implementation of a year-long education campaign within the Communist Party of China (CPC) to strengthen Party discipline.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in an instruction on the campaign, which focuses on the study of the Party Constitution and rules, as well as the speeches made by Xi, and calls for being qualified Party members.

In the instruction read at a meeting held on Sunday, Xi noted that the campaign launched last year had achieved remarkable results.

The campaign has helped with the strict management of the CPC and must be carried on, said Xi.

The campaign should prioritize political training, Party members' words and deeds, the latest theoretical developments and it should guide all to become qualified Party members, Xi noted.

In addition, the campaign must focus on "a key few" leading officials and grassroots party branches. It should also promote a solution-based approach and make full use of role models, according to Xi.

Xi urged CPC committees at various levels to support the campaign and make sure the achievements provide organizational guarantees that will promote balanced economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological progress and coordinated implementation of the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy.

The Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy refers to making comprehensive moves to finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, deepen reform, advance the law-based governance of China, and strengthen Party self-governance.

Liu Yunshan, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said at the meeting that through the campaign, CPC members should stay highly consistent in their thoughts, politics and actions, with CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core.

More effective rules and systems should be put forward to address the behavior of "a key few" leading officials, so that they can set an example with their loyalty, integrity and responsibility, said Liu.

Liu also called for combination of the campaign and the central tasks to inspire CPC members to contribute to the overall reform and development.

Zhao Leji, head of the CPC Central Committee's organization department, read Xi's instruction at the meeting.

Senior leader Liu Qibao, Zhang Chunxian and Zhao Hongzhu attended the meeting.
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Police warned that people who smoke in flight can be fined up to 5,000 yuan (735 U.S. dollars) and face detention. [File Photo]

Chinese police have detained a man over the weekend for smoking on a Thai AirAsia flight from Bangkok.

The man, a 54-year-old Chinese national surnamed Wang, was apprehended upon arrival of the flight FD568 in Hangzhou City, eastern Zhejiang Province Saturday night.

Wang admitted that he smoked in the toilet while the aircraft was in air. A cabin attendant smelt the smoke and reported him to the captain, who alerted the airport police in Hangzhou.

Wang was punished to spend five days in detention for disturbing the order of public transport.

China has more than 300 million smokers. There have been reports of Chinese on long-haul flights succumbing to urge to smoke.

Police warned that people who smoke in flight can be fined up to 5,000 yuan (735 U.S. dollars) and face detention.
Bicycles of Mobike and Ofo, two major bike-sharing service providers in China, are parked outside a park in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. [Photo/China Daily]

China imposes some of the world's toughest driving restrictions for cars, and now the checks and controls are expanding to the bicycle-sharing industry.

Police in Shenzhen said over the weekend that they are considering restrictions on the use of shared bikes, especially during holidays, to prevent road congestion and public disorder.

Police said that about 520,000 bikes have been put on the streets in the city in the year since bike sharing began.

A growing number of people are taking the colorful two-wheelers to work or using them for recreation, which has brought some challenges. Over the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday earlier this month, for example, paths at a local park became seriously clogged with bikes, while careless parking of shared bikes often blocks traffic.

The police are partnering with bike-sharing companies to monitor the number of bikes in designated areas. Under the plan, if the accumulation of bikes in an area hits a certain number, a warning system will be activated that prohibits bikes from entering, with cyclists notified via a mobile app.

A limit on the number of bikes will be also enforced, along with temporary bans in certain public places during peak seasons.

Bike-sharing companies should be held responsible if their negligence leads to serious accidents, the police said. The companies have been ordered to report to police the number of bikes to be released in key areas before holidays.

The bicycle-sharing industry took off in China about two years ago when startups set out to use internet technology to transform the mobility sector.

A rider typically pays about 1 yuan ($0.15) an hour after unlocking a bicycle with a mobile app. The bike can be dropped off anywhere for the next user. Mobike, Ofo and Bluegogo are the major service providers.

According to analysis by a Beijing think tank, 18.86 million people in China used a shared bicycle at least once last year. The number is expected to hit 50 million this year, which will bring new headaches for urban managementincluding random parking.

On Tuesday, Shanghai's downtown Huangpu district banned the riding or parking of bicycles, whether private or rented, in five busy commercial areas, including the Bund and Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street. On another 22 roadsmostly popular commercial streets without bicycle lanesbikes can be parked but not ridden, according to the district government.
Vladimir Safronkov (C, front), Russian deputy ambassador to the United Nations, vetoes a Security Council draft resolution on Chemical Attack in Syria, at the UN headquarters in New York, April 12, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Two key issues in Syria have a direct bearing on the question of achieving lasting peace in the war-torn country. The first is linked with the political future of President Bahsar al-Assad, while the second is related to the fate of the Islamic State.

An agreement between Russia and the U.S. is essential to successfully deal either with Assad or IS. Given the current state of trust between the two powers, it may take months before they see eye-to-eye on the two issues.

The U.S. and Russia are the leading stakeholders in this more than six-year old conflict. Their support or vice versa to a set of clients is crucial in the ongoing civil war that, according to various estimates, has killed more than 400,000 people.

There was plenty of hope during the run up to presidential elections in the U.S. that the victory of Donald Trump might help create a greater understanding with Vladimir Putin to have a common front against the Islamic State. The cooperation was expected to lead to an even bigger understanding on the future role of Assad.

The situation has changed dramatically following the strikes by the U.S. after the alleged chemical weapons attack by Syrian regime against the civilians. The Americans were livid that it could have happened with the knowledge of the Kremlin. Rex Tillerson accused the Russians of complicity or incompetence.

Russia had helped secure a deal in 2013 after a chemical weapons attack that Assad would surrender all chemical weapons. If the American's version of the story is correct, then it showed the failure on the part of Putin.

However, Russia has rejected all American claims that Assad was responsible for the attack and instead accused the rebels for it. It has also accused America of violating international law. An impartial probe can help to fix the responsibility but so far there is no agreement on it.

The prevailing scenario is of antagonism and suspicion. Rex Tillerson's visit also failed to unfreeze the situation. His meetings with Sergei Lavrov and President Putin were limited to reiterating the stated positions. The body language of both sides showed anger and frustration.

Even before the start of Tillerson's visit, the Americans were openly saying that ties with Russia were at their "lowest level." It has also been echoed by Moscow which said that the relationship has worsened.

The question of peace in this context of acrimony and strong mistrust loses its meanings. Both sides have raised the bargaining chips and any compromise or cooperation on the political ambitions of Assad has become more difficult.

In fact, the Trump administration has hardened its stance towards Assad. Initially, the officials were willing to discuss peace with Assad still in power. But the new rhetoric counts him as the main hurdle in the way of permanent peace.

Russia's problem is that Syria under Assad is the only reliable ally in the volatile Middle East. By agreeing to the American pleas that Assad is part of the problem and should be removed, Russia would lose its last foothold in the strategic region.

It means that Russia would never agree to ditch Assad unless America is ready to give it some space on other issues, like Ukraine, Crimea and NATO. Since any agreement on these issues is even harder than Syria, the differences will continue and any chance for peace in Syria will remain a wild goose chase.

The other main issue is how to have a common front against the extremists groups, especially IS. Both Russia and the U.S. have a shared interest to dismantle this outfit as it poses a direct threat to both countries. Ideally, they should sit together and have a plan to wipe out this threat.

But the political complexity creeps in and makes simple cooperation against a militant group difficult. It is believed that the elimination of IS would mean making Assad even more powerful. Hence, a victory of Russia by proxy. Why America should cooperate to scuttle the Islamic State, if it would mean a defeat in the strategic game plan?

Remember, the survival of Assad also means victory of Iran and Hezbollah. It also means an increasing threat to Saudi Arabia and Israel.

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.
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Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi (R) meets with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Beijing, capital of China, March 18, 2017. (File photo / Xinhua / Pang Xinglei)

Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson exchanged views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula via phone on Sunday.

The talk came after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea had reportedly fired an unidentified missile early on Sunday from its eastern coastal city of Sinpo.

But the missile was believed to have exploded on launch, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Yang and Tillerson also discussed the implementation of those agreements reached by the two countries' presidents during their first meeting in the U.S. state of Florida earlier this month.

The successful meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump at the Mar-a-Lago estate has set a constructive tone, defined the direction and made a plan for the development of bilateral ties, Yang told Tillerson, noting that the two leaders also held a good phone conversation just a few days ago.

For the next stage, the two sides should make joint efforts, in accordance with the spirit and consensus reached in the two heads of state's meeting and phone conversation, to strengthen high-level exchanges and dialogues and expand mutually beneficial cooperation, Yang said.

China and the United States should manage their differences on the basis of mutual respect and promote greater development of bilateral ties, so as to better serve the two peoples and peoples of the world, he added.

For his part, Tillerson noted that the two presidents' meeting at Mar-a-Lago and the phone conversation are positive and fruitful.

The United States looks forward to enhancing communication with China, preparing for the next stage's high-level exchanges and dialogues, and jointly pushing forward bilateral relations, said Tillerson.

Xi and Trump met in Florida on April 6 and 7, the first face-to-face communication between the Chinese and U.S. heads of state since the new U.S. administration took office.

The pair on Wednesday held a telephone conversation to discuss the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in Syria.
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South African President Jacob Zuma on Sunday rejected calls for him to step down, saying his fate is to be determined by the majority.

"I will only step down once the majority says so," Zuma said at an Easter Service at the Twelve Apostles of Christ Church in Umgababa, south of Durban.

Zuma said he would not walk away unless most South Africans want him to do so.

"Only the people of South Africa will remove me from office," Zuma said.

He said some people wanted him to step down because he's "telling the truth."

Zuma was responding to widespread protests taking place on April 7 and onwards amid growing calls for him to step down.

The protests were sparked by a cabinet reshuffle effected by Zuma on March 31. The reshuffle, which saw the sacking of well-respected Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and nine other ministers, led international rating agencies Standard & Poor's and Fitch to downgrade South Africa's sovereign credit rating to junk status, respectively on April 3 and April 7.

In his remarks on Sunday, Zuma linked the protests to colonialism.

The recent civic action calling for him to step down "is merely a defence of colonialism," said Zuma.

Zuma said he would continue to strive for economic transformation so as to fix problems that have existed for long.

The economic power should be shifted to the people so everyone can enjoy it, he said.

Zuma called for an end to poverty among blacks, saying: "Even if they remove the president who says this, the next one will do the same."

The president urged members of the church to pray for the country and its leaders.

"I wish you to pray very hard for our nation so that the respect should come back ... and (pray) that our country should have good governance," Zuma said.
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Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani met with visiting U.S. National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster on Sunday and the two sides discussed the Afghan security situation and bilateral ties, the Afghan Presidential Palace said.

They also exchanged views on fighting terrorism and Afghan reforms and development during the meeting, the Presidential palace said.

McMaster is the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Afghanistan since U.S. President Donald Trump's inauguration in January.

Earlier on Sunday, McMaster also held talks with Afghan government's Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and his Afghan counterpart Haneef Atmar.

The visit came days after the U.S. military struck an Islamic State (IS) group's hideout with a massive bomb in eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar.

At least 94 IS militants were killed by a GBU-43 or Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb that targeted an IS cave complex on Thursday and the largest non-nuclear bomb also destroyed an IS hideout, three caves as well as 300-meter-long tunnels in the mountainous province bordering Pakistan.
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Nearly 70 children were among those killed when a suicide car bomb tore through buses carrying evacuees from besieged government-held towns in Syria, a monitor said yesterday.

Saturdays blast hit a convoy carrying residents from the northern towns of Foua and Kfraya as they waited at a transit point in rebel-held Rashidin, west of Aleppo.

At least 68 children were among the 126 people killed in the attack, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, updating a previous toll of 112 dead.

At least 109 of the dead were evacuees, the Britain-based monitoring group said, while the rest were aid workers and rebels guarding the convoy.

The evacuations were taking place under a deal between Syrias government and rebels that is also seeing residents and rebels transported out of Madaya and Zabadani, towns near Damascus which are surrounded by pro-government forces.

The agreement is the latest in a string of evacuation deals, which the government of President Bashar Assad says are the best way to end the violence after more than six years of civil war.

Rebels say they amount to forced relocation after years of bombardment and crippling sieges.

Body parts and the belongings of evacuees  including clothes, dishes and even televisions  were still strewn at the scene of the attack yesterday, reporters said.

The shattered buses were nearby as was the shell of a pick-up truck  with little left but its engine block  that was apparently used to carry out the bombing.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing, though the key Ahrar al-Sham rebel group denied any involvement. The government blamed terrorists  a catch-all term for its opponents.

The Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria to monitor the conflict, said hundreds of people were also wounded in the blast.

It said a petrol station at the transit point was caught up in the explosion, adding to the number of victims.

The Syrian Red Crescent said three of its workers were among the wounded.

Maysa al-Aswad, a 30-year-old evacuee from Kfraya, said she was sitting on one of the buses with her 6-month-old son Hadi and 10-year-old daughter Narjis when the blast shook the parked convoy.

Hadi was on my lap and Narjis on a chair next to me. When the explosion happened I hugged them both and we fell to the floor, she said.

I didnt know what was happening, all I could hear was people crying and shouting, she said. All I can think about is how we survived all the death during the last few years and then could have died just after we finally escaped.

More than 5,000 people left Foua and Kfraya and about 2,200 left Madaya and Zabadani on Friday, the latest in a series of evacuations from the four towns.

The evacuation process resumed after the bombing, the Observatory said, with the residents of Foua and Kfraya eventually arriving in Aleppo, Syrias second city which the government gained full control of last year.

Wounded survivors, including many children, were taken for treatment at an Aleppo hospital.

UN aid chief Stephen OBrien condemned the bombing, saying in a statement: The perpetrators of such a monstrous and cowardly attack displayed a shameless disregard for human life.

He said that while the UN was not involved in the transfer it was ready to scale up our support to evacuees.

He called on all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, and to facilitate safe and unimpeded access for the UN and its partners to bring life-saving help to those in need.

Pope Francis yesterday also urged an end to the war in Syria as he presided over the traditional Easter mass in Rome.

The pontiff said he hoped that Jesus Christs sacrifice might help bring comfort and relief to the civil population in Syria, prey to a war that continues to sow horror and death.

The residents and rebels from Madaya and Zabadani arrived late Saturday in rebel-held territory in Idlib province.

The evacuation deal had been brokered by Qatar, a supporter of Syrian opposition forces, and Iran, a key government ally.

Shiite-dominated Iran has repeatedly raised concerns for the residents of Foua and Kfraya, who are mainly Shiites and were besieged by Sunni rebels.

Syrias war has left more than 320,000 people dead since erupting in 2011, with more than half the population forced from their homes and hundreds of thousands trapped under siege.

Residents of Madaya and Zabadani joined the 2011 uprising against Assad.

Both came under government siege in the ensuing civil war.

Residents of Foua and Kfraya have lived under a steady hail of rockets and mortars for years, but were supplied with food and medicine through military airdrops.

Critics say the string of evacuations, which could see some 30,000 people moved across battle lines over the next 60 days, amounts to forced displacement along political and sectarian lines.
NAIROBI  Chinese solar firms are keen to venture into the Kenyan market where uptake of cleaner energy sources has accelerated amid policy and regulatory incentives alongside greater awareness on their benefits.

Senior executives from these companies who told Xinhua recently at an energy and power expo held in Nairobi were upbeat about the future of Kenya's market for solar lighting technologies.

Susan Lee, vice president of Shenzhen Power Solution Limited said Kenya presents a lucrative and expanding market for solar equipment as the East African Nation accelerates the shift to renewable energy sources.

"Our main focus in household solar solutions that are affordable but are of high quality. We are scouting for a Kenyan franchise to distribute our products that include solar lanterns, torches and solar study lamps," Lee said.

Shenzhen power solution has established a strong footprint in several African countries in the recent past.

According to Lee, the solar company that was founded 30 years ago has prioritized expansion in Southeast Asia and Africa where millions of poor households are not connected to the national grid.

"In the last eight years, we have invested in solar solutions that are tailor made for populations that are not connected to power. We have a strong presence in many parts of Africa and Asia," said Lee.

Shenzhen Power Solution Ltd is a leading manufacturer of solar LED lighting, solar study lamps and torches that have struck a chord with Kenyan consumers due to their durability and affordable cost.

The company's unique products such as solar lantern with radio and mobile charging capability could provide respite to Kenya's air pollution challenges linked to rampant use of kerosene and wax candles.

"We are here to help Kenyans get rid of indoor pollution associated with kerosene lamps. Our products will help clear smog that is a leading cause of respiratory diseases," she told Xinhua.

She revealed that a solar study lamp and torch will retail for $2 in the Kenyan market while a solar lantern with phone charger will cost $13.

"The idea is to ensure consumers have access to low cost but high quality and durable integrated solar solutions," she said, adding that discussions with additional local distributors are at an advanced stage.

Isaac Mbugua, a local vendor for Shenzhen Power Solution's products since 2015 said Kenyan consumers have been receptive to Chinese manufactured solar technologies.

"Based on my observation, there is a higher demand for solar lighting solutions from China. The products have met our quality benchmarks and so far no customer has complained of breakages," said Mbugua.

He revealed that 80 percent of clients for Shenzhen Power Solution's products like solar lanterns and torches are in rural areas.

Kenya's quest to become a green energy powerhouse has not escaped the attention of well-endowed Chinese solar firms.

Leo Leung, the Sales Director of Guangzhou-based manufacturer of integrated solar solutions, Esavior, said Kenya presents a formidable market for solar technologies as households and industries embrace cleaner energy sources.

"We are already in fifteen African countries but Kenya has better prospects especially in household solar lighting. County governments and charities are the biggest market for solar panels and LED solar street lights," said Leung.

Evans Kamau, a local distributor for Esavior products for the last two years said they are highly rated by household and corporate clients.

"The market has been receptive to our products and currently, we have partnered with five counties to install solar street lights," said Kamau, adding that Esavior's local franchise has the capacity to install up to 10,000 units of solar power.

Chinese manufacturers and distributors of solar technologies are keen to venture into the Kenyan market which promises better returns thanks to rising purchasing power.

Daniel Liu, general manager of Divine New Energy expressed confidence in the Kenyan market, saying it presents new opportunities for investors in green technologies.

"We are looking for partners in Kenya to distribute solar portable lighting equipment that is both durable and cheaper," said Liu.

On her part, business manager of Qingdoo Sunflare New Energy Company Ltd, Lauren Liu said her company is in the process of partnering with a local vendor to distribute solar panels and lanterns.

"Kenya is a big market for solar lighting systems and we are looking for a local distributor to make them accessible to clients at cheaper rates," said Lauren.
By Wu Yong in Beijing and Shi Xiaofeng in Hangzhou | China Daily | Updated: 2017-04-17 07:07

The colorful, fragrant and refreshing spring is in full bloom in Changping district, 50 kilometers from downtown Beijing, but 27-year-old precision instrument engineering student Shao Meng, sporting a white cotton T-shirt and goggles, is busy in his 60-square-meter flat, seemingly more fascinated by the task of debugging the operating system of a "climbing robot".

That's the kind of intensity, focus and dedication you will likely see in specialists across China these days, as the nation accelerates its drive to upgrade its manufacturing sector, in line with the central government's "Made in China 2025" strategy launched in 2015.

The grand plan aims to transform the country from the world's factory into a world-leading high-tech manufacturer of top-end products.

Think automation, smart and net-connected factories, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, big data, electric vehicles, driverless cars, so on.

Shao, a Tsinghua University student, has been on the climbing robot project for over 14 months now. His job is to provide safe and efficient testing-and-maintenance services for over 100,000 wind power generator towers around China.

"I love automation and have the full support of my tutors who are all top scholars," Shao said. "I dream of creating something great."

Shao is among X-Lab's 116 teams dedicated to technology and intelligent manufacturing or IM. X-Lab is the startup incubator of Tsinghua, which houses China's best scholars in the fields of mechanics, engineering and computer sciences.

Mao Donghui, executive director of X-Lab, said there were no such programs even two years ago. The national plan changed all that in 2015.

She attributed the current boom in IM programs to significant increase in financial support, government policy and public attention.

Besides universities, even enterprises and governments at various levels are making joint efforts to realize the 2025 dream.

"As the second-biggest economy, China must rely on independent research and development. We have made big gains in the past few years," said Qu Xianming, executive director of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society and an expert on the Advanced Manufacturing Strategy Advisory Committee.

He said last year's R&D inputs from enterprises surpassed that of 2015, providing full steam for technological innovation.

According to National Bureau of Statistics data, R&D funding expenditure reached 1.42 trillion yuan ($205.86 billion) in 2015, double that of 2011, and ranked next only to the United States.

According to a Financial Times report, Chinese inventors filed 43,000 international patent applications last year, up 45 percent year-on-year. This put "the country on track to overtake Japan and the US to become the largest user of the international patent system within two years".

Qu said: "It really amazes me that not only big power-transmission equipment manufacturers but even small furniture factories in inland counties are embracing technology and innovation. They are no longer content with just expanding their operations."

Fu Dafan, chief information officer of Tebian Electric Apparatus Stock Co Ltd, also known as TBEA, said the company won 216 patents in the past two years, with the R&D spend topping 1 billion yuan.

TBEA is China's leading energy equipment producer that has supplied the nation's technology backbone projects as well as a dozen other countries in Asia, Africa and Europe. It has invested in intelligent workshops, production lines and robots, to reap incentives related to the 2025 initiative.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Technology or MIT data, high-tech manufacturing contributed more than 20 per cent of industrial growth in the first three quarters of 2016.

"R&D and industrial output are correlated, and critical to China's manufacturing upgrade," said Mao of X-lab. "Only with close collaboration among research institutes, enterprises and the government, we can overcome this challenge."

But there is a general sense that a missing link keeps China's labs and industrial applications disconnected. To forge a high-level collaborative innovation platform that can link labs and industry, the MIT published "1+X Plan" in mid-February.

The "1" stands for the Make-in-China strategy; and "X" refers to a series of supports such as the construction of 15 National Manufacturing Innovation Centers.

Wang Shouwen, vice minister of commerce, has said foreign enterprises will be encouraged to join the effort and enjoy the same treatment as their domestic counterparts, in terms of patent applications, government purchases and preferential policies.

The first two National Manufacturing Innovation Centers were set up in May 2016 and early this year, respectively. They focus on power batteries and additive manufacturing.

"At least three Chinese manufacturing segmentspower generation and transmission equipment; communication equipment; and rail transportationwould wrest global lead in the coming 10 years," Qu said.

Industry insiders expect this year to be instrumental in making the Made in China 2025 plan a success. For, 25 provinces and municipalities had issued supportive policies by the end of last year, which are expected to give a solid impetus to China's industry.

In February, GE China's supply chain president, Steve Meszaros, said that with manufacturing upgrade, the company plans to increase the share of its purchases in China to $10 billion by 2020, which would be the largest for any country in the world.

Ha Enjing, a spokeswoman for Siasun Robot & Automation Co Ltd, understands the significance of Meszaros' statement. She said Siasun Robot has supplied products and services worth hundreds of millions of yuan to many leading Western companies, including BMW, General Motors and a US-based flash memory maker.

She believes the trend could prove win-win for both Chinese suppliers and Western corporate buyers.

John Seifert, worldwide CEO of WPP's Ogilvy & Mather, said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency that Chinese companies are willing to invest in technology, go global to become more competitive, and thus succeed in both local and overseas markets.

Agreed Hao Wu, a managing director at Silicon Valley Bank Financial Group, who focuses on management of relationships with venture capital firms. "X-Lab is functioning like a magnet and catalyst. It has attracted top academic talents and facilitated a lot of original technology innovation."

SVB, based in California, mainly serves venture capital firms and global companies engaged in innovation. The joint venture bank was set up in 2012.

"I believe the platform (X-Lab) could play an instrumental role in upgrading the traditional manufacturing sector and we would be more than happy to assist these efforts."

For Tsinghua student Shao, all these developments are harbingers of exciting times ahead. For the rest of the year, he is intent on sustaining his intense focus on two aspects: technical optimization and marketing.

"Climbing robots are a niche market, but key to the green energy strategy. Maybe, we (X-Lab) can grow into the sector's No1 and China's ABB," said Shao.

Contact the writers at wuyong@chinadaily.com.cn
Waitresses in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) costumes serve fast food at a McDonald's restaurant in Beijing. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

Found at almost every major street corner across thousands of cities in China, McDonald's and fast food outlets under Yum Brands such as KFC and Pizza Hut have long enjoyed a run of super-sized growth as local consumers craved a taste of Americana.

The two fast food giants used to define China's fast food segment, with the duopoly accounting for more than half of the market share in a country that has the world's largest food service industry.

It is hence unsurprising that both companies have now decided to shed their once lucrative Chinese assets at a similar timing, leaving people wondering whether their dominance over the past two decades has inevitably faded.

After a prolonged struggle to attract buyers, McDonald's announced in January that it would sell 80 percent of its shares in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong to Chinese investment conglomerate CITIC Group, CITIC Capital and Carlyle Group. The move will give the buyers a controlling stake in the brand's chains in the region.

Phyllis Cheung, CEO of McDonald's in China, said the move would help unlock more capital as part of the company's turnaround plan. She sees the franchise model as an effective way to spur growth potential in China's third- and fourth-tier cities, and improve flagging performance in existing stores.

"Financial strength" and "unmatched understanding of the local market", said Cheung, were the reasons the fast food giant decided to pick the CITIC-led consortium.

"CITIC's real estate networks and strategic alliances with developers including Vanke and China Resources may potentially open up more opportunities," said Cheung.

Meanwhile, Yum has also decided to separate its Chinese entities, albeit using a different approach: initial public offering. In November, the fast food giant spun off its China business in a New York Stock Exchange listing, with Yum China being a licensee of its parent company.

The floating plan would give Yum China, which manages 7,500 KFC, Pizza Hut, Little Sheep and East Dawning stores, the flexibility to react to the fast-changing market, said CEO Micky Pant.

Yum China has posted a 1 percent year-on-year rise in same-store sales in the first-quarter, helped by a jump in takeout demand and performance improvement at its flagging Pizza Hut brand. Same-store sales were flat in the last quarter of 2016. Hence, the first-quarter show is seen as a positive, given that Yum started trading as a stand-alone company in November.

Yet, both firms have felt the pinch of largely stagnant sales and shrinking market share in a country that once boosted their balance sheets.

Yum's market share dropped from 40 percent in 2012 to 30.2 percent in 2015. McDonald's share slid from 16.5 percent in 2013 to 13.8 percent in 2015, said Euromonitor International in a statement.

Meanwhile, upstart rivals have been quick to wrest market share by answering the call from consumers for fresher and healthier food in Asian flavors. According to market research firm Mintel, tangbao (steamed dumplings), Japanese noodles and steamed-rice meals are quickly gaining popularity in China.

Reinventing strategies

The economic restructuring in China has compelled the pair to reposition their strategies. Besides having identified breakfast offerings and dessert kiosks as a growth catalyst in fast-paced cities like Beijing and Shanghai, the two fast food giants also have their sights trained on China's hinterlands which they believe are pivotal to future growth.

McDonald's is expected to depend on its Chinese partners to penetrate the lower-tier cities, with a goal of adding 1,500 stores over the next five years.

"Expansion requires a lot of resources, including finding suitable locations, negotiating the rent and finding the right type of landlord. CITIC Bank's 1,400 branches across China would be able to better share resources and help with the expansion," said Zhang Yichen, chairman and CEO of CITIC Capital, who will chair McDonald's China business.

Yum is rolling out an even more ambitious plan to open 600 new stores annually over five years. Pant said that the main focus of this expansion will be on lower-tier cities and transportation hubs such as railway stations and airports.

Qi Xiaozhai, a senior business consultant for the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, said that quick service restaurants still have much room for growth in lesser developed cities and townships in China because they are still a novelty.

"We have decided to include more playgrounds for children in our restaurants in lower tier cities as we've noticed that having a meal at a McDonald's in such places is a family affair," Cheung said.

Another strategy that Yum and McDonald's have adopted is to be more mobile by embracing digital channels for sales and delivery services. The two giants have already introduced cashless payment methods by teaming up with China's most popular e-wallet service providers Alipay and WeChat Pay.

Health above all

For the past two decades, fast food was seen as hip, fashionable and forward-thinking, but this is no longer the sentiment as an increasing number of consumers are jumping on the healthy eating bandwagon.

A McKinsey survey last year showed that Chinese customers' adoption of Western fast food had dropped from 67 percent in 2012 to 51 percent in 2015. The consumption of carbonated soft drinks and ice cream had also fallen by 21 percent and 7 percent respectively.

Zhang Jianchen, 34, an insurance broker in Shanghai, said that she cannot even remember the last time she stepped into a KFC or McDonald's.

"I won't eat hamburgers or fries if there's an alternative. Just think about the calories these foods have," said Zhang, who exercises three times a week and refrains from consuming fried food.

In this age when consumers are demanding more information about ingredient sourcing and food preparation, greater transparency will be crucial for fast food outlets to maintain their market share, said industry experts.

"For fast food brands, embracing the trend of healthy and experiential dining is the key to growth in the near future. In the meantime, staying innovative can help to win over young consumers," said Summer Chen, research analyst at Mintel.

Rein believes that the likes of McDonald's and Yum can still experience solid growth in the years to come. He pointed out that chains like Starbucks prove that the maturing middle class in China will always seek out authentic Western dining experiences.

"Chinese consumers want to try something different and feel like they are sophisticated and part of the global elite. That's what Starbucks gives them. That's what Western brands need to tap into," he said.
A visitor appreciates an exhibit at Art Basel, a fair held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. [Photo/Xinhua]

Walking through the buzz-filled hall at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, Al Brenner- the chief executive of online art market information provider Mutualart.com- is impressed by the energy the Asian market shows towards contemporary artworks.

"It's my first time in Art Basel Hong Kong. Compared to the fairs in London and New York this year, I was surprised to find the art fair here is doing so well. As you can see, the dealers have brought some of the best works here, and they are selling well," he told China Daily while pointing at an installation from Hauser & Wirth's booth called Water in the Ears Puts Guards at the Gates, with an estimated seven-figure or more US dollar price tag.

Art Basel is an international contemporary art fair with three shows staged annuallyin Basel, Switzerland; Miami Beach in the United States, and Hong Kong.

Driven by increasing personal wealth, the Chinese collectors' buying power in the contemporary art market has become stronger in recent years, leading to a rapid growth of private museums in Asia. Market projections estimate 1,200 private museums will be built in Asia in the next five years, mostly in China, as the State Administration of Cultural Heritage said on Feb 21 that it expects one museum to be available for every 250,000 people in the country by 2020.

According to the statistics from international law firm Withers, the mainland was the leading global art market with auction turnover close to $4.8 billion last year, followed by the US, which generated $3.5 billion. Overall, auctions in Western markets declined by more than 35 percent in 2016.

In addition to the strong auction sector, Chinese collectors also made more Western art purchases through private sales last year, but there is no public source for data on these dealer sales.

Withers attributes the stronger demand of artworks from Chinese people to rising global uncertainties; art is increasingly seen as an alternative investment.

Diana Wierbicki, global head of Art Law at Withers, said: "People are looking for a store of wealth as the uncertainty mounts over the effects of the Trump presidency and Britain's decision to leave the EU, art is finding ever more favor as a stable, movable asset. In contrast to the past attraction of real-estate, wealthy individuals are attracted to art as an alternative asset class, with easy relocation and multiple options for disposing."

Al Brenner observed the same trend with Chinese collectors. He believes those art lovers from China are becoming more adventurous, so they are looking for new things beyond traditional art.

He said: "Traditional art is something they are already familiar with, but now they want to buy artwork with a value that they discover before everyone else. And big data can help to make private sales much more efficient."

Mutualart.com, headquartered in the UK, announced on March 30 that it has raised $32 million in funding to launch its new private sales service, by using the company's big data on the art marketincluding in-depth performance analysis of 300,000 artists, current market trends and usage data from more than 500,000 members registered worldwideto match artworks with the right buyer and offer support and advises.

Currently, Mutualart.com only provides English-language content, so most of its subscribers are from English-speaking countries. But seeing the burgeoning Chinese art market, Brenner said he would launch a Chinese version website soon.
In the 1990s Novell had a lock on servers in the enterprise. There was no Linux but SCO UNIX and IBMs AIX were the closest thing we had. Microsoft owned the desktop and parlayed their desktop position to oust Novell and rule not only desktops but servers.

This is what I thought of when I met with Todd Carothers of CounterPath. The company pretty much dominates the SIP soft-client space on mobile devices.

Now, as companies are moving to UCaaS, CounterPath sees an opportunity to parlay their strength in mobile software into a complete package. Enter Bria-X, a cloud-managed solution which incorporates team messaging, presence and screen sharing, providing hundreds of settings for as little as $3/user a month.

Bottom line, companies can save perhaps $50/month per user and still have a trusted name-brand behind them  a company providing solutions for some of the biggest names in telecom for decades.

In addition, Bria-X can overlay onto various phone systems, allowing a company to easily set up a private UCaaS cloud with branded clients. In fact, they work with hundreds of SIP servers.

Recording voice and video is available now with text coming soon  this is good for compliance. Mobility push technology ensures gentle battery usage. Help Desk Assistant allows tech support to log onto the client to see what issues may exist, MOS scores, delay, packet-loss, jitter, etc.

Unlike Microsoft, CounterPath isnt a household name  but to be honest, many of the latest and very successful UCaaS players arent household names either. Except perhaps, Vonage.

In other words, there is room. As long as the company can reach decision-makers in bulk and tell them they have sound UCaaS solutions, they can do well.
A stock indicator shows the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index on Jan 13, 2016. [Photo/Asianewsphoto]

The China Securities Regulatory Commission said it will crack down on any speculative or insider trading in shares related to anticipated announcements about stock splits.

CSRC Chairman Liu Shiyu remarked earlier this month that listed companies should use stock splits for the right reasons, else they would become targets of regulatory scrutiny.

In recent months, as many as nine A-share companies applied to the CSRC to split their stocks, promising to issue 30 shares for each 10 shares held by shareholders.

The CSRC said in March it will regulate any tendency among companies to overuse stock splits. Companies should focus on their business performance and make full disclosures as to why they are resorting to stock splits.

Stock split is a practice where a listed company splits an existing share into two or more parts, thus increasing the number of common shares but lowering the share price proportionately.

According to Wind, an information service provider, more than 200 listed companies released plans to split their stocks by April 8.

Usually, a stock split follows a share price rise to very high levels, beyond the prices of shares of similar companies in a sector. It is done to make a company's stock seem more affordable to small investors.

The underlying value of the company concerned does not change as the market capitalization remains unaltered.

Existing shareholders get more shares but with no discernible benefits.

But typically, speculative investors drive up the stock concerned, in anticipation of a price rise on the back of expected demand from small investors.

Zhongtai Securities said in a note the CSRC's stated stance on stock splits will likely discourage the practice this year.

The Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses have already sought to scrutinize many companies that sought to split their stocks.

Some A-share companies such as Hubei Kailong Chemical Group Co Ltd and Holitech Technology Co Ltd are revising their stock-split plans.

"In China, many speculators have been buying some A shares, expecting their prices to rise (in the run-up to stock split).Major shareholders of the listed companies tend to take advantage of the opportunity to decrease their own shareholding," said a source at China Fortune Securities who declined to be named.

The source at China Fortune Securities said that most stock splits have no direct relation to the business performance of the companies concerned, nor do they improve their valuation.

The prominent names among companies that sought to split their stocks are: Hubei Kailong, Beijing Tongtech Co Ltd, Holitech, Kee Ever Bright Decorative Technology Co Ltd and Shenzhen Ysstech Info-Tech Co Ltd.

When news of their stock split plans emerged, shares of Hubei Kailong and Beijing Tongtech climbed by their daily limit for two days.
Prospective buyers check out Siemens' made-in-China washing machine at a German Commodities Expo in Qingdao. [Photo by Wang Haibin/China Daily]

CHENGDUThere is a factory in Southwest China's Chengdu city, which, should you want to visit, has a one month waiting list. The attraction: A successful realization of China's ambitious industrial evolution plan "Made in China 2025".

Siemens Electronic Works Chengdu is the the German manufacturer's first overseas model digital plant, featuring machines and products communicating with each other in real time and automated processes. The result: exceptional levels of productivity and quality.

Siemens decided last year to increase its total investment into the Chinese endeavor to over 1 billion yuan ($145 million) by 2019, a move which will be positive for the wider Chinese manufacturing chain.

China's goal is for "Made in China" products to be synonymous with innovation and quality by 2025, and it deserves the greatest respect for aiming to complete this transformation by 2049, Joe Kaeser, president and CEO of Siemens, said during the China Development Forum 2017.

The Chinese government understands that multinational companies have the potential to play a vital role in the renewal of its economy, but multinationals must also understand that China needs reliable partners, partners who think long term and do not sidestep the challenges ahead, Joe pointed out.

Many foreign manufacturers rushed to open factories in China, to capitalize on the cost effectiveness of "Made in China". However, now they are exploring smart manufacturing as the nation transitions from the world's factory to world laboratory.

China will improve policies designed to turn China into a manufacturer of quality, and adopt a variety of supportive measures related to technological upgrading, the Government Work Report for 2017 pointed out.

The Made in China 2025 blueprint was introduced in May 2015, listing several tasks for high-tech manufacturing, including boosting innovation, fostering Chinese brands and service-oriented manufacturing.

In early March, a lengthy report from the European Union Chamber of Commerce claimed that China's support for high-tech manufacturing would lead to lesser treatment for foreign companies, while allowing government-subsidized homegrown players to compete unfairly.

"The strategy and its related policies are applicable to all businesses in Chinadomestic or foreign," Miao Wei, minister of industry and information technology, said at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual parliamentary session in early March.

To boost domestic manufacturing, the EU, the United States and Germany have all released similar plans in recent years, Miao said, hoping for more bilateral and multilateral exchanges and cooperation in the area.

The world's second-largest economy is transforming from "Made in China" to "Made by China". Numerous measures have been rolled out to digitalize and modernize, which will result in many opportunities, especially for European firms, said Charles-Edouard Bouee, CEO of international consulting firm Roland Berger.

Companies should focus on opportunities afforded by the dynamic Chinese market, instead of thinking about taking protectionist moves, Bouee added.

China's manufacturing sector is still in the medium stage of industrial modernization, with big differences in automation and digital capabilities among different sectors, regions and companies, leading to different market demands, according to a report released by CDF organizer, the Development Research Center of the State Council and Bosch Group.

This calls for bespoke solutions, where we can offer expertise. China is Bosch's largest market outside Europe and cooperation is win-win in nature, because we can also get insights and ideas from our Chinese partners," said Werner Struth, board member of Bosch Group.

With China well on track to boost its global competitiveness through "Made in China 2025", the widespread application of digital technology could further accelerate progress in energy efficiency and productivity, according to Ulrich Spiesshofer, CEO of ABB.

Few countries are better positioned than China to embrace the digital revolution with the world's most Internet users, largest digital retail market and most machine-to-machine mobile connections, Ulrich added.

The challenge is to integrate Chinese enterprises into the digital economy by connecting their robots, machines and plants to the industrial Internet and we could provide such information as well as digital know-how, Ulrich said.
Two COOEC employees put up a scaffold on a ship in Qingdao, Shandong province. [Photo by Yu Fangping/For China Daily]

China Offshore Oil Engineering Co Ltd or COOEC's go-global strategy will accelerate and reach another milestone in July.

That's when it will ship the remaining 16 modules or advanced heavy equipment for the Yamal liquefied natural gas project to Russia. They will arrive on July 20, 10 days ahead of schedule. The 20 core modules reached Russia in January.

This is the first LNG core equipment independently designed and constructed by China.

COOEC has mastered LNG core process module construction technology and "COOEC Manufacture" has made inroads into international high-end oil-gas equipment market, said the company.

The Yamal LNG project, lying in the Arctic region of Russia, was the world's first integrated project for polar natural gas exploration, development, liquefaction and transportation.

It is expected to start operations this year. Much of Yamal's output would be supplied to China and other Asian countries, with China National Petroleum Corporation having already pledged to buy at least 3 million metric tons of LNG per year.

Wang Lu, an Asia-Pacific oil and gas analyst from Bloomberg Intelligence, told China Daily that imports from Yamal possibly account for more than 1.6 percent of China's gas demand, which is estimated to be 257 billion cubic meters in 2018, assuming a 10 percent compound annual growth rate during the 2016-20 period.

"China's LNG imports will continue to be an important contributor to its supply-scape in 2020," she said.

Evgeniy Kot, director-general of the Yamal project, said the company has sold 96 percent of the project's LNG production to European and Asian customers through 20- to 25-year contracts.

COOEC signed a contract worth $1.64 billion with Yamal LNG project in 2014 to construct Module Fabrication Work Package 1, also known as MWP1, which includes 36 core modules of an LNG factory, a major facility in the Yamal LNG project.

It was the largest overseas contract that COOEC has signed.

It is also China's first export of LNG core modules, indicating that China has entered the international high-end oil and gas equipment market.

Two core process modules of MWP1, 114-PAU-003 and 114-PAU-004, undertaken by COOEC and known as the two largest and most important modules in the entire project, were successfully laded and delivered last year. The biggest one is composed of seven layers of decks and weighed 6,467 tons.

They take on the "core" function of liquefying natural gas in a severe environment to guarantee that super high and heavy pressure vessels can be configured beside numerous process pipelines.

The company has made breakthroughs in many key technologies such as welding technology, deep-cooling heat preservation and super large irregular equipment hoisting.

The company attributed 60 percent of its profit to overseas projects in countries and regions along the Belt and Road Initiative, according to Zhong Wenjun, chief engineer of COOEC.

Zhong said that the future market is unpredictable but policies like the Belt and Road Initiative offer good guidance on investment abroad.

COOEC currently has several projects under construction and it has bid for a project in Uganda to build an engineering sitean attempt to make inroads into the African market.

The company has won the first round of bidding already, and is focused on the design work for the next round.

That was possible on the back of China's heavy investments in overseas infrastructure construction under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Zhou Xuezhong, chairman of COOEC, said that COOEC's construction of the core modules of the Yamal LNG project has a far-reaching impact on the sea oil industry and even the development of China's manufacturing sectors.

"It is not only in line with the vital national development strategy including the Belt and Road Initiative but promotes technology upgrades in the sea oil industry," Zhou said.

"It has brought new opportunities to China's sea oil industries to participate in international production and manufacturing."

Cheng Yu contributed to the story.
Aedhmar Hynes, CEO of Text100.

It is probably a little known fact, but a woman is leading a major effort to communicate the achievements and capabilities of Chinese technology companies to the world.

If those outside the mainland know a lot about the impact of China's Internet Plus strategy, some credit must go to the United Kingdom-headquartered Text100 Global Communications, a public relations firm that counts some of China's best-known tech labels among its clients. Text100, which is affiliated to Next Fifteen Communications Group plc, is a global integrated communications agency with more than 600 consultants across 22 offices worldwide.

Led by Aedhmar Hynes, 51, CEO, Text100 has informed the world about China's world-class tech enterprises. She is very much aware of Chinese tech companies that have made rapid strides in innovation, artificial intelligence, smart manufacturing, virtual reality, gadgets, e-commerce and online payments.

Among Text100's Chinese clients are: Lenovo Group, the world's largest PC maker; Tencent Holdings Ltd, Chinese internet giant; and China Telecom Corp Ltd, which is engaged in the provision of wireline and mobile telecommunications services. Its key global accounts include IBM, Cisco, Xerox, MTV and British Airways.

The number of Chinese clients is poised to grow, she said. "China is an interesting market for us and we see a huge opportunity for our business based on China's 'new normal' (of consumption-led, services-driven economic growth). The fact that Internet Plus and 'mass entrepreneurship and innovation' are two key aspects of the government's strategy is important for us as we believe that both these aspects are also at the core of Text100," said Hynes.

Despite slowing economic growth rate, she is optimistic about Text100's future role in China. "China's population size and the number of people to communicate withboth are humongous. We are only just at the beginning of our business development here. We see that not just as an opportunity for ourselves but as an opportunity for our clients in China."

She is confident Text100's operations in Beijing and Shanghai will help tell China's tech story to the world in an effective way.

"I think we have a really strong client base, with clients that are doing innovative work, where we have the opportunity to not just do media relations but perform work related to their social media strategy, digital content and overall communications strategy. We have the opportunity to develop in this market over time," Hynes said.

The biggest challenge in China, she said, is finding the right talent continually. "It's a highly competitive market and we are very selective of whom we hire."

Communicating in a dynamic, evolving environment requires communicators who are agile and can anticipate what is likely to happen next, she said.

In this respect, Text100 is fortunate because it has always been serving the technology industry, she said. "We are very comfortable with change and innovation. Our job is to stay one step ahead and make sure that we, as an agency, are also innovating how we use these technologies and platforms to provide a consistent brand experience for our client stakeholders."

Under her tenure, Text100 has grown into a leader in global communications of tech companies and is a thought partner to more than 250 clients across the world.

Hynes oversees a staff of over 600 at 22 offices spanning North America, the Asia-Pacific region and Europe.

"The biggest opportunity for Text100 is that many technology companies see China as a very important market for them. For us it's an opportunity to work with more clients in the technology sector. The other big opportunity for Text100 is we'll be working not just with technology companies but across industries where technology is proving to be disruptive," Hynes said.

Having been the CEO of Text100 for 17 years, Hynes has her own take from a communications perspective on the changes sweeping the global tech industry. "Communications and the way people receive information have changed more in the last 10 years than they have in the previous 50 years. The main driver of change is technology. Technology and digital are infusing every way that we receive information."

To inform "every way", Hynes said what is required is that every tech-focused PR firm must have a good leader. "You have to have a strong vision, be decisive and be able to lead a team based on your vision. It's important to look at the notion of what makes a good leader regardless of their gender.

"I think whether a woman is the leader or a man is the leaderthat is based on capabilities and skills, and not based on being a man or a woman."
Cibei, one of China's "hidden champion" manufacturer of oral and maxillo-facial implants, said it plans to intensify its research and development activities and export its upcoming product upgrades to economies covered by the Belt and Road Initiative.

The Ningbo-based company mainly provides maxillo-facial systems, neurosurgical systems, dental screws and other instruments used in the medical industry.

"One of my friends happened to introduce this industry niche to me, and I thought I can do it, so I started this company in 1995," said Shen Guocheng, the owner of Cibei.

Back then, he used to run a factory that made molds.

In the past, all sophisticated surgical implants were imported from the United States and Europe, where medical instrument giants abound.

"I needed to do my part," he said. That meant, Cibei applied for its first product patent in 2002 after years of research, and tried to cover the nationwide market since 2008.

Currently, its main products, titanium screws and plates, command a 20 percent share of China's high-end medical instruments market, topping the domestic brands list. Sales generated nearly 30 million yuan ($4,4 million) last year.

"It is far from enough," said Shen. "The quality of our products is such they can compete with imported middle- and high-end ones, but cost only one-third of their price. We're a good example of how a small-sized company can compete with international giants in a market sub-segment.

"Yet, we need time to persuade the market to try our products, especially buyers in second- and third-tier cities."

Cibei has almost 50 staff. One-third of them are in research and development. The company invests 15 percent of its annual sales revenue in R&D. This, in turn, ensured annual sales growth of over 10 percent in recent yearsa contrast to many Chinese manufacturers who experienced downward pressure on their growth.

In mid-March, the government of Ningbo, a coastal city in Zhejiang province and the hometown of Cibei, introduced 22 policies to support manufacturing companies and to fulfill its role as a national pilot city promoting the "Made in China 2025" strategy.

It is estimated that more than 10 billion yuan ($1.45 billion) will likely flow into the city's manufacturing industry in the next three years, strengthening financial support for scientific innovation.

Companies willing to implement reforms for intelligent manufacturing are eligible for a maximum subsidy of 30 million yuan, according to the new policies.

Through the establishment of special funds, the local government has encouraged the launch of innovation institutes and major scientific and technological projects.

Other elements, such as loans and land for industrial use, have also been taken into consideration.

Some 30 percent of total loans from banks and 35 percent of annual newly approved lands will be allocated to the industry, in accordance with the new policies.

"We are a small company still. And the product development cycle in this field is rather long. The new policies would definitely speed up our effort to meet our goal," said Shen.

"We have exported our products to Southeast Asian counties and countries in the Middle East. And we have several promising and striking products in the final stage of their research. I have confidence that our annual sales growth will reach 30 or even 50 percent then."
A worker counts Chinese currency Renminbi (RMB) at a bank in Linyi, East China's Shandong province, Aug 11, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING  Despite speculation to the contrary, the US government has decided not to brand China a currency manipulator. After seeking truth from facts, the United States has chosen a direction that will benefit the two economies and the world at large.

In a semiannual report to the US Congress published late Friday, the Treasury Department declared that no major trading partner of the US, including China, was manipulating its currency.

While it is a sharp reversal from the rhetoric of US President Donald Trump's campaign trail, nearly three months into his presidency, this different tone chimes with a more realistic view of China's currency.

It shows his tough talk on China was only campaign rhetoric, said Wei Benhua, a senior researcher at Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University.

Economists have argued that China currently does not merit the label of currency manipulator, and the Chinese currency, RMB, has been at equilibrium level in recent years.

The Treasury uses three measures to decide if a country is being manipulated: whether the country runs a sizeable surplus in trade with America; whether its current-account surplus exceeds 3 percent of GDP; and whether it spends more than 2 percent a year to buy foreign assets to suppress the value of its currency.

China only meets the first criteria by running over $20 billion of trade surplus with the United States, said Zhu Jianfang, chief economist with the Citic Securities.

China has spared no efforts to keep the RMB at a stable level over the past few years; exactly the opposite of currency manipulation, he added.

Over the last decade, China's effective exchange rate has appreciated more than any other major currency, rising more than 40 percent, said David Dollar, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Brad Setser, a researcher with the Council on Foreign Relations, noted that the RMB exchange rate is now close to equilibrium. He expects the RMB will remain stable at the current level with China's current account surplus and its efforts to deal with capital outflows.

The US administration's new stance on the currency issue was likely influenced by the recent meeting of the leaders of the two countries in Florida, where they were able to better understand each other, said Zhao Xijun, a finance professor with Renmin University.

With the currency spat subduing, economists said the chance of a trade war between the world's two largest economies will be slim at most.

"The possibility of a trade war could be ruled out as the US government has dropped the manipulator claim, " Zhu Jianfang said, adding the two countries have huge space for cooperation, which is good for both sides.

"It would be hard for me to imagine a full on trade war between the US and China as it would be too damaging to the two greatest economies in the world, and it could easily pull the rest of the world into the biggest recession we will ever see," said John Ling, president of the Council of American States in China.

As many of the new US cabinet members have experience in the private sector working with China, he said, it was a positive sign that there would be disputes and issues, but both sides will try to maintain a relationship that will benefit the citizens in both countries.

Economists also foresee that the news will help keep the RMB stable.

It seems the market was given a stable expectation for the RMB trading and big fluctuations of the RMB will not occur, as the market could always be greatly influenced by significant government talks, Zhao Xijun said.

Observers also said the RMB's exchange rate is essentially decided by China's economic fundamentals which currently do not warrant a weaker RMB.

Thanks to China's consistent efforts to allow the market to decide the exchange rates, the International Monetary Fund declared the RMB as no longer undervalued in 2015.

Under Obama administration, the Treasury also dropped its previous assessment that the RMB was "significantly undervalued".
BEIJING  The Belt and Road Initiative is a new inclusive developing mode guided by the principle of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration, CPPCC National Committee member and international studies expert Zhang Yunling said during a recent exclusive interview with Xinhuanet.

China is to host the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing from May 14 to May 15.

So far, more than 20 heads of state and government including Russian President Vladimir Putin, over 50 leaders of international organizations, 100 ministerial-level officials, as well as 1,200 delegates from various countries and regions will participate in the forum.

The forum aims to build consensus and reach agreements on major cross-regional projects through consultations, Zhang said.

The global economy has been mired in a prolonged recession since the global financial crisis in 2008.

According to Zhang, the sluggish recovery of world economy is mainly because the original growth mechanism through which the developing countries produce and developed countries consume fails to sustain.

The Belt and Road Initiative was proposed to help adjust the imbalance in development and therefore promote growth in world economy, Zhang explained.

In terms of the security and political risks during the implementation of the Initiative, Zhang maintained that risks are inevitable, but we should brave the difficulties and solve the problems in action.

There are two ways to cope with risks: One is to integrate these risks into a holistic planning; and the other is to build a security cooperation mechanism, he introduced.

"For instance, there may be obstacles in building roads and transportation, which can not be addressed by a single country. To jointly build a security mechanism may work, " Zhang said.

"The Belt and Road Initiative connects Europe, Asia and Africa via land and sea. It's impossible to build highway, high-speed railway and communication networks in a day. We must prepare for long-term efforts," Zhang added.

The Initiative, in Zhang's view, represents a new developing mode and direction.

"Land-sea connection under the Belt and Road Initiative is a further step in strengthening the opening-up policies. It will not only contribute to China's development, but also to coordinated regional development," said Zhang.

Scholars from the countries along the Belt and Road also speak highly of the initiative, Zhang noted.

"An Iranian professor said that the Initiative is a developing mode that quite differs from the Western ones. If it works, it will offer a new feasible choice to the world," Zhang mentioned.
Li Zhigang, founder of start-up company Newtop 100. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The burgeoning entrepreneurial spirit has swept every sector including the media, with media professionals leaving their posts to create their own businesses.

Li Zhigang, a veteran reporter and a best-selling business author, started his company a year ago drawing on his strength in investigating and analyzing companies.

The company, Newtop 100, produces in-depth coverage on industry leaders in the arena of new economy, namely, those with new technologies and business models.

To date, it has covered more than 100 companies and released 20 video interview programs on CEOs of leading new companies. Page views of the videos have reached approximately 40 million, setting the fledgling company off to a good start.

Starting a business from the ground up

Li's entrepreneurial experience coincided with the change of the media landscape.

"The year 2013 was a key turning point for the media," he said in an interview with chinadaily.com.cn. "I often saw newspapers sold on the subway in and before the year 2012. But since 2013, I've never seen them again."

Amid the downslide of traditional media, he became an independent writer in 2014. By then, he had worked for media outlets including the South China Metropolis, Asian Business Leaders and the Chinese version of Bloomberg Business Weekly for nearly 16 years.

As a writer, he had two books published - one on the group-buying platform Meituan in 2014 and the other on e-commerce operator JD.com in 2015. The JD.com Story was a best-seller among business books in 2015, with 400,000 copies sold.

At the time, Li had to decide whether to continue as a business writer or change paths as an entrepreneur.

As a man of strong character and someone who doesn't want to "live an ordinary life", he decided to start his own company.

Talking about his role change, he said being a reporter is like being a "special soldier" that rushes to the battlefield independently, while now as a manager, his challenge is to lead a team.

Serving as a 'capital scout'

Li is confident in his abilities to make proper judgments from a sea of information, which he believes is the company's core competence.

His book on Wang Xing was written after interviews with dozens of people including Wang's family, friends, management and employees. The book on Liu Qiangdong, founder of JD.com is based on interviews with 258 people and original writing materials of four million words. Notably, when Li started to follow Wang and Liu, they were not as well-known as they are now.

Li brought his experience and good sense of judgment into the new team. "Of the 100-plus companies covered by Newtop 100 in the past year, 35 raised funds of more than $50 million after our coverage," he said.

By doing due-diligence investigation and producing independent and in-depth information, the company aims to connect top Chinese entrepreneurs with global investment institutions.

Kind of like a capital scout, Li said.

The company published a read-to-pay report forecasting the investment trend for this year at the Newtop 100 CEO Summit 2017 in Beijing on Saturday. The free-for-charge era of the internet sector has ended, he said.

"If companies want to become better and smarter, they should pay (for quality content)," he said.
The headquarters building of Anbang Insurance Group are pictured in Beijing, August 25, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

Anbang Insurance Group has walked away from a deal to acquire United States annuities and life insurer Fidelity & Guaranty Life for $1.6 billion after failing to get the necessary regulatory approvals, Reuters reported.

This is another setback after Anbang abandoned its $14 billion bid for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide last year.

Fidelity & Guaranty Life had extended its merger agreement with Anbang to April 17 after it was set to expire on February 8. Had Anbang secured a public hearing with Iowa's financial regulator by April 17, it could have extended the expiration date to May 31, Reuters said, citing people familiar with the matter.

However, Anbang could not meet the conditions for any further extension, the sources said. Meanwhile, Anbang has to obtain approval from New York regulatory authorities, and it appears to have given up on that, Reuters added.

The sources did not disclose the reasons why the deal was unlikely to receive approval from US state regulators, but added Anbang refused to disclose some information required by regulatory authorities.

Established in 2004, Anbang Insurance Group, a little-known Chinese insurer several years ago, has been at the forefront of a record wave of overseas acquisitions by Chinese companies.

Anbang purchased New York's famed Waldorf Astoria Hotel in 2014. It also bought the Belgian banking operations of Dutch insurer Delta Lloyd NV, Belgian insurer Fidea Assurance and Dutch insurance company VIVAT.

Last year, it signed an agreement to buy South Korea's life insurance and investment unit Allianz SE's for more than $3 million.

Last month, Anbang denied a Bloomberg report that it is investing in a flagship Manhattan office tower owned by the family of Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser.

Agencies contributed to this story.
WUHAN  Senior legislator Shen Yueyue has called on Chinese manufacturers to greatly improve product quality, to ensure quality-driven development.

Shen, vice chair of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), made the remarks during a team inspection tour from April 11 to 15 to review the enforcement of the Product Quality Law, in central China's Hubei province.

The inspection team heard reports from local authorities and visited food, domestic appliance and construction material companies, and quality testing agencies to learn about implementation of the law. The team also held seminars with deputies to people's congresses, experts and consumers to hear and gather suggestions.

"Product quality is the life of enterprises, and it relates to the nation's reputation as well as the interests of the people," said Shen.

Authorities should champion "quality first" awareness, and strive to promote the supply-side reform and rejuvenate the economy by quality improvement, Shen said.

She stressed that the law should be strictly enforced to solve quality problems and ensure a sound market environment of fair competition and healthy development.
A woman interacts with a smart Magic Wand vendor in Guangzhou. [Photo by Zhu Yuanbin/China Daily]

Robot hawkers and smart automated vendors, anyone?

They can approach passersby, scan them for potential buyers, and make a customized sales pitch.

Such scenes may no longer belong to the realm of fantasy but become a reality sooner than later, say experts driving innovative internet-based technologies in China.

Unlike traditional vending machines found at public areas, an intelligent vending robot can interact with consumers and understand what each of them really needs.

"The vending robot can help companies better adjust their product mix and build a more market-oriented business by mining data on consumer habits," said Dai Jiabao, founder and chief executive officer of Guangdong Magic Wand Technology Co Ltd.

Magic Wand has developed an intelligent vending machine that will be tested at major public areas in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, this month, according to Dai.

"Traditional retail companies need to introduce more internet-based technologies to upgrade their businesses. As a company engaged in research and development of intelligent facilities, we are willing to use the booming internet-based technologies to help traditional manufacturers to boost their sales."

According to Dai, Magic Wand will provide customized services for retailers, aiming to expand use of smart robots at major industrial areas.

The company has already signed purchasing agreements with a number of domestic companies in the fast moving consumer goods or FMCG industry, according to Dai.

"Internet-based technologies, which are used by intelligent vending machines, will help revitalize the manufacturing and retail sectors," said Dai.

A growing number of traditional manufacturing businesses in the Pearl River Delta have already harnessed internet-based technologies to upgrade themselves, especially their sales operations.

Stephen Tai, founder and chairman of Four Seas Group, a Hong Kong-based food company, said internet-based technologies have opened up new opportunities for the traditional manufacturing sector, driving the industry from low-end processing to advanced and intelligent manufacturing.

"We opened online trading services last year, which were well combined with our traditional business," said Tai.

Four Seas has 20 production plants in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, which distribute over 5,000 food products sourced from over 30 countries and regions.

In Guangzhou alone, Four Seas has opened 10 food processing plants, including a subsidiary dedicated to international trade and e-commerce.

"The booming internet-based technologies have helped expand our sales and product varieties. As a traditional food company, we are bracing for new challenges and opportunities in the internet era," said Tai.
Xi Jinping: The Governance of China attracts readers at the London Book Fair in this May 3, 2015 file photo. [Photo/Xinhua]

After its debut in Thailand, Cambodia and Pakistan, Xi Jinping: The Governance of China has become a top seller and been well-received among local officials and scholars, with many hailing the value of the book for both its language and its outreach.

The book, which outlines the political ideas of the top leadership in China, has been released in Thai, Khmer and Urdu versions in the respective capitals of the three countries in the past two weeks.

A Thai publisher sold more than 2,000 copies of the book in a single day after its launch in Bangkok on April 7, with many readers inquiring on social media about ways to purchase the book, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Thai Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, who had read the book, said it was written in beautiful language, even though it was not in the form of a novel or essays.

"I believe that to be a great leader, one has to be a good reader, good thinker, good speaker, good writer and good doer, and I found President Xi has achieved all of them after I finished reading this book," he said.

In Phnom Penh, more than 700 officials, scholars and entrepreneurs, including Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and five deputy prime ministers, attended the launching ceremony for the book on April 11.

Chea Munyrith, director of the Confucius Institute of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said publishing a Khmer version will enable the Cambodian people to better learn about China and Xi himself.

Chea, who assisted in the translation of the book into Khmer, said it offers insights for government officials and scholars on how to properly manage a country.

"That is why it is important for the officials, students and scholars in Cambodia to read through the book," he said.

At the launching ceremony of the Urdu edition of the book in Islamabad on Friday, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the book is as much about the contemporary world as it is about China.

"What has touched me most is that this book is not just about high-level politics, but also about moving stories of common people, their lives and inspirations about hard work and family values," he said.

"This book is as much about the Chinese Dream as it is about the global dream to have a peaceful, harmonious and connected world," he added.

Building a community of shared destiny is an important concept embodied in Xi's thoughts on governance of the nation, said Jiang Jianguo, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and minister of the State Council Information Office.

"And this concept has been included in the resolutions passed by United Nations organizations," he said at the launching ceremony of the book in Islamabad on Friday.
Bicycles of Mobike and Ofo, two major bike-sharing service providers in China, are parked outside a park in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.[Lai Li/For China Daily]

China imposes some of the world's toughest driving restrictions for cars, and now the checks and controls are expanding to the bicycle-sharing industry.

Police in Shenzhen said over the weekend that they are considering restrictions on the use of shared bikes, especially during holidays, to prevent road congestion and public disorder.

Police said that about 520,000 bikes have been put on the streets in the city in the year since bike sharing began.

A growing number of people are taking the colorful two-wheelers to work or using them for recreation, which has brought some challenges. Over the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday earlier this month, for example, paths at a local park became seriously clogged with bikes, while careless parking of shared bikes often blocks traffic.

The police are partnering with bike-sharing companies to monitor the number of bikes in designated areas. Under the plan, if the accumulation of bikes in an area hits a certain number, a warning system will be activated that prohibits bikes from entering, with cyclists notified via a mobile app.

A limit on the number of bikes will be also enforced, along with temporary bans in certain public places during peak seasons.

Bike-sharing companies should be held responsible if their negligence leads to serious accidents, the police said. The companies have been ordered to report to police the number of bikes to be released in key areas before holidays.

The bicycle-sharing industry took off in China about two years ago when startups set out to use internet technology to transform the mobility sector.

A rider typically pays about 1 yuan ($0.15) an hour after unlocking a bicycle with a mobile app. The bike can be dropped off anywhere for the next user. Mobike, Bluegogo and Ofo are the major service providers.

According to analysis by a Beijing think tank, 18.86 million people in China used a shared bicycle at least once last year. The number is expected to hit 50 million this year, which will bring new headaches for urban managementincluding random parking.

On Tuesday, Shanghai's downtown Huangpu district banned the riding or parking of bicycles, whether private or rented, in five busy commercial areas, including the Bund and Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street. On another 22 roadsmostly popular commercial streets without bicycle lanesbikes can be parked but not ridden, according to the district government.

Xinhua-China Daily
Chinese man detained for smoking on int'l flight

Xinhua | Updated: 2017-04-17 07:51

HANGZHOU - Chinese police have detained a man over the weekend for smoking on a Thai AirAsia flight from Bangkok.



The man, a 54-year-old Chinese national surnamed Wang, was apprehended upon arrival of the flight FD568 in Hangzhou City, eastern Zhejiang Province Saturday night.



Wang admitted that he smoked in the toilet while the aircraft was in air. A cabin attendant smelt the smoke and reported him to the captain, who alerted the airport police in Hangzhou.

Wang was punished to spend five days in detention for disturbing the order of public transport.



China has more than 300 million smokers. There have been reports of Chinese on long-haul flights succumbing to urge to smoke.



Police warned that people who smoke in flight can be fined up to 5,000 yuan (735 U.S. dollars) and face detention.
HIV test kits on sale in university vending machines

Xinhua | Updated: 2017-04-17 07:53

HARBIN - Students at a Chinese university woke up Sunday to find a surprising new adding to their vending machine. On sale alongside their beloved instant noodles and soft drinks were HIV test kits.



Harbin Medical University is the second university in the province of Heilongjiang to sell the kits in a vending machine.



It is part of a program launched by the Chinese Association of STD and HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control to address HIV transmission on campus.



Nine such vending machines had been installed in five universities across the country by the end of 2016, the association says.



The machine is designed with a deposit drawer, but looks just like any other and, alongside the kits, sells snacks, cup noodle, and drinks, Xinhua reporters saw.



A kit is sold at a discounted price of 30 yuan (4.38 U.S. dollars), compared to 286 yuan on the market.



Zhao Donghui, an HIV specialist with the Heilongjiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), explained the procedure: a test-taker buys the kit, collects his urine sample, and drops it back to the deposit drawer.



Staff at the provincial CDC will be notified by a sensor wired to the drawer. They come to retrieve the sample, do the testing, and post it online, he added.



Only the test taker can view the results once they log on the center's website and enter a specific code number, Zhao said.



"The whole process is anonymous," he said.



China had 654,000 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) at the end of September 2016, according to figures revealed by the China CDC.



Sexual transmission accounted for 94 percent of the 96,000 new cases reported in the nine months last year, it said. Young students and retirees are found to be the two groups where infection rose most rapidly.



There were 2,321 students aged between 15 to 24 tested positive, more than four times the figure in 2010, it added.



Wu Zunyou, head of the AIDS and HIV prevention under China CDC, said the rise of new HIV cases on campus, especially among young men, should sound a warning.



"I interviewed 100 HIV positive students and was saddened to learn that they did not know enough to protect themselves," Wu said.



Health specialists said intervention among this high-risk group was difficult due to the taboo surrounding homosexuality and HIV/AIDS.



A student who revealed his homosexuality to Xinhua said he and his boyfriend plan to use the machine. He said he has been so cautious that he goes to the local CDC to get tested every three months.



"It is all about health and there is nothing to be shy about," said the student, who chose to remain anonymous.



But many on campus do not have such an open attitude toward testing.



Peng Tao, an official with Harbin Medical University, said many students may still be reticent to take the test.



A vending machine was installed in Harbin University of Science and Technology last November, but sadly less than ten students have taken the test, said Zhao, the provincial CDC official.

Peng said as infection rises, the school has a responsibility to help those who want to try to use the machine.



It was as important as sex education in class, he said.



Nigerian exchange student Akinkunmi Okekunli said it is a right thing to do that students should have the means to know their health status.



He said in the University of Ibadan, where he came from, free testing and counseling are also available.



Health authorities said more Chinese living with HIV/AIDS know their status through testing.



The number of HIV tests people took in China grew from 60 million in 2010 to 140 million in 2015.



"We can't eliminate the virus for now, but at least we can prevent it from spreading," said Wang Mengjiao, a third-year student of Harbin Medical University. "For that purpose, it is important to take part in voluntary testing."
Two foreign tourists receive a warm welcome at Shanghai Disneyland for the theme park's grand opening on June 16, 2016. Spots like Disneyland can help attract foreigners. Pei Xin / Xinhua

Shanghai has ranked as the "most attractive" city for foreign residents for the fifth consecutive year due to its international atmosphere and multicultural environment, according to an annual survey.

Beijing, the nation's capital, remained second, thanks to its advantages in healthcare and educational resources, while Hangzhou, the so-called "Heaven on Earth" in Zhejiang province, held onto third place.

The rankings, released Saturday, were based on a survey of about 25,000 expatriates nationwide in December and January. The criteria ranged from the living environment and local culture to administrative services and favorable policies for foreign residents.

The China Society for Research on International Professional Personnel Exchange and Development launched the annual survey in partnership with the International Talent magazine in 2010 as a way to promote the nation's cities.

One of the biggest changes in the top 10 was for Qingdao, a coastal city in Shandong province, which moved up two places to fourth, replacing Shenzhen, the southern metropolis, which slipped to sixth.

Qingdao scored much higher than Shanghai and Beijing in terms of air pollution and traffic congestion, as did Suzhou, a picturesque city in Jiangsu province, which placed seventh.

This year's survey also showed China's rapid economic growth and its future development potential are major draws for foreigners with a long-term plans to work or live in the country.

More than half of all respondents said the environment was the most important factor when considering staying long term, while preferential policies also were a major concern.

Loic Bastard, a Frenchman who works for Envision Energy and has been based in Wuxi, another city in Jiangsu, for two years, said he enjoys living in his "clean" and "beautiful" adopted home.

"With easy transportation, good infrastructure and a good environment, smaller cities have gained more competitiveness compared with metropolises," he said. "With an increasing number of preferential policies from the local government, I think second- and third-tier cities will be attractive to more foreign expats."

yangwanli@chinadaily.com.cn
US President Donald Trump has signed an "Energy Independence Executive Order" to "annul" Barack Obama-era legislation on reducing coal, oil and gas production and curbing carbon emissions. On his first visit to the Environmental Protection Agency last month, Trump signed the order, freeing the fossil fuel industry from the legislative tether and raising questions on the United States' commitment to climate change agreements, especially the 2015 Paris climate pact.

The Trump administration has not said it will pull out of the Paris agreement, but even the slightest change to, let alone a total rollback of, Obama's Clean Power Plan will make it almost impossible for the US to honor its international climate commitments. Trump's repeated questioning of humans' role in climate change, promise to slash EPA funding, and appointment of anti-climate change litigator Scott Pruitt as EPA chief and former Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson as secretary of state, had already put a big question mark on the US role in the global fight against climate change. The executive order now clears all doubts of the US under Trump not meeting its internationally agreed emission reduction target.

When the $1.1 trillion budget outline was released in March making good Trump's campaign promises, including reducing EPA by one-third, Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said those programs (environmental protection plans) are "a waste of your (taxpayers') money". On the fight against climate change, Mulvaney said: "We're not spending money on that anymore."

US funding has been cut not only for Obama's Clean Power Plan, but also will be slashed for international climate change programs and climate change research and partnership schemes.

Which means China is the only major economy that remains committed to meeting highly ambitious climate targets. Undeterred by the Trump-led US volte-face on its global climate commitments, China is on track to meet its emission reduction targets.

As if Trump's repudiation of US climate commitments was not enough, he has delivered a heavy body blow to another global cause: the fight against famine and poverty. By proposing cuts in foreign aid, Trump has threatened to end the US role as the world's top emergency donor at a time when the severest global humanitarian crisis in seven decades has been declared in three African countries, Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan.

If the US Congress approves the massive cuts proposed by Trump and Washington desists from helping with funds to combat Africa's current crisis in which about 16 million face starvation, it could have devastating effects, including tens of thousands of new migrants heading for Europe and possible support for terrorist outfits like the Islamic State group. Building a wall along the border with Mexico may help increase employment opportunities for American citizens and prevent people from some Muslim-majority countries from entering the US, which may secure the country against terrorist attacks.

Terrorism, of course, is a threat to humankind. But so is climate change. The sooner Trump and his administration understand this simple fact the better for them, the US and the world.

Contact the writer at oprana@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 04/17/2017 page2)
A ceremony marking the return of a 1,300-year-old stone Buddhist pagoda body to its home in Shanxi province is held in the Shanxi Museum on Sunday. The top was taken first but has not been found, leading the museum to use a recreated top.Hu Yuanjia / For China Daily

Nearly 20 years after being stolen, a 1,300-year-old stone Buddhist pagoda body has been returned to its home of northern Shanxi province with the best wishes from pilgrims across the Taiwan Straits, officials said Sunday.

The 1.77-meter-high component, a part of a 3.2-meter-high pagoda was located in Dengyu village in Shanxi province's Yushe county. Based on inscriptions on the pagoda, it appears to have been made in 720 AD. It was included in Shanxi's first provincial list of key protection cultural relics as early as in 1965. However, its top part was stolen in 1996, and the body became lost two years later. Its octagonal foundation and eaves were left at the site.

"It's rare to see such exquisite stone pagoda of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) in Shanxi, even though our province has abundant Buddhist cultural relics," said Shi Jinming, director of the Shanxi Museum, where a ceremony on Sunday was held to announce the pagoda body's return. The artifact was quietly returned to the museum in January.

"The figures are elegant and vivid," he said. "What the artifact reveals is the typically prosperous flavor during the zenith of the Tang Dynasty."

Four facades of the pagoda body were carved with Buddhist reliefs and decorated with color drawings. The inscriptions also include important historical information, Shi said.

In 2015, the pagoda body was donated by a private collector to Chung Tai Chan Monastery in Nantou county, Taiwan. Nevertheless, Abbot Wei Chueh, who since has died, founder of the monastery, showed willingness to return it via his delegates who visited the State Administration of Cultural Heritage in February 2016, noting "it was possibly an artifact stolen from Shanxi around 2000".

An official in charge of cultural relic repatriation under the administration was on a business trip in 2015, passing Yushe county and was told by locals the pagoda was possibly taken to Taiwan. Even as the administration pursued clues, the pagoda body was returned.

An expert panel was organized to compare the artifact and old pictures and files of the lost item in Shanxi. They determined the two matched perfectly and the Shanxi Museum and the monastery signed an agreement in August 2016 for the pagoda body to be returned.

"It was Wei Chueh's last wish to take this pagoda body back to enhance religion and art exchange across the Taiwan Straits," Abbot Jian Deng from the monastery said at ceremony marking the item's return.

Still, no one knows where the pagoda's top is.

"This is a remarkable event to set a good example for similar cases in the future," said Guan Qiang, deputy director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. "It encourages more people's good deeds to better protect cultural relics and bring more lost artifacts back."

The returned pagoda body will be exhibited in Shanxi Museum until May 21, and it is unclear whether it will be housed at the museum or moved it to Yushe county after, Shi said.

"If safety conditions allow, it's good to let it go back home in the village," Shi said.
Members of the People's Liberation Army Navy rescue a Tuvalu-flagged cargo ship from pirates on April 9 in the Gulf of Aden. On Saturday, the PLA Navy rescued another vessel threatened by pirates, sending a helicopter to run the marauders off. The ship continued on its way.Niu Yunhai / China News Service

Operation involving a helicopter chased away raiders

Chinese naval sailors saved a Panamanian ship on Saturday night that had come under attack from pirates in the Gulf of Aden, the second such rescue mission this month, China's Defense Ministry said on Sunday.

The Frigate Hengyang of the People's Liberation Army Navy's 25th convoy fleet received a distress call about 9:30 pm on Saturday, Beijing time. The call said the ALHEERA, an oil tanker, was under attack by five pirates and the ship requested help.

Hengyang set out immediately and dispatched its shipboard helicopter to the area. The helicopter arrived and drove away the suspected pirates around 10:30 pm, the ministry said.

The ship was deemed safe and continued its passage, the ministry said.

Earlier this month, the missile frigate Yulin was dispatched to assist the crew of the Tuvaluan freighter OS35, also in the Gulf of Aden.

On the morning of April 9, the Yulin, from the same convoy, dispatched 16 special forces sailors to board the freighter, where they safely rescued all 19 crew members.

"The rescue operation demonstrated the effectiveness of the Chinese naval forces," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a news briefing the following day.

Chinese naval convoys first began their missions in Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia on January 2009. Since then, China has sent 26 convoys through, with the latest one leaving April 1. Chinese convoys since have escorted 6,337 ships, including 3,274 ships from other countries and international organizations such as the World Food Programme. They also rescued or aided more than 60 Chinese and foreign ships in the region from local pirates, according to the defense ministry.

Liang Fang, a professor at the PLA's National Defense University, said it is rare for China to disclose details of rescue missions and doing so represents the growing transparency and confidence of the Chinese navy.

"Our convoy's equipment, coordination and emergency response ability have improved throughout the years, transforming the Chinese navy into the most formidable and reliable security force in the region," she said. "By making the details public, people will know they can always count on the Chinese navy for help."

Zhang Junshe, a senior researcher at the PLA Naval Military Studies Research Institute, said the recent rescues and escort missions in general show China is capable and responsible.

"As the strength of the Chinese navy grows, it can shoulder more loads and better safeguard regional and international security," he said.
Guizhou province will set its average annual economic growth target at around 10 percent for the next five years as part of an effort to pull more than 3.7 million people out of poverty by 2020, the province's top official said on Sunday.

Chen Miner, Party chief of Guizhou, said the province aims to increase its GDP to 2 trillion yuan ($290 billion) by 2021.

Guizhou has pulled nearly 7.8 million people out of poverty in the past five years, but there are still 3.72 million living under the poverty line of 2,300 yuan in annual income in its rural areas, Chen said in a report to the 12th Communist Party of China Guizhou Provincial Congress.

Guizhou is home to the largest poverty-stricken population among the country's 34 provincial regions, making poverty alleviation there a "key concern" in China's effort to build a moderately prosperous society by 2020, Chen said.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, there are still 43.35 million people living below the poverty line nationwide, despite the country having lifted 12.4 million rural residents out of poverty in 2016.

Chen vowed to boost poverty relief in Guizhou by accurately identifying poverty-stricken people and assessing how they can be elevated.

Xie Yi, a researcher at the Guizhou Academy of Social Sciences, said the province can achieve its economic growth rate target with strong support from the central government. The growth rate offers a solid foundation to help alleviate poverty, and it goes hand in hand with job creation, he said.

Xie said many people in poverty need to be relocated from inhabitable areas, and it's important to offer them employment afterward so they remain out of poverty.

Guizhou plans to relocate about 752,000 residents this year - from 3,603 mountain villages to relatively prosperous towns with better living conditions, according to the provincial government.
Did you miss games of chicken over keeping the federal government open? Your happy days might be here again.

On April 28, the measure Congress approved late last year to keep the government funded for fiscal 2017known in Beltway lingo as a continuing resolution"will expire. Without it, major parts of the government will cease to operate. President Donald Trumps administration has sent lawmakers a spending proposal that would cover the rest of fiscal 2017 , which ends Sept. 30, including major cuts to Title II grants for teaching programs. But so far, Congress hasnt been eager to enact Trumps fiscal 2017 spending plan. (All this is separate from Trumps fiscal 2018 budget plan , in which Title II state grants would be eliminated entirely. That 2018 Trump spending plan also isnt particularly popular on Capitol Hill.)

Politically, the shutdown would also be notable because unlike during past shutdown showdowns of President Barack Obamas tenure, Republicans control the legislative and executive branches of government. By no means are we saying its a certainty, or even likely. But what happens if Trump and Congress cant agree on some sort of 2017 spending plan by April 28?

We reached out to the Education Department to ask about the impact of a potential shutdown. So far, we have not heard back, but well update this post if we do. For some background about whats happened in past years, check out our stories from 2013 and 2015 . Short version:



Most school districts ultimately didnt feel a whole lot of pain.

Former Secretary Arne Duncan still had to go into work.

In 2013, the vast majority of department staff (more than 90 percent) was slated to be furloughed during the first week of the shutdown.

However, there are a few programs where a shutdown would be felt pretty quickly, as well as a few wrinkles that make this potential shutdown a little different from previous ones.

Impact Aid

This is the part of the Education Department budget that deals with districts where federal activities have an effect, such as military operations and Indian reservations. About 1,200 districts with over 10 million students enrolled get Impact Aid. Unlike big-ticket federal programs like Title I, Impact Aid isnt forward-funded, so its very sensitive to when federal budgets are agreed to and the money is distributed from Washington.

Jocelyn Bissonnette, the director of government affairs for the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools, said there are three potential consequences of a shutdown on her districts:



The technical assistance the department provides to Impact Aid districts may stop.

A shutdown, as well as an extension of the continuing resolution, can lead to delayed payments for districts. That may force at least some of them to seek short-term loans to cover operating expenses. (More on the cycle of Impact Aid finances here .)

.) There would also be just more budget uncertainty, especially when it comes to districts attempts to finalize their budgets for the upcoming school year.

Even in a year where the process works perfectly, districts have to monitor their budgets closely, Bissonnette said.

The last time we had this showdown, about 100 of the 1,200 districts asked for early Impact Aid money, a sign that they relied heavily on the cash to sustain their opertaions.

Head Start

During the last government shutdown in 2013, thousands of children were briefly kicked out of Head Start programs, which are run by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Centers in six states closed and about 7,000 children lost access to Head Start at least briefly, although a private foundation then stepped in to restore money to programs.

We know well the devastating impacts government shutdowns or potential government shutdowns can have on the 1 million vulnerable children we serve every year, said Sally Aman, a spokeswoman for the National Head Start Associaation.

Every Student Succeeds Act

Separate from any budget concerns, its also unclear how a shutdown would disrupt any conversations between the department and states still developing their plans for ESSA.

Thats not to say that the plans themselves and the submission process would be heavily disrupted necessarilyits hard to envision a shutdowns impact reaching all the way into September, when the final slate of ESSA plans is due. But if staff assigned to ESSA have to stay away from the department for any extended period, states questions about various issues could go unanswered.

Looking Ahead

Even though a shutdown may not leave a huge footprint on most schools, the uncertainty surrounding how much districts are going to end up with in fiscal 2017 still causes heartburn for local school officials, said Noelle Ellerson Ng, the associate executive director of AASA, the School Superintendents Association.

The lack of a final [fiscal year] number is extremely disruptive to the numbers that school districts have to put before their communities, Ellerson Ng said.

As former department staffer Mike Smith told us awhile back, the assistance the department would normally provide after an unexpected event or emergency, like a mass school shooting, may not be possible during a government shutdown.

The Washington Post reported recently that lawmakers are confidently working on a bipartisan basis to keep the government fully up and running passed April 28. But any such deal, which may not include funding for high-profile Trump priorities in the presidents proposed fiscal 2017 budget, would also need the presidents approval.

Photo: A sign indicating the closure of the Lincoln Memorial is posted on a barricade in Washington in 2013 following a federal government shutdown.

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
County in Xinjiang praises officers, residents for protecting social stability

Eighteen people from Hotan county in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region have shared 1.1 million yuan ($159,700) in rewards for their contributions to maintaining social stability - including fighting terrorism - according to a news report in Xinjiang Daily over the weekend.

Sixteen police officers and two Hotan residents were applauded for their outstanding efforts.

Of those rewarded, three received a pay raise, according to the report. Details were not specified, but rewards have been given in the past to residents for tipping off the authorities about illegal activity, and to police officers whose actions placed them in danger or otherwise went beyond the normal call of duty.

The names of awardees are normally withheld to protect them from possible retaliation.

"We should fight those who aim to destroy our homes, disturb our peaceful way of life and harm social stability," the paper quoted one of the officers as saying. He called on more residents to get involved in fighting terrorism, extremism and separatism to protect Hotan.

The news report added that 14 officials have been punished for dereliction of duty, and have been removed from their posts, demoted or expelled from the Party. Several have been placed under criminal investigation.

"Our county has increased its focus on stability and has begun strictly punishing officials who behave improperly or who are malfeasant," Lu Boran, Hotan's Party chief, told the newspaper.

He also spoke highly of the residents' participation in anti-terrorism work. Those who voluntarily join the fight and encourage others to help maintain stability deserve to be rewarded, he said.

Li Wei, an anti-terrorism expert at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said that such rewards have become common.

China's first Anti-Terrorism Law, which took effect in January last year, stipulates that rewards be handed out for anti-terrorism contributions. Three months later, Xinjiang offered a cash reward of up to 5 million yuan for people providing key information about plotters.

"Encouraging residents to report clues and rewarding informants has been written into law, which means the government has legal grounds for doing it," Li said.

He said such rewards, however, will not necessarily become more frequent in the region, since "the problem of terrorism will be eased when more people join the fight".

Similar reward programs are being brewed up in other areas in the country, "as the anti-terrorism fight is a national task", he added.
Beijing is taking steps to improve its parking management by encouraging the construction of parking facilities and imposing stricter penalties for illegal parking.

The Beijing Municipal Commission of Transportation released a draft of its new parking regulations on Tuesday. It will be available for public comment until May 10.

"A shortage of parking lots has become a serious problem in Beijing, as the number of cars in the capital continues to grow," said Yan Yuejin, a senior researcher at E-House China R&D Institute. "It requires integrated efforts in planning and management to improve the situation."

According to the draft regulations, the police will set up parking areas along secondary roads near communities that have a shortage of parking lots to be used by residents at night.

For residential communities and government buildings that can sufficiently meet their own parking demand, the authority encourages them to open their parking facilities to the public and charge fees.

"For existing parking areas, the government should work on raising their efficiency by improving charging systems and making full use of parking spaces in residential communities and commercial areas, as well as office buildings," Yan said.

He added that the city's planning and transportation departments should work together to make use of spare land by building parking facilities, especially multilevel garages, and install smart parking systems.

To encourage social capital investment in building and operating car parks, the municipal government will provide support including subsidies, loans and other financial aid, according to the regulations.

In addition to improving parking services, the proposed regulations say the authorities will blacklist drivers who refuse to pay parking fees. In addition, such drivers will be fined and given penalty points on their driver's licenses.

Zhao Pengjun, director of Peking University's Urban Planning and Transport Studies Center, said that for megacities like Beijing, parking presents problems for transportation management and causes traffic congestion, which is why punishments for illegal parking must be strict.

"Increasing the level of fines for violations will help prevent drivers from leaving their cars in random locations to avoid paying for parking," Zhao said.

In some European countries, fines for illegal parking are high, and in some circumstances authorities will tow away illegally parked vehicles.

The commission said in a statement on Wednesday that China has implemented many new policies on the construction and management of parking facilities that require a basis in law and regulation.
A bronze chariot is on display in Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum.Photo Provided To China Daily

XI'AN - Bronze chariots that belonged to the first Chinese emperor will get new luster when they are lifted from a cramped subterranean showroom at a major museum to a new exhibition hall above ground.

Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, home to the 2,000-year-old Terracotta Warriors, will build the new hall for the horse-drawn chariots as part of an overhaul this year designed to accommodate a surge in visitors to the site, said Zhou Kuiying, deputy director of Shaanxi Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage.

Zhou said that the underground showroom is too crowded during peak season.

The renovation's timeline and other details have yet to be disclosed.

Emperor Qinshihuang, who died in 210 BC, is remembered for unifying China and joining segments of the Great Wall to form an unbroken military barrier. He had an army of clay warriors and horses created for the afterlife.

The terracotta army figures around his mausoleum represent one of the greatest archaeological finds of modern times. It was discovered in Lintong county, 35 kilometers east of Xi'an, in 1974 by farmers who were digging a well. The mausoleum was later declared a national heritage site and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The museum received about 2 million visitors annually before 2012. In 2016, 5.6 million people visited.
Wu Ling, a sex education teacher at Xingzhi Primary School in Beijing's Daxing district, teaches her students about women's bodies and menstruation.Photos By Zou Hong / China Daily

Despite criticism that a sex education textbook is too graphic, parents and professionals have united in its defense. Yang Wanli reports.

"Every time I express my belief that sex education should begin at primary school level, many of my friends are stunned, almost open mouthed. They say 'Oh, my goodness! How can we allow these innocent kids to learn about sex?'" said Li Ming, a sex education teacher at Xingzhi Primary School in the Beijing's Daxing district.

Recently, the school has been targeted as a result of its use of a sex education textbook, even though it was published 10 years ago.

Some critics complain that the book is too graphic because it includes illustrations of genitalia, full penetration and menstruation.

"Many people believe the stereotype that sex education is simply about sexual intercourse," Li said. In fact, the book's 12 volumes - whose collective name translates as Cherishing Life - are intended for students from grades one to six. The books cover six themes, including family and friends, life skills, gender and rights, sexuality and healthy behavior.

Despite widespread support for the book, some parents remain unconvinced.

"Some knowledge of sexual activity and contraceptives is included in the textbook for children at grades five and six. I'm concerned that knowing this sort of information will encourage children to try sex even earlier," Apple, the mother of a 3-year-old girl, wrote on her Weibo account.

A child's right?

Since its launch, the textbook, written by academics at Beijing Normal University, has been used in 18 primary schools in Beijing to teach about 15,000 children ages 6 to 11.

Liu Wenli, the book's lead author, has specialized in child development and sex education since the 1980s.

When she returned to China after studying and working in the United States for 10 years, she was enthusiastic about promoting sex education.

"Unlike some people who view sex education simply as the prevention of unplanned pregnancies, sexual activity at a young age and sexually transmitted diseases, I believe sex education is a child's right. Children have the right to learn and know more about themselves and other people," she said.

"This not only answers fundamental questions, such as 'Where am I from?' but also provides the basis for developing mutual respect with other people and a tolerance of differences."

The heightened public and media discussion about the textbook has resulted in a growing number of parents visiting bookstores to buy it.

Liu recently received a message from the publisher informing her that it is printing extra copies in response to the growing demand.
The ancient Hui-style architecture is seen in Huangling Village of Wuyuan County in China's Eastern Jiangxi province, April 16, 2017. [Photo by Liu Xiaozhuo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Wuyuan County in East China's Jiangxi province, well-known as China's most beautiful countryside, strides to explore innovative modes to add new energy to its tourism industry development.

Wang Chunhui, the head of Wuyuan County's Tourism development Commission, said most tourists visit Wuyuan in March and April every year to enjoy a sea of rapeseed flowers.

"But the rapeseed flowers bloom only for a short period of time, and when the flower season ends, Wuyuan's tourism undergoes a big slide down," Wang said.

Besides, Wuyuan is not the only region in China where tourists can catch a glimpse of rapeseed flowers in blossom.

"The competition of rapeseed flowers tourism is very furious in China," Wang added.

To extend the time of popularity and attract more tourists' attention, the county has decided to transform industries and apply new modes to improve the county's tourism.

Wang said Wuyuan Country, besides its beautiful natural environment, also features rich cultural deposits of ancient Huizhou. "We are trying to combine and optimally use all the tourism resources and build Wuyuan into a big scenic region where tourists can enjoy themselves at any time of the year," Wang said.

Wuyuan's Huangling Village, where countless rapeseed flowers blossom in the spring, has made progress in enriching tourism. The history of the village dates back to the end of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the beginning of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Wuyuan Countryside Development Company, the owner of Huangling Village scenic region, is now transforming the ancient town into a flower town.

Wu Xiangyang, president of Wuyuan Countryside Development Company, said the company is combining nature and culture, utilizing the ancient Hui-style architecture and extending the amount of time flowers are in blossom.

"The protection of ancient architecture is a core piece of our work," Wu added.

Another mode is adding night tours. "Tourists can enjoy the flowers and ancient architecture in the daytime and watch performances in the evening," Wang said.

Performers dance in the show Dreaming in Hometown. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The popularity of real-life scenery performance Dreaming in Hometown is on the upsurge among tourists coming to Wuyuan, according to Zhao Changjun, director of the Dreaming in Hometown project.

"The show conveys traditional cultural values of Wuyuan in artistic ways. More importantly, the show is at night and tourists can have the unique experience of a night tour," Zhao said.
10 killed in bus accident in SW China

Xinhua | Updated: 2017-04-17 13:17

GUIYANG - Ten people died and five others were injured when a bus plunged into a river in Southwest China's Guizhou province Monday, local authorities said.



The accident happened at around 8:30 a.m. in Kaiyang, an outer county of the provincial capital Guiyang, the county government said in a statement.



The 19-seat bus, en route from Kaiyang to Weng'an county in Bouyei-Miao autonomous prefecture of Qiannan, veered off a road bridge on provincial highway S305 and fell into the river, it said.

Four people were reported missing in the accident.



Rescue work was continuing as of 12 p.m.



The local government has launched an investigation.
China's first domestically produced passenger plane completes a high-speed taxi test for the first time in Shanghai on Sunday. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's first domestically produced passenger plane completed a high-speed taxi test for the first time in Shanghai on Sunday, just one step away from its maiden flight, thepaper.cn reported.

The COMAC C919 rolled off the assembly line on Nov 2, 2015, and was delivered to the flight test center in December.

The Shanghai-based State-owned Commercial Aircraft Corp of China Ltd, its manufacturer, has completed most of ground-based pre-flight evaluations, including the low-speed and medium-speed taxi test, to examine the whole aircraft and its key components and connecting parts.

It will conduct more high-speed taxiing tests at a speed of up to 170 kilometers per hour before its first flight scheduled in the first half of this year.

With more than 150 seats and a standard range of 4,075 kilometers, the locally designed and built aircraft marks a significant milestone in Chinese manufacturing, as China moves up the global production chain.

The plane is expected to compete with the updated Airbus 320 and Boeing Co's new-generation 737, which currently dominate the market.

By the end of 2016, a total of 21 customers had placed orders for more than 500 C919 aircraft, and COMAC expects to sell at least 2,000.
Tianzhou 1, China's first cargo spacecraft was moved to its launch site at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainanprovince on Monday morning.[Photo provided to China Daily]

The rocket carrying China's first cargo spacecraft, the Tianzhou 1, was moved to its launch site at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province this morning.

The mission, to be carried out between Thursday and Monday, will mark the second launch of the new-generation Long March 7 rocket, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

Starting at 7:30 am, it took about two and a half hours to move the rocket and Tianzhou 1 to the launch site. Engineers will conduct final tests and fuel up the rocket, the agency said.

Tianzhou 1 was transported by sea to the Wenchang center from Tianjin, where it was built, in mid-February. After its launch, the spacecraft will dock with the Tiangong II space lab, which has been in orbit since September.

The cargo ship was developed by the China Academy of Space Technology and is 10.6 meters long and has a diameter of 3.35 meters. Its maximum takeoff weight is about 13 metric tons, which will enable it to carry nearly 6 tons of supplies.

The main goals of the mission are to supply fuel to Tiangong II and to test in-orbit refueling technologies, the agency said. In addition, the cargo ship will ferry more than 10 pieces of scientific equipment.
Zhang Huawei, one of the most senior inspectors with China's top anti-graft body, is under investigation for suspected disciplinary violations, an euphemism for corruption.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection issued a one-sentence statement on its website on Monday saying the official "had seriously violated Party discipline".

According to Capitalnews, the WeChat account of Beijing Daily, Zhang is one of the most senior disciplinary officials suspected of corruption and is the only head of a national inspection team to be investigated.

He took part in at least seven inspections between 2013 and 2015, either as deputy head or head of the inspection team, according to information on the CCDI website. These teams were stationed at major organizations and companies, including Renmin University of China, China Guodian Corp and the General Administration of Sport.

zhang_yi@chinadaily.com.cn
HOHHOT -- About 100,000 ethnic Mongolians from across China went to the mausoleum of the 13th-century great conquerer Genghis Khan Monday for a grand memorial ritual.

The annual spring ceremony for Genghis Khan has been practiced for nearly 800 years.

Worshippers stepped into the shrine in Ordos in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, offering hada, a ceremonial silk scarf, and tea bricks, among other offerings. Genghis Khan's relics are enshrined at the site.

The ritual was hosted by members of the Dalhut families who have been guarding the mausoleum for generations.

"I attend the spring ritual every two or three years," said a Mongolian teacher. "The ancient ceremony allows me to feel and touch the history and culture of our ancestor."

After the main ritual ended, attendees participated in a milk-sprinkling rite outside the shrine to pray for blessings.

Ethnic Mongolians claim to be the descendants of Genghis Khan, who united the tribes in northern China and founded the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. His grandson, Kublai Khan, established the Yuan Dynasty, which ruled China from 1271 to 1368.

The mausoleum was established by Genghis Khan's son, though where he was actually interred remains unknown. Genghis Khan memorial rituals are protected as a state intangible cultural heritage.
Fundacion Escuela Nueva set out in 1987 to improve the quality and relevance of education in schools with limited resources by restructuring the way school children learn in the classroom. A major component of this approach is a child-centered environment that emphasizes creative collaboration and changing the teachers role from lecturer to facilitator. As students learn to work together, gender barriers are broken down and students view one another as equals.

By Tom Luschei and Sarah Smith Orr

Colombias Escuela Nueva multigrade school improvement model has traveled across national borders and continents to reach over a dozen countries and more than seven million children in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia. But until recently, implementation of Escuela Nueva had never been seriously considered in the United States.

That changed last November when the Fundacion Escuela Nueva USA (FEN USA) was established under the sponsorship of Community Partners , a non-profit incubator in Los Angeles. FEN USAs mission is to expand opportunities for quality education for children utilizing the Escuela Nueva model, which avoids conventional teaching practices, such as memorization and passive learning, in favor of a student-to-student, teacher-facilitated process of cooperative, personalized, and active learning.

A Good Fit For California Priorities

FEN USAs Advisory Council represents a Whos Who of Golden State education policy experts, including Berkeleys David Kirp, Middlebury Institute of International Studies Beryl Levinger (a co-founder of the Escuela Nueva model), former Dean of the Stanford Graduate School of Education Marshall Smith, Stanford emeritus professor Henry Levin (also a professor at Columbia University), and UCLA education professor Pedro Noguera. FEN USA also draws advice from David Plank, Executive Director of Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE), and UCLA Presidential Professor Emerita in Educational Equity Jeannie Oakes. This group knows Escuela Nueva and believes in its potential to support educational improvement in California.

This blog has taught us that California is exceptional in many ways, both negative and positive. Escuela Nueva provides the state an opportunity to leverage the positive to address the negative. For example, California is home to millions of poor children and confronts a high degree of income inequality. As we argued here in 2015 , Escuela Nuevas success in Colombia and across Latin Americaa region long plagued by poverty and inequalitymust be considered in a state that faces many of the same challenges.

Making Schools Democratic

We identified many potential applications of Escuela Nuevas flexible, cooperative, and child-centered approach for California, including the education of migrant and immigrant youth, curricular and instructional support for dual immersion Spanish bilingual schools, and to address the needs of foster children, a key target population of Californias Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF).

As we meet with teachers and school and district leaders across California (as well as Montana and New Mexico), we find a great deal of interest among those who consider todays school to be too top-down and teacher-centered. Escuela Nuevas child-centered and flexible approach emphasizing authentic student governance appeals to those who believe in empowering children and families and making school more democratic.

For students, the school day is no longer sitting and listening. Rather, they are now active participants in their own education by taking on leadership roles, creative art projects, producing plays and performances, and voting. Essentially, the students learn how to learn while developing cognitive and social competencies. Fundacion Escuela Nueva views each child as an agent of change that is crucial for maintaining peace and democracy for the next generation.

As David Kirp wrote in the New York Times , Escuela Nueva turns the schoolhouse into a laboratory for democracy. Rather than being run as a mini-dictatorship, with the principal as its unquestioned leader, the school operates as a self-governing community, where teachers, parents and students have a real say in how it is run.

Solutions for School Violence

Perhaps most importantly, evidence of Escuela Nuevas positive impact on childrens peaceful coexistence, or convivencia , appeals to those seeking solutions for school violence and social and political discord. At the Third Annual Congress of Escuelas Nuevas , held in Bogota in November 2016, several researchers connected Escuela Nuevas expansion across Colombia since the 1970s to the nations emerging peace process . Although this connection needs more rigorous empirical investigation, it seems likely that the Escuela Nueva model, which has been implemented in over 20,000 schools across Colombia, has helped to establish and support peace and democracy in local communities and the broader Colombian society.

Can Escuela Nueva succeed in California? This is where the positive side of Californias exceptionalism can help. At a meeting of FEN USAs Advisory Council in March 2017, PACEs David Plank described the state educational context and expressed optimism (along with some caution) for piloting Escuela Nueva in California.

Strong Interest Expected

According to Plank, Escuela Nueva is likely to attract strong interest in the state, as districts and charter schools seek new ideas to address the needs of students targeted with additional funds by the LCFF. Californias new School Dashboard requires that schools demonstrate multiple measures of success like school climate, student graduation rates, and college and career readiness, which could increase the appeal of Escuela Nuevas child-centered approach.

The passage of Proposition 58 in November 2016 increases options for bilingual instruction in California and stimulates demand for rich curricular resources in Spanish. California also has a strong and active philanthropic sector as well as a thriving grassroots organizing community that we believe will be receptive to Escuela Nueva.

Finally, successful implementation of Escuela Nueva in California, the countrys biggest and richest state, as well as the home of many high-profile foundations and social media, will ensure national visibility for Escuela Nueva and establish a foothold for expansion and scaling up across the USA. For those who are interested in EN for their own schools and districts, the FEN USA Advisory Council is working on the logistics of how schools in California can adopt EN and more information will be available soon. In the meantime, you can write Sarah Smith Orr (sorr@escuelanueva.org ) with questions.

Tom Luschei, Ph.D., is associate professor at the Claremont Graduate University School of Educational Studies. He is a founding member of FEN USAs Advisory Council.

Sarah Smith Orr, Ph.D., is founding director of FEN USA and director of strategic partnerships for Fundacion Escuela Nueva based in Bogota Colombia. She is teaching faculty for Claremont Lincoln University where her focus is on social impact leadership.

Photos and captions: James Roh, Cotopaxi
Beijing has strengthened environmental inspections and levied fines of over 34 million yuan on companies that pollute, an increase of 160 percent year-on-year, the municipal environment authority said on Monday.

In the first quarter, environmental authorities in the capital investigated 809 companies for pollution violations, double the number in last year's first quarter, and the total fines on polluters soared to 34.7 million yuan ($5 million), said Zhao Zhiwei, head of the municipal environmental inspection team.

Among the massive violations, more than half (54.4%) were punished due to problems with air pollution, he said.

The environmental police squad, which was formed on Jan 18, has participated in strengthening joint inspections on companies.

Environmental and public security teams carried out joint inspections, and worked with investigators on 13 environment-related events, Zhao said.

"We have smoothed the processes, such as in collecting evidence, making our collaboration more efficient," he said.

In the first quarter, public security authorities detained 46 people accused of committing crimes related to contaminating the environment.
CHANGSHA -- An international youth forum promoting creativity and heritage protection along the Belt and Road opened Monday in a 1,000-year-old academy in Central China's Hunan province.

More than 100 people from 65 countries along the Belt and Road, UNESCO staff and foreign diplomats attended the forum in Yuelu Academy which was founded in 976.

In a congratulatory message to the forum, Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong encouraged the young people to view the world with an attitude of appreciation, mutual learning and sharing to promote exchange and co-existence.

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova sent a video message to the opening ceremony of the forum.

Participants will listen to academic reports, hold symposiums and visit cultural heritage sites in Changsha, capital of Hunan, and Quanzhou in Fujian province.
A fisherman shows a Spanish mackerel during the Mackerel Festival in Qingdao, Shandong province, April 17, 2017. [Photo by Wang Yonghong/chinadaily.com.cn]

Qingdao, a coastal city in East China's Shandong province, is rich in seafood, such as Spanish mackerel. Every April, crowds of mackerel swim to the fishing grounds in Qingdao's Laoshan district, and local fishermen enjoy the catch.

However, mackerel have a special and deeper significance for locals, besides being April's must-eat table delicacy. Legend has it that there was an orphan boy named Little Wu, who was later adopted by a kindhearted old couple. The couple was hardworking and righteous, and Little Wu grew up and also became an honest and benevolent man, so the old couple let their daughter marry him.

To repay the couple's kindness, Little Wu worked hard every day. One day his father-in-law was suddenly struck ill, and wanted to have fish before dying. However, a consistent strong wind prevented the launch of all fishing boats. The father-in-law's health became worse and worse, but Little Wu risked his life and went fishing.

When Little Wu finally came back home with a big, fresh mackerel, the father-in-law had passed away. Little Wu and his wife were sad and cried. They cooked the fish and sacrificed it at the father's shrine. Later, the young couple worshipped at their father's tomb with fresh mackerel every spring.

Dancers perform during the Mackerel Festival in Qingdao, Shandong province, April 17, 2017. [Photo by Wang Yonghong/chinadaily.com.cn]

For hundreds of years since then, it's become a local tradition for married men to present mackerel to parents-in-law to show their benevolence.

In the 1980s Laoshan district government even set a day every April to celebrate the Mackerel Festival. The festival is aimed at raising more social awareness of caring for the elderly. The festival has been listed as a district-level intangible cultural heritage. This year the festival started Monday and runs till May 1.

Spanish mackerel are distributed in the Western Pacific and spread to China's shores via the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea. At the Shazikou fishing port in Laoshan, mackerel is more highly prized than other fish due to its delicate and dense meat, caused by the fish's habitat in cooler waters.
BEIJING -- A fugitive wanted for graft under an Interpol "red notice" returned from Canada to China and turned himself in on Monday, according to the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Li Shiqiao, born in 1942, was the former general manager of a real estate company in Ningbo city in East China's Zhejiang province, before he was investigated for graft. He fled to Canada in April 2009.

Li was ranked 75th among the top 100 Chinese fugitives released in an Interpol "red notice" in April 2015 and was the 40th to return.
BEIJING -- Top Chinese political advisor Yu Zhengsheng met with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh on Monday, pledging to enhance bilateral relations.

China and Vietnam should enhance practical cooperation in the Belt and Road Initiative, industrial production capacity, transportation and infrastructure, said Yu, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Yu called on both sides to expand investment, people-to-people and party-to-party exchanges and properly manage maritime differences to push forward the comprehensive strategic cooperative relationship.

Minh said relationship with China is a diplomatic priority for Vietnam, and that Vietnam is ready to increase trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges with China.

Minh and Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi co-chaired the 10th meeting of China-Vietnam steering committee on cooperation Monday morning.
An American citizen received green card from China in 2009. [Photo/IC]

Foreign permanent residents in China will have their "green cards" upgraded starting in July, which may make their daily life and work easier in the country, according to a reform plan issued by the Ministry of Public Security on Monday.

The existing permanent resident's permit, known as the Chinese green card, will be replaced by the Foreign Permanent Residence Identity Card.

Similar to the second generation of ID cards for Chinese citizens, the machine-readable smart card will contain a chip in which the foreigner's identity information is kept, and the information will be shared by railways, airlines, hotels and banks, according to the plan. The card also has anti-counterfeiting features, officials said.

"We're working closely with relevant departments to do the technical preparation so that the new cards can be smoothly used in the above mentioned sectors," said Wang Yugang, an officer with the ministry's Exit and Entry Administration Bureau.

All the preparation work will be completed before the end of June, and green card holders can then go to local public security agencies to replace their cards. If they choose not to exchange them for the new card, the existing cards are still valid until the expiration date, according to the ministry.

"We hope the new card gives foreign permanent residents a sense of belonging in China," Wang said.

China began to issue permanent residency permits in 2004. However, over the years, getting a Chinese green card has been difficult due to the high requirements. Ministry figures show that from 2004 to 2013, only 7,356 foreigners were granted the status.

Since September 2015, governments in China have gradually eased the residency and entry policies for foreigners, which has helped attract more talent from overseas to invest or open businesses and boosted international exchanges in China.

In 2016 alone, 1,576 foreigners became permanent residents in China, up by 163 percent year-on-year, according to the ministry.

However, green card holders have for long complained that the card is more like a long-term visa instead of facilitating their daily lives.

In February, the Central Leading Group for Deepening Overall Reform, led by President Xi Jinping, approved a plan that calls for further reform of the permanent residency policy to facilitate foreigners living and working in China.

The ministry has accelerated reform to "grant green card holders easier access to public services in China and enable them to enjoy all rights related to residency", said Wu Ying, an official in charge of news at the ministry's Exit and Entry Administration Bureau.

Wang Huiyao, president of the Center for China and Globalization, a Beijing-based think tank, said it's necessary and timely to have such a reform.

"As far as I know, the new ID card can be independently used without foreigners' passports and a foreign permanent resident will enjoy rights such as applying for a driver's license or applying for a primary school for their children," he said.

Ghulam Sajid, who is from Pakistan and obtained a permanent resident permit in China in 2013, said such upgrades will be much welcome and helpful.

"If the new cards alone can function as the Chinese people's ID cards, which allow people access to getting train tickets on machines instead of by manual service, getting on a train by swiping the card and checking in at hotels, that'll be much more convenient for us," said Sajid, 43, deputy manager of an import and export trade company in Shanghai.

He said currently, if he goes to banks, he needs to present his passport together with the permanent resident card. "It's quite rare that I can use the card alone to show my identity."

He also hoped the new card will make him eligible for registering on mobile payment applications as well as using the machines at hospitals to register, read medical reports and make payments.

Zhou Wenting in Shanghai contributed to this story.
The Shaanxi People's Art Theater's rendition of Bai Lu Yuan features impressive stage sets that are reflective of real-life Shaanxi society. The music is inspired by the traditional Qinqiang Opera. [Photo provided to China Daily]

After wrapping up its performances in Beijing on April 2, the play Bai Lu Yuan (White Deer Plain), will tour other Chinese cities, including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Shanghai and Suzhou of eastern Jiangsu province, through June.

Adapted from the late Chinese writer Chen Zhongshi's novel of the same title, the play, by Shaanxi People's Art Theater, tells the story of two farming families surnamed Bai and Lu.

It is set in northwestern Shaanxi province in the decades between the fall of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and the founding of New China in 1949.

Published in 1993, the novel won China's top literary honor, the Mao Dun Literature Prize, and it has been hailed by critics as a must-read for those who want to gain a deeper understanding of the country.

Among the book's adaptations, a film with the same title directed by Wang Quan'an won the Silver Bear for best cinematography at the 2012 Berlin Film Festival.
Actress Romy Schneider starred as Sissi in the 1955 film Sissi. [Photo/Mtime]

The 17th Meeting in Beijing Arts Festival will open with Hungarian dance Princess Sissi on April 27. The event will feature a series of classic works from countries related to the Belt and Road Initiative, including ballet Swan Lake performed by a Belarus dance company.

Princess Sissi, or Elisabeth Amalia Eugenia von Wittelsbach, became well-known due to the 1955 film Sissi. Her life and experience as Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary in the 19th century have inspired many dramas, animations and musicals.

Sissi lived in Hungary longer than any other place and regarded the country as her second home. She learned the Hungarian language and embroidery and also contributed to the construction of Budapest, earning her the nickname "Daughter of Hungary" from Hungarian people at the time.

The upcoming dance will feature Sissi's journey from young innocent princess to a great Queen and her life in Hungary. The dance is a fusion of modern dance and traditional ballet, with the addition of court dances, European folk dances and Gypsy dances.

Along with the performance, Hungarian folk dances and Gypsy music, two other performances during the festival will show off the country's cultural heritage.

A special Gypsy orchestra from Hungary, consisting of 100 violinists, cellists and double bassists, will perform a series of classic pieces, including Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies and Johann Strauss's The Blue Danube. Hungary's precious musical instrument cimbalom, a hammered dulcimer, will be featured in the performance.

Meeting in Beijing Arts Festival has been held 16 times, with 1,020 artistic troupes and 32,000 artists from 120 countries participating, attracting more than 4 million viewers. The 17th event has invited 400 artists and 23 troupes from 21 countries and regions, which will give about 100 performances and exhibitions.
Editor's note: A video showing a man being forcibly dragged off a United Airlines flight on Sunday has prompted massive outrage on social media. Many denounced United's brutal treatment of an Asian passenger and called for a boycott of the airline. Our readers share their opinions.

sfrobink (US)

Most of us in the US fully stand with China in condemning this horrific incident. There is NO excuse for treating an already-seated passenger this way. We too are calling for a big lawsuit against United for this, and for the airline to state that it will never do this again to a seated passenger. We are also contacting our Congressional reps to ask them to step in and monitor the situation with airline policies.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) and his US counterpart Donald Trump (L) take a walk to further discuss bilateral cooperation issues in the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, the United States, April 7, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

The recent meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump in Florida concluded with both sides saying it put bilateral ties on track. Xinhua News Agency said that during the meeting, Xi urged the two countries to push forward the negotiation on the Bilateral Investment Treaty, promote healthy bilateral trade and investment, explore and develop pragmatic cooperation in infrastructure and energy fields.

So will infrastructure investment be Xi's real gift to Trump at their next meeting?

Infrastructure investment is the centerpiece of Trump's blueprint for making "America Great Again". He has vowed to spend $1 trillion over 10 years to improve (and build) the roads and bridges.

China has attached importance to the infrastructure construction for long. Besides, the US remains China's top destination for outbound investments, with a record $45.6 billion of Chinese money pouring into the US last year alone. With its unparalleled competitive edge in infrastructure building, China could become the US' best partner in its ambitious infrastructure plan for four reasons.

First, Chinese investment in US infrastructure will help Trump to boost the US economy. The US Department of Transportation says the funding gap for road transport infrastructure alone is $900 billion. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao told reporters that Trump's infrastructure plan would be expanded to include energy, water, broadband, and hospitals for veterans.

Whether the Congress will pass the enabling bill is a question that no one can answer at this time. The infrastructure plan is a critical component in the president's economic initiatives collectively known as Trumponomics. A prolonged political impasse is likely to stunt the desired effects of a timely growth spurt in the economy driven by the massive spending. Trump has promised his supporters to double the growth rates in a relatively short period of time. Failure in pushing forward his infrastructure plan will not only dash the president's ego, but the prospects of economic growth and the hope of American people as well.

In just the past decade, China has invested more than $11 trillion in infrastructure, and China-US investment and trade (which reached $519.6 billion last year) created 2.6 million American jobs and helped each US household on average save $850.

Trump wants investments in those parts of the US that have suffered the consequences of deindustrialization, and Chinese companies, such as Fuyao Glass, have already invested about $1 billion to build plants in Michigan and Ohio, hiring about 4,000 American workers.

Second, an infrastructure boom in the US will provide business opportunities for Chinese as well as US companies in the construction sector. China Construction America, for example, has built landmark projects such as the Alexander Hamilton Bridge and the Fulton Center in Manhattan.

Third, infrastructure as an asset class is gaining popularity among institutional investors. Infrastructure projects are backed by governments and yield stable cash flow with a longer time horizon, and investors across the globe are keen to help finance them.

And fourth, although the US is a relative newcomer to public-private partnership, recent trends indicate that PPPs are gaining traction in the country. And given the surging populations in US metropolitan areas and the enormous infrastructure needs, the country's PPP market is expected to grow further in the coming years.

But Chinese companies also face challenges. For starters, Trump's "Buy America, Hire Americans" slogan is likely to lead to preferential treatment for domestic companies in infrastructure deals. Local vested interests such as bond issuers, contractors and suppliers will jealously guard the infrastructure pie against Chinese companies.

The recent setback suffered by Ant Financial, a subsidiary of Jack Ma's Alibaba Group, in acquiring MoneyGram showed national security concerns can be expedient ammunition against Chinese companies. Moreover, PPP deals involve complex regulatory and financial structures, and the lack of expertise on the part of certain local-level governments block PPP deals.

China can step up efforts at economic diplomacy, though, to loop the US in its infrastructure-centered Belt and Road Initiative (the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road). During his meeting with Trump in Florida, Xi said China welcomed US participation in the initiative, and the proposed US-China Comprehensive Dialogue can be used to reopen negotiation on the Bilateral Investment Treaty and invite the US to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

In the meantime, infrastructure investment promoting mechanisms led by government agencies such as China's Ministry of Commerce, the National Development and Reform Commission, or Chinese embassies and consulates in the US, can serve as hubs for sharing information on projects and investment regulations. Furthermore, closer ties between provincial-state governments in China and the US can drive sub-level governments to collaborate with one another over infrastructure projects in their jurisdictions. This can be done via exchange platforms such as an annual US-China Governors Forum held alternately in both countries.

Also, Chinese companies can win local support if they direct their US investments toward helping local governments create jobs and develop the local economies. The China Investment Corporation, or sovereign wealth fund, for instance, can work with private equity funds both at home and abroad to form an infrastructure consortium to facilitate merger and acquisition deals and equity investments that turn US companies into local partners that help their investors take roots in local communities.

Nearing 100 days in office, Trump needs something to increase his approval ratings. His ambitious infrastructure plan is far from fully articulated, despite Chao's recent announcement that a bill could be introduced by the end of this year. It will be an uphill battle for Trump to get the Congress to approve the budget for infrastructure, because it is an arena where divergent and intricate interests play out. Trump needs allies and perhaps Xi can explain to him that China could be the one when they meet the next time.

The author is the founder and president of the Center for China and Globalization in Beijing.
Is a big church-state case about to fall off the U.S. Supreme Courts jungle gym?

The court on Friday asked for the parties in a major case about state aid to religion to offer their views on the Missouri governors decision to reverse state policy and allow churches and religious organizations to apply for a state grant program to use recycled tires to build safer playgrounds.

The case of Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v. Comer (No. 15-577) has undergone a huge buildup as a showdown about whether religious organizations may participate in neutral aid programs. The case has potential implications for school choice programs such as vouchers or tax credits for students to attend religious schools. (Education Weeks big preview of the case just went to press Friday.)

But with the court back at full strength with the addition of new Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, and just days before the long-delayed oral arguments in the case are scheduled for April 19, Missouri Gov. Eric R. Greitens (R) has caused some doubt.

Greitens, who was elected in November 2016 and took office in January, announced on April 13 that he was reversing the states policy of barring churches and religious groups from the scrap-tire grant program. The states denial of the Trinity Lutherans 2012 grant application, based on language in the Missouri Constitution that no public money may directly or indirectly aid a church, has led to the Supreme Court case.

Before we came into office, government bureaucrats were under orders to deny grants to people of faith who wanted to do things like make community playgrounds for kids, Greitens said in a Facebook video. Thats just wrong ... We have hundreds of outstanding religious organizations all over the state of Missouri who are doing great work on behalf of kids and families every single day. We should be encouraging that work. So, today we are changing that prejudiced policy.

Greitens office said the governors decision should not affect the Trinity Lutheran case since the states denial of the churchs grant still provided a basis for its lawsuit. But other legal experts are not so sure.

And now the Supreme Court itself has raised doubt about whether the case might fizzle because the states change might make Trinity Lutherans case moot.

The court directs the parties to submit their views on whether this case is affected by the press release relating to access to Missouri grant programs issued by Greitens on April 13, the Supreme Court clerks office said in a letter to both sides. It gave the parties until noon on Tuesday, April 18, to file their responses by letter.

The arguments in the case are scheduled for 10 a.m. the next day, April 19. The justices could decide to scrap the case as moot or could proceed with the arguments, during which they could give further consideration of the governors action before moving to the merits.
A submarine-launched ballistic missile is displayed during a military parade in central Pyongyang, April 15, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

If ordering the missile strike on Syrian targets, dropping the "mother of all bombs" in Afghanistan, and assembling a war-ready armada off the Korean Peninsula were all meant to convey Donald Trump's message that things are different with him in the White House, what happened Saturday might well be Kim Jong-un's way of saying "message received".

Either because it chose to resort to a less provocative form of show of defiance, or it is technically not ready, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea did not carry out the widely anticipated sixth nuclear test. Instead, it launched another projectile, type unidentified, which failed.

Given the DPRK leader's pledge of "ultra-toughness" in response to the US' "toughness", he had to simultaneously avoid being seen as softening under US pressure and crossing the perceived US redlineconducting a new nuclear test. Firing a missile of some sort was thus a calculated move, and making it without prompting a furious response from Washington surely qualifies as a win to some degree from Kim's perspective.

Trump, too, can claim a win. That the nuclear test did not happen will surely be seen as the pressure working.

That Pyongyang kept tensions from reaching a dramatic climax can in some way be understood as a win for all parties concerned. At least they did not have to make the difficult decisions they would have had to if things had gone the other way.

The best part about the latest bout of Trump-Kim exchanges is both finally demonstrated rare restraint. The Trump administration has not excluded "engagement", though the current focus reportedly remains "maximum pressure". And Pyongyang's restoration of its foreign affairs committee was hardly coincidence.

That affirms the judgment that war, as imminent as it looked, is not unavoidable.

Neither the DPRK nor the United States wants war, at least not at this point, nor do the Republic of Korea, China and other stakeholders.

But it would be dangerous miscalculation if Pyongyang takes advantage of the relative easing in tensions and presses ahead with its brinkmanship, as it has done over the years. Washington's reported willingness to engage is conditional. And there is a strong, shared political will to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.

Washington did say it does not seek regime change. But that does not mean Pyongyang can indefinitely prolong its development of nuclear weapons.

There is a pressing need to de-escalate tensions and create conditions for diplomatic engagement, even if that is not immediate denuclearization talks.
LUO JIE/CHINA DAILY

Editor's note: Hengshui High School in North China's Hebei province, known for its typical examination-oriented education system, recently opened a campus in East China's Zhejiang province, sparking a public debate on an "ideal" education mode. Three academics and a senior journalist share their views on the school's education model with China Daily's Wu Zheyu. Excerpts below:

Good for social mobility

Luo Yan, associate professor, Institute of Education, Tsinghua University

Compared with students from well-off families that can pay huge amounts of money for their education, children from ordinary families can only depend on the college entrance exam to receive higher education and thus well-paying jobs. That's why students from weaker economic backgrounds are prepared to endure hardships to acquire education.

That economically weak students are prepared to meet the challenges of a strict education system-which the "Hengshui model" promotes-shows they are more comfortable with the Chinese system of education, which helps students optimize their social value.

The hardships they endure in the process will stand them in good steed not only in colleges and universities, but also in their later life.
A live streaming performer at work on July 21, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

THE TRAFFIC POLICE in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province, recently set a precedent by live streaming the detention of five drivers on suspicion of drunken driving, which attracted more than 70,000 online viewers across the country. Beijing News commented on Saturday:

It is no secret that live streaming has become popular, and presenting police enforcement of law to online audiences is a relatively new development in the country.

In Qingdao's case, the streaming was "liked" by over 35,000 viewers. Last year some local urban patrol officers in Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan province, also live streamed their law enforcement efforts and received some 20,000 "likes" from netizens during half a day.

What is new about Qingdao's live streamed enforcement is that it fully recorded why and how the drunken drivers were detained. It offered a rare glimpse of how the traffic police handle drunken driving, which some still refuse to take seriously even though they may face criminal penalties for doing so. The video should teach drivers a lesson or two about what they will face by breaking the law and driving over the limit.

And on the one hand, the law enforcers may be prompted to act according to procedures knowing they are being watched by viewers and the drunken drivers are only suspects. This applies to the online audience too, as judgments are uncalled for before the local court decides whether or not the drivers have committed any crime.

On the other hand, it might be an embarrassment to the detainees, if the suspects are not deemed as criminals by the court. That could impose extra pressure on the policemen during live streaming of their law enforcement. Besides, unlike live streamed trials that fully present the exchanges between defendants and plaintiffs as well as the evidence submitted, law enforcers do not normally offer suspects a chance to make a defense.

That being said: the legitimacy, feasibility and effects of live streaming criminal detentions need to be carefully considered.
Criminal justice: Felons convicted of serious corruption would be prohibited from seeking shorter sentences, under a third reading of the draft amendment to the Criminal Law. The amendment aims to "safeguard judicial fairness".[Photo/China Daily]

A FORMER SENIOR OFFICER of the local police bureau in Luyi county, Central China's Henan province, is to be held criminally accountable along with two of his colleagues on charges of abusing their power and accepting bribes. Some 29 others also face disciplinary penalties. Legal Daily commented on Saturday:

The senior police officer reportedly fabricated the age of his daughter's registered profile and forged six identities for her, in a bid to make her an "eligible" recipient for a police salary. The falsified record said his daughter went to police school at the age of 7 and started her career at 10.

Worse still, to destroy all evidence of his crime in the face of several discipline inspections, the "vigilant" father and his accomplices attempted to hide and get rid of some personnel profiles, disabled all the surveillance cameras in the office, and smashed computers that contained compromising data. They even assigned underlings to keep a close eye on the inspections and asked them to report any "suspicious" moves.

These tense and dramatic moves were in addition to some Luyi police officers having forged an alliance with public power for wrongdoing. Despite the tightened supervision over civil servants in recent years, some still believe their misdeeds are worth all the risks.

It is also worth noting that the situation in Luyi was first disclosed by the provincial police authorities. This should serve as solid evidence of the effect of more efficient supervision from superiors, as most of such scandals are first reported by anonymous netizens. Supervision can only prove its worth when more seek to report and unveil corruption in their workplaces, regardless of possible intimidation from the wrongdoers.
During the annual session of the country's top legislature in March, Minister of Environmental Protection Chen Jining spoke highly of the improvement of air quality in South China's Guangdong province. Its annual PM2.5 density has been up to the national standard for two consecutive years.

The province's good air quality has been praised by the public and is known as "Guangdong Blue".

In 2016, the province's GDP reached 7.95 trillion yuan ($1.15 trillion), and it has been ranked first nationwide for 28 consecutive years. But Guangdong's air quality has not deteriorated as it has in other densely-populated regions. Guangdong's GDP in 2016, was seven times that of 2000, but the region's annual PM2.5 density was just 32 micrograms per cubic meter, and the number of days that suffered from haze was reduced from 200 in 2000 to 27 in 2016.

Guangdong's success in turning the sky from gray to blue in less than two decades shows the effectiveness and efficiency of local air pollution control and management measures. In addition, the air quality has also benefitted from the province's economic transformation and upgrading and the development of an innovation-driven economic pattern.

Guangdong's experience shows that environmental protection and economic growth can go hand in hand. It has set a good example for the rest of the country to follow.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gestures during a press conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, November 21, 2016. [Agencies]

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to visit Moscow on April 27, seeking to deepen his country's economic ties with Russia in an effort to resolve the two countries' dispute over four islands off Hokkaido. His frequent meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin have helped them build familiarity, but not necessarily trust.

The islands, called the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kuril Islands in Russia, were controlled by Soviet troops in the closing days of World War II. The territorial dispute has prevented Japan and Russia from signing a peace treaty that would formally end their World War II hostilities.

Abe has said he will do "whatever it takes" to sign a treaty with Russia to end the dispute. Since taking office for the second time in late 2012, he has launched a charm offensive toward Putin with the lure of economic cooperation with Russia, whose economy has been hit by low oil prices and Western sanctions. Abe has hoped the economic arrangements would pave the path for significant progress on the dispute.

But although Abe and Putin inked numerous deals during their meeting in Japan in December, there was no big breakthrough on the territorial row. However, they agreed to start negotiations on joint economic activities on the four islands, as an approach to promote territorial and peace treaty talks.

At the upcoming Abe-Putin meeting in Moscow, Japan and Russia are scheduled to reach a broad agreement on an expansion of visa-free trips to the islands by former Japanese residents, mainly to visit family graves.

Yet despite Abe's outreach to Putin, the Russian leader views Japan with significant suspicion. During his Japan trip in December, Putin raised the issue of Japan's aims for ballistic missile defense.

There are calls within Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and defense ministry to push for deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile system.

And although Abe has put much effort into getting on Russian leader's good side, the flip-flops in US President Donald Trump's diplomacyto be more exact his policy toward Russiamay lead to change in Japan's foreign and security policies, which would increase Russia's distrust of Japan.

When Abe met with Trump in the United States in early February, the two talked about Russia. At that time Trump backed Abe in seeking closer ties with Russia.

And on Jan 28, Trump held phone conversations with several world leaders, including Putin. Trump had repeatedly advocated establishing a political dialogue with Moscow and expressed readiness to build positive relations with Russia. During the US presidential election campaign Trump suggested that the United States cooperate with Russia on fighting the Islamic State extremist group in Syria.

However, US-Russia ties have dived to "an all-time low", as Trump put it, after he ordered airstrikes on Syria on April 5 in response to chemical attacks allegedly ordered by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against the country's civilians. The US blamed Russia for standing behind and covering up the Syrian government's gas attacks.

Russia has blasted the US airstrikes as an "act of aggression" against a sovereign state in violation of international law. Putin has compared the US attack on Syria to the Iraq War in 2003.

Abe has voiced support for the air strikes Trump ordered against Syria, praising the "strong commitment" of the US president to global and allied security.

So coming as it does amid heightened tensions between the US and Russia, it doesn't seem to be a good time for Abe to seek a deal with Putin on the islands. The dispute will likely to continue to be a stumbling block in Japan-Russia ties for the foreseeable future.

The author is China Daily Tokyo bureau chief. caihong@chinadaily.com.cn
A submarine-launched ballistic missile is displayed during a military parade in central Pyongyang, April 15, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Among the possible, but the least desirable, responses to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's nuclear and missile tests (although its last one on Sunday was a failure) could be a preemptive strike by the United States. There is no guarantee, though, that the presumed US strike would be precise enough to wipe out all nuclear facilities in the DPRK before Pyongyang launches a nuclear attack in retaliation.

If that happens, the DPRK won't wait to fire its nuclear missiles, and thousands of howitzers and rocket launchers deployed along the 38th parallel Military Demarcation Line into the Republic of Korea. No defense systems, including the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system, will be able to shield off such a shower of artillery shells. And Pyongyang's missiles could destroy Seoul and hit even Japan.

Since 2006 the United Nations has passed a number of resolutions imposing sanctions on the DPRK. The ever-tougher sanctions have crippled the DPRK's economy but failed to rein in its nuclear and missile programs, revealing an intrinsic loophole in any economic sanction: they are meant to harm the leader or ruling party but, instead, always end up hurting innocent citizens first and most, leaving the real target to suffer the effects, if at all, last.

Talks are the only way to resolve the issue. But how can the US be persuaded to hold talks with the DPRK? Having fired 59 Tomahawk missiles on Syria on April 6, the Donald Trump administration seems anxious to use force to showcase its political resolve. The US doesn't want to be seen as being blackmailed by a country it has labeled a "rogue state". That is why Washington has rejected all proposals by Pyongyang for bilateral talks. Besides, it believes that the Six-Party Talks were useful only in giving the DPRK the needed time to develop nuclear weapons.

But time is running short. DPRK leader Kim Jong-un said in his New Year's Day address that his country was close to testing an intercontinental ballistic missile which would bring the US within its range. Although Pyongyang has suffered many failures in missile tests (like the one on Sunday), if it can, even theoretically, develop medium range missiles, it can build ICBMs one day. In fact, Pyongyang exhibited two ICBM-size canisters for the first time at a parade on April 15, the 105th birth anniversary of the DPRK founder Kim Il-sung.

But why would the DPRK want to develop nuclear weapons? A short answer is: for survival. Its worst fear is a preemptive strike by the US to effect a regime change. Unless attacked, there is no reason why the DPRK should launch a suicidal attack against the ROK. Pyongyang is desperately trying to develop ICBMs because it believes, however wrongly, that if it possesses missiles that can reach the US, its survival would be assured.

Therefore, the first step toward denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula is to reduce the importance of nuclear weapons for the DPRK. For that to happen, the US needs to convince Kim Jong-un that it has no plans to launch a strike on or engineer a regime change in the DPRK. Indeed, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said the Trump administration has no plans for engineering a regime change in Pyongyang, but apparently the deployment of US warships in the region sends a different signal.

That is why China's proposal of suspending hostilities is worth considering. Beijing has suggested that as a first step, the DPRK freeze its nuclear program if, in exchange, the US halts its military exercises with the ROK. The proposal is balanced in that it doesn't ask for any unilateral concession. It saves face for both sides because it is mutually conditional. Above all, it will help cool down the high tensions on the peninsula.

If the US can come to agreements with Cuba and Iran, why can't it do so with the DPRK? A dialogue, be it formal or informal, be it bilateral between the US and the DPRK or multilateral among all stakeholders, as suggested by Beijing, looks like the most affordable price the US can pay when compared with the sad eventuality of the DPRK possessing ICBMs that could reach the US mainland.

The author is an honorary fellow with the Center of China-American Defense Relations, Academy of Military Science.
The South Pacific destination of Tahiti, Montenegro in Southern Europe, the Philippines' Bohol island, Serbia and the Philippines' Cebu are hot spots for Chinese tourists. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The world wants China to visit. Over 450 exhibitors from about 70 countries and regions joined the recent annual China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market expo in Beijing.

China is the world's largest outbound-tourism source. More than 122 million Chinese tourists headed overseas last year.

This has enticed destinations to pitch to Chinese and adopt such policies as easy visas.

Serbia became the first European country to offer visa-free entry to Chinese in a reciprocal agreement from Jan 15.

Chinese arrivals that month increased by over 100 percent compared with the previous January.

The country participated in the recent Beijing event.
[Photo/Agencies]

In Cuba, it sometimes seems time stopped in the 1960s.

Despite a succession of sweeping changes in recent years-rapprochement with the United States, Fidel Castro's death-the rhythm of life on the is land remains as languid as ever.

In Old Havana, locals still watch life go by from the balconies of their dilapidated colonial buildings, as classic American cars putter down cobblestone streets and seemingly endless games of dominoes play out on sidewalk tables.

Tourists love the island's timelessness, which gives it the aura of a living postcard immune to change.

For Cubans, who have made standing in line an art form and bureaucracy a way of life, this vestige of communism is less charming.

"We live in slow motionbecause we're an island, because it's the Caribbean and because of the whole legacy of socialism," says the writer Wendy Guerra, a rising star of Cuban literature.

"Time isn't money here. Very few people produce anything for themselves. The country stopped producing a long time ago. People act like they're working, and the state acts like it pays them," the 46-year-old novelist and poet says.

"There's no schedule. No one ever has to be somewhere urgently. There's no traffic, and public transportation problems have made us all officially unpunctual."

In her novel Everyone Leaves, Guerra's heroine ends up frozen on Havana's famous seaside boulevard, the Malecon, "stuck in the immobility of Cuba".

Cuban artist Alejandro Campins also addresses the island's lethargy in his work.

"Every Cuban's subconscious is a waiting room," he says.

Standing in line "is in our DNA", says port agent Daniel Rios, 36, whose job involves a lot of lining up.
Two foreign tourists receive a warm welcome at Shanghai Disneyland for the theme park's grand opening on June 16, 2016. Spots like Disneyland can help attract foreigners.[Photo/Xinhua]

Shanghai has ranked as the "most attractive" city for foreign residents for the fifth consecutive year due to its international atmosphere and multicultural environment, according to an annual survey.

Beijing, the nation's capital, remained second, thanks to its advantages in healthcare and educational resources, while Hangzhou, the so-called "Heaven on Earth" in Zhejiang province, held onto third place.

The rankings, released Saturday, were based on a survey of about 25,000 expatriates nationwide in December and January. The criteria ranged from the living environment and local culture to administrative services and favorable policies for foreign residents.

The China Society for Research on International Professional Personnel Exchange and Development launched the annual survey in partnership with the International Talent magazine in 2010 as a way to promote the nation's cities.

One of the biggest changes in the top 10 was for Qingdao, a coastal city in Shandong province, which moved up two places to fourth, replacing Shenzhen, the southern metropolis, which slipped to sixth.
Scripted lessons, an oppressive testing culture, and a punitive evaluation system are the main reasons teachers are heading for the exits, according to analyses of their resignation letters. Now a new study examines how the letters have risen into the realm of social action.

The reasons teachers are leaving the profession have little to do with the reasons most frequently touted by education reformers, such as pay or student behavior, said Alyssa Hadley Dunn, a co-author of the new study on I Quit letters and assistant professor of urban teacher education at Michigan State University. Rather, teachers are leaving largely because oppressive policies and practices are affecting their working conditions and beliefs about themselves and education.

The authors of With Regret: The Genre of Teachers Public Resignation Letters  set out to understand how teachers writing aims to make a difference in an an education system they view as broken. The study analyzes 22 letters written by educators from 13 states between 2012 and 2014, and with experience ranging from one year to 40 years. What emerges is a veritable style of writing expressing disillusionment with the teaching profession and the aims of the education system. (You can also read Education Week Teacher blogger Walt Gardners assessment of why teachers quit here . Gardner taught for 28 years in Los Angeles and was a lecturer in the UCLA Graduate School of Education. And here is a first-person account of why a teacher in her sixth year has decided to leave the profession.)

In the past five years, U.S. teachers have increasingly shared their resignation letters onlinein blogs, on Facebook, Youtube, and on local and national news siteswhere the missives have gone viral. These letters come from novice and veteran teachers of all subjects and grade levels, in urban and suburban settings all across the country. Linking these letters is the view that education in the United States is headed in the wrong direction, and that the best course of action is to leave the classroom and let the public know why.



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Teachers often write of feeling complicit in a broken system, and that leaving was a way of taking a stand. One teacher writes: I quit because Im tired of being a part of the problem. Its killing me and its not doing anyone else any good.

That sentiment informs the central component of the teacher resignation letter: a description of whats wrong with U.S. education today. Gerald J. Conti, a social studies department leader in the Westhill Central School District in Syracuse, N.Y., offers a case study. The 40-year veteran cites many reasons for his exit, not the least of which is what he sees as an overreliance on data-driven education that seeks only conformity, standardization, testing, and a zombie-like adherence to the shallow and generic Common Core . . . .

Like the other letter writers, Conti expresses feelings of abandonment by a profession which, as he says, no longer trusts teachers to create their own quizzes, and then eats away at their planning time by making them prepare lessons and other materials for review. After all of this, I realize that I am not leaving my profession; in truth, it has left me, he writes. It no longer exists.

Still others express defiance. One teacher writes: I am quitting without remorse and without second thoughts. I quit. I quit. I quit! His reason: He feels the profession forces him to preside over a barrage of tests for the sake of profit.

The studys authors conclude that resignation letters provide teachers with a platform for questioning the policies that shape education, while also educating the public about its problems. Taken as a whole, the I Quit letters describe the state of U.S. education, build empathy for teachers who work in the system, and provide a call to action to fix what is wrong in public education.

For an alternative view of the I Quit letter phenomenon, check out Justin Minkel , who says these gloomy tales of departure deserve a response from career educators who find the teaching profession worthy of a lifetime of dedication. Minkel is a 2nd and 3rd grade teacher in Arkansas who frequently writes for Education Week Teacher.

Image: Getty
US Vice-President Mike Pence visits the National Cemetery in Seoul, South Korea, on Sunday.KIM HONG-JI/REUTERS

Beijing and Washington should "manage and control their differences on the basis on mutual respect" and push for greater ties, State Councilor Yang Jiechi said in a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday.

In the conversation, they referred to the first official meeting between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump on April 6 and 7 in Florida.

Yang said the meeting at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate set a constructive tone and charted a course for the development of China-US ties. He said the two leaders had a good conversation by phone afterward.

Tillerson said the US expects to strengthen communication and to prepare for high-level exchanges and dialogues to maintain and expand ties.

Yang and Tillerson also exchanged views on the situations on the Korean Peninsula and in Syria.

Also on Sunday, US Vice-President Mike Pence said the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's "provocation"a failed missile launch just hours before Pence was to arrive in the Republic of Koreaunderscores the risks faced by US and ROK service members.

A DPRK missile exploded during launch on Sunday, US and ROK officials said.

After arriving in Seoul, the ROK capital, to start a 10-day trip to Asia on Sunday, Pence placed a wreath at the Seoul National Cemetery and then worshipped with military personnel at an Easter church service. About 28,500 US troops are stationed in the ROK.

During a fellowship meal after the service, he said tensions on the Korean Peninsula had put into sharp focus the importance of the joint US-ROK mission.

"This morning's provocation from the North is just the latest reminder of the risks each one of you face every day in the defense of the freedom of the people of South Korea and the defense of America in this part of the world," Pence said.

Pence told the military members he had spoken twice with Trump during the day.

Tensions escalated on the Korean Peninsula in early March following the successful launches of four missiles by the DPRK prompted the US military to reroute an aircraft carrier group back to the peninsula after completing joint exercises with ROK forces.

The US vice-president is set to meet on Monday with ROK Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-Ahn, who is serving as acting president following the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye.

Hwang and Pence are expected to talk about the DPRK issues amid growing tensions on the peninsula.

Xinhua and AP contributed to this story.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan makes statements in Istanbul, Turkey, on April 16, 2017. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared on Sunday night that the proposed constitutional changes were accepted in a referendum, paying the way for the country to introduce the presidential system. [Photo/Xinhua]

ISTANBUL - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared on Sunday night that the proposed constitutional changes were accepted in a referendum, paying the way for the country to introduce the presidential system.

In a televised address to the press in Istanbul, Erdogan said the amendments passed in the referendum held in the country the same day with 25 million "Yes" votes, or by leading the "No" camp by 1.3 million votes.

"Today Turkey made an historic decision about the governance system," he remarked, calling for countries that Turkey accepts as allies to "respect the decision of our nation."

The constitutional package voted on the day has 18 articles, the most controversial one being the switch to an executive presidency from the parliamentary system put in place ever since the Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923.

The package shall grant the office of the presidency sweeping powers with less checks and balances, a scenario that has been rejected by main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party.

CHP is calling for a recount after the initial result was unveiled, citing reported irregularities. Naysayers were protesting against the result in different districts of Istanbul on Sunday night, with some banging pots and pans from their windows and others holding a march.

Turkey will not turn to the presidential system until 2019, when Erdogan's current term ends and fresh parliamentary elections will be held concurrently.

In his later address to supporters, Erdogan said his first job after the victory is to discuss the reintroduction of death penalty and that another referendum on this issue is possible.

The issue of capital punishment was raised in the wake of a failed military coup in July last year, which the Turkish government says was masterminded by Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric now living in the United States.

The European Union has responded by threatening to terminate the accession talks with Turkey in a row that has contributed to chilled bilateral ties.
SEOUL - Major South Korean presidential candidates on Sunday condemned the failed test of a missile by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), calling for restraint on provocations.

The DPRK test-launched an unidentified missile earlier in the day, but it was believed to have exploded during the launch. It was seen as a failure, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The test-launch came amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula, which were caused by the dispatching of the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier and its accompanying warships to the peninsula.

The presidential election campaign camp of Moon Jae-in, a frontrunner in recent opinion polls and a former chief of the biggest Minjoo Party, described the attempted missile test as reckless provocations.

The Moon camp said in a statement that it was not understandable for the DPRK to conduct any provocative acts when the US Carl Vinson strike group is approaching the Korean Peninsula.
A submarine-launched ballistic missile is displayed during a military parade in central Pyongyang, April 15, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

WASHINGTON - The latest missile test conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is provocative and destabilizing, US national security adviser said Sunday.

"It just fits into a pattern of provocative and destabilizing and threatening behavior on the part of the North Korean (DPRK) regime," H.R. McMaster said in an interview with American Broadcasting Company.

The DPRK attempted early Sunday to test-fire an unidentified missile on its east coast, which was believed to have failed, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. The Pentagon confirmed later that the latest missile launch by the DPRK had failed.

US President Donald Trump "has made clear that he will not accept the United States and its allies and partners in the region being under threat from this hostile regime with nuclear weapons," McMaster said.

Trump has asked the National Security Council to integrate the efforts various agencies to provide options and have them ready for him if DPRK's pattern of destabilizing behavior continues, McMaster added.

In the interview, the senior US national security official also urged the DPRK to stop the destabilizing behavior, stop the development of missiles, and denuclearize.

"That is the best interests of everyone in the region, and ultimately it's in the best interests of the North Korean (DPRK) people as well," he said.

DPRK's new missile test, which took place near the port city of Sinpo, South Hamgyong Province, came hours after the DPRK showed in a festive parade all of its most-advanced ballistic and tactic missiles, including a submarine-launched ballistic missile which could strike targets 1000 km away.

According to US Pacific Command spokesman Commander David Benham, the command detected and tracked what the US military assessed was a DPRK missile launch at 11:21 a.m. Hawaii time (2121 GMT) April 15.

"The launch of the ballistic missile occurred near Sinpo," said Benham. "The missile blew up almost immediately. The type of missile is still being assessed."
A woman holds a child as she casts her ballot at a polling station during the referendum at the Aegean port city of Izmir, Turkey. Osman Orsal / Reuters

Opinion polls place 'yes' ahead in poll that could see president rule until 2029

ANKARA - Turks cast their votes in a referendum on Sunday that would give sweeping new powers to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and herald the most radical change to the country's political system in its modern history.

Opinion polls have shown a narrow lead for a "Yes" vote, which would replace Turkey's parliamentary democracy with an all-powerful presidency and may see Erdogan in office until at least 2029.

The outcome will also shape Turkey's strained relations with the European Union.

The NATO member state has curbed the flow of migrants - mainly refugees from wars in Syria and Iraq - into the bloc but Erdogan says he may review the deal after the vote.

A crowd chanted "Recep Tayyip Erdogan" and applauded as the president shook hands and greeted people after voting in a school near his home in Istanbul. His staff handed out toys for children in the crowd.

"God willing I believe our people will decide to open the path to much more rapid development," Erdogan said in the polling station after casting his vote.

"I believe in my people's democratic common sense."

Pollsters expect a high turnout among the approximately 55 million eligible voters. Last week, many polls indicated an even split between "yes" and "no" voters.

Turks living overseas had until April 9 to cast their ballots, with more than 1 million registered to vote in 57 countries.

More than 250,000 policemen and 128,000 gendarmerie members were deployed at polling stations, while 17,000 security forces safeguarded critical locations such as power supplies and transmission units.

The country went into the referendum under a state of emergency, which was declared after a failed coup attempt in July and has been extended several times.

The referendum has bitterly divided the nation. Erdogan and his supporters say the changes are needed to amend the current constitution, written by generals following a 1980 military coup, confront the security and political challenges Turkey faces, and avoid the fragile coalition governments of the past.

Opponents say it is a step toward greater authoritarianism.

Relations between Turkey and Europe hit a low during the referendum campaign when EU countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, barred Turkish ministers from holding rallies in support of the changes. Erdogan called the moves "Nazi acts" and said Turkey could reconsider ties with the EU after many years of seeking membership with the bloc.

Kurdish militants overnight killed a guard in an attack on a vehicle carrying a district official from Yildirim's ruling AK Party in southeast Turkey's Van province, security sources said.

They said Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants staged the attack in Van's Muradiye district. A second of the AKP official's guards was wounded and 17 people were detained over the attack, they added.

In the southeastern Diyarbakir province, two people were killed and one wounded in a gunfight in a village schoolyard which was being used as a polling station, other security sources said. The cause of the clash was not immediately clear.
HARPURSVILLE, New York - The wait is over for April the giraffe and the legions of fans who watched a New York zoo's live stream for signs that the long-legged internet star was in labor.

April gave birth to a healthy male calf on Saturday at the privately-owned Animal Adventure Park before an online audience of more than a million viewers.

The 15-year-old giraffe delivered her calf shortly before 10 am in an enclosed pen at the zoo in Harpursville, a rural upstate village about 210 kilometers northwest of New York City.

The mama giraffe tenderly licked her calf, which began to slowly pick its head up from the floor of the pen. About 45 minutes after it was born, the calf stood on its wobbly legs while mom helped keep her baby steady. He began nursing not long after.

At least 1.2 million people watched the Adventure Park's YouTube streaming of the event. Zoo owner Jordan Patch said both mother and calf were doing fine.

Patch called the birth "unnerving" to watch. "Giraffes give birth standing up, which means when the calf is ready to be born, it exits its mother hooves first from 6 feet (1.8 meters) off the floor, making for a very exciting event," he said in a news release.

The newborn is April's fourth calf but Animal Adventure Park's first giraffe calf. The proud papa, a 5-year-old giraffe named Oliver, watched from an adjacent pen. This is his first offspring.

The zoo began livestreaming from April's enclosure in February. People around the world have been tuning in daily, with some growing impatient as the pregnancy seemed to drag on.

A Farmington, New Hampshire, songwriter even posted a music video on YouTube called, I'm Going Crazy Waiting (For A Giraffe).

April has her own website and even an apparel line. A GoFundMe fundraiser page that initially set a goal of $50,000 sat at more than $134,000 by Saturday night. The money will be used for the care of the animals.

A contest will be held to decide on a name for the calf.

The park's live stream was briefly interrupted in February when YouTube pulled the feed after someone reported the images contained explicit material and nudity. Patch blamed "a handful of extremists and animal rights activists" for the interruption.

The new calf's vital statistics were not announced, but newborn giraffes usually weigh around 68 kilograms and are about 1.80 meters tall at birth. Giraffes are pregnant for 15 months on average.

Animal Adventure park is currently closed to the public and will open in mid-May.

(China Daily 04/17/2017 page11)
SEOUL - Civilians, politicians, religious figures and celebrities in South Korea on Sunday joined to mark the third anniversary of the country's worst maritime disaster.

The 6,825-ton passenger ferry Sewol capsized and sank off the country's southwestern island of Jindo, claiming 304 lives, mostly high school students on a school trip to the southern resort island of Jeju.

The ferry capsized while carrying 476 people and only 172 were rescued. Nine people are still unaccounted for.

The vessel was raised from the seabed on March 23. The ship has been transported to a port in Mokpo in South Jeolla province to search for the nine missing passengers.

Last week authorities began to prepare the ship for the search but warned that it could be a long process.

"We will first clean and disinfect the ship and then carry out thorough safety checks," said Lee Cheol-jo, a senior official in charge of the salvage operation.

About 10,000 people reportedly visited the port, tying yellow ribbons to the fences and hoping the bodies of the nine victims would soon be found.

Meanwhile, about 1,000 civilians participated in a separate memorial event held in the Paengmok harbor near the site of the incident off Jindo Island. The participants flew 304 yellow balloons to mourn the victims.

On the eve of the third anniversary, civilians visited memorial altars set up across the country. On Saturday night, about 100,000 people gathered in Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul to join a candlelight rally.

It was the first event of its kind since March 25, when street demonstrations were held to celebrate the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye.

Park's whereabouts during the first seven hours of the sinking remain a mystery.
Members of the military carry a victim during a rescue mission after a garbage dump collapsed and buried dozens of houses in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Police said 145 homes were destroyed when the mountain of rubbish came crashing down after heavy rain the previous day. Dinuka Liyanawatte / Reuters

COLOMBO - Hopes of finding anyone alive under a collapsed mountain of garbage in Sri Lanka's capital faded on Sunday as the death toll reached 23 with another six reported missing, police said.

Hundreds of soldiers, backed by heavy earth moving equipment were digging through the rubbish and the wreckage of some 145 homes that were destroyed when a side of the 90-meter-high dump crashed on Friday.

"The rescue is fast becoming a recovery operation," a senior police official at the site said. "It is difficult to imagine anyone could survive under these toxic conditions."

He said six people were reported missing after Friday's disaster at Kolonnawa on the northeastern edge of the capital.

The Colombo National hospital said four children aged between 11 and 15 were among the 23 people killed. Hospital spokeswoman Pushpa Soysa said a man and a woman pulled out of the dump on Friday were in intensive care while another 11 were also still in hospital.

Authorities on Sunday held the funerals of 15 victims. Organizer of the "Movement Against the Meetotamulla Garbage Dump", Nuwan Bopage, said hundreds of people had attended the funeral to pay their final respects and offer their condolences to grieving family members who had lost their loved ones in the tragedy.

Bopage added that the funeral of the remaining victims would be held on Monday.

"The residents of Meetotamulla are extremely angry at the authorities for their failure to address this issue before. We have been urging the state to look into this matter for the past six years but no one did anything and today many lives have been lost," Bopage said.

Police have stepped up security in the area following reports of looting and said they arrested 18 men suspected of stealing victims' belongings.

President Maithripala Sirisena ordered hundreds of troops to search for survivors and bolster rescue efforts of the fire department.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is visiting Japan, said arrangements had been made to remove the garbage dump, but it came crashing down before relocation work could begin.

Wickremesinghe said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe offered help with the recovery effort and a technical team would be sent to Sri Lanka to evaluate the situation.

About 800 tons of solid waste is added per day to the open dump.

Police said a total of 145 homes, mostly shacks, were destroyed when the garbage mountain came crashing down following heavy rain the previous day and a fire hours earlier.

More than 600 people have been given temporary shelter at a government-run school in the area as authorities looked for alternative accommodation for those living near the dump.

Many residents had evacuated their homes before the disaster because of the heavy rain.

Sri Lanka's parliament was warned recently that the 23 million tons of garbage rotting at Kolonnawa was a serious health hazard.

Efforts are under way to generate electricity using solid waste as fuel.
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Syrian children, wounded in a suicide car bombing that targeted their buses in Rashideen, west of Aleppo, as they were being evacuated from the besieged government-held towns of Fuaa and Kafraya, receive treatment at a hospital in the government-held part of Aleppo on Saturday.Afp

Attack made in car carrying food aid to rebel-held area

BEIRUT - A stalled population transfer resumed on Saturday after a deadly explosion killed at least 100, including children, government supporters and opposition fighters, at an evacuation point adding new urgency to the widely criticized operation.

The blast ripped through a bus depot in the Rashideen area where thousands of government loyalists evacuated the day before waited restlessly for hours, as opposition fighters guarded the area while negotiators bickered over the completion of the transfer deal. Only meters away, hundreds of evacuees from pro-rebels areas also loitered in a walled-off parking lot, guarded by government troops.

Footage from the scene showed bodies, including those of fighters, lying alongside buses, some of which were charred and others gutted from the blast. Personal belongings could be seen dangling out of the windows. Fires raged from a number of vehicles as rescuers struggled to put them out.

The so-called Jaish al-Islam claimed responsibility for the attack against the evacuees, who were stuck in the rebel-held area of Rashideen west of Aleppo waiting for their transportation toward government-controlled areas in Aleppo.

The scenes were the latest in the unyielding bloodshed Syrians are living through. Earlier this month, at least 89 people were killed in a chemical attack as children foaming at the mouth and adults gasping for breath were also caught on camera.

The bloody mayhem that followed the Saturday attack only deepened the resentment of the transfer criticized as population engineering. It also reflected the chaos surrounding negotiations between the warring parties. The United Nations did not oversee the transfer deal of the villages of Foua and Kfraya, besieged by the rebels, and Madaya and Zabadani, encircled by the government.

Pro-government media and the opposition exchanged accusations, each pointing to foreign interference or conspiracies undermining the deal.

State TV al-Ikhbariya said the attack was the result of a car bomb carrying food aid to be delivered to the evacuees in the rebel-held area, ostensibly crisps for the children, and accused rebel groups of carrying it out. A TV broadcaster from the area said: "There can be no life with the terrorist groups."

"I know nothing of my family. I can't find them," said a woman who appeared on al-Ikhbariya, weeping outside the state hospital in Aleppo where the wounded were transported.

Ahrar al-Sham, the rebel group that negotiated the deal, denounced the "cowardly" attack, saying a number of opposition fighters as well as government supporters were killed in the attack. The group said the attack only serves to deflect the attention from government "crimes" and said it was ready to cooperate with an international probe to determine who did it.

Yasser Abdelatif, a media official for Ahrar al-Sham, said about 30 rebel gunmen were killed in the blast. He accused the government or extremist rebel groups of orchestrating the attack to discredit the opposition.
Doctor Charged With Performing Female Genital Mutilation on Minors

A Michigan doctor is being charged in the nation's first ever prosecution under a 1996 federal law prohibiting female genital mutilation. Allegedly, the doctor performed the procedures on girls as young as 6 and 8 years old, and may have even had parental consent. While the charges filed only relate to two minors specifically, the US Attorney's Office is hoping that others will come forward.

The practice of female genital mutilation is also called female circumcision or female genital cutting, and is done in various cultures across the globe for varying dogmatic reasons, despite the fact that international treaties make the practice illegal. In the United States, it is a serious felony that carries a sentence of up to 5 years in prison.

Culture Versus Law

While the United States is well regarded internationally as a place where a majority of the people are accepting of different faiths, cultures, and traditions, some cultural practices simply cannot co-exist with US law. The practice of FGM, like honor killings or forced arranged child marriages, are not tolerated under any circumstances as these are viewed as violations of an individual's rights.

While some individuals may be able to assert a culture-based defense to criminal charges, these defenses may not provide a full reprieve from criminal or civil liability. For the doctor being charged in this prosecution, a cultural defense will likely be insufficient to avoid liability given that he is a licensed medical professional, and as such, held to a higher standard under law. Additionally, the doctor is likely to face censure from the state medical licensing board, and is even likely to face malpractice or medical battery civil claims.

FGM and Immigration Asylum

While the Michigan doctor may be facing the first criminal prosecution in the country for performing FGM, the immigration courts have granted asylum petitions based on the dangers of FGM. In many cultures, individuals who oppose the practice, or attempt to prevent their children from being subjected to it, can face severe retaliation, beatings, and even murder.

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Emma Morano poses next to a picture depicting her when she was young, in Verbania, Italy, on May 13, 2016.Ap

ROME - Emma Morano, at 117 the world's oldest person who is also believed to have been the last surviving person born in the 1800s, died on Saturday at her home in northern Italy, her physician said.

Dr. Carlo Bava told The Associated Press by phone that Morano's caretaker had called him to say she had stopped breathing in the afternoon while sitting in an armchair at her home in Verbania, a town on Italy's Lake Maggiore.

Bava said he had last seen his patient on Friday when "she thanked me and held my hand", as she did every time he called on her.

A woman in Jamaica, Violet Brown, who was born in that Caribbean island on March 10, 1900, is now considered the oldest known person in the world, according to a list kept by the Gerontology Research Group.

Morano's doctor, who lives a few blocks away from his patient, had been her physician for nearly a quarter of a century.

Morano, born on Nov 29, 1899, had been living in a tidy, one-room apartment, where she was kept company by her caregiver and two elderly nieces.
SAN FRANCISCO - A solar-powered device, working under conditions of 20-30 percent humidity, was able to pull 2.8 liters, or 3 quarts, of water from the air over a 12-hour period, using one kilogram, or 2.2 pounds, of certain metal-organic framework, or MOF, material.

The prototype, known as a water harvester, was constructed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) using the MOF produced at the University of California, Berkeley.

"This is a major breakthrough in the long-standing challenge of harvesting water from the air at low humidity," said Omar Yaghi, one of two senior authors of a paper published in the journal Science, who is a professor in chemistry at UC Berkeley and a faculty scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. "There is no other way to do that right now, except by using extra energy."

Yaghi invented metal-organic frameworks more than 20 years ago, combining metals like magnesium or aluminum with organic molecules in a tinker-toy arrangement to create rigid, porous structures ideal for storing gases and liquids. Since then, more than 20,000 different MOFs have been created by researchers worldwide, some hold chemicals such as hydrogen or methane, others are able to capture carbon dioxide from flue gases, catalyze the reaction of adsorbed chemicals or separate petrochemicals in processing plants.

In 2014, Yaghi and his UC Berkeley team synthesized a MOF, a combination of zirconium metal and adipic acid, that binds water vapor, and he suggested to Evelyn Wang, a mechanical engineer at MIT, that they join forces to turn the MOF into a water-collecting system.

"One vision for the future is to have water off-grid, where you have a device at home running on ambient solar for delivering water that satisfies the needs of a household," said Yaghi. "To me, that will be made possible because of this experiment. I call it personalized water."

The system Wang and her students designed consisted of dust-sized MOF crystals compressed between a solar absorber and a condenser plate, placed inside a chamber open to the air. As ambient air diffuses through the porous MOF, water molecules preferentially attach to the interior surfaces. Sunlight entering through a window heats up the MOF and drives the bound water toward the condenser, which is at the temperature of the outside air. The vapor condenses as liquid water and drips into a collector.

"This work offers a new way to harvest water from air that does not require high relative humidity conditions and is much more energy efficient than other existing technologies," Wang was quoted as saying in a news release from UC Berkeley.

The proof of concept harvester leaves much room for improvement, Yaghi said. The current MOF can absorb only 20 percent of its weight in water, but other MOF materials could possibly absorb 40 percent or more. The material can also be tweaked to be more effective at higher or lower humidity levels.

Yaghi and his team are at work improving their MOFs, while Wang continues to improve the harvesting system to produce more water.
SEOUL -- South Korean prosecutors on Monday indicted former President Park Geun-hye, who has been impeached and arrested, on multiple corruption charges including bribery and abuse of power.

Park was accused of taking a total of 59.2 billion won ($52 million) in bribes both directly and indirectly from business conglomerates, called chaebol here, and their founding families.

A total of 18 criminal charges were levied against Park, including bribery, abuse of power, extortion and the leakage of confidential documents.

The disgraced leader became the third South Korean president to be indicted by prosecutors.

Park was removed from office on March 10 as the Constitutional Court ruled unanimously to impeach her over a corruption scandal. She was taken into custody three weeks later.

Park, 65, was charged with colluding with her longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil to receive tens of millions of US dollars in bribes from Samsung Group and Lotte Group, while demanding millions dollars from SK Group.

Choi, who is now in custody, has been branded by prosecutors as a criminal accomplice of the impeached leader.

Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin was separately indicted without detention on bribery charges.

The country's fifth-biggest family-controlled conglomerate is suspected of offering millions of dollars in bribes to one of two non-profit foundations controlled by Choi who is at the center of the influence-peddling scandal.

The contribution, which was made by Lotte in May last year, was returned back to Lotte, right before prosecutors' raid in June into the Lotte headquarters and offices for Shin's charges of embezzlement and dereliction of duty.

In March last year, Chairman Shin met face-to-face with Park and his conglomerate regained its lost license to run duty-free shops in downtown Seoul. The contribution is suspected of being made in return for business favors.

An additional contribution of SK Group was also demanded by the Choi-controlled foundations, but the country's third-biggest family-run conglomerate refused to do so, helping Chairman Chey Tae-won escape indictment.

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong has already been detained for offering tens of millions of dollars in bribes to the non-profit foundations controlled by Choi and a German company owned by Choi.

Park was seen as being embroiled in the Samsung bribery. In return, the Samsung heir was charged with receiving illicit assistance to inherit the management control of the country's biggest conglomerate from his ailing father Chairman Lee Kun-hee who has been hospitalized for almost three years.

The former president was also accused of leaking confidential government documents to Choi who allegedly intervened in state affairs though she was a civilian without any government post.

Prosecutors had questioned Park five times over the allegations since she was arrested on March 31, but she reportedly had denied all charges levied against her.
US Vice President Mike Pence shakes hands with acting President and Prime Minister of Republic of Korea Hwang Kyo-ahn during their meeting in Seoul, South Korea, April 17, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

Beijing has urged "an immediate halt" to deployment of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system in the Republic of Korea after Washington and Seoul agreed on its early deployment.

Hwang Kyo-ahn, ROK acting president, confirmed the consensus for "a swift deployment of THAAD" at a joint news conference with visiting US Vice-President Mike Pence on Monday in Seoul.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said "there is no change" in China's position of opposing the deployment. The deployment has angered Beijing and Moscow and chilled ROK-China ties, as its radar can reach up to 2,000 kilometers.

Su Xiaohui, a researcher in international strategy at the China Institute of International Studies, said THAAD "will do nothing but add to regional tension" and make the peninsula's denuclearization process harder.

Also Monday, Pence said in Seoul that "all options are on the table", though the US prefers a peaceful means for denuclearization. Pence, in reference to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, said that "an era of strategic patience is over".

Lu said on Monday that "China welcomes the US playing a positive role in peacefully resolving" the issue. The situation is "highly sensitive, complicated and greatly risky", and Beijing has been urging all the parties concerned to avoid moves that further flare up the tension, Lu warned.

All parties should be devoted to lowering tensions to create needed conditions for bringing parties back to negotiations, Lu added.
San Diego's Pension Reform Plan Upheld

In a win for San Diego voters, a state appeals court turned back public employees' claims to make the city pay for their pensions.

Public employee unions had demanded the mayor and city council meet and confer about Proposition B, a ballot measure that would shift pension costs away from the city. City officials declined, and voters overwhelmingly approved the initiative.

The Fourth District Court of Appeal said the city had no obligation to consider the unions' demands, effectively upholding the ballot initiative. Unlike city-sponsored measures, the court said, citizen's initiatives do not invoke the "meet and confer" requirements of the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act.

Collective Bargaining

The case came to the appellate court after the California Public Employee Relations Board decided the mayor violated collective bargaining rights of public employees. The mayor had campaigned for the measure, the board said, and so was required to negotiate with the labor unions.

Acknowledging the mayor's public support for the measure, the appeals court said that did not convert the voter initiative into a city initiative. The court also rejected the board's argument that the city acted as the voters' agent.

"We conclude, for the reasons previously explained, a city has no obligation under the MMBA to meet and confer before placing a duly qualified citizen-sponsored initiative on the ballot, and only owes such obligations before placing a governing-body-sponsored ballot proposal on the ballot," Justice Judith McConnell wrote for court.

According to reports, the ruling potentially saves San Diego millions of dollars for pensions of about 2,000 employees. Even so, the city still faces a $2.5 billion pension debt.

Pension Reform

Public workers typically receive a "defined benefit" pension plan, which makes a city or other municipality responsible for the retirement benefit if the employee contributions do not grow to the defined amount.

On the other hand, a 401(k) plan is typically called a "defined contribution" plan. It does not guarantee a particular amount, leaving the local government with no risk.

The case is significant particularly in California, where pension debt has pushed some cities into bankruptcy. Reuters reported that the largest debt for California cities and counties is pension liability.

"Certainly if the court had gone the other way, it might have taken some of the wind out of the sail of pension reform efforts," said attorney Michael Sweet.

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There's only 8 days until the publication of Walkaway (stil time to pre-order signed hardcovers: US, UK), and Tor.com has just published a sneak peek at chapter 3: "Takeoff."

I'm getting ready to hit the road and tour with the book: 20+ cities in the US and Canada are announced, with more to come in the UK!

Chapter 3 starts with a visit to the bombed out remains of Walkaway U, a guerrilla scientific research facility that's been taken out by Hellfire missiles.



The ashes of Walkaway U were around Iceweasel. It was an unsettled climate-ish day, when cloudbursts swung up out of nowhere, drenched everything, and disappeared, leaving blazing sun and the rising note of mosquitoes. The ashes were soaked and now baked into a brick-like slag of nanofiber insulation and heat sinks, structural cardboard doped with long-chain molecules that off-gassed something alarmingly, and undifferentiated black soot of things that had gotten so hot in the blaze that you could no longer tell what they'd been.

There were people in that slag. The sensor network at WU had survived long enough to get alarmed about passed-out humans dotted around, trapped by blazes or gases. There was charred bone in the stuff that crept around her mask and left a burnt toast taste on her tongue. She'd have gagged if it hadn't been for the Meta she'd printed before she hit the road.

The Banana and Bongo was bigger than the Belt and Braces had ever been seven stories, three workshops, and real stables for a variety of vehicles from A.T.V. trikes to mecha-walkers to zepp bumblers, which consumed Etcetera for more than two years, as he flitted through the sky, couch-surfing at walkaway camps and settlements across the continent. She'd thought about taking a mecha to the uni, because it was amazing to eat the countryside in one, the suit's wayfinders and lidar finding just the right place to plant each of its mighty feet, gyros and ballast dancing with gravity to keep it upright over the kilometers.

But mechas had no cargo space, so she'd taken a trike with balloon tires as big as tractor wheels, tugging a train of all-terrain cargo pods of emergency gear. It took four hours to reach the university, by which time, the survivors had scattered. She lofted network-node bumblers on a coverage pattern, looking for survivors' radio emissions. The bumblers self-inflated, but it was still sweaty work getting them out of their pod and into the air, and even though she worked quicklyprecise Meta-quick, like a marine assembling a rifle blindfoldedeverything was smeared with blowing soot by the time they were in the sky.

"Fuck this," she said into her breather, and turned the A.T.V. and its cargotrain around in a rumbling donut. The survivors would be nearby, upwind of the ash plume, and out of range of the heat that must have risen as the campus burned. She'd seen a demo of a heat-sunk building going up before. It had been terrifying. In theory, graphene-doped walls wicked away the heat, bringing it to the surface in a shimmer, keeping the area around the fire below its flash point. The heat sink was itself less flammable than everything else they used for building materials, so if the fire went on too long, the heat sinks heated up to the flash point of the walls, and the entire building went up in a near-simultaneous whoom. In theory, you couldn't get to those temperatures unless eight countermeasures all failed, strictly state-actor-level arson stuff.
(Photo : Getty Images) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.

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With China's second aircraft carrier coming on the pipeline, experts are predicting what possible cutting-edge breakthroughs are there to await for China's third aircraft carrier.



Military expert Xu Guangyu told BTV that the third indigenous aircraft carrier could likely be nuclear powered.



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"The first domestically built carrier is likely to be like the Liaoning. It will be conventionally powered and use as a ski-jump take-off, whereas the second one is likely to use a catapult take-off... The third one, however, will benefit from major breakthroughs and may even be nuclear-powered," Xu said as quoted by China Daily.



Experts also forecasted that the vessel could even feature an electromagnetic launch. Last month, rumors have circulated that the Type 002 (temporary name for China's third aircraft carrier) will come with an Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), which is similar to the new US-nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-79). EMALS uses a linear motor drive to launch an aircraft instead of the conventional steam piston drive.



China reportedly plans to produce two Type 002 carriers, and the first is slated to be launched in 2021. The carriers will have a displacement of 85,000 each, making them the biggest Chinese carriers.



It was previously reported that China's second aircraft carrier could accommodate between 28 and 36 units of Jian-15 fighters (J-15). It could soon be launched later this month, with some experts saying that the likely date in April 23, which is also the founding anniversary date of the People's Liberation Army's Navy.



China's first indigenously built aircraft carrier, temporarily named as the Type 001A, bears resemblance with the Liaoning, which Beijing purchased from Ukraine in 1998. However, Li Jie, a naval expert, said that the vessel's equipment and overall operation concept are more advanced and functional.



Some weapons were not included on the Type 001A to give more space for the J-15 fighter jets. Its hangars extended to give room for between six and eight more J-15 fighter jets than the Liaoning. It could also accommodate more helicopters and fixed-wing early warning aircraft.



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(Photo : Norwegian Army) Norwegian radar system on Vardya Island off Russia.

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Norway will join the NATO Missile Defense System that better protects the alliance's member states from Russian ballistic missile attacks by 2018 at the earliest.



Media reports said the analysis group from the Norwegian Armed Forces and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency will likely advise the right-wing Norwegian government headed by Prime Minister Erna Solberg to commit Norway to joining the defense system.



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In 2015, Solberg confirmed Norway's readiness to contribute to the creation of NATO's European missile defense system.



"It is necessary for us to participate in this. As a committed NATO member, we should also be committed to that part of the strategy," she said at the time.



Russia fears the NATO Missile Defense System will undermine the capability of its strategic nuclear forces to launch a first strike against NATO with nuclear missiles.



Norway has no ballistic missile systems that can augment the US-led NATO missile defense system, but its radars and sensors located at Russia's western doorstep can be integrated into the missile shield.



Particularly valuable to NATO is Norway's Globus II/III radar system located on Vardya Island near the Russian border, which is just a few kilometers from Murmansk, home port of Russia's strategic submarine fleet. The sea-based AEGIS systems on five frigates of the Royal Norwegian Navy will also form part of the NATO Missile Defense System.



Another Norwegian radar station located in Svalbard in the Arctic Circle can also be used by the U.S. military for missile defense purposes.



The NATO Missile Defense System includes radar systems and missile interceptors already deployed to Poland, Romania, Spain, Turkey and the Czech Republic. The U.S. Navy has deployed four Aegis-capable Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers to Spain as part of the ballistic missile defense shield.



While its Norwegian Armed Forces consists of only some 17,000 active personnel, Norway is one of the world's top spenders on defense per capita.



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TagsNorway, NATO Missile Defense System, Norwegian Armed Forces, U.S. Missile Defense Agency, Prime Minister Erna Solberg, Russia, AEGIS systems, Vardya Island
(Photo : VKS) Russian S-400 missile defense system.

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Turkey will likely reject the acquisition of Russia's unreliable S-400 Triumf mobile air defense system as it looks to repair battered ties with the European Union and the United States.



And there's also the fact that Turkey -- a NATO member state -- has twice before turned down cheap Russian weapons systems in favor of those sold by the Chinese and Americans.



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Turkey and Russia began talks on Turkey's purchase of the S-400 system in November 2016. Things seemed to be going in Russia's favor when Sergei Chemezov, CEO of Russian state-owned firm, Rostec Corporation, said Turkey expressed a wish to obtain a loan from Russia to purchase weapons, including the S-400 system.



Rostec promotes the development, production and export of hi-tech industrial products for civil and military use.



Turkey's Minister of National Defense Fikri Isk also seemed to be on Russia's side.



"Turkey urgently needs an air defense system. As far as the S-400 system is concerned, we are at the stage of making the final decision. The final decision will be made by the president and the prime minister," said Isk last month.



Isik also revealed Ankara and Moscow had made progress at the talks but "the sides have not reached the stage of signing the relevant agreement."



He further said Turkey has no plans of integrating the S-400 systems into the NATO missile defense system. It was this fatal flaw that doomed the sale of China's HQ-9 air defense missile system to Turkey in March 2015, and Turkish pundits believe this will be the case with the S-400.



Russian state media also cast doubt on Turkey's eagerness to push through with the deal to buy the S-400.



"Expressions such as 'being interested in' and 'inquiring about the price' do not mean that Turkey will sign the contract to buy the Russian weapons," said Viktor Litovkin, military analyst at the TASS news agency.



"It's still not written in stone. Some time ago the Turks held talks with Russia about buying the S-300 systems. Then it turned out that they were just lowering the price set by the Chinese, who wanted to sell Ankara their HQ-9 air defense systems."



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TagsTurkey, S-400 Triumf mobile air defense system, European Union, Russia, NATO, HQ-9 air defense system, china
(Photo : PLAN) The Chinese spy ship, Yuanwang-6.

(Photo : Russian Navy) The Russian spy ship, SSV-208 Kurily.

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China and Russia have sent their most sophisticated spy ships to keep track of the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) and its Carrier Strike Group when this U.S. Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier starts lingering off the eastern coast of North Korea in the Sea of Japan.



American media citing U.S. Navy sources said both China and Russia appear bent on hounding the USS Carl Vinson even as tensions in the Korean Peninsula remain close to flash point owing to North Korea's refusal to extinguish its nuclear weapons development program, and the United States' declaration all options are open -- including military -- in the effort to eliminate the north's nuclear program.



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While media reports failed to identify the spy ships involved, it's an incredible coincidence that all three of China's most modern signals intelligence spy ships are now out to sea at the same time.



And as for the Russians, they have two spy ships attached to the Pacific Fleet based at Vladivostok in the Russian Far East.



The three most modern radar spy ships in the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) -- all belonging to the Yuanwang class -- left Chinese ports one after the other from March 27 to April 10 to allegedly keep track of the launch of a new Chinese spacecraft on April 20.



Yuanwang-5, Yuanwang-6 and Yuanwang-7 are currently steaming towards undisclosed locations and will use their modern radars to ostensibly track the progress of the Tianzhou 1 unmanned cargo spacecraft after this spacecraft's launch on April 20.



The Yuanwangs are officially classified as maritime tracking ships, and are each equipped with large dish antennae for tracking Chinese launch vehicles and satellites. The equipment aboard these ships, however, are also used to capture electronic transmissions by their targets, chiefly the U.S. military.



These ships are dual-use platforms serving military and scientific ends. One western analyst described the Yuanwangs as "spy ships" and estimated that up to 70 percent of the work done by the Yuanwang fleet consists in gathering signals intelligence, which is one of the more sophisticated forms of spying, from targets such as the U.S.



Signals intelligence or SIGINT is intelligence-gathering by interception of communications signals between people or from electronic signals.



Chinese state-run media revealed the Yuanwang fleet, which consists of five operational ships, will carry out 19 maritime "space monitoring" missions this year.



The two Russian spy ships assigned to Asia are the SSV-208 Kurily and the SSV-535 Kareliya, both of which are Vishnya-class intelligence gathering ships. They're designed for signals intelligence gathering and are equipped with an extensive array of sensors.



Intercepted signals are transmitted to Russian military headquarters via satellite link antennas inside two large radomes.



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Tagschina, Russia, spy ships, USS Carl Vinson, North Korea, Sea of Japan, People's Liberation Army Navy, Yuanwang-5, Yuanwang-6, Yuanwang-7, Signals intelligence, SIGINT, SSV-208 Kurily, SSV-535 Kareliya
(Photo : USAF) A USAF F-35A of the 34th Fighter Squadron takes-off from Hill Air Force Base in Utah.

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The United States for the first time has deployed its Lockheed Martin F-35A Joint Strike Fighter to Europe.



The deployment of an unspecified number of the U.S. Air Force version of the stealth fighter to an undisclosed country (most certainly the United Kingdom) follows by three months the deployment of the U.S. Marines version of this fighter -- the F-35B -- to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan.



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The Marine F-35Bs have since conducted patrols and joint exercises with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and the Republic of Korea Air Force.



A deployment of Air Force F-35As to the Middle East (probably Saudi Arabia) is a done deal and is expected to take place in a few years.



The Air Force said this first batch of F-35As from the 388th Fighter Wing (388FW) at Hill Air Force Base, Utah will conduct training exercises with NATO allies. The F-35s specifically belong to the 34th Fighter Squadron, the first operational F-35A Lightning II fighter squadron in the world.



The squadron was declared combat ready in August 2016 after transitioning from the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon in September 2015. The two other fighter squadrons in 388FW fly the F-16C.



The Air Force said the F-35As from the 34th Fighter Squadron will spend several weeks in Europe as part of the European Reassurance Initiative, the U.S. Department of Defense's (DoD) effort to strengthen military ties with European allies to help deter Russian aggression.



DoD described this training deployment as an important milestone and a natural progression of the F-35 program, allowing the Air Force to further demonstrate the operational capabilities of the fifth generation fighter aircraft.



It also assists in refining requirements for eventually basing the F-35A in Europe, which is scheduled to receive the aircraft in the early 2020s.



The F-35s are based at Royal Air Force Lakenheath or RAF Lakenheath, an RAF air station in Suffolk, England. RAF Lakenheath will eventually host 54 F-35As by 2022.



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TagsUnited States, Lockheed Martin F-35A Joint Strike Fighter, Europe, U.S Marines, F-35B, Middle East, 34th Fighter Squadron, 388th Fighter Wing
Christians in Australia are facing increased persecution and are especially being targeted by Muslim gangs.

CBN News reports that recently, a Greek Orthodox Christian man was targeted for wearing a cross necklace.

A group of Muslims reportedly stopped the man and his girlfriend. They ripped the necklace from his neck and stomped on it. They then proceeded to inflict physical injury on the man, kicking and punching him.

When the mans girlfriend tried to intervene, she was reportedly also punched and kicked by Muslim women who were part of the group.

The man reported afterward that his attackers were Middle Eastern in appearance and said they referred to Allah" and blasphemed the name of Jesus.

The man also claimed that five railway transport officers witnessed the attack but did nothing to help. Train officials, however, maintained that their employees are not authorized to take action in the case of an assault.

Baptist Pastor George Capsis says this attack is cause for concern for Australian Christians. Capsis noted that this was the fourth such attack on Christians in Sydney in the past six months.

Christians have been cautioned against displaying Christians symbols, such as crucifixes, in areas dominated by Muslims in order to prevent further attacks.

Photo courtesy: Thinkstock/ViewPixel

Publication date: April 17, 2017
According to a recent Barna study, 78 percent of parents believe they have a more complicated job in raising their kids today than previous generationsprimarily because they have the added responsibility of monitoring their childrens technology use. Andy Crouch wrote his recent book The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place to advise parents about technologys proper place in their home. There is tremendous, desperate demand for help on this front, says Crouch of contemporary technology and the family. Everyone feels like theres a problem.

Crouch spoke recently with CT about Internet pornography (and why filters arent enough), the future of biologically engineered human beings, and why developing character virtues in your kids is more important than monitoring screen minutes.

Why talk about technology in the context of the family?

Whenever you raise a criticism about technology, people will commonly say, Well, technology can be used for good or for bad. But I think more interesting questions are, What is technology good for? and What is technology bad for? Technology is good for lots of things. But what it is not good forand perhaps what it is actively bad foris the formation of persons. And where are people formed most intensively? For all of us, that is in the context of family. Thats where the dangers and limitations of technology become most evident. Im much less concerned about how we use technology when were waiting in a line at the airport, even though I dont deny that there is something formative (and de-formative) about ...

1
For decades, Wells Fargo pressured its employees to commit millions of acts of fraud against its customers, using threats and blackballing to terrorize low-level employees.



But the crimes only came to light because of union organizers from the Committee for Better Banks, which has been the relentless in blowing the whistle, spurring the press to take notice and the US government to take action.

CBB hasn't let up, either: they're gunning for Tim Sloan now: he's the Wells Fargo lifer from executive row who got parachuted into the CEO's seat after CBB hounded his predecessor, the disgraced subprime fraudster John Stumpf out of office. Sloan looks like he's every bit as dirty as Stumpf, which makes sense, since he'd previously served as COO and directly oversaw the fraud.



But Sloan's appointment did little to mollify critics, given his central management role during more than a decade of consumer and community complaints. In 2015, Sloan was promoted to Chief Operating Officer, a post that made him the executive responsible for Wells Fargo's Community Bank and Consumer Lending divisionsground zero in the scandal. Among other duties, Sloan was in charge of supervising Tolstedt, who ran Wells Fargo's community-banking division at the center of the current firestorm. "Getting an apology when the company is backed into a corner doesn't fix how Wells Fargo's predatory, high-pressure sales goals hurt millions of working people and their customers," said Erin Mahoney, a spokesperson for CBB said after the bank put Sloan in charge. "If Sloan really wants to rebuild trust within the company, he should start paying frontline workers a fair wage and working with them to collaboratively to improve working conditions and serve the best interests of employees and customers."



The Feisty Group That Exposed Wells Fargo's Wrongdoing

[Peter Dreier/The American Prospect]
Did You Make God Smile Today?

This new book shares creative and fun ways to make God smile everyday.

Nothing is more fulfilling than knowing that you are making God happy.

Contact: Fritz Richard, 503-866-7419

PORTLAND, Ore., April 17, 2017 / Christian Newswire / -- Fritz Richard, author of several Christian books, has launched a Kickstarter project for his book, Make God Smile ( www.kickstarter.com/projects/225937295/make-god-smile ). The book will be completed over the next two months. It will help Christians discover hundreds of ways to make God smile on their lives. Fritz notes that "There will be stories, cartoons and bible references."

The book is designed to be easy to read but packed full of useful tips and ideas. Most Christians, from time to time, forget to give attention to the most important area of life. This is a kick-starter project that will only come to life if Christians support it. The book will also come with a daily email service that will serve as a reminder. The service will attract a marginal monthly cost of $4.95.

The book is noteworthy because of the author's background in graphics and publishing. Fritz Richard is best known for publishing the first Macintosh how-to magazine in the late 1980s. He also started the company enStep, Inc. and sold the software packages ImageFonts, BrushArt, and FunPak (top national bestsellers in the mid-1990s).

Today, Fritz runs MediaCrest, a direct response video agency in Portland Oregon.
home World A quarter of British Christians do not believe Jesus rose from the dead, says survey

A recent survey by ComRes has indicated that a quarter of British Christians do not believe that the resurrection of Jesus Christ was a real event.

The study commissioned by the BBC has revealed that just a third of all British Christians believed what the Bible says about the events word-for-word. However, the figure rose to 57 percent among "active" Christians or those who attend religious service at least once a month.

As many as 37 percent of Christians admitted that they never attend religious services. Only 20 percent said they attend once a week.

The report noted that nearly one in 10 people of no religion said they believe the Easter story, but it includes "some content that should not be taken literally."

Overall, exactly half of all people do not believe in the resurrection, while only 17 percent believe the Bible version word-for-word.

The survey, which was commissioned by BBC local radio for Palm Sunday, was conducted between Feb. 2 and Feb. 12 among 2,010 British adults by telephone.

An equal number of respondents are evenly split at 46 percent on whether or not there is life after death. Twenty percent of non-religious people said they believe in some form of afterlife. The survey cited heaven, hell, and reincarnation as examples of life after death. As many as 31 percent of Christians said they do not believe in the afterlife.

Women, at around 56 percent, were found to be more likely to believe in the afterlife compared to men at 36 percent.

Among the believers in the afterlife, 65 percent said they believe their souls would go to "another life" such as heaven or hell, while 32 percent believe they would be reincarnated.

Responding to the survey results, The Bishop of Manchester, the Right Reverend David Walker, said: "This important and welcome survey proves that many British people, despite not being regular churchgoers, hold core Christian beliefs."

"Alongside them it finds surprisingly high levels of religious belief among those who follow no specific religion, often erroneously referred to as secularists or atheists," he added.

Alastair Lichten, the campaign officer at the National Secular Society, said that the findings were "not very surprising," given that many people identified as Christians for cultural reasons.

"People have every right to identify how they want, but I think this should just send a message. When people identify in a certain religious way that doesn't tell you anything about them. It doesn't tell you their position on theological issues or on social issues," Lichten remarked.
home World Adolescents try being transgender to be trendy, to stand out from peers, psychiatrist says

An Australian child psychologist said that some children and adolescents are trying out being transgender because they want to stand out from their peers and be "different."

Psychiatrist Dr. Stephen Stathis, who runs a gender clinic at the Lady of Cilento Children's Hospital in the state of Queensland, Australia, said that he had a lot of adolescents who wanted to try being transgender because they thought that it is trendy.

"One said to me, 'Dr Steve ... I want to be transgender, it's the new black,'" Stathis narrated.

The psychiatrist said that many of the children he sees in his clinic are just confused about their sexuality and not really gender dysphoric.

He noted that many children are "getting their sexual identity mixed up with their gender identity." He explained that some of them are "gender variant," which means that they enjoy activities that are associated with the other gender but do not identify with it.

Stathis said that he had seen girls who have been sexually abused and wanted to identify as transgender. "The girls say, 'If only I had been a male I wouldn't have been abused,'" he recounted.

The psychiatrist explained that some children are desperate to be transgender that they start puberty blockers then progress to irreversible hormone treatment.

"I've seen genital mutilation, some who try to cut off their penis. The thought of touching their genitals is so abhorrent they don't wash them and get infections," he told The Courier Mail.

Stathis' observations are consistent with the findings of a study on gender dysphoria in children released by the American College of Pediatricians in 2016.

The 2016 study found that many children "self-diagnose" as transgender after social media "binges."

"This suggests that social contagion may be at play. In many schools and communities, there are entire peer groups 'coming out' as trans at the same time," the study stated.

The study also indicated that factors such as parental abuse and social reinforcement could influence a child mentally and such factors could "contribute to the development and/or persistence" of gender dysphoria.

Stathis supports giving puberty blockers, which stalls the development of sex-specific characteristics, to children entering puberty. He said that it would help children who identify as transgender avoid depression.

Although puberty blockers are generally considered safe, the American College of Pediatricians warns against their use as its full effects are still unknown.
home US Atheist organization complains about faith-based group's sex ed classes in public schools

A prominent atheist organization has sent complaint letters to a number of school districts in Missouri over the use of a sex education curriculum provided by a faith-based group called Thrive.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) has sent the complaint letters to Missouri school districts last week after it was informed by one of its members that Thrive has been teaching sex education in local schools, Christian News Network reported.

Thrive, a religious pro-life organization, runs several crisis pregnancy centers near St. Louis, including a mobile facility that offers free or low-cost services such as pregnancy testing and ultrasounds.

In its letter, the atheist organization urged the school districts to discontinue its use of Thrive, saying it is a Christian organization that intends to share the gospel with clients.

The FFRF noted that Thrive does not offer abortion referrals or birth control, and it also took issue with the pro-life group's abstinence curriculum.

"The Thrive sex education curriculum, which it calls 'Best Choice,' consists of little more than scare tactics and shaming students who choose to have sex," the atheist group stated.

"The program's activities suggest that sexually active teens are dirty, particularly those who have had more than one partner, suggesting that virtually all of them will contract an STD while apparently offering no information that any activity other than total abstinence can decrease the chance of pregnancy or contracting an STD," it continued.

The FFRF also complained that Thrive only hires Christians, which it perceived as a form of discrimination.

The atheist group expressed its concern that Thrive would promote Christianity to its students, given its "religious mission" regarding sex and pregnancy as well as its requirement that its employees be practicing Christians.

The FFRF asked the schools not to allow Thrive to teach sex education and suggested that the districts use sex education instructors or curriculum designers who are medical professionals and not members of a faith-based organization.

Reports have indicated that a few districts in the St. Louis area have already dropped Thrive after complaints from a handful of parents.

The parents have expressed concern that Thrive's Best Choice program focuses mostly on abstinence and does not provide enough education about safe sex practices.

Bridget Van Means, president of Thrive, asserted that the organization is being discriminated against because of its faith.

"These individuals have started, from the beginning, assuming that because we are faith-based, we have no place in schools. Discrimination and prejudice cuts both ways," she said.
home US 'Bible Answer Man' Hank Hannegraaf becomes member of Eastern Orthodox Church

Hank Hanegraaff, the well-known radio host known as the "Bible Answer Man," has confirmed that he has been chrismated into the Eastern Orthodox church on Palm Sunday.

Speculations about his conversion started after a photo circulated online on Sunday showing the radio host, along with his wife and children, being received into Eastern Orthodoxy at Saint Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church in Charlotte, Christian News Network reported.

When a listener of his radio show called in on Monday to inquire if he had indeed converted to Orthodoxy, Hanegraaff said that he had been attending Saint Nektarios for more than two years, but he had just become a member.

"I am now a member of an Orthodox church, but nothing has changed in my faith," said Hanegraaf.

"I have been attending an Orthodox church for a long timeafor over two years, really, as a result of what happened when I went to China many years ago," he added.

The radio host said that he was drawn to the days of the early Church after he saw the simplicity and passion of Chinese Christians. This prompted him to study the teachings of Chinese Christian author Watchman Nee and the subject of theosis, which is an Eastern Orthodox teaching regarding union with God.

Hanegraaff, who serves as the president and chairman of the Christian Research Institute, is considered as one of the foremost apologists for the Christian faith. He was once strongly linked to D. James Kennedy and Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Florida.

He is known for answering questions about Christian doctrine, Bible interpretation, and theological differences between denominations on his nationally syndicated "Bible Answer Man" radio broadcast.

Hanegraaff had previously interviewed Greek Orthodox priest Themistocles Anthony Adamopoulo on his radio show, in which they discussed theosis.

When a listener asked why Hanegraaff seemed so interested in Eastern Orthodoxy, the radio host replied: "In the present, just as the Eastern Orthodox Church has been impacted by our ministry, I've been impacted by Eastern Orthodox people who have a very keen sense of Church history and have absolute fidelity to the essentials of the historic Christian faith. And so, this is all part of championing mere Christianity and learning."

Some applauded the news, including John Sanidopoulos of the Mystagogy Resource Center, who said he was "astounded" when he heard about Hanegraaff's conversion.

However, others were concerned as they believe that the Eastern Orthodox Church are not really orthodox in doctrine.

Jeff Maples of Pulpit and Pen noted that the Orthodox Church has some similarities with the Roman Catholic church, which, he says, is highly driven by graven images and denies the doctrine of salvation "by grace alone through faith alone."
home World Boko Haram has killed at least 500 Catholic priests in Nigeria, says bishop

A Catholic bishop in Nigeria has claimed that Boko Haram militants have killed at least 500 priests in Borno state over the past few years.

Most Rev. Oliver Doeme, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Maiduguri, revealed last Wednesday that in 2014 alone, Boko Haram had set 250 Catholic churches in the North-East ablaze, rendering 25 priests and 40 nuns homeless.

The bishop noted that the terror group had displaced 80,000 Catholics, while 64,000 have fled into Cameroon.

Over 50 Catholic catechists have been displaced in the states of Adamawa, Yobe and Borno during the peak of the Boko Haram insurgency, according to NAIJ.

The bishop asserted that some influential and selfish Nigerians are behind the Boko Haram sect. He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the successful counter-terrorism campaign against the insurgent group in the North-East. He also praised the military for its efforts to fight the insurgents, saying, "the battle against Boko Haram should not be limited to the physical realm but it needs to be fought in the spiritual realm for it is a demonic attack."

Doeme, who described the rise of Boko Haram as an "offshoot of corruption" in Nigeria, urged Christian groups to take part in the rebuilding plan in the North-East.

"If the churches have been part of assisting the victims of the insurgency, they should equally be involved in the rebuilding plan," said the bishop.

In February, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno state released a report detailing the statistics of deaths and material losses caused by the Boko Haram insurgency.

Community leaders have estimated that the insurgency has led to the deaths of almost 100,000 people. The report also revealed that 2,114,000 people have been displaced as of December 2016.

As many as 158,201 are situated in official camps while 537,815 are in separate camps. Another 379,614 are residing at 15 satellite camps in Ngala, Monguno, Bama, Banki, Pulka, Gwoza, Sabon Gari and other locations in the state. At least 73,404 have been forced to become refugees in neighboring Niger and Cameroon.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has recently expressed its intentions to sell up to 12 light attack aircraft to Nigeria to support the fight against Boko Haram.

The proposed sale was canceled by the administration of former President Barack Obama in January after a Nigerian fighter jet targeting Boko Haram militants accidentally bombed a camp for displaced people. But Trump indicated that he would take another look at the sale in a telephone conversation with Buhari in February.

"President Trump expressed support for the sale of aircraft from the United States to support Nigeria's fight against Boko Haram," the White House said in a statement after the call.
home World British parents lose court battle to keep their baby on life support

A judge in Britain's High Court has ruled that doctors can remove the life support from a baby suffering from muscle disorder against the parents' wishes.

Chris Gard and Connie Yates were heartbroken after Justice Francis ruled on Monday that their baby, Charlie Gard, should be allowed to die.

The baby, born on Aug. 4, is suffering from a disorder called mitochondrial depletion syndrome, which causes progressive muscle weakness.

Francis stated that it was in the best interests of the eight-month-old baby to remove life support, noting that he made the decision with "the heaviest of hearts."

"Great Ormond Street Hospital may lawfully withdraw all treatment save for palliative care to permit Charlie to die with dignity," Francis said.

The judge's ruling prompted Gard to shout "no" in court before both he and Yates broke down in tears.

According to the Daily Mail, the judge ignored the wishes of the parents to transport the little boy to the U.S. for treatment.

Specialists at Great Ormond Sreet Hospital decided that the baby should be moved to palliative care because it has irreversible brain damage.

The parents begged the High Court to allow the baby to undergo an experimental treatment in the U.S., but the judge ruled that it would not be in Charlie's interest because it would not reverse the brain damage, and it could cause him pain.

Gard and Yates have vowed to fight the ruling, and they have up to three weeks to ask for permission to appeal. Their lawyers need to present fresh evidence or a new challenge to the law before a permission for the appeal could be granted. The hospital said that the life support for Charlie would continue until a decision is made.

The couple has received more than 1.2 million from about 82,000 well-wishers to fund the experimental treatment. However, their hopes were dealt a crushing blow after the judge cited experts who said that the baby's condition is "very unlikely" to improve, regardless of whether the parents could afford the treatment.

Francis, who had visited Charlie in the hospital while hearing evidence in the case, said that he sympathized with Gard and Yates and commended them for their courage and dedication.

"I want to thank Charlie's parents for their brave and dignified campaign on his behalf. But more than anything to pay tribute to their absolute dedication to their wonderful boy, from the day that he was born," he said.

Donations from supporters continued to pour into the couple's GoFundMe page despite the ruling. The money would be used to fund the treatment if the appeal is successful. If not, Yates suggested that a charity could be created for other children with similar disorders and fund further research.
home US Christian college's entire faculty senate resigns over denial of promotion to pro-gay professor

All seven members of Gordon College's faculty senate reportedly resigned from their post as senators earlier this month after a faculty member was denied promotion for denouncing the school's policy on homosexuality.

The members of the senate announced their resignation at a meeting on April 5, citing the ongoing disagreement with the Massachusetts evangelical school's administration over the approval process for promoting a faculty member.

The joint resignation letter was read aloud by Ivy George, the chair of the faculty senate, during the all-faculty meeting, The Christian Post reported.

"Provost [Janel] Curry was provided with a copy of a letter from the Senate when they met with her a few hours before the faculty meeting," said Rick Sweeney, Gordon College Vice President of Communications, in an email to the school newspaper The Tartan.

"They were not open to further discussion on their decision, which they announced to their faculty colleagues at the end of the regular monthly meeting late Wednesday afternoon," he added.

The senate is composed of a group of faculty members that were elected to deal with hiring, promotions, disciplinary measures, reviews, and tenure.

The rift between the faculty senate and the school administration reportedly began last month after a complaint was filed to the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination against the school.

In the complaint, assistant sociology professor Margaret DeWeese-Boyd alleged that the college's president, Michael Lindsay, and Provost Curry denied her promotion to full professor because she openly criticized a policy that prohibits students and staff members from engaging in homosexual activity.

Apart from speaking out against the school's policy, DeWeese-Boyd had also organized events that advocated for "safety and inclusion" of LGBT students and staff members at the school.

Despite the approval of the faculty senate for DeWeese-Boyd's promotion to full professor, Lindsay and Curry reportedly denied the promotion in February.

The senators stated in their resignation letter that they felt Curry and Lindsay were not following the guidelines regarding faculty promotion as indicated in the school's administrative handbook.

After the meeting, Curry told the faculty that "my perspective and interpretation of the situation is very different than theirs and I will need some time to explore how we bridge the gap in perspectives."

Sweeney stated that the college has a "strong and pointed disagreement" about DeWeese-Boyd's allegations, but the declined to offer further comment about the disagreement because he said it was a "personal issue."
home US Church files suit to settle dispute over money raised for Saeed Abedini's family

A California church has filed a lawsuit in order to settle a dispute over the money that was raised for Pastor Saeed Abedini's family while he was imprisoned in Iran.

Joshua Springs Calvary Chapel, located in Yucca Valley, California, had raised nearly $200,000 for Abedini's wife, Naghmeh, and their two children. However, matters became more complicated after the pastor and his wife announced their divorce a few months after he was released from prison in January last year.

Abedini had insisted that he should receive the money, but the church stated that "a substantial controversy exists concerning entitlement to the charitable donations" because the couple is now separated, and the church had collected the donations to buy a house for Naghmeh and her children.

"Plaintiff (Joshua Springs Calvary Chapel) cannot distribute the benefits because it cannot determine which of the competing claimants, if any, is entitled to the said funds," the lawsuit stated, according to The Christian Post.

Naghmeh had campaigned tirelessly for the pastor's release, but she filed a domestic relations case against Abedini on the same day he arrived in Boise, Idaho. She also filed a petition for legal separation as well as a temporary restraining order concerning their children and property.

Abedini has recently posted critical messages against his wife and Joshua Springs Calvary Chapel, along with some Christian leaders who campaigned for his release.

"Idaho media recently asked about the $200,000 which was raised for me when I was in prison and wanted to know what happened to that money and I didn't have any answer," the pastor wrote on Facebook on Sunday.

Abedini said that he was informed about the lawsuit against him when he called Pastor Jerel Hagerman to ask about the money.

According to the lawsuit, Hagerman's wife, Merrily, launched the fundraising campaign to buy a house for Abedini's family after meeting with Naghmeh in Idaho in 2014. The campaign had raised a total of $198,350.

Naghmeh said at that time that she would wait until March in 2014 to think about looking for a home because she wanted to go house-hunting with her husband.

The church stated in the lawsuit that Abedini called Merrily on Dec. 2, 2016 to ask for the money. Five days later, the church told him that the money was raised to buy a home for his wife and his children and that the change in their circumstances had led it to question its obligations to the donors.

The church said that the lawsuit was filed in order to get declaratory relief to determine who should get the money. It insisted that its actions were done "in good faith and without any collusion from or collaboration with any of the parties who might be entitled to the said funds."

David Earl Jacobs, the church's lawyer, said that the money would be given to Naghmeh within 60 days if Abedini backs off on his claims. The case will be heard on June 26 at 8:30 a.m.
home US Colorado lawmakers reject bill that would let women see ultrasound of their baby before abortions

The Colorado Senate has rejected a bill that would give pregnant women the option to see an ultrasound of their baby before they go through with an abortion.

Colorado Senate Bill 284 was defeated after two Republican lawmakers joined Democrats on the floor of the chamber to oppose the bill. Republican Sens. Don Coram from Durango and Beth Martinez Humenik from Thornton, along with 17 Democrats, cast their vote against the bill on Thursday.

The legislation, sponsored by pro-life Republicans Kevin Lundberg from Berthoud and Vicki Marble from Fort Collins, would have required abortion facilities to offer women the option to see an ultrasound image of the baby and have the image described to the patient.

It also required the facilities to provide information about alternatives to abortion as well as the abortion pill reversal option.

Additionally, the measure mandates a 24-hour waiting period between the woman receiving the information and the abortion procedure, but the patients have the option not to receive the information.

Opponents characterized the measure as government overreach, in which the law is used to advance "unscientific" practices and promote the use of pro-life health clinics.

In his Facebook page, Lundberg noted that the bill does not determine whether or not abortion should be legal and maintained that it only requires abortion providers to provide full information to their patients before performing terminating their pregnancy.

"I regret that the abortion industry is so resolute in their opposition to anything that gives the child a chance to live. The good news is that more and more Americans are coming to realize that unborn children should be protected," Lundberg wrote, as reported by The Colorado Statesman.

After the vote on Thursday, Planned Parenthood Votes Colorado praised the Republican-led Senate for defeating the bill.

"Planned Parenthood is glad to see the measure defeated, but the fact that it got to the Senate floor shows there is still an extreme faction in the Senate that is out of step with everyday Coloradans' lives," said Sarah Taylor-Nanista, VP Public Affairs of Planned Parenthood Votes Colorado.

Taylor-Nanista asserted that the bill contains provisions that are not medically necessary or scientifically supported.

"Planned Parenthood strongly opposes bills such as these which really are about shaming women and scaring doctors," she added.

Planned Parenthood has blocked a similar law in Indiana last summer and it also sued Kentucky over a similar ultrasound law earlier this year.
home World Congolese priests hide in forest to escape violence against Christians

Catholic priests in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have gone into hiding due to the increasing attacks on church properties following the collapse of the Church's attempts to broker peace between the government and political leaders.

Violence erupted in eastern Congo in late March after Catholic bishops abandoned attempts to arrange a governmentaopposition power-sharing settlement, Catholic Herald reported.

"The militias are continuing their macabre operations a each passing day sees new killings and burning of religious buildings," the bishops said in a statement.

"The worst affected is the Diocese of Luebo, where the bishop's house, library, sisters' convent and vehicles have been burned, and priests and religious have fled to the forest with other inhabitants. The situation is harsh and unbearable," the statement continued.

Luebo is a town in the DRC's restive Kasai province, which has been plagued by violence between the Congolese security forces and a local militia group, Kamuina Nsapu. The militia has been trying to avenge the death of their leader who was killed by the security forces in August 2016.

Abbot Charles Mukubayi, one of the leaders of the Caritas Diocese of the town of Luebo, lamented the fact that the property of the Catholic church has been targeted in the attacks.

"They went down to Lunkelu, the [place] where priests are trained and they have ransacked everything," the abbot narrated.

"I tell you that the abbots are up there in the bush. As soon as they leave (the bush), they want to kill them," he added.

The incident in Luebo came after unidentified armed men carried out an attack on the parish of St. Mary of Lukalaba, located some 50km from Mbuji Mayi, in KasaA-Oriental.

In February, attackers who were identified as members of Kamuina Nsapu vandalized the Grand Malcolm Seminary in Kananga in Central Kasai.

Pope Francis condemned the ongoing violence in the KasaA during an open-air mass on April 2 in the Italian northern town of Carpi. He called for peace in the provinces of KasaA, KasaA Central, KasaA Oriental and Lomami, and he said that the fighting has already resulted in human casualties and displaced persons.

He further noted that the violence had also affected "members and properties of the Church, churches, hospitals and schools."

There had been concerns that armed groups may be trying to exploit the prevailing political uncertainty to cause widespread violence and instability in the country. Almost 6 million people were killed in the 1996a2003 conflict over the nation's transfer of power.
home World Couple says child welfare took away their foster children over their refusal to lie about Easter bunny

The Children's Aid Society (CAS) of Hamilton in Ontario, Canada has allegedly removed two foster children from the home of Christian parents because they refused to say that the Easter Bunny was real.

Derek and Frances Baars, who fostered three and four-year-old sisters in 2015, have filed a lawsuit against CAS last week, alleging that child support worker insisted that the couple should tell the two girls in their care that the Easter Bunny was real, despite their belief that lying is wrong.

The dispute has caused CAS to turn down the couple as prospective foster parents. The couple claims that the organization violated their rights based on their religious beliefs as members of the Reformed Presbyterian Church.

The Baars are being supported by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), a conservative non-profit that defends constitutional freedoms through litigation, according to the National Post.

According to legal documents filed by the JCCF, the problems began around Easter of 2016, when a placement support worker informed the couple that they must tell the two foster girls that the Easter Bunny was a real entity.

The Baars refused based on religious grounds, and the two girls in their care were later removed.

"We believe that Christianity is objectively true, that it's based in history, and therefore truth-telling in every area of life is important a no matter what the area is," Derek said, as reported by CBC.

"There is no such thing as white lies or innocent lies. It was crucial that we knew we were telling the children the truth and they had the right to expect us to tell the truth," he added.

They claim that they hid easter eggs for the children to find on Easter and bought them Easter dresses, but the support worker was not satisfied with their efforts.

Dominic Verticchio, executive director of the Hamilton CAS, denied the allegation that the organization was disrespectful of the couple's beliefs. He noted that CAS works to continue the customary practices of the children while they are in foster care.

The Baars, who have been unable to conceive a child of their own, applied to be foster parents in 2015. They claim that they discussed their beliefs with CAS workers during the five-day training program.

"We had talked with the trainers about the fact that we do not celebrate Halloween, for example," Frances said in a sworn affidavit.

The CAS home study, which was filed in court, notes the couple's position on the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, and Halloween, as well as the fact that Derek is blind.

The Baars were approved as foster parents after numerous home visits and interviews, and they entered into a formal agreement with CAS on Dec. 17, 2015.

As Easter approached, their placement support worker allegedly warned them that their foster children will be taken away if they did not tell them the Easter Bunny was real.

On March 3, 2016, the couple was told that their foster home was being shut down, and the children were taken away the next morning.

Derek said that he and his wife filed the charter application ensure that they would be able to become foster parents elsewhere. The couple lived in rural Hamilton at the time, but they have since moved to Calgary.
home World Easter 2017: How the Christians across the globe celebrate Christ's resurrection

Easter Sunday is considered by Christians as the most important and sacred Sunday of the entire year because it marks the day when Jesus Christ rose from his grave.

Easter comes at the end of the Holy Week, right after Good Friday, which is considered as a day of mourning because it commemorates the Lord's crucifixion and death.

In the U.S., Easter is celebrated by 80 percent of Americans, and it ranks as one of the popular Church days of the year. Fifty-one percent attend church as part of the celebrations, while 57 percent celebrate the holiday by cooking a special Easter meal.

Easter egg hunts have become part of the tradition in many churches in America. Some say that eggs symbolize new life, just as Christ began a new life on Easter Sunday. The cracked eggs are said to represent an empty tomb.

This year, the Element Church in North Carolina made plans to celebrate the holiday by holding an Easter Egg Hunt with approximately 20,000 Easter eggs at the McNair Stadium.

The Holy Week and Easter are celebrated differently in other parts of the world.

In the Greek island of Corfu, residents hurl clay pots from their balconies to loudly celebrate death's defeat by Christ's resurrection. The tradition has been adopted by the Venetians who threw away their unwanted possessions on New Year's Day, according to The Independent.

In other parts of Greece, midnight mass on Easter is celebrated with a fireworks display, but on the island of Chios, two rival churches engage in a Rouketopolemos or a "rocket war." The parishes of St. Mark's and Panaghia Ereithiani fire homemade rockets at each other throughout the night, and the winner is declared after direct hits to the bell tower are counted the next morning.

In the Philippines, Christ's crucifixion is re-enacted on Good Friday by at least three Catholic devotees. The participants drag their crosses and flagellate themselves before they are actually nailed to wooden crosses. However, the practice has been discouraged by the Catholic Church, and the Department of Health has recommended for participants to get Tetanus shots and use sterilized nails.

In France, the villagers in Haux, Gironde celebrate Easter Monday with the feeding of all of its 1,000 residents with a giant omelet. The town square chefs prepare the 10-feet dish using 5,000 eggs, 110 pounds of bacon, onion, and garlic and cook it on a hand built fire. The feast has only become an annual tradition for 30 years, but it is traced back to a tale when Napoleon asked for a giant egg dish for his troops while they passed through the countryside.

Children in Sweden celebrate the Holy Week in a less conventional way. On Maundy Thursday, the children dress up as witches and knock on their neighbor's doors to ask for sweets. According to Swedish legend, witches went to have a party with the devil in the forest of Blakulla before Easter as he held his earthly court.
home World Former Archbishop of Canterbury says UK government is 'institutionally biased' against Christian refugees

Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, claims that the British government discriminates against Christian refugees who are fleeing from oppression in Syria.

"In the run-up to Easter, British taxpayers will be appalled by this institutional bias against Christians by politically correct officials," the former archbishop said, as reported by Daily Mail.

Carey, who was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1991 to 2002, claimed that Christians are not benefiting from British help because they are staying away from U.N. refugee camps for fear of being persecuted by rogue Islamist groups or Muslim officials who are hostile to Christian converts.

He said that by avoiding the camps, which are funded with aid from the British government, Christians are less likely to be included in resettlement schemes to be brought to the U.K.

The former archbishop warned that officials may be breaking the law by discriminating against the Christians.

"In this the British Government is not just breaking its manifesto pledge to look after Christian refugees it also appears to be breaking the law. The conflicts in the Middle East have resulted in suffering and persecution of Christians. They have been killed or chased out of the birthplace of their faith," Carey stated.

He asserted that the Christians rarely receive the help they need because "Muslim officials have been put in charge of the billions of British taxpayer aid in the UNHCR camps."

Nearly 10 percent of the Syrian population were Christians before the civil war broke in 2011. However, less than two percent of the refugees accepted in the Government's Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme between September 7, 2015 and June 30, 2016 were Christian.

Only 64 out of 4,175 Syrians admitted to the U.K. were Christians in the first year after the program was launched in September 2015.

According to John Pontifex of Aid to the Church in Need, there were 300,000 Christians at the start of the war in Aleppo, but their numbers have been reduced to about 30,000.

He recounted that during his visits to the region, he had met Christians who were too afraid to seek help at the camps.

The Christian charity Barnabas Fund has written a report in November 2015, which stated that radical Islamist groups have been in control of refugee camps in the Middle East since the 1980s and 1990s. The report noted that this pattern can also be seen in Syrian camps.
home World Indian authorities stop Christian prayer meeting following accusations of conversions

Indian authorities have stopped a Christian prayer meeting after a right-wing Hindu group alleged that the event was being used for religious conversions.

The prayer meeting, which took place Friday at a church in Uttar Pradesh, was being attended by some 150 people, including 11 American tourists, before it was stopped by the police.

The Hindu Yuva Vahini, which was established in 2002 by chief minister Yogi Adityanath, filed a complaint against Pastor Yohannan Adam, accusing him of converting Hindus to Christianity.

"No prior permission was taken before the meeting. We stopped the meet after a complaint was registered. A probe is underway and appropriate action will be taken if the charges are correct," said police officer Anand Kumar Gupta, according to Hindustan Times.

The pastor said that the conversion allegations were "baseless" and that the people at the event were there voluntarily.

The authorities let the U.S. tourists go after checking their visas and relevant documents, but one of the Hindu group's leaders was not happy that the Americans were cleared.

"The presence of US nationals indicates that innocent and illiterate Hindus were being converted by the missionaries, who lured them with money to change their religion," said Krishna Nandan, whose supporters surrounded the church in the afternoon.

The group only dispersed after the police promised to conduct a probe and take adequate action.

Another prayer meeting was canceled on Saturday in Bengaluru after protests from several Hindu groups. Nearly 1,000 people were expected to attend the meeting that was scheduled to take place on Saturday and Sunday, but it was canceled just about 12 hours before the event.

The first complaint was filed on Friday by Girish Bhardwaj, who wrote to the Foreigners' Regional Registration Office, saying two American evangelists are in India for "religious conversions."

"The two foreigners had applied for Indian visa only to attend religious campaigns. Clearly, they are misleading the Indian Consulate," Bhardwaj alleged.

Later that day, Keshav Nayak, the convenor of the Hindu group known as Bajrang Dal, also filed a complaint alleging that the event was aimed at converting innocent Hindus and that money would be offered to the converts.

Nayak said that the organizers of the prayer meeting should be arrested, and suitable action must be taken.

A prayer coordinator said that the church have always held retreats and services, adding that the event was only for parishioners.

"We don't know why questions are being raised about permission. We are not converting anyone, only Christians are attending this," the coordinator said.
home World Indian churches urge PM Modi to stop Christian persecution following disruptions of Palm Sunday services

Churches in India have urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take action regarding Christian persecution following several reports of disruptions of religious services before the Holy Week.

There have been reported disruptions of religious services by Hindu fundamentalists in five states in the days leading up to and on Palm Sunday.

Following the incidents, the Catholic Church in India has called on Modi, a member of the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), to stop such "repeated acts."

"We are distressed that people have begun taking the law into their own hands in various matters. This is not good for the country and not good for social and religious harmony," Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, secretary-general of Catholic Bishops' Conference of India, told the National Catholic Register on Wednesday.

"We call upon the prime minister to rein in these unruly forces and restore India's image," he added.

The disruptions of church services reportedly took place in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. According to World Watch Monitor, four of the five states are ruled by the BJP. The Hindu fundamentalists reportedly interrupted the Sunday services and accused the churchgoers of "conversions."

The Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) issued a statement last Tuesday to condemn the incidents and urge the government to take action.

"We urge the respective state governments and the central [federal] government to not only take note of these violations, but also to take action to curtail the non-state actors who function with impunity," the statement said.

"We also request that the state machinery be held accountable and responsible for enforcing the rule of law, so that minorities can live in peace and without fear," it continued.

In the incident that took place in Uttar Pradesh, Pastor Krishna Paul of Believers Church in the village of Jahanpur was reportedly beaten up by a mob and brought to the police station. He was only released after Christian leaders intervened and spoke to the police.

In some cases, church pastors were allegedly taken to the local police station by force, in others, the fundamentalists brought the police along with them.

Two days before Palm Sunday, representatives of the Hindu group known as "Yuva Vahini" (Youth Carrier) disrupted a prayer service at a Protestant church at Maharajganj in Uttar Pradesh.

The Yuva Vahini representatives reportedly detained and questioned about 150 Christians, including seven from the U.S. The Hindu group accused the "foreign visitors" of promoting conversions and using money to facilitate them, but the police found nothing suspicious after questioning the Americans and other foreigners visiting the church.

Uttar Pradesh gained international attention in March after BJP swept the polls in the state and Hindu nationalists nominated Yogi Adityanath, who is known for being an opponent of religious minorities, as the chief minister.
home World Indian right-wing group converts 53 families in campaign to make entire block 'Christianity-free'

An Indian right-wing group has converted 53 families in five tribal dominated villages to Hinduism as part of its campaign to make the entire block of Arki in the state of Jharkhand "Christianity-free."

The group known as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has recently launched its proselytizing campaign known as Ghar Wapsi, the Hindi word for homecoming, in an attempt to bring non-Hindus "back into the fold of Hinduism."

At least 53 families have been converted in the past month, and on April 7, at least seven Christian families underwent a Shuddhikaran, or purification ceremony, in Kochasindhri village, according to Hindustan Times.

The families live in villages that are part of the Sindri panchayat, which the RSS claimed has been "hijacked" by Christian missionaries in the past decade.

"You cannot call it conversion. We are only bringing our lost brothers and sisters back to their religion," said RSS Saiyojak Laxman Singh Munda, who is spearheading the campaign.

"We want a Christianity-free block. The villagers will soon return to their roots," Munda added.

RSS workers reportedly went house to house to convince the tribals to convert and held public meetings to "expose" how they are being taken away from their roots.

Dashrath Munda, head of one of the families that attended the April 7 ceremony, attested that the RSS did not force the new converts but, in fact, instilled the importance of sticking to their roots.

"Nobody was forced. Some of the families refused to get converted and were not included in the ceremony," said Dashrath.

Tribals comprise about 26 percent of Jharkhand's population of 33 million. Several tribals in the state have embraced Christianity over the years. About 4.5 of the tribals are Christians while the remaining ones adhere to the Sarna code.

Bandhan Tigga, a Sarna Dharamguru (faith leader), said that the RSS is concerned that the tribals could pose a threat to Hinduism if they convert to Christianity.

The Sarna tribe, which worships Mother Nature, are recognized as Hindus in the census and other socio-economic surveys, but it has been petitioning the government to be recognized as a separate faith.

Activist Father Sten Swamy said that the practice of Ghar Wapsi was wrong as the tribals were not Hindus.

"If at all this is happening, the tribals are being wronged since they are not Hindus. So, there is no question of ghar wapsi," said Swamy.

The RSS and its affiliates have been accused of forcing people into changing their religion. In 2014, mass reconversions sparked controversy after rightwing groups were accused of intimidating and threatening minority communities.
home World Iraqi Christians embark on an 80-mile march for peace on Palm Sunday

Iraqi Christians from villages surrounding Mosul have gathered in the Ashty Camp in Northern Iraq to embark on an 80-mile march to call for an end to violence in their country as well as other parts of the Middle East.

The march, which began on Palm Sunday, will stretch for about 80 miles from the Ashty camp to the village of Qaraqosh, which is one of the largest traditionally Christian villages in Iraq.

"On this Palm Sunday, we thank God for liberating our villages from the Islamic State," Father Youssef said, as reported by Sojo. "We hope that this Holy Week, we will rise again. We pray that peace comes, once again, to our lands," he continued.

About 100 people, including a few foreigners, have signed up to participate in the peace march, according to Patriarch Louis Sako of Baghdad of the Chaldean Catholic Church.

"They will walk from Irbil to Alqosh in the Ninevah Plain, needing one week or more because the journey is very long, some 87 miles. I will join them in a village near Alqosh on Holy Thursday," Sako told Catholic News Service.

Instead of taking communion, Youssef encouraged the participants to take a single olive branch to symbolize the peace that they hope would come back to the Christian community after the defeat of ISIS.

About 1.4 million Christians resided in Iraq in 2003, but their numbers have been reduced to only about 250,000. Many have been killed while others fled the deadly and frequent attacks carried out by the terror group.

Iraqi security forces, with the support of a U.S.-led coalition, have recaptured several cities, including eastern Mosul, from ISIS last year. They are now engaged in a battle to liberate the western parts of Mosul.

The organizers of the march, as well as other Iraqi Christian leaders, are encouraging the Christian community to return to their homes. But many displaced Iraqis are still wondering if they will ever be able to return home as some places, such as Bartella, Bashiqa, and Qaraqosh, are now largely ghost towns covered in rubble.

Samira, a mother of five who has lived in the camp for the past two and a half years, had been informed by her sons that their home in Qaraqosh had been destroyed in the fighting. She said she is grateful that she was able to live in the camp, but she still yearns to go back to Qaraqosh.

"I wish I could join the march, and live in Qaraqosh again. It's the most beautiful place in the world a but without our home it wouldn't be the same," said Samira.
home World ISIS militants opened up a pregnant woman and raped her baby, says Yazidi activist

A Yazidi activist has recently shared the details of how her friend was brutally maltreated by the Islamic State when the terror group took over her hometown in Sinjar, Iraq in 2014.

Speaking at the annual Women in the World Summit in New York City last Friday, Yazidi human rights activist Feryal Pirali narrated that one of her close friends had tried to stay in Sinjar until her family eventually realized that their lives were in danger.

The family tried to escape right before ISIS captured the town, but Pirali's friend could not keep up because she was pregnant at the time.

"When ISIS took over our town and they were trying to run away. Because she was heavy and pregnant and couldn't run a lot, she told her family to save themselves and run away and she was going to walk slowly until she gets to where they are," Pirali recounted, as reported by The Christian Post.

"Unfortunately, she didn't make it. The ISIS people got her. What they did to her was they opened up her stomach. They opened her up and got her baby girl out. They raped the baby and they also raped her," she continued.

Pirali said that her friend survived the ordeal, but her baby did not.

The activist, who left Sinjar in 2010 and who is currently residing in Nebraska, said that her friend's story prompted her to advocate for hometown community.

She launched a Change.org petition urging former President Barack Obama to help save the over 3,200 women and children. The petition, which is now closed, has been signed by over 100,000 supporters.

Pirali also translated the ordeal of Shireen Ibrahim, who also hails from Mount Sinjar. Like many other Yazidi women, Ibrahim was also separated fro her family after ISIS took over the town.

To avoid being raped by the militants, Ibrahim told them that she was married to her cousin and that her little nephew was her child. Ibrahim also avoided taking a shower and drinking anything so that the militants would not get close to her, Pirali narrated.

When Ibrahim was transferred to ISIS territory in Syria, the militants wrapped her in a blanket, shot their guns around her and threatened to kill her.

The ISIS fighters told Ibrahim that they did not believe that she was married to her cousin. The militants took her cousin, and she has not seen him since. Ibrahim said that she has been sold five different times to ISIS militants for just $1.

Ibrahim eventually escaped from the militants, and she was able to reunite with some family members at a displacement camp in northern Iraq. She still does not know the whereabouts of about half of her 40 family members.
home World Marine Le Pen criticizes Pope Francis for his pro-immigration stance

French Presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has criticized Pope Francis over his pro-immigration stance and denounced the Catholic Church for "meddling" in French politics.

In an interview with La Croix published on Friday, the National Front candidate expressed her frustration at the Church, which she says is interfering in matters which does not concern it.

"I have a strong faith and I am fortunate in that I have never doubted it. However, I admit that I am angry with the Church because I think that it interferes in everything except what it should really be concerned with," said Le Pen.

Le Pen, who is currently running a campaign on an anti-immigrant and protectionist platform, openly criticized the pope's stance on migrants.

"The fact that he appeals for charity, for welcoming others, foreigners, does not shock me. But charity should only be personal," the presidential candidate said.

The National Front candidate also accused French bishops of trying to influence the political opinions of voters.

"The Conference of Bishops of France sometimes gets involved in what does not concern it: in particular, giving political directions," said Le Pen.

"I don't get involved with what the Pope should say to his followers. I don't think religions should tell the French people how to vote," she added.

Le Pen went on to say that she will invite the pope to France if she wins the election and that she would tell him exactly what she said in the interview with la Croix.

In February, the pope called for a change of attitude towards migrants headed to the EU, saying they should be welcomed with dignity and should not be treated as "unworthy rivals." The pontiff also denounced the "populist rhetoric," which he said was fueling fear across the West.

France is scheduled to hold the first round of voting on April 23, while the run-off for the top two candidates will be held on May 7.

An Ipsos-Sopra Sterna poll has indicated that Le Pen is tied with independent centrist Emmanuel Macron at 22 percent in the first round of voting. Hard-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon is not too far behind with 20 percent, while conservative Francois Fillon has 19 percent.

The latest polls have prompted speculations that Le Pen may face Melenchon in the final round of the election that is considered by many pundits too close to call.
Entertainment / Music

by Staff reporter

The long promised Hugh Masekela passion project, Shai Shai will finally get a release date after the South African legend launches his latest album, No Borders, this Friday.It has been a frenetic start to April for Masekela who in the space of a few weeks celebrated his 78th birthday, received an honorary doctorate from the University of Kwazulu Natal and announced that he would be releasing his latest album, No Borders.True to the title of that album, Bra Hugh is still eager to release the Shai Shai album, which had initially been pencilled for release at the same time as his solo effort.Shai Shai is a Zimbabwean project that Masekela had initially started with the late Chiwoniso Maraire and Victor Kunonga as a tribute to her late father Dumisani Maraire. Kunonga and Masekela have since recruited four women, Prudence Katomeni Mbofana, Benita Tarupiwa, Joyce Warikwanda and Rumbidzai Tavaziva to spearhead the project.In an interview, the Zimbabwean co-ordinator of the project and Ngoma Nehosho Live Sessions founder Walter Wanyanya said they were expecting to release the album within a month, with the final date set to be announced during the launch of Bra Hugh's album."I'm going to South Africa for the launch and that is where we are going to announce the release date of the album. Everything is done and the album is just sitting there waiting to be released," he said.Wanyanya said the release would happen within a month of Bra Hugh's album launch."We're going to have a joint launch both in Zimbabwe and South Africa and we expect this to take place within a month of No Borders' launch," he said.
home World Mass graves containing over 1,600 people killed by ISIS discovered in town of Sinjar

A total of 31 mass graves containing the bodies of more than 1,600 people massacred by the Islamic State has been found in the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar since 2015.

Mahma Khalil, the mayor of Sinjar, said that special teams that search for mass graves have so far uncovered the bodies of 1,646 people. His announcement comes as the Kurdish authorities said that a new mass grave has been discovered in Sinjar's Hardan area.

The mayor stated that investigators are expecting to find 20 more mass graves at the minimum, The New Arab reported. The mass graves that have been discovered to this date are located within the administrative areas of Sinjar, Khalil said.

Kurdish Peshmarga forces recaptured Sinjar in 2015, a year after ISIS fighters overran the town.

The Associated Press reported in August 2016 that between 5,200 and 15,000 people are buried in 72 mass graves in the territory formerly controlled by ISIS.

Official government reports have indicated that ISIS abducted almost 6,000 Yazidi men, women, and children in the first days of the attack on Sinjar in August 2014.

The International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), an international organization dedicated to the issue of missing people around the world, is coordinating with Iraqi and Kurdish authorities to help in the search operations, according to Rudaw.

The organization said that since 2012, it had gained a mandate from local authorities to protect the mass graves in Sinjar and to preserve the evidence in line with international standards that could be used against the perpetrators in court proceedings.

ISIS continues to execute civilians even as Iraqi-led coalition forces advance toward its remaining territories to push the terror group out of western Mosul.

The Kurdish Regional Security Council (KRSC) announced on Friday that ISIS has killed at least 140 civilians on April 3a4 for trying to flee from the territories held by the group in western Mosul.

"Some bodies were later hung on electrical poles in Eslah Zirai and Tanak neighbourhoods, others were taken to nearby frontlines," a tweet from the KRSC read.

On Sunday, KRSC announced that ISIS executed 12 other civilians for trying to flee from its territories in the Kirkuk region.

In late March, the Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights reported that as many as 122 civilians fleeing from Western Mosul were killed by the terror group.

The human rights organization claimed that ISIS executed 22 other families fleeing from Mosul on April 1.

"On Friday, 1 April 2017, ISIS executed 22 families from Al Makkawi area after 22 young men tried to escape the ISIS-controlled area with the help of a Syrian smuggler," the press release from the organization quotes a source as saying.
home US Montana House advances bill that would ban abortions 20 weeks into pregnancy

The Montana House of Representatives has advanced a bill that would make abortions illegal after 20 weeks into pregnancy.

State Senate Bill 329, also known as the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, was approved by the House on Wednesday by a vote of 60a40.

The measure seeks to prohibit abortions 20 weeks into the pregnancy, when the unborn are said to be capable of feeling pain, KBZK reported.

Rep. Dennis Lenz (R-Billings), one of the lawmakers who support the measure, said he takes offense when someone says men do not understand abortion.

"As someone who was born to an unwed mother - 11 years before Roe v. Wade - I know where I would be," Lenz said, adding that the legislation is important to protect babies' lives.

Rep. Carl Glimm (R-Kila) expressed his belief that the measure fulfills the government's role to protect the vulnerable.

"I think that government is here to take care of those who are the most vulnerable, and I think that these babies are just that," he said.

He noted that 50 percent of the unborn babies would be women, so by nature, the legislation cares about women.

Rep. Virginia Court (D-Billings) described the measure as "ultimate government interference."

"What happens when your daughter comes home and she has been date raped? What do you do? Do you say, 'Oh, fine. You can carry this child,'" said Court.

Rep. Jean Price (D-Great Falls) also expressed concern that the legislation is "too much government."

"You don't want government in your life, but you want government in this very private matter," said Price.

The measure has been scheduled for a final vote on Thursday, but according to LegiScan, the bill was returned to the Senate with amendments.

Abortion is currently legal in Montana up to 24 weeks into pregnancy, or later in cases of medical emergency.

The 20-week abortion ban is currently in place in 16 states, and other states are considering a similar measure this spring.

The Center for Disease Control has reported that there had been at least 5,770 late-term abortions performed at or after 21 weeks of pregnancy in 2013.

A bill that would essentially ban all abortions in Montana recently failed in the Senate. House Bill 595, which would redefine "person" to include all members of the species homo sapiens at any stage of development, failed at the third reading when the Senate voted 30a20. The measure needed a total of 34 "yes" votes to move forward.
home World Mumbai police prevent Christians from holding Holy Week services citing noise pollution rules

Indian authorities in Mumbai have refused to grant Christians permission to hold outdoor Holy Week services, citing the city's noise pollution rules.

Some of the churches hold the services on open grounds that fall in Mumbai's silent zones because they are attached to church-run schools, The Hindu reported. The authorities have cited the city's noise pollution rules in their refusal to grant permission to the churches as the services will involve the use of loudspeakers.

"Several churches in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai have informed us that they have not been given the written permission to hold the services. Some police stations have said that they will not give anything in writing and will only act if someone complains," said Fr. Nigel Barrett, spokesperson of Archdiocese of Bombay.

Barrett contended that the denial of a permit for the Holy Week services was unfair because the schools will be on holiday.

Godfrey Pimenta of Watchdog Foundation argued that the rules only prohibit the use of loudspeakers between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

"Our services get concluded well before 10 p.m. Therefore, there is no chance of any breach if we get the written permission," Pimenta stated.

Pimenta contended that the services would require loudspeakers because large parishes with open grounds prefer to hold large gatherings that are attended by 2,000 people.

Activist Sumaira Abdulali, the convener of Awaaz Foundation, noted that the noise level in silent zones should not exceed 50 decibels, which, he said, was not possible with traditional loudspeakers. He suggested the use of distributed sound systems for the services to ensure that the decibel level would be within the permissible limit.

Meanwhile, Mumbai Police Public Relations Officer Ashok Dudhe denied the allegations that the police have denied permission to churches.

"We had received some messages of permission being denied in a few churches. I personally called and checked the police stations and learnt that no one was denied permission," Dudhe stated.

According to Times of India, some churches have come up with ways to continue holding Holy Week services outdoors without violating noise pollution rules.

Some churches will be using multiple small speakers to dissipate sound over a large area, while others have put the loudspeakers inside the premises of their adjacent schools instead of putting them on open ground.
home US Muslim professor resigns from job at Rollins College following dispute with Christian student

A Muslim professor who was involved in a dispute with a Christian student has resigned from her post at Rollins College in Florida.

Areej Zufari, who teaches a Muslim Humanities course at Rollins, had resigned after she got involved in a controversy with a Christian student in late March.

Marshall Polston, a 21-year-old sophomore at the Florida-based private college, said that he was suspended from the school after he challenged Zufari's assertions that Jesus Christ was never crucified.

Polston also claimed that one Muslim student suggested during a discussion in Zufari's class that gays and adulterers should be beheaded under Sharia Law.

After receiving a failing grade on an essay, Polston reportedly wrote an email to the professor saying, "you report me to the dean for correcting you while you were indoctrinating students with false information. On the other hand a Muslim student in class cracks a joke about chopping someone's body parts off and you do nothing."

According to Rollins College President Grant Cornwell, Polston had been suspended because he made "vulgar" and "mean-spirited" comments about another student on social media, not because of her dispute with Zufari.

He had previously insisted that a student would "never ever ever" be suspended by the school for simply disagreeing with a professor

The sophomore student's suspension was rescinded after a week, but the reinstatement letter from Rollins College noted that he had been "aggressive, disrespectful, and at times, vulgar in multiple verbal and electronic communications with faculty, staff and students."

Polston's attorney, Kenneth Lewis, had maintained that the real reason for the student's suspension was the classroom dispute and that the Facebook post was "nothing" and "a total joke."

Cornwell said that Zufari quit because of the threatening messages she was receiving on her email and phone.

"She resigned this semester because of the hateful threats and emails and phones messages she was getting. I think it's a terrible injustice, but I do respect her decision," Cornwell told Orlando Sentinel.

Court documents show that Zufari had filed an injunction against the student for "protection against stalking," but she withdrew the request last week.

The school had also received thousands of angry emails from supporters of Polston after the controversy spread beyond the private liberal arts college.

Cornwell said that students who were interviewed by school officials had disputed Polston's allegations against Zufari. The school had also decided that the Polston's failing grade was appropriate after reviewing his essay.
home US New Mexico governor signs bill banning gay conversion therapy for minors

New Mexico became the latest state to outlaw gay conversion therapy for minors after a bill banning the practice was signed into law by Republican Gov. Susana Martinez.

SB121, proposed by LGBT rights campaigner and senator Jacob Candelaria, was passed by the Democratic-controlled New Mexico legislature last month.

Martinez has not been shy about exercising her veto power, but she signed the legislation on Friday, saying it would be in the best interests of children. She cited the assessment of the American Psychological Association that the therapy could lead to "depression, anxiety, poor self-esteem, self-hatred, substance abuse, and suicide."

She also dismissed the assertions of the opponents of the measure that it could have an impact on religious organizations, Towleroad reported.

Under the new law, therapists caught using discredit methods to change a minor's sexual orientation and identity could lose their licenses.

"Today's historic action by Governor Martinez confirms that our shared commitment to protecting all children from abuse transcends party labels and ideological differences," Candelaria stated, according to Pink News.

"In New Mexico, we value and celebrate every child for who they are. I want to thank Governor Martinez for having the courage to stand up for the simple truth that every LGBTQ kid in New Mexico is born perfect," he added.

Candelaria had previously described conversion therapy as a "dangerous practice" and called those who provide such therapy as "snake oil peddlers."

Republican House of Representatives member David Gallegos argued that the legislation deprived the youth of the choice to undergo the therapy.

"If some are willing and wanting to change, why should the state take away their right to get help?" Gallego asked during the hours-long debate in the New Mexico House.

Proponents of sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE) therapy have claimed that the practice have been misrepresented by critics and the media.

In an op-ed for The Christian Post in March, Christopher Doyle, an ex-gay licensed clinical professional counselor, said that gay activists have coined the term "gay conversion therapy" to describe the practice of changing a client from gay to straight against their will.

However, he noted that he has worked with numerous parents and teenagers struggling with sexual and gender identity, but he has never allowed a parent to force their child to change.

Gay conversion therapy is currently banned in California, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington DC.

Martinez became the third Republican governor to ban the practice after New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner.
home US New TV series explores standoff between feds and Branch Davidians

A new television series covering the 1993 shootout between federal government agents and the Branch Davidians spiritual sect will start filming this month in New Mexico.

The series, titled "Waco," will be exploring the details leading up to and chronicling the 51-day standoff that led to the deaths four federal agents along with some 70 people in the sect's compound, The Associated Press reported.

The Branch Davidians, a breakaway sect from the Seventh Day Adventists, was led by David Koresh, whom the authorities are trying to arrest on weapons charges.

When agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives tried to serve a search warrant on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas in late February 1993 for the stockpiles of weapons and explosives, they were greeted by the sect members with gunfire. Investigator later determined that the sect had been tipped off about the raid.

During the standoff, federal authorities expressed concern for the children in the compound as Koresh has been known to have multiple wives, including preteen girls.

After the FBI negotiator asked Koresh to lead the sect members out, military vehicles began ramming the buildings and spraying teargas. Fire spread through the compound a few hours later, with only nine people escaping the siege that ended on April 19.

Officials with the New Mexico Film Office say that the series will be the first time the standoff is told on television through the perspective of people intimately involved on both sides of the conflict.

The filming locations will include urban office buildings and studios as well as the rural reaches of Santa Fe County, which would stand in for the prairies of Central Texas. Work on the six-part series will begin in mid-April and last through June.

The cast includes Michael Shannon, Taylor Kitsch, and John Leguizamo, who will be playing ATF agent Robert Rodriguez.

The series, which will premiere on the Paramount Network in 2018, will be directed by John Erick Dowdle and produced by The Weinstein Co.

"The Weinstein Co. is known for high quality projects with intriguing story lines and 'Waco' is no exception," said State Film Office Director Nick Maniatis.

The dramatic siege has been viewed by millions on live television and has been the subject of several documentaries and books. Network officials, who initially announced the project last year, said that the miniseries would change the way the event would be viewed.
home US Oklahoma Senate panel refuses to consider bill that would ban abortions on babies with genetic abnormalities

A Republican chairman of a Senate committee in Oklahoma has refused to hear a bill that would ban abortions on babies with genetic abnormalities.

Sen. Ervin Yen (R-Oklahoma City), who chairs the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, has refused to hear House Bill 1549, saying the measure is unconstitutional and that lawmakers have more pressing issues.

House Bill 1549, authored by Rep. George Faught (R-Muskogee) and Sen. Nathan Dahm (R-Broken Arrow), was passed by the House of Representatives on March 22 by a vote of 67a16, Tulsa World reported.

The legislation dubbed the "Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act of 2017" would prohibit abortions on unborn babies based on genetic abnormalities, with no exceptions for cases of rape, incest, or when the mother's life is in danger.

Faught had asked for the bill to be reassigned to another committee in light of Yen's comments. The Senate leadership had reassigned it to the Senate Rules Committee, but its chairman, Sen. Eddie Fields (R-Wynona), said last week that he had not decided whether to hear the bill.

The legislation was not included when the agenda for the Wednesday meeting was publicized on Tuesday.

Fields said that Dahm did not ask him to hear the legislation and that it would not be taken under other businesses.

"I have heard that there are some of my Senate colleagues that would rather not be asked to consider the legislation. Perhaps they have made the chairman of the committee aware of these feelings," Yen said.

Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tem Mike Schulz, who expressed support for the bill last week, said that Senate Floor Leader Greg Treat (R-Oklahoma City) had moved the measure to another committee.

Schulz further noted that a bill with near exact language passed the Senate chamber last year.

Explaining his reason for introducing the bill, Faught said that he believes children in the womb deserve to be protected.

"I think life begins at conception, so that's my position. Someone needs to speak for those children, too, and that's what I feel like we're trying to do," he said.

Lawmakers appear to be concerned that the legislation would be challenged and overturned in courts, costing state taxpayers money while never succeeding in saving the lives of unborn babies.

Courts have blocked several measures that put restrictions on abortion in recent years. In 2016, Indiana passed a similar law prohibiting abortions on unborn babies with special needs, but it was later blocked by a judge.

A similar law is in effect in North Dakota, while other states prohibit sex-selection abortions.

Last year, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, who is generally anti-abortion, has vetoed a bill that would have banned abortions in the state.
home US Pastor Saeed Abedini says Franklin Graham did little to help him after his release from prison

Pastor Saeed Abedini has said that Franklin Graham has done very little to help him after he was released from prison in Iran and has accused the evangelist and other religious figures of exploiting him to raise funds for their own operations.

In a recent Facebook post, Abedini said that Graham and other evangelists tried to paint themselves as saviors of persecuted Christians, but they neglected him once the media attention died down.

"When all cameras and social media attention were gone in my life, all the famous pastors and lawyers were gone too, and just a week after my freedom, I saw myself so alone with my family while still news were talking about me," said the pastor.

He recounted that Graham failed to help him after he was released from prison even though the evangelist knew that he did not have any place to go. The pastor claimed that he was forced to call Graham to beg for money so that he could pay his rent.

The pastor said that he even asked Graham to help him find a job, but he claimed the evangelist offered him the "worse and lowest he could."

"Until today, still I couldn't find a job, and myself financially stable yet, all these that I have been witness stumbled me by knowing his relationship and financial situation and his shows on media as a close friend to me," he narrated.

He also accused Graham of spending too much money on private jets and suggested that the evangelist's lifestyle does not match the way he preaches about the persecuted church.

Abedini was released in January 2016 on the same day the U.S. government paid $400 million in cash to the Iranian government. In an op-ed published by Fox News in September, he criticized the government for making the payment while making him buy his own ticket to get back to the U.S. He revealed that he would not be able to get back home without Graham's help.

In a statement to The Christian Post, Graham's spokesman, Mark DeMoss, pointed out that the evangelist provided the pastor with transportation from Germany to America upon his release. He noted that Graham also provided financial assistance for Abedini and his wife and made various offers of employment for the pastor.

DeMoss said that Graham is no longer in communication with Abedini, and he does not intend to respond to his future comments. However, the evangelist still asks Christians to pray for the pastor and his wife.
home World Pope Francis will visit a prison on Holy Thursday to wash feet of inmates

Pope Francis is scheduled to visit a prison known for holding ex-Mafia who turned into state witnesses on Holy Thursday to wash the feet of the inmates as part of his annual ritual to exemplify papal humility.

The pope will be traveling to the south of Rome on April 13 to visit the Paliano prison and celebrate the Mass of the Lord's Supper, a liturgy in which the priest emulates the moment Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, The Tablet reported.

The prison, located in the province of Frosinone, houses many of Italy's "collaborators of justice," who cooperated with anti-mafia investigators to shave time off from their sentences.

The Vatican announced that the Mass at the maximum-security facility would be "strictly private" due to security concerns.

The pontiff made history in 2013, just after his election, when he visited the Casal del Marmo youth detention center in Rome and washed the feet of the inmates, including females and non-Christians. During that time, the liturgical law only permitted men's feet to be washed in the ceremony.

He washed the feet of women again in 2015 when he visited Rebibbia prison in Rome. Some of the women who participated in the ritual were reportedly moved to tears by the experience.

The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments amended the Roman Missal in January 2016 to allow for women's feet to be washed in the ritual. The decision was reportedly made in collaboration with the pontiff.

"For some time I have been reflecting on the rite of the washing of the feet, which forms part of the Liturgy of the Mass of the Lord's Supper, with the intention of improving the ways in which it is put into practice, so that we fully express the meaning of the gesture made by Jesus in the Upper Room, his gift of self until the end for the salvation of the world, his boundless charity," the pope stated in a letter to the congregation's prefect, Cardinal Robert Sarah.

The Roman Missal's text, which previously read "the men chosen are accompanied by the ministers," has been modified to say "those chosen from among the People of God are accompanied by the ministers."

Last year, Francis visited a center for asylum seekers in Castelnuovo di Porto, where he washed the feet of refugees, who included Muslims, Hindus and Coptic Orthodox Christians.

The pope started the tradition of taking the Last Supper liturgy to the underprivileged when he was still the Cardinal Archbishop of Buenos Aires, where he would conduct the rite in hospitals, hospices, and drug addict rehabilitation centers.
home World Pro-choice professor in the UK receives A500K in taxpayer funds to write book about abortion

The Arts and Humanities Research Council has awarded 512,000 ($635,340) to a pro-choice professor to write a book about the history of abortion in Britain.

Sally Sheldon, a law professor at the University of Kent, has been asked to write a "biographical study" of the 1967 Abortion Act, which made the procedure legal in the U.K.

According to the Daily Mail, Sheldon was an architect of a bill that would allow abortion to be conducted without legal restrictions for any reason up to birth. The measure was put forward by the Labour MP for Hull, Diana Johnson, last month.

The professor is also a trustee of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, which is the largest provider of abortions to the National Health Service (NHS).

Sheldon has campaigned for abortion on demand for over 20 years, and she has written in favor of sex-selective abortions. She publicly opposed a proposal that would ban sex-selective abortions, calling it "flawed" and "criminalizing women."

Sheldon intends to present the findings of her two-year tax-payer funded research to the U.K. Parliament in April 2018. Part of the project involves the creation of teaching packs for schools and a website for children about abortion.

She has recruited three other academics to take part in the study, two of whom publicly expressed their support for sex-selective abortions.

The grant was criticized by Labor MP Robert Flello, who questioned whether the professor would give a fair and balanced presentation.

"If public money is going to be used to fund work that is not only going to be a book but is going to fund materials going into our schools in support of pro-abortion propaganda, then it is an utterly outrageous use of public money," said Flello.

"At a time when people are not being able to get access to wheelchairs, when people are having hospital appointments delayed, to have public money squandered in this way is just disgraceful," he added.

The study, which begins in May, will be presented at the 50th-anniversary celebration of the legalization of abortion in Britain.

Sheldon has described the 1967 Act, which legalized abortion with the approval of two doctors but prohibits the procedure after 24 weeks unless the fetus has a disability, as "a remnant of the attitude of a previous age."

The Arts and Humanities Research Council, the tax disbursement body of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, had also funded a study that recommended the removal of the terms "ladies" and "gents" from public toilets in case they offended transgender users.
News / Africa

by Stephen Jakes/The Watch Dog

Zambian Bishop John Mambo says it is wrong for police and State House to treat Hakainde Hichilema like a criminal when he is a leader of Zambia's major opposition political party.Bishop Mambo, the president of Chikondi Foundation, broke down in the middle of the interview when he said Hichilema's life was in danger.He challenged the police to clear the air by openly declaring Hichilema's current health status following claims by his lawyer Jack Mwiimbu that he had been poisoned.Masked police officers on Monday night raided Hichilema's New Kasama house where they destroyed its windows and doors, ransacked fridges and fired tear gas in their search for the opposition leader for allegedly obstructing President Edgar Lungu's motorcade in Mongu last weekend."The police should inform the nation on Hichilema's current health status. The man has said that they have poisoned me'; he told his lawyer [Jack Mwiimbu] and if anything happens, they are responsible because they have power over him. And why should the blame be shifted on one person now? Where were the police? And how? When the President is coming, everything should come to a standstill and if there were insults, it should have been between police and the UPND supporters. Now the question we should ask ourselves is that who was putting the life of the President in danger? We don't know," Bishop Mambo said before he broke down."What is worrying me and what makes me cry is why should we hear of his poisoning now? What type of poison? Why should that be done? The man has told his lawyers that he has been poisoned. Why should that happen? Why should he die? Why should he be killed? Why should we go to such an extent as a country and we call ourselves Christians? Why should we do that? He has got a family, politics is something else but he has got a family."He said the treason charge which the police had slapped on Hichilema must be dropped."It is painful, it's not about politics anymore and I am not after a job. Whether this was to happen to President Lungu or anybody else, I was going to say it. Why should a Christian nation see itself in such an environment? We shouldn't go this route. We should not go this route, we shouldn't use the name of God in vain," said Bishop Mambo while sobbing."We are sending bad signals outside the country. It is not right what this country is going through. Why charge him with treason? Treason is a very strong charge. I am not a lawyer but I feel treason is a very strong charge. There is tension in the country and that tension is being caused by the body of Christ being called the Church. The country is tense and we are bleeding, we are hurting and we need to find ways of coming to a round table meeting."
home World Swedish court says pro-life midwife must assist in abortions to keep her job

A pro-life midwife who has fought a legal battle to be exempted from performing abortions lost her case on Wednesday after the Swedish Labour Court of Appeal ruled that she must either assist in abortions or lose her job.

Ellinor Grimmark was offered a job as a nurse at HAglandssjukhuset women's clinic in EksjA after she completed her internship there in 2013. However, the job offer was rescinded when she revealed that she was unwilling to participate in abortions, according to Life Site News.

Grimmark filed a lawsuit in a local court, which determined that her rights had been violated. However, the court ruled against her in 2015 citing the duty of maternity centers to "ensure that women have effective access to abortion."

She had no other choice but to appeal after she was ordered to pay the local government's legal fees amounting to more than one million Swedish Krona (over US$100,000).

"As a midwife, I want to exercise a profession which defends life and saves lives at all cost," Grimmark said in a statement. "Somebody has to take the little children's side, somebody has to fight for their right to life," she added.

Robert Clarke, director of European advocacy for ADF International, said that the appeals court ruling was a failure to "protect Ellinor Grimmark's fundamental right to freedom of conscience despite the clear legal protections that exist in international law."

"The desire to protect life is what leads many midwives and nurses to enter the medical profession in the first place. Instead of forcing desperately needed midwives out of their profession, governments should safeguard the moral convictions of medical staff," Clarke added.

Life News reported that three other medical clinics in the district of JAnkAping have rejected Grimmark because of her refusal to assist in abortions.

VArnamo Hospital's women's clinic reportedly offered her a job, but it was withdrawn because of the complaint she filed against HAglandssjukhuset.

When she applied for a job at the Ryhovs women's clinic, she was reportedly told that anyone who refuses to perform abortions does not belong at a woman's clinic.

Grimmark has been making the long commute to work in Norway, where there is a stronger protection for freedom of conscience.

Clarke said that the nurse is now considering an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
home US Trump overturns rule that prohibits states from defunding Planned Parenthood

President Donald Trump has signed a bill into law to overturn an edict that prevents individual states from withholding funds from Planned Parenthood and other organizations that perform abortions.

Before leaving office, President Barack Obama ordered the Health and Human Services Department to finalize a regulation that prohibits states from withholding federal Title X family-planning funds from abortion providers, The Christian Post reported.

On Thursday, Trump signed HJ 43 to reverse the rule that has been labeled by critics as Obama's "parting gift" to the abortion industry.

The joint resolution was introduced by Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn) in the House and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) in the Senate using the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to disapprove a new federal agency rule within 60 days of its passage.

HJ 43 is said to be the first pro-life legislation signed into law by Trump and the first pro-life bill that was successfully passed by the U.S. Senate in more than eight years.

The House voted 230a188 in favor of the legislation on Feb. 16. Last month, Vice President Mike Pence cast a vote in favor of the measure to break a 50a50 tie in the Senate after two Republican Senators joined Democrats to oppose it.

Penny Nance of Concerned Women for America and Marjorie Dannenfelser of the Susan B. Anthony List were present at the bill signing in the White House.

"This week the pro-life movement had two huge victories: first, the swearing-in of Justice Gorsuch and now, President Trump will undo former President Obama's parting gift to the abortion industry," said Dannenfelser.

"The resolution signed today simply ensures that states are not forced to fund an abortion business with taxpayer dollars. Rather, states have the option to spend Title X money on comprehensive health care clinics that better serve women and girls," she added.

Planned Parenthood and its affiliates receive about 25 percent of all Title X grants. The organization receives around $500 million in federal funds each year, according to World.

The new law would allow states to withhold Title X money from organizations that perform abortions and prioritize non-abortion businesses.

While the Title X money does not technically fund abortions, pro-life advocates argue that it helps Planned Parenthood overall as the money is fungible.

Pro-life lawmakers commended the Trump administration for helping to ensure the passage of the resolution.

"By signing this legislation into law, President Trump is sending a strong message that the Trump administration is a bold defender of life," said Black in a statement.
Farrah Moan calls herself a Las Vegas showgirl on the current season of "RuPaul's Drag Race." But this queen's heart is in Texas.

She returned home Saturday for a show at South Beach nightclub and also to reminisce about her hometown.
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Even though the United States is worlds away from ancient Greece, we still sometimes use the Greeks' vocabulary for describing immigrants and our fear of them.

Like the ancient Greeks, some of the more xenophobic among us decry foreigners as "barbarians." The Greeks named non-natives barbaroi because foreign languages to their ears sounded like bar-bar-bar.

The term carried a lot of baggage: Barbarians were ruled by despots and often viewed by Greeks as servile and effeminate. By contrast, the Greeksor at any rate the most famous of the Greeks, the Atheniansimagined themselves to be manly democrats.

The fact that "barbarian" survives intact in modern English suggests that we still tend to see foreigners in a negative light. Controversy over immigration, that is, connects our time to that of the ancient Greeks. But as a professor of classics at the University of Colorado, Boulder, I hear deeper, and very different, echoes.

If we read Greek culture correctly, it's not just bequeathing us a hatred of foreigners. Rather, it offers peculiar contradictions in its attitude toward immigrants, which reveal a lot about the contradictions and myths of our own country and time.

Poseidon's trick to possess Athena and the superiority over foreigners

The most interesting attitudes come from Athens, since Athenians wanted to think of themselves as sophisticated, worldly, and welcoming of immigrants.

In a famous speech, the historian Thucydides has the political leader Pericles characterize the Athenians as a people whose city-state is open to the world even though, he explains, such unhindered openness may allow the enemy to profit from state secrets. This in contrast with Spartans, who are represented by Pericles as close-minded and unsophisticated.

But Athenians also had an origin myth that helped them to distinguish themselves from foreignersa story of autochthony, or being born from the earth.

Athenians said that Hephaestus (or in some versions, Poseidon) wanted to have sex with Athena. Athena, however, was an eternal virgin, so Hephaestus' desire could not be satisfied.

He tried anyway and ejaculated onto Athena's leg. Athena wiped off the semen with a piece of wool and threw the wool onto the earth. Earth, harboring the sperm, nurtured a baby to term and then handed the child over to Athena to rear. He became the first king of Athens.

In the myth, all Athenians are descended from him and other ancient kings also imagined to be born of the earth. Since ancient kings created institutions, like marriage and the Panathenaic festival (an important civic festival in honor of Athena), civilizing customs were also closely tied to the land.

"Real Americans" and the dirty secret

At first, this origin story sounds profoundly alien to American ears accustomed to tales of Thanksgiving Day feasts involving maize, or of Grandma landing at Ellis Island with nothing but a samovar.

Yet we have our own version of American autochthony in current claims that some citizens are "real Americans," with deep roots in their native soil, and some are not. We also pride ourselves on openness, like Pericles in Athens, saying that we are a "nation of immigrants"while also making sure to distinguish the "real" citizens from supposedly illegitimate ones.

Athens' dirty secret, which wasn't much of a secret, was that it depended on foreigners to do things Athenians didn't do.

In and around Athens there were tens of thousands of resident foreigners, known as metics. Some were non-Athenian Greeks. (Since there was no Greek "nation," and Greeks instead identified with their city-state, Athenians considered all Greeks who weren't from Athens to be foreigners.)

Others were economically motivated Egyptians, Thracians, and Phoenicians, as well as many people from an area that lies within present-day Turkey (Phrygians, Lydians, Scythians). Metics had a citizen sponsor, registered with the authorities, and paid taxes. They received some legal protection, but they did not enjoy full citizen rights, such as voting and owning land.

Metics had occupations that were thought to be un-Athenian, like trade and commerce. A common smear of them was that they did not care about the state, but about themselves and their own personal gain. Metics are described in comedy as dishonest. Sound familiar?

One funny thing about these supposedly dishonest and disloyal workers is that the word metoikos includes the word oikos, "household," which indicates the most intimate part of Greek life. The prefix meta could mean either "with" or "change," so metics were "livers with" or "changers of households."

In practice, Athenian metics were not necessarily connected to the household, though they could bewomen might be employed as wet-nurses. But today we can see a (different kind of) connection between immigrants and the oikos in immigrants who make their living by cleaning houses or working in childcare.

Oedipus, the immigrant savior

For me, though, the most interesting lesson of Athenian immigration is not the conjunction of openness and autochthony, or the reliance on foreigners. It's the way Greek tragedies treat foreigners as both dangerous and magical, strange but offering mythic powers to the city-states who manage to keep them.

Tragedies were staged at the annual Great Dionysia festival, which was more like a State of the Union address than a Broadway play.

The festival played out with pomp, circumstance, and celebration of Athenian ideology.

Before the performances began, tribute from Athenian allies (or Athenian subjects, depending upon your perspective) was brought into the theater.

The names of those who had benefited the state were read, and war orphans who had been raised at state expense were paraded before the crowd.

From this psychologically comforting perch, Athenian citizens watched tragedies about terrible dysfunction (like a wife who kills her husband when he comes home from war) and ideas that conflicted with Athenian ideology. But they also watched tragedies that celebrated Athens as a highly functional polis, a place where difficult problems are set right.

In these latter plays, foreigners could be depicted as almost magical. In Sophocles' tragedy "Oedipus at Colonus," the formerly accursed king Oedipus is a "foreigner" from Thebes who arrives in Colonus, a small town on the outskirts of Athens; he is so unfamiliar with its customs that he walks right into a sacred grove.

When elders appear shouting"You cannot walk there! That space belongs to goddesses!"Oedipus explains that he is an exile and that he would like to be admitted into their community.

At first he does not tell them his name; when he finally does, the elders are horrified. Oedipus killed his father and slept with his mother. His actions are utterly barbaric.

Yet, over the course of the play, the elders teach Oedipus how to act properly in Colonus, because a prophecy from the god Apollo has indicated that if they get his body after his death it will offer protective powers.

They give him detailed instructions about how to perform a ritual to appease the goddesses he has offended; they sing a sorrow-filled song together with him, in which they mourn for his traumatic past.

When the king, Theseus, appears, he immediately announces that he will allow Oedipus to dwell in the land. Oedipus, for his part, explains that he is going to be a "savior" for the Athenians, because his dead body will offer them military protection.

Aeschylus' "Eumenides" features a different sort of scary outsiderthe Furies, a band of goddesses hell-bent on vengeance.

The Furies are not easygoing ladies. They are terrifying, Gorgon-like creatures that slurp the blood of humans; Apollo describes them as monsters who belong where beheadings and eye-gougings take place.

When they first arrive in Athens, they insist that they are going to bring a plague on Athens and destroy the land and the people. But by the end, persuaded by the goddess Athena, they agree to go beneath the earth, live there, and bring blessings.

Donning the crimson robes of metics, the Furies become Kindly Ones (Eumenides). Like Oedipus (though different because he dies and they are immortal goddesses), they are incorporated into Athens in order to protect the polis.

The mission of Polis

Both of these plays suggest that integrating the most frightening of foreigners offers safety and protectioneven military protectionfor a powerful city-state.

They also demonstrate that the polis can handle and even neutralize the potential threat of foreigners via its rules for accepting exiles and its well-run court system.

In this way, Greek tragedies taught Athenians that their institutions could help the whole population benefit from the presence of foreigners. Institutions could take the worsta man who had married his mother and killed his father, or those loose-cannon goddessesand not only train them to be model citizens, but make them pay a dividend!

Until very recently, this was the story America told itself, and it has paid well: 51 percent of the country's billion-dollar tech startups were founded by immigrants.

Rich American men have brought more than one good luck charm Slovenian model home to the pent-oikos.

At the heart of successful, aggressive states is a paradox: They need a distinct identity and they need lots of merchants and wet nurses and "barbarians" to make the state more powerful.

How they solve that paradox is how history remembers them.

Laurialan Reitzammer is an associate professor of classics at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Her book on an ancient Greek ritual, the Adonis festival, is The Athenian Adonia in Context: The Adonis Festival as Cultural Practice.

***

Laurialan Reitzammer is an associate professor of classics at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Her book on an ancient Greek ritual, the Adonis festival, is The Athenian Adonia in Context: The Adonis Festival as Cultural Practice.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Mark Mulligan/Staff Show More Show Less 2 of 5 U.T. System Board of Regents Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 U.T. System Board of Regents Show More Show Less 5 of 5









Advancements in data science would put Houston's economy at a competitive advantage, a consulting firm hired by the University of Texas System said in a report delivered earlier this year.

But the firm, Booz Allen Hamilton, warned that UT would need to partner with the right academic and business institutions as it moved forward with its plans to develop on more than 300 acres in Houston.
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Bloomberg took a look through last year's federal returns to find the U.S. County with the highest adjusted gross incomes.

The answer might've been shocking to East Coasters, but Texans likely won't be as surprised: McMullen County, right here in the Lone Star State.

Data from the Syracuse University's Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, which uses federal tax returns, showed that the rural county northwest of Corpus Christi had an average adjusted gross income of $303,717 in 2015.

RICHEST PEOPLE: Forbes reveals the richest Texas on 2017

That beat out Teton County, Wyoming's $248,949 and the $210,233 average adjusted gross income of New York County, home of Manhattan.

And coming in fourth in the nation was Glasscock County, just outside Midland.

The takeaway? Oil money beat out Wall Street wealth.

"I joke that oil and gas finally made ranching profitable," Thomas Tunstall, research director for the Institute for Economic Development at the University of Texas at San Antonio, told Bloomberg. "A lot of old Texas families live on large ranches in McMullen County, and the older generation went through tough times prior to five years ago."

HAND-DRAWN: Old map of Texas oilfields is a trip through time

Experts who track rural land prices have said that land values have been driven up over the years by wealthy Texans who buy up property for country retreats.

According to the TRAC data, other counties with high adjusted gross incomes were largely small, sparsely populated rural ones.

Though oil prices took a dive in 2014, spurring job losses across the industry, and Texas' economy has become less dependent on energy in recent decades, oil is still a major driver of wealth here.

HISTORIC PHOTOS: Here's what life was like in Texas during the oil boom

According to the most recent census data available, Fort Bend, where ritzy Houston suburbs sprawl, and Midland were among the five Texas counties with the highest median incomes.

Still, finance jobs aren't exactly shabby sources of income for Texans.

While Collin County, a hub for financial services jobs, didn't crack the top 10 by adjusted gross income in 2015, it had the third-highest median income in the state: $86,217.

And Rockwall County, another Dallas-Fort Worth suburb, came in second with a median income of $90,940.
Federal health and safety regulators announced this week that it is proposing $1.5 million in penalties against a Boston company after two workers were killed in a trench collapse. The announcement marked the first time in nearly three months that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a press release about an employer for alleged health and safety violations.



The agency, which has for years routinely issued press releases after citing employers for violations, has been criticized by workplace safety experts for staying quiet on the problems it is uncovering. OSHA routinely announced any citation with penalties greater than $40,000 during the Obama Administration, according to Jordan Barab, the deputy assistant secretary of labor for OSHA for the past eight years.
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New federal guidelines to help shore up a jittery individual health insurance market may not be enough, insurers said.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid issued its final Market Stabilization rule last week, a move that extensively cut back the enrollment period for next year's individual plans offered through the existing Affordable Care Act exchanges and made it tougher for people to sign up for health coverage outside that primary enrollment period.

People can sign up for 2018 plans between Nov. 1 and Dec. 15. That is a month and a half shorter enrollment period than existed for coverage this year. The change was designed to better align signups with employer-based and other enrollment periods, administration officials said.

RELATED CONTENT: Final day of ACA enrollment wrapped in uncertainty

The new rule, released last week, also gave more flexibility to insurers to craft plans that lowered premium prices. The move could attract younger adults  a key demographic to stabilize risk pools  but it could also potentially lead to plans with higher deductibles and more out-of-pocket costs before coverage kicks in.

Insurers will also be allowed to collect past-due amounts owed on premiums before new coverage begins. This is designed to thwart any gaming of the system whereby people stop paying premiums at the end of the year but sign up for a new policy the following year.

While the insurance industry welcomed the steps, it acknowledged lingering concerns.

"There is still too much instability and uncertainty in this market," Marilyn Tavenner, president and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans, the national political advocacy and trade association for insurers, said in a statement. "Without funding, millions of Americans who buy their own plan will be harmed. Many plans will likely drop out of the market."

One sticking point continues to be the ongoing legal challenge against the ACA's federal assistance for low- and moderate-income people to help pay for their deductibles, co-pays and other cost-sharing expenses. That assistance for this year is estimated at $7 billion.

Insurers have said without the assistance, many people could be unable to afford coverage. That, in turn, would make it difficult for the industry to calculate risk and set pricing.

"Without funding, millions of Americans who buy their own plan will be harmed," Tavenner said. "Many plans will likely drop out of the market."

"The purported purpose of the rule is market stabilization, but nowhere in the rule does it address the big question mark for insurers  and consumers  right now, which is whether cost-sharing-reduction payments should continue," said Stacey Pogue, a public policy analyst for the Austin-based Center for Public Policy Priorities.

The White House has not indicated its position on the cost-sharing assistance.

Pogue said the other issue insurers face is that it remains unclear what, if anything, Congress will do. Both President Donald Trump and the Republican-led Congress have vowed to repeal and replace the current law known as Obamacare. That effort stalled last month, however.

It appears that effort is back for a second round, although details of what it will look like and when it will happen are still unknown.
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The Greater Cleveland Chamber of Commerce hosted two guest speakers for their April 6 luncheon with Sam Houston State University's Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Director Bob Barragan as the first speaker and Cleveland ISD Superintendent Dr. Darrell Myers as the second speaker.

Barragan discussed the purpose of the SBDC, which is to work with new or existing entrepreneurs either establish their businesses or help give them consulting on how to better develop their businesses in an ever changing market.

SBDC also provides paths for education and works with the Huntsville Area Technology Center (HA/tch) to better help their clients.

"My number one mission is to create jobs," said Barragan.

SBDC offers a variety of services to help businessmen including one-on-one consulting, business training, technology commercialization and more. Many of the services are free while others are low cost.

Barragan says the network for SBDC is a nationwide network with 62 offices in the state of Texas alone.

"It doesn't matter where in Texas you go," he said. "We have offices available to help you."

Starting a new business requires four steps, according to Barragan. This includes determining a potential business opportunity by finding a need and addressing it, developing a solid and detailed plan, acquiring sufficient capital and having the right qualifications as an entrepreneur.

"You can't open a business just because you want to open it," said Barragan.

Barragan emphasized how important the other steps are for entrepreneurs as planning becomes crucial to making certain the business will work and capital becomes harder to find without grants available to new or potential business owners. Experience also goes a long way.

"You've got to have industry experience," said Barragan. "You need to understand the basics."

An entrepreneur also has to have certain qualities to survive in the business world such as being an educated risk taker, being a goal setter and achiever, being creative and flexible, learning how to deal with change, taking opportunities that are presented and being success driven.

An entrepreneur should also start his business in something familiar to him or her.

"Most people start businesses in their area of expertise," said Barragan. "Hobbies are really, really, really good for you to consider."

Barragan also discussed the process of a feasibility plan, which begins with an idea before progressing to market analysis, the requirements needed to execute the idea and finally the ultimate decision.

"After you go through this you've got one of three decision points," said Barragan.

The decision points include re-evaluation, saying no and therefore moving on to a different idea or saying go. The latter decision is followed by creating a business plan.

A business also needs to follow the four P's of Marketing, which Barragan describes as product, price, place and promotion.

Product means you have to have the best product or service in the market. Price means you have to have the best competitive price. Place is your established location of where customers purchase your products or services and promotion is when you communicate with others to show what you are providing for them.

"When you don't promote you're not telling people who you are," said Barragan.

Myers followed Barragan to discuss the condition of Cleveland ISD, which is currently experiencing a population explosion.

The bond election in November 2015 helped to address some of this explosion with expansions for two of the campuses. However, it isn't enough to address the school's needs with another bond election coming up on May 6, 2017.

Myers says the school is expected to grow due to the city of Cleveland's own population growth. The city is developing in areas and is expected to have 27,000 lots to be used for homes in the coming years. Myers asked the group to imagine at least one child in each of those lots.

"That's what we're facing in the community," he said.

The new bond is for $80 million, which is more than twice as much as the previous bond at $35 million. This bond is expected to go toward constructing a new elementary school.

Myers explained that the bond will help the situation with the city's population growth. However, Cleveland ISD will continue to function without the bond.

"It's just not going to be the best situation in the world," said Myers.

Myers emphasized that this population growth is coming sooner than expected.

"Our problem is it happened four or five years before we thought that we'd have to do it," he said.

Although Myers cannot influence anyone's vote, Chamber President Carl Williamson stood up and encouraged the citizens to approve the bond.

"This is about our kids," said Williamson.
Some people think fiction is an escape from reality. These topical new novels prove otherwise.

1. 'Exit West'

By Mohsin Hamid

Riverhead Books, 240 pp., $26

Nadia and Saeed, a young couple living in a violent, war-torn country, decide they need to leave to save themselves. They become refugees, bouncing from Greece to London and eventually to the West Coast, and they try to hold onto their past in new, foreign places that aren't always kind to them. This novel isn't entirely based in reality  for instance, the characters transport through a set of magical doors to migrate between countries. But it offers a glimpse into a world that is rapidly changing, with refugee populations flooding into countries that are sometimes ill-prepared to receive them.

2. 'The Devil and Webster'

By Jean Hanff Korelitz

Grand Central Publishing, 464 pp., $27

At the fictional Webster College  a liberal-minded East Coast school  a popular African-American professor is denied tenure. Students gather to protest, calling it racism, and their demonstration gains national attention. The university president  whose own daughter has joined the protest  knows but can't say that plagiarism was the real reason behind the tenure denial. A former activist, she suddenly finds herself in the position of authority, the power this loud crowd is fighting. This novel reveals how complicated situations are often oversimplified and how the truth can lie somewhere between two extreme points of view.

3. 'This Is How It Always Is'

By Laurie Frankel

Flatiron Books, 336 pp., $25.99

Five-year-old Claude likes to wear dresses and carry a purse, and he says he wants to be a girl when he grows up. His parents are loving and supportive, but they're navigating uncharted waters. Can they let Claude openly be himself, or is it their responsibility to protect him from a world that won't accept him? The author herself has a transgender daughter. And as battles over bathroom access rage on, this story puts a face on the debate  and offers a peek inside parenting a child who doesn't fit into society's categories.

4. 'Shining City'

By Tom Rosenstiel

Ecco, 368 pp., $26.99

Before a judge is nominated to the Supreme Court, the White House hires a couple of Washington, D.C., "fixers" to vet him, striving to find every morsel in his past that might be used to disqualify him. Meanwhile, however, the fixers begin to suspect that the judge may be the target of a killer. As we wait to see how new Justice Neil Gorsuch will affect the high court, this novel, laden with D.C.-insider detail, offers an intriguing window into political maneuvering.

5. 'The Hate U Give'

By Angie Thomas

Balzer + Bray, 464 pp., $17.99

This best-selling young-adult novel takes on racism and police brutality. Sixteen-year-old Starr is in her friend Khalil's car when he gets pulled over by a white cop and ends up dead. Starr, who lives in a black neighborhood but attends a mostly white suburban prep school, is used to moving in two different worlds. But Khalil's death  which sparks protests and hashtags  shows her how far apart those worlds really are. Her black and white friends have different reactions to Khalil's death, and no one but Starr knows what really happened that night.
News / Africa

by Staff reporter

Durban - President Jacob Zuma should have changed his Cabinet a long time ago, ANC chairperson in KwaZulu-Natal Sihle Zikalala said yesterday.While addressing the Twelve Apostles' Church in Christ during the Easter Service in Umgababa, south of Durban, Zikalala used the podium to bolster more support for Zuma.Zikalala told congregants that those marching against Zuma would be disappointed. He assured them that Zuma would remain at the helm until his term ends."They must respect that he [Zuma] was elected democratically and he will not be removed through marches. If presidents were removed because of marches, we would have president each day . . . President Zuma will stay as the state president."Taking a jab at the numbers from the marches that took place across the country, Zikalala said those who marched against Zuma could not mobilise even a million of the country's citizens. "There are those who are saying he must stay. Most of them are those who voted for him. The majority of those who marched did not vote for him. To those who didn't vote for him, when we march to support the president they won't like it,'' he said.He said while protesters had a right to march, they must be aware when exercising their rights that "others have rights that need to be protected"."I want to assure you that the country is at peace. We were able to survive difficult and challenging times. Now we have liberty and democracy. We have a constitution that protects rights of all," he said.Zikalala added that Zuma had a constitutional right to change his cabinet as he sees fit. He compared Zuma's recent reshuffle to former President Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki saying that they too made Cabinet changes."Maybe one of the decisions taken by Zuma now are decisions he should have taken long time ago."He assured congregants that the ANC and Zuma were determined to bring economic freedom to black people."Even though we are on junk status, our children will still get free education. Our grants will be distributed."The ANC is facing an unparalleled revolt against a party leader in office. Calls for Zuma to step down have come from within the governing party, including from prominent stalwarts, the SACP and Cosatu, who had campaigned for Zuma's presidency.Meanwhile, opposition parties, civil society, religious leaders and unions took to the streets with thousands of their supporters to march against Zuma.Instead of tendering an apology, the ANC Youth League in KwaZulu-Natal wants to meet the hosts of last Sunday's memorial for ANC stalwart Ahmed Kathrada to find a "solution'' to the disruptions of the event by its supporters.The request for a meeting with the leaders of the Active Citizens' Movement was announced by the youth league's Thanduxolo Sabelo yesterday afternoon in response to a letter of demand for an apology issued by the citizens' movement this week.The youth league had also been ordered by the ANC to apologise, with Zikalala placing them on terms at the end of the memorial, at which former finance minister Pravin Gordhan and ANC treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize were heckled.Sabelo said that the league had written to the citizens' movement "with the intention of finding a lasting solution to this matter that has been the subject of much public attention".He said the judge handling the high court application by the citizens' movement to interdict the league from attending had suggested "negotiation rather than litigation"."Instead of going back to court, the league has sought a meeting with the organisers in order to reach an amicable solution," he said.Sabelo said the youth league was confident they could find a lasting solution that would "reasonably satisfy" both parties.Spokesperson for the citizens' league, Yashica Padia, said she was not aware of the new meeting request.The organisation had earlier in the week turned down an initial overture from the youth league for a sit-down, instead insisting on an apology, failing which they would go back to the High Court to secure a contempt order against the league.ANC KwaZulu-Natal secretary Super Zuma said they had suggested that the two parties meet to try to resolve the issue."I can't claim to speak on behalf of the youth league, but we will try to bring the two together and have a discussion and see how [we can] manage these things."Zuma said Zikalala had apologised to the Kathrada family and the organisers on behalf of the ANC.Zuma said they would first meet with the youth league leadership and then decide what course of action to take.At this stage it was impossible to identify "who did what" and any action would have to take place after the meeting with the league leadership.In an unrelated matter, opposition parties have slammed the decision by the SA Police Service (SAPS) to offer presidential protection service to Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.They have described this decision as illegal, unconstitutional and "an appalling abuse of police resources".Zakhele Mbhele, DA shadow minister of police, said Dlamini-Zuma didn't hold a position in South Africa's government and she was not a visiting head of state."She's just an ANC party official," he said.Cope president Mosiuoa Lekota shared similar sentiments, saying: "Dlamini-Zuma is neither a state president candidate, MP or in a statutory political office that entitles her to this special privilege provided only for senior state officials."Dlamini's VIP convoy accompanied her to Sasolburg, Free State, to an ANC event, sparking questions about why taxpayers were still paying for her security as she was no longer the chairperson of the African Union Commission.The SAPS, which is in charge of the Presidential Protection Unit (PPU), argued that Dlamini-Zuma was under threat, thus having to protect her.Major General Sally de Beer explained that in terms of the PPU's mandate, protection is provided to the president and deputy president of the Republic of South Africa, former presidents, foreign heads of state and their spouses."The chairperson of the African Union is afforded courtesies given by Dirco [department of international relations and cooperation] with the status of president and while serving in that capacity, Dlamini-Zuma was provided protection according to this prescript."Further protection is being provided to the former African Union chairperson informed by the outcome of a security assessment conducted and ongoing investigations in relation to threats directed at her personally.""For security reasons, the SAPS will not discuss or deliberate on any details of the security afforded to Dr Dlamini-Zuma, or in relation to the mentioned threat and security assessment."That in itself would constitute a breach of security," added acting national commissioner Lieutenant General Khomotso Phahlane.However, two weeks ago, the department of international relations and cooperation confirmed to the Sunday Times two weeks ago it had paid for Dlamini-Zuma's blue-light convoy and security detail as a "courtesy" she had to use while doing party work since her return to the country on March 15.The services were supposed to be extended to her only until the end of March.
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While it might not be the ideal scenario, Houstonians who observed Lent, the six-week period of penance and self-reflection, are ready to get back to their vices. And they want to know where to go.

Chron.com asked locals what they gave up this year and compiled a roundup of where to head if you're seeking to make up for lost time. >>See the (mostly food) gallery above and offer more suggestions in the comments.

Some of the answers we received were the standard "fried food," "Coke" and "cursing." Others were thoughtful, and some hinted at a trend of non-believers observing the Lenten practice without intending religious observance. Here are some locals' responses to our informal Facebook poll:

"I failed this year. I gave up soda, red meat, sweets. I had a stomach virus so I drank a 7-Up and my husband made me a rib-eye steak. I couldn't throw it away," Norma Garcia told us. Not bad excuses.

EASTER PARTY: Bunnies invade the Bayou City for fundraiser

Dominique Booth said, "I give up many items for the entire time. Cursing, loosing my temper, road rage, yelling, dessert, eating out, being judgmental. I just try to live by these daily and roll with it beyond Lent." Those are some hefty sacrifices.

Scott Reynolds might not be celebrating next year: "I gave up organized religion."

Rodrigo Bravo got political: "I gave up posting articles about this administration's leader; with all the astounding things that happened I barely made it."

Sonya Denise Johnson took an interesting approach: "I gave up on the idea of giving up something for Lent."

Crecensio Flores said: "Paying my bills... that didn't go well." We don't advise this.

Cindi Robinson offered a thoughtful response: "We didn't give up anything this year.. instead we gave back. We paid it forward at Starbucks, donated to charity, helped some (GoFundMe) accounts, rounded up our change whenever it was an option for charity, etc. First time I didn't fail during Lent."

Let us know what you sacrificed this year, and whether you made it to Easter.

Easter marks the end of the Lenten season. See the video above for Monday's White House Easter celebration.
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If you are planning to open up a small business in Deer Park, you are on the right track.

The Houston-area suburb has been ranked number 17 on a national listing of small cities that are great for opening up a small business.

Big Spring, number 18, and Deer Park are the only two Texas cities in the top 20 on financial site WalletHub's most recent ranking of the best and worst small cities for small business.

SCHOOL DAYS: Houston area school districts among Texas' best in 2017 Niche ranking

Wallethub tabulated this latest ranking by looking at cities with a population of between 25,000 and 100,000 residents. Each cities' access to resources, business environment and overall business costs were graded and given a total score.

The city of Holland, Michigan -- southwest of Grand Rapids -- took the top spot on the list. Holland has a population of just under 34,000 and benefits from its location just off Lake Michigan, making it a getaway destination. It's also home to the world's largest pickle factory. The H.J. Heinz Company came to town in 1897 and has been supplying jobs to the area ever since.

Deer Park actually ranked number one when it came to having the best business environment.

The city also tied with Fort Hood and Texas City for having the highest average revenue per business.

The roots of Deer Park date back to 1892 when Illinois pioneer Simeon Henry West brought people to the area. Also known as the "Birthplace of Texas," the initial treaty signed after the Battle of San Jacinto in April 1836 was signed at the home of Dr. George Moffitt Patrick just off Buffalo Bayou to the north of modern-day Deer Park.

GET A JOB: The best cities for job seekers in Texas in 2017

It wasn't until the Shell Oil Company broke ground in the late 1920s that Deer Park's fortunes began to fully change and development began to ramp up just east of Pasadena and just south of the San Jacinto Battleground. The Shell people went all in on the area, taking advantage of a developing Port of Houston. Company towns benefited from an influx of oil money, to say the least.

"Shell City," as Deer Park was dubbed colloquially, saw a boom in family life as business workers from the plant sought to settle down just south of work.

The installation of Texas 225 was a shot in the arm for the area. Post-war development surged as veterans returned home from World War II in search of jobs.

According to the city of Deer Park and recent census data, the top employers in the city include Shell, Dow, Lubrizol, Universal Plant Services and the Deer Park Independent School District.

So potential small business owners looking for a fresh start could look into Deer Park, especially if they're looking to feed hungry plant workers.
Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon has been appointed as the special prosecutor in the capital murder case against Shannon Miles, the man accused of fatally shooting Harris County sheriff's deputy Darren Goforth.

Ligon, with help from assistant district attorneys in his office, is expected to appear in court Tuesday to formally take over the case, according to a statement from Ligon's office.
West Palm Beach, Fla.

Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday described North Korea's failed missile test as "a provocation" that highlighted the risks plaguing both the region and the United States, as the White House said President Donald Trump had an array of military, diplomatic and other options to respond.

"This morning's provocation from the North is just the latest reminder of the risks each one of you face each and every day in the defense of the freedom of the people of South Korea and the defense of America in this part of the world," Pence said at an Easter dinner at Yongsan military base in Seoul, South Korea, where he was beginning a 10-day tour of Asia.

Pence said he had spoken with Trump, who asked him to convey to the troops stationed in South Korea that "we're proud of you and we're grateful for your service."

Earlier, on board Air Force Two as Pence made his way to South Korea, a White House foreign policy adviser said the United States had had good intelligence about the launch both in advance and afterward, an intriguing statement that suggested the United States had the information it would have needed to take covert action against the latest launch, even as it left open the question of whether such interference occurred.

K.T. McFarland, Trump's deputy national security adviser, declined Sunday to say whether the United States had sabotaged North Korea's launch.

"You know we can't talk about secret intelligence and things that might have been done, covert operations that might have happened," McFarland, who was at Trump's Mar-a-Lago retreat in Florida and briefed him Saturday night on the launch, told Fox News. "So, I really have no comment on that, and nor should I."

"The threat is upon us," McFarland added. "This is something President Trump is going to deal with in the first year."

Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, Trump's national security adviser, said the United States was developing an array of potential responses to North Korea's latest move, in consultation with China.

"This latest missile test just fits into a pattern of provocative and destabilizing and threatening behavior on the part of the North Korean regime, and I think there's an international consensus now  including the Chinese and the Chinese leadership  that this is a situation that just can't continue," McMaster said on ABC's "This Week." "The president has made clear that he will not accept the United States and its allies and partners in the region being under threat from this hostile regime with nuclear weapons, and so we're working together with our allies and partners, and with the Chinese leadership, to develop a range of options."

McMaster said the United States and its allies would aim to avoid a military response.

"It's time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully," he said.

The White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity on a sensitive national security matter, said Trump had many military, diplomatic and other tools at his disposal should he choose to answer North Korea's latest behavior. But he suggested that a response to another in a series of failed launches might not be imminent. A nuclear test, though, would be a different case, the official added.

"If it had been a nuclear test, then other actions would have been taken from the U.S.," the official said.

U.S. intelligence indicates that the missile was not an intercontinental ballistic missile but probably a medium-range one, which was launched from the same navy base as an April 5 attempt, and which failed after four to five seconds, the official added.

The Trump administration had been anticipating action this weekend because Saturday was the anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung, the grandfather of current North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, making it the country's most important holiday and one often used to score propaganda points.
A love story that started in an Austin-area elementary school culminated at a local fast-food restaurant.

Sarah Lloyd and Nick Stanford met when they were three years old at Eanes Elementary school in West Lake Hills. A few weeks ago, Nick proposed at a local Chick-fil-A, Fox 26 reports.

Even when Stanford moved to a different state, their love remained strong, he said.

Lloyd told Fox 26 that she, like many other little girls, has been planning her wedding since she was a little girl.

"I picture my wedding, as the perfect Cinderella wedding," she said. "A big wedding, with a whole bunch of friends, I have a lot of close friends."

Stanford wanted his proposal to be special, so he chose Lloyd's favorite restaurant, the Chick-fil-A on Mopac Expressway.

"The day he proposed to me at Chick-fil-A, it's kind of heart-touching for me because when he got on his knee, I didn't of course know he was going to do it for real, I just got shocked when he proposed to me," Lloyd said.

The couple plans to marry in 2019.
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It's hard to describe Alex Jones without using the phase conspiracy theorist.

But now, Texans might have another term to explain the enigma that is Alex Jones, a well-known and extreme far-right radio host who broadcasts out of Austin.

"He's playing a character," Jones' attorney told the Austin American-Statesman. "He is a performance artist."

Jones is currently involved in a custody battle for his three children with ex-wife Kelly Jones, who recently called him an unstable person at a hearing.

INFOWARS INFLUENCE: How a pro-Assad conspiracy theory got picked up by the far-right

The Dallas native's wife is arguing that Jones is unfit as a parent due to his antics as a radio host.

"He says he wants to break Alec Baldwin's neck. He wants J-Lo to get raped," she said, according to the American-Statesman. "I'm concerned that he is engaged in felonious behavior, threatening a member of Congress ... He broadcasts from home. The children are there, watching him broadcast."

Jones' defense is that he is just playing it up for the camera and that it doesn't reflect his parenting skills. Still, Jones has pushed some troubling conspiracy theories over the years.

The Texan has claimed the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax and he recently apologized for pushing the Pizza Gate conspiracy. He also talks to President Donald Trump on the phone, serving as an "information source and validator for the president," according to the New York Times.

BACKTRACKING: Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones apologizes for 'Pizzagate' claims

But Jones doesn't just play it up on the air. He also seems to stay in character during casual interviews with reporters. A Spiegel Online article described an encounter with Jones that might strike some as too bizarre to be created from a script:

"It's afternoon, and Jones is walking through the studio, his adrenaline level high and his blood sugar low. He needs to get something to eat ... He piles up food onto a plastic plate, and then he suddenly takes off his shirt without explanation. With his bare torso, he sits there and shovels meat into his mouth, a caricature of manliness, but also a show of power to the reporter sitting in front of him. He can do as he pleases. Then Jones gets up and holds out a sausage. "Wanna suck?" he asks."

Click through above to see the top fake news stories that fooled people.
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AUSTIN -- Let the grassroots push-back begin.

With the legislative session now more than half over, as the final negotiations begin on the state budget with major legislation poised to begin its final journey through both legislative chambers, groups of tea party activists are expected to arrive at the State Capitol on Monday to express their unhappiness over several issues.

While unhappy activists are commonplace during legislative sessions, these folks are a key part of the conservative Republican base in Texas -- the folks conservative Republicans who control the Legislature generally don't want to have unhappy.

Grassroots America and its various affiliates will hold a press conference at 10:30 a.m. Monday in the House Speaker's Press Conference Room to underscore their unhappiness over the House version of a bill to ban so-called "sanctuary cities," one that's much softer than a Senate-passed version.

And then there's the issue of the House Transportation Committee "defying Gov. Greg Abbott's campaign promises to end toll roads," they say, and their "no compromise" list of items they want adopted in the final version of the state budget.

See the conference here to get a hint of how the final weeks of the legislative session could begin the play out.

Creationism ahoy

The State Board of Education, at its quarterly meeting that begins on Tuesday, will step into the controversial waters of how deeply Texas teachers should get into creationism vs. evolution in their classrooms.

The board is not debating whether to teach the touchy topic, an issue that's fueled controversy for years, but how they should teach it. The last big debate on this issue was in 2009.

Expect fireworks as proponents of evolution and creationism square off on the matter and, while the show may not be as good as it was eight years ago, it still could be a show. Watch the public hearing here beginning at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, and a board vote at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

That money thing

The state's school finance system has been in court for what seems like forever, as poorer and wealthier districts have battled with the state over equity and fairness issues of the current funding formulas. And while the Texas Supreme Court ruled that the system was far from perfect, it left the current finance system intact, sparking a new push for reform.

As state budget negotiators get down to business, those reforms will be aired this week as the House appears poised to pass its plan and the Senate Education Committee considers one of its own.

House Bill 21 by Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, tweaks the state's current system for funding public schools. It is scheduled for a House vote on Wednesday, a day after Senate Bill 2145 by Sen. Larry Taylor -- legislation that seeks to simplify the state's complicated funding formula -- will be debated by his education committee.

Watch the House debate here on Wednesday, and the Senate committee here, to see what the changes could mean for local school districts across the state.

Special ed fix

The controversy over administrative caps being placed on the number of special-education students allowed into needed programs -- first revealed in the Houston Chronicle's award-winning investigative series "Denied" -- is expected to roll onto the Senate this week in a bill to prohibit the practice ever again.

Senate Bill 160 by Sen. Jose Rodriguez, D-El Paso, would prohibit the Texas Education Agency from using so-called "monitoring system performance indicators." A similar House version is also making its way through to final approval -- an almost sure bet that the prohibition will pass in some form.

Check the Senate calendar to see which day the bill is to be debated, then watch it here.

Bulletproof vests

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's promise to fund more bulletproof vests for police officers following last summer's police shooting in Dallas is moving through the House this week.

Senate Bill 12, a new $25 million program, is scheduled for a hearing on Tuesday in the House Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee -- one of Patrick's first priorities that appears to be headed for a favorable vote in the House where members have had problems with many of his other top issues.

This bill passed unanimously the Senate. See the House committee follow suit here, if things go as expected, on Tuesday.
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The state's chief liquor regulator will resign her post as early as this week after weeks of criticism about her agency's use of taxpayer money, according to the governor's office.

Sherry Cook, executive director of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, is expected to resign after more than 10 years at the commission. Cook, who was promoted to executive director in 2012, faced a heated hearing with lawmakers last week on a range of issues related to the commission's use of taxpayer funds to finance trips to industry conferences.

A commission spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

However, Gov. Greg Abbott's office said Monday that the governor welcomed Cook's resignation.

BATHROOM BILL: Study shows anti-LGBTQ legislation could cost $3 billion

"It became clear that action needed to be taken to in order to restore trust in the agency and Ms. Cooks resignation is the first step in that process," John Wittman, a spokesman for Abbott, said in a statement.

The governor later tweeted, "It's time to clean house from regulators not spending taxpayer money wisely. This is a good start."

Under state law, Abbott appoints the three-member commission that hires an executive director to carry out the agency's daily tasks.

Her reported resignation follows several Texas Tribune stories that show commission employees spent thousands of dollars on lavish trips funded by taxpayers and industry lobbyists.

FINALLY: Texas House passes state budget after 15 hours of debate

At last week's committee hearing, Republican Rep. Sarah Davis of Houston, who chairs the panel investigating the TABC, focused on a flier showing former and current agency officials on an airplane drinking Lone Star Beer with the words, "Here we come California! NCSLA 2015" and "woo hoo!!!" The picture -- showing TABC Director Cook, Licensing Director Amy Harrison, former analyst Jesse Valdez, and former contractor Jim Harrison -- references a 2015 flight to the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators conference.

Cook said she asked an employee to create a photo she could use in a PowerPoint presentation about the trip, but rejected the version that included beer bottles.

"One of the staff members added the beer to the presentation. He can better answer as to why he added that graphic, but from what I understand he did it as a joke," Cook said.

"He wasn't doing it at your instruction?" Davis asked.

PROTESTS: Tea Party activists unhappy over sanctuary cities, budget

"I did not ask for the beer to be added," Cook responded.

Davis remained skeptical about the picture's origin, questioning Cook about she reprimanded her staff when the picture was first created.

"It seems like somebody put a lot of thought and effort in creating this image on state computers by a state employee on state time," Davis said. "I still don't understand why it was done."

Cook responded: "I can tell you that since this picture has surfaced and when I saw it for the first time after several years, I knew immediately that this not something I would have used. I addressed it and said no more funnies. This is not appropriate for us."

Scroll through the gallery above to see the cities with the most violations issued by TABC
For hundreds of years, biologists knew of the giant shipworm only from shell fragments and a handful of dead specimens. Those specimens, despite being preserved in museum jars, had gone to mush. Still, the shipworm's scattered remains made an outsized impression on biologists. Its three-foot-long tubular shells - the shipworm isn't technically a worm but a bivalve - were so striking that Swedish taxonomist Carl Linnaeus included the animal in his book that introduced the scientific naming system "Systema Naturae."

And yet no one could get their hands on a living example of the giant shipworm, or Kuphus polythalamia. Unlike with other shipworms, named because they ate their way into the sides of wooden boats, no one knew where the giant shipworm lived.

"It's sort of the unicorn of mollusks," Margo Haygood, a marine microbiologist at the University of Utah, told The Washington Post.

The habitat of the world's longest clam is a mystery no longer. As Haygood and her colleagues reported Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the search for the giant shipworm has come to an end.

Television news in the Philippines dealt the mortal blow to the shipworm's near-mythical status. A TV station aired a short documentary segment about strange shellfish living in a lagoon. The show filmed the mollusks growing in the muck, as though someone had planted rows of elephant tusks. As luck would have it, a colleague of Haygood's in the Philippines caught wind of the segment. Researchers investigated the lagoon, where they plucked a live shipworm from the mud, slipped it along with some seawater into a PVC pipe and shipped the animal to a laboratory.

"I've been studying shipworms since 1989 and in all that time I had never seen a living specimen of Kuphus polythalamia," Daniel Distel, a co-author of the new study and the director of Northeastern University's Ocean Genome Legacy Center, wrote in an email. "It was pretty spectacular to lift that tube out of its container for the first time."

Distel carefully chipped away at the giant shipworm's massive shell. Smaller shipworms are fleshy pink, beige or white, as are most clams. Not the giant shipworm. Its body is black.

"To see this giant gunmetal black specimen was amazing," Distel said. "On the one hand I was pretty excited to see what it looked like inside. On the other hand it was a little intimidating to dissect this incredibly rare specimen."

A full-grown giant shipworm reaches up to three feet long, which means that when draped across the width of a twin bed, the clam would just barely fit. "It's quite heavy. It's like picking up a tree branch or something even heavier," Haygood said. "The living animal is just magnificent."

What's more, the giant shipworm barely has a digestive system. "It's not feeding in any normal way," Haygood said.

The clam has a mouth and a small stomach, but its gills are supersize. Living within those gills are bacteria. That's not unusual for shipworms: The clams, as a rule, have symbiotic relationships with microbes. Usually, though, the microbes help shipworms digest wood.

In the case of the giant shipworm, the scientists found grains of sulfur packed into the bacteria. The marine biologists suspect that, at some point in the shipworm's evolution, the animal traded its wood-digesting bacteria for bacteria that feed off sulfur compounds.

"This paper provides a fascinating example of symbiont displacement, a phenomena we are only just beginning to observe more regularly in nature, thanks to advances in sequencing which have provide us with the tools to unravel the evolutionary history of microbes," said Nicole Dubilier, director of the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, who was not involved in the study. "What we are now seeing is unexpected: symbioses are not as stable as we previously assumed."

The symbiotic arrangement between microbe and giant shipworm was similar to one found in deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Thousands of feet below the surface, beyond the reaches of sunlight, tube worms also get their nutrients from bacteria that consume sulfides. Despite their similar names, though, tube worms and shipworms aren't close relatives. Tube worms are annelids - they're actual worms, like earthworms, not clams.

But the symbiotic bacteria in both deep-sea worms and the lagoon-living clams are related to each other. "So this is a case of convergent evolution," Distel said. That is, both the worms and clams independently arrived at the same conclusion: Housing bacteria inside their bodies was a fine way to stay nourished.

Haygood said the presence of the sulfide-consuming bacteria suggested that the lagoon, perhaps filled with rotting wood or other organic matter, produced hydrogen sulfide.

The discovery lends support to a hypothesis proposed by Distel in 2000 about the origins of animals that live in deep-sea vents. In Distel's theory, mussels that lived in wood and harbored the sulfide-eating bacteria might have sunk to the vents. Far below, they flourished on sulfide released from the vents.

"Wood provided an ecological bridge, helping them to invade the vents," he said. The discovery of the new shipworm indicated that shallow lagoons could have served as the location for the switch in bacteria types: First the wood served directly as food for clams. But once the clams began to take in the sulfur-loving bacteria, the wood provided a source of the hydrogen sulfide for the microbes.

"This is an extremely rare example where we were actually able find fairly direct evidence about how this particular symbiosis evolved," Distel said, in which the clams traded one type of bacteria for the other.
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

Villagers in Mudzi District Mudzi North ward 10 are reportedly being forced to contribute some money towards the independence celebrations.THis was confirmed by Heal Zimbabwe Trust which said on 4 April 2017, Village head Mazonde deployed people in the ward who embarked on a door to door exercise forcing people to contribute $1 per household towards Independence Day Commemorations."The people told villagers that if they refused to pay, they were going to be denied food aid. In ward 9, Village heads Chokufuna and Zondo have also embarked on the same exercise and have even threatened that they were going to submit the names of people who refuse to pay to the Zanu PF leadership in Mudzi Provincial offices. As a follow up on the matter, Heal Zimbabwe contacted Mudzi North Legislator, Newton Kachepa who condemned the exercise as illegal. He also promised to launch an investigation into the matter," said the trust."In Ward 19 on 6 April 2017, Zanu PF chairperson, Machivai Chimimba conducted a meeting at Madzivanhanga Primary school with women from the ward. At the meeting, she announced that they were supposed to vote for Zanu PF in the 2018 elections. She also announced that those who defy risk being assaulted by ZANU PF youths and also denied food aid."Villagers in Buhera's ward 33 were also reportedly forced top contribute towards the independence celebrations.Heal Zimbabwe Trust reported that in Buhera South ward 33, Village heads Mashame, Mushati, Chitiyo and Tama have been collecting 50cents per household as contributions towards Independence Day Commemorations."When Heal Zimbabwe contacted the village heads implicated in this illegal exercise, they confessed that they were instructed to do so by deputy District Administrator, Rufaro Mashayamombe. As a follow up on the matter, Heal Zimbabwe contacted Buhera South Legislator, Joseph Chinotimba who condemned the practice and said that Village heads who were forcing people to pay the money were supposed to be arrested as forcing people to make contributions is illegal. He also promised to make a follow up by reporting the matter to the police," said the trust.While in Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe's Ward 8, Village head Temba Joe has been forcing villagers to collect $3 monetary contributions per household towards Independence Day celebrations.The trust said the Village head also deployed several youths who have since started collecting the money and threatening people that if they fail to pay, they risked being denied food aid.
The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p.
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Power Star Pawan Kalyan and Trivikram Srinivass upcoming untitled family entertainer drama is progressing at brisk pace in Ramoji Film City. Pawan is also participating in the shoot with his full energy without missing a single day and shoot is going on smoothly.



Recently Bollywood actor Sonu Sood attended an interview with Mumbai based tabloid that went viral on Friday after the actor announced that he would be seen in a key role in director Trivikram Srinivas next. Well, since the directors next film is with Pawan, within no time, the internet was buzz with the news that Sonu is making his comeback in Tollwyood with Pawans movie. But now officially it has been confirmed that Sonu Sood is not the part of PSPK25. Aadi Pinishetty has been roped to play antagonist in the movie and it is his second mega movie after Stylish star Allu Arjuns Sarrainodu.



Two actresses Keerthy Suresh and Anu Emmanuel who are playing the female lead roles, have already joined the sets. The movie, which has Anirudh Ravichander as the music composer will see Khushbu in key role.
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

The People's Democratic Party has expressed concerns over Zanu PF government's alleged moves to resuscitate the Border Gezi militia which was reportedly used to kill and assault opposition members in the 2008 Presidential run off elections.PDP's Bulawayo organiser Bekithemba Nyathi said Zimbabwe prepares for elections which are going to be held by mid year next year."The outgoing regime of Robert Mugabe is in a state of panic as Zimbabweans find each other and ready to form a formidable coalition against the oppressive regime. As PDP Bulawayo province with great concern an attempt by Zanu PF to introduce the machinery of violence in form of the infamous National Youth Service commonly referred to as Green Bombers," he said."It is in this context that we invite the Citizenry of Bulawayo and Zimbabwe at large to join us in our commitment to peace. On the last Friday of every month building up to elections PDP calls on every concerned Zimbabwean to put on something Orange as a commitment to Peace and Love."He said they want to reiterate that with Peace and love surely Another Zimbabwe is Possible!
Everything was quiet in New York City the day after the 2016 election. The city was stunned into silence. Matthew Breen remembers people crying randomly on the street, comforted by friends and strangers. We were totally blindsided, Breen says. People were trying to look kindly on one another. It was such a raw and fragile moment.

Breen, now the editorial director of LOGO, was in his final weeks at The Advocate, where he worked for nearly six years as the editor in chief. Having publicly endorsed Hillary Clinton, Breen says his last issue as the publications EIC wasnt the one he expected. The December cover of The Advocate depicted an American flag in which two of the stripes have fallen off. Meanwhile, a man and a woman stare out helplessly into the distance, struggling to figure out whats next.

Sign up for CJR 's daily email

The blunt title sums up the sudden and unexpected fear that gripped the LGBTQ community in those early days: Time to panic, it read.

The election of Donald Trump to the White House has radically transformed the relationship between the press and the Oval Office, a shift felt acutely among LGBTQ media as the industry has taken on a more adversarial role. Prior to the Trump presidency, many in the community wondered whether there would be a need for LGBTQ-specific news outlets in the futurethat queer and transgender people would be so fully integrated into society that outlets like Out, NewNowNext, Washington Blade, The New Civil Rights Movement, and LGBTQ Nation would no longer be necessary.

But as publishers and editors tell CJR, that has never been the case. The past five months have illustrated the vital importance of LGBTQ media in US society, as these publications provided support, information, and comfort to a community forced to adapt to a drastically different political landscape. Theres an even greater responsibility to tell the stories of the marginalized, ones that might otherwise get left behind, in a news cycle dominated by Trump. And readers have responded by visiting LGBTQ media outlets more often and sticking around longer, editors tell CJR.

The past three months have been a call to arms for LGBTQ media, but five decades ago, The Advocatethe nations first monthly LGBTQ magazinewas founded in the wake of bar raids in Los Angeles. The first issue acted as a protest newsletter to help the community fight back. As much as the 2016 election was a wake-up call, it also represented a return to the movements roots.

TRENDING: Breitbart-led right-wing media ecosystem altered broader media agenda

The fear of erasure in Trumps America

Merryn Johns knew the election would go badly. Born in Australia, the editor in chief of Curve magazine, a monthly magazine for lesbian and bisexual women in the US, came to the 2016 election as an outsider. While all of her friends went out on the evening of the election expecting to celebrate Americas first female president, she stayed in and began working on an editorial explaining why Trumpwidely expected to lose in a landslidehad won.

Any time I heard Trump speak, I could hear him saying what a certain number of people wanted to have been said, Johns explains. I felt it was going to swing in his favor. He was tapping into a zeitgeist Clinton wasnt.

Johns says that for LGBTQ-focused publications, having Trump in the White House has been a huge reversal from the previous administration.

LGBTQ advocates had been gaining attention and notching wins for the past eight yearsfrom Obama enacting nondiscrimination rights for federal contractors in 2014, to the Supreme Court legalizing marriage equality a year later. Many felt that progress would continue under a Clinton presidency, but feel President Trump has already begun to reverse those gains. On March 27, the POTUS overturned an Obama executive order preventing federal workers from being fired on account of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Many of Trump Cabinet picks, including Secretary of State Jeff Sessions, have noted anti-LGBTQ track records.

What we had under the Obama presidency was that he acknowledged us, Johns says. He mentioned us in his addresses. We were on the website. We were getting legislation pushed through. We were invited to the White House. That is all being rolled back, and its made us feel quite insecure. Its not only a fear of not being seen. Its a fear of being erased.

A changing media landscape

If Johns claims that the very concept of media has changed under the current administration, it has also shifted the role LGBTQ media sees itself playing during a contentious political moment.

Lucas Grindley, editor in chief of The Advocate, says it has been important for LGBTQ publications to reflect what the community is feeling during an emotional time. During the week following the election, Grindley wrote an editorial taking his Republican family members to task for casting their ballot for a politician who campaigned on rolling back same-sex marriage. Ive been betrayed by my own family, Grindley wrote. Odds are, so have you.

People felt like theyd been betrayed and it took awhile for people to be willing to say that.

His op-ed, which was shared more than 20,000 times on Facebook, clearly touched a nerve.

People felt like theyd been betrayed and it took awhile for people to be willing to say that, Grindley tells CJR in an interview. The goal of The Advocate is to make you forward on a story and say, Finally, someones said what Im thinking. I dont feel alone.

Although hard data can be difficult to quantify, LGBTQ publications report that traffic has been up as readers seek out spaces that reflect what theyre feeling about the Trump administration. The Advocate reports a nearly 50-percent increase in overall pageviews for the first quarter of 2017 over the first quarter of 2016, while subscriptions have held steady. (CJR requested subscriber information from other LGBTQ publications, but they declined to provide hard data.)

Given that demand, many LGBTQ publications have shifted greater resources to covering the daily happenings of the Trump administration and telling community members how to take action. In the days after the election, The Advocate started The Resistance, a Friday newsletter listing protests taking place in your area; that newsletter morphed into a video series. NewNowNext created Five Dollars/Five Minutes, a recurring feature that offers quick and easy action steps for readers who want to get involved. Go Magazine, which covers queer and lesbian nightlife, includes demonstrations and political activities in its monthly calendar.

One challenge is striking a balance between taking a hard look at the current reality and offering healthy escapism for readers, says Trish Bendix, editor in chief of GO Magazine.

Its an everyday battle, Bendix says. Theres definitely people out there who arent just interested in going out and dancing, but you dont want to be too depressing and to pump out stories that make us feel things are hopeless. Our community has enough problems with suicide, depression, and self-harm as it is, so there has to be a way to keep it positive while being very clear about what our missions are and what we have to do now.

Our community has enough problems with suicide, depression, and self-harm as it is, so there has to be a way to keep it positive while being very clear about what our missions are and what we have to do now.

Bringing everyones stories to the table

The Advocate has aimed to balance not only levity and advocacy but coverage of topics that arent traditionally viewed as specific to the LGBTQ community. During the 2016 primaries, Grindley sent out a memo to staff to treat Donald Trump as an LGBTQ issue, meaning anything he does is news for Advocate readers. Since that time, the publication has covered the effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, the travel ban on seven Muslim-majority nations, and Trumps stated intent to increase the deportation of undocumented workers.

Because the Trump administration is attacking different marginalized communities, its brought all those communities together, Grindley says. Were all combating mutual opposition.

LGBTQ media has been criticized in recent years for marginalizing issues that affect people of color. #GayMediaSoWhite, a hashtag that went viral in 2016, drew attention to the fact that the covers of Out, The Advocate, and Attitude, a British gay publication, regularly feature straight white celebrities to sell magazines. Critics claimed that bottom line is calculated at the expense of non-white people, women, and transgender people yearning for the same platform. A Fusion survey found that between June 2011 and May 2016, 85 percent of the faces on the covers of these three magazines were white.

Les Fabian Brathwaite, a senior editor at Out who is black, admits that LGBTQ publications have done a terrible job of racial inclusion in the pastand stressed that fixing these issues is crucial to addressing the intersectional problems posed by a Trump presidency.

People are well-intentioned, but if you only have a bunch of gay white men talking about diversity, you have to have other people to in the room to address that as well, Braithwaite says. Our responsibility is to bring everyone to the table, tell everyones story, and make sure, as much as possible, that everyone has a chance to tell their own. To speak truth to power, you have to make sure everyones voices are represented in the conversation.

We need LGBTQ media because no one else is going to speak for us.

RELATED: Whats the right way to ask whether someone is gay?

Its particularly important for LGBTQ publications to be more inclusive watchdogs because, as Breen argues, many stories impacting vulnerable subsections of the community may get lost in a media cycle dominated by Donald Trump. Trump has swamped the news, and it has crowded out stories about all kinds of populations, marginalized or not, he says.

Three months into the new year, eight transgender women have been murdered as hate crimes against the LGBTQ community increase across the country. Nearly a dozen LGBTQ centers have been vandalized in 2017, and an employee of Casa Ruby, which offers support and services to Washington, DCs trans community, was attacked by two men who targeted the building. These stories have received attention in mainstream press, but they have yet to receive the traction such important subjects deserve. It is not only the responsibility of LGBTQ publications to fill that gap, as Johns argues. Its why these outlets will continue to be irreplaceable.

We need LGBTQ media because no one else is going to speak for us, she says. We are planting a flag in the sand to say: Were here, we exist, and you cant get rid of us.

RELATED: Covering gay marriage when its really, really personal

Correction: An earlier version of this story had incorrect online traffic data for The Advocate.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Nico Lang is an award-winning reporter, essayist, and editor. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Esquire and others. Follow him on Twitter @nico_lang.
The US government was rocked in 2013 by a series of stories detailing the extent of the surveillance state. Edward Snowden, an NSA contractor who was the source behind those stories, has become famous for his role in leaking information that would eventually be published in The Guardian, The Washington Post, Der Spiegel, and The New York Times. Snowdens collaboration with filmmaker Laura Poitras and journalist Glenn Greenwald has been well-documented.

But last week saw the revelation of a new, as-yet untold chapter in the saga: Writing in Harpers, journalists Dale Maharidge and Jessica Bruder describe their role in the leaks. Its a gripping story, involving cell phones stashed in refrigerators, a box of sensitive material buried under an outhouse and then perched in a tree, and a tribute to the analog beauty of the US Postal Service.

Maharidge and Bruder recently spoke with CJR about their secret role in the Snowden leak, the value of security, and their goals in publishing the piece. The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Part of what makes this story so gripping is the seemingly amateur nature of your counter-surveillance tactics. You make up code names for everything and, at one point, bury the Snowden material in a fifty-five-gallon barrel of old shit. What were you thinking during the process?

Maharidge: During the process it was le Carre meets The Three Stooges. It was very analog because I wasnt doing anything encrypted. I was very foolish at that point in my career, so Laura and I came up with all of this code language to use on the phone. Jess became the first sink. The NSA was the co-op board. Anybody whos lived in New York City knows co-op boards are notoriously crazy to deal with. If either of us wrote the co-op board is angry it meant bad shit. It meant the NSA or CIA is on to us and Holy shit. We better deal. We never had to use that code, thank goodness.

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How have you changed your security practices as a result of this experience?

Bruder: I use Signal, even for communications that dont need to be secure. I have the camera on my laptop covered up with a bit of gaffers tape. We showed the folks at Harpers ProtonMail and actually got them to transmit drafts of the story back and forth via PGP. A lot of these technologies have become more integrated in my ordinary life. Part of that is because I needed security in this particular situation. Also, the more Ive learned about the issue, the more Ive wanted to become part of the community around security because the more people who do this sort of thing, the more we normalize it, the harder it is for us all to be spied on.

If a police department or the NSA wanted to surreptitiously watch people via laptop cameras and it was normalized for people to cover their cameras, that tool would not be in their arsenal anymore. I dont think somebodys watching me through my laptop, but I want to be part of the community of people covering their laptop cameras, if that makes any sense.

One of the themes throughout the story is the paranoia you felt not knowing whether the government was on to you. Jess, you went so far as to cover a picnic table on the roof of your building because it was made out of NYPD sawhorses. How else did that paranoia manifest?

Maharidge: Laura [Poitras], in her diary, had a passage from George Orwell about how [paranoia] affects your health and your nervous system. It manifests itself in very funny ways, so theres a physical reaction. It was this timeless period of incredible stress.

I liken it to when my mother was dying, the last weeks, where time didnt exist. It was a single unit, and everything was kind of foggy. Anybody who has lost a loved one can appreciate that. But take that feeling and insert paranoia. When I got home there was a murderer on the loose, and there were 200 police officers roaming the woods where I live on the California coast. There was a helicopter overhead one daywere they looking for the murderer or watching me?

May 2013 was very intense. I condensed that in the story, but like most of life, when we write a story we encapsulate something in a few paragraphs. You cant keep writing about it, but I cant overstate living through it, the PTSD that I had from it. There were several moments doing the story where Jess and I had some heart-to-heart discussions about how it was affecting us, and the paranoia came back. I dont know what Jeff Sessions or Trump are going to do with this knowledge. Two lawyers have told us that the odds are slim, but theyre vindictive people.

Bruder: The phrase the narcissism of paranoia was something I was joking with Dale about because I basically told him, when this story comes out, if nothing happens Ill write an essay called The Narcissism of Paranoia. One of the creepy things about that is that there are so many people I know who arent engaged with privacy and anti-surveillance measures because the attitude is This isnt relevant to me. Nobodys watching me. In my mind, the narcissism of paranoia can be a destructive force in that way because it kind of pushes back against the idea that were a community here. Thats become something of a touchstone for us as we do what we can to be sane and secure but also go on to live our lives. But yeah, I did cover the picnic table again.

In the story, one of the moments that stands out is when the realization hits that Snowden, Poitras, and Greenwald have all left the country, and youre the only ones left.

Bruder: It was very weird and very isolating. You have to go on and keep living your life, but by the same token youre worried about all the things youre not doing. I think my biggest anxiety at the time was Am I anxious enough? You dont know how deep the rabbit hole goes; you just know that youre in it. Whats sane, whats paranoidonly history bears that out. Things that looked paranoid might have been sane if things had worked out in different ways. The knowing, in the moment, that you dont know the full picture and whats going to happenthat lack of control is whats scary. Its why we do small things we can control to make ourselves feel better, realizing that most things are not within our scope.

Whats sane, whats paranoidonly history bears that out.

Neither of you hesitated when you were asked to get involved in this work. In the piece, Dale, you write that you told Laura, This is what we do. Its why were journalists. What did you mean by that?

Bruder: The only thing Dale told me was that it was for the cause of investigative journalism. For me, that was enough. Even though the media is really fragmented these days, and there is fierce competition between news outlets, I do think that on a deeper level there is a sense of solidarity, and its important to maintain it. If I needed something sent to somebody, Im sure I could find people to help me, too. Its important that were part of a community and that we keep that going.

Maharidge: Journalism is not something that I do; its something that I am. Its part of me; its not a job.

Bruder: Its an approach to the world. Its not just a profession.

Maharidge: Its a mindset. So, from the get-go, when Laura said theres a person that wants to send something, I went into secure mode. It was interesting how much I did right without knowing it. She made me paranoid by making me put my phone in the fridge every time I went to her place. I never did that before. So when things got hotter, Jess and I were putting our phones in the fridge. Even before that, when this mysterious person wanted to send us something, I went to Jess and said Dont talk about it on the phone. Call it elk antlers. (A favorite toy of Jesss dog, Max). I had the presence of mind to go into the proper journalism mode. It was part of my life; it wasnt something I had to think about.

Bruder: And even though Dale sounded crazy to me, out of respect for the great world of stuff I did not know, you put your phone in the fridge. It sounded crazy, but what do I know?

Part of telling your role in this tale is to humanize a major international surveillance story. Why did you feel it needed that human touch?

Bruder: So many people think of surveillance and the state and cryptography, and they see these giant unknowable octopi and things that are just not relevant to them in their ordinary lives. Im hoping that by humanizing the backstory here, we can show people that it is relevant and its something we can all play a part in. You dont need to be some super-sophisticated hacker to care and to make a difference.

You dont need to be some super-sophisticated hacker to care and to make a difference.

Maharidge: As Jess wrote, its not the realm of cyber ninjas. With video, everyones a journalist now. Anybody with an iPhone thats near police arresting someone instantly becomes a journalist as soon as they pull out their phone. I just saw another video of police kicking a guy on the ground. It was terrible. But if the police had seen the person recording, they may have gone over and taken the phone. They dont have a right to, but if they did, suddenly that evidence is gone.

You write in the piece that, These are critical issues, relevant to everyone. Was part of your goal to evangelize for better security practices?

Bruder: Yeah, the more people who understand and integrate these tools into their ordinary life and how they communicate, the better it is for the entire community. Its something Ive been encouraging a lot of people who would otherwise think it was narcissistic or weird to do, just to be a part of creating a bigger haystack for the needles. [These practices are] a given to me now, and [theyre] something I learned and thought about a lot throughout this whole process.

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 difficult question facing manufacturers is when  absent regulatory requirement to do so  must they warn consumers of potential, but not established, hazards associated with the use of their products. There is no set answer, but the changing legal landscape suggests that waiting for scientific consensus that a product conclusively causes harm to issue a warning may be taking on legal risk. Headline-grabbing verdicts against Johnson & Johnson relating to claims that genital use of the companys talcum powder products causes ovarian cancer illustrate why a manufacturer must be aware of the controversial issue of when it may need to warn of potential, but unproven, risks.

In 2016, juries in three cases in St. Louis, Missouri, awarded staggering verdicts of $72 million, $55 million, and $70 million to plaintiffs who claimed that genital use of Johnson & Johnson talcum powder products caused their ovarian cancer and Johnson & Johnson failed to warn of the risk. The plaintiffs relied on expert witnesses who opined that use of the talc products caused ovarian cancer; these opinions were based on several studies that suggested the same. Although this risk is far from established or accepted in the scientific community, plaintiffs argued that Johnson & Johnson knew of the risks and that a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation stating that [t]he label of a cosmetic product shall bear a warning statement whenever necessary or appropriate to prevent a health hazard that may be associated with the product required Johnson & Johnson to warn consumers of such potential or theoretical risks, even if there was not scientific consensus. See 21 C.F.R.  740.1. The three St. Louis juries, evidently, accepted the arguments in reaching these massive verdicts, which include punitive damages designed to act as a deterrent and for retribution.

Johnson & Johnson vigorously disputed the theory that talc caused ovarian cancer and insisted that the scientific community must agree that something is a danger before a company must warn consumers. To this day, it continues to sell its talcum powder products without any warning that use of the product may cause ovarian cancer. The company points to the FDA, the Center for Disease Control, the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, and others that agree the current scientific literature does not support the conclusion that genital use of cosmetic talcum powder causes ovarian cancer.

Johnson & Johnson argued that the studies relied upon by plaintiffs that suggest causation are significantly flawed in that they contain, for example, methodological failings and inconsistencies. It also relied on other studies that lack these failings, were more comprehensive and reliable, and arrived at contrary conclusions regarding the relationship between talc and ovarian cancer. In sum, a major component of the defense was to attack the causation theory. It followed that if the product does not cause the injury, there was no risk requiring a warning.

So, should a risk-averse manufacturer simply warn of all potential hazards associated with use of its products? Not so fast. Human factors experts, researchers and even governmental regulators caution against warning of theoretical hazards. Warning of remote or hypothetical hazards will increase the number of warnings in the marketplace. Scientists suggest that as the number and prevalence of warnings increases, people will increasingly ignore warnings. Another concern is that more warnings will lead to information overload for consumers. Likewise, warnings of uncertain, unproven, or theoretical hazards may cause warnings to be viewed as false alarms, thereby reducing their impact and negatively affect the impact of warnings of credible hazards. In its rulemaking on labeling of prescription drugs, the FDA identified some of the problems of warning of speculative risks, suggesting that such practices will limit physician appreciation of far more significant hazards, can cause meaningful risk information to lose significance, and can lead to labeling that does not accurately portray the products risks. See Federal Register Vol. 71, No. 15, p. 3935. Finally, warning of potential but unproven risks associated with a product may impact the market for the product.

Courts recognize, to a certain extent, the difficult position a defendant faces when plaintiffs claims relate to speculative or theoretical hazards. Consider, for example, the case of Rosa v. TASER International, Inc. decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In that case, Rosa died of cardiac arrest while in police custody after he was shocked by police using TASER stun guns. The cause of death was determined to be metabolic acidosis, which makes cardiac arrest more likely. The plaintiffs brought suit against TASER for failing to adequately warn under both negligence and strict liability theories. California law places a duty on manufacturers to warn of a particular risk if it is known or knowable in light of the generally recognized and prevailing best scientific and medical knowledge available at the time of manufacture and distribution.

In review, the court explained that although a manufacturer is held to the knowledge and skill of an expert in the field in determining what is knowable, a manufacturer is not under a duty to warn of every report of a possible risk, no matter how speculative, conjectural, or tentative, because inundating the public indiscriminately with notice of any and every hint of danger would inevitably dilute the force of any specific warning given. Rosa v. TASER Intl, Inc., 684 F.3d 941, 946 (9th Cir. 2012). The court then looked at the evidence offered by the plaintiff to demonstrate that it was knowable that use of the stun gun could cause metabolic acidosis  specifically, four peer-reviewed scientific journal articles. The court rejected two of the articles because they did not tie risk directly to the products technology. The court rejected the other two because they offered only hypothetical conjecture about the TASER/acidosis link rather than tested conclusions; they merely suggested that TASER technology might pose an acidosis risk.

Despite the three large verdicts against it, Johnson & Johnson has found some successes in defense of the claims against it, including most recently in St. Louis. In March 2017, a St. Louis jury returned a complete defense verdict for Johnson & Johnson and the talc supplier. In that case, the defense argued not only that talc does not cause ovarian cancer, but that the cause of the plaintiffs ovarian cancer and her uterine and colon cancers was genetic. See Swann v. Johnson & Johnson, et al, Case No. 1422-CC09326-01, 22nd Jud. Cir. Ct. of Missouri. In New Jersey, which utilizes a more stringent standard for acceptability of an expert witnesss testimony than the court in St. Louis, the defendants successfully persuaded the court that the plaintiffs experts opinions that talc causes ovarian cancer were not scientifically reliable, ending those cases. Johnson & Johnson also argues that it has no legal duty to warn of these hypothesized risks because federal regulatory agencies have considered and rejected requiring such warnings; twice the FDA has rejected citizen petitions for warnings on cosmetic talcum powder products. Faced with significant potential legal liability, Johnson & Johnson steadfastly maintains that talc does not cause ovarian cancer and therefore has not failed to warn.

Nevertheless, the results of the talc and ovarian cancer trials in St. Louis suggest that waiting for scientific consensus on a potential but unconfirmed hazard may subject a manufacturer to significant legal liability under a failure to warn theory. Following the 2016 verdicts against Johnson & Johnson in St. Louis, plaintiffs lawyer advertising for such claims dramatically escalated across the country. There are now thousands of similar cases pending against Johnson & Johnson and others  despite studies indicating that talc does not cause ovarian cancer and regulatory agencies rejection of warning labels for talc.

The takeaway for manufacturers  and their insurers  is that they must make themselves aware of potential or developing theories of risks associated with their products and they need to be aware that they may face potential liability for failing to warn of those risks. Analysis in the context of potential legal duties to warn is highly recommended to have an informed understanding of potential legal risks for potential product hazards. As revealed in the ongoing and developing talc and ovarian cancer litigation, waiting on scientific consensus of the existence of a hazard associated with a product or governmental instruction to warn may expose a company, and its insurers, to significant real legal risk.

Brendan H. Fitzpatrick is a partner with Goldberg Segalla in the firms Baltimore office. He defends entities involved in toxic tort, product liability, and environmental litigation including equipment and product manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, contractors, and premises owners.
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The Center for Economic and Policy Research has launched the Blue Collar Jobs Tracker.

(Center for Economic and Policy Research)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Blue-collar jobs have been disappearing for decades. Will they continue to dwindle, stabilize or increase?

The left-leaning Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C., has developed the Blue Collar Jobs Tracker to follow employment trends in manufacturing, construction, mining and logging.

Alan Barber, CEPR's director of domestic policy, said the think tank's staff decided last fall, in the heat of the presidential election, to devise the tracker. However, they decided to hold off on launching it until a few weeks after a new president would take office.

"The last election indicates that there has been some dissatisfaction among working-class workers -- particularly the white working class -- who are in jobs that we particularly consider blue-collar," he said.

Even though only 13.7 percent of jobs nationwide fit into CEPR's definition of blue-collar jobs, Barber said it is important to highlight these jobs. The reasons include: the impact of trade on factory workers and other issues raised during the presidential election, the role blue-collar jobs have historically played in building the middle-class, and the often negative impact the loss of these jobs has had on working- and middle-class families and communities.

"These are sectors that don't get as much visibility as other sectors," he said of manufacturing, construction and mining and logging. "So, what we want to do is look at these sectors, particularly in states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan that have been traditional manufacturing states, and get a sense of that climate and see how job growth is going. We want to be a resource for people to access these trends."

Ohio, where 16.5 percent of the jobs are blue collar, ranked 11th on the Blue Collar Jobs Tracker, which uses Labor Department and other government data. Indiana was first at 21.4 percent and Wisconsin second at 19.9 percent. Iowa was third, with 18.9 percent of its jobs being blue collar.

Ohio, where 12.5 percent of workers are in manufacturing, tied for eighth with Mississippi for states with the highest share of manufacturing employment. Indiana was first with 17 percent of employment being in the manufacturing sector, Wisconsin was second at 15.9 percent and Michigan third at 13.9 percent.

Barber said CEPR and Policy Matters Ohio are collaborating on the Blue Collar Jobs Tracker project. The CEPR report will update at least monthly after the release of the U.S. jobs report and those for each state. Policy Matters will do an Ohio report at least quarterly, said Hannah Halbert, a researcher at nonprofit.

She agrees it is important to focus on blue-collar jobs. Halbert said that concentrating on these jobs doesn't mean Policy Matters isn't still concerned about other issues facing Ohio's labor market, such as the proliferation of low-wage jobs, especially in the food preparation and food service sector.

"The thing about this blue-collar sector employment is that it often has the kinds of jobs that pay livable wages, even without higher levels of formalized training," she said.

Even though additional training is increasingly required, it frequently entails no more than a certificate or a two-year degree, Halbert said. She said it is important to follow-through on issues raised during the presidential campaign, including Trump's pledge to increase the number of blue-collar jobs.

"Part of tracking has to do with the issue of accountability," she said. "Are these promises being kept? If they are being kept, are people doing any better or not? It would be great if we saw this resurgence of high-paying jobs, regardless of the sector."

Susan Helper, an economics professor at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, and a manufacturing expert, said an examination of blue-collar employment trends must focus on how workers are benefiting.

"These are indeed sectors that have in the past had a lot of jobs paying middle-class wages to people without college degrees," she wrote in an email. "To know whether these sectors are still providing broad-based benefits, we'd want to combine this information with other data, such as, what wages do these jobs have? Do workers have access to health care and other benefits? Are the jobs safe, and do they benefit the environment?"

In order for the tracker to be significant, it should focus on the types of jobs gained or lost -- not merely that they are blue collar, said George Zeller of Cleveland, an economic research analyst.

"Here in Ohio, durable goods manufacturing is the key to growth in jobs with good wages," he wrote in an email. "Non-durable goods manufacturing tends to have substantially lower wages than durable goods manufacturing does."

Follow: @OPinfo
News / National

by Staff Reporter

A 27-YEAR-OLD Bulawayo man who has been described by a magistrate as a terrorist, has been jailed for 23 years for kidnapping, torturing and holding captive his ex-girlfriend in a six-day rape ordeal.Kudakwashe Antony Mapwevo (27) of New Lobengula suburb also starved his ex-girlfriend for six days from January 11 this year, a day after he was released from prison for robbery.Mapwevo cried, knelt and begged magistrate Mr Chrispen Mberewere to reduce his prison term."My Lord forgive me I'm your child. I'm a widower and l've two children to take care of. May you please reduce the sentence," said Mapwevo while lifting up his hands.Mapwevo was convicted of malicious damage to property, assault, rape and unlawful detention.Sentencing him, Mr Mberewere who described Mapwevo as a terrorist, said he deserved a deterrent sentence. He sentenced him to 20 years in prison for rape but suspended four years on condition of good behaviour and an additional two years for unlawful detention. For assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Mapwevo was sentenced to one year in prison but six months were suspended on condition of good behaviour and he was also fined $100 or in default 30 days imprisonment for damaging his ex-girlfriend's phone.Mapwevo will therefore serve an effective 18 and half years in prison.Mr Mberewere said what was disturbing was that Mapwevo committed the offences a day after his release from prison which means he has not been rehabilitated.He said Mapwevo decided to turn his ex-girlfiend into a sex slave that he raped, assaulted and starved for six days. The magistrate said it was fortunate that the ex-girfriend survived his barbaric act which cannot be condoned.Prosecuting Mr Busani Moyo said on January 11, Mapwevo sent a message to the complainant, via her grandmother's phone, asking to meet her.He then went to the complainant's residence in Cowdray Park suburb.Mr Moyo said Mapwevo grabbed his ex-girlfriend's phone and smashed it against a wall before force-marching her to his house in New Lobengula."He then held her hostage until January 17 and during that period he raped her on numerous occasions," said the prosecutor.He said when the complainant told him she was on her menstrual periods, he assaulted her.Mapwevo would force the woman to take a bath after each sex attack.Mr Moyo said Mapwevo was arrested when the victim's grandmother enlisted the help of police officers to raid his home. When police finally rescued the woman, her face was swollen and she had bruises all over her body.She had also lost weight.It was not clear for how long Mapwevo had served for the robbery crime before his release.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Philadelphia police received reports Monday afternoon that a Cleveland man suspected of killing a 74-year-old on Sunday and posting the video of the killing on Facebook was spotted there.

However, police now say said there is no indication that he is in the neighborhood where the reports originated, or even anywhere in the city. Cleveland police Chief Calvin Williams confirmed this in a news conference Monday afternoon.

Statement on police activity in Fairmount Park regarding Cleveland Ohio homicide suspect Steve Stephens pic.twitter.com/qYkd2DzxbP  Philadelphia Police (@PhillyPolice) April 17, 2017

Authorities in Philadelphia locked down eight elementary schools and one high school as they investigate multiple 911 calls saying Steve Stephens, 37, was spotted in the area, according to the police department's media relations office.

Police said the calls came from Fairmount Park, a large municipal park in Philadelphia.

Stephens is wanted on a warrant for aggravated murder in the shooting death of Robert Godwin Sr., 74, who was gunned down Sunday afternoon in Cleveland's Glenville neighborhood. Police here said Stephens then posted a video of the shooting on Facebook and has fled.

A multistate manhunt is underway to find Stephens. The 37-year-old said in videos posted to Facebook that he killed other people, but police said they have not found any other victims.

If you would like to comment on this story, please visit Monday's crime and courts comments section.

cleveland.com is a partner of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. Every dollar buys four meals for the hungry. Click here to donate.

You can watch a livestream below of the police activity in Philadelphia, courtesy of WPVI-TV.
THE LUNCH BREAK

The Lunch Break is cleveland.com's look at the city's best bites to grab on the go, from street food to fast-casual.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Chef Eustathea Kavouras owes her cooking techniques to the mix of her Greek upbringing and observing street food vendors in Bombay later in life. So it's no surprise her Greedy Girl eatery, which opened in the Cedar-Taylor district of Cleveland Heights last September at 2158 S. Taylor Road, is every bit as colorful as its cuisine.

The cozy diner - open for breakfast and lunch - is painted a cheery yellow and accented with eclectic, worldly wall art in shades of blue and red. There's seating for around 20, plus a small window ledge and patio tables.

Greek and Indian may seem like an unlikely pairing. But Greedy Girl's strength is allowing for experimentation. The platters are served separate, but a selection of Indian sides allow for mixing-and-matching. Crisp okra fries, corn with a punch of chili pepper powder and coconut cauliflower are all options. Smaller snacks like Bombay Bhel Puri and Channa Chaat make up another portion of the offerings.

With its fast-casual format and upbeat surroundings, Greedy Girl offers an inviting atmosphere - which is key for drawing in those unfamiliar with the traditional and modern dishes found on the menu.

Laid back and flavorful dishes keep things fun, like deep-fried Pastitsio meatballs on the Greek side. The vegetarian Fry Girl is a South Indian rice crepe that's filled with buttery masala potatoes with cheese and served with a cashew coconut curry dipping sauce.

Breakfast is also served all day here, and familiar favorites like omelet rolls get Greek and Indian twists.

What to get when you go

For Indian fare, the Frankie is a classic Indian street food. Soft, egg-dipped paratha bread is stuffed with chicken marinated in curry sauce to give it just enough kick. It's topped with chopped onions, spices and cilantro.

To go Greek, the traditional Souvlaki Pitta offers light and fresh flavors. Skewered and grilled marinated pork tenderloin is served on flat bread with sliced tomatoes and onion. An olive oil and lemon sauce adds a bright touch.

If you have a taste for breakfast food, try the Belgian Baklava Waffle. Scratch-made batter is baked with walnuts inside, and a Baklava honey syrup adds a unique bit of sweetness.

Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Wednesday through Saturday; 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday

cleveland.com is a partner of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. Every dollar buys four meals for the hungry. Click here to donate.
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Case Western Reserve University is investigating why it took so long to notify students that a fatal shooting had occurred near campus.

(Case Western Reserve University)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The random fatal shooting of a 74-year-old man by Steve Stephens, who remains at large, occurred near the Case Western Reserve University campus, but students were not notified of the danger until hours after the incident.

The university is investigating why.

Police say Stephens, 37, of Cleveland, walked up to Robert Godwin Sr. at 2 p.m. Sunday and fatally shot him on a sidewalk on East 93rd Street.

Stephens later posted a video of the killing on Facebook.

He also made statements including that he was going to "randomly shoot 'Greeks' in the head" until he gets caught. Stephens in an earlier Facebook post said he was a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

As Cleveland police began investigating, Cleveland State University sent out an alert on Twitter and Facebook around 5 p.m.

CSU ALERT: CLE PD are searching for murder suspect last seen south of I-90 in the area of E93rd. Shelter in place or stay away from campus.  Cleveland State University (@CLE_State) April 16, 2017

CSU later posted updates on Twitter, Facebook and its home page.

CWRU said it sent emails around 6 p.m. and posted its first notification about 6:20 p.m. on Twitter and Facebook.

CWRU-Alert Stay Indoors If On Campus. See Email for More Info  Case Western Reserve (@cwru) April 16, 2017

Students have organized a protest Tuesday regarding the notification delay.

The announcement posted on Facebook says: "This demonstration is an opportunity for students to express their concerns about how the University handled the situation. More than that, though, this event will an opportunity to demand that positive, constructive steps be taken to make the University a safer place to live, study, and work in the future."

The event will begin at 4 p.m. in front of Adelbert Hall followed by a march to a student government meeting at 7 p.m.

CWRU was roundly criticized by parents and students for its late response.

"It just blows my mind how this happened at 2pm and we weren't notified until 6pm by the university," one student wrote on CWRU's Facebook page. "The first email sent out was by USG (Undergraduate Student Government) - aka other students. 93rd street where the murder occurred- and carnegie ave where my nursing group was community clinical. many of your students walk past there to attend classes. it may have not happened 'on campus' but this is too close for comfort for many students."

The university issued a statement this morning:

"The university learned of the incident much later than it should have, which in turn delayed efforts to determine what information was accurate amid a large number of conflicting reports. In retrospect, individuals on campus should have received direction to stay indoors much earlier, as that option was the safest choice given so much uncertainty. University leaders are meeting this morning to review yesterday's developments, and consider what changes are necessary to ensure more timely action in the future."

CWRU student Maya Monroe, who was in middle school in Blacksburg, Virginia 10 years ago when a student gunman killed 32 people and himself at Virginia Tech, wrote this on CWRU's Facebook page:

"Case Western Reserve University, as a student I am extremely disappointed in the lack of communication regarding the events that are currently transpiring in Cleveland, less than three miles from campus. This is not the first time you have failed to report dangerous occurrences around campus, including less than a month ago when you failed to notify the students about the young woman who was kidnapped from the CIA parking lot on E117th. I find the current situation extremely disturbing, in part for personal reasons. 10 years ago today I was sitting in a classroom in my middle school on lockdown while police apprehended a man in the parking lot who they believed had just killed two Virginia Tech students. The university had decided that there was no need to put the campus in lockdown and that an email vaguely describing the situation would suffice because they believed the suspect was identified and being apprehended. Unfortunately, they were wrong about the identity of the shooter and a few hours later 30 more students and faculty members had been killed. The lack of action and communication on the part of the university likely contributed to the second round of deaths that day. It is truly awful that it would take Case Western Reserve University hours after the incident was first reported to notify the student body. Should any harm befall a student because of lack of notification, you are responsible. It is disturbing that today, on the 10th anniversary of the largest mass shooting on a college campus, you failed to take basic steps to keep your students safe from gun violence. Shame on you."

Both CWRU and CSU are holding classes today and officials said security has been increased in and around the campuses.

To view the latest updates and see prior coverage, check out our in-depth report on Facebook shooter Steve Stephens.

To comment on this post, please visit our crime and courts comments page.

cleveland.com is a partner of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. Every dollar buys four meals for the hungry. Click here to donate.
CWRU_Campus2

Case Western Reserve students plan to gather in front of Adelbert Hall on Tuesday to protest the lack of notification following a fatal shooting near campus on Sunday.

(Case Western Reserve University)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Case Western Reserve University students plan to hold a protest Tuesday over what they view as delays and lack of information given to them following a random fatal shooting near campus.

Police say Steve Stephens, 37, of Cleveland, walked up to Robert Godwin Sr. at 2 p.m. Sunday and shot him on a sidewalk on East 93rd Street.

Students said it was hours before they learned an armed and dangerous man had killed an elderly man and was being sought. Stephens later posted a video of the killing on Facebook.

He also made statements including that he was going to "randomly shoot 'Greeks' in the head" until he gets caught. Stephens in an earlier Facebook post said he was a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

CWRU did not post information about the shooting or how students could remain safe until 6 p.m. The university said it is investigating why the delay occurred.

A "Security Alert Demonstration" event has been posted on Facebook.

Students Andrew Thomas and Tim Nicholas organized the demonstration, which will begin in front of Adelbert Hall at 4:00 p.m. The notice says:

"On Sunday, Cleveland police in connection with state and federal authorities were conducting a manhunt for an individual who had murdered a victim around 2p at 635 East 93rd Street while on Facebook Live. The individual claimed to have committed multiple, additional homicides and, as of right now, is still at large and considered armed and dangerous.



This situation prompted Cleveland State University (an institution further from the incident than CWRU), to issue multiple mass emails, texts, and phone calls beginning at 5:05p. CSU also issued an emergency shelter alert at 5:23p. Further, East 102 Street - East 108 Street in Cleveland were placed on lock down and the Cleveland Clinic was placed on stand by for mass casualties.



Despite knowing about this incident no later than 4:20p, its proximity to campus, and being called upon by countless students to issue a response, the University refused to alert the campus until after 6p. Furthermore, the information issued via text was sparse (such as whether or not CWRU was on a lockdown) and referenced an email for detail that was not sent using the established CWRU security alert address. This resulted in substantial confusion for many students.



This demonstration is an opportunity for students to express their concerns about how the University handled the situation. More than that, though, this event will an opportunity to demand that positive, constructive steps be taken to make the University a safer place to live, study, and work in the future. The event will take the form of a protest in front of Adelbert followed by a march to USG's General Assembly meeting at 7p.m."

To view the latest updates and see prior coverage, check out our in-depth report on Facebook shooter Steve Stephens.

To comment on this post, please visit our crime and courts comments page.

cleveland.com is a partner of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. Every dollar buys four meals for the hungry. Click here to donate.
marijuana file seedlings Medicine Man.jpg

Rules and regulations for Ohio's medical marijuana cultivators cleared the final step Monday in a months-long drafting process. This file photo was taken at Medicine Man in Denver, Colorado in September 2016.

(Jackie Borchardt, cleveland.com)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Medical marijuana will be grown on up to 24 licensed sites statewide -- subject to some of the highest fees in the country -- under the final rules presented to lawmakers Monday.

The cultivator portion of the rules, which also details the application and license fees for retail dispensaries, product processors and testing labs, cleared the Ohio legislature's Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review without objection from the panel.

The rules will be officially filed later this month and take effect before the May 6 statutory deadline.

Rules and regulations for retail dispensaries, product processors and testing labs are still being revised, but must be in place by Sept. 8.

Columbus attorney David Patton raised concerns about banning license applicants with criminal records. Ohio law allows people convicted of certain crimes, to be determined by regulators, to be eligible for marijuana business licenses if the offenses occurred more than five years prior.

Patton said the rules don't set a hard line between which offenses qualify or disqualify someone and the state is setting itself up for a lawsuit.

Under the rules, a first-degree misdemeanor conviction or guilty plea doesn't "automatically disqualify" someone to obtain a license or work as a key dispensary employee if it occurred more than five years ago. Possessing more than 200 grams of marijuana, or a little over 7 ounces, is a felony charge in Ohio.

"Nobody wants criminals involved in the medical marijuana program, but the fact is most of the people who understand this industry have been engaged in medical marijuana activities and recreational activities for decades," Patton told lawmakers Monday.

Justin Hunt, chief operating officer for the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program, said the pertinent offenses are clearly listed in the rules.

"The authority we have is broad to draft the rules... that help us establish a safe medical marijuana program and ensure a safe, consistent supply for the patients that will ultimately rely on this medicine," Hunt said.

Ohio's medical marijuana law, passed in June 2016, allows people with one of 21 medical conditions to buy and use marijuana if recommended by a physician. Most of the details about the program, such as who will grow and sell marijuana and how much patients can buy, were left to the commerce department, Ohio State Board of Pharmacy and Ohio State Medical Board.

The Department of Commerce plans to begin accepting applications for cultivator licenses in June, after a few weeks of answering questions from interested parties. Applicants must meet certain financial criteria, have local approval for their proposed site and submit security and quality assurance plans, among other requirements.

The rules and regulations have not substantially changed in the five months since first proposed by the department, despite concerns about the pricey license fees and out-of-state investors having an advantage over Ohioans.

A few changes were made in response to public comments:

The number of licenses initially available increased from 18 to 24 -- 12 for up to 25,000 square feet of growing space and 12 for sites up to 3,000 square feet.

The department can choose to expand the number of licenses or triple the square footage for existing licensees beginning September 2018.

Instead of dividing the state into four regions, as initially proposed, licenses will be awarded statewide to the best applicants.

cleveland.com is a partner of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. Every dollar buys four meals for the hungry. Click here to donate.
Ohio's 2018 Senate race already is attracting national attention. The 2018 Ohio gubernatorial race has seen its first major staff firing. And because it's never too early, John Kasich is building some 2020 New Hampshire buzz. Read more in today's Ohio Politics Roundup, brought to you today by Andrew J. Tobias.

Sherrod in Politico: Reporting from Toledo, Politico reporter Elana Schor on Saturday summed up U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown's path to re-election: "Ohio's only statewide elected Democrat who boasts his own penchant for populism, Brown will have to capture some Trump voters if he wants to win reelection."

(UPDATE: A reader points out that Brown is not the only statewide Democrat. Ohio Supreme Court Justice Bill O'Neill is the other.)

Generally, the article describes the tightrope Brown and other swing-state Democrats may have to walk in 2018 between appealing to people who voted for Trump while not being viewed as sell-outs by their base. So far, Brown has tried to position himself as willing to work with Trump on infrastructure and trade issues.

The piece's headline: "Meet the liberal hero who hasn't given up on Trump."

Schor quoted Brown describing the mild backlash he generated by voting to confirm Ben Carson as secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

"I got some people mad at me because I voted for Carson," Brown said. "But I voted for Carson because Carson knows one thing about housing -- and that is, there's too much lead in too many homes and it affects kids' brain development."

Reminder: She also quoted Ethan Zorfas, who criticized Brown on behalf of Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, who is running for the Republican nomination to challenge Brown next year. Zorfas works for Axiom Strategies, which as we've previously reported is serving as a general consultant for Mandel's campaign. (Axiom founder Jeff Roe ran Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's 2016 presidential campaign.)

Birds of a feather: Mandel is "one of nine candidates who have forged a fundraising agreement with FreedomWorks PAC, the political arm of a D.C.-based group affiliated with the tea party movement," writes USA Today's Deirdre Shesgreen, who also writes for the Cincinnati Enquirer.

"Other local lawmakers who have signed up include GOP Reps. Warren Davidson of Troy and Thomas Massie from Northern Kentucky, as well as Sen. Rand Paul," the Kentucky Republican and 2016 presidential candidate, writes Shesgreen.

The bottom line: It's very early in the election cycle, but Mandel's campaign associations with Tea Party/insurgent conservative figures further reinforce that's the kind of race he's going to run. (As if the Trump-esque cues in his campaign messaging and social media activity weren't enough.)

Cleveland Tax Day rally: "Close to 500 people rallied in downtown Cleveland on Saturday morning, joining more than 150 other demonstrations nationwide calling on President Turmp to release his tax returns and protesting his administration's policies," according to a staff report from The Plain Dealer.

"Earlier in the morning, about 75 white-coated doctors rallied on Public Square with U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge, Democrat of Cleveland."

Turnover in Renacci campaign: "After less than a month in the race, [Republican U.S. Rep.] Jim Renacci has already dismissed the campaign manager for his bid for Ohio governor and has hired a replacement," write the Cincinnati Enquirer's Chrissie Thompson and Jessie Balmert.

Out as campaign manager: Bryan Reed, "a veteran of the campaigns of new Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, the former presidential candidate."

In as campaign manager: Weston McKee, "who filled that role on recent campaigns by U.S. Rep. Martha McSally, R-Arizona."

Controversial billing: Conservative journalist William Kristol's status as a headliner for a May fundraiser for the Cuyahoga County Republican Party has caused consternation from some rank-and-file party members, I reported on Friday.

"Kristol is a former Reagan Administration official with a long history in conservative journalism and politics. But he was perhaps best known this past election cycle for being a steady voice in the #NeverTrump movement, going as far as to recruit another conservative journalist as a (short-lived) protest candidate in the presidential race."

Bonnie Dolezal, a county GOP central committee member, said Kristol's presence at the fundraiser "is an insult to the grassroots that worked hard to elect Donald J. Trump."

But County Chairman Rob Frost said Kristol's presence is meant to spur "dialogue." Also important, Frost says: "remembering that the enemies are the liberal media and the liberal left, not other conservatives who may have different opinions about certain particular issues."

Hitting the airwaves: A top pro-Trump political group has reserved cable TV ads in Cleveland-area Rep. Dave Joyce's district this week, I wrote on Friday.

The ads, purchased by America First Priorities, are scheduled to begin airing today. While we haven't seen them, or heard what they will say, we expect they will try to drum up support for Trump, rather than say, criticize Joyce for opposing the Trump-backed American Health Care Act.

Extremely early New Hampshire watch: Journalists often say if it happens three times, it's a trend. Well, the Boston Globe's James Pindell in a Friday piece described three possible 2020 presidential prospects who will be in New Hampshire this month: former Vice President Joe Biden, former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

Reminder: Kasich is there promoting his new book.

This quote says it all: "I mean goodness, we are 31/2 years away from the next presidential election, let's get going already," said Paul Hodes, a Democrat and former U.S .representative from New Hampshire.

Cleveland City Council update: While there are plenty of nominating petitions circulating around, two incumbent council members will face confirmed primary challenges in September, writes cleveland.com's Robert Higgs.

When and if he files, Ward 4 Councilman Ken Johnson will face three certified challengers, including a retired Cleveland police officer. And Ward 7 Councilman TJ Dow will face two certified challengers, including neighborhood activist Basheer Jones. Another relatively prominent figure has emerged in the race: journalist and businessman Mansfield Frazier, who announced his candidacy on Friday.

Get Battleground Briefing, our FREE politics newsletter, delivered to your inbox: Sign up here. Tips or links? Send here. Follow along on Twitter: @andrewjtobias

cleveland.com is a partner of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. Every dollar buys four meals for the hungry. Click here to donate.
News / National

by Staff Reporter

Six out of 10 ruling Zanu-PF's provinces have unanimously passed a vote of no confidence in the party's national political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere, calling for his ouster from both party and Government structures.He is accused of among other things plotting to oust President Mugabe by creating parallel structures and corruption.Mashonaland West Province became the latest province to pass a vote of no confidence on Kasukuwere yesterday, joining five other provinces: Harare, Midlands, Mashonaland Central, Masvingo and Bulawayo provinces."Zanu-PF Mashonaland West provincial executive council unanimously endorses the ouster of Saviour Kasukuwere from all party and Government activities," reads a document prepared soon after the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) meeting.According to a petition signed by 38 out of 50 PEC members after a meeting held in Chinhoyi, Kasukuwere is accused of plotting the ouster of President Mugabe who is the President and First Secretary of Zanu-PF, by tampering with party structures throughout the country for his personal gain.Kasukuwere who is also Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, is also accused of corruption at both party and Government levels by demanding bribes in exchange for land allocations.He also stands accused of imposing a candidate for the National Assembly seat in Norton resulting in Zanu-PF losing the by-election to an Independent candidate.In Mashonaland Central, the party also wants his brother and provincial chairman Dickson Mafios kicked out.Kasukuwere is also accused of aiding and abating former treasurer of the Women's League Sara Mahoka and its former deputy secretary Eunice Nomthandazo Moyo to undermine the First Lady and secretary for Women Affairs, as well as causing destabilisation of the League's structures in Mashonaland West province.The province also alleges that Kasukuwere distributed land in the province to his cronies such as Mahoka and aborting prior commitments to youths programmes."Now therefore, we the undersigned members of the provincial executive council willingly and voluntarily appended our signatures in support of the above mentioned ouster of Saviour Kasukuwere," reads part of the petition.In a letter addressed to the party's national secretary for administration Ignatious Chombo, the province said it was supposed to hold its Provincial Coordinating Committee soon to endorse the decision.However, since the party had already received overwhelming support of 38 out of 50 executive committee members supporting the ouster of Kasukuwere, the PCC meeting would just be an academic exercise.The Zanu-PF Harare provincial executive council on Saturday also passed a no-confidence vote on Kasukuwere and Harare provincial commissar Shadreck Mashayamombe in a day of high drama that witnessed skirmishes at the ruling party's provincial headquarters.Three people sustained head injuries and broken arms as party supporters sympathetic to Cdes Mashayamombe and, George Mashavave (provincial secretary for administration) ran amok in the city.Mashavave was among the provincial leaders who called for the ouster of Cdes Kasukuwere and Mashayamombe, respectively.Police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi confirmed the skirmishes.Our sister paper, The Sunday Mail understands police briefly detained Mashayamombe for allegedly instigating the disturbances.On the same day, 28 Harare provincial executive members appended their signatures to a petition calling for the dismissal of Cdes Kasukuwere and Mashayamombe over a raft of allegations, including plotting to topple President Mugabe and insulting First Lady and Women's League Secretary Amai Grace Mugabe.The Zanu-PF Constitution says a motion of no-confidence can be passed by a simple majority of an organ's members. The PEC has 50 members.The Harare and Mashonaland West provinces' petition will be submitted to the Zanu-PF national leadership in keeping with the party's disciplinary code.Announcing the no-confidence vote, provincial secretary for administration Mashavave said the petition was in accordance with Article 29 (section 251) of Zanu-PF's constitution.
News / National

by Staff reporter

SOUTH Africa police have arrested five Zimbabweans in connection with an armed robbery at a jewellery shop at a Johannesburg mall.The armed robbers allegedly made off with jewellery worth thousands of rand last Thursday after threatening to shoot the shop's employees.Yesterday, South Africa's Minister of Police Mr Fikile Mbalula announced the arrest through micro blogging site Twitter.On Thursday, South African media reported that six armed robbers were behind the armed robbery at the jewellery shop, but the Minister mentioned the arrest of five people only."We have arrested five Zimbabweans in connection with Hyde Park Robbery #WanyaTsotsi ," reads his post.The Minister did not provide further details.There were mixed reactions to Mr Mbalula's tweet.Some were of the view that the minister should not have mentioned the nationality of the armed robbers as that might fuel xenophobic attacks, but others said there was nothing wrong with that. "Not that I am defending Zimbabwean criminals, but why include their nationality? Don't you think that stokes xenophobic fires, Minister?" twitted @PaulSixpence.The arrest of the five armed robbers follows last month's heist at OR Tambo International Airport where another Zimbabwean was involved in a multi-million rand robbery.Prince Raphael Dube (40), who has since been arrested and is believed to have 14 identities, however denies being part of the robbers.
Crowd of people in Viareggio, Italy Marco Di Lauro | Getty Images

Diverse, adaptable and plentiful: It may seem facetious to reduce human beings to a series of investment characteristics, but, by certain metrics, it's quite easily done for all 7.5 billion of us. That's what a growing number of new start-ups seem to think, at least, raising new questions about what the future of investment might look like. Could you seek to make money from the man on the street? Investing in people is, of course, nothing new. We've been investing in people as a workforce since the earliest stages of commerce. An investment in a company is often as much a punt on its staff as it is on the product itself. Indeed, early stage investing relies almost solely on taking a gamble on an entrepreneur's latest idea. However, the emergence of new companies, which meld peer-to-peer lending with social impact investing, suggest we could be about to enter new investment territory.

A homeless man begs for small change on the streets Christopher Furlong | Getty Images

Take Prodigy Finance, for example, a border-less fintech start-up which enables investors to provide postgraduate loans to international students for a profit. International students  particularly those from emerging economies, who may not be eligible for a traditional loan  are able to fund their educations, while investors can make regular returns from their investment. So far, so like social impact investing. However, with no physical assets to speak of, the loan is assessed and approved based purely on human characteristics  namely intelligence. "Students are assessed on their academic performance and anticipated earning potential," Joel Frisch, head of business development at Prodigy Finance, told CNBC over the phone. Currently loans are open only to MBA, MPP, law and engineering students, in an effort to guarantee graduate salaries at the upper end of the earnings scale. So far the company has a 99.1 percent loan repayment rate. "Investors appreciate that there is a combination of social and financial return," Frisch continued, "We give them the opportunity to invest in the future potential of a student."

Graduating Harvard University Law School students Robert Spencer | Getty Images

For Frisch, this marks a departure from traditional investment and a shift towards the way we will look to invest in the future. "It's the right direction to be going in," he said. "From the perspective of investing in people, I think it's very much the next stage. "Version one was that concept of investing in socially responsible areas. Version two was looking at supporting the 'good guys'. "Impact investing 3.0 is where you'll start to see the impact of investing in someone at an individual level. "It's very transparent. People say there's not enough transparency in finance and I think we're going to see continued movement into this area." Prodigy Finance does not require any direct relationship between investors and students, although they are invited to network and engage in future business ventures. It is one of several businesses which aim to link investors with promising individuals via an intermediary or fund, but could it pave the way for direct investments from person to person? Peer-to-peer lending for social improvement?

State park filled with people playing Pokemon Go Jefta Images | Barcroft Images | Barcroft Media | Getty Images
Rising consumer spending in China has boosted sales of retailers, but it is the country's infrastructure spending that gives businesses opportunities to expand, said the chief executive of China's largest publicly held restaurant operator.

Micky Pant, chief executive of Yum China , told CNBC's "Squawk Box" Monday that infrastructure is a reason why the company  which operates brands such as KFC and Pizza Hut  is aiming to open 600 new stores this year.

"For us, what's very important is infrastructure spending because that's how we get new malls, new trade zones, new high speed rail stations, new airports and that's continuing at the fastest rate in China compared to any other country in the world. That's how we build 600 restaurants a year because these opportunities are emerging," he said.

Pant's comments came ahead of the release of China's latest economic data. Official statistics showed Monday that retail sales in the world's second largest economy grew 10.9 percent year-on-year in March, beating Reuters forecast of 9.6 percent.

The better consumer consumption growth was behind Yum China's surprise first quarter performance as well. The company reported earlier this month a 1 percent rise in same-store sales, beating analysts' estimate of a 0.7 percent fall.

Pant said China's economic transition into a consumer-led growth model, and the government's continued reforms, will boost the company's prospects in the years to come.

He singled out the country's tax system overhaul in May last year, which replaced a revenue-based tax with a levy on the business' value-add, such as the difference between wholesale and final sales prices. The move will help stabilize China's economic growth and help the country's rebalancing efforts, China's finance ministry said when the shift was announced last year.

"It actually simplified things for us dramatically and given us a lot of operating relief and margin relief as well. It's been very good for the industry. So steps like that, I think, will continue to stimulate the consumer economy," said Pant.

"We have 7,500 restaurants (in China) but I keep reminding people that we have double that number in the United States. And the U.S. is a smaller country than China in terms of population and future GDP."

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Graft-busters are expected to once again set their sights on the financial sector after several senior industry figures came under investigation, according to state media.

The warning came after Yang Jiacai, assistant chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC), was reportedly placed under investigation in relation to a loan scandal in Hubei province.

Without confirming the investigation, a commentary posted on Sunday on the social media account of People's Daily, the Communist Party mouthpiece, said Yang's "disappearance" was a sign the corruption crackdown in the financial sector had entered a "deep water zone"  a euphemism for a crucial and difficult period.

More from the South China Morning Post:

China takes down CIRC's Xiang, capping insurance shake-out

Five reasons why the US cannot attack North Korea

Graft at top of China's petition system sparks reform call

Mainland news portal Caixin reported on Saturday Yang was placed under investigation on April 9 over his possible connection to the scandal. Yang had been relieved of his duties, according to the report.

A number of senior officials in charge of financial affairs have recently fallen under suspicion for graft, including Xiang Junbo, head of the China Insurance Regulatory Commission, and Li Changjun, former president of the Beijing branch of the Export-Import Bank of China.

"The anti-corruption campaign in the financial sector is taking shape, just like the wind sweeping through the building heralds a rising storm in the mountain," the commentary said.

Since Guo Shuqing took over the CBRC in March, it has reviewed nearly all the documents it issued that deal with regulation, according to the People's Daily.
While companies the world over compete for a slice of China's populous consumer market, start-ups headquartered in Asia's largest economy want to conquer not just the domestic field, but also to come out on top worldwide. It's an ambitious move that analysts said will upgrade the country's position in the global value chain. The trend comes as an increasing number of private companies, such as Alibaba and Tencent , are taking the lead in the latest phase of China's "Going Out"  a policy initiated at the turn of the century to increase the country's outbound investment by encouraging companies to go abroad. That is a shift from the earlier stages of the policy where state-owned enterprises and large Chinese firms extended their sales networks overseas or expanded their footprints through mergers and acquisitions. Those spending sprees included ChemChina's takeover of Italian tire maker Pirelli and Lenovo's purchase of an IBM unit.

Customers look at mobile handsets as an advertisement featuring a photo of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.. founder Sam Walton hangs on a wall in a Wal-Mart Stores Inc. owned and operated Sam's Club store during its opening day in Tianjin, China, on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016. Qilai Shen | Bloomberg | Getty Images

In what could be a new chapter in the story of China's spreading its economic influence globally, start-ups set their eyes internationally in the early stages of operations  even as their home market offers plenty growth opportunities. Young companies interviewed by CNBC explained this trend, saying that technology and innovation should not be bound by borders. "We are very much a Chinese company and China is a big market, but the adoption of new technology and new products like ours may be faster in other markets so we shouldn't confine ourselves," said Wang Mengqiu, founder and chief executive of Zero Zero Robotics. Wang and his team have been operating from both China and the United States since setting up the firm in 2014. Their first product, an autonomous flying camera, is sold globally online since launching in 2016 and recently debuted in Apple stores in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Hong Kong and China. Wang declined to disclose exact sales figures but said "way more than 50 percent" of the company's revenue is generated outside China. Beyond the prospects of better financial returns, start-ups also see surviving the global marketplace as a test of their businesses' viability and resilience. Ofo and Mobike, for instance, have taken their bicycle sharing concepts overseas. And co-working space operator Distrii was barely a year old when it announced in January that it will lease more than 60,000 square feet of space in an office building in Singapore's central business district. The company is expected to start operations in the city state in the first half of 2018. "The vision is to IPO, though only when we have reached a mature state To grow and bring more value to our network, we will need to expand to new markets. Bringing our product to international markets will be the ultimate test of our value proposition," Distrii chief executive Hu Jing said in an email.

watch now

Redefining "Made in China"

Analysts told CNBC that the Going Out movement of start-ups from China will enhance the country's economic competitiveness and redefine the "Made in China" label that many perceive as synonymous with low cost and low quality. The wave of start-ups going abroad also demonstrates to the world that China can take on the global stage with new business concepts, rather than simply through acquiring stakes in foreign companies, said Neil Wang, global partner and China managing director at Frost & Sullivan. "The international development of start-ups is accompanied with demonstration of high-tech products, which shows the world that 'Made in China' products are also innovative and user-friendly," he said in an email. As more start-ups set up operations and export their business models beyond the Chinese borders, the country's outbound investments will get a further boost and China will solidify its position as a major exporter of capital and innovation  after years of being a favored investment destination. China's non-financial outbound investments rose from $5.5 billion in 2004 to a new high of $170.11 billion in 2016, according to data compiled by the country's National Bureau of Statistics. This figure is expected to continue growing in the coming years despite the country's recent capital controls, consultancy EY said. "Chinese enterprises have begun to rapidly increase their global investment to achieve mid- to long-term growth. With the 'One Belt, One Road' initiative and other strategies serving as a powerful engine, more Chinese enterprises are expected to invest overseas and, therefore, a double-digit growth rate in China's outward [foreign direct investment] is expected in the next few years," Loletta Chow, global leader of EY's China Overseas Investment Network, said in a report.

watch now

Frost & Sullivan's Wang agreed. He added that with start-ups eyeing developed markets, China's outbound investment would gradually shift from developing economies to countries such as the U.S. and Germany. The major areas of Chinese investment would also transfer from real estate, equipment manufacturing, mineral resources, food and beverages to information technology, internet and media, he predicted. But even as an increasing number of firms from the world's second-largest economy find successes abroad, every Chinese company with whom CNBC spoke said China continues to be a key growth market. "It's important for us to continue being in China. There is a lot of tech talent in China and the lower operating costs here means that we get a longer runway with the amount of investments that we get. Being in U.S. and China is having the best of both worlds," said Wang from Zero Zero Robotics.

There is a lot of tech talent in China and the lower operating costs here means that we get a longer runway with the amount of investments that we get. Wang Mengqiu founder and chief executive of Zero Zero Robotics
Here's some of what he said in the interview:

But yes, Pai is a controversial figure in the tech world. President Donald Trump appointed him chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and one of his first moves was to roll back regulations that would have prevented broadband providers from using your Internet browsing history to sell you advertising. In its latest podcast episode, Fortt Knox asked him about that  and more.

Question him about controversial topics and his answers come quickly, but always tempered by a Midwestern sincerity. Among the current crop of communication industry regulators, he was the first on Twitter.

Ajit Pai doesn't come across as the sort of guy who'd be crossing swords with Silicon Valley.

It Goes Back to Kansas

Pai is the son of two doctors, and recalls growing up in rural Kansas, where his dad sometimes would have to drive more than an hour to see patients. He said that aspect of his background  being disconnected from big-city and suburban conveniences  influences the way he looks at his role shaping policy.

"It's the fundamental driver of the policies that I'm trying to promote at the FCC, because I've seen for myself in my own childhood, and as a commissioner having traveled around the country from Alaska to Mississippi, that there are some big gaps in America in terms of connectivity," he says.

The first policy priority he listed on his FCC bio is the expansion of broadband, including to rural areas. That might even help doctors to see more patients digitally when they don't specifically need a house call.

Same Rules for Everyone

The way many of the headlines about Internet privacy rules are written, Pai's stance on letting Internet service providers market your usage data doesn't make sense. Why would you want to let Comcast (the parent company of CNBC) or AT&T, or Verizon, for example, sell that information?

Pai argued that's not the point. Companies like Google and Facebook already have access to tons of information on us, Pai told Fortt Knox. Unless we set a level playing field, we let them off the hook.

"We just want every company that is handling consumers' data to handle it in the same way. I think that's something that would give consumers a much better sense of confidence when they go online," Pai said.

In other words, if you're outraged about Comcast selling your browsing habits, you should be just as outraged about Silicon Valley doing it. First level the playing field, Pai suggested, then make rules that apply to everyone.

He has a lot of skeptics to win over, especially in the tech world.

A Light Touch

Like many Republican public servants in government, Pai argues for a light touch when it comes to interpreting the law. (You'll see similar language coming out of new Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch.) That sets up an interesting contradiction when it comes to tech issues.

Silicon Valley loves to smash regulations when it benefits their innovation argument. Look at Uber and Airbnb trying to smash taxi and hotel regulations, for example. When the shoe is on the other foot, though, Silicon Valley leaders tend to love regulations like Net Neutrality, which they argue keeps broadband providers from stifling innovation.

That's why some in the tech industry are skeptical of Pai, who argues for a light touch in some places where they want a heavier hand.

"I view my role as being a rather boring, frankly, and humble one," Pai said, "which is to take a look at the papers that are in front of me, and analyze the facts soberly, and make an informed decision based on the law and the precedents."

In a time when the rules in technology and content are shifting at an unprecedented pace, we'll have to see what that really means.

Fortt Knox is a weekly podcast from CNBC anchor Jon Fortt. Previous episodes of the program can be found here.
Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer and founder of Facebook David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Until recently, Mark Zuckerberg's most iconic public appearance may have been the image of the young startup founder sweating through his hoodie onstage while journalist Kara Swisher grilled him at a tech conference in 2010. But Zuckerberg's reputation as someone averse to the hot seat began a couple years earlier, on 60 Minutes. In the segment, anchor Lesley Stahl tells a 23-year-old Zuckerberg he's replaced Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin as the tech exec that "everyone is talking about." In response, the CEO of Facebook says nothing, his face placid. "You're just staring at me," says Stahl. "Is that a question?" Zuckerberg shoots back. Cue the voiceover: "We were warned that he can be awkward and reluctant to talk about himself." More from Buzzfeed:

United Will No Longer Remove Passengers To Give Seats To Crew Members

Instacart Is Testing A New Interface For Tipping

Airline Tech Keeps Melting Down But Nobody Knows Why Zuckerberg, now a 32-year-old dad with one daughter and another on the way, has evolved considerably in the intervening decade. He hired speechwriters. He spruced up his uniform from Valley schlub to monochrome minimalism. He took on a series of annual self-improvement challenges that made him into a "lifestyle guru" for some male tech workers, according to the New York Times Style section. (The paper said his announcements "sometimes have the feel of software upgrades," but disciples admire Zuckerberg's ability to reinvent himself "as a better human being.") "One of the things I've noticed over the years, he has improved his EQ," Swisher told BuzzFeed News. (EQ is shorthand for emotional quotient, a popular rubric for measuring interpersonal skills in Silicon Valley.) "He was super, super awkward to talk to and he knew that he had a problem and he was fully aware. He cared about changing it." He may even have challenged himself to improve. "I'm really shy, I should learn not to be so shy! I can see him saying that," Swisher said.

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Now, Zuckerberg is even leading the charge for Silicon Valley tech CEOs who, post-election, have committed to leaving their bubble and interacting with the American public. He's actively inserting himself into unfamiliar situations. This time around, however, Zuckerberg has cut out the media middleman. He's communicating with people through his own platform, where he has amassed 88 million Facebook followers. And he's not just talking to them about Facebook  he's talking to them about himself. The most obvious example of the new and improved Zuckerberg is his 2017 personal challenge: to travel to all 50 states and talk to "folks" about their lives and concerns for the future. Four months in, he is making good time on his vow. He's already visited an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, sampled BBQ in Baton Rouge, and petted a baby longhorn ("so cute") at a rodeo in Ft. Worth. Oftentimes the themes of these visits coincide with those in the 6,000-word letter that he posted in February arguing in favor of building a global community (and Facebook's role as the "social infrastructure" underpinning all of it). After every trip, Zuckerberg posts earnest dispatches on his Facebook page, including images taken by the former Obama photographer who now accompanies Zuckerberg on his travels. A communications staffer also comes along to gather details, like the names and quotes that pepper the humanizing anecdotes that make up his posts. The whole thing makes for what one former Obama aide told BuzzFeed News is "definitely an Obama-esque approach." (Jon Lovett, a former speechwriter for both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, went with a slightly different comparison onstage at South by Southwest last month: "I don't understand why he sounds like a senator in his fourth term. Like, just talk, man! Don't be so afraid.") It is indeed tempting to see Zuckerberg's listening tour, manifesto, and newly folksy demeanor as an attempt to beta-test a presidential bid  perhaps for 2020, the same year he turns 35. After all, Facebook's platform has been known to launch a political career or two. Denials from Zuckerberg  including telling BuzzFeed News in January that he had no plans to run for president  have been laughed off.

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Facebook declined repeated requests to interview Zuckerberg on this topic (no surprise given the company's zero-tolerance policy on acknowledging its own self-interest). But the CEO of a $400 billion company doesn't schedule 30 action-packed trips in one year, with a small content production staff in tow, just to lend folks an ear. Facebook is a leviathan and, as its leader, Zuckerberg has plenty of reasons to benefit from a whistlestop tour without ever running for office. If you think of Zuckerberg as a startup CEO, positioning himself like a fourth-term senator doesn't make sense  but it does if you think of him as the head of a 14-year-old nation-state called Facebook. At a time when Silicon Valley's influence rivals Washington, DC's, Zuckerberg is using the framework of a political campaign (and its mix of the personal and the professional) to build a playbook for the modern-day CEO-statesman. "Every single wealthy business person or billionaire has got to be watching Trump and thinking, 'I can do that and I have a lot of good ideas,'" said Swisher. "I'm not sure [Zuckerberg] knows what he's doing yet. He's very very well meaning, at least compared to most people. He wants to find out if there's some way to fix the damn thing." In classic Facebook fashion, however, Zuckerberg has launched this political campaign without really taking a political position. (How else did he become the new poster CEO for civic engagement without ever disclosing who he voted for?) Where candidates want to win over citizens to push through policies and ideologies, CEOs need soft power to smooth the way for their ideas and products. The listening tour and manifesto are an opportunity for Zuckerberg to strengthen his relationship with his 1.8 billion constituents.

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"He wants to build social capital and he knows he can't do that if he has the nerdy-guy track record," a former Facebook executive told BuzzFeed News. A guiding phrase inside Facebook is "preserving optionality"  Stanford-speak for keeping your alternatives open. The same philosophy drove Facebook to place bets on every promising new technology platform from virtual reality to artificial intelligence: Zuckerberg has turned setting himself up to succeed into a science. And now, with the relatively recent formation of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative  the philanthropy-focused LLC to which he and his wife have pledged to donate 99% of their Facebook shares, worth an estimated $45 billion  he is at the apex of his influence, with few signs of stopping. Zuckerberg has every reason to win your likes, and he's built a remarkable apparatus to do it. Zuckerberg's sprint across the United States comes at a portentous moment for tech, and for Facebook. Katie Jacobs Stanton, a former Twitter executive who also worked as director of citizen participation under Obama, told BuzzFeed News that after years of measuring success on growth rates, monthly active users, and the efficiency of hiring fewer employees, the industry is looking around and wondering how it got here. "It's Silicon Valley growing up. After 10 to 15 years of thinking we were making the world a better place, [the events of the past year] have brought about some soul searching. We're in our adolescence stage  optimistic, naive, and perhaps a bit awkward," she said. At Facebook in particular, "everyone at that company is stinging from the post-election fallout," said the former Obama aide. "Not just sensationalism or hyper-partisanship, but mainstreaming the alt-right and right-wing populist resurgence." Right now, Zuckerberg needs public goodwill to protect the idea that his product is a tool for connectivity and not misinformation, mass surveillance, or censorship. Add to that Facebook's stranglehold on the media and the $18 billion online advertising market, and suddenly the term "antitrust regulation" sounds like more than just a quaint European custom. Lately, even the word "platform," which once made it easy for tech companies to evade accountability, is starting to sound sinister. The New York Times recently argued that companies like Facebook, Google, and Uber are largely responsible for "rehabilitating the concept" of a monopoly in their endless drive to dominate.

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At the same time, Silicon Valley's pseudo-statesmen are coming to occupy an odd place in the cultural firmament as quasi-celebrities and sherpas to our uncertain future. "Never before have we had a time when we are so viscerally connected to company leaders," Brooke Hammerling, a high-profile public relations executive and the founder of Brew PR, told BuzzFeed News. "My parents were never like, 'I love the founders of my refrigerator company!'" In this case, "people who have never met Mark Zuckerberg call him Zuck. They spend their lives in these platforms and apps. That's why it's so important for the success of that company. He's their public face." Margit Wennmachers, a PR guru and partner at Andreessen Horowitz, which is also an investor in BuzzFeed, said that Zuckerberg has to deal with an added layer of complexity because he's synonymous with Facebook. "You end up being very associated with all the features and all the bugs," she said. Thanks in part to Zuckerberg's own creation, anyone with an online following can be a self-styled pundit. But unlike, say, a B-list actor tweeting about geopolitics, people actually want tech moguls to weigh in. Virtue signaling has become as much of a duty for a modern-day Silicon Valley CEO as writing a mission statement or releasing diversity numbers (even if the virtue is superficial and the diversity numbers are low). That personal connection with chief executives of consumer-facing companies comes with higher expectations. Perhaps to preempt social media scrutiny, tech CEOs and venture capitalists have been eager to volunteer themselves as socially conscious tribute over the past few months, treating Trump's presidency as a second chance to make a good impression. Zuckerberg's contemporaries are already copying his moves: "Many of us leaders have been inspired to speak up more recently," Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky told Forbes India during a recent trip to the subcontinent. "We preside over a huge community of people, and policies and the way people live together have an impact. When we design our community, we think like politicians legislating for their constituents." Last month, John Zimmer, the CEO of Lyft, made the dynamic sound even more intimate, describing his ride-hailing software application as a "better boyfriend" to consumers. "We're woke," said Zimmer, whose company is financed by the venture capital fund founded by top Trump adviser Peter Thiel (who also happens to be a Facebook board member).

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So before headlines accuse Zuckerberg of finally asphyxiating the media industry or dictating what your kid gets to learn in school (CZI's personalized learning software is already being used by 20,000 students), why not bank some family-friendly pics of him posing with a shrimp boat captain or walking around the campus of a historically black college? Billionaires and tech titans "who successfully influence politics and policy have a public persona of being relatable and not seeming like they're soulless," the former Obama aide explained. It can only help Zuckerberg's cause if he "doesn't just seem like some automaton when he's trying to lobby Congress, but has a family and beliefs." And as any modern influencer knows, there's no better lobbyist for Mark Zuckerberg's personal brand than those closest to him: his brilliant, compassionate wife Priscilla, his adorable daughter Max, and their mop of a dog, Beast. Much like a lifestyle blogger, Zuckerberg uses his Palo Alto home as the backdrop for his posts as often as his instantly recognizable glass-walled conference room at Facebook's headquarters, referred to internally as the Aquarium. "People trust people more when they get a sense of them as human beings," said Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn and a longtime friend and mentor of Zuckerberg's. Even his philanthropist buddy Bill Gates is participating in the performative fun. Zuckerberg recently posted a Saturday Night Livestyle promo of himself and Gates in which Zuck aims to build up hype for his upcoming Harvard commencement speech. ("They know we didn't actually graduate, right?" Zuckerberg quips, billionaire to billionaire, to lighten the mood.) When this strategy is at its best, Zuckerberg conflates the personal and the professional seamlessly. It's a new twist on the old saying: If the CEO is not (overtly) selling the product, he is the product.

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At Facebook's F8 developer conference in April 2016, Zuckerberg used his own life as a way to explain the importance of 360-degree video. "When I was a baby and I took my first steps, my parents wrote the date in a baby book," he said. "And when my daughter Max takes her first steps hopefully later this year, I want to capture the whole scene with a 360 video." Eight months later, in December, Zuckerberg posted a 360 video that he had teased of Max walking. "We're connected to him on an emotional level," said Hammerling of the video, adding of course that it "showcased the technology in such a beautiful way." It may be hard to remember this now, but Zuckerberg used to be a pretty private guy. The world didn't know what his living room looked like, how many pull-ups he could do, or even what brand of gray T-shirt he wore. (The smart money's on this $300 number from Italy.) When Hoffman first met Zuckerberg more than a decade ago, the young startup founder was uncertain about putting himself out there. Zuckerberg wondered, "How much of my personal life should I share? Is it a useful thing for the kind of things I'm trying to do in the world?" Hoffman told BuzzFeed News. The chief executive was so camera-shy that one candid photo of the Zuckerberg clan  taken by his sister Randi, who didn't understand Facebook's privacy settings  prompted a ripple of schadenfreude across the blogosphere in 2012 when it was shared publicly. Back then, Hoffman recalled, critics thought Zuckerberg was an "on-the-spectrum tech genius trying to kind of rule the world." It didn't help that for several months in 2010, Jesse Eisenberg's sullen mug was staring into the middle distance on movie posters across America to hype Aaron Sorkin's The Social Network, the unauthorized biopic that introduced Zuckerberg to much of the world as a prickly lout. And early attempts to schedule positive PR to offset public embarrassments didn't play out well  like Zuckerberg's exhaustively orchestrated appearance on Oprah to announce a $100 million donation to the Newark schools, which not-so-coincidentally aired a week before the movie's premiere. But around the time that Zuckerberg and Chan were expecting their first child, things began to change. Many sources pointed to his announcement about their first daughter Max as a turning point in their impression of Zuckerberg. In the post, Zuckerberg discussed the trouble they had conceiving, a private struggle many couples are too ashamed to discuss publicly. (The post got more than 1.7 million likes and was shared more than 50,000 times.)

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According to a source familiar with Facebook's strategy, Zuckerberg's more concerted embrace of social media came after that, in late 2015. When it began, the company had a few priorities in mind: to be perceived as a world-class tech company and not just a social media app, to demonstrate that Facebook is concerned about people, and to make Zuckerberg more likable. That timeline lines up with a report in The Information that Facebook began closely tracking a metric called "Cares About Users," or CAU (pronounced "cow" inside the company) in the winter of 2014. Two other carefully monitored metrics look at whether Facebook seems innovative and whether Facebook seems like a force for good. But the best example of this shift toward social media psy-ops might be a series of slick videos about Jarvis, the digital butler that Zuckerberg coded from scratch for his 2016 personal challenge. The mini movie trailers touch on all those notes (likable, caring, innovative, good for humanity), but in a more subtle way than those overly cheery greetings that Facebook started serving at the top of your feed. In the spots, Jarvis, voiced by Morgan Freeman, helps Zuckerberg make toast, let his parents in the front door, and teach his daughter Mandarin. The videos are selling a sentiment: Artificial intelligence is useful, personal, and safe to use at home. Mark Zuckerberg is an approachable, nerdy family man and kooky inventor. When you think of AI, think of Facebook. Shortly after the ad's debut, Facebook posted a job listing for a video producer whose duties included helping Facebook's CEO. And it's not incidental that many of the people contacted by BuzzFeed News seemed allergic to acknowledging that Zuckerberg's transformation may have required help (or in some cases even that it took place). They will tell you, unprompted, that Mark is an incredible learner and an unparalleled listener. But ask what he learned from or who he listened to and they'll tell you you're missing the point. The point, you see, is that he learns and listens. People close to Zuckerberg are so deeply invested in Zuckerberg's appearance of authenticity that you can practically hear them erasing themselves from the picture. Which brings us to the listening tour and the manifesto. In both cases, Facebook seems to be capitalizing on something that Zuckerberg began organically. The manifesto started with the CEO himself, writing it on nights and weekends. (No comms team is going to ask for a 6,000-word treatise.) Then Facebook, a company obsessed with scale and infrastructure, seems to have grafted a promotional strategy on top of it. Zuckerberg has always argued that a for-profit company is the best way to do good in the world. And throughout both these efforts, the solution Zuckerberg suggests is often more Facebook, further centralizing his power. In fact, the listening tour is looking less like a presidential gambit and more like a focus group. Zuckerberg is not talking to military spouses about the defense budget or veterans affairs. He's not talking to Mother Emanuel church congregants about domestic terrorists and hate crimes. He's talking to them about the importance of community and, by extension, about Facebook. After lunch with military spouses in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, he noted that they use "a combination of Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Skype" to stay connected with deployed family members. (Zuckerberg's corporation owns three of the four technologies he named.)

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There are easier ways to appear woke than traveling across the country to talk about Facebook's weak spots. By the same token, the 6,000-word manifesto shows Zuckerberg beginning to grapple with Facebook's responsibility. But the letter was also widely interpreted as a public stand against nativism. (The New York Times said it "comes close to a political statement.") When boiled down, however, it read more like a product road map. Each section starts at 20,000 feet, but dwindles down to an upcoming Facebook feature  a feature that, if launched, will now get swept up into Zuckerberg's "globalization" crusade, instead of an aging platform's attempt to drive user engagement. Perhaps purposefully, Zuckerberg overshot his mark: Facebook users were asking him to fix fake news, and he responded with plans to fix global society. The social network's top brass has used this antiseptic approach before, during the campaign around Lean In, the self-help book for working women written by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, who is fending off her own rumors about running for president. Both Lean In and the listening tour appear to engage with a controversial issue, while glossing over Facebook's role (in the lack of diversity in tech and the lack of diversity of news information, respectively). Sandberg supported feminism the way Zuckerberg supports globalization: from so high in the clouds you can barely see if anything's changing on the ground. "They're very careful, very studious, they don't wanna rock the boat, like when they met with conservatives," Swisher said. "Some people might say, 'Oh, just tell them to shut up!' But they couldn't do that when, you know, all of them are Democrats and all of them are very liberal." "At the same time, you're this rich and this famous, you might want to stand for something." Maciej Cegowski, a tech CEO and critic who has been hosting Tech Solidarity meetups with industry employees around the country, said this approach is disingenuous considering all the data Facebook is sitting on, like information about micro-targeted campaigns that were run during the election to suppress African-American voters. "There's so much duplicity in how he writes about connecting the world," said Cegowski. "He has a really rich trove of data on people and he's still arguing from general principles about what is community." Facebook vice president Elliot Schrage, who, along with Sandberg, is one of Zuckerberg's advisers, laid out the strategy behind this in emails about the Oprah appearance that were obtained through public record requests. "Employ language that resonates well with a mass audience, without alienating potential adversaries," he wrote in 2010. "Our goal is to better explain objectives and avoid hot-button words if we can." When you're trying to appease American conservatives and Chinese officials at the same time, it's safer to throw out anodyne terms. "Advancing human potential" is less likely to raise hackles than "advancing charter schools," a cause that Zuckerberg has supported in the past, just as "globalization" is safer than "democracy" or "free trade" and "sensationalism" has more gravitas than "fake news." The CEO of Facebook doesn't need to run for office to benefit from the public perception that he's a thoughtful, politically engaged innovator building the scaffolding for the future of the global community. If anything, Zuckerberg's political agenda has been hiding in plain sight. He wants to win over the world to help his philanthropic interests. In an email to Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta that was later published by WikiLeaks, Sandberg  who was expected to serve as Hillary Clinton's treasury secretary if the election went a different way  implored Podesta to advise Zuckerberg on the best way to build "effective political operations" in order to advance public policy goals in areas like "immigration, education or basic scientific research."

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The United States, its allies and China are working together on a range of responses to North Korea's latest failed ballistic missile test, U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser said on Sunday, citing what he called an international consensus to act. H.R. McMaster indicated that Trump was not considering military action for now. "It's time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully," he said on ABC's "This Week" program. "We are working together with our allies and partners and with the Chinese leadership to develop a range of options." McMaster added: "There is an international consensus now, including the Chinese leadership, that this is a situation that just cannot continue." The Trump administration is focusing its North Korea strategy on tougher economic sanctions, possibly including an oil embargo, a global ban on its airline, intercepting cargo ships and punishing Chinese banks doing business with Pyongyang, Reuters reported last week, citing U.S. officials.

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While Trump has employed tough rhetoric in response to North Korea's recent missile tests, the new U.S. president's options appear limited in dealing with a challenge that has vexed his Oval Office predecessors. Most options fall into four categories: economic sanctions, covert action, diplomatic negotiations and military force. The North Korean missile blew up almost immediately after its test launch on Sunday, the U.S. Pacific Command said. Hours later, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence landed in South Korea for talks on the North's increasingly defiant arms program. His visit came a day after North Korea held a military parade in its capital, Pyongyang, marking the 105th anniversary of the birth of founding father Kim Il Sung. What appeared to be new long-range ballistic missiles were on display in the parade.

Rising tensions

Tensions have risen as Trump takes a hard rhetorical line with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has rebuffed admonitions from China and proceeded with nuclear and missile programs seen by Washington as a direct threat. Trump acknowledged on Sunday that the softer line he had taken on China's management of its currency was linked to China's help on the North Korea issue. "Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem? We will see what happens!" Trump said on Twitter. Trump has backed away from a campaign promise to label China in that way. South Korea said the North's latest show of force "threatened the whole world." But a U.S. foreign policy adviser traveling with Pence on Air Force Two sought to defuse some of the tension, saying the test of what was believed to be a medium-range missile had come as no surprise. "We had good intelligence before the launch and good intelligence after the launch," the adviser told reporters on condition of anonymity. "It's a failed test. It follows another failed test. So really no need to reinforce their failure. We don't need to expend any resources against that."The adviser said the missile's flight lasted four or five seconds.

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Pence, addressing an Easter service with American troops in South Korea, said the U.S. commitment to South Korea was unwavering. "Let me assure you under President Trump's leadership, our resolve has never been stronger. Our commitment to this historic alliance with the courageous people of South Korea has never been stronger." Pence was beginning a 10-day trip to Asia in what his aides said was a sign of U.S. commitment to its ally in the face of mounting tension. The U.S. nuclear-powered Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group is also heading to the region. China, which Trump has urged to do more to rein in North Korea, has spoken out against its weapons tests and has supported U.N. sanctions. It has repeatedly called for talks while appearing increasingly frustrated with the North. Beijing banned imports of North Korean coal on Feb. 26, cutting off its most important export. China's customs department issued an order on April 7 telling traders to return North Korean coal cargoes, said trading sources with knowledge of the order.

Trump's decision to order a cruise missile strike on a Syrian airfield this month, in response to what he said was Syria's use of chemical weapons, raised questions about his plans for reclusive North Korea. Pyongyang has conducted several missile and nuclear tests in defiance of U.N. sanctions, and regularly threatens to destroy South Korea and the United States. "The president has made clear that he will not accept the United States and its allies and partners in the region being under threat from this hostile regime with nuclear weapons," McMaster told ABC. But McMaster, who was speaking from Kabul, Afghanistan, acknowledged the likelihood of North Korean retaliation if Washington uses military force in an attempt to stop its weapons programs. "What (is) particularly difficult about - about dealing with this regime, is that it is unpredictable," he said.

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By some estimates, the recent delay of the hotly debated investor protection rule is costing investors billions in unnecessary fees. That's money that could be much better spent.

The "fiduciary rule," as it's also known, would require financial advisors to work in your best interest when handling your retirement money. Because of the delay in implementing the Department of Labor regulation, some advisers can continue to steer clients into products that may have higher fees and lower returns.

Those conflicts-of-interest cost American families an estimated $17 billion a year, according to a 2015 analysis by former President Barack Obama's Council of Economic Advisers  about equal to all of Wall Street's profits for 2016.

On the flipside, advocates for the financial services business, like the Investment Company Institute, which represents the mutual fund industry, cheered the postponement. Paul Schott Stevens, president of the ICI, said in a written statement that "additional time is critically needed" before the rule takes effect.

Here's what those sums look like in terms we can all relate to.
News / National

by Staff reporter

WAR veterans have temporarily shelved their bitterness with President Robert Mugabe and offered to back his wife, First Lady Grace Mugabe in her bid to wrestle the Harare South parliamentary seat from the incumbent, Shadreck Mashayamombe.Zimbabwe National War Veterans' Association (ZNLWVA) chairperson Christopher Mutsvangwa told NewsDay yesterday he had received calls from his members to consult on the possibility of supporting Grace's bid to take over the Harare South seat."It is true, ZNLWVA is busy consulting. They would want Harare South seat reserved for the First Lady.They are keen to go in full force to campaign for her," he said, adding they were prepared to forgive Grace and forge an alliance with her to frustrate the G40 faction."We are receiving calls from the membership offended by (Local Government minister Saviour) Kasukuwere's sinjonjo dance at Chiweshe rally last year. Ndiani asina tsika anotamba sinjonjo nemukadzi wasabhuku (who is that without manners who engages in indecent dance with the village head's wife)," Mutsvangwa said.War veterans fell out with Mugabe in July last year after they released a damning communique, where they described the 93-year-old Zanu PF leader as "genocidal and dictatorial".After months of frosty relations with Mugabe and his family, the former fighters said they now believed their enemy was not the Zanu PF leader, but leading figures in the G40, among them Kasukuwere and Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo.In a sudden turn of events, G40 senior figures have found themselves under attack from their matriarch, in what analysts believed could be a political re-alignment in the ongoing fight to succeed Mugabe.Kasukuwere has seen his political fortunes wane over accusations he has established parallel structures with a view to toppling Mugabe, while his erstwhile storm-troopers in the powerful women's league Sarah Mahoka and Eunice Sandi-Moyo have since lost their positions as treasurer and deputy politburo secretary respectively.Reports have indicated that Grace has set her eyes on Harare South and "told Mashayamombe to find another constituency".Mashayamombe, whose youths were reportedly involved in intra-party violent clashes at the weekend could not be reached for comment yesterday as his mobile phone went unanswered.Mutsvangwa said Grace could benefit from the mayhem within the G40 faction that has reportedly been pushing for her to take over from the ailing Mugabe."As the popular anger of rank and file of cadres forces the President and the politburo to act, First Lady may harvest a hitherto unimagined political windfall. A revolving door could see war veterans marshal their tried and tested political credentials, pedigree and acumen all to her benefit should she decide as mooted to go for the Harare South party primaries against the troubled Mashayamombe, who is now precariously hanging on the precipice," Mutsvangwa said.The war veterans' leader indicated that the former fighters were willing to labour to ensure a Grace-win."Indeed the choice is now entirely hers to make, after all it is now a no brainer to judge the flow of political winds and expeditiously dump the G40. She is still young and her political mis-steps are viewed as merely venal as opposed to cardinal by the war veterans. The latter have G40 firmly and squarely in their bull's eye. She is viewed as having an upside potential that can still be a positive force. Give it to her; she is not in the clutches of the unrepentant enemies of the nation Jonathan Moyo, Kasukuwere and (Patrick) Zhuwao," the ex-Cabinet minister said.Mugabe has also consistently called the former fighters to order and in his latest rant that solicited an angry rebuke from the war veterans, the Zanu PF leader last week told mourners at the burial of national hero Retired Brigadier-General James Murozvi that the fact that they fought in the liberation struggle gave them no right to dictate the country's leadership structure.
Baxter International shares fell Monday, the first trading day after the medical supplies company said one of its employees received a grand jury subpoena in a case about intravenous saline pricing and sales.

The stock dropped about 1.4 percent shortly after the open Monday but recovered about half its losses within the first hour. Shares of Baxter closed down almost 1 percent at $52.82 per share.

Baxter said Friday the subpoena, obtained by federal investigators, is "pursuant to a criminal investigation." It calls for the employee to produce documents and testimony related to pricing, shortages of Baxter's intravenous solutions "and communications with competitors regarding the same," the company said.

Baxter disclosed in February that the New York attorney general had asked for information about its business practices in the IV saline industry, and a class action lawsuit filed last year accused the pharmaceutical company of participating in a conspiracy of sorts to "fix" saline solution prices.

Revenues in the company's so-called fluid systems segment, which includes the intravenous saline sales being called into question, was $2.3 billion last year, representing slightly more than 25 percent of total sales.

The health-care company said in Friday's SEC filing that it is cooperating with this latest criminal investigation.
Hedge funds are betting more and more money against brick-and-mortar retailers.

Average short interest, or bets that shares will fall, for members of the S&P 1500 retailing group now stands at 13 percent of float , according to a report last week from Bespoke Investment Group. That's the highest level since December 2008.

"Not since the depths of the financial crisis have traders been more negative on the group," the Bespoke report said.

Traditional brick-and-mortar retailers have struggled to compete against Amazon and other online sellers that frequently offer lower prices and greater convenience for consumers shopping from home. But that trend has seemed to accelerate this year, and hedge funds are taking notice.

In the first quarter of this year, nine retailers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, matching the number of filings for all of 2016 and tracking for the highest annual figure since 2009.

Source: Bespoke Investment Group

Consumption itself has been sluggish. On Friday, the Commerce Department said U.S. retail sales fell 0.2 percent in March. The disappointing figure followed a downwardly revised 0.3 percent drop in February that marked the biggest decline in nearly a year.

The S&P 1500 retailing group closed Thursday within 2 percent of its all-time high hit this month.

"Even though it looks as though the Retailing Group has performed well over the last few years, practically all of the gains in the sector are the result of Amazon.com (AMZN) , Home Depot (HD) , and Priceline.com (PCLN) ," the Bespoke note said. "Outside of these three stocks, the vast majority of the group's members have been trending the other way."

Bespoke actually created a portfolio for clients to track the losses by stocks most vulnerable to Amazon's growing influence. The equal-weighted "Death By Amazon" index hit a four-year low on March 24.

Amazon.com itself hit an all-time high on April 5 and closed within 5 percent of that high on Thursday. U.S. markets were closed Friday for the Easter weekend.

Source: Bespoke Investment Group

The most shorted retail stocks, with short interest of more than 40 percent of shares available for trading, were luxury furniture seller RH (formerly Restoration Hardware), Rent-A-Center , Big 5 Sporting Goods , Fred's and Dillard's , Bespoke said.

J.C. Penney had short interest of 35 percent, Abercrombie & Fitch had short interest of nearly 30 percent and Nordstrom had short interest of almost 24 percent, according to the note.

Except for RH, all the above stocks are lower this year.

To be sure, Bespoke pointed out that short interest in the retail stocks was much higher during the financial crisis  close to 20 percent.

A Wells Fargo Securities survey of more than 500 people published April 10 showed more millennials prefer mall stores than nonmillennials , but that off-price was the top destination for just over half of both age groups.

 CNBC's Krystina Gustafson and Reuters contributed to this report.
Brazil's economy is showing signs it's climbing out of its two-year recession, and international investors are snatching up the country's stocks.

Economic activity in Latin America's largest country grew at its fastest pace since 2010, according to a central bank indicator. The IBC-Br index rose 1.31 percent in February, the bank said Monday, after an upwardly revised increase of 0.62 percent in the previous month.

"The economy will likely get to the end of this year with a meaningful growth rate," Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles said in Brasilia on Monday.

It's not just Brazilian officials who have high hopes for Brazil's economy this year, however.

Investors have also jumped on the bandwagon, pushing the iShares MSCI Brazil Capped ETF (EWZ) more than 11 percent higher this year, handily outperforming the S&P 500. The ETF rose more than 2 percent Monday and was on track to post its best session since March 15.

EWZ (blue) versus S&P 500 (green) in 2017

Source: FactSet

The Brazilian real is also rising against the U.S. dollar this year, advancing more than 4.5 percent. The currency also popped 1.3 percent Monday.

Brazil's most recent economic uptick comes at a time when the U.S. economy is showing signs of a slowdown.

The Labor Department said Friday that consumer prices fell 0.3 percent in March, marking the biggest drop since January 2015. Also Friday, the Commerce Department said retail sales dropped 0.2 percent last month, more than expected.

CNBC's Gina Francolla and Reuters contributed to this report.
Emergency workers were investigating a hazardous material spill at 's Gigafactory battery plant in Nevada on Monday, but there were no significant injuries and no threat to the public, authorities said.



"There was no threat to the public, no plumes or anything," said Joe Curtis, director of emergency management for Nevada's Storey County, who said the fire department was on the scene identifying the spilled hazardous material.



Curtis said the incident was isolated to a small area of the sprawling building located outside of Sparks, Nevada, which is ramping up production of batteries for the electric vehicle maker. Tesla did not immediately return an email seeking comment.
China has more options to pressure North Korea than people think, a former CIA China analyst told CNBC on Monday.

Dennis Wilder, a China specialist who served under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, said North Korea's massive parade in its capital Pyongyang on Saturday is an example of China's influence over the reclusive country.

"You'll actually see in that parade transporters that the Chinese provided to the North Koreans for their logging industry. That's just one indicator of the kinds of equipment Chinese continue to give to the North Koreans that frankly aids and abets the North Koreans and what they're doing," Wilder said on "Squawk Box."

Vice President Mike Pence on Monday visited the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea. He and South Korean acting President Hwang Kyo- ahn said they would strengthen defenses after the North's latest ballistic missile test, which failed on Sunday.

"All options are on the table," Pence said. "Just in the past two weeks we witnessed the strength of resolve of our new leader. North Korea would do well not to test his resolve." Pence was referring to President Donald Trump's cruise missile strikes on a Syrian air field and the use of the U.S.'s largest non-nuclear bomb against an Islamic State target in Afghanistan.

Pence said Trump was hopeful China "will take actions needed to bring about change in policy" in North Korea.

NBC News contributed to this report.
A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during the afternoon of May 7, 2014

Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell:

McDonald's  The stock was upgraded to "outperform" from "market perform" at Wells Fargo, saying mobile ordering will drive market share gains and that profit margins are improving for the restaurant chain.

Apple  Apple received a permit in California to test self-driving vehicles. Separately, there are conflicting reports on whether Apple is planning to become involved in the bidding for Toshiba's chip unit. Japan's NHK reports that Apple is considering a joint bid with supplier Foxconn, but the Financial Times reports there's no evidence that Apple plans to do so.

MoneyGram  The money transfer service got an improved takeover offer from Alibaba affiliate Ant Financial, with the new bid now worth about $1.2 billion compared to the original $880 million. That first bid was topped by Euronet Worldwide last month, with Euronet lobbying lawmakers to reject the Ant deal on national security concerns.

General Motors  GM will invest $14 million in a new research and development facility in San Francisco, adding more than 1,100 new jobs. The facility is focusing on the development of self-driving technology.

Facebook  Facebook shareholders have put out two proposals for the upcoming annual meeting  one focusing on the spread of fake news, the other on pay equality. Facebook's board has recommended votes against both proposals.

United Continental  The airline is changing its policy regarding the booking of its own crews onto flights, following the controversial incident in which a passenger was dragged off an overbooked flight.

Wal-Mart  The retail giant is reportedly in advanced talks to buy Bonobos, an online retailer of men's apparel. Recode reports that the two sides have agreed on a price, and that the transaction is in the due diligence stage. Retailer Nordstrom is an investor in Bonobos.

Alere  Alere will be bought by drugmaker Abbott Laboratories for a lower price than the two sides had originally agreed upon, after concerns by Abbott about the accuracy of various representations made by Alere in the original agreement. The new offer values Alere at about $5.3 billion, compared to the original $5.8 billion offer. Alere acknowledged misstatements in prior year financial statements in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

Fiat Chrysler  Fiat Chrysler is not in a position to seek any merger deals for now, according to CEO Sergio Marchionne. He said the automaker would now be focusing on executing its business plan.

Eli Lilly  Eli Lilly failed to receive Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for a new rheumatoid arthritis drug developed with partner Incyte . The FDA wants additional clinical data to determine the most appropriate dosages for the drug, a request which could delay the product's potential launch by more than a year.

Ford  Ford shares are inexpensive, according to a Barron's article, after falling 15 percent over the past year. The paper notes that Ford trades for only seven times projected 2017 earnings and has a dividend yield of 5.4 percent.

Fidelity & Guaranty  The insurer will not be acquired by China's Anbang Insurance as planned, according to a Reuters report. Anbang has not received the necessary regulatory approvals, according to sources.

Intel  The chipmaker has pulled out of a joint venture with Rackspace , which had been set to last through 2018. The venture was designed to encourage the use of OpenStack software technology, an open source competitor to Amazon's proprietary Web Services environment.

Amazon.com  Amazon may be interested in privately held warehouse retailer BJ's Wholesale, according to the New York Post.
Paul Manafort, Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, who has deep ties to Russia, is offering advice to a Chinese billionaire on how to win construction contracts for the US president's promised $1 trillion infrastructure buildout.

Mr Manafort met Yan Jiehe, the billionaire founder of Pacific Construction Group, in Shanghai last Tuesday. Ahead of the meeting, Mr Yan told the Financial Times that Mr Manafort  who has represented leaders from the Philippines to Angola to Ukraine  would help him navigate what is expected to eventually be a US infrastructure boom.

Speaking in a conference room decorated with Chinese classical paintings and overlooking Shanghai's financial district, Mr Yan pointed to a US map, as he outlined his ambition to win infrastructure deals in the world's largest economy. "The map that we've hung up here is for Trump's special envoy, Paul," Mr Yan said.

Mr Manafort referred an email seeking comment to his spokesman, Jason Maloni, who initially denied that the trip had been for business. He later said that Mr Manafort had been in China on business, but rejected any suggestions that his client was talking about infrastructure deals.

"The Pacific Construction Group was an impromptu meeting added to Mr Manafort's schedule at their request because the Chinese are interested in US infrastructure," said Mr Maloni. "However, his work does not involve any current or future infrastructure projects or contracts in the United States. As he has said before, he is not engaged in government affairs or lobbying for corporations, governments or individuals."

Mr Yan could not be reached for comment after the meeting. But another person familiar with the discussions said they "went smoothly" and that, after the meeting, Mr Manafort was taken on a riverboat tour of the river Huangpu, which runs through the Chinese commercial capital.

The person said, "Paul came seeking co-operation for concrete projects", and would be returning to China within a month for further talks. Mr Maloni said in response: "Paul was surprised that you seemed to have a more precise idea than he does about his own travel plans."

Pacific Construction is China's largest privately owned conglomerate by revenue and ranked 156 on the global Fortune 500 last year. Mr Yan and his family were sixth on the Hurun China Rich List in 2016 with wealth of $14.9bn. He serves as chief adviser, after handing control of the company to his son in 2011.

"I will not seek out Trump. He will seek me out. In the entire world, I am definitely the most ideal privately owned unit to invest in construction. In the whole world, there's not another company equal to Pacific Construction," said Mr Yan.

Mr Yan said Chinese construction workers were "the highest quality in the world" but argued that only his company had a chance of winning projects in the US because it was privately held. "America won't welcome a state-owned [construction contractor]. It needs to be a private enterprise," said Mr Yan.

Pacific Construction is noteworthy for having succeeded in a business that is otherwise dominated by state-owned enterprises. Communist party mouthpiece People's Daily labelled Mr Yan "China's number 1 wild man" for his outspoken criticism of Mao Zedong.

Mr Manafort ran Mr Trump's campaign for several months until he was replaced by Steve Bannon and Kellyanne Conway. He has come under scrutiny because of his Russia-related work, which included helping Viktor Yanukovich, the former pro-Kremlin president of Ukraine.

US media has reported that the FBI is investigating Mr Manafort as part of a probe into alleged Russian interference in the US presidential race and potential connections between Trump campaign aides and Russian officials. Mr Manafort told the Financial Times in February that he had "never" been questioned by the FBI. Asked whether that remained the case, he declined to comment.

A guest list for the meeting provided by a Pacific Construction employee identified Mr Manafort as former campaign manager for Mr Trump and "director of the Trump family office".

Mr Manafort's meetings in China were apparently not limited to Mr Yan. Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman of the Hurun Report, said he had received an invitation to an event at a private club in Shanghai with Chinese entrepreneurs and "some guy named Paul", in an apparent reference to Mr Manafort. Through his spokesman, Mr Manafort declined to comment.

"Chinese entrepreneurs are obsessed with everything to do with America at the moment. Everywhere else is second fiddle," said Mr Hoogewerf. "To be able to hook up with one of Trump's right-hand men is one of the things these entrepreneurs want."

Mr Hoogewerf added that, rather than a personal interest in Mr Trump, entrepreneurs were looking for investment opportunities in the US amid concerns about renminbi depreciation.

Additional reporting by Tom Hancock, Ma Nan and Xinning Liu
News / National

by Staff reporter

bath

FOUR people have been killed by crocodiles this month alone in Kana River in Jotsholo, Matabeleland North province with the latest victim being an 11-year-old boy who was killed last Thursday.The boy from Chief Mabikwa was attacked while bathing with two friends.After the attack, villagers teamed up and managed to kill the crocodile.Matabeleland North province police spokesperson Inspector Eglon Nkala confirmed the boy's death."The boy was herding cattle with two other boys near Kana River when they decided to. The boy was then attacked and killed by the crocodile while his two friends managed to escape," he said.Insp Nkala said the boy's body was found with multiple wounds.Kana village head, Mr Muziwakhe Ndlovu said four villagers have been killed by the crocodiles this month alone."The boy was the fourth victim of crocodiles from this river this month alone," he said.
President Donald Trump is not the only national figure weighing in on the special House election in a red Georgia district  the race has attracted more money and attention than the area ever has.

Trump jabbed at 30-year-old Democratic House candidate Jon Ossoff in a Monday tweet, saying the "super liberal Democrat" wants to "protect criminals, allow illegal immigration and raise taxes." The president's attack comes with Ossoff leading polls in an 18-candidate field as he tries to flip the traditionally Republican seat vacated by Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price.

The Georgia 6th District election, one of the first for Congress in the Trump era, has attracted more cash from around the country than the district has ever seen. Almost all of that money has gone toward helping  or directly opposing  Ossoff, a former congressional aide.
US Vice President Mike Pence (R) speaks to the media. Jung Yeon-Je | AFP | Getty Images

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will meet with Japan's Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso on Tuesday, kicking off talks in Tokyo that the White House hopes will open doors in Japan for U.S.-made products and attract Japanese investment for infrastructure projects in the United States. Tokyo is the second stop on Pence's 10-day tour of Asia, a trip aimed at emphasizing that U.S. President Donald Trump wants to boost U.S. trade in the region even though he killed the 10-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact shortly after taking office. "We thought it was important, particularly post-withdrawal (from) TPP, to let the region know that we haven't forgotten about them," a White House economic policy adviser, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters traveling with Pence. Advocates for the TPP, negotiated by former President Barack Obama and supported by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said it would have dramatically reduced tariffs on U.S. goods and opened new markets. The deal was supported by business groups, but U.S. labor interests argued it would hurt American workers and Trump said he could negotiate a better deal. Trump campaigned for office on an "America First" platform, saying he would boost U.S. manufacturing jobs and shrink the country's trade deficit with countries like Japan. Last year, Japan had a $69 billion trade surplus with the United States, the U.S. Treasury Department said, expressing concern over what it called the "persistence" of the imbalance.

watch now

Trump has in the past complained that Japan keeps its currency artificially low, though a Treasury Department report last week did not label Japan a currency manipulator. The issue is not expected to be raised in talks on Tuesday. Trump also vowed to renegotiate existing trade deals to focus on bilateral agreements rather than regional ones. Even the five-year-old Korea-U.S. trade agreement could come under scrutiny for "tweaks," the adviser said.

More talks to come

Trump and Abe agreed in February to have Pence and Aso, who is also Japan's finance minister, open an economic dialogue. The leaders are expected on Tuesday to agree on principles and a process for further detailed discussions between Japanese officials and the U.S. Commerce, Treasury, State and Agriculture Departments, as well as the U.S. Trade Representative, the adviser said. Pence and Aso are not expected to get into the details. Japan wants to avoid opening talks on a bilateral trade deal for fear of being pressured into opening up highly protected areas of its economy, such as agriculture. Tuesday's discussions will not prescribe a free-trade deal, though the talks eventually could lead to those kinds of negotiations, the White House adviser said. "We ultimately want this to be about, how do we get more American products to Japan?" the adviser said. Pence will meet Abe for a working lunch. They are expected to be joined by U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, in Tokyo for his own talks with Japanese Trade Minister Hiroshige Seko.

Indiana model

Pence developed ties with Japanese business and political leaders as governor of Indiana, a state that is home to Subaru , Honda and Toyota plants, and about 260 Japanese companies in total employing about 60,000 residents. "To some extent, we want to do for the United States what we did for Indiana," the White House adviser said.

watch now
Last year, Airbnb underwent a rough regulatory patch.

The short-term rental company became a Federal Trade Commission target last summer after three senators asked for an investigation into how companies like Airbnb affect soaring housing costs. In October, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York signed a bill imposing steep fines on Airbnb hosts who break local housing rules.

The two actions appeared unrelated. But one group quietly took credit for both: the hotel industry.

In a presentation in November, the American Hotel and Lodging Association, a trade group that counts Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide and Hyatt Hotels as members, said the federal investigation and the New York bill were "notable accomplishments."

Both were partly the result of a previously unreported plan that the hotel association started in early 2016 to thwart Airbnb. The plan was laid out in two separate documents that the organization presented to its board in November and January. In the documents, which The New York Times obtained, the group sketched out the progress it had already made against Airbnb, and described how it planned to rein in the start-up in the future.

The plan was a "multipronged, national campaign approach at the local, state and federal level," according to the minutes of the association's November board meeting.

The documents provide an inside look at how seriously the American hotel industry is taking Airbnb as a threat  and the extent to which it is prepared to take action against it.

In the past, hotel executives typically played down the privately held company's impact on the $1.1 trillion American hotel industry. As recently as December, a Marriott executive dismissed Airbnb as not "really making headway in the corporate environment, which is really our bread-and-butter business."

Yet there is now little mistaking that Airbnb is encroaching on the traditional hotel business. The company, which is based in San Francisco, was founded in 2008 as a way for people to easily list and rent out their spare rooms or their homes online. Since then, about 150 million travelers have stayed in three million Airbnb listings in more than 191 countries, according to the company.

Airbnb has raised more than $3 billion and secured a $1 billion line of credit, according to the research firm CB Insights. Brian Chesky, Airbnb's chief executive, has said the company could be ready to go public in a year. Investors have pegged Airbnb's value at around $30 billion; in contrast, Hilton's market capitalization is $19 billion and Marriott's $35 billion.

More on NY Times:

Uber Wants to Rule the World. First It Must Conquer India.

Hacking Group Claims N.S.A. Infiltrated Mideast Banking System Uber Wants to Rule the World. First It Must Conquer India Robert Taylor, Innovator Who Shaped Modern Computing, Dies at 85

All of that has hurt hotel operators. Airbnb has brought hotel pricing down in many places during holidays, conventions and other big events when room rates should be at their highest and the industry generates a significant portion of its profits, said Vijay Dandapani, chief executive of the Hotel Association of New York City, which works with the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

The industry's plan against Airbnb shows "the hotel cartel is intent on short-sheeting the middle class so they can keep price-gouging consumers," Nick Papas, a spokesman for Airbnb, wrote in an email. "With more than 250 government partnerships over the last year, we have shown our seriousness of purpose when it comes to putting in place fair rules."

The national hotel association said its push against Airbnb was not about the platform's financial impact on hotels.

"Airbnb is operating a lodging industry, but it is not playing by the same rules," Troy Flanagan, the American Hotel and Lodging Association's vice president for state and local government affairs, said in an interview.

The main prongs of the association's plan to constrain Airbnb include lobbying politicians and state attorneys general to reduce the number of Airbnb hosts, funding studies to show Airbnb is filled with people who are quietly running hotels out of residential buildings and highlighting how Airbnb hosts do not collect hotel taxes and are not subject to the same safety and security regulations that hotel operators must follow.

The group said it would focus its efforts in key markets, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Washington and Miami.

The efforts were spearheaded last year by Katherine Lugar, chief executive of the American Hotel and Lodging Association. The trade group began to form alliances with politicians, affordable housing groups and neighborhood associations. The industry also forged relationships with hotel labor unions  which it typically faces off against on many issues  about dealing with Airbnb.

In total, the association has a $5.6 million annual budget for regulatory work.

In New York, the association began working with local affiliates to lobby state legislators and the governor's office to adopt steeper fines for New York City hosts that list on Airbnb in violation of local law, a move that hotel operators had hoped would help increase their business.

The association also sought help from politicians in Washington. In its documents, the group said it had worked with Senators Brian Schatz of Hawaii, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Dianne Feinstein of California. The three Democrats sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission in July "raising concerns about the short-term rental industry," one of the hotel association documents said.

Ms. Feinstein's office referred requests for comment to Mr. Schatz's office. Mr. Schatz's office and Ms. Warren's office did not respond to requests for comment.

The association also met with legislators and attorneys general in dozens of other states to discuss how Airbnb hosts often do not comply with rules imposed on hotels, like anti-discrimination legislation, local tax collection laws, and safety and fire inspection standards. In some markets, the group said, Airbnb is dodging payment of local lodging taxes. In other places, it encouraged officials not to collect taxes from Airbnb hosts so as not to legitimize short-term rentals.

The association claimed legal and regulatory victories last year in Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles, as well as in states like Virginia, Tennessee and Utah, where laws were being passed to restrict Airbnb activity. The organization also funded research conducted by a professor at Pennsylvania State University to show that many Airbnb hosts were breaking the law.

"We are trying to showcase and bust the myth that Airbnb supports mom and pop and helps them make extra money," Mr. Flanagan, of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, said. "Homesharing is not what this is about."

This year, the association plans to fund more anti-Airbnb research and roll out a testimonial campaign of people hurt by home sharing, "to provide a counterweight to Airbnb's strategy of presenting a unified, working-class face," according to the group's documents. The campaign will be "a cornerstone of the 2017 communications strategy," it said.

Edward Walker, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles who focuses on grass-roots lobbying by businesses, said such a public call to mobilize against Airbnb was unusual. But because Airbnb itself has "quite effectively gotten hosts involved in its advocacy work," the hotel industry will have to break with conventional lobbying, too, he said.

The hotel association's efforts have succeeded in disrupting some Airbnb hosts. Sebastian de Kleer, owner of Globe Homes, a short-term rental company based in Los Angeles, had listed some of his properties on Airbnb for more than a year. But Airbnb canceled his Los Angeles listings from its site in March 2016 after the hotel association argued to local politicians that Airbnb hosts like Mr. de Kleer were raising the cost of housing in the city by renting out properties for short-term use rather than for long-term tenants.

"Because there was so much pushback here in Los Angeles, we got kicked off" Airbnb, Mr. de Kleer said. "That was $250,000 in reservations. It was not very professional."

Mr. de Kleer said he had since gotten over his removal from Airbnb in Los Angeles. He still uses the site to list his many properties in Palm Springs, Calif., where short-term rentals are common and are not controversial.
Elon and Kimbal Musk are iconic entrepreneurs. Was there something about the way they were raised that set them up for success? That's a question the younger Musk brother, Kimbal, now 44, ponders as he juggles his responsibilities as a board member of Chipotle and Tesla, the requirements of expanding his new farm-to-table restaurant Next Door and the raising of his own children.

Elon (Left) and Kimbal (Right) flank their younger sister Tosca, now a filmmaker, in a childhood photo outside their home in South Africa. Maye Musk |

Still, time isn't the most significant challenge he faces as a father. He has a harder time trying to recreate the urgency he experienced as an immigrant and first generation American. "If you can fight your way into this country, which is a very tough country to get into, I think you have a fighting energy and a fear of being sent home," Kimbal says.

I'm trying to figure out how to give them a sense of urgency. Kimbal Musk co-founder of The Kitchen

"So I don't know how you'd raise kids in America the same way, but because I've got kids, I'm trying to figure out how to give them a sense of urgency. I think my kids are going to do fine; they've got a good sense of urgency to them." Even before the Musks reached America, though, he acknowledges they were a little different. As enterprising children, Kimbal, Elon and their cousins roamed the wealthy parts of their Pretoria, South Africa neighborhood selling homemade chocolate Easter eggs door-to-door.

Three-year-old Elon Musk (Right) hugs his younger brother, Kimbal, in their childhood home in South Africa. Maye Musk |

"I'd make them for 50 cents and charge $10 for an Easter egg and I'd always get this question like, 'Why are you charging $10 for this little Easter egg?'" Kimbal recalls. "And I was like, 'Well, you're supporting a young capitalist. And the reality is if you don't buy it from me, you're not going to get one  and I know you can afford $10.'" "It was a funny sales pitch, but it worked." To an extent, he's seen that same drive in his 13-year-old son, who spends some of his time after school as an administrator for the popular children's game Minecraft. Though the role is unpaid, Kimbal believes it could become a business.

"If you're a young kid  get curious and you'll be amazed at how many things you can do on the side while you are at school," he says. Elon, by contrast, seems much more focused on improving and maximizing time spent inside the classroom. He created his own primary school in Southern California for his children called Ad Astra, Latin for "to the stars." "I hated going to school when I was a kid," the entrepreneur says of his experience in an interview for Chinese television. "It was torture." Elon advocates for catering to children as individuals with less structure and more emphasis on problem solving.

Kimbal, Tosca, and Elon Musk (Right) pose with their mother, Maye, before school in a childhood photo. Maye Musk |
North Korea revealed what appeared to be new intercontinental ballistic missiles at a military parade over the weekend, but that doesn't necessarily mean the country will use them.

First, it's not clear whether the missiles were real or mock-ups, but experts say the public display was at least Pyongyang's latest move in a game of nuclear brinkmanship with the U.S.

"It's very difficult to discern what's real and what's for show , but they certainly want to convey the impression that they have improved their nuclear capabilities," Frank Lavin, former U.S. ambassador to Singapore, told CNBC. The display was a message of military might after Washington strategically deployed an aircraft carrier group, the USS Carl Vinson, closer to the Korean peninsula, he continued.

The reclusive nation's military parade was aimed to celebrate the so-called Day of the Sun on April 15, which marked the 105th anniversary of the birth of founding father Kim Il Sung, the grandfather of current leader Kim Jong Un.

"Everyone has always underestimated what North Korea can do. ... This was North Korea's way of saying it can do more than expected," said Gabriel Stein, managing director of developed markets research at 4CAST-RGE.

The country has never tested an ICBM before.

"In some sense, this is a defensive crouch," said Stephan Haggard, Korea-Pacific Program director at the University of California San Diego, referring to the apparent ICBM display. Kim is basically saying Pyongyang will use weapons if under attack, Haggard said.

Despite North Korea's reputation for being unpredictable, Haggard believes Kim is actually cautious.

If Kim is test firing missiles or conducting a nuclear test on North Korean soil, he's not moving across the DMZ and directly threatening other countries, Haggard said. If North Korea had undertaken a nuclear test on April 15, that would have been way more provocative and would have likely elicited an American military response, he added.
Vice President Mike Pence visited the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea today, a day after Pyongyang's failed missile launch. Pence reiterated the U.S. "era of strategic patience" with the rogue nation was over. (Reuters)

The U.S., its allies, and China are working together on a range of responses to North Korea's nuclear weapons program, Trump National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster said, citing what he called an international consensus to act. (Reuters)

Sen. John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said tensions with North Korea "could be the first test, real test, of the Trump presidency." McCain added China will be "key" to addressing the problem. (NBC News)

North Korea revealed what appeared to be new intercontinental ballistic missiles at a military parade over the weekend. But experts said it's not clear whether the missiles were real or just mock-ups for show. (CNBC)

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan declared victory in Sunday's referendum to grant him sweeping political powers. But opponents said the vote was marred by irregularities and they would challenge its result. (Reuters)

Trump is expected to nominate former Treasury Undersecretary Randy Quarles as the Fed's top bank regulator, a position that needs Senate confirmation. (Politico)

Gary Cohn gave Richard Cordray, the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an ultimatum over dinner a few weeks ago: Go the easy way, or go the hard way. (Politico)

United (UAL) is changing its policy regarding the booking of its own crews onto flights, following the confrontation that led to a passenger being dragged off an overbooked flight. (Reuters)

In the wake of the United fiasco, Delta (DAL) changed its policy for bumping passengers off flights and would pay customers up to nearly $10,000 to voluntarily give up their seats. (CNBC)

Amazon (AMZN) may be interested in privately held warehouse retailer BJ's Wholesale. That's according to the New York Post. The private equity owners are looking for a $4 billion price tag.

Apple (AAPL) received a permit in California to test self-driving vehicles. Separately, there are conflicting reports on whether Apple is planning to become involved in the bidding for Toshiba's chip unit.

China's Ant Financial, an affiliate of Alibaba (BABA) has raised its offer for electronic payment firm MoneyGram (MGI), outbidding rival Euronet Worldwide. The Ant deal was unanimously approved by the American firm's board. (Reuters)

The eighth installment in the "Fast and the Furious" became the biggest worldwide debut of all time, besting both "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and "Jurassic World." Universal's "The Fate of the Furious" earned about $532 million worldwide over the holiday weekend. (AP)

Despite reports of haphazard planning, the annual Easter Egg Roll is taking place today at the White House. This year, of course, it will be hosted for the first time by the Trumps. (USA Today)

Tax filing procrastinators, here's a friendly reminder. Although Tax Day in the United States by law falls on April 15, this year the deadline lands tomorrow. So don't forget. (Fortune)
Chinese bike-sharing startup Ofo now says it is worth more than $2 billion.

CEO Dai Wei, a 26-year-old entrepreneur who named his firm Ofo as the letters look like a bike, revealed that figure in a conversation with CNBC. It's about double the last reports of the company's value  which came out less than two months ago.

Such a valuation isn't too shabby for a company that started about two years ago with its founders pooling private savings of 150,000 yuan ($21,800) to kick things off.

Dai, for his part, is unfussed about the value of his Beijing-based firm. He even seems unaware of how astonishing it is to reach that figure for a firm that's so young. What's important to him, he said, is what Ofo can do for consumers.

"When you set up a company, you have to solve the problem, you provide [a] service for the users," Dai told CNBC. "We have to figure out  what is the main problem we have to solve  that is more important than valuation."

The sky's the limit for Ofo: Over 3 million of the company's bright yellow bikes can be found in more than 50 Chinese cities, and their wheels have already rolled abroad to London and Singapore. By year's end, Ofo is targeting expansion to 20 countries, including Japan, Spain, France, Germany and the Philippines, Dai said.

"We think 'bicycle' is the global language," Dai said, pointing out that most of the world's population can ride a bike.

Ofo's dizzying rise is a testament to the giant bike-sharing battle that has suddenly unfurled through China's busy urban streets. Cities are now dotted with a rainbow of bikes, each color representing a different company. But as more firms crop up to help residents manage the sprawl and the traffic, the big question remains: When, and will, they ever be profitable? And how are they going to do that with bike rides that cost a couple of cents per whirl?

"The business model is a bit puzzling  It's very capital intensive, and they've got to maintain the bicycles," said Paul Gillis, a professor and co-director at Peking University's Guanghua School of Management. "With these low fares, I can't see how they could possibly be earning a positive cash flow at this point."
watch now

Donald Trump doesn't know what he's talking about. This became clear when he said he realized dealing with North Korea was "not so easy" after 10 minutes with the Chinese president. Dealing with complicated problems is an occupational hazard faced by outsiders in all fields  and there's never been a president who is more of an outsider to the realm of public policy. Consequently, a lot of his assertions about critical matters of public concern are based on ... nothing at all. As president, he is fitfully coming into contact with concrete policy choices, actual information, and well-informed people. And it's making a difference. That's the dynamic behind many of this spring's jarring policy reversals on backing out of NATO, Chinese currency manipulation, and relations with Russia. And to the extent that Trump is replacing ignorance with information and bad policy with good policy, it deserves to be celebrated rather than mocked. But the wild swings themselves are disturbing and have consequences. And Trump's actual habits around issuing ignorant pronouncements and failing to obtain sound information don't appear to have changed. Most fundamentally of all, Trump's laziness and ignorance leave him easily manipulated. More from Vox:

5 ways the North Korea situation could spiral out of control

7 reasons why today's left should be optimistic

The referendum that just brought Turkey closer to one-man rule, explained Some of the things he's "learned" since taking office aren't true, like when Paul Ryan convinced him Republicans had to do health care reform before tax reform. And as his equal-opportunity openness to both new information and new "information" become clearer to all interested parties, the race will be on to manipulate the president and incite further chaos in American public policy.

Trump didn't realize being president is complicated

Trump still hasn't learned how to learn

A lot of this is change for the better, but the fact that it keeps happening suggests Trump has not really internalized the key lesson. Peter Baker of the New York Times reports that "only after he publicly accused Mr. Obama of having wiretapped his telephones last year did [Trump] ask aides how the system of obtaining eavesdropping warrants from a special foreign intelligence court worked." One particularly chilling example of Trump's casualness about information gathering is that Michael Crowley and Josh Dawsey report he was asking aides for information about why Assad would use banned chemical weapons only after American Tomahawk missiles had destroyed Syrian military targets. The shocking truth is that it's probably Trump's own rhetoric about Syria in particular and chemical weapons in general that led Assad to think there would be no consequences for violating his 2013 agreement. A clearer and better-organized policy process could potentially have avoided the gas attack, the subsequent perceived need for a US military response, and the inevitable worsening of relations with Russia that resulted from it. The other turnabouts are also a little alarming. Like Trump, I am not deeply versed in East Asian security issues and long had a fuzzy impression that China could make North Korea do basically whatever it wanted. Then I went on a journalists' tour of China, organized by the Chinese government, during which Chinese officials argued fairly persuasively that this is wrong. But I didn't just take their word for it. Having had my thinking challenged, I went and checked to see if credible Western experts agreed  and indeed they do. After all, one problem with simply changing your mind after talking to a well-informed person is that lots of well-informed people are nonetheless wrong or pushing a partial agenda. In my experience, business lobbyists on both sides of the Export-Import Bank issue are deeply informed  better informed than I am, for sure  and make somewhat persuasive arguments. Trump tends to resolve this kind of situation by simply agreeing with the last person he talked to.

Trump is "learning" things that aren't true

The fundamental problem here is that what Trump "learns" is sometimes actually bad information. Baker also reported that before becoming president, Trump "had never heard of the congressional procedures that forced him to push for health care changes before overhauling the tax code." One reason Trump had never heard of these procedures is that he was not familiar with congressional procedure. But another reason Trump didn't realize that procedural rules in Congress forced him to push for health care changed before overhauling the tax code is that this isn't true. Since becoming president, Trump has several times referred vaguely to complicated statutory requirements that forced him to prioritize Obamacare repeal. His explanations of this are invariably fuzzy because in fact there is no statutory requirement for him to do health care reform before he works on tax reform. Instead, this "health care before tax reform" idea was simply Paul Ryan's legislative strategy. Ryan wants to pass a tax reform plan with a party-line vote, which means he needs to use the budget reconciliation process to avoid a Senate filibuster. You can't write a reconciliation bill that increases the deficit over the long term. So Ryan's plan is to repeal the Affordable Care Act  which, among other things, would sharply reduce taxes on the rich, but would avoid increasing the deficit since the cuts will be offset by spending less on insurance for the poor and middle class. Then, having locked that tax cut into place, Republicans could move on to a revenue-neutral tax reform using the lower revenue number as the baseline. Ryan has his reasons for wanting to do it this way, and those reasons to involve procedural arcana. But nothing is being forced on anyone here. It's simply a choice he made and then apparently tricked the president into endorsing.

Things are going to keep getting harder
News / National

by Staff reporter

The United States will only ease sanctions on Zimbabwe after there are demonstrable economic and political reforms, Washington's envoy said, after an African Union envoy maintained most of US's economic restrictions were impoverishing poor citizens.US ambassador to Zimbabwe Harry Thomas and the African Union (AU) ambassador to Washington Arikana Chihombori-Quao went head-to-head in a panel discussion on Thursday on the impact of Washington's sanctions on Harare.Under the administration of George W Bush, the US put sanctions on the government of President Robert Mugabe in 2003. The sanctions ban more than 250 Zimbabwean individuals and companies from doing business with the US.The sanctions were implemented "as a result of the actions and policies of certain members of the government of Zimbabwe and other persons undermining democratic institutions and processes in Zimbabwe".Thomas and Chihombori-Quao clashed during a Voice of America discussion titled "Zimbabwe 2018 elections and beyond."The AU ambassador said: "...it's a known fact that sanctions do not work and in fact they do affect the everyday women and children and in your position, if you say the sanctions are not making a difference in Zimbabwe, why not remove them?" Chihombori-Quao asked rhetorically.In response, Thomas reiterated that Zimbabwe's economy was in shambles due to poor policies and governance."...we are not responsible for the economy," Thomas said.This comes after Zimbabwe's Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa blamed sanctions for the cash crunch that has even forced government to delay payment of wages to soldiers and civil servants in recent months.Thomas added: "If you ask me if there have ever been an area where sanctions have affected people, I will say yes and where, but don't give me everyday, every person. Where it has happened is when people have tried to send remittances back and there have been overzealous compliance officers in the private sector who have thought, conflated sanctions with the ability to send money back home, and they have held that money," he said, referring to the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac) which regularly intercepts cash remittances without notice."We have always gone, not just me, but also my distinguished predecessors, to the department of Treasury who work with banks in order for people to get their money."That has been sometimes frustrating because it can take three months and sometimes people lose funds that are being sent back from their families that they badly needed. For that, that is a mistake and that is wrong and we work everyday to make sure that does not happen but we are not responsible for banks closing."If Zimbabwe had an optimistic economic situation, people would be wanting to establish businesses but nobody is going to establish businesses at a place where you can't get your money out," he said, referring to some Zimbabwean banks struggling to provide cash and limiting amounts to individuals and companies."... I feel that it's easy to blame others."Chihombori-Quao insisted sanctions were one of the challenges that were impeding development in Zimbabwe."If the sanctions are insignificant and are not contributing to the issues in Zimbabwe, why do we still have them? Remove them, and then there will be one problem out of many that would have been addressed," she said.Thomas responded: "Those sanctions were imposed by Congress, those sanctions would have to be lifted by Congress."Way before I came to Zimbabwe, in 2013, there were discussions with Zanu-PF and the US, EU about starting to remove sanctions in exchange for election observers, they were told no'. But the place to lobby for the removal of sanctions is on The Hill, that is the way it will have to be done and that is in response to not only improved economy but democracy and governance."The US supported Zimbabwe's economic reform, the Lima process, but two years in a row when the Finance minister gave his budget speech, he was reversed the next day. That wasn't by the United States or the EU or others, so my point is, there is a lot of things that need to be done internally but if you are interested in removing sanctions, you I'll have to demonstrate different performances to the senators and congressmen."Chihombori-Quao refused to accept the explanation and insisted that sanctions were destructive."... sanctions are one of the many issues that need to be addressed and I think it's an issue that needs to be acknowledged as a fact and not swept under the rug, that's all I'm saying," Chihombori-Quao said.Thomas said: "Ma'am, I think we will just always have to agree to disagree."
President Donald Trump extended an olive branch to Democrats when he pledged to support the controversial Export-Import Bank last week. But now, his nominees to lead the bank are angering both sides of the aisle.

Trump has named two former Republican congressmen to fill the empty seats on the bank's five-member board. One is a more traditional pick: Spencer Bachus is a moderate from Alabama who served as chairman of the influential House Financial Services committee during the Great Recession. But Trump selected former New Jersey Rep. Scott Garrett for the other seat. A founding member of the Freedom Caucus, Garrett has criticized the Ex-Im Bank as a symbol of Washington's "crony capitalism."

"It turns the economy into a biased actor that uses your taxpayer dollars to tilt the scales in favor of its friends," he said in a speech on the House floor in October 2015.

Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, one of the bank's most vocal supporters, was measured in her praise of Trump's decision. While she called filling the board a "positive step," she said she still has "reservations" about the nominees. Minority Whip Rep. Steny Hoyer (D.-Md.) was more direct.
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has done a complete about-face on the fear that artificial intelligence could "take over" humanity, he told CNBC's "Power Lunch" on Monday.

"I've totally changed my mind  We aren't talking about artificial intelligence that sits down and says, 'What is my life in the world? What do I have as obstacles? How do I solve them? What should I solve?'," Wozniak said. "Only humans do that."

Wozniak's position is a reversal from his comments a couple of years ago, when he told The Australian Financial Review that there was "no question" that computers would take over from humans, and that such a prospect would be "scary and very bad."

"What we are talking about for artificial intelligence hasn't gotten to that level of brain functionality yet," Wozniak told CNBC on Monday, calling it more like "semi-intelligence."

Despite swelling popularity of artificial intelligence, Apple hasn't made the splash with Siri that Amazon has made with Alexa, its artificially intelligent assistant. But Wozniak said Apple may be playing its cards close to the vest.

"A lot of other companies like Google have been more forthcoming and talking about what they're doing, Apple's tendency is to be quiet and shock you with what they come up with," Wozniak said. "These are going to be very important things in our future."

Wozniak  who founded Apple in a garage with Steve Jobs in 41 years ago  believes that the company will continue to grow larger and more dominant until at least 2075, according to an interview with USA Today. Wozniak is headlining the upcoming Silicon Valley Comic Con, an event that aims to unite pop culture and technology.

"It would be ridiculous to not expect them to be around (in 2075). The same goes for Google and Facebook, " Wozniak told USA Today on Friday.

One example of Apple's future with artificial intelligence could be in self-driving cars, Wozniak told CNBC on Monday. Apple has reportedly received a permit to test autonomous vehicles in California.
The man behind the billboards telling Elon Musk to "dump Trump" has revealed himself, and he is far from finished with his work.

Silicon Valley lawyer and venture capitalist Doug Derwin is funding a campaign to convince Musk, who heads both Tesla and SpaceX, to sever ties with President Donald Trump, according to Bloomberg.

Derwin has bought billboard space  including one outside Tesla's Fremont, California, factory  started a website, and took the $150,000 he had planned to spend on a new Tesla and donated it to the ACLU instead.

He says he plans to spend up to $2 million on the multi-pronged campaign, which he started because he believes Trump is using Musk to legitimize himself.

Read the full story at Bloomberg.
"Spicer is vying for the role of the media's No.1 punching bag over Trump himself. Even the question of who's doing the better impersonation on Saturday Night Live is a toss up. Is it Alec Baldwin as President Trump or Melissa McCarthy as Spicer?"

All of this is happening when the public seems to be showing a logical desire for calm assurances from the White House. The fact that Spicer's worst gaffe came during a briefing defending the U.S. bombing of Syria was a case of the worst possible timing. If the U.S. does get involved in a more sustained or dangerous military engagement, can the White House really risk letting Spicer shoulder the burden of presenting a calming and unifying message to the public? It's hard to even fathom.

Sure, the news media is being combative too and it should be challenged. But it needs to be challenged more skillfully and tactfully. Spicer isn't just adding to the animosity, he's committing perhaps the worse offense of a public relations professional by making himself the story.

Most good press secretaries in politics or public affairs experts in the private sector know that they can never outshine, for better or for worse, their bosses or their businesses. That's why so many White House press secretaries of the past spoke in monotone , didn't look overly flashy, and generally made the daily press room briefings relatively boring. It's a generally smart way to go in that line of work. And it's an easy rule to remember.

But Spicer is vying for the role of the media's No.1 punching bag over Trump himself. Even the question of who's doing the better impersonation on Saturday Night Live is a toss up. Is it Alec Baldwin as President Trump or Melissa McCarthy as Spicer?

Getting that kind of pop culture notoriety from Spicer's position isn't easy. And in this case, it's not leading to anti-Trump folks transferring their anger to someone other than Trump. Instead, it's just making the president look worse.

The best example actually comes from the right in the person of Washington Post conservative columnist Jennifer Rubin. Rubin has been one of President Trump's most virulent and enduring critics from the start. But instead of being distracted in her anti-Trump fury by Spicer, she's using his flubs as ammunition against the president as she did with this recent comment:

... we've never had a president like Trump, one lacking in the desire to 'get it right' and to learn what he needs to know. In that regard Spicer is the perfect reflection of the Trump White House  its boorishness and its cluelessness, its willful ignorance and its disdain for alternative, reliable sources of facts.

And here's the biggest problem for Spicer: he simply isn't showing the smarts that it takes to do his job properly. He's not shrewd enough to go for that more boring delivery, and he's not witty or engaging enough to win the crowd over with funny or erudite material either.

Those who think that no one could do a good job with President Trump in the White House are simply either too virulently anti-Trump or ignorant of what top level P.R. people do every day for private clients with much worse track records to defend.

And it's not that the people Spicer is facing in the press room are such great geniuses either, and they're far from being unbiased or fair when it comes to this White House. But he's making them look like great sages in comparison. Watching Spicer parry with the White House press corps every day is like watching a guy with a slingshot walk into a gun fight.

Those who think firing Spicer would somehow make President Trump look weak or too much like he's caving to liberal pressure need to think of the long game here. Sure, dumping Spicer might make the White House look bad to some critics for a few days. But the alternative is letting Spicer stick around and look bad for a few more years.

Mr. President, this is a no-brainer.

Commentary by Jake Novak, CNBC.com senior columnist. Follow him on Twitter @jakejakeny.

For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.
What does President Donald Trump need the most as tensions with the rogue leaders of North Korea continue to escalate? It's a simple but essential question to ask right now, and it has a simple and essential answer: Clarity. And so far, President Trump is actually providing it.

Low stakes endeavors are rare for any president of the United States. But that's especially true when military action is being considered or already underway. In those times, it's crucial for a president to be clear in his or her messaging. The public, and that includes America's allies and enemies, needs to know why military action is necessary and what the next steps may be.

The public is fully aware that Kim Jong Un is pursuing nuclear weapons and threatening the U.S. and our allies, so convincing them that something needs to be done is the easy part and will help guard against any "Trump is starting a war" nonsense.

The tougher job in this case is to ease concerns that tough talk might set off North Korea unnecessarily and lead to American military action in North Korea, or a much more serious military or economic conflict with China.

In what may be a surprise for those who consider President Trump to always be overly boorish and combative in his messaging, he's doing it right so far. This is especially the case with the way he's diplomatically framed the handling of North Korea as something where China can play a positive role:

But another side of the Trump administration's messaging clarity is harsher, and necessarily so. That would be Vice President Mike Pence's statement Sunday that the "era of strategic patience" is over with North Korea.

The decision to send the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier group into the waters off the Korean Peninsula is clearer still. For those who cling to the idea that no provocation or tough talk concerning North Korea is going to produce good results, the last 20+ years stand in stark contradiction to that belief.

Softer talk and action in relation to Kim Jong Un and his late father for many years have resulted in this nuclear threat from Pyongyang. No one can reasonably argue that what the situation needs now is more of the same.

That leaves us with the question of what comes next.

President Trump has been letting the public know that he's still working with China to resolve the threat, again providing a clear message to the public.

Going into detail about what he'd do militarily runs contrary to Trump's oft-repeated boast that he doesn't believe in telling our enemies when and how he's going to attack them. That should not preclude him from assuring the American people that he isn't looking for a massive invasion or longstanding engagement in the area.

At this point the most important thing for Trump to do is to keep doing what he's doing: Working with China and making public as much of that work as possible. He needs to remind everyone that North Korea cannot be allowed to threaten everyone in the region and beyond. And he needs to continue to show that he trusts the U.S. military to handle the situation properly even as it enters hostile waters.

While President Trump adjusts his positions on so many other topics like trade, health care, and Russia, he's remained steadfast and clear in regards to North Korea. And that's exactly what the world has needed for a long time when it comes to the glorified gangsters running things in Pyongyang.

Commentary by Jake Novak, CNBC.com senior columnist. Follow him on Twitter @jakejakeny.

For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.
In the aftermath of the abominable incident, allow me to offer some thoughts about customer service, company cultures and the underlying sick process of regulatory capture.

I'm a recovering Parisien. You know the type, sarcastic, seen-it-all, Gauloise hanging from the lower lip. (There are enough tribe members to sustain a site that sells related paraphernalia.)

True Parisian shopkeepers are dismissive of pesky customers unless they're regulars, members of the circle. Our rue du Bac butcher once steered me away from a cut: "No, this one's for the clientele de passage'', passers-by he'd never seen before and would never see again.

When I was selected to run Apple France more than three decades ago, I had a disdainfully Parisien attitude to customer service. You inserted an interface card backwards and your Apple II no longer boots? Well of course it doesn'tyou did it wrong.

After a few combative customer service encounters, I experienced an epiphany: No matter how "wrong" they may be, we're a prosperous business, we can afford to take care of these situations, but we can't afford to let unhappy, affronted customers damage our reputation.

Whenever a call was escalated to my office, I would immediately offer to buy back the customer's machine. The offer was always emphatically declined, so we moved on to arrangements for shipment or perhaps a personal appointment at our service shop. Our business concluded, I would ask if the happy caller had children: "Yesbut why?" "For the t-shirts, of course, a small thank-you for bringing your problem to our attentionwhat sizes would you like?"

A stray behaviorist in our ranks protested that I shouldn't condition customers to complain, that it would result in more and more jeremiads. I disagreed, claiming that people don't actually like to complain, and, indeed, we never had any scheming or deranged kvetchers.

Over time, a customer service theorem emerged. When a customer brings a complaint, there are two tokens on the table: It's Nothing and It's Awful. Both tokens are always played, so whoever chooses first forces the other to grab the token that's left. For example: Customer claims something's wrong. I try to play down the damage: It's Probably Nothingare you sure you know what you're doing? Customer, enraged at my lack of judgment and empathy, ups the ante: How are you boors still in business??

But if I take the other token first and commiserate with Customer's complaint: This Is Awful! How could we have done something like this? Dear Customer is left with no choice, compelled to say Oh, it isn't so badcertainly not the end of the world..

It's simple, it works.even in marriages, I'm told.

There's no downside to taking the It's Awful position. If, on further and calm investigation, the customer is revealed to be seriously wrong, you can always move to the playbook's Upon Further Review page.

Which leads us to United Airlines' customer service catastrophe last week.

It started simply. United Flight 3411 was sold out (not overbooked) and all passengers were seated. At the last moment, four United personnel needed to be ferried from Chicago to Louisville and the ground staff dutifully asked for volunteers to cede their seats.

By Federal Regulation (good luck trying to parse those if you're not an attorney), airlines can offer up to $1,350 plus "other considerations" for each volunteered seat. The auction started, nobody budged; the offer was sweetened, still nothing. For reasons unknown, the compensation stopped at $800 (some say $1,000) and United staff selected four passengers using a secret sauce algorithm.

Three of the "volunteers" disembarked without incident, but the fourth, Dr. David Dao, politely declined.

That's when United's staff made a costly mistake, one that's likely to be measured in hundreds of millions of dollars: They asked Chicago Aviation Security to forcibly remove the "offending" passenger. The video of a bloodied Dr. Dao being dragged in the aisle has been seen millions of times around the world. He ended in the hospital with a concussion, a broken nose and two broken teeth.

It's tempting to focus on United's ground staff  what were they thinking?  but the bigger problem is United's culture, the system of restrictions and permissions that denied the staff the authority to up the volunteer ante yet granted them power to ask for the violent removal of a customer. And in questions of culture, top management is the real culprit. United staff in Chicago showed poor judgment, but their bosses are guilty of having fostered a culture where this behavior is possible if not encouraged.

Speaking of management, we now turn to United CEO Oscar Munoz and his incomprehensible handling of Dr. Dao's brutal removal. In a letter to United employees, Munoz reassured his troops that he stood behind them, and that while he "deeply regret[s] this situation", United "had no choice" but to manhandle the"disruptive and belligerent" Dao.

Unsurprisingly, Munoz's message was universally panned for its tone-deaf, Orwellian language. As Time magazine asked, "United Airlines 'Reaccommodated' a Passenger. Is That the Euphemism of the Year?"

What should he have said? "This is Awful. How could we have let something like this happen? As CEO, this is on me, this was on my watch." There's always time to discover more facts once the dust has settled and re-apportion responsibilities, but by relying on questionable sources  i.e. the United employees, themselves  Munoz jumped to the wrong conclusions and blamed the victim.

More than 48 hours after the beating, Munoz offered a stronger apology, close to what he should have said in the first place: "This shouldn't have happened and I'll make sure it never happens again."

Some say Munoz should fire his head of PR. No. As CEO, Munoz has final edit on all of the company's PR drafts; he's the one who let the damaging statements go out. (Supreme irony: Just a few weeks ago, PR Week magazine gave Munoz its Communicator of the Year 2017 award.)

In the meantime, United stock has taken a beating, as has the company's already so-so reputation. Besides the video viewed around the world and the deserved jokes ("Welcome to Southwest, where we beat our competitors, not our passengers"), there will be one or more costly lawsuits.

As expected, politicians are jumping into the fray, demanding answers, pointing fingers. The grand prize goes to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie who wants U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to end airline overbooking. This is the same Chris Christie whose Bridgegate scandal cost Oscar Munoz's predecessor his job. I'm not making this up; see here.

This leads us to the second and more important culture layer: Regulatory capture.

What do our elected solons do once they get to Washington? They love their jobs and their taxpayer-subsidized healthcare and pension. So, they immediately start raising money for reelection. They don't ask average schmucks for money; they go to lobbyists for pharma, Wall Street, insurance, telcos, energy conglomeratesand airlines.

As their part of the courtship, our officials push through the regulations that these companies and industry groups have paid for (and written?), and kill the proposals that they don't like. Indirectly but indisputably, our representatives give the service industry permission to treat paying customers with condescension and abuse. Let's make no mistake, the reaction to the United beating of Dr. Dao is a testament to a powder keg of frustration with airlines' obfuscating rules and customer-hostile behavior. (United's Contract of Carriage, the 38,000 words document that describes its terms of business, is available here, enjoy!)

How many beatings do we need before oligopolistic US airlines change their behavior and treat us as the customers who pay their people's salaries and execs' compensation?

 JLG@mondaynote.com

Read the Monday Note, now in its 10th year. A weekly free (speech) and free (beer) look at the world of tech.

This story originally appeared on Monday Note, and is republished here by permission.
Luke Sharrett | Bloomberg | Getty Images

A 36-year-old woman was working on her taxes with a tax preparer Friday morning when a green box popped up on the computer screen: "Taxpayer's Social Security number is not valid." This wasn't a surprise. The woman was an undocumented housekeeper from El Salvador who had come to file her tax returns at Casa de Maryland, which hosts two federally subsidized tax centers that help low-income workers file their taxes for free. Read more from Vox: Courts halt Arkansas's plan to execute 8 people in 11 days Europe could have the secret to saving America's unions Democrats are being pressured to support a "bipartisan" carbon tax bargain no Republicans support So far this year, the group has helped 198 unauthorized immigrants file their taxes. While the woman and her tax preparer, Earvin Gonzalez, worked, about a dozen immigrants clutched folders full of receipts and tax paperwork and waited patiently in line for their turn. Unauthorized workers aren't eligible for benefits like the earned income tax credit  which is what the green box on the screen was warning Gonzalez about. Nor can they get Social Security or Medicare. But the IRS still wants unauthorized immigrants to file their taxes, and many of them do. The best estimates from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a Washington, DC, think tank, suggest about half of undocumented workers in the United States pay income taxes. Filing taxes helps immigrants create a paper trail to show when they entered the country and how long they've been contributing tax dollars. Many are hoping it will help them get legal status one day. That has happened in past reform efforts, and one of the first requirements is usually to prove that a person has been paying taxes. That was the case for the undocumented youth granted temporary work permits under President Obama's deportation-relief program, known as DACA. With the new administration's fixation on a border wall, however, their chance of getting papers is more remote than ever.

How unauthorized immigrants pay their taxes

Maria, whose name is being withheld because of her immigration status, handed a folder with tax documents from two jobs to Gonzalez. Her W-2 showed that a housecleaning company paid her $17,288 last year. The Social Security number on the W-2 form is made up, Maria tells me, because she doesn't have one. Her employer never asked for identification to verify it, she says. Instead, she has an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), created by the IRS in 1996 so people who aren't allowed to work in the United States could still file taxes on any money they earned. (The IRS does not share ITIN information with immigration authorities.) The agency doesn't break down the number of tax returns filed this way, but in 2010, it reported that about 3 million ITIN holders paid more than $870 million in income taxes. There are currently about 12 million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States, including children and the elderly. Maria said she applied for an ITIN number shortly after arriving illegally in the United States from El Salvador in 2009. People told her that having a record of paying taxes would help her adjust her status if immigration reform happened and she was given a path to citizenship. Comprehensive immigration reform failed in Congress, but Maria is still paying her taxes every year. "I think it's important, and all my relatives pay their taxes too," she said. This year, her documents included two 1099 forms, for work Maria did as a contractor. "What kind of jobs were these?" Gonzalez asks her in Spanish. "After cleaning houses, I would go lay concrete in parking lots," she says. Those two jobs brought in a total of $24,845 last year, and Maria still needed to pay taxes on that income. Gonzalez entered some deductions, such as the $1,500 she spent on equipment to pour and level concrete and the 12,000 miles she drove between job sites. Maria, who is a single mom, claimed two dependents: her 16-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter. With her ITIN number, she was able to claim child tax credits, but not the earned income tax credit, the major federal tax credit for low-income working families. In the end, Maria owed $1,131 in income taxes to the state of Maryland and $775 to the federal government. She said she had some money saved up, because she knew she would have a tax bill at the end of the year from the contracting jobs. But she said she will probably get on a payment plan with the IRS. If Maria had qualified for the earned income tax credit, her tax bill would probably have been about $500 lower.

How unauthorized immigrants end up helping Social Security
The United States is trying hard to get China to engage in talks with North Korea, but that probably won't happen until North Korea agrees to suspend its nuclear program, retired U.S. Army Colonel Jack Jacobs told CNBC on Monday.

"We're getting closer and closer to a real crisis and that's because for decades we ignored the problem," the Medal of Honor recipient said in an interview with "Closing Bell."

On Monday, Vice President Mike Pence said the "era of strategic patience" with North Korea was over.

"Just in the past two weeks, the world witnessed the strength and resolve of our new president in actions taken in Syria and Afghanistan," Pence said. "North Korea would do well not to test his resolve or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region."

Tensions have been escalating following repeated North Korean missile tests and concerns that it may soon conduct a sixth nuclear bomb test in defiance of U.N. sanctions.

Former Defense Secretary William Cohen, meanwhile, thinks China is dragging its feet when it comes negotiating with North Korea. He said the country doesn't want to see a unified Korea with military presence on its border.

However, "that's something that you can sit down and work out if the Chinese are willing to put the kind of pressure that needs to be put on the North Koreans," he told "Closing Bell."

Cohen thinks it is in China's long-term interest to have a unified, demilitarized Korea, especially with South Korea being one of China's biggest trading partners.

That said, he doesn't see that happening in the short term.

"The North Korean regime is a criminal enterprise. They are extortionists. They are saying feed me, fuel me, employ me before I test again or kill again," he said.

"That has reached a point where this administration has said, 'We're not going to play that game anymore,' and so we're asking China to really have an impact in terms of what food and fuel and employment their providing to the North Koreans," he added.

Jacobs agreed that unification may be a long-term outcome but said the first step needs to be getting rid of the nuclear weapons.

"We have to remember the North Korean government is a continuing criminal enterprise. The thing they fear the most is not being in power. China is very much concerned with destabilization of Korean peninsula. That comes with the North Korean's government falling to pieces under pressure from anybody."

Reuters contributed to this report.
Clifton Park, NY >> A recent panel discussion on diversity lead by local teens offered a voice to two groups that are many times misunderstood.

Real Talk: Diversity was another in a series of programs from CAPTAIN Youth and Family Services CAPTeens.

The evening offered the teens and the nights three panelists an opportunity to promote awareness, reduce barriers and build bridges as part of the ongoing effort at inclusion of cultural, racial and ethnic diversity in the southern Saratoga County community.

The March 23 program at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library in Clifton Park drew an audience of about 60 people, a majority of them were teens. The workshop was sponsored by CAPTAIN, the library, and the Shenendehowa School District.

The panel featured Kamryn Wolf, a program and volunteer coordinator at The Pride Center, Fazana Saleem-Ismail, a member of the Capital District Coalition Against Islamophobia, and Melanie Trimble, chapter director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, Capital Region Chapter.

As the trio took questions from a pre-selected group of CAPTeens, they made clear that the Capital Region community has a wide range of people with differing views on how one is to live their life, and that community is growing.

At the start of the program, the questions from the teens were opened ended. Very quickly, however, the questions got more direct.

Saleem-Ismail was asked what it means to be Muslim and Wolf was asked to present an overview of the LGBTQ & gender non-conforming community. Trimble was asked about the chapters legislative goals for the year.

In answering the question of what it means to be Muslim, Saleem-Ismail described a school incident three years ago with her then seven-year-old daughter. The second grade class had been asked to do a report and the teacher had approved the girls request to do one on Ramadan, a religious observance practiced by Muslims.

The young girl wrote out the report in second grade script. It was a 10-page booklet with hand drawn pictures.

She really owned it, Saleem-Ismail said. When she came home that day I asked how it went and she said OK, but nobody clapped for me.

Three years later, now in the fifth grade, the daughter expanded her answer to her mothers question on how the report had gone.

When she was done reading it a little boy had asked her if her parents were bad and did they do bad things, Saleem-Ismail said. My heart sank. She had kept it in for three years and more importantly, I knew the boy was hearing that at home. I knew I needed to go out there and educate people.

In giving an overview of the LGBTQ and non-conforming gender community, Wolf discussed the issues of gender identification, sexual orientation and sexual expression.

I grew up with a strong moral compass and I gave my teachers and my parents a hard time because I was always protesting, Wolf said. But after I moved to New York City and being a white person and being someone with class privilege you have to be not looking around to not do something. When you talk about what liberation looks like and what justice looks like you realize it has to be for everyone. It just cant be for the white, class privileged, non-binary, queer people like me. It has to be for everyone

In her turn, Trimble listed 12 legislative goals or bills the chapter would like to see passed this year. Included in the list was the gender non-discrimination bill, a law that protects an individuals smart phone from criminal investigation, a law that requires police departments to maintain good records and the Reproductive Health Act in case the Rove v. Wade decision is overturned.

Most of the students questions were directed to Wolf and Saleem-Ismail.

In an extended answer to a question on the most common misconceptions of Muslims, Saleem-Ismail said Muslim women are not oppressed, Allah means God in Arabic, the hijab is not forced on Muslim women and the word jihad translates to a struggle to be a better person.

Violent Muslims use the word jihad to promote violence and Islamophobes point to them and say jihad and Muslims are violent,' she said. Thats why we need to educate people.

When the panelists were asked how someone can become an ally, Wolf suggested people read and educate themselves.

Be constantly learning, acknowledge mistakes, learn, change, move on, Wolf said. Recognizing that this is a long haul fight is big. The little things you do can show in a big way. Just little things.

Pointing to negative information on social media, Saleem-Ismail suggested people counter it with facts.

More people speaking out on behalf of others is whats needed, she said. We need to speak out on injustice to any group. The more people are interested in learning the more it expands our horizons and the better equipped we are to build bridges.

Shen superintendent L. Oliver Robinson attended the presentation and noted the change in the districts enrollment. Where a dozen years ago the student population was 93 percent Caucasian it is now 77 percent.

Lets stop being indifferent about diversity, he said. I want people to come to this community because they can be who they are. Our differences must truly be our strength.

CAPTAINs youth development manager Michelle Smallwood said the organization and the teens chose the topic of the workshop to address what they saw as a need.

With everything going on we decided we needed to come together as a community and have a conversation on how we as individuals can make a difference and build bridges, she said. Our thought was, for whoever came here tonight, this was an important dialogue.
News / National

by Simbarashe Sithole

A motorist driving a Nissan Serena crashed and uprooted a telecommunications pole in Mvurwi this morning after failing to negotiate a curve.The accident happened at Harare-Centenary turn off.An eyewitness said: " the turn-off has become a black spot now, many accidents in Mvurwi are recorded there."
More than 60 pounds in gold bars believed looted by Iraqi soldiers during the invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 were recently discovered inside a tank that a British-based collector of military hardware. Mechanic Todd Chamberlain is shown pulling out one of the gold bars.

More than 60 pounds in gold bars believed looted by Iraqi soldiers during the invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 were recently discovered inside a tank that a British-based collector of military hardware purchased on eBay for 33,000 (approximately $41,339 in U.S. funds).

Based on a current gold spot value at $1,284 per ounce, the value of the gold bars, each weighing more than 12 pounds, exceeds $1.2 million. The bars were turned over to local authorities while a determination is made whether the buyer of the tank, Nick Mead from Tanks-A-Lot in Helmdon, Northhamptonshire, England, can keep the unexpected treasure found inside.

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The eBay seller, Joe Hewes, 23, never discovered the gold during his restoration of the tank, an ex-Iraqi Army Type 69 that was a Chinese copy of the Soviet T-55 medium tank. The tanks were sold in large numbers to the Iraqi Army during the 1980s.

The Type 69 was armed with a 100-millimeter main gun and a 12.7-millimeter machine gun.

Mead chose to videotape his mechanic Todd Chamberlains examination of the tank, looking for ammunition that might be contained inside, but never expecting to find gold bars instead.

Collectors crave variety in their coins: Inside Coin World: While 20th and 21st century coin varieties share very few characteristics of older varieties, collectors have a wide range of coins to choose from..

Meads video, which is linked to this article, records Chamberlains removal of the five bars, one by one, with later footage documenting the weighing and recording of each bar.

Six months after the end of the war, Iraqi authorities returned 3,216 gold bars under United Nations supervision.
The Monnaie de Paris new commemorative coins mark the World War I centennial. Three 2017 Modern Warfare coins, due for release May 5, compose the fourth annual issue in a larger Great War series that began in 2014 from the French Mint.

The Monnaie de Paris new commemorative coins mark the World War I centennial.

Three 2017 Modern Warfare coins, due for release May 5, compose the fourth annual issue in a larger Great War series that began in 2014 from the French Mint.

Technological innovations in warfare were major achievements during 1917, with air and tank power playing newer and larger roles in fighting, according to the Monnaie de Paris.

The year was also notable for the addition of U.S. soldiers to the fight, when President Woodrow Wilsons request for a declaration of war was approved by Congress.

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All the Modern Warfare coins share a common design, save for the denomination indicated on the reverse.

The obverse of the coins show families coming to see planes take off, a true attraction at the time.

A plane is already in the sky between the poppy and the cornflower whereas ace fighter pilot Georges Guynemers SPAD biplane is about to take off.

The reverse of the coins show the plane flying over a battlefield dominated by two Saint-Chamond tanks, as 1917 battles were the first where French tanks were brought into action.

Collectors crave variety in their coins: Inside Coin World: While 20th and 21st century coin varieties share very few characteristics of older varieties, collectors have a wide range of coins to choose from..

An American soldier in the foreground represents the entry of the United States to the war.

The cornflower became a symbol of the war to the French soldiers because it was often the only colorful thing that would grow in the ground that was converted to trenches, according to the Monnaie de Paris. The use of trenches was a significant development of warfare realized during World War I.

The Proof .900 fine silver 10 coin weighs 22.2 grams, measures 37 millimeters in diameter, and has a mintage limit of 5,000 pieces.

The Proof .999 fine gold 50 coin weighs 7.78 grams, measures 22 millimeters in diameter, and has a mintage limit of 1,917 pieces.

The Proof .999 fine gold 200 coin weighs 31.10 grams, measures 37 millimeters in diameter, and has a mintage limit of 500 pieces.

Distributor Royal Scandinavian Mint carries the silver coin, but pricing was unavailable at press time.

The Monnaie de Paris will offer the 50 coin for 495, and the 200 coin is scheduled to cost 2,100.

To order the silver coin, visit the distributors website.

Contact the Monnaie de Paris online.

The series continues into 2018 to mark the centennial of the conclusion of World War I. Coin World will report on future coins as news becomes available.
[April 16, 2017]

121st Canton Fair Kicks off in Guangzhou

Upgraded Exhibitions and Events to showcase 2017 market dynamics in international trade

GUANGZHOU, China, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The 121st Canton Fair officially opens at April 15. From April 15 to May 5 at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou, Canton Fair launches new product areas while at the same time hosting a series of events to offer an outlook for current international trade market.

The exhibition is accommodating over 20,000 exhibitors from around the world. An estimated number of 200,000 buyers from 210 countries and regions are expected to join the 121st Canton Fair where they can access more than 60,000 exhibition booths.

50 exhibition zones with 16 product categories gathering world's signature products

The 121st Canton Fair will host 3 phases of exhibitions to cover industries such as:

- Electronics & houseold electrical appliances









A highlight of this exhibition is 124 designated product areas in 27 zones that will help buyers reach their targets more easily and improve their overall sourcing experience.

For more information on exhibition layout please visit: http://i.cantonfair.org.cn/en/index

Wide coverage of cross-border operation topics for international trade

The 121st Canton Fair will also host more than 60 meetings and forums for buyers that will help them improve overall corporate and sales performance.

Event topics are as follows:

- Industry summit

- International market

- Creative design

- Branding

- Fashion and trend

- Technology research & development

- Local promotion

- Corporate operation optimization.

Meanwhile, The Canton Fair Design Awards will be hosted during the fair. Participants are from 98 design institutions and 9 fashion design brands from 12 countries and will demonstrate their designs on site.

For more information on event schedule, please visit http://cantonfair.org.cn/en/conference/schedule_121.shtml

"During Canton Fair's 60 years of history, the trade show is constantly exploring new topics for buyers in response to the current economic environment," said Xu Bing, spokesperson of the Canton Fair and Deputy Director General of China Foreign Trade Centre.

"We wish more global players can join us on this journey to shape the international trade industry together."

About Canton Fair

The China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, is held biannually in Guangzhou every spring and autumn.

For more information, please visit: http://www.cantonfair.org.cn/en/index.aspx

Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20170417/1826479-1
Dennis Gates' career lessons lifted Mizzou Monday, and will again in 22-23
[April 16, 2017] Reed Exhibitions Japan' 26th Japan IT Week Spring

TOKYO, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Reed Exhibitions Japan will be holding the 26th edition of Japan IT Week Spring from May 10-12 at Tokyo Big Sight, Japan. The show is the largest annual business platform in Japan for IT professionals, covering various sectors of IT ranging from microprocessors to the latest applications. This year 91,000 professional visitors and 1,600 exhibitors will gather across 13 exhibitions; Software & Apps Development Expo (SODEC), Big Data Management Expo (BIG DATA Spring), Embedded Systems Expo (ESEC Spring), Data Storage Expo (DSE), Data Center Expo (DATA CENTER Spring), Information Security Expo (IST Spring), Web & Digital Marketing Expo (Web-Mo Spring), Cloud Computing Expo Japan (CLOUD JAPAN Spring), Mobile Solutions Expo (MOBIX Spring), IoT/M2M EXPO (IoT/M2M Spring), Direct Commerce Solutions Expo (DIREX Spring), Consumer IT Products Expo (C-PEX) and Store & Retail IT Solutions Expo (STOREX Spring). With the need for high quality products, the latest technology and international outsourcing increasing in the Japanese IT market, exhibitors joining 26th Japan IT Week Spring from overseas have been rising. Reflecting such trend, the percentage of international firms will be 1.3 fold higher and the overall scale will be expanding by more than 10%. New Exhibition for Store & Retail IT Solutions One of the highlights of this year's show will be the newly launching exhibition - Store & Retail IT Solutions Expo (STOREX Spring) to aid business between corporate professionals and firms looking to invest in the field of store and retail IT solutions. Exhibits will include Store Operations Solutions, Omni-Channel Retailing, POS Systems, Store Sales Promotion Solutions, and Customer Service Solutions. TSUBAKIMOTO CHAIN and DATAVAN INTERNATIONAL will be showcasing their latest terminals. The launch of STOREX Spring is one of the contributing factors for the show expansion and increasing overall participation. Since STOREX Spring is concurrently held with Direct Commerce Solutions Expo (DIREX Spring) and Web & Digital Marketing Expo (Web-Mo Spring), the show is expected to gather large quantity of visitors in hospitality industry. Next-Generation "IoT" "IoT/M2M EXP (IoT/M2M Spring)" had been serving as the platform for various chip manufacturers, firms with exhibits related to connective technologies and applications to negotiate business at 26th Japan IT Week Spring as the concept of IoT continues to spread and emerge new business. From devices, operators, solution providers to applications related to IoT and M2M, a wide range of firms will be exhibiting such as chip manufacturers including QUALCOMM, MURATA MANUFACTURING, wireless chip manufacturers such as TOKYO ELECTRON DEVICE, HITACHI, TELIT, U-BLOX, operators such as NTT DOCOMO, VODAFONE, KDDI and solution providers including MICROSOFT, ROBERT BOSCH, SORACOM will also be exhibiting.



Special Session will be delivered at the conference held parallel to the exhibition where ROBERT BOSCH, SIEMENS, QUALCOMM and FANUC will explain newly generated market values, technical developments and essential next steps will be addressed. The 3 major Japanese operators DOCOMO, SOFTBANK and KDDI will also hold Special Sessions.

Key Technology - Embedded Systems With the expansion of IoT/M2M EXPO (IoT/M2M Spring), Embedded Systems Expo (ESEC Spring) is also growing as supporting technologies of IoT and M2M. Major firms exhibiting from Japan include MITSUBISHI, SONY, TOSHIBA, RICOH, CANON and from overseas INTEL, ADLINK, ADVANTECH, CONGATEC, TRANSCEND, BECKHOFF AUTOMATION, PHOENIX CONTACT etc. On the topic of embedded systems, DeNA and an expert from the UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO will be holding talks on autonomous driving technologies at the Keynote Session. Solutions for Information Security With the rise in identity fraud, unauthorized access and cyber-attacks in Japan, information security is a major area of interest. The trending concept of IoT also inevitably addresses the need to direct attention towards security issues for connectivity. Major firms exhibiting include TREND MICRO, IBM, DOCOMO SYSTEMS, HITACHI SOLUTIONS, CANON IT SOLUTIONS, NTT SOFTWARE, KYOCERA, CYLANCE etc. will be showcasing various exhibits such as hacking preventions, DoS preventions, anti-virus solutions, internet intrusion protections, data delete/recovery, IT asset management products and services. At the Keynote for Information Security Expo (IST Spring), TREND MICRO will hold a talk on the current status and future of ICT security and SYMANTEC will speak on Cyber security of the Rio Olympic Games as an official security sponsor. MICROSOFT will also be discussing the role and responsibility of IT department inside firms regarding security strategies. To search for exhibitors and exhibit information: www.japan-it.jp/en/haru/eguide/ 26th Japan IT Week Spring is Expanding Internationally 26th Japan IT Week is Japan's largest trade show with established presence in Japanese IT industry and the show has been growing consistently attracting more and more IT professionals around the world. This year, the show is expecting to welcome 350 international exhibitors from 21 different countries with several national pavilions. The show truly serves as the best platform to connect with the latest IT solutions from all over the world. In addition to the must-see exhibition, 26th Japan IT Week Spring holds a total of 56 conference sessions conducted by globally renowned speakers in the industry such as IBM, MICROSOFT and QUALCOMM covering wide range of the latest topics. For details of the conference: www.japan-it.jp/en/Conference/Conference-Program/

Full program in Japanese: www.japan-it.jp/haru/seminar/ 26th Japan IT Week Spring is inarguably a must-attend show that provides solutions for all global IT experts. Free visitor registration can be made online for free at: www.japan-it.jp/en/haru/inv/ For IT professionals with job titles above manager, VIP visitor registrations with privileges can be made online at: www.japan-it.jp/en/haru/vip/ For more information about 26th Japan IT Week Spring, visit the official website: www.japan-it.jp/en/haru/ Press inquiries: Chisato KAMIYA (Ms.)

Japan IT Week Show Management

Reed Exhibitions Japan Ltd.

Tel: +81-3-3349-8504 Email: [email protected] Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20170414/1826160-1-a

Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20170414/1826160-1-b

Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20170414/1826160-1-c

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You may recall commercials for Holiday Inn Express that revolved around a Stay smart theme, but if you stayed in Holiday Inn Express, or other InterContinental Hotels Group-branded franchise hotel late last year, then you would be really smart if you keep an eye out for unexpected charges on your credit card.

IHG finally reported the findings from an investigation into a breach of the companys payment systems. The company has over 5,000 hotels across 100 counties, with brands such as Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Resort, Holiday Inn Express, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, InterContinental, Kimpton, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites. Hackers managed to get malware into the front desk payment system at some IHG-branded franchise hotels in the United States and Puerto Rico and made off with payment card data.

The breach, which security journalist Brian Krebs reported was being investigated in December, occurred between September and December last year. IHG has now reported:

The investigation identified signs of the operation of malware designed to access payment card data from cards used onsite at front desks for certain IHG-branded franchise hotel locations between September 29, 2016 and December 29, 2016. Although there is no evidence of unauthorized access to payment card data after December 29, 2016, confirmation that the malware was eradicated did not occur until the properties were investigated in February and March 2017.

The company doesnt go into any great detail about how the front desk payment systems were infected with malware or about the type of malware. Instead, IHG said:

The malware searched for track data (which sometimes has cardholder name in addition to card number, expiration date, and internal verification code) read from the magnetic stripe of a payment card as it was being routed through the affected hotel server. There is no indication that other guest information was affected.

IHG doesnt give a number of how many hotels were involved in the card breach. Instead, it has a ridiculous system to see what IHG franchise locations were affected as well as the respective time frames. For example, after selecting United States, then you must select a state and then a city to find a hotel brand and time frame of the breach.

Currently, there are 1,175 hotels listed in the breach; the 1,174 breached in the US include:

2 in Alaska, 27 in Alabama, 23 in Arkansas, 15 in Arizona, 64 in California, 20 in Colorado, 10 in Connecticut, 2 in Washington DC, 3 in Delaware, 61 in Florida, 38 in Georgia, 12 in Iowa, 4 in Idaho, 39 in Illinois, 53 in Indiana, 19 in Kansas, 21 in Kentucky, 21 in Louisiana, 17 in Massachusetts, 14 in Maryland, 1 in Maine, 42 in Michigan, 22 in Minnesota, 25 in Missouri, 32 in Mississippi, 5 in Montana, 49 in North Carolina, 8 in North Dakota, 17 in Nebraska, 3 in New Hampshire, 19 in New Jersey, 14 in New Mexico, 2 in Nevada, 45 in New York, 50 in Ohio, 23 in Oklahoma, 10 in Oregon, 46 in Pennsylvania, 1 in Rhode Island, 19 in South Carolina, 7 in South Dakota, 30 in Tennessee, 163 in Texas, 10 in Utah, 28 in Virginia, 2 in Vermont, 10 in Washington, 13 in Wisconsin, 7 in West Virginia, and 6 in Wyoming.

Furthermore, IHG noted that not all of its franchise properties participated in the investigation. The company reported that it is not completely done with the investigation either, so the look-up tool will be updated from time to time. Guests who might also be victims are told to come back and check the site periodically.

IHG has notified law enforcement and noted that IHG-branded franchise hotel locations which had implemented IHGs Secure Payment Solution (SPS), a point-to-point encryption payment acceptance solution, before the breach were not affected. Many more properties implemented SPS after the breach started, which ended the abilities for bad guys to pilfer card data.

Victims will not be responsible for fraudulent charges, as long as you notify the company in a timely manner of unauthorized charges. Considering the breach started back in September 2016 for some of the hotels, and partial notification is coming in April 2017, the stolen card data has most likely been used by now. Nevertheless, keep an eye out on your debit and credit card statements for any bogus charges if you stayed in an IHG-branded franchise hotel late last year. It was a pattern of unauthorized charges occurring on credit cards after being used at the hotels which first prompted the investigation, IHG claims.
[April 17, 2017] Web Werks Data Center Certified as Tier III in the Uptime Institute's Reliability Classification

MUMBAI, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Web Werks India Pvt. Ltd., a leading data center service provider in India, was awarded Tier III Certification of Design by industry leading certifying independent advisory organization - Uptime Institute. Web Werks has been certified for complying with the most robust industry standards for its IT facilities. The Uptime Institute standard is globally acknowledged as the cornerstone for data center reliability and performance. This certification is provided on the basis of certain criteria designed by Uptime Institute that data centers have to pass successfully in order to be certified. Web Werks data center facility meets network, electrical, mechanical and structural elements to provide continuous maintainability to ensure it is a data center built to perform. Having an IT infrastructure housed in a Tier III DC, businesses can ensure availability of nothing less than 8754.4 hours annually or 99.982% availability. In addition, Web Werks is also PCI-DSS, HIPAA, ISO 27001 and SSAE16 compliant. Certification of a data center assures customers that the facility has been built and designed to meet security and reliability standards. Web Werks Tier III Data Centers Spread over an area of 30,000 sq. ft., Web Werks Data Center is built to deliver uality-driven solutions. The IT infrastructure is built with complete N+N redundancy in network, power backup, cooling and hardware and is constructed at regions where possibilities of power outage is low, assuring a reliable and secure environment for hosting mission-critical data.



With multiple diesel generators acting as tertiary power system, and dual UPS power source, it is rated as continuous operational and capable of running 24x7x365. In addition, Web Werks' high-end UPS components ensure that all the hardware equipment receives adequate power supply. The IT facility is well equipped with top-rated HVAC cooling and ventilation systems and promises consistent control of temperature in the environment to keep equipment running efficiently in the facilities. Web Werks provides Internet connectivity from Class A ISP's in India, which include TATA, Reliance, Sify, Airtel, Jio and multiple cable systems including National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) for all domestic web traffic with secured ways for redundancy. This data center also hosts Mumbai IX, the largest and fastest growing IX in India.

"We want to stand in the industry as the most prevailing in terms of innovation and efficiency. Achieving the Uptime Certification uplifts us as a business and gives our customers fault tolerance at the IT Infrastructure level. Customers can co-locate their servers or host their cloud applications without worrying about any kind of IT infrastructure failure. We chose to get Uptime Institute Certificate, as it has helped us to build a data center where the electrical and cooling infrastructure will never fail," said Nikhil Rathi, CEO, Web Werks. About Web Werks Web Werks is an Indian Tier III data center service provider with 5 carrier neutral data centers in India and USA. Started in 1996, Web Werks has served several Fortune 500 companies with successful projects in the areas of web hosting, VPS hosting, co-location services, dedicated servers, cloud platform and disaster recovery services. For more information, kindly visit https://www.webwerks.in/.

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Nadhim Zahawi is a member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee and MP for Stratford On Avon.

Last year, I used this column to argue for NATO to undertake a new role, and to guarantee proportionate responses against military targets for any regime anywhere in the world that violated international norms, such as the use of chemical weapons. I was therefore glad to see that Donald Trump appears to have instigated a similar rule with his strike against Bashar al-Assads Shayrat Airfield, even if it is currently a unilateral doctrine.

It is right that any regime should know that there will be a damaging response from the international community if it goes so far beyond what the world views as acceptable. If we can make this clear to regimes like Assads, they will be much less likely to take such actions in the first place, and lives can be saved. In situations like this, we know that intervention can work. However, they must be carried out calmly, with clear objectives, and undertaken in a way that reduces any potential negative consequences.

This Easter long weekend began with news that the Americans have sent what some in the media have referred to as an Armada to the Korean peninsula, and Mike Pence arrived yesterday in South Korea to discuss what can be done. When Barack Obama left office, he told Trump that the biggest issue of his term would be North Korea, not Syria. It appears that the new President has taken this message to heart, and has switched his focus to the problem.

The reason for this heightened tension is that it is widely believed that North Korea is building up to its sixth nuclear test. It now appears that the 105th anniversary of the birth of their Eternal Leader Kim Il Sung has passed without any atomic celebrations, and that instead we saw a failed test of a long-range missile, but it is clear that North Korea remains committed to enhancing its nuclear capabilities.

It is to the international communitys shame that its regime already has the nuclear capabilities that it does. For some reason, the Kim dynasty has mainly been met with bewilderment and laughter rather than the outrage it deserves for enslaving the countyspeople, and concern at the continuous development of their military. But it now seems that the world is finally dealing with North Korea with the seriousness that the issue requires, as the regimes technical capabilities improves, and its determination to achieve being able to arm a long-range ballistic missile with a nuclear warhead only grows.

However, the North Korean situation differs vastly from Donald Trumps attack on Assads airfields in Syria. Any actions taken against that country absolutely cannot be undertaken unilaterally.

First, because any strike against North Korea would be met with a strong retaliatory response. Even if the Americans are able to destroy the countrys widely-dispersed nuclear programme, we must remember that Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is only 35 miles from the border, well within range of potentially devastating conventional strikes. And this is before you even consider other countries and allies in the region: Kim Jong Un is unlikely to be afraid of starting a wider war.

Second, it is unlikely that the North Korean leadership would change its behaviour: if anything, any attack woud be likely to make them more determined to have powerful enough weapons to ensure that no one would ever try and influence them militarily again. Therefore, any military action against North Korea would have to guarantee removing their ability to develop further nuclear weapons. The American Government has stated that regime change is not their aim, but it seems likely that such a major attack could well cause it.

And this leads to the third problem: if action leads to the removal of the Kim Jong Un, what comes next? North Korea poses unique problems. There is no political opposition and there is no civil society independent of the regime. The entire structure of the country and the whole state has been provided by Kim Il Sungs dynasty for decades and the current leaders grandfather is still revered as the Eternal Leader, despite having died 23 years ago.

It is a country with no private access to the internet or external sources of news, no opportunity for ordinary citizens to travel abroad, few foreign tourists allowed in, and no unsupervised interaction with locals if they are. Another leader may come forward from outside the current dynasty to replace them, but this would bring the prospect of factionalisation, and civil war would become a possibility. And if the state ultimately collapses, any transition to becoming a modern society would be a cataclysmic culture shock. Furthermore, it seems likely that many citizens would continue to idolise and remain loyal to the leaders that their lives have revolved around for as long as most can remember  whether or not theyre still alive.

It may well be that the international community is eventually forced to take military action to eliminate the threat to those countries that North Korea sees as its enemy. However, the entire region must be involved in crafting a solution, if it is to have a chance of success. Any military action against the country would be highly likely to create huge regional instability, economic disruption, as well as potential wider war and loss of life. Trump should beware of applying the lesson of Syria in North Korea: he cannot act alone.
Those three letters WTO cover, in relation to Theresa Mays EU negotiation, a range of possible outcomes. One extreme would see the consequent collapse of all trade arrangements with the 27, with no consequent legal certainties, and no agreement to ease the effect of non-tariff barriers (such as whether goods entering from the UK meet EU standards). The other would see a deal over trade arrangements, with those difficult legal questions addressed by both parties, and an agreement which would ameliorate those non-tariff barrier effects.

There would however presumably be tariffs in place in the latter as well as the former scenario, and/or other restrictions on Britain would having the same access to the Single Market as countries that are members or it.

Most Party members, like many others, will not yet have explored the various alternatives (Policy Exchange is currently having a go), but their instincts are clear. Over one in five want Britain to retain access to the Single Market on terms as close to the present ones as possible. They total one per cent more than 22 per cent of Party member respondents who told our final pre-referendum survey that they were firmly for Remain. Another one in five really dont seem to care about Single Market access: they are presumably untroubled by relying on WTO in almost any circumstances. These can only be hardline Brexiteers.

That leaves over half who would prefer a Single Market deal on terms as close to the present ones as possible, but would if necessary plump for WTO. They seem to echo the Prime Ministers leitmotif: no deal is better than a bad deal.

Our non-Party member readers again deliver a result which, like those we reported yesterday, have more of the flavour of the Remain than the Leave campaign about them  a remarkable turnaround for our surveys.

Only 15 per cent say that Britain retaining Single Market access isnt important to them. Thirty-four per cent would prefer a deal, but would rely on WTO if necessary. And 52 per cent want Single Market access on terms as close to the present ones as possible.
CORNWALL, Ontario  A local Cornwall artist is taking to a new medium to get his art out there.

Kevin Jade MacDonald has recently released a book of his paintings.

For a while there wasnt a place in Cornwall where art could be shown, so sometimes you just have to do it yourself and get yourself out there, said Macdonald.

MacDonald is from Cornwall and got his start as an artist in St. Lawrence Colleges graphic designer course and designed his book with the great help of Astro Printing.

MacDonald began his work in the art world as a model for International Top Models in the 1980s and 90s. That job took him to major centres of high art in America and Europe, the cities of New York and Paris.

A lof of his time in that world inspires his artwork of today.

I try to incorporate fashion into my storytelling, he said. I think I reflect my own interpretation of models in my paintings. I really try to capture the light on the fabric, he said of one picture.

His paintings begin as an idea he says and they then incubate and develop.

Sometimes an idea for a painting will rattle around in my head for 20 years before I do anything with it, he said.

MacDonald says he wants to take his book to New York and Montreal and to feature it in small art galleries.

A copy of his book is available for viewing at the Cornwall Public Library and for order through Astro Printing.
Cruickshank Construction Limited would like to advise residents that construction will soon begin on Highway 401 at the Wales Drive and Avonmore Road bridges.

Cruickshank Construction Limited has been awarded the Contract for the removal and replacement of these bridges.

Construction Timeline:

 The Avonmore Road Bridge will be closed to traffic starting April 24 2017 and is scheduled to reopen in November 2017.

 The Wales Drive Bridge will be closed starting April 2 2018 and is scheduled to reopen in November 2018.

 A signed detour route will be implemented during each closure. (See map above)

 All construction should be completed in fall 2018.

Single lane closures will occur throughout the construction seasons on Highway 401. All consideration has been given to implement traffic control measures to ensure minimal disruption to the traveling public. We apologize in advance for this inconvenience and very much appreciate the publics patience during construction.

Cruickshank Construction Limiteds representative is Evan Modler who can be reached at 613-362-1957.

The contract administration for the project is McIntosh Perry Consulting Engineers and the Contract Administrator is Donna Yates, who can be reached at 613-229-8711.

Alternatively, please contact Ontario 511 or visit the Traveler Information Services website to access the Interactive Map at:

http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/traveller/trip/map.shtml?ll=45.423033,-75.717086&z=11.
[April 17, 2017] Content Critical completes SOC 2 Type 2 and HIPAA assessment; Designations are becoming "critical requirements" for data managers

MOONACHIE, N.J., April 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Content Critical Solutions, a leading provider of mission-critical business communications services, announces completion of a third party audit attesting to its achievement of the demanding requirements of the SOC 2 Type 2 and HIPAA data security standards. The rigorous examinations that led to the achievements were administered by the professional IT assurance and compliance staff at 360 Advanced, a respected national Qualified Security Assessor, HITRUST CSF Assessor and CPA firm based in St. Petersburg, FL. 360 Avanced has clients in 30 U.S. states, Europe, South and Central America and the Pacific Rim.



The SOC 2 Type 2, developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), is the most widely recognized authoritative guidance that provides service organizations a uniform method for disclosing independently assessed information about the design and operation of internal controls. HIPAA, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, is designed to provide privacy standards to protect patients' medical records and other health information provided to health plans, doctors, hospitals and other health care providers.

We have always followed these procedures, but having these designations is a critical requirement for most of our transactional clients, and it also helps us obtain new business, commented Frederick Van Alstyne, Chief Operating Officer. Most firms in the transactional business space require the SOC 2 Type 2 standards, and the HIPAA now is expected. ABOUT CONTENT CRITICAL SOLUTIONS Content Critical Solutions (CCS) is a premier provider of client communication services to the Financial, Insurance, and Utilities marketplace. We provide solutions that integrate our clients reporting and compliance systems with content management platforms, providing a full range document processing solutions. CCS provides a unique blend of technology and service for our customers, and our company is built largely on the successful implementation of document processing services and programs on behalf of our clients. ABOUT 360 ADVANCED An Authorized HITRUST CSF Assessor, 360 Advanced assists service providers in more than 30 U.S. states, Europe, South and Central America and the Pacific Rim as their independent IT assurance and compliance assessor. Services provided by 360 Advanced include HITRUST CSF, SOC 1 (SSAE 16), SOC 2, SOC 3, PCI DSS, HIPAA Security/HITECH, Microsoft Vendor Policy and other security and compliance services. For an initial consultation, please contact Eric Ratcliffe at [email protected].



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[April 17, 2017] Atlantic Southern Paving and Sealcoating Announces Partnership with ProSiteAudit

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Atlantic Southern Paving and Sealcoating, a leading national asphalt and concrete paving contractor, announced today they finalized a licensing deal to become a National Platinum Partner with ProSiteAudit. The paving company is one of the first to offer this revolutionary, cloud-based inspection tool to customers across the country. ProSiteAudit will enable users to audit anywhere from hundreds to thousands of locations in one day. Used with any smart device, this fully customizable tool assesses deficiencies surrounding parking lots, landscaping, roofing, HVAC, snow removal and ADA liabilities. "We are ecstatic to be partnering with ProSiteAudit. We believe this tool is going to change the paving industry," said Michael J. Curry Jr., owner of Atlantic Southern Paving and Sealcoating. "We are creating standards in an industry where there are none, and more importantly, we're offering our customers an audit tool tht will provide them with real-time data and photos from all of their locations in just a matter of minutes."



About ProSiteAudit

Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, ProSiteAudit is a cloud-based tool that simplifies the communication, reporting and sharing of real-time property issues (includingpavement, landscaping, snow service, roofing audits, and ADA liability) and reports them back to one centralized place. This simple, cost-effective proactive solution streamlines the former reactive process of calling, emailing, sending out contractors to report issues, paperwork, inefficiencies, and wasted time. ProSiteAudit is an inspection/audit tool that has helped build an industry standard of pavement and landscape review and assessment. For more information on ProSiteAudit, please visit www.prositeaudit.com.

About Atlantic Southern Paving and Sealcoating

Headquartered in Sunrise, Florida, Atlantic Southern Paving and Sealcoating has been in business for 25 years and is a leading full-service commercial parking lot construction and maintenance company. Atlantic Southern Paving is a licensed, insured and bondable National Pavement Contractor that offers an extensive list of services throughout the country, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean. Our services include: ADA modification, asphalt paving and repairs, concrete curb and sidewalks, crack sealing, drainage, pavement marking, sealcoating, signage, speed bumps, and striping. For more information on Atlantic Southern Paving and Sealcoating, please visit www.AtlanticSouthernPaving.com. Contact: Terry Smith, (954) 581-5805

[email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/atlantic-southern-paving-and-sealcoating-announces-partnership-with-prositeaudit-300440026.html SOURCE Atlantic Southern Paving and Sealcoating

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Russia Proton Therapy Market & Forecast Report 2017, Reimbursement Policy, Patients Treated at Proton Therapy Centers - Research and Markets

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Proton Therapy Market in Russia & Forecast, Reimbursement Policy, Patients Treated at Proton Therapy Centers" report to their offering.

Untapped Market of Proton Therapy in Russia Would Be More Than US$ 3 Billion During Forecast Period

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.

IBA, the world's leading provider of proton therapy solutions for the treatment of cancer, ha 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 IBA's first in the Russian Federation and is expected to treat up to 1,200 patients per year according to IBA.







Key Companies Covered:

- IBA (Overview, Sales Analysis)

- Varian Medical Systems (Overview, Sales Analysis)

- Elekta (Overview, Sales Analysis)

Proton Therapy Centers:

- Dubna (JINR, 2)

- Moscow (ITEP)

- St. Petersburg

Key Topics Covered:

1. Executive Summary

2. Russia Proton Therapy Market - Actual & Untapped Market

3. Russia Proton Therapy Patient Number - Actual and Untapped

4. Russia - List of Proton Therapy Centers

5. Russia - Proton Therapy Treated Patients by Centers

6. Proton Therapy - Reimbursement Policies

7. Components of a Standard Proton Therapy Center

8. Global Proton Therapy - Company Analysis (2010-2021)

9. Proton Therapy - Driving Factors

10. Proton Therapy - Challenges

For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/t7x2xj/proton_therapy

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170417005485/en/
CLICK HERE for Bahrain Grand Prix - Race Results

Daniel Ricciardo has hit out at Formula 1 rival Lewis Hamilton for employing delaying tactics on the entrance to the pit lane during the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday.

Hamilton led Ricciardo on-track when the safety car was called early on in Bahrain, under which Mercedes planned to double-stack its drivers.

Valtteri Bottas was brought in from the race lead ahead of Hamilton, prompting the Briton to try and slow down to create a gap so that he was not held up in the pit lane.

While Hamilton was entitled to slow down on-track and create the gap with Ricciardo passing, he was not allowed to do this in the pit lane, resulting in a five-second time penalty for impeding the Australian.

Hamilton admitted after the race that he was at fault for the penalty, but Ricciardo was less than impressed by the Mercedes driver's actions.

"Emotional times at the front of the F1 pack here..." Ricciardo told Channel 4 after the race.

"He was obviously backing up so he could get a clear pit stop and Valtteri wasn't in there. I believe before pit entry that was fine, but here, where he's not going quick, I believe that's why he got the penalty.

"I was pretty calm. I was like 'please...'. I knew what he was doing. I thought he might be at risk of a penalty."

When asked if he would have done the same as Hamilton, Ricciardo said: "I would have done it before the pit lane, because I think that's A-OK. I'm not going to tell him my secrets, but I would have done it differently."

Ricciardo endured a quiet race en route to fifth place for Red Bull, which ran firmly as the third-fastest team once again in Bahrain behind Ferrari and Mercedes.

"I wanted a hug in those last few laps. It was a bit lonely out there," Ricciardo joked. "It was just more kind of sad at the end, because at the beginning, although we were at the tail end of that lead pack and we were all in it, we all had a chance to even win at that stage.

"I could see the cars in front were starting to slide on their rears and I genuinely felt like I was in a better place than Max and even Lewis at that stage. I had a lot of hope and then we lost a lot with that second stint on the soft."

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[April 17, 2017] Orbital ATK Set to Launch Seventh Cargo Delivery Mission to International Space Station

Orbital ATK (News - Alert) (NYSE: OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, today announced final preparations for the company's next Cygnus spacecraft cargo mission to the International Space Station. The mission, known as OA-7, marks the seventh operational mission for NASA under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-1) contract and the third Cygnus to conduct scientific experiments onboard the spacecraft. A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket will launch Cygnus into low-Earth orbit with approximately 7,626 pounds (3,459 kilograms) of crew supplies, scientific research and hardware to astronauts aboard the station and small satellites that will be deployed directly from the spacecraft. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170417005772/en/ Orbital ATK's Cygnus commercial cargo space vehicle is in position atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket for tomorrow's launch at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. (Photo: Business Wire) Pending completion of final vehicle testing and acceptable local weather conditions, the launch is scheduled for April 18 at 11:11 a.m. (EDT) from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The spacecraft is slated to rendezvous and berth with the space station on April 22. Live coverage of the launch will be available on NASA Television at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv. OA-7 mission details can be accessed on the Orbital ATK website at http://www.orbitalatk.com/newsroom/feature-stories/OA7-Mission-Page@orbitalatk



Orbital ATK names each of its Cygnus spacecraft in honor of astronauts and individuals who contributed to the United States' commercial space program. The OA-7 mission recognizes former astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn who passed away last December. Glenn, an American hero of the space age, inspired the nation to reach new heights in exploration from moon missions to the space shuttle and the International Space Station. "As we count down to launch, we are proud and humbled to name the OA-7 Cygnus spacecraft in honor of John Glenn, the first American to orbit earth," said Frank Culbertson, President of Orbital ATK's Space Systems Group. "The S.S. John Glenn is dedicated to his legacy as a lifelong pioneer of human spaceflight who paved the way for America's space program. The vital supplies we deliver to the astronauts on this mission and the scientific experiments we conduct for future exploration are a testament to his incredible achievements that will never be forgotten."

Once launched into low-Earth orbit, Cygnus will use its advanced maneuvering capability to transport its cargo from a low-parking orbit to the space station, where it will be grappled by the crew using the station's robotic arm and then berthed to the orbiting laboratory. Among the cargo that will be delivered are four powered mid-deck lockers that carry critical science research experiments for the crew. Resembling freezers, these lockers receive power from Cygnus in order to maintain a constant internal temperature after they are loaded into the pressurized cargo module. After the cargo is removed and disposal items are loaded, Cygnus will depart from the station in mid-June and conduct three secondary payload missions. Cygnus will carry the Spacecraft Fire Experiment-III (Saffire-III) marking the third time that the spacecraft has been used for these investigations as a unique environment to study fires in microgravity. Designed by the NASA Glenn Research Center, the results from the Saffire-III experiment will enable NASA to develop technologies to reduce crew risk and make deep space exploration safer for astronauts. NASA's Advanced Explorations Systems Division sponsors the Saffire series of experiments as part of its deep space habitation development efforts that include technologies to make deep space exploration safer. In addition, a NanoRacks deployer will release four cubesats used for weather monitoring and global ship tracking. The final experiment will use three Reentry Data Collection Flight Recorders to provide crucial data about the extreme conditions a spacecraft encounters when reentering the Earth's atmosphere. This specific experiment will also test the performance of different heat shield materials that may be used on future U.S. space missions. Pending NASA's specific cargo needs, Orbital ATK is prepared to launch two additional CRS missions this year that will launch aboard the company's Antares rockets from NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Beginning in 2019, Orbital ATK will conduct a minimum of six initial cargo missions under NASA's CRS-2 contract. B-roll and animation footage for the mission can be found here: http://www.orbitalatk.com/news-room/bmc/#. Please note that media will be prompted to request a PIN for access. About Orbital ATK Orbital ATK is a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies. The company designs, builds and delivers space, defense and aviation systems for customers around the world, both as a prime contractor and merchant supplier. Its main products include launch vehicles and related propulsion systems; missile products, subsystems and defense electronics; precision weapons, armament systems and ammunition; satellites and associated space components and services; and advanced aerospace structures. Headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, Orbital ATK employs approximately 12,500 people in 18 states across the U.S. and in several international locations. For more information, visit www.orbitalatk.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170417005772/en/

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IT security consultants tend to be busy people. Given the widespread shortage of professionals with skills in many different aspects of cyber security, organizations frequently need help from outside experts.

Like many others who work in information security, Kevin Beaver, did not initially set out to pursue a career in the fieldor to eventually become an independent IT security consultant. During my senior year of high school, my late mother, Linda, encouraged me to go to college and study computers. That seemed to be a growing field with lots of opportunities, Beaver says. My mom was exactly right! My computer studies led to me pursuing this thing called computer security.

For his undergraduate college education, Beaver attended Southern College of Technologynow Kennesaw State Universityand received a bachelor's degree in computer engineering technology. He attended graduate school at Georgia Tech and received a master's in management of technology.

While in college, Beaver held part-time positions at companies including IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and Lotus Development. These were call center/help-desk related jobs, he says. Those roles taught me how to best deal with people and learn the technical ins and outs of the products I was supporting.
When the two tribal casinos opened nearly 25 years ago in Connecticut, they were the only games in town. There was no competition to the east  if you dont count Europe  and the nearest U.S. alternatives were more than 250 miles away.

That was then, this is now.

What should the Connecticut legislature do? As an economist, I think that asking the right questions is the crucial first step. Namely, what decisions by the legislature with respect to a third casino will generate the largest benefits in terms of jobs and tax revenues for the state as a whole? How do we create a winning environment?

After nearly two years of discussion and debate, the hesitation is understandable. We started by asking the wrong questions, which then elicited unsatisfactory answers. The legislature, back in 2015, granted the tribes a noncompetitive exclusive right to pick a site that favored them the most. Perhaps good for the tribes, but not so good for Connecticut.

One option before the legislature is to approve the East Windsor site recently selected by the tribes. This narrow approach would not maximize the economic gains for the entire state.

Estimates by the tribes rely on a study by Clyde Barrow that has serious economic shortcomings. It deals in gross figures because the purported gains do not take into account the likelihood that many of the new customers would actually be drawn from Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun. Perhaps even more important, Barrow does not inquire as to where the best site in terms of jobs and revenue creation benefits to the state would be. Again, the wrong question.

In sharp contrast, an economic study by Oxford Analytics provides a much more useful answer: locating a casino in southwest Connecticut would generate job and tax revenue gains for Connecticut that are about three times as a large as those resulting from one in East Windsor. Such a huge difference makes common sense. Southwest Connecticut can draw on a much larger, more affluent base of potential customers and, therefore, justify building a much larger facility.

Why would Connecticut preclude that possibility?

The increasing number of casinos throughout the region since the 1990s has meant the Connecticut pie is being sliced more thinly. Hence, the revenue paid to the state annually under the agreement with the tribes, that once brought $400 million a year, has declined to about $267 million. Locating a satellite casino in East Windsor will do little to reverse this trend and may even jeopardize it further according to the Attorney General.

A new proposal by the legislatures Finance Committee outlines a much more preferable approach. It establishes a competitive process, administered by the state Department of Consumer Protection and the Department of Economic and Community Development, and requires:

Bidders prove their financial ability to fund the project to completion

Bidders agree to invest at least $500 million in a proposed casino

The successful bidder to pay the state 35 percent of the facilitys revenues from both slot machines and all other games

An annual payment of $8 million to the municipality that hosts the proposed casino and payments to neighboring communities

Opening up the process to competitive bidding is the simply best way to arrive at the best answer. Let qualified parties submit their proposals and subject them to due diligence. This means providing numbers on jobs and gaming activity that can be verified by independent experts. It also means ascertaining that the bidders have the financial ability to bring the project to fruition.

However, this debate is not solely about where to locate a third casino. Rather, it is about assuring optimal policy-making by Connecticut state government.

Some years ago, I invited Professor Michael Porter, a competitiveness expert from Harvard University, to address the Connecticut legislature on economic development. One of his most memorable observations was that the role of state economic policies is not about picking winners and losers. Rather, it is to create a winning environment. A true competitive process holds the key to a win-win for Connecticut  more jobs and a more promising bottom line.

Nicholas Perna PhD is an economist who has taught at a number of universities, including Yale, and worked with major financial institutions, including the Federal Reserve. Most recently, he has been providing MGM Resorts International with economic analysis.
[April 17, 2017] Vantiv to Announce First Quarter 2017 Financial Results on April 26

CINCINNATI, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Vantiv, Inc. (NYSE: VNTV), a leading provider of payment processing services and related technology solutions for merchants and financial institutions of all sizes, announced today it will host a conference call to discuss its first quarter 2017 financial results on Wednesday, April 26, 2017 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. A press release with first quarter 2017 financial results will be issued at approximately 7:00 a.m. ET that same day. The conference call can be accessed live over the phone by dialing toll free (877) 440-5804 or (719) 325-4878 for international callers, and referencing conference code 5686209. A replay will be available approximately two hours after the call concludes and can be accessed through May 10, 2017 by calling toll free (866) 375-1919 or for international callers (719) 457-0820, and using conference code 5686209. The conference call will also be webcast live from the company's investor relations website at http://investors.vantiv.com. Following completion of the call, a recorded replay of the webcast will be available on the website. ABOUT VANTIV, INC.

Vantiv, Inc. (NYSE: VNTV) is a leading payment processor differentiated by an integrated technology platform. Vantiv offers a comprehensive suite of traditional and innovative payment processing and technology solutions to merchants and financial institutions of all sizes, enabling them to address their payment processing needs through a single provider. We build strong relationships with our customers, helping them become more efficient, more secure and more successful. Vantiv is now the largest merchant acquirer and PIN debit acquirer based on number of transactions in the U.S. The company's growth strategy includes expanding further into high-growth channels and verticals, including integrated payments, eCommerce, and merchant bank. Visit us at the new www.vantiv.com, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and YouTube.  2017 Vantiv, LLC. All Rights Reserved. All trademarks, service marks and trade names referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Vantiv and other Vantiv products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of Vantiv, LLC in the U.S. and other countries.







CONTACTS

Nathan Rozof, CFA Andrew Ciafardini Investor Relations Corporate Communications 866.254.4811 or 513.900.4811 513.900.5308 [email protected] [email protected]

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vantiv-to-announce-first-quarter-2017-financial-results-on-april-26-300440382.html SOURCE Vantiv, Inc.

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Cuban Foreign Minister thanks Spain for solidarity

Submitted by: Juana

Spain

Politics and Government

04 / 17 / 2017



Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodriguez thanked the Spanish people for its solidarity and support as well as their governments rejection of the US blockade of Cuba.

At a press conference in Madrid, Rodriguez, who is on a two-day visit, described as friendly and useful the meetings he held in the first day with Spanish authorities.

Minister Rodriguez was received by the King of Spain, Felipe VI, the President Mariano Rajoy and the President of the Parliament Ana Pastor, and later met with his Spanish counterpart Alfonso Dastis Quecedo.

On his meeting with Felipe, he said he was deeply honored and said they had addressed the historical, cultural and political bonds between the two peoples.

He added he had extended an official invitation to the King to visit Cuba on behalf of President Raul Castro.

"We dont need to come to Spain to confirm that between our two countries there are deep bonds and an extraordinary empathy between our peoples", he said. (acn)
Photovoltaic panels provide electricity to Cuban homes in the mountains

Submitted by: Juana

Local

Science and Technology

04 / 17 / 2017



Electrification with independent photovoltaic panels benefits this year more than 360 houses in the province of Cienfuegos, within a project of social improvements with renewable energy.

Jesus Rey Perez, director of Cienfuegos Electric Company, told ACN that the solar panel modules have capacity to generate 250 watts, and to supply two 12 volt batteries.

So, five lamps with fluorescent tubes, one radio, audio equipment and an LED technology TV set can be used inside each home, he said.

He noted that last year they installed this equipment in 297 houses of all southern municipalities, mostly in the Turquino and Cumanayagua mountains.

When the investment is completed, more than 650 homes will be electrified in remote places where it is impossible to cover with the national electricity system, the executive stated.

Alfredo Castro, director of Operations of that entity, said that with these actions, the province completes one hundred percent of the electrification of its dwellings.

Producing each of this equipment costs a thousand dollars, although the beneficiary families only pay 10 Cuban pesos as a monthly fee per service contract, he added.

The use of sunlight within renewable energy sources is expanded in this way in Cienfuegos, where several photovoltaic parks already generate more than 11 megawatt/hour.
Lloyd Evans, Contributor Ex-Jehovahs Witness author, activist and filmmaker

Huffington Post

April 4, 2017



Over the last week, Jehovahs Witnesses globally have been frantically writing and mailing letters to the Kremlin expressing their indignation at Russias likely ban of their religion, which would inevitably lead to intensified harassment of the 170,000-strong Witness community.



The move comes after the Russian Ministry of Justice, on March 15, filed a claim at the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation aimed at liquidating the Administrative Center of Jehovahs Witnesses in Russia on the grounds of extremism.



In a video posted to the organizations JW Broadcasting video website, Governing Body member Mark Sanderson conveyed his dismay that, quite apart from the seizure of Watchtower property, the ban could lead to individual Witnesses being criminally prosecuted for meeting together for worship, for sharing their faith with others, or even for reading the Bible together.



In addition to addressing Russian Witnesses directly with a message of solidarity - in the Russian language, no less - Sanderson issued a rallying call for the 8 million worldwide followers of the faith to inundate Vladimir Putin and various other Russian leaders and officials with written pleas for a change of heart.



Reaction to the ban outside Russia has been almost universally one of surprise and condemnation. The Russian governments latest actions appear designed to eliminate the legal existence of Jehovahs Witnesses in Russia, observes Thomas J. Reese, S.J., Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). If the Supreme Court rules in April that this group is extremist it would mark the first time that Russia legally has banned a centrally-administered religious organization and would effectively criminalize all Jehovahs Witnesses activity nationwide. USCIRF calls on the Russian government to stop its harassment of this peaceful religious group.



And yesterday Watchtower posted a video to the Newsroom of JW.org, its main website, featuring Heiner Bielefeldt - Former UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief. Bielefeldt is quoted as saying: If Jehovahs Witnesses are extremist, I think we all are.

A unique perspective



Since I am a former Jehovahs Witness apostate who continues to experience shunning by his believing Witness family members simply for having a change of heart about the religion of his birth, you might expect me to be rubbing my hands with glee at Russias heavy-handedness. But you would be wrong.



Please understand, I have no warm, fuzzy feelings toward Mark Sanderson or the rest of the Governing Body leadership. Though they would vehemently deny it, their teachings are the cause of a great deal of distress and trauma in the lives of many - especially since 1981, when a Watchtower magazine (September 15 issue, to be exact) effectively made it impossible to leave the organization for conscientious reasons without being shunned.



As a result of this sweeping rule change decades ago, my two-year old daughter still has not met her grandfather, my father, who is shunning my wife and I because we have left his religion.



This bizarre measure, the equivalent of Scientologys disconnection practice, is replicated in countless Witness families whenever anyone baptized into the faith - often when they are high school age or younger - decides to part company. The cruel practice was rubber stamped in a series of videos at last years Remain Loyal to Jehovah convention, in which Jehovahs Witnesses were effectively told to not even answer the phone if a disfellowshipped son or daughter calls.



According to Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, anybody should be allowed to both have or leave a religion if they so choose. The Witness leadership routinely violates this provision through its shunning policy, and yet in multiple countries they are still allowed to enjoy tax exemptions and even charitable status for their work.



All things considered, hopefully you can understand why I cannot quite bring myself to concur with Beilefeldts claim that if Jehovahs Witnesses are extremist, I think we all are. Shunning and the covering up of child abuse (Jehovahs Witnesses have been found to be doing the latter on an industrial scale by the Royal Commission in Australia) may not constitute extremism in the traditional sense, but these areas of abuse, enshrined in Watchtower teachings and official policy, certainly have a devastating impact on peoples lives.



So, why am I and many other Jehovahs Witness apostates against the banning of our former faith? Put simply, because two wrongs do not make a right.



If there is one thing I have come to appreciate more than anything since walking away from religion and becoming an atheist, it is that human rights are an essential component of the progress of humanity. Start tampering with them, or dismissing certain rights as inconvenient, and the whole fabric of civilization begins to unravel. We start to slide into the sort of grim dystopia envisioned by Orwell.



Just because the leaders of Jehovahs Witnesses have no real regard for religious freedoms, this does not mean their followers deserve to be stripped of these same freedoms by a government that should be serving and protecting them. For example, though my Witness father (an elder in the organization) is shunning me, my wife and child, I cannot bear the thought of him being interrogated, harassed or thrown in prison simply for what is going on in his mind. I consider him to be a victim, and victims deserve kindness and patience - not cruelty and aggression.



This brings me to a further compelling reason why banning Jehovahs Witnesses in any country is a terrible idea: it does nothing but feed into their persecution narrative and drive them underground where the abuses can continue, only this time without any hope of intervention from the outside world.



Many cult members are already indoctrinated with an us vs. them mentality, observes cult expert Steven Hassan, author of the book Combating Cult Mind Control. If they feel the threat of government agencies, this will reinforce their beliefs and make them more devoted. Instead of agreeing to comply with authorities, dedicated followers are often likely to just go underground but become more committed to the cult. They will see themselves as part of a persecuted group and view the ban as evidence that the outside world is dangerous. Banning cults does not stop them from existing, it only forces them to become more secretive.



Sadly, the looming ban on Jehovahs Witnesses is already being enthusiastically pointed to by the Witness hierarchy as evidence that they are Gods one true faith. It may seem that nothing like this could happen in the country where you live. However, all of us should seriously reflect on the times in which we live, urged Sanderson in the aforementioned video. The relative stability we may currently experience could change very quickly. While the conditions of this world rapidly deteriorate, and with the Great Tribulation so near at hand, we must prove ourselves ready.



Ironically, it could be argued that oppression in Russia is only fuelling the Watchtower leadership by artificially substantiating their grim, apocalyptic world view. Otherwise, Witnesses in the region are already on the decline.



In 2016, Witness numbers in Russia dropped by 2,562 compared to the previous year. Similar reductions were also reported in neighboring Poland (-2,071) and Ukraine (-1,008).



The information age is wreaking havoc on Witnesses globally all by itself without any backward, brutish regime dropping the ban hammer. It is sobering to consider that, simply by simulating the Great Tribulation (the prelude to Armageddon) and making world events appear to conform to Watchtowers doomsday narrative, the Kremlin could end up stifling the growing exodus from the faith, or even reverse it altogether.



***



For more information on the beliefs, practices and history of Jehovahs Witnesses, please check out my book The Reluctant Apostate: Leaving Jehovahs Witnesses Comes at a Price - available on Amazon.



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/?icid=hjx004
[April 17, 2017] Colorado PERA-Sponsored Rising Star Awards Bestows Leadership Recognition Upon 27 Community College Student Leaders from Across Colorado

The 2017 Colorado Community College System's Rising Star Awards Ceremony and Honorary Luncheon was held on April 11 at Arapahoe Community College's Littleton Campus (ACC). The Colorado Community College System, its State Student Advisory Council (SSAC) and ACC produced the event. The event was sponsored by the Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (Colorado PERA). This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170417005909/en/ Pictured are the student leaders and their presidents from 13 community colleges that were honored at the April 11, 2017 Colorado Community College System Rising Star Awards. (Photo: Business Wire) The annual Rising Star Awards Ceremony is designed to recognize the outstanding contributions of students and staff across the Colorado Community College System to college activities and community service. Honorees must show a high level of involvement in campus leadership/activities, be enrolled in at least nine credit hours at the time of their nomination and have a GPA of 3.0. Each of the 13 CCCS community colleges selected two student recipients who exemplify the best in service and leadership to receive the Rising Star Award. Additionally, SSAC used the event to recognize a statewide Rising Star state-wide staff Advocate of the Year for supporting students and student activities in an exemplary way. This year's Advocate of the Year was presented to Red Rocks Community College Coordinator of Student Activities Mark Squire. SSAC Chair Adonis Jaramillo and SSAC Secretary Alana Mitchell presided over the event. Colorado PERA Chief Communications Officer Tara May and CCCS President Dr. Nancy McCallin both gave insightful speeches to the student-leader honorees about the keys to successful leadership. Each of the presidents of the 13 CCCS Colleges was on hand to present their honorees with a commemorative plaque and pose for a commemorative photograph with their honorees and Dr. McCallin. Students receiving the 2017 Rising Star Award were:







? Arapahoe Community College Mark D'Agosta and Leah Porter ? Colorado Northwestern Community College Laura Secules (Craig Campus) and Matthew Sandin (Rangely Campus) ? Community College of Aurora Christopher Doyle and Ulises Venegas Rivera ? Community College of Denver Lisa Marie Fertman and Xzavier Thompson ? Front Range Community College Madeline Seltzer (Boulder County Campus) and Stasi Bayer (Westminster Campus) ? Lamar Community College Mia Cory and Kamani Morris ? Morgan Community College Amy Bernabe and Heidi Gerkin ? Northeastern Junior College Megan Gerk and Gavin Fitzgerald ? Otero Junior College Serena Rife and Clay West ? Pikes Peak Community College Adonis Jaramillo and Annmatie Rose ? Pueblo Community College Michele Barnes and Thomas Martinez ? Red Rocks Community College Natasha Albrecht and Duncan Smith ? Trinidad State Junior College Prospero Dalimot and Ainsley Ridgeway

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170417005909/en/

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Janice Hill began the search for a program for her autistic son, Joseph Hill, during his junior year of high school. She decided on the TigerLIFE program at the University of Memphis because of its proximity to her home and because she and her daughter had both attended the U of M. She soon discovered that TigerLIFE would dramatically change her sons life.

Hes more outgoing  hes more confident, she said. He is more independent. He exercises every day.

Started in December 2011, TigerLIFE is a postsecondary education program for students with intellectual disabilities designed to transition them from high school to the workforce.

After Joseph started TigerLIFE in the fall of 2016, his mother said he began to look to the future and set goals for himself.

He told me, Momma, I want to go to school, even if I dont get but a two-year degree in something, she said. He was telling me, This summer I may go try to find a job at Kroger  something he has never said before.

Moe Williams, associate director of the University of Memphis Institute on Disability and founder of the TigerLIFE program, developed the program as part of his Masters thesis. Williams was working at the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau as the director of education programs while working on his Masters degree.

I was running a summer employment workshop, and they wouldnt allow students with disabilities in the workshop, Williams said. I couldnt understand that.

Williams was told those students with special needs were not ready to go to work.

Well, so are most young people, Williams said. They were like, These programs are not for those types of students.

After hearing that, Williams began researching education programs for students with special needs. He discovered there were already places for special needs people to receive postsecondary education training, but most of them were at universities and came with a high price tag to the student.

Someone impoverished cannot afford a program that costs them $50,000 a year, Williams said. Even for middle-class families, $50,000 a year is hard to handle.

Williams decided a program needed to be offered at the U of M.

Were the place where everybody is equal, Williams said. (Students) can get funding  they can go to school and become somebody.

With the help of colleague Chrisann Schiro-Geist, Williams developed a pilot program he pitched to Shelby County Schools. After that program was up and running, he began research for what became the TigerLIFE program. After the program started, he set out to get funding so the special-needs students could attend.

I started beating the pavement and tried to convince everybody they should be supporting this program, Williams said.

Williams and the late Lois DeBerry, former speaker pro tempore of the Tennessee House of Representatives, worked together and successfully convinced Gov. Bill Haslam to give scholarships to students with special needs. Haslam enacted the STEP UP Scholarship, a program designed to assist students with intellectual disabilities enroll in an individualized program of study at an eligible postsecondary institution. It mirrors the HOPE Scholarship in how much money students receive.

After high school graduation, many special needs students dont get jobs, said Gianna Gray, a graduate student pursuing her masters degree in special education. Many go back home or go to a mental institution, which are not the best things for them, she said.

Since the TigerLIFE program started, the employment placement rate of their graduates is 79 percent. For Janice Hill, a chance at future employment for her son is only one of the benefits of TigerLIFE.

Hes just more outgoing, and hes happy, she said. Before, when he was going to high school, he was very unhappy. He really didnt even want to go to school, but now he looks forward to going to school every day.

Moe Williams founded TigerLIFE as part of his master's thesis.
'In the past fortnight, Mr Trump has abandoned entirely his election campaign promises to avoid foreign entanglements.'

The Mail  like millions of people around the world who fear the outbreak of war  had hoped that over Easter the growing tensions in the Korean peninsula would abate. Instead, both sides seem determined to crank them up still further.

From the US, the drumbeat of war is growing louder. Not content with sending a powerful naval force to the region, President Trump ill-advisedly used Twitter to boast about the scale of the military build-up.

Fuelling fears of a pre-emptive strike against North Koreas nuclear facilities, US security adviser Lieutenant General McMaster declared that the situation just cant continue and is coming to a head.

With chilling echoes of the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, Vice President Mike Pence also used a visit to the South Korean capital Seoul to insist that freedom will ever prevail on this peninsula.

The prospect of an unprovoked attack by the US is truly terrifying. It would inevitably spark a backlash from Kim Jong-un. Worse, it would risk dragging China into defending its close ally and raise the chances of a devastating nuclear conflict.

There is little comfort to be had from the failure of North Koreas missile launch, although at least the regime did not attempt to detonate another nuclear bomb. Nevertheless, it has a frightening array of conventional weapons pointed at South Korea and has promised to respond to any attack with an annihilating strike.

If US sabre-rattling is designed to force China into restraining Kim Jong-un  the unhinged dictator it props up with food and power  and curtailing his nuclear programme, it shows little sign of working.

In the past fortnight, Mr Trump has abandoned entirely his election campaign promises to avoid foreign entanglements.

'Instead of a further act of recklessness in attacking North Korea, Mr Trump should step back from the brink and  if he is capable of it  start engaging in calm, level-headed diplomacy.'

With former generals now apparently dictating policy, he has inflamed the Middle East with a cruise missile assault on a Syrian airbase and dropped the mother of all bombs on Afghanistan.

Instead of a further act of recklessness in attacking North Korea, Mr Trump should step back from the brink and  if he is capable of it  start engaging in calm, level-headed diplomacy.

In his Easter address, Pope Francis urged restraint and told world leaders to have the courage they need to prevent the spread of conflicts. For all our sakes, it is a message they should heed  and urgently.

A bitter Remoaner

Theresa May deserves praise for defending the right of Christians in this country to speak out about their faith - she spoke authentically, as the daughter of a Church of England vicar

Theresa May deserves praise for defending the right of Christians in this country to speak out about their faith.

In her Easter message, the Prime Minister also voiced concern for the millions of Christians around the world who are persecuted and must practise their faith in secret and often in fear.

She spoke authentically, as the daughter of a Church of England vicar, and sent an optimistic message of unity and hope for the future of this country post-Brexit, which will have been well received by Christians as well as those of other faiths and none.

One exception was that cynical propagandist Alastair Campbell who said Mrs May had come close to claiming God would have voted Leave, when she said nothing of the sort.

Its another falsehood to add to the long list that has poured from the poisonous mouth of this professional liar.

As for his claim that Britain is more divided than ever, isnt it people like him who bitterly refuse to accept the referendum result  who do more to sow division than anyone else?

Common sense suggests that offering GPs cash incentives to ration operations and scans makes it more likely that genuinely sick people will be denied appropriate treatment. That these perverse incentives now apply to some urgent cancer scans and heart tests is deeply worrying.
A grieving father has revealed how he poses as a 14-year-old girl online to trap sex offenders, after vowing to seek vengeance on the predators who targeted his late son.

In 2015, David Poole's son Brandon, 16, accidentally choked to death at a party, and before he passed away he confided in his dad that older men had targeted him and tried to groom him online.

As a way to cope with his grief, David, 38, from Hereford - who is also a father to Charlie, five, and Madison, eight, has spent the last 18 months posing as Sammie-Jo to entrap paedophiles online, capturing them on camera when they turn up expecting to meet a 14-year-old girl.

'There was nothing I could do to help Brandon, but if I could help even one other teenager from being harmed by these predators, I'd feel my life had been worth living,' David told FEMAIL. 'Once I knew about what was going on, I couldn't just turn a blind eye.'

And he insists that the job he does is appreciated by the police - despite chiefs regularly calling for people not to take the law into their own hands - saying: 'They obviously can't encourage it but I think they're quite grateful for my assistance.'

Scroll down for video

David Poole, 38, from Hereford with his wife Kirstie, son Charlie, five, and daughter Madison, eight, spends his time entrapping internet predators

David's son Brandon, 16, died after accidentally choking at a party. Before his death he told his dad that older men he'd met online were attempting to groom him

Shortly before he died Brandon had come out as gay. He was using dating sites to meet people when he was targeted by older men.

'When Brandon first told me about what these perverts were saying to him and asking him to do, I was disgusted,' David recalled.

'I told Brandon to be careful and tried to put it out of my mind, but after he died I started thinking about all the stuff he'd told me. For some reason, I just couldn't get it out of my head and decided I had to do something about it.'

In late 2015, David, who is unemployed due to disability, decided to take action and joined a dating website calling himself Sammie-Jo.

Claiming to be 18, he used a photo of his wife Kirstie, 27, when she was a teenager as a profile picture.

Together, they devised a backstory for the teenager: an only child, she lives with her mum, a single parent who works nights at the local hospital.

Sammie-Jo is in Year 10 at school and her best friend is called Becky. She's a virgin, has never had a boyfriend and is a bit shy and giggly.

'Within seconds of my profile going live, I had several alerts,' David explained. 'After a few minutes, over 20 men had sent me messages.'

Samir Rignall, 46, travelled to Hereford with a bag of sex aids, thinking he was about to meet 14-year-old Sammie-Jo. He's currently awaiting sentencing for multiple offences

After connecting, Sammie-Jo then told her admirers that she wasn't really 18, but just 14-years-old.

'A few of the men would back off once they knew that,' David admitted,

'But the majority would carry on the conversation. Some were really sad, just chatting away about their jobs and their home lives, moaning about their lives and their wives, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the person they were offloading onto was a child.

'But others were straight in there with the sexual innuendo and blatant sex talk.'

Brandon with his younger siblings: The teenager came out as gay before his death and was targeted by online predators

David has a system that he follows with all the men he speaks to online.

'I chat to the men for a while and as soon as the word "sex" comes up, that's it,' he said. 'I know I've got them. I then continue chatting to them, over a period of about three weeks.

'In that time, some of them get really possessive. I tell them I get up at 7am, so at one minute past seven, my phone starts beeping.

'It's them saying "hi" and wanting to chat. The same happens at 4pm, when they know I get in from school.'

As the weeks go by, typically predators start to talk about having sex with Sammie-Jo and when she tells them she's 'shy about that kind of thing' it only seems to encourage them.

Kirstie helped her husband devise a backstory for Sammie-Jo, who is the 14-year-old daughter of a single mother, working nights at the local hospital

'One evening, when I mentioned that my mum was at work, one man  a guy with three daughters  wanted to come and see me,' David explained.

'I told him I had my best friend Becky with me and he got all excited and started talking about a threesome.'

'Another man told Sammie-Jo that he was into bondage and wanted to show her how it worked. When she said she was only 14, he said it didn't matter, that he'd had sex with girls younger than that and it was fine.

David was horrified so decided to do some research on him.

David felt compelled to act after becoming fixated on the fact his son was targeted before he died and insists that the police are grateful for his efforts

'It turned out he was ex-army and had already been in jail for ten years after abducting a seven-year-old girl, keeping her prisoner and sexually abusing her for three weeks.'

Samir Rignall, 46, said he wanted to meet up with her and that they would go to the woods, where he would tie her up and have sex with her.

Sammie-Jo agreed, but said she'd bring her friend Becky with her.

Samir said he wanted to speak to her on the phone before they met and Kirstie stepped in to speak to him.

Samir Rignall boasted to 'Sammie-Jo', 14, that he'd had give partners her age

After a brief phone conversation between Kirstie and Rignall with Kirstie pretending to be Sammie-Jo, the meeting was arranged.

But when Rignall, 46, arrived at Hereford station, there was no 14-year-old girl waiting for him. Instead, he was met by a very angry David and his camera man, who live streamed the confrontation on social media.

'What was really shocking about this bloke,' explains David, 'was that he had a bag of sex aids as well as ropes and a tarpaulin in his car. I was left wondering if he was intending to kill the two girls.

'He's already abducted, imprisoned and sexually abused a child. Maybe, this time, he was planning to go one step further. It makes me feel sick thinking about it.'

Explicit messages David received from Samir Rignall while he was posing as Sammie-Jo made reference to sex toys

The police were called and Rignall was arrested.

He pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a girl under 16 years of age following grooming at Worcester Crown Court and attempting to incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity.

Judge rules paedophile hunters CAN continue posing as children Earlier this week, a landmark ruling enabled paedophile hunters to continue posing as children online to snare perverts. A group of lawyers representing men allegedly caught by the Dark Justice vigilante group launched a legal appeal to get evidence against 42 paedophiles dismissed. If the judge ruled in their favour, cases against suspected paedophiles across the country would have collapsed. But the challenge was thrown out by Justice Langstaff, meaning paedophile hunters are now safe to continue their pursuits online. The case against Dark Justice waws launched by 30 barristers who argued their clients' crimes may not have happened if they weren't provoked. They said evidence gathered by such organisations 'diminished the integrity of the court process'. The judge heard from high-ranking police officials including Detective Superintendent Michael Jones who said police discouraged vigilante groups. He said members of Dark Justice are not encouraged in the activities they do by police and, if anything, are discouraged and in no way considered as taking steps on behalf of or at the request of a public authority. Detective Superintendent Michael Barton said forces neither work with nor endorse the activities of those such as Dark Justice. He spoke of concerns about the public safety of their activities and said the policy 'is not to forge a convenient, quasi-volunteer arrangement to somehow discharge the responsibility of the police to investigate crime'. DS Barton also said such groups have the potential to compromise regulated law enforcement activity. However, Mr Justice Langstaff said there was no legal requirement for the activities by the group to be subjected to controls. Justice Langstaff said Dark Justice were acting as private individuals, not public authorities, and had not been asked by the police to conduct their activities. Speaking in court, he said said: 'The members of Dark Justice have acted as private citizens throughout.' He added that arguments about the ethics of entrapping suspected paedophiles should be made on a case to case basis. He said: 'There may remain an argument that in doing what they did, Dark Justice did not act in the public interest to reduce crime, but rather acted in a manner contrary to the public interest by helping to create it where it might not otherwise have occurred.' Proceedings against the two men who brought forward the challenge will continue, the judge said. And a number of similar cases against suspected offenders will also move forward, now the decision has been made. Advertisement

He also admitted breaching of a sexual harm prevention order and failing to comply with notification requirements of the sex offenders register, and is currently awaiting sentencing.

Two weeks ago, David and his cameraman  known collectively as H Division  did another sting at Cwmbran station in South Wales.

Their target, a 27-year-old man wearing Morrisons overalls, was confronted and interrogated by David.

On camera, the man insisted that he had come to meet Sammie-Jo 'just to talk,' and said he had children of his own.

He also admitted that he felt 'stupid.' The police were called and he was arrested.

To date, David has carried out six stings and there have been three arrests. Two suspects have been remanded and one is on bail. There are also three others under investigation thanks to H Division.

'Three didn't show up for the sting,' says David, 'but I handed in the evidence to the police anyway.'

David admits that, because of his son's experiences, it's often hard for him to control his temper when confronting predators.

'I get really angry,' he says, teeth gritted. 'By the time I do a sting on these evil bastards, I am so wound up. I feel violent towards them sometimes and I could switch that on in an instant.

'I'd love to smash their heads in, but I know I can't. I want them to feel how those poor kids feel. If someone ever abused my child, I wouldn't be so controlled.'

Following Rignall's arrest, West Mercia Police issued a warning to paedophile hunters not to entrap suspected offenders.

Detective Chief Inspector Jon Roberts said: 'While we understand that this is a very emotive subject, the police do not encourage members of the public to pursue their own investigations.

'This can compromise ongoing police investigations.

'Identifying alleged paedophiles is best left to the police who can ensure vulnerable victims are protected.'

However, David insists that the police are appreciative of his efforts.

'The police have put out a general warning saying it's not a good idea for people to take the law into their own hands, but they haven't said anything to me personally,' he explained.

'I know the police are very stretched and don't have the resources to do what I do as often as I do it, so I'm just trying to help.

'They're always quick to the scene when I call them from a sting and seem satisfied with the evidence I present.'

David claims that what he's doing gives him great personal satisfaction and that he can't see himself stopping any time soon.

'I'm expecting there to be a change in the law at some point in the near future,' he says. 'It's been hinted at anyway.

I think the government worry that people like me make the police look like their not doing their jobs properly, but that's not true.

'I'm not doing this to make anyone look bad: I'm doing it because it has to be done.'

The father-of-three admits that he struggles to control his temper when he meets predators face-to-face

He wants parents and kids to feel safe and if that means spending every minute of his waking day talking to paedophiles and plotting and executing stings, then he says that's the way it has to be.

Nothing, not even complaints from his long-suffering wife Kirstie, will stop him from doing what he genuinely feels he has been put on this earth to do.

'When I was a kid, we were scared of burglars coming through the window,' he recalled. 'But now it's paedophiles, coming through the internet.

'It's got to stop. And I intend to do everything in my power to make that happen.'




If you're heading off on a beach holiday in the next few months and are looking for a quick way to drop the pounds, a quirky new eating technique may come in handy.

The new term generating buzz in fitness circles is 'protein pacing'.

The simple concept involves focusing on not only how much protein you eat, but when you eat it, too.

The latest healthy eating buzzword getting fitness fans in a frenzy is protein pacing, which involves eating 20g of protein, four to six times per day

Protein pacing is a science-backed concept that effectively involves staggering your protein intake over the course of a day to ensure you are giving your body the right fuel at the right time.

Scientist Paul Arciero, part of a group of researchers at Skidmore College, explained that the way to following the protein pacing method at home is by aiming for 20g of protein, four to six times per day.

This equates to five egg whites, an 80g serving of tinned tuna, a pot of Total 0 per cent Greek yoghurt, 105g of lean beef or 105g of salmon.

HOW TO PROTEIN PACE To follow the protein pacing at home, simply aim for 20g of protein, four to six times per day. This equates to five egg whites, an 80g serving of tinned tuna, a pot of Total 0 per cent Greek yoghurt, 105g of lean beef or 105g of salmon. Advertisement

Speaking to Health, Paul Arciero explained: 'Consuming protein this way stimulates protein synthesis in the cells, which is just a fancy way of saying the production of healthy, lean muscle mass.'

Other benefits of the technique include boosting the metabolism and keeping you feeling fuller for longer.

Arciero was part of a team that tested the concept on 50 physically fit men and women.

The group was split into two to follow an exercise regime - but only one half followed the protein pacing regime alongside it.

The results showed that the 25 men and women who had adopted protein pacing had better levels of fitness, lost more belly fat and had leaner body masses than the other half of the group.
After eight weeks of edge-of-your-seat anticipation, viewers of Broadchurch are about to finally find out whodunnit.

In what is likely to be the last ever episode of the hit ITV detective series - writer Chris Chibnall has already rejected the idea of a fourth series - Broadchurch's serial rapist has nowhere left to run.

However, the identity of the unmasked criminal, who raped shop worker Trish Winterman (Julie Hesmondhalgh) in harrowing scenes during the first episode, is far from a done-deal, with a whole plethora of names still swirling in the air.

Scroll down for video

One last crime to solve: Olivia Colman and David Tennant have been on screens, as Detective Inspector Ellie Miller and Detective Sergeant Alec Hardy, since 2013 in the hit ITV drama

The early episodes of the latest season of Broadchurch saw harrowing scenes following the aftermath of the rape of shop worker Trish Winterman. Actress Julie Hesmondhalgh has been widely praised for her portrayal of a rape victim

He knows who did it! Appearing on Good Morning Britain today, Broadchurch writer Chris Chibnall revealed that by the 'second draft of the first episode' he'd identified who the rapist would be in the hit series

While Chibnall, who's now heading to the BBC to write for Doctor Who, has given a pretty big clue as to the rapist's gender, stating 'every male character is a suspect', viewers speculating on social media have suggested that a female character might in fact be behind the crime - or at least linked to it.

Chibnall appeared on Good Morning Britain earlier today to tease telly fans ahead of the grand finale, which airs at 9pm this evening.

He told viewers he realised exactly who the rapist was early on in the writing process.

'I wrote episode one and was thinking about it and thought it should be somebody and then thought "Oh, that's how it should resolved" - so, it changed slightly but from the second draft of episode one, it was always the same [person]."

He also revealed that many of the show's stars joined the cast on the proviso that 'it might be them', without knowing whether they would be the rapist or not when filming began.

Here's the pick of the prime suspects:

THE EX-LOVER: IAN WINTERMAN (CHARLIE HIGSON)

Once a liar, always a liar? Trish's ex lover Ian Winterman (Charlie Higson) wasn't truthful to police about getting rid of spyware on her laptop - so does he have more he's not telling?

Trish's ex Ian, played by Charlie Higson, found himself edging higher in the suspicion stakes after he asked his former student, Leo Humphries, to eradicate spyware that he'd placed on Trish's laptop. He came clean to the police and Trish in the penultimate episode, but you have to wonder if that is all he is hiding.

THE BEST FRIEND'S HUSBAND: JIM ATWOOD (MARK BAZELEY)

A colourful love-life - including sleeping with the victim on the morning of his wife's birthday - has put Jim Atwood in the frame

A packet of condoms could well be the undoing of Jim Atwood. His lively lovelife - including having sex with Trish on the morning of his wife Cath's 50th birthday has already put him the spotlight. The same brand of contraceptives used were also found at the scene of the crime. His breakdown business has also seen the police questioning his whereabouts as new rape cases have emerged.

THE GRUMPY CABBIE: CLIVE LUCAS (SEBASTIAN ARMESTO)

Too obvious? Clive Lucas is many viewers' favourite to be unveiled as Broadchurch's serial rapist

Clive has been lurking in the background as ominously as the mists that creep over the Dorset cliffs, and it looks as though his wife has just uncovered something big in their garage. Apart from Jim, Clive is the person arousing the most suspicion. But would marking him as the rapist be too obvious a choice? This is Chris Chibnall after all, and as a writer he does love a good cliff-hanger.

THE SCHOOLBOYS

Too young? Tom Miller (Adam Wilson) could be an outsider for the crime

Porn-sharing Tom Miller (Adam Wilson) and his friend Michael would have been very young at the time of the earliest attacks...but the students could be wildcards.

THE MECHANIC'S WIFE: CATH ATWOOD (SARAH PARISH)

Jim Atwood has cheated on wife Cath (Sarah Parish) on multiple occasions...so should she be wreaking revenge for infidelity?

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned...and Cath Atwood could well fall under suspicion if revenge for her cheating husband's antics could be proven as a motive. Actor Mark Bazeley, who plays Cath's husband Jim Atwood, has hinted there may well be more than one person involved. He told Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes on This Morning: 'I think the person or persons who have done the deed are forewarned, simply because of the nature of the show.'

THE BOSS: ED BURNETT (LENNY HENRY)

Under arrest: Shop owner and Trish's boss Ed Burnett may well be classic stalker material, with his hidden laptop photographs...but is he a rapist?

Ed seems like Mr Nice Guy, but his arrest changed that all. It turned out he was the one who sent Trish flowers - but why did he not put his name on the card?

Then there are the reams of photographs of her on his laptop, mostly taken from afar without her knowing, which just scream 'stalker'.

His suit from the party was also covered in mud - and Trish's attack took place on a muddy embankment near a river. But is this just a red herring? Maybe he did really fall down walking through the forest as he said.

THE TECHNICAL WHIZZ: LEO HUMPHRIES (CHRIS MASON)

He's clever enough to cover his tracks: student Leo Humphries is a proven liar and helped Ian Winterman get rid of spy software on Trish's laptop

The former student of Ian Winterman was the one who helped Trish's ex install illegal software on her laptop. He also got his girlfriend to lie to Detectives Ellie Miller and Alec Hardy for him. He has spilled the beans about the laptop to the police, so can he now walk away guilt-free?

THE SUICIDE SURVIVOR: MARK LATIMER (ANDREW BUCHAN)

Why did the Broadchurch writers keep Mark Latimer alive if he has no further part to play?

By rights, he should have tripped off this mortal coil, having tried to kill himself earlier in the series. So, is there a reason why Mark Latimer has been kept in the story?

AND THE UNLIKELY TRIO THAT MIGHT CATCH VIEWERS OUT:

THE CRIMINAL: JOE MILLER (MATTHEW GRAVELLE)

Back from series one: Joe Miller (Mathew Gravelle) was the first of Broadchurch's big criminals...but is it a stretch too far to think he's struck again?

THE POTENTIAL RED HERRING: AARON MAYFORD (JIM HOWICK)

Keen fisherman Aaron Mayford (Jim Howick) has a previous rape conviction and a dodgy alibi for the night of the crime

THE VICAR: PAUL COATES (ARTHUR DARVILL)

A long shot...but could man of God Paul Coates (Arthur Darvill) be waiting in the wings to be unmasked?

The final episode of Broadchurch airs tonight at 9pm on ITV
Victoria's Secret has come under fire after unveiling a new list of 'inspiring' people that critics have slammed as overwhelmingly 'young, white and thin'.

The lingerie brand's annual What is Sexy? list aims to celebrate the 'fiercest and most inspiring people in Hollywood'.

Of the 18 women named on the list, which hailed Taylor Swift as 'sexiest entertainer' and Lady Gaga as 'sexiest songstress', 13 were white.

It provoked fury among social media users who questioned the lack of diversity on the list, with one posting: 'I have never seen a brand sabotage itself so gleefully.'

Taylor Swift was handed the 'sexiest entertainer' title, while Mandy Moore was given 'sexiest actress'

'Sexiest songstress' went to Lady Gaga, actress Margot Robbie was called 'forever sexy', and actress Nikki Reed was given 'sexiest fitspiration'

People were left unimpressed with the list of celebrity names which some said was overwhelmingly 'young, thin and white'

Another wrote: 'Victoria's Secret decides to tell you #WhatIsSexy. Note: your odds of getting on this list go up if you're young, thin, and white.

'Interesting how brands can do social campaigns so differently when it comes to empowering women,' another user said.

Though not all of the stars on the list were white - such as actresses Jamie Chung, Olivia Munn and Priyanka Chopra, and model, actress and author Chrissy Tiegen - critics pointed out that everybody named was slim.

'Where's the size diversity...?' asked one curve model campaigner.

Victoria's Secret was praised last year when black models Herieth Paul, Maria Borges and Jourdana Phillips all walked the runway showcasing their natural afro-caribbean hair.

In the past black Victoria's Secret models have walked the runway with long, straightened locks.

FEMAIL has contacted Victoria's Secret for comment.

'WHAT IS SEXY?' LIST OF WINNERS Sexiest Actress: Mandy Moore

Sexiest Fitspiration: Nikki Reed

Forever Sexy: Margot Robbie

Sexiest Red Carpet Look: Priyanka Chopra

Sexiest Entertainer: Taylor Swift

Sexiest Festival Style: Jamie Chung

Sexiest Sense of Humor: Billie Lourd

Sexiest Smile: Victoria Justice

Sexiest Cast: The Royals, E!

Sexiest Author: Chrissy Teigen, Cravings

Sexiest Style Risk-Taker: Vanessa Hudgens

Sexiest Breakout Star: Riley Keough

Sexiest Snapper: Catt Sadler

Sexiest Songstress: Lady Gaga

Sexiest DJ: Alexandra Richards

Sexiest Street Style: Olivia Munn

Sexiest Rising Songstress: Bebe Rexha

Sexiest Mogul: Lauren Conrad

Sexiest Late Night Host: James Corden

Sexiest Athlete: Julie Johnston Advertisement

Others questioned the racial and size diversity of the 'What Is Sexy?' list that Victoria's Secret released

Although non-white stars like Chrissy Tiegen and Jamie Chung made the list, fans were still disappointed by a 'lack of diversity'
An off-duty pilot has been hailed an 'inspiration' after he bottle-fed a baby for an overwhelmed mother-of-four who was flying alone with her children.

Finnair captain Tom Nystrom offered to help when he noticed the woman struggling to hold her two youngest sons. Wearing his uniform, Mr Nystrom, who is a father himself, took one of the babies in his lap while the mother looked after the other.

His act of kindness went viral after a senior member of cabin crew photographed him smiling at the camera with a baby in one hand and a bottle in the other.

Kind: Captain Tom Nystrom, an off-duty Finnair pilot, offered to take a baby on his lap to feed after he noticed a mother struggling to look after her four young children on the flight

Sharing the image on Instagram, purser Ami Niemela said: 'Today we had a mother on board travelling with four little boys. Two of the boys were just babies.

'Naturally one cannot travel with two babies on one's lap, so we had to solve the dilemma of missing lap, otherwise it would have been a no go for mom and the kids.

'Luckily we had our positioning crew on board and wonderful Tom took the task of being the extra-lap. Don't you find them quite adorable.'

Speaking later to Fox News, Mr Nystrom said: 'I have children of my own... so it came natural to me to help this customer with her babies.'

Mr Nystrom took one of the boys in his lap and held him until he became restless. He then gave the baby back to his mother and took the other infant instead.

Destination: The plane is believed to have been travelling to Helsinki Airport, pictured

It is not known who the mother was or where the plane was flying but Miss Niemela posted the picture from Helsinki airport.

Dozens of users commented on the photo, praising Mr Nystrom's initiative.

One wrote: 'This is incredibly inspiring and kind. I've travelled alone with my babies and it's so hard. Having strangers show you this kind of kindness during this stressful time means more than anyone can know.

'Even offering to help with the baby so mom can go to the toilet is appreciated immensely. Thanks for sharing this story and restoring our faith in humanity.'
Just weeks after announcing her departure from J.Crew, designer Jenna Lyons is enjoying some much-deserved time off.

The 48-year-old revealed earlier this month that she was leaving the brand after working their for 26 years, climbing up the ranks to become creative director and president.

On Sunday, she was spotted relaxing and enjoying the weekend, walking hand-in-hand with her longtime girlfriend Courtney Crangi, 43, in New York City.

On vacay: Jenna Lyons was seen in New York City walking hand-in-hand with her partner Courtney Crangi

Bye! The 48-year-old, who announced earlier this month that she was leaving J.Crew after 26 years, flashed some side boob in a low-cut pink jumpsuit

Style: Jenna accessorized her ensemble with some brown leather sandals, a leopard-print clutch, and a lime green umbrella, while Courtney looked laid-back in a pair of distressed jeans

How low can you go? Jenna' s Pepto Bismol-pink ensemble was unbuttoned down to her waist

Always flaunting her unique and iconic sense of style, Jenna was wearing a light pink jumpsuit, which hung open in the front and revealed that she appeared to be braless underneath.

She accessorized with brown sandals and a leopard clutch, holding onto a clear umbrella in preparation for a spot of rain that came down in the afternoon.

Jenna held hands with her partner Courtney, who was dressed in ripped jeans, an oversized denim jacket, and booties. Courtney has a fashion background herself, and is a partner in her brother's jewelry label Philip Crangi.

The two had been dating for a year before they publicly acknowledged their relationship in November 2012.

Long weekend: On Saturday she was out and about by herself in a pair of star-print jeans

Busy bee: She was seen texting while balancing a coat over her shoulders

Recognizable: Jenna was also wearing her signature black frames

A few months later, Jenna told V Magazine how great it was to have Courtney there to support her no matter what she did.

'For me the best thing is knowing that someone really has your back,' she said. 'Like no matter what happens, she has my best interests at heart. I think there are a few moments in life where that actually happens and that feels, like, completely true and real.'

Surely Courtney has lent her support as Jenna's career has entered a transitional phase this month. In early April, she shared the news that she would be stepping down from J.Crew.

'I am excited about the next chapter for J.Crew as well as the opportunity for other creative leaders within the organisation to step up and take on new responsibilities,' she said in a statement, according to Business of Fashion.

The end of an era: Earlier this month, announced that she is leaving J.Crew after 26 years at the helm of the popular brand, following declining 2016 sales

Head of the brand: During her first decade running the brand, she tripled its sales

Leaving seems to be bittersweet for Jenna, who also holds a position on the CFDA's Board of Directors.

'It has been beyond my wildest dreams to work with such an amazing team of people at such an incredible brand and alongside Mickey [Drexler, chief executive of the brand]  one of retail's most talented visionaries,' she added.

'Having spent the better part of my life with J.Crew, I feel an immense pride and love for everyone at the company.'

Taking her place is Somsack Sikhounmuong, formerly the head of design, as well as the leader of Madewell. He has been promoted to chief design officer.

Jenna, meanwhile, has not announced whether she will be moving to another brand as of yet.

Tastemaker: She has also become a major personality in the fashion industry (picture with, left to right: Ivanka Trump, Carolina Herrera, Anna Wintour, Donna Karan, Claire Danes)

'Jenna and I got together and we both agreed it was time for a change,' Dexler explained.

'Somsack and our design teams have a deep understanding of the aesthetic and style our customers rely on us to deliver, with a proven track record of driving creative vision in-line with our brand DNA.'

J.Crew has seen a decline in sales lately, down 6 per cent from 2015 to 2016. Sales at brick-and-mortar shops declined 8 per cent.

Next in line: Jenna will be succeeded by Somsack Sikhounmuong, formerly the head of design and leader of Madewell

Jenna, though, is credited with majorly growing the brand during her tenure. From 2003 to 2013, the brand's revenue tripled, and J.Crew became a cult favorite.

She was also often seen as more than just a designer, becoming a media personality in her own right.

'Everyone from industry professionals to the younger generation of bloggers is crazy about her sense of style,' Marie Claire editor Nina Garcia told New York magazine. 'Jenna has mastered the art of the high-low mix.'

That mastery is what propelled her to the top position at a company she started working at straight out of Parsons in 1990. She began as 'assistant to an assistant to someone elses assistant', she told Fast Company, and slowly but surely made her way through the ranks.

It wasn't until Drexler became CEO in 2003 that Jenna became a big player at the brand, and in 2010 she was given the top job of director and president. Together, they transformed J.Crew into the mega-brand it is today.

Jenna is also the genius behind the J.Crew Style Guide, an updated version of the brand's catalog  which now devotes more pages to style and editorial content.
Part of being a parent means going to extremes for your children, but would you risk personal humiliation just to see your kid smile? This dad did when he pretended to have peed his pants in order to console his humiliated daughter.

Father Ben Sowards of Cedar City, Utah recently received a call from his wife Connie, saying that their six-year-old daughter Valerie wanted to be picked up from the school where she attends kindergarten.

It turns out that Valerie had had an accident and was crying to go home.

Ready to go! When Ben Sowards of Cedar City, Utah heard his daughter had had an accident at school, he splashed water on the front of his pants to give the appearance that he had too

'My heart just kind of broke.' When Sowards picked up his daughter Valerie, six, from kindergarten, she laughed and smiled at his show of solidarity

Sowards told BuzzFeed News that when he heard about his daughter's predicament, his 'heart just kind of broke'.

So, before Sowards headed out to retrieve Valerie from school, he splashed water along the front of his light-colored pants, giving the effect that he, too, had had an accident.

When Sowards arrived at the school office where Valerie was waiting, he asked his daughter for her backpack so he could cover up his own 'accident.'

This stunt instantly transformed Valerie's tears into laughter. 'It was so funny,' Sowards said.

The pair posed for photos showing the matching condition of their pants, which Sowards's older daughter Lucinda, 17, posted to Twitter.

Lucinda posted the pictures with obvious pride in her father, and dubbed his actions a '#dadwin.'

Nothing to see here: After learning of her dad's supportive move, Sowards's older daughter Lucinda, 17, posted photos of her dad and sister to Twitter, where they were praised

Family portrait: The Sowards clan is comprised of 11 children in total, and also acts as a foster home for youth

Many responded to the tweet with praise for Sowards's parenting style and his willingness to stand by his daughter, even in the most uncomfortable of situations.

Others questioned whether the stunt might actually make a child feel more embarrassed - but judging by the grin pictured on Valerie's face, her sentiments are just the opposite.

A common thread throughout the Twitter comments were comparisons to the 1995 Adam Sandler film Billy Madison. A scene in the film shows Sandler's character pretending to have peed his pants in solidarity with a young friend who had an accident.

Though Sowards's act of kindness may seem extreme to some, it appears to be typical of the Sowards clan, which maintains a strong focus on family.

The Utah-based family, which boasts 11 children, also works as a foster family for to-be-adopted youth. It seems that taking care of others, no matter the cost, is simply part of the Sowards lifestyle.
Swedish furniture retailer IKEA is known for exceptional design when it comes to things like sofas, lamps, and sheets. When it comes to handbags? Not so much.

Yet that hasn't stopped French luxury brand Balenciaga from releasing a bag that's suspiciously similar to IKEA's iconic 'Frakta' tote, known for it's bright blue color, it's durability, and its absolutely massive size.

Balenciaga and IKEA's bags are almost entirely alike in design - their size, shape, color, and multi-handle structure are near-identical. A few key differences to note are the absence of the IKEA logo on the handles of the Balenciaga style (an obvious choice), the material, and - of course - the price.

Ironic or incidental? Luxury brand Balenciaga seems to be referencing a very specific IKEA tote bag with their latest design - which retails for $2,145

A modern icon? In lieu of traditional shopping bags, IKEA has been selling its now-iconic 'Frakta' tote bags for many years

'Schlepping laundry in an IKEA bag is now high fashion.' Fans can't decide whether to love or hate Balenciaga's latest design inspiration

Whereas the IKEA 'Frakta' bag is made from 100% polypropylene, a recyclable material, the Balenciaga tote is composed of 'wrinkled, glazed leather,' per theBarney's website.

Another key comparison is the price point. The classic IKRA tote will set buyers back all of 99 cents, whereas Balenciaga's 'Arena Extra-Large Shopper Tote Bag' is just a bit more expensive, at $2,145.

Rather than take offense to the replication of their design, IKEA appears to be praising the French brand for their design skills. In a statement to Today, an IKEA spokesperson said,

'We are deeply flattered that the Balenciaga tote bag resembles the Ikea iconic sustainable blue bag [...] Nothing beats the versatility of a great big blue bag.'

Clearly, someone in Balenciaga's design department feels similarly.

Sweet nothings: IKEA says they are 'deeply flattered' by the similarities to their classic 99-cent tote bag

Inspiration in the strangest places: Earlier this year, Balenciaga released another odd bag - this one resembling a blanket bag one might find at a home good store

Wait...where have we seen that before? In 2016, Balenciaga debuted another copy-cat bag, this one resembling a bag commonly used to carry laundry in Thailand

Despite the hilarity of this designer parallel, it is in some ways a blessing. As one Twitter user put it: 'Schlepping laundry in an Ikea bag is now high fashion.'

This isn't the first time Balenciaga has found design inspiration in an unlikely source.

Last year, they copied another over-sized tote style with their version of the Thai laundry bag. Earlier this year, they were mocked for another bag that bore a striking resemblance to a blanket bag one might find at Bed Bath & Beyond - not Bergdorf's.

Surprise! Fashion fans joked about the fact that they already owned a designer piece worth thousands of dollars

Ahead of the curve: Thai fashionistas quickly noted the similarities between Balenciaga's colorful tote (which retails for thousands) and Thai laundry bags (which cost pennies)

Balenciaga for sale! This Twitter user made a note of the 'similar models' one might already find in their closet - a sentiment that applies to their latest Ikea replica, as well

Of course, fashion fans took to Twitter to express their combination of amazement and bewilderment and Balenciaga's bold design choice. Many expressed a mock-sense of awe that they already owned a designer piece worth thousands.

Even retailer Net-a-Porter couldn't deny the similarities between Balenciaga's design and blanket bags, with their product description reading, 'Finding beauty in the every day, Balenciaga's oversized tote is inspired by classic blanket bags.'

If you do opt for one of these over-sized Balenciaga bags as part of your Spring look, we wish you luck finding your keys at the bottom of the tote.
A Washington, D.C.-area bar is putting other pricey cocktails to shame with its swanky menu addition.

Blossom Cocktail Lounge at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland  a ten-mile drive from the White House  is enticing guests of the hotel and casino with it's very over-the-top drink.

The Dom-arita, as they call it, sets customers back a whopping $1,000  not including tip  and comes topped with an entire bottle of high-end Dom Perignon Brut Champagne champagne.

Swank: Blossom Cocktail Lounge is serving a $1,000 cocktail made with Don Julio 1942 Tequila, Grand Marnier Quintessence, and a full bottle of champagne

Pretty: The lounge is located in the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, near Washington, D.C.

Created by lead bartender Antony Sazerac, the cocktail is made with Don Julio 1942 Tequila and Grand Marnier Quintessence  both very pricey drinks in their own right. Those are mixed with agave nectar, fresh lime juice, and fresh seasonal fruits.

It is served in a crystal-etched decanter with a spout for pouring, and a full bottle of Dom is overturned inside of it.

'As the guests drink from the punch the bottle continues to empty out to refresh the punch,' Sazerac told Daily Mail Online.

Naturally, with that much alcohol, the drink is meant to serve more than just one, and is recommended for eight to ten people.

Amazing: The special cocktail was created by lead bartender Antony Sazerac

Too pretty to drink: The bar also serves up other beautiful cocktails from $14 to $16

There is also a $130 version of the pricey punch cocktail made with less expensive champagne (not pictured)

'The idea for the Dom-a-rita came from the tagline of Blossom Cocktail Bar, "Be the center of attention,"' Sazerac explained.

'We wanted our guests to have the opportunity to turn heads from other guests in the lounge, and passersby in the casino outside the lounge. It was designed to be a statement piece for high rollers looking to have a different experience from the standard bottle service.'

For guests who aren't such high rollers  but are still intrigues by the ritzy-looking drink  there is also a less expensive version, the Champagne-arita, for $130.

Other cocktails on the menu range from $14 to $16.
We might think that the key to keeping our kids healthy is to sterilize our homes.

But according to two leading scientists, that is completely wrong.

In fact, today's children are too clean for their own good, argue Drs John Gilbert and Rob Knight - two scientists investigating the microbiome - in a landmark book titled Dirt Is Good: The Advantage of Germs for Your Child's Developing Immune System.

Slamming our addiction to cleanliness, the authors - both parents - explain how evidence is growing to show that not only can dirt and germs can protect against disease - but that our indoor-based, uber-clean lifestyles are weakening our immune systems.

Kids who live in an ultra-clean environment may be increasing their risk of immune diseases, such as eczema and asthma, because the immune system doesn't know how to react to common invaders such as pollen and dust

The book, co-authored by New York Times science reporter Sandra Blakeslee, outlines the increasingly popular hygiene hypothesis.

The hypothesis says that some exposure to germs and microorganisms in early childhood is actually good for us because it helps develop the immune system.

It also holds that instances of eczema, asthma, hay fever and childhood diabetes have spiked in children who rarely roll in the mud or play with animals.

Without early exposure to dirt and germs, the immune system doesn't learn how to control its reaction to everyday invaders such as dust and pollen.

Writing in Dirt Is Good, to be released on June 6 this year, Dr Gilbert says that over the last 150 years, once humans began to understand that microbes cause disease, there has been an attempt to rid our bodies from any type of fungi, virus or bacterium.

And while the increase in hygiene practices - boiling water and pasteurizing milk - has helped ward off a number of diseases and deaths, negative consequences are suffered by children who grow up in too clean of a home.

THREE GOOD BACTERIA FOR YOU 1) SKIN BACTERIA: Micrococcus luteus M. luteus is a part of the normal flora of the skin. In 2013, Norwegian researchers found M. luteus in an inlet of the Norwegian Sea with a unique characteristic: a pigment that could absorb wavelengths from 350 to 475 nano-meters - the same wavelength that causes mutations in DNA and triggers cancers such as melanomas. M. luteus has been nicknamed a 'super-sunscreen' because of its strong ability to absorb UV radiation. 2) GUT BACTERIA: Bifidobacterium animalis B. animalis is a human intestine probiotic bacterium. It enhances immunity, fights tumor growth, improves digestions and can lower cholesterol (closely related to B. lactis). B. animalis and B. lactis are frequently utilized as probiotics, which help with microflora balance, inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria, promote good digestion, boost immune function, and increase resistance to infection. 3) DAIRY BACTERIA: Streptococcus thermophilus Also a probiotic, S. thermophilus is a starter culture in the manufacturing process of yogurt, mozzarella cheese and other fermented dairy products. One of the principal therapeutic uses for S. thermophilus is for relief of the abdominal cramps, diarrhea, nausea and other gastrointestinal symptoms associated with lactose intolerance. Advertisement

'We've deliberately separated ourselves for reasons of comfort and reasons of fear of disease,' Dr Gilbert told The New York Times.

A 2016 study published in The New England Journal of Medicine compared the immune systems of Amish children who grow up on small single-family farms, and Hutterite children, who are similar genetically but grow up on large, industrialized farms.

The Amish kids, who were living in environments described as 'rich in microbes,' or full of barnyard dust, had very low rates of asthma.

'We used to live in much dustier environments,' Dr Marsha Wills-Karp, a professor of environmental health and engineering at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, told The New York Times.

Although houses are cleaner, the built environment contains many chemicals and airborne particles.

''While you don't want to go out and expose your child to aggressive infections, you don't want to create such a sterile environment that their immune system doesn't develop normally,' she said.

'It puts them at risk of developing immune diseases.'

And Dr Gilbert says the research points to the fact that not only does early life exposure to microbes shape the immune system, but also the endocrine system, and even the child's neurodevelopment.

A study published last week, from the University of Alberta in Canada, found that being exposed to pets from a young age lowered the risk of obesity and results in fewer allergies in addition to creating early immunity to dirt and bacteria.

In another study published last year, Dr Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello looked at the Amazon basin of South America and found that in rural houses and huts, most of the bacteria were related to the surrounding environment.

She says as houses become more enclosed, the speed at which outside air replaces inside air decreases.

'What happens is, we reduce the exposure to external environmental bacteria, so we become the main source of bacteria, our skin, our mouth, we shed bacteria, and the house becomes highly humanized, most of the bacteria in a house in a city will be human,' she said.

Dr Gilbert has suggested that it's best to educate parents about the types of natural exposure that would be most helpful in immune system development given the specifics of their children and their communities.

'There are definitive ways to embrace the controlled exposure or uncontrolled defined exposure to that rich microbial world early in life,' Dr Gilbert said.
WARNING: SPOILER ALERT - This article contains details of S-town, the latest podcast by the producers of Serial

What do mercury, antique clocks, hatmakers, and Woodstock, Alabama, have in common?

They've all been linked to mad hatter disease, a severe form of mercury poisoning.

The Mad Hatter is one of the characters Alice meets in Wonderland in the classic 1865 Lewis Carroll novel, Alice in Wonderland.

At first he comes across as simply zany, but it's likely that years of exposure to mercury vapors, common in hatmaking, contributed to his bizarre attitude.

The disease was recently re-examined due to the smash hit podcast S-town.

In the final episode, we learn that protagonist John B McLemore likely suffered from the disease from years of clock restoration - which may have affected his mental health and led to his eventual suicide.

Here, we reveal what the disease is and why its effects can have severe repercussions.

In Lewis Carroll's novel Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter comes off as a zany character, but it's likely that years of exposure to mercury contributed to his bizarre behavior (seen left in the 1951 Disney adaptation and right in the 2010 Tim Burton adaptation portrayed by Johnny Depp)

To make hats into felt, animal skin had to be separated from the fur. Mercury nitrate is used to boil and dry the fur, which emits toxic mercury vapors. These vapors affect the neurological system resulting in delirium, irritability, tremors and suicidal tendency. It's likely that many hatters didn't use proper protection, such as the one pictured

Mad hatter disease is a common occupational disorder caused by a constant and prolonged exposure to mercury.

Doctors first began to identify the syndrome among hatmakers in the 19th century when, after years of being in the business, they began to exhibit strange behavior.

To make top hats and other hats from animal skins into felt, the skin had to be separated from the fur and then the fur had to be matted together.

The process became known as 'carroting' because it involved mercury nitrate, an orange mixture of mercury and nitric acid, to boil and dry the fur - which emitted toxic mercury vapors.

Very dangerous, it meant that the hatters were subject to erethism, a neurological disorder which affects the whole central nervous system.

Chronic mercury exposure can give rise to psychotic reactions such as delirium, hallucinations and suicidal tendencies.

Other associations include irritability, excitability, excessive shyness and insomnia - and continuing exposure can even cause tremors and muscle spasms to develop.

So was born the expression 'mad as a hatter'.

In his portrayal of the Mad Hatter role in the 2010 movie Alice in Wonderland, based on the Lewis Carroll novel, Johnny Deep told a Los Angeles Times reporter that his orange-haired character 'was poisoned...and it was coming out through his hair, through his fingernails and eyes'.

In the hit podcast S-town, host Brian Reed discussed the life of John B McLemore from Woodstock, Alabama. John (pictured) was an antique clock restorer and likely suffered from mad hatter disease because of it

John exhibited a great deal of eccentric behavior, including hours spent worrying about global warming and building an elaborate hedge maze in his backyard (pictured). He told Reed that was prone to mood swings, depression, anxiety, insomnia and spontaneous vomiting

In the popular podcast S-Town, protagonist John B McLemore is presented as eccentric to say the least.

He spends hours a day worrying about global warming, is an avid conspiracy theorist, has gold hidden on his property, built an elaborate hedge maze in his backyard - and is one of the most skilled antique clock restorers in the world.

And this last point may have been what fueled John's depression and eventual suicide.

Clock restoration often involves a process called fire gilding, which embellishes clocks with gold decoration.

Gold gets melted into mercury, the mixture is brushed onto a surface and then the mercury is evaporated with heat. Without proper safety equipment, a person practicing fire gilding could inhale those toxic mercury fumes.

John began performing fire gilding in college - and one friend of his said he did it 'dozens of times a year'.

'I do not have a definitive answer as to whether or not John had mercury poisoning and if that could have been a force behind some of his behavior, his personality, and even his suicide,' S-Town host, Brian Reed, said on the final episode of the podcast.

But he makes a strong case that mercury poisoning was likely a contributor to John's neurological and physical symptoms.

John had told Reed that was prone to mood swings, depression, anxiety, insomnia and spontaneous vomiting.

His autopsy revealed an enlarged brain and congestion in the lungs, which mercury experts told Reed is consistent with poisoning from the toxin.

While it's unknown for sure how much mercury was in John's body (the current owners of his property have refused to test his workshop for residue), mercury experts say there's a strong possibility he was poisoned.

'He was doing it for years, so the quantity of mercury in his workshop must have been unbelievable,' Dr Jack Caravanos, an environmental health professor at NYU, told Vox.

'So that's why his health effects, I think, are completely plausible.'

Clock restoration often involves a process called fire gilding, which embellishes clocks with gold decoration. Gold gets melted into mercury, the mixture is brushed onto a surface and then the mercury is evaporated with heat.

Without proper safety equipment, a person practicing fire gilding could inhale those toxic mercury fumes, which affects the nervous system. Without proper protection, it's likely John was exposed to toxic fumes for the majority of his life.

Dr Caravanos added that even if John were still alive, there's no test a neurologist can do to for mercury poisoning and, once poisoned 'there's no real treatment because your nerves are already damaged'.

And while mercury poisoning from elemental mercury (the type found in thermometers) is uncommon due to evolved health and safety regulations, gold miners in countries such as Indonesia and Peru, suffer mercury poisoning from artisanal gold processing, according to Caravanos.

Tiny amounts of rock with gold are farmed and mixed into mercury to extract the metal. This creates vaporous mercury, the same kind John McLemore was exposed to.

Caravanos and his nonprofit organization Pure Earth nonprofit are trying to teach miners to use other, less dangerous techniques to extract gold mainly with methods that allow for the gold ore to separate out from the materials surrounding it, instead of using mercury to draw it out.

However, the switch is stuff as mercury quicker and easier and while many countries have bans on the substance - they're not very effective.
Osteoarthritis of the thumb affects up to 12 per cent of adults. Paul Barrett, 67, a retired Navy officer from Purbrook, Hampshire, took part in a trial of a new implant to treat it, as he tells LUCY HOLDEN.

THE PATIENT

One of my favourite hobbies is DIY. I enjoy it all, even putting in a new staircase, as I find it therapeutic. Dad was a woodwork teacher, so I inherited this love from him.

But in 2013, my thumbs started to ache and I began to find it difficult to open jars and turn door handles  they hurt so much when I tried to grip things.

I had a blood test to find out if it was rheumatoid arthritis, but the results came back clear.

Paul Barrett, 67, a retired Navy officer from Purbrook, Hampshire, took part in a trial of a new implant to treat osteoarthritis after his joint pain meant he couldn't enjoy DIY anymore (file photo)

I hoped the pain would improve, but gradually it got worse. My wife, Anne, was having to do up my shoelaces and shirt buttons for me, and I couldnt do DIY for more than an hour because of the excruciating pain and stiffness.

I could feel and hear the bones at the base of my thumbs grinding, particularly in my right hand.

I dont like sitting still so not being able to work properly was making me miserable.

I went back to my GP in January 2015. He said it might be osteoarthritis and referred me to have an X-ray, which I had a week later. It showed osteoarthritis in both thumbs.

The doctor explained that the cartilage around the joints had worn away  partly due to years of manual work.

It meant the two bones in my thumbs were grinding against each other, causing pain and restricting movement.

I was worried I wouldnt be able to use my hands properly again. The doctor reassured me there were treatments: steroid injections to reduce inflammation and, if they didnt work, surgery to cut out the bone that was grinding and causing pain.

He said: 'A year on, Im completely pain-free and am back working around the house. I feel as though Ive never even had arthritis in my right hand' (file photo)

I tried steroid injections first, which were not a success. I was ready to go back and have surgery, but was diagnosed with prostate cancer in February 2015, so I had to wait until the cancer treatment had finished.

Luckily, I was given the all-clear in August 2015.

I went back to the hospital and was told that a new trial for a thumb implant was starting. The consultant said it involved inserting a rubbery implant between the two bones to replace the lost cartilage.

I was asked whether Id like to join the trial  it would mean they wouldnt have to remove the bone in my thumb and I would retain better movement and grip in my hand.

That sounded like a no-brainer, so I said yes. We agreed that they would try it in my right thumb first because it was worse than my left one.

I had to wait for the trial to start and had the procedure under general anaesthetic in March 2016.

When I woke up, my arm was numb and I had a slight ache around my thumb, but I didnt need painkillers.

I went home with my arm in a cast and couldnt do very much for six weeks. Then I had a splint taped between my wrist and thumb to hold it in place for another six weeks. I think they were just being extra cautious because it was a trial, but I could already feel that the grinding had disappeared.

I had hand therapy for six weeks at the hospital to help strengthen my thumb and ease the joint back into a full range of movement.

A year on, Im completely pain-free and am back working around the house. I feel as though Ive never even had arthritis in my right hand.

I can do up my shirt buttons, open jars and turn door handles without any problems.

I am hoping to have the same operation soon on my left thumb, which is gradually getting worse.

THE SURGEON

Philip Sauve is a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth.

Osteoarthritis in the thumb is incredibly common, because whenever we hold a pencil, undo a bottle top or twist a key into a lock, a lot of force is channelled through the joint.

It is sometimes the result of overuse of the joint, which destroys the cartilage  the buffer between bones  meaning bone rubs on bone, which causes pain, stiffness and can reduce movement. Its also thought that injury can bring on osteoarthritis by damaging the cartilage, or it may be that genetics are to blame.

What are the risks? As with any operation, there is a risk of infection. Patients can develop chronic regional pain syndrome (pain sensitivity in that area). The thumb could feel unstable or the implant may loosen or wear out. It may carry less risk than other treatments for thumb osteoarthritis, says Elliot Sorene, a consultant surgeon at the London Clinic. Patients can react to the metal, silicone or rubber used in other implants. This gel could act as a cushion. Advertisement

We can offer steroid injections, which are anti-inflammatory and take the edge off the pain.

How effective they are varies. They work less well when the arthritis is more advanced, which is why they didnt work brilliantly for Paul.

When steroid jabs dont work, we offer surgery called trapeziectomies  where we remove the trapezium bone at the base of the thumb, which acts like an anchor and holds the thumb in place at the joint.

This involves opening up the thumb joint, removing the bone and letting the scar tissue heal in its place.

Patients wear casts for several weeks to keep the hand in a fixed position and allow scar tissue to form.

The downside is that removal of bone means the thumb sits nearer the wrist, which reduces its movement and a patients ability to grip properly.

But we are trialling an implant called Cartiva  a synthetic cartilage implant.

It comes in one size and is already used to treat osteo-arthritis in the big toe.

Because that joint is similar to the thumb, doctors thought that the implant could work well there, too.

The rubbery implant is about 1cm wide and 8mm long, and is made of a gel that has a similar consistency to cartilage: firm, but flexible.

Patients have the option of being awake for the operation and just having a local anaesthetic, or they can opt for a general anaesthetic.

Osteoarthritis of the thumb affects up to 12 per cent of adults in Britain. Osteoarthritis in the thumb is incredibly common, because whenever we hold a pencil, undo a bottle top or twist a key into a lock, a lot of force is channelled through the joint (file photo)

We first make an inch-long incision at the base of the thumb (palm side down) and expose the end of the two bones that are rubbing.

We then make an 8mm hole at the end of the bone in the thumb and squeeze in the implant.

Then we sew the incision using dissolvable stitches.

The whole procedure takes about 45 minutes, and the patient can go home the same day. In the trial, patients spend about six weeks in plaster casts and then have a splint fitted for another six weeks to help the thumb heal properly.

With the gel implant, the recovery period is longer than after standard surgery, but its because were being extra careful until were more familiar with it.

Six weeks of hand therapy improves movement and strengthens grip, meaning everyday tasks such as turning keys and buttoning a shirt become possible.

You get much less function when you remove the thumb bone. Its still early days, but the results look good so far and should be released officially by next year.

The first phase of the trial in 50 patients at ten hospitals in the UK and Canada has finished.

A second phase should start later this year at the Queen Alexandra Hospital and other hospitals elsewhere in the UK.
Adolescent girls are more than twice as likely to smoke marijuana if they're pregnant, a U.S. study suggests.

While previous research has tied teen drug and alcohol use to higher odds of multiple sex partners and pregnancy, the current study offers fresh insight into marijuana use among young women.

About 14 percent of pregnant girls ages 12 to 17 smoke marijuana, compared to roughly 6 percent of their non-pregnant peers, the study found.

By contrast, older pregnant women were at least half as likely to smoke pot as their peers.

A 13-year government-back study revealed 14 percent of pregnant girls aged 12-17 in America smoke marijuana, compared to 6 percent of their non-pregnant peers (file image)

Among all pregnant women ages 12 to 44 in the study, about 6 percent reported marijuana use during the first trimester, while 3 percent said they smoked pot in the second trimester and about 2 percent use the drug in the third and final trimester.

'These findings should be considered in a broader context in which young people increasingly view marijuana not just as a benign, but even as a beneficial drug,' said lead study author Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse in Bethesda, Maryland.

'The higher prevalence of marijuana use observed in the first trimester as opposed to later in the pregnancy, suggests that some women are likely to resort to marijuana for managing their nausea,' Volkow added.

Doctors advise women to completely avoid marijuana during pregnancy because it may have negative effects on fetal neurodevelopment, especially during the first trimester.

For the study, researchers examined survey data on marijuana use reported by 410,000 women aged 12 to 44, including 14,400 who were pregnant. The national survey data was collected from 2002 to 2015.

Overall, about 4 percent of pregnant women and almost 8 percent of non-pregnant women reported using marijuana, researchers report in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

In both pregnant and non-pregnant groups, women who were at least 26 years old were less likely to use marijuana than younger women.

Among pregnant women, black women were more likely to report marijuana use than other racial and ethnic groups.

One limitation of the study is that it relied on women to accurately report their drug use, which may mean the results underestimate how much people use it, the authors note.

Even so, the findings are a reminder that despite declining teen pregnancy rates, parents and doctors should still keep in mind that these young women may be more likely to engage in risky behaviors than their peers, said Patricia Cavazos-Rehg of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

'We have known for some time that certain groups of adolescents are prone to deviant behaviors, but we need to know more about the unique environmental and/or biological vulnerability factors that influence the tendency for risk behavior engagement at the outset,' Cavazos-Rehg, who wasn't involved in the study, said.

The trouble with pot smoking for pregnant teens is it may be even more dangerous for them than for older women, said Dr. Nathaniel DeNicola of George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

'Drug use, and marijuana use specifically, is underreported by all age groups, and there is reason to think this is higher among teens,' DeNicola, who wasn't involved in the study, said by email.

'But the bigger issue: marijuana use is different among teens - it's more dangerous,' DeNicola added.

'There are more adverse and consequential impacts on the still-developing brain.'

For some teens, just telling about the risk of pot during pregnancy may be enough to get them to stop, noted Dr. Seth Ammerman of Stanford University and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital in California.

'Some of these adolescents who are using do not initially realize they are pregnant, but once they find out and are counseled to stop use, a significant number do, so rates decrease from the first trimester on,' Ammerman, who wasn't involved in the study, said.
A feature on 3 January described Rwanda as a highly corrupt state. We have been asked to point out that Rwanda was ranked 50th out of 176 countries, on a scale of least to most corrupt, in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index 2016.

An article on 6 April said the Ministry of Justice was separated by Tony Blair in 2007 from the Home Office. In fact the Department of Constitutional Affairs became part of the Ministry of Justice then and took only the responsibility for prisons from the Home Office.

If you wish to report an inaccuracy, please email corrections@dailymail.co.uk. To make a formal complaint under IPSO rules go to www.dailymail.co.uk/readerseditor. You can also write to Readers Editor, Daily Mail, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or contact IPSO directly at ipso.co.uk
The stone-pelting protesters that attacked polling stations in Kashmir during the April 9 by-elections were no flash mobs but part of a coordinated attack planned by Pakistani spy agency ISI and their overground operatives in the Valley, sources in the military intelligence told Mail Today.

The polling registered its lowest ever voter turnout in the history of Jammu and Kashmir in an election process which left eight civilian dead and over 100 security personnel injured.

Radio intercepts with the Army allegedly establish that the violent disruption of electoral exercise was initiated from across the border, the sources said.

Radio intercepts with the Army allegedly establish that the violent disruption of electoral exercise was initiated from across the border, the sources said

'The Pakistani ISI and various other Pakistan-backed terrorist groups had directed their network of over-ground workers to ensure that the electioneering process for Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency and Anantnag assembly seat were disrupted to showcase their capability to calibrate insurgency here,' the sources said.

The military intelligence officers pointed out that separatist groups such as Hurriyat Conference have been calling for boycott of elections since early 1990's but this time the focus was on physical disruption and not boycott.

'And they have been successful in doing so as less than eight per cent of people voted in the Lok Sabha election in Srinagar while the assembly poll had to be postponed till May 25,' the officers admitted.

'We heard the chatter between ISI operatives and the terrorist leadership operating in the Valley.

'However, the messages were later spread by word of mouth to the local youth. Apparently, the network placed its faith on local stone-pelters to protest overtly who also threatened the workers of mainstream parties,' the officers said.

Hizbul Mujahideen commander Zakir Rashid Bhatt alias Moosa, the successor of slain terrorist Burhan Wani, is reported to have issued warnings in localities to ensure that no one stepped out to vote, the sources said.

Sources said PDP workers in Pulwama district were beaten up publicly by separatists to deter others from voting.

Kashmiri election staff sit inside an empty polling station in Srinagar on April 9

At least two fresh videos have surfaced in the Valley in what appears to be a worker of the ruling PDP and a trader apparently apologising for being associated with the mainstream party and were allegedly made to chant anti-India slogans at gunpoint.

In one of the videos, a man, reported to be PDP worker Wali Mohammad Bhat, said he should be forgiven for his past mistakes.

An AK-47 rifle can be seen held by a person off the camera.

'I announce my disassociation from the party and urge people not to be associated with it,' said a visibly scared Bhat who was made to shout anti-India slogans by the gun-toting men not visible in the frame.

India Today TV's undercover reporters have revealed the grim reality of stone pelting in Kashmir (file pic)

In the second video, a man reported to be a trade union leader, Bashir Ahmad Wani, said he would dissociate from all democratic activities.

Wani also chanted anti-India slogans under duress.

On polling day in Srinagar, mobs took to streets at different places across the Lok Sabha constituency.

'The mobs even set ablaze a polling station and attempted to set afire two others which created an atmosphere of fear among the locals who did not take the risk of coming out to vote,' the sources said.
An increasing number of Indian couples are engaging in live streaming of their sexual acts on porn websites for quick money, cyber experts have warned.

According to an estimate, as many as 2,000 have been providing content to adult portals, performing stripping and sexual acts in exchange for digital currency.

The issue came to light after a Hyderabad-based software engineer was arrested for secretly live-streaming sex with his wife on a porn site for six months.

'Pro-Indian' users can earn a whooping Rs 15 lakh (18,575) a month, which has made it it a permanent business for many couples

'In this case, the wife was unaware of the act but thousands of Indians have willingly made this illegal profession their full-time job,' a senior enforcement agency said.

According to cyber experts, porn content is a major contributor in online revenue and there is a huge demand of Indian content which is pulling young couple to perform sex on demand.

Several of these couples have been featured on world's top porn websites, with a subscriber base touching a million, an analysis of some adult sites by Mail Today's team found.

'At any point of time, there are more than 2,000 active users and the total number may be extremely high as many are engaged only on part-time basis for quick money,' said Kislay Chaudhary, Delhi cyber crime expert, who assists state police in their cases.

Live streaming is being used in a way that it can be called 'strip club' of the virtual world.

Couples entice their viewers by kissing, stripping and using sex toys and finally take paid users to private shows.

An Indian software engineer secretly livestreamed himself having sex with his wife to a porn site for six months (stock photo)

In paid shows, they customise sex acts as per the demand of paid users and even take names of highest tipper.

All the money is paid through tips or tokens allocated by viewers in crypocurrency.

In one day, a couple can make anywhere between Rs 35,000-60,000 (433-743).

'Porn is a money spinner on the internet. There are writers, video/picture uploaders and live streamers,' explained Deep Shanker, a cyber expert.

'They customise their content as per the latest trends and demand to get more eyeballs, which means more money.

'Many Indians are engaged willingly as police fail to act. Shooting, uploading telecasting porn content videos is illegal. Law exists against it but no action is taken.

'Enforcement agencies need to crackdown on such content.'

Shanker claims newcomers get around Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.25 lakh (1,240-1,550) a month but 'pro-Indian' users can earn a whooping Rs 15 lakh (18,575) a month, which has made it it a permanent business for many couples.

Not only are popular global porn websites host to such live telecasting but increasing demand has made many Indian websites host such videos.

Experts say that although operating porn websites are illegal in India, people register and host it in places like Panama to avoid the police net.

Publishing or transmitting a sexually explicit act is a crime under Section 67A of The IT Act, 2000.

The Hyderabad live steaming video was only tracked down after it went viral and came to the notice of the victim.

'It took six months for the police to zero in on the husband as the accused in the case, tracing the IP address, bank accounts, chat history and so on,' said Assistant Commissioner of Police (Cyber Crime Police Station) S Jayram.

The accused told police that he was hard pressed for money and therefore sold the video.

He had made around Rs 35,000 (433) by selling videos.

One of the couples who perform on several live sex sites said they were inspired by Sunny Leone and their act should be seen as 'performance' and not as any illegal act.

The two claimed to be from Bangalore, but Mail Today could not verify this.

They were wearing masks and played Bollywood music in their background and spoke in Hindi and English as per viewer demand.
While the BJP's populist manifesto for the civic polls has spared Delhiites from any hike in existing or new taxes, it remains silent on bringing nearly three quarters of properties in the Capital within the tax net.

Not just the BJP though as other political parties are on the same page with none of them suggesting in manifestos any ways to augment the revenue of the cash-strapped civic bodies.

The Aam Admi Party has gone to the extent of announcing waiver of property tax, the single biggest source of revenue for the local bodies.

Delhi BJP President Manoj Tiwari addressing as senior leader Shyam Jaju looks on during a press conference releaseing BJP ''Sankalp Patr'' manifesto for MCD elections in New Delhi

This comes at a time when the three municipal corporations are struggling to manage their funds and thus civic amenities coming to standstill in the city.

The corporations are unable to pay the salaries to nearly 45 per cent of their employees.

According to MCD officials, property tax default causes the civic bodies revenue a loss to the tune of Rs 800 crore per year.

In total, the North and East Delhi Municipal Corporations have been suffering losses of approximately Rs 2,000 crore annually.

Official sources said, out of estimated 40 lakh residential and commercial properties in Delhi, only 10-12 lakh property owners pay the tax.

The ambitious project to bring all properties within the tax net by issuing them a unique property identification code was started by the unified MCD in 2005-06 but in over a decade this has only partially been implemented in South Delhi Corporation areas.

The two other civic bodies are yet to implement it. Notably, property tax was last revised in the year 2002.

BJP Manoj Tiwari with satish upadhyay ,Dr Harsh Wardan and other Ledar Release Sankalp

As it turns out, the property tax accounts for a substantial part of the total revenue MCD generates.

Last year, of the total Rs 8,351 crore revenue, Rs 1,371 crores came from the property tax (16 per cent).

Sources said BJP's promise of not increasing taxes will only add to the financial crisis.

The three corporations have also opposed a steep hike in parking charges as recommended by the special task force constituted by the Delhi High Court followed by recommendations of the high powered committee on Delhi's decongestion formed by the Union Urban Development Ministry.

The BJP promised that no new tax will be levied or rates hiked if it is voted to power.

This comes in the backdrop of the Aam Aadmi Party's allegation that power and water tariffs will go up, if the BJP wins the MCD polls.

'Kejriwal is trying to scare people. We will neither levy any new tax nor hike rates. We won't even allow anyone else to do it. We will strongly resist any such move,' said Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari.

With an eye on victory in the MCD polls for the third consecutive time, the BJP doled out sops to woo voters.

Property taxes are the biggest source of revenue for local authorities in the MCD

Taking a cue from Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, the manifesto, described by BJP leaders as the charter of commitment, promised to provide meals for Rs 10 throughout the civic bodies.

The exemption from getting building plans approved for plots measuring up to 105 square metres will now be extended to plots measuring up to 500 square metres, Tiwari said.

The manifesto promised a transparent and corruption-free rule.

It also promised to regulate the temporary sanitation workers, digitalisation of citizen services, putting pressure on the Delhi government for regulation of unauthorised colonies.

It also promised Rs 10 lakh insurance cover for the students in the MCD schools, health cards for citizens, open gymnasiums, scrapping factory licences, promoting enterprises run by women under the Centre's Startup India scheme and special arrangements to address the problems faced by the people of north-east in the city.

The manifesto also promised autorickshaw and taxi stands with restrooms for drivers and issuance of licences to hawkers.
The Supreme Court and high courts have a huge problem of pending cases and the problem is not new.

In 1925, George Rankin found that the high court was flooded without remedy. This was examined by the S.R. Das committee (1949) the Shah Committee (1972) and Law Commission in its 14th, 44th, 48th, 58th; and more recently the 245th Report (2014) on 'Arrears and Backlog: Creating Additional Judicial (wo)manpower'.

Challenge of arrears

The challenge of arrears has proven to be formidable. The reason for this is the 'carry forward' from one year to the next.

The Supreme Court and high courts have a huge problem of pending cases and the problem is not new

Even if the carry forward is 10 per cent, the cumulative effect can be massive. The Supreme Court has earlier been cagey about disclosing the problem.

Today, the Supreme Court published data on its website but it is far from complete or incisive.

Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar

The date for April 2017 puts the arrears at 62,161 from previous month, 6,333 registered in the month while disposal for the month was 5,588.

We can see how accumulation takes place. But the Court further disguises its arrears by saying the pendency on March 31, 2017, is really 34,499 because the rest are bunch matters.

But, if only 17,453 matters are more than a year old, what's the problem?

Many attempts have been made to reduce pendency in the Supreme Court. In the early 90s all rent cases were sent to a negative judge who decided all in favour of landlords.

More recently Chief Justice Dattu took all 'bunch' land acquisition cases and disposed them off with expedition. On one afternoon, he ran through a whole list not permitting counsel to argue.

Bunching of cases is a good idea but often fails miserably. Recently, 'reservation' cases went to three different benches taking a few months to sort this out.

The Supreme Court is currently hearing the contentious Ayodhya case regarding the Babri Masjid that was razed by Hindus in 1992

One sitting judge avowedly says he does not read all the bunched cases; but disposes off the case cursorily on a foundation point.

Some judges are negative and known for 'quick' dismissals to leave the bar and clients frustrated.

This is the dark side of the Supreme Court's functioning: Disposal before justice.

Should the full court work during vacation? Some argue that the Supreme Court should have a two small two week window for vacations.

Another suggestion is that judges could stagger vacations during the year with the court functioning throughout the year.

The Khehar solution works towards a functioning vacation Supreme Court although, it is limited to the extent of 19 judges working full time in the first instance in the first part of the vacation.

First, the vacation idea is far from new. The Supreme Court has always had one or two benches in the vacation to deal with urgent and other matters.

Second, matters could specially be placed before the vacation provided lawyers and their clients 'consent'.

Third, Khehar has initially asked for consent but later imposed three constitution benches (five judges) to decide important question of law  one of which is the triple talaq issue.

Attorney General Rohatgi and Kapil Sibal protested. I was asked to appear in the 'triple talaq' case. I earnestly wanted to but I don't work during vacations.

The Indian Parliament take long breaks as their work is tiring

The vacation solution

Fourth, Khehar's move has inspired a controversy that the vacation itself should be scrapped. He does not say so. But public opinion has latched on the Khehar's idea so that it be expanded.

The 'Khehar Express' may be politically enlarged because politics and bureaucracy want the judiciary to be portrayed as inefficient and lax.

The political and other voices for 365-day higher judiciary (except national holidays and weekends) is based on inherent flaws.

First, MPs have long holidays and short sessions. The reason is obvious: meeting constituents (which many do not do), committees (only some) and so on.

Holidays for MPs are essential, given the intensity of sessions and their work.

Second, the mistake is to compare judges with bureaucrats. The latter claim to be superior. But the judicial process is not bureaucratic.

The higher judiciary is the custodian of the rule of law which along with democracy is fundamental for the Constitution's work. Judges are not bureaucrats.

Third, judges are not decision makers but expected to be wise.

Judges, not babus

Jurist Justice BK Mukherjee's lectures on religious endowments are a classic. Gajendragadkar and Krishna Iyer's extra judicial outputs are relevant to law and other things.

The late lawyer Krishnamani wrote on Hindu philosophy during the vacations, as did Shankar Ghosh on history and ideas.

Nariman's commitment to constitutionality are beyond his work inside the courtroom. The vacations are a time for creativity for both lawyers and judges.

Kapil Sibal (left) protested while The late MN Krishnamani (far right) is just one example of a lawyer who uses vacation time for academic exercises

Fourth, the judicial process of the SC and HC is far more intense than people imagine. Lawyers conferences, the preparation of cases, their adjudication, hearings and judgements are onerous.

It is to the credit of India's judiciary that this intense process is, by and large, preserved even after so many years.

The spring summer, autumn and winter breaks are essential unless you want a neurotic judiciary supported by fatigued lawyering.

Justice Khehar is a short term Chief Justice who wants his name in history. But his short cuts will destroy the constitutional functions of the Supreme Court and the high court.

The writer is a senior advocate and human rights activist
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Sunday rejected the Supreme Court's suggestion for an out-of-court settlement of the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute and said that only a verdict by the apex court will be acceptable to it.

'No out-of-court settlement is acceptable to us,' AIMPLB general secretary Maulana Wali Rehmani told reporters after a two-day meeting of the board executive.

A resolution passed by the board executive also said that it would only accept a decision by the SC, making it clear that the AIMPLB is not willing to accept the SC's suggestion.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board held a press conference in UP capital, Lucknow, to declare their feelings on the SC suggestion

On March 21, the apex court had suggested an out-of-court settlement of the dispute at Ayodhya, observing that issues of religion and sentiments can be best resolved through talks.

Chief Justice JS Khehar had even offered to mediate as a bench headed by him suggested that the parties adopt a give-a-bit-and-take-a-bit approach for 'meaningful and sincere negotiations' to resolve the issue.

The board also dug its heels on the contentious issue of triple talaq asserting that Muslims have the constitutional right to follow their personal law.

The Babri Masjid was razed by Hindu activists who believe the ancient mosque was built on the site of the birth of Hindu God Rama

Rehmani said the board has decided to issue a code of conduct and those who give talaq (divorce) without sharia (Islamic law) reasons will face social boycott.

'A code of conduct for talaq is being issued. With its help, the real picture of sharia directives will be brought out on the issue.

'If talaq is given without sharia reasons, those involved will be socially boycotted,' Rehmani said.

'The board will issue appeals to maulanas and imams to read out the code of conduct during Friday namaaz and emphasise on its implementation,' he added.

The board made it clear that it will not 'tolerate interference' in sharia laws, Rehmani said, claiming that most Muslims in India do not want any change in their personal law.

He had earlier said that in a recent signature campaign initiated by AIMPLB across the country, men and women had said that the Constitution guarantees them the right to practice their religion.

He urged that no roadblocks should be put in the implementation of Muslim personal laws.

The Union government had on October 7 last year opposed in SC the triple talaq mode of divorce, nikah halala (a marriage strategy for divorced women) and the practice of polygamy among Muslims, and favoured a re-look on grounds like gender equality and secularism.

The ministry of law and justice, in its affidavit, had referred to constitutional principles like gender equality, secularism as well as international covenants, religious practices and marital laws prevalent in Islamic countries to suggest that the practice of triple talaq and polygamy needed to be adjudicated upon afresh by the apex court.
Snapchat's CEO Evan Spiegel's is reported to have said he does not want to expand business to 'poor countries' like India

Anonymous Indian hackers claim to have leaked database of 1.7 million Snapchat users, which they hacked last year.

The move by the hackers came in retaliation to Snapchat's CEO Evan Spiegel's remark on expanding the business to 'poor countries' like India.

According to Indian hackers, they had found vulnerability in Snapchat database last year and had siphoned details of 1.7 million users.

Hackers leaked and made this data based available on the darknet to mark their resentment against company's remark for India.

Indian hackers are among the top Bug Bounty hunters in the world working of IT giants finding bug in their system.

Hackers said they had found the bug earlier but never used the data but 'arrogance' of the Snapchat CEO had miffed them.

They have further threatened to carry out intensive strike against company on the virtual world till the CEO apologies for his remark.

However, Snapchat has not confirmed any successful hack and leak yet.

The incident also set social media on fire where the app was trolled.

Venting out their anger, Indian users have started negative campaigning against the app due to which the rating of the popular app dropped to a 'single star' from an apparent 'five star' on the App Store.

After the reports of Spiegel's alleged claims surfaced, Snapchat faced heavy backlash from users and #UninstallSnapchat and #BoycottSnapchat started trending on Twitter.

Those who haven't even used the app are going to app stores to give it a 'thumbs down' vote after Variety magazine quoted a former employee claiming that Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel had said in a meeting in September 2015 that this app isn't meant for poor countries like India and Spain.

Following the controversy and massive outrage online, Snapchat said the employee who made the claim was 'fired for poor performance' three weeks ago and has been 'involved in a lawsuit with the company'.

'This is ridiculous. Obviously, Snapchat is for everyone! It's available worldwide to download for free,' an international spokesperson of the photo-sharing app said in a statement.

'Those words were written by a disgruntled former employee. We are grateful for our Snapchat community in India and around the world,' the statement added.

Snapchat may not be as big as Facebook or WhatsApp in India, but is quite popular.

According to several media reports, Snapchat's user base in India is around 4 million.

Currently, Snapchat is under immense pressure to improvise as its several iconic features are being ripped off by social networking giants - Facebook and Instagram.
Security at international airports in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai was put on maximum alert after the state police forces and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) were informed about a possible aircraft hijack attempt on Sunday.

The security protocols at these civilian air facilities was increased to the level of that on Republic Day and Independence Day and the cops were taking special measures.

Mumbai Police on Saturday night received an email, purportedly sent by a Hyderabad-based woman.

Security personnel stands guard at the airport following an hijack alert in Mumbai

She claimed she overheard six men telling each other: 'All 23 people have to split from here and board flights in three cities and hijack planes.'

CISF DG OP Singh said the security apparatus at these airports have been put on an enhanced alert and protocols have been stepped up.

The email could eventually turn out be a hoax but till investigations conclude, all security drills to thwart a hijack-like scenario are being carried out at the three airports, he said.

The unidentified woman wrote in the e-mail that what she heard could be 'true or not' but she chose to inform the authorities as she felt it was her duty to do so as a citizen, a senior officer said.

Security personnel stand guard at the Chennai International Airport on Sunday after airports in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai were put on maximum alert following threats of a hijack

Mumbai Police shared the contents of the e-mail with all security and intelligence agencies on Saturday night itself and a meeting of all stakeholders at these airports was subsequently convened, with the input being declared specific and actionable, the officer added.

Special anti-sabotage sweeps are being carried out at the three airports since early Sunday and security agencies, including the CISF, were carrying out proper passenger checks, baggage scanning, pre-embarkation checks, secondary ladder-point checking and patrols to thwart any bid to storm the airports.

The CISF has also pressed into service its sniffer dog squads and quick reaction commando teams for undertaking sanitation drills at the airports, the officials said.

Even the airlines have been asked to remain extra vigilant. However, all the operations at these airports will be conducted as normally as possible, a senior officer, who is part of airports security team, assured.

At the Chennai airport, security has been strengthened. Flight traffic is unaffected though. Other airports in the country have also been sanitised.

The police are probing the contents of the e-mail and trying to ascertain the identity of the sender.
The clashes on Monday began in Srinagar when hundreds of college students took to the streets to protest a police raid in a college in southern Pulwama

At least a hundred Kashmiri students were injured Monday in anti-India protests and clashes with government forces in the divided Himalayan region.

The protests began in Indian-controlled Kashmir's key city of Srinagar when hundreds of college students took to the streets to protest a police raid in a college in southern Pulwama town on Saturday, in which at least 50 students were injured.

Police said the first clash occurred after officers tried to stop hundreds of students from marching in the city's main commercial hub. The students were chanting slogans 'Go India, go back' and 'We want freedom.'

The protests soon spread to several colleges in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir, leading to pitched battles between rock-throwing students and government forces firing shotgun pellets and tear gas.

A Kashmiri student throws a chair on Indian policemen as they clash in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir

At least 100 students were reported injured. Officials said some police officers also were hurt.

Teenagers in school uniform and women students wearing white headscarves were among the protesters, who chanted anti-India slogans and threw stones at government forces.

'Students are protesting in a few colleges. We are dealing with a situation,' a senior police office told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Kashmiris have been seething with anger since April 9, when eight people were killed by government troops during clashes on a polling day for India's parliament seat. Only about 7 per cent of the area's nearly 1.3 million voters cast ballots, the lowest turnout in elections over the past five decades.

At least 50 students were injured police raided a college in southern Pulwama town

Monday's protests were called by Kashmir University Students Union, a banned student body. Government forces are not supposed to enter college or university premises without special permission, and on Saturday, the union said the police action was designed to help the state 'rule by repression and fear'.

Since militants stepped up attacks in the region, police warned officers not to go home after the army allegedly tied a man to the front of a jeep as a human shield.

Police have filed a case against the army over the incident, in which soldiers are accused of seizing a 24-year old shawl weaver on April 9, strapping him to the front of their vehicle and then parading him through villages.

Kashmiri students throw stones on Indian policemen as they clash in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Monday, April 17, 2017. The clashes on Monday began in Srinagar when hundreds of college students took to the streets to protest a police raid in a college in southern Pulwama town over the weekend, in which at least 50 students were injured. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)

A video of the episode circulated widely on social media, in a reminder for some of alleged human rights abuses perpetrated by Indian security forces as they struggle to contain a separatist insurgency that is now in its 28th year.

Army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Rajesh Kalia said the veracity of the video was being ascertained, adding, 'Action will be taken against those found guilty of misconduct.'

Farooq Ahmad Dar, a shawl weaver, was picked up by soldiers near the home of a relative house after voting in the by-election, he told media.

'Look at the fate of the stone-pelter,' a soldier is saying over a loudspeaker, in the video.

'This is a phenomenon that has been going on for the last 27 years,' Khurram Parvez, a leading Kashmiri human rights activist jailed last year, told Reuters.

'This is not the first human shield case. What is different now is that this case has been documented, thanks to social media.'

An Indian policeman throws stones on Kashmiri students as they clash in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Monday, April 17, 2017. The clashes on Monday began in Srinagar when hundreds of college students took to the streets to protest a police raid in a college in southern Pulwama town over the weekend, in which at least 50 students were injured. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)

The treatment of Dar was 'unlawful and unacceptable,' rights group Amnesty International said in a statement. The state's chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti, said police had registered a case against the local army unit.

An Indian policeman throws tear smoke shell on protesting Kashmiri students

The director general of police in the state on Sunday told officers to avoid visiting their own homes in South Kashmir after militants stormed at least four officers' houses.

Militants also shot dead a lawyer affiliated with an opposition political party, as well as a former counter-insurgency commander, police said on Sunday.

On Saturday a street vendor was shot dead by India's Border Security Force and on Sunday three people were killed by suspected rebels, one a former counter-insurgent.

Over the weekend two more videos circulated on social media showing workers of the ruling political party in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir renouncing mainstream politics, one of them beside a man wielding a gun.

Coloured water stains the ground as police unsuccessfully use it to dispel protesters, while students continue to pelt authorities with stones despite tear gas canisters exploding nearby

Another, allegedly showing the killing of a 17-year old by paramilitary officers during the April 9 by-election, has roused further anger. Reuters could not confirm the veracity of the videos.

Rivals India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the Himalayan territory in its entirety.

Since 1989, rebel groups have been fighting for independence from India or its merger with Pakistan. About 70,000 people have been killed in the rebel uprising and a subsequent Indian military crackdown.

Rebel groups have largely been suppressed by Indian forces in recent years. However, public opposition to Indian rule remains deep and is now principally expressed through street protests marked by youths hurling stones at government forces.
American predator PPG has launched a fresh attack to take over Dulux owner Akzo Nobel

American predator PPG has launched a fresh attack on the maker of Dulux.

The boss of PPG, which has been relentless in its bid to take over Akzo Nobel, published an open letter yesterday urging shareholders to back his proposal.

Slough-based Akzo bought the paints and coatings division of British chemicals giant ICI in 2008, which included Dulux, and has staff spread across the North East, Glasgow, Suffolk and the Midlands.

It dismissed a 19billion bid from PPG last month, claiming it would lead to job losses.

But Michael McGarry, chief executive of the US rival, claimed yesterday that the companies would be 'stronger together' and PPG would be willing to make commitments to address concerns about employee overlap.

His comments come as Akzo's chief executive, Ton Buchner, prepares to unveil a 'strategy update' alongside its first-quarter results on Wednesday and is believed to be spinning off its chemicals business.

But McGarry wrote: 'Only after rejecting our offer did Akzo Nobel change its strategic course... which we believe will be more risky.'
Hush money: Former Fox News talent booker Laurie Luhn

Rupert Murdoch's 11.7billion bid to take over Sky may be derailed by a sexual harassment scandal brewing in America.

The claims have engulfed US television station Fox News, which is owned by Murdoch, sparking concerns the fallout could thwart his bid to snap up the 61pc of Sky he does not already own.

Prosecutors are understood to be investigating whether payments made to alleged victims broke securities laws as they were not declared in annual reports or to investors in 21st Century Fox, the network's parent company.

Roger Ailes, the founder and former chairman of Fox News, was fired last summer following allegations he harassed former colleagues, including former star presenter Megyn Kelly.

Prosecutors are focusing on a payment made to Laurie Luhn, a former Fox News talent booker, who was given 2.5million by the channel in 2011 in exchange for her silence.

Particular attention is also being paid to allegations against Fox News pundit Bill O'Reilly.

Five women received payouts totalling about 10million in exchange for agreeing to not pursue litigation or speak about their accusations.

It is the latest scandal to hit the Murdoch family, which was forced to abandon its bid to take back full control of Sky in 2011 amid allegations of phone hacking at its Sunday paper, the News Of The World.

James Murdoch, the youngest son of Rupert Murdoch, was ultimately forced to oversee the closure of the paper as well as the withdrawal of the then 7.8billion bid.

Former chairman of Fox News Roger Ailes (left), was fired last summer following allegations he harassed former colleagues including former star presenter Megyn Kelly (right)

The 44-year-old resigned as chairman of Sky in 2012 after Ofcom said that he 'repeatedly fell short' of the conduct expected of him.

Reports of a federal probe at Fox comes as the British regulator decides whether 21st Century Fox would be a 'fit and proper' owner for Sky.

European regulators have already given their approval to the deal, saying it 'raised no competition concerns'.

Fox News, owned by Rupert Murdoch, is at the centre of a sexual harassment scandal

But last month, Culture Secretary Karen Bradley confirmed she was referring the takeover to Britain's communications regulator Ofcom amid concerns the company would control too much of Britain's media.

As well as owning 39 per cent of Sky, Murdoch owns The Times and The Sun newspapers through his News Corp business.

Ofcom is carrying out a public interest test on the deal.

If it has concerns by the deadline of May 16, Bradley will ask 21st Century Fox to address any issues and decide whether to accept what it suggests.

She could then send the bid to the Competition and Markets Authority for a full review, which could take up to six months.

A 21st Century Fox spokesman said: 'We take our regulatory and compliance obligations very seriously. We have a strong record of compliance in all our markets.

'We are confident that our proposed transaction to acquire the shares of Sky we don't already own will be approved following a thorough review by regulators.'
The Paris hotel where Ksubi founder Dan Single fell from his third-storey room features pornographic carpets, mirrors over the bed and disco balls above the bath.

Single, 36, says he shattered every bone below his waist when he fell out of the window of his room at the Grand Hotel Armour, where he was staying with his model wife, Bambi Northwood-Blyth, in March.

He recently sparked a backlash after setting up a GoFundMe page to raise $250,000 to cover his medical costs - despite the former BRW Young Rich lister's jeans brand once being estimated to be worth $21 million.

And the chic hotel where the accident happened - where rooms can reach up to 340 (AU$478) a night - is owned by Single's friend and famed Swedish graffiti artist Andre Saraiva who often rubs shoulders with celebrities including Mick Jagger.

Scroll down for video

Bambi Northwood-Blyth and her husband, former Ksubi founder Dane Single, are pictured embracing in a pool

Art deco erotically-inspired carpet lines the hallway of the Grand Hotel Armour, where designer Dan Single fell three storeys last month

Bambi Northwood-Blyth in Paris (above), where she is staying while her husband Dan Single recovers in hospital

Northwood-Blyth is believed to be pictured in Grand Hotel Armour, where Single fell three storeys

A room in the Grand Hotel Armour is pictured with blue walls and art deco carpet

The hotel owner, Swedish graffiti artist Andre Saraiva, is pictured with fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld

The avant garde interior of one of the Parisian hotel rooms, with erotic art, is pictured

Single and Northwood-Blyth pictured at an event back in March last year

Tucked away in the French capital's trendy 10th arrondissement, the property's hallways are lined with Art Deco-inspired carpets printed with male and female genitalia, its walls are covered in erotic art and mirrors hang above the beds.

Marble bathtubs, pink and blue walls and tinted lights fill the hip hotspot, frequented by models, musicians, designers and photographers.

Downstairs, the cafe restaurant is splashed with pink tinted lights which fill the Parisian courtyard at night.

Oysters and cocktails feature on the menu, with dinner served until 12.30 at night - according to the hotel website.

Reviews on TripAdviser describe the hotel as 'like the Grand Budapest Hotel' in the Wes Anderson indie cult film.

'Beautiful, romantic, eclectic, hipster, alternative and classy!'

Dozens of disco balls are pictured above a bathtub in the Paris hotel

Single and Northwood-Blyth are pictured under a velour rug in Polaroid pictures before the accident

Mr Saraiva and Single apparently painted 'Bambi' on a Paris wall, and Northwood-Blyth posed in front of the mural before her husband plunged three storeys

The hotel features complimentary luxury Hermes toiletries for guests

A reviewer said of the trendy hotel and surrounding streets: 'The area is quite rough but I like the mix of cultures and people. The crowd here is young, creative and friendly'

Another described the decorations as 'risky' and 'ose', which is French for 'daring'.

A reviewer said of the trendy hotel and surrounding streets: 'The area is quite rough but I like the mix of cultures and people. The crowd here is young, creative and friendly.'

Another wrote: 'The hotel has been newly decorated and done with a lot of taste. It is packed with character and if you are looking for a funky place to stay, that is it!'

Other guests described the hotel as 'quirky and sexy', 'very hip and filled with a cool crowd every night'.

An unrelated topless woman wearing only underwear is pictured posing on the phallic-inspired carpet

A room in the Grand Hotel Armour in Paris is pictured with moody lights

The restaurant is splashed with pink tinted lights which fill the Parisian courtyard at night

Some of Mr Saraiva's famed graffiti art is pictured in the streets of Paris

'The hotel itself is a boutique and like nowhere we've stayed before! It has some erotic art and we had a mirror on our bedroom ceiling but the rooms are excessively clean and by no means is the hotel seedy!'

Many gushed about the complimentary Hermes toiletries supplies.

The art deco carpet has inspired women and girls to recreate a scene from horror movie The Shining in the hotel.

Rooms cost from 110 (AU$155) and reach about 340 (AU$478) in the summer period.

Erotic art in the hotel in Paris's trendy 10th arrondissement is pictured under tinted lights

A marble bathtub is pictured tinted in pink due to curtains in the trendy hotel

A room in the Grand Hotel Armour, where Northwood-Blyth and Single were staying when he fell three storeys, is pictured

Fashion shoots have been staged in the hotel. In some photographs, fashion models wear Miu Miu. Other photographs in the hotel have been published in Vogue Paris.

As well as erotic art - including black and white photos of naked women  pictures of Parisian icons Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin are plasted across the walls.

Owner Mr Saraiva has posted images to his social media with Pharrell Williams, Karl Lagerfeld, Terry Richardson, Mick Jagger, Chloe Sevigny, Glen O'Brien, and Petra Collins.

A reviewer said of the trendy streets: 'The area is quite rough but I like the mix of cultures and people. The crowd here is young, creative and friendly'

Another reviewer described the decorations as 'risky' and 'ose', which is French for 'daring'

He has painted 'Bambi' on a Paris wall, and Northwood-Blyth posed in front of the mural in the days before Single plunged three storeys.

Single has also posed in front of one of Mr Saraiva's pieces of street art.

A GoFundMe page, which appears to have been made by the designer, was pulled down on Wednesday after a backlash from the public.

The fundraiser was looking to crowdfund $250,000 to pay for his medical costs and loss of income following the fall last month, when he shattered every bone from the waist down.

The GoFundMe page backfired spectacularly when the 36-year-old former BRW Young Rich lister was labelled 'disgusting' and 'pathetic' by commenters.

Reviews on TripAdviser describe the hotel as 'like the Grand Budapest Hotel' in the Wes Anderson indie cult film

The phallic art deco carpet in the hotel is pictured with pink walls

One of the hotel rooms with blue walls and bathtub in the bedroom is pictured

Shortly after the GoFundMe page was taken down, Northwood-Blyth, 26, temporarily deleted her Instagram account.

She was back online shortly after and posted a series of cryptic quotes.

The first rather darkly read, 'How to disappear. Vanishment made easy' and appeared to be a book title.

The second quote, posted minutes later, read, 'I'm still learning' in handwriting on a white piece of paper and the third said: 'You will shine'.

In one day, nine people made donations on the GoFundMe page to hit a total of just $475.

A man lays on the phallic carpet in the Grand Hotel Armour

The hotel features complimentary luxury Hermes toiletries for guests

The hallway in the Grand Hotel Armour is pictured with blue walls and female genitalia across the carpet

Some of Mr Saraiva's graffiti art is pictured on a Paris rooftop

Four donaters contributed just $5 each, using the opportunity to leave scathing messages.

An anonymous donor said: 'How come you can fund partying, drinking and overseas trips but not your own recovery?'

'I'll give you $5 with the sole intent of telling you what an idiot everyone thinks you are.'

On the since-deleted page Single says he shattered 'every bone from my feet to my hips and pelvis' from the 35-metre fall out of his hotel room in March.

'I have been in a coma for two weeks, had eight operations and am covered in pins and bolts in my bones,' said Mr Single.

The quaint Parisian restaurant courtyard at the hotel is pictured

The graffiti artist is pictured with Pharrell Williams and art dealer Emmanuel Perrotin

Mr Saraiva is pictured with actor and model Chloe Sevigny

The restaurant courtyard is pictured from a hotel room

His fundraising target of $250,000 will 'help fund the hospital bill, rehab bill, early flights home, being unable to make bread and work over the next months and all the incedentals [sic] the family is covering at the moment.'

The fashion designer's popular jeans brand was once estimated at $21 million.

The couple, who co-own a wine label and a luxury pyjamas range, travel in first class comfort and stay in five star hotels.

Northwood-Blyth is pictured in Paris last week while her husband Single recovers

The graffiti artist and hotel owner is pictured in the room with ceiling mirrors. He says it is a tribute to Helmut Newton

The fashion designer's request was met with backlash and a bunch of $5 donations

Shortly after the GoFundMe page was taken down, Northwood-Blyth, 26, temporarily deleted her Instagram account but came page online to post a series of cryptic quotes

One of the quotes read, 'I'm still learning' in handwriting on a white piece of paper

A bathroom in the hip hotel in Paris is pictured

Donors questioned how Mr Single can afford an overseas trip and 'partying' but not his recovery

On his GoFundMe page Mr Single, 36, says he shattered 'every bone from my feet to my hips and pelvis' from the 35-metre fall out of his hotel room in March

Commenters blasted Single for asking strangers to raise $250,000, despite leading a high-profile lavish lifestyle

Shortly after the GoFundMe page was taken down on Wednesday, Bambi Northwood-Blyth also temporarily deleted her Instagram account

Single and Northwood-Blyth are pictured in Sydney overlooking the Harbour Bridge
Advertisement

It was the original home of the magazine which introduced the world to sex: a mansion where Hugh Hefner lay silk-clad in a rotating bed to edit Playboy, while around Bunnies oozed the seductive glamour of a new libertine era.

Now part of the original Playboy mansion in Chicago's exclusive Gold Coast district has hit the market almost 60 years after Hefner transformed it into his dream haven of wild sex, pool parties and debauchery.

The French-inspired property was divided into seven condominiums in the early Nineties, and one has just gone up for sale for $3.4m.

Hefner owned the property for 30 years and lived, worked and partied in it for more than a decade before snapping up the Holmby Hills estate in Los Angeles in 1971 for a cool $1million.

Hefner recently sold the LA mansion for $100million, but struck a deal with the buyer to continue to live there for the rest of his life.

Welcome to the house of fun: Hugh Hefner made the Playboy Mansion in Chicago the home of his empire from 1959, until he moved to Los Angeles in 1974 amid a drugs scandal which saw his assistant Bobbie Arnstein, a bunny, first arrested, then commit suicide the next year

Where it all began: Hugh Hefner lived, edited and partied in the Playboy Chicago mansion as his star rose and his magazine became the symbol of a new era; female visitors were welcomed

Beaux arts masterpiece: The mansion in the Gold Coast area of Chicago is from the outside little changed since it welcomed the Playboy guests. It was originally built for one of the late Victorian city's wealthy elite

Spectacular entrance: The building retains the feel of the Playboy Mansion with a sweeping entrance hall to the condos. But the bell from Hefner's days which said 'Si Non Oscillas, Noli Tintinnare': If you don't swing, don't ring' is gone

Bunny disposition: Hefner welcomed bunnies from across the world to his mansion in 1970; although the Swinging Sixties were over, his star was continuing to rise and the Playboy mansion was a central part of his brand

Pool not included: Hugh Hefner and two young women were enjoying a drink beside the underground swimming pool while another made use of it. The pool was a central part of the Mansion's appeal

And this is me editing Playboy: Hefner's revolving bed is not included in the condo carved from the old Playboy Mansion. He would edit the magazine from the bed before welcoming female company

The 1903 beaux-arts Chicago mansion was purchased by Hefner in 1959 as his personal home and to serve as HQ for the rapidly growing Playboy magazine.

It is featured in all its former glory in documentary footage in a new ten-part Amazon drama, which was released early in April.

American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story charts the beginnings of Chicago-born Hefner and what became his iconic Playboy empire with access to more than 17,000 hours of footage and more than 2,600 scrapbooks from the publisher's personal archives.

The release of the show came just days before Hefner's 91st birthday, although Hefner has retreated from the spotlight of late amid rumors of ailing health.

Chicago real estate broker Nancy Nugent, of Sotheby's International Realty, is handling the sale of the three-bedroom condo which is situated on the 4th floor of the mansion, located at 1340 North State Parkway in Chicago's Near North Side.

One of the two top-floor condos, it is split across two levels with south-facing views and also has a master suite with his-and-hers bathrooms and a rooftop terrace.

The condo has been modernized, but still retains some vintage detailing including tray ceilings, oak floors and large airy windows.

Making an entrance: The marble-lined entrance hall has been upgraded since Hefner used the mansion to welcome guests including The Rolling Stones

Beax arts details: The condo is in the heights of the mansion, where the 1899 detailing is apparent. Hefner owned in until 1989, when he gifted it to the School Of The Art Institute Of Chicago, which later sold it

Playboy recliners: The condo is set in the old Playboy Mansion's 'hutches', accommodation for Hefner's Bunnies who lived and partied there and worked in the Chicago Playboy Club

Clean lines: Clean living might not have been top of the list for the Playboy Mansion's inhabitants - although Hefner did not drink - but the condo in the mansion has a more minimal style than the '60s tended towards

Space to relax: Hefner and his bunnies spent more time in the underground pool and on his rotating circular bed but the owner of the condo will have time to relax on the terrace

The French brick and limestone mansion was built at the turn of the 20th Century for prominent Chicago surgeon Dr. George Snow Isham, whose social circle included Theodore Roosevelt and explorer Robert Peary.

Hefner acquired the property in 1959 at the age of 33 for $400,000, equivalent to around $3.2million today.

The Playboy founder spent ten times that sum on renovating it to his exacting standards and into a bachelors' paradise.

Specifications included Hefner's original basement grotto - a swimming pool designed with a glass wall and viewing room (accessed via a fireman's pole) complete with a waterfall and palm trees.

As Hefner recalled in a 1991 interview, it was 'like walking into a part of Acapulco,' a Mexican coastal city that became a popular millionaires' playground in the 1950s for Hollywood's elite.

If anyone had any reservations, they were told to leave them at the door; Hefner hung a brass plate on the front door boasting the Latin inscription 'Si Non Oscillas, Noli Tintinnare': If you don't swing, don't ring.

Hefner would host decadent parties with VIP guests including the Rolling Stones, Warren Beatty and James Caan, who features in interview footage in the Amazon show while recollecting the moment he first set eyes on the indoor pool.

Hefner's master bedroom featured a circular, revolving bed and was designed to look like something out of a James Bond movie. That it certainly did, with furs across the bed and a polar bear rug.

Hefner, who would sometimes edit magazine drafts from his bed, explained at the time that the bed was less of a 'merry-go-round' but more of a functional apparatus that enabled him to swivel in one of four directions; towards the hi-fi - an ultra-modern feature - the television, the work surface and finally (perhaps for those more romantic occasions) the fireplace.

Add to all of this a built-in movie theater, bowling alley, secret walkways and a full catering kitchen and it's not hard to imagine how quickly Hefner racked up $4million in renovation costs.

By the early 70s, Hefner - now 91 - was splitting his time between between his Chicago mansion and the now iconic Holmby Hills estate, also known as Playboy Mansion West.

He left his home city for good in 1974 following a tumultuous turn of events which saw Bobbie Arnstein - a Playboy bunny and executive assistant at the Chicago mansion - convicted on federal drug charges.

She committed suicide in January 1975 after learning she was about to be subpoenaed in a grand jury trial that was investigating an alleged Playboy drug distribution scheme.

Arnstein was found dead from an overdose in Chicago's Maryland Hotel and left suicide notes protesting her and Hefner's innocence.

While Playboy Enterprises remained legally headquartered in Chicago until 2012, Hefner's mansion was used as dormitories for the School Of The Art Institute Of Chicago, with Hefner officially deeding the building to the organization in 1989.

Where's the rotating bed: The three-bedroom condo looks distinctly more restrained than during the Hefner-era

Plenty of room for bunnies: The condo boasts three bedrooms, one a master suite with his and hers bathrooms, and is set over 4,000 square feet

Sporting look: One of the bedrooms features plenty of space for studying teenagers - rather a different set-up than in the Playboy days

Plenty of space to party: The 4,000 square feet condo is set over two stories. It includes his and hers bathrooms off the master suite

Not like Hefner's art collection: The 4,000 sq ft condo is in a more modern condition than the Swinging Sixties decor favored by Hefner, who spent $4 million renovating the mansion. He never returned after 1974, and gifted it in 1989

Still swinging: Hefner at 91 remains a symbol of the Playboy lifestyle and lives in the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles. The condo in his old home has moved on in the meantime

Dining time: The 4,000 square feet condo has plenty of entertaining space

Eat-in kitchen: Hefner had his own catering kitchen installed in the Playboy Mansion in the 1960s as part of his vast renovation plan for the party venue he called home

Realtor Nugent said: 'The building became classrooms for the very staid Art Institute, but the place still had something of a Playboy mystique about it.

'Students found bunny outfits in the 4th floor "Bunny Hutch", roller-skated in the grand ballroom and watched movies in Hef's former screening room.

'The administration made the bowling alley, the pool and the infamous grotto off limits and Hef's bedroom, well known and photographed for its circular bed, was off limits too.'

The Art Institute, where Hefner had once been a student himself, eventually decided to sell the property due to mounting repair costs and after a difficult time on the market, the mansion was eventually sold to developer Bruce Abrams in 1993.

'He bought it for a song - just under $2million for the entire building - and then converted it into seven extremely unique and very high end condominiums,' Nugent said.

'The condo I am selling is situated on the 4th floor, with south views and formerly was used as the service quarters and included the "bunny hutch" - dorms where all the bunny girls used to stay back in its Playboy heyday.

'These days the space has been maximized into a very contemporary, almost loft-like feel that is hidden behind the walls of this iconic beau art building.'

Property records show the condo Nugent is selling was last purchased for $995,000 in 1994 by Robert A. and Marian F. Hymen so with a $3.4m asking price the current owners are on course for a windfall.

Most of the Playboy property has been overhauled, including Hefner's basement pool and bowling alley, which were removed to make way for a subterranean parking garage for residents when the condos were developed.

But the ballroom, too beautiful to destroy and constructed in floor-to-ceiling wood, still remains intact on the second full-floor condo, with other original remaining features including swirling ironwork balconies and doors, a richly detailed staircase and an elegant marble lobby.

'This storied property really was THE original Playboy mansion and Hugh Hefner fully converted it to fit in with his sybaritic lifestyle,' Nugent said. 'Now there is an extremely rare and exciting opportunity to buy a piece of this rich history and get your dream home in the process.'
While Donald Trumps press secretary Sean Spicer was fighting to keep his job after his Hitler chemical weapons gaffe, our own gaffer-in-chief Boris Johnson was unusually quiet.

Hardly surprising. Our cerebral Foreign Secretary made similar comments three years ago when he was London Mayor.

Appearing on Channel 4s The Last Leg to discuss the Syria crisis, Johnson said: Not even Hitler used chemical weapons, as far as I can remember.

Our cerebral Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson had his own Hitler gaffes three years ago when he was London Mayor

Like Spicer  whose comments drew howls of rebuke because they ignored the Jews and others gassed to death in concentration camps  he had meant chemical weapons use in the battlefield. But the remark hardly marks out the Foreign Secretary as a master of diplomacy.

Over the years, Johnson has regularly used the Nazi leader to attack his enemies. He accused George Clooney of pursuing a Hitlerian agenda when the actor demanded the return of the Elgin Marbles to Greece; and he said the EU was chasing a similar goal to Hitler in its quest for a European superstate.

But Donald Trumps press secretary Sean Spicer was fighting to keep his job after his Hitler chemical weapons gaffe

But when Labour tried to compare Trump to Hitler earlier this year, it was a different story. I do draw the line at comparisons that have been made relentlessly between the elected government of our most important ally and the cruel and barbaric tyrannies of the 1930s, stormed BoJo.

A very hospitable Chancellor...

George 'six jobs' Osborne trousered more than 150,000 from four speeches

George six jobs Osborne  who trousered more than 150,000 from making four speeches last month  rolled out the barrel in his final year as Chancellor. Treasury spending on hospitality tripled to 24,133 in 2016 before he was replaced by spreadsheet Philip Hammond as a result of Brexit. The hair-shirted new Chancellor has cut the hospitality spending to just 11,030.

Former Labour MP Austin Mitchell is not impressed by reports that Britain will have to pay the EU 50 billion to leave. Writing on Brexit Central, he said: Escaping from Colditz was a doddle compared with getting out of Europe. What should be a simple matter of jumping the wall and moving off singing Born Free is beginning to look like mission impossible. Imagine a Colditz in which British captives were chained, then charged for the chains.

Congratulations to Devizes Tory MP Claire Perry, who is to wed Cambridge don Bill ONeill, a laser expert. The talk is that Perry will make Cambridge her home. If so, she should resign  how could the former transport minister represent her constituents in Devizes while living on the other side of the country?

Former Labour Foreign Secretary Lord Owen tells Varsity, the Cambridge University magazine: Cameron and Blair are exactly the same. Neither of them are proper Tories or proper Labour.

Eh? Owen defected from Labour to the SDP then donated funds to the party under Ed Miliband.

In an interview to mark the 20th anniversary of the first modern Labour landslide, perma-tanned Tony Blair was surprisingly positive about Michael Foot, who in 1983 led the party to its worst election defeat in decades.

Perma-tanned Tony Blair described Michael Foot as a 'great man' who could hold the Conservatives to account

Michael Foot, he was a great man. He was unlikely to ever win an election [but] he was a big, big parliamentary figure. A big parliamentary figure would, whatever their politics, be able to hold the Conservatives to account. That is not what is happening now.

A less than subtle way of saying Comrade Corbyn is useless.

Gravy with the Yorkshire

After the Mail revealed 539 town hall staff took home more than the PM, Lib Dem local government spokeswoman Baroness Pinnock said: Some of these pay rises are absolutely shameless.

She should know. For 30 years Pinnock has been a councillor on Kirklees Council, a Labour authority in West Yorkshire propped up by Lib Dem votes and whose new boss, Jacqui Gedman, earns a six-figure salary. Pinnock and husband Andrew, a fellow councillor, claimed 25,000 in expenses last year from the town hall. She also collected 28,200 from the Lords in attendance allowances.
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Vice President Mike Pence has warned the 'era of patience' with Kim Jong-un is over as he insisted America's commitment to South Korea is 'iron-clad'.

Pence, speaking in the perilous Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea, reiterated that 'all options are on the table' to deal with the threat posed by Pyongyang.

After travelling to the region with his family, Pence said President Donald Trump is hopeful that China will now use its 'extraordinary levers' to pressure the North to abandon its nuclear and ballistic program.

This morning he warned Kim Jong-un not to 'test the resolve' of the President Trump and insisted any use of nuclear weapons by the secretive state would be met with 'an overwhelming and effective response'. The visit came shortly after a failed North Korean missile launch that some claim may have been 'thwarted by cyber attacks from the US.'

President Trump has ordered a naval strike group, led by the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, to the region, though the vessels remain a long way from the peninsula.

But this morning, Japanese media claimed both China and Russia had dispatched intelligence-gathering vessels from their navies to chase the 'armada' amid mounting concern over the US deployment. The claims were made by multiple sources of the Japanese government, according to The Yomiuri Shimbun.

Russia today warned Washington against launching a unilateral strike on North Korea claiming the US was on a 'risky path'.

Vice President Mike Pence arrives at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) which has separated the two Koreas since the Korean War

Pence is visiting a military base near the DMZ a day after the North conducted a failed missile launch

Pence arrived at Camp Bonifas on Monday morning for a briefing with military leaders and to meet with American troops stationed there

Pence is seen above walking with Commander General Vincent K. Brooks upon his arrival at Camp Bonifas near the DMZ Monday morning local time in Korea

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said: 'We do not accept the reckless nuclear missile actions of Pyongyang that breach UN resolutions, but that does not mean that you can break international law. I hope that there will not be any unilateral actions like the one we saw recently in Syria.'

Last night, the US refused to rule out a pre-emptive strike on North Korea as Trump's national security adviser warned the situation was 'coming to a head'.

After the rogue state ran a missile test that failed, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said 'all our options are on the table' to try to 'avoid the worst'.

Frantic talks were taking place with allies including China to 'develop a range of options' in an attempt to quell tensions and calm fears of thermo-nuclear war.

But, with a strike group of US forces already posted to the Korean Peninsula, the US President added further fuel to the fire, saying he had been forced to beef up his military. On Twitter, Mr Trump wrote: 'Our military is building and is rapidly becoming stronger than ever before. Frankly, we have no choice.'

Mr Trump and General McMaster said they hoped China would convince its neighbour, which depends on Beijing to prop up its trades and finances, to stop the crisis escalating.

US Vice President Mike Pence has warned the 'era of patience' with Kim Jong-un (pictured, right on Saturday) is over as he insisted America's commitment to South Korea is 'iron-clad'

Tensions between North Korea and the US were already on a knife-edge over the posting of the strike group led by a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to the region  a move that was denounced by North Korea

Donald Trump said China was 'working with us' on the issue  the first confirmation the two nations were collaborating

US deploys hi-tech anti-ballistic missiles in South Korea South Korean defences will be strengthened with the early deployment of the THAAD missile defence system, Pence has confirmed. The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system is designed to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight. Plans to send the rockets to South Korea were unveiled last month, sparking fury in Pyongyang. China is also opposed to the deployment, claiming the system's powerful radar can penetrate its territory and undermine its security. THAAD is designed to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight (file picture) Pence and acting South Korea president Hwang Kyo-ahn said today they were troubled by 'China's economic retaliation against South Korea for taking appropriate steps to defend itself.' Seoul, which accuses China or discriminating against some South Korean companies working in China, and the US say the sole purpose of THAAD is to guard against North Korean missiles. THAAD, which has six truck-mounted launchers that can fire up to 48 interceptor missiles per battery, is set up to take out incoming targets at relatively high altitudes midflight. A THAAD battery also includes fire control and communication equipment, as well as radar for detecting target projectiles and initiating the interception process. U.S. defense and aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, which manufactures THAAD, says on its website that the system has had '100 percent mission success' in flight testing since 2005. Advertisement

On Saturday dictator Kim Jong-un's regime displayed its military muscle in a huge parade, before yesterday's missile test which exploded within seconds.

The medium-range missile  fired from a base in the Sinpo area  ended in farce because it 'blew up almost immediately', sources said. The US Pacific Command said it believed it to be a ballistic missile, which is initially powered and guided, but then uses gravity to fall to its target.

Of its failure, former British conservative foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind told the BBC on Sunday: 'It could have failed because the system is not competent enough to make it work, but there is a very strong belief that the US - through cyber methods - has been successful on several occasions in interrupting these sorts of tests and making them fail.'

The United States, its allies and China are working together on a range of responses to North Korea's latest failed ballistic missile test, Trump's national security adviser said on Sunday, citing what he called an international consensus to act.

But Pence and South Korean acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn said they were troubled by retaliatory moves by China against the deployment of in South Korea of a U.S. anti-missile system known as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).

'The United States is troubled by China's economic retaliation against South Korea for taking appropriate steps to defend itself,' Pence said.

South Korea, which accuses China or discriminating against some South Korean companies working in China, and the United States say the sole purpose of THAAD is to guard against North Korean missiles. China says its powerful radar can penetrate its territory and undermine its security and spoke out against it again on Monday.

Pence, on his visit to the region, said there had been a 'period of patience' over the years over North Korea but 'the era of strategic patience is over.'

He said the Trump administration hoped their clarity will be received in North Korea, adding the U.S. and its allies will achieve its objectives through 'peaceable means or ultimately by whatever means are necessary' to protect South Korea and stabilize the region.

Pence is warning in a visit to the DMZ dividing North and South Korea that the North Korean people and military 'should not mistake the resolve of the United States of America to stand with our allies.'

Pence told reporters near the DMZ that the alliance between South Korea and the U.S. is 'ironclad' and reiterated that 'all options are on the table' to pressure North Korea to get rid of its nuclear weapons and missile program.

Pence visited a military base near the DMZ, Camp Bonifas, for a briefing with military leaders and to meet with American troops stationed there.

His 10-day tour of Asia comes as tensions grow in the wake of North Korea's latest missile test.

The joint U.S.-South Korean military camp is just outside the 2.5-mile-wide DMZ. Pence's visit, full of Cold War symbolism, comes amid increasing tensions and heated rhetoric on the Korean Peninsula.

Pence, who had flown into South Korea yesterday, accused North Korea of 'provocation'.

Panmunjom is the village where the armistice agreement that ended the Korean War was signed by the United Nations, North Korea, and the People's Republic of China

Pence is seen above looking toward the north from an observation post inside the DMZ separating the two Koreas in Paju, South Korea

Despite occasional fluctuations in geopolitical tensions, the DMZ has largely remained quiet since the war

Pence says the 'era of strategic patience is over' with North Korea, expressing impatience with the willingness of the North Korean regime to move toward ridding itself of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles

Pence is seen above shaking hands with an American soldier during a meeting with US and South Korean troops at Camp Bonifas near Pannmunjom

Pence said the US was going to rebuild its military, 'restore the arsenal of democracy' and give troops the resources they needed to accomplish their mission

The visit carries a great deal of symbolism for Pence personally. His late father, Edward, served in the Army during the Korean War and was awarded the Bronze Star on April 15, 1953

Pence stands next to his daughter, Audrey, as she peers out over the DMZ through a pair of binoculars inside an observation post

The DMZ is one of the most heavily fortified regions in the world. It is a swath of territory that lies roughly along the 38th parallel.

Measuring 150 miles long, it became the de facto border that separates North and South Korea following the end of the Korean War in 1953.

Despite occasional fluctuations in geopolitical tensions, the DMZ has largely remained quiet since the war.

Pence said the US was going to rebuild its military, 'restore the arsenal of democracy' and give troops the resources they needed to accomplish their mission.

Evoking former president George W Bush's speeches on the eve of the Afghan and Iraq wars, Mr Pence said 'freedom will ever prevail'.

Measuring 150 miles long, the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) became the de facto border that separates North and South Korea following the end of the Korean War in 1953

Two North Korean soldiers look at the south side as a South Korean soldier, center, stands guard while Pence visited the border village of Panmunjom

A North Korean soldier takes photographs during Pence's visit to the DMZ while another soldier from the Communist country looks on

The visit carries a great deal of symbolism for Pence personally. His late father, Edward, served in the Army during the Korean War and was awarded the Bronze Star on April 15, 1953.

Pence displays his father's Bronze Star and a photograph of his father receiving the honor in his office.

Pence said it was 'humbling for me to be here.'

'My father served in the Korean War in the U.S. Army. On the way here, we saw some of the terrain my father fought in,' he said.

'We're grateful every day. It's a great honor to be here.'

After the rogue state ran a missile test that failed, Lieutenant General HR McMaster (left with Mr Trump) said 'all our options are on the table' to try to 'avoid the worst'

The US refused to rule out a pre-emptive strike on North Korea last night as Donald Trump's national security adviser warned the situation was 'coming to a head'

The medium-range missile  fired from a base in the Sinpo area  ended in farce because it 'blew up almost immediately', sources said.

The US Pacific Command said it believed it to be a ballistic missile, which is initially powered and guided, but then uses gravity to fall to its target.

Experts said it was not an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which would be able to reach targets around the world.

Kim's ultimate aim is to be able to put a nuclear warhead on an ICBM.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson posted on Twitter: 'I strongly condemn the latest North Korean missile launch. They must stop these belligerent acts and comply with UN resolutions.'

General McMaster said the latest missile launch 'fits a pattern of provocative and destabilising and threatening behaviour on the part of the North Korean regime'.

In Afghan capital Kabul, he told ABC's This Week show: 'All our options are on the table, undergoing refinement and further development'. He said: 'The President has made clear that he will not accept the United States and its allies and partners in the region being under threat from this hostile regime with nuclear weapons.

'And so we're working together with our allies and partners, and with the Chinese leadership, to develop a range of options.'

He said the National Security Council was collaborating with the Pentagon, the State Department, and intelligence agencies to provide Mr Trump with options.

The General said it was the consensus of the US, along with allies in the region, that 'this problem is coming to a head'. He added: 'And so it's time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully. In the coming weeks, months, I think there's a great opportunity for all of us... to take action short of armed conflict so we can avoid the worst.'

Beijing, Pyongyang's biggest ally, has come under pressure from Washington to exert more influence on its neighbour.

President Trump said China was 'working with us' on the issue  the first confirmation the two nations were collaborating.

Tensions between North Korea and the US were already on a knife-edge over the posting of the strike group led by a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to the region  a move that was denounced by North Korea.

Pyongyang then rolled out its deadly arsenal on Saturday.

Ballistic missiles and canisters capable of housing intercontinental ballistic missiles that could strike the US mainland were among those items on display.

But North Korea did not carry out its sixth nuclear bomb test, as previously feared. A White House official said that, had it been a nuclear test, 'other actions would have been taken by the US'.

Pence told US troops: 'This morning's provocation is just the latest reminder of the risks each one of you face every day in the defence of the freedom of the people of South Korea and the defence of America in this part of the world.'

Thousands of US and South Korean troops, tanks and other weaponry had been deployed last month in their biggest-ever jont military exercises. That led North Korea to issue routine threats of attacks on its rivals if they showed signs of aggression.
A Labour MP faces disciplinary action after he criticised Jeremy Corbyn's leadership and the party's performance.

Bermondsey and Southwark MP Neil Coyle sent a formal email questioning why Labour failed to give MPs a Brexit briefing, and was slow on responding to the media.

But he has now accused the party of 'petty and vindictive infighting' after Mr Corbyn's office reported him to the party's Chief Whip for a 'vicious' and 'unjustified attack'.

Bermondsey and Southwark MP Neil Coyle (left) sent a formal email questioning Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (right)

According to The Sun, Mr Coyle faces disciplinary action after Mr Corbyn's office manager Karie Murphy reported the emails.

Describing them as 'vicious', Ms Murphy reported the emails to Labour General Secretary Iain McNicol and Chief Whip Nick Brown.

Mr Coyle told Mail Online: 'All leaders face questions about their performance. Corbyn's team seem to think he's exempt, despite the calamity of Copeland and his dire polling.

'Communications need improving, but they don't seem to even want to acknowledge the problem, instead trying to prevent me and others asking legitimate questions and seeking better results for Labour.

Mr Corbyn's office manager Karie Murphy reported the emails

'I will keep fighting for the issues important to my constituents and members and for a better chance of a Labour win.'

Mr Coyle previously said his party's supporters 'deserve better leadership' than Mr Corbyn was able to offer.

He said many Labour voters were angry at the policies of the Tory government, but added: 'They know the problems but don't see Corbyn as a solution sadly.

'Only he can address the problem but has chosen to bury his head in the sand, taking no responsibility for his terrible personal ratings.'

Mr Corbyn faces renewed attacks on his leadership ahead of next month's local elections after Labour lost a Middlesbrough council seat to the Tories in recent days on a by-election swing of 8 per cent.

Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Tom Blenkinsop, a strong critic of Mr Corbyn, said: 'We lost due to the leader's name being mentioned on the doorstep as the reason why residents were not voting Labour.'
A specialist squad is being set up to tackle drones smuggling drugs, weapons and mobile phones into prisons.

The new unit will try to combat the increasing number of the remote-controlled devices flying contraband into jails, where the trade of illicit goods is fuelling growing violence and disorder among inmates.

Drones are being flown over high walls and barbed wire fences and drop packages where they can be picked up by inmates or hover outside cell windows where the goods can be grabbed.

A specialist police squad is being set up to tackle drones smuggling drugs, weapons and mobile phones into prisons. Criminals have been using the drones to fuel a prison drugs crisis

Some 33 drones crashed in prison grounds in England and Wales in 2015, compared to none as recently as 2013, figures released under Freedom of Information laws revealed.

But the true scale of the problem is thought to be much greater. Prison chiefs believe for every drone that fails, as many as nine others get through.

Ministers introduced laws in 2015 to stop people using drones to smuggle contraband into prisons, with those who do so facing up to two years in jail.

Now, the new squad of prison and police officers will work with law enforcement chiefs and the recently-established HM Prison and Probation Service. Drones recovered from the grounds of jails will be inspected to try to identify and track down the criminal gangs attempting to smuggle in contraband.

Investigators will draw together intelligence from prisons in England and Wales to identify lines of inquiry that can then be passed to specialist detectives.

Ministers are concerned the problem is being driven by crime gangs who can rake in tens of thousands of pounds for sneaking illicit items to prisons.

Prisons minister Sam Gyimah said: We are absolutely determined to tackle the illegal flow of drugs and mobile phones into our prisons.

The threat posed by drones is clear, but our dedicated staff are committed to winning the fight against those attempting to thwart progress by wreaking havoc in establishments all over the country.

Some 33 drones crashed in prison grounds in England and Wales in 2015, compared to none as recently as 2013, figures released under Freedom of Information laws revealed (stock image)

My message to those who involve themselves in this type of criminal activity is clear; we will find you and put you behind bars. In one incident, drones were used in an attempt to flood prisons with contraband worth around 48,000.

Drug dealer Remo White-Channer and robber Romaine Gayle, both 24 and from London, were jailed for trying to fly packages containing cannabis, spice, heroin and phones into three prisons.

Last year, Mr Gyimah raised the prospect of eagles being deployed to intercept drones after the birds of prey were used successfully in Holland.

The Ministry of Justice has also said barking dogs were useful in alerting prison officers to drones, allowing handlers to confiscate contraband.
Elizabeth Smart is giving the public its very first glimpse of her newborn baby.

Elizabeth, who has become a victims' rights advocate and reporter in the years since she was rescued from her kidnapper, posted a picture of her newborn son on Sunday just weeks after giving birth.

'These two make my Easter perfect! #soinlove #happyeaster #sundaysareforfamily #blessed #bigthingsinlittlepackages,' Smart wrote in a caption on Instagram.

The photo shows the baby being embraced by two-year-old Chloe, Elizabeth's daughter with her husband, Matthew Gilmour.

The couple announced this past fall that they were expecting their second child.

Elizabeth, 29, and Gilmour married in 2012 in a private ceremony in Hawaii.

Elizabeth Smart is giving the public its very first glimpse of her newborn baby. She posted a picture of her newborn son (left with his older sister, two-year-old Chloe) on Sunday just weeks after giving birth

In November, Smart posted a sonogram image on her Instagram showing her yet-to-be born son

Elizabeth (right) and her husband, Matthew Gilmour (left), announced this past fall that the couple was expecting their second child

Elizabeth, 29, and Gilmour married in 2012 in a private ceremony in Hawaii

Everyone is excited and ready to meet the newest member of the family,' Edward Smart, Elizabeth's father, told People on April 1.

Elizabeth has said that her 'greatest aspiration' was to be a mother.

'I wouldn't be here if it weren't for my mom,' Smart said in 2014. 'My mom is a hero and has influenced my life more than any other person, and I'd like to have that same influence on my children.'

Elizabeth was just 14 when she was taken from her bedroom at knife point on June 5, 2002, by Brian David Mitchell.

It was on March 12, 2013 that Elizabeth was found, nine months after she was last seen by her sister Mary Katherine being ripped from her bed and taken away from her home.

Smart has become a victims' rights advocate and reporter in the years since she was rescued from her kidnapper in an incident that generated nationwide headlines

Smart was just 14 when she was taken from her bedroom at knifepoint on June 5, 2002, by Brian David Mitchell (above) from her bedroom in Utah

Edward, Elizabeth and Lois Smart at the White House a month after their daughter was found in April 2003

Elizabeth was discovered in Sandy, Utah, and Mitchell and Wanda Barzee were arrested for abducting the teenager, was was subjected to repeated sexual assaults during her time in captivity.

It was a biker who had seen Elizabeth's story on America's Most Wanted who spotted the girl.

During her keynote speech earlier this month at Brigham Young University in observance of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Elizabeth recalled her ordeal: 'It's not what happens to people, but how they react that defines who they are.'

In recent years, Elizabeth, who studied music at Brigham Young University, has become a sexual assault advocate and a special correspondent for Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen.
A heavily pregnant woman who survived a horror truck rollover that killed her fiance has returned home with her miracle baby, less than two weeks after the accident.

Stefanie Teixeira, 32, was sleeping in the cabin of a semi-trailer in the early hours of April 6 as her partner Kevin Porker, 40, drove a delivery near Geelong, in south-west Victoria.

Tragically, only 10 minutes from their destination, the truck jack-knifed and rolled on its roof, killing Mr Porker instantly and leaving Ms Teixeira battered and bruised.

Giving birth to a healthy son a day later in hospital, Ms Teixeira has now told of her heartbreak at returning home to South Australia with newborn Kayson in her arms, but without her fiance by her side.

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Stefanie Teixeira (left) has told of her heartbreak after returning home with her newborn son less than two weeks after narrowly escaping a crash that killed her fiance Kevin Porker (right)

Ms Teixeira, 32, and Mr Porker, 40, were only 10 minutes from their final destination outside of Geelong, Victoria, when their truck jack-knifed and flipped onto its roof, killing him instantly

'It was supposed to be the three of us coming back together, starting our life together as parents,' she told Seven News.

Revealing more about the horror moments after the crash, Ms Teixeira told how she called out for him after freeing herself from the truck, but was met only by silence.

'I was OK, I was walking around, I just wanted to get help for him,' she said.

'I checked to see if there was a pulse but in that moment, you just want to go and get help.'

Ms Teixeira miraculously escaped the crash (pictured) and has told of her sadness at returning home to South Australia with newborn Kayson in her arms, but without her fiance by her side

'It was supposed to be the three of us coming back together, starting our life together as parents,' Ms Teixeira told Seven News

In the dark, Ms Teixeira walked to the top of the hill on Perdrisat Road where she called for help.

Suffering injuries to her hands, she was flown to Melbourne's Royal Women's Hospital and gave birth to Kayson less than a day later.

A mother-of-four, she is now faced with the task of balancing her role as a mum with managing the couple's three enormous farms, but is confident she's up to the task.

'Kev didn't like a weak woman, he needed a woman who was his farm girl and he though I was all that,' she said.

Ms Teixeira told how her calls for Mr Porker immediately after the crash were met by silence

A mother-of-four, she is now faced with the task of balancing her role as a mum with managing the couple's three enormous farms, but is confident she's up to the task

In the wake of Mr Porker's death, locals and authorities have called for more signage and reduced speed limits along the notorious stretch of Perdrisat Road.

According to police, the 60-tonne truck didn't stand a chance against the tight bend where it rolled.

'It [the truck] just wasn't able to take this left bend and jackknifed and tipped,' police said.
Poor children are twice as likely as those from richer homes to attend an under-performing secondary school because of selection by house price, a study has found.

It suggests that more than two in ten pupils from the poorest families attend a substandard secondary, compared with one in ten of their richer peers.

Social mobility charity Teach First, which compiled the data, said less privileged youngsters are being priced out of top schools as their parents cannot afford to live in the catchment areas.

Poor children are twice as likely as those from richer homes to attend an under-performing secondary school (stock image)

The study is likely to be seen as further evidence to support Theresa Mays plans for more grammar schools, which she hopes will stop house prices being a barrier to a good education.

The Prime Minister wants a new wave of selective schools to target bright youngsters in poorer communities in an effort to boost social mobility.

When a school is rated outstanding by Ofsted, more parents compete to buy homes in the catchment area, pushing up prices.

Todays figures come the day before around half a million families across England learn which primary school their child will attend this September, on what is known as National Offer Day. Teach First chief executive Brett Wigdortz said: These figures show that social mobility remains a serious issue in our country.

We know that all families care about giving their children the best possible start in life, but as outstanding schools are unfairly concentrated in richer communities, poorer families are finding themselves priced out.

We must challenge the idea that where a child is from, or how rich their parents are, determines whether they get access to an outstanding education.

Teacher who defied his union to back selection Aleksandar Lukic at the NUT conference A teacher has defied his hard-Left union bosses by supporting Theresa Mays plan to open new grammar schools. Aleksandar Lukic, a branch representative for the National Union of Teachers, said he wanted to see a selective school in every town to help disadvantaged pupils. The union is opposed to expanding selection, and has vowed to resist the Governments proposals at its annual conference in Cardiff. But Mr Lukic, 27, bravely took to the stand to criticise his leaders position, which he said would do nothing to tackle inequality. The grammar school IT teacher from Staincliffe, West Yorkshire, said he knew other staff who quietly felt the same way. Obviously I know this is a settled position in the NUT and I know Im not going to be changing anything, he said. But ... I do think I speak for a significant number of NUT members who do support selective education. There is contemporary evidence backing up the effectiveness of selective education for driving social mobility and I am not sure that we should be denying families the choice. The Prime Minister is planning the first new wave of grammars in decades in an effort to give bright, poor children access to an academically rigorous education. On Saturday, the NUT passed a motion to lobby against Mrs Mays plan, and also to take legal action against schools with grammar streams for bright pupils. Speaking against the motion, Mr Lukic told delegates that he wanted to see many more grammars as long as they did not take money away from other schools. The teacher works at Heckmondwike Grammar School, where he was also a pupil. He stood as a Ukip parliamentary candidate for Batley and Spen in the 2015 election, but lost to the late Labour MP Jo Cox. Advertisement

The charitys analysis of official data concludes that 25 per cent of poorer children go to a secondary rated requires improvement or inadequate, compared with 10 per cent of richer pupils.

The issue is similar with primaries, as 11 per cent of the poorest youngsters are at a school deemed inadequate or requiring improvement, compared to 6 per cent of the wealthiest. Conversely, around 15 per cent of children from the poorest 30 per cent of families across the country currently attend a primary school rated outstanding, compared with 27 per cent of those from the richest 30 per cent of homes.

Teach First disagrees with the Prime Ministers plans and believes grammar schools may harm social mobility because they would not help enough children.

A Department for Education spokesman said: There are 1.8million more children in good or outstanding schools than 2010 and we have created almost 735,000 extra school places since 2010, with 92 per cent of new primary school places built in 2015-16 created in good or outstanding schools.

We have set out plans to make more good school places available, including scrapping the ban on new grammar school places, and harnessing the resources and expertise of universities, independent and faith schools.
Khalid Masood took out two payday loans so he could continue to feed his addiction to scratch cards, it has been revealed

Khalid Masood took out two payday loans so he could continue to feed his addiction to Lotto scratch cards, it has been revealed.

The jihadist was in debt and behind on tax payments when he carried out his heinous attack on Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament.

An ex-flatmate of Masood, 52, revealed the killer received a warning letter from HM Revenue and Customs a week after he killed five people in a car and knife rampage.

He had arranged to pay off 100 a month but fell behind due to his love of gambling and alcohol.

The former flatmate, from Birmingham, told The Sun: 'It didn't fit in with his faith because both habits are banned under Islam.

'He'd always be coming back with scratch cards. He was not a good Muslim.'

He added: 'I never saw him go to work. He must have spent a lot of what money he had that way.'

The revelations come as the injured wife of a man killed in the Westminster terror attack returned home to the United States.

Melissa Cochran had been visiting London from Utah with her husband Kurt, 54, to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary when they were caught in the carnage on Westminster Bridge.

Her brother Clint Payne has since said doctors cleared his sibling to fly back home last week, and revealed that she is healing faster than expected.

During the 82-second atrocity on March 22, Kent-born Masood drove a rental car into unsuspecting pedestrians before fatally stabbing Pc Keith Palmer, 48.

The jihadist was in debt and behind on tax payments when he carried out his heinous attack on Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament (pictured)

Mrs Cochran, 46, suffered a broken leg and rib and a cut to her head during the attack, while her husband died after being thrown from the bridge.

Three others, retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, 75, Aysha Frade, 44, and Romanian tourist Andreea Cristea, 31, also died.

In an interview with the BBC she described her husband as the 'love of my life', and said she does not feel 'any ill will' towards Masood.

'I don't know what he was feeling or thinking or anything that had been going on in his life so I can't relate,' she said.

'I just know that unfortunately he didn't have the qualities and the beautiful heart that my husband had so I actually kind of feel a little sorry for him and no hate.'

Masood, who had a history of violent crime, was shot dead by armed police after knifing PC Palmer.
Shocking new figures have revealed hundreds of Parachute Regiment troops are not fully qualified as military parachutists and have not completed the required training.

Following a question submitted by the former Defence Minister, the MoD admitted 230 recruits are 'not qualified' as military parachutists, while some 180 are only 'part qualified'.

The figures have been described as 'worrying' by one MP, who claimed Tory cuts since 2010 have led to troops being underprepared.

The MoD admitted 230 recruits are 'not qualified' as military parachutists, while some 180 are only 'part qualified'

The regiment, whose most famous sortie during the Second World War was immortalised in the film A Bridge Too Far, has been hit by Ministry of Defence budget cuts.



The statistics came to light following a question submitted to the Ministry of Defence by Lord Robathan, the former Defence Minister.

The maroon beret regiment - whose 'Utrinque Paratus' motto translates as 'Ready for Anything'

He wrote: 'To ask Her Majesty's Government how many personnel serving in the Parachute Regiment or supporting arms attached to Parachute Regiment Battalions, are not qualified as military parachutists and have not completed the required parachute training?'

The response revealed 230 members of the Parachute Regiment were 'not qualified' as military parachutists.

Another 180 were only 'part qualified', while some 20 soldiers attached to the Regiment from other units were either unqualified or only part qualified in using parachutes.

Previously, all recruits joining the 1,500-strong regiment underwent intensive parachute training, including a requirement to complete eight jumps before being considered ready for battle.

The statistics came to light following a question submitted to the Ministry of Defence by Lord Robathan (left), the former Defence Minister - and was answered by Defence Minister Earl Howe (right)

The regiment, whose most famous sortie during the Second World War was immortalised in the film A Bridge Too Far, has been hit by Ministry of Defence cuts

Soldiers had to do at least two refresher jumps each year of their service to ensure that they remain fully trained for drops behind enemy lines.

But the Parachute Regiment has not mounted a large-scale parachute drop for more than half a century.

The last such mission was during the Suez Crisis of 1956.

Shadow Defence Secretary Nia Griffith told The Mirror: 'Tory cuts to resources and training since 2010 have meant that many paratroopers have not had the opportunity to compete the required training, as these worrying figures suggest.

'The Government must examine what is causing this training backlog as a matter of urgency and ensure that this Regiment's proud history is not undermined by a lack of resources from the MoD.'

Defence Minister Earl Howe said: 'Part qualified personnel are those who have completed 90% of the course and are therefore considered to be limited combat ready.

'Unqualified personnel will have successfully completed the pre-parachute selection process and await upload to parachute training.'
Foreign criminals are learning to make cocktails at an immigration removal centre.

Suspected illegal immigrants - some of whom have previously committed crimes - are being offered training courses in how to be mixologists while awaiting a decision on whether they will be deported or released back onto Britains streets.

Public money is being spent teaching them how to be bartenders specialising in alcohol-free fruit cocktails  known as mocktails.

A taxpayer-funded scheme teaches offenders mixology at immigration centres. Potential criminals are being taught to create non-alcoholic 'mocktails' as well as given barista training

Also on offer were short courses including how to fold napkins in restaurants, window-cleaning, training to be a coffee barista and classes in hotel house-keeping.

The courses, which pay the detainees 1-an-hour, are intended to make sure they have skills to secure jobs either in Britain or back in their homeland.

But critics will raise eyebrows at the fact that even more taxpayers money is being spent on people who do not have permission to be in the country in the first place.

It has been estimated that a place at a removal centre costs 30,000 a year.

The courses at Morton Hall Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) in Lincolnshire were highlighted in a report by the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB), a watchdog that checks conditions inside prisons and removal centres.

Some of those held at the 400-capacity centre will be sent home. However, others will be granted permission to remain in the UK or bailed.

A report by watchdogs from Morton Halls Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) said: Training in cleaning skills to BICS (British Institute of Cleaning Sciences) standards has been expanded with a mock-up of a hotel room in one of the workshops for the purpose of teaching a newly designed hospitality course which extends to bed-making and preparing rooms in addition to cleaning.

A further development has been the introduction of a number of new, short courses lasting for a half or full day and aimed at developing practical skills such as window cleaning, napkin folding, and mocktail making alongside the barista course.

It has been estimated that a place at a removal centre costs 30,000 a year. Critics will raise eyebrows at the fact that even more taxpayers money is being spent on people who do not have permission to be in the country in the first place (stock image)

These have proved both popular and easily managed because they fit in with the uncertain length of stay of the majority of detainees.

The report said that some detainees did not like to be seen cleaning  and so are put in locations where they are out of sight of other detainees.

It said: Where problems have arisen, tutors have been quick to find solutions, an example being detainees from some cultures who dont like to be seen cleaning have been found locations where they can work individually, out of sight of their peers.

One prison worker, who has worked in jails across the UK for the past 10 years, said that short courses were very useful in helping people get jobs when they are released.

The worker, who asked not to be named, said: There has been a rise in the number of courses which prisoners can take which are more relevant to the reality of the job market in the outside world. It makes sense to train inmates up in as many skills as possible so they can find a job on their release.

But a Whitehall source said: People will raise eyebrows that more money is being spent on those who do not have any right to be here.

Two years ago, it was revealed that foreign criminals at Yarls Wood centre in Bedfordshire, where suspected illegal immigrants are held supposedly pending deportation, were treated to dance classes, yoga and bingo.
A woman's rant about her elderly neighbour mowing his lawn at 9am on Easter Monday has sparked a furious debate on social media.

Christine Naylor posted her complaint on the Facebook page for the Sunny Coast Community Board and immediately attracted a barrage of criticism.

She had written that she was 'astounded' that her neighbour had fired up his whipper snipper, also known as a lawn trimmer, so early on a public holiday, according to the Sunshine Coast Daily.

'It's a public holiday for God's sake,' she wrote.

A woman's rant about her elderly neighbour mowing his lawn at 9am on Easter Monday has sparked a furious debate on social media

'He's a pensioner who has ALL day, EVERY day of the year to do lawns.'

She added: 'Why do it when working people might just be having a sleep in before having to return back to the daily grind tomorrow. Some people have absolutely NO CONSIDERATION.'

But many took the pensioner's side  and suggested he have may have good reason to get his chores done early.

'He is old for Christ's sake, no one at any age would want to be mowing their lawn when it's hot, it's great that he is even being healthy and active,' one person noted.

She was 'astounded' her neighbour fired up his whipper snipper so early on a public holiday

Others said 9am was not too early in the morning to be making noise.

One man blasted Ms Naylor as a 'blithering whinger' and said the man had every right to mow his lawn when he wanted.

But some had empathy for Ms Naylor's plight and said they could relate.

'People do need to be more considerate,' one man commented.

However, by 11am on Monday, Ms Naylor's original post had been removed from Facebook, although it was not immediately clear if it was deleted by her or the page's admin.
Celebrity chef Adrian Richardson repaid staff at least $13,000 after they complained about being underpaid at his Melbourne restaurant.

Several staff at the Good Chef Bad Chef host's La Luna Bistro in Carlton North said they were given below-award salaries and no penalty rates.

One young woman was reimbursed about $10,000 in basic entitlements, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, but had to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

Celebrity chef Adrian Richardson repaid staff at least $13,000 after they complained about being underpaid at his Melbourne restaurant

Several staff at his La Luna Bistro (pictured) in Carlton North said they were given below-award salaries and no penalty rates

An 18-year-old kitchen hand was paid only $14 an hour for six months and was paid back $3,165 after Fair Work said he should have been getting $21 an hour.

'They claimed it was mistake and agreed to give me back pay,' he said of the restaurant's management, but he has since left the job.

A former waitress said she was never paid weekend penalty rates and was owed more than $7,900 - but was only offered $3,589 back pay.

She even claimed the Channel 10 star told some staff there was a 'workplace agreement' that meant he didn't have to pay penalty rates.

Mr Richardson is the host of Channel 10 TV show Good Chef Bad Chef with Zoe Bingley-Pullin (R)

Mr Richardson (pictured in a demonstration with chef Miguel Maestre) had to reimnburse one young woman about $10,000 in basic entitlements

Three other staff owed thousands were angry when they found out about the allegedly systemic underpayments and one planned to ask Fair Work to investigate.

'When I came to La Luna, I assumed we were getting paid properly. I have no idea what this agreement was that [Mr Richardson] was talking about,' one said.

'We are all really upset and many of them have just decided to leave.'

The Fair Work Ombudsman confirmed to the newspaper it was assisting the La Luna employees but would not comment further on the case.

Mr Richardson was the latest celebrity chef forced to reimburse staff for chronic underpayments that were said to be rife within the hospitality industry.

Masterchef's George Calombaris paid back $2.6 million to 162 staff across his restaurants and high-profile chef Ronnie Di Stasio reimbursed $35,000 to six foreign workers exploited by his Cafe Di Stasio in St Kilda.
One of two crocodiles stolen from a mobile zoo has been found washed up on a creek bed looking thin and lethargic.

The crocodiles were reported missing from Get Wild Animal Experiences in early March with a police search carried out amid fears they could die in the cold Sydney water.

On Sunday, a man channelling the late Steve Irwin captured one of the juvenile crocodiles during an afternoon stroll.

Aaron Hughes was walking with his wife and their young son Ben along Salt Pan Creek, behind their Peakhurst home, in Sydney's south, when they spotted the out-of-place reptile sunning himself on the mud.

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Aaron Hughes (pictured) channelled the late Steve Irwin and captured a juvenile crocodile during an afternoon stroll in Sydney's south on Sunday

The family (pictured is Eve Hughes and son Ben) notified the owners of the crocodile and kept until police arrived

The juvenile crocodile was kept in a bath before it was taken away by police

The croc captured measured about 80cm long.

'We had to take a double-take. We couldn't believe what we were seeing,' Mr Hughes told ABC Radio on Monday.

'My wife and I looked at each other - we were having a bit of a laugh to be honest about what to do next.'

He said it quickly dawned on them the animal was one of two juvenile freshwater crocodiles reported missing from the nearby mobile zoo on March 3.

'It had been a bit of a running joke around the streets and with my friends that those crocs were going to be turning up in a few years being two metres or three metres long,' Mr Hughes said.

'As we've all done, we've seen Steve Irwin and the Crocodile Hunter, we thought that we were well-versed in maybe coming up behind it and grabbing it as it wasn't really moving too quickly, so that's what we did.'

The croc captured (pictured) measured about 80cm long and was found sunning himself on the mud

Ben Hughes (pictured with wife Eve and their son Ben) said the couple 'couldn't believe what we were seeing' when they laid eyes on the crocodile

The Hughes' notified the owners and kept the reptile in their bath until police arrived.

Keepers from Get Wild Animal Experiences had been scouring Georges River since the reptiles' disappearance more than six weeks ago after a report of a crocodile sighting in the water.

Grave concerns were held for the crocs, reportedly named Snap and Crackle, in the chilly Sydney conditions.

'We think we managed to get hold of Snap because he did have a few goes when we were bringing him up to put him in the bath, so there is one still out there,' Mr Hughes said.

Get Wild Animal Experiences, where the crocodile had been stolen from, took to Facebook to thank Mr Hughes for finding the reptile

The wildlife business issued an update on Sunday night following the crocodile's return.

'He is very cold, thin and lethargic but we are hoping with some TLC he will be back to normal in no time,' a statement on the Get Wild Facebook page reads.

'We are beyond happy and would like to thank Aaron who contacted us and Kogarah Police for assisting in this matter.'
A convicted sex offender who escaped from a minimum security prison in Victoria on Sunday has been spotted outside Melbourne.

Barry Dettman escaped Langi Kal Kal Prison outside Trawalla, in the state's central west, at 10am yesterday, before a reported sighting in Werribee just hours later.

Police confirmed the 51-year-old had been seen on Melbourne's western outskirts, seven hours after he was last spotted walking along a highway near the prison.

Dettman is serving time after being convicted of committing indecent acts in the presence of a child and wilful and obscene exposure.

Barry Dettman (pictured), a convicted sex offender who escaped from a minimum security prison in central western Victoria on Sunday, has been spotted outside Melbourne

The pervert is believed to have had less than a month left to serve on his sentence.

Detective Senior Sergeant Michael Phyland, of Victoria Police Crime Command said it is currently unclear how Dettman managed to walk out of the prison.

'I havent all those details (about how Dettman escaped),' Sen Sgt Phyland told the Herald Sun.

'It is a lower-security prison.

'We would ask people who sight Mr Dettman or who are aware of his whereabouts to contact triple 0 and not to approach him.'

Prisoners are transferred to Langi Kal Kal towards the end of their sentence, police told reporters.

It is currently unclear how Dettman managed to walk out of Langi Kal Kal Prison (pictured) outside Trawalla, in the state's central west

Dettman was last seen wearing green track pants and a flannelette shirt. He is 178cm tall, with a thin build, cropped grey hair and blue eyes.

He has numerous tattoos on his upper arms and forearms including an eagle on his right upper arm.

Police warned the public not to approach him, but to call triple zero.

He is known to have connections with the Bendigo and Werribee areas.
The sick text messages a bakery owner sent a woman just hours after her raped her when she answered his job advertisement on Gumtree have been revealed.

On Tuesday, Habibullah Afghan-Baig , 40, pleaded guilty to seven charges and was jailed for at least three years after luring two women to his Afghan and Arab Bakery, in Sydney's west, under the pretense of a job interview in 2015.

The court heard the father-of-two sent one of his victims a text message after he was arrested, telling her he was in love with her and 'missed her,' The Daily Telegraph reported.

'I am so much in love with you what can I do ... please help me ... it's hard for me,' one of the text messages read.

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On Tuesday, Habibullah Afghan-Baig , 40, (pictured) pleaded guilty to seven charges and was jailed for at least three years after luring two women to his Afghan and Arab Bakery

The court heard the father-of-two sent one of his victims a text message after he was arrested, telling her he was in love with her. A recreation of the text message is pictured

Another message said he wanted to 'suck on her b***s' and asked her to wear a 'short dress' when she came to work for him.

Police found the messages on his phone after seizing it following his arrest.

Afghan-Baig advertised for the bakery workers on Gumtree classifieds.

When the first woman showed up for the interview in June 2015, Afghan-Bain asked her if she had a boyfriend, before he grabbed her chest and she ran off.

The second assault took place in August of that year and Afghan-Bain asked the woman to be his girlfriend and said he couldn't get her out of his mind.

He then grabbed her breasts again, held her right leg and kissed her.

The court heard Afghan-Baig sexually assaulted one woman and indecently assaulted another woman at his bakery The Afghan & Arab Bakery in Fairfield (pictured) in July and August 2015

The women were at the bakery on separate occasions after answering a job advertisement on Gumtree (pictured) offering work with good pay and conditions at his Lakemba store

Afgahn-Bain then committed three counts of sexual intercourse without consent.

The court was told one of the attacks was caught on CCTV footage by the bakery's security camera and lasted for about 30 minutes.

When he was arrested at his bakery in August 2015, 7 News reported he initially claimed he was innocent and the sex was consensual.

Afghan-Baig was charged with four counts of indecent assault and three counts of sexual intercourse without consent and will spend at least three years and seven months behind bars.
Maj. Gen. James Grazioplene (above) faces life imprisonment and the loss of his pension if convicted of multiple counts of rape

The US Army is charging a retired general with multiple counts of rape of at least one minor that took place over 30 years ago.

Maj. Gen. James Grazioplene faces life imprisonment and the loss of his pension if convicted, according to the New York Daily News.

The Army announced that Grazioplene faces six charges for allegedly raping a minor in 1983 and 1989.

The military offered no other details on the case. It also did not say why it was bringing charges now.

Although Grazioplene retired from the military, he is still subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

He is due in court for a hearing to determine whether he will face a court martial.

Grazioplene is a native of Virginia who graduated from the US Military Academy in West Point, New York.

He entered the Army in 1972 as an armor officer.

Prior to his retirement in 2005, he worked as the director of force development in the Pentagons Joint Warfighting Capabilities Assessment.

He has also worked with DynCorp International, a military contractor, and Mission: Readiness, an organization of retired admirals and generals working with school children.
Friends of the 15-year-old who was shot in the face on Good Friday in an 'execution-style' killing have held a vigil, saying the teenager was the 'happiest person with the nicest smile'.

Brayden Dillon was shot at point-blank rage as he lay in his bed on Friday morning after a man broke into his family home in Glenfield, Sydney's southwest, and police are still on the hunt for his killer.

Police believe Brayden was the victim of a revenge attack after his brother Joshua was allegedly involved in a bloody brawl in June, which ended with the stabbing death of 18-year-old Adam Abu-Mahmoud.

On Sunday night, Brayden's friends and family gathered on the banks of the Georges River to let off balloons in his favourite colour, purple.

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Brayden Dillon was shot at point-blank rage as he lay in his bed on Friday morning after a man broke into his family home

On Sunday night, Brayden's friends and family gathered on the banks of the Georges River to let off balloons in his favourite colour, purple (pictured)

'It's so hard to accept the fact that he's gone,' one friend told 7News. 'He's gone forever'.

Another friend said Brayden had been 'doing well' and was known around the area for always 'putting himself before others'.

As well as letting off balloons, Brayden's friends placed signs on the fence surrounding the Georges River saying he was 'forever in their hearts'.

NSW police said they had not yet found Brayden's killer, but made 'inquiries' on Easter Monday.

Police believe Brayden's death was revenge for a bloody brawl in Panania last June involving his brother.

Joshua Dillon, then 18, was with friend James Rivera, and an unnamed friend, 17, when the three young men allegedly became involved in a fight, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

The young men were allegedly verbally abused by Abu-Mahmoud and his friend as they drove down the street.

As well as letting off balloons, Brayden's friends placed signs on fence surrounding the Georges River saying he was 'forever in their hearts'

Vile Facebook messages were sent to the ex-girlfriend of a 15-year-old boy shot dead in a suspected revenge attack in Sydney

'It's so hard to accept the fact that he's gone,' one friend told 7News. 'He's gone forever'

On Sunday night, Brayden's friends and family gathered on the banks of the Georges River to let off balloons in his favourite colour, purple

Police believe the death of 15-year-old Brayden Dillon on Thursday morning was a revenge attack on the family following the stabbing death of Adam Abu-Mahmoud, pictured, last june

Brayden Dillon was shot at point-blank rage as he lay in his own bed on Friday morning after a man broke into his family home on Moresby Street in Glenfield

Instead of ignoring the alleged abuse they allegedly stopped the car and a brawl erupted.

The dead boy's brother and his 17-year-old friend were charged over the death and refused bail.

Police believe the 15-year-old's murder was an act of revenge over the killing.

Daily Mail Australia earlier revealed taunting text messages which backed up those beliefs.

The vile Facebook messages were sent to the 15-year-old's ex-girlfriend.

The string of taunting messages claim his death was 'revenge' and that he 'should have seen this coming'.

A teenage girl who owns the account that sent the messages told Daily Mail Australia she had been hacked and claimed she did not send the sickening messages.

The messages were sent just hours after Brayden was fatally shot by a masked intruder who had broken into his bedroom at his family home in Glenfield.

Brayden Dillon was shot at point-blank rage as he lay in his bed on Friday morning after a man broke into his family home (pictured) in Glenfield, Sydney's southwest

Brayden Dillon's older brother Joshua was involved in a bloody brawl in Panania last June which ended with the stabbing death of Adam Abu-Mahmoud, 18, pictured

Forensics at the scene of Abu-Mahmoud's stabbing last year

Dillon's older brother and his 17-year-old friend were charged over the death and refused bail

Brayden Dillon, 15, died hours after he was shot in the head inside his own home

The Facebook messages say: 'He should of seen this coming [sic].

'It's called revenge.'

They continue: 'And braydens a mutt. And he deserved everything his just got. Hahahahh. He's gone now. Can't bring back the dead hahah [sic].'

In a later message, the user says 'we all knew this was going to happen'.

'Maybe you didn't but I did, and I know who shot him as well. Been planned for 6 months.'

The girl who owns the Facebook profile insisted that her Facebook had been 'hacked' and said one of her friends also knew the password for her account.

A 15-year-old boy who was shot in the head by a masked intruder inside his home in Sydney this morning has died

He was taken to hospital in an 'extremely critical' condition but died shortly after 11am, police said

She later wrote in a public post: 'I'm sorry for what was said and its 100% wrong, my Facebook's hacked, honestly I don't know when the f***s on my account but I changed my password [sic].'

Police have refused to comment on whether Brayden's shooting was a 'revenge attack' linked to another fatal attack.

Brayden was shot at point-blank rage as he lay in his own bed on Friday morning after a man broke into his family home on Moresby Street in Glenfield.

He was taken to hospital in an 'extremely critical' condition but died shortly after 11am, police said.

A man broke into the boy's family home shortly after 6am, sneaking into the boy's bedroom and opening fire 'execution-style'.

After shooting the boy in the head at close range, the intruder - whose face was covered - escaped back out of the front door.

The teenager - who was seen being loaded into an ambulance with his face drenched in blood - died at The Children's Hospital in Westmead, Sydney.

His mother, stepfather and two siblings, aged seven and one, later left the home with a police escort.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Brett said earlier that shooter entered the boy's home and then 'forced entry to the victim's room'.

The teenager's face was covered in blood as he was wheeled into an ambulance

The 15-year-old boy was found by police on Moresby Street in Glenfield at about 6.20am with a gunshot wound to the head

Paramedics were seen holding up a sheet as they treated the boy at the scene

A man is believed to have broken into boy's family home before opening fire. Pictured, police at the scene

'The mother is extremely distressed. Shes at hospital with her son,' he added.

Police are now looking for a man described as being aged between 18 and 20, with a thin build, who was last seen wearing grey tracksuit pants, a navy blue hooded jacket and white joggers.

It is believed that he may be armed with a pistol and the public have been warned not to approach him but to immediately call triple-zero.
Motorists across Australia were stuck in traffic chaos as they returned to capital cities at the end of the four-day Easter long weekend, with major roads clogged with traffic after a string of accidents.

The worst hit was holidaymakers in Queensland, with a horrific multi-vehicle crash leaving two dead and eight injured, two critically.



The accident happened shortly after 3pm and involved at least four vehicles, with two cars bursting into flames. Two people airlifted from the scene were reported as being in a critical but stable condition on Monday night.

Queensland Ambulance Service said eight patients were being assessed after Monday's crash, which comes in the final hours of the Easter holiday period.

The fatal collision blocked the Bruce Highway in both directions, causing huge traffic delays for five hours until it was re-opened near Tiaro on Monday night.

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Motorists returning from their Easter long weekend trips experienced delays of up to four hours along New South Wales roads while Queensland (above) experienced delays too

Two people died and eight were left injured after a crash involving four vehicles along Queensland's Bruce Highway, with two cars bursting into flames

The fatal collision blocked the Bruce Highway in both directions for five hours until it was reopened on Monday night

Holidayers travelling Melbourne-bound along the M8 freeway were at a standstill near Bacchus Marsh and Ballan exits, with reports of roadworks and lane closures.

'What is up with lane closure on Western Freeway? 40mins to travel 3km, cars stuck as far as eye can see,' one frustrated commuter from Victoria tweeted before 5pm.

Up to 40km of congestion was reported on the Bruce Highway southbound towards Brisbane, from Caboolture back to Palmview.

Meanwhile in NSW, northbound traffic on the Pacific Highway was banked up for some 15 kilometres at Woodburn on Monday afternoon, while at Macksville southbound traffic was queued for about 14km.

Southbound traffic on the Pacific Motorway was banked up for about 10km on between Warnervale and Wyong after a Monday morning accident (pictured Bruce Highway)

Victorians travelling Melbourne-bound complained about lane closures and roadworks - with one social media user claiming it took her 40 minutes to travel three kilometres on a freeway

On the Central Coast, southbound traffic on the M1 Pacific Motorway was slow between Morisset and Warnervale after a crash earlier in the morning.

Cars were queued for about 8km on the Great Western Highway between Mount Victoria and Blackheath in the Blue Mountains, with eastbound traffic on the same highway slow approaching Wentworth Falls.

In the state's south, traffic was heavy along the Princes Highway near Ulladulla and Berry, with cars backed up for several kilometres.

Drivers in the Hunter region were also making slow progress on the New England Highway between Hexham and Beresfield heading towards the Pacific Motorway.

Commuters travelling from the Blue Mountains to Sydney were bumper to bumper

Up to 40km of congestion was reported on the Bruce Highway southbound, from Caboolture back to Palmview

Traffic banked up on the Mooney Mooney Bridge on Sunday

Some drivers complained of roadworks in Victoria with traffic at a standstill

The Transport Management Centre says motorists should expect heavy holiday traffic to increase throughout the evening.

Three people have died on NSW roads over Easter including a motorcyclist who crashed near Cobar on Saturday afternoon.

NSW Police Chief Inspector Phil Brooks is urging holiday makers to slow down as they drive home.

Officers have issued 6000 speeding infringements over the long weekend so far - which is 1000 more than for the same period in 2016.

'With traffic banked up on all the major entry points into Sydney we want people to please take extra care coming home this Easter,' Insp Brooks told 2GB.

Slow trip home: Holiday makers heading home on Easter Monday were left frustrated by huge delays in Sydney and Brisbane (Bruce Highway pictured)
The family of a young boy who was killed at a popular rotating restaurant in Atlanta have released a picture of the five-year-old.

Charlie Holt suffered a severe head injury on Friday when he got stuck between the table, which was rotating, and the wall at the Sun Dial restaurant on the 72nd floor of the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel.

Charlie was visiting with his family from Charlotte, North Carolina, when they stopped to have lunch at the venue which offers spectacular views from the top floor.

Charlie Holt, 5, was killed at the rotating restaurant Sun Dial at the Westin Atlanta, Friday, when his head became trapped between a table and a wall

The Sun Dial spins slowly to offer 360 degree views of the city's skyline and surrounding countryside and it appears the youngster became lodged between a fixed wall and a table that was moving.

The statement issued by a family spokesperson read: 'The family asks for prayers and privacy right now to come to terms with this tragedy.

'No words can express their loss. If you have a loved one, please give them an extra hug today.'

The Holt family were reportedly the last customers in the restaurant when the boy wandered away from his parents to see the view of the Atlanta skyline

The family were the last customers in the restaurant when the boy wandered away from his parents to have a look at the views for himself, WSBTV reported.

Charlie Holt was said to be visiting with his family from Charlotte, North Carolina, and they stopped to have lunch at the Sun Dial Restaurant located on the 72nd floor of the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel

The hotel's security staff and employees scrambled to pull the boy out after realizing he was stuck in the narrow five inches of space between the wall and table.

'His whole body was caught in between maybe 4 or 5 inches of space and his head took the brunt of the injury,' police said to, WXIA. 'It crushed his little small body.'

'The amount of people who were helping was amazing,' Atlanta Police Department spokesperson Warren Pickard said. 'They were moving furniture, they were pulling chairs  chairs that were bolted to the floor  they were pulling them up to try to get the child out.'

They were eventually able to free him, but unfortunately it was too late.

Although the moving floor immediately stopped, Charlie suffered severe head trauma.

He was taken to Grady Hospital after the incident around 3.30pm, and was later pronounced dead.

'There was a tragic accident at the hotel involving a young boy,' Westin Peachtree Plaza Manager George Reed said.

'Words cannot express the depths of our sorrow. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.'

The restaurant spins to offer 360 degree views of the city's skyline, and the boy reportedly became lodged in the five inches of space between the wall and a rotating table

The Sun Dial is now closed until further notice, and an investigation is being conducted by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration.

Charlie's death comes just a year after a kitchen employee at the same hotel died after getting accidentally locked in a freezer overnight.

The 61-year-old woman, Carolyn Robinson, had worked with at the Westin hotel for more than 35 years.

Less than a month after that, ten-year-old Stephen Akinlabi died at the hotel's pool after he fell in at a birthday party.
A man is on the run after assaulting a police officer who had placed him under arrest.

The 44-year-old male officer had been attempting to handcuff the man in Kelvin Grove, north Brisbane, on Sunday night when the offender lashed out.

The man wrestled his way out of the officer's grasp and chased after him, before knocking him to the ground.

A man (pictured) lashed out at a Queensland police officer who had been placed him under arrest and was attempting to handcuff him

He then fled the area on foot, only stopping to regain his confiscated phone and wallet.

The officer was on patrol on Kelvin Grove Road about 11.10pm when the man walked across a multi-lane road into the path of the police car while appearing to be talking on a mobile phone.

The man was placed under arrest but he became agitated when spoken to by the officer near Musk Avenue.

The officer was left with an elbow injury after the attack but did not require further medical treatment.

Queensland Police are now appealing for public help to track down the man, who is described as Caucasian and 180cm tall, with short brown hair.

Anyone who can help identify the man is urged to contact Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.

Once the man had wrestled his way out of the the officer's grasp he chased after him before knocking him to the ground (pictured)

The man then fled the area on foot, stopping only to regain his confiscated phone and wallet (pictured)
The Turnbull Government 'deserves to be smashed' so it will learn from its mistakes after a series of disasters, talkback king Alan Jones says.

The 2GB shock jock said the Prime Minister and his lieutenants were not listening to feedback from voters on a wide range of issues.

'I tell you what, these people just deserve to be smashed in an election to make them wake up,' he told his more than 100,000 listeners.

Sydney talkback king Alan Jones says the Turnbull Government 'deserves to be smashed' at ballot box so it will 'wake up' to why it has suffered a string of bad results

He said Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull needed to listen to the voters and business leaders on policies like housing affordability, energy, mining and agriculture

His extraordinary call for voters to punish the Coalition, of which Jones is a constant supporter, came the day after former PM Tony Abbott claimed Australians expected Labor to win the next election.

Mr Turnbull has been dealt a series of blows, suffering big swings against the Liberal Party in two NSW by-elections a week ago.

Before that, the National Party lost a safe seat in another by-election in November and the WA Liberal Government was dramatically turfed out in last month.

Jones told the Sydney Morning Herald after his Monday morning broadcast the Coalition was being 'smashed everywhere' because of bad policy.

'There's a golden rule, whether it's in sport or politics: people will only repair the house when it's burnt down. And it seems that these people are waiting for the house to be burnt down,' he said.

Jones said after his Monday morning broadcast the Coalition was being 'smashed everywhere' because of bad policy

Mr Turnbull has been dealt a series of blows, suffering big swings against the Liberal Party in two NSW by-elections a week ago

Jones said he 'or course' didn't want Labor to win government because of its spending and energy policies, just that the Liberals needed a shock to the system.

The broadcaster pointed to housing affordability, mining and agriculture as issues where the government was getting it wrong.

He said Mr Turnbull needed to heed the advice of property developers like Harry Triguboff to loosen up urban planning laws to free up land to build more homes.

Jones also bemoaned how Mr Abbott had become a pariah that the government refused to listen to despite his past electoral success.

Jones said he 'or course' didn't want Labor and Bill Shorten to win government because of its spending and energy policies, just that the Liberals needed a shock to the system

'Everything Abbott says is toxic according to them. I mean he only won 25 seats from the Labor Party at the 2013 election,' he told the newspaper.

Mr Abbott on Sunday said voters were dissatisfied with politics in general and the government was likely to cop it at the ballot box as a result.

'Between the riders, the sponsors, and the passers-by, I reckon I spent the best part of eight days listening to a pretty good sample of Middle Australia. And people aren't happy,' he wrote in a letter published in The Daily Telegraph.

Jones said Mr Turnbull needed to heed the advice of property developers like Harry Triguboff to loosen up urban planning laws to free up land to build more homes

His extraordinary call for voters to punish the Coalition came the day after former PM Tony Abbott claimed Australians expected Labor to win the next election

Mr Abbott outlined a five-step plan for improving the political climate:

'Reform the Senate so we have government, not gridlock.'

'Stop subsidising new wind power to take the pressure off power prices.'

'De-fund the nanny-state bureaucracies that persecute journalists but do nothing about Muslim extremists.'

'Protect existing beneficiaries and existing employees but make it easier for future generations to get work.'

'And don't apologise for Australia; celebrate it.'
Tony Abbott dumped on his Liberal Party colleagues yet again, claiming Australians are 'sick of governments that don't deliver'.

As if to hammer home what voters might think of the Turnbull Government, the former prime minister was interviewed while a garbage truck picked up his bins.

'These are difficult times to be in government,' he told 9 News in front of his home at Forestville, in Sydney's northern beaches, on Monday morning.

His front page newspaper letter slamming his Liberal Party colleagues was hitting breakfast tables.

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Tony Abbott dumped on his Liberal Party colleagues yet again, claiming Australians are 'sick of governments that don't deliver'

The deposed leader was following up his scathing letter to the Daily Telegraph that morning in which he claimed Labor looked set to win the next election from Malcolm Turnbull

'It's important that the government be on top of events, it's important that political parties be taking charge of situations and that's what I hope will happen in the weeks and months and years to come.'

Mr Abbott then went on shock jock Ray Hadley's 2GB radio show to double down in his first appearance as a regular guest on the popular program.

'They're sick of governments that don't deliver, they're sick of oppositions that play politics, they're sick of minor parties that are all grievance and no solution and they want all of us to lift our game,' he said.

The deposed leader was following up his scathing letter to the Daily Telegraph that morning in which he claimed Labor looked set to win the next election.

As if to hammer home what voters might think of the Turnbull Government, the former Prime Minister was interviewed while a garbage truck picked up his bins

'Between the riders, the sponsors, and the passers-by, I reckon I spent the best part of eight days listening to a pretty good sample of Middle Australia. And people aren't happy,' he wrote.

'Inevitably, when people are unhappy, it's the government that gets blamed first. But people seem to be working out that Labor is at least as responsible for our problems as the current government.

'Nonetheless, on the grounds that ''oppositions don't win elections, governments lose them'' there was an expectation that Shorten could soon be in the Lodge,' he said referring to Mr Turnbull's home in Canberra.

Mr Abbott, who Mr Turnbull overthrew in 2015, said the government needs to step up its game to make sure the Labor party leader doesn't take the coveted position.

'In fact, the best way to keep Shorten out is not to sack an elected prime minister yet again but to ensure that the government does its job better.'

Mr Abbott, who Mr Turnbull overthrew in 2015, said the government needs to step up its game to make sure the Labor party leader doesn't take the coveted position

Mr Turnbull has suffered a string of defeats and bad results from the WA election to NSW by-elections

While on Hadley's show, Mr Abbott also revealed he had a blunt 'man-to-man' talk with Mathias Cormann after the finance minister publicly attacked him for lashing out at the government in February.

'Mathias and I had a man-to-man talk you might say about that particular outburst of his. We had a very blunt conversation about it,' he said.

'If you don't like what someone is doing, rather than speak out publicly at least in the first instance you should have a man-to-man discussion.'

The stoush between the two Liberal heavyweights was sparked when Mr Abbott used a TV interview to accuse the coalition of becoming 'Labor-lite', saying politics should not be 'just a contest of toxic egos or someone's vanity project'.

Senator Cormann countered by saying: 'He is not helping our cause, he is not helping our country, he is not helping himself.

Despite many people also being unhappy with Mr Shorten, Mr Abbott said 'there was an expectation that Shorten could soon be in the Lodge,' he said referring to the PM's home (pictured) in Canberra

'In fact, the best way to keep Shorten (pictured) out is not to sack an elected prime minister yet again but to ensure that the government does its job better,' Mr Abbott said

In his letter, Mr Abbott outlined a five-step plan for improving the political climate:

'Reform the Senate so we have government, not gridlock.'

'Stop subsidising new wind power to take the pressure off power prices.'

'De-fund the nanny-state bureaucracies that persecute journalists but do nothing about Muslim extremists.'

'Protect existing beneficiaries and existing employees but make it easier for future generations to get work.'

'And don't apologise for Australia; celebrate it.'

Mr Abbott appeared to have no intention of staying silent, telling Hadley: 'As a former PM people would expect me to have something to say from time to time on important national and international issues. I certainly intend to continue.'
A suicide bomber who killed more than 120 people in Syria lured children toward him by handing out crisps before detonating his explosives.

The bomb, which killed at least 126 people including 68 children, tore through buses carrying evacuees from besieged government-held towns, the worst in war-torn Syria in more than a year.

The blast hit a convoy carrying residents from the northern towns of Fuaa and Kafraya as they waited at a transit point in rebel-held Rashidin, west of Aleppo.

A vehicle carrying food had arrived at the transit point and started distributing crisps and attracting children before exploding.

A suicide bomber who killed more than 120 people in rebel-held Rashidin, west of Aleppo, Syria, lured children to his car with crisps before exploding, witnesses say. Pictured above, children receive treatment following the blast

A Syrian child, wounded in a suicide car bombing that targeted their buses in Rashidin, receives treatment at a hospital in the government-held part of Aleppo

A vehicle carrying food had arrived at the transit point and started distributing crisps and attracting children before exploding. Pictured above, a wounded man receives treatment following the explosion

The blast hit a convoy carrying residents from the northern towns of Fuaa and Kafraya as they waited at a transit point in rebel-held Rashidin, west of Aleppo

It is unclear how the vehicle gained access to the restricted area without government permission.

A witness told Syrian news outlet ZamanEnglish News: 'A van was distributing crisps. Children started running after it. It then exploded.'

A girl who was wounded in the blast and lost four siblings in the explosion, said that a man in a car had approached the children and told them to eat the crisps.

She said that many of the children had been deprived of food for years.

The girl told a regional TV station that that once many children had gathered, the man set off the bomb.

At least 109 of the dead were evacuees, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, while the rest were aid workers and rebels guarding the convoy.

At least 109 of the dead were evacuees, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, while the rest were aid workers and rebels guarding the convoy

It is unclear how the suicide bomber gained access to the restricted area without government permission. Pictured above, damage seen inside one of the busses

The evacuations were taking place under a deal between Syria's regime and rebels that is also seeing residents and rebels transported out of Madaya and Zabadani, towns near Damascus which are surrounded by pro-government forces. Pictured above, damage after the blast

The evacuations were taking place under a deal between Syria's regime and rebels that is also seeing residents and rebels transported out of Madaya and Zabadani, towns near Damascus which are surrounded by pro-government forces.

The agreement is the latest in a string of evacuation deals, which the government of President Bashar al-Assad says are the best way to end the violence after more than six years of civil war.

Rebels say they amount to forced relocations after years of bombardment and crippling sieges.

Body parts and the belongings of evacuees - including clothes, dishes and even televisions - were still strewn at the scene of the attack on Sunday.

The shattered buses were nearby as was the shell of a pick-up truck - with little left but its engine block - that was apparently used to carry out the bombing.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing, though the key Ahrar al-Sham rebel group denied any involvement. The government blamed 'terrorists' - a catch-all term for its opponents.

The Observatory, a Britain-based organisation that relies on a network of sources inside Syria to monitor the conflict, said hundreds of people were also wounded in the blast.

The shattered buses were nearby as was the shell of a pick-up truck - with little left but its engine block - that was apparently used to carry out the bombing.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing, though the key Ahrar al-Sham rebel group denied any involvement

It said a petrol station at the transit point was caught up in the explosion, adding to the number of victims.

Syrian rescue workers of the Civil Defence said that they had taken away at least 100 bodies from the site of Saturday's blast, which hit buses carrying Shi'ite residents.

The Syrian Red Crescent said three of its workers were among the wounded.

Maysa al-Aswad, a 30-year-old evacuee from Kafraya, said she was sitting on one of the buses with her six-month-old son Hadi and 10-year-old daughter Narjis when the blast shook the parked convoy.

'Hadi was on my lap and Narjis on a chair next to me. When the explosion happened I hugged them both and we fell to the floor,' she told AFP by telephone from near Aleppo.

'I didn't know what was happening, all I could hear was people crying and shouting,' she said.

Syrians, evacuated from two besieged government-held towns of Fuaa and Kafraya, flee into a field near the site of a suicide car bombing

'All I can think about is how we survived all the death during the last few years and then could have died just after we finally escaped.'

More than 5,000 people left Fuaa and Kafraya and about 2,200 left Madaya and Zabadani on Friday, the latest in a series of evacuations from the four towns under the agreement.

The evacuation process resumed after the bombing, the Observatory said, with the residents of Fuaa and Kafraya eventually arriving in Aleppo, Syria's second city which the government gained full control of last year.

Wounded survivors, including many children, were taken for treatment at an Aleppo hospital.

UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien condemned the bombing, saying in a statement: 'The perpetrators of such a monstrous and cowardly attack displayed a shameless disregard for human life.'

Pope Francis on Sunday also urged an end to the war in Syria as he presided over the traditional Easter mass in Rome.

Syria's war has left more than 320,000 people dead since erupting in 2011, with more than half the population forced from their homes and hundreds of thousands trapped under siege

The pontiff said he hoped that Jesus Christ's sacrifice might help bring 'comfort and relief to the civil population in Syria, prey to a war that continues to sow horror and death'.

The residents and rebels from Madaya and Zabadani arrived late Saturday in rebel-held territory in Idlib province, where they were greeted with embraces and shots fired into the air.

The evacuation deal was brokered by Qatar, a longtime supporter of Syrian opposition forces, and Iran, a key regime ally.

Shiite-dominated Iran has repeatedly raised concerns for the residents of Fuaa and Kafraya, who are mainly Shiites and were besieged by Sunni rebels.

Syria's war has left more than 320,000 people dead since erupting in 2011, with more than half the population forced from their homes and hundreds of thousands trapped under siege.
Another person has been infected with measles during an outbreak in western Sydney, with NSW Health urging people to be alert for symptoms.

The man spent time in the Blue Mountains, Strathfield and Leichhardt while infectious before presenting to hospital on Good Friday, NSW Health said in a statement.

The victim, who contracted the disease in Quakers Hill, was isolated and is recovering well.

Another person has been infected with measles during an outbreak in western Sydney (stock image)

AREAS FREQUENTED WHILE INFECTIOUS Wyndham College at Quakers Hill  28-30 March The train between Flemington and Quakers Hill  28-30 March Fairfield District Medical Centre  26 and 31 March Fairfield Hospital Emergency Department  1 April Westmead Childrens Hospital Emergency Department  1-2 April The Auburn area, including Pharmacy 4 Less  28 March  4 April and Michels Patisserie  1 April NAS Medical Centre, Auburn  3 April Source: NSW Health Advertisement

'This brings us to 22 cases of measles in NSW residents with onset in 2017,' communicable diseases director Dr Vicky Sheppeard said in a statement on Monday.

The scare adds to a series of measles outbreaks since the end of 2016.

There was an earlier outbreak in April in western Sydney.

The latest cases visited suburbs in western Sydney such as Quakers Hill, Flemington, Fairfield, Weastmead and Auburn while infectious.

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.

In March, there were several scares after the seventh NSW resident in nine weeks returned to Australia with the disease.

In February, health authorities urged residents to watch for measles symptoms after a young adult with the disease frequented the Sydney CBD.

Four people were diagnosed with measles following an outbreak across Sydney in December.

A woman travelling from Bali to Sydney in January also contracted the disease in an unrelated case.



The man spent time in the Blue Mountains, Strathfield and Leichhardt (pictured) while infectious before presenting to hospital on Good Friday

This brings it up to 22 cases of measles in NSW residents in 2017 (stock image)
A man has handed himself in to police over the assault of a 18-year-old boy at a McDonald's near Gippsland on Sunday.

The 19-year-old was questioned over the incident this morning at about 11am, before being released by police.

He is expected to be charged when he is summoned to face court.

On Monday, police told 7 News the 19-year-old was 'very remorseful' for his actions.

A 19-year-old man handed himself in to police on Easter Monday after allegedly assaulting an 18-year-old in the bathroom of a McDonald's near Gippsland

A friend of the alleged victim found him unconscious in the toilets of the Leongatha restaurant just after 2am on Sunday morning.

Police said the assault was not a planned attack, and the boys were known to each other.

The victim had sustained injuries to his head and face and was airlifted to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in critical condition.

The Inverloch teen remains in hospital but has regained consciousness.

A spokesperson for the hospital tells Daily Mail Australia he is now in a 'stable' condition.
Police investigations into reports of murders, rapes and child sex attacks are being dropped at an early stage, new figures show.

Detectives deemed more than 1.5million reported crimes to require 'no further action' in the past four years - with the number dismissed per year nearly doubling since 2010.

One force, Thames Valley Police has dismissed nearly 300,000 reports as not requiring further investigation since 2014, well over half of allegations reported to them, statistics obtained by The Times reveal.

Police have dropped investigations into more than 1.5million reported crimes in the last four years, raising fears cuts are hampering forces' ability to investigate offences. File photo

The figures, released after the police watchdog warned of the 'near perilous' state of British policing, will raise fears that too many victims are being failed.

More than 100 reports of sexual assault against children were deemed to require no further action last year, the statistics show.

Overall, nearly 600,000 reported crimes were deemed to need no further action in 2016, up from just over 350,000 in 2010.

Burglaries constitute the largest number of crimes police believe cannot be solved, with 215,000 cases dropped since 2014.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron told The Times: 'Behind this colossal figure are 1.5 million victims who haven't received justice.'

Many of the cases will have been dropped due to victims not wanting to proceed, but others can be due to lack of witnesses or CCTV.

It comes after a watchdog report accused some police forces of failing the public. File photo

The National Police Chiefs Council insisted all cases could be reopened if new evidence came to light.

A spokesman said: 'All reports of crime to the police are taken seriously and carefully assessed or investigated.

'In the event of no further investigation, appropriate intelligence is captured and made available to local policing teams, and cases can be reopened if new information or evidence comes to light.'

The spokesman also pointed out that there are have been 'significant changes to the way outcomes have been recorded during the last four years'.

The figures were released a month after a damning report from HM Inspectorate of Constabulary accused the 43 police forces of England and Wales of failing the public.

The report found a shortage of detectives and investigators amounted to a 'national crisis', that too many domestic abuse cases were being written off and less than a fifth of the public had seen a beat bobby in the past month.
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Worshippers dressed in white, sacrificed goats and cows, smeared themselves with blood and then danced in a sacred pool in an effort to bring forth loa - spirits that help to run the universe and can grant blessings.

Followers of voodoo, the unofficial religion of the Caribbean island nation, gathered in the holy city of Souvenance over the weekend to take part in one of its largest annual celebrations.

Most voodoo festivals coincide with Christian celebrations because former slaves were banned from practicing the religion; holding their celebrations on the same day as their Catholic masters was a good way of disguising what they were doing.

While Roman Catholicism is still the official religion of Haiti, the vast majority of Haitians are also thought to practice some form of voodoo.

Thousands of voodoo followers gathered in the sacred city of Souvenance, in Haiti, over the Easter weekend to take part in one of the religion's largest annual gatherings to ask for blessing from spirits - or loa

Worshippers sacrifice animals in order to appease the loa, who are servants of their God Bondye, in the hope that they will be possessed by spirits who will them help them by granting blessings

As part of the festivities voodoo followers dance in the Ma bath, a sacred site that is supposed to help draw loa to them

Slaves brought to Haiti were banned from practicing voodoo, so timed their religious holidays to coincide with Christian festivals in an attempt to fool their Catholic owners

Thousands of people make the journey to Souvenance to take part in the days-long festival every year

Voodoo priests or priestesses, known as houngan and mambo respectively, sacrifice animals in order to 'feed' the loa and draw the spirits into the bodies of their followers

Practitioners of voodoo believe they can communicate with loa after being possessed, and use the opportunity to ask for advice. The loa may also communicate prophecies or warnings

Worshippers dress in white for the occasion to show they are practicing 'rada' or family voodoo, which is focused on healing or blessing, rather than 'petro' or black magic, which is typically the part of voodoo portrayed in films

While followers of voodoo believe spirits can be used to perform black magic and do harm to people, experts agree that most religious ceremonies are focused on obtaining healing or blessings

Both men and women participate in the Easter voodoo festival which is held in Souvenance, a town founded by freed West African slaves which followers believe will help them communicate with their ancestors

A woman is 'possessed' by a loa during the annual voodoo festival in Haiti. While the spirit is inside her body, people believe they can speak to it. If she is possessed by a male spirit, the woman will be referred to as 'he' until the spirit leaves

A houngan, or male voodoo priest, looks over a crowd of followers during once of the religion's largest annual festivals

Two women display their blood-soaked outfits during the religious ceremony. Animals including chickens, goats and cows are killed in the hope that their escaping life-force will feed spirits who may then enter their bodies

Roman Catholicism is still the official religion of Haiti, though there is a common saying about the country which goes: 'Haitians are 70 per cent Catholic, 30 per cent Protestant, and 100 per cent voodoo'

In voodoo, while there is an all-powerful God called Bondye, followers believe he cannot communicate directly with people, so they must appeal to his servants - the loa- instead (pictured, women take part in the ritual to summon loa)

Voodoo exists largely in the Caribbean and especially Haiti, though draws on West African practices combined with Western spirituality and some Christian teachings (pictured, female vodouists after a religious ceremony)

While the vast majority of voodoo rites focus on healing, 'petro' or dark voodoo does exist, and involves the cursing of people, the creation of zombies, and sometimes wild sexual orgies (pictured, women after taking part in a healing ritual)

Dancing and music often form a large part of the voodoo festival, with people often on their feet for hours at a time

Voodoo ceremonies usually take place around a poto mitan - a wooden pole in the centre of a dancing circle - which represents the centre of the universe

Followers of voodoo hope their sacrifice and dancing will lure good loa to them. Such spirits could include Legba, who is credited as being the origin of life, and Erzulie, the earth-mother who is the source of love and beauty

Voodoo exists alongside Catholicism in Haiti, with many Catholic prayers incorporated into their ceremonies, though Protestants view their religion as devil-worship
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North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un unveiled his deadly Special Forces unit for the first time this weekend in an apparent show of force against US President Donald Trump.

The menacing and 'highly trained' troops yelled patriotic slogans as they carried rifles fitted with grenade launchers through the streets of the Pyongyang during a military parade on Saturday.

The crack team, said to be the best equipped in the Korean People's Army, had night vision goggles affixed to their helmets and handguns strapped to their chest.

'Once Supreme Commander Kim Jong-un issues an order they will charge with resolve to thrust a sword through the enemy's heart like lightning over Mount Paektu [the country's highest peak],' a broadcaster announced on North Korean state TV.

Its presence at this weekend's Day Of The Sun celebrations comes amid rising tensions with the United States and President Trump, who has refused to rule out a pre-emptive strike if Kim reaches for the nuclear button.

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un unveiled his deadly Special Forces unit, pictured, for the first time at a military parade during the country's Day Of The Sun celebrations this weekend

The menacing and 'highly trained' squadron wore black and green camouflage paint and carried rifles fitted with grenade launchers through the streets of Pyongyang as their leader watched on

Th appearance of the Special Forces unit, who high fived frenzied North Koreans, comes amid rising tensions with the United States and President Trump

Thousands of North Koreans lined the streets of the capital Pyongyang as soldiers and tanks rolled through to mark the 105th birthday of Kim Jong-un's late grandfather

North Korea's Special Forces unit is on standby to defend the country from elite US soldiers who are practicing to 'remove' Kim Jong-un from power should war arise, an analyst with South Korea's Yonhap news agency claims.

A Pentagon report singled out the soldiers as 'among the most highly trained, well-equipped, best fed and highly motivated" forces in North Korea's army, CNN reported.

It said the highly secretive force, which is said to have carried out covert missions in South Korea, 'appear designed for rapid offensive operations' and defence against foreign attacks.

The report went on to say the Special Forces 'operate in specialized units, including reconnaissance, airborne and seaborne insertion, commandos and other specialties'.

It also predicted that North Korea was 'committed to developing a long-range, nuclear-armed missile that is capable of posing a direct threat to the United States'.

In Saturday's parade celebrating the 105th birthday of North Korean founder Kim Jong-ul, his grandson also unveiled a 'game-changing' ballistic missiles which Pyongyang claims can travel thousands of miles.

The intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) heightened fears the reclusive state is preparing for a possible attack on Washington. They were revealed as Kim Jong-Un warned of deploying them for an an 'annihilating strike' if the US attacks his country.

The two new kinds of ICBM were enclosed in canister launchers mounted on the backs of trucks as they were paraded in front of cheering crowds.

North Korea's Special Forces unit is on standby to defend the country from elite US soldiers who are practicing to 'remove' Kim Jong-un from power should war arise, a South Korean analyst claimed

A Pentagon report singled out the Special Forces soldiers as 'among the most highly trained, well-equipped, best fed and highly motivated" forces in North Korea's army

The Pentagon report claimed North Korea's Special Forces operates 'in specialized units, including reconnaissance, airborne and seaborne insertion'

In Saturday's parade celebrating the 105th birthday of North Korean founder Kim Jong-ul, his grandson also unveiled 'game-changing' intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), pictured

The intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) heightened fears the reclusive state is preparing for a possible attack on Washington Pictured: Another set of missiles paraded through the streets of Pyongyang

The ICBM missiles were revealed as Kim Jong-Un, above, warned of deploying them for an an 'annihilating strike' if the US attacks his country

Pyongyang has yet to formally announce it has an operational ICBM but experts believe they the new rockets could be liquid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missiles, or an early prototype.

Submarine-launched ballistic missiles were also on show for the first time, indicating an improving technological capability that could help it evade anti-missile systems.

Meanwhile a gleeful looking Kim, wearing a Western-style suit as he stood over Kim Il-sung Square, saluted formations of soldiers who yelled, 'Long live!', to their despotic ruler.

Kim has accused President Donald Trump of provoking his nation with a series of increasingly aggressive moves, including sending the USS Carl Vinson to the Korean peninsula.

One of Kim's top officials, Choe Ryong Hae, today vowed North Korea would 'beat down enemies with the power of nuclear justice'.

US Vice President Mike Pence today warned the 'era of patience' with Kim Jong-un is over and insisted America's commitment to South Korea is 'iron-clad'.

Pence, speaking in the perilous Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea, reiterated that 'all options are on the table' to deal with the threat posed by Pyongyang.

After travelling to the region with his family, Pence said Donald Trump is hopeful that China will now use its 'extraordinary levers' to pressure the North to abandon its nuclear and ballistic programme.

Kim has accused President Donald Trump of provoking his nation with a series of increasingly aggressive moves, including sending the USS Carl Vinson to the Korean peninsula

Meanwhile US Vice President Mike Pence has warned the 'era of patience' with Kim Jong-un is over and insisted America's commitment to South Korea is 'iron-clad'. Pictured: North Korean troops

Thousands of North Korean troops armed with rifles took part in the show of force, which saw North Korea flaunt sophisticated new military hardware

US officials feared Kim Jong-un would mark the national holiday by launching its sixth nuclear weapons test, since the country has used previous holidays to showcase its military prowess

This morning he warned Kim Jong-un not to 'test the resolve' of the US President and insisted any use of nuclear weapons by the secretive state would be met with 'an overwhelming and effective response'.

The visit came shortly after a failed North Korean missile launch that some claim may have been 'thwarted by cyber attacks from the US.'

Trump has ordered a naval strike group, led by the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, to the region, though the vessels remain a long way from the peninsula.

But this morning, Japanese media claimed both China and Russia had dispatched intelligence-gathering vessels from their navies to chase the 'armada' amid mounting concern over the US deployment. The claims were made by multiple sources of the Japanese government, according to The Yomiuri Shimbun.
A convicted sex offender who escaped from a minimum security prison in Victoria is back in custody after more than a day on the run after his mother urged him to give himself up.

Barry Dettman escaped Langi Kal Kal Prison outside Trawalla, in the state's central west, at 10am on Sunday before a reported sighting in Werribee just hours later.

Police confirmed the 51-year-old fugitive had been seen on Melbourne's western outskirts, seven hours after he was last spotted walking along a highway near the prison.

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Barry Dettman (pictured), a convicted sex offender who escaped from a minimum security prison in central western Victoria on Sunday, has been spotted outside Melbourne

He was arrested at 5pm on Monday and smiled at television cameras as he was taken into custody.

Dettman is serving time after being convicted of committing indecent acts in the presence of a child and wilful and obscene exposure.

The pervert is believed to have had less than a month left to serve on his sentence.

Detective Senior Sergeant Michael Phyland, of Victoria Police Crime Command said it is currently unclear how Dettman managed to walk out of the prison.

It is still unclear how Dettman managed to walk out of Langi Kal Kal Prison (pictured) outside Trawalla, in the state's central west
The retired Scotland Yard deputy commissioner who led the inquiry into the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko in London, said it's 'not an unreasonable assumption' to believe Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the ex-spy's assassination.

British officers were sent to Moscow in the hunt for suspects after Mr Litvinenko, 44, a former KGB agent and critic of the Russian government, was poisoned with tea containing radioactive polonium 210.

Now ex-Scotland Yard deputy commissioner Peter Clarke has revealed that Mr Litvinenko's death in November 2006 prompted a series of meetings with the top-level COBRA security committee.

Alexander Litvinenko, 44, a former KGB agent and critic of the Russian government, was poisoned with tea containing radioactive polonium 210 in 2006

Mr Litvinenko had fled Russia and was living in Britain when he was poisoned with one million times the lethal dose of polonium. Traces of radiation were later found across London.

His death was blamed on fellow Russian Andrey Lugovoy, who had met Mr Litvinenko the day he fell ill. Russia has, however, refused Lugovoy's extradition to the UK.

Speaking ahead of the Channel 4 documentary, The Hunt For The KGB Killers, Mr Clarke said the effects of the 'state-sponsored murder' are still being felt.

'There was a certain nervousness at the highest levels of Whitehall about what the impact on British/Russian relations could be, which of course lasts to this day,' Mr Clarke, who was the head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command at the time of Mr Litvinenko's death, told The Mirror.

He said there were 'frequent' COBRA meetings about the death, and that it affected several areas of the Government, including intelligence, health and transport.

'As time went on, lots of obstacles were put in the way of the detectives who went to Moscow. It was inevitable I suppose,' he told the Mirror.

He added that he believes that the Mr Litvinenko's killers were 'supported by the Russian government', who had 'little intention' to co-operate in the investigation.

Mr Clarke said that the Russian government was 'trying to send a message' warning people not to criticise it.

Ex-Scotland Yard deputy commissioner Peter Clarke revealed Litvinenko's death in November 2006 prompted a series of meetings with the top-level COBRA security committee

'It was basically state-sponsored murder,' he said. 'We were never going to be able to prove who said what to whom within the Russian administration, but I think, as the public inquiry said, it probably came from Putin. That is not an unreasonable assumption'.

Earlier this month, one of the detectives who investigated Mr Litvinenko claimed he and a colleague also fell victim to poisoning, albeit by sickness bacteria rather than deadly radioactivity.

Detective Inspector Brian Tarpey, who flew to Moscow to investigate, says: 'I remember one evening my officer [a colleague who travelled with him] was complaining of stomach cramp and not being very well.

'Next morning I accompanied him to the general prosecutor's office. We were offered tea. I had no hesitation in accepting.

'After we left, I started to feel a little bit uncomfortable. Not wanting to put too fine a point on it, I had the s***s.

'I have no doubt in my mind that someone poisoned us with something like gastroenteritis.'

The officers had been in Russia for two days when, on November 23, 2006, Mr Litvinenko died in London, 22 days after meeting two Russian men at a Mayfair hotel for tea.

The pot Litvinenko was served tea from at a London hotel. British officers were sent to Moscow in the hunt for suspects after the former KGB agent was poisoned

Before flying out, Tarpey's team had received assurances of co-operation as they sought to gather evidence and interview suspects, but it soon became clear the Russians' real objective was to frustrate British efforts to find the truth.

What followed was barely believable, as the officers reveal in a Channel 4 programme to be broadcast on Easter Monday.

They were met with barefaced lies from their opposite numbers, hotel rooms were secretly searched, they were followed by shadowy Russian agents and a crucial piece of evidence went missing  the recording of an interview with one of the chief suspects.

Tarpey says: 'It was evident we'd been outmanoeuvred by the Russians like a chess piece.

'There were eight things we wanted to achieve while we were there. The top two were to interview [suspects] Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitri Kovtun.'

They were told that one officer was allowed in see Kovtun who was in hospital, said to be receiving treatment for polonium poisoning. But Tarpey was suspicious that a heavily bandaged decoy was put in his place.

'The detective was told he was Kovtun but all he could see was the eyes,' says Tarpey. 'It could have been anyone.'

Former detective Clive Timmons, who interviewed Mr Litvinenko in hospital, says: 'The picture of him in his bed didn't capture the diabolical pain he went through.'
Stephen Frank Nichols (pictured) , 46, opened fire on Sergeant Jeff Scott after police responded to a domestic disturbance at a home in Auburn, Georgia, on Sunday

A Georgia cop shot and wounded a domestic violence suspect who opened fire at him.

Stephen Frank Nichols, 46, shot at Sergeant Jeff Scott after police responded to a domestic violence situation in Auburn on Sunday.

Nichols was hit several times and taken to hospital in a serious condition, CBS 46 reported.

The officer was not harmed.

Nichols drew a gun and fired at the officer, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Mike Ayers said.

Nichols is suspected of being involved in a domestic disturbance.

Officers responded to his responding to a home, prompting him to flee and run into nearby woods.

The police at the scene included Officer Billy Willis and Sergeant Scott.

Scott found Nichols when he started searching the area.

'Nichols attempted to provide false information, pretending to be a witness and not the individual Sergeant Scott was looking for,' said Ayers.

Nichols was taken to Gwinnett Medical Center where he remains in serious condition

'During the conversation Sergeant Scott had with Mr. Nichols, Nichols produced a firearm and discharged that firearm at the officer.'

Nichols reportedly fired every round in his .38 caliber firearm, according to CBS.

The bullets missed Scott, who returned fire and struck Nichols several times.

No officers were injured as result of the encounter.

Nichols was taken to Gwinnett Medical Center on Sunday, where he was initially pronounced in serious condition. He was still in the hospital Monday morning, according to the Auburn Police Department.

The GBI is investigating the shooting.

Nichols drew a gun and fired at the officer, according to Georgia Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Mike Ayers said
This police officer was attacked by an angry Canada goose while on his way back to the station and forced to run.

The detective, from Clarksville, Indiana, lashed out at the bird with his bag but tripped over before making a swift exit.

But that was only after several seconds of being beaten by the goose's wings.

This police officer was attacked by an angry Canada goose while on his way back to the station and forced to run

Thankfully, the policeman escaped the incident last Thursday with everything but his pride intact, reported WDRB.

Landscapers working in the local area were also attacked by territorial geese wanting to defend their nests.

The video was shared by Lt. Shane Bassett of the Clarksville Police Department on YouTube, where it has been viewed more than 10,000 times.

He wrote online: 'Detective Hall forgot his keys. He then attempts to enter the building and is challenged by our local geese. Bad decision.'

Policemen in Xinjiang Province, China, are turning to geese, rather than dogs, to guard their stations at night.

The People's Daily reported that the 'sharp, keen and brave' animals were an important tool in Xinjiang's war on crime.

The detective, from Clarksville, Indiana, lashed out at the bird with his bag but tripped over before making a swift exit
Tony Abbott says the Human Rights Commission should crack down on Islamist groups that promote domestic violence instead of harassing the media.

The former prime minister wants the Australian Humans Right Commission axed and has hit out at 'nanny state bureaucracies that persecute journalists but do nothing about Muslim extremists'.

Mr Abbott had Labor-appointed Australian Rights Commissioner Gillian Triggs in his sights as he attacked her government agency for failing to go after Hizb ut-Tahrir, following a video of two women in hijabs justifying domestic violence.

'Why isn't the Human Rights Commission all over Hizb ut-Tahrir for denying the human rights of women by appearing to condone wife beating?' he asked Sydney radio 2GB's Ray Hadley on Monday.

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Former PM Tony Abbott says the humans rights commission should pursue Muslim extremists

Tony Abbott has criticised Gillian Triggs for focusing on the media instead of Hizb ut-Tahrir

'If the Human Rights Commission is to justify the $50 million a year that taxpayers spend on it let's get them on to Hizb ut-Tahrir and some of these other extremist Islamist organisations.

'What about inviting Muslim women who have been monstered by their husbands or boyfriends to get on to the Human Rights Commission so that these people can be properly brought to book?'

Mr Abbott raised the idea of banning Hizb ut-Tahrir in October 2014 when he was Liberal prime minister.

Last week the women's branch of this Islamist group, which wants sharia law and a global Islamic caliphate, released a video of Sydney primary school teacher Reem Allouche saying men were permitted to hit their wives with sticks.

Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahir released a video justifying husbands hitting their wives

The pro-sharia law group demonstrated how it was ok for a man to hit his wife with a small stick

During the 30-minute discussion at a meeting in Sydney's west, Ms Allouche and fellow panellist Atika Latifi - who both wore headscarves - described how beating women is a 'symbolic act'.

At one point they even demonstrated how to use a small stick called a 'sivaak' to hit 'disobedient' women and described the idea of Muslim men hitting their wives as a 'beautiful blessing'.

Hizb ut-Tahir spokesman Uthman Badar was last month referred to the Australian Federal Police by Justice Minister Michael Keenan after Daily Mail Australia caught him on camera declaring that ex-Muslims deserved to be killed.

'The ruling for apostates as such in Islam is clear, that apostates attract capital punishment and we don't shy away from that,' Mr Badar said at Bankstown library in the presence of children.

Hizb ut-Tahrir spokesman Uthman Badar said ex-Muslims were deserving of death

Freelance journalist Alison Bevege asked Hizb ut-Tahrir about their policy on killing apostates

The Islamist group is legal in Australia and the United Kingdom but is banned in Germany, China, Russia and a range of Muslim-majority nations including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan.

It operates in 40 countries and has a goal of establishing a global Islamic caliphate under sharia law, which secular Muslims reject.

Article 7f of their draft constitution says Muslims and non-Muslims should be governed under sharia law with the establishment of an Islamic caliphate.

Under Mrs Triggs' watch, the Australian Human Rights Commission went after the late cartoonist Bill Leak and Queensland University of Technology students for possibly breaching section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act but has been silent on the issue of extremist Islamist preachers.
Prince Harry says he is keen to start a family, revealing: 'Of course I would love to have kids.'

The 32-year-old - a doting uncle to his brother's children Prince George and Princess Charlotte - said he was in a 'good place' and finally in a position to take his private life 'seriously'.

Although he sidestepped questions about his love life, Harry has been dating US actress Meghan Markle for the past nine months and is said to be 'besotted'.

Prince Harry says he is keen to start a family, revealing: 'Of course I would love to have kids.' He is pictured with his girlfriend Meghan Markle at a wedding in Jamaica earlier this year

He recently flew to Toronto to be with her over Easter while, last week, the 35-year-old Suits actress - who is also a charity campaigner - was recently seen wearing a gold ring featuring what appeared to be the letter 'H'.

He has now admitted that having children is very much on his radar.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, he added: 'I've now been able to take my work seriously, been able to take my private life seriously as well.'

In November last year, after news of their relationship emerged, Harry issued an unprecedented plea for 'racist and sexist' online trolls to leave her alone amif fears the intense scrutiny would drive her away.

In a statement which confirmed their relationship, the Prince accused mainstream and social media of 'crossing a line'.

The Prince said it was not right that Ms Markle 'should be subjected to such a storm'.

Harry has been dating US actress Meghan Markle (left and right) for the past nine months and is said to be 'besotted'

The prince made the comments in an interview, in which he revealed seeking counselling as he struggled to come to terms with his mother Diana's death

The pair have since enjoyed string of romantic holidays since announcing their relationship last summer, including Tom Inskip's wedding bash in Jamaica.

Meghan has also stayed with Harry in his cottage at Kensington Palace.

Prince Harry previously dated Chelsy Davy and model Cressida Bonas, who was unhappy with the constant attention she received in public.
A large meteorite has been spotted flying through the sky in southern Queensland, baffling locals.

Residents reported an unusual bright flash in the sky and houses shaking from the Sunshine Coast down to the Gold Coast at about 6pm on Sunday.

Social media was abuzz after reports of a 'big bang' noise and house-shaking thud in Killarney.

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Deslee Oldman filmed a Snapchat video of the bright and unusual object falling from the sky

Residents reported an unusual bright flash in the sky and houses shaking from the Sunshine Coast down to the Gold Coast at about 6pm on Sunday

The falling bright object was spotted from Bundaberg out west and even in northern NSW, Seven News reported.

The large meteorite gave a starlight glow by travelling towards the Great Dividing Range incredibly fast.

Motorists also claimed they saw the object from the Bruce Highway near Caboolture, The Courier-Mail reported.

Killarney resident Krissy Bloomfield said: 'On Brosnan Rd kids saw what we thought shooting star just before the bang.'

Louise Reed from the Queen Mary Falls Caravan Park posted: 'We heard it up here too. It looked like a shooting star right before it and then bang.'

Madeline Wilkins posted: 'I'm in Toowoomba and saw a burning light in the sky maybe a meteorite, heading that direction just before I saw this post ... Maybe related?'

Social media was abuzz after reports of a 'big bang' noise and house-shaking thud in Killarney
Hackers have revealed documents showing the tools the NSA could be using to gain access to the global system for transferring money between banks.

On Friday, a group calling itself the Shadow Brokers released files indicating NSA had accessed the SWIFT money-transfer system through service providers in the Middle East and Latin America.

They were allegedly able to expose weaknesses in the worldwide system, sparking fears that financial security could be in jeopardy.

The release was the latest in a series of disclosures by the group in recent months.

Hackers have revealed documents showing the tools the US National Security Agency could be using to gain access to the global system for transferring money between banks

Matt Suiche, founder of cybersecurity firm Comae Technologies, wrote in a blog post that screen shots indicated some SWIFT affiliates were using Windows servers that were vulnerable at the time, in 2013, to the Microsoft exploits published by the Shadow Brokers.

He said he concluded that the NSA took advantage and got in that way.

'As soon as they bypass the firewalls, they target the machines using Microsoft exploits,' Suiche said.

Exploits are small programs for taking advantage of security flaws.

Hackers use them to insert back doors for continued access, eavesdropping or to insert other tools.

'We now have all of the tools the NSA used to compromise SWIFT (via) Cisco firewalls, Windows,' Suiche said.

The authenticity of the documents released by the hackers have not yet been verified, but Microsoft acknowledged the vulnerabilities and said they had been patched.

Cisco Systems Inc has previously acknowledged that its firewalls had been vulnerable.

Cisco and the NSA did not reply to requests for comment. Belgium-based SWIFT on Friday downplayed the risk of attacks employing the code released by hackers and said it had no evidence that the main SWIFT network had ever been accessed without authorization.

A hooded cyber hacker using a smartphone

It was possible that the local messaging systems of some SWIFT client banks had been breached, SWIFT said in a statement, which did not specifically mention the NSA.

Because tracking sources of terrorist financing and money flows among criminal groups is a high priority, SWIFT transfers would be a natural espionage target for many national intelligence agencies.

A PowerPoint presentation that was part of the most recent Shadow Brokers release indicates the NSA used a tool codenamed BARGLEE to breach the SWIFT service providers' security firewalls.

The NSA's official seal appeared on one of the slides in the presentation, although Reuters could not independently determine the authenticity of the slides.

The slide referred to ASA firewalls.

Cisco is the only company that makes ASA firewalls, according to a Cisco employee who spoke on condition of anonymity. ASA stands for Adaptive Security Appliance and is a combined firewall, antivirus, intrusion prevention and virtual private network, or VPN.

Documents included in the Shadow Brokers release suggest that the NSA, after penetrating the firewall of the SWIFT service providers, used Microsoft exploits to target the computers interacting with the SWIFT network, Comae Technologies' Suiche said.

The Al Quds Bank for Development and Investment, for example, was running a Windows 2008 server that at the time was vulnerable to newly disclosed Windows exploits, he said.

Microsoft late on Friday said it had determined that prior patches to dozens of software versions had fixed the flaws that apparently were exploited by nine of the NSA programs.

Four of the vulnerabilities were blocked by comprehensive updates on March 14.

That left only older, unsupported versions of Windows operating systems and Exchange email servers at risk to three of the newly released exploits, the company said.

Earlier Friday, Microsoft had said the company had not been warned by the government or other outsiders about the stolen programs.

Microsoft declined to say how it learned of the exploits without outside help.

On Friday, a group calling itself the Shadow Brokers released files indicating NSA had accessed the SWIFT money-transfer system through service providers in the Middle East and Latin America

The company's security systems are capable of detecting attacks against customers, and Microsoft in the past has monitored discussion about exploits on the Internet and also hired former intelligence agency veterans to help it devise programming to protect its software from encroachment.

The NSA targeted nine computer servers at a SWIFT contractor, Dubai-based service bureau EastNets, according to the documents.

The US intelligence agency then used lines of code to query the SWIFT servers and Oracle databases handling the SWIFT transactions, according to the documents.

EastNets on Friday denied it had been hacked.
Advertisement

The history of the humble beach hut has been celebrated in a new book which charts their rise from a horse-drawn shed on wheels to a luxury bolthole worth as much as a detached house.

Although they may seem like they have been around forever, beach huts in their present form were not invented until well into the 20th Century.

HOW THE VICTORIANS BELIEVED BATHING WAS THE BEST CURE Bathing in the sea was believed to be a cure for illnesses by the Victorians. The technique was first used in the 1700s and saw the establishment of the Royal Sea Bathing Hospital in Margate, Kent, founded in 1791. Doctors believed skin conditions in poor city-raised children could be cured by immersing them in sea water, with some success at first, although this was also likely a result of children being exposed to cleaner conditions and better nutrition. The hospital eventually shifted its focus to finding a cure for tuberculosis. Advertisement

Previously they were known as bathing machines which prudish beachgoers, including King George III, wheeled down to the shoreline to protect their modesty as they entered the sea.

The wheeled huts remained relatively unchanged in appearance from their introduction in the 1730s until as late as the 1930s.

Then as attitudes to the human body changed, the huts became permanent structures on promenades and undercliffs.

Today it is estimated that there are at least 20,000 beach huts located in seaside resorts across Britain.

They are now so sought-after that there are 10 year long waiting lists for council-run huts in some coastal areas of the country while private ones change hands for tens of thousands of pounds.

The Mudeford sandbank in Christchurch is home to the most expensive beach huts in Britain. Last month one sold for 275,000.

The fascinating history of beach huts and their predecessors is the subject of a new book, Beach Huts, by Karen Averby which includes hundreds of images both old and new of British seaside resorts.

Beach Huts by Karen Averby is published by Amberley books and costs 8.99.

A new book has detailed the history of beach huts in Britain from their humble beginnings in the 1730s to the luxurious and expensive buildings that are so sought after today. This drawing shows how they started out as small wooden structures which had wheels and were used to protect a person's modesty as they changed at the beach and bathed themselves, or family members, in the sea

This drawing from 1734 shows a hut being wheeled down to the edge of the sea at Scarborough in north Yorkshire, when they were known as 'bathing machines' and were a common sight alongside wooden ships. Even royalty used the bathing machines, with King George III, who reigned from 1760 to 1820, known to have used them to change on sunny days by the seaside. Since very few people could actually swim, fishermen and their wives were employed to assist with bathing to prevent holidaymakers being swept away

As shown in this drawing of Margate, the bathing machines were horse-drawn and led into the shallow sea by a driver, with the bather then changing and entering the water. Inventor Benjamin Beale, a Quaker who lived in Margate, is often credited with the creation of the bathing machine, but other historians claim he was only responsible for the canopy attached to the rear of the structure, pictured, used because men and women would swim naked in the 18th Century before advances in swimwear

As the centuries passed bathing machines started to resemble the structures we know today, with the tall shape and patterned roofs remaining a key design feature in modern times. This drawing shows bathing machines being wheeled down to the beach in Brighton in 1846

As days out at the beach became more popular with the general population due to the advances in beachfront entertainment, those with bathing machines found themselves competing for space with fishing boats. Advances in rail travel in the 19th Century meant thousands of people had access to the beach, leading to the creation of popular resorts

These classic timber-framed structures with pitched roofs used by fishermen on East Beach in Hastings may well be the next link in the chain of evolution from bathing machines to modern day beach huts. They are believed to have originally been used as space to store fishing gear, but many fishing huts across the country were later converted into holiday huts, such as in Whitstable

By the 20th Century bathing machines were rare and the immense popularity of the beach meant local authorities needed to build large huts and buildings to allow people to change. This picture of the beach in Scarborough in 1912 shows a set of connected huts that had recently been built and are described in the book as being 'instantly popular'

Another iconic image from British beach history is the cloth beach hut, which were cheaper and easier to erect on the beachfront. Pictured are a huge range of huts at Gorleston-on-Sea in Norfolk in the 1920s

Karen Averby, author of Beach Huts, said they 'provide a fascinating social history when you observe how they have been used over time' Pictured are a long line of wooden beach huts at Brodick, Isle of Arran, the seventh largest Scottish island, sometime in the early 20th Century

Although the traditional bathing machine design had all but vanished from Britain by the early 1900s, this drawing of a very crowded beach at Teignmouth in Devon in 1932 clearly shows some wheeled beach huts still existed. The image suggests they may have been older huts that were required to meet the huge levels of demand

At Small Hope Beach in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight in the 1930s, a mix of wooden and cloth beach huts were used, standing out against the huge cliffs in the background

Ms Averby, 45, added: 'I think beach huts mean a lot to so many people because of the memories they hold for them.' These early huts are pictured at Aldwick Beach, Bognor Regis, Sussex, and feature a variety of sizes and designs before they became more uniform

As the years went on during the 20th Century, designs changed to reflect the times, such as these huts next to the Art Deco solarium at Branksome Chine in Dorset. By now motorcars were becoming more and more available to families, allowing even greater numbers of people to go on beach days out

By the 1930s beach huts had become a must have at popular resorts such as Felixstowe in Suffolk, pictured, with row upon row of the structures built to meet ever-increasing demand

Although they began to be mass produced and appear to be the same from the outside, there were clearly reasons to pick out some above others, judging by this postcard of Preston Promenade at Paignton, Devon, from 1934. The person who sent the postcard has clearly marked one particular with an 'x', indicating this is one they have used before or are keen to use in the future

Modern day beach huts are increasingly valuable property with some of the most expensive in the country found at Mudeford near Christchurch, pictured, where one sold recently for 275,000

The huts at Mudeford, pictured, are far larger than the traditional structures and even have solar panels on the roofs, showing just how far beach huts have advanced over nearly 300 years

There is still scope for typical mass produced beach huts in the country, with these huts at Sandbanks in Dorset are far more hospitable structures than those of years gone by. Ms Averby added: 'It is about having your space on a beach and people have a special attachment to these resorts. Its not just about their monetary value although what they are worth is quite extraordinary.'

Beach huts are so sought-after that there are 10 year long waiting lists for council-run huts in some coastal areas of the country while private ones change hands for tens of thousands of pounds. Pictured are more huts at Mudeford
International journalists have revealed how they were 'trapped' in an airport for more than 12 hours after travelling to report on North Korea's Day of the Sun.

Dozens of reporters and photographers were invited to Pyongyang last week ahead of celebrations to mark 105 years since the nation's founder Kim Il-sung was born.

But a group of journalists said today they had been stranded at the capital city's international airport following the week-long visit. Departure boards reportedly went blank as they waited 12 hours for their flight.

The only explanation reportedly offered by Air Koryo - the state-owned national airline of North Korea - was 'bad weather' and 'rain clouds' in the area.

But reporters say conditions were clear over Pyongyang and that there was no further explanation and passengers were being ordered to stay in the airport.

International journalists have revealed they were 'trapped' in an airport for more than 12 hours after travelling to report on North Korea's Day of the Sun. Departure boards reportedly went blank as they waited for their flight

North Korean dictator Kim Jung-un (left) waved to crowds as the nation celebrated Day of The Sun on Saturday

According to NK News, media workers were due to fly out on one flight with North Korea's Air Koryo JS151 to Beijing at 8.30am local time on Monday. But in a later tweet, it said 'departure boards have now gone blank after nearly nine hours'.

NK News managing director Chad OCarroll, who was among those at the airport, wrote: 'This delay is not being explained at all, with no end in sight.'

Representatives of CBC, CBS, LA Times and Russia 24 were also among those still waiting to fly out.

The Russian Embassy in Pyongyang said in a Facebook statement that Russian citizens had been stranded and that officials had not received an explanation from North Korea.

But pictures eventually emerged this morning, showing journalists taking their seats on a plane.

On Thursday foreign journalists the bizarre procedures they were forced to follow after they were invited to Pyongyang for the grand opening of a block of flats.

Scores of reporters and photographers from around the world were flown to the country for the weekend's celebrations of the 105th birth anniversary of founder president Kim Il Sung.

Scores of reporters and photographers were invited to Pyongyang last week ahead of celebrations (pictured) to mark 105 years since the nation's founder Kim Il-sung was born

But days earlier they revealed how they were herded together for hours, banned from drinking water and not given access to phones - just so they could watch Kim Jong-Un open a new apartment block complex.

Minders had ordered media workers to down tools and pack up their laptops because 'you won't be coming back here tonight' before being told of a 'big and important' event on Thursday.

Only passports and cameras were allowed - no phones or water. One minder then said: 'I am being very direct now. Please urinate and excrete before the event as there will be no water closets.'

At 4.45am, they were woken up and piled into buses for the People's Palace of Culture for what turned into a two-hour security check, where wallets and food was taken away and tied up in black plastic bags.

A Reuters team boarded a bus after the security check, only for a minder to shout get off: 'This bus is for Americans only!

Foreign reporters were invited to Pyongyang to capture the celebrations ahead of the most important day in North Korea's calendar on Saturday

'That's the imperialist bus,' O Kum Sok, another minder reportedly said.

Once at Ryomyong, the new residential street, tens of thousands of North Koreans gathered in the area, some in military dress, most in traditional suits and dresses holding balloons, plastic flowers and North Korean flags.

A brass band played as the square filled up. Then around 10am. the crowd fell silent.

Fervent clapping and cheering then followed as Kim Jong Un and top government officials walked onto the stage to a fanfare from the brass band reserved to mark his public appearances.

It is 'a very significant, great event, more powerful than the explosion of hundreds of nuclear bombs on the top of the enemies' heads,' said North Korea's premier Pak Pong Ju, the main speaker at the opening ceremony.

The completion of Ryomyong Street is one of the examples of 'a brilliant victory based on self-reliance and self-development against manoeuvres by the U.S. and vassal forces', he said, using the state's typical descriptions of the United States and its allies.

A translation of the speech was provided when reporters returned to the hotel.
Hamilton County Department of Education Interim Superintendent Dr. Kirk Kelly announced that University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Dean Dr. Valerie Rutledge will be the keynote speaker at the 36th Annual Superintendents Honors Banquet. The event is sponsored by Hamilton County Schools Fund for Excellence and will begin at 7 p.m. at the Chattanooga Convention Center.

The annual tribute recognizes the top 10 per cent of each graduating class at Hamilton Countys 17 high schools. Participants are selected based on their grade point average at the end of the first semester of their senior year. This year, 321 students and their parents will be honored.

I am thrilled to be in the position to recognize these students for their outstanding academic achievements, Dr. Kelly said. They are our future leaders thanks to the education they received here in Hamilton County. These 321 students perfectly exemplify why one of our strategic focus areas at HCDE is Future Ready: Prepare All Students for College and Career.

The celebration will begin with the presentation of colors and Pledge of Allegiance, brought to us by the Brainerd High School JROTC. Students and their parents will then hear from the Fund for Excellence President Sharon Vandagriff, School Board Chairman Dr. Steve Highlander, Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger, and Assistant Superintendents Dr. Lee McDade, Dr. Justin Robertson. School Board Vice-Chair Karitsa Mosley Jones will offer the meditation.

Along with a certificate commemorating their academic accomplishments, each student will receive an invitation to return to Hamilton County Schools as a teacher, upon successful completion of college and all the requirements for holding a Tennessee teaching license.
The daughter of Kyrgyzstan President Almazbek Atambayev has hit back at the criticism she faced online after posting photos of herself breastfeeding her young son on Instagram.

Married mother-of-one Aliya Shagieva, 20, is the youngest daughter of President Atabayev, 60, who has been the leader of Kyrgyzstan, which is 75 per cent Muslim, since December 2011.

Mrs Shagieva, who married her husband Konstantin last September, did not comment on her pregnancy until almost going into labour in March, when she posted a snap of herself in her underwear to show off her baby bump.

She gave birth to her son, Tagir, in March, six months after she wed her husband.

Married mother-of-one Aliya Shagieva, 20, is the youngest daughter of President Atabayev, 60, who has been the leader of Kyrgyzstan, which is 75 per cent Muslim, since December 2011

Mrs Shagieva, who married her husband Konstantin last September, did not comment on her pregnancy until almost going into labour in March, when she posted a snap of herself in her underwear to show off her baby bump

Mrs Shagieva gave birth to her son, Tagir, in March, six months after she wed her husband, Konstantin(pictured above with Mrs Shagieva). Since giving birth, she has shared several photos of her newborn son

Since announcing her pregnancy and giving birth, Mrs Shagieva has posted several photos online showing off her baby bump and later breastfeeding.

The first photo she shared of her bump sparked a row among the more traditional members of society who said it was wrong for a woman to show off her body.

In response she said: 'Norms, ideas about not being modest are blurred, and can change depending on the culture, time and other factors.

'This is why it is pointless to argue about those. How could we know what will be socially acceptable in a few generations?'

She has continued to share photos since, most recently of herself breastfeeding Tagir.

She said on one post: 'In this post I would like to share my thoughts on one of two people' s mistakes who likes advising things online.

Her photos have sparked a row among the more traditional members of society who said it was wrong for a woman to show off her body. Mrs Shagieva is pictured above breastfeeding her son

Mrs Shagieva has slammed the criticism, saying they are making several mistakes, including the 'sexualising of female breasts' and 'discrimination of people, whose parents hold a high position'

Mrs Shagieva said that when people tell girls to be modest, it's doing little to help gender equality

'Mistake number one: sexualising of female breasts. Mistake number two: discrimination of people, whose parents hold a high position.

'Long time ago people have forgotten the real purpose of female breasts and made it into an object that satisfied men's eyes.

'Society makes breasts into a sexual object, and attractiveness and later judges women that use plastic surgeries because their breasts are too small/big or are of different shape.'

Mrs Shagieva said that when people tell girls to be modest, it's doing little to help gender equality.

'You will start feeling a little better if you get rid of such labes and gender stereotypes,' she wrote.

She called the criticism of breastfeeding in public 'flawed logic'.

She added that she has received a lot of gratitude and support for what she writes and posts online, saying she will continue to post more images.

She added that she has received a lot of gratitude and support for what she writes and posts online, saying she will continue to post more images

Several commenters have continued to criticise Mrs Shagieva, however, saying she should cover up more

Several commenters have continued to criticise Mrs Shagieva, however, saying she should cover up more.

One user, named 'a.raimbekoff', said: 'I feel sorry for your husband and father (and your brothers - but this is optional).

'It is a shame that these have no authority over you, that they let you slip to that. If they support you in this, that means that they are now the so-called pseudomen.'

Another, named 'these_are_all_handmade', added: 'Forget about her boobs, let her breastfeed. What I really dislike on this picture that she is only wearing her knickers.'

A report published by the Forum of Women's NGOs of Kyrgyzstan, which represents more than 80 organisations, said that the influence of religious ideology 'substantially contributes to discrimination against women' in the country.

The report, which mentions both Islamic and Christian religions, said the discrimination is predominate in rural areas.

The study, published in 2015, suggested that the influence increased gradually following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the country's independence in 1991.
A British couple were ordered to leave their easyJet flight just 24 hours after images of Dr David Dao being physically hauled of a plane sparked worldwide controversy.

The couple had paid 628 for the flights from Luton to Catania in Sicily but claim staff ordered them to get off and told them the next service was four days later.

Manoj, aged 38, and Viddha, 35, claim that the airline broke its own policy, failing to offer them compensation they were entitled to or a flight on another airline.

A British couple were ordered to leave their easyJet flight just 24 hours after images of Dr David Dao being physically hauled of a plane sparked worldwide controversy

It meant they lost out on the 1,270 in non-refundable fees for accommodation and transfers, which would have been useless four days later, The Independent reports.

The incident was just 24 hours after shocking footage of Dr David Dao being carried off a plane emerged, leaving the world shocked at how he had been treated.

United Airlines had asked him to leave the flight, from Chicago, because they had overbooked it, which is exactly what happened to the couple from London.

Manoj, an IT consultant, said: 'The only difference between us and the chap involved with United Airlines is that we weren't physically dragged off.'

The couple had been due to fly out of Luton airport (pictured) for a six-day holiday but were told the flight was overbooked and asked to get off

They were not offered another flight to Catania (pictured), in Sicily, until four days later

GROVELLING APOLOGY IN WAKE OF DR DAO CONTROVERSY An easyJet spokesman said: 'Unfortunately, due to an issue with the boarding process, the customers were cleared to board as the gate staff incorrectly believed two seats were available when there was only one. 'Whilst our approach to compensation for overbooked passengers is clearly outlined on our website, through which claims can be submitted in minutes, it is clear that our agents did not follow the guidelines or provide the correct advice. 'Whilst we did explain that we would refund flights and expenses against receipts, the agent failed to mention they were entitled to EU261 compensation. 'From the call transcripts we can confirm that neither the customer nor the agent talked about alternative travel on the calls which is another failure on our part. 'We want to reassure customers that we will be providing additional training to every contact centre agent now to make sure that future customers are not put through a similar experience. 'We are genuinely sorry for what has happened.' Advertisement

The couple had booked a six-day trip leaving on April 10 but airline staff ordered them off the plane and to collect their luggage because it was overbooked.

Airlines predict the number of no-shows on flights and overbook but sometimes overestimate that number, meaning some passengers have to get another.

They are legally allowed to do this but European regulations dictate what airlines must do to minimise the distress and inconvenience to travellers.

EasyJet appears not to have followed its own policy, neglecting to inform the couple - who did not want to share their surname - of their rights.

According to European guidelines, airlines must:

Try to find volunteers to take a different flight and offer them a financial incentive

Offer anyone getting an alternative flight 340 in compensation

Find a replacement flight as swiftly as possible, on another airline if necessary

Offer the passengers a document that informs them of their rights

But the couple from London claim they did not witness staff trying to find a volunteer either at the gate or on the plane.

They say that the only flight they were offered was leaving four days later.

Screaming: The man who had refused to give up his seat on the overbooked United flight from Chicago to Louisville on Sunday night was dragged off the plane by three cops

Beaten and bloodied: Dr Dao is pictured bleeding from the mouth after he was body slammed by cops and dragged off the overbooked United flight at Chicago O'Hare

The couple also said they were not told about the 340 compensation they were entitled to.

This was despite talking to five members of staff, one at the airport and four more at a call centre, based in South Africa.

Manoj said: 'The airline's lack of empathy and help through this incident was shocking.

He added: 'Our holiday was completely and utterly ruined by easyJet's greed.'

The airline offered a grovelling apology in the wake of the Dr Dao controversy, which has left United Airlines' reputation in tatters.

Dr David Dao, pictured with his wife, Teresa, and one of their grandchildren at home

Footage of the Vietnamese-American being hauled off the overbooked flight at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport last week caused international outrage.

Dr Dao was heard in videos of the shocking incident saying he needed to get home to Louisville so he could see patients before being dragged off and left bloody.

The shocking footage also highlighted the process of overbooking, which can save airlines money but leaves passengers facing an extremely distressing situation.

An easyJet spokesman said: 'We want to reassure customers that we will be providing additional training to every contact centre agent now to make sure that future customers are not put through a similar experience.

'We are genuinely sorry for what has happened.'
Amelia Brown has been left devastated by the loss of her pony, Monty (above)

A three-year-old girl has been left traumatised by the loss of her pony after American fighter jets were seen flying low near his field.

Amelia Brown is said to be devastated by the loss of her pet pony, Monty, 10, after two jets, which are believed to have come from RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, were spotted.

Her mother, Naomi, 24, of Redruth, Cornwall, claims Monty was left in a 'bad' state an hour later and subsequently died.

Mrs Brown said: 'The horses were galloping around fine at 12.30pm, at about 3.30pm the low flying planes were spotted in the area and at about 4.30pm our pony was found in a very bad state.

'After that it all happened so quickly, the emergency vet was called and it took five people to get the pony back in the yard, but it was too late, he had twisted his gut and died before the vet could arrive.

'He was obviously spooked by something and we think that it's too much of a coincidence, after seeing the planes and hearing other people's comments.'

She added: 'She has had pets that have died before, as she understands about life and death, but this has been very hard for her.

'We told her the next day and she's been repeatedly saying how she wants him back.

'We've made a memory board of Monty which is right next to her bed so that she can see him when she wakes up and goes to bed.'

'Hopefully by sharing this story it will raise more awareness and stop this from happening in the future.'

Initial reports suggested at least three horses in total had to be shot as a result.

Several residents have come forward saying they too were terrified by the sound of the jets, while others accused the planes of unnerving mourners at a wake - leading to some thinking they were going to crash.

Mrs Brown is now teaming up with Claire Sexton, who put out an appeal for information on Facebook after learning of the deaths of several of her friend's horses.

Ms Sexton wrote: 'Two grey fighter jets flew VERY low over Cornwall on Wednesday, April 12, in the afternoon - at least three horses had to be shot in consequence.

'There may be more - my friend has had to shoot three horses, two with field injuries sustained yesterday, when the two planes passed fast and very low.

'One today, after yesterday it panicked, threw its rider and has become too dangerous for a vet to go near it.

'He sees a pattern - one of the horse owners checked with RNAS Culdrose, but they deny having anything in the air at the time.'

Her mother, Naomi, claims the pony was left in a terrible state after two American fighter jets were spotted flying low near his field

Other people commented to say they too knew of horses that also had to be put down following the exercise.

Ms Sexton is now hoping that owners may be compensated.

She added: 'Each of these horse-owners must have felt that theirs was an individual, inexplicable tragedy.

'It would be constructive for them, and anyone else affected, to be able to get together, to get answers and, not that it makes up for it, compensation if there was illegal low flying.'

Among those who reported to be affected was Laura Pope, of Truro, Cornwall.

She said: 'They flew right over the yard so low the whole barn shook and horses all up set.

'It was terrifying and the noise was nothing short of deafening. This was frightening, dangerous and irresponsible.

'I rang to complain but got the distinct impression not a whole lot would be done and it was made clear we would not get an apology for the unnecessary distress caused.

'I was told to submit any vets bills or bills for damages caused by the incident, but was left very unclear on whether they would be paid or where/whom they should be submitted to!

'There are rules and regulations for flying over areas of livestock that are clearly being ignored resulting in tragedies

'These pilots were not training they were fooling about.

'It's bad enough that people have lost livestock but it could have easily been a much bigger tragedy.'

RAF Lakenheath have been approached for a comment.
A nine-year-old girl has been left unable to speak and can barely walk after being diagnosed with a dementia-like condition.

Tillie Mae Mawdsley was a toddler when she was diagnosed with the degenerative disorder Sanfilippo disease, which is often compared to a form of childhood dementia.

It is caused by a missing enzyme, creating a build up of sugar around the muscles, stiffening the joints.

Tillie Mae Mawdsley, nine (left with her mother Michala, and right in hospital) has been left unable to speak and can barely walk after being diagnosed with a dementia-like condition

It affects only a handful of children in the world including Tillie Mae who is now unable to talk and is slowly becoming less mobile every day.

Tillie Mae has no understanding of what is happening to her because of the condition which is likened to a form of childhood dementia.

But, although many sufferers do not live past their teenage years, Tillie Mae has defied the odds and is more verbal and mobile than would normally be expected at her age.

Her mother Michala Mawdsley, 36, from Hatfield, Hertforshire, said: 'It's memory loss, the disease attacks the brain.

'She is doing extremely well but the disease has got her. It's horrible, it really is like a childhood dementia.

'She's got everything to live for and a right to live but just because it's rare, there is no cure.'

Tillie Mae spent six years on a clinical trial which her parents say stalled the progression of the condition. But the drug has now been stopped without warning.

Ms Mawdsley said: 'We feel like the rug has been pulled from beneath us and she's been handed a life sentence. It's difficult to accept there's nothing we can do for her now.

Sanfilippo disease only affects a handful of children in the world including Tillie Mae who is now unable to talk and is slowly becoming less mobile every day. She is pictured with her father Paul, sister Lexie and mother

Tillie Mae (pictured with her sister) has no understanding of what is happening to her because of the condition which is likened to a form of childhood dementia

'Tillie's treatment gave her a quality of life. The trial was making her better and I believe that drug was working.

'I feel that she's doing better than some children we have met who haven't had the treatment.

'It was a huge risk for us to take but I felt like I was doing something. I'm grateful that we were part of it.'

Tillie Mae was one of six children in the UK offered the Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) by Shire, an American pharmaceutical company.

Shire stated that they didn't find any improvement in patients' condition but Tillie Mae's family are adamant that the drug stopped her symptoms from worsening.

Ms Mawdsley and her husband Paul, 40, believe their daughter's symptoms were stalled thanks to the revolutionary drug

The treatment involved her making a 400-mile round trip from her home in Hatfield, Hertforshire, to Manchester Children's hospital every four weeks.

She was then given the drug via a port inserted into her spine, which was directed into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to cross the blood brain barrier.

Without treatment, children with Sanfilippo syndrome regress back to being a toddler as they lose the all the skills learned in early life.

Sufferers are not expected to live past 13-years-old and lose the ability to move, swallow and eventually, breathe.

However, Ms Mawdsley and her husband Paul, 40, believe their daughter's symptoms were stalled thanks to the revolutionary drug.

She said: 'We were grateful that she had the opportunity but she stayed the same and that was enough for us.

'They wanted to see a change in children and argued the drug wasn't causing any cognitive improvement.

'They believed it was going to be the next big thing but then one day the trial just stopped and they never really gave us any real reasons why.

'When Tillie Mae's sister Lexie found out that the medicine had stopped she said 'Tillie Mae is going to die now', it was awful hearing it.

'Being part of something made us feel like we were going somewhere so it's been a massive blow but we have to be strong for Tillie Mae.'

The family feel more could have been done and are angry that the trial was stopped without warning.

Tillie Mae spent six years on a clinical trial which her parents say stalled the progression of the condition. But the drug has now been stopped without warning

Ms Mawdsley said: 'We just feel after six years Shire should have had enough evidence before then to say if it was not working.

'At no point were we thanked for taking part and with regards to removing the device and it seems many children that took part in the clinical trial had complications with the removal of the device.

'With Shire being such a large company it is difficult to argue our case.'

Ms and Mr Mawdsley, also parents to ten-year-old Lexie, are desperate to raise awareness of the condition - and funds to try and find a cure.

They are hoping to set up a charity to raise the profile of Sanfilippo syndrome help aid future research.

Ms Mawdsley said: 'We need to raise the funds and raise awareness. We want something here for children suffering in the UK.

'It would be a dream to find a cure for Sanfilippo. People need to know what it is just like they know what meningitis and Down's Syndrome is.

'For now we're continuing to make memories and just living day by day, taking each day as it comes before Tillie Mae runs out of time..

'Hopefully in time we can help to find a cure.'

A spokesman for Shire said: 'Shire is extremely disappointed to have announced that this Phase 2b study did not meet its primary endpoint of slowing the cognitive decline in patients.

'Analysis of secondary endpoints and exploratory endpoints, which were designed to further examine whether there was a therapeutic effect on slowing cognitive decline, an effect on behavioral achievements and slowing the loss of brain volume, were also not met.

'The results did not show any slowing of disease progression in these patients compared to control (untreated) patients.

'Given the lack of efficacy seen in the results of this study, Shire made the decision to close the MPS IIIA program, which includes discontinuing any ongoing extension studies.

'MPS IIIA is a devastating disease for which there are currently no approved treatment options.

'We are disappointed for and sympathetic to the Sanfilippo community and thank all the patients and their families for their willingness to participate in these trials.'

To support Tillie Mae, visit: www.gofundme.com/hgb5qs or her Facebook page www.facebook.com/TillieMaeSanfilippo
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Britain's streets were again filled with drunken revellers spilling out of bars and clubs on another day of bank holiday drinking.

Dozens dressed as Jesus for a pub crawl in London, with many wearing tunics and even carrying giant crosses on the religious holiday celebrating the day the messiah rose again.

But it was the usual glad rags on show in Manchester where revellers were spotted spilling out of clubs and into the streets after partying through the night into Easter Monday.

Pictures taken in the city centre in the early hours of this morning show a man seen urinating next to a bin as others show women walking barefoot and slumped on the street.

Appearing to pass out in a shop doorway, one woman flops on the floor, her back against a shop door, as a man appears to come to her aid while others gawp at the spectacle.

With a heavy police presence, paramedics on high-alert, litter strewn all over the street and bins overflowing with beer bottles, it is as busy a weekend for the public services as for the bars.

The second coming: Revellers hit the streets yet again for another night of drinking during the four-day weekend, with these Londoners dressing as Jesus

Rise again: It was the fourth night of heavy drinking in Britain over the Easter weekend, with many pubs and clubs packed out from Thursday, when most people finished work

Heavy drinking: Images show one man urinating next to a bin in an empty street in Manchester in the early hours of Easter Monday, the final day in the four-day weekend

Resting the legs: Women are seen walking barefoot and even kneeling on filthy floors of Manchester after a bumper night in the city centre

Winding down: Appearing to pass out in a shop doorway, one woman sits slumped as a man appears to come to her aid while others watch on the spectacle

Dressing up: These women, who appear to be on a hen do, made the most of their opportunity for a night out on Sunday, which is followed by today's bank holiday

Talking sense: These young women, bent down in a show doorway in Manchester's city centre, are having a chat at the end of the night

Fallen from grace: The revellers travel on the Underground, making quite a spectacle of themselves on the themed pub crawl

Carry the cross: One reveller has even made a full-size cross to carry wit him, infamous for being used to crucify Jesus

Ready to ascend: In the annual Chritathon, dozens of people on a pub crawl travel to their next location on the Underground

Police presence: Thousands of officers police the streets across the country as drinking causes chaos over the bank holiday. This sight in Manchester is a familiar one across the UK

Cigarettes and alcohol: A busker performs on the streets of Manchester, singing and playing the guitar outside a House of Fraser store

Spilling out: The streets become suddenly crowded in the early hours, as thousands of people suddenly leave bars and clubs, which can create a volatile situation for police

Eating alone: Another familiar sight in the early hours is this one, seen in Manchester, of a man clutching a take away on his own before making the trip home
Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai has accused the US of using his country as a weapons testing ground following Washington's Mother of All Bombs strike.

The US dropped its largest ever non-nuclear bomb on ISIS hideouts in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province last week killing nearly 100 militants.

But the country's former leader, Karzai, described the GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast attack as an 'immense atrocity against the Afghan people'.

The 59-year-old said today that he objected to the use of the weapon, saying that his country 'was used very disrespectfully by the U.S. to test its weapons of mass destruction.'

Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai (pictured today) has accused the US of using his country as a weapons testing ground following Washington's Mother of All Bombs strike

The US dropped its largest ever non-nuclear bomb on ISIS hideouts in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province last week killing nearly 100 militants. But the country's former leader, Karzai (pictured today), described the GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast attack as an 'immense atrocity against the Afghan people'

Just days ago, he accused his successor Ashraf Ghani of committing treason by allowing the US military to use the missile in the attack on ISIS.

Karzai condemned the attack and vowed to 'stand against America' in what may signal a broader political backlash that may endanger the US military mission in Afghanistan.

Karzai took to Twitter and wrote: 'I vehemently and in strongest words condemn the dropping of the latest weapon.'

He added: 'This is not the war on terror but the inhuman and most brutal misuse of our country as testing ground for new and dangerous weapons.

'It is upon us, Afghans, to stop the US.'

During a public event in Kabul, Karzai further undermined Ghani by asking: 'How could you permit Americans to bomb your country with a device equal to an atom bomb?'

'If the government has permitted them to do this, that was wrong and it has committed a national treason.'

While the bomb has been described as one of the largest non-nuclear devices ever used, its destructive power, equivalent to 11 tonnes of TNT, pales in comparison with the relatively small atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945, which had blasts equivalent to between 15,000 and 20,000 tonnes of TNT.

The 21,600-pound GBU-43 left a crater believed to be more than 300 feet wide after it exploded just six feet above the ground

US forces in Afghanistan on Thursday struck an ISIS tunnel complex. Pictured, an Afghan security police officer walking amidst the rubble

Ghani's office said the strike had been closely coordinated between Afghan and U.S. forces and replied to Karzai's charges with a statement saying: 'Every Afghan has the right to speak their mind. This is a country of free speech.'

It comes a day after US National Security Advisor General H.R. McMaster arrived in Kabul on his first visit to the country as President Donald Trump's envoy.

McMaster said on Twitter he was set to hold 'very important talks on mutual cooperation' with President Ashraf Ghani and other top officials.

A statement from Ghani's office later said McMaster discussed security issues and counter-terrorism efforts as well as reforms aimed at tackling corruption.

McMaster also told ABC's 'This Week' that it 'remains to be seen' whether more ground troops are needed in Syria but that he doesn't 'think so'.

He added that the U.S. will support its 'partner forces' in Syria.

The U.S. has been expected to provide additional arms to the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces for the Raqqa offensive. But it hasn't been clear about troops.

Last week, Trump appeared to rule out deeper American military intervention in Syria beyond retaliatory strikes if Syria's president continued to attack civilians with chemical weapons.

'As a result of joint Afghan and international forces efforts, no safe havens will be left for terrorists in Afghanistan,' McMaster was quoted as saying in a readout that gave few clues to the Trump administration's future course of action in the country.

General H.R. McMaster, the US National Security Advisor, arrived in Kabul, Afghanistan on Sunday to hold 'very important talks on mutual cooperation' with President Ashraf Ghani and other top officials. Pictured: McMaster (left) and Ghani (right) on April 16

Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah (right) receives McMaster (left) in Kabul on Sunday

His comments on Syria come as rebel forces appear close to launching an assault to capture the Islamic State group's de facto capital of Raqqa.

US-led NATO troops have been at war in Afghanistan since 2001, after the ousting of the Taliban regime for refusing to hand over Osama bin Laden following the 9/11 attacks in the United States.

The US has around 8,400 troops in the country with about another 5,000 from NATO allies, as efforts to negotiate a lasting peace settlement between Kabul and the Taliban have repeatedly fallen through.

On Thursday the US military in Afghanistan dropped its GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast, dubbed the 'Mother of All Bombs' in combat for the first time.

The target was ISIS hideouts in the Achin district of Nangarhar province.

Afghanistan's defense ministry on Sunday put the death toll at 95 militants and no civilians.

Meanwhile, his comments on Syria come as rebel forces appear close to launching an assault to capture the Islamic State group's de facto capital of Raqqa.

The U.S. has been expected to provide additional arms to the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces for the Raqqa offensive. But it hasn't been clear about troops.

Last week, Trump appeared to rule out deeper American military intervention in Syria beyond retaliatory strikes if Syria's president continued to attack civilians with chemical weapons.

McMaster discussed security issues and counter-terrorism efforts, among other pursuits, with Ghani (pictured during a March 2015 visit to the United States)

McMaster, pictured with Steven Bannon and Reince Preibus in April 2017, was recently quoted as saying: 'As a result of joint Afghan and international forces efforts, no safe havens will be left for terrorists in Afghanistan'

The Russian military says it has tested a more powerful device, dubbed the 'Father of all Bombs,' although there are no reports of it having been used in action.

The attack triggered global shockwaves, with some condemning the use of Afghanistan as what they called a testing ground for the weapon, and against a militant group that is not considered as big a threat as the resurgent Taliban.

It came a week after US President Donald Trump ordered missile strikes against Syria in retaliation for a suspected chemical attack, and as China warned of the potential for conflict amid rising US tensions with North Korea.
Meghan Markle has requested a break from filming Suits at the same time that Pippa Middleton gets married.

The 35-year-old actress is said to have asked for a week's holiday in May, leaving her free to join Prince Harry at the event.

Pippa and her husband-to-be James Matthews are said to have decreed a no ring, no bring policy when it comes to plus ones at the wedding.

Meghan Markle has requested a break from filming Suits at the same time that Pippa Middleton gets married. She is pictured with Harry at Tom Inskip's wedding in Jamaica

Pippa and her husband-to-be James Matthews (pictured) are said to have decreed a no ring, no bring policy when it comes to plus ones at the wedding

The policy - which means only those who are married can be a plus one - not only rules out Ms Markle, but also reality TV star Vogue Williams, 31, who is currently dating the groom's brother Spencer.

But, according to Hello!, the US actress wants to take a week off between May 15 and 22, allowing her time to travel to the UK for the wedding.

The US actress reportedly wants to take a week off between May 15 and 22, allowing her time to travel to the UK for the wedding

Last month, Ms Markle joined Harry at his best friend Tom Inskip's wedding to Lara Hughes-Young in Jamaica.

Kensington Palace did not comment on whether Ms Markle would be attending the wedding with Harry.

Pippa first came to public attention when she wore a bottom-hugging bridesmaid's dress at her sister's marriage to Prince William in 2011.

But she is said to have wanted a smaller, more intimate 'family' affair for her own wedding to her hedge fund manager partner.

Despite Ms Williams dating her future brother-in-law, Pippa is apparently adamant that the relationship is still too new for her to be a guest at the wedding.

Pippa and James will tie the knot on Saturday May 20 at the 12th-century St Marks Church in Berkshire, six miles from Bucklebury where Pippa grew up.

Prince George, three, will be a page boy and Princess Charlotte, who will have just turned two, is due to be a flower girl.

James asked Pippa to marry him last summer and proposed with a dazzling diamond ring worth an estimated 200,000.
A group of travellers are refusing to move from a seafront car park they took over during the Easter holidays.

Around 50 caravans and trailers began moving into the car park in the Kentish resort of Herne Bay last Thursday.

Residents hoped their stay would be short-lived as the group were thought to be heading to France for a wedding.

But the group only moved this morning, after three days of blocking most of the car park over the busy Bank Holiday weekend.

A car park on Herne Bay seafront has been taken over by travellers during the Easter weekend

A convoy of about 50 caravans arrived at the car park, usually used by tourists over the Easter weekend, and have yet to leave

The seafront, which is popular with families visiting the town's pier, amusements and beach, is usually busy over the Easter weekend with visitors from around the country.

Local Matt Sansbury wrote on Facebook: 'Was chaos, police called twice over the weekend in Herne Bay due to noise caused by the travellers in the early hours of the morning.'

Residents say the group left a large amount of litter, included used nappies, in the car park when they finally left today.

Canterbury City Council says it has been talking with the people camped in the car park since they arrived.

A city council spokesman said: 'A substantial number of caravans and vehicles began to arrive on Thursday.

'Our enforcement officers have been to the site and instructed them to move on and we are taking appropriate steps to ensure this happens as soon as possible.'

The seaside town's beach is usually busy with tourists over the long Easter weekend

Andrew Cook, local councillor for Herne Bay, said: 'Being the Easter weekend, we cannot use court proceedings until Tuesday but the travellers have assured us that they're just passing through to the docks.

'I'm sure we'll be looking into further precautions as to what we can do to stop this happening again, but it's very difficult.

'Everyone needs to be aware that this can happen from time to time.'
Three Sunshine Coast children were left empty-handed on Sunday morning after their mother left them a disappointed note from the 'Easter Bunny' instead of a haul of chocolate.

The letter, signed with love from the holiday character, was left at the end of a trail of flour.

Tracy Elizabeth shared a picture of the letter to a community page on Facebook and admitted she was 'feeling like the cruelest mum on the planet'.

A Sunshine Coast mother used the Easter Bunny to punish her children for their poor behaviour in the lead up to Easter

Children Holly, Jake and Zack were informed they had made the Easter Bunny's 'naughty list'.

'I am not bringing you any Easter Eggs or gifts, because I have been watching carefully and you have been very naughty,' the letter read.

'Fighting, arguing and not doing as you are told.'

The children were hit with a double blow on Sunday morning as the letter also said the bunny had been in contact with Santa Claus and warned him about their behaviour.

Tracy Elizabeth created a trail of flour to a letter from the bunny which told her three children they were on the 'naughty list'

The trio were promised 'yummy chocolate and a nice new toy' next year if they fixed their behaviour - but were warned Santa was watching if they didn't

The children were shown a small light at the end of the tunnel when the bunny promised 'yummy eggs and a nice new toy' if they did 'a better job of being good'.

Tracey received a mixed reaction from members of the Sunshine Coast Community Board, with some admonishing her for her 'cruel' actions and others praising her.

She provided an update to the highly engaged commenters on Easter Monday, and claimed all three of her children were 'well behaved all day minus a small hiccup at bath time'.

When the family sat down to talk about why the Easter Bunny didn't come, her eldest child, aged eight, said she wanted to write a letter in response to say she would be good for next year.

'[The children] weren't traumatised, and felt no different to any other year by the end,' Ms Elizabeth wrote.

'Who knows if it made a difference, but as we walk through life we can only hope we all raise kids that respect us and society, no matter what decisions we make about parenting along the way.'
A Florida shark wrangler reeled in his biggest catch this week - Vice president Mike Pence.

Elliot Sudal was on Sanibel Island, Florida, where he was wrestling with a huge fish, when his efforts drew the attention of Pence and his family on Thursday.

'Regardless of your political views, it's pretty wild when the Vice President of the United States and his family swing by to fish with you... and you're hooked into the fish of a lifetime,' Sudal wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of himself with Pence. The VP jetted out to South Korea, with his family, a few days later on Easter Sunday after a failed North Korean missile launch.

Catch of the day: A Florida shark wrangler reeled in his biggest catch this week - Vice president Mike Pence (pictured together on Sanibel Island on Thursday)

Sudal revealed that Pence had even helped him try to identify what the mystery beast on the end of his hook was.

The vice president had asked his Secret Service agents, who were on boats just off the coast where Pence and his family were 'hanging out' on the beach, to use their sonar to figure out what kind of fish it was.

'We don't know but it's huge', was the response.

It wasn't until Sudal eventually reeled in the shark - after an epic 11-hour battle - that he finally discovered what he'd caught; a male Smalltooth Sawfish which measured more than 13ft long.

What a monster! Elliot Sudal eventually reeled in the shark - after an epic 11-hour battle - and discovered what he'd caught; a male Smalltooth Sawfish

Big fella: The 13ft shark was tagged and then released back into the ocean after photos were taken

Reel struggle: Elliot Sudal was on Sanibel Island, Florida, where he was wrestling to reel in a huge fish, when his efforts drew the attention of Pence and his family on Thursday

The endangered shark was then tagged and released back into the ocean.

Sudal reckons his 11 hour, ten minute struggle to reel in the 500lb fish could be a record breaker. It certainly was a back breaker.

'The most physically taxing experience of my life, hands are covered in blisters and could barely walk today,' said Sudal, who was taking part in a fishing trip that was raising money for the Zonta Woman's Group of Sanibel, on Facebook.

'Sawfish are listed as critically endangered and are very rare to catch... amazing animal, amazing experience. Thank you so much to everyone who came out and helped!'

Just a few days later, Pence and his family flew to Seoul, South Korea following Kim Jong-un's failed missile launch (Pence is pictured with his wife Karen (left) visiting Seoul National Cemetery on Sunday)

Today, Vice President Mike Pence attended a press conference with South Korean acting president and prime minister Hwang Kyo-ahn

Just a few days later, Pence and his family flew to Seoul, South Korea following Kim Jong-un's failed missile launch that some claim may have been 'thwarted by cyber attacks from the US.'

After attending Easter church services with service members at the U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan on Sunday, Pence said at a fellowship dinner that North Korea's 'provocation' is another reminder of the risks that U.S. and South Korean service members face every day 'in the defense of the freedom of the people of South Korea and the defense of America in this part of the world.'

Pence, who will spend the next nine days touring Asia with his wife, Karen, and daughters Audrey and Charlotte, added that the willingness of military members 'to stand firm without fear inspires the nation and inspires the world.'
The Collegedale Seventh-day Adventist Church is celebrating its 100th birthday with a program of stories of how God has led in the past and embracing the future by breaking ground on a new three-story addition to the church. A meal for 3,000+ church members and guests will be served in a large tent between the church services and the groundbreaking ceremony.

This event on Saturday, April 22, is free and open to the public. The church and Southern Adventist University grew together, and university students are especially encouraged to attend, and all are encouraged to wear period attire of the first world war era.

Two 100-minute programs will be presented at 9am and 11am, re-creating the way the church began in 1917 with a procession of horse drawn carts coming from Graysville, taking five days and three ferry trips across the Tennessee River to make the 40 mile trip. The baptism in Wolftever Creek marking the official beginning of the church was re-enacted and will be part of the story told in video, music, and drama. The milestones - or miracles - of the past 100 years will be highlighted.

Following the first service, the Gym-masters of Southern Adventist University will begin serving a "haystack" (or taco salad) meal in a huge tent with seating for 800.

The ground breaking ceremony for a major 3-story addition will be held at 3:00 pm near the front entrance of the church at 4829 College Drive East in Collegedale. The ground floor of the addition will provide space for the Church's Day Care program called Kiddie Kampus. The middle floor with a balcony will have meeting rooms, a catering kitchen, and classrooms for adults. The top floor will provide addition classrooms for children's study classes.

Children are invited to bring shovels to help with the groundbreaking for their new classrooms, and adults are invited to bring lawn chairs for the program, which will include former pastors, elected officials, community leaders, veterans, and church administrators with detailed information on the new addition.

If you have questions about the event, please contact Joyce Dick by text or phone at 423-364-9270.


President Trump called Turkey's Islamic president Recep Tayyip Erdogan to congratulate him on a controversial and contested referendum victory, sources in his palace said.

The referendum was on proposals to give the Turkish presidency massively enhanced powers, and bitterly divided the country, with the opposition now planning a legal challenge.

But a defiant Erdogan denounced the West's 'crusader mentality' on Monday after European monitors criticized the referendum.

Erdogan, whose narrow victory laid bare the nation's divisions, told flag-waving supporters that foreign election observers should 'know their place' and Turkey did not 'see, hear or acknowledge' criticism that the vote did not live up to international standards.

Call: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, was said by sources in his own palace to have received a congratulatory call from President Trump, after being declared to have won narrowly in a referendum whose outcome is now being contested

Attack on the 'crusaders': Erdogan, who appeared with his wife Emine, at his presidential palace, accused European election monitors who raised concerns over the referendum of having a 'Western crusader mentality'

Division: Campaigners against Erdogan's referendum were back on the streets of Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, on Monday. He won by a wafer-thin margin, with cities including Istanbul and the capital Ankara voting against him

It was unclear whether that was before or after his call from Trump.

The White House spokesman Sean Spicer sidestepped questions on the call, saying that there would be no discussion of it before the full official report of international election monitors.

'There is an international commission that is reviewing this and issues a report in 10 to 12 days. We will wait and let them do their jobs,' he said.

Opponents accuse Erdogan of leading a drive towards one-man rule in Turkey, a NATO member that borders Iran, Iraq and Syria and whose stability is of vital importance to the United States and European Union.

The main opposition party rejected the result and called for the vote to be annulled.

Thousands of people marched through at least three neighborhoods of Istanbul, some chanting 'Thief, Erdogan', 'no to the presidency' and 'this is just the beginning' after calls on social media for protests in several cities.

Late on Monday, cabinet extended a state of emergency by three months, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told reporters - the third such extension since a failed coup attempt last July.

Election authorities said preliminary results showed 51.4 percent of voters had backed the biggest overhaul of Turkish politics since the founding of the modern republic.

But the narrowness of his victory could add to volatility in a country that has lately survived an attempted coup, attacks by Islamists, a Kurdish insurgency, civil unrest and war across its Syrian border.

The result laid bare the deep divide between the urban middle classes who see their future as part of a European mainstream and the devout rural poor who favor Erdogan's strong hand.

Erdogan reiterated his readiness to restore the death penalty at several appearances on Monday, which would effectively end Turkey's decades-long quest to join the EU.

He said it was not important if the EU suspended Turkish accession talks.

'The crusader mentality in the West and its servants at home have attacked us,' Erdogan told a crowd as he arrived at Ankara airport, referring to the foreign monitors' assessment.

'We neither see, hear, nor acknowledge the political reports you'll prepare,' he said later at the palace. 'We'll continue on our path. Talk to the hand. This country has carried out the most democratic elections, not seen anywhere in the West.'

The mission of observers from the 47-member Council of Europe, the continent's leading human rights body, said the referendum was an uneven contest. Support for 'Yes' dominated campaign coverage, and the arrests of journalists and closure of media outlets silenced other views, the monitors said.

Ottoman legacy: Erdogan marked his victory with a visit to Yavuz Sultan Selim, who ruled the Ottoman empire from 1512 until 1520. The powers gained through the referendum - if it survives legal challenge - make him the country's most significant figure since Ataturk

Palatial: The disclosure of a call from Trump to Erdogan was made by sources inside the presidential palace in Ankara

'In general, the referendum did not live up to Council of Europe standards. The legal framework was inadequate for the holding of a genuinely democratic process,' said Cezar Florin Preda, head of the delegation.

While the monitors had no information of actual fraud, a last-minute decision by electoral authorities to allow unstamped ballots to be counted undermined an important safeguard and contradicted electoral law, they said.

Turkey's foreign ministry dismissed the observers' criticism as lacking objectivity and impartiality.

The U.S. State Department said it had taken note of the European monitors' concerns and looked forward to a final report, urging the Turkish government to protect the rights and freedoms of all citizens, however they voted.

Erdogan, a populist with a background in once-banned Islamist parties, has ruled since 2003 with no real rival, while his country emerged as one of the fastest-growing industrial powers in both Europe and the Middle East.

He has also been at the center of global affairs, commanding NATO's second-biggest military on the border of Middle East war zones, taking in millions of Syrian refugees and controlling their further flow into Europe.

He vowed Turkey's recent incursion into northern Syria would not be its last such venture in the region, saying it would carry out as many military operations as necessary, wherever necessary, in its fight against terrorism.

The two largest opposition parties both challenged the referendum, saying it was deeply flawed.

The pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples' Democratic Party said it presented complaints about unstamped ballots affecting 3 million voters, more than twice the margin of Erdogan's victory.

Backing: Erdogan has significant support from the poorer and more devoutly Muslim parts of the country, and they rallied at his palace in Ankara after the result

Boost: As Erdogan celebrated victory in the face of legal moves to challenge the outcome, the country's currency, the Turkish lira, rallied

The main secularist opposition People's Republican Party said it was still unclear how many votes were affected.

'This is why the only decision that will end debate about the legitimacy (of the vote) and ease the people's legal concerns is the annulment of this election,' deputy party chairman Bulent Tezcan said.

The president survived a coup attempt last year and responded with a crackdown, jailing 47,000 people and sacking or suspending more than 120,000 from government jobs such as teachers, soldiers, police, judges or other professionals.

The changes could keep him in power until 2029 or beyond, making him easily the most important figure in Turkish history since state founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk built a modern nation from the ashes of the Ottoman empire after World War One.

The result triggered a 2 percent rally in the Turkish lira from its close last week.

Germany, home to several million Turks, said it was up to Erdogan himself to heal the rifts that the vote had exposed.

'The tight referendum result shows how deeply divided Turkish society is, and that means a big responsibility for the Turkish leadership and for President Erdogan personally,' said Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel in a joint statement.

Relations with Europe were strained during the referendum campaign when Germany and the Netherlands barred Turkish ministers from holding rallies. Erdogan provoked a stern German response by comparing those limits to the actions of the Nazis.

Under the changes, most of which will only come into effect after the next elections, due in 2019, the president will appoint the cabinet and an undefined number of vice-presidents, and will be able to select and remove senior civil servants without parliamentary approval.
So-called 'paedophile hunters' have released footage of the moment they confronted a man suspected of grooming at his squalid flat.

The 46-year-old suspect is said to have exchanged messages with someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl, in which he asked her to come to his flat for sex.

But the messages were in fact being sent to vigilantes from the group Not of Normal Criminal Element, who confronted him at his home in Lincoln before handing the information over to the police.

This is the moment a self-styled 'paedophile hunter' confronts a man suspected on attempting to groom a schoolgirl online

The video shows Shane Brannigan, a member of the vigilante group, knocking on the suspect's door before going in to stop him 'deleting things'.

The film shows the suspect's front room littered with packs of medication, women's lingerie and empty bottles and cans. The group claim he was 'off his face'.

The vigilante group claim the man repeatedly sent messages to someone he thought was 'Emily', a 14-year-old girl, and sent her his address so she could visit him.

They claimed he told her he would 'take her virginity', asked her to call him 'daddy' and suggested they could 'film ourselves'.

The video shows the squalid state of the man's home after the group enter to speak to him

The suspect denies wrongdoing, saying he used an adult site and his messages were 'fantasy'

The man insists he met the decoy on an adult website and he claims 'nothing was going to happen' and their chat was 'fantasy'.

The end of the footage shows police arriving at the address.

The vigilante group say officers took copies of the chat logs of the suspect's messages with the decoy.

A spokeswoman for Lincolnshire Police said: 'A 46-year-old man has been charged with an offence under the Criminal Attempts Act.'

He is due to appear at Lincoln Magistrates' Court tomorrow.
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First Lady Melania Trump made a special appearance from the Truman Balcony this morning to thank service members attending the White House Easter Egg Roll and the volunteers who made the massive event happen.

The president and the first lady each addressed the crowd before they walked down to the South Lawn with their 11-year-old son to mingle with attendees.

'As we renew this tradition, thank you for joining us on behalf of the president and Barron. We wish you great fun, and a beautiful day is coming ahead of us,' Melania said. 'Happy Easter.'

Soon, President Trump was blowing a whistle to start one of the many rolls that would take place today.

Melania, Barron, Trump's sons Donald Jr. and Eric, and his wife Lara, along with youngest daughter Tiffany Trump, are all in town from New York to attend the springtime event that takes places annually on the backside of the White House.

Eric and Lara Trump, appearing this morning on Fox & Friends had even brought along their dogs.

Administration officials greeted children at the event too, including White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, sans bunny suit, reading a book to children.

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First Lady Melania Trump made a special appearance from the Truman Balcony this morning to thank service members attending the White House Easter Egg Roll and the volunteers who made the massive event happen.

Barron returned to the White House Sunday night for his second visit since his father's inauguration

Trump salutes a member of the military (not seen in photo) who had just sung the U.S. national anthem as he stands with a performer in an Easter Bunny costume at the White House Easter Egg Roll on the Truman Balcony

The president and the first lady each addressed the crowd before they walked down to the South Lawn with their 11-year-old son to mingle with attendees

BUNNY EARS: President Trump (right) introduces his guests to the White House Easter Egg Roll, while the Easter Bunny hovers behind him, as Melania Trump (left) looks on

Melania dressed for the springtime tradition in a long pink dress

Daughter Tiffany Trump is seen peeking through her father President Trump and stepmother Melania Trump as kids beginning rolling their eggs through the White House lawn

President Donald Trump blows a whistle to start the White House Easter Egg Roll alongside first lady Melania Trump and his son Barron (right)

Donald Jr. (left) watches as his father, President Trump (center) blows a whistle for an Easter Egg Roll to begin with Tiffany Trump and Melania Trump (center right) watching. Eric and his wife Lara Trump (far right) were also on hand

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer was spotted at the White House Easter Egg Roll reading a book to children this morning

The First Lady also took her turn reading to the children

Mrs Trump read a book by Kathie Lee Gifford called Party Animals

Melania Trump took time to read to children at today's White House Easter Egg Roll, which marks her first as first lady in the White House

In a rare move for the glamorous Melania - she wore flats to Monday's event

When rain started falling after she read to children she did have a hand with an umbrella holder

Security appeared to be tight - as always - after another person tried to jump the White House fence on Sunday

President Trump (left) was joined by Tiffany Trump (center left), Melania Trump (center right), Eric Trump (back right) and Barron Trump (right) at today's White House Easter Egg Roll

President Trump joins a group of children coloring cards for servicemembers at today's White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn

President Donald Trump shows off a note he wrote to a servicemember at today's White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House

Attorney General Jeff Sessions also took a turn reading, though was interrupted by the president and the first lady's remarks at today's White House Easter Egg Roll

He and wife Rebecca watched their two children roll eggs after the president and first lady's brief remarks.

'We will be stronger and bigger and better as a nation than ever before. We are right on track. You see what's happening. We are right on track,' President Trump proclaimed from the Truman Balcony. 'So thank you everybody for being here.'

Trump said he did not know if his family would have a successful roll - 'but I know a lot of people down there are going to be successful.'

'I see those kids and they are highly, highly competitive. That I can tell you,' he said, starring down at the thousands of children gathered on the lawn.

Melania Trump is facing her biggest test as first lady today at the White House, as she hosts the 139th annual White House Easter Egg Roll.

The tradition started in 1878.

'It began a long time ago,' the president noted.

The White House was slow to announce details about event, which in the past has attracted a number of children's characters, like Elmo and Arthur, and celebrities like Beyonce.

UPGRADE: White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer was tapped to read to children today about bunnies instead of dresssing up like one again. He's seen getting into character on the left at an Easter Egg Roll in George W. Bush's administration

This weekend, comedian Melissa McCarthy played off of Sean Spicer's Easter Bunny past during a skit on Saturday Night Live, in which the 'Press Secretary' apologized for the recent controversial Holocaust remarks

The press secretary, this time not dressed up like a white furry bunny  like Saturday Night Live's Melissa McCarthy did as she impersonated him over the weekend  was spotted reading 'How To Catch The Easter Bunny' to kids on the South Lawn

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer provided some early a.m. entertainment by reading to children at the White House Easter Egg Roll alongside a friend

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, who played the Easter Bunny at the Egg Roll in 2008, today chose to stay in a suit and tie and read the book 'How to Catch the Easter Bunny'

PROUD PAPA: Sean and Rebecca Spicer (center, purple dress) watch their children cross the finish line of the Easter Egg Roll

DOTING DAD: White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, who chose a suit and not a bunny costume for this year's roll, snaps a sweet shot of his twins with wife, Rebecca Spicer (in floral) watching

This year's event is a pared down affair, with 21,000 people expected to gather on the South Lawn. President Obama's final Easter Egg Roll attracted 35,000.

'I just want to thank first lady Melania Trump,' the president said. 'She worked really hard on this. She has been working on this for a long time to make it perfect.'

'I wanted to keep it just right,' Trump noted.

Children who came to the event got to meet White House stars instead, like Spicer, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Kellyanne Conway and Omarosa Manigault.

YouTube celebrities Diamond and Silk, often seen alongside Trump on the campaign trail, were also on hand.

Costumed characters including several renditions of the Easter Bunny, in both genders, Raphael the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and Peppa Pig entertained children in the lawn.

Elmo, sporting a PBS button, was also in attendance. Sesame Street committed to sharing one character with the White House, despite Trump's threat to kill the public television budget.

'My whole family is here,' the president pointed out, though notably absent were daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, who were continuing to celebrate Passover.

Spicer, who dressed up like the Easter Bunny when he was a staffer for President George W. Bush in 2008, escaped the embarrassing task this year.

In the opening hours of the all-day Egg Roll, Spicer was one of the first Trump administration officials to be seen reading to children.

The press secretary, this time not dressed up like a white furry bunny  like Saturday Night Live's Melissa McCarthy did as she impersonated him over the weekend  was spotted reading 'How To Catch The Easter Bunny' to kids on the South Lawn.

This year's event is a pared down affair, with 21,000 people expected to gather on the South Lawn. President Obama's final Easter Egg Roll attracted 35,000

Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway is embraced by her daughter as she enters the White House Easter Egg Roll Monday morning

White House Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway and her family arrive for the Easter Egg Roll. The White House said 21,000 people are expected to attend the annual tradition of rolling colored eggs down the White House lawn that was started by President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1878

Kellyanne Conway takes a picture with a fan at the Easter Egg Roll. In the past, celebrities like Beyonce have entertained guests. This year White House celebrities posed for pictures instead

Wearing a pastel pink dress, Kellyanne Conway waves to a volunteer handing out decorated Easter Eggs that children will roll across the White House South Lawn

Fox & Friends host Ainsley Earhardt (left) does an early a.m. interview with Eric Trump (center) and Lara Trump (right) as the White House readies for the annual Easter Egg Roll

Eric Trump talked to Fox & Friends this morning from the White House South Lawn as his father and stepmother put on their first White House Easter Egg Roll

Two of the Trump's pooches joined Eric and Lara Trump at this morning's White House Easter Egg Roll. Even mugging for the Fox & Friends cameras

Eric Trump and his wife Lara brought their two pooches, Charlie and Ben, to the White House Easter Egg Roll, where most of the Trump children appeared

Melania Trump read a story and then walked back toward the White House, eschewing an umbrella holder when she got closer to where reporters were standing

Attorney General Jeff Sessions was tapped to read the tome, 'It's Not Easy Being a Bunny.' The jovial former Alabama senator had his storytime interrupted by the president's appearance, but went right back to it once Trump and the first lady were done.

Melania Trump took a turn reading to kids too, being walked to the reading area by a man holding an umbrella over her head.

She chose to read Kathie Lee Gifford's book, 'Party Animals.'

Leaving the reading nook, the first lady eschewed the umbrella when walking by the press.

Spicer previewed the Roll last week with a cheeky pun after a reporter inquired about the event - and the possibility Spicer would put on his Easter bunny costume.

'I think we're going to have an egg-cellent time,' Spicer said in the briefing room. 'Come on! You can't ask the question and not get the answer,' he said when reporters in the crowd laughed.

Yesterday, on Easter Sunday, the first lady tweeted that she was 'Looking forward to hosting the annual Easter Egg Roll at the White House on Monday!'

Barron gives a slight smile and waves to the crowd outside the White House as a proud Melania beams at him

Donald Trump Jr, wife Vanessa and their eldest daughter Kai, nine, were all at the day's events at the White House

Tiffany Trump excitedly cheered on her niece Kai when they participated in a playful Easter Egg Roll race

Two young girls in matching striped dresses and royal blue bows were seemingly pleased to pose with Sean Spicer as their parents encouraged them to give big smiles

The first lady embraced a young girl as they colored cards together for members of the United States military

Donald Trump Jr smiled as he watched his eldest daughter Kai join in with other children in an Easter Egg Roll race

White House Counselor to the President, Kellyanne Conway, grins as she watches a little girl carry an Easter egg during a race

Vanessa Trump stands next to her husband Donald Trump Jr and holds their youngest daughter Chloe, two

Barron seemed to have lost his cheerful grin from earlier when he was waving to the crowd as he stood beside his parents

Melania and her son Barron engage in an apparent shocking conversation as they colored cards for military members
An alleged Russian 'Jack the Ripper' has been accused of killing and mutilating 19 women in Siberia.

Former policeman Evgeny Chuplinsky, 52, was reportedly in a happy relationship with an acclaimed dentist as he targeted sex workers in the city of Novosibirsk, masking his butchery by making the murders appear to have a satanic motive, say prosecutors.

He allegedly used a knife to cut off the breasts of his victims, and severed their heads.

He told detectives that prostitutes were 'bad for society' before retracting a confession to the killings.

Former policeman Evgeny Chuplinsky, 52, was reportedly in a happy relationship with an acclaimed dentist as he targeted sex workers in the Novosibirsk, Russia, between 1998 and 2000

He is accused of 19 murders between 1998 and 2000, the year he married his wife, according to details of the case that have been released ahead of his trial. Pictured above, portraits of his alleged victims

Described as a 'good family man', he claimed: 'I am not Winnie the Pooh - but also very far from being a monster.'

He is accused of 19 murders between 1998 and 2000, the year he married his wife, according to details of the case that have been released ahead of his trial.

Chuplinsky is still married to wife (pictured), who he has two teenage daughters with

Chuplinsky is still married to the prominent dentist, who has not been named, and the couple have two teenage daughters.

The former cop, who later worked as a taxi driver and construction worker, was known to neighbours as 'caring and kind', and there was 'disbelief' when he was charged.

The mutilated bodies of some victims - many left unrecognisable - had 'satanic signs' carved on them with a knife, and symbols were also found on wooden boards at one crime scene, reported The Siberian Times.

Some remains were not found until 2006.

Chuplinsky told investigators at one point that he deliberately sought to mislead police by using the devilish depictions.

The women disappeared from an area known as 'drunken road', a red light district, and it is believed that his crimes started before he left the police force.

His victims, some of whome were mutilated with satanic carvings, were often found in rubbish dumps

Police checked more than 5,000 suspects, and held 8,000 'interrogations' before detaining Chuplinsky, a suspect who had been previously arrested on suspicion of the killings. Pictured above, evidence gathered against Chuplinsky

He is accused of driving his victims to deserted locations, then killing and dismembering them.

His wife was quoted on her husband's arrest, saying only: 'You must understand that a maniac cannot change his nature. It is completely normal, that a person like this cannot suddenly become normal.'

Police checked more than 5,000 suspects, and held 8,000 'interrogations' before detaining Chuplinsky, a suspect who had been previously arrested on suspicion of the killings.

Investigators said that sophisticated DNA matching - not available at the time the bodies were found - linked him to the crimes.

Chuplinsky allegedly targeted sex workers in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk. The mutilated bodies of some victims - many left unrecognisable - had 'satanic signs' carved on them with a knife, and symbols were also found on wooden boards at one crime scene

After retracting his earlier confessions, Chuplinsky said that his genetic trace was on the dead women because he had regularly associated with prostitutes.

'Of course, there is nothing to be proud of, but before I retired in 2003 I had been actively communicating with prostitutes on the "drunken road" with whom I'd built good relationships,' he said. 'This happened quite often.'

Mikhail Popkov, from Angarsk in Irkutsk region, known as The Werewolf, was in 2015 convicted of killing 22 women, but has since confessed to murdering another 60

He claimed: 'I was in close touch with prostitutes who were working on my patrol route. It was about getting information about different crimes and offences.

'I used their knowledge. With their assistance I solved crimes and detained drunk drivers.

'Sometimes I let drivers go for a bribe, it's a sin of course. I was protecting them from physical harassment.'

If convicted, he will be the second ex-policeman serial killer in Siberia in recent years who claimed to be targeting prostitutes or young women whose morals he judged to be 'loose'.

Mikhail Popkov, from Angarsk in Irkutsk region, known as The Werewolf, was in 2015 convicted of killing 22 women, but has since confessed to murdering another 60, for which he is expected to stand trial this year.

He routinely raped his victims before murdering them with axes, knives and screwdrivers.

He wanted to 'cleanse the streets of prostitutes'. His total of 82 makes him one of the world's worst known serial killers.

Another Novosibirsk killer, Andrey Ivanov, 40, also a taxi driver, was convicted last year of killing four women. He also claimed to target prostitutes.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Monday that a failed North Korean ballistic missile test was an 'unsuccessful military attack,' adding a new wrinkle to an episode that has ramped up political tensions in the far East.

Spicer's characterization of Saturday's test launch, which saw the missile explode seconds after liftoff, is the first suggestion that Kim Jong-Un's rogue regime may have been trying to strike a strategic target.

'Watching another unsuccessful military attack ensures that we continue to keep safe not just South Korea  other areas of the region safe  but it is good for the world,' Spicer said during an interview on 'Fox & Friends.'

Spicer didn't admit during his Monday press briefing that he misspoke, but would only reframe Pyongyang's failure as 'an unsuccessful missile launch' following questions from DailyMail.com

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Monday that Saturday's failed North Korean missile launch was an 'unsuccessful military attack'

The stunning statement om 'Fox & Friends' suggests that the missile, which exploded seconds after liftoff, had a strategic target

Vice President Mike Pence said in South Korea that America's era of 'strategic patience' with Pyongyang has come to an end

Spicer's misstatements continue to be a sore spot for the Trump administration.

He said last week that the Nazi regime during World War II didn't deploy chemical weapons, later undertaking an apology tour on cable and broadcast news networks.

North Korea is thought to be closing in on the ability to fire a nuclear warhead at long-range targets, which would upset the balance of power in the Asia-Pacific region.

Former British conservative foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind told the BBC on Sunday that 'there is a very strong belief that the US - through cyber methods - has been successful on several occasions in interrupting these sorts of tests and making them fail.'

Spicer has a reputation for misspeaking with imprecise language, meaning that his pronouncement about a North Korean military 'attack' may have no basis in fact

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said on the same Fox News Channel broadcast that President Donald Trump 'will take action' if it's warranted

Later in the same Fox broadcast on Monday, White House chief counselor Kellyanne Conway suggested that U.S. action to disrupt the weekend's launch wouldn't be out of the question.

Referring to Vice President Mike Pence's comments in Seoul on Monday, she said he 'made very clear that the administration would like to go through peaceful means.

'But between the airstrikes in Syria and Afghanistan, this administration has made very clear that it will take action when it feels it is appropriate.'

Pence warned Pyongyang that 'the era of strategic patience is over,' and insisted America's commitment to South Korea is 'iron-clad.'

Conway said that if there are more missile launches in North Korea, 'President Trump will do what he always does, which is consult with his National Security Council, his generals, his cabinet' before deciding on a response.

And Spicer cautioned that 'we're prepared for multiple contingencies.'

'This president has been very clear that he's not going to telegraph his response to any particular threat before it needs to happen,' he said.

Meanwhile Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is warning the Trump administration against launching a unilateral pre-emptive strike on North Korea, claiming the U.S. is on a 'risky path.'

'We do not accept the reckless nuclear missile actions of Pyongyang that breach UN resolutions, but that does not mean that you can break international law,' Lavrov said. 'I hope that there will not be any unilateral actions like the one we saw recently in Syria.'

National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said Sunday night that tensions on the Korean peninsula are 'coming to a head,' adding that 'all our options are on the table' to try to 'avoid the worst.'

Trump's son Eric said on 'Fox & Friends' that his father 'will keep America safe.'

'You pray for peace, but he will show real leadership, and that's something that hasn't occurred in the past. And it will start occurring,' the younger Trump said.

'And you saw that quite frankly in Syria and you saw that in Afghanistan. And he will take action if he needs to take action.'

'You have to have massive backbone when it comes to dealing with awful, awful dictators who don't like us, don't like our way of life,' he added.
An Oscar Award-winning filmmaker has finally learned why she was stopped whenever she returned to the US for more than 10 years.

Laura Poitras' travel nightmare began more than a decade ago when she first getting detained at airports every time she tried to set foot back in the country.

The 53-year-old was delayed without explanation more than 50 times on foreign travel, and dozens more times on domestic trips, before the extra searches suddenly ceased in 2012.

Only now, five years after the last stop, is Poitras beginning to unravel the mystery, which she has traced back to a bloody Baghdad day in 2004.

Filmmaker Laura Poitras (pictured in 2014) has learned she was delayed more than 50 times at US airports because of allegations she was involved in the ambush of a soldier in Iraq in 2004

Time after time, airport authorities searched her baggage, rummaged through her electronics and quizzed her for hours about her trips.

In Germany, she was told her name lights up 'like a Christmas tree' when security officials scan flight rosters.

In Austria, she was told her threat score was '400 out of 400.'

At John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, her laptop, video camera, footage and cell phone were taken and held for 41 days.

In Newark, New Jersey, a security officer threatened to handcuff her for taking notes with a ballpoint pen that he said could be used as a weapon.

'I asked for crayons because I thought that would be less threatening to him as a weapon,' recounted Poitras, whose 2014 documentary film, Citizenfour, about the National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden, won an Academy Award.

Poitras' travel nightmare began more than a decade ago when she first getting detained at airports every time she tried to set foot back in the country. She is pictured at the 2015 Academy Awards with (L-R) Dirk Wilutzky, Glenn Greenwald, Lindsay Mills, and filmmaker Mathilde Bonnefoy accepting the award for Best Documentary Feature

'He denied me any kind of writing device.'

Poitras, 53, knows US government officials are not exactly fans of her politically sensitive work.

Citizenfour depicted Poitras and journalist Glenn Greenwald's rendezvous with Snowden in a Hong Kong hotel where he handed over classified material documenting NSA's widespread surveillance program.

Her new film, 'Risk,' is about WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Still, she never knew why the security delays started in 2006.

She unsuccessfully sought answers from the Homeland Security Department, before finally decided to take the government to court.

In 2015, she filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit in 2015 with help from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a civil liberties advocacy organization.

Late last year, as a result of the suit, the government released more than 1,000 pages of documents to Poitras.

Poitras (pictured in 2015) was stopped without explanation more than 50 times on foreign travel, and dozens more times on domestic trips, before the extra searches stopped in 2012

The filmmaker, who won an Oscar for her movie, Citizenfour (left), has since learned she was the subject of extra security because of an allegation stemming from her 2004 project, My County My County (right)

The documents show for the first time the US government investigated Poitras on suspicion she might have been involved in an ambush that led to an American soldier's death in Iraq in 2004.

On November 20, 2004, Poitras was in Baghdad filming 'My Country, My Country.'

The film depicts Iraqi elections from the perspective of an Iraqi doctor, who criticized the American occupation yet hoped democracy would take root in his homeland.

Members of a US Army National Guard unit from Oregon reported seeing a 'white female' holding a camera on a rooftop just before they were attacked.

David Roustum, 22, an Army National Guardsman from West Seneca, New York, was killed. Several troops were wounded.

Some guardsmen who saw Poitras suspected she had a heads-up about the attack and didn't share that information with American forces because she wanted to film it.

If true, Poitras would have broken American criminal law.

The Academy Award winner called the allegation false and said she did not film the attack.

Documents show the US government investigated Poitras on suspicion she might have been involved in an ambush that led to an American soldier's death in Iraq in 2004. Pictured are soldiers after an attack in Fallujah in March 2004, where one US Marine was killed

Some guardsmen who saw Poitras with her camera suspected she had a heads-up about the attack and didn't share that information with American forces because she wanted to film it. Pictured are US troops after a Humvee was attacked in a shootout in March 2004

'There is no ambush footage,' Poitras told the Associated Press.

'That's the narrative that they created, but it doesn't correspond with any facts.'

After the attack, a lieutenant colonel, whose name was redacted from documents, reported the woman with a camera to his superiors. No action was taken.

But after returning home, the lieutenant colonel was contacted by author John Bruning of Dallas, Oregon, who was interviewing guardsmen for a book about their experiences in Iraq.

According to the government's documents, the author learned about the woman filming on the rooftop before the ambush.

In an email exchange on January 15, 2006, Poitras confirmed to Bruning she was filming in the area the day of the attack, but did not think she could help the author with his research.

'I was staying in the house of an Iraqi family I was following so my record of the fighting is from the perspective of the family,' Poitras wrote to Bruning.

'I did not venture out onto the street that day - didn't seem like it would have been a good idea. So I really don't have a document of what took place on the streets.'

Poitras said during one incident at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, her laptop, video camera, footage and cell phone were taken and held for 41 days. Pictured is the TSA screening area at the airport

This image shows a man holding a rifle in Poitras' 2004 film, My County My Country. She believes her security hassles stemmed from the filming of this movie

Bruning told the lieutenant colonel Poitras was the woman on the rooftop. The lieutenant colonel then informed the US military that she could have been involved.

In February 2006, a military police agent from Fort Lewis, Washington, interviewed the lieutenant colonel and the author.

Bruning declined to speak to the AP about Poitras.

But in his sworn statement to military investigators, he said he believed Poitras had prior knowledge of the attack.

He said Poitras was staying in a pro-Saddam Hussein neighborhood 'and she was not in fear of her life or being kidnapped at a time when Western journalists were being abducted and executed.'

Nevertheless, the Army Criminal Investigation Command at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, wrote a two-page letter shortly after to the FBI, saying the Army lacked sufficient evidence to charge Poitras.

The letter read: 'A review by our legal staff of the information developed thus far revealed credible information does not presently exist to believe Ms. Poitras committed a criminal offense; however, this could quickly change if Ms. Poitras were to be interviewed and admitted she had knowledge of the ambush and refused to notify U.S. forces in order to further her documentary and media interest.'

Poitras said she was never interviewed.

In May 2006, Army officials sent a summary of their investigation of Poitras to FBI headquarters in Washington.

The airport detentions and delays began shortly thereafter.

Poitras' award-winning documentary, Citizenfour, looked into the case of Edward Snowden. The NSA whistleblower is pictured in a scene from the movie with journalist Glenn Greenwald

Edward Snowden, Glenn Greenwald, David Miranda and Laura Poitras pose for a photo in Hong Kong

David Lapan, a Homeland Security Department spokesman, said other agencies control who is flagged as a high-risk traveler.

When people are flagged, he said, authorities must 'put them through enhanced screening procedures.

This is the reason for Ms. Poitras' repeated referrals to secondary screening.' The FBI, which had investigated Poitras, declined to comment.

The detentions stopped abruptly six years later after a 2012 news article highlighted her travel problems.

Lapan said Poitras was deemed no longer of 'significant interest.' That allowed Customs in June 2012 to 'discontinue its enhanced screening procedures,' he said.

Poitras worries her ordeal will resume, and as a result of her fears, she is seeking more information from the government.

A federal judge in Washington ruled last month the FBI hadn't provided adequate justification for withholding some information.

'I don't know if the investigation is ongoing,' she said. 'I don't know if it was ended or why it was ended.'

Her new film, Risk, will premiere on Showtime over the summer. At one point during a trailer for the documentary, a man is heard allegedly during a leaked FBI conversation describing her as 'anti-US'.
Busted: Charles Huff, 34, of Ohio, has been arrested and charged with cooking meth inside his car while traveling with a 2-year-old

An Ohio man spent Easter weekend behind bars after police say they discovered a mobile math lab beneath a child's car seat occupied by a toddler inside his vehicle during a routine traffic stop.

Charles Huff, 34, of New Lexington, was booked into the Southeast Ohio Regional Jail on Friday night on charges of illegal drug manufacturing, illegal possession of chemicals to produce drugs and felony child endangering.

The 2-year-old child who was in the car seat concealing the makeshift meth lab was taken away by Perry County Childrens Services and transported to Fairfield Medical Center as a precaution because of exposure to hazardous chemicals before being released into the custody of relatives.

According to a press release from the Perry County Sheriffs Office, the incident began unfolding just before 9.45pm on Friday when sheriffs Sergeant David Briggs pulled over Huff on Mill Street in New Lexington over a minor equipment violation.

Huff was pulled over in his 2003 Chevy Malibu pictured above being examined by an officer) in New Lexington over a minor equipment violation

When a sergeant searched the car, he found three active one-pot meth labs, one of which was situated directly beneath a 2-year-old's car seat. The discovery prompted the evacuation of a nearby business

While the officer was investigating, his K-9 partner, Argo, reportedly signalled that there were illegal narcotics in the motorist's 2003 Chevrolet Malibu.

Good boy: The meth lab was discovered by Perry County sheriff's K-9 deputy Argo

When the sergeant searched the car, he discovered a trio of active one-pot meth labs, one of which was situated directly beneath the car seat.

A one-pot meth lab is a method of manufacturing methamphetamine in which all the hazardous chemicals used in the production of the illegal narcotic are mixed inside a single plastic bottle.

The discovery prompted the evacuation of the nearby Sideliners Bar and Grill as a precaution because of the volatile state of the improvised methamphetamine labs in the car.

Records show that Huff was arrested in December 2016 on a charge of theft.
Tiffany Trump brought along her boyfriend Ross Mechanic to celebrate Easter with her and the president's family, while her mother Marla Maples spent the day with friends in Rome.

Mechanic stood by Tiffany's side at the inauguration, despite being a registered Democrat since 2012, and now the two seem to have taken their relationship to the next level.

The couple, who have been seen together since 2015, posed for a photo on a manicured lawn and the 23-year-old daughter wished her followers a happy Easter on Sunday.

The University of Pennsylvania graduate spent the day with her father, President Donald Trump, her brothers, Donald Jr, Eric and Barron, and Melania in the Sunshine State.

Tiffany's mother and Trump's ex-wife actress Marla Maples, celebrated the religious holiday six hours earlier, as she was across the ocean with her friends in Rome, Italy.

Tiffany Trump, 23, brought her boyfriend Ross Mechanic to celebrate Easter with her and the president's family at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Sunday (pictured)

Trump's youngest daughter joined her brothers Donald Jr, Eric and Barron, and spent the day with the president and Melania. The first lady posted this picture of her and Donald Trump on Twitter on Sunday, along with the caption: 'Happy Easter'

Meanwhile, Tiffany's mother and Trump's second wife Marla Maples celebrated the religious holiday in Rome (pictured)

The Trump family gathered at the president's 'summer White House' in Palm Beach, Florida, although it is not known if Ivanka and Jared Kushner were able to attend the get together.

Donald Trump attended Easter service at the Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea near his sprawling estate. The annual ritual for Trump provided a break from a host of foreign policy crises, including escalating tensions with North Korea.

The president attended the service with Melania, Barron and Tiffany, and the first lady's parents.

Tiffany, who is planning on attending law school, wore a simple white A-line dress paired with a pair of blush pink heels with a bejeweled butterfly detail at the tip of the shoe.

Somewhere along the way, Donald Jr and Eric held an Easter egg hunt for their young children, as Trump's grandchildren were seen clutching Easter baskets after flying home on Air Force One.

Donald Trump, seen with Melania and Tiffany, waved to onlookers as he entered the Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Florida for Easter service on Sunday

Ross wore his aviator shades for the flight north to DC from Florida

Mechanic received presidential treatment when he flew on the president's Air Force One when he returned home with Tiffany from Florida (left). Donald Jr holds two of his children as he also deplaned the iconic aircraft (right)

Tiffany laughed as she spoke to her longtime love

Tiffany joined her family at Monday's Easter Egg roll at the White House

She cheered on children as they raced from her stepmother Melania's go whistle

Mechanic also received the presidential treatment as he was photographed beaming as he walked hand-in-hand with Tiffany after he stepped off Air Force One, later on Easter Sunday.

Meanwhile, Maples, 53, was across the Atlantic from her only child Tiffany over the weekend.

She has been in Italy for an appearance on the country's Dancing with the Stars for a one night event, which premiered last week.

Ever since her performance, she has been sightseeing in Italy and stopped by a stone church in Monastero, Italy, before she was seen wearing a floral skirt with a white blouse in Rome.

She posed in front of the Piazza del Popolo in Rome and said to her Instagram followers: 'Heaven on Earth in #rome #buonapasqua #HappyEaster May the Light shine Bright.'
Pied piper: Castle Gateyl, 23, is accused of luring two young boys with the promise of candy and taking them shoplifting at a Walmart

A 23-year-old woman has been arrested in Dallas with crystal methamphetamine tucked inside her bra after police say she lured two young boys with the promise of candy and took them shoplifting at a Walmart.

Castle Kameron Gately was taken into custody on April 10 on two counts of restraining a child, one count of drug possession and one count of property theft under $30,000.

According to investigators, Gately had two boys, ages five and six, with her when she was initially arrested on suspicion of shoplifting at the Walmart located at 6185 Retail Road in Dallas.

An investigation has revealed that Gately, who was said to be homeless, had approached the children as they were playing outside their apartment complex and offered to buy them treats and beverages if they went with her, reported Dallas News.

According to Gately's arrest affidavit, the two boys agreed to follow the stranger to the Walmart, located a mile away from their homes, because she promised to get them 'whatever they wanted.'

Crime scene: Gately was busted with the two children at this Walmart located at 6185 Retail Road in Dallas after a witness allegedly saw her luring the boys from their apartment complex

A witness later corroborated the childrens story to police, saying that he allegedly saw Gately luring the pair with a chocolate bar and followed the woman and two children to the Walmart.

When police were summoned to the store, they caught the 23-year-old suspect allegedly stealing merchandise with the two kids.

Walmart loss-prevention officers interviewed the 5-year-old and 6-year-old, who indicated that Gately was not a relative of theirs and they did not even know her.

When responding police officers searched Gately, they reportedly discovered a small plastic bag containing crystal meth stashed inside her bra.

The woman was then booked into the Dallas County Jail on $150,000 bond while the two boys were returned safely to their mothers, who had both called police to report them missing.
A mother has claimed her son died after touching a drug which is 100 times more potent than morphine.

Robert Fraser, 18, was found in his bedroom at his father's home in Deal, Kent, on November 19.

A toxicology report revealed he died from a fatal dose of fentanyl, a prescribed painkiller which is a type of synthetic heroin but much stronger.

His mother, Michelle, thinks the avid skateboarder might not even have taken the drug on the night he died.

Robert Fraser was found dead with several lines of fentanyl next to his body, a prescribed painkiller which is a form of synthetic heroin

Robert, a former Castle Community College pupil, died 16 days after his grandmother had passed away. He was expected to help carry her coffin.

Michelle believes he went to buy cannabis to help with his grief and was given free fentanyl.

One of his friends, 17, was with him, and said the white powder had been double wrapped in an airtight bag and then in a sealable bag.

The friend said the dealer did not tell Robert and the others what it was, and compared it to MDMA, a drug they had taken before.

The three friends tried the drug with two of them being violently sick, and one said they believed Robert was going to dispose of the rest.

When his father found Robert unconscious, he was lying beside prepared lines of the drug.

The police, who investigated ahead of an inquest on May 12, have stopped inquiries into who supplied the drug because of a lack of evidence.

Officers told his family their specialists were not able to access his HTC tablet phone.

Michelle, who described their response as 'diabolical', is now warning others of the dangers of the Class A drug.

The dealer who supplied Robert with the drug did not tell him what it was but compared it to MDMA, according to one of Robert's friends

She said: 'This stuff is fatal. Most of our teenagers and adolescents are taking drugs or dabbling but they don't know what is being given.

'It's being given to them by friends or relatives.

'They are potentially giving them a death sentence. Don't take anything. This horrible substance could be in the next gram of weed that you buy.

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'I want families to be aware. I don't want any other parent or sibling to be in the position we are. I don't want them to be trying to work out why their 18-year-old is no longer here.'

Ms Fraser described her son as a 'gentle giant' who loved skateboarding and his family.

After his death 1,160 was raised for a memorial bench which was installed towards the north end of the promenade in Deal.

Ms Fraser said: 'He had a fantastic relationship with his siblings. He was very family orientated. To Robert, everybody else came first.

'If he wasn't laughing, he'd be making somebody else laugh.

'After his death I had hundreds of messages from his friends.'

She continues to research the drug which, she says, has killed hundreds of people in Canada and America.

Police wrote to her and said they finished their investigation on March 23.

She said: 'I think it's diabolical in this day and age that they can't get into this phone.'

The drug is believed to have been bought from the Dark Web, an untraceable part of the internet, and the mother of three thinks the internet is making drugs too accessible.

Michelle said: 'I just can't believe he's gone. He's missing out on so much like his little brother growing up.

'When you have kids, you expect to see them grow up and you look forward to them having their own families.

'He should be getting an apprenticeship and a girlfriend. He's been robbed of a future.'

A statement from the police said they conducted thorough inquiries and a report had been compiled for the coroner.

They added: 'Police officers will pursue all reasonable lines of inquiry to gain evidence.

'This includes mobile phone data where there are legal grounds to do so.

'However, in some circumstances, officers are unable to gain access to all or some of the data.'
The Orange Toughys of the Leadership Chattanooga 2017 Class will be hosting Operation Clean Sweep on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Dalewood Middle School, 1300 Shallowford Road, Chattanooga, TN 37411.

This operation is preparing one of the classrooms at Dalewood to become a Makerspace for the students. A makerspace is a collaborative work space inside a school facility for making, learning, exploring and sharing that uses high tech to no tech tools. These spaces have a variety of maker equipment including 3D printers, laser cutters, cnc machines, soldering irons and even sewing machines. These spaces are also helping to prepare those who need the critical 21st century skills in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). They provide hands on learning, help with critical thinking skills and even boost self-confidence.



STEM is such an important component to a students education, said Nicole Flowers, the Toughys project manager. Children need an environment where it is fun to learn and can work with others to solve problems. They wont be prepared for the work force if they cant.

The Orange Toughys Team invites the community to lend a hand and work side-by-side with students and volunteers to clean and create a makerspace.

Those who want to volunteer should call Erin Creal, at 624-6144, extension 7, during business hours for more information.
A teenager faces painful jaw reconstruction surgery and six weeks on liquids after he was randomly attacked on his way to get pizza.

Tyla D'Arcy, 18, was with his girlfriend and two younger friends on Saturday when the group were confronted by a group of men in their mid-20s in a car park in Leederville, north-west of central Perth.

A fight allegedly broke out about 5pm between the groups and footage obtained by 7 News shows the teenager's friend being knocked to the ground.

Tyla D'Arcy (pictured), 18, was randomly beaten in a Perth car park on Saturday evening and now requires a painful jaw reconstruction

Mr D'Arcy told the broadcaster he did not see the blow to his face coming.

'I got knocked back and blacked out for a second,' he said.

He lost three teeth in the fight and will have two more extracted during surgery to fix his jaw. They will be replaced with a plate.

Mr D'Arcy's surgery means he will have to live on liquids only for six weeks and will spend a week in hospital.

His attackers are yet to be charged, but 7 News reported the teenager's family believe police know the people behind the brutal punch.

Daily Mail Australia have contacted WA Police for further comment.

The teenager lost three teeth in the altercation, and will lose two more when he undergoes surgery. He will be forced on to a liquid only diet for the next six weeks as his jaw heals
Hollywood star Sam Neill said making a movie with the late satirist John Clarke was his favourite experience on a film set.

The veteran actor, who has starred alongside the likes of Meryl Streep and Sean Connery, fondly remembered working with Clarke on the 1990 Australian black comedy, 'Death in Brunswick'.

Neill played a chef while Clarke had the part of a Melbourne gravedigger.

This was where the two New Zealand-raised actors developed a lifelong friendship.

Former prime minister Paul Keating said John Clarke had an 'enormous intellectual energy'

Actor Sam Neill described working with John Clarke as his happiest experience on a film

'Probably the happiest experience I've ever had on a film,' Neill told the ABC's tribute program 'John Clarke: Thanks For Your Time'.

'He played my mate in it, I played a no-hoper, he was a sort of solid guy.

'Our friendship bled into that partnership on the screen.

'I loved working with him on that. It was such a pleasurable experience.'

Clarke was also admired by the many politicians he had sent up in a weekly television segment since 1988.

Former prime minister Paul Keating had the greatest of respect for Clarke's parodies of him as he bitterly challenged Bob Hawke for the Labor leadership more than 25 years ago.

Paul Keating with John Clarke in 2005 at the premiere of Keating! the musical

John Clarke has been remembered as a great satirist with an acute sense of observation

'He played Bob Hawke and he played me. He had it pretty right,' he said.

Mr Keating, who led Australia from 1991 to 1996, said the satirist, who died last week aged 68, was very unique.

'John Clarke had enormous intellectual energy and an acute power of observation,' the former prime minister said.

'I don't think we'll see the likes of Clarke again to do what he did over such a long period of time.'

Bryan Dawe, who played the straight man interviewer, misses Clarke's sense of timing

John Clarke (right) and Bryan Dawe (left) were an inseparable television act since the 1980s

Clarke and his straight man interviewer Bryan Dawe entertained Australian television audiences with their parodies of politicians, first on the Nine Network's A Current Affair hosted by Jana Wendt, and later on the ABC.

Dawe likened his friend's death to losing his father 54 years ago, and said he had never worked with a performer who had Clarke's sense of rhythm.

'We just somehow naturally understood each other's rhythm,' he said.

'It was like jazz and it was free form, even though we had a script.

'The rhythm was there all the time and there's no other performer who I've ever worked with that had that, ever.'

The ABC tribute also featured interviews with Australian comedians who had worked alongside Clarke, including Max Gillies and Gina Riley.
The death of former Rebels bikie boss Ricky Ciano remains a mystery two months later as police continue to treat his death as suspicious.

Mr Ciano's decomposing body was found in the back of his $130,000 BMW on February 14 near Oberon, in the NSW Central Tablelands, two days after his wife Rachel Ciano reported him missing.

The 35-year-old was found with no visible sign of injury and his autopsy returned as inconclusive, police say.

Former Rebels bikie boss Ricky Ciano's decomposing body was found in the back of his $130,000 BMW on February 14 near Oberon, in the NSW Central Tablelands

Ciano's wife Rachel (pictured) posted a desperate plea on his Facebook page after she lost contact with him

His body was discovered two days after his wife Rachel Ciano (right) reported him missing

Former Rebels bikie president Ricky Ciano, 35, was farewelled at a funeral in Sydney in February

The NSW State Crime Command Homicide Squad told the Gold Coast Bulletin police would continue to treat his death as suspicious until there was definitive evidence to prove otherwise.

But his friends and family doubt he took his own life as he had a wife and young daughter.

In a funeral service at Pine Grove Memorial Park in Minchinbury in February, the 35-year-old was remembered as a doting father and loving husband who could not wait for the impending arrival of a baby boy.

Mr Ciano left the Sydney chapter of the Rebels Bikie gang in 2015 when he moved to the Gold Coast for a 'lifestyle change' and after surviving an attempt on his life outside his Central Coast home.

He was told to remove any tattoos linking him to the Rebels.

The 35-year-old was remembered as a doting father and loving husband who could not wait for the impending arrival of a baby boy

Ricky Ciano was farewelled at a funeral in Sydney's west. His casket is pictured right, and wife Rachel Ciano is pictured crying left

Ciano was farewelled at Pine Grove Memorial Park in Minchinbury

His body was found partially decomposing in his $130,000 BMW sports car (pictured). It is believed he had been there for a couple of days before being found

Homicide detectives are appealing to the public for information about Mr Ciano's whereabouts the weekend before his body was found.

It was discovered inside a white 2015 BMW M3 sedan on Duckmaloi Road about 15km from Oberon.

Mrs Ciano logged in to her husband's personal Facebook account to post a desperate plea for help.

'If anyone has seen or spoken to Ricky in the past two days please contact his family ASAP,' she wrote online.

Mrs Ciano said her husband had last been seen in Penrith, in western Sydney, where he was supposed to be visiting his daughter.

But any hope of reuniting with her missing husband vanished when it was confirmed he had been found dead in a rural town west of Sydney.

Ricky Ciano left behind four children and an unborn son to his pregnant wife, Rachel

Ciano is pictured with his wife Rachel on their wedding day with his daughter

Ciano reportedly left the Rebels bikie gang in 2015 when he moved from Sydney to the Gold Coast for a lifestyle change.
A Wisconsin university has become the third in the country to offer free tampons in men's rooms on campus.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is rolling out a pilot program to offer tampons free of charge in women's restrooms on the campus, and lest the men feel left out, a few men's restrooms will offer them as well.

The free women's hygiene products will be available in the women's restrooms of three campus buildings. In one of them, the Red Gym, they will be offered in men's bathrooms as well.

'Menstrual products will be available in all of the bathrooms of the Red Gym so that they are available to any student who might need them,' school spokesman Steve Wagner explained to the College Fix.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison's Red Gym building is shown, where men's restrooms will have free tampons. The building houses the school's LGBT Campus Center

The Red Gym houses the school's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Campus Center and Multicultural Student Center, among other offices.

Student leaders had pushed for the program after several other Big Ten schools decided to offer free menstrual products.

A UW-Madison student representative calls free menstrual product dispensers like this one 'a necessity' (file photo)

'Its definitely a deficit and an unnecessary burden for [anyone] to have to go and purchase menstrual products,' UW-Madison student representative Katrina Morrison told the Badger Herald.

'Having them be free and readily available in campus buildings is definitely a necessity.'

The Badger Herald article carried a correction noting that a previous version had referred to 'womens hygiene products'. The article now says 'menstrual products.'

The push for free women's hygiene products on the campus has swept several major universities, and UW-Madison is hardly the first to place them in men's rooms.

In October, both Syracuse and Cornell began offering tampons in men's bathrooms.

Last fall, however, Columbia cancelled a program to distribute free tampons and pads due to low student interest in the products, the Columbia Spectator reported.
Donald Trump has sent supersonic stealth fighters to Britain in his latest move to ward off Russian aggression.

Six F-35A Lightning IIs have been filmed landing at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk ahead of Nato training drills across Europe over the coming weeks.

And the US Air Force tweeted: Next step for #F35 in #USAF! Great flying in UK!

It is believed the jets have been sent to the UK to reassure eastern European nations of the USs commitment to Nato amid high tensions with Russia and president Vladimir Putin.

An F-35A Lightning II is pictured touching down at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk to boost Nato ahead of training drills

The fighters have been described as the 'most advanced in the world' and cost upwards of 75million per unit (file picture)

F-35As, or the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, cost upwards of 75million per unit and can reach top speeds of 1,200mph.

There are thought to be around 231 models in the world and they first entered into production in 2006.

And two squadrons of the jets are set to be based permanently in the UK from 2021 from Lakenheath.

Last year the RAF bought eight F-35B stealth fighters, which differ from the A model because they take off from aircraft carriers. They are set to enter service by 2020 once construction is complete on two new carriers.

The planes are capable of carrying nuclear weapons and also carry conventional missiles including the laser-guided Paveway explosive.

There are three categories of F-35s - As, which are capable of conventional take-off and landing; Bs, which are short take-off and vertical landing craft; and Cs, which have catapult-assisted take-off.

An MOD spokesperson said: 'We welcome the US deployment of eight aircraft, which underlines that we stand side-by-side with our closest ally.

'The US decision to use RAF Lakenheath as the base for the F-35A Lighting II's first overseas training is a clear demonstration of the closeness of this partnership, as well as the US commitment to NATO and Europe.

'Training alongside each other will be beneficial for both the Royal Air Force and US Air Force.'

F-35s can reach speeds of 1,200mph and are capable of carrying nuclear weapons (file picture)

It is believed the jets have been sent to the UK to reassure eastern Europe in the face of any Russian aggression

The US Air Force has described the fighter as having unmatched lethality, survivability and interoperability

It comes as the relationship between the US and Russia has been further strained by recent events in Syria.

The White House has accused Moscow of trying to cover up Assad's use of chemical weapons after the attack on a town killed 87 people last week.

Trump responded to the gas attack by firing 59 cruise missiles at a Syrian air base on Friday. Washington warned Moscow, and Russian troops at the base were not hit.

Moscow has stood by Assad, saying the poison gas belonged to rebels, an explanation Washington dismisses as beyond credible.

Putin said that either gas belonging to the rebels was released when it was hit by a Syrian strike on a rebel arms dump, or the rebels faked the incident to discredit Assad.

The United States and its European allies also imposed financial sanctions on Russia in 2014 after Putin seized territory from neighbouring Ukraine.
President Donald Trump is attacking the leading Democratic candidate running in a special congressional election in a conservative part of Georgia.

On Twitter, Trump said Monday that the 'The super Liberal Democrat in the Georgia Congressioal [sic] race tomorrow wants to protect criminals, allow illegal immigration and raise taxes!'

Republicans are trying to prevent a massive upset in the primary on Tuesday. Democrats have united behind 30-year-old former congressional staffer Jon Ossoff, who has been boosted by opposition to Trump and an $8 million fundraising haul.

The primary includes 18 candidates  Republicans, Democrats and Independents.

The GOP hopes to force a June runoff with the GOP's top candidate by keeping Ossoff below 50 percent of the vote.

President Donald Trump weighed in Monday on a special election in Georgia that will decide the fate of a seat vacated by his Health and Human Services secretary, Dr. Tom Price

The object of Trump's wrath is Jon Ossoff, the leading option among five Democrats who will appear on the ballot; Ossoff could win the seat outright on Tuesday with a 50% showing

Trump is hoping to avoid a Democratic pickup of Price's seat, an outcome that would feed a narrative about his unpopularity just 12 weeks into his presidency

Republicans in Georgia's 6th Congressional District are miffed at Ossoff's attempt to engineer an upset with millions of anti-Trump dollars from all around the country.

'I don't care what party you're from,' said Marty Aftewicz, a 66-year-old Republican voter from Marietta. 'If the money's coming from outside the district, it's dirty.'

Democrats see the flood of donations as a sign they're not alone in opposing the president.

'It gives me some hope, even though Georgia is a heavily red state,' said Barbara Oakley, a 65-year-old retired pharmacist. 'I think Democrats got surprised by Trump in November and they're ready to work.'

Approaching Tuesday's primary, Republicans are trying to prevent victory by a previously unknown former congressional staffer, 30-year-old Jon Ossoff.

His bid to replace Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price in Congress carries implications beyond the northern suburbs of Atlanta as both major parties position themselves for the 2018 midterm elections.

Five Democrats will appear on the ballot, but Ossoff is considered the greatest threat to the GOP. Two independent candidates also are running.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price (left) vacated the Georgia 6th Congressional District seat when he was nominated to serve in Trump's cabinet

Ossoff, shown with girlfriend Alisha Kramer, 'wants to protect criminals, allow illegal immigration and raise taxes,' according to the president

The 18-candidate 'jungle primary' comes a week after Republicans sweated out a single-digit special congressional victory in Kansas. Republican winner Ron Estes had previously coasted to easy statewide victories as state treasurer, but won a House seat based in Wichita by just 7 percentage points, with little outside investment from national Democrats.

In Georgia, by contrast, both parties have dispatched paid field staffers, and a Republican political action committee backed by House Speaker Paul Ryan has spent more than $2 million pounding Ossoff.

Trump underperformed other Republicans in the suburban district, making it a soft target for Democrats.

'Jon is being bankrolled by the most extreme liberals,' said Republican candidate Karen Handel, referring to Ossoff's fundraising haul that exceeds $8 million, most of it from outside the district. 'No one is naive enough to think that he will not be beholden to those who are bankrolling him.'

The message sank in for Aftewicz, who cast an early ballot for Republican candidate Dan Moody. Unprompted, Aftewicz echoed the barrage of campaign ads attempting to tie Ossoff to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California.

'Anyone raising that much outside money can't represent me,' Aftewicz said.

For his part, Ossoff pledges to be an 'independent voice' in Congress, and he defends his campaign as a grassroots success powered by small and medium donors.

Ossoff's rise to prominence has been fed by anti-Trump sentiment in the suburbs of Atlanta

Republicans essentially concede Ossoff will lead the voting Tuesday. That leaves 11 Republican candidates hoping the investigative filmmaker fails to reach a majority. If he doesn't, Ossoff and the top GOP vote-getter would meet in a June 20 runoff.

The Republican leaders appear to be Handel, a former Georgia secretary of state; technology executive Bob Gray; and two former state senators, Moody and Judson Hill - all of whom national Republicans say could defeat Ossoff in a second round.

From the outset, Trump has loomed large in the contest.

Ossoff has used the anti-Trump windfall to blanket the expensive television market with advertising that tries to stoke liberal angst but also woo disaffected Republicans in a district Trump barely won in November.

Oakley, who cast an early ballot for Ossoff, moved to Georgia about six years ago and often feels 'like a fish out of water' as a staunch Democrat in the red state. She considers her vote a small indicator of her disapproval toward Trump.

'The environment, women's rights, even the forest service are going to be affected by Trump's actions,' Oakley said. 'Pretty much everything he's done worries me.'

Ossoff pledges to fight Trump when he 'embarrasses' the country. But he tells voters in one ad, 'I'll work with anybody in Washington who respects your tax dollars.'
That didn't take long!

Less than 15 minutes into his first day on the job in Washington, DC on Monday, newly minted Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch asked his first questions from the bench.

Gorsuch and his colleagues were hearing arguments for the first time since President Donald Trump's pick was sworn in April 10.

Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch is seen in this file photo. It took less than 15 minutes for Gorsuch to ask his first question from the bench.

The case before the justices involved a procedural issue in a federal worker's employment discrimination claim.

Gorsuch asked lawyer Christopher Landau four questions in a row, saying he was 'sorry for taking up so much time.'

Justice Clarence Thomas once famously went 10 years without asking a question from the bench.

The session marked the first time in more than 14 months that the high court was back to its full contingent of nine members, after being short-handed since Justice Antonin Scalia's death.

The session started with Chief Justice John Roberts welcoming Gorsuch and wishing him 'a long and happy career in our common calling.'
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A woman serving 13 years behind bars for dealing drugs has been crowned the winner of a prison beauty contest.

Irina Aryupova, 36, won this year's Miss Spring - the third annual beauty pageant held in an all female prison in the central-Russian city of Yoshkar-Ola, in Mari El Republic.

Eight drug dealers and thieves first took to the catwalk in front of the judging panel - made up of prison guards - as they battled to be crowned the most beautiful inmate.

They took part in a dance off for round two before competing against each other to impersonate famous Russian celebs in round three.

In the fourth and final round, they strutted down the runway in special costumes they made themselves to celebrate the year of ecology currently being celebrated in Russia.

Brunette beauty Irina, who will be due for release in 2028, was crowned the winner and handed 101 roses, a crown and a makeup set as the prize.

Inmates practiced for two months for the competition and were even allowed professional hair and makeup artists on the day to help them preen themselves to perfection.

Irina Aryupova (pictured), 36, has been crowned the winner of a bizarre beauty contest in a Russian prison

Eight drug dealers and thieves (pictured) first took to the catwalk in front of a judging panel made up of judges in a bid to become Miss Spring

Irina (pictured), who is serving 13 years behind bars for dealing drugs, was eventually crowned the winner at the all-female prison in the central-Russian city of Yoshkar-Ola, in Mari El Republic

One of the beauty pageant's rounds required the inmates to strut the catwalk in costumes they had made themselves

The costumes - often vibrant and psychedelic - had to reflect the 'Year of Ecology' which Russian is currently celebrating

The eight inmates competing for the title of Miss Spring pose elegantly in floor length turquoise gowns in front of the judging panel, made up of prison guards

A Judge poses with one of the runners up in the annual competition, which is now in its third year

In round two, the women dressed in glamorous red dresses to take part in a dance off

Inmates practiced for two months for the competition and given the materials to make their own costumes

The competing prisoners were even allowed professional hair and makeup artists on the day to help them preen themselves to perfection.

In round three of the pagerant, the women competing against each other had to impersonate famous Russian celebs

Brunette beauty Irina (pictured) was crowned the winner and handed 101 roses, a crown and a makeup set as the prize
Richard Dabate (pictured), 40, has been charged with murdering his wife in their Connecticut home and then blaming the death on a home intruder who had a voice like Hollywood star, Vin Diesel

A man has been arrested for allegedly murdering his wife and then blaming the shooting on a home intruder who had a voice like Hollywood star Vin Diesel.

Richard Dabate, 40, was charged on Friday with first degree murder, tampering with evidence, and providing a false statement to police over the death of his wife, Connie, on December 23, 2015.

Connie Dabate was found dead in their Connecticut home with gunshot wounds to the back of her head and her stomach. She had been shot with a Magnum .357 her husband had purchased just two months earlier.

Mr Dabate had been having an affair for seven years, his mistress was pregnant at the time - and he told police a dramatic tale of how his wife died.

He was found by police tied to a chair on the kitchen floor, and said the masked home invader had shot his wife dead in the garage during a chase through their home.

Dabate claimed he was tied to the chair after the man had murdered his wife, but scared the intruder off by kicking a blowtorch at his head.

An arrest document describes his account of the murder: 'Dabate stated he heard something upstairs and he went to check it out he heard a noise in the master bedroom, which door was half closed,' the document reads.

'Dabate stated he opened the bedroom door and saw the intruder in the closet looking through things. (He) stated the intruder was about 6'2', larger than he was, and was wearing a dark green camouflaged suit and mask.

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Richard Dabate appears with attorneys Hubie Santos (left) and Trent LaLim (right) while being arraigned on Monday in the Rockville Superior Court

Connie Dabate (left) was found dead in their Connecticut home with gunshot wounds to the back of her head and her stomach. She had been shot with a Magnum .357 her husband (right) had purchased just two months earlier

'The intruder then noticed he was in the room, and he (the intruder) pulled out a knife. Dabate said the intruder then said something like, "give me your money, your wallet and your PIN numbers, and if you don't, I'm going to wait here for your wife and kids".'

It was then the 40-year-old told officers the alleged intruder had a 'deep voice, like the actor Vin Diesel'.

The document goes on to state Dabate then told police he heard his wife open the garage door about 30 seconds later, despite the fact he had earlier told the officers he entered his room through the same door and the 'intruder' was unable to hear him do so.

He then claimed he screamed out to Connie and told her to 'run', but the intruder stopped him from further helping her.

'Dabate stated the intruder used a wrist pressure point to guide him down to the ground the intruder then got past him and ran out of the room first,' the document reads.

'Debate then also ran down the stairs, tripping on his way he could not see the intruder.'

This is the front page of an arrest document that was released on Friday listing the charges against Dabate

Connie Dabate was found shot dead in her home (pictured) on December 23, 2015. Richard Dabate claimed his wife was shot by an intruder

He claimed to police he was then able to get back to his feet and run into the garage just seconds before his wife was shot dead.

'Dabate stated he was about four feet from them and running the intruder then shot the gun, and he thought he saw a flash,' according to the document.

'He then closed his eyes and fell to the ground. Dabate stated his ears were ringing, and he thought he heard another shot.

'Debate stated he then got up, and saw (his wife) on the ground. Debate stated the intruder came towards him and did some sort of 'pressure point thing' on his neck and wrist while walking him 'like a dog'.'

Connie and Richard Dabate are pictured together. Investigators found Richard had been having an affair for seven years, and that his mistress was pregnant

A line added to that part of the report by police said the husband did not explain what happened to the gun the intruder was holding, as he would have needed both hands to apply the two 'pressure point things'.

Dabate goes on to explain how he was then tied up by the alleged home invader, but was able to fight his way free by kicking a blowtorch towards the man's head, which allegedly led to him fleeing the home.

He then allegedly crawled to where he had left his keys and pressed a panic button, before waiting a few minutes and calling 911.

When additional law enforcement, including a K-9 unit, searched the home they were unable to find any evidence suggesting there had been another person in the home.

The arrest file, according to the Hartford Courant, then details an affair Dabate admitted to having with a woman for seven years.

The unidentified girlfriend was seven months pregnant at the time of the murder, and Dabate claimed his wife was aware of the extra-marital relationship.

He went even further and claimed he had slept with the woman in order for her to be a surrogate mother, as he alleged Connie was unable to have any more children due to medical issues.

The arrest warrant states Dabate described the situation as his girlfriend being a 'co-parent' to the child with him and his wife.

Connie's family and friends told the Courant there was 'no way' she would have agreed to such an arrangement.

Dabate had claimed his wife was aware his mistress was pregnant, and it was planned because Connie (pictured) could not have any more children. Connie's family and friends said there was 'no way' she would have agreed to such a deal

Richard Dabate is pictured being driven away by police after his arrest for murder last Friday

Dabate would later change his story and claim the pregnancy with his mistress was accidental.

The arrest document also states Dabate texted his pregnant girlfriend the night before his wife's death to say he was getting a divorce, adding: 'I'll see you tomorrow my little love nugget.'

The girlfriend told police, according to the Courant, Dabate had told her he was going to divorce Connie in mid-December of 2015.

Investigators also found a section in the 'Notes' part of Connie Dabate's that was titled, 'Why I want a divorce.'

It then lists examples of several incidents between the two.

Hubert Santos, Dabate's lawyer, said on Friday: 'My client is innocent of these charges and he looks forward to being vindicated after a trial.'

Connie's family said it was thrilled an arrest had finally been made over the brutal killing.

'I was very happy to hear this news earlier today and am looking forward to getting justice for my cousin,' Danielle Iammatteo told the newspaper.

The 40-year-old was filmed by Fox61 being driven away in a police car on Friday.

Dabate was arrested and charged with his wife's murder last week.
Motorists have been left fuming after discovering an unmarked police car parked on the side of a NSW highway with green P-plates attached to it.

Images of the vehicle, shared to a Facebook page titled New South Wales Authority Exposed, show a silver Ford sedan adorned with a stick-on siren, extra antennas and P-plates.

The group labelled it 'manipulative', and others questioned why an inexperienced driver would be at the wheel of a police vehicle in the first place.

Motorists were outraged to discover an undercover police car was parked on the side of a NSW highway disguised with P-plates

One commenter suggested the car was disguised with the plates to 'fool the young ones and encourage street racing'.

But police have hit back and claimed the practice is 'not illegal' in a comment made to Yahoo!7.

Advice from the NRMA, who say in NSW, it is not an offence for a full licence holder to display L or P plates on their vehicle while driving.

This advice did little to calm angry drivers, who likened police to Nazis and suggested they 'needed shooting'.

'A cop is expected to be able to safely conduct a pursuit at times,' one man wrote.

The picture was shared to a Facebook group, where comments quickly escalated to pure vitriol. Some commenters suggested senior police officers 'need shooting' while others suggested nobody would have an issue if they obeyed the law

'How is a P plater with three weeks or whatever driving experience going to accomplish that? There shouldn't be any cops under 25 anyway.

'They're too young to do the job properly and they don't question anything like good little Nazis.'

Another wrote: 'The senior cops need shooting for encouraging hoon behaviour on our roads'.

One commenter had a different approach, and suggested: 'I've got a really crazy idea - if you don't want to be pulled over, don't be a tosser'.

Other disguised undercover police cars have inspired outrage among motorists too, including this sedan carrying a trailer

One Facebook user shared an image of a ute flashing police sirens from the reversing light and the inside of the car

It is not the first time questionable methods of disguising an undercover police car have come under fire.

Motorists have previously been outraged to discover the unmarked cars can be models other than the typical sedan.

Pictures show a silver Holden ute flashing sirens as well as a SUV, which at first glance appears to be more of a family vehicle than a police car.

One car, a green sedan, was even pictured carrying a trailer as it worked to catch law-breaking drivers.

Over the Easter long weekend, NSW police issued more than 6,000 speeding tickets, caught 199 people drink driving and attended 274 major crashes.
The official opening of the new interchange on APD 40 in Cleveland has been changed from this Friday to next Friday, May 12, at 10:30.

The interchange, which will open up a large industrial park and a 200 acre commercial area, will be named the Mayor Tom Rowland Interchange. The naming came after a bill introduced by state Rep. Kevin Brooks in the state house and by state Senator Mike Bell in the senate. It became law when signed in May 2014 by Governor Bill Haslam.

The $22.5 million project is expected to be completed in the next few days.

The interchange is located just east of Exit 20 off I-75.
Two death row prisoners who were due to be executed in Arkansas on Monday have had their executions stayed by the Supreme Court.

Bruce Earl Ward and Don Davis Jr. were the first two of eight men set to be executed in just 11 days by the state before its lethal injections reach their expiration date and are no longer safe to use.

The rushed schedule attracted a barrage of legal complaints from pharmaceutical companies and lawyers acting on the prisoners' behalf.

On Monday afternoon, the Supreme Court in Arkansas upheld a temporary stay order issued by a federal judge on Saturday, putting off the men's executions for one more day.

The decision was reached at 3.50pm CDT, just three hours shy of the 7pm deadline. Details of the court's decision were not immediately available on Monday.

Officials in Arkansas are frantically appealing court decisions in an effort to press ahead with the executions of Bruce Earl Ward (left) and Don Williams Davis Jr. (right) on Monday. Their executions are the first of eight scheduled before April 27

The execution schedule has been met with widespread protest from anti-capital punishment protesters who gathered in Little Rock on Friday before the stays were granted (above)

Both men are protected by a temporary stay granted for all of the prisoners by US District Judge Kristine Baker on Saturday. She accepted the inmates' concerns about the lethal injection and its ingredients.

They voiced fears about the drug midazolam, a pain killer which is meant to render them unconscious but which has failed to knock recipients out in previous executions across the country.

Midazolam is the element which expires at the month. Two other chemicals are used in the injection - vecuronium bromide, a paralytic ,and potassium chloride which stops the heart.

Their executions are also halted by a separate legal decision made on Friday.

That case focuses on the use of vecuronium bromide, another of the injection's ingredients, and was launched by the pharmaceutical company which sold it to the state.

The company complained that it sold the drug to Arkansas to be used for medical purposes and not for capital punishment.

Their objection to it being used in executions echoes wider trend in the pharmaceutical industries which has seen drug manufacturers step away from supplying states with the ingredients for lethal injections.

The judge in that case was however banned from ruling on any death penalty cases on Monday after he was caught taking part in an anti-capital punishment protest on Friday.

Pulaski County Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen tied himself to a cot outside the Capitol in Little Rock on Friday in a dramatic show of activism. It came within hours of his decision.

On Monday, the Supreme Court reassigned the case and referred him to the state Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission to consider whether he violated the code of conduct for judges.

Ward, 60, was also granted a previous stay by a different judge on Friday after his lawyers argued he was not mentally fit to receive the injection.

Johnny Depp and Damien Echols joined the protests in Little Rock on Friday

Arkansas is fighting all of the decisions at the Supreme Court and at the 8th District Court of Appeals. If successful in time, the two men may still be executed on Monday night as may Ward.

The Attorney General's office would not comment on whether it was optimistic about its legal efforts on Monday.

'These men have been sentenced to death and that's what the attorney general is working towards,' a spokesman told DailyMail.com.

Attorney General Leslie Rutledge said she plans to fight the inmates' legal efforts at every turn

Ward and Davis's executions are the first two of eight executions scheduled in Arkansas before the end of April when the state's supply of lethal injections expires. With a growing shortage of the drug across the country, the state is trying to make use of its only remaining supply before it reaches its use-by date.

The hurried executions will be the first in the state for ten years and have sparked controversy across the country. Protesters on each side of the debate gathered in Little Rock over the weekend.

Johnny Depp joined those fighting the state's execution schedule at one demonstration.

Former executioners have joined the inmates' fight, speaking out to accuse the state of playing 'Russian roulette' with the prisoners' lives by relying on the unreliable lethal injection cocktail.

Governor Hutchinson has justified the hurried schedule by directing his sympathies to the murderers' victims families.

Judge Wendell Griffen, who halted the use of one of the drugs after the pharmaceutical company which manufactured it complained last week, was removed from all death penalty cases on Monday after taking part in an elaborate protest in Little Rock last week. He is pictured lying on on a cot with his arms tied to the sides

TOP, L-R: Bruce Earl Ward, Don W Davis, Ledell Lee and Stacey Johnson. BOTTOM, L-R: Jack Jones Jr, Marcel Williams, Kenneth Williams and Jason McGehee

'When I set the eight execution dates in accordance with the law and my responsibilities, I was fully aware that the actions would trigger both the individual clemency hearings and separate court reviews on varying claims by the death row inmates.

ARKANSAS DEATH PENALTY SCHEDULE April 17: Bruce Ward and Don Davis April 20: Stacey Johnson and Ledell Lee April 24: Jack Jones and Marcell Williams April 27: Kenneth Williams and Jason McGehee Advertisement

'I understand how difficult this is on the victims families, and my heart goes out to them as they once again deal with the continued court review; however, the last minute court reviews are all part of the difficult process of death penalty cases.

'I expect both the Supreme Court of Arkansas and the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals to review the decisions quickly, and I have confidence in the Attorney General and her team to expedite the reviews,' he said on Saturday.

Ward strangled 18-year-old Rebecca Doss in 1989 in the men's bathroom of a convenience store where she worked.

Davis, 54, murdered 64-year-old Jane Daniels by shooting her in the back of her head in her home during a robbery.

The other six men scheduled to be executed are Stacey Eugene Johnson, Jack Harold Jones, Ledell Lee, Kenneth D Williams and Marcel W Williams.

Jason McGehee was also due to be executed on April 27 but he was granted a permanent stay.
Idaho has launched a hunt for a 17-year-old student who vanished from his high school prom, leaving behind his jacket, one shoe and a broken cell phone.

Local police are searching for Kristian Perez, a high school student who was last seen attending his prom at the National Guard Armory in Orofino, Idaho, on Saturday night.

In a panic, his mother called police after the school confirmed her son had signed out of the event at 9.32pm and had not been heard from since.

Perez was driven to the dance by a relative and police discovered the tuxedo jacket he was wearing, one shoe and a broken cell phone in the proximity of that vehicle.

Local police are searching for Kristian Perez, 17, a high school student who was last seen attending his prom at the National Guard Armory in Orofino, Idaho, on Saturday night. Pictured right is Perez posing for pictures before the prom

Police used a canine tracking unit to try to trace the teenager's last whereabouts, and started at the Armory, reported the Idaho State Journal.

The dogs followed his scent down Highway 12, which is close to where the prom was held, but lost the scent at an entrance of a nearby parking lot.

Police believe he may have gotten into an unknown vehicle that was in that parking lot.

In attempt to locate the missing teenager, an alert was sent out to surrounding law enforcement departments. There was a possible sighting of Perez in the Lewiston area, about an hour away from Orofino.
A top Russian television presenter as claimed Donald Trump is 'more dangerous' than Kim Jong-Un as he warned the world 'was a hair's breadth from nuclear war'.

Dmitry Kiselyov, the pro-Kremlin anchor of Russia's main weekly TV news show 'Vesti Nedeli', said support for Trump had plummeted in his country since his election win.

He added that Trump's decision to launch a missile strike against Syria, a Russian ally, and to drop a giant bomb on Afghanistan had prompted a U-turn in Russian opinion.

Kiselyov, who once praised Trump for his 'independence' from the US political establishment, slammed the American as 'more impulsive and unpredictable' than his North Korean counterpart.

A top Russian television presenter as claimed Donald Trump (left) is 'more dangerous' than Kim Jong-Un (right) as he warned the world 'was a hair's breadth from nuclear war'

Dmitry Kiselyov (pictured), the pro-Kremlin anchor of Russia's main weekly TV news show 'Vesti Nedeli', said support for Trump had plummeted in his country since his election win

'The world is a hair's breadth from nuclear war,' he said. 'War can break out as a result of confrontation between two personalities; Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un.

'Both are dangerous, but who is more dangerous? Trump is.'

He added that both men had 'limited international experience, unpredictability, and a readiness to go to war'.

Observers pointed to the free rein enjoyed by Kiselyov as a reflection of the Kremlin's anger at Trump's 'failure' to deliver on his pledge of better ties with Moscow.

During the show, Kiselyov said Kim Jong-Un was less scary than the US president because he had not attacked other countries or sent a naval armada to the US coast.

'[Kim] is after all on his home territory. He doesn't plan to attack anyone just for the sake of it,' said Kiselyov.

Kiselyov (shown receiving a Medal of Friendship during an award ceremony at the Kremlin) once praised Trump for his 'independence' from the US political establishment

Delivering a personal jibe, Kiselyov sarcastically told viewers that the North Korean leader's young daughter did not, unlike Ivanka Trump, have an office in her father's official residence.

Other state-controlled and pro-Kremlin media have walked back their initial euphoria for Trump in recent weeks too, but Kiselyov tends to set the tone for everyone else and his intervention is the most robust on Trump yet.

Polls suggest state TV's U-turn over Trump has filtered through to the public, most of whom get their news from television sets.

A survey by state pollster VTsIOM showed on Monday that the percentage of Russians who hold a negative view of Trump has jumped to 7 from 39 per cent.

'The US missile strike on Syria was a "cold shower" for many Russians,' said Valery Fedorov, the pollster's general director.

'Donald Trump's aggressive behaviour has resurrected distrust and ill-will towards America, something that has characterised Russian society for the last two decades.'
Brazilian twins born with Zika syndrome celebrated their first birthday at a party on Easter Sunday.

Mother Raquel Barbosa contracted the Zika during her pregnancy, and her twins, Heloisa and Heloa, were born with microcephaly, a congenital condition associated with incomplete brain development, believed to be linked to the virus.

Surrounded by pink and white balloons and a large cake topped with Minnie Mouse, the family posed for photos with the young girls, wearing dresses matching the color scheme, at the party in Areia, Brazil.

The twin girls- the only twins in Brazil to both have microcephaly - turned one year old on Friday.

Mother Raquel Barbosa (left) contracted the Zika during her pregnancy, and her twins, Heloisa (second left) and Heloa (second right), were born with microcephaly, believed to be linked to the virus. The family is pictured above with the girls' grandmother, Maria Jose (right)

Heloisa and Heloa both suffer from microcephaly, a congenital condition associated with incomplete brain development, believed to be linked Zika

Barbosa (second right) and father Marcello (right) hold twins Heloisa and Heloa as family members celebrate the twins' birthday on Easter Sunday

As many of the babies born with microcephaly approach or have turned one-year-old in the region, doctors and mothers are adapting and learning treatments to assist the children.

Microcephaly results in an abnormally small head in newborns and is associated with various disorders.

Many with the condition suffer a plethora of difficulties including vision and hearing problems with doctors now labeling the overall condition as congenital Zika syndrome.

Authorities have recorded thousands of cases in Brazil in which the mosquito-borne Zika virus may have led to microcephaly in infants.

Barbosa, 25, is the mother of the only twins known to have both been born with microcephaly in Brazil.

As of February, Heloisa and Heloa, were still on waiting lists for surgery to straighten their twisted feet.

Barbosa has struggled to provide the constant attention needed by both, and she often leaves one girl with her mother at her farm house which has no running water.

The twin girls turned one year old on Friday, and among the many party attendees on Sunday was their grandmother, Maria Jose (pictured)

Barbosa has struggled to provide the constant attention needed by both, and she often leaves one girl with her mother at her farm house which has no running water

Barbosa receives 480 reais ($153.95, 122.84) a month in social welfare plus child disability benefit of 937 reais a month but that does not stretch far.

The local government provides transport for the one-hour trip from a suburb into Campina Grande for two free sessions of therapy a week.

But she says she cannot afford the 200 reais per month needed to buy medicines against convulsions, a problem for microcephalic children, and relies on donations for nappies and powdered milk.

'The local public health office would give them to us, but there are never in stock, so we have to buy them,' Barbosa said.

The doctor who first linked the Zika virus to birth defects says Brazil has too quickly forgotten the tragedy of 2,000 babies born with smaller-than-normal heads and runs the risk of a second wave of infections if the virus mutates.

More than a year after the initial epidemic, public health authorities are reporting very few cases of microcephaly among newborns, a development obstetrician Adriana Melo and other researchers attribute to likely immunity among those already infected by the virus.

Barbosa, 25, is the mother of the only twins known to have both been born with microcephaly in Brazil

Surrounded by pink and white balloons and a large cake, the family posed for photos with the young girls, wearing in matching dresses

Barbosa receives 480 reais ($153.95, 122.84) a month in social welfare plus child disability benefit of 937 reais a month but that does not stretch far. The girls' father, Marcelo is pictured above holding Heloa

'We will see sporadic cases, like any virus, but Zika is here to stay,' Mello told Reuters on Tuesday at her clinic for expectant mothers in northeastern Brazil, the region hardest hit by the initial wave of Zika in the Americas.

After an alarming jump in late 2015 in regional cases of microcephaly, Melo was the first scientist to ask federal researchers to test the amniotic fluid of an expectant mother whose fetus was showing brain problems, providing the first empirical link between the complication and the virus. Microcephaly often signifies arrested brain development.

Zika, a viral disease carried by mosquitoes, has spread to more than 60 countries and territories since the outbreak was identified in Brazil in 2015, raising alarm over its ability to cause microcephaly as well as Guillain-Barre syndrome.

The World Health Organization said this month that Brazil and Latin America are recording lower numbers of infections than last year, but that all countries must remain vigilant.

Because at least 1.5 million Brazilians are believed to have already been infected by Zika, which often does not cause symptoms, scientists believe parts of Brazil may have already reached so-called 'herd immunity,' limiting further infection until the human population regenerates or the virus mutates to outmaneuver that immunity.

As of February, Heloisa (left) and Heloa (right), were still on waiting lists for surgery to straighten their twisted feet.

The twins' mother, Barbosa, contracted the Zika during her pregnancy in 2015. She gave birth to the twins in April 2016

In the United States, Texas health officials are expanding testing recommendations for pregnant women in South Texas as the advent of warm weather increases the risk for local transmission of the mosquito-borne Zika.

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) earlier this month recommended testing of all pregnant residents of Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, Webb, Willacy and Zapata counties in both the first and second trimesters of pregnancy.

It is also urging testing for any resident who has a rash plus at least one other common Zika symptom: fever, joint pain or eye redness.

For the rest of the state, Texas is recommending testing for anyone with at least three of those four Zika symptoms and all pregnant women who have traveled to areas with ongoing Zika transmission, including travel to any part of Mexico.

There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika, which also can be transmitted sexually. An estimated 80 percent of people infected have no symptoms, making it difficult for individuals to know whether they have been infected.
He is a Christian and a former soldier who fought for America and supported Donald Trump.

But Nahidh Shaou is also an Iraqi immigrant who was jailed for 35 years in 1983 for injuring a cop during an armed robbery.

Now after completing his sentence he is facing deportation to Iraq in one of the most complicated such cases since Trump became President.

Shaou, 55, fears that if he will tracked down and beheaded by ISIS because they are persecuting Christians in Iraq.

He does not even speak Arabic and argues that his serving in the military including patrolling the demilitarized zone in Korea should allow him to stay here with his family.

Nahidh Shaou, now 55, is an Iraqi immigrant who served in the US military in Korea but was jailed for 35 years in 1983 for injuring a cop during an armed robbery

Shaou had thought he was going to be finally freed from prison last September after serving 33 years for shooting the cop in an incident he says was caused by PTSD. Instead Shaou was transferred into the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Shaous case is particularly striking because of his religion and the Presidents promises to protect Christians and to favor them over Muslim refugees.

He had thought he was going to be finally freed from prison last September after serving 33 years for shooting the cop in an incident he says was caused by PTSD.

Instead Shaou was transferred into the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

He was told he would be put on the first charter flight in seven years carrying deported Iraqis back to Baghdad after negotiations between the US and Iraqi government to start them up again.

On the day of his removal his lawyer managed to get an emergency stay but he could still be removed any day.

Shaous niece Tiara Shaya, 27, told DailyMail.com: My uncle joined the military at 17 because felt that he had a duty to serve his country because he did move here from Iraq and felt that it was his way of giving back.

During his 33 years in jail he was a model inmate and earned several degrees - and supported Trump in his run for the presidency

Hes absolutely a patriot. America is the only country he knows.

Tina Ramirez, president of Hardwired, a group which campaigns for religious freedom, added: As we all know too well, our veterans do not receive enough support for PTSD, and this man committed a crime in the 80s when even less support was available.

Hes served his time honorably and should be granted a second chance for serving our country.

While there are many immigrants who have committed crimes and the President has every right to deport them, not all cases are the same, and this one deserves a second chance, especially at this time of Easter which is a time for mercy and second chances.

In an interview from the LaSalle Detention Center in Jena, Louisiana, Shaou put it more bluntly.

He told the Detroit News: Im scared to death. If I show up on their soil, my beheading will probably be on YouTube. I honestly believe that is what is going to happen.

Shaou first arrived in the US aged five with his family and were welcomed as immigrants. They moved to Detroit, Michigan, some of his seven sisters still live today.

He had to get special approval from his father to enlist in the military in 1979 at the age of 17 because he was so young.

Shaou was an honor graduate and was stationed in Michigan before serving a year on the DMZ in Korea. While overseas his father died and he had to come home

Shaou was an honor graduate and was stationed in Michigan before serving a year the DMZ in Korea. While overseas his father died and he had to come home.

When he came back his mother was diagnosed breast cancer which she would survive. He had seven younger siblings, all girls, so he as the eldest he had to provide for his whole family.

He left the military with an honorable discharge.

Shaou was later awarded the Veterans of Foreign Wars medal for his service in the military.

As a civilian Shaou got a job working as a security guard but he felt under intense pressure to take care of his family. Coupled with his PTSD it mean that he struggled to cope.

One night at a McDonalds in Rochester Hills, he got into a row with one of the staff who asked why he went to the toilet before ordering a meal.

Shaou has said that he escalated the situation and acted like a complete idiot.

Shaou was later awarded the Veterans of Foreign Wars medal for his service in the military

He pulled out his gun and said that he would not be taken advantage of so ordered the staff to hand over the money from the register.

As Shaou was walking in the parking lot outside he was challenged by a police officer and shot him, causing the cop a non-fatal injury. Shaou claims that he blacked out and that he hardly remembers the incident.

In 1983 Shaou admitted robbery, assault and firearm violation and was jailed for between 42 years and 200 years.

His application for US citizenship was suspended and has remained so ever since.

During his 33 years in jail he was a model inmate and earned several degrees - and supported Trump in his run for the Presidency.

Shaya, Shaous niece, told DailyMail.com: The reason he supported Trump is that he is a huge supporter of the troops and he saw that in Trump.

He felt like Obama was a weak president and like the strength that Trump showed and definitely the aspect of Christian persecution, that was one of the things Trump was talking about.

Now the Iraqi Christian community in Detroit are feeling totally betrayed. My grandma supported Trump and when I asked her about my uncle she said no, Trump takes care of the Christians, he wont deport him.

Shaous family are calling on Rep David Trott, a Republican from Michigan, to submit a humanitarian parole bill in Congress that would permit him to stay in the US.

They have also started a petition stating that Nahidh does not have an Iraqi Passport or any Iraqi identification documents.

The petition says that Iraqi Government has provided a signed, sworn affidavit stating they cannot prove his Iraqi nationality and do not want him to be deported back to Iraq.

Shaou first arrived in the US aged five with his family. They moved to Detroit, Michigan, where most of his seven sisters still live today. He had to get special approval from his father to enlist in the military in 1979 at the age of 17 because he was so young

The petition reads: We plead on his behalf to stop the deportation of US Army Veteran Nahidh Shaou to Baghdad. Please help protect Iraqi Christians and don't let Nahidh be deported into the hands of ISIS.

Shaous case is unique but there are around 300 Iraqi Christians in the Detroit area who have been told they they are at risk of deportation too.

Joseph Kassab, founder and president of the Iraqi Christians Advocacy and Empowerment Institute in West Bloomfield, said it was inhumane and hypocritical.

He told the Detroit News: The US accepts religious minorities from Iraq under heavy religious persecution as refugees, and now we are sending Christians back to Iraq to be killed?

We are sending them to their death sentence.

Shaya said that on April 17, the day her uncle was due to be deported, they were elated that her lawyer got the emergency stay.

However it means that ICE are just reviewing his case and he could still be removed any day.

Shaya said she and her family have been making a plan for when her uncle is deported because he has been in prison so long he does not know how things work any more, be it in Iraq or America.

She said: My uncle has been away for 35 years. Things have changed - he was asking about using a payphone and we were explaining they dont really have them anymore.

Not only is he being dropped into a foreign country that he hasnt been since he was five and we have no family there, he doesnt know how society works, he doesnt know how life works.

In the document we are giving him were explaining how to buy a phone like this is a SIM card, you buy credit for it.

Shaya added that she did not think that people should judge her uncle by the worst thing he ever did in his life.

She said: By the time I was born I didnt know my uncle as that person, Ive known him as a funny, intelligent and patriotic man who was intellectually curious and wanted to contribute to society after he paid his debt to society.

If my uncle had papers, if his parents had got citizenship when he was a kid, when he turned 18 he started that process, but if he had been a citizen when he committed that crime, our legal system would have said he paid his debt to society. Some people dont seem to recognise that somebody who has been here since five - to say that person is not American after 50 years in the US doesnt make sense to me.
This is the heartwarming moment a lioness suckled orphaned cubs she adopted from her sister after she died of a virus.

The sisters, from the same pride, gave birth simultaneously to seven cubs between them in August 2016.

But disaster struck in January when one of the mothers unexpectedly died from a virus when the young were just four months old, leaving her litter orphaned.

A lioness suckled orphaned cubs she adopted from her sister after she died of a virus

The 10-year-old sisters maternal instincts immediately kicked in and she began raising all seven cubs as her own, leaving her in charge of feeding and protecting all of them.

The new adorable family were captured on camera by private Safari Architects guide, Mike Sutherland, 29, two weeks ago at the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve in South Africa.

Mr Sutherland said: 'This sighting was an incredible morning with great interaction in the pride.

'Unrelated lions will kill young lions, especially unrelated adult males, or new dominant males that move into an area.

The new adorable family were captured on camera by private Safari Architects guide, Mike Sutherland, 29, two weeks ago at the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve in South Africa

Mr Sutherland said: 'This sighting was an incredible morning with great interaction in the pride'

'But thankfully lionesses in the same pride try to synchronise their breeding and females will readily treat all like-age cubs as their own, especially when they're sisters.

'They will nurse them, allow them to suckle, hunt for them, protect them, groom them and look after them and in this pride, it meant that one female was now left to raise seven juvenile cubs on her own due to instinct and focusing on the future of the pride.

'The pride had been feeding on a kill the night before, and were on their way to a watering hole to drink.

Lionesses in the same pride try to synchronise their breeding and females will often treat all like-age cubs as their own, especially when they are sisters

Mr Sutherland added: 'The lioness has proven that she is able to hunt and fend for all seven and so this should be a successful story in the end'

'With full bellies, these cubs were boisterous and playful the entire morning, their playful behaviour is also a way in which these young lions hone their skills for later on in life, when they will need to stalk, chase and hunt their own prey.

'The lioness has proven that she is able to hunt and fend for all seven and so this should be a successful story in the end.'
Nearly half of parents who use marijuana admitted doing so in front of or with their children, according to a new poll by Yahoo! News and the Marist Institute for Public Opinion.

The poll found that 47 percent of those who admitted using the drug did so in full view or alongside their children, who were usually adults.

All of the 1,122 Americans included in the survey were ages 18 and older.

Another key finding from the study included that over half, at 52 percent, of all of the subjects included had tried marijuana at some point in their lives.

Of those users, 54 percent are parents who are currently using the drug, while 65 percent of those who have used it at some point now have children.

A new poll found that 47 percent of those who self-reported cannabis consumption did so in full view or alongside their children, who were usually adults, according to Yahoo in its series titled Weed & the American Family; a family who 'smokes cannabis together' is seen here

This means that marijuana use in general is well positioned to become a major element in family dynamics and discussions, according to Yahoo's analysis.

The survey is part of a series called Weed & the American Family.

'We're a family that smokes cannabis together,' said a young woman, seated between what appeared to be a sibling and her father.

With more and more states legalizing marijuana across the country, for either medical or recreational use, or both, that's likely to be true.

One woman explained how cannabis helped her through post-pregnancy issues.

This family has used the drug to treat their child's seizures; 'Several years ago we started treating our daughter's epilespy with cannabis,' the father said

'I am the mama of two beautiful girls and I used cannabis to treat my Postpartum Depression,'

'I am the mama of two beautiful girls and I used cannabis to treat my Postpartum Depression,' she said.

Another family has used the drug to treat their child's seizures.

'Several years ago we started treating our daughter's epilespy with cannabis,' the father said.

But not everyone is so pro-pot. In the states that haven't yet legalized the plant's consumption, legal ramifications for users may be severe.

'If you are concerned about your children smoking cannabis, your concern needs to be more about what happens to your children if they get a felony for smoking cannabis,' one woman said.

This woman mentioned the harsh reality that cannabis use can lead to a criminal record

The doesn't just apply to America's youth. Another woman explained that her husband has been incarcerated for growing the plant.

'My husband Paul is getting ready to finish a long prison sentence simply for growing cannabis,' she said.

The fact remains that, technically speaking, selling or possessing marijuana is still a federal crime, even if not regularly enforced against the occasional user.

Criminal repercussions don't just apply to America's youth; Another woman explained that her husband has been incarcerated for growing the plant

While social attitudes towards cannabis tend to be shifting, stigma still remains.

Even though more than one quarter of users say theyve consumed marijuana in front of or with their own parents, the flip side of that is that '79 percent of Americans said they would have less respect for a parent who uses marijuana in front of their child  and even among those who use the drug occasionally, 64 percent agree,' according to Yahoo.

Regardless, at present, medical marijuana has been legalized in 28 states plus Washington, DC, and eight states and Washington, DC have made it legal for recreational use. These numbers are current to 2016 election results.
Mikhail Gorbachev has warned of a new era of Cold War, saying an arms race is already underway between Russia and Europe.

The former Russian leader, whose resignation marked the end of the Soviet Union, said 'increasingly militant' politicians are putting relations into a deep freeze.

If both sides fail to halt the slide, he warned, then 'anything is possible'.

Mikhail Gorbachev has warned that Russia and Europe are on the brink of a new Cold War, and that if the slide in relations is not fixed then 'anything can happen'

Gorbachev said that Russian and Nato troops are now stationed 'toe-to-toe' (pictured, American paratroopers in Estonia. The castle behind them is Ivangorod Fortress, in Russia)

Gorbachev spoke to Bild last week in an interview translated by Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty.

He said: 'All the indications of a Cold War are there. The language of politicians and the top-level military personnel is becoming increasingly militant.

'Military doctrines are formulated increasingly harshly. The media picks up on all of this and adds fuel to the fire. The relationship between the big powers continues to worsen.

Speaking about a new arms race, he said: 'It is not merely imminent. In some places, it is already in full swing.

'Troops are being moved into Europe, including heavy equipment such as tanks and armored cars. It was not so long ago that NATO troops and Russian troops were stationed quite far away from each other. They now stand nose-to-nose.'

800 British troops are also due to be stationed in Estonia, with several hundred already there (pictured). Gorbachev said a new arms race 'is in full swing'

A presence of several hundred Nato troops, including British soldiers, is currently stationed in Narva, Estonia, within yards of a disused Russian fortress.

The tiny city is sometimes referred to as being in 'Russia's back yard' and is feared by many to be the next place Putin might strike out at Europe.

Meanwhile Russia has annexed Crimea and is amassing troops on the border - with evidence they are already assisting fighters in eastern Ukraine.

Elsewhere patrols by Russian boats through the English channel and forays into European airspace by Putin's planes is becoming increasingly common.

Gorbachev believes that Russia and European nations such as Germany need to restore relations urgently.

But he added that any European position needs to 'take Russia seriously', while it also needs to be recognised that Russia has not transferred to full democracy yet.
A toddler boy died after being left in a hot car in front of his family home after his mother mistakenly thought the boy's father had taken him inside.

Kingston Jackson died after being found unresponsive in a hot car a few weeks before his second birthday in Burleson, Texas, on Friday night.

The child's mother, Traci Reed Hart, was dropping off Kingston and an older child when a miscommunication occurred between his parents, as she thought the father had removed Kingston and he thought she was taking him with her, according to reports.

Around five hours later, the one-year-old's mother screamed when she found her child unresponsive in his car seat and medics were unable to revive him.

Although the temperature was in the low 80s that Friday evening, the temperature inside the vehicle could have reached 100 degrees, according to reports.

Kingston Jackson, one, died after being found unresponsive in a hot car a few weeks before his second birthday in Burleson, Texas, on Friday night

His mother Traci Reed Hart (pictured) thought Kingston's father had taken him out of the car seat and he thought she was taking Kingston with her to a family member's house

The mother was originally dropping off the children with their father at their home and the eldest child got out of the car on his own, reported NBC DFW.

Hart thought the father removed Kingston from his forward-facing car seat and she then drove off to a family member's house. The father thought she meant to take the child with her.

Hart was inside the home for up to five hours before she returned to the car and was driving back home when she discovered her young son still in the car.

Her screams alerted neighbors, who rushed to the scene to provide CPR on Kingston.

The mother screamed when she discovered her son unresponsive in his car seat when she returned home (pictured), causing neighbors to rush out and administer CPR. He was later taken to a Fort Worth hospital where he died

Medics arrived and took over for around 25 minutes, but the child never regained consciousness, reported The Star Telegram.

He was taken to the Cook Childrens Hospital in Fort Worth where he died right before 8pm that night.

Kingston would have celebrated his second birthday on May 6, and friends of the family have set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs.

The police department said the case was still pending due to the ongoing investigation. No charges, if any, have been made yet.

The cause of death is also still pending and is expected by the end of this week.
Right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones is a 'performance artist' who is just 'playing a character' on his Infowars radio show, according to his lawyer.

The remarks were made in a family court in which Jones's ex-wife, Kelly Jones, is trying to get custody of their three children, aged 9-14, citing her husband's 'unstable' character and possibly illegal remarks.

'He's playing a character,' his attorney, Randall Wilhite, said at a recent pretrial hearing, according to myStatesman. 'He is a performance artist.'

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'Performance': Alex Jones claims that his appearances on his Infowars show are 'performance art' and that he is 'playing a character' in his vitriolic, conspiracy-themed broadcasts

'Unstable': Jones is 'unstable,' claims his wife, who believes he may have committed a felony when he 'threatened' Rep. Adam Schiff in March. Kelly Jones (right) wants custody of their kids

Jones has made a name for himself as the beetroot-faced, lava-spitting host of far-right show Infowars.

The show has featured 'reports' that the government was behind the 9/11 attacks and that the Sandy Hook murders were faked by the government.

He's playing a character. He is a performance artist Randall Wilhite, Alex Jones's lawyer, on his client

It's also become an outlet for Jones to make eye-popping claims including one that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are possessed by demons and smell of sulfur.

His remarks are also known for taking a turn for the violent when he covers liberal celebrities - including a promise to 'break' Alec Baldwin's neck and telling J-Lo to go to Somalia, where she will be 'gang-raped so fast itll make your head spin.'

More recently, on March 30, he called Rep. Adam Schiff a 'c**ksucker' and a 'fairy' after Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, called for an investigation into Trump's Russia ties.

He then threatened to 'beat' Schiff's 'goddamn a**,' before paraphrasing John Wayne in True Grit: 'You got that you goddamn son of a b***h? Fill your hand.'

All three of those instances were cited by Kelly Jones as reasons why her husband is 'not a stable person' who should be entrusted with their kids.

She is especially concerned as the threats against Schiff could constitute a crime, she told the court. Threatening a government official can carry a maximum of 5-10 years in prison.

'Character': The couple divorced in 2015 and Alex Jones got custody of their kids, aged 9-14. Their custody battle is currently in pretrial. Jones claimed his Schiff rant was 'tongue in cheek'

'I'm concerned that he is engaged in felonious behavior, threatening a member of Congress,' she said. 'He broadcasts from home. The children are there, watching him broadcast.'

That makes her concerned for their son, 14, and daughters, nine and 12, who have lived with Alex Jones since their divorce concluded in 2015, she said.

She also said that there is no difference between the Alex Jones that appears on the show and the one raising their children.

'I'm concerned that he is engaged in felonious behavior, threatening a member of Congress... The children are there, watching him broadcast Kelly Jones, Alex Jones' ex-wife

But Jones's lawyer said that the claims aimed at his client were absurd - as ridiculous as judging Jack Nicholson's character based on his performance as the Joker in Tim Burton's 1989 Batman movie.

State district judge Orlinda Naranjo said she had never heard of Jones before he appeared in her court, and listened to clips of Infowars episodes to decide whether they could be heard in court.

She allowed two clips - one of him smoking marijuana in California, where it is legal, and one of him bringing his son onto the show.

In the latter clip, first broadcast in July 2015, when his son was 12, Jones invites his son to play a video - one of 15-20 he had made with the Infowars team who had 'taken him under their wing'.

'He is undoubtedly cut out for this, and I intend for him to eclipse what Ive done,' Jones said. 'He's a way greater person than I was at 12.

''I love you so much, and I didn't mean to get you up here, sweetheart, and tell people how much I love you, but you're so handsome, and you're a good little knight who's going to grow up, I know, to be a great fighter against the enemy.'

However, Naranjo said the jury would not be allowed to hear Jones's rant against Schiff, including its anti-gay slurs and threats of violence.

'This case is not about Infowars, and I dont want it to be about Infowars,' Naranjo said.

Days after his anti-Schiff rant - and after the media pointed out that threatening a Representative is illegal - Jones walked back his comments on-air, in a rare retraction.

He said the outlandish remarks were 'clearly tongue-in-cheek and basically art performance, as I do in my rants, which I admit I do, as a form of art.'

'When I say, "I'm going to kick your ass," it's the Infowar,' he added. 'I say every day we're going to destroy you with the truth.'
Here are the special event street closures for Thursday-Sunday:

Thursday-Friday

Grass Roots Motorsports Tour of the Mitty: Fort Street will be closed between W. 13th Street and W. 14th Street from Thursday at 4:30 p.m. through Friday at 10 a.m. for this event. The Coker Tire Tour Presented by Vredestein begins at Coker Tire headquarters in Chattanooga and ends at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga., just in time for the 2017 Speedfest at the Classic Motorsports Mitty. The event in Chattanooga includes a cookout and tours of the museum. Visit www.themitty.com for more information.

Friday

Unum Celebrates Earth Day Street Fair: Walnut Street will be closed between E. 5th St. and E. 6th St. from 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. for an employee celebration of Earth Day.

Friday-Sunday

4 Bridges Arts Festival: Reggie White Boulevard will be closed from the entrance to the skate park at First Tennessee Pavilion to W. 19th Street from Thursday at 10 a.m. through Sunday at 6 p.m. The 4 Bridges Arts Festival returns for its 17th year to bring world-class fine art to the region. 4 Bridges is a fully juried show with artists awards totaling $15,000. Diversity in mediums and styles in a truly unique 50,000 sq. ft. covered pavilion mix with serious art buyers from across the region, and beyond, to create an atmosphere unlike any other. Visit www.4bridgesartsfestival.org for more information.

Saturday

Color The House 5K: There will be multiple lane closures on E. 4th Street, Houston Street, Palmetto Street and E. 5th Street, as well as road closures on Oak Street, Vine Street and Douglas Street from 8:45-11:30 a.m. on Saturday for this race. UTCs Alpha Delta Pi Sorority is hosting a 5k to benefit the Chattanooga Ronald McDonald House. It costs $35 to register for the 5k and $30 for the one mile family fun run/walk, $20 for UTC students and children. To register, visit www.imathlete.com and search Color the House 5k & 1 Mile.

Saturday

CSAS Book It! 5K: One westbound lane of E. 3rd Street will be closed from Siskin Drive to Mabel Street, along with a single lane on Mabel Street in Battery Park, from 7-10 a.m. for this 5K. Proceeds from the 2nd annual race will go largely to the CSAS Upper School Library, but proceeds from the mile and 1/2 mile races will be split between Elementary PE and the Upper School Library. They also plan to donate a percentage of revenue to The Chattanooga Community Kitchen. For more information, visit https://racesonline.com/events/csas-book-it-5k-sponsored-by-ptsa.

In order to view a map of these closures, please visit: http://www.chattanooga.gov/transportation/traffic-engineering-a-operations/special-events-a-street-closures






Nanette Louise Perkins, pictured, was arrested after conducting at least six bank robberies in the Salt Lake City area this weekend. For at least one of them, she wore plaid pajama bottoms, also pictured

A Utah woman has been arrested after she was identified as the pajama-wearing robber in at least six bank robberies in the Salt Lake City area, police said Monday.

Nanette Louise Perkins's crime spree included five banks she hit in less than two hours on Saturday morning.

She also robbed a bank on Friday afternoon.

Perkins, 40, was arrested Sunday afternoon at home in suburban Taylorsville after Salt Lake City police received a tip about her identity, Unified police Lieutenant Brian Lohrke said.

According to police, the robber did little to hide her appearance during robberies Friday and Saturday morning at banks in Salt Lake City, Holladay, West Valley City, Cottonwood Heights and Sandy.

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Perkins was arrested on Sunday afternoon after being positively identified by her boyfriend and her son. Her previous convictions include felony theft and credit card fraud-related crimes

She was seen on bank surveillance camera images and described as wearing plaid pajama bottoms, black prescription eyeglasses, a dark shirt and a blue bandanna over dark hair in a ponytail or bun.

Lohrke said the robber passed notes to tellers, never showed a weapon and got cash in five of the six banks.

She left one empty-handed, fleeing the scene after a teller refused her request, Fox13 reported.

She allegedly gave her boyfriend, who was not identified, $4,200 in cash on Saturday.

Both her boyfriend and her son identified her in surveillance footage from the banks.

The police spokesman said he did not know what Perkins was wearing when she was arrested.

During the robberies, Perkins would approach the teller with a note demanding money. She never displayed a weapon. In one of the banks, the teller refused to comply with the demand and Perkins fled. Pictured: Surveillance footage of Perkins robbing a bank

She was being held without bail at the Salt Lake County jail pending an initial court appearance on felony charges.

She was previously convicted of felony theft and credit card fraud-related crimes in 2012 and 2013, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
Peter Brant Jr. made a fashionable appearance at Queens County Criminal Court on Monday morning, where he was spotted in a pair of $455 Yves Saint Laurent espadrilles and a $2,395 Burberry trench.

The young socialite spoke with DailyMail.com as he strolled out of the building, one day before he was originally due to face the judge on charges stemming from a 2016 confrontation he had with Jet Blue staff at John F. Kennedy Airport.

When asked how the case was going outside the court, Brant said: 'It's always going well. They love me in Queens, don't you know that?'

Brant is the son of supermodel Stephanie Seymour and billionaire businessman and art collector Peter Brant.

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Legal matters: Peter Brant Jr. (above) appeared in Queens County Criminal Court on Monday for a hearing in his case

Ducky: Brant Jr. wore a Burberry trench that retails for $2295 on the cloudy day (above)

Flashy footwear: Brant Jr. was also wearing a pair of Yves Saint Laurent espadrilles that retail for $455

Telephone tag: Brant has already entered a guilty plea to a charge of resisting arrest and had a misdemeanor charge of causing physical injury to an officer dismissed.

Brant has already entered a guilty plea to a charge of resisting arrest and had a misdemeanor charge of causing physical injury to an officer dismissed.

He has been performing community service at the charity Gideons Promise in hopes of getting all the charges dismissed and his record sealed.

Judge Gia Morris ordered Brant to next appear in court in June.

Brant Jr. 'became so confrontational with airline staff due to extreme intoxication by at least alcohol, if not something more' said Assistant District Attorney Catherine Kane during the socialite's first court appearance back in March of last year.

She also noted he set off alarms after bursting through an emergency exit when told he could not board his 5pm flight.

His lawyer meanwhile said of his client; 'He acted like an idiot.'

Brant, who claims he only had three drinks, was eventually released on $5,000 bail.

Mugshot: The 23-year-old was arrested in March 2016 after getting into an altercation with Port Authority officers and Jet Blue Staff at JFK Airport (mugshot above)

Sneaking in: Brant had originally been scheduled to appear in court on April 18 but met with Judge Gia Morris one day early

Good news: When asked how the case was going, Brant told DailyMail.com: 'It's always going well. They love me in Queens, don't you know that?'

Parental units: Brant is the son of supermodel Stephanie Seymour and billionaire businessman and art collector Peter Brant

Brant was at John F. Kennedy Airport waiting to board a JetBlue fight to West Palm Beach when he reportedly got into an argument with an airline employee who reportedly stopped him for getting on the plane.

A source said the 22-year-old socialite was acting 'drunk and belligerent' at the time.

Port Authority police reported to the scene and told Brant Jr. to sit down and lower his voice, at which point he allegedly assaulted one of the cops.

Brant Jr. was arrested after the alleged assault and taken to Jamaica Hospital where police said he would be treated for severe intoxication and undergo a psych evaluation.

He and his younger brother Harry have been fixtures on the New York fashion and society scenes, and recently released a unisex make-up collection with MAC cosmetics.

Brant Jr. was rumored to be dating Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece at the time of the incident, who he was spotted with at a pajama party hosted by Dolce & Gabbana last year and then later at a Met Ball afterparty and Paris Couture Week over the summer.

Goals: 'New Years resolutions: Eat more Caviar, Read more Edith Wharton, Spend more time in the sun... off to a pretty good start so far,' wrote Brant on this Instagram post in January

Moving forward: The case was adjourned until June at the end of the hearing on Monday

Rive gauche: Brant was at John F. Kennedy Airport waiting to board a JetBlue fight to West Palm Beach when he reportedly got into an argument with an airline employee

This is just the latest run-in with police for the Brant family, with Seymour being arrested and charged with DUI in January after her Range Rover allegedly rolled backwards down a hill into a white Mercedes.

Police responding to the scene said she smelled of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes, and took seven tries to find her ID in her bag.

Seymour avoided jail time by signing up for her second stint in rehab.

In 2011, Seymour also called police to report an incident of domestic abuse at the family's Greenwich, Connecticut home.

Brant Jr. was also ticketed for possession of marijuana in 2014 while in Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood.
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North Korea has threatened to launch weekly missile tests after US Vice President Mike Pence warned that the 'era of patience' with Kim Jong-un is over.

Vice Foreign Minister Han Song-Ryol has ramped up the tension between the two nations by saying: 'We'll be conducting more missile tests on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis.'

He also said that an 'all out war' was a possibility if the US responded by taking military action against Pyongyang.

The secretive state's deputy U.N. ambassador has also accused Washington of turning the Korean peninsula into 'the world's biggest hotspot' and creating 'a dangerous situation in which a thermonuclear war may break out at any moment.'

Kim In Ryong told a news conference today that U.S.-South Korean military exercises being staged now are the largest-ever 'aggressive war drill.'

He said North Korea's measures to bolster its nuclear forces are self-defensive 'to cope with the US vicious nuclear threat and blackmail.'

Before adding that his country 'is ready to react to any mode of war desired by the US.'

North Korea has vowed to launch missile tests on a 'weekly, monthly and yearly basis' days after displaying missiles Pyongyang claims to be capable of hitting the US

North Korea's vice foreign minister Han Song-Ryol (left) said that Pyongyang will be launching weekly missile tests after Vice President Mike Pence warned that Washington's 'era of patience' with Kim Jong-un is over

The statement of intent comes after Pence, speaking in the perilous Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea, reiterated that 'all options are on the table' to deal with the threat posed by Kim Jong-un's administration.

Pence said President Donald Trump are hopeful that China will now use its 'extraordinary levers' to pressure the North to abandon its nuclear and ballistic program.

This morning he warned Kim Jong-un not to 'test the resolve' of the President and insisted any use of nuclear weapons by the secretive state would be met with 'an overwhelming and effective response'.

The visit came shortly after a failed North Korean missile launch that some claim may have been 'thwarted by cyber attacks from the US.'

President Trump has ordered a naval strike group, led by the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, to the region, though the vessels remain a long way from the peninsula.

But this morning, Japanese media claimed both China and Russia had dispatched intelligence-gathering vessels from their navies to chase the 'armada' amid mounting concern over the US deployment. The claims were made by multiple sources of the Japanese government, according to The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper.

Russia today warned Washington against launching a unilateral strike on North Korea claiming the US was on a 'risky path'.

Vice President Mike Pence arrives at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) which has separated the two Koreas since the Korean War

Pence arrived at Camp Bonifas on Monday morning for a briefing with military leaders and to meet with American troops stationed there

Pence is seen above walking with Commander General Vincent K. Brooks upon his arrival at Camp Bonifas near the DMZ Monday morning local time in Korea

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said: 'We do not accept the reckless nuclear missile actions of Pyongyang that breach UN resolutions, but that does not mean that you can break international law. I hope that there will not be any unilateral actions like the one we saw recently in Syria.'

Last night, the US refused to rule out a pre-emptive strike on North Korea as Trump's national security adviser warned the situation was 'coming to a head'.

After the rogue state ran a missile test that failed, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said 'all our options are on the table' to try to 'avoid the worst'.

Frantic talks were taking place with allies including China to 'develop a range of options' in an attempt to quell tensions and calm fears of thermo-nuclear war.

But, with a strike group of US forces already posted to the Korean Peninsula,Mr Trump added further fuel to the fire, saying he had been forced to beef up his military.

On Twitter, the President wrote: 'Our military is building and is rapidly becoming stronger than ever before. Frankly, we have no choice.'

Mr Trump and General McMaster said they hoped China would convince its neighbour, which depends on Beijing to prop up its trades and finances, to stop the crisis escalating.

US Vice President Mike Pence has warned the 'era of patience' with Kim Jong-un (pictured, right on Saturday) is over as he insisted America's commitment to South Korea is 'iron-clad'

Tensions between North Korea and the US were already on a knife-edge over the posting of the strike group led by a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to the region  a move that was denounced by North Korea

On Saturday dictator Kim Jong-un's regime displayed its military muscle in a huge parade, before yesterday's missile test which exploded within seconds.

The medium-range missile  fired from a base in the Sinpo area  ended in farce because it 'blew up almost immediately', sources said. The US Pacific Command said it believed it to be a ballistic missile, which is initially powered and guided, but then uses gravity to fall to its target.

Of its failure, former British conservative foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind told the BBC on Sunday: 'It could have failed because the system is not competent enough to make it work, but there is a very strong belief that the US - through cyber methods - has been successful on several occasions in interrupting these sorts of tests and making them fail.'

The US, its allies and China are working together on a range of responses to North Korea's latest failed ballistic missile test, Trump's national security adviser said, citing what he called an international consensus to act.

But Mr Pence and South Korean acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn said they were troubled by retaliatory moves by China against the deployment of in South Korea of a US anti-missile system known as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).

'The United States is troubled by China's economic retaliation against South Korea for taking appropriate steps to defend itself,' the Vice President said.

South Korea, which accuses China or discriminating against some South Korean companies working in China, and the United States say the sole purpose of THAAD is to guard against North Korean missiles. China says its powerful radar can penetrate its territory and undermine its security and spoke out against it again on Monday.

Mr Pence, on his visit to the region, said there had been a 'period of patience' over the years over North Korea but 'the era of strategic patience is over.'

Pence stands next to his daughter, Audrey, as she peers out over the DMZ through a pair of binoculars inside an observation post

The visit carries a great deal of symbolism for Pence personally. His late father, Edward, served in the Army during the Korean War and was awarded the Bronze Star on April 15, 1953

Pence said the US was going to rebuild its military, 'restore the arsenal of democracy' and give troops the resources they needed to accomplish their mission

Pence is seen above shaking hands with an American soldier during a meeting with US and South Korean troops at Camp Bonifas near Pannmunjom

Pence says the 'era of strategic patience is over' with North Korea, expressing impatience with the willingness of the North Korean regime to move toward ridding itself of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles

Two North Korean soldiers look at the south side as a South Korean soldier, center, stands guard while Pence visited the border village of Panmunjom

Measuring 150 miles long, the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) became the de facto border that separates North and South Korea following the end of the Korean War in 1953

He said the Trump administration hoped their clarity will be received in North Korea, adding the US and its allies will achieve its objectives through 'peaceable means or ultimately by whatever means are necessary' to protect South Korea and stabilise the region.

Mr Pence told reporters near the DMZ that the alliance between South Korea and the U.S. is 'ironclad' and reiterated that 'all options are on the table' to pressure North Korea to get rid of its nuclear weapons and missile program.

Mr Pence, who is on a 10-day Asian tour, visited a military base near the DMZ, Camp Bonifas, for a briefing with military leaders and to meet with American troops stationed there.

The joint U.S.-South Korean military camp is just outside the 2.5-mile-wide DMZ.Pence, who had flown into South Korea yesterday, accused North Korea of 'provocation'.

The DMZ is one of the most heavily fortified regions in the world. It is a swath of territory that lies roughly along the 38th parallel.

Measuring 150 miles long, it became the de facto border that separates North and South Korea following the end of the Korean War in 1953.

Despite occasional fluctuations in geopolitical tensions, the DMZ has largely remained quiet since the war.

Pence said the US was going to rebuild its military, 'restore the arsenal of democracy' and give troops the resources they needed to accomplish their mission.

Evoking former president George W Bush's speeches on the eve of the Afghan and Iraq wars, Mr Pence said 'freedom will ever prevail'.

The visit carries a great deal of symbolism for the Vice President personally. His late father, Edward, served in the Army during the Korean War and was awarded the Bronze Star on April 15, 1953.

Mr Pence displays his father's Bronze Star and a photograph of his father receiving the honor in his office and said it was 'humbling for me to be here.'

'My father served in the Korean War in the U.S. Army. On the way here, we saw some of the terrain my father fought in,' he said.

'We're grateful every day. It's a great honor to be here.'
Home Secretary Amber Rudd is looking into proposals for the 'Barista Visa'

The Home Secretary is considering plans for barista visas which would allow young Europeans to work in the hospitality industry after Britain leaves the EU.

Amber Rudd is looking into the plans which would give young people from 27 European Union countries the opportunity to work in bars and coffee shops for two years.

The scheme is being promoted by former Foreign Office diplomat Lord Green of Deddington, the chairman of think-tank Migration Watch UK.

It follows concerns raised by employers that there may be a shortage of workers post-Brexit.

Those in the scheme would only be able to spend two years in the UK, and wont be able to claim benefits or free housing.

Migration Watch UK deputy chairman Alp Mehmet told Mail Online: 'The existing youth mobility scheme could form the basis of future, post-Brexit, arrangements, to enable young EU nationals (18 to 30 year-olds) to spend up to two years in the UK.

'They could both get to know the culture and people of the UK while at the same time work and pay for their extended stay.

'We would of course expect reciprocal arrangements for our young people.

'Such a scheme could not only maintain and strengthen existing ties between us and our current EU partners but also help meet the needs of areas of the economy like the hospitality sector. I hope the government gives the idea a fair wind.'

Those in the scheme would only be able to spend two years in the UK, and wont be able to claim benefits or free housing

The visa is based on the existing Youth Mobility Scheme visas granted to young people aged 18-30 from eight countries; Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and Monaco.

Mr Mehmet added: 'They can work, earn a bit of money and pay for their stay - but what it doesn't do is give them the opportunity for settlement.

'This scheme is potentially a way for providing some of the workers for the hospitality sector - such as Pret, Starbucks - where there is a steady stream of young people going through those jobs, working in the holidays or studying at the same time.

'It is a way of meeting the needs of the hospitality industry and providing an opportunity for young people to move around and see the world.

'This is simply our proposal. The Government has to make up its own mind but we hope it considers it in the future.

'Last year there were 22,000 people admitted on to the Youth Mobility Scheme so there is clearly demand for it.

'I believe the Home Office are considering it.'

The scheme is being promoted by former Foreign Office diplomat Lord Green of Deddington, the chairman of think-tank Migration Watch UK

A Home Office spokesperson said: 'Leaving the European Union allows Britain to take control of our immigration system.

'We are working across Government to identify and develop options to shape our future system to ensure the best possible outcome for the British people.

'It is logical to consult on proposals to make sure businesses, services and communities can contribute their views.

'However, as we are currently considering the various options as to how EU migration might work once we have left, it would be wrong to set out further positions at this stage.'
Jersey Shore star Michael 'The Situation' Sorrentino and his brother pleaded not guilty to filing fake tax returns and claiming inappropriate expenses.

Michael and Marc Sorrentino denied the charges - which include accusations that they claimed luxury car and clothing purchases as business expenses - during an arraignment in a federal court in Newark.

'This is a complicated case - Michael is not a complicated person,' his attorney, Henry Klingeman, told reporters outside the courthouse after the hearing.

Michael 'The Situation' Sorrentino (with girlfriend Lauren Pesce) appeared in court Monday to plead not guilty to tax fraud charges. He had pleaded not guilty to other fraud claims in 2014

Marc Sorrentino's attorney declined to comment on the proceedings.

These charges have been added to previous claims against the pair.

In 2014 the brothers pleaded not guilty to charges that they filed bogus tax returns on nearly $9 million and claimed millions of personal expenses as business expenses.

Michael Sorrentino, 34, was indicted this month on charges including tax evasion, structuring bank deposits to avoid reporting requirements and falsifying records.

Marc Sorrentino was charged with falsifying records to obstruct a grand jury investigation.

Prosecutors allege Michael Sorrentino didn't pay federal income tax owed on the $8.9 million he earned from 2010 to 2012.

They also say he failed to file a personal tax return for 2011 and filed fake corporate returns for one of the companies the brothers set up after he gained fame on the show.

He also made a series of bank deposits of under $10,000 to avoid bank reporting requirements, they claim.

After the brothers were served with grand jury subpoenas seeking records from their companies, prosecutors allege Marc Sorrentino falsified records to reclassify taxable payments to himself as nontaxable payments and business deductions.

'The Situation' appeared on all six seasons of the MTV reality show, which followed the lives of rowdy housemates on New Jersey's famed Atlantic shore and ran from 2009 to 2012.
The porn industry has ground to a halt over fears that an adult film star has HIV.

Porn's leading trade body, the Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has called for all filming to stop after the actor received a 'possible positive' test result during routine STD screening.

A statement on the organisation's website stated it wanted 'a precautionary production hold after a possible positive test for HIV by an adult performer listed in the PASS (Performer Availability Screening Services) database'.

They said that the actor, whose name has not been released, had not caught HIV on set, and insisted that they 'had not participated in any fluid exchange shoots since their last negative test.'

The US porn industry has ground to a halt over fears that an adult film star has HIV (stock image)

The porn star's positive HIV test has not yet been confirmed although a definitive result will be know within a few days.

'If it is a false positive, the hold will be lifted on Wednesday,' the statement said.

The FSC say they will begin notifying all of the porn star's past partners and will retest anyone who had come into contact with them since their last negative test.

The porn industry has been working to improve health and safety conditions for its performers after a number of scares in the past ten years and no one has caught HIV on a PASS regulated set in the past decade.

But a law that would have given California the power to prosecute porn producers who don't make their performers wear condoms, failed to pass last year.

And while greater testing in the industry has been welcomed, it is not infallible.

In 2016, a male adult film actor in California unknowingly infected two men with HIV because the virus went undetected by lab tests, a report by the Center for Disease Control revealed.

The then 25-year-old male was diagnosed with HIV just 22 days after he first tested negative. During this time, he had unprotected sex with a total of 12 male performers, and five other men outside of work.

Porn's leading trade body, the Free Speech Coalition has called for all filming to stop after the actor received a 'possible positive' test result during routine STD screening (stock image)

The CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report warned at the time that 'adult film performers and production companies...should be aware that testing alone is not sufficient to prevent HIV transmission.'

California, home to the multi-billion-dollar porn industry, has long been embroiled in a controversial debate over safe sex practices on set.

The last confirmed time two porn stars contracted HIV on set was in 2004, when most of the major production companies agreed to shut down for 60 days to prevent the virus from spreading.

And STD testing was upped to every two weeks after actor Cameron Bay and her boyfriend Rod Daily caught HIV in 2013.

Bay has called for safe sex on set, as she said that the number of HIV infections proves the industry wrong when they say testing performers for the virus and other sexually transmitted diseases is sufficient.

The actress says she was naive to trust industry STD tests and said other performers told her not to ask for condoms.

'I learned that there's always someone younger and sexier, willing to do something you're not,' Bay told the Huffington Post. 'I think we need more choices because of that. Condoms should be a choice.'

The porn industry disagrees, arguing that its own regulatory system of testing actors every 14 days is sufficient.

Actors are supposed to turn up on set with their results, and co-stars can refuse to work with an individual if they failed to get tested, or if the results came back positive for STIs.

Devastated: Rod Daily, left, and Cameron Bay, both adult film performers who became infected with HIV while working in the adult industry in 2013

Many actors have also spoken up against the mandatory use of condom. They say because filming can last for hours on end, this form of protection can cause uncomfortable chafing or friction burns for both men and women.

Eric Paul Leue, the executive director of the Free Speech Coalition which represents pornography producers, said that biweekly HIV tests have successfully prevented outbreaks in more than a decade.

Instead of condoms, he supports the widespread use of a prophylactic drug called Truvada that can lower the risks for HIV-negative porn actors.

The CDC report notes that these drugs have to be taken daily, making regulations even more difficult.

Despite the most recent scare, the FSC assured adult performers that there has not been a on-set transmission of HIV in a decade on a PASS regulated set.

Porn industry rights group The Adult Performer Advocacy Committee have supported the temporary halt in filming.

'Based on the current genealogy, there is low-risk to the performer pool,' the APAC said in a statement. 'APAC will release a statement within the next few days regarding whether the production hold is called off or if a two-week moratorium is necessary,' it added.
President Donald Trump warned North Korea Monday that it needs to keep its nuclear ambitions in check.

'Gotta behave,' he said to a reporter who asked him about the Asian country's failed missile test this morning as he departed the White House Easter Egg Roll.

North Korea had a ballistic missile fizzle out Sunday as Vice President Mike Pence was traveling to the Korean Peninsula.

Tempers were running hot heading into the weekend, with North Korea saying Friday that the countries were on brink of war after Trump characterized the country as a problem that he said the US and its allies would take care.

Pence layered on the threats Monday in Seoul, as he stood next to the acting president of South Korea.

'The era of strategic patience is over,' Pence said.

President Donald Trump warned North Korea Monday that it needed to keep its nuclear ambitions in check. 'Gotta behave,' he said

Trump told Fox & Friends host Ainsley Earnhardt in an interview later that he hopes 'things work out well' with North Korea and there will be peace between the United States and the communist government.

'But theyve been talking with this gentleman for a long time,' he said, referring to North Korea's dictator, Kim Jong-un.

Trump had previously latched on to conservative claims that his tough talk toward North Korea and military strikes in Afghanistan and Syria had 'exposed the total failures' of Barack Obama's foreign policies after Earnhardt's Fox & Friends co-hosts brought it up on Monday's program.

The president told her later the Barack Obama and Bill Clinton were 'outplayed' by Kim.

'You read [Bill] Clintons book and he said "Oh, we made such a great peace deal" and it was a joke. You look at different things over the years with President Obama,' he said. 'Everybody has been out played. Theyve all been outplayed by this gentleman and well see what happens. I just dont telegraph my moves.'

Pence also hit the previous administration in a news conference from Seoul.

'Strategic patience has been the approach of the last American administration and beyond,' he said. 'For more than two decades, the United States and our allies have worked to peacefully dismantle North Koreas nuclear program and alleviate the suffering of their people.'

Continuing he said, 'At every step of the way, North Korea answered our overtures with willful deception, broken promises, and nuclear and missile tests.'

Pence similarly told CNN, as he visited the Demilitarized Zone between North Korea and South Korea, 'We're going to abandon the failed policy of strategic patience. But we're going to redouble our efforts to bring diplomatic and economic pressure to bear on North Korea. Our hope is that we can resolve this issue peaceably.'

North Korea threatened to launch weekly missile tests in response.

The country's Vice Foreign Minister Han Song-Ryo, said, 'We'll be conducting more missile tests on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis.'

He also said that an 'all out war' was a possibility if the US responded by taking military action against Pyongyang.

North Korea's deputy U.N. ambassador accused Washington after of turning the Korean peninsula into 'the world's biggest hotspot' and creating 'a dangerous situation in which a thermonuclear war may break out at any moment.'

Kim In Ryong told a news conference today that U.S.-South Korean military exercises being staged now are the largest-ever 'aggressive war drill.'

He said North Korea's measures to bolster its nuclear forces are self-defensive 'to cope with the US vicious nuclear threat and blackmail.' Kim said his country 'is ready to react to any mode of war desired by the US.'

Vice President Mike Pence layered on the threats Monday in Seoul, as he stood next to the acting president of South Korea. 'The era of strategic patience is over,' he said

President Trump has ordered a naval strike group, led by the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, to the region, though the vessels remain a long way from the peninsula.

But this morning, Japanese media claimed both China and Russia had dispatched intelligence-gathering vessels from their navies to chase the 'armada' amid mounting concern over the US deployment. The claims were made by multiple sources of the Japanese government, according to The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper.

Russia today warned Washington against launching a unilateral strike on North Korea claiming the US was on a 'risky path'.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said: 'We do not accept the reckless nuclear missile actions of Pyongyang that breach UN resolutions, but that does not mean that you can break international law. I hope that there will not be any unilateral actions like the one we saw recently in Syria.'

Last night, the US refused to rule out a pre-emptive strike on North Korea as Trump's national security adviser warned the situation was 'coming to a head'.

After the rogue state ran a missile test that failed, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said 'all our options are on the table' to try to 'avoid the worst'.

Frantic talks were taking place with allies including China to 'develop a range of options' in an attempt to quell tensions and calm fears of thermo-nuclear war.

The US, its allies and China are working together on a range of responses to North Korea's latest failed ballistic missile test, Trump's national security adviser said, citing what he called an international consensus to act.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Monday that Saturday's failed North Korean missile launch was an 'unsuccessful military attack'

Trump added fuel to the fire Sunday, saying he had been forced to beef up his military.

On Twitter, the President wrote: 'Our military is building and is rapidly becoming stronger than ever before. Frankly, we have no choice.'

Pence and South Korean acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn said Monday that they were troubled by retaliatory moves by China against the deployment of in South Korea of a US anti-missile system known as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).

'The United States is troubled by China's economic retaliation against South Korea for taking appropriate steps to defend itself,' the Vice President said.

In his remarks the vice president specifically referred to the episode from the weekend as a 'failed missile launch' Monday as he slapped North Korea for conducting unlawful nuclear tests and and illicit ballistic missile tests.

But White House press secretary Sean Spicer said on Monday that the ballistic missile test was an 'unsuccessful military attack,' adding a new wrinkle to an episode that has ramped up political tensions in the far East.

Spicer's characterization of the test launch, which saw the missile explode seconds after liftoff, was the first suggestion that Kim's rogue regime may have been trying to strike a strategic target.

If that were the case, it would support the theory that the U.S. intentionally sabotaged the launch.

'Watching another unsuccessful military attack ensures that we continue to keep safe not just South Korea  other areas of the region safe  but it is good for the world,' Spicer said during an interview on 'Fox & Friends.'

The stunning statement om 'Fox & Friends' suggests that the missile, which exploded seconds after liftoff, had a strategic target

Vice President Mike Pence said in South Korea that America's era of 'strategic patience' with Pyongyang has come to an end

Spicer said later that he misspoke after DailyMail.com asked him about the claim at the White House daily briefing.

He said 'it was an unsuccessful launch,' indicating twice that he has no special knowledge of a planned attack.

'It was an unsuccessful missile launch,' he said a second time when pressed.

Last week Spicer claimed the Nazi regime during World War II didn't deploy chemical weapons, later undertaking an apology tour on cable and broadcast news networks.

North Korea is thought to be closing in on the ability to fire a nuclear warhead at long-range targets, which would upset the balance of power in the Asia-Pacific region.

A reporter brought up Spicer's dismissal at a previous briefing of North Korea as a fake threat. 'I don't think that...threatening something that you don't have the capability of isn't really a threat,' he'd said.

Spicer said then that 'there's no evidence' that North Korea has the 'capability at this time' to carry out a nuclear attack. 'So I don't know that that could happen.'

The reporter asked Spicer today what had changed and whether the administration's no-nonsense rhetoric is just 'smoke and mirrors to hide some of the problems on the White House staff, some of the failings of his domestic social agenda.'

'I think, I don't think there's anybody in the world who did not believe that North Korea's actions aren't both provocative and of concern,' Spicer tersely responded. 'So the actions we're taking ... they're appropriate and justified.'

Spicer has a reputation for misspeaking with imprecise language, meaning that his pronouncement about a North Korean military 'attack' may have no basis in fact

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said on the same Fox News Channel broadcast that President Donald Trump 'will take action' if it's warranted

This morning White House chief counselor Kellyanne Conway suggested that U.S. action to disrupt the weekend's launch wouldn't be out of the question.

Referring to Vice President Mike Pence's comments in Seoul on Monday, she said he 'made very clear that the administration would like to go through peaceful means.

'But between the airstrikes in Syria and Afghanistan, this administration has made very clear that it will take action when it feels it is appropriate.'

Pence warned Pyongyang that 'the era of strategic patience is over,' and insisted America's commitment to South Korea is 'iron-clad.'

Conway said that if there are more missile launches in North Korea, 'President Trump will do what he always does, which is consult with his National Security Council, his generals, his cabinet' before deciding on a response.

And Spicer cautioned that 'we're prepared for multiple contingencies.'

'This president has been very clear that he's not going to telegraph his response to any particular threat before it needs to happen,' he said.

Describing this administration's position on North Korean aggression, Spicer highlighted the administration's 'stepped up' efforts to get China to use its economic influence on North Korea to force Kim Jong-un's hand.

The Obama administration's policy of strategic patience amounted to a game of 'wait and see,' he said.

'That policy is not one that is prudent,' Spicer stated.

But asked about the administration's own policies and the role it expects China to play in the escalating conflict, he said, 'Let's see how that goes.'

Meanwhile Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is warning the Trump administration against launching a unilateral pre-emptive strike on North Korea, claiming the U.S. is on a 'risky path.'

'We do not accept the reckless nuclear missile actions of Pyongyang that breach UN resolutions, but that does not mean that you can break international law,' Lavrov said. 'I hope that there will not be any unilateral actions like the one we saw recently in Syria.'

National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said Sunday night that tensions on the Korean peninsula are 'coming to a head,' adding that 'all our options are on the table' to try to 'avoid the worst.'

Trump's son Eric said on 'Fox & Friends' that his father 'will keep America safe.'

'You pray for peace, but he will show real leadership, and that's something that hasn't occurred in the past. And it will start occurring,' the younger Trump said.

'And you saw that quite frankly in Syria and you saw that in Afghanistan. And he will take action if he needs to take action.'

'You have to have massive backbone when it comes to dealing with awful, awful dictators who don't like us, don't like our way of life,' he added.

Later, at his briefing, Spicer said Trump would not put forward a 'red line' when it comes to action in North Korea as he reiterated the administration's willingness to take whatever action is necessary.

'I don't think you're going to see the president drawing red lines in the sand,' he said.
An outlandish story about a married couple who turned out to be related was a hoax.

The tale of a husband and wife who found out they were twins when they tried to get IVF treatment tricked several major news publications last week, after appearing on a site purporting to be the 'Mississippi Herald' newspaper.

The newspaper website - which only came into existence in November and features mundane local news alongside several outlandish tales - had claimed that the couple were orphaned in a car crash and separately adopted.

After meeting in college, they supposedly got married and only discovered they were twins when they got a DNA test as part of a consultation for IVF fertility treatment.

The story was run on numerous sites, including Fox News, The Sun, Metro, Huffington Post, The Independent, Elite Daily and The Daily Mirror (DailyMail.com also ran a version of the story, which has since been removed).

Fake news site 'Mississippi Herald' spread a hoax story about twins getting married last week. There is no printed newspaper by that name, and the site is connected to other fake news sites

Though the identity of the couple could reasonably be withheld for medical privacy reasons, no other corroborating details were provided.

The story claimed the incident happened in Jackson, Misssissippi and featured several quotes from the supposed doctor who made the discovery.

However, the august-sounding 'Mississipi Herald' doesn't have any stories more than a week old. There is no printed newspaper by that name, which most closely apes the Mississippi Sun-Herald of Biloxi and the North Mississippi Herald of Water Valley.

A quick glance at the Mississippi Herald's few days' worth of stories reveals such real-sounding headlines such as 'Legal Challenges Over Mississippi's Death Penalty'.

But on closer read, that garbled story about the death penalty sounds like a Wikipedia article run through Google translate: 'One of the state's leading carrot reviewers says the suit isn't went for upsetting capital punishment in Mississippi, just at looking for a superior method for executing individuals.'

The viral story about the twins has more polished prose, but curiously ends with a link to the 'Florida Sun Post' for a story (also a hoax) about a man who cut off his own genitals and fed them to an alligator while high on meth.

The Florida Sun Post and the Mississippi Herald share an account code for Google AdSense in their source code, and are part of a network of fake news sites, an investigation by BuzzFeed News revealed.

Other sites in the network include the Alabama Observer, which recently published a hoax about a man marrying his granddaughter, and the Boston Leader, which ran a fake story about a man losing his testicles while trying to fill a scuba tank with marijuana smoke.

The sites share the same AdSense code with the Denver Inquirer, which in December ran a nearly identical hoax story to the Mississippi Herald, about a married couple discovering they are twins.
A mother and her two-year-old son were strangled to death in their Atlanta home by her landlord-boyfriend's son.

Brandon Williams, 32, is charged with murdering Natalie Nation, 30, and her son Cole at his father's home in the 2700 block of Tybee Drive near Buford, on Sunday evening.

Williams' father, who had been outside working on his car at the time of the attack, called 911 at around 11pm after discovering his girlfriend Natalie and her son had been strangled in the room they rented at his home, 11 Alive reports.

Brandon Williams, 32, is charged with murdering Natalie Nation, 30, and her son Cole (pictured together)

Williams, left in his mugshot, used a towel to choke Natalie, while he used an unknown 'offensive object' in Cole's, left, death, according to arrest warrants

Williams used a towel to choke Natalie, while he used an unknown 'offensive object' in the toddler's death, according to arrest warrants.

Both victims were rushed to hospital where they died. Little Cole died that evening on Sunday, while his mother died the following day.

His father told police that his son was acting strangely moments before the murders, and had been wearing a mask. He added that he had been in a relationship with Natalie and now hated his own son for what he had done.

Family friend Brent Lenz told Fox 5 that Williams had been 'disturbed' for some time.

He added that Williams was arrested just last week after he was seen peering into people's windows and that it took 'five cops and two tasers' just to get him on the ground.

Williams had been taken to a local mental hospital for the weekend and had not long been released when the Easter Sunday tragedy occurred, Lenz added.

Natalie and Cole were killed in the room they rented in the 2700 block of Tybee Drive near Buford on Sunday evening

Williams' father, who had been outside working on his car at the time of the attack, called 911 at around 11pm after discovering his girlfriend Natalie and her son had been strangled in the room they rented at his home

Williams was arrested at the nearby RaceTrac gas station after his father called the cops on Sunday.

Gwinnett police Cpl. Deon Washington said at the time it was 'an isolated incident and police are not searching for any additional suspects.'

Williams is now being held at Gwinnett County Detention Center without bond on multiple charges, including one count of felony murder and two counts of aggravated assault.

Police are now investigating the motives behind the murder and are talking to Williams' father about the attack.

'We're hoping to extract some information from him about why something like this would happen,' Washington said.
Marine Le Pen vowed to reinstate France's borders and declared mass-migration as 'a tragedy' for her country as she savaged the EU during a rally on Tuesday.

The far-right National Front candidate also pledged to suspend all immigration if she wins the presidency, saying her rivals support 'savage globalisation'.

Chants of 'en est chez nous' - 'this is our country' - broke out among the 5,000 supporters who had turned out to hear her speak in Paris ahead of Sunday's first round of voting.

Maine Le Pen vowed to halt French immigration and reverse 'savage globalisation' as she spoke to 5,000 supporters in Paris ahead of Sunday's first round of voting

Le Pen encouraged the crowd to boo the EU and it policy of free movement, saying 'mass-migration has been a tragedy for France'

Le Pen is widely expected to make it through Sunday's vote before facing off against one other candidate, likely pro-Europe Emmanuel Macron, in May's run-off

National Front supporters chanted 'en est chez nous' - 'this is our country' - as Le Pen vowed to 'protect' them if she wins the presidential race

Le Pen is widely expected to be one of the two candidates to make it through that first round, along with pro-European Emmanuel Macron, before a run-off on May 7.

However, polls have been tightening in recent days, with hard-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon now within the margin of error, along with Francois Fillon, the former frontrunner whose campaign has been dogged by allegations of corruption.

Le Pen told supporters: 'I will protect you. My first measure as president will be to reinstate France's borders.

'The choice on Sunday is simple. It is a choice between a France that is rising again and a France that is sinking.

Referring to her supporters as 'patriots', she added: 'Fight for victory, until the very last minute.

'If every patriot can this week convince just one abstentionist, just one undecided voter, we are sure to win!

Getting the crowd to boo the EU and its border-free Schengen area, Le Pen said: 'Mass immigration is not an opportunity for France, it's a tragedy for France.'

The rally was twice interrupted - once by a woman who jumped on the stage before being carried away (pictured), and a second time by a topless woman in the crowd

Earlier in the day, masked demonstrators had clashed with riot police outside the venue for Le Pen's speech as they threw rocks and bottles

Police responded with teargas as the masked protesters tried to disrupt Le Pen's rally

Clouds of teargas surround the venue where Le Pen's rally was taking place at police on a bridge kept the protesters away

Protesters try to kick away teargas canisters which were fired towards them as the protested against Le Pen today

Promising to immediately impose a moratorium on immigration, she said: 'The French sometimes have fewer rights than foreigners - even illegal ones.'

Earlier on Tuesday Scuffles broke out between police and about 70 protesters outside the hall where Le Pen was addressing supporters.

Police fired teargas at the protesters, who threw rocks and chunks of wood as they tried to get closer to the Zenith concert hall.

French voters go to the polls on Sunday in the first round of the most unpredictable presidential election in decades.

Le Pen told her supporters: 'The choice on Sunday is simple: It is a choice between a France that is rising again and a France that is sinking.'

Opinion polls have for months shown Le Pen and centrist Emmanuel Macron qualifying for the May 7 run-off, but the gap with conservative Francois Fillon and far-leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon has been tightening.

Melenchon, enjoying a late poll surge, campaigned on a barge floating through the canals of Paris and Fillon took his tough-on-security campaign to the southern French city of Nice, which was scarred by a deadly attack last year that killed 86 people.

The race is being watched internationally as an important gauge of populist sentiment, and the outcome is increasingly uncertain just six days before Sunday's first round vote.

Riot police and officials from the National Front's own security team, the Departement Protection et Securite (DPS) patrol outside the Zenith concert hall

Tear gas floats in the air during a protest outside the venue of a campaign rally for Marine Le Pen today

A man walks past electoral posters displaying the presidential candidates, Socialist Benoit Hamon (left), centrist Emmanuel Macron (centre) and Right-winger Marine Le Pen (right)

Supporters wait for the start of a campaign political rally for Marine Le Pen in Paris today

Le Pen told a crowd of around 5,000 National Front supporters: 'Give us France back, for God's sake.

They responded by chanting: 'This is our home!'

Le Pen told the rally: 'I will protect you. My first measure as president will be to reinstate France's borders.

'Mass immigration is not an opportunity for France, it's a tragedy for France. We can't decide who is allowed to come here any more.

'The French sometimes have fewer rights than foreigners - even illegal ones.'

Le Pen's nationalist rhetoric and Melenchon's anti-globalisation campaign have resonated with French voters sick of the status quo.

Macron, meanwhile, is painting himself as an anti-establishment figure seeking to bury the traditional left-right spectrum that has governed France for decades.

The top two vote-getters Sunday of the 11 candidates on the ballot advance to the May 7 presidential runoff.

The latest polls suggest that Le Pen, Macron, Melenchon and Fillon all have a chance of reaching the runoff - and as many as a third of voters remain undecided.

French riot police jog down the street towards protesters seeking to disrupt Le Pen's rally

Officers from the French CRS riot police monitor the situation outside the Zenith concert hall

Supporters from Serbia wait for the start of a campaign political rally for Marine Le Pen

Macron, a former investment banker well connected in the business world, held a rally in Paris on Monday attended by 20,000 people, according to organizers.

Advocating for strong pro-European views, he has pledged to represent an 'open, confident, winning France' in contrast with far-right and far-left rivals.

Without naming them, he said Le Pen and Melenchon want to isolate France form the rest of the world.

'We feel everywhere the temptation of barbarism ready to surge in other guises ... No, we will not let them do it,' he said.

He also made an implicit reference to Fillon by suggesting some are seeking the presidency to get judicial immunity.

Fillon's austerity-focused campaign has been damaged by accusations that he misused taxpayer money to pay his wife and children for government jobs that they allegedly did not perform. French investigators are probing the case.

French Left party leader and candidate for the 2017 French presidential election, Jean-Luc Melenchon makes a speech from a barge on the canal de l'Ourcq, in Paris today

Melenchon, enjoying a late poll surge, campaigned on a barge today

Fillon denies wrongdoing and is focusing instead on security issues that resonate with many voters after two years of deadly attacks across the country. French voters will cast their ballots under a state of emergency that's been repeatedly extended as new violence has hit.

After Macron, Le Pen is holding her last big rally in the Paris region later Monday.

Meanwhile, Melenchon, speaking on a river boat in Pantin, in the Paris suburbs, said he doesn't want France to exit the European Union but would be ready to do it if other member states don't accept negotiations to reform the 28-nation bloc.

'European treaties are destroying Europe. I am not destroying Europe, I am not putting it in danger, I'm not the one who made (Britain) go out, I'm not the one who is making troubles in all (European) countries, I'm not provoking nationalist feeling everywhere. It is the European way of organization that is pushing people toward that,' he said.

Socialist candidate Benoit Hamon insisted Monday that he, too, remains a contender.

'Things are evolving,' he said on Europe-1 radio.

The Socialists' campaign has suffered from internal divisions and Socialist President Francois Hollande's dismal image - he's so unpopular that he declined to seek a second term.
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) Tellico Lake Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and South Cherokee Manager, David Whitehead has retired after 33 years of service. Mr. Whitehead began his career with TWRA in 1984 as a Wildlife Officer in Cocke County. After two years he moved into a lands management position. Since that time he has been the Wildlife Manager on Whites Mill Refuge, Kyker Bottoms Refuge and the Tapoco Unit of the South Cherokee/Foothills WMA. Mr. Whitehead ended his career as the manager on Tellico Lake WMA and South Cherokee in Region 3. He was also the recipient of the 2016 TWRA biologist of the year award.

Over his career, Mr. Whitehead participated in the restoration of black bear, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, river otter and elk. In particular, his work with black bear populations has been exemplary. Whitehead was involved in relocating about 250 black bears, some of which were rehabilitated black bear cubs through his work with the Appalachian Bear Rescue (ABR) center. For over a decade, Mr. Whitehead was an active participant and contributor to the Southern Appalachian Black Bear Study Group. His input and leadership were integral to the growth of black bear populations in Tennessee. He established a good and honest rapport with the bear hunting culture in and around his area, which has been invaluable to management efforts.

Mr. Whiteheads recent work included a partnership with the National Wild Turkey Federation on a $25,000 multi-year grant through which the development of over 400 acres of early successional habitat on the Bacon Bend and Chota Waterfowl Refuge area of Tellico Lake occurred. This year, he steered Region 3 efforts that ultimately resulted in the signing of a Good Neighbor Agreement with the U.S. Forest Service on North and South Cherokee WMAs. This agreement will facilitate management efforts on South Cherokee WMA in Region 3 for many years to come. Also this year, Mr. Whitehead partnered with five local National Wild Turkey Federation Chapters developing an agreement to raise $10,000 as a contribution to habitat management on the WMA. His vision included leveraging federal funds with this contribution, resulting in a $40,000 project to create and maintain linear and open habitats on the South Cherokee.

Mr. Whitehead has also been known throughout the area for his involvement with youth. He has led many programs, hunts and hikes and plans to continue his involvement through volunteerism. David will be missed for many reasons. His organizational knowledge along with his enthusiasm for wildlife encouraged everyone at TWRA, said Kirk Miles, Wildlife Program manager. Mr. Whitehead plans to work part time for ABR in retirement and continue his involvement with youth.
Kym Owens, 18, was attacked just 550 yards from her college accommodation in Maynooth, County Kildare last November. Father Ray Owens said she has no memory of the attack which left her with brain injuries

The father of a student, who was found beaten unconscious with a broken jaw and brain injuries, says she has no memory of the attack.

Kym Owens, 18, was attacked just 550 yards from her college accommodation in Maynooth, County Kildare, last November.

She lost teeth and broke both eye sockets, her jaw and her nose in the assault, but is recovering well, according to father Ray Owens.

He told the Herald: 'Kym is making a good recovery but is still facing more surgery.

'She is not back at college yet but is up and about. She still doesn't remember anything of the incident.

'We are hoping she'll make as full a recovery as possible.'

The NUI Maynooth student was taken to Connolly Hospital in Dublin after the brutal attack and police identified 300 people during their investigation.

Officers have not arrested anyone yet.

Ms Owens was discharged from hospital in February and is 'up and about', according to her father.

At the time of the attack, Garda Superintendent Gerry Wall said: 'She is receiving magnificent care. We appeal to the public... their information is vital, however trivial it seems, as it could be the vital link.'

Police say the attacker may have been in an agitated state and it was possible the attacker could have travelled on the same bus as Ms Owens.

After the assualt, a GoFundMe page was set up in support of Ms Owens.

So far, more than 7,500 Euros has been raised.
US customs officials have released a photo of a mock improvised explosive device that led to delays at Toronto's Pearson International Airport when it was found in a passenger's luggage this month.

American citizen Joseph Galaska, 58, of Cudahy, Wisconsin was arrested and charged with mischief after US Customs and Border Protection officers found the device in his luggage. His wife has said it is an alarm clock.

The photo released Monday shows electronic components apparently wired to a circuit board with a timer display and coils of wire snaking to bound-together cardboard tubes.

Scroll down for video

US customs officials released this photo Monday of a mock explosive device they found in a passenger's luggage in Toronto. Wisconsin citizen Joseph Galaska was arrested

Galaska was said to be travelling home to Wisconsin by himself on April 6 after a vacation with his wife and a friend in Brazil, who returned two days earlier, when the device was discovered in a suitcase at Toronto's Pearson International Airport.

'It's a toy, I swear to God, it's a clock,' Galaska's wife Maria Silva told WISN. 'It was not a bomb at all, but an alarm clock.'

'He would never do anything to hurt anyone. He's a good person with a good heart,' said Silva.

Police said the mock device was not terrorism related.

Galaska was released on $5,000 bail and his case is due back in a Toronto-area court Tuesday, though his lawyer said he's not expected in person.

The discovery of the device during an inspection at the airport's pre-clearance area caused what was described as a major security breach and significant travel disruption.

Passengers on a United Airlines flight to Chicago were stuck on the tarmac for more than four hours after the device was discovered.

United Flight 547 (pictured) to Chicago's O'Hare Airport was grounded in Toronto on April 6 after a 'mock explosive device' was found in a passenger's luggage

CBP officers immediately notified Canadian Air Transit Authority which swabbed the mock IED for explosives with a negative result,' the agency said in a statement.

'For the safety of travelers within the Preclearance Facility, CBP stopped all traveler processing while the mock IED was being tested.

'The traveler was scheduled on United Airlines Flight 547 to Chicago OHare International Airport.

'CBP conducted a joint inspection of the aircraft, rescreening all travelers and baggage. Normal operations have since resumed.'

US Customs and Border Protection released this statement about the incident

The aircraft, which was due to take-off about 7am, was stranded on the runway for several hours. Passengers caught up in the delays are seen above

Speaking to Canadian media, passenger Tory Galick said they were first told the delay was caused by wild weather in the Windy City before being told the real reason. Passengers are seen above

People who were stranded in the airport during the long delay shared pictures of crowds on social media, seen above

Joseph Galaska, 58, of Cudahy, Wisconsin was arrested and charged with mischief

The aircraft, which was due to take-off about 7am, was stranded on the runway for several hours.

Speaking to Canadian media, passenger Tory Galick said they were first told the delay was caused by wild weather in the Windy City.

They were then told of the real reason, CTV reports.

The network also reported the plane's pilot was overheard during the phone call to Galick saying: 'Throughout my career, I have always been very truthful and honest about situations like these, and Im going to just do that right now.

'US Customs has revoked the pre-clearance privileges for you to enter the United States. Therefore, we cannot leave at this time.'
The city of Atlanta is having another traffic nightmare after a lane on an interstate buckled and closed all westbound lanes, just three weeks after a separate roadway was destroyed in a fire.

The ground underneath motorists traveling on Atlanta's I-20 buckled and launched a motorcyclist into the air around 11:30am on Monday.

The rift in the HOV lane created a peak two to three feet high and officials were quick to shut down all westbound lanes from Candler and Gresham roads soon after the incident.

The major traffic interruption comes just three weeks after I-85 was destroyed in a fire when a homeless man allegedly caused the blaze while he was smoking crack under an overpass.

Scroll down for video

The city of Atlanta is having another highway nightmare as a lane on Interstate 20 buckled and closed all westbound lanes on Monday

The rift in the HOV lane created a peak two to three feet high and officials were quick to shut down all westbound lanes from Candler and Gresham roads

A motorcyclist was thrown from his bike when the ground shifted underneath him. He was reported to be in critical condition with several fractures and a possible broken leg

Initially the fire department thought the crack in the fast lane was caused by an underground gas leak but DeKalb police said there was no evidence of a leak, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported.

The motorcycle driver who was thrown from his bike, which ended up 50 feet away from him, was in critical condition and had multiple fractures and a possible broken leg.

The abrasion in the road almost looks like a cracked ramp and authorities have closed all lanes heading west in on a portion of the interstate.

Drivers in Atlanta will have to figure out even more alternative routes in order to get to their intended destinations after the blaze that shut down I-85 on March 27.

The major traffic interruption comes just three weeks after a portion of I-85 was destroyed in a fire and caused a bridge to collapse on March 27 (pictured)

Atlanta city officials said the construction of I-85 should be completed in mid-May

Basil Eleby, 39, (left) was charged with first-degree arson for allegedly setting the devastating fire while smoking crack

The blame of the March fire is being put on homeless man Basil Eleby, 39, who allegedly started the fire when he smoking crack cocaine which billowed out of control and caused a bridge of the overpass to collapse.

He was arrested the day after the fire and charged with first-degree arson.

Atlanta city officials told WSB-TV that the construction of I-85 should be completed in mid-May.

The Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry said to the news outlet: 'We've been working 24 hours a day around the clock to put all hands on deck to make sure this roadway can be opened as soon as possible.'

The shift was originally thought to be caused by an underground gas leak
Shamanika Howard, 36, was arrested in connection with a battery reported at Indianapolis International Airport's Delta Air Lines ticket counter on Tuesday

A woman was arrested in Indiana for allegedly striking a Delta employee.

Shamanika Howard, 36, was taken into custody in connection with a battery reported at the Delta Air Lines ticket counter at Indianapolis International Airport on Tuesday, according to Fox59 News.

Howard said she smacked the employee because, 'God told me to,' according to officers with the Indianapolis Airport Police Department (IAPD).

IAPD officers responded to a call for assistance at the Delta Air Lines ticket counter on Tuesday, around 10.25pm Eastern.

Howard was at the scene when police arrived, they said.

She was there because she wanted to purchase a ticket for travel, police said.

Howard was told by a Delta worker that the counters were closed so she would not be able to purchase a ticket at that time time, police said.

According to police, Howard said she smacked the employee because, 'God told me to.'

'Howard lifted her hand and hit her on the side of her head, behind her ear,' read the probable cause affidavit for the arrest, according to ABC News.

Howard said she smacked a Delta employee because, 'God told me to,' according to officers with the Indianapolis Airport Police Department (IAPD); a Delta airplane is seen here

'Howard then jumped to the other side of the ticket counter, called the police, and removed herself from the area.'

The victim said she experienced pain where she was allegedly struck on her head, as well as having a headache, according to ABC.

Howard was taken to the Adult Processing Center after her arrest by IAPD Detective Sergeant D. Hernandez, ABC reported.
President Donald Trump is still under audit, the White House says, and won't be releasing any of his tax returns on Tuesday, the deadline this year for Americans to pay the government.

Trump said throughout the campaign that he would not release his taxes, and his spokesman said prior to today not to expect financial documents from last year's earnings, either.

'We're under the same audit that existed, so nothing has changed,' White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told a reporter asking if Trump would put out his most recent filings on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump is still under audit, the White House says, and won't be releasing any of his tax returns on Tuesday, the deadline this year for Americans to pay the government

Trump could plausibly ask the IRS to confirm that he is, in fact, under audit given that the agency falls under the purview of the executive branch. But Spicer rejected that suggestion on Monday as he gave reporters the administration's regular line.

The Trump spokesman insisted that the president's latest filings, which are not due until tomorrow but may already have been turned in, are included in the batch the president is refusing to turn over at the direction of his lawyers until the audit has concluded.

'They are,' he interjected. 'I think its been covered before. It's the same thing that was discussed during the campaign trail. The president is under audit. It's a routine one that continues.'

It's probable that Trump's files from the last year he was in business will come under audit, if they aren't already, USA Today reported, because all presidents and vice presidents have their files reviewed by the IRS.

A rule dating back to the Nixon administration requires the IRS to review the Oval Office holder's finances. That process is fast-tracked, but Trump's files will take longer to look over than previous presidents because of his immense wealth and holdings.

Spicer did not offer the IRS rule as a reason for Trump's refusal to release his 2016 taxes on Monday. And he had previously suggested that the ex-businessman could offer those returns to the public on Tax Day.

'We'll cross that bridge when it comes to it,' Spicer said in March. 'But the President has been very clear throughout the campaign and consistent that hes under a routine audit.'

President Trump spent Easter morning defending his decision not to show the American people his tax returns, one day after protesters took to the streets to demand their release.

'I did what was an almost an impossible thing to do for a Republican-easily won the Electoral College! Now Tax Returns are brought up again?' Trump wrote. 'Someone should look into who paid for the small organized rallies yesterday. The election is over!'

Trump, who was spending Easter weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, was likely responding to coverage of Saturday's Tax Day protests, which brought out droves of people in cities around the country including New York, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia.

President Donald Trump tweeted Easter Sunday morning about yesterday's tax day protests, pointing out that he did 'an almost impossible thing' by winning the Electoral College

During the campaign, Trump explained that he would not be releasing his tax returns as he was under audit but would release them as soon as he could.

Now, in the White House, he still hasn't released them, though the New York Times and journalist David Cay Johnston, who debuted his findings on the Rachel Maddow Show, have exposed partial returns to the public.

Spicer referred to the MSNBC reveal of Trump's 2005 returns in his response to the Tax Day push, saying that those documents, which were incomplete and showed only what Trump earned and what he paid to the government.

He suggested that Americans could derived what they needed to know about the president's finances from the decade-old documents that were provided to Johnston by an anonymous source.

'The one time that it was done, I think the people understand, how successful the president's been and how much he's paid in taxes,' Spicer said.

Donald Trump dashed too two tweets about yesterday's tax day protests, suggesting the tax return issue should be over because he won the White House

Yesterday in cities across the country, including in Trump's hometown of New York (pictured), people took to the street and demanded the president release his tax returns

'Show us your taxes' reads a sign at the New York City tax day protest Saturday. President Trump still hasn't released his returns, saying they're under an audit

President Trump tweeted about Easter mid-tweet storm and then pivoted to rail against yesterday's protests against him yesterday

Spicer told reporters on Monday not to assume that Trump's 2016 filings are not under audit yet, despite the fact that they are not due to the IRS until tomorrow.

'No you can't. They are,' Spicer said.

Reverting to the stance the administration has taken on the president's taxes since the billionaire beat Hillary Clinton out for the Oval Office, Spicer said the American people knew what they were getting when they elected him.

'I think that the American public knows clearly where he stands,' Spicer stated. 'This was something that he made very clear during the election cycle.'
George Osborne was the main architect of Project Fear, which failed to convince people not to vote for Brexit

Just one in 10 of the 'Project Fear' warnings about Brexit last year have turned out to be true, a new study reveals today.

A year ago today, the then Chancellor George Osborne published a controversial 'Treasury analysis' of the risks of Brexit, claiming that quitting the EU would leave every family 4,300 worse off.

Mr Osborne predicted an 'immediate' recession, with the Treasury suggesting half a million people would be thrown out of work.

But although the former Chancellor quickly lost his Cabinet job in the wake of the referendum vote, unemployment has fallen and the British economy has powered ahead of most of its EU rivals.

A new analysis by the Change Britain think tank today finds that just one in 10 of the gloomy warnings issued by Mr Osborne, David Cameron and other Government figures at the heart of the Remain campaign have turned out to be correct.

In a report today, the organisation analyses 19 key claims made by the Government in the run-up to the referendum in June last year.

Of these, just two have been borne out by subsequent events. By contrast, seven have already proved to be false, with a further seven 'likely to be false'. The remaining three are judged to be only 'partially true'.

Labour MP Gisela Stuart, who set up the think tank with former Tory justice secretary Michael Gove, said the study showed voters were right to reject the lurid claims made by the last government.

'The Remain campaign fed the public with stories of doom and gloom, but this analysis shows why voters were right to see through their scaremongering,' she said.

'Growth continues to be upgraded, employment is at a record high and a number of multinational businesses have made major investment announcements into the UK.

'The British people had the confidence to reject Project Fear and back Project Hope. Outside the EU, we can begin a process of national renewal and look forward to a strong and flexible economy which benefits everyone across the UK.'

Jacob Rees-Mogg, a Tory member of the Commons Treasury committee, said the scaremongering had damaged the civil service and 'shattered' the reputation of Mr Osborne.

HOW MYSTIC GEORGE GOT IT SO WRONG Claim: A vote to leave would cause an immediate and profound economic shock which would push the UK into recession. Treasury analysis claimed the economy would fall into recession, with four quarters of negative growth. Reality: False. The UKs economic growth has remained positive for every quarter since the referendum, with Britain finishing the year as one of the fastest growing economies in the G7. Claim: Unemployment would increase by around 500,000 in the wake of a Brexit vote. Reality: False. Britains employment rate has risen since the referendum. In the three months to January, unemployment fell to 4.7 per cent  the best rate since 1975. Claim: A Brexit vote would immediately lead to an increase in the premium for lending to UK businesses and households. Reality: False. The Bank of England responded to the referendum result by cutting interest rates to a historic low of 0.25 per cent, where they have remained. Claim: Trading partners, including the US, are already negotiating with the EU. Before they start negotiations with the UK they are likely to want those deals to conclude. Reality: False. The new US administration has indicated it will not proceed with a planned EU-US trade deal, but has said the UK will be first in the line for a bilateral deal. Claim: A Brexit vote would lead to a reduction in foreign investment. Reality: Likely to prove false. Investment figures for 2016 have not yet been published, but there have been a number of big foreign investments since the referendum. Claim: Britain would lose preferential access to 53 markets with which the EU has trade deals, and these would take years to renegotiate. Reality: Likely to prove false. Theresa May has said there is no reason why the UK cannot continue with the existing trade deals. Countries such as Mexico and Canada have said they want to strike quick trade deals with the UK. Claim: A vote to leave would have an impact on our ability to affect the EUs decision making. Reality: True. Ministers accept that the UK will not be at the table when Brussels draws up new regulations after Brexit. Advertisement

He added: 'This was a very sorry episode in public life. I thought the claims made by the Treasury were nonsense at the time and I am not surprised they have turned out to be wrong.

'The surprise is that the civil service allowed itself to be used for party political purposes in a way it never would during a general election.

'The Remain campaign basically offered the country a false prospectus. If this had happened in the City of London you would be taking them in front of the takeover panel for their ridiculous claims.'

The review was unable to consider some of the most outlandish claims made by the Treasury during the referendum, because they were based on projections over very long periods. For example, the claim that families would be left 4,300 worse off relied on projections of likely GDP growth over 15 years.

It also passes no judgment on Mr Osborne's threat to inflict a 'punishment Budget' of tax rises and spending cuts in the event of a Brexit vote, which also failed to materialise.

The findings of the report are likely to increase concern about the politicisation of parts of the civil service, particularly the Treasury, as ministers deployed the full power of the Government machine behind the struggling campaign to keep Britain in the EU.

In a report this year Lord Kerslake, the former head of the civil service, said the doom-mongering warnings by the Treasury had met with an 'unprecedentedly hostile' response from the public.

'We need a strong trusted Treasury,' he said. 'We think the Project Fear and the emergency Brexit budget took their toll on the credibility of the Treasury.' Mr Osborne has refused to apologise for the warnings, saying that they were made 'in good faith'.

Speaking in September, the former Chancellor said he was glad Brexit had not sparked an immediate recession, but insisted that it could still prove economically damaging.

'I hope I'm wrong,' he said. 'I spent six years turning around the British economy and I cheer good news and I don't want to see bad news. The forecasts were made in good faith.'

Meanwhile, a new survey of British fishermen reveals skippers want foreign boats excluded from UK waters after we leave the EU.

The Cardiff University study found that 62 per cent of fishermen want to exclude EU vessels in future, with a similar proportion keen to end EU quotas. Fishermen said they would prefer a limit on the number of days they can spend at sea to preserve stocks.

Alan Hastings, of the organisation Fishing for Leave, said: 'The findings of this survey graphically illustrate that the majority of the industry want a fresh start.

'The report shows an overwhelming majority of the industry see continuing the disaster of quotas and the mass discarding of fish they cause as flogging a dead horse.'
Britain has sent more than 4million in foreign aid to North Korea in the past six years despite the communist regimes threat to spark nuclear war, it emerged last night.

Official figures reveal the UK spent 740,000 of taxpayers money on aid projects in the despotic regime in 2015 alone  a 167 per cent increase on the previous year.

The Foreign Office, which is responsible for most of the spending, yesterday said it had no plans to axe the aid programme.

Despite North Korea's threat to ignite a nuclear war, the UK has sent more than 4m in aid to the despotic regime over the course of six years. MPs were last night calling for a cease of all aid sent (pictured, North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un)

Sources said aid could help improve relations with the pariah state, although there is little evidence it has had much impact since the payments to the country began to be increased in 2010.

The money also counts towards the Governments controversial target of spending 0.7 per cent of Britains income on international development.

Last night ministers were facing fresh calls to end all aid to North Korea in response to the increasingly bellicose threats from dictator Kim Jong-un.

Former Tory defence minister Sir Gerald Howarth said it was unacceptable to hand taxpayers money to a country bent on attacking the West and its allies.

It is completely absurd to be giving aid to North Korea at this time, he said. There are some very poor people there because of the regimes actions, but the country is a communist basket case.

They are trying to build a nuclear missile to hit the United States, they are destabilising the entire region. Why on earth are we giving them aid?

Official figures reveal the UK spent 740,000 of taxpayers money on aid projects in the despotic regime in 2015 alone  a 167 per cent increase on the previous year

Sir Gerald said the case highlighted the problems caused by the 0.7 per cent aid target, which was enshrined in law by the Coalition government.

He added: Ridiculous cases like this are just more evidence of the need to re-examine the whole basis of the aid programme. We need to repeal the legislation, slash the aid budget dramatically and spend the money on priorities like defence and social care.

Prominent Ukip donor Arron Banks described the spending on North Korea as shocking.

Projects include schemes designed to promote Western values  such as English lessons for regime officials and workshops for entrepreneurs. However, some fear the aid could free up money to be spent on strengthening North Korea's military capabilities

In the past weve had issues with the wastefulness of the foreign aid budget, but this is beyond ridiculous, he said.

While we funnel money into this failing state, they are spending most of their own resources developing nuclear weapons designed to wipe us off the map.

Whats next? Giving foreign aid to Islamic State? The aid programme is also potentially embarrassing for Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson who has warned the despotic regime it must stop these belligerent acts and comply with UN resolutions after a failed missile test over the weekend.

North Korea upped the ante again yesterday in its stand-off with the West, telling the United Nations that nuclear war may break out at any moment.

Last night ministers were facing fresh calls to end all aid to North Korea in response to the increasingly bellicose threats from dictator Kim Jong-un

But the Foreign Office insists that its aid policy is helping to improve relations with the communist country.

In 2009, British aid to North Korea stood at just 32,000.

But spending was increased rapidly by the Coalition government from 2010 onwards as it pursued the new aid target. In the past six years, more than 4 million of taxpayers money has been spent on aid projects in the country, with spending peaking at 1.3million in 2013.

Projects include schemes designed to promote Western values  such as English lessons for regime officials and workshops for entrepreneurs.

In 2009, British aid to North Korea stood at just 32,000 however in 2016 it had risen to 740,000. The Foreign Office, which is responsible for most of the spending, yesterday said it had no plans to axe the aid programme

But money has also been spent on projects to provide equipment and training for physiotherapy units in the country, potentially allowing the regime to free up resources to spend on its murderous military programme.

The Foreign Office last night defended the programme, and stressed that money is spent on individual schemes rather than handed directly to the regime.

A spokesman said: The projects we carry out in North Korea are part of our policy of critical engagement, and are used to promote British values and demonstrate to the North Korean people that engaging with the UK and the outside world is an opportunity rather than a threat.

We conduct a range of small-scale project work, many of which help to improve the lives of the most vulnerable members of society.
Hillary Clinton phoned Barack Obama on election night after conceding defeat and told him: Im sorry.

The Democratic Presidential candidate stepped into an anteroom to apologize for losing to Donald Trump in a conversation which has never previously been reported.

As she took the call Clinton knew she had let her country down and that Obamas legacy lay shattered at Donald Trumps feet, a new book reveals.

Minutes earlier Clinton had called Trump and suppressed the anger that touched every nerve in her body as she conceded.

She said: Congratulations, Donald. Ill be supportive of the countrys success and that means your success as president.

The drama of Clintons election in the Peninsula Hotel in Manhattan is detailed in Shattered: Inside Hillary Clintons Doomed Election Campaign.

In Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton's Doomed Campaign political journalists Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes tell how Clintons confidence at her victory was replaced by anxiety and resignation. In his first call to her on election night, President Obama urged her to concede

In a second call from Obama, Hillary knew she had let him down. 'She had let herself down. She had let her party down. And she had let her country down. Obamas legacy and her dreams of the Presidency lay shattered at Donald Trumps feet. This was on her,' write the authors

Political journalists Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes tell the hour by hour drama of how Clintons confidence at her victory was replaced by anxiety and resignation as Trump won the biggest upset in modern political history on November 9 last year.

The book says that as the results rolled in for states like Pennsylvania, the clear tipping point for the race for the White House, Obama called Clinton and said: You need to concede

According to the book, Obama was determined to make sure that his friend understood that the election was over and that she had to accept the loss with dignity to counter Trumps attempts to undermine the electoral system.

Obama said that he didnt see any point in prolonging the inevitable and didnt want to turn the election into a recount mess - then having delivered his message he hung up.

The call worked and Clintons close aide Huma Abedin called Trumps campaign manager Kellyanne Conway.

The two candidates were brought to the line and Clinton conceded.

The authors write that Trump credited her for being a smart opponent who ran a tough campaign. The conversation lasted about a minute.

Next came a second, previously undisclosed call from Obama which crystallized everything for Hillary.

The book says that as the results rolled in for states like Pennsylvania, the clear tipping point for the race for the White House, Obama called Clinton and said: You need to concede

The book says: Hillary winces. She wasnt ready for this conversation. When shed spoken with Obama just a little bit earlier the outcome of the election wasnt final yet.

Now, though, with the President placing a consolation call, the reality and dimensions of her defeat hit her all at once.

She had let him down. She had let herself down. She had let her party down. And she had let her country down.

Obamas legacy and her dreams of the Presidency lay shattered at Donald Trumps feet. This was on her. Reluctantly she rose from her seat and took the phone.

Mr President, she said softly. Im sorry.

As she drafted her acceptance speech Clinton defied her aides who asked her to criticize Trump and said that she wanted a gracious exit.

Had Clinton won, her victory speech would have been a testament to her beloved mother Dorothy Rodham, the book reveals.

Beneath the glass ceiling of the Javits Center in Manhattan she would have imagined going up to her mother when she was eight years old and telling her: As hard as it might be to imagine, your daughter will one day grow up and become President of the United States.

Shattered also offers a blunt assessment of why Clinton lost and says that some of her team thought that Clinton Inc, referring to the baggage and machinery of the Clinton family, was an albatross around the campaign.

In early 2016 one of her advisers had given her a clear warning that Trump could beat her, a warning which seemed to go ignored.

At the time Clinton was beating Trump 46 points to 41 though neither candidate had secured their partys nomination.

On election night as it became apparent his wife would lose Florida, Clinton had a sinking feeling that the British vote to leave the European Union had been a harbinger for a kind of screw-it vote in the United States

According to Shattered, the memo said: FACT: Donald Trump can defeat Hillary Clinton and become the 45th President of the United States.

The memo warned that Clinton should not underestimate his capacity to draw people to the polls who normally do not vote because it could tip the scales in key states.

Clinton however did not seem to get it and once told her close aide Minyon Moore: I dont understand whats happening with the country. I cant get my arms around it.

Bill too had sensed that his wife and her campaign team were not grasping the danger that Trump posed.

The authors contend that Bill felt that Brexit showed there was a strong contempt for existing power structures that reflected the mood of the American electorate.

The book says that Clinton felt his wifes team were underestimating the significance of Brexit.

Clinton had come to power in 1992 by tapping into similar frustrations and he knew what it was like to be an insurgent candidate.

The book says: Bill had a better feel for the working stiff, whether American or British, than anyone in Hillarys orbit.

He knew that and he felt like he was being heard. But he couldnt figure out why Hillary and her team werent executing.

On election night as it became apparent his wife would lose Florida, Clinton had a sinking feeling that the British vote to leave the European Union had been a harbinger for a kind of screw-it vote in the United States.

He said: Its like Brexit. I guess its real.

Hillary was 'so mad she couldn't think straight' after being humiliated in the Michigan Democratic primary.

The failed Presidential candidate attacked her aides with a 'potent mix of exhaustion and exasperation' after the embarrassing loss to her rival Bernie Sanders in March last year.

Clinton's top staff said she was 'visibly, unflinchingly p***ed off at us' and blamed them for making her look 'vulnerable'.

Feel the burn: Bill and Hillary Clinton were both in denial about her campaign's flaws and turned on aides time and again

During another tirade Bill Clinton took over and gave aides an 'a** chewing' on the phone and told them to 'do their d**n jobs'.

The details of the rows show the tensions at the top of Clinton's presidential campaign, tensions that she did her best to keep quiet during the election.

They are also revealed in Shattered which is out next week and delivers the scathing verdict that her campaign was 'living in denial'.

The book says that neither Clinton nor her husband 'could accept the simple fact that Hillary had hamstrung her own campaign and dealt the most serious blow to her own presidential aspirations'.

An extract of the book was published by The Hill which said it showed that Clinton's campaign was 'plagued by bickering'.

'Shattered', which is by Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes and is published by Crown, tells how Clinton had one of her most severe meltdowns on March 9 last year.

The night before she had narrowly lost to Sanders in the Michigan primary 49 per cent to 48 per cent.

Sanders' victory was a shock as not one single poll had him ahead of her going into the vote and some - among them blogger 538 - predicted he would lose with a 99 per cent certainty

But Sanders' anti free trade message struck a chord in the state that relies on auto manufacturing.

The victory showed that Clinton was not going to dispatch him quickly as she had hoped and showed she would have to spend months and tens of millions of dollars fighting him off for the Democratic Presidential nomination.

According to 'Shattered', the loss in Michigan upended Clinton's preparations for her fourth debate with Sanders - so she turned on her staff instead.

The book says that losing Michigan 'robbed her of a prime opportunity to put Sanders down for good but also exposed several of her weaknesses'.

In a morning conference call her staff had set up to let her vent her frustration, Clinton fumed: 'We haven't made our case. We haven't framed the choice. We haven't done the politics'.

On aide who was in the room for the 'humiliating' scene said: 'She was visibly, unflinchingly p***ed off at us as a group. And she let us know she felt that way'.

The staffers tried to make their own points - some of which Clinton agreed with.

Feel the Bern: Bernie Sanders inflicted a shock defeat on Hillary Clinton in Michigan just days after this CNN defeat. Clinton blamed her aides, not herself, for losing, Shattered's authors reveal

They said that she had used the wrong message for Michigan and refused to speak out against free trade as Sanders had done.

They did not have enough organizers on the ground, their polling was too positive and they did not even know Sanders was ahead.

The staffers said that they had focused too much on minority voters instead of whites, even though whites voted heavily for Clinton in 2008 during her previous failed run for the Presidency against Barack Obama.

Clinton had hardly slept the night before, turning over in her mind how her campaign had made 'poor choices' about where they had traveled too.

She emailed Robby Mook, her communications director, to say they had spent too much time in Detroit and Flint and not enough in the white working class suburbs around them.

The morning conference was Mook's attempt to settle Clinton down but it left her 'more perplexed and angry'.

Blamed: Clinton laid into Robbie Mook (left), the book reveals. And longtime aide Jake Sullivan (right) was involved in an ugly clash as he played Clinton in a mock debate

Blamed: Huma Abedin was one of the aides at a conference call dressing-down.

'Shattered' says: 'The underlying truth - the one that many didn't want to admit to themselves - was the person ultimately responsible for these decisions, the one whose name was on the ticket, hadn't corrected these problems, all of which had been brought to her attention before primary day. She'd stuck with the plan, and it had cost her'.

As Jake Sullivan, Clinton's chief strategist, tried to turn her to preparation for the Miami debate, Clinton finally lost it.

After one of her answers he said: 'That's not very good'.

According to 'Shattered' Clinton snapped back: 'Really?' - and the room fell silent.

Sarcastically she said: 'Why don't you do it?'

So they did: for the next 30 minutes they swapped roles with Clinton attacking Sullivan as he did his best impersonation of her.

Sullivan, a Yale Law School graduate and a high school debating champion, could hardly talk without Clinton cutting him off and saying: 'That isn't very good. You can do better.'

Then she would 'hammer him with a Bernie line'.

The entire episode recalled an earlier incident in which Bill Clinton took the lead in lambasting her staff.

The attack took place months earlier during the height of the row about her use of a private email server.

The story would dog Clinton her entire campaign and a week before the election FBI director James Comey revealed he was reopening the bureau's investigation into the scandal, a move which caused her polls to dip.

Clinton would later blame Comey for losing her the election.

According to 'Shattered' Clinton felt that her staff were not doing enough to get the media to focus on her message instead of the server.

She let rip in a conference call to her staff who were huddled into the office of her top adviser Huma Abedin in the campaign HQ in Brooklyn.

Also there were Joel Benenson, one of her chief strategists, Mandy Grunwald, her top advisor, Jim Margolis, a media advisor, John Anzalone, one of her best consultants, John Podesta, her campaign chair, Mook and Dan Schwerin, her speechwriter.

'Shattered' says that Bill Clinton was 'spurring (his wife) on to cast blame on others and never admit to anything'.

The book says that Clinton's voice sounded 'severe' and 'controlled' like a 'disappointed teacher or mother delivering a lecture before a whipping'.

The book says: 'That back end was left to Bill, who lashed out with abandon. Eyes cast downward, stomachs turning - both from the scare tactics and from their own revulsion at being chastised for Hillary's failures - Hillary's talented and accomplished team of professionals and loyalists simply took it. There was no arguing with Bill Clinton'.

Bill attacked them for not having 'buried this thing' and for not figuring out how to 'get Hillary's core message to the voters'.

He told them that 'this has been dragging on for months, he thundered, and nothing you've done has made a damn bit of difference'.

Bill told them to tell voters about his wife's plans for the economy and to 'do your damn jobs'.

When Clinton came back on the line her staff felt it was 'hard to tell what was worse - getting hollered at by Bill or getting scolded by the stern and self-righteous Hillary'.

According to aides they thought that 'neither was pleasant' as Clinton told them: 'Get it straight'.

Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton's Doomed Campaign is available for pre-order on Amazon.
A prominent Liberal MP has warned former prime minister Tony Abbott that he is destroying his own legacy by continuing to snipe at the government.

Warren Entsch has called on Mr Abbott to shut up or quit after he again raised issues about how Malcolm Turnbull's government was performing.

'If it continues like this, this will be his legacy - and he won't be remembered fondly. He'll just be seen as a wrecker, hellbent on destroying an individual,' Mr Entsch said.

Veteran Liberal MP Warren Entsch has warned former prime minister Tony Abbott (pictured in March) that he is destroying his own legacy by continuing to snipe at the government

Mr Entsch called has called on Mr Abbott to shut up or quit after he again raised issues about how Malcolm Turnbull's government was performing (Mr Turnbull is pictured last Wednesday)

He told Fairfax Media that Mr Abbott's actions were 'reinforcing all the negative aspects of his time' and seemed aimed at getting back at Mr Turnbull for ousting him from the prime ministership.

'He was going to step down graciously, he was going to serve in the best interests of the country but he was not going to do a running commentary, he was not going to be critical,' Mr Entsch told the ABC.

'Well it has been anything but that.'

Just two months after being attacked by senior coalition figures for criticising the government's direction, Mr Abbott re-emerged in the public spotlight on Easter Monday with a plan on reconnecting with the electorate.

'He was going to step down graciously, he was going to serve in the best interests of the country but he was not going to do a running commentary, he was not going to be critical,' Mr Entsch said (Mr Entsch is pictured in August, 2015)

He warned in an opinion piece for News Corp newspapers and later in a radio interview with Ray Hadley that there's a feeling in the community that Bill Shorten would win the next election, and outlined how the coalition could stop that.

'They're sick of governments that don't deliver, they're sick of oppositions that play politics, they're sick of minor parties that are all grievance and no solution and they want all of us to lift our game,' he said.

Mr Abbott said he had every right to speak out, and would appear on Hadley's high-rating show broadcast on 2GB in Sydney and 4BC in Brisbane every fortnight.

'As a former PM people would expect me to have something to say from time to time on important national and international issues. I certainly intend to continue.'

On Monday morning, Mr Abbott said Australians were 'sick of governments that don't deliver'

On Monday morning, Mr Abbott said Australians were 'sick of governments that don't deliver'.

'These are difficult times to be in government,' he told 9 News in front of his home at Forestville, in Sydney's northern beaches.

He also called for the Australian Human Rights Commission to be axed in his 2GB interview.

Mr Abbott had Labor-appointed Commissioner Gillian Triggs in his sights as he attacked her government agency for failing to go after Hizb ut-Tahrir, following a video of two women in hijabs justifying domestic violence.

'Why isn't the Human Rights Commission all over Hizb ut-Tahrir for denying the human rights of women by appearing to condone wife beating?' he asked Sydney radio 2GB's Ray Hadley on Monday.
Fugitive killer Steve Stephens was a loser in love as well as on the gambling tables.

It was a combination of losing the girl he loved and his pay packet on the casino tables that drove him to murder - and to post the Easter Sunday horror video to Facebook.

The ruthless killer, who randomly took the life of 74-year-old Robert Godwin had little luck and developed a creepy 'party trick' to win the attention of girls in the Cleveland suburb where he grew up.

As a teenager he bought a python and would approach women with his slithering pet around his neck to try and win their attention.

'It was a slimy thing to do and now he's just a snake in the grass too,' said next-door-neighbor Alexis Lee.

The Ohio man is wanted on charges of aggravated murder for shooting dead 74-year-old Robert Godwin in a video he then posted to Facebook (above)

Wanted with $50,000 price on his head: Law enforcement in Cleveland say that Steve Stephens could be anywhere in the country

Home: The Facebook killer Steve Stephens was brought up in this eastern section of Cleveland and lived at this home with his mom while growing up

Remembered: Tributes are being laid at the scene of Steve Stephens' Facebook murder of Robert Goodwin. The father and grandfather was walking on the sidewalk when the killing was broadcast

Taking no chances: Police in Philadelphia deployed SWAT teams and tactical vehicles during a potential sighting of Steve Stephens on Monday, which turned out to be a false alarm

Creepy: Alexis Lee, 34, who had known Stephens since he was a teenager told DailyMail.com he had tried to get her to spend time with him in the local casino, where he had lost heavily. Charisse Leonard, 28, (right) said: 'I thought he was confused about his sexuality and could even have been gay.'

The 34-year-old mother of three said: 'He didn't really know how to talk to us ladies.

'The snake was meant to draw my attention and he regularly told me he had a crush on me.

'But he wasn't my type at all. There was nothing attractive about him. He did have a nice personality though.

'He was great with the kids around here and when he was driving out after seeing his mom he'd stop his car.

'He would tell the kids 'Stay out of trouble, go to school and don't be knuckle heads'.

She added: 'He was good to the kids and he would worry about them crossing the street or getting lost and said' Hold hands now'.

'But he always seemed a bit lost and I'm not surprised that he's upset about his girlfriend and blaming her for what he's done.

'I saw him at the casino a couple of times and he would remind me that he always had a crush on me.

'One he asked me to sit next to him at the tables saying "Be my queen... be my lucky charm". But I wasn't interested. I just went home.'

Another local woman Charisse Leonard, 28, said: 'I thought he was confused about his sexuality and could even have been gay.

Stephens said that he wouldn't stop killing until Lane or his mother called him. Lane is reportedly in protective custody now

Loser: Neighbors told how Steve Stephens had no success with girls as he grew up and had been an unsuccessful gambler

Apology: Joy Lane, who Stephens blamed for his actions, said: 'We had been in a relationship for several years. I am sorry that all of this has happened.'

Earlier on Sunday, Stephens blamed casinos and his lack of self control for the 'Easter Sunday massacre' in Cleveland. He specifically names the Jack Casino in Cleveland

'I had never known him to have had a girlfriend. But he had a nice nature as did his mother and family. I never saw his dad.'

Theresa Blevins-Odom, 54, saw the killer, who is 37, just 48 hours before he carried out the slaying of the senior citizen and later posted a Facebook video of the murder.

She told DailyMail.com: 'He seemed quite normal and said have a nice day.

'I am sorry for him and his mother who is a good woman and who has brought her children up to be good people.

'Everybody goes through some problems in their lives and maybe Steve couldn't handle it. I still think he's a good kid.'

He graduated from Myers College business school in 2002 and had found a steady job.

Stephens, worked as case manager at Beech Brook, a behavioral health agency headquartered in Pepper Pike, near Cleveland.

He joined in 2008 and began as a youth mentor for teens and for the past two years as a vocational specialist for the Assertive Community Treatment team, which provides support to older teens and young adults.

He did not have a criminal record and had only been accused of traffic offenses.

But he blew his salary at the tables in the Jack casino, in a former department store in downtown Cleveland, and at one point petitioned for bankruptcy.

He now has a $50,000 price on his head after law enforcement announced reward for information leading to his arrest.

He has been on the run since the deadly incident on Sunday, after cops tried and failed to convince him to turn himself in.

Around midday on Monday, police in Philadelphia investigated multiple calls about a possible sighting of Stephens in a city park, but authorities say it was a false alarm.

Earlier in the day, cops in Cleveland announced that they had widened their search for Stephens to Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana and Michigan.

When officers tried to track Stephens' phone after the shooting, it 'pinged' in Erie, Pennsylvania - 100 miles east from the scene of the crime.

Residents in these states were asked to be on the lookout for Stephens, who is wanted for aggravated murder and is considered armed and dangerous.

Robert Godwin's son says his father was a retired foundry worker

'We were shocked and horrified to learn of this news today,' agency spokeswoman Nancy Kortemeyer said in a statement

Police Chief Calvin Williams said in a Monday morning press conference that his officers searched dozens of locations the previous night 'to no avail' and have admitted that Stephens could be anywhere.

He added that no more victims have been found, despite Stephens' claim on Facebook that he killed up to 15 people.

He also issued a warning to anyone who may be harboring Stephens.

'If you think you're helping Steve, you're really not. You're going to get yourself in trouble along with him,' Williams said.

Steve Anthony, special agent in charge of Cleveland's FBI office, said Stephens could be almost anywhere now.

'He could be in a lot of place. He could be nearby, he could be far away and anywhere in between,' Anthony said.

Authorities released an update as Stephen's ex-girlfriend, Joy Lane, apologized for the shooting.

Stephens says in the video that he was motivated to kill after breaking up with his girlfriend, identified as Lane, earlier in the day.

He wrote that he 'messed up' in postings on social media and said he would only stop killing if his girlfriend or his mother called him.

Lane is said to be an Air Force veteran, and he said the two dated for three years, and he wishes he'd never met her. Lane is said to be in protective custody.

Stephens says the name of a woman, whom Godwin does not seem to recognize.

'She's the reason that this is about to happen to you,' Stephens tells Godwin before pointing a gun at him. Godwin can be seen shielding his face with the shopping bag.

In a text message to CBS, she said: 'We had been in a relationship for several years. I am sorry that all of this has happened.

'My heart and prayers goes out to the family members of the victim(s).

On Monday, authorities asked residents in Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana and Michigan to be on the lookout for the Ohio man

'Steve really is a nice guy. He is generous with everyone he knows. He was kind and loving to me and my children.'

The killer's mother,Maggie Green, said Stephens had called by her house on Saturday afternoon and told her, 'If you see me again, it'll be a miracle'.

'He said this is the last time I was going to see him,' she told CNN.

The video of the killing was on Facebook for about three hours before it was removed. Stephens' Facebook page also was eventually removed.

In a separate video posted on Facebook, Stephens claimed to have killed more than a dozen other people.

'Like I said, I killed 13, so I'm working on 14 as we speak,' he said.

Police have not verified any other shootings or deaths, Police Chief Calvin Williams said.

The killing has struck a blow to Facebook's reputation.

'This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook,' said a company spokesperson. 'We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety.'

The victim's son, Robert Godwin Jr., told Cleveland.com that he can't bring himself to watch the video.

'I haven't watched the video. I haven't even looked at my cellphone or the news,' Godwin said. 'I don't really want to see it.'

He said his father, a retired foundry worker, collected aluminum cans and often walked with a plastic shopping bag, picking cans up if he saw them on ground. The son said he believed his father was looking for cans on Sunday when Stephens approached him.
The Center for Creative Arts Dance Department presents Project Motion, its student dance company, in Symphony in Motion on Thursday and Friday, April 27 and 28, at 7 p.m. in the CCA Auditorium.

Tickets are $5 and available at the door.

The concert is an evening of original choreography in modern, jazz, and ballet. Choreographers featured on the program are Amanda Clark, Jessica Laliberte Bowman, and Laurel Zahrobsky. Featured guests include the newly formed Cleveland Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Sarah Pearson, and students from CCAs Vocal Music department under the direction of Neshawn Calloway.

Project Motion is the performing ensemble of CCA's Dance Department. Students are accepted by audition and perform in full-length concerts, lecture-demonstrations, and collaborations with other arts organizations.

Former CCA dancers have had careers with such companies as Dance Theater of Harlem, Nashville Ballet II, on Broadway, and Ailey II. Dancers have also gone on to college dance programs including Ohio University, Cornish College of the Arts, University of Memphis, North Carolina School of the Arts, University of Miami, New World School of the Arts, Wright State University, Columbia College Chicago and Fordham University. The Dance Department is under the direction of Karen Wilson.

For more information contact CCA at 209-5942.








Tony Blair still faces being dragged before the courts for leading Britain into the disastrous Iraq War.

Leading barristers representing bereaved families of British troops killed in the controversial conflict believe there is evidence the ex-prime minister committed misfeasance in public office.

The legal team has gone through the 2.6million-word, 12-volume Chilcot Report into the invasion of Iraq with a fine-tooth comb for the past eight months.

Leading barristers representing bereaved families of British troops killed during the Iraq War believe Tony Blair could still be taken to court for 'misfeasance in public office'

They now conclude there is a strong case Mr Blair misled Parliament to justify the catastrophic 2003 war, which cost the lives of 179 UK personnel.

The development comes after it emerged that the Attorney General is seeking to block a separate attempt to bring legal action against the former prime minister over the conflict.

Relatives of British troops who died in Iraq believe Mr Blair should be hauled before the courts for taking part in the US-led invasion under the false pretext that Saddam Husseins regime was harbouring weapons of mass destruction.

Their lawyers are seeking to build a civil case against the former Labour leader and other Whitehall officials.

The legal case has been funded with the help of generous Daily Mail readers, who raised 150,000 in just two weeks in a bid to bring them to justice. More than 5,000 members of the public dipped into their pockets to help the cause.

Barristers are now in the process of studying the impact of a series of recent rulings to determine whether any court proceedings can begin.

The legal team has gone through the 2.6million-word, 12-volume Chilcot Report into the invasion of Iraq with a fine-tooth comb for the past eight months. They now conclude there is a strong case Mr Blair misled Parliament to justify the catastrophic 2003 war, which cost the lives of 179 UK personnel

In a bid to give themselves the best possible chance of winning a case, they must assess the implications of a string of significant court judgements in 2016, including the Supreme Courts ruling on Brexit in January.

In that case, the judges stated that Prime Minister Theresa May could not trigger the formal two-year Article 50 process of quitting the European Union without a vote in Parliament  and not simply use the Royal Prerogative to force the measure through.

In 2003, it was understood that Mr Blairs Government could have used the prerogative to go to war, but triggered it after putting the issue to a controversial Parliamentary vote.

Relatives of British troops who died in Iraq believe Mr Blair should be hauled before the courts for taking part in the US-led invasion under the false pretext that Saddam Husseins regime was harbouring weapons of mass destruction

Reg Keys, whose son Lance Corporal Tom Keys was murdered by an Iraqi mob in an ambush weeks after the invasion, and Roger Bacon, whose son Matthew, a major in the Intelligence Corps, was killed in a roadside bomb in 2005, said in a statement: We are pleased that our legal team has confirmed that the evidence supports the case that certain state officials may be liable for wrongdoing and, in particular, misfeasance in public office.

However, counsel have identified an issue of great constitutional importance that must be fully and carefully assessed before we can issue any proceedings. All this has to be taken into account and our legal arguments finalised before we can take the next step.

Roger Bacon said: The public have been truly wonderful in their support in our determination to get those responsible, in particular Tony Blair, into court to answer for their actions in taking us into the Iraq war. The families whose loved ones died because of this monumental catastrophe have to live with the consequences every single day of our lives. It is a hard road we are taking with no guarantees of success but for our peace of mind, for the great British public who have shown so much support and in memory of our loved ones we must do everything we can to get the justice we believe the country needs.

The legal case has been funded with the help of generous Daily Mail readers, who raised 150,000 in just two weeks in a bid to bring them to justice. More than 5,000 members of the public dipped into their pockets to help the cause

Matthew Jury, of law firm McCue and Partners, which is representing the families, said: Having spent the past months analysing the report, we can confirm that the evidence supports the case that certain state officials might have acted unlawfully.

However, given the significance of this case to the families and the public we are approaching every step with the utmost care.

The families are pursuing a civil case because the International Criminal Court has refused to take action, the UK authorities will not bring a criminal prosecutions, and an attempt by MPs to name -and shame Mr Blair will not result in convictions.

Sir John Chilcots damning 2.6million-word report blasted Mr Blair for rushing into a catastrophic conflict on the back of flawed intelligence and amid questions over its legality, and for failing to plan for the aftermath of the invasion

Sir John Chilcots damning 2.6million-word report blasted Mr Blair for rushing into a catastrophic conflict on the back of flawed intelligence and amid questions over its legality, and for failing to plan for the aftermath of the invasion.

Yesterday (MON) the Mail told how Britains top law officer has intervened to try to block a separate attempt to haul Mr Blair to court over the Iraq War.

Attorney General Jeremy Wright has formally asked for a bid by General Abdul-Wahid Shannan ar-Ribat, former chief of staff of the Iraqi army, to prosecute the former prime minister to be rejected.

He wants the former Labour leader to be convicted of the crime of aggression in a British court.

Mr Blair insists he acted in good faith based on the intelligence available to him in the run-up to the war. He claimed the Chilcot Report showed there was no secret plan to invade Iraq and Parliament had not been misled

Mr Ribat is seeking a judicial review of district judge Michael Snows decision last November that Mr Blair had immunity from criminal prosecution.

But Mr Wright, a Tory MP, has formally asked for the case to be rejected, partly because the crime of aggression does not exist in English law. This position has been backed by the law lords.

In papers submitted to the court, the Attorney General said it was for Parliament to decide what counts as a criminal offence in the UK, not the courts.

Mr Blair insists he acted in good faith based on the intelligence available to him in the run-up to the war.

He claimed the Chilcot Report showed there was no secret plan to invade Iraq and Parliament had not been misled.
The 84-year-old veteran Labour peer said Theresa May was a 'capable woman'

Dame Joan Bakewell has chided Theresa May for wearing skirts that are a bit short.

The 84-year-old Labour peer described the Prime Minister as a capable woman but added: I think her skirts are a bit short. Please dont make a thing of that.

The veteran broadcaster presented the BBCs Late Night Line-Up in the late 60s and admitted that sexism was rife when she was starting to carve out a career for herself.

When asked if she was leered at by her male colleagues, she told the Radio Times: Yes, of course. It was a way of life. There was no man who didnt leer, or think of it. It was the tenor of the times, which is why, strangely enough, no one bothered with Jimmy Savile. He was just a strange man. There were plenty of them around.

The mood was there was nothing very offensive about it. As someone who was quite pretty in those days, you got pinched everywhere and, in a way, the thing was not to let it matter.

The mother of two, who famously had an eight-year affair with the playwright Harold Pinter while she was married to producer Michael Bakewell, also spoke of never feeling guilty during her years of infidelity.

Dame Joan told how she deceived her husband by telling her she needed to be away filming. She said: I went to Heathrow and got a flight to Paris to spend the day with Harold, who was filming there. I was back in time to cook supper for the children.

Guilt was something I had to deal with quite early on. I remember thinking, If Im going ahead with this, Im not going to be racked by guilt... 

Dame Joan Bakewell worked at the BBC during the 60s and admitted it was rife with sexism

In fact, 50 years on, the veteran broadcaster looks back fondly on her relationship with Pinter. The playwright, who died in 2008, based his play Betrayal on their romance. Dame Joan is releasing her own account of their affair called Keeping In Touch.

Last month, Theresa Mays legs were at the centre of controversy after the Daily Mail ran the headline Never mind Brexit, who won Legs-it! alongside a front-page picture of Mrs May and Nicola Sturgeon both wearing short skirts at a meeting in Glasgow. Left-wing politicians complained it was sexist, but Mrs May dismissed the complaints and called it a bit of fun.
A Cabinet row is brewing over plans to allow cheap American food into the UK as part of a post-Brexit trade deal with the United States.

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox is pushing for agriculture to be included in discussions about a free trade deal with the US, which could be struck within months of Britain leaving the EU.

Dr Fox, who is backed by Boris Johnson, has told ministers that the move could slash food prices for British consumers and encourage Washington to agree a comprehensive free trade deal that would be worth billions to the British economy.

Andrea Leadsom (pictured) fears consumers' reactions to ending restrictions on US products such as hormone-fed beef, chlorine-washed chicken and genetically modified crops

But Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom is opposed to the move, warning it could damage British farming and end restrictions on controversial US products such as hormone-fed beef, chlorine-washed chicken and genetically modified crops.

One source familiar with the discussions said Mrs Leadsom feared the watering down of British food standards to cater for American produce risked angering consumers and damaging perceptions of Brexit.

There are also concerns about the impact on British agriculture, which would face the twin threat of competition from super-sized US farms together with the potential loss of EU markets if British standards are lowered.

Liams view is that this stuff is legal and that the Americans have been eating it perfectly safely for years, the source said. He believes free trade is the key to Britains future and it is hard to see how the US is going to sign up quickly to a meaningful trade deal that doesnt include agriculture.

Andrea thinks that consumers rightly value the high food standards we have in this country and would not understand why we were lowering them.

There are also serious concerns about the consequences for British farmers. It isnt just about having to compete with US farmers who use techniques that are now allowed here. If we decide to lower out standards in order to compete then we will lose our main export market as the rest of the EU will no longer accept our produce.

Boris Johnson has also spoken out in favour of including farming in a trade deal with the US, arguing that it could help end the long-running ban on British beef products imposed during the BSE crisis in the 1990s.

During a recent debate he told MPs a free trade deal with the US would be of profound benefit to the whole of the United Kingdom, adding: MPs may not know this, but at the moment the United States still has an embargo not only on British beef but on Scottish haggis. I do not know whether members of the Scottish parties agree with that, but there is no way of liberating the haggis to travel across the Atlantic again unless we do a free trade deal with the United States.

The US has made it clear that it expects agriculture to be included in any trade talks. Bob Young, chief economist at the American Farm Bureau Federation, said free access for food products would be a top priority for the US administration.

American food producers wash butchered chickens in strongly chlorinated water to reduce the risk of bacteria, a practice banned in the EU

Brexit gives ministers the chance to shape new farming policies and standards which have previously been set by Brussels.

Hormone-fed beef is currently banned because the European Food Safety Authority says there is insufficient data to assess potential risks to human health.

American food producers also wash butchered chickens in strongly chlorinated water to reduce the risk of bacteria  a practice that is currently banned by the EU.

The sale of GM food, which is standard in the US, is not illegal in Europe. But under EU labelling laws it has to be clearly marked, with the result that little GM food is currently sold in the UK. Repealing these laws would be controversial but could lead to a big increase in the market for GM crops.

But a Tory source warned that any bid to tear up food standards to appease the US would breach the partys 2015 manifesto, which pledged to uphold the highest standards of animal welfare.

The document also committed the Tories to push for high animal welfare standards to be incorporated into international trade agreements.
When enthusiastic male jumping spiders flirt with females more than just their dignity is at risk.

A hungry female who rejects the advances of a male might decide to eat him for dinner instead.

Because the foolhardy male spider cannot distinguish between other female species of spiders they vigorously dance and sing to all females they come across.

Nearly one in five of these displays result in the male spider being attacked.

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Researchers studied the courtship habits of four species of male jumping spiders (left) who vigorously dance and sing to all females (right) they come across. If thet present to the wrong species by accident they get attacked and in some cases eaten

JUMPING SPIDERS Jumping spiders are common on all continents except Antatctica. Scientists studied four species of jumping spiders in the genus Habronattus. The males courted female spiders regardless of their species. 18 per cent of those interactions resulted in the male being attacked and in one case he was even eaten. This resulted from him trying it on with a species other than his own. Because the foolhardy male spider cannot distinguish between other female species of spiders they vigorously dance and sing to all females they come across. The study proves that male jumping spiders are 'pretty clueless' about finding females, said lead author Lisa Taylor from the University of Florida. Advertisement

Researchers from the University of Florida and Arizona State University studied the courtship habits of four species of jumping spiders in the genus Habronattus.

There are about 100 species in this genus. The males are 'highly ornamented' with colourful faces and legs while females are a plain brown colour.

Although trying it on with all females might increase their chances of success it also increases the chance of males getting attacked if they choose the wrong species of female.

Scientists studied jumping spiders living in overlapping habitats along a river in the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area near Phoenix, writes Live Science.

Scientists studied their courtship and cannibalism rituals and then temporarily captured the spiders to find if the females were sexually mature.

They observed 42 spider interactions in total, more than half of which were between sexually mature males and females.

The males courted female spiders regardless of their species and 18 per cent of those interactions resulted in the male being attacked and in one case he was even eaten.

'Males courted females at every opportunity, regardless of species, and in some cases, this led to aggression and predation by the female', researchers said in the paper which is published in Plos ONE.

Although trying it on with all females might increase their chances of success it also increases the chance of males getting attacked. Pictured are two jumping spiders mating (stock)

Scientists studied jumping spiders living in overlapping habitats along a river in the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area near Phoenix

'Females are larger and are voracious predators, posing a severe risk to males who court indiscriminately', they said.

The study proves that male jumping spiders are 'pretty clueless' about finding females, said lead author Lisa Taylor, an assistant research scientist at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

These mating displays are actually a defence mechanism as they allow them to keep their distance from potentially deadly females.

'This study provides some new insight into the age-old question of why males go to such ridiculous lengths to impress females', said Dr Taylor.




Scientists have taken the first photographs of a worrying new crack in one of Greenland's largest glaciers.

The rift was spotted while researchers were examining satellite data from the Petermann glacier.

The crack is raising concerns that part of the floating ice shelf could break off into the ocean.

NASA field campaign Operation IceBridge has captured the first photographs of the growing crack. Researchers are keeping a close eye on it they believe it holds back a foot of potential sea level rise from the Greenland ice sheet

The images were captured by scientists with the NASA field campaign Operation IceBridge.

The Petermann glacier moves toward the sea along the northwestern coast of Greenland, terminating in a huge floating ice tongue.

Researchers are keeping a close eye on it as they believe it holds back a foot of potential sea level rise from the Greenland ice sheet.

Like other glaciers that end in the ocean, it periodically calves icebergs.

A massive iceberg, or ice island, broke off of the Petermann Glacier in 2010.

Nearly two years later, another chunk of ice broke free.

Another crack has been found stretching towards the center of Petermann's ice shelf, according to the Washington Post.

Pictured is part of the new rift on Petermann Glacier's floating ice shelf (shown near the bottom center). The older rift appears near top center. The shaded feature, near the bottom center, is the 'medial flowline' which may help slow the rift's growth

Pictured is the Petermann Glacier's east wall near the end of the floating ice shelf. If the crack continues to grow, it could join up with the initial crack and cross the entire ice shelf

Last week, Stef Lhermitte, a researcher at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, said a second new crack is appearing in the middle of the ice shelf.

'As far as I understand, the island might not break off until later this summer or even next summer,' he told MailOnline.

'As this part of the ice shelf is already floating the break-off of the island will not affect sea level rise (i.e.floating ice and water have exactly the same volume).

'But understanding the glacier response on the longer term is important as it holds back a large amount of ice from the Greenland ice sheet.'

If it continues to grow, it could join up with the initial crack and cross the entire ice shelf.

The discovery was made while researchers were examining satellite images of the Petermann glacier, which moves toward the sea along the northwestern coast of Greenland

There may be still be hope for the shelf, according to Nasa.

A 'medial flowline' in the ice could have a 'stagnating effect' on the newer rift, helping to slow its advance, scientists with Operation IceBridge said on Facebook.

Lhermitte said a possible cause for the crack might be 'ocean forcing,' a phenomenon that happens when warm ocean waters melt the ice from underneath.

In its in-depth report, the Washington Post asked several researchers if the crack could cause a larger break in the ice shelf.

Andreas Muenchow, a University of Delaware oceanographer who studies Petermann, told the Post: 'This could be a big deal that may lead to a third break-up, but it probably will not happen until later this summer.'

.@Petermann_Ice @AndreasMuenchow @glacier_doc @CopernicusEU @ESA_EO Sentinel-2 satellite time series show this new crack for the first time in July 2016. It has been growing since then. 2/5 pic.twitter.com/5dIiLs8kX9  Stef Lhermitte (@StefLhermitte) April 12, 2017

Jason Box, a professor with the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland said it could lead to an ice island around 50 to 70 miles in size.

Earlier this month, it was revealed that Greenland's glaciers and ice caps have passed a 'tipping point' and are no longer able to regrow lost ice.

The proverbial 'tipping point' was passed in 1997, when coastal meltwater was filled to its capacity.

Researchers predict that the subsequent melting of Greenland's coastal ice will raise global sea levels by about 1.5 inches by 2100.

 Slide me  Greenland's glaciers and ice caps have passed a 'tipping point' and are no longer able to regrow lost ice, experts have warned in a new study. The proverbial 'tipping point' was passed in 1997, when coastal melt water was filled to its capacity

WHY ARE THE GLACIERS 'DOOMED'? The problem lies in a layer of snow called the firn, which lies between fresh surface snow and the ice. Normally, meltwater drains through gaps in the firn down to the ice surface. But when the firn became saturated in 1997, it froze through. Since then, there haven't been any gaps to capture meltwater, and the ice hasn't been able to grow. They found that, for the last 20 years, mass loss has been exactly equal to the amount of meltwater runoff lost to sea, with a frozen firn the most likely cause. Advertisement

The study was conducted by researchers at Ohio State University, who looked at the glaciers and ice caps that dot the edges of the Greenland coast.

Twenty years ago, the island passed a tipping point, meaning the smallest glaciers and ice caps on the coast are no longer able to regrow lost ice.

The findings reveal exactly why the most vulnerable parts of Greenland ice are melting so quickly  the deep snow layer that normally captures coastal melt-water was filled to capacity in 1997.

That layer of snow and melt-water has since frozen solid, meaning all new melt-water flows over it and out to sea.

Fortunately, the findings only apply to a fairly small amount of ice along the coast, and not the Greenland Ice Sheet  the second biggest ice cache in the world.

Dr Ian Howat, who lead the study, said: 'These peripheral glaciers and ice caps can be thought of as colonies of ice that are in rapid decline, many of which will likely disappear in the near future.

'In that sense, you could say that they're 'doomed.'

'However, the ice sheet itself is still not 'doomed' in the same way. The vast interior ice sheet is more climatologically isolated than the surrounding glaciers and ice caps.

Twenty years ago, the island passed a tipping point, meaning the smallest glaciers and ice caps on the coast are no longer able to regrow lost ice

'Also, since this 'tipping point' was reached in the late 90's before warming really took off, it indicates that these peripheral glaciers are very sensitive and, potentially, ephemeral relative to the timescales of response of the ice sheet.'

If Greenland's coastal ice melted at once, global sea levels would rise a few inches.

In comparison, if the whole Greenland Ice Sheet melted at once, sea levels would rise by seven metres.

The problem lies in a layer of snow called the firn, which lies between fresh surface snow and the ice.

Normally, meltwater drains through gaps in the firn down to the ice surface.

But when the firn became saturated in 1997, it froze through.

Since then, there haven't been any gaps to capture meltwater, and the ice hasn't been able to grow.

They found that, for the last 20 years, mass loss has been exactly equal to the amount of meltwater runoff lost to sea, with a frozen firn the most likely cause.

The researchers have warned that the Greenland Ice Sheet is subject to the same danger, though to a lesser degree that the edge ice.
Most employers will do a Google search on your name before they hire you.

But soon, they could find out far more about you than you realise, if rumours are to be believed.

Google is working on a tool, named 'Google Hire', which could allow recruiters to see your personal search history and YouTube accounts.

Several news reports suggest this will allow recruiters to access your entire search history. However, Google has denied the claims.

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Google is working on a tool, named 'Google Hire', which could allow recruiters to see your personal search history and YouTube accounts. The login page is currently live (screenshot pictured), but the service has not yet been officially rolled out

Google Hire will reportedly work in a similar way to LinkedIn.

Axios claims the tool is under testing, and that it will let employers post job listings, and accept and manage applications.

'So far, several tech companies seem to be using (or testing) Google Hire, including Medisas, Poynt, DramaFever, SingleHop, and CoreOS,' the site says.

Several news outlet have suggest it may only be available to use through personal Google accounts, sparking panic online.

However Google has denied the claim.

The login page is currently live, but the service has not yet been officially rolled out.

The project is being headed up by Diane Green, who oversees Googles enterprise and cloud division.

She was also the founder of Bebop, an enterprise applications platform maker, which Google's parent firm, Alphabet, acquired in November 2015.

Facebook has also unveiled a new tool that lets users find help-wanted posts at business pages, News Feed or a new 'Jobs' bookmark on the mobile application. The new tool is geared towards helping small to midsize businesses find the right employees

The firm isn't the only one taking aim at the recruitment market.

In February, Facebook began letting businesses in the US and Canada post jobs and take applications from job seekers.

LinkedIn's top ten buzzwords to avoid Specialized Leadership Passionate Experienced Strategic Focused Expert Creative Successful Excellent Read more: Advertisement

Users are able to find help-wanted posts at business pages on Facebook or by looking in a new 'jobs' bookmark on the leading social network's mobile application.

After posting a job, Page admins will be able to review applications and contact applicants on Messenger, all on mobile and all in one place.

The move is a challenge to LinkedIn, which has been the go-to spot for job seekers since 2002.

But the Mountain View-based firm caters mostly to larger, well-known firms  leaving the smaller business market open for the taking.

Last June, Microsoft announced it was buying the site for $26.2 billion (18.4 billion) in a move that could see the professional networking site being integrated into the software giant's business services.

Jeff Weiner, chief executive of LinkedIn, said the company would remain as fully independent entity within Microsoft much as YouTube has under Google.

Jobs can be found in the 'More' option nestled between 'Fundraisers' and 'Instant Games'. All you have to do is click on the 'Apply Now' button and a form will open, which will be asked about education, work experience and why you would be a good fit for that specific company
Tourists wanting to holiday in space could be set to blast off in just three years from a remote field in Wales.

Mission chiefs see sleepy Snowdonia as the UK's answer to Cape Canaveral in Florida - and have drawn up plans to make it the country's first spaceport.

They say the destination is leading Britain's space race and could be ready to launch commercial trips to space in 2020.

Spaceports, like this artist's rendition, could soon be operational all around the UK. Mission chiefs see sleepy Snowdonia as the UK's answer to Cape Canaveral - and have drawn up plans to make it the country's first spaceport

OTHER POSSIBLE LOCATIONS Campbeltown Airport (Scotland) Glasgow Prestwick Airport (Scotland) Newquay Cornwall Airport (England) RAF Leuchars (Scotland) Stornorway Airport (Scotland) Advertisement

But the Snowdonia Aerospace Centre - set among the mountains of North Wales - needs planning permission from Gwynedd Council and Snowdonia National Park Authority.

If given the go-ahead it then needs financial backing to put down a launch pad for small satellites and sub-orbital flights.

Chief executive Lee Paul, said: 'Our Snowdonia Spaceport team was well received at the Space Agency event in London, and we are excited to have the support of the private sector and look forward to exploring new opportunities with interested parties.

'The past 18 months have been about creating the right operating environment and establishing a world-class facility.

'Completing the first phase of investment has prepared us for the future and we hope that new developments in 2017 and beyond will mean that Snowdonia Aerospace Centre is even more appealing to world-wide investment.'

In 2015, six sites were shortlisted for possible selection for a spaceport in the UK from eight (pictured). However, since then the government has said they would support rules that would allow a spaceport to be built at any suitable location

If approved then the Snowdonia Spaceport will be built on the existing airfield near the tiny village of Llanbedr.

The government is set to decide next year on where Britain's first spaceport will be, with six sites including North Wales in the running.

In 2015, six sites were shortlisted for possible selection for a spaceport in the UK.

However, since then the government has said they would support rules that would allow a spaceport to be built at any suitable location.

The power allow the launch of satellites, vertical rockets and horizontal flights from the UK for the first time.

New laws unveiled in February mean private companies will be able to launch their own rockets into space from UK spaceports.

Currently satellites can only be launched into orbit from space stations in countries such as the US and India.

But under a new SpaceFlight bill, space ports will be established in regions across the UK.

Up until now UK companies have been reliant on space ports in other countries, such as this one in French Guiana

The Snowdonia Aerospace Centre - set among the mountains of North Wales - needs planning permission from Gwynedd Council and Snowdonia National Park Authority

They will be operational as soon as 2020 and will allow Britain to surge ahead of other countries in the global space race.

Announcing the bill earlier this year, ministers said the UK space sector is the 'future of the British economy' and the Government wants the UK to 'remain at the forefront of a new commercial space age for the next forty years'.

This means British scientists will be able to conduct vital experiments in zero gravity which could help develop vaccines and medicines.

Antibiotics grow differently where there is no gravity and so the move has the potential to help scientists conduct revolutionary research.

The flights could also carry out hundreds of vital scientific experiments on medical issues such as ageing and the human body.

Once launched, the space satellites could also help provide broadband to rural communities and monitor weather systems as they move around the earth.

They could even help rural health workers who use satellite communications to diagnose and assist patients situated far from specialist health services.

The space sector already employs thousands in the UK and supports industries worth 250 billion to the economy

Aviation Minister Lord Ahmad said: 'The UK's space sector is the future of the British economy.'

He said it already employs thousands of people and supports industries worth more than 250million to the economy, and he wants it to grow it further.

He added: 'Forty years ago, meteorologists couldn't have imagined the importance of satellites for predicting the weather.

'Today over 90 per cent of data used in every forecast comes from a satellite, with hundreds of other applications used in GPS, telecommunications and broadband.

'We have never launched a spaceflight before from this country.

'Our ambition is to allow for safe and competitive access to space from the UK, so we remain at the forefront of a new commercial space age, for the next forty years.'

The Government is calling for businesses and industries to come forward with specific proposals for space launches.

In addition, the Government is inviting commercial space businesses to bid for funding to help create a space launch market in the UK.

Forecasts suggest the global market for commercial space flights will be worth 25 billion over the next twenty years.




A dairy cow with a fifth 'leg' is living happy and healthy after being rescued by a kind farmer shortly after it was born.

The cow in Qinglong County, in south-western China's Guizhou Province, has owner Chen Mingguo to thank, after he took it off the hands of a local farmer who wanted to put the animal down.

Chen says the apparent deformity was immediately noticeable after the calf was born and the breeder - one of his friends - called all his neighbours and acquaintances to see it.

A dairy cow with a fifth 'leg' is living happy and healthy after being rescued by a kind farmer shortly after it was born

WHAT CAUSED THE 'FIFTH LEG'? The cow appears to have a fifth leg coming out of its back. Huang Weiquan, a local breeder, said the cow is not really deformed or a mutant as many believe, but simply the only survivor in what was once a pair of twins. He explained: 'The twin egg did not separate properly during fertilisation, so it resulted in the extra leg growing on the back. The limb does not appear to have developed over the months, and local agricultural experts said they do not expect it to affect the animal's well-being. Advertisement

While the animal was something of a freak show at the time, none of the farmers were willing to buy the animal, fearing that it would die quickly and result in a financial loss for its owner.

Chen, however, decided to bring the calf home because he was 'curious', and he has been happy to see the animal mature into an adult without any issue.

Images of the mutant cow are now being shared on Chinese social media and show its fifth, very thin leg dangling over its back.

The limb does not appear to have developed over the months, and local agricultural experts said they do not expect it to affect the animal's well-being.

Huang Weiquan, a local breeder, said the cow is not really deformed or a mutant as many believe, but simply the only survivor in what was once a pair of twins.

While the animal was something of a freak show at the time, none of the farmers were willing to buy the animal, fearing that it would die quickly and result in a financial loss for its owner

The cow in Qinglong County, in south-western China's Guizhou Province, has owner Chen Mingguo (pictured) to thank, after he took it off the hands of a local farmer who wanted to put the animal down

Huang Weiquan, a breeder, said the cow is not really deformed or a mutant as many believe, but simply the only survivor in what was once a pair of twins. He explained: 'The twin egg did not separate properly during fertilisation, so it resulted in the extra leg growing on the back'

He explained: 'The twin egg did not separate properly during fertilisation, so it resulted in the extra leg growing on the back.

'It's not a 'freak'.'

In 2014, a cow with a fifth leg was also found in India.

The four-year-old animal brings good luck to whoever touches the extra limb - with some claiming it is a manifestation of a Hindu deity.

Owner Laxman Bhosale, 35, tours the country with the animal - with hundreds regularly turning out to catch a glipse of the creature.

Laxman said: 'Cow is our holy animal. We call her our mother. With this extra limb, God is indicating to us that we must respect the animal and seek her blessings.

'Touching the limb of mother cow will bring good luck and help you fulfill all your wishes.'

Images of the mutant cow are now being shared on Chinese social media and show its fifth, very thin leg dangling over its back. Its pictured here with other cattle and has reportedly grown into a healthy adult

In 2014, a cow with a fifth leg was also found in India. The four-year-old animal is believed by locals to bring good luck to whoever touches the extra limb - with some claiming it is a manifestation of a Hindu deity
For many millennials, life without Snapchat and Facebook is unimaginable.

But it wasn't that long ago that people had to navigate the black and white interface of early computers.

Now, a new tool lets anyone relive those simpler days from the 1980s.

The Internet Archive has created 40 emulators of Apple programs released from 1984 to 1989 for you to play with inside your browser.

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The archive inclued programs such as MacWrite and classic games like Frogger, Pyramid of Peril (pictured) and Space Invaders. Pyramid of Peril was released in 1985. The player is on an archaeological expedition in search of a sacred idol

WHAT DOES THE ARCHIVE INCLUDE? The Internet Archive has created 40 emulators of Apple software released from 1984 to 1989 for you to play with inside your browser. This includes programs such as MacWrite and classic games like Frogger and Space Invaders. It also includes full versions of MacOS System 6.0.8 and 7.0.1 letting you relive your childhood computing nostalgia. The story of the creation of the operating system and the Macintosh itself are covered in many collections at the Archive, including this complete run of Macworld magazine and these deep-dive Macintosh books. To explore the full list, click here. Advertisement

This includes programs such as MacWrite and classic games like Frogger, Pyramid of Peril and Space Invaders.

It also includes full versions of MacOS System 6.0.8 and 7.0.1 letting you relive your childhood computing nostalgia.

For instance, you can browse a Mac running a 1991 MacOS MacOS 7.0.1 that has various software already 'installed.'

The operating system lets you explore MacPaint as well as take a look through an retro Microsoft Word.

'If youve not experienced the original operating system for the Macintosh family of computers, its an interesting combination of well-worn conventions in the modern world, along with choices that might seem strange or off-the-mark,' the Internet Archive wrote on its blog.

'At the time the machine was released, however, they landed new ideas in the hands of a worldwide audience and gained significant fans and followers almost immediately.

'Enjoy this (9-inch, black and white) window into computer history.'

You can browse a Mac running a 1991 MacOS MacOS 7.0.1 that has various software already 'installed.' The operating system lets you explore MacPaint as well as take a look through an retro Microsoft Word. Pictured is a Macintosh 128K released in 1984

MacPaint was an early graphics editor developed by Apple and released with the original Macintosh in 1984. It was sold separately for $195 (155) with MacWrite

The Internet Archive has created 40 emulators of Apple software released from 1984 to 1989. This includes Frogger, a retro arcade game developed by Konami. The object of the game is to direct frogs to their homes by crossing a busy road and river full of hazards

The Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library offering free global access to books, movies and music, as well as 286 billion archived web pages.

Other pages that serve as time capsules for the web's past include CNN's 1996 OJ Simpson coverage, and the oldest continuously running webcam in San Francisco that went live in 1994.

These are stored on the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, that logs obscure and archived websites, software and video.

The Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library offering free global access to books, movies and music, as well as 286 billion archived web pages. It includes full versions of MacOS System 6.0.8 and 7.0.1 letting you relive your childhood computing nostalgia

Dark Castle was a game that involved a to topple the Black Knight. It has been described as a 'perfect showcase for the young Macintosh platform' at the time

The 1996 Space Jam website shows the film's logo on a background of stars.

It reveals behind-the-scenes information about the cast and crew, audio from the film and includes a bio of lead star Michael Jordan.

The OJ Simpson coverage, from CNN, features headings that provide details about the witnesses, the suspects, evidence and the murder - all illustrated using Clip Art.

In 1994, a webcam was installed at San Francisco State University to monitor fog in the region, as part of a student project.

The camera is still live, and still streams footage, 24 hours a day.

Another interactive Warner Bros site was created in 1998 to promote You've Got Mail, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.

The archive includes pages showcasing 1996 film Space Jam (pictured), as well as a site promoting Warner Bros You've Got Mail film from 1998. It also features news coverage of the 1996 OJ Simpson trial and the oldest continuously running webcam in San Francisco

In 1994, a webcam was installed at San Francisco State University to monitor fog in the region, as part of a student project (pictured). The camera is still live, and still streams footage, 24 hours a day. It is the oldest continuous webcam available to view online

The Internet Archive includes a Washington Post archive (pictured) from 1996 in which the Macarena dance was featured in its In Style section. It also details Bill Clinton returning to office for a second term, and Post.com launched

It lets users read the emails between the two characters, using a virtual inbox, and an instant messenger pop-up details other dialogue from the film.

There is even a Washington Post archive from 1996 in which the Macarena dance was featured in its In Style section.

This was the year that Post.com launched, which the site explained: 'The nation embraced the internet as a new method of communicating, and The Washington Post began publishing on the Web in June with the launch of WashingtonPost.com.

'We asked you to '.com and get it,' and you do, to the tune of a half-million page views a day. Stick around - there's more to come in 1997.'

RISE OF DIGITAL ARCHAEOLOGY The Internet Archive is part of a growing trend known as 'digital archaeology.' A few years ago, the Barbican in London held an exhibition for retro childhood games and websites. Video games and computers from the 1970s to 1990s including Space Invaders, Pong, the Gameboy, Mac Paint and the Linn LM-1 drum machine were all on display. All the models were in working condition and were available to play as part of the exhibition, which tracked their respective places in technological history. Other examples included Manic Miner on the ZX Spectrum and the first website to be created by pioneer Tim Berners-Lee in 1991. The Digital Revolution exhibition was designed as a 'celebration of digital creativity.' Recently, researchers restored the first website, created by Mr Berners-Lee during his time at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN. Advertisement

A 1996 website set up to help Star Trek fans get to grip with the fictional Klingon language is pictured
Most dog owners probably wish they had a little more time to spend taking their beloved pets for a walk.

Now, engineers at Ford may have found a solution.

They have dreamed up a robotic 'dog nanny' that would take your canine friend out for their daily exercise when you are not at home.

The 'concept robot' was designed as part of Ford's innovation challenge to find solutions for the cities of tomorrow. Speakers built into the unit would let owners talk to and reassure their dog while out and about. It would use navigation software and sensors to find its way around

HOW DOES IT WORK? The robot would be controlled from a smartphone or computer. It would use autonomous navigation software and sensors to find its way around. Speakers built into the unit would also let owners talk to and reassure their dog while out and about. A special compartment would also dispense water and treats while out on the walk. It could also use a warning alarm to scare away aggressive dogs that might come too close to your own pet. A vacuum would clean up after your pet should it make a mess in the street. A smart collar worn by the dog would also help to monitor your pet's temperature, pulse and respiration. Advertisement

The robot, which would be designed to be controlled from a smartphone or computer, even features vacuum to clean up after your pet should it make a mess in the street.

A smart collar worn by the dog would also help to monitor your pet's temperature, pulse and respiration to make sure it is ok while you were not there.

Speakers built into the unit would also let owners talk to and reassure their dog while out and about.

The 'concept robot' was designed as part of Ford's innovation challenge to find solutions for the cities of tomorrow.

Itzel Cortes, a designer with Ford in Mexico City who came up with the Dog Nanny, said she would love to see it become a real product to help her look after her pet Dachshund.

She said: 'I have a little dog called Liuba, but a few years ago when I was studying for a masters degree, I didn't have time to take her for a walk.

'She would spend a lot of time alone and she was starting to gain weight. Now I spend three hours in the car when I am working, so I felt there had to be something to help me.'

Ford challenged its engineers to come up with solutions that they believed would help people who live busy modern lives.

The Last Mile Motility Challenge aimed to find ways to help people in situations where cars could not.

Miss Cortes said the Dog Nanny was initially aimed to help people who find themselves stuck in long commutes each day and so struggle to spend enough time with their pets.

A special compartment in the 'dog nanny' would also dispense water and treats while out on the walk. It could also use a warning alarm to scare away aggressive dogs that might come too close to your own pet

She said the robot, which would use autonomous navigation software and sensors to find its way around, could help owners keep an eye on their pet through the day.

While many pet owners are turning to technology like internet connected cameras and automatic feeders to help care for their pets, they still could give animals exercise.

Miss Cortes envisages the robot working with a smart collar that would monitor the dog's health and help it know when the best time to go for a walk was.

Routes could be programmed into the robot with a smartphone or a computer.

Sensors in the collar could also help alert owners if their pet gets spooked or over excited during a walk, allowing them to talk to them over a speaker on the robot to calm them down.

Special compartments would also dispense water and treats while out on the walk.

Other innovations to come out of the challenge set by the company include a flying drone that can carry an umbrella over pedestrians while they walk and another that can carry first aid to hard to reach locations

Miss Cortes said the robot could also use a warning alarm to scare away aggressive dogs that might come too close to your own pet.

But she added: 'The device is not intended to be the owner of the pet - no one can be better than your for your friend, but it will help you when you cannot be there.

'It could even walk your pet around while you are in the supermarket or at the dentist rather than leaving them tied up outside or locked in the car.'

While Ford said it encouraged innovation from its designers, it was too early to say if the Dog Nanny would be turned into a real product.

Other innovations to come out of the challenge set by the company include a flying drone that can carry an umbrella over pedestrians while they walk and another that can carry first aid to hard to reach locations.

Walter Pijls, supervisor of innovation management for mobility research at Ford Europe, said: 'Ford's greatest resource is, and always has been, its employees.

'Innovation is as much at the heart of how our designers and engineers think now, as it was when Henry Ford first set about transforming the way we move.'
Dr. Dale McConkey, sociologist and ordained Methodist minister, will present a lecture, Sexuality and Schism: Social Issues and the Divided Church, for Alpha Kappa Delta (AKD) at Lee University on Thursday. The event will take place from 5-6 p.m. in the Johnson Lecture Hall, in Lees Humanities Center.

Over the past decade, three mainline denominations have experienced schism, including the Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Lutheran church. This division has resulted in the loss of 10 percent of its membership, mainly to form new conservative congregations. As a sociologist and pastor in the Methodist Church, which is the largest Protestant mainline denomination, Dr. McConkey will address the issue of the circulation of the saints in his lecture.

Dr. McConkey is associate professor of sociology and director of the Wesley Foundation at Berry College. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy in sociology from the University of Illinois, Urbana, with graduate studies at Candler School of Theology, Emory University. He is the co-author of several books, including Faith, Morality, and Civil Society and Community and Political Thought Today.

The event is free and open to the public.

For information on the event, please contact AKD sponsor Karen Mundy-Judkins at kmundy@leeuniversity.edu.
Elon Musk's dream for a high speed travel system that uses pneumatic tubes is set to take a major step forward in August with a radical 'drag race'.

Earlier this year, three teams of students tested their half scale pod designs in a specially built 1km long SpaceX test track - with Delft University taking first prize over MIT and WARR.

Now, they are set to return - for a 'drag race' to find the fastest pod.

Scroll down for video

In the loop: Cameras capture the Delft Hyperloop vehicle team from the Netherlands inside the 1.25 kilometer-long Hyperloop track at the SpaceX headquarters.

WHAT IS HYPERLOOP? Hyperloop is a proposed method of travel that would transport people at roughly 700mph between distant locations. It was unveiled by Elon Musk in 2013, who at the time said it could take passengers the 380 miles (610km) from LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes - half the time it takes a plane. It is essentially a long tube that has had the air removed to create a vacuum. The tube is suspended off the ground to protect against weather and earthquakes. Advertisement

'Based on the high-quality submissions and overwhelming enthusiasm surrounding the first competition, SpaceX has moved forward with Hyperloop Pod Competition II, which will culminate in a second competition on August 25-27, 2017, at SpaceXs Hyperloop track,' the firm revealed today.

'Hyperloop Competition II focus on a single criterion: maximum speed.

'The competition will include new and returning student teams, some of which have already built and tested their pods during the first competition.'

The Hyperloop is a ground transport concept proposed by Musk in 2013 to transport 'pods' of 20-to-30 people through a 12-foot diameter tube at roughly 700 mph.

'We are very proud be the overall winner of the first hyperloop pod competition ever!' said the team.

Musk organized the Hyperloop Pod Competition to try and make his vision a reality.

Student teams from all over the world have designed, built and tested Hyperloop pods, with the 30 finalists gathering in California to race.

The pods for the competition are half-size prototypes, too small to accommodate passengers.

Participants will now go through to a second contest over the summer, where they will compete to get the highest speed.

'Hyperloop Competition II will be focused on a single criterion: maximum speed,' organisers said.

For the past week, teams have been testing their designs in hopes of getting the chance to run their pods on SpaceX's one-mile Hyperloop test track.

The Delft Hyperloop vehicle team from the Netherlands load up their pod during the SpaceX Hyperloop competition in Hawthorne, California on January 29, 2017.Students from 30 colleges and universities from the US and around the world are taking part in testing their pods on a 1.25 kilometer-long Hyperloop track at the SpaceX headquarters.

The winning Delft design weighs only 149 kilograms despite measuring about 4.5 metres in length and 1 metre in height.

It uses permanent magnets to float above the track, resulting in very low energy consumption.

In a longer tube, the pod could potentially accelerate to 1200 kilometres per hour, the team says - something they hope to test in the next round of the contest.

Teams were able to test their designs inside a specially built 1.25km test track at SpaceX's HQ

This was the second phase of the worldwide competition that was held from January 27th through 29th, outside SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California.

And more than 100 university teams presented design concepts to a panel of judges in the first phase, which took place in January 2016 - and only 30 teams moved on to the second phase.

THE WINNING DELFT DESIGN The Delft design is very light. Thanks to its use of strong, lightweight carbon fibre, the pod weighs only 149 kilograms despite measuring about 4.5 metres in length and 1 metre in height. It uses permanent magnets to float above the track, resulting in very low energy consumption. The team expects its prototype to reach speeds of more than 200 kilometres an hour in the 1.2-kilometre test tube during the finals. In a longer tube, the pod could potentially accelerate to 1200 kilometres per hour. The winning pod weighs only 149 kilograms despite measuring about 4.5 metres in length and 1 metre in height Advertisement

And the Technical University of Munich was awarded for the fastest speed hit on the test track.

But Badgerloop took home the title for best design, which also included the virtual reality setup the created.

Students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison won an innovation award for its 15-foot-long, 2,100 pound pod called 'Badgerloop' that they submitted in the yearlong SpaceX Hyperloop pod contest.

Team members from Delft Hyperloop, Delft University of Technology place their pod on the track during the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition in Hawthorne.

Deft University of Technology (pictured) from the Netherlands was deemed the overall winner  they had the highest score out of all 30 teams.

The Badgerloop resembles a race car of the future.

It's equipped with a propulsion system that was built on campus, which uses magnets to levitate the vehicle and keep it from losing speed while on its test run.

Although the University of Wisconsin-Madison was awarded for their innovation, the team was unable to run their pod on the track due to bugs in the mechanical and electrical systems.

But the Badgerloop, which won third place in the initial round of SpaceX's Hyperloop pod competition, operations director Claire Holesovsky said the experience of building the pod as a team and participating in the competition has been very rewarding.

'It's been an awesome experience, and we've learned so much,' Holesovsky said.

'We received great feedback from the SpaceX judges and from talking with the other teams.'

'It's really exciting to be working on technology that has the potential to revolutionize high-speed transportation.'

Students from the Technical University of Munich submitted their design for a Hyperloop pod in the worldwide contest

Only three of the 30 teams' designs were deemed safe enough to run the track at the end of the contest.

The SpaceX judges did mention that it is a difficult task to design a levitating Hyperloop pod that doesn't crash.

And they were leaning more towards the idea that not a single team would have cleared all the technical hurdles that would allow them to safely run their pod on the track.

Keio University in Japan entered the smallest Hyperloop pod in the contest, which they named 'The EDGE' pod

This was the second phase of the worldwide competition that was held from January 27th through 29th outside SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. The team's pod was long enough to fit Musk, who is 6-foot 2 inches tall  although they noted that was purposely done

Students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison transformed SpaceX co-founder Elon Musk's concept of Hyperloop pods into a reality. The team won an innovation award for its 15-foot-long, 2,100 pound pod called 'Badgerloop'

UK CHOOSES HYPERLOOP ROUTES The UK is one step closer to a super-fast transport system after four potential routes have been short-listed for Elon Musk's Hyperloop One project. The US start-up has disclosed a list of 35 routes in locations around the world vying to put near-supersonic rail transit system to the test. In the UK, four routes have been picked, that could see lines built from London to Edinburgh, Liverpool to Hull, Glasgow to Cardiff or a 'Northern Arc' across a series of northern cities. The London-Edinburgh scheme was led by an Edinburgh University team that has plans to take the route via Birmingham and Manchester. If selected, it would mean travelling between the two capital cities would take just 45 minutes, and the journey from London to Manchester would take only 18 minutes. Hyperloop did not disclose details of the three other schemes, but it confirmed proposals will be showcased at an exhibition in London on April 27. The startup company keen to revolutionize the way people and cargo travel said that 35 contenders remained from a field of 2,600 teams in a Hyperloop One Grand Challenge launched in May 2015. Advertisement

Delft University of Technology from the Netherlands was deemed the overall winner  they had the highest score out of all 30 teams.

And the Technical University of Munich was awarded for the fastest speed hit on the test track.

But Badgerloop took home the title for best design, which also included the virtual reality setup the created.

Students from the University of Waterloo included a window in their design that lets travelers see the world as they pass through. They named their design 'Waterloop'

Badgerloop leaders said it's an honor to win the innovation award, especially since the team is led by undergraduates.

'I think it's really exciting to see that something so technologically advanced can be made by a group of undergraduates,' said Badgerloop team member Jack McGinty, an electrical engineering and computer science student.

Badgerloop took home the title for best design, which also included the virtual reality setup the created. Badgerloop leaders said it's an honor to win the innovation award, especially since the team is led by undergraduates

'To see freshmen come in and make a significant contribution on developing a 15-foot-long, levitating Hyperloop pod has been pretty incredible, and it has made me realize that I can do whatever I push myself to achieve.'

Badgerloop won for its pod design and virtual reality setup

The team's pod was long enough to fit Musk, who is 6 feet 2 inches tall  although they noted that was purposely done.

'We were all ecstatic to see Elon sit in our pod,' said Holesovsky.

'He checked out our pod's technology.'

Badgerloop has plans to continue improving its pod.

The team already has plans to compete in the next installment of the competition, which is set to take place in summer 2017 at SpaceX's Hyperloop test track.

'Badgerloop is definitely going to continue, and I can't wait to see what we can accomplish,' Holesovsky said.

There are currently no functioning Hyperloops anywhere in the world, and skeptics wonder if the technology can ever make the leap from science fiction to reality.
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A stunning new Cassini image has revealed the 'watercolor world' of Saturn in unprecedented detail.

Astronomers have been captivated by the strange swirling patterns on the planet.

They are caused by 'megawinds' among the fastest in the solar system that can reach 1,100mph.

Scroll down for video

The strange swirling patterns on the planet are caused by 'megawinds' among the fastest in the solar system that can reach 1,100mph.

HOW IT WAS TAKEN This view was taken from a vantage point about 28 degrees above Saturn's equator. The image was taken with the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera on Dec. 2, 2016, with a combination of spectral filters which preferentially admits wavelengths of near-infrared light centered at 728 nanometers. The view was acquired at a distance of approximately 592,000 miles (953,000 kilometers) from Saturn. Image scale is 35 miles (57 kilometers) per pixel. Advertisement

'When imaged at infrared wavelengths that pierce the planets upper haze layer, the high-speed winds of Saturn's atmosphere produce watercolor-like patterns,' NASA explained.

With no solid surface creating atmospheric drag, winds on Saturn can reach speeds of more than 1,100 miles per hour (1,800 kilometers per hour) - some of the fastest in the solar system.

It comes after NASA last week hailed a new frontier after revealing some of the strongest evidence yet that alien life may exist on one of Saturn's moons.

The space agency said that practically all the elements needed for life had been discovered in the same place in our solar system  on one of Saturns icy moons.

The missing ingredient, hydrogen, was discovered for the first time on Enceladus during the deepest ever dive by NASAs Cassini spacecraft.

This hydrogen is now said to be a potential source of chemical energy that could support microbes on the seafloor of Enceladus, the researchers revealed during a NASA press conference yesterday.

After 13 years exploring Saturn, the craft dove into high-powered jets of water spewing from the moons surface, where it found hydrogen gas.

The gas is the final piece of the puzzle following the discovery of water in an ocean under Enceladuss surface.

It means Saturns sixth moon may have the same single-celled organisms with which life began on Earth, or more complex creatures still.

All the building blocks for life have been found for the first time away from Earth, NASA announced  within our solar system. Hunt for alien life is set to begin on Enceladus, Saturns sixth largest moon, after Cassinis deepest ever dive into its cracks found hydrogen gas

WHAT THEY FOUND During its deepest-ever dive into a plume from cracks in Enceladus ice-covered ocean, the Cassini spacecraft detected the presence of hydrogen gas. According to researchers, the only plausible source of this gas could be hydrothermal reactions between hot rocks and water in the ocean beneath the icy surface. This same process, on Earth, provides energy for entire ecosystems around hydrothermal vents. As a result, the researcher say there could be volatile species in these deep oceans. It means Enceladus may have the same single-celled organisms which began life on Earth, or more complex life still. While they haven't found life itself on Enceladus, Glein says the geochemical data 'could allow for this possibility.' Advertisement

These organisms, still found on our planet within the darkest depths of our oceans, use hydrogen and carbon dioxide as fuel in a process known as 'methanogenesis.'

What is intriguing about the data at Enceladus, with the hydrogen detection, is that we are now able to determine how much energy would be available from the methanogenesis reaction at Enceladus,' said Chris Glein, Cassini INMS team associate at SwRI during the press conference.

'We have made the first calorie count in an alien ocean.'

This, the researcher explained, is a major step in assessing the moon's habitability.

While they haven't found life itself on Enceladus, Glein says the geochemical data 'could allow for this possibility.'

Mary Voytek, senior astrobiologist at Nasa Headquarters, said last night: 'This is a new frontier because this is the first time we have seen evidence of an alien food source in an ocean not on Earth.

'We knew we had two of the key ingredients for life and now we have the third. This is the most exciting discovery in my eight-year career at Nasa.'

The building blocks of life on Enceladus are water, which no form of life on Earth can exist without, an energy source and six elements  carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulphur.

The last two of these, phosphorus and sulphur, have not yet been found in Enceladuss ocean  but scientists suspect them to be there because the rocky core of the moon is believed to be chemically similar to meteorites containing them.

This now paves the way for further explorations to find life in our solar system.

'Although we can't detect life, we've found that there's a food source there for it,' said Hunter Waite, lead author of the Cassini study.

'It would be like a candy store for microbes.'

The hydrogen, which shoots out of the moon in high-powered ice jets, is the final puzzle piece following the discovery of its liquid ocean and carbon dioxide. It means Enceladus may have the same single-celled organisms which began life on Earth, or more complex life still

Professor David Rothery, professor of planetary geosciences at the Open University, said: Right now, we only know of life beginning once in the universe, here on Earth, which leaves us alone in the dark. It could have simply been an incredible fluke.

But if it has happened twice in this solar system, it opens up everything.

There are tens of billions of worlds in our galaxy and there could be alien life on many of those too.

Alien life was once only thought possible on habitable planets within the Goldilocks zone  far enough from our sun not to be a fireball, but not so far as to be freezing.

Enceladus, a frozen moon around 800million miles from Earth, was one of the least likely candidates.

But in 2005 the Cassini spacecraft was orbiting Saturn when it picked up plumes of vapour coming from the tiger stripes, or deep fissures, in the moons surface.

This established that, while Enceladus is freezing on its surface, underneath is a liquid ocean.

Organisms, found on our planet in hot vents within the darkest depths of our oceans, use hydrogen and carbon dioxide as fuel in a process called 'methanogenesis.' Researchers have now discovered the building blocks for life exist on Enceladus as well

WHAT IS ENCELADUS? Enceladus is Saturn's sixth largest moon, at 313 miles wide (504 kilometers). Cassini observations have revealed hydrothermal activity, with vents spewing water vapour and ice particles out from a global ocean buried beneath the icy crust. According to NASA, the plume includes organic compounds, volatile gases, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, salts, and silica. While it may look 'inhospitable' like Saturn's other moons, the observations suggest it may have the ingredients to support life. Advertisement

That ocean is warmed by rock at the core of the moon, tidally heated as Enceladus orbits Saturn. The gravity from the planet pulls the moon out of shape, wherever it is closest, creating friction that heats the rock to 90C  enough to melt the ice.

Scientists did not have to drill beneath the ice to examine the reservoir under the moons south pole, as its vapour erupted in plumes through cracks in the surface.

Cassini, on its final mission before it runs out of fuel and is allowed to burn up in space, was sent diving deep into the jets.

Yesterday Nasa announced the spacecraft had found hydrogen as a gas, the form needed to support single-celled organisms, in the moons ocean.

These microbes use hydrogen, which they cannot extract from water, like we use oxygen, to fuel their cells.

Scientists know this form of life can exist after discovering similar creatures at the bottom of Earths oceans.

They are able to survive without sunlight, using hydrogen and carbon dioxide supplied by thermal heating from deep-water vents.

This could provide the necessary energy to support organisms at the seafloor of Enceladus.

'Confirmation that the chemical energy for life exists within the ocean of a small moon of Saturn is an important milestone in our search for habitable worlds beyond Earth,' said Linda Spilker, Cassini project scientist at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California.

This is the closest we've come, so far, to identifying a place with some of the ingredients needed for a habitable environment, said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate at Headquarters in Washington.

These results demonstrate the interconnected nature of NASA's science missions that are getting us closer to answering whether we are indeed alone or not.

In 2005 the unmanned Cassini spacecraft was orbiting Saturn when it picked up plumes of vapour coming from the tiger stripes, or deep fissures, in the moons surface

Observations in 2005 by the NASA/ESA/ASI Cassini mission revealed plumes of water vapour and ice spraying into space from the south pole of Enceladus, the sixth-largest moon of Saturn, as illustrated above

Cassini, which made the major breakthrough using its mass spectrometer, will have a fiery end to its time in space. After orbiting Saturn for 13 years, its grand finale mission will end in September when it is diverted to crash into Saturn and burn up.

Dr David Clements, astrophysicist at Imperial College London, said: This discovery does not mean that life exists on Enceladus, but it is a step on the way to that result.

He added: We need to know much more about the molecular species coming out of Enceladus and, ideally, that are inside it before we can make such claims.

Hydrogen gas, thought to be formed by the heated rocks beneath Enceladus, is needed along with a suitable temperature.

HUBBLE SPOTS SECOND PLUME ON EUROPA Meanwhile the Hubble telescope, the first telescope sent into space in 1990, which has made more than 1.3 million observations, last year spotted possible similar water plumes to those of Enceladus erupting from Jupiters moon Europa. Evidence of a plume was seen at this same location in 2014, and the researchers say the new observations are further evidence that these plumes could be real, and experience intermittent flare-ups. As the Hubble telescope has now twice seen similar vapour flumes coming off Europa, which makes it a second key candidate for this kind of alien life. Nasas Europa Clipper mission, named after ships that sailed on Earth in the 19th century, will set off in the 2020s to search for the chemical ingredients of life on Europa. Meanwhile the Hubble telescope last year spotted possible similar water plumes to those of Enceladus erupting from Jupiters moon Europa. The green oval shows the plumes Hubble observed on Europa. This corresponds to a warm region on Europa's surface, NASA says These composite images show a suspected plume of material erupting two years apart from the same location on Jupiter's icy moon Europa. Both plumes, photographed in UV light by Hubble, were seen in silhouette as the moon passed in front of Jupiter. Advertisement

The discovery of these four ingredients now paves the way for further explorations to find life in our solar system.

Mars, which shares some of the same material as Earth, is a prime candidate, although scientists are now divided as to whether the moons in our solar system are a better bet.

Titan, the largest of Saturns 53 moons, is believed to have a subsurface ocean as salty as Earths Dead Sea in Israel.

As scientists look further for living microbes on Enceladus, NASAs Europa Clipper mission, named after the clipper ships which sailed across the oceans of our planet in the 19th century, will set off in the 2020s to search for the chemical ingredients of life.

As scientists look further for living microbes on Enceladus, NASAs Europa Clipper mission, named after the clipper ships which sailed across the oceans of our planet in the 19th century, will set off in the 2020s to search for the chemical ingredients of life

Cassini, which made the major breakthrough on Saturns moon using its mass spectrometer, will have a fiery end to its mission.

After orbiting Saturn for 13 years, its grand finale mission will end in September when it is diverted to crash into Saturn.

The discoveries mark an important milestone in the search for alien life - which, the experts say, would be quite different from our own.

'These ocean worlds with their protective outer shell, if indeed theres life in there, it has to be completely different than ours in the sense that its generated in a way thats not related to our life, said Jim Green, director, Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters, during the conference.

'We call that a second genesis.'
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While the flying car is yet to become commonplace, an Israeli firm believes its version of the much anticipated transport could seen be ferrying passengers around in the air.

Called the CityHawk, the five seater could be ferrying four passengers using giant jet fuel powered fans.

It is based on the Cormorant, a military craft set to ferry wounded soldiers from the battlefield.

Scroll down for video

The radical design uses enclosed fans, allowing it to land and take off in enclosed spaces. Although initial versions will have a pilot, future craft will be able to fly themselves.

'Metro Skyways Ltd., a subsidiary of Urban Aeronautics plans to launch the design and development of a four-passenger, Vertical-Takeoff and Landing (VTOL), ying car based on Urban Aeronautics' internal rotor, Fancraft technology.' the firm said today.

The vehicle will initially be powered by jet fuel, but will be designed from the outset to convert to liquid hydrogen and eventually also to 700 bar compressed hydrogen, once such options become commercially feasible.

'CityHawk is unique in combining a compact, car-sized design that has a four passenger capacity, no exposed rotors or wings, no batteries and potential for zero carbon emissions,' the firm says.

The development of CityHawk is expected to take ve years and draws on UrbanAero's experience in developing and ight testing its one ton, unmanned Cormorant that is being developed by the company's second subsidiary, Tactical Robotics Ltd.

CityHawk will be similar to Cormorant in shape and size.

CityHawk will initially be piloted by a human pilot, the technology is being developed and tested on Tactical Robotics' Cormorant prototype which already ies fully autonomously.

Cormorant has so far accumulated in excess of 200 ight tests.

CityHawk's rst public demonstration will take place at an airshow shortly after completion of development.

CityHawk will initially be piloted by a human pilot, the technology is being developed and tested on Tactical Robotics' Cormorant prototype which already ies fully autonomously.

As the technology of autonomy and regulatory infrastructure mature, CityHawk will eventually transport passengers robotically.

The hydrogen powered version of the craft will rely on direct feed of hydrogen into a state-of-the art turboshaft engine as an alternative to fuel cells and electric motors.

All CityHawks will be equipped with a standard rocket deployed parachute that will bring them safely down to the ground should any ight critical event occur while airborne.

A flying ambulance has successfully completed its first ever autonomous flight. Dubbed the Cormorant, this vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is designed to carry 1,000 pounds every 31 miles, allowing it to deliver suppliers to war zones and carry wounded soldiers to safety

CORMORANT FIGURES Capacity: 2 patients Length: 20 ft 4 in (6.2 m) Width: 11 ft 6 in (3.5 m) , 2.15 m without thrusters Height: 7 ft 7 in (2.3 m) , 1.8 m without thrusters Advertisement

Urban Aeronautics is currently talking with potential partners and investors interested in participating in funding the CityHawk project.

Meanwhile work continues on its military brother, the Cormorant.

Dubbed the Cormorant, this vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is capable of carrying 1,000 pounds over 31 miles, allowing it to deliver supplies to war zones and carry wounded soldiers to safety.

The craft is also designed to make 'split decisions' if issues should occur during a mission - it either continues its journey, retreats home or lands for further instructions from a human operator.

The prototype has taken two years to complete, but its creators are hopeful that it will be able to reach places traditional helicopters can't in the near future.

The Cormorant was developed by the Israeli firm Tactical Robotics, a subsidiary of the 'Fancraft' technology pioneer Urban Aeronautics, who has conducted more than 200 flights with this military machine.

Its sole purpose is to transport troops, civilian passengers or supplies within tight quarters where helicopters are unable to travel.

This test flight, which was carried out on November 3, was the first time the Cormorant took to the skies over uneven terrain while piloting itself.

Urban Aeronautics' demonstration brings this technology one-step closer to assisting soldiers in search and rescue missions, as it is able to access dangerous war zones that are unsafe for humans.

'This flight paves the way forward for the immediate evolution of Cormorant from prototype to near-term production and ultimately commercialization of this groundbreaking technology - for broad applications and markets, said Urban Aeronautics founder Rafi Yoeli.

'This is the most exciting time in the Company's history and we look forward to accelerating our progress now that the technology is fully proven.'

Engineers designed the craft with a Flight Management System (FMS), which lets it to make 'split second decisions' if any of its sensors detect a problem during a mission.

The craft will then make the judgment call on its own - it decides between continuing the journey, retreating home or making an immediate landing to wait for further instructions from a human operator.

The Cormorant was developed the Israeli firm Tactical Robotics, a subsidiary of the 'Fancraft' technology pioneer Urban Aeronautics, who has conducted more than 200 flights with this military machine. This test flight (pictured), which was carried out on November 3, was the first time the Cormorant took to the skies over uneven terrain while piloting itself

WHAT ARE THE FEATURES OF THE CORMORANT? Has completed about 200 flights with the prototype. Can carry just a little over 1,000 pounds of cargo. It can reach speeds of 100 knots (115 mph) and operate at altitudes of up to 18,000 feet. Features lift rotors that are safely enclosed inside its body and uses duct fans to operate. Powered by remote control or autonomous control system and it's equipped with rear propellers that enable it to take-off horizontally. The vehicles are powered by a 730 shp Turbomeca Arriel 1D1 turboshaft and the final versions will use the more powerful ARRIEL 2 variant, capable of providing 985 shp at takeoff. Tactical Robotics Ltd hopes the Cormorant will be in the field over the next few years. Cormorant will be able to deliver supplies day after day and can also be a maritime force multiplier on vessels that are too small for a traditional helicopter, as noted by Defense Update. Advertisement

'The challenge in designing and testing an FMS for a configuration that is has never been addressed by standard flight control algorithms, is analogous to a novice pilot attempting to fly for the first time with an understanding of basic aerodynamic principles but no instructor,' explained Urban Aeronautics.

The Cormorant is set to replace medivac choppers, like the one from the television show MASH (pictured), in order to reach tight quarters helicopters cannot go

During the test flight, Cormorant's FMS corrected itself in response to unexpected events.

Two instances were related to height above ground over the field (resulting from inaccuracies in laser beam return over uneven terrain and ground conditions).

The third event occurred over the tarmac, which was caused by 'poor judgment' on the part of the Flight Control System (FCS), causing the aircraft to descend too early in its landing approach.

Instead of using traditional propellers, the Cormorant is designed with duct fans that keep the rotors enclosed in a protective shield in case the vehicle hits a wall or any other object in its path, reports LiveScience.

These duct fans enable it to to take-off and land horizontally, and it also has vertical movement that is controlled by internal rotors, which can only be seen from directly above or below.

Engineers designed the craft with a Flight Management System (FMS), which lets it to make 'split second decisions' if any of its sensors detect a problem during a mission. The craft will then make the judgment call on its own - it decides between continuing the journey, retreating home or making an immediate landing to wait for further instructions

However, Urban Aeronautics reveals that the team is working on obstacle avoidance sensors that will keep the vehicle away from oncoming objects, which they hope to add to the vehicle in the near future.

The Cormorant has enough strength to carry 1,000 pounds per 30 miles, which means it can hull about 13,000 pounds in a full day.

The craft flies itself using an array of laser altimeters, radars and sensors, and it is capable of reaching speeds of 100 knots (115 mph) and operate at altitudes of up to 18,000 feet.

It weighs about one-ton and can be operated with a specially made remote control or by using its own autonomous control system.

Two instances were related to height above ground over the field (resulting from inaccuracies in laser beam return over uneven terrain and ground conditions). The third event occurred over the tarmac, which was caused by 'poor judgment' on the part of the Flight Control System (FCS), causing the aircraft to descend too early in its landing approach

Earlier this year, the Cormorant, which was known as the 'AirMule' at the time, hit a milestone that allowed it to successfully complete its autonomous flight.

In January, the craft performed its first ever untethered flight, which it demonstrated a vertical takeoff and landing, followed by stability checks and forward flights at low speeds, reports Defense Update.

'Looking back at a decade of internal rotor VTOL aircraft development at Urban Aeronautics Ltd', said Yoeli regarding the earlier this year.

'It gives me great satisfaction to see that we are able to transform a dream into a safe and reliable aircraft that is designed to meet manned helicopters safety criteria and absolutely stands up to existing airworthiness standards.'

The craft flies itself using an array of laser altimeters, radars and sensors, and it is capable of reaching speeds of 100 knots (115 mph) and operate at altitudes of up to 18,000 feet. It weighs about one-ton and can be operated with a specially made remote control or by using its own autonomous control system

With the strength of the Cormorant, it will be able to deliver supplies day after day and can also be a maritime force multiplier on vessels that are too small for a traditional helicopter, as noted by Defense Update.

The craft's test flight took place on December 30th at the Megiddo airfield in the northern part of Israel. Urban Aeronautics is also working on compact, car-sized VTOL aircraft for civilians, called Metro Skyways.

'Metro Skyways is at an early stage of exploring business opportunities that will develop Urban's 'Fancraft' technologies into a family of safe, FAA certifiable personal and commercial, manned VTOL aircraft for the civil market', according to the company.

This model may be the flying cars we have all so desperately hoped for.
Researchers have discovered a new, giant species species of shipworm that measures up to five feet long.

The giant, slimy animal was discovered after it was tapped out of a tusk-like shell.

The giant shipworm lives in shallow mud bays in the Philippines and relies on bacteria in its gills to make its food

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The research, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), found that the animal gets its energy from a form of sulfur in mud.

While the existence of the creature's shells has been documented since the 18th century, researchers have never had access to the animal living inside.

The animal's habitat was unknown until one of the research collaborators shared a documentary that aired on television in the Philippines showing the worms planted in the mud of a shallow lagoon.

Based on this, the researchers went on an expedition and found live specimens of the giant shipworm, whose scientific name is Kuphus polythalamia.

When the researchers finally obtained a live Kuphus worm in its case, they watched Dr Daniel Distel, a professor at Northeastern University and the leader of the research, open the case and tap the worm out of it.

'I was awestruck when I first saw the sheer immensity of this bizarre animal,' said Marvin Altamia, a researcher at the marine sciences institute, University of the Philippines.

When the researchers finally obtained a live Kuphus worm in its case, they watched Dr Daniel Distel, a professor at Northeastern University and the leader of the research, open the case and tap the worm out of it (pictured)

A fresh specimen of the giant shipworm, Kuphus polythalamia, removed from its calcareous tube

'Being present for the first encounter of an animal like this is the closest I will ever get to being a 19th century naturalist,' says the study's senior author Dr Margo Haygood, a research professor in medicinal chemistry at the University of Utah College of Pharmacy.

Because the animal had never been studied, little was known about its life history, habitat, or biology.

'We suspected the giant shipworm was radically different from other wood-eating shipworms,' said Dr Haygood.

THE GIANT SHIPWORM'S HABITAT While normal shipworms burrow into the wood of trees washed into the ocean - eating the wood with the help of bacteria - Kuphus lives in mud and also uses bacteria to feed, but on mud instead of wood. The mud in Kuphus' habitat emits hydrogen sulfide, a gas which smells of rotten egg. The bacteria that live in its gills use the hydrogen sulfide as energy to produce organic carbon that feeds it - in a process similar to how green plants use the sun's energy to convert carbon in the air for food. The giant shipworm lives in a shell planted in the mud in shallow bays in the Phillipines. The average giant shipworm is about the same size as a baseball bat Because Kuphus worms don't need to digest food, their internal digestive organs have shrunk from lack of use. A hypothesis on the origins of the giant shipworm, proposed by Dr Distel, suggests that the wood-eating shipworms eventually transitioned into sulfur dependent ones by acquiring a different type of beneficial bacteria. Advertisement

'Finding the animal confirmed that,' Mr Altamia continued.

'Frankly, I was nervous.

'If we made a mistake, we could lose the opportunity to discover the secrets of this very rare specimen.'

The scientists then had to figure out why Kuphus is so unusual.

The giant shipworms were found in a lagoon with rotting wood.

While normal shipworms burrow into the wood of trees washed into the ocean - eating the wood with the help of bacteria - Kuphus lives in mud and also uses bacteria to feed, but on mud instead of wood.

The mud in Kuphus' habitat emits hydrogen sulfide, a gas which smells of rotten egg.

The bacteria that live in its gills use the hydrogen sulfide as energy to produce organic carbon that feeds it - in a process similar to how green plants use the sun's energy to convert carbon in the air for food.

A scientist removes the top of the shell revealing the worm living inside. Kuphus lives in mud and uses bacteria that live in its gills to feed off hydrogen sulfide in mud

The mouth of the giant shipworm. Because Kuphus worms don't need to digest food, their internal digestive organs have shrunk from lack of use

The researchers analyzed the shipworms' anatomy by performing a dissection on the newly discovered creature

Because Kuphus worms don't need to digest food, their internal digestive organs have shrunk from lack of use.

A hypothesis on the origins of the giant shipworm, proposed by Dr Distel, suggests that the wood-eating shipworms eventually transitioned into sulfur dependent ones by acquiring a different type of beneficial bacteria.

A much smaller specimen of Kuphus polythalamia. The bacteria that live in their gills use hydrogen sulfide in mud as energy to produce organic carbon that feeds them - in a process similar to how green plants use the sun's energy to convert carbon in the air for food for the plants

Scientists remove the top of the shell revealing the worm living inside. While normal shipworms burrow into the wood of trees washed into the ocean - eating the wood with the help of bacteria - Kuphus lives in mud and also uses bacteria to feed, but on mud instead of wood

The researchers will continue to examine the role wood plays in the unique transition between the normal shipworm and the giant shipworm.

'We are also interested to see if similar transitions can be found for other animals that live in unique habitats around the world,' said Dr Distel.

The research was conducted by an interdisciplinary team of researchers based at the University of Utah, Northeastern University, University of the Philippines, Sultan Kudarat State University and Drexel University.
It is an area of Mars that is famous for its 'honeycomb-like' formations, but a Martian researcher believes the Noctis Labyrinthyus may be home to more than just clusters of boulders and sand dunes.

NASA recently shared an image snapped by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter that highlights the region between Valles Marineris and the Tharsis upland.

Although the American space agency has suggested the layered mesa is probably comprised of sedimentary deposits that are being exhumed as it erodes, conspiracy theorists have claimed it is a 'ventilation roof of an underground city' built by aliens.

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Noctis Labyrinthyus, which translates to 'the labyrinth of the night is located in the Phoenicis Lacus quadrangle of Mars and has impressed scientists with its maze-like system of deep walled valleys. Although NASA has suggested the layered mesa is probably comprised of sedimentary deposits that are being exhumed as it erodes, Martian researchers have claimed it is a 'ventilation roof of an underground city' built by aliens.

WOULD YOU LIVE ON MARS? National Geographic surveyed 2,000 Brits about living on Mars. Almost a third, 30%, said they would consider living on Mars. Almost a quarter, 24%, said they would definitely consider living on Mars even if it was a one-way ticket with no prospect of returning to Earth. The most common reason for wanting to move to Mars was Earth getting overcrowded (31.3%) followed by pure adventure (31.1%), with global warming and environmental issues a close third. As plans for Mars habitation gather significant momentum thanks to the likes of Elon Musks SpaceX program, 16% of those surveyed believe humans will live on the red planet by 2040. Advertisement

Noctis Labyrinthyus, which translates to 'the labyrinth of the night is located in the Phoenicis Lacus quadrangle of Mars and has impressed scientists with its maze-like system of deep walled valleys.

And it was captured in all of its glory by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has been circling the red planet, capturing pictures using its High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera, since 2006.

Researchers have found that the formations were a result of faulting, but Scott C. Warning believes they were built by extraterrestrials.

'You will see walls that are between 1-30 meters high and in between them you see baleen-like structures,' Warning shared on his site UFO Sightings Daily.

'This is a city created by tiny aliens'.

'You see that below the baleen structures is nothing but blackness, so I assume that this is a ventilation roof of an underground city'.

He continued to rationalize his findings, as the 'ventilation roof' is necessary to combat the 'harsh and unforgiving' environment on Mars, this type of system is necessary to for creating tolerable temperatures in the city.

This is not the first time conspiracy theorists claimed to have found evidence of cities on Mars.

The United Family of Anomaly Hunters, a group of UFO hunters, presented the evidence in a YouTube video that they said highlights 'ancient walled cities' that they found in an image also snapped by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

NASA recently shared an image snapped by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter that highlights the region between Valles Marineris and the Tharsis upland. Conspiracy theorists have claimed the layered mesa is a 'ventilation roof of an underground city' built by aliens

Researchers have found that the formations were a result of faulting, but Scott C. Warning believes they were built by extraterrestrials

The video shows a series of aerial NASA pictures of Elysium Planitia is a plain near the Martian equator.

The images show a number of aerial views, some of which look like eroded domes that could be surrounded by virtually circular rings.

The ring and cone structures were spotted on Elysium Planitia, a plain near the Martian equator.

The title of the video, 'Nasa Spots Walled Cities on Mars from MRO Satellite', implies Nasa has claimed these structures are walled cities.

The video has been met with mixed reaction - some firmly believed the structures show signs of life.

'This is a city created by tiny aliens', Waring said. 'You see that below the baleen structures is nothing but blackness, so I assume that this is a ventilation roof of an underground city'

'There are structures similar to these all over certain areas in South Africa,' one user said.

'I firmly believe Mars still has some remnants of it's civilization living underground,' said another.

While others put it down to natural geological processes.

This is not the first time conspiracy theorists claimed to have found evidence of cities on Mars. Images from last year show a number of aerial views, some of which look like eroded domes that could be surrounded by virtually circular rings

The title of the video, 'NASA Spots Walled Cities on Mars from MRO Satellite', implies Nasa has claimed these structures are walled cities, but NASA has not claimed this

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. Elysium Planitia is a plain near the Martian equator

'You should change your channel's name to 'Martian Geology,' because that's what were actually looking at,' one commenter said.

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 Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been circling the red planet, capturing pictures using its High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera, since 2006. Artist's impression pictured

Elysium Planitia is a plain near the Martian equator.

Previously, ESA has released an image of the plain, showing what looks like a dust-covered frozen sea.
It could be the end of the Blackhawk helicopter, but SB>1 Defiant is set to change the future of combat.

Lockheed Martin has released a concept video showing a design in the Army's future Vertical Lift program that aims to replace the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter and the UH-60 Blackhawk.

Dubbed SB>1 Defiant, the fly-by-wire concept, designed with two coaxial rotors and a pusher propeller, is said to speed through the air at nearly 300 mph and hover like a hummingbird.

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Dubbed SB>1 Defiant, the fly-by-wire concept, designed with two coaxial rotors and a pusher propeller, is said to speed through the air at nearly 300 mph and hover like a hummingbird

SB1>DEFIANT FEATURES The Defiant shown in the clip would cruise at 250 knots and hover at altitudes of 6,000 feet. It has foldable, ridged composite rotor blades that create less downwash when it lowers to the ground to drop off or pick off soldiers and supplies. Defiant is also designed to be efficient when transporting soldiers  the cabin seats 12 people comfortably or eight medevac pallets - the Blackhawk can only carry 11 soldiers. And there is weapon employments in all modes of flight. Advertisement

The concept craft is based on X2 Technology that was specifically designed for speed, maneuverability and scalability.

'The primary advantage that Defiant's going to offer over a traditional helicopter is, it's got twice the speed, two to three times the range, and is just an extremely maneuverable and agile platform,' said retired Marine Maj. Frank P. Conway, Sikorsky's experimental test pilot for both the SB>1 and the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor.

He called the Defiant 'a very hot, sexy aircraft.'

Sikorsky, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, and Boeing are partners on SB>1 DEFIANT, as well as Future Vertical Lift Medium.

The Defiant shown in the clip would cruise at 250 knots and hover at altitudes of 6,000 feet, David Szondy with New Atlas reported.

This is more than a hundred miles an hour faster than the UH-60M Blackhawk transport, as it maxes out at 183 miles an hour.

Defiant is currently being designed and built by Sikorsky, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin. The craft shown in the clip would cruise at 250 knots and hover at altitudes of 6,000 feet

It will also have the strength and power to carry more cargo than the average helicopters, but Lockheed is not giving all of its secrets away  it has yet to release the range and payload capacity.

However, the firm is boasting about the machine's innovated design.

The 'warcopter' would be equipped with foldable, ridged composite rotor blades that create less downwash when it lowers to the ground to drop off or pick off soldiers and supplies.

The 'warcopter' would be equipped with foldable, ridged composite rotor blades that create less downwash when it lowers to the ground to drop off or pick off soldiers and supplies

And the pusher propeller and active rudders will provider pilots with more stability when hovering, as a well a helping them quickly accelerate and decelerate while in flight.

Defiant is designed to be more efficient when transporting soldiers  the cabin seats 12 people comfortably or eight medevac pallets - the Blackhawk can only carry 11 soldiers.

And there is weapon employments in all modes of flight.

Lockheed also shared that the Defiant can also 'dramatically reduced acoustic signature', which means it is much quieter than traditional helicopters and can go undetected by surrounding enemies.

Lockheed Martins Sikorsky and the Boeing Co. are still fabricating parts for the first Defiant, which is their entrant in the Army-run Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstration (JMR TD) program.
Science and religion dont always see eye to eye  but, in effort to uncover new details about the holy man and his descendants, a biblical scholar and a geneticist have teamed up in the search for Jesus DNA.

The experts are tapping into the latest technology to analyze artifacts from sites around the world, including the Shroud of Turin, the Sudarium of Oviedo, and a newly discovered set of bones thought to belong to Jesus cousin, John the Baptist.

Its hoped that their investigation will lead them to a DNA sample that could belong to Jesus or a member of his family, to identify any ties to people living today.

Among the artifacts the team investigated are the bones of John the Baptist, which were discovered in Bulgaria in 2010

In the new documentary by the History Channel, which aired on Easter Sunday, Oxford University geneticist George Busby and biblical scholar Pastor Joe Basile travel from Spain and Italy to Israel and the Black Sea to search for Jesus DNA.

Among the artifacts the team investigated are the bones of John the Baptist, which were discovered in Bulgaria in 2010.

The 2,000-year-old bones, which showed similarities to Middle Eastern populations, could be hugely important as he was thought to be a cousin of Jesus, as well as a disciple.

This means the two would share DNA, Busby explains.

The experts are tapping into the latest technology to analyze artifacts from sites around the world, including the Shroud of Turin, the Sudarium of Oviedo (pictured), and a newly discovered set of bones thought to belong to Jesus cousin, John the Baptist

We can compare the DNA from a relic to DNA from other relics, Busby wrote in an article for The Conversation.

If we find other relics purported to be from John the Baptist, or a close relative of Jesus, then we could use genetics to compare the two to see if they are likely to have come from the same or related people.

Also, we have growing collections of DNA sampled form people around the world, which we can use to make a guess on the geographical origins of the relics.

WHAT IS THE TURIN SHROUD? The linen cloth, believed by some to have wrapped the body of Jesus Christ, has captivated the imagination of historians, church chiefs, sceptics and Catholics for more than 500 years. There are no definite historical records concerning the shroud prior to the 14th century. Although there are numerous reports of Jesus' burial shroud, or an image of his head, of unknown origin, being venerated in various locations before the 14th century. The linen cloth, believed by some to have wrapped the body of Jesus Christ, has captivated the imagination of historians, church chiefs, sceptics and Catholics for more than 500 years But there is no historical evidence that these refer to the shroud currently at Turin Cathedral. A burial cloth, which some historians maintain was the Shroud, was owned by the Byzantine emperors but disappeared during the Sack of Constantinople in 1204. Historical records seem to indicate that a shroud bearing an image of a crucified man existed in the small town of Lirey around the years 1353 to 1357. There is no historical evidence that these refer to the shroud currently at Turin Cathedral. A negative is shown It was in the possession of a French Knight, Geoffroi de Charny, who died at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356. However the correspondence of this shroud with the shroud in Turin, and its very origin has been debated by scholars and lay authors, with claims of forgery attributed to artists born a century apart. Some contend that the Lirey shroud was the work of a confessed forger and murderer. The history of the shroud from the 15th century is well recorded. In 1532, the shroud suffered damage from a fire in a chapel of Chambery, capital of the Savoy region, where it was stored. A drop of molten silver from the reliquary produced a symmetrically placed mark through the layers of the folded cloth. Poor Clare Nuns attempted to repair this damage with patches. In 1578 Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy ordered the cloth to be brought from Chambery to Turin and it has remained at Turin ever since. The shroud has had many notorious admirers. It even obsessed Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, who wanted to steal it so he could use it in a black magic ceremony. In May 2010, five years after he became Pope, Benedict authorised a public viewing of the Shroud - the first since 2000. The 4.3-meter-long (14-foot) cloth was also placed on display in Turin between April and June this year. Advertisement

Researchers also analyzed the Shroud of Turin, an ancient cloth thought by many to have been wrapped around Jesus when he was taken down from the cross, along with ancient texts, and the Sudarium of Oviedo, a bloodstained piece of cloth.

But, extracting an unknown DNA sample doesnt mean it can simply be traced to a particular person, as they would need a known sample to compare it to.

These findings also run the risk of contamination  in the case of the bones, for example, researchers found that the DNA matched the person whod extracted the sample.

Researchers also analyzed the Shroud of Turin (pictured left, negative image pictured right), an ancient cloth thought by many to have been wrapped around Jesus when he was taken down from the cross

Still, there are ways these samples can be useful in the search for the DNA of Jesus and his family, the researcher explains.

DNA degrades over time, so we can test any DNA extracted from ancient remains for telltale signs of degradation, Busby writes.

That means we can differentiate modern contamination from ancient genomes.

We can also try to take DNA from the inside of bones and sequence DNA from the people who are known to have come into contact with the artefacts to help tell the ancient DNA and modern contaminants apart.

The researchers are hoping that, if they can find a sample of Jesus DNA, they can then identify any possible descendants living today  and even learn new insight on Jesus himself.
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Sipping cocktails on a roof terrace overlooking the Aegean, taking a dip in your own private plunge pool and enjoying a breakfast fit for a king or queen in the Greek sunshine - does it get any better than that?

You'd be hard pushed to beat it, I'd say.

I thought I was dreaming when I arrived at Canaves Oia hotel in Santorini, an island dramatically reshaped in the 16th century by a huge volcanic eruption. Its villages, famed for their white-washed buildings and azure blue rooftops, nestle on cliffs that form a half-ring around a submerged crater.

And Canaves Oia offers guests a view across this that must be one of the best in all of Europe.

At the Canaves Oia Boutique Hotel in Santorini guests are treated to a view across the caldera that's simply stunning

The hotel looks particularly enticing as the sun sets, its white-washed walls have a soothing effect as they glow in the gloaming

At Canaves Oia guests are never far away from a pool - or a place to bask in the sun

Santorini really is a special place.

Open-air swimming pools and sprawling five-star villas burrow into the clifftops and there are stunning views of the Aegean no matter which way you look.

And I was treated to the finest sunset I have ever seen.

But it was our luxurious five-star suite at Canaves Oia that made my time in Santorini extra-special.

With a bed so big and comfortable we nicknamed it 'The Cloud', to the villa's very own swim-up Jacuzzi pool - I couldn't think of anywhere better to stay when visiting the island.

In fact, the only thing that made me want to leave the plush surroundings of the villa every morning was the blazing Greek sunshine and the opportunity to kick back with some freshly-shaken cocktails on the resort's roof-top terrace.

Boasting an infinity pool and giant double-bed sized sunloungers, I was in heaven sipping mojitos while taking in the panoramic Aegean views.

Serene: Beyond one of the hotel's en-suites a cruise ship glows in the bay, with the twinkling lights of the island's villages surrounding it

That was after tucking into a superb breakfast on the patio outside our bedroom. Delivered to our suite every morning, we enjoyed fresh eggs, homemade granola, American-style pancakes and infinite amounts of fresh tea and orange juice.

And it was the perfect opportunity to soak up the stunning views as the sun rose across the sea.

I couldn't get enough of the views - they are a world away from the sights many of us face on a daily basis in the London rat race.

Heavenly: The hotel's villas offer guests the ultimate in relaxing experiences

With pretty much guaranteed sunshine from April to October, the climate is ideal for sunseekers. And aside from sunbathing, life here doesn't get much more stressful than exploring Greek cafes, boutique shops, candlelit restaurants and jazzy bars.

Boat excursions here are a winner, too.

Sailing out on the calm Aegean with the sun beaming down on my face, I didn't want to be anywhere else. And I must say, it's well worth venturing out onto the sea just to see the stunning backdrop of Santorini from the water.

Seeing the white-washed buildings and famous blue roofs while bobbing around miles out to sea was heavenly, as was the cold complementary beer we were offered to sip as we breezed around the island.

It's that view again: It's not likely that guests will ever tire of gazing at this vista

Naomi said: 'I couldn't get enough of the views - they are a world away from the sights many of us face on a daily basis in the London rat race'

Grand: Dig a bit deeper and you can luxuriate in true splendour in one of the hotel's multi-tiered suites

We booked the Santorini Lagoon 560 Sunset Tour - an afternoon catamaran cruise around the coast with stop-offs to enjoy the red-and-white sandy beaches, a volcanic hot spring and the option to snorkel among the crystalline waters. There was also an on-board barbecue featuring typically Greek fare.

Boat trips aside, we spent the rest of our days sunning ourselves around the villa, taking dips in the Instagram-worthy rooftop infinity pool or relaxing in the world-class spa - a 17th century wine cave transformed into a heavenly paradise where your body can be treated to signature treatments using Elemis products.

Each night, after freshening up for dinner, we would wander along the winding path down to the most northern point of Oia village to watch the sun set.

The hotel has what Naomi describes as a 'world-class spa', but the bathrooms are also great places for relaxing scrubs

While the views from the hotel are something special - Naomi highly recommends getting out on the water to look back at the island as it's a 'stunning backdrop'

Naomi's bed was so comfortable that she and her travel companion nicknamed it 'The Cloud'

The rooms at Canaves Oia are simply, but elegantly, furnished

While the island itself never felt too busy, the crowds did build to watch the sunset and it was a bit of a tight-squeeze to nestle in and join the hordes desperately waiting for dusk. But boy was it worth it.

Some say it's the selling point of Santorini and it's well worth enduring the hustle and bustle to catch a glimpse of the orange tones settling into the Aegean.

After enjoying this spectacular and eating dinner we'd browse expensive designer goods in the boutique shops dotted along the promenade. Then it was back to the resort to enjoy rooftop cocktails under candlelight at Canaves Oia poolside bar.

It was a life I could certainly get used to.
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Stunning postcards have revealed 19th century Netherlands in all its glory - in striking colour.

The dazzling images show the countrys traditional windmills at work, a spectacular arcade in Rotterdam and the National Monument of 1813 in Hague.

Other spectacular pictures show some of Hollands glimmering canals including the famous Kolk canal in Amsterdam.

Stunning postcards have revealed 19th century Netherlands in all its glory - in striking colour. This image is of Coolvest, Rotterdam

The dazzling images show the countrys traditional windmills at work, a spectacular arcade in Rotterdam and the National Monument of 1813 in Hague. This picture shows windmills in Dordrecht

Other spectacular pictures show some of Hollands glimmering canals including the famous Kolk canal in Amsterdam. Pictured is the capital's Dam Square

The postcards are from 1890 and were created using the Photochrom process, a technique for applying lifelike colour to black-and-white images.

Photochrom works by transferring the negatives onto lithographic printing plates.

It was invented in the 1880s and was most popular in the 1890s, when these images were taken.

The postcards are from 1890 and were created using the Photochrom process, a technique for applying lifelike colour to black-and-white images. Pictured is a river scene in Utrecht

Photochrom works by transferring the negatives onto lithographic printing plates. Pictured is the National Monument of 1813 in The Hague

Photochrom was invented in the 1880s and was most popular in the 1890s, when these images were taken. Pictured is Amsterdam's Kolk canal

Photochrom reproductions became popular due to the craze with sending postcards. Pictured is Velper Square in Arnhem

This stunning image shows Amsterdam Gate in Haarlem. It's the only gate left of 12 that were originally built

This arcade in Rotterdam is beautifully rendered by the Photochrom process

Although true colour photography had been developed by then it was not commercially practical yet.

Photochrom reproductions became popular due to the craze with sending postcards.

Amsterdams famous Dam Square is depicted with life as busy as ever in the countrys capital.

The Photochrom technique coats the Ruins of Brederode, Santpoort, with a mesmerising hue

Small sail boats are pictured here docked at The Spanish Quay in Rotterdam

People can be seen going about their business as several trams and horse and carts idle by.

Other images show everyday life in other parts the Netherlands around the turn of the century.

On Velper Square in Arnhem people gathering on a sunny day with the church spire in the background.

There is a similar scene in Nymegen as people make their way from the great market to the town hall for a meeting.

Windmills are synonymous with Holland and this picture shows two magnificent examples of them

At the time these pictures were taken colour photography was available but it wasn't commercially viable

Pictured here is the town hall and great market at Nymegen. Three men can be seen watching the photographer on the right
A dad of two told last night how a 'Fawlty Towers' holiday experience allegedly left his whole family bedbound with sickness and diarrhoea.

Paul Hawkins said he saved for two years for the dream holiday only to have a catalogue of disasters ruin the family break.

Mr Hawkins claimed that as well as suffering sickness, a dirty room and undercooked food in their hotel, the final straw was when management removed their bedding for cleaning leaving them with no duvets or sheets, only pillows and dressing gowns, for three nights.

Paul Hawkins (pictured with wife Katrina, 36, and daughters Maisie, four, and Nieve, eight) said he saved for two years for the dream holiday only to have a catalogue of disasters ruin the family break

Mr Hawkins alleged that the children's swimming pool was 'filthy and smelly'

One urinal at the hotel was out of order, left, and some of the toilets were blocked, right

Despite complaining repeatedly online and in person to his rep and hotel staff about the state of the resort, he said Thomson eventually responded by offering him a $50 dollar voucher to spend in the hotel - 20 minutes before he was due to fly home.

He claimed Thomson airline staff later branded him a troublemaker at the airport before escorting him onto the plane home.

Last night the 37-year-old said: 'I wouldn't wish that holiday on my worst enemy. It was a complete disaster from start to finish. Things went from bad to worse and just when I thought things couldn't get any worse something else happened. It's the closest thing to Fawlty Towers.

'The staff there appeared to be clueless and there was no real customer service as nothing seemed to get changed. Thomson couldn't even be bothered to help, it was disgusting. I have been on bad holidays before and usually there is something good you can recall but I can honestly say there was nothing good about this experience at all.'

Mr Hawkins claimed that the wipe pictured was left in this state after it was used to clean their room

Paul - who owns a car garage and works six days a week - booked the 4,000 10-day holiday to the Dominican Republic with his wife Katrina, 36, and daughters Maisie, four, and Nieve, eight, and was looking forward to the break.

But he claimed things started going wrong half an hour before landing when cold water started streaming onto his youngest daughter from the light socket on the plane above her head.

He added: 'I complained but I was just told to sit down. All I wanted was a towel. So in the end I strapped her under my seatbelt in my lap. When we landed her seat was soaking.'

After checking in to the Sirenis Punta Cana Casino and Aquagames resort in January this year, the family went to the buffet and was shocked by the poor quality of the food.

Paul alleged that there was raw and under cooked food in the trays and the chef was handling cooked and raw food and was only wearing one glove.

He added: 'The food was horrible so in the end we opted for the only thing that looked ok, which was ham and bread.'

The following morning he said they had their first real look at the room, which he said was filthy.

He added: 'It was disgusting - we had to give it a good clean, there was engrained dirt everywhere. We used three packs of wet wipes to clean dirt off the walls and units and the wipes were dark brown afterwards.'

They then went to breakfast but ended up giving the food a wide berth after allegedly seeing piles of fat and undercooked scrambled eggs.

The stay at the hotel was likened by Mr Hawkins to a Fawlty Towers experience

They decided to go to the pool to cheer themselves up but Mr Hawkins said it was a complete let down.

He claimed the children's pool smelt and was dirty and he complained to reception to get it cleaned.

Later that night they complained and decided to try an a la carte restaurant hoping for an improvement.

However, Mr Hawkins claimed that they waited an hour and half for one starter, so they gave up and went to the buffet instead.

The following day their eldest daughter was walking to reception when a loose nail allegedly went through her flip flop into her foot.

They then spent three hours in a medical centre before Paul decided to try to fly home, but was told it would cost them 1,700 per person.

Paul from Bury, Lancashire, added: 'I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was just money they were after. They offered us another hotel but that would have cost us 2,300. We were all sick to the back teeth of the place and wanted to go home as we didn't know what else was coming.'

The picture on the left shows grime in the Hawkins' shower, while the picture on the right is of one of the dishes they were served

They were offered vouchers to try another restaurant for dinner. But Mr Hawkins claimed they waited two hours to be served lukewarm starters of chicken wings, so they ate and left in disgust rather than wait for mains.

The following morning the entire family came down with severe sickness and diarrhoea, leaving them confined to their beds.

He said: 'My wife came down with it first first and then as myself and my daughters went downstairs they rushed to the nearest toilet and were sick. But the toilets had blocked up and sewage was over the floor. It was horrible.'

He then asked the hotel to change their bedding, hoping to get rid of some germs.

He claimed that they waited three nights to get replacements.

He said: 'It was beyond a joke. Despite being ill I had to keep going downstairs and complaining about our sickness and having no bedding. There was just a mattress protector and we were using bathrobes to keep warm at night. But they didn't understand and just kept giving me pillows instead. I had 10 at one point. I complained to the rep and emailed him but got no response.'

They all went to the medical centre where his daughter was treated and was told they had food poisoning, but staff allegedly refused to give them a print out of the medical notes.

He added: 'I think they must know the hotel and didn't want to give us any paperwork as other guests had also been saying they were ill at the hotel.'

He said that his experience was worsened when the rep offered him a $50 dollar voucher as a 'gesture of goodwill' to spend in the hotel.

He said: 'I was so angry. It was adding insult to injury.'

After everything they had been through he expected a hassle-free trip home but he claimed instead airline staff singled them out as a troublemakers.

He added: 'They said we had been threatening and abusive to staff and so we had to wait for everyone else to board. Then they kept our passports. It was humiliating and we were all still sick.'

His youngest daughter Maisie spent the next two weeks recovering and Mr Hawkins said he had to take time off work.

Now after months of having no satisfactory response from Thomson, he is taking legal action over his ruined holiday.

A grubby corner at the hotel photographed by Mr Hawkins during his stay

Nicholas Lukacs, travel lawyer of Holiday claims specialist Simpson Millar - who is handling his claim - said they had noticed a large increase in sickness among guests visiting the Dominican Republic.

He said: 'This has been an awful experience for the Hawkins family but unfortunately it is not an isolated case on the island. We have dealt with dozens of similar cases. Tourists should expect the highest standards of hygiene and care when travelling abroad and tour operators need to do much more to protect customers under their care.'

A spokesperson for Thomson said: 'We're sorry to hear of Mr and Mrs Hawkins' holiday experience and would like to thank them for bringing this to our attention.

'We're currently investigating the complaint and will be in touch with the customers directly.

'We'd like to reassure customers that we regularly audit all of the hotels we feature in respect of health and safety, including hygiene.'

MailOnline has asked the resort for a separate comment.
A dozen professional women representing the Home Builders Association of Greater Chattanooga spent a Saturday working outside the office, helping build two Chattanooga Habitat for Humanity homes. Area women with leading roles in civic, corporate, and nonprofit organizations installed siding during National Women Build Week 2017.



The HBA of Greater Chattanooga and its members are long-time supporters of Habitat for Humanity and its mission of providing quality housing for those in need, said Cynthia Blackwell, event coordinator of HBAGC. In addition to sponsoring Habitat events, several HBAGC members have served in various volunteer capacities on the Habitat board of directors.



Habitat for Humanitys National Women Build Week is an annual week-long event that gives women an opportunity to devote at least one day to help families build strength, stability, and independence through housing. Women who volunteered on behalf of HBAGC in this years Women Build Week project were: Cynthia Blackwell, Nicole Gosciniak, Karen Delgado of the HBAGC; Becky Ruggiero and Shain Davis of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage; Amber James, Brandi Thompson, and Shana Knight of First Choice Title; Vicki Schambron of Alder and Cox Insurance; Patty Becknell of Prime Lending; and Brenda Boudry of Mr. Handyman of Chattanooga.
He became known as the grumpy contestant on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!

But after his stint in the South African jungle, Steve Price, 62, changed for the better, according to his The Project co-host, Carrie Bickmore.

Carrie, 36, told The Daily Telegraph: 'I feel like he is a really different man now.'

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Singing his praises: Sfter his stint in the South African jungle on I'm a Celebrity, Steve Price, 62, changed for the better, according to his The Project co-host, Carrie Bickmore

'He says he really does appreciate different things that he didn't appreciate before, about people and about life,' Carrie said.

She added: 'He is still the same Pricey, but I think perhaps we will see a softer side of him going forward.'

Steve appeared on the latest series of I'm a Celebrity, alongside the likes of Casey Donovan, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, and Nazeem Hussain.

Jungle life: He became known as the grumpy contestant on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!

He recently got a tattoo with jungle camp mate Dane Swan's initials, after losing a bet with the former AFL star.

The bet was that if Dane lasted in the jungle longer than Steve, Steve would get his initials tattooed.

Casey won the show, while Steve recently said on The Project that he was 'embarrassed' he didn't take home the series, as he was representing Carrie's charity, Beanies for Brain Cancer.

Sticking to his word: He recently got a tattoo with jungle camp mate Dane Swan's initials, after losing a bet with the former AFL star

Showing it off: Steve recently stripped off on The Project showing off his tattoo

He said that he was still trying to raise money for the charity and revealed that Lexus Blackburn in Melbourne, had donated a new car for the charity to auction off.

Carrie founded her charity in the bid to raise awareness and help research for brain cancer, a disease that struck her late husband, Greg Lange in 2010, at just 34 years old.

On the show, Steve also praised Carrie for dedicating her 2015 Gold Logie speech to Greg and raising awareness for brain cancer.

On stage as she accepted her award, she put a beanie on her head.

'I thought she was very brave standing up, her moment at the Logies dressed beautifully, with her hair done beautifully, and put a beanie on and made it about other people and not herself,' Steve said.

Overwhelmed, Carrie then stated, 'You are officially our No.1 ambassador now, you realise that?'
She's an American punk music icon.

And Patti Smith has played one of four shows in Melbourne as part of the Bluesfest to packed audiences in Hamer Hall.

The 70-year-old performed and her band played their 1975 Horses in its entirety for excited fans.

Impassioned: Punk rock icon Patti Smith has played one of four shows at Melbourne's Hamer Hall

On stage Patti commanded the crowd's attention with her impassioned vocals as she sang rock infused powerful poetry.

Earlier in the week, she performed for audiences at the Byron Bay Blues Festival alongside other big name international acts such as Mary J. Blige, Corrinne Bailey Rae, The Lumineers and Santana.

One her last night at the festival she did a special stripped down acoustic set for the audience.

Powerful poetry: Earlier in the week, she performed for audiences at the Byron Bay Blues Festival alongside other big name international acts such as Mary J. Blige and Santana

Legendary: One her last night at the Byron Bay Blues festival she did a special stripped down acoustic set for the audience

At one of her earlier Sydney shows, she reportedly told a fan to move to another part of the State Theatre after she saw them taking a photo during the show.

'Go take a f***ing photo over there', she said, according to a report by news.com.au.

'If someone wants that spot more than you, you don't deserve it,' Patti reportedly said with a smile on her face.

Punk rock icon: At her Melbourne show, Patti commanded the crowd's attention with her impassioned vocals as she sang rock infused powerful poetry

Honesty: 'I can't rely on that physical beauty or certain things that you have when you're young'

Speaking to The Guardian last year ahead turning 70-years-old, she said: 'I can't rely on that physical beauty or certain things that you have when you're young.'

'But what I can rely on is that, when I go on stage, I am only there for one reason and that's to communicate with the people,' she said.

'There's nothing that I really want, except for us all to experience something together,' Patti added.
It is the question that has gripped the nation  who raped Trish Winterman?

Viewers of ITV hit drama Broadchurch are set to find out tonight as the third and probably final series draws to a close.

Ten million are expected to tune in to see detectives Ellie Miller and Alec Hardy, played by Olivia Colman and David Tennant, work out whodunnit.

Viewers of ITV hit drama Broadchurch are set to find out who raped Trish Winterman tonight as the third and probably final series draws to a close

Security is so tight about the identity of the rapist that writer Chris Chibnall has not even told his family who committed the crime. But after 24 gripping episodes, Mr Chibnall  who is set to write Doctor Who next  told fans to expect a satisfying conclusion with some surprises.

He told The Sunday Times: Sitting down to write the final episode was very emotional and I admit I actually had a bit of a weep doing it. There is pressure with every script, but I am really proud of the final episode.

There may also be a few sad shop owners in West Bay, Dorset, which provides the backdrop for the coastal town of Broadchurch. The Broadchurch effect has helped boost tourism in their community.

Mr Chibnall added that he had not yet ruled out another series in the future, though it is certainly the end for now.

Ten million are expected to tune in to see detectives Ellie Miller and Alec Hardy, played by Olivia Colman and David Tennant, work out whodunnit
She's made a fortune since she founded her brand The Honest Company in 2012.

And on Sunday Jessica Alba showed that she works hard for her money, as she popped into the office despite the Easter holiday.

The 35-year-old star cut a chic figure during her outing, sporting smart pinstripes and oversize glasses as she stepped onto the street.

She means business! Jessica Alba cut a smart figure on Sunday, leaving her office building donning oversize glasses and pinstriped pants

The Dark Angel starlet's elongated her already thin figure in high waisted, striped pants and a sweeping black cardigan.

Adding even more height to the elegant ensemble, Jessica donned a pair of strappy heels paired with a merlot colored pedicure.

The Pomona, California native's light brown locks hung loosely while the actress added a smart touch to her look with large wire-frame glasses and matching hoop earrings.

Dressing up the details: The Honest Company entrepreneur wore her light brown tresses down while towering above in chic heels paired with gold jewelry

After being a boss at the office, it was time for the Fantastic Four starlet to enjoy Easter with her friends and family.

The mother-of-two showed off her brunch on Snapchat, posting a cute image of her and pals sipping on refreshing orange drinks while sporting the app's chocolate bunny filter.

Jessica told her followers 'Cheers!' and wished them a 'Happy Easter!' while pivoting her phone to capture all her friends with cute chocolate ears.

Earlier in the day, the Sin City starlet flaunted her stylish side, taking a cool selfie of another outfit.

Bunny hop! After taking care of business, the California born star enjoyed Easter brunch with her friends and family, sharing a cute shot of herself using the chocolate bunny Snapchat filter

Spring hues! The Sin City starlet also showed off her Spring colors, captioning a close up selfie 'army green and blush vibes' while flaunting her pink and green look

'Army green and blush vibes for spring,' wrote the star, captioning a selfie that showed the pouty star from neck up.

Her light pink shirt and green jacket combined for the perfect sunny day look, topped off with mirrored sunglasses in a matching olive and a rose gold necklace.

Ever the busy lady, Jessica made her final appearance of the day at Los Angeles International Airport.

Jetsetter! Ever the busy gal, Jessica was spotted at LAX in the late afternoon dressed down in loose layers for a flight

Mom on the run! The mother-of-two combined her chic cardigan from earlier in the day with loose pants and an light tee shirt. She topped off the look with easy mules and sunglasses

The starlet kepy stylish and sensible in a light grey tee, dark scarf and easy mules while keeping on her breezy, long cardigan from earlier in the day before jetting off.

In addition to being a fierce fashionista and busy businesswoman, Jessica is a proud wife and mom.

She has two daughters, Honor Marie Warren (born 2008) and Haven Garner Warren (born 2011) with husband Cash Warren, who she married in 2008.
She's used to putting all on the table when it comes to telling it how it is on The Real Housewives of Sydney.

But it seems Lisa Oldfield got a bit more than she bargained for, when she accidentally flashed on Sunday's show.

The 41-year-old wife of former politician David Oldfield, was seen walking down a cliff to meet co-star Athena X Levendi, when a gust of wind blew up her flimsy dress.

Oops! RHOS star Lisa Oldfield (L, pictured with Athena X Levendi) accidentally flashed on Sunday's show

Rather than editing out the unfortunate moment, producers left it in for viewers to see, with the shot being pixelated.

'Yoo-hoo, Athena X,' Lisa said as she greeted Athena with drinks, as Athena tried to meditate on a cliff.

'I have never tried meditation  I would rather shove glass into my rectum,' Lisa added.

Spiritual: Athena wore an all-white bohemian outfit as she tried to meditate on the cliff

Not mincing her words: 'I have never tried meditation  I would rather shove glass into my rectum,' Lisa added

Lisa and Athena then chatted away, with Athena wearing an all-white bohemian outfit.

During the show, Lisa - who has been open about her marriage problems - spoke to a counselor and declared that she 'f**king hates' her husband.

She admitted that when they fight, she tells him she wishes he was dead.

'I was looking at him thinking 'I f**king hate you',' Lisa confessed.

She added: 'I throw things, I say 'I wish you were dead'.'

Ouch: During the show, Lisa - who has been open about her marriage problems - spoke to a counselor and declared that she 'f**king hates' her husband

She added that she wants her and David to 'salvage' their relationship for the sake of the children.

Meanwhile on the show, Athena and Victoria get physical during a screaming match in Singapore, which resulted in the pair hurling drinks at each other and Victoria throwing a napkin in her rivals face.

The brawl started when Athena confronted Victoria about dis-inviting her to her charity function, which Levendi jewelers had kindly donated to.

Their feud also runs off camera, with Athena and Lisa clashing with Victoria.

Showdown: Meanwhile on the show, Athena (second L) and Victoria (second right) get physical during a screaming match in Singapore

Look out! It resulted in the pair hurling drinks at each other and Victoria throwing a napkin in her rivals face

Lisa recently claimed Victoria was desperate for publicity when she went to police to claim she was 'trolling' her teenage son.

Athena stuck by Lisa, telling The Daily Telegraph that she also thought it was a 'publicity stunt.'

'Victoria is a master manipulator, a mastermind,' Athena said.

It has been claimed Victoria's son commented on Lisa's social media page, demanding she stop insulting his mother on Real Housewives Of Sydney.

Lisa responded, in part: 'Is your mother monitoring your social media activity? Probably not. She's probably on her 30th Skinny B****.'
BBC wildlife presenter Kate Humble said she had a 'panic attack' at the thought of becoming a mother.

The married 48-year-old said that during a discussion with her husband Ludo Graham, 55, she broke down in tears at the prospect of having children and knew in that moment motherhood was not for her.

She explained that she was lacking a maternal gene and insists it has never been an issue for her or her husband of 25 years.

'I'll never change my mind': Kate Humble, 48, has insisted she will never want children and the thought of becoming a mum had given her a 'panic attack'

Recalling a discussion about what would happen if one of them changed their mind, Miss Humble said she had 'what I can only describe as a panic attack'.

She added: 'I broke down in tears and said, "I cannot do it". It was kind of a primeval response.

'I don't know where it came from. It was so strong, and that was the moment that I thought: "I'm never going to change my mind".'

The former BBC Springwatch host has spoken on numerous occasions about her decision and the stigma still surrounding childless women.

Final decision: Kate (pictured with husband Ludo above) insisted she had such a strong response to the thought of becoming a mother, she now knows she won't change her mind when it comes to having a family

'I broke down in tears': The Countryfile presenter explained she and her husband had been discussing what would happen if one of them changed their minds when it came to having a family

She explained: 'By choice I have said I do not want to have children.

'And that still seems to be quite odd and you do still seem to be quite judged for it.'

The TV star said it was important for her to talk about the topic in order to support other women who make the same decision as she has.

She added: 'It felt constructive, it felt like women could turn around and say, "At last there's somebody there in the public eye who feels the same way we do."

'Suddenly it's becoming a topic of conversation.'

Happily married: The presenter and her husband have been married for 25 years now

'I don't want a substitute': Kate, who was president of the RSPB until 2013, strongly objected to any suggestions she had substituted motherhood with her commitment to animals.

Kate, who was the president of the RSPB until 2013, strongly objected to any suggestions she has substituted motherhood with her commitment to animals.

She hit back in response: 'Absolutely not. I don't want a substitute. I never wanted kids.

'This is a completely different thing. I find animals just endlessly fascinating, in the way that people find children endlessly fascinating.

'For me, there is never a dull moment when you have an animal around.'

Early decision: She revealed that she first decided she didn't want to have children when she was just 14 years old

She has previously admitted that she first decided she did not want to have children when she was just 14-years-old.

She explained how children terrified her, but claimed she did love them - 'but only when I can give them back'.

Kate and her husband Ludo had settled in South Wales in 2010 when they bought a farm in Wye Valley.

The pair have created a business out of the working farm, previously holding festivals including Big Day Out and hosting visits from His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall.
He was one of the first to pay tribute to his close friend Tara Palmer-Tomkinson when she passed away in February earlier this year.

And remembering the socialite on Easter Sunday, Duncan James shared a fun-loving throwback of himself and Tara in an emotional Instagram post to pay tribute to her.

His photo showed a scantily-clad Tara smiling as she posed in a leotard and bunny ears.

Paying tribute: Duncan James, 39, shared an emotional post on Sunday to Instagram that included a throwback photo of himself and his late friend Tara Palmer-Tomkinson

Close: The two are pictured living it up in Monaco in 2003

She teamed her costume with a pair of long gloves and a fluffy cropped jacket, while baring her pins in the revealing getup.

Duncan, meanwhile, was stood alongside Tara in a much more casual ensemble and posed open-mouthed while pointing at his pal.

The former Hollyoaks star penned alongside the black and white photo: 'In loving memory on this Easter Sunday of my own little mischievous Easter bunny who is dearly missed. '@tarapalmertomkinson rip.'

The former Blue star received a slew of support following his post, with many paying their own respects to Tara.

'In loving memory': Former I'm A Celebrity star Tara had passed away on February 8 earlier this year

Duncan penned: 'In loving memory on this Easter Sunday of my own little mischievous Easter bunny who is dearly missed'

One follower commented: 'What a lovely lady sadly missed thinking of you mate.'

A second said: 'Such a lovely and sweet photo to share,' while a third added: 'Such a talent and rare light.'

Another wrote: 'It must feel very strange to lose someone so young and vibrant, kinda hard to get your head around. Sending love and thoughts.'

Tara had passed away on February 8 and was found dead in bed at her London home by her cleaner.

Her death had been treated as unexplained but not suspicious - she was 45.

Paying their respects: Many of the Blue singer's followers shared their own kind words about Tara alongside his emotional post

Shortly after her passing, her close friend, Joe Simon, an art connoisseur, had said that while Tara had been diagnosed with a benign brain tumour last year, it was an autoimmune disease which devastated her health and made her despair.

Tara's sister Sarah Montefiore later appeared to confirm the cause of death by revealing details of the coroner's report via Twitter.

She tweeted: 'I've been so touched by the warm response to Tara's death. Thank you from the whole family. But I'd like to clarify a couple of points.

'Today the coroner's report states that Tara died of natural causes - a perforated ulcer. She did not have a brain tumour.'

Duncan was one of the first to pay tribute to former It Girl Tara on social media following news of her passing.

Remembering his best friend: Duncan had been one of the first to pay tribute to Tara following news of her death earlier this year

Sharing his heartbreak, he tweeted: 'Heartbroken and numb I have lost one of my oldest and dearest friends, I'm going to miss ur laughter the most shmooey, rip sweetheart'

Speaking about his best friend, he said: 'Heartbroken and numb I have lost one of my oldest and dearest friends.

'I'm going to miss ur laughter the most shmooey. Rip sweetheart.'

Months before her death, the former I'm A Celebrity star told the Daily Mail how she feared she was going to die when doctors revealed she had a brain tumour.

Tara began receiving treatment for the non-malignant growth in her pituitary gland in January 2016.

Revealing it had since cleared, she explained: 'The doctor said: "As I suspected, you have a brain tumour." I got terribly frightened. I started thinking, I'm going to die, I'm going to die. I've only got a couple of weeks to live. Stuff like that.'
She's back from the perfect honeymoon to celebrate her fairy tale wedding.

And Sylvia Jeffreys, 30, had a clear spring in her step on her first Today Show appearance since tying the knot with Peter Stefanovic.

Flaunting both her stunning diamond wedding ring the tan she got during her lavish Fiji honeymoon, the blonde bombshell looked radiant and refreshed in a plunging red gown on Monday.

Refreshed! Sylvia Jeffreys looked radiant and refreshed in her first appearance on the Today Show following her honeymoon, flaunting her natural tan in a plunging red gown

The presenter was a breath of fresh air in the studio, hardly able to wipe the smile off her face throughout the program.

With her co-hosts opting for grey and black tones, the newlywed was a clear standout in an ornate plunging gown that exposed a hint of cleavage.

Sylvia got on-board a currently booming fashion trend that saw the dress' halterneck fastening resemble a red choker necklace.

Fans also got a good look at her stunning diamond wedding ring during the broadcast.

Getting a good look! Fans also got a good look at her stunning diamond wedding ring during the broadcast

Taking to Instagram to document her return to work, she showed off her glowing energy alongside Karl Stefanovic, Lara Vella and guest Erin Molan.

'Back on duty and loving it!' she wrote in the caption.

The prospect of returning to work was possibly less enticing in a post she shared the night before that showed her reclining in a hammock at an idyllic Fiji beach.

'Island time over': The prospect of returning to work wasn't too enticing in a post she shared the night before, that showed her reclining in a hammock at an idyllic Fiji beach

'Island time over Back to the @thetodayshow  tomorrow, she began the caption.

'See you all bright and early,' she continued, adding a sad face emoji to express sadness over the end of the holiday she documented on Instagram following a short social media hiatus.

Last week, Sylvia and Peter both shared photos from the $18,000-a-night Kokomo Private Island resort.

Stunning! Following a short social media hiatus, Sylvia and Peter began documenting their lavish Fiji honeymoon last week

Wish you were here!: They were staying at the $18,000-a-night Kokomo Private Island resort

Peter's Instagram snap showed him walking through the Fijian water, alongside the caption: 'Island time is the best time'.

Sylvia's shot was of picturesque scenery taken from the couple's villa, with the caption: 'Honeymoon postcards from Fiji'.

After their wedding ceremony in Kangaroo Valley, the couple were spotted boarding a private helicopter en route to their luxury honeymoon.

Owned by billionaire Australian property developer Lang Walker, Kokomo boasts 21 private residences ranging from $2,000 to $18,000 a night.

Sweet seclusion: The resort is located on the island of Yaukuve, south of Suva, and is scattered with secluded, one to three bedroom villas, each boasting privacy and sweeping ocean views

The good life: Owned by billionaire Australian property developer Lang Walker, Kokomo boasts 21 private residences

One with nature: It's pristine white sand beaches are hugged by the tropical Great Astrolabe Reef, which is teeming with natural wildlife

Surrounded by crystal-clear waters and overflowing with natural beauty, the island is the perfect haven for celebrity honeymooners like Peter and Sylvia.

The resort is located on the island of Yaukuve, south of Suva, and is scattered with secluded, one to three bedroom villas, each boasting absolute privacy and sweeping ocean views.

Its pristine white sand beaches are hugged by the tropical Great Astrolabe Reef, which is teeming with natural wildlife.

The resort, which was only opened up to the public last month, is among the most expensive in the South Pacific and can cater for up to 134 guests.

New for the newlyweds: The resort, which was only opened up to the public last month, is among the most expensive in the South Pacific and can cater for up to 134 guests
It looks like Sofia Vergara's house was the place to be on Easter Sunday.

The Modern Family actress, 44, and her husband Joe Manganiello, 40, treated fans to a feast of decadent food as they played host over the holiday at their home.

Sofia was the picture of spring style and sophistication in her plunging pink floral print maxi dress.

The hostess with the mostess! Sofia Vergara nd her husband Joe Manganiello treated fans to a feast of decadent food as they played host over the holiday at their home.

The star looked incredible in the fitted frock that highlighted her svelte physique.

Her husband of nearly two years, meanwhile, kept it sharp in button-up shirt and a pair of grey trousers.

The couple treated friends and themselves to plates of decadent delights.

From chocolate rabbits, a full buffet, and plates full of sweets, guests were spoiled by the generous hosts.

Eye candy! The star looked incredible in the fitted frock that highlighted her svelte physique

Sweet tooth! Guests were treated to plates of sweets, including a chocolate cake and macaroons

Cheat day! Vergara captioned a snap of a broken chocolate bunny, 'We r going to eat him'

The star was clearly enjoying a cheat day as she shared a photo of a broken chocolate bunny along with the caption, 'We r going to eat him.'

It seemed like the household was in no shortage of laughs and fun that day.

The guests, along with Sofia's 24-year-old son Manolo, were the picture of happiness as they gathered around for a group snap.

Friends and family: Sofia, her husband Joe, and her son Manolo (far L back) posed with party guests

Sugar and spice! Cookies, cakes, and two chocolate eggs awaited guests

Good conversation: Vergara posed with several of her guests as they enjoyed the Easter festivities

Sofia's son Manolo is from her previous marriage to high school sweetheart Joe Gonzalez, who she married to from 1991 to 1993.

The actress tied the knot with Joe, the star of True Blood, in Palm Beach, Florida in 2015.

Since 2009, Sofia has starred as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on Modern Family.

She'll be headed to the big screen once again with roles in the upcoming films The Brits Are Coming and The Female Brain, both set for release this year.

Tea time! Vergara poured a cup for her patient pal
She was one of the most iconic supermodels of the nineties - rising to fame as a Victoria's Secret Angel alongside Tyra Banks.

But Helena Christensen proved she has only got better with age on Sunday, as she dazzled in a sizzling new swimwear shoot.

The beauty, 48, showed off her sensationally slender figure and youthful complexion in the stunning shots as she modelled the new collection of swimwear for Designers at Debehams.

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Still got it! Supermodel Helena Christensen, 48, proved she has only got better with age on Sunday, as she dazzled in a sizzling new swimwear shoot

Shot on the Caribbean island of Curacao, Helena stole the show from her idyllic beach surroundings as she clad herself in a number of sexy one-pieces.

First posing in a white suit, the Danish beauty flashed her ample cleavage for all to see as the garment cut into a deep V at the chest.

Pulling into a retro halterneck, the swimwear then clung to her petite waist to emphasise her impressively slender figure all the way down.

Effortless: The brunette then swapped to a raunchier nude number - which plunged into a daring slit at the front to give a glimpse of even more smooth and sun-kissed skin

Taking to the golden sand later on, the brunette then swapped the ensemble for a raunchier nude number - which plunged into a daring slit at the front to give a glimpse of even more smooth and sun-kissed skin.

Leaving her hair in tousled waves and adding minimal make-up to her face, the former beauty queen was as glamorous as ever, as she smouldered for the camera.

As a top model of her time, Helena used her fashion expertise at the shoot to inform fans which swimwear is most flattering and confidence-boosting on women.

Started from the bottom: Whilst Helena has made a successful career from her stunning good looks, she recently revealed that she hadn't always felt so confident with her appearance

She revealed on set: 'My advice for women looking for flattering swimwear is pick a 50s cut swimsuit as it looks attractive on every shape.

'I like both bikinis and one pieces, but prefer them to be low cut and high-waisted, which just looks lovely on a woman's body.'

Whilst Helena has made a successful career from her stunning good looks, she recently revealed that she hadn't always felt so confident with her appearance.

Speaking about being scouted in her teens, the supermodel revealed she was shocked that anyone looked twice as she had 'chubby cheeks'.

Talking to Red magazine, she said: 'I had a horrible perm, chubby baby cheeks and frosted pink lipstick!'

However while she is one of the most iconic supermodels of all time, Helena admitted at this year's London Fashion Week she is glad she was a model in the nineties rather than now - thanks to the social media movement.

Speaking at a LOVE magazine bash back in February, the Danish beauty admitted modelling and beauty had been much more 'mysterious' when nothing was shared online.

She explained: 'I feel so grateful social media wasn't there before.

'I was very happy with just being an elusive, mysterious figure who just appeared in photoshoots.'
The public is invited to attend and participate in the open forums planned for each of the four finalists selected as the potential next president of Chattanooga State Community College. The forums will be held from 2:30-3:30 p.m. EST in the Humanities Auditorium and also live streamed via the following link: https://www.tbr.edu/hr/executivesearches/president-chattanooga-state-community-college.

During the forums, each candidate will present an introductory speech about him or herself and then answer questions from the audience. Faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members are encouraged to attend and participate in the forums for this important search.

The public forums will be held for the following candidates on these dates:

April 19: Dr. Rebecca Ashford, vice president of student affairs, Pellissippi State Community College, Knoxville.

April 20: Dr. Pamela Haney, provost, vice president for academic affairs, Moraine Valley Community College, Palos Hill, Ill.

April 21: Dr. Kirk Nooks, president, Metropolitan Community College  Longview, Lees Summit, Mo.

April 25: Dr. Tyjaun A. Lee, vice president for student affairs, Prince Georges Community College, Largo, Md.

For more information or to review vitaes, see https://www.tbr.edu/hr/executivesearches/president-chattanooga-state-community-college.
He is known for his eccentric behaviour.

But the sight of Joaquin Phoenix going for a barefoot stroll in Los Angeles was surprisingly normal as he had just completed a martial arts session on Sunday.

The karate kid looked like he had worked up quite the sweat after his gruelling workout, going as far as to remove his gi jacket to cool down.

Way of the Phoenix: Karate expert Joaquin was like a coiled spring as he went for a barefoot stroll after a martial arts class in Los Angeles on Sunday

The star looked every inch the miniature Chuck Norris as he ambled around without shoes on following his chopping and kicking session.

And it seems he is quite the karate exponent, for he was carrying a brown belt, the last rank before earning the fabled black.

No doubt his rumoured lover Rooney Mara is very impressed by the fact her man is a lethal weapon off the screen.

It had been reported the pair fell for one another while filming the biblical epic Mary Magdalene.

Red Bull style: The movie star would surely be even more dangerous after drinking one of his energy drinks

Miniature Chuck Norris: Joaquin would be the perfect star for a Texas Ranger reboot

Simply red: With his newly dyed hair Joaquin certainly bears a resemblance to music titan Mick Hucknell

Rooney is featured as the titular character in the upcoming film, while Joaquin plays the role of Jesus.

The much-anticipated new movie was shot in Italy and during filming breaks, Joaquin and Rooney were spotted hanging out together, including one time when they were seen smoking on the balcony of their hotel room

The two movie stars previously worked together on the Spike Jonze-directed Her.

In 2018, Mara will work with Joaquin again in Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far On Foot directed by Gus Van Sant.

Hunk: It is easy to see why the handsome star is one of the most desired men in Hollywood
She recently became the first transgender woman in history, to appear on the cover of GQ Portugal.

And earlier this month, Australian model Andreja Pejic, 25, showcased her trim pins and washboard abs as she made a splash at St Kilda Beach.

The blonde personality - who was born in Bosnia - wore a bright yellow bikini and joined her brother Igor, for the outing.

Making a splash: Earlier this month, Australian transgender model Andreja Pejic, 25, showcased her trim pins and washboard abs as she made a splash at St Kilda Beach

Andreja wore her blonde locks out and over her shoulders and dark tinted sunglasses.

She appeared to be wearing minimal makeup and wore a denim jacket as she sat on the beach watching the sunset.

Andreja also took to Instagram, to shared a picture of herself with her back to the camera, showing off a NASA logo on her jacket, and a selfie of herself with her brother.

Sun's out! The blonde personality - who was born in Bosnia - wore a bright yellow bikini

Family affair: She joined her brother Igor for the outing

Born in Bosnia, Andreja moved to Melbourne, Australia at eight years of age after her family was granted political asylum.

The blonde beauty was discovered while working at McDonald's aged 16.

Her androgynous look quickly won over the fashion world and she modelled for a string of big names such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Marc Jacobs and Vogue.

This month, Andreja became the first transgender woman in history to appear on the cover of GQ Portugal.

'No gods': Andreja also took to Instagram, to shared a picture of herself with her back to the camera, showing off a NASA logo on her jacket

A huge feat: This month, Andreja became the first transgender woman in history to appear on the cover of GQ Portugal

Andreja took to her Instagram to share the cover shot by Branislav Simoncik and celebrate her proud moment.

'I'd say this cover represents me getting my long awaited revenge on all those boys who didn't wanna hold hands in public when I was finding out about love for the first time,' she captioned.

'However, all pettiness aside MUITO OBRIGADO (thank-you very much) to the good peeps at @GQPortugal for the award and this little moment in history. I only hope we can all increase the sorcery in 2017.'

Posing up: She also shared online, a selfie of herself with her brother

Andreja revealed details of her sexual reassignment surgery publicly in 2014. Parts of her transition were filmed for an upcoming documentary due to be released by 2018.

'It's a really important part of my life that we filmed and the cameras filmed some of the most personal parts of my transition that I would never imagine sharing with the world, but I felt I had a responsibility because there are young people that are watching,' she told Vogue.

'You need to give them something to help them out without prejudice.'
She's was swept off her feet by Lee Elliott in the 2016 season of The Bachelorette.

And Georgia Love can't seem to stop declaring her love for her plumber beau.

The 28-year-old journalist took to Instagram to share a throwback snap of herself from a wedding she and Lee attended a few weeks ago at the Werribee Mansion, west of Melbourne.

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'Dancing through life with this one': Georgia Love recently sharing a snap of herself and Lee Elliot all smiles and dancing at a wedding from a few weeks ago

She captioned her post: 'Love dancing through life with this one.'

Georgia also made sure to add her infamously cheesy hashtags: '#youspinmerightroundbabyrightround #dancingwiththestarsinoureyes #iwannaholdthebeatwithsomebody #illthrowbackonasundayifiwantto.'

Fans of the couple commented on her loved up throwback, one said: 'Stunning, happy couple, we love to see you every day.'

'Relationsheep' goals? She used a hefty helping of sheep puns to declare affection for Lee in a text message exchange she recently shared on Instagram

Another wrote: 'You both are very cute and genuine!'

Meanwhile a fans of the puns defended them commenting: 'So gorgeous together #lovethecheesypuns #keepthemcoming'

Georgia recently shared a snippet from a text message exchange loaded with plenty of cringe-worthy word play on Instagram.

The text message exchange along with Lee's Instagram Story, was shared with Georgia's 147,000 followers.

'You're such a baaaaaa-d girl!' Lee's opening statement began the series of sheep puns, to which Georgia replied: 'I just woolly love them!!'

'You're such a baaaaaa-d girl!' began Lee's opening statement, to which Georgia replied: 'I just woolly love them!!' referring to her strong like for the use of puns.

A series of cringe-worthy puns continued, including: 'Love is love babe. Sorry, I don't mean to ram the point home,' and 'I just can't help but think you're only in it for the sheep thrills!?'

Clearly amused by the exchange, Georgia captioned the chat to Instagram: 'Legit conversations between me and @leeroyelliott,' alongside the hash-tags #justpostingthistomakehimfeelsheepish and #relationsheepgoals.

'Words can not espresso how much you bean to me': Lee gushed about Georgia using a series of coffee puns, in a post shared to Instagram just three days prior

The pair are regular culprits in the use of social media puns.

Just three days prior, Lee took to Instagram, declaring his love for Georgia, with another batch of puns, this time based on coffee.

The Boomerang video shared with the plumber's 87,700 fans, saw Lee standing behind a coffee shop bench.

Pun addicts? The pair appear to have become quite obsessed with the use of puns in their various social media exchanges

He grinned as he handed Georgia a coffee, who also returned the favour by beaming back at him.

'Words can not espresso how much you bean to me @georgiealove,' Lee captioned the video.

Lee also added a series of hash-tags including: '#howyoubrewin, #wherehaveyoubeanallmylife, #youresobrewtiful and #livinlavidamocha.

Joined at the hip: Georgia and Lee have become inseparable since finding love on last year's run of dating series, The Bachelorette Australia

Georgia and Lee have become inseparable since finding love on last year's run of dating series, The Bachelorette Australia.

The brunette beauty chose Lee over fan-favourite Matty Johnson, 30, in the dramatic finale episode.

However it's not all doom and gloom for Matty, having recently begun filming on the next season of The Bachelor.
She recently turned heads at the red carpet of The Fate Of The Furious in New York City.

And Elsa Pataky has returned to her adopted home of Byron Bay, on the New South Wales north coast, for the annual Blues Festival.

The 40-year-old wife of Thor star Chris Hemsworth took to Instagram to share a snap of herself with gal pals.

Out with the girls! Actress Elsa Pataky has taken to Instagram to share a snap of herself with her gal pals enjoying the Byron Bay Bluesfest

She rocked a bohemian themed ensemble at the music festival in a black jumpsuit with a floral-like pattern matched with what appears to be a pair of knee high boots.

Her look was accessorised with a small black, fringed purse, a white and red beaded necklace and the festival's official lanyard.

Elsa showed off her pearly whites alongside her pals, who were also dressed in festival-ready boho style ensembles, as they posed for a picture.

Fit at 40! She rocked a bohemian themed ensemble at the music festival in a black jumpsuit with a floral-like pattern, a far cry from her bright orange dress at the premiere of The Fate Of The Furious in New York City

In a recent interview she said that she wanted to be know as more than just Chris Hemsworth wife

She captioned the post: '@bluesfestbyronbay always fun to enjoy live music with friends! @dameluce @merkin69 @silvia.serra.'

The mother-of-three, daughter India, four, and twin boys Tristan and Sasha, three, has been at the busy entertaining Matt Damon, his wife Luciana and their daughters who have been in holidaying in Byron for the past last week.

The Madrid-born beauty recently opened up about raising her profile in Australia, rather than just being known as Chris Hemsworth's wife.

Local living: 'We live in Australia and I want to do things here and start working, and for people to know me a little bit more than as Chris's wife'

Laid back Byron life: The couple share three children, daughter India, four, and twin boys Tristan and Sasha, three

'We live in Australia and I want to do things here and start working, and for people to know me a little bit more than as Chris's wife,' in an interview with Stellar.

She also talked about being married to one of Hollywood's hottest leading men.

'He's like, 'I'm the Sexiest Man Alive,' and I'm like, 'I was the sexiest in Spain for years! You have just one (title)'.'
Last week Cassandra Thorburn left furniture from her 21-year marriage to Karl Stefanovic on the lawn of their former family home.

And the big move came this week, with the memories already laid to rest on a Lindfield curbside, the star's estranged wife had her hands full with the items that remained.

Looking downcast as she carried piles of bags and boxes to her car, she said her last farewell to the residence and will now look forward to a fresh start at a nearby villa reported to be worth close to $2 million.

Moving on! Cassandra Thorburn had her hands full this week, carrying piles of bags and boxes as she moved out of the home she once shared with estranged husband Karl Stefanovic

Appropriately dressed for the labour-intensive activity, the 45-year-old wore a breezy grey tracksuit as she made several trips between the now-sold property and her car.

She looked calm and focused as she made sure to work efficiently and fill her hands with as many items as she could carry on each trip.

On one haul, she managed to nestle bags bearing the David Jones logo on top of a colourful rug, while deftly dangling her keys between her fingertips for easy access.

Later, she skillfully wheeled a luggage bag with one hand while clutching another pile of assorted belongings to her waist.

Hands full! The 45-year-old looked calm and focused as she made sure to work efficiently and fill her hands with as many items as she could carry on each trip

Skillful! She skillfully wheeled a luggage bag with one hand while clutching another pile of assorted belongings to her waist

Brisk! Cassandra moved so briskly with her luggage bags that wind swept her long sleeve shirt upwards as she rounded a corner.

Packing the car! Karl's estranged wife made several trips between the now-sold property and her car.

Cassandra moved so briskly with her luggage bags that wind swept her long sleeve shirt upwards as she rounded a corner.

With Karl, 42, not in attendance to lend a helping hand, the mother-of-two relied on the help of a moving company, who shifted the heavier furniture items that managed to survive the cull at the start of the month.

At the time, Karl was in his 33-year-old girlfriend Jasmine Yarbrough's hometown Los Angeles, enjoying a week-long break with the company of co-host Richard Wilkins' son, Christian.

The move looked to get tricky at one point, with pictures showing the star peering under the vehicle as the movers struggled with an unknown item.

Tricky! The move looked to get tricky at one point, with snaps showing the star peering under the vehicle as the movers struggled with an unknown item

Sorted it? She eventually solved the minor problem

At one-point, a forklift was even brought in, pictured shifting a huge wooden shipping container into the truck.

Granted the opportunity to change into a pair of stripey white tracksuit pants, Cassandra watched on as her tattooed helpers shifted a rug, a wardrobe and more into the huge moving vehicle.

Despite the memory-filled journey through 21-years of items once co-owned by her former husband, she remained in good spirits throughout the lengthy process, laughing and joking with the removalists.

Better than nothing! With Karl not in attendance to lend a helping hand, the mother-of-two relied on the help of a moving company

Tatt's helpful! They shifted the heavier furniture items that managed to survive the personality's earlier cull at the start of the month

Good spirits! Despite the no-doubt memory-filled journey through 21-years of items once co-owned by her former husband, she remained in good spirits throughout the lengthy process

All good from my angle! she was spotted boasting a wide smile that turned to an uproarious laugh as she waited for movers to finish

Heavy handed! Cassandra watched on as her tattooed helpers shifted a rug, a wardrobe and more into the huge moving vehicle

After watching on with her arms crossed to ensure the removalists were handling with care, she was spotted boasting a wide smile that turned to an uproarious laugh as she waited for movers to finish.

Friends and family joined her for the bittersweet occasion, keeping the mother in good spirits on a day that's stressful even without the lingering memories of a broken down marriage.

Earlier this month, discarded furniture and bric-a-brac, including a full-length mirror and rocking horse, was spotted outside the Lindfield property.

Big job! At one-point, a forklift was even brought in

Move it! The vehicle was seen shifting a huge wooden shipping container into the truck

It comes after a source reportedly told New Idea magazine that Cassandra's clean-out 'seemed like a symbolic gesture.'

The furniture was left outside the marital home the day after Karl attended his brother Peter's wedding to Sylvia Jeffreys, which Cassandra was reportedly not invited to.

Karl and Cassandra moved in to the property in 2010, before selling it for $3.8million in November last year, two months after news of their separation broke.

Meanwhile, 42-year-old Karl has moved on after the marriage split, and is now dating model and shoe designer, Jasmine, 33.

Council cleanup? Earlier this month, discarded furniture and bric-a-brac, including a full-length mirror and rocking horse, was spotted outside the Lindfield property

Split: Karl and Cassandra split in September last year following 21-years of marriage
They both made their start on Australian soap opera Neighbours.

And years on from their time of the drama it seems actresses Margot Robbie, 26, and Ashleigh Brewer, 26, haven't lost touch with each other.

The two were photographed by their pal, fellow Aussie actress Bella Heathcote, 29, who also starred on the show.

Twinning! Neighbours alumna Margot Robbie, 26, and Ashleigh Brewer, 26, haven't lost touch with each other dressing in the same dress at a recent Easter gathering

In the snap, the former co-stars are dressed in the same daisy wrap dress for a Easter gathering with friends, possibly in Los Angeles.

The two friends also pose in the same way with their leg crossed over the other with a glass of chilled fruit punch in one hand and are all smiles.

Bella jokingly captioned her post: 'S**t, I didn't get the memo,' and added Easter themed emojis.

Fellow Ramsey Street starlet: The two were photographed by their pal, fellow Aussie actress Bella Heathcote, 29, who also starred on the show

Everybody needs good Neighbours: The two actresses, as well as Bella, all worked together on the soap opera in 2009

Fans of the actresses wished them a Happy Easter, while a few were happy to see all three stars together.

One ecstatic fan said: 'Dreams do come true!!!!

Another commented: 'Aussies killin it in L.A my fave.'

In 2009, all three actors worked together on Neighbours.

LA is calling: Bella recently found success on as Leila Williams in the Fifty Shades Darker

Since then, Margot has found incredible success starring in blockbuster films such as The Wolf Of Wall Street and Suicide Squad.

After, her character was killed off Ashleigh moved to Los Angeles and successfully audition for the part of Ivy Forrester in another long running drama, The Bold And The Beautiful.

Bella recently found success on as Leila Williams in the Fifty Shades Darker and Jane Bennett in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
He's been painted as somewhat of a Casanova, while he routinely avoids the subject.

But there was no escape for Richard Wilkins on Monday, who reluctantly admitted that 'marriage is not his specialty.'

Discussing whether women should 'marry wealthy' on Today Extra, opinions from the likes of Sonia Kruger and David Campbell varied wildly, leaving three-time divorcee Richard to concede he may not be the best person to be weighing-in on the topic.

Blonde bombshell Sonia kicked off the heated debate by bringing up a recent report that suggested women should marry for money as opposed to personal attributes.

After progressively-minded guest Shelly Horton said she 'could not be more offended' by the study, Richard attempted to echo her statements.

'Marrying "well?" you want to marry someone who makes you laugh, someone who is not an axe murderer...' he began, before co-host David cashed in on his unfortunate wording.

'Axe murderers can make you laugh dicko!' he quipped, causing the blonde-quiffed bombshell to lose his train of thought.

'Not my specialty': Three-time divorcee Richard Wilkins confessed 'marriage isn't my specialty' on Today Extra on Monday

'Ultimately, we are responsible for our own thing,' Richard continued after his laughter had subsided.

'But when you do get into m-,' he added, appearing to stumble at the prospect of the 'm' word.

'Marriage...it's not my specialty.'

Raising his hands in concession, Shelly harshly jibed: 'Actually more experienced than most!'

Harsh? Following his admission, progressively minded harshly jibed:'Actually more experienced than most!' In reference to his multiple failed marriages

Dickie's tips: Before the harsh words, his advice was: 'You want to marry someone who makes you laugh, someone who is not an axe murderer,'

Giving potential suitors and complainants the relevant contact information, funnyman David joked: '@Richard Wilkins everybody!'

'Sadly, half of them don't make it,' Richard added, attempting to get the topic back on track.

Adding a counter-argument to the argument, controversial conservative Sonia said: 'It's all well and good to say things should be like this, but historically I suppose - and I'm not saying all women - there's an attraction to money and power, would you not agree with that?'

Counter-argument: Conservate co-host Sonia Kruger aruged: 'historically I suppose - and i'm not saying all women - there's an attraction to money and power'

'Some women, but I think it's changing,' Shelly replied.

After keeping quiet for a while, Richard had the last say, concluding that 'no two marriages are the same.'

That's one statement he could make with certainty, Having previously been married to Michelle Burke and having reportedly asking Rebecca Naso to marry him before the relationship faltered

'No two marriages are the same:' After keeping quiet for a while, Richard had the last say, concluding that 'no two marriages are the same' (pictured here with ex-partner Colette Dinnigan)
Series 13 of Made In Chelsea has been dominated by the news of Binky Felstead's shock pregnancy.

And nobody was more astounded than the cast themselves, as Stephanie Pratt and Georgia Toffolo revealed on Monday's episode of Lorraine.

Speaking about the news, Stephanie, 30, admitted: 'The pregnancy was shocking and I didnt think it could get crazier after that. It feels like Season Two!'

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Chelsea chic: Stephanie Pratt and Georgia Toffolo appeared on Monday's episode of Lorraine as they admitted they were shocked by the astounding news of Binky Felstead's pregnancy

Toff, 22, added: 'Binky is so happy and were all so excited, its not that long now!'

Binky, 26, announced she was pregnant in January - causing a stir among fans, as she was not officially dating boyfriend Josh 'JP' Patterson at the time.

And despite being shocked by the news, Toff explained that this kind of revelation is typical for the MIC family.

Surprising: Binky, 26, announced she was pregnant in January - causing a stir among fans, as she was not officially dating boyfriend Josh 'JP' Patterson at the time

'It always lives up to expectations,' she reasoned.' I always think what else can happen to our friendships!

'It's annoyingly real, it would be a lot easier if we werent in at as much,' as Steph added: 'Its so real!'

She admitted that being in the series had taken over their lives as Steph explained: 'It's 24/7,' whilst Toff added: 'It's all day every day, you cant really switch off. You can see we're not actors.'

Astounded: Speaking about the news, Stephanie, 30, admitted: 'The pregnancy was shocking and I didnt think it could get crazier after that. It feels like Season Two!'

Constantly changing: d despite being shocked by the news, Toff explained that this kind of revelation is typical for the MIC family

Watch out: Discussing the series, Toff explained 'It always lives up to expectations,' she reasoned.' I always think what else can happen to our friendships!

Discussing the current controversy on the series, which has seen Fredrik Ferrier flirting with Mimi Bouchard despite the fact he's dating Olivia Bentley, the ladies had very different opinions, which they revealed spilled out past the show.

'We didnt really talk as we have such ideas on Mimi,' Stephanie admitted. 'Toff is more welcoming and you can wind me up more easily.'

Jumping in, Toff reasoned: 'What annoys me is that the girl always gets the blame. I dont think Fred should even have entertained another girl when he had a girlfriend. Its so annoying.'

Puppy love: For her interview, Stephanie wasn't just joined by her co-star, but her adorable pet pooch, who sat on her lap throughout

Yummy mummy: Caring for the little one has been taking its toll on Stephanie, as she revealed: 'Now I'm a mum my social life is kaput!'

Lovely ladies: Toff and Stephanie looked sensational in pastel shades for their interview

For her interview, Stephanie wasn't just joined by her co-star, but her adorable pet pooch, who sat on her lap throughout.

Discussing her cute puppy, she revealed: 'Max is three months. So sweet, hes a chiller.'

Adding that she wanted him to star on the show with her, she quipped: 'I really hope he gets his name on the screen.'

And caring for the little one has been taking its toll on her, as she revealed: 'Now I'm a mum my social life is kaput!'

Chelsea chic: Stephanie Pratt and Georgia Toffolo appeared on Monday's episode of Lorraine and looked dazzling as they left the studios afterwards

Blonde bombshell: Stephanie looked glamorous on the outing by styling her glossy golden locks in a sleek centre parting, whilst her plump pout was painted a pale pink

Leggy lady! Stephanie looked sensational on the outing in a lace cream dress that showed off her tanned and toned pins and complemented her complexion

Pretty in pink! Georgia Toffolo dazzled in a baby pink skater dress that clung to her tiny waist and offered a look at her enviably lean legs, which were elongated by grey heels
He's been on a week long break from the Today show.

But just because he's away from work, doesn't mean that Karl Stefanovic is spending any less time with his co-worker Richard Wilkins.

On Sunday, the 42-year-old was spotted arriving at Wilkins' home in Sydney's Cremorne.

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Best friends forever! Karl Stefanovic paid BFF Richard Wilkins a visit on Sunday

As always, the morning show host was dressed in his signature Birkenstocks.

He matched his footwear to his black T-shirt, and sported a plain pair of shorts.

Karl returned to work at Today on Monday after spending time in his girlfriend's hometown Los Angeles.

But upon his return, Karl sunk to a new low - on his chair, that is.

"R u up?" The 42-year-old tapped away on his phone as he made his way towards Richard's residence

Texting Jasmine? Karl has been enjoying his relationship with new girlfriend, shoe designer Jasmine Yarbrough

Confident: The self-made star looked large and in charge as he confidently marched across the road to meet his friend

The 42-year-old appeared to shrink to child-like proportions, after a hilarious blunder with his chair left his cackling co-hosts towering over him like giants.

Cutting back from a segment, regular-sized Karl had just a few seconds of equal-height before his eyebrows raised sky-high while his chair went in the opposite direction.

'Oy!?' he cried in shock as his chair sank towards the floor, matching his cry with an equally bewildered expression.

What's the time, Mr Wolf? Karl sported a shiny, expensive looking wristwatch, which was at odds with his VERY casual outfit

Knock knock? It's unclear if the Today host knocked before entering, or simply headed straight in due to his close friendship with the Wilkins family

Time to go! Karl gingerly eased himself into the creamy white vehicle before departing

Two's company! The two luxury cars sat side by side out the front of Richard's residence

Now just head and shoulders above the newsdesk, miniature-sized Karl was greeted by uproarious laughter from the likes of Sylvia Jeffreys, who was looking particularly tanned and rejuvenated following her honeymoon with the struggling co-host's brother Peter.

It appeared the cameramen were keen to get in on the hilarity, cutting to a wide-shot that made Karl look like he'd gone through a Benjamin Button-style reverse-ageing experience.

In contrast, his cast mates towered over him and laughed as the personality remained up-beat despite being down-low.

Feigning annoyance, he peered over the encroaching desk and quipped: 'alright, who's got the app?' implying he may have fallen victim to an office prank.

Toodles! The talented Today show superstar opened the door before getting in the car
Baywatch and Celebrity Big Brother star Jeremy Jackson has received a jail sentence for a 2015 incident which saw him charged with stabbing a woman during an argument.

TMZ reported on Monday that the 36-year-old struck a plea deal in the case, but a judge still sentenced him to 270 days in L.A. County Jail and 5 years probation.

The judge reduced Jeremy's jail term by 109 days for previous time spent in custody, meaning he'll serve 161 days.

Jail time: Baywatch and Celebrity Big Brother star Jeremy Jackson has received a jail sentence for a 2015 incident which saw him charged with stabbing a woman during an argument.

Jeremy will also have to complete 52 anger management classes and 52 AA meetings.

If he completes the jail term, classes and meetings, the star's felony charge could be dropped to a misdemeanor.

A representative for Jeremy has been contacted by MailOnline for comment.

Jeremy was arrested in 2015 after allegedly stabbing a woman near her Los Angeles home in August of that year after the pair got into an argument.

According to TMZ at the time, Jeremy lashed out at the stranger's arm, leg and back when she tried to prevent him from stealing her boyfriend's car.

Plea deal: TMZ reported on Monday that the 36-year-old struck a plea deal in the case, but a judge still sentenced him to 270 days in L.A. County Jail and 5 years probation

The 2014 Celebrity Big Brother star allegedly fled the scene, but was later arrested when police caught up to him.

Jeremy was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and criminal threats, which could have potentially seen him jailed for up to seven years.

That arrest came after the former child star's April 2015 arrest for assault with a deadly weapon.

A man claimed he was stabbed nine times, alleging the troubled actor was trying to steal from him.

He said he required 177 stitches after the incident as well as three pints of blood.

The alleged victim, who did not want to reveal his name, told TMZ.com that he was wounded in the arms and torso.

He told police the man who stabbed him was Hobie - Jackson played Hobie Buchannon, the son of David Hasselhoff's character Mitch Buchannon on Baywatch.

Wounded: His most recent arrest came after the former child star's April 2015 arrest for assault with a deadly weapon. A man claimed he was stabbed nine times, alleging the troubled actor was trying to steal from him

Police received a report of a possible prowler in the same neighborhood where the attack took place, reported theLA Times.

Officers stopped that alleged prowler and discovered it was Jeremy  who was wanted in the stabbing. He was immediately arrested at 7:15am.

Jackson was released that same day on $30,000 bail, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Jeremy is well-known for his troubled personal life and has been open about his struggles over the years.

He left Baywatch, which he starred in from 1991-1999, because he was suffering from a severe drug addiction, according to an interview with E! on Child Star Confidential.

Child star: Jackson found fame playing David Hasselhoff's son Hobie Buchannon on Baywatch

And in 2011 he was treated for steroid addiction on Celebrity Rehab with Dr Drew.

In January 2014, the former child star was kicked out of UK reality show Celebrity Big Brother for groping model Chloe Goodman in a drunken stupor.

When the pair were alone in the bathroom, Jeremy opened the front of her dressing gown, exposing her breast and leaving a shocked Chloe in floods of tears.

The US actor was swiftly removed from the CBB house and, following his departure, was cautioned by the police for his actions.

Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, a fellow contestant, had questioned the wisdom of Jackson taking part in the show, saying that the actor was not 'mentally stable' and 'borderline scary'.

In 2015 MailOnline revealed the former Baywatch star was alleged to have attempted to murder his ex-wife in an attack caught in a terrifying audio recording.

Troubled: MailOnline revealed in January 2015 the former Baywatch star was alleged to have attempted to murder his ex-wife, Loni Willison, in an attack caught in a terrifying audio recording

Audio recording: Loni, 31, can be heard screaming in terror as Jackson allegedly strangled and beat her, leaving her with two broken ribs, an injured neck and scratches on her face and body

The recording captures Jackson allegedly pouncing on fitness model Loni Willison as she lay in bed at their Los Angeles home.

Loni, 31, can be heard screaming in terror as Jackson allegedly strangled and beat her, leaving her with two broken ribs, an injured neck and scratches on her face and body.

LA police officers were called to the incident last August and in a police report seen by MailOnline the star was accused of 'attempt murder'  a case later dropped after distraught Loni decided not to press charges.

The police report said: 'Susp. argued with vict (spous & cohab), susp used both hands to strangle vict and covered vict's nose and mouth with his left hand, preventing victim from breathing.'

She also released a second recording of the unstable actor in which he threatens to kill her in a bizarre, incoherent rap song he emailed to her a day before the alleged attack.

The 12-minute rambling ditty demonstrates Jackson's state of mind as he spiraled out of control.

Reality TV return: The recording emerged after the former child star was kicked out of Celebrity Big Brother in 2014 for groping a model Chloe Goodman in a drunken stupor - he was later cautioned by police

Loni said she hoped her ex would seek the help he desperately needs to 'fix' his problems.

Loni did not press charges against Jackson at the time as she said she didn't want to land him in jail and he filed divorce papers.

The model first met Jackson in 2003 but they didn't begin a serious relationship until March 2010.

She moved into Jackson's Beverly Hills home five months later and the couple tied the knot on January 12, 2012 - a date chosen because it was 12.12.12.

Photos of the intimate ceremony in Laguna Beach, California, were spread across the pages of a glossy magazine and show a couple very much in love.

But cracks in the relationship soon began to show when Loni decided to study an aesthetician course and could not spend as much time with Jackson as he wanted.

She also believes Jackson may have started using drugs again as he began behaving differently and was prone to depressive mood swings and violent outbursts.

A spokesman for Jackson said he had no comment when contacted by MailOnline following the revelations.

Cast: Jeremy Jackson played Hobie Buchanan in Baywatch, (far right) growing up in the spotlight among the other stars




She's a darling of the fashion world and a fully fledged member of the front row style elite.

And Olivia Palermo proved she can do off-duty chic just as well as high-fashion glamour as she got her Easter caffeine fix in Brooklyn, New York, on Sunday.

The socialite, 31, kept things casual in a cream chiffon semi-sheer blouse with neck tie detailing, which she teamed with ripped skinny jeans to showcase her slender shape.

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Keeping it casual: Olivia Palermo proved she can do off-duty chic just as well as high-fashion glamour as she got her Easter caffeine fix in Brooklyn, New York City, on Sunday

Ditching her heels in favour of a pair of delicately-embroidered floral pumps, the fashionista toted her belongings in a small chocolate brown leather clutch bag as she carried her iced coffee and takeout breakfast back to her apartment.

Clearly prepared for all weather possibilities, the former The City star wore a pair of chic mirrored sunglasses, and had a cream quilted coat draped over one arm in case she got chilly.

The style blogger seemed happy and relaxed as she strolled through the streets on her low-key day off.

Olivia first shot to fame when she appeared alongside the likes of Whitney Port and Louise Roe in reality show The City, the New York-based spin-off of The Hills, which followed Whitney as she tried to forge a career in the fashion industry.

Caffeine fix: The socialite, 31, kept things casual in a cream chiffon semi-sheer blouse with neck tie detailing, which she teamed with ripped skinny jeans to showcase her slender shape

The socialite has gone on to carve out a name for herself among the style elite, attending the world's hottest fashion shows and working as a brand ambassador for some of the globe's most luxurious labels.

Olivia recently said of her style icon status in an interview with The Edit magazine: 'Its about mixing and matching. My aunt has always said, "If its great, its great  and it doesnt matter how it costs".

'Fashion is for every woman. You can see if shes into it: her eyes light up when she talks about it.

'I love seeing a woman looking amazing walking down the street in New York, when you can see her confidence. I just think: "You go, girl"!'

Style queen: The former reality star (pictured at Paris Fashion Week last month) first shot to fame on MTV's The City, before going on to carve out a name for herself among the style elite

When it comes to her personal life, Olivia is just as successful.

Olivia met husband, German male model Johannes Huebel, 39, through mutual friends nine years ago, before tying the knot in June 2014 in a low-key ceremony in Bedford, upstate New York.

Discussing the secret to the couple's happy marriage, Olivia told Harper's Bazaar Australia: 'We try not to ever be separated more than seven days. Its just something we have always done.'

But it doesn't look as though the couple will be hearing the pitter-patter of tiny feet any time soon, with the socialite admitting she is 'very focused on work' at present.

She added in an interview with the Daily Mail's YOU magazine: 'Im really focused on work. I have my hands full and I have to prioritise.'
They've been married for 14 years.

But Ola and James Jordan seem more in love than ever, as they enjoy a romantic holiday in celeb-favourite destination the Maldives.

The former Strictly Come Dancing stars have been sharing a string of sun-drenched holiday snaps on their Instagram accounts in recent days, while cheeky Ola also gave fans a treat with a retro pic of the couple.

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Good looking pair: Ola and James Jordan seem more in love than ever, as they enjoy a romantic holiday in celeb-favourite destination the Maldives

The pro dancing couple have jetted to paradise to mark James' 39th birthday and it seems they're having the time of their lives.

Ola shared a look at her sensational figure as she basked in the balmy temperatures with her hubby.

The 34-year-old was already looking tanned in the snaps, as she posed in a bright print bikini.

This is the life! The former Strictly Come Dancing stars have been sharing a string of sun-drenched holiday snaps on their Instagram accounts in recent days

'Enjoying the sun with my boy,' she captioned one stunning shot of the pair.

James seemed to be having fun with his new toy, joking he was only just catching onto the selfie stick craze.

'Selfie stick!!! Im only about 5 years behind the times @kandima_maldives #kandimamaldives #mykindofplace #justplay #anythingbutordinary 32* in the  @olajordan is loving life,' he captioned one beach snap.

Getting her tan on: The pro dancing couple have jetted to paradise to mark James' 39th birthday and it seems they're having the time of their lives

Meanwhile Ola couldn't resist sharing a slightly less glam snap of the good looking pair last week as she wished James a happy birthday.

The throwback photo sees Strictly star James sporting long wavy locks as he cosies up to a young Ola.

'Happy Birthday to my gorgeous boy @jamesjordan1978 I love you more than anything in the world,' Ola captioned the retro image.

Throwback! Meanwhile Ola couldn't resist sharing a slightly less glam (and very retro) snap of the good looking pair last week as she wished James a happy birthday

Poland-born Ola first met James through dancing competitions, with the couple teaming up for the Dutch Open in 2000.

Writing in her 2016 book Strictly Ola: My Story, the blonde beauty reveals she actually stole her now-husband from another woman.

Speaking about the first time she met James, she said: 'He was tall and very good-looking, with slicked black-back black hair and piercing blue eyes. His dancing was amazing.

What a view: 'I woke up in paradise' a happy Ola captioned this gorgeous shot

'His partner was Polish, and when I watched them dance together I was filled with just one thought: 'I want to have a partner like that one day.'

'At one point during the competition I actually got introduced to this tall, dark stranger, very fleetingly. 'Hello', he smiled. And then he was gone.'

Months later she received a phone call from James' dancer partner and girlfriend who told the then 17-year-old that James was looking for a new dancer partner.

The two trained and competed together for two years before James broke things off with his girlfriend and got together with Ola while working in Hong Kong. They married in 2003.
On Monday night's premiere of Seven Year Switch, viewers were first introduced to Queenslanders Stacey Louise and Sarge, who want to run their own boot camp.

They believe their relationship is just business with sex on the side, Sarge complains.

'It feels to me at the moment that the purpose of our relationship is purely business with some sex on the side,' he said to camera.

Fight club: Stacey tosses a plate at Sarge during the first episode of Seven Year Switch

'She's always on her computer, working on websites, It's all about business' he says, before explaining the pair have 'explosive fights.'

One such fight boils over right away, with Stacey tossing a plate of food at Sarge, who she feels is controlling and always picking fights with her.

Johnny and Tracey, who met while backpacking in London 11 years ago, are also introduced.

The pair separated for 12 months and recently decided to give their relationship one last chance.

Drama: One fight boils over right away, with Stacey tossing a plate of food at Sarge, who she feels is controlling and always picking fights with her

Sex only? 'It feels to me at the moment that the purpose of our relationship is purely business with some sex on the side,' Sarge says to camera

Not getting along: 'She's always on her computer, working on websites, It's all about business' he says, before explaining the pair have 'explosive fights'

Working with the couples will be psychologists, Jo Lamble and Peter Charleston.

They tackle Louise and Sarge first in a counselling session.

'Sarge used to me calming soul. And it's just got to a point now where... It's the opposite. I get to this point where I actually feel out of control,' Stacey says.

She added, 'I am embarrassed about this crazy behaviour.'

Explosive: 'Sarge used to me calming soul. And it's just got to a point now where... It's the opposite. I get to this point where I actually feel out of control,' Stacey says

After throwing a plate, Stacey said: 'I am embarrassed about this crazy behaviour'

Help: Working with the couples will be psychologists, Jo Lamble and Peter Charleston

Feisty: Next Felicity and Michael, who have two young children, are introduced to viewers

Next the counselors speak to Johnny and Tracey.

'Things weren't going good and John was just always concentrating on building the empire. Life's not all about money, money, money. Just enjoy and follow your passion,' Tracey tells the psychologists.

Johnny answers: 'I do end up stressing You know, especially being the main provider, I was the one who had to worry about getting the bills paid, and providing and making sure that everybody's happy'.

Next Felicity and Michael, who have two young children, are introduced to viewers.

Money issues: 'Things weren't going good and John was just always concentrating on building the empire. Life's not all about money, money, money' she says

Young love: Next Felicity and Michael, who have two young children, are introduced to viewers

At war: The pair have been together five years, but they fight constantly since Felicity started her Paleo snack business

Anger: 'I love Michael, but if things don't change, I'm over it, I'm done,' Felicity says

Temper: They have vicious fights as Michael has a temper and the pair bicker constantly, leaving Micheal feeling as if he is being belittled

The pair have been together five years, but they fight constantly since Felicity started her Paleo snack business.

They have vicious fights as Michael has a temper and the pair bicker constantly, leaving Micheal feeling as if he is being belittled.

'I love Michael, but if things don't change, I'm over it, I'm done,' Felicity says.

American Kaitlyn and boyfriend Mark are introduced on the show and are at odds as after three years together, Kaitlyn wants to get married, but Mark thinks Kaitlyn is too immature.

Serious: American Kaitlyn and boyfriend Mark are introduced on the show and are at odds as after three years together, Kaitlyn wants to get married

Mark explains: 'What you're asking of me and us to go to that next level, means that you need to become a little more mature'

Mark continues: 'I'd like Kaitlyn to improve on her maturity, before we talk about the marriage side of things. You don't need to raise your voice and yell out details about personal things'

Mark explains, 'What you're asking of me and us to go to that next level, means that you need to become a little more mature.

'I'd like Kaitlyn to improve on her maturity, before we talk about the marriage side of things. You don't need to raise your voice and yell out details about personal things on the tram'.

He adds, 'The other problem is, Kaitlyn's independence is lacking a little. She's a little clingy to me.'

The psychologist, Peter, explains that the pair have very different personalities.

Very different: The psychologist, Peter, explains that the pair have very different personalities

Secret toy: Kaitlyn insists on taking her vibrator and Mark is utterly horrified but sets the rule that she cannot kiss or touch her switch partner

Laughs: Kaitlyn admits she needs someone more like her, and who understands her bawdy sense of humour

Psychologist Peter says: 'This is a couple with fundamental differences. Mark's practical and reserved nature, is starkly at odds with Kaitlyn's impulsive and needy personality'

'This is a couple with fundamental differences. Mark's practical and reserved nature, is starkly at odds with Kaitlyn's impulsive and needy personality,' he says.

Kaitlyn admits she needs someone more like her, and who understands her bawdy sense of humour.

The couple switches are announced and each person has been paired with someone more like-minded.

Switch: The couple switches are announced and each person has been paired with someone more like-minded

Sarge will live with Tracey, Kaitlyn will live with Michael, Mark will be paired with Felicity and Stacey Louise will live with Johnny.

Kaitlyn insists on taking her vibrator and Mark is utterly horrified but sets the rule that she cannot kiss or touch her switch partner.

The couples tell their families what they are doing for the social experiment and most of their relatives and friends think it's a bad idea.

Big reveal: The couples tell their families what they are doing for the social experiment

Issues: Most of their relatives and friends think it's a bad idea

They then make their tearful goodbyes and lay down ground rules such as no bed sharing, but those rules may well be broken.

Felicity meets her match Mark but when she realises they will have to share at bed at their assigned apartment she panics.

'No! As soon as I saw one bed, my heart sunk. And I felt like I was going to vomit,' she said.

Off to swap: They then make their tearful goodbyes

Rules: The couples lay down ground rules such as no bed sharing

Mark however is impressed and says, 'I feel quite good actually doing the experiment with Felicity on-board. She's attractive. She's professional. I really admire that in Felicity.'

Kaitlyn meets Micheal and thinks he has a 'beautiful, symmetrical face' and says she cannot share the bed as she's attracted to him.

Tracey and Sarge meet and while Sarge thinks Tracey is attractive he offers to sleep on the couch.

Mark likes Felicity and says: 'I feel quite good actually doing the experiment with Felicity on-board. She's attractive. She's professional. I really admire that in Felicity'

Married! The couples put on wedding rings to symbolise being married to one another

No ring: Felicity refuses as she feels it will debase her engagement ring from Micheal

Ring drama: She says she will be hurt if Michael wears the ring, which he has done

Careful! Tracey and Sarge meet and while Sarge thinks Tracey is attractive he offers to sleep on the couch

Stacey Louise wants to share with Johnny the bed using a pillow wall but he wants to sleep on the couch as he promised his partner.

The couples put on wedding rings to symbolise being married to one another, but Felicity refuses as she feels it will debase her engagement ring from Micheal.

She says she will be hurt if Michael wears the ring, which he has done.
She's the perfect combination of both brains and beauty.

So Jennifer Aniston was undoubtedly the perfect choice to star in the latest Smartwater campaign.

Proving that less is more, the 48-year-old actress was a vision of beauty in a series of black and white snaps as she beamed down the lens.

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Looking good: She's the perfect combination of both brains and beauty. So Jennifer Aniston was undoubtedly the perfect choice to star in the latest Smartwater campaign

In one stunning shot, the Friends star donned a plunging monochrome gown that showed off her cleavage and was daringly cut to the navel.

Posing from the side, the blonde bombshell smiled coyly down the lens, whilst she accessorised with a selection of gold necklaces.

For another glamorous photograph, Jennifer's peachy posterior was the focus, as she donned a figure-hugging cream dress.

All eyes on her: Proving that less is more, the 48-year-old actress was a vision of beauty in a series of black and white snaps as she beamed down the lens

Out and about: Jennifer showed off her gym-honed physique in a pair of skintight black leggings and a tight top as she posed on a hiking trail with a cute pooch

Whilst Jennifer is kept busy with her constant acting gigs and campaigns, the star recently spared some time to enjoy a romantic trip to Paris with her husband, Justin Theroux.

The pair were no doubt keen to spend some quality time together, as Justin explained that their careers can often fling them to different towns away from one another.

He told the Philippine Daily Inquirer: 'Its tough; its a pain. But even though you are tired, you just make an extra effort to make trips back home, or have your partner come visit you.

Looking good: Jennifer's best accessory was her dazzling smile as she posed for a series of promotional shots for the drinks company

He added: 'Keith Urban said that he once flew from New York, all the way to Australia, to have dinner with Nicole Kidman. Then, he flew back to his concert tour.'

With a laugh, Justin - whose role on The Leftovers takes him to Australia as well - conceded that Keith's 'a better man than I am. I would never do that.'

However, the star explained that he and Jennifer once resolved not to stay apart longer than two weeks at a time, yet he conceded: 'Then, it would be a two-and-a-half-week rule. So, its a moving target.'

Blonde bombshell: Jennifer's trademark locks looked great even in black and white as they were styled in a sleek centre parting that framed her flawless features

She's the boss! Jennifer proved that a simple white blouse and trousers could look phenomenal on her frame as she posed up a storm in an office building for the campaign

The handsome actor also spoke to Rhapsody magazine this month about marriage.

'Marriage makes the small things much smaller and the big things small,' he revealed. 'You have an ally. Its good to have someone have your back.'

Jennifer and Justin tied the knot in August 2015 in a private ceremony at their their Bel-Air estate.
She recently split from her new man, Chris Clark.

But Jesy Nelson smiled through her heartbreak, as she landed back in Britain with bandmate Perrie Edwards, following their stint supporting Ariana Grande on the North American leg of her Dangerous Woman tour.

Showing off her impeccably toned abs, the 25-year-old songstress looked effortlessly chic as she strolled out of the airport on Monday.

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Two of a kind: Jesy Nelson landed back in London with bandmate Perrie Edwards (R) following their stint supporting Ariana Grande on the North American leg of her Dangerous Woman tour

Opting for all-black, Jesy donned a long-sleeved black crop top that showed off her abs and silver belly ring.

She teamed the garment with figure-hugging leggings that clung to her toned pins and accentuated her hourglass curves.

Keeping her accessories simple, the Touch hitmaker donned a pair of oversized shades, whilst her auburn locks were styled in a side parting and swept over one shoulder.

Perrie also opted for an all-black outfit which consisted of a cropped jumper and leggings.

Casual yet chic: Showing off her impeccably toned abs, the 25-year-old songstress looked effortlessly chic as she strolled out of the airport on Monday

Leggy lady! She teamed the crop top with figure-hugging leggings that clung to her toned pins and accentuated her hourglass curves

Shady lady! Keeping her accessories simple, the Touch hitmaker donned a pair of oversized black sunglasses

Radiant redhead! Her auburn locks were styled in a side parting and swept over one shoulder

The girls may have seemed in good spirits on the outing, but Jesy was no doubt still reeling from her split with TOWIE star, Chris Clark.

Their outing came after sources claimed the 22-year-old reality hunk used his relationship, which he reportedly ended over the phone, as 'a publicity stunt' and a bid to look 'hurt' before reuniting with his ex, Amber Dowding.

Jesy and Chris confirmed their brief romance in mid-March with a snap of the pair kissing taken while the hunk jetted to the US to visit the songstress during their supporting slot on Ariana Grande's tour.

Chic and cheerful: Perrie also opted for an all-black outfit which consisted of a cropped jumper and leggings

Legs eleven! Perrie's leggings featured mesh panels that offered a look at her toned pins

While all initially seemed rosy, he later stunned fans when it was claimed last week that he dumped the stunner over the phone, although insiders later report he was 'pretty down in the dumps at the moment' regarding the split.

Sources told The Sun: 'Jesy has obviously been upset this week by the break up, especially with it happening whilst she is away from him on tour. She really believed it was going somewhere.

'The next day Chris followed his ex-girlfriend on Instagram again and they started interacting online... The theory is that this was all done for publicity, and that Chris and his ex will be getting back together as a storyline for Towie.

Putting her best foot forward! Perrie opted for a pair of sensible yet stylish black canvas shoes

Cap's a good look! The chic star donned a black baseball cap over her golden wavy locks

Tum fun: Perrie flashed a hint of her taut stomach in the black cropped hoodie top

Throwing shade: The Shout Out To My Ex star accessorised with oversized sunglasses

Helping hand: Perrie's luggage was helpfully wheeled out by a member of staff

Something caught your eye? The starlet seemed momentarily distracted on the outing

Loving life: Perrie seemed to be in good spirits on the outing

'There are stories doing the rounds on line that Chris is upset and hopeful that him and Jesy can get back together, but thats not true at all  he has made it clear to Jesy they wont be getting back together.'

Chris' representative told MailOnline: 'The suggestion that Chris would use a relationship as a publicity stunt is absurd.

'It didn't work out due to distance and differences in their lifestyles.'
Actress Samara weaving is the latest target of a celebrity nude photo website.

Notorious website Celeb Jihad recently published a series of nude photos that are claimed to be selfies of the former Home and Away star, according to The Daily Telegraph this week.

On Sunday, the 25-year-old's father Simon spoke out about a hacking report but did not confirm the nude photo claims.

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Drama: Actress Samara weaving is the latest target of a celebrity nude photo website

'We have dealt with things like this in the past ... her [email account] was hacked, but I am not sure if that has anything to do with this,' he said according to the publication.

'We are used to her being in the spotlight and what that involves.

He added: 'She is a strong girl and she is resilient.'

Target: Notorious website Celeb Jihad recently published a series of nude photos that are claimed to be selfies of the former Home and Away star, according to The Daily Telegraph this week

The beauty is said to be making her way to Melbourne from the US.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Samara's representatives for comment.

More than a dozen images show a woman resembling Samara lying naked in bed and exposing herself, however it is unclear if the photos have been doctored.

Samara, whose uncle is legendary actor Hugo Weaving, is the latest celebrity to be targeted by Celeb Jihad.

Social media: On Sunday, the 25-year-old's father Simon spoke out about a hacking report but did not confirm the nude photo claims

Speaking out: 'We have dealt with things like this in the past ... her [social media account] was hacked, but I am not sure if that has anything to do with this,' Samara's father said

Hollywood starlets Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato and Emma Watson are among several stars who have been targeted in recent weeks.

Harry potter star Emma previously took legal action against Celeb Jihad, with a lawyer confirming images were stolen from the actress.

'Photos from a clothes fitting Emma had with a stylist a couple of years ago have been stolen. They are not nude photographs. Lawyers have been instructed and we are not commenting further,' a statement to BBC read.

Not alone: Hollywood starlets Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato and Emma Watson are among several stars who have also been targeted in recent weeks

Last year, American father-of-two Ryan Collins, 36, was jailed after admittedly hacking into dozens of Google and Apple accounts over a two year period.

He used phishing schemes to access 50 iCloud accounts and 72 Gmail accounts belonging to the likes of Jennifer Lawrence, Kirsten Dunst and Gabrielle Union.

Bonds ambassador Samara first launched her acting career in 2008 on out Of The Blue.

She has since appeared on long-running soap Home and Away and is set to star in the remake of Picnic at Hanging Rock.

In 2012, Samara suffered a nip slip while filming bikini scenes for Home and Away and photos later surfaced online.
She's said to have split from her latest boyfriend, Sydney real estate agent Warren Ginsberg.

And now Jodi Anasta seems to be recuperating from her heartbreak by going on a journey overseas with two of her handsome Neighbours co-stars, Matt Wilson and Tim Kano.

The trio appear to have hightailed it to California, where they've visited some iconic landmarks like Death Valley and Yosemite National Park.

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What breakup? Jodi Anasta was all smiles as she enjoyed a trip to California with her Neighbours co-stars, Matt Wilson and Tim Kano, after splitting with Warren Ginsberg

The 32-year-old actress looked carefree and relaxed as she posed with her pals and soaked up all that Mother Nature has to offer.

In one image, which showed the soap stars enjoying the sunrise at Yosemite, they were all rugged up in thick jackets and hoodies, indicating that it must have been extremely cold.

Jodi and her former beau Warren started dating in December, but appear to have already called it quits on their short-lived romance.

Woman's Day magazine reported that 'there was too much friction' between the pair in an article published last week.

Warren who? The 32-year-old actress looked carefree and relaxed as she posed with her pals and soaked up all that Mother Nature has to offer

Threesome! The trio appear to have hightailed it to California, where they've visited some iconic landmarks like Death Valley and Yosemite National Park

The news comes on the heels of the 32-year-old being mocked by her ex-husband Braith Anasta, who said she'd probably 'hocked' her engagement ring from him.

'The relationship is done,' an alleged source told the magazine about Jodi and Warren.

'Warren has told friends that he and Jodi are no longer an item. They might have looked good on each other's arms but there was too much friction,' they added.

The actress's hectic schedule, which consists of flying back and forth between Sydney and Melbourne to film Neighbours, is said to be the cause for the break-up.

Wrapped up: It appears Jodi and Warren have already called it quits, with reports 'there was too much friction' between the pair

Different paths: Warren's playboy lifestyle was also a contributing factor to the new couple's falling-out, since Jodi has settled down as mother to three-year-old Aleeia

Warren's playboy lifestyle was also a contributing factor to the new couple's falling-out, since Jodi has settled down as mother to three-year-old Aleeia.

'It was all fun at the start but these two had very different commitments,' the insider reportedly claimed.

News of the split follows Jodi's very public shaming by former husband Braith Anasta, who ridiculed her during a recent interview on The Kyle & Jackie O Show.

Bitter: News of the split follows Jodi's very public shaming by former husband Braith Anasta, who ridiculed her during a recent interview on The Kyle & Jackie O Show

The ex-NRL star appeared to make jokes about what the brunette beauty may have done with the 'very expensive' engagement ring he gave her.

He told the radio hosts: '[She] probably hocked it, bought a few bags or something with it.'

The 35-year-old also said 'I wish' when asked if he got the ring back from his ex-wife.

Jodi's spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia last week that her client 'still has the engagement ring and plans to keep it for her daughter Aleeia.'
She came to blows with fellow socialite Athena X Levendi during the Real Housewives of Sydney's trip to Singapore in Sunday night's episode.

But it seems it was Victoria Rees' alleged actions after the event that saw the star reprimanded by the show's executives.

According to The Daily Telegraph, the 52-year-old stormed off set after the on-screen argument and went straight into another altercation with a crew member.

Came to blows: Real Housewives of Sydney star Victoria Rees reportedly stormed off set after an on-screen argument with Athena X Levendi on Sundya and went straight into another altercation with a crew member

The incident is said to have occurred after Victoria's physical exchange with Athena X, where the pair hurled napkins and drinks at one another.

The brawl started when Athena confronted Victoria about dis-inviting her to a charity function.

The jewellery mogul then accused the entrepreneur of using men to help her accumulate wealth, leading to a tense stand-off.

Annoyed, Victoria threw a napkin at Athena, who fired back by tossing her champagne at the her.

Fighting: The incident is said to have occurred after the girl's physical exchange, which began when Athena confronted Victoria about dis-inviting her to a charity function

Hurling drinks: As jewellery mogul Athena copped a napkin to the face, she decided to get her own back by throwing her champagne

Unhappy: Victoria reportedly stormed off afterwards and got into an altercation with one of the producers

The altercation did not end there though, with Victoria reportedly storming off.

When asked to return to set by producer Dean Tocchini, she then allegedly got into a row with him, with rumours suggesting she struck him.

But Victoria denied the claims according to the publication, saying: 'It is not true. I did not hit him. I cant discuss what actually happened'.

Claims: When asked to return to set by producer Dean Tocchini, she then allegedly got into a row, with rumours suggesting she struck him

Opposed: Victoria denied the claims, saying: 'It is not true. I did not hit him. I cant discuss what actually happened'

A source told The Daily Telegraph that the initial exchange between the girls was 'intense' and was shot over a number of hours.

'It was crazy how the situation escalated so quickly,' they said.

They added: 'On camera it was quite short, but that scene was filmed over hours with Victoria and Athena going back and forth'.

Long shoot: A source told The Daily Telegraph that the exchange between the girls took place over a number of hours

Exit: Victoria left the scene after the tense and heated argument with Athena

The pair have a long-running feud on the series, with Athena and Victoria clashing over Lisa Oldfield.

Lisa recently claimed Victoria was desperate for publicity when she went to police to say she had been 'trolling' her teenage son.

Athena reportedly stuck by Lisa, claiming that she also thought it was a publicity stunt.
She has been open about her battles with anorexia and bulimia and has penned a memoir at the tender age of 27.

And Lily Collins was spotted in a casual ensemble in Los Angeles on Sunday just a day before revealing that she can count former Michelle Obama as one of her many fans.

The actress donned a camouflage green jacket and grey leggings for her low-key outing, before delightedly telling her Instagram followers the former First Lady had penned her an 'epic' letter of encouragement.

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Famous fan: Lily Collins rocked a casual ensemble in Los Angeles on Sunday, just a day before revealing Michelle Obama had sent her a personal letter of encouragement

Lily's brunette locks hung loose around her face and the beauty appeared to have gone without make up, rocking a fresh-faced look.

The To The Bone star's sombre expression belied her delight when she revealed to fans that she had received a message of encouragement from Michelle Obama.

The actress sent a copy of her memoir Unfiltered to Michelle, who wrote back to tell Lily she looked forward to sharing the book with her daughters Malia, 18, and Sasha, 15.

Lily told fans about Michelle's letter in an Instagram video and the Rules Don't Apply actress could barely contain her delight.

Notable author: The actress, 27, sent a copy of her memoir to Michelle Obama, but didn't expect the former First Lady would reply

Passion for books: Michelle spent her tenure as First Lady promoting the need for all girls to have access to education so it is no surprise that she took an interest in Lily's book

In the clip, she read out Michelle's letter without telling her fans who the letter was from and when the big reveal came, Lily could not help a grin from spreading across her face.

Michelle wrote to Lily to thank her for sending the book and it seems that she did indeed read it.

'I am writing to thank you for the copy of your new book,' the former First Lady began. 'The gift was such a nice gesture and I look forward to sharing it with my daughters.

A letter of note: Lily shared a picture of the letter on Instagram and declared that she would frame it in her home

Delight: The actress couldn't wait to share the news of her very important fan with her Instagram followers

Incredible! Lily refused to tell fans who had written the letter as she read it out and when she revealed that it was in fact from Michelle Obama, she beamed in disbelief

'The outpouring of support I have received from women across the country continues to amaze me and I am filled with a great sense of hope for our shared future,' Michelle continued.

'I heard this quote recently and it reminded me of your book so I wanted to share it with you.

'"Here's to strong women, may we know them, may we be them, may we raise them."'

Michelle ended the elegantly written note by thanking Lily for sending her the book.

'Again thank you for your kindness Lily. I wish you all the best.'

Lily was astonished that her role model had written to her and quickly took a picture of the letter which she shared with her 6.5 million Instagram followers.

She captioned the image: 'Thank you from the bottom of my heart Michelle Obama for your encouragement and support. You have no idea how much this means to me.'

One thing that particularly delighted Lily was that Michelle's letter was posted with a Wonder Woman stamp.

She added: 'And that Wonder Woman stamp is everything. You truly are such an incredible inspiration. I'll definitely be framing these! #Unfiltered...' (sic)

The star added in a separate post that receiving the letter was the 'best way to start off my week'.

She wrote: 'I can't believe this letter I received from someone I deeply respect and admire. It's absolutely epic. I'm in complete shock but just had to share!'

Wonder Woman! Lily added that she was absolutely delighted that the letter was posted with a Wonder Woman stamp

Endless thanks: She thanked Michelle Obama 'from the bottom of my heart for your encouragement and support. You have no idea how much this means to me'

The star's latest film To The Bone, which sees her plays an anorexia patient, has seen her drawing on her own experiences after suffering from a secret eating disorder when she was a teenager.

Lily published her memoir, Unfiltered: No shame, no regrets, just me on March 7 which made a series of revelations about her life.

The actress made public a letter to her father - British musician Phil Collins, 66 - whom she said she forgave for being absent from her life as a child.

'I forgive you for not always being there when I needed and for not being the dad I expected,' she wrote in the book.

'I forgive the mistakes you made. And although it may seem like it's too late, it's not. There's still so much time to move forward.'

She told People: 'Its definitely like having my diary published.'
They welcomed daughter Dusty Rose last September.

And Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo enjoyed a rare moment baby-free on Sunday as they stepped out together to the exclusive Little Beach House in Malibu, California.

The 38-year-old Maroon Five front-man and 27-year-old Victoria's Secret model were spotted looking relaxed as they headed for a lunch date.

Lunch date: Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo enjoyed a rare moment baby-free on Sunday as they stepped out together to the exclusive Little Beach House in Malibu, California

Adam, who is also a judge on The Voice, was sporting a porn-star moustache and generous amount of stubble on his chin.

Juggling a career and new baby clearly leaves him short of time as not only did he skip shaving, he also looked like he'd been in a hurry to get dressed - only getting one arm into his cardigan.

The tattooed rocker kept it casual with heavily ripped denim jeans and sneakers.

Punk fan: Behati sported a Sex Pistols T-shirt, which no doubt met her musical hubby's approval

Meanwhile, Behati showcased her slim figure in cropped denim jeans.

She sported a Sex Pistols T-shirt, which no doubt met her musical hubby's approval.

The beauty added a black leather biker jacket, draped over her shoulders.

Blondie fans! Adam also shared an Instagram shot of the couple where he was wearing their daughter on his Tee

She was wearing the same Tee in an Instagram post which Adam shared later on Sunday.

Taken in front of a picture of Debbie Harry, Adam is seen apparently wearing a picture of their daughter on his top - as well as a shower cap.

He jokingly captioned: 'Posting is like, so whatever.'

The couple married in July 2014.
She welcomed her first son into the world last month.

And proud mother Billie Faiers took to Instagram on Sunday to share an adorable snap of little Arthur to her Instagram.

The former TOWIE star, 27, who is also mother to daughter Nelly, two, gave delighted fans a glimpse of her Easter family celebrations.

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Yummy mummy: Proud mother Billie Faiers took to Instagram on Sunday to share an adorable snap of little Arthur to her Instagram

Ensuring she maintained her yummy mummy status, Billie started off the weekend by sharing her chic denim skirt and white T-shirt ensemble, showcasing her enviable post-baby body.

The next day she posted an adorable snap of 2-year-old Nelly in a cute pink frock and bow, eyeing up her Easter chocolate. 'My little Easter chick', she captioned it.

And keeping her followers in the loop on Sunday, Billie uploaded a picture of little Arthur in a gorgeous blue and white crochet suit, writing: 'Mummy's little Easter bunny'.

Her bunny! The former TOWIE star, 27, gave delighted fans a glimpse of her Easter family celebrations, uploading a picture of little Arthur in a gorgeous blue and white crochet suit

'My little Easter chick': The next day she shared an adorable snap of 2-year-old Nelly in a cute pink frock and bow, eyeing up her Easter chocolate

Meanwhile proud mother Billie recently gushed over 'perfect' newborn baby Arthur as she revealed her daughter Nelly has become an 'amazing big sister' as the family settle into their new life.

Billie - who raises her two adorable children with businessman fiance Greg, told MailOnline: 'Nelly has taken to Arthur so well. She's an amazing big sister and won't leave Arthur's side.'

'Arthur is settling in perfectly - everyone absolutely loves him.'

And while the reality star is loving being a mother, she admitted she wants to be married to Greg before they expand their brood any further.

'I definitely want to get married first and maybe in the future. But at the moment we're really happy with two.'

'Amazing big sister': The reality star said her daughter Nelly, two, 'won't leave Arthur's side'

The couple - who got engaged during their Maldives babymoon in 2014 when Billie was pregnant with Nelly - are busy planning their upcoming wedding and the big day is starting to take shape.

And the pair are planning to tie the knot in an exotic beach wedding.

She told MailOnline: 'Wedding plans are coming along well. We don't have a date yet but we'll have one set by September.

'My dream wedding would be somewhere incredible, on a beach with my family and friends there.'
She made an impression guest starring on the debut season of Real Housewives of Sydney.

But socialite Christa Billich is reportedly taking things to the next level in a bid to swap the cameo's for a permanent position.

The Austrian-born star revealed to the The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday she is taking speech lessons and would be happy for a more substantial role.

Elocution: Real Housewives of Sydney guest star Christa Billich revealed she is taking speech lessons and claims she would be happy for a more substantial role in future seasons

Despite working on her elocution, the wife of renown artist Charles Billich said she wasn't overly concerned though with how she sounded.

'Im not as worried about my English anymore, because they (the other Housewives) litter their English with many French and Italian vocabulary, like Chanel!' she told the publication.

'So Im quite at ease with it now'.

Progress: Despite working hard at her speech, the blonde socialite said she wasn't overly concerned though with how she sounded

At ease: Christa explained that the other stars 'litter their English with many French and Italian vocabulary'

Although once stating she never wanted to appear on the Sydney-based reality show, the blonde has supposedly changed her opinion, telling the publication she is open to future appearances.

'I would love to do it, I think I belong here' she said.

She added: 'If they decide to have a few stabs at me, I will stab back!'

Bigger role? Although once stating she never wanted to appear on the Sydney-based reality show, the blonde has since changed her opinion, telling the publication she is open to future appearances

Ready to fight: She also said she was ready to spar verbally, saying 'If they decide to have a few stabs at me, I will stab back!'

Late last month the self-confessed 'swinger' dominated one episode, which detailed the pampered life of her three pet pooches.

The dogs were seen eating caviar out of Versace bowls, travelling around in a pram and had their own designated dog nanny.

'Charlie would eat nothing but caviar if she could,' Billich captioned a behind the scenes Instagram shot from the episode.
He is a self-styled Human Ken Doll and has spent a staggering 398,000 on 57 surgeries to achieve the perfect look.

But Rodrigo Alves, 33, is still not satisfied and told MailOnline that he will soon have his eye colour permanently changed in a risky operation in India.

He was spotted unwinding before the surgery by rollerblading around New York's Central Park on Sunday in an eye-catching outfit of scarlet shorts and white shirt which he styled as a crop top.

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Surgery addict: Rodrigo Alves, known as the Human Ken Doll, has told MailOnline is planning his 58th surgery which will be a permanent eye colour change

Rodrigo cut a sporty figure in the red short shorts which he secured with a Gucci gold buckle belt.

He showed off his bulging biceps in the short-sleeved white t-shirt and added some glamour with a gold watch and matching headphones.

The TV personality slicked his blond locks back into a smooth sweep and showed off his pout for waiting photographers.

Pulled together: Rodrigo sported an eye-catching ensemble of scarlet short shorts, a Gucci belt and a short sleeved t-shirt as he went roller-blading in New York City on Sunday

Costly abs: The star has spent almost 400,000 on surgeries including implants to achieve the perfect six pack, which he showed off by fashioning his shirt into a crop top

Prepping for surgery: Rodrigo explained that he was changing his eye colour from dark brown to icy grey in a surgery that UK and US doctors will not perform for cosmetic reasons alone

In an exclusive interview with the MailOnline, Rodrigo explained his new surgery which doctors in the UK and USA will not perform for solely cosmetic reasons.

'My next surgery will be a permanent eye colour change,' he said. 'I wear hand painted coloured lenses made by an artist here in the USA. Each pair is $500 and I have 14 different colours.

'My natural eye colour is dark brown and I'm tired of wearing coloured lenses.'

Rodrigo is planning on getting a brand new eye colour called light icy grey.

He said: 'Bright Ocular is now making a special eye colour implant light icy grey and the procedure will be performed next month in Delhi.

Strike a pose: The confident star discarded his roller blades and posed for photographers with a large Gucci tote bag

Getting in shape: He may be a fan of liposuction but Rodrigo also relies on exercise, jogging through Manhattan's Central Park to work up a sweat

Adjusting: The star was not wearing the most practical outfit for his sporty day out and was spotted fiddling with his collar

'The procedure will also be filmed,' Rodrigo explained.

'The eye surgeon will implant the coloured implant in front of my natural iris making it icy grey forever.'

He said that the procedure would cost around 8,000.

'Such procedure is also done in the USA and the UK but not for cosmetic reasons,' the surgery fan added.

'Some people who don't have iris pigmentation can have these implants to give them an eye colour.

'In my case it is for aesthetics reasons and there is no money on earth that would convince an eye doctor to do it in the USA or UK for cosmetic reasons.'

Blue steel: Rodrigo fitted plenty of photo opportunities into his New York trip, striking a pose at the Rockefeller Centre

The sidewalk is my catwalk: He showed off his pecs in a white shirt which he paired with a striped blazer, white jeans and a Hermes belt

Defiant: The star defended himself from his critics by explaining that his many surgeries were because: 'I don't want to look like anyone else. I want to stand out'

He added that he was flying to Delhi on the recommendation of friends: 'Three of my friends had the procedure done and it looks amazing. From the reference I shall be visiting the same doctor in Delhi.'

Rodrigo is known for his love of extreme surgeries and in the past has indulged in liposuction, fillers, eight nose jobs and chest silicone implants as well as stem cell injections into his face and hair.

Much of his income has reportedly come from properties he inherited from his grandparents and he has invested almost 400,000 in attaining his distinctive look.

Rodrigo believes that plastic surgery will stop him ageing.

'I don't want to age and I think that I'm doing a great job of it,' he said.

He also defended himself against people who called him a 'freak'.

'People say I'm a freak and addicted to surgery. But I don't want to look like anyone else. I want to stand out.'

Ageless? Rodrigo said: 'I don't want to age and I think that I'm doing a great job of it'

Here he comes: Rodrigo ensured all eyes were on him by sporting an olive green suit and shirt on the streets of Times Square

Hello there! The Brazilian was clearly in high spirits as he made his way through the city's bustling streets
They were three members of the world's biggest girl band - and so it's little wonder that Emma Bunton and Mel C paid tribute to their friend and former Spice Girls bandmate Victoria Beckham on her birthday.

The girls both posted snaps on Instagram on Monday, which were taken in their 90s heyday.

Emma's showed her and Victoria as their Spicy alter-egos, Baby and Posh, while Mel shared a slightly more brooding shot of them both wearing matching vests.

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Posh and Baby: Emma Bunton shared this throwback picture of herself and her best and former Spice Girls bandmate Victoria Beckham on Monday as she celebrated her 43rd birthday

The vest of friends: Mel C also paid homage to her pal with this sweet picture of them

Emma wrote: 'Happy birthday gorgeous lady! @victoriabeckham Hope you're getting spoilt. Have an amazing birthday week.'

While Mel C captioned the image with the words: 'Happy Birthday to my dear friend and Spicy sister @victoriabeckham celebrate in style my love! #memories.'

Mel B and Geri Horner haven't posted a message as yet.

The post comes after Victoria spoke about getting older in an intimate interview with ELLE magazine.

She said: 'I have matured - and you see things very differently as you get older. Mum is 65 and dad is 70, but they are still quite young-spirited.'

Viva Forever: The Spice Girls pictured together in 1997 Sporty is far left and Posh is second from right

As they are now: The girls have all remained close and meet up once in a while

She also said she is quite different to the short-skirt wearing, all-dancing pop star personality which made her a household name.

She continued: 'I don't even consider the 'me' from back then the same person I am now. I saw Tom Ford on a plane recently, and he said:

'"I don't look at you when you were in the Spice Girls and connect that person with you now. You're such a different person".'

Cute: Victoria's husband David shared this shot of her from the Say You'll Be There video - he famously watched it at the time and said she was his dream woman

Victoria also said the last time she remembers having a good dance was back at Christmas when Mel C performed by chance in the Maldives.

Meanwhile, Victoria also received some lovely messages from her family members, with husband David, 41, sharing a snap of her from the Say You'll Be There video.

He wrote: 'Happy birthday to An amazing mummy , wife and friend .. We Love you Have a beautiful day x @victoriabeckham @brooklynbeckham @cruzbeckham @romeobeckham #@HarperSeven.'

After watching it, he famously declared: 'Thats the girl for me and I'm going to get her! She's my idea of perfection. I knew that if she wanted me, we would be together forever.'

Adorable: Harper Beckham, 5, sang Happy Birthday to her mother Victoria on Sunday in a sweet video, posted to the former Spice Girl's Instagram page

Emotional: Clearly overwhelmed by her message and effort, Victoria simply captioned the clip with: 'I love u' and a number of heart emojis

'Lucky mummy': She also shared a video of their fridge in their LA house - which the children had decorated with photos of them wishing her a happy birthday

Youngest son Cruz, 12, also shared a snap of them both, calling her the 'best mum ever', while Harper, five, sang 'Happy birthday' on Instagram stories.

Dressed in a summery white dress and pulling her hair into two braids, Harper looked adorable as she happily sang Happy Birthday to her mother.

Crooning out the tune for the camera, the youngster then took to the opportunity to blow a kiss to her mother as the video came to a close.

Clearly overwhelmed by her message and effort, Victoria simply captioned the clip with: 'I love u' and a number of heart emojis.
She is known for her striking natural beauty, having risen to fame in the Nineties as a model for Estee Lauder.

But Elizabeth Hurley proved she only gets better with age on Sunday as she shared yet another sizzling bikini selfie from her getaway in The Seychelles.

The 51-year-old displayed her age-defying figure and glowing complexion, as she posed in a sexy leopard print bikini for the snap, posted to her Instagram.

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Wild thing! Elizabeth Hurley proved she only gets better with age on Sunday as she shared yet another sizzling bikini selfie from her getaway in The Seychelles

The mother-of-one looked truly radiant as she posed against her peaceful tropical backdrop in the raunchy leopard print swimwear, from her own collection.

Plunging into a daringly low V at the chest, the halterneck top flashed her enviable cleavage to all before cutting off below her bust to leave her slender figure on show.

Leaving her hair in its everyday state and adding only dark sunglasses to her face, the brunette displayed her enviably clear and glowing complexion as she beamed while the sun set on the idyllic island.

Favourites: Elizabeth had shared a playful video of her frolicking on the beach in the same sexy leopard print bikini, from her own swimwear collection, earlier this week

Proving to be one of her favourites, Elizabeth had shared a video of her frolicking on the beach in the same bikini earlier this week.

The actress looked incredible in the clip in which saw her run around, while the camera effect meant that every inch of her frame was highlighted - proving she was her own best advertisement as a successful swimwear designer.

With her toned body and ageless beauty, Elizabeth certainly doesn't need to recruit the services of other models to advertise her eponymous swimwear line.

Playing around: The 51-year-old actress looked incredible in the clip in which she frolicked around, while the camera effect meant that every inch of her frame was highlighted

Jumping around: With her toned body and ageless beauty, Elizabeth certainly doesn't need to recruit the services of other models to advertise her eponymous swimwear line

Elizabeth has been showing off her impeccable figure throughout her Seychelles getaway - posting another sexy Instagram on Thursday.

The actress had hit the beach in a very skimpy red bikini from her own collection, flaunting her ample assets and incredibly toned tum.

Letting the stunning image do all the talking, she simply captioned the image with the words: '@elizabethhurleybeach @fregateislandprivate.'

Babewatch! Elizabeth Hurley, 51, showed off her ample assets and toned tummy in a skimpy red bikini as she hit the beach in the Seychelles on Thursday

Elizabeth's sexy outfit had gold embellishments on the straps and tie-sides which contrasted against her golden tan.

Wearing a pair of designer shades, the youthful beauty's brunette locks flowed down past her shoulders.

Cocking her head back a little, she smiled for the photo, which was no doubt being taken by her teenage son Damian Hurley, 15.

Elizabeth posted a similar image on Tuesday, wearing the same bikini but in a light blue colour.

Bikini babe: Elizabeth posted a similar snap on Tuesday in which she wore the same bikini from the collection but in a sky blue colour

Topping up her tan in a daring plunging bikini top, the British beauty displayed plenty of ample cleavage and sun-kissed skin for fans to see.

Zooming in for a closer shot than normal, the brunette gave a subtle tease of her flat and toned stomach while her bust took centre stage in the snap.

Leaving her hair loose and her face completely bare, Liz then let her natural beauty shine through as she showed off an incredibly radiant and youthful complexion for her 51 years of age.

Bikini babe: Liz has been heavily documenting her sun-drenched getaway to the tropical location on social media so far

Perching trendy Aviator sunglasses onto her nose with a small smile on her face, the star looked utterly relaxed and glad to be soaking up the sun in the tropical location.

On Thursday, she took to Instagram once again to share yet another clip of herself - this time looking sensational in a skimpy white bikini.

In the GIF, she is seen blowing kisses at the camera as she stands on the golden sands of a tropical beach while wearing the barely-there, bejewelled number, which she revealed has been named for her 'beautiful friend' Elle Macpherson.

Lip service: She also shared a clip of herself blowing kisses at the camera while wearing a skimpy white bikini on Thursday

Unsurprisingly, the show-stopping upload racked up more than 10,000 likes in just two hours as hordes of fans gushed over the stunning images.

On Tuesday, the brunette beauty treated fans to another seductive beach snap, showcasing her impressive figure in a plunging navy swimsuit.

The actress looked sensational in the simple yet sexy one-piece, which boasted a gold ring at the bust and a teardrop cut-out running down her stomach.

Name: In an accompanying caption, the beauty revealed that she named sizzling two-piece - from her eponymous swimwear line - for her supermodel pal Elle Macpherson

Elizabeth's gym-honed arms and slender legs were on display in the tropical snapshot, which sees the beauty going make-up free behind a large pair of shades.

The Royals star certainly wasn't short of compliments, with her male admirers showering her with compliments. 'How are you still single?', one asked, while another posted, 'What a woman'.

Earlier this week, Elizabeth also shared a beach selfie with her 530,000 Instagram followers.

Looking good: On Tuesday, she treated her fans to another seductive beach snap, showcasing her impressive figure in a plunging navy swimsuit

The screen star pouted in the snap which showed off her pert bust in a skimpy tangerine halterneck bikini top.

Elizabeth shot a wide-eyed, slightly distressed look at the camera and captioned the image 'Valley Of The Dolls'.

She was referring to the cult 1967 film about three young women attempting to make it in Hollywood who succumb to ill-fated romance and the lure of drug abuse.

Ahoy there! Earlier this week, the star looked sizzling in the saucy selfie as she posed in a tiny tangerine bikini top

The face of Estee Lauder rocked a sexy bed-head hairstyle with her highlighted locks swept around her face.

Her lashes were loaded with mascara and she sported a baby pink lip gloss.

The mum-of-one has been enjoying spending some quality time with her 15-year-old son Damian recently.

Elizabeth shared a touching selfie with Damian on Monday with the pair enjoying a long country walk together.

Mother and son time! Elizabeth shared another selfie, this time taken during a long country walk with her 14-year-old son Damian

The Bedazzled star rocked a fur trim hat as Damian grinned sheepishly behind her.

Damian, whose father is Elizabeth's former partner billionaire Steve Bing, is clearly devoted to his famous mother.

The school boy paid tribute to her on Mother's Day by sharing an adorable picture of the pair when Damian was just a toddler.

He captioned the image: 'Happy Mothers Day Mummy xxx'
She stands at an above average 5ft 6in tall.

But Kaley Cuoco, 31, manages to look almost diminutive next to her 6ft 1in boyfriend, Karl Cook.

The couple were spotted out for Easter dinner on Sunday in Los Angeles, with Kaley not only being towered over by her beau, but swamped by a giant tote bag.

That's a big bag! Kaley Cuoco, 31, stepped out for lunch on Sunday with her boyfriend, Karl Cook

The blonde beauty kept her outfit simple is an all black smock dress.

She chose not to add any inches, with black lace up pumps on her feet.

The Big Bang Theory star suffered from a gust of wind tossing her fair tresses in the air, as she covered her eyes with round-framed dark glasses.

Casual: The couple were spotted out for Easter dinner on Sunday in Los Angeles, with Kaley not only being towered over by her beau, but swamped by a giant tote bag

Karl, meanwhile, nailed smart casual in jeans with suede shoe-boots and a checked shirt.

Their relationship seems to be going from strength to strength.

She shared Instagram snaps with the equestrian on Sunday, as they enjoyed a day with her beloved dogs.

Cute: She shared Instagram snaps with the equestrian on Sunday, as they enjoyed a day with her beloved dogs

Swept off her feet: The couple look smitten in their posts

Karl also paid a sweet social media tribute to his famous girlfriend - who is the second-highest paid actress on television.

He posted a video of Kaley, captioned: 'How do you know if instagram permeates your life? Well, you weep while trying construct the cutest picture with dogs that want to be anywhere else honey you're the cutest ever happy Easter.'

The star - who has starred on The Big Bang Theory as Penny since 2007 - recently visited her character's home town of Omaha, Nebraska.

Loved up: Karl also paid a sweet social media tribute to his famous girlfriend - who is the second-highest paid actress on television

Adorable: He posted a video of Kaley, calling her the 'cutest ever'

Four-legged friends: He teased the star for getting so involved with trying to construct an instagram picture of her dogs

She took her hunky boyfriend along for the trip, captioning a picture of the pair there: 'Finally visiting Penny's hometown of #nebraska. Only took me 10 years! @bigbangtheory_cbs.'

Meanwhile, CBS recently announced they were renewing Big Bang Theory for two more seasons.

The network agreed with Warner Brothers Television to extend the show that debuted in 2007.

No details about the agreement have been released but Kaley, Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar have signed up for two more years.

Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch have yet to negotiate a deal. They joined the cast in season 3.

Kaley reportedly earned $1 million per episode but took a cut of $100,000 per episode to free up money for her co-stars.

There are 22 episodes per season.
Chris Clark has been at the centre of a storm following his shock break-up from Little Mix beauty Jesy Nelson.

So the TOWIE star was naturally keen to distance himself from his woes as he lived it up alongside Katie Price and his co-star brother Jon in Birmingham on Sunday night.

His night on the town came just hours after he slammed claims stating that he has used his romance with his fellow Essex-native in a bid to gain publicity, as he insisted the split was merely due to lifestyle differences and distance.

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Little who? Chris Clark was naturally keen to distance himself from his Jesy Nelson split as he lived it up alongside Katie Price and his co-star brother Jon in Birmingham on Sunday night

Jesy and Chris confirmed their brief romance in mid-March with a snap of the pair kissing taken while the hunk jetted to the US to visit the songstress during their supporting slot on Ariana Grande's Dangerous Woman tour.

While all initially seemed rosy, he later stunned fans when it was claimed last week that he dumped the stunner over the phone, although insiders later report he was 'pretty down in the dumps at the moment' regarding the split.

Maintaining a carefree stance on the demise of the relationship, the handsome star headed out with his brother on Sunday where they met with the glamour model.

Jon added a simple caption on the shot reading: 'Pricey', as the brothers draped themselves around Katie while she pulled her very famous pout while pointing towards the Love Island star.

Happy couple: His night on the town came just hours after he slammed claims stating that he has used his romance with his fellow Essex-native in a bid to gain publicity, as he insisted it was merely due to lifestyle differences and distance

Hours before the night out, rumours began to surface claiming Chris had used the split as a publicity stunt - after which he issued a staunch denial amid the claims.

A representative for the star told MailOnline: 'The suggestion that Chris would use a relationship as a publicity stunt is absurd, it didn't work out due to distance and differences in their lifestyles.'

Chris and Jesy's doomed romance was thrown into the spotlight once more after the TOWIE hunk began liking snaps of his co-star ex Amber Dowding, which were posted during his Little Mix love affair.

The shocking revelation comes after sources claimed to The Sun that the 22-year-old reality hunk used his relationship, which he reportedly ended over the phone, as 'a publicity stunt' and a bid to look 'hurt' before reuniting with Amber.

As the convoluted break-up plays out, it has now been claimed that Chris is set to get back with Amber in a TOWIE storyline with all talk of his post break-up depression being a ruse for a publicity stunt.

On 7 April, Amber posted a stunning selfie - an image which Chris went on to like, while on the same day Jesy liked a snap of Chris posing alongside his co-star brother Jon. There is nothing to suggest he liked the image during his relationship.

Other girl: The shocking revelation comes after sources claimed to The Sun that the reality hunk used his relationship, which he reportedly ended over the phone, as 'a publicity stunt' and a bid to look 'hurt' before reuniting with Amber

Way back when: Jesy and Chris confirmed their brief romance in mid-March with a snap of the pair kissing taken while the hunky jetted to the US to visit the songstress during their supporting slot on Ariana Grande's Dangerous Woman tour

Before Chris' denials, sources told The Sun: 'Jesy has obviously been upset this week by the break up, especially with it happening whilst she is away from him on tour. She really believed it was going somewhere.

'The next day Chris followed his ex-girlfriend on Instagram again and they started interacting online... The theory is that this was all done for publicity, and that Chris and his ex will be getting back together as a storyline for Towie.

'There are stories doing the rounds on line that Chris is upset and hopeful that him and Jesy can get back together, but thats not true at all  he has made it clear to Jesy they wont be getting back together.'

Homeward bound: Atop the social media activity from the TOWIE stars, Jesy took to Instagram on Sunday to share a snap with her bandmates and dancers while adding the caption: What an experience! Until next time US', as she prepared to come home'

Publicity? As the convoluted break-up plays out, it has now been claimed that Chris is set to get back with Amber in a TOWIE storyline with all talk of his post break-up depression being a ruse for a publicity stunt

Confused: During his relationship with Jesy, Amber send a number of cryptic Tweets as she said: 'Cos, you know I don't chase em I replace em... Your relationship should be private not a secret. Massive difference between privacy and secrecy. Certain boys need to take note'

During his relationship with Jesy, Amber send a number of cryptic Tweets as she said: 'Cos, you know I don't chase em I replace em... Your relationship should be private not a secret. Massive difference between privacy and secrecy. Certain boys need to take note'.

Days after the split, Chris penned: 'All I want to do is go on road trips and travel the world... When you get older yeah, you start to understand to appreciate the little things in life'.

Atop the social media activity from the TOWIE stars, Jesy took to Instagram on Sunday to share a snap with her bandmates and dancers while adding the caption: 'What an experience! Until next time US', as she prepared to come home.

Last week Little Mix fans went into overdrive on social media following rumours he had dumped her over the phone after a one month whirlwind romance.

On the phone? Last week Little Mix fans went into overdrive on social media following rumours he had dumped her over the phone after a one month whirlwind romance

But new sources have come forward claiming Chris has taken the split pretty hard, and hopes they can give romance another go.

Jesy and her bandmates are currently supporting Ariana Grande on a US tour, a factor which apparently contributed to the break-up.

But a pal close to the Chris told The Sun he hopes to rekindle things when she is back in the UK, adding: 'Chris is pretty down in the dumps at the moment.

'He's told friends that he doesn't want to throw away what he had with Jesy. If the timing was right he would definitely give their romance another chance but he's unsure if Jesy feels the same. '
She jetted out of Los Angeles on Easter Sunday.

And on Monday morning, actress, entrepreneur and busy mom Jessica Alba was spotted leaving her hotel In New York.

The 35-year-old was on her way to a speaking gig at the American Express Success Makers Summit.

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So elegant: Jessica Alba was spotted leaving her hotel in New York on Monday in a beautifully crafted black coat on her way to the American Express Success Makers Summit

The beautiful brunette looked chic in a long black coat over a bright orange sleeveless sweater, black skinny pants and silver high-heeled pumps.

She left her long hair to cascade over her shoulders and wore very little make-up.

As co-founder of billion-dollar-business The Honest Company, Jessica is well qualified to make an appearance at the summit.

Jessica started her business in 2012 offering moms non-toxic household products to protect their children's health after her daughters Honor, eight, and Haven, five, were born. It has recently expanded into beauty supplies.

Keeping things simple: The 35-year-old completed her chic ensemble with an orange top, black skinny pants and silver shoes

Stepping out: The beautiful brunette made her was to a car waiting to whisk her away

Meanwhile, the Sin City star did manage to enjoy Easter with her family, even if it was curtailed by her trip.

She and producer Cash Warren, 38. her husband of nine years, held a brunch party and Easter egg hunt for their girls and their friends

Pals included John Legend and Chrissy Teigen with their one-year-old daughter Luna.

Leading light: As co-founder of $1 billion-business The Honest Company, Jessica is certainly well qualified to speak at the summit

So chic: The Sin City star's ensemble showed off her slender figure to perfection

Jessica shared a 30-second Flipagram video on Sunday showing everyone enjoying the spread she had laid on as the children hunted for their sweet treats.

She captioned it: '#happyEaster -had to make it a quick one this year -had to hop on a  but made the most of the day w my @butterfliesarefree25 @haroldperrineau (Brittany) @cash_warren @cathyalba @markdalba for stopping by early and @chrissyteigen @johnlegend and @pierreantoineny @ladureeus for the sweet treats super grateful,' adding a slew of heart emojis.

Multi-tasking momma: Jessica cut short her Easter celebrations with her family to fly to New York but she still found time to host a brunch and egg hunt for her girls and their friends
She has made her name as a lingerie-loving, body confident model.

And Iskra Lawrence once again played up to her reputation as she stripped down to a saucy underwear set while snapping her latest campaign as one of the fashion and beauty world's most coveted curvy models.

The 26-year-old British beauty looked sensational in the nude lingerie which left very little to the imagination as she beamed to the camera while pulling some well-rehearsed sassy poses.

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Hey you! Iskra Lawrence once again played up to her reputation as she stripped down to a saucy underwear set while snapping her latest campaign as one of the fashion and beauty world's most coveted curvy models

Iskra has been finding her feet in the modelling world as she persists in sending her positive body confidence messages - winning her hoards of admirers in the process.

Her latest stunning assault on social media came when she shared a duo of snaps in her nude lingerie, complete with a high-rise thong and cleavage-boosting bra.

Keeping her hair and make-up neutral, she pulled her blonde tresses to one side while gazing down at her flawless curves.

She added a caption on the shot reading: 'lil behind the scenes action from my fitting today.. thanks for the pics High Obsessed w these undies & bralette'.

Hot stuff: The 26-year-old British beauty looked sensational in the nude lingerie which left very little to the imagination as she beamed to the camera while pulling some well-rehearsed sassy poses

Powerful: She later shared this picture of herself, sweating after the gym as she continued to ask people not to airbrush her snaps

Just a day before her latest delight, it came as little surprise that Iskra shared yet another stunning swimsuit picture as an Easter present to her fans.

She showed off some serious sideboob when she shared the throwback snap with her millions of social media followers.

She looked radiant in the gorgeous snap as she flaunted her hourglass shape in a bubblegum pink one-piece which had very low-cut sides.

Gorgeous role model: Iskra showed off some serious sideboob in a pink swimsuit and trainers on Instagram over the Easter weekend

Clad in just the hot pink Aerie swimsuit and a pair of white converse, the model looked thrilled to be by the sea.

The British-born stunner tossed her blonde locks over her bronzed shoulders and laughed up at the sky in the throwback shot.

Iskra's high-legged one-piece showed off her curvaceous hips and toned thighs as well as her gym-honed abs.

Pretty in pink: The stunner shared a slightly different - but equally beautiful - version of the picture with her fans a few weeks ago

Sartorially savvy: The blonde bombshell donned a sheer, embroidered lace, long sleeved crop top with skin-tight leather trousers and heels for a day out in her New York area on Saturday

The stunner shared a slightly different - but equally beautiful - version of the picture with her fans a few weeks ago.

Admitting that she was missing the sea and sun of her holidays after spending time in the UK, the size 14 beauty smouldered in the photo.

Iskra flashed a sultry gaze at the wood-lined pier floor as she allowed her locks to fall forward over her glowing face.



And earlier this week Iskra showed off her bountiful booty while sharing a truly inspiring 'imperfectly perfect' mantra with her followers.

So happy: She shared yet another lovely picture as she posed up a storm on her bed

Every body is beautiful: She has been inundating her social media feed with glorious social media snaps over the last few weeks

The catwalk queen shared a photo of herself sanding by a hot tub in another hot-pink number, captioned with an uplifting reminder to embrace their diverse figures.

She wrote: 'Just a lil reminder Hip dips and not perfectly rounded hips and narrow, flat, fat hips they are all beautiful.

'What makes you YOU is that you are imperfectly perfect and no one can ever be you! #everyBODYisbeautiful #NOretouching #nomakeup Wearing @aerie #AerieReal'

Slicking her wet hair back off her face, the beauty went make-up free and flashed her white teeth with a huge smile.

Iskra flattered her feminine shape in the swimwear, which cinched her in at her petite waist and displayed her gym honed stomach and shapely legs.

Uplifting message: The model captioned the post: 'What makes you YOU is that you are imperfectly perfect and no one can ever be you! #everyBODYisbeautiful #NOretouching'

She looked blissfully happy in the shots, as she appeared to enjoy a day at a spa pool.

And on Sunday Iskra proved she is not only a role model for young women, but a sartorially savvy fashionista too.

The blonde bombshell donned a sheer, embroidered lace, long sleeved crop top with skin-tight leather trousers and heels for a day out in her New York area.

The outfit, perfectly accessorised with a slight pink shoulder bag, showed off Iskra's toned abs and sensational curves as she smiled for the camera.

Confident and happy: Iskra flattered her feminine shape with a cute pink tankini that cinched her in at her petite waist and displayed her gym honed stomach and shapely legs

Ever a spokeswoman for the body positivity movement, last week the curvaceous icon raised proceeds from her auction to go to eating disorder charity NEDA.

And last week Iskra spoke out in support of greater provisions for eating disorder awareness and treatment on Capitol Hill in Washington DC last week.

The rising star recently admitted she puts careful thought into everything she posts on social media to ensure all of the content she is posting remains positive and inspiring for all of her 3.3 million followers.

Speaking to MailOnline earlier this month, she explained: 'I do have rules for social media, and I put thought into everything that I post.

'You can't be happy all the time, and I want to share real moments with my followers - not just put on a happy face for the sake of it.

'But I do also want to make sure that the messages that I'm sharing are positive in some way, and that they are real and natural.'
He is set to return to screens in the hotly anticipated fourth series of hit BBC show Peaky Blinders, which has just begun shooting on a Liverpool set.

But Paul Anderson looked sleepy as he stepped out during a bank holiday break in his native London on Monday.

The 46-year-old actor, who plays inner-circle gang member Arthur Shelby in the 1920s era show, was very dressed down in jeans and a hoodie.

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Not such a Peaky Blinder! Actor Paul Anderson, 46, looked sleepy as he stepped out in London on Monday, swapping his period costume for a trackie top, ripped jeans and Converse

Success: The London native, who also recently appeared in Leo DiCaprio's Oscar-winning movie The Revenant, has seen his career explode since taking a role in Peaky Blinders back in 2013

The talented actor, who is also well known for playing one of Sherlock Holmes' nemeses opposite Benedict Cumberbatch, looked deep in thought as he headed to his car.

The London native, who also recently appeared in Leo DiCaprio's Oscar-winning movie The Revenant, has seen his career explode since taking a role in Peaky Blinders back in 2013.

The show, which has garnered a worldwide fan base, stars Hollywood top man Tom Hardy and renowned stage actor Helen McCrory.

Relaxed: The talented actor was wearing faded denims and cream converse as he headed to his car as he enjoyed the break from filming over the national British holiday

Paul sported a similar hairstyle to that of his on-screen persona, with a long quiff and short sides.

The talented actor was wearing faded denims and cream converse as he headed to his car as he enjoyed the break from filming over the national British holiday.

Earlier this month Paul and the star-studded cast were seen making an explosive return to set to kick off filming.

Ready for filming: Paul sported a similar hairstyle to that of his on-screen persona, with a long quiff and short sides

Leading man Cillian Murphy, 40, was spotted sprinting around Toxteth, Liverpool with a gun in hand.

The Irish star, who plays Paul's on-screen brother, Tommy Shelby, was apparently back to his usual violent ways.

While the drama itself is set in Birmingham, the show utilises an inner area of Liverpool as its set - and transforms the streets into its now-iconic 1920s backdrop.

Back soon: Filming for the hotly anticipated fourth series is expected to take at least 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.

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 series three saw the family be taken away by police in handcuffs - with their fate unknown.

Filming for the hotly anticipated fourth series is expected to take at least four months, followed by three months of editing - meaning the show could return to BBC Two as early as October this year.

Paul has previously said was attracted to the role because of its writer, Steven Knight, and admitted that although it is not always easy playing such an antihero, it is 'much better' than being a 'nice guy'.

Paul explained how he felt to the BBC after filming a series, saying: 'They're the most interesting roles to play: violent, brutal, dark characters.

Baddie: Paul has previously said was attracted to the role because of its writer, Steven Knight, and admitted that although it is not always easy playing such an antihero, it is 'much better' than being a 'nice guy'

'Theres so much scope because you can do the obvious brutish kind of stuff, but then you can play the sort of different layers with a violent man.

'Theres a reason for that sort of behaviour and mentality. Men were hard men and if they werent then they were left behind.

'It was a pleasure to play Arthur Shelby. Much better than playing the nice guy.'

Top cast: Paul stars alongside BAFTA-winning actor Tom Hardy, who plays gang leader, Alfie Solomons, on the hit BBC drama

Acting pals: While Irish co-star Cillian Murphy plays his brother and fellow protagonist Tommy Shelby

Popular series: The drama follows the antics of the Romani Peaky Blinders gang and their cunning leader Tommy in post-war Birmingham

The cast will also welcome Oscar-winning The Pianist actor Adrien Brody into the fold as they film the fourth series.

Late last month the 43-year-old actor shared a photograph of himself on set in Liverpool , along with the caption: 'Uh oh, here's a sneaky peaky of me being cheeky... very excited to come and play with the immensely talented gang...' (sic)

The Grand Budapest Hotel star, who is dating Russian model Lara Lieto, currently has a busy schedule, with two other projects in the works: action movie Emperor and crime thriller Unchained.
She made international headlines when she dated Leonardo DiCaprio in 2011.

And fashion model Kendal Schuler is celebrating the birth of her first child, a boy named Ryka Lee, with partner Jake Pedrana.

In a post to her Instagram on Monday, the 26-year-old revealed her bundle of joy was born on Easter Sunday at the couple's Sydney home.

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Newborn: In a post to her Instagram on Monday, Kendal Schuler revealed her bundle of joy was born on Easter Sunday at the couple's Sydney home

The Cairns-born beauty shared an image of her cradling the newborn at The Royal Hospital For Women in Randwick, where she is staying after her home birth.

'Our little man Ryka Lee Pedrana touched down in spectacular style at 7.03pm Easter Sunday,' she described in the photo's caption.

'The brave little guy couldn't wait for hospital and jumped straight into dad's arms, on the bathroom floor at home,' she continued.

Over the moon: The fashion model is celebrating the birth of her first child, a boy named Ryka Lee, with partner Jake Pedrana

The blonde stunner explained how she felt 'blessed' after 'a crazy 12 hours'.

Kendal's modeling agency, Chadwick Models, left a note of support in the capture's comments section.

'Congratulations Jake & Kendal! We can't wait to meet him!' they gushed.

'Congratulations Jake & Kendal! We can't wait to meet him!' they gushed

Prior to her relationship with Jake, Kendal was linked to Leonardo DiCaprio and former television personality Didier Cohen.

She struck up a romance with Leo when they connected during his stay in Sydney while filming Baz Luhrmann's hit movie, The Great Gatsby.

'Leo has told her she can visit any time she likes as long as she keeps it low-key,' a reported source told The Daily Telegraph at the time they were dating.
Their blossoming romance has made headlines since the start of the year.

And Karl Stefanovic and Jasmine Yarbrough appear to be taking things to the next level, with new reports the Today host, 42, has plans to propose to his girlfriend, 33.

The pair have also been pictured kissing passionately in Los Angeles while Karl was taking a break from hosting duties on Today show.

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Wedding bells? Karl Stefanovic and Jasmine Yarbrough were spotted kissing passionately in LA, where he allegedly revealed his plans to marry his new love, according to New Idea

New Idea reports while Karl 'stopped short of proposing until his divorce is final' from his ex-wife of 21 years, Cassandra Thorburn, during his trip he let Jasmine know he intends to marry her in the near future.

'Karl said he spent the entire 14-hour flight from Sydney to LA thinking of Jasmine and how he couldn't wait to one day make her his wife,' a reported insider said.

'And as soon as he saw her at the airport, he couldn't wait to tell her just that,' the source continued.

Plans: The magazine reports while Karl 'stopped short of proposing until his divorce is final' from his ex-wife of 21 years, Cassandra Thorburn, he let Jasmine know he intends to marry her

The new images captured of the couple show Jasmine flinging herself into Karl's arms as he picks her up and they immediately embrace.

The photos 'will break Cassandra's heart', an alleged friend of the mother of three claimed.

'Karl would have known Cass would see these photos, and it's like he didn't even care,' they continued.

The pair appear to be taking things to the next level, with new reports the Today host, 42, has plans to propose to his girlfriend, 33

Karl traveled to Los Angeles to visit Jasmine on a week-long break from hosting the Today show.

He flew back into Sydney on Sunday with his travel partner Christian Wilkins, son of his Today co-host Richard Wilkins.

It was his most recent visit to his girlfriend and the one where the couple reportedly decided to take things between them to the next level.

Hiatus: Karl traveled to Los Angeles on a week-long break from hosting the Today show

With his divorce nearing settlement, Woman's Day reports the television host recently asked Jasmine's father Robert for permission for the couple to get married.

'He told him he wants to marry Jasmine and is keen to have kids with her,' the magazine's source apparently revealed.

The lovebirds have reportedly been spending ample time with Jasmine's family, with Karl 'desperate' to prove his commitment to his girlfriend.

'Karl would have known Cass would see these photos, and it's like he didn't even care,' they continued
Her 'will they, won't they?' friendship with David Vu on My Kitchen Rules has made headlines over the past few months.

But Betty Banks confirmed to TV Week she is officially off the market - and has been secretly dating an Alice Springs police officer since December.

The Instagram star, 27, confessed she is 'very much in love' with boyfriend Billy, who has a four-year-old son from a previous relationship.

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'We are very much in love': My Kitchen Rules' Betty Banks confirmed to TV Week she is officially off the market - and has been secretly dating Alice Springs policeman Billy since December

Betty first met Billy by chance at Adelaide Airport last year, but wanted to keep the relationship to herself amid 'all the pressure of MKR'.

'I wasn't ready to share it, but now I am. He's a big part of my life now,' Betty told the magazine on Tuesday.

The Sydney-based chef also said she enjoyed being in a long-distance relationship as the 'cute' phone calls reminded her of high school.

Nothing to see here! Betty's 'will they, won't they?' close friendship with David Vu on MKR has made headlines over the past few months - and fans even joked he was in the 'friend zone'

Billy has already met Betty's family - and even told her mother he was falling in love with the tattooed model.

Betty also claimed she was 'absolutely in love with' Billy's young son, Jayden.

'I can see myself being able to mother Jayden,' she continued. 'I hope one day I get to have my own as well.'

On the subject of starting a family, the blogger said: 'I don't think it's ever too early to talk about kids.'

'He's a big part of my life now': Betty (left) met Billy by chance at Adelaide Airport and they began dating officially in December. Pictured with her friend Barbara Nguyen

Betty also told New Idea magazine the romance was 'a little bit exciting' but that it was still in 'early stages'.

'We (Betty and David) wanted to be single by choice on MKR. But after the show wrapped up, I met someone really nice.'

Meanwhile, David has already given Billy the seal of approval - and the police officer does not feel threatened by their friendship.
US Vice President Mike Pence warned that the US policy of "strategic patience" with North Korea was at an end

US Vice President Mike Pence warned North Korea Monday not to test Donald Trump's resolve, declaring that "all options are on the table" in curbing its missile and nuclear weapons programmes.

Defying international pressure, the North test-fired another missile on Sunday as fears grow that it may also be preparing for its sixth nuclear weapons test.

"We hope to achieve this objective (the North's denuclearisation) through peaceful means but all options are on the table," Pence told a press conference in the South Korean capital after his trip to the tense border with the North.

"Just in the past two weeks, the world witnessed the strength and resolve of our new president in actions taken in Syria and Afghanistan.

"North Korea would do well not to test his resolve, or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region," Pence said at the press conference with South Korea's Acting President Hwang Kyo-Ahn.

North Korean and South Korean soldiers stand just metres apart at Panmunjom, one of the world's most heavily militarised borders, where US Vice President Mike Pence declared Monday that "all options are on the table" for dealing with Pyongyang

Tensions between Pyongyang and Washington have soared in recent weeks, as a series of North Korean missile tests have prompted ever-more bellicose warnings from Trump's administration.

The new and inexperienced US president has indicated he will not allow North Korea to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the western United States.

Asked by a reporter what message he had for North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un in Washington on Monday, Trump replied "Gotta behave."

North Korea's envoy to the United Nations Kim In Ryong said the regime was preparing for "any mode of war" triggered by potential US military action, and said his country would respond to a missile or nuclear strike "in kind".

"If the United States dares opt for a military action... the DPRK is ready to react to any mode of war desired by the Americans," he told a news conference, using the country's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"We will take the toughest counteraction against the provocateurs."

Pence declared that the era of US "strategic patience" in dealing with the North was over, after more than two decades.

North Korea "answered our overtures with willful deception, broken promises and nuclear and missile tests", he said.

The United States, which stations 28,500 troops in South Korea, would "defeat any attack and we will meet any use of conventional or nuclear weapons with an overwhelming and effective response".

- Tensions -

Pence's trip earlier Monday to the Demilitarised Zone between the two Koreas -- one of the most heavily fortified frontiers on the planet -- underscored Washington's changing policy towards the isolated state.

Still, White House press secretary Sean Spicer also sought to cool tensions during a news conference in Washington on Monday, saying Trump is not drawing "red lines" that would threaten military action against North Korea.

"Drawing red lines really hasn't worked in the past," he said. "He holds his cards close to the vest, and I think you're not going to see him telegraphing how he's going to respond to any military or other situation going forward."

Pence's visit came after a huge military parade Saturday during which North Korea showcased apparent intercontinental ballistic missiles, and as a US carrier group converges on the Korean peninsula.

It also came the day after North Korea's latest launch -- which failed when the missile blew up seconds after blast-off.

Speaking at the village of Panmunjom inside the DMZ, Pence said America's relationship with South Korea was "ironclad and immutable".

Pyongyang insists it needs a powerful arsenal -- including atomic weapons -- to protect itself from what it says is the ever-present threat of US invasion.

Pence urged the international community to join US and regional demands for an end to the North's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

"It is heartening to see China commit to these actions. But the United States is troubled by China's economic retaliation against South Korea for taking appropriate steps to defend itself," he said, referring to the US THAAD missile defence system.

The system being installed in South Korea is designed to shoot down missiles from North Korea or elsewhere. But China furiously objects to its deployment, saying it could spy on its own defence installations, and has taken apparent retaliatory action against South Korean firms operating in its country.

North Korea staged a huge military parade through Pyongyang to mark the 105th anniversary of the birth of late North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung, showing off some of its hardware

Pence said he and Trump "have great confidence that China will properly deal with North Korea".

"But as President Trump made clear just a few short days ago, if China is unable to deal with North Korea, the United States and our allies will."

This is Pence's first visit to South Korea -- part of an Asia swing that will also include stops in Japan, Indonesia and Australia -- and although it was conceived months ago, could hardly come at a time of higher tension.
Prominent prisoner Marwan Barghouti is leading a hunger strike of Palestinians in Israeli jails

Hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli jails launched a hunger strike on Monday following a call from leader and prominent prisoner Marwan Barghouti, a Palestinian Authority official said.

Issa Qaraqe, head of prisoners affairs for the Palestinian Authority, said that "around 1,300 Palestinian prisoners" were participating in the hunger strike and the number could rise.

The Palestinian Prisoners Club NGO put the number at 1,500.

Israeli prison service spokesman Assaf Librati said that 700 prisoners had announced on Sunday their intention to begin a hunger strike.

Marwan Barghouti is serving a life sentence in an Israeli jail over his role in the violent second Palestinian intifada

"We are checking this morning to see the number of prisoners actually striking as some of them said they would only observe a symbolic protest strike and then resume eating afterwards," he said.

"There will be an update later."

Barghouti is serving a life sentence over his role in the violent second Palestinian intifada. He is a popular figure, with polls suggesting he could win the Palestinian presidency.

The strike was called in connection with Palestinian Prisoners Day, which is observed annually.

Some 6,500 Palestinians are currently detained by Israel.
Hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli jails launched a hunger strike on Monday following a call from leader and prominent prisoner Marwan Barghouti, a movement that could mark a serious challenge to Israeli authorities if sustained.

The hunger strike was called for in connection with Palestinian Prisoners Day, observed annually, but also ahead of commemorations this summer marking 50 years since the 1967 Six Day War and the start of Israel's occupation.

Hunger strikes by Palestinian prisoners occur regularly, but rarely on such a large scale. A series of protests were also being held in Palestinian cities in connection with prisoners day.

Barghouti's call for the strike has given it added credibility, with the 57-year-old serving five life sentences over his role in the violent second Palestinian intifada.

The hunger strike was lunched following a call from leader and prominent prisoner Marwan Barghouti (pictured), and is a movement that could mark a serious challenge to Israeli authorities if sustained

The hunger strike was called for in connection with Palestinian Prisoners Day, observed annually. Pictured above, Palestinian family members hold pictures of their relative, jailed in Israeli prisons, in the West Bank town of Ramalla as part of Palestinian Prisoners Day

More than 1,200 prisoners out of 6500 Palestinian prisoner Jailed in Israel staged an open hunger strike to improve their living conditions in all Israeli prisons the same day as the rally

He is a popular figure among Palestinians, with polls suggesting he could win the Palestinian presidency.

Graffiti showing the iconic image of his cuffed hands raised above his head flashing a peace sign while being led away by Israeli authorities can be seen in the West Bank.

'Decades of experience have proved that Israel's inhumane system of colonial and military occupation aims to break the spirit of prisoners and the nation to which they belong, by inflicting suffering on their bodies, separating them from their families and communities, using humiliating measures to compel subjugation,' Barghouti wrote in a New York Times op-ed.

'In spite of such treatment, we will not surrender to it.'

Issa Qaraqe, head of prisoners affairs for the Palestinian Authority, said that 'around 1,300 Palestinian prisoners' were participating in the hunger strike and the number could rise.

The Palestinian Prisoners Club NGO put the number at 1,500.

Barghouti's call for the strike has given it added credibility, with the 57-year-old serving five life sentences over his role in the violent second Palestinian intifada. Pictured above, Palestinians hold pictures of relatives held in Israeli jails during a rally marking Palestinian Prisoner Day

An elderly Palestinian man sit next to a picture of his relative, jailed in Israeli prison, in the West Bank town of Ramallah

Some 6,500 Palestinians are currently detained by Israel for a range of offences and alleged crimes. The arabic placards above read 'Freedom to our prisoners' along side the names of the person in the pictures.

Israeli prison service spokesman Assaf Librati said that some 1,100 detainees had announced their intention to begin a hunger strike across at several prisons.

'The prisons service has started taking disciplinary measures against the strikers and in addition a number of prisoners have been transferred to separate wings,' he said.

'It is to be emphasised that the (prison service) does not negotiate with prisoners.'

Some 6,500 Palestinians are currently detained by Israel for a range of offences and alleged crimes.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's office called on Israel to respond to the prisoners' demands for 'freedom and dignity'.

Barghouti's wife Fadwa told AFP at a demonstration in Ramallah that the demands were in line with 'international law and recognised as part of human rights'.

The last large-scale hunger strike was in February 2013, when 3,000 Palestinians refused to eat for one day to protest against the death of a fellow detainee.

Israel says it must be vigilant to prevent fresh eruptions of violence, particularly following a wave of knife, gun and car-ramming attacks that erupted in October 2015.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's office called on Israel to respond to the prisoners' demands for 'freedom and dignity'. Pictured above, a woman takes a rests near a green Islamic flag during a rally marking Palestinian prisoners Day in Gaza City

Masked militants from the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, a military wing of Hamas, stand guard near a mockup of a prison cell during a rally marking Palestinian prisoners Day, in Gaza City

Masked militants from the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, a military wing of Hamas, hold posters of people held at Israeli jails and waving their party flags during a rally marking Palestinian Prisoners Day in Gaza City

The violence has greatly subsided in recent months.

While many Palestinians view Barghouti as a hero, Israelis point to the bloody suicide attacks of the second intifada and his role in the uprising.

For Palestinians, the prisons have become a stark symbol of Israel's occupation.

Those on hunger strike have issued a list of demands, including access to phones, extended visiting rights and better medical service.

Israeli public radio reported that Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan has ordered intervention units to be put on standby and that a field hospital be set up outside one prison to avoid having to take sick prisoners to civilian hospitals.

It quoted Erdan as saying that the demands regarding prisoners' conditions were unreasonable.

While many Palestinians view Barghouti as a hero, Israelis point to the bloody suicide attacks of the second intifada and his role in the uprising. Pictured above, masked militants from the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades march with their weapons and Islamic flags during the rally

For Palestinians, the prisons have become a stark symbol of Israel's occupation. Pictured above, a masked militant from the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, a military wing of Hamas, attends a rally marking Palestinian prisoners Day in Gaza City

Those on hunger strike have issued a list of demands, including access to phones, extended visiting rights and better medical service. Hamas activists hold a placard during a rally marking Palestinian prisoners Day in Gaza City

Some Israeli analysts have sought to highlight the rivalry between Barghouti and Abbas within their Fatah party, suggesting his call for a hunger strike was also related to internal politics.

Talk of who will succeed Abbas has intensified, but the 82-year-old has shown no sign of stepping down and a recent Fatah congress saw him shore up his base of support and sideline rivals.

He has not publicly designated a successor.

Of the 6,500 Palestinian detainees, 62 are women and 300 are minors.

Some 500 are held under administrative detention, which allows for imprisonment without charges or trial.

Thirteen Palestinian lawmakers are also among the detainees.

Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts have been at a standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed three years ago.
Activists shout slogans during a protest in Karachi on April 14, 2017 against the killing of student Mashal Khan by his classmates

Pakistan police announced Monday they had arrested 22 people after the lynching of a university student accused of blasphemy, but observers said there was little hope authorities would secure convictions.

A large mob attacked journalism student Mashal Khan last Thursday, stripping, beating and shooting him before throwing from the second floor of his hostel at the Abdul Wali Khan university in the conservative northwestern town of Mardan.

The brutality of the attack, recorded on a mobile phone camera, shocked the public and led to widespread condemnation, including from prominent clerics.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed to prosecute the perpetrators as protests broke out in several cities.

Salahuddin Khan Mehsud, police chief of the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, told a press conference the number of people arrested in connection with the case had risen to 22, from 12 at the weekend. They were mainly students but also included some university clerical workers.

He said police had so far found no evidence to support the blasphemy allegations against Khan, and condemned the university for investigating the case without police involvement.

A second senior police officer, who requested anonymity, said many members of the police, prosecution service and judiciary sympathised with the attackers and he did not expect any guilty verdicts.

Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive charge in conservative Muslim Pakistan, and can carry the death penalty. Even unproven allegations can prompt mob lynchings or lesser violence.

"There are hundreds of sympathisers in my force and if I take too much interest in the case I might be killed too," the police officer said.

He added that although arrests had been made on the basis of CCTV footage and video clips, a court would require witnesses to come forward and past experience had shown this would not be likely -- partly because Pakistan has no witness protection programmes.

Saroop Ijaz, a lawyer employed by Human Rights Watch in Pakistan, noted that no Muslims were convicted for torching 100 Christian homes in a 2013 incident in Lahore sparked by blasphemy claims, nor for the murder of a young Christian couple a year later.

"Nobody is going to stick their neck out because you will be abandoned," he said.

Vigilantes have murdered 65 people over blasphemy allegations since 1990, according to research compiled by the Center for Research and Security Studies think-tank.
MIDEAST-ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-BARGHUTI

Hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli jails launched a hunger strike Monday following a call from leader and prominent prisoner Marwan Barghouti, a movement that could mark a serious challenge to Israeli authorities if sustained.

The hunger strike was called in connection with Palestinian Prisoners Day, observed annually, but also ahead of commemorations this summer marking 50 years since the 1967 Six-Day War and the start of Israel's occupation.

Israel Prisons Service spokesman Assaf Librati said that hunger strikers would be disciplined and later added that Barghouti had been transferred from Hadarim prison to Jalami prison, near Haifa, 48 kilometres (30 miles) to the north.

Qaddura Fares, head of the Palestinian Prisoners' Club which tracks the well-being of Palestinians in Israeli jails, said Barghouti had been placed in solitary confinement, but Librati did not confirm that.

Hunger strikes by Palestinian prisoners occur regularly, but rarely on such a large scale.

A woman holds the portrait of a Palestinian prisoner during a rally in the West Bank city of Ramallah in support of Palestinians detained in Israeli jails as hundreds of prisoners launch a hunger strike

Protests were also held in Palestinian cities in connection with Prisoners Day, including one in Bethlehem that led to clashes with Israeli forces.

Barghouti's call for the strike has given it added credibility, with the 57-year-old serving five life sentences over his role in the violent second Palestinian intifada.

He is popular among Palestinians, with polls suggesting he could win the Palestinian presidency.

Graffiti showing the iconic image of his cuffed hands raised above his head flashing a peace sign while being led away by Israeli authorities can be seen in the West Bank.

"Decades of experience have proved that Israel's inhumane system of colonial and military occupation aims to break the spirit of prisoners and the nation to which they belong, by inflicting suffering on their bodies, separating them from their families and communities, using humiliating measures to compel subjugation," Barghouti wrote in a New York Times op-ed.

"In spite of such treatment, we will not surrender to it."

Issa Qaraqe, head of prisoner affairs for the Palestinian Authority, said that "around 1,300 Palestinian prisoners" were on hunger strike and the number could rise.

The Palestinian Prisoners' Club NGO put the number at 1,500.

- 'Disciplinary measures' -

Librati said that some 1,100 detainees in several prisons had announced their intention to go on hunger strike.

"The prisons service has started taking disciplinary measures against the strikers and in addition a number of prisoners have been transferred to separate wings," he said.

"It is to be emphasised that the (prison service) does not negotiate with prisoners."

Some 6,500 Palestinians are currently detained by Israel for a range of offences and alleged crimes.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, in a statement carried by official news agency WAFA, "called on the international community to save the life of the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails".

Palestinians demonstrate in support of some 6,500 Palestinians detained in Israeli jails where hundreds of prisoners have launched a hunger strike

Barghouti's wife Fadwa told AFP at a demonstration in Ramallah that prisoners' demands were in line with "international law and recognised as part of human rights".

The last large-scale hunger strike was in February 2013, when 3,000 Palestinians refused to eat for one day in protest at the death of a fellow detainee.

Israel says it must be vigilant to prevent fresh violence, particularly following a wave of knife, gun and car-ramming attacks that erupted in October 2015.

Such incidents have greatly subsided in recent months.

While many Palestinians view Barghouti as a hero, Israelis point to the bloody suicide attacks of the second intifada and his role in the uprising.

- 6,500 jailed -

For Palestinians, the prisons have become a stark symbol of Israel's occupation.

Those on hunger strike have issued a list of demands, including access to phones, extended visiting rights and better medical care.

Israeli public radio reported that Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan has ordered intervention units to be put on standby and a field hospital to be set up outside one prison to avoid having to take sick prisoners to civilian hospitals.

It quoted Erdan as saying that the demands regarding prisoners' conditions were unreasonable.

Some Israeli analysts have sought to highlight the rivalry between Barghouti and Abbas within their Fatah party, suggesting his call for a hunger strike was also related to internal politics.

Abbas made no mention of Barghouti in his statement on WAFA.

Talk of who will succeed Abbas has intensified, but the 82-year-old has shown no sign of stepping down and a recent Fatah congress saw him shore up his support base and sideline rivals.

He has not publicly designated a successor.

Of the 6,500 Palestinian detainees, 62 are women and 300 are minors. Some 500 are held under administrative detention, which allows for imprisonment without charges or trial.

Thirteen Palestinian lawmakers are also among the detainees.

Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts have been at a standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed three years ago.
US President Donald Trump, alongside son Barron Trump (L) and US First Lady Melania Trump (2L), speaks during the Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC on April 17, 2017

US President Donald Trump took a moment at the White House Easter egg roll Monday to deliver a terse message to North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un: "Got to behave."

Trump made the off-the-cuff comment to a CNN reporter after kicking off the 139th annual Easter egg roll with First Lady Melania Trump.

"Any message for North Korea, sir, Kim Jong-Un?"

"Got to behave," said Trump.

The warning came after a tense weekend during which North Korea celebrated the birthdate of the regime's founder Kim Il-Sung with a massive military parade highlighting its growing missile capabilities.

But a missile test-launched on Sunday exploded shortly after takeoff, and a widely anticipated sixth nuclear test never materialized.

US Vice President Mike Pence was in Seoul, South Korea Monday where he warned the North not to test Trump's resolve, adding "all options are on the table."

Pence also declared that the era of US "strategic patience" in dealing with the North was over, after more than two decades.

US concerns have mounted amid signs of progress in Pyongyang's efforts to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of landing a nuclear warhead on the US mainland.
Pakistani police on duty during an Easter Sunday service at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Lahore on April 16, 2017.

A female would-be suicide bomber who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group had planned to carry out an attack on a church in Lahore on Easter Sunday, a Pakistan military spokesman said Monday.

Noreen Leghari, a second year medical student, is in army custody after being captured during a raid overnight Friday that left four soldiers wounded and her male accomplice dead, army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor told reporters.

A filmed confession was later shown to reporters in which Leghari, dressed in a veil, said: "We were provided equipment on April 1, including two suicide vests, four hand grenades and bullets.

"We were told to use these jackets to attack a church on Easter and I was supposed to be used as a suicide bomber."

Lahore suffered one of Pakistan's deadliest attacks on Easter Sunday 2016 -- a suicide bomb in a park that killed more than 70 people, including many children, and was claimed by the Jamaat ul Ahrar faction of the Pakistani Taliban.

Pakistan has seen a surge in militant attacks this year that have dented optimism after the country appeared to be making strong gains in its decade-and-a-half long war on militancy.

But Ghafoor said that since launching a new nationwide military operation in February, the army had killed some 108 militants while 558 had been captured or surrendered -- including Ehsanullah Ehsan, the former spokesman of the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar.

"The former spokesman of Jamaat ul Ahrar and the Pakistani Taliban Ehsanullah Ehsan has surrendered himself to security forces. He's not the only one. We will share further details in the coming days," he said. He did not indicate when Ehsan had handed himself in or give any further details.
A Man Went To The Stroger ER With A 4-Day-Old Gunshot Wound Monday

By Rachel Cromidas in News on Apr 17, 2017 5:40PM



Crime scene tape (Photo by LukaTDB via Shutterstock)

Chicago's Easter weekend violence tally is disturbingly high, and indicative of a well-known trend: when the temperatures start to heat up in Chicago, so too does the city's gun violence.

At least 45 people were shot over Easter weekend, two of them fatally, according to reports. Now a new report from the Stroger Hospital emergency room shows that a man was shot in the shoulder Thursday eveningbut he didn't go to the ER to treat his wound until Monday morning, almost four days later.

Police told the Tribune that a 32-year-old man entered the hospital with a gunshot wound in his left shoulder. He said he was shot in West Englewood at 6:20 p.m. Thursday, in the 6500 block of South Paulina Street. Area South detectives are investigating the shooting, according to the Tribune.


Screen grab of a video showing former CEO of Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, Marcelo Odebrecht testifying in the Lava Jato corruption case

A federal court in New York on Monday imposed a $2.6 billion fine on Brazil's scandal-plagued construction giant Odebrecht, part of what US authorities describe as a one of the largest-ever corporate settlements for international bribery.

Odebrecht and the petrochemical affiliate Braskem had in December already agreed to pay a total of $3.5 billion to settle the case, in which the companies admitted to paying nearly $800 million in bribes to government officials and political parties to win business on three continents.

US District Judge Raymond Dearie in Brooklyn ordered Odebrecht to pay a total of $2.6 billion, with $93 million going to the United States, $116 million to Switzerland and the remainder to authorities in Brazil.

The December plea agreement had sought to impose a far steeper $4.5 billion but this amount was reduced because Odebrecht was not able to pay it. As part of the agreement, Braskem agreed to pay $957 million.

Brazilian investigators say Odebrecht was one of the ringleaders of a scheme to plunder billions of dollars from state oil company Petrobras. The scandal has rocked Brazil's political and business establishment.
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - President Donald Trump attended Easter service at the Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea near his estate in Palm Beach, Florida on Sunday - an annual ritual that provided a break from a host of foreign policy crises, including escalating tensions with North Korea.

The president attended the service with his wife, Melania, his two younger children, Barron and Tiffany, and the first lady's parents. It's the same church where he and the first lady were married in 2005.

The president is expected to spend the rest of the afternoon with his family participating in annual Easter festivities at Mar-a-Lago, his private club, including brunch and an Easter egg hunt, spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said.

President Donald Trump, accompanied by first lady Melania Trump waves to onlookers as he enters Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, Fla., for an Easter Service, Sunday, April 16, 2017. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)

It will be a test run of sorts. He and the first lady are set to host the official annual Easter egg roll at the White House on Monday.

The president has yet to attend a church service in the nation's capital since his inauguration weekend back in January. The church attendance of past presidents has been a topic of intense interest in Washington.

Trump has been speaking more about faith in recent week, invoking God in his statements.

In his weekly radio address, the president called Easter Sunday "a holy day of reverence and worship" and "a sacred time that fills the spirit of our nation with the faith of our people."

He also declared, "America is a Nation of believers," adding that: "As long as we have faith in each other, and trust in God, we will succeed."

Trump described himself as a "religious person" during his campaign, but often appeared to struggle to affirm his Christian credentials as he worked to woo the Evangelical voters who helped drive him into office.

He often carried a copy of his childhood Bible and a photo of his confirmation to provide evidence of his Presbyterian upbringing and made what were seen as several minor missteps, including mistakenly referring to Second Corinthians as "two Corinthians" during an appearance at the Christian Liberty University.

Clergy line up to enter for services at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, where President Donald Trump and family are attending Easter services, Sunday, April 16, 2017, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump depart after Easter services at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, Sunday, April 16, 2017, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

People wave as the motorcade for President Donald Trump passes by on Easter Sunday, April 16, 2017, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Security stand guard outside Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea for President Donald Trump and family attending Easter Service in Palm Beach, Fla., Sunday, April 16, 2017. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
VATICAN CITY (AP) - The Latest on Pope Francis' Easter message. (all times local):

11:0 p.m.

On Christianity's most joyful day, Pope Francis lamented the horrors generated by war and hatred, delivering an Easter Sunday message that also decried the "latest vile" attack on civilians in Syria.

Pope Francis celebrates the Easter Mass, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Both in his impromptu homily during Mass in St. Peter's Square and later in his formal "Urbi et Orbi" Easter message delivered from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, Francis reflected on a litany of suffering in the world, including wars, oppressive regimes, human trafficking, corruption, famine and domestic violence.

He encouraged people to hold fast in their "fearful hearts" to faith, acknowledging that many people wonder where God is amid so much evil and suffering in the world.

Some 60,000 people, including multi-national throngs of pilgrims and tourists, endured tight anti-terrorism security checks - and, later, a brief downpour - to hear Francis and receive his blessing.

The crowd size, cited by the Vatican security forces, was smaller in comparison to some other Easters, when about 100,000 turned out for the occasion.

After Mass, Francis toured the square in his open-topped, white popemobile and waved back to well-wishers.

In his balcony address, Francis prayed that God would sustain those working to comfort and help the civilian population in Syria, "prey to a war that continues to sow horror and death."

He cited the explosion Saturday that ripped through a bus depot in the Aleppo area where evacuees were awaiting transfer, killing at least 100 people.

"Yesterday saw the latest vile attack on fleeing refugees," the pope said, also praying for peace in the Holy Land, Iraq and Yemen.

Pope Francis celebrates the Easter Mass, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Nuns attend a Easter Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017 (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis celebrates the Easter Mass, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis celebrates the Easter Mass, in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis celebrates the Easter Mass, in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis celebrates the Easter Mass, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis kisses the altar as he celebrates the Easter Mass, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis celebrates the Easter Mass, in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis arrives to celebrate the Easter Mass, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017 (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis arrives to celebrate the Easter Mass, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017 (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis celebrates the Easter Mass, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017 (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis arrives to celebrate the Easter Mass, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017 (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Swiss Guards stand in front of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017 (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis addresses the crowd prior to delivering his Urbi et Orbi (to the city and to the world) message from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017. On Christianity's most joyful day, Pope Francis lamented the horrors generated by war and hatred, delivering an Easter Sunday message that also decried the "latest vile" attack on civilians in Syria. (L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP)

Pope Francis delivers his Urbi et Orbi (to the city and to the world) message from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017. (L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP)

Pope Francis delivers his Urbi et Orbi (to the city and to the world) message from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017. (L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP)

Swiss guards march in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017. Pope Francis celebrated Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square, decorated with colorful spring flowers. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Faithful follow Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017. Pope Francis is celebrating Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square, decorated with colorful spring flowers. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis delivers his Urbi et Orbi (to the city and to the world) from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis delivers his Urbi et Orbi (to the city and to the world) from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis delivers his Urbi et Orbi (to the city and to the world) from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis delivers his Urbi et Orbi (to the city and to the world) from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis waves after celebrating Easter Sunday Mass, from the main balcony of in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis delivers his blessing after celebrating Easter Sunday Mass, from the main balcony of in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis, left, waves as he is driven through the crowd after celebrating Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis addresses faithful prior to delivering his Urbi et Orbi (to the city and to the world) message, from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis delivers his Urbi et Orbi (to the city and to the world) message from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2017. (L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP)
CLEVELAND (AP) - The Latest on a suspect who shot and killed a man while livestreaming on Facebook (all times local):

12 a.m.

Facebook is now saying that a man suspected of fatally shooting another man in Cleveland posted a video of the killing on Facebook, but did not broadcast it live.

This undated photo provided by the Cleveland Police shows Steve Stephens. Cleveland police say they are searching for Stephens, a homicide suspect who broadcast the fatal shooting of another man live on Facebook on Sunday, April 16, 2017. (Cleveland Police via AP)

In a statement late Sunday night, Facebook said suspect 37-year-old Steve Stephens did go live at one point during the day, but not during the killing.

Police earlier Sunday had said that Stephens had broadcast it on Facebook Live.

Stephens is accused of killing 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr. Late Sunday, police issued an aggravated murder warrant for Stephens. In a statement, they said he may have traveled out of state.

In a separate video, Stephens said he also killed more than a dozen other people. Police have not verified that information.

___

This story has been corrected to show that Facebook now says the killing was recorded and uploaded to Facebook, not broadcast live.

This story has been corrected to show the name of the victim is Robert Godwin Sr., not Goodwin.

___

9:15 p.m.

Officials say the man accused of fatally shooting another man and posting a video of the killing on Facebook worked for a behavioral health agency.

Beech Brook spokeswoman Nancy Kortemeyer tells WOIO-TV that the agency is "shocked and horrified."

Kortemeyer says she hopes that Steve Stephens is "arrested as soon as possible" and that no one else is harmed.

Police say Stephens killed 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr. Sunday afternoon in Cleveland. In a separate video, Stephens says he has also killed more than a dozen other people. Police have not verified that information.

According to its website, Beech Brook says it will serve more than 18,000 children and families in northeast Ohio this year.

___

This story has been corrected to show that Facebook now says the killing was recorded and uploaded to Facebook, not broadcast live.

This story has been corrected to show the name of the victim is Robert Godwin Sr., not Goodwin.

___

8 p.m.

Facebook has released a statement condemning the killing of a Cleveland man that police say was posted on the social media site.

The company on Sunday called it a "horrific crime," and said that it works hard to "keep a safe environment on Facebook."

Police say Steve Stephens shot 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr. Sunday afternoon.

In a separate video, Stephens says he has also killed more than a dozen other people. Police have not verified that information.

Police continue to search for Stephens, who they say should be considered armed and dangerous. They say he may be driving a newer model white Ford Fusion. Anyone with information is asked to call 911.

___

This story has been corrected to show that Facebook now says the killing was recorded and uploaded to Facebook, not broadcast live.

This story has been corrected to show the name of the victim is Robert Godwin Sr., not Goodwin.

___

7:45 p.m.

Police have named the victim shot and killed in Cleveland by a man who posted video of the killing on Facebook.

He's identified as 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr.

Police say Steve Stephens shot Godwin on Sunday afternoon. Mayor Frank Jackson is urging Stephens to turn himself in and not to "do anymore harm to anybody."

The suspect said in a separate video he has also killed more than a dozen other people. Police Chief Calvin Williams said police have not verified that information.

Police say Stephens should be considered armed and dangerous.

Williams said Stephens may be driving a newer model white Ford Fusion. Anyone with information is asked to call 911.

___

This story has been corrected to show that Mayor Frank Jackson, not Police Chief Calvin Williams, urged Stephens to turn himself in and not to "do anymore harm to anybody."

This story has been corrected to show that Facebook now says the killing was recorded and uploaded to Facebook, not broadcast live.

This story has been corrected to show the name of the victim is Robert Godwin Sr., not Goodwin.

___

7:10 p.m.

Cleveland's police chief says a manhunt is underway for a suspect that police say killed a man and posted video of it on Facebook.

Calvin Williams said Sunday that he's urging Steve Stephens to turn himself in and not to "do anymore harm to anybody."

The video of the killing was up for about three hours before it was removed.

The suspect said in a separate video he has also killed more than a dozen other people. Williams said police have not verified that information.

Police say Stephens should be considered armed and dangerous. No information about the victim has been released.

Williams said Stephens may be driving a newer model white Ford Fusion. Anyone with information is asked to call 911.

___

This story has been corrected to show that Facebook now says the killing was recorded and uploaded to Facebook, not broadcast live.

___

5:25 p.m.

Cleveland police say they are searching for a homicide suspect who posted a video of the killing on Facebook.

Police say the man also posted another video of himself on the social media network claiming he had killed other people. Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia (chahch) tells cleveland.com that police haven't verified any slayings besides the one Sunday afternoon in the city's Glenville neighborhood.

The video of the killing was posted on Facebook for about three hours before it was removed.

She says police are seeking a man named Steve Stephens. His Facebook page apparently was deactivated later Sunday afternoon.

Police say he should be considered armed and dangerous. No information about the victim has been released.

___

This story has been corrected to show that Facebook now says the killing was recorded and uploaded to Facebook, not broadcast live.
PANMUNJOM, South Korea (AP) - The Latest on U.S. Vice President Mike Pence in South Korea (all times local):

1:00 p.m.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has reiterated that pressure, not only dialogue, is necessary in dealing with North Korea's missile and nuclear threat.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence visits at the border village of Panmunjom which has separated the two Koreas since the Korean War, South Korea, Monday, April 17, 2017. Pence visited a military base near the Demilitarized Zone, a day after the North conducted a failed missile launch. Pence arrived at Camp Bonifas on Monday morning for a briefing with military leaders and to meet with American troops stationed there. He is in South Korea as part of a 10-day tour of Asia. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Abe, speaking to a parliamentary session Monday following North Korea's massive military parade and botched missile launch, said: "Needless to say, diplomatic effort is important to maintain peace. But dialogue for the sake of having dialogue is meaningless."

Abe said that "we need to apply pressure on North Korea so they seriously respond to a dialogue" with the international community. He urged China and Russia to play more constructive roles on the issue.

Tension in the area has risen under as the administration of President Donald Trump in the United States has said that all options are on the table, which Abe said Japan supports.

12:02 p.m.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence says the "era of strategic patience is over" with North Korea, expressing impatience with the unwillingness of the North Korean regime to move toward ridding itself of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

Pence tells reporters near the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea that President Donald Trump is hopeful that China will use their "extraordinary levers" to pressure the North to abandon their weapons.

He says there was a "period of patience" over the years but "the era of strategic patience is over." He says the Trump administration hopes their clarity will be received in North Korea, adding the U.S. and its allies will achieve its objectives through "peaceable means or ultimately by whatever means are necessary" to protect South Korea and stabilize the region.

___

11:50 a.m.

Vice President Mike Pence is warning in a visit to the Demilitarized Zone dividing North and South Korea that the North Korean people and military "should not mistake the resolve of the United States of America to stand with our allies."

Pence tells reporters near the DMZ that the alliance between South Korea and the U.S. is "ironclad" and is reiterating that "all options are on the table" to pressure North Korea to get rid of its nuclear weapons and missile program.

Pence visited a military base near the DMZ, Camp Bonifas, for a briefing with military leaders and to meet with American troops stationed there.

His 10-day tour of Asia comes as tensions grow in the wake of North Korea's latest missile test.

___

9:35 a.m.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is visiting a military base near the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea a day after the North conducted a failed missile launch.

Pence arrived at Camp Bonifas on Monday morning for a briefing with military leaders and to meet with American troops stationed there. He is in South Korea as part of a 10-day tour of Asia.

The joint U.S.-South Korean military camp is just outside the 2.5-mile-wide DMZ. Pence's visit, full of Cold War symbolism, comes amid increasing tensions and heated rhetoric on the Korean Peninsula.

Pence has called North Korea's failed missile launch a "provocation," and President Donald Trump tweeted Sunday that China is working with the U.S. on the "North Korea problem."

___

8 a.m.

President Donald Trump is asserting that China is working with the United States on "the North Korea problem."

His vice president, Mike Pence, is telling American and South Korea service members that the North's latest "provocation," a failed missile launch shortly before his arrival in Seoul, has laid bare the risks they face.

While the North did not conduct a nuclear test, the specter of a potential escalated U.S. response is trailing Pence as he undertakes a 10-day trip to Asia amid increasing tensions and heated rhetoric.

Trump's national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, is citing Trump's recent decision to order missile strikes in Syria after a chemical attack blamed on the Assad government as a sign that the president "is clearly comfortable making tough decisions."

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence visits the border village of Panmunjom which has separated the two Koreas since the Korean War, South Korea, Monday, April 17, 2017, a day after the North conducted a failed missile launch. Pence arrived at Camp Bonifas on Monday morning for a briefing with military leaders and to meet with American troops stationed there. He is in South Korea as part of a 10-day tour of Asia. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Two people were critically injured in an explosion inside a motel room that's being investigated as a crime scene, according to fire officials.

The explosion reported at 12.27am Sunday at the Casa Linda Motel in San Jose, California badly damaged one room.

San Jose Fire Captain Mike Van Elgort says the room looks like it had a flashover and that a window was blown out.

'Fire investigators are checking for origin and cause,' Van Elgort told the Mercury News, 'but police are investigating and it is considered suspicious.'

Scroll down for video

Firefighters rush to contain the flames from an explosion early Sunday morning at a San Jose, California motel. The explosion is considered suspicious and is being investigated

Both adults injured were taken to a local trauma center. Neither of them was a firefighter, officials said.

Firefighters quickly knocked down the fire and no other units were affected, although they were evacuated while inspectors checked the building's structure for damage.

The Casa Linda motel in San Jose is seen in this file photo. An explosion in a motel room early Sunday morning critically injured two adults.
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Tuesday:

1. WHITE HOUSE TALKS TOUGH ON NORTH KOREA MISSILES

President Trump says Kim Jong Un has "gotta behave," and VP Pence visits the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas to underscore U.S. resolve in the face of Pyongyang's evolving missile program.

South Korean protesters stage a rally opposing a visit of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence as they wait for his arrival near the house of South Korea's acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, April 17, 2017. Pence declared Monday the "era of strategic patience is over" with North Korea, expressing impatience with the unwillingness of the regime to move toward ridding itself of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. The signs read "Resume Talks." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

2. WHERE MANHUNT EXPANDS FOR SUSPECT IN FACEBOOK KILLING

Authorities across the Northeast are searching for Steve Stephens, accused of fatally shooting of a 74-year-old retiree in Cleveland, then posting footage of the death on Facebook.

3. ARKANSAS OFFICIALS FIGHT TO CARRY OUT EXECUTIONS

The state seeks to put eight inmates to death in the coming weeks via lethal injection, but legal hurdles still remain.

4. TURKISH PRESIDENT'S EXPANSION OF POWERS DIVIDES NATION

Recep Tayyip Erdogan won a referendum approving changes that strengthen his constitutional clout, but protesters and international monitors complain of voting irregularities.

5. WHO HELPED PRINCE IMPROPERLY OBTAIN OPIOID PAINKILLERS

Newly unsealed court documents show a doctor told authorities he prescribed oxycodone to Prince but put it under the name of Prince's bodyguard and friend.

6. TRUMP'S SYRIA PLAN STARTS COMING INTO VIEW

The approach is not that different than one that failed under the Obama administration, and faces greater challenges.

7. NASA PROVIDES FIRST LIVE 360-DEGREE VIEW OF ROCKET LAUNCH

The stream will begin 10 minutes before the scheduled 11:11 a.m. liftoff and continue until the unmanned rocket carrying supplies is out of sight.

8. CANADA GLACIER MELT REROUTED IN RARE CASE OF 'RIVER PIRACY'

Scientists blame global warming for the fact that most of the water gushing from the glacier suddenly switched from one river to another.

9. WHAT SENT A MOTORCYCLIST FLYING

A major highway through Atlanta has been partially shut down after underground utility work caused the pavement to rise up and break apart. The motorcyclist is hospitalized with multiple fractures.

10. NETFLIX CLOSES IN ON 100 MILLION SUBSCRIBERS

It's a testament to how much the video streaming service has changed the entertainment landscape since its debut a decade ago.

Supporters of the 'no' vote protest in Istanbul, against the referendum outcome, Monday, April 17, 2017. The placards reads in Turkish: 'No we will win'. Turkey's main opposition party urged the country's electoral board Monday to cancel the results of a landmark referendum that granted sweeping new powers to Erdogan, citing what it called substantial voting irregularities. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - South Korean prosecutors on Monday indicted ex-President Park Geun-hye on bribery, extortion, abuse of power and other high-profile corruption charges that could potentially send her to jail for life.

It is the latest in a series of humiliations for Park, who was driven from office by massive and peaceful popular protests. Park was impeached in December, officially stripped of power in March and has been in a detention facility near Seoul since being arrested last month on allegations that she extorted from businesses, took bribes and committed other wrongdoing, all in collaboration with a longtime confidante.

Prosecutors also indicted Shin Dong-bin, the chairman of Lotte, South Korea's fifth-largest business conglomerate, on a charge of offering a bribe of 7 billion won ($6 million) to Park and her friend Choi Soon-sil in exchange for a lucrative government license to open a new duty free shop.

FILE - In this March 30, 2017 file photo, former South Korean President Park Geun-hye arrives at the Seoul Central District Court for hearing on a prosecutors' request for her arrest for corruption, in Seoul, South Korea. South Korean prosecutors on Monday, April 17 indicted Park on high-profile corruption charges that could potentially send her to jail for life. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, Pool, File)

Park will remain jailed and be escorted from the detention center to a Seoul court for a trial that is to start in coming weeks and could take as long as six months. It is still unclear if the trial will start before a May 9 special election that will determine her successor.

Park, 65, was elected South Korea's first female president in late 2012. The country will now watch as she is forced to stand in court while handcuffed, bound with rope and possibly dressed in prison garb.

If convicted, her bribery charge carries the biggest punishment, ranging from 10 years in prison to life imprisonment.

While deeply unpopular among many South Koreans, Park still has supporters, and some conservative politicians and media outlets are already demanding that authorities pardon her if she's convicted.

Some of her supporters still stage protests in downtown Seoul every weekend. Such rallies could pressure whoever becomes her successor at a time when South Korea also faces increasing North Korean nuclear threats and diverse economic woes.

South Korea pardoned two convicted former leaders in the late 1990s in a bid for national reconciliation amid financial crisis, and its court had until recently showed leniency toward jailing many corrupt business tycoons because of worries about hurting the economy.

Park's scandal triggered huge political turmoil in South Korea, with millions taking to the streets to call for her ouster for months before her supporters launched their own protests. Dozens of high-level figures, including Choi, Park's friend of 40 years, top administration officials and Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong have already been indicted and await separate criminal trials.

Prosecutors charged Park with conspiring with Choi and a presidential adviser to pressure 18 business groups to donate a total of 77.4 billion won ($68 million) for the launch of two non-profit foundations controlled by Choi.

Park and Choi were also charged with taking bribes from two of the business groups, Samsung and Lotte, and colluding with other top officials to blacklist artists critical of Park's government to deny them state support. Park also faces charges that she passed on dozens of documents with sensitive information to Choi via one of her presidential aides.

According to prosecutors, Park and Choi allegedly took about 30 billion won ($26 million) in bribes from Samsung in return for a government support for a smooth company leadership transition.

Park has denied any legal wrongdoing, arguing that she only got help from Choi to edit some presidential speeches and on public relations.

Park is the daughter of late dictator Park Chung-hee, one of the most divisive figures in South Korean history. Some recall him as an enormous human rights abuser while others credit him for spearheading a rapid economic rise in the 1960-70s. Critics say Park's 2012 election wouldn't have happened without conservatives' nostalgia for her father.

Park Chung-hee's iron-fisted 18-year rule ended after he was gunned down by his spy chief in 1979, five years after his wife was killed during an assassination attempt that originally targeted her husband.

Park Geun-hye once described Choi, 60, as someone who helped her when she had difficulties in the past, an apparent reference to her parents' deaths.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - The Latest on the indictment of former South Korean President Park Geun-hye (all times local):

5:10 p.m.

In addition to former President Park Geun-hye, South Korean prosecutors have also indicted Shin Dong-bin, the chairman of Lotte Group, South Korea's fifth-largest business conglomerate.

Shin was indicted Monday on a charge of offering a bribe of 7 billion won ($6 million) to Park and her confidante in exchange for a lucrative government license to open a new duty free shop.

Park was arrested and confined to a detention facility near Seoul last month on allegations that she colluded with her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil to extort from businesses and commit other wrongdoing.

Park's criminal trial is expected to start in the coming weeks and she will remain jailed during court proceedings that could take as long as six months.

Park has denied any legal wrongdoing.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Park Geun-hye, the recently deposed president of South Korea, was indicted on corruption and other charges in the latest blow for the country's first female president, the former darling of conservatives and the daughter of a deeply divisive dictator.

Park, who was arrested and detained last month, now faces a criminal trial after prosecutors indicted her Monday for allegedly abusing power, extorting money, taking bribes and leaking state secrets.

A look at key developments in Park's life and political career:

FILE - In this March 30, 2017 file photo, former South Korean President Park Geun-hye arrives at the Seoul Central District Court for hearing on a prosecutors' request for her arrest for corruption, in Seoul, South Korea. South Korean prosecutors on Monday, April 17 indicted Park on high-profile corruption charges that could potentially send her to jail for life. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, Pool, File)

___

- 1963: Park, then 11, moves into the presidential Blue House after her father, Park Chung-hee, becomes president, two years after he staged a coup and took control of the country.

- 1974: Her mother is shot and killed by a man targeting her father during a speech in Seoul, claiming orders from then-North Korean leader Kim Il Sung. Park begins serving as first lady.

- 1979: Her father is assassinated by his spy chief during a late-night drinking party. Park leaves the Blue House after her father's state funeral.

- 1990: Park resigns as chairwoman of a children's foundation over suspicions that she allowed her mentor, Choi Tae-min, and his daughter, Choi Soon-sil, to manipulate it for personal gains. Park's ties with the Choi clan will prove to be damaging after she becomes president.

- 1998: After years of mostly avoiding the public eye, Park enters politics and wins a parliamentary seat amid public nostalgia for her father at a time when South Korea was being battered by the Asian financial crisis.

- 2006: Park, by now leader of the main conservative party, is attacked by a man wielding a box cutter while campaigning in Seoul. She receives 60 stitches for an 11-centimeter (four-inch) gash on her face. The first words she reportedly says at a hospital are, "How is Daejeon?" to check on campaigning in the central city; that further builds up her image as a strong leader.

- 2012: Park becomes the country's first female president in a landslide victory over liberal opponent Moon Jae-jin.

- 2014: The 6,800-ton Sewol ferry sinks off the country's southwest coast, killing 304 people, mostly teenagers on a school trip. Park comes under heavy criticism over what was seen as a botched rescue by the government.

- 2016: Media report suspicions that a senior Park aide pressured companies into giving money to non-profit organizations controlled by Choi Soon-sil, the daughter of her mentor. Park acknowledges her ties with Choi in a speech to the nation, but denies breaking the law. Prosecutors indict Choi and two former Park aides in November, and lawmakers impeach Park a few weeks later.

- 2017: The Constitutional Court votes unanimously to uphold the impeachment and remove Park from office, which lifts her immunity from prosecution. Prosecutors call her in for questioning. Ten days later, she is arrested. In April, she's indicted by Seoul prosecutors on multiple charges, including abuse of power, extortion, bribery and leaking state secrets.
 Flash

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan makes statements in Istanbul, Turkey, on April 16, 2017. (Xinhua/DHA/Depo Photos)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared on Sunday night that the proposed constitutional changes were accepted in a referendum, paying the way for the country to introduce the presidential system.

In a televised address to the press in Istanbul, Erdogan said the amendments passed in the referendum held in the country the same day with 25 million "Yes" votes, or by leading the "No" camp by 1.3 million votes.

"Today Turkey made an historic decision about the governance system," he remarked, calling for countries that Turkey accepts as allies to "respect the decision of our nation."

The constitutional package voted on the day has 18 articles, the most controversial one being the switch to an executive presidency from the parliamentary system put in place ever since the Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923.

The package shall grant the office of the presidency sweeping powers with less checks and balances, a scenario that has been rejected by main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party.

CHP is calling for a recount after the initial result was unveiled, citing reported irregularities. Naysayers were protesting against the result in different districts of Istanbul on Sunday night, with some banging pots and pans from their windows and others holding a march.

Turkey will not turn to the presidential system until 2019, when Erdogan's current term ends and fresh parliamentary elections will be held concurrently.

In his later address to supporters, Erdogan said his first job after the victory is to discuss the reintroduction of death penalty and that another referendum on this issue is possible.

The issue of capital punishment was raised in the wake of a failed military coup in July last year, which the Turkish government says was masterminded by Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric now living in the United States.

The European Union has responded by threatening to terminate the accession talks with Turkey in a row that has contributed to chilled bilateral ties.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Monday that the U.S. is using Afghanistan as a weapons testing ground, calling the recent use of the largest-ever non-nuclear bomb "an immense atrocity against the Afghan people."

Last week, U.S. forces dropped the GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb in eastern Nangarhar province, reportedly killing 95 militants. Karzai, in an interview with The Associated Press, objected to the decision, saying that his country "was used very disrespectfully by the U.S. to test its weapons of mass destruction."

The office of President Ashraf Ghani said following the bomb's usage that there was "close coordination" between the U.S. military and the Afghan government over the operation, and they were careful to prevent any civilian casualties.

Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai speaks during an interview with the Associated Press in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, April 17, 2017. Karzai said that the U.S. is using Afghanistan as a weapons testing ground, calling the recent use of the largest-ever non-nuclear bomb "an immense atrocity against the Afghan people." Last week, U.S. forces dropped the GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb in Nangarhar province, reportedly killing 95 militants. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

But Karzai harshly criticized the Afghan government for allowing the use of the bomb.

"How could a government of a country allow the use of a weapon of mass destruction on its own territory? Whatever the reason, whatever the cause, how could they allow that? It just unimaginable," he said.

The strike was carried out Thursday morning against an Islamic State group tunnel complex, carved into a mountain in Nangarhar province, that Afghan forces had tried to assault repeatedly in recent weeks, according to Afghan officials.

U.S. and Afghan forces have been battling the Taliban for more than 15 years. But the U.S. military unveiled the largest conventional bomb in its arsenal against the Islamic State group, which has a far smaller but growing presence in Afghanistan. U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly vowed to aggressively confront IS.

Trump called the operation a "very, very successful mission" but Karzai had harsh words for the new U.S. leader.

"My message to President Trump today is that he has committed an immense atrocity against the Afghan people, against fellow human beings," he said. "If the American government sees us as human beings, then they have committed a crime against fellow human beings, but if they treat us as less than human beings, well, of course they can do whatever they want."

The U.S. estimates 600-800 IS fighters are in Afghanistan, mostly in Nangarhar. American forces have has concentrated on fighting them while also supporting local Afghan forces against the Taliban.

Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai speaks during an interview with the Associated Press in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, April 17, 2017. Karzai said that the U.S. is using Afghanistan as a weapons testing ground, calling the recent use of the largest-ever non-nuclear bomb "an immense atrocity against the Afghan people." Last week, U.S. forces dropped the GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb in Nangarhar province, reportedly killing 95 militants. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has ordered a halt to work on a major steel plant, citing environmental and other concerns.

The Vietnam-based Hoa Sen Group last year announced plans to build a $10.6 billion complex with an annual capacity of 16 million tons of steel. But a government statement Monday called for further studies on the potential environmental impact of the project, and its economic feasibility.

It cited risks of a disaster like the chemical spill last year during a test run at another steel complex, built by Taiwan's Formosa Plastic Group, that devastated fisheries, tourism and the economies of four central provinces.

Economic concerns are another factor, given the glut in world steel supplies.

Staff who answered the phone at Hoa Sen Group's offices Monday said the person authorized to speak about the project was traveling and not available for comment.

Formosa Plastic paid $500 million in compensation for the accident at its steel complex, which is considered Vietnam's worst environmental disaster.

The Formosa Plastics steel project in Ha Tinh province includes a steel plant, a power plant and a deep sea port, and is one of the largest foreign investments in Vietnam.

While such industrial projects create much-needed jobs, they also can extract a steep price.

An estimated 115 tons of fish washed ashore along more than 200 kilometers (125 miles) of the central coast in April, the government said in a report to the National Assembly in July. The disaster harmed the livelihoods of more than 200,000 people, including 41,000 fishermen, and triggered rare protests in the communist-ruled country.
PARIS (AP) - The International Chamber of Commerce held an arbitration hearing Monday over a Russian magnate's claims for $12 billion from Russia, part of a long-running battle with President Vladimir Putin's government.

Russia accuses Sergei Pugachev of embezzlement, while he alleges the Russian state unlawfully took over his shipyards and other assets. Pugachev had a big business empire in the 1990s, including ship-building, banking and energy, and was a longtime Putin ally before they fell into dispute.

Pugachev's representatives said his lawyers sought at Monday's hearing to freeze Russian government assets abroad or other punitive measures. His claims for $12 billion are retaliation for what he calls unjustified Russian seizures of his assets.

The Russian state Deposit Insurance Agency says Pugachev ran his bank into the ground in a scam to get money from the government. Authorities have frozen Pugachev's assets in Britain and Switzerland in that case, and he was sentenced in Britain for contempt of court after fleeing to France.

No decision was made at Monday's hearing, held in Paris at Pugachev's request, according to lawyer David Goldberg, representing the Russian government.

Pugachev didn't comment after the hearing.

Russian prosecutors want Pugachev extradited from France, but that is unlikely because the magnate is now a French citizen, with a home on the French Riviera.
ISLAMABAD (AP) - Pakistani authorities said Monday they have arrested 22 people involved in the lynching of a university student who was accused of blasphemy and detained a teenage woman who had been recruited by the Islamic State group for a foiled attack on a church.

Word of the arrests came as U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser arrived for talks on combatting militants in South Asia, highlighting Pakistan's struggle with Islamic extremism.

The 16 students and six university employees are believed to have incited or taken part in the mob that killed 23-year-old Mohammad Mashal Khan, provincial police chief Salahuddin Mehsud said. The student was beaten and shot to death at a university in the northwestern city of Mardan on Thursday.

In this photo taken on Friday, April. 14, 2017, activists of a Pakistani civil society protest against the killing of a student Mohammad Mashal in Peshawar, Pakistan. Pakistani police say they have arrested 22 suspects in the lynching of the university student who was accused of blasphemy. (AP Photo/Muhammad Sajjad)

Mehsud said no evidence has been found to indicate Khan committed blasphemy against Islam, which is punishable by death in Pakistan. The mere suspicion of blasphemy is enough to incite deadly riots in the deeply conservative country.

Pakistan had recently vowed to combat the sharing of blasphemous material on social media, and has tried to enlist Facebook and Twitter in the campaign.

A military spokesman meanwhile said authorities detained a teenage woman earlier this month who had been recruited by the Islamic State group to carry out a suicide attack against a church on Easter.

Noreen Leghari, 19, was detained after a previously reported shootout on April 14, the day before Easter, in which another militant was killed, said Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor.

The new details on the raid were released as H.R. McMaster, the U.S. national security adviser, arrived on his first visit since the United States dropped its largest non-nuclear bomb on an Islamic State tunnel complex in neighboring Afghanistan.

McMaster arrived in Islamabad after holding talks in Afghanistan on efforts to combat the Taliban and the IS group's Afghan affiliate. The U.S. dropped the Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, or MOAB, on an Islamic State tunnel complex carved into a mountain in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday, reportedly killing 95 militants.

McMaster met with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and other senior officials. Pakistan's foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz said Islamabad remained committed to working for peace and reconciliation in neighboring Afghanistan, and that officials meeting with McMaster had discussed efforts to secure the border.

The U.S. Embassy said McMaster "expressed appreciation for Pakistan's democratic and economic development, and stressed the need to confront terrorism in all its forms."

Pakistan has long sought to downplay the growing presence of Islamic State militants, who have claimed a number of attacks in recent months. Monday's announcement marked the first time Pakistani officials have acknowledged that the extremist group based in Syria and Iraq is recruiting within the South Asian country.

Pakistan has been struggling to combat the much larger and more well-established Pakistani Taliban, which emerged after the 2001 U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan and have carried out attacks that have killed tens of thousands of people.

The Islamic State group is believed to have recruited disgruntled Taliban fighters in both Pakistan and Afghanistan with its promise of building a worldwide Islamic caliphate.

Leghari was recruited via Facebook, and went missing in February, later marrying an Islamic State fighter who was killed in the April 14 raid, a Pakistani security official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief reporters. He said the woman had fought alongside her husband during the raid and shot at security forces.

Ghafoor suggested she had fallen prey to the group's online propaganda. He portrayed her detention as a rescue and said "we will rehabilitate her."

___

Associated Press writers Riaz Khan in Peshawar, Pakistan and Zaheer Babar in Lahore, Pakistan contributed to this report.
TOP STORIES:

SKOREA-POLITICS - South Korean prosecutors indict ex-President Park Geun-hye on bribery, extortion, abuse of power and other high-profile corruption charges that could potentially send her to jail for life. It is the latest in a series of humiliations for Park, who was driven from office by massive and peaceful popular protests. By Hyung-Jin Kim. SENT: 690 words, photos. With SKOREA-POLITICS-TIMELINE; SKOREA-POLITICS-THE LATEST.

PENCE-KOREA - Vice President Mike Pence is the latest to lead the U.S. message-sending to the government of North Korea on its nuclear weapons ambitions. By Ken Thomas. SENT: 810 words, photos, video, audio.

NKOREA-WAR WORRIES - The clouds of war, it might seem, are gathering around the Korean Peninsula. The North Korean government flaunts an increasingly sophisticated arsenal of intercontinental missiles and launches a midrange version, which apparently fails seconds after takeoff. The U.S. moves an immense warship to the waters off the peninsula in a display of military might. President Donald Trump warns he's ready to "solve North Korea," while North Korea's deputy foreign minister says his country will conduct its next nuclear test whenever it sees fit. By Tim Sullivan. SENT: 490 words, photos.

JAPAN-NKOREA - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says Japan's government is drawing up contingency plans in case a crisis on the Korean Peninsula sends an influx of refugees to Japan. By Mari Yamaguchi. SENT: 280 words.

SRI LANKA-GARBAGE COLLAPSE - Rescuers are digging through heaps of mud and trash that collapsed onto a clutch of homes near a garbage dump outside Sri Lanka's capital, killing at least 29 people and possibly burying dozens more. By Eranga Jayawardena. SENT: 480 words, photos.

CHINA-TIBET - A Tibetan Buddhist monk sets himself on fire in western China in apparent protest against Beijing's rule over the restive region, a monitoring group and a U.S. government-backed radio station say. By Matthew Brown. SENT: 440 words.

KASHMIR-STUDENT PROTESTS - Dozens of people are injured in anti-India protests and clashes between Kashmiri students and government forces in the disputed Himalayan region. SENT: 300 words, photos.

VIETNAM-LAND DISPUTE - Villagers in the Vietnamese capital are holding dozens of policemen in a land dispute in a rare defiance of the communist government. SENT: 250 words.

SOUTHEAST ASIA SUMMIT-SECURITY - More than 200 delegates from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will proceed with a meeting in a central Philippine resort province this week despite a foiled attack there by Muslim extremists, officials say. SENT: 240 words.

THE WEEK THAT WAS IN ASIA-PHOTO GALLERY - SENT: 240 words, photos.

BUSINESS AND FINANCE:

VIETNAM-STEEL PLANT - Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has ordered a halt to work on a major steel plant, citing environmental and other concerns. SENT: 240 words.

FINANCIAL-MARKETS - Shares waver as U.S. warns era of patience with N. Korea is over. By Yuri Kageyama. SENT: 440 words, photos.

___

HOW TO REACH US:

The editor in charge at the AP Asia-Pacific Desk in Bangkok is Hrvoje Hranjski. Questions and story requests are welcome. The news desk can be reached at (66) 2632-6911 or by email at asia@ap.org. The Asia Photo Desk can be reached at (81-3) 6215-8941. 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 (1) 877-836-9477.
HARPURSVILLE, N.Y. (AP) - The long-awaited arrival of April the giraffe's baby has made Animal Adventure Park the second most live-viewed channel in YouTube's history.

April's livestream had more than 232 million live views and 7.6 billion minutes of live watch time since February, second only to League of Legends eSports, which has been around since 2012, YouTube said on Monday.

The channel had its biggest day on Saturday, with more than 14 million live views. More than 1.2 million viewers were watching the livestream simultaneously on YouTube when April gave birth Saturday morning, making it one of the Top 5 most-watched moments.

In this photo provided by Animal Adventure Park in Binghamton, N.Y., a giraffe named April stands with her new calf on Saturday, April 15, 2017. Her birth was broadcast to an online audience of more than a million viewers. (Animal Adventure Park via AP)

The not-yet-named male baby giraffe was running around with its mother within three hours of birth at the private zoo in Harpursville, a village 130 miles (210 kilometers) northwest of New York City.

Animal Adventure Park owner Jordan Patch said the baby was healthy and April was recovering "perfectly."

April and the baby will be introduced to the public when the park opens for the season next month.

"We're going to see that baby and mom really develop a beautiful bond," Patch said.

The zoo is holding a contest to name the baby, charging $1 per vote, with proceeds being split among wild giraffe conservation efforts, zoo upgrades and support for families of children experiencing unexpected medical expenses.

April's fans can continue to watch mother and baby on livestream now. But eventually, after the baby is weaned, it will move on to be paired with young females at another zoo, where it will produce calves of its own, Patch said.
Michael Kelleher, 23, was found dead in the Charles River in Boston, his parents said

A Massachusetts man who went missing after attending a Boston Celtics game late last month has been found dead in the Charles River.

State police say they pulled the body of an adult male from the river just after 9am Sunday, after a passer-by spotted it.

Police did not immediately confirm the body's identity, but the parents of 23-year-old Michael Kelleher said in a statement it was their son.

The Southborough man's father, Mike Kelleher Sr, said: 'Michael was claimed by the Charles River the night of his disappearance.

They added: 'This morning, the river gave him back to us.'

His parents also thanked everyone who helped in the search.

He was last seen at a March 29 Boston Celtics game, which he had attended with a co-worker. Officials searched for him for more than two weeks before he was found

Kelleher, a waiter, was last seen March 29 after attending a Celtics game with a co-worker, the Boston Globe reported.

His mother, Lori Tavella Kelleher, said he was drunk when he left and that his plans for getting home after the game were unclear.

She previously wrote on Facebook: 'Please know that my son is missing and did not just go to a friends house.

'He went to the Celtics game on Wednesday night with a coworker, was drunk and didnt meet up at her car for a ride home. She waited a bit and then left him in Boston drunk.'

At one point that night, he had tried to call an Uber.

The cause of death remains under investigation and officials found no obvious signs of trauma on his body.

Kelleher's father said: 'We would also like to thank everyone who prayed for Michaels safe return, forwarded pics, gave ideas to find him, canvassed all of Boston and Cambridge with his Missing flyers, spoke to the media, detectives, police, and PI.'
WASHINGTON (AP) - Once soft on Russia and hard on China, President Donald Trump rapidly reversed course in the last weeks, concluding there's more business to be done with Beijing than with Moscow.

Trump's evolving views on those two world powers have brought the U.S. back into alignment with former President Barack Obama's pattern of "great power" politics. Though Russia critics welcomed Trump's newly hardened tone, there's less enthusiasm from America's allies in Asia, who fear the U.S. could overlook China's more aggressive posture toward its neighbors.

It may be that Trump, the businessman-turned-world leader, is discovering China's transactional approach to foreign relations is better suited to achieving his own goals. Chinese leaders have sought a U.S. relationship based on the two powers respecting each other's spheres of influence and not intervening in one another's internal affairs.

FILE - In this Thursday, April 6, 2017, file photo, President Donald Trump shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping as he arrives before dinner at Mar-a-Lago resort, in Palm Beach, Fla. In recent weeks, Trump has moved away from his tough campaign rhetoric on trade. Trump's threat to slap harsh tariffs on Chinese goods has given way to a bid to mend fences with Beijing. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Such a balance-of-powers approach had been Russia's traditional stance. Moscow still wants Washington out of its backyard, but Russia's alleged campaigns to influence the U.S. presidential election and upcoming votes in the heart of Western Europe have made it harder for American officials to take the offer seriously. Russia's support for Syrian President Bashar Assad and Trump's newfound commitment to militarily countering any chemical weapons attacks also is proving hard to square.

Also, Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin's shared tendency toward nationalist, "don't-mess-with-us" rhetoric may be putting the pair on a collision course.

The sudden U-turn for Trump has been head-snapping for people around the world, despite his self-professed penchant for unpredictability and willingness to adapt to changing circumstances.

As the Republican presidential nominee, Trump praised Putin repeatedly as a strong, "very smart" leader. Trump dismissed America's Russia hawks as "stupid people or fools" and predicted that under his leadership the Cold War foes would "work together to solve some of the many great and pressing problems and issues of the world."

Trump's gestures to Moscow even fueled perceptions that his campaign and Russia were colluding to help him get elected - a possibility the FBI is now investigating.

"Frankly, if we got along with Russia and knocked out ISIS, that would be a good thing, not a bad thing," Trump told a radio host in October, citing his still unrealized goal to have both countries cooperate to defeat the Islamic State group.

This past week, it was the opposite message, as the U.S. and Russia feuded about Syria.

"We're not getting along with Russia at all," Trump said. "We may be at an all-time low."

Trump's declaration came at a joint news conference with the leader of NATO, an alliance established as a Cold War bulwark against the Soviet Union. Trump had dismissed NATO as "obsolete," but now says it is "no longer obsolete."

As he shifts away from Russia, Trump is offering an outstretched hand to China. Trump recently hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping at Trump's Florida resort, and on Thursday hailed Xi as a "terrific person" and a "very special man."

For years Trump said that China was "eating our lunch," and he peppered his campaign rallies with promises to label China a currency manipulator as one of his first acts. He even threatened to start a trade war, arguing that China's trade surplus was the reason for America's economic woes.

Trump's growing focus on the North Korean threat, heightened by signs the North might soon conduct another nuclear test, has changed Trump's thinking. Now he is looking for help from China, North Korea's dominant trade partner, and easing up on his rhetoric. "I think China has really been working very hard" on North Korea, he said.

Coinciding with this new assessment was Trump's announcement that he won't declare China a currency manipulator. It was Trump's second major concession to Xi, after backing away from a threat to abandon America's "One China" policy that sees Taiwan as part of China.

So what did Trump, the self-declared deal-maker, get in return?

"The U.S. hasn't gotten anything from China yet," said Evan Medeiros, who was Obama's top Asia adviser in the White House. "The question becomes, if they don't give him what he wants, what happens next?"

Trump and White House aides have pointed to Beijing's move to restrict coal imports from North Korea as a sign it's listening to Trump. But the restriction merely put in place U.N. sanctions passed last year with China's support - before Trump took office.

Although U.S. allies Japan and South Korea are heartened by Trump's North Korea focus, his softer tack toward Beijing is causing concern. China's other designs for Asia include staking sovereignty to maritime territories, sometimes far from its coast, that others countries claim as well.

Despite Trump's argument that China is taking North Korea seriously, China remains adamantly opposed to U.S. deployment of an advanced missile defense system in South Korea. Trump, like Obama before him, insists the system's sole purpose is to protect against the North. Beijing isn't so sure and doesn't like such sophisticated radar being able to peer into Chinese territory.

___

Reach Josh Lederman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP

FILE - In this April 12, 2017 file photo, President Donald Trump pauses during a news conference in the East Room at the White House in Washington. Once soft on Russia and hard on China, President Donald Trump rapidly reversed course in the last weeks, concluding there's more business to be done with Beijing than with Moscow. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov listens for a question during a shared with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem news conference following their talks focused on Syria in Moscow, Russia, Friday, April 14, 2017. Lavrov, who hosted his Iranian and Syrian counterparts at a trilateral meeting in Moscow, denounced last week's U.S. attack on Syria as a "flagrant violation" of international law and warned that any further such action would entail "grave consequences not only for regional but global security." (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

FILE - This July 15, 2013, file photo, shows the New York Stock Exchange. Global stock markets turned lower and the dollar was volatile Thursday, April 13, 2017, after President Donald Trump withdrew a threat to declare China a currency manipulator and said the U.S. currency was "getting too strong." Tensions over North Korea also weighed on investors ahead of a long weekend in many markets. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
LISBON, Portugal (AP) - A small plane crashed Monday beside a supermarket near Lisbon, killing four people on board the aircraft and one on the ground. Four people were slightly injured, emergency services said.

The dead included the Swiss pilot, three French passengers on the plane and a Portuguese truck driver, emergency services operational commander Miguel Cruz told The Associated Press.

The Swiss-registered plane crashed shortly after a noon takeoff from the small Tires airfield, 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of the Portuguese capital, Cruz said. Officials said the crash happened amid clear skies and a light wind.

Smoke rises behind a supermarket near Lisbon after a small plane crashed. Portuguese officials say a small plane has crashed beside a supermarket near Lisbon, killing four people on board the aircraft and one on the ground. Four people were slightly injured. (Ramiro Ribeiro via AP)

The Tires airfield said the plane was a twin-engine Piper PA-31 Navajo aircraft. The airfield was closed as authorities opened an investigation.

The truck driver was offloading his cargo at the supermarket's rear cargo bay, about 2 kilometers (just over 1 mile) from the runway, when the plane crashed near him. His truck was set ablaze.

Authorities declined to identify those killed in the plane until their identities could be compared with the flight plan.

The injured were shopping inside the supermarket and were treated for shock and smoke inhalation. The crash occurred about 150 meters (yards) from an elementary school.

About three dozen firefighting vehicles rushed to the scene, arriving within six minutes, according to officials. Nearby houses were blackened by smoke, with nine people forced to evacuate their homes.

Smoke rises next to a supermarket after a small plane crashed in Tires, near Lisbon, Portugal, Monday, April 17, 2017. Portuguese officials say a small plane has crashed beside a supermarket near Lisbon, killing four people on board the aircraft and one on the ground (Fabio Miguel Pocarico via AP)
Ray Davies, "Americana" (Legacy Recordings)

Think of "Americana," the first release of new material from former Kinks frontman Ray Davies in nine years, as a musical memoir of sorts. It's a welcome return for one of rock's signature voices and it finds Davies in a reflective and introspective mood.

Cowboys. Coca Cola. Highways. New York. Silent movies. The Kinks.

This cover image released by Legacy Recordings shows "Americana," a release by Ray Davies. (Legacy via AP)

They all get referenced over 15 tracks, as Davies sings about his life working and living in America over the past 50 years. Davies finds the perfect backing band in The Jayhawks to tell his stories both in song and spoken readings from his 2013 memoir.

But it's more than just a nostalgic travelogue.

Davies, who penned some of rock's most well-known songs including "Lola" and "You Really Got Me," is also one of the best - and perhaps most underrated - storytellers. His signature sharp wit and razor-sharp insight are in full force on "Americana."

On the standout track "Poetry," Davies beautifully questions what has become of a country dominated by fast food restaurants, shopping malls and a bland sameness.

"Where is the poetry, what is the rhyme?" Davies sings, wistfully. "What is the meaning? Give us a sign."

There's no better place to start looking for those answers than "Americana."
 Flash

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark celebrated her 77th birthday on Sunday at Marselisborg Palace in Aarhus, the second largest city in the country.

Surrounded by her family, including her husband Prince Henrik and their children and grandchildren, the Queen posed for photographs at the rear of the palace and greeted the locals who had come to pay their tribute.

The royal family also attended an Easter church service at Aarhus Cathedral as this year's birthday coincides with the Easter Sunday.

The Queen's birthday was celebrated around the country with various events and activities. At Kronborg Castle, a World Heritage stronghold-turned palace in the town of Elsinore, cannons were fired with 27 thunderous shots at 12:00 p.m. as a salute to the Queen.

Margrethe II was born on April 16, 1940 at Amalienborg Palace in the capital city of Copenhagen.
"Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI" (Doubleday), by David Grann

The FBI burnished its reputation by gunning down Depression-era gangster John Dillinger and bringing to justice the kidnapper of Charles Lindbergh's baby. However, a more challenging but long forgotten investigation a decade earlier gave the fledgling agency its first major success.

At least two dozen and perhaps as many as several hundred Osage Indians were murdered during what became known as a yearslong "Reign of Terror." The shocking episode that unfolded on the high-grass prairie during the 1920s was fueled by oil wealth, greed and prejudice.

This book cover image released by Doubleday shows, "Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI," by David Grann. (Doubleday via AP)

Like so many other Native Americans, the Osage were driven from their ancestral lands as settlers moved into the West. The tribe ended up on barren and seemingly worthless reservation lands in northeast Oklahoma. But when huge oil deposits were discovered there, it appeared that the tribe had finally hit the jackpot.

Osage whose names were on the tribal rolls received "headrights" that entitled them to a share of the income from oil leases and royalties. The newfound wealth allowed them to build mansions, drive luxury cars and send children to posh boarding schools, breeding resentment from jealous whites and giving rise to a growing string of unsolved killings.

"The world's richest people per capita were becoming the world's most murdered," writes David Grann in "Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI," his riveting account of the killings that first came to light in May 1921 when the body of an Osage woman who had gone missing was found by squirrel hunters in a ravine. The slain body of another member of the tribe was found at roughly the same time.

The body count kept growing. Some of the dead were shot, others had drunk moonshine whiskey spiked with poison and two died when their killer set off an explosion at their home. White authorities seemed indifferent about the murders, prompting members of the tribe to hire private detectives to try to crack the case. But the chilling conspiracies designed to wrest the oil headrights from the victims came to light only after J. Edgar Hoover's Bureau of Investigation, later renamed the FBI, got involved in the case.

The hero of the saga is Tom White, a larger-than-life former Texas Ranger who deployed a network of undercover agents to help expose corrupt guardianships that allowed greedy whites to swindle the Osage out of their headrights. At the center of the conspiracy was the politically powerful William Hale, a one-time cowboy, part-time lawman and self-styled preacher, known to all as the "King of the Osage Hills."

White sought justice for the tribe at a time when rampant prejudice made potential witnesses reluctant to implicate fellow whites in crimes against Indians; bribery, perjury and jury tampering were commonplace.

As a prominent member of the tribe put it when Hale went to trial: "It is a question in my mind whether this jury is considering a murder case or not. The question for them to decide is whether a white man killing an Osage is murder - or merely cruelty to animals."

Research by Grann, a staff writer for The New Yorker, sheds new light on the murders, including archival evidence implicating a bank president. The author also suggests that the Reign of Terror went on far longer than initially thought, beginning as early as 1918 and continuing for years after Hale's arrest in 1925.

Readers with a taste for true-crime narratives would be hard-pressed to find one more gripping than this unraveling of a mystery that once captivated the nation but is now barely remembered. History buffs with an interest in the settlement of the West and the treatment of its indigenous populations will find even more to chew on.
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (AP) - A man faces charges of felony murder and aggravated assault after police say he choked a woman and her 2-year-old son at a home in suburban Atlanta.

Gwinnett County Police spokeswoman Cpl. Michele Pihera says the homeowner called 911 around 11 p.m. Sunday and said his son had choked the pair. Police arrested 32-year-old Brandon Williams at a gas station a short time later.

The toddler died soon after the attack and his mother, 30-year-old Natalie Nation, died Monday morning at a hospital.

Pihera says there were no family ties between Williams and the woman, who was renting a room at the home. Police say the homeowner was working outside on a car during the attack.

Williams was being held without bond. It's unclear if he has an attorney.
BOSTON (AP) - A Massachusetts man who vanished after attending a Boston Celtics game more than two weeks ago has been found dead in a river.

State police say they pulled the body from the Charles River on Sunday morning after a passer-by spotted it. Police on Monday confirmed it was that of 23-year-old Michael Kelleher, of Southborough.

Kelleher's parents said in a statement: "Michael was claimed by the Charles River the night of his disappearance. At 8:00 this morning, the river gave him back to us."

His parents also thanked everyone who helped in the search.

Kelleher was last seen March 29 after attending a Celtics game with a friend.

The cause of death remains under investigation.

___

This story has been corrected to show Kelleher was found Sunday morning, not Sunday night.
Reruns of stories are available at http://apexchange.com, from the Service Desk at 800-838-4616, or your local AP bureau. Additional stories will be included in digest updates through the week.

OF SPECIAL NOTE:

TRUMP COUNTRY-REFUGEES AND RESENTMENT

LEWISTON, Maine - Richard Rodrigue stood in a banquet hall, watching his blond-haired, blue-eyed daughter mingle among her high school classmates. The teenagers, who hail from a dozen African nations, fled brutal civil war, famine, oppressive regimes to find themselves here, at a pre-prom fete in this once-dying New England mill town. Rodrigue sees value in that: "It will help her in life. The world is not all white." His working-class community, found in the whitest state in America, is a place some point to as proof that refugee integration can work. Some 7,500 immigrants have come over the last 16 years, and Rodrigue credits them with helping to plug a population drain, for opening businesses in boarded-up storefronts. But he also agrees with Donald Trump that there should be no more of them, at least not now. For the first time in 30 years, voters in Androscoggin County chose a Republican for president, endorsing Trump's nativist zeal against the very sort of immigrants who share their streets and schools. Their community has been an experiment in immigration and all that comes with it - friendships, fear, triumphs, resentment - and Trump's presidency marks another chapter in that struggle for the American soul. By Claire Galofaro. 2,800 words. Text, along with photos by David Goldman and video by Martha Irvine, moved for publication April 19 and thereafter. An abridged version also moved. This story is part of the AP's ongoing coverage of America in the era of Trump.

SCAMMED INTO HOMELESSNESS

NEW YORK - Around the U.S., deed theft has emerged as one of the most sophisticated and devastating frauds ever to menace homeowners. Foreclosure-"rescue" scams that have stolen thousands of dollars from homeowners in the years since the housing collapse have been pushed by savvy perpetrators to their limit; they use lies to convince the desperate to sign over the title to their house, forcing them into homelessness or a years-long legal battle. "The scammers are no longer content with stealing $5,000. Now they want the whole house," says a prosecutor. By National Writer Matt Sedensky. 2,000 words, with an abridged version. Photos. SENT in advance. Will be retransmitted Saturday, April 22; for print use in April 23 editions.

ISLAMIC STATE-BABIES OF THE CALIPHATE

Hundreds of children fathered by the Islamic State's foreign fighters or brought to the self-proclaimed caliphate by their parents are now in limbo with nowhere to go, collateral victims as the militant group retreats and home countries hesitate to take them back. One young Tunisian orphan, Tamim Jaboudi, has been in a prison in Tripoli, Libya, for well over a year. He passed his second birthday behind bars and is nearing another, turning 3 on April 30. By Lori Hinnant. SENT: 1,500 words, with an abridged version, on April 21. Photos, video.

BRAND IVANKA

Since Donald Trump was elected president, sales of Ivanka Trump merchandise have surged and her company has applied for at least nine new trademarks - signs that the commercial engine of the first daughter's brand is still humming even as she builds a new career from her West Wing office. By Erika Kinetz and Anne D'Innocenzio. SENT: 1,680 words, photos, graphic. An abridged version of 680 words has also been sent.

With:

BC-BRAND IVANKA-RETAILERS - Stores struggle with politicized stock.

BC-BRAND IVANKA-TIMELINE.

OVERCOMING OPIOIDS-BETTER DRUGS

Nothing seems to work as well as opioids for pain - or so we thought, until 2 million Americans became hooked on them and evidence grew that they're not so great for chronic pain after all. Now, a host of novel medicines are in testing, from drugs that target more specific pathways and types of pain to ones that make recovering from surgery easier and avoid the need for pain pills after patients go home. By Chief Medical Writer Marilynn Marchione. SENT: 1,330 words on April 17. Photos, video, graphics.

FOR THIS WEEK (for immediate release, except as noted):

EPA-DOW CHEMICAL

Dow Chemical is pushing the Trump administration to scrap the findings of federal scientists who point to a family of widely used pesticides as harmful to about 1,800 critically threatened or endangered species. By Michael Biesecker. SENT: 1,260 words on April 20. Photos, video.

SYRIA-DEFECTING FROM IS

He was barely 20 when the Islamic State group stormed Deir el-Zour, in the oil-rich east of Syria. He had already been fighting for two years against the government, so it was an easy choice: Join the militants to keep up the fight against the Syrian military. The story of one defector from the extremists highlights the complexity of motives and alliances in Syria's war. By Sarah El Deeb. SENT: 1,600 words on April 20. Photos, video.

JIHADI'S JOURNEY

Randall Royer grew up in the Midwest, a suburban St. Louis kid - but by 21, he'd converted to Islam and changed his name to Ismail Royer, fighting in Bosnia alongside fellow Muslims against Serbian ethnic cleansing. By 31, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for helping friends who wanted to join the Taliban after the Sept. 11 attacks. Now, 44 and out of prison, he remembers Bosnia as both a highlight of his life and the place that launched him on a disastrous path. By Matthew Barakat. SENT: 840 words on April 20. Photos.

ITALY-MEDITERRANEAN RESCUES

The Spanish group Proactiva Open Arms is working to save migrants before they are consumed by the unforgiving Mediterranean Sea. By Bernat Aramangue. SENT: 1,210 words on April 17. Photos. This was sent as the Tuesday Spotlight.

BROADBAND PRIVACY-LOBBYING

NEW YORK - The telecom industry's lobbying muscle pushed a consumer privacy measure to a swift death in Congress. Republicans struck down Obama-era rules that would have imposed tight restrictions on what broadband companies such as Verizon, AT&T and Comcast could do with their customers' personal data. Digital-rights and consumer-advocacy groups supported keeping the rules. But they were outmatched by telecom trade groups and lobbyists. By Technology Writer Tali Arbel. SENT: 880 words on April 17. Photos.

UNITED STATES-FILMMAKER'S FIGHT

Laura Poitras' travel nightmare began more than a decade ago when the award-winning filmmaker started getting detained at airports every time she tried to set foot back in the United States. By Deb Riechmann. SENT: 1,120 words on April 17. Photo.

TOWN FOR SALE

In the tiny, dying timber town of Tiller, Oregon, the old cliche is true: If you blink, you might actually miss it. But these days, Tiller is generating big-city buzz for an unlikely reason. Almost the entire town is for sale. By Gillian Flaccus. SENT: 700 words on April 21. Photos, video.

CHINA-ELECTRIC CAR DREAMS

Automakers face a dilemma in China's huge but crowded market: Regulators are pushing them to sell electric cars, but buyers want gas-guzzling SUVs. By Business Writer Joe McDonald. SENT: 1,020 words on April 17. Photos.

IRAQ-BOOKS ON WHEELS

The Iraqis guarding Baghdad's many checkpoints, on the lookout for car bombs and convoys, don't know what to make of Ali al-Moussawi when he pulls up in a truck displaying shelves of glossy books. The mobile bookstore is the latest in a series of efforts by the 25-year-old to share his passion for reading and revive a love for books in Baghdad, which was once the literary capital of the Muslim world but is now better known for bombs than poems. By Sinan Salaheddin. SENT: 600 words on April 18. Photos, video.

ZIMBABWE-FIGHT CLUB

In Zimbabwe, where unemployment is rife and the young are increasingly taking to drugs and alcohol, a former boxing champion hopes a makeshift ring will keep some boys off the streets. By Farai Mutsaka. SENT: 610 words on April 20. Photos.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC-REVIVING SANTO DOMINGO

Latin America's oldest colonial city is aiming for a rebound, pouring millions into renovating centuries-old buildings in hopes of getting more of the Dominican Republic's five million tourists a year to spend more time in Santo Domingo's historic center. By Ezequiel Lopez Blanco. SENT: 690 words on April 17. Photos.

TV-FOX-LIFE AFTER O'REILLY

With longtime host Bill O'Reilly departing in another blowup over sexual harassment, Fox News faces some big challenges. It now has to show that it can hang on to its loyal army of conservative viewers, improve its working culture and still continue to make big bucks for its corporate parent. By Business Writer Tali Arbel. SENT: 990 words on April 19. Photos, graphic.

TV-WINFREY-HENRIETTA LACKS

Oprah Winfrey discusses her starring role in the HBO film "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" as a daughter searching for the mother she never knew whose cells led to medical breakthroughs. By Television Writer Frazier Moore. SENT: 800 words on April 20. Photos, video.

With:

BC-MED--HENRIETTA LACKS-Q&A - "Death-defying" cells from cancer patient Henrietta Lacks led to a scientific bonanza. Some background on the case of Henrietta Lacks. By Science Writer Malcolm Ritter. 600 words. Photos.

FILM-ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DRAMA

Made for about $100 million and starring a couple of A-list stars, "The Promise" is easily the most ambitious big-screen treatment of the Armenian genocide. The filmmakers knew to expect a Turkish response. What they didn't expect was the making of a rival, superficially similar movie to be mounted by Turkish producers to give a counter view of the era in which 1.5 million Armenians were killed. By Film Writer Jake Coyle. SENT: 900 words on April 17. Photos.

With:

BC-FILM-ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DRAMA-AP - In "The Promise," Christian Bale plays an Associated Press reporter whose strongly-worded dispatches help bring worldwide attention to the treatment of Armenians. A look at the AP's reporting on WWI events in Turkey.

AMERICAN REVOLUTION MUSEUM-PHOTO GALLERY

PHILADELPHIA - The Museum of the American Revolution has opened its doors in Philadelphia, with fife and drum music, colorful colonial re-enactors and the blessing of former Vice President Joe Biden. A photo gallery. SENT: 120 words on April 19. Photos

The AP
WASHINGTON (AP) - Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is looking to the Middle East and North Africa for broader contributions and new ideas to fight Islamic extremism as the Trump administration fleshes out its counterterrorism strategy.

His trip to the region, which began with his departure Monday night, includes stops with longstanding allies Saudi Arabia and Israel, and new partners like Djibouti.

As the administration enhances its efforts, Mattis has made a point of consulting counterparts around the world. His goals include expanding the American-led coalition against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, but also combatting al-Qaida, whose Yemen branch is posing particular worry as it uses ungoverned spaces in the Arab world's poorest country to plan attacks on the United States.

FILE - In this April 11, 2017 file photo, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis pauses during a news conference at the Pentagon. Mattis is looking to the Middle East and North Africa for broader contributions and new ideas to fight Islamic extremism as the Trump administration fleshes out its counterterrorism strategy. His trip to the region this week includes stops with longstanding allies Israel and Saudi Arabia, and new partners like Djibouti. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

In announcing Mattis's trip, the Pentagon said last week he would be discussing ways to "defeat extremist terror organizations."

Mattis is starting his travels Tuesday in Riyadh, where he is expected to meet senior Saudi leaders. Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition that is fighting Iran-backed rebels in Yemen. The coalition's airstrikes began two years ago but haven't driven the Houthi rebels from the capital and large parts of Yemen they still control.

The Trump administration is considering providing intelligence, aerial refueling and other military assistance to the United Arab Emirates, which is helping the Saudis. The U.N. says some 50,000 civilians have been killed or wounded in the three-year stalemate.

Worries about IS aren't limited to Syria and Iraq. Its influence has spread to Libya and elsewhere in North Africa. Mattis told a Pentagon news conference last week that he hoped to bring as many other nations as possible into the administration's new strategy, which involves diplomatic and other non-military features. He said that plan was still in "skeleton form," though it was being "fleshed out."

The Middle East's landscape is getting more complicated.

Syria's alleged chemical weapons attack on April 4 prompted a U.S. cruise missile strike, temporarily slowing the pace of Washington's air campaign against IS in northern Syria.

And a U.S. airstrike April 11 killed 18 fighters associated with a U.S.-supported Syrian rebel group. Central Command said the U.S. strike was misdirected.

Also last week, U.S. forces in Afghanistan struck an IS stronghold near the Pakistani border with the 11-ton "mother of all bombs," the largest U.S. non-nuclear bomb ever used in combat.

The Middle East is familiar turf for Mattis, a Marine veteran of the Iraq war who rose to four-star rank. He finished his military career as head of Central Command, which directs U.S. military operations across the Middle East and Central Asia.

On his weeklong trip, Mattis also is scheduled to visit Egypt and Qatar, the small Arab country that hosts the U.S. military's main Mideast air operations center. It will be his first trip to these countries since taking office in January. He also will make a brief stop at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa, which the U.S. uses to fly sensitive drone missions over Somalia and Yemen. Mattis visited Iraq in February on his first trip to the Middle East as Pentagon chief.
DECATUR, Ga. (AP) - Another major highway through Atlanta was partially shut down on Monday, this one after underground utility work caused the pavement to rise up, break apart and send a passing motorcyclist flying through the air.

While the east-west highway could reopen as soon as Tuesday, the rupture proved to be another headache for Atlanta area motorists already struggling with the collapse of an overpass on a key north-south route.

Witnesses said the motorcyclist was riding in the carpool lane when the pavement suddenly rose up in front of him. Others rushed to his aid. DeKalb County spokesman Andrew Cauthen said he was hospitalized with multiple fractures.

This photo shows a portion of Interstate 20 that buckled because of an underground gas leak in Decatur, Ga., Monday, April 17, 2017. (Eric Stirgus/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

The buckling was caused by a utility crew using machinery to bore a new natural gas pipeline under Interstate 20, authorities said.

DeKalb County police spokeswoman Shiera Campbell said a pipeline being filled with concrete ruptured, and the concrete was forced upward.

The pressure the pavement to rise and break apart, creating a mound as high as six feet (two meters) or more in the High Occupancy Vehicle lane.

"Work was being performed in the area on behalf of Atlanta Gas Light," company spokeswoman Melissa Clontz said. "This incident was not caused by and did not involve the release of natural gas."

County spokeswoman Sarah Page said all westbound lanes were closed until further notice several miles southeast of downtown Atlanta. Westbound traffic was being diverted at Interstate 285, the city's perimeter highway.

Repair crews were inspecting the area with ground-penetrating radar, said Natalie Dale, a spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Transportation.

She said they are hoping to have a few of the adjacent lanes open Monday evening and the entire road open by noon on Tuesday.

This latest infrastructure problem added hassles to commutes already complicated by the collapse last month of an overpass on Interstate 85, due to a fire that police say was intentionally set.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The Latest on a natural gas leak at a well on Alaska's North Slope (all times local):

9:30 a.m.

Officials say a leak of natural gas at an oil well on Alaska's North Slope has been plugged.

This April 2017 photo provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency shows an oil well that was misting natural gas on Alaska's frozen North Slope. Workers from the Alaska Department of Conservation and the Environmental Protection Agency on Saturday, April 15, 2017, were able to connect hoses to valves that allow pressure in the well to be reduced, according to a statement from the state conservation department. The Environmental Protection Agency says a crack in the BP wellhead near Deadhorse sent up mist of crude oil Friday before it froze over and an initial leak stopped. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency via AP)

Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation spokeswoman Candice Bressler says the well operated by BP Exploration Alaska Inc., a subsidiary of BP, was successfully controlled overnight.

BP employees discovered an uncontrolled natural gas leak Friday at a well five miles from the Deadhorse airport.

Within an hour, they detected that the well also was spraying a mist of crude oil.

BP set up a unified command with state and federal regulators to address the leaking gas and oil.

By Sunday responders had managed to close a valve that stopped the spray of oil. Officials say oil likely spilled only on the well pad and not nearby tundra.

12:01 a.m.

Oil field workers have reduced the pressure in an oil well that is leaking natural gas on Alaska's frozen North Slope.

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation says workers Saturday night were able to connect hoses to valves that allow pressure in the well to be reduced.

Pressure in the well was monitored all night and excess pressure released from the well.

Leaks were first detected Friday in the well operated by BP Exploration Alaska Inc., a subsidiary of BP.

A crack in the BP wellhead near Deadhorse sent up spray of crude oil Friday.

Closure of a safety valve stopped the spray of crude oil.

An unknown about of oil reached the well pad. Responders say they don't believe it reached tundra off the pad but they can't confirm that until the well is plugged and it's safe for most workers to return to the drilling pad.

___

A previous version of the story incorrectly stated the name of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. The story also incorrectly said state and federal workers rather than oilfield workers had reduced pressure in the oil well.
 Flash

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday issued a number of tweets in a bid to play down a number of protests across the country demanding the release of his tax returns.

"Someone should look into who paid for the small organized rallies yesterday," Trump tweeted Sunday. "The election is over!"

"I did what was an almost an impossible thing to do for a Republican-easily won the the Electoral College! Now Tax Returns are brought up again?", he tweeted minutes earlier.

Trump's latest remarks imply that he has no intention to issue his tax returns, some U.S. media reports commented.

Demonstrators in dozens of U.S. cities and towns, including Washington D.C., New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Palm Beach, where Trump was spending Easter Weekend at his resort Mar-a-Lago, marched on Saturday to demand Trump release his tax returns. Some rallies were joined by thousands of people.

During his campaign and after the election victory, the Trump camp repeatedly refused to release Trump's tax returns, saying Trump's tax returns were under audit. However, many tax experts say Trump is not barred from releasing the information during the audit.

While U.S. presidents are not required to release their tax returns, nearly all U.S. presidents had voluntarily released them since 1970s.

Shortly after Trump's inauguration in January, Kellyanne Conway, senior counselor to Trump, told U.S. media that Trump would not release his tax returns, citing voters' indifference to the issue as one of the reasons.

However, multiple polls have found that the majority of Americans want Trump to release his tax returns.

Comedy writer Frank Lesser, whose tweet in January sparked the idea for the Tax March, said the participation in the nationwide marches proves that people want to see Trump's returns.

"We march to demand that the president release his returns, as he has repeatedly promised, but failed, to do," the Tax March website reads. "We march because it is in the best interest of the American people to know what financial entanglements and conflicts of interest our leaders have."

A petition demanding Trump release his tax returns garnered more than 1 million signatures. Many lawmakers, including some Republicans, have also called on Trump to make them public.

The tax marches coincided with the April 18 deadline for tax returns in 2017.October.
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) - A federal lawsuit filed Monday alleges the U.S. Army has issued less-than-honorable discharges for potentially thousands of service members without adequately considering the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions.

The plaintiffs, two Army veterans from Connecticut who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, say in the lawsuit that they were wrongly denied honorable discharges. The lawsuit filed in Connecticut by Yale Law School Veterans Legal Services Clinic is seeking class-action status.

An Army spokeswoman said the branch doesn't comment on pending litigation.

One of the plaintiffs, Steve Kennedy, said he developed PTSD and depression after fighting in Iraq in 2007 and 2008 and began abusing alcohol and cutting himself. After going absent-without-leave to attend his own wedding, he was diagnosed by the Army with depression, and he received a general discharge because he had gone AWOL, according to the lawsuit.

Kennedy was later diagnosed with PTSD by the Department of Veterans Affairs, but his discharge status prevented him from receiving benefits including tax exemptions and scholarships that are open only to honorably discharged veterans, the lawsuit said.

"As my PTSD became impossible to manage on my own, my commander told me that the only way I could receive treatment was by leaving the Army with a bad paper discharge," said Kennedy, who is now pursuing a doctorate in biophysical chemistry. "Just like that, the Army wiped away years of distinguished service to my country and deemed it less than Honorable."

The lawsuit targets the review boards that give veterans a chance to contest discharges that may have been unjustly harsh.

It is the first lawsuit to argue that the Army Discharge Review Boards are inconsistently following a requirement that they apply a liberal standard to considerations of veterans' claims alleging PTSD or related conditions, according to Mario Gazzola, a law student intern with the Yale clinic.
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump plans to sign legislation to extend temporarily a program that gives veterans access to private-sector health care.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer says Trump will sign the bill Wednesday at the White House.

The extension will provide stopgap services while Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin develops a longer-term plan to allow veterans to more easily go outside the VA medical system for care. Under the bill, the VA will be allowed to operate its Choice program until the funding runs out.

The program is set to expire in August without the legislation, and with nearly $1 billion in the account.

The Choice program was developed after a 2014 scandal over wait times at the VA medical center in Phoenix. Some veterans died.
PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - A South Dakota lawmaker frustrated with what he views as inaction over a secretive polygamous sect's outpost in his district wants legislators to look into the compound, including why no South Dakota birth or death records have been filed from there over the last decade.

Rep. Tim Goodwin is proposing lawmakers find out more about the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' compound in the western part of the state, including what its population is, whether it has a home schooling program, and whether polygamy or sex trafficking are taking place there. Lawmakers will decide Tuesday on issues to study ahead of the 2018 legislative session.

Issues in Goodwin's proposed study include births and deaths at the compound. South Dakota law requires births and deaths to be reported, but the Department of Health says no such records have been filed from the compound's address in the last 10 years.

FILE - This Oct. 12, 2015, file photo shows the compound of a polygamist group in Pringle, S.D. A South Dakota lawmaker frustrated with what he views as inaction over the sect's outpost in his district wants legislators to look into the compound. (AP Photo/James Nord, File)

"That is in my district. I've got to at least make an attempt to do something about it," said Goodwin, a new Republican lawmaker who lives near Hill City. "If we would just enforce those minor infractions, then you could probably find the major infractions."

One former resident can count two dozen births at the site, among them two of her own children. Sarah Allred, who called the compound home until about 2011, told The Associated Press that the sect didn't allow her to get the documents for daughters born in 2008 and 2010.

"To put it bluntly, I lived in fear every day that my children would be taken from me because all of my married life then they held my children over my head for me to obey the different things that I was supposed to do," said Allred, who is working to get South Dakota birth certificates for her 6- and 8-year-old daughters.

Other people said their children were born in Utah instead, Allred said. She was a member of the FLDS until 2012.

The church opened its 140-acre compound near the town of Pringle more than a decade ago. Known to the faithful as "R23," the compound sits along a gravel road, secluded by tall pine trees, a privacy fence and a guard tower.

Allred said fewer than 50 people lived there most of the time and that she never saw more than 100 people there at a time. She said there was always work to be done: sewing, building houses, tending to children, milking cows and feeding chickens.

Questions over the compound's population were an issue during 2015 proceedings before South Dakota regulators. The Water Management Board eventually approved the group's application, which faced opposition from nearby landowners, even though the sect declined to provide many details about the number of people living there.

Custer County Sheriff Rick Wheeler supports a study, saying that it could help develop solutions to deal with the compound. He said it's difficult to work with people when they won't communicate at all.

"It's like going into somebody's property whether they're FLDS or John Doe: If there's a gate there and it says, 'No trespassing,' I can't go in there if they don't want me in there," he said.

Authorities have said the South Dakota congregation is led by Seth Jeffs, brother of imprisoned sect leader Warren Jeffs. Seth Jeffs didn't respond to emails from the AP requesting comment about the proposed study, and nobody answered at a telephone number listed in a state water document. Last year, he took a plea deal in a multimillion-dollar food-stamp fraud case. Warren Jeffs, considered by the group to be a prophet who speaks for God, is serving a life sentence for assaulting two of his child brides.

The FLDS, headquartered in a community along the Arizona-Utah border, is a radical offshoot of mainstream Mormonism whose members believe polygamy brings exaltation in heaven. Polygamy is a legacy of the early teachings of the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but the faith abandoned the practice in 1890 and prohibits it today.

South Dakota House Speaker Mark Mickelson is chairman of the Legislature's Executive Board, which will decide what issues lawmakers should study. Mickelson said the compound is a "great potential issue," but questioned what the Legislature's role should be.

"If he thinks we need some laws, beautiful," Mickelson said. "If he wants us to go investigate, I'm out."

___

Follow James Nord on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Jvnord
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) - An Ohio man who sold heroin laced with an elephant tranquilizer that caused more than two dozen overdoses in West Virginia was sentenced to more than 18 years in federal prison Monday.

Bruce Lamar Griggs, of Akron, was "in this just for the money" when he sold the heroin mixture that sickened 28 people on Aug. 15 in Huntington, U.S. District Judge Robert Chambers said.

"Heroin is like driving intoxicated," Chambers said. "You may not mean harm to anybody, but you have to serve a sentence commensurate with the harm you did."

Bruce Lamar Griggs, 22, of Akron, exits a federal courthouse in Huntington, W. Va., Monday, April 17, 2017, after being sentenced to more than 18 years in prison for causing overdoses on Aug. 16, 2016. (Courtney Hessler /The Herald-Dispatch via AP)

Griggs, 22, apologized to the community and to his family as he read a statement before sentencing.

"I have made some costly and stupid decisions," he said.

After sentencing, Griggs wiped tears from his eyes and his family members wept.

Laboratory tests of the victims' blood and urine showed heroin mixed with fentanyl and carfentanil - considered cheaper synthetic opioid alternatives that heroin dealers use to stretch their supplies. Several victims implicated Griggs, who was arrested a week later.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration issued a warning in March 2015 that fentanyl, a powerful prescription painkiller, was a threat to public health and safety. And last September, the DEA warned the public and law enforcement nationwide about the health and safety risks of handling carfentanil, which is considered 10,000 times stronger than morphine. It is used as an elephant tranquilizer and is not approved for human consumption, according to the DEA.

"This is purely mercenary conduct on your part," Chambers told Griggs. "You knew this was a good place to sell heroin. That's the only reason you were in it."

West Virginia has the nation's highest drug overdose death rate by far, with 41.5 deaths per 100,000 people in 2015, the latest year available, compared with a national average of 16.3.

In Cabell County, where Huntington is located, 70 people died of drug-related overdoses that year and more than 900 overdoses occurred. Communities in Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana also have seen recent spikes in overdoses.

"The heroin problem is worse than any of the other drug problems that we have faced," Chambers said.

Authorities have said two people died of heroin overdoses in Huntington around that time - one man at a Huntington hospital that night and another found dead and alone days later. But Chambers said none of the deaths were from Griggs' sales.

"You're lucky. If that happened, you'd be facing far worse" penalties, Chambers said.

Authorities have credited quick-thinking emergency responders who administered the opioid-overdose antidote naloxone to multiple victims.

In seeking a lighter sentence, defense attorney Carl Hostler wrote in a presentencing memo that Griggs was "just a pawn in a bigger scheme" and did not know who combined the drugs.

"Obviously, the most culpable criminal in this case is the person who mixed the concoction," Hostler said.

But the judge noted Griggs had made several trips to Huntington to sell drugs.

"You're not some 22-year-old who suddenly made a mistake and sold heroin," Chambers said. "You decided to take the shortcut of drug dealing instead of trying to build a real life.

And now, "your three kids are going to grow up without a meaningful relationship with their father."
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - A judge sentenced a former Arizona fire captain to two life terms in prison on Monday for killing his ex-wife, her mother and another person in a case that remained unsolved for over a decade.

David Watson, who worked for the Tucson Fire Department, cried as he told a Pima County judge that he was innocent.

"We're clear that we'll never know what truly happened," Watson said. "There are people in this courtroom and obviously this court who think I was the one who did all that."

The court previously said that his sentence was for 66 years. It revised its statement later on Monday, saying the judge had not read the full sentence in court. Watson got a life term with the possibility of release after 25 years for the killing of his ex-mother-in-law, Marilyn Cox, followed by another life term for the killing of her friend, Renee Farnsworth, that will begin after he serves the first one.

He was also sentenced to 16 years for the killing of his ex-wife, Linda Watson, in 2000.

Watson, 48, was found guilty in March after prosecutors said he killed his ex-wife, Linda Watson, during a custody battle.

Linda Watson went missing in 2000. Her body was found in the desert three years later, but it wasn't identified until 2011 through DNA testing because of a backlog at the medical examiner's office.

Three years after she went missing, her mother, Marilyn Cox, was embroiled in a legal battle with David Watson over visitation rights involving her granddaughter.

Cox and her friend, Renee Farnsworth, had just dropped off the girl after a court-ordered visitation when they were gunned down in 2003.

A jury deadlocked in November after a months-long trial that included testimony from Watson's second ex-wife, who said she had lied when she provided him an alibi during the attacks.

Watson was tried for a second time this year and found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder.

He worked for the Tucson fire department for 20 years and in 2007 was promoted to captain. He resigned shortly after his arrest in April 2015.

___

This post has been corrected to show that Watson was sentenced to two life terms, not just 66 years.
Relatively few visitors even try to hike a rugged, remote area at the bottom of the Grand Canyon where the wife of the founder of Merrell Boot Co. and a teenager went missing last weekend, according to the National Park Service.

Tapeats Creek, where Lou-Ann Merrell and Jackson Standefer, 14, lost their footing during a family trip, is not particularly difficult to hike for experienced backpackers, said Chris Forsyth, president of the Grand Canyon Hikers & Backpackers Association board. But heavy water rushing through the creek can make it challenging, he said.

Merrell is the wife of Randy Merrell, who helped found the Merrell Boot Co.

This undated photo provided by Mark McOmie shows Jackson Standefer. Authorities searched Grand Canyon National Park on Monday, April 17, 2017, for eighth-grader Standefer and his step-grandmother who were swept away as they tried to cross a creek during a family trip in a remote part of the park. Chief Ranger Matt Vandzura says the two lost their footing Saturday. (Mark McOmie via AP)

The Merrells, Standefer and the boy's mother were on a path known as Tapeats Trail when the pair fell, authorities said. The Merrell family accessed the area by hiking down from the North Rim.

The area has a more distinct geology than most of the park and attracts a fair number of visitors but is not as popular with tourists are other spots, like Havasupai Falls. Forsyth, who says he has hiked that area five times, said a visit there calls for a multiple-day backpacking trip and at least some experience in hiking. He said his first trip through the canyon was at Tapeats Creek.

About 3,500 people got permits in 2015 to camp in the general area where the two hikers went missing, the latest readily available data, said National Park Service spokeswoman Robin Martin. About 41,000 total people that year got permits to backpack in the Grand Canyon in total.

Matthew Nelson, the executive director of the Arizona Trail Association and a former Grand Canyon backpacking guide, said accessing that area on foot takes days and requires an arduous hike. Nelson said the area offers stunning views but is also unforgivingly hot. He said the water in the creek comes from a cave and is always extremely cold.

"The rock that forms the canyon at Tapeats Creek is a particular layer that isn't found everywhere in the Grand Canyon. It gives it a more unique sense of beauty," Forsyth said.

An intense search for Merrell and 14-year-old Standefer resumed Tuesday, Martin said.

The search includes three ground teams consisting of about 20 people total, a National Park Service helicopter, a drone and an inflatable motor raft that was flown into the canyon. Search crews are looking within a mile and a mile and half of where the hikers were last seen, as well as where the creek meets the Colorado River.

"We're really just looking in the water and areas where someone maybe would have been able to get out," Martin said.

Mark McOmie, the boy's uncle, said the Merrells are avid hikers and know the area well. He said Lou-Ann and Randy Merrell, who was also on the trip, live in Vernal, a city in eastern Utah. McOmie was not on the trip.

Lou-Ann Merrell is "a very experienced backpacker," McOmie said. "If they can get to a spot where they cannot be in the water and stay warm, she's got the skills needed to get them through it."

The park service said it's too early to determine what went wrong. No rain or flash flooding was reported in the area, and it was not known whether the water level was higher than usual in Tapeats Creek, a tributary of the Colorado River that runs through the Arizona landmark.

Creeks in the canyon often see higher water levels in the spring as snow melts. Forsyth said that he hasn't visited Tapeats Creek this year but has been to other parts of the park, where he's noticed more water than usual, he said.

The McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, said Jackson is an eighth-grade student at the all-boys school.

A call to Merrell Footlab for comment wasn't immediately returned.

___

Jaques Billeaud reported from Phoenix and Sheila Burke reported from Nashville, Tennessee.

This undated photo provided by Mark McOmie shows Jackson Standefer. Authorities searched Grand Canyon National Park on Monday, April 17, 2017, for eighth-grader Standefer and his step-grandmother who were swept away as they tried to cross a creek during a family trip in a remote part of the park. Chief Ranger Matt Vandzura says the two lost their footing Saturday. (Mark McOmie via AP)

This Sunday, April 16, 2017, photo provided by the National Park Service shows Tapeats Creek in Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. Authorities are searching for Jackson Standefer, 14, and Lou-Ann Merrell, 62, after the pair lost their footing Saturday and fell into the water during a family trip in a remote area of the Arizona park. (National Park Service via AP)

This Sunday, April 16, 2017, photo provided by the National Park Service shows Tapeats Creek in Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. Authorities are searching for Jackson Standefer, 14, and Lou-Ann Merrell, 62, after the pair lost their footing Saturday and fell into the water during a family trip in a remote area of the Arizona park. (National Park Service via AP)
The injured wife of a man killed in the Westminster terror attack has returned home to the United States.

Melissa Cochran had been visiting London from Utah with her husband Kurt, 54, to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary when they were caught in the carnage on Westminster Bridge.

Her brother Clint Payne has since said doctors cleared his sibling to fly back home to the Salt Lake City suburb of West Bountiful last week, and revealed that she is healing faster than expected.

Melissa Cochran attended the Service of Hope (Eddie Mulholland/The Daily Telegraph/PA)

During the 82-second atrocity on March 22, Kent-born Khalid Masood drove a rental car into unsuspecting pedestrians before fatally stabbing Pc Keith Palmer, 48, in the Palace of Westminsters forecourt.

Mrs Cochran, 46, suffered a broken leg and rib and a cut to her head during the attack, while her husband died after being thrown from the bridge. Three others, retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, 75, Aysha Frade, 44, and Romanian tourist Andreea Cristea, 31, also died as a result of Masoods murderous rampage.

On April 5 Mrs Cochran, who attended in a wheelchair, joined the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry at a service for the families and survivors of the attack, held at Westminster Abbey.

The family of murdered US tourist Kurt Cochran pay tribute to an "amazing individual" pic.twitter.com/WzB7Yz5nXt  PA Media (@PA) March 27, 2017

In an interview with the BBC she described her husband as the love of my life, and said she does not feel any ill will towards Masood.

I dont know what he was feeling or thinking or anything that had been going on in his life so I cant relate, she said.I just know that unfortunately he didnt have the qualities and the beautiful heart that my husband had so I actually kind of feel a little sorry for him and no hate.

Masood, who had a history of violent crime, was shot dead by armed police after knifing Pc Palmer.
Theresa May has used her Easter message to suggest people are coming together and uniting following divisions over the Brexit referendum.

The Prime Minister stressed the opportunities for the country as it leaves the European Union and said the shared values of Britons can  and must  bring us together.

Mrs May, the daughter of a vicar, said the UK should be confident about Christianitys role in society and stand up for peoples freedom to speak about their faith.

She said: This year, after a period of intense debate over the right future for our country, there is a sense that people are coming together and uniting behind the opportunities that lie ahead.

For at heart, this country is one great union of people and nations with a proud history and a bright future.

A broken Union flag on a backdrop of the European flag

And as we face the opportunities ahead of us - the opportunities that stem from our decision to leave the European Union and embrace the world - our shared interests, our shared ambitions and above all our shared values can  and must - bring us together.

Turning to faith, she said: We should be confident about the role that Christianity has to play in the lives of people in our country.

And we should treasure the strong tradition that we have in this country of religious tolerance and freedom of speech.

A cross

We must continue to ensure that people feel able to speak about their faith, and that absolutely includes their faith in Christ.

We must be mindful of Christians and religious minorities around the world who do not enjoy these same freedoms, but who practise their religion in secret and often in fear.

And we must do more to stand up for the freedom of people of all religions to practice their beliefs openly and in peace and safety.

(Chris Radburn/PA)

Mrs May highlighted the values she learned in childhood growing up in a vicarage.

She said: Values of compassion, community, citizenship. The sense of obligation we have to one another.

These are values we all hold in common - and values that are visibly lived out every day by Christians - as well as by people of other faiths or none.

Tim Farron (Yui Mok/PA)

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron highlighted Mrs Mays intervention in the row over the National Trust and Cadbury Easter egg hunt in his message, while hitting out at nostalgia and nationalism.

He said: I fear that what the Prime Minster and others were actually getting wound up about was the thought that the National Trust might have been airbrushing out something comfortable and traditional.

And given that we are turning the clock back to the early 1970s with Brexit (or indeed the 1580s if we do end up declaring war on Spain), then nostalgia is most definitely the mood of the moment.
A huge manhunt is under way for a suspect who police in Ohio said shot and killed an elderly passer-by and posted the killing on Facebook.

Steve Stephens, 37, is wanted on a charge of aggravated murder in connection with the death of Robert Godwin Sr in Cleveland.

Police have warned residents of the surrounding states of Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana and Michigan to be on the lookout for Stephens, who they said may have travelled out of Ohio.

Cleveland police say they are searching for Steve Stephens

In the video, which appears shaky, Stephens gets out of his car and appears to randomly target Mr Godwin, 74, who is holding a plastic shopping bag.

Stephens says the name of a woman, whom Mr Godwin does not seem to recognise.

Shes the reason that this is about to happen to you, Stephens tells Mr Godwin before pointing a gun at him. Mr Godwin can be seen shielding his face with the shopping bag.

Actual photo of Steve Stephens, homicide suspect's, actual vehicle. Please call 9-1-1 if seen. Plate not yet available. pic.twitter.com/hn8a8nQEAP  Cleveland Police (@CLEpolice) April 16, 2017

Facebook said the suspect did go live on the social media website at one point during the day, but not during the killing. Police earlier had said that Stephens had broadcast it on Facebook Live.

The video of the killing was on Facebook for about three hours before it was removed. Stephenss Facebook page also was eventually removed.

This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook, said a company spokesman. We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety.

The victims son, Robert Godwin Jr, told Cleveland.com that he cannot bring himself to watch the video.

I havent watched the video. I havent even looked at my cellphone or the news, Mr Godwin said. I dont really want to see it.

Media update on shooting suspect Steve Stephens https://t.co/FTTPJW3X44  Cleveland Police (@CLEpolice) April 16, 2017

In a separate video posted on Facebook, Stephens claimed to have killed more than a dozen other people.

Like I said, I killed 13, so Im working on 14 as we speak, he said.

Police have not verified any other shootings or deaths, police chief Calvin Williams said.
US President Donald Trump has warned North Korea it Gotta behave, a day after its failed missile test.

It came after his vice-president Mike Pence visited the Korean Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) to warn Americas era of strategic patience is over.

North Koreas deputy UN ambassador, meanwhile, accused the United States of turning the Korean peninsula into the worlds biggest hotspot and creating a dangerous situation in which a thermonuclear war may break out at any moment.

Mr Pences visit to the tense DMZ dividing North and South Korea came at the start of a 10-day trip to Asia and underscored US commitment. It allowed the vice-president to gaze at North Korean soldiers afar and stare directly across a border marked by razor wire.

Proud to represent @POTUS & the U.S. in South Korea today - here are some scenes from Day One of my Asia-Pacific trip. #VPinAsia pic.twitter.com/j4eAEXsNhb  Vice President Mike Pence Archived (@VP45) April 16, 2017

As the brown bomber jacket-clad vice president was briefed near the military demarcation line, two North Korean soldiers watched from a short distance away, one taking multiple photographs of the American visitor.

Mike Pence arrives at the DMZ

Two North Korean soldiers look across to South Korea during Mike Pence's visit to the DMZ (Lee Jin-man/AP)

Mr Pence told reporters near the DMZ that President Donald Trump was hopeful that China would use its extraordinary levers to pressure the North to abandon its weapons programme, but he expressed impatience with the unwillingness of the regime to move towards ridding itself of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

Pointing to the quarter-century since the United States first confronted North Korea over its attempts to build nuclear weapons, the vice president said a period of patience had followed.

Proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with US & S. Korean troops at DMZ. Today I reaffirmed that under @POTUS Trump our resolve is undeterred. pic.twitter.com/q7kBAbotP9  Vice President Mike Pence Archived (@VP45) April 17, 2017

But the era of strategic patience is over, he said. President Trump has made it clear that the patience of the United States and our allies in this region has run out and we want to see change.

We want to see North Korea abandon its reckless path of the development of nuclear weapons, and also its continual use and testing of ballistic missiles is unacceptable.

Mr Trump himself appeared to reinforce the message at the White House, replying Gotta behave when a reporter asked what message he had for North Korean leader Kin Jong Un.

In New York, the Norths deputy UN ambassador Kim In Ryong said US-South Korean military exercises being staged now are the largest-ever aggressive war drill. He said his country is ready to react to any mode of war desired by the US.

On behalf of @POTUS, I am here to express the unwavering support of the United States for our longstanding alliance with S Korea. #VPinASIA pic.twitter.com/YsSRgMMSC9  Vice President Mike Pence Archived (@VP45) April 17, 2017

Meaningful visit to DMZ where 64 years ago my dad earned Bronze Star in Korean War. His medal stays close in my West Wing office. #VPinASIA pic.twitter.com/e2OCJsEiIK  Vice President Mike Pence Archived (@VP45) April 17, 2017

Later on Monday, Mr Pence reiterated in a joint statement alongside South Korean acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn that all options are on the table and said any use of nuclear weapons by Pyongyang would be met with an overwhelming and effective response. He said the American commitment to South Korea is iron-clad and immutable.

Noting Mr Trumps recent military actions in Syria and Afghanistan, Mr Pence said: North Korea would do well not to test his resolve.

"We are with you 100% @VP Pence & A/ President Hwang held a joint press conference at the PM Residence. #VPinASIA pic.twitter.com/Aw6oJGfDCv   U.S. Embassy Seoul (@USEmbassySeoul) April 17, 2017

#VPinAsia Day Two: Briefing at the DMZ, productive meeting with Acting President Hwang, & visiting with @USEmbassySeoul staff & our troops. pic.twitter.com/ez7XlanDcX  Vice President Mike Pence Archived (@VP45) April 17, 2017

Meanwhile, North Korea vowed to continue regular nuclear weapons testing and warned of all-out war if the United States takes military action.

Pyongyang carried out a failed missile launch on Sunday in a provocative move that ramped up tensions with Washington.

Han Song Ryol, North Korea's vice minister of foreign affairs

North Koreas vice foreign minister Han Song-Ryol said the rogue state would react with a pre-emptive strike in the face of American force.

He told the BBC: Well be conducting more missile tests on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis.

Warning of all-out war if the US takes military action, he added: If the US is planning a military attack against us, we will react with a nuclear pre-emptive strike by our own style and method.
 Flash

The British Prime Minister Theresa May spoke of a "sense of people coming together" in her Easter message on Sunday as Brexit is underway.

In her first Easter message as PM, May said "opportunities" would arise from Brexit and emphasized Britain's "shared ambitions and above all shared values."

She also noted that people should feel confident about Christianity's role in society and free to speak about their faith.

The vicar's daughter also said that shared values "can and must bring us together" following the UK's vote for Brexit.

"This year, after a period of intense debate over the right future for our country, there is a sense that people are coming together and uniting behind the opportunities that lie ahead," May said.
A coastal search for a 90-year-old sailor missing after his empty dinghy was found adrift off the Welsh coast has ended.

Arthur Roy Taylor, known as Archie, was last seen at 9.30am on Saturday, when he left his accommodation to take his dinghy out from Gwbert boat club, Ceredigion.

His boat was found empty that evening after he failed to return, prompting a large search and rescue operation by land and sea.

Arthur Roy Taylor, known as Archie, took his dinghy out on Saturday morning

Update on search for dinghy sailor in Cardigan https://t.co/OhKkXlrLRS  Maritime and Coastguard Agency (@MCA_media) April 16, 2017

A search of shoreline in the area on Sunday evening was unsuccessful and the Coastguard said it is unlikely a formal operation would resume on Monday.

Dyfed-Powys Police appealed for any photos or video of the coastal area to help with their investigation.

A force spokesman said: Police are especially seeking any video or photographs taken by members of the public of the coastal area around the sea off Gwbert yesterday morning as they may have captured him sailing.

Grey-haired Mr Taylor, who is 5ft 4ins tall and of slim build, was wearing a navy jumper and a dark grey waterproof jacket.

Coastguards were contacted at 5.15pm on Saturday when Mr Taylor failed to return home following a trip on the water during the day. Mr Taylors small boat was found in Cardigan without anyone on board.

The coastguard rescue helicopter from Caernarfon attended, along with rescue teams from Caernarfon, Cardigan, Gwbert and Moylegrove.

RNLI lifeboats from Cardigan and Fishguard were also involved, as well as Dyfed-Powys Police.

Sightings or information can be reported to police by dialling 101 and quoting incident reference 251 of April 15.
Kyle Edmund defeated fellow Briton Dan Evans in straight sets at the Monte Carlo Masters as the Davis Cup team-mates met for the first time on the ATP tour.

Evans is one place higher than Edmund in the rankings, 44th to 45th, but the 7-5 6-1 scoreline in their first round clash was not a major surprise with the younger man a strong favourite on clay.

The pair have only played each other once before, in a Challenger event final in Dallas last year, which Edmund also won.

Kyle Edmund

The first set saw more breaks of serve than holds, Edmund rallying from 4-1 down after an error-strewn start to put together four service breaks of his own.

Evans missed two opportunities to break at the start of the second set and, having held off that surge, Edmund eased to victory with another four breaks to round things out in an hour and 20 minutes with his second ace.

Rafael Nadal, a nine-time champion in Monte Carlo, awaits in round two, with Edmund requiring a more polished display to compete.
JAKARTA, April 16 (Reuters) - Jakarta voters head to the polls on Wednesday to elect a governor for Indonesia's capital after a campaign that incited political and religious tensions in the world's most populous Muslim country.

The race to lead the city of more than 10 million has been fought by two candidates - an ethnic Chinese Christian and a Muslim. It has triggered mass protests and stirred religious and political tensions in the world's third largest democracy.

THE CANDIDATES

Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, known by his Chinese nickname as "Ahok", is the incumbent governor who took over running Jakarta in 2014 when his then boss, Joko Widodo, won the presidency. Purnama, 50, is the city's first ethnic Chinese and Christian leader and is backed by the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

Purnama is standing trial on blasphemy charges after allegedly insulting the Koran during the campaign. Hundreds of thousands of protesters rallied after an edited video of his comments about a Koranic verse were circulated. He has appeared in court throughout the campaign. If he wins the election but is convicted of blasphemy, Purnama can assume office as long as an appeals process is going on.

Purnama's policies include new infrastructure to fix Jakartas chronic traffic congestion, flood mitigation, better waste management and anti-corruption measures.

Anies Baswedan, 47, is the former rector of Jakartas Paramadina University and campaign manager for Widodo during the 2014 election. Widodo appointed him education minister but sacked him less than two years later.

Baswedan has shifted allegiance to Widodos presidential rival in the 2014 campaign, Prabowo Subianto, and now represents Subianto's Gerindra Party. Baswedan was criticised for meeting hardline Islamists during the campaign. His platform has focused on improving public education and combating the rising cost of living. He opposes a giant seawall in Jakarta Bay that Purnama has advocated.

VOTING IN JAKARTA

The April 19 election is a runoff between the two most popular candidates in the first round of polling held on Feb. 15. In the first round, Purnama received 43 per cent of the vote and Baswedan 40 per cent. A third candidate, Agus Yudhoyono, dropped out of the race after receiving only 17 per cent of the vote.

A candidate needs a simple majority to win.

Private pollsters approved by the General Elections Commission will conduct quick counts of a sample of votes after polls close on April 19, giving an indication of the winner.

Official results are expected to be announced by the elections commission by May 5-6.

Defeated candidates can dispute the results in the Constitutional Court.

About 7.1 million people are registered to vote in Jakarta. The turnout was 77 per cent for the first round of voting.

(Compiled by Jakarta bureau; Editing by Bill Tarrant)
TAIPEI, April 17 (Reuters) - Taiwan stocks fell slightly on Monday, largely tracking regional shares and unnerved by the U.S. Treasury's decision to keep Taiwan on a monitoring list for its trade practices. The U.S. Treasury last week maintained that Taiwan's material current account surplus merited Taiwan to stay on its monitoring list, though it dropped a second criterion that Taiwan had met in October of one-sided intervention in foreign exchange markets. "Treasury urges Taiwan's authorities to demonstrate a durable shift to a policy of limiting foreign exchange interventions to only exceptional circumstances of disorderly market conditions," it warned. As of 0338 GMT, the main TAIEX index was down 0.16 percent at 9,717.28, after closing 1.1 percent lower in the previous session. The electronics subindex was 0.04 percent lower, while the financial subindex was down 0.55 percent. Among actively traded stocks, Cathay Financial Holding , which is engaged mainly in the financing businesses, dipped 0.84 percent. In response to the U.S. Treasury's decision, Harry Yen, director-general of the central bank's foreign exchange department, told Reuters on Saturday that it may be difficult for Taiwan to fix its current account surplus. "The United States estimated the amount of intervention accounted for 1.8 percent of GDP; the other criterion is related to Taiwan's high savings rate, so there's no way to satisfy that," Yen said. Nevertheless, focusing on a bright spot, analysts said Taiwan's efforts to let its currency strengthen paid off in the U.S. Treasury's decision to drop the foreign exchange intervention criteria, but cautioned the trend may not last. "From the beginning of this year, the Taiwan dollar has already strengthened quite a lot, but it likely won't go much further as the impact will be on our exports," said Tony Chen, a FX strategist at Taishin Financial Holdings. "In Q2, we might even see some depreciation," he added. On Monday, the Taiwan dollar strengthened T$0.082 to stand at T$30.318 to the U.S. dollar. (Reporting by Jess Macy Yu and Liang-sa Loh in TAIPEI; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)
ANKARA, April 17 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has made it very clear that there are no plans to dissolve parliament and call for early elections before the 2019 polls, Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek told Reuters in an interview on Monday.

A day after Turks narrowly voted to change the constitution and hand Erdogan sweeping new powers, Simsek said that relations with the European Union would be on areas of common interest, adding that some of the "noise" between Ankara and Europe should die down after the European elections cycle.

"Yesterday the president made it very clear that elections will be held in November 2019," he said. "It is very clear. We have work to do." (Reporting by Nick Tattersall and Orhan Coskun; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Daren Butler)
By Michelle Martin

BERLIN, April 17 (Reuters) - Germany and France said on Monday the close result in Turkey's referendum on expanding President Tayyip Erdogan's powers showed the division in Turkish society, while others questioned Europe's relations with the country.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said it was a big responsibility to bear for Erdogan, who declared a narrow victory in the vote that marked the biggest overhaul of modern Turkish politics.

The result prompted renewed calls by Austria for Turkey's EU stalled accession talks to be halted. Germany's Gabriel called for a new format for talks with "our neighbour", comments echoed by the conservative bloc in the European Parliament.

Erdogan's opponents said the vote was marred by irregularities and they would challenge the result.

The Council of Europe rights organisation said it did not live up to its standards, citing an inadequate legal framework and late changes in ballot counting. OSCE observers made similar comments, which were dismissed by Turkey.

"The German government ... respects the right of Turkish citizens to decide on their own constitutional order," Merkel and Gabriel, whose country has about 3 million residents of a Turkish background, said in a statement.

"The tight referendum result shows how deeply divided Turkish society is and that means a big responsibility for the Turkish leadership and for President Erdogan personally."

They expected Ankara to have a "respectful dialogue" with all parts of Turkish society. The United States also called for all citizens' rights to be respected.

France's President Francois Hollande said: "It's up to the Turks and them alone to decide on how they organise their political institutions, but the published results show that Turkish society is divided about the planned deep reforms."

EU TALKS

On Sunday, the European Commission said Turkey should seek a national consensus on the constitutional amendments, given the narrow majority and the extent of their impact.

In March, the Venice Commission, a panel of legal experts at the Council of Europe, said the proposed changes to the constitution represented a "dangerous step backwards" for democracy.

Merkel and Gabriel pointed to the Commission's reservations and said that, as a member of the Council of Europe and the OSCE security and human rights watchdog and an EU accession candidate, Turkey should quickly address those concerns.

"Political discussions about that need to take place as quickly as possible, both at the bilateral level and between the European institutions and Turkey," Merkel and Gabriel said.

France also called on Turkey to respect the European Convention on Human Rights and its ban on the death penalty.

Erdogan told supporters on Sunday that Turkey could hold another referendum on reinstating the death penalty. Such a move would spell the end of Turkey's EU accession talks.

Austria, which has repeatedly called for halting membership talks, called once more for them to stop.

"We can't just go back to the daily routine after the Turkey referendum. We finally need some honesty in the relationship between the EU and Turkey," said Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, adding the bloc should instead work on a "partnership agreement".

Gabriel said during a visit to Albania that too many people in Europe, some for reasons related to domestic policy, would now urge a rigorous attitude towards Ankara and call for an end to talks but he said he wanted to find "new formats for talks instead because Turkey is still our neighbour".

Turkey has been on a decades-long quest to join the EU. Turkey and the bloc last year reached a deal to help stem the flow of migrants to Europe's shores.

The head of the European People's Party in the European Parliament, Manfred Weber, called for "a new approach to a partnership between friendly neighbours".

"We should offer Turkey a thematic partnership, for example on the fight against terrorism, migration and economic policy, as well as student and cultural exchange. However, this also means that Turkey's EU membership is off the table," he said.

During the campaign, Erdogan repeatedly criticised European countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, accusing them of "Nazi-like" tactics for banning his ministers from speaking to rallies of Turkish voters abroad.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek told Reuters on Monday he expected the "noise" between Ankara and Europe should die down after the European elections cycle. The French vote for a new president begins on Sunday. Germany votes in September. (Reporting by Michelle Martin, Maria Sheahan, Silke Koltrowitz, Leigh Thomas, Robert-Jan Bartunek and Reuters TV in Berlin; Editing by Alison Williams)
SAO PAULO, April 17 (Reuters) - The Brazilian real jumped on Monday as the central bank stepped up intervention, providing additional support for the currency amid rising geopolitical frictions abroad and political concerns at home. The real firmed 1.4 percent to the strongest in nearly two weeks after the central bank sold $800 million worth of currency swaps, which function like dollar sales to investors for future delivery, to roll over contracts expiring next month. Should the bank maintain that pace of sales daily until the end of the month, it will fully roll over $6.4 billion worth of swaps set to mature on March 2. The central bank currently holds around $17.7 billion worth of swaps on its balance sheet. The move comes as escalating frictions between the United States and North Korea depressed investor appetite for high-yielding, emerging market assets. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence warned on Monday that recent U.S. military strikes in Syria and Afghanistan show that the resolve of President Donald Trump should not be tested, a day after a failed missile test by North Korea. Demand for the Brazilian currency also wavered in recent days due to uncertainty over the approval of a planned pension reform following corruption investigations against senior members of President Michel Temer's administration. Other Latin American currencies seesawed on Monday as investors remained weary of the geopolitical tensions. The Mexican peso slipped from a five-month peak, but the Chilean peso followed copper prices higher. Key Latin American stock indexes and currencies at 1530 GMT: Stock indexes daily % YTD % change change Latest MSCI Emerging Markets 962.33 0.2 11.38 MSCI LatAm 2638.96 1.28 11.32 Brazil Bovespa 63817.50 1.58 5.96 Mexico IPC 49066.69 0.23 7.50 Chile IPSA 4853.60 -0.1 16.92 Chile IGPA 24343.38 -0.07 17.41 Argentina MerVal 20753.58 -0.28 22.67 Colombia IGBC 10162.69 -0.86 0.34 Venezuela IBC 47196.37 0.35 48.86 Currencies daily % YTD % change change Latest Brazil real 3.1023 1.39 4.74 Mexico peso 18.5600 -0.34 11.77 Chile peso 646 0.64 3.82 Colombia peso 2852.57 0.44 5.22 Peru sol 3.25 0.12 5.05 Argentina peso (interbank) 15.2300 -0.26 4.24 Argentina peso (parallel) 15.76 -0.44 6.73 (Reporting by Bruno Federowski; Editing by Dan Grebler)
By Chris Arsenault

RIO DE JANEIRO, April 17 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - B razilian prosecutors are demanding answers after the names of 17 employers profiting human trafficking disappeared from the country's "dirty list" which names and shames companies engaged in modern slavery.

Launched in 2003, the publicly available "dirty list" is one of the government's most effective tools for fighting human trafficking, said Tiago Muniz Cavalcanti, National Coordinator for the Eradication of Slave Labour with Brazil's Public Prosecutor's Office (MPT).

Companies or individuals who appear on the list are barred from accessing credit from state banks or other public financial support in a bid to undermine the economic rationale for trafficking workers into modern slavery.

"There are entrenched economic interests that are against the publication of the list," Cavalcanti told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "The MPT has requested information on the reasons for the removal of the 17 names."

Prosecutors still aren't sure if the removals were due to administrative errors or an attempt to "suppress" information in order to protect businesses benefiting from modern slavery, Cavalcanti said.

This list is maintained by the Ministry of Labour. Officials from the ministry did not respond to interview requests.

Cavalcanti said it was not clear when prosecutors will find out what happened to the missing names as inter-agency disputes within the Brazilian state are often drawn-out affairs.

"Concealment of information is only of interest to those on the list," Cavalcanti said.

"To all others, especially good employers, the dirty list is a very important tool," so they can avoid doing business with companies involved in the modern slave trade, the prosecutor said.

The call for information from prosecutors is part of an ongoing dispute over the "dirty list" within Brazil's government.

Publication of names onto the list was suspended in 2014 after Brazil's Federal Supreme Court granted an injunction at the request of the Brazilian Association of Real Estate Developers.

The Labour Ministry began publishing names again last month, following a 2016 decision by the Supreme Court to suspend the previous injunction.

As of April 1, more than 65 employers had been caught by labour inspectors for subjecting workers to conditions akin to slavery, according to the Labour Ministry's website. Most of the exploitation happened on farms, with the construction and timber industries also flagged as hot spots for abuse.

More than 50,000 people have been freed from slavery type conditions in Brazil since 1995, according to the U.N.' s International Labour Organization, that estimates 21 million people globally are trapped in forced labour.

"The dirty list is still under heavy pressure from large employers who appear on the list," the prosecutor said.

More than 161,000 people in Brazil are living in modern slavery, according to the Global Slavery Index produced by the Australia-based Walk Free Foundation.

"Since it directly affects the image of the exploiter, the list is currently the most feared punishments of employers," Cavalcanti said. (Reporting by Chris Arsenault @chrisarsenaul, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith; 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 Ingrid Melander and Philippe Wojazer

PARIS, April 18 (Reuters) - Far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Monday sought to mobilise her supporters six days ahead of France's most unpredictable presidential election in decades by pledging to suspend all immigration and shield voters from "savage globalisation."

Opinion polls have for months shown Le Pen and centrist Emmanuel Macron qualifying next Sunday for the May 7 run-off, but the gap with conservative Francois Fillon and far-leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon has been tightening.

"I will protect you. My first measure as president will be to reinstate France's borders," Le Pen said to wide applause and cheers from the crowd of about 5,000, prompting the National Front's (FN) traditional "This is our home!" chant.

Slamming her rivals, whom she said wanted "savage globalisation," she said hers was the camp of patriots. "The choice on Sunday is simple," she said. "It is a choice between a France that is rising again and a France that is sinking."

While no polls have shown Le Pen missing out on the run-off, they are now within the margin of error and any two of the four top candidates have a shot at qualifying. Polls have consistently shown her losing that second round.

With pollsters saying abstentions could hit record highs, convincing voters to go to the polling stations on Sunday is key. Le Pen sought to do so by hitting her party's trademark anti-EU, anti-immigration themes hard.

"Fight for victory, until the very last minute," she said. "If every patriot can this week convince just one abstentionist, just one undecided voter, we are sure to win!"

Getting the crowd to boo the European Union and its border-free Schengen area that she would take France out of if elected, Le Pen said: "Mass immigration is not an opportunity for France, it's a tragedy for France."

Promising to immediately impose a moratorium on immigration, she said: "The French sometimes have fewer rights than foreigners - even illegal ones."

SCUFFLES

Scuffles briefly broke out between 60 to 80 anti-FN protesters and police near the Zenith concert hall in north-east Paris ahead of the rally, a Reuters photographer said.

Police fired teargas at the protesters, some of whom threw chunks of wood. The protesters then left, followed by a small group of police.

During Le Pen's speech, one young woman jumped on the stage and was immediately carried away by security and a topless woman later shouted out from the middle of the concert hall in an apparent protest against the candidate.

FN lawmaker Gilbert Collard told reporters on arriving at the hall that he was hit in the neck by a beer bottle and that other objects were aimed at him before police intervened. Another FN official, Jean Messiha, said he saw a couple of Molotov cocktails being thrown. Reuters could not verify either comment.

A few hours earlier on the other side of Paris, Le Pen's most likely run-off opponent, Macron, addressed a crowd nearly four times larger in another concert hall and struck a starkly different, pro-European tone.

But Le Pen's supporters dismissed her opponent and his ideas.

"Macron is a pure marketing product," said 26 year-old Veronique Fornilli, an FN youth activist in the Paris region. "Only Le Pen can put France back in order," she said, also praising the FN leader for her anti-EU, anti-euro stance.

"I want to give France its freedom back, I want to take it out of jail," Le Pen said of her plans to pull the country out of the euro.

(Additional reporting by Philippe Wojazer and Simon Carraud; Editing by Leigh Thomas and Hugh Lawson/Richard Balmforth)
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, along with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, held a common view on the importance of securing stability in the oceans, and particularly regarding the South China Sea.

This was stated in a Joint Statement issued following the conclusion of Prime Minister's visit to Japan.

They have shared the importance of freedom of navigation and air space control,, self-restraint, demilitarization, peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international laws including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

In reference to the nuclear issue involving North Korea, the both leaders shared the view that the threat of North Koreas nuclear and missile development had reached a new level, and that the two countries would cooperate to ensure the effectiveness of the United Nations Security Council Resolution.
When to the sessions of sweet silent thought I summon up remembrance of things past

~William Shakespeare, Sonnet (30)



Ananda College, named after the principal disciple of Siddhartha Gautama the Buddha is, more often than not, revered for her celebrated contributions to the revival of traditional Buddhist education, reckoned for her distinct accomplishments in non-academic fields and scorned and looked down upon by condescending social-climbers who missed the rare opportunity to attend the school. It still remains at the very top tier of educational institutions in Sri Lanka. I state this, not as a so-called proud Anandian but as an ordinary citizen making a mere statement of fact. Anandas journey over the past 130 years has led through a path of glory and disappointment; its experienced its share of hardships but its been one magnificent journey through the proverbial peaks and valleys. Ananda is not a station; it is a fast moving train taking its travellers along moonlit nights as well as broad daylight; without any favour or fervour, without any irrational emotion but a whole lot of passion.



In completing Anandaya  the first 125 Years, a dedicated team of chroniclers have made a remarkable effort in painting a marvelous picture on a broad and seamless canvas, with cold professionalism and painstaking attention to detail as one would see in an accomplished biographer. It has provided readers of every era with a timeless impression of reminiscence of their long and arduous journey. That is the inescapable essence of the chronicle that is before us. Whilst recounting the dates and times of each era, whilst presenting a factual picture of the varied struggles and tribulations of Ananda, as a collective mindset of faceless thousands who have passed through the ages of pre-Independence and post-Independence Sri Lanka, the authors have been able to maintain a remarkable sense of balance in highlighting the characters who shaped and defined the legacy of Ananda.



Many a review has already been written of the book we are talking about today. Im not going to be judgmental of those efforts, nor am I going to be judgmental on the very institution that is called Ananda and her place in Sri Lankas society. Not all products of Ananda College have reached the pinnacle of society. Not all have achieved the desired results when they entered school and completed their education from their formative years to late teens. Yet we indulge in the glories of the few who went to the top of our societal ranks, whether they be of professional, academic or political turn. Many have fallen by the wayside. Many have found no light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Many have grown accustomed to the discriminatory nature some of our masters and even Principals resorted to during the reformative ages of our nation as one struggling to raise her head above the water during and after colonial times.



When stipulating these thoughts and beliefs, one must grapple with the fundamental question that should be asked of an old-Anandian or anyone else. What is the concept of Ananda? Is it merely a concept, or is it a living organism? Is it the buildings? Is it the teachers and Principals? Is it what we have attained in our respective lives, professionally and personally? Is it the countless lessons we have absorbed or is it an illusion or a mirage that we store within ourselves and never try to give expression to, for fear of finding the inglorious truths hidden behind those illusions and mirages? Or is it the combination of all these aspects and influences and more? I dont have an answer to these endless questions. I dare not choose one from amongst them. To do so would be utterly condescending, a characteristic which Anandians are not known for.



Taken in that context of contemporary historical experience, has Anandaya  the first 125 Years, the publication we are reviewing today, accomplished its singular and primary task of telling a tale of enchantment, sorrow, courage, achievement, despair, hope and valor? If the reader has the patience and insight, if he or she can absorb the niceties and cruelties of the times, from the 1880s to the twenty first century, if he has the elementary keenness to sit down and indulge in it as a book of reference which he can every now and then turn to a page and relive the experiences it tries to narrate, it has accomplished its task and done even more. It is not a Frederick Forsyth thriller which one wont put down until the last few pages are reached and the plot has thickened to spring up a surprise. Nor is it a biography of a contemporary politician whose scandals outnumber the good deeds he has done for the community he is sworn in to serve. It is a coffee-table-book which belongs more to those abodes where there are no coffee tables; it is a publication which has embraced a history of a nation struggling to shake away the cobwebs of colonial domination; a gem of a production whose narrative is difficult to digest because of its weighty substance. The authors must not be discouraged by that response from a majority of readers.



Ananda, as all good things, is difficult to achieve, more precious to part with, more sustaining than a victory at a big-match. Ananda is the whole experience of life; its dignity dwells in the values it has imparted to its students; not Buddhist values, not Sinhalese values, not traditional values nor modern-day values, just plain human values. Anandas contribution towards the sustenance of human values surpasses its own material values of which volumes have already been penned for posterity.

After all, what Ananda means to each old-Anandian is not what others tell him about it. It is what he or she has taken or not taken home from it. It is fundamentally personal and private. What Ananda represents to each and every old-Anandian who attended this great school, from the 1880s to the present, is unique and exclusive and at the same time universal and all-encompassing. On November 10, 1922, Rabindranath Tagore, considered by many to be the greatest literary figure in human history visited Ananda College in Colombo, as the chief guest at its annual prize-giving ceremony. It is apt to refer to one of his famous quotations as follows: Patriotism cannot be our final spiritual shelter; my refuge is humanity. I will not buy glass for the price of diamonds and I will never allow patriotism to triumph over humanity as long as I live. In the writers opinion, that is the one great lesson Ananda has imparted to us. In the same vein, Ignazio Silone, the author of the timeless novel Fontamara said: I am a Christian without a church; a socialist without a party and a citizen without a country. Such sublime thoughts are capable of being born in many an old-Anandian. Silone also said thus: On a group of theories one can found a school; but on a group of values one can found a culture. Ananda founded more than a school, it founded a culture.



When a well-accomplished academic sits down in the deepening hours of twilight, in his well-lit study surrounded by hundreds of books, he may turn the leaves of Anandaya  the first 125 Years; in another far-off land, a professional who pursued his post-graduate studies in western lands might wake up early morning and before his usual morning constitutional, with a mugful of coffee in hand, glance through the pages of Anandaya  the first 125 Years and yet in a very average household in the suburbs of Colombo or in a far-off hamlet in rural Sri Lanka, the father of the household will turn the pages very proudly and try to instill in his teenage son values to follow in lifes long journey. They may occupy varied social tiers and earn varied incomes but the common thread that binds them is that they are all old-Anandians. To be part of that whole, not the singular tier, but the collective whole, makes one tremble not with fear but awe. To me, that is Ananda, the whole. Anandaya  the first 125 Years has done that awesome legacy proud.
The Chemical substance container carrying ship 'MSC Daniela", which caught fire on April 4 was still remained a threat to the environment as the fire was not hundred percent doused, Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) General Manager Dr. Turny Pradeep Kumara said.

On April 4, the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) Colombo, had received a fire distress call from the local agent of MSC Daniela as the vessel was 120 Nm off Colombo.

The Indian Coast Guard threw its weight behind the Sri Lanka Navy and Air Force to douse the fire onboard container carrier MSC Daniela off the Colombo port. In addition, the Indian Navy had also directed two of their ships INS Darshak and INS Garriel to the location.

Dr. Turny Pradeep Kumara revealed this information at a media briefing held in Matara on Saturday. The fire erupted when it was passing Indian Ocean in the close vicinity of Sri Lanka and it was transporting 11,000 containers across Indian Ocean when this mishap occurred.

During night harmful particles are flown towards land with the inter monsoon wind now prevailing, the General Manager said.

It has been decided during the media briefing to launch an investigation under the Secretary of Mahaweli Development and Environmental Ministry Udaya R. Senevirathna and Chairman of Marine Environment Protection Authority retired Rear Admiral Rohana Perera, he said. (R.G. Jayawardena)
A 37-year-old Sri Lankan was arrested this morning at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) with 37 kilograms of gold jewellery worth over Rs.70 million, Customs media spokesman Dharmasena Kahandawa said.

The suspect was arrested at the airport arrival lounge while she was trying to smuggle them into the country, he said.

"The gold jewellery was detected hidden in liquor bottles in her hand luggage, Mr. Dharmasena said.

The customs investigations revealed the suspect was from Grandpass and arrived from Dubai by flight FZ557 this morning, he said.

The customs detection was made by Customs Narcotics Control Officials Assistant Superintendents Thisara Weerasinghe, Pradeep Lanka and Chinthana Wanigasekara.

The investigation was carried out under the supervision of Director of Customs Rohitha Uduwawala and Deputy Directors of Customs. (Chaturanga Pradeep and T.K.G. Kapila)
India had helped Sri Lanka fight the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) even without being asked to, says former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in an exclusive interview to www.wionews.com posted on Monday.

They (India) helped us! We didnt have to ask! Because I was fighting your war, Indias war, not my war, actually, Rajapaksa told the Indian interviewer, Padma Rao Sundarji.

The LTTE killed your prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi and so many other people in India and on your soil, not ours. So in that way, it was not only my war, it was an Indian war, it was a humanitarian war. India helped us in every possible way, he asserted.

 We didnt want to publicize it, tell the press too much. And not only China and Pakistan, even the British and the Americans helped us, he added.

Asked to comment further on his earlier claim that the Indian external intelligence agency RAW had engineered his ouster in the January 2015 Presidential election, Rajapaksa said: You know, I dont want to go into the past. Whats done is done. Its a new page now.

In the light of the allegation that it was under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis watch that RAW, led by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, had engineered his electoral defeat, Rajapaksa was asked what he thought of Modi.

 I regard myself a friend of your PM Modi. I admire what he has done for your country, India. And his international prestige. I really like the way he has harnessed the support of the Indian Diaspora in a way I couldnt! I admire his patriotism and his drive at modernizing India. Yes we admire him, theres no question.

On Indias view that full implementation of the 13 th. Constitutional amendment is the best way to solve the Tamil-Sinhalese conflict in the country, Rajapaksa said:  I wont say its the best solution. If it were, the problem would have surely been solved by now. We must remember that all communities must get together to give a solution. You cant come up with one solution only to satisfy one section or community. We have to satisfy all.

Asked to comment on the fear that China might colonize Sri Lanka given the financial control it has acquired under his government as well as the present one, Rajapaksa said: China is a valued friend and a partner in development, thats all. There can be no talk of colonization as such.

But he added that there is a significant difference between the approach of his government and that of the incumbent regime to Chinese projects like the Hambantota port.

The Chinese projects were negotiated by our government as per the structures I described. For Hambantota, it was a Supply-Operate-Transfer (SOT) arrangement only for the terminal and the land was leased to them. The port was under our control. But the present government has changed all those policies, Rajapaksa said.

Asked if it would not be better for Sri Lanka to befriend India rather than an Pakistan which breeds Islamic terrorists, Rajapaksa said: We believe in improving relations with all countries in our neighborhood. This I must tell you. Both India and Pakistan have helped us as best as they can, we have traditionally been friends of both. And that friendship has not been mutually exclusive and contradictory, that is, friendship with one has not been at the expense of the other.

We are mindful of the sentiments of our citizens of Islamic faith, he added to the Muslims who are 8% of Sri Lankas population.

Rajapaksa still thinks that there is a lurking danger of an LTTE revival.

Commenting on the arrest of some former cadres of the militant organization, he said: Theyre probably the tip of the iceberg. The problem is much larger.
Indika Chathuranga being awarded the prize for Distributor Winner, Kalutara District by Mobitel Senior General Manager Sales & Channel Development Chandika Vitharana and Mobitel Senior General Manager Human Resources / Legal & Regulatory Affairs Namal Ratnayake

The National Mobile Service Provider Mobitels mobile money platform, mCash, held its eagerly anticipated mCash Infinity Awards 2016 for the second consecutive year in recognition of the outstanding contribution by key stakeholder groups such as mCash Retailers, Distributors and Sales Staff. Held at the Taj Samudra Colombo, this edition of the mCash Infinity Awards 2016 was for stakeholder groups in the Colombo District. At this event, channel partners received a total of 150 awards ranging from return air tickets and cash prizes for the stakeholder groups.

Similar awards events will be held for other regions, bringing the total awards distributed by the second quarter of 2017 to 1,000. The mCash Infinity Awards is a key motivational tool for stakeholders and a fitting way for the company to show its appreciation to partners for their contribution through the year.

Lakshan Liyanage being awarded the prize for Retailer Winner, Gampaha District by Mobitel Chief Executive Officer Nalin Perera

M.C.M. Fazeen being awarded the prize for Retailer - 1st Runner Up, Kalutara District by Mobitel Senior General Manager Sales & Channel Development, Chandika Vitharana and Mobitel Senior General Manager Human Resources / Legal & Regulatory Affairs Namal Ratnayake

Mohammed Baaj being awarded the prize for Retailer Winner Kalutara District by Mobitel Chief Executive Officer Nalin Perera

Mohan Perera being awarded the prize for Retailer Winner - Colombo District by Mobitel Chief Executive Officer Nalin Perera

Karunadasa Ginthotage being awarded the prize for Retailer - 2nd Runner Up, Colombo District by Mobitel Senior General Manager Marketing Isuru Dissanayaka and Mobitel Head of Mobile Financial Services Kalhara Gamage
The power failure which occurred in several areas this morning was due to the breakdown of a power generator in the first phase of the Norochcholai Coal power station (Lakvijaya), Power and Energy Ministry Media Spokesman Pathum Paskuwal said.

He said the breakdown was caused due to a technical failure in a boiler belonging to the first phase of the plant.

He said the malfunctioning of the generator would not affect the National Power Supply.

Meanwhile, Ceylon Electricity Board Media Spokesman Sulakshana Jayarathna said it would take at least three days to rectify the defect as the technical team could not reach the boiler room due to the high temperature. (Thilanka Kanakarathna)
A North Korean missile blew up almost immediately on its test launch on Sunday, the U.S. Pacific Command said, hours before U.S. Vice President Mike Pence was due in South Korea for talks on the Norths increasingly defiant arms programme.

The failed launch from North Koreas east coast, ignoring admonitions from major ally China, came a day after North Korea held a military parade in its capital, marking the birth anniversary of the state founder, in which what appeared to be new long-range ballistic missiles were on display. South Korea said the combined show of force threatened the whole world.

Pence is due in Seoul at the start of a 10-day trip to Asia in what his aides said was a sign of the U.S. commitment to its ally in the face of rising tension.

The U.S. nuclear-powered USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group is also heading to the region.

A U.S. Navy attack on a Syrian airfield this month with Tomahawk missiles raised questions about U.S. President Donald Trumps plans for reclusive North Korea, which has conducted several missile and nuclear tests in defiance of U.N. sanctions, regularly threatening to destroy the South and the United States.

South Korea, which hosts 28,500 U.S. troops, warned of punitive action if the launch led to further provocations such as a nuclear test or a long-range missile launch.

North Korea showing a variety of offensive missiles at yesterdays military parade and daring to fire a ballistic missile today is a show of force that threatens the whole world, South Koreas Foreign Ministry said in a statement.



- REUTERS, 16th APRIl, 2017
Oman Air will start its new daily flight between Muscat and Manchester from May 1, 2017; the latest move in the airlines ambitious and dynamic programme of fleet and network expansion.

The daily service from Oman Air will be operated by an A330 -200 and is in addition to the double daily flight from London Heathrow, making Manchester the only airport outside of London to have direct flights to Muscat.

The 7.5 hour flight will depart Muscat International Airport at 1400 and arrive Manchester at 1905.

Paul Gregorowitsch, Chief Executive Officer of Oman Air said: This is an incredibly exciting expansion in the UK, allowingour gueststo enjoy the convenience of flying direct from Oman to the north of England and also the opportunity to connect with Oman Airs global network. It demonstrates our commitment to developing Oman Airs global network and in particular catering for the growing demand for our award winning product and inflight service.

This service will cater to the 22 million people in the Manchester catchment area who will be impressed by Oman Airs fantastic on-board product and will take advantage of the direct route to Oman as well as extensive onward connections available from Muscat.

In the last few years Oman has been generating a lot of noise in the tourism sector with a 17.7% increase in visitor numbers since 2014 to just under 5 million globally, with the UK & Ireland contributing 150,000 visitors in 2015. With considerable investment in new hotels, not to mention the conference, meetings, exhibitions and incentive market and the increasing airlift into Muscat from the UK, these figures are expected to grow.
The Finance Ministry a short while ago clarified that the amount of Rs.100,000 which will be awarded to the family members of those who perished in Meethotamulla mishap was an insurance payment and not compensation.

Issuing a second communique, it said the money will be paid as a result of the insurance scheme which was obtained by the Ministry via the National Insurance Trust Fund (NITF).

Apart from this insurance payment, the Treasury will release funds to the relevant authorities without a delay once a final decision was taken with regard to providing compensation to the Meethotamulla victims, it said.

Accordingly, up to Rs. 2.5 million will be paid as an insurance payment for the properties which were damaged in the mishap.

Earlier, the ministry announced compensation will be paid to the next of kin for each of those who perished in the Meethotamulla tragedy.

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said in 2016 the Government had introduced an insurance scheme through the National Insurance Trust Fund as a proactive measure for the payment of compensation to victims of natural disasters.

This has made it easier for the government to pay compensation, he said.

The finance ministry said the Treasury had released funds for relief measures such as the provision of cooked food to those affected and assured that the Government would take steps to rebuild damaged houses or to relocate the victims at safer locations.

Meanwhile, Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said that housing units at housing complexes in Colombo could be given to the victims whose houses were destroyed.
The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Mumbai Customs arrested two Sri Lankans for smuggling in gold bars concealed in their rectum on Saturday, India Today reported.

One of the accused identified as Jameer Abdul Wahid (42) has arrived from Dubai by the Emirates Airlines flight at Mumbai airport.

Indian Police said that upon searching him, they recovered 13 gold bars weighing about 1,516 grams worth Rs 45.48 lakh. The said gold bars were hidden in his rectum.

Another accused have been identified as Althaf Sahul Hameed (48), he too held a Sri Lankan passport and arrived from Dubai by the Emirates Airlines flight.

The police recovered 12 gold bars weighing around 1,399 grams and worth Rs 41.97 lakh.

"Both passengers are from Puttalam, Sri Lanka. They were frequent fliers to India and are in trading activities in textile material, readymade garments and cosmetics," said an official.
 Flash

South Korean prosecutors on Monday indicted former President Park Geun-hye, who has been impeached and arrested, on multiple corruption charges including bribery and abuse of power.

Park was accused of taking a total of 59.2 billion won (52 million U.S. dollars) in bribes both directly and indirectly from business conglomerates, called chaebol here, and their founding families.

A total of 18 criminal charges were levied against Park, including bribery, abuse of power, extortion and the leakage of confidential documents.

The disgraced leader became the third South Korean president to be indicted by prosecutors.

Park was removed from office on March 10 as the Constitutional Court ruled unanimously to impeach her over a corruption scandal. She was taken into custody three weeks later.

Park, 65, was charged with colluding with her longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil to receive tens of millions of U.S. dollars in bribes from Samsung Group and Lotte Group, while demanding millions dollars from SK Group.

Choi, who is now in custody, has been branded by prosecutors as a criminal accomplice of the impeached leader.

Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin was separately indicted without detention on bribery charges.

The country's fifth-biggest family-controlled conglomerate is suspected of offering millions of dollars in bribes to one of two non-profit foundations controlled by Choi who is at the center of the influence-peddling scandal.

The contribution, which was made by Lotte in May last year, was returned back to Lotte, right before prosecutors' raid in June into the Lotte headquarters and offices for Shin's charges of embezzlement and dereliction of duty.

In March last year, Chairman Shin met face-to-face with Park and his conglomerate regained its lost license to run duty-free shops in downtown Seoul. The contribution is suspected of being made in return for business favors.

An additional contribution of SK Group was also demanded by the Choi-controlled foundations, but the country's third-biggest family-run conglomerate refused to do so, helping Chairman Chey Tae-won escape indictment.

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong has already been detained for offering tens of millions of dollars in bribes to the non-profit foundations controlled by Choi and a German company owned by Choi.

Park was seen as being embroiled in the Samsung bribery. In return, the Samsung heir was charged with receiving illicit assistance to inherit the management control of the country's biggest conglomerate from his ailing father Chairman Lee Kun-hee who has been hospitalized for almost three years.

The former president was also accused of leaking confidential government documents to Choi who allegedly intervened in state affairs though she was a civilian without any government post.

Prosecutors had questioned Park five times over the allegations since she was arrested on March 31, but she reportedly had denied all charges levied against her.
Since independence, Sri Lanka has never planned for a long term. In that pervasive sense of short-termism, garbage was the least of the problems, as long as it could be dumped somewhere. One of those mammoth garbage mountains collapsed on the Avurudu eve burying an unknown number of residents and 150 houses in Meethotamulla. As of Sunday, death toll stood at 26 including seven children and many more remained unaccounted for. Anger was boiling over in the grief stricken area and angry villagers have chased away politicians who visited the disaster site. Hope for survivors were fading away as search and rescue efforts dragged on for the third day.



Meethotamulla tragedy is a callous reminder of pitiful state of affairs in this country: absence of any long term planning and governance bereft of any sense of coordination between multiple agencies and institutions, of which rigidity of laws only match their overall incompetence.



The Colombo Municipal Council had been dumping garbage in a plot of land in Bloemendhal until 2009 when a fire broke out in the site. After a sustained public campaign, the court ordered the CMC to find an alternative site, thus CMC begandumping garbage in Meethotamulla, a site earlier used for garbage disposal by the Kolonnawa urban council.



During the next seven years, a landfill, which began in an allotted two acre plot of land in Meethotamulla grew into a 300- foot mountain of rubbish spread in 16 acres as CMC kept piling 800 tons of solid waste every day. Last year, again after a public campaign by the residents in the area, the CMC informed the Court, that it would cease to dump garbage in the Meethotamulla site. The next destination was to be somewhere in Ekala, however, due to local protests it was abandoned. Another plan to dump garbage in abandoned lime stone quarries in Puttalam did not materialize due to opposition by environmentalists who argued that the proposed site was located within a one mile buffer zone ofthe Wilpattu wildlife park.



The preferred strategy of the government had been to move from one place to another, dumping garbage until residents fed up withthe stink and polluted wells rise up. That is a pretty lowly way of managing complex problems, even when Sri Lankas solid waste output is minuscule in any global comparison. Large global cities produce more waste per day than Sri Lanka produces annually and recycle the lion share of it. It is commonly argued ( even without trying it) that Sri Lanka cannot recycle its solid waste since the public lump all garbage together. The solution then is to have an enforceable mechanism backed by legally enforceable sanctions that compel city folks to separate biodegradable waste from others like their peers in many other countries do. That lack of initiative in its decision makers is a quintessential Sri Lankan problem too.



Why we cannot plan for a long term on most things, let alone garbage, is a reflection of our institutions and individuals who oversee them. Over a hundred proposals by local and foreign investors on a sustainable solution for the garbage problem in Colombo had been presented to the government during the past two and half years. None had been followed up with a sense of urgency. Proposals for power generation from the Meethotamulla site was mooted, and then abandoned as feuding government institutions advancing their own agendas preferred to clash atop a mountain of rubbish, rather than cooperating to solve the problem. Sri Lankas state agencies and institutions are horribly under-performing and hide behind a labyrinth of achaic laws and regulations. They make any simple thing excruciatingly difficult, rob any initiative of its momentum and chase away willing investors. Their inefficiency at times leads to unintended mass murders like the one in Meethotamulla. Even when their inefficiency is not manifest in its gory detail, those institutions reign over a state of under-performance at the expense of our future. The government needs to cut those under-performing, yet all powerful institutions down to size, thereby simplifying the process of governance. When every state institution, be it Central Environment Authorities, large State Owned Enterprises, line ministries, provincial councils and many others could override a national plan, there is neither cohesion nor predictability in affairs of governance. What the countries at our development level and size need is a strong centralized state that can efficiently advance a national agenda irrespective of peripheral concerns. That is exactly why prospective investors flock to states with strong centralized governments or in many cases to ones with leaders who tend to centralize power --though such a concentration of power may not always be good for the health of democracy in the long term. However indecisiveness and vacillation are equally dangerous and make people become nostalgic about strong leaders.



Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has reportedly cut short his official visit to Vietnam and is returning home. One would however doubt whether he would dare to visit the crash site or even if he did so, whether people receive him amicably. The Meethotamulla rubbish dump was not his own creation, his government inherited it from its predecessor. But now in the eyes of the aggrieved locals, Mr. Wickremesinghe represents a government that is inefficient and callous to their grievances.



Last weeks tragedy is another reminder that this government should inject a degree of efficiency and a sense of urgency to address our economic and social problems and to that end, reform institutions and laws that stand on the way of progress.

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The United States is welcome to play a positive role in peacefully resolving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang on Monday.

"We are willing to work with all parties concerned to achieve denuclearization and safeguard peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," Lu told a daily press briefing.

Lu made the comments in response to the remarks of U.S. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster on Sunday.

McMaster urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to stop destabilizing behavior, saying it was the bottom line of the United States to stop the DPRK developing nuclear weapons and to denuclearize the peninsula.

"We have taken note of the remarks,"said Lu, adding that seeking a peaceful solution to the Korean Peninsula issue is a right direction and meets interests of all related parties.

Dialogue and consultation is the only way to resolve the Korean Peninsula issue, said Lu, reaffirming China's stance.

China has put forward a "dual-track approach" and a "suspension for suspension" proposal to ease tensions on the peninsula and create conditions for peace talks, said Lu.
Nabors Industries Ltd. provides drilling and drilling-related services for land-based and offshore oil and natural gas wells. The company operates through five segments: U.S. Drilling, Canada Drilling, International Drilling, Drilling Solutions, and Rig Technologies. It provides tubular running, wellbore placement, directional drilling, measurement-while-drilling (MWD), equipment manufacturing, and rig instrumentation services; and logging-while-drilling systems and services, as well as drilling optimization software. The company also offers REVit, an automated real time stick-slip mitigation system; ROCKit, a directional steering control system; SmartNAV, a collaborative guidance and advisory platform; SmartSLIDE, an advanced directional steering control system; and RigCLOUD, which provides the tools and infrastructure to integrate applications to deliver real-time insight into operations across the rig fleet. In addition, it manufactures and sells top drives, catwalks, wrenches, drawworks, and other drilling related equipment, such as robotic systems and downhole tools; and provides aftermarket sales and services for the installed base of its equipment. As of December 31, 2021, the company marketed approximately 301 rigs for land-based drilling operations in the United States, Canada, and in 20 other countries worldwide; and 29 rigs for offshore platform drilling operations in the United States and internationally. Nabors Industries Ltd. was founded in 1952 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.
Core Laboratories N.V. provides reservoir description and production enhancement services and products to the oil and gas industry in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It operates through Reservoir Description and Production Enhancement segments. The Reservoir Description segment includes the characterization of petroleum reservoir rock, reservoir fluid, and gas samples to enhance production and improve recovery of oil and gas from its clients' reservoirs. It offers laboratory-based analytical and field services to characterize properties of crude oil and oil delivered products; and proprietary and joint industry studies. The Production Enhancement segment provides services and products relating to reservoir well completions, perforations, stimulations, and production. It offers integrated diagnostic services to evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of well completions and to develop solutions to improve the effectiveness of enhanced oil recovery projects. In addition, the company markets and sells its products through a combination of sales representatives, technical seminars, trade shows, and print advertising, as well as through distributors. It operates approximately in 50 countries. The company was founded in 1936 and is based in Amstelveen, the Netherlands.
National Grid plc transmits and distributes electricity and gas. The company operates through UK Electricity Transmission, UK Electricity Distribution, UK Electricity System Operator, New England, and New York segments. The UK Electricity Transmission segment provides electricity transmission and construction work services in England and Wales. The UK Electricity Distribution segment offers electricity distribution services in Midlands, and South West of England and South Wales. The UK Electricity System Operator segment provides balancing services for supply and demand of electricity on Great Britain's electricity transmission system; and acts as an agent on behalf of transmission operators. The New England segment offers electricity and gas distribution, and electricity transmission services in New England. The New York segment provides electricity and gas distribution, and electricity transmission services in New York. It also engages in the provision of transmission services through electricity interconnectors and LNG importation at the Isle of Grain; sale of renewables projects; and leasing and sale of commercial property, as well as insurance activities in the United Kingdom. The company was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.
Sara Jo Schneider and Hickle, along with fellow Girl Scouts Jayna Kelley and Autumn Helgeson, were killed when a pickup truck crashed into them as the scouts cleaned up debris on the west side of Highway P at about 11 a.m. Nov. 3, 2018. All four were killed at the scene. A fifth girl was injured but later recovered. The girls attended Southview Elementary and Halmstad Elementary in Chippewa Falls. On Wednesday, a 20-foot-tall memorial was dedicated at the crash site, honoring the three scouts and mother killed that day.
The following companies are subsidiares of Illinois Tool Works: A V Co 1 Limited, A V Co 2 Limited, A V Co 3 Limited, ACCU-LUBE Manufacturing GmbH - Schmiermittel und -gerate -, AIP/BI Holdings Inc., Accessories Marketing Holding Corp., Advanced Molding Company Inc., Allen France SAS, Alpine Engineered Products, Alpine Systems Corporation, Anaerobicos S.r.l., AppliChem GmbH, Avery Berkel France, Avery India Limited, Avery Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avery Weigh Tronix, Avery Weigh-Tronix Finance Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix International Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix LLC, Avery Weigh-Tronix Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Properties Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Suzhou Weighing Technology Co. Ltd., Azon Limited, B.C. Immo, Beijing Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Berkel Ireland Limited, Berrington UK, Brapenta Eletronica Ltda., Brooks Instrument B.V., Brooks Instrument GmbH, Brooks Instrument KFT, Brooks Instrument Korea Ltd., Brooks Instrument LLC, Brooks Instrument Shanghai Co. Ltd, Buell Industries Inc., CCI Realty Company, CFC Europe GmbH, CS Australia Pty Limited, CS Mexico Holding Company S DE RL DE CV, Calvia Spolka z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnosci, Capital Ventures Australasia S.a r.l, Capmax Logistica S.A. de C.V., Celeste Industries Corporation, Coeur, Coeur Asia Limited, Coeur Holding Company, Coeur Inc., Coeur Shanghai Medical Appliance Trading Co. Ltd, Compagnie Hobart, Compagnie de Materiel et d'Equipements Techniques-Comet, Constructions Isothermiques Bontami C.I.B., Crane Carrier Company, Denison Mayes Group Limited, Despatch Industries, Diagraph Corporation Sdn. Bhd, Diagraph ITW Mexico S. de R.L. De C.V., Diagraph Mexico S.A. DE C.V., Dongguan Ark-Les Electric Components Co. Ltd., Dongguan CK Branding Co. Ltd., Duo Fast de Espana S.A.U., Duo-Fast Korea Co. Ltd., Duo-Fast LLC, E.C.S. d.o.o., E2M Production B.V.., E2M Technologies B.V.., E2M Technologies Inc.., ECS Cable Protection Sp. Zoo, ELRO Grosskuchen GmbH, ELRO Holding AG, ELRO-WERKE AG, Elro Group, Eltex-Elektrostatik-Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Envases Multipac S.A. de C.V., Eurotec Srl, Exhibit 21, FEG Investments L.L.C., Filtertek De Mexico Holding Inc., Filtertek De Mexico S.A. de C.V., Filtertek SAS, GC Financement SA, Gamko B.V., Gun Hwa Platech Taicang Co. Ltd., HOBART Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Hartness International, Hobart Andina S.A.S., Hobart Belgium B.V., Hobart Brothers International Chile Limitada, Hobart Brothers LLC, Hobart Dayton Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Hobart Food Equipment Co. Ltd., Hobart International Singapore Pte. Ltd., Hobart Japan K.K., Hobart Korea LLC, Hobart LLC, Hobart Nederland B.V., Hobart Sales & Service Inc., Hobart Scandinavia ApS, Hobart Techniek B.V., Horis, ILC Investments Holdings Inc., ITW AEP LLC, ITW AOC LLC, ITW Aircraft Investments Inc., ITW Ampang Industries Philippines Inc., ITW Appliance Components EOOD, ITW Appliance Components S.A. de C.V., ITW Appliance Components S.r.l.a, ITW Appliance Components d.o.o., ITW Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, ITW Australia Property Holdings Pty Ltd., ITW Australia Pty Ltd, ITW Automotive Components Chongqing Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Components Langfang Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Japan K.K., ITW Automotive Korea LLC, ITW Automotive Parts Shanghai Co. Ltd, ITW Automotive Products GmbH, ITW Automotive Products Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Bailly Comte, ITW Befestigungssysteme GmbH, ITW Belgium B.V., ITW Brazilian Nominee L.L.C., ITW Building Components Group Inc., ITW CER, ITW CP Distribution Center Holland BV, ITW CS UK Ltd., ITW Canada Inc., ITW Celeste Inc., ITW Chemical Products Ltda, ITW Chemical Products Scandinavia ApS, ITW China Investment Company Limited, ITW Colombia S.A.S., ITW Construction Products AB, ITW Construction Products AS, ITW Construction Products ApS, ITW Construction Products CZ s.r.o., ITW Construction Products Italy Srl, ITW Construction Products OU, ITW Construction Products OY, ITW Construction Products Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Construction Products Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW Construction Services Manila Inc., ITW Contamination Control B.V., ITW Contamination Control Wujiang Co. Ltd., ITW Covid Security Group Inc., ITW DS Investments Inc., ITW DelFast do Brasil Ltda., ITW Denmark ApS, ITW Deutschland GmbH, ITW Diagraph GmbH, ITW Dynatec, ITW Dynatec Adhesive Equipment Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Dynatec GmbH, ITW Dynatec Kabushiki Kaisha, ITW EAE B.V., ITW EAE Mexico S de RL de CV, ITW EF&C France SAS, ITW EF&C Selb GmbH, ITW EU Holdings Ltd., ITW Electronic Business Asia Co. Limited, ITW Electronic Components/Products Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Electronics Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Epsilon Sarl, ITW Espana S.L., ITW European Finance Co. Ltd., ITW European Finance II Co. Ltd., ITW European Finance III Co. Ltd., ITW FEG Hong Kong Limited, ITW FEG do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW Fastener Products GmbH, ITW Fluids and Hygiene Solutions Ltda., ITW Food Equipment Group LLC, ITW GH LLC, ITW GSE ApS, ITW GSE Inc., ITW Gamma Sarl, ITW German Management LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings Y Compania Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones, ITW Global Investments Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Europe GmbH, ITW Global Tire Repair Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Japan K.K., ITW Graphics Asia Limited, ITW Graphics Thailand Ltd., ITW Great Britain Investment & Licensing Holding Company, ITW Group France Luxembourg S.ar.l., ITW HLP Thailand Co. Ltd., ITW Holding Quimica B.C. S.L. Sole Shareholder Company, ITW Holdings Australia L.P., ITW Holdings I Limited, ITW Holdings II Limited, ITW Holdings III Limited, ITW Holdings IV Limited, ITW Holdings IX Limited, ITW Holdings Inc., ITW Holdings V Limited, ITW Holdings VI Limited, ITW Holdings VII Limited, ITW Holdings VIII Limited, ITW Holdings X Limited, ITW Holdings XI Limited, ITW ILC Holdings I Inc., ITW IPG Investments LLC, ITW Imaden Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW India Private Limited, ITW International Holdings LLC, ITW Invest Holding GmbH, ITW Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, ITW Ireland Unlimited Company, ITW Italy Holding Srl, ITW Japan Ltd., ITW Korea LLC, ITW LLC & Co. KG, ITW Limited, ITW Lys Fusion S.r.l., ITW Materials Technology Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Meritex Sdn. Bhd., ITW Metal Fasteners S.L., ITW Mexico Holding Company S. De R.L. de C.V., ITW Mexico Holdings LLC, ITW Morlock GmbH, ITW Mortgage Investments II Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments III Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments IV Inc., ITW Netherlands Administration BV, ITW Netherlands Beta B.V., ITW Netherlands Finance Alpha BV, ITW New Universal LLC, ITW New Zealand, ITW Ningbo Components & Fastenings Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Novadan Sp. Z.o.o., ITW PPF Brasil Adesivos Ltda., ITW Packaging Technology China Co. Ltd., ITW Participations S.a r.l., ITW Pension Funds Trustee Company, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Japan Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Korea Limited, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids OOO, ITW Performance Polymers ApS, ITW Performance Polymers Wujiang Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers and Fluids Group FZE, ITW Peru S.A.C., ITW Poly Mex S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Polymers Sealants North America Inc., ITW Pronovia s.r.o., ITW Pte. Ltd., ITW Qufu Automotive Cooling Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Real Estate Germany GmbH, ITW Residuals III L.L.C., ITW Residuals IV L.L.C., ITW Rivex, ITW SMPI, ITW SPG Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Simco-Ion Shenzhen Co. Ltd., ITW Slovakia s.r.o., ITW Spain Holdings S.L., ITW Specialty Film LLC, ITW Specialty Films France, ITW Specialty Materials Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Sverige AB, ITW Sweden Holding AB, ITW Test & Measurement Equipment Shanghai Co. Ltd, ITW Test & Measurement GmbH, ITW Test and Measurement Italia Srl, ITW Test and Measurement Services Industry and Trade Ltd., ITW Texwipe Philippines Inc., ITW Thermal Films Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW UK, ITW UK Finance Beta Limited, ITW UK Finance Delta Limited, ITW UK Finance Gamma Limited, ITW UK Finance Limited, ITW UK Finance Zeta Ltd., ITW UK II Limited, ITW Universal II LLC, ITW Welding, ITW Welding AB, ITW Welding GmbH, ITW Welding Products B.V., ITW Welding Products Group FZE, ITW Welding Products Group S. DE R.L. De C.V., ITW Welding Products Italy Srl, ITW Welding Products Limited Liability Company, ITW Welding Produtos Para Solgdagem Ltda., ITW Welding Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW de France, ITW do Brasil Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Illinois Tool Works Chile Limitada, Illinois Tool Works ITW Nederland B.V., Illinois Tool Works Inc., Impar Comercio E Representacoes Ltda., Industrie Plastic Elsasser GmbH, Inmobiliaria Cit. S.A. de C.F., Innova Temperlite Servicios S.A. de C.V., Innovacion y Transformacion Automotriz S.A. de C.V., Instron Brasil Equipamentos Cientificos Ltda., Instron Foreign Sales Corp. Limited, Instron France S.A.S., Instron GmbH, Instron Japan Company Ltd., Instron Korea LLC, Instron Shanghai Ltd., Instron Thailand Limited, International Leasing Company LLC, Isolenge - ITW Sistemas de Isolamento Termico Ltda., Itw Spraytec, KCPL Mauritius Holdings, Kester, Kleinmann GmbH, Krafft S.L., Loma Systems, Loma Systems BV, Loma Systems Canada Inc., Loma Systems sro, Lombard Pressings Limited, Lumex Inc., Lys Fusion Poland Sp. z.o.o., M&C Specialties Co., MAGNAFLUX GmbH, MEHB Holdings Limited, MGHG Property LLC, MTS 2 LLC., MTS 3 LLC., MTS China Holdings LLC, MTS Europe Holdings LLC, MTS Holdings France S.a.r.l., MTS Japan Ltd.., MTS Korea Inc.., MTS Systems China Co. Ltd., MTS Systems Corporation, MTS Systems Danmark ApS., MTS Systems Europe B.V., MTS Systems Finance C.V.., MTS Systems Germany GmbH, MTS Systems Holding B.V.., MTS Systems Hong Kong Incorporated, MTS Systems Limited, MTS Systems Norden Aktiebolag, MTS Systems S.r.l, MTS Systems., MTS Systems.., MTS Sytems Do Brazil, MTS Testing Solutions India Private Limited., MTS Testing Systems Canada Ltd., Manufacturing Avancee S.A., Meritex Technology Suzhou Co. Ltd., Meurer Verpackungssysteme GmbH, Miller Electric Mfg. LLC, Miller Insurance Ltd., NDT Holding LLC, NOVADAN APS, North Star Imaging Inc., Nova Chimica S.r.l., Orbitalum Tools GmbH, PENTA-91 OOO, PR. A. I. Srl, PT ITW Construction Products Indonesia, Pacific Concept Industries Limited Enping, Panreac Quimica S.L., Paslode Fasteners Shanghai Co. Ltd., Peerless Machinery Corp., Polyrey, Premark FEG L.L.C., Premark HII Holdings LLC, Premark International, Premark International LLC, Prolex Sociedad Anonima, QSA Global Inc., Quimica Industrial Mediterranea S.L., R&D Engineering A/S., R&D Prague s.r.o., R&D Steel ApS., R&D Test Systems A/S., R&D Tools and Structures A/S., RDGDK Engineering Private Limited, Ramset Fasteners Hong Kong Ltd., Rapid Cook LLC, Refrigeration France, S.E.E. Sistemas Industria E Comercio Ltda., ST Mexico Holdings LLC, Sealant Systems International Inc., Sentinel Asia Yuhan Hoesa, Shanghai ITW Plastic & Metal Co. Ltd, Simco Japan Inc., Simco Nederland B.V., Societe de Prospection et dInventions Techniques  SPIT, Speedline Holdings I Inc., Speedline Holdings I LLC, Speedline Technologies GmbH, Speedline Technologies Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Speedline Technologies Mexico Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Stokvis Celix Portugal Unipessoal LDA, Stokvis Danmark ApS, Stokvis Holdings S.A.R.L., Stokvis Promi s.r.o, Stokvis Prostick Tapes Private Limited, Stokvis Tapes B.V., Stokvis Tapes Benelux B.V., Stokvis Tapes Deutschland GmbH, Stokvis Tapes France, Stokvis Tapes Hong Kong Co. Limited, Stokvis Tapes Italia s.r.l., Stokvis Tapes Limited, Stokvis Tapes Limited Liability Company, Stokvis Tapes Norge AS, Stokvis Tapes Oy, Stokvis Tapes Polska Sp Z.O.O., Stokvis Tapes Shanghai Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes Sverige AB, Stokvis Tapes Taiwan Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes Tianjin Co. Ltd., Stolvis Holdings II S.A.R.L., Subsidiaries, Technopack Industria Comercio Consultoria e Representacoes Ltda., Teknek China Limited, Teknek Japan Limited, Teksaleco Ltd., The Miller Group Ltd, Thirode Grandes Cuisines Poligny, Tien Tai Electrode Co. Ltd., Tien Tai Electrode Kunshan Co. Ltd., Unichemicals Industria e Comercio Ltda., VR-Leasing Sarita GmbH & Co. Immobilien KG, VS European Holdco BV, Valeron Strength Films B.V., Veneta Decalcogomme S.r.l., Versachem Chile S.A., Vesta, Vesta Global Limited, Vesta Guangzhou Catering Equipment Co. Ltd, Viltronics Soltec, Vitronics Soltec B.V., Wachs Canada Ltd., Wachs Subsea LLC, Weigh-Tronix Canada ULC, Weigh-Tronix UK Limited, Wilsonart International Holdings LLC, Wynn Oil South Africa Pty Ltd., Wynn's Automotive France, Wynn's Belgium BVBA, Wynn's Italia Srl, Wynn's Mekuba India Pvt Ltd, and Zip-Pak International B.V..

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SUPERVALU INC., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a grocery wholesaler and retailer in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments, Wholesale and Retail. The Wholesale segment engages in the wholesale distribution of various food and non-food products to independent retail customers, such as single and multiple grocery store operators, regional chains, and the military. It also provides professional services, such as pass-through programs; and various services comprising retail store support, advertising, couponing, e-commerce, network and data hosting, training and certifications classes, and administrative back-office solutions. The Retail segment operates retail stores that provide groceries and various additional products that include general merchandise, home, health and beauty care, and pharmacy products. It provides its products under the Cub Foods, Shoppers Food & Pharmacy, and Hornbacher's names, as well as 1 Rainbow stores. The company's stores offer a range of branded and private-label products comprising perishable and nonperishable grocery products. As of February 24, 2018, it operated a network of 3,437 stores, including 3,323 wholesale primary stores; and 114 retail grocery stores. The company was founded in 1871 and is headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
On Monday, United States Vice President Mike Pence warned North Korea it could receive the same treatment as Afghanistan and Syria, both of which the White House bombed recently, if it were to continue with its nuclear testing program.

The stern warning, delivered by the vice president in Seoul following his visit to the demilitarized zone that separates North and South Korea, could spark speculation that the Trump administration is contemplating military action against the Pyongyang regime.

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Pence said the White House administration wants to convince the North Koreans to abandon their nuclear weapons via peaceful means. However, he repeated the warning by the administration that all options remained on the table.

Pence arrived in Seoul only hours after the most recent ballistic missile launch by North Korea. The missile exploded within seconds of blast off. The weekend also included much fanfare across North Korea as the regime paraded what looks to be new missiles designed to reach the U.S.

During his trip to the zone between to two Koreas, and later during remarks to the media, Pence issued his strong warnings to North Korea.

He said in only the last two weeks, the world has witnessed the resolve and strength of our new U.S. president in actions taken in Afghanistan and Syria.

He added that North Korea should not test the presidents resolve or the strength of the U.S. armed forces in the area.

Earlier in April, on the command of Trump, the military launched cruise missiles (59) at a military airfield in Syria as retaliation for the chemical attack that killed dozens of civilians.

Less than one week later, the military dropped a bomb that weighed 22,000 pounds, which is the largest bomb that is non-nuclear ever used by the U.S. in combat, on forces from the Islamic State in Afghanistan.

Any potential military strikes against North Korea would likely bring diplomatic crisis for the U.S. with China, which is a main economic lifeline of North Korea.

Both U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson along with Pence stated that the strategic patience from the Obama policy of pressuring North Korea is over and military action is now a viable option to make North Korea shut down its nuclear program.

The decision by the U.S. Navy to reroute a strike group on an aircraft carrier to the region as tensions increased has also fueled more speculation the White House might make a pre-emptive strike on military facilities in North Korea.
Nine Things You Should Know About Late-Term Abortions

Contact: Troy Newman, President, 316-683-6790 ext. 111; Cheryl Sullenger, Senior Vice President, 316-516-3034; both with Operation Rescue

ALBUQUERQUE, April 17, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- Cheryl Sullenger releases the following and is available for comment:

Nestled at the foot of the picturesque Sandia Mountains is the beautiful southwestern city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. While Albuquerque is well known for its annual hot-air balloon festival and as the home of motor racing royalty, the Unser family, Albuquerque also has a darker distinction: It is the Late-Term Abortion Capital of the United States.

Photo: One of many women who suffer life threating abortion complications at Southwestern Women's Options in Albuquerque.

Since 2010, Operation Rescue has worked with local activists Bud and Tara Shaver, to expose abuses at Southwestern Women's Options (SWO), the largest late-term abortion facility in the U.S. We have repeatedly exposed the link between SWO and the University of New Mexico (UNM) , which used tax dollars to expand abortion in New Mexico.

Rep. Marsha Blackburn, who chaired the Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives that looked into the illegal trafficking of aborted baby remains, will be in Albuquerque this week to address her Panel's findings and concerns about the Southwestern Women's Options abortion business and its questionable relationship with the publicly University of New Mexico.

Continue reading for the Nine Things You Should Know About Late-Term Abortions and learn about this week's events in Albuquerque that you are invited to attend.

This report includes a video released today that shows Medicaid paying ALL COSTS of aborting a 30-week Down syndrome baby.
For decades, and particularly since President Richard Nixons administration, public pressure has led presidents to become steadily more open with citizens about how they conduct business, and more mindful of ethics.

Major party candidates have released their tax returns, revealing information about their finances and any potential conflicts of interest. Presidential relatives have avoided high office. The Justice Department has insulated itself from the Oval Office.

And, as of the Barack Obama presidency, the White House has released voluminous records on who visited the executive mansion grounds so citizens could know who was meeting with the president and his staff.

Some of these practices flowed from formal rules, others from norms based on the American notion that the president works for the people and that transparency and ethical guidelines are essential checks against abuse of that trust. Though presidents have chafed at the expectations that follow from this principle, none before President Donald Trump has so brazenly attempted to reverse the decades-long trend toward an above-board presidency.

The latest news is that Trump will not routinely release White House visitor records, as Obama did. The White House cited grave national security risks and privacy concerns. The former is not persuasive, since a national security exception was built into the policy. So Trump must argue that his right to privacy, or that of the lobbyists coming to see him, outweighs the publics interest in knowing who is getting an audience. We dont find that persuasive, either.

Trumps decision to claw the White House logs back into the shadows follows several other moves that show contempt for the public. As a candidate, Trump promised to disclose his tax returns; then postponed the release date; then seemed to decide that he never need keep that promise. His excusethat the IRS is auditing his recent tax formshas been thoroughly discredited as a rationale, and provides not even phony cover for refusing to release older returns. Given Trumps sprawling, secretive business, and unanswered questions about its ties to Russians, his departure from tradition in this matter is particularly unsettling. Nor has he made as clean a break from his business as taxpayers have a right to expect.

Judging from his public statements, Trump calculates that there is little to no political price to be paid for flouting norms of ethics and openness. But his dismal poll numbers consistently show that Americans question his honesty. A time may come when he needs to ask the American people to have confidence in him. After undoing the nations progress toward transparency, he may find that the reservoir of trust is very shallow.
New Delhi: Eveready Industries India is looking beyond its traditional dry cell battery business and is banking on newly-entered electrical appliances segment along with LED lighting to become major growth drivers.

The 110-year-old company, which forayed into fans and air purifier segments earlier this year, expects around Rs 500 core revenue to come from the appliances and the LED lighting segments this fiscal.

This is expected to be around 30 per cent of the company's total turnover for the ongoing fiscal. It had a revenue of Rs 1,393.87 crore for FY2016. In the nine months ended December 31, 2016 its revenue was at Rs 1,101.14 crore.

"Any company has to chart out a growth strategy to take it to the next level. We also have aspirations for higher growth rate, which only batteries and flashlight cannot reach," Eveready Industries India Managing Director Amritanshu Khaitan told PTI.

Elaborating on the company's roadmap, he said in FY2018, the new category of appliances and fans should cross turnover of Rs 100 core. On the LED business, he said: "Our diversification into the LED space has been very successful in the last two years."

As a result, he said, the overall lighting business has grown almost double in the last three years.

"The LED lighting category should contribute about Rs 400 crore (this fiscal)," Khaitan said. He, however, said the battery business would continue to be the company's mainstay. "As a category, it is the cash cow for the company and it's highly profitable. It is giving us a lot of cash flow to invest," Khaitan said.
Bhopal: Stating that India has already achieved 12,200 MW of solar capacity so far, Union power minister Piyush Goyal today reiterated that the country is well poised to reach its target of 100 GW capacity by 2022.

"The country's solar power generation capacity was 2,600 MW in 2014 and it has now jumped to 12,200 MW now," Goyal said at an event here. He was in the city to attend the signing of power purchase agreement between Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and authorities concerned for buying power from the 750 MW Rewa Ultra Mega Solar (RUMS) project in Madhya Pradesh.

Goyal said the earlier UPA government had set a target to generate 20,000 MW solar energy by 2022. "This mark, we are going to achieve by this year-end, five years ahead of the target set by the earlier government. We are confident that we will achieve our 100 GW target by 2022," Goyal added.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu said the DMRC will now get green energy for around Rs 3.30 per unit from RUMS. "Right now, DMRC is getting power for around Rs 6 per unit. But now it will get green energy at a very cheaper rate of just Rs 3.30 per unit," he said.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said providing clean and green energy was priority of the state and his government is promoting sustainable development keeping in mind the environment.

RUMS is a joint venture of Solar Energy Corporation of India and MP Urja Vikas Nigam, where in both parties have 50 per cent stake. DMRC will get 24 per cent solar power from this project.
Mumbai: Ruling out any plans to venture into India's domestic aviation business at this stage, German carrier Lufthansa today said the cost of operations here is "very high."

"We are not interested in being another player for domestic operations. Because we are not an expert in that," Lufthansa Group Airlines' Senior Director for South Asia Wolfgang Will said here.

He was responding to a question whether Lufthansa had any plans to set up a local carrier in India following Qatar Airways announcing its plans to foray into domestic airline business.

"We have the highest fuel cost in India, we have a lot of taxes, very high operational cost because airport charges are very high," Will said, adding it (launching a domestic airline) will be a "misadventure".

"And I did not hear of any domestic airline in India making a lot of profit," he added. Will said Lufthansa is currently busy in integrating its operations here after the launch of services to Mumbai by its subsidiary Brussels Airline.

"We have no time or possibility to look beyond our current engagement," he stressed. The Lufthansa Group operates 65 flights per week to New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru and Pune from its Frankfurt and Munich hubs.

Of these, Lufthansa Airlines operates 46 flights per week, while the Swiss Airlines and Brussels Airlines, the two subsidiaries, operate 14 and 5 respectively, per week. The Brussels Airlines launched its services from Brussels airport to Mumbai on March 31.

An airline conducts business when it has a successful plan in place, he said. Will said India has a huge demand for international travel.

According to Will, all German carriers together were operating 75 per cent of the total weekly seat entitlement agreed upon between India and Germany under the Air Service

Agreement.

"We still have the potential to make use of the (unutilised) bilateral. As an airline group, we have very strong brands presence already in the market (India)," the Lufthansa executive said.

The group will now operate 40 additional seats after the launch of its latest wide-bodied Airbus A350 plane to Mumbai from Munich on Sunday, he said. Mumbai became Lufthansa's second A350 destination in India after New Delhi with the launch of a flight to the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport here from Munich. Lufthansa is upgrading its flight services on the Pune -Frankfurt route to six times per week from the current four from June, Will said.
A similar period of paid maternity leave will be provided for fixed term and trainee employees, up from current 84 days period.

New Delhi: Reliance Industries, second most valuable company in India, has introduced a 12-week paid leave for 'commissioning' mothers who use surrogates to bear a child, as it adopted provisions of the new maternity law.

"With effect from April 1, 2017 there will be extension of maternity leave to 26 weeks (182 calendar days), from 180 days, for regular employees," RIL's HR department said in a notice to company employees.

A similar period of paid maternity leave will be provided for fixed term and trainee employees, up from current 84 days period. As per the new law, entitlement of maternity leave for third child onwards will be 12 days (84 calendar days).

Also, RIL extended "adoption leave to 12 weeks, from 28 days, for a woman/single father colleague who adopts a child less than three months of age."

It introduced a 12-week leave for 'commissioning mothers', the notice said. Commissioning mothers are those who use surrogates to bear a child. The leave for such mothers is the same for working women adopting a baby below the age of three months.

The 12-week period of maternity leave will be calculated from the date the child is handed over to the adoptive or commissioning mother. Parliament had last month passed new bill on maternity benefits for about 1.8 million women in the organised sector.

The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016 applies to all establishments employing 10 or more people. The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, protects the employment of women during the time of her maternity and entitles her full paid absence from work, to take care of her child.

The amendment to the Act also requires every establishment with 50 or more employees to provide creche facilities within a prescribed distance. The woman will be allowed four visits to the creche in a day. This will include her interval for rest.
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New Delhi: Tata Steel today said its board will meet this week to consider a proposal for raising funds. "A meeting of the Board of Directors of the company will be held on Thursday, April 20, 2017 inter-alia to consider a proposal for fund raising," the company said in a filing to the BSE.

Tata Steel stands among the top global steel companies with an annual crude steel capacity of 28 million tonnes and had a turnover of USD 17.69 billion in FY 2015-16.

It is the world's second-most geographically-diversified steel producer with operations in 26 countries and commercial presence in over 50 countries.
The mutual fund industry is at a take-off stage in terms of growth and Indian investors are focussing on investments in equity as an asset class.

New Delhi: Investors put in more than Rs 70,000 crore in equity-oriented mutual fund schemes in 2016- 17, making it the third successive year of net inflows. The strong inflows have pushed the asset base of equity MFs by an impressive 41 per cent during the period under review.

Market players attributed the phenomenon to continuous participation from retail investors through systematic investment plans (SIPs), along with positive returns from equity funds and steps taken by asset management companies to create awareness among investors.

"2016-17 has been a golden year for the mutual fund industry as net inflows into equity MFs have been positive in each month without exception," Bajaj Capital Group Director Anil Chopra said.

"Much of the credit can be given to maturity of retail investors who have come up in the 'learning curve' by contributing 1.3 crore monthly SIPs adding more than Rs 4,000 crore per month in various top-performing equity mutual fund schemes."

According to data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi), equity funds, which also include equity-linked saving schemes (ELSS), saw net inflows of Rs 70,367 crore in 2016-17, a slight drop from Rs 74,024 crore infusion in 2015- 16.

These funds had seen net inflows of Rs 71,029 crore in 2014-15 and withdrawal of Rs 9,269 crore in 2013-14. The gone-by fiscal saw a surge in the number of retail investor accounts, or folios, in equity, equity-linked saving schemes and balanced categories, which grew by more than 58 lakh to 4.4 crore.

"The mutual fund industry is at a take-off stage in terms of growth and Indian investors are focussing on investments in equity as an asset class," said Srikanth Meenakshi, COO, FundsIndia.com, an investment portal for MFs.

The assets under management (AUM) of equity MFs scaled a record high of Rs 5.43 lakh crore at the end of March 2017 from Rs 3.86 lakh crore at March 2016-end. MFs are investment vehicles made up of a pool of funds collected from a number of investors. The funds are invested in stocks, bonds and money market instruments, among others.
Mumbai: Bollywood is often known for its actors and the directors often get sidelined despite the immense amount of work they put it on their films.

Karan Johars Koffee with Karan, always sees actors on the show, but there is always that one episode which features only the directors.

Similarly, Farah Khan also hosted a dinner party for just the directors. The choreographer-director, had hosted a cooking-based show and loves hosting parties for her friends, but this time only the ones wielding the microphone behind the camera were the privileged lot.

Her brother Sajid Khan, the Akhtar siblings, Farhan and Zoya, Kabir Khan, Karan Johar, Sonali Bendres husband Goldie Behl, Punit Malhotra and Ashutosh Gowariker joined Farah for a lovely picture.

In fact, several of the directors have donned multiple hats, with Farhan, Karan, Ashutosh and Farah having acted and worked on television shows before.

This picture has definitely got us thinking of the nine of them making a film of nine stories along the lines of Bombay Talkies.
Mumbai: Days after reports of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) banning Raveena Tandons comeback film Maatr, for its alleged violent content, started doing the rounds, CEO Anurag Shrivastava refuted these reports as mere rumours and confirmed the examination committee is still evaluating.

The screening of the movie Maatr for CBFC was done on Saturday evening and at the moment there is no screening of Maatr again. Ban on the movie is false, as the examination committee is still in process and the result will be conveyed in a day or two, he was quoted as saying.

The rape scenes and alleged violent feel of the film had gossip mongers talking about a possible ban on Maatr.

The screening of this film had also sparked controversy after the members of Censor Board walked out of the theatre after ten minutes. While a source told a leading daily that the board was unimpressed with the content and felt the script did not match with what was shown in the film, producer Anjum Rizvi said that the walkout was due to technical glitch.

Directed by Ashtar Sayed, Maatr is slated to release on April 21.
The film is expected to break the record of 'PK'.

Mumbai: Trust Aamir Khan to give his films the unprecedented grandeur that they deserve!

The superstar's 'Dangal,' which had released during Christmas, 2016, is the second highest grossing film of all time. And the film is behind none other than Aamir's own Rajkumar Hirani directorial, 'PK'.

'PK' had managed the sensational feat of grossing over 100 crore rupees approximately, from China itself.

And now, Aamir has taken the Nitesh Tiwari helmed 'Dangal,' to China, amid much fanfare.

The film is expected to break the record of 'PK,' and end up being the biggest Indian blockbuster of all time.

Aamir sang the title track of the film for the audience and even savoured some Desi delicacies in the presence of Gireesh Singh Chowdhury, owner of a popular Indian restaurant in Beijing.

Aamir is all set to commence work on Vijay Krishna Acharya's 'Thugs Of Hindostan,' which has him collaborating with Amitabh Bachchan for the very first time.

Watch the video here:
Ronja, who is a Playboy magazine model dropped in on the sets to meet her idol.

Austrian model Ronja Forcher is a Salman Khan fan. Recently when the Bollywood superstar shot in Austria for Ali Abbas Zafars Tiger Zinda Hai, Ronja, who is a Playboy magazine model dropped in on the sets to meet her idol.

The brief meeting picture that went up on Instagram, sparked off rumours that Ronja is part of Tiger Zinda Hai. Turns out, thats not true.

The films director Ali Abbas has clarified that Ronja is not a part of the movie at all, and that she had in fact dropped in on location only to meet Salman Khan because she is a huge fan.

Given Salmans devotion to giving foreign talent a break in Bwood, it isnt unusual for one to speculate a work association, but turns out thats not the case this time around  at least for now.
Sanjay Dutt exits from the Andheri Court today after his hearing on the Noorani case.

Mumbai: A bailable warrant had been issued to actor Sanjay Dutt yesterday for his non-appearance before the court in a matter pertaining to alleged threats to filmmaker Shakeel Noorani.

The actor appeared before Andheri court today and Mumbai court cancelled the bailable warrant against him, which came as an interim relief to the actor.

He was accompanied by his film Bhoomis producer Sandeep Singh for the hearing.

According to our sources, Sanjay Dutts lawyer pleaded the court to excuse their client from attending every hearing session of the court, owing to his busy work schedule.

However, the court refused to abide by their proposal and ordered Sanjay to mark his presence at every hearing.

Sanjay paid a penalty of Rs. 500 to get his arrest warrant cancelled.

He was present in the court for exact eleven minutes and then made a silence exit.

His next hearing is on April 29, 2017.

What is the entire case?

Advocate Gupta, Nooranis lawyer quoted ANI as saying, The case is that my client was producing a film in 2009 named Jaan Ki Baazi wherein Sanjay Dutt was cast for lead role and a huge amount was also paid to him, but he didnt come for the shooting therefore the film could not be completed Noorani thereafter filed a complaint before producers associations. The association directed Dutt to play a certain amount to Noorani, since Dutt did not pay such amount. So Noorani filed a petition before High Court.

The lawyer told ANI that after the High Court attached Dutts properties in the case; Noorani allegedly received threatening calls from the underworld.

Speaking about the arrest warrant that they issued against Sanjay yesterday, he said, Since for so many days Sanjay Dutt was not appearing before the court, therefore we made an application for the issuance of warrant. And considering continuous absence in the court, today the court was pleased to issue an arrest warrant against Dutt.

Sanjay Dutt has a biopic made on him titled 'Dutt', which features Ranbir Kapoor as him.

Sanju baba, called lovingly by his fans will next be seen in 'Bhoomi'.
Director Alphonse Puthren shot to fame with his second film, Premam, starring Nivin Pauly, Anupama Parameshwaran, Sai Pallavi and Madonna Sebastian in the lead roles. His debut film was Neram, a Tamil  Malayalam bilingual starring Nivin Pauly and Nazriya Nazim.

Recently, Alphonse, through his social media page announced that his next project is a Tamil film. On his social media page, he said, I am going to direct a Tamil film which has nothing new. I am looking for an actress who knows Tamil and can sing as well. (sic)

His casting call message was a huge hit among the audience. He also adds, I will announce the lead actor and actress soon. (sic)

Earlier, it was reported that Alphonse Puthren will be remaking Premam in Tamil with STR in the lead role. We are unsure if this film is a remake of Premam, which ran in Chennai for more than 200 days.
Toronto: The popular fairytale of Cinderella may have maligned the reputation of stepmothers who - rather than being 'wicked' - often help children cope with the

negative effects of parental divorce, scientists say.

After a divorce, stepmothers are often the glue that holds a family together, researchers said. Cara Zaharychuk of Athabasca University in Canada, reviewed studies dealing with family conflict after divorce, and found stepmothers provide a valuable support system to youngsters.

"Society's view of the wicked stepmother needs to be challenged to accommodate the changing formation of the family unit," said Zaharychuk.

"Stepmothers should not be stereotyped as wicked, distant or cruel," she said.

"Stepmothers can aid in reducing negative repercussions. Effectively incorporating them into the family can aid in a healthy transition," she added.

Divorce has been linked to emotional, behavioural, and psychological problems, such as sleep disorders, aggression, resentment, poor school performance, confusion and fear of abandonment, 'The Telegraph' reported. Helping children to live in a home which is free from conflict can help to overcome some of the negative effects of divorce, and a stepmother can help, researchers believe.

Zaharychuk found that remarriage was one of six major turning points that made children feel like they belonged to a family again. The birth of new half-siblings is also beneficial. Many stepmothers also reported that their new role was unexpectedly rewarding. "Almost all the stepmothers involved in this study

reported feeling like a mother figure, and attempted to nurture and protect their stepchildren," Zaharychuk said. The research was published in the Journal of Divorce and Remarriage.
Sydney: A young freshwater crocodile found sunbathing on a riverbank in suburban Sydney by a family on their stroll has been returned to the zoo from where it was stolen.

The weary-looking crocodile, measuring 80 centimetres (31.5 inches) in length, was a surprising discovering on the banks of a river southwest of Sydney for local resident Aaron Hughes while out enjoying a walk with his family Easter

Sunday. The baby reptile put up little resistance, Hughes said, when he grabbed it from behind the neck and carried it home.

"(I) didn't need to sit on it or anything like that, just picked it up and walked it up to the house," Hughes told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. "Basically it did look a bit malnourished and we weren't sure what to do." Hughes contacted the police who have identified the young crocodile as one of two, named Snap and Crackle, who were stolen from the Get Wild Animal Experiences travelling zoo in March.

"We are so very pleased to announce today we had one of our missing crocodiles returned," the zoo said in a Facebook post Sunday. "He is very cold, thin and lethargic but we are hoping with some TLC he will be back to normal in no time." Police hold out hope that the other stolen crocodile will be found soon.
Their effort has been getting national recognition too. Of around 800 NGOs, Meghashala was voted to be among the top 20 not-for-profit organisations.

Bengaluru: How does one bring more than what is expected to a conventional classroom? Former physics and mathematics teacher Jyoti Thyagarajan and techpreneur Sridhar Ranganathan started on a journey and in their pursuit formed Meghshala, a not-for-profit trust, which is based on a learning management system called CloodOn, which is hosted on the cloud.

The trust creates lessons to empower teachers to educate children effectively with the help of Teachkits, which are multimedia lessons designed for use in classrooms. The goal is not to supercede the education system that gives teachers and principals the authority, but to help teachers use technology. Teachkit consists of a tablet and a small projector. The tablet has content loaded on to it and the teacher can project the content for students, creating one learning community, she says.

Our Meghshala teachkits contextualise world class pedagogic practices into everyday classroom learning with the use of images, videos, activities and strategies. This helps convert the classroom into an active learning space. We also provide teaching ideas to effectively execute these lessons in the class which will ensure that teachers receive in-context training. With this, teachers can deliver excellent lessons in the classroom," says Ms Thyagarajan, who has more than 30 years of teaching experience and continues to work towards improving the education system in the country.

The Trust, founded in 2014, has already reached out to over 130 schools. They include unaided government schools and a few private schools, and it has been done in the last one year alone, she says.

The innovative approach has started showing results. In Raichur, in schools where Teachkit has been adopted, the attendance in classes has increased three times. Teachkit, the content for which has been developed by a team of 24 members of the Trust, can be used from first to eighth standards now. It covers mathematics, English, social studies, science in English and vernacular languages.

Their effort has been getting national recognition too. Of around 800 NGOs, Meghashala was voted to be among the top 20 not-for-profit organisations.

On their future plans, Ms Thygarajan said, We are looking at skill development among children and that is the direction we are headed in. We want to do exciting things and to get quality education delivered across the country."
Child rights activists say they have received information about another student named Kiran Kumar who was beaten up by the principal for calling a teacher nuvvu (you). (Representational image)

Hyderabad: A Class X student was made to stand outside his hostel room for an entire night by the principal of Chinna Jeeyar Educational Trust at Muchintal in Shamshabad. His parents, who asked for the reason, were told by the principal that the boy had stolen Rs 100 and it was a punishment. The parents have complained to the Shamshabad police.

The Trust is a residential school and students stay in the hostel. School Principal Govardhan made my son stand in front of his room for an entire night, accusing him of stealing money, said the boys father Premnandanchari of Manicharan.

Following a complaint from child rights activists and the boys parents, Shamshabad police has started an inquiry.

Child rights activists say they have received information about another student named Kiran Kumar who was beaten up by the principal for calling a teacher nuvvu (you). The kid is from Mahbubnagar, and it is quite common in their lingo to say nuvvu (you) instead of meeru (yourself). This angered the principal, who beat up the kid. We have lodged a complaint against the principal with the Child Rights Commission, said activist Achyuth Rao.
Chennai: AIADMK (Amma) Deputy General Secretary TTV Dhinakaran will on Monday meet his aunt and party chief VK Sasikala, who is serving her jail term in Bengaluru central prison in disproportionate assets case.

The meeting assumes significance as it will follow the rebellion by the majority of leaders in AIADMK (Amma), who have asked them to quit their posts to pave the way for uniting both factions of the AIADMK.

Dhinakaran has, however, dismissed the rebellion within the party, NDTV reported.

"I am meeting general secretary Sasikala at the Bengaluru jail. It's a routine meeting," NDTV quoted Dhinakaran as saying. "There is no rebellion against me, there is no threat to my leadership. There is no question of quitting, he added.

The senior lawmakers and leaders had raised the banner of revolt against the family and gave Sasikala and Dhinakaran two days to quit from their posts in the party after he was accused of corruption.

After asking Dhinakaran and Sasikala to quit their posts to ensure that both factions of the AIADMK unite, a group of senior ministers is expected to meet the party deputy general secretary again on Tuesday to reiterate their demand.

We have given them two days to get back to us. When we meet Mr Dhinakaran on Tuesday, we will once again place our demand asking him and his aunt to step down from their party posts. If they resign, it is good. If they dont we will sideline them. There is no going back on our decision, a senior minister in the Edappadi K Palanisami government told Deccan Chronicle.

Dhinakaran, who was booked by Delhi Police for allegedly trying to bribe an Election Commission official, has, however, denied the allegations and vowed to fight the case legally.

Meanwhile, Dhinakaran has claimed that efforts were being made to "destroy our organisation politically".

"I will answer if I get summons. I will face it legally. How does a broker or somebody say the money was from TTV Dhinakaran? I don't know anybody by that name nor have I come across any such name in my life," he told reporters here.

"Such information is being spread to destroy our organisation politically. It is basically wrong to say that Sukesh has spoken to me. I don't know any such person. I don't know what is the plan and who is doing it," Dhinakaran, on his way to meet his aunt and jailed party chief Sasikala at Bengaluru, said.
New Delhi: At a time when many Opposition parties are alleging tampering of electronic voting machines (EVMs), Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi has asked the government to expedite release of funds for procurement of paper trail machines before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

In a letter to the law ministry, Mr Zaidi said that the Supreme Court has directed the poll panel to submit the approximate time within which the entire system of voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) can be introduced.

The process of procurement of VVPATs cannot be delayed any longer... The commission stands fully committed to deploy VVP-ATs along with EVMs in all future elections so that transparency of electoral process is enhanced, integrity of the voting preserved and the voters confidence is strengthened," the CEC has written.
It is in the premises of this building that Ronald Ross (1857-1932), the India born British doctor, discovered that the malarial parasite was being transmitted by mosquitoes. This big scientific discovery fetched him global fame and later Nobel Prize in 1902.

Hyderabad: Osmania University has a big task on its hand during the centenary year to restore the glory of Sir Ronald Ross Institute of Parasitology, Begumpet. It is in the premises of this building that Ronald Ross (1857-1932), the India born British doctor, discovered that the malarial parasite was being transmitted by mosquitoes. This big scientific discovery fetched him global fame and later Nobel Prize in 1902.

However, this historic building has been reduced to a shadow of its former self. The abutting land issue with Airports Authority of India (AAI) for the last several years, lack of water connection and no approach road for movement of water tankers meant the premises remain unused for most part of the year and kept locked.

Dr B. Redya Naik, Director of the Institute said that they want to develop the historic building as a place of tourist attraction where the young minds are motivated and will serve as inspiration for them to achieve big things in their career.

He stated that efforts are being made under Vice-Chancellor Prof S. Ramachandram for alienation of abutting land to Osmania for holistic development of the Nobel Laureates work-place.

This building served as a hospital for the British Regimental troops and Ronald Ross, in the rank of Surgeon-Major, came to work here in 1895. After one-year, he was transferred to Bangalore to control cholera only to return to Secunderabad in June 1897. From June 18, he continued his studies on brindled mosquito breeding and made a big breakthrough two months later. After a series of experiments and disections he carried out on infected mosquitoes, the scientist confirmed the life cycle of the malarial parasite in the female Anopheles mosquito on August 20, 1897.

Ross died in 1932 and three years later English doctors in Secunderabad Cantonment took steps to construct a marble plaque in front of the building, which then served as Officers Mess. In 1955 this building, which housed Deccan Airways office, was handed over to Osmania University.
Hyderabad: Stepping up its protests against the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) government in Telangana, main Opposition Congress today staged a 'dharna' here seeking Minimum Selling Price for farmers besides a slew of other issues.

Former Congress MP V Hanumantha Rao, Hyderabad Congress President Danam Nagender held a protest at the Ambedkar statue near Hussain Sagar Lake here.

They were critical of the government not allowing protests at 'Dharna Chowk', the popular place for parties' and other organisations to conduct their anti-government programmes.

The TRS government is muzzling voices of dissent against the government by not allowing protests at the Dharna Chowk, Hanumantha Rao alleged.

Congress leaders and workers were removed from the place by police as they did not have permission for the programme.

The Congress said its protests today were on different issues including MSP for farmers, removal of Dharna Chowk and jobs for unemployed youth.

Talking to reporters separately, a Congress legislator N Uttamkumar Reddy demanded that the government provide remunerative price to farmers.

He demanded that the government provide remunerative price to chilli farmers, who have been agitating for several days now.
Kashmiri students throw stones on Indian policemen as tear smoke shell explodes near them. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Non-penetrative plastic bullets are likely to be used in Jammu and Kashmir for crowd control or stone-pelting mobs to reduce collateral damage during counter-insurgency operations.

However, the pellet guns will continue to be used as the last resort in the non-lethal category.

Thousands of plastic bullets were produced and sent to the Kashmir Valley for use by the law enforcement agencies, official sources said.

The plastic bullets are non-penetrative and can be fired from INSAS rifles, the sources said.

Security forces often face violent protests and stone pelting mobs, especially during stiff resistance from the locals, when they are engaged in gunfight with militants, who at times manage to escape with the help of the crowd.

So far, security forces are using PAVA shells and pellet guns, the last option in the non-lethal category before the use of assault rifles, to control the mobs.

PAVA (Pelargonic Acid Vanillyl Amide) is a chilli-based ammunition, which is less lethal and immobilises the target temporarily.

Other less-lethal weapons used include dye marker grenade with irritant which causes sensory trouble to the target once fired. It leaves a dye mark on the troublemakers for easy identification.

An new entrant to the arsenal of non-lethal weapons is a grenade packed with scientifically prepared spicy jelly, which on exploding, causes irritation in the eyes.

Oloeoresin, a semi-solid extract in a solution, mixed with spicy gel, could be put in the grenade casings to tackle rioting mobs, sources said.

Calling the damage caused by pellet guns an issue of "life and death", the Supreme Court had last month told the government to come up with suggestions regarding effective alternatives.

Three civilians were killed last month during protests in Chadoora in Kashmir when a mob made attempts to obstruct an ongoing anti-militancy operation in the area.

Army chief General Bipin Rawat had earlier warned of tough action against protesters who hurled stones at security personnel engaged in anti-militancy operations or targeted their families.
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has warned members of the World Hindu Federation and his Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV) against indulging in vigilantism.

According to a report in Hindustan Times, Adityanath has said that the cadre of the Vahini, a group he founded in 2002, should bring issues to the attention of government authorities rather than taking action themselves.

Adityanath is also the chairman of the Indian chapter of World Hindu Federation, called the Vishwa Hindu Mahasangh.

The Hindu Yuva Vahini was in the news recently for beating up a Muslim youth in Meerut for being in a relationship with a Hindu girl.

But the outfit claims it acted on the appeals of locals who were opposed to growing vulgarism in Meeruts Shastri Nagar locality.

Membership requests for HYV and World Hindu Federation have grown manifold since Adityanath became UP CM, but they have been put on hold for six months to a year, said the report.

Instead, the two outfits have been tasked with popularising Adityanath initiatives in villages and other remote parts of the state.
With the ground water table in the region falling to 400 feet and contaminated with fluoride, the farmers take their cattle to the nearby Kappattagudda forest in search of water for them.

Hubballi: No one even thinks of bathing every day in the hamlet of Suganahalli in Shirahatti taluk of Gadag district. Despite the scorching heat, people here bathe only twice a week and even then reuse the water used for their bath for washing their clothes. So acute is the water shortage here that the villagers queue up the entire night to fetch water from the only functional borewell in the village.

They are not alone in their suffering as several other villages too like Bannikoppa, Bagewadi, Murudi and Chikkavaddatti are coping with a severe water shortage with the local lakes having dried up in the absence of rainfall over the last two years.

With the ground water table in the region falling to 400 feet and contaminated with fluoride, the farmers take their cattle to the nearby Kappattagudda forest in search of water for them. "The polluted water supplied from the Tungabhadra river to our village is unhygienic and is affecting the health of the people, especially the children. We go to farms in other villages to take a bath using their borewell water. Otherwise, we stay without a bath for several days," said Suganahalli villager, Venkatesh Adarakatti.

Gadag Zilla Panchayat project director, T Dinesh, however, claims that the administration is supplying drinking water through tankers to 11 villages in the district and doing its best to overcome the shortage. "The nodal officers in every gram panchayat and taluk panchayat are supervising the situation. We are ready to supply water to these villages too if they ask for it," he assured, when contacted.
Chennai: Expelled All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MP Sasikala Pushpa on Monday held Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami-led Tamil Nadu government accountable for the present agrarian crisis in the state, stating that agriculture issue, being a state subject, should have been dealt promptly by the State Government as Tamil Nadu has been declared as a drought state.

"Former chief minister O Panneerselvam had announced that Tamil Nadu is a drought state. The current chief minister is not at all taking care of agrarian society; that's why the agrarian crisis came," Pushpa told ANI.

"They (the State Government) are blaming the Centre and doing politics against the Centre, but the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is doing its best for the farmers. The state government should also do it," she added.

Pushpa's remarks come close on the heels of a one-day state-wide bandh called by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (DMK) and six other regional parties to highlight the plight of farmers.

The DMK and six other parties on Sunday called for a one-day Tamil Nadu bandh on April 25 to highlight the plight of the state's farmers who are reeling under a devastating drought.

This came days after DMK working president MK Stalin met farmers in Delhi, who have been demanding loan waiver from the Centre.

"The farmers have been continuously undertaking protests in the national capital, but the Centre does not seem to be bothered about it. It is very unfortunate. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister must have come here and found a solution to the problem," Stalin said.
Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran directed the Devaswom Vigilance to initiate a probe and find out the veracity of the photographs. (Photo: PTI)

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has ordered an inquiry into photographs circulating on social media, purportedly showing some women in the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple despite a ban on their entry.

Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran directed the Devaswom Vigilance to initiate a probe and find out the veracity of the photographs.

There are restrictions on the entry of women between 10-50 years of age in the hillock shrine, where the presiding deity, Lord Ayyappa is considered as a 'naishtika brahmachari' (perennial celibate) by devotees.

The minister said he had received a complaint that a Kollam-based businessman had got special privileges for conducting darshan at the shrine, located in Pathanamthitta district.

"As per the complaint, some women of banned age group had allegedly visited the shrine along with him. There are no restrictions for women to offer worship at Sabarimala, adhering to the tradition of age limit," Surendran said.

It is illegal if anyone has tried to gain any favours in the name of VIP darshan, he said, adding that action would be taken to stop such practises.
Tamil farmers shout slogans during their protest demanding loan waiver and compensation for crop failure at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the protesting Tamil Nadu farmers to file an intervention application in farmer suicide cases.

The apex court earlier on April 13 issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu Government on the issue of farmer suicides. The Supreme Court termed it as a humanitarian crisis and said 'it is painful to hear that farmers are committing suicide' and that the state government is remaining silent on the issue.

Farmers from Tamil Nadu have been on protest in the national capital for over a month demanding drought relief from the Centre.

The petitioners had earlier approached the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court, where the court had demanded an affidavit from the government on the steps taken by them to prevent farmer suicides.

The court, however, refused to issue notice to Centre on the petition for the moment, and said that first state needs to apprise it about the steps taken by it to stop farmer suicides in the state.

The bench also directed the state government not to consider the petition as one among others and said utmost importance should be given to it.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the auction of Saharas Aamby Valley, after the conglomerates chief Subrata Roy failed to deposit money for refunding investors.

The apex court has appointed the Bombay High Courts official liquidator for auctioning the property.

The court has also ordered personal presence of Subrata Roy before it on April 28.

The Supreme Court had warned Sahara last week it would be compelled to auction the groups properties if it failed to deposit Rs 5,092 core in the SEBI-Sahara refund account by April 17.

The Supreme Court had attached Aamby Valley properties worth Rs 39,000 crores in early February in the Sahara refund case.

It had also asked the Sahara group to furnish a list of properties that were free from litigation and mortgage so that they could be put into public auction.

Sahara had admitted before the top court that it still had to pay Rs 14,000 crore as principal money to SEBI and that it had already paid Rs 11,000 crore.

Sahara chief Subrato Roy's parole was earlier extended till November 28 after the company deposited Rs 200 crores with SEBI last October, as a condition for his release. The apex court had then granted four weeks' custody parole to Roy to perform his mother's last rites.

Roy was in Tihar jail since March 4, 2014 till his mother's death on May 6, 2016, for not complying with the apex court's orders in connection with the long dispute with SEBI.

SEBI had said Roy failed to comply with the top courts order in 2012 directing him to return investors more than Rs 20,000 crore with 15 percent interest that his two companies Sahara India Real Estate Corp Ltd and the Sahara Housing Finance Corp Ltd had raised, through optionally fully convertible debentures (OFCD) in 2007 and 2008.
Srinagar: Dozens were injured on Monday in intense clashes between irate groups of students and the security forces in different towns of Kashmir including summer capital Srinagar. Amid heightened tensions, the mobile Internet services have again been suspended in the Valley.

Amid heightened tensions in the wake of the daylong clashes, the authorities ordered suspension of mobile internet services in the Valley. The schools, colleges and other educational institutions have been closed and all university and other examinations scheduled for Tuesday have been postponed.

The clashes erupted soon after the students took to the streets at these places to protest against brutal use of force against their comrades in and outside the government-run Degree College in southern Pulwama town on Saturday. More than fifty students had been injured in the teargas and shotgun pellet use by the security forces against the male and female students who were protesting against the polices establishing a naka outside the campus.

The call for holding protests against Pulwama incidents had been issued by a students union.

A statement issued by the police here in the evening said that while at most places the students protested inside their college premises, at few others in Srinagar, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam they assembled on the roads and indulged in stone pelting thus disrupting the movement of general people and traffic.

The police at these places exhibited maximum restraint and dispersed the stone pelting mobs of students after using some teargas shells. At some places, the college property was also damaged. In the resultant chaos some students received minor injuries and most of them were discharged after first aid, the statement said.

While tackling the stone pelting SHO Kothibag Srinagar) and four policemen were injured along Citys Molana Azad Road. A lady constable had a fracture in her arm, it added.

The police sources and witnesses said that the students while responding to the call boycotted their classes and held protests at and outside educational institutions in Srinagar, Shopian, Kulgam, Pulwama, Baramulla, Ganderbal and Bandipore districts.

The security forces fired hundreds of teargas canisters and swung bamboo sticks to disperse the protesters, leaving over two dozen of them injured. In Srinagar, several students of Government Womens College at Moulana Azad Road fainted after the police fired tear and pepper gas shells into the protesters. Several police and other security personnel were also injured in stone-pelting by students in Srinagar and elsewhere, officials said.

The clashes in the summer capital and some other parts of the Valley were on when reports last came in. Some schools including Delhi Public School at Srinagar had declared holiday on Monday in view of the growing tensions and resentment in the student community against Saturdays incidents in Pulwama.

The students of Pulwama Degree College had alleged that the security forces not only harassed them but also barged into the college premises where they were forced them to chant slogans denouncing the separatists and the militants and freedom cause and that when they protested against it the latter resorted to brute force against them. A couple of video later went viral on the social media showing a student being severely beaten by security personnel on a road and, in another, a group of students-one of them bleeding- being thrashed and forced to chant anti Pakistan and anti separatists slogans inside a security force vehicle.

The police had claimed that a normal naka had been established around 200 meters away from the college premises. It said, As class work ended some miscreants started pelting stones at the naka party. To handle the stone pelting reinforcement was rushed to the spot. The police statement had added, The mob swelled as more students joined and pelted stones on the forces. In this incident some miscreants and police personnel were injured. One was referred to Srinagar hospital where his condition is stable.

The police had also said that it wants to clarify that no raids were conducted and the video being shared on social networking sites is not from Pulwama.

However, the Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has taken cognizance of the alleged disproportionate use of force against students of Pulwama college. Its chairperson Justice Bilal Nazki has while taking cognizance of the matter directed Superintendent of Police Pulwama to file a detailed report on the incidents within two weeks, a spokesman of the commission said.
Hyderabad: The state government is planning to kick-start month-long celebrations in June to mark the completion of its three years in office.While the first two anniversaries of the TRS government went off quietly, the TRS leadership wants to make the third one a special occasion by organising celebrations across the state  from villages to capital city.

All departments have been asked to list out their achievements in the last three years in booklets and pamphlets and distribute them to people. The information and public relations department has been readying publicity material on the milestones and achievements of the government. An extensive media publicity campaign has been planned for a month on this. Ministers, MPs and MLAs were asked to hold public meetings in their districts and constituencies.

The party considers the next two years of its government  before 2019 elections  to be a crucial period and wants to project a positive image for the government to minimise anti-incumbency. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has already launched several welfare schemes from June 2 this year, to coincide with the completion of the third year.
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday called for an end to the practice of triple talaq, and advocated the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code across the country.

He also invoked the disrobing of Draupadi in the Mahabharata to emphasise his point.

"When I see people silent on the raging issue (of triple talaq), the episode from Mahabharata comes to my mind. Draupadi asked the palace - who is responsible for this situation? Who's responsible for this crime? Vidura said those responsible are criminals, those who supported this incident are culprits, those who are silent are responsible," Adityanath said according to NDTV.

Raising the 'triple talaq' issue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said at the BJP National Executive in Bhubaneswar that justice should be done to Muslim women.

Hinting that he was against triple talaq, Prime Minister said if there are social evils, the society should be woken up and efforts made to provide justice to the victims.

In his address to the BJP national executive, Modi said there should not be any "conflict" in the Muslim community over this issue.

"He (Modi) talked about social justice. He said our Muslim sisters should also get justice. Injustice should not be done with them. Nobody should be exploited.

"We do not want conflict within the Muslim community over this issue. What we have to do is that if there are any social evils, we have to wake up the society and make efforts to provide justice to them (Muslim women). That was the Prime Minister's spirit," Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said while briefing reporters about Modis speech.

Earlier, Modi had also intervened in a discussion about the backward commission, saying that society should be more accepting of backward Muslims.
Chennai: The clock has started ticking for the VK Sasikala-TTV Dhinakaran duo with a major proportion of their AIADMK faction literally putting them on notice. The senior leaders, who have raised the banner of revolt against the family, have given two days for Ms Sasikala and Mr Dhinakaran to quit from their posts in the AIADMK and warned of sidelining them if they dont step down before the deadline.

After asking Mr Dhinakaran and Ms Sasikala to quit their posts to ensure that both factions of the AIADMK unite, a group of senior ministers is expected to meet the party deputy general secretary again on Tuesday to reiterate their demand.

We have given them two days to get back to us. When we meet Mr Dhinakaran on Tuesday, we will once again place our demand asking him and his aunt to step down from their party posts. If they resign, it is good. If they dont we will sideline them. There is no going back on our decision, a senior minister in the Edappadi K Palanisami Government told Deccan Chronicle.

The Minister said their only motto is to reclaim the partys magical Two Leaves symbol and ensure that the party-led Government continues the good work initiated by late Amma. The leaders, who are against the leadership of Ms Sasikala and Mr Dhinakaran, feel the former chief minister would have no problem in coming back to the AIADMK if the Sasikala family ceases to be in the party.

I think the only reason for Mr Panneerselvam to rebel against the party was the leadership of Sasikala. If the family quits the leadership, I dont think he will continue as a separate faction. The former CM also wants to save Two Leaves and hence we will function as one party like we did when Amma was alive, the Minister said.
New Delhi: Weaving together the historical and sartorial significance of indigo, a special travelling exhibition and a series of curated talks have been lined up by the National Institute of Fashion Technology to mark 100 years of Mahatma Gandhis Champaran Satyagraha.

The satyagraha at Champaran was the first one that the Mahatma staged in India. The event would kick off at the NIFT campus in Patna, the city where Gandhi had arrived on April 10, 1917, on way to meet the indigo farmers of Bihar.

Champaran was the crucible in which the philosophy of civil disobedience was forged on the Indian soil. And, cultivation of indigo was at the centre of the entire movement. So, we thought it was the right occasion to talk about its historical significance.

But, the story and evolution of indigo is much bigger and deeper. It is not just limited to the 20th century, but harks back even to the Indus Valley civilisation. And, hence we are holding curated Indigo Talks on our various campuses, NIFT director general Sarada Muraleedharan said.

The event would also feature special lectures and workshops to inspire students to work and experiment with indigo dye, natural or artificial. The exhibition will then travel to campuses in Kolkata, Delhi, Jodhpur, Hyderabad and Chennai, director, NIFT Patna, Sanjay Shrivastava said.
Nizam VII founded Osmania University in 1917 through a farman or royal charter and the university came into existence in 1918.

Hyderabad: Osmania University has decided to invite four members of the erstwhile Nizam of Hyderabads family to join other eminent persons to celebrate the centenary year of the University. They are Mir Barkat Ali Khan Mukarram Jah, Mir Karamath Ali Khan Muffakham Jah, Nawab Mir Azmet Ali Khan and Nawab Shahamat Jah, all grandchildren of the universitys founder Nizam VII, Mir Osman Ali Khan.

Osmania University Vice-Chancellor Prof S. Ramachandram told Deccan Chronicle that some of the descendants live abroad. The celebrations are being held from April 26 to 28.

Nizam VII founded the university in 1917 through a farman or royal charter and the university came into existence in 1918. It was the first university in the country where the medium of instruction was Urdu, but English was compulsory.

The four members of the family that have been invited are all males even though there are female members of the family such as the daughters of Nizam VII, Basheerunnissa and Lily Pasha, and granddaughter Rasheedunissa, who live in Hyderabad, and his only surviving son, Fazal Bahadur.

President Pranab Mukherjee will be the chief guest. Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan, Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Union Minister of Human Resources Development Prakash Javdekar and state ministers will be present at the function on the OU campus. We expect about 16,000 people on the inaugural day, including 1,000 VIPs, 10,000 students, and present and retired faculty among others, the VC said.

On the instructions of police, passes are being issued to every invitee, including students. Ive had a series of discussions with students organisations and I am glad all of them promised to cooperate with the OU authorities in ensuring successful prestigious, memorable centenary celebrations, Prof Ramachandram said.
Islamabad: Pakistan is likely to hand over attested copies of the charge-sheet and the court order against alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav to India, officials said.

Senior officials at the foreign ministry said that the issue was discussed and most people think there is no harm in providing India these details.

Providing consular access may not be on the cards but the copies of the charge-sheet and the court order may soon be made available to India. They details of the case have already been in the media so there is no great opposition on this issue, an official said.

Last week, India asked Pakistan to provide attested copies of the court order and the chargesheet against Jadhav. Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Gautam Bambawale had met foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua in this regard. The Indian envoy had also demanded consular access to Jadhav.

The alleged Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agent was sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) in Pakistan this month.

Jadhav has the right of appeal within 40 days to an appellate court and he may lodge a mercy petition to the army chief within 60 days of the decision by the appellate court.

He may also lodge a mercy petition to the president of Pakistan within 90 days after the decision of the army chief on the mercy petition. Tehmina Janjua had told the Indian high commissioner that the trial against Jhadav was conducted under the Pakistan Army Act 1952 and Official Secret Act of 1923.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the gathering at the inauguration of the Link-II of SAUNI Yojana, at Botad in Gujarat on Monday. (Photo: PTI)

Surat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday indicated that his government may bring in a legal framework under which doctors will have to prescribe generic medicines, which are cheaper than the equivalent branded drugs, to patients.

Mr Modi said his government brought in a health policy after 15 years and capped the prices of medicines and stents, which has angered some pharmaceutical companies.

Speaking at the inauguration of a charitable hospital here, he exhorted the wealthy people to come forward and contribute towards the health care of the needy people. This country has not been built by the kings and leaders alone but also by the power of the people, he said.

Doctors write prescriptions in such a way that poor people do not understand the handwriting, and he has to buy that medicine from private stores at high prices, Mr Modi said.

We will bring in a legal framework by which if a doctor writes a prescription, he has to write in a way that it will be enough for patients to buy generic medicines and he not any other medicine, he said.

In our country doctors are less, hospitals are less and medicines are expensive. If a person falls seriously ill in a family, then the financial health of the family gets wrecked. He cannot buy a house, cannot conduct the marriage of his daughter, he pointed out. It is the government's responsibility that everybody should get health services at cheap rates, the Prime Minister said.
Members during the ongoing session of Parliament in Rajya Sabha in New Delhi on Wednesday. (Photo: PTI)

Hyderabad: For the first time since bifurcation of the state in 2014, the Assemblies of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states will elect three Rajya Sabha members each in 2018, against the normal practice of two and four respectively.

This is due to the re-allocation of the 18 seats of undivided AP. TS has now got seven seats and AP has 11.

Normally, of the total 18 members, one-third (six) should get re-elected once in two years in the ratio of two from Telangana and four from Andhra Pradesh.

However, to fulfil the Constitutional obligation of total representation allotted to the respective states, from 2018 onwards, Telangana and AP will elect three members each for six years.

This will come as a huge bonus for the ruling TRS, since it stands to bag all the three seats that will fall vacant in 2018 due to its increased strength of legislators.

Comparatively, the ruling TD in AP will get two of the three seats that will fall vacant, while the YSR Congress will bag the remaining one, as per their respective numbers in the state Houses.

Incidentally, this will be the last Rajya Sabha biennial poll for both the states before the 2019 General Elections.

Congress Rajya Sabha members Palvai Govardhan Reddy along with Rapolu Anand Bhaskar and C.M. Ramesh (TD) will retire by April 2018 and the TRS will bag all these three seats. In AP, K. Chiranjeevi and Renuka Chowdary (Congress) and T. Devender Goud (TD) will be retiring. Since the Congress does not have a single MLA in the AP Assembly, it is not possible for the partys retiring members to get re-elected from the same state.

Consequent on state bifurcation, Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari had re-allotted the then 18 RS members of undivided AP among TS and residuary AP by picking the names in a draw of lots. It so happened that some members of AP origin were chosen for TS and some of Telangana origin went to AP quota. Thereafter, exemption was given for these members to spend the MPLADS funds in whichever state they originally belonged.
Hyderabad: The scheduled meeting between ministerial committees of TS and AP in the presence of Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan at the Raj Bhavan on Monday to resolve bifurcation-related issues has been postponed.

With no major progress in the meetings held thrice earlier, both the governments sought postponement of the meeting.

TS has been insisting on handing over of vacant Assembly, Secretariat and HoD buildings in Hyderabad allotted to AP but there has been no response from the AP government, besides assets of 9th and 10th Schedule institutions.

There was confusion till the last minute over whether the meeting this time will be held with the Chief Ministers of both the states. With no clarity till late on Sunday, it was decided to postpone the meeting.

Moreover, the sudden death of TD leader from AP, Devineni Rajasekhar in Hyderabad in the early hours of Sunday, was also said to be the reason for the postponement.

His body was shifted to Vijayawada and AP ministers and TD leaders rushed there on Monday to pay tributes.

The TS government brought to the notice of the Governor about the delay on the part of AP government in handing over vacant Assembly and Secretariat buildings to TS. It pointed out that though they requested AP ministerial committee about this in the previous three meetings.

It urged the Governor to direct AP government to make its stand clear on this issue in the fresh meeting instead of dragging it longer for no reason.
Lucknow: An 18-year-old boy in Uttar Pradeshs Gopalpur Barandi village allegedly committed suicide by jumping in front of a train after villagers boycotted him for accidentally killing a calf.

According to a report in The Indian Express, police recovered the body of Ramu from railway track in Itiyathok area of Gonda on Saturday morning.

He had come to know that villagers had decided to socially boycott him for killing his pet calf, the IE quoted Itiyathok police Station Officer, Ved Prakash Srivastava, as saying. No one from Ramus family has filed a complaint as yet.

The calf died three days back when Ramu hit the animal with a hammer when he was taking it to the field for grazing, village head Usha Devis husband said. Ramu tied the calf to a tree and returned home only to learn later that his pet had died, he added.

The villagers held a meeting following the animals death and decided to boycott Ramu. The panchayat was supposed to declare the punishment at a meeting at 11 am on Saturday.
Chennai: An all-party meeting convened by DMK and in which VCK and the Left participated on Sunday decided to observe day-long bandh on April 25 demanding action from the State and Central Governments on the demands being raised by farmers facing the worst-ever drought in several decades.

The meeting, which was boycotted by PMK at the last minute and chaired by DMK Working President MK Stalin, also decided to take steps to ensure that Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes time to meet the farmers from Tamil Nadu who have been protesting in the national capital for the past 33 days.

This is the first time that Left  CPI and CPI (M)  is participating in an all-party meeting convened by the DMK after it quit the UPA in 2008. Almost all non-AIADMK and non-BJP parties attended the meeting that was harsh on both the Tamil Nadu and the Narendra Modi-led government for turning a deaf ear to the demands of the farming community.

Announcing the resolutions adopted at the meeting, Mr Stalin said besides the bandh, the parties also decided to hold a public meeting in Chennai on April 22 to explain to the people the reasons for organising the April 25 bandh.

The meeting resolved to ask the state government to convene a special assembly session and pass resolutions on the farmers demands. We also resolved to prevent other states from constructing check dams on inter-state rivers, he told reporters.

One of the 19 resolutions passed at the meeting asked the Union Government to waive all farm loans availed by farmers from public sector banks and demanded that it should take efforts to write off loans availed from cooperative banks as well. Another resolution asked the Tamil Nadu Government to implement the orders of the Madras High Court that asked it to waive off loans availed by farmers in the state.

Quoting observations made by Supreme Court on April 13 condemning the State Governments silence in preventing farmer suicides, the meeting asked the TN Govt to announce solatium to the families of those who ended their lives.

Other resolutions demanded immediate constitution of Cauvery Management Board and declaring the Cauvery delta as a disaster prone area. The meeting also demanded that Methane and Hydrocarbon extraction projects be withdrawn, height of Mullaperiyar dam be increased to 152 feet, exemption for students from Tamil Nadu from appearing for NEET and measures on war-footing to solve water crisis in the state.

The DMK not inviting the BJP for the all-party meet and strong resolutions against the BJP and AIADMK have enthused allies like Congress, IUML and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi.

Farmers will not buy DMK drama, says Sellur

Minister for Cooperatives, Sellur K Raju, on Sunday termed the all-party meeting convened by DMK as drama and accused the principal Opposition party of politicising farmers' issue.

"DMK has no locus standi to talk about farmers' issue. It was during the DMK's regime, price of fertiliser used by farmers was raised and that is one of the reasons for the crisis. The all-party meeting is a drama enacted by the DMK," Mr Raju said. He also accused MK Stalin of not fighting against the Union Government on the agrarian crisis. Farmers are protesting against the Centre not the State Government, Mr Raju said.

All sections should support bandh: Thiruma

VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan on Sunday appealed to all political parties and social organisations to support the April 25 bandh sponsored by DMK and other political parties since the issue on which the strike has been called concerns everyone in the State. I appeal to everyone - government servants, traders, social organisations and general public - to support the bandh on April 25. I make an appeal to political parties that did not participate in today's meeting also to join the bandh, Mr Thirumavalavan said. The former MP said the demands being raised by farmers were just and the bandh should convey overall feelings of Tamils against the Union Government, which has not yet come out with concrete solution to the demands.

Welcome public meeting: Ayyakannu

Tamil Nadu farmers protesting in New Delhi on Sunday welcomed the April 25 bandh and asked both the BJP and AIADMK to participate in the day-long strike to convey the collective sense of the state to the Union Government. The move is commendable and we welcome the bandh. We also want the AIADMK and the BJP to participate. Everyone should participate and ensure that farmers get their due, Ayyakannu, who is leading the protests in Delhi, said.
Hyderabad: The TS BJP has decided to go all out against the TRS governments decision to provide 12 per cent reservations to Muslims, and plans to galvanise public support against the move.

For starters, the party has announced a state-wide deeksha on April 21, a day before the TRS plenary, against Muslim quota. This would be followed by agitations on burning public issues in the days to come as the BJP gears up for the 2019 polls.

BJP national president Amit Shahs three-day tour of Hyderabad has been finalised from May 23 to 25 during which he will discuss Muslim reservation, hold booth-level meetings, organisational setup and the steps to prepare party for the 2019 elections.

TS BJP president K. Laxman told DC that Amit Shah will hold meet with party leaders and workers of the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency presently represented by MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi.

BJP is eyeing dozen-odd Lok Sabha seats, including Hyderabad seat, in 2019 elections.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has distorted Prime Minister Narendra Modis statement and misled the Assembly and the people. The PM had only asked the BJP to address backwardness among Muslims but did not back communal reservations. We welcome schemes like Shaadi Mubarak, but oppose triple talaq. The PM is for ensuring existing schemes to eligible Muslims, Dr Laxman said.

He said that the TS BJP state executive will be held at Sangareddy on April 26 and 27 where the party will chalk out action programme against the anti-peoples policies of the TRS government.

Reservations to Muslims will affect reservations for BCs. Ministers who promised justice to BCs during election are silent. For ages BC reservations was 25 per cent but successive governments did not do anything to increase reservations. Is it not injustice to BCs? If the CM lacks knowledge about quota problem, why are officials and other ministers silent? he asked.

BJP Floor leader G. Kishan Reddy in Sangareddy said that the TRS has launched vote bank politics and Muslim reservation Bill is the beginning.

We will fight till the Bill is dropped, he said.
Hyderabad: IT and municipal administration minister K.T. Rama Rao on Monday said he had no immediate ambition to become chief minister of the state, and asserted that his father, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, would continue as Chief Minister at least for 10 more years.

The Chief Minister is just 64 now, younger than many. He is very aggressive; when he wants to do something for Telangana state, he will do it. Telangana state requires such an aggressive Chief Minister, Mr Rama Rao told the media at Jagtial district headquarters, part of erstwhile Karimnagar district on Monday. He took potshots at Opposition parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party.

He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to take out a road show in Surat on Sunday, which shows that the BJP has lost confidence about a repeat win in the coming Assembly polls in Gujarat.

The Congress, he said, is in a pathetic condition and it will not be surprising if its tally in the Lok Sabha comes down to 20 seats.

There is no plan to go in for early polls in TS, he said. Why should we do that when we are sure of coming back to power for many years to come?

In Telangana, he said, We do not have any political alternative to the TRS. Only namesake parties are there. The BJP is trying to strengthen its base here but there is no chance for them. The TRS is confident of coming to power not only in 2019, but after that too, Mr Rama Rao averred.

Replying to questions regarding his relations with minister T. Harish Rao and the latters future plans, in the event he becomes Chief Minister, he said he had no immediate ambition to become the Chief Minister, there are no differences with Mr Harish Rao and they have been very good friends since childhood.

Next week I will be visiting Siddipet to participate in a programme organised by Harish anna who represents the Assembly segment. I don't think he will leave TRS and join some other party. There is no need for that and what you people (the media) write is all speculative and not based on facts, Mr Rama Rao said.

He took a swipe at AP minister Nara Lokesh too: Lokesh called me a non-local in Telangana and claimed he was born here and a local. What has happened now? He has joined the AP Cabinet and become a voter there. Now you tell me, who is local and who is not?
KOZHIKODE: The consummate win in Malappuram by-election is another feather on the cap of Mr P.K. Kunhalikutty, the organization man, chief fund-raiser and arguably the most visible secular face of the party. Mr Kunhalikutty follows in the footsteps of the late G M Banatwalla, Ibrahim Sulaiman Sait and E Ahmed. But none of them had their pulse on the Muslim heart as does Mr Kunhalikutty. The Lok Sabha membership gives Mr Kunhalikutty greater latitude at the national level now that even the fringe formations like PDP, SDPI and Welfare Party have indirectly conceded that Muslim League is the mainstream representative of the community. They had shied away from putting up candidates.

The League also benefited by the minority panic following the UP tsunami of the BJP. It is at this most opportune moment that Mr Kunhalikutty steps on to national politics, though without forsaking his hold in the States politics. His national profile will add to his organizational clout. Parliament colleagues E T Mohammed Basheer and P V Abdul Wahab, seldom on the same page as him, will have to accept his leadership. Low-key profile Thangals have been best suited for the likes of Mr Kunhalikutty, who benefit from their reluctance to occupy centre-stage. Mr Kunhalikutty debuted through Muslim Students Federation and was elected MLA six times from Malappuram, Kuttipuram and Vengara seats and was a minister four times.

The 66-yearold is noted for his diplomatic but assertive stance, especially within the UDF. Generally, he doesnt say No to a request for help and doesnt No for an anwser. For UDF, he has been a peacemaker. He does not suffer from a hardcore religion tag though he still belongs to the group of Muslim leaders, who would not light a lamp at ceremonies as if it is un-Islamic. Definitely as an MP, his priority is to represent Malappuram. Upholding secular ethos in the flood of saffron politics will be his forte, said League general secretary K.P.A Majeed.

Mr Kunhalikutty enjoys special equations with rival political leaders, especially Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The duo was known for tactical tie-ups in local council elections in Malabar. It was in 2005 that Mr Kunhalikuttys fortunes nose-dived, as he was caught in the notorious ice cream parlour scandal. Both Mr Kunhalikutty and League were on a bind; he had to step down as Industry minister and lost the Assembly election in Kuttipuram in 2006. The second part of the ice cream parlour case surfaced in 2011 when relative Abdul Rauf accused Mr Kunhalikutty of bribing three HC judges to get a favourable verdict. But Mr Rauf suffered from a credibility crisis, benefiting Mr Kunhalikutty. Over to New Delhi for now.
New Delhi/Chennai: The Delhi police booked on Monday Sasikalas nephew and AIADMK (Amma) deputy general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran for allegedly trying to bribe Election Commission (EC) officials for the erstwhile AIAD-MKs election symbol.

The police said he was trying for his faction the two leaves symbol in a byelection to the R.K. Nagar Assembly seat in Tamil Nadu. Sasikalas faction had adopted the hat symbol after the EC froze the AIADMKs two leaves symbol acknowledging a split in the party.

The FIR was lodged after the police arrested a middleman, Sukesh Chandrasekhar, from a five-star hotel in Delhi on Sunday. The police also recovered from him Rs 1.30 crore and two cars  a BMW and a Mercedes. The police said the cash was to be used to bribe EC officials.

Mr Dhinakaran denied all charges and vowed to fight the case legally. He also denied having known Chandrasekhar at all.

The police is probing Chandrasekhars links with EC officials. It has been learnt that Chandrasekhar had struck a deal of `50 crore for helping the Sasikala faction keep the two leaves symbol, said a police official.

DCP (crime) Madhur Verma said that Chandrasekhar said during interrogation that he was in touch with Mr Dhinakaran and had assured him that he could get the frozen symbol for the bypoll.

Meanwhile in Chennai, strongly denying the charges of trying to bribe the EC, Dhinakaran on Monday vowed to fight the case legally and alleged that efforts were being made to destroy our organisation politically.

I do not know who is Sukesh Chandrasekhar. I came to know only through television that he has told my name. I am attending thousands of phone calls every day. This can be one of them. Somebody is doing this to destroy the party. He also said he did not get any summons from Delhi police.

"If I get summons, I will face it legally", he asserted.

He added, "No one asked me to dismiss health minister C. Vijayabaskar. He will continue as health minister". The three ministers who were charged with obstructing the I-T officials during the I-T raids on Vijayabaskar would also face it legally, he said.

"How does a broker or somebody say the money was from TTV Dhinakaran? I don't know anybody by that name nor have I come across any such name in my life," he told reporters here.

"Such information is being spread to destroy our organisation politically. He was on his way to meet his aunt and jailed party chief Sasikala in Bengaluru, he said in conclusion.
Malik Bashir Awan, father of Mumtaz Qadri, who was hanged last year for murder of a governor who criticized Pakistan's blasphemy law and defended a Christian woman, arriving at his son's shrine on the outskirts of Islamabad. (Photo: AFP)

In that pause  between the killing and the coverage and the condemnation  we learned something. The stomach churns and the heart sinks to say it.It will happen again.

Because in that silence, of the media, the government and the State, we learned that society, on this issue and in this area, is stronger than the State.

The only thing we dont know and the thing we must fear is that the next time may come quicker; that instead of years, it may be months or weeks. Because this time it was different. It happened for a different reason and in a different world.

The different reason: the State fomented this violence. Usually, its a bunch of fanatics armed with maybe an economic motive against a poor fool caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Sudden but targeted, it wouldnt have the bush-fire potential to spread or be emulated. But this time the State itself has said, there are blasphemers hiding among you, the people; find them! So now the people are finding them.

And it has happened in a different world. A world of online and social media and smartphones and viral videos.

Before the muted media coverage or the belated political condemnation, the videos were already ricocheting around the country.

A few short years ago, it may have been a few grainy videos. Now, they are in HD and at every step and from every angle. Thats a problem.

Because while the videos will have caused many to recoil, the visuals and the audio will have made others rejoice.

Turn up the volume and hear the howls and screams. This wasnt ignorance or the lack of knowledge; it was total belief and piety. They werent screaming for blood; they were chanting the name of God.

The videos are an advertisement and an admonition: this is what we will do, this is what you need to do and this is what must be done.

Like snuff films for the masses, it took minutes and hours for the videos to spread; its taken days for the State to respond  a gap that may as well have been an eternity because of the effectiveness of the former and the flaccidness of the latter.

And in the States claim that no crime was committed by the victim lies a denial of reality  it doesnt matter to the murderous that an innocent life was taken.

An innocent life is a price worth paying to defend the higher cause  that no one in no way and at no time may ever even think of doing what the dead man was accused of doing.

If it takes the life of an innocent to reinforce that important message, so be it. Its pointless of the State to insist he was innocent.

And it is a different world for a second reason: Mumtaz Qadri.

The shrine that has risen atop his grave is the new Lal Masjid. A dangerous, violent and open provocation, in just over a year it has achieved iconic status on the fringes.

To pray at his graveside and spread flowers on his grave is to pledge allegiance to what the executed convict has come to stand for.

Dont be surprised if it is revealed that several from the Mardan mob have been to the shrine. Dont be surprised if the next killer or killers will have done the same.

Qadri as a symbol is doubly dangerous because, like in Mardan, the guilt or innocence of the victim doesnt matter.

The Taseer assassination moved the goalposts: killed not for the crime, but for questioning the law. The Mardan mob has moved them further: kill the suspect, even if innocent, as a warning to all.

The Qadri shrine sanctions both. Instead of being erased from history or remembered for being punished by the State, he is being written into folklore as the vanguard of a new movement.

It must end. But it wont. Because the State blinked and has shown its hand. The delayed condemnations are irrelevant; what was needed was a full-throated and immediate defence of the good and the right and the true.

Why did they blink though?

They do it every time, whoevers in power. In private, the rationale offered is mostly the same: religious passions are easily inflamed, wildly unpredictable and wholly dangerous.

If already inflamed, give them a controlled outlet. Burning a building or two, holding a fiery protest or three, tends to dissipate passions.

And when already inflamed, dont do anything to worsen it and never do anything that could cause them to turn on you.

So you can see why they keep quiet when the fire has just been lit and is freshly raging. What if there is even a sliver of plausibility for the violent lot in the accusation of the mob?

You dont know want to be the guy who spoke up too quickly for someone accused of you-know-what.

It is, of course, cowardice and a dereliction of duty. But perhaps understandable in the context of a terrified few in the face of the enraged many.

But there is another side. What if, just maybe, the State and the government, or elements within them, are aligned with the savage public on this issue?

Look up the history of the transition to a mandatory death penalty for the crime. Look up the Criminal Law (Third Amendment) Bill 1991. Remember who was in power then. Look up what they said at the time.

Look around and see where they are now. Happy Easter.

By arrangement with Dawn
The Kulbhushan Jadhav episode continues to rile India-Pakistan relations since his sudden sentencing to death for espionage and terrorism last week. Spies and saboteurs have been apprehended by both sides in the past, but the explosive Indian reaction is new. Sarabjit Singh, whose case was the first post-television and social media driven event that his tenacious sister orchestrated, had also faced similar charges. Pakistan settled it typically by keeping him on death row for decades and then organising a fight among prisoners to cause his death. India protested, but took it in its stride, implying that nothing better could be expected from Pakistan. It was moral censure, and not chest-thumping. Pakistan seems bent this time on extracting more fear and pathos, employing the military court stratagem to shorten appellate processes. There is also the socio-political implication of putting the noose around the neck of a former armed forces officer rather than some smuggler-cum-spy. India too has bitten the bait with alacrity. Spy games thus just got more serious as public opinion and the Opposition parties forced the Indian government to stand by its rhetoric.

Why is Pakistan precipitating the issue now? First, Pakistan has been seeking a smoking gun ever since India actually caught Ajmal Kasab alive while committing along with his co-conspirators the horrendous 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai. Audio intercepts and the subsequent confessions by David Coleman Headley led the trail directly to the heart of the terror syndicate sponsored by the Pakistani state. Decades of Pakistani perfidy with the United States only hardened American distrust, resulting in the unilateral US action to eliminate Osama bin Laden and later Mullah Mansour, head of the Taliban. Pakistan was desperate for a counter-narrative to blunt the Indian moral ascendancy and to play the victim. Second, after Prime Minister Narendra Modis Christmas Day stopover in Lahore in December 2015, and the subsequent Pathankot airbase attack within a week in January 2016, India had stiffened its stance. The red lines for downgrading contact were at any Army camps fence. Traditionally, fidayeen attacks on Army installations were left to the forces to deter by devising active defence methods, without affecting bilateral relations. Mr Modi, however, further raised the stakes by espousing the cause of Balochis and the residents of Gilgit and Baltistan from the ramparts of the Red Fort on August 15 last year.

Third, for the umpteenth time, Pakistan may have misread the unsettled conditions in the Kashmir Valley as being out of Indias control. Also, the recent comment by US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley suggesting US mediation to resolve India-Pakistan disputes may also have eoldened Pakistan. US President Donald Trumps reversal of the Obama doctrine to unshackle Iran to fight against ISIS in Syria-Iraq, with a concomitant downgrading of traditional US alliances in the Sunni world, would also have boosted Pakistani self-importance after its initial fears of Trumpian uncertainty. Pakistan was thus just being Pakistan again!

This was despite subtle signals from Pakistan that new Army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa was having a rethink on India. Combined with the BJPs massive win in the Uttar Pradesh election, it was logical to expect that the temperature with Pakistan may be lowered. There were whispers that the NSAs of both nations had spoken over the telephone. But individuals, including Army chiefs and Prime Ministers in Pakistan, can be overcome by tides of popular misperception.

India says Kulbhushan Jadhav had been entrapped and abducted from Iran, where he was running a business from Chabahar. Pakistan asserts he was arrested in Balochistan in flagrante or in the act. The Indian government is reticent about when and why Kulbhushan Yadav became Hussein Mubarak Patel, a Muslim name in which he held an Indian passport. There have been press reports of his past approaches to Indian intelligence with offers to help. But Pakistan disallowing access to him only confirms the doubts that the Pakistani story about his arrest may be a concoction. The BJP government is in a self-created trap unless Pakistani panic is due to their missing former ISI officers having been entrapped by India in Nepal. In that event, a quiet exchange may be possible, but either way it has taken spy games to a new level dictated by the security agencies. This, the governments defenders will say, is the right way to counter Pakistans asymmetrical warfare that has led India each time talks were resumed down the same road of terror blackmail.

The flip side of the above argument is that the disruption that the Trump administration has caused may not yet have played out. The Xi Jinping-Trump summit has only provided an extended window for addressing mutual concerns. Mr Trumps relations with Russias Vladimir Putin have got mired in domestic US politics. Europe is dangling by a string which can snap and end their union. Sino-Indian relations have been heated up with India upping the ante over the Dalai Lama and Tawang, treating both as matters internal to the Indian polity and off limits for Chinese interference. In such uncertain times, logic dictates we dont cause Sino-Pak convergence to deepen into an open military alliance. As Narendra Modi adopts a more forward policy on China, for the second time after Jawaharlal Nehrus ill-prepared attempt in the early 1960s, the timing of the policy, though long overdue, appears risky. Jingoism has been a useful adjunct to the creation of the Modi mystique. The rise of yogis as rulers, as in UP, and socio-religious evangelism degrading often into vigilantism are all signs of a shrinking space for debate and consensus  the handmaidens of democracy. Nehru erred on China as he was in an echo chamber of a small elite feeding his myth of Chinese benevolence and Asian solidarity. The danger today is that while jingoism fuels Mr Modis domestic political success, it can also walk him into a regional morass, set by China and led by deluded elites in Indias neighbourhood
North Koreas Kim Jong-un insists on keeping his country on a collision course with the US and the rest of the world with the possible exception of major ally China. A promised missile launch in defiance of Chinese admonitions may have failed, blowing up almost immediately on its test launch from the Sinpo region on Sunday morning in an increasingly tense Korean peninsula towards which the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group has been heading. But the story is unlikely to end then and there as North Koreas launch comes on top of a mighty show of military force in a parade on Saturday, the Day of the Sun, to mark the 105th birth anniversary of founding father Kim Il Sung. Among a variety of powerful missiles on show were thought to be new missiles looking capable of inter-continental ballistic strikes, but not of the 9,000-plus kilometre range that could satisfy a long-standing North Korean ambition of being able to hit the continental US.

The world was thought to be on the very brink of a thermo-nuclear war as the US carrier steamed towards the Koreas and the US vice-president Mike Pence was headed to Seoul for talks even as the latest missile test failed. The world may have reason to disbelieve an impoverished North Koreas pompous world-destroying boasts, but then such opinion hardly matters because what is important is only what the White House would like to believe. The volatility of Donald Trumps emerging foreign policy and his trigger-happy finger that keeps Twitter alive with threats to countries with nuclear arsenals adds to the general levels of anxiety around the globe. There was proof of the US militarys cavalier attitude to world affairs under Mr Trump in two instances just this month. First, a Syrian airbase was hit with 60 Tomahawk missiles and then the Mother of All Bombs was dropped on Afghanistan caves, both strikes aimed at curbing ISIS.

The gung-ho attitude of the US to involve itself in every battlefield around the world in its assumed role as global policeman can have several repercussions. Kim Jong-un promised an underground nuclear test but stopped short with the missile on Sunday, which was also not thought to be an ICBM. His country may not have the technical capability of delivering miniaturised nuclear warheads over vast distances yet. North Korea is more about bluster than commonsense. Even so, the world is not in a position to accommodate any more adventurism on the part of the US as in Iraq where the much publicised Weapons of Mass Destruction proved to be imaginary. What we should fear at the moment has far more to do with the trigger finger at the White House than the power of even rogue nations as well as terror groups to strike out at Uncle Sam, whose allies like South Korea and possibly Japan could be under greater threat. The sooner the likes of Trump and Kim Jong-un get off the warpath the easier the world will breathe. The weekend was scary though.
Prime Minister Narendra Modis exhortation on Sunday, as the BJPs two-day national executive meeting in Bhubaneswar drew to a close, to take a long jump in order to build a new India by 2022, appears to have been a rhetorical device that would underpin the BJPs campaign to extend its run of electoral victories as several states go to the polls before the next Lok Sabha election in 2019. Mr Modi spoke of the need for his party to make special efforts to capture the 120 Lok Sabha seats that were still out of the partys reach. He also praised party president Amit Shah as Chanakya, leaving no doubt that all others  no matter how tall in their own regions  will have to play second fiddle to Mr Shah, who has been the PMs Man Friday in the running of party affairs.

Seeking to reaffirm his commitment to development, the PM coined yet another alliterative slogan  P2 G2 (pro-people pro-active good governance)  while the verdict is still out on whether his government is anywhere near delivering on his promise of minimum government, maximum governance made at the time of the last Lok Sabha election campaign in 2014. With such a background, Mr Modi desired that we direct our energies toward moving the national discourse in the direction of making a socioeconomic transformation in the next five years to make India a happy and prosperous nation and a leading country. Its a pity, therefore, that the PM didnt offer any fresh ideas about how such a goal may be reached in such a short period, and what the budgetary allocation patterns need to be in this period to raise the standards of health, education, housing, and physical infrastructure spending so that the lofty goal may become achievable.

The PMs real goals were clear enough, though, as he proclaimed: Our aim should not be change of government, but transformation of society. This is as clear an appeal as possible to voters in 2019 not to think of unseating his party from power. And in this matter, Mr Modi had some real ideas to offer. The PM spoke not just of abolishing triple talaq so that there may be social justice for Muslim women but also (on this issue his party has been campaigning hard in recent months) for extending benefits to the Muslim community as a whole by extending benefits to sections of them under the new OBC Commission which the BJP has successfully pushed through in the Lok Sabha. If the BJP, under Mr Modis leadership, is able to make a dent into a section of the Muslim vote, his party is likely to become immeasurably stronger than it has been so far.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed victory in a historic referendum, albeit a narrow win that is being contested, whose final results will be known in about a week. Giving the President sweeping powers, Turks may have taken a historic path strewn with uncertainties. The regions geopolitics may also shift dramatically as Turkey evolves from a parliamentary democracy into a presidential republic, where the death penalty may also be reinstated. With Mr Erdogan being from a stream of political Islam, in contrast to Kamal Ataturks historic secularism, the very credo of the state will transform as it shifts from the principles it inherited as modern Turkey was founded on the Ottoman empires ashes.

As the gateway linking Europe and Asia, secular Turkey, despite being an Islamic state, was a bridge between continents and cultures. Given its size and importance as a military power, instability in Turkey can upset the balance in a critical region already torn by conflicts. Last years failed coup may have spurred Mr Erdogan into this final act of pushing Turkeys ailing democracy towards total autocracy, with civic freedoms severely abridged. He will not only hold all executive power but head the ruling AK party and decide who it nominates as legislators, hire and fire judges and prosecutors and presumably become Turkeys new sultan. He has already ruled for 14 years, but under the new constitution could be in office till 2034. This new personality cult might spell danger to old allies from the West, as the thin margin leads to further divisions in Turkish society.
When a sitting Prime Minister of Pakistan bars members of his party from commenting or making any controversial statements about a former Pakistan Army chief, Gen. Raheel Sharif, and his appointment as head of a Saudi-led 41-nation Islamic Military Alliance, it calls for a serious look. This extraordinary statement by an incumbent PM about a retired Army chief understandably creates several realistic scenarios. First, some negative comments on Raheel Sharif must have been made by at least some members of Islamabads ruling party, the Pakistan Muslim League (Sharif). Second, this certainly didnt go well with the serving top brass of the Pakistan Army. They must have signalled the civilian PM to rein in his comrades-in-arms, and the Prime Minister had no choice but to succumb, and do as the Army brass wished. Or else! There is every possibility that the military-created trouble would spoil the applecart of the rarely-surviving-civilian-ruling-class specimen called the Prime Minister of Pakistan, traditionally more in the news for frequent ousters through (mala fide) military coups than enjoying any real power in contrast to the countrys rough and repressive ruling class alliance, comprising the ecclesiastical-imperial-military caucus; more often referred to as the trinity of Allah, America and Army.

Understandably, one of the notable provocations originated from Sindh governor Muhammad Zubair, who referred to Raheel Sharif as just another general, with large chunks of the Pakistani elite criticising the efficacy and wisdom of the retired general joining a foreign military alliance. Technically and legally, though the criticism of Raheel Sharif may be untenable, what could turn embarrassing and difficult for the state of Pakistan is the political fallout. Also, Gen. Raheel too may regret, in retrospect, his unprecedented appointment (purely) on moral and ethical grounds, that may affect the psyche and attitude of future retired Pakistani generals seeking jobs or new careers with foreign forces. The question here is: where exactly has Raheel Sharif joined and what would be his role? Officially, his new outfit is the Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism, or IMAFT. Being an inter-governmental counter-terrorist alliance of Islamic countries, it was essentially forged (on December 15, 2016) by Saudi defence minister Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud for military intervention against the Islamic State (ISIS) and for other counter-terror actions. The primary objective is to protect Muslim countries from all terrorist groups and terrorist organisations irrespective of their sect and name.

The key question here is  how will the objective to protect Muslim countries from all terrorist groups and organisations be achieved? If one sees the reports emanating from the Muslim countries themselves, a grim scenario emerges as at least 12 (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Yemen) of the 41 nations have serious internal and cross-border terrorism issues. How does IMAFT deal with this? Individually or collectively? Declaring open war or through clandestine or some other means? Can it afford to go for a sustained operation or will it be a one-off or sporadic quick reaction team op by specialised shock troops? Also, what could be the possible political fallout of IMAFT deployment or action in the internal affairs of sovereign nations notwithstanding their religious bond? Can a war on terror waged by an International Islamic Army on Islamic states turn into a civil war-type scenario as it happened in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria in the aftermath of the US-led international security assistance force deployment and devastation? Will IMAFT go the Western way, leaving a trail of havoc, panic, destruction and a state of permanent war in the guise of fighting terrorism and terrorists to save Islamic states? Do the present Islamic states sincerely believe the best way to tackle terrorist and terrorism is the Western way? By the combined might of the military?

Should not they realise that whereas the Western-led coalition forces tend to fight their wars (far) away from their home bases, the proposed IMAFT will fight, if they fight at all, as they are likely to be fighting against their own shadow, deep inside their own Islamic territory, they will be inflicting more misery, thereby aggravating and hastening more penury and poverty. It does seem to this writer that the entire idea of IMAFT, in the guise of an International Islamic Army, is bound to be self-defeating and suicidal. Wars, as far as possible and practicable, should not be fought in ones own territory, but far away from there. Seen from another angle, it must be remembered that professional armies of modern times usually are not adept in fighting unconventional wars or terror wars which are perceived to have religious fervour and sanctimony from ecclesiastical authorities. Hence a religious colour to violence and mayhem-combat organisation would always constitute a serious internal challenge to the heterogeneous command, control, communications and operations room of a force like IMAFT.

In this context, the two World Wars of 1914-1919 and 1939-1945 come to mind. Although both wars were essentially started and fought by, and between, Christians and Christians, they never got the stamp of religious or terror conflict. It was simply war. Also, even when the offending agent provocateurs of the conflict were Christians, no defending or counter-offending combatant country ever saw it as religious terror. Let us now go back and recall the preconditions stipulated by Raheel Sharif, commander of the 41-nation IMAFT: that Iran be included in IMAFT; that he will not be under anyones command; and that he would be an arbitrator to promote greater harmony in the Muslim world. Seen from every, angle Raheel Sharif has failed to fulfil his wishes. He seems to have either been oblivious of his status as a retired soldier, or had conveniently forgotten that he was bound to be under the Saudi King, under whom falls the sacred shrines of Islam, and who had conceived the idea of IMAFT. Second, the exclusion of Iran is surely a potential sore point for IMAFT. And finally, Raheel Sharif must have understood by now that even if he is a much-respected soldier back home, he cant be a modern-day 21st century Khalifa commander of the 41-nation IMAFT, even though it has been constituted to fight its own religious brethren owing to maladministration and inequality and the inability of certain nations to stand on their own feet. It is one thing to dream of being an arbitrator to promote greater harmony in the Muslim world, but it is another aspect of harsh reality which stands amid the depleting resources of raw material in a shrinking world of globalisation, liberalisation and privatisation. In todays world, any war is a war of economics, for resources, and that includes the war on terror.
NASA in its effort to celebrate Earth Day (22nd April) has announced their new Adopt the Planet campaign that allows whoever is interested to virtually adopt a piece of Earth as seen from space. Once individuals have entered their coordinates for the location they want to adopt, they get to learn more about the piece of land or sea that they have adopted.

Through NASAs Worldview, individuals also get the opportunity to take a closer look at their adopted location.

The website gives users information on different layers of data and even allows individuals to get a close and personal experience their their new adopted section of the planet. Users can take photos, share social media posts and print out pictures of their locations.

64,000 locations are reportedly still up for adoption.

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Taylor was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation (1999) and Draper Prize from the National Academy of Engineering for development of "the first practical networked personal computers" in 2004.

Robert W. Taylor, who was instrumental in creating the internet and the modern personal computer, has died. He was 85.

Taylor, who had Parkinson's disease, died Thursday at his home in the San Francisco Peninsula community of Woodside, his son, Kurt Taylor, told the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times.

In 1961, Taylor was a project manager for NASA when he directed funding to Douglas Engelbart at the Stanford Research Institute, who helped develop the modern computer mouse.

Taylor was working for the Pentagon's Advanced Research Projects Agency in 1966 when he shepherded the creation of a single computer network to link ARPA-sponsored researchers at companies and institutions around the country. Taylor was frustrated that he had to use three separate terminals to communicate with the researchers through their computer systems.

ARPANET, as it was known, evolved into the internet. As Taylor predicted, the limited communications tool morphed into a system that supplies people with fingertip access to everything from encyclopedias to investment advice.

A few years later, Taylor went on to work at the Xerox Corp.'s famous Palo Alto Research Center, or PARC, where he was oversaw a team that helped create the Alto, a pioneering personal computer.

The Alto supplied each researcher with an individual workstation instead of sharing time on a room-sized mainframe. It was designed to use a graphical user interface, which enabled the user to command the device through icons, windows and menus instead of typing text commands in computer language. The technology inspired Microsoft's Windows software and the Apple computers.

Taylor's engineering team also helped develop the Ethernet and a word processing program that became Microsoft Word.

"Any way you look at it, from kick-starting the internet to launching the personal computer revolution, Bob Taylor was a key architect of our modern world," Leslie Berlin, a historian at the Stanford University Silicon Valley Archives project, told the New York Times.

In 1999, Taylor was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. In 2004, he and other PARC researchers were awarded the Draper Prize from the National Academy of Engineering for development of "the first practical networked personal computers."

In the 1990s, Taylor ran the Systems Research Center in Palo Alto for Digital Equipment Corporation. The lab helped create AltaVista, one of the first internet search engines.

Taylor retired in 1996.In addition to Kurt, he is survived by his sons Erik and Derek and three grandchildren.

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Theres absolutely no ETA available right now as to when a fix would be provided, but Microsoft explains that the error appears after installing April 2017 updates.

Starting this month, Microsoft will not be shipping updates to Windows 7 and 8.1 PCs powered by seventh-genration processors like Intels Kaby Lake and AMDs Ryzen. It has however turned out that the company banned old processors by accident.

This means systems running on Windows 7 and 8.1 AMD Carrizo chips are no longer getting updates either, and the software giant has stated in a statement that support for these configurations would continue to be provided.

Starting with the April 2017 Cumulative Update release, devices with an AMD Carrizo DDR4 processor running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 might start to receive a message that the processor is not supported with those versions of Windows. Microsoft intends to continue to support Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 with this processor and plans to address the issue causing the message in a future update, Microsoft says.

Theres absolutely no ETA available right now as to when a fix would be provided, but Microsoft explains that the error appears after installing April 2017 updates.

According to companys policy, Windows 10 is mandatory for Intel 7th-generation processors, AMD Bristol Ridge, and Qualcomm 8996, so systems running Windows 7 or 8.1 no longer receive updates. Computers which are banned from getting patches are provided with the following error:

Windows could not search for new updates. An error occurred while checking for new updates for your computer. Error(s) found: Code 80240037 Windows Update encountered an unknown error.

Additionally, Windows Update also displays the following message when checking for new updates: Unsupported hardware. Your PC uses a processor that is designed for the latest version of Windows. Because the processor is not supported together with the Windows version that you are currently using, your system will miss important security updates.

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One of the vulnerabilities as the company indicates is quite old and has been fixed before the release of Windows Vista, while others were addressed with more recent bulletins.

Hacker group Shadow Brokers let loose a pack of tools which allegedly belonged to the NSA and were used for breaking into Windows systems across the world. It stated that almost every single Windows version out there was susceptible to attacks.

The news timing of the leak was terrible for the security of Windows users, the reason being that this happened before the weekend and during the Easter holiday for many, thus making mitigation deployment rather slow.

And although it looked like the end of the world for Windows users, as some experts have called it, Microsoft says theres absolutely no reason to be worried.

The leaked tools attempt to exploit vulnerabilities that have already been patched, Microsoft says in a statement, so if you bring your system fully up to date, theres no chance hackers can hijack your system.

Most of the exploits that were disclosed fall into vulnerabilities that are already patched in our supported products, Microsoft says in a statement.

One of the vulnerabilities as the company indicates is quite old and has been fixed before the release of Windows Vista, while others were addressed with more recent bulletins.

The key word in Microsofts statement, however, is the supported term, and this means that only Windows versions still receiving updates are secure. Windows XP, for example, could be vulnerable to attacks, as it no longer gets updates since April 2014.

Of the three remaining exploits, EnglishmanDentist, EsteemAudit, and ExplodingCan, none reproduces on supported platforms, which means that customers running Windows 7 and more recent versions of Windows or Exchange 2010 and newer versions of Exchange are not at risk. Customers still running prior versions of these products are encouraged to upgrade to a supported offering, Microsoft says.

Some security experts have recommended users to go offline during the weekend or until a patch is released, but Microsoft has stated that all you have to do is make sure that your computer is fully updated, no matter the Windows version. So if you are running Windows 7 or newer and all updates are installed, the NSA Windows hacks leak shouldnt affect you.

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California: An engaged couple flying on United Airlines from Houston, Texas, to their wedding in Costa Rica were removed by a federal law enforcement officer from the flight on Saturday amid disputed circumstances, according to media reports.

The removal comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of the airline's approach to customer service after a video emerged a week ago showing security officers dragging a bloodied passenger off an overbooked United Express flight in Chicago.

United said the couple repeatedly tried to sit in more expensive seats for which they had not paid and would not follow flight crew instructions, according to the KHOU 11 New channel in Houston.

United, owned by United Continental Holdings Inc, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday evening.

Michael Hohl and his fiancee, Amber Maxwell, gave a different account. Hohl said he and Maxwell found another passenger sleeping sprawled across their seats after they were the last to board the flight, according to an interview with KHOU.

Soon after moving to other, empty seats in the economy cabin a few rows up, flight crew denied their request to pay a supplement for the seats, which United sells as "economy plus", and told them to move back to their original seats, Hohl said.

"We thought not a big deal, it's not like we are trying to jump up into a first-class seat," Hohl told KHOU. "We were simply in an economy row a few rows above our economy seat."

They then cooperated with an officer from the US Marshals Service who boarded and told them they had to get off the plane, Hohl said.

The couple were rebooked on a flight on Sunday, KHOU reported.

Dr. David Dao, the 69-year-old Vietnamese-American doctor who was seen in video being dragged off a United flight a week ago, will likely sue the airline, his attorney said on Thursday.

After the incident triggered international outrage, United Chief Executive Oscar Munoz apologized to Dao, his family and its customers, saying the carrier would no longer use law enforcement officers to remove passengers from overbooked flights.
Police said Stephens used Facebook to post video of him killing the man, who police identified as 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr. Stephens is not believed to have known Godwin. (Photo: Facebook)

Ohio: Cleveland police urged a suspect who they said posted video of himself on Facebook killing an elderly man on Sunday to turn himself in to authorities.

Officials in the Ohio city said they were looking for Steve Stephens in connection with the one confirmed killing but had found no evidence to support what police said was a claim he made in the video of having killed more than a dozen other people.

"Everybody is out there looking for Steve," Calvin Williams, the Cleveland police chief, told a news conference, where he joined Mayor Frank Jackson in asking Stephens to turn himself in. They said Stephens might be driving a white or cream-colored Ford Fusion, and that he was armed and dangerous.

"We want this to end with as much peace as we can bring to this right now," Williams said, adding police knew of no other victims.

Police said Stephens used Facebook to post video of him killing the man, who police identified as 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr. Stephens is not believed to have known Godwin.

The world's largest online social network, used by more than 1.2 billion people every day, condemned the accused killer's action.

"This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook," said a spokesperson for the company. "We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety."

It is not the first time a serious crime has been posted on Facebook. In January, four black people in Chicago were accused of attacking an 18-year-old disabled white man and broadcasting the assault on the service while making anti-white racial taunts.

A month later, the suspects pleaded not guilty to assaulting the man.
London: The US Embassy in London interviewed three-month-old baby over his ties to terrorists. The baby was obviously unable to answer anything as he is too young to speak.

According to a report in Daily Mail, the baby, Harvey, was called to the US Embassy after his grandfather, Paul Kenyon, made a mistake in Harveys Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) immigration form. He marked yes in the slot that asked do you seek to engage in or have you ever engaged in terrorist activities, espionage, sabotage, or genocide?

I had no idea I had made a mistake on the baby's form until Harvey's travel was refused to the USA, 62-year-old Kenyon said. He had planned to travel to Orlando, Florida, with his family, including Harvey.

However, the family had to make a ten-hour round-trip journey from their home at Poynton in Cheshire to the US embassy in London when Harvey was called for an interview. After this, his visa was delayed and he couldnt go to Orlando with the family. The baby and his parents had to travel separately days after the rest of the family went to Orlando. Kenyon said that all the trouble cost him 3,000 (USD 3,756) more.

The family was very surprised that a harmless three-month-old baby could be seen as a terror threat. It was all the more absurd that he was actually called to the Embassy and questioned.

If you are a terrorist - I suspect you'd not be ticking YES on the ESTA form anyway. Hes obviously never engaged in genocide, or espionage, but he has sabotaged quite a few nappies in his time though I didn't tell them that at the US Embassy, Kenyon added.
Moscow: Russia on Monday warned Washington against launching a unilateral strike on North Korea, after US Vice President Mike Pence said the era of "strategic patience" with Pyongyang was over.

"This is a very risky path," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a news conference in Moscow. "We do not accept the reckless nuclear missile actions of Pyongyang that breach UN resolutions, but that does not mean that you can break international law," he said.

"I hope that there will not be any unilateral actions like the one we saw recently in Syria." Pence today warned North Korea not to test President Donald Trump's resolve, declaring that "all options are on the table" for curbing its missile and nuclear weapons programmes.

Defying international pressure, the North on Sunday tried to test-fire another missile in an attempt that failed, but which fuelled fears that it may be preparing for its sixth atomic weapons test.

Pence said that the era of US "strategic patience" in dealing with the North was over, after more than two decades. "In the past two weeks, the world witnessed the strength and resolve of our new president in actions taken in Syria and Afghanistan," Pence said.

"North Korea would do well not to test his resolve, or the strength of the armed forces of the United States, he said.
The referendum result, strongly contested by the opposition, gives the Turkish president enhanced powers, including the ability to appoint ministers and have an entire bureaucracy centralised within his presidential palace. (Photo: AP)

Istanbul: Turkey voted narrowly to Sunday expand the powers of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a knife-edge poll that left the country bitterly divided.

But the outcome could more broadly influence all aspects of the country's future. Coming 94 years after the foundation of modern Turkey by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the referendum was a landmark vote that could polarise society and affect Turkey's relations with the West as well as the renewed conflict with Kurdish rebels.

Here are five ways the referendum could shape Turkey:

The referendum result, strongly contested by the opposition, gives the Turkish president enhanced powers, including the ability to appoint ministers and have an entire bureaucracy centralised within his presidential palace. Opponents worry that the new system will lack the "checks and balances" that mark the US system, moving the presidency toward one-man rule.

The new system would be implemented from November 2019 when presidential and legislative elections are to be held simultaneously.

With the clock wound back under the new system Erdogan, who became president in 2014, could serve two more terms, allowing him to stay in power until 2029 rather than 2024 currently.

The executive presidency system "amasses unprecedented power in the hands of one man," said Alan Makovsky, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.

But Fadi Hakura, Turkey expert at London-based Chatham House think tank, called the referendum result "at best a Pyrrhic victory" for Erdogan.

"He's lost the major cities of Ankara, Istanbul, Adana, Izmir. He's lost the base of his support. "

Relations between Turkey, a longstanding candidate to join the European Union, and its EU partners plunged to bitter lows during the referendum campaign as the president lashed out at Europe for what he said was behaviour reminiscent of Nazi Germany.

Erdogan has said Turkey's membership bid would be "on the table" after the referendum and in every single campaign speech.

On Sunday, he said he might hold a referendum on reinstating the death penalty. Any country which has capital punishment on its books is automatically banned from joining the EU.

"The tactics of constantly bullying the EU... for domestic political purposes have now reached their limits," said Marc Pierini, visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe.

Erdogan could now move away from EU integration, a process which has moved slowly at best, and forge alternative strategic alliances, including with Russia.



Erdogan was the first Turkish leader to undertake peace talks with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), resulting in an unprecedented ceasefire.

But the PKK truce shattered in 2015 and Erdogan has since waged a controversial campaign to destroy the group.

With only a narrow referendum win the president "may feel compelled to be conciliatory," said Asli Aydintasbas, senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).

"Turkey could return to the peace process." However the Yeni Safak daily has claimed that the government will open a new front with cross-border operations against PKK camps in northern Iraq, in a new effort to destroy the group.

Turkey's hugely diverse society has starkly polarised during Erdogan's tenure as prime minister and president since 2003. Erdogan has frequently demonised opponents, saying those who wanted to vote 'No' were playing into the hands of the PKK and US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, blamed for a failed coup last July.

"He wins, but in the end half of the country is in love with him, and the other half loathes him, and herein lies the crisis of modern Turkey," said Soner Cagaptay, author of a forthcoming book, "The New Sultan."

While Erdogan has forged a coalition with nationalists, he has in the past showed considerable pragmatism in his alliances.

Markets had been cautiously expecting a 'Yes' and hoping this will bring much-needed stability and a rally in Turkish assets.

In the medium term the prospects are much more uncertain, with some economists fearing that any democratic deficits in Turkey and increased polarisation in society, coupled with the government's loss of its enthusiasm for reform, will hit long-term growth rates.

"While a potential 'Yes' may be cheered by the market in the near term, Turkish equities are not likely to trade above historical averages as growth remains subdued and the long term implications of the system untested," said economists at BGC Partners in Istanbul.
The sweeping constitutional changes approved in the vote create a presidential system that will grant Erdogan more power than any leader since modern Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and his successor Ismet Inonu. (Photo: AP)

Istanbul: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan narrowly won a historic referendum on Sunday that will tighten his grip on power, but the knife-edge result left the country bitterly divided and the opposition crying foul.

The sweeping constitutional changes approved in the vote create a presidential system that will grant Erdogan more power than any leader since modern Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and his successor Ismet Inonu.

The result could also have even wider implications for Turkey which joined NATO in 1952 and for the last half-century has set its sights on joining the European Union.

The 'Yes' campaign won 51.4 percent of the vote against 48.6 percent for 'No', the election commission said in figures quoted by state news agency Anadolu, in a count based on 99.5 percent of the ballot boxes. Turnout was a high 85 percent.

As huge crowds of flag-waving supporters celebrated on the streets, Erdogan praised Turkey for taking a "historic decision".

"With the people, we have realised the most important reform in our history," he added.

But opposition supporters in anti-Erdogan districts of Istanbul showed their dissatisfaction by bashing pots and pans with kitchen utensils to create a noisy protest. Hundreds also took to the streets in the areas of Besiktas and Kadikoy.

Supreme Election Board chief Sadi Guven confirmed that the 'Yes' camp had emerged victorious, but the opposition has vowed to challenge the outcome.

The referendum was held under a state of emergency that has seen 47,000 people arrested in an unprecedented crackdown after a failed military putsch against Erdogan in July last year.

In a nail-biting end to a frenetic campaign, the 'No' share of the vote climbed as more ballots were counted, after lagging well behind in the early count, but failed to overtake the 'Yes' votes.

"This is a decision made by the people. In our democracy's history, a new page has opened," said Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, whose job will disappear under the constitutional changes.

In a television interview on Friday Erdogan had predicted a far clearer victory saying polls showed a 55-60 percent share of the vote.

But voting patterns showed Turkey deeply divided over the changes, with the 'No' vote victorious in the country's three biggest cities.

The 'Yes' vote held up strongly in Erdogan's Anatolian heartland but the Aegean and Mediterranean coastal regions and Kurdish-dominated southeast backed the 'No' camp.

In a major disappointment for the president, the 'No' vote was just ahead in his hometown of Istanbul and in the capital Ankara and clearly ahead in the third city of Izmir.

A statement issued by European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker and EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said that in view of the closeness of the result, the Turkish authorities need to seek the "broadest possible national consensus" for the changes.

Erdogan made relations with the EU a key issue in his referendum campaign, lambasting Brussels for failing to make progress on Ankara's stalled accession talks and he accused Germany and the Netherlands of acting like the Nazis when they barred pro-government rallies.

Turkey's two main opposition parties said they would challenge the results over alleged violations.

The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) said it would challenge two-thirds of the votes, saying: "There is an indication of a 3-4 percentage point manipulation of the vote."

Republican People's Party (CHP) chief Kemal Kilicdaroglu said the actions of the election authorities "caused the referendum's legitimacy to be questioned" insisting that the 'No' side had won at least 50 percent of votes cast.

"Believe me, this election is not over," deputy CHP leader Erdal Aksunger told CNN Turk, quoted by the Dogan news agency. "This is totally invalid. We are declaring this here."

The opposition had already complained that the referendum was conducted on unfair terms, with 'Yes' posters ubiquitous on the streets and opposition voices squeezed from the media.

Closely watched on Monday will be the initial assessment of the international observer mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

Erdogan again warned Brussels he would sign any bill agreed by parliament to reinstate capital punishment, a move that would automatically end Turkey's EU bid.

If the opposition failed to support the bill, Erdogan said another referendum could be held on reinstating the death penalty.

Western reactions to the referendum will be crucial after Erdogan accused Turkey's allies of failing to show sufficient solidarity in the wake of the failed coup.

"We would like other countries and institutions to show respect to the decision of the nation," Erdogan said.

The new system would dispense with the office of prime minister and centralise the entire executive bureaucracy under the president, giving Erdogan the direct power to appoint ministers.

It is due to come into force after elections in November 2019. Erdogan, who became president in 2014 after serving as premier from 2003, could then seek two more five-year terms.

"I don't think he (Erdogan) will reverse course. I don't think Erdogan will change the robust and muscular approach to politics that he has adopted so far," said Fadi Hakura, Turkey expert at London-based Chatham House think tank.
Beijing: At least 10 people were killed and five others injured on Monday when a bus plunged into a river in southwest China's Guizhou Province.

The accident took place in Kaiyang, an outer county of the provincial capital Guiyang.

The 19-seater bus, en route from Kaiyang to Weng'an county in Bouyei-Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Qiannan, veered off a road bridge and fell into the river, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Four persons were also reported missing in the accident. Rescue operations are underway, the report said. Fatal road accidents are a serious problem in China, where traffic regulations are often flouted.

The country's frequently overcrowded long-distance buses are prone to accidents, with individual incidents regularly causing dozens of deaths.
Islamabad: Pakistan's Balochistan province Chief Minister has said that Balochs can never become "slaves" of India at the behest of a handful of "elements".

Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri, while addressing a gathering at Anjera Kalat, Balochistan, on Sunday said "Balochs live in Pakistan as brothers."

Zehri said people in Balochistan can never become "slaves of India" at the behest of a handful of "elements propagating enemy's agenda" in the province, Dawn News reported.

He was quoted as saying that elements "sitting abroad" were trying to use the youth for their nefarious designs.

"Social media is not the criteria for liberation, in fact, the Baloch people stand for prosperous and peaceful Pakistan," Zehri said.

He said that if the suspected militants shun violence and come down from mountains, they would be welcomed by the government, the report said.

Zehri, however, clarified that the writ of the government would be ensured at all cost.

He was speaking at the fourth "Zehri martyrs" commemoration event held in remembrance of those killed in an April, 2013, attack in which Zehri's convoy was targeted during the election campaign.

Zehri's son, brother and a nephew were killed in the attack. Pakistan has often accused India of supporting insurgency in Balochistan. The accusation has been outrightly dismissed by India.
Rawalpindi : Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor on Monday disclosed that Ehsanullah Ehsan, the spokesman for the Jamaatul Ahrar faction of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has surrendered to the security forces.

"As far as Ehsanullah Ehsan is concerned, he is in our custody. When there is more information regarding him to share, we will do so," The Express Tribune quoted the head of military's media wing as saying during a press briefing.

Commenting on the ongoing Radd-ul-Fasaad military operation, Major General Ghafoor said that 15 major operations were conducted across the country.

"The army performed two big operations in Punjab, one in Sindh, four in Balochistan and eight in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa," he said.

Claiming that the security forces recovered over 4,083 weapons, the ISPR chief said that over 500 absconders have surrendered since the launch of the military offensive.

He added that "4,535 intelligence-based operations have been conducted while 723 joint check-posts were established in coordination with the police".

4,510 suspects including 1,859 unregistered Afghan nationals were detained as a result of the operations, Major General Ghafoor said, adding at least 108 terrorists were killed during exchanges of fire.
Home Ministry officials said the two days will be public holidays in Nepal to mark the departure and arrival of Bhandari after concluding her five-day visit to India. (Photo: Twitter)

Kathmandu: The Nepal government has announced public holidays on April 17 and April 22 - the days when Nepalese President Bidya Devi Bhandari begins her first foreign visit to India and returns to the Himalayan country.

Home Ministry officials said the two days will be public holidays in Nepal to mark the departure and arrival of Bhandari after concluding her five-day visit to India.

As per custom, public holidays are announced in Nepal whenever the head of the state embarks on an official foreign visit.

This will be Bhandari's first foreign trip after assuming the office in October 2015, following the promulgation of the new Constitution in Nepal.

She is visiting India at the invitation of President Pranab Mukherjee and will stay at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

A high-level delegation comprising several ministers and MPs will accompany her.
A police officer said that the arrests had been made on the basis of CCTV footage and video clips. (Photo: Videograb)

Peshawar: Pakistan police announced on Monday they had arrested 22 people after the lynching of a university student accused of blasphemy, but observers said there was little hope authorities would secure convictions.

A large mob attacked journalism student Mashal Khan last Thursday, stripping, beating and shooting him before throwing from the second floor of his hostel at the Abdul Wali Khan university in the conservative northwestern town of Mardan.

The brutality of the attack, recorded on a mobile phone camera, shocked the public and led to widespread condemnation, including from prominent clerics.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed to prosecute the perpetrators as protests broke out in several cities.

Salahuddin Khan Mehsud, police chief of the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, told a press conference the number of people arrested in connection with the case had risen to 22, from 12 at the weekend. They were mainly students but also included some university clerical workers.

He said police had so far found no evidence to support the blasphemy allegations against Khan, and condemned the university for investigating the case without police involvement.

A second senior police officer, who requested anonymity, said many members of the police, prosecution service and judiciary sympathised with the attackers and he did not expect any guilty verdicts.

Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive charge in conservative Muslim Pakistan, and can carry the death penalty. Even unproven allegations can prompt mob lynchings or lesser violence.

"There are hundreds of sympathisers in my force and if I take too much interest in the case I might be killed too," the police officer said.

He added that although arrests had been made on the basis of CCTV footage and video clips, a court would require witnesses to come forward and past experience had shown this would not be likely -- partly because Pakistan has no witness protection programmes.

Saroop Ijaz, a lawyer employed by Human Rights Watch in Pakistan, noted that no Muslims were convicted for torching 100 Christian homes in a 2013 incident in Lahore sparked by blasphemy claims, nor for the murder of a young Christian couple a year later.

"Nobody is going to stick their neck out because you will be abandoned," he said. Vigilantes have murdered 65 people over blasphemy allegations since 1990, according to research compiled by the Center for Research and Security Studies think-tank.
Sri Lankan government soldiers and rescue workers carry a body recovered from the site of a garbage dump collapse in Meetotamulla, on the outskirts of Colombo. (Photo:AP)

Colombo: Sri Lanka on Monday relocated hundreds of families to temporary shelters after a mountain of garbage collapsed on dozens of homes near the capital two days ago, as the death toll in the tragedy climbed to 26.

Seven children were among 26 people killed in the collapse of the garbage dump in Meetotamulla area in Kolonnawa near Colombo, Daily Mirror quoted officials as saying.

According to the Disaster Management Centre at least 625 people belonging to 180 families had been displaced due to the tragedy, the report said.

The military said 1,000 security personnel, including police and special task forces, have been deployed for rescue operation. It said troops from the Sri Lanka Light Infantry, Commandos, Gemunu Watch and Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment were carrying out relief operations, the Colombo Gazette reported.

The National Building Research Organisation said the site of the accident be declared a "danger zone" and people living in over 130 houses in the area must be relocated for safety.

Officials said hundreds of people have been moved to temporarily shelters and the government will soon begin shifting more people.Schools and others facilities will be moved as well, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Harsha De Silva said.

He said the dumping of garbage at the site has been banned. Ironically, the government had signed agreements a few weeks ago to convert the waste into energy, he said in a post on Facebook.

Police were investigating whether the collapse of the 91 -metre open garbage pile could be a sabotage. A 10-member team of geologists, officials from mining and excavation divisions, have been sent to the spot.

More than 600 people had to flee in the aftermath of the mishap on Friday. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in a statement has apologised for the delay in relocating the garbage dump.

The residents near the dump had been protesting for months, demanding that the garbage dump be relocated. The authorities, however, claim that they had given enough warning to the slum dwellers to relocate themselves.

"We had even paid compensation to them to relocate," De Silva said. He said the state will bear the funeral expenses of the dead.

The massive garbage caught fire and collapsed on dozens of homes as the residents celebrated the traditional New Year. Police said the true scale of the damage remained unclear.

Sri Lanka's Parliament was recently warned that 23 million tonnes of garbage at Kolonnawa dump was a serious hazard. About 800 tonnes of garbage were added to the dump daily.
Islamabad : US National Security Advisor Lieutenant-General H.R. McMaster arrived in Pakistan on Monday on an unannounced visit, a day after he hinted that Washington could take a tougher stance with Islamabad.

It was the first visit by a top member of President Donald Trump's administration to the militancy-hit country. At his previous stop in neighbouring Afghanistan he suggested Washington may take a stronger line with Islamabad, for years seen as an unreliable US ally.

A statement by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's office said McMaster had "assured the Prime Minister that the new administration was committed to strengthening bilateral relations and working with Pakistan, to achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan and in the wider South Asian region."

McMaster's visits are being closely watched for clues to the Trump administration's future course of action in the region. US-led NATO troops have been at war in Afghanistan since 2001, after the ousting of the Taliban regime for refusing to hand over Osama bin Laden following the 9/11 attacks in the United States.

The US has around 8,400 troops in the country with about another 5,000 from NATO allies, as efforts to negotiate a lasting peace settlement between Kabul and the Taliban have repeatedly fallen through.

Afghanistan routinely accuses Pakistan of providing safe haven to the Afghan Taliban.

"As all of us have hoped for many, many years, we have hoped that Pakistani leaders will understand that it is in their interest to go after these groups less selectively than they have in the past and the best way to pursue their interest in Afghanistan and elsewhere is through diplomacy, not through the use of proxies that engage in violence," McMaster said in an interview with Afghanistan's Tolo News Sunday.

The Pakistani statement added that McMaster's delegation included Lisa Curtis, whom US media have previously reported as his pick as senior director for South and Central Asia.

Curtis recently co-authored a paper calling on the US to stop treating Pakistan as an ally and instead "focus on diplomatically isolating" it if it continues supporting groups linked to international terror.

The US embassy said McMaster also met Pakistan's army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and other officials and described the meetings with Pakistani leaders as productive.

"General McMaster expressed appreciation for Pakistan's democratic and economic development, and stressed the need to confront terrorism in all its forms," it said in a statement.

Last Thursday the US military in Afghanistan dropped its largest non-nuclear bomb in combat for the first time anywhere. The target was a Islamic State group hideout and officials said up to 95 militants were killed.
Jammu and Kashmir police have registered an FIR against unnamed army personnel for tying a civilian to a jeep as a human shield against stone-pelters on April 13, the video of which sparked outrage across the Valley.



The FIR No 38/17 has been registered at police station Beerwah in Budgam and the investigation of the case has been handed over to a Dy SP level officer, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti revealed on her facebook page.



The FIR has been registered under sections 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 367 (kidnapping or abducting in order to subject person to grievous hurt) of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC).



The action comes two days after Mehbooba asked the police to submit a detailed report about the incident to her so that necessary action is initiated. Pertinently, the youth tied to an Army jeep was identified as Farooq Ahmad Dar of Chill Bras area in Khansahib segment of Budgam district. Incidentally, he was one among a minuscule few Kashmiris who had voted despite the election boycott call by separatists.



The incident reportedly happened on April 13 when re-polling was held in 38 polling stations in Budgam district of Srinagar Lok Sabha seat. The video had triggered large-scale anger from all quarters including some senior army officers.



Lt General (Rtd) Harcharanjit Singh Panag, former General Officer Commanding-in-chief, Northern Command had said the image of tying a youth to an Army jeep would haunt his force and the nation for a long time.



Image of a stone pelter tied in front of a jeep as a human shield, will 4 (for) ever haunt the Indian Army & the nation, Lt Gen H S Panag wrote on the twitter. When the state starts looking like a mirror image of the terrorists, it spells ominous portents!



On Sunday, Police had also registered a murder case against Border Security Force (BSF) personnel for killing a youth at the Batamaloo area of Srinagar on Saturday evening. The FIR was registered against the BSF men involved in the killing of 23-year-old Sajad Hussain Sheikh.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has expressed deep anguish over the death of a 23-year-old man in Batamaloo area of the city, even as she asked the security forces to "exercise maximum restraint while operating in provocative situations."



She also condemned the killing of Bashir Ahmad, who was gunned down by unidentified gunmen at Qasbayar in Pulwama last night, an official spokesman said.



"The Chief Minister has directed the security forces to exercise maximum restraint while performing their duties in provocative situations and follow the laid down SOPs (standrad operating procedures) strictly in such cases," he said.



The PDP leader has sought a report from the state police about an incident of violence at Degree College Pulwama yesterday in which more than 50 students were injured.



"The Chief Minister has also sought a report on the surfacing of some 'disturbing' videos in the valley, which she termed as 'unacceptable and atrocious'," the spokesman added.


Pakistani troops fired from automatic weapons and shelled mortars on forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir today, in the sixth instance of ceasefire violation this month.



"Pakistani Army fired indiscriminately from small arms and automatic weapons and resorted to mortar shelling from 0800 hours today on Indian Army posts along the LoC in Noushera belt of Rajouri district," a defence spokesman said.



Army troops deployed on forward posts retaliated and the exchange was continuing till last reports came in. This is the sixth ceasefire violation this month. On April 8, Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir by resorting to firing on forward posts.



On April 5, ceasefire violation took place along the LoC in Poonch district. On April 4, Pakistani Army fired mortar shells on Indian Army posts along the LoC in Bhimbher Gali sector of Rajouri district.



On April 3, Pakistani troops had shelled mortar bombs on forward posts in Balakote sector of Rajouri district. In the second ceasefire violation on April 3, Pakistani troops had shelled Indian posts along the LoC in Digwar area in Poonch sector.



In the same area, a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO), Naib Subedar S Sanayaima Som, was killed in an improvise explosive device (IED) blast along the LoC in Poonch sector on April 1. There were four violations of the ceasefire along the LoC in Poonch in March.



On March 9, army jawan Deepak Jagannath Ghadge was killed when Pakistani soldiers initiated indiscriminate and unprovoked firing along the LoC in Poonch. In 2016 there were 228 instances of ceasefire violation along the LoC, while there were 221 instances of ceasefire violation along the International Border (IB).
The AIADMK faction led by jailed Sasikala in for more trouble on Monday after Delhi Police booked her nephew TTV Dinakaran, the No. 2 in the party, on charges of attempting to bribe Election Commission officials for the 'Two Leaves' symbol.



The fresh trouble came days after the Election Commission cancelled the bypolls to R K Nagar Assembly constituency, which was necessitated by the death of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, where AIADMK, as the Sasikala faction is now known as, is accused of bribing voters. Dinakaran was the candidate of the Sasikala faction.



The Delhi Police's Crime Branch move came after the arrest of Sukesh Chandrasekhar, a middleman, from Hyatt Hotel in south Delhi on Sunday allegedly with Rs 1.30 crore and two cars -- a BMW and a Mercedes. Police claim Sukesh struck a deal for Rs 50 crore for helping the AIADMK faction keep the 'Two Leaves' symbol.



Delhi Police sources said investigators would soon issue a summon to Dinakaran to join the probe. Dinakaran, who was appointed Deputy General Secretary by Sasikala before she went to jail on corruption charges, denied the allegations and vowed to fight the case legally, claiming that efforts were being made to "destroy our organisation politically".



He claimed he did not know Chandrasekhar and said, "I will answer if I get summons. I will face it legally. How does a broker or somebody say the money was from TTV Dinakaran? I don't know anybody by that name nor have I come across any such name in my life," he told reporters in Chennai.



Sasikala had assumed power in AIADMK but could not make it to the Chief Minister's chair after she was convicted by Supreme Court in a disproportionate assets case, which also involved Jayalalithaa. The Election Commission has frozen AIADMK's 'Two Leaves' symbol after the two factions led by Sasikala and former chief minister O Panneerselvam staked claim to it.



While Sasikala faction settled with 'Hat' symbol and the name AIADMK, Paneerselvam camp got the AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma) as name and 'Electric Pole' as their symbol.



The Delhi Police FIR has been filed under Section 8 of the Prevention of the Corruption Act, which deals with taking gratification, by corrupt or illegal means, to influence public servant. The Section 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of Indian Penal Code has also been invoked.




Clashes broke out between security forces and agitating students near a college here today, police said. A group of students were holding a protest rally near Sri Pratap (SP) College on Moulana Azad Road close to the Lal Chowk city centre this morning, a police official said.



He said security forces asked the protesters to disperse but they did not budge and started pelting stones on the forces, leading to clashes.



Security forces used tear smoke shells to chase away the protesters, the official said, adding clashes were going on when last reports came in.



Students' groups had called for protests against the "brutality perpetrated by forces on students" of Degree College Pulwama in south Kashmir, where clashes with security forces left many injured.
Denying reports that he had offered bribe to a middleman in New Delhi to obtain back the party's 'Two Leaves' symbol, AIADMK "Amma" deputy general seceretary TTV Dinakaran alleged that some body was conspiring to destroy the party.



Reacting to the arrest of a middleman Sukesh Chandrasekar by the New Delhi Police and seizure of huge amount, Dinakaran said "I do not know anyone by that name. I never gave money to anybody for anything. Some body was conspiring to vanish AIADMK".



"He (Sukesh Chandra) claims that he took money from me...I really do not know from where and when he took the amount from me", he added.



Stating the he would legally face the issue, Dinakaran said "let them (police) summons me. I know how to face it".



Dinakaran, who was preparing to leave for Bengaluru to meet his aunt V K Sasikala, who was lodged in jail, also refused the reports growing rebel against him by a section of party senior leaders following the IT raids at the residence of health minister Vijayabhaskar
A Tibetan Buddhist monk set himself on fire in western China in an apparent protest against Beijing's rule, a monitoring group and a US government-backed radio station said.



The monk set himself ablaze in a public square on Saturday morning in Kardze, also known as Ganzi, in western Sichuan province, according to Radio Free Asia and Free Tibet, an advocacy group based in Britain.



The unidentified monk was taken away after the fire was extinguished by security forces, reports said. It was unclear if he survived.



A man who answered the phone at the local police station Monday said he was unaware of the case and "not clear" about the situation. The government for Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, which includes the town of Kardze, referred questions to police.



A YouTube video purported to be of the incident showed two men spraying fire extinguishers on what appeared to be a body at the edge of a busy street as a crowd gathered.



Free Tibet acquired the video from a witness who posted it on social media, according to John Jones, a spokesman for the group.



If the self-immolation is confirmed, it would be the 148th recorded case of a Tibetan self-immolating since 2009, according to Radio Free Asia and Free Tibet. At least 125 have died, according to monitoring groups.



China claims Tibet has been part of its territory for more than seven centuries and regards the Dalia Lama, Tibet's exiled Buddhist leader, as a dangerous separatist.



Many Tibetans insist they were essentially independent for most of that time and have protested what they regard as China's heavy-handed rule.



Self-immolations peaked in 2012 with 83 that year, Jones said. A security crackdown has made it more difficult to confirm subsequent incidents, particularly in the Tibetan Autonomous Region that includes Tibet's regional capital, Lhasa, he said.



Before lighting themselves on fire, many cried out for Tibetan independence or prayed for the return of the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959, eyewitnesses have been quoted as saying.



The most recent previous incident, also in Kardze, was in mid-March, when a Tibetan man identified by monitors as Pema Gyaltsen set himself on fire. Jones said Monday that the 24- year-old farmer's fate remains unknown.



Chinese officials last week lashed out at India for hosting the Dalai Lama near their disputed border and said that, by allowing the Tibetan spiritual leader's visit, India was violating its commitment to respect China's claims to the region


A bride and groom headed for their wedding were booted from a United Airlines flight here after they relocated to empty seats three rows up without permission, the latest public relations headache for the major American company.



Michael Hohl and Amber Maxwell boarded Flight 1737 on Saturday, from Houston to their wedding in Costa Rica, along with friends to find a napping man sprawled across their assigned seats, 24B and 24C, they were quoted as saying by the local TV KHOU.com.



They relocated to empty seats three rows up, 21B and 21C, with Hohl saying they were "simply in an economy row a few rows above our economy seat" on the apparently half-full flight.



Hohl said after complying with the flight attendant's demand to return to their assigned seats, a US Marshall came onto the plane and asked them to get off. They left the aircraft without incident, the report said.



United, however, offered a different account in a statement KHOU obtained.



"These passengers repeatedly attempted to sit in upgraded seating which they did not purchase and they would not follow crew instructions to return to their assigned seats," the airline said. "We've been in touch with them and have rebooked them."

"They said that we were being disorderly and a hazard to the rest of the flight, to the safety of the other customers," Hohl said.



They were rebooked for another flight the next morning, but Hohl said they won't be flying United again and described the whole situation as "quite strange."



"I think customer service and the airlines has gone real downhill," said Hohl. "The way United Airlines handled this was really absurd."



United Airlines recently made headlines and remains under scrutiny following its treatment to the Vietnamese-American passenger, David Dao, who was physically dragged off an "overbooked" flight when he refused to give up his seat for United crew members on a flight from Chicago to Louisville.




Pakistan's Balochistan province Chief Minister has said that Balochs can never become "slaves" of India at the behest of a handful of "elements".



Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri, while addressing a gathering at Anjera Kalat, Balochistan, yesterday said "Balochs live in Pakistan as brothers."



Zehri said people in Balochistan can never become "slaves of India" at the behest of a handful of "elements propagating enemy's agenda" in the province, Dawn News reported.



He was quoted as saying that elements "sitting abroad" were trying to use the youth for their nefarious designs.



"Social media is not the criteria for liberation, in fact, the Baloch people stand for prosperous and peaceful Pakistan," Zehri said.



He said that if the suspected militants shun violence and come down from mountains, they would be welcomed by the government, the report said.



Zehri, however, clarified that the writ of the government would be ensured at all cost. He was speaking at the fourth "Zehri martyrs" commemoration event held in remembrance of those killed in an April, 2013, attack in which Zehri's convoy was targeted during the election campaign.



Zehri's son, brother and a nephew were killed in the attack. Pakistan has often accused India of supporting insurgency in Balochistan. The accusation has been outrightly dismissed by India.
Telecom regulator TRAI has constituted three subgroups in areas like licencing, tariff and service quality, to identify and weed out obsolete regulations and order.



The entire exercise is likely to be completed in next 2-3 months, a senior TRAI official said.



The official, who did not wish to be named, said that the three advisors of TRAI -- Sanjeev Banzal (Networks, Spectrum and Licensing), Vinod Kotwal (Financial & Economic Analysis) and Asit Kadayan (Quality of Service) -- are heading the individual subgroups.



"The idea is to identify obsolete regulations that have already outlived their purpose," the official said.



The subgroups, which also include industry representatives, will jointly examine and identify regulations and tariff orders that are out of sync with the times.



One such area of this could be paging where services and related regulations have become outdated and are no longer relevant. Similarly, there may be regulations related to technology, like CDMA, which may be looked at during the review.



Industry representatives from Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India, Reliance Jio, Idea Cellular, Telenor and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd are some of the members of the subgroups.



Also, industry associations like Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI), Association of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India (AUSPI) and ISP Association of India are involved in the exercise.



Earlier this year, TRAI Chairman R S Sharma had said that once the regulations are identified through a joint exercise with the industry, the regulator will take up their suggestions along with other issues that have been identified for review this year.



Among others issues, TRAI will be carrying out public consultation in areas such as developing a new framework for tariffs in evolving the communication sector, next-generation public protection and disaster relief communication networks, review of national numbering plan and review of Universal Service Obligation fund.




The Jammu and Kashmir police has directed telecom companies to shut their 3G and 4G services in the Kashmir Valley as the state authorities feel there has been an attempt to spread fear and show security personnel in a bad light through online videos.



The Jammu and Kashmir Police has directed the telecom companies to shut their 3G and 4G services in the Valley, official sources said.



The decision was taken after several videos surfaced in recent days, some showing local politicians being threatened by terrorists in various parts of the Valley and others which showed alleged atrocities by Army, police, CRPF or other para-military forces deputed for Parliamentary bye-elections.



Officials said that it appears that such videos were being circulated with an aim to create fear among people or show the security personnel in poor light.



Controversy peaked when a video showing a man tied to an army jeep in Budgam district of central Kashmir on April 9 surfaced when polling was underway for the Srinagar Parliamentary bypoll.



A case has been registered against unknown army personnel for the alleged act which received wide criticism.



There were videos showing traders and political leaders in Pulwama of South Kashmir being threatened by terrorists at gun point.



"Such videos are only aimed at creating scare in general public," a senior police official said.

Internet services had been barred in the Valley keeping in view the sensitive Srinagar bypoll and were restored on April 13.
State Bank of India said steep decline in credit growth, which hit a multi-decadal low in 2016-17 despite the economy clipping at around 7 per cent, suggests decoupling of credit growth and GDP.



Loan growth plummeted to a whopping six decadal low of 5.08 per cent in fiscal 2017, against 10.7 per cent a year ago, according to Reserve Bank data. This was the lowest since 1953-54, when credit demand recorded only 1.7 per cent growth.



"Earlier the math was very clear: if GDP grows at 7 per cent credit growth should be at 14-15 per cent. But now it seems a decoupling of the two has happened. There is no relationship between GDP and credit growth now," SBI managing director Rajnish Kumar told reporters here today.



According to economists, usually credit growth is faster than nominal GDP growth but now it is trailing the nominal GDP growth by a wider margin.



The low advances growth is on account of the impaired balance-sheets of banks and weak demand for credit from industries, which are raising short-term funds from the debt market now, which is comparatively cheaper as well.



Kumar said demand for corporate credit or project finance has not picked up despite the economy faring better but consumption demand by way of home and auto loans as well as personal loans is growing at a very good pace.



Asked about the currency shortage which customers have recently experienced, Kumar said the issue is not across the country but in certain geographies.



"It is very important that cash inflow and outflow should balance very quickly so that the problem of currency shortages in some pockets appearing from time to time is resolved," Kumar said.



He said for SBI the outflow of funds is more than what it has received by the way of deposits and so it is more dependent on RBI for fresh supply of currency.



On the merger of the five associate banks, Kumar said the data merger of these banks will begin from April 24, starting with State Bank of Travancore.



The nation's largest lender has merged its five associate banks -- State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Travancore -- and Bharatiya Mahila Bank with itself effective April 1.



The bank also is the process of putting up a new organisational structure to handle more branches which have gone to 24,000 post merger from 17,000 earlier.



Kumar was talking to the media after inaugurating a heritage gallery of the Bank of Bombay at SBI's local head office at BKC. The gallery displays the rare and invaluable documents of the Bank of Bombay, which was one of the initial entities of the present-day SBI.



The Bank of Bombay and its two siblings-- Bank of Bengal and Bank of Madras--were the dominant lenders in the 19th and early 20th centuries in the country. In 1920, these three presidency banks were amalgamated to form the Imperial Bank of India, which later become the SBI after Parliament in 1955 passed the SBI Act.
The death toll in the collapse of a giant open garbage dump, burying dozens of houses, near the Sri Lankan capital climbed to 29 after rescuers pulled out more bodies from the rubble today.



At least seven children were among 29 people killed in the collapse of the garbage dump in Meetotamulla area in Kolonnawa near Colombo, local media quoted officials as saying.

According to the Disaster Management Centre, at least 625 people belonging to 180 families had been displaced due to the tragedy, the report said.



Survivors of the garbage dump site blamed politicians for the tragedy. "I lost my three children. My wife is in a critical condition. My battle has ended," said N Keerthiratne, who as the Convenor of the movement 'People Against the Meethotamulla Dump' has led many protest since 2009 when the dumping of heaps of Colombo garbage began at the site.



"Please do not report this as a natural tragedy, please say this was a planned massacre, relatives of the victims cry hoarse," he said.



"Is this my fate?, Now I only have to live for my grandson," Keerthiratne, a retired prison official sobbed looking at the rubble that is left of his two storied house.



The military said 1,000 security personnel, including police and special task forces, have been deployed for rescue operation. It said troops from the Sri Lanka Light Infantry, Commandos, Gemunu Watch and Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment were carrying out relief operations, the Colombo Gazette reported.



The National Building Research Organisation said the site of the accident be declared a "danger zone" and people living in over 130 houses in the area must be relocated for safety.



Officials said hundreds of people have been moved to temporarily shelters and the government will soon begin shifting more people.



Since, the residents of the north Colombo Bloemendhal ward were protesting against the dump site there, the Supreme Court ordered that it should be relocated at Meethotamulla, limited to two acres.



"What was limited to be just two acres continued to expand. Two acres have now become 18 acres. We protested but were beaten up by the police using tear gas," Stanley Silva, a resident said.



"In 2011, several houses began to crack open because of the dump. We protested in January, August 2012 and throughout 2013. We represented the matter to the former Rajapaksa government and the current government. Prime Minister promised to give a solution within 6 months. But nothing happened," Nuwan Bopage, a lawyer who had led the protests, said.



Nearly 80 houses completely destroyed while 17 more have suffered partial damage, officials said. Schools and others facilities will be moved as well, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Harsha De Silva said.



He said the dumping of garbage at the site has been banned. Ironically, the government had signed agreements a few weeks ago to convert the waste into energy, he said in a post on Facebook.



Police were investigating whether the collapse of the 91 -metre open garbage pile could be a sabotage. A 10-member team of geologists, officials from mining and excavation divisions, have been sent to the spot.



More than 600 people had to flee in the aftermath of the mishap on Friday. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in a statement has apologised for the delay in relocating the garbage dump.



The residents near the dump had been protesting for months, demanding that the garbage dump be relocated. The authorities, however, claim that they had given enough warning to the slum dwellers to relocate themselves.



"We had even paid compensation to them to relocate," De Silva said. He said the state will bear the funeral expenses of the dead.



The massive garbage caught fire and collapsed on dozens of homes as the residents celebrated the traditional New Year. Police said the true scale of the damage remained unclear.



Sri Lanka's Parliament was recently warned that 23 million tonnes of garbage at Kolonnawa dump was a serious hazard. About 800 tonnes of garbage were added to the dump daily.
The BJP-led NDA on Monday boycotted the function organised to felicitate hundreds of freedom fighters here in the State Capital. The function, which was part of the Champaran Satyagrah centenary celebrations, saw President Pranab Mukherjee honouring freedom fighters drawn from all over the country.



Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who was the chief guest on the occasion, reportedly cancelled his Bihar visit at the last moment due to some pressing engagements. This led to RJD chief Lalu Prasad, who was on the dais with President Mukherjee and Bihar Governor Ramnath Kovind, assail Rajnath for failing to turn up despite giving his consent.



By not turning up despite giving his consent, Rajnath has shown utter disrespect towards the freedom fighters and President Pranab Mukherjee, said Lalu while addressing the function organised here at SK Memorial Hall. Without naming anyone, he said, On the one hand there are those leaders who are supporters of Nathuram Godse, who killed Mahatma Gandhi. On the other hand, there are those who follow Gandhis ideas, values and principles, said Lalu, looking towards Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who represented the grand old party on the occasion.

Nitish Kumar too thanked Rahul for his visit but cautioned everyone not to make the felicitation function a political event as it has been organised as a mark of respect to all the freedom fighters who fought for countrys Independence.



Unfortunately, no leader from the BJP or its allies have come here despite being invited, the Chief Minister lamented.



The BJP was quick to hit back at Bihar CM as well as Lalu. Nitish should explain whether these freedom fighters fought for countrys Independence for this day when Lalu Prasad, a convicted leader in a corruption case, would share dais with the President of India? asked former Bihar BJP chief Mangal Pandey.



Bihar Governor Ramnath Kovind was so miffed with RJD chief that he did not take the name of Lalu Prasad or Rahul Gandhi in his opening address. It was left to Pranab Mukherjee who actually paid real tributes to Mahatma Gandhi.



It was actually Champaran Satyagrah in April 1917 that changed Mohandas as Mahatma Gandhi, said Pranab Mukherjee before felicitating freedom fighters, mostly in their 90s. I could not participate in the freedom struggle as I was barely 10-12 year old when the country got Independence, the octogenarian President told the gathering.


The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has rejected the waiver plea filed by Cyrus Mistrys family firms.



The tribunal also dismissed the companys petition after dismissing the waiver plea. This is the second major blow for the Mistry camp after the NCLT had, on March 6, stated that the family firms are not qualified to file a petition alleging mismanagement of Tata Sons and oppression of minority shareholders.



Cyrus Mistrys family firms had sought a waiver on the minimum shareholding requirement in order to challenge the Tata Sons at the NCLT.



Reacting to the NCLT decision, Tata Sons stated that the ruling vindicates the position of the group. We are pleased that Mistrys claims have been dismissed by the NCLT, Tata Sons COO F N Subedar said.
The All India Shia Personal Law Board (AISPLB) today asked the Uttar Pradesh government to draft a strict law against triple talaq similar to the one against the practice of sati to prevent Muslim women from getting victimised.



"Merely boycotting those who give talaq without Sharia reasons will not suffice as it will not do any justice to the aggrieved woman. There is nothing like triple talaq in one go," AISPLB spokesperson Maulana Yasoob Abbas told PTI here.



His comments came a day after the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) adopted a resolution saying that those who give talaq (divorce) without Sharia (Islamic law) reasons will face social boycott.



The AIMPLB at its meeting here yesterday had asserted that Muslims have a "constitutional" right to follow their personal law including the triple talaq mode of divorce.



However, Abbas indicated that the Shia board's view was different from that of the AIMPLB and made a comparison of triple talaq in one go to sati, the banned Hindu practice of the wife immolating herself on the husband's pyre.



"The need of the hour is to enact a strict law against triple talaq in one go that is similar to the anti-sati law to prevent any Muslim woman from getting victimised and ensure that the culprit is punished," he said.



He, however, said that it was wrong to draw an analogy between triple talaq and disrobing of Draupadi as mentioned in Mahabharata. "Triple talaq is wrong as also is the tendency to remain silent on this issue. Giving triple talaq in one go to a woman is a sin, but it cannot be equated to disrobing (of Draupadi)," he said.



The Sati (Prevention) Act, 1987 was enacted to prevent the practice as also its glorification. Sati was first banned under Bengal Sati Regulation, 1829.



On April 15, the first day of AIMPLB executive meet here, the Shia community had appealed to the board to keep in mind the Quran, Sharia and humanity before arriving at any decision on the contentious issue of triple talaq.



Abbas said many Muslim countries have already put an end to the practice as it is directly linked to the lives of Muslim women. "In the Shia community, there has been no place for triple talaq in one go," he said.
Ehsanullah Ehsan, former spokesman of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and a senior leader of a splinter Taliban terror group has surrendered to the security agencies, Pakistan Army announced today.



Ehsan, a top leader of the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar terror group, had turned himself in to Pakistan's security agencies, Military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor told reporters.



A known face of violence in Pakistan as former spokesman of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Ehsan joined Islamic State linked Jamaat-ul-Ahrar outfit after 2014 military operation 'Zarb-e-Azb'.



Major General Ghafoor said that it was big achievement for Pakistan that "our biggest enemies" were surrendering.



"I want to take this opportunity to announce that Ehsanullah Ehsan, the former spokesperson of the TTP and a leader of the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, has turned himself into our security agencies," he told reporters.



He did not share more details about the surrender.



In 2014, after a split in the TTP, Ehsan had become a spokesperson for the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar  what was then a newly- formed splinter group of the Taliban.



Ehsan had said at the time that 70 to 80 per cent of the TTP commanders and fighters had also joined the splinter group.



Jamaat-ul-Ahrar was behind the horrific attack on Lahore's Mall Road earlier this year, which sent shock waves through the country. Thirteen people were killed and over 100 injured in the attack, which targetted top police officials.



On March 31, Jamaat-ul-Ahraar claimed responsibility of an attack in Parachinar that killed 24 and injured 68 people.



Major General Ghafoor said operation 'Radd-ul Fassad' launched in February against militants was going on successfully and no militant groups would be spared.



He said 15 major operation were carried out as part of it and 108 militants were killed and 4,510 suspects arrested.



"The people, the state and the institutions of Pakistan have made considerable progress in the betterment of the country's security situation. We will completely destroy militancy," he said.



He also said the military courts had decided 274 cases and awarded death sentence to 161 militants.



He said border with Afghanistan was being fenced to stop infiltration of militants from across the border.
A man, arrested for allegedly striking a deal of Rs 50 crore to help the AIADMK faction keep the 'two leaves' poll symbol, was today sent to eight days police custody by a Delhi court.



Sukesh Chandrasekhar, an alleged middleman, was produced at the residence of Special Judge Poonam Chaudhry who allowed the plea of Delhi Police's Crime Branch to interrogate the accused for eight days, defence counsel said.



Advocate Ashwani Kumar, who represented Chandrashekhar, said the police had kept them in the dark and misguided them to make sure that the defence lawyers were not present when they produce the accused at the judge's residence.



The counsel said they were heading towards the judge's residence to mention the matter as the accused has a right to be represented through an advocate and the judge should hear them also.



High-drama continued the entire day as initially the police took the accused to Tis Hazari Court at 4:30 pm for his production, but the concerned judge was not available during the court hours. The court's working hours are 10 am to 5 pm.



The cops rushed from one court room to another but no judge was available to send him to police or judicial custody.



The confusion regarding the concerned judge continued for over an hour, after which the police finally took the accused to the house of the concerned judge in south Delhi.



During the day, the Delhi Police DCP told reporters that Chandrashekhar would be taken to Tis Hazari Court. After bringing him to the court complex, police took the accused to the court of four judges - Special Judges Poonam Chaudhry, M K Nagpal and Himani Malhotra and Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Satish Kumar Arora.



Thereafter, the police decided to take the accused to the residence of the concerned judge for production. Even the advocate, prosecutor and investigator were in a dilemma on where to produce Chandrashekhar.



The case pertained to an alleged attempt to bribe an Election Commission official by AIADMK (Amma) leader TTV Dinakaran for trying to get the party's poll symbol of 'two leaves' in a by-election to the R K Nagar Assembly seat in Tamil Nadu. The polling was later cancelled by the EC.



Chandrashekhar was arrested yesterday after which an FIR was lodged. According to the police, his links with Election Commission officials was being probed.



Sukesh had struck a deal for Rs 50 crore to help the AIADMK faction to keep the 'two leaves' symbol, the police alleged, adding that Rs 1.30 crore and two luxury cars, a BMW and a Mercedes, were recovered from him.



The EC had frozen AIADMK's symbol after two factions led by Sasikala and former chief minister O Panneerselvam staked a claim to it.



The bypoll to the R K Nagar Assembly constituency was scheduled for April 12, but the EC cancelled it, saying the electoral process had been "seriously vitiated" by parties through use of money power. Dinakaran was the candidate of the Sasikala faction.



The bypoll was necessitated following the death of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on December 5 last year.
The farmers from Tamil Nadu staging a protest for over a month at Jantar Mantar here resorted to a unique 'grass-eating' agitation today to highlight their woes.



The farmers brought grass to the protest venue and ate it in front of mediapersons.



"We are trying everything to make the prime minister take note of our plight, but in vain. So, we are eating grass," one of the protesting farmers told PTI.



The farmers have been coming up with unique ways to highlight their problems. Yesterday, they wore sarees with wedding knots.



Several politicians of regional and national parties, actors and farmers' unions have extended support to the protesting farmers.



"Despite parleys with Union ministers, our situation has remained unchanged," said the farmer.



The demands of the farmers include a Rs-40,000 crore drought relief package from the Centre, farm loan waiver and setting up of the Cauvery Management Board.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's latest exhortation to BJP brass to treat the triple talaq issue as social exploitation of Muslim women --and not a campaign against Islam -- may appear to his first clear line on the sensitive issue.



But it is the line that the PM asked his government lawyers to state before the Supreme Court on the issue.



Triple talaq is a Sharia law that gives a man the right to end the marriage by verbally saying 'Talaq' thrice to his wife - a practice contested by many women and activists in the country.



Wrapping up the two-day BJP meet in Bhuaneswar on Sunday, Modi said his government was committed to the welfare of all sections and thus would like to fight any kind of soshan (exploitation). But it should not be used to create divisions among the Muslim society."



In other words, Modi wanted his senior party colleagues to handle the matter by raising social awareness among the people.



Even during the recent Uttar Pradesh polls, Modi had raised the Triple Talaq matter as an issue of exploitation of Muslim women.



In October last year, when he addressed a rally in Uttar Pradesh, Modi said he opposed the triple talaq practice among Muslims and in the same breath he condemned the prevalence of female foeticide in Hindu society.



The PM had then urged TV news channels to not turn triple talaq into an issue of Hindu versus Muslim or BJP versus other parties.



Modi said The debate should be between knowledgeable persons from Muslim community knowing Quran. In Muslim community, knowledgeable and progressive people are there. There are educated Muslim women who can put their views forth.



On March 30, the Centre had requested the Supreme Court on similar lines-- to widen the scope of scrutiny of constitutional validity of triple talaq as a mode of divorce among Muslims to include examining the legality of the practice of polygamy.



The apex court decided that a constitution bench will be hearing pleas contesting the practice of triple talaq from May 11 and will give the final verdict in the issue to settle the issue "once and for all." At the same time, the SC clarified that it would not touch upon the issue relating to uniform civil code while examining the legality of triple talaq.



The All India Muslim Personal Law Board had told the court to reject the pleas against triple talaq, saying they are misconceived. It held that the issue relating to practices of polygamy, triple talaq and nikah halala cannot be "re-written".
The Congress has finally kicked off the process of its organisational polls long overdue that will culminate with the election of the Congress President by October 15.



The process was set rolling after the Election Commission gave the party six more months time till December to complete its internal elections.



With this the process of a possible revamp in the party, after its spate of drubbings at the hustings, has also gained momentum with insiders saying a meeting of the Congress Working Committee is likely soon.



The party, however, is not clear about the elevation of Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi as party chief.



The CWC, the highest decision-making body of the party, had during its November 2016 meeting unanimously resolved and urged that it is time Rahul takes over as party chief.



Senior party leader A K Antony had said that "it was the right time for him to take charge" as Congress chief and all CWC members would apprise Sonia Gandhi of their sentiments, but the final call will be taken by Sonia.



The party's internal elections which are due every five years have to end by December 31. The party has since sought three extensions from the Election Commission.



The EC earlier turned down the party's request for a year's extension for completing internal polls and asked it to complete the formality by the end of June, but gave more time.



According to the organisational poll schedule issued by Congress' Central Election Authority chairman Mullapally Ramachandran, the election to the post of Congress president will be held between September 16 and October 15.



Ramachandran has also asked the all district Congress chiefs to end by May 15 their primary membership enrolment drive that started in 2015. He also asked them to publish the list of members by May 30.



In the second phase, the election of president, vice president and other office bearers of block Congress committees is required to be completed between August 21 and September 4, while those to district Congress committees are to be completed between September 5 and 15.



After the election to state Congress committees and of AICC members and Congress president between September 16 and October 15, the election of CWC members by AICC members will be held during the plenary session, dates of which will be announced later.
The long-pending demand for Karmika Bhavan is finally met as the work on three-storeyed building will start soon as a May Day gift (observed on May 1 every year as International Labour Day).



State governments chief whip in Legislative Council Ivan DSouza on Monday said that the labour department has approved the plan and has also handed over the work to PWD. Of the total estimate of Rs 4 crore, Rs 2.5 crore will be sanctioned to facilitate the construction work on 100x100 ft site at Kadri Hills. Once the Bhavan is constructed, the office of the labour department will be shifted to the building. The office is functioning from a rented space and the rent of Rs 1 lakh, he added.



With this, Mangaluru will be the seventh city to get a dedicated office complex, that may prove beneficial in honing the skills of various labourers.



Evening polytechnic

DSouza said an evening polytechnic will be started at Karnataka Polytechnic (KPT) here, with the government giving a go ahead for the authorities concerned. It is expected to start from the current academic year offering courses in electrical and electronics engineering and mechanical engineering.



It will be more helpful in training youth to be job-ready with adequate qualifications at a time when most of the youths whose family lands are acquired by industries, fail in meeting the vocational requirements.



Entrepreneur, textile parks

DSouza said that he has written to assurances committee of the legislature to open entrepreneur parks and textile parks in each of the four taluks in the district for the benefit of garment workers.



In the wake of drought in Mangaluru and Bantwal taluks in the district, the government has sanctioned Rs 50 crore. It will be utilised for drought relief works, he added.



Daily water soon?

On the drinking water front, MLC Ivan DSouza said he has held talks with Deputy Commissioner Dr K G Jagadeesha and MCC Commissioner Mohammed Nazeer to explore the possibilities of revoking water rationing and resuming daily water supply.



The officials are expected to take a decision within a week. The condition has improved in the wake of frequent rainfall and also ample storage of water due to rationing.
Former chief minister and Janata Dal (Secular) state unit president H D Kumaraswamy on Monday asserted that he will raise the issue of alleged police atrocity on Ahmed Qureshi, in the next Legislative Assembly session.



Kumaraswamy, who claimed to have collected both the versions of the case (from Qureshis kin and also the police), raised many posers to the police, underlining missing links.



He said Qureshi was taken into police custody in the case of murder bid on Prakash Poojary on March 21, but he was produced before the court only after four days on March 25. Strangely, he suffers injuries in an accident during the police custody (on March 25). Except Qureshi, none of the other police personnel suffered injuries, a doubt will naturally arise in anyones mind in this regard. Most importantly, Qureshi had told the police about his kidney ailment at the time of his arrest only, as told by some insiders in the police department. However, it cannot stop the police from subjecting him to third degree treatment, resulting in the damage to his kidney, Kumaraswamy said claiming that he is not making any unfound charges.



No serious charges

In addition to this, Qureshi had also told the police about a similar case registered against him in 2015. However, none of such antecedents are mentioned in the first information report (FIR) registered by the police. There are also no serious charges mentioned against him in the FIR, he said.



Govt flayed

Coming down heavily on the government for inept handling of the case, Kumaraswamy called it as atrocity by law in the name of unseen elements. The issue could have been sorted out amicably, had the police discussed with representatives of the organisations who have been fighting for the cause of Qureshi, he said.



Kumaraswamy also blamed some carapace lower-rung police officials who have turned nonchalant, yet another reason for the coast witnessing the turn of events, mostly unsavoury, as told by some of the senior police officers. It is essential to keep the harmony intact in the coast for Mangaluru having huge economic potential after Bengaluru in the State, he added.



Reacting to a question on as to why he was interested only in the case of Qureshi as there were many such cases in the past, including that of a youth called Karthik Raj whose murderers are still at large, Kumaraswamy said the issue should be nipped in the bud, be it any case.



CID to probe case: Ivan

MLC Ivan DSouza on Monday said the government has handed over the case of alleged police atrocity on Ahmed Qureshi, arrested in an attempt to murder case, to CID.



Reacting to media queries following a demand made by H D Kumaraswamy for a detailed probe into the case, Ivan said the home department has handed over the case to CID and a notification is expected to be issued in this regard.



He, however, denied to comment further, saying that it will be subjudice with the matter already before the court and to be investigated further by apex investigation body of the state. He also refuted that the Police department is saffronised, as the government is strict in its administration.



He said the situation in the coast has improved for better with a meagre 13 to 14 cases of moral policing registered in the last three years between 2013 and 2016 against 112 cases registered between 2008 and 2012 (when the BJP led government was in power).
BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa on Monday asked party workers to introspect as to why the party lost in both Gundlupet and Nanjangud Assembly segments in the recently held bypolls.



Addressing party workers here during the thanksgiving programmes organised in Gundlupet and Nanjangud, he ridiculed Siddaramaiah by saying that no leader in the country has ever faced elections like him.



Pointing out that the state government has misused administrative machinery and the council of ministers to win the two seats in the bypolls, Yeddyurappa asked the party workers to stay united to face the general elections in 2018.



Yeddyurappa said that BJP has the support of 33 regional parties and is ruling in 17 states in the country. He sought to know from the chief minister as to whether he knew how many states were being ruled by the Congress? Where is your leader Rahul Gandhi, he asked.



The ministers have not visited any district that has been reeling under drought but were in full attendance during the election campaign in Nanjangud and Gundlupet. Siddaramaiah should be ashamed of running such an administration, he said. Elections to the two segments were held on April 9 and the results were announced on April 13.



Yeddyurappa said that the Congress has used money like water during the by-elections. The Chief Minister has no regard for the democratic system. Many from the Congress, including a transport officer, were caught distributing money. What action has been taken against them? he asked.



Defeated BJP candidate C S Niranjan Kumar thanked the voters for trusting him and for casting their votes in favour of him.



Despite my defeat, I know that my vote share has increased considerably. So I will not wither under the defeat but will continue to fight for the development of the taluk, he said.



A challenge

BJPs candidate V Srinivas Prasad accompanied Yeddyurappa. The BJP state president addressed party workers in Nanjangud and told them to gear up for the general elections in 2018. I am taking the defeat as a challenge. The party will win 150 seats in 2018 and make Siddaramaiah sit in the opposition, he said.



Speaking on the occasion, former minister Srinivas Prasad said that, I have lost the election and Siddaramaiah has won. Let Siddaramaiah honestly say how he won the elections. I was surprised to see the systematic conspiracy hatched by Siddaramaiah and his team during the last two days of the bypolls which led to the Congress victory. However, I will work with Yeddyurappa during the next elections for ensuring BJPs victory.



Earlier in the day, Yeddyurappa visited the family members of Harshal, a 14-year-old boy, who died on Sunday after sustaining burns in a fire caused due to chemical wastes.


The Education departments initiative to hold summer camps in government schools during the annual vacation has not gone down well with primary teachers.



According to the teachers the idea of a camp is unscientific and will have a negative impact on students as well as teachers. The camps are planned by the Department of Primary and Secondary Education for students of sixth and seventh standards.



The Education department has decided to organise camps in select government schools across the state. According to the authorities of Education department, the five-week programme would contribute towards the overall development of students. The camp would concentrate on improving language skills, Mathematics and knowledge of Science among students.



According to teachers, summer vacations are given for a purpose and there are scientific reasons for the same. Teachers believe that overschooling could weaken students and lead to certain disorders like depression, insanity, anxiety towards families.



Students and teachers need vacations to manage the stress of a full academic year. Moreover, children learn a lot about life and human values while spending time with their grandparents and family members which helps them to absorb our tradition and culture.



Many teachers who work in other districts wait for vacations to be with their family. A teacher in Mysuru said that summer vacation is in itself a camp as it teaches children about the basic needs of life and how to adapt to a new environment and adjust along with their extended family.



If children are not provided an opportunity to mingle with the family how will they learn about the importance of a family, he said.



Karnataka State Primary State Teachers Association (KSPTA) president Basavaraj Gurikar told DH that there is no need for summer camps as these exert pressure on students.



We have submitted a memorandum to Primary and Secondary Education Minister Tanveer Sait and Commissioner for Public Instruction Sowjanya to reconsider the decision, he said.



If the government wants to conduct the camps then they can rope in NGOs, organisations and unemployed teachers, he said and added that the programme can be organised in the month of June at the beginning of the academic year.


When Swami Vivekananda 3D planetarium at Dr Shivaram Karanth Biological Park in Pilikula in Mangaluru gets ready by October-end, it will be the first-of-its-kind in the entire country.



Briefing media persons here on Monday, MLA J R Lobo said the planetarium is being developed at a cost of Rs 35.69 crore. It will be Indias first 3D active digital hybrid planetarium. The building work on planetarium is nearing completion. NITK, Surathkal, is providing technical input on the dome. An international-level tender was invited for the purchase of technology and equipment for the planetarium. M/S Evans and Sutherland Computer Corporation, USA, has won the tender and the work is being implemented through M/SInfovision Technologies Pvt Ld, Mumbai. Mangaluru is the first city in the country to have this facility on par with cities such as Singapore, Shanghai, Richmond in USA, Bristol in UK, Tokyo in Japan.



The planetarium will have all modern innovations with 3D technology to present students and enthusiasts the best learning experience on planet. The Pilikula Planetarium will be of unidirectional with a dome diameter of 18 metre, he added.



The optical megastar star projector at the planetarium will create the beautiful realistic star field along with the bright naked eye visible planets, sun and moon, the MLA said.



The 8K resolution digistar system will use five christie mirage projectors that will keep the imagery looking expertly aligned. This beautifully bright, ultra high resolution system will extend the scope of the creative and scientific programmes that can be presented and will offer the audience the first 3D full dome experience in India. The system will use active stereo 3D glasses for exceptional 3 dimensional images that leap off the screen, thus creating a whole new level of immersion, he added.



Explaining the unique capabilities of the system, the MLA said that planetarium will have digital cloud library, dome casting, show builder, and so on.



Once ready, it will both use 2D and 3D screening. The screening will be related to astronomy, planetary system, environment, history and geography. The screening will be in English, Kannada, Hindi and Malayalam languages. It will also have 20 to 25 minutes screening of Karnataka Darshana as well.



There are plans to open space gallery in the planetarium. The work on building the dome has already started and will be reach Pilikula by September. The work on manufacture of other equipment has also begun in the US. The trial run of the planetarium is likely to be held in October, he added.



During the inauguration of the planetarium, an international planetarium conference will also be organised along with planetarium festival.



To a query on who will monitor the functioning of the planetarium, Lobo said the government will appoint a director, an engineer, a scientific officer and an operator (technical) for the planetarium. In addition, the governing council of Dr Shivaram Karanth Biological Park, headed by deputy commissioner, will also oversee the activities.


The mercury is soaring across the country with several states facing heat-wave conditions. In its recent Seasonal Outlook Update, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of a warmer than normal temperatures in all meteorological sub-divisions of the country except sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim.



According to the IMDs forecast, in the months of April, May and June, the average and minimum temperatures in the Delhi-Haryana region could be at least 1.5 Celsius above normal. For the north-west and central India, the mercury is likely to hover over a degree Celsius above normal.



The IMD has also alerted about a 47% probability of maximum temperature to be above normal in the core heat wave (HW) zone during April to June season. This HW zone covers states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa and Telangana, and meteorological sub-divisions of Marathwada, Vidarbha, Madhya Maharashtra and coastal Andhra Pradesh. Normal to above normal heat wave conditions are likely in the core HW zone during this summer season.



Human-induced change



A heat wave is a period of abnormally high temperatures, more than the normal maximum temperature that occurs during the summer season in the northwestern parts of India. Heat waves typically occur between March and June, and in some rare cases even extend till July. The extreme temperatures and resultant atmospheric conditions adversely affect people living in these regions as they cause physiological stress, sometimes resulting in death.



Heat waves are rising both globally and in India. Numerous studies have documented that human-induced climate change has increased the frequency and severity of heat waves. For instance, a statistical analysis of the Russian heat wave suggests there was an approximate 80% probability that the Russian heat record of July 2010 would not have occurred without climate warming. Further, globally, extremely warm nights that used to come once in 20 years now occur every 10 years.



A 2015 research study published in Regional Environmental Change has warned of intensification of the heat waves around the globe, with potential increase in heat stress and heat-induced mortality in the absence of adaptation measures. India has a high current exposure to heat waves, and with limited adaptive capacity, impacts of increased heat waves might be quite severe, reads the study. The authors warn of an increase in mortality due to intensification of heat wave and heat stress condition in India.



Large regions of southern India, East and West coasts, which are presently unaffected by severe heat waves, are projected to be severely affected after 2070, concludes the study. Another 2016 research paper, On the Variability and Increasing Trends of Heat Waves over India, says that heat waves have caused more deaths than any other natural hazard in the past in India. For instance, in May 2015, a severe heat wave affected parts of southeastern parts of India (Telangana and Andhra Pradesh) which claimed lives of more than 2,500 people.



Heat waves worsen in cities which are affected due to the urban heat island effect. An urban heat island is an urban area that is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas due to human activities. The temperature difference usually is larger at night than during the day. The main reason for the urban heat island effect is change in land use pattern due to urbanisation that replaces natural surfaces (vegetation and moisture-trapping soils) with built surfaces which absorb radiation and release it later as heat.



According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), climate change will lead to higher temperatures and longer, more severe, and more frequent heat waves; and urban areas, which are already suffering from the heat island effect, will bear the brunt of these harsher heat events. Communities across the world are taking action to reduce urban heat islands, such as increasing tree and vegetation cover, installing green roofs, installing reflective roofs, using cool pavements, and utilising smart growth practices. These strategies can help communities become more resilient to the impacts of climate change.



Urban forests



Simply put, urban forest is a forest or a collection of trees that grows within a city, town or a suburb. In a wider sense, it may include any kind of woody plant vegetation growing in and around human settlements. It is well documented that vegetation has a key role to play in contributing to the overall temperature regulation of cities. Informed selection and strategic placement of trees and green infrastructure can reduce the urban heat islands, and cool the air by anywhere between 2 C and 8 C, reducing heat-related stress and premature human deaths during high-temperature events, claims the Forestry Commission of the UK. Researchers from the Arizona State University, USA found that air temperatures differed by 10 F among neighbourhoods in Phoenix, Arizona during summer afternoons, with a tree-lined neighbourhood much cooler than a barren area featuring high-density housing.



Trees in urban areas provide various ecosystem services that include biodiversity conservation, removal of atmospheric pollutants, noise reduction, mitigation of urban heat island effect, groundwater recharge, prevention of soil erosion, carbon sequestration and recreation. The World Health Organisation suggests an international minimum standard of availability of nine square metre (sq m) green open space per city dweller. However, most Indian cities score very low on this international standard. For instance, in Bengaluru (rural and urban together) the green cover is only 2.17 sq m per city dweller. Chennai is still lower at 1.92 sq m per resident. Per capita green cover in Mumbai is mere 0.635 sq m.



Urban Forestry Scheme is the new thrust area of the Indian government. Last June, the government took up a massive project of tree plantation drive across 200 cities in the country. With peoples participation, it plans to create several urban forests. But while the government promotes plantation of new trees, it must also ensure protection of the existing urban forest, canopies and trees. For instance, in Mumbai, citizens and activists are fighting to protect Aarey forest, where the authorities plan to set up Metro car shed. Similarly, residents of Bengaluru strongly protested against the Steel Flyover Project, which would have led to cutting down of over 800 trees. The project was recently scrapped.



Various Indian cities are making efforts to create urban forests. Delhi is one such example whose per capita green space is 22 sq m. In Delhi, 7,784 hectare (ha) area of ridge land has been notified as forest. Another 850 ha abandoned and degraded Bhatti mines have been greened through plantations, and soil and water conservation works. Delhis forest department has also created over 40 city forests spread over 1,000 ha area.



In a matter of 10 years, Delhis green area has increased from 30 sq km to 300 sq km, informs an April 2011 paper published in the International Journal of Environmental Science and Development. Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat has per capita green cover of 30.27 sq m. Urban greenery is built into the citys master plans. It has an urban forest called Punit Van spread over six ha land. Several such urban forests have been created in other cities of Gujarat.



Experts claim that while creating urban forests, the cities should also understand their own urban biodiversity, for instance, the native tree species and their benefits. City Biodiversity Index can be used for the same. It broadly includes three components  native biodiversity in the city; ecosystem services provided by the native species; governance and management of native biodiversity. In 2012, Hyderabad became the first Indian city to have a City Biodiversity Index which consists of 23 indicators.



Urban forests can be useful in mitigating climate change and in helping cities adapt to higher temperatures and other impacts of climate change. While the government creates new urban forests, it must safeguard the existing vegetation cover.
In the shallow sea waters of the Gulf of California swims a porpoise that few have seen, its numbers dwindling so fast that its existence is now in peril. Known mostly by its Spanish name, the snub-nosed vaquita is the worlds smallest cetacean, a miniature porpoise with cartoonlike features and dark smudges around its eyes. The species lives only in the fertile waters of the gulfs northern corner.



The size of its population has always been precarious, but now voracious demand in China for a fish that shares the vaquitas only habitat has pushed the tiny porpoise to the brink of extinction. No more than 30 vaquitas are left, according to a November estimate based on monitoring of their echolocation clicks. Half of the vaquitas counted a year earlier have disappeared.



Conserving the species



This calamity has hardly gone unnoticed. The vaquita has been vanishing in plain sight, to the despair of conservationists who have been advising the Mexican government on how to save it. All of the resources brought to bear, including the protection of the Mexican navy, have proved to be no match against the illegal wildlife trade. If we continue on the path were on, well have no vaquitas in two years, said Barbara Taylor, a marine mammal expert at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, USA.



The vaquita are simply bycatch, trapped and drowned in curtains of illegal gillnets set for an endangered fish called the totoaba. The fishs swim bladder is dried and smuggled to China, where wealthy diners pay thousands of dollars for the delicacy, believing it to have medicinal powers. To feed that appetite, totoaba poachers have killed 90% of the vaquita population since 2011, according to the acoustic monitoring programme led by Armando Jaramillo Legorreta at the Mexican governments National Ecology and Climate Change Institute, known as INECC.



With so few vaquitas left, experts advising the Mexican government have proposed capturing several specimens and holding them in a sea pen as a way of conserving the species until the threat to its habitat is removed. Its a last-ditch measure that conservationists had hoped they would never have to resort to. We had always been opposed to captivity, said Lorenzo Rojas Bracho, a marine mammal expert at INECC and chairman of an advisory group, the International Committee for Vaquita Recovery. But nobody expected that the population would decline so quickly. There are risks, Rojas Bracho said of the capture plan. But they are fewer than leaving them with the fishing as it is.



The plan would entail training US Navy dolphins to locate vaquitas, capturing them for transfer to a temporary pool and then to a sea pen to be built in their habitat along the Gulf of California coast. The majority of vaquitas would remain in the wild. But the unknowns loom large. We dont know whether they find them, Taylor said of the dolphins. We dont know whether we can catch them.



We dont know how they will react. Even in the best of scenarios, breeding in captivity is unlikely to restore the population. A female vaquita gives birth to one calf every two years on average.

If the proposal goes forward, the vaquita would join other species at the brink of extinction  like the golden lion tamarin in Brazil  that are being closely managed in some form distinct from their natural setting. It would be the first such effort for a marine mammal. A very small population can be pulled back from the edge, but it requires outside-the-box thinking, said Samuel Turvey, a research fellow at the Zoological Society of London.



Two years ago, the Mexican government imposed a two-year ban on all gillnets across 5,000 square miles of the vaquita habitat and sent its navy to enforce it. To support the communities of the upper gulf, which depend on fishing and shrimping, the government allocated $74 million in compensation over the two years. The hope was that the military could halt the totoaba trade and that two years would be long enough to complete development of vaquita-safe trawl nets to substitute for shrimp gillnets. But local fishermen argue that the new nets catches are too meager to provide a living, and authorities have been sympathetic.



Enforcement falls short



The promised enforcement also has fallen short. That was evident this month aboard the Sam Simon, a 57-metre anti-poaching vessel operated by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an environmental organisation. In an agreement with the Mexican navy, Sea Shepherd has been patrolling the vaquita habitat, pulling illegal nets out of the water and spotting poachers. We see illegal activity almost every day, said Oona Layolle, leader of the Sea Shepherd campaign, called Operation Milagro.



Mexicos environment minister, Rafael Pacchiano Alaman, promised this month to send 45 federal police officers to patrol the beaches and to dismantle poachers camps. But he did not respond to the main recommendation of conservationists: a permanent gillnet ban. Despite a promise last year by President Enrique Pena Nieto, the government has yet to act on the gillnet ban. Without that, warn conservationists, there is no way to begin to save the vaquita. If you cant remove the threats, the population keeps declining, Turvey said. You dont have time for complacency.


A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought succour for Muslim sisters, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also joined the raging debate on triple talaq.



Adityanath on Monday likened the practice to Draupadis cheerharan (the episode of disrobing the Pandavas wife in the kings court as mentioned in the Hindu epic Mahabharata).



After releasing a book on former prime minister Chandra Shekhar, Adityanath said those who chose to remain silent on the issue were also guilty and that there was no difference between them and those who resorted to triple talaq.



The society will never forgive those who are silent on the issue of triple talaq... they are like the ones who remained silent when Draupadi was being disrobed. Such people are equally guilty... it is an attack on the rights of women, Adityanath said.

The chief minister also batted for a common civil code in the country.



Why cant we have a uniform law for marriages and rights of women? There should be one law for everyone... it is in the interest of the society and the country, he said.



The statements came after a two-day meeting of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, during which it rejected demands for abolishing the triple talaq practice.



Women cant be on lower pedestal: AG

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi on Monday said the practice of triple talaq should not be allowed as women have as much right as men and cannot be treated on a lower pedestal, PTI reports from New Delhi.



Explaining the Centres stand on the issue, the top law officer said there cannot be a situation in a secular country where women of one religion have the same rights as their spouse, but women of another religion, who may be living next door, do not.
India is likely to nudge the United States to stop releasing financial aid to Pakistan till it sheds its selective approach in combatting terror networks.



With American President Donald Trumps National Security Advisor H R McMaster arriving in New Delhi on Monday, India is likely to suggest that the US should stop release of remaining $350 million of the total $900 million coalition support fund earmarked for Pakistan.



New Delhi would point out that Washington should release fund to Islamabad only when Pakistan Army would act against the organizations it had so far avoided targeting during its counter-terrorism operations. McMaster is likely to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi apart from meeting his counterpart Ajit Doval during his stay in New Delhi.



His is the first visit to New Delhi by a senior US official after Trump Administration took over in Washington.
Nearly 100 students were injured on Monday during clashes with security forces as anger over a police raid on a college in Pulwama led to violent protests in educational institutions across Kashmir Valley.



Reports said as soon as the educational institutions opened in the morning, students of various degree colleges tried to take out marches in their respective areas against Pulwama incident in which dozens of students were injured.



Police and paramilitary troopers had to resort to teargas to disperse students, triggering day-long clashes. According to reports, nearly 100 students, including girls, were injured. Some policemen, including an officer, were also injured in the clashes.



The Kashmir University Students Union, a banned students body, had called for protests in the Valley against Pulwama incident where the police and CRPF troops fired pellets and teargas as they raided the college to arrest students involved in anti-India protests in the area.



We were peacefully protesting against security forces action in Pulwama on Saturday. It is our democratic right to protest, but this government doesnt allow even students to protest peacefully, a student of Womens College told Deccan Herald.



She said several of her colleagues fainted after police used intense teargas to disperse the protesting students. There are reports that even some students in other colleges have been fired with pellets. Is it democracy to use pellets against students? she asked.



The fresh violence occurred at a time when the Valley is already on the edge due to the death of eight civilians in security forces firing on April 9 bypoll. To control the situation, the state government ordered closure of all educational institutions on Tuesday. All the examinations scheduled for Tuesday have also been postponed.



Authorities also snapped mobile internet services across Kashmir to avoid the spreading of violence videos on social media. A police officer said the decision was taken after several provocative videos surfaced in recent days showing alleged atrocities by Army, police and paramilitary forces.



National Conference leader and former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah said that the prevailing situation is deeply worrying.


An undergraduate student from Kolkata has gone to police, saying an unidentified motorcyclist waylaid her in a dark alley in BTM Layout, south Bengaluru, groped her and tore up her T-shirt when she put up resistance.



The woman, who studies at a private college in the city, said the man began tailing her as she was walking back home from a local store around 10.15 pm on April 15. She had gone to the store to get mobile phone currency, she said.



She got scared and the man followed her into the alley which has no CCTV cameras. She said he groped her, hugged her and even tried to kiss her. He tore up her T-shirt when she resisted his attempts. He rode off when she raised an alarm, she stated in the police complaint on Monday.


The extortion case involving Lakshmiprasad Vajpai (42), the arrested CEO of Kannada news channel Janasri, is getting murkier by the day. Police now suspect foul play in the accidental death of the channels accountant just a day before Vajpai was arrested.



Police said they had caught Vajpai red-handed taking extortion money on Friday from a Bengaluru-based businessman whom he had threatened to defame through the news channel.



Karthik L (25), a resident of Yeddyurappa Nagar near Yelahanka, had been working for the channel as an accountant since 2013. On April 10, he left the channels Koramangala office at 10 pm and telephoned his father, Bhadrappa, to tell him he would reach home by 11 pm. But he failed to show up even after midnight and his phone remained switched off. It was only by 2 am that his family got to know what happened to him. A person from Baptist Hospital called up Bhadrappa to inform him that his son was hospitalised with serious injuries sustained in a road accident. Karthik succumbed to the injuries on April 13.



Karthiks family, however, raised suspicion about the circumstances and timing of the accident. They have made a complaint to the police in this regard. Police found during the investigation that Karthik was taken to Baptist Hospital around 1 am by three men. The men did not tell the staff anything except that the young man was found with injuries, and immediately left the hospital.



Police tracked them down. They said they had found Karthik lying injured on the Veerannapalya flyover around 12.30 am. They called an ambulance service but found no response. They then decided to take him to hospital in their own vehicle.



Police are investigating whether the two incidents  Karthiks accident and Vajpais dealings  were connected. We are awaiting the post-mortem report and trying to ascertain if Karthiks death has any links with Vajpais extortion cases, a senior police officer said.


Are you a resident of Byatarayanapura Assembly constituency? Is BWSSB not supplying water? Or the park where you go for a morning walk is poorly maintained?



If the answer is yes, come to the open air theatre behind Balamuri Ganapathi temple, Vidyaranyapura, at 10 am on April 22.



Deccan Herald and Prajavani have organised Janaspandana - Citizens for Change, an interaction programme where people can raise issues affecting them in their locality.



Besides Byatarayanapura MLA and Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, local corporators, officials from BWSSB, BBMP and the police will attend the programme.



Participants can directly ask any question to elected representatives and officials, pertaining to civic problems in Byatarayanapura Assembly constituency and get their grievances redressed.



Those participating in Janaspandana - Citizens for Change can register their names at the venue at 9 am on April 22. People can also email their grievances to janaspandana@printersmysore.co.in. For more information, contact 99017 21060, between 9 am and 5 pm.


Sukesh Chandrasekhar, the young Bengalurean now at the centre of a sensational bribery attempt involving AIADMK (Amma) leader TTV Dinakaran, is not a novice to crime.



The 27-year-old has posed in the last seven years as DMK chief M Karunanidhis grandson, friend of former Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy's son, former union minister T R Baalus son and nephew of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister, the late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.



He entered the world of crime in 2007 through cheating. Police in the national capital know him as one who managed to give them the slip four years ago, when they swooped in on a south Delhi farmhouse. His then actress-girlfriend Leena Maria Paul was arrested.



In 2007, he cheated a 75-year-old man in Bengaluru of Rs 1.14 crore, by promising to get a site allotted to him from Bangalore Development Authority.



Sukesh - with a fetish for luxury cars and watches - was later arrested in Kolkata for duping Canara Bank and scores of people to the tune of Rs 19 crore.



A drag-racer known for daring stunts, Sukesh drove around in cars with beacons and with bodyguards to convince his victims that he can help them in business or other deals. Sukesh, who also goes by the name Balaji, studied in Bishop Cotton School, Bengaluru.



Investigators claimed that he has duped around 100 people across the country of around Rs 50 crore by posing as a relative of leading politicians. Sukesh has over four dozen cases against him.



He had stayed in a posh apartment in Koramangala, Bengaluru, in 2010, posing as the grandson of Karunanidhi, besides using the names of two IAS officers to push for a poultry contract. He had approached a Chennai businessman as Karunanidhis grandson.



His bluff was called, but only after he managed to fleece the businessman of Rs 1.49 lakh. He also managed to hoodwink a businessman in Bengaluru by posing as a JD(S) leader and friend of Kumaraswamys son.




The Supreme Court on Monday declined to give a final adjudication on a batch of petitions relating to the acquisition of 42 acres, 32 guntas of lands in Anekal taluk in Bengaluru for expansion of the Special Agricultural Produce Market Committee For Fruits and Vegetables.



A bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Navin Sinha noted that the plea of land owners for their compensation was still to be examined by the authorities under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.



Since the contention with regard to the 2013 Act will require examination of facts.., we do not consider it necessary to deal with the same in the present proceedings and leave it open for the aggrieved to pursue their remedies in accordance with law before the appropriate forum, the bench said.



The controversy before the court related to the acquisition of 42 acres, 32 guntas of lands in Golimangala village, Sarjapur hobli, Anekal taluk, in Bengaluru, for expansion of the marketing yard.

The batch of appeals filed by land owners as well as the marketing committee challenged the infirmities in the acquisition proceedings. They challenged the high court's order that had declined to quash the acquisition proceedings.



The High Court, however, had shifted the date of the notification under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 to the date of its order on November 22, 2010 for determination of compensation to the land owners. In its plea, the state government said the high court rightly shifted the date of the notification keeping in mind the larger public interest involved in the acquisition as also the interest of the landowners.



Land owners, for their part, claimed the acquisition proceedings could not have been sustained in the present manner. They also submitted that neither had possession been taken till date nor had compensation been disbursed to them.



After going through the case records, the bench said, In the nature of the order passed, moulding the relief keeping in mind the larger public interest involved in the acquisition..., we are not satisfied that the order of the High Court calls for interference.
As many as 12 Muslim families at Sadashivagad in the taluk have been facing ostracisation for the last 25 years from their own community. Their crime: offering prayers to Guru Dawar Ali Shah of Andhra Pradesh and keeping his pictures at home.



The administration committee of the Jamat-ul-Muslimeen Noorani masjid has boycotted the families and imposed many restrictions on them. None in the community is permitted to attend functions, religious programmes conducted by these 12 families. Members of these families are also restricted from taking part in the functions or religious programmes of other families in the community. The ban extends to funerals of the dead too.



Jainul Abedin, a resident of Tariwada, said his son Abdul Salam was scheduled to get married in Dharwad on April 21. He said the marriage may not happen if the committee does not approve it or at least attend it. Abedins family has already distributed cards to the near and dear ones, besides members of the committee.



Kausar Khan, another resident, said the men of these families were not being allowed to offer prayers at the local masjid these days, following objections by the committee members. Their children are being discriminated against at the Urdu schools.



Sameer Umar Khan, who works in a construction firm, had run into trouble while looking for alliances prior to his marriage. He finally got married at the age of 34 to a relative, in Ballari district.



Anwar Mohammed Khan, a resident of Maldarwada, said their appeals to the district administration and the Wakf Board to help end the boycott had gone in vain. They have now sought help from Karwar assistant commissioner Fouzia Tarannum, who visited them recently.



Chittakula sub-inspector Umesh Pavuskar said the committee had not boycotted the 12 families. Instead, these families had not paid their dues to the masjid for the last 20 years. He said the committee heads had given a written undertaking that the members could attend marriages in these families and they would not object to this. The families have been instructed to resolve the matter through the department of minority welfare, Pavuskar said.




Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is said to be pushing for a change in the state Congress presidentship, as part of the measures to galvanise the party to face the Assembly elections next year.



Sources in the party said the chief minister has explained in detail to the party high command the need for replacing incumbent G Parameshwara, who has been doubling up as the party chief and the home minister. Siddaramaiah has recommended that a Lingayat leader be made the next president to steer the party in the next elections, the sources added.



Parameshwara, who is a Dalit leader, has been the state unit president for nearly six-and-a-half years. The chief minister and the KPCC president had been at loggerheads on many issues in the past. Differences between the two have again cropped up on who should claim credit for the partys victory in the Nanjangud and Gundlupet byelections. Siddaramaiah has consolidated his position in the party after the byelection victories.



The sources said Siddaramaiah informed the high command that the byelections have shown that the party can penetrate the Lingayat strongholds. The byelections have also disproved a belief in political circles that Lingayats are strongly behind B S Yeddyurappa. Hence, a prominent community leader from North Karnataka should be made the KPCC president to woo the community, he suggested.



Names of former minister S R Patil and Water Resources Minister M B Patil are making the rounds for the post. Both are Lingayats. Siddaramaiah has not favoured a Vokkaliga leader for the KPCC post. Energy Minister D K Shivakumar, who is trying to project himself as the Vokkaliga face of the Congress after S M Krishna quit the party, is one of the aspirants for the post. But Shivakumar is not ready to give up his post as minister, the sources said.



The possibility of making a Dalit leader the state party chief was also discussed during the meeting. The chief minister has recommended PWD Minister H C Mahadevappas name as one of the key leaders of the community. Mahadevappa is a close associate of Siddaramaiah. He was the party in-charge of the byelection to the Nanjangud Assembly constituency. Mahadevappa has emerged as a prominent Dalit leader in the Old Mysuru region after the exit of V Srinivas Prasad. Former Union minister K H Muniyappa is also in the race for the post.



Sources said Parameshwara has been trying to continue as both the party president and minister. He is projecting himself as a successful pradesh Congress president and that he alone can take everybody along during elections.


China and France will centre the markets' attention, with data on the world's third largest economy set for release at the start of the week, even as the world watches for Beijing's reaction to North Korea's latest attempt to test a ballistic missile over the weekend, and presidential elections set to take place in the latter.

Data on Chinese retail sales, industrial production, investment and GDP, all on Monday, will help traders gauge the momentum of that economy at the start of 2017.

At the end of the week, on Sunday, Frenchmen will head to the voting booths in the first round of their presidential elections.

In the UK, the main release will come on Friday, with the March tally for retail sales, courtesy of ONS.

Meanwhile, in the euro area, also on Friday IHS Markit will publish the preliminary results for its manufacturing sector purchasing managers' indices for the currency bloc.

Stateside, the main releases will come on Wednesday, with the US Federal Reserve's Beige Book, followed by the latest data on initial weekly unemployment claims and the Federal Reserve bank of Philadelphia's manufaturing sector gauge for the month of April the next day.

Monday April 17

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Schlumberger Ltd.

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Somero Enterprises Inc. (DI)

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

STV Group

Tuesday April 18

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

JPMorgan Mid Cap Inv Trust, Waterman Group

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Building Permits (US) (13:30)

Capacity Utilisation (US) (14:15)

Housing Starts (US) (13:30)

Industrial Production (US) (14:15)

ANNUAL REPORT

North Midland Construction

AGMS

Apax Global Alpha Limited , Cloudbuy, Herald Inv Trust, Onzima Ventures

Wednesday April 19

INTERIMS

Associated British Foods

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

Assura

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Balance of Trade (EU) (11:00)

Consumer Price Index (EU) (11:00)

Consumer Price Index (EU) (10:00)

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (15:30)

Producer Price Index (GER) (07:00)

FINALS

e-Therapeutics

AGMS

Bunzl, Harwood Wealth Management Group, Harwood Wealth Management Group, RTC Group, XP Power Ltd. (DI)

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Burberry Group, Relx plc, SEGRO

Thursday April 20

INTERIMS

Gattaca

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Craneware

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Barratt Developments, Carr's Group, SCS Group

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

SQN Asset Finance Income Fund Limited

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Ediston Property Investment Company, Merchants Trust, TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited

Q3

Sky

FINALS

Jersey Oil And Gas , Hvivo, Randall & Quilter Investment Holdings (DI), Xeros Technology Group

ANNUAL REPORT

Royal Dutch Shell 'A'

EGMS

MoneySwap

AGMS

Acacia Mining, Dialight, Domino's Pizza Group, Essentra, LightwaveRF , Octopus AIM VCT 2, Redx Pharma, Relx plc, SEGRO, SThree, Yolo Leisure And Technology

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Law Debenture Corp.

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Acencia Debt Strategies Ltd., Aggreko, BAE Systems, Balfour Beatty, Bodycote, Capital & Counties Properties , Drax Group, Equiniti Group , Fevertree Drinks, Highland Gold Mining Ltd., Hochschild Mining, IndigoVision Group, Inmarsat, Intu Properties, John Laing Group , M. P. Evans Group, Man Group, Marshall Motor Holdings, Mondi, Pendragon, Rathbone Brothers, RPS Group, Smurfit Kappa Group, Stilo International, Taptica International (DI), Tyman, Unite Group, Vitec Group, Zotefoams

Q1

Unilever

Friday April 21

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Animalcare Group, Bioventix, Brooks Macdonald Group, Finsbury Food Group, Go-Ahead Group, Produce Investments, Tracsis

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

XP Power Ltd. (DI)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Current Account (EU) (09:00)

Existing Home Sales (US) (15:00)

GMS

Taihua

IMSS

Reckitt Benckiser Group

AGMS

JPMorgan Claverhouse Inv Trust, MD Medical Group Investments GDR (Reg S), One Media IP Group, PAO Novatek GDR (Reg S), Symphony International Holdings Ltd.

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Record

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Heavitree Brewery, Heavitree Brewery 'A' Shares, IDOX, RM

Q1

PJSC Magnit GDR (REG S), Schlumberger Ltd.
Donald Trump's ban on electronic devices on flights bound for the US from several Middle Eastern airports has been criticised by the CEO of Qatar Airways .

Akbar Al Baker told CNN that the ban from the Trump administration would not improve security, as suggested by those within the government.

Theresa May's government decided to follow suit after consultations with US intelligence officials, with tablet computers such as iPads and Kindles as well as laptops banned from being carried into the cabin of flights from several airports.

"I didn't think this ban was necessary at all," Al Baker told the US network. "People who want to disrupt aviation will do it from other places where there is no ban."

"I don't think this is really the correct way of solving security problems. In today's day and age, we have so much advancement in detection systems that we should utilize them," he added.

Last month both the US and UK brought in the new travel restrictions, with the former saying it was "concerned about terrorists" ongoing interest in targeting commercial aviation, including transportation hubs over the past two years".

The Qatar Airways chief backed Trumps opening stint as president however, pledging to support his plans to put "America first".

"We are today living in a globalized world and you really cannot close your doors," said Al Baker. "Trump is not a nationalist, Trump is a pragmatist. He is looking after America first and we are supporting him in America first."
US Vice-President Mike Pence has warned the White House will no longer employ a policy of strategic patience in relation to North Korea , after the isolated regime was criticised following a failed missile launch at the weekend.

Pence was speaking during a visit to border between the DPRK and its neighbour South Korea, where tensions have been fraught in recent months as Kim Jong-uns regime steps up its missile programme. He also described the bond between the US and South Korea as "unshakeable" during an address on Monday.

"All options are on the table to achieve the objectives and ensure the stability of the people of this country," Pence said, adding that "the era of strategic patience" overseen by the previous administration was "over".

A four-kilometre long stretch of land between the two squabbling neighbours is designated as a demilitarised zone, which has been in place since the end of the Korean War.

Pence was speaking during a visit to border between the DPRK and its neighbour South Korea

"We are grateful to all of those who each and every day stand in the gap for freedom here at the DMZ. It is a testament to the unshakeable bond between our people," Pence added.

US President Donald Trump has had a busy few weeks on the foreign policy front, with an ongoing dispute with Russia over the conflict in Syria, as well as the North Korean issue and related diplomatic tensions with China.

South Korea has accused China of discriminating economically against businesses from the country, after the latter reacted to the placement of a US anti-missile system close to Chinese waters.

"The United States is troubled by China's economic retaliation against South Korea for taking appropriate steps to defend itself," the Vice President said.
Budget airline Easyjet is facing criticism after it was revealed to have ejected a British couple from a flight bound for Italy after it overbooked the planes seats last week.

The issue of airline overbookings took off last week when a United Airlines passenger was forcibly ejected from a flight which was due to leave from Chicago OHare International Airport, just one day before the Easyjet incident.

The pair had booked to depart from Luton Airport to Catania for a holiday, but were asked to leave the plane after they were informed that the flight had been overbooked.

Easyjet advised the customers that they would have to wait another four days for the next available flight to Catania, despite stipulations in EU law which require airlines to book affected passengers on another flight on the same day. The couple cancelled the trip as a result.

Easyjet apologised for the incident and said that it was caused by a "manual error"

According to EU passenger legislation, "If boarding is denied to passengers against their will, the operating air carrier shall immediately compensate them", in addition to booking a replacement flight.

Easyjet, the UKs biggest budget airline, apologised for the incident and said that it was caused by a "manual error".

"Whilst [the passengers] were emailed a link to the web page for EU261 compensation applications and the website clearly outlines our policies, we accept that our agents could have pointed this out more explicitly," Easyjet said.

"The circumstances were very unusual and resulted from a manual error at the gate."

United's market value plummeted by as much as $1bn last week after videos were uploaded to social media of airline authorities violently removing a doctor from his seat before a flight took off, forcing CEO Oscar Munoz to apologise for how the airline handled the incident.

In a statement released by United in response to the uproar, the company said that it had asked passengers to give up their seats voluntarily but none agreed to do so, forcing them to select from among the travellers themselves.
Lloyds Banking Group will set up a new base in Berlin following Britains departure from the European Union, according to reports from the BBC .

The UK's departure from the bloc has led to a reconsideration from many financial institutions about their approaches both within and outside Europe, due to the probable exit from the single market following Brexit.

The report suggests that the British bank's Berlin branch will be converted into a new European hub, while other locations including Frankfurt and Amsterdam were considered.

Several leading financial institutions have already indicated their plans to move operations away from London

The loss of so-called passporting rights for banks has become a major issue following the vote to leave the EU in June 2016, with many multinational firms fearing they will be unable to maintain those rights after the Brexit process has been completed.

Several leading financial institutions have already indicated their plans to move operations away from London and the UK in general, including HSBC and Lloyds of London.

Lloyds' business is largely focused towards the UK market, but it does have several businesses in continental Europe, including a Dutch mortgage firm and German savings accounts.

The bank's Berlin offices currently employ 300 people, with more positions set to be created in the German capital.
Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan clinched an unexpectedly narrow win in the countrys constitutional referendum, which will grant him sweeping new powers in office.

Erdogan has declared victory for his Yes side, as has electoral official Sadi Guven, but opposition parties are contesting the results. The official result will come in around 10 days when all votes have been counted.

According to state news network Anadolu, 99.8% of the ballots have been counted and Erdogan holds a narrow majority of 51.4%, with 47.5 million votes being cast.

If Erdogans victory is confirmed, Turkey will be transformed from a parliamentary democracy to a presidential republic, with the controversial president having said that he would consider the reintroduction of the death penalty.

If Erdogans victory is confirmed, Turkey will be transformed from a parliamentary democracy to a presidential republic

Protests erupted across some of Turkeys major cities, including Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, which all voted to reject the constitutional changes.

"God willing, these results will be the beginning of a new era in our country," Erdogan said at a news conference on Sunday.

Erdogan had been expecting a strong mandate for the changes to Turkeys constitution, which will allow him to hold executor powers in government as opposed to the symbolic powers he holds currently.

Turkey was plunged into political upheaval last summer when a coup attempt in July failed and 265 people were killed as a result. Erdogan launched a major crackdown on his opponents in the aftermath of the coup, with thousands of judges and high-ranking security officials dismissed and dozens of politicians and journalists arrested.
Shaftesbury's unique portfolio of assets, combined with chief Brian Bickell's savvy management means the stock will continue to please investors, the Mail on Sunday's Midas column said.

The London-focused property developer's assets are mainly centred on the West End, split roughly in half between shops, bars and restaurants on the one hand and offices and residential property on the other.

Bickell, the first employee hired by the firm back in 1986, has shown a special flair for keeping the portfolio both vibrant and interesting, Midas pointed out.

Furthermore, the group has added three major properties to its portfolio, which will boost rental income and the company's dividend payouts further over time.

As well, the launch of Crossrail should see footfall in the West End rise considerably.

The possibility also exists of a take-over bid being tabled, with Hong Kong billionaire Samuel Tak Lee having already built up a stake of over 18%.

"Unusually", DTZ, the independent specialist valuer DTZ says Shaftesbury's portfolio is "very rare"; hence, potential buyers may believe that all or part of it is worth more than the formal valuation, currently 3.4bn.

Shaftesbury's market capitalisation is only 2.7bn.

"The shares have risen in value, not least since Tak Lee's stake rose to beyond 18 per cent. But at 964.5p, the stock still offers potential to investors, whether or not a bid emerges," Midas said.



The multiple risks facing BT Group may be too much for even an experienced set of hands, like its incoming chairman Jan du Plessis to navigate, so the stock is best avoided, the Sunday Timess John Collingridge argues.

In his 'Inside the City' column, Collingridge focuses on the yawning deficit in the telecom operator's pension plan.

Its retirement scheme - which is underwritten by the government - is due to be valued in June and a three-year funding plan to be put in place.

Analysts expect the shortfall to have grown further, from 7bn in 2014 to 9.5bn in October 2016 and as much as 11.0bn now. The last time around, BT agreed to stump up 2.0bn.

In parallel, the firm is trying to cut the debt it racked up after its 12.5bn purchase of mobile rival EE, is rolling out a "vast" investment programme to provide superfast broadband and 4G coverage and has pledged to grow its dividend by at least 10% year-on-year.

"Even with du Plessiss steady hand on the tiller, this constellation of problems leaves me cold. Avoid," Collingridge said.
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The Vermont ski resort's owner, Ariel Quiros of Miami, and former president Bill Stenger were accused of misusing $200 million from foreign investors.



By LISA RATHKE

Associated Press

MONTPELIER, Vt.  A year after the owner and president of a Vermont ski resort were accused by the state and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission of massive fraud, a $150 million settlement has been reached with a financial institution, Republican Gov. Phil Scott announced last week.

The federal receiver overseeing Jay Peak ski resort said he signed a settlement agreement with Raymond James Financial Inc. that will be filed in court this week. A federal judge still must approve the settlement.





. . .
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LAS VEGAS (AP)  Flames ripped across the roof of the Bellagio's shops and restaurants on the Las Vegas Strip as tourists watched the nighttime fire reflected in the iconic fountain show at the hotel-casino, authorities said Friday.





. . .
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The owner of the Happy Camper said she has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of public support ever since an accident put the bright green caravan cafe off the road this weekend.

Maria McCormack, who started the business with her sister, Jane, in June of last year, said, Its just overwhelming - people are just unreal.

The popular Happy Camper, known for their homemade pancakes and coffee, served visitors and local people from their location just off the back of Errigal road, on the Termon side of Glenveagh National Park.

Maria said there had been a large number of people there on Saturday. Everyone was just standing around, happy as Larry, and getting their photographs taken, she said. To wake up on Sunday and not see it there, is really heartbreaking, she said.

But I need to get another one on the go because I have a lot of people who really love to go there, Maria said.

At the end of the day on Saturday, Maria had driven about 70 yards up the road when the caravan unhitched from the car she was driving, crossed the road and rolled down a drop into the bog.

The caravan did not strike anybody, but it was seriously damaged. Maria said she was thankful that no one was hurt.

A friend has created a fundraising campaign, "Rebuild Our Happy Camper", on the Go Get Funding website to help get the Happy Camper back up and running. By Sunday evening the campaign was already more than half-way to its 3,000 goal.

Universal Books in Letterkenny has also announced on Facebook that they will donate 2 from every vinyl LP sold on Saturday, April 22nd, International Record Day, to the Happy Camper.

Hundreds of people have also left warm messages of support on the Happy Camper Facebook page since Maria spoke of the accident on Facebook on Saturday.

She said she is hoping to get a "wee caravan and make it into another Happy Camper".

Ill be back there soon, Maria said.
Ask Belinda Mitchell when she feels fulfilled in her job, then just sit back and watch.

Her eyes intensify. Her posture changes. A reflexive smile widens across her face. In her mind, there is a perfect mental image of the fulfilling moment.

Oh thats easy, said Mitchell, who has served six months as the executive director of the Saliba Center for Families in Dothan. Im most fulfilled when I see the before person walk through the door. Theyre beat down by the world. They have no hope. They dont believe in themselves. They may have no one to believe in them at home or support them. They get that here. They come and receive help and then they come back later with a job and you can see how their confidence is different. They hold their heads up. That is fulfilling.

Mitchell oversees a center that served more than 3,000 families last year. The Saliba Center for Families is a one-stop social services shop. The center administers an array of programs including adult education, workforce development, computer literacy, job search assistance, fatherhood assistance, home instruction for parents of preschool youngsters and many others at no cost to the recipient.

The center was the first of its kind in Alabama when started in the 1990s by former Dothan Mayor Alfred Saliba. Since then, the Saliba Center has been the model for numerous family centers launched in communities around the state.

Mitchell said she is most excited when clients understand they have the capacity to better themselves.

We go by the old statement Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime, Mitchell said.

We dont give a lot of fish here, she said.

Mitchell can come across stern to some who come through the Saliba Center doors, but she said her often-strong words come from a place of concern for a persons long-term well being.

What frustrates me the most is when a person comes in and wants help. Then, we lay out a smorgasbord of opportunities that can help that person if they just follow through, but they just dont, Mitchell said.

Sometimes our staff works much harder in trying to get a person to fulfill their goals than they do. That can be frustrating. But I understand that, in many cases, there never has been a good example of a working wage earner in the household. So, there are things we know must be overcome.

Mitchell believes God created her to make a difference in the social service arena, and began crafting her for the job at a young age. She remembers being a precocious 9-year-old and going to work with her aunt, who worked as a social worker, in East St. Louis, Illinois. Her aunt dealt with the adults while Mitchell entertained the children.

She has been a part of the Saliba Center for Families since 1995. She began as a social worker and has also served as a case management supervisor and site director.

Mitchell said her time in divinity school has helped equip her.

I wanted the foundation and core of what I do to be God-centered. I felt I would be better in my job coming from a genuine place. There isnt money in working for a non-profit. It has to be a ministry, Mitchell said.

The Saliba Center has a staff of 50. Its $2.3 million budget is derived from a mix of federal, state and local funds along with some private donations.

Although the center serves more than 3,000 each year, Mitchell believes there is a capacity for growth.

As busy as we are, I believe we are still too much of a secret in Dothan. I know there are people out there who are dealing with challenges that can be addressed, Mitchell said.

Mitchell wants to expand the centers 4-week program known as Camp Hire which teaches job skills for those hardest to employ. Mitchell said she would like to work more closely with employers to take the program to another level.

What makes us different in workforce development is that we hook into a persons entire family and we case manage them, Mitchell said. We believe that makes a big difference in helping employers keep workers longer.

Mitchell said she also welcomes volunteers from the community who have the ability to train and/or teach in specific areas such as finance management or other life skills.

Volunteers interested in donating training or teaching time can call the Saliba Center at 334-712-1542.
The time to make the case that Trump is corrupt and abusing his power is now

Verily, I tell you: Democrats need to call for Donald Trumps impeachment, despite the false hopes it might arouse, and they need to do it now.

Ive been insisting that Democrats need to talk about impeachment since late February, despite knowing its not even a remote possibility until after 2018 House elections and being well aware that Democratic leaders will be reluctant if not completely unwilling to do so. And now I see the window of opportunity for Democrats to make their case could be closing.

As soon as possible, voters need to be bombarded with the notion that the Constitutional option for oversight is the only potential check we have on Trump. And it needs to be made equally clear that Republicans have abdicated all responsibility for checking the corrupt aspiring tyrant they elected with a minority of the popular vote.

We are veering an emergency that could be unlike anything weve experienced in American history and it demands unprecedented measures.

Weve never had a president who has entered office so intent on rampant enrichment of himself and his family. And weve never had a president so committed to obstructing or obscuring inquiries into his misdeeds with the absolute complicity of his partys leadership.

Republican-dominated House Committees have voted three times against demanding Trumps tax returns. And dubious Devin Nunes, the still chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, has done more to distract from a proper investigation into the Trumps campaigns embrace of Russian active measures and possible collusion with Putins government than to aid it.

If Democrats dont seize this moment they may never have the opportunity to make a clear argument for Trumps impeachment again. And this, unlike almost everyone on the Trump campaign, has nothing to do with Russia.

Were less than 100 days into the Trump presidency and were probably closer to a nuclear war than weve been at any time since the Soviet Union dissolved. Vice President Mike Pence saying that the era of strategic patience with North Korea is over seems designed, in part, to prepare Americans for the prospect of a war with a nuclear power that could kill millions, possibly in a few hours.

The last few weeks should be a reminder of how much the media and much of the political establishment appreciate war as a spectacle that  from their comfortable distance  basks in a unholy glory that confers a legitimacy on the president, even when that president is Donald Trump.

The applause Trump has been soaking up for sending American soldiers into an ill-advised raid in Yemen and American missiles into Syria without any plan to avoid inevitable mission creep should terrify you and prepare you for the some of the implacable groupthink we will experience should Trump and Pence bumble us into a new full-fledged war.

At that point, the numerous investigations into the president will likely be cast by Republicans leaders as not only silly but unpatriotic. And we shouldnt be surprised if nearly all Republican voters and much of America embraces that notion.

Lets be clear: There is already a case for impeachment.

Harvard law professor Noah Feldman convincing argues that there are actually three cases for impeachment: corruption, abuse of power, and the violation of democratic norms.

In this episode of the Trumpcast, Feldman convincingly makes the case that the first two cases are already ample enough for the House to bring charges against the president.

Corruption is obvious and not just from violations of the Emoluments Clause and its not just limited to the president spending one fourth of his time as president directly enriching and promoting his own businesses at taxpayer expense. All we need is evidence that any of Trumps businesses, which he still fully benefits from, is benefiting any additional ways from his presidency to argue for a conviction on this charge.

The abuse of power case against Trump is subtle but even more well documented. Trump has accused both President Obama and Susan Rice of crimes. Trump specifically acknowledged that the crimes he was accusing Obama of were Watergate or impeachment quality crimes. Not only have his claims been proven false, reports suggest Trump didnt even understand the law he was accusing Obama of breaking.

If the alleged action would be impeachable if true, so must be the allegation if false, Feldman wrote.

Likewise, Trump has accuse the press of being an enemy of the people and suggested that someone investigate the Americans who protested demanding his taxes. As the leader of the executive branch, his suggestions arent idle threats. He can demand investigations by the Department of Justice and though he can claim that he was just calling for the press to investigate the protests, what would he expect happen if they uncovered wrongdoing?

The alleged collusion with Russia captures most of the attention from the left as it is both the most galling and Tom Clancy-like. But this charge would also be the toughest to drive into impeachment. Collusion before Trump took president would likely be criminal but are only questionably impeachable, unless he has delivered some pro quo to Russia as president.

All of these potential high crimes rise far above anything Bill Clinton did, obviously. And impeachment is the only remedy for a president who is untethered by precedent or morals.

Democrats may think that waiting and judiciously building a case is the prudent option. But given the glee with which the president is rushing toward war, we may be running out of time to use the one tool the Founders gave us to deal with a maniac who would pervert his administration into a scheme of peculation or oppression.

[Photo by Gage Skidmore via Flickr]
Lexi Palmer is CEO of EquiSeq, a biotech firm that does genetic testing of horses.

EquiSeq CEO LexiPalmer

Palmer was brought on as CEO by the companys founder, genetic researcher Paul Szauter, in 2015.

EquiSeq, which tests horses for genetic diseases, is developing an equine genome database.

TechNewsWorld: How did you get involved with EquiSeq?

Lexi Palmer:

I met Paul Szauter at a community networking event hosted by 1 Million Cups. I was just finishing up my degree in interpersonal communications at the University of New Mexico, and he told me about the company hed started. I told him I knew everything about horses and said I could learn everything he did and market it.

Two weeks later we were discussing my title. He asked, Where do you see yourself? What title do you want? I said CEO, and he said, OK, is this something you want to do?

I knew I needed a challenge, and this was the challenge that presented itself. Since I came on in November 2015, weve launched our first four products and are about to publish our first patent. Paul was willing to give me an opportunity, and I took it and ran with it.

TNW: What is your background with horses?

Palmer:

Ive been riding horses since second grade, when I started taking lessons. The first horse I had was in sixth grade. He was abandoned in a backyard, and he was sold to us for a penny. I loved that horse, and I kept riding all through high school and have worked at horse camps and been involved with horses ever since.

A lot of the way I approach problems comes from horseback riding. When youre jumping, for example, it can be intimidating. Your trainer, though, will make you jump jumps that are higher than youre comfortable with, so that youll be ready for a show.

There are a couple of ways you can approach a jump when youre scared. You can shy away from it. You can fall over it. Or you can act like youre not scared at all and jump better than youve ever jumped before.

Thats my approach to everything. Its not that Im fearless. Its just that I know the worst that can happen is that I will fail. Thats my approach to everything. Go at it, and most of the time everything ends up working out.

TNW: What are some of the challenges youve faced as a young CEO of a biotech firm?

Palmer:

Some are because of age, and some because of gender. People think that millennials havent worked, havent paid their dues. Ive had a few instances where I was told that I need to pay my dues.

Ive also had men refuse to speak to me, saying theyll only talk to Paul. I get questioned a lot. The thing is, though, Im aware that Im young, and that theres a lot to learn  but Im making this company successful, and thats all that matters.

TNW: What are some of your daily tasks as CEO of EquiSeq?

Palmer:

A lot of isnt so glamorous. A lot is strategy. Were in the middle of fundraising, so a lot of it is following leads and talking with people. I do pitches at pitch competitions.

I do volunteer work to talk about STEM topics, and I stay active in the community.

I work with the team, strategize, and do customer service, making sure that orders are filled and things are getting paid.

I oversee all operations and work as the voice for the company. I present EquiSeq in a way that makes sense to others, explaining genetic testing to people.

I am just enthralled with everything that we do. Understanding your DNA is understanding your core, everything that makes you you.

TNW: In what ways can young girls be encouraged to go into biotech fields?

Palmer:

Im passionate about inspiring younger girls to go into tech. The best way to do that is to have role models out in the community whose merit is in their success.

Thats really resonated when Ive talked with young girls. Im not that much older than they are, and they can envision themselves in my shoes.

We need to have more stories like mine. We need to let girls know that its OK to feel beautiful by being smart. Its not just about looking pretty.

TNW: Whats in the future? How is EquiSeq evolving?

Palmer:

Our main goal is to help people stop breeding horses with diseases. Our entire business model is that you deserve a life with your best friend, so well do whatever we can to make sure that happens.

There are a few different potential directions we might go. There could be an eHarmony for breeders, for instance.

Our goal is to keep discovering things about the horse genome and harvesting that data. While were doing genetic tests were collecting data, so were also a data company.

That data might be of great interest to pharmaceutical and pet insurance companies. It could be great for a website that helps people vet horses. There are a lot of different applications.

Its all a matter of what opportunities present themselves, and what aligns with our company.
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.
A 7-year-old girl, Rabab Ali, through her father and pro bono environmental attorney Qazi Ali Athar, and on behalf of all the Pakistani people, filed a climate change lawsuit Tuesday against the Federation of Pakistan and the Province of Sindh in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The Constitution Petition asserts that, through the exploitation and continued promotion of fossil fuels, in particular dirty coal, the Pakistan and Sindh governments have violated the Public Trust Doctrine and the youngest generations fundamental constitutional rights to life, liberty, property, human dignity, information and equal protection of the law.

The protection of these inalienable and fundamental rights is essential if we are to have any chance of leaving our children and future generations with a stable climate system and environment capable of sustaining human life, said Qazi Ali Athar, public interest environmental attorney representing his daughter as youth petitioner in the case.

Pakistan is rich in renewable energy resources such as solar and wind, more than enough to meet the energy needs of current and future generations of Pakistanis. Yet the federal and provincial governments of Pakistan, along with the vested interests in the country and the region, are exploiting Pakistans most environmentally degrading and carbon intensive fuelslow-grade coal from the Thar Coal Reservesin violation of the Pakistani peoples constitutionally protected fundamental rights.

The petition details how the Pakistan government has acknowledged the particular vulnerability of Pakistanis to the effects of climate change, including the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events such as heat waves, droughts, flooding and cyclones. The government has also recognized, in the National Climate Change Policy (NCCP) and the Framework for Implementation of Climate Change Policy (Framework), Pakistans role as a responsible member of the global community in combating climate change  giving due importance to mitigation efforts.

And in Pakistans Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) submitted in December 2015 prior to the climate talks in Paris, the government admitted, Potential for mitigation exists in all sectors of [Pakistans] economy and made the commitment that Pakistan will promote and support low-carbon, climate resilient development. Yet, completely antithetical to these statements and in violation of the fundamental rights of the people of Pakistan, the government, in its own climate change policy documents and Pakistans INDC, promotes and plans for a significant increase in Pakistans CO2 emissions through the exploitation of large untapped low-grade coal reserves.

Ali hopes that by bringing this petition, her government will start doing its share as a responsible member of the global community in reducing atmospheric CO2 and achieving global climate stabilization and that the Supreme Court will order the government to develop and implement science-based mitigation actions, tiered to achieving such a goal, as part of the NCCP, Framework and INDC. The petition includes the prescription for achieving global climate stabilization from the renowned climate scientist, Dr. James Hansen, which says that to restore a stable climate system, the dangerous levels of CO2 currently in our atmosphere must be reduced to below the maximum safe level350 ppm atmospheric CO2by the year 2100.

Last year, to celebrate World Earth Day, I pledged allegiance to the Earth and to the flora, fauna and human life that it supports, with safe air, water and soil, economic justice, equal rights and peace for all, said Youth Petitioner Ali. I want my government to take a similar pledge, by creating a plan that will allow me and future generations a safe environment to grow up in.

Youth are rising up globally and taking their governments to court to seek protection of their inalienable rights to a stable climate system, said Julia Olson, executive director for the nonprofit organization Our Childrens Trust and lead counsel on a climate lawsuit brought by 21 young people against the U.S. government. This case filed today in Pakistan builds on similar cases brought by young people in Uganda, Ukraine and the U.S. Our Childrens Trust is working in partnership with young people around the world to elevate their voices and provide them with legal and scientific support, including youth who are mobilizing in India, Canada, France, England, Australia and elsewhere. This youth legal movement is growing.

This bold action is indeed evidence of a global movement of citizens demanding science-based climate action from their governments, which the Paris agreement did not achieve, said Roger Cox, attorney for URGENDA who recently secured a court order in the Netherlands ordering the Dutch government to decrease emissions. Like the court found in our Dutch case, governments have a duty to safeguard the climate for present and future generations. Valuable legal precedents are being set that will hopefully become an avalanche of successful climate change court cases against governments worldwide. In the absence of sufficient political action to tackle the climate crisis, courts have the authority and the constitutional duty to prevent and protect society from climate change related damages, casualties and infringements of fundamental rights and civil liberties. What courts do in these cases will have implications for the rest of the world and for the degree of climate change we will all face in the years to come.

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Ice cores containing tens of thousands of years of invaluable climate information melted away after an unprecedented double malfunction of a CAD $4 million (USD $3 million) storage facility at the University of Alberta in Canada.

The warming left pools of water all over the floor and steam in the room, Martin Sharp, a university glaciologist, told ScienceInsider. It was like a changing room in a swimming pool.

The oldest ice core that was damaged was 22,000 years old, along with ones that were 17,000 years of age and 500 years of age.

Sharp said that the cores would each cost between $500,000 and $1 million to replace due to the difficulty of operating in the remote Arctic.

The university confirmed the April 2 incident, noting in a press release that 12.8 percent of the 1,409-meter Canadian Ice Core Archivethe worlds largest collection of ice cores samples from the Canadian Arcticwas damaged from the freezer failure.

However, the warming did not damage the whole of any of the cores, which are stored in multiple one-meter segments.

University of Alberta scientists describe their recently acquired ancient ice core collection as a tape recorder of climatic history. The ice cores, some as old as 80,000 years, can provide crucial information about the past as well as important predictions about the future.

The loss of any ice core sample is deeply concerning to the University of Alberta and to our research teams, who plan to use this ice to answer important questions about climate change and our planets history, said Andrew Sharman, vice-president of facilities and operations.

University of Alberta Protective Services and the Edmonton Fire Service responded to a high-heat alarm on the afternoon of the incident. Temperature in the storage freezer had reached 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), resulting in the damage to the ice core samples.

Essentially, the chillers were not able to reject their heat through the condenser water systemheat instead of cold circulated through the freezer, the university said in its release. Compounding matters, the system monitoring the freezer temperatures failed due to a database corruption. The freezers computer system was actually sending out alarm signals that the temperature was rising, but those signals never made it to the universitys service provider or the on-campus control centre.

Sharman said that the affected freezer has been restored and an investigation is ongoing to ensure this does not happen again.

Incidentally, as the Guardian reported, the majority the collection escaped damage because of a fortunate stroke of luck:

A television crew had been documenting the ice core move and had asked that the samples be put in a second freezer because the lighting was better. The university complied, storing nearly 90 percent of the collection in an unaffected freezer.

Thats basically what saved us, Sharp remarked.
Boulder County, Colorado will completely phase out genetically modified (GMO) corn and sugar beets, and neonicotinoid insecticides on county-owned land.

According to the Daily Camera, commissioners voted 2-1 last week to approve the latest version of a transition plan that bans the cultivation of GMO corn by the end of 2019 and GMO sugar beets by the end of 2021. Neonicotinoids, which have been widely blamed for the declines of bees and other pollinators, will also be phased out within five years on county properties.

GMO corn and sugar beets are the only GMO crops grown on county-owned land, accounting for 1,200 acres, or eight percent, of Boulder Countys leased open space in 2015.

The plan, however, leaves open the possibility for Boulder County to consider growing GMO crops with traits that do not rely on the use of pesticides.

Commissioner Elise Jones, who voted for the transition plan, noted that she is not concerned about the safety of GMO crops specifically but the effects of the pesticides used on some of these crops.

Lets acknowledge: This is not an easy issue; its not a simple one, Jones said.

But commissioner Cindy Domenico dissented, commenting that the science on [genetically engineered] crops is not settled.
The World Health Organization urges cleaner sanitation practices after new data reveals that at least two billion people do not have access to clean water.

The drinking water that is causing nearly 500,000 deaths a year is contaminated with feces, causing cholera, dysentery, intestinal worms, schistosomiasis and trachoma, typhoid and polio.

The most serious threats are in impoverished and developing areas. Although there has been a push for safe drinking water by the UN General Assembly, which led to a 4.9 percent increase in budgets worldwide, most countries say it is not enough.

The report found that 80 percent of countries are not adequately meeting the UN standards. In a statement WHO said when people cant provide the most basic necessities, like repairing infrastructure, water safety and reliability is sacrificed first.

This is a challenge we have the ability to solve, Guy Ryder, chair of UN-Water and director-general of the International Labour Organization, said. Increased investments in water and sanitation can yield substantial benefits for human health and development, generate employment and make sure that we leave no one behind.

This is a heavy burden on local communities, but as Ryder said, it is possible. To really meet UN standards, the world budget for drinking water would have to triple, thats $114 billion annually, to provide underserved areas. Governments can also step up their game by increasing and sustaining WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) access for vulnerable groups, especially in rural areas.
Denmark offshore wind giant DONG Energy won the rights last week to build two new wind farms in the German North Sea without any government subsidies. The move represents a major milestone for the offshore wind industry, which has relied on support from European governments.

The zero subsidy bid is a breakthrough for the cost competitiveness of offshore wind and it demonstrates the technologys massive global growth potential as a cornerstone in the economically viable shift to green energy systems, said Samuel Leupold, CEO of wind power at DONG.

As reported by the Financial Times:

Auctions or tenders that force companies to compete against each other have begun to replace earlier types of green subsidies, such as guaranteed fixed power prices, in many countries over the past decade, in a move that has led to much lower prices.

Nearly 70 countries now have such competitive bidding systems, up from a handful in 2005, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.

For a deeper dive:

New York Times, Financial Times

For more climate change and clean energy news, you can follow Climate Nexus on Twitter and Facebook, and sign up for daily Hot News.
Is Solar Right for You?

For many U.S. homeowners, going solar is a great way to help the environment while reducing the amount of money you spend on energy over time. But were not going to say solar is the ultimate energy solution for every home  because it isnt. Here are a few key things to think about when deciding whether solar would work for you:

What direction does your roof face? In the Northern Hemisphere, unshaded homes facing south, southwest or west receive the most direct sunlight. Most solar companies wont install solar on your roof if theyre not facing a suitable direction or are obstructed by trees or other buildings at peak sunlight hours.

How much is your typical home energy bill? If youre not spending much on energy to begin with, you may not stand to save tons of money over time. However, if your energy bills are higher than youd like them to be, solar could be a rewarding investment.

Can you reasonably afford to buy or finance your panels? Because the initial cost of solar panels can be steep, many homeowners take out solar loans to pay for their panels. But if you cant secure a low interest rate, your monthly payments may significantly cut into your overall ROI, making solar less worth it.

How long are you planning to stay in your home? In most cases, you cant take your solar panels with you when you move. The good news is that homes with solar sell for about 4% more than homes without.2 However, a typical array will last for a minimum of 25 years, so if you dont plan on staying in your house for at least half of that time, you may want to hold off on making the investment.
Advocates on both sides of the debate over private school choice are paying close attention to a case before the U.S. Supreme Court involving recycled tiresspecifically, whether Missouri violated the Constitution in refusing to give a church a grant to use scrap tire material to improve its preschool playground.

The courts decision in Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v. Comer (Case No 15-577), which it was slated to hear this week, could weaken or eliminate one of the last legal barriers to vouchers and tax credits for use at private religious schools: state constitutional provisions that strictly bar government aid to religion.

Missouri is one of some three-dozen states with such Blaine amendments in their state constitutions. The provisions are named for James G. Blaine, the 19th-century congressman who led an unsuccessful 1876 effort to amend the U.S. Constitution to prohibit public funding of religious schools at a time when the growing Roman Catholic population was pressing for government funding for parochial schools.

Certainly, the Supreme Court could rule very broadly in the Trinity Lutheran case, said Michael E. Bindas, a senior lawyer with the Institute for Justice, an Arlington, Va.-based group that has long been at the forefront of legal advocacy for school choice. That would remove the state Blaine amendments from the arsenal of school choice opponents.

Church-State Separation

The institute is one of many groups to file a friend-of-the-court brief on the side of Trinity Lutheran. Among those who have filed such a brief on the other side, in support of Missouri, is Steven K. Green , a professor of law and history at Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Ore., and an advocate of a high wall of separation between church and state.

If the Supreme Court were to rule that the Missouri state constitutions language that no money shall ever be taken from the public treasury, directly or indirectly, in aid of any church, sect, or denomination of religion had to give way to Trinity Lutherans federal constitutional right to participate in the recycled-tire grant program, that would put the courts stamp on government funding of a church, Green said.

That would set in motion [a situation in which] the government could fund other aspects of religion, including private school vouchers, he said. There is a larger principle at stake.

The Pious or the Profane

The Trinity Lutheran case stems from efforts by the church to improve its preschool playground, which is covered in pea gravel, by applying for Missouris scrap-tire grant program, which provides money to install safe, rubberized ground coverings that provide an environmentally friendly use for old tires.

Missouri officials turned down the churchs application, which otherwise ranked high on a set of neutral criteria, based on the state constitutional provision that bars direct or indirect government financial aid to churches.

Trinity Lutheran sued the state under its First Amendment right to free exercise of religion and its 14th Amendment equal-protection right. A federal district court dismissed the claims. It rejected the churchs free-exercise claim because the scrap-tire program involved a direct payment to a religious institution that would raise First Amendment establishment-of-religion concerns comparable to those cited by the Supreme Court in its 2004 decision in Locke v. Davey.

In that case, the justices held that the state of Washington could deny a scholarship to a student studying devotional theology without running afoul of the students free-exercise rights.

Trinity Lutheran appealed to the U.S. Court where a panel voted 2-1 to uphold the district court, expressing concern about the direct grant of public funds to churches.

In its brief to the Supreme Court , the church says there is no basis for the state to exclude it from the neutral grant program.

A rubber playground surface accomplishes the states purposes whether it cushions the fall of the pious or the profane, the brief says.

David A. Cortman, a senior counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom, the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based group that is representing Trinity Lutheran, said in an interview that Missouri is discriminating against the church not because it doesnt meet the neutral criteria but because of its religious status.

The state declined an interview request, but argues in its brief that Trinity Lutheran remains free, without any public subsidy, to worship, teach, pray, and practice any other aspect of its faith however it wishes. The state merely declines to offer financial support. On April 13, Gov. Eric R. Greitens, a Republican, said the state would no longer bar religious groups from the recycled-tire grant program, saying he did not expect the change to affect the Supreme Court case.

Cases in the Wings

The case has drawn significant interest from groups that are more interested in what the courts eventual decision may mean for school choice.

The Supreme Court ruled in its landmark 2002 decision in Zelman v. Simmons-Harris that the federal Constitutions establishment clause did not prohibit the inclusion of religious schools in a government voucher program when parents are making the decision where to direct the state aid.

But the state Blaine amendments have proved to be a barrier to the inclusion of religious schools in voucher programs and some other forms of state aid.

The National Education Association, which has often led the legal fight against the expansion of school voucher programs, filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of Missouri emphasizing the theory that states may use their own constitutions to provide stronger individual rights than those guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

Many state courts have departed from this courts establishment clause precedents in construing their state constitutions to prohibit public funding of religion in ways that would be permissible under the establishment clause, the NEA brief says.

Even as it considers the merits of the Trinity Lutheran case, the high court is holding on to two cases that address the application of state Blaine amendments to aid to religious schools.

One involves a New Mexico textbook-lending program for private schools and a New Mexico Supreme Court decision that Blaine amendment-like language in the state constitution barred the inclusion of religious schools in the program.

The other involves the unusual efforts by the Douglas County, Colo., public school district to create a tuition-scholarship program for students to attend private schools, including religious schools. The Colorado Supreme Court has blocked the program based on a Blaine-like, no aid provision in the state constitution.

Breaking New Ground?

The school district , the state , and a group of intervening parents in the Colorado case all appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Like the New Mexico appeal, the Colorado parties urge the court to rule that the state Blaine amendments violate federal constitutional rights of religious schools or parents.

The Douglas County district, the state, and the parents also have filed separate friend-of-the-court briefs in support of Trinity Lutheran.

Both the Colorado and Missouri Blaine amendments share discriminatory, anti-Catholic origins that make their contemporary use to compel religious discrimination particularly unacceptable, says the brief for the Douglas County district filed by Paul D. Clement, a former U.S. solicitor general and now a frequent litigator for private clients before the high court.

Bindas of the Institute for Justice represents the intervening parents who want to use the scholarships in Douglas County.

A big question here is whether the court is going to go into the history of the Blaine amendments in the Trinity Lutheran case, Bindas said. Strictly speaking, the court doesnt have to rule on the history of the Blaine amendments to rule for the church here.

Many legal experts agree with that assessment, saying the Supreme Court, which is back at full strength with the addition of Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, could rule for Trinity Lutheran on narrow grounds and save the debate over the state Blaine amendments for the future.

I dont see this case as breaking new ground, said Michael W. McConnell, a former federal appeals-court judge and a leading church-state scholar who teaches at Stanford University law school. He has joined a brief in support of Trinity Lutheran. I see it as standing for long-standing principles that the government has to be neutral between religious and nonreligious organizations.

However, Green, the Willamette University scholar, is worried that because the Supreme Court is taking up a case involving direct funding to a church, that suggests to me that they are thinking of doing something significant.
What are you doing after graduation? High school students may grow weary of such inevitable questions from family and friends, or anxiety-ridden as they contemplate their college or career decisions. But now, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has proposed requiring students to report more formally on their post-graduation plans in order to get their diplomas.

Emanuel has proposed a new graduation requirement for the citys high school students: a letter of acceptance to a college or university or proof of employment, military enlistment, or participation in a gap-year program.

If the nations third-largest school system implements the plan, it would be breaking new ground. While many districts work to educate students about post-graduation options and to track their experiences, no major school system asks students for tangible proof of their future plans.

High school graduation is a milestone, not a destination, Emanuel said when he announced the proposal with school leaders.

The plancalled Learn. Plan. Succeedwould include extra training for school counselors in helping students complete college and career planning. It is designed to help students be more future-minded, which will lead to more engagement in school, Chicago officials say. If adopted by the school board, it would first apply to 2020 graduates.

Carrots vs. Sticks

The proposal faced pushback from critics who argued that it is too heavy-handed, and that some students, particularly those from low-income families, would have a harder time securing college acceptance or employment before graduation. Chicago schools may not have enough support staff or other resources to properly engage and support some students as they plot a post-graduation path, those critics said.

Perhaps the mayor could try some carrot approaches rather than using a stick, Joni Finney, the director of the Institute for Research on Higher Education at the University of Pennsylvania, said in a statement.

Finney suggested that, rather than new graduation mandates, the schools should offer acknowledgments of college acceptance on students diplomas, work-study opportunities to give them professional exposure in high school, and other incentives.

Emanuels proposal was met with support from people like former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who served in the Obama administration with Emanuel and previously led the Chicago schools.

To give every single student in Chicago a better chance, we need to invest in our schools and our counseling programs, Duncan wrote in an opinion piece in the Chicago Tribune. We need to make life-planning as much a part of high school as English, math, sports, and the arts.

Chicago has been increasingly concerned with students post-graduation lives. The system tracks students college-going rates and their persistence in degree programs. Emanuel also set a goal last year that by 2019, at least half of students will graduate with at least one college or career credential, such as a dual-enrollment or Advanced Placement credit. About 40 percent of graduates have such credentials now.

Learn. Plan. Succeed. was designed with input from district leaders and principals, said Alan Mather, the chief officer of Chicagos office of college and career success.

About 60 percent of Chicago high school graduates already provide proof of postgraduate planning, he said, and the new proposal is designed to close the gap.

The plan includes using $1 million in philanthropic contributions to help all school counselors earn a district-developed college-career-advising credential. About 40 percent of counselors have the credential, Mather said.

Schools would also add a new indicator to their accountability rating that tracks what percentage of graduates have completed college and career planning, he said. Every Chicago student who is on track to graduate is given admission to the City Colleges of Chicago, he said, giving them an accessible option for post graduation.

We dont anticipate that this will be a barrier to students, Mather said. In fact, we think it will be an impetus to really come up with a plan.

Student Engagement

Schools around the country have increasingly have sought to use discussions of college and career as tools for engagement in the classroom.

Discussing college and careers can affect student motivation, but schools must match that talk with resources and supports that help students take the tangible steps necessary to reach their goals, said Mesmin Destin, an associate professor of psychology and education at Northwestern University, in nearby Evanston, Ill.

Young people are constantly picking up on cues about what kind of future is going to be available to them, he said.Destin has found that giving 7th grade students information about the college financial aid that may be available to them in the future can affect their school engagement in the meantime.

Just telling kids what they need to do is not the same as providing context and support to make that vision a reality, he said.

Destin didnt weigh in specifically on Chicagos plan.

The most important question Chicago should ask about its proposal is how students will perceive it, said Gregory Walton, an associate professor of psychology at Stanford University who studies student motivation.

Researchers have found that students are driven to rise to high expectations if they have a sense that adults in their school believe in their potential and if they see school as a supportive and fair place.

Its not simply about stating a high expectation, Walton said. Its also about showing students that you really think they can meet those expectations and that you are creating a system where that is possible. Thats where they can really thrive.




US dairy leaders assure Mexico amidst NAFTA uncertainty

The US dairy industry has recently dealt with challenges arising from the inauguration of President Donald Trump in January this year, specifically intensifying crackdowns on immigrants that threaten to rob the sector of valuable manpower, and Canada's Class 7 programme which undermines the exports of US ultra-filtered milk to the country.

In mid-March, leaders from three major US dairy organizations attempted to mitigate further implications for the industry - not helped by Trump's tense relation with Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto - by meeting and assuring Mexican dairy leaders in Mexico City.

"We have always seen Mexico as a partner first and a customer second. That's why we intend to continue working with you and your industry to expand the consumption of dairy products in a way that benefits both countries." Tom Vilsack, US Dairy Export Council president and chief executive officer, said during the National Dairy Forum.

"Our goal in visiting Mexico is to communicate our steadfast commitment to our partnership with the Mexican industry, even as we continue to explore ways to deepen that relationship by working on issues of mutual benefit," Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, stated, calling Mexico an "ally and most important trading partner".

Dr. Michael Dykes, president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Assn., added that the US delivers most of Mexico's imported dairy products, while also emphasizing his belief that current trade relations would serve the best interests of both countries.

The CEOs met with government officials, including the Mexican minister of agriculture and the US ambassador to Mexico during their visit.

Trump's intention to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) - as he seeks a better deal for Americans - has casted uncertainty on the US-Mexico trade partnership.

In fact, the Trump administration has yet to decide how the thorny issue will be handled, according to US Trade Representative nominee Robert Lighthizer's testimony before the Senate Finance Committee.

Since NAFTA came into force more than two decades ago, US dairy exports to Mexico have more than quadrupled to US$1.2 billion, putting Mexico as the US' top export market for dairy.

"United States and Mexico both need each other a lot economically. I think that's something that helps both of us and doesn't risk damage to our agricultural sector," Lighthizer told senators.




US dairy industry slams Canada for undercutting export of ultra-filtered milk

Canada's recent suspension of some dairy imports from US have exacerbated an oversupply in the latter, Bloomberg reports.

The development came as a result of a new policy which incentivises Canadian processors that acquire local supplies.

The US dairy industry has made an appeal for help to President Donald Trump as some companies claimed the loss of all Canadian sales of ultra-filtered milk, a concentrated ingredient used to boost protein content in cheese and yogurt. The Canadian incentives policy is also seen by the US Dairy Export Council and National Milk Producers Federation as a violation of trade commitments between the US and Canada.

Both countries are currently at a sensitive phase of trade relations given Trump's desire to redefine the terms of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as part of his "America first" promises, Bloomberg states.

Kevin Ellis, CEO of Cayuga Milk Ingredients, hopes that renegotiation of NAFTA can get something back for America", especially US dairy farmers who are suffering "a huge loss". The company based in Auburn, New York, has reported loss of Canadian exports, a source of about 30% of total sales.

The US dairy Industry also demands more action from the Trump administration and "convey to Canadians the importance of trade going both ways," Shawna Morris, vice president of trade policy at the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), said. Canada's new pricing system, called Class 7, has been decried as a protectionist policy that undercuts US ultra-filtered milk exports to the country despite "long-standing contracts with American companies," according to Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF.

Furthermore, the US sector complained about a lack of transparency in regards to Class 7 which, Morris said, is administered by individual provinces, with notifications issued throughout March.

The Class 7 programme was introduced in February, said Isabelle Bouchard, a spokeswoman for Ottawa-based Dairy Farmers of Canada, which represents 12,000 farms. Imports of US ultra-filtered milk have resulted in an estimated US$172 million in annual losses for Canadian companies, the Dairy Farmers of Canada claimed.

"No new tariffs have been created that would restrict (American) access to the Canadian market," Bouchard said. "The problem is not Canada's dairy system, the problem is that there is too much milk produced in the USA, which is not Canada's fault."

During the last so-called spring flush, in May and June 2016, the amount of milk wasted or used for animal feed in the northeastern US exceeded 75 million pounds, the highest recorded in government data going back to 2000.

Supplies are forecast to expand this year, Bloomberg says.




President Trumps wife and their young son will officially be moving into the White House this summer, following the end of the school year, a senior White House official tells Fox News.



The move is in line with what senior Trump transitions officials told Fox News in December about first lady Melania Trump and son Barron Trumps timeline for moving from Trump Tower in Manhattan to Washington.




The Saudi woman warned officials that if they sent her back to Saudi with her uncles, who had come to collect her, they would kill her.



Why are leftist so-called feminists not taking to the streets to help women who have no voice and of who suffer the worst abuses in the Islamic world? Theyre apparently too busy exhibiting their rage against white men in the free West, their hatred of the President of the United States, and pursuing paranoid trivialities, as reported by the Daily Wire, which tracked 101 things that feminists say are sexist, including tickling and the rape culture supposedly perpetuated by a pizza chain that refused to change its topping.




QUITO, Ecuador  Nearly every nation in South America has been jolted by large protests or violent clashes in recent weeks, a continental surge of anti-government anger unlike anything in years.



On the streets of Venezuela, opponents of the left-wing government are squaring off against riot police nearly every day. In Paraguay, angry crowds sacked and firebombed the countrys parliament building after lawmakers tried to alter presidential term limits. Powerful unions in Argentina crippled the countrys transportation networks this month with a general strike.
A former governor of Veracruz in Mexico has been arrested in Guatemala after six months on the run.

Mexico's Attorney General's Office said Javier Duarte was arrested in Panajachel, a picturesque tourist town on Lake Atitlan in the Guatemalan highlands, with the co-operation of the local police and Interpol.

The 43-year-old was located in a hotel where he was staying with his wife. He voluntarily agreed to leave his room when police arrived and was arrested without incident in the lobby.

He looked pale and visibly tired when he was brought to a prison at a military base in the capital Guatemala City on Sunday where he is under heavy guard ahead of an extradition hearing.

His half a year as a fugitive has made him a high-profile symbol of government corruption in Mexico after he was accused of having links to a series of phantom businesses which allegedly won state contracts worth millions of pesos.

Duarte has denied stealing any money from the state and of diverting government funds overseas.

He said: "I don't have foreign accounts. I don't have properties anywhere".

Despite this the Mexican government has allegedly found millions of dollars linked to the politician - frozen from more than 100 bank accounts and has also seized property and businesses tied to him.

A reward of 15 million pesos (637,110) was offered for his capture.

Duarte was governor from 2010 until he resigned to fight the charges in October 2016 and disappeared a few days later. His temporary successor, Flavino Rios Alvarado, was arrested on suspicion of helping him flee last month.

The governor's tenure was marked by allegations of corruption from the very beginning along with allegations that he has attempted to silence his critics.
Another journalist has been killed in Mexico - the fourth in just six weeks.

Authorities said reporter Maximino Rodriguez Palacios was shot dead outside of a shopping center Friday in La Paz, a coastal city in the state of Baja California Sur. Rodriguez, 72, wrote about politics and crime for a news organization called the Pericu Collective. He had previously worked as a spokesman for the state attorney general's office. Friday's shooting is the latest in a string of violent attacks on journalists in Mexico that has claimed four lives since March 2 and has left several others wounded. The attacks have drawn condemnation from human rights advocates, with the Committee to Protect Journalists calling the situation in Mexico a "crisis" of freedom of expression. Mexico's human rights commission, which on Saturday said it was sending investigators to La Paz to monitor the police investigation into the killing, has convened emergency talks with law enforcement officials from around the country to discuss how to better protect journalists.

Mexico is the world's third-most dangerous country for journalists, after Syria and Afghanistan, according to Reporters Without Borders. Since 2000, 124 journalists have been killed, according to Mexico's human rights commission.
Oscar Munoz, CEO of American Airlines, said he was embarrassed of the video that contained a footage of one of their passengers being dragged from his seat on one of their planes, United Express Flight 3411.

The video has now become a subject of criticism all around the world, calling out the airline for the way they handled the situation. Munoz vowed to the public that the incident will not happen again. Earlier this week, the video was shared on social media by one of the plane's passenger who had seen the incident. The video sparked outrage throughout the internet, with netizens calling out the airline for its 'inappropriate' behavior in handling overbooking situations.

United Airlines had then released a statement on its official Twitter account saying that CEO Munoz is deeply sorry for what happened with the passenger, Dr. David Dao, and ensured that they will resolve the situation as soon as possible. According to BBC, complications on the incident started when four crew members arrived after the plane has been boarded, resulting for United to ask four volunteer passengers to get off the plane.

After no passenger has volunteered, it reportedly prompted United to manually choose four passenger names. However, Dr. Dao, refused to get off for reasons stated that he has to go to work and attend his patient. One of the security officers were then seen on the video forcibly dragging Dr. Dao from his seat to the plane's aisle, while his nose was seen bleeding.

The incident has made many passengers expressing their disappointment with the company, with majority of them saying that United deserves a boycott. Some passengers who have already booked a flight with the airline reportedly cancelled their tickets and vowed they will never fly with United again. Aside from this, an online petition for CEO Munoz to resign has already gained over 80,000 signatures as of Saturday.

However, on an interview with Good Morning America, Munoz stated that he will not step down as the CEO of United Airlines. According to him, he was hired to make United better and further stated that he will continue to do it as long as he is in charge.
Trumps not so great deal with China By Dr. Peter Morici

President Trumps recent summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping was only modestly successful. The hard reality is that on both security and economic issues, the United States and China are rivals  not partners  and much tougher days lie ahead. Messrs. Trump and Xi reached no substantive agreement to curb North Koreas nuclear program and on trade, the two leaders initiated a 100-day review process whose ultimate objective is unclear. For several decades, China accomplished double-digit growth by exporting consumer goods to western markets while keeping its economy tightly controlled. It imposes high tariffs and administrative barriers to imports, compels western companies to manufacture in China and transfer technology in order to access its markets, aggressively subsidizes domestic firms, and dumps products abroad in industries plagued by excess capacity. The United States absorbed the brunt of this onslaught. The $310 billion U.S. trade deficit with China has shuttered factories, left millions discouraged and permanently unemployed, and imposes slower growth and huge foreign debt. Manufacturing has been hardest hit and that curtails U.S. investments in new technology  both on the factory floor and in next-generation products such as industrial robots. Without addressing the bilateral trade deficit, Mr. Trump cannot deliver 3 percent to 4 percent growth. As rising wages challenge manufacturers in Chinese coastal cities, the Communist Party must demonstrate it can still deliver significant growth. Beijing is becoming more, not less, protectionist and is targeting high-technology activities that strike at the heart of American prosperity, subsidizing startups and buying western businesses. It is tightening its authoritarian grip through control of the Internet and a social credit rating system that monitors personal activities to allocate access to jobs, housing and the like. Those tactics violate World Trade Organization rules and western democratic norms, but Beijing has no desire to conform to western expectations of a communist state transitioning into an open, pluralistic society. Rather, it offers state-directed capitalism and authoritarian governance to developing nations as a superior model to what the United States and European democracies offer. As menacing, China is using wealth amassed from huge trade surpluses to substantially build up naval and air power, assert sovereignty over neutral waters in the South China Sea, and project soft power in the Pacific and elsewhere through its Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and other projects. President Obama did not heed U.S. defense leaders advice to more forcefully challenge Chinas militarization of the South China Sea and North Korea, and Chinese muscle and money have encouraged key U.S. allies, the Philippines and Malaysia, to shift their favor toward Beijing. President Trump faces the unenviable task of persuading Beijing to constrain Pyongyangs nuclear ambitions while pushing back on its illegitimate claims in the South China Sea and redressing the bilateral trade deficit. By failing to adequately cooperate on North Korea, Beijing has skillfully diverted American attention from the latter challenges. The Mar-a-Largo discussions did little to substantively address Chinas provocations in the Pacific and for several decades, Beijing has tied up American presidents in endless economic dialogues and dead-end negotiations. The 100-day process initiated in Mar-a-Largo sounds like a rehash of the Strategic and Economic Dialogue, which accomplished little during the Obama years. Addressing Chinas challenges will require Americans to rebuild the military  either though higher taxes or reduced government spending on other priorities  as Mr. Trumps budget recommends. On trade, either the United States obtains from China a blueprint with enforceable benchmarks to reduce and ultimately eliminate the trade deficit or the United States should impose such an arrangement unilaterally. Abruptly imposing a 45 percent tariff would unnecessarily disrupt both the Chinese and U.S. economies. However, initially applying a 10 percent levy  or equivalent tax on the conversion of dollars into yuan, which would also impact on investment into China  and then increasing it by 10 percent every six months would go a long way toward persuading Beijing to curtail its mercantilist practices. At the very least, it would adequately insulate the U.S. economy while American businesses adjust to scaled-back bilateral commerce. Those are tough measures  and Americans would likely pay more for toasters and T-shirts at Wal-Mart  but the benefits of putting millions of Americans back to work and restoring growth would far outweigh those costs. Peter Morici is an economist and business professor at the University of Maryland, and a national columnist. Home
Leave it to China By Daniel M. Ryan

North Korea is a real enigma. It flip-flops between psychotically bellicose and laughably klutzy. Last Saturdays cult-of-personality celebration of Kim Il Sungs 105th birthday, heralded by threats of another nuclear test, ended with a North Korean ICBM-type missile ending up in the drink after exploding. If North Korea had a shadow of a free press, that splodey-test would have been a huge embarrassment to the leadership. In a nutshell, that bellicose-to-screw-up cycle sums up why North Korea is so difficult to get a handle on. Not unlike the Arab nations, the North Korean leadership has a habit of making scary-sounding threats that are followed by little or nothing. Sometimes, they pull off something dangerous  like last years underground nuclear-bomb test that rattled even China. But surely enough, they fumble the ball so badly that the leadership looks once again like a conglomerate of clowns. Add to all this the notorious cult of personality, so alien that we who were born in freedom find it very difficult to take it seriously. Thats the reason why Kim Jong Un has been so easy to make fun of. At the abstract study-hall level, theres a case to be made for leaving North Korea alone because it makes for a superb bad example for the world. Officially Marxist-Leninist, although its Communism is adulterated by its doctrine of autarchy, it arguably has the worst human-rights record of all nations. Since it spans the days when human-rights floggers slowly lost their pro-Communist bias, the Wikipedia article on its history reads like a choppy mishmash of pro-Communist propaganda, straight fact and anti-Communist muckraking. La Wiks entry neatly illustrates the limitation of its normally-reliable guidelines: if a tree falls in the forest, Wikipedia cant say so unless a reliable source? records its fall. Even you taking a picture of the tree, proving that it did fall, aint good enough: Wik counts that as original research.? Since the reliable sources? of the late 1940s turned a hawks eye to Syngman Rhees South Korea but an obediently blind eye to Kim Il Sungs North Korea, La Wik gives the impression that North Korea went about its Communizing with little terrorization and that South Korea was worse. So its an exercise for the head-scratching reader to wonder why North Korea turned into a godawful terror state for No Reason Whatsoever. Oddly, North Korea is unique amongst Communist countries in that it has no visible samizdat or dissident network. What few facts we have about the place come from the few high-level defectors from it. Much of the data about its awfulness is inferential. We do know that its variant of Communism emphasizes self-sufficiency? (Juche)and military first? (Songun), and that theres been some grudging tolerance of black-market activities to suture some of the worse wounds on the economy. But other than that, its an enigma. Even its bellicosity is questionable when paired with those screw-ups. But its a common-sensical, if counter-intuitive, bet that Un is a lot smarter than his clownish appearance lets on. As George Orwell informed us in 1984, a system governed by a loony ideology requires the self-controlled psychosis of doublethink. Even Big Brother has to practice doublethink: not because hes worried about being thrown to the Gulag, but because hes worried about setting an example. If he slacks off, its only a matter of time before the whole Inner Party goes wobbly. Thats why real-world Big Brothers like Nikita Khrushchev shifted from brutal cynicism to glaze-eyed mantras about the coming Communist Cornucopia and then back again. If youre the top boss of a system governed by a crack-brained ideology thats impossible to scale beyond a happy-clappy classroom or neighbourhood barbecue, you have to be a high-functioning partial psychotic. In Kims case, it means lapping up the cult-of-personality flattery but not letting it get to his head. The North Korean system, psychotic though it is, would be surprisingly hard to dislodge. Its military first? component has the fingerprints of someone who learned well the history of the Roman Empire. Surprisingly for a people whose identity came from successfully rebelling against a King, there was never any successful peoples rebellion against the Roman Empire even during its most predatory phase. Instead, Romans who reached their breaking points fled to the barbarian woods. Their mighty heritage notwithstanding, they knew that there was no way they could collectively defeat the very powerful legions. So, they took the cowardly? way out and ran away. The lesson is clear: strong army, strong regime. Significantly, very significantly if youre one of those who sees North Korea as a de facto absolute monarchy, Kim Jong Il gave his blessing for his sister to marry a North Korean army officer. The King does not give his blessing to a marriage of his sister to a cipher. As noted above, theres no hint of any active samizdat or resistance movement. This coheres with a picture of North Korean subjects as beaten down to the point where they slog along in drudgish compliance. Its depressing to admit, but those people are too beaten down  too brainwashed, if you will  to be of any use in a war of liberation. When your spirit is broken to the point where you see slavery as your lot in life, youll sloggingly comply with any master. The idea that youre a free person will be incomprehensible to you; youll believe in your bones that you were born to wear a saddle on your back. If U.S. troops liberate a North Korean village, theyll find that the liberatees will look at them, blinkingly, as if spellbound. Either that, or cheer in a way thats plainly servile (and will be all-but-indistinguishable from the servile cunning of a Nork agent.) Its not a question of opportunism: the folks at the bottom have been too beaten down even for that. Like beaten-down prisoners, theyll only show that theyre free people by escaping. Therefore, any war plan that as much as hopes for the support of the North Korean people is an exercise in folly. Any would-be liberators will face the six-million-strong North Korean army and will find that the liberatees chief interest will be staying out of the way. If those poor souls do show some spine, itll be the same kind of spine that the Romans trapped in the late Empire showed: the spine to flee and make do in a new land. Thats why China has an interest in propping the Kims up, even if North Korea is otherwise a pain in their necks. Its a relic of the olden days of messianic Communism; the Chinese regime started moving away from those days decades ago. China is now a fast-growing system of authoritarian quasi-capitalism, with the socialist component resembling a nation-wide shakedown racket. Like any wise mafiosi, the Chinese government is careful to dole out as well as take in. As a result, the Chinese spirit is an odd combination of grit-your-teeth and open boosterism: the kind that brands a critic or government-numbers-skeptic as a buttinsky furriner who wishes China ill. This boosterism makes China amenable to buttering-up. North Korea have moved beyond messianic Communism is a profoundly different way, one that undoubtedly makes the Chinese leadership see lil Kim? as embarrassing (or deeply amusing.) Nonetheless, the Chinese leadership prop-up the Kims for a very hard-headed reason. If the North Korean regime become weakened, the spirit-crushed folks at the bottom will exert the only spine they can muster: getting the heck out. If that occurs, the two Chinese provinces adjoining North Korea will endure a refugee crisis much worse that the one Europe is groaning under. The only alternative, from the Chinese point of view, is to endure a unified Korea under a government that is not aligned with its interests. That geopolitical outcome will create a lot of heebie-jeebies for them. The crucial takeaway is that the Chinese leadership does not love or admire Kims regime; like the proverbial marriage in haste, they put up with him. That means they do not have any emotional block against disciplining little Kim? if he gets out of hand. Theyve already shown signs of losing patience. After North Koreas nuclear test last year, which did cause earthquakes in China, theyve increasingly shown signs that Kim has crossed the line. Despite the self-sufficiency? credo, North Korea depends a lot on trade with China. The latter sent a significant message last February by cutting off their purchases of coal from the former. That surely hurt the North Korean economy. Contra that embargo, which led to China buying coal from the United States, the Chinese government said last Thursday that its overall trade with North Korea has increased overall by a huge amount. That announcement was not a statement of solidarity. Given that China cut off coal to implement tougher United Nations sanctions, a better interpretation is that China is saying that it can turn the screws a lot tighter. This take coheres with China moving 150,000 troops to the North Korean border. They could have been placed there to deter a flood of refugee escapees in the event that they do turn the screws tighter, in addition to sending a message to Kim Jong Un that he has crossed the line. President Trump is wise to delegate the task to the rulers of China. Because of the now-thin socialist tie and the fact that theyre neighbours, plus the fact that China has made something of a client state out of North Korea, the Chinese leadership knows a lot more about how North Korea ticks than any of us do. As explained above, a war of liberation is not feasible with a populace thats been beaten down so badly that their only lunge of freedom is escape. China has shown so far that its going along with the U.N., and theres good reason to infer that the Chinese leadership sees doing so to be in their own national interest. We need not extend trust to China so long as we trust in their national self-interest. Daniel M. Ryan, as Nxtblg, is shepherding the independently-run Open Audi Initiative Prediction Market Shadowing Project. He has stubbornly assumed all the responsibility and blame for the workings and outcome of the project. Home
Trumping healthcares bad hand By Scot Faulkner

As the White House and Republican leaders continue debates and negotiations on a new bill, the blamestorming continues over the failure to repeal and replace Obamacare. Congressional Republicans have only themselves to blame. Since returning to majority in the House in January 2011, Republicans have formally voted 54 times to address all or part of Obamacare. Six were votes on full appeal. In 2015, H.R. 132 is typical of these efforts. It simply stated: such Act is repealed, and the provisions of law amended or repealed by such Act are restored or revived as if such Act had not been enacted. Why didnt Republicans vote on this a few weeks ago? Republicans did not vote on simply going back in time, because they thought government should play a significant role in healthcare. It should not. Crippling regulations need to be changed and the private sector needs to be encouraged. Last months legislation did not clear the way for these solutions. The Republicans problem is squandering six years with legislation designed more for fundraising and campaigning than governing. Instead, they could have viewed their repeal and replace efforts as prototyping or beta-testing a new product or APP. They could have tested ideas and built Republican consensus. Not doing this led to disaster. What to do next? In 2013, I outlined a patient-centric versus politician-centric approach. Maybe now it will be followed. Those wanting an expanded governmental role in healthcare and those opposing it are fighting the wrong battle in the wrong way. The debate over national healthcare policy has lasted over a century  intensifying during the Clinton Administration and since Obamacare. It has always been about coverage, liability, and finance, never about care protocols and patients. If making health affordable is everyones stated goal, then why not focus on the actual care, health, and wellness of Americans? America remains the best place on Earth to have an acute illness or shock-trauma injury. Our nations emergency rooms and first responder protocols are unequaled. Princess Diana may have lived had her car accident happened in New York City instead of Paris. Americas diagnostic methods and equipment are unequaled. Thats why patients from all over the globe seek answers to complex symptoms by visiting the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins, Sloan Kettering and countless other world class facilities. The other side of American healthcare is its failings in chronic care, expense, and a system that is controlled by the medical profession, pharmaceutical companies and insurance industry. This triad of entrenched interests has prevented the widespread use of substances and therapies deemed effective in most of the world. Thankfully, an increasing number of healthcare professionals are embracing global best practices, virtual technology, and patient-centric methods. Some are even exploring homeopathic and nutritional treatments that are common place around the globe, but viewed as nontraditional in America. These innovations are improving the health of patients while driving down costs. This is the arena where policy-makers should check their partisanship at the door. Seeking ways to improve healthcare, not health financing, will ultimately make health affordable to us all. I have personal experience with the convergence of these worlds. Since 2007, I have been the primary caregiver to several family members with serious chronic conditions. These conditions have been punctuated by emergency care and major surgeries. Making decisions and managing treatment across this spectrum has been a real education that has helped me identify four major areas of opportunity for health and healthcare improvement, while addressing the affordability of private and public health services. First, not all ailments require doctors and prescription medications. Government and industry policies drive people away from cheaper and more effective natural remedies. Herbal remedies have been successfully used since the first humans. For example, apple cider vinegar has completely solved acid reflex. Cayenne pepper has improved heart function. However, natural substances are not covered as a medical expense either by insurance or tax deductions. Instead, acid reflex sufferers must pay for over-the-counter treatments (which are also not covered by insurance or tax deductions), or must obtain expensive prescriptions after paying to see a doctor or specialist. Being a natural treatment, the vinegar regime also avoids side effects and drug interactions. Why not go back to the future and find ways to support these more affordable and effective treatments? Second, nurse practitioners form one of the new front lines of care. The overwhelming majority of my familys office visits are with a nurse practitioner interacting with the patient and lab technicians. Occasionally, a doctor will review the information and discuss treatment options with the patient. Supporting the evolution to nurse practitioners through education, professional certification, protocol modifications and pricing would reduce costs and expand health options for professionals and patients. Third, community caregiving is another new frontline of achieving and sustaining wellness. In 2009-2011, I was part of the planning team for developing a community-based care system for the Atlanta area. We found a disturbing pattern  patients, especially Medicare/Medicaid patients, arrive in hospital emergency rooms when their chronic conditions (diabetes, congestive heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD, eg) become acute. These patients are treated at the most expensive point of care: emergency room. Once they are released, many do not have the support (family, friends, neighbors) or the capacity (some form of dementia) to follow a treatment regime that would prevent the next emergency room visit. These revolving door patients drive-up costs and end-up in a cycle of deterioration. Our solution was to develop a community-based healthcare network. Such networks are known as Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). They break-out of traditional hospital and doctor office environments to forge partnerships with the community  churches, social workers, local government, neighbor associations, and nonprofits. A needy patient with chronic conditions is assessed holistically. This includes risk factors (i.e. smoking, alcoholism, drugs) and environmental factors (family & home environment). A care plan is developed and assigned to a multi-faceted care team (comprising community resources) and a care manager. Doctors and nurses are part of the team. The majority of health actions take place among family and community  driven by electronic medical records, aided by remote sensors and virtual care, and guided by the managed care team. The result of this holistic approach is improved care, sustainable health and reduced costs. It is the one way Medicare and Medicaid costs can be substantially reduced while enhancing quality of life. There are initiatives to promote this methodology within the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), but it is occurring too slowly and is too isolated. ACOs are making a difference, but no major politician has embraced the concept and neither party has promoted them as a way to reduce Entitlement costs. Fourth, families have always been a pivotal component in healthcare. Whether it is a parent staying home to care for sick children, or adult children caring for ailing parents, family caregiving is vital; but it is also emotionally and financially draining. Having been the care manager, medical power of attorney, and patient advocate for both my parents and my wife, I know how much time is spent with ailing family members. Current IRS regulations provide for listing parents as dependents based only upon financial support. However, there are no tax credits or deductions for those who have the medical power of attorney and devote countless hours to direct care or acting as the patients advocate for managing their care. Politicians at both the state and federal levels should provide relief for this indispensable and growing volunteer service sector. Supporting Family-based assistance will save billions in public assistance. According to the National Alliance of Caregiving, 70 million Americans provide unpaid assistance and support to older people and adults with disabilities. Forty percent of these caregivers provide care for 2-5 years, while approximately 29% provide care for 5-10 years. Unpaid caregiving by family and friends has an estimated national economic value (in 2004) of $306 billion annually  exceeding combined costs for nursing home care ($103.2 billion) and home health care ($36.1 billion). This value is increasing as the population ages. These four areas of opportunity will not address every health issue or entirely diffuse the fiscal bombs strapped to medical entitlements, but they are a good nonpartisan start. It is time for politicians to focus on the wellbeing of patients, not themselves. Scot Faulkner was Chief Administrative Officer for the U.S. House of Representatives.He served on the ACO team for the Southeast Atlanta Health Care System [SAHCS], as an advisor to Kinexum, a medical research consortium, and as an advisor on professional standards and ethics to the American College of Dentists. He has been the medical power of attorney and primary caregiver for his spouse and parents since 2007. Home
My Pilgrimage: Chapter Nine: The Battle of the Gods And Oriental Patience By Michael Moriarty

Im a Judeo-Christian, so theres little doubt about the name of the God I worship. Jehovah. And the Lord I adore? Christ. However, since the God of Jehovah is indisputably being challenged by the Islamic God of Allah?! Which god will win? Thats simple. The god that doesnt condone suicide. Though there seem to be many different kinds of Islam, the Radical version has, with passionately devoted abandon, chosen, as well as mass murder, rabid suicide. Therefore, Islam is a kind of Judas Religion. Jealous of Jesus in much the same way Judas was, Mohammed obviously intended his followers to not only destroy Christ but all of Christianity. Christians are now dying in the Middle East because, at least according to Radical Islam, apparently nothing of any importance can be left on earth but Islam. The day in which I am writing this is Holy Saturday. It is the day in which Christs body lay in the tomb while His Spirit went through the Harrowing of Hell. During it, He brought salvation to all the righteous that had died since the beginning of the world. Christ was crucified because mankind repeatedly tries to kill God and God keeps forgiving His own creation, the human race, for wanting to destroy their Creator. Mohammed ordered his followers to kill in order to save Islam from anything that was or is not Islamic. Radical Muslims are encouraged to sacrifice their own lives, to commit suicide while they bomb and destroy any corner of humanity that Islam might consider heretical to Mohammed. There is no forgiveness in Radical Islam. Whereas Christ has become nothing but the symbol of forgiveness. Which Prophet will triumph? Christ or Mohammed? Matthew 18:3, Unless you become like little children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. And Christ clearly meant heaven on earth! If we cannot resurrect our innocence as children now, while we live? How can there possibly be any heaven for us in the afterlife? Whereas, Radical Islam feels commanded to create hell on earth for the non-believers. Somehow, through some bizarre sleight of intellectual and spiritual hand-wringing, to create hell on earth is to insure heaven in the afterlife. It sounds a lot like the dictator of North Korea, Kim Jong Un.

The Soul of ISIS and Kim Jong Un Is there much difference between the atomic bomb threats of Kim Jong Un and the nightmares of ISIS? Death to the Free World! Death to America!! Why are both Kim Jong Un and ISIS so certain that the deaths of both the Free World and America are possible? Members of ISIS commit suicide to serve their god, Allah. Kim Jong Un is committing inevitable suicide because apparently he thinks of himself as a kind of god. Some, incredibly horrible men like Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong, have gotten away with such godlike, homicidal behavior. Why? Communists, in their earliest days, were insanely fashionable and their Communist religion easy to sell. Nazism and Hitler were only fashionable in Germany and in a few diabolically shameless corners of humanity. The bloom of the Third Reich unavoidably fell off of the bloody rose. Nazi Germany was destroyed but Anti-Semitism? Its back! It will, of course, be unavoidably and inevitably sent into hiding again. Kim Jong Un, I suspect is more like Hitler than like either Stalin or Mao. Like Hitler, the only god he has to sell is himself. Hes not really a Communist. Hes Kim Jong Un. Like Hitler, hes simply an ultimately suicidal villain. He doesnt know that, of course. Thats why Christ, The Lamb, would have forgiven him because, as Jesus said from the Cross, Kim doesnt really know what he is doing. However, Christ of the Second Coming? Christ, the Lion! Kim and ISIS and Anti-Semitism?! News Flash: It seems, on this Holy Saturday, that Red China has successfully intervened and convinced Kim Jong Un that he shouldnt do anything more than parade a show of force. No atomic testing in North Korea on Holy Saturday. Perhaps Kim is more like Benito Mussolini without an Adolf Hitler. Red China, rather like President Trump, seems to have negotiated with their homicidal ally. Oriental patience with evil is far more enduring than wed hoped. How patient, however, is Christ of the Second Coming? We shall see. Michael Moriarty is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor who starred in the landmark television series Law and Order from 1990 to 1994. His recent film and TV credits include The Yellow Wallpaper, 12 Hours to Live, Santa Baby and Deadly Skies. Contact Michael at rainbowfamily2008@yahoo.com. He can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/@MGMoriarty. Home
The twisted ideology guiding North Koreas leadership By Jack Phillips

Brandishing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, North Korea has topped news headlines for the last decade as it has menaced its more prosperous neighbors. Unlike the Soviet Union, which collapsed and split into over a dozen non-communist nations, or China, whose leaders still follow the rule and ideology of the Communist Party but allow interaction with the outside world, North Korea has remained an isolated totalitarian state. Some have argued that North Korea isnt exactly communist, as the country removed all references to communism and Karl Marx from its constitution in the 2000s, and it follows a program of extreme nationalism and implicit dynastic succession. In lieu of Marxism, the official ideology is the so-called juche, a Chinese-derived name that is usually translated as self-reliance. But in terms of its leadership, society, and strictly controlled command economy, North Korea resembles, and surpasses, the archetypal authoritarian socialist regimes that existed during the Cold War. Moreover, the state owes its ideological foundations and very existence to communism and communist powers. In the 1940s, the Soviet Union sent specialists to help Kim Il Sung consolidate power and establish a communist regime. They also trained and sent thousands of agents to destabilize U.S.-led efforts to establish a democracy in South Korea. To gain power, Kim used the same formula as nearly every budding communist dictator: purging counter-revolutionaries. In North Korea, this was called the Concentrated Guidance Campaign. Some 800,000 North Koreans fled to the south, and the state labeled the remaining family members of individuals who fled to South Korea as counter-revolutionaries. Cult of Personality In a style almost exactly mimicking that of Josef Stalin, Kim erected a cult of personality around himself, purging the Korean Workers Party of all dissent and banishing designated class enemies into a network of gulagsthe infamous kwanliso. Little scholarship can be conducted on North Korea, but the Kim regime is believed to have murdered between 710,000 and 3.5 million people, according to researchers, while experts estimate that some 150,000 to 200,000 North Koreans are currently imprisoned in a system of labor campsof those, 50,000 to 70,000 are Christians. Hundreds of thousands of North Koreans were forced to flee the country, with most going to China. Kim targeted Korean Christians in particular. We have executed all Protestant and Catholic church cadre members and all other vicious religious elements have been sent to concentration camps, he once proclaimed in 1962. Their beliefs got in the way of the regimes propaganda campaign effectively proclaiming Kim as being a living god. In practice, North Koreas juche ideology promotes bizarre forms of ethnic nationalism, describing the Kim family as saviors of the Korean race. Under Kim, Soviet-style plans were initially implemented, including the seizure of private property as well as of national industries. By 1950, Kim was obsessed with unifying North and South Korea before he received substantial help from Soviet advisers, who helped draw up invasion plans and provided military equipment. Later, Chinese Communist Party leader Mao Zedong deployed 300,000 troops to North Korea during the Korean War. An Anomaly Officially, North Korea says it isnt communist, but it behaves as if it is. The country is an anomalyit could be more accurately described as a communist-inspired monarchy, as some experts have said. The communist Workers Party is the founding and ruling political party of North Korea and uses an emblem thats an adaptation of the communist hammer and sickle, along with a Korean writing brush. In 2012, it claimed that juche is now the only guiding idea of the Party, as juche can be used to keep the Kim familys stranglehold on power. Andrei Lankov of NK News, a Washington-based independent news site, said the ruling Workers Party effectively runs on a Marxist-Leninist model: North Korea might be the only place on the face of the earth where these basic principles, once developed by Joseph Stalin around 1930, are still implemented consistently. Admittedly, the universal truth of Marxism-Leninism has been replaced by the same truth of juche, and many elements of the system have been redesigned. Nonetheless, this is still the closest approximation to the once common model, a living fossil of a sort. The promotion of communism and Marxism-Leninism seemingly started to disappear after Kim Il Sungs death in 1994. By 2009, references to the word communism had been dropped from North Koreas constitution while pictures of Marx and Lenin were removed from public areas. Kim Il Sung and his son, Kim Jong Il, were frequently displayed next to them, while both Kims are credited with writing a huge number of books on Marxist theory. When the Soviet Union collapsed, the juche ideology became the primary doctrine, as the Kim dynasty is much more than just an authoritarian political regime. It holds itself to be the ultimate source of power, virtue, spiritual wisdom, and truth for its citizens, writes DailyNK, a South Korean online newspaper. Another deviation from typical Marxist states is the songbun system, a kind of caste system that was adopted by the communist Workers Party in the late 1950s. It amounted to being a massive purge of North Koreas society that created five social classes. The songbun system, which came into full power around 1967, divides the population into groups, according to the actions and status of their paternal ancestor (and themselves, depending on their age) during the Japanese colonial period and the Korean War, according to NK News. In theory, there are no classes in communist societiesbut granulated class hierarchies have developed in both the Soviet Union and China. The Chinese Communist Party, for example, has a fantastically complex hierarchy, in which top-level communists enjoy the greatest privileges. The Organisation Guidance Department of the Communist Party controlled the songbun system. Many experts believe it was the true center of power in the 1960s, when North Korean authorities began classifying every citizen as an enemy or a supporter. But it still retains hallmarks typical of communist states, including the imagery and obsession with ideology. Propaganda pieces of the Kim family are painted in a communist socialist realist style. Blood red banners and interior design are commonplace. Kim Jong Un, grandson of Kim Il Sung and current leader, has sported a Mao-style suit, while the party recently granted him the title of chairman, akin to Mao. Hes also the chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers Party and the Central Military Commissions, which are communist in origin. North Koreas apparatus of repression is decidedly Stalinist in nature. Every newspaper, book, and magazine is authorized by the government to promote the Kim family, and North Koreans are forbidden from listening to foreign broadcasters or reading foreign publications. In North Koreas gulag system, in which an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 people are currently held, prisoners are subjected to forced labor, starvation, forced abortions, mass executions, torture, beatings, and more. Children born to parents in the camps remain there for the rest of their lives, as part of the the lowest caste in the songbun system. In this way, North Korea has surpassed even the Soviet Union. In 2014, the United Nations investigated Kim Jong Uns regime for committing crimes against humanity and possibly genocidealso hallmarks of communist regimes. Even now as I speak here today, there are still babies being born in the camps, public executionslike that of my mother and brotherhappening in the camp, and dying from beatings and starvations, camp survivor Shin Dong-Hyuk said in 2014, after the release of a report commissioned by human rights group Human Liberty on the alleged genocide. Jack Phillips is a senior reporter and columnist with The Epoch Times where this essay originally appeared. Home
Supply crunch or oil glut: Investment banks can't agree



By Tsvetana Paraskova

In recent years, U.S. shale has thrown in another unknown in the mix of factors driving the price of oil. This year, shale output forecasts combine with OPEC's production cuts, geopolitical factors, and unexpected outages to further complicate supply/demand and oil price forecasts by Wall Street's major investment banks.



The biggest banks remain bullish on oil prices, expecting moderate price gains by the end of the year, even after last month WTI prices dropped below $50 for a couple of weeks.



But analyst projections about oil global supply and demand are increasingly diverging, because expectations of the combined effects of OPEC's cuts, U.S. shale production, new oil discoveries, and new project start-ups also differ a lot.



Goldman Sachs, for example, expects a "material oversupply" in 2018-2019, due to the increase in mega projects production in 2017-19 as a result of the record spending in those projects between 2011 and 2013. Short-cycle shale output will also add to the glut, says Goldman, projecting an additional 1 million bpd to global supply by 2018-2019 coming from the mega projects sanctioned before the oil price crash and from U.S. shale output.



Morgan Stanley, however, begs to differ, and has recently said that "by 2020, we estimate that [around] 1.5 million bpd of demand will need to come from projects that have not been sanctioned yet, but that have break-even oil prices of $70-75 a barrel."



UBS, for its part, expects a 4-million-bpd supply gap by 2020.



"Beyond 2017, the impact of a collapse in longer-cycle conventional investment over 2014-16 begins to be felt. 2015 saw just six major upstream projects totaling [some] 0.6 million bpd ... versus the 3-4 million bpd average, and 2016 has seen just one major liquids project sanctioned," UBS strategist Jon Rigby told Reuters.



Analysts and industry bodies warn of a supply crunch, especially after 2020, when the effect of the significantly lowered investments in conventional projects during the downturn will show. The International Energy Agency (IEA) sees a shortage in oil supply after 2020, "unless new projects are approved soon". According to the IEA, supply could lag demand in a few years, which could lead to a surge in oil prices.



"In the next few years, oil supply is growing in the United States, Canada, Brazil and elsewhere but this growth could stall by 2020 if the record two-year investment slump of 2015 and 2016 is not reversed. While investments in the US shale play are picking up strongly, early indications of global spending for 2017 are not encouraging," the IEA said in a report last month.



According to Wood Mackenzie, although projects around the world slated for final investment decisions (FIDs) will double this year compared with 2016, and prospects for 2017 are largely looking good, "the longer-term deepwater pipeline is more challenged."



The oil price slump has not only deferred some investment decisions, it has also forced companies to scale back exploration spending for conventional oil.



Last year, total global discovered volumes of oil and gas combined hit their lowest since the 1940s, according to Rystad Energy. The Oslo-based consultancy sees exploration activity slowly picking up from 2018.



Although last year's low discovery volumes won't have an immediate effect on global supply, they could influence supply a decade or so into the future because of the long lead-time in sanctioning conventional oil developments and actual production start-ups.



Meanwhile, short-cycle U.S. shale is now more flexible in scaling back or resuming production, depending on the price of oil and well economics. This adds another conundrum for investment banks in predicting oil prices - how fast U.S. supply could grow and how many barrels it could add on the global oil market.



Tsvetana Paraskova is a writer for Oilprice.com where this originally appeared. Home
The EU Trust Fund for Africa allocated 90 million to boost the protection of migrants and reinforce migration management in Libya. The program will specifically target the root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa, focusing on better resilience of migrants, refugees, and host communities in the North African country. Federica Mogherini, chief of the EU diplomacy, said that Libya and the Libyans have always been and remain to be the EUs top priority.

We are working to promote a political solution to the Libyan crisis and to support the Libyan authorities on the many challenges they have to face, including the managing of the migration flows. As the first donor for Libya, we already are providing a sizeable package of support worth 120 million to assist the authorities and the population, Ms. Mogherini said. The EU is already working on two major fronts in Libya  providing training and capacity building to the coast guard to save lives in the Mediterranean Sea as well as addressing the dire situation of the migrants stranded in Libya. EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides also stressed that the EU remained committed to help people in need wherever they are and to leave no one behind.

The EU has also allocated a development aid package of 47 million to the African region of the Great Lakes as well as Southern Africa and Indian Ocean region. The aim is to provide humanitarian assistance to help people in need who continue to face the consequences of years of conflict and displacement, food insecurity and natural disasters. Of the 47 million, 32 will be distributed in the Great Lakes region  including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania, while 15 million will go to the Southern Africa and Indian Ocean region, including Madagascar, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland, and Lesotho.
The GBP/EUR exchange rate gained well over half a cent on Tuesday following a surprise announcement from UK Prime Minister Theresa May.

May confirmed a UK snap election would be held on the 8th of June. Investors poured into the Pound on bets that May would comfortably increase her mandate and minimise the opposition to her Brexit plans.

In the wake of the bank holiday weekend the Pound Euro exchange rate continued to trend higher in the region of 1.1826.

Demand for the Euro remained soft as the French presidential race tightened further, with investors viewing the results of the first round of voting with increasing uncertainty.

Investors Flock to GBP after Trump Calls USD Too Strong

The Pound was once again enjoying its status as a last-resort safe-haven on Thursday after US President Donald Trump claimed in an interview broadcast late on Wednesday that the US Dollar was too strong.

With the major risk events of the referendum and the triggering of Article 50 in the past, the balance of risks to the Pound is now significantly reduced, making it appealing when the USD and EUR are facing notable headwinds.

This pushed GBP/EUR exchange rates up despite a lack of UK data, with the only domestic release being the RICS house price balance, which didnt have much of an impact after holding steady at 22%.

Jean-Luc Melenchon continued to see a surge in popularity, unsettling financial markets on Thursday with just eleven days before the first round of voting in the French presidential elections.

Leftist Melenchon threatened to steal votes from centrist Emmanuel Macron, who was the new favourite to beat far-right Marine Le Pen in the second round of voting.

However, Melenchon wants to hold a Frexit referendum meaning that, should voters who strongly oppose the far-right flock to him instead of Macron, the final round of voting will still be between two candidates who both intend to shake up the Eurozone or European Union.

This prompted Euro exchange rates to decline across the board.

Economic Outlook in Focus for GBP on Sparse Data Calendar?

Traders will return from the long Easter weekend to find next week largely devoid of UK data.

This will leave economic sentiment as the key driving force behind Pound Sterling exchange rates, which could see GBP depreciate as traders await GDP figures for the first quarter of 2017.

Fridays retail sales figures for March will further round off the picture of consumer spending in the first quarter.

Euro Forecast to Become More Politically Correlated as Elections Approach

The impending first round of presidential elections is likely to keep the Euro on muted form over the coming days, even if late opinion polls suggest Macron will make it through to the second round of voting.

Eurozone ecostats are rather sparse over the coming days, although with investors focussing on the vote an empty data docket may go largely unnoticed.

In fact, the busiest day for Eurozone data, Friday 21st, is also the last day of trading before the French head to the polls, so the slew of preliminary Markit PMIs are very likely to be ignored unless they show a considerable deviation from previous figures.

GBP EUR Data Releases

18/04/17:

EUR ECB Survey of Professional Forecasters

19/04/17:

09:00 EUR Eurozone Consumer Price Index (MoM) (MAR)

09:00 EUR Eurozone Consumer Price Index (YoY) (MAR F)

09:00 EUR Eurozone Consumer Price Index - Core (YoY) (MAR F)
Hello mates,



One of my friends (Civil Engineer) has applied for MSA CDR assessment but has forgotten to apply for relevant exp assessment (RSEA).



Can he apply for exp assessment now?

How much will be the extra cost?

How long will it take?

Does he need to make another fast track payment for this too?

What are the extra docs he has to submit?



Thanks in adv.



Sam
Thanks Auld.



Point 1) ...ok will get PCC done for both places.





Point 2)



The online-form calls for



-Date from and to?

-Address

-City

-Country



Actually, I have forgotten the address of the very first part of my recent 10 years that April 2007 to July 2007 nor do I have any record of the same. Pls advise what address do I fill in?.....



a)Should I fill-in bogus details as there is no way to cross check since there is no space for landlord details like name or phone number.



or



b)Should I omit the details for this period?





Regards
Our local AVF has placed a few foreigners with the hypermarkets here in the area. It's not a formal program, just a couple of the members who know someone that is involved with hiring at the stores. At least two of the people who got their jobs this way have made something of a career out of it - both are now supervisors of sorts in their respective areas.



From what I have heard, yeah, the pay tends to be SMIC and the hours can be kind of irregular and subject to change. You're not necessarily guaranteed a fixed number of hours nor a set schedule. Can be evenings and weekends for a while until you've built up considerable seniority. But like I said, at least two of the folks I know have been in place for several years now and are in supervisory positions. (Not management, but definitely with more authority than the newbies on the job.)

Cheers,

Bev
Mannaggia Denise!(=what a shame, Denise!)

I'm sorry we missed, but I'm happy you had a good time there.

I'm happy you want to rent an apartment here. I dont know a lot about the rent, I live in Recanati and all the area is not so cheap.

If you are interested in Ancona, I think Le Palombare or Posatora are two quiet and not expensive quarters; if you have a good budget, in the historic center Adriatico and Capodimonte are two good options ( but I never lived there, so I dont know).

Quarters to avoid: Railstation area, Piano San Lazzaro, Baraccola.

In the surrounding: if you dont mind to take the car, villages as Agugliano are near the city and less expensive.

Speaking about Marche region, if you like the coast, rent a house on the hills because is cheaper and you can reach the coast with 5 minutes driving.

An advice: dont take a country house lost in the beautiful country, for one month or for retirement. Youll kill yourself or, in a better scenario, youll never be part of the local community. Believe me, is a good option only for people who work in tourism industry.

Anyway, sorry for the long answer. Im new in this forum, but I think we can write our phone number or email address in a private conversation.

Let me know when youll come. Im not a tour guide, but Im happy to help foreigners as and when I can.

Have a nice day

Dafne
Pepone said: In Italy long term renting for cars is popular (noleggio auto lungo termine), should be possible more easy for non residents.... Click to expand...

I spoke with a couple of dealers, and both wanted residence cards. This may simply have been because they never did it without and did not want to dig into it. The lease is treated same as financing, so that may have been a major roadblock.We ended up buying, (our Permesso came in and residence cards only took a week in our small Commune) Fiat always has deals going. Insurance, we went through our American USAA bank which is used to doing policies for expats. We compared prices and they were about the same as the usual collection (UK based, Italy based) price wise.I have a sense that Pepone means renting, like from an agency. Yes that is a decent option. We looked at prices and found that Maggiore was quite reasonable for longer leases, a little 500 or Panda for about 300EU a month. For initial car needs, the French long term leases are an excellent deal. Especially since they come with full insurance. We took ours back with a few small paint chips from gravel getting tossed up on some of the Abruzzo roads. They just said 'that is what the insurance is for', and signed off the return slip.
I tried Acierto but they want a postcode and as I'm still in UK I don't have one yet and it won't let me carry on without one. Any ideas?
The majority of British people do not want fewer international students to study in the UK despite calls for an immigration crackdown as part of the process of leaving the European Union.Some 73% of the British public would like to see the same number or more international students coming to study post Brexit as they believe they make a valuable contribution to the economy and generate jobs.  Indeed, most people do not view international students as immigrants, with only 26% doing do, according to a new poll by ComRes for Universities UK, the organisation which represents universities across the country.Overall, the survey found that 64% of British adults think international students have a positive impact on the local economies of the towns and cities in which they study and 61% think that international students also have a valuable social and cultural impact on university towns and cities.The poll shows that, while there remain concerns about immigration levels in many parts of the country, the public recognise the substantial gains to towns, cities and regions from having international students in their area. The results also show that universities play a critical role in ensuring that their international connections help benefit the region.Some 75% also believe that international students should be allowed to work in the UK for a fixed period after they have graduated, rather than returning immediately to their home country after completing their studies.Recently published figures on the economic impact of international students in the UK produced for Universities UK by Oxford Economics showed that they now generate more than 26 billion for the economy and their spending supported 206,600 jobs in university towns and cities across the UK.It is clear that the British public does not see international students as long term migrants, but as valuable, temporary visitors. They come to the UK, study for a period, then the vast majority return home, said Dame Julia Goodfellow, president of Universities UK and vice-chancellor of the University of Kent.In the context of concerns about the impact of globalisation, this poll shows that universities are able to ensure that their international links provide a direct benefit to the region. It is clear that the positive economic impact of international students extends to all corners of the UK, and not only to London or one or two large cities, she explained.The poll shows also the public recognises the valuable social and cultural impact international students have in regions across the country. But, while the UK Government continues to count international students as long-term migrants in its target to reduce migration, there is a continued pressure to reduce their numbers, adding to the perception that they are not welcome here, she pointed out.She added that the most recent figures on international students in the UK showed a worrying decline in the number of new international enrolments over recent years. At the same time, competitor countries such as the United States and Australia have seen increases.Both countries open their arms to international students and classify them as being non-permanent or temporary residents in their immigration systems. The UK could be doing much better than this. The UK has the potential to be one of the world's fastest growing destinations for international students, building on its current status as the second most popular destination for international students after the US, said Goodfellow.If the UK wants to remain a top destination for international students, we need a new immigration policy that encourages them to choose the UK. As the UK prepares to exit the EU, it is more important than ever that we project a welcoming message to talented people from across the world, she added.
OPEC is finally making some headway in its race against the tide of surging U.S. supplies, and speculators are giving the group greater credence.

Hedge funds boosted bets on higher West Texas Intermediate crude prices a second week as futures topped $53 a barrel for the first time in a month, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission data show. While more OPEC members are seen ready to extend output cuts, U.S. crude stockpiles dropped from a record. Fuel supplies are shrinking week after week at a time refineries are stepping up their crude processing ahead of the summer driving season.

Theres renewed faith that OPEC and non-OPEC will be able to get global inventories lower, said John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital LLC, a New York-based hedge fund that focuses on energy. Were also looking forward to the ramp-up of refineries before the summer driving season, which will also help lower crude inventories.

There are many indicators pointing to a more balanced market, Saudi Arabian Oil Co. CEO Amin Nasser said during an event Friday at Columbia University in New York.

World stockpiles should soon start to decline, the International Energy Agency said in a monthly report Thursday. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries said in a report a day earlier that inventories shrank in developed nations during the first quarter, while forecasting that rivals in the U.S. shale industry will boost output.

Money managers WTI net-long position, or the difference between bets on a price increase and wagers on a drop, climbed 16 percent in the week ended April 11, according to the CFTC. WTI rose 4.6 percent to $53.40 a barrel in the report week, and slipped to $52.61 in midday trading Monday.

Futures closed at the highest in six weeks on April 11 after Saudi Arabia was said to likely support prolonging OPEC output cuts. Ministers are scheduled to gather in Vienna on May 25 to discuss whether the group will roll over for another six months the 1.2 million barrels a day in output curbs that went into effect in January.

Theres an increasing likelihood that on May 25 OPEC will agree to extend production cuts, said Jason Schenker, president of Prestige Economics LLC in Austin. The outlook is improving regardless of the high level in overall inventories. The OPEC meeting will take place just before the Memorial Day holiday, which is the start of the summer driving season.

U.S. crude inventories fell 2.17 million barrels from an all-time high in the week ended April 7, according to the Energy Information Administration. Refineries processed 16.7 million barrels a day of crude during the period, the highest since January. U.S. fuel producers typically boost crude processing at this time of year as they prepare for the summer surge in gasoline demand.

The net-long position in WTI rose by 42,199 futures and options to 309,229. Longs climbed 2.8 percent, while shorts tumbled 31 percent, the biggest drop in four months.

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.

Net-long positions in Brent oil also increased. Speculators wagers on the grade, the global benchmark traded in London, rose by 33,925 contracts to 437,244, the biggest gain in four months, data from ICE Futures Europe showed.

Meanwhile, gasoline inventories dropped an eighth week, the longest stretch of declines in three years. Stockpiles of distillate fuel, a category that includes diesel and heating oil, fell a ninth week to the lowest since November. It was the longest stretch of pullbacks in distillate supplies since 2010.

Net bullish bets on gasoline climbed 19 percent to the highest since February. Net-long wagers on U.S. ultra-low sulfur diesel surged 51 percent, the biggest gain this year.

The numbers reflect slightly more bullish sentiment in the marketplace, Schenker said. The continued draw in product stocks is supportive as is the expected start of the summer driving season.
How much do you love your workplace?

To the depth and breadth and height your soul can reach? OK, probably not that much, with apologies to poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning. But you can count the ways you love  or strongly like  your employer by nominating your company as a Top Workplace.

For the ninth year running, the San Antonio Express-News is teaming up with WorkplaceDynamics to find San Antonios best employers, and the final deadline for entry is being extended to May 19.

Last year, nearly 30,000 employees from 138 companies and organizations were surveyed on their benefits, the importance of ethics and values within the company, and other topics.

NuStar Energy was the 2016 winner in the large employer category. Health Texas Medical Group of San Antonio took top honors among midsize workplaces, while South Texas Renal Care Group won the small employer category.

The Top Workplaces survey is open to any organization in the San Antonio area with 35 or more workers, at no cost to the employer. But it requires that a minimum of 35 percent of the employees fill out an anonymous 24-question survey.

Bob Helbig of Workplace Dynamics said the Top Workplaces awards can be a morale booster for employees and a branding tool for the companies that win. To be a well-run, highly functioning and highly productive company does not happen by accident, Helbig said.

When people find out a company has been designated a Top Workplace, they often see an increase in job applications, both in terms of the number of applications and in terms of the quality of the job applicants. Its good for business, whether its for recruiting or new business. Who wouldnt want to work for a Top Workplace or do business with a top workplace?

Last years contest found that some San Antonio businesses pumped up perks to attract and retain top talent  offering everything from on-site fitness centers and lactation rooms for new working moms to health insurance for four-legged family members  and everything in between.

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.

Commercial real estate company Transwestern, which provides medical coverage and membership in professional organizations for employees, also counts its in-house March Madness pool and a fully stocked wine fridge among its employee benefits.

This years winners will be announced in the San Antonio Express-News in October. Southwest Research Institute President Adam Hamilton was the keynote speaker at last years luncheon, which drew a crowd of 715 local business leaders and executives.

Each participating company will receive a free overview of its results from WorkplaceDynamics, the research partner for the project, which conducts Top Workplaces surveys for more than 40 major metro newspapers. The company surveyed 2.8 million employees at nearly 7,000 organizations in 2016.

You can nominate your employer online at mysanantonio.topworkplaces.com or by calling (210) 348-3758.

jhiller@express-news.net

Twitter: @Jennifer_Hiller
Bed Bath & Beyond used to sell Ivanka Trumps diaper bags in various prints on its vast online store. Suddenly, in March, the listings disappeared.

A customer service representative said at the time that the retailer no longer sold the first daughters merchandise.

Despite it being a single, vaguely humorous product, activists who despise her father declared victory.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trumps supporters (and those of his daughter) lashed out.

Bed Bath & Beyond decided to walk back the reps statement, assuring shoppers that although Ivankas wares no longer were available online, they still could be found in some stores.

Versions of this situation have played out among other retailers that sell Trump-branded goods.

When Trump products vanished from Belks website in February, the company told customers the decision was part of normal business operations and that Trumps line was available at its three flagship stores.

Her products also no longer appear on the website of Burlington Coat Factory, although theyre still carried in its physical stores. Same goes for Saks Off 5th and Stein Mart.

Then theres TJ Maxx and Marshalls, both owned by TJX Cos., which sent a note to employees instructing them to take down signs bearing the Ivanka Trump name and logo, the New York Times reported. Trump wares were removed from special featured displays and mixed into the regular racks.

Again, the company assured customers that it would continue to sell her merchandise in its stores.

Retailers have been hitting the same refrain  that all of this is business as usual  but activists and industry observers disagree. Usually, online assortments are much larger than whats on the racks, not the other way around.

A spokesperson for Ivanka Trumps brand said it has no control over how products are merchandised and that rotating products from online to in-store is typical.

The closely held company licenses her name to vendors that make goods, including a $100 million clothing line made by G-III Apparel Group, as well as shoes and accessories.

She has transferred its assets to a trust overseen by relatives of her husband, Jared Kushner, retaining ownership of the company and receiving payouts.

Sales growth for G-III slowed for the year ended Jan. 31, a securities filing states. Net sales grew by $17.9 million last fiscal year, a 39 percent drop from a $29.4 percent increase in the same period a year earlier.

Shannon Coulter, a co-founder of Grab Your Wallet, an anti-Trump consumer movement thats spearheaded retailer boycotts, said stores probably are trying to neutralize any public relations problems by removing Ivanka Trumps name from their websites.

Meanwhile, retailers can recover some margin by liquidating the line at physical locations. They also can point to the store presence to mollify pro-Trump groups.

Hiding or downplaying the existence of Trump goods doesnt fool consumers, though, Coulter said. Grab Your Wallet continues to boycott retailers that sell Ivanka Trumps brand in any capacity, she said.

Many retailers have been cagey or simply silent. None of those that removed Ivanka Trump from their websites have said whether the brand will return there.

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.

Also, none of those contacted by Bloomberg have said they dumped Trump over politics.

A representative for Belk said it still carries Trumps brand but declined to provide further details. Saks Off 5th declined to comment. Bed Bath & Beyond, TJX, Stein Mart and Burlington didnt respond to requests for comment.

All this began back in November, when Trumps father won the election. Ivanka Trump-brand products started disappearing from such big-name retailers as Nordstrom Inc., Neiman Marcus and ShopStyle.

Anti-Trump activists called for boycotts against anyone who sold her familys products, while Trump supporters called for boycotts of anyone who stopped selling them.

In February, Nordstrom confirmed that it would stop selling her line, citing poor sales.

It quickly found itself in the presidents Twitter feed, where he wrote that his daughter was being treated so unfairly. Kellyanne Conway, a White House adviser, defended the first daughter in a television appearance, delivering what she called a free commercial.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Conway was counseled for her actions (which appeared to violate a ban on executive branch employees endorsing products).

Ivanka Trump and Kushner now have formal roles in the Trump administration. In an attempt to distance herself from the brand, she announced earlier this year that she was handing day-to-day management to top lieutenant Abigail Klem.

Given the regular drumbeat of conflict-of-interest allegations by Trump opponents, and the pushback by some supporters, its no surprise that most stores would seek to avoid the fray. Still, says one public relations expert, it may be best for retailers to pick a side. Youre going to be criticized either way, so pick a team, pick a position and stay on it, said Dorothy Crenshaw, founder of PR company Crenshaw Communications.
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CHICAGO  Many teens spend their summers lifeguarding or ice-cream scooping. Not Evon Lopez.

Lopez, at 16, spent the summer between her sophomore and junior years of high school interning at Abbott Laboratories. At graduation from the eight-week program last August, she delivered a PowerPoint presentation detailing, among other things, corporate safety initiatives at the health care company headquartered outside Chicago.

Sound like a snooze? To the contrary, Lopez said the experience reinforced her interest in architectural engineering.

Asked to name the highlights of the program, the teen described a visit to Abbotts nutrition facility in Ohio where employees explained how they created formula to save infants lives.

It just shows that their goal is to help as many people as they can in any way possible, Lopez said of the company, and thats a place that I would like to work in.

An interest in jobs with a greater social purpose is a hallmark of the millennial generation. But Lopez is a member of Generation Z, the post-millennial group that is just starting to graduate from high school and college and catch the interest of employers.

Gen Z is composed of the kids who were born, roughly, between 1995 and 2010 and came of age during the Great Recession.

Though its too soon to say how Gen Z might shape the workplace, early surveys paint a portrait distinct from the wide-eyed, self-involved image of their millennial predecessors. Gen Zers, an emerging trove of research suggests, are entrepreneurial yet pragmatic, hardworking yet easily distracted, with a streak of realism running through their desire to make a social impact.

Some employers are trying to appeal to Gen Z early, with versions of internships normally reserved for college students now being extended to high schoolers to create a pipeline of talent.

At Abbott, which started its high school internship five years ago, starting younger also is meant to address the shortfall of women and minorities in the STEM  science, technology, engineering and math  workforce, which is important as it serves an increasingly diverse customer base.

What we want to do is increase the possibility that they will enter STEM, be successful at it and be able to go on and have meaningful careers in these areas, said Corlis Murray, Abbotts top engineer and leader of the high school internship program. The younger we reach them, the higher we increase that probability.

With the rise of early professional exposure, members of Gen Z are positioned for powerful careers, said Jeanne Meister, partner at Future Workplace, a human resources research company in New York.

They are definitely more serious and mature entering the workforce than millennials, Meister said.

Assigning sweeping generalizations to a generation of 60 million people is, at best, an inexact exercise, but that doesnt stop a steady drip of research from offering varied takes on Gen Z.

They are radically different from millennials, said David Stillman, co-author with 17-year-old son Jonah of the book Gen Z Work, released in March.

If everyone-gets-a-trophy millennials, reared by baby boomers during flush times, prioritized passion and teamwork, then Gen Z, raised by independent Generation Xers during times of financial distress, learned that you have to fight hard to win, Stillman said.

We have a generation entering the workforce that is extremely competitive, said Stillman, who has written several books on how generations interact in the workplace.

Some Gen Z traits seem old-school.

Three-quarters of Gen Zers say they are willing to start at the bottom and work their way to the top, implying a respect for paying dues, research by Stillman has found. More than 60 percent said they are willing to stay at a company for 10 years, suggesting a return to employer loyalty after the job-hopping tendencies of millennials. Only 8 percent said they want an open-office concept, despite workspace design trends that have been knocking down walls to emphasize collaboration.

But other traits are less traditional. For example, more than half of Gen Zers want to write their own job description, reflecting a desire for a hypercustomized career experience that could be driven by the personal branding social media has pushed since they were kids, Stillman said.

That preference could draw them to small and medium-sized businesses, where employees can more easily wear multiple hats than at large companies, he said.

Indeed, a survey last year by Accenture of the 2016 graduating college class, by some measures the vanguard of Gen Z, found that they are three times more likely to want to work at a small or medium company than a large one, presenting big companies with a recruiting challenge.

Some employers are being proactive by planting a seed early.

Southwest Airlines last summer hosted its third class of high school interns, who worked for eight weeks at the companys Dallas headquarters. This fall, it plans to host its first aviation day for kids in third through eighth grade, a free event that will include guest speakers and a tour of an aircraft maintenance hangar.

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.

Anticipating a massive skills shortage as baby boomers retire, Greg Muccio, a senior manager in Southwests people department, said the airline industry needs to drum up excitement among youths.

We have consciously set down a path to start reaching a much younger audience to encourage them and make them aware of a career in aviation, he said. Some of the industrys biggest needs are in hourly entry-level jobs that dont require higher education, so Muccio wants to appeal to high schoolers who may not be interested in or ready for college.

Southwest this summer also will host its third summer camp for the high-school-age children of employees across the country. The three-day event of tours and games in Dallas, which last year drew 150 teens, aims to steer those already familiar with the company to careers there by showing what it takes to be a pilot or a mechanic.

Back at Abbott, the company is starting to see the fruits of its high school investment.

Nick Urh, who was in Abbotts first high school internship class, went back as a college intern and now is in its professional development program, rotating through various divisions at the company. He is currently in the diabetes division in Alameda, California, working on glucose meters that will no longer require finger pricks.

It really opened my eyes to the potential we had to impact so many lives, he said.

Urh, 23, who grew up in Gurnee, Illinois, and graduated last year from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is on the generational cusp. He says he identifies with both the millennial eagerness to make a social difference and the Gen Z appetite for job security  and, thanks to the internship, sees a path to achieve both.

Urh expects to be hired as a permanent employee at Abbott once the development program finishes in June and hopes to pursue a career there in manufacturing operations.

Why should I leave? Urh said.

Music to an employers ears.
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At 34, Eric Pena has his sights set on something neither of his parents ever had: a college degree.

He had tried attending Palo Alto college for nine months after graduating from South San High School, but ended up having to prioritize making a living over his own education.

I was starting my life, trying to be my own person, a bunch of bills were catching up with me, Pena said. Later on I had a child, so life just started catching up.

But this fall, Pena is hoping to return to Palo Alto College, this time tuition-free and with counseling provided by the new Upgrade program, a collaboration between the city and San Antonio Education Partnership that offers free case management to San Antonio adults looking to achieve a college degree.

Pena is one of 300,000 working adults identified in Bexar County who started college but never finished. Just seven months ago he was hired as a maintenance crew leader at the San Antonio Public Library downtown. Now that he can go to school tuition-free  a perk of working for the city  Pena is hoping to finish what he started years ago.

The program is the brainchild of Mayor Ivy Taylor and County Judge Nelson Wolff, who said that getting more, higher-qualified adults working in San Antonio will boost San Antonios workforce and economic development.

The city gave $82,000 from its Economic Development Incentive Fund to start up the program, which is reaching out to local businesses so their employees can benefit from the counseling it provides.

Cities and communities that can attract skilled labor, can develop skilled labor, and can retain skilled labor, are the ones that are going to prosper, said Wolff at the recent launch of the program. And if we step up and continue to do that, well continue to build on the momentum of our economy here in San Antonio.

Like the city, the county also is offering tuition assistance for any of its employees who enter the Upgrade program.

There are numerous benefits to graduating from college. Adults with postsecondary degrees earn $30,000 more on average than those with just high school diplomas, according to city officials. But for some, burdened by the challenges that life threw their way or their own poor choices at a young age, getting that degree is especially difficult.

Its a very simple issue: its called life, said Bruce Leslie, chancellor of the Alamo Colleges. Adult students often are confronted by realities of families, finances, work, health, health of their parents  all of these things get in the way.

Any adults who are returning to a higher education institution to complete a degree can apply for the free program. For more information, go to http://www.upgradesatx.org/

Pena said without a bachelors degree, hes in a professional rut. No matter what kind of skills, abilities and knowledge hes picked up through life experience, hes stuck in the kinds of jobs that dont require a degree. Some places wont give him a second thought if they dont see the word bachelors on his resume, he said.

Its like the golden ticket, Pena said. He said he regrets leaving college.

I wish I couldve stayed and maybe I would have progressed in a different way than I have now, said Pena. I love innovation, I love to learn more, I love to get the most out of myself. So maybe if I had stayed in college I wouldve been smarter and brighter.

Growing up on the South Side with a single mother, Pena said work was always prioritized out of necessity. But now Pena has a house and a car and a family, and hes hoping that his children will be able to prioritize education the way he couldnt before.

She was a single mom so she had to work like crazy, Pena said. Now I keep bringing it up when we eat at the dinner table, I would ask my kids, so what do you think about school and college and theyre pushing it now, Pena said.

And thats another important benefit of the new program, said Micaela Rios, director of the Upgrade program and former counselor at Cafe College, where the program is housed.

Youre not just educating that adult but also future generations, Rios said. Its a beautiful thing.

sfosterfrau@express-news.net
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Name any political office in Bexar County, and chances are Rhett Smith ran for it  unsuccessfully.

But thats not stopping the perennial candidate from seeking your vote for San Antonio mayor in the May 6 election.

I run a lot, an unapologetic Smith said. I feel our society is heading in the wrong direction and our local community is suffering.

Most voters know the well-funded front-runners in the mayoral race: incumbent Ivy Taylor, City Councilman Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Democratic Party Chairman Manuel Medina.

But 11 other candidates, including Smith, are waging an uphill battle against obscurity to be the next mayor. While some arent actively campaigning, others are block-walking and doing everything they can to be heard  if anyone will listen.

I know Ive got a hard road to go, said candidate Keven Roles, a former AirLife paramedic who said hes always dreamed of becoming mayor of San Antonio. But Im just going to be honest and have common sense, let people know where I stand, and pray and hope for the best.

More Information Meet the 11 lesser-known candidates running for mayor, listed in the order they appear on the ballot, with their listed occupations: Napolean Madrid, retired Keven Roles, paramedic Felicio Hernandez Flores II, owner, Inspire Greatness; Lowe's Home Improvement Michael "Commander" Idrogo, "Navy commander veteran federal officer" Will McLeod, security John Martin Velasquez, clinical psychologist Julie "Mama Bexar" Oldham, "political activity" Stephen Lucke, "public servant" Rhett Smith, retired private security Gerard Xavier Ponce, consultant Antonio "Tony" Diaz, self-employed See More Collapse

With 14 names on the mayoral ballot, many long-shot candidates say they barely get a chance to make their case with voters. The problem starts with money.

I believe once you begin to raise money, youre actually selling out to whoever is supporting you, said Gerard Ponce, one of several candidates who says campaign cash corrupts the democratic process.

But that idealism is smacking headfirst into a brick wall of reality  grabbing the attention of voters isnt cheap. It costs money to pay for signs, advertisements and the political machinery behind a serious campaign that leads to media coverage and invitations to political forums where major candidates get noticed.

The three front-runners have raised a total of $1.1 million in campaign contributions and loans  about 300 times more than the $3,400 raised by all the other candidates.

Without funding to mount a major campaign, the lesser-knowns find themselves stuck in a frustrating cycle: Its harder to be taken seriously, which means they arent getting much exposure, which means they arent raising much money, which means its harder to be taken seriously.

The main interest has been in what is called credible candidates, said candidate Antonio Diaz, a community activist who says elites run San Antonio and dont serve the interests of everyday people. How that credibility is created is money.

Its not a great process, said John Velasquez, a psychologist whos running for mayor and who complains that too little attention is being paid to the outsider candidates. Some people call it manufacturing consent.

Diaz, Velasquez and others expressed frustration with the media for failing to cover all candidates equally. And they say its not fair that organizations hosting mayoral debates often bar them from sharing the stage with front-runners.

When you keep people out of the forums, essentially you silence them, said Stephen Lucke, 27, the youngest mayoral candidate, who hopes to become president someday.

Smith pointed out that many mayoral debates are hosted by nonprofit groups that are prohibited under federal law from engaging in electioneering.

It is illegal to pick and choose a handful of candidates, he complained.

But the law doesnt prohibit churches, charities and other types of nonprofits from excluding some candidates on a crowded ballot, said John Bradley, a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania School of Law and an expert on nonprofit legal issues.

The IRS and the (Federal Election Commission) both recognize there are situations in which inviting all legally qualified candidates might be impractical, Bradley said.

Each case depends on the details, Bradley said, but its generally legal if organizations adopt reasonable criteria for selecting candidates, apply those criteria consistently and hold a debate in a neutral, nonpartisan manner.

Some forums are open to everyone, such as one held April 8 by the Northeast Bexar County Democrats at the TriPoint YMCA at U.S. 281 and St. Marys Street.

On a cool, cloudy morning, four mayoral candidates who attended the forum  Roles, Smith, Velasquez and Diaz  struck a similar tone of reforming City Hall and listening to the will of voters.

I feel like I know people, said Velasquez, citing his background as a psychologist. Im a pretty good listener.

With Texas lawmakers debating the so-called bathroom bill in Austin, each candidate said theyd support and try to protect San Antonios nondiscrimination ordinance. Asked about their position on the citys upcoming bond proposal, all but Velasquez said they opposed it.

Its full of pork, Roles told a crowd of about 40 people.

I think theres a lot of money being doled out to developers and speculators, Diaz said.

While the 11 obscure candidates are seeking the support of voters and asking them to be engaged in the political process, some havent actually cast votes in past mayoral elections. Of the 10 candidates who lived in San Antonio in 2015, only half voted in the mayoral election that year.

One perennial candidate, Michael Commander Idrogo, hasnt cast a ballot in a mayors race dating to 2009, even though hes often on the ballot, according to records on file with the Bexar County Elections Department. Idrogo didnt respond to questions about his voting record.

Two candidates  Ponce and Will McLeod  have voted in every mayors race dating to 2009.

Elections matter, McLeod said. Its not just presidential elections, its the city elections as well. Theres a lot of policy being made at the city level.

What are their odds of making it to a runoff?

Opinions vary.

I actually think theyre great, Ponce said of his odds. Im doing a grass-roots campaign. Im getting calls from all over.

Asked about his odds, Smith said hes always honest with everyone.

Pretty low, he said.

But thats never stopped him from trying.
AUSTIN  Tea party activists pressured Republican House members Monday to side with them on key issues including sanctuary cities, the so-called bathroom bill and local property taxes  or face their wrath at the ballot box.

We do appreciate the way that the Senate has moved forward with a number of conservative reforms  We have 95 Republicans in the House, and they cant seem to get some measures passed, said JoAnn Fleming, executive director of Grassroots America.

Elected Republicans  just the way its happening in Washington  have determined that they dont care what the (Republican) platform says. They dont care what their primary voters have said, Fleming said. And I submit to you, the people of Texas need to make them care. Because after all, we hired them to do a job at the ballot box.

Fleming was joined by advocates for a host of issues at a Capitol news conference on Tea Party Day, when some of the most fervent GOP primary voters came to present their issues and buttonhole lawmakers.

Their force helps explain why a number of House Republicans are pressing for their own version of the so-called bathroom bill approved by the Senate. The House State Affairs Committee this week will consider a measure that would target local non-discrimination ordinances in addressing the matter of public bathrooms.

House Speaker Joe Straus, R-Straus, opposes the Senate measure championed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, which would require people using restrooms in public schools, universities and government buildings to choose the facilities that align with the gender on their birth certificate. Straus and others have expressed concern over the potential economic implications for the state if it passes a law seen as discriminatory against transgender people. Backers have said its aimed at sexual predators.

The advocates list also included anti-abortion, budget, tax, religious liberty, gun rights, toll road and sanctuary city legislation.

Fleming lambasted the House committee version of a measure against sanctuary cities, seen as providing a haven for undocumented immigrants by not complying enthusiastically with federal authorities.

We will absolutely not tell this nation that we have passed a ban on sanctuary cities if we dont actually do it, Fleming said, pointing out that Gov. Greg Abbott has nationally trumpeted the prospect of a Texas ban. The time for fairy tales coming out of this Capitol and spreading all over the country needs to stop.

State Affairs Chairman Byron Cook said the bill needs to be constitutional.

We have to do whats right. We have to be thoughtful, Cook, R-Corsicana, told the Express-News. Weve got to focus on core issues such as education, services for the states most vulnerable, and infrastructure needs in a growing state, he said.

Aaron Harris, executive director of Direct Action Texas, touted a Senate-approved bill to restrict how much local property tax revenue can be raised by cities or counties without an automatic election. Local entities say the measure would endanger the funding needed for basic services including public safety. Its awaiting House action.

People are hot. Theyre mad about their property taxes, Harris said. This is the single biggest issue at the local level we encounter as we go around and talk to taxpayers and residents.

Southern Methodist University political scientist Cal Jillson said the tea party plays a powerful role but its support isnt determinative. Much will be determined by tradeoffs yet to be made among Abbott, Patrick and Straus as the legislative session barrels toward its Memorial Day ending, he pointed out.

The tea party is still a powerful force in Texas politics, and particularly within the Republican primary electorate, he said. Republican incumbents do listen to the tea party, but theyre not driven by then. They havent been in the past and they wont be this session.

pfikac@express-news.net

Twitter: @pfikac
City elections are less than a month away, and ExpressNews.com sat down with each of San Antonio's mayoral candidates  some known, some unfamiliar  for exclusive video interviews in an effort to make you, the voter, knowledgeable about your options for Election Day on May 6. Get to know the contenders as we roll out the video interviews each weekday in reverse ballot order.

Today, we focus on Will McLeod. McLeod has worked in both retail and security and said he feels qualified for the mayor's office because both of these jobs require working with the public.
AUSTIN  The House may have all but driven a stake through the heart of school vouchers, but Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick vows that he isnt giving up on the idea.

I never give up the fight, Patrick said after the House voted decisively against using state money for school choice programs. Im not giving up the fight, not even this session.

Its unclear how Patrick  who made his comments in an interview with Chris Salcedo of radio station WBAP, serving the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex  plans to move the idea forward after the lopsided, bipartisan House vote against school vouchers.

His office didnt respond to an inquiry for more detail. In the radio interview, he mentioned opportunities looking at tax credit scholarships, which would allow businesses to lessen their tax burden by donating to scholarship programs.

The House vote was in line with its longstanding position, despite some changes in membership over the years. A number of Republicans joined Democrats in squelching the idea, which is opposed by those who see it as a drain on already-underfunded public schools.

Its a particularly tough sell with rural lawmakers, who dont see a benefit for their constituents since they dont have as many private-school options.

The Senate vote also reflected that concern, coming only after the voucher proposal was scaled back to exempt counties under 285,000 unless voters petition for the program. The Senate bill proposes tax credit scholarships along with education savings accounts to allow families below a certain income level to pay for private school tuition.

We have six million kids in schools in Texas, Patrick said. Many of the (public) schools are great. Most are good. But about 10 percent are failing schools. We need to help those parents in those failing schools  and particularly parents with children with disabilities. We need to help them get in the right private or public school or charter school.

The voucher issue is among major points of disagreement between the House and Senate as the pace of the legislative session gets increasingly hectic in the race toward its Memorial Day end.

Several House members are lofting an alternative to the Patrick-championed and Senate-approved bathroom bill, which would require people to use the restrooms that align with the gender on their birth certificates in public schools, universities and government buildings  raising strong concerns among advocates for the rights of transgender people.

There are well-documented, dueling proposals to bridge a revenue gap in the state budget, with the House wanting to spend a part of the state savings account known as the rainy day fund and the Senate proposing an accounting maneuver in which a payment owed for transportation improvements would be slightly delayed, pushing it into the next budget period.

There are other unsettled matters. A bill to ban so-called sanctuary cities has passed the Senate and has been revised in a committee in the House, where it awaits a debate in the full chamber. A proposal to require cities and counties to get voter approval to raise more than a certain amount of local property tax revenue also has been approved by senators and awaits House action.

Theres still plenty of time to work things out, but this is also the time when whispers about the prospects of a special session start growing. This year, the whispers are louder because of Patrick, perhaps the only one of the Big Three leaders who doesnt seem like hed be alarmed at the prospect of a special session.

Gov. Greg Abbott wants to take care of business during the time allotted to lawmakers. To do otherwise would threaten his reputation as a leader, already questioned by some in light of his reluctance to weigh in publicly on some high-profile issues like the bathroom bill. Taking care of business in the 140-day session is also is right in line with House Speaker Joe Strauss businesslike approach.

But Patrick could force a special session by preventing an agreement on the budget, the only measure lawmakers must pass this year. Only Abbott can call a special session, but he wouldnt have a choice in that instance. Only Abbott can determine the subjects that will be addressed during a special session, but hed face pressure to add topics like the bathroom bill, assuming such a measure isnt approved in the regular session..

For Patrick, there seems to be little downside to forcing a session in an effort to pass the priorities hes identified that align with his conservative base of support. Its just another chance to show he never gives up.

pfikac@express-news.net

Twitter: @pfikac
African migrants brutally rape Swedish teen, leave male friend with brain damage

Two migrants have been given sentences of three and two-and-a-half years for beating a young Swede almost to death before violently raping his female friend. The government will try to deport only one of them, temporarily.

(Article by Jack Montgomery from breitbart.com )

The Freie Zeiten reports that three teenage girls and one male friend met for a party at an apartment in Kista, near Stockholm, citing Solna District Court documents.

One of the girls invited a 21-year-old migrant from Liberia, Richelieu Jarara, with whom she was acquainted. This man brought another African migrant, a Kenyan named Fayed Mwangi, with him.

Before long, the migrants began sexually harassing the girls. Matters quickly escalated from there, with the pair conferring briefly before spraying the male Swede in the face with pepper spray.

The Freie Zeiten describes how they then beat and kicked the Swede with brutal force, leaving him with multiple cerebral haemorrhages, severe swelling and bruises all over his body, as well as bone fractures and open wounds.

The three girls, as well as the attackers, thought the young man had been beaten to death, with Jarara actually uploading a video to Snapchat in which he made light of having killed a guy.

The Swede was, in fact, still alive, but unconscious and permanently brain damaged.

Jararas younger companion, 19-year-old Mwangi, is said to have strangled one of the girls when she tried to intervene, slamming her into a wall and hurling her to the floor.

Read more at: breitbart.com
As dairy farmers do we just look out for ourselves or do we show a bit of the ANZAC spirit, which would be appropriate at this time of the year, and all work together to look after our mates? he said.
We have already had a busy 18 months, with the establishment of the business, the acquisition of the properties and the production enterprise. We will now consolidate that and look at other opportunities as we build our systems.
The sessions held at Badgingarra, New Norcia and Wagin earlier in the month were all well-attended thanks to the lure of a handful of industry speakers well-versed in the ins and outs of making the most of modern-day sheep enterprises.
Air China suspends flights to North Korea as Kim Jong Un vows merciless response to any US provocation

In the latest escalation over what may be an imminent preemptive airstrike on North Korea by US warships now located just 300 miles away from the North Korean nuclear test site, moments ago Chinas national airline, Air China, announced it was suspending flights from Beijing to the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, from late on Friday, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said. It did not say why the flights, which operate on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, were being suspended.

(Article by Tyler Durden from ZeroHedge.com )

In the report published on its website, CCTV did not cite a source while according to Reuters, Air China could not immediately be reached for comment after business hours. The last flight between the two cities took place on Friday, with the return flight to Beijing arriving in the early evening, the broadcaster said. Air China began regular flights between the two countries in 2008 but the flights were frequently cancelled because of unspecified problems, the broadcaster said. China is North Koreas sole major ally but it disapproves of the Norths weapons programs, and its confrontations with the United States and its Asian allies, and it has supported U.N. sanctions against it.

DPRK supreme leader inspects armys special operation forces amid tension with U.S. https://t.co/9zOK19PFKL pic.twitter.com/17goIrZz46  CCTV (@CCTV) April 14, 2017

Read more at: zerohedge.com
Jo Malone felt "slightly schizophrenic" when she sold her eponymous company to Estee Lauder.

Jo Malone at The Mayfair Collective

The British perfumer founded her namesake label in 1983 but when the entrepreneur agreed to sell the business to the cosmetics giant in 1999 she felt all out of sorts.

When asked how she felt when she decided to pass over all rights to her company, she said: "Slightly schizophrenic. I live just round the corner from Sloane Street but at the same time I sold that business - it belongs to them."

However, the mogul has tried to not dwell on her decision, and she has considered it as "part and parcel" of having a business.

The entrepreneur explained: "There's no point sitting in crying and moaning about something that changed my life and saved my life, so it's part and parcel of the whole thing."

Although Jo has no involvement with Jo Malone products she still loves the company and has credited the brand as her long-term "best friend".

She said: "I don't create for the brand any longer and I'm not a consumer of the brand but it doesn't stop me loving it because it was my best friend for a very long time."

Jo has since moved on to launch her new line Jo Loves, with the signature fragrance being Pomelo scent, but she "refuses" to "compete against" her former company.

Speaking at The Mayfair Collective event, which was attended by BANG Showbiz, she said: "I am not, I refuse to, compete against Jo Malone. I don't compete, I am a mother of both, I created both but one was my life 20 years ago and Jo Loves is who I am today. It's a completely natural thing and I'm proud.

"So I don't have any animosity at all."
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About 71 factories in Bangladesh affiliated with Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety (Alliance) have completed their Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) and this number is expected to double in the next few months. Close to 72 per cent of repairs across all the active factories that are affiliated with Alliance, have successfully been completed.

About 64 per cent of the repairs carried out were of highest or high priority including critical items like structural retrofitting of columns and fire doors installations, said James F Moriarty, country director of Alliance during a press conference.

He also said that about 142 factories have been suspended for failing to make progress on remediation as Alliance has a no-tolerance policy for factories that do not prioritise safety.

About 71 factories in Bangladesh affiliated with Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety (Alliance) have completed their Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) and this number is expected to double in the next few months. Close to 72 per cent of repairs across all the active factories that are affiliated with Alliance, have successfully been completed.#

Completing CAPs requirements is only the first step in workplace safety improvement, and Alliance expects all factories to stay committed towards safety and maintain the investments that have already been made. (KD)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
(Article by Lorenzo Franceshi-Bicchierai from motherboard.vice.com)

The mysterious hacking group known as Shadow Brokers came back on Friday to drop its most explosiveand damagingdump yet, a collection of alleged hacking tools for Microsoft Windows computers.

Buried among this new treasure trove, there are several mentions of previously disclosed NSA top secret programs and software such as STRAITBIZARRE, used to control implants remotely, and JEEPFLEA, a project to hack the money transferring system SWIFT. These provide yet another hint that these are indeed tools stolen from the NSAs elite hacking team.

Perhaps more surprisingly, the dump also included one tool that was used in the famous Stuxnet worm, arguably the worlds first digital weapon, used to hit an Iranian nuclear power facility and damage its centrifuges to slow down the countrys nuclear weapons program.

The tool that appears to link the new dump and the famous digital weapon is an exploit for Windows MOF files, which appears to be almost the exact same script used in Stuxnet, according to Liam OMurchu, a researcher at Symantec whos thoroughly analyzed the worm.

There is a strong connection between Stuxnet and the Shadow Brokers dump, OMurchu told Motherboard in an email. But not enough to definitively prove a connection.

OMurchu explained that the connection is strong, but not definitive, because the common script, originally discovered in Stuxnet, was later reverse engineered and added by researchers to Metasploit, a popular open source hacking toolkit. This means anyone using Metasploit can create a MOF file that looks exactly like the one Stuxnet used. But, OMurchu added, the MOF file creation tool dumped by the Shadow Brokers on Friday was last compiled on September 9, 2010, three months after Stuxnet was first detected, and shortly before the code was added to Metasploit, according to OMurchu.

Read more at: motherboard.vice.com
The Question That Irked Sushant

A senior journalist named Bharati Pradhan asked Sushant about his views on Kulbhushan Jadhav, the navy man who was recently sentenced to death by a Pakistani court.

Kriti Sanon Whispered Something In His Ear

Hearing the question, his co-star Kriti Sanon who was sitting by his side whispered something into his ears and the actor feigned ignorance.

What Made Sushant So Angry?

The journalist wasn't happy with this response and prodded him further that being an Indian he should be aware of the matter and should take a stand on the entire issue and substantiate everything with a comment.

Finally The Raabta Actor Lost His Cool

Initially, he tried to calmly make the lady understand but when she was hell bent on getting a response so much so that Sushant finally lost his cool and ended up blasting her.

The War Of Words

He asked the lady journalist if she is aware of every national issue and added, "Where is it written that public figure has to comment on everything". The anger was quite evident on his face and he later went on to ignore her.
SSR On Kriti

Talking about his equation with Kriti Sanon, Sushant Singh Rajput said, "We both are engineers and from Delhi, so we have lot of common things between us. My offscreen chemistry is also very good & very friendly."

Kriti On SSR

"I relate more with Sushant Singh Rajput more than his fictional character in Raabta," said Kriti, when asked about her chemistry with rumoured boyfriend, Sushant Singh Rajput.

SSR & Kriti On Doing Action Scenes

SSR: This was a great opportunity for me to do hands on action. I went to Bangkok for training.

Kriti: I have always been wanting to do action and I really enjoyed it.

SSR On Fairness Cream Row

When the actor was asked about the ongoing fairness cream row, which has been brought into the limelight by actor Abhay Deol, he told, "As a responsible citizen and actors we should never endorse fairness cream."

Deepika To Feature In The Title Track Of The Film

Director Dinesh Vijan talked about the special number of Deepika Padukone in the film and said, "Deepika is very lucky for me. I asked her if she could do a song for me, she came down to Budapest and we shot it."
The makers of Beyhadh are keeping the audiences engrossed with the latest court room drama. As the viewers know, Ayaan has been trapped in Maya's (Jennifer Winget) plan. He is sent behind the bars, as Maya alleged that he tried to rape her.

Recently, the viewers witnessed Maya's high voltage drama in the court. Saanjh tries to prove Ayaan innocent, but in vain. Maya fabricates the evidences and proves herself innocent. Check out the latest updates and spoilers....





Saanjh Loses The Case! Saanjh loses the case. Maya is proven innocent, while Ayaan is put behind the bars. Vandana and Saanjh are shattered as they know Ayaan is innocent! Vandana Tries To Stab Maya! In the upcoming episode, Vandana plans to kill Arjun. Since he is her son, and whatever happened is because of Maya, she moves towards Maya to stab her. Arjun Stops Vandana Fortunately, Arjun stops Vandana and makes her realise the reality. Arjun will be seen supporting and consoling Maya. Vandana Begs Arjun & Maya Vandana has no other option and begs Arjun and Maya to save her son, Ayaan. But again, Arjun and Maya don't pay heed to her requests. Vandana Leaves Helplessly, Vandana leaves the place. But, she seeing her fall, Arjun rushes towards Vandana. Apparently, Vandana suffers a heart attack! Vandana Suffers A Heart Attack! Maya is angry and worried seeing Arjun's concern for his mother. What will Maya do to separate Arjun from his mother? Will Saanjh lose hope and give up on proving Ayaan innocent? Will Saanjh get to know about Samay and Maya's past?

Story So Far...



In the previous episode, we saw how Saanjh tries to prove that Maya is manipulating Arjun, and she has now trapped Ayaan. She just wants to separate Arjun from his family members and Ayaan's case is her first move!

Saanjh tells the court that Maya is a liar. She had faked her pregnancy and even tried to kill herself just to scare others. Ayaan's case is also fake. Saanjh uses the word 'nanga' (naked) in reference to bringing out her truth. But, Maya being her usual self, will take an extreme action and shock everyone.

Maya turns the table by dropping her jacket. She asks the judge to examine her injury marks. Even Maya's lawyer gives medical reports and CCTV footage that proves Ayaan has tried to rape Maya.

Moreover, Maya's obsessive lover Samay comes to her rescue. It has to be recalled that Saanjh had asked him to leave the town as he was the sole witness to prove Ayaan guilty. But, Maya's lawyer presents Samay to the court.

Maya's lawyer even reveals to the court that Saanjh had asked her fiance, Samay not to attend the court session!

The judge goes through the evidences. Since all evidences were against Ayaan, he is put behind the bars!
Sadayoshi Yokoyama, Toshiko Watanabe DENSO CORPORATION Phone: 81-566-25-5594 Fax: 81-566-25-4509 sadayoshi_yokoyama@denso.co.jp toshiko_watanabe@denso.co.jp

TOKYO, Apr 17, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - Suzuki Motor Corporation, Toshiba Corporation and Denso Corporation have reached basic agreement on establishing a joint venture company for production of automotive lithium-ion battery packs in India, and signed the agreement.In India, higher attention is being paid to environment, and new CO2 standards for automobiles is planned to be introduced. In the Indian automotive market where compact cars are the mainstream models, introduction of sustainable technology suitable for such affordable cars is required. The battery pack manufacturing joint venture by the three companies will realize stable supply of lithium-ion battery packs in India in the course of promoting sustainable cars in the country and will contribute to "Make in India" initiative by the Indian Government.The joint venture company will be established within 2017 and shall move to manufacturing phase at earliest possible timing. The initial capital expenditure will be 20 billion Japanese yen. The joint venture company will be capitalized at 2 billion Japanese yen, with the planned participation ratio of SUZUKI 50%, TOSHIBA 40% and DENSO 10% respectively.Establishment of the joint venture company will be further examined in details by the three companies, and subject to approval by respective authorities in accordance with applicable competition laws.About DensoDENSO Corporation, headquartered in Kariya, Aichi prefecture, Japan, is a leading global automotive supplier of advanced technology, systems and components in the areas of thermal, powertrain control, electronics and information and safety. Its customers include all the world's major carmakers. Worldwide, the company has more than 200 subsidiaries and affiliates in 38 countries and regions and employs nearly 140,000 people. Consolidated global sales for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014, totaled US$39.8 billion. Last fiscal year, DENSO spent 9 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development. DENSO common stock is traded on the Tokyo and Nagoya stock exchanges. For more information, go to www.globaldenso.com, or visit our media website at www.densomediacenter.com.Source: DensoContact:Copyright 2017 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
ANKARA (dpa-AFX) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has narrowly won a referendum to expand presidential powers, which could keep him in office until 2029. With 99.45% of ballots counted, the 'Yes' campaign had won 51.37% and 'No' 48.63%, and the electoral board called victory for 'Yes'. Erdogan supporters said replacing the parliamentary system with an executive presidency will modernise the country. Turkey's two main opposition parties said they would challenge the results. In his later address to supporters, Erdogan said his first job after the victory is to discuss the reintroduction of death penalty and that another referendum on this issue is possible. The issue of capital punishment was raised in the wake of a failed military coup in July last year, which the Turkish government says was masterminded by Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric now living in the United States. The European Commission called on the Turkish authorities to 'seek the broadest possible national consensus' when implementing the constitutional reforms. 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.
St Helier, Jersey, 2017-05-18 08:07 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Frame agreement reached to sell Russian operations. Crop prices decline



1Q17 revenue and gain is up to USD 22.7mn (19.9) on increased sales volume. EBIT decrease of USD 5.3mn to USD -8.9mn (-3.6) is driven by further market price decline (corn -10%, Sunflowers -14% y-o-y) and higher COS resulting from decreased production in harvest year 2016. Negative profitability in the first quarter is expected and reflects business seasonality albeit exacerbated by falling crop prices. 1Q17 Net loss accounted for USD -9.4mn.



On the 13th of February, the company entered into a framework share purchase agreement (the "SPA") to sell its Russian operations ("the Transaction") and distribute the proceeds to the shareholders. The purchaser is Volgo-DonSelkhozinvest LLC, who paid a USD 10mn deposit on the 16th February. On the 23rd of March, the EGM of Black Earth Farming shareholders approved the Transaction.



Q1 2017 Highlights1 (vs Q1 2016)



-- Total revenue and gains of USD 22.7mn (19.9) -- Sales volume of 140.6kt (118.9) -- Average sales price after distribution cost USD 128 per ton (124) -- Gross loss after distribution costs of USD -5.5mn (-0.2) -- EBIT of USD -8.9mn (-3.6) -- FX income of USD 1.0mn (0.4) -- Net loss of USD -9.4mn (-4.6)



Subsequent event.



On the 12th of April, the proposed transaction with Volgo-DonSelkhozinvest LLC received regulatory approval from FAS - the Russian Antimonopoly body.



On 4 April 2017, 1.9 mn new shares were issued as a result of the 2013-2015 Company's management incentive program. Following the issue, the total number of outstanding shares became 212 mn.



On the 11th of April, the Company finished the remaining amounts of sunflower and corn harvest.



CEO Comment Highlights (p.2) Financial Overview (p.5) ------------------------------------------------------------  Market development USD million Q1 '17 Q1'16  1Q17 Sales & Financials  2017 Crop  Revenue Risk Management  Summary ------------------------------------------------------------ Crop Volumes Sold (k tons) 140.6 118.9 ------------------------------------------------------ Total Revenue & Gains 22.7 19.9 ------------------------------------------------------ Gross Profit (Loss) after (5.5) (0.2) Distribution afteristribution terDistribution ------------------------------------------------------ EBITDA (6.1) (2.3) ------------------------------------------------------ EBIT (8.9) (3.6) ------------------------------------------------------ FX income 1.0 0.4 ------------------------------------------------------ Net Profit (Loss) (9.4) (4.6) ------------------------------------------------------



Webcast details:



Date: Thursday, 18 May 2017



Time: 09:00 CET



Hosts:



Black Earth Farming CEO - Richard Warburton



Black Earth Farming CFO - Rostislav Samotsvetov



Dial-in details:



Russia 8 800 500 9283 or +7 495 213 1767



Sweden +46 (0)8 5033 6574 or 0200 880 389



UK +44 (0)330 336 9105 or 0800 279 6839



US +1 719-457-2086 or 800-263-0877



Conference title: Black Earth Farming, 1st Quarter 2017 results



Conference ID: 4804161



Webcast link:



https://pgi.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1144697



Please quote the conference ID or conference title to access the call.



Please call in 5 minutes before the conference starts.



For additional information, please contact:



Richard Warburton, Chief Executive Officer, + 7 985 208 24 01, richard.warburton@BlackEarthFarming.com



Notes to Editor:



Black Earth Farming Ltd. (Jersey) is a farming company operating in Russia. Its shares are listed as depository receipts on Nasdaq OMX Stockholm. The Company develops and farms agricultural land assets primarily in the fertile Black Earth region in southwest Russia. Black Earth Farming has gained a strong market position in the Kursk, Tambov, Lipetsk and Voronezh areas, controlling some 246,000 hectares of what is possibly some of the world's most fertile soil. In 2016, Black Earth Farming harvested approximately 135,000 hectares, effectively making it one of the world's largest public farming companies by cropped area. The Company's main products are wheat, corn, barley, sunflower and potatoes.



Corporate website: www.blackearthfarming.com



For subscription to Company Announcements, please contact us at: svetlana.abakumova@blackearthfarming.com If you do not want to receive Black Earth Farming Ltd announcements, please send an e-mail to the same address: svetlana.abakumova@blackearthfarming.com



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Shire reports strong Q2 2017 operating results and cash flow; updates full year guidance

Q2 product sales growth of 7% on a combined pro forma basis; generated $1.2 billion operating cash flow

Over-delivered Year 1 Baxalta integration cost synergies, recognizing $400 million vs $300 million target



Exploring strategic review of Neuroscience franchise, including potential of independent public listing

Significant pipeline progress with SHP643 (lanadelumab); Phase 3 topline data demonstrates potential to change treatment paradigm for patients with HAE; U.S. approval of MYDAYIS for patients with ADHD; September launch planned



August 3, 2017 - Shire plc (Shire) (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPG) announces unaudited results for the three months ended June 30, 2017.



Flemming Ornskov, M.D., M.P.H., Shire Chief Executive Officer, commented:

"During the second quarter, we delivered strong top-line growth of 7% on a pro forma basis, generating product sales of $3.6 billion. Our Immunology franchise grew by 18%, and we saw significant contributions across our broad and diverse portfolio. Shire remains ahead of schedule to deliver at least $700 million in cost synergies from the Baxalta integration by Year 3. The Q2 performance resulted in strong operating cash flow of $1.2 billion and enabled us to reduce Non GAAP net debt by $880 million in the quarter.

"We also continue to drive the late-stage clinical pipeline. In Q2 we announced positive topline data from our Phase 3 pivotal trial of SHP643 in HAE, and anticipate submission of the BLA in late 2017 or early 2018. MYDAYIS, a once-daily treatment for patients with ADHD, received US FDA approval and will be launched in September.

"We are at an exciting inflection point, with both our rare disease and neuroscience businesses performing strongly and each having significant growth potential over the coming years. The strength and scale of our business provides us with the opportunity to further optimize our franchise portfolio - one of our key priorities communicated earlier this year. By year end, we expect to complete a formal evaluation of the full range of strategic options for the neuroscience franchise, including the potential for its independent public listing.

"As we enter the second half of 2017, we are focused on generating strong organic growth while continuing to deliver on our key priorities - launching more than 80 products globally by leveraging our expanded commercial platform, progressing our late-stage pipeline, integrating Baxalta, and paying down debt. We have updated our 2017 full year guidance and remain very confident about Shire's long-term prospects."

Financial Highlights

Q2 2017(1) Growth(1) Non GAAP CER(1)(2) Product sales $3,592 million +55% +56% Product sales excluding legacy Baxalta $1,882 million +7% Total revenues $3,746 million +54% +56% Operating income from continuing operations $399 million +315% Non GAAP operating income(2) $1,492 million +53% +54% Net income margin(3)(4) 6% 13ppc Non GAAP EBITDA margin(2)(4) 43% 1ppc Net income $240 million N/M Non GAAP net income(2) $1,135 million +47% Diluted earnings per ADS(5) $0.79 N/M Non GAAP diluted earnings per ADS(2)(5) $3.73 +10% +11% Net cash provided by operating activities $1,223 million +107% Non GAAP free cash flow(2) $1,064 million +130%

(1) Results include Baxalta Inc. (Baxalta) (acquired on June 3, 2016), unless otherwise noted. Percentages compare to equivalent 2016 period. (2) The Non GAAP financial measures included within this release are explained on pages 28 - 29, and are reconciled to the most directly comparable financial measures prepared in accordance with US GAAP on pages 22 - 24. (3) US GAAP net income as a percentage of total revenues. (4) Percentage point change (ppc). (5) Diluted weighted average number of ordinary shares 913 million.

Product sales growth

Delivered product sales growth of 55% with the inclusion of legacy Baxalta sales.

Achieved combined pro forma product sales growth of 7%; legacy Shire product sales growth of 7% and legacy Baxalta pro forma product sales growth of 8%.

Strong demand for our immunology products delivered 18% pro forma sales growth, with significant contributions from our subcutaneous immunoglobulin portfolio as well as GAMMAGARD LIQUID and our albumin products.

Earnings growth

 Generated Non GAAP earnings per ADS of $3.73, underscoring continued focus on commercial excellence and operating efficiency.

 Continued to progress Baxalta integration, while delivering $400 million in cost synergies in year 1 - exceeding our target of $300 million - which contributed to a Non GAAP EBITDA margin of 43% for the quarter; on-track to achieve at least $700 million in synergies by year 3.

Strong cash flow

 Strong operating cash flow enabled $880 million reduction in Non GAAP net debt since March 31, 2017; remain on-track to achieve our year-end debt target.

Product and Pipeline Highlights

Regulatory updates

 Received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of MYDAYIS, a new once-daily treatment option for symptom control in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) patients 13 years and older.

 Granted European Union (EU) Conditional Marketing Authorization for NATPAR (Parathyroid Hormone) for the treatment of patients with Chronic Hypoparathyroidism.

 Received European Medicines Agency (EMA) validation of VEYVONDI [von Willebrand factor (Recombinant)] Marketing Authorization Application for treatment of von Willebrand Disease (VWD).

 Submitted Investigational New Drug (IND) application to FDA for gene therapy candidate SHP654 for the treatment of hemophilia A.

Clinical and business development updates

 Reported positive topline data for SHP643 (lanadelumab), which was acquired with Dyax Corp. (Dyax), an investigational treatment that reduced Hereditary Angioedema (HAE) monthly attack rate by 87% versus placebo in a Phase 3 26-week pivotal trial.

 Entered into an agreement with Parion Sciences to develop and commercialize SHP659 (formerly known as P-321), an investigational epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) inhibitor for the potential treatment of Dry Eye Disease in adults.

 Expanded broad antibody research platform through license agreement with Novimmune S.A. to develop and commercialize an innovative, differentiated bi-specific antibody in pre-clinical development for the treatment of hemophilia A and hemophilia A patients with inhibitors.

FINANCIAL SUMMARY - SECOND QUARTER 2017 COMPARED TO SECOND QUARTER 2016

Revenues

Product sales increased 55% to $3,592 million (Q2 2016: $2,322 million), primarily due to the inclusion of a full quarter of legacy Baxalta sales of $1,710 million in Q2 2017.



Product sales excluding legacy Baxalta increased 7% primarily due to growth from our Internal Medicine franchise, up 15%, as well as sales from our Ophthalmology franchise of $57 million.



Royalties and other revenues increased 44% to $154 million, as Q2 2017 benefited from a full quarter of additional revenue acquired with Baxalta, primarily related to contract manufacturing activities.

Operating results

Operating income increased 315% to $399 million (Q2 2016: $96 million), primarily due to the inclusion of a full quarter of Baxalta operating income and higher revenue from our Internal Medicine franchise, partially offset by higher amortization of acquired intangible assets and higher costs relating to licensing arrangements.



Non GAAP operating income increased 53% to $1,492 million (Q2 2016: $972 million), primarily due to the inclusion of a full quarter of Baxalta operating income and higher revenue from legacy Shire products.



Non GAAP EBITDA margin as a percentage of total revenues increased to 43% (Q2 2016: 42%), primarily due to lower research and development (R&D) and selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenditures as a percentage of revenues, partially offset by a lower Non GAAP gross margin, primarily due to the inclusion of a full quarter of lower margin product franchises acquired with Baxalta.

Earnings per share (EPS)

Diluted earnings per American Depositary Shares (ADS) increased to $0.79 (Q2 2016: diluted losses per ADS of $0.71), primarily due to higher operating income due to the inclusion of a full quarter of Baxalta income and the impact of lower losses from discontinued operations related to the divested Dermagraft business.



Non GAAP diluted earnings per ADS increased 10% to $3.73 (Q2 2016: $3.38), as higher Non GAAP operating income more than offset the impact of additional shares issued as consideration for the Baxalta transaction.

Cash flows

Net cash provided by operating activities increased 107% to $1,223 million (Q2 2016: $591 million), primarily due to strong cash receipts from higher sales and operating profitability, partially offset by the timing of payments of accounts payable and other accruals.



Non GAAP free cash flow increased 130% to $1,064 million (Q2 2016: $463 million), driven by the growth in net cash provided by operating activities noted above, partially offset by an increase of $51 million in capital expenditures, primarily related to our continued investment in manufacturing operations.

Debt

Non GAAP net debt at June 30, 2017 decreased $1,143 million since December 31, 2016, to $21,296 million (December 31, 2016: $22,439 million). The decrease was primarily due to a $1,416 million net cash repayment of debt, partially offset by a lower cash balance. Non GAAP net debt represents aggregate long and short term borrowings of $21,209 million, and capital leases of $351 million, partially offset by cash and cash equivalents of $264 million.

OUTLOOK

Following the strong performance in the first half of the year, we are updating our guidance for 2017.

The guidance incorporates accelerated synergy capture as well as an updated view on our product sales, primarily due to a new generic LIALDA competitor. We have also revised our depreciation estimate to be $450 - $500 million, based on updates resulting from the Baxalta integration, and we have lowered our capital expenditure forecast to $800 - $900 million.

Non GAAP EPS has been upgraded by raising the midpoint of our guidance range by 10 cents to $15.00, driven by cost discipline and accelerated synergy capture.

The diluted earnings per ADS forecast assumes a weighted average number of 914 million fully diluted ordinary shares outstanding for 2017.

Our US GAAP diluted earnings per ADS outlook has been updated to reflect ongoing integration activities, which has accelerated the recognition of synergies, and the change in fair value of contingent consideration for SHP643 (lanadelumab) resulting from the positive topline Phase 3 results.

Full Year 2017 US GAAP Outlook Non GAAP Outlook(1) Total product sales $14.3 - $14.6 billion $14.3 - $14.6 billion Royalties & other revenues $600 - $700 million $600 - $700 million Gross margin as a percentage of total revenue(2) 67.5% - 69.5% 74.5% - 76.5% Combined R&D and SG&A $5.3 - $5.5 billion $4.9 - $5.1 billion Net interest/other $500 - $600 million $500 - $600 million Effective tax rate ~7% 16% - 17% Diluted earnings per ADS(3) $5.65 - $6.05 $14.80 - $15.20

(1) For a list of items excluded from Non GAAP Outlook, refer to pages 28 - 29 of this release.

(2) Gross margin as a percentage of total revenues excludes amortization of acquired intangible assets.

(3) See page 24 for a reconciliation between US GAAP diluted earnings per ADS and Non GAAP diluted earnings per ADS.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Corporate Strategy

Shire to assess strategic options for its Neuroscience franchise

With the acquisition and integration of Baxalta, Shire has solidified its leadership position in rare diseases with an unparalleled inline portfolio, innovative pipeline, and global commercial infrastructure. As part of the Board's ongoing commitment to optimize Shire's portfolio and strategic focus, Shire is assessing strategic options for our Neuroscience franchise to derive even greater value from this franchise. These options may include the independent public listing of the Neuroscience franchise. Shire intends to complete this strategic review by year end.

Business Development

Shire enters into a licensing agreement for Novimmune bi-specific antibody

On July 18, 2017, Shire entered into a licensing agreement with Novimmune S.A. The license grants Shire exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize an innovative, bi-specific antibody in pre-clinical development for the treatment of hemophilia A and hemophilia A patients with inhibitors.

Products

FIRAZYR for the treatment of HAE in Japan

On July 6, 2017, Shire submitted a Japanese New Drug Application to the Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency in Japan for the treatment of HAE.

VEYVONDI for the treatment of adults affected by VWD

On June 22, 2017, Shire announced that the EMA validated the Marketing Authorization Application for VEYVONDI to prevent and treat bleeding episodes and peri-operative bleeding in adults (age 18 and older) diagnosed with VWD.

MYDAYIS for the treatment of ADHD

On June 20, 2017, Shire announced that the FDA has approved MYDAYIS (mixed salts of a single-entity amphetamine product), a once-daily treatment comprised of three different types of drug-releasing beads for patients aged 13 years and older with ADHD.

INTUNIV for the treatment of ADHD in Japan

On May 29, 2017, Shire's partner in Japan, Shionogi & Co., Ltd, launched INTUNIV for the treatment of ADHD in children and adolescents from 6 to 17 years old.

Pipeline

SHP654 for the treatment of hemophilia A

On July 6, 2017, Shire announced the submission of an IND application to the FDA for SHP654, an investigational factor VIII (FVIII) gene therapy for the treatment of hemophilia A.

SHP643 for the treatment of HAE

On May 18, 2017, Shire announced positive topline Phase 3 results for the HELP Study, which evaluated the efficacy and safety of subcutaneously administered lanadelumab in patients 12 years of age or older with HAE. The study met its primary endpoint and all secondary endpoints.

SHP647 for the treatment of ulcerative colitis

On May 17, 2017, Shire announced the publication of positive Phase 2 results for the TURANDOT Study. The study met its primary endpoint, demonstrating significantly greater remission rates in patients receiving the anti-MAdCAM antibody. Shire continues to work towards the initiation of a pivotal Phase 3 trial for SHP647 in the second half of 2017.

SHP680 for the treatment of multiple neurological conditions

Shire is advancing clinical development of SHP680, targeting indications for multiple neurological conditions with high unmet need. SHP680 is a new chemical entity prodrug of d-amphetamine, which has previously been studied in Phase 1 clinical trials, demonstrating a unique PK profile. It belongs to a class of molecules with an established and well understood safety profile.

Board Changes

In accordance with Shire's normal succession planning, the Company announces that the following Non-Executive Directors will retire from the Board with effect from the conclusion of the 2018 Annual General Meeting ("AGM"):

William M. Burns, Senior Independent Director

David Ginsburg, Chairman of the Science & Technology Committee

Anne Minto, Chairman of the Remuneration Committee

Al Stroucken, Non-Executive Director, will assume the position of Chairman of the Remuneration Committee effective August 3, 2017. Anne Minto will continue to serve as a member of the Remuneration Committee to enable a period of transition until her retirement from the Board. Anne will fully support Al in the shareholder consultation process ahead of the publication of the new Directors' Remuneration Policy that will be put forward for shareholder approval at the 2018 AGM. The Board, supported by the Nomination & Governance Committee, will continue to evaluate Board and committee membership, including succession plans for the roles of Senior Independent Director and Chairman of the Science & Technology Committee, and will announce further changes once finalized.

Dividend

In respect of the six months ended June 30, 2017, the Board resolved to pay an interim dividend of 5.09 U.S. cents per Ordinary Share (2016: 4.63 U.S. cents per Ordinary Share).

Dividend payments will be made in Pounds Sterling to holders of Ordinary Shares and in U.S. Dollars to holders of ADSs. A dividend of 3.85(1) pence per Ordinary Share (2016: 3.51 pence) and 15.27 U.S. cents per ADS (2016: 13.89 U.S. cents) will be paid on October 20, 2017, to shareholders on the register as of the close of business on September 8, 2017.

Holders of Ordinary Shares are notified that, in order to receive UK sourced dividends via Shire's Income Access Share arrangements ("IAS Arrangements"), they need to have submitted a valid IAS Arrangements election form to the Company's Registrar, Equiniti, by no later than 5pm (BST) on September 22, 2017. Holders of Ordinary Shares are advised that:

any previous elections made using versions of the IAS Arrangements election form in use prior to February 16, 2016, and any elections deemed to have been made prior to April 28, 2016, are no longer valid; and



if they do not elect, or have not elected using the newly formatted IAS Arrangements election forms published on or after February 16, 2016, to receive UK sourced dividends via Shire's IAS Arrangements, their dividends will be Irish sourced and therefore incur Irish dividend withholding tax, subject to applicable exemptions.

Internet links to the newly formatted IAS Arrangements election forms can be found at:

http://investors.shire.com/shareholder-information/shareholder-forms.aspx (http://investors.shire.com/shareholder-information/shareholder-forms.aspx)

(1) Translated using a GBP:USD exchange rate of 1.3221.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The following additional information is included in this press release:

Page Overview of Second Quarter 2017 Financial Results 9 Financial Information 14 Non GAAP Reconciliations 22 Notes to Editors 25 Forward-Looking Statements 26 Non GAAP Measures 28 Trademarks 29

For further information please contact:

Investor Relations Ian Karp ikarp@shire.com +1 781 482 9018 Robert Coates rcoates@shire.com +44 1256 894874 Media Lisa Adler lisa.adler@shire.com +1 617 588 8607 Debbi Ford debbi.ford@shire.com +1 617 949 9083

Dial in details for the live conference call for investors at 14:00 BST / 9:00 EDT on August 3, 2017:

UK dial in: 0808 237 0030 or 020 3139 4830 US dial in: 1 866 928 7517 or 1 718 873 9077 International Access Numbers: Click here (http://events.arkadin.com/ev/docs/NE_FEL_Events_International_Access_List.pdf) Password/Conf ID: 96350792# Live Webcast: Click here (http://investors.shire.com/presentations-and-reports/quarterly-results-and-presentations%20)

The quarterly earnings presentation will be available today at 13:00 BST / 8:00 EDT on:

- Shire.com Investors section (http://investors.shire.com/presentations-and-reports/quarterly-results-and-presentations%20)

- Shire's IR Briefcase in the iTunes Store (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shire-ir-briefcase/id529486874?mt=8)

OVERVIEW OF SECOND QUARTER 2017 FINANCIAL RESULTS COMPARED TO SECOND QUARTER 2016

Product sales

Product sales increased 55% to $3,592 million (Q2 2016: $2,322 million), primarily due to the inclusion of a full quarter of legacy Baxalta sales in Q2 2017. Excluding legacy Baxalta, product sales increased 7%.

(in millions) Total Sales

Year on year growth Product sales by franchise U.S. Sales International Sales Total Sales Reported Non GAAP CER HEMOPHILIA $ 383.1 $ 360.8 $ 743.9 N/M N/M INHIBITOR THERAPIES 76.1 144.6 220.7 N/M N/M Hematology total 459.2 505.4 964.6 N/M N/M CINRYZE 164.7 11.2 175.9 +2 % +2 % ELAPRASE 39.8 121.2 161.0 +5 % +5 % FIRAZYR 118.1 19.3 137.4 +1 % +1 % REPLAGAL - 122.1 122.1 +3 % +6 % VPRIV 37.3 50.6 87.9 -0 % +2 % KALBITOR 20.6 - 20.6 +16 % +16 % Genetic Diseases total 380.5 324.4 704.9 +2 % +3 % IMMUNOGLOBULIN THERAPIES 407.9 102.6 510.5 N/M N/M BIO THERAPEUTICS 75.9 96.3 172.2 N/M N/M Immunology total 483.8 198.9 682.7 N/M N/M VYVANSE 460.1 58.1 518.2 +0 % +0 % ADDERALL XR 67.2 4.2 71.4 -30 % -30 % MYDAYIS 15.7 - 15.7 N/A N/A Other Neuroscience 5.2 24.9 30.1 -16 % -12 % Neuroscience total 548.2 87.2 635.4 -3 % -2 % LIALDA/MEZAVANT 187.5 20.3 207.8 +7 % +8 % PENTASA 83.3 - 83.3 +14 % +14 % GATTEX/REVESTIVE 63.7 11.6 75.3 +69 % +70 % NATPARA 34.5 - 34.5 +73 % +73 % Other Internal Medicine 31.2 52.2 83.4 -6 % -3 % Internal Medicine total 400.2 84.1 484.3 +15 % +16 % Oncology total 45.8 16.7 62.5 N/M N/M Ophthalmology total 57.4 - 57.4 N/A N/A Total product sales $ 2,375.1 $ 1,216.7 $ 3,591.8 +55 % +56 %

Hematology

Hematology, acquired with Baxalta in June 2016, reported product sales of $965 million. Hematology includes sales of recombinant and plasma-derived hemophilia products (primarily factor VIII and factor IX) and inhibitor therapies. Pro forma Q2 2017 growth in Hematology was approximately 1%. U.S. sales growth in Hemophilia, which benefited from stocking in the quarter, was partially offset by overall hematology performance in our international markets due to the timing of large orders.

Genetic Diseases

Genetic Diseases product sales increased 2%. Growth was primarily driven by our lysosomal storage diseases (LSD) portfolio.

ELAPRASE sales increased by 5%, while REPLAGAL sales increased by 3%. Both products benefited from an increase in the number of patients on therapy.

Immunology

Immunology, acquired with Baxalta in June 2016, reported product sales of $683 million. Immunology includes sales of antibody-replacement immunoglobulin and bio therapeutics therapies. Pro forma Q2 2017 growth in Immunology was approximately 18% (20% at Non GAAP CER) as the franchise benefited from growth in both immunoglobulin therapies and bio therapeutics. The U.S. benefited from growth in demand for our subcutaneous portfolio. International experienced growth across most regions with some benefit due to the timing of large orders.

Neuroscience

Neuroscience product sales decreased 3%, primarily driven by ADDERALL XR.

ADDERALL XR sales decreased 30%, primarily due to additional generic competition since August 2016. VYVANSE sales growth was impacted by destocking in the second quarter of 2017 compared to stocking in the same period in the prior year.

MYDAYIS, approved by the FDA on June 20, 2017, contributed $16 million of product sales related to launch stocking.

Internal Medicine

Internal Medicine product sales increased 15%, with strong growth from GATTEX/REVESTIVE and NATPARA.

GATTEX/REVESTIVE and NATPARA continued to perform well with sales increasing 69% and 73%, respectively, primarily due to an increase in the numbers of patients on therapy.

During Q2 2017, a generic version of LIALDA was approved by the FDA; Shire expects generic competition to negatively impact future LIALDA product sales.

Oncology

Oncology, acquired with Baxalta in June 2016, reported sales of $63 million. Oncology includes sales of ONCASPAR and ONIVYDE, the latter of which was approved in the EU on October 18, 2016 and has contributed to international growth in 2017.

Ophthalmology

Ophthalmology product sales relate to XIIDRA, which was made available to patients starting on August 29, 2016. XIIDRA contributed $57 million of product sales with 13% prescription growth since Q1 2017.

Baxalta pro forma product sales growth

The following table presents Q2 2017 reported legacy Baxalta product sales compared with Q2 2016 pro forma legacy Baxalta sales.

(in millions) Pro forma

Year on year growth Product sales by franchise U.S. Sales International Sales Total Sales Reported Non GAAP CER HEMOPHILIA $ 383.1 $ 360.8 $ 743.9 +3 % +5 % INHIBITOR THERAPIES 76.1 144.6 220.7 -7 % -5 % Hematology total 459.2 505.4 964.6 +1 % +2 % IMMUNOGLOBULIN THERAPIES 407.9 102.6 510.5 +19 % +20 % BIO THERAPEUTICS 75.9 96.3 172.2 +18 % +20 % Immunology total 483.8 198.9 682.7 +18 % +20 % Oncology total 45.8 16.7 62.5 +18 % +20 % Total $ 988.8 $ 721.0 $ 1,709.8 +8 % +9 %

Royalties and other revenues

(in millions) Year on year growth Revenue Reported Non GAAP CER SENSIPAR royalties $ 46.4 +30 % +31 % ADDERALL XR royalties 13.4 +158 % +157 % FOSRENOL royalties 12.1 +6 % +7 % 3TC and ZEFFIX royalties 8.2 -32 % -32 % Other royalties and revenues 73.9 +73 % +77 % Total royalties and other revenues $ 154.0 +44 % +46 %

Royalties and Other Revenues increased 44%, primarily due to the inclusion of a full quarter of contract manufacturing revenue acquired with Baxalta.

Financial details

Cost of sales

(in millions) Q2 2017 % of total revenues Q2 2016 % of total revenues Cost of sales (US GAAP) $ 1,108.9 30 % $ 778.1 32 % Expense related to the unwind of inventory fair value adjustments (145.0 ) (280.7 ) Depreciation (67.0 ) (22.4 ) Non GAAP cost of sales $ 896.9 24 % $ 475.0 20 %

Cost of sales as a percentage of total revenues decreased to 30% primarily due to lower expense related to the unwind of inventory fair value adjustments.

Non GAAP cost of sales as a percentage of total revenues increased to 24%, primarily due to the impact of a full quarter of lower margin product franchises acquired with Baxalta.

R&D

(in millions) Q2 2017 % of total revenues Q2 2016 % of total revenues R&D (US GAAP) $ 542.4 14 % $ 294.8 12 % Impairment of IPR&D intangible assets (20.0 ) (8.9 ) Costs relating to license arrangements (123.7 ) - Depreciation (12.8 ) (5.8 ) Non GAAP R&D $ 385.9 10 % $ 280.1 12 %

R&D increased by $248 million, or 84%, primarily due to milestone and upfront payments associated with license arrangements, and the inclusion of a full quarter of Baxalta costs.

Non GAAP R&D increased by $106 million, or 38%, primarily due to the inclusion of a full quarter of Baxalta costs. Non GAAP R&D expense as a percentage of total revenues decreased 2 percentage points.

SG&A

(in millions) Q2 2017 % of total revenues Q2 2016 % of total revenues SG&A (US GAAP) $ 899.1 24 % $ 675.3 28 % Legal and litigation costs (7.6 ) (1.6 ) Depreciation (40.9 ) (19.7 ) Non GAAP SG&A $ 850.6 23 % $ 654.0 27 %

SG&A increased by $224 million, or 33%, primarily due to the inclusion of a full quarter of Baxalta related costs and increased XIIDRA marketing costs.

Non GAAP SG&A increased by $197 million, or 30%, primarily due to the inclusion of a full quarter of Baxalta related costs and increased XIIDRA marketing costs. Non GAAP SG&A as a percentage of total revenues decreased 4 percentage points.

Amortization of acquired intangible assets

Shire recorded amortization of acquired intangible assets of $434 million (Q2 2016: $213 million). The increase is primarily related to amortization on the intangible assets acquired with the Baxalta transaction.

Integration and acquisition costs

In Q2 2017, Shire recorded integration and acquisition costs of $344 million. Integration costs of $193 million, primarily related to Baxalta, including employee severance and acceleration of stock compensation, third-party professional fees and expenses associated with facility consolidations. Additionally, integration and acquisition costs included a net charge of $151 million, relating to the change in fair value of contingent consideration, primarily related to SHP643 which was acquired from Dyax in 2016.

In Q2 2016, Shire recorded integration and acquisition costs of $363 million. Integration and acquisition costs related to the Baxalta and Dyax transactions were $417 million, and included costs relating to investment banking and other transaction-related fees, as well as integration costs related to employee severance and acceleration of stock compensation, and third-party professional fees. These costs were partially offset by a net credit of $58 million relating to the change in fair value of contingent consideration.

Other expense, net

(in millions) Q2 2017 Q2 2016 Other expense, net (US GAAP) $ (137.7 ) $ (79.6 ) Amortization of one-time upfront borrowing costs for Baxalta and Dyax 1.7 25.9 Gain on sale of long term investments (13.2 ) - Non GAAP Other expense, net $ (149.2 ) $ (53.7 )

Other expense, net increased by $58 million, primarily due to higher interest expense incurred on borrowings used to fund the acquisitions of Dyax and Baxalta.

Non GAAP Other expense, net increased by $96 million, primarily due to higher interest expense as noted above.

Taxation

(in millions) Effective

tax rate Effective

tax rate Q2 2017 Q2 2016 Income tax expense (US GAAP) $ (24.3 ) 9 % $ 70.9 (427 %) Tax effect of adjustments (187.6 ) (215.8 ) Non GAAP Income tax expense $ (211.9 ) 16 % $ (144.9 ) 16 %

The effective tax rate on US GAAP income in Q2 2017 was 9% (Q2 2016: -427%) and on a Non GAAP basis was 16% (Q2 2016: 16%).

The effective rate in Q2 2017 on US GAAP income from continuing operations is low primarily due to the combined impact of the relative quantum of profit before tax for the period by jurisdiction and the reversal of deferred tax liabilities from the Baxalta acquisition, as well as acquisition and integration costs in higher tax territories.

Discontinued operations

The loss from discontinued operations in Q2 2017 was $1 million, net of taxes, associated with the divested DERMAGRAFT business. The loss in Q2 2016 was $249 million, net of taxes of $101 million, primarily due to the establishment of legal contingencies related to the divested DERMAGRAFT business.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page Unaudited US GAAP Consolidated Balance Sheets 15 Unaudited US GAAP Consolidated Statements of Operations 16 Unaudited US GAAP Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 18 Selected Notes to the Unaudited US GAAP Financial Statements (1) Earnings per share 20 (2) Analysis of revenues 21 Non GAAP reconciliations 22

Unaudited US GAAP Consolidated Balance Sheets

(in millions, except par value of shares)

June 30, 2017 December 31, 2016 ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 263.7 $ 528.8 Restricted cash 34.2 25.6 Accounts receivable, net 2,755.2 2,616.5 Inventories 3,325.3 3,562.3 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 778.5 806.3 Total current assets 7,156.9 7,539.5 Non-current assets: Investments 197.0 191.6 Property, plant and equipment (PP&E), net 6,554.5 6,469.6 Goodwill 19,482.1 17,888.2 Intangible assets, net 33,434.3 34,697.5 Deferred tax asset 132.2 96.7 Other non-current assets 233.9 152.3 Total assets $ 67,190.9 $ 67,035.4 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable and accrued expenses $ 3,842.0 $ 4,312.4 Short term borrowings and capital leases 3,204.9 3,068.0 Other current liabilities 389.6 362.9 Total current liabilities 7,436.5 7,743.3 Non-current liabilities: Long term borrowings and capital leases 18,355.1 19,899.8 Deferred tax liability 7,788.0 8,322.7 Other non-current liabilities 2,346.2 2,121.6 Total liabilities 35,925.8 38,087.4 Equity: Common stock of 5p par value; 1,500 shares authorized; and 915.3 shares issued and outstanding (2016: 1,500 shares authorized; and 912.2 shares issued and outstanding) 81.5 81.3 Additional paid-in capital 24,951.2 24,740.9 Treasury stock: 8.4 shares (2016: 9.1 shares) (283.0 ) (301.9 ) Accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss) 200.1 (1,497.6 ) Retained earnings 6,315.3 5,925.3 Total equity 31,265.1 28,948.0 Total liabilities and equity $ 67,190.9 $ 67,035.4

Unaudited US GAAP Consolidated Statements of Operations

(in millions)

3 months ended June 30, 6 months ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 Revenues: Product sales $ 3,591.8 $ 2,322.1 $ 7,004.1 $ 3,949.4 Royalties & other revenues 154.0 107.0 314.0 189.0 Total revenues 3,745.8 2,429.1 7,318.1 4,138.4 Costs and expenses: Cost of sales 1,108.9 778.1 2,435.9 1,026.7 Research and development 542.4 294.8 921.7 511.9 Selling, general and administrative 899.1 675.3 1,788.0 1,150.2 Amortization of acquired intangible assets 434.1 213.0 798.1 347.6 Integration and acquisition costs 343.7 363.0 459.7 454.1 Reorganization costs 13.6 11.0 19.1 14.3 Loss/(gain) on sale of product rights 4.8 (2.3 ) (0.7 ) (6.5 ) Total operating expenses 3,346.6 2,332.9 6,421.8 3,498.3 Operating income from continuing operations 399.2 96.2 896.3 640.1 Interest income 1.1 1.6 4.2 2.6 Interest expense (141.3 ) (87.2 ) (283.6 ) (131.9 ) Other income/(expense), net 2.5 6.0 7.0 (2.5 ) Total other expense, net (137.7 ) (79.6 ) (272.4 ) (131.8 ) Income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in earnings/(losses) of equity method investees 261.5 16.6 623.9 508.3 Income taxes (24.3 ) 70.9 (31.1 ) (11.2 ) Equity in earnings/(losses) of equity method investees, net of taxes 4.3 (0.9 ) 3.5 (1.0 ) Income from continuing operations, net of taxes 241.5 86.6 596.3 496.1 (Loss)/gain from discontinued operations, net of taxes (1.2 ) (248.7 ) 19.0 (239.2 ) Net income/(loss) $ 240.3 $ (162.1 ) $ 615.3 $ 256.9

Unaudited US GAAP Consolidated Statements of Operations (continued)

(in millions, except per share amounts)

3 months ended June 30, 6 months ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 Earnings/(loss) per Ordinary Share - basic Earnings from continuing operations $ 0.27 $ 0.12 $ 0.66 $ 0.78 (Loss)/gain from discontinued operations - (0.36 ) 0.02 (0.38 ) Earnings/(loss) per Ordinary Share - basic $ 0.27 $ (0.24 ) $ 0.68 $ 0.40 Earnings/(loss) per ADS - basic $ 0.80 $ (0.71 ) $ 2.04 $ 1.21 Earnings/(loss) per Ordinary Share - diluted Earnings from continuing operations $ 0.26 $ 0.12 $ 0.65 $ 0.77 (Loss)/earnings from discontinued operations - (0.36 ) 0.02 (0.37 ) Earnings/(loss) per Ordinary Share - diluted $ 0.26 $ (0.24 ) $ 0.67 $ 0.40 Earnings/(loss) per ADS - diluted $ 0.79 $ (0.71 ) $ 2.02 $ 1.20 Weighted average number of shares: Basic 906.4 682.8 905.3 637.3 Diluted 912.7 682.8 912.3 640.1

Unaudited US GAAP Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(in millions)

3 months ended June 30, 6 months ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES: Net income/(loss) $ 240.3 $ (162.1 ) $ 615.3 $ 256.9 Adjustments to reconcile net income/(loss) to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 554.8 260.9 1,041.7 429.8 Share based compensation 53.7 176.5 106.4 194.8 Amortization of deferred financing fees 3.6 30.1 6.8 50.1 Expense related to the unwind of inventory fair value adjustments 145.0 280.7 625.4 293.5 Change in deferred taxes (157.8 ) (319.1 ) (293.3 ) (329.2 ) Change in fair value of contingent consideration 151.2 (56.4 ) 147.7 (45.0 ) Impairment of PP&E and intangible assets 53.6 8.9 53.6 8.9 Other, net (12.0 ) (3.1 ) 14.8 (17.6 ) Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Increase in accounts receivable (146.2 ) (80.1 ) (181.5 ) (181.0 ) Increase/(decrease) in sales deduction accrual 39.6 (7.2 ) 57.1 66.4 Increase in inventory (19.8 ) (84.2 ) (171.6 ) (116.4 ) Decrease in prepayments and other assets 90.4 48.7 104.6 26.5 Increase/(decrease) in accounts payable and other liabilities 226.4 497.3 (445.1 ) 342.7 Net cash provided by operating activities 1,222.8 590.9 1,681.9 980.4 CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES: Purchases of PP&E and long term investments (178.6 ) (127.5 ) (391.1 ) (179.1 ) Purchases of businesses, net of cash acquired - (11,783.4 ) - (17,476.2 ) Proceeds from sale of investments 40.6 - 40.6 - Movements in restricted cash (0.1 ) 2.4 (8.6 ) 67.2 Other, net 2.0 (2.2 ) 3.2 3.3 Net cash used in investing activities (136.1 ) (11,910.7 ) (355.9 ) (17,584.8 )

Unaudited US GAAP Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (continued)

(in millions)

3 months ended June 30, 6 months ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES: Proceeds from revolving line of credit, long term and short term borrowings 710.0 12,590.0 2,111.9 18,895.0 Repayment of revolving line of credit, long term and short term borrowings (1,702.2 ) (505.2 ) (3,527.9 ) (1,500.3 ) Payment of dividend (234.7 ) (130.2 ) (234.7 ) (130.2 ) Debt issuance costs - (18.5 ) - (112.3 ) Proceeds from exercise of options 37.4 - 79.5 0.1 Other, net (3.9 ) 11.0 (24.0 ) 11.9 Net cash (used in)/provided by financing activities (1,193.4 ) 11,947.1 (1,595.2 ) 17,164.2 Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents 1.4 (2.9 ) 4.1 (1.9 ) Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents (105.3 ) 624.4 (265.1 ) 557.9 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 369.0 69.0 528.8 135.5 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 263.7 $ 693.4 $ 263.7 $ 693.4

Selected Notes to the Unaudited US GAAP Financial Statements

Earnings Per Share (EPS)

(in millions)

3 months ended June 30, 6 months ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 Income from continuing operations $ 241.5 $ 86.6 $ 596.3 $ 496.1 (Loss)/gain from discontinued operations (1.2 ) (248.7 ) 19.0 (239.2 ) Numerator for EPS $ 240.3 $ (162.1 ) $ 615.3 $ 256.9 Weighted average number of shares: Basic 906.4 682.8 905.3 637.3 Effect of dilutive shares: Share based awards to employees 6.3 - 7.0 2.8 Diluted 912.7 682.8 912.3 640.1

The share equivalents not included in the calculation of the diluted weighted average number of shares are shown below:

Share based awards to employees 13.2 8.3 10.3 4.4

Selected Notes to the Unaudited US GAAP Financial Statements

(2) Analysis of revenues

(in millions)

3 months ended June 30, 6 months ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 Product sales by franchise HEMOPHILIA $ 743.9 $ 275.6 $ 1,394.3 $ 275.6 INHIBITOR THERAPIES 220.7 74.0 441.2 74.0 Hematology 964.6 349.6 1,835.5 349.6 CINRYZE 175.9 173.0 401.8 337.2 ELAPRASE 161.0 154.0 301.6 277.6 FIRAZYR 137.4 136.7 265.9 265.0 REPLAGAL 122.1 118.4 231.8 221.6 VPRIV 87.9 88.0 167.7 171.6 KALBITOR 20.6 17.7 32.3 28.1 Genetic Diseases 704.9 687.8 1,401.1 1,301.1 IMMUNOGLOBULIN THERAPIES 510.5 138.2 1,008.8 138.2 BIO THERAPEUTICS 172.2 51.3 350.1 51.3 Immunology 682.7 189.5 1,358.9 189.5 VYVANSE 518.2 517.7 1,081.9 1,026.9 ADDERALL XR 71.4 101.8 136.3 200.6 MYDAYIS 15.7 - 15.7 - Other Neuroscience 30.1 35.7 54.8 57.8 Neuroscience 635.4 655.2 1,288.7 1,285.3 LIALDA/MEZAVANT 207.8 193.7 382.9 361.7 PENTASA 83.3 72.9 152.4 136.9 GATTEX/REVESTIVE 75.3 44.5 144.3 96.2 NATPARA 34.5 19.9 64.2 35.5 Other Internal Medicine 83.4 88.7 159.3 173.3 Internal Medicine 484.3 419.7 903.1 803.6 Oncology 62.5 20.3 120.8 20.3 Ophthalmology 57.4 - 96.0 - Total product sales 3,591.8 2,322.1 7,004.1 3,949.4 Royalties and other revenues SENSIPAR royalties 46.4 35.6 85.3 73.5 ADDERALL XR royalties 13.4 5.2 25.9 11.0 FOSRENOL royalties 12.1 11.4 20.7 20.6 3TC and ZEFFIX royalties 8.2 12.1 22.7 27.1 Other Royalties and revenues 73.9 42.7 159.4 56.8 Total royalties and other revenues 154.0 107.0 314.0 189.0 Total revenues $ 3,745.8 $ 2,429.1 $ 7,318.1 $ 4,138.4

Non GAAP reconciliations

(in millions)

Reconciliation of US GAAP net income to Non GAAP EBITDA and Non GAAP operating income:

3 months ended June 30, 6 months ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 US GAAP net income/(loss) $ 240.3 $ (162.1 ) $ 615.3 $ 256.9 Add back/(deduct): Loss/(gain) from discontinued operations, net of tax 1.2 248.7 (19.0 ) 239.2 Equity in (earnings)/losses of equity method investees, net of taxes (4.3 ) 0.9 (3.5 ) 1.0 Income taxes 24.3 (70.9 ) 31.1 11.2 Other expense, net 137.7 79.6 272.4 131.8 US GAAP operating income from continuing operations 399.2 96.2 896.3 640.1 Add back/(deduct) Non GAAP adjustments: Expense related to the unwind of inventory fair value adjustments 145.0 280.7 625.4 293.5 Impairment of acquired intangible assets 20.0 8.9 20.0 8.9 Costs relating to license arrangements 123.7 - 123.7 - Legal and litigation costs 7.6 1.6 7.6 16.6 Amortization of acquired intangible assets 434.1 213.0 798.1 347.6 Integration and acquisition costs 343.7 363.0 459.7 454.1 Reorganization costs 13.6 11.0 19.1 14.3 Loss/(gain) on sale of product rights 4.8 (2.3 ) (0.7 ) (6.5 ) Depreciation 120.7 47.9 243.6 82.2 Other Non GAAP adjustments - - (4.0 ) - Non GAAP EBITDA 1,612.4 1,020.0 3,188.8 1,850.8 Depreciation (120.7 ) (47.9 ) (243.6 ) (82.2 ) Non GAAP operating income $ 1,491.7 $ 972.1 $ 2,945.2 $ 1,768.6 Net income margin(1) 6 % (7 )% 8 % 6 % Non GAAP EBITDA margin(2) 43 % 42 % 44 % 45 % (1) Net income as a percentage of total revenues. (2) Non GAAP EBITDA as a percentage of total revenues.

Reconciliation of revenues to Non GAAP gross margin:

3 months ended June 30, 6 months ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 Revenues $ 3,745.8 $ 2,429.1 $ 7,318.1 $ 4,138.4 Cost of sales (US GAAP) (1,108.9 ) (778.1 ) (2,435.9 ) (1,026.7 ) US GAAP gross margin 2,636.9 1,651.0 4,882.2 3,111.7 Add back Non GAAP adjustments: Expense related to the unwind of inventory fair value adjustments 145.0 280.7 625.4 293.5 Depreciation 67.0 22.4 139.1 30.7 Non GAAP gross margin $ 2,848.9 $ 1,954.1 $ 5,646.7 $ 3,435.9 Non GAAP gross margin % (1) 76.1 % 80.4 % 77.2 % 83.0 % (1) Non GAAP gross margin as a percentage of total revenues.

Non GAAP reconciliations

(in millions, except per ADS amounts)

Reconciliation of US GAAP net income to Non GAAP net income:

3 months ended June 30, 6 months ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 US GAAP net income/(loss) $ 240.3 $ (162.1 ) $ 615.3 $ 256.9 Expense related to the unwind of inventory fair value adjustments 145.0 280.7 625.4 293.5 Impairment of acquired intangible assets 20.0 8.9 20.0 8.9 Costs relating to license arrangements 123.7 - 123.7 - Legal and litigation costs 7.6 1.6 7.6 16.6 Amortization of acquired intangible assets 434.1 213.0 798.1 347.6 Integration and acquisition costs 343.7 363.0 459.7 454.1 Reorganization costs 13.6 11.0 19.1 14.3 Loss/(gain) on sale of product rights 4.8 (2.3 ) (0.7 ) (6.5 ) Amortization of one-time upfront borrowing costs for Baxalta and Dyax 1.7 25.9 3.5 44.1 (Gain)/loss on sale of long term investments (13.2 ) - (13.2 ) 6.0 Loss/(gain) from discontinued operations 1.9 349.6 (29.9 ) 334.6 Other Non GAAP adjustments - - (4.0 ) - Tax effect of adjustments (188.3 ) (316.7 ) (387.6 ) (365.7 ) Non GAAP net income $ 1,134.9 $ 772.6 $ 2,237.0 $ 1,404.4

Reconciliation of US GAAP diluted earnings per ADS to Non GAAP diluted earnings per ADS:

3 months ended June 30, 6 months ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 US GAAP diluted earnings/(losses) per ADS $ 0.79 $ (0.71 ) $ 2.02 $ 1.20 Expense related to the unwind of inventory fair value adjustments 0.48 1.23 2.06 1.38 Impairment of acquired intangible assets 0.07 0.04 0.07 0.04 Costs relating to license arrangements 0.41 - 0.41 - Legal and litigation costs 0.02 0.01 0.02 0.08 Amortization of acquired intangible assets 1.42 0.94 2.62 1.63 Integration and acquisition costs 1.12 1.59 1.51 2.13 Reorganization costs 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 Loss/(gain) on sale of product rights 0.02 (0.01 ) - (0.03 ) Amortization of one-time upfront borrowing costs for Baxalta and Dyax 0.01 0.11 0.01 0.21 (Gain)/loss on sale of long term investments (0.04 ) - (0.04 ) 0.03 Loss/(gain) from discontinued operations 0.01 1.53 (0.10 ) 1.56 Other Non GAAP adjustments - - (0.01 ) - Tax effect of adjustments (0.62 ) (1.40 ) (1.27 ) (1.72 ) Non GAAP diluted earnings per ADS $ 3.73 $ 3.38 $ 7.36 $ 6.58

Non GAAP reconciliations

(in millions, except per ADS amounts)

Reconciliation of US GAAP net cash provided by operating activities to Non GAAP free cash flow:

3 months ended June 30, 6 months ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 Net cash provided by operating activities $ 1,222.8 $ 590.9 $ 1,681.9 $ 980.4 Capital expenditure (178.6 ) (127.5 ) (391.1 ) (179.1 ) Up-front payments for in-licensed products 20.0 - 20.0 - Non GAAP free cash flow $ 1,064.2 $ 463.4 $ 1,310.8 $ 801.3

Non GAAP net debt comprises:

June 30, 2017 December 31, 2016 Cash and cash equivalents $ 263.7 $ 528.8 Long term borrowings (excluding capital leases) (18,011.3 ) (19,552.6 ) Short term borrowings (excluding capital leases) (3,198.1 ) (3,061.6 ) Capital leases (350.6 ) (353.6 ) Non GAAP net debt $ (21,296.3 ) $ (22,439.0 )

Reconciliation of full year 2017 US GAAP diluted earnings per ADS Outlook to Non GAAP diluted earnings per ADS Outlook:

Full Year 2017 Outlook Min Max US GAAP diluted earnings per ADS $ 5.65 $ 6.05 Expense related to the unwind of inventory fair value adjustments 2.42 Impairment of acquired intangible assets 0.07 Costs relating to licensing arrangements 0.46 Legal and litigation costs 0.04 Amortization of acquired intangible assets 5.64 Integration and acquisition costs 2.98 Reorganization costs 0.10 Amortization of one-time upfront borrowing costs for Baxalta and Dyax 0.02 Loss from discontinued operations (0.10) Gain on sale of long term investments (0.01) Other Non-GAAP adjustments (0.04) Tax effect of adjustments (2.43) Non GAAP diluted earnings per ADS $ 14.80 $ 15.20



NOTES TO EDITORS

Stephen Williams, Deputy Company Secretary, is responsible for arranging the release of this announcement.

Inside Information

This announcement contains inside information.

About Shire

Shire is the leading global biotechnology company focused on serving people with rare diseases. We strive to develop best-in-class products, many of which are available in more than 100 countries, across core therapeutic areas including Hematology, Immunology, Neuroscience, Ophthalmics, Lysosomal Storage Disorders, Gastrointestinal / Internal Medicine / Endocrine and Hereditary Angioedema; and a growing franchise in Oncology.

Our employees come to work every day with a shared mission: to develop and deliver breakthrough therapies for the hundreds of millions of people in the world affected by rare diseases and other high-need conditions, and who lack effective therapies to live their lives to the fullest.

www.shire.com (https://www.shire.com/)

THE "SAFE HARBOR" STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995

Statements included herein that are not historical facts, including without limitation statements concerning future strategy, plans, objectives, expectations and intentions, the anticipated timing of clinical trials and approvals for, and the commercial potential of, inline or pipeline products, are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time. In the event such risks or uncertainties materialize, Shire's results could be materially adversely affected. The risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following:

Shire's products may not be a commercial success;

increased pricing pressures and limits on patient access as a result of governmental regulations and market developments may affect Shire's future revenues, financial condition and results of operations;

Shire conducts its own manufacturing operations for certain of its products and is reliant on third party contract manufacturers to manufacture other products and to provide goods and services. Some of Shire's products or ingredients are only available from a single approved source for manufacture. Any disruption to the supply chain for any of Shire's products may result in Shire being unable to continue marketing or developing a product or may result in Shire being unable to do so on a commercially viable basis for some period of time;

the manufacture of Shire's products is subject to extensive oversight by various regulatory agencies. Regulatory approvals or interventions associated with changes to manufacturing sites, ingredients or manufacturing processes could lead to, among other things, significant delays, an increase in operating costs, lost product sales, an interruption of research activities or the delay of new product launches;

certain of Shire's therapies involve lengthy and complex processes, which may prevent Shire from timely responding to market forces and effectively managing its production capacity;

Shire has a portfolio of products in various stages of research and development. The successful development of these products is highly uncertain and requires significant expenditures and time, and there is no guarantee that these products will receive regulatory approval;

the actions of certain customers could affect Shire's ability to sell or market products profitably. Fluctuations in buying or distribution patterns by such customers can adversely affect Shire's revenues, financial conditions or results of operations;

Shire's products and product candidates face substantial competition in the product markets in which it operates, including competition from generics;

adverse outcomes in legal matters, tax audits and other disputes, including Shire's ability to enforce and defend patents and other intellectual property rights required for its business, could have a material adverse effect on the Company's revenues, financial condition or results of operations;

inability to successfully compete for highly qualified personnel from other companies and organizations;

failure to achieve the strategic objectives, including expected operating efficiencies, cost savings, revenue enhancements, synergies or other benefits at the time anticipated or at all with respect to Shire's acquisitions, including NPS Pharmaceuticals Inc., Dyax Corp. or Baxalta Incorporated may adversely affect Shire's financial condition and results of operations;

Shire's growth strategy depends in part upon its ability to expand its product portfolio through external collaborations, which, if unsuccessful, may adversely affect the development and sale of its products;

a slowdown of global economic growth, or economic instability of countries in which Shire does business, as well as changes in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates, that adversely impact the availability and cost of credit and customer purchasing and payment patterns, including the collectability of customer accounts receivable;

failure of a marketed product to work effectively or if such a product is the cause of adverse side effects could result in damage to Shire's reputation, the withdrawal of the product and legal action against Shire;

investigations or enforcement action by regulatory authorities or law enforcement agencies relating to Shire's activities in the highly regulated markets in which it operates may result in significant legal costs and the payment of substantial compensation or fines;

Shire is dependent on information technology and its systems and infrastructure face certain risks, including from service disruptions, the loss of sensitive or confidential information, cyber-attacks and other security breaches or data leakages that could have a material adverse effect on Shire's revenues, financial condition or results of operations;

Shire incurred substantial additional indebtedness to finance the Baxalta acquisition, which has increased its borrowing costs and may decrease its business flexibility; and

a further list and description of risks, uncertainties and other matters can be found in Shire's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in Shire's subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, in each case including those risks outlined in "ITEM 1A: Risk Factors", and in subsequent reports on Form 8-K and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings, all of which are available on Shire's website.

All forward-looking statements attributable to us or any person acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date hereof. Except to the extent otherwise required by applicable law, we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

NON GAAP MEASURES

This press release contains financial measures not prepared in accordance with US GAAP. These measures are referred to as "Non GAAP" measures and include: Non GAAP operating income; Non GAAP net income; Non GAAP diluted earnings per ADS; effectivetax rate on Non GAAP income before income taxes and (losses/earnings) of equity method investees (effective tax rate on Non GAAP income); Non GAAP CER; Non GAAP cost of sales; Non GAAP gross margin; Non GAAP R&D; Non GAAP SG&A; Non GAAP other expense; Non GAAP free cash flow, Non GAAP net debt, Non GAAP EBITDA and Non GAAP EBITDA margin.

The Non GAAP measures exclude the impact of certain specified items that are highly variable, difficult to predict, and of a size that may substantially impact Shire's operations. Upfront and milestone payments related to in-licensing and acquired products that have been expensed as R&D are also excluded as specified items as they are generally uncertain and often result in a different payment and expense recognition pattern than ongoing internal R&D activities. Intangible asset amortization has been excluded from certain measures to facilitate an evaluation of current and past operating performance, particularly in terms of cash returns, and is similar to how management internally assesses performance. The Non GAAP financial measures are presented in this press release as Shire's management believes that they will provide investors with an additional analysis of Shire's results of operations, particularly in evaluating performance from one period to another.

Shire's management uses Non GAAP financial measures to make operating decisions as they facilitate additional internal comparisons of Shire's performance to historical results and to competitor's results, and provides them to investors as a supplement to Shire's reported results to provide additional insight into Shire's operating performance. Shire's Remuneration Committee uses certain key Non GAAP measures when assessing the performance and compensation of employees, including Shire's executive directors.

The Non GAAP financial measures used by Shire may be calculated different from, and therefore may not be comparable to, similarly titled measures used by other companies - refer to the section "Non GAAP Financial Measure Descriptions" below for additional information. In addition, these Non GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation as a substitute for, or as superior to, financial measures calculated in accordance with US GAAP, and Shire's financial results calculated in accordance with US GAAP and reconciliations to those financial statements should be carefully evaluated.

Non GAAP Financial Measure Descriptions

Where applicable the following items, including their tax effect, have been excluded when calculating Non GAAP earnings and from our Non GAAP outlook:

Amortization and asset impairments:

Intangible asset amortization and impairment charges; and

Other than temporary impairment of investments.

Acquisitions and integration activities:

Up-front payments and milestones in respect of in-licensed and acquired products;

Costs associated with acquisitions, including transaction costs, fair value adjustments on contingent consideration and acquired inventory;

Costs associated with the integration of companies; and

Noncontrolling interests in consolidated variable interest entities.

Divestments, reorganizations and discontinued operations:

Gains and losses on the sale of non-core assets;

Costs associated with restructuring and reorganization activities;

Termination costs; and

Income/(losses) from discontinued operations.

Legal and litigation costs:

Net legal costs related to the settlement of litigation, government investigations and other disputes (excluding internal legal team costs).

Additionally, in any given period Shire may have significant, unusual or non-recurring gains or losses which it may exclude from its Non GAAP earnings for that period. When applicable, these items would be fully disclosed and incorporated into the required reconciliations from US GAAP to Non GAAP measures.

Depreciation, which is included in Cost of sales, R&D and SG&A costs in our US GAAP results, has been separately disclosed for presentational purposes.

Free cash flow represents net cash provided by operating activities, excluding up-front and milestone payments for in-licensed and acquired products, but including capital expenditure in the ordinary course of business.

Non GAAP net debt represents cash and cash equivalents less short and long term borrowings, capital leases and other debt.

A reconciliation of Non GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable measure under US GAAP is presented on pages 22 to 24.

Non GAAP CER growth is computed by restating 2017 results using average 2016 foreign exchange rates for the relevant period.

Average exchange rates used by Shire for the three months ended June 30, 2017 were $1.28:1.00 and $1.09:1.00 (2016: $1.45:1.00 and $1.13:1.00). Average exchange rates used by Shire for the six months ended June 30, 2017 were $1.26:1.00 and $1.08:1.00 (2016: $1.44:1.00 and $1.11:1.00).

TRADEMARKS

We own or have rights to trademarks, service marks or trade names that we use in connection with the operation of our business. In addition, our names, logos and website names and addresses are owned by us or licensed by us. We also own or have the rights to copyrights that protect the content of our solutions. Solely for convenience, the trademarks, service marks, trade names and copyrights referred to in this press release are listed without the ,  and symbols, but we will assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights or the rights of the applicable licensors to these trademarks, service marks, trade names and copyrights. In addition, this press release may include trademarks, service marks or trade names of other companies. Our use or display of other parties' trademarks, service marks, trade names or products is not intended to, and does not imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, the trademark, service mark or trade name.

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: Shire plc via Globenewswire


CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The Japanese yen retreated from recent highs against the other major currencies in the pre-European session on Monday. The yen fell to 115.18 against the euro, from more than a 5-month high of 114.85. Against the pound and the Swiss franc, the yen dropped to 135.96 and 107.93 from 5-month highs of 135.59 and 107.68, respectively. The yen slipped to 82.28 against the Australian dollar, from an early 4-day high of 81.99. Against the U.S. and the Canadian dollars, the yen edged down to 108.44 and 81.51 from 5-month highs of 108.13 and 81.26, respectively. If the yen extends its downtrend, it is likely to find support around 118.00 against the yen, 141.00 against the pound, 111.00 against the franc, 85.00 against the aussie, 113.00 against the greenback and 84.00 against the loonie. 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.
The manifest is complete with 650 veterans for the May 1 Vietnam Veterans Honor Flight to the nation's capitol.

Veterans from 175 Nebraska communities will travel with their comrades to visit the Vietnam Memorial Wall with special plans to honor their service.

Jim Knotts, President and CEO of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund in Washington, D.C., said, This is the largest group of Vietnam veterans from a single state to ever visit the Vietnam Wall since last years flight.

Knotts will speak at the weekends April 30 pre-flight dinner at the La Vista Convention Center. Arriving early May 1, the day will include stops at these memorials: Korean War, World War II, Air Force, Iwo Jima, and Arlington National Cemetery for the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

Veterans will rise May 1 at 2 a.m. before boarding four charter jets to depart from Eppley Airfield in Omaha. They will return to the Lincoln Airport so more Nebraskans can say Welcome Home. Past experience indicates the airport will be filled with flag waving greeters at 8:30 p.m. All are welcome.

Some facts about the Vietnam combat veterans:

* 55 are Purple Heart recipients, some multiple recipients.

* 242 (37 percent) have been diagnosed with Agent Orange, creating many health issues, incl cancer.

* Ten have received the Distinguished Flying Cross, some twice.

* One Army Nurse, the only female in this flight.

Donors for the four charter jets are Pinnacle Bank, Sandhills Publishing Company, Norfolk Iron & Metal Co. and the Harper Family Foundation.

Patriotic Productions organized ten previous Honor Flights that took 2,602 WW II, Korea, and Vietnam veterans to Washington D.C. since 2008. Patriotic Productions has a mission of honoring our military, including the creation, production and touring of Remembering Our Fallen photo memorials. More information can be found at www.PatrioticProductions.org and www.RememberingOurFallen.org.
Popular Exhibition Space Includes Cutting-Edge Demos Showcasing the Impact of Mobile Technology; Partners include BICS, Cubic Telecom, HID Global, Huawei, Guiyang City Government, KT Corporation, myFC, PayPal, Qvantel and SI-TECH

The GSMA Innovation City will return to Mobile World Congress Shanghai for the fifth year, the GSMA announced today. The popular exhibition space invites visitors to experience how mobile-connected products and services are improving the lives of citizens, enterprises and governments in Asia, as well as around the world. This year's showcase explores a range of immersive, cutting-edge demonstrations from leading brands as well as start-ups, covering different sectors such as retail, transport, automotive and more.

"The City is always one of the biggest draws at Mobile World Congress and we are focused on ensuring that it reflects the latest developments in mobile technology," said Michael O'Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. "We have a really diverse line-up of partners and a huge number of interactive demos and exhibits that will appeal to all different backgrounds and interest levels. We look to welcoming visitors to the Innovation City in Shanghai in just a few days, and then at Mobile World Congress Americas in San Francisco later in the year."

The GSMA Innovation City, which is a key attraction at Mobile World Congress, will include interactive demonstrations from partners including BICS, Cubic Telecom, HID Global, Huawei, Guiyang City Government, KT Corporation, myFC, Paypal, Qvantel and SI-TECH, as well as from the GSMA's key industry programmes: Internet of Things, Future Networks and Identity. The GSMA will also showcase the mobile industry's leadership role in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The City includes a number of dedicated areas covering automotive and sports to test and try out new products, as well as a cafe and the GSMA Members Pavilion, showcasing how the GSMA supports its members in driving innovation.

Showcasing a Range of New Experiences

The GSMA partner experiences on display in the Innovation City include:

BICS

BICS, a global voice carrier and mobile data services provider will showcase its global solutions across messaging, fraud prevention and the Internet of Things.

CUBIC TELECOM

Cubic Telecom is driving the world forward with global connectivity solutions for leading automotive, PC and mobile brands. The company will be showcasing its eSIM technology, making LTE connectivity enablement even more efficient for global IoT device makers. Cubic Telecom provides top-of-the-line subscription management solutions that are compliant with the latest M2M specifications and guidelines for remote SIM provisioning.

HID

HID Global will showcase its latest mobile access technology, including its two-factor authentication solution that uses push notifications to allow financial and banking customers to authenticate access and transactions on their mobile device.

HUAWEI

Huawei will bring a new concept to the Innovation City called 'Cloud City', which will give visitors an opportunity to experience a number of industrial based demos across different services and applictions.

GUIYANG CITY GOVERNMENT

Guiyang City Government will provide details on its China International Big Data Industry Expo, which is the world's first big-data themed expo.

MyFC

Sweden's MyFC is a world-leading authority on micro fuel cell technology and develops portable, eco-friendly fuel cell chargers for mobile devices. They will demonstrate their latest portable fuel cell charger, the JAQ Hybrid.

PAYPAL

Visit PayPal, the leading global digital payment platform to find out how they connect local merchants and consumers with the global marketplace and empower them to sell and buy without boundaries.

QVANTEL

Qvantel will demonstrate how it is helping Communications Service Providers make a digital transformation with cloud-based BSS solutions.

KT CORPORATION

KT (Korea Telecom), a leading global communications company, will showcase its range of technologies that will lead in the development of 5G and the IoT.

KT will present its innovations in 5G and 5G related services as well as showcase its work with the start-up community.

As the official telecommunications sponsor of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, KT will also present winter sports-related advanced 5G technologies and services.

Si-TECH

Si-TECH will showcase its reliable cloud and big data services.

GSMA Programme Showcase

The GSMA and its partners will demonstrate solutions highlighting the impact of mobile technology through a number of engaging exhibits including:

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals - Find out how mobile is connecting everyone and everything to a better future and explore the 'SDGs in Action' app.

- Find out how mobile is connecting everyone and everything to a better future and explore the 'SDGs in Action' app. Connected Seal Meet Xiu Xiu the seal and learn how Mobile IoT technology is helping to monitor seals in their natural environment.

Meet the seal and learn how Mobile IoT technology is helping to monitor seals in their natural environment. Virtual Reality-Controlled Submarine Experience the power of 5G via a virtual reality-controlled submarine.

Experience the power of 5G via a virtual reality-controlled submarine. Burger Restaurant - Experience how RCS messaging enhances the experience of ordering and collecting fast food.

- Experience how RCS messaging enhances the experience of ordering and collecting fast food. Virtual Reality Winter Sports Simulator - Head to KT's stand to try out a virtual reality skiing experience.

- Head to KT's stand to try out a virtual reality skiing experience. Future Networks - Experience the future of operator networks with demos and experiences highlighting RCS and Messaging as a Platform and the potential of 5G.

- Experience the future of operator networks with demos and experiences highlighting RCS and Messaging as a Platform and the potential of 5G. IoT See how consumers and businesses can enjoy rich new services, connected by intelligent and secure mobile networks.

See how consumers and businesses can enjoy rich new services, connected by intelligent and secure mobile networks. Sports Zone - Get hands-on with some of the most innovative wearables and sports related products available today.

- Get hands-on with some of the most innovative wearables and sports related products available today. Connected Cars - Experience the future of the connected car, including a McClaren 570S Sports Car experience.

- Experience the future of the connected car, including a McClaren 570S Sports Car experience. Identity - Experience how the GSMA's Mobile Connect is fast becoming the identity solution of choice for a generation demanding security, privacy and convenience.

GSMA Innovation City Location

The GSMA Innovation City will be hosted alongside the main conference programme in Hall W3 Hall W3 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. It will be open during Mobile World Congress Shanghai exhibition hours from Wednesday, 28 June through Friday, 30 June. For more information, visit www.mwcshanghai.com/exhibition/gsma-innovation-city/.

Register and Get Involved at Mobile World Congress Shanghai 2017

Registration to attend Mobile World Congress Shanghai is now open; for information on registration and pass types, please visit www.mwcshanghai.com/register-plan/register/.

For more information on the 2017 Mobile World Congress Shanghai, including how to attend, exhibit, partner or sponsor, visit www.mwcshanghai.com. Follow developments and updates on Mobile World Congress Shanghai through our social media channels - follow us on Twitter at @GSMA and use MWCS17 or GSMAInnovationcity, get regular updates through our LinkedIn Showcase Page at www.linkedin.com/company/mobile-world-congress-shanghai, and follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mwcshanghai. In China, you can follow us on Sina Weibo weibo.com/mwcshanghai or search "GSMA_MWCS" in WeChat. For additional information on GSMA social channels, visit www.mwcshanghai.com/about/contact/social-media.

-ENDS-

About the GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with more than 300 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress Shanghai, Mobile World Congress Americas and the Mobile 360 Series of conferences.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170619005437/en/

Contacts:

Media Contacts:

Ava Lau

+852-2533 9928

alau@webershandwick.com

or

Sophie Waterfield

+44 77 7945 9923

Sophie.Waterfield@webershandwick.com

or

GSMA Press Office

pressoffice@gsma.com
Despite reports suggesting China's anger at South Korea's deployment of anti-missile defense systems has aggravated a slump in Korean solar imports, analysis of import data shows this not to be the case.Although Pyongyang's saber-rattling has entered a worrying new dimension over the past few days following the underground testing of a nuclear weapon in North Korea on Sunday, reports that China is retaliating to South Korea's defensive maneuvrings by putting up further import barriers against Korean polysilicon and solar exports are wide of the mark, says independent solar analyst Corrine Lin. Specifically, it has been reported in the South Korean press that China is opposed to the deployment on the peninsula of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems that have been supplied by the U.S. As expected, these THAAD systems have been primed over the past few days, causing concern in Beijing. However, the news that exports of polysilicon from South ...

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.
HOLLYWOOD, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 04/17/17 -- bBooth, Inc. (OTCQB: BBTH), the Hollywood-based digital technology company, is pleased to announce that leading technology magazine, CIOReview, has selected bBooth CEO, Rory J. Cutaia, as its CEO of the Month.

CIOReview is the leading tech magazine dedicated to enterprise technology solutions, focused on current trends and redefining future enterprise technology goals. Every month, CIOReview awards the "CEO of the Month" title to the CEO of an emerging player in the technology landscape who has demonstrated superior leadership skills.

Rory J. Cutaia, bBooth's CEO, Founder, and Chairman explains in his article for CIOReview "The Art of the Pivot - How One CEO Navigated the Uncharted Road to Reset," how he managed to turn bBooth from a flagging talent discovery business into a revolutionary interactive video technology company for enterprise CRM, lead gen, and brand activations.

"We are delighted to feature Rory Cutaia as CEO of the Month," said Jeevan George, Managing Editor of CIOReview. "His fearless approach to the difficult decision to 'pivot,' faced by many executives in start-ups as well as those in more mature businesses, is quite instructive and noteworthy."

"I am truly honored to be selected as CEO of the Month by CIOReview Magazine," states Mr. Cutaia. "There are some things they just don't teach you in business school. Knowing how, when, and why to execute a pivot is one of the most difficult decisions an executive must face, and unfortunately, there is no playbook. I hope other executives can derive some benefit from my experience," continues Mr. Cutaia.

For the full article click here.

About bBooth:

bBooth, Inc. (OTCQB: BBTH) is a Hollywood-based digital tech company. We develop and license cloud-based, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), sales lead generation, and social engagement software on mobile and desktop platforms for sales-based organizations, consumer brands, and artists seeking greater levels of engagement and higher conversion rates. Our software platform can accommodate a one-off campaign or a single direct sales representative, yet is enterprise-class scalable to meet the needs of today's global organizations. Our service is built around our proprietary 'Video-First' bNotifi technology, which places interactive video front and center in all customer and prospect communications. We've re-invented what a CRM, lead-gen tool should be in today's video-centric social environment.

For more information on bBooth, visit bBooth.com.

About CIOReview:

CIOReview is a technology magazine that talks about the enterprise solutions that can redefine the business goals of enterprises tomorrow. It is the leading source that shares innovative enterprise solutions developed by established solutions providers, upcoming hot enterprises and is a neutral source for technology decision makers.

For more information on CIOReview, visit: cioreview.com.

Forward-looking & Safe Harbor Statement: Certain statements in this release may contain forward- looking information within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 3b-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and those statements are subject to the safe harbor created by those rules. All statements, other than statements of fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential future plans and objectives of the Company, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company cautions that these forward-looking statements are further qualified by other factors. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any statements in this release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

For more Information, please visit: bBooth.com

Please address media inquiries to:

info@bBooth.com

or

855 250-2300 ext. 2



Please address investor inquiries to:

investors@bBooth.com

or

855 250-2300 ext. 3




TechnipFMC (Paris:FTI) (NYSE:FTI) (ISIN:GB00BDSFG982) will issue its first quarter 2017 earnings release after the close of the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday, April 26, 2017. The Company also will host its first quarter 2017 earnings release teleconference on Thursday, April 27, 2017, at 1 p.m. London time (8 a.m. New York time).

To participate in the conference call, you may call any of the following telephone numbers approximately 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time:

France: +33 (0) 8 00 90 93 22 United Kingdom: +44 (0) 800 028 8438 United States: +1 844 304 0775 International (Other): +1 970 297 2369

Callers should reference Conference ID 5052810

The event will be webcast simultaneously and can be accessed at http://edge.media-server.com/m/p/j34geigd

Those interested in listening to the webcast should register on the website at least 10 minutes before the call begins.

An online audio replay of the call will be available at approximately 8 p.m. London time (3 p.m. New York time) on April 27. An audio replay will also be available through July 27 by dialing +1 855 859 2056 (U.S. / Canada) or +1 800 585 8367 (International) and referring to Conference ID 5052810.

About TechnipFMC

TechnipFMC is a global leader in subsea, onshore/offshore, and surface projects. With our proprietary technologies and production systems, integrated expertise, and comprehensive solutions, we are transforming our clients' project economics.

We are uniquely positioned to deliver greater efficiency across project lifecycles from concept to project delivery and beyond. Through innovative technologies and improved efficiencies, our offering unlocks new possibilities for our clients in developing their oil and gas resources.

Each of our 44,000 employees is driven by a steady commitment to clients and a culture of purposeful innovation, challenging industry conventions, and rethinking how the best results are achieved.

To learn more about us and how we are enhancing the performance of the world's energy industry, go to TechnipFMC.com and follow us on Twitter @TechnipFMC.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170417005277/en/

Contacts:

Investor relations

Matt Seinsheimer

Vice President Investor Relations

Tel: +1 281 260 3665

Email: Matt Seinsheimer

or

James Davis

Senior Manager Investor Relations

Tel: +1 281 260 3665

Email: James Davis

or

Media relations

Christophe Belorgeot

Vice President Corporate Communications

Tel: +33 1 47 78 39 92

Email: Christophe Belorgeot

or

Laure Montcel

Senior Manager Public Relations

Tel: +33 1 49 01 87 81

Email: Laure Montcel

or

Lisa Adams

Senior Manager Digital Communications

Tel: +1 281 405 4659

Email: Lisa Adams
NEWPORT BEACH, CA--(Marketwired - April 17, 2017) - Taylor Morrison, a leading national homebuilder and developer, has named HomeAid, a leading non-profit provider of housing for the homeless, as one of their 2017 corporate charities. The company will be providing a donation of $15,000 to HomeAid America and an additional $10,000 more to its local chapters to help build housing for service providers addressing homelessness nationwide.

Sheryl Palmer, Taylor Morrison's President and CEO and a member of HomeAid America's National Board of Directors, presented the check to Peter Simons, CEO of HomeAid America, at a company event in Phoenix on April 11.

"We are delighted to recognize HomeAid and support their efforts to help end homelessness in America," said Palmer. "Our team members are incredibly passionate about building communities for people to thrive in, and HomeAid does just that by offering opportunities for our nation's homeless to get back on their feet, attain self-sufficiency and acquire longer-term housing."

Taylor Morrison is involved with HomeAid in a number of its markets including Houston, and three areas in California: San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, and Orange County, where they have had representatives sit on the local Boards of Directors and have also built several projects for charities in their areas. With this new national connection, HomeAid and Taylor Morrison will work together to grow Company involvement in more areas where HomeAid has chapters and open additional HomeAid chapters in markets where Taylor Morrison builds.

"We are humbled to receive this recognition and donation from Taylor Morrison," said Peter Simons, CEO of HomeAid America. "Taylor Morrison has a wonderful social consciousness and we are lucky to have them as a supporter. We are especially fortunate to have Sheryl Palmer join our national Board of Directors and Executive Committee this year. During her short tenure, she has already made a huge impact and the energy she brings to our cause is infectious!"

About HomeAid America

Founded in 1989, HomeAid is a leading national non-profit provider of housing for homeless families and individuals with 17 chapters in 12 states across the country. Through the generosity of builders, their trades and their suppliers, HomeAid has completed over 470 housing projects nationwide at a value of more than $215 million, of which nearly 50 percent has been donated by the building industry. HomeAid currently has 70 additional projects in development across the country. HomeAid's facilities have housed over 270,000 previously homeless people over the years, as well as provided a location for services that help these people get back on their feet. For more information about HomeAid, call 1-888-3HOMEAID or visit www.homeaid.org

About Taylor Morrison

Taylor Morrison Home Corporation is a leading national homebuilder and developer that has been recognized as the 2016 and 2017 America's Most Trusted Home Builder by Lifestory Research. Based in Scottsdale, Arizona we operate under two well-established brands, Taylor Morrison and Darling Homes. We serve a wide array of consumer groups from coast to coast, including first-time, move-up, luxury, and 55 plus buyers. In Texas, Darling Homes builds communities with a focus on individuality and custom detail while delivering on the Taylor Morrison standard of excellence.

For more information about Taylor Morrison and Darling Homes, please visit www.taylormorrison.com or www.darlinghomes.com.

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/4/14/11G135941/Images/Taylor_Morrison_event-67bd43141537aa7289f7b0bc023b0108.jpg

Press Contacts:

HomeAid America

Peter Simons

720-490-1900

psimons@homeaid.org



Taylor Morrison

Stephanie McCarty

480-376-0661

smccarty@taylormorrison.com


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - US President Donald Trump has accused that protest rallies held across the country to demand the release of his tax returns were part of an organized conspiracy paid for by anonymous persons.



'Someone should look into who paid for the small organised rallies yesterday. The election is over,' he said on Twitter Sunday.



'I did what was an almost impossible thing to do for a Republican - easily won the Electoral College! Now tax returns are brought up again?,' he added.



Despite a pressing demand from the public, the businessman-turned politician has been ignoring a longstanding tradition followed by the presidents.



Dozens of protest marches were held in US cities, including in Washington DC and New York, Saturday.



Demonstrations took place also at the Mar-a-Lago resort in south Florida, where the President and his family spent the Easter weekend.



An online petition on the White House website demanding that the President immediately release his full tax returns, with all information needed to verify emoluments clause compliance, crossed one million.



'The unprecedented economic conflicts of this administration need to be visible to the American people, including any pertinent documentation which can reveal the foreign influences and financial interests which may put Donald Trump in conflict with the emoluments clause of the Constitution,' the petition says.



A public petition needs 100,000 signatures within 30 days to get a response from the White House. The petition surpassed the signature goal within hours, and the White House response followed. Created on January 20, 1,090,807 people have signed the Petition so far.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
GENEVA, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Experts gather at Neglected Tropical Diseases Summit to demand more global action to tackle one of the world's biggest killers - schistosomiasis

On the eve of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Summit in Geneva, Switzerland, the Global Schistosomiasis Alliance (GSA) has unveiled a giant worm on Lake Geneva. The 25m structure represents the parasitic worm of schistosomiasis (bilharzia) that causes significant suffering and death. Aiming to generate global attention, the GSA is calling for more concerted action to eliminate this disease. Hundreds of millions of people around the world are at risk of schistosomiasis: a silent water borne killer that lurks in freshwater lakes and rivers.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/489180/Global_Schistosomiasis_Alliance.jpg )



"Schistosomiasis is the biggest killer you've probably never heard of, and that's the problem. We want to bring the suffering that this disease causes to the attention of the world and policy makers as more awareness will lead to greater action. The giant worm on Lake Geneva is part of the MakingSchistory global awareness campaign. We want to make history and consign schistosomiasis to the past. Together with our partners, the GSA is determined to cut the cycle of transmission & eliminate schistosomiasis," said Dr Johannes Waltz, Global Schistosomiasis Alliance.

The call for more global action to tackle schistosomiasis has been put into focus this year as the Merck-World Health Organization medicine donation programme marks its tenth year. This programme provides free praziquantel to children in Africa. To date 100 million children have been treated.

"We are confident that elimination of schistosomiasis is possible. We have made a lot of progress in the last 15 years but we need to do more. The availability of free treatment has enabled us to break the cycle of misery caused by schistosomiasis, improve the health of a generation of school aged children and protect them from the serious consequences of infection. The next steps will be to provide clean water and better sanitation which are needed to stop the suffering completely," said Professor Alan Fenwick, Professor of Tropical Parasitology, Imperial College London and Founder, Schistosomiasis Control Initiative.

Schistosomiasis kills 280,000 people every year in Africa alone. People can become infected with schistosomiasis when they come into contact with contaminated water while washing, playing or working. Infection is especially high in children and can cause anaemia, stomach pain and swelling, diarrhoea, bladder cancer as well as holding back their cognitive development and growth.



About MakingSchistory

The MakingSchistory campaign acknowledges the great steps taken in moving towards elimination of schistosomiasis, while recognising the need for stronger concerted efforts to keep fighting this dreadful infection until it is wiped out. As part of the MakingSchistory campaign, the GSA will also be producing a report sharing real stories of the people involved in the fight to eliminate schistosomiasis - 'The people MakingSchistory' -to be launched in May.

More information about the campaign can be found at: http://www.MakingSchistory.com.

About schistosomiasis

Schistosomiasis is a deadly tropical disease, caused by parasitic worms that live in freshwater. Freshwater snails carrying the parasite release swimming larvae that travel through the water until they come into contact with an individual and penetrate the skin. Inside the body, the larvae develop into worms which release eggs; some of these eggs then pass out of the body in urine and stools and some eggs remain trapped in the body, causing sickness and damage to organs.

To eliminate schistosomiasis four critical factors are fundamental:

Vector control - Measures to remove snails that spread schistosome worms

WASH - Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: facilities for adequate hygiene

Education - Awareness to prevent transmission and re-infection

Treatment - Access to praziquantel in the communities that need it

About the GSA

The GSA is an international coalition which brings together key partner organisations from governments, international organisations, leading health NGOs, academia, and the private sector, involved in the battle against schistosomiasis.

GSA members include theBill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, World Visionand theGlobal Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, among others. More information about the GSA can be found online at http://www.eliminateschisto.org/.

Photo - Getty Images for GSA. All rights reserved.
OAK BROOK (dpa-AFX) - Fast food chains refund money to dissatisfied customers, but a manager at a McDonald's restaurant in Wisconsin had a different idea. She issued fake refunds for almost 1,100 Big Mac sandwiches over a period of two months and pocketed the money. The Milwaukee Patch reported that Mary Ruelle, a manager at a McDonald's restaurant in Greenfield, Wisconsin, faces a felony theft charge after she was accused of stealing more than $3,800 in money from her employer as refunds for Big Macs. If convicted, Ruelle might face up to a year and a half in prison or up to $10,000 in fines. According to the criminal complaint filed with the Greenfield Police, Ruelle had been stealing money from the restaurant from mid-January to March 24. She fraudulently refunded $3,827.17 during the period between January 14 and March 24, amounting to about 1,071 Big Macs. A refund requires a manager's code, which was used by Ruelle. In order to issue a refund, Ruelle was required to select food items that were sold that day. She chose popular food items like the Big Macs for the fraudulent refunds, as they represented high dollar amounts. Ruelle's manager reportedly told police he reviewed surveillance video that showed Ruelle would authorize refunds and take the money from the cash register when no customer was present. 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.
BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - United Airlines is again in the news for all wrong reasons, as it bumped a bride and groom from the flight, who were on their journey to get married. Michael Hohl and his fiance Amber Maxwell were on their trip to Costa Rica and boarded the flight from George Bush International Airport. They were reportedly the last to enter the plane. A man was sleeping on their seats on row 24. As they were reluctant to wake him up, and several seats were vacant, they moved to a vacant seat on row 21. Then a flight attendant approached the couple and asked to vacate, saying the seats they occupied were economy plus, an upgrade from their normal economy class. Though Hohl and Amber were ready to move, but a U.S. marshal came to the scene and asked them to get out of the plane. The airline stated that instead of sitting in their assigned seats, the passengers tried to sit in an upgraded seating and failed to follow crew instructions. A few days back, there were outrage against the airline when a 69-year old doctor of Vietnamese origin was dragged off an overbooked United plane. The video of the bleeding David Dao has attracted much negative comments for the airline. Dao is reportedly planning to file a lawsuit against the airline. Following Dao's mishandling, United Airline has announced that they will not allow crew members to displace customers on board. 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.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Hundreds of Charlie Chaplin fans gathered at Manoir de Ban, his former home in Vevey, Switzerland, to mark the first anniversary of a museum dedicated to the legendary actor, and his 128th birthday. 662 people, dressed as Charlie Chaplin, gathered for a group picture at Chaplin's World, Sunday. The Chaplin fans, young and old, wore bowler hats and black suits - the costume worn by Charlie Chaplin as his iconic Little Tramp character. It set a world record for the largest gathering of Charlie Chaplins. A year has passed since the official opening of Chaplin's World. The museum, dedicated to the life and work of Charlie Chaplin, has already welcomed around 300,000 visitors. Chaplin is best remembered for donning the suit and bowler hat combination to portray a bumbling vagrant striving to behave like a gentleman in the film 'The Tramp.' Chaplin, who rose from humble beginnings in South London to reach a film audience of 300 million, died in 1977. Peter Ackroyd, who has written the biography of Charlie Chaplin, regards him as 'the first global celebrity.' 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.
COLUMBUS  Like many farming families, the Losekes, including 12-year-old Cort Loseke, followed the news about the wildfires that spread through Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas.

When the Silver Star 4-H Club decided to raise money for those impacted by the fires by auctioning off livestock, Loseke's mother, Jane, suggested he sell his calf, Bambi.

Im kind of sad about it, but he is just an animal. I knew I was going to have to either send him to the feedyard or sell him anyway, said Loseke. Because cattle are not pets.

Losekes father, Ryan, an area veterinarian, had to perform a Cesarean section on a heifer at a clients feedlot last year. The feedlot owners didnt want the calf, so Ryan bought the animal and brought it home for Loseke to raise.

Bambi is the first calf the Lakeview Junior/Senior High School student has raised. When Ryan brought it home, they discovered the calf had a broken leg, and Loseke worried it wouldnt take a bottle.

He was sucking off the bottle right off the bat, said Loseke. He loves eating. When I feed him hes always the first one to the bunk.

For Loseke, it was an opportunity to develop a close relationship with an animal.

I think it was definitely a good experience for me because when you raise an animal from when theyre younger you form more of a bond with them, he said.

The wildfires made Loseke think of all the youths trying to raise calves across the Midwest.

Due to the fires claiming the lives of so many cows, there are many kids needing milk replacer to help feed their own bottle calves, Loseke wrote. We thought as a club, we could donate the money we raise on auctioning off Bambi to assist in helping kids get the milk replacer or whatever they need to help rebuild what was lost to the fires.

Bambi will be sold 12:30 p.m. Thursday at Columbus Sales Pavilion.
DALLAS, TX -- (Marketwired) -- 04/17/17 -- LIG Assets, Inc. (OTC PINK: LIGA) (also known as the "Leader in Green Assets" or "LIGA") announced today that LIGA has a 20% interest in a new business entity, Earth Revival, with famed environmentalist and sustainable pioneer Robert Plarr and other leaders in sustainable solutions in the state of Tennessee where LIG Assets, Inc. will relocate the Company's new corporate headquarters to later this year. While the official formation of the new Limited Liability Company was completed on April 9th, 2017, the concept of Earth Revival LLC was discussed in detail by several speakers (who also are Members of the new entity) at the recent LIGA 2016 - Sustainability Impact Conference hosted by LIG Assets this past November at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center in Downtown Nashville, Tennessee.

LIGA Chairman of the Board, Aric Simons, states, "Earth Revival is truly composed of some of the greatest minds in sustainability -- from healthy buildings to groundbreaking medical and well-being treatments and innovative, superior building products. LIGA is primarily responsible for real estate development and construction, but each Division of the Company works symbiotically with each other. For example, LIGA is already selling products that are developed and produced by the Health Products Division. Also, while Medical personnel will administer stem cell treatments, LIGA will construct health centers that ensure a safe environment most conducive for recovery and healing. Earth Revival utilizes state-of-the-art technology developed by doctors, scientists and environmentalists who care about more than just profit -- they care about the planet and the people who inhabit it. As proof, a portion of all net profits will be donated to Charitable Organizations dedicated to the promotion of environmental and wellness causes. That said, we expect the venture to be extraordinarily profitable and the early feedback supports this conclusion. LIGA is excited and honored to be associated with Earth Revival and its fellow Members."

Although Earth Revival LLC is newly formed, the various components of the Company have been working together and are turnkey ready to produce revenue. Earth Revival LLC will be comprised of five separate, yet directly connected divisions, each working closely with and in support of each other:

[1] Stem Cell / Health & Wellness Centers; the development and application of cutting edge, state of the art, stem cell research, therapy and technology "Wellness Centers" LIGA in association with Earth Revival plans to build together across the country and eventually around the world. A primary goal of the "Wellness Centers" will be to deliver affordable stem cell technologies and applications directly to patients and care giver facilities.

The first facility currently being developed is, "Annie's Home" -- planning to be a state of the art stem cell therapy and technology, "Health & Wellness Center" specifically designed by Robert Plarr for the treatment of many degenerative diseases including ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) / Lou Gehrig's Disease patients. The concept and purpose of "Annie's Home" was discussed at the recent LIGA 2016 - Sustainability Impact Conference hosted last November in Nashville by LIG Assets, Inc. The facility is the first of its kind in the world and will be the model for all future clinics Plarr and LIGA plan to build together across North America. Robert Plarr and senior members of LIGA management are already in negotiations and working closely with the ALS Association. http://www.alsa.org/

"Annie's Home" will be a demonstration and model of how the stem cell, medical, construction materials, real estate development and charitable branches will work together by optimizing the Company's resources and technological capacity to improve the lives of those with ALS, Parkinson's, MS and other degenerative diseases while helping to grow Earth Revival LLC as a leading Company for transformative medical treatments by creating sustainable "Health & Wellness Centers" featuring cutting edge Stem Cell Therapy around the world.

[2] Health Products; Including Oxygen Hydration Machines, Hydrogen Inhalers, Medicinal Mushrooms Mixes, Oxygenating Vortexes as well as "Floating Beds" -- LIGA through combined sales staff of LIGA and Robert Plarr's organization.

The Medical Mushrooms, thanks to their numerous science-based benefits, from reducing inflammation to destroying cancer cells and boosting immune response, will be an integral part of the Company's product line. The potential of just this one product is enormous.

[3] Building Materials and Products; Which will include the manufacturing, selling and use in LIGA's construction projects, geo-polymers which deliver highly sustainable and attractive building material made 100% from recycled waste product primarily from coal plants, Magnesium Oxide Boards which replace traditional drywall and concrete with superior insulated mold resistant, fire resistant and water resistant pre-fabricated boards and light gauge steel products and materials, which replaces traditional lumber framing that is susceptible to environmental decay and termite destruction.

[4] "Science of Sustainable Integration"; Known worldwide as the "Plarr's Living Green Structure System" -- Creating unique homes and structures that are fully sustainable, mold and toxic free. Literally everything that goes into Robert's homes is purified, including the materials, food and water. The plumbing is based on a wetlands system and the homes include horizontal growing towers that produce pure fruit and vegetables. The homes are ideal for living in the healthiest sustainable environment possible and are suited and designed for mass appeal and provides a superior living environment for the young, the elderly, families, the healthy or those recovering from illness.

[5] Real Estate Acquisition and Development; Providing the world with the most advanced green and sustainable homes, commercial developments, systems and technology on the planet that are affordable to the masses and 100% fully sustainable -- utilizing 100's of technologies capable of providing their own oxygen, medicine, water and food. The developments in conjunction with the products detailed above will create a disruptive and revolutionary paradigm for the future of real estate development.

LIGA is currently upgrading its Corporate website to reflect the new changes occurring with the Company recently (www.LeaderinGreenAssets.com). The revised website should be available next week -- LIGA encourages its investors, potential investors and potential partners to visit our website to view developments related to Earth Revival LLC. LIGA also plans on releasing details in the near future for its second annual LIGA 2017 - Sustainability Impact Conference to be held at the Nashville Entrepreneurial Center where representatives of Earth Revival LLC, several of whom spoke last year, will be presenting information and updates in their area of expertise.

About LIG Assets, Inc.:

LIG Assets, Inc. in association with Robert Plarr is the emerging "Leader in Green Assets" -- focused on exclusive green, renewable energy and sustainable homes, living systems, technologies and components to be utilized in the residential and commercial real estate acquisition and development projects currently under way and now individual product sales, as well as rapid expansion into other sectors via acquisitions, mergers and joint venture partnerships. LIG Assets, Inc. trades on the pink sheets under the ticker symbol "LIGA". For additional information about LIG Assets, Inc., Robert Plarr, and/or more information about and how to purchase Plarr's exclusive homes, structures, products and technologies or to subscribe online to LIGA's free Shareholder Newsletter for regular updates and alerts regarding important Company developments, please visit the Company's website at www.LeaderInGreenAssets.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements. The words "believe," "expect," "should," "intend," "estimate," "projects," variations of such words and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that a statement is not a forward-looking statement. These forward-looking statements are based upon the Company's current expectations and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements are risks that are detailed in the Company's filings on file at www.OTCMarkets.com.

Shareholder/Investor inquiries can be directed to:

LIG Assets, Inc.

Charles Gambino

President

Email: Charles@LIGAssets.net

URL: www.LeaderInGreenAssets.com




SILVERDALE, WA -- (Marketwired) -- 04/17/17 -- CGrowth Capital, Inc. (OTC PINK: CGRA) (the "Company") is pleased to report the filing of the Company's 2016 consolidated annual financials for the period ended December 31, 2016 to OTC Markets. The Company's consolidated Total Assets increased three-fold over the prior year to nearly $25,000,000. The Company has not issued shares for the 17th consecutive month, as the Company remains committed to developing its business plan without the issuance of stock. The Company and its wholly owned subsidiary's highlights are as follows:

CGrowth Capital Bond, Ltd. - (financing)

The Company renewed and increased its bond offering in the United Kingdom to  30,000,000 British Pound Sterling -- releasing Bond Issue 2 Series 1v1 on November 9, 2016.

The subsidiary has issued in excess of  15,000,000 GBP subscriptions to date.

The Company is pleased to announce the opening of an affiliated office in Malaysia this month, which will support the Company's efforts with the bond offering and other business affairs.

Subscriptions for the bonds remain strong and are expected to continue through 2017.

Powder River Resources, Inc. - (Oil and gas)

Initial infrastructure improvements have been completed.

Well workover programs started and will continue as winter weather breaks into spring.

Production and wellsite facility upgrades continue.

Extensive mapping and data collection on new drilling locations and reserve indications.

New drilling has commenced with first new well projected to be completed at the end of the 2nd quarter.

Revenues and reserves projected to blossom in 2017.

Chewelah Properties, LLC - (commercial real estate)

Significant rental revenues now online with a base of $32,000 per month plus NNN charges.

Non-performing tenants have been removed, allowing for performing tenant to assume another 12,000 sq.ft. at same rate structure as existing.

Strong interest in the site from both wholesale and retail tenants shows promise for stellar rental growth in 2017.

Base rent expected to triple in 2017 as renovated space comes online.

Corporate

Nearly $25,000,000 in total assets.

Non-dilutive stock for entire 2016 fiscal year.

United Kingdom audits have been completed. These will be posted as a supplemental to the Company financials once released in the UK.

Completed UK audits now pave the way for Company to complete US audits in preparation for additional corporate developments and uplisting.

About CGrowth Capital, Inc.:

CGrowth Capital, Inc. The Company continues to serve as an alternative asset management company for businesses and assets focused on all aspects of mining, minerals, exploration, and commercial real estate. The processing of metal ore mining, mineral and specialty rock extraction, as well as oil and gas production, are multi-billion dollar market opportunities which is capitalized on through processing, sales, contracting and licensing of assets. CGrowth Capital's services and solutions are designed to assist land owners with monetizing undervalued assets by bringing commodities such as gold, silver, oil and gas, and dolomite to market. CGrowth Capital will focus on acquiring land assets, while also providing partners and affiliates with management services, capital, contract management and logistical services necessary for the successful execution of operations. Through wholly owned subsidiaries, the Company has begun to strategically leverage real estate assets for maximum value within newly developing industries currently underway in Washington State and across the United States.

For more information and updates about CGrowth Capital and its subsidiaries, visit their websites or Facebook pages:

http://www.CGrowthCapital.com

http://CGrowthCapitalBond.com

https://www.facebook.com/CGrowthCapital

Safe Harbor

Statements about the Company's future expectations and all other statements in this press release other than historical facts, are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company intends that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbors created thereby. The above information contains information relating to the Company that is based on the beliefs of the Company and/or its management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company or its management. When used in this document, the words "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plans," "projects," and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company or its management, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current view of the Company regarding future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including the risks and uncertainties noted. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as anticipated, believed, estimated, expected, intended or projected. In each instance, forward-looking information should be considered in light of the accompanying meaningful cautionary statements herein. Factors that could cause results to differ include, but are not limited to, successful performance of internal plans, the impact of competitive services and pricing and general economic risks and uncertainties. The Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

Investor Inquiries:

CGrowth Capital, Inc.

360-536-4500




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/31/17 -- Golden Arrow Resources Corporation (TSX VENTURE: GRG)(FRANKFURT: GAC)(OTCQB: GARWF)("Golden Arrow" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has completed the transaction with Silver Standard Resources Inc. (TSX: SSO)(NASDAQ: SSRI)("Silver Standard") and formed a joint venture called Puna Operations Inc. which combines the Chinchillas project with the producing Pirquitas operation. The joint venture is owned on a 75% / 25% basis by Silver Standard and Golden Arrow, respectively. Silver Standard will be the operator.

"This news release cannot do justice to express the huge significance that the formation of Puna Operations Inc. has for Golden Arrow and our shareholders," stated Joseph Grosso, Executive Chairman, President and CEO of Golden Arrow. "We are looking forward to play any role that best supports our partnership in the merged assets."

Transaction Highlights

The full details of our Business Combination Agreement with Silver Standard dated September 30, 2015 for the formation of the joint venture were set out in our news release dated October 1, 2015. The following is a summary of the key provisions and benefits of the transaction:

-- Creates a joint venture comprised of the Pirquitas operation and the Chinchillas property with Silver Standard and Golden Arrow holding 75% / 25% interest, respectively, with Silver Standard being the operator. -- Provides Golden Arrow an opportunity to fast-track development of the Chinchillas property, in a capital efficient manner, through use of the existing production facilities at the Pirquitas operation and establishment of common infrastructure. -- Near-term production from Chinchillas based on construction beginning in the third quarter of 2017, followed by ore delivery to the mill in the second half of 2018. -- Immediately benefits from existing infrastructure, operating capabilities and cash flow generated by the currently producing Pirquitas operation. -- Option exercise payment by Silver Standard to Golden Arrow of 25% of Pirquitas mine earnings less certain expenditures incurred since October 1, 2015 until April 30, 2017, C$17.5 million of which was paid on closing. A final payment, representing the April 30, 2017 until closing shall be payable on or about June 21, 2017. -- A pre-feasibility study ("PFS") has been completed for the development of Chinchillas, as detailed in Golden Arrow's news release dated March 31, 2017. A copy of the PFS is available on the Company's profile on SEDAR. The PFS contemplates a joint venture project requiring an initial investment of US$81 million to develop a mine to deliver ore to the existing Pirquitas mill that has an operating life of eight years, producing an annual average of 8.4 million silver equivalent ounces. The supported National Instrument 43-101 technical report was filed on SEDAR on May 31, 2017. -- The joint venture will be managed and overseen by Silver Standard's proven operational management team with extensive mine construction and operational expertise.

Production Decision and Next Steps

Based on and subject to the permitting process, construction at Chinchillas is anticipated to begin during the third quarter of 2017 with ore delivery to the Pirquitas mill expected in the second half of 2018. The permitting process continues to advance with positive support from the local communities and government authorities. The Chinchillas Environmental and Social Impact Assessment has been prepared and submitted to the Argentine regulatory authorities, and is in the consultation process. Work is in progress with local communities on social programs and understanding of the Chinchillas project as it advances to production.

Qualified Persons

Except as otherwise set out herein, the scientific and technical information contained in this news release relating has been reviewed and approved by Brian McEwen, P.Geol., a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. McEwen is Vice President of Exploration and Development to the Company.

About Golden Arrow:

Golden Arrow Resources Corporation is an exploration company with a track record of creating value by making precious and base metal discoveries and advancing them into exceptional deposits. Golden Arrow will earn production income from its 25% share of the Chinchillas-Pirquitas silver mining project, a joint venture with Silver Standard, with more than 8 years of planned production and upside potential. Golden Arrow is actively exploring its portfolio of 200,000 hectares of properties in Argentina, including the new Antofalla silver-gold-base metal project with similarities to Chinchillas.

About Grosso Group:

Grosso Group Management Ltd. is a private management company founded in 1993, recognized as a leading pioneer of mineral exploration in South America. The group operates with the objective of creating investor value through the growth of the publicly listed member companies, which include: Golden Arrow Resources Corp., Blue Sky Uranium Corp., and Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Mr. Joseph Grosso, Executive Chairman, President and CEO

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.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Readers are encouraged to refer to the Company's public disclosure documents for a more detailed discussion of factors that may impact expected future results. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.

The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent U.S. federal and state registration or an applicable exemption from the U.S. registration requirements. This release does not constitute an offer for sale of securities in the United States.

Contacts:

Golden Arrow Resources Corporation

Corporate Communications

1-604-687-1828

Toll-Free: 1-800-901-0058

info@goldenarrowresources.com

www.goldenarrowresources.com




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 04/17/17 -- Trevali Mining Corporation ("Trevali" or the "Company") (TSX: TV)(LMA: TV)(OTCQX: TREVF)(FRANKFURT: 4TI) reports preliminary first quarter ("Q1") 2017 production results from its two operating zinc mines, the Caribou Mine in New Brunswick, Canada and the Santander Mine in Peru. For the three months ending March 31, 2017, approximately 32.2 million payable pounds zinc, 10.0 million payable pounds lead and 345,662 payable ounces of silver was produced (see Table 1).

Table 1: Consolidated Q1-2017 preliminary production statistics ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q1-2017 Q1-2016(i) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tonnes Mined 370,953 175,579 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tonnes Milled 433,129 209,188 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Concentrate Produced DMT (dry metric tonnes): Zinc 36,576 14,840 Lead 12,510 5,469 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Payable Production: Zinc (pounds) 32,201,540 13,662,766 Lead (pounds) 10,023,067 6,436,047 Silver (ounces) 345,662 221,324 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (i)Q1-2016 production figures do not include Caribou Zinc Mine production that commenced commercial production on July 1, 2016.

"During Q1 we saw continued strong throughput at both our Santander Zinc Mine in Peru and Caribou Zinc Mine in New Brunswick," stated Dr. Mark Cruise, Trevali's President and CEO. "As previously stated during the first half of this year at Santander will see operations continue to process ore primarily from the more zinc-rich Magistral Central and South Deposits and then mining will sequence back into the more lead-and-silver-rich Magistral North Deposit and Oyon Zone into the second half of the year, boosting Pb and Ag metal production for the remainder of the year and going forward. Additionally, at Caribou we have continued to implement operational efficiencies, specifically targeting recoveries and we are seeing increased lead and silver recoveries for Q1 and have started to see improvements in zinc recoveries in the latter part of the quarter."

Santander Zinc Mine, Peru

For Q1-2017, Santander delivered consistent operational performance as mining continues to sequence through the more zinc-dominant Magistral Central and South zones. The Santander team continues to advance Magistral North ramp development in order to access the higher-grade Zn-Pb and Ag mineralization in the Magistral North and Oyon Zones, both of which remain open for expansion and which will result in increased Pb-Ag production in the latter half of 2017 and going forward.

Preliminary quarterly production of 12.6 million payable pounds of zinc, 1.9 million payable pounds of lead and 128,577 payable ounces of silver (see Table 2). Recoveries averaged 88% for zinc, 79% for lead and 63% for silver.

Santander mill throughput for Q1-2017 was 200,249 tonnes, approximately 10% above the nameplate design of 2,000-tonnes-per-day (730,000 tonnes per year).

Table 2: Santander Mine Q1-2017 preliminary production statistics ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q1-2017 Q1-2016 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tonnes Mined 148,689 175,579 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tonnes Milled 200,249 209,188 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average Head Grades (%) Zinc 3.80% 3.93% Lead 0.58% 1.66% Silver - Oz/tonne 0.96 1.32 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average Recoveries (%) Zinc 88% 89% Lead 79% 88% Silver 63% 76% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Concentrate Produced DMT (dry metric tonne): Zinc 14,037 14,840 Lead 2,120 5,469 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Concentrate Grades (%) Zinc 48% 49% Lead 43% 56% Silver - Oz/tonne 57.92 38.70 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Payable Production: Zinc lbs (pounds) 12,582,145 13,662,766 Lead lbs (pounds) 1,915,294 6,436,047 Silver Oz 128,577 221,324 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

2017 Santander Mine Production Guidance

The 2017 production guidance estimate for the Santander mine remains unchanged at:

-- 63-65 million pounds of payable zinc in concentrate -- 12-14 million pounds of payable lead in concentrate -- 700,000-900,000 ounces of payable silver

Cash costs for 2017 are estimated at approximately US$35-40 per tonne milled (please see Cautionary Note on Forward Looking Statements at the end of this document).

The Santander exploration team also commenced the Phase I, approximately 13,000-metre, 2017 exploration program in early April. The aim of the program is to aggressively probe the depth and lateral extents of the Magistral polymetallic system that remains open for expansion in addition to converting additional inferred tonnages into higher confidence categories to support longer- range mine planning. Conventional and directional surface drilling will initially test the high priority Santander Pipe target, which remains open for expansion at depth, for future mine planning purposes. It is anticipated that underground exploration will commence in June when dedicated exploration footwall drives are completed and will initially test the depth extents of Magistral North-Central and transitioning to Central-South as the program progresses. Contingent on success, Phase II drilling will continue to define and expand the mineralized systems.

Caribou Zinc Mine, Canada

Q1-2017 marked the Caribou Mine's third commercial production quarter and saw ongoing optimization initiatives targeting further improvements in both throughput and metallurgical recoveries. Both Pb and Ag recoveries continued to improve while Zn recoveries remained level.

In Q1-2017, Caribou produced 19.6 million pounds of payable zinc, 8.1 million payable pounds of lead and 217,085 payable ounces of silver (see Table 3). Recoveries averaged 75% for zinc, 64% for lead and 38% for silver. Mill throughput for Q1 was 232,880 tonnes, effectively at its nameplate (3,000-tonne-per-day) performance. Zinc recoveries during the first-half of the Quarter were adversely affected by a combination of substandard grinding media (fragmentation of steel balls in the mills), which is now resolved, and winter conditions, but have recovered in latter half of the Quarter as various seasonal optimization programs took effect. Test work, both internally and with third parties (Surface Science Western and McGill University) including partner Glencore, is ongoing to enable better future management of seasonal zinc recovery variation.

Table 3: Caribou Mine Q1-2017 preliminary production statistics ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q1-2017 Q1-2016(i) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tonnes Mined 222,264 - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tonnes Milled 232,880 - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average Head Grades: Zinc 6.15% - Lead 2.68% - Silver (ounces/ton) 2.29 - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average Recoveries (%): Zinc 75% - Lead 64% - Silver 38% - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Concentrate Produced DMT (dry metric tonnes): Zinc 22,539 - Lead 10,390 - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Concentrate Grades: Zinc 47% - Silver in zinc conc. 4.0 oz/t - Lead 38% - Silver in lead conc. 19.3 oz/t - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Payable Production: Zinc (pounds) 19,619,395 - Lead (pounds) 8,107,773 - Silver (ounces) 217,085 - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (i) No corresponding Q1 production quarter in 2016 as the Caribou Zinc Mine declared commercial as of July 1, 2016.

2017 Caribou Mine Production Guidance

The 2017 production guidance estimate for the Caribou mine remains unchanged at:

-- 90-93 million pounds of payable zinc in concentrate -- 30-32 million pounds of payable lead in concentrate -- 800,000-900,000 ounces of payable silver

Cash costs for 2017 are estimated at approximately US$55-60 per tonne milled (please see Cautionary Note on Forward Looking Statements at the end of this document).

The Caribou mine transition to owner-operated with new Sandvik supported mine fleet remains on track for mid-year commencement. Initial training and fleet deliveries will commence in May, which when fully integrated is anticipated to result in improved operational efficiencies including mine cost savings of approximately US$5-6/tonne.

Qualified Person and Quality Control/Quality Assurance

EurGeol Dr. Mark D. Cruise, Trevali's President and CEO, Paul Keller, P.Eng, Trevali's Chief Operating Officer are qualified persons as defined by NI 43-101, have supervised the preparation of the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release. Dr. Cruise is not independent of the Company as he is an officer, director and shareholder. Mr. Keller is not independent of the Company as he is an officer and shareholder.

ABOUT TREVALI MINING CORPORATION

Trevali is a zinc-focused, base metals mining company with two commercially producing operations.

The Company is actively producing zinc and lead-silver concentrates from its 2,000-tonne-per-day Santander mine in Peru and its 3,000-tonne-per-day Caribou mine in the Bathurst Mining Camp of northern New Brunswick. Trevali also owns the Halfmile and Stratmat base metal deposits, located in New Brunswick, that are currently undergoing a Preliminary Economic Assessment reviewing their potential development. Additionally, the Company has entered into a definitive agreement with Glencore PLC to acquire a portfolio of zinc assets from Glencore, including an 80% interest in the Rosh Pinah mine in Namibia, a 90% interest in the Perkoa mine in Burkina Faso, an effective 39% interest in the Gergarub project in Namibia, an option to acquire 100% interest in the Heath Steele property in Canada and certain related exploration properties and assets.

The common shares of Trevali are listed on the TSX (symbol TV), the OTCQX (symbol TREVF), the Lima Stock Exchange (symbol TV), and the Frankfurt Exchange (symbol 4TI). For further details on Trevali, readers are referred to the Company's website (www.trevali.com) and to Canadian regulatory filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of

TREVALI MINING CORPORATION

Mark D. Cruise, President

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States private securities litigation reform act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Statements containing forward-looking information express, as at the date of this news release, the Company's plans, estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations, or beliefs as to future events or results and the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation to, update such statements containing the forward-looking information. Such forward-looking statements and information include, but are not limited to statements as to: the expected benefits of the proposed Transaction, the closing the Transaction" including the anticipated timing thereof, the satisfaction of all conditions to closing the Transaction and the Offering including, without limitation, obtaining all necessary consents and approvals, the completion of the debt financing, the Company's plan to prepare a new PEA for its Halfmile and Stratmat properties, the accuracy of estimated mineral resources, anticipated results of future exploration, and forecast future metal prices, expectations that environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-economic, political, marketing or other issues will not materially affect estimates of mineral resources. These statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies.

These statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements contained in this news release and the Company has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: fluctuations in spot and forward markets for silver, zinc, base metals and certain other commodities (such as natural gas, fuel oil and electricity); fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar and Peruvian sol versus the U.S. dollar); risks related to the technological and operational nature of the Company's business; changes in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls or regulations and political or economic developments in Canada, the United States, Peru or other countries where the Company may carry on business in the future; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected geological or structural formations, pressures, cave-ins and flooding);

risks relating to the credit worthiness or financial condition of suppliers, refiners and other parties with whom the Company does business; inadequate insurance, or inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks and hazards; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability and increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses and permits and the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; diminishing quantities or grades of mineral resources as properties are mined; global financial conditions; business opportunities that may be presented to, or pursued by, the Company; the Company's ability to complete and successfully integrate acquisitions and to mitigate other business combination risks; challenges to, or difficulty in maintaining, the Company's title to properties and continued ownership thereof; the actual results of current exploration activities, conclusions of economic evaluations, and changes in project parameters to deal with unanticipated economic or other factors; increased competition in the mining industry for properties, equipment, qualified personnel, and their costs. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty or reliance on forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements or information, other than as required by applicable law.

Trevali's production plan at the Caribou Mine is based only on measured, indicated and inferred mineral resources, and not mineral reserves, and does not have demonstrated economic viability. Trevali's production plan at the Santander Mine is based only on measured, indicated and inferred mineral resources, and not mineral reserves, and does not have demonstrated economic viability. Inferred mineral resources are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is therefore no certainty that the conclusions of the production plans and Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) will be realized. Additionally, where Trevali discusses exploration/expansion potential, any potential quantity and grade is conceptual in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource.

We advise US investors that while the terms "measured resources", "indicated resources" and "inferred resources" are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the US Securities and Exchange Commission does not recognize these terms. US investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of the material in these categories will ever be converted into reserves.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the securities laws of any state and may not be offered or sold within the United States, absent such registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements.

The TSX has not approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release.

Contacts:

Steve Stakiw

Vice President, Investor Relations and

Corporate Communications

sstakiw@trevali.com

Phone: (604) 488-1661 / Direct: (604) 638-5623




Joseph B. Parsons to Retire in August 2017

Michael Kors Holdings Limited (NYSE:KORS) (the "Company"), a global luxury fashion brand, is pleased to announce that Thomas J. Edwards, Jr. has been named Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Treasurer effective immediately.

Mr. Edwards has extensive experience as a financial and operational leader. He joins the Company from Brinker International, Inc., a leading casual dining restaurant company, where he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since March 2015. Prior to that, he held numerous positions within finance at Wyndham Worldwide from 2007 to 2015, including having served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Wyndham Hotel Group from March 2013 to March 2015. Mr. Edwards has also held a number of financial and operational leadership positions in the consumer goods industry, including as Vice President, Consumer Innovation and Marketing Services at Kraft Foods and Vice President, Finance at Nabisco Food Service Company.

"We are excited to have Tom join our organization and oversee responsibilities for global finance, operations and IT," said John D. Idol, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Tom is a veteran in the global consumer goods industry and a proven financial and operational leader. He will be instrumental to us as we continue to execute on our key growth and operational initiatives as well as drive value for our shareholders."

"I am excited to join Michael Kors," said Mr. Edwards. "The Company has established itself as a leading global luxury fashion brand with a strong track record of producing compelling financial results. I look forward to working with John, Michael and the rest of the management team as Michael Kors continues to execute on its long-term strategic plan."

Mr. Edwards is succeeding Joseph B. Parsons, who is retiring after 13 years with the Company. Mr. Parsons will remain with the Company through August 1, 2017 in his current role.

"On behalf of Michael, the Board of Directors and our entire organization, I'd like to express our sincere gratitude to Joe for his significant contributions to our organization," added Mr. Idol. "Over the last 13 years, Joe has been an integral member of the management team, helping to lead our company from approximately $17 million in revenues in 2003 to more than $4 billion in revenues today, and to become a leading global luxury fashion house. We wish him well in his retirement."

About Michael Kors

Michael Kors is a world-renowned, award-winning designer of luxury accessories and ready-to-wear. His namesake company, established in 1981, currently produces a range of products under Michael Kors Collection, MICHAEL Michael Kors and Michael Kors Mens, including accessories, ready-to-wear, footwear, wearable technology, watches, and a full line of fragrance products. Michael Kors stores are operated, either directly or through licensing partners, in some of the most prestigious cities in the world, including New York, Beverly Hills, Chicago, London, Milan, Paris, Munich, Istanbul, Dubai, Seoul, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on such statements because they are subject to numerous uncertainties and factors relating to the Company's operations and business environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company's control. Forward-looking statements include information concerning the Company's possible or assumed future results of operations, including descriptions of its business strategy. These statements often include words such as "may," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "seek," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "estimate" or similar expressions. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on assumptions that the Company has made in light of management's experience in the industry as well as its perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors that it believes are appropriate under the circumstances. You should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Although the Company believes that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could affect its actual financial results or results of operations and could cause actual results to differ materially from those in these forward-looking statements. These factors are more fully discussed in the "Risk Factors" section and elsewhere in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 2, 2016 (File No. 001-35368) and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-35368) for the fiscal quarters ended July 2, 2016 and December 31, 2016, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170417005641/en/

Contacts:

Michael Kors Holdings Limited

Christina Coronios, 201-691-6133

InvestorRelations@MichaelKors.com

or

ICR, Inc.

Jean Fontana, 203-682-1214

jean.fontana@icrinc.com

or

Media:

ICR, Inc.

Alecia Pulman, 646-277-1231

KorsPR@icrinc.com
MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 04/24/17 -- Garda World Security Corporation (the "Company" or "GardaWorld") announced today the commencement of a private offering of US$630 million aggregate principal amount of senior notes due 2025 (the "Notes") by GW Honos Security Corporation (the "Escrow Issuer"), an affiliate of the Company. The offering of the Notes is part of the financing of the previously announced stock purchase agreement entered into on March 23, 2017 by an entity held by affiliates of Rhone Capital L.L.C., Stephan Cretier and an affiliate of Apax Partners LLP pursuant to which the 29.4% equity interest in the GardaWorld business currently owned by an affiliate of Apax Partners LLP will be purchased for cash consideration (the "Stock Purchase"). Upon the consummation of the Stock Purchase, the Escrow Issuer will amalgamate with the Company, the Company will assume the obligations of the Escrow Issuer under the Notes and the related indenture and the Notes will be guaranteed by each of the Company's existing and future subsidiaries that guarantee the Company's new senior secured credit facilities. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Notes offering, together with borrowings under its new senior secured credit facilities and the proceeds from certain equity contributions, to (i) fund the Stock Purchase, (ii) fund the previously announced cash tender offers (the "tender offers") for any and all of its 7.25% U.S. dollar denominated senior notes due 2021 (the "2021 notes"), (iii) refinance its existing credit facilities and (iv) pay related fees and expenses. As of April 21, 2017, tenders in respect of US$83.1 million, or 18.9%, of the aggregate principal amount of the Company's 2021 notes had been received pursuant to the tender offers. The Company's new senior secured credit facilities are expected to be comprised of (i) a five-year US$240 million senior secured revolving credit facility, (ii) a seven-year US$850 million US$ senior secured term loan facility; and (iii) a seven-year Cdn$175 million senior secured term loan facility.

The offering of the Notes will be made in a private transaction in reliance upon an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), in the United States only to investors who are "qualified institutional buyers," as that term is defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act, and pursuant to the prospectus exemption of section 12 of the Securities Act (Quebec) for distribution of securities to persons established outside Quebec, or outside the United States pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act and upon reliance on the accredited investor exemption in Canada.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of any of the Notes in any jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. The Notes mentioned herein have not been and will not be qualified for sale to the public under applicable Canadian securities laws and, accordingly, any offer and sale of securities in Canada will be made on a basis which is exempt from the prospectus and dealer registration requirements of such securities laws. The Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction and may not be offered or sold in the United States or Canada without registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements or an applicable exemption from the prospectus requirements of Canadian securities legislation.

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

Cautionary Statement on Forward Looking Statements

Information provided and statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the applicable securities laws. Certain statements in this press release may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of securities laws. Forward-looking information may relate to GardaWorld's future outlook and anticipated events, business, operations, financial performance, financial condition or results and, in some cases, can be identified by terminology such as "may"; "will"; "should"; "expect"; "plan"; "anticipate"; "believe"; "intend"; "estimate"; "predict"; "potential"; "continue"; "foresee", "ensure" or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. In particular, statements regarding the company's future operating results and economic performance and its objectives and strategies are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on certain factors and assumptions including expected growth, results of operations, performance and business prospects and opportunities, which GardaWorld believes are reasonable as of the current date. While management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to the company, they may prove to be incorrect. The company cautions the reader that the current economic conditions make forward-looking information and the underlying assumptions subject to greater uncertainty and that, consequently, they may not materialize, or the results may significantly differ from the company's expectations. It is impossible for GardaWorld to predict with certainty the impact that the current economic may have on future results. Forward-looking information is also subject to certain factors, including risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from what GardaWorld currently expects. These factors include growth management, market competition, cost of financing, key personnel, government regulations, standard customer service contracts, insurance, strikes and other labor protests, information technology systems, operations outside Canada and the United States, currency fluctuations, credit risk, reputational risk, and financial covenants risk. Therefore, future events and results may vary significantly from what management currently foresees. The reader should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. We will not update these statements unless applicable securities laws require us to do so. The reader should also take knowledge of the GardaWorld's Annual MD&A and audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017.

Contacts:

Garda World Security Corporation

Media Relations

media@garda.com




MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 05/26/17 -- Garda World Security Corporation (the "Company" or "GardaWorld") announced today that as of 8:00 a.m., New York City time on May 26, 2017, which was the Expiration Time (as defined in the Company's Offer to Purchase, dated April 17, 2017 (the "Statement") for the previously announced cash tender offer (the "Offer") for any and all of its outstanding U.S. dollar denominated 7.25% Senior Notes due 2021 (CUSIP Nos./ISINs 36485M AG4/US36485MAG42, C36025 AC5/USC36025AC51, 36485M AJ8/US36485MAJ80 and C36025 AD3/USC36025AD35) (the "Notes"), as reported by the tender agent, U.S. $182,465,000 principal amount of the Notes had been tendered in the Offer and not validly withdrawn, representing approximately 41.47% of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Notes. The Company has also announced that on May 26, 2017, it had accepted for purchase and purchased all Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the terms of the Offer.

Holders who validly tendered their Notes at or prior to the Expiration Time received the Tender Offer Consideration equal to US$1,010 per US$1,000 principal amount of Notes purchased pursuant to the Offer, plus accrued and unpaid interest in respect of their purchased Notes from the last interest payment date to, but not including, the payment date for the Notes.

The Offer was made pursuant to the indenture dated as of November 8, 2013 (as amended and supplemented to the date hereof, the "Indenture") among the Company, the guarantors party thereto, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as U.S. trustee and Computershare Trust Company of Canada, as Canadian trustee, under which the Notes were issued. The Indenture and the Notes provide that the Company must make an offer to repurchase Notes from holders in connection with the occurrence of a "Change of Control" (as defined in the Indenture), which offer, pursuant to the terms of the Indenture, may be made in advance of, and conditioned upon the occurrence of, such Change of Control. Upon consummation of the Stock Purchase (as defined below) on the date hereof, a Change of Control occurred with respect to the Company. Accordingly, the Company has offered to purchase, in advance of and conditioned upon the occurrence of the Change of Control, any and all Notes at a purchase price of 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest up to, but not including, the Payment Date (as defined below) (the "Tender Offer Consideration"). Pursuant to the Indenture, as a result of the completion of the Stock Purchase and the Offer, the Company has no further obligation to make any further offer to repurchase the Notes as a result of or in connection with the completion of the Stock Purchase.

The Offer is a separate offer from the Company's offer to purchase and consent solicitation with respect to the Notes (the "Concurrent Offer") made pursuant to the Company's Offer to Purchase and Consent Solicitation, dated March 31, 2017, as amended by the press releases issued on April 14, 2017, April 17, 2017, May 8, 2017 and May 18, 2017.

The information agent for the Offer is D.F. King & Co., Inc. Holders with questions may call the information agent, D.F. King & Co., Inc., toll-free at (800) 864-1460 or (212) 269-5550 (collect) or email garda@dfking.com.

This news release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell the Notes. The Offer was made only pursuant to the Statement, as amended by this press release dated May 26, 2017 and the press releases dated May 8, 2017 and May 18, 2017, and the related Letter of Transmittal (collectively with the Statement, the "Offer Documents").

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.

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Statements

Information provided and statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the applicable securities laws. Certain statements in this press release may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of securities laws. Forward-looking information may relate to GardaWorld's future outlook and anticipated events, business, operations, financial performance, financial condition or results and, in some cases, can be identified by terminology such as "may"; "will"; "should"; "expect"; "plan"; "anticipate"; "believe"; "intend"; "estimate"; "predict"; "potential"; "continue"; "foresee", "ensure" or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. In particular, statements regarding the Company's future operating results and economic performance and its objectives and strategies are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on certain factors and assumptions including expected growth, results of operations, performance and business prospects and opportunities, which GardaWorld believes are reasonable as of the current date. While management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to the Company, they may prove to be incorrect. The Company cautions the reader that the current economic conditions make forward-looking information and the underlying assumptions subject to greater uncertainty and that, consequently, they may not materialize, or the results may significantly differ from the Company's expectations. It is impossible for GardaWorld to predict with certainty the impact that the current economic may have on future results. Forward-looking information is also subject to certain factors, including risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from what GardaWorld currently expects. These factors include growth management, market competition, cost of financing, key personnel, government regulations, standard customer service contracts, insurance, strikes and other labor protests, information technology systems, operations outside Canada and the United States, currency fluctuations, credit risk, reputational risk, and financial covenants risk. Therefore, future events and results may vary significantly from what management currently foresees. The reader should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. The Company will not update these statements unless applicable securities laws require the Company to do so. The reader should also take knowledge of GardaWorld's Annual MD&A and audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017.

Contacts:

GardaWorld Media Relations:

media@garda.com




NORTH VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 04/17/17 -- Aurora Solar Technologies Inc. ("Aurora")("Company") (TSX VENTURE: ACU)(OTCBB: AACTF)(FRANKFURT: A82), a leader in inline measurement and control technology for the photovoltaic manufacturing industry, is pleased to announce that it has received an order from an industry leader in Asia. This customer previously qualified Aurora's products in October 2013 and bought four Decima 3Ts with Veritas Software in 2016. The order for 10 Decima 3Ts with multiple Veritas Servers spans several lines and is expected to ship in June and July, 2017.

"We are excited to have been awarded this significant level of business from the number one producer of solar cells in the world in 2016," said Michael Heaven, Aurora's Chief Executive Officer. "This order together with the previously-announced order from LG Electronics clearly demonstrates that Aurora's products are essential for manufacturers focused on producing the highest quality and efficiency cells possible," he continued.

About Aurora Solar Technologies:

Aurora's mission is to deliver exceptional results to the photovoltaic industry through measurement and control of critical processes during solar cell manufacturing.

We measure and map the results of critical cell fabrication processes, providing real-time visualization of material properties and true production tool performance. Our products provide process engineers and production-line operators with the means to rapidly detect and correct process excursions, material faults, limit variations, and optimize processes, thereby eliminating yield-reducing and profit-killing product variation.

We are creating the standard for quality control systems for the global photovoltaic industry.

Headquartered in North Vancouver, Canada, and founded by experienced leaders in process measurement, semiconductor manufacturing and industrial automation, the Company's shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and trade under the symbol "ACU". The Company was formerly "ACT Aurora Control Technologies". For more information, Aurora's website is located at www.aurorasolartech.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.

Some statements in this news release contain forwardlooking information. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. The Company does not assume the obligation to update any forwardlooking statement.

Contacts:

Michael Heaven, P.Eng., MBA

President & Chief Executive Officer

Aurora Solar Technologies Inc.

Phone: +1 (778) 241-5000

info@aurorasolartech.com



Investor Relations contact:

Nina Lafleur

Phone: +1 (604) 679-9964

info@aurorasolartech.com




Artsy, a New York, NY-based art tech company, acquired ArtAdvisor, a New York-based data science startup focused on arts.

The amount of the deal was not disclosed.

Led by co-founder Hugo Liu, who will join Artsy as Chief Scientist, ArtAdvisor analyzes large sets of data about artists to provide insight about them within the cultural landscape. ArtAdvisors machine learning and data insights will integrate into Artsys platform, providing improved understanding of the current and future art market for aspiring and seasoned collectors alike.

Liu co-founded the company with Lucas Zwirner.

Led by Carter Cleveland, founder and CEO, and Sebastian Cwilich, President and COO, Artsy is a platform for learning about and collecting art online, from top galleries, museums, art fairs, and auction houses. The company partners directly with art players, providing collectors and enthusiasts with a resource to learn about and purchase artwork from anywhere in the world.

Powered by The Art Genome Project, a personalization system that maps the connections between artists and artworks, visitors can browse art from museums, collect artworks from galleries, explore international art fairs before they open to the public, bid in auctions from auction houses, and read about the art world.

FinSMEs

17/04/2017
Aspect Imaging, a Tel Aviv, Israel-based life science company and manufacturer of compact MRI systems, closed a $30m funding round.

Unnamed existing investors participated in the round.

The company intends to use the funds to complete development of its Embrace Neonatal MRI system and its new Stroke-dedicated MRI System.

Founded in 2014, Led by Uri Rapoport, Founder, President & CEO, Aspect provides a self-shielded permanent magnet MRI technology platform that enables both MRI systems to be placed at the Point-of-Care. The EmbraceTM Neonatal MRI system is dedicated to be placed in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), enabling preparation and scanning of newborns without them having to leave the NICU, allowing the medical staff to be present during scanning. Aspect expects to launch the first EmbraceTM Neonatal MRI later this year.

The Stroke-dedicated MRI System, which is planned to be launched in 2019, is dedicated to be placed in the Emergency Room, in close proximity to other ER equipment. Patients arriving to the ER will not have be sent to a remote location to receive an immediate MRI scan.

The company previously launched the point-of-care, self-shielded, dedicated hand and wrist (WristView) MRI system, which is based on the same permanent magnet MRI technology platform as the Embrace Neonatal MRI and the Stroke-dedicated MRI. The FDA cleared and CE approved WristView MRI system is compact and safe, allowing patients to avoid the claustrophobic feeling associated with conventional full-body MRI systems for those requiring hand or wrist imaging. The system can also operate in medical point-of-care facilities or rehabilitation centers which would not normally have the budget or the specialized staff required to operate a full-body MRI scan.

Its compact MRIs in the preclinical field offer research solutions including multi-modal imaging such as PET-MRI. For the advanced industrial field, Aspect also developed the AI-60 NMR system, which can perform an online crude oil assay automatically within five minutes.

The company is part of Singapore-based Aspect Intl. LLC.

FinSMEs

17/04/2017




1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war.

2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war.

3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament of the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.

4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war.

5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites.

6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination.

7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N.

8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N.

9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress.

10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N.

11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.)

12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party.

13. Do away with all loyalty oaths.

14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office.

15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.

16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.

17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks.

18. Gain control of all student newspapers.

19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack.

20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions.

21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.

22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms."

23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art."

24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.

25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.

26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."

27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch."

28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."

29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.

30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man."

31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.

32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.

33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus.

34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities.

35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI.

36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions.

37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business.

38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand.

39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.

40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.

41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.

42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems.

43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government.

44. Internationalize the Panama Canal.

45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike.
M3 Biotechnology, a Seattle, WA-based therapeutics company, raised $1.4m in a second funding round.

Backers included Dolby Family Ventures and the Alzheimers Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF).

The company, which has raised $14M in total financing to date, will use the funds to support the launch of human trials.

Led by Leen Kawas, CEO, M3 is advancing small molecule therapeutics to improve Alzheimers disease treatments by re-establishing lost connections between brain cells. M3 is now in the process of planning a first-in-humans Phase 1a clinical trial for its lead candidate, NDX-1017, to evaluate its safety and determine optimal dosing range.

FinSMEs

17/04/2017
Polyphor Ltd., an Allschwil, Switzerland-based clinical stage specialty pharma company focused on the development of macrocycle drugs addressing antibiotic resistance and respiratory diseases, completed a CHF 40m funding round.

Backers included exisiting investors. Under the terms of the transaction, Polyphor received CHF 10m and will call the remaining CHF 30m in the second half of the year after the completion of the clinical end of Phase II meeting for its lead clinical stage antibiotic, Murepavadin, with the US Food and Drug Administration, FDA.

The company intends to use the funds to finance:

 the pivotal registration program of the antibiotic Murepavadin (POL7080) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, including its most resistant strains, and the proof of concept program for the elastase inhibitor POL6014, and

 the completion of the preclinical development of the antibiotic platform to progress candidates into the clinical stage.

Led by Giacomo Di Nepi, CEO, Polyphor focuses on the development of macrocycle drugs that address antibiotic resistance and severe respiratory diseases. The companys lead drug candidates include:

  Murepavadin (POL7080, in Phase II entering Phase III / Pivotal registration program), a precision Outer Membrane Protein Targeting Antibiotic (OMPTA) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa,

  POL6014 (in Phase Ib), an inhaled inhibitor of neutrophil elastase for the treatment of Cystic Fibrosis and other severe lung diseases, and

  Balixafortide (POL6326, in Phase Ib), an antagonist of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 for combination treatment in oncology.

FinSMEs

17/04/2017
New Delhi: The government must clearly outline the scope of 'e-commerce' under the GST, as the current definition can include even commodity derivatives exchanges where there is no actual delivery of goods, an industry body has said.

The term 'e-commerce' may get misinterpreted in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) law, industry chamber Assocham said.

"E-commerce definition, as given in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) dispensation, has been left so wide that it could go well beyond Amazon or Flipkart marketplace platforms and may even cover the commodity exchanges," it said.

The chamber has sought clarity from government to remove uncertainty among businesses as the law is set for a rollout either in July or September.

"The scope of the term 'electronic commerce' is very wide and does not restrict itself to cover electronic marketplace service providers like Amazon, Flipkart.

"It covers all businesses where the supply of goods /services is through a digital or electronic network," Assocham said in a communication to concerned ministries.

There are possibilities of unwarranted interpretations as futures and commodity exchanges may get treated as electronic marketplaces even though derivatives trading means no delivery of actual goods, it said.

"In our opinion such an interpretation will not be in consonance with the object and intent of special provisions for the electronic commerce business. There are distinguishing legal and operational factors between e-commerce operators and commodity exchanges," the industry body said.

"The commodities exchanges cannot be treated as electronic commerce operator in their legal capacity as well as in common parlance."

It has also sought clarity on treatment of goods and services under GST for exports, gems and jewellery, MSME sector, banking and telecom.

"The Assocham would like a seamless and flawless roll out of the GST to infuse a sense of confidence among the consumers, trade and industry. Eventually, the GST should become a showpiece of our reforms, its Secretary General D S Rawat said in the statement.

The Central GST, one of the components of the law, is silent on exemptions provided on interest on loans.

"The exemption under services tax, which exempts interest, should be replicated under GST," it said.

GST is unification of multiple indirect taxes into a single law, hence, it is presumed current exemption would be continued for banking and other financial institution including non-banking financial company as these exemptions creates the basic foundation for taxing services provided by them, it added.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday asked Bombay High Court's official liquidator to sell the Rs 34,000 crore worth of properties of the Aamby Valley owned by the Sahara Group and directed its chief Subrata Roy to personally appear before it on 28 April.

"Enough is enough. You cannot say something today and resile tomorrow," a bench, comprising Justices Dipak Misra, Ranjan Gogoi and A K Sikri, said, taking strong note of non- submission of over Rs 5,000 crore by the Sahara group.

The bench also cautioned Roy from playing with the court's order and said non-compliance of its order would invite the wrath of the law and ultimately he will be at his own peril.

The bench asked the official liquidator, attached with the Bombay High Court, to auction the Aamby Valley properties, estimated to be worth Rs 34,000 crore, and directly report to it.

The bench also directed Roy and his group as well as Sebi to provide all necessary details relating to the properties to the official liquidator within 48 hours.

Meanwhile, the top court restrained one Prakash Swamy, who has filed an affidavit with regard to the sale of Sahara hotels in the USA, from leaving India and asked him to deposit Rs 10 crore as fine with the market regulator Sebi.

Swamy will also have to appear in person in the apex court on 28 April.

The Supreme Court had on 6 April warned the Sahara Group that if it failed to deposit Rs 5,092.6 crore in Sebi-Sahara refund account by 17 April in pursuance of its order, it will be "compelled" to auction its property at the Aamby Valley in Pune.

The top court had told the group that no extension of time would be granted for depositing the amount.

The observation had come when the lawyer mentioned an interim plea seeking extension of time for depositing the money in the Sebi-Sahara refund account.

The court had also observed that it had clearly told the group that a "substantial amount" must come in the refund account.

"Whatever you do, we had told you that a substantial amount must come. Otherwise we will be compelled to put up Aamby Valley for auction," the bench had said, noting "What matters is the money coming in the kitty." The apex court had on 28 February said "in case, the substantial amount is deposited, this court may think of extending the time, otherwise appropriate direction shall be issued".

The court had last month ordered an international real estate firm, which had shown willingness to buy Sahara's stake in New York-based Plaza Hotel for $550 million, to deposit Rs 750 crore in the Sebi-Sahara refund account, instead of the apex court registry to show its bonafide.

The top court had earlier directed attachment of Sahara Group's prime property for realisation of money to be paid to its investors.

It had also asked the group to provide it within two weeks the list of "unencumbered properties" which can be put up for public auction to realise the remaining over Rs 14,000 crore of the principal amount of around Rs 24,000 crore that has to be deposited in the Sebi-Sahara account for refunding the investors.

The court had on 28 November last year asked Subrata Roy to deposit Rs 600 crore more by 6 February in the refund account to remain out of jail and warned that failure to do so would result in his return to prison.

It had on 6 May, 2016 granted a four-week parole to Roy to attend the funeral of his mother. His parole has been extended by the court ever since. Roy was sent to Tihar jail on 4 March, 2014.

Besides Roy, two other directors -- Ravi Shankar Dubey and Ashok Roy Choudhary -- were arrested for failure of the group's two companies -- Sahara India Real Estate Corporation (SIRECL) and Sahara Housing Investment Corp Ltd (SHICL) -- to comply with the court's August 31, 2012 order to return Rs 24,000 crore to their investors.

However, director Vandana Bhargava was not taken into custody.
The ratings of Snap Inc, the company that operates the messaging app Snapchat, has spiraled out of control hitting rock bottom levels following the alleged remarks made by CEO Evan Spiegel in 2015.

In a lawsuit filed in January this year by a former employee Anthony Pompliano, who worked for a few weeks in the company, he claims Spiegel said the app was for the rich and not for poor countries like India and Spain. Pompliano has claimed the company was fudging user data and misleading advertisers.

Denying Spiegel had made the remark, the company has gone all out in a damage-control mode. It described Pompliano allegations as a disgruntled employee fired for poor performance.

Terming the allegation false, Snap Inc has said that it was not lying to advertisers or investors that they had 100 million daily active users or DAUs, the Indian Express said.

However, the retribution by consumers to the alleged remarks was instant in India with around 1.7 million users uninstalling the app. It is considered the most popular social messaging application after Facebook and Instagram.

Brand image takes a beating

The alleged remark attributed to Spiegel has hurt its brand image and perception.

A few weeks ago, America's United Airlines was in the news when videos emerged showing police officers dragging a passenger off the plane when he refused to volunteer to get off the plane that was overbooked by the airline. Worse, Oscar Munoz, CEO of United Airlines' parent company, supported the airlines actions initially but in the face of a worldwide whiplash apologised later, although the damage was already done. Post the incident, the airlines share value dropped drastically over the next few days.

Can brands salvage the massive losses to their reputation by the top managements actions and words, real and alleged, in the public arena? The days when well-known brands were favored by a few have long past gone, say brand specialists. Rural studies in India, for instance, have shown that brands are being brought by people in small villages and their numbers are only growing.

Consumers from anywhere are buying the product or using the service, and hence no brand can afford to swat them off with insensitive remarks. With markets in developed countries becoming saturated, it is the developing markets like India that holds the potential for them, says Alpana Parida, Managing Director, DY Works, a Mumbai-based brand strategy and brand design. There is a new power structure and new consumers, who are decision-makers and buyers of these brands and services. The old norms are crumbling. Unless CEOs watch what they speak, they will harm their brands themselves, she says.

When a product or service is made and put out in the public space for a price, it is open to anyone who can afford it. How does it matter to the creators/owners/producers who is buying it? What is their problem about who is using that product or service?, asks N Chandramouli , CEO of TRA Research, a brands insights company, formerly Trust Research Advisory. It is the personal biases that are at play when CEOs speak in this manner or support the insensitive actions of their employees. Case in point is United Airlines. Everyone has biases, agrees Chandramouli, but as brand custodians you erode its value when you put out your biases in the public eye.

Terming insensitive remarks and actions of top managements in companies as marketing racism at its worst, Harish Bijoor, Chief Executive Officer of brand and business strategy firm Harish Bijoor Consults Inc, says that comments and issues such as these do no good to brands, their immediate use, franchise and their medium-term reputations.

These mistakes turn costly for the brand thus eroding share value and brand perception simply because the creators/founders consider themselves to be bigger than their brands, says Chandramouli. However, he pointed out that exception to the rule was Apple. "No matter what Steve Jobs said or did, the brand image remained intact, he says.

Salvaging brand perception

What can brands do to salvage their reputation due to careless remarks or actions? The only way out is for the founders/creators of the brand to apologise and be sincere about it, say brand specialists. For instance Travis Kalanick - Uber Technologies Inc Chief Executive, apologised immediately after a video was published showing him getting into an argument with a driver for the ride service, who complained about the pay rates.

In a statement, Kalanick said he was ashamed for treating the driver disrespectfully, and apologized to the driver and others, Reuters report said. "It's clear this video is a reflection of me - and the criticism we've received is a stark reminder that I must fundamentally change as a leader and grow up. This is the first time I've been willing to admit that I need leadership help and I intend to get it," he wrote.

Taking the Kalanick route is the only way out, provided the apology is sincere, say brand specialists. You cant stay quiet after the incident, says Parida, pointing out that Nestle suffered for its silence after the health scare issue with regard to its noodles brand Maggie spiraled. You need to come out and speak up. People want that connection with the brand.

"In the Snapchat case, Spiegel needs to be transparent and admit what is the real story. Remember, consumers today have variety of choices and no one will stand for high-handedness by the corporations, said Parida.

Agreeing with Parida, Chandramouli said, in an interconnected world information reaches faster and no one can escape its repercussions. For instance, in the recent Mahesh Bhupathi-Leander Paes incident, the former made public their WhatsApp personal discussions thus aggravating the situation.

People have to look beyond their personal biases and realise they are brand custodians. The brand will outlive the creator, provided it continues to deliver. Apology and a sincere one at that, is the only way out, says Chandramouli.

Another way out is to resign, says Bijoor. It can be a great palliative, he says, adding that consumers love prompt, decisive and even vengeful action by brands in such incidents.
Mumbai: A magisterial court in Andheri that had issued a bailable arrest warrant against Hindi film actor Sanjay Dutt a couple of days ago has cancelled the warrant.

The warrant was issued for not appearing before the court to answer a complaint of criminal intimidation filed by producer Shakeel Noorani.

Dutt, however, attributed his non-appearance before the court to a 'communication lapse' between his counsel and those of Noorani and vowed to 'rectify the situation.'

The Times of India reports that Dutt appeared before the court on Monday to explain his absence in the last hearing. Consequently, the court cancelled the warrant against the actor.

"We had sought an arrest warrant against Dutt for non- appearance. The court has allowed our application," said advocate Neeraj Gupta, Noorani's lawyer. The next hearing will be on August 29.

Noorani has filed a private complaint with the court demanding registration of a case against Dutt for criminal intimidation. Dutt had abandoned a film Jan ki Bazzi midway in 2002 which Noorani was producing. He added in his complaint that the actor did not even return the money already paid to him.

Noorani approached Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association (IMPPA) which directed Dutt to pay the money back. Noorani later moved the Bombay High Court, seeking execution of the IMPPA's order.

In the meantime, he started receiving threatening calls from some underworld figures who asked him to withdraw the case, the producer alleged. Earlier too, a warrant had been issued against Dutt for non-appearance in this case, but he was granted bail.

Dutt, who was convicted under the Arms Act in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, was released from the jail last year. "This case has been going on for long and the present situation has arisen because of the communication lapse between our lawyers and us. We respect the urgency shown by the honourable court regarding our attendance and we would take immediate measure to rectify the situation," said Dutt.

With inputs from PTI.
Salman Khan has kicked off his Da-bang world tour in Hong Kong and he had a special mystery performer in store for the live audience there. It was none other than the recent National Award winning actor Akshay Kumar, who performed the final act of the first show of the four-city tour.

Kumar landed in the city in the morning and rehearsed throughout the day for his final act. Since his rehearsal pictures did not get leaked on social media, his performance turned out to be a pleasant surprise for the live audience as his name was not even mentioned in the list of performers.

Deccan Chronicle reports that Kumar made a dramatic entry in signature Khiladi style on a motorbike. He performed on some of the most popular songs of his career and even crooned the soulful romantic number 'Soch Na Sake' from his period drama from last year, Raja Krishna Menon's Airlift.

Kumar, however, will not join the rest of his team in the rest of the three cities - Melbourne, Auckland and Sydney.

This comes across as a favour to Khan with whom he has collaborated in films like David Dhawan's 2004 romantic comedy Mujhse Shaadi Karogi and Shirish Kunder's 2006 romantic drama Jaan-E-Mann: Let's Fall In Love...Again. Khan has also signed Kumar for another period drama, in collaboration with filmmaker Karan Johar, that will go on floors next year.

The Indian Express reports that among other performances during the show, Khan danced on songs like 'O O Jaane Jaana' from Sohail Khan's 1998 film Pyar Kiya Toh Darna Kya, 'Ek Garam Chai Ki Pyali Ho' from Raj Kanwar's 2000 romantic drama Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega and the title song of Dhawan's 2007 buddy comedy Partner. His Dabangg co-star Sonakshi Sinha performed on 'Gulabi 2.0', the song from her upcoming film, Sunil Sippy's slice of life drama Noor.

Watch the pictures and videos of the event and the rehearsals below:

Rehearsals for the 1st show in Hongkong tomo ! #DaBangHK pic.twitter.com/hqe5NRn2lI  Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) April 15, 2017

The stage was LIT!!! With Dabangg and Rowdy at the #DaBanggTour... hong kong you were AMAZING!!! @BeingSalmanKhan @akshaykumar pic.twitter.com/feltlOrY9U  NOOR (@sonakshisinha) April 17, 2017
It's a controversy that refuses to die down and now Australian supermodel Miranda Kerr finds herself caught up in it as well.

Over the weekend, reports emerged that a former Snapchat employee had alleged that the social media company's CEO, Evan Spiegel, was not interested in expanding his business to 'poor' countries like India and Spain. A number of Indians took to social media to express their anger with these unverified comments. Now Ms Kerr is being viciously trolled on her various social media profiles - because she is engaged to the Snapchat CEO.

From her official Facebook page, to her Twitter handle and Instagram account - there does not seem to be a social media platform that Ms Kerr is not being attacked on. Many of the comments are abusive.

Here are a few comments on a Facebook photo:

Here are a few from Instagram:

Here are a few gems from Twitter:

I bet @MirandaKerr and @evanspiegel marriage won't even survive 5 years. Rich people, but poor culture, poor traditions #snapchat  Neeraj Sinha (@NeerajS31) April 17, 2017

Alert: Please visit the profile of @MirandaKerr-Girlfriend of @Snapchat CEO @evanspiegel & teach her a good lesson.

RT Plz.#boycottsnapchat  Anupam KS @anupamnawada) April 16, 2017

@MirandaKerr r u rich enough to marry snapchat CEO?  Shubham D' (@Id200shubhamD) April 17, 2017

However, a few Indians stood up for her:

Wow!! We can do all this only..Keep it up..Slow Claps for those who are doing this..Disgraceful..https://t.co/oh4mxCwvFx  Priyanka Bhatt (@iPriyankaBhatt) April 17, 2017

This takes us back to the times whenAnushka Sharma was blamed for Virat Kohli bad performance on the field.
(Editor's note: Ahead of her film, Maatr's release, Raveena Tandon writes out against objectification of women, about how young girls and boys have a responsibility towards fighting against any sort of discrimination, and most importantly, for a safer tomorrow.)

Crimes in India have been on a constant rise of late.

As a mother, this really scares me.

Sometimes, we read about horrifying incidents in the newspapers or watch these gruesome acts being discussed on television; during such times, my worst fears begin to haunt me.

As a mother, a persons thoughts are a lot different than how they would have been otherwise.

As of today, more than 34,000 rape cases are lodged every year, which is just a miniscule fraction of incidents that have actually occurred.

Because of this, I am always on my guard. My blood boils when I read about people being harmed, about young boys and girls and their helpless parents.

Dear young boys, all I can tell you is STOP.

Stop objectifying women. Stop looking at them like they are some kind of commodity.

Stop thinking that youre automatically entitled to the women you see around you.

Dear young girls, my heart goes out to you.

When society fails to protect you, it is important for you to understand that its all in your hands now.

It is time to learn to voice your grievances and fight back against the men who ogle at you, pass lewd comments, and even dare to touch you inappropriately.

And lastly, I want to address parents.

It is undoubtedly crucial to teach your daughters how to defend themselves, but it is imperative that you teach your sons not to attack in the first place.

The day this happens will be the day our country is truly safe for women.

India can be a haven for women only if everyone works together towards the cause.

Having said this, I urge everyone  men, women and others alike  to raise their voices against such atrocities, and work towards a safer tomorrow.

You wouldnt want a nasty incident to happen to someone close to you, right?

So, act today.

Signed,

A Worried Mother
By Gulsen Solaker and Daren Butler

| ANKARA/ISTANBUL

ANKARA/ISTANBUL A defiant Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan denounced the West's "crusader mentality" on Monday after European monitors criticised a referendum to grant him sweeping new powers, which he won with a narrow victory laying bare the nation's divisions.Supporters thronged the streets honking horns and waving flags, while opponents banged pots and pans in protest in their homes into the early morning. The main opposition party rejected the result and called for the vote to be annulled.Election authorities said preliminary results showed 51.4 percent of voters had backed the biggest overhaul of Turkish politics since the founding of the modern republic.Erdogan says concentrating power in the hands of the president is vital to prevent instability. But the narrowness of his victory could have the opposite effect: adding to volatility in a country that has lately survived an attempted coup, attacks by Islamists, a Kurdish insurgency, civil unrest and war across its Syrian border.The result laid bare the deep divide between the urban middle classes who see their future as part of a European mainstream, and the pious rural poor who favour Erdogan's strong hand. Erdogan made clear his intention to steer the country away from Europe, announcing plans to seek to restore the death penalty, which would effectively end Turkey's decades-long quest to join the EU."The crusader mentality in the West and its servants at home have attacked us," he told flag-waving supporters on arrival in the capital Ankara where he was due to chair a cabinet meeting, in response to the monitors' assessment.In the bluntest criticism of a Turkish election by European monitors in memory, a mission of observers from the 47-member Council of Europe, the continent's leading human rights body, said the referendum was an uneven contest. Support for a "Yes" vote dominated campaign coverage, and the arrests of journalists and closure of media outlets prevented other views from being heard, the monitors said."In general, the referendum did not live up to Council of Europe standards. The legal framework was inadequate for the holding of a genuinely democratic process," said Cezar Florin Preda, head of the delegation.While the monitors had no information of actual fraud, a last-minute decision by electoral authorities to allow unstamped ballots to be counted undermined an important safeguard and contradicted electoral law, they said.DIVISIONS

The bitter campaigning and narrow "Yes" vote exposed deep divisions in Turkey, with the country's three main cities and mainly Kurdish southeast likely to have voted "No". Official results are due to be announced in the next 12 days.Erdogan, a populist with a background in once-banned Islamist parties, has ruled since 2003 with no real rival, while his country emerged as one of the fastest-growing industrial powers in both Europe and the Middle East.He has also been at the centre of global affairs, commanding NATO's second-biggest military on the border of Middle East war zones, taking in millions of Syrian refugees and controlling their further flow into Europe.Critics accuse him of steering Turkey towards one-man rule. The two largest opposition parties both challenged Sunday's referendum, saying it was deeply flawed.The pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples' Democratic Party said it presented complaints about unstamped ballots affecting 3 million voters, more than twice the margin of Erdogan's victory.The main secularist opposition People's Republican Party said it was still unclear how many votes were affected.

"This is why the only decision that will end debate about the legitimacy (of the vote) and ease the people's legal concerns is the annulment of this election," deputy party chairman Bulent Tezcan said.Tezcan said he would if necessary go to Turkey's constitutional court - one of the institutions that Erdogan would gain firm control over under the constitutional changes, through the appointment of its members. "ERDOGAN'S RESPONSIBILITY"

The president survived a coup attempt last year and responded with a crackdown, jailing 47,000 people and sacking or suspending more than 120,000 from government jobs such as schoolteachers, soldiers, police, judges or other professionals.The changes could keep him in power until 2029 or beyond, making him easily the most important figure in Turkish history since state founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk built a modern nation from the ashes of the Ottoman empire after World War One.

Germany, host to some 4 million Turks, said it was up to Erdogan himself to heal the rifts that the vote had exposed. "The tight referendum result shows how deeply divided Turkish society is, and that means a big responsibility for the Turkish leadership and for President Erdogan personally," said Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel in a joint statement.Relations with Europe were strained during the referendum campaign when Germany and the Netherlands barred Turkish ministers from holding rallies. Erdogan provoked a stern German response by comparing those limits to the actions of the Nazis.Thousands of Erdogan supporters waved flags and blasted horns into the early hours on Monday in celebration of a man who they say has transformed the quality of life for millions of pious Turks marginalised for decades by the secular elite.There were scattered protests against the result, but these were more sporadic. In some affluent, secular neighbourhoods, opponents stayed indoors, banging pots and pans, a sign of dissent that became widespread during anti-Erdogan protests in 2013, when the police crushed demonstrations against him.The result triggered a two percent rally in the Turkish lira from its close last week. Under the changes, most of which will only come into effect after the next elections due in 2019, the president will appoint the cabinet and an undefined number of vice-presidents, and be able to select and remove senior civil servants without parliamentary approval.There has been some speculation that Erdogan could call new elections so that his new powers could take effect right away. However, Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek told Reuters there was no such plan, and the elections would still be held in 2019.Erdogan served as prime minister from 2003 until 2014, when rules were changed to hold direct elections for the office of president, previously a ceremonial role elected by parliament. Since becoming the first directly elected president, he has set about making the post more important, along the lines of the executive presidencies of France, Russia or the United States. (Reporting by Reuters bureaux in Istanbul and Ankara; Writing by Daren Butler, David Dolan and Dominic Evans; Editing by Peter Graff)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Arnab Goswami, the popular news anchor who recently announced the launch of his new news venture Republic, uploaded a three-minute audio clip on Youtube on Monday, claiming to have received a legal notice from a media group. Goswami said the media group threatened him with imprisonment if he uses the phrase 'nation wants to know'.

"My dear viewers, I've just received another legal threat. This time I'm sharing it with you. A media group has sent me a six-page letter threatening me with imprisonment if I ever use the phrase 'nation wants to know'. They say they own the phrase 'nation wants to know'," Goswami said.

Goswami became inextricably associated with the phrase 'nation wants to know' during his tenure as editor-in-chief of Times Now.

Goswami added: "I have watched the nervous antics of this media group with amusement and horror for the last few months. Today, I am replying to them in public. To them I say: The threat of imprisonment will not deter me. Bring your money bags and your lawyers. File the criminal case against me for using the phrase 'nation wants to know'. Do everything you can. Spend all the money you have. Arrest me. I am waiting right now, on my studio floor. The phrase 'nation wants to know' belongs to you, me and to all of us. To every citizen of this country."

Goswami said he had used the phrase 'nation wants to know' with pride during his reporting and debates for the past 20 years and he was deeply indebted to the viewers, who had found his journalism worthy of representing the public interest. He added that every Indian had a right to use the phrase and that this phrase 'nation wants to know' comes from the heart.

He further asked the public if he should stop using the phrase. He alleged that his team members had been harassed and threatened with "untoward action" and that this media group's aim had been to stall and delay the launch of Republic. Goswami ended by saying that team Republic is unstoppable and told the media group to "bring it on."
When one reads the history of the surrender of Pakistani forces at the Dhaka Race Course in 1971 one remarkable thing comes to mind. As soon as the Lieutenant-General Jagjit Singh Aurora received the Instrument of Surrender from the Pakistani Lieutenant-General AAK Niazi, the crowd at the race course began making attempts to lynch AAK Niazi and for good reason.

Pakistan had been responsible for some of the worst human rights atrocities in Bangladesh during the war. However, the Indian army formed a cordon around him and escorted him safely out of the race course. The Indian Army further ensured the safety of every Pakistani prisoner of war and made sure everyone was repatriated in accordance with international law.

This brings to mind another incident; during the IPKF operation in Sri Lanka when Major General Harkirat Singh received an instruction from the Indian High Commission in Colombo to eliminate LTTE Commander Parbhakaran during the flag meeting of the IPKF. Major General Harkirat Singh refused to follow this order citing the fact that the Indian Army was an orthodox army that did not shoot people in the back when they came for flag meetings.

From back then we come to today, where we have an image of an Indian citizen strapped to an Indian Army vehicle as a human shield. The use of human shields is a war crime under the norms of customary international law and is also unbecoming of a professionally trained force.

No matter what the circumstances are, the Indian Army cannot resort to committing a war crime in the furtherance of a military objective. The soldiers clearly understand this which is why the Chief of Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat, assured the J&K chief minister of timely action against those responsible for the incident even though the central government has for reasons, best known to its electoral propaganda machine, has decided to stand behind the offending soldiers.

Here is why the use of human shields becomes problematic. In Kashmir, the Army has a responsibility to not just ensure the safety of one set of people it was trying to protect but to also ensure the security and safety of the man who was tied on to that jeep. By using him as a human shield, the unit essentially abdicated a part of its responsibility to protect all Indian citizens in Kashmir and officially pushed forward the narrative that the Indian Army was in the Valley to subdue the local population instead of working with them to quell the violence.

Stone-pelters, once in Army custody, become prisoners who have to be treated in accordance with law, therefore, soldiers have to ensure their safety even at the risk of their own lives. By choosing to use human shields, the unit dehumanised members of the local population and also brought great dishonour to a trained fighting force whose history of tradition and valour go back more than a century.

Even if the person strapped to the jeep was a stone-pelter and an enemy of India, Indian soldiers should not wilfully place an unarmed person in harm's way in order to secure themselves. What if someone had thrown stones at this person and the person had died? It would have been a wilful killing by the unit of the most grotesque kind. The employment of human shields during the time of war has been declared a crime for this very reason.

Armies are supposed to fight each other while protecting civilians and when the armed forces are deployed to essentially do riot control, as they are currently doing in Kashmir, sacrificing one set of civilians in the name of alleged protection is not the way to do it. To argue that this was the reason is a false argument at best. If the Army has been pushed to a situation where this has been done, then it means that we have failed militarily in Kashmir and we need to re-evaluate our entire military strategy in that region. Even the United States while fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan and Iraqi insurgents have never had to resort to using human shields and those situations are far more volatile than those in Kashmir; the enemy there is far more organised and far better armed.

The behaviour of the unit was disgraceful and not in line with the best traditions of a professionally trained army. If we use the argument that circumstances could justify the breaking of the war law, then tomorrow we can justify all sins the use of chemical weapons as a means of riot control or even the use of internment camps and other atrocities that the civilised world has abandoned forever.

The battle in Kashmir is as much a moral battle as it is a military and political one and the act of an Indian citizen strapped to an Army vehicle is like committing a moral suicide. The soldiers responsible need to be court-martialled and be given a dishonourable discharge at the least. As a nation we must be thankful that the gentleman on the jeep is still alive; had he been dead, the stain on our collective national conscience would be far worse.
A new wave of fatalism on Kashmir is upon us. This fatalism isnt the one that a CRPF jawan or a Kashmiri youth faces in the Valley on a daily basis. The fatalism I'm referring to is shaped hundreds of kilometers away in Delhi where romantic notions still abound of aman ki aasha with Pakistan and Kashmir violence is attributed solely to India's political failure.

These fatalists give the governments in Centre and state far more power and agency than they really wield in Kashmir.

This fresh fatalism has as its touchstone two recent circumstances. One, abysmal polling percentage and violence during recent Srinagar bypoll which has been interpreted as Kashmir's formal rejection of Indian democracy.

Two, the brutal war being lodged through viral video clips over the control of Kashmir narrative.

Amid this cauldron of violence, death, brutal excesses and competitive acts of outrage, the media finds TS Eliot's The Waste Land in Kashmir where no hope is left to bloom. And crucially, the responsibility for this is laid solely at India's door.

To think that a video of Kashmiri youth being strapped to an army jeep would "lose us Kashmir forever" carries an implicit assumption that the State still enjoys some writ in the Valley and is risking losing that writ because our security forces are committing excesses and our media and larger polity are alienating Kashmiris through hate-mongering.

In short, this fatalism assumes that India is losing Kashmir because of its own fault, and not due to any other extraneous circumstances. This is a gross overestimation of India's control over Kashmir.

We find variations of this charge in countless media edits in The Hindu, The Times of India, and The Indian Express.

Public intellectuals and senior politicians are also leveling similar charges against the government.

In his column for The Indian Express, president of CPR Delhi Pratap Bhanu Mehta puts the onus on the PM, writing that "Kashmir has been lost on Modis watch."

Writing for the same newspaper, Congress heavyweight P Chidambaram says "Kashmir is sliding into disaster" and holds that "alienation of the people of the Valley is nearly complete. We are on the brink of losing Kashmir. We cannot retrieve the situation through a muscular policy  tough talk by ministers, dire warnings from the Army Chief, deploying more troops or killing more protesters."

The former Union home minister advocates talks with "all the stakeholders" including civil society groups, student leaders and separatists.

It sounds nice, even hopeful. Yet two anomalies must be highlighted in this fallacious and delusional narrative. To lay the onus of recent deterioration of situation in Kashmir entirely at Modi's door is to forget the weight of history and deny the manipulations of present.

And to suggest that we need to "talk to separatists" is the height of naivete. Unless he is trying to bake political bread in the oven of Kashmir's anger, Chidambaram should expand on the subject of talks when one side wants nothing less than azaadi and Islamist rule. The ship for 'autonomy' sailed a long time ago. Shariah Bolsheviks in Kashmir want nothing less than complete secession and a merger with Pakistan. Insisting on "talks" is pointless and delusional.

We have traveled this road before. Except swelling the bank balance of Hurriyat leaders and legitimising their subversive acts in Valley, talks have achieved precious little. More than mitigate the situation, any offer  official or unofficial  for talks is likely to be interpreted as a sign of weakness and will be met with disdain and even more bloodshed. The separatists will gain confidence from the notion that if some violence can force India to the negotiating table, then more violence will eventually force its hand.

So we come to the central question: What must India do to restore some sort of normalcy in Kashmir? The answer is not as difficult as it seems at this point. The very first thing to do is to accept that Delhi no longer enjoys writ in large parts of Kashmir. There has been a complete abdication of responsibility on the part of the PDP government and there is currently no rule of law in the rural areas of south. Worryingly for India, this fire is now spreading to the north, which has so far been relatively peaceful.

It is tempting to apportion the blame for this collapse of law and order on the Centre, simply because the worsening of situation has coincided with BJP's reign. Narendra Modi leads an exceptionally powerful government with a huge mandate, possesses deep acumen and has gathered immense political capital in the course of his three-year rule in office. However, this view completely misreads the Kashmir problem.

Delhi's political failure has obviously played a part but by no means has it been the deciding factor in deepening of crisis in Kashmir. This deep-rooted delusion continues to affect our intellectuals as they search for and find newer and newer grievance narratives. The emergence of the Islamic State and its power to draw radicalised youth from some of the richest and most developed countries in the world should dismiss once and for all the dubious link between Islamism and grievance narrative.

The narrative that the State has alienated Kashmir by being "ruthless" must be challenged. No government, be it the NDA, UPA or any of the other regimes, have been ruthless in its dealing with Kashmir issue. Had they been, Kashmir wouldn't have been a festering wound.

What the predominant narrative in India on Kashmir has badly missed is that if the Valley is slipping from our fingers, it is happening not because  as Chidambaram suggests  India has been applying a "muscular" policy, but the exact opposite. India has been too soft.

We have shown a lack of courage in tackling the crisis and have been weak-kneed in the face of provocation. In this, the Modi government at Centre and BJP-PDP coalition in the state cannot escape blame. Had the Indian state been "ruthless", it would have quietly buried Burhan Wani's body instead of handing it over to his family members who turned the terrorist into a martyr and a totem of Kashmiri resistance.

The US dumped Osama bin Laden's body into the deep sea instead of letting Pakistan turn it into another site of pilgrimage. What did we do?

What 'healing touch' do we extend to Kashmiri terrorists who attack the residences of Jammu and Kashmir police, kill their family members and kidnap their children so that they may resign? What talks do we hold with separatists who force political leaders at gunpoint to shout anti-Indian slogans?

What further accommodation must the government make for terrorists who set government schools on fire so that voting may not be held, kill candidates and threaten the populace?

The State has been guilty. But its guilt is not that it acted too tough, rather it didn't act tough when it needed to. It has completely failed to provide security to the vast majority of Kashmiris who want nothing more than to end the violence and get on with their lives.

On Saturday, militants gunned down a PDP worker after storming his residence in Pulwama district while injuring his cousin. In the last 36 hours, they have killed three more, including a lawyer associated with National Conference in south Kashmirs Shopian, and a counter-insurgent in north Kashmir.

Rashid Billa's death is especially worrisome. Not only does it signify that militants are now stirring up trouble in relatively peaceful north, it also implies that it is now targeting India's security assets. Billa was appointed by Indian government in the 1990s to counter the wave of insurgency.

These are not random acts of violence but a calculated move to intimidate the law and order machinery, threaten ordinary citizens and dismantle India's security structure. Little by little, these terrorists are completely wiping out India's resistance.

As Rahul Pandita sums it up in Open magazine: "The truth is that there is a complete law-and-order breakdown in several parts in Kashmir, especially the southern region. The situation has gotten so bad for the first time since the peak of militancy in the early 90s. There is an atmosphere of fear and intimidation, which has forced many people to stay indoors on polling day. Participating in the electoral process could have consequences that include having ones property burnt or even life taken. The miasma of azaadi is also gone. It was a veneer that has now worn off. Young militants have made it clear that their fight in Kashmir is not for an independent state, but for establishing Islamic rule."

India must, at once, restore its writ in Kashmir. And it must do so with ruthlessness. Enough of 'healing touch' that has brought us to this precipice.
A civil war of sorts has erupted in Kashmir over the weekend as people watch the horror unfold. Unarmed civilians felt they were pitted against both militants and the army  both laced with guns, both killing people in this emergent civil war.

A lawyer and former public prosecutor was assassinated in Shopian, which can be seen as a part of a pattern of targeted killings of political activists. In Srinagars volatile Batmaloo area, a boy selling meat savouries was shot in the head by a passing BSF party. In Hajin, the heart of `Ikhwan mercenaries who worked with the army from 1994 to the end of that decade, one of the most fiercely reviled of those mercenaries, too was killed. A couple of traders representatives and grassroots political activists were attacked, one of them fatally, in highly disturbed Pulwama. And the house of another policeman was recently attacked.

Mayhem and horror

People in Kashmir were horrified by the welter of killings, generally of non-combatants as prayers filled with pleas for release from this cycle of blood became the order of the day. However, there seemed to be little prospect of these prayers being answered since both sides seemed to have been waiting for the end of the election process to unleash the violence. Meanwhile, those in charge of the state's administration seemed to have little worthwhile information, leave alone insights or a policy on how to curb the violence.

Driven by social media, as people across India focused on the pros and cons of humiliating a villager on polling day, the anti-state killers moved into second gear. Yes, this is by no means the worst of the carnage that lurks in Kashmir this summer. Top gear blood-letting is still some steps away.

Mailed fist tactics

The state government, and many in the ranks of the ruling PDP, seemed to have lost their bearings after the election-related violence on 9 April. They seemed to be at sea while security forces blundered into a mailed fist phase that was likely to cost not just the local ruling party dearly, but the country too.

The mayhem caused by security forces at the government degree college at Pulwama last week has added to the general sense of public distress. The college principal emerged, yelling that they should kill him before beating his students on campus. The sense that law and order had broken down was boosted by a reported threat from a political activist that made a journalist faint.

Videos of security men forcing young people to yell vile abuse about Pakistan while thrashing them caused further outrage.

Amid the fast-developing mayhem, such videos offset public revulsion against the spree of killings by militants. Indeed, some may have justified the killings of those who `collaborated with what comes across as a viciously cruel regime.

Pictures of the bullet-hole in the forehead of the snack-seller at Batmaloo went viral on Saturday night. According to one version, the boy had stoned the BSF jeep that fired. However, the key fact on which most people in Kashmir focused was that he was shot in the centre of his forehead.

A video of the shooting down of a stone-pelter leading a bunch of half-a-dozen youth outside a polling booth was already causing outrage. The well-equipped security men did not seem to be in any danger of being overwhelmed, or in any mortal danger, when one of them killed the pheran-clad boy.

Cyber battlefields

The government still does not seem to have realised how much of this war is being waged on cyber battlefields. The mailed fist repression appears to have come a cropper on these extraordinarily powerful present-day virtual battlefields.

The other dimension of the war at hand, to which the government seems oblivious, is the role played by public support at ground zero. These mailed fist tactics are calculated to rally even more public support for militants, however unwilling people might have been otherwise.

This not only makes the task of the security forces more challenging, it strengthens anti-state forces in the extremely dangerous war that is only just beginning to unfold.
This much is clear about the curious case of the young citizen who was paraded around several villages in Budgam district on the bonnet of an army jeep on 9 April: It was done by an army major. The panicked security staff at a polling booth had appealed to the army to save them. The booth was under attack with a barrage of stones.

Beyond that, versions differ. The youth says he was returning after voting when the army picked him up and turned him into an injured, unwilling, and extremely unhappy deterrent.

The army major says he leapt off his jeep in front of the booth, caught four stone-pelters with the help of his troops and tied the fiercest stone-pelter to his jeep. According to this version, after he did that, stone-pelting ceased immediately.

Exponential effect

The bottom line is that Kashmiris have been mortified and humiliated by this public display of the might of the State. That mortification is far more crucial than whether or not the man actually pelted stones, for the battlefields of hearts and minds is extremely crucial in this sort of civil war.

A simple arithmetical calculation of cause and effect is far too blinkered to be of much use. The exponential effect of the image on the public psyche is more relevant.

Only fools  including bloody-minded ones  would ignore the fact that narratives on social media, built around such powerful images, can be the key to winning or losing: Both on the ground and on international screens, councils and chanceries.

While a particular major may have succeeded in stopping further pelting of stones at a particular polling booth, the net effect on the larger civil war has been to heighten the odds against the State.

Rather than focusing on the officer in question, we ought to focus on the army brass who have drawn up  or failed to adequately draw up  standard operating procedures, and broad-strokes policy directives. For this is a critical phase in an emergent civil war. A mailed-fist approach could cost the nation dearly.

Hearts and minds

It was at the beginning of the most dangerous phase of militancy in Kashmir that the army  and the state apparatus of which it is a part  decided in 1998 that their objective in Kashmir was winning hearts and minds (Wham).

Wham was implemented during the most lethal phase of suicide attacks, which lasted from 1999 to 2001. Then Prime Minister Vajpayees announcement of a unilateral ceasefire by security forces during Ramzan in November 2000 had a huge and very positive impact on the Kashmiri psyche.

Overall, Wham played a role in bringing about relative peace and near normalcy by the middle of the next century. Compared to a decade earlier, the situation in Kashmir was transformed.

It has become clear in recent weeks that the attitude and policies of the central government have changed. 'Teach them a lesson' appears to be the underlying motive of the repressive tactics that the forces have adopted. For example, the decision to enter the Pulwama college campus last week, and beat students there, was ill-advised.

First, an army officer who went to meet the principal to discuss an event chose to go in an armoured vehicle: The frightening-looking Israeli-built Caspar. Students stoned the vehicle while it was on campus. Subsequently, a police vehicle, which is normally stationed outside the college, entered. The police then wrought tortuous havoc.

Like the Budgam-based officers decision to make one young man a deterrent, the mortifying anger generated by images of what happened at the college generated a strong ripple of anti-State sentiment. Demonstrations spread on Monday to other colleges, including Srinagars SP College and the degree colleges at Baramulla and Shopian.

This is tragic, for colleges have so far functioned relatively peacefully. Turning them into hotbeds of anti-State activism as Kashmir University has been for a while  could cause great harm. This plays into the hands of anti-State forces.
The most famous instance of the use of a human shield in battle is in the Mahabharata.

In the middle of that epic battle, the Pandavas put Shikhandi in front of Bhishma, who lay down his weapons because his adversary was born a woman.

Using Shikhandi as a shield, Arjuna pierced every part of Bhishma's body with arrows, pinning him to the ground until the legendary warrior chose the day of his death.

Setting aside moral judgement on the killing of Bhishma in the Mahabharata, while it can be argued that using Shikhandi to slay Bhishma was an act of cowardice, the counterpoint that the treachery  prescribed, incidentally, by the victim himself  was unavoidable in order to tilt the scale in favour of the Pandavas in a dharma yudh and avoid more bloodshed at the hands of an invincible warrior.

What is important here in the context of recent developments in Kashmir: Using a human shield became unavoidable because there seemed to be no other way to survive the battlefield. So powerful appeared to be the adversary that resorting to this unlawful, illegal and perhaps even immoral act seemed to be the only available option.

Again, there are two ways of looking at the images of security forces tying a Kashmiri youth to the bonnet of a vehicle to deal with a crowd of stone-pelters in Beerwah ahead of by-polls for Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency.

It can be argued that this was an illegal act of cowardice and brazen violation of human rights by the army. Conversely, it can be argued that the officer facing the stone-pelters had no real options. He was forced to tie a Kashmiri youth to the vehicle to save his own convoy. Or he could have resorted to indiscriminate firing, which would have led to bloodshed.

What should be more worrying for the Indian government is this: The civil resistance in Kashmir, like Bhishma, is becoming more and more difficult to put down. The State's adversaries are becoming too powerful for traditional weapons, be they political, diplomatic or military.

The writing on the wall is clear. There is unprecedented anger in the Valley and almost a death-wish to take on the establishment. The mainstream has been completely marginalised, democratic processes have lost their appeal and the youth is willing to take on the State with whatever weapons they have at their disposal.

A mere two percent turnout in the re-polling for Srinagar parliamentary seat is a clear sign of the mood on the ground. That the ruling party candidate from Anantnag, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's brother no less, had to seek postponement of elections in Anantnag, is a telling indictment of the failure of the government and its Kashmir policy.

For years, India was able to showcase the healthy turnout in the Valley as validation of its presence. Now, the stone-pelting youth and belligerent women of Kashmir are intent on stripping India of an important peg of its Kashmir policy: The moral underpinning of its diplomacy.

That Kashmir was slipping towards another showdown became evident a few years ago, when security forces faced an unprecedented situation. In encounters with armed militants, it faced the wrath of civilianswho ran towards the site armed with stonesto attack security forces.

The simmering anger reached its boiling point during the protests that followed the death of Hizbul terrorist Burhan Wani and its mishandling by the hugely unpopular PDP-BJP government. And now, as the unparalleled resistance to elections shows, Kashmiris are willing to take enormous risks to repel the State.

Shujaat Bukhari, editor of Srinagar-based English daily Rising Kashmir, argues that the State may already be on the defensive. "By deferring the polls, has New Delhi given up and accepted defeat on the ground? Apparently, this decision will embolden those who have been challenging the writ of the government. The Joint Hurriyat Conference, which spearheads this new face of resistance (irrespective of the fact whether they completely hold the key), has claimed a moral victory and rightly so. Delhis surrender before this agitation has made it vulnerable," Bukhari says.

The problem with the government's Kashmir policy is that it now resembles the kind of desperation the Pandavas showed when faced with Bhishma. It has absolutely no idea how to deal with the adversary that is becoming more and more determined and powerful.

The only policy it is following, unlike previous governments that at least made an effort to deal with the resentment through 'Kashmiriyat, Jamhooriyat and Insaaniyat,' is allowing security forces carte blanche. The idea seems to be to let Kashmiris bleed till they run out of fresh blood.

Simultaneously, there is an effort to win the propaganda war by portraying Kashmiris as brutal, ungrateful stooges of Pakistan and terror organisations. And using the unrest in the Valley to fuel a nationalistic frenzy.

So far, in true adherence to the maxim that violence begets violence, this strategy has only led to more anger and bloodshed. How it would help India normalise Kashmir in the long run is something only time will tell.

But the spectre of security forces learning from the story of Shikhandi is an ominous sign.
Unidentified gunmen are barging into the homes of political workers across the Kashmir Valley  dragging them out of their beds in the dead of night  forcing them to chant anti-India and pro-freedom slogans; they make them seek forgiveness from the public for being a part of mainstream politics. They then record their statements on video via their mobile phones, before releasing them on social media.

These gunmen, believed to be militants, have periodically released such videos recently. The 'video war' seems to be gaining momentum in the Valley, with two such clips surfacing on Sunday  seemingly recorded by gun-toting militants, who were allegedly forcing political workers in South Kashmir to give up their affiliations with political parties.

In one of the clips, a former sarpanch can be seen begging for his life and the voice of a woman  the sarpanch's wife  can be heard in the background, cursing her husband for being a part of mainstream politics.

"I dont want to talk about what and how it happened... I, too, am scared for my life. Do you want them to come again? Ghulam Hussan, 47, former political worker of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP), in Pulwama district of South Kashmir, told Firstpost.

In another clip, recorded by gunmen armed with AK-47s, Bashir Ahmad Wani, a trade union leader, can be seen saying that he is no longer associated with any political organisation. Sweating profusely, with tears dripping from his eyes, he can be seen saying, "From today, I am not associated with any political organisation or traders federation. Today, the situation is not such that we can be associated with any organisation," Wani said, in the video shot at his home.

Wani is then asked to raise slogans: 'Nara-e-takbir; Yanha kya chalega?, Nizam-e-Mustafa; Azadi is our right'. On carefully listening to the video, the suspected militants can be heard whispering the words from behind the camera. Currently, Wani is hiding in his house, fearing not just humiliation but public ire as well.

In another similar video, a visibly shaken man with grey hair can be seen seeking forgiveness from Muslims for his participation in political activities. The man, identified as Wali Mohammad Bhat, is a political worker of ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). "I am asking for forgiveness from Muslims. Im giving up my association, if I had any, with any organisation [sic] because its dirty politics," he said, struggling with his words.

"Keeping in view those who have lost their lives, the struggles of their families and those who were blinded, Im asking for forgiveness for my mistakes, Wali said in the video, with an AK-47 seen dangling in the background.

"It is a tragic spectacle," a political analyst based in Srinagar said, on conditions of anonymity. "But the truth can be seen by looking at the comments posted below the video... people seem to be encouraging the gunmen."

A few days ago, some PDP workers were beaten up by unidentified gunmen in the Soaf-Shali village of Kokernag district in South Kashmir. Police made two arrests in connection with the incident. One of the arrested was found to be the head of a local socio-religious group, Jamaat-e-Islami.

On Saturday, PDP worker Bashir Ahmad Dar was killed and his cousin, Altaf Ahmad Dar, was injured when unknown gunmen open-fired on them in the Qasbayar village of Rajpora, Pulwama. Both of them were rushed to the hospital, however, Bashir was declared dead on arrival. Altaf, however, survived the ordeal and is currently undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Such incidents of violence have seen an uptick in last week or so in the Valley, leaving a deep imprint on the minds of grass-root political workers, cutting across party lines, forcing many to flee their homes.

"They are called foot soldiers of the Indian democracy," Suhab Mir, a resident of Pulwama, said. "But pushing and humiliating an elderly person with a gun is wrong."

On Sunday, former public prosecutor for the National Conference-Congress government, Imtiyaz Ahmad Khan, was shot dead by gunmen in the Pinjura village of Shopian. An official said that unknown gunmen had barged into his home and open-fired. In the last seven days, eleven people have been killed, signalling that a new summer of violence is approaching the valley.

Later the same day, suspected militants killed infamous counter-insurgent commander, Abdul Rashid Parray, aka Rashid Billa. The militants barged into his house, firing indiscriminately. Parray, who died on the spot, was a dreaded renegade of his time, said to be involved in killing scores of civilians.

The Anantnag constituency in South Kashmir was scheduled to go for bypolls on 12 April, however, the Election Commission of India decided to defer the election to 25 May, following the recent spate of violence and low voter turnout in the Srinagar polls on 9 April.

The Valley has been on the boil ever since the death of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. The public ire that followed ensured that South Kashmir became a no-entry zone for mainstream political parties. During the election campaign, no political rallies were organised in South Kashmir districts. PDPs Tassaduq Mufti, brother of state chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, is contesting the Anantnag election against Congress state chief, GA Mir.
Islamabad: Upping the ante, Pakistan's army on Monday ruled out consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, days after India had made a strong case for the access to the Indian prisoner on death row. Jadhav, 46, was awarded death sentence by the Field General Court Martial last week, evoking a sharp reaction in India which warned Pakistan of consequences and damage to bilateral ties if the "pre-meditated murder" was carried out.

"Under the law, we cannot give consular access to Khubhushan who was involved in spying," Pakistan Military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor told reporters. However, Indian officials in New Delhi maintained that there was no communication from Pakistan on the denial of consular access. Pakistan has denied India's request for consular access to Jadhav over a dozen times in the last one year.

On Friday, Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad Gautam Bambawale had met Pakistan Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and demanded a certified copy of the charge-sheet as well as the army court order in the Jadhav case, besides seeking consular access to the retired Indian navy officer. Addressing the media in Rawalpindi today, Maj Gen Ghafoor said that Jadhav was involved in anti-state activities so he had to face court martial.

"It was duty of the army (to apprehend and punish him). We have not compromised on it and awarded him punishment. We will not compromise on this issue in future also," he said. He said all legal requirements were fulfilled in the trial of Jadhav which resulted in his conviction. "The court martial is based on such evidence which cannot be refuted at any forum," he said.

He said the Indian man can appeal against the judgement in the army appellate court and then to the army chief against the decision of the appellate court. The spokesman said the convict can also file an appeal to the Supreme Court and the president of Pakistan. "We will defend his conviction at every forum," he said. Pakistan claims its security forces had arrested Jadhav from the restive Balochistan province on 3 March last year after he reportedly entered from Iran. It also claimed that he was "a serving officer in the Indian Navy."

The Pakistan Army had also released a "confessional video" of Jadhav after his arrest. However, India denied Pakistan's contention and maintained that Jadhav was kidnapped by the Pakistan authorities. India had acknowledged that Jadhav had served with the navy but denied that he has any connection with the government.
Surat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday indicated that his government may bring in a legal framework under which doctors will have to prescribe generic medicines, which are cheaper than equivalent branded drugs, to patients. Modi said his government brought in a health policy after 15 years and capped the prices of medicines and stents, which has angered some pharmaceutical companies.

Speaking at the inauguration of a charitable hospital here, he exhorted the wealthy people to come forward and contribute towards health care of the needy people. This country has not been built by the kings and leaders alone but by the power of the people, he said. "Doctors write prescriptions in such a way that poor people do not understand the handwriting, and he has to buy that medicine from private stores at high prices," Modi said.

"We will bring in a legal framework by which if a doctor writes a prescription, he has to write in it that it will be enough for patients to buy generic medicine and he need not buy any other medicine," he said. "In our country doctors are less, hospitals are less and medicines are expensive. If one person falls ill in a middle class family, then the financial health of the family gets wrecked. He cannot buy a house, cannot conduct the marriage of daughter," he pointed out.

"It is the government's responsibility that everybody should get health services at a minimal price," the PM said. "We have recently declared a health policy. The health policy has been brought in after 15 years," he said. "Earlier, the health policy was brought when Atalji (AB Vajpayee) was the Prime Minister. Nothing happened in between (in health sector), which I have to do (now)," Modi said targeting the previous UPA government led by the Congress.

"When I was in Gujarat, I used to attract the wrath of many (by my decisions). Now when I have gone to Delhi, I have been instrumental in making many people angry, everyday I do some work which makes some or other person sulk," he said. "See these companies which are manufacturing medicines, they used to charge Rs 1,200 for an injection. We called everyone (pharma companies) and ensured that the prices are reduced.

"The prices of 700 medicines were capped so that poor people get medicines at reasonable rates when they face grave diseases," Modi said. "We have also capped the prices of stents used in heart ailments," he said. "We have done this work, and you can imagine how angry the manufacturers of medicines will be. Despite the wrath of a very powerful lobby, the government is taking one step after another so that poor people and middle class get quality health services," the Prime Minister said.

He said the government has implemented the 'Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Pariyojna', where people get generic medicines from stores at reasonable rates. Modi also stressed on preventive health care saying if people adopt it, they will not have to visit hospitals. "Preventive health care is very important. My Swachhta Abhiyan (cleanliness campaign) is aimed at preventive healthcare as it has been proved that many diseases are contracted if we live in an unclean environment," he said.

"Yoga is also very important for wellness and I am running a campaign to make it popular across the world," he said. He exhorted the well-off people to come forward and provide health care to the poor and middle class people. "We require a jan andolan, jan shakti to provide effective healthcare to every person in the country," he said. "Our country has a different mentality, our country was not made by governments, our country was not made by kings, neither by leaders, our country was built by the service-oriented approach of our countrymen," he said.

"Seva permo dharma' has been the motto of our people," the PM said. "You tell me the dharmshalas outside every important pilgrim town, were they built by the government? Who used to build wells and lakes in villages? Did the government build it? he asked. "The cow shelters in villages are not built by the government, libraries are not built by government," he said asking people to come forward to build and run hospitals in the rural areas.

Prior to his speech, Modi inaugurated the Rs 400 crore Kiran Multi Super Speciality Hospital and Research Centre, built by Samast Patidar Arogya Trust in Katargam area here. He had also laid the foundation stone of the hospital when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
Devanik Saha

Between 2010-11 and 2015-16, student enrolment in government schools across 20 Indian states fell by 13 million, while private schools acquired 17.5 million new students, according to a new study that offers insights into Indias public-school education crisis.

Average enrolment in government schoolswhere teachers are paid, on average, salaries that are four times those in Chinadeclined from 122 to 108 students per school over five years, while it rose from 202 to 208 in private schools, according to this March 2017 research paper by Geeta Gandhi Kingdon, professor of education and international development at the Institute of Education, London.

Yet, 65 percent of all school-going children in 20 states, about 113 million, continue to get their education from government schools, according to District Information System for Education (DISE) and education ministry data.

Why are students opting out of Indias government schools, which educate the poorest and most vulnerable students until the age of 14 for free, and migrating to fee-charging private institutions in such large numbers?

The study, which uses DISE data, traced this student migration to the belief among parents that private schools offer better value for money and better teaching than government schools. Multiple evaluations after controlling for students home backgrounds indicate that childrens learning levels in private schools are no worse than, and in many studies better than, those in government schools, said Gandhi.

Despite the Rs 1.16 lakh crore ($17.7 billion) spent on Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)the national programme for universal elementary educationthe quality of learning declined between 2009 and 2014, IndiaSpend reported in March 2016.

Less than one in five elementary school teachers in India are trained, IndiaSpend reported in May 2015. In Delhi, Indias capital city and its richest state, by per capita income, half of all government-school teachers are hired on temporary contracts. These teachers are likely to be less motivated and accountable than teachers with full-time jobs, we reported in January 2017.

Fewer cheap private schools in states where govt schools function well



At the primary level, 58.7 percent of Indians cite better environment for learning as a major factor for opting for private schools, IndiaSpend reported in May 2016.

However, the preference for private school education and the differences in learning outcomes of private and government schools vary between states. For instance, in 2015-16, in Uttar Pradesh, over 50 percent of children studied in private schools, while in Bihar, less than 4 percent of children attended private schools, according to DISE data.

Source: District Information System for Education data, compiled by Geeta Gandhi Kingdon here (Table 5, page 12)

In 2016, in Kerala, the proportion of children (aged 11-14) enrolled in government schools increased from 40.6 percent in 2014 to 49.9 percent. In Gujarat too, it increased, from 79.2 percent in 2014 to 86 percent, according to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2016 data. ASER is a learning assessment of children in rural India.

In Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, government schools outperformed private schools in reading skills in local languages, once household and parental characteristics were controlled for, according to a state-wise analysis in ASER 2014.

In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where government schools were better than private schools to start with, learning outcomes improved between 2011 and 2014, once other factors were accounted for.

States with better-functioning government schools have more elitethat is, more expensiveprivate schools because there is no market here for the low-fee budget private schools that have been sprouting across the country, Gandhis study said.

This explains why in poorer states, such as Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha, about 70% to 85% of children studying in private unaided schools pay less than Rs 500 per month as school fees. Up to 80 percent of private schools in India are low fee schools when benchmarked against per capita and daily wagers incomes, the data show.

It must, however, be pointed out that ASER 2016 has shown small improvements in learning outcomes in government schools. Over 25% of children in grade III could at least read a grade II level text in 2016, up from 23.6 percent in 2014. The proportion of children in grade III who could subtract increased from 25.4 percent in 2014 to 27.7 percent in 2016, IndiaSpend reported in January 2017.

Private schools up 35%, government schools by 1%

In 2016, for the first time in 10 years, private-school enrolment did not increase in rural areasit fell from 30.8% in 2014 to 30.5% in 2016, according to the ASER 2016 report. But this has not stemmed the growth of private schools nationwide.

Between 2010-11 and 2015-16, the number of private schools grew 35 percentfrom 0.22 million in 2010-11 to 0.30 million in 2015-16while the number of government schools grew 1%, from 1.03 million to 1.04 million. Section 6 of the Right To Education Act 2009 legally obligates states to create more government schools.

Source: District Information System for Education data, compiled by Geeta Gandhi Kingdon here (Table 4, page 11)

Tiny (with 20 or fewer students) and small (with 50 or fewer students) government schools are being abandoned, according to Gandhi. In the five years considered by the study, the number of tiny government schools rose 52 percent and small ones by 33.7 percent. As many as 5,044 government schools had no students in 2015-16, up 14 percent from 4,435 in 2010-11.

The migration out of government schools has left many unviable, with high per-pupil expenditure, and low value-for-money from public education expenditure. About 24,000 government schools across Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh have closed, according to the study.

West Bengal witnessed a 280 percent rise in tiny schoolsmore than any other statefollowed by Madhya Pradesh (225 percent) and Jharkhand (131 percent). However, Bihar bucked the national trend by reporting a 98 percent decrease in tiny schools.

States With Maximum Rise InSmall & Tiny Government Schools

Source: District Information System for Education data, compiled by Geeta Gandhi Kingdon here (Table 7, page 14)Note: Tiny school: 20 or fewer students; Small school: 50 or fewer students

Govt teachers in India earn four times China salaries but dont perform as well

Indias government teachers earn more than not just their counterparts in private schools but also in other countries, Gandhis analysis shows.

Despite being paid at least four times the salaries of teachers in China (in terms of multiples of their respective per capita incomes), the performance of Indian teachers judged in terms of their students learning levels, has been poor in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test in 2009, with India ranking 73rd and China ranking 2nd, among 74 countries.

PISA is a worldwide study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in member and non-member nations of 15-year-old school pupils scholastic performance on mathematics, science, and reading.

Up to 80 percent of Indias public expenditure on education is spent on teacherssalaries, training and learning material, according to a six-state report. Teacher salaries in of teachers in Uttar Pradesh are four to five times Indias per capita gross domestic product (GDP) and more than 15 times the states, according to a 2013 analysis by Amartya Sen and Jean Dreze. This is much higher than the salaries paid to teachers in OECD countries and Indias neighbours.

Estimated Ratio Of Teacher Salary To Per Capita Incomes Country/State Reference year Estimated ratio of teacher salary to per capita GDP Estimated ratio of teacher salary per capita state domestic product OECD average 2009 1.2  China 2000 0.9  Indonesia 2009 0.5  Japan 2009 1.5  Bangladesh 2012 ~1.0  Pakistan 2012 ~1.9  Nine Indian states 2004-5 3 4.9 Uttar Pradesh 2006 6.4 15.4 Bihar 2012 5.9 17.5 Chhattisgarh 2012 4.6 7.2

Source: Analysis by Amartya Sen & Jean Dreze, quoted by Geeta Gandhi Kingdon here (Table 14, page 26)

This suggests the need to link future teacher salary increases to the degree of teachers acceptance of greater accountability, rather than across-the board increases irrespective of performance or accountability, said Gandhi.

The reason private schools get away with paying their teachers less, argued Gandhi, is because of the bureaucratically-set high minimum wage, which may also be influenced by political pulls and pressures and be responsive to lobbying by strong government school teacher unions. Also, she added, the private education sector offers salaries based on market factors of demand and supplyand given that there is a 10.5% graduate unemployment rate in India, jobless graduates are willing to settle for low salaries in private schools.

Will increasing spending help? Unlikely

A common suggestion is increasing Indias spending on education. In 2015-16, Indian central government spending on school and higher education was less than other BRICS countriesIndia spent 3 percent of its GDP on education, compared to Russia (3.8 percent), China (4.2 percent), Brazil (5.2 percent), and South Africa (6.9 percent), IndiaSpend reported in January 2017.

However, increased government spending in education is not enough to improve educational outcomes. Between 2006 and 2013, public expenditure on school education increased from 2.2% to 2.68% of the GDP. But Indias education policy must be thoroughly revised to put in place better accountability and monitoring mechanisms to exploit the gains of increase in fiscal outlays on education, this January 2017 Mint column argued.

Public private partnership (PPP) model may be the solution, Gandhi argued, combining the best of both worldspublic sector funding and private resources for education.

Given the tattered state of govt schooling in the country, the first best optiongovernment as producer and also funder of elementary educationis not viable because the reform of the sector is not politically feasible (vested interests, eg teacher unions, will oppose any efficiency and accountability-raising measures), Gandhi told IndiaSpend in an email interview. Therefore, perhaps, a well-designed PPP (model) would be the best. But the devil is in the design of the PPPthere are some good models around the world.

Before choosing any particular form of educational PPP, India must study these different designs and their relevance/applicability/adaptability, and must also pilot test the chosen models before scaling up any novel intervention, Gandhi suggested in her paper.

Notes Private aided schools: Private aided schools are like public schools in the way they are governed. Although nominally and run by their private management boards, they are funded and governed by the state.

Private aided schools are like public schools in the way they are governed. Although nominally and run by their private management boards, they are funded and governed by the state. Private unaided schools: Private unaided schools are autonomous fee-charging schools run by private managements which recruit/appoint their own teachers and determine their pay scales independently.

Private unaided schools are autonomous fee-charging schools run by private managements which recruit/appoint their own teachers and determine their pay scales independently. DISE data overestimate the extent of private schooling in the country by including aided schools in the category of private schools, but underestimates the extent of private schooling by excluding the unrecognised private schools.

In the paper, the term private school includes private unaided schools (both recognised and unrecognised) as these display the conventional features of private, i.e. schools that have autonomy in teacher recruitment, fixing of salaries and pupil fees. It excludes aided schools. In the data on government (public) schools, aided schools are again not taken into account, even though they are publicly funded and controlled.



(Saha is an MA Gender and Development student at Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex.)
Indian ulema seem determined to continue to wallow in their follies. The Lucknow meet of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) makes it clear that they will not honestly introspect and change course. In the face of persistent demands from Muslim women and liberal elements of the community for change, it has simply asserted that Muslims have the "constitutional" right to follow their personal law. Of course, they do. But they also have the constitutional right that this law be in conformity with their primary scripture, the holy Quran. In an earlier write-up in this space, I had shown how that is not the case with the Anglo-Mohammadan Law that goes as Muslim Personal law in India.

AIMPLB General Secretary Maulana Wali Rehmani is seeking to obfuscate the issue by saying that if the law is misused, corrective steps should be taken, instead of changing the Muslim personal law". The problem is that it is the law that is inconsistent with the Quran as well as the demands of natural justice and gender equality. How is it being misused" if it allows instant triple talaq, and Muslim men are using that provision to get rid of their wives, with express support from the ulema, often without even pondering over the issue. The most vile and obscene practice of nikah-e-halala prevalent only among Indian Muslims now, is a direct result of the law that allows triple talaq in one session. A well thought out divorce following the method given in the Quran would not lead to such degradation.

The Board is suggesting corrective steps like social boycott for anyone who gives three talaqs in one sitting. This is juvenile and absurd. Who cares for a social boycott these days, and in any case who will monitor the society and what punishment will be given to those in the society who continue to interact with such a person? Then, who will prescribe and administer this punishment? The AIMPlB's ulema seem to be actually living in the 7th century when perhaps such medieval punishments could have been effective. Besides, the Quran, though a 7th century scripture, does not prescribe any such punishment. Nor did the second caliph Hazrat Umar, on whose authority the ulema justify the instant triple talaq as he is supposed to have accepted it as a fait accompli. In fact, he is said to have ordered flogging for anyone who dared say talaq thrice in one session.

In any case the issue is that of a bad law, not its misuse. Indeed, this bad law is even supported by infantile fatwas giving legitimacy to triple talaqs conveyed unilaterally through text messages, Internet chats, and so on.

The root of the problem for the ulema lies in the stagnation in Islamic theological thought for over a millennium. Orthodox Islam had called for creative rethinking of issues as and when new situations emerged. This was called ijtihad. It was practised by jurists like Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Shafei, Imam Malik, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, etc. The gates of ijtihad, however, were closed after that. It was said that fresh thinking was no longer required. No one had the authority to close the gates of ijtihad, but the ulema accepted that. This is what has caused the biggest problem. And, the Indian ulema are perhaps the most conservative of all today. They would not even accept what their counterparts in Pakistan and Bangladesh have.

The problem for AIMPLB arises from the fact that its ulema follow Imam Abu Hanifa who is said to have accepted a fait accompli as legitimate, even if the act was haram (forbidden). Other jurists like Imam Malik, Imam Shafei and Imam Hanbal do not accept a haram act as legitimate. The AIMPLB keeps repeating that triple talaq in one sitting is haram but says that once it is done it is done; it is a fait accompli and nothing can be done about it. A triple talaq has to be accepted as legitimate. This is what is taught to Muftis in Deoband and Bareilly, therefore, this is what they say when asked to give a fatwa on such issues. Shias and Ahl-e-Hadith do not accept this positon. But the members of these sects in AIMPLB continue to support the Deoband and Bareily position in the interest of community solidarity, even though this stand is contrary to their juristic understanding and practice. Some people had started expecting something positive from the Lucknow meeting when its Shia member, Maulana Kalbe Sadiq, hinted a couple of days ago that the AIMPLB might be willing to phase out the abhorrent practice of triple talaq within a year and a half. But apparently even the Shia and Ahl-e-Hadith members did not press for change.

The AIMPLB should, however, understand that whatever stand Hazrat Umar or a jurist like Imam Abu Hanifa may take, God did not accept the fait accompli as giving legitimacy to a vile act. The most relevant case in point is that of Az-zihar, a pre-Islamic practice that some Muslims continued to engage in after embracing Islam. In Az-zihar, a husband wanting to divorce his wife would simply say that she was like his mother and hope that this would be accepted as an indirect divorce. This practice made God very angry. In Quran, Chapter Al-Mujadila (58), verses 2 to 4, God calls this practice vile and falsehood, and a lie and prescribes punishment for those who engage in such vile practice. God does not accept it as a legitimate form of divorce.

If any men among you divorce their wives by Zihar (calling them mothers), they (wives) cannot be their mothers: None can be their mothers except those who gave them birth. And in fact, they use words (both) iniquitous and false: but truly Allah is one that blots out (sins), and forgives (again and again). (Quran, Sura Al-Mujadila (58), verses 2)

Clearly, God does not accept the fait accompli argument in the case of divorce by Az-zihar: Quran tells them clearly wives cannot be mothers". Why should a so-called fait accompli be then applicable to triple talaq in one session? Our ulema agree and say repeatedly that the practice of instant triple talaq is vile and abhorrent and haram. But they dont even prescribe any punishment for the evil-doer? They are talking of medieval absurdities like social boycott which simply cannot be enforced even if it were to be accepted as a legitimate form of punishment today.

Our ulema should understand that now they are living in the 21st century, the age of Internet. Not only Quran but even the contrasting opinions of various jurists are available to all Muslims including women. It has become very easy for any interested person to study Islamic scriptures as well as books of jurisprudence. Triple talaq is like the proverbial Sword of Damocles hanging over the head of our women permanently. Even in perfectly harmonious marital relationships, the consciousness of the sword remains present, vitiating the relationship, making it iniquitous. Progressive Muslims, men and women, are no longer willing to allow this situation to persist. The entire Muslim world has accepted the un-Islamic nature of instant and unilateral triple talaq. The arguments that AIMPLB has presented before the Supreme Court have already been debunked in Islamic theological literature. Change is inevitable. Indeed, they should accept it as a fait accompli.

Sultan Shahin is the founding editor of a progressive Islamic website NewAgeIslam.com. He can be reached at: sultan.shahin@gmail.com


The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held its national executive meet in Odisha, a state it is eyeing to capture in 2019. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party president Amit Shah, and other top party functionaries including 13 chief ministers, received a warm welcome from party workers enthused by the BJP's recent good performances in Odisha municipal polls.

The BJP central government will complete three years in office next month, and so the meet was a stock-taking and brainstorming exercise of what has been achieved politically by the party, what have been the achievements of the Narendra Modi government, and what strategy be followed to win the next Lok Sabha elections due in 2019.

Modi is believed to have told participants to avoid complacency and to work tirelessly for the poor and downtrodden. Only then can the BJP realise Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya's "Antyoday" dream of reaching and benefiting people at the bottom of the pyramid, he said.

BJP's strategy for 2019 is built on five tangible parameters: Retain, maintain, wrest, expand, communicate.

Retain existing seats: BJP won an impressive 282 seats in 2014, which was the best performance by any political party since 1984. Such was the margin of its victory that it could have formed government on its own without the help from any NDA ally. But to buck anti-incumbency and retain these seats will be crucial.

Wrest other seats: The party has identified 120 winnable seats, seats it had lost by narrow margins in 2014. Accordingly, the party sent MPs and ministers to the respective constituencies to explain to the people the work done by the party. A massive outreach programme, focussing on these seats, is being worked out to lure people to the party in 2019. Good performances in these states can make up for losses, if any, in states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, where the party enjoyed good successes in 2014.

Expand presence in new green-field states: With more and more states falling in its kitty (BJP has formed governments in 10 states since the 2014 central elections), the party's strategy is to expand its base in states where it hasn't been strong historically, like West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. By the time the 2019 election takes place, Mamata Banerjee would have been Chief Minister of West Bengal for eight years, while Naveen Patnaik would have been Odisha CM for 19 years. These are large periods of time, and anti-incumbency may have set in.

The weakening of Congress and Left parties nationally may provide a chance for BJP to sneak in Kerala as well. In Tamil Nadu following J Jayalalithaa's demise, and the splitting up of AIADMK, also provides BJP with a chance to wean away a sizeable chunk of MLAs, the way it happened in Arunachal Pradesh. This strategy will also help in diversification of BJP's vote base nationally. Currently, the party's presence is centered around northern, western and central parts of India. Expansion in these states will help it establish a footprint in the South and East as well.

Expand NDA: The second meeting of NDA partners was held recently, only the second time in three years it has happened. BJP has shared a love-hate relationship with key partners, mainly Shiv Sena and TDP. The partners blame BJP of being aggressive and not listening to their demands. But BJP knows that if it wants to expand its footprint nationally, it needs to induct new partners, especially from the South. It could eye TRS to get a foothold into Telangana, but doing so may disturb its ally TDP, so it needs to be a delicate balance.

Tamil Nadu is a key state from numerical strength point of view. If the party doesn't manage to take advantage of the mess in AIADMK, then it has to take a call on its alliance partner for 2019. During Vajpayee's tenure, DMK was a part of NDA. Going by the past trend, DMK may end up with a majority in 2019. There were talks between DMK and BJP for 2016 state polls as well, but it didn't materialise.

Smaller parties in the Northeast could be another target. BJP's rising graph, Congress' downward spiral, and huge resources with BJP will all make it easy to hunt and get on board new partners. Induction of new members will also act as a cushion to any deterioration in performance of current partners in 2019.

Expand vote segments: While BJP bagged 31 percent vote share in 2014, it couldn't get the support of all castes, classes, age groups, gender. BJP underperformed  got less voteshare from women, Dalits, Muslims, uneducated youth and the poor as compared to its average.

All of these vote blocks will be targeted through various schemes. In fact, some results are already visible in state elections. The party feels it can get the support of Muslim women because of its stand on triple talaq (partly evident in UP). The Ujjwala scheme of providing free LPG connections to rural women has also won hearts for BJP.

Given how BSP has weakened, the party's strategy will also be to wrest its Dalit vote block with economic welfare schemes. BSP received 14 percent of the Dalit votes across India in 2014.

Given that BJP is believed to be a party of middle and rich classes, it is trying very hard to shed this image; some say it has even taken a Leftist turn. 'Housing for All' by 2022, free medical heath scheme, insurance schemes, increase in NREGA budget, rural electrification, Jan Dhan etc. are all aimed at poor/lower class. All this can have a huge impact on BJP voteshare.

Maintain momentum in upcoming polls: BJP has won most of the elections where it was in contention since the Lok Sabha polls, except Delhi and Bihar. In recently concluded polls in five states, BJP formed governments in four. Modi's popularity is at its peak. Demonetisation has helped the party in a big way, with the poor people crediting Modi of having noble intentions of recovering black money. The party has also done very well in recent municipal polls.

Maintaining this victory streak is very important. Elections to six states  Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh  will take place in the next 1.5 years before Lok Sabha 2019. Of these six, BJP is the incumbent party in four; in three states, the BJP governments have been in place for 15 plus years. Retaining these states and bagging Karnataka and Himachal will be important to the party's 2019 pitch. The party cannot afford a loss in these states going into a crucial Lok Sabha poll season. Losses here could severely upset its calculations.

Communicate programmes to people: Nobody can deny that BJP knows best how to advertise its achievements. The party is running the government like a corporate house, using ad budgets effectively to ensure its message reaches the people. Messaging has to be different for different sets of people, as the Donald Trump campaign taught us.

While social media is being used to communicate with the youth, electronic media is being used to target rural India, where the rise in penetration of TV sets is helping this strategy. MPs have been asked to spend 15 days in their constituencies to educate people about various welfare schemes of the government.

Communication is a two way process and the party has asked leaders and workers to get public feedback on government schemes. This will help the party make tweaks in policies if needed.

To sum, BJP means serious business. It has started preparations for the next Lok Sabha elections two years in advance. Other parties are still grappling with issues, or don't have that focus yet. But the party's methodical approach to elections can be a case study for others to emulate. Whether the party succeeds in winning the 2019 elections with this strategy remains to be seen, but at this point, it is the clear favourites to do so.
TTV Dinakaran (he spells it as Dhinakaran) is either consumed by a political death wish or is plain audacious. Those are the only two conclusions you can arrive at if you take claims made by Delhi Police at face value. Just days after the RK Nagar by-election was rescinded by the Election Commission after revelations that the Sasikala camp planned to distribute Rs 89 crore as bribe to the voters of the constituency to elect Dinakaran, the AIADMK strongman is now accused of attempting to bribe the EC with Rs 50 to 60 crore to get the two leaves symbol. This is after Delhi Police arrested Sukesh Chandrasekhar, who has in the past too been accused of conning people.

Delhi Police sources claim that Dinakaran and Chandrasekhar knew each other for the past four years. They say they got the lead that some money transfer was taking place through hawala channels via Kochi. The police claims, they are in possession of audio conversations between Dinakaran and Chandrasekhar and a lawyer who was acting as a go-between.

Dinakaran, however, has denied knowing Chandrasekhar and has put up a brave face saying he will respond to the summons by Delhi Police. The police are basing their case on the Rs 1.3 crore reportedly recovered from Chandrasekhar during the raid in his room at a south Delhi hotel on Saturday and the leads secured during his interrogation.

There are many questions that arise. Given that Dinakaran has been a political animal for so long if he indeed had to use someone to bribe EC officials, wouldn't he have depended on his trustworthy political managers who know their way through the Lutyens Delhi maze? Why would Dhinakaran bank on a 27-year-old person who has the reputation of a conman, to get a political work done? And there is still no word on whether any EC bigwig was indeed approached with the offer.

Interestingly, on Sunday afternoon, this message was sent to some senior journalists in Delhi: "Please be in touch with Delhi police. Some major developments in Dinakaran-Sasikala case.'' The idea behind giving this heads up was clearly to use the media to sully Dinakaran's FERA-tarnished reputation. Sources say top officers of the Crime Branch of Delhi Police have been drafted in the high-profile case.

Why these question marks are being raised is because political events are unfolding in tandem in Chennai. On Friday, which was Tamil New Year day, a dozen senior leaders of the party, including some ministers asked Dinakaran to step aside as deputy general secretary. They reportedly told him that the Income Tax raid on Health minister C Vijayabaskar was an indication of things to come. Three ministers have also been booked for obstructing the I-T sleuths from doing their job. They read the writing on the wall that anyone in the Sasikala camp was a certain target for central agencies. And those with skeletons in their cupboard do not want to risk a sleuth's knock.

At the same time, chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami has been mounting pressure on Dinakaran to green-light his proposal to sack Vijayabaskar. Dinakaran sees the Health minister as his loyalist, who played a crucial role in the RK Nagar election campaign. Removing him, Dinakaran realises, will only embolden his detractors to ask for more.

Giving credence to the growing rift between Dinakaran and Palaniswami, the chief minister did not change any of his official engagements on Monday after hearing of the party supremo's name figuring in the FIR.

Dinakaran is also aware of moves being made ostensibly with Delhi's blessings, to get Palaniswami and Panneerselvam to do business together. The Dinakaran camp sees the I-T raid and the Delhi police case as steps in that direction to push him against the wall and cut off his supply of political oxygen. This is because, despite attempts to set the cat among the pigeons, Sasikala still commands the loyalty of about 25 lawmakers. That number will prevent the formation of a majority EPS+OPS government. This is preventing a merger of the two AIADMK factions, keeping the Mannargudi family out.

So, is the Delhi Police case an attempt to tighten the screws to get some of the 25 Sasikala loyalists to switch sides?

Team Dinakaran is certain this is why Plan B has been put into action. While no one really knows if Dinakaran indeed tried to bribe his way to get the symbol in order to control the AIADMK, he knows every move in the AIADMK is being watched very closely. His next move, including whether to cede Vijayabaskar to buy peace, will be decided after he consults his aunt in Bengaluru prison this week.

On the other hand, Dinakaran's detractors deduce that the bribery attempt is the reason the Sasikala camp wanted eight weeks time in the symbol case before the EC. The assumption is that Dinakaran was bargaining for time to be able to carry out the plan to bribe the EC officials.

Interestingly, the Panneerselvam faction of the AIADMK is no longer focused on the symbol. It wants the EC to first decide on the legality of Sasikala's election as general secretary. Should the EC strike it down, even Dinakaran's appointment as deputy general secretary will become null and void.

This week could mark the endgame in the AIADMK crisis. The Delhi Police at Dinakaran's door charging him under the Prevention of Corruption Act is not the optics the ruling party MLAs would like to see. They are only interested in ensuring the government does not fall so that they do not have to face a fresh election.

It is clear the sleuths do not want to give Dinakaran much space to manoeuvre. The BJP wouldn't admit it openly but it is clear that it wants the two factions minus the Sasikala clan to merge so that it has the AIADMK votes in its pocket before the Presidential election. An eternally grateful Panneerselvam will be easy to control for the BJP, which has been trying to get a foothold in Tamil Nadu for quite some time now.
Panaji: Statements by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy and a senior VHP official seeking ban on beef consumption in Goa are an attempt by the party to polarise the state's Hindu and Catholic communities, state Congress chief Luizinho Faleiro said on Monday.

"These people are making statements deliberately with a hidden agenda to polarise the people on communal lines and divide Goans," Faleiro said.

Faleiro's remarks came a day after VHP's central secretary Acharya Radhakrishna Manori said the Sangh Parivar outfit would impress upon the central government to impose a beef ban in Goa, where more than a third of the population comprises minorities who consume beef.

Beef-oriented cuisine also finds favour with a significant chunk of the hundreds of thousands of tourists, who visit the state every year.

Faleiro also said that by making such statements, an attempt was also being made to trigger an artificial shortage of beef in the state.

"Such statements are also part of a hidden agenda to create an artificial shortage of beef and then take a cut on the increased price of beef," he said.

Speaking to reporters in the south Goan town of Vasco on Sunday, VHP leader Manori had said: "If the government is unable to stop it (beef), we are capable of imposing a complete ban on cow slaughtering and beef eating across the country, including Goa."

Swamy, a BJP Rajya Sabha member, has also said that the beef-eating habit in Goa needed to be altered.
Chennai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday said it has issued notice to Vasan Health Care Pvt Ltd, its promoter Karti P Chidambaram, the son of former Finance Minister P.Chidambaram, and Advantage Strategic Consulting for violating foreign currency laws to the tune of Rs 2,307 crore.

The ED said it had served notice to Vasan Health Care Pvt. Ltd, its promoters and their relatives for violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) to the tune of Rs 2,262 crore.

Advantage Strategic Consulting was served notice for Rs 45 crore for sale of Vasan Health Care's shares to overseas investors.

The ED also added that further investigations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) are going on in respect of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval given to Aircel-Maxis by the then Finance Minister Chidambaram wherein foreign inflow was Rs 3,500 crore (appx.).

As per the government policy and FIPB guidelines, the competent authority for any inflow above Rs 600 crore was the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs.

According to ED, preliminary investigations into the foreign investments received by Vasan Health Care, both in the primary market as well as secondary, revealed that the company had received investments from the Mauritius-based Sequoia and WestBridge and also through the investment arm of GIC, Singapore.

The overseas investors acquired shares of Vasan Health Care by acquiring Compulsorily Convertible Preference Shares (CCPS) directly from the company by investing a total amount of Rs 432 crore in different rounds of investments from February 2009 to November 2014.

The shares were acquired by the overseas investors on the face value of Rs 100 each.

In addition, investors acquired equity shares of Vasan Health Care from its promoter A.M. Arun of MA Associates - a partnership firm belonging to Arun and his father-in-law Dwarakanathan and Advantage Strategic Consulting, which, the ED said, was found to be in the control of Karti Chidambaram.

"The first tranche of sale took place in the end of 2010, when the shares were sold at Rs.7,500 per share. The second tranche of sale took place in March and May 2012, when the shares were sold Rs 5,242 per share," the ED said.

The total amount invested by the overseas investors, which ultimately benefited the above mentioned existing shareholders, is Rs 357.72 crore.

Meanwhile Arun's wife transferred 300,000 shares to her father without receiving any consideration, while Arun organised the transfer of 150,000 shares from Dwarakanathan to Advantage Strategic Consulting for just Rs 50,00,000 which was paid a year later - the latter was never connected to the activities of Vasan Health Care till that date.

Arun also facilitated and ensured sale of shares held by Advantage Strategic Consulting, which sold 30,000 shares out of 150,000 shares it got to Sequoia group for Rs 22.5 crore.

The investigating agency said the CCPS were issued to the overseas investors without determining upfront the price/conversion formula.

"Further, as per the Agreements, the Overseas Investors were given assurance of the Returns in one form or other. Such assurance of Returns and non determination of the Price/conversion formula upfront are not permitted and are in contravention of FEMA," the ED said.

The ED also found that the parties had agreed on profit sharing mechanism whereby the transferee agrees to pay the transferor, a sale profit derived when they exit Vasan Health Care.

"Such clauses are akin to 'deferment of payment' and are not permitted without the approval of the Reserve Bank," the ED said.

The ED also said Vasan Health Care had not followed any of their statutory obligations as envisaged under FEMA in their reporting mechanism to Reserve Bank of India and failure on their part also resulted in contravention of FEMA.

Similarly, Arun didn't followed the statutory obligations of reporting the shares transferred by him to the overseas investors.

During the investigation, the ED also noticed that Vasan Health Care had transferred around $ 6.8 million with intimation of setting up a wholly owned subsidiary at Singapore but had not received the mandatory share certificates to confirm the investments made abroad.

The ED nalso oticed that subsequent to the transfer of amount from India to Singapore, further onward transfers were made to Dubai and Sri Lanka and setting up of step down subsidiaries by the company, without informing the regulatory authorities, leading to contravention of Overseas Direct Investment regulations to the extent of Rs 162 crore.
The Bharatiya Janata Partys attempt to take its electoral breakthrough in the Assembly elections in Kerala to the next stage has suffered a jolt with the party failing to maintain its momentum in the Malappuram Lok Sabha constituency.

The party came a distant third in the by-election held on 12 April. When the votes were counted on Monday morning, party candidate N Sreeprakash got only 65,675 votes, a disappointing increase of just 970 votes from the 2014 polls. The party could not even get a proportional share of the 50,000 new voters added to electoral roll.

PK Kunhalikutty, national general secretary, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key ally of the Congress, won the election by a margin of 171,038 votes. Kunhalikutty netted 515,325 votes as compared to his nearest rival, MB Faisal of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), who pulled in 344,287 votes.

When the IUML and the CPM wooed the Muslim community, which accounts for 70 percent of the votes, by fielding prominent Muslim candidates, the BJP had hoped to increase its vote share by six-fold by consolidating the Hindu vote, which account for 27.6 percent of the total 13.12 lakh votes.

The BJP candidate had also made an attempt to woo minorities by promising quality beef from air-conditioned slaughter houses. The poll results show that the electorate was not impressed. On the contrary, the threat of the BJPs communal agenda weighed heavily in the minds of the voters.

The electorate also did not take the CPM's claim that they are more potent in fighting communal forces seriously. They apparently felt the need for a larger force to fight the BJP nationally. Political observers attribute this as a major factor for the thumping victory Kunhaikutty got in the bypoll.

Party veteran and former chief minister VS Achuthanandan tried to turn the tables against Kunhalikutty, a former minister, by raking up the Kozhikode ice cream parlour sex scandal, which played a major role in his defeat in the 2006 Assembly elections in the district.

Though CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, tried to turn the election as a referendum on the Pinarayi Vijayan government, the failures of the government in various spheres, especially in the law and order front, drowned out whatever little meager the government made in the last 10 months.

The LDF, which has been witnessing a steady increase in its votes in the district in the elections since 2014, had expected a surprise victory. However, the party could not even reduce the victory margin of the IUML candidate. The party had won the 2014 election by a margin of 194,739 votes.

The conditions this time were considered favourable for the LDF, with anti-IUML parties like Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political wing of the Popular Front of India (PFI), the Welfare Party of India (WPI), the political offshoot of Jamaat-e-Islami and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) keeping away from the contest.

The SDPI and the WPI received over 80,000 votes in the 2014 election when they had fielded their own candidates. The CPM candidate was in a position to attract a major chunk of these votes since the two parties had called for conscience votes.

However, the IUML sought to offset these disadvantages by winning over several outfits and fringe groups that supported the LDF in the 2016 Assembly polls. These groups had helped the CPM increase its vote share from 242,775 votes in 2014 to 373,881 votes and helped it win four Assembly seats in the district in 2016.

The setback is bound to deepen the feud within the LDF. The Communist Party of India (CPI), which is already critical of the functioning of the government, has already called for an impartial evaluation of the result and course correction.

The CPI (M) secretary does not consider the defeat a setback. He attributed the UDF victory to a communal polarization. Kodiyeri said that the IUML had canvassed votes by evoking communal sentiments.

Despite this, the IUML could not match its 2014 victory margin. On the contrary we have increased our vote share by 1 lakh votes. We have been able to give a good fight to the UDF, he added.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan rejected the interpretation of the UDF victory as a verdict against his government. He said that the LDF could check the margin of the UDF victory and contain the votes of the BJP. This is a political victory of the LDF, he added.

Political analysts consider the election verdict as a big setback for the BJP at a time when the partys national executive has identified Kerala among states to be conquered next. Party chief Amit Shah sees the party winning at least 12 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

Noted political analyst Advocate Jayashankar said that the BJP gameplan will remain as a dream that will never be fulfilled. He said that the Hindutva agenda that the party follows at the national level will not work in Kerala, which has a strong secular fabric.

The BJP has been trying to expand its base in the state by wooing parties representing minorities after it won one Assembly seat in the 2014 election and increased its vote share to an all time high of 14 percent.

State leaders have been making overtures to Kerala Congress (M), which quit the UDF in the wake of the Assembly election. The party, which has a strong base in the Christian belt in Central Kerala, has been non-committal so far.

The BJP leaders have also been trying to rope in some senior Congress leaders. There were rumours that three leaders, including diplomat turned politician Shashi Tharoor, would switch over to the BJP. However, political analysts think that they may reconsider their position in the wake of the Malappuram verdict.

Shashi Tharoor, who denied the rumours, has ascribed the Malappuram result as a strong message to communal forces. Many who joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) camp are already disenchanted.

In fact, the Bharatiya Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), a political outfit of the numerically strong Ezhava community, which joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) prior to the 2015 local body election, is said to be exploring other political options.

If the party quits the NDA, it will be hard for the BJP to maintain even its current vote share. This may also force other Hindu organisations that the BJP is wooing to stay away, rendering its attempt to cobble together a third front a tough proposition.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao may have fulfilled his poll promise of 12% reservation to the Muslim community in the state, a feat that could not be achieved by the erstwhile Congress government led by YS Rajashekhar Reddy, as the apex court stood in his way.

But what KCR, as the chief minister and leader of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) is also doing is to counter the BJP on its lines. KCR is being more saffron than the original saffron party.

The TRS government has set up a Brahmin Corporation with a former IAS officer, now media advisor KV Ramanachari as its chairman. Chief Minister KCR had appointed an astrologer as a state advisor to make all government buildings Vaastu-compliant. KCR is perhaps the first CM to donate gold jewellery to gods and goddesses all over the erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh, including to temples in Vijayawada and Tirupati. Since the TRS took over, KCR has performed two

Since the TRS took over, KCR has performed two yajnas allegedly at a cost of Rs 7 crores to the state exchequer, although KCR claims he spent for these from his personal funds. When the official residence of the chief minister was remodelled, KCR made his spiritual guru Chinna Jeeyar sit in the CMs chair at the Gruha-Pravesham of his Begumpet camp office.

The TRS government has also declared Bonalu and Bathukamma, prominent Hindu festivals of Telangana as state festivals, granting Rs 1 crore for each district for official celebrations. Going a step ahead of the state BJP governments across the country, the TRS government has initiated special pensions for the Brahmin community as well.

The TRS is not just taking the BJP head-on on its own Hindu turf. Last week, the KCR government booked a case against BJP MLA Raja Singh for his provocative remark that anyone who opposed Ram Mandir would be beheaded.

A video clipping of Raja Singhs pronouncement on the occasion of Sri Ram Shobha Yatra procession on Ram Navami on 05 April has gone viral on the social media. If there is anybody who has the guts to say he would stop the construction of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya, let him come forward. I challenge that I will behead him, said the BJP MLA, who represents Goshamahal constituency in Hyderabad, in the clip.

Just like YSR (YS Rajashekhar Reddy, former Congress CM), KCR is also segregating the weaker section of voters of Muslims and BCs and moving them away from the communal influence of the BJP, said political analyst KVV Charya.

Countering the BJP

KCRs policy appears to be that if you cannot join them, then fight them in more than equal measure. His Andhra Pradesh counterpart Chandrababu Naidu, leader of the ruling Telugu Desam Party is in alliance with the BJP. Thanks to this alliance, the BJP could muscle its way in 2016 with the Telugu Desam Partys Chandrababu Naidus support to bag one Rajya Sabha seat for Suresh Prabhu (Union Railway Minister) and another MLC seat for Ram Madhav (erstwhile RSS spokesman ) in the state in exchange for several favours that the Centre bestowed on the TDP government.

But in Telangana, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, which also tried to woo the BJP, is now feeling the brunt of the lack of patronisation of the Centre. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) had switched over to the NDA after the 2008 general elections, hoping that the UPA would be trounced. When that did not happen, he stood isolated thereafter but revved up the Telangana movement and also won BJPs support in Parliament for a separate Telangana. After 2014, when the state was bifurcated and Telangana was born, KCR tried to join the NDA but backed off when he saw the clique of the Naidu duo - Chandrababu and Venkaiah  was against him.

KCR had also offered two cabinet berths to five members of the Telangana BJP in exchange for a Union Cabinet berth for his daughter and Nizamabad MP K Kavitha  all to no avail.

The BJP Gets Aggressive

Cashing in on the Modi wave in the last five Assembly polls in which the BJP bagged four seats, the saffron party has now focused on expanding its clout and base in the southern states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

The prevailing Hindu sentiment in both the states in addition to the Modi wave is considered a win-win scenario for the BJP in both the states.

The BJP has a strong footing in Telanganas 31 districts. Secunderabad has been electing Union minister Bandaru Dattatreya for more than four terms to Parliament. Another doyen of the BJP who switched to the TRS later, the late Ale Narendra of Hyderabad's old city had been a top Kar Sevak who went to Ayodhya for demolishing the Babri mosque.

The BJP in undivided Andhra Pradesh had taken the lead in the provision of material and men for the Babri demolition act. Sources who were key to the 1992 operation said RSS and BJP cadres from AP had organised the supply line of materials - hammers, rods, vegetables and Atta - secretly from Kazipet by train and lorries. Nearly one lakh Ram bricks were also gathered and sent by special trucks to Ayodhya. Nearly 25,000 Kar Sevaks had gone from AP with Hyderabad alone accounting for 2000 people and all the material supplies were for their needs, said a source who is now a BJP leader but who was in the RSS at the time.

Hindu fundamentalism had taken strong roots in Telangana and particularly in Hyderabad in the wake of the repression of Razakars in Nizams kingdom in early 1942, when the Razakar brigade (a private militia) led by Qasim Rizvi, fought against the Arjya Samaj and RSS in support of then Nizam VII (Osman Ali Pasha). The Arya Samaj, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and also RSS had stood as protectors of the Hindu community against the onslaughts of the Razakar brigade which was promoted by the Nizams men.

Visitors to the old housing colony in Jam Bagh area of Koti in Hyderabad will see wallpapers which remind residents of the number of Hindus  women and men killed in communal attacks all over the country. These wallpapers were put up by Arya Samaj workers. My grandfather was a fighter in the campaign against Razakars, said BM Deshpande, a local teacher, whose old house has still retained one such wallpaper. While the armed movement of the Communist parties waged agrarian revolts in the jungles of rural Telangana in areas like Warangal and Khammam, the streets of Hyderabad still bear remnants of the struggle against Razakars at Sultan Bazar, Badi Chowdi and Karwan. RSS, Arya Samaj, Vishwa Hindu Parishad are still waging a struggle here against the MIM (Majlis e Ittehadul Muslimeen) and other Muslim fronts in the Old City.

In the past decade, the CPM and RSS have made significant inroads into the Old City area, causing concern to the MIM bosses. Why is the CPM hand in glove with BJP and trying to split Muslim votes? Its battle should be against landlords and industrialists and not Muslims, asked prominent MIM legislator Mumtaz Ahmed Khan after the Ram Navami incident in the Old City. During Ram Navami on April 05, the VHP and locals of Old City took out a Shoba Yatra of Ram in which the local MLA Raja Singh declared that he would behead anyone who opposed the Ram Mandir.

The Maharashtra Model

The BJP aims to pursue the Maharashtra Model in Telangana where it plans to contest all future polls separately without alliances with the TDP. Despite being in sync with the Shiv Sena for the last 25 years, BJP went on its own in the last municipal elections in Maharashtra.

In the 2014 Assembly elections, TRS won 63 seats, followed by Congress (21), TDP (15), AIMIM (7) and the BJP (5) in a house of 119 seats. BJP leaders blamed the alliance with TDP for losing at least another 15 seats. We pleaded with national leaders but they pushed us into the lions mouth (TDP alliance) which devoured our votes, said G Kishan Reddy, BJP floor leader in Telangana Assembly. But the Naidu combination of Chandrababu and Venkaiah is anticipated to prevail with regard to continuation of the alliance in 2019 as well.

BJPs main aim is to break the vice-like grip of the MIM in Old City, which accounts for 13 of the 24 Assembly segments in Hyderabad. Other areas that the BJP is aggressively working on are Ranga Reddy and Medak districts in the vicinity of Hyderabad, which form the HMDA (Hyderabad Metro Development Authority) comprising of 12 municipalities and almost 2,000 sq kms radius. In the battle against the MIM and TRS, the TDP is a major liability, said the current Telangana BJP President K Lakshman.

In Andhra Pradesh, the BJP is unhappy over the negative campaign by alliance partners TDP, on the issue of special category status. TDP cadres say that the BJP leadership which assured 10 years of special category status (SCS) for divided AP has now backed down. To hide its own lapses the TDP is holding us responsible for SCS though BJP has gone out of the way to give a special package which provided more incentives and funds, said BJP's Andhra president Kambhampati Haribabu.

In Andhra Pradesh, BJP votes riding on the campaign of film star Pawan Kalyan had, in a big way, cut into the the BC and SC votes of rival YSR Congress, helping the TDP to come to power. The difference between the popular votes of TDP and YSRC is less than four percent and but for the vote split (mostly the Kapu votes), the TDP would have been in great trouble, reminded BJP spokesperson P Muralidhar Rao.

Analysts say that the party has a strong votebank from Kurnool to Chittoor in Rayalaseema and Nellore to Srikakulam in coastal Andhra. At the recent meeting of the BJP office bearers in March held at Tirupati, the BJP leadership expressed its concern over the AP CMs move to induct his son Lokesh into the Cabinet and the negative campaign of TDP cadres against the BJP. Party insiders say that Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu silenced moves for a resolution condemning the TDP for blaming the party on SCS. BJP had only put into action the decisions (though wrong) accepted by AP leadership on the eve of the bifurcation of state. Why are they crying hoarse now? Venkaiah reportedly asked at the meeting.

The BJP is in an advantageous position as both the TRS and the TDP have continued to be unfriendly to the Congress and the YSRC respectively. Secondly, the Left parties have only been second best from the bottom, coming in lower than the Congress.

In both Telugu speaking states, the BJP has emerged as number three, up by several notches since the 2008 general elections. Electoral outcome has shown that the BJP had flourished in smaller states thanks to its three-pronged campaign by the RSS, VHP and BJP itself. For example in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand, the BJP had succeeded in polarising Hindu votes (in this fashion), said RH Vidyaranya, a veteran journalist of Hyderabad.

The BJP has built up a steady votebank among tribals but failed to bag the support of Dalits in view of the stiff competition by the Congress and the TDP. BJP has succeeded in channelising the tribal but not Dalits in both Telangana and AP. The regional parties with their direct approach of welfare programs had been successful in capturing these votebanks even in the divided states, said Ravi Kumar, political analyst.
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Monday that the politicians maintaining silence on the issue of 'triple talaq' were equally responsible as those practising it as he linked the Muslim practice of divorce to the disrobing of Draupadi in the Mahabharata.

"These days there is a new debate in the country. Some people are maintaining a silence on this issue. This reminds me of the scene in the Mahabharata in which Draupadi is being disrobed in an assembly and she asks a question to the gathering as to who is responsible for this?" he said.

"...no one was able to utter even a single word. At that time Vidur said people who have committed the crime, those who are the accomplices and those who maintained silence on this issue are equally responsible," Adityanath said, referring to the practice of 'triple talaq'.

He made these remarks at an event to mark the 91st birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar.

Adityanath also called for an end to the Muslim practice of 'triple talaq' and advocated implementation of a common civil code in the country.

His remarks came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch against the divisive issue of 'triple talaq', insisting that the exploitation of Muslim women should end and justice be done to them.

Modi had, however, deprecated any attempt at creating a "conflict" within the Muslim community on the issue and suggested tackling it through social awareness.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has asserted Muslims have a "constitutional" right to follow their personal law of which 'triple talaq' was a part.

AIMPLB general secretary Maulana Wali Rehmani had yesterday said that the board had decided to issue a code of conduct and warned that those who give 'talaq' (divorce) without following the 'Sharia' (Islamic law) will face social boycott.
The fact that Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath's strong advocacy against triple talaq came just a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched upon the subject at Bharatiya Janata Party's National Executive meet in Bhubaneswar, is no small coincidence.

By taking an assertive stance on triple talaq, Yogi has taken a step towards fulfilling Modi's electoral promise, made in the run up to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The party had promised that, once elected to power, it will intervene in the Supreme Court's case on triple talaq, taking a position that the practice promoted gender injustice and defied the right to equality.

The BJP has been quite vocal on the issue ever since the Modi government came to power. This is the first time that any government has taken an unequivocal position on triple talaq.

Modi's aggressive push for triple talaq was to enough to convince prominent tier-two and tier-three BJP leaders of the issue's social and political importance. It conveyed to them the message that they need to build the right narrative around it ahead of Supreme Court's final hearing.

The BJP's categorical position on the matter is in sharp contrast to the vague stance maintained by mainstream rival political parties like Congress, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and others; claiming that the matter concerned religious Islamic practices and was best left to community leaders.

Yogi, in that sense, has picked up on this regressive social practice  affecting the lives of thousands of Muslim women  from where Modi left it in Bhubaneswar.

Speaking at a book launch event in Lucknow, Yogi questioned the silence of opposition political leaders, social groups and the 'so-called' progressives on the subject.

He also questioned the near absence of political narrative by rival parties on triple talaq: "The system makes them stand in court with the guilty, the supporters and those who are silent."

Yogi has for long been a religious-spiritual leader and knows that drawing a parallel between a contemporary and a mythological situation, as narrated in scriptures, gives maximum connect with people.

He cannot be faulted for drawing a parallel between Draupadi's 'chirharan' in Mahabharata with the silence of the likes of Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati and Nitish Kumar.

A group of Muslim women had met Yogi recently, seeking his intervention at two levels  in the legal battle pending in court and of taking up the matter with community leaders at politico-administrative level, so that an amicable solution could be found.

"Our Muslim sisters should also get justice... We do not want conflict within the Muslim community over this issue. What we have to do is that if there are any social evils, we have to wake up the society and make efforts to provide justice to Muslim women," Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari quoted Modi as saying, at the National Executive meeting.

A thumping three-fourth majority for BJP in Uttar Pradesh  winning a number of seats in Muslim dominated areas in the process  has made the party believe that Modi's message on triple talaq has gone home, where it was intended to.

It is now believed that a section of Muslim women have voted for the BJP because of its stance on triple talaq. Benefits from Ujjawala scheme, delivery of LPG cylinders to poor families in semi-urban and rural areas has been another clincher for support of a section of Muslim women to the BJP.

Since the time BJP won in Uttar Pradesh, more and more Muslim women are coming forward, voicing their anger against triple talaq.

Their strong pitch has put the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and its clerics on the defensive. The Supreme Court observed that it would hear the matter in mid-May, and come out with its verdict on the matter.

Modi and Yogi are doing smart politics over the issue  positioning themselves as reformist leaders who, despite their strong Hindutva credentials, are not afraid of picking on regressive Islamic practices to give constitutional parity to Muslim women. More so, the issue gels well with their 'sabka saath, sabka vikas' slogan.
By Michelle Martin

| BERLIN

BERLIN Germany and France said on Monday the close result in Turkey's referendum on expanding President Tayyip Erdogan's powers showed the division in Turkish society, while others questioned Europe's relations with the country.German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said it was a big responsibility to bear for Erdogan, who declared a narrow victory in the vote that marked the biggest overhaul of modern Turkish politics.The result prompted renewed calls by Austria for Turkey's EU stalled accession talks to be halted. Germany's Gabriel called for a new format for talks with "our neighbour", comments echoed by the conservative bloc in the European Parliament. Erdogan's opponents said the vote was marred by irregularities and they would challenge the result.The Council of Europe rights organisation said it did not live up to its standards, citing an inadequate legal framework and late changes in ballot counting. OSCE observers made similar comments, which were dismissed by Turkey. "The German government ... respects the right of Turkish citizens to decide on their own constitutional order," Merkel and Gabriel, whose country has about 3 million residents of a Turkish background, said in a statement."The tight referendum result shows how deeply divided Turkish society is and that means a big responsibility for the Turkish leadership and for President Erdogan personally."They expected Ankara to have a "respectful dialogue" with all parts of Turkish society. The United States also called for all citizens' rights to be respected.

France's President Francois Hollande said: "It's up to the Turks and them alone to decide on how they organise their political institutions, but the published results show that Turkish society is divided about the planned deep reforms."EU TALKS

On Sunday, the European Commission said Turkey should seek a national consensus on the constitutional amendments, given the narrow majority and the extent of their impact. In March, the Venice Commission, a panel of legal experts at the Council of Europe, said the proposed changes to the constitution represented a "dangerous step backwards" for democracy.Merkel and Gabriel pointed to the Commission's reservations and said that, as a member of the Council of Europe and the OSCE security and human rights watchdog and an EU accession candidate, Turkey should quickly address those concerns.

"Political discussions about that need to take place as quickly as possible, both at the bilateral level and between the European institutions and Turkey," Merkel and Gabriel said.France also called on Turkey to respect the European Convention on Human Rights and its ban on the death penalty.Erdogan told supporters on Sunday that Turkey could hold another referendum on reinstating the death penalty. Such a move would spell the end of Turkey's EU accession talks.Austria, which has repeatedly called for halting membership talks, called once more for them to stop.

"We can't just go back to the daily routine after the Turkey referendum. We finally need some honesty in the relationship between the EU and Turkey," said Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, adding the bloc should instead work on a "partnership agreement".Gabriel said during a visit to Albania that too many people in Europe, some for reasons related to domestic policy, would now urge a rigorous attitude towards Ankara and call for an end to talks but he said he wanted to find "new formats for talks instead because Turkey is still our neighbour".Turkey has been on a decades-long quest to join the EU. Turkey and the bloc last year reached a deal to help stem the flow of migrants to Europe's shores.The head of the European People's Party in the European Parliament, Manfred Weber, called for "a new approach to a partnership between friendly neighbours". "We should offer Turkey a thematic partnership, for example on the fight against terrorism, migration and economic policy, as well as student and cultural exchange. However, this also means that Turkey's EU membership is off the table," he said.During the campaign, Erdogan repeatedly criticised European countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, accusing them of "Nazi-like" tactics for banning his ministers from speaking to rallies of Turkish voters abroad.Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek told Reuters on Monday he expected the "noise" between Ankara and Europe should die down after the European elections cycle. The French vote for a new president begins on Sunday. Germany votes in September. (Reporting by Michelle Martin, Maria Sheahan, Silke Koltrowitz, Leigh Thomas, Robert-Jan Bartunek and Reuters TV in Berlin; Editing by Alison Williams)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Ali Sawafta

| GAZA/RAMALLAH, West Bank

GAZA/RAMALLAH, West Bank Hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli jails began a hunger strike on Monday in response to a call by prominent prisoner Marwan Barghouti, widely seen as a possible future Palestinian president.Palestinians termed the open-ended strike a protest against poor conditions and an Israeli policy of detention without trial that has been applied against thousands since the 1980s. Israel said the move by the prisoners, many of whom were convicted of attacks or planning attacks against Israel, was politically motivated.The protest was led by Barghouti, 58, a leader of the mainstream Fatah movement of the Palestine Liberation Organization, serving five life terms after being convicted of murder in the killing of Israelis in a 2000-2005 uprising.The strike, if sustained, could present a challenge to Israel and raise tensions between the two sides as the 50th anniversary of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip approaches in June.Israeli troops and settlers pulled out of the Gaza Strip, now run by Hamas Islamists, in 2005, but peace talks on the creation of a Palestinian state collapsed with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in 2014.In an opinion piece in the New York Times on Monday, Barghouti said a strike was the only way to gain concessions after other options had failed.

"Through our hunger strike, we seek an end to these abuses ... Palestinian prisoners and detainees have suffered from torture, inhumane and degrading treatment and medical negligence. Some have been killed while in detention," he wrote.Israeli and Palestinian media reports said Barghouti had been moved from the prison where he was being held in central Israel to another in the north and was isolated from other prisoners. The Prisons Service did not initially comment on his status.FIELD HOSPITAL

Israel denies Palestinian inmates are mistreated, and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said the Barghouti-led protest was "prompted by internal Palestinian politics and therefore includes unreasonable demands".

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement: "The Palestinian prisoners are not political prisoners. They are convicted terrorists and murderers. They were brought to justice and are treated properly under international law."Palestinian officials said some 1,500 inmates affiliated with all political factions including rival Fatah and Hamas were taking part in the protest. An Israel Prisons Service spokesman said some 1,100 inmates at eight jails had joined the strike.Almost 6,500 Palestinians are being held in 22 Israeli prisons, said Qadoura Fares, head of the Palestinian Prisoners' Club that advocates on behalf of the inmates.

The Prisoners' Club said a main demand was for Israel to halt detention without trial for some 500 Palestinians currently being held, and for an end to solitary confinement.The strikers also want better medical treatment and that disabled inmates or those suffering chronic illness be freed, access to more television channels and more phone contact with relatives and more family visits.The strike prompted a large rally in Gaza and a protest broke out near the occupied West Bank town of Bethlehem where Palestinian demonstrators clashed with Israeli forces. Palestinians consider brethren held in Israeli jails as national heroes. Long-term mass hunger strikes by Palestinian prisoners are rare, but in past cases of individual inmates who stopped eating for weeks, detention terms were shortened or not renewed after they were hospitalised in critical condition.Erdan said a field hospital would be erected next to one prison - an apparent move to pre-empt transfers to civilian medical facilities, which could draw wider media attention.Abbas, 82, said in a statement that efforts would continue to secure prisoners' freedom. He condemned what he called Israel's intransigence in the face of "fair" prisoner demands. (Writing by Nidal Almughrabi; Editing by Ori Lewis, Jeffrey Heller and Alison Williams)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Roberta Rampton

| SEOUL

SEOUL U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will meet with Japan's Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso on Tuesday, kicking off talks in Tokyo that the White House hopes will open doors in Japan for U.S.-made products and attract Japanese investment for infrastructure projects in the United States.Tokyo is the second stop on Pence's 10-day tour of Asia, a trip aimed at emphasizing that U.S. President Donald Trump wants to boost U.S. trade in the region even though he killed the 10-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact shortly after taking office."We thought it was important, particularly post-withdrawal (from) TPP, to let the region know that we haven't forgotten about them," a White House economic policy adviser told reporters traveling with Pence.Advocates for the TPP, negotiated by former President Barack Obama, said it would have dramatically reduced tariffs on U.S. goods and opened new markets. But U.S. labor interests argued it would hurt American workers and Trump said he could negotiate a better deal.Trump campaigned for office on an "America First" platform, saying he would boost U.S. manufacturing jobs and shrink the country's trade deficit with countries like Japan.He also vowed to renegotiate existing trade deals to focus on bilateral agreements rather than regional ones. Even the Korea-U.S. trade agreement could come under scrutiny for "tweaks," the adviser said.Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed in February to have Pence and Aso open an economic dialogue.

The leaders are expected on Tuesday to agree on principles and a process for further detailed discussions between Japanese officials and the U.S. Commerce, Treasury, State and Agriculture Departments, as well as the U.S. Trade Representative, the adviser said.But Pence and Aso are not expected to get into the details. Japan wants to avoid opening talks on a bilateral trade deal for fear of being pressured into opening up highly protected areas of its economy, such as agriculture.Tuesday's discussions will not prescribe a free-trade deal, though the talks eventually could lead to those kinds of negotiations, the White House adviser said."We ultimately want this to be about, how do we get more American products to Japan?" the adviser said.

Pence will meet Abe for a working lunch. They are expected to be joined by U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, in Tokyo for his own talks with Japanese Trade Minister Hiroshige Seko.INDIANA MODEL

Pence developed ties with Japanese business and political leaders as governor of Indiana, a state that is home to Subaru (9778.T), Honda (7267.T) and Toyota (7203.T) plants, and about 260 Japanese companies in total employing about 60,000 residents."To some extent, we want to do for the United States what we did for Indiana," the White House adviser said.

It is the top U.S. state for per-capita foreign direct investment from Japan, including higher-technology and better-paying manufacturing jobs, said Victor Smith, Pence's commerce secretary, when he led the state."This is not your dingy lit, oil-on-the-floor manufacturing facilities. These are LED-lit, epoxy-sealed floors with robots everywhere," Smith said in an interview.The Trump administration wants to find more of that kind of foreign direct investment, and hopes to attract some with the $1 trillion plan to rebuild U.S. roads, bridges and other types of infrastructure.That is a message Pence will take to upcoming stops this week in Jakarta and Sydney. While no immediate announcements are expected from Tokyo, the White House expects a "handful" of investment announcements while Pence is in Australia this weekend, the adviser said.Pence will meet with business leaders at each of his stops, starting on Tuesday morning in Seoul. Those sessions are aimed at reassuring businesses that trade in the United States is worth their while."Part of the trip is the very big symbolism of listening," the adviser said. "We're not pivoting away from the region." (Additional reporting by Linda Sieg, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Leika Kihara in Tokyo; editing by G Crosse)

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Beirut: The evacuation of more than 3,000 Syrians that was scheduled to take place Sunday from four areas as part of a population transfer has been postponed, opposition activists said, a day after a deadly blast that killed more than 120 people, many of them government supporters.

The reasons for the delay were not immediately clear. It came as shells fired by the Islamic State group on government-held parts of the eastern city of Deir el-Zour wounded two members of a Russian media delegation visiting the area, according to state-run Syrian news agency SANA.

Russia is a main backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russian journalists enjoy wide access in government-held parts of the country.

Russia's Anna-News military news service, which employs the journalists, said one was wounded in the arm while the other suffered leg and stomach wounds. The news service said the two were evacuated adding that their condition was "satisfactory."

The United Nations is not overseeing the transfer deal, which involves residents of the pro-government villages of Foua and Kfarya and the opposition-held towns of Madaya and Zabadani. All four have been under siege for years, their fate linked through a series of reciprocal agreements that the UN says have hindered aid deliveries.

Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, and Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV, earlier said that 3,000 people will be evacuated from Foua and Kfarya, while 200, the vast majority of them fighters, will be evacuated from Zabadani and Madaya.

Abdurrahman and opposition activist Hussam Mahmoud, who is from Madaya, said the evacuation has been delayed. Abdurrahman said no permission was given for the evacuation to go ahead while Mahmoud said it has been delayed for "logistical reasons."

It was not immediately clear if the evacuees feared attacks similar to Saturday's bombing.

Abdurrahman said Saturday's blast which hit an area where thousands of pro-government evacuees had been waiting for hours  killed 126. He said the dead included 109 people from Foua and Kfarya, among them 80 children and 13 women.

No one has claimed the attack, but both the Islamic State group and the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Fatah al-Sham Front have targeted civilians in government areas in the past.

A wounded girl, who said she lost her four siblings in the blast, told Al-Manar TV from her hospital bed that children who had been deprived of food for years in the two villages were approached by a man in the car who told them to come and eat potato chips. She said once many had gathered, there was an explosion that tore some of the children to pieces.

Anthony Lake, UNICEF's executive director, said in a statement Sunday that after six years of war and carnage in Syria "there comes a new horror that must break the heart of anyone who has one."

"We must draw from this not only anger but renewed determination to reach all the innocent children throughout Syria with help and comfort," he said.

After the blast, some 60 buses carrying 2,200 people, including 400 opposition fighters, entered areas held by rebels in the northern province of Aleppo, Abdurrahman said. More than 50 buses and 20 ambulances carrying some 5,000 Foua and Kfarya residents entered the government-held city of Aleppo, Syrian state TV said, with some of them later reaching a shelter in the village of Jibreen to the south.

UN relief coordinator Stephen O'Brien said he was "horrified" by the deadly bombing, and that while the UN was not involved in the transfer it was ready to "scale up our support to evacuees."

He called on all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, and to "facilitate safe and unimpeded access for the UN and its partners to bring life-saving help to those in need."

Residents of Madaya and Zabadani, formerly summer resorts, joined the 2011 uprising against President Bashar Assad. Both came under government siege in the ensuing civil war. Residents of Foua and Kfraya, besieged by the rebels, have lived under a steady hail of rockets and mortars for years, but were supplied with food and medicine through military airdrops.

Critics say the string of evacuations, which could see some 30,000 people moved across battle lines over the next 60 days, amounts to forced displacement along political and sectarian lines.

In eastern Syria, an airstrike by the US-led coalition on the village of Sukkarieh near the border with Iraq killed eight civilians who had earlier fled violence in the northern province of Aleppo, according to Deir Ezzor 24, an activist collective, and Sound and Picture Organization, which documents IS violations.

Airstrikes by the US-led coalition had killed dozens of civilians over the past several weeks as the battle against the extremists intensifies in Syria and Iraq.
Nepal president Bidya Devi Bhandari landed in New Delhi on Monday to begin her four-day state visit. On her visit, India said that its relations with Nepal are people-centric and are focused on improving connectivity between the neighbours as well as energy infrastructure.

Neighbourhood first. H.E. Ms Bidhya Devi Bhandari, President of Nepal arrives in New Delhi on State Visit to India pic.twitter.com/BojFqqeQZz  Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) April 17, 2017

"We have maintained our focus on implementation of ongoing connectivity and development projects such as Terai roads, cross-border rail lines linkages, development of integrated check posts on the border, cross-border oil pipeline  the first in South Asia  and cross-border transmission lines," said Joint Secretary, Nepal and Bhutan, in the External Affairs Ministry Sudhakar Dalela while briefing media on the upcoming visit in New Delhi.

In her first foreign tour, Bhandari is paying a state visit to India from 17 to 21 April at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee. Besides meeting top Indian leaders, Bhandari, who will be accompanied by a high-level 33-member delegation, will also visit Gujarat and Odisha.

The visit reflects "the priority India attaches to further strengthening the age-old unique partnership with Nepal and our shared historical and cultural linkages and strong people to people connection", Dalela said.

On the cooperation between the two neighbours in the area of energy infrastructure, he said this is witnessing a new high with the Indian cabinet last month approving investment of Rs 5,723 crore for Arun 3 power project in Nepal and operationalisation of the Muzaffarpur-Dhalkebar high capacity transmission line, which has taken India's electricity supply to Nepal to about 380 MW.

The project, located on Arun River in Sankhuwasabha district of eastern Nepal, will provides 21.9 percent free power to Nepal for the entire concession period of 25 years while the surplus will go to India.

About the power transmission lines, Dalela said: "We have almost finished work on two more transmission line projects from Raxaul to Parwanipur(Nepal) and Kushaha (Nepal)-Kataiya and we believe with the conclusion of these two projects, we will be able to supply more power to Nepal."

India is supplying 80 MW more through the Muzaffarpur-Dhalkebar (Nepal) transmission line from this year.

Dalela also said that India had also agreed to Nepal's proposed 16 road projects and bridges of amount for approximately $300 million under the $550 million line of credit India had extended.

On the trade imbalance, he said that bilateral trade is about $5 billion and Nepal's exports to India about $600 million and both governments are trying to improve the condition of trade including issues related to non-tariff barriers.

He also said that the bilateral oversight mechanism, which was established in last October, has met three times in last six months and has been extremely helpful in addressing implementation challenges of both sides.

On the border Integrated Check Post, he said the one at Birganj is 85 per cent done and will be completed this year while the contract for Birganj has been awarded, while the work on two rail links - Jogbani-Biratnagar and Jayanagar-Bartibas is on.

On the ongoing consultation for exchange of demonetised Indian currency notes held by Nepalis, he said, "Nepal's Rashtra Bank and the Reserve Bank of India have been in consultation in process of dialogue. Very recently a delegation of RBI visited Nepal to hold discussions. Progress so far has been very good... This issue is in focus of both sides."

To a query on the constitution making process in Nepal, he said, "India has an abiding interest peace stability and development in Nepal" and is supportive of Nepal's "efforts to address all constitutional implementation issues by taking all section of the society on board".

Meanwhile in Kathmandu, the Nepal government said that no MoU will be signed during the visit, which is just a goodwill visit mainly focusing on consolidating and strengthening the bilateral ties.

Bhandari's 33-member delegation includes Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat and Peace and Reconstruction Minister Sita Devi Yadav, five women parliament members representing various political parties, two former MPs, senior officials at the President's Office and the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs, security personnel and three media persons.

The Nepal government had declared two public holidays - on Monday and Friday - during the departure and return of the president. Law Minister Ajay Shankar Nayak said that as per custom, public holidays are given whenever the head of state embarks on an official visit to any nation.

Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport had declared no-fly zones for 35 minutes from 10.30 am when the President was due to leave.
LONDON North Korea will continue to regularly test missiles and any military action against it by the United States would prompt "all out war", a senior North Korean official told the BBC on Monday.North Korea has conducted several missile and nuclear tests in defiance of U.N. sanctions and has said it has developed a missile that can strike the U.S. mainland. Its latest missile test on Sunday failed a few seconds after launch.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence warned North Korea on Monday that recent U.S. strikes in Syria, one of Pyongyang's few close allies, and Afghanistan showed that the resolve of President Donald Trump should not be tested."We'll be conducting more missile tests on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis," the BBC quoted Vice Foreign Minister Han Song-Ryol as saying in an interview.

"If the U.S. is reckless enough to use military means it would mean from that very day, an all out war."

North Korean state media last week warned of a nuclear attack on the United States at any sign of American aggression, but the White House said there was no evidence it possessed that capability.The BBC reported Han also said North Korea believed its nuclear weapons protect it from the threat of military action by the United States. (Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

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It's been a year since the Panama Papers burst on the scene. The scandal has rocked governments, exposed high-profile personalities, triggered scores of investigations around the world and dealt a blow to Panama as an offshore financial hub. In the immediate aftermath, Iceland's prime minister was forced to resign after the leak showed his family sheltered assets offshore.

Among other exposed to scrutiny include the Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, former British prime minister David Cameron, and many current and former politicians and associates.

Sharif's alleged wrongdoing came to light as part of a massive leak of secret files from a Panamanian law firm that specialises in setting up offshore companies in tax havens. A trove of 11.5 million digital records from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca last year revealed how many of the world's wealthy used offshore companies to stash assets.

According to the Panama Papers, three of Sharif's four children  Maryam, Hasan and Hussain  were owners of offshore companies and "were owners or had the right to authorise transactions for several companies." But Sharif and his family have dismissed the allegations of money laundering and denied any wrongdoing.

The Asia Times reported that the Supreme Courts five-member bench, led by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, took up petitions on 20 October, 2016 and concluded its hearing on 23 February, 2017. The Supreme Courts verdict will change the future of Pakistan, said Imran Khan, the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), one of three political parties challenging the legality of the Sharif familys offshore assets, in January.

Heading a five-judge bench hearing a slew of petitions against the Sharif family, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa observed that 26,000 pages were submitted in the case and the judges will read "each word" of it. He observed that it was not a case wherein a short order could be passed.

"The court will decide the case only after considering the material submitted in the court and will announce its verdict in accordance with the law and Constitution," Justice Khosa was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune.

"We will decide this case only by the law; such that people will say, 20 years down the line, that this judgement was made by the book," Justice Khosa said. Data from the Panama Papers, available on the website of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) purportedly revealed the offshore holdings of members of Sharif's family.

"The Panama case changed the political landscape of the country, which was torn between two groups; the first comprising all of the political opposition including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the second belonging to supporters of the ruling party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)," Geo TV reported on its website.

Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique said that PML-N would respect whatever decision would be given by the Supreme Court in the case. He said the court's decision was about to come and all the parties in the case should get ready to accept it. "You may have your own reservations and feelings but you have to respect the court's decision," he said.

All eyes are on the verdict: which the Supreme Court deliberated for 26 days. The Indian Express reported that the much-awaited verdict in the case is expected by mid-April. The case pertains to investments allegedly made by Sharif and members of his family in Mossack Fonseca. Dawn last week reported that a Supreme Court judge observed on Tuesday that any pronouncement by the court would set a precedent that would be remembered for centuries.

Sharif, over his long political career has had many legal woes. Here's a look at some of them:

Supreme Court attack

According to Asia Times, in 1997, PML-N workers had occupied the Supreme Court building and forced the then Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah to suspend court proceedings in a contempt of court case against Sharif, who was then in his second term in office (He is now in his third term).

Pakistan Defence reported that the country's apex court had issued contempt of court notice to Sharif on the charge of not implementing apex court verdict in National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) case and asked him to personally appear before the bench on 19 January. On 23 December, 1997, the Supreme Court bench declared Sajjad Ali Shahs appointment as the chief justice illegal and Justice Ajmal Mian was made chief justice of Pakistan. The contempt proceedings against Nawaz Sharif were dropped.

Treason case

In 1999, Sharif was sentenced to life in prison on tax evasion and treason charges after Pervez Musharraf toppled him in a bloodless coup in October of the same year.

Under a deal brokered by the Saudi royal family, Musharraf released him in December 2000 on condition that he and his family live in exile in Saudi Arabia for 10 years. But the Sharifs won a Supreme Court battle against their banishment in August 2007, after which they vowed to return home for what Nawaz called a "decisive battle against dictatorship in Pakistan."

Asghar Khan case

Pakistan Today reported that a petition was filed by Air Martial (retd) Asghar Khan in which he alleged that donations by some businessmen of Karachi by consent of then Army Chief Mirza Aslam Baig and President Ghulam Ishaq Khan were disbursed among Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) prior to 1990s elections for their campaign. According to the SCs verdict Nawaz Sharif received 3.5 million rupees along with other bigwigs.

Although not the only beneficiary of funding by agencies, Pakistan Today reported that Sharif surfaced as the PM in 1990s election. The allegations, later confirmed by SC judgmentm=, did little damage to his political clout and barely made a dent in his vote bank: He won the 2013 election and returned to power.

The Express Tribune reported that in the Asghar Khan case, the Supreme Court had found a former army chief and a former chief of the all-powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) guilty of rigging the 1990 general elections (against the Pakistan Peoples Party) and ordered legal action against the two former generals.

Hudaibiya Paper Mills case

The Hudaibiya Paper Mills case is another example, where Sharif managed to wrangle out of legal trouble through technicalities and arm-twisting the investigating authorities.

Pakistan Today reported that the infamous Hudaibiya Paper Mills case was given a lease on life during the Panamagate hearing because of Ishaq Dars confessional statement, given to a judicial magistrate in 2000, where he admitted his involvement in laundering $14.86 million on behalf of Sharif family. This became a sticking point as the Bench asked prosecutor general to present the whole record of the case.

Dawn reported that Senator Dar's handwritten statement, given before a magistrate back on 25 April, 2000, had alleged that Sharif brothers used the Hudaibya Paper Mills as cover for money laundering during the late 1990s.

The Hudaibiya Paper Mills reference was quashed by Lahore High Court in 2014 and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) did not file an appeal against the decision in the Supreme Court. The decision came after 14 years and despite mounting evidence, the reference was quashed and Sharif was once again was given a clean chit. However, the case is still pending in the NAB.

With inputs from agencies
Istanbul: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared victory on Sunday in a historic referendum that will tighten his grip on power, but the knife-edge result left the country bitterly divided, with the opposition crying foul.

Opponents fear the sweeping constitutional changes, which would grant Erdogan more power than any leader since modern Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and his successor Ismet Inonu, would lead the country to one-man rule.

The result could also have even wider implications for Turkey which joined Nato in 1952 and for the last half-century has set its sights on

joining the European Union.

The 'Yes' campaign won 51.3 percent of the vote against 48.7 percent for 'No', the election commission said in figures quoted by state news agency Anadolu, in a count based on 99 percent of the ballot boxes.

As huge crowds of flag-waving supporters celebrated, Erdogan praised Turkey for taking a "historic decision". "With the people, we have realised the most important reform in our history," he added.

The referendum was held under a state of emergency that has seen 47,000 people arrested in an unprecedented crackdown after the failed military putsch against Erdogan in July last year.

In a nail-biting end to a frenetic campaign, the 'No' share of the vote climbed as more ballots were counted, after lagging well behind in the early count, but failed to overtake the 'Yes'.

"The presidential system, according to unofficial results, has been confirmed with a 'Yes' vote," Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told jubilant supporters from the balcony of the headquarters of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Ankara.

"This is a decision made by the people. In our democracy's history, a new page has opened," said Yildirim, whose job will disappear under the constitutional changes.

The victory margin was less than predicted by the authorities and in an interview with state television on Friday, Erdogan had predicted a far clearer victory saying polls showed a 55-60 percent share of the vote.

But voting patterns showed Turkey deeply divided over the changes, with the 'No' vote victorious in the country's three biggest cities.

The 'Yes' vote held up strongly in Erdogan's Anatolian heartland but the Aegean and Mediterranean coastal regions and Kurdish-dominated southeast had backed the 'No' camp.

In a major disappointment for the president, the 'No' vote was just ahead in his hometown of Istanbul and in the capital Ankara and clearly ahead in the third city of Izmir.

But Turkey's two main opposition parties said they would challenge the results after alleged violations. The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) said it would challenge two-thirds of the votes, saying: "There is an indication of a 3-4 percentage point manipulation of the vote."

The deputy head of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Erdal Aksunger, also said it could appeal up to 60 percent of the vote.

"Believe me, this election is not over," he told CNN Turk, quoted by the Dogan news agency. "This is totally invalid. We are declaring this here."

The opposition had already complained that the referendum has been conducted on unfair terms, with 'Yes' posters ubiquitous on the streets and opposition voices squeezed from the media.

Closely watched on Monday will be the initial assessment of the international observer mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

Erdogan again warned Brussels the he would sign any bill agreed by parliament to reinstate capital punishment, a move that would automatically end Turkey's EU bid. If the opposition failed to support the bill, Erdogan said another referendum could be held on reinstating the death penalty.

Western reactions to the referendum outcome will be crucial after Erdogan accused Turkey's allies of failing to show sufficient solidarity in the wake of the 15 July failed coup.

Erdogan said: "We would like other countries and institutions to show respect to the decision of the nation." The new presidential system would dispense with the office of prime minister and centralise the entire executive bureaucracy under the president, giving Erdogan the direct power to appoint ministers.

The system would come into force after the elections in November 2019. Erdogan, who became president in 2014 after serving as premier from 2003, could then seek two more five-year terms.

Supporters see the new system as an essential modernisation step for Turkey that will remove the risk of the political chaos that blighted the 1990s and is blamed for the 2000-2001 financial crisis.

Opponents fear it risks granting Erdogan authoritarian powers and allow him to ride roughshod over key institutions like the judiciary and parliament.

"I don't think he (Erdogan) will reverse course. I don't think Erdogan will change the robust and muscular approach to politics that he has adopted so far," said Fadi Hakura, Turkey expert at London-based Chatham House think tank.
ANKARA Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan called the prime minister and the leader of nationalist party to congratulate them on the result of Sunday's referendum, which were "clear", presidential sources said on Sunday.

Sources in Erdogan's office said he told Prime Minister Binali Yildirim he was grateful to the nation for showing its will at the polls.

With 98.2 percent of the ballot boxes opened, 51.31 percent of the votes were for "Yes", backing the referendum, the state-run Anadolu agency reported. (Reporting by Murad Sezer; Writing by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by David Dolan)

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By Tuvan Gumrukcu and Humeyra Pamuk

| ANKARA/ISTANBUL

ANKARA/ISTANBUL Votes for constitutional change to hand President Tayyip Erdogan sweeping powers held a narrow lead with almost all ballot boxes opened on Sunday, but Turkey's three largest cities and the mainly Kurdish southeast looked set to vote "No".The "Yes" votes stood at 51.7 percent after 95 percent of ballots had been opened, state-run Anadolu news agency said, with the lead narrowing in the final stages of an increasingly tight count.A "Yes" vote would replace Turkey's parliamentary democracy with an all-powerful presidency and may see Erdogan in office until at least 2029, in the most radical change to the country's political system in its modern history.The outcome will also shape Turkey's strained relations with the European Union. The NATO member state has curbed the flow of migrants - mainly refugees from wars in Syria and Iraq - into the bloc but Erdogan says he may review the deal after the vote.In Turkey's three biggest cities - Istanbul, Izmir and the capital Ankara - the "No" camp appeared set to prevail narrowly, according to Turkish television stations.Speaking to reporters in Ankara, Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak said that the "Yes" camp had not won as many votes as expected, but was still ahead nationwide.Earlier in the day a crowd chanted "Recep Tayyip Erdogan" and applauded as the president shook hands and greeted people after voting in a school near his home in Istanbul. His staff handed out toys for children in the crowd."God willing I believe our people will decide to open the path to much more rapid development," Erdogan said in the polling station after casting his vote."I believe in my people's democratic common sense."The "Yes" percentage of the vote - which stood at 63 percent after around one quarter had been opened - eased as the count came further west towards Istanbul and the Aegean coast. Broadcaster Haberturk said turnout was 86 percent.

The opposition People's Republican Party (CHP) said a last-minute decision by the electoral board to accept unstamped ballots as valid votes put the vote in question."We will pursue a legal battle. If the irregularities are not fixed, there will be a serious legitimacy discussion," CHP deputy chairman Bulent Tezcan said. DIVISIVE VOTE

The referendum has bitterly divided the nation. Erdogan and his supporters say the changes are needed to amend the current constitution, written by generals following a 1980 military coup, confront the security and political challenges Turkey faces, and avoid the fragile coalition governments of the past."This is our opportunity to take back control of our country," said self-employed Bayram Seker, 42, after voting "Yes" in Istanbul.

"I don't think one-man rule is such a scary thing. Turkey has been ruled in the past by one man," he said, referring to modern Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.Opponents say it is a step towards greater authoritarianism in a country where some 47,000 people have been jailed pending trial and 120,000 sacked or suspended from their jobs in a crackdown following a failed coup last July, drawing criticism from Turkey's Western allies and rights groups."I voted 'No' because I don't want this whole country and its legislative, executive and judiciary ruled by one man. This would not make Turkey stronger or better as they claim. This would weaken our democracy," said Hamit Yaz, 34, a ship's captain, after voting in Istanbul.Relations between Turkey and Europe hit a low during the referendum campaign when EU countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, barred Turkish ministers from holding rallies in support of the changes. Erdogan called the moves "Nazi acts" and said Turkey could reconsider ties with the European Union after many years of seeking EU membership.GUARD KILLED

Kurdish militants overnight killed a guard in an attack on a vehicle carrying a district official from Yildirim's ruling AK Party in southeast Turkey's Van province, security sources said.They said Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants staged the attack in Van's Muradiye district. A second of the AKP official's guards was wounded and 17 people were detained over the attack, they added.In the southeastern Diyarbakir province, two people were killed and one wounded in a gunfight in a village schoolyard which was being used as a polling station, other security sources said. The cause of the clash was not immediately clear.On Saturday, Erdogan held four rallies in Istanbul, urging supporters to turn out in large numbers and saying it "will be a turning point for Turkey's political history".Erdogan and the AK Party enjoyed a disproportionate share of media coverage in the buildup to the vote, overshadowing the secular main opposition CHP and the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu has accused Erdogan of seeking a "one-man regime", and said the proposed changes would put the country in danger.Proponents of the reform argue that it would end the current "two-headed system" in which both the president and parliament are directly elected, a situation they argue could lead to deadlock. Until 2014, presidents were chosen by parliament.The government says Turkey, faced with conflict to the south in Syria and Iraq, and a security threat from Islamic State and PKK militants, needs strong and clear leadership to combat terrorism.The package of 18 amendments would abolish the office of prime minister and give the president the authority to draft the budget, declare a state of emergency and issue decrees overseeing ministries without parliamentary approval. (Additional reporting by Ece Toksabay in Ankara and David Dolan in Istanbul; Writing by Dominic Evans and Daren Butler; Editing by Keith Weir, Adrian Croft and David Dolan)

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US National Security Advisor Lieutenant General HR McMaster arrived in Islamabad on Monday on an unannounced visit, a day after he hinted the US could take a tougher stance on Pakistan.

It was the first visit by a top member of President Donald Trump's administration to the militancy-hit South Asian country, and came after a stop in neighbouring Afghanistan where he suggested Washington may take a stronger line on Islamabad, for years seen as an unreliable US ally.

A statement issued by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's office said McMaster had "assured the prime minister that the new administration was committed to strengthening bilateral relations and working with Pakistan, to achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan and in the wider South Asian region."

McMaster's visits are being closely watched for clues as to the Trump administration's future course of action in the region.

US-led NATO troops have been at war in Afghanistan since 2001, after the ousting of the Taliban regime for refusing to hand over Osama bin Laden following the 9/11 attacks in the United States.

The US has around 8,400 troops in the country with about another 5,000 from NATO allies, as efforts to negotiate a lasting peace settlement between Kabul and the Taliban have repeatedly fallen through.

Afghanistan routinely accuses Pakistan of providing safe haven to the Afghan Taliban.

"As all of us have hoped for many many years, we have hoped that Pakistani leaders will understand that it is in their interest to go after these groups less selectively than they have in the past and the best way to pursue their interest in Afghanistan and elsewhere is through diplomacy not through the use of proxies that engage in violence," McMaster said in an interview with Afghanistan's Tolo News on Sunday.

The Pakistani statement added that McMaster's delegation included Lisa Curtis, who US media have previously reported as his pick as senior director for South and Central Asia.

Curtis, a well known conversative expert, recently co-authored a paper calling on the US to stop treating Pakistan as an ally and instead "focus on diplomatically isolating" it if it continues to support groups that have links to international terror.

On Thursday the US military in Afghanistan dropped its GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast, dubbed the "Mother of All Bombs" in combat for the first time on Islamic State group hideouts, killing up to 95 militants.

The attack triggered global shock waves, with some condemning the use of Afghanistan as what they called a testing ground for the weapon, and against a militant group that is not considered as big a threat as the resurgent Taliban.
Cleveland : Police on Monday were searching for a man who allegedly killed an elderly man in the US state of Ohio and broadcast the killing live on Facebook.

The suspect, Steve Stephens, later said in a separate video post that he had killed 13 people and was looking to kill more, BBC reported.

Cleveland police confirmed one killing but said they did not know of any other victims.

City authorities identified the homicide victim as Robert Godwin, 74.

"From what we can tell now, it's just a random person that he picked out. We don't know why," Cleveland police chief Calvin Williams said.

Godwin had just left his children's home after eating an Easter meal and was walking home when he was killed, CNN affiliate WOIO reported.

"We need to bring this to a conclusion  today," Williams said, adding: "There is no need for any further bloodshed in this incident tonight."

The FBI is assisting Cleveland police in the search. Nearly five hours after the shooting, Williams said authorities hadn't had a report of a sighting of Stephens, CNN reported.

Authorities said Stephens is a black male who is 6-feet 1-inch and weighs 244 pounds. He has a full beard.

"What happened today is senseless and if Steve has an issue, he needs to talk to some folks to get that resolved," Williams said.

"He needs to turn himself in so that he can get the help that he needs and he can't keep victimising this community based on his issues," Williams added.

In a statement, a Facebook spokesperson said the shooting was a "horrific crime".

"We do not allow this kind of content on Facebook. We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety," the statement said.

It is not the first time that a fatal shooting has been captured on Facebook Live. Last June, a man was shot dead while live-streaming a video of himself on the streets of Chicago. In March, an unidentified man was shot 16 times while broadcasting live.

Facebook's live-streaming feature allows anyone to broadcast online in real time. It was launched in 2010 but has become more central to the social network's strategy in recent months.
Islamabad: US National Security Advisor Herbert McMaster on Monday assured Pakistan that the Trump administration is committed to strengthening bilateral relations with the country.

McMaster, who arrived here early on Monday, made the remarks during his meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

It was McMaster's first visit to Pakistan as the US National Security Adviser and the first formal high-level exchange between the US and Pakistan under the administration of President Donald Trump, the PM's office said.

"General McMaster conveyed the greetings of president Trump and assured the Prime Minister that the new administration was committed to strengthening bilateral relations and working with Pakistan to achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan and in the wider South Asian region," said a statement of the office.

Sharing his concerns over the deteriorating security in Afghanistan and the continuing impasse, Sharif conveyed Pakistan's readiness to work with the international community to explore ways to solve the Afghan crisis, it said.

On relations with India, the Prime Minister reiterated his firm conviction on sustained dialogue and meaningful engagement as the only way forward to resolve all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan, including the Kashmir dispute.

The US adviser started the Pakistan visit after his first trip to Afghanistan where he met top Afghan leaders and assured them support of the Trump administration.

Earlier, he met and held talks with Pakistani Foreign Affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz on combating extremism and terrorism.
Munsan: Mike Pence on Monday arrived at the gateway to the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas, an AFP correspondent reported, in a show of US resolve hours after North Korea failed in its attempt to test another missile.

The US vice president flew by helicopter into Camp Bonifas, a US-led United Nations command post just a few hundred metres south of the DMZ. From there, he was expected to move to the truce village of Panmunjom that straddles one of the most heavily militarised borders on Earth.

Tensions between Pyongyang and Washington have soared in recent weeks, as a series of North Korean weapons tests have wrought ever-more bellicose warnings from Donald Trump's administration.

The new and inexperienced US president has indicated he will not allow North Korea to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the western United States.

A top White House foreign policy advisor on Sunday became the latest Trump official to warn that while diplomatic pressure was preferable, US military action is very much on the table.

"We have a wide array of tools at disposal for the president should he choose to use them," the official said.
By Andrew Chung

| WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON The U.S. Supreme Court is set this week to hear a closely watched case testing the limits of religious rights, and new Justice Neil Gorsuch's judicial record indicates he could tip the court toward siding with a church challenging Missouri's ban on state funding of religious entities.Trinity Lutheran Church, which is located in Columbia, Missouri and runs a preschool and daycare center, said Missouri unlawfully excluded it from a grant program providing state funds to nonprofit groups to buy rubber playground surfaces. Missouri's constitution prohibits "any church, sect or denomination of religion" from receiving state taxpayer money.Gorsuch, who embraced an expansive view of religious rights as a Colorado-based federal appeals court judge, on Monday hears his first arguments since becoming a justice last week. He will be on the bench on Wednesday when the justices hear the Trinity Lutheran case, one of the most important of their current term.Gorsuch, appointed by President Donald Trump, restored the Supreme Court's 5-4 conservative majority.Trinity Lutheran wanted public funds to replace its playground's gravel with a rubber surface made from recycled tires that would be safer for children to play on.The U.S. Constitution calls for a separation of church and state and guarantees the free exercise of religion.At the very least, a victory for Trinity Lutheran would help religious organizations nationwide win public dollars for certain purposes, such as health and safety.But it also could bolster the case for using public money for vouchers to help pay for children to attend religious schools rather than public schools in "school choice" programs backed by many conservatives. For example, Colorado's top court in 2015 found that a Douglas County voucher program violated a state constitutional provision similar to Missouri's.Trinity Lutheran's legal effort is being spearheaded by the Alliance Defending Freedom conservative Christian legal activist group, which argues Missouri's policy violates the U.S. Constitution's guarantees of free exercise of religion and equal protection under the law.

If the church wins, "religious organizations cannot be excluded from general public welfare benefits that apply to everybody," said Erik Stanley, an alliance lawyer representing the church.Referring to Gorsuch, Stanley said, "He has definitely been a friend of religious liberty. So we are hopeful that will continue when he's on the court, and we're grateful he gets to participate on this important case." In 2013, Gorsuch sided with the evangelical Christian owners of arts-and-crafts retailer Hobby Lobby and allowed owners of private companies to object on religious grounds to a provision in federal healthcare law requiring employers to provide medical insurance that pays for women's birth control.Gorsuch wrote in a concurring opinion that Hobby Lobby's owners faced a choice "between exercising their faith or saving their business." The Supreme Court later affirmed the ruling.

Missouri said there is nothing unconstitutional about its grant program."Trinity Lutheran remains free, without any public subsidy, to worship, teach, pray and practice any other aspect of its faith however it wishes. The state merely declines to offer financial support," the state said in legal papers.The church has drawn support from the religious community including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Mormon Church and Jewish groups.'OPEN THE FLOODGATES'

Groups filing legal papers opposing Trinity Lutheran, including the American Civil Liberties Union, said government funding of churches is precisely what the Constitution forbids.

"Forcing states to provide cash to build church property could open the floodgates to programs that coerce taxpayers to underwrite religion," said Daniel Mach, director of the ACLU's program on freedom of religion and belief.Mach said three-quarters of the U.S. states have provisions like Missouri's.Alliance Defending Freedom, which also opposes gay marriage, transgender protections and abortion, has another major case involving religion that the Supreme Court could take up in its term beginning in October. It represents a Colorado bakery's Christian owner who argues the Constitution's promise of religious freedom means he should not have to make a wedding cake for a gay couple.Trinity Lutheran sued in federal court in 2012. The St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2015 upheld a trial court's dismissal of the suit. The appeals court said accepting the church's arguments would be "unprecedented," noting the Supreme Court's 2004 decision in the case Locke v. Davey that upheld a bar on Washington state scholarships for students preparing for the ministry.The justice who Gorsuch replaced, the late fellow conservative Antonin Scalia, was one of two dissenters in the Locke ruling. When a state withholds a generally available benefit solely on religious grounds, it is like an unconstitutional "special tax" on religion, Scalia said.Judicial observers have described Gorsuch as very much in the mold of Scalia.Missouri's grant program was meant to keep tires out of landfills while also fostering children's safety. The church's brief to the high court stated, "A rubber playground surface accomplishes the state's purposes whether it cushions the fall of the pious or the profane." (Reporting by Andrew Chung; Editing by Will Dunham)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
The OPPO F3 Plus is a smartphone that makes your personal life a whole lot more fun and entertaining. However, it can also be a tool that is used to make your work flow a whole lot easier and more efficient. We approached a designer at one of Bangalores most reputed fashion labels to examine how the phone could help her in her daily work flow.

Akhila Ramanuj is a designer at Fulki and we assigned her the task of using the OPPO F3 Plus for a day and to see how that changed her workflow.

For any designer, inspiration is a must have and that inspiration can be found in everyday objects. Hence it becomes important to keep track of those objects and capture it with the highest amount of detail and sharpness. Luckily, the OPPO F3 Plus comes with a high-resolution 16 Megapixel Camera with Sony IMX 398 sensor which means that every shot can capture incredible details that can later be used as a reference image for designs. The camera can capture the colours really well as well that are vibrant but also quite natural looking.

The f1.7 aperture and OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) ensure a blur free shot that is well exposed regardless of how good or bad the lighting conditions are when the photos are taken. Similarly, the phone also needs the camera to take photos of the products while they are being made and once they have been finished. High resolution photos allow designers to send the samples to the clients and also make corrections as and when required. This simplifies the process which would otherwise have taken a visit or two to just rectify or understand.

The screen on the OPPO F3 Plus is a 6 inch 1080p IPS display that is large, sharp and vibrant. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 that will keep most scratches at bay especially when working in an environment such as fashion designers do. You know, the usual, needles, scissors, blades etc.

The front facing camera too is quite important as clients or the designers themselves would want to see how they look when wearing it. The OPPO F3 Plus fits the description perfectly thanks to its dual selfie cameras that can be used to take both individual selfies as well as group selfies. The 16 Megapixel Individual Selfie camera and the 8 Megapixel Group Selfie camera provide plenty of vibrancy, details and sharpness.

Akhila was very impressed with the usability of the OPPO F3 Plus as well as the ease of access and understanding the camera interface had. She remarked how she loved the bright and vivid images that the camera was able to produce. Any other cameraphone would not be able to do justice to the real product and as a result would send an incorrect representation of the product.

Working in an industry that is as challenging and ever-chaging as the fashion industry isnt a small task. It required a lot of hard work, time and dedication to be at the forefront of the pack. While the OPPO F3 Plus is no replacement for those, it is a tool that would make the life of any fashion designer easier. The OPPO F3 Plus will enable a designer to be more creative and more efficient at what they do. We can also envision how the F3 Plus would be an ideal companion for other creative fields thanks to its high-end hardware fused with the latest software.

Thanks to Fulki for their co-operation that made this article a possibility. Please do check out their website and their Facebook page for more information.
As Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) CEO Mark Zuckerberg prepares for his keynote speech at the companys annual developers conference, F8, which begins on Tuesday, Cleveland police continue the search for 37-year-old Steve Stephens, who they believe shot and killed an elderly man on Easter afternoon, and then shared the video of the slaying on the social networking site.

The video, captioned Easter day slaughter, was posted on Facebook for about three hours before the company took it down. In the video, the suspect, Stephens, said he shot the 74-year-old man because he was upset over a woman. Facebook swiftly responded with a statement condemning the act:

This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook. We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety, a spokesperson told FOX Business.

However, as Zuckerberg greets developers this week, this violent episode is only one of the latest postings in a string of crimes made available to the social media giants 1.86 billion users over the past year and it is likely to overshadow his baby; Facebook Live and his overall innovation push. On Sunday, the same day as the horrifying incident, Zuckerberg also posted his plans for his big day.

The incident also clouds the companys push to enforce community standards for its live streaming services, which allows users to report videos they find offensive or criminal to their team, an initiative launched last summer after a woman went live after her boyfriend, Philando Castile, was shot by a Minnesota police officer during a traffic stop.

We understand the unique challenges of live video. We know its important to have a responsible approach. Thats why we make it easy for people to report live videos to us as theyre happening. We have a team on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, dedicated to responding to these reports immediately, the company said in a statement following the July incident.

The annual developers conference will also give Zuckerberg and his team a chance to update investors on the use of artificial intelligence to help identify harmful posts, and other potential warning signs, that a user may be in danger and flag for a team to determine next steps.

In recent years, it has become clear that a core part of helping to grow a community is helping to keep you safe. That is a fundamental responsibility and something that we take very seriously, Zuckerberg said during the companys first Social Good Forum event in November.

Facebook Live, which launched a little over a year ago, has provided users with an unedited look at police shootings, rape, torture, and even suicide.

Just last month, Facebook Live found itself in hot water again when a 15-year-old girl from Chicago was apparently sexually assaulted on the live stream. The video was reportedly viewed by dozens of people, but no one apparently called authorities until a relative of the young girl recognized her.

Then in January, Facebook Live made national headlines when four African-Americans were caught torturing and beating a white teenager  who reportedly suffered from schizophrenia  in Chicago for nearly 30 minutes live. The video showed the attackers using knives to cut the victims hair and clothes and also showed them forcing him to drink toilet water. The suspects were evidentially caught and have been charged.

Two suicides have also been live streamed on the social media site. In January, an aspiring actor in Los Angeles shot himself in the head while streaming live and a month prior to that, a 12- year-old girl from Georgia hung herself from a tree. Her body was seen hanging for more than 15 minutes.

Despite the rash of violence, investors dont seem rattled. Shares of Facebook have gained 21% this year and are hovering near-record levels.
Actor Paul Sorvino and his wife Dee Dee have both been vocal supporters of President Trump, but they say if you dont agree with Hollywoods political agenda youre a reject.

I think the studio people, the business people-- I think they are a little cooler about it. But its these actors, these crazy actors they are insane Unless you say you hate Trump, you are not part of their club, Dee Dee Sorvino, said in an interview on the FOX Business Network.

A-list celebs such as Robert De Niro, Madonna, and Meryl Streep have vocally spoken out on President Trumps policies, but Sorvino, who starred in the 1990 gangster film Goodfellas with De Niro, said even though his old friend has a right to say what he wants, he should stay out of politics.

Hes one of the greatest actors in the world but, you know, Bobby, thats politics, do you really have to get into that? Punch the President in the face? What are you talking about? Sorvino asked.

Dozens of celebrities have even vowed to leave the country. Lena Dunham has said she would move to Canada and Cher planned to move to Jupiter.

You know what, where are all the people who are going to Canada? I have a lot of money saved. I put it aside to give them all tickets and I havent seen anybody take it up, said Sorvino.

While the offer stands, the Sorvinos are focused on their new cookbook featuring Italian recipes.

Paul has been cooking since he was 12-years old for his family We love pizza. We were just in Naples and Paul made the pizza that you get in Napoli, really thin and really wonderful. So its really about Paul being this masterful cook and I like to throw parties and mix drinks, said Dee Dee.
KFC, a unit of Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM), announced Monday that they have spent nearly $80 million to create a new chicken sandwich in order to drum up sales.

The Zinger, the first fried chicken sandwich to be made by hand, daily in-house, has been in the works for years.

We have been actually working on this for two years, we spent $80 million dollars upgrading our back house equipment and we spent the last six months re-training all of our staff on how to make a fried chicken sandwich fast because ultimately at lunch, we have to win on speed, Kevin Hochman, president and chief concept officer for KFC U.S., told FOX Business Stuart Varney.

Hochman also says the sandwich, which is already sold in more than 120 countries around the world, will debut in the U.S. on April 24th. In addition to that, it will be made with 100% real chicken from U.S. farms without any antibiotics.

More on this... Tyson Foods CEO: The Future of Food Might Be Meatless

KFC recently joined a long-list of other fast-food restaurants in announcing plans last week to stop using antibiotics important to human medicine in its chickens by the end of 2018.

"We share the publics concern about...antimicrobial resistance," Hochman said in a statement.

Chipotle (NYSE:CMG), McDonalds (NYSE:MCD), Burger King, Panera (NASDAQ:PNRA), and Wendys (NYSE:WEN) have already made similar pledges in the past. But KFC says they believe they are on the cutting edge in trying to forgo antibiotics when it comes to on-the-bone chicken. The Zinger will also be free of added hormones, steroids, and food dyes.

And, even though more Americans are demanding healthier food options, Hochman says he believes people will be interested in this fried sandwich.

Its funny. People want real prepared food and the cooks are in back of the house making our chicken on the bone and these new Zinger sandwiches--is totally different than anything out on the market place today, he said.
United Continental (NYSE: UAL) landed itself in hot water last week after bumping a customer from his flight in an unusually cruel manner. David Dao was already seated on the plane, which was set to fly from Chicago to Louisville, when he was bumped to a flight the next day. When he refused to get up, airline employees called the police, who dragged him from his seat and down the aisle.

The videos of this incident are truly shocking. As a result, United now finds itself in the crosshairs of lawmakers and regulators, while many (former) customers have vowed that they will never again fly United.

What makes this situation particularly sad is that it was totally avoidable. For little or no additional cost, the airline could have made everyone happy by chartering a private jet.

United was in a tough spot

The incident last Sunday began when four airline crew members showed up at the gate looking for seats to Louisville after passengers had boarded the flight. United would have had to cancel a Monday morning flight from Louisville to Newark -- stranding dozens of passengers -- if those crew members hadn't made it to Louisville that night.

United bumped four customers from a flight last Sunday -- after they had boarded. Image source: United Airlines.

Many people are willing to give up their seats on overbooked flights in exchange for vouchers toward future travel. This allows the airlines to keep everyone happy while getting around the stiff regulations governing compensation for involuntary denied boardings.

Unfortunately, there were no volunteers in this case. Before last Sunday's incident, United had offered customers $400 in vouchers (plus a hotel room) and then went up to $800 in an attempt to find volunteers to travel the next day, but nobody took the bait.

A private jet would do the trick

It may have seemed to the United staff on the ground that they had no choice but to bump four passengers from the flight. But a private jet could have solved the problem at a relatively modest cost.

The Department of Transportation's rules on overbooking required United to pay cash compensation of $1,350 each to the four passengers that the carrier bumped, or $5,400 total. By contrast, the typical cost to charter a small private jet for the roughly one-hour flight from Chicago to Louisville would be about $6,000.

In fact, the founders of private aviation start-up FlyOtto recently invited United to try their service for free to reposition crews. FlyOtto would have been able to fly four people from Chicago to Louisville for just $2,930, albeit on a turboprop rather than a jet.

Using private jets isn't unheard of

In recent years, Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) has pioneered the concept of using private jets alongside its regular commercial fleet. This works especially well for Delta, because it has an in-house private jet subsidiary: Delta Private Jets.

Two years ago, Delta began a pilot program to give elite frequent fliers the opportunity to upgrade to a seat on a private jet for as little as $300 one-way on certain flights. Private jets often fly empty on "repositioning" flights, as they go to make their next pick-up. Delta is using these empty flights to offer a once-in-a-lifetime experience to loyal customers who happen to be going the same way.

Delta allows some elite frequent fliers to upgrade to private jets when space is available. Image source: Delta Air Lines.

Delta Air Lines has also used its private jet fleet to pitch in during operational disruptions. For example, Delta flew more than 40 customers on private jets after a major technology outage caused numerous flight cancellations last August.

A better way

United doesn't have its own private jets, but it could have chartered one for roughly the same amount it would have had to pay four passengers to compensate for "bumping" them. In all likelihood, United could have enticed a few passengers to pay more to upgrade to a private jet -- and it certainly wouldn't have had trouble finding volunteers to fly private!

Now, the damage from this misstep could reach billions of dollars if large numbers of people start avoiding United Airlines flights. United executives probably already regret that they didn't have policies in place for using private jets as a last resort in "oversold" situations.

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Adam Levine-Weinberg owns shares of Delta Air Lines. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The tax deadline is right around the corner, and millions of Americans are in the process of filing their returns, while millions more have filed within the past couple of months. Whichever group you're in, there are scammers that would love to make you their next victim. To make sure your money goes only where it's supposed to, here's a quick guide to how tax scams work and seven signs you may be dealing with an impostor.

IRS phone scams are not going away

In a nutshell, a phone scam involves a thief calling and pretending to be an IRS agent, in an attempt to get you to either send them money to "pay a tax bill", or to reveal sensitive personal information, which can then be used to steal your identity.

Image source: Getty Images.

Unfortunately, not only do these scams continue to exist, but scammers are getting more sophisticated and tougher to spot. "These scammers continue to adapt and evolve, and the IRS continues to receive reports of these schemes using multiple languages trying to find victims across the country," IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said recently.

There are too many varieties of phone tax scams to mention here, but common versions involve a supposed IRS agent claiming that you owe tax, which must be paid immediately.

Fortunately, phone scams are easy to avoid if you know what to watch for. Specifically, here are some things the IRS will and will not ever do.

The IRS will never call to demand immediate payment.

The IRS will never demand a specific payment method, such as a prepaid debit card or wire transfer.

The IRS mails a bill first before attempting to contact a taxpayer by phone.

The IRS will never threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law enforcement.

The IRS will always give you an opportunity to question or appeal the amount it claims you owe.

The IRS will never ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

Email and text scams

It's also important to mention that email scams are a big problem as well, where you receive an email supposedly from an IRS agent or are directed to a website that supposedly is run by the IRS. And many of the warning signs listed above apply to emails as well -- for instance, the IRS will never email you to demand immediate payment of a balance you owe.

In addition, be sure you're aware that the official IRS website is www.irs.gov and all official IRS pages begin with that prefix. Don't be fooled by variations, such as irsgov.com.

Finally, since scammers are evolving continuously, scams conducted via text message has started to make an appearance. The same cautionary rules apply as I've listed above.

Signs you could be a target

Because we know for sure what the IRS and its representatives will and will not do, here are six signs that the person you're talking with on the phone, getting texted by, or reading an email from is a scammer, and not a legitimate tax collector.

1. You're instructed to pay a balance you owe right away.

2. You're told to load money onto a prepaid debit card.

3. You never received any prior communication from the IRS through the mail.

4. You're looking at a website that doesn't begin with irs.gov that's asking you for sensitive information, or demanding that you pay taxes you owe.

5. You're expected to read your credit card number or other sensitive information over the phone.

6. You're told you have no way to challenge the amount you owe -- you just have to pay it.

7. You're told the police will come arrest and/or deport you if you don't cooperate.

What to do

If you get a call, email, or text, supposedly from an IRS representative, and you notice any of these warning signs, there's a good chance you're an intended victim of a tax scam. If you suspect a scam, hang up the phone immediately, and report the scam to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, which you can do online here. You can also report it to the Federal Trade Commission.

If you think you owe tax, or even if you know for a fact that you do, it's still important to be on the lookout for scammers. If you even think the person you're talking to might be a scammer, hang up and call the actual IRS at 800-829-1040. There's no tax matter that can't wait for a few minutes, and you'll at least have the peace of mind of knowing you're talking to legitimate IRS representatives.

The $16,122 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $16,122 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after.Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies.

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Master limited partnerships (MLPs) have long been go-to income sources for retired investors because these entities have to distribute the bulk of their earnings back to unitholders for tax purposes. That said, not all MLPs have been able to maintain the steadily growing payout they promised investors due to the impact of the oil market downturn on their finances. However, one company that bucked this trend and has consistently grown its distribution throughout the downturn is Phillips 66 Partners (NYSE: PSXP). Because of that strength amid the storm, as well as what's clearly ahead, this MLP looks like a great option for retirees seeking steady income.

A solid foundation

Refining giant Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX) formed Phillips 66 Partners in 2013 to help drive its midstream growth strategy. However, despite the focus on growth, Phillips 66 has maintained a high level of financial discipline with its MLP to ensure it can deliver as promised. The foundation of that discipline is a focus on building and buying primarily fee-based assets while maintaining a strong financial profile through the conservative use of debt and keeping its distribution well covered.

Image source: Getty Images.

By focusing entirely on operating fee-based assets, typically signed to long-term minimum volume contracts, Phillips 66 Partners generates very steady cash flow. Because of that, each new asset added to its portfolio increases the company's cash flow stream. Meanwhile, the company typically retains between 10% to 30% of its cash flow, which it reinvests in growth initiatives such as acquisitions and expansion projects. Furthermore, the company finances its remaining capital needs with a healthy balance of equity and debt. The evidence of that conservatism is its investment-grade credit rating and 3.8 times debt-to-EBITDA ratio, which is on the low end of its peer group. Because of these factors, the company's current 4.2% yield is on rock-solid ground.

Clearly visible growth

Despite this conservative approach, Phillips 66 Partners has grown briskly over the past few years, primarily by acquiring midstream assets from Phillips 66. In fact, since its IPO, the company has increased its distribution by a 35% compound annual growth rate. Meanwhile, there's more growth up ahead since it expects to increase the payout by a 30% compound annual rate through 2018.

Three things will fuel that growth: organic expansions, dropdowns with Phillips 66, and third-party acquisitions. The company already has several growth projects under construction, including a partnership with Sunoco Logistics Partners (NYSE: SXL) and Energy Transfer Partners (NYSE: ETP) to build the Bayou Bridge Pipeline, which will connect to Phillip 66's expanding Beaumont Terminal. However, that is just one of several projects that the company expects to invest $381 million into this year.

Meanwhile, it will likely continue to acquire midstream assets from Phillips 66, which are a meaningful contributor to growth. Last year, for example, it spent $1.3 billion to buy 30 crude, products, and NLG logistics assets from its parent. These assets came with a 10-year terminaling and throughput agreements setting a volume floor at 85% of forecasted volumes, enabling the company to lock in roughly $150 million of annual earnings. That incremental cash flow allowed 5% distribution increases in each of the subsequent quarters. Meanwhile, despite already dropping down billions of dollars in assets to its MLP over the past few years, Phillips 66 still has several left to send down, including its 25% stake in the recently completed Dakota Access Pipeline operated by Sunoco Logistics Partners.

In addition, the company will continue to seek out third-party acquisitions to strategically expand its system. Last year, for example, the company acquired a natural gas liquids system in Louisiana from Chevron (NYSE: CVX). Not only will the assets provide it with about $25 million in fee-based earnings on an annual basis, but they came with clearly visible expansion opportunities to grow that fee-based cash flow stream in the future.

Investor takeaway

Phillips 66 Partners offers investors a rock-solid income stream, thanks to its focus on owning fee-based assets that generate consistent cash flow and its financially conservative approach. Meanwhile, the company has clear visibility to grow that income stream because of its three-pronged approach consisting of organic expansion, dropdowns with its parent, and outside acquisitions. Add it up and Phillips 66 Partners offers a sustainable income stream that's ideal for retirees.

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Matt DiLallo owns shares of Phillips 66. The Motley Fool recommends Chevron. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared victory in a close vote on constitutional changes that would concentrate more power in his office and usher in some of the most radical changes since the 1923 founding of the republic.

The referendum was marred by allegations of fraud, with opposition leaders vowing to demand a recount. Opponents of Mr. Erdogan on Sunday night were massed in protest in Ankara, the capital, even as supporters of the president were holding congratulatory demonstrations elsewhere in the city.

The president said the proposed constitutional amendments would give him the tools to grapple with terrorism, economic woes and the conflict in neighboring Syria. But in the short term, they are likely to create greater domestic instability.

The contested results could lead to heightened tension with Europe, where officials have expressed wariness about a further concentration of power for Mr. Erdogan, who has led Turkey for 14 years and could now stay on as head of state for another decade.

The outcome is unlikely to immediately affect Ankara's relations with Washington and the U.S.-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization, analysts said. Turkey is a member of NATO and plays an important role in the alliance's fight against Islamic State.

Unofficial results showed Mr. Erdogan's "yes" side garnering 51.2% of the vote, and 48.8% opposed, with 100% of the ballots counted, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency. Official tallies aren't expected for at least 10 days, according to the head of Turkey's election board, as they investigate widespread allegations of ballot tampering and other irregularities leveled by the major opposition parties.

Speaking to the nation late Sunday, Mr. Erdogan called his win an expression of the national will after a bitterly fought race that essentially became a referendum on his political legacy. His supporters turned out in droves, spurred by the allure of his policies that blend social conservatism and Islam with electoral democracy, as well as a populist dedication to modernizing health care and social services.

Opponents of the changes had argued otherwise. They believe the constitutional changes would deliver a serious blow to a democratic system already under intense strain and set Turkey on a path to authoritarianism. They complained that the campaign has been unfair in part due to the restrictions caused by the continuing state of emergency called after last summer's failed coup. Since then, authorities have arrested more than 40,000 people, including dozens of opposition lawmakers and local elected officials, dismissed more than 120,000 civil servants and other government employees and closed roughly 140 media outlets.

Mr. Erdogan's rivals vowed to challenge the results. The head of the main opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP, said he would demand a recount. Kemal Kilicdaroglu alleged that upward of 2.5 million of the approximately 48 million votes cast could have been tampered with. Other opposition parties reported ballot stuffing by the "yes" side. The unofficial vote tallies show the two sides separated by approximately 1.1 million votes.

The sizable number of dissenters in Sunday's contest signaled the depth of unease with the government's post-coup crackdown and revealed the deep polarization in this nation of 80 million. Many secularists, liberals and ethnic minority Kurds opposed constitutional changes that they fear will enshrine a majoritarian practice of democracy that marginalizes millions of Turks from political life.

The reforms will radically alter Turkey's governing structures -- but not overnight. The current system of a parliamentary government headed by a prime minister will be abolished as soon as the country holds its next national election, now set for 2019.

After that, expanded executive powers would rest with the president, who would be able to impose decrees, appoint vice presidents and cabinet members without legislative oversight and wield significant influence over judicial appointments.

Meanwhile, the state of emergency remains in effect and parliament has no power to challenge any of the decrees passed by Mr. Erdogan and his National Security Council. The most recent extension of emergency powers expires this month, and Mr. Erdogan has indicated he would extend them again.

The constitutional advisory body of the Council of Europe -- a multilateral human-rights and democracy organization of which Turkey is a member -- has said that the amendments could lead to a "one-person regime." Mr. Erdogan's supporters dismiss those concerns.

"Criticism of the changes to the system have targeted Erdogan, because he is so strong," said Reha Denemec, an adviser to the Turkish president. "It's impossible to have a dictatorship where there are polls."

Mr. Erdogan argued that the more concentrated decision-making would help boost Turkey's economy, which has been in a slump, and improve the government's ability to protect citizens against terror threats from Islamic State and the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party.

His message of strength resonated with many voters.

Fatima Demirci, a 59-year-old homemaker in Istanbul, said she voted "yes" because she thought it would bring more stability and prosperity. "Don't the youth today know what Turkey once was? We waited in lines to buy cooking oil," she said.

During the campaign, Mr. Erdogan courted the support of nationalists by criticizing U.S. policies in Syria and taking swipes at Europe, among other things, threatening to bus Syrian refugees to the EU.

In the final days of the race, Mr. Erdogan repeatedly derided the "no" campaign as the preference of those aligned with terrorist groups and outlawed Kurdish militants, whose insurgency against the state since the 1980s has led to tens of thousands of deaths.

Mr. Erdogan's main base of support is pious Muslims who believe their religion should harmoniously infuse governance and life. They point to their leader's unbroken streak of winning seven straight elections as proof that democracy is successful in Turkey.

The opposition, however, said the referendum showed the opposite -- that democracy has become critically endangered.

During the referendum campaign, election monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said the continuing state of emergency raised concerns "about whether appropriate conditions are in place to hold a referendum."

Write to Margaret Coker at margaret.coker@wsj.com, Ned Levin at ned.levin@wsj.com and Yeliz Candemir at yeliz.candemir@wsj.com
Over the past several months,Williams Companies (NYSE: WMB) has unveiled several strategic initiatives to firm up its financial foundation. The company put a cap on that strategic transformation this week when its MLP,Williams Partners (NYSE: WPZ), announced a deal to sell its interest in a petrochemical plant for $2.1 billion. It's an agreement that significantly strengthens the financial profile of both companies, which gives investors further confidence in the sustainability of Williams' dividend and the viability of its growth plan.

Details on the deal

Last September, Williams Partners announced that it had initiated a process to explore the monetization of its 88.5% interest in the Geismar olefins plant in Louisiana. At the time, the company said it was open to both a sale of its stake in the facility or a long-term fee-for-service agreement. Either outcome would enable the company to reduce its exposure to commodity prices so it could focus on generating consistent cash flow from fee-based assets to support its distribution and Williams' dividend.

Image source: Getty Images.

In the end, the company chose to accept an offer from NOVA Chemicals, which agreed to buy its stake in the facility for $2.1 billion. Further, NOVA signed a long-term fee-for-service agreement with Williams Partners, which will supply feedstock to the plant via its Bayou Ethane Pipeline. As such, the deal gives the company upfront cash and a steady cash flow stream.

How this will affect Williams' dividend

Williams Partners intends to use the cash infusion to pay off its $850 million term loan, with the balance going toward pre-funding future capital investments. That will enable the company to strengthen its credit profile and likely push its leverage ratio below 4.5 times debt to EBITDA, providing further support to its investment-grade credit rating. Meanwhile, with $2.1 billion to $2.8 billion in growth capital projects already lined up this year, Williams Partners shouldn't have any problem replacing the lost cash flow from Geismar since it can reinvest the money into its high-return projects that will deliver steadier cash flow. As a result, this transaction, when combined with a previous financial repositioning transaction with Williams Companies, further reduces Williams Partners' need for outside capital to finance future growth.

The other thing this deal does is increase Williams Partners percentage of gross margin from fee-based sources from 93% to 97%, which is among the highest in the energy midstream industry. That gives the company clear visibility on future cash flow, providing further support for the dividend.

That combination of a strengthening financial foundation as well as enhanced cash flow visibility further supports the growth targets Williams announced earlier this year. These objectives were that Williams Partners would increase its distribution by 5% to 7% per year over the next several years, while maintaining at least a 1.1 times coverage ratio, which would enable Williams Companies to increase its dividend by 10% to 15% annually while also maintaining at least 1.1 times coverage. Both represent healthy income growth for investors.

Investor takeaway

This deal is great news for income investors. That's because it not only strengthens Williams' ability to maintain its high yield by further securing cash flow, but it gives the company's MLP the low-cost capital it needs to complete expansion projects. That increases the likelihood that the companies will meet growth expectations, potentially positioning them to deliver dividend growth toward the high end of the guidance range.

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As North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attempted another missile test during this weekends Day of the Sun military celebration, Vice President Mike Pence warned Pyongyang Monday not to test U.S. resolve during a trip to South Korea.

"Since 1992, the United States and our allies have stood together for a denuclearized Korean Peninsula. We hope to achieve this objective through peaceable means. But all options are on the table," he said during a press conference.

However, the country with the best positionat least economicallyto talk North Korea down from provoking an international conflict might be China.

President Trump has called on China for help in dealing with North Korea, and the administration has insisted the two world powers are working together to quell what the president has called the North Korea problem. That could be a smart move considering North Korea is almost completely reliant on China for trade.

With minimal exception of Russia, China is [North Koreas] only window into [the] outside world and provides it much of its fuel, food and technical goods. It is vital to NK's existence, Ambassador James F. Jeffrey, the Washington Institute fellow and former assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor in the George W. Bush administration, told FOX Business.

China is North Koreas single most important trading partner. China accounts for an estimated 70% of Pyongyangs total trade, including essential goods and services like food and energy, according to 2016 data from the Congressional Research Service. In 2015 North Korea imported $2.95 billion worth of goods from China, and exported $2.83 billion there, according to data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity.

China clearly can, and has from time to time, used its economic leverage to persuade North Korea's leader. Last decade, when China's financial institutions were named as potential money laundering concerns by the U.S. Treasury, China halted fuel shipments to [North Korea] in order to get them to return to multilateral talks, Stephen Yates, former deputy assistant to the Vice President for National Security Affairs and D.C. Intel Advisory CEO, told FOX Business.

However, as Ambassador Jeffrey pointed out, the problem for the Trump administration will likely be motivating the Chinese to put pressure on North Korea.

China claims  if it pressures [North Korea, the] latter will implode and China will have to deal with a huge mess or South Korea and the U.S. Army on its borders. But this argument is self-serving. China sees North Korea as diplomatic and military leverage to drive help [the] U.S. out of the Western Pacific, he said.

Trump, who campaigned on tough rhetoric including insisting Beijing should answer to currency manipulation claims, has been criticized in recent weeks for what some call flip-flopping. After meeting with Chinese President Xi at the White House earlier this month, Trump reversed that position, saying theyre not currency manipulators in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem? We will see what happens!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 16, 2017

However, Yates, who views China as North Koreas enabler, said the president is not putting off Chinas economic abuses, he is simply prioritizing threats.

President Trump placed the challenge presented by North Korea as both more immediate and more strategically significant for the United States in his discussion with China's president, Yates said. The Chinese will be in a better position to make a deal with him if they were to help reduce the threat posed by North Korea under its present leadership."
Dr. Jill Biden, wife of former Vice President Joe Biden, was added to JPMorgan Chases (NYSE:JPM) Military and Veterans Affairs External Advisory Council, the bank announced on Monday.

During her tenure as Second Lady of the United States, Biden worked to put a national spotlight on the challenges facing and sacrifices made by military families. Through her work with the Joining Forces initiative with former First Lady Michelle Obama, Biden called on Americans to support military families in communities across the country through a range of employment, education and wellness resources.

As a member of JPMorgans six- year-old external advisory council, Biden will help guide the banks efforts to help military members transition back into civilian life. Biden is a military mother herself, as her stepson, the late Beau Biden, was a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom in Iraq.

Dr. Bidens commitment to our veterans is palpable and the experience and foresights shell bring to the Advisory Council will be an invaluable addition that will no doubt positively impact the lives of many, said Matt Zames, JPMorgans chief operating officer.

Bidens appointment comes days after news she and her husband signed a multi-book deal with Flatiron Books. Jill is set to write one book, while the former VP will pen two books  one of which focuses on his decision not to run for president in the 2016 election, and the death of his son Beau. Details of the deal, including titles and release dates, were not made public.
[SPOILER ALERT: This article contains information about the most recent episode of Girls.]

Girls came to an end Sunday night on HBO, and fans took to social media to chime in on the final episode of the series.

The television show, which was created by and starred Lena Dunham, concluded her character, new mom Hannah Horvath, leaving behind Brooklyn to head to upstate New York to become a professor of Internet writing.

LENA DUNHAM DEFENDS TAYLOR SWIFT'S SILENCE

Hannahs friend Marnie (Allison Williams) meanwhile, is living in her mothers home gym and offers to move upstate with Hannah to help raise Hannah's son Grover. Marnie and Hannah bicker like co-parents and the new mother deals with the frustration of being unable to breastfeed her son. Hannahs mother also comes into the picture, and the women hash it out.

Hannah then takes a long walk, and when she finally arrives home, she attends to her son Grover, who finally latches. The show then comes to an end.

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Some viewers immediately tweeted their disappointment online, hinting the ending felt incomplete.

Well, #GirlsHBO ended with a whimper, not a bang. It just goes to show that new babies always, always ruin TV shows.  Nicholas Kaufmann (@TheKaufmann) April 17, 2017

Also congrats to Seinfeld because now you no longer officially have the worst series finale in history #GirlsHBO  Alexander Tucciarone (@TucciTellsIt) April 17, 2017

I slept on it and...The #GirlsHBO finale must've been a backdoor pilot episode to another project. It's the only explanation I can think of     (@MsHeavyDutyQT) April 17, 2017

Once again a woman's happy ending comes from having a child. I thought #GirlsHBO would be different. I was wrong. #childfree   Jessie (@JessieJmoney) April 17, 2017

The #GirlsHBO finale: wanna hear a baby cry for 20 minutes and have nothing interesting happen? This one's for you!  Kristin T. (@lolkristin) April 17, 2017

I'm going to be lowkey worried about Grover for the rest of my life. #GirlsHBO  Emily Davis (@emdavis3) April 17, 2017

Now give us the Elijah spinoff everyone wants. #GirlsHBO  Steve King (@steveking_) April 17, 2017

However some "Girls" fans were satisfied with the ambiguous ending.

Last week was the finale people wanted. Tonight was the epilogue the characters needed. I LOVED both. #GirlsHBO  Katie McCauley (@katiemccauley_) April 17, 2017

6years of showing young women learning, growing, laughing, making mistakes and raising each other. Thank you. @lenadunham. #GirlsHBO  NY_Logorrhea (@NY_Logorrhea) April 10, 2017

This episode made me realise that all good things come to an end, but you still have happy memories that made you who you are. #GirlsHBO  tulip (@chodofaggins) April 10, 2017
Michael Douglas has revealed that legendary director Oliver Stone was less than impressed with his acting when they were filming "Wall Street."

Stone originally wanted Richard Gere to play Gordan Gekko in the 1987 flick but eventually settled on Douglas despite being advised not to hire the actor.

Stone blasted Douglas for not being able to act when they were filming a scene in the back of a limo where Gekko brags about the size of his fortune to Bud Fox [played by Charlie Sheen].

Oliver said, How are you feeling? Douglas recalled in an interview with Sunday People.

I said, I am feeling good. He said, Michael, are you doing drugs? I said No. He said, Because you look like you have never acted before in your life.'

I say, Oliver, I thought it was pretty good. Oliver wanted just a little bit more anger. And I went to town after that,  I worked my ass off.

Douglas went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the film.

You look back at Oliver Stoness career  Jimmy Woods in 'El Salvador,' Charlie Sheen in 'Platoon,' Tom Cruise in 'Born On The Fourth of July,' Kevin Costner in 'JFK,' Val Kilmer in 'The Doors'  and every actor has probably given their best performance with Oliver Stone, Douglas told Sunday People.

Because, whether it is his Vietnam mentality, he wants you in the trenches with him.

This article originally appeared on News.com.au
Another actress has had her nude photos published online, according to multiple reports.

Australian stunner Samara Weaving, the niece of actor Hugh Weaving, had several images published on a website notorious for sharing purloined pics.

Her father Simon Weaving told the Daily Telegraph: We have dealt with things like this in the past ... her Facebook was hacked, but I am not sure if that has anything to do with this. She is a strong girl and she is resilient.

Its not the first time misused photos of Weaving have been in the news. A shot of Weaving covered in blood from the set of Ash vs. Evil Dead was widely shared on social media in 2016 after being mischaracterized as what happens to a Trump supporter.

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Photos of Miley Cyrus and Emma Watson have also been published in recent weeks without those actresses permission. These leaked or hacked photos follow the mass uploading of dozens of celebrities stolen nude photos in 2014.
Sarah Silverman had some seriously harsh words for President Donald Trump at a march in New York City on Saturday that was organized on Tax Day to demand Trump release his tax returns.

Show us your f--king taxes, you emotional child, Silverman told the crowd in a rant captured on video and shared on social media.

The outspoken comedian added, You like being a superficial bully? Heres one for you: you are a three at best.

Silverman was snapped carrying a sign that read Youre a 3 at best.

She shared other signs she made for the rally on Twitter including one that read, Hey Donny, did you pay zero taxes in Rubles or dollars? CRIMINALS HIDE #Taxes

Silverman initially supported Bernie Sanders in the 2016 election, and she threw her support behind Democratic Nominee Hillary Clinton once Sanders was out of the race.


Editor's note: The Museum of the American Revolution opens this week in Philadelphia.

GIVE ME LIBERTY, OR GIVE ME DEATH! is all we remember about himjust seven little words. But Patrick Henry spoke far more words than those as he rallied thirteen colonies to declare Independence from Great Britain, becoming the Voice of the Revolution.

His Stamp Act Resolves a decade earlier set the colonies ablaze, igniting the Sons of Liberty to form and the colonies to defy the tyranny of a taxing king, sending shockwaves into Parliament an ocean away. As a young man, he was the first one to boldly speak out against trampled rights and threatened liberties while fear, doubt and intimidation initially kept others quiet.

Patrick Henry went on to become the first elected governor of the largest colony, Virginia, and was credited by George Washington as the lifeline that saved the Continental Army from extinction.

You can thank Patrick Henry for your Bill of Rights, because he is the one who fought for three years to make sure your rights were specified and protected. Congress thought the Constitution alone was sufficient but Henrys persistent voice finally convinced them that a Constitution without a Bill of Rights wasnt good enough.

So why is it that America doesnt remember all that he did for our nation, except for seven little words? His life, albeit imperfect, can offer kids a glimpse of a man who made a tremendous impact on our nation, and is a good role model for children today.

As a kid, Patrick Henry was not what youd call a model student. He preferred to run around barefoot outside, mimicking birds and fishing or hunting than have his nose in a book. He eventually developed a love for reading, but he was a middle-class young man who couldnt afford to go to college.

He had to seek out a profession and work hard, but Patrick Henry was a failure at everything he triedat first.

He failed twice as a merchant, failed as a tobacco farmer, married young, lost his house and possessions to a fire and had to move his young family into his father-in-laws tavern while he helped out with the guests. (Sounds like a real role model for kids so far, right?) But it just so happened that many of those tavern customers were lawyers who practiced in Hanover Courthouse across the street. And as Patrick Henry waited on his customers, he listened.

Thats when he finally discovered something he might be able to do well. He borrowed some law books, taught himself and boldly applied for a law license that was granted by the skin of his teeth. He worked hard, circuit riding to represent small, struggling clients until finally one single court case in 1763 led him to his lifes purposeto become the voice of the people.

He defied the tyranny of the king in the Parsons Cause, earning the love and respect of the people he had championed. From there he was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses and soon thereafter became the Voice of the Revolution.

But one of the reasons no one remembers all that he later did is that he didnt care about being remembered. Patrick Henry passionately served his country, not himself.

He knew it wasnt about him.

After our nation was firmly established, he declined numerous national offices in order to meet his obligations back home. (With seventeen children and seventy-seven grand-children, he was a founding father indeed!) Rather than pursue personal glory, he instead went back to practicing law to take care of his family.

So why should kids listen to the echoing voice of Patrick Henry? Because our country needs to hear from a new generation of voices who will choose to also speak with lives of such selfless greatness and integrity. Patrick Henry kept pursuing his lifes purpose despite repeated failures and setbacks. He observed everything around him and earnestly listened to people. He engaged with those who could teach him, those who shared his views and with those with whom he disagreed. And he learned early on that by closely studying mankind (past and present) he could determine where future events would lead. Sure enough, three weeks after he sounded the alarm to arm with Liberty or Death, the first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord.

Patrick Henry was vigilant about pursuing virtue in every aspect of his life. Some considered him a hot-head for his passionate speeches, but he never spoke disrespectfully or personally disparaged anyone while speaking his mind on the pressing issues of his day.

He was faithful to a sick wife and rallied our nation to Independence just three weeks after she died, silently carrying the weight of becoming a widower with six children on his shoulders.

His word was his bond, and his morality was never once in question.

In every facet of his life, Patrick Henry never gave up, no matter the failure, pain, insults and opposition he endured or the amount of work required.

He chose to make his life count by humbly serving his God, his family and his nation.

Given Americas tumultuous climate, thats exactly the kind of role model our kids desperately need today.
It turns the human body against itself, causing all movement to grow painful as muscles freeze up and skin cracks. It has been used as a form of torture. Its effects on children, in particular, are gut-wrenching. They die a prolonged, painful death.

You might think Im talking about the chemical weapons used against innocent civilians in Syria earlier this month, the ones that shocked so many of us around the world, prompting President Donald Trump to decry the killing of beautiful babies and declare .No child of God should ever suffer such horror.

But Im not. Im actually describing something just as horrific: famine.

At this very moment famine conditions, marked by extreme hunger and malnutrition, are tightening their grip on more than 20 million people in Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen and Nigeria. Each day produces more disturbing images, of men and women whose faces look hollow, of beautiful babies turned to skeletons.

Now it is our hope that President Trump will see them  really see them  as well.

Last week, after watching images of what chemical weapons did to innocent children, President Trump changed course on Syria. If he also were to shift his response to famine conditions, launching not missiles but rather a ramped-up emergency relief, thousands if not millions of lives would be saved.

A larger U.S. role in emergency famine relief would protect our national security, too, by promoting greater stability in countries such as Yemen, on the verge of collapsing into a failed state, and South Sudan, where famine has been officially declared. So many South Sudanese have fled into neighboring Uganda that it is now the largest refugee crisis in Africa.

But make no mistake, a stepped-up American relief effort would require a change in direction, if not a change of heart. Because the Trump Administration has proposed cutting life-saving food aid by 21 percent immediately, then slashing overall foreign assistance, which includes emergency relief funds, by a third next fiscal year.

Congress has a critical role to play here, too. The House and Senate should pass substantial increases in emergency assistance immediately, heeding the calls from UN Humanitarian Chief Stephen OBrien. The world needs to come up with $4.4 billion in additional emergency funds by the end of this month or, as OBrien warns, people will simply starve to death.

Trump administration officials have said other countries must do their fair share and contribute more to disaster aid. But history shows that other countries follow our lead.

This is what happened 6 years ago, in Somalia. Although too late to save the 260,000 people who would eventually die, the U.S. responded to famine by ramping up funding to the region 350 percent. American-funded emergency crews delivered critical food aid, water and sanitation services. Other governments followed, including the UK, Saudi Arabia, Australia and the European Commission. Though slow to develop, that humanitarian response worked, saving thousands of lives.

Today we are once again facing famine conditions in Somalia, as well as in South Sudan, Yemen and Nigeria  famine that will put refugees on the move and potentially destabilize neighboring countries. Now is the time for America to assert leadership -- not negotiating positions -- with other donor countries. We need to build a coalition that both alleviates suffering and tackles the root causes of famine.

The United States has a long tradition of stepping up, not stepping aside, in extraordinary times. In the wake of World War II, we helped save and rebuild lives in a devastated Europe.

In response to the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, America created perhaps the largest health program ever initiated by one country to address a single disease: the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. And more recently, when Ebola ravaged parts of West Africa, U.S. teams led the successful response and containment strategy.

Today we have another unprecedented challenge. And if we wait until haunting images start filling our Facebook feeds, far too many people will already be dead. The UNs OBrien calls famine conditions in four countries the worst crisis the world has faced since 1945. Thats the same year the organization I lead, CARE, was created so America could send leftover military rations to desperate families in war-town Europe.

Those CARE Packages grew into a symbol of Americas humanitarian leadership. President Truman sent 100 CARE Packages himself. Because he and so many other Americans couldnt stomach the thought of doing nothing to stop the suffering of innocent, beautiful babies.
The Trump administration is prompting a lot of change in Washington. Now, theres a new call to get to the bottom of the corruption inside the Internal Revenue Service's well- coordinated scheme to target conservative organizations.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady and Tax Policy Subcommittee Chairman Peter Roskam have sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions asking the Department of Justice to re-open a probe of the conduct of former top IRS official Lois Lerner, who was at the center of a targeting scandal that discriminated against conservative organizations which had applied for tax-exempt status.

In fact, in this new plea for the Justice Department to get involved, the lawmakers contend there is clear evidence Lerner willfully took part in criminal activity during her tenure as the Exempt Organizations Division director.

In the letter, Representatives Brady and Roskam wrote:

On April 9, 2014, the House Committee on Ways and Means voted to send a letter to the Department of Justice referring former IRS Exempt Organizations Division Director Lois G. Lerner for criminal prosecution. As indicated in the attached letter, the Committees nearly three-year investigation uncovered evidence of willful misconduct on the part of Ms. Lerner. Despite this fact, and for what many believe were purely partisan reasons, the prior Administration refused to review Ms. Lerners misconduct.

The lawmakers urge the Department of Justice to take a fresh look at the evidence concerning Lerners actions in this matter.

We completely agree. Lois Lerner got off easy. She never faced charges for her role in this scandal. She was never prosecuted. She was permitted to retire  with a tax-payer funded pension.

The Obama administration looked the other way. The Obama Justice Department ignored key evidence that lawmakers point out in their letter to the Attorney General:

In particular, the Committee found that Ms. Lerner used her position to improperly influence IRS action against conservative organizations, denying these groups due process and protection rights under the law. The Committee also found she impeded official investigations by providing misleading statements in response to questions from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Finally, Lerner risked exposing, and may have actually disclosed, confidential taxpayer information, in apparent violation of Internal Revenue Code section 6103 by using her personal email to conduct official business.

For years, weve been demanding that Lois Lerner and others be held accountable for their roles in this scandal.

We have repeatedly called for the removal of IRS Commissioner John Koskinen and now believe this latest request to get to the bottom of Lois Lerners actions is clearly warranted  a request that Attorney General Sessions should not ignore.

We continue to move forward in holding the IRS accountable in federal court. We represent 37 organizations in our ongoing lawsuit. After more than seven long years, one of our clients  the Tri-Cities Tea Party based in Washington State  finally received its tax-exempt status. Another client  the Albuquerque Tea Party  has been waiting for more than seven years, too, but has yet to receive a determination from the IRS.

At the same time, were encouraged by a new court order just issued in the case  an order that clears the way for us to discover the IRSs past acts of alleged discrimination stemming from the alleged illegal targeting scheme, as well as the current status of the [IRSs] tax-exemption application process, in order to determine not only the entire scope of the IRSs discriminatory treatment of these organizations but, more importantly whether discrimination is continuing today.

That means we will be able to obtain critical documents from the IRS  documents that will be instrumental in determining how this scandal unfolded and who was involved.

We continue to do all that we can to root out the culture of corruption inside the IRS. But, as I have said many times, the IRS is incapable of self-correction. Thats why lawsuits like ours and Congressional efforts to request a new probe of Lois Lerners actions are so important.

Lets not forget the words of President Obama in February 2014  as the Justice Department investigation of the IRS targeting scheme was still underway  who proclaimed there was not a smidgeon of corruption at the IRS.

Such an assertion was never based on facts. Thats why it is vitally important for the Trump Justice Department to re-open the Lois Lerner probe, as Representatives Brady and Roskam put it, to assure the American people that DOJs prior investigation was handled fairly and to restore taxpayers trust in the IRS.
The United Nations and its employees enjoy broad immunities that insulate them from external accountability. This places a heavy responsibility on the U.N. to self-police and self-correct. Unfortunately, it has instead earned a reputation for opacity and retaliating against those who report misdeeds by U.N. officials and peacekeepers.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley can change that.

Admittedly, its a challenge. Mismanagement, inefficiency, and lack of accountability are nothing new to the UN. Faults identified in a 1948 Senate report are remarkably similar to those we see today. Subsequent scandals like the Iraqi Oil-for-Food program and the recurring tragedy of sexual abuse by U.N. peacekeepers and officials demonstrate that oversight and accountability remain woefully inadequate.

Often, serious problems come to light only when conscientious employees report them to the media or to U.N. member states. But these whistleblowers come forward at great risk to their reputations and livelihoods. Despite whistleblower protections adopted over a decade ago and the creation of a U.N. Ethics Office to receive confidential complaints, retaliation continues.

In 2015, for example, the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) received a report interviewing child victims of alleged sexual abuse by peacekeeperssome from Francein the Central African Republic. A senior OHCHR official, Anders Kompass, informed the French government. Human Rights High Commissioner Zeid Raad al Hussein demanded Kompasss resignation.

An external enquiry subsequently found that the chief of staff to then U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had orchestrated an unwarranted investigation of Kompass. Moreover, the Under Secretary-General of the unit that probes wrongdoing, the Office of Internal Oversight Services, or OIOS, OIOS and the director of the U.N. Ethics Office were complicit in this attempt to besmirch Kompass. An independent panel eventually vindicated Kompass, but he resigned his position anyway.

It is telling that this ill-treatment emerged from the U.N. office charged with championing human rights, including rule of law and due processan office that corrupted the very mechanisms intended to prevent such retaliation.

Misbehavior like this led the U.S. Congress to enact legislation requiring Washington to withhold 15 per cent of contributions to international organizations unless the Secretary of State reports that it is effectively implementing and enforcing policies and procedures which reflect best practices to protect whistleblowers.

Despite ample evidence the contrary, former Secretary of State John Kerry reported that every UN organization met the whistle-blower standards except one obscure exception: the World Intellectual Property Organization, or WIPO.

The decision to withhold money from WIPO was certainly justified. But letting all other U.N. organizations slide sent a signal that the U.S. was not serious about improving whistleblower standards.

But the U.N. s new Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, may be concerned that the Trump Administration will get serious. This January, he issued a bulletin amending the previous UN whistle-blower protection policy.

Unfortunately, this new policy still falls short of the best practices standard set by Congress. For example, it fails to give aggrieved whistleblowers access to independent arbitration outside the UN.

If the U.S. wishes to protect whistleblowers in international organizations, Secretary Tillerson should identifyobjectively and fairlyall international organizations that fall short of the standard set by Congress and then follow through by withholding funds from those organizations offering inadequate protections.

After all, the U.N. did not even have OIOS until 1994, when it was created after U.S. demands--backed by the threat of financial withholding.

Lets show we mean it.
President Trump might risk "nuclear war" with North Korea in order "to build up his popularity," a Democratic member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said he fears.

"What I fear is, he sort of got a political bump he got a political bump from the Syria air strike [and] the mother of all bombs strike in Afghanistan," Rep. David Ciciline, D-R.I., told MSNBC's Ali Velshi on Friday. "And we don't want the president to be making decisions where he just sort of thinks more bombs are the way to build up his popularity, but rather they're making decisions based on the national security interests of the United States and the long-term safety and security of the American people."

Ciciline, who as co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee is tasked with presenting "a sharp contrast to House Republicans' special interest-first agenda," evinced skepticism of Trump's recent foreign policy moves throughout the interview. He emphasized, for instance, that the Syria strike "didn't even do much damage" and avoided a direct endorsement of the attack. He suggested as well that the deployment of an aircraft carrier group to the region "as a show of force" is inadvisable, compared to diplomatic efforts to bring the regime to heel.

"A preemptive strike, if it were to happen, is likely to ignite a very serious conflict, a war, and maybe even a nuclear war," Ciciline said. "It would expose American troops on the [Korean] peninsula to tremendous danger ... The appropriate course is to really to reduce the rhetoric and try to de-escalate this and continue to use all the levers of diplomatic-economic power to try to achieve the right results here."

Read more on WashingtonExaminer.com
Vice President Mike Pence visited a military base near the Korean Demilitarized Zone Monday, a day after North Korea conducted a failed missile launch.

Pence arrived at Camp Bonifas on Monday morning for a briefing with military leaders and to meet with American troops stationed there. The joint U.S.-South Korean military camp is just outside the 2.5-mile-wide DMZ.

A day earlier, Pence had described the attempted North Korean launch as a "provocation" that underscored the risks faced by American and South Korean service members.

PENCE SAYS NORTH KOREA'S LATEST 'PROVOCATION' SHOWS THE RISKS TO MILITARY

"Your willingness to step forward, to serve, to stand firm without fear, inspires the nation and inspires the world," Pence told U.S. military personnel during a fellowship meal following Easter services at U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan.

"Our resolve has never been stronger, our commitment to this historic alliance with the courageous people of South Korea has never been stronger and with your help and God's help, freedom will ever prevail on this peninsula," Pence went on.

The vice president's trip to South Korea marked the start of a 10-day trip to Asia, during which he will be tasked with explaining the Trump administration's North Korea policy, which U.S. officials have dubbed "maximum pressure and engagement." Pence will aim to reassure allies in South Korea and Japan that the U.S. will take appropriate steps to defend them against North Korean aggression.

A North Korean missile exploded during launch on Sunday, U.S. and South Korean officials said. The high-profile failure, which occurred while Pence was in the air over the Bering Sea, came as the North tried to showcase its nuclear and missile capabilities around the birth anniversary of the North's late founder and as a U.S. aircraft carrier neared the Korean Peninsula.

Meanwhile, Trump's national security adviser cited the president's recent decision to order missile strikes in Syria after a chemical attack blamed on the Assad government as a sign that the president "is clearly comfortable making tough decisions." But at the same time, H.R. McMaster said, "it's time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully."



In a broadcast interview that aired on Sunday, McMaster said the U.S. would rely on its allies as well as on Chinese leadership to resolve the issues with North Korea. "I mean, North Korea is very vulnerable to pressure from the Chinese," McMaster said on ABC's "This Week."



The bottom line, McMaster said, is to stop the North's weapons development and make the Korean Peninsula nuclear-free: "It's clear that the president is determined not to allow this kind of capability to threaten the United States. And our president will take action that is in the best interest of the American people."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Arkansas is fighting to execute seven inmates before a key drug used in lethal injections expires.

The state initially tried to execute eight. But attorneys for Bruce Ward, one of the men on the list, requested a stay based on mental disability, which was granted by the Arkansas Supreme Court.

Of the seven men still on Arkansas list, four are black, three are white and all were convicted of murder. Here's a look at who they are and their crimes:

Don William Davis, 54

Davis has been convicted in the brutal death of Jane Daniel. Daniel was in her home when Davis broke in and shot her with a .44-caliber gun. Seven years ago, he came within six hours of being executed by the state before the Arkansas Supreme Court halted it and addressed whether legislators had left out key details to the prison staff. Ultimately, the justices tossed out Arkansas death row policies. Davis has not sought clemency but has joined other inmates various lawsuits. Prison officials moved Davis Friday night to a cell near the execution chamber.

Jack Herold Jones, Jr., 52

Jones was initially scheduled to be put to death April 24 at 9 p.m. CDT. Jones has spent the past two decades on death row for killing Mary Phillips and trying to kill her daughter, Lacy, during a robbery at an accounting office. Phillips was found naked from the waist down with a cord from a coffee pot tied around her neck. Lacy was left for dead but woke up as police photographed her. Jones had taken Lacy to the bathroom and tied her to a chair. Lacy cried and asked Jones not to hurt her mother. Jones told the child, "I'm not. I'm going to hurt you." He then choked her until she passed out and hit her in the head with the barrel of a BB gun. Jones has said he is not interested in clemency and has apologized for his actions. Jones has spent the last 20 years of his life on death row. He's tried to commit suicide twice and allegedly has been diagnosed with anti-social disorder and is bi-polar, according to The Forgiveness Foundation. Jones began using hard drugs from an early age.

Kenneth Dewayne Williams, 38

Williams was initially scheduled to be executed on Thursday, April 27. Williams spent the last 17 years of his life on Arkansas death row. Williams grew up in a very violent home and was exposed to drugs, alcohol and physical abuse from an early age. He also had developmental disabilities which alienated him from his friends in school. He was convicted of murdering Cecil Boren in 1999. Three weeks after his conviction, Williams escaped by hiding in a container of hog slop being ferried from a prison kitchen to a prison hog farm outside the main gates. While in prison, Williams said he had killed another person in 1998. He gave a one-hour, 15-minute speech in front of the parole board where he accepted full responsibility for his actions.

Stacey E. Johnson, 47

Johnson was put on death row for the murder of Carol Heath in 1993. Heath was beaten and strangled and had her throat slit while her two young children were hiding in the home. Heaths daughter, Ashley, has said shes forgiven Johnson but wants him to admit he killed her mother. Johnson has refused and has strongly maintained his innocence. His initial conviction was overturned when the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled that a police officer should not have told jurors that Ashley, who was 6 at the time and found incompetent to testify, had picked Johnson out of a photo lineup. Johnson has spent 22 years on Arkansas' death row.

Ledell Lee, 51

Lee is sentenced to die for the 1993 murder of Debra Reese, his neighbor. He beat Reese 36 times with a tire tool her husband had given her for protection. Lee was apprehended less than an hour after the grizzly death, trying to spend the $300 he had stolen from her. DNA evidence has also linked him to the disappearance of Christin Lewis, 22. Lee is also serving time for the rapes of a Jacksonville woman and teenager. He is scheduled to be executed Thursday, April 20. Ledell has spent the last 21 years of his life on Arkansas death row.

Marcel Williams, 46

Williams was found guilty of the rape and murder of Stacy Errickson. Williams abducted the mother of two when she stopped for gas in Jacksonville, Fla. He then drove around to multiple ATMs and had her take out $350. Errickson never arrived at work that day nor did she pick up her child from the babysitters. Her body was found badly beaten and bound in a park two weeks later. Williams confessed to killing Errickson. He's also been linked to assaults on two other women. He is scheduled to be executed on Monday, April 24.

Jason F. McGehee, 40

McGehee beat to death Johnny Melbourne, Jr., for telling police who was behind an Arkansas theft ring. While several people are accused of beating and torturing the 15-year-old Melbourne, co-defendants claim McGehee did most of it. During his trial, McGehee asked the jury for mercy and said he had grown up in a dysfunctional family and had a violent childhood. He was forced to watch as his father killed two of his pets. He also watched his step-father beat another pet, which died from its injuries. McGehee claimed his mother would force him to sleep outside for days and deny him food. The jury convicted him in 90 minutes. He is scheduled to be executed on Thursday, April 27.
With only hours to go before the first of seven death row inmates were scheduled to be executed, the Arkansas Supreme Court halted the procedures, putting yet another legal roadblock in the states plan to conduct an unprecedented number of executions before the end of the month.

Mondays move grants stays for Bruce Ward and Don Davis.

Lawyers for the men wanted the stays of execution while the U.S. Supreme Court takes up a case on access to independent mental health experts by defendants.

Later Monday, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker's decision to halt the executions over the use of a controversial lethal injection drug, but the state Supreme Court's rulings remain in place.

Davis and Ward wanted stays of execution while the U.S. Supreme Court takes up a separate case concerning access to independent mental health experts by defendants. Oral arguments in that case are set for April 24  putting a serious time constraint on Arkansas, which is trying to fast-track the lethal injections before one of the three key execution drugs expire on April 30.

There was a flurry of activity over the executions this past weekend.

A federal judge on Saturday temporarily blocked plans by the state to push through the executions, claiming that Arkansas rush to execute is reckless and unconstitutional. In response, state Attorney General Leslie Rutledge said all the issues being raised previously had been dealt with and claimed it was a stalling tactic.

Appellees have had multiple opportunities to challenge their convictions, sentences, and  critically  their method of execution, Rutledge said in a court brief. Their guilt is beyond dispute.

The inmates are all convicted murderers, including one found guilty of raping and murdering a mother of two and another convicted in the torture-killing of a 15-year-old boy.

The unprecedented pace of executions sought by the state stems from a practical dilemma  its supply of midazolam, one of three drugs used in its lethal injection procedure, is set to expire at the end of the month. Since 2013, at least four botched executions have been traced back to midazolam.

The executions had originally been expected to start on Monday. But even before the federal judge decision over the weekend, a state judge on Friday blocked the use of one of the drugs used in the three-drug lethal cocktail after a complaint from a drug distributor -- though the company said Saturday it was withdrawing its complaint due to the federal order.

ARKANSAS EXECUTIONS: WHO'S ON DEATH ROW

The ongoing court battles are part of a remarkable push; no state has tried to execute so many people in such a short period  or with so much controversy over how the punishment is carried out.

Robert Dunham, president of the Death Penalty Information Center, told Reuters that midazolam is an "inappropriate drug under any circumstance and carries an inherent risk of something going wrong."

Arizona, Kentucky and Florida have abandoned the use of the drug.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, is pushing back on criticism and says the state has waited long enough  in some cases, more than two decades, for justice.

During a press conference in February, Hutchinson defended his actions, saying it wasnt his choice to schedule the executions so close together.

I would love to have those extended over a period of multiple months and years, but thats not the circumstances that I find myself in, he said.

Initially, eight men were on the calendar to die in 11 days but a federal judge on Thursday ordered a stay for Bruce Ward following a recommendation from the Arkansas Parole Board that he be granted clemency. Ward was set to be put to death on Monday.

The death row inmates scheduled for execution are all men -- four are black, three are white and all were convicted of murder.

Arkansas has not had an execution in more than a decade. If the state gets its way, it could perform three pairs of dual executions, though critics warn this increases the chances of something going wrong.

Defense attorney Jeff Rosenzweig, who represents three of the men the state is looking to execute, argues Arkansas rush to complete the executions is unconstitutional and "reeks of an assembly line."

The kindest word I can say is that its unseemly, he told Fox News during a phone interview.

The race for the state to beat the drug expiration deadline has set off protests from corrections officers, human rights groups and religious leaders, as well as last-minute legal challenges from the inmates and pharmaceutical makers.

Protesters started flooding the state capitol in Little Rock on Friday to urge Hutchinson to block the executions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Democrats are pumping millions into the Georgia congressional election set for Tuesday, hoping a 30-year-old political upstart who's attracting star power can deliver a rebuke to President Trump and help the party reclaim lost momentum.

Hollywood has even come out for the off-cycle vote, with actor Samuel L. Jackson cutting a radio ad urging voters to flip the seat once held by Republican Tom Price, who is now Trump's health secretary.

Vote for the Democratic Party. Stop Donald Trump, a man who encourages racial and religious discrimination and sexism, Jackson says in the ad, casting the race as a chance to undermine the Republican president and throwing in "Pulp Fiction" references for good measure. We have to channel the great vengeance and fury we have for this administration into votes at the ballot box.

Democrats tried a similar tactic last week in their failed bid for the open seat of Kansas' Mike Pompeo, arguing a win in that conservative district would prove just how eager Americans are to end Trump and fellow Republicans control of Washington.

Washington Democrats, however, put essentially no resources into the race. By contrast, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee staffers are on the ground in Georgia, and supporters have given top Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff $8 million-plus, with 80 percent of the money coming from outside the state.

Republicans have held the suburban Atlanta seat for nearly four decades. However, Democrats saw an opening for an upset after Trump last year narrowly defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in that district, while Price won with 61 percent of the vote.

Democrats also see a win as a catalyst for them in the 2018 midterm elections, though Republicans would still have a roughly 44-seat majority in the House and a four-seat advantage in the Senate.

The race Tuesday features 18 candidates -- 11 Republicans, five Democrats and two independents. To outright take the so-called jungle primary, the winner must get more than 50 percent of the vote. If not, the leader would face the second-place finisher in a runoff.

Ossoff is expected to get the most votes but not the majority, likely sending him and one of the Republican candidates to the June 20 runoff.

Trump and other Washington Republicans have gotten into the act -- a clear indication of their desire to keep the seat and blunt any momentum toward a possible 2018 Democratic comeback.

The super Liberal Democrat in the Georgia Congressioal (sic) race tomorrow wants to protect criminals, allow illegal immigration and raise taxes!, Trump tweeted Monday.

He also tweeted Sunday: The recent Kansas election (Congress) was a really big media event, until the Republicans won. Now they play the same game with Georgia-BAD!

Republican field staffers also have been dispatched to Georgia. A GOP political action committee backed by House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has spent more than $2 million attacking Ossoff.

In addition, the amount of money going to Ossoff is also a liability.

"I don't care what party you're from," said Marty Aftewicz, a 66-year-old Republican voter from Marietta. "If the money's coming from outside the district, it's dirty.  Anyone raising that much outside money can't represent me."

Republicans have also run a barrage of campaign ads trying to tie the 30-year-old Ossoff to House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, and portray him as too sophomoric and inexperienced to govern.

The Congressional Leadership Fund super PAC, for instance, is running ads showing him pretending to be Star Wars character Han Solo while attending Georgetown University.

"Jon is being bankrolled by the most extreme liberals, said Karen Handel, a former secretary of state and one of Ossoff's Republican challengers. No one is naive enough to think that he will not be beholden to those who are bankrolling him."

Ossoff, nevertheless, pledges to be an "independent voice" in Congress. And he defends his campaign as a grassroots success powered by small and medium donors.

Ossoff is a former staffer to Rep. Hank Johnson and intern for civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis, Georgia Democrats now supporting Ossoff in the race.

Though he could get the most votes Tuesday, national Republicans think he would lose in June to Handel or fellow GOP candidates Bob Gray, a technology executive, or Dan Moody or Judson Hill, former state senators.

Handel vows to work with Trump on common-ground issues but says her job is to be a voice for people of the 6th District."

Gray says he would be a "willing partner" in the effort to fulfill Trumps legislative agenda.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An upbeat Justice Neil Gorsuch wasted little time getting to work in his first public session Monday as the 113th member of the Supreme Court.

Sitting at the far right end of the nine-member bench, Gorsuch spent the morning hearing three oral arguments, each lasting about an hour. In his first case, considering a federal workplace discrimination claim, the newest justice was among the most active of questioners -- unusual for the court "rookie."

At the start of the morning session, Chief Justice John Roberts publicly acknowledged his new colleague in the crowded courtroom, wishing him a "long and happy career in our common calling."

Gorsuch responded by thanking the other justices for giving him a "warm welcome."

The 49-year-old Colorado native paid close attention to the arguments, sitting straight up and resting his hand occasionally on his chin.

He remained focused -- not even chatting with his "bench neighbor," Justice Sonia Sotomayor -- as he asked a number of questions of counsel. The back-and-forth exchanges lasted more than 10 minutes of the first 60-minute argument.

The first case out of the gate for Gorsuch was not a blockbuster, but the justice repeatedly pressed lawyers from both sides with his positions.

When one attorney admitted he tended to agree with the justice on one point, Gorsuch dryly replied, "I hope so."

At one point, he even apologized for the amount of questions, saying, Sorry for taking up so much time.

The other cases being argued separately Monday deal with a property rights dispute and securities class-action lawsuits.

Settling In

Even before Monday's arguments, Gorsuch had begun settling in at the court, arranging his chambers to create a comfortable, efficient workplace. Reminders of his roots in Colorado and the West will grace his offices, along with plenty of photos of his family and friends.

He is allowed to hire secretaries, a messenger, and four law clerks -- who typically serve for one year.

Those clerks will be especially important helping the justice get up to speed on his caseload, since joining the court in the midst of the term is not standard. It will be a nonstop whirl of activity until the term effectively ends in late June.

All four of the law clerks brought on in recent days served previously for then-Judge Gorsuch, and are all experienced litigators or academics. Two of them later went on to clerk for Antonin Scalia (the late justice whose seat Gorsuch is now occupying) and Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

His colleagues are welcoming their newest member.

"We hope we're serving with Justice Gorsuch for the next 25 years," Roberts said last week before a university audience in New York. "It's kind of like a marriage. If you're going to be with someone that long, you can't have knock-down, drag-out fights over a case."

Lunch Is Served

Food for thought for the newest member of the Supreme Court: being the junior justice has its benefits and challenges.

For Gorsuch, it will mean being assigned to the court's internal Cafeteria Committee, where dessert toppings and silverware choices will compete for his time with constitutional issues big and small -- all part of the dizzying first few weeks for the justice.

Justice Elena Kagan, who had been the court "newbie" since 2010, unwittingly gave her future colleague some personal advice on managing the job. She appeared last September at a Colorado legal conference with Gorsuch and spoke to what it was like to have the least seniority.

"I think this is a way to kind of humble people," she said about her stint as one of the office lunch monitors. "You think you're kind of hot stuff. You're an important person. You've just been confirmed to the United States Supreme Court. And now you are going to monthly cafeteria committee meetings where literally the agenda is what happened to the good recipe for the chocolate chip cookies."

And the rookie hears about it when the food doesn't rate. One tradition of the court is the justices eat together privately after oral arguments.

"Somebody will say, 'Who's our representative to the cafeteria committee again?'" she told Gorsuch. "Like they don't know, right? And then they'll say, 'This soup is very salty.' And I'm like supposed to go fix it myself?"

Kagan recalled her proudest moment was getting a frozen yogurt machine installed in the dining area, which is open to the public.

She had been on the internal committee for seven years, with Justice Stephen Breyer in the job 11 years before that.

"It's a way of bringing them back down to Earth after the excitement of confirmation and appointment," Roberts said in 2011. Roberts' role as "first among equals," though, meant he never had to endure any of the "new guy" responsibilities.

Another duty for the "junior" justice is to answer the door when the members meet privately for their weekly closed-door conferences -- voting on cases and deciding which petitions get added to the docket. His first such conference will be this Thursday.

Gorsuch will also take notes at the conferences, and will vote last when cases get decided.

It is a learning curve that many on the court admit can be baffling and often overwhelming.

Justice Samuel Alito said he frequently got lost in the marbled halls of the court when he joined in 2006, especially since the building was undergoing a massive internal renovation at the time.

Breyer said it took him years to feel fully comfortable in the job.

And Justice Clarence Thomas recalled what Justice Byron White told him when he donned the robes in 1991. White, whose clerks included Gorsuch, said, "Well, Clarence, in your first five years you wonder how you got here. After that you wonder how your colleagues got here."
As tensions with North Korea mount, Hawaii lawmakers anxiously are dusting off the states emergency plans in preparation for the possibility  however remote  of an attack on the islands.

The plans were last revisited in the 1980s. But the Hawaii House Public Safety Committee on Thursday formally called for the states defense agency to repair their hundreds of Cold War-era fallout shelters and restock them with medical supplies, food and water.

"They haven't been updated since 1985," Rep. Matt LoPresti, a Democrat who serves as vice chair of that committee, told Hawaii News Now. I was 11 years old when they were last updated. Many of the buildings that are on the fallout shelter list don't exist anymore.

While the bellicose threats and displays of weapons capability in Pyongyang are playing out on the other side of the world for most Americans, Hawaii residents  some old enough to remember the last time their home was at the frontlines  see the dispute much differently. Honolulu is roughly 4,600 miles from the North Korean capital of Pyongyang.

TRUMP ON NORTH KOREA: 'GOTTA BEHAVE'

A North Korean missile launched Sunday to showcase the country's nuclear and missile capabilities in honor of the birthday of its late founder failed just seconds after launch.

However, satellite images show a sixth nuclear test has been primed. And experts have said North Korea possesses, or could soon have, the capability to launch intercontinental ballistic missiles or nuclear warheads at Hawaii.

A long-range missile launched from North Korea could reach Hawaii or Alaska, said Dean Cheng, senior research fellow with the Asian Studies Center at the conservative Heritage Foundation. Hawaii is possibly a more desirable target, Cheng said, since the state has 11 military bases, including Pearl Harbor, and is the headquarters for the United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) at Camp Smith.

Cheng warned that since North Korea likely has an imprecise system, missiles launched at Pearl Harbor could actually hit downtown Honolulu or other areas of Oahu.

The impact of a missile hitting the island chain would be horrific, Cheng said. Burn cases would flood the hospitals. The state would need a plan to treat people out of the urban Honolulu center, he said, particularly if Honolulu were hit directly.

While preparing the state for such an attack will take time, Cheng said the state must begin.

This is a long-term issue that is not going to go away, Cheng said.

Should North Korea initiate an attack, the state would have just 20 minutes to prepare, said Toby Clairmont, executive officer of the departments Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. He told lawmakers it could take seven years, however, to prepare the state for such an emergency and ensure adequate facilities for the states 1.42 million residents, including its substantial homeless population, as well as millions of visitors.

Because the vast majority of Hawaiis food supply and other goods are brought in via Jones Act-approved cargo ships to Honolulu Harbor, lawmakers also called for the state to prepare alternative sites for food and supplies to be delivered should the harbor be destroyed.

LoPresti told Hawaii News Now he's not trying to spread fear, but he wants the public to know the government is taking steps to protect them in the worst-case scenario.

The resolution, which passed the committee unanimously, requires further House and Senate approvals.
President Trump has a simple message for the complex North Korea conundrum: "Gotta behave."

Trump gave his two-word prescription Monday morning when asked by a reporter at the White House Easter Egg Roll. The president has been tweeting warnings at North Korea for weeks as the dictatorship ramps up provocative missile tests.

Vice President Pence, speaking near the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea on Monday, delivered a similar steely statement, saying the "era of strategic patience is over." Pence, expressing impatience with the speed and willingness of the regime to end its nuclear weapons program, said Trump was hopeful that China would use its extraordinary levers to pressure Pyongyang to abandon its weapons.

"President Trump has made it clear that the patience of the United States and our allies in this region has run out and we want to see change," Pence said. "We want to see North Korea abandon its reckless path of the development of nuclear weapons, and also its continual use and testing of ballistic missiles is unacceptable."

Later Monday, Pence reiterated that all options were on the table to deal with the threat posed by Pyongyang. He said any use of nuclear weapons would be met with an overwhelming and effective response. Speaking alongside South Korean Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn, Pence said the American commitment to South Korea is iron-clad and immutable.

A day earlier, deputy national security adviser K.T. MacFarland told Fox News Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday that North Korea was a problem for everybody in the region, including China -- the Norths strongest ally.

"North Korea is a liability to everybody and it's a threat not just to the United States, not just to South Korea, not just to Japan, not just to Russia, but it's actually a threat to China as well.

H.R. McMaster, Trumps top national security adviser, told ABCs This Week the U.S. would rely on its allies as well as Chinese leadership to solve the issues with North Korea.

McMaster cited Trump's recent decision to order missile strikes in Syria after a chemical attack blamed on the Assad government as a sign that the president "is clearly comfortable making tough decisions." But at the same time, McMaster said, "it's time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully."

A North Korean missile exploded during launch on Sunday, U.S. and South Korean officials said. The high-profile failure came as the North tried to showcase its nuclear and missile capabilities around the birth anniversary of the North's late founder and as a U.S. aircraft carrier neared the Korean Peninsula.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The media are suddenly awash in stories about Donald Trump being a flip-flopper.

And there is a deep divide over whether this renders him a prevaricator or a pragmatist.

The knee-jerk press reaction to any politician branded with the flipper label is that the person is inconsistent and insincere, lacking a core set of principles.

In Trumps case, theres a scolding quality to the coverage: He promised to do all this crazy stuff in the campaign, now hes had a collision with reality.

Never mind that every president has to abandon certain promises when confronted with the challenges of being commander-in-chief. Barack Obama said he would close Gitmo, and its still open. And by the way, Obama was opposed to gay marriage when he ran in 2008. But the spate of Trumpian reversals in the last 10 days is being portrayed as head-spinning.

At the same time, many journalists and commentators are welcoming Trumps change of heart on a spate of key issues. He is moving in a more moderate direction, which is precisely what they want. He is putting his presidency more in line with the Washington consensus, which is exactly what they had hoped for.

Heres a rule of thumb: When an office-holder flips toward what the media deem a more extreme position, he is pandering or selling out. When the official flips toward a more moderate stance, he is growing and evolving.

I knew when the president bombed Syria in retaliation for the chemical attack, after having campaigned on an American First platform, that he would be accused of doing a 180. It was delayed a bit by the shock and awe of the Tomahawk strikes. Then, in rapid succession, Trump said that China was not a currency manipulator. That NATO was not obsolete. That the Ex-Im Bank serves a valuable function.

Trump tries to explain some of this away by saying, for instance, that NATO is improving. He has been told that China has stopped manipulating his currency, but also may realize he needs Beijing to pressure North Korea on the nuclear front.

I understand that some conservatives feel that Trump is going back on his word, but most are inclined to cut him some slack.

Still, isnt having a president who listens and takes advice a good thing?

He threw out a lot of red meat during the campaign, such as saying hed bring back torture as a tactic against terrorists. But his Pentagon chief, Jim Mattis, has talked him out of that.

The New York Times casts Trump as a novice who is learning the complexities of governing:

What made sense on the campaign trail may have little bearing on reality in the Oval Office, and the education of a president can be rocky even for former governors or senators. For Mr. Trump, the first president in American history never to have served in government or the military, the learning curve is especially steep.

The past week has made that abundantly clear. He discovered that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia may not be the best friend he imagined and that staying out of the civil war in Syria was harder than he assumed. He acknowledged that 10 minutes of listening to Chinas president made him realize he did not fully understand the complexity of North Korea. He dropped his opposition to the Export-Import Bank after learning more about it. And he said he no longer thought NATO was obsolete.



A Times editorial makes a nod in this direction, saying some commentators point to the comforting possibility that his reversals mean that Mr. Trump is growing in office. Then the paper discards that: But then youd have to overlook the nasty positions hes stuck to.



We also see favorable media reviews for Gary Cohn, head of Trumps National Economic Council. Contrast this Washington Post profile of the former Goldman Sachs president with the way that Steve Bannon is portrayed.

Cohn is pushing a centrist vision and courting bipartisan support on some of Trumps top agenda items such as tax reform and a $1 trillion infrastructure plan.

The growing strength of Cohn and like-minded moderates was on display this week as Trump reversed himself on several high-profile issues  including a less confrontational approach to China, an endorsement of government subsidies for exports and the current leadership of the Federal Reserve. The presidents new positions move him much closer to the views of Cohn and others on Wall Street, not to mention mainstream Republicans and Democrats.

The alliance of moderates in the White House is therefore beating the hardcore conservatives led by Bannon.



The word choicescentrist, bipartisan, mainstream, less confrontationalreflects the kind of stuff that the media love.

Mike Allen at Axios went so far as to declare that Operation Normal achieved supremacy, and a new phase of Trump's presidency begins:

Centrist forces led by Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump were ascendant, now are dominant.

Conservatives should have seen this coming. Trump goes where the applause is loudest. If that means being a full-throated birther, fine! If that means inciting hysterics about Mexicans, game on! If that means hugging NATO or smiling at corporate cronyism, Trump's your man! It would be a hoot if he came full circle and morphed into Michael Bloomberg.



I dont think this is a matter of applause. Donald Trump's presidency got off to a rocky start and he is making adjustments, as any CEO would. If he starts racking up accomplishments, the talk of flips and flops will soon fade.
President Trump is taunting the 30-year-old Democratic candidate seen as the leader in Tuesdays special election to fill a Georgia House seat, claiming Jon Ossoff is soft on crime and big on raising taxes.

The super Liberal Democrat in the Georgia Congressioal race tomorrow wants to protect criminals, allow illegal immigration and raise taxes! he tweeted Monday.

The long-distance razzing comes after Trump suggested over the weekend that the media were playing up the Georgia election just like they did with last weeks special election in Kansas, until the Republicans won.

But unlike with the Kansas race last week, the Democrat is widely expected to lead the voting in Tuesdays contest in Georgia. Ossoff has benefited from the states crowded jungle primary, in which 18 candidates are competing and Ossoff has managed to distinguish himself among the Democrats. The goal of the 11 Republicans running is to prevent Ossoff from reaching a majority. If they can, Ossoff and the top GOP vote-getter would meet in a June 20 runoff.

The contest is being held for the seat once occupied by Tom Price, now Trumps secretary of Health and Human Services.

The 6th District contest has attracted widespread national interest  and funding  as Democrats try to turn it into a referendum on Trump.

Ossoff, a former congressional aide and investigative filmmaker, has played to that environment, focusing one recent ad on claims that Trump is acting impulsively and could start an unnecessary war.

The strategy is paying off. Ossoff has raised more than $8 million.

"Jon is being bankrolled by the most extreme liberals," said Republican candidate Karen Handel, referring to Ossoff's fundraising haul. "No one is naive enough to think that he will not be beholden to those who are bankrolling him."

For his part, Ossoff pledges to be an "independent voice" in Congress, and he defends his campaign as a grassroots success powered by small and medium donors.

The Republican leaders appear to be Handel, a former Georgia secretary of state; technology executive Bob Gray; and two former state senators, Dan Moody and Judson Hill  all of whom national Republicans say could defeat Ossoff in a second round.

Fox News Griff Jenkins and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Footage posted to Facebook Sunday showing the horrific random killing of an elderly man is yet another example of how the social network has become a sort of modern-day Roman Colosseum for gruesome acts.

Police have launched a massive manhunt for Steve Stephens, who is charged with aggravated murder in the death of Robert Godwin.

The chilling Facebook video purportedly shows Stephens, 37, getting out of his car and targeting Goodwin, 74. The video of the killing was on the social media site for three hours Sunday before it was removed. Stephens' account also was removed.

SEARCH FOR FACEBOOK KILLER INTENSIFIES; POLICE SAY SUSPECT COULD 'BE A LOT OF PLACES'

Facebook is also removing any other instances of the Cleveland shooting video it finds on the social network.

Facebook said the suspect did go live on the social media website at one point during the day, but not during the killing. Police said earlier that Stephens had broadcast it on Facebook Live.

Social media expert and President of JRM Comms Jason Mollica told Fox News that, for some people, there is a very real desire to share horrible acts with a large number of people via social media. Theres clearly that level of I am going to get as much recognition for this as possible, he said. Its a sign of the times, we are in a digital world.

SOCIAL MEDIA LIVE VIDEOS A DISTURBING NEW PLATFORM FOR PUBLIC SUICIDES

Mollica pointed to the shocking footage that emerged following the 2015 killing of two television news journalists in Moneta, Va. Social media giants Facebook and Twitter, along with video sharing site YouTube, rushed to quickly remove video footage of the sickening shooting.

Social media sites are now much more vigilant when it comes to dealing with this type of footage, according to Mollica. With social networks, they are doing the best they can, when these things happen, to ensure that [the content] is pulled down.

However, online media expert Eric Schiffer, CEO of DigitalMarketing.com and tech holding company Patriarch Group, says there is more work ahead for Facebook. "Social media is now hijacked by disturbed murderers who want instant fame for their sick killing spree obsessions," he said, in a statement emailed to Fox News. "Facebook has a duty to monitor uploaded video content of cold blooded murders just like their duty to eliminate digital hate."

FACEBOOK ROLLS OUT FEATURES TO CURB FAKE NEWS

Following the Cleveland shooting, Facebook vowed to continue its clampdown on sick videos. "This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook," it said, in a statement. "We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety."

Facebook Live, in particular, poses a huge challenge for the social network as evidenced this year, in January, when a mentally disabled man in Chicago was bound, duct-taped and tortured, allegedly by four suspects who yelled anti-Trump and racial slurs while broadcasting the heinous ordeal on Facebook Live.

In March, the rape of a 15-year-old girl was livestreamed via the service.

FOR THE LATEST TECH FEATURES FOLLOW FOX NEWS TECH ON FACEBOOK

The Live feature has also been used to livestream a number of suicides, prompting Facebook to integrate suicide prevention tools into the feature.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers
Astronaut Gordon Cooper was a born explorer. He broke countless NASA space flight records, like the longest single-man space flight, a 122-hour mission. But one of his greatest achievements may not have been unveiled if it wasnt for his willingness to share a secret he had kept for more than 40 years.

During his time in space, Cooper made an incredible discovery  anomalies he believed were shipwrecks. He meticulously noted them and created what some are calling a treasure map from space.

When Cooper fell sick with Parkinsons, his longtime friend Darrell Miklos says he gave him his maps to fulfill his explorations. Cooper passed away in 2004.

VIKING DISCOVERY: EXPERTS USE TECH TO REVEAL SETTLEMENT BENEATH SAINT-KING'S CHURCH

I think he knew his demise was coming, so he gave me the information prior to his death and said, Anything ever happens to me, you make sure you finish this, Miklos told Fox News.

Miklos became close with Cooper after years of sharing an office space in California, when they bonded over a shared passion for exploration.

From the mid-90s till his passing, we always talked about treasure, but [it was] not till 2002 that he revealed to me that he had all these files for decades, Miklos said. Im privileged to be the only man with these files.

GLADIATOR GAMES: EXPERTS HARNESS TECH TO REVEAL ROMAN CITY'S SECRETS

Now, Miklos stars in the new Discovery Channel docuseries "Cooper's Treasure." The show follows Miklos as he decodes and follows Coopers maps in hopes of uncovering hundred-year-old shipwreck material and treasure.

The maps were created while Cooper was navigating the globe on his Mercury 9 Faith 7 flight. At the time, he was possibly on a mission to look for nuclear threats during the Cold War era, Miklos said.

They were utilizing some kind of long-range detection equipment to look for nuclear threats. With that, his acute vision [and] possible cameras, he started identifying things that looked like shipwreck material, Miklos said. Once he had written all the coordinates down, he went back to earth and put together this incredible treasure map from space on a sea chart.

JACK THE RIPPER MYSTERY: RESEARCHERS HIT ROADBLOCK

With a detailed map and archival research files, Miklos and a crew of professionals explored parts of the Caribbean searching for the wrecks. The team used a magnetometer to identify shipwreck areas and then dived down for a closer inspection using a metal detector.

We cherry-picked five anomaly readings, did a search and identify mission, and we are five for five for positively identified shipwrecked material  and there are hundreds, Miklos said. So the first five, he was exactly right on the money. He had it right from the beginning.

Miklos described the sites as historical shipwrecks of the colonial period.

FOR THE LATEST TECH FEATURES FOLLOW FOX NEWS TECH ON FACEBOOK

"Coopers Treasure" airs on the Discovery Channel on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET.

Additional reporting by James Rogers.
North Korea may not be a bucket list travel destination for most Americans but that doesnt mean a few poor decisions wont land you in Kim Jong Un territory.

The latest State Department travel warning for the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) from February stipulates that U.S. citizens are strongly urged not to visit the country due to the serious risk of arrest and long-term detention under North Koreas system of law enforcement. But that hasn't kept some adventurous Westerners from crossing the border into the dangerous country.

At least 14 Americans have been detained in the DPRK in the past 10 yearssome were traveling alone but even those traveling with licensed tour groups have been detained.

SCORPION STINGS MAN ON UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT

Now, however, Ung-gil Lee, a DPRK national who recently defected to South Korea, has claimed that North Korea has been training soldiers to kidnap foreigners-- especially diplomats and high-profile business leaders-- visiting South Korea, to hold them hostage should a global political or military conflict arise.

Chris Hagon and Tim Bradley, global security consultants who have each been in the business for over 20 years, tell Fox News that they are not currently aware of any credible kidnapping threat from North Korea but admitted that the plot wasn't so far-fetched or "out of the realm of something North Korea would do."

The duo, managing partners of the Orlando-based Incident Management Group (IMG), provide services for international travelers like security vetted transportation and emergency smartphone tracking services.

They say that just because North Korea might not be an immediate threat for Western business or leisure travelers, there are several, frequently visited areas of concern around the world where people must always be vigilant.

CRUISE COMPANY DROPS POPULAR MEXICAN RESORT TOWN FROM ITINERARY DUE TO GROWING VIOLENCE

Some of the biggest hot spots currently are in Mexico and Brazil because theres a lot of business travel in both countries and the crimes there are usually financially motivated, Tim Bradley explained. However, said the security expert, In China and India, high profile travelers should be more concerned with corporate espionage.

In the Middle East, business and leisure travelers have become targets mainly for political reasons, which, experts say is the likely motive for the situation brewing in North Korea.

According to The Telegraph, less than 6,000 tourists (excluding Chinese nationals) actually visit North Korea annually but traveler kidnappings could take place at any time, all over the world.

So is there anything American tourists abroad can do to keep from becoming a target?

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

The big thing really in a situation like this is to minimize your profile. Its not just about what you wear but also how you present yourself, Bradley said. If youre wearing a Rolex watch, for instance, be mindful of the message it sends to who youre talking toalways be aware of what youre saying about yourself [dont disclose personal details like hotel information] and who youre with.

Wearing a flashy brand name or any item of clothing that advertises a particular financial firm is also a bad idea, the IMG experts say. In addition, hiring a driver vetted by a security company, researching any current medical, geopolitical, and security risks at your destination and constantly monitoring the news are all important things to do when traveling anywhere with a warning in place.

If possible, before you leave, prepare a daily itinerary noting your planned locations and make sure a trusted companion has a copy as well as someone at home. In case of an emergency, such a schedule could make it easier for you to be found.

Signing up for an app that sends relevant alerts may also help during a crisis.

Hogan adds that maintaining situational awareness is always key.

If you happen to find yourself in the middle of a political demonstration, try to leave the area immediately. And even if youve been to Mexico-- or any other nation-- dozens of times, that doesnt mean you should go wandering around alone, especially after dark when crimes are more likely to take place.

There is truth to safety in numbers, Bradley says when it comes to kidnapping threats. Even if youre in a country or city you know well, never leave somebody behind and just assume they can make their way back.
Low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines is the latest airline to cut its newly minted service to Cuba.

The airline, based in Miramar, Fla., began flying to Havana on Dec. 1 with twice-daily flights from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

But Spirit President and CEO Bob Fornaro said Friday that the costs of serving Havana continue to outweigh the demand for service. The airline will reduce its flight schedule next month and end its Havana service June 1.

Airline spokesman Paul Berry told the Sun-Sentinel that customers who booked travel after that date will be issed refunds or be reaccommodated on a different itinerary.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

Spirit is just the latest carrier to pull service from the Caribbean country. In March, just months after being granted approval to start flying to the Cuba, Silver Airways and Frontier Airlines announced they would be pulling their Cuban service due to over capacity with too much competition and not enough demand.

The decision from Silver and Frontier comes after American Airlines announced plans to reduce 25 percent of its flights to Cuba. At the time of the announcement in December, the airline cited weak demand as the principal reason behind the reduction.

JetBlue Airways will continue to fly smaller planes on routes from Fort Lauderdale and other U.S. cities to four Cuban destinations starting May 3.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Latest on the 10-year anniversary of the deadly shooting at Virginia Tech that killed 32 people (all times local):

3 p.m.

Former Virginia Governor Tim Kaine says the day that 32 people were killed at a mass shooting at Virginia Tech remains the worst day of his life.

Kaine delivered his remarks at a service to honor the victims of the shooting ten years ago today.

Kaine said April 16, 2007 remains "the worst day of my life." He had been governor for a year and a half when the shooting occurred.

Kaine praised the bravery of those who helped students that day, and the Virginia Tech community for its strength and resilience, ten years later.

Kaine said, "I'm proud of this community, of the resilience of this community."

___

1:45 p.m.

A small group has gathered at Virginia Tech to honor the 32 victims of a mass shooting on the school's campus ten years ago today.

The Roanoke Times reports (http://bit.ly/2pqps3w ) that Gov. Terry McAuliffe and his daughter Dori McAuliffe, along with the school's former and current presidents, laid a wreath near the campus Sunday to memorialize the day.

The group then walked around the memorial, a semi-circle with 32 polished stones, each engraved with the name of one of the victims. They stopped at each stone.

Later this afternoon, former Gov. Tim Kaine will deliver a speech at the memorial. A candlelight vigil is planned for later Sunday.

___

Ten years after a mentally ill student fatally shot 32 people at Virginia Tech, survivors and families of the slain are returning to campus to honor the lives that were lost that day.

Virginia Tech is holding a series of events Sunday to mark the anniversary of the deadly campus shooting on April 16, 2007.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine are among the 10,000 to 20,000 people expected at the Blacksburg campus for the solemn occasion.

Sunday's events include a wreath-laying ceremony at 9:43 a.m., when Seung-Hui Cho's rampage in Norris Hall began. It will be followed by a commemoration event featuring remarks from Kaine and a reading of the names and biographies of the 32 slain students and faculty members.
A Guatemalan man and two of his former co-workers have filed a federal lawsuit against a Tennessee landscaping company, accusing the firm of trafficking immigrants for forced labor.

The Tennessean reports (http://tnne.ws/2pmAfi1 ) that Mynor Chox says he was treated like a servant and threatened with deportation if he complained about working conditions at Outdoors Unlimited landscaping company in Murfreesboro, about 35 miles southeast of Nashville.

Chox got a temporary visa known as the H2-B that allowed him to legally work in the United States. In the lawsuit, the three men say they were forced to live in a trailer with 10 others, worked six days a week and were cheated out of their wages.

An attorney for the company declined to comment. In legal filings, the company has denied any wrongdoing.
President Donald Trump's national security adviser is expressing doubt the U.S. will send more ground troops to Syria. His comments come as rebel forces appear close to launching an assault to capture the Islamic State group's de facto capital of Raqqa.

H.R. McMaster spoke to ABC's "This Week" from Afghanistan. He says it "remains to be seen" whether additional troops are needed, but he doesn't "think so." McMaster says the U.S. will support its "partner forces" in Syria.

The U.S. has been expected to provide additional arms to the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces for the Raqqa offensive. But it hasn't been clear about troops.

Last week, Trump appeared to rule out deeper American military intervention in Syria beyond retaliatory strikes if Syria's president continued to attack civilians with chemical weapons.
Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and police urged the man accused of shooting and killing an elderly man and posting a video of it on Facebook to turn himself into authorities.

Jackson urged Steve Stephens to turn himself into police and not to do any more harm to anybody.

"Any problems he is having, we can have a conversation," Jackson said.

Cleveland police Chief Calvin Williams echoed Jacksons sentiments. He urged Stephens to contact members of his church before hopefully turning himself in, the Cleveland Plain-Dealer reported.

"If Steve has an issue, then he needs to talk to some folks to get that resolved, Williams said.

Police were in a frantic search for Stephens early Monday, who they believe shot and killed 74-year-old Robert Goodwin Sr. at around 2 p.m. Sunday. Police issued an aggravated murder arrest warrant for Stephens early Monday.

The video of the killing, captioned Easter day slaughter, was up on the social media website for about three hours before being taken down. In the video, Stephens said he snapped over a woman. Facebook said in a statement the video was not streamed live.

Stephens later posted another video of himself talking on the phone about at least 13 other murders he claimed to have committed.

"And Im about to keep killing until they catch me," Stephens said.

Williams said that Stephens has not been connected to any other murders apart from Sundays shooting in the Glenville neighborhood, east of downtown. Williams said police have been sifting through hundreds of leads since the murder and hoped to bring the hunt to a conclusion soon.

Stephens is believed to be driving a white Ford Fusion with temporary tags. He is described as standing six feet, one inch tall and weighing 244 pounds. Police said Stephens should be considered armed and dangerous.

This is not the first time Facebook Live has been used to broadcast violence or death. In January, four people in Chicago were arrested after they allegedly beat and taunted a mentally disabled man live on the social media site. Then in March, a 15-year-old Chicago girl was apparently sexually assaulted by five or six men or boys on Facebook Live, and none of the roughly 40 people who watched the live video reported the attack to police, authorities said.

"This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook," said a spokesperson for Facebook. "We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is looking to the Middle East and North Africa for broader contributions and new ideas to fight Islamic extremism as the Trump administration fleshes out its counterterrorism strategy.

His trip to the region this week includes stops with longstanding allies Israel and Saudi Arabia, and new partners like Djibouti.

As the administration enhances its efforts, Mattis has made a point of consulting counterparts around the world. His goals include expanding the American-led coalition against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, but also combatting al-Qaida. Its Yemen branch is posing particular worry as it uses ungoverned spaces in the Arab world's poorest country to plan attacks on the U.S.

The Pentagon has said Mattis will be discussing ways to "defeat extremist terror organizations."
More than a dozen states are considering prison reform measures to drastically reduce their inmate populations to save money. But law enforcement in California are blaming their reforms for a recent uptick in crime.

"The most recent statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice show violent crime rates in some California cities has increased by over 50 percent," said Michele Hanisee, president of the Association of Los Angeles Deputy District Attorneys. "If you look at the national data, our violent crime rates are going up faster than the rest of the nation. So why?"

Prosecutors and police have an explanation -- a series of prison reform measures, which reduce the state prison population by 20,000 inmates by releasing non-violent offenders early and making some felonies misdemeanors. One law, Assembly Bill 109, transferred 60,000 felony parole violators a year from state prison to county control. The measure saved California $100 million but some argue it was not without casualties.

"You're passing these propositions, you're creating these laws that are raising crime, complained Whittier Police Chief Jeff Piper following the fatal shooting of a member of his force. "It's not good for our community and it's not good for our officers."

Piper believes AB 109 contributed to the February 20 death of Whittier police officer Keith Boyer. The shooting suspect is convicted felon Michael Mejia, who court records show cycled in and out of prison several times between 2010 and 2016 for various charges including robbery and grand theft auto. After his release from Pelican Bay State Prison in April 2016, he violated parole four times.

Under the old law, he would have returned to prison but under AB 109, he received a ten-day "flash incarceration" in county jail. Just days later, he allegedly killed Boyer and his own cousin and injured another officer.

"Ten days in jail, which for a hardened criminal is a slap on the wrist, has no effect, said Hanisee.

Voters also passed Proposition 47 in 2014, which converted many nonviolent offenses, such as drug and property crimes, from felonies to misdemeanors. It affected future convictions and reduced Californias existing prison population by 13,000, which saves the state $150 million a year, according to a Stanford University study.

However, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors blamed Prop. 47, along with AB 109, for creating additional and considerable threats to law enforcement. The board cited the death of four police officers in the last year. In two cases in Los Angeles and Palm Springs, the suspects had parole violations that would have put them back in state prison before the measures. Instead, they, too, received flash incarcerations.

"If it's not AB 109, if it's not Prop. 47, why are the violent crime rates going up?" said Hanisee. "You have to stick your head in the sand like an ostrich to think that maybe releasing thousands of felons to local probation doesn't have something to do with it."

"California is certainly having a significant problem with the increase of crime in our state, said California Assemblyman Matt Harper, R- Huntington Beach, who opposed AB 109. "The only thing that's really showing a difference in terms of how we approach crime and criminals is this change in our law allowing people to be able to go out on the streets, which previously they would have stayed in prison and not be committing crimes. To play these nonviolent offender games [is] a recipe for disaster."

But others disagree with linking a reduction in inmate numbers to spikes in crime rates.

"The link between incarceration [and] crime is not nearly as strong as many people believe it is," says Sentencing Project Executive Director Marc Mauer. "New York and New Jersey have reduced their prison populations by 25 percent in the last decade and they've seen crime rates decline."

Mauer and other prison reform advocates says states can effectively reduce incarceration numbers if they invest in post-release programs.

"What California needs to do is invest the savings gaining from reducing the state prison population, Mauer said. That involves probation officers helping people transition. That involves substance abuse and treatment. Some involves job placement -- all the things we know that can help to reduce subsequent crime by these people.

Charis Kubrin, a professor of criminology at the University of California-Irvine, claims AB 109 "had zero impact" on violent crime across the state, according to first scientific analysis of AB 109 last year. After accounting for factors like unemployment, the UC-Irvine study found the assembly bill did contribute to a rise in property crimes, with the most dramatic increase in auto thefts. The study found no evidence it increased the number of assaults, rapes and murders.

The Public Policy Institute of California found similar results, even though some places, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, and other cities throughout Southern California, saw double digit percent increases in violent crimes in 2016, according to its analysis of FBI data.

Fox News Melissa Chrise contributed to this report.
Inmates for years have thought of ingenious -- and sometimes very compromising ways -- to sneak contraband inside prison walls. Theyve bribed guards, used carrier pigeons, had relatives put the goods in body cavities and, of course, who can forget a classic routine: baking a file into a cake.

But modern technology is quickly making life easier for inmates -- and less uncomfortable for family and friends -- looking to smuggle illicit goods onto prison grounds.

Corrections officials across the U.S. have reported an uptick in the last few years of drones flying over penitentiary walls to deliver everything from cigarettes and pornography to drugs and weapons to inmates.

Prison officials in Michigan last spring found a small toy drone on the grounds of the Charles Egeler Reception and Guidance Center. While the drone was too small to haul in any contraband, officials said that it was probably used to probe the jails defenses and security for a future mission.

Its funny because its truly a toy that came over. But in the larger sense, it is a very serious incident, Michigan Department of Corrections spokesman Chris Gautz told Prison Legal News.

The incident in Michigan was followed by similar instances in Oklahoma, Ohio, South Carolina and Georgia to name a few, and has led some state officials to call for a revamping of prison facilities and tactics to go after these midair menaces.

A piece of legislation currently bouncing around Washington states capitol building would make flying a drone within 1,000 feet of the perimeter of a correctional facility without permission a Class C felony. Similar legislation has been introduced in Michigan -- as Senate Bills 487 and 488 -- making it a felony to operate drones within 1,000 feet of a prison.

One of the most popular drones on the market -- the DJI Phantom 4 -- clocks in at a total weight of 3 pounds and can fly at least 4 miles away from its operator without losing its video stream or remote controls. While the Phantom can carry just over 1 pound while in flight, its more beefier brother, the DJI S900, has a maximum payload of just under 7 pounds -- meaning that anyone looking to drop around $2,000 can deliver a sizable care package to their buddies on the inside.

In the spring of 2015, South Carolina announced that extensive resources would be implemented to prevent drones from accessing state prisons -- including building new watch towers for guards to more easily spot approaching drones. This move came shortly after guards at the Lee Correctional Institution discovered a downed drone during a routine perimeter check that had crashed while carrying cellphones, marijuana and tobacco over prison walls.

The issue of drones invading prisons isnt solely a problem in the U.S.

Prisons in Canada, Brazil, Russia, Australia, Thailand, Greece and England are all struggling to combat the rise of the relatively inexpensive robotics.

Canadian officials are draping nets over perimeter fences or walls to thwart drones, while law enforcement in Ireland is going old school with wires and sharp eyes to hunt down any approaching drones.

The United Kingdom announced earlier this week the formation of a specialist squad that will be tasked with investigating drone smuggling nationwide and passing that information down to local-level officers to act on.

The threat of drones is not just limited to prisons, as countries across the globe are on the lookout for terrorists and other criminal groups using the evolving technology to carry out deadly attacks.

Following incidents of drones flying over the presidential palace and restricted military sites -- along with the deadly 2015 Paris terror attacks -- the French Air Force has trained four golden eagles to intercept and destroy the rogue aircraft.
The agency that employs the suspect accused of shooting and killing an elderly man on Facebook issued a statement.

The Cleveland Division of Police said 37-year-old Steve Stephens killed a man on East 93rd Street Sunday afternoon. While the suspect claimed on Facebook that he murdered more than a dozen people, Cleveland police said there are no other known victims.

In the live video on Facebook, Stephens said he works at Beech Brook, a behavioral health agency for children and families headquartered in Pepper Pike. The suspect was even wearing his work ID badge at the time of the crime.

Nancy Kortemeyer of Beech Brook confirmed Stephens is an employee. She also issued the following statement:

We were shocked and horrified to learn of this news today. We were notified that it was on Facebook, and we are waiting along with everyone else to hear if he has been abducted. Our hearts go out to the family of Mr. Godwin, and we are hoping that the Cleveland Police will be able to apprehend Mr. Stephens as soon as possible and before anyone else is injured.

Stephens is considered armed and dangerous. If seen, do not approach him. Call 911 immediately.

The victim was identified as Robert Godwin, Sr., 74.

Click for more from Fox 8 Cleveland.
A Georgia man is accused of strangling a woman and her toddler on Easter Sunday, investigators said.

Brandon Williams, 32, was arrested Sunday night after his dad allegedly called police about the incident, FOX 5 Atlanta reported. Police said Williams strangled the woman and her 2-year-old son inside a home on Tybee Drive in Buford, then left the home and headed to a nearby gas station.

TEXAS MOM ACCUSED OF SHOOTING VIDEO, PHOTOS OF CHILD'S ABUSE

Williams' father, who was outside working on a car, discovered the bodies when he went inside the home a short time later, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.

Police found Williams at a RaceTrac on Highway 20 shortly thereafter.

The woman and the boy were rushed to the hospital, where they were pronounced dead.

Investigators don't think Williams and the woman had a romantic relationship. They were both renting the home, FOX 5 Atlanta said.

Read more from FOX 5 Atlanta
Thirty-three-year-old Adam Ronning is a busy husband, father and panel technician who, like many Minnesotans, has taxes withheld from his bi-weekly paycheck.

Theyve never been able to prove that Im dead, he told FOX 9 Sunday, Its always me proving that Im still here.

But the way the IRS sees it Ronning has been dead for 29 years.

The error is one Ronnings mother fought to correct when her son was four.

They blamed a computer glitch but it has been glitching ever since, Linda Picard-Millette said.

It was May 1987 when she got a letter informing her she could no longer receive child support after she re-married because little Ronning somehow was declared deceased.

I called up Social Security and said, what do you mean hes dead?! Picard-Millete recounted, they apologized said they would issue a certificate of resurrection, but they wouldnt give me a copy, and would take care of things.

Yet, after Ronning filed his 2009 returns he discovered the problem had resurrected instead.

[Thats] when the IRS gave me half of my refund and explained to me the reason I couldn't get my full refund is because I was deceased, he said referring to the 2009 notification.

The only finger theyll lift is the finger to point at other people, he shook his head.

Forced to pick up where his mother left off Ronning has been sent on an endless cycle between the IRS and social security.

I've spent hours on the phone with the IRS, on hold, and waiting for someone, trying to speak to supervisors but they always point the finger at social security, he sighed, Social Security says that I'm fine. I've had three new social security cards now I wouldn't get a new card if I wasn't around.

The Department of Treasury even sent Ronning a letter that acknowledges he is indeed alive.

Nevertheless, over the last five years the father of two, with another one the way, says things have actually gotten worse.

Instead of getting half my refund now I get none of it, Ronning said of why he now suspects the IRS owes him big.

Read more from FOX 9.
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The Latest on the search for two missing hikers at Grand Canyon National Park (all times local):

12:35 p.m.

A Tennessee school has identified a student as one of two hikers who were swept away while crossing a remote creek in Grand Canyon National Park.

The McCallie School in Chattanooga released a statement Monday saying the missing hikers are eighth-grader Jackson Standefer and his step-grandmother. It didn't name the woman.

Authorities say the 14- and 62-year-old hikers were swept away Saturday while crossing Tapeats Creek, a tributary of the Colorado River below the canyon's North Rim.

A helicopter and drone on Monday are helping searchers on the ground try to find the pair, who haven't been identified by park officials. An investigation is underway.

___

10 a.m.

Authorities are searching for a 14-year-old boy and a 62-year-old woman missing in Grand Canyon National Park after they were swept down a creek while crossing it in a remote part of the park.

Chief Ranger Matt Vandzura of the National Park Service says two fellow hikers alerted authorities by setting off an emergency GPS locator beacon in the backcountry area below the canyon's North Rim.

He says the two lost their footing and were swept away Saturday in Tapeats Creek, a tributary of the Colorado River.

Vandzura declined to identify the missing, the other hikers or their relationship to each other.

An investigation is underway but authorities have not concluded how the two were swept away.

A helicopter and a drone on Monday were assisting searchers on the ground.
A judge has ruled a man competent for his capital murder trial in the beating death of his former girlfriend's young son and initially declined a defense request to move the proceedings or bring in an outside jury.

The man, Gary Lee Fellenbaum III, is scheduled for trial in September in the death of 3-year-old Scott McMillan. District Attorney Thomas Hogan has said the boy "was systematically tortured and beaten to death" in 2014 in a mobile home in West Caln Township.

Judge William P. Mahon, who ordered a psychological evaluation of Fellenbaum in January, ruled on Monday that the defendant is competent for trial in Chester County. Defense attorney George Yacoubian Jr. didn't immediately return a call seeking comment Monday.

Yacoubian, citing newspaper reports, social media posts and other publicity, said in court that "there is probably enough pretrial publicity" to warrant bringing up an outside jury. But Michael Noone, the county's first assistant district attorney, argued that publicity was not "so extensive, sustained and pervasive" to warrant such an action, and the judge said he agreed for the moment.

"It's not my impression at this point the court would be incapable of selecting a fair and unbiased jury based on the evidence presented at this point," the judge said, but he added that the issue could be revisited if there was trouble assembling a panel.

The boy's mother, Jillian Tait, pleaded guilty last week to third-degree murder and conspiracy and agreed to testify against Fellenbaum. Prosecutors have said they plan to seek the death penalty if he is convicted of first-degree murder.

Authorities said the couple had met working at a Wal-Mart several months earlier and moved in together in a mobile home park along with Fellenbaum's estranged wife, Tait's 6- and 3-year-old children and the Fellenbaums' 11-month-old daughter. Authorities alleged in court documents that spankings turned to abuse and the victim was finally "punched and beaten with blunt and sharp objects, whipped, taped to a chair with electrical tape and beaten, hung up by his feet and beaten and suffered other acts of violence."

Prosecutors also alleged the couple went car shopping, bought pizza and engaged in sexual activity as the boy lay dying after weeks of escalating abuse.
PENCE SENDS STERN MESSAGE TO NORTH KOREA

Vice President Pence, on the first leg of a 10-day Asian tour, sent a fiery message to North Korea Monday. Pence, first speaking at the DMZ and then at the South Korean presidential residence, said the the era of strategic patience is over in regards to North Korea. Pence said him and President Trump want to see North Korea abandon its reckless path of the development of nuclear weapons, and also its continual use and testing of ballistic missiles is unacceptable."

ERIC SHAWN REPORTS: HOW TO HANDLE NORTH KOREA

TRUMP ADVISER: NORTH KOREA MISSILE LAUNCH A FIZZLE

MANHUNT FOR ALLEGED FACEBOOK KILLER WIDENS

The search for Steve Stephens, accused of killing a man seemingly at random and posting a video of it on Facebook, grew Monday as police urged residents of Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana and Michigan to be on alert for him. The video purportedly shows Stephens getting out of his car and shooting and killing Robert Godwin. Stephens allegedly shot the man because he was having problems with his girlfriend. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and police Chief Calvin Williams have urged Stephens to surrender.

VIDEO: COPS HUNT MAN HOW MAY HAVE BROADCAST MURDER ON FACEBOOK

CLEVELAND MAYOR, POLICE URGE SUSPECT TO SURRENDER

ALL EYES ON JUSTICE GORSUCH

Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch will take the bench for the first time today, but there could be more hype than action surrounding him. Gorsuch is set to take on three non-noteworthy cases, but could recuse himself from at least one of them  Town of Chester, New York v. Laroe Estates  because of the presence of Neal Katyal, a former Obama administration official who wrote an op-ed supporting Gorsuch. There are no rules on when a justice must recuse himself, but this case may set a precedent.

VIDEO: ANALYZING THE IMPACT OF JUSTICE GORSUCH ON SCOTUS

VIDEO: WHICH CASES WILL JUSTICE GORSUCH PLAY THE LARGEST ROLE?

LOIS LERNER GOT OFF EASY IN THE IRS SCANDAL. ITS TIME TO REEXAMINE THE TARGETING OF CONSERVATIVES.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady and Tax Policy Subcommittee Chairman Peter Roskam have sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions asking the Department of Justice to re-open a probe of the conduct of former top IRS official Lois Lerner, who was at the center of a targeting scandal that discriminated against conservative organizations which had applied for tax-exempt status. The lawmakers urge the Department of Justice to take a fresh look at the evidence concerning Lerners actions in this matter. We completely agree. Lois Lerner got off easy. She never faced charges for her role in this scandal. She was never prosecuted. She was permitted to retire  with a tax-payer funded pension.

HOW AMERICANS REALLY SPEND THEIR TAX REFUND

FEDERAL TAX BILLS: WHERE DOES YOUR STATE RANK?

PRINCE HARRY OPENS UP ABOUT THE DEATH OF HIS MOTHER, PRINCESS DIANA

In a revealing conversation with The Telegraphs Bryony Gordon, Prince Harry revealed he came very close to having a complete breakdown as he struggled with the death of his mother  Princess Diana. I can safely say that losing my mom at the age of 12, and therefore shutting down all of my emotions for the last 20 years, has had a quite serious effect on not only my personal life but my work as well, the 32-year-old said. I have probably been very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions when all sorts of grief and sort of lies and misconceptions and everything are coming to you from every angle.

UNITED CHANGES COMPANY POLICY, CREW CANNOT DISPLACE SEATED PASSENGERS

COMING UP ON FNC

9:40 a.m. ET: Ben Collins, U.S. Army Special Forces veteran, joins Americas Newsroom.

1:20 p.m. ET: Adam Goodman, a Republican campaign strategist, joins Happening Now.

2:00 p.m. ET: Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif, holds a town hall meeting in San Francisco. Watch live on FoxNews.com.

2:00 p.m. ET: Vice President Pence and South Korea Acting President Kyo-Ahn hold news conference. Watch live on Fox News Channel and FoxNews.com.

COMING UP ON FOX BUSINESS

3:00 p.m. ET: Liz Claman sat down with the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund and got her take on a wide range of issues including President Trump's economic plans, European elections and a strong dollar.

FBN COVERAGE

TAX REFORM STILL POSSIBLE BY YEARS END, GROVER NORQUIST SAYS

As Tax Day approaches for Americans, Grover Norquist said Sunday he still expects a tax reform package to be completed by the end of the year.
Cleveland police announced a $50,000 reward has been posted by Crimestoppers Monday for information leading to the capture of the man suspected of killing a random passerby and posting the gruesome footage on Facebook Sunday.

Police have issued a nationwide search for Steve Stephens, 37, and asked residents of Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana, and Michigan to be on alert.

UPDATE Homicide suspect Steve Stephens' actual vehicle has Ohio Temp tag E363630 pic.twitter.com/tE3r5u4BNN  Cleveland Police (@CLEpolice) April 17, 2017

Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said officers searched dozens of locations for Stephens with no success. The department is working with federal, state and other local agencies to find him.

As far as we know right now, we dont know where hes at," Williams said at a Monday morning news conference. "The last location we had him at was the homicide.

Williams also urged Stephens to turn himself in or contact a friend, relative, or clergy.

We definitely want to get it resolved as quickly as possible. The victims family deserves it, said Williams.

At this point he could be a lot of places," said Steve Anthony, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Cleveland division. "He could be nearby, he could be far away or anywhere in-between.

Police in Philadelphia said they have "no indication" Stephens is in the city despite 911 calls reporting he could be in or near Fairmount Park.

Officers were sent to check the area, and police say eight elementary schools and a high school were locked down as a precaution.

Authorities issued an arrest warrant for Stephens early Monday. He is charged with aggravated murder in the death of Robert Godwin.

Williams said detectives had spoken with Stephens via cellphone at one point, but hadn't made any other contact with him.

"Early in this investigation we did have contact with him, direct contact with our detectives," Williams said. "They tried to convince him to turn himself in."

Stephens had no previous criminal record, only "a lot" of traffic violations, Williams said.

The video of Godwin's murder posted to Facebook purportedly shows Stephens getting out of his car and targeting Godwin, 74, who is holding a plastic shopping bag. Stephens shouted the name of a woman, whom Godwin did not recognize.

"She's the reason that this is about to happen to you," Stephens told Godwin before pointing a gun at him. Godwin can be seen shielding his face with the shopping bag. The video of the killing was on the social media site for three hours before it was removed. Stephens' account also was removed.

Facebook said the suspect did go live on the social media website at one point during the day, but not during the killing. Police earlier had said that Stephens had broadcast it on Facebook Live.

"This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook," said a company spokesperson. "We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety."

Police said they have been talking with family and friends of Stephens, who is a case manager at Beech Brook, a behavioral health agency headquartered in Pepper Pike, near Cleveland.

"We were shocked and horrified to learn of this news today," agency spokeswoman Nancy Kortemeyer said in a statement. "We are hoping that the Cleveland Police will be able to apprehend Mr. Stephens as soon as possible and before anyone else is injured."

In one of the videos he posted to Facebook, Stephens can be seen holding up his Beech Brook employee identification badge.

Stephens also mentioned his fraternity, Omega Psi Phi, in one of his Facebook posts. The fraternity issued a statement Sunday night.

"On behalf of the Supreme Council and the members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated, we lift our sincere and heartfelt prayers and condolences of comfort to the families impacted by the recent shooting in Cleveland, Ohio," it said.

Police said Stephens should be considered armed and dangerous.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Police say a man has been charged with felony murder in the strangling a woman and her 2-year-old son at a home in suburban Atlanta.

Gwinnett County Police spokeswoman Cpl. Michele Pihera says 32-year-old Brandon Williams was arrested at a gas station after the deaths Sunday night. The mother died Monday morning at a hospital, a day after her son's death.

Pihera says the homeowner told police that Williams is his son and that the suspect choked the child and women who was renting a room at the home. Police say the homeowner was working outside on a car during the attack.

Williams was taken to the Gwinnett County Detention Center and is being held without bond. It's unclear if he has an attorney.

The victims' names have not been released.
Police have arrested a Utah woman believed to be the pajama-wearing robber in at least six bank robberies in the Salt Lake City area, including five in less than two hours on Saturday morning.

Unified police Lt. Brian Lohrke (LOHR'-key) said Monday that 40-year-old Nannette Perkins was arrested Sunday at her Taylorsville home after Salt Lake City police received a tip about her identity.

Lohrke says the robber did little to hide her appearance.

She wore pajama bottoms, eyeglasses and a blue bandanna over dark hair in a ponytail while allegedly robbing banks in Cottonwood Heights, Salt Lake City, Sandy, Holliday and West Valley City.

Lohrke says he doesn't know what Perkins was wearing when she was arrested.

She's being held at the Salt Lake County jail pending an initial court appearance.
Authorities in Colorado said Sunday a home where three people were found dead was specifically targeted.

The Boulder County Sheriffs Office said detectives had ruled out the possibility of a murder suicide. Cmdr. Mike Wagner added that someone targeted the home, but there was no threat to the public.

Authorities identified the three people found dead as Wallace White, 54, of Golden, Kelly Sloat-White, 56, of Golden, and Emory Frake, 39, of Broomfield. Investigators said the bodies showed signs of trauma.

The home southwest of Boulder is set about 100 feet back from the road in a remote and wooded area. No immediate neighboring homes are within view.

Deputies initially found two bodies inside the home and backed out so they could secure a search warrant, The Boulder Daily Camera reported. The investigation also was slowed because investigators found evidence of drugs in the house and called for a hazardous materials team to respond.

Neighbor Todd Kreutzian told the newspaper he did not know the people in the house well, but they were pleasant during the few times he interacted with them.

"They were nice and very friendly," he said. "There was certainly nothing about them that was more odd, strange or threatening than anyone else around here. They were riding their side-by-side ATV and walking their dogs."

The sheriffs office said in a statement that there was a large team investigating the triple homicide.

"There are currently more than twenty investigative personnel assigned to this investigation, which is likely to be lengthy," authorities said.

Authorities are still determining when the victims died. Police have not named a suspect or person of interest in the case.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church is enduring a dark chapter in its history with the community increasingly victimized by attacks from Islamic militants, including Friday's attack by gunmen on a bus transporting Copts to a monastery south of Cairo, leaving 29 dead.

The church traces its roots back to St. Mark, an apostle of Jesus and a Gospel author. Tradition holds that Mark established the Coptic church just a decade or two after Jesus' death and resurrection.

Today, the Copts make up around 10 percent of Egypt's 92 million people.

Here's a look at Egypt's Coptic community, its traditions and challenges in the Middle East:

WHAT COPTS BELIEVE

Copts believe in the Ten Commandments and practice sacraments such as baptism, confession and confirmation and the intercession of the saints. But the Coptic Orthodox Church split from other Christians in 451 A.D. over a dispute about the nature of Christ. Unlike Roman Catholics, they do not believe in papal infallibility or purgatory. They believe in the immaculate conception of Jesus, but not of the Virgin Mary. Their priests can marry.

Copts celebrate Christmas according to the Julian calendar, meaning it falls on Jan. 7. The run-up to the holiday is marked by a 40-day period of fasting when red meat, poultry and dairy products are forbidden. Copts break the fast with feasting and celebrations after a Christmas Eve liturgy that ends near midnight. Easter is preceded by a 55-day fast where no meat, fish or dairy is eaten.

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PERSECUTION IN MODERN TIMES

In modern times, relations with Muslims have been generally good, although changes started to come about since the hyper-nationalism of the 1950s stoked by military strongman Gamal Abdel-Nasser. In Nasser's drive to liberate the country from Western influence and purify the Arab nation, Christians  whose religion is more often practiced in the West  began to take on a less favorable light among the majority Muslim masses.

Many Copts consider themselves to be descendants of the ancient Egyptians, with a direct connection to pre-Arab times  hardly a view that made them popular in the days of pan-Arabism. As conditions in Egypt worsened following a series of Middle East wars, the Copts began an exodus. President Anwar Sadat's overtures to Islamists and his addition of references to Islamic Law, or Shariah, to the constitution spurred on the departures, and millions of Copts live as expatriates today.

Although generally allowed to practice their religion inside Egypt, Copts face restrictions on inter-religious marriage and church building, and are banned from proselytizing to Muslims. Activists say Copts are discriminated against and kept from high office, and have campaigned to have religions removed from Egyptian ID cards.

___

TARGETED BY EXTREMISTS

While sectarian killings did happen as early as the 1970s, they have been mostly sporadic over the years, with the exception of the 1990s, when the state battled an Islamic insurgency and Copts faced some retaliation.

On New Years' Eve 2011, a bomb in an Alexandria church killed over 20 people  the first major assault with a high death toll in living memory and a crime still unsolved to this day. Attacks picked up in the aftermath of the army's overthrow of an elected but divisive Islamist president in 2013.

Last December, an Islamic State group suicide bomber killed 30 people at Cairo's Coptic Cathedral. The extremist group pledged more attacks on the Christian minority, which it views as an ally of the West in a war against Islam.

In February, a series of murders and killings claimed by IS in northern Sinai led hundreds of families to leave the area for safer parts of Egypt.

Last month, twin bombings by suicide bombers hit churches in the coastal city of Alexandria and the Nile Delta city of Tanta. At least 43 people were killed and scores of worshippers injured in the Palm Sunday attack, which narrowly missed a ceremony presided over by Pope Tawadros II in Alexandria's St. Mark's cathedral.

On Friday, masked gunmen ambushed a bus carrying Coptic Christians to a monastery south of Cairo, killing at least 28 people. Egypt responded by launching airstrikes against what it said were militant training bases in Libya.
Police in the French Riviera city of Nice have arrested a man behaving strangely at an Easter Mass in a church not far from the promenade where a truck attack last year killed 86 people.

Police and soldiers converged around the Saint-Pierre d'Arene church and tried to calmly overpower the intruder Sunday.

The local Nice-Matin newspaper says the camouflage-dressed man in the back of the packed church put on ski gloves and spoke threateningly. The paper says he appeared to wave an object that looked like a sausage, but it was unclear if he was armed.

Regional president Eric Ciotti later tweeted "no worries" from the church.

In July, a Tunisian man living in France drove a cargo truck into crowds celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, killing 86 and wounding hundreds.
South Sudan's army denies charges that its forces killed 14 civilians in the northwestern town of Raga.

Col. Santo Domic Chlo, acting spokesman of the army, said the report from South Sudan's opposition is a lie.

Opposition spokesman Lam Paul Gabriel said troops attacked the town late Saturday morning.

The report of fighting in Raga comes after residents of the western town of Wau reported ethnically targeted attacks last week, with the U.N. mission in South Sudan saying its workers had seen the bodies of 16 civilians.

South Sudan's three-year civil war has grown more intense in recent weeks. U.N. officials repeatedly have warned of the risk of genocide.

The acting envoy of the U.N. secretary-general, Moustapha Soumare, urged both sides to show restraint and protect all South Sudanese citizens.
Every war bears a human face, and last August the face of Syrias war became that of Omran Daqneesh  bloody cheeks, covered in debris, eyes wide with shock and his tiny slumped frame in an orange ambulance seat. Its an image that woke up the world. At just 5 years old, Omran became the symbol for civilian suffering in a war older than he is.

The young boy had just been rescued from the rubble, alongside his parents and three siblings, and was being taken to a hospital following an airstrike on his then-rebel-held neighborhood of Qaterji in Aleppo. An hour later that building collapsed. Three days later, his 10-year-old brother Ali died when a bomb struck the street he was playing in.

Today, the Bashar Assad regime has his family under lock and key, according to photojournalist and opposition activist Mahmoud Raslan, who snapped that haunting portrait of Omran.

I lost contact with the family of Omran when we were forced out of Aleppo last year. The Assad militia had arrived and his family was guarded under house arrest where they could not be reached by the Western media, the 29-year-old photographer  who gave up his profession as a pastry chef to document the conflict that started in early 2011  told Fox News. Their residence was changed and they were put under security.

Raslan, whose claims could not be independently verified, said that his last communication with a relative of the family was in February and that this relative affirmed the family remained under house arrest. Raslan said he has not been able to reach that relative in recent weeks. The media appears not to have documented Omrans whereabouts since the ensuing days after the attack. In December, the Financial Times reported that his whereabouts was unknown.

The photographer explained simply that the Syrian presidents regime does not want the family speaking out. When asked to respond to the photograph weeks later during an interview with Swiss media, President Assad asserted that it was a "forged picture and not a real one." However, an interview with Russia Today, his wife Asma acknowledged the little boy by name and questioned why children in the Alawite village of Zara, which was assaulted by Al-Qaeda linked groups last May, were not afforded the same media attention.

Nonetheless, the sudden attention on the now iconic photograph last year also fast became fodder for theories that the anti-Assad photographer himself fraternized with terrorist factions. But Raslan, who vows that all he wants is freedom from regime oppression, takes such speculation  as well as the phony photo narrative  with a grain of salt.

The whole world saw Omran and learned about him and his tragedy, which is not false. I am fully prepared to sit in front of Bashar Assad and call out his lies, he said. I was in there in Aleppo and we were bombarded by air raids. I was there with my lens and I have a full archive of footage.

Other activists have also captured footage and photographs of the traumatized child in the ambulance that night, including the Aleppo Media Center as featured above.



The viral image of Omran ignited not only an immediate awareness of the dire situation in Syria, but was also a bump in donations for major NGOs operating in the area. Raslan said that the attention devoted to the video and photograph did not change his life and he did not get any prize for it, but it helped the world to witness the crimes of the government.

I think photography sometimes stops Assad a little bit because of the intensity of the international pressure, after the world sees these massacres, he noted.

LIFE IN WAR-TORN SYRIA: BOMB BLASTS AND NO UTILITIES, BUT COFFINS ARE FREE

SYRIA EVACUATION POSTPONED AFTER BLAST KILLS 80 KIDS

Raslan remembers that night vividly: The razed six-floor building that Omrans family once called home, the bleeding bodies, the chaos and crying as survivors swarmed to medical staff for help. But, he emphasized, Omrans condition was a unique case" and after shooting some video, he stopped to take some stills.

Omran was in the ambulance exhausted, very shocked at the fall of the rocket near him. When I capture many of the children, they are crying and screaming, Raslan recalled. But Omran was silent, which distinguished him from the rest of children that day.

And it struck an extra chord close to home.

When Omran was bombed, I thought of my child who was only four days old, he continued. I lived in Aleppo and I suffer what everyone suffers there. After that night, we were forced out of Aleppo and into a bigger disaster. I lost my home, my land, my neighborhood, my neighbors, my everything.

But that night on the job is just one of many for Raslan to fold into memory as the 6-year civil war drags on, with little end in sight.

I wished that the picture would have stopped the bombing, he added. But still, I want the world to know that there are thousands of Omrans suffering. I want the world to see all the children who are being bombed.
Congo's government says it has returned the body of a militia leader, whose death in August sparked months of fighting with the military that has left more than 400 people dead in the country's Kasai Central province.

The interior ministry in a statement late Sunday said the Kamwina Nsapu militia, named after its late chief, has appointed Jacques Kabeya Ntumba as its new leader.

Nsapu's family has been asking for the late leader's body since last year. The government said his body was returned and buried Saturday, and the family has now declared an end to fighting, saying further violence will not be carried out by its members.

The interior ministry has called on militia members to surrender, saying more than 50 have already done so.
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Dozens of people have been injured in anti-India protests and clashes between Kashmiri students and government forces in the disputed Himalayan region.

The clashes on Monday began in the region's key city of Srinagar when hundreds of college students took to the streets to protest a police raid in a college in southern Pulwama town over the weekend, in which at least 50 students were injured.

The protests soon spread to several colleges in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir, leading to pitched battles between rock-throwing students and government forces, who fired shotgun pellets and tear gas.

Kashmiris have been seething with anger since April 9 when eight people were killed by government troops during clashes on a polling day for India's parliament seat.
Some British lawmakers have given Asma Assad an ultimatum: Stop supporting your husband's "murderous" regime or risk losing your U.K. citizenship.

Syria's British-born first lady has come under fire for using social media to prop up Bashar Assad's regime, as the U.S. and its allies accuse the Syrian dictator of using chemical weapons on his own people in an April 4 attack.

Members of Britain's Liberal Democrats party sent a letter Sunday to the Home Office calling for Asma's citizenship to be revoked, according to The Telegraph, which obtained a copy of the letter.

"If Asma continues defending the Assad regimes murderous actions, the onus will be on the UK Government to deprive her of her citizenship or demonstrate that her actions are not seriously prejudicial to the vital interests of the United Kingdom," the letter read.

The party is also calling for a debate in the House of Commons this week, as members of Parliament return to work following the Easter recess.

Tom Brake, the party's foreign affairs spokesman, told the newspaper, "...the British Government could say to Asma al-Assad: 'Either stop using your position to defend barbaric acts or be stripped of your citizenship.'"

In an interview with the Times of London, Nadhim Zahawi, a conservative member of Parliament who sits on the Commons foreign affairs committee, echoed Brake's sentiments, saying: "The time has come where we go after Assad in every which way, including people like Mrs. Assad, who is very much part of the propaganda machine that is committing war crimes."

Amber Rudd, the U.K. Home Secretary, has the power to revoke Asma's citizenship under the British Nationality Act if she decides such a move would be "conducive to the public good," the Telegraph reported. Asma Assad, 41, is a British-Syrian dual citizen who grew up in London.

On April 4, warplanes dropped a chemical nerve agent over the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province, killing at least 80 people, according to U.S. intelligence. Shocking footage of the aftermath shows civilians -- many of them children  convulsing and foaming at the mouth from what U.S. authorities said was exposure to sarin gas.

Two days later, the U.S. carried out its first direct military action against the regime, launching 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Shayrat airfield base from which U.S. officials believe the chemical attack had been launched.

On Thursday, Assad called the April 4 chemical attack in Syria a "fabrication" by the U.S. and its western allies. His comments to French news agency AFP came a week after his wife issued a statement of her own.

"The presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic affirms that what America has done is an irresponsible act that only reflects a short-sightedness, a narrow horizon, a political and military blindness to reality, and a naive pursuit of a frenzied false propaganda campaign that fueled the regimes arrogance," she wrote in Arabic on an Instagram account bearing her name.

Asma's social media posts have depicted her as a humanitarian, adorned with photos of the first lady reading to children and embracing the family of a Syrian who was killed in the nation's civil war  all with the affectionate hashtag #WeLoveYouAsma.

The photos are a stark contrast to the ones on news channels showing Syrian children lying dead in the streets after choking on poison gas that the U.S. and its allies said was unleashed by her dictator husband.
U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser has met with Pakistani officials on his first visit to the South Asian country since the United States dropped its largest non-nuclear bomb on neighboring Afghanistan.

H.R. McMaster arrived in Islamabad on Monday after holding talks in Afghanistan on efforts to combat the Taliban and the Islamic State group's Afghan affiliate, which was the target of Thursday's massive bombing.

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said it remains committed to working for peace and reconciliation in neighboring Afghanistan, and that Pakistani officials had discussed efforts to secure the border. McMaster met with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and other senior officials.

The U.S. dropped the Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, or MOAB, on an Islamic State tunnel complex carved in the mountains, killing 94 militants.
As the White House works to "maximize pressure" on North Korea, one of the ways it is hoping to turn up the heat is by deploying a high-powered anti-missile defense system to the region.



During his trip to South Korea Monday, Vice President Mike Pence confirmed that the U.S. will continue with its plans to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to South Korea, despite persisting objections from China.

The U.S. announced the first stage of the deployment in early March, with officials estimating it could take several months before the system is fully operational.

According to the Lockheed Martin website, THAAD is "one of the most advanced missile defense systems in the world," and is capable of defending against short and medium-range ballistic missiles. The system is designed to shoot down ballistic missiles at distances of more than 120 miles, and at altitudes of nearly 90 miles.



According to the U.S. Military's Missile Defense Agency (MDA), THAAD also boasts a flawless record since the test program's inception in 2006, with the only "failed" tests having occurred when the target missile failed to launch. Critics suggest this record ignores the six failed launches of THAAD prototypes years earlier, before the systems were ordered into production.



According to MDA, THAAD uses what is known as "hit-to-kill technology," utilizing kinetic energy to destroy any incoming missiles mid-flight. The "high-altitude" aspect of the system ensures that the effects of weapons of mass destruction never reach the ground.



The U.S. and South Korea announced plans for a joint deployment back in 2016, but Seoul hasn't always been receptive to the idea. In 2013, South Korea's defense minister balked at the idea of joining the U.S. missile defense system, citing costs and logistics.

The deployment and operation of a single THAAD system is estimated at more than $1 billion. Washington is expected to share the costs of the latest deployment with Seoul.



The U.S. and South Korea maintain that the THAAD system is only being deployed to defend against potential provocations from Pyongyang. China, however, has been outspoken in its opposition to the plan, and is said to be specifically concerned about THAAD's powerful radar system (one of the largest mobile systems in the world). A retired Chinese general was apparently so opposed that he even suggested a "surgical hard-kill operation" could be undertaken to destroy the system once it's in place.
As tensions between the United States and North Korea continue to escalate, officials in Pyongyang snubbed their Chinese counterparts in a sign of what experts say is a deteriorating relationship between the regime of Kim Jong-un and one of its few international allies.

Following Chinese President Xi Jinpings meeting with President Trump in Florida earlier this month, North Korea denied a request by Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Wu Dawei, the countrys top representative for North Korean nuclear affairs, for a meeting.

North Korea denying China a meeting is illustrative of the difficulty that China faces because they need a communication channel that works, Scott Snyder, a senior fellow for Korea Studies and the director of the program on U.S.-Korea policy at the Council of Foreign Relations, told Fox News.

China has long been considered North Koreas closest ally in Asia, but the relationship has been on a rocky path the last few years. Tensions have escalated the past few months as North Korea has become more provocative and a growing international threat.

Following the 2013 execution of Kims uncle, Jang Song thaek  a major facilitator of talks between Pyongyang and Beijing  the two countries backed down from high-level dialogue. More recently, in February, China banned coal imports from North Korea following the murder in Malaysia of Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of Kim Jong Un who was under Chinese protection. China also banned coal imports following the recent meeting between Xi and Trump.

While the Trump administration has praised the efforts by Beijing on the actions toward North Korea  Trump said last week that he believes Xi means well and I think he wants to help  experts say that China is caught in the middle of a difficult situation as tensions mount between Washington and Pyongyang.

The U.S. wants China to pressure North Korea to the brink of collapse, Snyder said. But that could lead to a unified Korean peninsula, which puts a major U.S. ally right on Chinas border.

The Trump administration has ratcheted up pressure on North Korea in recent weeks to dismantle its nascent nuclear program  igniting an escalating war of words between the U.S. leader and officials in Pyongyang and widespread worries from nearby Asian nations of a major armed conflict between the two countries.

North Koreas mounting nuclear ambitions has cast a pall over much of East Asia with its recent missile tests and prompted the militaries of Japan and South Korea to go on high alert. The mounting threat from North Korea forced Trump to send the USS Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group to the Korean peninsula  a maneuver that drew a warning of catastrophic consequences from Pyongyang but widespread praise from Tokyo and Seoul.

For its part, North Korea has long insisted that the goal of its military build-up is peace  and survival  with the growing arsenal a way to ensure that the government in Pyongyang is not easily overthrown. North Korea saw the toppling of Saddam Hussein in Iraq and Muammar Gadhafi in Libya  neither of whom had nuclear weapons  as proof of the power of a nuclear arsenal.

The problem here is that if you put North Koreas interests and the U.S.s interests on a Venn diagram, there will not be any overlap, Snyder said.

While on a visit Monday to the Panmunjom military base in the demilitarized zone (DMZ)  and a day after a North Korean missile exploded during launch  Vice President Mike Pence said that the U.S. commitment to South Korea is "iron-clad and immutable" in the face of North Korea's work to advance its nuclear and ballistic missile program.

In a statement made alongside South Korean Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn, Pence said that "North Korea would do well not to test his resolve."

The vice president reiterated Monday that "all options are on the table" to deal with the threat posed by North Korea. He says any use of nuclear weapons by North Korea will be met with "an overwhelming and effective response."

Following Pences statement, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Monday that tensions need to be eased on the Korean peninsula to bring the escalating dispute there to a peaceful resolution.

Lu said China wants to resume multi-party negotiations that ended in stalemate in 2009. He said plans to deploy a U.S. missile defense system in South Korea were damaging its relations with China.

At the moment, China must perform a delicate balancing act as it tries to end the intensifying situation without any weapons being fired. The big question, however, is how China will respond if either the U.S. or North Korea fires that first shot.

China is sworn to defend North Korea from attack but if North Korea initiates the hostilities, China has said it cannot depend on its support, Snyder said. China, however, has made no indication whether or not that support would be there if the U.S. attacked first.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Nassef Cassem Balman told his family that the lurid emptiness of the North Atlantic Ocean was the worst part. Hypothermia threatened his body and he heard passengers screaming as the RMS Titanic broke in two and sank, taking more than 1,500 people to their graves on the ocean floor. But he remembered the terrifying dark and quiet.

That was April 15, 1912, but Balmans grandson Souhail Sam Abilmona, 63, remembers that story every day that he and cousin Walid Fayad, 55, arrive to work at Dannys Pizza & Subs in Spotsylvania County.

The cousins hung a photo of the ship, and one of their grandfather, next to the restaurants entrance to remind themselves of Nassef Cassem Balmans harrowing journey to the United States and the life he lived in Fredericksburg.

Its a horrible thing, I was told, Abilmona said, recounting the story of how their grandfather was one of just over 700 survivors of the Titanic disaster.

Last week was the 105th anniversary of the unsinkable ships downfall, when the British passenger liner loaded with 2,224 passengers and crew sank after colliding with an iceberg during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City.

What was unsinkable, however, was the will of Balmanwho throughout the immigration process was also named Abilmona and Belmanto live and pass on a tradition of hard work and generosity to his family.

In 1912 he returned to Lebanon, according to the family, to visit his wife and 2-year-old son. On his return to America on the Titanic, he brought 11-year-old nephew Houssein Mohamed Hassan Abilmona.

He bought the cheapest ticket he could for the Titanic at 18 pounds, 15 shillings and 9 pence.

They boarded the ship in 3rd Class at Cherbourg, France, the boats second boarding stop after its port of Southampton.

Abilmona said he was told that during the accident his grandfather jumped into the water and tried to get in a lifeboat. At the first one he tried, men worried about taking on extra weight hit his hands to make him let go, but he persisted and found a lifeboat that would take him.

Records show that he was saved on lifeboat 15.

His nephew wasnt so lucky. Fayad said he heard they were separated and he was sucked down with the ship.

In 1938 a journalist for the Roxboro Courier in North Carolina persuaded Balman to give an interview. In the story, he stated that after the collision he had placed Houssein on his shoulders and pushed through the crowds to the boat deck. He tried to place the boy in a lifeboat but said he drowned despite efforts to save him. Balman said he jumped into the water. Buoyed by his lifebelt, he found a lifeboat that pulled him aboard.

He would move from New York to Fredericksburg, and then to Roxboro, N.C. before settling back here.

Balman immigrated to America in the early 1900s and ran a dry goods store and restaurant in Fredericksburg where Naders Grocery is now located on Caroline Street. He lived on Third Street off Tidewater Trail for years and became a naturalized citizen in Fredericksburg in 1912, just six months after the wreck.

Abilmona said that like most people, his grandfather came here for a better future, saving up and sending back money, even through the Great Depression.

Abilmona was 8 years old when his grandfather died. He remembers him as a kind and generous man who loved his family and who paved the way for them to come to America. He remembers that Balman, even though he was frail toward the end of his life, would sit up to talk and give quarters to his grandchildren when they visited.

Abilmona came to the U.S. in 1976, and Fayad followed in 1988. Abilmona said they already had roots here and didnt have the opportunity to start a business in Chanay, Lebanon.

Abiloma and Danny Fayad, Walids brother, opened Dannys Pizza & Subs in 1997, continuing their grandfathers legacy in food service.

Walid Fayad said they have old fashioned service like their grandfather taught them, and are grateful that he lived so they could be happy doing the same thing he was doing.

Its a legend story, Fayad said. Customers ask about the pictures and their jaws drop when they hear the story.

They have had Titanic history buffs visit the restaurant just to see if the story is true. Customers have given them Titanic memorabilia and they relive the story almost every day by telling it to new people who spot the picture.

Abilmona called the anniversary of the wreck bittersweet because of the lives lost. But their ancestor survived, and went on to lay the groundwork for new generations of his family in Fredericksburg.
The overarching theme emerging from Chinas ongoing Communist Party congress is one of continuity, not change. The weeklong meeting is expected to reappoint Xi Jinping as leader, reaffirm a commitment to his policies for the next five years and possibly elevate his status even further as one of the most powerful leaders in Chinas modern history. For many Chinese, weary of pandemic restrictions, the more immediate question is whether there will be any easing of zero-COVID after the party congress. The answer is probably not immediately, and when changes do come, they will most likely be gradual.
A Culpeper County judge has acquitted a cardiologist of a misdemeanor assault and battery charge filed by a nursing director at Novant Health UVa Health System Culpeper Medical Center.

Court records show General District Judge Charles Foley found Dr. Zia Roshandel not guilty of the misdemeanor charges April 12 and also dismissed the preliminary protective order filed against Roshandel by Irene C. DGama.

DGama accused Roshandel, 47, of Blue Ridge Cardiovascular Associates, of striking her on her shoulder following what she described as a heated argument inside her office on Feb. 2. In her written statement, which is part of the official complaint, DGama, 54, said Roshandel was upset and yelling at me about delaying him.

DGama, the director of surgical services at the Culpeper hospital, wrote that Roshandel was trying to explain to her how a nurse is supposed to tap him on the shoulder when trying to get his attention.

He tried to demonstrate it by tapping me on the right shoulder with his left hand, DGama explained. I told him, Dont touch me. 

DGama said she was afraid and tried to close her office door, but Roshandel stuck his left foot in the doorway to block the attempt. Out of the blue, his left arm shoots out and bam  his palm and fingers hit me on my right shoulder, she wrote.

Reached my email Sunday, Roshandel shared his side of the story.

The judge ruled in my favor. I was found innocent of the alleged charge and I am happy that the truth prevailed. I was falsely accused of the alleged charge while trying to be the advocate of an elderly patient and for trying to streamline a disorganized and inefficient care policy, Roshandel wrote.

My office staff and I received tremendous and genuine support from my patients, my patients families, colleagues, hospital employees and many others after they heard about my wrongful accusation. It was heartfelt to receive such an outpouring of support from our community.

On behalf of Blue Ridge Cardiovascular Associates and our team, I would like to thank everyone who believed in me, in my integrity and in my honesty. It is a privilege and honor to take care of our communitys hearts.
A Stafford man has been charged in connection with a series of recent thefts from vehicles from neighborhoods in the Widewater area of the county, police said.

Deputy D.G. French went to Barclay Lane about 1 a.m. Sunday in response to a domestic incident, Sheriffs spokeswoman M.C. Morris Moncure said. The caller told French that the suspect had been caught stealing money earlier in the day and had since told his family about other thefts.

According to the evidence, the suspect had been car-hopping for about five weeks, going through neighborhoods in the Widewater area during the night looking for unlocked vehicles to steal from. Police said he wore black clothing, gloves and a mask while making his rounds.

Some of the stolen items were recovered during a subsequent search of the suspects property on Barclay Lane. Among the items recovered were multiple knives, pistols, two shotguns, ammunition and burglary tools.

Bradley Wayne Wells, 24, was charged with five counts of grand larceny, four counts of possessing burglary tools, four counts of tampering with vehicles, larceny with the intent to sell and possession of marijuana. He was placed in the Rappahannock Regional Jail.

Wells was arraigned Monday in Stafford General District Court, where a preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 22.
On the morning of April 16, 2007, Charlie West dropped off his roommate at a Virginia Tech lecture halljust 100 yards from what would become one of the deadliest mass shootings.

West, then a Tech sophomore, learned about the gunman later that morning, after pouring a cup of coffee at his off-campus apartment. He watched the news reports at a neighbors place, sitting on the floor as the death toll slowly rose.

Two people confirmed dead. Then 11, then 17, he recalled. He headed home, reeling from the news.

Finally, when the number settled at 32, I was already halfway back to Woodbridgehalfway home, said West, 29, who now lives in Spotsylvania County. Thats it. Thats my April 16, and Ive struggled with it.

He dropped his classes without penalty, returning to the Blacksburg campus two weeks after the shooting to pack up to spend summer at home.

West, who did not know any of the 32 victims, shared his story with about 30 people outside Spotsylvanias Public Safety Building on Monday, during a commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the tragedy at Virginia Tech. Sheriff Roger Harris and Commonwealths Attorney Travis Bird said they put on the event to honor all crime victims, including those who perished at Tech.

Harris urged residents to be vigilant and aware of their surroundings in light of what he called the trying times that we live in.

Our children are murdered in schools, our families are murdered in places of worship, he said. In my law-enforcement career, I never thought it would progress to the violence that we live with today.

Unity in the community is what I preach. It takes a village to raise a child. It takes one person to stop a tragedy.

He commended the student who informed a school resource officer about a planned shooting massacre at Riverbend High School in 2015. Authorities arrested two students in connection with that foiled plot.

A large stash of weapons and ammunition was seized, thus preventing tragedy, Harris said.

West, who graduated from Tech in 2010, said the campus looked and felt the same when he returned in fall 2007, after the shooting. The college hired additional counselors, but West said he never saw one because he figured the rampage affected someone else more than it affected me.

I put my feelings aside, he said.

Later, though, he said he let himself feel sad and angry and confused and irrational.

And slowly, Blacksburg became his new home.

He met his future wife, Lindsay, at Tech during the semester after the shooting. His best man and groomsmen are all Hokies and he hopes his son becomes one, too.

I dont know if all or none of that would be different had the shootings not occurred, West said.

West and his wife, Lindsay, say they have reflected on the tragedy a lot this year. And I think we both  have recognized an element of kindness, Lindsay West said. It makes you think and want to spread hope and just be nicer to people.
Bill Botts believes the nation is at a crossroads in terms of American health careand that its time for an educational forum to explain whats at stake.

Thats why Botts, who retired from Rappahannock Legal Services in 2011, then helped people navigate the Affordable Care Act, has organized a panel discussion on Wednesday night. Called Community Forum on the Affordable Care Act and the Future of Health Care in Virginia, the event starts at 7 p.m. at the John Fick III Conference Center, 1301 Sam Perry Blvd., Fredericksburg. Thats on the campus of Mary Washington Hospital.

Botts has assembled a panel of community representatives, and he hopes their remarks will focus on functionality rather than ideology, what works and what doesnt work and how to best fix what doesnt work.

From 7 to 8 p.m., each panel member will make a brief presentation, then there will be a panel discussion on health insurance, including the ACA, Medicaid expansion in Virginia and the current administrations suggested plan, the American Health Care Act.

Panelists include Jill Hanken, attorney with the Virginia Poverty Law Center; Dr. Michael McDermott, president and CEO of Mary Washington Hospital; Dr. Timothy Powell, medical director of the Fredericksburg Christian Health Center; Susan Spears, president and CEO of Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce; and Dr. Jay Brock, retired family physician.

From 89 p.m., the panel will field questions from the audience. The forum will be moderated by Susan Larson, publisher of Fredericksburg.

Mary Washington HealthCare and the Lloyd Moss Free Clinic are hosting the forum. Sponsors are Legal Aid Works (formerly Rappahannock Legal Services), Virginia Poverty Law Center, Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, We Are For America and a number of local groups.
REGIONAL transportation officials are working on the next round of the states Smart Scale program, the relatively new and evolving system that aims to fund the best new transportation projects in Virginia.

One of the keys, according to a Fredericksburg Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization report for Mondays Police Committee meeting, notes that a lot more money will be needed to leverage the northbound Interstate 95 crossing project next time around.

That estimated $130 million project, which would add parallel lanes along the interstate between U.S. 17 in Stafford County and State Route 3 in Fredericksburg, scored low in the first two rounds of Smart Scale, and local transportation leaders have since been trying to figure out how to adjust for round three.

Part of the reason the project scored low was the hefty price tag. Most other costly projects also suffered poor showings in the second round of scoring.

The FAMPO report says $50 million, along with the already several million dollars allocated to the project, would have been needed as leverage for the crossing to have succeeded in round two.

No clear solutions exist concerning that important leveraged funding aspect of the program, except, at this point, the creation of a tax district like Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads use to accrue transportation-focused funding for regional projects.

The next round of Smart Scale projects will be scored in 2019.

RIVER ROAD WORK

Drivers probably noticed that crews recently wrapped up patching sections along the winding, two-lane River Road in Spotsylvania County.

Those same crews last year also removed some 70 trees from alongside the road, used by many local travelers to avoid traffic on Route 3.

The work has been part of the Virginia Department of Transportations efforts to make the drive along the rural road smoother and safer.

Theyre saving the best part for last. Crews are scheduled to return in May and repave the entire stretch of River Road from Bragg Road to Route 3.

SWITCH IN TRAFFIC PATTERN COMING AT HOSPITAL

A small change is afoot for traffic making its way around Mary Washington Hospital. Crews on Monday are scheduled to make final pavement markings on Mary Washington Boulevard Monday between noon and 5 p.m., which could cause some delays. A new traffic pattern will then take effect. Once all the lanes open for the new connection between Mary Washington Boulevard and Fall Hill Avenue, through traffic will be free-flowing and have the right of way. All traffic turning onto and from Sam Perry Boulevard, which runs in front of the hospital, will have to yield. VDOT is setting up the new traffic pattern as part of the Fall Hill widening project. By the way, work is steadily winding down on the Fall Hill project, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of the month.
The Charlottesville City Council on Monday will decide how it wants to remove the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from its eponymous downtown park.

A community panel last fall suggested that the statue be moved to McIntire Park, but the council on Monday also will discuss whether it wants to sell the statue or donate it. Two councilors said Friday theyre disinclined to support moving the statue to McIntire.

We dont want to put it there, Councilor Wes Bellamy said. If we can sell it or auction it off, that would be my preference.

Its not that Im opposed to it being there; I just dont think it would be appropriate, Councilor Bob Fenwick said about moving the statue to McIntire.

Earlier this year, the council voted 3-2 to move the statue. Mayor Mike Signer and Councilor Kathy Galvin voted against the measure.

After directing city management staff in February to return to the council within 60 days with a range of options for the statues removal, city officials will present the report to the council and the public Monday.

The council also will decide Monday whether to initiate the process to rename both Lee and Jackson parks. The city is expected to leave its statue of Confederate Gen. Thomas Stonewall Jackson undisturbed, but is planning to build a new memorial to the citys enslaved population in Jackson Park.

Last November, the Blue Ribbon Commission on Race, Memorials and Public Spaces recommended, among other options, that the Lee statue be moved to McIntire Park. The council convened the panel last spring to study the controversy around the statue and provide a list of possible solutions.

A majority of the commissioners agreed that moving the Lee statue to McIntire would retain the public monument, while removing it from a prominent public square downtowna gesture that some of the Blue Ribbon Commission members said would deemphasize a perception that the city endorses the Souths history of white supremacy through Jim Crow laws and chattel slavery.

Council did not include this option in the resolution it passed in February, the staff report on the matter says. However, staff believes it is important to explain what procurement steps would need to take place in order to move the statue within the city limits.

City officials are recommending that a contractor be hired if the City Council chooses that option.

If an experienced contractor is hired, risk of personal injury and property damage in the moving process can be both minimized and financial responsibility can be shifted to the contractor and its forces, the report says.

Alternatively, the report says the council could decide to either auction off the statue or advertise that its for sale with certain conditions, such as requiring the buyer to pay for the removal of the statue.

Donating the statue to a nonprofit organization or any American government entity is another consideration city staff is presenting.

The report includes guidance on how the city or a buyer could retain the statues place on the National Register of Historic Places.

The council in December decided to allocate $500,000 to implement the recommendations from the Blue Ribbon Commission. The funding was drawn from a nearly $6 million surplus at the end of the 2016 fiscal year.

In February, when the council voted to remove the statue, it also agreed unanimously to earmark up to $1 million for the development, design and implementation of a new master plan for the Historic North Downtown and Court Square districts, where the Lee and Jackson statues are located, respectively.

Staff proposes that the city engage the public over a 45-day period to draw recommendations for new names for the park.

Once the names are collected, the staff would work with the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board to narrow the suggestions down to 5 to 10 for further consideration, the report says. The council would then decide to choose one of those names or continue public deliberation.

Although the City Council will discuss the options Monday, a coalition of Lee statue supporters and the Virginia Division Sons of Confederate Veterans are suing the council for voting to remove the statue.

The suit alleges that the city would violate a state law protecting memorials to war veterans if it moves the statue.

Aside from seeking punitive damages against the city councilorsat least $100,000 from each of themthe litigants are seeking an injunction so that the suit can be settled before the city does anything with the statue.
Vastu Shashtra to be introduced in IIT Kharagpur

Published: April 17, 2017

IIT Kharagpur plans to introduce Vastu Shashtra to the architecture students from this year August. While the rudiments of Vastu Shastra will be introduced to the first and second-year undergraduate architecture students, detailed grounding on the subject will be imparted to the post graduate and research scholars in infrastructure.

For the UG students, graded modules related to basic design and history of architecture will be taught. For the PG level, modules imparting solar principles, sacred diagrams, 9 circuit placements or the nabagraha mandal, sacred altars and design semiotics and semantics will be taught.

Need

The faculty members of IIT Kharagpur feels that Vastu Shastra as a concept needs to be included in the architecture and infrastructure syllabi. They are of the view that students be conversant with ancient Indian architectural traditions. They believe that ancient Indian concepts have a scientific basis and introducing students to these will open up new avenues of knowledge. The basic concept of Vastu Shastra revolves around the healthy relationship of nature and infrastructure and hence has modern relevance.

Vastu Shastra

Vastu Shastra has its beginnings in Rig Veda. It is a traditional Hindu system of architecture that describes principles of design, layout, measurements, ground preparation, space arrangement and spatial geometry.

Month: Current Affairs - April, 2017

Topics: Current Affairs - 2017

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Making sense (and, sometimes, nonsense) out of Current News, Issues, Politics
Story Highlights 45% say Trump keeps his promises, down from 62% in February

President loses ground on five other key characteristics

Less supportive groups declined most in belief that Trump keeps his promises

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- President Donald Trump's image among Americans as someone who keeps his promises has faded in the first two months of his presidency, falling from 62% in February to 45%. The public is also less likely to see him as a "strong and decisive leader," as someone who "can bring about the changes this country needs" or as "honest and trustworthy."

Trump Loses Ground on Key Characteristics Percentage who think each of the following applies to Donald Trump Feb 1-5 Apr 5-9 Change % % pct. pts. Keeps his promises 62 45 -17 Is a strong and decisive leader 59 52 -7 Can bring about changes this country needs 53 46 -7 Is honest and trustworthy 42 36 -6 Cares about the needs of people like you 46 42 -4 Can manage the government effectively 44 41 -3 Gallup

Over the past two months, Trump's ratings have declined at least marginally on all six characteristics that Gallup measured in its April 5-9 poll. The percentages saying he cares about the needs of people like themselves and that he can manage the government effectively slipped three to four percentage points, but the changes are not statistically significant.

With close to two-thirds of Americans saying in February that Trump "keeps his promises," it was clearly a strength for the president. Given the sharp decline on that dimension this month, that is no longer the case. In February, a majority also said Trump can bring about the changes the country needs, but less than half hold that view now. Being a strong and decisive leader is the only characteristic that a majority still say applies to Trump.

On four of the measures, between 41% and 46% of the public now thinks they apply to Trump. Those percentages are closely in line with views on two fundamental attitudes about Trump that have changed little in the past two months:

His approval rating was at 42% when the February poll was finished; approval was around 40% in Gallup's Daily tracking poll during the April 5-9 poll.

46% rated him favorably in the February poll; 45% did so this month.

The more positive assessments of Trump in February came as he started his presidency with a flurry of executive orders and Cabinet appointments. Regardless of whether they agreed with those actions, Americans appeared to take them as evidence Trump was keeping his campaign pledges to fundamentally alter the course of the federal government.

In the two months since, however, Trump appeared to walk away from repealing the Affordable Care Act after Republicans failed to agree on the healthcare replacement bill that Trump stood behind. Political friends and foes alike have complained that Trump is not carrying out the promises he made on the campaign trail. Supporters have expressed unhappiness that more has not been done on taxes and immigration, in addition to healthcare. Opponents say he has not protected middle- and working-class Americans.

Biggest Shifts Occur Among Groups Not Favorable Toward Trump

Whether young or old, Democrat or Republican, male or female, Americans are less likely now than they were two months ago to think Trump keeps his promises. But the declines have been greater among subgroups that tend to be less supportive of Trump, including Democrats, liberals, women and young adults. Among those who disapprove of Trump, 35% said in February that he keeps his promises; only 11% say so now.

Women Much Less Likely Now to Think Trump Keeps Promises Percentage who think Donald Trump keeps his promises Feb 1-5 Apr 5-9 Change % % pct. pts. All U.S. adults 62 45 -17 Women 65 40 -25 Men 59 51 -8 Democrats 37 16 -21 Independents 59 43 -16 Republicans 92 81 -11 18 to 34 56 34 -22 35 to 54 65 47 -18 55 and older 64 52 -12 Liberals 42 20 -22 Moderates 57 41 -16 Conservatives 81 72 -9 Gallup

Bottom Line

Trump took office facing challenges in winning public support that are unique for a modern-day president. A majority of Americans viewed him unfavorably before his inauguration, and this continues to be true today. He was the first elected president in Gallup polling history to receive an initial job approval rating below the majority level and has yet to come close to surpassing the 50% mark.

At the outset of his presidency, a majority of the public did give Trump credit, however, for keeping his promises and for being a president who could bring about needed changes. Now many have turned away from those views, perhaps because of the GOP's failure to deliver on their long-standing promise to repeal Obamacare. As a result, a majority now disagree that he has these qualities.

These views could shift again, depending on Trump's actions over the course of his presidency. But for now, Trump has lost significant ground with a public that only two months ago credited him with having one of the key characteristics of a successful president.

These data are available in Gallup Analytics.
What can game developers expect out of Project Scorpio, Microsoft's upcoming Xbox revamp?

That's something we tried to shed some light on last week with our technical breakdown of Scorpio and its dev kit, which was heavily informed by meetings we had with Microsoft staffers at the company's headquarters earlier this year.

One of those interviews was with Xbox chief Phil Spencer, and we published it in full because it offers devs useful perspective on the future of Xbox -- everything from where Spencer stands on VR exclusivity (not a fan) to the future of Xbox hardware.

But there were other conversations we had that might also be of interest to game makers, especially the briefings we took with devs from Microsoft's first-party developers Turn 10 Studios (the house of all things Forza) and The Coalition (Gears of War 4.)

As you might expect, these conversations were very positive when it came time to talk about the nuts and bolts of making games for Scorpio -- both studios are owned by Microsoft and were directly involved in the hardware's design. But they're also staffed with people who make games for a living, and who seem to take their work as a vanguard for Scorpio development seriously.

"A major piece of us being first-party is to prove the platform for other developers," Turn 10 studio software architect Chris Tector told Gamasutra. "We really hold that dear to what we're supposed to do. It's our responsibility as a first-party studio. To help ensure the platform is ready for everybody."

Think like a PC game developer

For Tector, one of the biggest challenges of getting ready for Scorpio, which takes 4K resolution as one of its chief selling points, was actually tackled when Turn 10 started developing for PC -- and adjusted its production pipeline accordingly.

"Around Forza 6, we knew that in the future we were going to have to move to Direct3D 12. Not just help the platform prove it out as a feature, but we wanted to move to it, because we knew we were gonna move into PC gaming," said Tector. "The only way we were gonna get the level of submission efficency that we have on console is to move to this new Direct3D model; 11 wasn't really gonna cut it for us."

"So we had those two big moves coming, PC development and Direct3D 12. and we wanted to start bringing them in in pieces. So that's why we developed Forza Motorsport 6 Apex. Which was a slice of 6, but it was the first time that PC players got to play it," he continued. "So we got to start dealing with all of the wheels that were there for scaling across different PC specs. Or dealing directly with the IHVs [integrated hardware vendors] like AMD and Nvidia. So that really forced us to build up these muscles around C development. And that included things like kinda revamping our authoring process so that we now were capable of creating and building and packaging 4K assets, and delivering them in the way that we wanted to, so we could still deliver car packs like we've always done."

Forza Motorsport 6 Apex car butts

This matches up with much of what Mike Raynor, technical director at The Coalition, told Gamasutra about what it's like developing for Scorpio: the addition of a beefier console to the "Xbox One family of devices" requires devs to think like PC game makers, and build games that can scale across hardware configurations of significantly different power.

"Invest in making sure your engine is scalable," said Raynor. "So that you can take advantage of these different performance profiles. And author your content at a native art resolution that allows you to scale and take advantage of that. So for us, we authored all of our content at 4K from the get-go, knowing that we weren't going to use all of that on necessarily all devices, right. Certainly not on our PC min-spec."

Before he joined The Coalition Raynor spent time working at Electronic Arts on games for both the Xbox 360 and the original Xbox; based on that experience, he tells Gamasutra that Scorpio is an improvement on the Xbox One from a developer's perspective.

"When I first started working with Xbox One, I was a little bit disappointed; it kind of felt like we'd really taken a step back. And I've seen that evolve, and improve constantly since we've launched, but with what we're doing with Scorpio, it's now very pleasurable to work with," said Raynor. "From a developer standpoint, when you think about Xbox One, Xbox One S (with HDR) and now with Scorpio, a lot of development for us is similar to PC. And we kind of think of PC as kind of the ultimate platform, in terms of scalability and all the different targets that we have."

So if a studio is already accustomed to multi-platform development and has a system in place to produce games that can scale across different PC hardware configurations, both Raynor and Tector believe targeting Scorpio should be relatively straightforward.

As an example of how straightforward it might be for an established multi-platform studio to add Scorpio to its pipeline, Tector told the story of how Turn 10 got in a Scorpio dev kit back in mid-January, when Microsoft wanted to see what was involved with getting Forza up and running on the hardware.

"So we taped the fan to the desk and we kept going"

"So Matt Lee, from the Direct3D team on Xbox, he shows up with a cardboard box full of parts," recalls Tector. "It's like, a loose motherboard, the debugging adapters, the drives. And he sets it up on the desk. And it's just like, there's no proper cooling on it, so we just have a fan sitting there. And it's blowing across it, and it vibrates, and the fan starts moving and the whole thing shuts down because the memory overheats and...it was comedy. So we taped the fan to the desk and we kept going and within 2 days, we were already running at 4K [resolution] 60 [frames per second]."

Tector went on to say that two-day process of porting to Scorpio only required one person, who wound up sat alone in a room with the jury-rigged dev kit.

"We had set up this whole locked room. You know, secret hardware, gotta keep him sequestered while he's working on it for the weeks and weeks it'll take," said Tector. "And after two days he [Matt Lee] was like, 'Well I'm gonna go, you guys can play around with it for a bit. I'll come back in a day.' And this was like this huge sigh of relief for us."

But while Tector was mostly about his company's upcoming console, he also expressed some regret for the Scorpio console not quite getting to where Turn 10 specifically would like it to be in terms of hardware.

"We didn't get to the right place with audio hardware. On all of Xbox One. And we were hoping that would improve," said Tector. "Because that would really open up some CPU headroom for us. I don't know if I'm calling out something I'm not supposed to! But we do a lot of heavier-weight audio than some other games do, and it means we do a lot of real-time mixing of that. Because the way we generate an engine is more of a simulation based on a whole lot of loops. But it means that we're modeling the different subcomponents within the car. So not just the engine, it's actually transmission and an inner cooler and blah blah blah, all these little bits on the engine that we're building up, and then that's a final mix on one car. And then we've gotta go do it on the next one."

"So it's pretty heavyweight, and we have some heavy requirements around that," Tector concluded. "But we'll get there someday."
CJI   74 : 10    , 13  ...  ,  , EWS    
Brailey White and Kala Dodson thought they would bring tales of lazy days and suntans after a spring break trip to Orange Beach, Alabama with Dodsons family.

Instead, the Farmington High School freshmen are sharing how they came to help a fellow vacationer on their last full day at the beach.

Dodson, 15, said the two were enjoying the waves in the Gulf of Mexico on March 31. The pair decided to head closer to shore when they heard a cry from a young man about their age who had been swimming as well.

We started swimming back and this kid starting yelling help, Dodson said. We didnt know if he was serious because he didnt seem that frantic.

The two began to swam towards him and, when they reached him, the young man began grabbing on to them for help  pulling them under water as well.

He would push us underneath the water, Dodson said. We could see he was struggling.

White said she remembered the young man out enjoying the waves like they had been  but, she said, it appeared when he couldnt touch the bottom he began to struggle.

Dodson said the two of them together could not help him as he would push both down as he tried to stay above water.

At that time, White, 15, started to make her way to the shore to get help while Dodson stayed back in the water to help keep the young man calm and guide him toward the shore.

Dodson said he was able to float in the water, but would become nervous as each wave approached.

He kept saying he was going to die, White said. I was afraid because I know Kala  and that she would feel so guilty and stay out there with him and (possibly) drown (trying to help him).

White said the people on the beach were unsure what was going on in the water once she made it to shore  believing most thought it was kids enjoying a day in the waves.

When it became evident of what was occurring, two gentlemen left the beach and headed to the water to help out.

Dodson said one came to her  thinking she was in need of assistance as well.

Whenever they came toward me, I think they thought I was drowning, too, she said. One stayed with me to make sure I was OK, I guess.

The girls said emergency crews arriving on the scene helped the gentlemen bring the young man back to the shore.

(The young man) was looking around like he had no clue what was going on, White said. He looked like he was close to losing consciousness.

The two said emergency personnel told them they did the right thing by not trying pull the young man in by themselves and going ashore to get help.

The enormity of the situation hit the two not long after Dodson made it to shore and it was able to set in.

After all the emotions, it felt like a dream almost, White said. It feels like something that would happen to other people.

Dodson said the two also realized the importance of learning life-saving techniques, such as CPR.

In addition, the two said they learned important advice when swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, such as swimming parallel to the shore until out of the rip current and turning to swim toward the shore once free.

White said they also learned on most beaches there are boxes equipped with notification devices for emergency personnel in case of an emergency.

Whites mother, Chante Kimbrough, praised the girls for not being afraid to help.

Given the circumstances, I cant think of anything they could have or should have done differently, she said. Whenever you are frantic like that, you are looking for help. I like the fact that one of them stayed with him to assure him they were going to get care.

And, for (White) to leave her friend there, not knowing if he was going to pull her under, that weighed heavy on her.

A family came up to White after emergency personnel arrived saying they called 911 after she alerted them to the danger.

The two said they dont know any details after the young man was taken away by emergency personnel. Privacy rules prevented the girls from finding out his name or condition after he was taken to the hospital.

The girls were trying to downplay what they did, Kimbrough said. It could have been a lot worse.

Before leaving on Saturday to head back to Farmington, Dodson said her mom suggested they should go swimming one last time.

I told her we were done, she said.
New beautiful protective cases and covers for Moto G5 Features oi -Harish Kumar Best Moto G5 cases and covers to keep your smartphone free from damage.

Motorola released the fifth generation Moto G smartphone in India a few weeks after the release of the G5 Plus. The smartphone is priced at Rs. 11,999 and is exclusive to Amazon India.

The Moto G5 comes packed with attractive features and runs on Android 7.0 Nougat for the price tag that is carries. The smartphone is claimed to feature a metallic build, but actually the removable back cover is made of plastic and it is not completely metal except for the edges.

Despite the presence of the Gorilla Glass protection on top of the display, it is recommended that you buy a quality protective case to prevent accidental damage to the smartphone.

Upcoming Motorola Smartphones (2017-18)

We have come up with a list of best cases and covers that you can purchase for your Moto G5 smartphone. These cases aren't too expensive, but they give the much needed protection for the smartphone to retain its look without any damage such as scratches and dents due to everyday usage.

There is a wide variety of options available for the Moto G5 and you can choose one that suits your preferences.

Best Mobiles in India
Samsung Galaxy On5 (2017) gets TENAA certification News oi -Shilpa We are expecting it to launch soon.

Now, it is time for Samsung Galaxy On5 to receive certifications from authorities. Recently, it received a WiFi certification from the WiFi Alliance (WFA) and now it is spotted on TENAA, a Chinese certification website.

The smartphone with the model number SM-G5528 appeared on TENAA, which made its appearance in WFA a few days back. This phone is said to be the successor of Galaxy On5 2016 which was launched last year in India. The Wi-Fi listing did not reveal much about the device. It spoke about the single-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n (2.4GHz) support and Wi-Fi Direct connectivity features.

Samsung to launch Galaxy C9 Pro with 128GB storage

It also said that this device will be running on an Android operating system, though the exact version is not specified there. But the TENAA listing gave away much information regarding the specs and design. According to it, the Samsung Galaxy On5 2017 will have an HD display of 5.0 inch with 720x1280 pixels resolution.

The phone is said to be powered by a 1.4 GHz quad-core processor and packed with 2GB of RAM with 16GB/32GB/64GB of native storage which can be expanded further up to 128GB. On5 will feature a camera of 13-megapixel on the rear, a 5-megapixel camera on the front and houses a 2,600 mAh battery. It may come with the fingerprint sensor on the front, though it is not specified in this listing.

Samsung might be working on a new edition of Samsung Galaxy S8

Running on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with Gionee's Amigo UI, the device may come in a Gold color variant. Connectivity options include Bluetooth 4.0, dual SIM, 4G-LTE with VoLTE, WiFi, GPS/A-GPS and a micro USB 2.0 port.

The phone weighs 143 grams and 8.1 mm thin. It is having a height of 142.8 mm and width of 69.5 mm. It also says about Gravity sensor and the distance sensor which may be included in this device. Information regarding price is not revealed in this listing. But we are expecting it to launch soon since it made its appearance on TENAA now.

Best Mobiles in India

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Xiaomi Mi6 to have high-end specs and affordable price News oi -Shilpa A completely different specs are out now.

Though the company is all set to launch their upcoming smartphones Xiaomi Mi 6 and Mi 6 Plus next week in Beijing, quite a lot of rumors are still revolving around this phone online. Even Xiaomi started releasing few teasers ahead of its launch to increase the excitement of eagerly waiting buyers.

A new information regarding its price and specs are leaked by online store officials now. They say that Mi6 will be made available at lower price tag along with high-end specs and features to impress the long awaited user. We already know that Xiaomi Mi 6 is the first Chinese domestic smartphone to have the Qualcomm's latest snapdragon 835 chipset equipped in it.

This will surely give a tough competition to Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus which are also packed with the same processor but with high price tag. This new report also says that the specs which were known so far are different from the newly found spec.

Purported Xiaomi Mi 6 rear cover confirms dual-lens camera

As per the new spec, the Mi6 is said to come with a 5.2-inch display having the resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. The previous rumors claimed that the Xiaomi Mi6 and Mi6 Plus will have a 5.15 and 5.7-inch display respectively.

Some leaked images also stated that Mi6 will have a dual camera setup with 5X Optical zoom support, but the recent report says that the device may or may not come with the dual camera. But the device may come with a 12MP front camera and the 4MP of front camera.

Xiaomi Mi 6 to feature ultrasonic fingerprint scanner?

Earlier leaks showed that the device will support 128 GB native storage, whereas the company has not yet confirmed about extending the storage capacity via MicroSD card. RAM capacity is not yet known, where there still remains a confusion on 4GB of RAM and 6GB of RAM.

The company is going to release Mi6 on April 19. Soon, the clear picture of specifications and other details will be right in front of us. Let us wait till then.

Source

Best Mobiles in India
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.
Strikes Continue Against ISIS in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, April 16, 2017  U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, conducting 20 strikes consisting of 29 engagements against ISIS targets yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of yesterday's strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

In Syria, coalition military forces conducted nine strikes consisting of 41 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near three strikes destroyed three ISIS wellheads and ISIS engineering equipment.

-- Near Raqqa, six strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units, destroyed an ISIS bridge and damaged an ISIS supply route.

-- Near Tabqah, 11 strikes engaged nine ISIS tactical units and destroyed seven fighting positions and an ISIS vehicle.

Strikes in Iraq

In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted five strikes consisting of 46 engagements against ISIS targets, coordinated with and in support of Iraq's government:

-- Near Beiji, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed three bunkers, two vehicle-borne bomb bunkers, two vehicle storage areas, a command-and-control node and an ISIS staging area.

-- Near Mosul, six strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units; destroyed five mortar systems, an ISIS storage facility, a fighting position, a command-and-control node, an ISIS tunnel and a rocket-propelled grenade system; damaged six ISIS supply routes and a fighting position; and suppressed five mortar teams, a fighting position and an ISIS tactical unit.

-- Near Qaim, a strike destroyed an ISIS oil rig.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

These strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to destroy ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The destruction of ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria also further limits the group's ability to project terror and conduct external operations throughout the region and the rest of the world, task force officials said.

The list above contains all strikes conducted by fighter, attack, bomber, rotary-wing or remotely piloted aircraft; rocket-propelled artillery; and some ground-based tactical artillery when fired on planned targets, officials noted.

Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike, they added. A strike, as defined by the coalition, refers to one or more kinetic engagements that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single or cumulative effect. For example, task force officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIS vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of ISIS-held buildings and weapon systems in a compound, having the cumulative effect of making that facility harder or impossible to use. Strike assessments are based on initial reports and may be refined, officials said.

The task force does not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target.

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Valley R-6 Elementary staff announced the school has been named as a Leader in Me Lighthouse School by Franklin Covey Co.

They are the first truly rural school in Missouri to achieve this status. This recognition comes because the school has achieved outstanding results in school and student outcomes, by implementing "The Leader in Me" process with fidelity. It is also because of the extraordinary impact the school is having on staff, students, parents, and the greater community.

Sean Covey, Education Practice leader at Franklin Covey, said, We are thrilled to recognize Valley R-6 Elementary as a Leader in Me Lighthouse School. Schools who achieve the Lighthouse Milestone are great examples of a strong leadership model, process, and of what it means to be a Leader in Me school. This school has experienced transformational results by implementing the principles and practices related to The Leader in Me. We are so pleased to celebrate the success they are experiencing.

Jennifer Woods, principal of Valley R-6 Elementary said they are honored to become a Leader in Me Lighthouse School.

"We have seen such amazing results from implementing 'The Leader in Me' process at our school, such as an increase in academic awareness and progress by students, a decrease in discipline referrals, an increase in parent involvement, including implementation of a parent volunteer program, and an increase in student confidence and student initiative. There are several examples of this, but one example that really stands out is a student who was exceptionally shy and introverted. She is tender-hearted as well. In this childs class last year, the teacher allowed the students to choose what they feel most comfortable doing during Leadership Days, Parent Nights, and Leadership Assemblies. Throughout the year this student gravitated towards roles that the teacher knew she would be comfortable with, such as, greeting a visitor with a handshake to the classroom or being a silent background character in a play.

For last years Parent Night when the teacher went over the list of students who planned to be there, she discovered there wasnt going to be enough students to present a lesson on Proactive vs. Reactive.

There would be several sessions and it would be a long night for 7-year-olds to be speaking and presenting. This student was one that the teacher had to pick from. They had a little class time to prepare but it wasnt working for the students as they were uncomfortable and unsure.

During the first session that night this student volunteered to speak to a group. She spoke clearly and with confidence which was huge for this little girl as this would have never been expected from her. She ended up presenting three more times that night.

Each time she presented she made eye contact with the adults, asked them questions about what they learned, and even gave the adults insightful responses to their questions."

The principal said for Leadership Day last year, this same child surprised everyone again by volunteering to do a presentation on Bucket Filling.

"Again, she spoke with confidence and displayed knowledge about the topic. She came up with questions to ask the adults who attended the sessions. In just one school year, this child has made more strides than most adults do in their lives when it comes to public speaking. This child can still be quiet around people and can be stand-offish at times, but shes found herself to be a leader in public speaking. Maybe itll be a skill that she will work on for the rest of her time in elementary school. Theres not a doubt that a Leader in Me school is the only place that she would have discovered and been given the opportunity to develop this skill and confidence. This example was provided by Leah Snow who was Daisy Kearns 2nd grade teacher last year.

"The Leader in Me process not only has had a significant impact on this student, but on all students. And, we expect to see greater results over time.

The Leader in Me is a whole-school transformation model developed in partnership with educators that empowers students with the leadership and life skills they need to thrive in the 21st century.

It is based on secular principles and practices of personal, interpersonal, and organizational effectiveness. Distinct in several ways, The Leader in Me:

 Starts from a powerful premise that every child possesses unique strengths and has the ability to be a leader. This premise shapes the views of staff to value and develop the whole child.

 Integrates leadership development into existing school programs, curricula, and traditions. More than a program, The Leader in Me serves as a foundational operating system for the school, improving relationships, transforming culture, and highly motivating staff members and students.

 Helps students learn how to become self-reliant, take initiative, plan ahead, set and track goals, do their homework, prioritize their time, manage their emotions, be considerate of others, express their viewpoint persuasively, resolve conflicts, find creative solutions, value differences, and live a balanced life. In short, The Leader in Me helps students develop the skills and self-confidence they need to lead their lives and succeed in school and beyond.

 Impacts all stakeholders starting first with the staff of a school, then moving out to students, their families, and the community at large. This inside-out approach is a key ingredient to successfully creating positive change in a school.

The Leader in Me differs from other whole-school transformation processes in that it offers a holistic, schoolwide experience for staff, students, and parents, and creates a common language and culture within the school. The leadership principles and lessons are not taught as a curriculum, but instead are incorporated into coursework, traditions, systems, and culture.
Serbia in talks with Russia, Belarus over S-300 purchase

Iran Press TV

Sun Apr 16, 2017 8:20PM

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic says Belgrade has entered talks with Russia and Belarus over the purchase of S-300 surface-to-air missile systems.

On Sunday, Vucic told reporters that his country needs two divisions of the missile system along with a command post to defend its airspace.

He noted that he had personally entered talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko.

"I mentioned it during the talks with President Putin, and we talked about it. We discussed it with President Lukashenko as well," he stressed.

At the beginning of the year, Serbian Defense Minister Zoran Djordjevic noted that his country was mulling the purchase of the S-300 system.

The Serbian president also noted that Belgrade also signed a contract with Russia for the purchase of six Russian MiG-29 fighter jets, 30 T-72 tanks, and 30 BRDM-2 personnel carriers.

Vucic (seen below) also talked about some reports that surfaced earlier in the week over Russia selling S-300 to Croatia, which would violate a 1990s UN arms embargo on the country.

"We have no information that Croatia is in possession of the S-300. Generally, one can't hide such a thing, it's not a needle," he said.

Russia also slammed the reports, noting that they were "provocative, twisting the facts, and aimed at smearing Russian politics in the Balkans."

"Russia has always followed its international legal obligations, including those under the embargo regime on arms supply for the conflicting parties of the Yugoslavia crisis in 1991-1995," said the deputy director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Department of Information and Press, Artem Kozhin.

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Philippines to continue joint drills with US: Manila

Iran Press TV

Sun Apr 16, 2017 4:52PM

Military officials in the Philippines have announced that joint annual drills with the United States will continue although the mission would mostly focus on humanitarian and counter-terrorism operations rather than live-fire exercises.

The military said Sunday that annual military exercises, known as Balikatan (Shoulder-to-Shoulder), will now go ahead in May, and will last for 10 days.

"It will be scenario-based like (preparing for) a big storm hitting the Philippines or the possibility of terrorism," Balikatan spokesman Major Celeste Frank Sayson, said, adding "We are safe to say there will be no more live-fire exercises. We (will) focus on humanitarian and civil assistance."

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana had said earlier that the exercises would focus on fighting terrorism, a top priority for the Philippines, which is still battling militants in its lawless south.

The drill will be the first under President Rodrigo Duterte, an outspoken critic of the West who has repeatedly clashed with Washington over his anti-drug campaign. He has also courted China, effectively putting into question Manila's 70-year alliance with the US. Duterte even suggested last year that the annual drills should be cancelled and US troops should leave the Islands nation.

Before Duterte, the drills intensified as disputes between the Philippines and China over islands in the South China Sea escalated. However, Duterte has ignored the dispute in favor of economic concessions from Beijing.

However, Manila still needs military support from the US to repel sporadic attacks by militants of the Abu Sayyaf and other groups that have pledged allegiance to the Daesh Takfiris in Iraq and Syria.

Clashes erupted between security forces and militants earlier in the week after Abu Sayyaf elements attacked a key Philippine tourist destination, the first of its kind in recent years.

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US national security advisor visits Afghanistan after massive bomb attack

Iran Press TV

Sun Apr 16, 2017 2:25PM

US National Security Advisor H.R McMaster has arrived in the Afghan capital of Kabul days after the US military dropped its largest non-nuclear bomb on suspected Daesh (ISIL) positions in eastern Afghanistan.

On his first visit to the country on Sunday as US President Donald Trump's envoy, McMaster said on Twitter he was set to hold "very important talks on mutual cooperation."

Trump announced on Wednesday he is sending McMaster to Afghanistan to assess the situation for US troops on the ground.

On Thursday, the US military dropped its GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB), dubbed the "Mother of All Bombs", on suspected ISIL hideouts in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, killing nearly a hundred militants.

The MOAB weighs about 22,000 pounds (10,000 kg) and is the most powerful non-nuclear weapon ever designed. It was developed during the US war on Iraq and is intended to target large below-surface areas.

The Pentagon said the strike was the first time the enormous conventional bomb had been used in combat.

Military experts say the blast would "feel like a nuclear weapon to anyone near the area."

The attack triggered global shock waves, with some condemning Washington for using Afghanistan as a testing ground for US weapons. It came a week after Trump ordered missile strikes against Syria in retaliation for a suspected chemical attack.

On Saturday, Afghanistan's former President Hamid Karzai blasted the government in Kabul for allowing the US to drop the massive bomb on his country.

"If the government has permitted them to do this, that was wrong and it has committed a national treason," Karzai said during a speech, adding, "How could you permit Americans to bomb your country with a device equal to an atom bomb?"

In an interview with The New York Times hours after his speech, Karzai said there was no justification for the United States to drop the powerful bomb in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan is still suffering from insecurity and violence years after the United States and its allies invaded the country in 2001 as part of Washington's so-called war on terror. The military invasion removed the Taliban from power, but their militancy continues to this day.



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Nepal, China begin first-ever joint drills

Iran Press TV

Sun Apr 16, 2017 1:16PM

Nepal and China have embarked on a 10-day military drill as ties between the two neighbors deepen amid India's diminishing influence in the region.

The military exercises, the first held between the two countries in history, began in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu on Sunday.

Officials said the drill will focus on counter-terrorism and is dubbed "Sagarmatha Friendship 2017", a reference to the Nepalese terms for the iconic Mount Everest.

The drills come amid increasing rivalry between China and India for supremacy in the region. China's Defense Minister Chang Wanquan visited Kathmandu last month to supervise the preparations for the joint drills. The trip was the first by a Chinese defense minister in 15 years.

However, Nepal's military spokesman denied that the drill was a sign of China's increasing influence in Nepal, a country sandwiched between China and India which has historically looked southwards to India to meet its needs.

"This is in line with our efforts to hold joint exercises with countries that have diplomatic relations with Nepal," said Jhankar Bahadur.

Tanka Karki, a former Nepali ambassador to China, said the joint military exercises could drastically affect the relationship between Nepal and China.

"Nepal and China share a multi-faceted tie and a joint military exercise broadens that relationship," he said.

India is often accused of playing the role of "big brother" in Nepal as the landlocked tiny country is still heavily dependent on New Delhi for the majority of its imports. The previous Nepalese administration sought to decrease the dependence and deepened ties with China. The current government, mainly led by Maoists, has tried to repair ties with India although Kathmandu continues to receive massive cash from China despite its pledges to remain committed to India.

Beijing has also pledged to provide Nepal with a lavish investment of USD 8.3 billion in grand infrastructure projects, something that has clearly dwarfed India's offer of USD 317 million.

China and India continue to jostle for more influence in impoverished Nepal as the two have been engaged in disputes regarding the situation of Tibet, which borders Nepal. China has repeatedly censured India's support for separatist Buddhists living near China's border, including their leader the Dalai Lama. India has yet to officially recognize China's rule over Tibet while it insists that the Dalai Lama has a devoted following in Arunachal Pradesh, a region administered by India but claimed by China as southern Tibet.

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Yemenis kill 4 Saudi troops, attack military base

Iran Press TV

Sun Apr 16, 2017 8:51AM

Yemeni soldiers and allied Houthi fighters have killed four Saudi troops in sniper fire in the kingdom's extreme southwest in retaliation for new attacks on the impoverished nation.

The allied forces gunned down one Saudi trooper at the al-Mo'annaq military outpost in the kingdom's Jizan region on Saturday, Yemen's al-Masirah television network reported. Separately, Yemeni sharpshooters killed three more Saudi troops in a blitz against military bases in Najran.

A Saudi military vehicle was also destroyed while traveling in the Midi Desert in Jizan.

Al-Masirah published a video, released by Yemen's War Media, showing mercenaries fleeing the al-Qavieh base in Jizan on board two vehicles, leaving behind their equipment. A Yemeni army unit then goes there and takes away some of the accoutrement.

Yemeni forces have been responding to Saudi Arabia's more than two years of invasion launched in support of a former government. Thousands of civilians have been killed in the war which has also destroyed Yemen's infrastructure and put the country on the brink of a famine.

The Yemenis have stepped up their retaliatory strikes against Saudi mercenaries, who have been trying to push deeper into the impoverished country after occupying the Red Sea port of Aden.

On Saturday, loyalist forces backed by Saudi Arabia launched an assault to seize the Khaled Ibn al-Walid base from Houthi fighters and their allies near Yemen's west coast.

At least 25 loyalists of former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and Houthi fighters were killed in clashes around the key military located 30 kilometers from the Red Sea town of Mokha which pro-Saudi forces captured in February.

Military and medical sources told the French news agency AFP that Saudi warplanes had bombed Houthi positions as they tried to push back the advancing mercenaries.

Nine Houthi fighters were killed and two others wounded in twin Saudi airstrikes targeting three vehicles bringing reinforcements to the camp, the report said. A further 12 Houthis and four Hadi loyalists were killed in fighting overnight, it added.

The camp, one of the biggest in Yemen, sits on a key road linking Mokha to the Houthi-controlled port city of Hudaydah and Ta'izz.

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Top U.S. Security Official Visits Kabul After Massive Bomb

RFE/RL April 16, 2017

H.R. McMaster, U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser, has arrived in Kabul just days after the U.S. military dropped its largest non-nuclear bomb on Islamic State (IS) group targets in eastern Afghanistan, killing nearly a hundred militants.

McMaster arrived in the Afghan capital on April 16 for talks with Afghan leaders as the Trump administration reviews its policy in Afghanistan.

Trump has yet to shed light about a broader strategy for Afghanistan, where some 8,400 U.S. troops remain. The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said recently that he needed several thousand more foreign troops in order to break a stalemate in the war with the Taliban.

McMaster said on Twitter that he was in Kabul for "very important talks on mutual cooperation."

Afghanistan's presidential palace tweeted that President Ashraf Ghani and McMaster "discussed bilateral ties, security, counterterrorism, reforms, [and] development" during the April 16 meeting.

On April 13, the U.S. military deployed the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb -- dubbed the Mother Of All Bombs -- in combat for the first time, hitting IS positions in eastern Nangarhar Province.

Afghan officials put the death toll to 94 militants and said there were no civilian casualties.

Ghani has voiced his support for the bombing, saying it was executed in coordination with Afghanistan's government. But some critics called the action "disproportionate."

Former President Hamid Karzai, a staunch critic of Washington and the Kabul government, called Ghani a "traitor" and declared that he would work toward "ousting the U.S." from Afghanistan.

"If the government has permitted them to do this, that was wrong and it has committed national treason," Karzai said during a public event on April 15.

Ghani's office replied to Karzai's charges with a statement saying: "Every Afghan has the right to speak their mind. This is a country of free speech."

IS has made inroads into Afghanistan in recent years, attracting disaffected members of the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban as well as foreign militants.

But the militant group has been steadily losing ground in the face of heavy pressure both from U.S. air strikes and a ground offensive conducted by the Afghan military.

The U.S. bombing came a week after Trump ordered missile strikes in Syria in retaliation for a suspected chemical attack, and as China warned of the potential for conflict amid rising U.S. tensions with North Korea.

With reporting by AFP

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan- us-mcmaster-visit/28433445.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.

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Georgia Plans New Reservist Force

Liz Fuller April 16, 2017

The Georgian Defense Ministry has drafted and submitted to parliament a "concept" for the creation of a strong reservist force capable of supporting and augmenting the regular army in the event of a full-scale armed conflict.

Although details remain unclear, several military analysts have judged the proposal realistic and effective. The same cannot be said of similar plans launched more than a decade ago under then-President Mikheil Saakashvili. Military journalist Irakli Aladashvili has calculated the cost of those attempts at 30 million laris (over $12 million).

Service in the planned reserve will be voluntary and is open to both men and women aged between 18-55. The reservist force will be divided into three categories. The first will comprise men demobilized from the regular army -- i.e., contract servicemen with the rank of corporal or sergeant who have served for five years and want to transfer to the reserve for a further five years.

The second will be a territorial reserve established on the basis of the existing National Guard. In the event of hostilities, its members would be deployed only in their home district. Young men liable for military service may, if they choose, serve for five years in the territorial reserve instead.

The third category will consist of civilian specialists, such as civil engineers, whose skills would be of value to the army. (A comment posted on the website Georgia Today in July 2016 made the point that "should Georgian infantrymen need support from combat engineers or artillery, they have to call for assistance from bases some distance away; not overly useful if the country is ever invaded.")

The optimum strength of the armed forces reserve was set at 1,500, and that of the territorial defense force at 10,000. The Defense Ministry reportedly hopes to launch a pilot scheme in 2018.

Defense Ministry official Giorgi Tavdgiridze explained the rationale for creating the reserve in terms of the need for "the minimum number of servicemen in barracks during peace time and the ability to mobilize the maximum manpower in time of war." The reservists will be mobilized for active service for 45 days a year. (Nika Chitadze, who heads the Center for Research on Security and International Relations, has questioned whether that period is long enough to provide adequate basic training for those volunteers who have not previously performed their military service.) They will receive a salary and unspecified benefits.

According to Irakli Sesiashvili, who heads the Georgian parliament's Defense and Security Committee, the Defense Ministry has been working on the plans for a reservist force for several years. But as military analyst Vakhtang Maisaya points out, Georgia still does not have an overarching comprehensive military strategy to replace the now "outdated" one adopted after the August 2008 Russian-Georgian War and that would define the role of the reservist force vis-a-vis the regular army.

As noted above, earlier efforts under President Saakashvili to train a huge reserve force (rather than create a fifth brigade that Western military advisers had said was unnecessary and not financially viable) were less than successful. Following the abortive Georgian incursion into the breakaway region of South Ossetia in the summer of 2004, a campaign was launched to train 15,000-20,000 reservists by the end of 2005, with the ultimate objective of increasing the force to 100,000.

In December 2006, parliament enacted legislation, which took effect in March 2007, requiring all men between the ages of 27-40 to perform 18 days of compulsory military training every second year.

Some military experts, however, derided those plans as unworkable and unnecessary. Kakha Katsitadze, a former head of the strategic-planning department of the armed forces' General Staff, predicted that it would prove impossible to train that many reservists; he also said the three-week training period they are required to undergo was painfully inadequate. The General Staff proved incapable of mobilizing reservists at the start of the ill-fated incursion in August 2008, which triggered a disproportionate reaction from Russia.

Even though the idea of creating the reserve force predates the appointment of Levan Izoria as defense minister, it clearly complements the reconfiguration of the armed forces he launched late last year, and thus represents a further mature and prudent step forward. That process encompassed the reversal of his predecessor's decree abolishing conscription, and a systematic optimization that entailed the dismissal of extraneous civilian personnel and a reduction in the officer corps.

Testifying on April 11 before the Georgian parliament's Defense and Security Committee, Izoria explained that the reforms will contribute to the more effective use of the defense budget, freeing up a larger percentage for equipment and enhancing combat readiness. At present some 70 percent of total funding is spent on salaries and social benefits, compared with the maximum for NATO member states of 55 percent.

The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect those of RFE/RL

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/georgia-plans- defense-reform-reservist-force/28433580.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.

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Duterte Agrees to Hold Philippines-US Drills for the First Time During His Rule

Sputnik News

20:18 16.04.2017(updated 22:39 16.04.2017)

The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the United States will hold annual Balikatan drills in May. The drills will be the first of their kind after the inauguration of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, according to AFP.

The ten-day exercises will be aimed at combating terrorism and liquidating emergency situations.

"It will be scenario-based like (preparing for) a big storm hitting the Philippines or the possibility of terrorism," Balikatan spokesman Major Celeste Frank Sayson told AFP.

"We can say with confidence that there will be no more military shelling, as we will focus on providing humanitarian and civilian assistance," he added.

The exercises, whose title translates to "Shoulder-to-Shoulder," will be the first of its kind since the inauguration of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in June 2016.

Last year, he said that he would withdraw the US military contingent from the country by the end of his presidential term, by 2022, and will not replace it with any other foreign troops.

Before that, he stated that he intended to withdraw foreign troops from the Philippines by 2018.

Duterte, who took office last year, has sought improved relations with China and set aside the maritime dispute in favor of economic concessions.

However, the quick reversal of official rhetoric coming out of the Philippines has become a trademark of the Duterte administration, since he took office in June 2016.

On 6 April, he declared that he had ordered the Filipino military to occupy several islands in the South China Sea claimed by the Phillipines, in the face of ongoing Chinese activity, including land-reclamation and navy patrols.

"We tried to be friends with everybody but we have to maintain our jurisdiction now," Duterte said.

In response, Beijing said that the Philippines and Vietnam deliberately use US support to escalate tensions in the region.

Moreover, the Philippines and China have a territorial dispute, and that is why Duterte tries to make "political maneuvers."

 Sputnik

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Russia May Assist Afghanistan in Training Police, Army Staff

Sputnik News

20:28 16.04.2017

Russia may train Afghani army and police, deputy speaker of the Russian's Federation Council said on Sunday.

RIYADH (Sputnik)  Russia may assist Afghanistan in preparing staff for the country's army and police, Ilyas Umakhanov, deputy speaker of the Russian parliament's upper chamber, said on Sunday.

"I admit that such a form of cooperation between our countries may exist, because we are talking about countering terrorism, extremism, in the end. And this is what all the countries are interested in," Umakhanov told reporters, answering a corresponding question.

The deputy speaker noted that Russia had already provided support to Afghanistan in training staff for countering drag trafficking, noting that there were certain agreements on the issue between foreign and interior ministries.

A delegation of Russian upper house lawmakers, headed by speaker Valentina Matvienko, is on a visit to Saudi Arabia on April 15-17 to hold meetings with the country's top officials and discuss a wide range of issues, such as terrorism fight and bilateral cooperation.

 Sputnik

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US Urges Russia, Pakistan To End Support For Afghan Taliban

By Ayaz Gul April 16, 2017

The United States is calling on regional countries, including Russia and Pakistan, not to support the Taliban in their bid to "perpetuate the very long war" in Afghanistan.

U.S. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster made the remarks Sunday after talks with Afghan leaders on his first trip to Kabul since taking office.

Afghan officials said the discussions focused on bilateral security matters, fighting regional terrorism and strengthening the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, or ANDSF.

McMaster told local TOLOnews that Taliban insurgents who refuse to engage in a government-led peace and reconciliation process must be defeated on the battlefield. He said the United States is committed to strengthen Afghan forces to enable them to achieve that objective.

He would not say whether President Donald Trump will send more troops to Afghanistan once his administration concludes its review of the Afghan policy.

McMaster's visit follows calls by U.S. military commanders for adding "a few thousand" more troops to the roughly 8,400 American troops already in Afghanistan.

"No one should support the Taliban. No one should support armed resistance against the Afghan government and the Afghan people," the adviser said when asked to comment on Russia's overt contacts with the Taliban.

"What we would like is all countries in the region to play a productive role, a positive role and to help the Afghan people rather than to try to perpetuate this very long conflict," he said.

McMaster said, without elaborating, that those who are perpetuating and helping cause the Afghan violence "ought to be exposed and held accountable."

Russia last week hosted a new round of multi-nation talks on security and peace prospects for Afghanistan. Pakistan, China, Iran, India, Afghanistan and five former Soviet Central Asian states were among the participants. The meeting ended with Moscow offering to host peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, though the insurgent group had already dismissed the conference as an event motivated by the political agendas of the organizers.

The American adviser on Monday will travel to neighboring Pakistan, which is accused of harboring Taliban sanctuaries on its soil and covertly supporting the insurgents. He emphasized the need for Islamabad to pursue its interests in Afghanistan through diplomacy and not through violence.

"As all of us have hoped for many many years, we have hoped that Pakistani leaders will understand that it is in their interest to go after these groups less selectively than they have in the past, and the best way to pursue their interests in Afghanistan and elsewhere is through diplomacy, not through the use of proxies that engage in violence," McMaster said.

Responding to Thursday's massive bomb attack by the U.S. military against the stronghold of Islamic State in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, McMaster said the terrorist group threatens all civilized people and must be defeated.

"Well, it is not just the bomb but it is really what our soldiers are doing every day alongside courageous Afghan soldiers, fighting Daesh, ensuring that these people who victimized women, who shoot people in hospital beds, we cannot tolerate the existence of that kind of an organization," he said.

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The Farmington Correctional Center held its annual Crime Victims Rights Ceremony on April 6 under the rotunda of the administration building at the Farmington Correctional Center.

As part of Crimes Victims Rights Week, the ceremony brought to an end a week of promoting victims rights and honoring crime victims of those who advocate on their behalf.

The years ceremony began with the correctional centers Dee Gordon as the master of ceremonies explaining this years theme, "Strength, Resilience, Justice."

This years theme, Strength, Resilience, Justice,' highlight the core characteristics of a healthy and productive individual and community, Gordon said. In order to sustain those traits requires community stakeholders to work together to meet the diverse needs of the victims and the aftermath of crime.

Gordon added that we must couple this theme by emphasizing unity, communal responsibility and attention to a common goal.

After opening remarks, Gordon introduced the days guest speakers, Sandy Self and Jacquie Castaneda, community organizers with SEMO Rescue and Restore Coalition who spoke to the audience about human trafficking.

Self said six years ago she was assigned the arduous task of starting a coalition to promote awareness of human trafficking in Missouri. At first she wondered how is this still happening, and how it is still happening in Missouri.

I first thought it was foreign born, people who didnt speak the language and who were undocumented, Self said. I couldnt phantom how modern day slavery was still happening let alone still in Missouri.

Selfs coalition began in a very grassroots manner, starting first in Kennett before opening two more chapters in Sikeston and then to Poplar Bluff.

Our whole goal is to increase awareness form a community movement, Self said. We want to help inform, educate and identify potential victims of human trafficking.

Self explained that the problem of human trafficking takes many forms and can be seen everywhere.

It happens in our community, our towns and our states, Self said. It can be anyone from a restaurant worker, a prostitute at a truck stop, a hotel worker and even a child. Its everywhere.

During their presentation, Self and Castaneda both spoke of the ways people are being taken advantage of and having their lives stolen by traffickers.

Castaneda spoke of people being kept in modern day slavery by holding their wages, taking their papers and charging them for their meals and a place to stay, but never telling them how much they owe.

When the two finished their presentation, Gordon presented the Self and Castaneda with two checks. The first was a check for $414 from the staff of the Farmington Correctional Center and the second check for $150 from the Restorative Justice Organization, (RJO).

Following the presentation to Self and Castaneda, the Childrens Advocacy Center was given a check for $500 from the RJO, followed by Shared Blessing Transitional Housing also receiving a check for $500 from the RJO.

The last presentation of the day went to SEMO Family Violence Council (A Friends Place  local womens shelter) who received donated items from the FCC and a check for $300 from the RJO.
Pence Stresses Alliance With South Korea After Pyongyang's Failed Missile Test

By VOA News April 16, 2017

U.S. Vice President Mike Pense is stressing the strength of the American alliance with South Korea hours after the latest failed missile test by Pyongyang.

Times are "challenging," but America's "historic alliance with the courageous people of South Korea has never been stronger," Pense said in Seoul during a fellowship dinner for relatives of U.S. troops based in South Korea.

"This morning's provocation from the North is just the latest reminder of the risks each one of you face every day in the defense of the freedom of the people of South Korea and the defense of America in this part of the world," Pence said.

Earlier Sunday, the vice president attended Easter church services with military service members.

According to the Associated Press, Pence's mission on his first trip to South Korea is to explain to leaders in Japan, Indonesia, Australia and South Korea about a policy called "maximum pressure and engagement" aimed at increasing pressure on North Korea's government.

Not much else has been revealed about the new policy.

The failed missile launch from North Korea'sport city of Sinpo came a day after a massive military parade in the North Korean capital that amounted to a show of force by the government of Kim Jong Un. However Pyongyang did not conduct a widely anticipated underground nuclear weapons test.

In Florida, President Trump expressed satisfaction with his offer to ease up on trade pressure on China in exchange for help in reining in North Korea's nuclear programs.

"Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are woirking with us on the North Korean problem?" he tweeted. "We will see what happens!"

US evaluating launch

A short while after the launch, a statement from the U.S. Pacific Command said the missile blew up almost immediately and that its type was still being assessed.

The statement also reiterated Washington's full commitment "to working closely with our allies," particularly South Korea and Japan, to maintain security.

Vice President Pence was briefed on the failed launch during his flight to Seoul and conferred with the president, according to a statement from Pence's office.

Earlier this past week, as tensions worsened between Washington and Pyongyang, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a U.S. Naval strike group headed by the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier to the Korean peninsula in show of force.

Pyongyang conducted two unauthorized nuclear test explosions last year and nearly two dozen rocket launches in a years-long push to expand its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.

Pyongyang boasts of missile prowess

North Korean leader Kim declared in a speech on New Year's Day that his country's program to build inter-continental ballistic missiles had "reached its final stage."

Pyongyang has been under U.N. sanctions since 2006, along with an international arms embargo aimed at slowing its development of its banned nuclear and missile programs.

Since then, Washington and a vast majority of world governments have repeatedly demanded that the North denuclearize the Korean peninsula. Western leaders, however, have yet to devise a plan that would either compel the North to cooperate or create incentives for it to do so.

President Trump has in recent weeks pressed China to persuade its North Korean ally to curb its nuclear ambitions, but results of those efforts are not yet clear.

Trump also said he would not call China a "currency manipulator," reversing a promise he pledged to do on his first day in office.

"Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem?" he wrote on Twitter. "We will see what happens!"

VOA's Steve Herman and Brian Padden contributed to this report.

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Get Your Stealth On: Serbia Looks to Russia, Belarus to Buy S-300 AA System

Sputnik News

02:19 17.04.2017

Serbia is looking to purchase two divisions of Russian S-300 anti-air systems, according to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Belgrade may make the buy from either Russia or from Belarus.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has told reporters that he seeks to buy two divisions of the Russian-made S-300 anti-air missile system, saying that negotiations are underway both with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko.

"For us it would be vital to have two (S-300) divisions and one regimental command post, which would be a solution for us for many years to come," he said, adding that no agreement has been reached yet.

Defense Minister Zoran Djordjevic mentioned Serbia's intention to purchase the system earlier in January.

Vucic, who was elected on April 2, last visited Belarus' capital, Minsk, in late January, and was in Moscow in December, when he still was Serbia's prime minister.

Vucic commented on rumors that Russia allegedly sold S-300 to Croatia, Serbia's one-time rival in the Yugoslavian war, despite a UN embargo, that was imposed in 1991 and "indefinitely" suspended in 1995.

"We have no information that Croatia is in possession of the S-300. Generally, one can't hide such a thing, it's not a needle," Vucic said.

The report, originally published in Croatia's Vecernji List newspaper, has been denied by Russia. Earlier this week, Moscow slammed the article as "provocative, twisting the facts, and aimed at smearing Russian politics in the Balkans."

"Russia has always followed its international legal obligations, including those under the embargo regime on arms supply for the conflicting parties of the Yugoslav crisis in 1991-1995," said Artem Kozhin, deputy director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Department of Information and Press.

In 1999, Yugoslav forces shot down then state-of-the-art aircraft, the F-117 Nighthawk, that had been advertised as "invisible" to anti-aircraft systems, using an obsolete Soviet-built S-125 anti-air system, a predecessor to the S-300. This effectively marked the death of the F-117, which has since been substituted by the F-22.

 Sputnik

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Korea Crisis 2017

The US State Department's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Korea and Japan Joseph Yun notified South Korean lawmakers visiting Washington 26 May 2017 of a "4-point policy plan" that was approved by Donald Trump. The plan was seemingly also insinuated by Trump himself who is in Italy for the G7 summit,and where he reportedly met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and expressed confidence that the North Korea problem will be "solved".

The 4-point plan includes the following:

not recognizing North Korea as a nuclear state; imposing every possible sanction and pressure; not seeking regime change; and resolving the conflict with dialogue in the end.

The 4-point plan does not explicitly mention the use of military force. Yun also explained to the South Korean delegation that the plan also reflected opinions of not only South Korea but also China and Japan. The newest plan was seen by many as a timely and welcome de-escalation of tensions between Washington and Pyongyang. South Korean experts agreed that Washington's broadly defined 4-point plan aligned nicely with Seoul's own North Korea policy, which is to use both sanctions and dialogue with the regime.

Differences could arise in terms of how to deal with the North's ongoing nuclear program. South Korea is closer to China in terms of trying to make North Korea 'suspend' its nuclear program first before inducing a complete denuclearization. But the Trump administration has said before that North Korea must completely dismantle its nuclear program [which would pose hopeless verification challenges].

One of the most pressing issues to be dealt by South Korean President Moon Jae-in is North Korea, as the previous administration's latest measures of sanctions and punishment were not able to put a halt to the regime's nuclear ambitions. That's why the foreign ministry's briefing to President Moon's special advisory committee on 24 May 2017 garnered attention as Moon vowed to take a different stance on Pyongyang during his campaign.

North Korean state media hailed the 20 May 2017 missile launch as a great success and confirmed that the projectile was a medium-range ballistic missile of a type called the Pukguksong-2, a land-based version of the submarine-launched ballistic missile Pukguksong-1. It also said Kim Jong-un has authorized the missiles to be mass produced for actual deployment. The missile was launched from an area north of Pyongyang and flew some 500 kilometers before falling into the East Sea. By comparison, the Hwasong-12 missile test-fired a week earlier flew some 700 kilometers. Experts say, if launched at the optimal angle, the Pukguksung-2 has a range of up to 2,000 kilometers, while the Hwasong-12 can fly 4,500 kilometers -- over twice as far.

North Korea will seek the extradition of anyone involved in what it says was a CIA-backed plot to kill leader Kim Jong-un last month with a biochemical weapon, a top official said 11 May 2017. Han Song-ryol, the vice foreign minister, called a meeting of foreign diplomats on in Pyongyang to outline North Korea's allegation that the CIA and South Korea's intelligence agency bribed and coerced a North Korean man into joining in the assassination plot, which the North Korean Ministry of State Security has suggested was thwarted. North Korea's permanent mission to the UN issued a statement calling the purported plot to kill Kim a "declaration of war". The permanent mission to the UN said the Ministry of State Security declared that a "Korean-style anti-terrorist offensive will be commenced to mop up the intelligence and plot-breeding organisations of the US and South Korea".

"These terrorists plotted and planned in detail for the use of biochemical substances, including radioactive and poisonous substances, as the means of assassination," Vice Minister Han said, reading from a prepared statement. "These biochemical substances were to be provided with the assistance of the CIA ... while the South Korean Intelligence Service was going to provide necessary support and funding for this attempt at assassination on our supreme leader."

North Korea accused the US and South Korean spy agencies of an unsuccessful assassination attempt against leader Kim Jong-un involving biochemical weapons. In a statement carried on state media, North Korea's ministry of state security on 05 May 2017 said that a "hideous" group sanctioned by the CIA and South Korean Intelligence Service (IS) had infiltrated North Korea "on the basis of covert and meticulous preparations to commit state-sponsored terrorism against the supreme leadership". The ministry said the spy agencies in June 2014 "ideologically corrupted and bribed" a North Korean citizen who had been working in Russia to carry out the alleged assassination on Kim after returning home.

Referencing recent US airstrikes in Syria and Afghanistan, US Vice President Mike Pence issued a strong warning to North Korea 17 April 2017 that Donald Trump would use military force if needed to deal with the Kim Jong Un governments escalating nuclear threat. Just in the last two weeks the world witnessed the strength and resolve of our new president in actions taken in Syria in Afghanistan. North Korea would do well not to test his resolve, said Vice President Pence.

US National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster says there is now an "international consensus," including "China and the Chinese leadership," that North Korea's missile tests cannot be allowed to continue [based on prior experience in the late 1990s, the DPRK could easily relocate missile test activities to Iran, if needed]. McMaster seemed to walk back the threat of a possible U.S. military strike against North Korea, at least for now. "It's time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully," he said on the ABC news networks "This Week" program. "We are working together with our allies and partners and with the Chinese leadership to develop a range of options."

After remarks by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that the US policy of strategic patience is over, and comments from US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley that negotiations with North Korea were no longer being considered as "all options" were now on the table, many observe that a new threat policy, months in the making, was in full-scale use by the West.

Taiwan's official Central News Agency on 16 April 2017 reported that China was trying to resolve the North Korean nuclear impasse through diplomatic channels with the North. The report said that Pyongyang demanded China ensure the North's security and economic gain, and give a period of three years to abandon nuclear weapons. However, Beijing was reported to be asking the North to dismantle nuclear weapons within three months and to accept the offer within two to three weeks. But Reuters reported that North Korea did not respond to requests from senior Chinese diplomats, including the country's foreign minister and China's special envoy for the North Korea nuclear issue, Wu Dawei, to meet North Korean counterparts.

Other sources claimed secret talks had begun between the US and North Korea to end the crisis. The US was said to have demanded that North Korea permanently abandon, not freeze, its nuclear program. In return, Washington was claimed to have offered establishing a formal diplomatic relationship between Washington and Pyongyang, and stationing infantry outside Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, to protect the Kim Jong-un regime. Plus, the US Navy would support the mission at North Korea's military port in Wonsan. [such a deal !! this report does not seem credible, as it is hard to imagine why Kim Jong-un would seem the presence of US forces in the North]. On 15 April 2017, North Korea celebrated the 105th anniversary since the birth of the founder of the DPRK, Kim Il Sung. This is the largest national holiday in the country, which is called the Day of the Sun. Kim Il Sung is referred to as the "Sun of the Nation" in the DPRK. In the past, North Korean leaders would test weapons on April 15. In addition, Seoul does not exclude a possibility of either a nuclear or a missile test on the 85th anniversary of the Korean People's Army, which the North celebrates on April 25.

Donald Trump dispatched a carrier strike group to Korean waters. The ships were timed to arrive just before April 15, the anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung, North Korea's founder. It was predicted that North Korea will conduct "provocations" [missile and or nuclear tests] to demonstrate that it did not fear America. It was improbable that Trump could ignore such provovations, or refrain from some kinetic response [eg, shooting down DPRK missiles after they had been launched, etc]. Neither side would back down, both would feel the need to escalate, with no clear end in sight. At a minimum, this show of force would come on the eve of the Korean presidential election, though the impact on the election remained unclear. The "Day of the Sun" came and went, with no provocations.

Fear that Washington could strike North Korea was triggered as Trump ordered an air strike on Syria while he was meeting with rival Chinese leader Xi Jinping. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US strike against Syria did mean to serve as a warning to regimes like North Korea. But Trump was reported 12 April 2017 by the Wall Street Journal to have signed off on a policy approach to North Korea that involved increased economic and political pressure with military options under consideration in the long-term - on the back burner.

The US National Security Council was reported by NBC to have presented Trump with a series options for responding to the North Korea's nuclear and missile program, including the assassination of Kim Jong-un and other senior North Korean leaders, the sending special forces into the country to sabotage key infrastructure, and even the deployment of American nuclear weapons in South Korea.

In what could be seen as a possible change on China's North Korea policy, Beijing's foreign ministry released a rather refrained quote to Washington's uncommon decision to send back its USS Carl Vinson strike group near the Korean peninsula, in contrast to widely expected strong opposition comments. It seemed like China's North Korea policy changed, but Beijing has the habit of pushing North Korea away whenever tensions rise on the Korean peninsula and pull Pyongyang back when tensions die down.

Gen. Lori Robinson, who heads the US Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) said she was "extremely confident" that the US' current anti-missile defense could intercept an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from Pyongyang. Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted a Pyongyang foreign ministry official saying, "We never beg for peace but we will take the toughest counteraction against the provocateurs in order to defend ourselves by powerful force of arms and keep to the road chosen by ourselves."

Amid speculations that the US could militarily engage in the Korean Peninsula situation, ROK Defense Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun said that the US warships came in preparation for a possible nuclear test or missile launch in the North. Moon said the military was keeping in mind that North Korean provocations are likely around the birthday of the late North Korean leader Kim Il-sung and the anniversary of the foundation of the North Korean Peoples Army this month.

South Korea downplayed the possibility of a preemptive US strike against North Korea. Unification Ministry spokesman Lee Duck-haeng said on 10 April 2017, during a regular briefing, that Washington had expressed its support of Seouls policy on the North, which seeks a peaceful resolution of issues. The spokesman said its important to deal with the Norths provocations with wisdom and maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. He added the government will closely cooperate not only with the U.S. but also regional neighbors to resolve the North Korean nuclear problem. He explained Seoul's policy of sanctions and pressure against Pyongyang is part of the process to lead the North to change and work out issues through dialogue, and stressed that the government does not seek military tension or confrontation.

On 10 April 2017, North Korea's Foreign Ministry issued a statement warning that the US carrier strike group's deployment showed that the US's "reckless moves for invading" had "reached a serious phrase," adding that Pyongyang would defend itself against such "reckless acts of aggression." On 11 April 2017, the foreign ministry spokesman said "We will take the toughest counteraction against the provocateurs in order to defend ourselves by powerful force of arms... We will hold the US wholly accountable for the catastrophic consequences to be entailed by its outrageous actions."

On 11 April 2017 North Korean state media warned of a nuclear attack on the US at any sign of a US pre-emptive strike and said the country was prepared to respond to any aggression by the United States. "Our revolutionary strong army is keenly watching every move by enemy elements with our nuclear sight focused on the US invasionary bases not only in South Korea and the Pacific operation theatre but also in the US mainland," the official Rodong Sinmun newspaper said.

A US preemptive strike against North Korea could result in massive civilian casualties in South Korea. Vasily Kashin, senior researcher at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies, issued the warning in his contribution to the Russian daily Izvestiya on 11 April 2017. Kashin said US precision strikes could destroy some of the Norths key facilities such as the Yongbyon nuclear site, but it would be difficult to remove all its nuclear materials, weapons and missiles. The expert also projected that Pyongyang would turn to its asymmetric military capabilities to counter such action by the US, making massive civilian casualties inevitable. He added that the Norths counterattack would not deal a severe blow to US troops, however South Korea's capital region, with a population of 25 million, is within the range of the Norths artillery attack.

Moon Jae-in of the biggest Minjoo Party said in a statement that any military action on the peninsula must never be conducted without South Korea's consent. Moon noted that if he takes power, he will visit the United States rapidly to discuss ways to resolve the issue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). A spokesman with Ahn Cheol-soo of the center-right People's Party, Moon's archrival, said the re-deployment of the U.S. aircraft carrier near the peninsula was viewed as a strong show of force against the DPRK's nuclear program. He expressed worry about the escalated military tensions on the peninsula, adding that the DPRK's nuclear issue must be resolved in a peaceful way.

Amid concerns over possible North Korean provocations and a US military response, Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn urged the government and the public to remain cool-headed. As Hwang called for composure in dealing with the North, Seoul's Unification Minister expressed his opposition to a possible US military strike on North Korea. He said its impact on South Korea must be considered.

On 11 April 2017, the ROK Defense Ministry warned against exaggerated speculations about the current security situation on the Korean Peninsula. Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun addressed the fast-spreading social media rumors suggesting an impending U.S. airstrike on North Korea or its leader Kim Jong-un's escape from his country. While calling for caution against unwarranted assessments of the peninsula situation, the spokesman said that any military action against the regime will be conducted based on thorough bilateral coordination of the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry has dismissed rumors of a looming war on the Korean Peninsula, which were rapidly spreading on social networking sites. Ministry spokesman Cho June-hyuck said that the U.S. is making it clear that it will not seek any new policies or take measures without discussing them with South Korea.

VOA reported 12 April 2017 that "Despite the heightened inter-Korean tensions over the North's accelerated nuclear and ballistic missile testing, and the increasing talk of a U.S. preemptive strike, few South Koreans appear concerned by the prospect of imminent conflict.... in Seoul, the flare up in tensions is not causing any sense of panic, even though the city is situated within range of the Norths artillery and missile arsenal. Many in South Korea see the current crisis as political theater that has been played out repeatedly in the past."

According to the Pravda Report on Wednesday 12 April 2017, some 600,000 people, said to be a quarter of Pyongyang's total population, wre subject to immediately leave the capital city. This is the only source for this story, which would seem to be fake news. The order was supposed to have been given by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The report said this is because there are not enough bomb shelters in Pyongyang to accommodate the whole population. It noted the 600,000 people were "mostly individuals with criminal records" and they will have to leave Pyongyang to let others use the bomb shelters. The report cited experts as viewing the evacuation as most likely stemming from extremely strained tensions in relations with the United States.

Japanese and South Korean media were said to be "hysterically" reporting on the deployment of as many as 150,000 People's Liberation Army (PLA) personnel, part of the PLA's 16th, 23rd, 39th and 40th Group Armies, to the Chinese-North Korean border. This story is thinly sources, and which would seem to be fake news. These forces were to coordinate efforts to alleviate a refugee crisis in the event of a Second Korea War breaking out. China refuted the news about the deployment of 150,000 troops to the border of the DPRK. The Chinese Ministry of Defense issued a sort of non-denial denial about the deployment.

The ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said that no unusual military moves were being detected in North Korea. JCS press chief Roh Jae-chun made the remarks in a news briefing at the Defense Ministry on Thursday 13 April 2017.

The White House on Friday 14 April 2017 denied a report that the US government was prepared to launch a strike if officials were certain that North Korea was about to conduct a nuclear test. NBC News reported on Thursday 13 April 2017 that multiple senior US intelligence officials talked about possible preemptive action. The US network quoted the officials as saying the US military has positioned destroyers with Tomahawk cruise missiles in waters about 480 kilometers from the North Korean nuclear test site. The officials reportedly said bombers are also being lined up in Guam.

The United States was reportedly sending a third aircraft carrier strike force to the western Pacific region in an apparent warning to North Korea. The USS Nimitz, one of the world's largest warships, was to join two other supercarriers, the USS Carl Vinson and the USS Ronald Reagan, in the western Pacific. The US military had rarely simultaneously deployed three aircraft carriers to the same region.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said 15 august 2017 he would watch America's actions "a little more", after consulting his army officials on a plan to attack the U.S. territory of Guam. North Korea's state-run media reported that Kim was briefed on the specific details of a missile strike. He was quoted to have said the North will carry out the "important decision" as declared-- should the U.S. continue its "reckless, provocative actions on the Korean peninsula." The North's threat to target Guam with four intermediate-range ballistic missiles, gave rise to a surge in tension between Washington and Pyongyang, with Donald Trump saying America is locked and loaded for military action.





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What Kind of 'Major Advances' China's Third Aircraft Carrier May Feature

Sputnik News

14:15 16.04.2017(updated 17:23 16.04.2017)

As China's second aircraft carrier is being prepared for launch in late April, experts are predicting what kind of technological breakthroughs the third China-made carrier may have.

During an interview with BTV, a Chinese military, expert Xu Guangyu made his forecast suggesting that the third aircraft carrier may be nuclear-powered.

"The first domestically built carrier is likely to be like the Liaoning [China's first aircraft carrier]. It will be conventionally powered and use a ski-jump take-off, whereas the second one is likely to use a catapult take-off The third one, however, will benefit from major breakthroughs and may even be nuclear-powered," China Daily newspaper reported Xu as saying.

Experts further predict that the third China-made carrier may even have the capacity for an electromagnetic launch.

"The development of Chinese aircraft carriers is a slow but steady process. From platform construction to personnel training, it's all gradual," Xu said.

Earlier it was reported that the second aircraft carrier which is country's first domestically built carrier will be able to dock from 28 to 36 units of Jian-15 fighters (J-15).

The Chinese media reported that the aircraft carrier could be launched in late April 2017. According to some experts, the likely date is April 23 which is the anniversary date of the founding of the PLA Navy.

Currently, the Chinese Navy arsenal consists of the Liaoning aircraft carrier, created on the basis of the Soviet cruiser Varyag. Liaoning can base 24 J-15 fighters.

Liaoning is a Type 001 class vessel. The first carrier was rebuilt out of the Soviet aircraft cruiser Varyag in early 2000s, with the first sea trial taking place in 2011. In September 2012, Liaoning was commissioned into the PLA Navy.

In late December 2015, the Chinese Defense Ministry announced plans to construct a new Liaoning aircraft carrier built by China itself.

 Sputnik

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Pentagon confirms DPRK missile launch fails

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 11:13, April 16, 2017

The Pentagon confirmed on Saturday that a new missile launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) had failed.

According to U.S. Pacific Command spokesman Commander David Benham, the command detected and tracked what the U.S. military assessed was a DPRK missile launch at 11:21 a.m. Hawaii time (2121 GMT) April 15.

"The launch of the ballistic missile occurred near Sinpo," said Benham. "The missile blew up almost immediately. The type of missile is still being assessed."

The new missile test, which took place near the port city of Sinpo, South Hamgyong Province, came hours after the DPRK showed in a festive parade all of its most-advanced ballistic and tactic missiles, including a submarine-launched ballistic missile which could strike targets 1000 km away.

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S.Korean military says DPRK's attempted test-launch of missile fails

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 09:02, April 16, 2017

South Korea on Sunday denounced the failed test-launch of an unidentified missile by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) that came amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Seoul's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the DPRK's ballistic missile firing was in a clear violation again of UN Security Council resolutions, expressing its strong denunciation against the provocation.

The DPRK fired an unidentified missile at about 6:20 a.m. local time (2120 GMT Saturday) from its eastern coastal city of Sinpo, but it was believed to have exploded on launch, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The South Korean military said it was still analyzing what kind of missile was launched.

On April 5, the DPRK test-fired a ballistic missile at a nearby region on its east coast, but it plunged into the sea off the east coast after abnormally flying about 60 km.

At the time, the South Korean military identified it as Pukguksong-2, an intermediate-range ballistic missile known to be newly developed based on a technology of submarine-launched ballistic missile. The U.S. military estimated it to be an extended-range Scud missile that is known to be capable of traveling as far as 1,000 km.

The South Korean Foreign Ministry depicted the botched missile launch as a grave threat to peace and security in the peninsula and the international community, saying the DPRK regime would face hard-to-endure punitive actions if it conducts strategic provocations such as another nuclear test or the launch of intercontinental ballistic missile.

To mark the 105th anniversary of the birth of DPRK founder Kim Il Sung, a massive military parade was held in the center of Pyongyang on Saturday.

The DPRK paraded a series of military arsenal, including what were believed to be three types of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Tensions tended to escalate on the peninsula this spring when combined forces of the United States and South Korea staged their joint war games, codenamed Key Resolve and Foal Eagle that were scheduled to continue till the end of this month.

Pyongyang has denounced the U.S.-South Korea military exercises as a dress rehearsal for northward invasions.

The U.S. nuclear-powered Carl Vinson aircraft carrier was approaching the peninsula after participating in the joint war games last month.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is set to arrive in South Korea later Sunday for his trip to Asia.

Pence is scheduled to meet with South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who is serving as acting president, on Monday.

South Korea's top presidential advisor for security affairs, Kim Kwan-jin, convened a meeting of national security council at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae on Sunday morning.

The security council meeting was attended by ministers of foreign affairs, unification and defense as well as intelligence agency chief and senior presidential secretary for security and foreign affairs.

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U.S. Says Consensus Reached With China To Stop North Korea Missile Tests

RFE/RL April 16, 2017

U.S. national security adviser H.R. McMaster says there is now an "international consensus," including "China and the Chinese leadership," that North Korea's missile tests cannot be allowed to continue.

McMaster made the remarks in Kabul after the U.S. military announced that North Korea had failed in another attempt to test a missile early on April 16.

The U.S. Pacific Command said it detected the failed missile launch just hours before U.S. Vice President Mike Pence landed in Seoul on an official visit to South Korea.

It said the missile "blew up almost immediately" after the attempted launch.

McMaster said North Korea's missile test fits a pattern of provocative, destabilizing, and threatening behavior, and that U.S. President Donald Trump will not allow North Korea to put the United States or its regional allies under threat.

He said the consensus, including China, is "that this problem is coming to a head. And so it's time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully."

McMaster called North Korea a "hostile regime," and said North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un was "unpredictable" and had "demonstrated his brutality."

He said that Washington was working together with its allies in the region and with China's leadership to develop a range of possible responses, adding that all options were on the table.

The U.S. announcement confirmed earlier reports by the South Korean officials of the failed missile test.

"North Korea attempted to test an unidentified type of missile from Sinpo area in the South Hamkyong Province this morning, but we suspect the launch has failed," South Korea's Defense Ministry said in a statement.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency, citing an unidentified South Korean intelligence source, said the missile did not appear to have flown far from its launch site before exploding.

The attempted launch came a day after North Korea rolled out intercontinental ballistic missiles and other military hardware at a public parade and vowed that it was "ready to hit back with nuclear attacks" against its enemies.

It took place amid concerns that North Korea may be preparing for its sixth nuclear weapons test or a significant rocket launch, such as its first flight test of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The failed launch occurred just before U.S. Vice President Mike Pence arrived in Seoul at the start of a 10-day trip to the Asia-Pacific region amid increasing tensions in North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs.

Pence told U.S. soldiers at an Easter dinner on April 16 that the "provocation from the North" was "just the latest reminder of the risks each one of you face each and every day in the defense of the freedom of the people of South Korea and the defense of America in this part of the world."

Amid the elevated tensions, the United States has dispatched what Trump called an "armada" of ships -- including an aircraft carrier -- into waters off the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea launched a long-range rocket and conducted two nuclear tests in 2016. Its stated goal is to develop a long-range nuclear missile capable of reaching the continental United States.

A previous missile test from Sinpo failed earlier in April, sending the projectile spinning out of control and plunging into the sea.

Analysts say North Korean missile and nuclear tests have three main goals -- develop the technologies, bolster the domestic image of Kim, and apply political pressure on Seoul and Washington.

North and South Korea are technically still at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended without an official peace treaty. The U.S. military has about 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/korea-us-pence-visit-south -after-north-missile-test/28433278.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.

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New North Korean Missile Test Fails, Explodes, U.S. Says

RFE/RL April 16, 2017

The U.S. military says North Korea has failed in an attempt to test-fire a missile, saying the launch "blew up almost immediately."

The U.S. military, which has troops stationed in South Korea, said it detected the failed missile launch at 2121 GMT on April 15, hours before U.S. Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to land in Seoul.

The U.S. Pacific Command said the U.S. military "is fully committed to working closely with our allies in the Republic of Korea and in Japan to maintain security."

Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said President Donald Trump "and his military team are aware of North Korea's most recent unsuccessful missile launch. The president has no further comment."

The U.S. announcement confirmed earlier reports by the South Korean officials of the failed missile test.

"North Korea attempted to test an unidentified type of missile from Sinpo area in the South Hamkyong Province this morning, but we suspect the launch has failed," the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency, citing an unidentified South Korean intelligence source, said the missile did not appear to have flown far from its launch site before exploding.

The attempted launch comes a day after the North rolled out intercontinental ballistic missiles and other military hardware at a massive parade and vowed that it was "ready to hit back with nuclear attacks" against its enemies.

It took place amid concerns that North Korea was possibly preparing for its sixth nuclear test or a significant rocket launch, such as its first flight test of an ICBM.

It also comes as Vice President Pence is set to arrive in South Korea later in the day as part of a 10-day tour of the Asia-Pacific region. His aides said the visit was a sign of the U.S. commitment to South Korea in the face of rising tension with the North.

The White House said Pence had been made aware of the "failed missile launch" and is in contact with the U.S. president.

Amid the elevated tensions, the United States dispatched what Trump called an "armada" of ships, including an aircraft carrier, into waters off the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea under leader Kim Jong Un launched a long-range rocket and conducted two nuclear tests in 2016. Its goal is to develop a long-range nuclear missile capable of reaching the continental United States.

A previous missile test from Sinpo failed earlier this month, with the projectile spinning out of control and plunging into the sea.

Analysts say North Korean missile and nuclear tests have three main goals -- develop the technologies, bolster the domestic image of Kim, and apply political pressure on Seoul and Washington.

North and South Korea are technically still at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended without an official peace treaty. The U.S. military has about 28,500 troops stationed in the South.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/north-korea-missile-test -us-japan-south-korea/28432989.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.

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N Korea on 'Missile Launch': 'It's Our Right,' But it's Not Announced Officially

Sputnik News

14:56 16.04.2017(updated 17:26 16.04.2017)

The North Korean Foreign Ministry commented on the suspected failed missile launch conducted earlier in the day.

Earlier on Sunday, Pyongyang supposedly launched an unidentified projectile, but the test appeared to have failed. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) stated that the attempted launch was conducted from the area near North Korea's eastern port city of Sinpo, but likely ended in a failure.

According to the US Pacific Command, the North Korean missile "blew up almost immediately," adding that its type is yet to be identified.

The North Korean Foreign Ministry said that the alleged missile launch had not been announced officially, though it's Pyongyang's "sovereign right" to conduct such tests.

"There was a question concerning claims of our recent missile launch, but officially it has not been announced. Even if it look place, it's a normal process in the course of improving the ability of our country's nuclear deterrent forces, there is nothing surprising in it. Such things are not necessarily published in press," the ministry's deputy head of the European department said.

"[North Korean leader] Kim Jong Un in his New Year's speech indicated that the preparation of the test launches of ballistic missiles is already at the perfect stage, and we have repeatedly announced that at any time when our leader Kim Jong Un decides, we can then take such measures. Measures to enhance the nuclear armed forces are self-defense measures of our country and efforts to ensure peace and security on the Korean Peninsula. They are the legitimate rights of a sovereign state," the ministry's officil told Russian journalists.

The missile test launch by Pyongyang has been highly anticipated this week as North Korea celebrates one of the most important holidays which used to coincide with the country's test launches.

 Sputnik

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North Korea Defies US Warnings With Failed Missile Test

By Brian Padden April 16, 2017

North Korea conducted a failed missile test Sunday in defiance of increased U.S. warnings that there would be serious consequences for such provocative actions, including a possible military response.

A White House foreign policy adviser said the type of missile that North Korea tried to fire Sunday was medium-range and it exploded 4-5 seconds after it was launched near the country's submarine base in Sinpo in South Hamgyong Province on the east coast of the country.

According to the adviser, who is traveling with Vice President Mike Pence, the U.S. had good intelligence before and after the launch. No planned response is expected from the Trump administration because there was no need for the U.S. to reinforce the failure.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that had it been a nuclear test, "other actions would have been taken by the U.S."

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence was briefed on the failed launch and had been in touch with President Donald Trump, White House aides said.

Pence arrived in Seoul Sunday to begin a 10-day trip to Asia. The vice president was joined by his wife and two adult daughters. After laying a wreath at the Seoul National Cemetery, he was expected to join U.S. and South Korean troops for Easter church services and a dinner later in the day.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis released a statement following the missile test saying, "The president and his military team are aware of North Korea's most recent unsuccessful missile launch. The president has no further comment."

Sunday's attempted missile launch was reportedly not an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that Trump warned would not be allowed to happen, because it would move North Korea closer to acquiring a long-range nuclear ballistic missile capability that could directly threaten U.S. national security.

The failed test occurred as a U.S. naval strike force moves into the region in a show of force, and amid increasingly tough warnings from the Trump administration that the U.S. is prepared to take increased measures against North Korea that include possible military action.

On Saturday North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presided over a massive military parade that prominently displayed what appeared to be new long-range and submarine-based missiles. The parade was part of a celebration of the April 15 birthday of its founding leader, the late Kim Il Sung, the country's most important holiday known as the Day of the Sun.

North Korea, however, did not go through with a nuclear test Saturday that many expected, based on reports of recent activity at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site indicating a test was imminent.

Pence visit

Vice President Pence and his wife Karen arrived in Seoul Sunday to begin a 10-day trip to Asia. After placing a wreath at the Seoul National Cemetery, he joined U.S. and South Korean troops for Easter Sunday church services and a dinner.

At the fellowship dinner, Pence said North Korea's "provocation" is a reminder of the risks U.S. and South Korean service members face every day "in the defense of the freedom of the people of South Korea and the defense of America in this part of the world.''

On Monday Pence will meet with acting South Korean President Hwang Kyo-ahn to reinforce the U.S. commitment to its ally in the face of rising tensions over the North's weapons programs, according to his aides.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry issued a statement Sunday saying, "North Korea showing a variety of offensive missiles at yesterday's military parade and daring to fire a ballistic missile today is a show of force that threatens the whole world."

The leaders Pence are to meet with in Seoul, however, will soon be out of office; South Korea is in the middle of a presidential campaign because of the recent impeachment of conservative President Park Geun-hye. Park was forced from office for her alleged involvement in a multimillion dollar corruption and bribery scandal. She currently sits in prison as prosecutors pursue a possible criminal indictment. The presidential election is scheduled for May 9.

In a recent presidential debate, all the top party candidates, representing both liberal and conservative views, spoke out against the U.S. taking unilateral military action against North Korea. And the two leading candidates, Moon Jae-in with the Democratic Party and Ahn Cheol-soo with the People's Party, both support direct dialogue with North Korea to reduce tensions, positions that may put them in opposition to U.S. policy.

Submarine-based missiles

Sunday's failed missile test occurred near the naval base in Sinpo where North Korea is reportedly developing a sea-based nuclear deterrent.

Pyongyang launched a ballistic missile from the same region earlier this month ahead of a summit between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, where they discussed the North Korean nuclear threat.

U.S. officials said that missile appeared to be a liquid-fueled, extended-range Scud missile that flew about 60 km, only a fraction of its range, before spinning out of control.

Analysts say North Korea is years away from developing a submarine launch based missile capability (SLBM), but with each test it moves one step closer. From a strategic standpoint a credible North Korean SLBM capability could nullify the advantage of the U.S. THAAD missile defense system being deployed in South Korea. Analysts say submarines can be positioned outside of the THAAD radar field of vision that is forward looking toward the North.

China opposes THAAD as a threat to its own security, but also has spoken out against North Korea's missile and nuclear tests and has supported U.N. sanctions. China on Friday again called for talks to defuse the crisis.

Youmi Kim and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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DEAR HARRIETTE: A boy who I have gone on a few dates with recently texted me telling me he got us tickets to the circus. I do not support animal abuse, and this circus uses animals in their performances. I told him that I would prefer not to go and that he should take someone else. He overreacted and told me that I should choose a fun date over the animals. Do I have to justify my stance to him? I cannot see this relationship going anywhere anymore. -- Ringleader, Dallas

DEAR RINGLEADER: It may not be time to cut off this boy entirely. He made an honest mistake while having the intention to come up with a creative idea for a date. You should give him credit for thinking outside the box, beyond a bar or the movies. That said, you surely do not have to go to a circus if it offends your principles.

I think that this has a lot to do with tone. You are clear about your beliefs about animal abuse. You can continue to stand your ground on that point without judging this person. Thank him for trying to come up with a fun experience. Ask him if you two can talk about what another good idea might be. See if he is flexible at all about figuring out a Plan B. If you allow yourselves to get to know each other better, you may discover that you have more similarities than differences. Give it a chance.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I met someone through an online dating app, and we switched to texting to get to know each other better. From there, the conversations got significantly stranger. He would ask me to meet him at strange times (3 a.m. on a Thursday, 9 a.m. on a Monday) and become angry when I would not respond immediately.

I have never met him in person, but I have been speaking to him over text for about a month. I want this all to disappear. Can I just block him because I know I will never meet up with him or see him? -- Rude-i-tude, Seattle

DEAR RUDE-I-TUDE: Clearly, this guy does not represent a relationship you want to pursue. It's too bad that he has your telephone number, but you do not have to take it any further. A 3 a.m. invitation is what most would consider a "booty call." A 9 a.m. invitation suggest that he doesn't work. While there could be other reasons for these oddly timed invitations, if your gut tells you to walk away, listen to yourself.

You can tell him nicely that you don't want to continue communicating with him. You should be gracious and thank him for taking the time to get to know you better. Ask him to stop texting you. If he won't, check to see if you can block him on your phone. You do not need to respond anymore. You should also give the dating site feedback on him, if it's possible.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I live in a small town and have noticed my ex-girlfriend's car driving around outside my house more than usual. When we broke up, she slashed my tires and keyed my car, so I don't want to put myself at risk of an outburst from her, but I want to stop feeling so uneasy knowing she is rolling my home. I don't think the police should get involved, but I don't know how she'd react if I confronted her about her behavior. How do I get her to stop looping around my home? -- Repeat Sightings, Near Pikesville, Maryland

DEAR REPEAT SIGHTINGS: Unfortunately, the only real measure you have is to report your ex-girlfriend's behavior to the police. It is unlikely that she will be arrested since she isn't doing anything illegal right now, but it will set a precedent. You can tell the police about what your ex did upon your breakup. Be specific and unemotional. Ask the authorities for advice on what to do to protect yourself from your ex now. Meanwhile, keep your distance.

If you have occasion to communicate with her, apologize for whatever you did to hurt her. Invite her to agree to move on, just as you are doing.

DEAR HARRIETTE: My young adult children have been slyly drinking at family events recently. They are 20-year-old twins, so they have not reached the legal drinking age. I caught my son holding a beer in the kitchen and immediately made him pour it down the drain. He does not even know his own limits!

Is my son being disrespectful by drinking in my home? I think so; however, my wife thinks it is safer that he drinks with us to figure out how he handles his liquor. -- Family Not Booze, Dallas

DEAR FAMILY NOT BOOZE: You probably already know that it is common for teenagers to drink without their parents' permission. Your children are almost of-age. While I do not condone underage drinking, I will say that it is likely that if they were drinking in your home, there's a good chance they have been drinking in other places, too.

Do your best to have a nonjudgmental conversation with your kids about their choices. Remind them of the reasons you do not recommend that they drink. At the same time, acknowledge how common it is for people their age. Ask them how often they drink. Go slowly with this conversation, as it is usually difficult for young people to admit their illicit behavior, especially to their parents.

I cannot recommend that you let your children drink at home. I can tell you that many families do make that choice so that they can watch their children, know that they are not driving and help them to learn to make smart decisions. If you do allow them to drink at home, do not let them have parties with their friends with alcohol. You will be liable if anything happens to them, from alcohol poisoning to drunk driving.

Harriette Cole is a life stylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106
Iran's Navy in Persian Gulf to unveil missile-launcher warship in near future

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, April 16, IRNA -- Iran is going to unveil a new missile-launcher warship in the near future that is expected to bolster its naval power in the Persian Gulf, the Navy commander said.

Dubbed as 'Separ' (Shield), the new missile-launcher warship is expected to join the Islamic Republic Navy flotilla in the northern Persian Gulf, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said on Sunday during a visit to the Makran coastal area on the Persian Gulf in southern Iran.

In line with the guidelines set by the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, requiring the country's naval force to develop missile-launcher warships, the first type of the indigenous warship class dubbed 'Peikan' (Arrow) joined the Navy in 2003, Admiral Sayyari said.

'Joshan' (Armor) and 'Darafsh' (Awl) were launched in 2006 and 2009 respectively and 'Damavand' another Iranian missile-launcher warship, named after Iran's tallest peak, was launched in 2014, he said.

Iran's Navy commander also praised members of the country's naval force for maintaining security and peace in the region.

"The security and peace we embrace today in the northern Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Sea of Oman, Indian Ocean, Gulf of Aden and Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, where the Iranian commercial sea vessels and oil tankers commute, are all the result of the efforts by the Iran's naval forces," Admiral Sayyari said.

2044**2050

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Iran, Azerbaijan underscore developing defense ties

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, April 16, IRNA -- Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan and his Azeri counterpart Zakir Hasanov in a meeting here stressed on boosting bilateral defense ties.

The meeting was held after the Azeri Defense Minister was officially welcomed by his Iranian counterpart in Tehran on Sunday.

Addressing the meeting, Dehqan pointed to the commonalities between Iran and Azerbaijan in civilizational, cultural, religious, historical and ethnic fields as a unique phenomenon.

Not only the region but the world is involved in terrorist trends like Daesh, Al-Nusra Front and the extremist groups connected with Takfirism, Wahhabism and US, Zionist regime and Saudi Arabia aggressive policies, he said.

He added that Palestinians, Syrians, Iraqis and Yemenis are suffering from terrorism which has caused threats, instability and insecurity in the Western Asia.

He expressed hope that Azerbaijan and Armenia not permit aliens to interfere in their conflict.

Meanwhile, Hasanov called for expanding defense-military ties, saying that the recent talks between Iranian and Azeri presidents have paved the way for boosting cooperation.

Azeri minister heading a high-profile military-defense delegation arrived in Tehran on Sunday.

He is scheduled to meet and discusses bilateral, regional and international issues with Iranian senior political officials in addition to talks with Defense Minister Dehqan.

9376**1771

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Iran Army chief warns enemies against any strategic mistakes

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, April 16, IRNA -- The Islamic Republic of Iran will give a strong, decisive and devastating response to any strategic mistakes made by the enemy, says the commander-in-chief of Iran's Army.

The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to decisively confront any adventurism by the venomous enemies of the Islamic Republic, Major General Ataollah Salehi said in a message on Sunday, on the eve of Iran Army Day to be celebrated on April 18,

General Salehi praised the Islamic Republic Army as a strong and ideological force that is standing against the sworn enemies of Iran and is doing its best to bolster capacities possessed by the Islamic establishment and the Iranian people.

Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran under the command of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and inspired by his guidelines as the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, will continue down the honorable path of strengthening its power of defense and deterrence, and disappointing the enemies, he said.

2044**1771

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Foreign Ministry sends 5th JCPOA report to Majlis

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, April 16, IRNA -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented the 5th trimonthly report on JCPOA enactment to the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of Majlis (the parliament) on April 15.

The report is divided into three parts: "The Latest Developments in the Field of Nuclear Activities", "The Latest Development in Removal of Sanctions", and "Impediments and Challenges".

 The Latest Developments in the Field of Nuclear Activities

In the last three months, the activities concerning JCPOA have been advancing non-stop and according to the preplanned schedule, especially in the completely significant field of Research and Enrichment, whose most important developments are:

1. Injection of UF6 gas into IR-8 strategic centrifuges has been started: IR-8 and IR-6 centrifuges will shape the future of our enrichment industry.

1. For modernizing Arak heavy-water reactor, conceptual replanning of the reactor is completed by Iranian experts.

2. The heavy-water plant continues to work in full capacity.

3. In Fordow, in addition to keeping all infrastructures, installations, equipment, and centrifuges located in one of the site, which means the strategic capacity of Fordow is safeguarded, an agreement has been reached with the Russian Government after technical and specialized negotiations on the project of separating stable isotopes using centrifuge method.

4. Interaction with the IAEA, with the purpose of verification of Iran's commitments in the framework of the agreement and the Additional Protocol, continue without any serious problems. The Director General of the IAEA in his latest report to the Board of Governors on February 24, 2017, once again certified Iran had been doing his JCPOA commitments.

5. Concerning yellowcake stockpiles, the related processes are being done according to the agreement without any limitations.

6. Regarding the enriched uranium stockpiles, the Islamic Republic of Iran has abided by its commitments and kept them less than 300 kilograms in the enriched form or the equal weight in other chemical forms.

7. In line with the increasing interactions with the IAEA in using its right of peaceful nuclear energy usage, Iran continues to strengthen its tie with the countries having this technology through holding seminars with European and non-European countries.



 The Latest Development in Removal of Sanctions

The expected function of the JPOA in economy was and is the removal of 'nuclear-based sanctions'. After the JPOA enactment, nuclear-based sanctions on Iran were removed.



These inequitable and unfair sanctions were impose with the purpose of paralyzing the economy of the Islamic Republic of Iran and were focused on three major fields, including oil and gas, transportation and banking and financial, and some minor areas, including water and electricity, industry and trade, heath and treatment, and agriculture. The greater part of the aforementioned sanctions, have been removed as agreed in JCPOA and the removal process has been in progress in the last three months.



The progresses in the last three months are:

1. Developments in banking and financial: After the enactment of the JCPOA there have been many considerable openings in the field.

2. Developments in oil, gas, and petrochemical: The sanctions on this field have been completely removed. No reports have been received signifying that there is a major impediment to production, export, and transport of the revenue of oil sale. The average export of crude oil has doubled after the JCPOA.

3. Developments in transportation: after the enactment of the JCPOA, all the nuclear-based sanctions in this field have been removed and no reports implying any serious problems have been received.

4. Removal of the names of Iranian companies from sanctions list of the EU: After negotiations and perseverance, three major companies were removed from the sanctions list of the European Union.

5. Removal of the names of Iranians from the list of UK Export Control: UK Export Control had prepared a list named 'Iran List' for UK-based exporters. The exporters had to ask for a permit to export the goods on the list and some regular goods, not needing a permit in a normal situation, to Iran.

6. Amendment of the laws regarding medical and agricultural equipment to Iran on the part of the US: Some changes that took place in some US laws facilitated providing some advanced medical items from the US.

7. Developments in JCPOA purchase channel: The JCPOA purchase channels have been continuously active. In the last few months, six requests for exporting items necessary for Iran's industries, including mining, pharmaceutical, steel and car manufacturing industries, have been passed. The requested items were previously banned due to UN Security Council and the EU.

8. Most recent conditions of nuclear-based sanctions: After the enactment of the JCPOA, 611 people and Iranian organizations, alongside 303 aircrafts, ships, and tankers were removed from the sanctions list of the US, the UN Security Council, and the EU.

9. Holding joint commission: The next meeting of the JCPOA Joint Commission will be held in Vienna on April 25. The attendees of the meeting will be from Iran, the representatives of EU, and 5+1 Group. This meeting is held every three months to examine JCPOA enactment process and the possible problems and impediments.



 Impediments and Challenges

As it has been mentioned in the first four reports, since the enactment of the JCPOA on January 16, 2016, some default, failure and negligence slowed down the materialization of the opportunities. The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, by trying and working round-the-clock, has made the other side to abide by their commitments. And any kind of delay, footdragging, default is without hesitation reported to the qualified organizations, especially the Parliament's JCPOA Supervising Committee.

The obstacles and impediments were dealt with in detail in the previous report, many of which are still standing. The following problems have challenged the process of JCPOA in the last three months:

1. US's adding some Iranians to the sanctions list because of the Iran's missile program: The US has added 13 legal persons and individuals to that list. They have also added 11 non-Iranians (10 from China, 1 from the UAE) to the sanctions list due to providing parts needed for Iranian missile program.

2. New US government: The new government of the US says, they are examining the deal, but in the meantime, they abide by their commitments.

3. Non-JCPOA problems: Some non-JCPOA challenges are impeding the JCPOA enactment, including US primary sanctions, non-nuclear sanctions and limitations, limitations of FATF, etc.

9417**1771

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Iran army warns against 'any strategic mistake' by enemies

Iran Press TV

Sun Apr 16, 2017 10:0AM

Chief Commander of Iran's Army Major General Ataollah Salehi has warned that "any strategic mistake by the enemy" against the Islamic Republic will be met with a "decisive, severe and destructive" response.

"Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran Army  has full readiness  to decisively counter any adventurism against the Islamic Republic by the ill-wishers," Salehi said in a message on Sunday ahead of the National Army Day.

The army, he said, "continues its glorious path of boosting its defensive power and deterrence" based on the experiences of the Iraqi war against Iran in the 1980s and the teachings of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who is the commander-in-chief of the Iranian armed forces.

Iran has recently made major breakthroughs in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing important military equipment and hardware.

The Islamic Republic says its military power poses no threat to other countries and is merely based on the doctrine of deterrence.

Security in Iran

Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari on Sunday hailed "enduring security" in Iran despite violence which wracks its neighbors, saying it is owed to the efforts of the country's "powerful armed forces."

Sayyari lauded the Iranian navy's role in guaranteeing security in the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman, the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Aden and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.

Iran's armed forces are also present along the Makran coastal strip on the Sea of Oman in a way that leaves "no foreign vessels hidden from the eyes of our naval bases," he said.

"Despite insecurity in our neighborhood, we are witnessing enduing security in our country which is benefiting from powerful and ready armed forces," Sayyari added.

The naval forces of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) are tasked with guaranteeing security in the Persian Gulf, where they have been involved in a series of face-offs with US vessels for intrusion into Iranian territorial waters.

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Iraqi Police Gain Control Over Strategic Daesh-Controlled Mosque in Mosul

Sputnik News

19:39 16.04.2017(updated 19:50 16.04.2017)

Iraqi federal police established control on Sunday around the territory of Al Noree mosque in Mosul, considered to be a key symbolic place for the Daesh terrorist group outlawed in Russia), the police said in a statement.

MOSUL (Sputnik)  According to Commander of the Federal Police Forces Lt. Gen. Raed Shaker Jawdat, following successful advancing of the military forces in Mosul's Old City quarter, the police ensured control over the territory surrounding the mosque by placing shooters on the roofs of liberated buildings.

The Al Noree mosque plays an important role for Daesh, since in 2014 Daesh leader Abu Bakr Baghdadi held a public preaching there, proclaiming a caliphate across the territories controlled by the terrorist group both in Iraq and Syria.

The northern Iraqi city of Mosul, the Daesh's key Iraqi stronghold, has been controlled by the terrorists since mid-2014. The Iraqi troops backed by the US-led international coalition launched an operation to recapture Mosul in October 2016, with the eastern part of the city being liberated in January and the western remaining under the control of terrorists. In February, the Iraqi forces began the operation aimed at liberating western Mosul from Daesh.

 Sputnik

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Iraq Accuses Daesh of Chemical Weapons Attack on Mosul Troops

Sputnik News

01:34 17.04.2017(updated 01:45 17.04.2017)

Some security personnel were injured in the attack, which comes amid a massive operation to retake the city of Mosul from Daesh forces.

According to a statement from Iraq's Joint Operations Command, "The Daesh terrorist gangs tried to block the advance of our forces by using shells filled with toxic chemical material, but the effect was limited," Europe1 reported.

It has been reported that Daesh used chemical weapons in the past, though their use of bombs and bullets has been far deadlier, AFP reported.

The news comes as Washington repeatedly accuses Damascus of a gas attack on Syria's Idlib, though no definitive proof has been furnished. US President Donald Trump used the accusations as a justification for a massive airstrike on the Shayrat air base, operated the Syrian Arab Army.

Syrian leadership has staunchly denied the use of toxic substances against civilians. The Russian Defense Ministry also said that Damascus did not use chemical weapons since the Assad government destroyed these armaments under a deal brokered by Moscow and Washington in 2013.

Saturday's chemical weapons attack by Daesh did not cause any deaths but did result in what were termed "limited injuries," according to the Iraq Joint Operations Command statement.

It has not been revealed whether the chemical weapon attack took place within Mosul, or outside of the besieged city.

Currently, Iraqi forces are in the process of taking west Mosul from Daesh, after liberating the eastern portion of the city earlier this year.

 Sputnik

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UN condemns attack on evacuees in Syria; underscores need to ensure safety of those trying to evacuate

15 April 2017  Condemning today's attack in Rasheedin, western Aleppo, Syria, on some 5,000 evacuees traveling from the besieged towns of Foah and Kefraya to Government-controlled areas, the United Nations has underlined the need to bring those responsible for the violent act to justice.

According to reports, at least 43 persons, including children, have been killed and many more injured.

"We call on the parties to ensure the safety and security of those waiting to be evacuated," Stephane Dujarric, the Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, said in a statement.

Mr. Dujarric added that the evacuations were being conducted in accordance with the agreement reached pursuant to the "Four Towns" Agreement, covering Foah, Kefraya, Madaya and Zabadani.

These four locations were referred to specifically in the Agreement to facilitate humanitarian access to the people in need.

In the statement, Mr. Dujarric also expressed condolences to the families of the victims of the incident and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.

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Syria urges UN to hold responsible those behind deadly bus attack

Iran Press TV

Sun Apr 16, 2017 6:19PM

Syria has strongly denounced a deadly Takfiri bomb attack on buses carrying people from two Shia-majority villages in the northwestern province of Idlib, calling on the United Nations to hold responsible the countries that fund terrorists and provide them with weapons and ammunition.

At least 126 people, including 68 children, were killed and dozens of others sustained injuries on Saturday, when a bomber blew up an explosive-laden car, ripping through several buses carrying evacuees from Kefraya and Foua villages in Idlib as they were waiting in al-Rashidin district to enter the city of Aleppo.

In two letters to United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the UN Security Council on Sunday, Syria's Foreign Ministry said the barbaric attack clearly revealed that the terror groups, particularly Daesh and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham Takfiri terrorist groups, had been wearied by Syria's repeated victories.

The ministry's statement also stressed the need for coordinating international attempts aimed at battling terrorism in the Arab country and the necessity of full cooperation with Damascus in any counter-terrorism endeavor.

Elsewhere in the statement, the ministry said that some countries that claimed they supported human rights showed that their policies were aimed at more killings and destruction when they refused to condemn the deadly bus attack as a crime against humanity.

It added that the Saturday bombing complemented the US attack on the Shayrat Airfield in Homs Province with a barrage of 59 Tomahawk missiles on April 7, which caused some 15 fatalities, including civilians.

On Saturday, the UN condemned the bombing in al- Rashidin, calling on "the parties to ensure the safety and security of those waiting to be evacuated."

The Syrian Foreign Ministry further called on the UN to pressure main supporters of terrorists operating inside the Middle Eastern country, namely Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, France, the UK and the US, to stop their support for terrorist groups.

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Russian Lawmakers, Saudi King Disagree On Future Of Syria's President

April 16, 2017

A delegation from Russia's upper house of parliament, the Federal Council, have met in Riyadh with Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud for talks about the war in Syria.

Federation Council Deputy Speaker Ilyas Umakhanov told Interfax after the April 16 meeting that the issue of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's future leadership had been discussed.

He said the Russian delegation, led by Federation Council Chairwoman Valentina Matviyenko, "differed in opinion" with Saudi Arabia's king about whether Assad should remain in power.

But Umakhanov said both sides reaffirmed their willingness to "continue consultations, compare notes, and seek a settlement of the current situation in order to make their stances closer."

Saudi Arabia and Western powers have demanded that Assad should not be allowed to stay in power under a Syrian peace settlement.

Russia has supported Assad's government diplomatically since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in 2011  repeatedly vetoing Western-sponsored draft United Nations Security Council resolutions demanding Assad's resignation and the imposition of UN sanctions against his government.

Russia also has directly supported Assad's forces since September 2015 with military deployments and air strikes against opposition forces that were approved by the Federation Council.

Based on reporting by Interfax and Arabnews.com

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/russia-saudi-federation- council-discuss-syria-king/28433646.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.

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U.K. Foreign Secretary Calls Assad 'Arch-Terrorist,' Urges Russia To End Support

RFE/RL April 16, 2017

U.K. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has called Syrian President Bashar al-Assad an "arch-terrorist" and said Russia still has "time to be on the right side of the argument."

In an interview published on April 16 in The Sunday Telegraph newspaper, Johnson also warned that the United States could attack again after the April 7 cruise-missile strike made in retaliation for Assad's reported use of chemical weapons on his own people.

Johnson vowed that Britain and its allies would gather evidence for "war crimes prosecutions for those responsible" for the chemical attack.

Russia, along with Iran, is Assad's key supporter in the six-year Syrian civil war against rebels supported by the United States and Turkey.

Johnson recently canceled a visit to Russia over the alleged chemical attack and has pushed for increased sanctions against the Syrian and Russian militaries.

Syria has denied it carried out a chemical-weapons attack, but U.S. and other Western leaders have said there was no doubt Assad's government was responsible for the attack that killed at least 70 people.

Johnson said Assad used chemical weapons because they are "terrifying."

"In that sense, he is himself an arch-terrorist who has caused such an unquenchable thirst for revenge that he can never hope to govern his population again," he told the Telegraph.

"He is literally and metaphorically toxic, and it is time Russia awoke to that fact. They still have time to be on the right side of the argument," he added.

He said the Russians could join a coalition of more than 60 countries in the fight against Islamic State (IS) militants, which would allow them to maintain their strategic interests in Syria.

With reporting by The Sunday Telegraph

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/uk-johnson- syria-assad-russia-/28432994.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.

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Boris Johnson Urges Russia to Stop Supporting Bashar Assad

Sputnik News

08:36 16.04.2017

Moscow should "make a sensible compromise," withdraw its support for Syrian President Bashar Assad and join international coalition fighting the Daesh terror group (banned in numerous countries), UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said in a article for Sunday Telegraph newspaper.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  According to Johnson, Russia could "join a coalition of more than 60 countries in the fight against Daesh, to maintain their strategic interests in Syria, with the prospect of more productive relations with [US] President [Donald] Trump and in the knowledge that the West will eventually help rebuild the country In exchange [Russia] should commit to produce a real ceasefire, to end the use of chemical weapons and barrel bombs, and to bring about a political settlement that relieves the Syrians of the tyranny of Assad."

Johnson said that the latest crisis was "in fact, an opportunity for Russia" and that the moment came for Moscow "to make a sensible compromise."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressed Wednesday at a press conference, following a meeting with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, that Russia was not betting on success of any specific person, including Assad, in the settlement in Syria.

On April 8, Johnson canceled his visit to Moscow, set for April 10, due to the recent developments in Syria.

On April 6, the United States launched 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at the military airfield in Ash Sha'irat. The US president said the attack was a response to the alleged chemical weapon use in Syria's Idlib province on April 4, which resulted in the death of over 80 people. The strikes were unanimously supported by NATO member-states.

Moscow has criticized the US strike and called for an impartial investigation of the attack.

The Syrian foreign minister has denied the government's involvement in the Idlib incident, saying it had never nor would it ever use chemical weapons on either civilians or terrorists.

Earlier this year, Syrian President Bashar Assad said that the country's government had never used weapons of mass destruction, including chemical weapons, against the Syrian people. Under a Russian-US deal after the east Ghouta sarin gas incident in 2013, Damascus joined the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and agreed to destroy its stockpile under the oversight of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), who had announced in January 2016 that all chemical weapons in Syria had been destroyed.

 Sputnik

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Top UN officials express 'horror' at attack on evacuees in Syria; underline that civilians must be protected

16 April 2017  Senior United Nations officials, including the Organization's top humanitarian official as well as the head of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) have expressed "horror" at yesterday's attack on people evacuating from the besieged Syrian towns of Foah and Kefraya and underlined that civilians must be protected from any harm.

In a statement today, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O'Brien, strongly condemned the violent act and reminded all parties to the conflict of their obligations under international law which expressly prohibits any harm on civilians.

"The perpetrators of such a monstrous and cowardly attack displayed a shameless disregard for human life," said Mr. O'Brien.

"International humanitarian law is very clear: warring parties must protect civilians and distinguish between military and civilian targets," he underscored.

In a separate statement today, UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake underscored that the attack must renew everyone's determination to reach all children throughout the war-ravaged country with support and relief.

"After six years of war and human carnage in Syria... six years of heartbreak for so many Syrian families... there comes a new horror that must break the heart of anyone who has one," expressed Mr. Lake.

"A convoy of families who for so long had already known so much suffering [] now the survivors must bear such a new and terrible loss," he noted.

According to reports, scores of people, including at least 60 children were killed in the devastating explosion that hit the convoy of buses in which some 5,000 people were evacuating from Foah and Kefraya to Government-controlled areas yesterday.

The explosion occurred as the buses passed Rasheedin in western Aleppo.

In the aftermath of the attack, humanitarian organizations, including the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and UN partners, are providing assistance to the injured, including transferring them to hospitals.

The evacuation from the two besieged towns was a part of an agreement, popularly referred to as the "Four Towns" Agreement meant to facilitate humanitarian access to the people in need in those besieged towns. In addition to Foah and Kefraya in Idlib, the Agreement also includes Madaya and Zabadani in rural Damascus.

In his statement, Mr. O'Brien  also the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs  noted that while the Organization was not involved in the agreement or evacuation process, it stands ready to scale up its support to evacuees.

"In that regard, I call on all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, and to facilitate safe and unimpeded access for the UN and its partners to bring life-saving help to those in need," he said.

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Thousands Expected to Leave Four Besieged Towns in Northern Syria

By VOA News April 16, 2017

About 3,000 people are set for evacuation Sunday from four besieged towns in northern Syria as part of a transfer deal that was halted for about 24 hours by a deadly blast that killed and wounded many.

Those being evacuated come from the pro-government villages of Foua and Kfaryam, and opposition-held towns of Zabadani and Madaya. All four places have been under siege for the past two years.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Sunday about 120 buses and ambulances have made their way into Foua and Kfaryam to assist with the population transfer to Aleppo.

The evacuation comes after an apparent car bombing that targeted a bus convoy carrying people to safety in the Rashideen area, near Aleppo.

"While the United Nations was not involved in this agreement or evacuation process, we are ready to scale up our support to evacuees," Stephen O'Brien, the U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator, said in a statement.

O'Brien said humanitarian organizations, including the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and U.N. partners, are providing assistance to the injured, including transfer to hospitals.

He also urged everyone involved to "protect civilians and distinguish between military and civilian targets."

The Syrian Observatory said at least 126 people had died in the attack, with the death toll expected to rise. Most of the victims were believed to be residents of two Shi'ite villages that had been surrounded by Islamists for months.

Rami Abdurrahman, head of the Syrian Observatory, said 109 of the victims were from Foua and Kfarya, among them 13 women and 68 children.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility. But Sunni jihadist groups, including the Syrian affiliate of al-Qaida, operate in the area and routinely attack Shi'ites, whom they consider apostates.

The U.S. Embassy in Syria tweeted, "The United States strongly condemns today's barbaric attacks against innocent civilians, including women & children, in northern #Syria."

A deal between the Damascus government and opposition fighters guaranteeing the safety of the villagers stalled Friday, stranding thousands of evacuees for hours before the attack unfolded on the outskirts of Aleppo.

Video on state television later showed charred bodies and mangled buses, which had been carrying pro-government Shi'ite fighters and civilians from the besieged villages toward the government-controlled city. Other footage showed ambulances ferrying the wounded to area hospitals.

Far to the south, the evacuation deal  brokered by Iran and Qatar  simultaneously granted hundreds of Sunni insurgents and their families near Damascus safe passage to Idlib province near the Turkish border.

By late Saturday, monitors from the Syrian Observatory said the convoy near Aleppo was again under way, while official Syrian media said the first buses carrying Shi'ite evacuees had reached government safety in Aleppo.

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Turkish Voters Approve Sweeping Presidential Powers In Close Referendum

RFE/RL April 16, 2017

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared victory in a referendum on whether to expand his powers by creating a presidential system of government.

With more than 99 percent of the ballots counted, election officials say 51.3 percent of voters supported the call to give Turkey's presidency sweeping new powers.

The set of 18 constitutional amendments were voted upon in a simple "yes" or "no" vote that could allow Erdogan to stay in office until 2029.

Erdogan late on April 16 said voters made a "historic decision" about the "most important reform" in Turkey's history.

He said unofficial results showed 25 million voters supporting the expansion of presidential powers -- a winning margin of about 1.3 million votes.

Turkey's main opposition, the Republican People's Party (CHP), is demanding a recount of up to 60 percent of the ballots and has said it will challenge 37 percent of the ballots that were counted.

The CHP criticized the country's election commission for a last-minute change to the rules about which ballots would be counted in the tightly contested referendum, saying the ruling opened the way for fraud.

Under the ruling by the Supreme Election Board (YSK), ballot papers that were not officially stamped were still counted as valid unless they were proven to have been brought into the counting process from outside.

Election officials said just over 48 percent of voters said "no" to the constitutional changes, and that 86 percent of eligible voters had cast a ballot.

When the amendments take effect in 2019, they will weaken Turkey's parliament, eliminate the post of prime minister, and give the president more control over the judiciary.

The future of already strained relations between the European Union and Turkey is also at stake, with analysts predicting that a victory for Erdogan could lead to an outright break in relations between Ankara and Brussels.

In Istanbul, Erdogan was applauded by supporters after he cast his ballot in a school near his home.

Erdogan told reporters that a "yes" vote was a "choice for change and transformation," and that he believes in the "democratic common sense" of Turkey's people.

"We need to make a decision that is beyond the ordinary," he told reporters, adding that he hoped the country will make the "expected" decision.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim -- who also campaigned for a "yes" vote -- cast his ballot in the western province of Izmir, saying that "whatever the result is, we will hold it in high esteem."

Just hours after polls opened, Turkey's state-run news agency said two people were killed in a fight between two families outside a polling station in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir.

The private Dogan news agency reported that the deadly brawl was the result of "differences in political opinion."

Sweeping Changes

Opinion polls published just days ahead of the vote suggested a narrow majority of Turks would vote in favor of the amendments, which would lead to the biggest change in Turkey's system of governance since the modern republic was founded in 1923.

Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) argued that an ongoing insurgency by Kurdish separatists, an attempted military coup last July, repeated terrorist attacks in the country, and the influx of more than 2 million refugees fleeing the war in neighboring Syria created the need for a strong presidency that can streamline its decisions and better steer the country through its challenges.

The leadership of the opposition National Movement Party (MHP) also called for a "yes" vote after reaching an undisclosed deal with the ruling AKP.

However, five lawmakers in the MHP campaigned against the proposed amendments and polls showed that as many as two-thirds of the party's support base were opposed to the measures.

Turkey's second-largest party, the CHP, campaigned against the amendments, which would take effect in 2019 if approved.

CHP lawmaker Silina Dogan has charged that the authoritarian nature of the amendments would bring an end to Turkey's hopes of ever joining the European Union.

A pro-Kurdish opposition group, the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) also campaigned against the proposed amendments, saying they are undemocratic and violate the principle of judicial independence.

'Elected Dictatorship'

Critics in Turkey have gone as far as to say the new system of government would be a kind of "elected dictatorship" without any separation of powers, leaving the parliament without legislative authority and unable to hold the president accountable for misdeeds.

Western critics also have said the amendments would concentrate too much power in the hands of the president.

Human Rights Watch has said the proposals pose a huge threat to human rights, the rule of law, and Turkey's democratic future because they will "concentrate unchecked power" in Erdogan's hands.

The Council of Europe has said it is deeply concerned about whether the amendments would guarantee the separation of powers in Turkey, proper checks and balances between the different branches of government, or the independence of the judiciary -- adding that all are a "prerequisite for democratic societies."

European Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muiznieks issued a report on April 12 expressing "grave concern" that the constitutional revisions would reduce the autonomy of Turkey's already weak judiciary.

Muiznieks said the proposed amendments also did not address "serious shortcomings" in Turkey's constitution on human rights and freedom of expression.

Earlier in April, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said during a visit to Ankara that the proposed amendments would amount to a "profound political transformation."

Merkel also urged that "everything should be done to ensure that separation of powers and plurality of opinion are guaranteed in Turkey."

'Burning Bridges' With EU

The campaign ahead of the April 16 vote has also been marred by controversy.

The OSCE's election monitoring group, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, noted on April 7 that the campaign and vote itself were taking place under a declared state of emergency following the failed coup attempt of July 2016.

The OSCE monitors also noted that fundamental freedoms have been curtailed under that state of emergency, with thousands of citizens detained or dismissed from their jobs -- including civil servants, judges, journalists, and opposition party members.

Opponents of the amendments allege they have faced state suppression while supporters of the "yes" campaign have been able to use state media, facilities, and funds to organize campaign events.

Attempts by Erdogan and his allies to stage campaign rallies targeting Turkish voters who live in the EU faced restrictions or cancellations in Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Switzerland -- leading to diplomatic disputes with Ankara.

On April 13, Erdogan described Europe as a "rotting continent" that was "no longer a center of democracy, human rights, and liberty but of repression, violence, and Nazism."

Marc Pierini, a former EU ambassador to Ankara who is now an analyst with Carnegie Europe, says Erdogan's Nazi jibes have outraged EU leaders to the point that he may have "burned his bridges" with Brussels "when it comes to personal relations."

Pierini tells RFE/RL that if the constitutional amendments are approved by Turkish voters, a complete break in relations between Ankara and Brussels will seem inevitable.

"We will have a system that has no equivalent in the Western world," he says. "It is more power concentrated in one man than anywhere" in the West, "a hyper-presidential system without much checks and balances. This will be really the one-man rule system and clearly in contradiction with EU norms."

Other European experts say the optimistic scenario in terms of relations between Turkey and Brussels is that the rejection of the amendments by voters, or a narrow victory for the "yes" vote, might lead Erdogan to temper his combative attitude toward the EU and try to improve relations.

With reporting by Ron Synovitz, Reuters, and AFP

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/turkey-referendum- president-erdogan-vote/28432987.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.

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Erdogan on Referendum Result: 'Historic Decision on Turkey's Governance System'

Sputnik News

23:07 16.04.2017(updated 01:45 17.04.2017)

As 51.3 percent of Turks voted in favor of constitutional changes in Sunday referendum, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called the outcomes of the vote "a historic decision on Turkey's governance system."

ANKARA (Sputnik)  The decision on transforming Turkey from a parliamentary republic to a presidential one, adopted in a referendum, is one of the most important reforms in the Turkish history, Erdogan said on Sunday.

"The voting has become an important indicator showing that people protect their country, their future. A historic decision on Turkey's governance system has been made today. With the help of the people we implemented one of the most important governance reform in our history," Erdogan told reporters in Ankara.

Erdogan added that the referendum result was a common victory of all the 80 million people living in Turkey or abroad, while "all the disputes were left behind."

According to the preliminary results of the referendum provided by the Anadolu news agency, supporters of the constitutional amendments increasing the powers of the country's president are gaining 51.3 percent of votes after 99% of votes being processed.

Earlier in the day, Turkish citizens voted in a referendum on amendments to the constitution, stipulating strengthening of the presidential powers over the legislature and the judiciary, as well as allowing the president to remain the head of the political party he represents, which is not allowed by the current legislation.

On January 21, the Turkish parliament approved constitutional amendments that would strengthen the presidential powers over the legislature and the judiciary. If approved in the referendum, the president will also be able to remain the head of the political party he represents, have the ability to appoint a number of top judges and declare a state of emergency, which is not allowed by the current legislation. The decision was criticized by opposition parties as a power grab attempt by the president.

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Turkish PM Declares 'Yes' Vote Victory in Referendum as 99% of Votes Counted

Sputnik News

21:48 16.04.2017(updated 01:53 17.04.2017)

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim declared victory in a referendum on constitutional changes expanding presidential powers are 99 percent of votes were counted.

According to the preliminary results of the Sunday referendum provided by the Anadolu news agency, supporters of the constitutional amendments increasing the powers of the country's president have 51.4 percent of votes after 99.9 percent of votes have been processed.

"According to the preliminary results, there are 1.25 million more of 'yes' votes than 'no' votes. It means that 'yes' won. Final results, considering the time allocated for the appeals, will be known in 11-12 days," Guven told journalists.

Guven also said that the decision to accept ballots without stamps, if proven that they were not brought from the outside, was necessary because some polling stations ran out of stamped ballots. Guven noted that similar decisions had been made before.

Yildirim said that "No" votes have the same value as those votes in support of the changes. He said that the last word belongs to the people and the Turks said "yes."

He noted that the vote outcome is the best response to Kurdish PKK militants and all foreign forces hostile to Ankara. He added that it's the best response to the 2016 attempted military coup.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan voted in the morning in Istanbul, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim in Izmir, while Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu cast his vote in his home city of Antalya. Leaders of the main opposition parties, Kemal Kilicdaroglu of the Republican People's Party (CHP) and Devlet Bahceli of Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), voted in Ankara.

On January 21, the Turkish parliament approved constitutional amendments that would strengthen the presidential powers over the legislature and the judiciary. If approved in the referendum, the president will also be able to remain the head of the political party he represents, have the ability to appoint a number of top judges and declare a state of emergency, which is not allowed by the current legislation. The decision was criticized by opposition parties as a power grab attempt by the president.

Polls closed at 13:00 GMT time in the eastern part of Turkey and an hour later elsewhere. The results of the voting from the eastern regions of Turkey, where the referendum started earlier, are expected to be announced soon.

About 55.3 million of voters were expected to cast their votes at over 160,100 polling stations, with 460 additional ballot stations operating in prisons. Turkish citizens living abroad have voted on the constitutional amendments before the voting day.

Security at the polling stations were maintained by 380,000 policemen. No serious violations have been registered, except for an incident in the south-eastern province of Diyarbakir, where two people were killed in a shooting near a polling station.

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Turkish Opposition Party Says Authorities Manipulating Referendum Votes Counting

Sputnik News

20:16 16.04.2017(updated 20:18 16.04.2017)

One of the main Turkish opposition parties, the Republican People's Party (CHP), said that the authorities are manipulating while counting the votes in the Sunday's referendum on constitutional amendments, Erdal Aksunger, the party's deputy chairman, said.

ANKARA (Sputnik)  According to preliminary results after 90 percent of the votes processed, 52.5 percent of voters supported the constitutional amendments, expanding powers of the country's president.

"There is manipulation of the results. According to our observers, opponents to the presidential system are winning. We receive such results from numerous provinces. Lets protect our choice," Aksunger told the NTV channel.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan voted in the morning in Istanbul, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim in Izmir, while Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu cast his vote in his home city of Antalya. Leaders of the main opposition parties, Kemal Kilicdaroglu of the Republican People's Party (CHP) and Devlet Bahceli of Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), voted in Ankara.

On January 21, the Turkish parliament approved constitutional amendments that would strengthen the presidential powers over the legislature and the judiciary. If approved in the referendum, the president will also be able to remain the head of the political party he represents, have the ability to appoint a number of top judges and declare a state of emergency, which is not allowed by the current legislation. The decision was criticized by opposition parties as a power grab attempt by the president.

Polls closed at 13:00 GMT time in the eastern part of Turkey and an hour later elsewhere. The results of the voting from the eastern regions of Turkey, where the referendum started earlier, are expected to be announced soon.

About 55.3 million of voters were expected to cast their votes at over 160,100 polling stations, with 460 additional ballot stations operating in prisons. Turkish citizens living abroad have voted on the constitutional amendments before the voting day.

Security at the polling stations were maintained by 380,000 policemen. No serious violations have been registered, except for an incident in the south-eastern province of Diyarbakir, where two people were killed in a shooting near a polling station.

 Sputnik

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A manhunt continues this afternoon for knife-wielding robbers who targeted two stores within the space of 30 minutes this morning.

The two raiders first struck at the One Stop store and Post Office in the Whaddon area of Cheltenham at around 7am.

Less than half an hour later, they were a few miles away at newsagents Lewis@Woodmancote.

At both locations the robbers used a knife to threaten staff before making off with cash.

No-one was hurt in the raids, which sparked a manhunt.

Both stores were forced to close as police officers guarded the scene as investigations continued.

The police helicopter was called out to help in the hunt and was seen hovering over Cheltenham.

Police said both robbers are believed to be in their 20s.

One of the suspects was wearing Nike bottoms with a top with the hood up, possibly with a black beanie type hat underneath.

The second man, a little older than the first, was wearing a flat grey hat, a black top with a bright orange jumper underneath, black gloves and black trainers.

He had greyish stubble.

The raiders first target was the One Stop convenience store at the junction of Whaddon Road and Severn Road.

After the 7am robbery, police remained outside the store as customers were sent away.

Staff at the store said they did not want to comment to the Press following the ordeal.

Three-and-a-half miles away, the raiders went to Lewis at Woodmancote for 7.30am.

Again, police officers kept watch outside the store as shocked customers were told the store was closed.

Police would like to hearing from anyone who saw or heard anything that could help with their enquiries.

Please call 101 quoting incident numbers 89 and 94 of April 17.
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Gloucester stars are expected to make the Lions tour to New Zealand according to the bookmakers.

Ross Moriarty, Jonny May and Greig Laidlaw are available to back for the plane with Skybet.

The betting company has some surprising odds on the Gloucester men to head down under.

Ross Moriarty 1-2

(Image: 2014 Getty Images)

Moriarty is actually odds-on to go to New Zealand despite the huge competition in the back-row.

His displays in the Six Nations have clearly shown the bookies that he has what it takes to play for the Lions.

Jonny May 8-1

Again May has some stiff competition to get on the plane with him not even making the England squad at this point.

Although he may find himself in New Zealand should injuries occur, it is unlikely that he will be in the original squad.

Greig Laidlaw Evens

Perhaps the most surprising odds are that the Gloucester captain is at evens to be a part of the touring party.

With Conor Murray, Rhys Webb and Ben Youngs all finding form at the right time and Laidlaw still injured, these odds are favourable to the scrum-half.

Richard Hibbard

In many people's eyes Hibbard is a bolter for the Lions but as yet Skybet are not taking bets on the hooker making the squad.
Efforts by congressional Republicans, led by Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act failed. Gauging from the reactions of top Republicans  President Trumps Im moving on and Speaker Ryans Obamacare is the law of the land for the foreseeable future  it sounds as if theyre done, despite more than five dozen votes from 2011 onward to repeal the ACA while Barack Obama was in the White House.

So where do we go from here?

Our advice to lawmakers, especially Virginias congressional delegation, is simple and based on how politics used to work in this country, before Washington became so polarized: Come together, in a bipartisan manner, and fix the areas of the law that need fixing, that need tweaking.

A major reason the Trump/Ryan effort at repeal fell apart was the refusal of the Freedom Caucus in the House of Representatives to accept anything less than the erasure of the ACAs core tenet of essential services all health care policies were required to cover. Services such as coverage of treatment for mental illness and substance addiction; outpatient, emergency care and hospitalization; maternity and newborn care; and preventive services such as yearly physicals and cancer screenings. The Freedom Caucus members were also opposed to the ACAs requirement that pre-existing conditions not be used to deny coverage, that children up to age 26 could remain on their parents policies and that policy rates be designed based on age cohorts, not disease cohorts.

Moderate Republicans in the House stood as solidly in favor of keeping the essential services requirement intact as the tea party members of the Freedom Caucus who wanted to remove it. The reasoning of moderates was simple: Millions of Americans, including thousands of their own constituents, finally had medical coverage that actually provided medical benefits rather than policies that were little more than catastrophic coverage policies that still had sky-high deductibles.

The Congressional Budget Office, Congress independent fiscal analysis agency, conducted an in-depth study of the Trump/Ryan proposal, and its conclusions gave moderate and non-tea party Republicans pause. The CBO predicted the legislation, if passed, would result in 14 million Americans who now have coverage because of the ACA would lose it over the course of the next year, with that number rising to at least 24 million at the outer limits of the CBOs 10-year analysis window. Also, the CBOs analysts said the overall savings for the federal government wouldnt be as large as hoped for, partly because of the medical costs of the millions of people who would lose coverage.

Are there problems with the ACA that need to be addressed to make it a better program? Absolutely! But is the program imploding as some opponents claim? No. But as with any major piece of legislation, problems arise during implementation that should be addressed.

Gallup, in a recent survey, found that a majority of Americans now view the ACA, or Obamacare, favorably. The numbers have risen dramatically this year as repeal efforts heated up and people realized their ACA exchange policies and Obamacare were one and the same. People previously unable to see a doctor or who had to use hospital emergency departments for their primary care are getting primary care in record numbers, and the percentage of Americans without health coverage is at historic lows. So, again, to Congress  both Democrats and Republicans  come together in bipartisanship to make the ACA better. The American people deserve and expect no less.
The UTSA softball team will make the short drive down IH-37 to face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Tuesday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Chapman Field.The Roadrunners (17-26) and Islanders (7-28) will meet for the second time this season and 53rd time overall. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi recorded a 3-2 victory in the last meeting on March 1 in San Antonio, its third win in a row against UTSA. The Roadrunners were winners of seven straight meetings in 2013-15 before a pair of setbacks last season. UTSA holds a 15-11 edge in games played in Corpus Christi.UTSA is looking to bounce back from a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Southern Miss on Saturday in Hattiesburg and the Golden Eagles took two of three games in the Conference USA series. The Roadrunners have played just three non-conference contests in the last month, with a 6-5 road win at Lamar on March 21 before home losses to Texas (9-1) on March 29 and Houston Baptist (5-3/9 innings) on April 4.A trio of freshmen pace a UTSA offense that is hitting .304 as a team.leads the way with a .407 batting average, 61hits, 27 runs and 16 stolen bases.is hitting .370 with 57 hits, 26 runs and 14 swipes.has the top power numbers with 11 doubles, 10 home runs and 38 RBIs while hitting .304.Meanwhile,carries a six-game hitting streak into Tuesday's contest and she has left the yard in her last four outings. The sophomore is batting .312 with nine round-trippers and 25 RBIs.In the circle,(6-8) owns a team-best 4.18 earned-run average and 61 strikeouts, whilehas a team-high 11 wins, a 4.24 ERA and 36 Ks.The Islanders are batting just .192 as a team and are led by Mackinzee Griebel, who is hitting .293 with 27 hits and seven stolen bases. Lacey Boyd has a .280 batting average and .387 slugging percentage and Liz Carter is 6-14 with a 3.75 ERA and 111 strikeouts, while Kandace Johnson is 1-14 with a 5.08 ERA and 39 strikeouts.
Accelerating the creation of a universal pre-K system that stretches across Boston Public Schools (BPS), community-based organizations, and family-based childcare programs, and expanding high-quality, affordable options for infants and toddlers.

Creating a one-stop shop for enrollment and access to early education and childcare programs by building an accessible, multilingual platform so that options are clear, streamlined, and accessible to all families.

Investing in the early education and childcare workforce by building sustainable career pathways that recognize early educators as professionals who are essential to young childrens wellbeing.

Coordinating outreach and information for city and community programming that impacts the lives of young children and their families.

For children of all ages in the survey sample, respondents are utilizing a parent or guardian care arrangement more than they would prefer.

81 percent of the respondents utilizing a parent or guardian care arrangement for their children are women, which is interfering with their career desires.

58 percent of respondents would prefer formal care arrangements, whether a center-based, family-based, or school-based program, but are not able to access these.

(TNS)  On Wednesday morning, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced that the city will create an Office of Early Childhood after the 2021 Childcare Census Survey identified that 58 percent of respondents are not able to access center-based, family-based, or school-based child care programs.The new office will work to expand early education and childcare programs, invest in Bostons early education and care workforce and serve as a one-stop-shop for people looking for information on early education and childcare programming, according to the city.Wu is looking to hire a leader as soon as possible, with the timeline of the offices creation contingent on it.Wu said the dream is to create a system that parents in Boston can easily find high-quality, affordable child care, no matter where they live. This includes creating a one-stop-shop enrollment system as well as a legislative push to put a cap on childcare costs on families depending on income.State Rep. Adrian Madaro said at a press conference on Wednesday he is one of the parents currently on a waitlist for childcare in the city. He is also one of the many parents who rely on childcare from his family members. State Sen. Lydia Edwards also spoke at the conference, saying she hopes to have children but said financial barriers are a conflict.The target cost of childcare is 10 percent of income, Wu said, though for citizens in Boston, this is currently much higher.The city reported that the average cost of center-based care for 0-to 2-year-olds is $2,237 per month in Boston, compared to $1,743 in the state of Massachusetts as a whole and $1,806 per month for 3-to 5-year-olds compared to $1,258 in the state. In other words, care exceeds 10 percent of their familys income for 41 percent of children.With partnership at the state level, the city hopes to cap costs for families, phasing in costs around 7 percent of annual income for families. Wu also said she supports universal pre-k for families in the city, which Boston Public Schools is working to expand.Every bit of investment in our children and families to close gaps in early education and care is an investment in our collective future, the mayor said. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how a lack of affordable and accessible childcare puts a strain on working families and entire communities. Together with our community partners, this Office will be key to preparing children for a lifetime of opportunity and bolstering the great work of our childcare providers.According to the city, some of the main tasks of the Office of Early Childhood include:The leader of the Office of Early Childhood will run these projects in partnership with Boston Public Schools, the Mayors Office of Womens Advancement, the Boston Public Health Commission, Boston Centers for Youth and Families, as well as any other city departments and community organizations that work with Bostons children and families.We are excited to deepen the Citys investment in high-quality, accessible childcare solutions for early childhood professionals, families, and their little ones, Executive Director of the Mayors Office of Womens Advancement Alexandra Valdez said. The Office of Early Childhood will continue the work of looking at closing child care gaps with community voices at the center. This will not only create opportunities to further support a childs care needs and early development, but also empower a profession that is largely represented by women, specifically women of color, and our immigrant community.Some of the other highlights from Bostons Childcare Census Survey, according to the city, include:The survey is ongoing and currently seeking more public input. Those interested in taking the survey, which is offered in seven languages, can do so online . A physical copy was also mailed to Boston residents with the city census.The YMCA was identified as the second-largest childcare provider in Boston, behind BPS. The organization will be working closely with the office to create more accessible and equitable care.We are elated with Mayor Wus decision to create a new office focused on early childhood, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Boston James Morton said. The Y has been working with many stakeholders and community partners to elevate and coordinate early childhood opportunities in the City of Boston. Our East Boston YMCA Early Education Center provides much-needed support and wrap-around services to our families, and we are thrilled to host Mayor Wu as she makes this important announcement.Wu also said that people can reach out to the office and access childcare programs regardless of citizenship status.
Delivering on a high-profile campaign promise, President Trump on Thursday signed legislation allowing states to cut federal family planning funds for doctors and clinics that provide abortions, including Planned Parenthood. The action reverses the Obama administrations last-minute ban on states withholding federal Title X family planning funds from abortion providers.Before and after the ban was in place, 13 states had already tried to block abortion providers from getting Title X money, according toThat number is now expected to climb. Meanwhile, the Republican-controlled Congress is likely to cut family planning funds in general in the first budget that Trump signs.But not every GOP-led state will strip funds from abortion providers.Earlier this month, Maryland's Republican governor, Larry Hogan, let a first-in-the-nation bill become law that promises to fill gaps in Planned Parenthood's funding if it's reduced. Last month, Massachusetts GOP Gov. Charlie Baker made the same promise, although a plan hasnt yet been presented. A similar bill has emerged in Nevada, another state with a moderate Republican in charge.Under its new law, Maryland is prepared to replace the $3 million Planned Parenthood got in Title X funding last year with $2 million coming from Medicaid and $700,000 from the states general fund. Massachusetts would need to find $2 million to fill a potential federal funding hole; Nevada would need about $3 million.Numbers like those are a small fraction of states' Medicaid spending.Three million dollars is nothing when you look at the grand scale of Medicaid, which can be up to 40 percent of a states budget, says Judy Solomon, vice president of health policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).Last year, Planned Parenthood alone received approximately $390 million from Medicaid and just $60 million from Title X . (Federal law already bans Title X money from being used to pay for abortions; instead it's used for birth control, cancer screenings, and testing and treating sexually transmitted infections.) While Planned Parenthood has become the most visible -- and the most vilified -- advocate of abortion rights, it only performs roughly one-third of abortions in the U.S. Laws like Maryland's aren't designed to protect all the other clinics that are impacted by potential cuts.Of course, both Maryland's Hogan and Massachusetts' Baker are moderate Republicans in a state with a strongly Democratic legislature. Other states with more conservative GOP leaders will assuredly move to defund Planned Parenthood and other similar facilities.But cutting off funding to abortion providers isn't that simple. States first need to figure out which clinics and physicians do and do not provide abortions.Its not like Planned Parenthood funding is this separate, add-on family planning program, says Elizabeth Nash, state policy expert at the Guttmacher Institute, which tracks reproductive rights policies.In addition, courts have upheld most of the attempts to withhold Title X funds, but not Medicaid dollars, often citing that states had no medical reason to do so. A few states, however, have found a legal way around that restriction.In 2013, Texas started rejecting federal Medicaid money for women's health programs and instead created its own state-funded program that offers pregnancy testing and counseling, cancer screenings, immunizations and other family planning services -- but no abortions. By creating a program with its own money, Nash says the state is no longer bound by federal Medicaid rules and can exclude any organization it wants, including abortion providers.Earlier this year, Missouri decided to follow Texas' lead . The new law, which is set to take effect July 1, could close the state's only Planned Parenthood facility that offers abortions. According to Jennifer Tidball, the state's Department of Social Services acting director, the other 10 Planned Parenthood clinics have already stopped performing them because of avariety of abortion restrictions over the years.The Congressional Budget Office concluded last month that completely defunding Planned Parenthood would leave many women without access to any family planning services (irrespective of abortion), resulting in thousands of additional births per year.Medicaid ends up paying for that anyway, says the CBPP's Solomon.
The executions are halted _ for now.After a flurry of last-minute legal challenges, a pair of judges have issued temporary injunctions effectively blocking Arkansas from executing six men it planned to put to death this month.The state was prepared to execute the men in an 11-day span starting Monday, a move that drew rebuke from death penalty opponents who said it was cruel and unusual punishment, and increased the likelihood of a botched execution. (Initially, Arkansas officials had been prepared to execute eight convicted murderers this month, but recent legal rulings had already halted two executions.)On Saturday, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction requested by the inmates to block the executions, ruling that there is a significant possibility that the men could successfully challenge the state's execution protocol.A day earlier, Pulaski County Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen issued a temporary restraining order preventing Arkansas from using its supply of vecuronium bromide, a drug used in the state's lethal injection cocktail.Griffen's ruling came in response to a request from a pharmaceutical company, McKesson Medical-Surgical, which argued that its public image would suffer if the state used its drugs in executions. Moreover, McKesson argued the state had misled it as to how the drug would be used and did not inform the company it would be a part of a lethal cocktail.Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge filed emergency requests Saturday with the state Supreme Court and the federal 8th Circuit Court of Appeals to vacate the orders as soon as possible.The executions were slated to begin Monday, followed by more on Thursday, April 24 and 27, with two men to die each day. No state had executed that many individuals in such a short time frame. The closest was Texas, which executed eight men in both May and June 1997, according to the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center, which opposes capital punishment.Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson set the execution dates in February after Rutledge determined that the eight men had exhausted their legal challenges. Hutchinson said the state had to act before the end of April, when the state's supply of midazolam, an anesthetic, expired.On Saturday, Hutchinson issued a statement on the latest legal wrangling: "I understand how difficult this is on the victims' families, and my heart goes out to them," he said.The series of events in recent days has placed Arkansas officials in a race against the clock to execute the men, as death penalty opponents argue the timing and number of executions increases the potential for mishaps."They have attempted to carry out these executions in a rush without any concern for what could go wrong," Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, said Saturday.Earlier this month, a federal judge ruled that the execution of Jason McGehee should be put on hold for 30 days after the Arkansas Parole Board suggested to Hutchinson that McGehee's sentence should be commuted to life in prison. Hours before Griffen's order, the Arkansas Supreme Court issued a stay of execution to Bruce Ward, who was to be put to death Monday.On Thursday, a pair of drug manufacturers _ Fresenius Kabi USA and West-Ward Pharmaceuticals Corp. _ asked a federal court to block Arkansas from using its drugs for executions, claiming that doing so would violate "contractual supply-chain controls" the companies have in place. Fresenius Kabi USA produces potassium chloride, while West-Ward produces midazolam.In a friend of the court brief filed Thursday, appended to a lawsuit by the inmates aimed at halting the executions, the companies said they sell the drugs to wholesale distributors that agree to distribute only to hospitals and medical facilities. In the brief, the companies say that their contracts with distributors specifically note that the drugs are not to be provided to correctional facilities."We object in the strongest possible way to any of our products being used for the purposes of capital punishment as it is inconsistent with our values and mission of improving lives, and against their licensed FDA indication," Keri Butler, a spokeswoman for West-Ward Pharmaceuticals, said in a statement.Under Arkansas law, the state is permitted to keep the source of its drugs a secret. Indeed, most of the 31 states that allow lethal injection have similar secrecy provisions. However, West-Ward had previously been identified by The Associated Press as the state's likely manufacturer of midazolam.Officials with both pharmaceutical companies said they have never before filed briefs in capital punishment cases.In 2011, the European Commission, an institution of the European Union tasked with proposing and implementing legislation, created strict controls on the export of drugs that could be used to carry out lethal injections in the United States. As a result, states have struggled to secure the drugs needed to create a lethal injection cocktail.Hutchinson, while speaking to reporters Thursday, expressed confidence in carrying out the upcoming executions and sought to focus on the victims of the condemned men."There's a natural focus on those who are subject to the death penalty. That I understand," Hutchinson said. "But at the same time, there is insufficient attention that is paid to the victims and the families in these cases."The Rev. Stephen Copley, chairman of the Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, said he was surprised by Friday's ruling, and though he remained hopeful, he also approached the news with a measure of caution.A member of the United Methodist Church, Copley has been an outspoken critic of the death penalty and had attended a rally that day, in which the actor Johnny Depp joined hundreds at the Arkansas state Capitol calling on Hutchinson to halt the executions, when he learned about Griffen's ruling."It isn't over yet," Copley said. "That probably won't be the last ruling on it."Joining Depp and others at the rally was Damien Echols, one of the "West Memphis Three" who served more than 18 years behind bars for the 1993 murders of three young boys in West Memphis, Ark.Echols and the two others, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin, were freed in 2011 after evidence emerged to potentially challenge their convictions. The men pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, but under a rare legal arrangement were also able to claim their innocence. Death penalty critics have cited the case as a reason to oppose capital punishment.
Chicago police interrogated Arnold Day for several hours before he confessed to two homicides.At trial, Day testified that he confessed only after one officer kicked him in the back of the head and another choked him and threatened to throw him out a window. A jury in 1993 acquitted him of one of the killings, but another convicted him of the second slaying.Day spent more than 20 years behind bars before a state commission earlier this year found sufficient evidence of torture.Taxed with a mounting caseload, the Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission brought in private attorneys who had never heard of Day's case to investigate his claim on a pro bono basis."Our job was not to advocate at all. Our job was to investigate," said Mark Schwartz, an attorney with Chicago's Butler Rubin Saltarelli & Boyd.Now the cash-strapped commission needs even more help.A recent change in the law expanded the panel's jurisdiction beyond claims of torture related to disgraced former Chicago police Cmdr. Jon Burge -- which had been its charge since its inception in 2009 -- to anyone convicted in Cook County based on confessions allegedly coerced through torture."The new law quintupled our caseload," Executive Director Rob Olmstead recently told senators in Springfield.The influx of cases brought the total the panel is required to investigate to nearly 400, pushing the commission not only to reach out to established law firms, but also law school interns and even high school students, who do clerical work."We can't deal with those numbers the way we're set up now," Olmstead told the Tribune. "I think the legislature's intention was laudable. They wanted to bring potential relief to what they thought was a wider pool of people who needed it, and that's great, but now we need to practically find a way to do it."Almost immediately after the law went into effect last summer, more than 200 requests for claim forms came in, but it was unknown how many would translate into actual claims.So far, more than 180 new claims have been filed, spokesman Michael Theodore said. The commission staff also must investigate 121 cases that had been filed under the old law but sat in limbo because of jurisdictional questions. The new law cleared the path for those to move forward, as well as roughly 75 backlogged cases, Theodore said.Cases in which the commission finds a preponderance of evidence of torture by police are referred to Cook County Circuit Court for a hearing. A judge may then grant a new trial. Since the panel first began receiving cases in 2011, commissioners have denied more claims than they referred, Theodore said.Investigations often take years. At least two men died while waiting for their cases to be heard, records show.Burge and officers who worked under him are alleged to have tortured suspects, most of them African-American, in the 1970s and '80s. Burge was convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice for denying knowledge of the torture and was released from federal prison in 2014.The city of Chicago has spent tens of millions of dollars to settle Burge-era lawsuits, including a $4 million settlement approved in January for a man who spent nearly a quarter-century behind bars.The laborious process of obtaining court transcripts, police reports and other records sometimes require commission attorneys to go to court, said Cheryl Starks, a former Cook County judge who serves as the panel's chairwoman."In the meantime, every day a person sits in prison who shouldn't be there is an injustice," Starks said.Last year, the commission decided 16 cases, the highest number in years, Olmstead said. Even at that accelerated rate, the commission would need more than 23 years to make it through the cases currently before them.While the initial rush of claims has slowed, about three to five claims continue to trickle in weekly, Olmstead said. The new law also extended the deadline to file claims to Aug. 10, 2019.Olmstead was in Springfield this month making a plea for $10,000 to add to the commission's roughly $300,000 budget. The amount was more of a stopgap measure, he said, and would be used to pay for a grant writer.Sen. Donne Trotter, D-Chicago, who sponsored the law creating the commission, was skeptical it would be sufficient."That is not even a decimal point on what we're dealing with," said Trotter, who said Burge and his crew did not operate in a vacuum."If you know you have a problem, and you say you are going to address it, you give people the tools to address it," he said. "If you want to catch a rat, you got to make sure you have a lot of rat catchers."The commission's funding has long been tenuous, and officials said the state's budget impasse isn't helping. At one point in 2012, the General Assembly pulled the commission's funding, forcing a temporary closure.While the commission waits, Olmstead is grateful for the pro bono attorneys who heeded his call.Schwartz, the attorney who helped investigate Day's claim with an associate attorney from his firm, Carter Stewart, said his firm has signed on for another case. The experience was rewarding, he said, and especially beneficial for lawyers early in their careers. They reviewed about 10,000 pages of records, conducted video interviews and drafted a report with their findings that they presented to the commission.They documented seven instances in which Day described his alleged torture, though they noted his descriptions were not completely consistent. The report states that Day offered an alibi in the killing of Raphael Garcia, and a jury later acquitted him. The eyewitnesses in the second killing, that of Jerrod Erving, recanted.That Day may not have been at the scene of Garcia's killing casts doubt on both confessions, they wrote."If Day did not murder Garcia, then there is little reason to believe he would have confessed to that crime -- a confession he gave concurrently with the confession of the Erving murder for which Day is now incarcerated -- absent coercion," the report concluded.Day, who filed his claim with the commission in 2011 and is imprisoned downstate, awaits his next court hearing in hopes of eventually winning a new trial.
The Trump administration on Friday dropped a federal lawsuit that challenged North Carolina's House Bill 2, citing the repeal last month of the controversial law as its impetus.But as large cities and states across the nation reaffirmed their travel bans to North Carolina to take stands against LGBT discrimination, questions remain about the effect of the compromise law adopted in HB2's place.Sixteen mayors from across North Carolina _ including Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane, Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts and Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines _ have sent a letter to mayors in Seattle, New York City and Chicago urging them to consider putting North Carolina back on their travel lists."(W)e won't stand by idly when discriminatory policies threaten the rights of any single group or community," Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Thursday. "Until North Carolina acknowledges the rights of the LGBTQ community and treats all individuals fairly, the city of Chicago will be taking our business elsewhere, and we encourage others to do the same."The North Carolina mayors in their letter, released Friday, said that even though they do not have the same authority as the state General Assembly, their cities "remain safe, welcoming places for all people." The compromise that allowed the repeal of HB2 allows conversations about LGBT rights and protections to continue "without the heated rhetoric," the North Carolina mayors added.That compromise, brokered by Gov. Roy Cooper, state business leaders and key legislators, got rid of the bathroom provision that required transgender people to use restrooms in government buildings that corresponded with the gender listed on their birth certificates.But House Bill 142, which was adopted three weeks ago, creates a moratorium on local nondiscrimination ordinances through Dec. 1, 2020. And it leaves regulation of bathrooms, showers and changing facilities to state lawmakers, not the universities, community colleges, local school systems and other state agencies that had been setting their own policies.The federal lawsuit that was dropped by the Trump Justice Department on Friday was filed nearly a year ago by Loretta Lynch, a North Carolina native and the U.S. attorney general under former President Barack Obama.Though the actions by the Trump Justice Department on Friday did away with one lawsuit challenging HB2, the ACLU and Lambda Legal have no plans to step away from another lawsuit pending in federal court. That suit was filed a year ago by a transgender man who works at UNC-Chapel Hill, a lesbian law professor at N.C. Central University, a transgender man who is a student at UNC-Greensboro, a transgender teenage girl who is a student at the UNC School of the Arts and a lesbian couple in Charlotte.The plaintiffs have said not only do they plan to continue seeking damages from the harms of HB2, they plan to amend their lawsuit to encompass HB142."The Trump administration may want to use the fake repeal of HB2 as an excuse to further turn their backs on the transgender community, but the rest of us aren't going to give up that easily," James Esseks, director of the ACLU's LGBT Project, said in a statement. "We'll continue this fight as long as it takes to truly strike down this disastrous law for good."Former Gov. Pat McCrory, who signed HB2 into law, praised the Trump administration's action in a statement released by the North Carolina GOP. "The Trump administration has taken a very reasonable and common sense action that is welcomed," McCrory said.The path through the federal courts for the lawsuits challenging HB2 and fighting for transgender rights have taken new directions and been subject to scheduling changes several times since President Donald Trump's inauguration. They also have been affected by a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the case of a Virginia teen whose lawsuit against the Gloucester County schools has been a major test for transgender rights.The Virginia case awaits a rehearing in the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The North Carolina challenge of HB2 also is set for arguments at the Richmond-based federal appeals court in early May.Earlier this week, the appeals court asked Lambda Legal and the ACLU for more information about how HB142 will affect their case. Each side is to file new arguments by late April to a court in which two of the judges recently described Gavin Grimm, the teen from Virginia fighting for transgender rights, as a courageous civil rights leader.The 4th Circuit announced on April 7 that Grimm's case against the Gloucester County School Board would not be heard before he is scheduled to graduate. Judge Andre M. Davis, a senior judge appointed in 2009 by Obama, used a separate court order to let Grimm know he would be remembered with other "brave individuals" such as "Dred Scott, Fred Korematsu, Linda Brown, Mildred and Richard Loving, Edie Windsor, and Jim Obergefell, to name just a few _ who refused to accept quietly the injustices that were perpetuated against them."In the order, also signed by Judge Henry F. Floyd, another Obama appointee, Davis added that Grimm's case was "about much more than bathrooms.""It's about a boy asking his school to treat him just like any other boy," the order states. "It's about protecting the rights of transgender people in public spaces and not forcing them to exist on the margins."
Description

GIS - 17 April, 2017: The Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Innovation Award competition was launched on 14 April 2017 in Port-Louis by the Minister of Business, Enterprise and Cooperatives, Mr Soomilduth Bholah.

The main objective of the Award is to encourage SMEs to adopt innovative approaches and practices leading to business transformation, new markets, productivity improvement and increased investment.

In his address, Minister Bholah underlined that innovation plays a determining role in boosting the performance of enterprises and enables them to sustain productivity. He emphasised that innovation is a driving force for SMEs to garner competitiveness, higher productivity gains, better product development and production processes, and secure market niches.

He underscored that SMEs will be rewarded for taking risks and encouraged be creative and innovative for product development. This competition will further instil an entrepreneurial attitude and culture of innovation, added the Minister.

The aim of Government, highlighted Mr Bholah, is to make SME the engine of growth by fostering the emergence of innovative, sustainable and globally competitive SMEs for job creation, value addition and economic democratisation. The 10 - Year Master Plan takes into account the need for this impetus, hence this indoctrination of innovation, pointed out the Minister.

SME Innovation Award 2017

The SME Inn ovation Award 2017 comprises two categories namely, Best Production Innovation and Best Process Innovation. The winner of each respective category will be rewarded with a cash prize of Rs 200,000.
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Early Adopters

Santa Clara Pueblo, N.M., has seen its share of presidential disaster declarations in recent years.In 2000 it took 1,600 firefighters from 65 local fire departments to put out the Cerro Grande fire. In 2011 the Las Conchas fire burned up the majority of the local watershed. Besides the immediate damage, the fires led to devastating flooding. In both those events, the pueblo, which is a sovereign Native American territory, tapped into Stafford Act funding as a partner on New Mexicos application for assistance.In 2013 things played out a little differently. In response to two separate summertime floods totaling some $10 million in damage, tribal leaders applied directly to the government. Santa Clara Pueblo thus became one of the first tribal entities to access Stafford support on its own, rather than having to partner with a state.While Congress made direct tribal requests possible with its post-Hurricane Sandy adjustments to the Stafford Act, theres been no clear procedure for making such declarations, and so far, only a small handful of the 567 federally recognized tribes have done so. Recently FEMA released a long-awaited set of guidelines, the Tribal Declarations Pilot Guidance, laying out for the first time a detailed set of instructions for tribal governments looking to go direct to the source in their quest for disaster relief.This provides them with new options. It recognizes tribal sovereignty, and it gives them greater control, said Alex Amparo, FEMA assistant administrator of recovery.The new guidance is weighty, running more than 50 pages. It details the types of assistance available and the necessary assessments and documentation. It offers extensive insight into the considerations a tribe will need to make before requesting a disaster declaration, including the financial commitment, staffing needs, compliance requirements and other issues.What you are seeing now is the result of our efforts over the last couple of years to talk through formal consultation, Amparo said. We have been talking to tribes and getting their input, sharing with them drafts of the guidance and receiving more than 2,000 comments from 140 listening sessions. This is the product of all that dialog.In addition to allowing tribes to directly apply for aid, the guidance implements some other significant changes in the way Native American governments are empowered to respond to disasters.Most notably, theres a change in threshold. States must incur $1 million in damages to be eligible for Stafford assistance. Tribal governments can apply for aid having experienced just $250,000 in damages.Part of the reason we went down to $250,000 is that the tribes vary in capacity, Amparo said. If you have a tribal nation with a population of fewer than 1,000 people, $250,000 is a major disaster for them.The new rules also give tribal governments a greater degree of flexibility in how they interact with national disaster relief programs. One of the things we saw prior to this change is just the sheer logistical challenge of these things, said Milo Booth, FEMAs national tribal affairs adviser.Take the Navajo Nation. Under the old Stafford Act wed be looking at a tribe in three states and three FEMA regions, so they would have to go to three different regional administrations to make their case for a federal declaration, while not being able to combine those damages, he said. You could possibly be going to three different governors to ask for declarations on a single disaster.Despite the advantages, there may be a financial downside to the new autonomy. The Stafford Act describes a 75/25 split in disaster relief, with the federal government shouldering the heavier load. In many states, that remaining 25 percent has been split in some way between the state and the tribal government, in disasters to which a tribe is impacted.In New Mexico for instance its a 50/50 split, so that in state-led declarations, Santa Clara Pueblo has covered 12.5 percent of the expense. When making a direct declaration, the pueblo must carry the full 25 percent itself.Despite the potential drawback  and even in the absence of the newly released guidelines  a small number of tribal entities have made their own declarations in recent years.The Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation was the first tribe to apply directly for federal disaster assistance. A 2013 declaration addressed some $5.4 million in damages from winter storms. Its a really big accomplishment for the Native American community, Mollie Grant, then-emergency management program manager for the Eastern Cherokee Nation, told news media at the time. I think its an honor, because were the first to lead the other tribes.The Navajo Nation also sought damages in 2013 for a $1 billion deep freeze in which more than 3,000 homes were damaged due to frozen water pipes. We are thankful that we are taking a step to further strengthen our sovereignty as the Navajo Nation, said then-Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly in a FEMA release. This agreement recognizes the government-to-government relationship we have with the federal government.In Santa Clara Pueblo, some 2,500 people reside on 57,000 acres on the Rio Grande, surrounded by national forestland. The decision to pursue direct disaster declarations in 2013 came in large measure out of a desire for greater control in the emergency management process.We got to tell our own story, as compared to someone else telling our story for us, said Santa Clara Pueblo Gov. Michael Chavarria. We got direct contact with FEMA, we got direct technical support, rather than working through the state.This in turn can impact the ways in which remediation plays out. When you can tell FEMA face to face this is what happened, you get better control over how you direct resources, he said.Direct access also has given the tribes better insight into the inner workings of FEMA and improved access to resources within the agency. We have to wear multiple hats, and we dont always have the internal capabilities, Chavarria said. We dont have hydrologists and soil scientists to help us figure out the best way forward, so its important that we have these strong partnerships and access to third-party assistance.FEMA officials said they are looking to the direct-application process as a means to deepen those ties between the agency and the tribes. The agency has put in place a tribal liaison in each of its 10 regions and added a tribal adviser to the external affairs roster to conduct outreach efforts. In 2016 some 1,000 tribal representatives went through the training either at FEMAs Emergency Management Institute or its Center for Domestic Preparedness.When you have tribal leaders go through these exercises, this really does go to build resiliency across the entire nation, Amparo said. You have more people with a greater understanding of where and how emergency assistance is provided.
(TNS) - Several communities in the mid-Hudson (N.Y.) are spending more than $40 million to get ready for the next weather disaster.Sixteen municipalities have crafted plans to make their communities less vulnerable to the kind of devastation left behind by Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee and superstorm Sandy in 2011 and 2012.Communities slammed by the storms picked up the pieces, and when New York state and the federal government offered help, they took it.The state pulled together federal funding streams and channeled them through the Governor's Office of Storm Recovery into a program called the NY Rising and Community Reconstruction plan.Starting in 2013, two competitive rounds of funding ended up with allocations to the 16 mid-Hudson municipalities. The bottom line: at least $3 million each.The communities are Middletown, Town of Wallkill, Blooming Grove and Washingtonville in Orange County; and the town and village of New Paltz, Ellenville, Village of Saugerties, Olive, Rochester, Rosendale, Saugerties, Wawarsing, Woodstock, Shandaken and Hardenburgh in Ulster.The projects focus on mundane ways to prevent problems from massive storms.The Town of Wallkill, for example, is using some of its $3.5 million allocation to harden 18 traffic lights on busy Route 211 and Dunning Road against the loss of power."During power outages, we have lots of traffic backups, and we use a lot of resources to handle them," said Michele Baker, public works administrator for the town.The town is equipping the traffic lights with solar power and backup batteries so they will operate if power is knocked out. That work is in the design phase, Baker said.It is one of four projects in the works for the town.The town will split an additional $1 million grant with Middletown with the aim of reducing flooding. Wallkill wants to reduce flooding that drains into the area of Ballard Road and the Galleria at Crystal Run.Middletown is approaching the same problem from its side of the border, Baker said.The Monhagen Avenue area above Maple Hill Park is one target of work to come under the NY Rising program in the city, according to Mayor Joe DeStefano.Another portion of the money will go to study the drainage infrastructure in the area of Academy and Genung streets. It would attack flooding problems in the lowest part of the city.Resulting construction work would likely come in 2018, he said.Ellenville is one of the communities using the NY Rising money to create shelters for residents to use during disasters.Village Manager Joe Stoeckeler said the village is setting aside some of its $3 million for a new building capable of housing 50 to 100 people in an emergency.Additional kitchens and bathing facilities will be added to local churches that can be used as emergency shelters.Other initiatives include flood-control work and the installation of backup generators in several locations.The flood-control improvements will take about 40 homes out of the flood plain, Stoeckeler said.The money is a boon to localities, since it doesn't come directly from local taxpayers."The difference," DeStefano said, "is the majority of work would not be done without it. It is the difference of doing it or not doing it."pbrooks@th-record.com2017 The Times Herald-Record, Middletown, N.Y.Visit The Times Herald-Record, Middletown, N.Y. at www.recordonline.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(TNS) -- There were mostly vague answers, and I was frustrated by that.But earlier this month, the Eno Center for Transportation, a D.C. think tank, held an autonomous vehicles and state policy roundtable discussion in Arlington, and the reason why those answers were vague became clear.The roundtable brought together representatives from Uber, Daimler, Volkswagen, AAA, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, urban planning firms, tech companies, localities like Virginia Beach, the Virginia Department of Transportation and other state DOTs.The main message: Autonomous technology is new, its sexy and lawmakers want to get on the bandwagon of creating friendly laws to attract companies dealing in the new tech  but they also want to hold off on making drastic changes to state policy and infrastructure.Thats just what Virginia is doing. Right now, the only law that affects AVs states that a driver must be behind the wheel. Virginia Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne hopes the hands-off approach encourages innovation.Were a blank slate and weve chosen to do that on purpose, he said. We dont want to stymie the process (with regulation).Were learning to embrace the unknown. We dont want our policies to be outdated by the time the technology gets here.By the end of summer, VDOT plans to have a report called Virginia Automated 20XX, which will look at a planning for AVs, now, in the short-term and three to seven years out.Among the Eno Centers preliminary recommendations:Consider that legislation or regulatory action will not necessarily attract or deter AV testing in your state.Adhere to consistent definitions used by the auto industry and the national traffic safety administration.Be careful not to overburden companies with state permits and reporting requirements. Consistency across state lines will help.Authorize specific pilot programs for real-world testing.Form an autonomous vehicle advisory committee with a wide range of stakeholders.Concentrate on keeping roads, lane marking and traffic signals in good shape. These are key infrastructure for AVs.State governments should partner with universities to develop testing grounds and fund research to understand how AVs could affect the broader transportation network.Layne says many drivers are still uncomfortable with the idea of self-driving cars, but nearly 70 miles of highways and streets, including the Express Lanes in Northern Virginia, have been used as a test bed for autonomous vehicles.Gov. Terry McAuliffe closed out the event with a Q&A and I asked him what his experience with autonomous vehicles has been like. McAuliffe said he hasnt been in a fully autonomous vehicle, but did have a good anecdote about a semi-autonomous Tesla test drive he did in Virginia Beach during the 2015 Governors Transportation Conference.Well just let him take it from here:So Im down in Virginia Beach and the media is asking me to just take it for a spin around the block. It was a Tesla Model S. I hadnt been behind the wheel in three years, so I take it slowly down around the block. Its a beautiful car. I saw a sign for (Interstate) 64 West and so I take the Tesla rep down 64, the state police in the big Suburban is behind me. I got this thing to 90 mph in eight seconds. Hit the (semi-autonomous vehicle) for 14 miles I didnt touch a thing. Meanwhile this big old black SUV is just left in the dust. What an experience. The car was magnificent. I think youve got to get people to try them to see how it works.McAuliffe said he understands peoples concerns about the technology, especially with some high-profile crashes, but that will happen with any innovative technology.The technology is going to happen. By 2030, its supposed to be an $80 billion business. I want in on that.New sign coming to Ocean ViewI often get readers that come to me with traffic issues that bother them. Sometimes, I ask about it and the problem gets fixed; sometimes it doesnt.But one reader had a 20-year irk in Ocean View that will be resolved by Norfolk soon.Joe Leatherman, who worked in the area, described a signage problem on northbound Tidewater Drive in an email: Motorists unfamiliar with the area and destined for Granby St., round a blind curve (heading north on Tidewater) and are instantly presented with an array of road signs at the interchange, none that read Granby St.Indeed, there are signs for I-64, routes 60, 168, 460 and 4th View Street. Its a lot to take in traveling 45 mph.Leatherman says a Granby Street sign was there 30 years, but was blown down in a storm and never replaced.I always use extreme caution there as traffic often slows down abruptly at the signs sudden appearance and you can feel drivers frustration in trying to make a split second decision, and if theyre in the left lane, will often make a precarious lane change to avoid missing the exit, Leatherman wrote.Public Works will install a sign on the side of the that reads: Granby Street, Next Exit.Thanks for bringing up the issue, Joe. And kudos to Norfolk for the quick response.Finishing upBike month is coming up in May. You can expect bike-related events across the region for serious riders and casual riders, too. Events in Norfolk include: a May 7 ride from Smartmouth Brewery to Norfolk International Airport at 8 a.m. and a Ghent Loup ride from 12-2 p.m. The NEON District Glow Ride is 8:30 p.m. on May 19. See the full list at Norfolk.gov/Bike AAA says the majority of U.S. drivers (60 percent) seek autonomous technologies, like lane assist and auto-parallel parking, in their next vehicle, but they continue to fear the fully self-driving car. Three-quarters of drivers say theyre afraid to ride in a self-driving car, and only 10 percent report that theyd actually feel safer sharing the roads with driverless vehicles.Quick updates and tidbits on the Lesner Bridge in Virginia Beach: All traffic is on the newly constructed bridge. Demolition of both old bridges began Jan. 25, and its being systematically dismantled piece by piece. Most of the removed beams with attached deck will be transferred to barges and be used to encourage reef growth at the Cabbage Patch Reef located off the shoreline of Kiptopeke State Park. Some of the removed degraded beams will be studied and strength-tested by Virginia Techs transportation institute. Meanwhile, installation of the new second span will begin while demolition continues.Shameless plug: Im on Facebook now at Facebook.com/jwpascale . There youll find this guy show you a video of how the new E-ZPass Flex works , among other transportation links, news and tidbits. Its like this column, but all week. Give that page a like.2017 The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Va.)Visit The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Va.) at pilotonline.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(TNS) -- WESTBORO  A dozen prospective bidders showed up last week to consider running MassBroadband123, the imperiled state-owned network that brings high-speed internet to scores of public safety and government buildings in Central and Western Massachusetts.Documents provided by MassTech, the quasi-public state agency that oversees the Massachusetts Broadband Institute, show about 30 employees from 12 companies showed up to its Westboro headquarters for an informational session Wednesday.The private company that currently runs the network filed for bankruptcy in March , and its parent company is suing the state in U.S. District Court , arguing it has no long-term obligation to keep the network running.Accordingly, the state has been working on contingency plans and issued a request for proposals March 31, seeking a new vendor.Twelve companies attended or teleconferenced into the session  which is mandatory for those who plan to bid  including industry giant CenturyLink, Japan-based Fujitsu, Cyberonic of Worcester, Holyoke Gas & Electric and Westfield Gas & Electric.The showing may belie a statement in court made March 31 by a lawyer representing the state, who said there "may not be any other operators" who can step in."The old expression applies: There's no sense in asking if the air is any good if there's nothing else to breathe," Boston attorney Robert J. Kaler told U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Hillman during a discussion about possible long-term replacements.Bids are due by May 1. In the meantime, the state is waging a war in court with Axia NetMedia Corp. of Canada, the parent company of its current network operator, KCST USA Inc.KCST, which until recently was called Axia US, filed for bankruptcy March 22, and a lawyer for Axia on March 31 claimed the company has lost $17 million on the venture.Axia alleges the state, which built the network for underserved municipalities and then turned it over to Axia for operation, failed to build it properly or deliver an agreed-upon customer base.Its federal lawsuit asks a judge to determine it has no long-term liability to keep the network going. The state has asked a judge to grant an order barring it from walking away in the short term. Arguments on the request have spanned three hearings and included multiple witnesses, court records show.The next hearing is scheduled for April 25. BroadBand123, the fiber-optic network, spans about 1,200 miles and serves primarily government customers in 124 communities, including police in Fitchburg and Leominster.Axia entered into an agreement with the state in 2010 to manage the network, which was financed with $90 million in federal and state money.
A blog on statistics, methods, philosophy of science, and open science. Understanding 20% of statistics will improve 80% of your inferences.
(TNS) -- American and Canadian travelers carrying cell phones, tablets or laptops across the Thousand Islands or Ogdensburg-Prescott International bridges may find themselves subject to an increasing nationwide trend of having their devices searched.While the Fourth Amendment typically protects people around the country from unreasonable searches without warrants, agents along the Canadian and Mexican borders can search all travelers belongings, including electronic devices, with or without reasonable suspicion or a warrant.According a Privacy Impact Assessment from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents can search all travelers electronic devices, whether they are U.S. nationals or visitors from other countries, with or without informing them.Should travelers refuse to hand over their devices or comply in any way, including if they dont provide their passwords, agents could detain or seize the device, said Aaron E. Bowker, a public affairs liaison for CBPs Buffalo field office, which oversees several ports of entry throughout Northern New York, including ones in Alexandria Bay, Ogdensburg and Massena.All persons, baggage, and merchandise arriving in, or departing from, the United States are subject to inspection, search and detention, Mr. Bowker said.Agents cannot block U.S. citizens or green-card holders from entering the country if they do not provide their passwords or social media accounts, although they can be held temporarily at the border for questioning, but visa holders and tourists can be denied entry, said Sophia S. Cope, a staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said in a report she wrote with fellow foundation staff members Amul Kalia, Seth Schoen and Adam Schwartz.At the end of the day, foreign nationals dont have a lot of recourse from that, Ms. Cope said.While CBP claims the number of people who had their devices searched make up less than one percent of travelers who have crossed the border in recent years, searches have become more frequent of late.CBP announced Tuesday in a news release that 14,993 arriving international travelers had their devices searched from October 2016 to March 2017, and while that makes up 0.008 percent of about 189.6 million travelers, it is 6,610 more searches than the 8,383 searches conducted in the first six months of the 2016 fiscal year.During the 2016 fiscal year, CBP officers and agents searched 19,033 international travelers electronic devices, according to the release, more than twice the number of searches during the 2015 fiscal year.Its very, very low, Mr. Bowker said. Less than 100th of a percent of all travelers.Stephen W. Yale-Loeher, a professor of immigration law practice at Cornell Law School, said the increasing number of searches stem from agents desire to use all possible measures to determine if a person or the merchandise carried will harm the country or violate immigration laws.Its not just because of this president, he said. This started before Trump was elected.Searches of electronic devices, like other items, result from agents having to conduct more in-depth inspections to determine the admissibility of an individual or his or her belongings, according to the assessment.Travelers may be chosen for these inspections if, according to a fact sheet from CBP, they have incomplete or improper documents, violated a law CBP enforces, have names that match people of interest or have been selected for a random search.Its like any other secondary inspection, Mr. Bowker said.If no evidence of immigration law violations or crimes are found during the search, the device is returned and the traveller is allowed across the border, according to the assessment.If agents do find evidence of illegal activity, they can hold devices and make travelers cross the border without them. CBP agents can hold devices for only five days, according to the assessment, but ICE agents can detain them so long as needed, but must receive approval after 30 days and be reapproved every 15 days.CBP and ICE agents can also make copies of information from travelers devices for further review with or without detaining the device and, in some cases, without informing travelers, according to the assessment.Every search is different, Mr. Bowker said. It depends on what theyre looking for and if they find something.Mr. Bowker, however, said CBP officers must receive permission from their supervisors to search travelers electronics.Obviously, there is a very small amount of people who we feel we need to do it to, he said.When agents take devices, there are no limits to what they can search.Mr. Yale-Loeher, who is also of counsel to Miller Mayer LLP, said agents can search anything on electronic devices including emails, documents and social media accounts.Some kind of review of social media accounts is happening across all immigration agencies, he said.Electronic device searches are not limited to border crossings.According to the American Civil Liberties Union, agents can operate immigration checkpoints within 100 miles of the border, but need reasonable suspicion to pull someone over and probable cause or a warrant to search vehicles.(The Fourth Amendment) is sort of watered down in the 100-mile border zone, Mr. Yale-Loeher said.In response to cases of agents searching electronic devices, U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Reps. Jared Polis, D-Colo., and Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, introduced a bill this month that would require them to obtain a warrant before searching a U.S. citizens device.According to a fact sheet from Sen. Wydens office, the bill would also prohibit agents from delaying travelers from entering the U.S. if a person declines to hand over passwords, PIN numbers and social media account information and would require agents to have probable cause before seizing a device.Basically, (CPB) says digital devices as a legal matter are the same as a suitcase and thats ridiculous and untrue, Ms. Cope said. We believe probable cause is required and a warrant.Robert G. Horr III, executive director of the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority, said he was not aware of any instances of agents at the Alexandria Bay port of entry searching travelers electronics.He also said he felt agents having that ability would not affect the flow of traffic across the Thousand Islands Bridge. About two million people travel across the bridge annually, and Mr. Horr said secondary inspections occur on a daily basis.Theres an expectation that when you cross the border that everything is fair game, he said. The law is the law. If thats what it is, thats what it is.Both Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority Executive Director Wade A. Davis and Seaway International Bridge Corp. Director Wade N. Dorland declined to comment for this story.
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The first Challenge Bibendum took place in 1998 with a course that ran from Clermont-Ferrand to Paris. The event showcased 50 low-emission cars that traveled a total of 600 kilometers (373 miles) in three days. Michelin then hosted a second Challenge Bibendum in 2000. This event drew a field of 32 electric, hybrid, fuel cell, diesel and natural gas powered vehicles from nearly all the worlds major vehicle manufacturers and top design houses.

After a three-year hiatus, Michelin is rebooting the venerable Challenge Bibendum sustainable mobility event. The new MovinOn by Michelin, a global summit for action on the future of mobility, will be held in Montreal, Canada on 13-15 June 2017.

From there, Michelin took the event to the US, Germany, China and Brazil, with the most recent Challenge Bibendum having been held in 2014 in Chengdu, China. In 2014, Michelin also established the online Michelin Challenge Bibendum collaborative community.

The 2017 MovinOn continues the nearly 20-year legacy of innovation in mobility established by Michelin Challenge Bibendum, and is part of the permanent ecosystem launched by Michelin in 2014, the Michelin Open Lab, where communities of interest are formed to work on specific mobility projects.

For the 2017 event, Michelin expects more than 3,000 participants from 35+ countries, public organizations, academics, corporations, start-ups and public authorities, including major city representatives from around the world.

MovinOn 2017 will examine various themes in the future of urban mobility:
Despite President Trumps promises to the contrary, the drumbeat of war escalates with U.S. missile strikes against the sovereign country of Syria.

This military intervention, without congressional authority, is in response to an apparent chemical weapons attack that killed 86 civilians in Syria.

But it is far from clear whether the Syrian regime was responsible for the heinous use of chemical weapons. It is quite possible these chemical weapons were possessed by al-Qaida or ISIS forces in Syria. Trumps administration could likely be relying on fake news to justify military escalation. (Shades of Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq!) Congresswoman and Iraq war veteran Tulsi Gabbard exposes this military escalation as wrong and reckless.

The U.S. foreign policy of endless wars and regime change causes untold death and destruction on the people of the Middle East (witness the U.S. bombing that recently killed 187 Iraqi civilians), destabilizes secular regimes, foments reactionary fundamentalism, creates a massive refugee crisis, sends our sons and daughters to kill and be killed based on lies and makes the world less safe. As the U.S. military-industrial complex drives this country toward another unjust war, it continues to laugh all the way to the bank.

Melissa Dimondstein

Greensboro
FOCUS ON DEFENSE CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND OCEANIA
CRANBERRY, Pa. (AP)  Teen clothing retailer rue21 is closing nearly 400 stores nationwide as it focuses more on its online business.

The privately-held company, based in Cranberry, about 20 miles north of Pittsburgh, still has more than 700 stores in 48 states.
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OXFORD  The Central Connecticut Coast YMCA is taking a good look at Oxford.

The organization is in talks with Haynes Development to potentially build a new facility in the towns Oxford Towne Center/Quarry Walk development.

Its under consideration, said Donna Gill Lisitano, marketing and communications director. We would love to serve the community of Oxford and frankly as many people as we can in the state of Connecticut.

Lisitano said it has not been decided what the new YMCA could look like because the project is in the very early planning stages.

Kathy Ekstrom, development manager for Haynes, also confirmed that the company is still in discussions with Central Connecticut Coast YMCA about the opportunities available at Quarry Walk.

We have been approached by a number of fitness center operators each anxious to join Quarry Walk, Ekstrom said in an email. The one criteria we have set forth for all fitness providers is that they share in our vision of health and fitness in serving the entire community from young children to families to the senior sector.

Ekstrom said in keeping with the developments adopted phrase, Wise and Well, there are also plans to develop a roughly 1.5-mile walking trail around the perimeter of the development.

First Selectman George Temple said having a new YMCA branch  especially if it has a pool  would be a good thing for Oxford.

Id be delighted to have the YMCA, he said. The Y is a great activity center. Theres a lot of programs for the kids and adults. Its one of these things that is a quality-of-life issue. It makes Oxford a nicer place.

Temple said Griffin Hospital, which plans to occupy a portion of a medical office building on the site, could send its patients to the YMCA for health purposes.

He said his only concern is what the Ys nonprofit status could mean for the towns tax base. Weve got to negotiate this but the YMCA people are good people, he said. Theyre honorable and its a very well-known organization.

Other tenants now at the Quarry Walk include Market 32, a brand of Price Chopper, an Ace Hardware, a Goodwill store, Newtown Savings Bank, Dollar Tree and several other tenants. A Five Guys restaurant, Educational Playcare day-care provider and a Verizon store are the latest to sign on to take up spaces in buildings yet to be constructed.

The Central Connecticut Coast YMCA has locations in Bridgeport, Fairfield, Trumbull, Stratford, Milford, Ansonia and elsewhere.

In January, the organization stopped serving adult members at its State Street location in Bridgeport for financial reasons.

ktorres@hearstmediact.com; 203-330-6227
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GREENWICH -- A lone long-eared owl hanging out at Greenwich Point for the past few weeks has caught the attention of birders, photographers and beachgoers alike.

But its new celebrity status also is prompting environmentalists and animal-lovers to worry that what draws people to view the bird may be exactly what damages it.

Its a unique situation, said Ted Gilman, senior naturalist and environmental education specialist for Greenwich Audubon. People see the owl during its regular daytime roost.

Its important for people to respect the owl and give it a little space. People climb a fence to get a better picture  its a habitat we try to protect with a fence, thats why the fence is there.

Tods Point is a good hunting area that can attract owls, Gilman, said. So its a bit of a balancing act. Some folks will watch from a safe distance and some will get a little close for a good shot -- and it goes from observing to disturbing.

Word of the owl has spread through social media and www.ebird.org, a citizen science website that allows anyone to submit bird sitings. Theres also local word-of-mouth.

For him to be here is kind of rare, said Lorrie Shaw, a volunteer for the Menunkatuck Audubon chapter who came down from Guilford with her husband to see the bird. The couple visited Greenwich Point Park after searching for the hooded warbler they heard about in Stamford.

More Information American Birding Association Code of Birding Ethics: http://listing.aba.org/ethics/ Greenwich Audubon's weekly early bird walks will be held: 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. on Wednesdays (until May 24) -- Fairchild Garden 7 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. on Saturdays (until May 20) -- Audubon Center See More Collapse

We missed it, Terry Shaw said, cupping his hands together. Its so small.

Missing the warbler meant they had time to scout for the owl, he said.

We were on our way to New York, said Terry Shaw, also a volunteer, who was equipped with his camera and binoculars last Thursday afternoon. I was here about a month ago, and there were four.

Other beachgoers just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

I was just taking a walk on the beach with my friend, said Adele Gaulocher, a Greenwich native who now lives in Massachusetts. There were a lot of people there ... It took me a while to see it ... Oh, my God. It just sits on this branch. It was amazing.

There was one guy, who even after 30 minutes, when we were leaving the beach, still didnt see it, Gaulocher said. I think you can see it from the road too, but you really have to know what you're looking for.

Greenwich Audubon birders said its important to observe while also leaving the animal in peace.

The Menunkatuck volunteers said that photographing owls in particular is controversial, especially on the Connecticut Birds Facebook page. The page bans owl photos, they said, and removes them if they are posted because it causes so much disturbance.

Everybody has to get the best picture, better than the other guy, said Lorrie Shaw. They want to get them flying. Theyre actually baiting them; they throw food. Sometimes theyre too close. Somebody shouldnt have all flying bird (photos), thats not good.

Keeping crowds away is one way to limit disturbances, but birdwatchers can also follow the American Birding Association Code of Birding Ethics, Gilman said.

The ABA states it is important to avoid stressing birds or exposing them to danger, exercise restraint and caution during observation, photography, sound recording or filming.

And precisely because of these disturbances, some birds nesting in or visiting Greenwich are kept secret.

Sometimes, people, when they find out, don't even tell anybody, Gilman said, because (they say) I don't want this bird to be harrassed.

Owls arent just harassed by humans. Theyre predators who hunt at night, needing to recharge during the day. But local birds will fly at them as they rest and try to drive them away and bigger predators will chase them at night.

Theyre doing their best now to rest to protect themselves from great horned owls, said Lorrie Shaw, which are very plentiful in the whole state  theyre the top predator other than eagles. And blue jays and crows will harass him until he leaves because he eats their babies at night, she said. We have a barred owl in our backyard. To see crows and jays attack the owl, its merciless.

For anyone interested in birding without disturbing the habitat that attracted the bird, the ABA Code of Birding Ethics can be found at http://listing.aba.org/ethics/.

E: jturiano@greenwichtime.com; T: @jturianoGT; IG: @greenwichgreen
An Albany man who broke into a residence, allegedly while high on the synthetic drug flakka, was sentenced to nearly three years in prison on Friday in Linn County Circuit Court.

Andrew Joe Dimaggio Ripley Miles, 20, had pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary on April 10.

As part of the sentencing, Ripley Miles will be on post-prison supervision for three years and must pay restitution, though the specific amount has yet to be determined.

A charge of second-degree assault was dismissed per terms of the negotiated settlement. Second-degree assault is a Measure 11 crime that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of nearly six years in prison.

According to court paperwork, Ripley Miles broke into a home early on March 11 in the 3200 block of Marion Street in Albany. He assaulted a resident inside the home, was naked when contacted by authorities and was bitten by a police dog and shocked with stun guns before being arrested, according to police.
The Moga: Japanese whiskey, rhum, plum liqueur. Photo: 2017 Liz Clayman

When cocktail nerds talk about Japanese bars, they tend to think of quiet temples to precisely made mixed drinks. Places like Angels Share and Bar Goto here in New York, or Bar Mimitsuka in Tokyo. But the owners of the newly minted Bar Moga in the West Village are going for something a little different. Named for Japans equivalent of the flapper, called moga or modern girls, the bar takes the idea of yoshoku, Japanized versions of food popular in the West, and runs with it for the whole concept. Decorated with vintage lighting and advertisements, and set to a soundtrack of Japanese surf rock and American R&B, the bar soft-opens tonight with a limited menu.

The woman behind the bar is beverage director Becky McFalls-Schwartz, who worked for one of modern bartendings most prominent figures, the late Sasha Petraske. Putting the idea of Japanese-Western fusion into practice, her cocktails (check out the menu here) are based on American classics, but made with Japanese ingredients like infused barley shochu (in the Espresso Martiniesque Woman in the Dunes), plum liqueur (the Moga), and Yuzu Omoi (Sleepwalk).

The food menu from SakaMai chef Takanori Akiyama also goes heavy on yoshoku. Hell draw on the genres classics, like omurice, an omelette with chicken rice; hamburger steak with glazed carrot and demi-glace sauce; and curry doria, a gratin made with bechamel rice. The spirits-and-wine list will emphasize female producers, and to kick things off, McFalls-Schwartz will serve a special wine otherwise not available here: Suo Red Collection No. 2 is a collaboration between Napas Helen Keplinger and Ntsiki Biyela, South Africas first black, female winemaker.

Woman in the Dunes: barley shochu, coffee liqueur, iron amaro, toasted almond, heavy cream Photo: 2017 Liz Clayman

Sleepwalk: lemongrass shochu, Yuzu Omoi, coconut, ginger, lime, and rose. Photo: 2017 Liz Clayman

Arcade Smash: Poire Williams, cane-sugar shochu, lavender honey, orange, and lemon. Photo: 2017 Liz Clayman

Kani cream croquettes with snow crab and tartar sauce. Photo: 2017 Liz Clayman

The bifuteki skirt steak comes with fried fingerling potatoes and sweet-onion sauce. Photo: 2017 Liz Clayman

Theres bechamel rice and four cheeses in the curry gratin. Photo: 2017 Liz Clayman

The bar. Photo: 2017 Liz Clayman

Bar Moga, 128 W. Houston, nr. Sullivan St.; 929-399-5853
If your Xperia X unit is part of Sony's Concept for Android program, you'll be glad to know that the Japanese company will release the Android 7.1.2 update for Experimental track sometime this week.

Some of the key changes included in Android 7.1.2 by Google include improved fingerprint swipe performance, Bluetooth connectivity improvements, and battery usage alerts. "As may be expected, the fingerprint swipe is still not part of Concept," Sony says. Plus, "the setup wizard will only work with WiFi."

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By Vasia Orion | Published on 2017/04/16

Grab a hanky and brace for a very personal, very emotional episode of "Tunnel - Drama". Seon-jae can no longer doubt Gwang-ho's identity and so our in-the-know duo becomes a trio. In the process of wrapping up a new case, Gwang-ho picks up on Yeon-sook's trail and finally gets to know her fate. Meanwhile, Jae-i notices the change of M.O in the serial killings just as Jeong Ho-yeong begins again, a decision which seems to be related to Seon-jae's contact with him.

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Yeon-sook's (Lee Shi-ah) fate being morbid is something I had been expecting ever since we saw hints of her child in Jae-i (Lee Yoo-young) and since Seong-sik's (Jo Hee-bong) original search. While we know that Gwang-ho's (Choi Jin-hyuk) return to the past can change it, this does not lessen the dramatic value of her death. That is because our hero's pain and his existential conundrum are still very real things in his life right now.

This development raises new questions. Was the collision an accident and is Jae-i in any way connected to the serial killings? Someone is clearly stalking her. There is definitely more to this whole thing, but I am also intrigued by how her conclusions are the same as coroner Jin-woo's (Kim Min-sang). He is not a trained profiler, as far as we know, yet he understands exactly why the murders have begun again. He clearly has a secret, but is it related and/or sinister or neither?

Most importantly, we have confirmation that Jeong Ho-yeong's (Heo Sung-tae) alibi was false. The series keeps stating him as a single killer who changed his modus operandi, but a twist of two killers is still possible. We still have someone who apparently burned the case files, because this is fiction and we know that it was not just an accident. That someone is likely who killed Gwang-ho Junior (Cha Hak-yeon) and someone whose face the drama has obviously shown already.

The problem is, the culprit has to be someone who was alive back then, who outranks young Gwang-ho and who had access to the files. The only sensible option would be Seong-sik. Bribery to bury the case is plausible and the young Gwang-ho being transferred to his precinct may not be a coincidence. However, would the drama really go there with a character it has painstakingly developed as kind and compassionate?

I do like that everything is connected, even if it will reveal harsh truths. Time travel with the addition of fate is actually the perfect built-in excuse for convenient plot writing. You cannot call all of these coincidences outrageous or lazily written when their very nature demands they just happen. I am very excited about the future and I hope that everything will make sense by the end.

"Tunnel - Drama" is directed by Sin Yong-hwi and Kim Seong-min-I, written by Lee Eun-mi-III and features Choi Jin-hyuk, Yoon Hyun-min and Lee Yoo-young.

Written by: Orion from 'Orion's Ramblings'

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We could even say that a jihadist underworld is emerging in Finland. These networks have ties to all key terrorist organisations, he said.

Radical Islamic networks have an increasingly strong presence in Finland, Jyri Rantala, the head of communications at the Finnish Security Intelligence Service (Supo), estimates in an interview with Talouselama .

Supo estimates in its official terrorist threat assessment that the risk of an individual attack carried out by a lone-wolf terrorist or a small jihadist organisation has increased in Finland. Rantala reveals that the risk has risen partly as a consequence of the so-called foreign fighter phenomenon, which has contributed to the countrys recognisability among terrorist organisations.

An estimated 80 people are believed to have travelled from Finland to conflict-ridden regions in Iraq and Syria, primarily to participate in the hostilities. More than a dozen of them have later returned to Finland, according to Supo.

Supo has urged decision-makers to enhance the ability of security authorities to obtain information crucial for preventing possible attacks.

Rantala reminded on Thursday that while international intelligence co-operation also yields information concerning Finland, activities concerning the country are not the top priority for any other country.

He concedes that in spite of the efforts to combat terrorism, identifying and arresting individual suspects is extremely difficult. The so-called Islamic State, for example, has instructed its sympathisers to resort to measures that do not require painstaking planning or preparations, such as the lorry and knife attacks that have recently occurred around Europe.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Martti Kainulainen  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
A WOMAN says she is standing as an independent candidate in a forthcoming Henley Town Council by-election because she was not chosen to represent one of the towns main parties.

Donna-Marie Crook says she feels she has been stabbed in the back after Henley Residents Group chose former mayor Ken Arlett as its candidate for the Henley North ward seat ahead of her.

She had already failed to be chosen to represent HRG in a second by-election in the Henley South ward, losing out to party membership secretary Glen Lambert.

Ms Crook, of Abrahams Road, Henley, joined the party in February in the hope of securing a candidacy after campaigning to save Henleys bus services when Oxfordshire County Council announced plans to cut its subsidies.

She quit the group after Mr Arletts selection, claiming he was the wrong choice because he has previously switched his political allegiance.

Mr Arlett, a co-founder of HRG in 1989, had most recently been a member of the UK Independence Party before rejoining HRG just before his selection.

Ms Crook said she felt let down as she had called publicly for the resignation of Conservative councillor Martin Akehurst, causing the by-election in the South ward, which she believes helped HRGs cause and should have been recognised.

She said: I had made clear that I would be very unhappy if HRG chose someone else because Im very proactive and therefore a good candidate.

Ken has stabbed me in the back by putting himself forward and HRG has only chosen him because he has won before and it believes he is more likely to win again.

I did something that helped them and now hes taking the benefits of that.

Theyre desperate and only care about getting into power. Its a very backwards decision. I feel I have to stand as an independent because I care passionately about the town.

I was the only one marching against budget cuts in Oxford in 2015 and I will continue campaigning if Im elected.

Mr Arlett said: Although the party spoke to Donna, no promises were made about who would be the candidate. We were both interviewed and I came out the best.

It was explained to her that she had only been with the party a short time and she was encouraged to stay until the next full election in 2019, when there would be a better chance of being selected but for whatever reason she is going her own way.

I think she has cut off her nose to spite her face and is making a mistake. I cant see her reasoning beyond wanting to damage HRG.

Councillor Stefan Gawrysiak, a member of the HRG executive committee, said: HRG feels that Ken Arlett is absolutely and utterly the right choice for Henley. He has a long-standing track record over many years, including recent ones, of championing Henley matters.

He took a pivotal role over two years in the development of the joint Henley and Harpsden neighbourhood plan and has also taken great interest in the bus campaign.

Anyone who knows Ken understands that his heart is absolutely in Henley. His blend of dedication and enthusiasm means that he is the right person for the job.

The other candidate in the seat is Conservative Joan Bland, a former town councillor and still a member of South Oxfordshire District Council.

The vacancy was caused by the resignation of Conservative councillor Dylan Thomas after he took up a civil service job that required him to be politically impartial.

In the Henley South ward seat, the Conservative candidate is businesswoman Yasmina Siadatan, who won the BBCs The Apprentice programme in 2009.
THE wartime letters of the actress Celia Johnson and her husband Peter Fleming are the focus of a special fundraising performance at Nettlebed Village Club later this month.

The couples youngest daughter Lucy Fleming will be joined by her husband  and fellow actor  Simon Williams for a reading of the letters in aid of the venues roof fund on Friday, April 21.

The show, entitled Posting Letters to the Moon, has been performed a number of times previously  most recently at Carnforth railway station in Lancashire, where many of the scenes for David Leans classic 1945 film Brief Encounter, in which Celia starred opposite Trevor Howard, were shot.

But this is the first time the piece has been performed in Nettlebed  just down the road from where Celia was living at Joyce Grove at the time of the letters composition.

Following the outbreak of war, she had found herself separated from her husband, who was away on active service for long periods, but the couple wrote to each other regularly.

Touching and amusing by turns, Celias letters tell of her experiences during the war  from coping with a large, isolated house full of evacuated children, to learning to drive a tractor, dealing with rationing, learning to surf during occasional holidays in Cornwall, and all the while accepting offers  when she could get away  to act.

Unable to commit to the often lengthy run of a stage play, she preferred the less time-consuming schedules of film and radio.

These allowed her to devote time to her family and her work for the Womens Auxiliary Police Corps in Henley.

In addition to a number of patriotic wartime propaganda films and broadcasts, Celias most notable films of the period were In Which We Serve (1942) and This Happy Breed (1944), both of which  like Brief Encounter  were written by Noel Coward and directed by David Lean.

In the letters, Peter, the brother of James Bond creator Ian Fleming, writes about his adventures and trials working on military deception operations in India and the Far East.

Lucy, who put Posting Letters to the Moon together with her sister Kate Grimond, said: It was a joy to discover these letters, and I hope the audience will find them as funny and moving as I do.

The title is explained in the show. It refers to the difficulty of knowing how to get letters to my father, who was away for most of the war.

Lucy and Simons appearance at Nettlebed is only the latest in a series of joint acting ventures.

The couple can currently be seen in cinemas playing Lord and Lady Wavell in Viceroys House, about the 1947 partition of India.

They also play estranged husband and wife Justin and Miranda Elliott in The Archers on Radio 4.

The April 21 performance of Posting Letters to the Moon will include an audience Q&A session  and Simon anticipates that a few questions about Ambridge might come up on the night.

He said: Lucy plays my horrible wife, who Im leaving in the story  it seems Im divorcing her. Justins having an affair and Ive asked Lillian [Archer], whos a very popular character, to marry me, so theres all kinds of things going on and a lot of people who come to see the readings are very keen to find out whats going to happen!

While Simon clearly enjoys every minute of working on the long-running Radio 4 soap, projects like Posting Letters to the Moon are much closer to home.

Lucys close resemblance to her mother, who died in 1982, has often been remarked upon  and Simon says this is something that is further brought out by the readings.

She sounds incredibly like her. Which is why the letters are so moving, really. You can actually hear Celias voice  you know, that voice from Brief Encounter  you can hear it.

She has a wonderful, light way of coping with emotion and such a lovely light sense of humour.

The letters are wonderful  they describe what its like trying to be a young newlywed with a young family living in a great big house with lots of other children.

And she was a policewoman in Henley and she was trying to plough and help run the farm with tractors and things.

And then she was off making the films she made during the war and doing propaganda broadcasts and things.

It sounds as though Celia  who was awarded a CBE in 1958 for services to the theatre, later becoming a Dame Commander  was juggling rather a lot during the war years.

She absolutely was, says Simon. And all that on fuel rationing and food rationing and things. So the letters are full of interesting history as well as being funny and touching and romantic, you know? Theyre wonderful.

In keeping with the fundraising nature of the enterprise, the staging of Posting Letters to the Moon will be fairly minimal.

This is just Lucy and me sitting on stools and reading the letters and filling in the gaps and the history and things, says Simon.

Weve done it a few times in different venues and its a wonderful mix of history and lightheartedness  and bravery, you know? They were so brave.

Simon, who has been married to Lucy for 31 years, will be reading the letters home written by his late father-in-law, who died in 1971. He said he had known Peter growing up, as their families were friends.

Much of Peters war service was highly secret at the time, but some details nevertheless emerge from the letters.

He was in the Far East, says Simon. He was in Norway and then he was in North Africa and then he was mostly in India and Delhi  working, funnily enough, for Lord Wavell, who I played in Viceroys House.

But theres not so much history in his letters because obviously his letters were censored, you know? Theres interesting background stuff about the war, but the details of what he was doing, he obviously wasnt allowed to expand on that.

The family thread that runs through the event extends to Nettlebed Village Club itself, as Simon acknowledges.

Lucys great-grandfather [Robert Fleming] built the club, and so it seems rather fitting that we should be fundraising to get the roof rebuilt. Its a wonderful great big building.

Dating from 1913, the club is in need of a complete new roof at an estimated cost of 240,000.

A community grant has been awarded to the project by South Oxfordshire District Council and together with local donations and club funds the total raised so far is approximately 160,000.

With 80,000 still to be raised, various other fundraising events are being arranged and work is expected to start in the summer.

As well as being home to the Nettlebed Folk Song Club and Sam Browns Fabulous Ukulele Club, the club building  consisting of a large hall, a small hall, a bar and a billiard room  is used for a wide range of functions and community activities.

We have weddings and we have quiz nights and we have bingo nights and we have dances and discos and stuff, says Simon. Its always in use, you know? And its always there for people to hire if they want it.

For Simon, looking ahead to the Nettlebed Village Club performance of Posting Letters to the Moon, there is something else that Celia and Peters letters have to offer us today.

The beauty of it really is that people dont write wonderful letters now  a letter that has pen and ink and news and sentiment. They just send a little emoji, you know, on their texts on their mobile phones. Its not quite as eloquent.

With a seated capacity of around 227, Simon says that tickets for the show have been selling quite well, adding: If they sell too well, well just have to do the show again some time. We might do it as part of the Henley Literary Festival  or we might do it in The Studio at the Kenton.

Tickets for Posting Letters to the Moon are priced 15. Doors open at 7.30pm for 8pm and the clubs bar is open from 7.15pm.

To book, call Nettlebed Village Club treasurer Sue Worth on 0118 934 5960 or visit www.buytickets.at/

nettlebedclub/89109

Tanks vs squirrels...

THERE is a fair amount of quiet din, going on in the distance. I think they must be rumbling up the tanks.

I saw a mass of these monsters parked along the woods near Joyce Grove. One, roughly the size of the Albert Hall was rather charmingly named Cupid.

I dont know why I tell you all about this imitation battle when you know all too much about real ones but at the moment it impinges on our life and it makes a change when walking to the village to see tanks instead of squirrels.

I really prefer squirrels but I can visualise a moment when Id rather see a Cupid.

 Celia Johnson to Peter Fleming,

March 9, 1943
I've been to Turkey a dozen times; I love the country. On my first trip there I was just a kid in a VW camper van on the way to India. But I stayed for a month, visiting parts of the country few tourists ever see. And I've tried tried going back as frequently as possible, always to new parts of the country I hadn't been to-- as well as to Istanbul over and over. As with all places I like enough to go again and again, it's because of the people. In Turkey I first experienced the boundless generosity and hospitality of people towards a stranger. I was sad today to see the returns from Turkey's referendum come in, as the election-- in which independent observers report was marked by massive fraud and even murders in the Kurdish east-- went narrowly for tyrant Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turks living abroad voted no. And Turks in the 3 biggest urban centers-- Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir-- voted no.

But in the end, rural conservatives decided Turkey's little experiment with democracy had gone on long enough and they voted to end it. Even with all the violence and cheating

Erdogan's referendum only passed 24,325,985 (51.20%) to 23,189,021 (48.80%), which seems a little tight to take a country from a democracy to a dictatorship. The new system will be implemented after the elections in November, 2019.

The results of today's constitutional referendum will make official what Turkey has been slipping into over the last couple of years-- a presidential dictatorship. After the failed coup last July, Erdogan purged over 130,000 people working for the government, launched a war against the media-- arresting 200 journalists and shuttering 149 media outlets-- and detained over 100,000 people. The referendum gives him an even great degree of absolute power over all branches of government. And all in the name of... you guessed it, "terrorism."

Independent offered a Do you wonder what would make people give up their own freedom to a tyrant? Today'soffered a good perspective on what happened in Turkey , pointing out that the instability in and around Turkey "has enabled him to project the strongman image that may just allow him to extend his powers. Those sweeping new powers will turn the largely ceremonial presidential role he now holds into a nearly all-powerful position as head of government, head of state and head of the ruling party."
A pest control firm has been called to St James's Hospital more than 100 times in the past two years to deal with cockroaches, mice, beetles and ants.

Black clock beetles - large carnivorous insects with sharp jaws - were found in a specialised unit for patients undergoing bone-marrow transplants.

Other vermin were discovered in an endoscopy theatre and on bedside tables.

In 2015, the company attended the hospital sterile services unit (HSSU) four times, acc- ording to documents released under the Freedom of Information Act.

On one occasion, a mouse was caught in the kitchen. Another mouse was thought to have scuttled into a sterilisation machine.

Infestation

The firm was also called four times to the hospital's breast care clinic where problems included a rodent in a staff tearoom, an infestation of flies in reception and a "bad smell" that staff said was "a common occurrence".

Towards the end of last year, the company was called to a kitchenette in a private ward where it found a mouse feeding off bait.

Another rodent was reported in an endoscopy theatre. Traps were set, and three days later a mouse was caught in the theatre's observatory room.

The company was also called to inspect droppings found in a cupboard beside an operating theatre.

On closer inspection, dead woodlice were found.

On two occasions in August, pigeons that had entered Mercer's Institute for Successful Ageing (MISA) could not be removed, despite the pest control company's best efforts.

"Could not remove pigeon," the technician noted in his inspection report. "May leave eventually."

Two days later, the pigeon was joined by another.

"Two pigeons flying around atrium in MISA," it was reported. "Technician couldn't remove them due to height and area involved. Door left open to assist pigeons out."

In April 2015, two dead birds in a ceiling cavity caused an infestation of bluebottles in a meeting room in the administration building. Insecticide treatment was carried out.

Ants were a recurring problem at the hospital during the two-year period.

Up to 150 were found behind a locker in the department of clinical nutrition, while others were found in locations including a dialysis room and on a bedside table.

More than 35,000 was spent on pest-control services by the hospital in the past two years.

This included an outlay of 275 in February last year for a plastic hawk to scare away pigeons and gulls.

St James's Hospital was contacted for comment in relation to pest control.

It acknowledged the request but did not provide a response.
Conor (6) and Sean (9) Hardiman, with a copy of the Proclamation outside the GPO

Relatives of those who died for Irish freedom stood with thousands of people in O'Connell Street to mark the 101st anniversary of the Easter Rising.

While considerably smaller than last year's centenary celebrations, the day was of no less importance, with crowds pouring on to the street to witness the ceremony.

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Whatsapp President Michael D Higgins chats with Evan O Mairtin from Beaumount

Good weather graced the event, which began with the lowering of the tricolour on top of the GPO.

Brigid O'Mahony (66), one of the many spectators who lined O'Connell Street, said she had very fond memories of attending the Easter Rising celebrations.

"I'm actually standing at the same spot I did in 1966 during the 50th anniversary of the Rising," she said.

Wonderful

"It's always a wonderful occasion and I'm very happy that we continue to hold these events in remembrance of everyone who died.

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"My family weren't involved in the fighting, but were always very proud of what these men and women did for them."

President Michael D Higgins was joined by Taoiseach Enda Kenny and laid a laurel wreath at the site, which was the former headquarters of the 1916 rebels.

After a minute's silence, members of the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps stood to attention as Captain Michael Barry read the Proclamation.

Mary Clare Collins Powell (79, above), who is Michael Collins' grand-niece, told the Herald that the revolutionary hero would have been "extremely proud" of today's young generation.

"Ireland is certainly a different country than what it was when Michael was alive, but nevertheless I'm sure he would have been extremely proud with the young people of today," she said.

"He would have been very much in favour of how open our society has become, and especially proud of our free educational system."

Derek O'Sullivan (55), who attended the ceremony with his two children, said he believed it was important to continue the annual tradition.

"We have to remember all those who died in 1916 and the War of Independence," he said.

"My family have always been proud republicans and attend any occasion that honours our martyrs.

"I'm happy with the big turnout today and the brass band is fantastic. Every time the national anthem is played, I still get goosebumps."

The ceremony concluded with the raising of the tricolour, the playing of the national anthem and a fly-past by four Air Corps planes.

While a large crowd enjoyed themselves at the ceremony, some families who remained in Dublin for the long weekend went about their day in a more low-key fashion.

With the rain staying away for much of the day, it was a perfect excuse for people to take time out in some of the popular tourist spots.

They included members of the Fitzgerald family from Dalkey, who enjoyed an afternoon at Dun Laoghaire pier, as did three-year-old Patrick Foley, from Sandycove, who was out and about with his parents, Susie and Paul.
Sarah McCarthy had two previous convictions for theft

A mother-of-two was finding it hard to survive financially when she stole clothes worth 71 from a Dublin store, a court was told.

Sarah McCarthy (45) had broken up from her long-term partner when she carried out the theft.

Judge David McHugh gave her a three-month suspended sentence after hearing she had prior theft convictions.

McCarthy, with an address at Raheen Park, Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty to stealing clothing from Dunnes Stores, Liffey Valley, last March 9.

Blanchardstown District Court heard the accused was in the shop at 5.30pm when she selected 71 worth of clothing from the shelves.

She passed all points of payment and left the store without paying.

McCarthy was stopped by security staff after leaving the premises and the stolen property was recovered in a saleable con- dition and returned to the store.

Gardai were called and she was co-operative when arrested and charged, Sgt Maria Call-aghan told the court.

Welfare

McCarthy had two previous convictions for theft, Sgt Callaghan added.

McCarthy's relationship with her long-term partner broke down in 2015, her solicitor said.

They had both been on social welfare.

There was an issue in relation to her social welfare payments and she was now trying to fix this.

The accused has two children and was finding it very difficult to survive, her solicitor said.

To add to her troubles, she was suffering from bipolar disorder.

She asked the judge to be as lenient as he could in the circumstances.

Judge McHugh suspended the sentence for 18 months.

He told the accused's solicitor that he was imposing a suspended sentence because of McCarthy's previous theft convictions.

He set recognisances in the event of an appeal.

Legal aid was also granted to the defendant, with no garda objection.

McCarthy did not address the court during the brief hearing.
Importers could benefit from recent falls in U.S. soybean futures, which dropped to the lowest level in a year on April 13.

Vietnam is forecast to import 1.7 million tons of soybeans this year, a rebound of 6 percent after a fall in last year's overseas purchases following higher demand for animal feed production and from the food processing sector, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has said.

The Southeast Asian country has been relying on imports of soybeans and soymeal for years to feed its rapidly expanding fish and shrimp export sectors, which have gained a significant foothold in the European Union, the U.S., Japan, Australia and South Korea.

Vietnam produced just 147,500 tons of soybeans in 2016, up 0.8 percent from the previous year thanks to higher yields, even though the total acreage shrunk nearly 7 percent in the same period to 94,000 hectares, government statistics showed.

It imported 1.55 million tons of soybeans in 2016, down 9 percent from the previous year, Vietnam Customs data showed.

The fall came due to a decline in crushing production in the northern region, a USDA attache said in a report published last week.

It forecast the country's soybean imports will rise to 1.7 million tons this year, and further advance to 1.75 million tons in 2018 on additional crushing capacity with a new plant in the northern province of Bac Ninh that will open in March 2018, along with expanded capacity in the southern region.

"The livestock and aquaculture industries continue to drive the demand for feed and soybeans, and will motivate further development of the domestic crushing industry," the USDA report said.

Last year, more than half of Vietnam's soybean imports came from the U.S., followed by Brazil, Canada, Argentina and Paraguay, the report said.

Vietnam's animal feed output is projected to rise to 24 million tons this year from 20.2 million tons in 2016, the report cited forecasts by the agriculture ministry and domestic feed producers.

Imported soybeans are crushed to make crude soy oil and soymeal.

The country's consumption of soybean products, namely soya milk, tofu and other soybean-based drinks, is forecast to rise between 7 percent and 7.5 percent in 2017, the report said.

Soybean importers may benefit from recent falls in U.S. soybean futures, which dropped to their lowest levels in a year on April 13 after the U.S. Department of Agriculture raised its projections of the Brazilian and Argentine soy harvests, Reuters reported. The decline also followed a March 31 USDA report projecting a jump in U.S. soybean plantings to record levels this year.

Vietnam spent nearly $900 million to import animal feed in the first quarter of this year, up 33 percent from the same period in 2016, compared with a year-on fall of 22 percent in January-March last year, based on Vietnam Customs data.

In a related development, the country's corn demand is also expected to rise in 2017, after imports last year rose 11 percent from 2015 to 8.44 million tons, while the value edged up 1.2 percent to $1.67 billion, customs data showed.

Imports have been rising due to limited domestic output. Corn output last year eased 1 percent from 2015 to 5.22 million tons due to less planting area and lower yields, according to government statistics.
The crew of Rescue 116 has been remembered in an emotional wreath-laying ceremony during which four flares were set off - one for each lost hero.

More than 800 people attended the event for the victims of the tragedy, including Captain Dara Fitzpatrick's sister, Niamh.

The commemoration, organised by the RNLI lifeboat service off Dunmore East, Co Waterford, also included rescue workers from across the country.

Niamh Fitzpatrick was on board the RNLI boat from which one wreath was dropped into the waves.

Dunmore, Tramore, Fethard and Kilmore Quay lifeboats, along with Dunmore East Coast Guard, set sail ad also laid wreaths.

The Rescue 117 helicopter, based in Waterford, where Capt Fitzpatrick was previously stationed, performed two fly-overs as the ceremony took place.

Four flares were set off and a minute's silence was observed for each of the crew members.

A book of condolence has been opened at the lifeboat station in Dunmore East.

RNLI spokeswoman Niamh Stephenson said organisers were touched by the support from rescue workers and locals.

"It started with the Dunmore East RNLI as a very local event, they wanted to do something locally just to lay a wreath at sea and it snowballed from there," she said.

Ms Stephenson added that it was a "very, very emotional day" and that the RNLI was overwhelmed by the "incred- ible" turnout.

The bodies of Capt Fitzpatrick and co-pilot Capt Mark Duffy have been recovered since the Irish Coast Guard helicopter crashed in the early hours of March 14.

Winch operator Ciaran Smith and winchman Paul Ormsby have still not been located.

Beacons

Preliminary investigations by the Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) found that a database for obstacles used by the Rescue 116 helicopter did not feature Blackrock island.

It also noted that the locator beacons on the crew's lifejackets did not emit any signals after the crash.

CHC, the company that supplies the Sikorsky S-92A helicopter involved in the tragedy, said it was carrying out an internal review into its systems.

It also expressed its sympathies to the families of the four crew members.
Households that claimed the 100 conservation grant but did not pay their water charges will not benefit at the expense of law-abiding people, Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar has said.

Mr Varadkar has asked officials to come up with a way to link those who received the grant and payments made to Irish Water - even though the Government always maintained the two were separate.

The move is likely to significantly delay the payment of refunds, worth up to 325, but the minister said he feels "very strongly" that "those who did not pay should not gain financially over those who did".

Mr Varadkar's department administered the grant, which was introduced in 2015 in a bid to encourage households to register with Irish Water.

It is estimated that up to 190,000 people claimed the grant but never paid a bill.

The report of the Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services, which was passed by the Dail last week, states that in the interest of fairness and equity the grant must be taken into "consideration" when issuing refunds.

Sources have told the Herald it will require "a heavy workload" to match those who received grants with those who paid their bills. Asked yesterday whether it will be possible to find a politically viable solution, Mr Varadkar said: "I think it's very difficult so we have to look at what the options are.

Rushed

"But the outcome has to be that those law-abiding citizens who paid their bills don't end up financially worse than people who didn't pay their bills but still claimed the grant."

Housing Minister Simon Coveney, who has responsibility for water, said he needs to talk to Mr Varadkar about the issue, as well as Finance Minister Michael Noonan and Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe.

He said he would not be "rushed" on the issue but would talk to his fellow ministers in order to "try to put as efficient a way of paying people their money back as we can".

Mr Coveney said it will take six weeks before the plan starts to come together but it is unclear whether repayments will be made as part of Budget 2018.

"Ultimately that will be a matter for Department of Expenditure and Reform or Finance to get it right, whether we do it through Revenue or whether we don't," he said.

Almost one million households will be entitled to refunds, worth a total of 162.5m.

However, this is likely to create a major administrative headache for Irish Water. Only 20pc of customers paid using direct debit, meaning a significant effort will be required to give households their money back.

Mr Coveney is working on legislation to introduce levies for excessive usage of water.
A 17-year-old girl and a woman were rescued by Chinese police after being sold to poor men in China's Shandong Province.

Two young Vietnamese sold as brides to China have been rescued and returned home last week, South China Morning Post reported.

They had been sold to poor men in the coastal province of Shandong months ago before they were rescued by police and sent to Guangxi last week in order to be escorted back to Vietnam, the newspaper cited a state media report in China as saying.

One of them, 17, was abducted in November while attending a high school activity in Hoa Binh Province neighboring Hanoi, the report said.

A few days later, her father received a phone call from a man telling him to stop looking for his daughter and that she had been taken to China for sale.

Police in Vietnam then arrested a Vietnamese suspect and asked for help from their counterparts in China's Guangxi Province for help.

The schoolgirl was rescued in January. The other woman, 21, was rescued in March.

Many men in rural China have been paying traffickers for a foreign wife as they are either too poor or old to find one at home.

Vietnamese victims of human trafficking rose nearly 13 percent to 1,128 in 2016, according to official data.

They were sold to men seeking wives in China, Malaysia and South Korea, or just to bear children or work as prostitutes in these countries. Police only managed to rescue around half of them.
US Vice President Pence arrives at military base next to DMZ border with North Korea

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence walks with Commander General Vincent K. Brooks as he arrives at Camp Bonifas near the truce village of Panmunjom, in Paju, South Korea, April 17, 2017. Photo by Reuters/Kim Hong-Ji

Japan PM strongly urges N. Korea to refrain from further provocative actions

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence arrived by helicopter on Monday at a U.S. military base in South Korea next to the highly fortified DMZ border with North Korea, a day after the North launched a missile that blew up almost immediately.

The failed launch occurred as Pence was en route to Seoul, the first stop on a four-nation Asia tour.

Japan urges North Korea to refrain

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday urged North Korea to refrain from taking further provocative actions, comply with U.N. resolutions and abandon its nuclear missile development.

Tensions on the Korean peninsula have escalated as U.S. President Donald Trump takes a hard rhetorical line with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has rebuffed admonitions from China and proceeded with missile tests. North Korea launched a failed ballistic missile test on Sunday.

Abe, speaking to parliament, said that he would exchange views on North Korea with Russian President Vladimir Putin when they hold a summit meeting later this month.

The United States, its allies, and China are working together on a range of responses to North Korea's latest test, U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser said on Sunday, citing what he called an international consensus to act.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson greets Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi at the State Department in Washington, U.S., February 28, 2017. Photo by Reuters/Aaron P. Bernstein/File Photo

U.S. and allies weigh options

H.R. McMaster indicated that Trump was not considering military action for now.

"It's time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully," he said on ABC's "This Week" program. "We are working together with our allies and partners and with the Chinese leadership to develop a range of options."

McMaster added: "There is an international consensus now, including the Chinese leadership, that this is a situation that just cannot continue."

The Trump administration is focusing its North Korea strategy on tougher economic sanctions, possibly including an oil embargo, a global ban on its airline, intercepting cargo ships and punishing Chinese banks doing business with Pyongyang, Reuters reported last week, citing U.S. officials.

While Trump has employed tough rhetoric in response to North Korea's recent missile tests, the new U.S. president's options appear limited in dealing with a challenge that has vexed his Oval Office predecessors.

Most options fall into four categories: economic sanctions, covert action, diplomatic negotiations and military force.

The North Korean missile blew up almost immediately after its test launch on Sunday, the U.S. Pacific Command said.

Hours later, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence landed in South Korea for talks on the North's increasingly defiant arms program. His visit came a day after North Korea held a military parade in its capital, Pyongyang, marking the 105th anniversary of the birth of founding father Kim Il Sung. What appeared to be new long-range ballistic missiles were on display in the parade.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un applauds during a military parade and a public procession of Pyongyang citizens celebrating the 105th birth anniversary of founder Kim Il Sung in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang on April 16, 2017. KCNA/via Reuters

Rising tensions

Tensions have risen as Trump takes a hard rhetorical line with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has rebuffed admonitions from China and proceeded with nuclear and missile programs seen by Washington as a direct threat.

Trump acknowledged on Sunday that the softer line he had taken on China's management of its currency was linked to China's help on the North Korea issue.

"Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem? We will see what happens!" Trump said on Twitter. Trump has backed away from a campaign promise to label China in that way.

South Korea said the North's latest show of force "threatened the whole world."

But a U.S. foreign policy adviser traveling with Pence on Air Force Two sought to defuse some of the tension, saying the test of what was believed to be a medium-range missile had come as no surprise.

"We had good intelligence before the launch and good intelligence after the launch," the adviser told reporters on condition of anonymity.

"It's a failed test. It follows another failed test. So really no need to reinforce their failure. We don't need to expend any resources against that."

The adviser said the missile's flight lasted four or five seconds.

US Vice President Pence arrives at military base next to DMZ border with North Korea N. Korea fails in new missile test

Pence, addressing an Easter service with American troops in South Korea, said the U.S. commitment to South Korea was unwavering.

"Let me assure you under President Trump's leadership, our resolve has never been stronger. Our commitment to this historic alliance with the courageous people of South Korea has never been stronger."

Pence was beginning a 10-day trip to Asia in what his aides said was a sign of U.S. commitment to its ally in the face of mounting tension.

The U.S. nuclear-powered Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group is also heading to the region.

China, which Trump has urged to do more to rein in North Korea, has spoken out against its weapons tests and has supported U.N. sanctions. It has repeatedly called for talks while appearing increasingly frustrated with the North.

Beijing banned imports of North Korean coal on Feb. 26, cutting off its most important export. China's customs department issued an order on April 7 telling traders to return North Korean coal cargoes, said trading sources with knowledge of the order.

Soldiers walk in front of the Monument to the Foundation of the Workers' Party in Pyongyang, North Korea April 16, 2017. Photo by Reuters/Damir Sagolj

'Hostile regime'

Trump's decision to order a cruise missile strike on a Syrian airfield this month, in response to what he said was Syria's use of chemical weapons, raised questions about his plans for reclusive North Korea.

Pyongyang has conducted several missile and nuclear tests in defiance of U.N. sanctions, and regularly threatens to destroy South Korea and the United States.

"The president has made clear that he will not accept the United States and its allies and partners in the region being under threat from this hostile regime with nuclear weapons," McMaster told ABC.

But McMaster, who was speaking from Kabul, Afghanistan, acknowledged the likelihood of North Korean retaliation if Washington uses military force in an attempt to stop its weapons programs.

"What (is) particularly difficult about - about dealing with this regime, is that it is unpredictable," he said.

South Korea, which hosts 28,500 U.S. troops and holds a presidential election on May 9, warned of punitive action if the Sunday launch led to further provocation.

Impoverished North Korea and the rich, democratic South are technically still at war because their 1950-1953 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

The North has warned of a nuclear strike against the United States if provoked. It has said it has developed and would launch a missile that can strike the mainland United States, but officials and experts believe it is some time away from mastering the necessary technology, including miniaturising a nuclear warhead.

North Korea launched a ballistic missile from the same region this month, ahead of a summit between the United States and China in Florida to discuss the North's arms program.

That missile, which U.S. officials said appeared to be a liquid-fuelled, extended-range Scud, only flew about 60 km (40 miles), a fraction of its range, before spinning out of control.

Tension had escalated sharply amid concern the North may conduct a sixth nuclear test or a ballistic missile test around Saturday's celebration of Kim Il Sung's birthday, which it calls the "Day of the Sun."

In Pyongyang, there was a festive atmosphere at a flower show, with families out, taking pictures with North Korean-made smartphones. There was no mention of the test failure by the KCNA state news agency.

Company worker Rim Chung Ryol, 30, said he had not heard of the test.

"If it is a failure, then failure is the mother of success," he told Reuters.

Factory worker Ri Gul Chol, 37, also had not heard about the missile test.

"But whatever Kim Jong Un decides and instructs will succeed and all the citizens will support him," he said.
Cox casts his ballot and more Election Day live updates

Need help looking up candidates? Here's a breakdown of the critical seats across the state.
Anti-government protests continue in Venezuela, intensifying after the government of President Nicolas Maduro announced April 7th that Miranda State Governor Henrique Capriles, a prominent opposition leader, democratically-elected governor, and former presidential candidate, has been barred from participating in the countrys public life for 15 years.

Acting U.S. State Department Spokesperson Mark Toner said in a statement that the United States views the move to ban Mr. Capriles from holding public office with grave concern.

Demonstrations in Venezuela broke out following a March 31st Supreme Court decision that the Court would take over the powers of the opposition-led National Assembly. Demonstrators are protesting against the terrible economic conditions in the country, as well as the erosion of democratic governance.

Over the past several days, violent clashes have broken out between demonstrators and police. Several people have been killed; hundreds more have been injured. The Venezuelan NGO Foro Penal (Criminal Justice Forum) reported that as of April 13, 460 persons had been arrested for protesting between April 4 and 13; 212 of those remained detained as of April 13.

Acting State Department Spokesperson Toner said the United States echoe[s] the Venezuelan peoples calls for prompt elections, respect for the constitution and the National Assembly, and freedom for political prisoners.

He urged demonstrators to express themselves non-violently and called on government security forces to protect peaceful protest, not prevent it. The freedom of assembly, he added, is a universal human right which the Venezuelan authorities must respect.

We firmly support the consensus of the Organization of American States Permanent Council, which affirms it is essential that the Government of Venezuela ensure the full restoration of democratic order, said Spokesperson Toner.

We urge President Maduro to reconsider the decision to bar Capriles and ensure Venezuelans can exercise their right to elect their representatives in free and fair elections in accordance with the Venezuelan constitution and consistent with international instruments, including the Inter-American Democratic Charter.
Health care workers in Namibia will be better protected thanks to training provided with U.S. assistance. Earlier this month, Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services Juliet Kavetuna and U.S. Ambassador Thomas Daughton attended one of the training sessions for health care workers conducted by the Ministry of Health and Social Services in Windhoek on the use of respiratory protection. The training was conducted by the 3M and CYMOT corporations, with support from the U.S Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the World Health Organizations 2016 Global Tuberculosis Report, TB is now the worlds top infectious disease killer  claiming nearly 2 million lives each year.

With an estimated case reporting rate of 489 infected persons for every 100,000 citizens, and a TB-HIV co-infection rate of around 40 percent, Namibia is among the worlds ten highest-burden countries.

Deputy Minister Kavetuna and Ambassador Daughton were briefed about protecting against TB transmission at health facilities through a comprehensive tuberculosis infection control program that includes administrative controls, environmental controls and the use of personal protective equipment. It is standard practice within the Ministry of Health, for workers providing care for TB patients to wear disposable, particulate-filtering respirators. These respirators filter the air and dramatically decrease the chance of airborne TB being passed from a patient with TB to health care workers.

The current training will build capacity amongst Ministry health care workers regarding optimal use of personal protective equipment. In the last month over 200 healthcare workers have been trained throughout the country on the use of respiratory protection. The Ministry of Health and Social Services is using this training opportunity as a means to better achieve this goal.

In 2017, the US Government through PEPFAR invested $485,356 in HIV and TB programs, including funds that support the Challenge TB Project. The United States is proud to work with its partner, Namibia, to help protect the Namibian people and the health care workers who serve them, from TB and other dangerous illnesses such as HIV/AIDS and malaria.
Uganda should take stock of the progress it has made in creating a healthier population. According to the recently released Uganda Demographic Health Survey, there are some clear and positive trends: more women delivering babies in health facilities; substantial reductions in infant and under-five mortality rates; and an increased percentage of households with at least one insecticide-treated bed net to combat malaria.

But while these statistics are encouraging, they mask a troublesome reality: the health of most Ugandans remains poor, with children especially at risk. There are many reasons to explain this situation, but most boil down to the fact that the countrys health care system is under-resourced, poorly managed, and unable to meet the demands of a growing population.

The evidence is clear: in developing countries, a governments investment in the health and well-being of its citizens is key to generating prosperity and progress. President Museveni pledged in the 2001 Abuja Declaration, and reaffirmed in 2013, to dedicate 15 percent of the national budget to health. Today, that number stands at just seven percent. Moreover, the Government of Ugandas proposed budget for the next fiscal year recommends nearly a one-third cut for the Ministry of Health, plus reductions in other health investments.

More must be done to meet the healthcare needs of Ugandas citizens, especially its youngest and most vulnerable. There are still at least 2.4 million Ugandan children under five who are chronically malnourished. Only two-thirds of people living with HIV are receiving life-saving antiretroviral therapy, and there are 8.5 million cases of malaria annually. The proposed reductions to the countrys health budget will put these lives in greater jeopardy.

The U.S. invested nearly $500 million in the countrys health sector last year.

The United States has done its part to help build a healthier Uganda. Last year alone, we invested nearly $500 million (more than 1 trillion Ugandan Shillings) in the countrys health sector to control the HIV/AIDS epidemic, combat tuberculosis, improve maternal and child health, and control malaria. This work is saving lives and improving the health of millions of Ugandans, and we are proud to contribute to such efforts.

The U.S. government calls upon the Government of Uganda to increase investment in the health of its people so Uganda can reach its full economic potential.
Christians worldwide are commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus in Good Friday worship services, followed by celebration of his resurrection on Easter Sunday. But as often as the cross appears in Christian artwork and Western culture at large, misunderstandings and myths persist as to its history, origins and image. Here are five of the most stubborn misconceptions about Christianity's most prominent symbol.

Myth No. 1

Jesus' cross was consisted of an upright stake intersected partway down by a crossbeam.

The iconic image of the Christian cross tends to feature a central vertical beam transected by a perpendicular beam about a third of the way down. This version of the cross is visible everywhere from emoji (which include both the two-beam Latin cross and the Orthodox cross, also known as the Suppedaneum cross, which has another bar near the bottom) to roadside memorials and, of course, church steeples.

But the actual crosses Romans used for executions probably took a different shape. The Greek and Latin words for "cross" - "stauros" and "crux" - do not necessarily describe what most people imagine as a cross. They refer to an upright stake upon which the condemned could be bound with hands above their heads. Most historians surmise that Jesus' cross was more likely to have been T-shaped, with the vertical element notched to allow executioners to tie the victim to the crossbeam, then raise it and set it securely into the top. The Tau cross, named for its resemblance to the Greek letter t, has been adopted over time by various Christian orders and sects, and probably bears a stronger resemblance to the object upon which Jesus died on than those crosses more commonly depicted in Christian art.

Myth No. 2

Jesus was fixed to the cross by nails in his hands and feet.

Nearly every depiction of Jesus' crucifixion - including masterpieces such as Sandro Botticelli's "Mystic Crucifixion" and Diego Velazquez' "Christ Crucified" - shows Him attached to the cross by nails through his palms and his feet.

The New Testament Gospels do not, however, directly say that Jesus was nailed to the cross. In fact, the only reference to such nails in the Gospels comes from the book of John and the story of doubting Thomas, who asks to see the marks of the nails in Jesus' hands to confirm that he is really encountering the resurrected Christ (John 20:25). The tradition that Jesus was nailed to the cross may also derive from the passage in some translations of Psalm 21:16 that says, "They pierce my hands and feet."

Yet, while some physical evidence for nailing the feet of crucifixion victims has been found by archaeologists, it would have been impossible to fix the condemned to a cross by nails alone, since the bones in the hands or wrists would not have supported the weight of the body. Rather, Romans would have at least also tied victims' wrists to the crossbeam, or perhaps draped their arms over the back of the beam and secured them with ropes. Suffocation, rather than loss of blood, would be the cause of death.

Myth No. 3

Jesus (or a bystander) carried the cross to Golgotha.

The Gospel of John states that Jesus bore the cross by himself (John 19:17) to a hill called Golgotha, while the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke claim that authorities compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, to carry the cross for Him, presumably because the flogging He had received had left Him too weak to carry it. In either case, most depictions in Christian art (including renditions by Michelangelo, El Greco and Titian) show either man carrying a large, wooden cross with both a vertical and a horizontal beam.

Yet Romans generally had the upright beam already set up at the place of execution. To the extent that the condemned carried their own crosses, they would have been given only the horizontal piece, according to historians of ancient execution methods, including LaGrange College professor John Granger Cook.

Myth No. 4

Early Christians did not emphasize the crucifixion.

"For almost 1,000 years, the Christian church emphasized paradise, not Crucifixion," two authors wrote in UU World magazine; in Slate, scholar Larry Hurtado claimed that "there was, in short, little to be gained in proclaiming a crucified saviour in that setting in which crucifixion was a grisly reality," noting that "some early Christians tried to avoid reference to Jesus' crucifixion."

It is true that crosses were extremely rare symbols for Christians to use before the mid-4th century. Moreover, the first images of crosses portray them more as slender, gemmed staffs than as sturdy instruments of execution. Depictions of Jesus' crucifixion were even more rare, not occurring with any regularity until the 6th century.

Yet there's a reason this is surprising: Christian authors, poets and preachers wrote and spoke at great length about the significance and meaning of Jesus' death on the cross. In the 2nd century, Christian thinker Justin Martyr wrote that "when they crucified Him, driving in the nails, they pierced His hands and feet; and those who crucified Him parted His garments among themselves," emphasizing the humiliation and suffering of Jesus' execution in a long dialogue with a non-Christian interlocutor. Tertullian, another prolific early Christian writer, also meditated at length on the crucifixion and its theological meaning.

While explaining the cross or crucifix's absence from visual art may be difficult, timing its appearance with the rise of pilgrimage to the Holy Land and the sites of Jesus' life, death and resurrection provides helpful clues. By the end of the 4th century, pilgrims were traveling to Jerusalem, where they could visit Golgotha and venerate a relic of the "true cross," supposedly discovered by the Roman Empress Helena. Some even were privileged to receive a fragment of the holy wood. The image of the cross and the crucifix may be linked with pilgrims' desire to re-create the scene in its historical setting, and the proliferation of cross images in the West may have to do with the cross-related souvenirs some pilgrims brought back from their travels.

Myth No. 5

The Christian cross was adapted from pre-Christian religious symbols.

This idea has some convinced followers. According to Jehovah's Witnesses, for example, various authorities "have linked the cross with nature worship and pagan sex rites." The Church of the Great God, another denomination, likewise claims that "long before the coming of Christ, pagans used the cross as a religious symbol."

Yet there is simply no evidence that Christians intentionally borrowed the cross from pre-Christian cultic symbols.

While it is true that many ancient religions used symbols similar to the cross (and that Egyptian Christians even adapted the ankh, a hieroglyph for "life"), two intersecting lines are a simple and very common figure. This makes it difficult to assert that early Christians consciously adopted a particular sign rather than inventing one specifically referring to their unique story of Jesus' death upon a cross. While it is easy to see similarities in religious artwork from various traditions, it is also easy enough to locate distinctions among them. The Christian cross, with all its associated symbols (anchors, letters, ploughs and more), is a distinct feature of Christian art.

Jensen is the Patrick O'Brien Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame, and author of "The Cross: History, Art, and Controversy."
HICKORY - Several area restaurants will donate up to 20 percent of their proceeds to the annual Take a Bite Out of Hunger event on Tuesday to fight hunger in the Hickory area.

The event marks the 20th year that local restaurants have donated to the Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministrys efforts to feed the hungry in the area, according to a press release from the ministry.

GHCCM provides supplemental groceries and snack packs to those in need, including about 1,200 families each month, and offers instruction on topics like nutrition and cooking, according to the release.

In addition to individual and community donations, GHCCM is supported by businesses such as Wal-Mart, Lowes Foods, Publix and MDI, via a partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank, according to the release.

Restaurants participating include: Bistro 127, Cafe Gouda, Krispy Kreme, Circus Hall of Cream, Hatch Sandwich Bar, Charolais Steak House, Hickory Smokehouse BBQ, Shells BBQ, Subway in Viewmont, sweetFrog Frozen Yogurt on Catawba Valley Boulevard SE, Da Vincis Italian Restaurant, Mellow Mushroom, Food Factory, Crescent Moon Cafe, Copperbean Coffee House, Fourk, Cafe Rule and Taste Full Beans.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi was combative, and certainly not defensive, when he spoke at the BJP conclave in Bhubaneswar about a ban on the Islamic marriage practice of triple talaq. He tried to achieve twin objectives: Touch a chord with Muslim women and drill into the head of BJP leaders that they dont need to be defensive on this issue.

Modi asked BJP leaders to stand by every Muslim woman who fights for her rights and oppose the practice. Under Muslim personal law based on the Sharia, a Muslim man can divorce his wife by pronouncing talaq thrice. Muslim men are also allowed to have four wives.

BJP leaders have been given assignments to hold conferences, travel across the country and resort to other means to spread awareness about Modi governments position on this centuries-old practice.

The Modi governments position on triple talaq and the Prime Minister reaffirming that position at the party conclaves serves two purposes for the BJP.

It helps Indias ruling party to reach out to a large section of Muslim women who have been opposing the practice. Largely, Muslims in India vote against the BJP and a section within the ruling party expect Modis stand on triple talaq to win over a large section of Muslim women, at least in the future if not immediately.

Also, it helps the BJP drive home a point among Hindus that Modi, as their leader, was trying reform within Muslim community, which has perhaps not allowed equal opportunity and status to its women. Any aggressive posturing on the issue of triple talaq, BJP sources said, will be received well within the partys core support base.

Gender equality is part of the basic structure of the Constitution and non-negotiable, the Centre told the Supreme Court in October last year while opposing the practices of triple talaq and polygamy in the Muslim community.

This was the first time the Indian government officially took a stand to oppose the contentious custom that has divided the community, with womens groups and individuals advocating sweeping reforms in Muslim personal law that is tilted against women.

India has separate sets of personal laws for each religion governing marriage, divorce, succession, adoption and maintenance. While Hindu law overhaul began in the 1950s and continues, activists have long argued that Muslim personal law has remained mostly unchanged.

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Not every meeting of the BJP national executive sends important political messages. Some are routine, and used for nothing more than rallying the faithful and taking account of recent events. In that sense, the past weeks national executive in Bhubaneswar was different. The very fact that Orissa and not Gujarat  where assembly elections are due in November and which was expected to play host  was selected as venue was suggestive of the partys new ambition.

In the early 2020s, it will be the east  Orissa and neighbouring Bengal  that the BJP hopes will be its sunrise states. As quickly as the 2019 Lok Sabha election, they could start yielding seats, at least an increment from the two in Bengal and one in Orissa that the party won in 2014. That is why the choice of Orissa, where the party did spectacularly in the recent panchayat elections and is now poised to replace the Congress as the challenger to the ruling (and still very strong) Biju Janata Dal, told a story.

At the national executive itself, the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah-led BJPs aspiration to expand its constituency became apparent in other ways too. Orissa (like Assam, Manipur and perhaps someday Bengal and Kerala) represents a geographical expansion. Yet, the nub of Prime Minister Modis interventions was on social expansion.

First, despite the Uttar Pradesh verdict and the widespread hysteria about Hindutva and religious issues becoming paramount, Modi stuck to the sober  for critics, boring  theme of development and poverty elimination. Determinedly, since 2014, Modi has anchored his party and government in the concerns of underprivileged Indians. He has not lost sight of that imperative, whether as a moral compass for his administration or as a political necessity for his party. Indeed, the party has carried forward that message on behalf of the government.

As a result of this close coordination between government and party  and of course due to Modis popularity simply soaring  incumbency, far from becoming a drag, has been a tonic for the BJP. Not surprisingly then this positioning of the government, as rooted in social and political realities, was iterated by Modi in Bhubaneswar.

Second, the BJP is gradually beginning its conversation with Muslims. As Indias largest party, it needs to do this, irrespective of how many Muslims may or may not vote for it. Even so, rather than reward a few token Muslim leaders with key posts and pretend that is empowerment, Modi has opted to dive deeper.

He has offered political backing to gender rights, seeing the triple talaq issue as crucial in this regard. He has also reached out to socially and economically backward (or OBC) Muslims, by singling them out for mention. Of course, he has been careful and correct to seek for them the same opportunities that are available to their Hindu peers  no more and no less. There was no question of any single group having a first claim on resources, to use the UPA governments ungainly phrase.

The triple talaq case is in the courts, but the political, legal and public debate on it has been in full swing. It has put conservative, patriarchal elements in the Muslim clergy  who defend the practice of triple talaq even as many Muslim-majority countries have abandoned it  on the defensive. Can a combination of a court order and backing for it by the Modi government lead to the abolition of triple talaq?

As a social and political construct, this will reverse a trend going back to the Rajiv Gandhi governments use of parliamentary legislation to nullify the Shah Bano judgement of 1985. What will be its political impact? That was one of the tantalising takeaways from Modis speech in Bhubaneswar.

The author is distinguished fellow, Observer Research Foundation

The views expressed are personal
Despite their dwindling population, the Parsis strive to preserve the legacy of their rich, robust and wholesome cuisine by even using social media to popularise it among food lovers around the world.

Rich, pure, wholesome, rustic and robust. Thats Parsi cuisine to me. It is unique. Its spicy, sweet and sour. Its robust and elegant. Its complex yet simple. One thing it isnt, its not a quick bite. Its food you sit down and enjoy, Urvaksh Hoyvoy, who runs the Parsi da Dhabha.

He says opening the restaurant in 2009 on NH-8 en-route from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, about 150 km from here, was his way of trying to preserve the legacy of their food.

Whenever I travel, I take my Parsi spices and cook in peoples homes. One such event happened in a country home in a tiny town of Bartelsville in Oklahoma, he says.

And we are beginning to use the social media to share our delicious legacy with the world, he says.

Farzana Contractor, the editor and publisher of food and travel magazine UpperCrust, says, I know people outside the community yearn to be invited for a Lagan nu Bhonu, because outside a Parsi home that is the only place they can get to eat this food, since there just arent too many places you can go eating out.

Like I, for example, land up at Ideal Corner at Fort whenever the urge to eat bhonu overcomes me. Though surprisingly even the Yacht Club (Royal Bombay Yacht Club) does a decent Dhansak and they serve it with tiny pieces of plain fried Bombay Duck, she says.

As an honorary Parsi and being married to a foodie as big as Behram Contractor aka Busybee (noted journalist and founder-editor of Afternoon newspaper), I can say I do love the Parsi cuisine immensely. Alas, I dont see much happening by way of preserving the food legacy. Authenticity is of course maintained quite simple because it is still home cooked and recipes there dont change, she says.

Anahita N Dhondy, the chef manager at SodaBottleOpenerWala which has seven outlets in India, says with their community population falling and their number being only 69,000 in India they are trying their best to preserve their culture and food.

We made Parsi food cool and popularised the Bombay Irani cafe concept, she says.

Anahita N Dhondy, the chef manager at SodaBottleOpenerWala,says Parsi cuisine can be counted as the oldest fusion cuisine as it brings together the flavours of Persia with the masalas and freshness of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa. (olivebarandkitchen.com)

According to Dhondy, Parsi cuisine can be counted as the oldest fusion cuisine as it brings together the flavours of Persia with the masalas and freshness of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa.

It also uses techniques from British cookery. So its a beautiful amalgamation of all these cuisines. Some recipes are easy and some very lengthy with complicated processes.

The ingredients would range from dry fruits to coconut, famous sambhar masala and dhana jeeru masala, curry masalas, pickles, souffles and sandwiches. Its a vast range of cookery. Its got vegetables, eggs, fish, meat and sweet preparations, she says.

According to Urvaksh, the Parsis left their homeland because they immensely valued their beliefs and their faith was unwavering.

The way we Parsis prepare and eat our food today is not how Parsi people ate in Persia. Theres a whole lot of India in the cooking pot now.

In Persia, spices were scarce, so the food was cooked simply. When we arrived on the shores of Gujarat to take refuge, we assimilated in the best possible way - the food way, he says.

Parsi recipes then travelled the beaches of Gujarat, up north India, then to the west of India, east India and south India, through the bylanes of Mumbais Dhobhi Talao, Byculla, Colaba, acquiring technique and adding new flavours to the food.

Dhansak curry with brown rice. (Shutterstock)

The Parsi style curry, no doubt, came from Goan cooks who cooked for the Parsi homes at Princess Street, says the third generation entrepreneur, whose late grandfather Nariman Ardeshir Hoyvoy established the Parsi Dairy Farm and Dairyland in Mumbai.

The delicious tomato gravy came from the Portuguese, the Saas ni Machi has a Frenchness to it being cooked in a delicate rice flour sauce, the palav daar is very robust and hearty, its our variation of the moghlai biryani.

The chops and mash from the Brits. Tarela Kera in a sugar sauce-based banana fritters from the south. Im not a historian but I am certain the way I cook and eat today is due to a beautiful journey our cooking has been through in India, he says.

He says they are a very small community and their food is generally available only at Parsi weddings and Navjote ceremonies.

The non-Parsis love the taste so much that he used to get tons of requests from them to taste their popular dishes like Palav daar, dhansak, Salli boti and marghina Farcha etc, he says.

Contractor says the taste of each Parsi dish differs. Like a Saas ni Machi with its tangy white sauce is 60 degrees away from Patra ni Machi, all wrapped up in banana leaf with the awesome green chutney. Or Sali Murghi is from Farcha ni Murghi, she says.

She says her ultimate favourite is Jardaloo ma Gosht, which, incidentally, she cooked on TV with top British Chef Gary Rhodes for Discovery channel.

Divulging on some unique facets of Parsi cuisine, Urvaksh says, We cooked with flowers, berries and fruits and with complex techniques before these celebrity MasterChefs great grandfathers wore nappies.

He says the Medo Persian Empire was one of the greatest empires and it ruled over several communities.

The history books say that the Persian Kings did not thrust their habits and lifestyle upon their subjects, but rather encouraged and appreciated the diversities and the cuisines of Persia developed with its expanding borders, he says. Persia did not have spices but had delicious edible flowers, berries and fruits, which were infused to create delicate flavours.

My favourite being the Zereshk berry or as its English name says Barberry. Its a tiny Ruby red berry that grows on a shrub, and tastes delicious in a meat dish or even just cooked with rice. I was taught a secret Zereshk sauce from a Persian grocer in Dubai, he says.

The 54-year-old entrepreneur says his endeavour is to cook and serve classic Parsi food in a home style environment and to put their cuisine on the home menu of people all over the world so they may be as enriched as we are.

Echoing similar sentiments, Dhondy says, I feel Parsi food will become even more popular over the years. There will be more cafes and restaurants serving this kind of cuisine because it is adaptable, easy and very flavourful.

It will travel the world and even become gourmet. I would love to popularise it all over the world, she says.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more.
Down a Bethlehem alleyway, sunlight illuminates a golden icon of the Virgin Mary and Jesus, signalling the revival of an ancient art being practised in the workshop inside.

The building near the Church of the Nativity  the site where Christians believe Jesus was born  houses a group of enthusiasts specialising in the sacred art of iconography.

They are doing so some 2,000 years after Christian iconography began in nearby Jerusalem  also where Christians believe Jesus was resurrected after his crucifixion, to be commemorated this Sunday for Easter.

They work in both silence and in prayer, with their art a far cry from the cheap mass-produced icons sold in souvenir shops to tourists and pilgrims.

Icons are not commercial objects for us, but holy images that we honour, said Nicola Juha, who heads the Bethlehem Icon Centre.

An artefact from the collection of the Icon Workshop. (bethlehemiconcentre.org)

He explains that icons like theirs are used by worshippers who, for example, light candles before them and pray.

According to tradition, Luke the Evangelist painted the first Christian icon in 60 AD. Ian Knowles, far from his native Britain, now teaches the same art to not only Palestinian Christians, but also those from countries including Canada and Poland.

Watching the meticulous brushstrokes of his students, he said he left home to spend two weeks in the region and was still there nine years later.

One of his pieces, Our Lady of Palestine, depicts Mary shedding a tear over symbols of the Holy Land -- Jerusalem, Mount Carmel and Mount Nebo.

In a nearby chapel with a blue ceiling and a Nativity scene, around a dozen students recite prayers, their nearly finished icons in hand.

Archbishop Joseph Jules Zerey of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, which sponsors the iconography centre, blesses each one, holding an olive branch with holy oil.

A beautiful synthesis

An artefact from the collection of the Icon Workshop. (bethlehemiconcentre.org)

Each icon is unique and produced to order. Animal-hair brushes are selected in Jerusalem or even London, and the pigments come directly from the Holy Land.

Hand-ground stones for yellow are from Jericho and roses used to paint faces are from Jerusalem, Juha said in the small woodworking shop where panels for the icons are carved.

Rose Codneler, who has used a holiday from her work at a womens shelter in Britain to spend Easter week in Bethlehem, said the uniqueness of the icons appeals to her.

For the 33-year-old Christian, spending days painstakingly painting Christs face is a way of getting deeper into the characters of the Bible and the story of the Bible.

Icons have always fascinating me, and more and more so in the last few years, because they are a kind of beautiful synthesis of God, prayer and also ecology in the way that the pigments are all taken from nature, she said.

Knowless class is provided periodically to visiting pilgrims for around $265 (250 euros) and all year round to some 30 Palestinian Christians.

Juha says the centre has succeeded in reviving an old, long-forgotten Palestinian tradition in Bethlehem, which is so important both in religious and geographic terms.

Iconography as a profession

An artefact from the collection of the Icon Workshop. (bethlehemiconcentre.org)

Bethlehem is part of the West Bank, the Palestinian territory that has been occupied by Israel for 50 years and which struggles with unemployment and poverty.

Knowles points out that obtaining the best materials from Jerusalem is impossible for many Palestinians since they are barred from crossing over from the West Bank.

Wearing a paint-stained apron, he says the centre is also a way of serving the local Christian communities.

Christians have gone from 20% of the Palestinian population to slightly more than 1% over the course of 50 years.

I wanted to do something which could really help to rebuild the iconography as a proper tradition and a constituent part of the Christian community here, he said.

I think people know the Christian population in Bethlehem has been devastated over the last 50 years.

Knowles said that culturally, the Christian community is a bit on its own, so it seems to me that it was an important thing that I could offer  to teach iconography as a profession rather just as a hobby.

This year, 36 Palestinians have registered, paying fees of around 25 euros.

A partnership has also been formed with The Princes School of Traditional Arts in London, allowing 10 Bethlehem students to earn a British diploma in iconography recognised worldwide.

The centre has already achieved one particular point of pride: Knowles and three of his students have produced two icons for Lichfield Cathedral in Britain and are to complete a third next summer.

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Bhopal: Whereas the state government has launched a drive to make the state an open defecation free state by 2019 there are several government offices which dont have separate toilets for women.

However, in view of a recommendation made by Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission (MPHRC) the state government has issued an order to its departments to make available separate toilets for woman employees.

The general administration department has issued an order as per MPHRCs recommendation for a separate toilet in government offices for women. The order copy has been sent to all additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries, secretaries and commissioners, said LR Sisodia, public relations officer of MPHRC in an official communique.

The communique states, MPHRC made the recommendation in view of dignity of women. The work of making available separate toilets would be implemented in six months. The commission has asked the government to comply with the deadline.

As per 2011 census, as many as 71.2% households didnt have latrines, the figure being the fourth highest after Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh.

Though there is hardly any data available as to how many government offices dont have separate toilets for woman employees, the state fell short of its target of building toilets under Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) in the rural areas in 2015-16, slipping to the fourth spot from the third it held in the previous year.

As Hindustan Times reported official figures showed that Madhya Pradesh had built 9.32 lakh toilets in 2015-16 as against 5.21 lakh toilets in 2014-15. The state had set an ambitious target of building 18 lakh toilets under SBM in 2015-16. Officials said that pace of building toilets was slow in the first half of the financial year when 3.45 lakh toilets were built.

The speed of building toilets had picked up since October 2, 2014, when the Centre launched SBM and de-linked the toilet construction under Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan from NREGA.
Reacting on the ongoing debate started by Abhay Deol over actors endorsing fairness cream, Sushant Singh Rajput today said it is inappropriate to endorse such products.

Recently, Abhay had criticised Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor and John Abraham for featuring in campaigns that promote and sell fairness creams.

Asked about his views on the same Sushant said, As responsible actors, or responsible citizens we should not in anyways endorse or prefer one skin tone over another.

Sushant said he feels nepotism does exist in Bollywood but he has never faced it. All the films that I did and will be doing in the next one and half year are the films that I really wanted to do. I had many options and I had the luxury to choose. So from personal point of view I cannot complain. Having said that it is not like (nepotism) is not there it is there everywhere in all sorts of industries and not just Bollywood, the actor said.

Sushant added that if the industry is welcoming towards the talent from outside the Bollywood families there should not be any problem. Nepotism can peacefully co-exist with the fact that you also allow new talent from from outside to flourish and encourage them. But if you dont allow that (referring to giving chance to outsiders) then there is a problem. Then the whole structure of the industry will collapse.

Meanwhile, the 31-year-old actor has confirmed that his most talked about film Paani with Shekhar Kapoor is not happening, but spending time with the filmmaker did bring changes in his outlook towards the world. We were working together on Paani and unfortunately it did not get made. I think I was quite rigid in my point of view and I was quite opinionated and in those six months that I spent with him he convinced me that there is not just one right way of looking or doing things. It depends on your perspective as anything could be right or wrong.

Sushant was talking at the trailer launch of his upcoming film Raabta in which he is paired opposite Kriti Sanon.

Releasing on June 9, the film marks the directorial debut of producer Dinesh Vijan.
Masaan and Raman Raghav 2.0 actor Vicky Kaushal revealed that he was never part of any happy film and hence he had a ball shooting for romantic comedy Love Per Square Foot. Its a romantic story mixed with comedy about a boy and girl trying to find a house in Mumbai. I have never been a part of a happy film. All my earlier films have been on intense side, so I had a ball shooting for this one, said Kaushal.

My character Sanjay is ambitious and street-smart. This film will be a proper commercial Hindi film with lot of dancing and singing incorporated in it, added the actor on the sidelines of the IIFA voting weekend 2017 in Mumbai.

Talking about his experience with IIFA, he said, IIFA awards are really special to me because last year IIFA honoured me with best debut award. This time IIFA is being held at New York so I am sure that Indians who live there will support this event wholeheartedly as it is biggest celebration of Bollywood on international platforms.

Love per square foot is directed by Anand Tiwari and produced by Ronnie Screwvala under his production RSVPA(Ronnie Screwvala Productions). It is also a Bollywood debut of Angira Dhar who had earlier acted in web series Bang Baaja Baarat.
On Monday morning, Sonu Nigam set the internet on fire with his tweet criticising the use of loudspeakers for azaans at mosques. This is what he said:

Fellow musicians and Bollywood insiders reacted to his tweet and they seemed divided in their opinion. Sonu Nigam also got trolled on Twitter, but he wasnt the only one to feel the heat.

There was a very unlikely Bollywood celebrity who got trolled with Nigam: Film actor Sonu Sood. And thats because of his first name, Sonu.

Sood, who wasnt entirely aware of the situation, finally put out a tweet.

Soon others came in Soods support.

Uninstalling @SonuSood because I'm offended by what the @snapdeal CEO said about Spain.  Sorabh Pant (@hankypanty) April 17, 2017

@SonuSood You are snapdeal in snapchat world  Rishika Rao (@aadiivaasii) April 17, 2017

This is the second case of mistaken identity on Twitter in two days. First Snapdeal was trolled for Snapchat and now Sonu Sood receives nasty tweets in place of Sonu Nigam.

Who says virtual world is not as interesting as the real.
There appears to be a consensus view that Marine Le Pen, candidate of the far-Right National Front, will advance to a second-round run-off before losing by a wide margin to a more mainstream opponent. Thats what happened to her father in 2002. Not so fast. Le Pen has a real chance to become Frances next president. If she does, she might do much more damage to Frances economy and its role in Europe than even she intends.

Her odds of winning are higher than most think. First, Le Pen is part of a deeply flawed field of candidates. Benoit Hamon and Jean-Luc Melenchon have divided voters on the Left. Francois Fillon, candidate of the Centre-Right Les Republicains, has been badly damaged by corruption charges. Centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron has not yet been tested, and he has no reliable support base. Le Pen might not have majority support, but her voters seem much more motivated than those of any of her rivals. Last November, Donald Trump won support from just 26% of eligible US voters. Given the lukewarm support for Hillary Clinton and the decision by millions of Americans to stay home, Trumps passionate 26% proved just enough for victory.

In addition, as with Trump and those who fought for Brexit, Le Pen has already shown great skill at speaking directly to the anxieties of millions of voters on questions of jobs, economic stagnation, immigration, and security. On all these issues, headlines between now and election day are more likely to boost Le Pen than any of her opponents, particularly if another terrorist attack takes place in the heart of Europe or if there is more violence between French police and angry young people living in the banlieues on the outskirts of French cities.

Further boosting her chances, Macron, her likeliest second-round opponent, may see support erode among Centre-Right voters as Le Pen uses his role in the deeply unpopular Francois Hollande government against him. He is vulnerable in other areas, as well. Macron has yet to face the sort of scandals that have plagued Francois Fillon, and the scrutiny that comes with them, but that might change. Just as Hillary Clinton faced embarrassing leaks of uncertain origin, so Macron might still face similar challenges. Its also possible that support for his candidacy will decline sooner, and that the deeply flawed Fillon will advance to the second round. In that case, it might well be voters on the Left who decide to stay home.

If Le Pen pulls off the upset, the damage she inflicts on Frances economy and its place in Europe might not come through political means. She cant hold a referendum on Frances EU or Euro membership, because Article 11 of Frances constitution only allows for referenda on questions that do not require constitutional change. Article 88 enshrines Frances place in the European Union. Nor will her party elect nearly enough members in Junes legislative elections to form a Front National government. Forced to form a government with another party, probably from the Centre-Right, Le Pen will have almost no leverage on domestic policy  particularly on any move to alter the constitution to leave the EU or Eurozone.

Yet, if she wins, the uncertainty and unrest that follows her election might well send shockwaves through the financial markets. If global reserve managers, who probably hold 700 billion of French government debt, decide to sell on a large scale, they might overwhelm the ability of European Central Bank Quantitative Easing to offset the move, triggering a sharp spike in French government bond yields. In that event, its unclear where relief might come from. Or ratings agencies might decide that any attempt to re-denominate French debt, as Le Pen has promised to do, would constitute default, with a crisis of confidence in Frances four global systemically important banks setting off a run on all French banks. In that scenario, we might also see capital flight as French depositors and investors try to move assets outside the country.

We cant predict how President Le Pen would respond to these pressures. She might not know either. But an emergency that forces an uncoordinated exit from the Euro would create chaos  for France, for Europe, and beyond.

Ian Bremmer is president, Eurasia Group and author of Superpower: Three Choices for Americas Role in the World

The views expressed are personal

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Last week, an expert committee set up by the National Green Tribunal to assess the damage done to the Yamuna floodplain by the World Culture Festival last year estimated that it would take at least 10 years and Rs 42 crore to rehabilitate 420 acres of wetlands.

The next day, Delhis water minister Kapil Mishra, who holds the job of cleaning the Yamuna, wondered if it was indeed the three-day event that caused all the damage to the river.

Before the World Culture Festival, there were dolphins swimming in river Yamuna. Thousands of birds were chirping around. Tourists from all over the world used to come solely to see the banks of river Yamuna. It is then that Sri Sri came and added many polluting drains to river Yamuna. He drove away all the dolphins and birds. He also prohibited people from coming to the river. Mishra signed off this Facebook post by extending another invitation to the organisers to hold more such events.

The minister was right.

The Yamuna doesnt have dolphins. In fact, it has been decades since it has had any aquatic life. It does not feature in any tourist itinerary. The newcomers to the national capital are often shocked when told that the drain they see is the ancient river. If they can, the authorities should prohibit people from approaching the river. The sewage water, the nauseous stench and gases emanating from the Yamuna are a health hazard.

The misfortune of the Yamuna is that no one has treated it like a river for a long time now. There is a generation of Delhi residents who has never seen it flow like a river and they treat it like any other nullah in the city. The sarkari agencies are no different in their approach.

The Delhi Jal Board, the nodal agency to clean the Yamuna, is in charge of maintaining sewerage in Delhi and sees the river as an oversized toxic sewer.

Foam-coated surface of river Yamuna, the longest and second largest tributary of holy Ganges. (HT Photo)

The Delhi Development Authority, the land owning agency, looks at the riverbed as locked-up real estate. Mishra, who is also Delhis tourism minister, is happy that the riverbank doubles up as a festival venue and accommodates a large assembly of faith leaders, artists and politicians.

The problem is that most of us want to put the Yamuna riverbed to some use. But this seemingly useless floodplain is the only part of the Yamuna river system which is still alive. It is the biggest freshwater reserve the city will ever have. Its vast sand aquifer  two-km wide and nearly 40-metre deep  run along the 48-km stretch through Delhi.

The floodplain is the lung of the river. It is a living organ that collects and releases water seasonally. Even temporary constructions or crowds stomping around can destroy the grass, shrubs and trees, compromising the biological and physical capacities of an ecosystem essential to keep rivers alive and our cities livable.

Fortunately, even after all those encroachments in the form of unauthorised colonies, Metro yards, train stations, bus depot, a temple, residential complexes and power plants, much of Delhis floodplain is left unclaimed.

Not many urban centers in the world have such vast expanses along their rivers. But our obsession with the western model of transforming floodplains into swanky riverfronts makes the future uncertain.

Choking a river seldom goes unpunished. Just four years ago, waters of Vltava were threatening to knock down Charles Bridge in Prague. Parts of Budapest, Vienna, Dresden, Passau, and Bratislava were destroyed by the 2013 floods because they are built right on the rivers they flank.

Last year, the Louvre and the Musee dOrsay were shut down temporarily, and their artwork moved to the higher floors after the Seine flooded Paris.

At home, our rivers sought revenge in Mumbai in 2005, in Uttarakhand in 2013 and Chennai in 2015. The lesson: we disregard natures life-giving dynamism at our own peril.

This March, the Maori tribe got the legal right to treat its river Whanganui as a human being after 140 years of litigation, the longest in New Zealands history.

Five days later, the Uttarakhand high court declared the Ganga and the Yamuna as living entities. If you are wondering who all should now be charged with multiple counts of assault, remember how lynch mobs tend to get away even with murder.

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DEHRADUN: With only 10 days remaining for the Char Dham Yatra to begin, the civil aviation department is yet to appoint chopper operators for carrying passengers to the Kedarnath shrine, situated at a height of 3,583 metre in the Himalayan region.

The state government had last week cancelled the tender awarded to a private operator by the previous Congress government in December 2016. The government cited that the contract terms were not fulfilled by the company.

According to the officials, a fresh process for appointing the chopper operators has been started, which is likely to be completed in 10 days.

Portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines will be thrown open to pilgrims on April 28, while those of Kedarnath and Badrinath on May 3 and May 6, respectively.

People involved in the tourism industry said that the delay in finalising chopper services would impact business, especially the high-end pilgrims, who prefer chopper services for flying to the Kedarnath shrine.

Bookings for the Char Dham Yatra, including that for the Kedarnath shrine, begin way in advance. It is already quite latethe aviation services should not only have been finalised by the government by now but also widely publicised across the country, said Prateek Karanwal, coordinator, Char Dham Hotels Association.

Pilgrims planning to visit via chopper would continue to be clueless till the last momentthis will only affect the states image as a tourism hub, said Abhishek Negi, a tourist operator based in Rudraprayag district.

Civil aviation officials, however, denied that the timing of the selection procedure would affect tourists in any way. We have invited expression of interest (EOI) with specific core conditions from potential firms by April 24 and should be able to finalise the operators by April 27. After that, a period of 3-4 days is required for DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) inspection, so the process will be over before May 3 when the Kedarnath shrine opens, additional secretary (civil aviation) R Rajesh Kumar told HT.

The six-month-long pilgrimage to the four holy Hindu shrines forms the backbone of the rural economy in the Garhwal region. Over 14 lakh pilgrims had visited the Char Dham shrines last year, with Kedarnath contributing around 3 lakh pilgrims.

Last year, more than 13 private chopper operators had been granted permission to fly in the Kedarnath region. During the peak season, the choppers took 1400 to 1500 pilgrims to the Himalayan shrine daily.

Kedarnath shrine was the epicentre of the 2013 flashfloods. Since then pilgrims have shown an increased inclination to use the safer air route. The choppers cut a treacherous foot trek  which spans across around 16 km crisscrossing steep mountains and rivulets  to a less than 10-minute air ride.

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DEHRADUN: To check migration from the hills, the government will soon introduce a law legalising both partial and voluntary consolidation of scattered landholdings by farmers for giving a fillip to farm produce, agriculture minister Subodh Uniyal said.

As it is, we have small terraced landholdings dotting the hills. On top of it, these landholdings are scattered, which has made hill farming labour intensive and un-remunerative forcing farmers to migrate, Uniyal told HT. To ensure that hill farming becomes lucrative, well either amend the Land Consolidation Act or introduce a new law, which will legalise voluntary and partial consolidation of land by farmers.

Introducing such a law means that even if 20% of farmers in a village mutually agree for consolidation of their landholdings, their efforts will have a legal stamp owing to the provisions of the proposed law.

In that case, not only will such a partial consolidation of scattered landholdings be legally permissible but their land records will be also changed in keeping with the provisions of the proposed law, Uniyal said. According to him, once consolidation of landholdings is complete, even if partially, hill farming will cease to be labour intensive and will fetch good returns helping to check migration.

We will try and include provisions legalising partial or voluntary consolidation of landholdings in the rules of the Land Consolidation Act, which are yet to be formulated, Uniyal said. If such a move doesnt work we will bring in a new law, which will legally permit partial and voluntary consolidation of landholdings.

Uniyal asserted that partial and voluntary land consolidations didnt work in the past as they lacked the legal backing of the Land Consolidation Act enacted by the previous Congress government. The law owing to its lacunae failed to work despite the previous regimes announcement of an incentive of Rs 1 crore each for villages, if farmers opted for land consolidation.

The proposed law will be flexible because even if 20% of residents of a village mutually agree for land consolidation. Such an initiative will have a chain reaction as it will inspire other villagers to opt for land consolidation.

Uniyal suggested that the proposed law would help allay fears farmers about land consolidation due to ignorance. Not being educated enough, most hill farmers feel they will lose their scattered lands during consolidation, he said, adding that the land consolidation law would remove that misconception.

:

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DEHRADUN: College students feel biometric system is not effective alone in ensuring the presence of teachers, who are facing the heat from Minister of State for Higher Education Dhan Singh Rawat over attendance.

On Sunday, Rawat said digital attendance would be made compulsory in all colleges. College students, however, insist there are still some loopholes in the system.

In fact, there are about 100 government colleges of which 78 have biometric system of attendance, as per the data of the directorate of higher education. More than 6,000 teachers serve in these government colleges.

According to students, the process of punching finger prints twice daily to register incoming and outgoing time doesnt stop college teachers from giving classes a miss during the day.

Teachers are used to taking private tuitions. Biometric system is a failure as it is easier for them to punch their entry and exit timings only twice during the day. The real pressure will come if attendance is marked outside every classroom so that theres a record that teachers took classes and were present, Swati Negi, leader of Congress-backed National Students Union of India (NSUI), tells Hindustan Times.

Class-wise attendance should be mandatory and it should be linked with salaries. If a teacher has four classes during the day, he should be present in all of them else their salaries should be deducted, Pradeep Tomar, former president of student union at DBS College, says.

The biometric system was made compulsory in all colleges after the University Grants Commission (UGC) became strict on the issue about three years ago.

Whats the use when teachers have the liberty to leave college in between? In hilly areas, the condition is pathetic where students travel several kilometers to attend classes only to find the teacher missing, Himanshu, enrolled with HNB Garhwal University in Srinagar, says.

RK Pathak, a botany professor at Dehraduns DAV (PG) College and member of Garhwal University Teachers Association (GRUTA), rejects the points raised by students. Teachers reach to give lectures, but students dont attend classes. Has there been any incident where students assembled for a class and teacher didnt turn up?

We strictly criticise this system enforced upon us without any consultation. The opinion of students is right, but a teacher has to do ground work to deliver lecture and for that, no infrastructure and capacity building is being done. First, the government should address these issues, GRUTA general secretary DK Tyagi says.

But Rawat sticks to his stand that the first priority is to have biometric system in all colleges. Ensuring attendance of students also needs focus and we will work on those lines, he asserts.

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Tension prevailed after a statue of Dalit icon BR Ambedkar was partially vandalised in Mirzapur Sadat village on Monday.

The incident came just three days after Ambedkars poster was torn in Mundate village. Angry villagers staged protest and demanded strict action against the culprits. Police registered a case under Section 295 of IPC against unidentified persons. The police have also formed a committee to reinstall the statue at same location.

An idol of Bhimrao Ambedkar was installed by Dalit community at Mirzapur village on April 14. Some unidentified miscreants demolished the statue for creating tension in the village. We came to know about the incident on Monday morning and took immediate action to control the situation. A case was registered and initial investigation revealed that it is a well planned strategy to disturb sentiment of the community, said RK Saklani, station house offfcer of Khanpur police station.

Heavy police force was deployed in the village. The police detained some persons for questioning.
When hundreds of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members in Delhi work on the ground for the municipal election on April 23, 18 young technology enthusiasts manage the back-end at the partys headquarters on Pandit Pant Marg.

In one go, they reach out to about 1.5 lakh booth and block-level workers through social media and WhatsApp groups to keep them informed about the issues in different wards.

They are part of the social media team of the state unit of the party that works for over 12 hours every day.

Apart from creating digital campaigns and putting live updates of rallies or political events online, the team has the responsibility to identify issues in every ward and inform party candidates about them. The feedback and suggestions received through them are later included in the partys campaign strategy.

Our social media volunteers are students, engineers, graphic designers, and people with social media expertise. The team, which sits at the party headquarters, remains in touch with more than 350 workers in all 272 wards, said Delhi BJPs IT cell convener, Sumit Bhasin.

The cell has appointed heads in each ward and one coordinator for five assembly constituencies, who run campaigns, initiated by it though 500 WhatApp groups. Bhasin said the party has synchronised its online campaign with offline mode for the first time for the municipal elections.

They took the campaign further and try to connect with maximum number of people. They go to parks, markets, playgrounds, and households, where they talk to senior citizens, shopkeepers, housewives, and students. They show them graphics, video-audio clips, or messages received through social media. They also enquire about their problems and issues and send their feedbacks to us, which are incorporated in our candidates canvassing plans, Bhasin said.

Members of BJPs IT cell at the partys headquarters on Pandit Pant Marg. (Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)

The volunteers are equipped with an app, VMS (volunteer management system), which has all the details such as streets and residential units in all 272 municipal wards. Through this system, which uses Google Maps, the party can track areas being covered by the volunteers and candidates.

In the last 25 days, 22 hashtags prepared by the team were trending nationally. Earlier, it used to take a lot of time but we have developed such a network that our hashtags start trending within half an hour. They remain on top of the chart for 10-12 hours, said Kunal Kapur, a member of the Delhi BJP social media team.

Unlike, BJP, the social media campaign of its rival  Delhi Congress  is not centralised. It functions from three locations in south and west Delhi round-the-clock. Around 15-20 volunteers work in three shifts.

Aniruddh Sharma, who heads the IT cell of Delhi Congress, earlier said that the entire system was centralised at party headquarters at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg but it has been decentralised for effective functioning.

The preparations had begun around 18 months ago when Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken appointed about 150 volunteers for it, said Sharma.

We have a dedicated team of 50-60 graphic designers and video editors and 80 volunteers, who work on research and push content on Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp. The cell is more active during prime time which starts around 5pm, said Sharma.

The party has officially appointed a convener for all seven parliamentary constituencies who look after its campaign at booth level. We dont indulge in abusive and fake posts. It is a clear direction from Maken and head of communication Sharmishtha Mukherjee not to create any derogatory or sham content. All creatives are positive contents, he added.

According to him, they manage to reach out to about 10 lakh people in a week using various social media platforms such Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube.

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CBSE Class 12 students appeared for economics exam on Monday with many finding it very easy. Though dreaded often, the paper left many students pleasantly surprised because of its low difficulty level and said they could complete it before time.

The paper was very easy and I completed my answers in nearly two hours. I had a lot of time in the end to revise. All questions were based on the NCERT book, said Vanshika, a class XII student from Manav Sthali School in Rajendra Nagar.

Another student, Muskan, said, It wasnt lengthy. Almost all questions were from CBSE sample paper. I am expecting to score above 90 marks.

Economics paper is mainly taken by students of commerce and humanities. Its also one of the most sought-after but elusive courses at the undergraduate level. The cut-offs at Delhi University for BA (honours) economics are the highest.

Anuradha Wadhwa, who teaches economics at Evergreen Evergreen Public School, Vasundhra Enclave, said, Paper was easy and straightforward. Around 10-15 % was conceptual and analytical in nature. There were no out-of-syllabus questions. Students should be able to score easily.

A student from Convent of Jesus and Mary School, however, said she got stuck on a few questions as they required longer time to solve. Though the paper was easy, I found some questions tricky.

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 Board exams started on March 9 and will go on till April 29. The next exam is sociology on April 20. Over 10 lakh students are appearing for the exam across India of which two lakh are in Delhi.

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More than 10 resident welfare associations (RWAs) from Chittaranjan Park and Alaknanda in south Delhi gathered at the Rajesh Pilot Park on Sunday to hunt for a missing road in their locality.

Residents said the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is set to build a mall in the neighbourhood (at a plot between Kalka Public School and a petrol pump in Alaknanda) next to the road, which only appears in zonal maps.

For more than three years, residents have been protesting the project that they said would lead to traffic jams in the area as the road, which the authorities believe would bear the extra traffic burden, didnt exist in reality.

The residents contend that the project will lead to traffic problems .

Residents claim that the DDA has shown the road in the transport circulation report, submitted to Delhi Urban Art commission in 2007, while getting a plan approved for construction of Delhi second biggest mall.

For getting the land use changed, the DDA had submitted the report with DUAC. The authority claimed that there would be no chaos in the area as a road will allow the free movement of traffic from Alaknanda to Ring Road. But at the place earmarked as road, there is a park, a government building as well as a municipal school today, said Vivek Sharma, general secretary of NRI Complex RWA.

The discontented RWAs organised a mock drill on Sunday to hunt for the missing road and issued a dummy cheque of Rs10,000 for the winner.

So many people participated in the drill, but nobody could find the road. Finally, we issued a cheque in the name of the DDA chairman who probably knows where the road is actually located,  said Sharma, who has also registered a complaint with the Kalkaji police station on April 10 about the missing road.

In 2007, DDA had sold 3.6 acres of land to a private developer for Rs 304 crore on a freehold basis. A plot measuring 15,000 square metre (approx) was allocated for the construction of the mall. But residents opposed the move saying that the land was originally earmarked to set up community facilities. They approached DDA officials, but to no avail.

Finally, the Citizen Alliance, an organisation from the area, took the matter to court. In 2013, the organisation filed a petition in Delhi High Court against the DDAs sanctioning of the plan. On July 13, 2016, the court directed DDA to form a two-member panel and address the pleas of the petitioner within eight weeks.

On the other hand according to Uday Pratap Singh, vice chairman, DDA, they had already submitted a report in the Delhi High Court last year. As far as the allegation of residents about the missing road is concerned, I need to verify the facts, he said.

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As passenger traffic continues to grow faster than expected, the Delhi airport operator has started expansion of Terminal 3.

From additional immigration counters to expansion of terminals, the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) is making all necessary changes to accommodate the increasing rush.

The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has decided to increase the number of immigration counters to reduce the waiting time. Similarly, at the security check where passengers put electronic items in the tray, travellers complained about lack of space. The design of the area will be changed to accommodate more passengers. The terminals are being expanded keeping in mind the traffic load expected in the next 20 years. The capacity of the airside is also being increased, said an airport official, requesting anonymity.

Delhi airport has 130 immigration counters and about 40 security check counters at Terminal 3. Sources said that the airport is planning to add at least 30 immigration counters while decongestion at the security check will be tackled through design change.

At security check, the problem is not of the waiting time but of chaos while putting electronic items in the tray. The length of baggage roller will be increased and an extra table will be put giving more space to passengers, the airport source said.

Together the two terminals of Delhi airport  T1 and T3  have a capacity to handle 62 million passengers per annum.

Last year, the airport handled one crore extra passengers than it did in the previous year but the infrastructure during the period remained the same.

As a result, passengers frequently complained of congestion at the terminals and longer waiting time at the security and immigration checks.

DIAL will also start the expansion of T1, which operates at double its capacity and a new terminal and a new runway is being planned at T4 to manage the load.

To expand Terminal 1, DIAL plans to shift two domestic low cost carriers to Terminal 2. As domestic airlines, especially the budget carriers are growing faster, DIAL has decided to double the capacity of Terminal 1, which caters only to low-cost carriers. We will expand it and in the next three years, the capacity of T1 will increase from 15 million per annum to 30 million per annum, DIAL had said.

Master Plan 2016 proposes expansion of passenger handling capacity of IGI Airport from existing 62 million passengers per annum to 109.3 million passengers per annum in a phased manner. There are a number of ongoing projects at Terminal 3 to enhance capacity. These also include expansion of immigration counters among others, said a DIAL spokesperson.

Airport officials credited the growth to new airlines and the price war between them. Passenger movement at IGIA started picking up after 2010-11 when the airport handled almost 30 million passengers in a year. There was a significant rise of 19.8% in 2011-12 when the airport handled 35.88 million passengers but year 2012-13 was not that good as passenger traffic dipped by 4.2% and reached to 34.36 million.

The airport handled 55.6 million in 2016 and the number is likely to cross the capacity of the two terminals this year. Against the 1,050 average flight movements per day in 2015, the number rose to 1,185 flights per day.

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By the end of 2018, Delhi may get its first elevated, covered cycle track.

The Delhi government has submitted the proposed design of a 6-km long, 20-feet wide cycle track that will start from Satpula drain (Press Enclave Road, Saket) to Barapullah (Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium).

Officials said the proposal has been sent to Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (planning & engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC) - the body that clears all transportation projects/ transport engineering solutions in Delhi. They said UTTIPEC may approve the project soon.

Delhi governments Public Works Department (PWD), which is anchoring the project, said if it gets the approval in time, the construction may start this year and finished before the year ends.

The project is expected to cost around Rs50 crore.

Solar panels will be installed on the roof of the track. The track will be covered so that riders are safe from sun and rain. CCTV cameras will be installed on the streetlights to ensure safety of commuters.

It will also become a tourist destination as we are planning benches for people to sit and organise various other activities, a PWD official said.

Officials said the Barapullah corridor will also have a cycle track and combined with the proposed elevated biking highway, it will create a large stretch which could then be used safely by cyclists.

With the vehicle population set to touch 10 million in Delhi, the city roads are not conducive for cycle tracks. Road stretches where cycle tracks had been made are usually encroached by motor vehicles or street vendors. Weather extremes also discourage people in Delhi to use cycles for their commute.

The cycle track is planned to run along the Satpula drain, a weir or water dam that was built by Mohammad Bin Tughlaq in 1323. It served as a defensive wall and a water dam.

The environs of the Satpula are in a pathetic stage with the sewage leaking from the pipes coming from Khirki village. The corridor is proposed parallel to the 5.5-km-long drain and we will develop greenery on the corridor to save the historic water dam, the official said.

The Public Works Department (PWD) has completed the site survey. The proposed cycle track will run through areas such as Sheikh Sarai, Panchsheel Enclave, Siri Fort, Andrews Ganj, Lajpat Nagar and Defence Colony.

There will be stations and pick up points. Cycles will also be available on rent. The policy of AAP government is to build cycle track, wherever we are constructing flyovers. In north Delhis Wazirabad corridor, provision of cycle track was made. At Barapulla too, between Sarai Kale Khan and Mayur Vihar-I, a cycle track is being built. But this will be the only cycle track in Delhi, where no motorised vehicles will be allowed, the PWD official said.

PWD minister Satyendar Jain had announced the project upon the completion of two years of AAP government in February. He had then said that the track would be safe for riders from eight to 80 years.

Elevated cycle tracks have not been built anywhere. I have researched online and found that some countries in Europe had proposed constructing elevated cycle tracks on trial but they have not been built anywhere, Jain had said.

Apart from an elevated track on Satpula, government is also planning to building a cycle track in Greater Kailash and Defence Colony near the parks and develop the area for morning and evening walkers.

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The BJP promised a slew of measures in its manifesto for the Delhi municipal elections released on Sunday, including no new taxes, complete digitisation of government services and elimination of mandatory approval for residential construction on plots of up to 500 sq yards. It promised food at a subsidised rate  a thali for R10 under the Deen Dayal Antodeya Rasoi Yojana.

Releasing the 41-point manifesto, Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari said the party will develop a mechanism for direct flow of funds from the Centre to municipal corporations.

Arvind Kejriwal is blackmailing people by putting posters in the city that says your electricity bill will increase if BJP comes to power, Tiwari said, highlighting that no new tax would be imposed by the corporation in the next five years.

The tax relief promise is being seen as a move to counter the AAPs electoral promise of abolishing house tax. The AAP government and the BJP-ruled municipal corporations have been locked over the past two years in allegations and counter-allegations related to adequate fund disbursal in the wake of repeated strikes by municipal staff over delays in salary payments.

Commenting on the BJP manifesto, Delhi AAP convener Dilip Pandey said, This shows that the other parties are now following us. We will be happy if Delhiites actually benefit from these freebies announced ahead of elections. Even our purpose is not to win elections but reforms for the welfare of the public. In the same direction, we have opened a canteen in LNJP hospital which serves food for R10 per plate on a pilot basis.

Among other electoral promises was cow protection, with the manifesto saying assistance will be provided to organisations working for the purpose.

To woo people from the north-eastern states, the BJP proposed to set up special grievance redress cells and for purvanchalis, it promised the creation of more chhath ghats. A similar exercise is being done by the AAP government which provided R20 crore in the budget for construction of these ghats. However, the BJP manifesto did not elaborate on what was intended to be done by forming a dedicated unit for people from the north-eastern states.

Apart from these measures, special emphasis will be on improvement of sanitation, education, and health facilities. The party also provided assurances on night cleaning of markets, waste-to-energy plants to ease the burden on sanitary landfill sites, and installation of fixed compactor stations for garbage disposal.

Experts said promises such as no new taxes would not help civic bodies, reeling under acute paucity of funds, and if services are to be improved, revenue augmentation is necessary. KS Mehra, a retired IAS officer and former commissioner of the unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi, said in a healthy municipal corporation, 50% generation of funds comes from taxes and charges imposed by the body and if no new taxes were imposed then questions should be raised as to how the party planned to perk up municipal services.

He asked with welfare schemes such as food at subsidised rates and increments in monthly pensions being disbursed by the corporations to senior citizens, widows, and disabled, how the would corporations arrange funds.

Whenever a hike in property tax and imposition of congestion charges or other taxes like professional tax were proposed during my tenure in MCD, they were turned down by the deliberative wing. But this is not a good sign for municipal corporations. For better and quality services, adequate funds should be made available to municipal corporations or let them generate these themselves reasonably, he said.

Congress leader Sharmistha Mukherjee said the BJP fulfilled just six of 44 promises it made in 2012. They are making tall promises but there is no road map on what they will do to make it possible. The whole manifesto is very vague.

The BJP has incorporated several promises from its previous manifestos such as multi-level parking lots, ready-mix concrete roads, and CCTV cameras in schools, etc. It has added several initiatives that are already under process such as online payments for various services, unique property identification cards, door-to-door garbage collection, restrooms for safai karamcharis, and measures for cow protection.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of double speak on the issue of house tax in Delhi.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led party said the BJP had made a similar announcement to waive off house tax in residential and rural areas in its election manifesto for the 2007 municipal elections but is now opposing AAPs poll promise.

When Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal promised to discontinue house tax from residential properties in the city, the BJP severely criticised the move, saying the proposal cant be implemented without amending the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, AAP (Dellhi) convener Dilip Pandey told reporters.

In reality, they are just making a fool of Delhiites because in the last 10 years, neither the BJP was successful in implementing its own promise nor does it want the other party to extend such benefits to residents, Pandey said.

According to AAP spokesperson Harish Awasthi, there are 50 lakh properties registered in Delhi and the municipal corporations had failed to tap 39 lakh tax payers because of their poor policies. Surprisingly, the corporations have no record of property tax collected before 2013, he said at the press conference.

The party highlighted the alleged inefficiency of the municipal corporations in regularisation of 131,807 street vendors in Delhi despite charging them Rs 100 for application forms.

In 2007, on the Supreme Courts directions, the BJP-ruled municipal corporation came out with a scheme to regularise new street vendors, weekly bazaar vendors and authorised tehbazaaris. It got the forms filled from more than one lakh vendors and charged R 100 from each of them but failed to give them any relief, said Pandey.

According to AAP, the numbers of vendors had doubled in Delhi since then and they were being unnecessarily harassed by civic agencies and Delhi Police, who allegedly extort money from them.

The Congress is no different. It came out with such a scheme in 2002 and got forms of R 10 filled from vendors. The AAP has now prepared a town vending policy which is actually designed well. If we win the elections, the party will surely work for the betterment of street vendors, said Pandey.

AAP releases campaign song

As electioneering for the April 23 elections enters its last leg, the AAP launched its campaign song titled Chala Jhadu, Chala Jhadu, Chala Jhadu, Aam Aadmi Ke sath milkar tu chala Jhadu (Join hands with Aam Aadmi Party to clean Delhi) on Sunday.

The song criticises both the BJP and Congress for alleged mismanagement and inefficiency in bringing in reforms in Delhis municipal corporation in the past many years.

Pandey said the song aims to infuse energy among the people of Delhi and party workers. We will promote the works done by the Delhi Government such as free water and subsidised electricity through this song during the MCD elections he said.

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Delhi cant function without Biharis, said Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar at a public meeting in Burari area of outer Delhi, underlining the contribution of migrants from his state to the different walks of the city life.

In common parlance, these migrants from Bihar clubbed with those from eastern UP, have come to be known as Purvanchalis (people from eastern India) in the Capital. And it is estimated that due to migration over the past decades, Purvanchalis now make nearly one-third of the citys over two crore population.

The constant rise in their numbers has had a commensurate effect on their participation in the citys electoral politics. And as Sanjay Kumar of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) puts it: From merely being a voting block, they are seeking hissedaari (share) in ticket distribution. Its all because of their numbers, which no political front can afford to ignore.

All major parties, including the AAP and the BJP, claim to have fielded over 10% Purvanchalis across 272 municipal wards for the April 23 civic polls. The Congress, which earlier enjoyed the support of this group, claims to have fielded over 50 candidates from the community.

Nitish-Kumar-led JD(U) has also fielded candidates in 113 of the 272 municipal wards, a majority of these being migrants, mostly those where either Purvanchalis are a dominant force or at least have a sizeable population.

According to a survey by the CSDS, Purvanchali population is dominant in about 16 of 70 assembly seats across the Capital. A majority of these migrants have settled in the unauthorised colonies and slum clusters, many of which are now in the process of getting a legal tag.

Political observers say the emergence of Purvanchalis on the citys political horizon, as a shareholder, was sporadic until the advent of the AAP.

In the 90s, Lal Bihari Tiwari, the BJP MP from east Delhi, was seen as the representative of Purvanchalis. In the new millennium, Congress Mahabal Mishra, west Delhi MP, was seen as one who rose through the ranks and ensured a share in the power structure. These groups started asserting themselves more in ticket distribution, but both the Congress and the BJP held on to the old dynamics. The political greenhorn, the AAP, experimented with it and bore fruits, a Congress veteran explained.

The increasing political relevance gets reflected in the current assembly where about a dozen AAP legislators have their roots in Purvanchal  many of them being the second and third generation Delhiites.

Two of the six members of the Arvind Kejriwal Cabinet  Gopal Rai and Kapil Mishra  are from Purvanchal.

Purvanchalis have been our strength since the India Against Corruption days. That is why we have so many Purvanchali MLAs and ministers. Actually, we started this so-called Purvanchali politics in the city, not only by giving party tickets but also by addressing their issues in governance, a senior AAP leader said.

 For the first time, the government has made a budgetary allocation to construct chhath ghats across the city. Feeling the heat, the opposition now has to follow it, the AAP leader said.

Few months ahead of the municipal elections, the BJP appointed Manoj Tiwari as president of its Delhi unit, something unthinkable in the party which was dominated by Punjabis and Baniyas till a few years ago. Tiwari, a Bhjojpuri-cinestar, joined the BJP just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and won the North-East Delhi seat, which is dominated by Purvanchali population.

Any dominant group (in terms of numbers) has the tendency to be in power. Unlike in their home states, where caste politics dominate, these migrants have a regional identity in the national capital, cutting across caste lines. They have become important for every political party also because the chances of them voting en-bloc are high due to the commonality of their identity as well as their issues. Nobody can afford to ignore them, said Sanjay Kumar.

BJP insiders say, appointing Tiwari at the helm of the state unit is a calculated move to wean away these voters, considered traditional supporters of the Congress till the advent of AAP.

The calculation is simple. The BJP strategists are of the view that it has a cadre vote of about 32-35%, which remains with it in the best and worst of times. And if the party is able to wean away sizeable Purvanchali votes, its vote share will become unassailable, a senior BJP leader said, adding that the results have already started showing results.

Tiwari brings a lot of star-power being a Bhojpuri filmstar. He has been making all efforts to be seen working in the JJ clusters and slums. The pictures of him doing night stays in slums do have a lasting impact. The AAP leaders realise this and therefore are avoiding a direct contest with him. They put up Vijender Guptas photo in their posters instead of the state president, the leader added.

Political experts, however, describe the BJPs move as a larger political strategy of the saffron party to bring certain sections of the society, who have remained unrepresented in the power structure, within its folds.

The BJP, which essentially was a socially conservative party, has started giving progressive representation to several sub-castes and sub-regional groups. They implemented this strategy in UP, Haryana and Jharkhand, said Ajay Gudavarthy, political scientist, JNU.

The political opponents have failed to weave a counter-narrative. Though AAP was the first to realise this equation and gave representation to Purvanchalis in Delhi, the BJP is also doing it in the city now, Gudavarthy said.

The Congress, which enjoyed the support of this group till a few years ago is also trying to win them back. Besides giving tickets to people from the community, the party is also roping in former ministers and senior leaders from Bihar to campaign in the municipal elections.

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A 21-year-old mentally unstable woman was allegedly raped by a 60-year-old man who ran a cycle rickshaw repair shop in her neighbourhood in east Delhis Farsh Bazar on Sunday noon. The accused, Prem, was caught red-handed and the woman was rescued from his shop, where he had allegedly confined and raped her, said police. A resident of Shaheed Nagar in Ghaziabad, Prem ran his shop in New Sanjay Amar Colony area near Farsh Bazar.

A senior police officer said that the woman lived with her parents and other family members in the same locality. Her mother works as a domestic help in nearby residential localities. Her father is a vegetable vendor.

On Sunday around 11.30am, she was alone at home as her parents were out for work and her siblings were also away. Prem was passing by her home when he found the woman alone. He allegedly lured her to his shop by telling her that she should not be alone and that he will take care of her till her parents return.

The woman accompanied him to his shop. Prem allegedly locked himself with her in the shop and forced himself on her. He also allegedly threatened to kill her if she raised an alarm or told anybody about the incident.

Meanwhile, the womans brother returned home and realised his sister was missing. He enquired about her in the neighbourhood. One of the neighbours told him that he had seen Prem taking her towards his shop. The brother and some other neighbours went to the shop and found it locked from inside.

The neighbours broke open the shops main door and found Prem in an objectionable position with the woman. They thrashed him before her cousin called the police control room, said the officer.

A police team reached the spot and took Prem into custody. The womans parents were also informed about the incident after which they arrived at the crime scene. The woman was sent to a nearby government hospital where her medical examination confirmed that she was raped.

Nupur Prasad, deputy commissioner of police (Shahdara), said that a case under sections 365 (kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person), 342(punishment for wrongful confinement), and 376(rape) of IPC was registered against Prem at the Farsh Bazar police station.

We arrested Prem and produced him before a magistrate that sent him to judicial custody, said Prasad. A local NGO was roped in for the womans counselling. Police said the woman was mentally ill since childhood and was undergoing treatment at a mental hospital in east Delhi.
Many regular users of app-based cab aggregators Ola and Uber are busy chalking out their travel plans for Tuesday, as the drivers have called for a strike once again.

While some people said they have decided to take out their own cars to office, others said they would board the Metro. I will still try for a cab in the app. But, if I dont get a cab, I will take my own car to office, said Gulshan Raheja, a resident of Punjabi Bagh, who works at Connaught Place.

But unlike the previous protest that lasted for two weeks and impacted lakhs of people in the city, the strike this time is going to be just one day.

Delhi-NCR residents got their first taste of Ola and Uber drivers strike against the cab companies in February this year, which went on for almost two weeks. Leading the fresh protest is Sarvodaya Drivers Association of Delhi (SDAD), the same drivers union that had organised the previous strike.

Most drivers of the estimated 1.5 lakh app-based taxis in Delhi-NCR have decided not to take out their vehicles on Tuesday. This time, the Ola and Uber drivers have found support from other unions too.

It is the first time that 12 unions of autorickshaws and kaali-peeli taxis are joining us, said Ravi Rathore of Sarvodaya Driver Association of Delhi (SDAD).

The unions also plan to conduct a protest march to chief minister Arvind Kejriwals residence in Civil Lines from the Majnu Ka Tila Gurudwara.

Rathore also said the app-based cab companies are flouting norms. Ola and Uber are giving away cars with All India Taxi permits to drivers on a small down payment of R 35,000. As per the law, vehicles with these permits cannot be run on point-to-point basis. Only those with the NCR permit can, he said.

Reacting to the call for protest, Uber said in a statement that this time, the drivers cannot obstruct others who are willing to come on duty. The Delhi High Court has issued a perpetual injunction restraining unions, their leaders, members and their followers from preventing Uber drivers from going about their work. We are hopeful that the order will be effectively enforced and that action is taken against any person who attempts to block cars, confiscate devices or harass riders and drivers. The safety of everyone using the Uber app in Delhi is ensured, the statement said.
Brace for higher cab fares and longer waits on Tuesday as drivers of online cab aggregators Ola and Uber are going to start round two of their protest.

Though a one-day strike, the protest could severely hit the private transport service sector in Delhi-NCR as this time even the rivals of Ola-Uber drivers, kaali-peeli taxi operators, have joined hands.

While most taxi and autorickshaw drivers, of an estimated 1-5 lakh app-based taxis in Delhi-NCR, have decided not to take out their vehicles on April 18, they also plan to do a protest march to chief minister Arvind Kejriwals residence in Civil Lines from the Majnu Ka Tila Gurudwara. The drivers have renewed the stir as they feel their demands have fallen on deaf ears  neither the companies nor the Delhi government has done anything, they claim.

In February, Delhi-NCR got its first taste of a strike by Ola-Uber drivers against the cab aggregator companies, which impacted lakhs of commuters for almost two weeks. Leading the fresh protest is the same drivers union, Sarvodaya Driver Association of Delhi (SDAD), which had organised the previous strike.

Nothing has changed since our February protest. Drivers continue to slog for 16-18 hours daily and still are barely earning enough to eat and pay the car EMIs. Fares of registered city taxis can only be fixed by the government, whereas, Ola-Uber still continue to levy their own rates, said Kamaljeet Gill, president SDAD.

Foes turn friends

Tuesdays strike has received support from at least a dozen transport unions active in the capital.

Until now, drivers of kaali-peeli taxis, those with All India Taxi Permit (AITP) and auto-rickshaws had always protested against the Ola-Uber drivers for eating away into their earnings as the app-based cab service gained huge popularity.

Drivers of Ola-Uber are suffering because they are working like bonded labourers and are earning pittance. Like we have always been demanding, they also want meters installed in cabs and rates to be fixed by the government. Our issues have now become common and so we will fight together, said Sanjay Samrat of Delhi Taxi Tourist Transporters Association.

He added that the app-based cab companies are flouting not only laws but also directions issued by the Supreme Court. Cabs are illegally being run on shared basis. Ola and Uber are giving away cars with AIT permits to drivers on a small down payment of R 35,000. As per the law, vehicles with these permits cannot be run on point-to-point basis, Samrat said.

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The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is questioning its staff at Rajiv Chowk Metro station to find the culprit behind the April 9 porn clip incident.

Over a week after a pornographic clip played on one of the LED screens at the busy Rajiv Chowk station, the DMRC on Monday said it has begun its probe. Investigating the case from all angles, the DMRC is not ruling out the involvement of its staff.

The DMRC, however, maintained that commuters could also be behind the incident. The corporation said three unidentified men may have played the clip on the big screen as the newly installed system was not secure.

The inquiry is going on in full swing and the team includes officials from different departments. Staff members both contractual, those outsourced from a company, and DMRCs are being questioned now, especially those who were present at Rajiv Chowk that afternoon, a source said.

Preliminary DMRC investigation revealed that the incident took place around 5 pm on April 9. Following the incident, which left the DMRC red-faced, it has also issued strict guidelines to the contractors, who are handling electronic systems such as LED screens at stations.

These screens are used for advertisements and information dissemination.

While there is no penalty in the Delhi Metros rulebook for this particular offence, the DMRC is now considering a specific penalty. For this case, the Delhi Police are working closely with us. Once the culprits are caught, we will impose a penalty and hand them over to the police, an official said.

The LED TV system, where the porn clip played on for at least 10 minutes on April 9, had just been commissioned and its WiFi port was accessible. Prima facie, as per CCTV footage, three men played the porn clip through their mobile (phone) on this TV at Rajiv Chowk station. Attempts are being made to identify these men. CCTV footage is under examination, a metro official said.

Delhi Police, meanwhile, said they have not received any complaint from the DMRC in the matter but are coordinating with the organisation in the case.

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The two-day meeting of the BJPs national executive ended on Sunday on a high note. A new level of confidence among the partys rank and file marked the conclave that came close on the heels of the its emphatic victory in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and its success in retaining Goa and wresting Manipur from rival Congress.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, sought to raise the bar, urging party leaders to aim big and expand  ideologically, geographically and socially. He set new targets: Winning in states that go to polls between now and the next Lok Sabha elections in 2019; winning in those 120 Lok Sabha seats that the BJP has never won; and winning the support of those communities that have shunned the party in the past.

It is to serve these goals that Mr Modi gave a new gloss to the BJPs OBC outreach. The political resolution adopted at the weekend conclave in Bhubaneswar, therefore, highlighted the governments recent move to accord the National Commission for Backward Classes a constitutional status.

The OBCs account for nearly 52% of Indias population whose support can make or break a party. These social groups gradually aligned themselves with regional players as the Congress grew weaker. The rout of Mayawati and Mulayam Singh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh gives the BJP a hope that the OBCs were mobilising behind the party. Mr Modis plan also includes reaching out to backward Muslims. He reiterated the BJPs stand on banning triple talaq, a move largely aimed at winning over women from the minority community. The OBC and Muslims outreach is also aimed at weakening the regional players, particularly in northern and eastern India, who thrive on these vote-banks.

The two resolutions passed at the BJP conclave touched upon the pro-poor initiatives of the Modi government, but stopped short of commenting on many issues like slow job creation. These issues will come to haunt the BJP, if a change is not brought about in the current situation. Mr Modi has always spoken of Indias demographic dividend and its nearly 65% population that is below 35. A sluggish economy and the slow pace of job creation hurts them. Needless to say, Brand Modi counts the most on the support of this demographic section and its aspirations.
Between 2010-11 and 2015-16, student enrolment in government schools across 20 Indian states fell by 13 million, while private schools acquired 17.5 million new students, according to a new study that offers insights into Indias public-school education crisis.

Average enrolment in government schoolswhere teachers are paid, on average, salaries that are four times those in Chinadeclined from 122 to 108 students per school over five years, while it rose from 202 to 208 in private schools, according to this March 2017 research paper by Geeta Gandhi Kingdon, professor of education and international development at the Institute of Education, London.

Yet, 65% of all school-going children in 20 states, about 113 million, continue to get their education from government schools, according to District Information System for Education (DISE) and education ministry data.

Why are students opting out of Indias government schools, which educate the poorest and most vulnerable students until the age of 14 for free, and migrating to fee-charging private institutions in such large numbers?

The study, which uses DISE data, traced this student migration to the belief among parents that private schools offer better value for money and better teaching than government schools. Multiple evaluations after controlling for students home backgrounds indicate that childrens learning levels in private schools are no worse than, and in many studies better than, those in government schools, said Gandhi.

Despite the Rs 1.16 lakh crore ($17.7 billion) spent on Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)the national programme for universal elementary educationthe quality of learning declined between 2009 and 2014, IndiaSpend reported in March 2016.

Less than one in five elementary school teachers in India are trained, IndiaSpend reported in May 2015. In Delhi, Indias capital city and its richest state, by per capita income, half of all government-school teachers are hired on temporary contracts. These teachers are likely to be less motivated and accountable than teachers with full-time jobs, we reported in January 2017.

Fewer cheap private schools in states where govt schools function well

At the primary level, 58.7% of Indians cite better environment for learning as a major factor for opting for private schools, IndiaSpend reported in May 2016.

However, the preference for private school education and the differences in learning outcomes of private and government schools vary between states. For instance, in 2015-16, in Uttar Pradesh, over 50% of children studied in private schools, while in Bihar, less than 4% of children attended private schools, according to DISE data.

In 2016, in Kerala, the proportion of children (aged 11-14) enrolled in government schools increased from 40.6% in 2014 to 49.9%. In Gujarat too, it increased, from 79.2% in 2014 to 86%, according to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2016 data. ASER is a learning assessment of children in rural India.

In Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, government schools outperformed private schools in reading skills in local languages, once household and parental characteristics were controlled for, according to a state-wise analysis in ASER 2014.

In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where government schools were better than private schools to start with, learning outcomes improved between 2011 and 2014, once other factors were accounted for.

States with better-functioning government schools have more elitethat is, more expensiveprivate schools because there is no market here for the low-fee budget private schools that have been sprouting across the country, Gandhis study said.

This explains why in poorer states, such as Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Orissa, about 70% to 85% of children studying in private unaided schools pay less than Rs 500 per month as school fees. Up to 80% of private schools in India are low fee schools when benchmarked against per capita and daily wagers incomes, the data show.

Highlights Private aided schools: Private aided schools are like public schools in the way they are governed. Although nominally and run by their private management boards, they are funded and governed by the state. Private unaided schools: Private unaided schools are autonomous fee-charging schools run by private managements which recruit/appoint their own teachers and determine their pay scales independently. DISE data overestimate the extent of private schooling in the country by including aided schools in the category of private schools, but underestimates the extent of private schooling by excluding the unrecognised private schools. In the paper, the term private school includes private unaided schools (both recognised and unrecognised) as these display the conventional features of private, i.e. schools that have autonomy in teacher recruitment, fixing of salaries and pupil fees. It excludes aided schools. In the data on government (public) schools, aided schools are again not taken into account, even though they are publicly funded and controlled.

It must, however, be pointed out that ASER 2016 has shown small improvements in learning outcomes in government schools. Over 25% of children in grade III could at least read a grade II level text in 2016, up from 23.6% in 2014. The proportion of children in grade III who could subtract increased from 25.4% in 2014 to 27.7% in 2016, IndiaSpend reported in January 2017.

Private schools up 35%, government schools by 1%

In 2016, for the first time in 10 years, private-school enrolment did not increase in rural areasit fell from 30.8% in 2014 to 30.5% in 2016, according to the ASER 2016 report. But this has not stemmed the growth of private schools nationwide.

Between 2010-11 and 2015-16, the number of private schools grew 35%from 0.22 million in 2010-11 to 0.30 million in 2015-16while the number of government schools grew 1%, from 1.03 million to 1.04 million. Section 6 of the Right To Education Act 2009 legally obligates states to create more government schools.

Tiny (with 20 or fewer students) and small (with 50 or fewer students) government schools are being abandoned, according to Gandhi. In the five years considered by the study, the number of tiny government schools rose 52% and small ones by 33.7%. As many as 5,044 government schools had no students in 2015-16, up 14% from 4,435 in 2010-11.

The migration out of government schools has left many unviable, with high per-pupil expenditure, and low value-for-money from public education expenditure. About 24,000 government schools across Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh have closed, according to the study.

West Bengal witnessed a 280% rise in tiny schoolsmore than any other statefollowed by Madhya Pradesh (225%) and Jharkhand (131%). However, Bihar bucked the national trend by reporting a 98% decrease in tiny schools.

Govt teachers in India earn four times China salaries but dont perform as well

Indias government teachers earn more than not just their counterparts in private schools but also in other countries, Gandhis analysis shows.

Despite being paid at least four times the salaries of teachers in China (in terms of multiples of their respective per capita incomes), the performance of Indian teachers judged in terms of their students learning levels, has been poor in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test in 2009, with India ranking 73rd and China ranking 2nd, among 74 countries.

PISA is a worldwide study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in member and non-member nations of 15-year-old school pupils scholastic performance on mathematics, science, and reading.

Up to 80% of Indias public expenditure on education is spent on teacherssalaries, training and learning material, according to a six-state report. Teacher salaries in of teachers in Uttar Pradesh are four to five times Indias per capita gross domestic product (GDP) and more than 15 times the states, according to a 2013 analysis by Amartya Sen and Jean Dreze. This is much higher than the salaries paid to teachers in OECD countries and Indias neighbours.

This suggests the need to link future teacher salary increases to the degree of teachers acceptance of greater accountability, rather than across-the board increases irrespective of performance or accountability, said Gandhi.

The reason private schools get away with paying their teachers less, argued Gandhi, is because of the bureaucratically-set high minimum wage, which may also be influenced by political pulls and pressures and be responsive to lobbying by strong government school teacher unions. Also, she added, the private education sector offers salaries based on market factors of demand and supplyand given that there is a 10.5% graduate unemployment rate in India, jobless graduates are willing to settle for low salaries in private schools.

Will increasing spending help? Unlikely

A common suggestion is increasing Indias spending on education. In 2015-16, Indian central government spending on school and higher education was less than other BRICS countriesIndia spent 3% of its GDP on education, compared to Russia (3.8%), China (4.2%), Brazil (5.2%), and South Africa (6.9%), IndiaSpend reported in January 2017.

However, increased government spending in education is not enough to improve educational outcomes. Between 2006 and 2013, public expenditure on school education increased from 2.2% to 2.68% of the GDP. But Indias education policy must be thoroughly revised to put in place better accountability and monitoring mechanisms to exploit the gains of increase in fiscal outlays on education, this January 2017 Mint column argued.

Public private partnership (PPP) model may be the solution, Gandhi argued, combining the best of both worldspublic sector funding and private resources for education.

Given the tattered state of govt schooling in the country, the first best optiongovernment as producer and also funder of elementary educationis not viable because the reform of the sector is not politically feasible (vested interests, eg teacher unions, will oppose any efficiency and accountability-raising measures), Gandhi told IndiaSpend in an email interview. Therefore, perhaps, a well-designed PPP (model) would be the best. But the devil is in the design of the PPPthere are some good models around the world.

Before choosing any particular form of educational PPP, India must study these different designs and their relevance/applicability/adaptability, and must also pilot test the chosen models before scaling up any novel intervention, Gandhi suggested in her paper.

(Saha is an MA Gender and Development student at Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex.)
Animal welfare activists are up in arms against the residents welfare associations (RWAs) of Orchid Petals in Sector 49 over the alleged removal of stray animals from the society.

Following a complaint by a resident, the People For Animals (PFA), an animal rights group, shot off a letter to the RWA threatening action. A Facebook post also made detailed references to such incidents.

We sent a letter to the RWA after receiving a complaint. The animals have every right to stay on the premises and the RWA cannot remove them forcefully. We will take action against the RWA if the allegations are found to be true, Amit Chaudhery, president, PFA Gurgaon.

The letter sent by the resident alleged that the RWA had the stray dogs removed as some locals had voiced concerns over their safety due to rising number of stray animals in their society. As per the complaint, four dogs were missing from the society last week. The complainant has not mentioned how the strays were removed.

However, the RWA said that the allegations are false. We have received a letter from the NGO and have replied to them. We did not have any stray animal removed from the society. We have been taking care of the stray animals by vaccinating and sterilizing them, said Rajiv Aggarwal, president, RWA, Orchid Petals.

Read I Rising dog bite cases spread panic in Gurgaon colonies

Last week, the NGO had filed a police complaint against illegal capture and drugging of monkeys by an organisation hired by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) in the Sushant Lok area.

As the residents had been facing monkey menace in the area, the MCG had launched a drive to relocate monkeys to the Aravallis. Out of 7,372 cases of rabies reported at the citys civil hospital in 2015, 387 were from monkey bites. On an average, the hospital receives 32-35 cases of monkey bites a month, which works out at least one incident of man-animal conflict every day.

Earlier, the residents of Sector 29 had claimed several dog bite incidents in residential societies and demanded removal of strays from the premises.
Fed up with the officials of district town planning (DTP) for not taking any action to remove encroachments from green belts, the residents of Palam Vihar have decided to seek help of deputy commissioner (DC) Gurgaon, Hardeep Singh. Members of Palam Vihars residents welfare association said that they want the DC to inspect and verify their complaints and take action accordingly.

The RWA has sent a list of encroached sites or locations across the Palam Vihar that includes green belts along internal roads, drains, and along the Gurgaon-Delhi railway line.

According to the RWA, the list has names of around 200 individuals and has reference to a reputed school as well.

Members of the RWA said that they submitted the list to the district town planning department a year ago.

About a week ago, we held discussions with the town planning officials. We reminded them of our long standing appeal, which was to make other residents abide by the rules. Since Palam Vihar is still within the jurisdiction of the developer, the town planning department is the most competent authority to take action in the matter, Sunil Yadav, president, RWA, said.

Read I Gurgaon: MCG conducts encroachment drives along MG Road, Sikanderpur Metro Station

Earlier, in January, the association and town planning officials held a meeting in this regard.

We resubmitted the list to the town planning department and sought action. We informed the officials that complaints from other residents are pouring in at the RWA office and urged them to have all encroachments removed and roads cleared. Many have encroached on pavements and parts of the green belt along drains and the railway line, Ravi Bhatia, a member of the RWA, said.

The officials of the town planning department refused to comment in the matter saying they were not authorised to speak to the media.

We have been directed by the head office not to speak to the media. However, the department has received complaints of green belt encroachments from Palam Vihar and action would be taken,said an official requesting anonymity.
While on the one hand Prime Minister Narendra Modis announcement to bring in a law to compel doctors to prescribe generic drugs is being hailed by the medical fraternity, on the other hand access to these drugs is a matter of concern.

It is a good thing and will benefit patients a lot as they will be getting life-saving drugs at a much cheaper rates, says Dr KK Talwar, former director, PGI Chandigarh and head of cardiology at Max Healthcare.

The Medical Council of India (MCI), an apex body that supervises medical education in the country, already has a recommendation in place wherein they have asked doctors to preferably prescribe generic drugs.

It is not as if we dont prescribe generic drugs; in fact one-third of the medicines that I prescribe are generic medicines, but currently accessibility and quality of these drugs is an issue, says Dr Talwar.

Prescribing a generic medicine means doctors are supposed to write the name of the salt and not the brand name under which the salt is manufactured and marketed.

We do not even write the brand name of the generic drug as it defeats the purpose. Why should I be prescribing one brand of generic medicine and not the other, which is why we just write the salt name, says a senior doctor at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, requesting anonymity.

The problem, however, is that there are not enough outlets selling generic drugs.

Though things are improving, there is still a lot that the field requires. We have some companies producing generic drugs and we export these medicines, too, but most of the shops selling these medicines are not well stocked, says the AIIMS doctor.

Assuring better quality is equally important.

The problem, say doctors, is that there are not enough outlets selling generic drugs. (Shutterstock)

Promoting generic industry is good but we should not just produce generic drugs but also produce quality generic drugs as it is a matter of peoples lives. The government should a proper monitoring mechanism in place for the production quality of these drugs, says Dr Talwar.

Also, another crucial factor is some of the new salts are patented that cannot be produced by generic drug makers.

There are certain new drugs that are patented and cannot be manufactured for a certain number of years such as heart or cancer medicines but old salts can definitely be manufactured to benefit patients at large, says Dr Talwar.

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Haemophilia is a lifelong and incurable disorder that can only be managed by use of certain medicines called Anti Hemophilia Factors (AHFs).

These medicines are not manufactured in India, are very expensive and imported from developed countries like USA, Germany and Canada. Hence, medicines are often inadequate or unavailable in almost all the hospitals that leads to deterioration in condition of people living with the condition.

The government can help by making medicines available at all times and address the shortage of trained haemophilia doctors and nurses in government hospitals, say those working in the field of haemophilia patient care.

There is also a shortage of coagulation laboratories in the country.

Vikash Goyal, president Haemophilia Federation (India), says, We have tried our level best to involve as many stakeholders as possible so that we all work as a team to take our movement forward that is care and solace for people living with haemophilia.

We are advancing the need of developing these, at least 1 Haemophilia Comprehensive Centre in every state as well as 1 HaemophiliaTreatment Centre in every district. HFI has been raising the problems the Haemophilia Community faces for the past 34 years, he said.

So far it [the government] has identified over 19,000 children and persons with haemophilia, but in reality this figure should be closer to 1.2 lakh considering the population of India. The identification and diagnosis of the remaining sufferers can only be possible if there are enough trained haemophilia doctors and testing facilities, Goyal added.

On World Haemophilia Day, Union health minister JP Nadda tweeted:

Advocacy groups are working with the ministry of health. Last year, the condition was included in the Disabilities Act 2016 and Flexi Pool Fund of the governemnt of Indias National Health Mission.

The health ministry has also set up 198 Blood Separation Units across the country to derive AHF-VIII from Plasma component that these patients require.

Know about Haemophila

Haemophilia is a rare disorder in which the blood doesnt clot normally because it lacks sufficient blood-clotting proteins (clotting factors). A person with haemophilia may bleed for a longer time after an injury.

Small cuts usually arent much of a problem. The greater health concern is deep bleeding inside an affected persons body, especially in your knees, ankles and elbows. That internal bleeding can damage your organs and tissues, and may be life-threatening.

How does one get the condition?

Haemophilia is a genetic disorder.

Is there a cure?

Theres no cure yet. But with proper treatment and self-care, most people with haemophilia can maintain an active, productive lifestyle.

Signs and symptoms

* Unexplained and excessive bleeding from cuts or injuries, or after surgery or dental work

* Many large or deep bruises

* Unusual bleeding after vaccinations

* Pain, swelling or tightness in joints

* Blood in urine or stool

* Nosebleeds without a known cause

* In infants, unexplained irritability

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The food regulators of Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, and Assam have reportedly found nine products of major companies to be substandard after they failed quality tests conducted between April 2016 and January 2017, The Indian Express said on Monday.

The products include Pepsico India Holdings Private Ltds Mirinda, Nestle India Ltds Cerelac Wheat, Adani Wilmar Ltds Fortune oil, Marico Indias Saffola Gold oil, Parle Agros Frooti and a cheese spread used by the Subway chain among others, according to information sought under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by the Express.

The RTI replies show that Herbalifes energy drink, Murugappa groups Parry packaged drinking water and Haldirams Aloo Bhujia are among the products reported to have failed the quality tests during this period, the newspaper said.

In a number of cases, the companies have either questioned the test procedure or have asked for re-analysis of the samples, it added.

Mirinda

The Express said five reports found Mirinda to be misbranded, substandard and unsafe.

According to the newspaper, in a report dated January 12, 2017, Gurgaons food safety officer found batches of Mirinda to be unsafe as well as substandard. The state food lab of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Haryana Haryana also found Mirinda to be misbranded in 3 probe reports in April, May, and October last year and it found the drink to be misbranded, substandard and unsafe in October 2016.

According to an RTI reply, the lab did not have the information regarding the action taken in last four cases because the matter was not related to its office, it said.

The food safety officer said the newspaper in an RTI reply that a letter (has been) sent for permission for prosecution to commissioner of FDA.

PepsiCo operates in the state of Haryana through its franchisee. The franchisee has received only one of the reports (18th May 2016) referred to by you and has requested for a reanalysis of the sample mentioned in that report. No other notice referred by you has been received by our franchisee  All products, including Mirinda, comply with the food regulations and are completely safe and hence pulling out Mirinda is unwarranted, a PepsiCo spokesperson was quoted as saying by the Express.

Cerelac Wheat

Nestle India Ltds infant food Cerelac Wheat was found to be substandard by the chief medical and health officer (CMHO) of Rajasthans Rajasmand district in a report dated October 14, 2016.

In one RTI reply, the CMHO told the Express that Cerelac failed at the quality parameter of total protein.

Asked what action has been taken against the company, the officers RTI reply stated: Anusandhan jaari (Investigation is ongoing).

In response a Nestle spokesperson said, We strongly disagree with the findings of the food analyst, Udaipur. We have got the product from the same batch analysed at three different laboratories which are NABL accredited and FSSAI notified and reports of these laboratories show protein to be over 15%, which is above the norms. The product is also compliant with all labeling requirements. A representation has been filed before the designated officer with the request to drop all proceedings. To the best of our knowledge, no case has been filed before any court of law.

Fortune oil

In an RTI reply, the CMHO of Bundi in Rajasthan said that the acid value of Fortune, a refined rice brand oil from Adani Wilmar Ltd, was found to be 0.67, which must not be higher than 0.5, in test results on July 15, 2016.

The officer told the Express that the matter is under investigation when it asked if any action has been taken against the company.

So far we have not received a notice on Refined Rice Bran Oil from Bundi, CMO. As regards the acid value on Rice Bran Oil, the permitted limit is 0.50, However, due to the faulty procedure (wrong indicator) adopted by many public analysts, the result may show acid value on higher side  There is no question of withdrawing the product from Indian Market as Rice Bran Oil is one of the healthiest oils available in the market and our product meets the standards as provided under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, an Adani spokesperson told the newspaper.

Saffola Gold oil

A sample of Saffola Gold, blended edible vegetable oil, was picked up on May 9 last year by food safety officer Naresh Kumar Chenjara in the western states Sawai Madhopur.

The Expres said the probe results came on May 27, 2016, and said the product was substandard as its acid value was 1.12 instead of the permitted limit of 0.50.

The results also said Saffola Gold does not conform to the prescribed provisions of food safety and standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additive) Regulation, 2011.

Under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, (we are) submitting chargesheets in court against the firms/manufacturers, Umesh Sharma, CMHO, Sawai Madhopur, told the newspaper in an RTI reply.

Marico Limited did not respond to requests seeking comment.

Processed cheese spread

Similarly, a sample of the processed cheese spread used by Subway Systems Indian Private Ltd picked up by the food safety officer of Faridabad on July 21, 2016, was found to be substandard as it was misbranded, according to the newspaper.

The Express said when asked about the action taken, the food safety officer, in an RTI reply, said: Case pending to launch. But Subway denied using processed cheese spread.

We would like to place on record that Subway does not use Processed cheese spread as an ingredient in any of its products, a Subway spokesperson told Hindustan Times in its response on Monday morning.

Frooti

The Express reported Parle Agros mango drink, Frooti, was found to be substandard as it failed on the physical parameter by the state public health laboratory of Assam in 3 probe reports between June 13, July 14 and August 2, 2016.

The samples were manufactured by Padmesh Beverages, which has been given a contract by Parle Agro, at its plant in Satgaon, Guwahati, Assam.

The action against samples which have been declared substandard by the food analyst to the government of Assam are being taken and are at different stages of adjudication in the court of the adjudicating officers in the district headquarters of the state, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Assam told the Express in an RTI reply to the Express.

The newspaper said Parle Agro did not respond to requests seeking comment.

Parry packaged water

The food safety wing of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu found that the aerobic microbial count in the sample of Parry packaged water was 32 colony forming units (CFU)/ml, which must not be more than 20 CFU/ml, in samples of Parry Enterprises Indias packaged drinking water taken on July 20, 2016.

A microbial limit test checks the presence of microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, and mold in a sample is exceeding the limit or not.

The Kanchipuram wing stated in an RTI reply that adjudicating process will be started against the concerned food business operators.

The Murugappa group company said: Please note that we are unable to refer to the Probe Report you have referred above, as we have not received this report. However, we were made aware of a test report (which reported the numbers mentioned by you above) by Kings Institute dated 20th July which was an enclosure to a letter from FSSAI dated 29th July 2016, on a matter relating to labelling. We understood that this observation made by the Test house was in itself inaccurate and based on inadequate and perfunctory analysis as per the Act.

Haldiram aloo bhujia

The newspaper said the state food lab of FDA Haryana found the aloo bhujia produced by Haldiram Foods International Private Ltd in a probe report of July 2016 to be misbranded or not compliant with rules in Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labeling) Regulations, 2011.

The state food lab did not comment on the action taken in this probe report and said that the matter is not related to this office, it said.

Haldiram did not respond to requests seeking comment.

Fresh energy drink mix

The Express reported that Haryanas food lab picked up a sample of fresh energy drink mix by Herbalife International India Private Ltd from a shop in Model Town, Sonipat in Haryana and the test results came on May 30, 2015, which stated that the product was found to be substandard.

It said the food safety officer of Sonipat said in an RTI reply that a case has been filed in ADC (Additional Deputy Commissioner) court, Sonipat.

With respect to your queries kindly be informed that the matter is sub judice and it would not be appropriate to make any comments at this point of time, the company told the newspaper.
A cartoon of a man hanging from a ceiling, a status update that said only one week is left to enjoy life and a poem that talked about short life.

The 32-year-old techie who live streamed his suicide on April 15 left enough hints on his Facebook page of his distress but his cries for help seem to have gone unnoticed.

Deepak Kumar, a service engineer with Tata Teleservices, hanged himself from a ceiling fan at his residence in Haryanas Sonepat, accusing two Delhi Police officers of harassment.

A poem that said he wouldnt be around tomorrow was published few hours before he committed suicide.

Kumars posts point to his distress. One week left... Enjoy life, his updated status read on April 3.

When a friend asked about it, Kumar said he was terrified but refused to elaborate. A day later, he posted a cartoon of a man with a noose around his neck and asked his friends to identify the person.

Kumar left a suicide note on a wall of his house, saying he was constantly being threatened by head constable Usha Bose and ASI Suresh Vats after the Boses husband about her illicit relationship with her colleague.

Those threatening me are all in police. That is why Im killing myself fearing them, the note said.

Kumars wife Kiran said her husband was getting constant death threats from the police officers. On Saturday night, he sent his wife and eight-year-old son to his relatives place and hanged himself.

When the 29-minute video went live, one of Kumars friends called up his family but by the time they reached his residence, he had died.

Kumar didnt come to them for help or with a complaint, local police said.

Sonepat SHO Ajay Malik said they had registered a case of abetment to suicide against Bose, Vats and a colleague, Arvind Kumar. Arvinds role is not clear yet. We have booked him since his name was mentioned in the suicide scribble, he said. Deepak Kumar had claimed that Bose was in a relationship with Arvind as well.

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The two warring factions of Tamil Nadus ruling AIADMK will come together, state finance and fisheries minister D Jayakumar hinted after a late-night meeting attended by more than 20 ministers on Monday.

The meeting held in the Chennai residence of electricity minister K Thangamani discussed the modalities of the coming together of the E Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam camps, Jayakumar said.

The development came on the day Delhi Police booked AIADMK deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran for allegedly trying to bribe an Election Commission official to get the partys two leaves symbol allotted to his faction.

Speculations were rife that this might drive more MLAs and ministers to the opposing AIADMK faction led by former chief minister Panneerselvam.

Also, calls were getting louder for Dinakaran to step down after the Election Commission cancelled the RK Nagar assembly by-election following a cash-for-vote scandal, sources said.

Dinakaran, a nephew of general secretary VK Sasikala who is serving time in a corruption case, is the partys RK Nagar candidate.

The seat fell vacant after the death of chief minister J Jayalalithaa on December 5, and the bypoll turned into a battle for her legacy between Sasikala, her aide of almost 30 years, and Panneerselvam, a loyalist.

We have welcomed OPS statement of willingness to work together and will speak with TTV Dinakaran upon his return from Bangalore and take a decision.

Monday nights hour-and-half-long meeting also discussed how to get the two leaves symbol back for the party, Jayakumar said, pointing out that they will have to submit a lot of documents to the Election Commission.

The poll panel had frozen the two leaves symbol after both Panneerselvam and Sasikala-Dhinakaran factions staked claim to it ahead of the now countermanded April 12 byelection to RK Nagar assembly constituency.

Now, all MLAs and ministers want to carry forward Ammas (Jayalalithaas) ideology, policies and programmes, Jayakumar said, deflecting questions on the modalities of the merger proposal and what the formula for unification would be.

We have welcomed OPS statement of willingness to work together and will speak with TTV Dinakaran upon his return from Bangalore and take a decision, the senior minister said.

Earlier in the day, Panneerselvam expressed confidence that Dinakaran faction leaders would approach him for merger talks.

If approached, we are ready to sit and talk and I have confidence that they (leaders) will come (for talks), he told reporters at the airport in Chennai.

During the day, speculations swirled about a possible pact between Palaniswami and Panneerselvam under which both VK Sasikala and Dinakaran would be ousted.

Asked about the speculation that Sasikala was preparing to quit as general secretary, Jayakumar said: There is no such thing. Law minister CV Shanmugam too termed it a lie.

The AIADMK had suffered a vertical split after Jayalalithaas death, following which her close aide Sasikala was appointed as the party chief.

However, in February this year, Panneerselvam revolted against Sasikala, alleging that he was forced to make way for her to become chief minister of the state.

Subsequently, some MPs and MLAs joined the Panneerselvam camp even as chief minister K Palaniswami, a Sasikala loyalist, survived a confidence vote in the state assembly.

(With agency inputs)

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The FIR against AIADMK deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran for allegedly bribing a middleman to get two leaves symbol allotted to his faction does not bode well for his jailed aunt V K Sasikala as a revolt looks imminent in her faction.

Coming after the cancellation of the crucial RK Nagar bypoll, reportedly on charges of voter bribery, voices against Sasikala and Dinakaran have gathered steam and could drive more MLAs and ministers to the opposing AIADMK faction led by former chief minister O Panneerselvam (OPS).

A senior leader in the OPS camp, wishing anonymity, said things are moving at a breakneck speed. Dinakaran and Sasikala have been given an ultimatum to quit by their own supporters, many of whom are in touch with our leadership.

The leader told HT on Monday that this Delhi police case has surely come as an unexpected bonus. More AIADMK Sasikala faction people are now talking about unification to save the party.

As soon as the news of bribery of former ECI officials by Dinakaran spread, rivals DMK stepped up the ante demanding that the AIADMK deputy general secretary be barred for life from electoral politics.

DMK spokesperson, A Sarvanan said it was for the first time in the history of electoral politics in Tamil Nadu that a politician has tried to bring such disrepute to the high office of the election commission and also to political parties in Tamil Nadu.

Dinakaran, however, has flatly denied the charge, saying he had nothing to do with the alleged bribery and asserted that he did not even know the person.

No one from Delhi police has contacted me. I do not know the person who has been arrested by Delhi police. I will do everything legally needed to face the summons if they are served, he told reporters in Chennai.

But Mondays development has put the ruling clique represented by the Sasikala family under severe stress.

At least 12 ministers have asked her nephew to leave party posts. On Sunday night, more MLAs came out openly asking the Sasikala and Dinakaran duo to step down.

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Police are yet to contact the truck driver who survived a deadly attack by cow vigilantes in Alwar earlier this month despite being a key witness to the assault that left a Muslim man dead and a nation outraged.

Arjun Kumar Yadav, the 23-year-old, escaped the assault by the cow vigilantes on Delhi-Alwar highway on April 1, only because he was a Hindu. He was allowed to flee when he told his name to one of the assaulters while others --- all Muslims --- were beaten on the charge of taking cows for slaughter. One of them, Pehlu Khan died in a hospital a few days later.

Yadav, was driving the truck he bought on loan last year, and co-passengers were Azmat and Rafique, the two who were caught by vigilantes for being Muslims and assaulted. Khan was in the other truck, which was also stopped.

He was driving one of the two vehicles transporting cows bought by a group of dairy farmers from a cattle market run by the Jaipur municipal corporation.

A group of seven-eight people stopped us near Behror and without asking anything, they started punching and kicking us, he said.

Yadav managed to escape when the attackers set themselves upon the dairy farmers, all of them Muslims. The driver was chased by one or two of the attackers for some distance but he managed to reach a roadside dhaba and called his uncle for help after borrowing a phone. Yadavs phone was in his truck.

Arjun told me that the men assaulted him and the passengers and kept shouting jai gau mata ki (hail mother cow). I went to Behror and brought him home at around 4 the next morning, Girdhari Lal said

The police has not recorded his statement so far even though he was a key witness to the case. Yadav confirmed to HT that he was not been contacted by police, who have been accused of going soft on the attackers. The police has also failed to arrest any of the six members of the Hindu groups named by Pehlu Khan in his dying statement.

Alwar superintendent of police Rahul Prakash said they were raiding various places to nab the six people named in Khans FIR because they are absconding since April 5 but added that they will only be detained for interrogation.

We will arrest them only after we are sure that they were involved in the crime, he told HT.

The police had registered a case against six named and 200 unidentified people on Khans statement to police on the night of April 1 when the farmer was in the intensive care unit of a Behror hospital.

Traumatised, Yadav returned to his village Loharwada in Jaipur recently after spending time in Odisha, where he had gone to friends place to escape further attack, to put it all behind me. He prefers to stay at home and is reluctant to talk about the April 1 incident.

In the past, the so-called cow protectors have attacked people, most of them Muslims or Dalits, transporting cows, accusing them of taking the animal for slaughter, which is banned in most parts of India.

Yadav is planning legal action. His lawyer, Birdu Ram Saini, said he would get copies of permits to prove that Yadav and the famers were transporting the animals legally. I will go to the Rajasthan high court and demand compensation as it will take more than a lakh to repair the truck, Saini said.

.

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Yadav is planning legal action. His lawyer, Birdu Ram Saini, said he would get copies of permits to prove that Yadav and the famers were transporting the animals legally. I will go to the Rajasthan high court and demand compensation as it will take more than a lakh to repair the truck, Saini said.

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As alleged accused in the lynching of dairy farmer Pehlu Khan in Alwar roam free, victims uncle Hussain Khan on Monday threatened to commit suicide along with his entire family if justice eludes them for long.

The 55-year-old dairy farmer from Nuh in Haryana was grievously assaulted by self-styled cow vigilantes near Behror in Rajasthan on Delhi-Alwar highway on April 1, branding him as a cattle smuggler. He succumbed to his injuries at a private hospital on April 3.

Even more than two weeks after the incident, police have failed to trace the six absconding accused, infuriating the bereaved family, who staged protest in Jaipur along with other members of their community.

My nephew was beaten mercilessly to death even though he had the documents to prove he legally purchased the cattle. The government, instead of arresting the accused, is trying to protect them. If we dont get justice soon, I along with all my family members will commit suicide, Hussain told the HT on the sidelines of an agitation at police Commissionerate in Jaipur.

Hussain and other members of his community from Jaisinghpur village of Haryanas Mewat district were in Rajasthan capital for the protest organised by Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) against the lynching.

They want a court-monitored inquiry into the incident and an immediate arrest of the main culprits.

Alwar superintendent of police Rahul Prakash said they were raiding various places to nab the six absconders named in the FIR over the incident. They have been on the run since April 5.

We want to detain them for interrogation, Prakash said, adding the accused would be arrested only if police during questioning find substantial evidence to link them to the lynching.

The petrified community, meanwhile, threatened a massive agitation if the administration did not take adequate measures to safeguard the interest of bovine owners.

Almost every household in Mewat has cows. Tomorrow these vigilantes could attack us, saying we dont have proper documents. So we plan to take out a massive rally and surrender our cows to the district administration at the collectorate, said Maulana Hanif, a Mewat resident.

The agitating community also alleged Pehlu Khan did not receive proper medical treatment at a private hospital in Alwar, where he died. Our repeated plea to shift the fatally injured to a better hospital fell on deaf ears, said a villager.

Muslims and Hindus have been living cordially in Mewat for generations. Now, there is a conspiracy to create a discord. These so-called gau rakshaks are robbers who beat up people and loot them on the pretext of cow protection, Hanif said.

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Kulbhushan Jadhav has been sentenced to death in Pakistan, by Pakistan, for undertaking activities inimical to Pakistan.

Already, this has skidded a bilateral relationship that has slipped and fallen many times over. Executing or even pushing a prolonged battle to execute or punish Jadhav is a myopic plan. By doing this, Pakistan is shooting itself in the foot.

Here is why: India and Pakistan share many environmental commons  bio-diversity, rivers, vagrancies of climate change and an ecological heritage. In fact, these environmental links are deeper than we imagine because disruption of these in one country will result in challenges in the other.

The dispute over the Indus Waters Treaty, which Pakistan wants to re-negotiate in the post-climate change world, is only one case in point.

The great Indian bustard, one of the rarest birds in the region of India and Pakistan, is on the verge of extinction.

It requires joint efforts, apart from intense individual effort by each country, to ensure the bird flourishes. How is any of this imaginable in a situation of proxy war?

Pakistan needs India if it wants to adequately fight environmental crises and make life better for its people. And both countries must build mutual co-operation and safeguard their territories from joint enemies like climate change. The people of Pakistan deserve nothing less.

But to get this going, Jadhav has to be returned alive and such provocation has to be set aside for the sake of people.

(The writer is founder and director of Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group)

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Chinas Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui on Monday visited Pobitora wildlife sanctuary in Assam, which has the worlds densest population of the Indian one-horned rhinos.

The Chinese diplomat, however, declined to take questions of waiting journalists on Sino-India relations, the recent visit of the Dalai Lama to Tawang and dams on Brahmaputra in his country.

Luo Zhaohui, who is leading a six-member high level official team, appreciated and praised the bio-diversity of the 38.8 sq km sanctuary in central Assam, which has other animals such as leopard, wild boar, barking deer, wild buffalo, birds and reptiles, official sources said.

Zhaohui went around the sanctuary with his wife looking at rhinos and migratory birds in Pobitora which has the worlds densest population of the one-horned rhinoceros in only 16 sq km effective rhino habitat, said official sources.

The Chinese ambassador also visited the World War II memorials and monuments in Tinsukia district during his two-day official visit to Assam, the sources added.

Meanwhile, former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi told reporters that he had raised his concern about the construction of big dams in China, which is affecting the flow of rivers in Assam during his meeting with Zhaohui during the day.

The Chinese ambassador, Gogoi said, had assured him that China would do no such thing and that the dams there will not affect Assam.

Zhaohui also said his country has never given shelter to any Assam-based insurgent outfit, including the Paresh Baruah-led ULFA(Independent, he added.
Chief Justice JS Khehar vented his ire on Monday at senior advocates for defending those who abuse the judiciary and the institution.

Everybody abuses us and can abuse us. If people wrongfully abuse us, you never stand up for us, the CJI said, emphasizing the word never. Justice Khehar made the strong comments during the hearing of a contempt case it initiated against an advocate for accusing the top courts registry of fixing cases.

Senior advocate KK Venugopal was defending the counsel and apologised on his behalf. He said the contemnor had committed a big mistake and had withdrawn the letter he wrote against the registry officials.

You are standing up for an advocate who made wrong insinuations. You keep supporting those who keep thrashing the judiciary. You should stand for the institution and not for those who keep abusing us, the CJI told Venugopal.

On the last date of hearing, Supreme Court Bar Associaton President RS Suri and secretary Gaurav Bhatia had apologised for the lawyers conduct.

This attitude has emerged that you people can shout at us for anything. We are going to stop it. We wont let you go. the CJI has said

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A section of Congress leaders has expressed anger at the alliance with the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) in the Uttar Pradesh assembly election. The tie-up forced the party change its slogan from 27 saal UP behaal to UP ko yeh saath pasand hai in the assembly election, most of the partys district and city unit presidents said here on Sunday.

The party leaders voiced these views at a meeting convened to work out the strategy for the urban local bodies elections scheduled in June and July this year.

They noted that after consistently targeting the SP for its failures on the law and order and other fronts, the Congress extended its hand of friendship to the SP.

This did not go down well with partymen and the people alike, said most of the partys district and city unit presidents at the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) headquarters here. Congress general secretary (incharge of UP) Ghulam Nabi Azad and the partys state president Raj Babbar flew in for the meeting from New Delhi where they carried out a similar exercise with district and city party leaders of west UP and sought their opinion about the likely strategy for the civic polls.

This was the first such interaction after the Congresss drubbing in the UP assembly elections.

The partymen blamed the leaders for not taking the workers into confidence while deciding to ally with the Samajwadi Party (SP). Babbar had probably sensed the mood of partymen in New Delhi itself. So, he began his address by acknowledging what he called haadsa (accident) and tendered an apology on behalf of party for the decision to ally with the SP.

Though Babbar asked the partymen to limit their views to likely strategy for the civic elections, almost each party leader used the occasion to lodge a strong protest against the alliance with the SP.

The leaders said they must be informed in advance if the party were to go in for a grand alliance in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

Babbar once again reminded the partymen to express their opinion on civic polls only as the 2019 Lok Sabha election was too far away. We had a good meeting, the first after the defeat in the assembly election. We have decided to strengthen the party organisation, said Azad.

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The CPI(M)s West Bengal leadership may again raise the demand for an alliance with the Congress before the partys Central Committee (CC).

The renewed demand comes in the backdrop of the assembly polls in five states, in which the BJP swept Uttar Pradesh and formed governments in Manipur and Assam with help of allies.

The Bengal lobby of the party also wants to point out to the steep rise of the BJPs vote share in the recent bypoll in West Bengal.

The two-day long meeting of the Central Committee, CPI(M)s highest executive body, has started on Monday to discuss national political issues and affairs of poll-bound Tripura.

When there are talks in different parties for a pacts against Narendra Modi-led BJP, can the CPI(M) afford to stay aloof? said a senior leader from West Bengal, where the party ruled for 34 years and then was ousted by Mamata Banerjees Trinamool Congress in 2011.

In UP, the Congress joined hands with the Samajwadi Party for the first time this year. RJD chief Lalu Prasad has said that Bihar alliance, where JDU, RJD and the Congress are partners, must continue till 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Earlier, the Central Committee had snubbed the state unit for going with the Congress in the last assembly polls.

In its last party Congress, the CPI(M) had decided to strengthen its own organisation and go with the Left democratic forces. As a result, the party didnt join hands with Nitish Kumar in Bihar or J Jayalalithaa in Tamil Nadu.

But in Bengal, the local comrades almost defied the central diktat and forged an unwritten alliance with the Congress, claiming it was necessary for its survival. Even as the party lost the state polls badly, the Bengal unit defended its action and maintained that they would have fared worse if there was no alliance.

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Investigation into a Rs 1,900 crore call centre scam has unearthed scores of dubious ventures in cities such as Delhi and Mumbai that seek to dupe unsuspecting foreigners, highlighting the underbelly of Indias booming business process outsourcing (BPO) industry.

Officials probing the case  where call centre employees posed as US revenue officers over the phone and cheated Americans -- told HT that they found evidence of five kinds of online fraud networks in Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodra, Surat, Gurgaon, Noida ,Delhi and Mumbai.

The shadowy businesses include illegally exporting medication, bogus cheque deposits and swindling customers by offering non-existent loans and extorting money from bank loan defaulters.

The scammers are not only robbing foreign nationals of their hard earned money, but bringing a shame to our country too, said a senior Thane crime branch official, requesting anonymity.

The crime branch arrested the alleged mastermind of the scam, 24-year-old Sagar Thakkar alias Shaggy, earlier this month after raids last October on his fraud call centres in Thane. But they have been unable to trace his ill-gotten millions.

As jurisdiction restrictions dont allow Thane Police to conduct search and seizures at far-off locations, information has been passed onto the state director general of police with a request to alert authorities in the respective states about the organised con syndicates.

Increasing reports of such fraud businesses is bound to hurt Indias $110 billion BPO industry that hurts from a lack of robust oversight and tight regulation, experts say. A mounting job crisis for fresh graduates fuels such scams that are often run out of flats by a handful of people with low tech support, making it difficult for authorities to nab culprits.

Earlier this month, HT investigated one such Gurgaon-based call centre running a lucrative fraud in so-called tech support. Past and present employees of Saburi TLC said their sole brief was to cheat customers into believing their computers were at a virus or hacking risk until they bought security solutions that cost hundreds of dollars.

THE FIVE KIND OF SCAMS

PHARMA SCAM: Both scheduled and off-the-counter drugs are procured illegally without prescriptions in India and sold abroad.

How it works: Sildenafil (like Viagra) and Oxycodone drugs are in high demand in the United States as are various psychotropic drugs. These drugs are available strictly on prescription and their production, supply and distribution is closely monitored by enforcement agencies to check possible abuse. However, as 90% substance abusers in the US are dependent on prescribed counter drugs, there is a huge gap between demand and availability.

Investigation by the Thane crime branch reveals the deficit in the availability of the drugs has spurred sourcing the drugs, through organised smuggling syndicates, from countries like India.

To begin with, the conduits of the racket procure the sales data of drug stores in the US from the internet at a price. The sale data contains information such as the medical history of the consumers and his contact details.

They then start calling up the customer, offering him the drug at a discounted price. Once the customer places the order, the money is deducted in advance from his credit card. The drug is then couriered in small quantities by labeling the packets as Homeopathy drugs or plant feed.

DEBT COLLECTION (THIRD BUCKET) SCAM: Extorting money from bank loan defaulters.

How it works: The scammers collect the list of loan defaulters of various banks in the US. Posing as recovery officials, they start calling up the loan defaulters with an American accent so as not to raise any suspicion. Through a prepared script, the callers would coerce the target in making payment to a particular account. The money is then transferred to banks in India where it is collected.

PAY DAY SCAM: In the US, the salary day for employees is referred to as Pay Day. The scammers fleece salaried employees with promises of loan sanction.

How it works: In the United States, almost everyone wants a loan. The scammers make random calls to people on Pay Day, offering them a loan, but with a rider. After the initial offer, they would tell the target that his credit ratings were too low to make him eligible for a loan. To increase the credit ratings, the prospective applicant would be advised to deposit the first installment (EMI) of the loan amount. A confirmatory mail would be sent to him after the installment was actually deposited. Afterwards, the mail account would be erased and the money would be encashed.

CHEQUE DEPOSIT SCAM: The bogus cheque deposit.

How it works: Suddenly a cheque is added to the account of the victim. The scammers would then call up the victim, informing about the mistake. They would then ask him to deposit the same (or lesser) amount in an account (provided by the scammers). Once the victim makes the online deposit, the scammers would quickly cancel the cheque by informing the issuing bank.

TECH SUPPORT SCAM: Fleecing on pretext of virus attack on PC.

How it works: The scammers would randomly call US citizens, informing them about a virus attack on their personal computer. The gullible user, who falls into the trap, would agree to the offer made by the scammers to debug the computer. Using TeamViewer software (used for Internet-based remote access and support. Through the software one can connect to any PC or server so as to remote control the target PC) the scammers would pretend to debug the computer. The unsuspecting customer would be asked to pay anything between $50- $100 for the service. Considering that thousands of people are enticed into believing the scammers every day, the total volume of the scam runs into several hundred thousands of dollars every month.

Source: Thane Police

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed an FIR against 12 Trinamool Congress leaders in the Narada sting case and slapped sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act (POCA).

According to CBI sources, those who were seen accepting cash in the video have been named in the FIR.

The Narada sting operation has landed chief minister Mamata Banerjee in her biggest trouble so far. Those seen in the video telecast nationwide are some of the most prominent and the powerful in the party  Saugata Roy, Suvendu Adhikari, Sultan Ahmed, Aparupa Poddar, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Prasun Banerjee (all Lok Sabha MPs), Subrata Mukherjee, Firhad (Bobby) Hakim, Madan Mitra (ministers), Iqbal Ahmed (MLA), Sovan Chatterjee (MLA and Kolkata mayor) S M H Mirza (IPS officer who claimed to be taking the money on behalf of party Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Roy).

Sections 7 (Public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration) and 13 (criminal misconduct by a public servant) of POCA were slapped against the accused. Criminal conspiracy charges of IPC (section 120B) were also held against them.

The Narada scam refers to a series of sting videos shot by Naradanews.com over a period of two years, which show several ministers and half a dozen MPs of the TMC allegedly accepting bribes. It was aired a few days before the Bengal Assembly polls of 2016, leading Mamata Banerjee to allege that it was a result of political conspiracy.

Naradanews.com CEO Mathew Samuel told the media in his initial reaction, I welcome the move. I have been saying from day one that the truth should come out.

The TMC tried to play down the FIR.

The FIR should be not be taken at face value. The party will do whatever is required, said Trinamool secretary general and state education minister Partha Chatterjee.

But the opposition welcomed the FIR and came down heavily on the government.

The FIR is reassuring for us. It will settle many doubts in the minds of people (read delay in investigation), remarked Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh.

Those who were seen accepting money now officially face corruption charges despite last ditch efforts by the Trinamool supremo to save them. Since all the accused are influential people and enjoy the blessings of the chief minister they must be interrogated in CBI custody, said CPI-M Lok Sabha MP and Politburo member Md Salim.

Leader of opposition and veteran Congress leader Abdul Mannan demanded resignation of the Trinamool leaders named in the FIR. The chief minister should be ashamed that half the members in her cabinet and the mayor of Kolkata are named in the FIR. If she is really a symbol of honesty, as she claims, she should first make them resign, said Mannan, whose dogged pursuit resulted in CBI investigation in the chit fund scams three years ago.

According to CBI sources, a Special Investigation Team will be set up to investigate the case.

On March 18 a division bench of Calcutta high court ordered CBI investigation into the case. It asked CBI to file an FIR after conducting preliminary investigation in 72 hours.

On March 21, the Supreme Court rejected a plea by TMC leaders to stop the CBI probe and gave the agency one month to conduct the initial probe.

The Central Forensic Laboratory in Hyderabad certified the footage to be genuine and not doctored.

The Trinamool is already facing embarrassment over the imprisonment of two Lok Sabha MPs, Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Tapas Paul in connection with the Rose Valley scam that involves about Rs 15,000 crore -- six times larger than the Saradha scandal of 2013.

The CBIs FIR also comes at a time when the BJP is making serious efforts to gain a foothold in Bengal where the Trinamool Congress won a thumping majority for a second successive term in 2016.
Setting an example of communal harmony, the residents of Jogirampuri village in Bijnore district on Sunday resolved the dispute over the use of loudspeaker at a Shiv temple.

Tension prevailed in the village after the police dismounted the loudspeaker from the temple on Ram Navmi after the Muslims objected to its use.

To resolve the issue, representatives of both the communities convened a meeting in the presence of chief development officer Indramani Tripathi and SP (rural) Dr Dharamveer Singh.

After several rounds of discussions, the Muslims agreed for permanent installation of loudspeaker on Shiv temple which would be used only on festivals. They also agreed that the loudspeaker could also be used for aarti except during the five days of Eid and during namaz.

The letter of compromise was signed by Dayaram Singh, Mangatram, Shivcharan, Mangal Singh, Rajeev Goswami and village pradhan Mohd Rafi, Faheem, Shamshad, Ameer Ahmad, Dr Imamuddin, Hafiz Kasim and Khalil Ahmad.

Police officials were present on the temple premises during the installation of loudspeaker. (Dushyant Choudhary)

Later in the evening, members of both the communities and the officials had dinner together.

I am glad that the matter has been resolved through peaceful deliberations, said CDO Indramani Tripathi.

The Shiv Temple in the village is quite old and the devotees used to put up loudspeakers during Shivratri and dismounted it after celebrations. The tradition continued till 2007.

A controversy erupted in 2007 when the temple priest played a cassette of devotional songs and aarti till late evening even after the celebrations. Muslims objected to it and both the sides agreed that the loudspeaker would be dismounted immediately after celebrations.

The compromise formula was being followed since then but a fresh controversy broke on the day of Ram Navmi this year when the priest again played aarti and devotional songs till late in the evening.

Muslims objected to it and reminded the Hindus about the agreement.

The matter was reported to the police and heavy force was deployed in the village to prevent any untoward incident. The police dismounted the loudspeaker and kept it in their custody.
The sun, sand and rocking nightlife of the famed beaches of Goa hide a dark underbelly: The iconic holiday destination has claimed the lives of roughly 20 foreigners every year in the last decade or so.

The rape and murder of 28-year-old Irish woman Danielle McLaughlin in Canacona in March this year was only the latest in a long list of crimes against foreigners in the coastal state.

According to an RTI reply accessed by a local activist in support of relatives of several of the deceased, a shocking 245 foreigners have died in Goa in the last 12 years.

The state police cracked the Danielle case by swiftly arresting the accused, a tour guide she was last seen with, but her family and friends allege more than one person was involved in the crime and that she was gangraped before being killed.

The arrest of tour guide Vikas Bhagat may have given a partial closure to Danielles family, but several relatives of other foreigners who died under suspicious circumstances say their cases are stuck in the vortex of the Indian criminal-justice system.

The RTI reply that details the cause, time and place of death at four coastal police stations where foreigners mostly frequent, has classified a majority of these deaths as natural. However, the relatives have alleged foul play in most of these cases and expressed dissatisfaction with the line of investigation.

What should worry the state that receives more than 5 lakh tourists every year is that more and more foreigners are raising their voice over safety and security issues. In at least half a dozen cases where the relatives managed to get the courts to order re-investigation, the natural deaths turned out to be pre-meditated murders.

Take the death of 22-year-old Finnish youth Felix Dahl. The Canacona police primary investigation said he had died due to an accidental fall, but a second autopsy done by the family in Finland revealed fatal injuries to his skull from a high impact weapon causing death.

22-year-old Finnish youth Felix Dahl. (Facebook)

The case was put up before the Canacona magistrate who ordered an FIR to be registered, two years after his death. Till date no one has been arrested or detained and the probe is only at the stage of questioning guides and bar owners in the area.

Felixs body was found on gravel around 200 metres away from a restaurant where he was last spotted. All the facts put up by the police were imaginary, says his mother Minna Pirohnen, who challenged the police account in court and sought a fresh murder probe.

The mother says she suspected murder after she found out that Felix was last spotted with a man who was a close friend of Vikas Bhagat, the accused in the Danielle rape and murder case. I do feel the police are always trying to cover these cases out of fear that it will damage the reputation of Goa, says Pirohnen.

In the infamous Scarlett Keeling case of 2008, the police had initially dubbed it as death due to drowning and drug overdose. The case was transferred to the CBI and rape and murder charges were added only after the issue snowballed into a global outrage.

A similar case is that of Denyse Sweeney, a charity worker who was found unconscious at a night club in Vagator and later died during treatment on April 16, 2010. The medical report stated the likely cause as drug overdose. After intense pressure from the British family, the Anjuna police re-opened the case in 2012 and transferred it to CBI for a murder probe.

Recently, a meeting was held in Cheltenham, Glouchestershire, by the relatives of Stephen Benett who died in Goa in 2006 to discuss the dangers foreigners face there. It was attended by the sister and mother of Felix Dahl. Fiona Mackeown, mother of Scarlett Keeling, Amanda Benett whose brother Stephen died in 2006 and Maureen Sweeney, sister of Denyse Sweeney, also attended this meet.

We all share the same misery. Our kin had gone to Goa to experience the beauty of the beaches and the much talked about serenity of the place, only to never come back. By coming together we feel that we will be able to make an impact on the authorities, says Felixs sister Sanna Cutter who also attended this meet.

She points out that the agonizing part in all the cases is the manner in which the police handled the probe. Almost every death that happens around the beaches is rubbed off by the police as an accidental death caused either due to drowning or some other reason. They never try and probe into the matter. In the case of my brother a similar thing happened.

Determined to get justice, these family members have taken their cause to social media  they are networking through Facebook pages like Justice for Felix Dahl and Justice for Danielle McLaughlin. These pages give details of each incident, progress in the case and even crowd-funding the expenses for the legal battle. Talks are also on to file a joint petition seeking transfer of these cases to CBI.

The detailed classification of the 245 deaths in the last 12 years in the four districts of Anjuna, Pernem, Mapusa and Canacona were collected by the family members through RTIs and personal efforts. The families claim that in most cases the deaths have been listed as accidental or caused due to drowning, a possibility that they doubt. They also point to 39 cases registered in several police stations where the cause of death is classified as unknown.

The deaths of Martin Neighbour in 2008 and James Durkin in 2015 are among the cases awaiting justice.

In the case of Martin Neighbour whose body was found in Anjuna beach area and was classified as death due to drowning, his sister Sara Neighbour pointed out that he had bruises on his body and looked beaten up. The body of Durkin was found decomposed in Canacona beach area after he went missing for 30 days. The families of both the deceased have time and again questioned the death and asked for a fresh investigation.

A close family friend of Durkin while speaking to HT said, The police did a shoddy investigation and tried to rule out all possibilities of a murder. It hardly helps if the case is re-opened after years as all the evidences have been erased by that time.

But as questions are raised time and again about the shoddy investigations senior police officials say they proceed only as per the law. We cannot call every death that happens here as murder without getting a post mortem done. First, a case needs to be registered as unnatural death, only if the police feels that all the circumstantial evidences indicate a murder, like we did in the case of Danielle McLaughlin in Canacona, that an FIR is registered under section 156 (3), says Sammy Tavares, deputy superintendent of police (Canacona).

We always request foreigners to register with Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), which most of them never do. Also, we find most of them spending time with unauthorised guides who often have a criminal history, like Vikas Bhagat whom McLaughlin was found spending time on both of her visits to Goa. All of this does invite trouble but we still try to ensure their safety, adds Tavares.

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The Centre reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, considering various options including initiating peace talks to bring back normalcy in the restive Valley.

The meeting, chaired by Union home minister Rajnath Singh and attended by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, among others, took stock of the prevailing situation in the state, which saw violence during the April 9 bypoll to Srinagar Lok Sabha seat.

The top brass was given a detailed presentation on the critical situation Kashmir was facing and the steps taken to restore normalcy, official sources said.

During the meeting it was discussed whether peace dialogue with any separatist groups wielding influence on the protesters could be initiated.

The home minister had already announced that the central government was ready for talks with anyone within the framework of the Constitution, an offer the separatists are not ready to accept.

However, the idea of dialogue hit a deadlock as no group could be identified in breaking the cycle of violence that has engulfed the Valley since July 8 last year when militant group Hizbul Mujahideens poster boy, Burhan Wani, was gunned down in an encounter in south Kashmir.

On Monday, Srinagar Police registered cases against security forces who used a civilian as a human shield to allegedly guard against stone pelters and in another incident gunned down a youth in the Batamaloo area of Srinagar.

Here's the video as well. A warning can be heard saying stone pelters will meet this fate. This requires an urgent inquiry & follow up NOW!! pic.twitter.com/qj1rnCVazn  Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) April 14, 2017

The Valley, meanwhile, remained on the edge as thousands of college and school students protested against security forces for their action on students of Pulwama Degree College on Saturday, in which more than 50 students were injured.

Mondays security meeting also discussed how to deal with the series of videos which portray security forces in a bad light. Sources said the authenticity of the videos are also a matter of serious question as many of them were posted in social media sites from Pakistan.

The security brass also discussed the reports of deep planning in Pakistan to vitiate the atmosphere in the Kashmir Valley and incite insurgents to target local police personnel and their families, the sources said.

Mehbooba takes stock

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, for her part, met governor NN Vohra at the Raj Bhavan in Srinagar and discussed law and order issues with him.

The governor and the CM also discussed the implementation of major development projects and the delays occurring due to frequent closure of the Udhampur-Banihal sector of the National Highway, an official spokesman said.

Omars salvo

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, however, demanded the dismissal of the PDP-BJP state government, seeking the imposition of governors rule in the militancy-hit state.

In the present situation, there is only darkness around, nothing else. Situation is totally out of control. Despite such a situation in Kashmir valley, Mehbooba is sticking to the chief ministerial chair. Nothing is more shameless for her than this, Omar told reporters.

He further said the present government has failed to control the situation and till they (PDP-BJP) remain in power, the state will witness only destruction.

Students on warpath

On Monday, students across the Valley boycotted classes to protest against the highhandedness of security forces. The call for protests was given by Kashmir University Students Union (KUSU)  a students body banned by the authorities  against the brutality perpetrated by government forces on students.

The ruling PDP-BJP coalition and opposition parties in Jammu and Kashmir condemned the use of force against students in different colleges of the state and demanded stern action against those responsible for such acts.

The ruling PDP convened an emergency meeting to discuss the situation, a party spokesman said.

He said party general secretary Nizamudin Bhat and other office bearers condemned the police action and intrusion into the academic institution.

Meanwhile, opposition Congress also condemned the use of force by the police on students of various colleges.

Stating that chief minister Mehbooba Muftis government was brutalising people under the garb of maintaining law and order, J-K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief GA Mir termed the raining of shells on the students a gift of the CM to people of Kashmir.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a crowd on Monday after inaugurating the Kiran Multispeciality Hospital in Surat, Gujarat.

Apart from a host of inaugurations, Modi addressed a large gathering in Surat on Monday. He also inaugurated phase I of Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran irrigation project.

PMs itinerary Inaugurate cattle feed plant and Sumul Dairy ice-cream plant Lay the foundation stone for dairy products plant at Nava Pardi, where PM Modi will address a gathering Visit Silvassa town in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, address another gathering Inaugurate Phase 1 of Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran irrigation project and lay foundation stone for the Phase 2 in Saurashtra.

The Prime Ministers two-day visit to Gujarat ends on Monday.

Watch this space for Live updates:

7 pm: PM Modi tweets a video of the inauguration of the pipeline carrying water from Narmada to Botad.

With the chants of Narmade, Sarvade we welcomed water from the Narmada to Botad. pic.twitter.com/xYHyv1cpJE  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 17, 2017

5 pm: Modi will be inaugurating phase-I of the Link-II pipeline canal of the ambitious (SAUNI) Yojna in Botad.

4.30pm: PM Narendra Modi breaks security protocol, stops entourage to meet a 4-year old girl on his way.

#WATCH PM Narendra Modi breaks security protocol to meet a 4-year old girl on his way to inaugurate Kiran Multispeciality Hospital in Surat. pic.twitter.com/vtLuleRMYV  ANI (@ANI_news) April 17, 2017

3.30pm: PM Modi urges people to use the BHIM app to claim benefit of various government schemes like gas subsidy.

2:40pm: PM Modi arrives in Silvassa. He is expected to inaugurate various government projects here, including Passport Seva Kendra and Jan Aushadhi Kendras.

Modi arrives in Dadra. (ANI Photo)

1:55pm: PM announces the government will initiate water projects worth Rs 958 crore, reports Doordarshan.

1:40pm: Prime Minister hails Tapi district, says it is one of the newer districts of Gujarat and he is glad it has achieved remarkable progress.

1:25pm: The stretch from Umbergaon to Ambaji has been transformed and this has benefited the tribal communities of Gujarat, PM says in Bajipura.

Here, in SUMUL, we see the positive results that can be achieved when Sahkar and Sarkar work together.

1:20pm: The Prime Minister begins his speech at the public meeting in Bajipura in south Gujarat.

Here, in SUMUL we see the positive results that can be achieved when Sahkar and Sarkar work together: PM @narendramodi

11:30pm: After hospital, inauguration of a diamond factory by PM Modi is being seen as an effort to reach out to the disgruntled Patidar community.

11:20pm: PM Modi speaks after inaugurating a diamond manufacturing unit of Hare Krishna Exports in Surat. He says: If there was someone who had a clear vision about how India should be, it was Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He integrated India.

Modi talks about Surats contribution to the jewellery sector, adding that the city has made a mark in the diamond industry. PM goes on to say that the industry should focus on making and designing jewellery in India. Our aim shouldnt be just to Make in India but also Design in India.

10:55am: The Prime Minister inaugurates a Diamond manufacturing unit in Surat.

10:20am: PM says the govt will change rules to push doctors into prescribing generic medicines. Generic medicines are cheaper and more accessible to the poor as compared to branded prescription.

Even now, I have seen doctors writing prescriptions in such a way that the poor people dont understand and go to the medicine shop where costlier medicines are sold. 

We are going to change law to ensure that when doctors write prescriptions they will write generic medicines are sufficient and there is no need for any other medicine... After assuming office, mechanisms were put to bring down prices of medicines even if that meant pharma companies are unhappy with us.

The poor must have access to quality and affordable healthcare: PM

There are powerful people who are unhappy with me. But, my commitment is to provide affordable healthcare for poor and the middle class: PM  PMO India (@PMOIndia) April 17, 2017

10:15am: Our nation was neither built, nor can it be run by governments, kings and politicians, but only by the service and hard work of its people, Modi says.

A lot of people have made sacrifices to contribute to their villages development.

10:10am: I am baffled by how clean Surat is. The initiative has instilled the need to keep India clean into the people of Surat: Modi

10am: PM Modi inaugurates the Kiran Multispeciality Hospital, addresses the crowd on the importance of his Swachch Bharat project.

Inaugurating Surat hospital built by a Patidar trust, Modi says breakfast sent by a Patel family shows they still care for him. The Patidar community, led by Hardik Patel, had launched protests last year demanding reservation.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday that the filing of an FIR by the CBI against Trinamool Congress leaders in the Narada sting did not mean that the politicians were guilty.

Describing the Central Bureau of Investigations move as a political game, Banerjee, who is also the party chief, said: We will fight it out politically.

Because they (CBI) have filed the FIR, does it mean their guilt is proved? Let them (the CBI) first prove the guilt. There is no cause for any worry, she told reporters at the state secretariat.

Twelve Trinamool Congress leaders, including party MPs and state ministers, have been booked by the CBI for alleged corruption in the Narada sting scam. They were purportedly caught on camera accepting money.

The tapes, broadcast by Naradanews.com just before the assembly elections last year, sent shock waves through West Bengals ruling Trinamool Congress but the party posted a resounding victory under Banerjee.

Under the scanner

Trinamool leaders against whom the CBI registered the FIR include Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Roy and Lok Sabha MPs Saugata Roy, Aparupa Poddar, Sultan Ahmed, Prasun Banerjee and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.

West Bengal ministers, including urban development minister Firhad Hakim, transport minister Suvendu Adhikari, environment minister Sovan Chatterjee and panchayati raj and rural development minister Subrata Mukherjee have also been named in the FIR.

Former minister Madan Mitra, MLA Iqbal Ahmed and IPS officer Saiyaad Mustafa Hussain Mirza have also been made accused in the case. Mirza, who was then posted as the superintendent of police of Burdwan, was too purportedly seen accepting money on camera.

The development comes at a time when CM Banerjee has been frequently locked in a confrontation with the Narendra Modi government over a host of issues.

The Calcutta high court had ordered the CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry in the matter. The order was challenged by the West Bengal government in the Supreme Court, which refused to provide any relief and gave the CBI one month to file an FIR, if required.

The FIR was registered under section 120 (b) of IPC related to criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act dealing with bribery and criminal misconduct. The maximum sentence for these crimes ranges from five to seven years imprisonment.

The sting operation was supposed to be published in a magazine where Mathew Samuel, the man behind it, was then working. However, the tapes were later run on Naradanews.com where he is now the CEO.

Oppn ups ante

West Bengals opposition parties tore into the ruling Trinamool Congress after the CBI action.

Senior Communist Party of India-Marxist leader and noted lawyer Bikash Bhattacharya said the latest development was inevitable.

CBI would have filed the FIR much earlier. But the Trinamool people went to court and gave more time to the CBI. I am sure CBI is making watertight-cases against these people are vital sections of the Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act.

State Bharatiya Janata Party president Dilip Ghosh said the filing of FIR was expected.

People of whole West Bengal were waiting for this. The probe is proceeding in the right direction. Peoples faith in the court and the CBI is increasing,. We hope justice will prevail, he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday tried to strike an emotional chord with the local population, comprising mostly tribals and Patidars who are up in arms against the Gujarat government demanding OBC status.

His outreach came as he inaugurated a slew of projects totaling some Rs 2,000 crore during a two-day whirlwind tour of his home state Gujarat,

With lakhs of farmers, cattle-rearers and the marginalized in attendance at various functions that he addressed, Modi reached out to Patidars who form significant vote bank for the BJP, saying their love for him has remained unchanged.

After a roadshow in Surat Sunday evening, the Prime Minister inaugurated a Rs 400-crore multispecialty hospital in Surat on Monday, opened a diamond factory in Ichhapur and inaugurated a Rs 1,131-crore irrigation project for parched Saurashtra. The engagements set the stage to connect directly with the Patidars as he covered the communitys strongholds in Surat and Saurashtra.

Six months ago, BJP chief Amit Shah had to wind up his speech in four minutes at Varaccha in Surat. But at the same place on Monday, months before Gujarat goes to assembly polls, Modi was full of praise for the Patidars.

He said that people in other parts of the state have probably changed the way they behave with him after he became the PM. Surat is the only exception, he said, adding that he likes coming back to the city because it feels like home to him.

He added, Like earlier times, this morning also a Patidar family sent me `bhakri(bread) to circuit house in Surat for breakfast. This shows your love for me has not changed.

Lauding them for their hard work and simplicity, the PM left no stone unturned to pacify the community that for the first time in 30 years had switched loyalty in local body elections in November 2015 resulting in a Congress victory in the countryside.

After its spectacular win in the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, the BJP has set itself a target of 150 seats out of total 182 in Gujarat. And to achieve that target, the support of influential Patidars is crucial for the saffron party.

At the hospital inauguration, Modi said, After the Vajpayee government, my government has brought in a healthcare policy after a gap of 15 years.

He also said that government would bring a new law to see that doctors prescribe only generic medicines. He recollected as Gujarat CM his decision to bring down stent uses in heart surgery had annoyed manufactures.

In Botad inaugurating irrigation project that fills up Saurashtras over 100 dams with excess of Narmada water, Modi lauded the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh in conserving the Narmada river.

The forestation drive conducted by the MP government along the Narmada riverbank will preserve the river for over 100 years and ensure water to farmers of even Gujarat.

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The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Monday boycotted Bihar governments programme to honour freedom fighters, after home minister Rajnath Singh pulled out at the eleventh hour.

President Pranab Mukherjee felicitated some freedom fighters at the event, organised in Patna to mark the 100th year of Mahatma Gandhis Champaran Satyagraha.

The BJP claimed that Singh had pulled out because RJD leader Lalu Prasad, convicted in fodder scam case, had been invited to share the dais with the President at the function.

Former BJP state president Mangal Pandey said that Singh was hurt because the state government was trying to politicise the programme.

Mahatma Gandhi was against corruption. How can the state government make someone facing serious corruption charges share the dais with the President at such a solemn function, regional TV news channels, quoted senior BJP leaders as saying.

State BJP president Nityanand Rai told HT, Neither I nor any NDA constituent is going to attend the function.

Asked whether the NDA was boycotting the programme, Rai said, We have authorised Mangal Pandey to brief the media later in the afternoon.

Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi tweeted early in the morning, asking chief minister Nitish Kumar if he was insulting or felicitating freedom fighters by inviting Lalu Prasad, convict in scam, and Rahul (Gandhi) on bail in NH (National Herald) case?

Nitish are you insulting or felicitating freedom fighters by inviting Lalu convict in scam & Rahul on bail in NH case?  Sushil Kumar Modi (@SushilModi) 17 April 2017

HM Rajnath Singh not going to Patna today.Confirmed from HM office.  Sushil Kumar Modi (@SushilModi) 17 April 2017

Sources said that the Union home minister called up Bihar chief minister and spoke to him before calling off his visit.

The BJP reportedly wanted to know why wasnt its national president Amit Shah invited to the function when leaders of other political parties had been called.

Obliquely referring to the NDA and Union home ministers absence from the function, chief minister Nitish Kumar said, We invited everyone (leaders of political parties). I welcome those who have come and have no complaint against those who could not make it to the function.

His party, the JD(U), however, criticised the BJP for trying to politicise Mahatma Gandhi.

The BJP has shown disrespect to Mahatma Gandhi by deciding to stay away from the function. I condemn its action, JD(U) national general secretary KC Tyagi was quoted as saying by TV channels.

Defending the invites extended to Lalu Prasad and Rahul Gandhi, Tyagi said they had been invited in their capacity as leaders of their respective party. We have also extended invitations to Union ministers Ram Vilas Paswan and Upendra Kushwaha in their capacities as leaders of the Lok Janshakti Party and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party. We had also invited Jiten Ram Manjhi as leader of the Hindustan Awam Morcha (Secular) and Dipankar Bhattacharya of the CPI(ML).

The Bihar government is organising the felicitation programme to mark the 100th year of Mahatma Gandhis Champaran Satyagraha  a non-violent agitation launched to protest the forced cultivation of indigo by the British planters in the then undivided Champaran district of north Bihar. The state will felicitate 254 freedom fighters from 19 states and 561 from different parts of Bihar.

The government had identified another 2,154 freedom fighters, who could not make it to the function on account of ill health. It had instructed district magistrates of respective areas to ensure that welcome kits, comprising khadi bag, Gandhi memento, shawl, charkha (spinning wheel), sticker, white Gandhi topi (cap) and a souvenir were handed over to them before the function began in Patna.

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Nepals President Bidhya Devi Bhandari arrived in New Delhi on Monday on her first overseas tour during which she will hold talks with top Indian leadership to strengthen bilateral ties between the two neighbours.

Neighbourhood first. Bidhya Devi Bhandari, President of Nepal, arrives in New Delhi on State Visit to India, the external affairs ministry spokesperson tweeted.

Neighbourhood first. H.E. Ms Bidhya Devi Bhandari, President of Nepal arrives in New Delhi on State Visit to India pic.twitter.com/BojFqqeQZz  Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) April 17, 2017

She will hold talks with President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, exploring ways to expand cooperation between the two close neighbours whose ties faced some strains following the agitation by the Madhesi community last year.

Vice President Hamid Ansari, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, home minister Rajnath Singh and finance minister Arun Jaitley will also call on the Nepalese President.

Bhandari was scheduled to visit India in May last year, but the trip was cancelled after the then cabinet did not endorse the visit, citing lack of preparations on the part of the government.
Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday took a dig at home minister Rajnath Singh for his failure to attend a centenary celebration function of Champaran satyagraha, insinuating disagreement with Gandhian values behind it.

I harbour no grievance against those not coming to the function and not in agreement with the Gandhian values, said Kumar, while indirectly lamenting Singhs absence from the apolitical function graced by President Pranab Mukherjee.

Kumar emphasised on countering the environment of intolerance through national agendas based on Gandhian philosophy.

RJD President Lalu Prasad too joined his political ally, bluntly questioning Singhs absence from the function held to remember the 1917 event of satyagraha launch by Mahatama Gandhi against the forced indigo cultivation by the British colonialists in Champaran.

When you would not come to the function, why did you give your consent? asked Prasad.

On the one hand there are believers of Nathuram Godse who killed Gandhiji and on the other hand there are people like us who adhere to the philosophy of the Father of the Nation... country will be with the believers of Gandhiji, he said.

Bihar former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi too had kept away from the function. Manjhi, the chief of the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) is a BJP ally.

Addressing the function, President Mukherjee described the historic launch of stayagraha at Champaran by Mahatama Gandhi as a laboratory of freedom struggle against the British rule and said Champaran satyagraha transformed Gandhiji into the Mahatma.

Tracing the historical importance of the Champaran stir, the first by Bapu after he returned from South Africa, he said, Champaran satyagraha transformed Gandhiji into the Mahatma.

The President called upon the people to fight against communalism, sectarianism and parochialism and promote the spirit of Indianness.

We must remember our roots by enlightening ourselves with great historical events, the President told the gathering at the function held to honour freedom fighters from across the country on the occasion of the centenary celebration Akhil Bhartiya Swantantrata Senani Samaroh.

The occasion was also graced by Bihar Governor Ramnath Kovind, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Prasad among others.

President Mukherjee honoured 15 freedom fighters from different parts of the country as a mark of respect. Hundreds of freedom fighters from across the country had travelled to Patna for the occasion. They were all honoured by the Bihar government.

Speaking on the occasion, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said Gandhijis greatest contribution to the freedom struggle was that he had ended the fear of the British rule from the minds of the people.

With the BJP-led government at the Centre apparently in his mind, he said it is not necessary that those having satta (power) will have sachai (truthfullness) too with them.

If somebody having power tries to frighten people, the country will not allow it, he said.
As unrest rocks Kashmir valley, security forces deployed there will now use plastic bullets in crowd control operations before using the much-maligned pellet guns.

The plastic bullets can be fired from a normal AK-47 rifle but in a single shot mode. Burst mode firing is not possible with them.

A couple of thousand bullets have been sent to the security forces on experimental basis. The plastic bullets are non-penetrative, and thus less lethal than pellet guns, said a senior home ministry official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

A CRPF field commander in Srinagar said plastic bullets will be used as part of the graded response before using pellet guns.

The security forces now have the option of using PAVA shells, rubber bullets that are fired from the gas guns, plastic bullets and pellets guns before actually using live ammunition.

Pellet guns fire cartridges consisting of hundreds of small metal balls but their extensive use to quell unrest in the Valley after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8 last year led to hundreds of cases of eye and facial injuries, often causing partial or total blindness. The CRPF and state police faced severe criticism and there were calls to ban pellet guns.

The government explored alternatives such as shells made of PAVA (pelargonic acid vanillyl amide), an organic compound found in natural chilli pepper. These shells were only partially effective, and pellets guns continued to be used in the Valley, but the Centre has made is clear to forces that pellets guns should be used very sparingly.

The rubber bullets are basically small rubber cylinders fired from gas guns. These rubber cylinders then get divided into four parts and hit the unruly crowd like a stone. We are experimenting with plastic bullets but they hit one protestor at a time. Therefore dealing with a huge mob is bit difficult with them, said the CRPF field commander.

The situation in the Valley also came up for discussion in the daily intelligence briefing that Union home minister Rajnath Singh chairs whenever he is town.

Holding bypolls in the Kashmir has turned out to be an ill-timed decision. The situation was stabilising a bit in the Valley but elections have given fresh boost to separatists, said the home ministry official.

Srinagar bypoll saw only 7% polling and Anantnag parliamentary by-poll was postponed to May 25.

As of now we dont even know who among the separatist we can talk to. No separatist leader will be willing to come to the discussion table at this juncture, the home ministry official said.

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National Conference working president and Beerwah MLA, Omar Abdullah on Monday strongly endorsed his fathers demand of imposing Governors Rule in Jammu and Kashmir.

Fielding media queries here during legislative council biennial elections, Omar said that for the first time in 27 years (of insurgency), police comes out with an advisory telling its men and officers not to visit their homes.

Militants of late have been attacking police officers and men at their native places in Kashmir.

They cant go to their homes, cant meet their families. This Government cant hold elections. Elections to the parliamentary seat (Anantnag), which Mehbooba Mufti had left, cant be held. What more evidence is needed about deteriorated law and order situation, said Omar.

The situation has deteriorated to such an extent that except darkness, nothing is visible, he added.

He further said that despite such a hopeless situation, Mehbooba Mufti is shamelessly continuing in office.

He felt that Mehbooba should quit office and Governor should take over the reins.

Omar said that soon after Srinagar Lok Sabha by-polls results his father Farooq Abdullah had rightly demanded imposition of Governors Rule.

To PDPs oft-repeated charge that NC was instigating stone throwers in Valley, Omar said, Had it been so then where are the cases and FIRs registered against NC workers, who had been instigating?

He continued,  Had it been so then why we were polled so low in Chadoora, Chrar-e-Sharief, Eidgah and other NC strongholds? If we had to vitiate the atmosphere, we would have done it in PDPs bastions rather than doing it in our own backyard.

These are all lame excuses, he added.

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The US can defuse the tension between New Delhi and Islamabad over the Kashmir issue as Washington has good relations with both the countries, Pakistans envoy to the UN Maleeha Lodhi has said.

Somebody needs to play this role and we think the US is in the best position to do that, the envoy said on Sunday.

However she also said such a role required a more balanced policy on part of the US.

The situation in Kashmir -- the long-standing dispute between Pakistan and India - was once again inflamed, she explained and said such an environment possessed threat to regional peace and security.

She said the US could avert any kind of crisis in the region. So I am not suggesting thats about to happen but I am saying before the next crisis happens this is a role of leadership that the US can play.

Read: Pakistan welcomes US president-elect Trumps offer to mediate on Kashmir issue

Pakistan has felt that the US lacked balance in its approach to South Asia, and as a result we lost something in the relationship, the envoy said.

According to her, the nuclear deal that the Bush administration concluded with India was a discriminatory policy towards the South Asian region and had consequences for it.

The people of Kashmir have waited for 70 years to see justice done to their cause, to see Security Council resolutions being implemented, so we do believe that the answer to the instability in our region, which is caused by primarily and principally the dispute over Kashmir, should be resolved.

She believed that there was a need for dialogue between the two sides to resolve the ongoing tension.
Pakistan army violated the ceasefire on Monday along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmirs Rajouri district amid the rising tension between the two countries over the death sentence to former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav.

A Pakistani army court had sentenced Jadhav to death for espionage and anti-state activities a few days ago. Diplomatic ties between India and Pakistan plunged following Jadhavs sentence, with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj warning Islamabad of consequences if Jadhavs death sentence was carried out.

Jadhav was reportedly captured in Balochistan in March last year. He was tried by a field general court martial under provisions of the Pakistan Army Act and the Official Secrets Act.

Pakistan army initiated heavy fire on LoC from 0800 hours in Naushera sector, defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Mehta said.

Mehta added it was an unprovoked firing by the Pakistani side and that the Indian Army is retaliating strongly and effectively and the firing is presently on.

Sources said firing and mortar shelling is taking place in Makri, Sair, Kalsian, Baba Khori and Sarya areas manned by the Sikh Light Infantry and Rajputana Rifles.

The Indian Army foiled infiltration attempts twice in the past 24 hours by militants from the same location - Kalsian in Naushera Sector which led Pakistani troops to open heavy fire, they added.

Reports of exchange of firing between the armed forces of the two countries are routine along the de-facto border.

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.

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The Kerala government on Monday ordered a probe after photographs of young women offering prayers at Sabarimala temple, where women of procreative age are barred, surfaced on social media.

Kadakampally Surendran, state temple affairs minister, directed the Devasom vigilance department to examine the veracity of the photographs.

Though the government is in favour of allowing women of all ages at the temple, it is committed to upholding the prevailing customs till changes are being made, he said.

The minister said he received a complaint that some women accompanied a Kollam-based businessman to the temple when he went there to make arrangements for the impending visit of certain VIPs. It is not immediately known whether these photos belong to the same group.

The second largest pilgrimage after Mecca, the Sabarimala temple is dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, the son of Lord Vishnu and Siva.

Women of reproductive age (10-50 years) are barred in the temple, citing the reason that the idol concept is naishtika brahmacharya (eternal celibate).

The temple came into the limelight last year after the Bombay high court lifted restrictions imposed on women at the Haji Ali Dargah in Mumbai.

A petition challenging the temple customs is before the Supreme Court now.

Last year, a battle between can wait and why wait groups raged on social media.

Many devotees posted their photographs with a placard displaying they are ready to wait with a hashtag, with many women extending their support to the campaign. They said they were hurt by what they called a smear campaign by a section of atheists and non-believers against the temple.

Not to be left behind, persons opposing the status quo hit back, saying they didnt know the value of freedom and equality.
The government will make legal arrangements to ensure doctors prescribe generic medicines, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday, a move that could hurt big drug companies but benefit millions of poor people.

It wasnt clear if the new proposal would seek to put an end to the use of costlier medicines from Big Pharm. Prescribing a generic medicine means doctors write the composition of the medicine (the salt) and not a brand name.

Modi made the comments during the inauguration of a hospital in Surat, a known diamond hub which is also home to several top Indian generic drug makers.

Click here for Live updates on Modis Surat visit

We are going to make legal arrangements to ensure that when doctors write prescriptions they write that generic medicines are sufficient and that there is no need for any other medicine, he said.

I have seen doctors writing prescriptions in such a way that the poor people dont understand and go to the medicine shop where costlier medicines are sold.

Making medicines cheaper is a politically sensitive issue in India where many patented drugs are too costly for most people, and where patented drugs account for under 10% of total drug sales.

Global pharmaceutical firms have struggled to persuade the Indian government to stop more local companies from producing new varieties of cheap generic drugs still on-patent.

India already has schemes that provide free, generic drugs to millions of its poor from state-run hospitals, and some states such as Delhi have made their use mandatory. Many experts question the quality of these copycat versions.

Pitching for affordable healthcare, Modi said his government had forced drugs and medical equipment-makers lower prices.

Every day I do something in Delhi that makes someone or the other angry with me, he said, adding he called heart stent-makers and asked them to cut prices.

I told them those for Rs 40,000 should be given for Rs 6-7000 and a Rs 1.5-lakh stent for Rs 20,000.You cant imagine how much the drug makers are angry with me.

Doctors appeared to welcome Modis announcement, but some expressed concern over access to these drugs.

It is a good thing and will benefit patients a lot as they will be getting life-saving drugs at much cheaper rates, says Dr KK Talwar, former director, PGI Chandigarh and head of cardiology at Max Healthcare.

The Medical Council of India (MCI), the apex body that supervises medical education in the country, has already recommended doctors prescribe generic drugs.

It is not as if we dont prescribe generic drugs but currently accessibility and quality of these drugs is an issue.

(Additional reporting by Rhythma Kaul)

.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused the previous Congress government at the Centre of not fulfilling its duties and said it instead always blamed the states.

Addressing a public meeting, he said while it is the duty of the Centre to give out land rights to the tribals, the previous Congress government always blamed states for it.

Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh saw best progress in land rights to tribals. But the government of India and Congress leaders used to instigate the tribals that the Modi government (when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat) was not giving land rights to tribals, he told the gathering.

He said that when he became the Prime Minister, he realised that it is the duty of the Centre and not the states to hand over land rights to the tribals.

They were in power for 10 years, but they had always put the states on the docks (for not giving land rights)... not even a single tribal in the Union Territory was given land rights, he said.

Before the meeting, he handed over land rights to tribals, gas connections to women and aids to physically challenged people.

Continuing his broadside, the Prime Minister said the Congress contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections on the plank of increasing subsidised gas cylinders from nine to 12.

But after we came to power, we have provided gas connections to 2 crore households, he said, adding that it has helped improve the health of women who used to cook using wood as fuel.

Referring to his governments push for generic medicine, Modi said the poor should also get medicines and asserted that cheap medicine does not mean it lacks quality.

He warned against propaganda that generic medicines lack quality.
PATNA: Clearly worried about growing incidence of intolerance and conflict across the country, President Pranab Mukherjee, here on Monday, sent out a terse message.

To keep India united, we must celebrate its diversity, the 81-year-old head of the Indian state said during his address at a function organised by the Bihar government to honour freedom fighters from across the country.

We have over 200 languages spoken in the country, many religions practised in it and people of various racial categories living in it, under one constitution. As such, the Indian identity and the feeling  I am Indian  ought to be paramount, Mukherjee said.

As it was during the freedom movement, India was again faced with communalism and sectarianism, he observed.

The President felicitated 15 freedom fighters at the function, the Akhil Bharatiya Swatantrata Senani Samman Samaroh, organised as part of the centenary year celebrations of Gandhis Champaran Satyagrah.

The event was meant to commemorate a very significant happening during Indias freedom movement  Gandhis visit to the Champaran region of north Bihar in 1917, to lead a protest by local farmers against the exploitative ways of the British indigo planters.

Mukherjee acknowledged the Champaran Satyagrah served to establish passive resistance as Gandhis main canon of protest against the British imperial rulers. Champaran became the laboratory of Indias freedom struggle. It turned MK Gandhi into Mahatma Gandhi, he said.

Yet, controversy marred the event on Monday as Union home minister Rajnath Singh, who had earlier consented to attend it, did not turn up. BJPs former state president Mangal Pandey said he had learnt from Singhs office he decided to stay away as the event had been politicised.

In a tweet, BJP leader Sushil Modi made it clear his party was aggrieved that RJD chief Lalu Prasad, convicted in a case, had been invited to share dais with the President. He also objected to the invitation given to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, clearly disappointed with Rajnath Singhs decision not to attend the function after having consented to do so, insisted it was a state function which had nothing to do with politics.

I had invited all party presidents. If some decided not to attend it was their decision. I wont hold that against them, Kumar said.

The chief minister said in the prevailing atmosphere of intolerance and confrontation, Gandhijis thought and vision showed the way forward. The state government was making efforts to take Gandhian principles to all schools and homes in Bihar.

Kumar said a collection of 50 Gandhi stories was being compiled for school children and declared that all sites associated with the Gandhis stint, including his basic schools, would be rejuvenated.

Rahul Gandhi said Mahatma Gandhi took three bullets (when he was assassinated in 1948) because he was a strong votary of uniting people instead of dividing them. He said it was not necessary for sachhai (truth) to be with people who had satta (office).

RJD chief Lalu Prasad brought politics directly into the proceedings by saying that Bihars ruling grand alliance  comprising the RJD, JD (U) and Congress, had been formed to save India of Gandhis dreams.

Prasad said the issue of triple talaq had been raised to divert public attention from real issues facing the country. I have information a move is afoot to change the constitution and to scrap job reservations, he claimed.

Amid suggestions of a growing rift between Bihar ruling alliance partners, the RJD and JD (U), the RJD chief also gave his ashirwad (blessings) to CM Kumar, to carry on and take Bihar forward.

Bihar governor Ram Nath Kovind said it was Champaran that introduced Gandhi to India, as a non-pareil leader he was. He also presented to the President a souvenir on Champaran satyagrah, released at the function.

Deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, JD (U) state president Basistha Narayan Singh and CPI state secretary Satya Narayan Singh, were among those who shared the dais with the President. But no leader of the NDA, the opposition block in Bihar, was present.

All India freedom fighters association secretary Satyanand Yaji proposed a vote of thanks.

STRAP

CHAMPARAN SATYAGRAH CENTENARY President Pranab Mukherjee felicitates freedom fighters at the Akhil Bharatiya Swatantrata Senani Samman Samaroh function organised as part of celebrations

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Toeing the line of Uttar Pradesh chief minister chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Bhopal mayor has decided to start a crackdown on illegal meat sellers.

Mayor Bhopal Alok Sharma on Monday told reporters that Bhopal Municipal Corporation has identified 100 meat sellers in Bhopal who were found selling in violation of the laid down norms. He said he has also received many complaints regarding already dead poultry being sold from some meat shops in Bhopal.

We are not sparing those who violate the norms. We will conduct raids on illegal meat sellers and seize the animals and poultry. Such seized animals and birds will then be sent to Van Vihar National Park Bhopal, he said.

There are over 600 to 700 meats shops in and around Bhopal, according to meat traders.

Meat traders in Bhopal are already worried over the proposed shifting of the state capitals only slaughter house out of the city limits, following National Green Tribunals order.

According to officials, the slaughter of animals for food is a State subject and regulated by local bodies through licensing of slaughterhouses and retail meat shops. However, most of the municipal slaughterhouses and meat shops lack modern machinery and equipment with inadequate hygiene and sanitation. The facilities for effluent treatment and waste disposal in these traditional slaughterhouses and meat shops are also not satisfactory.
In the sharpest denouncement yet of Pakistans support for terrorism by the Donald Trump administration, United States national security adviser HR McMaster expressed frustration on Sunday with Islamabads continued use of proxies that engage in violence.

As all of us have hoped for many, many years  we have hoped that Pakistani leaders will understand that it is in their interest to go after these groups less selectively than they have in the past, he told ToloNews, an Afghan TV channel.

The best way to pursue their interests in Afghanistan and elsewhere is through the use of diplomacy, and not through the use of proxies that engage in violence, the national security adviser added in the interview during a visit to Afghanistan.

That elsewhere was interpreted among India watchers in the US as the Trump administrations nod to New Delhis concerns about terrorist strikes carried out in India by outfits based in Pakistan such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.

McMaster goes next to Pakistan and India in the midst of a review of the new administrations policy for the region that is being closely watched on the subcontinent and among South Asia policy experts and pundits in DC.

McMasters remarks were the first clearest indication of the Trump administrations thinking on South Asia, specially Pakistans role in hosting and exporting terrorism across its borders with India on the east and Afghanistan on the west.

The US has long been frustrated by Pakistans support for terrorist outfits operating from its territories against American-led international coalition forces in Afghanistan, such as the Haqqani Network and al Qaeda outfits.

And in recent years, the United States displayed mounting exasperation with, as many lawmakers have said, Pakistans duplicity in looking askance at terrorists based on its soil while accepting American aid for exterminating them.

Their frustration is not limited to terrorists operating in Afghanistan only, but also to those carrying out strikes in India  specially the 2008 Mumbai attack by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, in which many Americans were killed.

McMasters visit and his remarks are being closely followed on the sub-continent for indications to Trump administrations thinking on the region, and its policy in the light of mounting pressure to get tough with Islamabad.

A report authored and released earlier in the yer by Lisa Curtis, an expert with right-leaning Heritage Foundation who is joining Trumps national security team, and Husain Haqqani, former Pakistani ambassador to the US, was specially scathing.

It recommended that the Trump administration should be prepared to get tough with Pakistan over its patchy counterterrorism record and should keep on the table the option of declaring it a state sponsor of terrorism.
Modi reaches out to backward Muslim communities, asks BJP to start dialogue on triple talaq

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday sought to expand his OBC outreach by asking party colleagues to attend to weaker segments within the Muslim community and push for resolution of such issues as triple talaq through dialogue, and not conflict. He spoke on triple talaq in his concluding address at the BJPs national executive meeting while his remarks on backward Muslims were made in an intervention during the discussion on a resolution that hailed him for providing constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes.

Read the full story here.

You need lessons on keeping quiet: PM Modi tells BJP leaders at Odisha meet

BJP leaders need to watch their words, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is watching. The ruling partys supreme leader on Sunday gave fellow party men a lecture on how and when to keep quiet. The growing habit among ruling party leaders to speak out of turn, sometimes even creating a controversy, has not gone down well with Modi. Every time I switch on television, I see a BJP leader making one or the other statement. You need lessons on keeping quiet, a senior party functionary quoted Modi as saying during his concluding remarks at the BJPs national executive meeting here.

Read the full story here.

Srinagar youth who was shot dead was no stone-thrower, say neighbours

Traces of dry, flaky bloodstains dot the spot on a narrow lane in Srinagars Batmaloo suburb where youngster Sajad Hussain Sheikh took a bullet to his head, fired by security force trying to disperse a group of stone-throwing protesters on Saturday. The neighbourhood is unusually quiet even for a weekend. Batmaloos SD Colony, where the Sheikh family lives, is swarming with paramilitary personnel. Sajad, his relatives said, was just 15, contrary to media reports stating his age as 22 or 23. He was a class nine student at a private school in Batmaloo and helped his father, Ghulam Hassan Sheikh, run a small fast food stall selling kebabs from a barbeque in the evening.

Read the full story here.

J-K police file FIR against army for tying man to a jeep as human shield in Kashmirs Beerwa

The Jammu and Kashmir police filed an FIR against the Indian Army for tying a man to a jeep as a human shield, the video of which sparked outrage in the Valley after it was shared few days ago. Police said it registered the first information report (FIR) in the Beerwa police station in Budgam district, the area where the video was believed to have been shot on April 9 when bypolls were held for Srinagars parliamentary seat. According to a local news agency KNS, police said that investigation is being conducted by SDPO Magam, and the FIR was lodged against the armys 53 Rashtriya Rifles unit.

Read the full story here.

Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai airports on high alert after hijack threat

Security at three major international airports in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai has been stepped up after agencies were informed about a possible hijack attempt of an aircraft from these facilities. Officials said a high alert warning has been issued to the three facilities after the Mumbai police received an e-mail on Saturday night from a woman living there. The e-mail mentions that the woman overheard six boys talking about a possible aircraft hijack attempt at these facilities, they said. The Mumbai police shared the e-mail with all security and intelligence agencies.

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Telangana raises Muslim quota to 12% taking states total quota above SC limit

The Telangana government passed a bill on Sunday to increase reservation in jobs and education for backward Muslims to 12%, exceeding the Supreme Courts 50% ceiling for such benefits. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government bulldozed its way, convening a special assembly session on Sunday, a holiday, to pass the bill through a voice vote after hours of intense debate and suspension of five BJP legislators who opposed religion-based reservations.

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Turkey referendum: President Erdogan claims victory, critics call fraud

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared victory in Sundays referendum that will grant sweeping powers to the presidency, hailing the result as a historic decision. Speaking to reporters in Istanbul, Erdogan said unofficial results showed the yes side had won by a margin of 1.3 million votes. The president struck a conciliatory tone, thanking all voters regardless of how they cast their ballots and describing the referendum as a historic decision. April 16 is the victory of all who said yes or no, of the whole 80 million, of the whole of Turkey of 780,000-square kilometers, Erdogan said.

Read the full story here.

Nepal-China joint military drill begins

The first ever Nepal-China joint military drill began on Sunday at Nepal Armys Para Training School Maharajgunj in Kathmandu. The Peoples Liberation Armys squad is taking part in Sagarmatha Friendship-2017, which will focus on counter-terrorism and disaster response. The 10-day exercise will conclude on April 25. We hope such joint military exercise would help Nepal and Chinese Armies to boost their professional capabilities, the Nepal Army said.

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Oh Snap! Netizens mistakenly uninstall Snapdeal app instead of Snapchat

In a case of mistaken identity, many people downgraded and uninstalled the mobile application of e-commerce platform Snapdeal instead of social networking app Snapchat to mark their protest against certain unverified comments of Snapchat CEO about the Indian market. The social media on Sunday was abuzz with criticism against Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel after a report quoted one of the companys former employees as saying that the top executive told him that the app is only for rich people and that he (CEO) was not interested in expanding the business to poor countries like India and Spain.

Read the full story here.

IPL 2017: Ben Stokes, Shardul Thakur revive RPS campaign, RCB slump to bottom

Brilliant bowling displays from Ben Stokes and Shardul Thakur and Manoj Tiwarys late cameo guided Rising Pune Supergiant to a 27-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore. RPS are now sixth in IPL 2017 standings while Virat Kohlis men have slumped to bottom of the table.

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The state governments notification, which defined weaker sections as those whose annual income is not more than 1 lakh, will prevent many poor children from getting school admissions under the right to education (RTE) Act, activists said.

Under the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, private schools are required to admit at least 25% of children in Class I from disadvantaged and weaker sections, and provide them free education.

The Act authorises state governments to fix the income limit and define the weaker sections. The Rajasthan government issued the notification last week, saying those children will be considered as belonging to weaker sections if the annual income of their parents or guardians is not more than 1 lakh.

The state government had earlier set an income limit of 2.5 lakh to define the weaker sections. A notification, issued in March last year, limited weaker sections to only the Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. The high court struck down the notification. The state then appealed in the Supreme Court, which upheld the high court order.

Some activists said the 1-lakh income ceiling will exclude a number of students from RTE admissions; others said the notification will change little on the ground, citing irregularities in the process of admissions under the RTE Act.

Really underprivileged kids were excluded earlier too and they will fail to get admissions even now. Mostly the non-salaried class with false income certificates are getting admissions under the quota for weaker sections and disadvantaged, said Hari Om Soni, an Udaipur-based activist and member of the districts grievance redressal committee for RTE.

The government only reimburses tuition fees and there are other expenses in private schools, Soni said. And what about the inferiority complex a kid from slums will face going to a private school? Many times admission forms under RTE were not available and the lotteries were rigged.

Kul Bhushan Kothari, an educationist who works with NGO Pratham, called the recent notification irrational as it will be a setback to a number of children who would have otherwise benefited from the Act.

He said, The move shows the governments unwillingness to pay the private schools for admissions under RTE. The government spends 15,000-16,000 annually on every child every admitted under RTE. Soni said private schools were struggling to get reimbursements from the government.

Kothari said, The RTE quota has been misused by a lot of people and administrative loopholes need to be plugged first to ensure that the benefit reaches those who really deserve it.

Kavita Srivastava, general secretary of the Peoples Union for Civil Liberties, called seats reservation for the disadvantaged as tokenism. Private schools are motivated by profit and have no intention of extending education opportunities to the poor, she said.

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The Rajasthan government is all set to ink a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with HPCL on Tuesday to set up Indias first Bharat Stage-VI (BS-VI) oil refinery and petrochemical complex in Pachpadra area of Barmer district, a senior official said.

In 2013, the previous Congress government had signed an MoU with HPCL (Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited) to set up a 9-million-tonne refinery-cum-petrochemicals project with an investment of 37,000 crore. The Vasundhara Raje government put the project under review in July 2014, questioning the less share to the state and the interest-free loan package.

Under the new MoU, though the project cost escalated to 43,129 crore, it will be based on new technology supporting BS-VI norms, the senior official of the mines and petroleum department told HT on Monday.

The viability gap funding (VGF), which was 3736 crore for 15 years to be given by state government, has come down to 1123 crore.

The state governments return on investment has been increased to 12% from 2%. The government will invest 20,865 crore in 15 years as VGF and equity share (26%) in the refinery.

It is a much better deal at lower cost and improved configuration. The refinery in Barmer will be Indias first on BS-VI norms  environment-friendly and less pollution. The project life will be 30 years after it starts operations, the official said on condition of anonymity.

The refinery will produce 2.5MT crude annually. The refinery will remain operational even if the oil level depletes as crude oil will be imported with no additional financial burden on the state. The company will bear the cost, the official said.

On the steps taken to reduce VGF, the official said, Earlier the slurry hydrocracking technique was to be used, now it will be delayed coker.

The power plant of the refinery will generate electricity from pet coke (refinery waste product); earlier gas was to be used to generate power. Now gas will be used for petro-chemical complex. Through pet coke around 250MW power will be generated, of which 200MW is required for the refinery, the official said.

After facing criticisms from the Opposition over delaying the project, the chief minister announced in the recent budget session that the government will ink an MoU this month on new terms and conditions, which are in the states interest. She criticised the Congress government for signing the previous MoU in a haste.

Agreement with GAIL

The state government will also sign an MoU  business transfer agreement -- with the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) on Tuesday.

Under the MoU, the assets made by GAIL in Kota for city gas distribution through pipelines will be handed over to the Rajasthan State Gas Limited, a joint venture of the Rajasthan State Petroleum Corporation Limited (RSPCL) and GAIL with 50-50 partnership.

RSPCL is owned by the Rajasthan State Mines and Mineral Limited.
The special operations group (SOG) of Rajasthan police on Monday arrested eight people, including two professors of the University of Rajasthan in Jaipur, for their involvement in leaking graduate and postgraduate commerce and geography exam papers.

The SOG, through technical and physical verification of a tip-off, worked on the case for several days before zeroing in on the teachers in one of the states biggest paper leak cases.

SOG additional director general of police (ADG) Umesh Mishra said that the group also arrested Government College in Khajuwalas principal NS Modi for getting the M.Com. (final) question paper for the exam held on April 5. Modi got the paper for his son, Nipun, who has also been arrested.

Shambhu Jayal Jhalani, a lecturer at SSG Pareek Girls College, Chomu (Jaipur), had set the commerce paper. Govind Pareek, professor of accountancy and business statistics at the University of Rajasthan, leaked it to NS Modi for his son.

SOG inspector general of police MN Dinesh said three papers of Jaipur University and one of Bikaner University were also leaked this month. Two geography exam papers of BA (III) and one of MA (previous) in accountancy and business statistics were leaked in Jaipur and the commerce paper of M Com (final) leaked in Bikaner.

SOG arrested Jagdish Prasad Jat, who is the head of geography department at the University of Rajasthan, for leaking papers to his favourite students. The paper was set by BL Gupta, a retired professor of geography at the university. The exams were held on April 10 and 12.

The SOG is also interrogating an employee of the secrecy wing of the University of Rajasthan suspecting his role in the leaks.

SOG sleuths have also laid their hands on some more people who may be involved in the leak of B.Com. (III) paper in Bandikui, Dausa. Dinesh said they are being brought to Jaipur for interrogation.
Buoyant after the new found enthusiasm in the Kanthi Dakshin Assembly bypoll and the flexing of muscles in the Ram Navami processions in Bengal, BJP has decided to contest elections in the civic body of Domkal in Murshidabad, a district where they havent won a single Assembly constituency so far. Domkal is a municipality where an overwhelming number of residents belong to the minority community.

The party has found new vigour after its spectacular victory in the Uttar Pradesh polls and has decided to field candidates in all 21 seats of the civic body.

Read: Kailash Vijayvargiya dares Mamata Banerjee to arrest BJP Bengal chief

Though tiny in its scope in the larger political context of Bengal, the civic body election will be significant as it may provide an indication of the inroads BJP has been able to make in the state. In its national executive meet in Bhubaneswar, BJP president Amit Shah has made it clear that Bengal is now a priority state for the party apart from Odisha.

The Left and Congress are fighting together. BJP has decided to fight it alone and take on both the alliance and Trinamool Congress.

While campaigning for the Domkal civic polls, BJP leaders will highlight the development work undertken by the Prime Minister. (HT Photo)

The party recorded a steep rise -- from 9% in 2016 to 31% -- in the votes in Kanthi Dakshin Assembly bypoll the results of which was declared on April 13.

Incidentally, Domkal is the youngest municipality of the district. It is supposed to go to the polls on May 14.

Read: TMC in a fix over rise of BJPs aggressive Hindutva in Bengal

Murshidabad has long been known as the fortress of West Bengal Pradesh Congress president Adhir Chaudhury , where Trinamool has been trying to make inroads for the past few years. The effort is being spearheaded by Lok Sabha MP Subhendu Adhikari.

Mamata Banerjees party may not be too uncomfortable with BJP in Domkal civic body, but it will keenly watch the results for the number of votes BJP candidates secure. (HT Photo)

In past several months the Congress and Left Front have lost control of six municipalities out of seven civic bodies in the district to the TMC. The fate of the Congress-run Kandi municipality is in the hand of the Calcutta High Court. Congress has also lost control of the zilla parishad to TMC. Both Left Front and Congress have also ceded control of many rural bodies to the ruling party oof Bengal.

The whole country is now admiring the developmental work and good governance of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. So, why should Murshidabad lag behind? People across the state have witnessed the growing strength of BJP during Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti celebrations, said Subhas Mondal, the general secretary of Murshidabad BJP.

Read: From panchayat to unconquered territories: Takeaways from the BJP meet in Odisha

We have decided that all the 21 candidates will be from Domkal, he added.

BJP had 10 councillors in the seven civic bodies of the district, but five of them have already defected to TMC. Four of the remaining five are from Bendanga civic body.

About 92% of the voters of Domkal belong to the minority community. So our victory will not be easy. We have focussed on six wards of Domkal. Recently, we have seen that even voters of the minority community have started trusting the BJP, said the district BJP leader.

BJP is going to highlight the success of Modi government and the development works BJP governments are pursuing in different states. We will leave no stone unturned to open our account in the first municipality election at Domkal,Mondal said.

Leaders of the party told HT that it has been tentatively decided that union minister Giriraj Singh and Rajya Sabha MP Prabhat Jha will come to Domkal for the campaign.

State leaders will soon kick off the campaign.
West Bengals opposition parties on Monday tore into the states ruling Trinamool Congress after the CBI filed an FIR against 12 of its frontline leaders in the Narada sting footage case. However, the Trinamool claimed that the timing of the FIR has raised doubts in the peoples minds.

The scam refers to a series of sting videos shot by Naradanews.com over a period of two years, which show several ministers and MPs of the TMC allegedly accepting bribes. It was aired a few days before the Bengal Assembly polls of 2016, prompting CM Mamata Banerjee to allege that it was a result of political conspiracy.

State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury targeted chief minister and Trinamool supremo Banerjee for having earlier claimed that no such scandal has taken place.

The chief minister, who claims time and again that she believes in politics of transparency, had said after the last assembly polls (last year which Trinamool won) that her partys victory meant there was no Narada scam.

She needs to be asked whether she still feels false cases have been lodged against the Narada accused? he asked.

Chowdhury said people of the entire country got convinced after watching the footage that it was a case of corruption.

But only the Trinamool denied it. Todays development shows Trinamool is a party of 40 thieves, as in the Alibaba story.

Twelve of their top leaders, besides an IPS officer, are accused in the CBI probe. This has besmirched Bengals name across the country, said Chowdhury, a former Union Minister and current MP.

Senior Communist Party of India-Marxist leader and noted lawyer Bikash Bhattacharya said the latest development was inevitable.

CBI would have filed the FIR much earlier. But the Trinamool people went to court and gave more time to the CBI. I am sure CBI is making watertight-cases against these people are vital sections of the Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act.

This shows the big role that money plays in politics of Bengal, or entire India. We hope there will be no political interference impeding the CBI probe. Let there be a free inquiry. And let there be transparency in Indian politics, added Bhattacharya, who had fought the case for the petitioners seeking a CBI probe into the case.

State Bharatiya Janata Party president Dilip Ghosh said the filing of FIR was expected.

People of whole West Bengal were waiting for this. The probe is proceeding in the right direction. Peoples faith in the court and the CBI is increasing,. We hope justice will prevail, he said.

The Trinamool said the turn of events would be discussed in the party.

The leaders will do whatever is needed. We will discuss it in the party. But It wont be proper to see it as a mere FIR. There is more than meets the eye, said Trinamool secretary general and state minister Partha Chatterjee.

The timing of the FIRS has raised doubts in the mind of the people, he said without elaborating.

However, Banerjee and her partys senior leaders have been claiming time and again that the Narada issue was being used by the centres ruling BJP to teach a lesson to the Trinamool for leading the protests after the union government demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination currency notes.
The saffron camps aggressive push for its Hindutva agenda in Bengal and its success in the Kanthi Dakshin by-elections, has got the states ruling party, Mamata Banerjees Trinamool Congress, confused and desperately looking for a combat plan.

In the by-elections held amid high-voltage war of words between Trinamool and BJP over the saffron camps unprecedented display of swords, machetes, axes and scythes during Ram Navami processions, Trinamool increased its share of votes and the winning margin from the 2016 result. But the rise of BJPs share of votes from 9% to 31% -- mostly at the cost of the Lefts vote bank  indicated consolidation of opposition votes in favour of BJP.

Read: Sangh Parivar organise unprecedented Ram Navami celebration across Bengal

Four days after the bypoll result, several senior Trinamool Congress refused to go on record but admitted that the party was yet to formulate a strategy to combat the new language of BJP. While TMC leaders are confident of pocketing consolidated Muslim votes, a sharp split in majority Hindu votes could spell doom for them.

Mamata Banerjees party is not sure whether to aggressively campaign for the distinctive Bengali culture as it may end up alienating a part of the non-Bengali residents of the state. (HT Photo)

According to the 2011 census, Bengal has 27% Muslim population.

We are still assessing the situation. BJPs aggressive push for the cow belt culture has triggered opposition from those who put their Bengali identity ahead of religious one, and we believe they are the majority. However, we cannot afford to isolate non-Bengali Hindus, though they dominate the electoral equations in only a handful of the states 294 Assembly seats, said senior Trinamool Congress minister, who requested anonymity.

Read: BJP seeks Mamata out as Bengal opposition pile pressure on Trinamool over Narada sting

According to the 2001 census, Hindi-speaking people comprise about 7% of the states population and are mostly concentrated in the urban, industrial belts in Burdwan, Howrah, North 24-Parganas, West Midnapore and Hooghly districts. Bengalis comprise about 85% of the states population.

Senior Trinamool MP Sougata Roy, a former professor of physics, had no hesitation in saying, Our party will reach out to people for protecting Bengals distinct culture from BJPs plan of dominating it with the culture imported from the Hindi heartland.

According to political analyst Ranabir Samaddar, Trinamool Congress looks confused about deriving a combat strategy, from both political and administrative perspective. They are not sure whether to try to hijack BJPs issue by enthusiastically celebrating the same religious festivals and BJP, or to stress on the distinctiveness on Bengals cultural traditions, he remarked.

The BJP leadership has made it clear that they are going to pursue the aggressive Hindutva line in Bengal, especially after spectacular gains from the bypoll of Kanthi Dakshin Assembly constituency. (HT Photo)

Mamata Banerjee is running the state more through the administration and less through her partys organisation. In combating the situation, too, Mamata Banerjee will look to depend more on the administration. In this case, however, they seem yet unsure about where to draw the line for administrative interference in celebration of religious festivals, Samaddar said.

Read: Fight between Ramzada and Haramzada in Bengal: BJPs Dilip Ghosh

Police action against display of weapons in saffron camps programmes may help BJP play victim and earn sympathy of the Hindus, whereas lack of police action could lead to deterioration of the law and order situation, something that she least wants, he added.

Trinamools initial response to BJPs aggressive celebration of Ram Navami was to accuse it of hijacking a religious festival and claim that Ram Navami did not belong to BJP alone. Trinamool leaders in various districts including Birbhum, Howrah, West Midnapore and West Burdwan were seen competing with the saffron camp in organising Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti.

Prominent intellectuals have pointed out in the states media that the saffron camp was trying to vitiate Bengals distinct culture. Our leader started doubting whether competing with BJP would end up legitimising BJPs agenda of influencing the Bengalis with Hindi heartlands culture, a Trinamool Congress MP told HT.

Lok Sabha Trinamool MP Saugata Roy (centre) is in favour of combating BJP with the distinctive culture of Bengalis. (HT Photo)

Ever since the first Ram Navami procession, Bengali intellectuals as Jnanpith award winning poet Shankha Ghosh, purana expert Nrisingha Prasad Bhaduri, historian Goutam Bhadra and former bureaucrat Jawhar Sircar, who is presently heading the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, have expressed concerns over Bengals distinct culture being at stake. In a few public meetings, Mamata Banerjee stressed on the distinctiveness of Bengali culture as different from that of the Hindi heartland.

Read: Election results: Why BJPs sweep in UP could be ominous for Mamata Banerjee

We, Bengalis celebrate Bijoya Dasami with sindoor-khela (women smearing vermillion on each other), and not by display of swrods, she recently said in response to BJP state wing chief Dilip Ghoshs declaration that they would bring out sword rallies on Bijoya Dasami. In a comment that smacked of dismissiveness, she has also referred to BJP as Ram-ra or the Ram people several times.

The celebration of Bengali New Year (on April 15) witnessed more involvement from Trinamool Congress leaders than in earlier years. Those who led the processions include state power minister Sovandeb Chatterjee, food minister Jyotipriya Mallick and MLAs Sujit Basu and Prabir Ghosal. Interestingly, BJP leaders were not seen in any Poila Baishakh procession.

This is our response to BJP. They took out rallies with swords on Ram Navami. We have taken out this Naba Barsha procession with flowers and sweets. To protect Bengali culture, we will fight with culture, Mallick said.

Read: Behead Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, get Rs 11-lakh: BJP youth leader

According to political scientist Amal Mukhopadhyay, former principal of Presidency College, Mamata Banerjee took minority appeasement as a safe way to keep the Left away from power but never assessed to what extent it could influence the sentiments of the Hindus.

File picture of villagers in Singur taking out a procession after the supreme court verdict directing the Bengal government to return the Tata Motors plot to the farmers. The BJP push comes against the backdrop of Mamata Banerjee enjoying the pinnacle of popularity in her four-decade old political career. (HT Photo)

Now that BJP is going all-out with its agenda of securing the interests of the Hindus, Trinamool looks utterly confused. They are not sure whether to appeal to the linguistic identity of Bengali Hindus - who have always taken pride in Bengals so-called cultural superiority - or reach out to people from all communities, Mukhopadhyay said.

Some experts trace the problem back to Mamata Banerjees association with BJP during the first NDA government, which the party believed cost them dear in the 2004 Lok Sabha and 2006 Assembly elections. The party, however, gained oxygen through its anti-land acquisition struggles in Singur, Nandigram and Bhangar - the last two having sizable Muslim population - and the 2008 panchayat elections showed clear signs of cracks in the Lefts Muslim vote bank.

Read: BJPs Operation Mamata has a three-pronged strategy

The more the Left tried to remind the Muslims of Mamatas past association with BJP, the more she overtly tried to appease the Muslims. While the 2011 Assembly elections clearly showed that Trinamool managed to bag majority of the Muslim votes, BJP found it an opportune moment to prioritise consolidation of Hindus against minority-appeasement. Their initiative got a shot in the arm in 2016 after senior RSS pracharak Dilip Ghosh was made BJPs state unit president.

Former Naxalite leader Ashim Chatterjee, however, thinks the increase in BJPs popularity has more to do with the opposition voters loss of trust in the Left and the Congress, and the two parties failure in protecting supporters from Trinamools aggression. Trinamool should first stop harassing Left and Congress activists so that they do not turn up to BJP in search of political shelter, he said.

Trinamool, too, is concerned with this trend. However, if we go soft on the Left and the Congress, there is more chance of opposition voters turning to BJP, a senior minister told HT.

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In a strongest ever censure against the social practice amid a raging debate over the issue, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has called for social boycott of whoever divorces his wife by pronouncing triple talaq in one sitting. But it stopped short of abolishing the utterance of talaq thrice in one sitting.

The board, which deals with the Muslim personal laws in India, issued an eight-point code of conduct to prevent misuse of the practice and other Islamic laws (Sharia) on Sunday.

The board, however, made it clear that it would not tolerate any outside interference in matters of Muslim personal laws.

On Ayodhya dispute, the AIMPLB made it clear that it is not in favour of any out-of-court settlement as was suggested recently by the apex court on the issue.

The Supreme Court is currently hearing a case on the constitutional validity of the practice some Muslims follow to annul their marriage pronouncing talaq, the Arabic word for divorce, thrice.

The Union government on October 7 last year opposed in the SC the triple talaq and other Islamic practices such as nikah halala and polygamy and favoured a relook in their continuation on grounds such as gender equality and secularism.

The top court will start day-to-day hearing over the issue from May 13, on a PIL filed by some Muslim women challenging the practice.

No roadblocks should be put in the implementation of the personal laws, said boards general secretary Maulana Wali Rahmani.

A booklet, titled Instructions for Talaq, containing the guidelines will be circulated in all the mosques so that Imams can read them out after Friday prayer to create awareness.

Imams and clergies have also been asked to follow the code of conducts in letter and spirit, Rahmani said.

The board says a woman who does not want to live with her husband has the right to seek separation (khula).

Clarifying the process of divorce, the board said a man needs to pronounce talaq once every month for three consecutive months.

The powerful religious body of all Muslim sects also announced setting up of a helpline for victims of triple talaq.

We have conducted a countrywide survey on triple talaq. The findings reveal that the rate of divorce is lowest among the Muslims. The issue has been blown out of proportion by the media and by people who are cut off from the ground realities, the board said.

The signature campaign has revealed that majority of the Muslims in the country are against any change in their personal law, Rehmani said.

He said the organisation would provide all possible help to Muslim woman divorcees as provided under Shariah and urged parents to give women a share in their properties instead of dowry at the time of marriage.

To counter, what it said, false propaganda on electronic and social media over the Islamic practice, the AIMPLB has set up a special womens wing to present its point of view.

We are carrying out counseling sessions in which we try to settle issues related to marriage/divorce through reconciliation and arbitration, said in-charge of the womens wing Asma Zehra.

The organisation, she said, has already received 15,500 calls on its Muslim women helpline number 18001028426 so far.

Read more: Opposing triple talaq, AIMPLB woman member feels isolated

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Amidst anti-liquor protests by women in the state, a girl refused to tie the knot in Narayani village of Kasganj district on Saturday when the groom reached the venue in a drunken state.

The girls family have now approached the panchayat demanding compensation for the expenditure incurred on wedding preparations and for the mental agony caused to the bride and her family.

According to reports, preparations were on in full swing at the house of Banwari Lal, a farmer belonging to the Lodh caste, for the marriage of his daughter Anju (19) with Gajendra, a resident of a neighbouring village.

Gajendra is employed at a private firm in Bhiwani (Haryana).

After dinner, the baratis were getting ready to sing and dance on the songs being played by Rangshala  a horse-driven buggy having loud music system and female dancers. The buggy also has seating arrangement for the groom.

When enthusiastic women and children tried to have a glimpse of the groom, they saw the groom falling on the ground repeatedly in an attempt to sit on the Rangshala.

Village pradhan Kunwar Pal Singh, an eye-witness to the incident, said the groom could not sit on the Rangshala and his speech was also slurred. His behaviour showed he was heavily drunk, Singh said.

As soon as Anju came to know of this, she refused to marry Gajendra. I am not going to allow my life to be ruined by marrying a drunkard, she told her parents. After initial hesitation, Anjus family accepted her decision.

The girls family called the local police and took the matter to the panchayat demanding return of gifts and cash that they had given to the bridegroom and his family as dowry. They also demanded payment of the cost towards other preparations.

We found the bridegroom under the influence of liquor though he said someone had mixed liquor in his cold drink without his knowledge, station officer of Dholana police station Ashok Kumar Singh told HT.

However, no case has been registered in the matter as both the parties are trying to solve the issue by returning the money spent by both the sides. The marriage has been called off, he said.

Anjus refusal to tie the knot with a drunkard is being seen as another example of growing awareness among the women in villages.

Women are up in arms against liquor shops after the Supreme Court ordered the shifting of vends from national and state highways. We have seen liquor destroying several families and Anjus decision not to marry a drunkard has made all of us proud, said Anjus father Banwari Lal.

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Music transcends borders and captivates hearts. Going by this maxim, Indias noted rabab exponent Gulfam Ahmad Khan, 61, is a winner all the way, from India to Afghanistan.

Khan, who played the Afghan rabab at Sankatmochan Sangeet Samaroh here late Saturday night and left the audience spellbound, has become Indias ambassador of goodwill of sorts in Afghanistan.

In Afghanistan, he teaches locals the rudiments of playing the lute-shaped musical instrument which is quite akin to the sarod.

Khan, who divides his time between New Delhi and Kabul, has taught 250 Afghan nationals and 50 more are under his tutelage. His skill has earned him enormous respect in Afghanistan where people call him Ustad.

In particular, he wants to popularise the Dhrupadi rabab (Narad veena), an Indian variety of the instrument, across Afghanistan and in other parts of the world.

Khan wishes for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take the initiative to popularise the Indian rabab.

Dhrupadi rabab is a completely classical instrument. It produces spiritual tunes. The Afghan rabab is for fast tunes. The Indian rabab needs promotion and preservation. If the centre makes a little effort, it may become a highly popular instrument in Afghanistan, Khan told HT.

Khan , who is in Varanasi on a four-day tour, will leave for New Delhi on Monday.

Born in Bugrasi, a town in Bulandshahar, he started playing the rabab with his father Ishtiyaque Khan who had mastery over both rabab and sarod. He gave his first performance at the age of nine in Gurudaspur.

The audiences enthusiastic response encouraged him to continue playing the instrument. His love for the rabab grew stronger.

After putting in hours of riyaaz (practice), he honed his skills.

A few years later, he performed in Ahmedabad and did not have to look back thereafter.

He took a break for a few years in the late 198os when there were no connoisseurs of the great art. During this period, he played the sarod, only to return to the rabab in the 1990s.

Starting a fresh innings, he gave a few public performances and wrote the popular number Gata jaaye mast kalandar, Allah teri shan, Maula teri shan, composing the music on the rabab.

The song made him popular across Punjab.

When he visited his daughter and son-in-law in Afghanistan, he played the rabab and impressed the locals there. Many of them insisted on learning to play the rabab from him. He did not refuse.

As his renown reached the Indian embassy in Afghanistan, senior officials invited him to hold classes on the rabab to the Afghan people. Shedding his initial reluctance, he eventually accepted the offer.

He remained in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2014, training many locals. He also learned some local songs.

Over 250 Afghans learned to play the rabab in my classes. Some of them are professional rabab players. Around 50 Afghans still take tips from me, he said.

Performing at the Sankatmochan Hanuman Temple is a spiritual experience. The audience enjoyed my performance. I will keep coming here. Banaras is a great city and its culture is really fabulous, he told HT.

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In a bizarre case, a man allegedly held his wife and daughter in captivity for eight years at his house in Balipur Tata village of Kaushambi as he believed they were possessed by Brahma Rakshas (an evil spirit).

A priest from Haryana who had been called for a puja on Saturday evening rescued the woman and her daughter with the help of the police.

It is believed that Brahma Rakshas is the spirit of an evil Brahmin who did not get salvation after his death and it is believed that the spirit continues to haunt the people even today.

According to report, Sarju Tiwari is a farmer who owns several acres of land in Balipur Tata village. He suffered mental shock after the death of his elder son Vijay about eight years ago.

When Sarju started behaving in an insane manner, his younger son Ajay also fled the home. Sarju started believing that his wife Shashikala and daughter Kanchanlata had been possessed by Brahma Rakshas and ensured that the house was locked when he went outside.

On Saturday, Sarju called a priest Amit Tripathi from Haryana for a puja at the house and told him about the curse of Brahma Rakshas.

However, Tripathi was shocked to see the pathetic condition of Shashikala and Kanchan. They told the priest that they were forced to do household work and were not given food for days. They requested him to rescue them from the clutches of Sarju.

Tripathi complained to the neighbours but they did not pay attention to him. He later approached the Charwa police and requested inspector Mohammad Hashim to accompany him to Sarjus house.

Circle officer, Chayal, Mahendra Dev also reached the village and rescued the mother-daughter duo after breaking the door. They were found to be malnourished and were sent to the district hospital for treatment.

MLA from Chayal constituency Sanjay Gupta also reached the village and expressed his concern and anger over the case.

Sarju, however, claimed his wife and daughter were mentally ill and he was taking care of them.

In a volte face later in the evening, inspector Mohammad Hashim, who had earlier said Sarju was mentally unsound, claimed the woman and her daughter were mentally ill and tried to run away from the hospital claiming they had received orders from the above to do so.

They claim they are seeing snakes at the hospital. They need urgent psychiatric treatment, Hashim added.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has cautioned two top Hindu groups to stay away from vigilantism amid rising outrage over a string of violence by alleged cow protecters and right-wing outfits.

The 44-year-old Hindu hardline leader told members of the World Hindu Federation and Hindu Yuva Vahini, which he founded, to not take the law in their hands and seek help from government authorities, sources told HT.

Remember, the law is the same for everyone, the CM is reported to have told the cadre of the two outfits. The groups have now decided to popularise the state governments initiatives, sources added. The groups have also shelved all new membership requests.

The comments come just a week after a Muslim man was dragged out of his Meerut home allegedly by Vahini members and thrashed for being found in a compromising position with a Hindu woman. Earlier this month, a Muslim cattle trader was lynched allegedly by cow protection vigilantes in Rajasthans Alwar.

The cow is considered holy by many Hindus and is the centerpiece of the BJPs agenda that includes calling for a nationwide ban on cattle slaughter. Many say strong condemnation by top leaders emboldens the Hindu right-wing cadre to indulge in violence and moral policing.

In his very first meeting with the cadre of the two outfits after becoming the CM, Maharajji (Adityanath) had said that law is the same for everyone. The same advice has been repeated and I understand the two outfits have issued similar instructions to their cadre now, a Vahini leader, privy to the CMs advice to the cadre, told HT.

Membership requests for these two outfits have shot up manifold since Adityanath  who also heads a hardline Hindu sect in eastern UP -- became the CM, but after the be-careful advice, the two right wing outfits have put all fresh membership requests on hold.

All new membership requests for HYV are being put on a six month to one year waitlist while Hindu Mahasangh leaders said they werent accepting any fresh membership requests.

The cadre would be tasked with popularising Adityanath governments pro-poor initiatives in villages and other remote parts of the state.

An app is being readied that would keep the cadre abreast of all the initiatives of this government. For instance, the government decision to provide free bags, dress and shoes to poor students of primary and secondary education is a big one and our cadre would popularise it. This will hopefully push up enrolment too, said Manish Srivatava, an office bearer of the Hindu Mahasangh.

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1. The enforcement directorate (ED) on Saturday filed a charge sheet against Aamir Gazdar, a close confidante of Dr Zakir Naik, and Harmony Media Limited  a company floated by Naik  for allegedly laundering money on behalf of the controversial televangelist. The EDs 1,000-page charge sheet lists Naik as an accused in the case. The charge sheet includes the statements of witnesses and several documents, which establish the trail of laundered money.

Read: ED may seek Interpol arrest warrant against Zakir Naik, move to revoke his passport

2. The ED obtained a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against him from a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Mumbai on Thursday.

3. The central agency has filed enforcement case information reports (ECIR) against Naik. The ED is in the process of probing whether people who were inspired by Naiks speeches funded his activities. After the Naiks Islamic Research Foundation was banned, the national investigating agency registered a case against the televangelist and his organisation for inciting Muslims to engage in violence and for promoting enmity among groups based on religion and race. Police accused him of giving speeches that spread communal unrest.

4. In the past, the ED told a special court in Mumbai that Naik established dummy companies in the country as well as abroad to divert funds. The central agency said Gazdar was the director of at least six companies established by Naik, two of which are in England  Universal Broadcasting Corporation Ltd and Lords production Inc Ltd. The rest are based in Mumbai  Harmony Media Pvt Ltd, Long-lost constructions Pvt Ltd, Majestic Perfumes Pvt Ltd and Alpha Lubricants Pvt Ltd.

5. Naik left the country after it was reported that his sermons influenced a few of the Bangladeshi attackers who targeted an eatery in Dhaka on July 1. Bangladesh banned Naiks Peace TV, saying it incited the attack in which 22 people were gunned down.

6. ED said Harmony Media owns an editing studio, where shows aired on Peace TV were collated and edited. Large sums of money were transacted through Naik, who did not leave clues as to where the money came from or how it was used. This happened within a span of just eight months.

7. Earlier, the Union government declared the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The UAPA ban is valid for five years.

8) The government declaration means no person can hold meetings, collect funds or become a member or office bearer of the IRF. The foundations website, however, says it is a registered, non-profit, public charitable trust. The decision to declare the IRF unlawful was approved by a cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

9. A separate probe was earlier initiated by the special branch, Mumbai polices intelligence wing and the economic offences wing (EOW) to look into the IRFs finances.

10. Cases have been registered against Naik for his controversial remarks against Hindu gods. Cases against him have been filed in Kurla, Vengurla, Sawantwadi and outside Maharashtra. Naik filed an application in the Supreme Court, demanding that all these cases be investigated by a single agency. His plea is pending.
While the states cadaver donation programme has been seeing substantial growth every year, the setting up of Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (ROTTO) is expected to take the growth to new heights.

According to Directorate of Health Services, while 38 cadaver donations were recorded in the state till March this year, the same period last year saw 15 donations. A total of 122 cadaver donations were recorded in Maharashtra in 2016.

Read: 2016: When Mumbai mastered the act of giving

The Zonal Transplant Coordination Centre (ZTCC) officials attributed this rise to better awareness. But now,with ROTTO, which will be set up in the next six months, the state wants to up its game by creating a wider pool of recipients and donors.

It will form state and region-wise waitlists of organ recipients. At present, these records are maintained by the ZTCC in Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune and Aurangabad.

Once all the five ROTTOs across the country (Chandigarh, Kolkata, Mumbai, Guwahati and Chennai) foster their programmes, the government plans to create a national wait-list registry of end-stage organ failure patients under National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO).

We aim to create a programme, very similar to most western countries. For example, if there is an organ available in Maharashtra, and there is an eligible recipient in Kolkata, then that patient will get the organ, even if there is another patient on lesser priority living in the same city as the donor, said Dr Kumar.

However, to achieve this feat, they has to be a very strong network between doctors, social workers and nurses within these states that fall under ROTTO, said Dr Anil Kumar, deputy director general and programme officer of the National Organ Transplant Programme.

Five centres in India which have been actively creating awareness about cadaver donations and are promoting organ transplants, have been recognised. These centres have been funded by the central government to now make them into centres of excellence for organ transplants, he said.

ROTTOs will be responsible for penetrating the organ and cadaver donation programmes into states and regions where people dont know about it, he added.

The ROTTO centre in Maharashtra, which will be at KEM Hospital in Parel, has already received Rs63 lakh from the Centre.

One of the main short-term objectives of the ROTTO will be to train doctors, surgeons and medical social workers to network with each other. At present a lot of organs go waste because the networking between the districts, cities and even states is inadequate, Dr Kumar said.

The ROTTO will hold its first training programme where officials from its parent body National Organ and Tissue Transplant will deliver a series of lectures, said Dr Sujata Pathwardhan, urologist at KEM Hospital, who has been appointed to set up the ROTTO.

Another important objective will be to encourage organ donations from civic-run hospitals which see maximum numbers of brain deaths.

These hospitals have faired extremely poorly in the cadaver donation programme. They dont have many medical social workers who can counsel the relatives of brain dead patients. However, ROTTO is likely to change this scenario, said Dr Gauri Rathod, assistant director, directorate of health services.

Eleven medical social workers will be appointed to civic-run hospitals under ROTTO to explain the relatives, how organ donations of brain dead patients saves lives of those with end-stage organ failure.

ROTTO also plans to set up a cadaver lab in Mumbai where surgeons can be trained on organ retrieval but the proposal for this is yet to be cleared by NOTTO.
The Bombay high court on Monday issued a notice to Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) following a plea filed by doctors against the corporation. The doctors, including a few from Tata Memorial Hospital, questioned the morality of LIC holding shares of a company that manufactures cigarettes.

The court is likely to hear the plea on Thursday. It argued that since the Union and the state governments promote anti-tobacco warnings, programmes and tackle health issues caused by consuming tobacco, LIC and other state-run insurance companies should not have any links with, or endorse the firms which are in the tobacco business.

The plea stated that the insurance companies and government should cease and desist from making any further investments in any commercial enterprise that is linked with funding, promoting, selling, directly or indirectly controlling or operating a tobacco business.

The petitioners include a member of the Tata Trusts, Sumitra Pednekar, whose husband and former state home and labour minister Satish Pednekar, died of throat cancer in 2011.

As per the plea, the Union government owns a 32% stake in ITC through five state-run insurance companies and the Unit Trust of India.

Also read: Should the government have a stake in tobacco companies?
The cadaver and organ transplant programmes in western and central India will soon receive a major boost  setting up of the government-run Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (ROTTO) and the dismantling of the NGO-run Zonal Transplant Coordination Committee (ZTCC).

The ROTTO will be set up at Mumbais KEM Hospital, Parel. It will be functional in the next six months, said Dr Avinash Supe, dean, KEM Hospital. The ROTTO will coordinate and facilitate organ transplants between Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman, Diu, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, thereby creating a larger network of donors and recipients, increasing the chance for organ failure patients to find donors. The KEM Hospital centre has already received funding from the Centre.

At present, the job of maintaining a database of end-stage organ failure patients and coordinating with them about an organ availability is done solely by the state-based non-governmental organisation ZTCC, which was set up in 1996. In all of the western region, ZTCC only works in Maharashtra (Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune and Aurangabad) as other states in these region havent strongly picked up the organ transplant programme, said Dr Gustad Daver, a founding member and president of the ZTCC.

But in the next two years, once ROTTO stands on its feet, the ZTCC will be dissolved and the role of facilitating organ transplants within the states will be solely be with ROTTO. The ZTCC will be dissolved as some members will become a part of the ROTTO team, said Gauri Rathod, assistant director, Directorate of Health Services, who looks after the department of Human Organ Transplant.

The central idea behind setting up ROTTO is to create regional and state level registries of waitlisted organ failure patients. ROTTOs responsibility in the years ahead will be to penetrate the organ and cadaver donation programmes into states and regions where there is very little awareness about it. Doctors, surgeons and medical social workers will be trained to network with each other. Between April 17 to 21, the ROTTO at KEM Hospital will hold its first training programme, where officials from its parent body, National Organ and Tissue Transplant, will deliver a series of lectures, said Dr Sujata Pathwardhan, urologist at KEM Hospital, who has been appointed to set up the ROTTO.

Another important objective will be to encourage organ donations in municipal hospitals that have maximum numbers of brain deaths. These hospitals have faired extremely poorly in the cadaver donation programme. They dont have many medical social workers who can counsel the relatives of brain dead patients. Rathod said.

Read more: Cadaver donation leads to first kidney transplant of 2017 in Mumbai

Panel for transparency in organ transplants soon
After the national executive convention in Bhubaneshwar on Saturday and Sunday, the Maharashtra unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is all set to hold its two-day state executive meeting at Pimpri-Chinchwad from April 26.

Although the party leadership has denied it, issues such as farm loan waiver, the partys relationship with the Shiv Sena and induction of heavyweight leaders from other parties, including Congress leader Narayan Rane, are likely to come up for discussion.

The state executive convention, which is attended by about 750 party leaders including MPs, legislators, party general secretaries and other key office-bearers is held every three months.

At the meet, the party deliberates on the administrative issues and sets the agenda for the next quarter by reviewing its performance between the two meetings.

The state executive takes place within days of the national executive and is followed by district- and taluka-level meetings. We are observing our leader the late Pandit Deendayal Upadhyays birth centenary this year. Party leaders have been sent to areas where the partys presence is weaker. I am currently attending various programmesin Jhargram in West Bengal . The state executive will set agenda for state leaders to reach out to the people who need them more, Raosaheb Danve, state president of BJP told HT.

Toeing Prime Minister Narendra Modis line during the Sundays national executive, the state leadership will chalk out a plan for leaders, ministers and legislators to improve the outreach keeping the 2019 Assembly elections in mind.

Key party leaders, including national joint secretary of the party V Satish and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, had stressed upon the need to not lose connect with the grass-root workers and people during the foundation day celebration last week . The message will be reiterated. The meet will also discuss the partys relationship with the Shiv Sena and other allies, particularly in the backdrop of the recent reconciliation over dinner diplomacy by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The convention is expected to discuss the responsibility of state leaders in the president elections being held in July, as the party will need help from NDA constituents, including the Shiv Sena. The party is also expected to deliberate on the issue of induction of leaders from other parties, as many key leaders are interested in joining the BJP ahead of the 2019 polls, said a party leader.

Danve, however, denied that Rane or loan waiver are on the agenda. The state executive is not meant for such things. We do sometimes let leaders from other parties join us during the meeting, but Ranes induction is unlikely to come up this time, he said.

Read: No loan waiver like UP, but Maharashtra plans schemes to ease farmer burden

Shiv Sena likely to play hardball as BJP eyes numbers for presidential election

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Its a fairly odd recipe, as recipes go  carbs dipped in more carbs, wrapped in carbs.

But thats no accident. The vada pav is the answer to a riddle from the last century: What filling snack can you offer a mill worker with just a few annas and no time to sit and eat?

Even before the vada pav, its ingredients  chilli, garlic and potato  were already favourites, says food historian Kurush Dalal. What the stalls of the 1960s did, was take the migrant workers average meal and package it to go. And that just worked. It soon became a hit with students or whoever had little money to spend, but wanted a good snack. It is only later that it has become an identity of Mumbai itself. Now, everyone who comes to Mumbai tries the vada pav, he says.

Today, you cant turn a corner without running into fresh, hot vadas served with garlic powder, teekha-meetha chutneys (imli and green chilli), and fried chillies on the side.

You already want one, dont you? Chances are youve had at least one in the past month. And it may not have been at a pavement stall either.

You can now order Mumbais favourite snack at trendy cafes and casual fine-dining restaurants in the city. Sometimes itll come to you in the form of a slider; other times, its deconstructed.

Its a fairly well-travelled little fellow too. You can now get a vada pav in London, New York or Sydney  granted, you will have to ask for the Bombay burger when you order.

Its been a symbol, snack and political icon. At each stage of the citys transformation, it has acted as a mirror  going corporate at the turn of the century, saffron in the oughts, and taking to casual fine-dining in the early parts of this decade.

Its a migrant too!

Interestingly, the vada pavs core ingredients arent really local. The pav is a legacy of the Portuguese; the potato and groundnut came to us from the Americas, also via the Portuguese. The garlic is localand the chickpea batter.

Like any good Mumbaiite, the snack is supremely adaptable. Its many things to many people, often at the same time.

In 2008, for instance, it became a political statement when the Shiv Sena launched more than 100 Shiv Vada Pav stalls across the city. As Sena legislator Anil Parab puts it, It is a part of Mumbais culture. Several people who had vada pav stalls were Shiv Sena supporters already, so the party felt it would do well for the business and the city to turn it into a brand.

These stalls werent the snacks political debut either. Theres a theory that the vada pav has its very roots in the Senas battle to establish a Marathi identity as the basis of Mumbais melting-pot culture.

In the 1960s, some Shiv Sena protest signs read Idli dosa bhagao [Stop idli and dosa], referencing the two iconic snack foods of Tamil Nadu, as Sainiks attacked South Indian Udipi restaurants because the party founder, Bal Thackeray, accused south Indians of taking jobs that rightly belonged to the Marathi manoos, says Harris Solomon, a professor of cultural anthropology at Americas Duke University, in a paper titled The Taste No Chef Can Give: Processing Street Food in Mumbai, published in 2015.

It was then, as a counter to the increasingly popular idlis and dosas and as a way to promote entrepreneurship, that the party first encouraged Maharashtrians to start their own vada pav stalls.

It was about encouraging the Marathi people to turn entrepreneurs instead of hunting for jobs, says Parab.

#MumbaiMeriHai What does Mumbai mean to you? Over the next few weeks, we are celebrating our favourite things about the city? We will trace the roots of Mumbais most popular street foods, drop in at its maidans, explore the workings of its stock markets and that grand dream machine that is Bollywood. We would like to hear from you too. Tweet, Istagram your favourite pictures of the city with #MumbaiMeriHai, or write to us at @htmetro@hindustantimes.com

Pav wow

Two decades on, came the real boost for the vada pav.

When the citys textile mills began to close in the 1980s and people needed income, they sold vada pav outside the mills. The rest of the mill workers would pass their former colleagues on the streets selling vada pav, and buy from them, Solomon writes.

Then came the post-liberalisation boom. In 2001, Dheeraj Gupta launched Jumbo King Vada Pav, with its first outlet outside Malad railway station.

This was followed by trendy kiosk-style outlets with names such as Goli Vada Pav (2004) and Wow Vada Pav (2012).

With their shiny clean interiors, quirky combinations and customisable toppings, they soon became popular.

All three now have scores of outlets across the country  from Jharkhand to Uttarakhand and Hyderabad to Delhi.

Somewhere in Ranchi, then, there is someone eating what started out as a mill workers snack, now available in local flavours  with chhole, for instance, or achari-flavoured.

We think of the vada as the ultimate finger food, says Gupta. And weve expanded our menu options accordingly, through the years.

That same spirit of experimentation is visible in the khau gallis of Vile Parle, Churchgate and the CST area, where the snack is getting a new avatar all the time.

In these parts, you can get a Schezwan vada pav made with Chindian spices; one with dollops of cheese coating the patty; or even a paneer vada pav, in which paneer replaces the potato.

Dont expect any of this at the original home of the vada pav, around Dadar railway station.

The railways were a lifeline for the mill workers, so it was logical for the earliest stalls to be here, says food historian Kurush Dalal.

There is still a stall here that has been around since 1967. I inherited it from my father, Ashok Vaidya, says co-owner Narendra Vaidya. Our stall has a few loyalists, who have been coming here for decades. But, we keep getting new customers. Weve made no changes and have no secret recipe. It just works, and has kept working.

Smart casual

With the boom in disposable incomes and the mushrooming of stand-alone restaurants, the vada pav went smart casual.

The changing economy changed the way people snacked too, says Mumbai columnist and city chronicler Smruti Koppikar. Street food, which was once for the poor, has now become emblematic of a culture and entered the restaurants. As it travelled indoors from the streets, there has been a transition of the snack too.

So you now get the vada in a bao, as a salad, or made with chicken!

But these, loyalists like to say, are fads.

After all, the mills are gone and soaring glass-and-steel office buildings have taken their place, but the snack of the mill labourer still thrives, in exactly the same form.

It must now compete with meals in a box, dosa stalls, street Chinese and packaged snacks. It still wins. Unlike the meal in a box, its cheap. Unlike bhel and chaat, its filling. The packaged snacks arent piping hot. And you cant eat a dosa on the go. As Gresham Fernandes, head chef at Impresario, puts it, When in Mumbai, I still like to have my vada pav on the street.

If anything, it feels odd to sit down at a faux Irani cafe and order a platter of your favourite street food. Like any true Mumbaiite, the vada pav is at its best under pressure and on the move.
Dont expect traffic snarls along the Eastern Express Highway to end anytime soon. Joints of the Amar Mahal flyover, which sustained damage on April 8, are still in the process of being repaired. This has led to the flyovers north-bound carriageway being shut for vehicular traffic.

The Maharashtra government recently appointed an eight-member technical committee to look into the flyovers slipped joints.

The committee, headed by Dr Ravi Sinha, professor of the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B), has been asked to suggest immediate and long-term measures to avoid such instances from recurring. It must submit a report to the state public works department (PWD) by the end of this month.

The committee comprises two former PWD secretaries, one retired chief engineer, a retired PWD superintendent, a professor from VJTI engineering college, the Maharashtra Engineering Training Academys joint director and a superintendent engineer of the pictorial board of Konkan Bhavan.

Constructed in 1995, the flyover connects Mumbai to Thane and Nashik.

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They say that when your passion meets your profession, it does wonders. This holds true in the case of Rekha Mishra, a 32-year-old Railway Protection Force (RPF) sub-inspector posted at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), who is credited with leading railways campaign to rescue runaway children.

Out of 1,150 children rescued by the railway police last year on the Central Railways Mumbai division, Mishra was responsible for helping 434 children.

I like helping women, the elderly and children. While I have the same duties as any other RPF officer, I look out for children on the railway station who have no one accompanying them, she says.

The railway board under ministry of railways has issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for ensuring care and protection of children in contact with the railways. But its the personal touch that Mishra brings to her work that distinguishes her from her fellow officers.

Whenever I spot lonely children, I politely ask them about their parents. I take care that they are safe and dont get into any trouble, says the lady RPF officer in CST area.

According to Mishra, most of the children who run away from their homes end up at the CST stationthe last stop of local and long-distance trains.

After being rescued, the children undergo medical test and are brought to the notice of children welfare committee (CWC).

RPF also seeks help of various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the CWC in reuniting children with their parents.

Most of the children leave their homes after being scolded by their parents or an elder. In some cases, children come to Mumbai in the hopes of meeting a movie star. But when they reach CST, they are unable to find their way, said Mishra.

In some cases, the children are kidnapped and made to beg at railway stations. Recently, Mishra and her team rescued a group of children abducted from Madhya Pradesh. Earlier, she had rescued three children who were kidnapped from Chennai.

For Mishra, its the praise from parents that keeps her going. Often the parents dont know the whereabouts of their children. When we inform them, many start crying. We assure them that they are safe with us, she says.

Mishra, who hails from Allahabad, belongs to a family of public servants. Her father is a retired soldier. Two of her three brothers are serving in the military.

She considers her grandfather Soorya Narayan Mishra, a freedom fighter, her role model. When we were young, he would take us to independence and republic day parades. It was his upbringing that imbibed in us dedication for the country, she said.

Mishra starts her day early and reaches CST around 8am and doesnt leave before 8pm, covering both morning and evening peak hours at the citys busiest railway station.

The lady officer says that she lives a disciplined life and her only hobby is to read newspapers and keeping herself abreast of current affairs. She said that she is equally liked by her superiors and staffers, who consider herself devoid of any ego.

When asked how can the police, a much maligned force, improve its image, Mishra said, Its an honour when you get to wear the uniform. But you should remember that you are also a common citizen. Dont consider the work to be a burden. Its your duty, she said.

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A 26-year-old man shot himself on Saturday night following an alleged domestic tiff with his second wife. Ali Khan alias Sunny, went to the terrace of his Nalasopara building and shot himself in the stomach using an unlicensed pistol. Though the neighbours rushed Khan to the nearby hospital, he succumbed to the gunshot wound in the night.

Inspector Prakash Birajdar from Tulinj police station said an accidental death report (ADR) has been registered and they are questioning his wife to ascertain what prompted Khan to take the drastic step following a petty domestic quarrel.

He [Khan] used an unlicenced firearm to commit suicide. We are now probing to find out the source of his purchase. He was a labour contractor-cum-supervisor. While his first wife lives in Borivli, he stayed with the second one in Nalasopara. He has four children, Birajdar said.

Read more: Family issues a major cause of suicides: RTI
Under tremendous pressure from the Opposition to approve a loan waiver for farmers, especially after a similar announcement in Uttar Pradesh, the state government has begun to package multiple schemes to reduce the cost of production of the crops and also ensure assured price for the crops.

At least three government departments, including agriculture, cooperation and revenue, are working together to package various schemes. As the government will not be in a position to announce a waiver at least for a few months, it has swung into action to ensure the indebted farmers are not hassled in getting a loan for seeds, fertilisers and pesticides essential for sowing, which will begin in first week of June, immediately after monsoon sets in. The government is thinking of purchasing seeds and fertilisers and distribute them with the help of NGOs and social organisations.

The Opposition has been batting for a loan waiver for farmers similar to the one given in Uttar Pradesh. The Congress, NCP and four smaller parties boycotted proceedings of the Assemblys budget session for three weeks to push the demand. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had declared that his government, too, was in favour of the waiver, but at an appropriate time. He said his government was studying the UP model of a waiver. He also said that rather than a waiver, the thrust would be on sustainable development of agriculture.

To reduce expenditure on farm labourers, the government is mulling funding them from the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS). We have not been able to fully utilise the central funds allocated under NREGS, but on the other hand, the cost of farm labourers is unbearable for farmers. By funding farm labour, we can extend a great relief to the farmers helping them to reduce cost of production. Similarly, on other fronts, too, we are tapping the possibilities to extend the benefits to the farmers, said an official from the agriculture department.

The cooperation department is planning to restructure the loans given to the farmers to enable them to get fresh loans for the kharip season. The government is also considering health, education and housing schemes in the package so that the socio-economic burden is reduced.

It will be a package of various schemes by 3 to 4 departments to ensure farmers are heavily subsidised to bring farming to the level of affordability. Right from testing of the soil health, sufficient supply of water, power supply at subsidised rates to effective marketing of the agriculture products, we are planning to do everything that will minimise the gap between the production cost and the rate in the market, Subhash Deshmukh, cooperation minister, told HT.

The government is also tapping the idea of bring about 22 crops in the list of produce with minimum support price. It will bear the cost of difference between the market price and the MSP, particularly for crops such as tomato, onion and grapes, whose rates have fallen this year. Our aim is to bring cost of production to zero for about 1.07 lakh farmers who hold less than 5 acres of land. Instead of giving them money, the government will purchase the things required to cultivate and distribute with the help various organisations working in the sector, the officer said.

According to rough estimates, the schemes will cost around Rs10,000 crore if implemented. But the estimates are primary, and depends on the feasibility of the all schemes being tapped. The schemes could be implemented if the government wins over the demand of the loan waiver, which is expected to cost Rs30,500 crore. But it succumbed to pressure for the waiver. It will have to cut short the schemes, another official from the cooperation department said.

Read: Sangharsh Yatra: Waive loan before farmers lose patience, say Maharashtra opposition leaders

Maharashtra Opposition intensifies attacks on govt, kicks off second Sangharsh Yatra for farm loan waiver

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Last weeks column on the ordainment of two deacons in Mumbais Catholic Church attracted a lot of interest among Parsi-Zoroastrians. Unlike members of the clergy, who need to be celibate, deacons can be married men. Ranking next to bishops and priests in the hierarchy, these trained theologians perform many religious services and can be standbys, especially in areas where there are not enough priests.

Zoroastrians in Mumbai  nearly half of them live in the city and there are more than 40 fire temples - had started a programme where men who are not priests were trained to perform religious services. These men can lead prayers at homes, but cannot conduct certain rituals such as funeral rites or some services at fire temples. They can attend to holy fires in lower-ranking shrines though. While only members from a small group of families can train to be priests, any Zoroastrian man can train as a paramobed  the term for a Zoroastrian priest is mobed.

The scheme, unlike the one at the Catholic Church, has not been a success. Paramobed scheme does not attract many, though a modest payment is made for services, said Jehangir Patel, editor of a Parsiana weekly, in a message to this correspondent. No seminaries or ashrams for training.

Dinshaw Mehta, former chairperson of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet, the communitys largest representative body, which also runs fire temples, said that when the paramobed scheme started a few decades ago, the community was looking for substitutes who could fill in for mobeds. Especially in mofussil areas, where there is a shortage of priests, said Mehta. But the idea has not caught on as expected.

Ramiyar Karanjia, priest and principal of Dadar Athornan Institute, a religious school, said that the concept of paramobeds started in Mumbai in the 70s. At that time, there was an objection to the term and it fizzled out, said Karanjia. It was revived 10 years ago under a new term  Behdin Pasbaans  and there are five or six active paramobeds in Mumbai who go to places like Jhansi, Ratlam and others (where there are Zoroastrians but no priests).

Like the Catholic Church, Zoroastrians are struggling to find enough priests. The shortage is accentuated by the communitys shrinking numbers and also by the rule that priesthood is restricted to members of a few families. Framroze Mirza, who has been a priest for nearly five decades, said that in the 1960s, when he started assisting his father with his work at Udvadas Atash Behram  the holiest of the fire temples  the main hall would be filled with praying priests. There would be no room to stand. There were so many priests that each one got a turn at duties after several days; there are only two priests now, said Mirza. When I retire  which happens in five years  we will have to look for priests.

Priests like Mirza, who were looking forward to trained assistants, are disappointed by the lack of interest in the work. Paramobeds were planned as assist priests, but many people who have been trained for the work are not practising, said Mirza. According to me, the scheme (for paramobeds) is not that effective.

Paramobeds are paid by fire temples and families for their services, but many feel that the remuneration is too meagre to attract young people. It is not a paying profession, said a member of the community.

It is a secondary occupation, so people do it out of interest, said Karanjia, adding that the next batch of paramobeds would be trained in May.

READ MORE

Does ghettoisation push up representation of Muslims in Mumbai civic body?

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The Shiv Sena on Monday took jibes at Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an editorial in its mouthpiece, Saamana, by indirectly comparing his tenure to the era of Alexander the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte.

The golden era should not belong to only one party, but to the whole state or nation. This is what we believe. Alexander the Great and Napoleon were also unable to win the world during their political life, reads the editorial.

The jibe came a day after Modi said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did not only seek its own growth, but prioritised the economic, social and cultural stability of the nation.

The editorial blamed the BJP-PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) government in Jammu and Kashmir for failing to control violence, poor law and order management during the recent Srinagar by-polls, low voter turnout and disrespect towards the Indian Army.

However, the Shiv Sena praised Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah for their hard work and dedication to preparing for the upcoming elections.
The Shiv Sena on Monday took potshots at the Bharatiya Janata Party, over its plan to extend its presence across India.

The BJP aims to form a government in all states. It should spell out the role of its 33 allies. The BJP is enjoying this golden era because of these allies who contributed immensely to its win, said the editorial in Saamana, the mouthpiece of the party.

An editorial in Saamana is considered to be the opinion of Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.

In the national executive council meeting at Orissa, BJP president Amit Shah asked workers not to become complacent after a string of victories in the recent Assembly polls. He said the BJP should win from panchayat to Parliament.

The editorial said despite massive mandates, the condition of country is still pathetic.

The Sena has been critical of the BJP, since the latter upstaged it in the 2014 Assembly polls.

Moreover, the BJP has given an insignificant ministry to the Sena at the centre.

In Maharashtra too, Sena ministers have been strategically sidelined and given politically insignificant portfolios.

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After the failure of the Maharashtra School Fee Regulation Act failed to check the indiscriminate hike in fees, a non-government organisation (NGO) from Pune has come up with a uniform fee structure for all schools -- a set of parameters which will decide the fees from classes kindergarten to 12 . The draft will soon be submitted to the state education department.

Currently, schools charge fees under different heads such as admission fees, security deposit, computer and activity fees, among others.

We studied the balance sheets of different schools across Maharashtra to decide a reasonable amount, said Vaishali Bafna, member of Pune-based Syscom, which had filed a petition against the haphazard first-year junior college (FYJC) admissions in the Bombay high court last year.

Agreeing that the amount cant be the same in all schools, Bafna said the NGO is trying to fix the parameters to raise the fees.

While in some schools, the fees are exorbitant, the quality of education or facilities are poor, said Bafna. This will stop only if the government compels schools to follow a prescribed format to fix the fees.

Parents from Mumbai are planning an indefinite hunger strike from Thursday to protest against the fees hikes for the new academic session.

In a recent survey, 55% of parents from Maharashtra admitted that schools have hiked fees in the range of 11% to 20%.

In the past two weeks, six to seven Mumbai schools have increased their fees arbitrarily, without seeking consent of Parent-Teachers Association (PTA). Putting a limit on the fees should help, said Jayant Jain, president of the Forum for Fairness in Education, a parents-teachers body.

According to the Maharashtra Educational Institutions (Regulation of collection of fees) Act, 2011, effective since December, 2015, the school management must put forth the proposed fees for the approval of the PTA executive panel.

If there is more than 15% difference in the fees proposed by the management and those approved by the PTA, then they can approach divisional fee regulatory committees or state-level revision committee.

Read more: Fee regulation Act fails to restrict Mumbai schools from hiking fees

In Mumbai: Exorbitant school fee a concern for parents
Its been 15 years since the Maharashtra government launched its ambitious Mumbai transformation plan to rebuild the citys crumbling transport infrastructure. It included a bouquet of infrastructure projects such as the metro, monorail, water transport, expanding the capacity of the suburban train network and building roads such as the eastern freeway.

The original plan was to invest Rs43,000 crore, but now the cost of the projects has increased manifold. In the past few years, some more projects such as the Mumbai coastal road has been added. What we have seen over the years is that the authorities in the state or the city are more interested in big-ticket projects rather than the ones that would boost public transport. The only exception is the network of seven metro routes planned by the government after Devendra Fadnavis took over as chief minister.

Besides the metro, most projects seem to be aimed at promoting private transport. State and city level authorities seemed reluctant to take up the overhaul of Mumbais century-long bus service, which is still the second largest mode of mass transport for Mumbaiites, after the suburban railway network.

Over the years, as the makeover plan was being implemented, BESTs bus service was losing its sheen and commuters. Reviewing functioning and making changes in it, keeping in mind the way Mumbaiites work and commute, was never taken seriously. When it came to the BEST, the only solution seemed to be buying more buses. The BEST, which was somehow running its loss-making transport wing by using its profit in distribution of electricity, suffered a blow when it was prevented from doing so under the provisions of the Electricity Act. The provision in the law was meant to benefit electricity customers but it brought trouble for the bus service. It was at this juncture that both the state government and the BMC, which owns the BEST, should have charted out a plan to make the service financially viable but nothing much was done. The BEST administration tried to increase the fare but the political leadership did not allow.

This approach towards affordable mass transport in the city has led to the situation in which the BEST finds itself now. On Monday, it wound up its air-conditioned bus service. Next, it is going to shut some existing routes. Its accumulated losses have crossed Rs2,000 crore. Since last month, it does not have enough funds to pay salaries. The administration has prepared a plan, which includes curtailing bus operations and increasing the fare.

During the Hindustan Times Unclog Mumbai initiative in the last two years, transport experts had repeatedly stressed on the need to encourage public transport.

Over the past two decades, the way Mumbai works and commutes has changed a lot. The traffic is no more only north-south bound as new commercial hubs have emerged across the city. In the next few years, the metro will start taking shape. Considering this, BEST should rework its routes, use smaller buses and adopt new technologies to make its service commuter-friendly, say experts. The state and BMC authorities must provide funds for the overhaul of the service. While big-ticket projects are being chased, some attention needs to be paid to low-cost but effective solutions such as dedicated bus lanes. Experts have also been suggesting that the bus service in the entire Mumbai Metropolitan Region should be handed over to the BEST. It makes sense considering the emerging commercial hubs along the periphery of Mumbai. During his election campaign, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had promised a lot of things for Mumbai and the city gave a substantial number of seats to his party. Maybe he can start with the BEST.

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The Ghaziabad crime branch, which is investigating the Audi car crash case, is yet to send a report on its investigation to Ghaziabad court, over a petition filed by the doctor who is also the Audi owner.

The SUV had rammed an auto head-on on the intervening night of January 27 and 28 near Hindon Canal in Indirapuram area of Ghaziabad.

An application was filed by the Audi owner, Dr Manish Rawat, on April 13, a day after an alleged impostor, Syed Imtiyaz Qadri, was held at Nala Sopara police station in Maharashtra in connection with several snatching and robbery cases. The court had sought a report from the crime branch but the officials concerned are yet to file a report.

The report could not be sent as there was a strike in the court, said Jaipal Singh, case investigating officer.

Through the application, the doctor has requested the court to call for a report from the investigating officer about the type of case that has been made out, charges were pressed against him and the evidence available to them.

Rawat has filed the petition so that he may present himself at the court after studying the case diary and the report.

The doctor had earlier claimed that he was present inside the Audi during the accident but it was driven by Ishaq Ahmad.

During the case investigation, the officials came to know that Qadri had impersonated his co-tenant Ishaq Ahmad at the court to obtain bail, after surrendering as the driver of the Audi.

During the investigation, Ishaq Ahmad turned out Syed Imtiyaz Qadri who allegedly misused the driving licence of his former co-tenant, who is a truck driver.

During the investigation, the crime branch has also added sections of cheating, forgery, providing false information and criminal conspiracy. The new sections are added apart from sections of 279 (rash driving), 304a (causing death by negligence) and 427 (causing damages) of the Indian Penal Code lodged at the Indirapuram police station.

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A day after the homebuyers lodged a case of cheating, financial fraud and criminal conspiracy against realtor Jaypee Infratech, the Uttar Pradesh police said it will hand over the case to the economic offences wing (EOW) and crime branch. They said that these bodies are competent authorities to probe a case of this magnitude.

Since a large-scale financial fraud has been alleged, EOW and crime branch will look into it. We cannot probe financial fraud cases when the allegations pertaining to financial wrongdoing is so high. We will hand over the probe to the agencies concerned soon, Dinesh Yadav superintendent of police (city), Noida, said.

On Sunday, 224 homebuyers filed a complaint at the Noida Expressway police station in Sector 135 on the grounds that Jaypee Infratech has cheated them as it failed to fulfil promises it had made. The homebuyers protested for about three to four hours until the police accepted their complaint.

The police have started lodging FIRs against realtors in Noida and Greater Noida after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in the state. The newly-elected UP chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, has directed officials to book those who are allegedly cheating the public, officials said.

Police accepted the complaints of 224 people and filed a case against officials of Jaypee Infratech, including Manoj Gaur and Sameer Gaur, who are looking after the realty segment, including the Wish Town project in Sector 128, along the Noida expressway.

Homebuyers met the Yadav on Monday in Sector 6 and demanded action against the officials of Jaypee Infratech.

Homebuyers said that they had invested their hard-earned money in buying their dream home and were promised delivery in 2011-12.

Even after four to five years of delay, the developer has failed to give us a concrete plan with regard to delivery of flats. We have lost all hope and do not trust the builders because they have made false promises for the last few years, Dinesh Kalra, a homebuyer, said.

Homebuyers demanded that the police arrest those who have failed to deliver flats on time and have made them suffer for years on a stretch.

The question of arrest will come up once the probe is completed. EOW and crime branch officials will gather evidence and corroborate the allegations. We can talk about their arrest only if the allegations are corroborated. Gathering evidence from 224 homebuyers is not easy and it will take a long time, Yadav said.

The developers said they will deliver the project soon and it has been delayed due to the slowdown in the market.

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The Ghaziabad fire department is likely to get a hydraulic platform by the end of May, officials said during the flagging off of a rally for the ongoing fire safety week on Saturday.

The issue of procuring a platform was pending for the last three-four years as it is required for firefighting and evacuation from highrise buildings, which are increasing every year.

As per an estimate, the city has nearly 300 highrise buildings, including residential highrises in Indirapuram, Vaishali, Kaushambi, Vasundhara, Crossings Republik, Raj Nagar Extension, among other areas.

The hydraulic platform is in the construction stage; the first and second stage of inspections have already been done. It has been procured at a cost of nearly Rs 4.5 crore and will be ready by May-end. This will be the first platform to be inducted (in Ghaziabad) and will be of immense help in handling an emergency in a highrise, said Akshay Ranjan Sharma, chief fire officer, Ghaziabad.

Officials said that the platform can extend to a height of 42 metres and up to 16 storeys.

The fire department also rolled out its performance records of the last three years, from 2014 to 2016, during which it saved 172 human lives in as many as more than 2,500 fire related calls.

In 2016, the department saved property worth Rs272 crore. Attending to 894 calls, the department also saved 54 human lives in the year, whereas 18 died.

The fire department officials said they are undertaking the massive task of firefighting despite being short of resources. According to records, the department still lacks the services of six second-officers, four leading firemen, and 32 firemen.

The district fire department is observing the fire safety week, during which it will carry out campaigns and sensitise the public about issues related to fire safety.

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A Muslim family in Dadris Razzak Colony has decided to serve chicken curry to baarati in a marriage after it could not obtain permission from the administration to slaughter a buffalo.

We had planned to slaughter our buffalo to prepare zarda (a meat curry) for around 300 guests at Gulistans wedding on Tuesday morning, but we could not get permission because it was a holiday on Sunday and on Monday, we could not meet the officer concerned. We have decided to buy 150kg chicken from Gazipur market instead, said Noor Mohammad, uncle of the bride.

The family said they wanted to seek permission as the area is only 10km off Bisada, where a man was lynched for allegedly slaughtering a cow.

We did not want to hurt others sentiments. But, as we could not get the permission, we do not want to make it an issue and will buy chicken instead, said Nazar Zaifi, father of the bride.

Buffalo meat costs us Rs190 per kg but it tastes better. Chicken costs Rs140 per kg from Gaziapur. The authorities and the local police asked us to slaughter the buffalo as it is for personal use, but we decided not to do it without necessary permission, said Noor Mohammad.

Subdivisional magistrate Dadri Amit Kumar Singh said, The administration does not have a problem if they sacrifice an animal, as it is not prohibited. If they want to obtain the permission, it will have to be obtained from the UP government as we do not have the power.

It takes time to process an application of animal slaughter. However, the family is allowed to do so for religious or personal purposes without any issue, said Mahendra Srivastava, designated officer for food safety and drug administration department (FSDA).

The FSDA said that people can serve meat but not that of animals which are prohibited under Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955.

It is illegal to slaughter a cow, bull or bullock anywhere in UP. But people can serve meat of animals which are not prohibited, said Srivastava.

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The Ghaziabad police suspect a leak in the department after finding photographs of police officials who were investigating criminal cases in the smartphone of a wanted man who was arrested on Monday. The police suspect that the personnel could have been targets of the group.

The Ghaziabad police arrested Sumit Jat, carrying a reward of Rs50,000, and his aide, Ashu Chaddha, following a gunbattle near Raispur early Monday. The police and the accused exchanged nearly 39 rounds of fire.

While Chaddha has seven cases of heinous crimes, including murder and attempt to murder, against his name, Sumit has 11 such cases lodged against him. The accused were carrying a carbine, two 9mm pistols, a gun, live cartridges in the Nissan Terrano car they were travelling in. The car was also allegedly stolen.

The police, besides recovering a large cache of arms and ammunition, recovered nearly a dozen photographs of police officers from Meerut zone, including personnel of the UP Special Task Force, from the smartphones of the accused.

We recovered nearly a dozen photographs of police officers, including Ghaziabad SSP, who were tracking the gang and investigating them, from their smartphones. It is suspected that these officials were their targets. Conversely, the gang members could have also been trying to evade these officers. We can reach a conclusion only after taking the two on custodial remand, said Deepak Kumar, senior superintendent of police, Ghaziabad.

However, we have got information that the photographs were provided by some police personnel from the force, who were in touch with the gang. We have recommended an inquiry about such moles to the inspector generals office. The gang members were also avoiding making calls from their mobile phones and communicated through messages and voice recordings on WhatsApp, Kumar said.

Sumit is stated to be shagird (follower) of one Sushil Fauji, of Sarurpur in Meerut, who had a previous rivalry with another gangster, Yogesh Bhadoda, from the same village. Officials said that there have been several instances of murders during gang fights between the two groups.

Apart from the pictures, we have also recovered dozens of call recordings, including those of Fauji, in which murder plans are discussed. Fauji is posted with the army at Ambala and we are writing to the authorities concerned about his activities. Sumit had planned to carry murder Bhadoda, who is in jail, at the Ghaziabad district court and was in touch with the Sundar Bhati gang to procure an AK-47, Kumar said.

The officials said that during Holi and a couple of days ago, Fauji and Sumit met Sundar Bhati at Hamirpur jail. It is stated that Bhati had promised to provide them with an AK-47 to attack Bhadoda and in exchange, wanted them to kill a witness in a case against him.

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Teams of the Uttar Pradesh anti-terrorist squad (UP-ATS) and Telecom Enforcement, Resource and Monitoring (TERM) Cell raided illegal internet service providers in Ghaziabad, Greater Noida and Noida on Monday.

Officials said the operators who dont have requisite licences are not only a threat to security but also causing huge loss to the exchequer.

According to UP-ATS officials, the raids were conducted at several premises under Mamura, Greater Noida, Khoda police station areas. The officials said that they arrested Nand Kishor, Rohit Yadav, Shahnawaz, Manoj Rai, Pramod Shukla and Jai Prakash Singh in connection with the illegal operations.

The raids and arrests were conducted by four teams at six locations in Ghaziabad, Noida and Greater Noida.

The team seized servers, switches, routers, mobile towers and account details of the illegal operators.

Initial investigation has shown that these operators were procuring services from bigger internet service providers (ISPs) who also had no licenses from department of telecommunication. In one instance, we came to know about such an ISP in Delhi. In all, we have arrested six people who were operating such illegal firms and providing internet and broadband services to customers in Ghaziabad, Greater Noida and Noida, said Anup Singh, deputy superintendent of police (UP-ATS).

The officials said some of the firms against which action was taken are Bhoomi, Altranat, Advance net, Vanshika and Laxmi. Complaints have also been forwarded to Phase III, Sector-20, Khoda and Kasna police stations against the accused persons.

Apart from the relevant sections under the different laws, the operators will also be booked for forgery and cheating. One such operator had nearly 4,000 customers. Since it is preliminary information, we estimate other illegal operators might have a similar number of clients, Singh said.

The officials said to be an ISP one must have a licence from the Department of Telecommunications. They said the illegal operators also violated the monitoring and content blocking clauses, besides not adhering to regulations and security terms and conditions laid down under the law.

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A trauma centre will be set up at a health institute in Greater Noida to provide immediate medical care to accident victims who have to be referred to Delhi in the absence of such facilities in the district, Health Minister Siddharth Nath Singh has said.

Scores of accidents take place everyday in Gautam Budh Nagar. Accidents taking place along the Noida-Greater Noida expressway and the Yamuna expressway are of serious nature in which lives are lost for want of immediate treatment available in the vicinity.

In accident cases, the first hour  referred to golden hour  is crucial as prompt medical treatment during that time can prevent many deaths.

The minister said the matter is on the anvil. I am aware that trauma and head injury patients in the district are referred to Delhi in case of accidents. Last week, I spoke to the chief minister about the matter, he said.

Singh said there is one health institute in Greater Noida where a trauma centre can be set up. The health institute will be hand-held with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, he said.

The Government Institute of Medical Sciences in Greater Noida is a 500-bed hospital. An emergency wing with 30 beds has been made operational in the institute and faculty is being appointed in various disciplines. However, it is yet to be fully operational.

The biggest advantage of opening a trauma centre at the institute is that it will be close to the expressway.

As there is no CT scan, MRI and other specialized equipment and staff to deal with serious accident cases in the district, the minister said that all such facilities will be available at the proposed trauma centre.

People have welcomed the government proposal to set up a trauma centre in Gautam Budh Nagar. Accidents take place frequently in Noida, particularly on the Noida-Greater Noida expressway and the Yamuna expressway that runs through the district. Serious accident victims are referred to Delhi in the absence of proper facilities to attend to trauma cases. Sometimes, precious time is lost in transporting a patient to Delhi, resulting in death. If medical help is available close by, lives can be saved, said Virender Singh, a resident of Sector 12.

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In a style that is entirely his own, RJD chief Lalu Prasad, on Monday, admonished union home minister Rajnath Singh for not turning up at a state government function to felicitate freedom fighters, after having consented to attend it.

If you dont want to come, dont come. But if you did not want to come, why did you give your consent? asked Prasad, president of Bihars ruling grand alliance senior partner, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

Singhs office had apparently informed a section of the Bihar leadership of his party, the BJP, that the home minister had decided not to attend the Patna function because it had been politicised.

Prasad also promised not to allow Godse culture, a reference to the man who had assassinated Gandhi in 1948, to flourish in the country and said he would not tolerate those Who pay lip service to Gandhiji.

The RJD chief said India was at a crossroads and urged the jawan (young) among the freedom-fighters assembled for the event to guide the country at this time of crisis. Those who had no role in Indias freedom struggle are now misleading the country, he said.

Prasad said Bihars ruling grand alliance  comprising the RJD, JD (U) and Congress, had been formed to save India of Gandhis dreams. The alliance had won 178 out of of total 243 seats in the November 2015 Bihar assembly poll.

Prasad said the issue of triple talaq had been raised to divert public attention from real issues facing the country. Moves are afoot to change the constitution and to scrap job reservations, he claimed.

Amid suggestions of a growing rift between Bihar ruling alliance partners, the RJD and JD (U), the RJD chief also gave his ashirwad (blessings) to CM Kumar, to carry on and take Bihar forward.

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Amid Khalistai row, Canadas defence minister Harjit Sajjan announces his departure to India.

Sajjan has posted a video on his social media accounts in which he announces his departure. In the video, he asks people to follow him on Facebook and Twitter as he is visiting India for the first time as a Canadian minister. He also says that he will be giving updates along way on his trip to India and asks people to follow him.

Follow my first trip to India as MND here on Twitter, and on Facebook (https://t.co/kxx0pj4bZF) and Instagram (https://t.co/STu5t1NBVB)  pic.twitter.com/fkbZX4v9FM  Harjit Sajjan (@HarjitSajjan) April 16, 2017

Sajjan, who is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on Monday, will go ahead with his Punjab visit as per the plan and will remain focused on strengthening ties between Canada and India.

My trip to India is focused on strengthening bilateral relationship between the two nations and deepening collaboration in defence and security, innovation, culture, and trade, Sajjan responded to HT query emailed to him on Thursday evening.

He will be the fifth Canadian minister to be in India just this year, and the eighth within the span of only nine months, upping the intensity of the bilateral dialogue process.
Canadian defence minister Harjit Singh Sajjan is no mood to engage into a slanging match with Punjab chief minister captain Amarinder Singh on the ongoing Khalistani sympathiser controversy.

Sajjan, who is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on Monday, will go ahead with his Punjab visit as per the plan and will remain focused on strengthening ties between Canada and India.

My trip to India is focused on strengthening bilateral relationship between the two nations and deepening collaboration in defence and security, innovation, culture, and trade, Sajjan responded to HT query emailed to him on Thursday evening.

The Canadian defence minister, however, ducked all questions related to the unsavoury controversy triggered by the Punjab CMs statement regarding Khalistani leanings and a few other members of the Justin Trudeau cabinet. HT had emailed 11 questions to the Canadian minister through the Canadian high commission in New Delhi, asking him to clarify about his alleged links with Sikh radicals as alleged by Amarinder that he left the country during days of turmoil in Punjab, his father Kundan Singh was a member of a radical body, World Sikh Organisation (WSO), and how would his visit benefit Punjab.

Sajjan, however, chose to write a three-para reply, in which he said: I am looking forward to my first trip to India since becoming Canadas minister of national defence. This visit will further strengthen Canada and Indias bilateral defence cooperation and boost the ties that bind our two countries so strongly. I hope to have fruitful meetings with leaders in Indian politics, business and civil society.

On Wednesday, Amarinder had said he wont meet Sajjan during his India visit as he was a Khalistani sympathiser. The next day, the Canadian high commission termed Amarinders remarks inaccurate and disappointing. To this, Amarinder said the state government would provide full security to Canadian minister and also ensure that he gets due treatment as per protocol, but I would not be seen hobnobbing with a Khalistani sympathiser.

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal had asked Amarinder not to act petty and spiteful and give Canadian minister the respect he deserves.

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The University Grants Commission (UGC) has mentioned before the Supreme Court that there were allegations of financial bungling against Panjab University (PU).

The special leave petition (SLP) of UGC, wherein these allegations are mentioned, has now been listed for last week of April when PU would reply to unsavoury remarks. In fact, the language of the UGC has been the same which is being used by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, students wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

It has been pointed out that there have been audit objections to salaries of PU registrar Col GS Chadha (retd) and vice-chancellor (V-C) Arun Kumar Grover. Recently, the ABVP had also raised the issue of salary of V-C in an open meeting of students bodies and PU authorities, but Prof Grover replied that he had not been paid for the past three months.

The UGC submits before the Supreme Court, there were also audit objections with respect to the pay and allowances paid by the University to its senior functionaries which was not in consonance with the government rules. Moreover, a fact-finding committee had been constituted by the UGC to look into the allegations of financial bungling in the Panjab University and the fact-finding committee had recommended certain steps to rectify and save the university from the financial situation.

Actually, the fact-finding committee was constituted on the complaint of ABVP.

Prof Grover said, It is unacceptable. Had there been financial bungling, we wouldnt have got our grants in the last two years. How can a regulatory body of universities make such remarks without any evidence. We were never handed over the copy of the fact-finding committee. 

The UGC has also alleged that PU did not allow representation to ministry of human resource development/ UGC in the syndicate or senate of the university so as to ensure financial propriety despite the fact that funds from them are major source of maintenance grant of PU.

The UGC has challenged the order of the Punjab and Haryana high court, dated January 19, where it was ordered to release an additional amount of Rs 30.5 crore to PU. This amount was over and above the sanctioned budget of the PU which it had already received from the UGC.

To oppose enhanced grants to PU, the UGC has also submitted that the other universities in the region are being funded to the tune of approximately Rs 50 crore by their respective state governments and the number of students being almost the same, the cost per student to the state exchequer in the case of PU is far beyond the cost per student in other universities in this region.

QUESTIONS RAISED BY UGC BEFORE SC Can the high court order UGC to pay additional amount of Rs 30 crore to PU once it had paid Rs 176 crore, sanctioned by MHRD for PU for 2016-17? Whether such directions, if also issued by other high courts, would make the functioning of the UGC impossible? Whether high courts have jurisdiction to issue such mandatory directions which also have the effect of creating financial burden on the government/UGC?

Points of disagreement between UGC and PU

1. UGC wants blanket ban on any new appointments, including temporary ones,which the PU has been opposing.

2. UGC wants ceiling on grant to PU, which the university has been opposing

3. UGC wants ratio of teaching and non-teaching staff should be 1: 1 on the pattern of central universities; PU has been opposing it saying it is an affiliating university

4. UGC wants PU to decrease the deficit, but the university has been increasing it

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A local court on Monday granted bail to five more students in the matter pertaining to unrest on the Panjab University campus on April 11 during protests against the proposed fee hike.

Violence was rampant at the Panjab University campus on April 11, with students resorting to stone-pelting while police forces used tear gas and water cannons.

Also read | Is Panjab University turning into a new student protest hub?

Earlier, the court of additional district and sessions judge JS Sidhu had granted bail to 48 of 68 accused.

Despite police opposition in arguments that lasted for more than half an hour, the students were granted bail on a surety bond of Rs 25,000 each.
A seven member team from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) on Monday visited Ranchi University (RU) campus for the first time since the varsitys formation in 1962, to inspect the facilities, quality of teachers and infrastructure here.

The NAAC team led by Professor A M Pathan met vice chancellor Ramesh Pandey in the morning at the universitys administrative building. Pandey gave an hour-long presentation on various initiatives taken by the university to improve the quality of education and providing more facilities to the students.

The VC, in his presentation, also highlighted the different MoUs signed by the varsity to encourage cultural exchange programmes and research work.

RU failed to make it to the list of top 100 universities released by the Ministry of Human Resource Development last month as it did not have a NAAC accreditation, a senior official from the state higher education department said.

It is mandatory for the varsity to get NAAC accreditation in order to get funds from the University Grants Commission (UGC) and compete with other universities in the country, he said.

Other members of the NAAC team included Prof Sudha Rani Pandey, RKS Dhakre, Prof Jaiprakash Mukund Lal Trivedi, Prof P Geetha, Prof SK Dwivedi and Prof Namrata Sharma.

In the afternoon, the team went on a field visit to the PG Department of RU. They met Jharkhand governor Droupadi Murmu in the evening.

Sources from RU said the NAAC team on Monday also reviewed the journals written by RU professors and will also give points to the university on the basis of the journals.

RU spokesperson Prakash Jha said that the members of the visiting team met alumni, students and guardians in the evening to get feedback. It will meet the registrar, dean (social welfare), finance officer and inspect the basic amenities on Tuesday.

RU recently got all its 22 PG department buildings painted to render a fresh look to the varsity campus.

There are 57 affiliated, 15 constituent and 22 PG departments under the varsity, spread across five districts Ranchi, Lohardaga, Khunti, Gumla, Simdegaall Maoist-hit and largely backward. Around 3 lakh students study in colleges under RU.

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The Asian market is driving global economic growth and India is emerging as the worlds preferred outsourcing hub. According to the CBRE 2017 Asia Pacific Occupier Survey report released last week, multinational as well as Asia Pacific-based companies have aggressive expansion plans for India and China over the next three years. Interestingly, in the Asia Pacific region, more than 80% of Indian respondents plan to hire more people in the next three years. This reflects Indias growing economy, steady progress in enacting regulatory reforms and booming outsourcing and ITES sector.

The report took responses from over 450 multinational companies and real estate consultancies and suggests Indias commercial real estate will get a big boost with these expansion plans.

The major sectors represented included banking and finance (32%), technology and telecommunications (14%), insurance (12%) and manufacturing (12%). Multinationals relentless focus on driving down costs has fuelled Asia Pacifics booming outsourcing sector, says the survey.

Read: Bengaluru worlds most dynamic city, 5 other Indian places in top 25

More office space

Anuj Puri, chairman and country head, of JLL India says that Indias macroeconomic outlook has been resilient since 2014, leading to the entry of new foreign firms and expansion of existing firms. All of this has resulted in a demand for office space. While 30 million square feet were absorbed annually from 2012 to 2014, the figure rose to 35 million in 2015.

Puri attributes the jump to the fact that many companies are adopting an aggressive expansion strategy, particularly after the slow pace of previous years. New players in ecommerce, healthcare and technology are driving the numbers up as well, he adds.

Vacant spaces are currently at a seven-year low of 13% - a perfect opportunity for rents to rise faster. Puri says the rise is particularly fast in lower vacancy markets such as Pune, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. These markets are more preferred by the leasing giants within IT-ITES sector, he explains. Few other sub-markets such as Mumbai suburbs, Gurgaon in the National Capital Region and Chennais suburban business districts are also witnessing moderately higher increase in rents.

Of all office leases, IT-ITES continues to be at the top with a 35-40% share. Experts say this dominance is likely to continue for some years. But Puri believes that with initiatives such as Make in India, relaxed FDI norms in defense manufacturing and a gradual progress towards a uniform taxation through GST and Skill India that figure might change. We could see the share of manufacturing rise in the medium term, from the meagre 15% it is today.

Workplaces on the fringe

While Mumbai has traditionally been a hub for financial services, it is strongly emerging as an IT and knowledge hub, especially with huge IT parks coming up in low-cost regions like Navi Mumbai and Thane. In Navi Mumbai, as much as 76% of commercial space is already occupied by IT/ ITeS players.

Micro-markets such as Malad, Goregaon and Powai are established commercial centres, says Gautam Saraf, managing director, Mumbai, Cushman & Wakefield. But Navi Mumbai alone is expected to witness average absorption rate of approximately 1.2 million square feet over the next three years, he adds. Major companies like Capgemini, WNS, Hexaware, TCS and Accenture expanding their operations. The rentals in Mumbai are in the Rs40-50 per square foot, which is less than a dollar, with good scope for appreciation in the years to come, Saraf says.

Read: Bengaluru and Delhi NCR dominate office leasing market with 47% share

Dharmesh Jain, CMD, Nirmal Lifestyle and president, CREDAI-MCHI, believes that Mumbai has favourable government policies, skilled IT resources and excellent infrastructure facilities, making it one of the top destinations for outsourcing. The outlook for commercial real estate for 2017 is likely to be vigorous with increasing demand, says Jain. Commercial real estate in Mumbai and nearby areas is being driven by outsourcing services in a big way. Waking up to this opportunity, Mumbais property developers have started to fully comprehend the workspace specifications required for IT, BPO and KPO services, which will drive the market for years to come, says Jain.

Where offices grow, homes grow too

The strong growth in commercial office market and expected buoyancy has spurred substantial demand for residential apartments. In Navi Mumbai, the IT boom has given a huge boost to the residential market in nodes near the offices like Airoli, Ghansoli, Vashi, Koparkhairane and Nerul. Availability of affordable residential supply, combined with promising prospects in terms of planned infrastructure and commercial office market are expected to further attract both end-users and investors in this region, says Saraf. This coupled with a robust retail growth, is helping fuel the revival of the residential real estate market.
Production designer Rupin Suchak says Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu has done incredible stunts in action-thriller Spyder, which is being directed by ace filmmaker AR Murugadoss as a Tamil-Telugu bilingual. Mahesh has done some fabulous stunts which we never thought an actor could do. But, Mahesh did it all by himself without any body double. We were all quite stunned, Rupin said.

This man has taken it to another league. Theres a particular sequence where even the stunt doubles were scared of doing it. But Mahesh just went ahead and delivered it.

Rupin, who has worked on films such as R Balkis Ki & Ka and Gauri Shindes Dear Zindagi, says Murugadoss has given him all the liberty to go ahead and do what he wishes to do. Murugadoss sir wanted something remarkably stylish. A complete urban look. He has given me all the liberty to do my work. Ive focussed on stylizing the production design to what he expects, says Rupin.

Other than Mahesh Babu, Spyder features Rakul Preet and Tamil actor-director SJ Suryah.

While 50% of Spyder has been shot at real locations, the remaining portion is being filmed on sets. Even on live locations, we have created sets. Spyder has an elegant texture. The story has a lot of relevance to different places. We constructed two important sets in EVP Studios, Chennai, which was quite challenging. Murugadoss sir has given a solid story this time. There will be a fine balance of Indian and international elements.

Produced by NVR Cinema, Spyder features Rakul Preet opposite Mahesh Babu. Also starring Tamil actor-director SJ Suryah as the antagonist, the movie marks veteran lensman Santhosh Sivans first Telugu film. Harris Jayaraj has composed the music for the project.

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Makers of S.S Rajamoulis magnum opus Baahubali 2: The Conclusion are currently fighting the wrath of activist Vatal Nagaraj, who is wants actor Sathyaraj to apologise for his strong remarks against Kannadigas during the Cauvery row. Ahead of the films grand release on April 28, the issue is yet to be resolved and Rajamouli feels its not right that it has gained so much momentum.

Veteran Tamil actor Sathyaraj was last seen as Kattappa in SS Rajamouli's Baahubali. He is often seen as an antagonist in Tamil and Telugu cinema. (ActorSathyaraj/Facebook)

Speaking to India Today in an interview, Rajamouli said: I worked with Sathyaraj for almost five years and I could have never ever imagined he is a person who could try to hurt someone. Some videos were posted on the internet. When we started inquiring, we learned that whatever comments Sathyaraj made it was nine years back. And after that, about 30 films of his were released in Karnataka. Baahubali 1 released. No one had problems with that. And suddenly, raking up the issue at this point in time is not right, he said.

In the film, Sathyaraj plays Kattappa, and the second part of the franchise will shed light on why his character Baahubali, played by Prabhas in the film. Also starring Rana Daggubati, Tamannaah Bhatia, Anushka Shetty and Ramya Krishnan, the film will release in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam on April 28.

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Makers of upcoming Tamil spy thriller Dhruva Natchathiram released a new teaser of the film to commemorate actor Vikrams 51st birthday on Monday. The new teaser, which was released on Sunday evening, is a continuation of the first one released in January earlier this year. Within no time, the teaser went viral and well received by everybody.

Being made on an international scale a la the Bourne series, the film is likely to feature Amitabh Bachchan in a pivotal role, apart from a well-known Telugu star. Reliable sources have revealed that Big B was originally considered for the role of Indian President when the film was planned with Suriya, and Gautham is really interested to revisit the idea and bring him on board. However, its not clearly known yet whether the veteran actor would still be interested in the project given his other commitments.

Having successfully completed the first schedule, the project is gearing up for release in August. Also starring Ritu Varma and Aishwarya Rajesh, the film also stars actor-filmmaker R. Parthiepan in a crucial role. The film will be predominantly shot in the US, in places such as Los Angeles, New York and Manhattan.

Watch: The teaser of Dhruva Natchathiram

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A small airplane crashed near a supermarket in a residential area outside Lisbon on Monday, killing all four people on board, rescue workers said.

The plane crashed after taking off from a nearby airport.

Local television showed images of smoke rising from the area. There were more than 50 rescue workers at the site.
Pakistans Balochistan province Chief Minister has said that Balochs can never become slaves of India at the behest of a handful of elements.

Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri, while addressing a gathering at Anjera Kalat, Balochistan, on Sunday said Balochs live in Pakistan as brothers.

Zehri said people in Balochistan can never become slaves of India at the behest of a handful of elements propagating enemys agenda in the province, Dawn News reported.

He was quoted as saying that elements sitting abroad were trying to use the youth for their nefarious designs.

Social media is not the criteria for liberation, in fact, the Baloch people stand for prosperous and peaceful Pakistan, Zehri said.

He said that if the suspected militants shun violence and come down from mountains, they would be welcomed by the government, the report said.

Zehri, however, clarified that the writ of the government would be ensured at all cost.

He was speaking at the fourth Zehri martyrs commemoration event held in remembrance of those killed in an April, 2013, attack in which Zehris convoy was targeted during the election campaign.

Zehris son, brother and a nephew were killed in the attack.

Pakistan has often accused India of supporting insurgency in Balochistan. The accusation has been outrightly dismissed by India.
Upping the ante against India, Pakistans army ruled out on Monday consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav who has been sentenced to death by a military court, days after New Delhi made a strong case for access to the alleged spy on death row.

Jadhav, 46, was awarded death sentence by the Field General Court Martial last week, evoking a sharp reaction in India that warned Pakistan of consequences and damage to bilateral ties if the pre-meditated murder was carried out.

Under the law we cannot give consular access to Kulbhushan who was involved in spying, Pakistan military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor told reporters.

However, Indian officials in New Delhi maintained that there was no communication from Pakistan on the denial of consular access.

Pakistan has denied Indias request for consular access to Jadhav over a dozen times in the past one year.

On Friday, Indian high commissioner in Islamabad Gautam Bambawale met Pakistan foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua and demanded a certified copy of the chargesheet as well as the army court order in the Jadhav case, besides seeking consular access to the retired Indian navy officer.

Addressing the media in Rawalpindi on Monday, Maj Gen Ghafoor said Jadhav was involved in anti-state activities so he had to face court martial.

It was duty of the army (to apprehend and punish him). We have not compromised on it and awarded him punishment. We will not compromise on this issue in future also, he said.

He said all legal requirements were fulfilled in the trial of Jadhav --- which resulted in his conviction.

The court martial is based on such evidence which cannot be refuted at any forum, he said.

He said the Indian man can appeal against the judgment in the army appellate court and then to the army chief against the decision of the appellate court.

The spokesman said the convict can also file an appeal to the Supreme Court and the president of Pakistan.

We will defend his conviction at every forum, he said.

Pakistan claims its security forces arrested Jadhav from the restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran. It also claimed that he was a serving officer in the Indian Navy.

The Pakistan Army had also released a confessional video of Jadhav after his arrest.

However, India denied Pakistans contention and maintained that Jadhav was kidnapped by the Pakistani authorities.

India had acknowledged that Jadhav had served with the navy but denied that he has any connection with the government.
As Nepal steps up efforts to hold polls to local government bodies on May 14 in the face of opposition from the Madhesi Morcha, China has become the first country to offer assistance for the elections.

India, which has been pushing for all stakeholders to join the electoral process, is still silent on offering any kind of assistance despite several requests from the Nepalese side.

Besides monetary support of nine million Yuan announced during Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahals recent visit to China, a tranche of election-related materials arrived in Kathmandu from Beijing on Monday.

Chinese ambassador Yu Hong handed over election-related materials, including pens, stamp pads, rubber stamps, calculators, scales, punching machines and table watches, during a function in Kathmandu.

Nepal has also purchased 30,000 ballot boxes from China that are set to arrive in Kathmandu in a day or two, the Election Commission of Nepal said.

The Election Commission said it requires 67 types of election-related materials to conduct the polls. It identified India, China and the UNDP as major sources for these items.

Nepal had requested for around 1,000 vehicles of various types from India but we are not sure whether we are getting them or not, said a senior Nepal government official who did not want to be named.

According to officials, the election commission had requested India to provide vehicles and the special ink used to mark the fingers of voters after they cast their ballots. It had sought 11 cars, 35 double cabin pick-up vans, a mini bus, a micro bus, 30 motorcycles and seven scooters.

Officials of the election commission and the home ministry said there had been no confirmation from India on whether it would provide the assistance sought by Nepal.

During the second Constituent Assembly elections in 2013, India had provided 750 vehicles and other election-related materials.
Chinese police have detained a man for smoking on a Thai AirAsia flight from Bangkok.

The man, a 54-year-old Chinese national identified only with his surname Wang, was apprehended on Saturday night upon arrival of the flight FD568 in Hangzhou City, eastern Zhejiang Province.

Wang admitted that he smoked in toilet while the aircraft was in air.

After smelling smoke, a cabin attendant reported him to the captain who alerted the airport police in Hangzhou.

Wang was punished to spend five days in detention for disturbing the order of public transport, state run Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.

China is the largest producer and consumer of tobacco products, with more than 300 million smokers.

There have been reports of Chinese on long-haul flights succumbing to urge to smoke.

Police warned that people who smoke in flight can be fined up to $735 and face detention.
A manhunt is underway for a suspect who police say killed a man on the street Sunday while streaming it live on Facebook.

Law enforcement is searching the Cleveland area and beyond for Steve Stephens, the suspect police say walked up to an elderly man and shot him while on video, said Cleveland police chief Calvin Williams.

The victim has been identified as 74-year-old Robert Goodwin Sr.

Cleveland mayor Frank Jackson publicly urged Stephens to turn himself into police and not to do anymore harm to anybody.

Any problems he is having, we can have a conversation, Jackson said.

In the video, Stephens said he snapped over a woman and claimed to have killed more than a dozen other people. Williams said police have not verified that information. There are no more victims that we know are tied to him, he added.

The chief also said they have been talking with Stephens friends and family.

What happened today was senseless, Williams said.

Authorities say Stephens broadcast the video live on the social media network on Sunday afternoon. It was up for about three hours before it was removed. Stephens Facebook page has also been removed.

This is not the first time Facebook Live has been used to broadcast violence or death.

In January, four people in Chicago were arrested after they allegedly beat and taunted a mentally disabled man live on the social media site. Then in March, a 15-year-old Chicago girl was apparently sexually assaulted by five or six men or boys on Facebook Live, and none of the roughly 40 people who watched the live video reported the attack to police, authorities said.

This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook, said a spokesperson for Facebook. We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety.

Police say Stephens should be considered armed and dangerous.

Williams said Stephens may be driving a newer model white Ford Fusion, possibly with a temporary license plate. He is described as a black man with a bald head and beard, standing 6 foot 1 inch and weighing 240 pounds. Anyone with information is asked to call 911.
Drones are being considered for a wide range of deliveries by courier companies and online retailers, but the increasing use of unmanned aerial vehicles to fly drugs and mobile phones into British jails has prompted authorities to set up a specialist squad to deal with the problem.

The crackdown was announced on Monday, days after two offenders were collectively sentenced for more than a decade in prison for trying to fly packages containing cannabis, spice, heroin and cellular phones into three prisons in Hertfordshire, Suffolk and Kent.

Prisons minister Sam Gyimah said the specialist squad will inspect drones recovered from prisons to identify and track down those involved in attempts to smuggle in contraband.

Crucially, this new set-up will investigate the specific drones use by individuals around prisons, an official source said.

Gyimah said: We are absolutely determined to tackle the illegal flow of drugs and mobile phones into our prisons and turn them into places of safety and reform. The threat posed by drones is clear

My message to those who involve themselves in this type of criminal activity is clear: we will find you and put you behind bars.

The two offenders given the longest sentence of this type on March 31 were Remo White-Channer and Romaine Gayle, who were jailed for attempting to flood three prisons with contraband worth around 48,000.

There have been previous convictions for similar offences.

In December, Dean Rawley-Bell, 21, was jailed for four years and eight months after he used a drone for attempts to smuggle drugs and mobile phones into a jail in Manchester.

Individuals have also been jailed for trying to fly contraband into jails in Warrington, Sheppey, London and Hemel Hempstead, sources said.

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India shouldnt undermine Chinas interests by using Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, Beijing said on Monday, adding once again that his high-profile visit to Arunachal Pradesh this month had harmed bilateral ties.

Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh had a negative impact on India-China ties. India should observe commitment on Tibet-related issues and should not use the Dalai Lama to undermine Chinas interests, foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said.

China claims Arunachal Pradesh is part of southern Tibet and the Dharamshala-based 14th Dalai Lama is a separatist plotting to carve out an independent Tibetan state from Chinas mainland.

By repeating its displeasure at the Dalai Lamas visit almost a week after it ended, the foreign ministry clearly indicated it has not bought what India has been saying about the trip  that it was religious in nature and the Tibetan leader is free to travel and doesnt plan his itinerary at the behest of the government in New Delhi.

On the face of it, Lus comments were in response to a statement on Friday from the external affairs ministry that there was no change in New Delhis position on Tibet being part of China.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said last week India will continue to seek a fair and mutually acceptable solution to the dragging boundary dispute with China.

China clearly doesnt given much credence to such statements.

The government, state media and experts perceive a pattern in how India is using the issue of Tibet and the Dalai Lama  the invitation to the leader of the Tibetan government in exile to Prime Minister Narendra Modis inauguration in May 2014, the Dalai Lamas meeting with President Pranab Mukherjee in December and now his visit to Arunachal Pradesh indicates to China that India has hardened its stand on Tibet-related issues.

What India has done is violated the solemn commitment on Tibet-related issues and it also has negative impact on proper settlement of the territorial disputes between the two sides through negotiations, was how Lu described the visit last week.

The boundary and Tibet-related issues bear the political foundation of China-India relationship and the two countries have reached important consensus of resolving the dispute through talks and consultations.

Lu had also said: We hope that the Indian side bears in mind the fundamental interests of the two countries and the two peoples and safeguards the political foundation of the bilateral relationship and do not take any provocative actions.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi could meet on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Astana in June notwithstanding bilateral tensions, according to a media report in Islamabad.

The Express Tribune, citing diplomatic sources, said that influential countries in the SCO are pushing Pakistan and India to re-engage in order to ensure that the next summit is held in a conducive environment.

It reported that both countries were admitted to the SCO on the condition that they would work together to improve bilateral ties as well as promote the interest of the organisation.

That was one of the main reasons that both Prime Minister Sharif and Modi met in Ufa, Russia, at the sidelines of SCO summit in 2015, it said.

It is very much possible, a senior Pakistani official said when asked about the possibility of a meeting between Sharif and Modi at the margins of the SCO summit in Astana in June.

The official said that Pakistan did not want the issue of Kulbhushan Jadhav, sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court, to undermine the overall bilateral engagement process with India.

As has been the case in the past, the two nuclear- tipped neighbours may bring yet another surprise, as Foreign Office officials and diplomatic sources do not rule out the possibility of a meeting between the prime ministers of the two countries in June, the paper said.

The two leaders would be in Astana, Kazakhstan, for the SCO summit.

At the forthcoming summit of the SCO, which comprises countries such as Russia, China and Central Asian states, Pakistan and India will be formally admitted as full members.

Meanwhile, another Pakistani daily The News International, in an editorial, said there seems to be very little scope for an immediate improvement in Indo-Pak ties.
Pakistan police announced Monday they had arrested 22 people after the lynching of a university student accused of blasphemy, but observers said there was little hope authorities would secure convictions.

A large mob attacked journalism student Mashal Khan last Thursday, stripping, beating and shooting him before throwing from the second floor of his hostel at the Abdul Wali Khan university in the conservative northwestern town of Mardan.

The brutality of the attack, recorded on a mobile phone camera, shocked the public and led to widespread condemnation, including from prominent clerics.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed to prosecute the perpetrators as protests broke out in several cities.

Salahuddin Khan Mehsud, police chief of the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, told a press conference the number of people arrested in connection with the case had risen to 22, from 12 at the weekend. They were mainly students but also included some university clerical workers.

He said police had so far found no evidence to support the blasphemy allegations against Khan, and condemned the university for investigating the case without police involvement.

A second senior police officer, who requested anonymity, said many members of the police, prosecution service and judiciary sympathised with the attackers and he did not expect any guilty verdicts.

Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive charge in conservative Muslim Pakistan, and can carry the death penalty. Even unproven allegations can prompt mob lynchings or lesser violence.

There are hundreds of sympathisers in my force and if I take too much interest in the case I might be killed too, the police officer said.

He added that although arrests had been made on the basis of CCTV footage and video clips, a court would require witnesses to come forward and past experience had shown this would not be likely -- partly because Pakistan has no witness protection programmes.

Saroop Ijaz, a lawyer employed by Human Rights Watch in Pakistan, noted that no Muslims were convicted for torching 100 Christian homes in a 2013 incident in Lahore sparked by blasphemy claims, nor for the murder of a young Christian couple a year later.

Nobody is going to stick their neck out because you will be abandoned, he said.

Vigilantes have murdered 65 people over blasphemy allegations since 1990, according to research compiled by the Center for Research and Security Studies think-tank.
Just when you hear about airlines dragging away or deplaning passengers, or scorpions falling from overhead bins, here is a refreshing story: of a pilot turning around a flight to help an elderly couple get to their dying grandson.

An Etihad aircraft was turned around at Manchester Airport to allow the couple to deplane, after they happened to see a text message from their son-in-law just before switching off their mobile phone as the plane was taxiing on the runway.

The couple, who were going to Australia via Abu Dhabi on March 30, learnt that their grandson was in intensive care and they needed to get there, said their travel agent, Becky Stephenson.

They informed the crew, who spoke to the captain, who then turned the plane back to the boarding gate, Stephenson said, according to a report in the Straits Times.

The airline staff meanwhile arranged to get their baggage and assisted them back through the airport.

Their car was collected from the parking area and taken to arrivals so they could drive off straight to meet their grandson.

Unfortunately, the boy died the following day.

The flight went ahead on its journey after the couple got off.

It was such a sad thing that happened to my clients, but it was lovely that Etihad was able to help in the way they did, Stephenson was quoted as saying in the report.

Calling the episode very unusual, Stephenson said, Ive been in the travel business for 25 years and had not heard of an airline going above and beyond with their customer service in such a way.

My customers were so grateful that staff were very helpful and they were taken care of.

The couple have been told they could use the ticket on a different date, Stephenson added, but my customers are not thinking of when theyre flying back out again.

As the news comes amid a week of public relations disasters for United Airlines of the US, some social media users pointed out that Etihad in Arabic means United. Strange coincidence, that.

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An inadvertent mistake by a granddad led to a three-month old baby being taken for questioning to the US embassy in London over links to terrorism.

Paul Kenyon mistakenly ticked Yes on a visa waiver document, known as Esta form, to a question on whether baby Harvey Kenyon-Cairns engaged in terrorism. The question in the document reads: Do you seek to engage in or have you ever engaged in terrorist activities, espionage, sabotage, or genocide?

The error came to light when the baby was refused from boarding the flight to Orlando, Florida, where the family was going for what would have been his first overseas holiday.

I couldnt believe that they couldnt see it was a genuine mistake and that a three-month-old baby would be no harm to anyone, the 62-year-old grandfather was quoted as saying in The Guardian.

Then the ordeal began; the baby was taken from his home in Poynton, Cheshire, to the US embassy in London for questioning, an over 10-hour trip that was longer than the 9.5-hour flight time from Manchester to Orlando.

Baby Harvey was good as gold for the interview and never cried once. I thought about taking him along in an orange jumpsuit, but thought better of it, the paper quoted Kenyon as saying. They didnt appear to have a sense of humour over it at all and couldnt see the funny side. Hes obviously never engaged in genocide, or espionage, but he has sabotaged quite a few nappies in his time, though I didnt tell them that at the US embassy.

The mix-up cost Kenyon an extra 3,000, as the new visa didnt arrive in time for the familys flights, the report said.

The grandad flew out to his holiday villa with his wife, Cathy, and his granddaughter Ava on the scheduled date, but Harvey and his parents, Faye Kenyon-Cairns and her partner John Cairns, had to fly out separately a few days later.

It was a very expensive mistake, but I was hoping the US embassy would realise that it was just a simple error without us having to jump through all the hoops, said Kenyon.

If you were a terrorist, I suspect youd not be ticking yes on the Esta form anyway.

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UK lawmakers are calling on the government to strip Syrian President Bashar al-Assads wife of her British citizenship, for supporting her husbands regime during the countrys ongoing war.

The Liberal Democrats foreign affairs spokesman, MP Tom Brake, on Monday accused Assad of using her international profile to defend a barbarous regime.

(Foreign secretary) Boris Johnson has urged other countries to do more about Syria, but the British government could say to Asma Al-Assad - either stop using your position to defend barbaric acts, or be stripped of your citizenship, Brake said.

His remarks follow Johnson branding the Syrian president an arch-terrorist, in a Sunday Telegraph newspaper article calling on Syria ally Russia to end its support for Bashar al-Assad.

Brakes comments echoed those of MP Nadhim Zahawi, from the ruling Conservative Party.

The time has come where we go after (Bashar) Assad in every which way, including people like Mrs Assad, who is very much part of the propaganda machine that is committing war crimes, he was quoted in the Sunday Times newspaper as saying.

Once hailed as a progressive rights advocate, Assad has fallen from international grace during Syrias ongoing war which has killed more than 320,000 people since erupting in 2011.

The 41-year-old, who is believed to hold joint British- Syrian nationality, has stood by her husbands side in his rare public appearances, posing for selfies with supporters in photos posted to the presidencys Instagram account.

The couples marriage was announced six months after he assumed the countrys leadership in July 2000. They had met at a party hosted by the British Syrian community in London.

Assads ongoing support for her husband allows Britain to deprive her of her UK citizenship, according to the Liberal Democrats, which served in an uneasy five-year coalition government with the Conservative Party until 2015.

If Asma continues defending the Assad regimes murderous actions, the onus will be on the UK Government to deprive her of her citizenship or demonstrate that her actions are not seriously prejudicial to the vital interests of the United Kingdom, said Brake.

He is due to write to home secretary Amber Rudd outlining the view of the Liberal Democrats, which holds nine seats in British parliament.

The home office would not comment on whether the government would take action against Assad, who previously worked as an analyst for Deutsche Bank and JP Morgan.

The Government takes its duty to protect the British public exceptionally seriously.

We cannot discuss individual cases but the home secretary can deprive individuals of their citizenship where it is conducive to the public good to do so, a spokesman said.
Cleveland police issued an arrest warrant on Monday for a gunman they said murdered a man in a crime he broadcast live on Facebook.

Officials in the Ohio city said suspect Steve Stephens, 37, shot his 74-year old victim Robert Godwin Sr at random on Easter Sunday, in cold blood.

Suspect did broadcast the killing on Facebook Live and has claimed to have committed multiple other homicides which are still NOT verified, Cleveland police said in a statement.

Suspect in this case is... armed and dangerous. If seen call 9-1-1. Do not approach.

Police said Stephens may be out of the midwestern state, and asked residents of Indiana, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania to be on alert.

Stephens worked for Beech Brook, a behavioral health agency serving children through mental health services, foster care and adoption, at-risk youth programs and other services.

In his broadcast, Stephens displayed his Beech Brook badge. The facility did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

At a press conference late on Sunday, authorities urged Stephens to turn himself in.

Everyone is out there looking for Steve. We want this to end with as much peace as we can bring to this right now, and we want him to turn himself in, Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams told reporters, adding that local authorities were working with the FBI and regional law enforcement.

We have all of our partners in on this, and well look until we find him.

Mayor Frank Jackson told reporters police were still trying to communicate with the suspect.

We want to communicate to him that we know who he is, and that he will eventually be caught. And that were saying to him that he need not do any more, said Jackson.

Stephens was at large after fleeing in a white Ford Fusion with temporary license plates, police said.

Some local media reported that he had boasted on Facebook of killing more than a dozen people in an Easter Day massacre, but authorities said there was no indication of a broader killing spree.
Late on the wintry afternoon of Dec. 5, 1797, a 28-year-old Frenchman stepped from a carriage at 6 rue Chantereine in Paris. At first sight he seemed to me to have a charming face, noted newly acquainted French Minister of Foreign Affairs Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord, so much do the halo of victory, fine eyes, a pale and almost consumptive look become a young hero.

The young hero was Napoleon Bonaparte. Two years earlier the French Directorythe five-member post-revolutionary committee then ruling from Parishad given Bonaparte command of the Army of Italy, Frances primary force along the border with that country. After resolving the armys systemic supply and discipline problems, the ambitious general led the revitalized force to victory over five Austrian armies, the army of the kingdom of Sardinia and the forces of Pope Pius VI. He also recaptured Corsica from the British, partitioned the ancient Republic of Venice and forced peace on continental Europe. By the end of the War of the First Coalition in 1797 only Britain remained at war with the French Republic.

As word spread of the heros return, Paris exploded in celebration, and publishers, composers and poets praised Napo-leon in print, music and verse. In his honor government officials renamed rue Chantereine (Singing Frogs) rue de la Victoire.

But on the south side of the Seine at Luxembourg Palace the five members of the DirectoryPaul Barras, Jean-Francois Reubell, Louis-Marie de La Revelliere-Lepeaux, Francois de Neufchateau and Merlin de Douaiwere far less enthusiastic about Bonapartes return to Paris. The men suspected the young general had returned to the capital specifically to overthrow the Directory and seize control of France.

Bonaparte was no fool, however. He likely understood his public support was founded not only on his victories but also on the perception he remained loyal to the republic. If he failed to sustain that illusion, his popularity would fade as quickly as it had flowered. The surest way to maintain the support of the people, he reasoned, was to personally engineer the defeat of his nations sole remaining foesthe hated British.

The French Directorys plan to force Britain to its knees centered on a cross-channel invasion, and it had assembled an army and fleet for such a campaign. Bonaparte argued, however, that France must first weaken the enemys commerce. Toward that end he proposed to lead an army to occupy Egypt. A successful campaign, he reasoned, would shift Continental Europes primary trade route to India from a long sea voyage around Africas Cape of Good Hope to a short, French-controlled land route across Egypt to the Red Sea. The Egyptian city of Alexandria would become a trading hub, and with French naval bases at Marseille, Toulon, Malta and Corfu, the Mediterranean would become a vast French lake.

While Bonapartes success would undoubtedly benefit France, it would also benefit the general personally. A fruitful campaign in the exotic land of the pharaohs would enhance his martial reputation even as the increasingly unpopular directors squandered what remained of their authority and public support.

The directors, for their part, relished the opportunity to send the upstart young general back abroad and out of the public eye. With luck Bonaparte would be away for years. He might even die in battle or succumb to a fatal disease.

With the blessings of the directors Napoleon formed the 35,000-man Army of the Orient, using troops largely drawn from his battle-tested Army of Italy. The force comprised five infantry divisions under generals Louis Desaix, Jean-Louis-Ebenezer Reynier, Jean-Baptiste Kleber, Jacques-Francois Menou and Louis-Andre Bon and a cavalry division under Thomas-Alexandre Dumas. In mid-March 1898 the Directory established the Commission of Sciences and Arts, a 167-member institute of engineers, mathematicians, architects, artists, writers and interpreters, most of whom would join the expedition. While their presence would lend a scholarly tone to the expedition, it would also have the unintended effect of aligning Bonaparte with Frances intellectuals.

On May 19 some 300 ships carrying the troops and equipment of the Egyptian expedition set sail concurrently from Toulon, Ajaccio, Genoa, Bastia and Civitavecchia. Once at sea they assembled under the overall command of Vice Admiral Francois-Paul Brueys dAigalliers and set a course for Malta. The fleet reached the island on June 9 and in just three days seized it from its rulers, the Order of the Knights Hospitallers of Saint John of Jerusalema military remnant of the First Crusade. On June 19 Napoleon left 4,000 soldiers to garrison Malta, and the fleet continued east toward Alexandria.

The French got their first view of Egypt at daybreak on July 1 and were underwhelmed. To the west I saw the coast, wrote artist and expedition member Vivant Denon, which stretched like a white ribbon over the bluish horizon of the sea. Not a tree, not a dwelling; it was not just nature in her saddest array, but the desolation of naturesilence and death. That night the troops put ashore at Marabout, 8 miles west of Alexandria. The sea was rough, and 20 soldiers drowned when their small boats capsized. Everyone, including the commander in chief, slept on the beach, wet, hungry and thirsty. At 6 a.m. on July 2 Napoleon ordered his men to their feet.

Two hours later, tired and almost mad with thirst, the French reached Alexandria, and Bonaparte ordered an immediate assault. Menou stormed the outlying Triangular Fort, while Kleber and Bon attacked the city gates. Fortunately for the French, the Egyptians had neglected the citys once-powerful defensive wall, which in places had crumbled to the ground. As for the weapons, noted contemporary Egyptian chronicler Abd al-Rahman al-Jabarti, nothing remained except some broken-down cannons, which were useless.

Alexandria surrendered after three hours of fighting. The French suffered 300 soldiers killed or woundedthe latter including both Kleber and Menouwhile the defenders lost between 700 and 800 troops. The capture of Egypts second city burnished Bonapartes martial reputation and raised the morale of his hot and thirsty army. But neither the general nor his men realized they had yet to confront Egypts rulers and principal defendersthe Mamluks.

Unlike the local conscripts comprising the majority of Alexandrias defenders, the Mamluks were members of a highly trained, highly motivated male military caste. The Egyptian Mamluk ruling class had traditionally boosted its troop strength by procuring child slaves from peasant families in southern Russia and the Balkans, converting them to Islam and training them as warriors. By the late 18th century the Mamluks numbered from 8,000 to 10,000, a fraction of Egypts population of some 4 million people, the majority of whom were fellaheen, or peasants. A third group, the Bedouin, roamed Egypts vast desert tracts in the tens of thousands.

Despite their minority status, the Mamluks had ruled Egypt for 500 years. Though they were ostensibly subservient to the Ottoman sultan, two Mamluk beys (chieftains), Ibrahim and Murad, exercised the real power. After Alexandria fell, Murad met in Cairo with Ibrahim and the other Mamluk leaders, who resolved to seek help from Ottoman Sultan Selim III. In the meantime, Murad lead an Egyptian army against the French. What do we have to fear from the French? he reportedly scoffed. If they land 100,000, it will suffice to meet them with untrained young Mamluks, who will cut off their heads with one slice of their scimitars.

When word of the gathering enemy force reached Napoleon in Alexandria, some 130 miles northwest of Cairo, he immediately ordered the bulk of his Army of the Orient to march on the capital. One column under General Charles Dugua (replacing the wounded Kleber, whom Napoleon had assigned to garrison Alexandria) would march east along the Mediterranean coast to Rosetta, at the mouth of the Nile. There Duguas troops would rendezvous with a flotilla of riverboats under naval Captain Jean-Baptiste Perree. Shadowed by the flotilla, the infantrymen would march upriver (south) to link up with the second French column at el Rahmaniya. The latter column comprised the bulk of the French armysome 25,000 menand included the divisions of Desaix, Reynier, Bon and Honore Vial (replacing the wounded Menou, who garrisoned Rosetta). To reach el Rahmaniya on schedule, Napoleon ordered his divisions on a 60-mile march due east across the merciless desert.

The column set out on July 7. By the end of the first day men suffering from blistered feet, sore eyes and exhaustion lagged behind the column. To straggle was to die, for Bedouin marauders harassed the march, robbing and killing all who couldnt keep up. The French cavalry was unable to protect the column, for the number of riders was relatively small, and their horses were weak from the voyage. Parched soldiers soon exhausted the columns water supply. When one division paused en route at a well, desperate soldiers trampled 30 of their fellows to death in the rush for water, while others, finding the well dry, killed themselves.

When the French finally reached el Rahmaniya, Captain Jacques Miot recalled, The whole army, as if by one impulse, rushed by thousands into the Nile. It was not enough to drink of its water. They did not stop to take off their clothes, but ran in as fast as they arrived, that every limb might partake of the refreshment, and that they might drink at every pore. No sound of drums, no command of their officers could restrain them.

Mamluk riders appeared even as the French joyously refreshed themselves in the Nile. Murad had marched north from Cairo along the river, shadowed by a flotilla of armed feluccas (lateen-rigged sailboats). With 800 cavalrymen he trotted forward along the riverbank and watched as French officers frantically herded their soldiers back into the ranks. Bonaparte formed squares six men deep, the first rank kneeling with bayonets pointing outward as the others prepared to fire over their heads. The French cavalry and transport sheltered in the center, and sweating artillerymen dragged their cannons to the corners of the squares.

Unfamiliar with the European square formation and the dangers it presented, Murad ordered a probing charge. His horsemen rode into a withering hail of cannon and musket fire. Those few Mamluk riders who managed to make it to the edge of the squares fell to the bayonets of the French infantry. Survivors wheeled into the desert, leaving behind some 40 dead and wounded. Murad wisely ordered a general withdrawal. The next day Duguas southbound column arrived in el Rahmaniya, followed by Perrees flotilla. The Army of the Orient was reunited, and Bonaparte had gained a week on Murad at the cost of only a few hundred French livesmost to the desert and scavenging Bedouin.

At dawn on July 13 Bonaparte learned Murad was deploying his newly reinforced army a few miles upriver around the village of Shubra Khit. The Egyptian commander had assembled some 4,000 Mamluk cavalry supported by 10,000 fellaheen infantry, while on the Nile nine or 10 feluccas stood ready to attack the French flotilla.

Napoleon marched upriver to meet Murad. To protect his left flank from the Egyptian gunboats, the French commander ordered Perree upriver with his flotilla. Unfortunately, a strong tailwind propelled the French gunboats into contact with the enemy well ahead of the infantry. The Egyptians opened up on Perrees flotilla with land-based artillery, then followed up with a naval assault, soon claiming three of the French vessels. To relieve the embattled flotilla, Bonaparte hurried his soldiers forward and formed them into squares. Ignoring the lessons from el Rahmaniya, the Mamluk horsemen again charged directly into the French guns, most toppling from their horses, dead or wounded, before they could strike a blow. Even as Murads riders faltered, French naval gunners scored a lucky hit on the magazine of the Mamluk flagship, blowing it from the water. Murad again ordered a retreat.

Keeping the Egyptian army on its heels, Bonaparte ordered his exhausted men to march on Cairo, some 80 miles to the south. Our sufferings, Miot recalled, now greatly increased. All the villages were deserted, and the soldiers had not bread to eat, though we actually lay upon heaps of corn. We were totally without animal food, though there were fruits in abundance. The Arabs, always hanging on our flanks, cut off all stragglers.

As the march dragged on, one irate grenadier reportedly hollered out to Bonaparte, Are you taking us to India?

Not with such soldiers, the indefatigable general shot back for all to hear.

Resignations poured in from the French officers. Bonaparte disregarded them. The officers complained more loudly than the soldiers, he later reflected, because the comparison was proportionately more disadvantageous to them. In Egypt they found neither the quarters, the good table nor the luxuries of Italy.

But while the soldiers might complain, and the officers give notice, all knew only one course remained open to themto follow Napoleon.

On July 21 the French army finally neared Cairo. Bonaparte had some 22,000 infantrymen, a few thousand cavalrymen and 40-odd cannons. The Mamluks were extended before us in a long and splendid line, Miot recalled. The novelty and splendor of their appearance, their glittering colors and standards, excited a general admiration among us. Never was displayed a more impressive scene. On the left was the Nile, and Cairo beyond it, with all its hundred minarets and domes; on the right were the Pyramids, the highest, the oldest, the most durable of the works of men. Bonaparte pointed to them when he gave the word and exclaimed, Remember that from the summit of yonder monuments 40 ages are beholding us!

Murad anchored the right of his line on the Nile at the village of Embabeh, where he stationed 40 guns and 15,000 infantrymen. On his left he positioned his 6,000 Mamluks. For reasons that remain unclear, his fellow commander, Ibrahim, had massed his 18,000 infantrymen and all his artillery across the river, where they would have little effect on the battle.

Despite their weak positionsand poor recent performancethe Mamluks were supremely confident. [The Mamluks were] contemptuous of their enemy, unbalanced in their reasoning and judgment, conceded Egyptian chronicler al-Jabarti. [They] saw themselves as fighters in a holy war. They never considered the number of their enemy too high, nor did they care who among them was killed.

About 2 p.m. Bonaparte ordered Desaix and Reynier to take up position on the French right and prepare to seal off the enemys only viable route of retreat. Noting the movement, Murad sent an elite Mamluk cavalry corps in a sweeping charge against the flanking enemy divisions.

Captain Jean-Baptiste Vertray was in Reyniers division. [We] had the honor of being the first attacked, he recalled. General Reynier gave the command, To your ranks! and in the twinkling of an eye we were formed in square six men deep, ready to sustain the shock.Scarcely had the order to commence firing been given, when a cloud of cavalry surrounded us.

Screaming Allah! Allah! Mamluk riders swarmed around the French squares, firing pistols, hurling lances and slashing with razor-sharp scimitars. In reply Napoleons disciplined riflemen drove thousands of well-aimed musket balls into the careening horsemen. The rifles of the French were like a boiling pot on a fierce fire, al-Jabarti wrote.

The Mamluk torrent swept around the unbreakable French squares of first Reyniers division and then Desaixs until finally ebbing to the south, leaving behind hundreds of dead and wounded. I seized that moment, Bonaparte recalled, and ordered General Bons division, which was on the Nile, to go in to attack the fortifications [at Embabeh], and General Vialto move between the force which had just charged and the emplacements.

Vials and Bons soldiers poured over the entrenchments into the village. Here, the Mamluks had 30 or 40 pieces of cannon, Miot recalled, which they knew so little how to use that they had not time to load them for a second discharge. They were routed at the point of the bayonet; some of them had their clothes set on fire by our muskets and were in this dreadful manner burnt as they lay mortally wounded. Scores of panicked Egyptian soldiers drowned attempting to swim the Nile as Murad and other survivors fled south. Witnessing the slaughter from across the river, Ibrahims men also ran for their lives.

When the people saw that Ibrahim Bey and his followers had fled, al-Jabarti recalled, they took to their heels and ran like the waves of the sea in such a way that the cleverest among them became he who ran faster than his neighbor.

The Battle of the Pyramids, as the fight became known, cost Murad perhaps as many as 3,000 Mamluk horsemen and untold infantrymen. Bonaparte, by contrast, lost just 40 killed and 260 wounded. The next day the French occupied Cairo and its citadel.

Once the euphoria of victory faded, however, the morale of Bonapartes soldiers again plummeted. All goes very ill, cavalry commander Dumas wrote to Kleber from Cairo six days after the battle. The troops are neither paid nor fed, and you may easily guess what murmurs this occasionsloudest perhaps among the officers.

Moreover, the Egyptian people viewed the French as heretics, not liberators. They have intercourse with any woman who pleases them and vice versa, al-Jabarti wrote. They do not shave their heads nor their pubic hair. They mix their foods. Some might even put together in one dish coffee, sugar, arak [distilled spirits], raw eggs, limes and so on.

The French mutually detested the Egyptians. Once you enter Cairo, what do you find? Major Jean-Francois Detroye reflected rhetorically. Blind men, half-blind men, bearded men, people dressed in rags, pressed together in the streets or squatting, smoking their pipes, like monkeys at the entrance of their cave; a few women of the people, hideous, disgusting, hiding their fleshless faces under stinking rags and displaying their pendulous breasts through their torn gowns; yellow, skinny children covered with suppuration, devoured by flies.

Morale within the Army of the Orient plunged even lower in early August when news arrived that a British fleet under Rear Adm. Sir Horatio Nelson had destroyed the French expeditionary fleet at anchor in Aboukir Bay near Alexandria. Bonapartes men were stranded. A month later Ottoman Turkey declared war on France, and Sultan Selim III amassed large armies to drive the French from Egypt. Coming months witnessed Bonapartes invasion of Syria, his repulse at Acre and his temporary reprieve with a 1799 victory ashore at Aboukir.

For the French the expedition to Egypt was a futile misadventure, its only lasting achievement an exhaustive tome on the region published by the Commission of Arts and Sciences. But the cost paid for the 23-volume Description de lEgypte was dear: Of the 35,000 soldiers sent to Egypt, nearly 9,000 perished.

Despite his failure, however, Bonaparte experienced a decidedly different outcome. On Aug. 23, 1799, he abandoned his army, transferred command to Kleber and stole away to France, again receiving a heros welcome. A month after his return he overthrew the Directory in a bloodless coup and wrested control of the French government as first consul. As he had foreseen, the expedition to Egypt laid the foundation for the next step in his career.

Through his remaining days Bonaparte expressed fond memories of his time in Egypt. I found myself freed from the obstacles of an irksome civilization, he told one contemporary. I was full of dreams.I saw myself founding a religion, marching into Asia, riding an elephant, a turban on my head and in my hand a new Quran that I would have composed to suit my needs. In my undertakings I would have combined the experience of the two worlds, exploiting for my own profit the theater of all history, attacking the power of England in India.The time I spent in Egypt was the most beautiful of my life because it was the most ideal.

The long-suffering soldiers he had abandoned in Egypt held quite a different view, one expressed in the words of a song written by Antoine-Charles-Louis de Lasalle, who joined the expedition as a major and later became a celebrated general in his own right:

The water of the Nile is not champagne

Why make war where there are no cabarets?

James W. Shosenberg writes from Oshawa, Canada. For further reading he recommends Bonaparte in Egypt, by J. Christopher Herold; Napoleons Egypt, by Juan Cole; and Memoirs of the French Expedition to Egypt and Syria, by M. Jacques Miot.

First published in Military History Magazines May 2017 issue.
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No group epitomizes the abundance of artistic talent and spirit of collaboration coming out of Chicago right now more than Pivot Gang. HNHH caught up with four members of Pivot Gang  Saba (rapper/producer), Joseph Chilliams (rapper/producer), Squeak (producer/DJ), and Dam Dam (Sabas DJ)  last month at their SXSW AirBNB, which was situated on a quiet street a couple miles from downtown Austin.

The interview spanned a variety of topics, including how Chilliams coined the term Pivot Gang and the tragic murder of their cousin and collaborator John Walt, and how he has been honored in the community of young Chicago artists. Things took a lighter turn when the group discussed life on tour. Long drives in the sprinter van consist of anime, tons of snacks, and coping with the reckless driving tactics of Rory, Pivot Gangs publicist and manager (and driver).

Finally, Pivot Gang shared what fans can expect from them musically in the coming year. Chilliams plans to release Henry Church, which he named because thats what Enrique Iglesiass name translates to in English. Saba mentioned that MFn Melo is putting the finishing touches on a luxurious tape hes been working on for the last couple years and that the imminent release of Jimmy/FRSH Watrs means one thing: another Pivot Gang project is on the way.

Watch the full interview above.
Houston and Harris County have well-deserved reputations for built environments that are spread out and low density. The region's sprawling suburban, single-family subdivisions support this image, and numbers bear it out  single-family detached homes make up 61 percent of all housing stock in the county.

But digging deeper into that housing stock complicates the notion that our built environment should be defined solely by low-density housing.

The Kinder Institute for Urban Research's latest report, Taking Stock, analyzes the county's residential building stock based on age, type and density. One thing that jumps out from the findings is the diverse range of housing densities found throughout Harris County.

Dense, compact areas in Houston complicate the easy conception of the region as the capital of sprawl. And at a time when the city is experiencing a boom of residents moving back into the core, existing dense communities offer many lessons about the future of our region's development.

While the county's most dense communities are dominated by large multifamily properties of more than five units (which makes up 37 percent of housing stock overall), Taking Stock shows that this in not the only form Houston's density takes. Some neighborhoods have much higher densities than the county as a whole, and within these communities, there are a mix of housing types.

The county's five densest areas are Gulfton, Westwood, Mid-West, Pecan Park and Montrose. These are all quite different areas in terms of sociodemographics, location and residential building stock.

Gulfton (14,600 people per square mile) and Westwood (12,400 people per square mile), to the southwest of downtown, are by far the densest, with levels exceeding that of Chicago. In those areas, the residential building stock is more than 90 percent large multifamily properties. The concentration of apartments here is the landscape most Houstonians would think of when asked about the densest parts of the county.

When we look at the next tier of dense communities  Mid-West, Pecan Park and Montrose  the realities of what density looks like begins to change. All three communities have around 10,000 people per square mile, comparable to the overall density of Newark, New Jersey. What Taking Stock makes clear, though, is that each of these communities achieves this density in a unique way.

Mid-West, located west of the Galleria area, is another community in the Gulfton mold with 87 percent of its housing being large, multifamily properties. Montrose is 55 percent large multifamily and only 32 percent single-family detached homes. Eleven percent of its housing is smaller, two- to four-unit multifamily properties. Pecan Park, on the city's east side, is 55 percent single-family detached. Despite these different breakdowns, each community holds about the same density.

The communities, of course, have different residents and face different challenges and opportunities. Residential housing stock only tells a part of their stories. But that part is foundational to understanding how these communities are connected to the issues confronting the larger region.

The housing stock in Gulfton and Westwood is aging, and many of the large multifamily units are notoriously undermaintained, raising questions about quality of housing for existing residents. Montrose and Pecan Park are both feeling redevelopment pressures, and the smaller multifamily units that are often more affordable are disappearing. Each of these patterns is visible in the data Taking Stock presents.

The striking findings about density are just one aspect of Taking Stock. By comparing the current residential stock to that which existed in 2007, the report also identifies a number of patterns in the way the county's housing stock is growing and changing. Both single-family attached units and large multifamily properties, for example, have outpaced the growth rate for single-family detached homes over the past decade.

The age breakdown also captures the county's various cycles of development, with construction going outward away from the city through the mid-2000s, then experiencing an emerging reversal to the central areas of the city in the latest cycle.

Kyle Shelton (@kylekshelton) is a postdoctoral fellow at Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research. This article first appeared on The Urban Edge, the Kinder Institute's blog. You can listen to related content on the Kinder Institute's podcast.





Bookmark Gray Matters. It's one thing that jumps out from the findings.


The first time was early in my second week in prison.

I was in the gym at New York's only maximum-security prison for women, plugging away on a stair stepper, trying my best to block out this horrible new place I'd be calling home.

I was still sporting the new intake garb  a green collared shirt, state-issued green shorts that went well past my knees and white pseudo-sneakers distinctly ill-suited for the sort of workout I was attempting. Lest I somehow think I was a person and not a number, all my clothes had my seven-digit ID ironed on them.

My first prison friend  the one everyone thought was my girlfriend  was on the stepper next to me. We'd fallen into silence after some nervously quiet chatter about the clear scent of marijuana wafting down from the nearby vent.

There were a few tough-looking AGs  the "men" in women's prison  flexing and showing off by the weights and a cluster of old-timers gathered along one wall. A few others milled around. A couple played cards  or maybe gambled  on tables along the other wall.

Kelly Clarkson was playing quietly in the background.

"Here's the thing, we started out friends," she sang. "It was cool, but it was all pretend."

Then, with no warning, seemingly the entire gym broke out into song.

"Since you been gone, I can breathe for the first time," shouted a chorus of locked-up voices. "I'm so moving on! Yeah!"

It was like a flash mob. But in prison. A bunch of hardened criminals in a max facility, singing along to a vanilla pop song. It was a moment any director would cut from a movie, tagging it too absurd and unbelievable.

Previously by Keri Blakinger: In prison there are no rules

My friend and I turned to each other in utter astonishment, wanting to confirm that we were both hearing and seeing the same thing.

Though it was, to me, the most unexpected, it wasn't the only time I saw women behind bars come together, sharing a fleeting moment of joy.

There was a birthday party for my friend C, a unit-wide event that everyone pitched in food to to make just right. There was a much-anticipated Super Bowl party in county jail. There was the woman who sometimes sang us to sleep at night with 15-year-old Jewel songs  and the weird incongruence of no one telling her to shut the eff up, despite the fact that it was prison, and always one person in the room would hate anything vaguely pleasant or happy.

Of course, the daily routine was not unity, joy and power. It was boredom and fear, punctuated by fights, drug busts and sex scandals. It was depression, it was anxiety, it was the crushing tick of a clock never moving fast enough.

But, maybe once every few months, some cosmic cog would slip out of place and things would be different, if only for a few minutes. They're hard to come by and their unexpected exhilaration almost hurts, but even prison has its moments.

Bookmark Gray Matters. Any director would cut it from a movie, tagging it too absurd and unbelievable.
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The heart is a ghost.

Here it is, suspended in a glass container called a bioreactor, not just bled out but stripped of its cells so that all that remains is the fist-sized collagen hull that forms its architecture - white and nearly translucent. You can't even tell it once beat inside a pig.

Doris Taylor, Ph.D., the director of regenerative medicine research since 2012 at the Texas Heart Institute of CHI St. Luke's Hospital, is in charge of this heart and others. Someday she wants to introduce human stem cells into the scaffolding and grow a human heart that will beat in a human body.

The numbers for heart failure are huge and growing, with some 5 million cases in the U.S. and a half-million more diagnosed every year. Hearts available for transplant number in the low thousands. Interest in this research is as high as the demand. If you use the patient's own stem cells, Taylor says, just imagine: no transplant from a dead person, no fear of rejection, just the patient's own heart created anew.

Taylor is at the forefront of this area of research, and everything about her life marks her as an iconoclast - from her childhood in Mississippi to her unwillingness to approach scientific questions conventionally. Her approach could best be described by her favorite painter, the Catalan surrealist Joan Miro: "The works must be conceived with fire in the soul but executed with clinical coolness."

The fire in the soul is evident when Taylor talks about stem cells. Get her rolling on this topic, and her liquid brown eyes shine. "It's very cool, the stuff we're doing," she says.

Taylor believes in stem cells - not that they are the answer to all of medicine's questions, but that they hold secrets humans are just beginning to untangle.

Stem cells are found both in very early-stage embryos, called blastocysts, and in adults, in the bone marrow and elsewhere. Stem cells are capable of dividing over and over and of developing into various types of cells, sometimes as agents of repair.

Surprising data

Taylor has found that they behave in ways that cannot yet be explained.

A group of women with heart disease, for example, was divided into thirds. One third got acupuncture. One third got sham acupuncture. One third were promised acupuncture and put on a waiting list. When tested, the third who received acupuncture produced more circulating stem cells. Exercise, too, seems to make people produce more stem cells.

And in an admittedly tiny study, the interpreter for the Dalai Lama, a Tibetan monk, was tested before and after he meditated on compassion for 15 minutes. Afterwards, he had a 40 percent increase in circulating stem cells.

"All the things people told us to do all our lives mobilize our stem cells," says Taylor.

The mysteries of stem cells extend to gender as well. Women, Taylor says, have more robust stem cells and retain them in greater quantities for more years than men do.

The differences between men and women - always a touchy subject - come into play often in Taylor's work. For years, and for complicated reasons, many clinical trials have included only a small number of women, or none.

"There are some data that say women do not enroll in clinical trials as often as men," Taylor says, "and women opt out of trials more often." They cite family more often as a reason to opt out. "Until women are included in studies we won't really understand if they're different and how different they are," Taylor says.

Taylor's work on the differences between men and women - specifically in the area of stem cells and hearts - earned her a segment of "60 Minutes" last year. (Men's hearts, relative to women's, are squishier.)

Taylor wasn't always a star. In fact, she wasn't even supposed to live.

She and her twin brother, together, weighed less than 4 pounds at birth. No one thought they would survive, but both fooled the experts. Her brother, however, was born with cerebral palsy.

After Doris' father died when she was 6, she grew up in rural Mississippi. (Early in life, she lived in Germany. Her parents met in Japan.)

She and her two siblings grew up surrounded by books and by a sense that the world was much larger than what could be seen from the doorstep. College was a fact, not an option. "I was always told I could do or be anything I wanted to do or be," Taylor says.

'Made a big splash'

Nevertheless, she grew up well aware of the stereotypes of Mississippi. When she went to a science symposium in New York as a high school student, another kid asked her if she wore shoes. No, she said, but there's a special store at the airport where Mississippians buy shoes when they go out of state. "I learned how ridiculous people are," she says.

She is private about personal details. She describes her age as "in the fives."

Her background helped lead Taylor to regenerative medicine. "Growing up in the South, or maybe it was me, I always wanted everyone to have an equal chance," she says. "Regenerative medicine is the epitome of that."

Always a voracious reader, Taylor fell into pharmacology - her doctorate is from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas - partly because of the polysyllabic words like "sympathomimetic," which refers to drugs that imitate transmitters in the sympathetic nervous system.

After Dallas, she did some post-doctoral work at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, where she became interested in gene therapy and cardiac cells. Some 25 years ago, this was a bit out there as a research topic.

"There were a lot of strong personalities in the lab when she was there," says her mentor, Leslie Leinwand, now a professor of biology at the University of Colorado. "We were both from the South, and there was a lot of overlap in the way we looked at the world."

That early work, Leinwand says, planted the seeds for the scientist Taylor would become. "I'm not surprised she made a big splash in the world."

From New York, Taylor moved to Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina, where she became an associate professor of cardiology.

In 2003, she became director of the center for cardiovascular repair and professor at the University of Minnesota. There, in 2008, she and her team used stem cells to regenerate a pinkish-red, beating rat heart.

Regenerative goal

In 2012, she was recruited to the Texas Heart Institute.

"She's very creative and very enthusiastic, and her goal is a great one," says James T. Willerson, president of the Heart Institute. "A lot of people are working very hard to that end," he adds, that end being a completely regenerated human heart.

"She's been able to deplete the cells of almost every organ of the body," Willerson says. "An organ will be glistening, pale, listless and dead, and she will restore the function with selected stem cells."

Understanding future

That perfect heart is still in the future, but Taylor's curiosity is very much in the present. Doctors were doing regenerative medicine long before they knew they were. Bone marrow transplants began in the '60s. "We're finally catching up," she says.

Her overall goal is to "manipulate endogenous repair," to phrase it polysyllabically, or "give nature the tools and get out of the way," as she also puts it.

Meanwhile, she is asking the big questions: about whether aging can be treated like a chronic disease; about the relationship between stress and aging; about what makes a cell alive; about how men and women differ at the cellular level; about the role of, say, meditation in healing; about how humans can, if not live forever, at least live better.

"The future is not just treating everything ad nauseam with stem cells," she says. "The future is understanding what the processes are and how to manipulate them."
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The yellow and pink heart in Dr. Huie Lin's office is an exact replica of the one beating inside the chest of Allison Bennie  a 3-D model that helped save her life.

Two years ago, the 29-year-old South Carolina woman came to Lin, an interventional cardiologist at Houston Methodist Hospital, after being turned down for surgery elsewhere.

Lin is an expert in treating patients like Bennie, adults born with heart defects who, decades later, have outgrown the surgical repairs that saved them as infants. Adults with congenital heart defects tend to be complex cases, requiring specially tailored treatment, but Bennie's case came with an extra challenge: She's a Jehovah's Witness, a faith that forbids blood transfusions, even in surgery.

"Essentially," Lin said, "we needed to come up with a new way to fix the problem."

He had some ideas for how to repair her leaking pulmonary valve while minimizing blood loss, but to Lin's knowledge, none had ever been attempted on a patient with a congenital heart defect, and he couldn't be sure any would work.

"For me," Lin said, "this is where the story gets exciting."

Lin ordered a detailed scan of Bennie's chest and got in touch with William Dore Jr., a frequent Methodist donor and owner of 3DPrintLabs.com, a 3-D printing startup based in Houston. Dore agreed to print a $1,500 model of Bennie's heart at no cost and delivered it to the hospital.

"With this," Lin said, holding the heart model, "we could test out a solution that's never been tried before but without putting the patient needlessly at risk."

In Houston, and across the country, physicians are increasingly turning to 3-D printed organs to test complex operations, mostly relying on donations and grants to pay for the emerging technology. Dore and his company have printed defective hearts for Methodist, the brains of cancer patients for MD Anderson and earlier this year, the entire chest cavity of a child being treated for a rare defect at Texas Children's Hospital.

Dore is betting that his donations, and the work of physicians like Lin, will eventually prove the benefit of 3-D models in medicine and someday lead insurance companies to pay for them.

"In the cases we've done, there's been a tremendous cost savings in terms of minimizing complications and shorter recovery times," Dore said. "But in medicine, it just takes a long time for new ideas to become standard."

Lin has requested 3-D heart models for about a half dozen patients, including Bennie, and eventually hopes to launch a clinical trial to test and prove their effectiveness.

"Adult congenital heart patients are the perfect group to test this out, because every patient is unique and requires personalized care," Lin said.

Bennie was surprised when she sat down with Lin and he showed her the model of her heart. It was amazing to hold it, she said. It was an exact copy of the organ that had kept her alive 27 years  and caused her so many problems along the way.

She'd been born with a pulmonary valve so narrow, her tiny heart was straining to push blood through. A classic case of what's known as blue baby syndrome.

She came to Houston then, too. Dr. Denton Cooley, the legendary heart surgeon, opened her chest in 1988 and artificially enlarged the valve. But, like thousands of other infants saved by Cooley's scalpel, the repair came with a cost that wouldn't become apparent until decades later: The valve, now large enough for sufficient blood flow, was also made leaky and inefficient.

By 2015, Bennie had begun feeling fatigued. She couldn't catch her breath. Once again, her heart was straining, putting her at risk for heart failure. And once again, doctors back home told her they couldn't help and instead sent her to a specialist in Houston.

Before she arrived, Lin's team took the model of Bennie's heart into a lab at Methodist and tested his first idea: He wanted to use a catheter to pass a stent though an artery and into the valve and then inflate a balloon to deploy the stent, repairing the leak.

But when they attempted the procedure on the model, Lin realized immediately it wouldn't work. Bennie's pulmonary valve was so enlarged, the balloon couldn't deploy a stent large enough to stay in place.

"We knew that wasn't going to work," Lin said. "We needed to go another route."

Next, Lin and his team tested a procedure he's dubbed the hybrid approach, combining the initial catheter-based procedure with a surgical operation that would still minimize blood loss and avoid the need for a transfusion.

Before Lin snaked the stent and balloon through an artery, a surgeon would first open Bennie's chest and use a felt band to cinch down the valve, making it narrow enough to hold the stent in place. Bennie's heart would continue beating through the operation, avoiding the need to connect her to a heart-lung machine to pump blood through her body.

The medical team attempted the approach on the 3-D model, "and the stent deployed perfectly," Lin said.

To Lin's knowledge, the procedure had never been attempted before. But when he and the surgical team performed the operation on Bennie days later, they operated with confidence.

Two years later, she's doing well, she said. She was glad to learn Lin has held onto the model of her heart, a reminder of how hard doctors here worked to help her.

"It was comforting to know," Bennie said, "how much thought and effort they put into the operation."

___

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.
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages hunters to remember safety while in the woods turkey hunting. Regular spring turkey hunting season began Monday and runs through May 7. Shooting hours are from a half hour before sunrise to 1 p.m.

MDC Protection Field Chief Randy Doman stresses that the most common cause of a turkey hunting incident is a hunter being mistaken for game.

Each year, most turkey hunting incidents involve hunters who shoot at sound, color, or movement, Doman said. Its very important to always identify your target and know whats beyond it before aiming the gun at it and squeezing the trigger.

The popular fad of fanning turkeys is catching on and could be dangerous. The fanning technique involves someone hiding behind a turkey fan and moving it around to attract other turkeys.

The fanning technique is not recommended because you could potentially be mistaken for a gobbler and become a victim of a hunting incident, MDC Hunter Education and Shooting Coordinator Kyle Lairmore said.

Lairmore encourages turkey hunters to wear hunter orange while moving throughout the woods.

Wearing hunter orange lets other hunters know that youre in the area, he said. Its also important to remember to never carry a harvested turkey in the open. Be sure to cover them with a hunter orange vest or put them in a game bag.

Lairmore added anyone in the woods during turkey hunting season should also wear hunter orange.

This time of year we also have mushroom hunters, hikers, birders, and others sharing the woods with turkey hunters, he said. It is a good safety measure for these other outdoor enthusiasts to make themselves clearly visible to hunters.

MDC also offers the following safety tips for spring turkey hunting:

Identify a turkeys head and beard before aiming.

Never shoot at sound or movement. Assume it is another hunter until you can clearly see a turkeys head or beard.

Wear hunter orange when walking through the woods.

Use hunter orange to identify your hunting location.

Wrap a bagged turkey or decoy in hunter orange when transporting it.

Dress defensively. Never wear red, white, blue, or black clothing because it resembles a turkey.

Be sure of your target and what lies beyond.

Never follow the sound of a gobbling turkey or attempt to sneak up on turkeys. Always call turkeys to you.

Sit against a large tree or other natural barrier to shield yourself from hunters approaching from the rear.

Shout STOP when another hunter approaches. Dont move, wave, whistle, or make turkey calls to get their attention.

Find detailed information on harvest limits, allowed hunting methods, hunter education requirements, permits, MDC hunting areas, tagging and checking procedures, regulations and more in MDCs 2017 Spring Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet available from MDC offices and nature centers, other places where permits are sold, and online at http://on.mo.gov/2mn9d8K. For more information about spring turkey hunting, visit MDCs website at http://on.mo.gov/2mVaDnK.
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.
Odds are good that you or someone close to you knows a person with autism spectrum disorder (ASD): an estimated 1 in 68 U.S. children has been identified with ASD, with similar stats in Canada. But you may still feel that you dont understand ASD, have an up-to-date idea of how autism is diagnosed, or even know why its called a spectrum disorder.

Part of this is because the medical understanding of autism is still changing. For example, when DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) was published in May, all autism disorders were merged into one umbrella diagnosis of ASD  meaning that conditions you may have heard of, like Asperger Syndrome, are no longer used from a clinical standpoint.

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So what does this mean for our modern understanding of what autism is, what the spectrum means, and what symptoms are seen in people with autism? Read on for more information on how autism is diagnosed and how its symptoms may vary.

What does on the spectrum mean? A spectrum disorder is a mental disorder with a range of linked conditions and a variety of subgroups that make up one syndrome. "Typically, what defines where an individual falls along the spectrum is determined by how large a role their symptoms play in impacting their ability to thrive in social, occupational and educational settings, explains Natalie Moore, a holistic psychotherapist who works with autistic patients.

Why is it called a spectrum? "Autism is referred to as being on a spectrum mainly due to the varying intensity of symptoms observed from one individual to another, says Moore. For example, one person with autism could have mild symptoms, another could have very severe symptoms, and the next could be somewhere in between. The term spectrum reflects the wide range of symptoms and abilities any individual person with autism could have.

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Symptoms themselves range greatly: Another reason why autism is called a spectrum disorder, Moore says, is because it involves a wide range of symptoms themselves. "Autism affects many mind/body systems such as emotional regulation, language development, social engagement, motor function, sensory processing, and visual-spatial ability, among others, she says.

How is mild, moderate, or severe autism determined? The ways autism is described can mean very different things from one person to another. "Terms such as mild, moderate and severe are entirely subjective, but prove useful in clinical settings to briefly present a case, Moore says. And someone may have mild symptoms in one area of autism, such as motor coordination, and more severe symptoms in another, like verbal communication.

Whats a splinter skill? Some people with autism may have what is sometimes called a splinter skill, or an exceptional ability in a niche area. Someone with a 'splinter skill with satisfactory social skills can excel in certain fields that require an immense amount of specific knowledge, such as teaching, or require little socialization, such as STEM field work, Moore says. But not everyone with autism has a "splinter skill."

Is Aspergers still used? You may have heard of Asperger Syndrome, previously considered a subtype of autism characterized by difficulty with social interactions, potential motor delays, and a restricted range of interests or repetitive behaviours but without significant difficulties in language skills or cognitive development. In the DSM-V, Aspergers was integrated into the overall autism diagnosis so its no longer a clinically current term, Moore says. However, a large population of individuals identify with the Aspergers diagnosis and feel that it describes them well, she says. "Therefore, many continue to use the term to self-identify and to connect with other individuals to seek support."

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What is PDD-NOS? The acronym PDD-NOS referred to Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified, a term that has in the past been used interchangeably with ASD. It was previously applied to children or adults who fell on the autism spectrum without fulfilling the criteria for ASD or Aspergers. However, with DSM-V, PDD-NOS was integrated into the autism diagnosis.

Autism can change over time: What autism looks like in any individual person can change over time for a variety of reasons  including treatment. "Where an individual falls on the spectrum will often change following treatments, because the goal of treatment for individuals with autism is to help them have as independent and meaningful a life as is possible, Moore says. For example, treatment can help people with emotional regulation, communication, social skills, or motor coordination, among other things, she says.

Use person-first language: Calling someone an autistic is not just outdated, its also harmful and reductive to the persons experience as a full human being. "Im an advocate of person-first language, which encourages people to refer to those with a health diagnosis as 'An individual with [enter diagnosis here]' as opposed to 'an autistic, Moore says. "The former indicates that this is a person with many qualities, of which one of them is autism, whereas the latter presumes that autism is the persons defining characteristic."

Also on HuffPost

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A church in Victoria, B.C. got flak last year when it erected a fence to keep homeless people out, but its not the only place of worship looking to beef up security on its premises.

Alabama state senators voted last week to allow Briarwood Presbyterian Church, in Birmingham, Ala., to set up its own police department, according to AL.com.

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The bill still has to pass the wider House, but the lawyer who drafted it, Eric Johnston, said he expects that to happen.

The church, which has two large campuses, more than 4,000 congregants and a school, hosts thousands of events a week, Johnston told AL.com.

Off-duty police officers from other police departments are hired to provide security, but they arent available often enough, said Johnston. But he said there would be no jail on site. The force would basically consist of a full-time officer and an official car.

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Church administrator Matt Moore said in a press release that the idea to have their own department came after the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting and after similar attacks at churches and schools.

"Briarwood recognized the need to provide qualified first responders to coordinate with local law enforcement who so heroically and effectively serve their communities," he wrote.

However, he told The Huffington Post that the church has never been attacked or been the subject of direct threats.

Such a department would be a first in the state

The state has given a few private universities the authority to have a police force, but never a church or non-school entity.

NPR reports that Briarwood would not be the only example of a church in the U.S. with its own force.

Alabama law allows presidents or CEOs of state colleges and universities to hire police officers.

The bill awaiting approval by the state House would extend that provision to Briarwood specifically, according to Moore.

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He said in the press release that the police officers would be certified by the Alabama Peace Officer Training Commission, and would participate in continuing education and training from law enforcement agencies.

They would only patrol the churchs campuses, he said.

But not everyone thinks its a great idea.

"The sole purpose of this proposed legislation is to provide a safe environment for the church, its members, students and guests."

The Alabama division of the American Civil Liberties Union said it thinks the bill muddles the constitutional separation of church and state.

Legal Director Randall Marshall told USA Today that the move would put a key governmental function under the church's control without any oversight.

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"It also singles out one particular church out of the thousands of churches, synagogues, mosques and other religious entities in Alabama that may have similar concerns, thereby favouring one specific religious group," he said.

The organization is seeking public records related to Briarwood's proposed plan, according to a Friday press release.

"If the legislature and governor pursue this unwise course of action, a legal challenge is inevitable," Marshall said.

With a file from The Associated Press
It's hard to imagine life without the Internet. Browsing the web has become so second nature to us that we share sensitive information through our e-mails and social media accounts each day without second thought, and hackers know it.

Whether it's fooling people with spam e-mails or infecting servers with malware, it's not uncommon to hear about cyber attacks nabbing banking information or temporarily derailing government services. It's concerning, to say the least. Here are four infamous cyber attacks that made headlines. Find out what they had in common and how you can use these learnings to make the case for upgrading your own security today, presented in partnership with Cisco.

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1. Sony Pictures hack

The 2014 political farce, The Interview, inspired a group of North Korean hackers to take down Sony Pictures with a confidence-breaching cyber attack. To protest the Seth Rogen flick, a comedy about an assassination plot on North Korea leader Kim Jong-Un, a group identified as the "Guardians of Peace" planted malware in the Sony system to extract a ton of sensitive information. When an attempt to block the release of the movie failed, the group leaked scripts for the then unreleased film Spectre, the salaries of executives, and, perhaps most terrifyingly, the social security numbers of some 47,000 employees.

2. Anonymous attacks the Harper Government over Bill C-51

The introduction of the previous Conservative Government's divisive Anti-Terrorism Act (Bill C-51) in parliament was intended to target terrorist threats, but many have taken issue with the powers it gives the Canadian Security Intelligence Service in accessing and monitoring regular citizens' online activity. Infamous online hacktivists Anonymous, for instance, cried foul on the Harper Government in the summer of 2015, crashing several federal government computer systems in a cyber attack that temporarily crippled Ottawa's infrastructure. Numerous government employees' e-mails were destabilized and websites were knocked offline for a couple of hours. Online security has since been beefed up, while Bill C-51 remains in place.

3. Twitter, Netflix and More Blacked Out in 2016

A severe online blackout shook up routine across the U.S. East Coast last fall during a massive, interconnected distributed denial of service (DDoS). The coordinated attack on web traffic company Dyn crippled access to a vast range of services and social media platforms. To get an idea of how much activity was impeded, people were unable to express their thoughts on Twitter, pick up products through Amazon, stream their favourite album on Spotify, binge watch a show on Netflix, or even read an article on the New York Times website. Other companies affected included Airbnb, PayPal, and Reddit. While the problem was rectified by Dyn within a few hours, it proved how quickly modern life can be disrupted by cyber attack.

4. Subway

While most of us head to Subway to "Eat Fresh," something rotten took place a few years back when a pair of Romanian hackers compromised the credit card payment terminals of 150 U.S. franchises. They took the data of over 145,000 customers. After scanning for point-of-sale systems on the Internet, Iulian Dolan and Cezar Iulian Butu conspired to crack passwords to gain access to sensitive payment card data, which caused an estimated loss of $10 million dollars. That's a heck of a lot of meatball subs. Dolan was sentenced to seven years in prison on computer and credit card fraud charges, while a plea deal left Butu with 21 months in prison.

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Facebook has responded to a deadly shooting of an elderly man that was broadcast on its pages, calling it a horrific crime.

Police in Cleveland are hunting Steve Stephens, a 37-year-old who allegedly posted a video of himself on Facebook shooting 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr. on Sunday afternoon in the citys Glenville neighbourhood.

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An edited, but still disturbing version of the video, can be found on the Cleveland 19 News website.

My sincere condolences to the family of Robert Godwin, Sr. Mr. Godwin meant so much to so many & will be missed. Praying for peace in #OH11. pic.twitter.com/V2iJ3m69Py  Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (@RepMarciaFudge) April 17, 2017

About an hour after the shooting, police say Stephens broadcast an explanation of what he did on Facebook Live, in which he suggested he had killed a dozen other people in the area as well. Police say they found no evidence of other killings, Cleveland.com reports.

This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook, the company said in a statement issued to multiple news outlets. We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety.

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Facebooks policy is to remove content, disable accounts and work with law enforcement when it detects genuine risk of physical harm or direct threats to public safety. It disabled Stephens' account after the Facebook Live broadcast.

But this policy is notoriously difficult to enforce, given the volume of content published on the site. Facebook itself has been heavily promoting the use of video on its site, changing its algorithm to favour video content hosted on its servers.

The incident comes as Facebook finds itself under intensifying scrutiny over the extent to which the site allows fake news and hate speech to proliferate.

Germanys cabinet recently approved a proposal to fine social media companies 50 million euro (C$70.7 million) if they do not quickly remove criminal content such as hate speech and criminal false news.

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Authorities there have been concerned by an explosion of xenophobic sentiment online in the wake of the arrival of 1 million migrants from north Africa and the Middle East.

In the upcoming French presidential election, concerns have been raised that Facebook is aiding the spread of fake news. The company responded in a blog post last week, saying its taking action against 30,000 fake accounts it has identified.

Weve made improvements to recognize these inauthentic accounts more easily by identifying patterns of activity  without assessing the content itself. For example, our systems may detect repeated posting of the same content, or an increase in messages sent, Facebook said in the blog post.
In a bid to become a more diverse brand, Gucci released the visuals for its pre-fall campaign last Thursday, which featured solely black models.

Taking its inspiration for the ad from late Mali-born photographer Malick Sidibe, who was known for his portraits in the 1960s, Gucci dubbed the campaign "Soul Scene," and aimed to pay tribute to Englands underground Northern Soul movement of that decade.

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Gucci also mentioned on its Instagram page that the ads aspire to celebrate the "men and women who challenge the conventions of society through performance, art and dance."

Models Nicole Atieno, Elibeidy, Bakay Diaby and Keiron Berton Caynes were all featured in the colourful, vibrant photos and short video clip.

The shoot was captured by acclaimed fashion photographer Glen Luchford, and styled by the retailer's creative director Alessandro Michele.

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After seeing the striking ads from the luxury giant, many were thrilled to see models of colour and black culture displayed by a high fashion brand.

living for this new Gucci pre-fall campaign! All black models. All magic.  pic.twitter.com/tFa83kjyUL  Nomz (@nneomaluxe) April 13, 2017

Shout out to #Gucci for showing so much love to so many #BlackModels: https://t.co/uRSlO7YnWA  Rickey Smiley (@RickeySmiley) April 15, 2017

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"Stunning images," Twitter user @hempresshannah said of the ads. "Gives me a sense of nostalgia. A sense of community. But you don't need much sense to see Gucci exploiting black culture."

Stunning images. Gives me a sense of nostalgia. A sense of community. But you don't need much sense to see Gucci exploiting black culture.  Hannah (@hempresshannah) April 14, 2017

Fashion consultant Shiona Turini shared similar thoughts on her Instagram story.

"Why are brands awarded for casting black models or showing off our amazing culture????" she asked. "Why do we 'reward' them!? How many black artists/musicians/actors does Gucci actually dress. OR include on their discount list?"

"It's amazing, but tell me does Gucci advertise in any black publications?" she continued. "I love this ad (and I'll still wear Gucci) but we have to stop congratulating people for just casting black girls. Like congrats, you did what you SHOULD have been doing."

I love Gucci () and the ad but @shionat posted this and she couldn't have said it better. pic.twitter.com/gsuEVNtqmm  Oyinkan (@OAdeshoye) April 14, 2017

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"In the past two years, we have implemented a complete turnaround of our company, following our mantra of being the voice of self-expression," he said. "Attracting, retaining and promoting talent, while celebrating ethnic, age, sexual and gender diversity, sexual orientation and gender identity across the company, is our mission."

Also on HuffPost
If theres one truism about housing bubbles, its that, at first, buyers and sellers dont believe theres a housing bubble.

After all, youre probably not going to pay tens or hundreds of thousands over asking if you think prices are going to pop anytime soon.

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So its worth noting that Canada has seen a massive spike in people searching for housing bubble on Google. Here is Google Trends chart of searches for Toronto housing bubble going back 13 years. Notice anything different lately?

That spike probably has everything to do with the news coming out of Torontos housing market lately. The average house price in the metro area jumped 33 per cent in the past year, and in March it sat at $1.21 million for a detached home and $518,879 for a condo.

Data like that prompted Bank of Montreals chief economist, Doug Porter, to declare its time to stop with the pretense and admit Toronto has a housing bubble.

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Google search history shows its when things get this feverish in the market that some people begin to lose faith.

Heres the chart for housing bubble searches in the U.S. going back to 2004. There is a sudden spike in the first half of 2005, as price growth reached a fever pitch. By 2007-2008, prices were falling rapidly in most major U.S. markets, and interest in the search term was waning.

In other words, U.S. house prices tracked Google searches for housing bubble through the peak and decline of the bubble.

Of course, there is more to a housing market than what people are Googling. There are mortgage rates, the employment situation and wage growth, not to mention  these days  foreign buyers and speculators.

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But other signs are also pointing to the possibility that the big bubble is headed for a pop.

Thats not to say Canada is destined to fall off the same economic cliff as the U.S. did a decade ago. But if youre about to put a massive offer on a house you can barely afford, you may want to think twice  and search for housing bubble in Google.

Follow The Huffington Post Canada on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Canadians are not immune to experiencing a United Airlines-esque oversold flight, as one family from P.E.I. found out with frustration.

Brett Doyle had planned to fly with his family of four from Charlottetown to Costa Rica through Montreal for their March Break vacation through Air Canada. It was booked months in advance.

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But on March 15, he discovered there was no seat for his 10-year-old son on the plane.

"The agent told us that the plane only had 28 seats, but that 34 tickets had been sold,'' Doyle said. "She said it was very unlikely that six people wouldn't show up for a flight over March break."

No guarantees

His wife Shanna drove to the Charlottetown airport to try to make arrangements for her family in person, only to discover that even if a seat became available, there was no guarantee her son Cole would be the passenger assigned to it.

With no other options out of the P.E.I. airport, an agent recommended they try going through Moncton instead. Except, once the Doyles arrived in Moncton, they quickly discovered their flight was cancelled.

"You can't make this stuff up folks," wrote Brett Doyle in a Facebook post. "After a two-hour drive to Moncton, we go through security as the officer informs me the flight has been cancelled. Unbelievable."

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"Tell me what other business could get away with this service, and how they can sell me a ticket and not reserve the seat that I paid for," Brett wrote.

The family ended up making it to their destination, but only when Brett forfeited his original seat, and travelled with Cole to Halifax to find another way to Montreal at their own expense, reported CBC News.

According to media reports, the Doyles estimate all the back-and-forth travel troubleshooting cost them between $700 and $1,000, and that does not include a lost day of work for both Shanna and Brett.

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Air Canada said it has apologized to the Doyle family.

"We are currently following up to understand what went wrong and have apologized to Mr. Doyle and his family as well as offered a very generous compensation to the family for their inconvenience,'' Air Canada spokeswoman Isabelle Arthur said in an email Monday.

However, Doyle said he reached out to Air Canada several times before and after the family's trip, to no avail.

"It wasn't until the media picked up the story that Air Canada actually contacted us," he said.

Doyle said he was offered a $1,600 voucher, which expires in one year. He negotiated with Air Canada to increase the voucher to $2,500 plus expenses, but it still doesn't cover the cost of tickets for a family of four.

"Without sounding greedy, what I'd really like is to experience the trip we had planned for so many months and this voucher isn't going to do that," he said.

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A couple from Port Perry, Ont. were also bumped from their Air Canada flight to Miami last month, in spite of booking two months in advance.

The airline includes a warning about overbooking flights in their official policy:

Airline passengers place a high value on refundable tickets (in case they can't make their flight, don't show up or decide to change travel plans). In these cases, overbooking is a means (certainly not perfect but, on the whole, pretty viable) that lets us offer s without losing a lot of money.

The policy may soon change in some capacity. Transport Minister Marc Garneau said he's planning to introduce new legislation this spring which could see the establishment of a minimum requirement of compensation for oversold flights, lost luggage or other travel inconveniences.

With files from The Canadian Press
A Calgary man has received compensation after a scorpion dropped on his head on a recent flight.

Richard Bell told CBC News that he was eating lunch on a United Airlines flight from Houston, Texas on April 9 when the little critter fell out of the overhead bin.

He picked it out of his hair by the tail, only to be told by a fellow passenger that the creature could be dangerous.

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"So I dropped it on my plate and then I went to pick it up again, and that's when it stung me. It got my nail, mostly, he told CBC.

He flicked it onto the floor, where a flight attendant covered it with a cup. Then he crushed it with his foot, he said.

Flight attendants flushed it down the toilet, an act that later frustrated border patrol officers who wanted to figure out what kind of scorpion it was, his wife Linda Bell, who was flying with him, told the Toronto Star.

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United said in a statement obtained by CNN that a doctor on the ground assured the crew during the incident that the sting wasnt life-threatening.

Medical personnel still met the flight when it arrived in Calgary.

"It was the scariest time in my life, sitting there for that hour, watching if hed have symptoms."

But while the victim himself stayed calm, saying his childhood on a farm prepared him for the incident, Linda said she freaked out.

"It was the scariest time in my life, sitting there for that hour, watching if hed have symptoms," she said.

"We have two kids at home."

The airline reached out to Richard and gave him a travel credit, she told the Star.

It's unclear how the creature got on the plane, but flight-tracking site FlightAware shows that the aircraft came from Costa Rica before Houston, according to CNN.

The incident happened the same day that United passenger David Dao was dragged off a flight by police to make room for airline employees. He had far worse injuries  his lawyer said in a news conference Thursday that he suffered a concussion, a broken nose and lost two teeth.

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The Liberal government isn't ruling out a military contribution in Syria, a government spokesman told Follow-Up, The Huffington Post Canada's political podcast, this week.

And it won't say whether it will back further unilateral action in the region by the United States to help remove Bashar al-Assad.

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Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland repeated last week that the Syrian president "has to go."

"Assad cannot remain in power in Syria," she told reporters after a G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Italy. "We do not see a future for Syria with Assad ruling the country."

Freeland's comments came on the heels of U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to drop 59 Tomahawk missiles on an airfield allegedly linked to last week's deadly chemical attack in Syria.

Matt DeCourcey, Freeland's parliamentary secretary, told HuffPost that Canada's support for further military action in Syria will depend on the circumstances.

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"I think those are discussions that we would prefer to have with our allies, through the G7, through the U.N., through our allies in other coalition efforts," he said on the Follow-Up podcast.

"I wouldn't want to comment on what hypothetical action the U.S. might take wherever, but I would want to assure Canadians that our close relationships with the U.S. allies is to be knowledgeable and in the loop on their ongoing plans and actions as it relates to some of the conflict zones around the world."

"I think those are discussions that we would prefer to have with our allies, through the G7, through the U.N., through our allies in other coalition efforts."

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan told reporters early this week that using chemical weapons against human beings is "something that has to be stopped." He said the decision to drop missiles had been "supported by good intelligence" and was intended to send "a message to Assad that actions like this is not going to come without consequence."

But what those consequences will be remains unclear.

While Canada is urging Russia to sever ties with the Assad regime, DeCourcey said the country's participation in pushing the leader out is yet to be determined. Canada is a taking an active part in diplomatic talks, the parliamentary secretary said, but the Liberal government is not ruling out the possibility of military engagement.

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"Oh I really can't say at this point, and I think we all need to be reasonable in our expectations of the length of time we are talking about to come to a peaceful solution in Syria. This isn't going to happen tomorrow, it's not going to happen after the long weekend," DeCourcey said.

"We continue to be deliberate in building good relationships with our allies in strengthening the bond with the U.S. administration and continuing to invest in humanitarian aid, in the diplomatic efforts that we are already tremendously involved in, as well as coalition efforts that we are already involved with militarily to defeat Daesh, which is another horrid wrinkle in this whole situation.

"We will continue to be involved. And we will continue to espouse our values and we will continue to support that stabilized region of the world."

A senior government source told HuffPost Canada that the cabinet is not considering any military contribution but is keeping options open, in part, because it doesn't know what requests may come from the Trump administration.

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DeCourcey spoke on Follow-Up as part of a larger discussion on the Liberals' foreign policy agenda and the impact of the Trump presidency. Listen to the latest episode here.

He suggested the close relationship the Trudeau government has sought to build with the Trump White House has "already paid dividends."

"We have seen the president express, I think, views that are more closely aligned to ours with around multilateralism, around the importance of NATO, around the importance, once again, of finding that lasting peace for the Syrian people," DeCourcey said, claiming credit for influencing Trump's about face on Syria and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

"We understand that the United States ... is a significant actor in the world and our relationship with them is vital," he said.

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By Craig and Marc Kielburger

"I was angry at my grandparents for a long time."

Onowa McIvor grew up in northern Saskatchewan, where her grandparents feared prejudice against indigenous peoples and did everything they could to bury their Cree roots. They refused to teach the language to their children and grandchildren. McIvor felt robbed of her heritage.

As McIvor learned more about the history of residential schools and the discrimination indigenous peoples faced, she understood the fear that drove them. Now, as director of indigenous education at the University of Victoria, she works to revitalize Canada's indigenous tongues. As Canadians mark 150 years since Confederation and reflect on our complicated history, it's a goal all Canadians should share.

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"If you are Canadian, indigenous languages are part of your heritage, and it should matter to you if they survive," says McIvor.

Language trees like Algonquian, Athapaskan and Inuktitut drove their roots into this country millennia before a word of English or French was spoken here. Today, there are more than 60 distinct indigenous languages in Canada. Tens of thousands still speak Cree, Ojibwe and Inuktitut. Other languages are on the brink of extinction. The 2011 census (the most recent data available) recorded just 45 Mohawk speakers in all of Canada.

"Some of our languages are sleeping and we have to wake them up," says Perry Bellegarde, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations.

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Bellegarde tells us that working with Canadian governments to deliver that wake-up call is one of his top priorities. Supporting indigenous language was one of the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In December, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to introduce an Indigenous Languages Act. Bellegarde hopes Trudeau keeps this promise, and that the bill includes measures like creating a national indigenous languages commissioner, and more financial resources for language education.

"[Learning our languages] is the greatest act and form of reconciliation." -- Perry Bellegarde, Assembly of First Nations

But it's not just indigenous peoples who would benefit from learning these languages. Teaching non-indigenous Canadians would build bridges. Bellegarde recently visited a Grade 4 class in North Bay, Ontario, where all 15 students -- Indigenous and non-Indigenous -- were able to greet him in perfect Ojibwe. They're part of an indigenous second-language program offered by the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic School Board at four of its schools. For students at the University of Winnipeg, who must have at least one credit in indigenous studies to graduate, options include learning Cree or Ojibwe.

"[Learning our languages] is the greatest act and form of reconciliation," says Bellegarde.

Cities can do their part through small acts like making street signs bilingual, pairing English or French with the language of the nation in whose territory the community resides.

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McIvor has another, more radical, proposal: making indigenous tongues official languages of Canada.

It would be near impossible, economically and logistically, to offer all government services in 60-plus indigenous languages across Canada. But McIvor believes it would be feasible if approached regionally -- providing relevant services in the language that is predominant in particular areas. Translating web sites and documents, and staffing Service Canada locations and call centres could also create jobs for indigenous communities.

We must remember the foundation of our country was laid much earlier than 150 years ago by people speaking many different tongues.

Craig and Marc Kielburger are the co-founders of the WE movement, which includes WE Charity, ME to WE Social Enterprise and WE Day.

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One of the most powerful tools of nature conservation in the 21st century is our ability to put the protection of Canadian species into a global context. By documenting Canadian species that are not just rare in Canada, but rare everywhere, we can better understand the role of Canadian conservation efforts in preventing global species extinctions.

Conservation Data Centres (CDCs) are a network of regional centres, established by NatureServe in 1974, to track information on species. CDCs now extend to all Canadian provinces and territories, and across the U.S. and many Latin American countries. Using information on threats, population numbers and habitat condition from across a species' range, NatureServe is able to identify species that are globally rare and at risk of extinction.

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In April 2017, the NatureServe Canada network released a report that highlights globally rare species that live here in Canada. The report, On Guard For Them: Species of Global Conservation Concern in Canada, identifies 569 Canadian species (including sub-species and varieties) that are globally rare. These are species for which Canada has to play a leading role in their conservation.

By far the province with the greatest number of globally rare species is B.C., at more than 230, with both Ontario and Quebec each having more than 100. However, globally rare species occur across the country and many co-occur on the landscape, their rarity driven by specific geographies. Canadian "hotspots" of globally rare species include the St. Elias Mountains in the Yukon, eastern Vancouver Island, eastern Rocky Mountains, southern Ontario and St. Lawrence Valley, and Gaspesie in Quebec.

These Canadian plants and animals are globally rare because they have restricted ranges, small numbers and declining populations, or face imminent extinction due to human activities. For many unfortunate species, several of these factors are occurring all at once.

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Protecting rare species is one of the fundamental drivers of nature conservation. Many of the pioneering conservation projects in Canada were sparked by concerns about species loss. These efforts focussed on animals that at one time had been common, but had declined rapidly. For example, Elk Island National Park was established in 1913 to conserve elk and, later, bison. Corossol Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary was created in 1937 to protect colonies of common eider, and the Canada-U.S. Migratory Bird Convention of 1917 was created to put a halt to drastic declines of many bird species. In 1977, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada was established to identify species that are at the greatest risk of being lost from Canada. Expanding our conservation efforts to include globally rare species can put Canada on the leading edge of preventing species extinctions.

Some globally rare species are widespread, but have been experiencing sharp declines throughout their entire range. This includes several species of bats that have been decimated because of white-nose syndrome, and grassland birds, such as Sprague's pipit, greater sage-grouse and mountain plover, that have all experienced population declines of approximately 80 per cent since 1966, primarily due to habitat loss.

Other species are globally at risk because of high threats to their population and habitat. Polar bears are threatened by declining sea ice. The black-footed albatross is at risk due to ocean pollution, fishing practices and storm surges. Whitebark pine, a high-elevation mountain species, is threatened by an introduced fungus and climate change.

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The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) plays a critical role in protecting habitat for many of Canada's globally rare species. This work is supported by Environment and Climate Change Canada through the Natural Areas Conservation Program. Although our understanding of the status and distribution of globally rare species in Canada is still emerging, NCC has been working to protect habitat for these species for many years. Currently, NCC is protecting and managing the habitat for 108 globally rare species.

For species with a small global range, NCC's habitat protection and management projects are critical for their survival. This includes NCC projects to protect habitat for the copper redhorse in the Richelieu River of Quebec, Ontario's Lake Erie watersnake, the Gulf of St. Lawrence aster in New Brunswick, eastern mountain avens in Nova Scotia, the Poweshiek skipperling in Manitoba's tall grass prairies and the Grand Coulee owl-clover in south-central B.C. For the Cain's screw moss on the alvars of the Carden Plain in Ontario, NCC and the Couchiching Conservancy are protecting the entire known global range of this species.

Monarch butterfly (Photo by the Nature Conservancy of Canada)

For some globally rare species, place-based conservation is part of the solution, but won't solve all of the underlying causes of population decline or potential threats. Protecting denning sites for polar bears is important, but this won't bring back the sea ice where they hunt. We must conserve nesting sites for piping plovers, but they need their wintering grounds along the Gulf of Mexico protected as well. NCC has protected key areas for monarch butterfly and Sprague's pipit, but these efforts need to be complemented by healthy working landscapes in Canada. The conservation of these species will require collaboration, cooperation and focus on key areas across Canada and elsewhere.

As a northern land that was mostly covered with thick glaciers only 10,000 years ago, Canada is not as species-rich as southern nations. Yet the conservation of these globally imperilled Canadian plants and animals is essential to protecting the richness of global species diversity. Knowledge about our Canadian plants and animals that are globally rare can help us implement key conservation actions and ensure a future for these species for Canadians, and for the biodiversity of the planet.

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The post originally appeared on the Nature Conservancy of Canada's blog, Land Lines.
Recently, two women Nobel Laureates -- Malala Yousafzai and Leymah Gbowee -- inspired Ottawa, sharing their stories of advocating for girls' education and boldly leading movements for peace.

When Nobel Laureates descend upon your city -- your nation's capital -- you know it's time to listen up and take note.

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Here's what I heard:

The world believes in us

Canada matters. As Malala herself said, "If Canada leads, the world will follow." Malala, the Pakistani girl who was shot in the head for the "crime" of going to school, believes in Canada. Leymah, the woman who led a sex strike to demand peace in her war-torn country, believes in Canada.

As a country, we have an opportunity to aid the global women's human rights movements that, at this moment, are more powerful than ever. At Canada's 150th anniversary, there is no better time to show Malala, Leymah and the rest of the world that Canada merits their optimism. Canada needs to channel its lauded feminist rhetoric into meaningful action.

Canada must support women at the grassroots

Women with very few resources are constantly creating and recreating out of necessity. They are the true innovators. When girls in Malawi were missing school because they didn't have period products, a group of mothers designed a pad out of local materials and trained other women in the community how to make them. Now their daughters are in school.

I am hopeful for a policy that puts women and girls front and centre.

Sometimes big problems really do have straightforward solutions. We know that these solutions are often led by the women in a community who best understand the local context and what's at stake. Yet, Canada's aid for grassroots women's organizations is but a crumb, totaling only $1.7 million in 2013. As Leymah Gbowee herself said, "there are 10,000 Malalas and 10,000 Leymahs in every community." We must find them and support them.

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Canada can do (and has done) better

In 1975, two Canadian women came together at the First World Conference on Women in Mexico City. They knew that Canadians had an appetite to support women around world. That was the spark for what is, today, Canada's only global fund for women and girls.

Yet, today, we see individual Canadians privately sponsoring Syrian refugees. We see women (and men) taking to the streets for women's rights. And we see Canada's feminist prime minister announcing $650 million for women's sexual and reproductive health.

Anticipating the upcoming release of Canada's International Assistance Policy, I am hopeful for a policy that puts women and girls front and centre. And I am equally hopeful for a renewed and significant commitment to funding the advancement of women around the world.

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Standing beside brave activists working at the grassroots, particularly in this scary and unprecedented time, is the bravest form of leadership.

Today, The MATCH International Women's Fund and the Nobel Women's Initiative announced the Canadian Feminist Action Lab. This pilot project will aim to provide $5 million in grants to 150 grassroots women's organizations around the world. This is an exciting opportunity to examine Canada's aid delivery and to ensure that more money gets into the hands of women and girls working at the local level.

This is about legacy for Canada and standing on the right side of history. Women like Malala and Leymah are counting on us. As Canadians, it's our time to stand alongside the brave and bold women holding ground and breaking ground building a better future for us all.

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Written by Dr. Shelly Dev

This is the first in a series of articles exploring physician wellness that will be out next month in U of T Medicine, the alumni magazine of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.

I think of my second year as an internal medicine resident as the year I became a bad person.

While determined to keep learning and growing, I started to become perpetually angry, frustrated and anxious. I discharged patients too early, and had to readmit them days later. And I'd loathe them for coming back - as if they were doing it to spite me, to prove I wasn't smart or capable enough. I stopped asking questions and instead began cramming facts into my head, just so I could spontaneously say clever sounding things like, "...and you wouldn't want to forget tularemia."

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I made it through on far too much dark humour -- what we call "coping."

It wasn't until 10 years later that a psychiatrist made me realize just how unhealthy that was.

I had gotten through residency, advanced in my career and was working as a critical care specialist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Then, in the span of three years I had two children, one of whom was very sick in the first month, and I lost my father to cancer. I was broken by the intensity of all this, and terrified at the prospect of having to return to work in intensive care.

This time, I got much-needed anxiety medication and psychiatric help. It was as if the future opened up to me. Instead of feeling like there was no way forward, I started to believe that though it was challenging, I'd figure it out.

Not only did visits with my psychiatrist help me through my grief and the emotional turmoil of new motherhood, however, they also uncovered unsettling insight into my medical residency and my profession. This is why I continued going to therapy for three years.

One of the first things my psychiatrist told me was that I didn't have enough compassion for myself. That the language I used to describe myself and my experiences were not kind or helpful - I spoke of not doing enough, not meeting all the expectations I had set for myself. I had to change that to "I'm doing my best."

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This isn't an attitude we've embraced in medicine. And yet, your best has to be enough - because in this environment of endless ambition in medicine, you will never be satisfied.

These are the three big revelations I had about medicine and my residency, while seeing a therapist:

1. Medicine isn't about you, or me

It's about the people we look after and the people we work with. Whenever medicine becomes about whether or not I looked smart or someone respects me or I impressed someone, is when I lose sight of the goal.

In my second year of residency, I was terrified by the designation of "senior" resident. And what was my biggest fear? That the first-year resident would know more than I did, and make me look bad in front of my attending physician.

But we become great at what we do by focusing on our patients' needs, and on collaborating with colleagues, not trying to compete with or impress them.

2. Being a good physician is exhausting

To do this job well - to be kind, compassionate, composed, ethical and supportive - is exhausting.

The difference between a "good" and a "bad" week in the intensive care unit for me is never the medical pathology or patient load. Instead, it's the emotional weight: the sad stories, the unfair diagnoses, the dramatic family dynamics, the painful decisions. By the end of a week like that, I've got nothing left to give, and I just want to crawl into my bed and shut my eyes until I'm ready to face life again.

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3. We need to refuel

Our ability to show caring and compassion is not infinite. It gets depleted and can become replaced by dark humour, cynicism, anger, resentment, complacency and, worst of all, apathy.

This job doesn't make you a bad person. You don't lose your empathy or your goodness. It's just hard to care about other people when you don't feel cared for, or are not caring for yourself. Knowing what refuels you back to your normal, good self is as important as knowing how to resuscitate someone who is sick. What makes you feel better, like the real you?

For me, it is spending time with my kids, my husband and friends; listening to podcasts; watching The Simpsons; going to a matinee movie alone on a post-call day; and rewarding minor victories with new shoes. These things can get me back to my old self, and ready to work again.

We don't tend to talk much about our personal lives in medicine, as if being busy with work is the only legitimate priority we're supposed to have. But we also need to be allowed to refuel with the people and things in your life that give us the energy to give again.

___

If I had these revelations during my residency, I would have been kinder to myself. I would have seen how having compassion for myself would lead to being more compassionate to everyone else. There would have been less anger, fewer tears, less inappropriate humour - less need for "coping."

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As a clinician educator, I talk a lot with residents about their experience and their stories. But I find that sharing my own struggles with wellness is what really gets the conversation going. I think those of us more established in our careers need to open up a lot more about our own journeys - and not in the form of inspirational success stories, but as unpolished accounts of how we learned to thrive within this stressful, exhausting, painful - but also wonderful and rewarding - profession.

___

Shelly Dev, MD '01 PGME '06, is a Faculty of Medicine graduate, a professor in U of T's Department of Medicine and a critical care physician at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Hear more stories like these in the next issue of the award-winning UofTMed magazine.

Read more stories from Sunnybrook experts at health.sunnybrook.ca.
If only it were so easy. The leader of a war-torn Middle Eastern country commits an atrocity; the West removes him. Problem solved. At least, that's the way Prime Minister Justin Trudeau seems to see the future in Syria.

Recently, Trudeau asserted that Syrian president Bashar al-Assad must be excluded from any final peace agreement for that worn torn country. Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland put it more bluntly: "Assad must go."

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The only problem is that in addition to the support that al-Assad enjoys among certain groups within Syria, Trudeau has also forgotten about Russia, Iran, Hezbollah, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the Kurds and the many other players who have a stake in what happens in Syria. What began with a boy writing anti-government graffiti in Daraa in 2011 is a full-blown global crisis today.

Not a single international leader condoned the gas attack earlier this month on Khan Sheykhoun, and most hold the al-Assad government responsible. But despite the international outrage to this incident, the much broader challenge is to bring an end to Syria's civil war. But if the response by Trump, Trudeau and Freeland is any indication, the West is ill-prepared for this intimidating task.

In fact, Trudeau's talk is strangely reminiscent of Canada's stance in 2012 when former UN Secretary General Koffi Annan was promoting his six-point peace plan for Syria. The Harper government claimed to support the peace plan, but contradicted this by repeatedly asserting that "Assad must go." Not a great sales pitch when al-Assad himself was the most crucial Syrian player in multi-lateral talks.

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In case it's not yet obvious, the government of Bashar al-Assad sees itself in an existential struggle, where ends justify all means. Under the status quo, the non-jihadist opposition in Syria faces a similar value proposition: win or die, as was made so clear in Aleppo. But neither side is in any position to win a decisive military victory. Even if one side did achieve nominal military dominance, post-war insurgency and terrorism would continue, both within and outside Syria's borders. Given this baseline, there is a far greater chance of getting the West and Russia to cooperate than in convincing the Syrian government and opposition to agree to any genuine mutual accommodation.

Despite Putin's bristling, Russia is no more happy about the gas attack in Syria than the West. International Crisis Group interveners found Russian leaders who considered the attack a smear on Russia's ability to maintain the 2013 UN agreement to destroy al-Assad's chemical arms. They were also nonplussed at the West's apparent lack of appreciation for Russia's efforts to contain the war in Syria. The conflict is as much on Russia's doorstep as on Europe's, and Russian leaders fear both an unreliable partner in al-Assad and a further escalation of the conflict.

The West's relationship with Russia is crucial if there's any hope of de-escalating the Syrian civil war.

Western media tend to portray Putin and Russia's intervention in Syria as all theatre, and indeed there are elements of diplomatic muscle flexing. But Russia also has many strategic reasons for sustaining the al-Assad regime, including a Mediterranean naval port in the Syrian city of Tartus and an air force base in Latakia, whose 49-year lease was just signed in January of this year. In Syria, Russia also has a platform for regional influence and a forward bastion against international terrorism.

So when Trudeau and Freeland flippantly suggest that Russia should drop its relationship with the al-Assad government over the gas attack, they're simply not being realistic. Worse, they antagonize the only potential partner in a viable long-term solution for Syria. They also may not realize that if Russia were actually to take their advice, Iran would most certainly step in to fill the void.

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The West's relationship with Russia is crucial if there's any hope of de-escalating the Syrian civil war. Thus it was not a good omen for Syria last week when US Secretary of State Tillerson's admitted that "there is a low level of trust between [Russia and the U.S.]"

A far more feasible proposition from Freeland this week was to ask Russia to force the al-Assad government to participate in political negotiations. Russia and the West must work to reduce violence between the al-Assad regime and its non-jihadist adversaries, pushing hard for an eventual ceasefire. Not only would this reduce the senseless death toll, but it would also enable a greater focus in the fight against ISIS. This would also create the time and space for a more trusting relationship between the U.S., Turkey and the non-jihadist opposition groups. Russia, for its part, must make clear to al-Assad that additional rogue attacks will undermine Russian support.

While it may be hard to imagine, there could be more gruesome outcomes than a chemical attack in Syria if the conflict is left adrift. Ultimately, realism must prevail between the West and Russia if there's any hope of changing the status quo in Syria. Western leaders might find it distasteful, but the old cliche of having to make peace with enemies and not friends applies now more than ever in Syria. And if something like Khan Sheykhoun happens again, the West is far better off calling Moscow than encouraging Trump to create his own destabilizing realities.

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Nikada via Getty Images

Vitamin B17, frankincense, apricot seeds, blue scorpion tail extract, moringa, turmeric, essiac tea. These are among the hundreds of alleged cancer killing cures that will be unfamiliar to most people, but not for those of us who are cancer patients. Information about these products typically emerges from online discussion boards or closed Facebook chatrooms. Sometimes concerned friends inundate you with information about such miracle cancer cures. For cancer patients, who are overwhelmed with the traditional treatments for cancer, these alternative cures can offer a sign of hope. However appealing, we must be aware about the dangerous implications of natural cancer cures.

All cancer patients undergo a series of lengthy and tedious treatments options, typically involving chemotherapy as a starting point. Other cancer treatments include radiotherapy, radiofrequency ablation, and operations. These treatments are tedious and most cancer patients suffer from painful side effects. For most patients, the benefits of traditional medicine approaches to cancer are not very clear. In my case, I have been quite lucky that I have a very positive experience from chemotherapy, but I am very much the exception. Viewed in this light, the appeal for an alternative natural cure is quite appealing. Certainly, a cocktail of lemon water sweetened with manuka honey and bee pollen is far more enticing than an infusion of Irinotecan. Moreover, cancer patients feel that natural cures are beneficial insofar as they allow the cancer patient to take control over the treatment of their own illness.

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The more problematic --in my opinion, actually criminally dangerous-- element of natural health cures is the natural health cancer industry. Although natural health cures will have their advocates, the natural health cancer industry is an entirely different entity. Every cancer patient is likely to have come across a number of videos relating to non-traditional medicine cancer cures. The general premise of these videos is that oncologists are puppets of the pharmaceutical industry. According to this narrative, traditional medicine cancer treatments are, at best, ineffective or, in the worst of cases, they actually cause the spread of cancer. Some go so far as to argue that people who have found a cancer cure have been killed under mysterious circumstances, hinting heavily that the pharmaceutical industry is the culprit. These videos also offer a dystopian portrait of the traditional medicine cancer treatments. Sadly, for many cancer patients, these portraits do not differ much from their own experiences. Oftentimes, a natural health cure "doctor" will claim that everything that a cancer patient has been told about cancer by their oncologist is wrong. These "doctors" will then offer some sort of miraculous cancer cure, typically a juice cocktail or some vitamin protocol. These snake oil salesmen offer no concrete scientific evidence for their extraordinary claims. Normally, the only evidence offered by these "doctors" are testimonials, allegedly from cancer patients who claim to have been cured by these non-traditional treatments. Individually, these "cures" are unlikely to harm a cancer patient. The real damage comes when these snake oil doctors then encourage cancer patients to forego traditional medicine treatment for these purported cures.
What to know before you vote today
Bill Weigle shared his story and advice to Reid Middle School students on Thursday.

World War 2 Veteran Shares His Story With Reid Students

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  It was like pins and needles.

That's what Bill Weigle, a World War II pilot, told the Reid Middle School eighth-grade class of his flights during the war. He never knew when or if a German fighter would appear near him and shoot him down.

"I did not come here to tell you I'm a hero because I'm not. But we were on pins and needles the whole time," Weigle said.

Weigle was alive on Thursday to share his story with the class and credited that to the education and training he received. He stressed the importance of education to the students, multiple times telling them that if he didn't have the training he had, he would have died.

"If you get a good education it will last you a lifetime. I suggest you get all the education you possibly can. It will help you forever. I think one of the reasons I was able to survive World War II was because I was very lucky to receive and excellent education as a grade school student," Weigle said.

Weigle was in high school when the war broke out. The headmaster at his school changed the entire curriculum to one that would help the students "survive," he said, which focused on meteorology, math, navigation and technical lessons such as how engines work.

At age 17, still not graduated from high school, Weigle went to take the exam to become an Army Air Forces pilot. He was in a room of about 200 people when the exam scores came back; two-thirds of the men in the room, many much older than he, were excused.

He shipped off to basic training and then to flight school. He put in his flight time and was certified to fly the B-25 bomber. But then word came down that for D-Day, the United States was looking to use 30 percent of its pilots to fly C-47 transports. Weigle learned how to fly those and was sent to England when his training was completed.

He remembers looking out of the plane's window and seeing the same massive icebergs outside of Greenland that sunk the Titanic as they navigated their way to the only landing strip. On the next leg from Greenland to Iceland, sparks began flying from the propeller and he was worried that the plane would explode. But, a radio operator used a high-frequency antenna to kill static so they could land safely.

Then it was on to the airfield in Ramsbury, England. He arrived months after D-Day and there were some 100 planes stationed there. All of them were out flying and as co-pilot, he watched everything, including two planes crash into each other.

"All of a sudden they collided. The pilot in the second plane stood up in his cockpit, pulled his chute to get out, but it went over the rudder in the back and didn't open. Those two planes dropped down into a lake and all of the people on board died. There were 700 pairs of eyes flying that day and Charlie Phillips and I were the only two pilots that saw it," Weigle said.

"That tells me situational awareness is critical. If you have a smartphone, don't walk across North Street with a smartphone in your face and ignore what is going on around you because you will end up getting killed."

He was tasked with dropping supplies for the troops during the Battle of Arnheim in the Netherlands. But the Allied troops were trapped.

"They were being slaughtered. The Germans had them zeroed in so it was a real problem. The sad of it was that despite everybody's best efforts, the Germans took over," Weigle said.

Next was the Battle of the Bulge.

"It was probably the largest battle our side fought over in Europe. It was interesting because at that point England had been fogged in and we could not go and resupply the 101st Airborne until 10 or 12 days later. Finally, the air cleared and we took off right away from England. We flew into Bastogne and dropped supplies," Weigle said. "Going in we didn't seem to have any problems, we found our target in the nice little village of Bastogne, which is about the size of Egremont. As we were leaving there was quite a lot of flak."

On the way out, he saw a German plane shooting machine guns at the supplies he had just dropped. But, it got hit and as it pulled on the side of Weigle, he remembers seeing the pilot jump out of the plane.

The battle was still going on when he returned. They sent him back to get wounded soldiers out. He loaded up and spent the night in a small town in Belgium.

"That night they were close enough to bounce our airplane right off the ground. As pilots, we said we've had enough of that stuff, let's get out of there," he said.

The crew got back to England but wasn't able to get back to the base because they didn't have the right code of the day. They were stuck with a plane full of wounded soldiers on the top of an overpass. They needed to get south to find a hospital.

"We leaned back on our education as pilots and we knew we had a radar altimeter in the airplane. A radar altimeter sends a signal down to the ground and that will tell us how high we are. If you are over land the radar altimeter was always bouncing up and down. As soon as you go over the English Channel, which we needed to do to get southbound, that needle would settle down," Weigle said. "When that happened we marked our time to keep track of where we were."

He remembers it being rainy and they were peering out the window, using the navigation tools, and landed on a small strip. Forces on the ground saw their flare and rush in to take the soldiers to the hospital.

"It all goes back to how well we were educated," Weigle said.

He went on a few other small missions after that but ultimately the war settled down for him. When he got out of the Air Force, he went to Cornell University, which let him take classes despite not having a high school diploma. He was allowed to graduate only after keeping an average above 80 for two years.

Weigle shared his story with a class doing a cross-curriculum unit on the Holocaust and World War II. One student's family is friends with Weigle and teacher Patrick Gariepy arranged the lecture.

Weigle told them "wise men speak because they have something to say" and that "fools speak because they want to speak." He hoped they would judge him by the former. He delivered a message about education, about war and about life. He told the students not to do drugs and to take care of their bodies and health.

"I got tangled up as a youngster in the Army, where they gave us cigarettes. I ended up with a lung problem 60 years later. So my first piece of advice, if I may, is as you grow up don't start smoking or you'll end up a wreck like me. It is no fun," Weigle said when opened his lecture.

He was joined by his friend Ed Ivas, also a pilot, to deliver the speech. His hope was to provide a little bit of advice to the class so they, too, can survive, just as his high school teacher taught him.




iciHaiti - Culture : Koze Kilti Did you know ?





Produced in partnership with the French Embassy and the French Institute in Haiti (IFH), Radio France International (RFI), the bilingual (French and Creole) cultural magazine "Koze Kilti" (Speak Culture), has just celebrated its first year.



Let's reclall that since March 27, 2016, RFI proposes a program in French and Creole broadcast exclusively on its Haitian antennas. This cultural program is recorded in the RFI studio located at the IFH.



Presented by the Haitian journalist Dangelo Neard, the program is broadcast every Sunday at 1:30 pm (Haiti time) and rebroadcasted at 8:30 pm.



Placed under the sign of positive energy, "Koze Kilti" presents the cultural news of the week (literature, cinema, visual arts and music) in Haiti and in the world, as well as the talents and personalities that shine and move our country. Creole French bilingualism helps to strengthen ties between the two languages and to reach the broadest public.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16980-haiti-culture-rfi-launches-a-new-haitian-cultural-magazine-koze-kilti.html



IH/ iciHaiti


















2017s Terror Threat: The Lone Wolf Attacker

The Fellowship | April 17, 2017 2017's Terror Threat: The Lone Wolf Attacker

On Good Friday, a British woman was stabbed to death in the latest terror attack in Jerusalem. And while such attacks have slowed as of late, The Jerusalem Posts Anna Ahronheim writes that this particular type of attack  by a lone wolf terrorist  is not just the new face of terrorism, but poses new and different threats to Israel and the world:

The IDF has been tackling this new threat cautiously but effectively. According to Lt. Col. Sagiv Dahan, Officer of Operations Branch for the West Bank Division who spoke to the Jerusalem Post about the threat, the army has succeeded in foiling many attacks ahead of time due to intelligence gathering and profiling.

Defense officials have set the profile of the lone wolf attacker, characterizing perpetrators of such a kind as Palestinian males aged 15-24 who come from six or seven villages in the West Bank and who target specific locations in the West Bank  the Gush Etzion Junction, Hebron, Tapuach Junction, Kikar Aryieh near Ariel and the southern entrance to Nablus- all locations which have become symbols of Israel in the West Bank.

While many Palestinians who fit the profile of a lone wolf attacker are inspired by what they see and read online about previous attacks or the death of a family member by the IDF, many others who have suicidal leanings or mental health problems-such as the recent attack by 57 year-old Jamil Tamimi who stabbed British student Hannah Bladon to death in Jerusalem on Friday pose a high risk to carry out an attack

According to another senior officer in the West Bank, the best solution to protect against a lone wolf attack is to prepare and train soldiers how to properly react. We are always worried that someone will wake up and want to carry out an attack, we are not able to track these lone wolves with 100% certainty, the senior officer said at his base outside the West Bank city of Tulkarem, adding that soldiers must recognize that situations can go from 0-100 in a matter of seconds.

According to him, due to this training, the large majority of lone wolf attacks have ended in a way that the army would want, with the attacker neutralized and with no harm caused to any Israelis.

While lone wolf attacks are hard to prevent, Israeli security forces, including the Shin Bet intelligence agency, Israeli Defense Forces and police, have increased their efforts to get to the root of the problem in several different ways
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Buying a separate headboard allows you to update a dull divan in an instant. This is ideal if you want to keep that precious hidden storage but are keen to add a beautiful focal point to the bedroom, too.

Going for practicality in the bed and mattress department while investing in a separate statement headboard can be a shrewd move. More often than not, the bedhead is the only part of the bed thats visible, especially when draped in luxurious layers  so why not?

Whether youre going for a minimal Scandi look with pale wood, a laid-back bohemian feel with natural rattan, or a made for maximalist affair in rich buttoned velvet, theres a headboard to suit your interiors style.

Measure up properly before you buy and make sure the headboard fittings will work with your bed. Look for adjustable leg struts so you can change the overall height depending on the depth of your mattress.

Some headboards include a pillowstop  an additional upholstered section that sits behind the mattress to provide a tight fitting, while others are completely freestanding heavyweight pieces that simply sit flush between the bed and the wall. If youve got your eyes on one of these versatile numbers, make sure your skirting board doesnt jut out too far or else youll experience some unwanted wobbles.

We put our best headboards to the test looking for comfort and style, durability and craftsmanship of materials, and of course, a sturdy sit.

You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

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The Headboard Workshop samson headboard in Linwoods kami Dimensions: Vary depending on bed size There are big-name brands offering design-led headboards and then there are companies whose raison detre is beautiful bedheads. It should come as little surprise then, that this sumptuous velvet number from The Headboard Workshop is available in six sizes and a choice of rich colourways. This is the result of a heaven-made collaboration between the headboard specialists and famed fabric makers, Linwood. As with all of The Headboard Workshops made to order wares, it is beautifully crafted and finished to the nines. Bold and imposing, this one is a maximalists dream, combining ornate shaping, plush texture, and a cacophony of colour, pattern and print. Its eye-popping pretty. Buy now 449 The Headboard Workshop {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}}

Brambly Cottage Christiansen headboard Dimensions: Vary depending on bed size This is a stylish, classic wooden headboard, the shaping of which reminded us of an ornate church pew  especially in natural honey oak. In opal white, it offers a more contemporary look and creates a pleasing focal point in the bedroom. Its tall and imposing  pile those pillows up high  and offers a sturdy backrest despite its voids. It comes in an impressive range of sizes from single up to super king. This ones easy to fix onto the bed frame and reflects quality craftsmanship. Buy now 104.59 Wayfair {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}}

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Perch & Parrow Finn oak 4'6in double headboard Dimensions: W 135 cm x H 110cm x D 4.8cm Cool, modern and unpretentious, this sleek headboard brings a calming slice of Scandinavian design to the bedroom. Made with oak veneers, it cleverly uses the direction of the natural grain to create an inlay chevron pattern thats visually striking but also soft on the eye. We loved its simple shaping with its smooth, curved edges  making sure its all about the beauty of the natural wood rather than a fussy form. This one proved solid and strong, despite its slimline makeup. Buy now 250 Perch & Parrow {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}}

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August Grove Stephanie spindle headboard Dimensions: Vary depending on bed size Made from solid oak, this Scandi-influenced headboard is all about the natural materials and simple, considered design. We loved its vintage hospital bed aesthetic: its curved edges and smooth and slender spindles offer bags of character, while the blonde wood with its visible grain brings both homely warmth and a sense of calm to the bedroom. This one may have a delicate silhouette, but it fits, and sits, sturdily. Buy now 339.99 Wayfair {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}}
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Lloyds Banking Group has reportedly chosen the German capital as the location for its European hub after the UK leaves the EU.

According to several media reports, the bank has decided to convert its Berlin branch into an official subsidiary of the main company, to enable the lender to continue to be able to provide clients with all its services after the split.

The Telegraph reported that Lloyds hopes to submit an application to German financial regulator BaFin to change the status of the Berlin branch by the end of September.

Recommended Lloyds Bank close to choosing Berlin as European base after Brexit

The bank considered several cities for the location of its EU base, including Amsterdam and Dublin, but Berlin proved the most appropriate because it is already home to Lloyds biggest European operations, employing around 300 staff, according to the paper.

Lloyds declined to comment on the reports when contacted by The Independent.

Major financial institutions, insurers and asset management companies with significant operations in the UK have for months been weighing up the impact that Brexit might have on their business and assessing how they might have to change their set-ups to continue to cater to clients needs.

Lloyds has almost all of its assets in Britain and is also the only major British retail lender without a subsidiary in another EU country, according to Reuters.

Last month insurance market Lloyd's of London confirmed that it would be setting up a new insurance company in Brussels, to secure a European foothold after Brexit.

Inga Beale, its chief executive, at the time said that the intention is for the company to be ready to operate on 1 January 2019.

Also in March, Goldman Sachs Europe chief executive, Richard Gnodde, said that the US bank would relocate hundreds of staff out of London before any Brexit deal is struck as part of its contingency plans for the UK leaving the EU. The company employs around 6,000 people in London.

The chief executive of the London Stock Exchange, Xavier Rolet, warned earlier this year that Brexit poses a risk to the global financial system and could cost the City of London up to 230,000 jobs if the Government fails to provide a clear plan for post-Brexit operations.
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Her husband can still recall how Paola Clemente used to set two alarms to make sure she woke in the middle of the night 1:50am  to catch the private bus that would take her and dozens of other women to the vineyards.

There, she would pick and sort table grapes up to 12 hours, taking home as little as 27 (23), after middlemen skimmed her pay. Sometimes she was so exhausted, she fell asleep in the midst of conversation.

Her death of a heart attack at 49 in the fields has set off nearly two years of soul-searching in Italy over what authorities, labour experts and union organisers described as an elaborate system of modern-day slavery  involving more than 40,000 Italian women, as well as migrant and seasonal laborers  that remains at the core of Italys agricultural economy, especially here at the countrys jagged heel.

After months of investigation, this year authorities arrested six people, accusing them of using their recruiting and transportation agencies to extort wages from women so poor and desperate they dared not speak up and worked under extreme conditions.

Clementes death in July 2015 moved Italian legislators to pass a law last year aimed at combating exploitation of agricultural workers. But, experts say, their virtual enslavement remains disturbingly widespread for a country renowned for its products worldwide. By some measures, Italy is the second-worst state in the European Union for the enslavement of people, behind Poland.

We are back to the situation we were in in the 1950s  the rights acquired by workers through the land reform have been crippled, if not nixed, says Leonardo Palmisano, author of various books on agricultural workers and a native of Apulia. This is a phenomenon that is pervasive everywhere, not only in Apulia, and it affects Italians as well as foreign workers.

In Clementes case, farm owners regularly paid middlemen to pick up and transport her and the other women. Sometimes, the middlemen pocketed two-thirds of the womens pay and deducted transportation costs. Five-hour trips were not counted on the clock.

Stefano Arcuri at a church in San Giorgio Ionico, in the Apulia region. Mr Arcuris wife, Paola Clemente, had a heart attack and died in July 2015 while sorting table grapes at a vineyard (Nadia Shira Cohen for The New York Times)

If the women complained, the recruiter would threaten not to call them anymore. Another woman can take your place, one recalls being told, according to a court document.

Even now, no woman who worked through a recruiter would speak for attribution for fear of losing her job. Investigators faced the same challenge.

When we started interviewing Ms. Clementes colleagues, we faced a wall of silence, says Nicola Altiero, provincial commander in Bari for Italys financial police. We see this system as exploitation, but workers see it as a chance, an opportunity that they dread losing.

Indeed, in court records, several women declare that their recruiters are benefactors and that they considered themselves fortunate to have the work, as difficult as it was.

Today, Stefano Arcuri, 62, Clementes husband of 27 years, with whom she had three children, sometimes still sets the alarm for the same time she used to wake, or calls her mobile phone, when he misses her. I want to feel that she is still alive, he says.

Two months after Clemente died, the financial police searched her fellow workers homes and found calendars on which many of them marked the days they had worked over past years. The number of days far exceeded what was listed on company contracts.

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. 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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. 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It is a measure of Italys lingering economic crisis and scarcity of work that the women accepted almost any working conditions and would not go to authorities even as middlemen siphoned off their hard-earned pay.

Moreover, mafia organisations take part in the workers exploitation, feeding what Palmisano, the author, defines as a system of slaves that impoverishes small farmers, enriches the large retailers and favours money laundering.

Italys new law has raised jail sentences for exploiting workers to up to six years, and it imposes harsh sanctions against employers who use underpaid labour. Goods and even companies can be seized by authorities, with the proceeds going to a fund used to benefit the victims.

But many farmers say the laws strict new requirements in terms of health checks and equipment are a serious burden for small companies, favouring large producers.

I am very glad we have a law against the exploitation of workers in the fields, because these practices damage healthy companies, creating unfair competition, says Donato Fanelli, sales manager at a small agricultural co-op in Rutigliano, near Bari. But larger producers with seasonal workers can offer better prices, he adds. The new law should also help the hundreds of small and medium producers.

Authorities praised the legislation as a first step. But a scarcity of work is driving a race to the bottom, union organisers warn. The problem is that enslaved workers dont take advantage of the gains, says Assunta Urselli, general secretary at the Flai Cgil union in Taranto. The only thing that increases is competition among workers.

The constant threat of being replaced compelled Clemente and her co-workers to push themselves mercilessly. Women later told the police that, despite the summer heat, they even tried to drink water only if strictly necessary, to avoid asking permission to relieve themselves.

Women are preferred because their thin fingers and skill made them perfect for picking and cleaning table grapes. They do it for hours and hours.

Ms Clementes tomb in the town of Crispiano. A hall at Italys Agriculture Ministry was recently named for her (Nadia Shira Cohen for The New York Times)

One day, buyers from northern Europe came to visit the fields and were impressed with Clementes ability to remove the tiniest grapes from the rest of the cluster, without leaving marks, Clemente once told her family. Its my job, she told them with pride, Arcuri recalls.

Before she died in mid-July 2015, Clemente was showing signs of malaise on the bus, her fellow workers told the police. She worked anyway  if anyone missed a day, the bosses would no longer call them.

Every workday, she woke in the middle of the night to wash up and prepare a backpack with crackers and a thermos bottle of coffee. She was afraid of being late, Arcuri says, looking out over a vineyard, covered with nets to protect against hail, near their home in San Giorgio Ionico, a town east of Taranto in western Apulia. If you are late, they dont let you get on the bus.

Clemente worried so much about not working that if she did not get a call, she arose anyway and had her husband drive her to pickup points to see whether the group really did not have work that day, he said.

The private bus usually came around 3am. More than two hours later, as the sun rose, she and the other workers were ready to start sorting or picking table grapes. After the day was over, the bus drove them home again, over miles of poor roads. Sometimes, Clementes co-workers would tease her because she fell asleep while they were talking to her.

Clemente collapsed and her heart stopped beating about 8am,as she was sorting grapes under a plastic tent in a field.

Arcuri went to Rome last month to attend a ceremony dedicating a hall to his wife inside Italys Agriculture Ministry. Conditions are even worse for foreign migrants, he notes He cites a Bible passage saying that no one should exploit anyone elses work, regardless of their origin.

The difference between how my wife worked and how migrants work is that Italians make more money, and the fact that we have a house to sleep in, Arcuri says.

I trust justice. The truth will come out, he says. And I do hope that the law that her death triggered will help migrants and Italians alike.

 New York Times
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Human cells have been mixed with bacteria and viruses to create a hybrid immune cell that can kill off deadly resistant bacteria, scientists have said.

Some viruses are designed to infect bacteria and target their prey in a different way to the human immune system.

The researchers were able to take the viruss targeting mechanism and graft it onto a human immune antibody. They then did the same with bacteria, which attack other bacteria, and a human antibody.

In experiments in the lab the hybrids, dubbed lysibodies, attached themselves to Staphylococcus bacteria  which can become the resistant superbug MRSA. This then signalled the immune system to attack and destroy the bacteria.

Tests of the technique on mice infected with MRSA found their survival rate was significantly improved, the researchers said.

Human testing has now begun to establish whether the lysibodies are safe and how effective they are.

One of the researchers, Professor Vincent Fischetti, of The Rockefeller University in the US, said: Bacteria-infecting viruses have molecules that recognize and tightly bind to these common components of the bacterial cells surface that the human immune system largely misses.

We have co-opted these molecules, and we've put them to work helping the human immune system fight off microbial pathogens.

Some viruses have molecular snippers, called lysins, that target carbohydrates on the bacterias cell walls.

Human antibodies are designed to target proteins and have a bit of a blind spot for carbohydrates.

By creating a hybrid with a human immune cell, this should give the body a whole new way to identify disease cells.

And Professor Fischetti added: Based on our results, it may be possible to use not just lysins, but any molecule with a high affinity toward a target on any pathogen  be it virus, parasite, or fungus  to create hybrid antibodies.

This approach could make it possible to develop a new class of immune boosting therapies for infectious diseases.

The human immune antibodies used in the hybrids do not attack the disease, but instead flag up targets for immune system killer cells.

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Dr Assaf Raz, also of Rockefeller, who led the experiments, said: Both antibodies and lysins have two discrete components.

They both have a part that binds their respective target, but whereas the second component of lysins cuts the bacterial cell wall, in antibodies it coordinates an immune response.

This made it possible for us to mix and match, combining the viral piece responsible for latching onto a carbohydrate with the part of the antibody that tells immune cells how to respond.

It usually takes years for a new drug to get from tests of safety and effectiveness to the point where it could be used as a medicine.

Doubtless there will be concerns about potential for unintended consequences from mixing human with viral or bacterial material.

However the research has attracted interest from the Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute in the US, a partnership established to expedite early-stage drug discovery.

It is already manufacturing lysibodies and has plans to begin testing their safety.

The research was described in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
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Violent incidents have soared by 76 per cent in one of the governments flagship reform prisons, which were designed to reduce violence and place a greater emphasis on education and rehabilitation.

Holme House Prison in Durham is one of six prisons selected by the Ministry of Justice last year for the pioneering scheme, which aimed to develop prisons along the lines of academy schools, giving greater power to individual governors.

The government promised the new prisons would "do more to rehabilitate offenders and improve public safety".

But a new report by the prisons Independent Monitoring Board found there were 816 violent incidents at Holme House in 2016, up from 470 in 2015, an alarming increase of 73.6 per cent.

Other areas of concern at the 1,200 capacity prison were staff morale and waiting times for primary health care.

Staff morale has deteriorated at the prison due to increased levels of violence, poor staffing levels, and overcrowding, according to the report. Prison officers told researchers they were fire fighting and just coping.

Prisoners have to wait on average more than five weeks to see a GP, and the report attributes poor healthcare provision to the external contractors who provide the service.

Criminally tasty: Britain's first prison restaurant Show all 4 1 /4 Criminally tasty: Britain's first prison restaurant Criminally tasty: Britain's first prison restaurant 203633.bin DAVID SANDISON Criminally tasty: Britain's first prison restaurant 203634.bin DAVID SANDISON Criminally tasty: Britain's first prison restaurant 203632.bin PA Criminally tasty: Britain's first prison restaurant 203631.bin DAVID SANDISON

Its authors were very concerned about the ability of some external contracts to deliver a good quality service. G4S operates the primary healthcare contract at Holme House.

Reform prisons are able to arrange their contracts independently and seek out new ways of generating income.

They must also compile data on education, reoffending and employment on release which are fed into prison league tables.

The report did however praise Holme House's education programmes, which were successful in placing 430 ex-prisoners into employment over the course of the year.

 BBC Panorama uncover 'chaos' in prison system

Peter Dawson, the director of the Prison Reform Trust, said: The Prison Reform Trust is generally supportive of reform prisons, which would give more power to governors. Any initiative would need time to take an impact.

"But the whole point about prisons is that you have to get the basics right first: prisoner safety, and good relationships between staff and prisoners.

"While reform prisons got a bit of extra cash at a senior level, they wont particularly have benefited from any additional staff.

"Holme House will have been dealing with all the same issues as other prisons- violence, overcrowding, addiction- and becoming a reform prison wont have changed that.

"The most fundamental thing we need to do to reduce violence in prisons is to cut prisoner numbers.

"This is the one thing the government always refuses to acknowledge: that it has control over the size of the prison population.

A Prison Service spokesperson told The Independent: We are committed to making prisons places of safety and reform and have taken urgent action to stabilise the estate by tackling the drugs, drones and phones that undermine security. We are also investing 100m annually to boost the frontline by 2,500 officers.

Holme House has been given new freedoms as a Reform Prison and has increased staffing levels, as well as expanding the safer custody team to help tackle levels of violence. As the report notes, the prison has also made great strides in getting prisoners into employment, which will help reduce their chances of reoffending on release.

The Ministry of Justice has been contacted for comment.
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Members of the Scottish Parliament have filed a motion to debate a clause which bans benefits for a third child unless the mother can prove she was sexually assaulted or abused.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has campaigned against the rape clause, part of a new child tax credit system which came into force this month.

The motion, drafted by SNP MSP Christina McKelvie, to debate the matter in Holyrood has received cross party support and most likely will be debated this week. It could influence Westminster to debate the tax reforms or take the matter to a committee.

The rape clause forces women into a horrifying ordeal, said Ms McKelvie, as reported by Glasgow newspaper The Evening Times.

To have to recount their sexual abuse via an eight-page document, in order to twistedly prove that their abuse is worthy of government welfare is maniacal.

More than 19,000 people have signed a petition to scrap the clause and the family cap, which stops families receiving benefits after two children and is part of a government move to save 12bn in welfare.

Only 10,000 signatures are needed to require a response from the Government. With 100,000 signatures, it would be considered for debate in Parliament.

To Tories who say #rapeclause needed to protect rape victims from 2 child tax credit cap  the better answer is to scrap the 2 child cap, Ms Sturgeon tweeted last week, hitting out at Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservative Party, for backing the new rules.

More than 300 people gathered to protest the clause at a rally in Glasgow last week, holding placards which read Theresa May get tae and Your clause is baws.

SNP MP Alison Thewliss first wrote to the Prime Minister in September to ask for the cruel clause introduced by former Chancellor George Osborne to be scrapped. Ms Thewliss also urged Speaker John Bercow to hold an emergency debate on the subject in March.

Her colleague, SNP MP Mhairi Black, said at the Glasgow rally: We are all rightly disgusted by the fact that any woman has to declare and relive probably the most horrific event in her life all for the sake of a few pound, all for the sake of benefit to help raise a child.

The First Minister said at this months Women in the World Summit in New York that just talking about the clause made her upset and angry, and condemned the fact it had been instated under a woman Prime Minister.

After prolonged criticism of the Conservative measure, Ms Davidson released a statement to say why she backed the clause, and argued that Ms Sturgeon has the devolved power to propose an alternative to the measures introduced by Westminster.

Ms Davidson added that Ms Sturgeon risked gross hypocrisy if the Scottish government did not act to mitigate the need for the contentious clause.

This argument of failing to use devolved powers in Scotland was supported by Conservative MSP Jackson Carlaw.

So after a week of highly personal attacks FM [First Minister] remains all mouth & no answer, he wrote on Twitter. She has the devolved power if she chooses to use it. Will she?

There has been no sign yet that Westminster will debate the new tax reforms.
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Bashar al-Assads wife should lose her British citizenship if she continues to support her husband, the Liberal Democrats have said.

Asma al-Assad, who was born in the UK, has used her social media accounts, which have more than 500,000 followers, to attack the West and praise the Syrian regimes martyrs.

The Liberal Democrats have said they will send a letter to the Home Office demanding that the former investment bankers citizenship is revoked.

The party's foreign affairs spokesman, Tom Brake, said the first lady of Syria had acted as a spokesperson for the Syrian presidency, which has been accused of using chemical weapons against its own people.

"This is a barbarous regime, yet Asma Assad has continued to use her international profile to defend it, even after the chemical weapons atrocity, Mr Brake said.

"Boris Johnson has urged other countries to do more about Syria, but the British government could say to Asma Assad, either stop using your position to defend barbaric acts, or be stripped of your citizenship.

"The Government is entitled to deprive someone of their citizenship if it is conducive to the public good because that person has prejudiced the interests of the United Kingdom, he added.

Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, has the power to take away Ms Assads citizenship under the British Nationality Act if the move is deemed to be "conducive to the public good".

Mr Brake has argued it would be vital to the interests of the United Kingdom to do so.

"As the Assad regime has presided over a sickening civil war that has brought instability to the region and enabled terrorism to flourish, the justification seems clear.

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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

"She enjoys dual nationality so would still remain a citizen of the country, and the regime, to which she is so publicly committed.

"If Asma continues defending the Assad regime's murderous actions, the onus will be on the UK Government to deprive her of her citizenship or demonstrate that her actions are not seriously prejudicial to the vital interests of the United Kingdom," Mr Brake said.

Ms Assad was born in Acton, west London, and worked as an investment banker before she married in 2000.

The 41-year-old mother-of-three recently hit out at the West for what she called double standards in the coverage of the war.
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A manhunt is underway in Cleveland, Ohio, for a suspect who police say killed a man on the street on Sunday while streaming it live on Facebook.

Police are searching the Cleveland area and beyond for a man named Steve Stephens.

The suspect filmed himself walking up to an elderly man and shot him while streaming the video live, Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said.

The victim has been identified as 74-year-old Robert Goodwin Sr.

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson publicly urged Stephens to turn himself into police and not to "do anymore harm to anybody."

"Any problems he is having, we can have a conversation," Mr Jackson said.

In the video, Stephens claimed to have killed more than a dozen other people. Mr Williams said police have not verified that information.

"There are no more victims that we know are tied to him," he added.

The police chief also said they have been speaking to Stephens' friends and family.

"What happened today was senseless," Mr Williams said.

US authorities said Stephens broadcast the video live on the social media network on Sunday afternoon. It was up for about three hours before it was removed. Stephens Facebook page has also been removed.

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

"This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook," a Facebook spokesperson said.

"We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety."

Police said Stephens should be considered armed and dangerous.

AP contributed to this report
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The White House has been forced to deny claims that Donald Trump is insisting on riding in the Queen's gold-plated carriage during his upcoming state visit to London.

The Times had reported that the President was refusing to ride in the bullet- and bomb-proof car which Barack Obama used during his own visit to the English capital, and planned instead to ride down the Mall in the state carriage.

The switch into a slow-moving, glass-windowed vehicle would have added an extra level of hazard and expense to an operation already stretching the Metropolitan Police to their limit.

But a White House spokesperson told People magazine that the report was "completely false", adding that the President's camp "have not even begun working on details for this trip".

The state visit, a formality offered to all US Presidents once they take office, was originally scheduled for the start of this year. But the tour has reportedly been pushed back to October, in the hope that anti-Trump sentiment will have simmered down by the time he touches down in London.

Tens of thousands of protesters are still expected to show up, however, with 12,000 people currently attending one Facebook event intended to "tell Trump his racism and bigotry isn't welcome in the UK".

 Trump 'feels great' about Mar-a-Lago trips

A petition to block Mr Trumps state visit reached almost two million signatories, triggering a parliamentary debate at which a cross-party group of MPs called on Theresa May to rescind the offer to the billionaire tycoon.

Calling on the Government to reconsider its offer, Labour's Paul Flynn compared the US President's behaviour to a "petulant child", while fellow Labour MP Daniel Zeichner branded him a disgusting and immoral man who represents the very opposite of the values we hold.

However, Theresa May's Government is pushing ahead with the visit. Hundreds of plain clothes and uniformed officers will be deployed, regardless of the vehicle used, with Mr Trump viewed as a far more likely target for protests, violence and assassination attempts than any of his predecessors.
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Donald Trump has claimed his foreign policy endeavours have exposed the total failure of the eight years of his predecessor at the White House.

In a morning tweet, Mr Trump, who is still within the first 100 days of his presidency, endorsed a comment that had been made during a show on the conservative news channel Fox News.

The first 90 days of my presidency has exposed the total failure of the last eight years of foreign policy! So true. @foxandfriends, he said.

Mr Trumps remark came after a flurry of diplomatic and military action.

Two weeks ago, Mr Trump ordered the firing of 59 cruise missiles to target a Syrian airfield in response to President Bashar Al-Assads alleged use of chemical weapons. Last week, US forces dropped the most powerful bomb used since Nagasaki in an operation against Isis forces in Afghanistan.

 Mike Pence on North Korea: The era of strategic patience is over

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has been stepping up the rhetoric over North Korea, with the president pressing China to resolve what it says is a urgent threat from Pyongyang.

Over the weekend, Vice President Mike Pence warned North Korea that the days for strategic patience were over.

Speaking during a visit to South Korea, Mr Pence revealed that the US and Seoul had agreed to the early activation of a defence system designed to shoot down North Korean missiles.

The decision to activate the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system came during talks between Mr Pence and the acting South Korean president, Hwang Kyo Ahn.

At a joint press conference with Mr Pence, Mr Hwang said: We have agreed to further strengthen the readiness posture of [the] ROK-US alliance that matches the threats posed by North Korea through a swift deployment of THAAD.

A failed North Korean missile test on Sunday, when an unidentified projectile exploded moments after being launched in an eastern port city, came in defiance of Mr Trump's demands for the country to wrap up its nuclear programme.
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Soon after arriving at an outdoor pep rally in Johns Creek for about 50 of his supporters, Jon Ossoff, the young Democrat vying to prize the Sixth District of Georgia from the Republicans in a special election on Tuesday, is grabbed by a woman anxious to show him a hand-painted sign being carried by a friend. It said Vote your Ossoff, and featured a drawing of a wide backside.

I can't be seen with that one, Mr Ossoff quipped, swiftly moving past the sign to shake hands with others in the crowd. It was a good-humoured brush-off and, in truth, after weeks of crisscrossing this large congressional district northeast of Atlanta that includes many of its wealthiest suburbs, he had seen variations on the sign a hundred times before.

Mr Ossoff, who looks younger than his 30 years, is widely expected to easily outpoll all 11 of the Republican candidates also running in a race triggered when the districts sitting Congressman, Tom Price, was picked to join Donald Trumps cabinet as Secretary of Health. However, he needs to take at least 50 per cent of the vote in this first round to avoid a run-off in June, when victory, with Republican support unified behind just one candidate, is likely to be tougher.

That he has got this far has surprised many, not least because the district, which he grew up in, has not had a Democrat representative in Washington since 1979. Helping to propel him has been a surge of money coming in from Democrats outside the state anxious to use this vote to give Mr Trump a bloody nose and put Republicans on notice that their majority in the House of Representatives will come under much broader attack in the mid-term elections next year.

Its a rocket-rise that, inevitably, has drawn attacks against him far more troublesome than any cheeky signs drawn by his own supporters. His opponents and other Republican groups have variously called him the liberal patsy of national Democrats, questioned his youth and inexperience including by releasing video of him japing around in a Star Wars skit when he was a student and attacking him also for his daytime job as CEO of a Insight TWI, a documentary film-making company based in Britain that has Al Jazeera as a client as well as the likes of the BBC.

In an interview with The Independent, Mr Ossoff, who spent five years as a congressional aide on Capitol Hill with high-level security clearance, dismissed the attacks on his work with TWI. Founded in 1991, many of the companys films have focused on Africa, including a documentary to accompany the feature film Blood Diamond for CNN. It has made two films for the BBC: Panorama: Addicted to Aid (2008) and Kony: Hunt for the World's Most Wanted (2012).

I am proud of the work that the team and I have done exposing crime and corruption around the world, he offered. I think these predictable, partisan and fear-based attacks will be rejected by the voters of this district. I think it shows contempt for the voters of this district who are well informed and who can see through transparent attempts to scare them and divide us.

I think the voters are more intelligent than most folks in Washington imagine, he went on. Mr Ossoff, who lives just outside the district  another detail his foes are latching onto  argues that it is precisely because of a sour taste left behind by the campaign of President Donald Trump last year that so many people are responding to his message today even in a district that has for so long been dominated by Republicans.

There is so much grassroots energy, the atmosphere is electric right now, he offered. I think the presidential campaign was so divisive and so negative that folks are refreshed by a campaign that is based on a positive and substantive vision for our local economy, focused on shared values that bring people to take this opportunity to send fresh leadership to Washington.

Not everyone is convinced. He has been accused of running a campaign fuelled by millions in donations coming from outside the state and of exaggerating the importance of his work while on Capitol Hill. The guy himself just seems really weak to me, and I have some problems with his stories he tells about himself, commented Fred Davis, a veteran Republican strategist who is advising the campaign of Dan Moody, a former state senator, who aims to top the Republican field and, he hopes, take on Mr Ossoff in June if a run-off becomes necessary.

Mr Ossoff downplays the notion that his candidacy is serving to channel the anger felt by Democrats not just in Georgias Sixth District but across the land, saying that his first concern is the development of its economic potential. But should he pull it off and win the seat, either now or in a run-off, you know exactly how the national Democratic Party will portray it: as the start of an anti-Trump backlash that will drive out the Republican majorities in Washington and eventually President Trump too.
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Mexicans celebrated Easter by blowing up an effigy of Donald Trump, as part of the capital citys festivities.

In Mexico City, villainous characters are often depicted as Judas Iscariot and burned on the holiday.

The ancient Holy Week tradition, in which the sins and evils of the previous year are ritually cleansed, features figures of devils, politicians, and cartoon characters.

The sculpture of Mr Trump provided some humour to a tense political situation, residents said.

In spite of all the problems in our country, we Mexicans try to find the humour in our traditions, a bystander told Reuters.

American tourists in the crowd shouted F*** Trump.

Mr Trump has vowed to make Mexico pay for a border wall with the US, and frequently used disparaging remarks against Mexican immigrants.

It was the second year Mr Trump's effigy was burned.

An effigy of Donald Trump is burned (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

The country suffers from extensive domestic problems, most significantly in the form of a drug war which has claimed thousands of lives over the past few years.

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

But Mr Trump wasnt the only politician to be blown up with fireworks. Mexicos President Enrique Pena Nieto was also turned into an effigy and given similar treatment.
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Neil Gorsuch will don his black robes for the first time this week, in the first test for Donald Trumps Supreme Court pick.

Headlining the justices schedule is the contentious religious liberty case Trinity Lutheran v Comer. The case considers whether churches should be allowed to receive money directly from state governments. It provides an interesting test for Mr Gorsuch, who is seen as a strong supporter of religious liberty.

The case originated with Trinity Lutheran Church in Columbia, Missouri, which operates a pre-school in its facility. The church applied for a state grant that helps fund playground restoration with used tires.

The states Department of Natural Resources rejected the churchs application, arguing that funding the project would violate the state constitution. Missouri is one of about three-dozen states with a constitution that explicitly prohibits the use of public funds to aid religious institutions.

The church argues the state has infringed on their constitutionally protected free exercise of religion by denying their application. The state says they are upholding state policy on the separation between church and state.

Trinity Lutheran remains free, without any public subsidy, to worship, teach, pray, and practise any other aspect of its faith however it wishes, the Department of Natural Resources wrote in a court brief. The State merely declines to offer financial support.

Mr Gorsuchs ruling in this case will be one of his first as a Supreme Court justice, but one of many on the subject of religious liberty. In his previous role as judge in the US Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, Mr Gorsuch tended to rule in favour of broad religious freedoms.

In Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc v Sebelius, Mr Gorsuch found that business owners with strongly-held religious beliefs are not required to provide insurance coverage for their employees contraceptives. The Supreme Court later vindicated this decision.

In Yellowbear v Lambert, Mr Gorsuch ruled to allow a Native American prisoner use of the facilitys sweat lodge for religious purposes. In three different cases, he argued to allow religious expression in public places - including the display of the Ten Commandments in a public park.

Mr Trump hinted throughout his campaign that he would nominate justices to rule in favour of religious plaintiffs. In one instance, Mr Trump claimed his nominees would automatically overturn Roe v Wade. The Trinity case will be a test for religious conservatives of whether Mr Trump made the right pick.

Mr Gorsuch and his fellow justices will hear two weeks of arguments on the Trinity in the last stretch of their term set to conclude in June.
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Americas Vice President has made an unannounced visit to worlds most heavily militarised border and told North Korea the era of strategic patience is over.

At the beginning of 10-day visit to Asia, Mike Pence delivered remarks that were the latest suggestion the US would do anything to force Pyongyang to end its nuclear weapons programme. In a symbolic move, he made his comments at the military demarcation line that marks the border between South Korea and its northern neighbour.

A day after North Korea launched its latest test missile, an experiment that ultimately fizzled out, Mr Pence said the US was hopeful China would use its extraordinary levers to persuade the North to give up its nuclear arms.

But the era of strategic patience is over, he said. President Trump has made it clear that the patience of the United States and our allies in this region has run out and we want to see change.

He added: We want to see North Korea abandon its reckless path of the development of nuclear weapons, and also its continual use and testing of ballistic missiles is unacceptable.

The Associated Press said that as Mr Pence was briefed by US and South Korean military officers, two North Korean soldiers watched from nearby and one took multiple photographs of him.

 Top US security official says 'all options are on the table' when it comes to dealing with North Korea

In Washington, Mr Trump, at the traditional Easter Egg Roll at the White House, was asked if he had a message for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. He replied: Gotta behave.

Mr Pences comments followed a visit from US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson who last month visited the border area and said that pre-emptive military action was on the table.

In turn, North Korea has warned the US not to take such provocative action and said it is ready to hit back with nuclear attacks. Last week, North Korea marked the 105th anniversary of the birth of its founding president, Kim Il-sung with a huge parade in Pyongyang.

China, which has for many years been considered North Koreas only significant ally, has called for a peaceful solution to the escalation of words and threats.

China wants to resume the multi-party negotiations, that ended in stalemate in 2009, to quell the Norths nuclear programme, and has suggested that US plans to deploy a missile defence system in South Korea were damaging its relations with China.

In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, told reporters on Monday he hoped there will be no unilateral actions like those we saw recently in Syria and that the US will follow the line that President Trump repeatedly voiced during the election campaign.

Mr Pence later issued a joint statement with South Koreas acting leader, Hwang Kyo-ahn that all options are on the table to deal with threat and said any use of nuclear weapons by Pyongyang would be met with an overwhelming and effective response.

The Vice President said the American commitment to South Korea is iron-clad and immutable.
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Opioid painkillers were found in several places at Princes Paisley Park home following the pop superstars death, according to a police search warrant.

On the day Prince was found dead in his home in Minnesota, several pills labelled Watson 853, an hydrocodone-acetaminophen, were found at his property.

The warrants also reveal that some of the pill bottles containing the painkillers had the name Kirk Johnson on them.

Mr Johnson was Princes estate manager and long time associate and told investigators that the pop star had been struggling with opiate use.

Just six days before he died, Prince fell ill on a plane and made an emergency stop in Illinois as he was returning home from a concert in Atlanta. First responders revived him with two doses of a drug that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose.

A doctor who saw the pop star in the days before he died had prescribed oxycodone under Mr Johnsons name to protect the musician's privacy, according to an affidavit.

Oxycodone was not listed as a cause of the 57-year-olds death and an autopsy showed he died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl, a synthetic drug 50 times more powerful than heroin.

Investigators were told by witnesses that Prince "recently had a history of going through withdrawals which are believed to be the result of abuse of prescription medication", CNN reports.

People news in pictures Show all 18 1 /18 People news in pictures People news in pictures 7 October 2015 Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in an ice hockey match between former NHL stars and officials at the Shayba Arena in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Vladimir Putin spent his 63rd birthday on the ice, playing hockey with NHL stars against Russian officials and tycoons EPA People news in pictures 6 October 2015 German designer Karl Lagerfeld (R) and model Cara Delevingne (C) appear at the end of his Spring/Summer 2016 women's ready-to-wear collection for fashion house Chanel at the Grand Palais which is transformed into a Chanel airport during the Fashion Week in Paris, France Reuters People news in pictures 5 October 2015 Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne addresses the Conservative party conference in Manchester. The Chancellor argued that reducing the payments to people in low paid jobs would give them economic security by reducing the Governments spending deficit Getty Images People news in pictures 4 October 2015 Cowboys captain Johnathan Thurston takes a moment in the centre of the field with his daughter Frankie Thurston, holding dark-skinned doll, after winning the 2015 NRL Grand Final match between the Brisbane Broncos and the North Queensland Cowboys at ANZ Stadium in Sydney. The image quickly became the talking point of Australias National Rugby League Final and provoked a strong reaction on social media, with many praising Thurston for giving his child a toy that promotes inclusiveness and diversity Getty Images People news in pictures 3 October 2015 Pope Francis gives a thumbs-up as he greets people at the end of an audience to the participants of a meeting organized by the "Food Bank" at the Paul VI audience hall in Vatican Getty Images People news in pictures 2 October 2015 Britain's Finance Minister George Osborne (L) throws an American football as he meets with former American football players Dan Marino (2nd R) and Curtis Martin (not pictured) at 11 Downing Street in London, ahead of the New York Jets playing against the Miami Dolphins at London's Wembley Stadium on 4 October Getty Images People news in pictures 1 October 2015 An honor guard opens the door as Russian President Vladimir Putin enters a hall to attend a meeting with members of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia People news in pictures 30 September 2015 Former Mrs America Lisa Christie, who alleges misconduct by Bill Cosby, holds up photos of her younger self during a news conference at the law office of attorney Gloria Allred in Los Angeles People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Matt Damon has defended himself against claims that he instructed gay actors to remain in the closet. He had said I think youre a better actor the less people know about you and sexuality is a huge part of that. Whether youre straight or gay, people shouldnt know anything about your sexuality but an appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show said, I was just trying to say actors are more effective when theyre a mystery. Right? Getty People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Actor Marion Cotillard has said that there is no place for feminism in Hollywood. Speaking to Porter magazine, she saidFilm-making is not about gender/ You cannot ask a president in a festival like Cannes to have, like, five movies directed by women and five by men. For me it doesnt create equality, it creates separation. I mean, I dont qualify myself as a feminist." Getty People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Actor Paul Walkers daughter, Meadow, is suing Porsche over her fathers death in a lawsuit that claims he was trapped in the burning car because of design flaws and the seat belt. The Fast and Furious star was killed when the Porsche Carrera GT he was a passenger in hit a pole in California in 2013. The driver, his friend Roger Rodas, also died when the vehicle burst into flames. AP People news in pictures 28 September 2015 Robert Mugabe waits to address the United Nations General Assembly. The leader of Zimbabwe reportedly exclaimed 'We are not gay!' as he criticised Western nation's "double standards and attempts to prescribe new rights that are contrary to our values, norms, traditions and beliefs. In 2013 he described homosexuals as worse than pigs, goats and birds. Reuters People news in pictures 28 September 2015 South African comedian Trevor Noah hosts the first 'Daily Show' since taking over from Jon Stewart as host. Stewart had presented the US satirical news show since 1999 and was described by Noah during the show as a 'Political father' 2015 Getty Images People news in pictures 25 September 2015 Sir Elton John may have received a phone call from the real Vladimir Putin. Mr Putin's spokesman announced he had made contact weeks after the singer was duped by pranksters pretending to be the Russian President. Getty People news in pictures 25 September 2015 Actor Leonardo DiCaprio was mistakenly declared as the artist who produced the Mona Lisa by Fox News anchor Shepard Smith. It was in fact Leonardo da Vinci. People news in pictures 24 September 2015 A new biography claims Donald Trump expected to be dead by 40 and never marry. The Guardian says the a new book also claims that in 1980, Mr Trump manufactured a fake vice-president of his real estate conglomerate, whom he called John Baron. People news in pictures 24 September 2015 The Dalai Lama has said that Britain's policy towards China is just about 'Money, money, money.' And asked 'Where is morality?' People news in pictures 24 September 2015 Puff Daddy secured the number-one spot on the Forbes Hip Hop Cash Kings list, with the publication calculating he made an estimated $60million (39m) between June 2014 and June 2015.

The documents are part of several affidavits and search warrants unsealed in Carver County District Court as the year-long investigation into Prince's death continues.

They do not reveal where Prince got the fentanyl that killed him but it is thought it was obtained illegally and not by prescription.

Prince was 57 when he was found alone and unresponsive at his Paisley Park home on 21 April.

Agencies contributed to this report
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A bill to legalise marijuana for medical purposes is expected to passed in West Virginia, which will make it the 29th state in the US to decriminalise the drug.

Senate Bill 386 passed both chambers of the state government and is expected to be signed into law by Governor Jim Justice, a proponent of decriminalising marijuana.

The passing of the bill will be welcome news for those suffering from PTSD, chronic pain and brain injury.

Several research papers have suggested that heroin use goes down in states where marijuana is legal.

The Centres for Disease Control found that West Virginia has the highest opioid drug overdose death rate in the country, and overdoses increased by close to 17 per cent between 2014 and 2015.

Colleen Barry, co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Mental Health and Addiction Policy Research, found that opioid overdose deaths decrease by as much as 25 per cent in states that decriminalise the drug.

In the first year after such a decriminalising law is passed, there is also a decrease in deaths caused by prescription opioids, the report showed.

The law in West Virginia, if it passes, would be more restrictive than other states.

 Mother gives terminally ill son cannabis in secret and he survives

On 5 April senators made amendments to the bill, including banning the use of cannabis in its natural, flower form.

Its legalisation comes despite a strong push by Attorney General Jeff Sessions to crack down on drug use on a national level, imposing harsher sentences for drug-related offences.

Mr Sessions famously declared that cannabis was "only slightly less awful" than heroin.

Critics say a war on drugs leads to a disproportionate number of people of colour behind bars and becoming disenfranchised from society.

Colorado and Washington were the first states in 2012 to legalise cannabis.

Measures vary across states depending on why you consume the drug and in what form.

On the night of the presidential election, five states voted in favour of either legalising the drug or considering legislation to decriminalise it, including in southern, traditionally Republican states.

A nationwide Gallup poll released in October found 60 per cent of respondents supported the legalisation of cannabis.

North of the border, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to launch plans to legalise marijuana across the country by 2018.
ELKO  Bring your lunch to the Northeastern Nevada Museum theater for the monthly Brown Bag History presentation and discussion at noon Thursday.

County Courthouse and True Crime is the theme this time for the City of Elko Centennial series (1917-2017). Among other spine-tingling tales, hear the sensational story of the Josiah and Elizabeth Potts. They murdered a man that Elizabeth had secretly married as a second husband and hid his body. The culprits were hanged in 1890 in Elko, making Elizabeth Potts the only woman ever executed in Nevada.

As a bonus to Brown Bag History, Bonepicker Films from Canada will present two short subject documentary films on early Nevada mining history: The Skedaddler and 1869: The Rush to White Pine. These will run at 1 p.m. followed by a question-and answer session with the filmmaker. Admission is free to the public. Attendees are encouraged to suggest subjects for future sessions.

Being on hand for Brown Bag History may also serve as an opportunity to stroll through the rest of the museum to view exhibits in the History Gallery, habitat dioramas in the Wanamaker Wildlife Wing, the Will James Collection in the Ellis Gallery, or the two new traveling exhibits in the Barrick and Halleck Bar galleries.

Northeastern Nevada Museum is located at 1515 Idaho St. Public hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 1-5 p.m. on Sunday.
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Donald Trump should offer North Korea a deal including energy assistance, lifting of sanctions and humanitarian support, according to a former US ambassador to the United Nations who has spent years negotiating with the DPRK.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Bill Richardson called for a "multi-party deal" including Japan, South Korea and China, with North Korea offered positive assistance in return for a moratorium on their escalating nuclear programme.

A failed North Korean missile test on Sunday, when an unidentified projectile exploded moments after being launched in an eastern port city, came in defiance of US President Donald Trump's demands for the country to halt its nuclear operations.

 Mike Pence on North Korea: The era of strategic patience is over

The US is now rushing through a new missile defence system south of the Korean border in South Korea, with Vice President Mike Pence issuing a warning that the "era of strategic patience is over".

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said military action is "an option", while an unnamed official told Bloomberg that President Trump was prepared to consider "kinetic" military action, though his strong preference was for China to take a lead in negotiations.

And Mr Richardson, who has secured the release of Americans detained in Korea across eight formal and informal diplomatic visits to the DPRK, also suggested that China would be key as he urged peaceful negotiations rather than military action.

US/South Korea joint exercise Operation Pacific Reach Show all 10 1 /10 US/South Korea joint exercise Operation Pacific Reach US/South Korea joint exercise Operation Pacific Reach US Marine soldiers patrol during the US-South Korea joint Exercise Operation Pacific Reach in Pohang, South Korea. North Korea is vowing tough counteraction to any military moves that might follow the US move to send the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier and its battle group to waters off the Korean Peninsula AP US/South Korea joint exercise Operation Pacific Reach South Korean soldiers take part in the Operation Pacific Reach joint logistic exercise in Pohang, South Korea Reuters US/South Korea joint exercise Operation Pacific Reach North Korea is vowing tough counteraction to any military moves that might follow the US move to send the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier and its battle group to waters off the Korean Peninsula AP US/South Korea joint exercise Operation Pacific Reach South Korean marine soldiers stand guard during the US-South Korea joint Exercise Operation Pacific Reach in Pohang, South Korea AP US/South Korea joint exercise Operation Pacific Reach A US Marine takes part in Operation Pacific Reach joint logistic exercise in Pohang, South Korea Reuters US/South Korea joint exercise Operation Pacific Reach A US Marine takes a position during a Combined Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (CJLOTS) exercise as part of a joint defence exercise at a beach in Pohang Getty Images US/South Korea joint exercise Operation Pacific Reach South Korea and the United States kicked off a combined distribution exercise focused on integrating the two sides alliance logistics capabilities, in Pohang, 260 kms southeast of Seoul Getty Images US/South Korea joint exercise Operation Pacific Reach South Korea and the United States kicked off a combined distribution exercise focused on integrating the two sides alliance logistics capabilities Getty Images US/South Korea joint exercise Operation Pacific Reach A US Marine walks past a military vehicle during a Combined Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (CJLOTS) exercise as part of a joint defence exercise in Pohang Getty Images US/South Korea joint exercise Operation Pacific Reach US Marines gather at a beach during a Combined Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (CJLOTS) exercise as part of a joint defence exercise in Pohang, 260 kms southeast of Seoul, South Korea Getty Images

He said: "China, even though it's voted against the North Koreans in the United Nations Security Council for more sanctions, and said it's going to pressure North Korea  it really has not.

"Now it appears that China is changing its tune, perhaps because of incentives from President Trump, that they would not make Chinas currency manipulated.

"But I think China has realised that the instability in the Korean peninsula is not in their interests, that all the turmoil has not helped China.

"I believe China is moving in the direction of pressuring North Korea a lot more than they have in the past. And it may make a small difference."

Asked why he thought a shift in Chinese policy would only have a limited impact, he continued: "It's going to take a deal between the US and North Korea to bring the missile tests to a standstill.

"Perhaps a moratorium, involving South Korea, Japan, a multi-party deal that in exchange for a moratorium North Korea might get some energy assistance, maybe lifting of sanctions, some humanitarian assistance. That's a hope."

In an unusual step, Air China has grounded all flights to Pyongyang. A group of journalists are currently stranded at the DPRK's international airport, along with a number of tourists.
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Fears the Yes vote in Turkey's referendum which granted far-reaching new powers to Turkey's President may have been unfairly influenced in his favour have been heightened by criticism from an EU observer sent as an impartial witness.

Opposition parties are saying the result should be annulled after alleging electoral fraud in Sundays referendum, in which 51% of the electorate voted for constitutional changes that include the abolition of the office of Prime Minister, and could allow Recep Tayyip Erdogan to stay as President until 2029.

The EU sent a delegation of 20 impartial observers to ensure the referendum complied with European standards.

One of the delegates, Stefan Schennach, joined Turkish opposition in expressing serious concerns about the outcome, which he condemned as unfair and unfree.

In a series of tweets, Mr Schennach alleged that police twice blocked our observation.

After our mission in Diyarbakr and Mardin we got deeply worried," he said.

State-run media agency Anadolu reported turnout exceeded 80%, with the no campaign winning 48.59% of votes after 99.97% had been counted.

The head of Turkeys Supreme Electoral Commission, Sadi Guven, confirmed that yes had narrowly clinched the victory, based on unofficial results. The official results will be delivered in about ten days, after any objections have been considered.

Map showing breakdown of "Yes" (Evet) and "No"(Hayr) votes in Turkey's regions (@EuropeElects ) (@EuropeElects)

However, the Electoral Commission was heavily criticised by Turkeys opposition after it said it would count ballots that had not been stamped as valid by officials as valid, unless they could be proved fraudulent.

Turkeys main opposition party, the Republican Peoples Party (CHP), demanded the result be annulled after first saying up to 40 per cent of the votes should be recounted.

The head of the CHP, Bulent Tezcan, said the party had received complaints from a number of polling stations that people had been unable to vote privately.

The CHP plan to challenge the legality of the referendum at the European Court of Human Rights. The pro-Kurdish HDP opposition also said the result would remain unclear until its appeal to the High Electoral Board over vote irregularities was finalised.

"The referendum result is a clear sign that a societal agreement could not be reached. Our co-chairs being jailed, the referendum being held under a state of emergency, and other oppressive measures cast a shadow and legitimacy problem over the vote," HDP spokesman Osman Baydemir told reporters.

Around 500,000 people, mostly Kurds, have been internally displaced by conflict between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers Party in the south-east of the country, according to the United Nations. Many of these may have been unable to vote due to a lack of a fixed address.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and other high-ranking diplomats said the EU was awaiting the assessment of the International Observation Mission, also with regard to alleged irregularities. Turkey's president Recep Erdogan wins referendum to greatly expand powers

Mr Juncker also urged Turkey to address the Council of Europes concerns and recommendations, including with regards to the State of Emergency.

Three people were killed outside one polling station in Diyarbakir, apparently after a disagreement over political views.

Residents in a number of neighbourhoods in Istanbul, which narrowly voted no, took to the streets banging pots and pans to protest against Erdogans victory.

However, Erdogan's allies are determined to push on with implementing the constitutional changes.

Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli, of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), said the extension would be discussed by the national security council at President Tayyip Erdogan's presidential palace in Ankara on Monday.

Mr Canikli also said the far-reaching constitutional changes could be completed within a year.
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China and Russia have dispatched spy vessels to shadow a fleet including a US aircraft carrier heading to North Korean waters.

Beijing has sought Moscows help in averting the mounting crisis over Pyongyangs repeated nuclear tests.

US President Donald Trump has sent a navy group led by the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson into the region as a signal to the secretive dictatorship about its nuclear programme.

North Korea has defied repeated economic sanctions and international pressure over its nuclear regime, which saw it carry out two tests in 2016 and one so far this year, and has vowed a merciless response to any US provocation.

Mr Trump described the force as an armada and said the submarines being sent were far more powerful than the aircraft carrier.

Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun cited multiple sources within their countrys government which said China and Russia had dispatched vessels to chase the USS Carl Vinson.

China is widely seen as the only country that can rein in Pyongyang but has traditionally refused to do so in order to prevent the regime collapsing and a subsequent refugee crisis on its border.

In recent months it has demonstrated signs that it wants to help the international community force North Korea to back down  in February it banned all coal imports from the country and last week deployed 150,000 troops to the border.

In pictures: North Korea marks the Day of the Sun Show all 16 1 /16 In pictures: North Korea marks the Day of the Sun In pictures: North Korea marks the Day of the Sun North Korean women soldiers take part in a military parade in Pyongyang on 15 April AFP/Getty Images In pictures: North Korea marks the Day of the Sun A huge military parade in Pyongyang marks the 105th birth anniversary of Kim Il Sung, the country's late founder and grandfather of current ruler Kim Jong Un AP In pictures: North Korea marks the Day of the Sun North Korean leader Kim Jong-un waves during a military parade on 15 April 2017 AP In pictures: North Korea marks the Day of the Sun North Korean soldiers carry flags and a photo of Kim Il-sung during a military parade in Pyongyang on 15 April AP In pictures: North Korea marks the Day of the Sun Soldiers march across Kim Il Sung Square during a military parade on 15 April AP In pictures: North Korea marks the Day of the Sun What military experts say appears to be a North Korean KN-08 inter-continental ballistic missile is paraded across Kim Il Sung Square during a military parade on 15 April AP In pictures: North Korea marks the Day of the Sun Women wearing traditional Korean dress wave flowers and shout slogans as they pass Kim Jong-Un during a parade in Pyongyang on 15 April AFP/Getty Images In pictures: North Korea marks the Day of the Sun North Korean female soldiers march during a parade for the 'Day of the Sun' festival on Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang on 15 April EPA In pictures: North Korea marks the Day of the Sun Military vehicles carry missiles with characters reading 'Pukkuksong' during a military parade marking the 105th birth anniversary of Kim Il-sung in Pyongyang on 15 April 2017 EPA In pictures: North Korea marks the Day of the Sun Attendees carry sheets in the colours of North Korea's national flag during a military parade in Pyongyang on 15 April Reuters In pictures: North Korea marks the Day of the Sun A soldier salutes from atop an armoured vehicle during a military parade in Pyongyang on 15 April Reuters In pictures: North Korea marks the Day of the Sun A North Korean woman cries as she looks towards Kim Jong-un during a parade on 15 April AP In pictures: North Korea marks the Day of the Sun University students carry the national flag and two bronze statues of the late leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il during a military parade on 15 April AP In pictures: North Korea marks the Day of the Sun Missiles are driven past Kim Jong-un and other high ranking officials during a military parade marking the Day of the Sun in Pyongyang on 15 April Reuters In pictures: North Korea marks the Day of the Sun North Korean leader Kim Jong-un waves from a balcony during a parade for the 'Day of the Sun' festival in Pyongyang on 15 April 2017 EPA In pictures: North Korea marks the Day of the Sun Missiles are driven past Kim Jong-un and other high ranking officials during a military parade marking the Day of the Sun in Pyongyang on 15 April Reuters

Mr Trumps National Security Advisor Lieutenant General HR McMaster said all options are on the table including military intervention when it comes to North Korea.

Beijing has urged both countries to avoid an irreversible route to war and warned that conflict could break out at any moment.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said: If a war occurs, the result is a situation in which everybody loses and there can be no winner. It is not the one who espouses harsher rhetoric or raises a bigger fist that will win.

The Korean peninsula has been divided since the end of the Second World War when the USSR and US jointly administered the north and south respectively after taking over following the end of the Japanese occupation.

When forces under North Korean leader Kim il-Sung invaded the south in 1950, the newly formed UN, led by the US, intervened to stop the south falling to Kims version of nationalistic communism.

After three years of fighting, the two sides agreed an armistice along the 38th parallel which divided the country in two.

Today, both North and South Korea remain technically at war and the uneasy ceasefire between the two nations is occasionally interrupted by assassination attempts, rows over military exercises and border skirmishes.
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The term "Great Britain" does not exist in Slovakia and using it could see you issued with a hefty fine.

The Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre Authority of the Slovak Republic, a state institution which oversees this field of geography, has the power to issue a fine of 6,600 (5,600) to anyone who uses the term in public office or in a professional setting.

The authority warned Slovakian media that according to a 1995 law, the country which comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Island can only be called the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or simply United Kingdom, the Associated Press reports.

The law effectively banned the use of "Britain" and "Great Britain" when referring to the country.

The Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre Authority said it plans to organise training sessions on the appropriate terms to use before issuing fines.

The law also applies to the British embassy in Bratislava and Slovakia's Foreign Ministry, where staff are not protected from using the wrong word.

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

Peter Susko, a spokesman for Slovakias Foreign Office said the ministry uses the term United Kingdom in official documents and terms "understandable to people" in common communication.

Great Britain, also shortened to Britain, is not a country but it is the largest island of the British Isles and home to England, Scotland and Wales. Yet, it is sometimes loosely used to refer to the country of the UK.
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Denmark is reportedly planning on deporting a 70-year-old woman with dementia to Afghanistan, despite pleas she will not survive two days in the war torn country.

Zarmena Waziri, who lives in the eastern city of Aarhus with her daughter, has suffered strokes, chronic high blood pressure and reduced mobility, in addition to advanced senile dementia.

Marzia Waziri acts as her mothers carer and has held Danish residency for 25 years. Her two children are Danish citizens.

 Denmark blocks rail and road links with Germany to stop refugee flow

The family claims to have no relatives in Afghanistan.

But the authorities have rejected Ms Waziris asylum application and ordered her to go to a deportation centre, the Politiken newspaper reported.

Her daughter said she did not want to think about what would happen if her mother was forced to travel to Afghanistan. She will not survive down there, Ms Waziri added, assessing her mother would only last a couple of days.

She doesnt know her own medicine, she told the newspaper. She wouldnt survive in my apartment if she was left alone. She cannot hold water and has to use diapers. She forgets to chew her food and chokes on it.

I dont know how many times weve contacted emergency services.

A street in the centre of Aarhus, Denmark's second-largest city (Kim Wyon/VisitDenmark)

Ms Waziri continued: We have no family left in Afghanistan that would be able to receive her. We are two siblings living in Denmark.

Pro-immigrant campaigners have vowed to fight the deportation and any others. It is rumoured the government is secretly planning a large round up of failed Afghan asylum seekers in the coming weeks.

After years of war, Afghanistan remains highly unstable and poverty is rife. The countrys health status is among the worst in the world, according to the World Health Organisation, and there is only one doctor for every 6,000 people.
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Hundreds of protesters in France have marched against far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, over concerns basic freedoms would disappear if she were elected.

Some demonstrators threw firebombs at police during the march from suburban Aubervilliers to a Paris neighbourhood where the Front National leader is scheduled to hold a rally.

Officers responded with tear gas during the small skirmishes.

 Marine Le Pen says France not responsible for WWII Jew round-up

One protester, Fernanda Marrucchelli, said Ms Le Pen's anti-immigration party "is fighting our essential freedoms, our rights, no matter if we are French or immigrant."

A banner at the front of the march read "Paris-Suburbs Against the National Front".

Marchers handed out pamphlets denouncing xenophobia and racism that they allege Ms Le Pen and her party represent.

Anti-racism activist Omar Slauti said the fight against Le Pen should be in the streets, not the ballot box, denouncing the "extreme-right populism" that has spread around Europe.

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. 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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. 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Ms Le Pen, who wants to pull France out of the European Union, is one of the top contenders in France's first-round presidential vote on 23 April.

A presidential runoff is being held on 7 May between the top two-vote-getters.

Polls suggest Ms Le Pen, centrist Emmanuel Macron, far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon and conservative Francois Fillon all have a chance of reaching the runoff.

The presidential race is being watched internationally as an important gauge of populist sentiment.

Ms Le Pen has worked to erase the image of racism and anti-Semitism that for years defined her party.

However, last week she drew protests from her election rivals by denying the French state's responsibility for a mass arrest of Jews in Paris during the Second World War.

She later issued a statement saying she considered the French state was in exile in London during the occupation and that her stance "in no way exonerates the effective and personal responsibility of the French people who took part in the horrible Vel d'Hiv roundup and in all the atrocities committed during this period."

The Front National leader wants to restore a French identity that she claims has been erased by "massive immigration," mainly from former French colonies in Muslim North Africa.

Additional reporting by AP
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A small plane has crashed next to a Lidl supermarket near Lisbon, killing four people on board and another on the ground.

Portuguese emergency services said those killed include a Swiss pilot, three French passengers and a Portuguese lorry driver.

Operational commander Miguel Cruz said the Swiss-registered plane crashed shortly after take-off from Tires, around 12 miles west of the Portuguese capital.

Andre Fernandes, a spokesman for the local emergency services, said the plane was headed for Marseilles in France.

The lorry driver was offloading his cargo outside the supermarket when the plane crashed near him, setting his lorry ablaze.

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

Four others were slightly injured, emergency services said.

They were shopping inside the supermarket, which is located in a residential neighbourhood, and were treated for shock and smoke inhalation.

About three dozen fire-fighting vehicles were sent to the scene, officials said.

The cause of the accident is not yet known.

President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa went to the site of the crash, where more than 50 rescue workers attended.

Additional reporting by agencies
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Thousands of police officers supported by military units will be deployed across France as the country prepares to go to the polls this week to elect its next president.

France has remained on high security alert since a terrorist attack in November 2015 killed 130 people and left hundreds injured. And last year 86 people celebrating Bastille Day were killed when a truck was deliberately driven into the crowd in Nice.

Interior Minister Matthias Fekl announced that 50,000 officers will be mobilised across the 67,000 polling stations, where voters will cast their vote this weekend.

Asked by the Journal du Dimanche newspaper if authorities feared an attack timed to coincide with the election Mr Fekl said: "No threat is being ruled out".

He told the newspaper that the risk of a terrorist attack was "high and permanent" as shown by the attacks last month in London, where five people were killed, and Stockholm, where four people were killed.

The election security plan also includes extra measures to tackle possible violence by extremists groups between the two rounds of the election on April 23 and May 7, Le Monde reports.

French intelligence agency, the General Directorate for Internal Security, has warned the main candidates over "a specific threat on their security and on their campaign headquarters".

This comes only days after an alleged arson attack took place on the Front Nationals' headquarters. Ms Le Pen was quick to accuse "leftists" for carrying out the damage on the building's ground floor.

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

According to Le Monde, snipers and elite law enforcement units were present during conservative Francois Fillon's rally in Montpellier this weekend.

Emmanuel Macron's team also confirmed that extra security officers had been deployed around his campaign headquarters and that "bomb disposal experts checked the venues ahead of each rally".

Mr Fekl said he was aware of the risk of violent street protest by opponents of the far-right party Front National if Ms Le Pen got through to the second round.

In the face of concerns over hacking and external interference in the election results, Mr Fekl said the software used to send through results for each locality has also been reinforced.
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There were recriminations about erosion of democracy, accusations of intimidation and allegations of voting fraud. But Recep Tayyip Erdogan has emerged from a bitter campaign with a referendum victory which will give him an iron grip on power and change the political narrative in Turkey.

Campaigners for a no vote against the proposals which will make the President virtually unchallengeable claimed serious irregularities at the polls, including the use of unstamped voting papers, and pledged to challenge the counts from up to 60 per cent of the ballot boxes.

Mr Erdogan, in his victory speech to supporters, was dismissive of the complaints: There are those who are belittling the result. They shouldnt try, it will be in vain, it is too late now.

He is in a strong position to ensure that is the case. Turkeys Supreme Electoral Board has given the outcome a clean bill of health.

 Turkey's president Recep Erdogan wins referendum to greatly expand powers

The head of the Board, Sadi Guven, insisted there had been no malpractice in the yes campaign receiving 51 per cent of the vote. He did not want people who had been given unstamped ballots by mistake to be victimised. There had not been one single ballot paper which had been fraudulent or fake, he maintained.

Teams of international monitors condemned both the government and the Electoral Board. The legal framework remained inadequate for the holding of a genuinely democratic referendum, they said in preliminary conclusions. The full report will not come for another eight weeks and, in any event, has no legal standing in regards to the referendum.

In reality, it had probably been too late for those opposed to Mr Erdogan ever since last summers attempted coup which had been followed by massive retribution. More than 50,000 people are now in jail, tens of thousands more have been dismissed from their jobs. They include politicians, journalists, lawyers and civil rights activists  the people who would have been expected to be opposed to the President in the referendum. Also among those targeted were the military, the traditional keeper of the secularist flame of Kemal Ataturk in the face of the Islamist policies of Mr Erdogan and his AKP (Justice and Development) party.

The no campaign had accused the government of undermining it by detaining its leaders and instigating the disruption of its rallies. There were repeated complaints about imbalance in media coverage. The AKP party issued a decree suspending rules on parties being given equal airtime during elections.

There had been some expectation that Mr Erdogan will call an early election whichever way the result went. But Mehmet Simsek, a deputy prime minister, ruled that out today. A second deputy prime minister, Nurettin Cankil, said that the changes to the constitution would be completed within a year.

But the referendum has left a country traumatised by both last summers putsch and its aftermath further divided and polarised.

Three of the countrys biggest cities  Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir  voted no, as did Diyarbakir in a region where the government is engaged in combat with Kurdish separatists and where three people were shot dead outside a polling station.

The yes campaign drew most of its support from the AKP heartland, the conservative east of the country.

What was more unexpected is the strong pro-Erdogan vote among the Turkish diaspora in western Europe. The yes campaign received the backing of a significant majority in France, Austria and Germany; in the Netherlands victory was by 70 per cent to 30 per cent.

European politicians expressed dismay at what has happened. Austrian foreign minister Sebastian Kurtz held it was a clear signal against the European Union and the fiction of Turkey joining should end.

Julia Kockner, a senior figure in Angela Merkels CDU party stated that road to EU succession was well and truly shut. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker stressed: We are awaiting the assessment of the International Observation Mission with regard to alleged irregularities.

Mr Erdogan is unlikely to take much notice of the views from Europe. One of his first pronouncements after claiming his win was that he would consider reintroducing the death penalty: something which would effectively scupper the prospect of joining the European Union.

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 President had made standing up to the West part of his campaign rhetoric and it had resonance among some voters. Hulya Budak, a 36-year-old office worker from Konya, where the AKP has in the past received 75 per cent support in elections, wanted to stress: When I first came to Istanbul 20 years ago with my family I was made to feel uncomfortable because I wore a headscarf. My mother could not get a job in government because of that; we were made to feel backward if we did not dress and behave like the West. Mr Erdogan changed that once he became President and gave us our rights. So of course my family voted yes for him at the referendum, we must value or country and culture and not just follow Europe.

But for Engin Cagatay, a teacher and community worker, the referendum result was another sign that the country was moving deeper into a kind of dictatorship from democracy  we are worried by the way the voting was done in many places, but I dont well be able to change what happened.

We are afraid that the values of secularism we had will be in danger: people will be even more afraid to speak out and yes, our last chances of joining the EU will go. But, more than anything else, we should not have one man with so much power, that is not healthy.
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The US Air Force has sent several of its newest stealth fighters to the UK as part of an initiative to reassure Europe in the face of Russian aggression.

A handful of F-35A jets from Hill Air Force Base in Utah landed at RAF Lakenheath over the weekend for what the Pentagon said would be several weeks of training with other US and Nato military aircraft.

The deployment would allow the US Air Force to "further demonstrate the operational capabilities" of the stealthy fighter jet, the Pentagon said.

As we and our joint F-35 partners bring this aircraft into our inventories, its important that we train together to integrate into a seamless team capable of defending the sovereignty of allied nations," said General Tod D Wolters, commander of US Air Forces in Europe.

The jets were deployed in support of the European Reassurance Initiative, launched under President Barack Obama in 2014 to show support for US allies after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine.

The new F-35 fighter jet

The F-35, which is the Pentagon's costliest arms program, has been dogged by problems.

The Pentagon's chief arms buyer once described as "acquisition malpractice" the decision to produce jets before completing development.

During last year's election campaign, Donald Trump criticised Lockheed Martin for the F-35's cost overruns.

Days after taking office in January, President Trump announced his administration had been able to cut some $600m (478m) from the latest US deal to buy around 90 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters.

The United States is expected to spend some $391bn (312bn) over 15 years to buy about 2,443 of the F-35 aircraft.

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

F-35s are in use by the US Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy, and by six other countries: Australia, Britain, Norway, Italy, the Netherlands and Israel. Japan took delivery of its first jet in December.

Lockheed said last month that Spain, Belgium and Switzerland were in talks with the company about buying F-35s.

Additional reporting by Reuters
ELKO  A bill that could boost rural air service, including the reestablishment of flights between Elko and Reno, survived the latest legislative deadline when it was advanced to the Senate Finance Committee.

City Manager Curtis Calder said SB363 would help strengthen the airport and the local economy.

We see the primary development as being the economic development for the region, he said. If we can better commercial air service, especially to Reno, There might be more incentive for a Reno-area business to put a second office or manufacturing facility in this area if they can get to and from this area quickly on a daily basis.

Calder also said it is important for this bill to pass so air travel will remain available in the future. He pointed out that airlines are trying to make a profit in rural areas and may pull out of an area like Elko if they experience a change in cost.

If their costs went up unexpectedly that margin could change and we wouldnt have this program to fall back on, he said. It would be to the detriment to the community if we lost air service altogether.

State Sen. Pete Goicoechea, R-Eureka, has called the $2 million proposal a shot in the dark to give us a chance.

The bill, co-sponsored by Assemblyman John Ellison, R-Elko, would create the Nevada Air Service Development Commission and a Nevada Air Service Development Fund. It would provide $1 million a year for two years to create a fund that would in turn provide incentives to air carriers to serve small airport hubs, such as Elko Regional Airport.
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More than 1,500 Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails have gone on hunger strike to demand better conditions in one of the largest protests in recent years.

Prisoners are demanding more contact with relatives, better access to medical treatment and an end to the Israeli practice of detention without trial.

Strikers have also said they want access to more television channels and compassionate release for disabled prisoners or those sufferings from chronic illnesses.

Protesters have launched sympathy marches in several major towns in the West Bank, such as Hebron and Ramallah.

Qadoura Fares, an advocate for prisoners' rights, said 6,500 Palestinians are currently held by Israel. Palestinians marked Monday as Prisoners' Day.

Mr Fares said hundreds of prisoners launched a 28-day strike in 2012. In 2014, dozens of detainees held without trial went on hunger strike for two months.

Israels controversial administrative detention policy sees a varying number of Palestinians held without charge in prisons, often accused of links to militant group Hamas.

Two leading Israeli human rights groups describe the conditions in prisons such as Shikma Prison in southern Israel as hellish, with some inmates reportedly shackled to chairs during interrogation and held in solitary confinement in cramped and foul smelling cells no more than two metres long.

Currently 500 Palestinians are being held in this way, according to Mr Fares.

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 protest was led by Marwan Barghouti, 58, a leader from the mainstream Fatah movement of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, serving five life terms after being convicted of murder in the killing of Israelis in a 2000-2005 uprising known as the Second Intifada.

In an opinion piece in The New York Times on Monday, Barghouti said a strike was the only way to gain concessions after other options had failed.

"Through our hunger strike, we seek an end to these abuses... Palestinian prisoners and detainees have suffered from torture, inhumane and degrading treatment and medical negligence. Some have been killed while in detention," he wrote.

The strike, if sustained, could present a challenge to Israel and raise tensions between the two sides as the 50th anniversary of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip approaches in June.

Protesters in Ramallah waving flags bearing a portrait of Marwan Borghouti (Abbas Momani/Getty Images)

Israeli troops and settlers pulled out of the Gaza Strip in 2005 but started a naval blockade after Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007.

Peace talks on the creation of a Palestinian state between Israel and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas broke down in 2014.

Meanwhile, tensions have been exacerbated by the decision to allow the first new Israeli settlements in the West Bank for two decades.

The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the decision as threatening peace and undermining the two-state solution. Building new settlements in the occupied territories is considered a violation of international law.

Israel denies Palestinian inmates are mistreated and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said the Barghouti-led protest was "prompted by internal Palestinian politics and therefore includes unreasonable demands".

Opinion polls suggest Barghouti is the top contender to succeed Mr Abbas as president.

Palestinians consider those held in Israeli jails as national heroes. Long-term mass hunger strikes by Palestinian prisoners are rare, but in past cases of individual inmates who stopped eating for weeks, detention terms were shortened or not renewed after they were hospitalised in critical condition.

Mr Erdan said a field hospital would be erected next to one prison - an apparent move to preempt transfers to civilian medical facilities, which could draw wider media attention.

Additional reporting by agencies
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Philippines leader Rodrgio Duterte has praised US President Donald Trump, calling him a realist and a man who thinks deeply.

Mr Duterte, who has boasted about killing people and was criticised by former President Barack Obama for his war on drugs, made the remarks at a recent news conference in Qatar.

Trump is a realist, a pragmatic thinker, he said.

Appearing to refer to Mr Trumps impulsive tweets and rejection of criticism, he added: You just think that, you know, both of us pretend that if we're insulted, we speak that way. But they don't know that in the case of Trump, he thinks deeply.

The man who once said he doesnt give a s**t about human rights, mentioned his phone conversation with Mr Trump in 2016, mimicking Mr Trumps voice and claiming the US President told him he was doing it right.

He also mentioned Trump Tower in New York and made a link between wealth and intelligence.

 Rodrigo Duterte says he 'doesn't give a s*** about human rights' as 3,500 killed in war on drugs

Trump wouldn't become a billionaire if he were stupid, Mr Duterte said, as reported by Philippines news channel Rappler.

The day after the US election last November, Mr Duterte congratulated his win and declared: Long live Mr Trump! We both curse at the slightest reason. We are alike.

The Philippines leader has recently made headlines for telling China that a huge area of the South China Sea is ours and telling school children aged between four and 10 that he was angry and would kill people if they destroy our youth.

His war on drugs has left thousands of people dead since his election last year, a campaign which has been condemned by the Catholic Church.

About 7,700 people have died in the anti-drug push, with more than 2,500 people killed in operations when drug peddlers on the street resist authorities, according to police.

He has cracked down on opponents, recently arresting his biggest critic, Senator Leila de Lima, on corruption charges.
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A 17-year-old surfer has been killed after a shark attack in Australia.

The teenage girl was surfing with her father when she was attacked off Esperance in the state of Western Australia.

She reportedly lost her leg during the attack and was treated by paramedics on the beach at Bandy Creek.

She was taken to hospital in a critical condition on Monday afternoon, where she died.

Recommended Shark discovered in middle of road in Australia

Condonlences [sic] from everone [sic] @EsperancePol to the family and friends of the victim of today's shark attack, Esperance Police tweeted.

Deverstating [sic] circumstances.

Wylie Bay Beach has been closed until further notice and people have been advised to stay out of the area for 48 hours.

The Esperance Express reported that the Department of Fisheries will patrol the beach and water from early Tuesday morning.

The West Australian reported that the teenager had been surfing in the popular spot of Kelp Beds, which lies three kilometres east of Wylie Bay.

The coastline is reportedly known for great white shark sightings.

In recent decades, Australia has suffered an average of less than two deadly shark attacks per year.

Sean Pollard, a surfer, was attacked at Wylie Bay in 2014, and he lost his right hand and left arm above the elbow.

Last June, 60-year-old Doreen Collyer died after being attacked by a large shark when she was diving one kilometre off the Perth coast.

Agencies contributed to this report.
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A suspect accused of plotting the St Petersburg bombing attack has been arrested near Moscow, according to Russian officials.

Russian authorities said the man was detained in the town of Odintsovo and was being questioned.

Russia's Federal Security Service, as cited by RIA news agency, identified him as Abror Azimov, who was born in 1990 and is from Central Asia.

Recommended Police find explosive device during St Petersburg raids

Russia Today posted a video of the alleged suspect being detained by multiple agents near a railway track. In the video, he is tackled to the ground and a handgun is found in his waistband.

The Independent could not immediately verify the video, which is circulating online.

The suspect is the ninth person to have been detained on suspicion of having colluded with the bomber, Akbarzhon Jalilov, since the attack on 3 April.

 Russia President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at scene of blast in St Petersburg

Azimov has been accused of training Jalilov to use the bomb, which he took with him on a train and detonated, killing himself in the explosion.

The attack happened the same day that leader Vladimir Putin was visiting the city.

The death toll came to 14 people.

A further 49 people were sent to hospital.

The blast took place between Sennaya Ploshchad and Tekhnologichesky Institut underground stations.

Earlier this month, eight people were detained by authorities - six of them in St Petersburg and two in Moscow.

The bomber, Jalilov, developed an interest in Islam and went to Turkey, according to police, but they are unsure whether he then went to Syria, or whether he meant to also kill himself in the blast.

During raids of the detainees' departments, police said they found guns, ammunition and an explosive device similar to that used on the metro.
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A disabled student who was beaten and abused by her own family in Nigeria could be sent to the UKs most notorious detention centre while she waits to hear whether she faces deportation.

Kelechi Chioba, an asylum seeker who suffers from polio and mental health problems, was told she would be sent to Yarls Wood Detention Centre this month.

The 36-year-old scholar says her family believe she is a curse and that it is not safe for her to return home as a disabled queer person.

Her legal representatives expect to hear whether or not she will be detained from Tuesday, but the decision has been delayed repeatedly over the past few weeks.

Ms Chioba said that having been a victim of sexual abuse, she was particularly concerned by reports of sexual violence towards inmates in Yarls Wood.

Speaking to The Independent ahead of the decision, she said: Im so scared, I dont know whats going to happen.

Im worried I will be abused because Ive heard of so much of that going on in these places, and I wont get the support I need as a disabled person.

My mental health will suffer as a result because I will lose the support. It will be like being shut off from the world.

A full time wheelchair user, Ms Chioba requires a number of different medications and relies on daily support from carers.

I have scoliosis and it gives me pain all over my body every single day. Thats the problem I have  its hard for me to cope with normal activities, like getting myself dressed and cleaning up after myself.

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

Using her lifes savings to fund her education, she moved to Britain in 2011 to study for a postgraduate degree in health and social care at the University of Wolverhampton.

Ms Chioba was forced to suspend her studies in 2014, after undergoing a series of operations and further decline in her mental health. She applied for asylum the same year.

In 2015 the Home Office rejected her plea, telling her there was nothing sufficiently serious in the family or private life circumstances that could possibly outweigh the need for immigration controls to be enforced.

On 20 March when reporting to the Home Office, she received a notice of Liability to Removal and was told she could be detained upon her next contact.

Her legal representatives have raised serious concerns that the detention centre will not be able to cater for Ms Chiobas health needs, however.

In a statement, Duncan Lewis solicitors said: Kelechi is a woman who is passionate about fighting for the rights of the most vulnerable.

We will now fight for her right to stay in the United Kingdom where she can be open about her sexuality free from persecution and free to continue her activism as a Black LGBT Disabled Representative.

Kelechi has been told she will be detained, something which has caused her significant psychiatric distress.

We strongly believe that she is not suitable for detention and will do whatever we can to prevent this.

Two years ago, the chief inspector of prisons called Yarls Wood a place of national concern following allegations of sexual abuse and intimidation of the women detained there.

Female detainees made six allegations of sexual assault against staff over a three-year period, it was reported.

A spokesperson for Serco said at the time that it takes any allegations extremely seriously but that there had been no incidents of sexual abuse in the period.

Speaking to The Independent, Medical Justice  a charity offering medical help to those held in immigration detention - told of a much wider problem around how people with disabilities are treated and cared for in UK detention centres.

Emma Ginn, a spokesperson for the charity, said the group had assisted with a number of incidences where disabled detainees had suffered inadequate healthcare.

Examples included immobile detainees who had been denied a wheelchair, resulting in them not being able to get to the healthcare unit to see a nurse or doctor to get their medication.

Some have gone hungry as they have been unable to get to the dinning hall and fellow detainees have been stopped from taking food to them in their room, Ms Ginn added.

A lack of mobility aids in their room has meant that some disabled detainees have not been able to properly use washing and toilet facilities.

Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban Show all 20 1 /20 Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-1 Protestors rally during a demonstration against the Muslim immigration ban at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump signed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-2 Protestors rally during a protest against the Muslim immigration ban at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump singed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-3 Protestors rally during a protest against the Muslim immigration ban at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump singed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-4 SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JANUARY 28: Demonstrators hold signs during a rally against a ban on Muslim immigration at San Francisco International Airport on January 28, 2017 in San Francisco, California. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday that suspends entry of all refugees for 120 days, indefinitely suspends the entries of all Syrian refugees, as well as barring entries from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering for 90 days. Stephen Lam/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-5 A crowd of protesters gathers outside of the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse as a judge hears a challenge against President Donald Trump's executive ban on immigration from several Muslim countries, on January 28, 2017 in Brooklyn. The judge issued an emergency stay on part of Trump's executive order, ruling that sending refugees stopped at U.S. airports back to their countries would be harmful. Yana Paskova/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-6 Protestors rally during a demonstration against the new immigration ban issued by President Donald Trump at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump signed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-7 NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 28: Protestors rally during a demonstration against the new immigration ban issued by President Donald Trump at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump signed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-8 Protestors rally during a demonstration against the new immigration ban issued by President Donald Trump at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump signed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-9 Getty Images Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-10 Getty Images Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-11 NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 28: Protestors rally during a demonstration against the Muslim immigration ban at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump signed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-12 Protestors rally during a demonstration against the Muslim immigration ban at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump signed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-13 Protestors rally during a demonstration against the Muslim immigration ban at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump signed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-14 Protestors rally during a demonstration against the Muslim immigration ban at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump signed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-15 Protestors rally during a demonstration against the Muslim immigration ban at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump signed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-16 Protestors rally during a demonstration against the Muslim immigration ban at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump signed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-17 NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 28: Protestors rally during a protest against the Muslim immigration ban at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump singed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-18 Protestors rally during a protest against the Muslim immigration ban at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump singed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-19 Protestors rally during a protest against the Muslim immigration ban at John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 28, 2017 in New York City. President Trump singed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Stephanie Keith/Getty Protestors rally at JFK Airport against Muslim immigration ban jfk-protest-muslim-ban-20 Passengers wait in line to check in at the American Airlines terminal at JFK International Airport August 10, 2006 in the Queens borough of New York City. British authorities arrested 21 people and halted a anallegedly terrorist plot to use liquid explosives concealed in carry-on luggage to blow up airliners traveling between Britain and the U.S. Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff said that the plot appeared to be directed at U.S. carriers flying out of Heathrow. such as United Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines. Stephen Chernin/Getty

The charity, which receives around 1,000 referrals for detainees each year, also reported incidences where disabled detainees had been taken to the airport for removal from the UK without a wheelchair.

These issues risk deterioration of both disabled detainees physical and mental health, said Ms Ginn.

Speaking exclusively to The Independent, Ms Chioba said: It was difficult to apply for asylum. To be honest I didnt know anything about it, I didnt know what it meant.

But then someone explained to me that it was there to protect people who had been abused  which I had.

As a student Ms Chioba said she was encouraged to apply for asylum early on, but she chose not as this would have interfered with her studies.

As an international student, she did not need asylum to remain in the UK  but when her health problems forced her to suspend her education, she no longer had the protection of student residency.

The reason I hadnt wanted to apply sooner was because I was told I would not have been allowed to continue my studies as an asylum seeker, she explained, it was all my lifes savings and I couldnt throw that down the drain.

But now, she says she is penniless and has lost her education too: What does that leave me?

 Hundreds protest at Russian embassy over 'gay concentration camps' in Chechnya

In 2015, more than 1,000 people signed a Change.org petition set up by students urging the Home Office to reconsider Kelechis plea for asylum.

Fundraisers are said to have helped pay for her previous legal costs, as well as food and medicine.

But despite waiting more than two years for a verdict, the activist, who currently lives in Home Office accommodation, said she would go through it all again rather than be forced to return to Nigeria.

Life as a disabled person in Nigeria is crazy bad, she said. Its tough. I went through a lot because my family told me I was a curse, that I brought curse to the family and damaged the familys name.

My mother was having problems with my dad, who was violent. He beat her up because he said she gave him a disabled child. She transferred that anger onto me and beat me.

If she were to return to Nigeria, where homosexuality is illegal, Ms Chioba says could be killed for her views and LGBT rights activism.

Homosexual relationships are punishable by up to 14 years in prison in Nigeria, and recent figures show a spike in violence against LGBT people in the country.

Despite the resistance she has faced, Ms Chioba said she hopes to become a British citizen and use her experiences to help other victims of violence.

Im someone who believes that disability is not the same as incapability, she said.

I believe that I can do things with my life. I want to make a change, I want to progress. When I came to the UK the education system inspired me to become an activist.

Thanks to the freedoms this culture offers me, I now have the courage to talk about what happened to me, and I want to help other victims of violence and abuse to talk about their experiences.

She said she has volunteered in hospitals as part of her degree course and hopes one day to complete her studies and train as a social worker.

Getting a degree will push me forward in life. I want to contribute to society and I want to contribute to the economy, she added.

Commenting on the case, Malia Bouattia, the president of the NUS, said: I have known Kelechi for many years and she has been such a dedicated activist even when her own life and future is under threat.

The governments hostile policies ruin the lives of so many and we can't stand by and watch this happen. I fear for Kelechis life should she be detained or deported and call upon the movement and communities to please support Kelechi.

A Home Office spokesperson said the department did not routinely comment on individual cases, but added: The UK has a proud history of granting asylum to those who need our protection. Each claim is carefully considered on its individual merits.
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EasyJet has asked for any passengers who may have been misled by staff to get in touch, after an incident last week in which a London couple were ordered to leave an overbooked plane at Luton airport, with the airline then breaking the rules on care and compensation.

The couple are Manoj, a 38-year-old IT consultant, and Viddha, 35, a teacher. They have asked for their last names to be withheld. As The Independent reported, staff at Britains biggest budget airline told them to leave the aircraft even though they had confirmed tickets on the flight to Catania in Sicily.

Recommended Couple ordered off overbooked easyJet flight day after United scandal

The airline had overbooked the flight, selling 158 tickets for a 156-seat Airbus A319. The couple were pre-selected to be denied boarding if all the passengers turned up.

They were allowed on the plane just before it was due to depart, but were then ordered off because of what easyJet called a boarding pass discrepancy issue.

Manoj said: We were asked to offload in front of a packed plane. The only difference between us and the chap involved with United Airlines is that we weren't physically dragged off.

At that point easyJet should have handed the couple a printed statement of their rights; rebooked them on a rival airline to Rome or Milan that evening; organised a hotel at the Italian airport; and booked an onward connection the following morning to their destination.

Instead, Manoj and Viddha were advised they would have to wait four days until the next departure from Luton to Catania, and were told to go home. Because their holiday was only six days in total, they abandoned the trip.

The airline was also obliged to pay them 400 (350) each in statutory compensation on the spot.

 United Airlines passenger is dragged off plane because airline overbooked

European passengers rights rules stipulate: If boarding is denied to passengers against their will, the operating air carrier shall immediately compensate them. The payment must be made in cash, by electronic bank transfer, bank orders or bank cheques.

But even though the couple spoke to six different easyJet customer-service agents over the ensuing two hours, none of the staff mentioned the compensation to which they were entitled.

The couple were also sent an email by easyJet about a refund of the ticket cost and related expenses, which nowhere mentions the compensation due. Manoj and Viddha found out about their entitlement only when they contacted The Independent.

EasyJet is based at London Luton Airport (Simon Calder)

The airline has now said: Additional training will be provided as a matter of urgency to all call centre agents. The agents involved will be retrained and if any customer feels that we have not handled their claim appropriately, they should get in contact with us so we can look into it.

The Independent has learned that the couple were chosen for offloading because they were the last to check in online. The airline allows all passengers to check in 30 days ahead; Manoj and Viddha did so the day before departure. An easyJet spokesperson said: The earlier a passenger checks in the less likely it is they would be selected.

The couple have also revealed that easyJet allowed passengers who had arrived at the gate way beyond the stipulated deadline to board ahead of them.

Boarding passes specify that the gate will close 30 minutes before departure. But Manoj said about six passengers arrived less than 10 minutes before the plane was due to go. He added: I can promise you they were not asked whether they would consider an alternative flight as the ground staff just shouted for them to hurry up.

The events unfolded in the terminal adjacent to easyJets headquarters at Luton airport. But despite repeated requests by the couple to escalate the issue, they were told they could communicate only with a South African call centre, and that no duty manager was available.

 All-female crew on easyJet flight for International Women's Day

A leading aviation figure, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: If this had happened in some far-flung Mediterranean airport, it might have been understandable. But it took place on easyJets doorstep, which must raise questions about how the airline runs its overbooking policy.

In a statement, easyJet said: We are very sorry about the situation that the couple experienced.
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The Easter holidays are upon us, which means that summer is just around the corner, and fortunately Post Office Travel Money has just released a list of the 19 cheapest beach holiday destinations in Europe.

The report compares average prices of various holiday expenses for one day in the different destinations.

The measured costs include a cup of coffee, a bottle of local beer, a glass of wine, a bottle of water, a three-course dinner for two, and sun cream, among other travel essentials.

From Croatia to Ibiza, here are the cheapest destinations for a European summer holiday in 2017.

19. Ibiza, Spain  131.02 ($164.18)

(Shutterstock (Shutterstock)

Cup of coffee: 1.22 ($1.53)

Bottle of local beer: 3.06 ($3.83)

Can of Coca-Cola: 2.18 ($2.73)

Glass of wine: 3.49 ($4.37)

1.5 litre bottle of still mineral water: 0.87 ($1.09)

Sun cream: 15.72 ($19.67)

Insect repellent: 7.43 ($9.30)

English newspaper: 1.83 ($2.29)

3 course evening meal for two (including a bottle of house wine): 65.52 ($81.99)

2 course lunch for two (no drinks): 29.70 ($37.16)

18. Sorrento, Italy  118.51 ($148.50)

Cup of coffee:1.75 ($2.19)

Bottle of local beer:2.18 ($2.73)

Can of Coca-Cola:1.75 ($2.19)

Glass of wine:2.62 ($3.28)

1.5 litre bottle of still mineral water:0.87 ($1.09)

Sun cream:8.74 ($10.94)

Insect repellent:6.99 ($8.75)

English newspaper:1.88 ($2.35)

3 course evening meal for two (including a bottle of house wine):65.52 ($81.99)

2 course lunch for two (no drinks):26.21 ($32.80)

17. Nice, France  116.64 ($146.16)

Cup of coffee:1.31 ($1.64)

Bottle of local beer:3.06 ($3.83)

Can of Coca-Cola:3.06 ($3.83)

Glass of wine:4.37 ($5.47)

1.5 litre bottle of still mineral water:0.44 ($0.55)

Sun cream:8.74 ($10.94)

Insect repellent:6.12 ($7.66)

English newspaper:2.36 ($2.95)

3 course evening meal for two (including a bottle of house wine):60.10 ($75.20)

2 course lunch for two (no drinks):27.08 ($33.89)

16. Zadar, Croatia  108.89 ($136.45)

(Shutterstock (Shutterstock)

Cup of coffee: 1.22 ($1.53)

Bottle of local beer: 1.83 ($2.29)

Can of Coca-Cola: 1.83 $2.29)

Glass of wine: 3.06 ($3.83)

1.5 litre bottle of still mineral water: 0.73 ($0.91)

Sun cream: 9.17 ($11.47)

Insect repellent: 4.89 ($6.12)

English newspaper:4.28 ($5.36)

3 course evening meal for two (including a bottle of house wine):57.44 ($71.88)

2 course lunch for two (no drinks):24.44 ($30.58)

15. Lisbon Coast, Portugal  99.33 ($124.47)

Cup of coffee:0.61 ($0.76)

Bottle of local beer:1.75 ($2.19)

Can of Coca-Cola:1.75 ($2.19)

Glass of wine:3.49 ($4.37)

1.5 litre bottle of still mineral water: 1.75($2.19)

Sun cream:6.12 ($7.66)

Insect repellent:6.99 ($8.75)

English newspaper:2.62 ($3.28)

3 course evening meal for two (including a bottle of house wine):48.04 ($60.11)

2 course lunch for two (no drinks):26.21 ($32.80)

14. Sliema, Malta  95.31 ($119.43)

Cup of coffee:1.31 ($1.64)

Bottle of local beer:2.18 ($2.73)

Can of Coca-Cola:1.62 ($2.03)

Glass of wine:3.06 ($3.83)

1.5 litre bottle of still mineral water:0.44 ($0.55)

Sun cream:11.01 ($13.78)

Insect repellent:3.13 ($3.92)

English newspaper: 1.92 ($2.40)

3 course evening meal for two (including a bottle of house wine):42.77 ($53.52)

2 course lunch for two (no drinks):27.87 ($34.87)

13. Corfu, Greece  90.05 (112.84)

(Shutterstock)

Cup of coffee:2.18 ($2.73)

Bottle of local beer:3.06 ($3.83)

Can of Coca-Cola:2.18 ($2.73)

Glass of wine:2.62 ($3.28)

1.5 litre bottle of still mineral water:0.52 ($0.65)

Sun cream:7.86 ($9.84)

Insect repellent:5.68 ($7.11)

English newspaper:3.06 ($3.83)

3 course evening meal for two (including a bottle of house wine):38.43 ($48.09)

2 course lunch for two (no drinks):24.46 ($30.61)

12. Majorca, Spain  88.98 ($111.50)

Cup of coffee:1.92 ($2.40)

Bottle of local beer:2.62 ($3.28)

Can of Coca-Cola:2.18 ($2.73)

Glass of wine:1.75 ($2.19)

1.5 litre bottle of still mineral water:0.26 ($0.33)

Sun cream:10.40 ($13.01)

Insect repellent:5.68 ($7.11)

English newspaper:2.58 ($3.23)

3 course evening meal for two (including a bottle of house wine):42.37 ($53.02)

2 course lunch for two (no drinks):19.22 ($24.05)

11. Kefalonia, Greece  84.29 ($105.62)

Cup of coffee: 2.18 ($2.73)

Bottle of local beer: 3.49 ($4.37)

Can of Coca-Cola: 1.75 ($2.19)

Glass of wine: 2.62 ($3.28)

1.5 litre bottle of still mineral water: 0.70 ($0.88)

Sun cream: 3.67 ($4.59)

Insect repellent: 2.62 ($3.28)

English newspaper: 3.49 ($4.37)

3 course evening meal for two (including a bottle of house wine): 42.80 ($53.56)

2 course lunch for two (no drinks): 20.97 ($26.24)

10. Zante, Greece  82.36 ($103.20)

Cup of coffee:1.31 ($1.64)

Bottle of local beer:& 1.31 ($1.64)

Can of Coca-Cola: 1.31 ($1.64)

Glass of wine: 1.31 ($1.64)

1.5 litre bottle of still mineral water: 0.26 ($0.33)

Sun cream: 7.86 ($9.84)

Insect repellent: 2.18 ($2.73)

English newspaper: 2.18 ($2.73)

3 course evening meal for two (including a bottle of house wine): 41.93 ($52.47)

2 course lunch for two (no drinks): 22.71 ($28.42)

9. Crete, Greece  81.84 ($102.55)

(Shutterstock)

Cup of coffee: 2.18 ($2.73)

Bottle of local beer: 2.18 ($2.73)

Can of Coca-Cola: 1.92 ($2.40)

Glass of wine: 2.62 ($3.28)

1.5 litre bottle of still mineral water: 0.44 ($0.55)

Sun cream: 5.94 ($7.43)

Insect repellent: 1.92 ($2.40)

English newspaper: 2.62 ($3.28)

3 course evening meal for two (including a bottle of house wine): 41.05 ($51.37)

2 course lunch for two (no drinks): 20.97 ($26.24)

8. Limassol, Cyprus  79.89 ($100.11)

Cup of coffee: 3.06 ($3.83)

Bottle of local beer: 2.62 ($3.28)

Can of Coca-Cola: 1.75 ($2.19)

Glass of wine: 3.06 ($3.83)

1.5 litre bottle of still mineral water: 0.35 ($0.44)

Sun cream: 9.43 ($11.80)

Insect repellent: 5.46 ($6.83)

English newspaper: 2.18 ($2.73)

3 course evening meal for two (including a bottle of house wine): 33.72 ($42.19)

2 course lunch for two (no drinks): 18.26 ($22.85)

7. Porec, Croatia  79.08 ($99.09)

Cup of coffee: 1.34 ($1.34)

Bottle of local beer: 2.20 ($2.75)

Can of Coca-Cola: 2.08 ($2.60)

Glass of wine: 1.96 ($2.45)

1.5 litre bottle of still mineral water: 0.73 ($0.91)

Sun cream: 7.33 ($9.17)

Insect repellent: 4.77 ($5.97)

English newspaper: 3.67 ($4.59)

3 course evening meal for two (including a bottle of house wine): 37.89 ($47.41)

2 course lunch for two (no drinks): 17.11 ($21.41)

6. Costa Blanca, Spain  75.56 ($94.68)

Cup of coffee: 1.14 ($1.43)

Bottle of local beer: 2.18 ($2.73)

Can of Coca-Cola: 1.40 ($1.75)

Glass of wine: 1.75 ($2.19)

1.5 litre bottle of still mineral water: 0.20 ($0.25)

Sun cream: 12.80 ($16.02)

Insect repellent: 5.46 ($6.83)

English newspaper: 2.58 ($3.23)

3 course evening meal for two (including a bottle of house wine): 32.33 ($40.46)

2 course lunch for two (no drinks): 15.72 ($19.67)

5. Paphos, Cyprus  74.32 ($93.13)

Sunny Cyprus is one couples wedding destination (Shutterstock)

Cup of coffee: 2.53 ($3.17)

Bottle of local beer: 2.27 ($2.84)

Can of Coca-Cola: 1.83 ($2.29)

Glass of wine: 2.80 ($3.50)

1.5 litre bottle of still mineral water: 0.26 ($0.33)

Sun cream: 6.23 ($7.80)

Insect repellent: 5.72 ($7.16)

English newspaper:2.10 ($2.63)

3 course evening meal for two (including a bottle of house wine): 33.11 ($41.43)

2 course lunch for two (no drinks): 17.47 ($21.86)

4. Marmaris, Turkey  68.13 ($85.37)

Cup of coffee:1.36 ($1.70)

Bottle of local beer:2.27 ($2.84)

Can of Coca-Cola: ;1.59 ($1.99)

Glass of wine: 2.73 ($3.42)

1.5 litre bottle of still mineral water: 0.45 ($0.56)

Sun cream: 7.95 ($9.95)

Insect repellent: 2.73 ($3.42)

English newspaper: 1.36 ($1.70)

3 course evening meal for two (including a bottle of house wine) 40.88 ($51.15)

2 course lunch for two (no drinks): 6.81 ($8.52)

3. Costa del Sol, Spain  60.65 ($76.00)

Cup of coffee: 1.14 ($1.43)

Bottle of local beer: 1.75 ($2.19)

Can of Coca-Cola: 1.05 ($1.31)

Glass of wine: 1.75 ($2.19)

1.5 litre bottle of still mineral water: 0.33 ($0.41)

Sun cream:& 4.32 ($5.41)

Insect repellent: 2.40 ($3.00)

English newspaper: 1.36 ($1.70)

3 course evening meal for two (including a bottle of house wine): 28.61 ($35.80)

2 course lunch for two (no drinks): 17.38 ($21.75)

2. Algarve, Portugal  58.38 ($73.16)

Cup of coffee: 0.61 ($0.76)

Bottle of local beer: 1.05 ($1.31)

Can of Coca-Cola: 1.14 ($1.43)

Glass of wine: 1.09 ($1.36)

1.5 litre bottle of still mineral water: 0.17 ($0.21)

Suncream: 7.85 ($9.82)

Insect repellent: 5.06 ($6.33)

English newspaper: 2.10 ($2.63)

3 course evening meal for two (including a bottle of house wine): 26.21 ($32.80)

2 course lunch for two (no drinks): 13.10 ($16.39)

1. Sunny Beach, Bulgaria  37.33 ($46.78)

(Shutterstock)

Cup of coffee: 0.70 ($0.88)

Bottle of local beer: 0.70 ($0.88)

Can of Coca-Cola: 0.93 ($1.16)

Glass of wine: 1.16 9 ($1.45)

1.5 litre bottle of still mineral water: 0.37 ($0.46)

Sun cream: 3.72 ($4.65)

Insect repellent: 2.32

English newspaper: 2.32 ($2.90)

3 course evening meal for two (including a bottle of house wine): 19.53 ($24.44)

2 course lunch for two (no drinks): 5.58 ($6.98)

 what to say when the job interviewer asks, 'why should we hire you?

 Flight attendants share the 21 things they wish passengers would stop doing

 Google cofounder Sergey Brin says these 2 books changed his life

Read the original article on Business Insider UK.  2016. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter.
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It was the Mother of all Hypocrisy. Some dead Syrian babies matter, I guess. Other dead Syrian babies dont matter. One mass murder in Syria two weeks ago killed children and babies and stirred our leaders to righteous indignation. But the slaughter in Syria this weekend killed even more children and babies  yet brought forth nothing but silence from those who claim to guard our moral values. Now why should this be?

When a gas attack in Syria killed more than 70 civilians on 4 April, including babies and children, Donald Trump ordered a missile attack on Syria. America applauded. So did its media. So did much of the world. Trump called Bashar al-Assad evil and an animal. The EU condemned the Syrian regime. Downing Street called the gas attack barbaric. Almost every western leader demanded that Assad should be overthrown.

Yet after this weekends suicide bombing of a convoy of civilian refugees outside Aleppo killed 126 Syrians, more than 80 of them children, the White House said nothing. Even though the death toll was far greater, Trump didnt even Tweet his grief. The US navy launched not even a symbolic bullet towards Syria. The EU went all coy and refused to say a single word. All talk of barbarism from Downing Street was smothered.

 More than 100 killed in Syria bus blast

Do they feel no sense of shame? What callousness. What disgrace. How outrageous that our compassion should dry up the moment we realised that this latest massacre of the innocents wasnt quite worth the same amount of tears and fury that the early massacre had produced. It fact it wasnt worth a single tear. For the 126 Syrians  almost all of them civilians  who have just been killed outside Aleppo, were Shia Muslims being evacuated from two government-held (ie Bashar-held) villages in the north of Syria. And their killer was obviously from al-Nusra (al-Qaeda) or one of the Sunni rebel groups we in the West have armed  or quite possibly from Isis itself  and thus didnt qualify for our sorrow.

The UN, clip-clopping on to the stage-boards as usual, did speak out. The latest attack was a new horror. And Pope Francis called it ignoble and prayed for beloved and martyred Syria. And having been brought up by a pretty anti-Catholic dad, I said what I often say when I think the Pontiff has got it right, especially Francis: Good old Pope! Why, even the virtually non-existent anti-Assad Free Syrian Army condemned the attack as terrorist.

But that was it. And I recalled all those maudlin stories about how Ivanka Trump, as a mother, had been especially moved by the videotape from Khan Shaykoun, the site of the chemical attack on 4 April, and had urged her father to do something about it. And then it was Federica Mogherini, the EUs High Representative for foreign affairs and security policy, who described the attack as awful  but insisted that she spoke first of all as a mother. Quite right, too. But what happened to all her maternal feelings  and those of Ivanka  when the pictures came in from northern Syria this weekend of exploded babies and children packaged up in black plastic bags? Silence.

In pictures: US missile strike against Syria Show all 7 1 /7 In pictures: US missile strike against Syria In pictures: US missile strike against Syria The guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) launches a tomahawk land attack missile in the Mediterranean Sea AP In pictures: US missile strike against Syria The United States military launched at least 50 tomahawk cruise missiles at al-Shayrat military airfield near Homs, Syria, in response to the Syrian military's alleged use of chemical weapons in an airstrike in a rebel held area in Idlib province EPA In pictures: US missile strike against Syria Shayrat airfield in Syria Getty Images In pictures: US missile strike against Syria US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) fires a tomahawk land attack missile in Mediterranean Sea Reuters In pictures: US missile strike against Syria US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) fires a tomahawk land attack missile in Mediterranean Sea Reuters In pictures: US missile strike against Syria President Donald Trump speaks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., after the US fired a barrage of cruise missiles into Syria in retaliation for this week's gruesome chemical weapons attack against civilians AP In pictures: US missile strike against Syria Syria's President Bashar al-Assad Reuters

Theres no doubting the flagrant, deliberate, vile cruelty of Saturdays attack. The suicide bomber approached the refugee buses with a cartload of childrens cookies and potato chips  approaching, I might add, a population of fleeing Shia civilians who had been starving under siege by the anti-Assad rebels (some of whom, of course, were armed by us). Yet they didnt count. Their beautiful little babies  I quote Trump on the earlier gas victims  didnt stir us to anger. Because they were Shias? Because the culprits might have been too closely associated with us in the West? Or because  and heres the point  they were the victims of the wrong kind of killer.

For what we want right now is to blame the evil, animal, brutal, etc, Bashar al-Assad who was first suspected to have carried out the 4 April gas attack (I quote The Wall Street Journal, no less) and then accused by the entire West of total and deliberate responsibility of the gas massacre. No-one should question the brutality of the regime. Nor its torture. Nor its history of massive oppression. Yet there are, in fact, some grave doubts about Bashars responsibility for the 4 April attack  which he has predictably denied  even among Arabs who loath his Baathist regime and all it stands for.

Even the leftist but hardly pro-Syrian Israeli writer Uri Avneri  briefly, in his life, a detective  has asked why Assad should commit such a crime when his army and its allies were winning the war in Syria, when such an attack would gravely embarrass the Russian government and military, and when it would change the softening western attitude towards him back towards open support for regime change.

And the regimes claim that a Syrian air attack set off explosions in al-Nusra weapons store in Khan Shaykoun (an idea which the Russians also adopted) would be easier to dismiss if the Americans had not used precisely the same excuse for the killing of well over a hundred Iraqi civilians in Mosul in March; they suggested that a US air strike on an Isis arms lorry may have killed the civilians.

But this has nothing to do with the weekends far more bloody assault on the refugee convoys heading for western Aleppo. They were part of a now-familiar pattern of mass hostage exchanges between the Syrian government and its opponents in which Sunni opponents of the regime in villages surrounded by the Syrian army or its allies have been trucked out to Idlib and other rebel-held areas under safe passage in return for the freedom of Shia villagers surrounded by al-Nusra, Isis and our rebels who have been allowed to leave their villages for the safety of government-held cities. Such were the victims of Saturdays suicide bombing; they were Shia villagers of al-Foua and Kfraya, along with several government fighters, en route to what would be  for them  the safety of Aleppo.

Whether or not this constitutes a form of ethnic cleansing  another of Bashars sins, according to his enemies  is a moot point. Al-Nusra did not exactly urge the villagers of al-Foua and Kfraya to stay home since they wanted some of their own Sunni fighters back from their own encircled enclaves. Last month, the governor of Homs pleaded with Sunnis to leave the city on rebel convoys to Idlib to stay in their houses and remain in the city. But this is a civil war and such terrifying conflicts divide cities and towns for generations. Just look at Lebanon 27 years after its civil war ended.

But what ultimately proves our own participation in this immoral and unjust and frightful civil war is our reaction to those two massacres of the innocents. We cried over and lamented and even went to war for those beautiful little babies whom we believed to be Sunni victims of the Assad government. But when Shia babies of equal humanity were blasted to pieces this weekend, Trump could not care less. And the mothering spirit of Ivanka and Federica simply dried up.

And we claim that Middle East violence has nothing to do with us.
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Yesterday was the day Turkey shed away the few remaining checks and balances that made it a recognisably Western parliamentary democracy.

By November 2019, the post of prime minister will be abolished and its responsibilities transferred to the president. The holder will have vast powers: to select his partys MPs, to appoint senior judges, and to rule by decree.

It will be much harder to keep that single office in check. Previously, MPs in parliament could vote to come together to investigate and topple any minister they suspected of wrongdoing. The process took no longer than 18 days.

 Turkey's president Recep Erdogan wins referendum to greatly expand powers

That same process will take longer for the president under the new system  up to 10 months  and the number of MPs who need to vote for it has increased dramatically.

Its little wonder that Recep Tayyip Erdogans governing AK Party described it as a Turkish-style presidential system. There isnt anything like it in the west.

People in Turkey endorsed this new regime in Sundays referendum and yet the winning margin  51.3 per cent  was remarkably narrow.

That was surprising, given the Yes side had a vastly superior campaigning advantage. The sides of public buildings sported gigantic Yes posters, embassies overseas staged rallies and the governing AK Party received countless more hours in coverage than the opposition did.

In alliance with far-right parties, the Yes camp played to the pious, conservative bulk of the electorate with a fiercely nationalist campaign. One nation, one flag, one country, one state was the slogan. You would be forgiven for forgetting Turkey is also home to millions of Kurds.

The No campaign received far less exposure. It was covered less on television; its banners were ripped from walls and many activists were arrested.

Erdogan even implied No voters were consorting with terrorists because that was the outcome supported by Kurdish militants and Fethullah Gulen, the Muslim cleric blamed for last years military coup attempt.

And yet No won four of Turkeys five biggest cities. It was the first time in a quarter century that Erdogans side lost Istanbul, the city where he was once mayor.

It came despite claims of government collusion in vote rigging.

The allegations are based on a single stamp  the seal of the polling station presiding officer  on the back of every ballot paper and every envelope it is placed in. The law says this mark must be applied before a voter is handed their ballot paper.

But Turkeys election body, the YSK, announced just as voting closed that any ballot papers not carrying this official seal will still be considered valid.

This is not a quibble on procedure. Without that polling station mark, it is perfectly possible for anyone to print a round of ballot papers at home, stamp Yes or No on each, and distribute them to people with the instruction: Put this in your envelope and bring me back the blank ballot they give you.

Scores of easily impressionable voters could have found their choice being made for them.

To be clear, there is no firm evidence of vote rigging  yet. International observers will announce their preliminary verdict later on Monday, but it is Turkeys opposition that will determine the tone of the coming days.

I am sorry to say that the YSK has brought this referendum result into contention, No campaign leader Kemal Klcdaroglu said on Sunday night. You cannot change the rules of a match while the match is being played.

What happens next is anyones guess. This is the first time in my memory that an opposition party has refused to concede a Turkish election result. They will certainly file objections to results. Theres also talk of a civil disobedience campaign.

The rules governing the country fundamentally changed on Sunday. The question now is whether Turkeys vast, disaffected minority will accept it.

Michael Daventry is the editor of Haber, a Turkish community newspaper in London.

.
81% of teachers surveyed said differentiated pay rates among staff had negative effects on morale

A teachers' union has warned one-third of new entrants see no long-term future in the job.

The Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI), which represents more than 16,000 people in post-primary education, said a survey of recent graduates found 30% believe it is unlikely or very unlikely they will be in the profession in 10 years.

As they hold their annual conferences this week, teaching unions are ratcheting up calls for pay parity over the reduced rates paid to people qualified after 2011.

The TUI said 8 1% of teachers who answered their survey said that differentiated pay rates among staff have had a negative or very negative effect on morale in schools.

More than nine out of 10 said bureaucratic duties regularly deflect from their teaching and that their workload has increased significantly in recent years.

TUI president Joanne Irwin said: " These findings confirm that teachers have experienced a significant increase in workload in recent years. They also make clear the deeply negative effects that differentiated, discriminatory pay rates are having on the morale of the profession.

"Quite clearly, the scandal of pay inequality has had a deeply negative effect on the profession. Progress has been made with the restoration of the Honours Primary Degree Allowance, but at a time when schools are struggling to attract teachers for an increasing number of subjects due to more lucrative options in other employments, the process of pay equalisation requires urgent acceleration."

The TUI called for the restoration of an allowance paid to teachers who have secured the Higher Diploma or Professional Masters of Education to teach.

It said the findings came from an online survey of 813 teachers last month. The union meets this week in Cork.

Ms Irwin said there was a huge concern that increasing bureaucracy detracts from core teaching duties.

"The work of teachers has become excessively administrative in nature, with increased focus on what many teachers see as form-filling and box-ticking duties that deflect from the core functions of teaching and learning," she said.

"There has also been a marked increase in workload, a legacy of an era of cutbacks that worsened the pupil/teacher ratio, dismantled middle-management structures and restricted guidance counselling provision.

"Such anti-educational measures have increased teacher workload and damaged the effectiveness of schools and the support network for students.

"Ultimately, students lose out when time is stolen from teaching and learning."
ELKO  Lanes on Interstate 80 in the Carlin area will be reduced today through Thursday for annual cleaning of the Carlin Tunnels, said the Nevada Department of Transportation.

Cleaning of the westbound tunnel is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday between 6 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The westbound tunnel will be closed and westbound traffic detoured through the Carlin Canyon. The eastbound tunnel will remain open but restricted to one lane.

On Wednesday and Thursday from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., cleaning of the eastbound tunnel will result in westbound traffic being detoured again through the Carlin Canyon and eastbound traffic being routed to the westbound tunnel.

For traveler safety, flaggers, signs and barrier rail will help detour traffic around the work zones. Motorists are asked to obey traffic controls and drive at posted speed limits, or slower as necessary for conditions.

Updated Nevada road construction information is available by dialing 511 or by accessing www.nevadadot.com and clicking on the 511 icon at the top of the screen.

SAFE WORK ZONE DRIVING TIPS

The Nevada Department of Transportation advises caution to drivers in work zones.

Always buckle up, watch for and follow all warning, closure and construction detour signs, and pay attention and minimize distractions such as cell phone use, said NDOT.

Drivers are also asked by NDOT to drive to posted work zone speed limits, keep consistent with traffic flow and to keep a safe distance from cars ahead, traffic barriers, construction equipment and workers.

Most importantly, NDOT reminds drivers to remain calm during delays, asking motorists to remember that work zones are not there to inconvenience you, they are necessary to improve the roadway.

Plan ahead and give yourself time to reach your destination, simply dial 511 or log onto www.nevadadot.com for a listing of Nevada highway construction, said NDOT.
Ireland will seek money for a 'rapid rail link' between Dublin and Belfast as part of the Brexit negotiations, the Irish Independent can reveal.

Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan believes a special fund may also be needed to help improve our ports as the country looks to diversify trading partners.

He said the Government was "encouraged" by the draft negotiation paper drawn up by the EU as it acknowledged our "unique circumstances" in relation to Brexit.

But Mr Flanagan said the Government would need support in "revisiting" our priorities for infrastructure investment.

"I'd like to be able to see rail users travel from Dublin to Belfast in an hour. That will take capital expenditure and these are issues upon which I feel consideration should be given in the context of the negotiations," he said.

Currently a direct train from Connolly Station to Belfast Central takes around two hours and 10 minutes.

Mr Flanagan said keeping strong connections between the North and South would be a key outcome, as would Ireland's ability to increase trade with EU countries outside of Britain.

"I see a need to diversify. That will mean our airports and ports will be hugely important to us in that endeavour. I'm thinking in particular our access points to the continent and the French ports," he said.

Asked who would pay for infrastructure improvements to help Ireland fend off the worst impacts of Brexit, Mr Flanagan replied: "That's a matter down the road, but Europe has always looked favourably to states that do suffer peripherality and the need to get goods to market."

Trading

He noted that 40pc of food exports from Ireland currently go the UK, while over 50pc of goods coming through Warrenpoint Port in Co Down are destined for the Republic.

"The maintenance of the open Border is essential to all of this. That's where the Good Friday Agreement and the honouring of the agreement in terms of movement of people and trading of services is important."

However, the minister warned the delay in establishing a power-sharing administration in Northern Ireland was hampering the Government's negotiation position in Europe.

Talks between parties in the North have been ongoing since the snap election on March 2, but there is growing concern that another election may be called or there will be a return to direct rule.

"There is an urgency and I'm calling on the DUP and Sinn Fein to engage in the necessary level of compromise that will allow them surmount these challenges," he said. Mr Flanagan said people "want their decision-makers working".

"The clock is ticking on Brexit. There needs to be a Northern Ireland voice and that voice can only be from the elected representatives," he said.

He wants to call a meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council to discuss strategy ahead of the formal beginning of Brexit talks in Europe, but this is not possible without a new Stormont Executive taking office.

"The delay in forming a power-sharing Executive under the Good Friday Agreement is adding to the uncertainty in Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland as to our preparations for Brexit," said Mr Flanagan.

However, at an event in Tyrone last night, Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said if the current DUP approach to talks continues "that will only guarantee that there will be no DUP first minister and no return to the status quo at Stormont".

In a sign of deep division between the parties, he said: "So DUP and UUP it's over to you."
As a lawyer, Charlie Flanagan has had to deal with divorces and knows there's "no such thing as an easy one".

It's in that context that he looks at the "complex and time-consuming" Brexit negotiations with a sense of concern but also ambition for new relationships.

As one of 27 countries remaining in the European Union, Ireland won't get everything it wants from the break-up, but the Foreign Affairs Minister is sure about which party will come off worst.

"There are no circumstances where the EU will tolerate a situation where a member of the EU is more disadvantaged than somebody who is leaving the EU. There has to be a determinant for somebody who is leaving," he said.

The statement is his way of saying that Ireland is firmly on the side of the EU 27 - even if the UK has been our closest ally since we both joined the European Economic Community in 1973.

In an interview with the Irish Independent, Mr Flanagan gave the greatest insight yet into the Government's preparations for the Brexit negotiations.

The minister stated:

Ireland will not be looking for changes to the EU's draft negotiation document on April 29;

He hopes Denmark and the Netherlands will be key allies after the UK exit;

The 'Irish question' should be among the first dealt with during the two-year negotiations.

Since the referendum last June, Mr Flanagan has held more than 75 meetings with EU colleagues, including the foreign ministers of every EU country.

He cites this, and the "success" of Taoiseach Enda Kenny's ongoing tour of Europe, as the reasons Ireland's "unique circumstances" are recognised in the EU's draft negotiating paper.

"It doesn't talk about circumstances or special circumstances, it spoke about the unique circumstances, which is precisely the wording myself, Enda Kenny and others have been using," Mr Flanagan said.

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin told the Dail last week the Government should seek to strengthen the references to Ireland in the document.

In particular he wants "a general statement expressing solidarity and supporting the principle that the EU will both in the negotiations and in its other actions seek to prevent countries from being damaged disproportionately".

Read more: UK decision to leave EU was an 'act of great self-harm' - Brexit negotiator

But Mr Flanagan said he was "encouraged" by the EU's response to date and the additional acknowledgement from the UK government that an open Border between Northern Ireland and the Republic must be retained.

"I recognise that there is a desire and a wish on the part of EU colleagues to recognise fully the Irish circumstances in the context of Brexit. There's no question of any complacency or resting on laurels," Mr Flanagan said.

He accepts Ireland is on the verge of losing its key ally in the EU, but said efforts were under way to strengthen other links.

"There will be a reconfiguring of European alliances. I would look to our relationship with the Dutch and Danes in particular.

"I think we have seen in the past number of years something of a shift in the EU towards the east; we need to intensify our relations with countries towards the west," he said.

Mr Kenny will travel to The Hague on Friday for a mini-summit with Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmusse and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

"Yes, we will undoubtedly miss the UK from many engagements but we have over the years enjoyed very warm and positive relations with many EU countries," Mr Flanagan said.

A key demand from the Taoiseach in the Brexit talks is that the 'Irish question' will be dealt early in the process.

"It's likely these negotiations will start in June. We already know that the three issues to be decided very early on will be the situation with the cheque (to settle the UK's liabilities to the Union), rights of EU citizens in the UK and similarly and corresponding UK citizens in the EU," Mr Flanagan said.

"And then what I would describe as the 'Irish question'. I would hope that would be dealt with early on and the common ground that seems to be there from early statements [can be built on]."

He added that the EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier had indicated he would look to Ireland for "solutions" to threats posed to Ireland's trading links, the common travel area and the Good Friday Agreement.

"There will be a situation where Europe will look to Britain and Ireland for guidance," Mr Flanagan said.

"That's where we will need to find common ground with the UK on the common travel area, the peace process and the insuring of an open Border. We will now be looking at solutions to these issues. But we will not be a proxy for the British. We have made it perfectly clear that our interests are on Team EU."
An artist's impression of the interior of Ballymore's massive Dublin Landings project in the capital's docklands area

anyone looking to gauge the level of activity in Dublin's office market finds themselves spoiled for choice this week, with the release of separate reports covering the first quarter of 2017 by agents CBRE and JLL respectively.

CBRE arguably delivers the more comprehensive breakdown of the lettings signed in the capital within the central business district, its immediate environs and in the suburbs.

Expand Close New projects for the in-demand docklands area of the city include Capital Dock (pictured) and RGRE's Spencer Place / Facebook

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According to it, some 50,000 sq m of office leasing transactions were signed in the Dublin market in the first three months of 2017 while another 50,000 sq m was reserved at the end of the quarter.

A total of 40 individual lettings occurred in Dublin during the period compared to 50 in the first three months of last year.

There was one letting of more than 9,290 sq m (100,000 sq ft) signed in the capital in the first quarter of the year as well as one other large transaction that extended to between 4,645 sq m and 9,290 sq m (50,000 - 100,000 sq ft).

Dublin city centre accounted for 80pc, or almost 40,000 sq m, of office take-up with 27 individual lettings signed in the area during Q1.

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A closer examination of the numbers shows that 69pc of Dublin city centre's office take-up was centred around the Dublin 2/4 district.

In terms of demand for office accommodation, CBRE's research shows that this rose during the first three months of year to more than 280,000 sq m. The figure represents an increase of 20,000 sq m on the 260,000 sq m which had been required at the end of 2016.

Some 27pc of office requirements at the end of Q1 2017 are specifically focused on the Dublin 2/4 postcode, CBRE says.

While there were 30 office schemes under construction in the city, extending to almost 410,000 sq m between them, at the end of March, 21pc of that office stock has already been pre-let.

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More than a quarter of the 216,000 sq m of new office stock due for completion in 2017 has already been pre-let.

Looking at the profile of the companies that took up space in the first three months of the year, CBRE's research shows that 41pc came from the computer and high-tech sector while public sector/regulatory bodies accounted for a further 36pc. Business services tenants accounted for 10pc of leasing activity in Dublin in the first quarter.

Vacancy rates in Dublin rose in most districts in Q1 but remain low with the Grade A vacancy rate in Dublin 2 and Dublin 4 hovering at just over 3pc. The overall rate of vacancy in Dublin at the end of Q1 stood at 7pc approximately.

Less than 10,000 sq m of office transactions were signed in the Dublin suburbs in the first quarter in 13 individual transactions. While the figure is down by more than 20pc compared to the same quarter in 2016, take-up will be boosted in due course as leases are signed on suburban offices that are currently reserved.

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Commenting on the performance of the Dublin office market, CBRE executive director & head of research, Marie Hunt, said: "It is encouraging to see that the Dublin office market continues to perform well regardless of any additional demand that may materialise as a direct result of Brexit, with 20 of the 40 transactions signed in the first quarter comprising indigenous occupiers and the vast majority of leasing transactions emanating from expansionary activity."

Referring to the potential impact of Brexit, she added: "There has been continued press speculation in recent weeks about financial services occupiers focusing on the impact Brexit might have on their operations and looking at locating some jobs in locations such as Dublin.

"It is not clear at this juncture how big these requirements will ultimately be and what the likely timing for any move might be but it seems increasingly likely that Dublin will benefit to some degree."

JLL's analysis of Dublin's office market activity for the first quarter meanwhile varies slightly from CBRE's in terms of the percentage it applies to tech companies' take-up of space.

While CBRE reports that the sector accounted for 41pc of lettings, JLL puts the number at 45pc, noting that companies such as Google, Informatica, Multifonas, Oracle and Citrix have all taken up space since January.

JLL's estimated vacancy rates for Dublin (8.9pc) and Dublin city centre (4.8pc) are again slightly higher than CBRE's respective estimates of 7pc and 3pc.

Offering her view on Dublin's post-Brexit prospects, JLL head of research, Hannah Dwyer, said: "After the Brexit vote back in June, there was an initial flurry of enquiries from London-based companies looking for office space.

"This was just in the form of desk-based enquiries on rents and availability. In the last few months, however, enquiries have picked up momentum with companies now making site and building visits over to Dublin and undertaking due diligence."

While acknowledging the competition Dublin faces from cities such as Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam and Madrid, Dwyer added: "JLL is working with a number of clients who are seriously considering a move to Dublin as part of their strategy, so enquires are now translating into real post-Brexit activity. We are expecting to see some direct Brexit-related deals signing in the next three months."

The greatest demand for office space, Dwyer said, is from UK-based financial companies and related services, and tech firms, with the demand for space ranging from capacity for 150 people up to 1,000 people, with only a few at the larger end of this scale.
It's just over a week since James Healy was named 36th president of Macra na Feirme but he is already feeling the weight of the title on his shoulders.

Shortly after the Corkman was announced winner, by 91 votes to challenger Odile Evan's 60 votes, Mr Healy returned to his home club at Donoughmore Macra for some well deserved celebrations.

However, when a past Macra member from the area, now in his 80s, came up to shake his hand the reality of the job and responsibility ahead started to sink in.

"Celebrating at home gave me an opportunity to thank everybody for their help in the campaign but the rest of the week was spent with the start of the handover to a degree," he said.

Although the official inauguration ceremony will occur at the Macra na Feirme national AGM in Drumshanbo, Co Leitrim, on May 6, Mr Healy is already being brought up to speed on burning issues for the rural youth organisation.

"I've been having meetings with the current president Sean Finan and CEO Denis Duggan on issues they are handling at the moment, where we are, and how we are looking at them going forward.

"We're getting the foundation in place so I'm not starting cold at the agm that I'm fully up to speed and can drive on. We're aiming for as seamless a transition between myself and Sean as possible," he said.

Mr Healy, 31 who works in manufacturing, is also fully aware that he will take the reins at a very uncertain and transitional time for Irish agriculture in terms of Brexit and upcoming CAP reform.

However, he also believes the period will provide an opportunity for Macra to shine.

"There is a huge responsibility that now lies with me as president to ensure that the organisation runs to the best of it's ability.

"The reality is that there are going to be huge changes between when I start my presidency and when it finishes and while there will be a lot of talking, a lot of crucial decisions about the future of farming will be made too," he said voicing his intentions to put together a Macra na Feirme policy on Brexit and major priorities for young farmers.

"Now is the time for Macra to show that it is the organisation it has always been and that we can truly put our mark on the happenings of the next two years," he said.

Boosting membership will also be a key focus to Mr Healy's tenure.

"Each county has unique strengths to encouraging new members, whether it's farming, social or competitions and my aim is to ensure each county has a plan," he said.
The first round of lambing is now complete at Lyons with the repeats just starting to lamb this week.

Overall lambing progressed without too many issues, though there is always a couple of interesting items rearing their head.

Our efforts this year were greatly aided by the second year Agricultural Science students who volunteered to assist with the lambing at Lyons.

Stephen Lott and Michael Ronayne were in charge of the day shifts and night shifts respectively and coordinated the research and lambing activities of the flock.

Monday, March 13 saw the highest level of lambing activity in the shed, and this was also the day when 350 secondary school students visited the farm as part of the Agri Aware farm walk series.

There was certainly no issue keeping the students and indeed the teachers interested with the level of activity in the lambing shed. For some of the students it was one of their first times visiting a farm and it is always great to see their wonder at the birth of new life.

It also kept me on my toes in terms of answering the varied questions and explaining how and why some of the lambs didn't survive.

Overall mortality stands at 8pc, which is close to our target.

As with every other year, the problem issues largely occurred at the beginning and end of the lambing with the middle section running smoothly, if hectically. Ewes (including ewe lambs) produced 1.94 lambs in total, with 1.78 surviving to turn out.

Lamb birth weights were good. Ewes produced singles averaging 6kg live weight, twins at 5.5kg and triplets at 4.3kg. Ewe lambs, as you would expect, produced smaller lambs of 5kg and 4.3 kg for singles and twins respectively.

This year we noted that mothering behaviour was very strong in both the ewes and ewe lambs, with both groups lambing down with plentiful milk supply.

These two traits make the lambing process so much easier as there is less time spent dealing with hungry and or rejected lambs.

Weather conditions were also reasonably good at lambing time, which allowed us to turn ewes and lambs out to grass at 48-72 hours of age.

Our sheep graze the silage ground immediately after turn out, and this is located away from the yard, so we try to avoid bringing animals back in after initial turn out.

The good grass growing conditions, combined with the poor grazing conditions in February and early March, means there is an excellent bank of grass available for the ewes and lambs.

Our research activities meant there was a large volume of data and samples collected during the already busy lambing period also.

We recorded birth weight, lambing difficulty, lamb vigour, ewe milkiness, score and sampled all lambs at 24 hours for serum IgG concentration.

IgG or immunoglobulin G in the serum at 24 hours of age is a key indicator of the success, or otherwise of the transfer of the protective antibodies from the ewes colostrum to the new born lamb.

This transfer is crucial to provide the lamb with disease resistance in early life.

Our research this year is looking at the factors which influence this trait and we are hoping to determine to what extent it is under genetic control.

Michelle McManus was also selecting the ewes and lambs for her feed intake study.

Michelle is attempting to validate predictors of feed intake, and consequently feed efficiency, in lactating ewes, with a view to allow for greater phenotype collection which will in future allow us to breed more efficient sheep.

This week will see the ewes and lambs moved to the hill ground at Lyons, where they will continue to graze until weaning in June. The month of April will also be exceptionally busy as we measure feed intake at pasture, and milk yield from 50 ewes.

Associate Professor Tommy Boland is a lecturer in Sheep Production, Lyons Farm, University College Dublin. @Pallastb tommy.boland@ucd.ie
Along with making lodgements to a bank account, members can also use their debit cards in the credit union. This has seen the credit unions loan book grow. (Stock picture)

A small rural town that lost two bank branches has rallied together to fill the gap by creating its own hybrid community bank.

Residents of Glenamaddy in Co Galway have come up with a solution that could be rolled out in other areas threatened by the loss of banks and post offices.

Instead of complaining or calling on the Government for help, the town's credit union and post office have combined to fill the void left by the departed banks.

The unwritten agreement between credit union manager John Murphy and postmaster Mattie Potter is being credited with ensuring that most people who live in the area continue to shop in the town.

The initiative is being dubbed a community bank, and is helping to ensure townspeople do not lose out when it comes to financial services following closures of the Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank branches in the past few years.

"Since the Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank branches closed, the credit union and the post office have been working together," Mr Murphy, of the Glenamaddy Credit Union, said.

Members of the credit union are helped with making deposits to their banks with free electronic transfers, on the understanding that they could go back to the credit union when they need a loan. Along with making lodgements to a bank account, members can also use their debit cards in the credit union. This has seen the credit union's loan book grow.

Read more: The 60-second guide to... public banking for rural communities

The tie-up has also made the post office more viable. Some nine out of 10 people in the area are members of the credit union.

Members with large savings are encouraged to go to the post office by the credit union to put the funds into the State Savings Schemes, as in common with many credit unions it has too much in savings relative to lending.

Mr Murphy offers members foreign currency in notes, but encourages members who want a currency debit card to go to the Glenamaddy post office for a currency card.

The Payzone terminal for paying bills and topping up mobiles has been moved from the hardware shop attached to the post office to the credit union as part of the co-operative community banking move.

"By working together we are providing a service and people don't need to leave the town for services," Mr Murphy said.

Postmaster Mr Potter said there was no written agreement with the credit union.

But the informal arrangement was helping to ensure people from the town and its catchment area were less inclined to travel to larger neighbouring towns to shop and use the banks.
Teachers Willie Crawford and Diane Bergin are set to pack their bags for jobs in the UAE. Photo: Caroline Quinn

They're young, they're teachers and they want to buy a house in Dublin - but they have to leave Ireland do it.

Willie Crawford and Diane Bergin are badly needed in Irish classrooms, where there is a growing problem of teacher shortages, at both primary and post-primary level.

But the couple, whose salaries are in the region of 36,000-39,000, feel they have no option but to pack their bags.

They are heading to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), in September, lured by two-year contracts with tax-free salaries of about 40,000, a two-month bonus at the end and free accommodation and health insurance.

Read more: Prices must fall - but dream of owning a home is still achievable, insists Coveney

The difference it will make to Mr Crawford's pocket tells the story: instead of a monthly take-home pay of about 2,200, from which he shells out 400 rent, he will have about 3,400 and no accommodation costs. Ms Bergin will enjoy a broadly similar boost to her income.

While travel and adventure are among the attractions of working abroad, it was the search for their own house - and what that would cost - that ultimately drove their decision.

"We have been thinking of settling down," said Mr Crawford (27), of Abbeylara, Co Longford, who, despite a permanent job in St Patrick's Boys' National School, Donabate, Co Dublin, says that, between rent and running a car, there isn't enough left from his pay packet to save for a house.

Ms Bergin (26), of Navan Road, Dublin, and a teacher of chemistry and maths in Firhouse Community College, Dublin, was dismayed a couple of years ago when they started looking at the housing market.

"When we went to check out a mortgage, the most we would get was 250,000, and all we would get for that was a one-bedroomed apartment, which we didn't want," she said.

Read more: 'Only people on high incomes can afford to buy a home' - Central Bank Governor

Prices have gone up since then, and even with the new supports for first-time buyers, a purchaser would need a minimum 18,000 in savings for a 300,000 house.

Ms Bergin cannot predict what the housing market will be like when they return, "but if we have a good bit saved, we are hoping we will be OK."

The couple landed the contracts through an Irish company, Teach and Explore, a director of which, Garrett O'Dowd, said that this year, to date, it has secured contracts for 135 Irish teachers in the UAE, while it also deals with Dubai, Hong Kong, China and, a new addition for 2017, Barbados.

Their loss will be keenly felt in Ireland's education system, with chemistry and maths two of the subjects suffering critical shortage at second level, while primary schools reported serious difficulties this year finding substitutes to cover temporary absences. The teacher shortage is on the agenda of the annual conference of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) this week, where it will consider a ballot on industrial action if no move is made on establishing regional panels of substitute teachers to ensure a guarantee of supply to schools.
Javier Duarte , the disgraced former governor of the Mexican state of Veracruz who has been on the run for the last six months , was captured on Saturday and is now in prison in Guatemala awaiting extradition.

Duarte after his arrest in Guatemala. Moises Castillo (AP)

More information Javier Duarte ingresa en una prision de Guatemala a la espera de su extradicion a Mexico

Duarte, 43, has become a symbol of the rampant corruption and impunity of Mexicos politicians, and was arrested on Saturday evening local time at a hotel on Lake Atitlan. The Guatemalan authorities said that Duarte had been staying at La Riviera for two nights under a false name and was arrested without a struggle.

Images of Duarte, once tipped as a possible presidential candidate for Mexicos ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, show a man who has put on several kilograms during his time on the run, and he is pictured smiling as he is driven away by Guatemalan security forces.

The timing of the arrest of Duarte has been questioned

The timing of his arrest, just six weeks ahead of a crucial election in the state of Mexico, which the PRI could lose control of for the first time in 90 years, has been seen as convenient by some commentators.

The former governor of Veracruz fled on October 13 after a judge ordered his arrest. Duarte had resigned from his post a few days earlier saying he needed to defend himself against a range of accusations that included links to organized crime and drug traffickers and money laundering.

He is accused by the State Attorneys office of embezzling public funds.

Opposition leaders have called for Duarte to be brought back to Mexico immediately. At the same time, senior PRI figures such as Alfredo del Mazo, the governor of Mexico state, are calling the arrest proof of the governments commitment to fighting corruption.

The actions of the government of the Republic and President Enrique Pena Nieto show that Mexico is changing, said a government statement issued following Duartes arrest.

Since Duarte took office, Veracruz has been locked in an increasing spiral of violence. Two months before he fled, the countrys largest mass grave was discovered on the outskirts of the port city of Veracruz, containing at least 250 bodies. Fighting between two rival drugs cartels, Los Zetas and the Jalisco Nueva Generacion, increased after Duartes arrival in office in 2010, while attacks on journalists rose sharply: 17 reporters died between 2010 and 2017.

Under Duarte, Veracruz descended into violence and financial mismanagement

Duartes successor, Miguel Angel Yunes of the center-right National Action Party (PAN), inherited a 2.4 billion debt.

The arrest of Duarte comes a week after that of Tomas Yarrington, a former PRI governor of the state of Tamaulipas who has been on the run for five years. He was indicted by the US in 2013. The Mexican authorities want him on charges of organized crime and money laundering, among others. At least 20 state governors have been investigated over the last 11 years, or have been arrested or fled justice.

The rise and fall of figures such as Duarte and Yarrington are just two examples of how Mexicos political parties have been prepared to look the other way in the face of corruption. Now, the PRI is making play of having expelled the two governors from its ranks, although it should be remembered that in the case of Yarrington this did not happen until December, until which time he had eight bodyguards assigned to him.

In March, a Mexican judge issued an arrest warrant for former Chihuahua state governor Cesar Duarte, also a member of Nietos ruling party, on suspicion of embezzlement.

English version by Nick Lyne.
Broadcaster Mairead Ronan, who announced last week that she was leaving Today FM, has admitted she won't miss all of her former radio colleagues.

As a lady who has always had her fingers in other pies, she won't be stuck for fresh projects as she embraces a new lease of life as a free agent.

In an interview with the Herald, Mairead said: "It feels so strange. It's like, 'I don't have a job any more'."

Already mum to son Dara (10), having baby Eliza with husband Louis Ronan seven months ago was something that gave her pause for thought when it came to deciding her next career move.

Far from resting on her laurels, expanding her family has given the producer on Ian Dempsey's breakfast show a new impetus to explore other career avenues.

From presenting TV shows such as Ireland's Fittest Family, as well as RTE's travel show Getaways and running her own hairbrush business, Faro, you get the impression that we'll be seeing much more of Mairead (36) over the coming months.

Quitting Today FM wasn't a decision she made lightly, though.

"I've been agonising over the decision since the start of the year," she said.

"We were away just after Christmas, myself and Louis, and it's always the thing when you go away and you don't have to put on a wash every hour and go to the supermarket every day.

"I finally had this bit of brain space and I was thinking, 'I've never taken that leap from Today FM'. I hadn't even finished college when I started and I loved it for so long. It was like another sibling or something.

"I'm very lucky that I had a job like that for so long, but I think I need to do new things and work in other places.

"So I made the decision, and then I went back and forth and kept changing my mind for about two months.

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"Then I went to the Westbury about a month ago and had a meeting with Ian and Mario Rosenstock and told them.

"It was very emotional," she added. "I was crying my eyes out and the boys were not comfortable with that at all.

"Ian has been ridiculously supportive, he's so nice and he said all the right things.

"It was like one of those awful break-ups where he understood why I was doing it, but I was still going to miss him and the team."

A media graduate from Ballyfermot College, Mairead spent 12 years working as a presenter/producer on the Ray D'Arcy Show before jumping ship to Dempsey's early-morning show in 2014, which meant achingly early starts for the mum-of-two.

The Finglas woman also had big changes in her personal life, marrying businessman Louis in Tipperary in June 2015.

She has said that Louis "healed her heart" after going through a painful split from her first husband in 2008.

But one thing about Mairead is that she is a survivor.

She lost her mum, Maureen, to cancer on the night before her 21st birthday.

She has always been a grafter and credits Maureen, who was only 60 when she died, with giving her a strong work ethic and can-do attitude.

"It's going to be hard, but it's a new challenge. I've been working since I was 16. My mum was like, 'You go off now and get a job, your pocket money is being reduced'," she said.

She worked her way steadily up the ranks, juggling co-producing D'Arcy's show with a burgeoning career in TV presenting to become one of RTE's go-to girls for new projects.

She said that while she would miss many of her pals at Today FM and most people were a pleasure to work with, she admitted in her final interview with Dempsey that she didn't like everyone she worked with.

She's too discreet to name names, but said it was just the general nature of an office environment.

"Everyone has their groups. Not everyone in there loved me and I didn't love everyone. That's the way of the working world. The majority of them are absolutely lovely there," she said.

Asked about the current dominance of male presenters on Today FM's schedule, she said it was not a "deliberate thing".

"It's just the way it has happened and I've said this all along - I don't think women should be on just because they're female," said Mairead.

"It should be on their merits. I don't believe it's a gender thing. Today FM is run by women, every single show has had women producers, it's just the men on the mics."

Mairead met all her work pals for a final send-off in Marco Pierre White's restaurant on Dawson Street last week as she said a teary goodbye to her former colleagues and looked ahead to new challenges.

She said she would not rule out joining RTE Radio some day, given that she was still friends with Ray D'Arcy and his team.

But, for now, she's happy setting the agenda in her own life.

"I need to do something new. I've worked hard and I'm lucky that I can jump into this new area. Louis is like, 'Just go for it'," she said.

"Working for yourself makes you push yourself a bit more, and that's a good thing."
Captain Michael Barry who read the Proclamation at the Ceremony to mark the 101st Anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising. Photo: Fergal Phillips

The families of those who fought and died for Irish freedom stood with thousands of patriotic spectators to mark the 101st anniversary of the Easter Rising.

While considerably smaller than last year's celebrations, the day was of no less importance with crowds pouring on to O'Connell Street, Dublin, to witness the tasteful, yet breathtaking, ceremony.

Members of the Defence Forces, the Naval Service and Air Corps took part in the State ceremony, which began with the lowering of the Tricolour on top of the General Post Office.

President Michael D Higgins was joined by Taoiseach Enda Kenny and laid a wreath at the former headquarters of the 1916 rebels.

After the President laid the wreath, a minute's silence was held and the 'Last Post' played. Captain Michael Barry read a stirring rendition of the Proclamation.

Army Chaplain Seamus Madigan said the event was to remember the men, women and children who died in 1916.

"Look kindly on all those who did not come home while our dreams of independence became a reality," he said.

"We give thanks to all the courageous people, past and present, from all traditions who, without any expectations of reward, medals or proclamations, endeavoured to bring healing to our beautiful, yet wounded world."

Mary Clare Collins Powell (79), Michael Collins's grandniece, told the Irish Independent that the revolutionary hero would be "extremely proud" of today's generation.

"Ireland is certainly a different country than what it was when Michael was alive, but nevertheless I'm sure he would have been extremely proud with the young people of today," she said. "He would have been very much in favour of how open our society has become and especially proud of our free educational system."

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Ms Powell (inset left) said both her father and grandmother had tea with the revolutionary leader the day before he was assassinated. "My father, who was 17 and in the Army at the time, was in the Imperial Hotel (Cork city) with Michael and my grandmother on the eve of his death.

"My father wanted to go with Michael to Beal na Blath, the location where he was assassinated, but he insisted that he remain at his post."

Brigid O'Mahony (66), just one of many spectators that lined O'Connell Street yesterday, said that she had very fond memories of attending the Easter Rising celebrations.

"I'm actually standing at the same spot I did in 1966 during the 50th anniversary of the Rising," she said.

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Whatsapp President Michael D Higgins chats with 13-year-old Evan O Mairtin from Beaumont. Photo: Frank McGrath

"It's always a wonderful occasion and I'm very happy that we continue to hold these event in remembrance of everyone who died.

"My family weren't involved in the fighting, but were always very proud of what these men and women did for them. No matter how times have changed we still have to remember those who fought and died for Irish freedom."

Gerard Mahon (79) said his father, who was 20 years old in 1916, served as a marksman for the rebels.

"My dad was involved in the Ansley Road ambush and was detained to the GPO. When he got there he was given orders to go to the Imperial Hotel, which is now Clerys, as a marksman. He stayed there until the hotel went on fire and was then ordered to go to the GPO, but was shot on Cathedral Street.

"I can't imagine myself being in father's shoes during the time," he said. "I think I would have been involved in some way, but certainly not as brave."
Mass was cancelled at St Michaels Church in Shroid, Co Longford, after thieves broke into the church and stole the tabernacle hours before the service. Stock Image

Gardai are investigating two separate burglaries which occurred at churches in Longford and Clare over the weekend.

Trocaire boxes and the Easter collection were stolen from Ennistymon Church in Co Clare on Sunday evening/Monday morning.

Some minor damage was done to the church doors as the thieves forced their way into the building.

Parish priest, Father Willie Cummins appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

The damage following a break in at St Michael's Church in Shroid, outside Longford Town. pic.twitter.com/l1bdRK7HTA  Sinead Hussey (@SineadHus) April 16, 2017

In a statement posted on the church's Facebook page, Fr Cummins said: "No damage to the religious side of the church but Trocaire and Easter collection is gone. Please help to stop this happening to anyone else."

Meanwhile, in Longford, a window was smashed in at St Michael's Church in Shroid as thieves broke in and stole a tabernacle.

The altar was badly damaged and several other items were taken.

The discovery was made shortly after 7am on Easter Sunday morning.

Speaking to the Longford Leader, Bishop Francis Duffy said: "It is extremely upsetting for the parishioners and the clergy here in Longford that something like this could happen, but especially during Holy Week."

Parish Priest Fr Tony Gilhooly said told RTE Radio One that the incident put a dampener on the easter ceremonies.

He said: "When the news filtered through yesterday morning I thought to myself that we'd been here on Holy Saturday night and with me were my colleagues and Bishop Francis.

"We had a cup of tea after the Easter vigil and we thanked God about how well the ceremonies went so well and were so prayerful for us and the congregation.

"And then to wake up and to hear this news on Easter Sunday morning was devastating."

Locals were outraged by the incident, with one person saying: "Just shows the lack of respect there is for other people's beliefs. Such disrespect. Horrible."

Anyone with information on either incident is asked to contact Longford garda station on 043 33 50570 or Ennistymon garda station on 065 7072180.
Emergency services rushed to the scene and the child was taken to Temple Street Hospital and treated for injuries

A three-year-old child was rushed to hospital last night after being hit by a car.

The incident is understood to have happened at around 8pm.

The child was struck by a car in the Ballintree Estate in Tryrellstown, west Dublin.

Emergency services rushed to the scene and the child was taken to Temple Street Hospital and treated for injuries.

The child is believed to be in a serious condition.

There have been a spate of pedestrian accidents on Irish roads in recent months with several fatalities.

Meanwhile, gardai have launched an investigation after a man was stabbed in the stomach just yards from Dublin's O'Connell Street.

Emergency services were called to the scene near a taxi rank on Sackville Place at approximately 9.45pm. The victim - a 51-year-old man - suffered an apparent knife wound to the left side of his abdomen.

Sources said he contacted emergency services himself.

A spokesman for Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) said ambulance, fire engine and advanced paramedic teams attended the scene.

The victim was taken to the Mater Hospital and was treated for his injuries.

Gardai in Store Street have launched an investigation into the attack.

Last night, Dublin Fire Brigade dealt with a number of other serious incidents, including a fire in Dublin's Rotunda Maternity Hospital.

Last night Eoghan O Neachtain, director of public affairs at the hospital, said the incident was swiftly dealt with and the building "is fully under control without any impact on patients".
A female garda sustained a fractured wrist and a male sergeant received a suspected fractured jaw in an attack in the early hours of this morning.

Two men in their 20s have been arrested in connection with the incident.

The incident happened at Aylward Green in Finglas, Dublin 11 shortly before 2am.

The assault happened after the gardai approached a number of men at the above location and one of the males attacked them both.

"They called for back-up and a number of garda units went to the scene to assist them," said a garda press office spokesman today.

Both members of An Garda Siochana were brought to Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown for treatment.

The female garda received treatment for a fractured wrist and was later discharged.

The garda sergeant continued to receive treatment at the hospital today for a suspected fractured jaw, said the garda spokesman.

The two men are due to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice this morning, Monday April 17 2017.

Dublin Lord Mayor Brendan Carr has condemned the attack and said there's a responsibility on anyone with any information to contact the gardai.

Mayor Carr told Independent.ie: "The gardai are going out there to protect the rest of us have and ensure we have some kind of safety.

"I know there's a lot of controversy at the moment about gardai at a higher level but the lads and women on the streets are doing a great job.

"They're trying to do their job and this is a time when the public is going to have to stand together to protect their role, as such.

"There's an onus on every single person who has any information to ensure those thugs are brought to justice."

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Mayor Carr also said we need to review the protection afforded to ordinary gardai on the beat.

He said: "The guards are well trained and able to look after themselves but when something like this happens the debate needs to be raised.

"I wouldn't be in favour of arming the ordinary gard on the streets but they do need to be protected as much as possible.

"This is a chance for the public to help the guards, rather than the guards helping the public."

The assault happened just hours after two other gardai were attacked by three men in Claremorris, Co Mayo.

The male officer suffered head and hand injuries while his female partner had minor injuries. Both were taken to hospital in Castlebar. The male garda was treated and discharged yesterday while his colleague did not require hospital treatment.

Three men aged 18, 21 and 22 were arrested in connection with the incident. They were being questioned last night at Castlebar and Westport garda stations.

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A spokesman for the Garda Representative Association, (GRA) said while the "horrific assault on two gardai in Mayo has sent shock waves throughout all front-line GRA members, none were surprised.

"Gardai simply do not currently have the necessary personal or legal [tools] to protect them from such attacks," he said. The GRA has been lobbying for body cameras, which it believes is "a vital tool in ensuring that assaults against members are properly recorded".
81pc of teachers surveyed said differentiated pay rates among staff had negative effects on morale Photo: PA

Almost one in three of recent entrants to post-primary teaching believe it is unlikely, or very unlikely, that they will still be in the profession in 10 years, a recent survey found.

Morale in staffrooms has been dented by lower pay rates for new entrants and an increase in workloads, according to the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI).

The TUI, which represents more than 16,000 teachers and third-level lecturers, has released the findings of the survey, conducted last month, ahead of its annual conference, which opens tomorrow

One of main topics on the agenda at the conference will be calls for an acceleration of pay parity, through an end to the lower pay scales for new entrants, introduced during the austerity era.

More than eight in 10 (81pc) of those who responded to the survey said that differentiated pay rates have had a negative or very negative effect on staff morale in their school.

The survey also examined workload issues, with 91pc stating that bureaucratic duties regularly deflected from their teaching, while 96pc said that their workload had increased significantly in recent years.

TUI president Joanne Irwin, said quite clearly, the scandal of pay inequality has had a deeply negative effect on the profession".

While progress had been made, at a time when schools are struggling to attract teachers for an increasing number of subjects due to more lucrative options in other employments, the process of pay equalisation required urgent acceleration, she said.

Ms Irwin said the next necessary step in the process was the restoration of the H. Dip. (now PME) allowance, and our campaign will continue until all teachers have the same pay rates, regardless of whether they entered the profession before or since 2011.

She said the work of teachers had become excessively administrative, with increased focus on what many teachers see as form-filling and box-ticking duties that deflected from the core functions of teaching and learning.

There had also been a marked increase in workload, a legacy of an era of cutbacks that worsened the pupil/teacher ratio, dismantled middle-management structures and restricted guidance counselling provision, she said.

Ms Irwin said that the finding of over 90pc of respondents cited bureaucratic duties as detracting from their core teaching duties was of huge concern: Ultimately, students lose out when time is stolen from teaching and learning.
The primary teachers union will not give up on its battle for pay equality for new entrants until it wins, the president of the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) Rosena Jordan said today.

Pay is one of the main topics on the agenda of the INTO, whose annual congress opened in Belfast today.

Ms Jordan told delegates that fair pay for teachers is the unions priority and while progress had been made, the issue of pay equality was not fully resolved.

Lower pay scales for teachers were introduced in 2011 and 2012 and, for primary teachers restoration measures already agreed mean that, from January 2018, they will back to about 97pc of the pre-2011 scale.

While the gap has been much reduced, over a career it amounts to a loss of about 70,000 for a primary teacher. There is a wider gap, of about 8pc, for post-primary teachers who are also seeking the return of what is known as the HDip allowance, paid to them

Ms Jordan told the conference that this unequal pay for exactly the same work is neither justifiable nor lawful.

The great majority of new entrant teachers are young and we believe that it is indirectly discriminatory on the age ground to pay them less for the same work.

Ms Jordan also hit out at the shortage of substitute teachers available to cover for teacher absences in primary schools.

She said despite almost 2,000 teachers completing teacher education courses last year, she heard about the shortage of substitute teachers in practically every school she visited.

Every child is entitled to be taught by a fully qualified teacher. That should be the cornerstone for anyone ho ping to build the best education system in the world.

Yet, she said, increasingly this was not the case. Classes are split, other teachers are asked to provide cover, retired colleagues are cajoled back or enthusiastic amateurs are drafted in.

The INTO president also called for general cuts to public service pay to be reversed: The emergency is over. There is no justification in continuing to penalise public servants.

The measures imposed by emergency legislation between 2009 and 2015 must be reversed.

Ms Jordan said there needed to be a road map out of the FEMPI legislation which was acceptable to public servants and the country at large. This can be achieved through pension levy reductions, pay restoration and engagement with unions on terms and conditions.

Its not rocket science. All teachers have earned a pay rise. All teachers need a pay rise.

She warned that a staffing crisis would translate into falling standards.
Revenues at one of the country's most exclusive boys' schools, Glenstal Abbey, last year soared to 4.4m as the numbers of students attending continue to increase.

Parents looking to enrol their sons in the school have to stump up 18,950 a year for the seven-day boarding package, while annual day board fees total 11,350.

In spite of the hefty charges, numbers of students attending the Co Limerick school continue to increase, resulting in revenues last year increasing by 309,002 - or 7.5pc - from 4.1m to 4.4m in the 12 months to the end of June last.

Headmaster Fr William Fennelly said yesterday that 258 students are enrolled for the coming September. This represents an increase of 10 on the 248 last year.

The school takes on an average 40 first years every September. The school only introduced day boarders in 2012 and they now make one-quarter of the school population, contributing over an estimated 680,000 in school fees for this year.

"I believe the educational outcome of this place, shaped as it is by the community that dwells here, is worth the investment that parents make in it," Fr Fennelly said.

The school currently educates 188 boarders and 60 day boarders.

Staff costs at the school last year totalled 1.035m, with the numbers employed by the school increasing from 54 to 57. After total costs of 4.38m, the school recorded a modest surplus of 22,011.

Any surplus profits from the school firm are donated to the Glenstal Abbey Trust.
A pest control firm has been called to St James's Hospital more than 100 times in the past two years to deal with cockroaches, mice, beetles and ants.

Black clock beetles - large carnivorous insects with sharp jaws - were found in a specialised unit for patients undergoing bone-marrow transplants.

Other vermin were discovered in an endoscopy theatre and on bedside tables.

In 2015, the company attended the hospital sterile services unit (HSSU) four times, according to documents released under the Freedom of Information Act.

On one occasion, a mouse was caught in the kitchen. Another mouse was thought to have scuttled into a sterilisation machine.

Infestation

The firm was also called four times to the hospital's breast care clinic where problems included a rodent in a staff tearoom, an infestation of flies in reception and a "bad smell" that staff said was "a common occurrence".

Towards the end of last year, the company was called to a kitchenette in a private ward where it found a mouse feeding off bait.

Another rodent was reported in an endoscopy theatre. Traps were set, and three days later a mouse was caught in the theatre's observatory room.

The company was also called to inspect droppings found in a cupboard beside an operating theatre.

On closer inspection, dead woodlice were found.

On two occasions in August, pigeons that had entered Mercer's Institute for Successful Ageing (MISA) could not be removed, despite the pest control company's best efforts.

"Could not remove pigeon," the technician noted in his inspection report. "May leave eventually."

Two days later, the pigeon was joined by another.

"Two pigeons flying around atrium in MISA," it was reported. "Technician couldn't remove them due to height and area involved. Door left open to assist pigeons out."

In April 2015, two dead birds in a ceiling cavity caused an infestation of bluebottles in a meeting room in the administration building. Insecticide treatment was carried out.

Ants were a recurring problem at the hospital during the two-year period.

Up to 150 were found behind a locker in the department of clinical nutrition, while others were found in locations including a dialysis room and on a bedside table.

More than 35,000 was spent on pest-control services by the hospital in the past two years.

This included an outlay of 275 in February last year for a plastic hawk to scare away pigeons and gulls.

St James's Hospital was contacted for comment in relation to pest control.

It acknowledged the request but did not provide a response.
Last week, San Antonio hosted the Border Security Expo, a two-day trade fair and conference in the Texan city that provides a showcase for companies in the sector to present their products to border officials and government agencies. Unsurprisingly, the main topic of conversation at this years event was Donald Trumps proposal to build a wall along the US-Mexican border.

Ronald Vitiello, Chief of the CBP, speaking in San Antonio last week. AFP

More information Los expertos en la frontera abrazan el muro de Trump

At last years event, the general consensus was that at a time when the numbers of people crossing illegally into the United States was falling, a wall was both too costly and largely unnecessary: a physical barrier might be useful in towns and cities, but that the combination of hostile terrain and advanced surveillance technology would be enough along large parts of the 3,201-kilometer frontier.

A year later, the mood is very different: if the president of the United States wants a wall, he shall have one. With an executive order issued to build the wall, there will be 5,000 new Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officers, plus 10,000 men and women set to join the ranks of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). At the same time, Trump has ordered all people without papers to be detained.

Arrests of migrants crossing the border illegally have fallen in the first three months of 2017

The expectation is that border security will be a priority of the new administration, said Robert Bonner, a security consultant. The future will depend on how literally we take that, he added.

The CBP is taking the policy literally, albeit with a measure of caution. Its new boss, Ronald Vitiello, mentioned the wall in his address to delegates at the trade fair, noting: Cement helps if you have it. But he added: A physical barrier alone isnt enough. When more is built as a result of the presidents order, it has to be paid for and it has to be maintained in the long term.

Mark Borkowski, the CBPs Chief Acquisition Officer, told delegates that Trumps executive order requires permanently preventing illegal immigrants from entering the United States, which means arresting anybody who tries to enter without the right paperwork and bringing them before a judge who will likely deport them on the spot.

If we carried out a survey right now everybody would have an opinion about whether this is the best way to protect this country or not, Borkowski told his audience of border security professionals. Everybody would have an opinion about whether this is the way this country wants to present itself to the world. I have a boss, who is the president of the United States. I havent been elected, but he has, and these are his orders. Were going to obey those orders as we obeyed Barack Obamas and those of any other president, he said.

A CBP recruitment officer at Border Security Expo last week. JOHN MOORE (AFP)

David Aguilar, a former CBP deputy commissioner and now a lobbyist for the sector, believes the Trump administration is listening to the experts and is being more realistic about its plans for a wall. Two weeks ago, they were insisting they wanted 2,000 miles of wall. Now they have backtracked, he said. Aguilar doesnt believe a wall in itself will solve the problem of illegal migration: Infrastructure is useful depending on how it is done, where it is done and the maintenance it needs. Additional measures will be needed to help the wall, such as immigration judges, officers, prosecutors, and cooperation with Mexico.

Senior police officers who a year ago were highly suspicious of Trump now seem to accept that his aggressive anti-immigration policy has put many would-be migrants off, noting that the number of arrests along the border has fallen between January and March for the first time anybody can remember.

The expectation is that border security will be a priority of the new administration

Robert Bonner, security consultant

There were no cement manufacturers or construction materials firms among the 200 or so exhibitors at the 12th edition of Border Security Expo, but there were plenty of companies offering radar systems, all-terrain vehicles, communication networks, license plate readers and drones.

Among the first-time exhibitors was Squire Tech, a company that makes portable communication towers that can be set up in remote areas. We are investing in this, explains company representative Michael B. Zalle. The budget has been low for many years and we think its going to increase. This is what everybody is talking about. Money follows words. We follow the money.

Nevertheless, many delegates said that what Trump says is one thing, and what Congress lets him do is another. The executive is just one branch of government and has influence up to a point. Congress makes the budget, said Scott Pearson of Vigilant Solutions, a facial recognition software company.

English version by Nick Lyne.
My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty rests his hand on the coffin of his father Simon Doherty during his funeral service at St Michael's Catholic Church in Ashtead, Surrey. Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire

Mourners outside St Michael's Catholic Church in Ashtead, Surrey, ahead of the funeral of Simon Doherty, the father of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty.Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire

Funeral director Paul Brown (right) with My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty outside St Michael's Catholic Church in Ashtead, Surrey, ahead of the funeral of Mr Doherty's father Simon.Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire

Canon Anthony Churchill giving the service during the funeral of Simon Doherty, father of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty, at St Michael's Catholic Church in Ashtead, Surrey. Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire

A fleet of Rolls Royce cars outside St Michael's Catholic Church in Ashtead, Surrey, ahead of the funeral of Simon Doherty, the father of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty.Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire

My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty rests his hand on the coffin of his father Simon Doherty during his funeral service at St Michael's Catholic Church in Ashtead, Surrey. Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire

Mourners touch the coffin of Simon Doherty, father of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty, during his funeral service at St Michael's Catholic Church in Ashtead, Surrey.Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire

Roisin Mullins paying tribute to Simon Doherty, the father of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty, during his funeral at St Michael's Catholic Church in Ashtead, Surrey. Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire

The coffin of Simon Doherty, father of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty, during his funeral service at St Michael's Catholic Church in Ashtead, Surrey.Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire

A floral tribute to Simon Doherty, father of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty, during his funeral service at St Michael's Catholic Church in Ashtead, Surrey. Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire

A fleet of Rolls Royce cars outside St Michael's Catholic Church in Ashtead, Surrey, ahead of the funeral of Simon Doherty, the father of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty. Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire

Mourners outside St Michael's Catholic Church in Ashtead, Surrey, ahead of the funeral of Simon Doherty, the father of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty. Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire

My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty during the burial of his father Simon Doherty at St Margaret's Catholic Cemetery, London. Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire

My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty during the burial of his father Simon Doherty at St Margaret's Catholic Cemetery, London. Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire

My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty gives a thumbs up on a horse drawn hearse carrying the coffin of his father Simon Doherty along Harrow Road, en route to St Margaret's Catholic Cemetery, London, to be buried after his funeral. Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire

My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty (centre), with his brothers Qe (front) and Johnny (right) on a horse drawn hearse carrying the coffin of their father Simon Doherty along Harrow Road, en route to St Margaret's Catholic Cemetery, London, to be buried after his funeral.Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire

A young boy reaches out to a tribute to Simon Doherty, father of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty, at St Margaret's Catholic Cemetery, London, ahead of his burial. Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire

My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty (centre), with his brothers Qe (front) and Johnny (right) on a horse drawn hearse carrying the coffin of their father Simon Doherty along Harrow Road, en route to St Margaret's Catholic Cemetery, London, to be buried after his funeral. Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire

Travellers from across the UK and Ireland came together for the funeral of TV personality Paddy Doherty's father.

Hundreds of mourners joined the Big Fat Gypsy Wedding and Big Brother star to say goodbye to Simon Doherty, remembered as the "father of all travellers".

Friends and family attended a service at St Michael's Church in Ashtead, Surrey in the UK on Monday.

More than a dozen silver Rolls Royces, each bearing the Irish tricolour, lined up outside the church.

Expand Close My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty rests his hand on the coffin of his father Simon Doherty during his funeral service at St Michael's Catholic Church in Ashtead, Surrey. Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire / Facebook

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Whatsapp My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty rests his hand on the coffin of his father Simon Doherty during his funeral service at St Michael's Catholic Church in Ashtead, Surrey. Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire

Mr Doherty's coffin was emblazoned with the colours of the Irish flag and the message: "Simon Doherty - Blacksmith, King of all Doherty's".

"He was like mafia in his own way, not in a bad way - any trouble they would go to him," the 58-year-old former bare knuckle fighter said.

"He was like the godfather - what he said was law.

"He said I want no one crying at my funeral, I want them happy, singing and get them drunk."

He sat with his hand resting on his father's coffin throughout the service and tributes, which included video footage of Mr Doherty in a horse race and a group of Irish dancers.

"He wasn't an average man - he was outstanding, a great man," he added.

"Everything had to be five stars for him, he lived the best and was the best.

"My poor mother - her heart is devastated, her heart is broken.

Expand Close Irish dancers performing at St Michael's Catholic Church in Ashtead, Surrey, during the funeral of Simon Doherty, the father of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty.Photo: Yui Mok/PA WireWire / Facebook

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Whatsapp Irish dancers performing at St Michael's Catholic Church in Ashtead, Surrey, during the funeral of Simon Doherty, the father of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty.Photo: Yui Mok/PA WireWire

"I'm so grateful how many people have turned out - we just want everything to go well, everything has to be tremendous and over the top."

Close family members wore red ties, Mr Doherty's favourite colour, which they threw into his grave at St Mary's Catholic Cemetery at Kensal Green, north London.

The coffin was driven to the cemetery in a horse and carriage and carried up a red carpet to the sound of bagpipes.

Floral tributes were laid at the grave in the shape of an Irish shamrock, horseshoes, bottles of whisky, pint of Guinness and a Rolls Royce.

A bunch of green shamrock balloons and six white doves were released into the air as laments were sung at the graveside.

Mr Doherty, known as Simey, had 15 children and more than 150 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The great-grandfather, who was in his 80s, died in hospital in Epsom last week surrounded by his family after battling an ongoing illness.
A devoted mum has said she will never use Dublin Bus again after they refused to let her and her disabled daughter on as there was a buggy in the wheelchair spot.

Shauna Walker (23) is a full-time mum to her little girl Avannah (3), who has Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy and has needed to use a wheelchair for the past year.

Shauna, Avannah and a friend were getting on the 46A bus on Dublin's North Circular Road on Thursday afternoon when they claim they were refused by the driver because a buggy was in the wheelchair-designated spot.

Shauna, who lives on Blackhorse Avenue, said: "The bus pulled in and my friend went ahead of me and paid, I have free travel so I was walking on and when I got to the wheelchair space there was a pram there.

"I asked the driver if he could ask them to fold it and he straight away said no and told me to get off the bus.

"I asked him why could he not just ask them to fold the pram but he said no because the baby in it was sleeping and he made me get off.

"Any other bus I've got on the driver will just say to people that there's a wheelchair coming on and they need to fold the buggy, this time was completely different.

"I was on the bus for ten minutes, he wouldn't move and he was telling me to get off, I felt like people were smirking at me and I was embarrassed so I just left.

"It was awful and then my baby was asking what was going on so I just said it was too packed."

Furious Shauna contacted Dublin Bus and said she has been told that they are processing her complaint.

Shauna also lodged a different complaint to Dublin Bus earlier this year when herself and Avannah weren't allowed on when it was busy, although she claims that there was nobody using the wheelchair space.

Now Shauna has decided she'll stop travelling with Dublin Bus.

"I said I'd never go on a Dublin Bus because I want to avoid that embarrassment ever happening again.

"Even if I mention Dublin Bus to Avannah she just says, 'No way.'

"She's going to be four in October and knows everything that's going on."

Shauna pointed out that being in a busy area with a child who uses a wheelchair can be an already stressful experience.

She said: "I'm still trying to come to terms with her being in a wheelchair.

"I can't go into the city centre by myself, it's hard when you've a wheelchair and there's so many people so I always ask my mam or a friend to come with me or it can get a bit overwhelming."

Dublin Bus told Independent.ie that wheelchairs take priority over pushchairs and prams when it comes to accessible spaces.

A spokeswoman said in a statement: "Dublin Bus received a complaint about this incident on Friday and it is currently being investigated.

"Dublin Bus policy is that if there is a wheelchair user wishing to board a bus and there is already a buggy onboard, the driver should request that the buggy owner fold their buggy, stow it in the luggage area or beside them and keep their child on their lap in order to make room for the wheelchair user."
Amiee O'Loughlin is something of a medical mystery. No one really knows what has caused her extremely challenging health issues. To date, this feisty teenager has been through so much, that it's hard to understand how she could have survived it all. But survive she has.

It all began when her mother Ann, who is from Co Clare, met Stephen Ginty, a Mayo native. In time, she moved to Cluain Na Ri, near Ballina, to be with Stephen. "We live in a lovely part of the country," she says. So, they were delighted when Ann fell pregnant. However, a scan at 36 weeks sounded warning bells.

"They could only see one kidney," says Ann. "Apart from that, they didn't say much. But I knew in my heart something was wrong." On January, 2003, Amiee finally made her appearance at Mayo University Hospital in Castlebar. "She wasn't breathing and was immediately rushed to the special baby care unit," says Ann. "And that's when a long medical mystery began to unfold. From that moment on, she was in crisis."

Amiee was born with a large haematoma on her head which doctors feared might be a tumour, but this proved not to be the case. In addition, her blood-sugar levels were all over the place, and she couldn't keep her feeds down. "For the first two days, it was touch-and-go," says Ann. "She had so many things wrong with her that some of the staff wrote her off. But we bonded with her straight away." At that point, Ann and Stephen didn't even have the simple pleasure of cuddling their precious infant, as her heart would race dramatically when anyone picked her up.

Once she was reasonably stable, Amiee was taken by ambulance to The Children's University Hospital, Temple Street, Dublin. And so, began a relentless saga; one which continues to this day.

In time, it was discovered that apart from her chronic feeding problems, erratic blood-sugar levels and racing heart, Amiee's thyroid was "deficient", her kidneys were misshapen and she was suffering from hip dysplasia. "They did every kind of test, but they were never able to give it [the overall condition] a name, and that's still true," says Ann.

When Amiee was two months old, Ann and Stephen were taught how to care for their fragile child themselves. "We learned fast, because we wanted to get her home," Ann explains. Stephen gave up work so he could help. "Aimee had to be fed around the clock," explains Ann. "Her sugar levels had to be constantly checked, her hips caused problems, and she was on a lot of medicines."

When Amiee was a year old, she had surgery to tackle the hip problems. But shortly after, she developed scoliosis, which became so aggressive it caused full curvature of the spine, which has required multiple surgeries over the years. Complicating matters even further was the fact that she had developed adrenal problems and had to be put on steroids.

"She is now steroid dependent," says Ann, "and that requires very close monitoring." She also has severe breathing problems, caused, in part, by the curvature of her spine and by low immunity. This requires constant physiotherapy, suctioning, and the use of a nebuliser and a positive airway pressure (PAP) machine.

In July, 2013, Ann and Stephen consented to Amiee having extremely dangerous spinal surgery. "We risked losing her in theatre, but there was also a good chance we'd lose her anyway - her lungs were now so compromised," says Ann. "So, we made the heartbreaking decision to go ahead. The day of the surgery was the longest day of our lives."

When Amiee finally emerged from theatre, she was on a ventilator and had tubes everywhere, but she was still alive. She was expected to spend a month in hospital, but, in true Amiee style, she rallied and was home in eight days. "She has strengths others could only dream of," says Ann. "She is a total inspiration to us all.

Amiee, like most teenagers, loves a good party. The Make-A-Wish organisation threw her a big bash for her 12th birthday at the Great National Hotel in Ballina. She was whisked there in a limousine and given VIP treatment. Amiee enjoyed every second, with her biggest fans - her parents - by her side.

Although she is a wheelchair user, Amiee can take a few steps. She communicates using Lamh, a manual sign system, and Irish Sign Language. She learned both at St Nicholas, a special-needs school in Ballina, which she attends when she is well enough. "She talks to us about everything," says Ann. "She lives life to the full and is always making plans. She's definitely brighter than the average 14 year old. I don't think the world treats her with the respect she deserves. I think that's the case for most people with special needs."

Amiee and her parents were in Dublin recently at the invitation of Bumbleance, an ambulance service for sick children. In 2015, Amiee began using their vehicles to get to and from Temple Street. Ann says that Amiee's chronic lung condition, compounded by her scoliosis, made it really uncomfortable for her to travel in the family vehicle. "She dreaded those trips," she says.

But now, when Amiee travels by Bumbleance, she can stretch out comfortably, watching videos or playing computer games, while fully qualified paediatric paramedics deal with her medical needs. "They are very supportive," says Ann. "Sickness is very isolating. But the Bumbleance team has changed all that. Amiee is smitten by them, and her magical taxi. It is also very reassuring for us to know the paramedics are with her, as she can suddenly become quite ill."

Watching Amiee at the Bumbleance event, it was clear she was enjoying every second. She was beautifully dressed, and like all teenagers, she had made sure her hair and make-up were perfect. Amiee loves country music, a Mayo-based DJ called Pat Boyle, and the mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor

Her greatest hope is that one day she will meet McGregor. "She gets really excited when his fights are on," says Ann. "One of the things Amiee has taught us is that nothing is impossible."

To donate to, and for more information about, the Bumbleance service, see bumbleance.com
Combos of pink and green were frontrunners at this year's Salone del Mobile proving people are getting braver with colour. Confetti Pink and Lamp Black by Little Greene are seen here, teamed with dark green cabinetry; littlegreene.ie

A whole city celebrated, exhibited and proudly presented their love for global product design and interiors last week. As the world's largest furniture fair, Salone del Mobile, part of Milan Design Week, is the hub for industry leaders in homewares and furniture design. If there's any one place to get an overview of emerging trends and inspiration, it's at the Salone.

There were trends I have written about over a year ago, thinking they had reached their peak - marble is a good example - and I had been convinced the material was on its way out, hand-in-hand with rose gold. However, at Salone, marble appeared in force, but in newer and more statement-making forms.

Having previously designed with The Conran Shop and Debenhams, head of design at DFS Alison Hill has been attending trade fairs for many years, saying that they leave her with the confidence that her trend predictions are relevant. "I thought it was a beautiful show," says Alison. "People worked harder and had to be really innovative - treating furniture display like the catwalk."

As you might expect, the trend for green of all shades featured heavily - mainly in plants and material, as did velvet and leather. Here, are five more trends that will be impossible to ignore.

Ahead with the curve

There was a clear move towards curved furniture pieces, especially for tables and armchairs. "I think in the traditional market, everything is square," says Alison of living-room furniture. "It's challenged [at Salone] with curves, promoting more personal space, like lobby furniture in hotels."

Marble remains

Just when I thought we'd waved goodbye to marble, Salone welcomed it back, in abundance. It's no longer confined to bathroom accessories and lighting: this is very much a 'go bold or go home' trend. Large marble walls acted as backdrops and marbled finishes topped coffee tables. If real marble slabs are a bit out of your budget, then look to wallpaper companies, like muralswallpaper.com, who have released their own range of coverings that are incredibly realistic.

Spacesavers

"The table is over," says Alison talking about a trend she has coined 'The Ottoman Empire'. "The Ottoman truly is the most under-rated piece of furniture because it's so multi-functional." Tripling up as a coffee table, seat and somewhere to put your feet up, Ottomans are your must-have, if space is limited. They're also handy if you're just not ready for the large leather or velvet sofa, yet still want to play with trends.

Block is key

At Italian design house Belliani, colour blocking is set to make a strong return. However, keep things interesting by varying shades from the same side of the colour spectrum, like oranges and reds.

Get out there

If there was one trend I was happy to see the back of, it was whites and greys. We can expect a big shift toward brave colour combinations this year. Pinks and greens were seen sitting happily, side by side, a reminder that at last it's time to pull out a colour wheel and experiment with all the other combos you might have been reluctant to try before.

Anna Shelswell-White is editor of House and Home magazine

Trendsetting pieces

Carrara marble table by The Weber

White may be gone but marble is here to stay; the nuances in marble finishes avoid replication. Price on application; rolfbenz.com

Zapp pattern banquette footstool, 399

"The table is over," says Alison of living room furniture. "The Ottoman truly is the most underrated piece of furniture because it's so multi-functional"; dfs.ie

Celeste chairs by Cedric Ragot, 1,120

There's a shift from square furniture to curved pieces; roche-bobois.com

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Vuelta high-backed chair by Jaime Hayon

Austrian design house Wittmann portray three major trends with this chair - curves, velvet and green. Price on application; wittmann.at

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Puccio stools by Emilio Nanni

Showcasing hues from the same section on the colour wheel is the new colour blocking. Price on application; billiani.it
There are steps down from the dining area to this living room with its ebony flooring. The white sofas are from Northern Ireland. "I didnt pay a lot for anything. I did my research and made sure I got what I wanted at good prices," says Kate. Photo: Tony Gavin

Albert Einstein was probably the greatest brain of the 20th Century - and he also said a lot of wise things, not least that the human spirit must prevail over technology.

We in Ireland have had a lot of upheaval in the last 10 years, and many people went under; however, in the main, it was those who embraced technology who managed to get their heads above water again. Fashion dynamo Kate Gleeson is one such person.

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Kate had Diffusion, one of the most successful boutiques in Dublin. She dressed former President Mary McAleese, she dressed TV stars, and she also dressed many of the Celtic Tiger women.

She's still dressing discerning women, but in a completely different way - this time, she's doing it from the comfort of her own gorgeous home, through her website.

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Whatsapp The dining area looks out on the beautifully manicured gardens and patio area. The table, bench and chairs are from Belgium

That's not to say the transition was painless. After all, Kate, like many of her age, knew little about the online world. What Kate knew was the boutique fashion scene - she knew it inside out; she'd been steeped in retail ever since she left school. In fact, business is in her blood; it goes back generations.

One of eight children - three boys and five girls - Kate is one of the Gleesons of Booterstown Avenue. Nowadays, Gleesons is a gorgeous gastropub run by her brothers. It's frequented by the rugby crowd as well as lovers of good food, but even when Kate was a child, it was something of an institution in Dublin.

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Whatsapp A detail of the entrance to the house. The touches of green relieve the pristine white and bring a hint of nature in to the otherwise minimalist hallway

"We lived beside the pub, and we learned our work ethic there from our parents; we're all hard workers," the stylish Dubliner says.

After college, she went to work in an accountancy firm and she also got part-time work in a fashion shop. "That's when I got the love," she explains.

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Whatsapp Light pours in from all over the house to create a light-filled hallway. The stairs is Portuguese limestone

She married very young, and when she had her first baby, Shane (now 26) she opened her own shop, Diffusion, on the northside. It soon became a bit of a magnet for fashionistas on both sides of the river, as well as for well-heeled women throughout the rest of the country looking for stylish occasion wear. It became something of an institution, in the same way that Gleesons is.

Shane was followed by Jessica (now 22) and the boutique thrived for over 20 years, with Kate bringing many of the world's most glamorous labels to Ireland. She was the kind of retailer who knew her clients and bought with many of them specifically in mind - people who were too busy to shop themselves and trusted Kate's judgment implicitly.

Expand Close This area is where Kate keeps all her stock for Diffusion.ie. It's such a nice space - with its Ceadogan rug, plush sofas, gas fire and painting by Paul Rattigan - it can double as a reception area / Facebook

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Whatsapp This area is where Kate keeps all her stock for Diffusion.ie. It's such a nice space - with its Ceadogan rug, plush sofas, gas fire and painting by Paul Rattigan - it can double as a reception area

"I had the shop for 21 years and I loved it," Kate says. "It was like my baby, and I had nourished it. It was more than a boutique - people used to come in to chat, to relax, to browse; they relied on me for advice. My clients could relate to my style, my age."

Sadly, with the downturn, she could see that things were changing. She struggled on for a while, but when she had to close in 2012, it was a shock. "My father passed away the week before the shop closed. So two huge things happened. He would have been devastated. He liked to come over with my mother; he was very proud of what I'd achieved with it. I was numb for a while, but you know what? I'm a Gleeson. I picked myself up, and looked at my options," she says firmly.

Expand Close Kate designed the headboard in the master bedroom and had it made in Northern Ireland. It's not just a headboard, it has all the electrics in it, she explains / Facebook

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Whatsapp Kate designed the headboard in the master bedroom and had it made in Northern Ireland. It's not just a headboard, it has all the electrics in it, she explains

The first thing she decided was to take a break and do some things she'd always wanted to try. These included an acting course at the Gaiety School of Acting, as well as a TV-presenting course - she loved both and they helped to give her back her confidence. Though she no longer had the shop, she kept in touch with her clients and went on some short trips to Paris on their behalf. She also started to do a bit of work with fitness expert Karl Henry, going into companies to advise women on their personal style and style in the workplace.

"I kept my toe in the water within fashion. I had to, it's what I do," Kate says. "I realised again that I know it - women trust my opinion, my sense of style. I felt there must be a way I can put that to good use."

Expand Close Kate and her husband Peter love to entertain, so design ideas such as this wall unit in the kitchen, which is purely for glasses, is pretty yet practica / Facebook

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Whatsapp Kate and her husband Peter love to entertain, so design ideas such as this wall unit in the kitchen, which is purely for glasses, is pretty yet practica

Online was the way forward, and she did some courses before having her website built, and taking on a superb assistant, Dara Duffy. She began to research new, more affordable, easy-dressing labels for people's new, more fluid lifestyles. "It's not big brands, it's not high street, it's lots of casual and smart-casual and lots of lovely shoes," she says, adding that the brilliant Barbara Gaffney assists with the buying.

It hit her that if she mastered the world of online, her own special talent for helping women to dress could still be relevant, and she developed her USP.

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Whatsapp The black-and-white wall adds drama to the bathroom

"As well as all the usual ways of selling online, we have an 'Ask Kate' button," she says. "It's a bit like the Ask Angela of the problem pages of the old days. It says, 'I'm there for you', and I advise people all the time. I have a brand and people still love it; my collections are on trend, but it's an important thing for me to look after the customer. It's been a challenge to get people from the cosy shop in Clontarf to move to online, but I love a challenge."

Kate still does some retail in the form of pop-up shops four times a year, but her main business is online. And she doesn't even have to leave her house. The stock is all housed in a lovely gallery-style space in the house she and her second husband, Peter Lennon, built together. She and Peter, a solicitor and a father of two, knew each other years ago and then met up again nine years ago.

"He had separated, I had separated. He was living in Howth, I was living in Howth, and we met up. I decided to have a party, he arrived and we danced and we haven't been apart since," she says happily, adding that they're married three years. "Peter has been a fantastic support through Dad's passing, and the closing of the business," she says. "He even helps me, if necessary, to fulfil orders. He'd be there until midnight, packing the boxes."

When they met, Kate lived in a lovely dormer bungalow, which was on nearly an acre. The bungalow needed updating, but they discovered it would cost more to renovate the existing house than knock it down and build a completely new two-storey house.

"It was 2012, it was a good time to build - no-one was building," she says. "The old house was all little rooms with doors. And we wanted an open-plan space, for family not to be on top of each other, and we wanted everyone to have their own space."

They had other requirements too: a big open fire in the living room, a study for Peter, stylish bathrooms, interesting lighting, a welcoming hall and, of course, lots of light. Most importantly, a kitchen/dining/living space - what Kate calls 'the hub'. "This is the focus of the house and in the summer it's even bigger, because when we open up the doors it's like another room," she says.

The kitchen, made by Rhatigan and Hick, has some very special features, including a U-shaped, extra-high island where family can sit. Behind that island is a Corian worktop at a slightly lower level, which means onlookers don't see the mess associated with food being prepared.

The kitchen, like the rest of the house, is decorated in subtle, muted shades, but it's never boring, as there are lots of lovely textures, including marble, Corian, Portuguese limestone, leather, tweed, and corduroy. "I didn't spend fortunes on anything. I went to factories, I went to exhibitions, I did my research," she says.

As well as the expansive kitchen, there's a study, an office, a roomy living room, two bathrooms and four bedrooms, two of which are en suite.

A key feature of the house is the lovely wide, extra-high hallway. It was very nearly double the height it is now, as Kate was planning to have the hall open to the roof. A practical friend stopped her. "I was taking open-plan to a new level," says Kate. "Then I discussed the design with a friend who works in interiors, and she told me it would be a waste of space."

Instead, she had the space floored and this is the centre of her business.

There's a cushion in one of the bedrooms with the legend 'And they all lived happily ever after'. There's no doubt that both personally and professionally, Kate is back in a good place. "I feel very lucky," she says. "Anyone who has a second chance is lucky. I feel blessed."

See diffusion.ie

Edited by Mary O'Sullivan

Photography by Tony Gavin
If you're stuck in a rut and looking for motivation and inspiration to move your life forward, Sligo is the place to be next weekend. Thirteen speakers from the US, Canada, Australia, UK and Ireland will share their wisdom at the Get Up and Go event at the Knocknarea Arena, and all have been hand-picked by organisers Eileen Forrestal and Brendan Sands.

"They're a collection of people who really inspire me, and I want more people to hear what they are saying," says Eileen. "One conversation can be all it takes to encourage you to go on and make big or small changes to your life."

Eileen, 57, and Brendan, 60, are the duo behind the event and they're also engaged to one another. They met in 2002 while taking part in a 12-day fundraising trek to Everest base camp for Child Aid. Brendan was very fit, and Eileen thought he was very kind and selfless as he was always willing to help anyone falling behind and carry their bag and give them encouragement.

As a trained doctor, she put her foot down when she saw him sunbathing with his shirt off without using suncream though, and wasn't moved by his protestations that he had never burned while working as a bricklayer. "I thought he had altitude sickness and had gone a bit insane, so I had to be assertive with him," Eileen says. "I wasn't really fit at all and was just trying to get one foot in front of the other, so I didn't really care about how I looked or sounded. I didn't think Brendan had his eye on me, and I was just coming out of a relationship myself. I thought he was pretty special though, and I told him it was a pleasure and privilege to be on the same trip as him."

As it happens, Brendan wasn't in a relationship and felt that Eileen was very easy to talk to and great fun. "I thought she was really pretty and very genuine," he says. "We had a reunion dinner in Sligo a few weeks later and I asked her out there. We have now been together 15 years."

After a long-distance relationship for five years, Eileen and Brendan are both now based in Sligo. They became engaged on a beach in Bali in 2013 - though Eileen says that when she saw Brendan go down on one knee, she feared he had slipped. They have been so busy, they haven't had time to plan the wedding yet...

Brendan is from Newry and comes ninth of the late George and Ita's 12 children. He worked as a bricklayer for 33 years. He has five children: Adrian, Lisa, Sandra, Ciaran and Claire from two relationships, and five grandchildren. His daughter Claire suffered from cystic fibrosis and passed away two years ago, aged 26, which was devastating for the family. His daughter Sandra, 36, also has the condition, although she and Claire have different mothers.

"Claire's passing was the hardest thing I've experienced," says Brendan. "Eileen was an incredible support for me and I would never have got out of it without her. Sandra is doing really well at the moment and has been on the lung transplant list for almost two years. Whenever I get back to Newry, I like to visit my brothers and sisters as well as my kids and grandkids, so we are one big, happy family and are really tight."

Eileen's background is quite different, as she grew up in Whitehall in Dublin, the middle of the late Bridie and Gary's three children. She studied medicine at UCD and trained at the Mater Hospital before going to England for work as there was a recession on here. She travelled around and lived and worked in Canada and Africa, working in various specialties including general practice, psychiatry, emergency and obstetrics. She was married for seven years, but that relationship ended and she returned to Ireland. She retired from the position of consultant anaesthetist at Sligo General Hospital in 2014.

Eileen used to buy a little diary called The Irish Survivor's Diary, and eventually went into partnership with its creator, Glenda Devlin, who has since retired.

Brendan came on board when the construction industry took a nosedive during the recession as he's an excellent salesman. They changed the name to the Get Up and Go Diary and developed several versions and journals, and have now branched out to include events.

The event this week runs over one-and-a-half days, and 13 inspirational speakers will share their stories and motivational advice.

It's aimed at encouraging anyone who wants to become inspired and engaged with life, and Eileen perfectly embodies the concept. "I used to have a really bad stammer so I kind of hid away in books," she says. "I attended a seminar and realised that it was more of a fear of speaking than a speech impediment. I had to bite the bullet and stand up and speak, and realised it wasn't that hard so then I was fine. I was trapped in myself for a long time, so now I've travelled and explored, and have done parachute jumping and water rafting.

"The way I look at it is that we only have one life, so we have to maximise it."

Get Up and Go runs at Knocknarea arena this Friday and Saturday. Cost ranges from 20 to 95 including lunch and refreshments. getupandgoevents.com
Armenia: EU and Armenia Hold annual Dialogue on Human Rights

Todays Shushi, Occupied and Cleared of Armenians, is a Real Example of Turkish-Azerbaijani Policy of Ethnic Cleansing of Artsakh

Ookla, the the global leader in internet testing and analysis has awarded Ucom

Sweden will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union

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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

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There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol  Armenia and Azerbaijan  to do so without delay

An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022

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
Tony Webster (Jim Broadbent) has a fairly unremarkable life fixing cameras, nattering with his ex-wife (Harriet Walker) and taking his heavily pregnant daughter (Michelle Dockery) to pre-natal classes.

Out of the blue, a solicitor's letter informs him a diary has been left to him by the mother of his first love, Veronica (Charlotte Rampling). It is in Veronica's care, he is told, but she is not forthcoming with handing it over, apparently.

While trying to retrieve the item, he is forced to re-examine the version of his past that he has been telling himself for 40 years. To do so, he must go back to his relationship with Veronica (the young incarnation played by Freya Mavor), her mother (Emily Mortimer) and his highly intelligent but troubled classmate Adrian (Joe Alwyn). Something was amiss all those years ago that can no longer be glossed over, it seems.

Ritesh Batra had us swooning in 2013 with his Mumbai-set romance The Lunchbox. For this adaptation of Julian Barnes's Man Booker winner, the Indian director cannot locate similar levels of heart out of a bourgeois, Guardian-reading, espresso-sipping London backdrop.

The film ends up occupying an awkward territory between wrenching and redemptive, and "Richard Curtis knock-off". Nick Payne's occasionally stagey dialogue, meanwhile, betrays his more natural habitat as a playwright of note. While Rampling is a little under-used, the cast are all on song. 

The Handmaiden

Cert: 18; Now showing

Expand Close Min-hee Kim and Tae-ri Kim in a scene from Park Chan-wook's thriller The Handmaiden / Facebook

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Whatsapp Min-hee Kim and Tae-ri Kim in a scene from Park Chan-wook's thriller The Handmaiden

Korean film-maker Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, Stoker) moves Sarah Waterss novel Fingersmith from Victoria England to 1930s Korea.

Its a thriller told in three parts, a love story and very much a look at one version of gender divisions. It is beautiful, engaging and sometimes funny too. Sookee (Kim Tae-ri) is a pickpocket chosen by a fellow crook (Ha Jung-woo) who has hatched a plan to pose as a Japanese Count in order to get in with Kouzuki (Cho Jin-woong) a collector of rare books in thrall to Japanese nobility. The real aim of the fake count however is to marry Kouzukis innocent but wealthy niece Hideko (Kim Min-hee), take her money and put her in an asylum. Sookee, positioned as her maid, is to be his accomplice.

Over two hours this subtitled thriller is surprisingly accessible. The twist is great, and although the film strays into fetishism and misogyny, Parks usual violence is limited to the end. Heterosexual male versions of lesbian love scenes can be off and the final scene felt gratuitous, yet in other ways it is vaguely girl power.  Aine OConnor

The Fast & The Furious 8

Cert: 12A; Now showing

Yes, F&F8. And I have seen, and more shockingly to me, enjoyed way more of them than I might have predicted. This latest instalment, the first made since Paul Walker died (shortly before filming wrapped on F&F7) sees the usual crew joined not only by Jason Statham but two Oscar-winning actresses.

This time around Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) are on honeymoon in Cuba. Fortunately we don't have to endure too much of the grinning Toretto before the action starts. Then he meets a gorgeous blonde (Charlize Theron) who turns out to be Cipher, the world's most dangerous hacker. She has something on Toretto that forces him to abandon everything to work for her. Mr Nobody (Kurt Russell) and his new sidekick Little Nobody (Scott Eastwood) gather together Letty and the remaining F&F crew (Dwayne 'my guilty pleasure' Johnson, Tyrese Gibson, Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges and Nathalie Emmanuel) and make them work with arch enemy Shaw (Statham) to defeat Cipher, and by extension, Toretto.

F&F8 will not convert non fans, but devotees of the car-chase action genre and of this franchise should be very happy. It's self-aware enough to be tongue-in-cheek, high octane, utterly ridiculous and has some magic set ups, notably one with self-driving cars, and essentially it does what it says on the tin.  (Within genre) Aine O'Connor
The vice president reiterated Americas iron clad support of South Korea.

US Vice President Mike Pence issued a firm warning to North Korea as he visited the border with South Korea during his tour of Asia.

Heres everything you need to know.

What did Pence actually say?

The VP warned that a 25-year era of strategic patience since North Korea first obtained nuclear weapons is over.

Pence, on a trip to South Korea for a briefing with military leaders and to meet American troops, was visiting the Korean Demilitarised Zone less than 24 hours after a North Korean missile test failed.

Pence also described the US commitment to South Korea as iron clad.

The US vice president said Washington and its allies will achieve its objectives through peaceable means or ultimately by whatever means are necessary to protect South Korea and stabilise the region.

He said President Donald Trump is hopeful that China will use its extraordinary levers to pressure the North to abandon its weapons.

Pence later stood a few yards from the military demarcation line outside Freedom House, gazing at two North Korean soldiers across the border and then a deforested stretch of North Korea from a lookout post in the hillside.

Does that mean there could be military action?

While Pence said the US would act via whatever means are necessary, Trumps National Security Adviser HR McMaster was giving out apparently mixed messages.

McMaster cited Trumps recent decision to order missile strikes in Syria after a chemical attack blamed on the Assad government as a sign that the president is clearly comfortable making tough decisions.

But at the same time he said: Its time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully.

How are other countries in the region responding?

In Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the government was drawing up contingency plans in case a crisis on the Korean Peninsula sent an influx of refugees to the country.

Abe told a parliamentary session that the government is formulating measures including protecting foreigners, landing procedures, building and operating shelters, and screening asylum seekers.

Abe said the government has been also working on evacuation plans for Japanese from South Korea in case of a crisis.

Why is all this happening now?

As a US aircraft carrier entered the region as an apparent warning from President Trump, North Korea was attempting to flex its military muscles around the anniversary of the birth its founder.

Following a parade showing off the countryd missile arsenal, a North Korean missile exploded during launch on Sunday, US and South Korean officials said.

What has Trump been saying?

At his Florida resort for the Easter weekend, Trump trumpeted the USs own military capabilities.

The president also returned to a theme of placing emphasis on China for reining in the North.

Last week, he said he would not declare China a currency manipulator, pulling back from a campaign promise, as he looks for help from Beijing, which is the Norths dominant trade partner.

And he reiterated that stance yesterday.
Opposition figures indicated they would challenge the result, which could see Erdogan hold a referendum on bringing back the death penalty.

Turkeys president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won a critical referendum that will grant sweeping powers to the presidency, calling it a historic decision.

Speaking to reporters in Istanbul, Erdogan said unofficial results showed the yes side had won by a margin of 1.3 million votes. The head of Turkeys electoral board has since confirmed that the yes votes have won.

Heres everything you need to know.

Why did Erdogan call this referendum?

The yes vote approves 18 constitutional changes that will replace Turkeys parliamentary system of government with a presidential one, abolishing the office of the prime minister and granting sweeping executive powers to the president.

Erdogan says the presidential system will ensure the country no longer risks having weak government.

The reforms allow the president to appoint ministers, senior government officials and half the members of Turkeys highest judicial body, as well as to issue decrees and declare states of emergency.

Although the result falls short of the sweeping victory Erdogan had sought  the yes vote had about 51.3% compared to 48.7% for the no vote  it will cement his hold on the countrys governance.

So, what could the result mean for Turkey exactly?

The result is expected to have a huge impact on Turkeys long-term political future and its international relations.

Opponents fear the change will lead to autocratic one-man rule, ensuring Erdogan, who has been accused of repressing rights and freedoms, could govern until 2029 with few checks and balances.

When addressing crowds outside his Istanbul residence, Erdogan told supporters chanting for the death penalty to be reinstated that he would discuss the issue with other political leaders and may even seek a new referendum.

What has Erdogan said about the result?

The president struck a conciliatory tone while speaking to reporters in Istanbul at first, thanking all voters regardless of how they cast their ballots and describing the referendum as a historic decision.

April 16 is the victory of all who said yes or no, of the whole 80 million, of the whole of Turkey of 780,000-square kilometres, Erdogan said.

But he later slammed critics whom he said belittled the result, telling them their efforts would be in vain.

Whats it been like in the run-up to the referendum?

The referendum campaign was divisive and heavily one-sided, with the yes side dominating the airwaves and billboards across the country.

Supporters of the no vote have complained of intimidation, including beatings, detentions and threats.

The ballots themselves did not include the referendum question, it was assumed to be understood. Voters used an official stamp to select between yes and no.

And the vote comes as Turkey has been buffeted by problems  Erdogan survived a coup attempt last July, which he has blamed on his former ally and current nemesis Fethullah Gulen, an Islamic cleric living in the United States. Gulen has denied knowledge of the coup attempt.

What are the opposition to Erdogan saying?

The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, or CHP, cast doubt on the results.

CHP vice chairman Erdal Aksunger said they would challenge 37% of the ballot boxes.

Our data indicates a manipulation in the range of 3% to 4%, the party said on its Twitter account.

Chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu also said the Supreme Electoral Board had rendered the referendum polemical on Sunday by making an unprecedented announcement that it would accept as valid ballots cast without official stamps.

He says the board changed the rules in violation of the laws and cast a shadow on the results.

What has the reaction to Erdogans win been like in Turkey so far?

Erdogan supporters gathered in Istanbul to celebrate, sending fireworks into the night sky.

Meanwhile, Turkeys prime minister Binali Yildirim, whose position will be eliminated under the presidential system of government called for in the referendum, also welcomed the results and extended a hand to the opposition.

We are all equal citizens of the Republic of Turkey, he said. Both the ones who said no and the ones who said yes are one and are equally valuable.

There are no losers of this referendum. Turkey won, the beloved people won.

Turkeys foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has hailed his governments narrow win in the referendum as the birth of a new Turkey.

And what about the reaction outside of Turkey so far?

The European Unions senior officials have responded cautiously to the outcome of Turkeys constitutional referendum and are calling on the administration to seek a broad consensus as changes to the countrys system of government are implemented.

EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn said in a joint statement late on Sunday that they take note of the reported results indicating the referendum expanding the presidencys powers was approved.

They noted that they are awaiting a report from international election observers on the vote and alleged irregularities.

The three say the constitutional amendments and their enactment will be assessed in light of Turkeys obligations as a European Union candidate country and as a member of the Council of Europe.

The EU leaders said: In view of the close referendum result and the far-reaching implications of the constitutional amendments, we also call on the Turkish authorities to seek the broadest possible national consensus in their implementation.
The video of the killing remained on Facebook for around three hours before being removed.

A huge manhunt is under way in the United States after police said a man from Ohio shot and killed an elderly man and posted footage of the killing on Facebook.

Steve Stephens, 37, claimed in a separate video he posted that he had killed 13 people  but police say they have not verified any other shootings or deaths.

Who was the victim?

At present Stephens claims of other killings cannot be substantiated, but the man he shot on social media has been named as 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr.

Godwin was a retired foundry worker and was apparently shot by Stephens while out collecting aluminium cans in a plastic shopping bag.

The attack appears to have been random, but the footage of the crime and its aftermath has been shared widely on social media.

What happened in the video?

The video shed little light on the motive behind the shooting. He tells Godwin a womans name, claiming shes the reason that this is about to happen to you  Godwin doesnt appear to recognise the name.

After, Stephens aims a gun at Godwin  who shields his face with the plastic bag he had been using to collect cans.

The footage of the killing was on Facebook for about three hours before being taken down, and Stephens page has also now been removed from the site.

This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook, the company said.

Who is the suspect?

Stephens is a case manager at a behavioural health agency called Beech Brook from Pepper Pike, near Cleveland. In one of the videos he is seen holding up his Beech Brook identification badge.

Im killing with my Beech Brook badge on too, he says.

Beech Brook has said it is shocked and horrified by news of the shooting and hopes Stephens is apprehended quickly.

Stephens is also part of a fraternity, Omega Psi Phi, which sent out sincere and heartfelt prayers and condolences of comfort to the families affected by the shooting.

How is the manhunt going?

Police said Stephens may have left Ohio.

Theyre urging people in the nearby states of Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana and Michigan to be on the lookout, and warned Stephens should be considered armed and dangerous.
The Prince has been hailed as an inspiration to us all.

Prince Harry has received a swell of public support after opening about about his mental health following the death of his mother.

Speaking to Bryony Gordons Mad World podcast, Harry revealed he sought counselling after two years of total chaos having spent nearly 20 years not thinking about the death of Princess Diana.

Harry was 12 years old when Diana, Princess of Wales, was killed in a car crash in 1997, but he said it was not until his late 20s that he processed the grief.

Harrys openness on the subject has won huge public support.

Writer Felicity Morse said the interview was a wonderful move to tackle stigma, while actress Rebecca Front said it might help dispel the myth that emotions arent manly.

Another Twitter user, Peter Carter, said Harry was an inspiration to us all.

Harry, 32, told the Daily Telegraph: My way of dealing with it was sticking my head in the sand, refusing to ever think about my mum, because why would that help?

(I thought) its only going to make you sad, its not going to bring her back. So from an emotional side, I was like right, dont ever let your emotions be part of anything.

So I was a typical 20, 25, 28-year-old running around going life is great, or life is fine and that was exactly it.

And then (I) started to have a few conversations and actually all of a sudden, all of this grief that I have never processed started to come to the forefront and I was like, there is actually a lot of stuff here that I need to deal with.

He said he shut down his emotions after Dianas death which had a quite serious effect on not only my personal life but my work as well.

The prince said he sought help after his brother, the Duke of Cambridge, told him: Look, you really need to deal with this. It is not normal to think that nothing has affected you.
I didnt consider taking off my scarf, I just wanted to have a response from my dad to prove that what he said is false.

When a 17-year-old Muslim was told by a friend of a friend that her dad would beat her if she took her headscarf off, she wanted to prove him wrong.

After Lamyaa, who was born in Saudi Arabia but moved to the United States when she was seven, received the abuse in a group chat, she messaged her father telling him she wanted to take off her hijab.

And when he responded in a loving and supporting way, Lamyaa decided to share his reaction on Twitter to show that oppression isnt what the hijab symbolises to her  and its had thousands of retweets.

The message I had received was in a group chat that someone had made, said Lamyaa, when explaining the abuse directed at her. One of my friends added a bunch of people and I was one of them. We were having a discussion about several things, then the conversation was shifted to shed light on the presidency and the current tension.

I, personally, had very strong views considering the presidency did impact me because I am an Arab, Muslim woman.

I brought up the fact that I was Muslim and that guy didnt feel comfortable so he said what he said.

Lamyaa, who lives in Pennsylvania, said over the years she has experienced a lot of backlash for wearing a headscarf, which she said only made her grow as a person, and more importantly as a Muslim woman, Arab woman.

However, I did feel the need to prove him wrong, she explained. And thats where messaging my dad came in. I didnt consider taking off my scarf, I just wanted to have a response from my dad to prove that what he said is false.

She added: I did not expect my dad to respond in such a loving way. I expected him to be supportive but not concerned. It felt great to know that I had him and his love and support.

The tweet has since gained a lot of attention, and Lamyaa has found herself having to explain that she wasnt saying that no women are forced to wear the hijab.

Yes, a lot of women are forced to wear the hijab, she wrote in a note shared in a separate tweet. That oppression however isnt what the hijab symbolises, its not why women wear it.

I personally chose to wear the hijab, for myself and for god.

And Lamyaa says when it comes to people who have misconceptions about Islam, she wants them to speak to a Muslim and have a conversation with them.

She said: Many of us are willing to answer any questions and clear up any misconceptions.

Muslims are not some separate group, we are a part of America. We are people. Your doctors, lawyers, teachers, bus drivers, neighbours, etc. This country has freedom, and that doesnt stop at religion.

Just because someone believes in a different religion or dresses differently it does not mean that they are deserving of hate. At the end of the day, we are all people and all we want to do is live in peace.

One of Donald Trumps most controversial moves since becoming president was his so-called travel ban, which has also been described by some as a Muslim ban.

The executive orders put a temporary ban on people from a number of Muslim-majority entering the US but have been repeatedly challenged by judges.
Changes in Turkey will not influence Armenia (video)

Comparably developed regions of Turkey voted against the constitutional changes; mainly undeveloped regions voted for it. It proves that people in Turkey do not want changes, said today turkologist Ruben Safrastyan at the meeting with journalists. According to the prediction of the turkologist, the upcoming two years will be very hard for Turkey, as many laws must be changed and adapted to the new Constitution. It means that tense struggle is awaited inside Turkey. According to his observation, from large political parties, Nationalist Party supported Erdogan. Erdogan rests on pan-Turkism extreme forces. Though Turkey is taking the authoritarian government route, it isnt sultanate, as some balance, at least formally is maintained. The parliament will continue keeping the right to announce impeachment to president. The president should be in some limitations. Erdogans personality is important here, if it wasnt Erdogan and if there was any other individual, these changes would be more acceptable for the West and Europe. Simply knowing Erdogan, his character, everybody is afraid that Turkey may become more predictable. Touching upon the influence of constitutional changes on relations with Armenia, turkologist noted that there is no need to await changes, Turkey will continue its policy of not allowing creation of Kurdish state in Middle East. It will be the main point of Turkeys foreign politics. Turkeys political elite has less or more general approach towards relations with Armenia. Armenia has no geopolitical, economic significant for Turkey and the relations can be left on the same, non existing level.
Ballistic missiles being displayed through Kim Il-Sung square during a military parade in Pyongyang marking the 105th anniversary of the birth of late North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung. Photo: AFP Photo/KCNA via KNS/STR/South Korea

The United States, its allies and China are working together on a range of responses to North Korea's latest attempted ballistic missile test, US President Donald Trump's national security adviser said yesterday, citing what he called an international consensus to act.

"We are working together with our allies and partners and with the Chinese leadership to develop a range of options," HR McMaster said on ABC's 'This Week'.

"This latest missile test just fits into a pattern of provocative and destabilising and threatening behaviour on the part of the North Korean regime," Mr McMaster said.

He said the president has asked the national security council to integrate the efforts of the Defence and State departments and US intelligence agencies to develop options if "this pattern of behaviour continues and if the North Korean regime refuses to denuclearize".

"There is an international consensus now, including the Chinese leadership, that this is a situation that just cannot continue," Mr McMaster said.

The North Korean missile "blew up almost immediately" after its test launch yesterday, the US Pacific Command said.

Hours later US Vice President Mike Pence landed in South Korea for talks on the North's increasingly defiant arms programme. His visit comes a day after North Korea held a grand military parade in its capital city of Pyongyang, marking the birth anniversary of the state founder. What appeared to be new long-range ballistic missiles were on display.

Tensions have been rising as Mr Trump takes a hard rhetorical line with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who has rebuffed admonitions from China and proceeded with nuclear and missile programmes seen by Washington as a direct threat.

South Korea said the North's latest show of force "threatened the whole world".

But a US foreign policy adviser travelling with Mr Pence on Air Force Two sought to defuse some of the tension, saying the test of what was believed to be a medium-range missile had come as no surprise.

"We had good intelligence before the launch and good intelligence after the launch," the adviser told reporters on condition of anonymity.

"It's a failed test. It follows another failed test. So really no need to reinforce their failure. We don't need to expend any resources against that."

The adviser said the missile's flight lasted four or five seconds.

Mr Pence, addressing an Easter service with American troops in South Korea, said the US commitment to South Korea was unwavering.

"Our commitment to this historic alliance with the courageous people of South Korea has never been stronger."
A former racing car driver has become the first openly transgender ballet dancer to pass a Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) exam.

Sophie Rebecca, initially began learning ballet as James, but was forced to leave after the teacher found out about her gender struggles.

The 35-year-old was a racing driver for almost a decade before deciding to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a dancer.

She passed her intermediate foundation qualification with merit after the RAD abandoned their rule which stated only people born as women could take female dance courses in 2013.

She said she was not sure whether she was the first trans person to pass the exam - but added she was the first to be open about it.

I'm bunkering down from the hate but still believe it's important to put a positive message out there after the media coverage of late, she told The UK Independent.

Read More

Sophie realised in her mid-20s that she was not comfortable as a man and risked losing friends and family after making the decision to change gender.

I'm not transgender because I dance and I don't dance because I'm transgender. I dance because I'm a dancer. It just happens to be that I'm transgender. It's a passion, it's the way it makes me feel and it's perfect. It's me, she told the BBC.

( Independent News Service)
Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared victory in Sunday's referendum that will grant sweeping powers to the presidency, hailing the result as a "historic decision".

Speaking to reporters in Istanbul, Mr Erdogan said unofficial results showed the "yes" side had won by a margin of 1.3 million votes.

The president struck a conciliatory tone, thanking all voters regardless of how they cast their ballots and describing the referendum as a "historic decision".

"April 16 is the victory of all who said yes or no, of the whole 80 million, of the whole of Turkey of 780,000-square kilometres," Mr Erdogan said.

Returns carried by the state-run Anadolu news agency showed that with nearly 99% of the vote counted, the "yes" vote had about 51.3% compared to 48.7% for the "no" vote.

Turkey's main opposition party vowed to challenge the results reported by Anadolu agency, saying they were skewed.

Expand Close Women wave flags outside the AK Party headquarters in Ankara, Turkey November 2, 2015. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu described the outcome of a general election which swept his AK Party back to a parliamentary majority on Sunday as a victory for d / Facebook

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Whatsapp Women wave flags outside the AK Party headquarters in Ankara, Turkey November 2, 2015. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu described the outcome of a general election which swept his AK Party back to a parliamentary majority on Sunday as a victory for d

Mr Erdogan has long sought to broaden his powers, but a previous attempt failed after the governing party that he co-founded fell short of enough votes to pass the reforms without holding a referendum.

Opponents argued the plan concentrate too much power in the hands of a man they allege has shown increasingly autocratic tendencies.

The outcome is expected to have a huge effect on Turkey's long-term political future and its international relations.

Although the result, if officially confirmed, would fall short of the sweeping victory Mr Erdogan had sought, but nevertheless cements his hold on the country's governance.

Turkey's prime minister Binali Yildirim, whose position will be eliminated under the presidential system of government called for in the referendum, also welcomed the results and extended a hand to the opposition.

"We are all equal citizens of the Republic of Turkey," he said. "Both the ones who said 'no' and the ones who said 'yes' are one and are equally valuable.

Expand Close Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan poses as he casts his ballot at a polling station in Istanbul / Facebook

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Whatsapp Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan poses as he casts his ballot at a polling station in Istanbul

"There are no losers of this referendum. Turkey won, the beloved people won," Mr Yildirim said, adding that "a new page has opened in our democratic history with this vote. Be sure that we will use this result for our people's welfare and peace in the best way."

Read More

Erdogan supporters gathered outside the AK Party headquarters in Istanbul to celebrate, sending fireworks into the night sky.

But the main opposition People's Democratic Party, or CHP, cast doubt on the results.

CHP vice chairman Erdal Aksunger said they would challenge 37% of the ballot boxes.

"Our data indicates a manipulation in the range of 3 to 4%," the party said on its Twitter account.

The country's pro-Kurdish opposition party, which also opposed the constitutional changes, said it plans to object to two-thirds of the ballots.

Expand Close A man holds a Turkish flag as he waits for exit polls outside the AK Party headquarters in Istanbul, Turkey REUTERS/Osman Orsal / Facebook

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Whatsapp A man holds a Turkish flag as he waits for exit polls outside the AK Party headquarters in Istanbul, Turkey REUTERS/Osman Orsal

An unprecedented decision by Turkey's supreme election board to accept as valid ballot papers that don't have the official stamp also drew the ire of the CHP, with the party's deputy chairman, Bulent Tezcan, saying the decision had left the referendum "with a serious legitimacy problem."

The board made the announcement after many voters complained about being given ballot papers without the official stamp, saying ballots would be considered invalid only if proven to have been fraudulently cast.

Sunday's vote approved 18 constitutional changes that will replace Turkey's parliamentary system of government with a presidential one, abolishing the office of the prime minister and granting sweeping executive powers to the president.

The changes will come into effect with the next general election, scheduled for 2019.

The reforms allow the president to appoint ministers, senior government officials and half the members of Turkey's highest judicial body, as well as to issue decrees and declare states of emergency.

They set a limit of two five-year terms for presidents and also allow the president to remain at the helm of a political party.

Read More

Erdogan and his supporters had argued the "Turkish-style" presidential system would bring stability and prosperity in a country rattled by a failed coup last year that left more than 200 people dead, and a series of devastating attacks by the Islamic State group and Kurdish militants.

But opponents fear the changes will lead to autocratic one-man rule, ensuring the 63-year-old Mr Erdogan, who has been accused of repressing rights and freedoms, could govern until 2029 with few checks and balances.

The ballots themselves did not include the referendum question, it was assumed to be understood. Voters used an official stamp to select between "yes" and "no."

At one Istanbul polling station, eager voters lined up outside before it opened at 8am.

"I don't want to get on a bus with no brake system. A one-man system is like that," said Istanbul resident Husnu Yahsi, 61, who said he was voting "no".

In another Istanbul neighborhood, a "yes" voter expressed full support for Mr Erdogan.

"Yes, yes, yes! Our leader is the gift of God to us," said Mualla Sengul. "We will always support him. He's governing so well."

Mr Erdogan first came to power in 2003 as prime minister and served in that role until becoming Turkey's first directly elected president in 2014.

The referendum campaign was divisive and heavily one-sided, with the "yes" side dominating the airwaves and billboards across the country.

Supporters of the "no" vote have complained of intimidation, including beatings, detentions and threats.

Read More

The vote comes as Turkey has been buffeted by problems.

Mr Erdogan survived a coup attempt last July, which he has blamed on his former ally and current nemesis Fethullah Gulen, an Islamic cleric living in the United States.

Mr Gulen has denied knowledge of the coup attempt.

Still, a widespread government crackdown has targeted followers of Mr Gulen and other government opponents, branding them terrorists and a state of emergency has been imposed.

Roughly 100,000 people, including judges, teachers, academics, doctors, journalists, military officials and police, have lost their jobs in the government crackdown, and more than 40,000 have been arrested. Hundreds of media outlets and non-governmental organisations have been shut down.

Turkey has also suffered renewed violence between Kurdish militants and security forces in the country's volatile south east, as well as a string of bombings, some attributed to the Islamic State group, which is active across the border in Syria.

The war in Syria has led to some three million refugees crossing the border into Turkey.

Turkey has sent troops into Syria to help opposition Syrian forces clear a border area from the threat posed by Islamic State militants.

Meanwhile, Turkey's relations with Europe have been increasingly tense, particularly after Mr Erdogan branded Germany and the Netherlands as Nazis for not allowing Turkish ministers to campaign for the "yes" vote among expatriate Turks.
Syrians check the damage to a school after it was hit by an air strike in Tal Rifat (AP/ Khalil Hamra)

Government forces and their allies in Syria are advancing in the central province of Hama under the cover of intense air strikes, according to state media and opposition activists.

The push towards the town of Tibet al-Imam came a day after troops and pro-government militiamen captured the town of Soran, a month after Soran was lost in a rebel offensive.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syrian air force jets had conducted nearly 25 air strikes on Tibet al-Imam and nearby villages since midnight.

Syrian state news agency SANA quoted an unnamed military official as saying that troops are now at the eastern entrance of Tibet al-Imam after capturing nearby hills under the cover of intense bombardment.

Opposition fighters captured several towns and villages in the area last month in a large-scale offensive.
Armenia: EU and Armenia Hold annual Dialogue on Human Rights

Todays Shushi, Occupied and Cleared of Armenians, is a Real Example of Turkish-Azerbaijani Policy of Ethnic Cleansing of Artsakh

Ookla, the the global leader in internet testing and analysis has awarded Ucom

Sweden will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union

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

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There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol  Armenia and Azerbaijan  to do so without delay

An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022

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
Steve Stephens is believed to have killed a man and then posted the video on Facebook (Cleveland Police/AP)

Authorities in several states are on the lookout for a man believed to have shot an elderly father and then posted a video of the apparently random killing on Facebook.

Police said Steve Stephens, 37, killed Robert Godwin Sr, 74, while the pensioner was collecting aluminium cans in Cleveland, Ohio.

On day two of the manhunt, FBI agent Stephen Anthony said Stephens, a counsellor for young adults "could be nearby, he could be far away, or anywhere in between".

Investigators said Mr Godwin is the only victim so far linked to Stephens, despite the suspect's claim in a separate video on Facebook that he killed more than a dozen people.

Officers have searched dozens of places around the city and spoke with the suspect by mobile phone, police said.

Police chief Calvin Williams warned residents to be on their guard as they go about their day.

Authorities also warned people in Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana and Michigan to be alert for Stephens, who is wanted on a charge of aggravated murder.

Mr Godwin was apparently shot while out picking up cans in a plastic shopping bag, his daughter said.

"Not because he needed the money, it was just something he did," Debbie Godwin, 52, said. "That's all he was doing. He wasn't harming anyone."

She said her father, who had 10 children, was a gentle man.

"We called him the junk man," she said. "He'd pick up things off the street and fix them. He picked up bikes and he fixed them."

The motive for the shooting was not entirely clear from the shaky video, in which Stephens told Mr Godwin a woman's name and said: "She's the reason that this is about to happen to you."

Mr Godwin did not seem to recognise the woman's name.

The suspect then pointed a gun at Mr Godwin, who shielded his face with the plastic bag.

Facebook said the video was posted after the killing but was not broadcast on Facebook Live as police initially indicated. The suspect did go live on the social media site at another point on Sunday.

The video of the killing was on Facebook for about three hours before it was taken down. Stephens's Facebook page was also eventually removed.

"This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook," the company said. "We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety."

In the separate video, Stephens said: "I killed 13, so I'm working on 14 as we speak."

Police said they have not verified any other shootings or deaths.

Stephens worked at Beech Brook, a behavioural health agency headquartered in Pepper Pike, near Cleveland. He helped young people develop job skills and find employment.

An extensive background check before he was hired did not reveal anything that caused alarm, Beech Brook spokeswoman Nancy Kortemeyer said.

"We just hope Mr Stephens is apprehended as quickly as possible so that no-one else is injured," she added.

In one of the videos, Stephens could be seen holding up his employee identification and said: "I'm killing with my Beech Brook badge on, too."
U.S. soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division fire artillery in support of Iraqi forces fighting Islamic State militants from their base east of Mosul (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

A smoke rises above Al-Nuri mosque in the old city as Iraqi forces fight Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq April 17, 2017. REUTERS/Marko Djurica

Almost half a million civilians have fled Mosul since the start of a massive operation by US-backed Iraqi forces to retake the city from Islamic State militants.

The United Nations reported that 493,000 people were displaced from the city in northern Iraq, and up to 500,000 others remain in IS-controlled parts of western Mosul where fighting is ongoing.

Food, water and medicine are running low in western Mosul where fighting is much heavier than in the eastern part of the city which was declared "fully liberated" by the Iraqi government in January.

More to follow...
Authorities in several states are on the lookout for a man believed to have shot an elderly father and then posted a video of the apparently random killing on Facebook.

Police said Steve Stephens (37) killed Robert Godwin Sr (74) while the pensioner was collecting aluminium cans in Cleveland, Ohio.

On day two of the manhunt, FBI agent Stephen Anthony said Stephens, a counsellor for young adults "could be nearby, he could be far away, or anywhere in between".

Investigators said Mr Godwin is the only victim so far linked to Stephens, despite the suspect's claim in a separate video on Facebook that he killed more than a dozen people.

Officers have searched dozens of places around the city and spoke with the suspect by mobile phone, police said.

Police chief Calvin Williams warned residents to be on their guard as they go about their day.

Read More

Authorities also warned people in Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana and Michigan to be alert for Stephens, who is wanted on a charge of aggravated murder.

Mr Godwin was apparently shot while out picking up cans in a plastic shopping bag, his daughter said.

"Not because he needed the money, it was just something he did," Debbie Godwin, 52, said. "That's all he was doing. He wasn't harming anyone."

She said her father, who had 10 children, was a gentle man.

"We called him the junk man," she said. "He'd pick up things off the street and fix them. He picked up bikes and he fixed them."

The motive for the shooting was not entirely clear from the shaky video, in which Stephens told Mr Godwin a woman's name and said: "She's the reason that this is about to happen to you."

Mr Godwin did not seem to recognise the woman's name.

The suspect then pointed a gun at Mr Godwin, who shielded his face with the plastic bag.

Facebook said the video was posted after the killing but was not broadcast on Facebook Live as police initially indicated. The suspect did go live on the social media site at another point on Sunday.

The video of the killing was on Facebook for about three hours before it was taken down. Stephens's Facebook page was also eventually removed.

"This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook," the company said. "We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety."

In the separate video, Stephens said: "I killed 13, so I'm working on 14 as we speak."

Police said they have not verified any other shootings or deaths.

Stephens worked at Beech Brook, a behavioural health agency headquartered in Pepper Pike, near Cleveland. He helped young people develop job skills and find employment.

An extensive background check before he was hired did not reveal anything that caused alarm, Beech Brook spokeswoman Nancy Kortemeyer said.

"We just hope Mr Stephens is apprehended as quickly as possible so that no-one else is injured," she added.

In one of the videos, Stephens could be seen holding up his employee identification and said: "I'm killing with my Beech Brook badge on, too."
This society has no illusions of living well (video)

The cultural figures, voicing negative phenomena in Armenia, arent surprised at April 2 parliamentary elections. The system of values, which has our society, implied that we would have such results, says Ruben Babayan, Artistic Director of the Puppet Theatre. Actor Sergey Danielyan has other observation, The authorities very well assessed the nullity of the population and arranged their cards in a right way, and did what they were supposed to do. I cannot understand in that case why did we live through March 1 events, electoral struggle? The society doesnt have those standards, by which it must be guided while making political election. And when the election is not intellectual, it becomes mechanical- vote for money. Sergey Danielyan comments, It isnt the society, which has illusions to live well, it is the low quality society, which has as much as it needs. The people, who need more, have already left. Ruben Babayan stresses the role of culture, We need development of culture, we need good education and enlightenment. Culture, roughly speaking, is toothpaste, and the society is teeth. If you do not use culture, your teeth are damaged. If you do not want them to spoil, use culture. The right to election is given to a person from the birth, but not everybody can realize it, We undermined it, making a little ceremony of doing a favor to someone or a means to earn little money, says Ruben Babayan. People take to the streets, when the authorities threaten the contents of their pockets. This happened during Electric Yerevan, 100 drams fight and other similar cases. You cannot see a case, when the society protests after revelation of any corruption case. We havent formed society during these 25 years. We havent been able to establish any values, so that people can understand why they live, says Sergey Danielyan. People want to live well, but they can live well also in other countries. And there will be welfare in their own country, when the citizens try to create a country based on laws.
Mike Pence warned North Korea the "era of strategic patience is over" as he visited the Korean Demilitarised Zone within 24 hours of Pyongyang's failed missile test.

The US vice president said Washington and its allies will achieve its objectives through "peaceable means or ultimately by whatever means are necessary" to protect South Korea and stabilise the region.

He said President Donald Trump is hopeful that China will use its "extraordinary levers" to pressure the North to abandon its weapons.

Mr Pence, who had previously called the failed missile launch "a provocation," arrived at Camp Bonifas on Monday morning for a briefing with military leaders and to meet American troops stationed there.

The joint US-South Korean military camp is just outside the 2.5-mile-wide DMZ.

He later stood a few yards from the military demarcation line outside Freedom House, gazing at two North Korean soldiers across the border and then a deforested stretch of North Korea from a lookout post in the hillside.

Expand Close 'North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, is by any standards a disgraceful individual and his regime is utterly disgusting.' Photo: Getty Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp 'North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, is by any standards a disgraceful individual and his regime is utterly disgusting.' Photo: Getty Images

Mr Pence said there had been a period of patience in the 25 years since North Korea first obtained nuclear weapons.

"But the era of strategic patience is over," he said.

"President Trump has made it clear that the patience of the United States and our allies in this region has run out and we want to see change.

"We want to see North Korea abandon its reckless path of the development of nuclear weapons, and also its continual use and testing of ballistic missiles is unacceptable."

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Mr Pence's visit, full of Cold War symbolism, comes amid increasing tensions and heated rhetoric on the Korean Peninsula.

Expand Close Ballistic missiles being displayed through Kim Il-Sung square during a military parade in Pyongyang marking the 105th anniversary of the birth of late North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung. Photo: AFP Photo/KCNA via KNS/STR/South Korea / Facebook

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Whatsapp Ballistic missiles being displayed through Kim Il-Sung square during a military parade in Pyongyang marking the 105th anniversary of the birth of late North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung. Photo: AFP Photo/KCNA via KNS/STR/South Korea

While the North did not conduct a nuclear test, the spectre of a potential escalated US response accompanied Mr Pence as he began a 10-day trip to Asia.

The US national security adviser cited Mr Trump's recent decision to order missile strikes in Syria after a chemical attack blamed on the Assad government as a sign that the president "is clearly comfortable making tough decisions".

But at the same time, HR McMaster said: "It's time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully."

In a TV interview that aired on Sunday, Mr McMaster said the US would rely on its allies as well as on the Chinese leadership to resolve the issues with North Korea.

He said the US is focussed on stopping the North's weapons development and making the Korean Peninsula nuclear-free.

"It's clear that the president is determined not to allow this kind of capability to threaten the United States. And our president will take action that is in the best interest of the American people."

Mr Pence will be tasked with explaining US policy in meetings with leaders in South Korea and Japan during the trip, which will also include stops in Indonesia and Australia.

He will aim to reassure allies in South Korea and Japan that the US will take appropriate steps to defend them against North Korean aggression.

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A North Korean missile exploded during launch on Sunday, US and South Korean officials said.

The high-profile failure came as the North tried to showcase its nuclear and missile capabilities around the birth anniversary of the North's late founder and as a US aircraft carrier neared the Korean Peninsula.

Mr Trump, spending the Easter weekend at his Florida resort, reinforced his commitment to the armed forces under his control.

"Our military is building and is rapidly becoming stronger than ever before," he tweeted.

More directly on North Korea, the president returned to a theme of placing much emphasis on China for reining in the North.

Last week, he said he would not declare China a currency manipulator, pulling back from a campaign promise, as he looks for help from Beijing, which is the North's dominant trade partner.

On Sunday he tweeted: "Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem? We will see what happens!"
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence today reassured Japan of American commitment to reining in North Korea's nuclear and missile ambitions on Tuesday, after warning that U.S. strikes in Syria and Afghanistan showed the strength of its resolve.

Pence arrived in Tokyo from South Korea, where he assured leaders of the "iron-clad" alliance with the United States. He also warned the reclusive North, which has conducted a series of missile and nuclear tests in defiance of U.N. sanctions, that the "era of strategic patience" was over.

North Korea regularly threatens to destroy Japan, South Korea and the United States and it showed no let-up in its defiance after a failed missile test on Sunday, a day after putting on a huge display of missiles in Pyongyang.

"The era of strategic patience is over and while all options are on the table, President (Donald) Trump is determined to work closely with Japan, with South Korea, with all our allies in the region and with China to achieve a peaceable resolution and the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula" Pence said in Tokyo before lunch with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Expand Close Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers marching through Kim Il-Sung square during a military parade in Pyongyang marking the 105th anniversary of the birth of late North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung. AFP/ STR/AFP/Getty Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers marching through Kim Il-Sung square during a military parade in Pyongyang marking the 105th anniversary of the birth of late North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung. AFP/ STR/AFP/Getty Images

"... We appreciate the challenging time in which the people of Japan live with increasing provocation across the Sea of Japan. We are with you 100 percent," he said.

North Korea's deputy representative to the United Nations, Kim In Ryong, accused the United States on Monday of creating "a situation where nuclear war could break out an any time" and said Pyongyang's next nuclear test would take place "at a time and at a place where our headquarters deems necessary".

He told the BBC: "We'll be conducting more missile tests on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis."

Warning of "all-out war" if the US takes military action, he added: "If the US is planning a military attack against us, we will react with a nuclear pre-emptive strike by our own style and method."

US President Donald Trump told North Korea it has "gotta behave" when he answered questions from a reporter in the White House as the crisis escalated.

Vice-president Mike Pence, meanwhile, said the "era of strategic patience is over" during a visit to Seoul and he told South Korea the US is with the nation 100pc.

Read More

"President Trump has made it clear that the patience of the United States and our allies in this region has run out and we want to see change," he said.

"We want to see North Korea abandon its reckless path of the development of nuclear weapons, and also its continual use and testing of ballistic missiles is unacceptable."

Expand Close This April 15, 2017 picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on April 16, 2017 shows Korean People's ballistic missiles being displayed through Kim Il-Sung square during a military parade in Pyongyang marking the 105th anniversary of the birth of late North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung. / AFP PHOTO / KCNA VIA KNS / STR / / Facebook

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Whatsapp This April 15, 2017 picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on April 16, 2017 shows Korean People's ballistic missiles being displayed through Kim Il-Sung square during a military parade in Pyongyang marking the 105th anniversary of the birth of late North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung. / AFP PHOTO / KCNA VIA KNS / STR /

He warned Pyongyang "would do well not to test" the resolve of Mr Trump.

The UK has urged North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to stop "these belligerent acts and comply with UN resolutions", but No 10 refused to be drawn on reports that Prime Minister Theresa May has privately urged Mr Trump not to launch air strikes on North Korea.

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov warned the US against "unilateral actions like those we saw recently in Syria" and urged the US to "follow the line that president Trump repeatedly voiced during the election campaign".

Mr Trump has ordered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and several warships to the area to highlight American concern at the situation, as China expressed fears war could erupt "at any moment".

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday diplomatic means must be used to resolve tensions on the Korean peninsula.

Wang, speaking at a news conference in Beijing, urged all sides to find a peaceful solution.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrive to attend a press conferece after their talks in Moscow on April 12

China and Russia have dispatched spy vessels to shadow a US aircraft carrier group heading to North Korean waters, Japanese media said, amid rising tensions over Pyongyangs nuclear ambitions.

Beijing sought Russian help in averting a crisis over North Korea last week, as concerns grow in China that Donald Trump is seeking to confront North Korea over its weapons program.

The US president sent a navy group led by the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson into the region, in what is being seen as a signal to Pyongyang.

Mr Trump described the force as an armada and said that submarines were being sent which were far more powerful than the aircraft carrier.

The Yomiuri Shimbun, citing multiple sources of the Japanese government, said China and Russia had dispatched intelligence-gathering vessels from their navies to chase the USS Carl Vinson.

The ships are strengthening warning and surveillance activities in the waters and airspace around the area, Japans largest daily newspaper said, according to its English language sister publication, The Japan News.

It comes amid reports that tour companies in China have stopped arranging tour groups to North Korea, which had previously been a popular destination for Chinese tourists.

Media outlet thepaper.cn said several agencies had ceased organising package tours, including travel website Lumama and Ctrip  Chinas biggest tour agency  which stopped group trips to North Korea at the end of 2016.

Ctrip told the Shanghai-based website that it did not know when it would resume trips to North Korea.

However, travel agencies told thepaper.cn that there had not been a notice from authorities forcing them to cancel trips to the reclusive state.

Media reported last week that Chinas national carrier, Air China, suspended flights from Beijing to Pyongyang because of dwindling passengers.

Tensions have been escalating in recent weeks. A North Korean missile "blew up almost immediately" on its test launch on Sunday, US officials said.

But despite the apparent setback for Pyongyang, experts in Asia believe Mr Trump has little room for manoeuvre over North Korea, given the military deterrent Kim Jong-uns regime has at its disposal.

Arthur Ding, a military expert based at Taiwans National Chengchi University, said North Korea used a military parade on Saturday to show the world that there is no way to reverse its bomb and missile program now, because, like India and Pakistan, North Korea is a de facto nuclear state.

Mr Ding said: "Politically, it somewhat implies that the DPRK should be treated fairly - if not equally - with that of other nuclear states.

Mike Pence, the US vice president, was on Monday visiting a military base near the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence looks at the North side from Observation Post Ouellette in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), near the border village of Panmunjom, which has separated the two Koreas since the Korean War, South Korea. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence put North Korea on notice on Monday, warning that recent U.S. military strikes in Syria and Afghanistan showed the resolve of President Donald Trump should not be tested.

Pence and South Korean acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn, speaking after a failed missile test by North Korea and a huge display of missiles in Pyongyang, said they would move ahead with the early deployment to South Korea of the U.S. THAAD missile-defense system, in spite of Chinese objections.

Pence was on the first stop of a four-nation Asia tour intended to show that the Trump administration is not turning its back on the increasingly volatile region.

"Just in the past two weeks, the world witnessed the strength and resolve of our new president in actions taken in Syria and Afghanistan," Pence said in an appearance with Hwang.

Expand Close U.S. Vice President Mike Pence talks with National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun during their meeting in Seoul, South Korea, April 17, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji / Facebook

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Whatsapp U.S. Vice President Mike Pence talks with National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun during their meeting in Seoul, South Korea, April 17, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

"North Korea would do well not to test his resolve or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region," Pence said.

The U.S. Navy this month struck a Syrian airfield with 59 Tomahawk missiles after a chemical weapons attack. On Thursday, the U.S. military dropped "the mother of all bombs," the largest non-nuclear device it has ever unleashed in combat, on caves and tunnels used by Islamic State in Afghanistan.

Korean tensions have escalated following repeated North Korean missile tests and concerns that Pyongyang may soon conduct a sixth nuclear bomb test in defiance of U.N. sanctions. The United States worries about the isolated country's efforts to develop a nuclear-topped missile that could hit the U.S. mainland.

Senior North Korean officials on Monday reiterated recent warnings that the situation was "nearing the brink of war.

Kim Song Gyong, director general of the European Department of the Foreign Ministry in Pyongyang, told Reuters that if Washington made "the slightest movement" to make a nuclear strike on North Korea, Pyongyang would strike first and "destroy the aggressors without any mercy.

Kim went on to clarify that the approach to the Korean peninsula of a U.S. aircraft carrier strike force, led by the nuclear powered USS Carl Vinson, would not be considered enough to constitute the slightest movement.

North Korea's deputy representative to the United Nations, Kim In Ryong, accused Washington of creating a situation where nuclear war could break out an any time and said Pyongyang's next nuclear test would take place "at a time and at a place where our headquarters deems necessary."

And North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Han Song-Ryol told the BBC his country would continue to test missiles on "a weekly, monthly and yearly basis."

At a White House Easter celebration, Trump was asked by a reporter if he had a message for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and replied: Gotta behave.

Pence, whose father served in the 1950-53 Korean War, visited the North-South border on Monday and said Washington would stand by its "iron-clad alliance" with South Korea.

"All options are on the table to achieve the objectives and ensure the stability of the people of this country," he told reporters as tinny propaganda music floated across from the North Korean side of the so-called demilitarized zone (DMZ).

ECONOMIC TALKS

Trump's national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, said on Sunday that the United States, its allies and China were working on a range of responses to North Korea's latest missile test, citing what he called an international consensus to act.

McMaster indicated Trump was not considering military action for now, despite the sending of the carrier group.

Officials say the U.S. administration is focusing on tougher economic sanctions, possibly including an oil embargo, a global ban on North Korea's airline, intercepting cargo ships and punishing Chinese banks doing business with Pyongyang.

Pence is expected to discuss Korean tensions with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday when he travels to Tokyo for economic talks with Finance Minister Taro Aso. He will also visit Jakarta and Sydney.

His economic discussions will be closely watched to see how hard a line Washington is prepared to take on trade. Trump campaigned on an "America First" platform, and has vowed to narrow big trade deficits with nations like China and Japan.

But Trump has also shown willingness to link trade to other issues, saying he would cut a better trade deal with China if it exerts influence on North Korea to curb its nuclear ambitions.

Trump said on Sunday the softer line he has taken on China's currency management was linked to its help on North Korea.

China has appeared increasingly frustrated with its North Korean neighbor and ally, speaking out against its weapons tests and supporting U.N. sanctions, while repeatedly calling for talks.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said China had taken some "very helpful" steps, although it remained to be seen how effective these would be.

Susan Thornton, acting U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asia, told reporters Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and China's top diplomat, State Councillor Yang Jiechi, agreed in a phone call on Sunday on the need for strict enforcement of U.N. resolutions and for international action to press Pyongyang "to cease provocative actions and recommit to peaceful denuclearization.

Thornton said any new North Korean nuclear test "would draw a pretty significant international response."

"We dont want to telegraph exactly what that is," she added. "Were definitely not seeking conflict or regime change. But we are committed to defending our people and our allies should it be necessary.

China banned imports of North Korean coal, the country's most important export, in February, and Chinese media has raised the possibility of restricting oil shipments to the North.

However, Beijing says the crisis is one between the United States and North Korea.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said the situation was "highly sensitive, complicated and high risk" and all sides should "avoid taking provocative actions."
CONCORD- Forty-nine percent of first generation college students delay entry into post-secondary education after completing high school. Many factors play into the decision to delay, but a common one is financial.

To help these students succeed in attending college, the Cabarrus County Education Foundation (CCEF) developed its First Generation College program to provide scholarships to those who will be the first generation in their family to pursue an education beyond a high school diploma.

This year, CCEF awarded the following five Cabarrus County students with scholarships to defray their first-year college expenses:

- Kemryn Allen-Perry of Jay M. Robinson. Perry will study nuclear engineering and biochemistry at either North Carolina A&T, Hampton University of Fayetteville State University.

- Danielle Boza of Concord High School. Boza plans to study physical and exercise science at Pfeiffer University.

- Mariah Cason of Northwest Cabarrus High School. Cason will attend East Carolina University and major in biology.

- Kayla Latta of Cabarrus Kannapolis Early College High School. Latta plans to study zoology at N.C. State University.

- Thomas Lundy of Mount Pleasant High School. Lundy plans to attend UNC Asheville and is undecided on his major.

These students were recognized at a recent Cabarrus County Board of Education meeting.

Being able to assist these students overcome a major hurdle for attending college and achieving their aspirations is just such a great way for CCEF to continue investing in the students and staff of Cabarrus County, Amy Gough, executive director of CCEF, said.

First Generation College scholarships are awarded each spring to graduating seniors from Cabarrus County Schools high schools.

For more information visit www.ccefnc.org.
Toll prices in Croatia have risen.



Instead of keeping the highways as cheap as possible and in that way more accessible to citizens, it seems like they have become an end in themselves. The new price list serves as proof to this claim as toll prices rise 5 per cent.



You should also keep in mind that fuel consumption is much higher when you use the highway instead of alternative roads.



Recklessly high prices



The new pricelist has been effective since April 3rd and it applies to the following highways: A1 Zagreb - Split  Dubrovnik, A3 Bregana - Zagreb - Lipovac, A4 Zagreb - Gorican, A5 Beli Manastir - Osijek - Svilaj, A10 Granica BiH - Ploce i A11 Zagreb - Sisak.



And there's more. During summer, from July 1st to September 30th, the rise in toll prices will be 10 per cent.



The toll prices have become so recklessly high that on some routes they surpass the prices for yearly vignettes in European countries.



Minister Oleg Butkovic said that the rise in prices is a result of a high debt the Croatian traffic sector is in and it cannot pay off its loans. In Croatian this means - the highways are in debt so we'll take the money from our citizens.



Alternative routes



Of course, Index considers this a problem, so we have found alternative routes to the expensive highway fragments. If you need to reach your destination without paying large sums of money to these leaches, you can find the routes here.



By clicking on the small map you will open a large size version with the route details.



We will describe in detail the most common route, Zagreb - Split.



A1 Zagreb - Split Highway



Instead of paying 284 HRK to drive from Lucko to Dugopolje on a route 379 km long, there's an alternative for 0 HRK.



Using D1 road your trip will take approximately 5 hours and 35 minutes and the route is 357 km long.



In Zagreb take Jadranska Avenue. Drive for 1,7 km to Brezovicka Road, Brezovicka Street, Grancarska Street, Kraljevecki bregi Street and Bregana Pisarovinska. After 24,3 km you will reach Karlovacka Street in Pisarovina.



Continue from Donja Kupcina to Blatnica Pokupska for 15,2 km. After another 17,9 km you will reach Cerovac Vukmanicki.



Drive on D1 for the next 288 km until you reach the exit for Split.

Instead of paying 359 HRK to drive from Lucko to Karamatici for 481 km, choose the alternative route to Dubrovnik for 0 HRK.



Using the roads D36, D1 and D8 the trip will take approximately 8 hours and 40 minutes. The route is 559 km long.



In Zagreb take Jadranska Avenue.



Via Bregana Pisarovinska you will reach D36 and then D1 road. Continue along Domovinski rat Street and then D8 towards Dubrovnik exit. This part of the route is about 553 km long and takes approximately 8 hours and 22 minutes.

Driving on D8 and E65/M2 will take approximately 3 hours and 39 minutes. The route is 214 km long.Instead of paying 75 HRK to drive from Dugopolje to Karamatici on a route 102 km long, choose the alternative route for 0 HRK.In Split take Zbor narodne garde Street. Via Poljicka Road you will reach D8.Then take E65/M2 and D8 again. Continue to the exit for Dubrovnik.

Tekst se nastavlja ispod oglasa

Via D2 your trip will take approximately 5 hours and 23 minutes. The route is 336 km long.Instead of paying 193 HRK to drive from Zagreb to Lipovac for 265 km, choose the alternative route for 0 HRK.Also, instead of paying 185 HRK to drive from Zagreb to Osijek, choose the alternative for 0 HRK.

Using D3 you will drive for approximately 2 hours and 7 minutes. The route is 107 km long.Instead of paying 65 HRK to drive from Zagreb to Gorican for 76 km, choose the alternative route for 0 HRK.Also, instead of paying 42 HRK to drive from Zagreb to Varazdin, or 53 HRK to Cakovec, choose the alternative route for 0 HRK.

This section hasn't opened for traffic yet.Via D30 your trip will take approximately 1 hour and 9 minutes. The route is 58,3 km long.Instead of paying 15 HRK to drive from Zagreb to Sisak for 29 km, choose the alternative route for 0 HRK.
Foreign trademarks doubled in India in 2015-2016

Trademark applications filed by foreign companies and organizations in India doubled to 15,670 in 2015-2016 as per the annual report of the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs, Trademarks and Geographical Indications. This reflects a renewed interest in the Indian market, which is further boosted by the positive regulatory and business-friendly position adopted by the current government.

The main sectors that witnessed the maximum amount of trademark applications include: cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, surveying and electrical apparatus, stationary, clothing, beverages, advertising and business management.

Indias port capacity crosses record 1 billion ton

The capacity of 12 major ports in India surpassed the one billion ton mark in 2016-2017, according to Shipping, Road Transport and Highways Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. Capacity worth 100.59 million ton was added in this last fiscal year alone, while the overall capacity reached 1.06 billion ton per annum (1,065 MTPA) in 2016-2017.

Commodity shipments that saw growth include iron ore traffic (rose by 163.67 percent), miscellaneous and general cargo (grew 18.53 percent), and petroleum, oil, and lubricants (POL) products (8.16 percent).

Indias port development is a major reforms focus for the present government, reflected in the comprehensive Sagarmala port and logistics development project. Further, 116 new initiatives aim to be implemented by 2019; 70 of these proposed reforms are already in implementation as per the government.

The countrys 12 major ports are: Kandla, Mumbai, JNPT, Marmugao, New Mangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Ennore, V O Chidambaranar, Visakhapatnam, Paradip, and Kolkata (including Haldia). Altogether, these handle approximately 61 percent of Indias total cargo traffic.

Ease of doing business and state-wise rankings in India

The World Bank and Indias Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) conduct a coordinated assessment of the business reforms implemented in Indias states every year, along the lines of the World Banks Doing Business Report. This week, the DIPP and World Bank announced an expanded list of business process reforms on which states will be assessed this year for their ease of doing business. The list of 405 reforms have been grouped into 11 categories.

These cover labor regulation, contract enforcement, registering property, inspection enablers, single-window system, land availability and allotment, construction permit, environmental registration, obtaining utility permits for water and electricity, paying taxes, and access to information and transparency.

States will have until October 31 to implement these reforms. In keeping with the methodology of the World Banks Doing Business Report, the DIPP will use feedback from users (business-to-government) to evaluate the operational effectiveness of state reforms. Newly divided states Andhra Pradesh and Telangana topped the survey last year.

Meanwhile, the World Bank is positively considering expanding its scope of Ease of Doing Business assessment in India, by surveying ten cities instead of just Delhi and Mumbai.

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 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.
New York, Apr 16 (Just Earth News): Expressing ahorrora at the attack on civilians evacuating from the besieged Syrian towns of Foah and Kefraya, the United Nations humanitarian chief has called on all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international law and protect civilians.

The perpetrators of such a monstrous and cowardly attack displayed a shameless disregard for human life, Stephen O'Brien, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, said in a statement.

International humanitarian law is very clear: warring parties must protect civilians and distinguish between military and civilian targets, he underscored.

Some 5,000 people were travelling from the two towns to Government-controlled areas when an explosion occurred near their convoy as it passed Rasheedin, western Aleppo, yesterday. Scores of people have been killed and many injured.

In the aftermath of the attack, humanitarian organizations, including the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and UN partners, are providing assistance to the injured, including transferring them to hospitals.

The evacuation from Foah and Kefraya was a part of an agreement, popularly referred to as the Four Towns Agreement meant to facilitate humanitarian access to the people in need in those besieged towns. In addition to these two places in Idlib, the Agreement also includes Madaya and Zabadani in rural Damascus.

In the statement, the UN humanitarian chief further noted that while the UN was not involved in the agreement or evacuation process, it stands ready to scale up its support to evacuees.

In that regard, I call on all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, and to facilitate safe and unimpeded access for the UN and its partners to bring life-saving help to those in need, he said.

Also in the statement, O'Brien, who is also the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, expressed his deepest sympathies to the families of those killed and injured.

UN Photo/Loey Felipe

Source: www.justearthnews.com
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

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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
A 15-day-year old Iraqi baby who was born with eight limbs was successfully operated on by a team of doctors in a hospital near Delhi. He was suffering from a rare disease called polymelia, which involves the limbs; a birth defect so rare that there are only 5-6 known cases of this worldwide. The doctors had to operate on his unusual number limbs in order to give him a new lease of life.

Jaypeehospital/CAP

Polymelia is a birth defect in which the affected individual has more than the usual number of limbs and, in this case, the boy, named Karam who was brought to the hospital in a very critical condition, had eight limbs.

"Both the legs of the baby which were protruding out of the stomach were connected through his sternum (the breastbone) and there was no abdominal wall defect. His blood veins were also adjoined to his liver veins," Ashish Rai, Senior Consultant, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Jaypee Hospital, told reporters here.

With the help of complex microscopic technique, these veins were separated and then his legs protruding out of his stomach were removed from his body.

When Karam was brought to the hospital he was just two-weeks-old. His limbs and the intestines were distorted along with situs inverses of the intestine with an extremely rare condition where a conjoined twin did not fully form and was partially absorbed.

Representational Image

The team of doctors observed the baby and considering the risk factors, decided to perform the critical surgery in three stages.

In the first stage, Karam's clubfeet was treated and the two limbs which were protruding out of his stomach were removed.

In the second stage, the doctors performed "PA Band" surgery so that his left ventricle can control his entire body's blood circulation after the treatment and he can undergo a 'Double Switch Surgery' in future.

AFP

In the third stage of the surgery, the other two limbs were also removed from his body.

"The level of the surgery was complicated as it took almost eight hours but we did not face any major issues. We had planned the surgery thoroughly. We had done all the investigation earlier regarding the case," Gaurav Rathore, Senior Consultant, Orthopaedics & Joint Replacement Department, Jaypee Hospital, told IANS.

"There are just five or six known cases worldwide of this condition," Rathore added.
A class 10th student from the industrial town has sent the records tumbling , setting 13 Limca Book of records in just a year.

Nicknamed 'Calculator Girl', Dilpreet Kaur set 11 national and two world records for most number of mathematical calculations in a minute, that too in a short span of one year. She received her certificates for her feat on Saturday.

Facebook

In an event organized and supervised by district administration, railway officials and others in the city on August 25, 2016, she had made 11 record by doing 11 mathematical calculations in a record time, ranging from 15.83 sec to 1.36 minute. All 11 records of Dilpreet were accepted in October last year.

In total, Dilpreet, till date had set 14 records which includes two world records, Limca Book of Records authorities said. "She has become the first person to achieve the feat of bagging a maximum of 13 records in just a span of one year, which is a rare feat in the history of Limca Book of Records," Anant Kasibhatla, member of the Limca Book of Records team said Her father Manjeet Singh, a mathematics teacher, encouraged her by giving her bigger numbers to solve. "To improve her skill, we suggested her to follow ancient Abacus theory to perform mathematical functions like multiplication, division, addition, subtraction, square root and cube root," Singh said.

Facebook

The district administration has also written to ministry of child development to acknowledge her mother Simran Kaur, also a teacher, said.

The district magistrate has also made a recommendation to chief minister for acknowledging her talent and rewarding her.
Five persons were killed when a small plane carrying four passengers has reportedly crashed near a supermarket in a residential area outside Portugal's capital Lisbon this evening.

REUTERS

According to rescue workers, everyone on board, including three French and one Swiss, died on the spot. The fifth fatality was a person on the ground, who was struck as the plane crashed into a truck, setting off a fire, according to local authorities. The cause of the accident was unknown at the time of filing this report.

Initial report indicates that the private plane crashed shortly after taking off from the small Tires airport nearby. The airport is mainly used by private planes and is located about 20 km west of the city of Lisbon -- the capital city of Portugal.

REUTERS

Andre Fernandes, a spokesman for the local emergency services was quoted by Reuters that the plane was headed for Marseilles in France.

Reuters

Portugal's President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, also reportedly visited the site of the plane crash, overseeing efforts of local authorities in the form of 50 rescue workers dealing with this calamity.
In less than a hundred years, Turkey is at the crossroads of defining itself - yet again.

Reuters

Last time, it was the enigmatic leader, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who declared the formation of a secular Republic of Turkey after the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire as a result of World War I. This time, it is the populist campaigner, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who promises to free Turkish people from the imposed Kemalist secular principles, reproach from the European Union and bring back the lost glory and respect that Turkey saw under the Ottoman Sultans.

The die is cast and the majority of the people have voted Yes in favour of the proposed amendments to the Turkish constitution. Now what? Where is arguably the most modern country with an overwhelming Muslim majority moving towards?

Reuters

Is it a departure from democratic and secular values that Ataturk brought to the nation? Is it the official beginning of autocracy once again as the referendum seeks to change Turkey from a Parliamentary system to a powerful Presidential system? Should the Turks living inside and outside Turkey, who voted 'no', be worried? Or should it just be seen as a momentary victory of a self-obsessed politician?

What does the Turkish referendum result mean?

As what exactly is cooking inside Erdogans brain still remains uncertain, here is what the result of the referendum is expected to do. This will enable the Turkish government to change the constitution and its governance from a parliamentary system to an executive presidency with extreme powers. It means that the powers of the top office will significantly increase, virtually making way for the head to act as an autocrat.

It will also give the President (next to be elected in 2019) new powers to appoint vice-presidents, ministers, high-level officials, and senior judges. Isnt it scary? On top of that, it will also allow the president to dissolve parliament, issue executive decrees, and impose the state of emergency. Thats surely not going to be democratic, no matter how Erdogan spporters try to convince the others. The only silver lining here is that it will limit the presidency to two five-year terms.

Its been Erdogan all the way

Erdogan may not be bipolar himself, but the opinions on him are sharply divided across the world. For one section of the commentators, he is reminiscent of the autocrats that once ruled major parts of Europe and dragged people into several wars and subsequent destruction. While others count him as a leader, who appeals to the masses in Turkey and other Muslim countries; a leader who can take action against those who demean the Turkish pride.

Reuters

There is no doubt that Erdogan has had peoples support during all tenures  as Mayor of Istanbul, as PM of Turkey, and now as President  at various offices he held. However, he has drawn an equal amount of criticism for allegedly choking the democratic rights of the people in Turkey. But, he hardly seems to care about criticism and continues to remain on the path he has chosen for the country. After all, he has all the support that he needs.

We have been attacked by other nations of the world. You have seen how the West attacked us, Erdogan told his supporters in Istanbul as the result of the referendum was being declared.

And to his liking, his supporters see this as a new era in Turkish history. Well, it could be true. But one thing is for sure: Peoples choice for absolute power in the hands of one man or one party, looks a really dangerous proposition, to begin with.

Fears of crackdown

Referendum or not, Erdogan has exercised his existing powers to maul those who he and his nationalist allies accused of being anti-national (well, this sounds quite familiar to the Indians under the current regime). The Turkish authorities have shown no mercy in muzzling voices of opposition. From shutting down of media houses to crackdown on academics and prosecution of critics, the Turkish government, led by Erdogans Justice and Development Party, also known as AKP, has practised politics of vendetta.

Reuters

With the emergence of rabid Right-wing governments in many parts of the world, national interest is an easy excuse for anything that is done by the ruler. People - majority of them - give them the backing that they need to make sure that they dont lose ground when it comes to electoral politics. The failed coup attempt by a section of Turkish army personnel also gave Erdogan the legitimacy to further cement his place and uproot the opposition in whatever form it is simmering. It is very likely that with new powers, things may go even worse, all in the name of national interest.

Turkey and the Middle East

Not long ago, just before the so-called Arab Spring began in North Africa and West Asia, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to streets and demonstrating against their rulers, Turkey was seen as a model of democracy, particularly for the Muslim majority countries in the region that were ruled by dictators. Now, the conditions have changed drastically. Syria is experiencing a bloody civil war, Libya is nothing short of a medieval tribal battleground, Egypt again has a military dictator ruling the country, Yemen is under attack by Saudi Arabia, Iraq is consumed by sectarian violence.

Away from the sectarian jousts between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran and their influence on all these conflicts, can Turkey offer the stability to these embattled Arab states?

Reuters

It looks unlikely. Erdogan is expected to first concentrate on the domestic issues and garner further support for making changes in the constitution he and his party wants. After that he may think of venturing beyond Turkish boundaries. Turkeys involvement in Syria is going to continue due to NATO compulsions and new equations with Russia.

New era or return to the past?

Between the criticism and praises, the authorities in Turkey seem to be confused whether they should dub their success as a new era in Turkish history or return to the glorious past of the Ottomans. A century has passed since the disintegration of the centuries-old empire, there are still a considerable number of people in Turkey who yearn for the Ottoman period. They want to express themselves as Muslims in the streets, at cafes, and in any public space, they go to. At the same time, there are people, young and old, who want to see Turkey going forward without any baggage of the past. They want to remain free from state-sponsored history, politics, culture and religion.

Reuters

Turkey, like India and Israel, is grappling with the question of defining itself while oscillating between the ideas of religion and secularism. The referendum has been a closely fought one with only a little over 51 per cent of people voting for reforms. This only gives hope that there is enough opposition in Turkey. But, do they have any voice beyond vote? Looking at what has happened in the recent past, it looks very unlikely.

The coming weeks will tell which direction Turkey chooses for its future, but one thing is for sure: With this referendum win, Erdogan and his party AKP will reduce the secular Kemalist constitution to just a relic in Ankara. Or it was already done, when Erdogan entered the office.
Pakistan army today said that the 20-year-old woman, who was arrested in a terror bust in Lahore, is a medical student and had joined the ISIS on Facebook. The security forces yesterday claimed to have failed a major attack on minority Christians ahead of Easter in Lahore after they killed a militant in Punjab Housing Society and arrested his two aides, including the woman.

Six personnel had acquired injuries during the shoot out, the Inter Service Public Relation, the media wing of Pakistan army explained later. The woman has been identified as Naureen Leghari, a second-year student of the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) in Jamshoro, Sindh province of Pakistan.

FB

According to Pakistan news channel Duniya news, Leghari spent two months in Syria and returned to Lahore almost six days back. Leghari, resident of Hyderabad, had disappeared from the varsity in early February and it was suspected that she fled to join the ISIS.

"After reaching Lahore on February 10, Naureen had messaged her brother through a friend's Facebook profile that she has reached the land of Khilafah (caliphate)," an official said. "Brother, I am Naureen, I hope you all are fine, I am fine and happy too, I have contacted you to inform you that by the grace of God, I have migrated to the land of Khilafah (caliphate) and hope that you all will someday migrate (to this land)," the official read the message of Naureen to her brother.

Professor Abdul Jabbar, father of Leghari, had filed a missing reported of his daughter on February 10. A source in Lahore police told PTI that Leghari was connected with the IS men on Facebook where she also took allegiance to the IS chief.

The Facebook administration had blocked her account because of her extremist views. "On her arrival to Lahore she married an IS activist Ali Tariq, 32. Tariq was an expert in preparing suicide vests. Naureen also got training to use weapons especially Kalashnikov.

Pak Media Cafe

"When a raiding team surrounded the couple's hideout on Ghazi Road, they opened fire on it. The firing lasted for 35 minutes. Tariq was killed in the cross fire while Naureen engaged the security forces till she ran out of bullets and some commandos managed to nab her," the source said.

He said the couple had been given the task to target a Church or any place where Christians would gather today in connection with Easter celebrations. "Naureen had presented herself for a suicide mission. God forbidden had she succeeded it would have been a first woman suicide bombing in Pakistan," he said.

"We are interrogating Naureen and another terror suspect taken into custody from the site as it is believed that a wider network of ISIS is operating in the country," he said.

Security forces have recovered seven suicide vests and other weapons from the couple's hideouts.
United Airlines has become controversys favourite travel partner. A couple heading to their wedding in Costa Rica, who made the mistake of choosing to fly on United Airlines from Houston, were removed by the Federal Authorities on Saturday.

The removal of the couple comes at a time when United Airlines are struggling to save their face after a video of an Asian man been dragged off one of their overbooked flight - for not volunteering to give up his seat - went viral last week.

Facebook

The incident caused massive outrage on the internet and the Airlines had to suffer severely in terms of image as well as financially, as their shares took a dip.

This time, United said the couple repeatedly tried to sit in more expensive seats for which they had not paid and would not follow flight crew instructions, according to the KHOU 11 New channel in Houston.

United, owned by United Continental Holdings Inc, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday evening.

Michael Hohl and his fiancee, Amber Maxwell, gave a different account. Hohl said he and Maxwell found another passenger sleeping sprawled across their seats after they were the last to board the flight, according to an interview with KHOU.

AFP

Soon after moving to other, empty seats in the economy cabin a few rows up, flight crew denied their request to pay a supplement for the seats, which United sells as "economy plus", and told them to move back to their original seats, Hohl said.

"We thought not a big deal, it's not like we are trying to jump up into a first-class seat," Hohl told KHOU. "We were simply in an economy row a few rows above our economy seat."

They then cooperated with an officer from the US Marshals Service who boarded and told them they had to get off the plane, Hohl said.

The couple were rebooked on a flight on Sunday, KHOU reported.

Dr David Dao, the 69-year-old Vietnamese-American doctor who was seen in the video being dragged off a United flight a week ago, will likely sue the airline, his attorney said on Thursday.

After the incident triggered international outrage, United Chief Executive Oscar Munoz apologised to Dao, his family and its customers, saying the carrier would no longer use law enforcement officers to remove passengers from overbooked flights.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has released a video that shows how two million stars in the sky would move over the next five million years. It's hypnotic!

The ESA used data provided by the one billion pixel camera aboard the Gaia satellite, as well as data from the Hipparcos satellite, which plotted the positions of celestial objects in the 1990s, to draw up their map.

The research team behind Gaia had originally plotted a 3D map of 1.1 billion stars last year, 2 million of which also had information of their movements and distances from each other retrieved. The new video uses this data, as well as that of 24,320 stars mapped by Hipparcos.

Thanks to the constant expansion of our galaxy, future generations will not be looking at the same stars as we are now. The ESAs research helps scientists predict where each of these stars will appear to us in the sky in the future.

Reuters

Even more mind-boggling than the sheer number of stars is that each frame is equivalent to approximately 750 years in real time, showing us their journey across five million years.

Yet, even this is just a fraction of the data retrieved from Gaia. In April 2018, the satellites team plans to release the positions, distances, and movements of all 1.1 billion stars catalogued, something that ESA says will help scientists far more accurately decipher how the galaxy was formed.
What Russia-gate Has Wrought





For five months, there was a daily drumbeat on Russia-gate, the sprawling conspiracy theory that Russia had somehow put Donald Trump in the White House, but suddenly the scandal disappeared.



By Robert Parry

Democrats, liberals and some progressives might be feeling a little perplexed over what has happened to Russia-gate, the story that pounded Donald Trump every day since his election last November  until April 4, that is.

On April 4, Trump fully capitulated to the neoconservative bash-Russia narrative amid dubious claims about a chemical attack in Syria. On April 6, Trump fired off 59 Tomahawk missiles at a Syrian airbase; he also restored the neocon demand for regime change in Syria; and he alleged that Russia was possibly complicit in the supposed chemical attack.

Since Trump took those actions  in accordance with the neocon desires for more regime change in the Middle East and a costly New Cold War with Russia  Russia-gate has almost vanished from the news.

I did find a little story in the lower right-hand corner of page A12 of Saturdays New York Times about a still-eager Democratic congressman, Mike Quigley of Illinois, who spent a couple of days in Cyprus which attracted his interest because it is a known site for Russian money-laundering, but he seemed to leave more baffled than when he arrived.

The more I learn, the more complex, layered and textured I see the Russia issue is  and that reinforces the need for professional full-time investigators, Quigley said, suggesting that the investigations failure to strike oil is not that the holes are dry but that he needs better drill bits.

Yet, given all the hype and hullabaloo over Russia-gate, the folks who were led to believe that the vague and amorphous allegations were bigger than Watergate might now be feeling a little used. It appears they may have been sucked into a conspiracy frenzy in which the Establishment exploited their enthusiasm over the scandal in a clever maneuver to bludgeon an out-of-step new President back into line.

If thats indeed the case, perhaps the most significant success of the Russia-gate ploy was the ouster of Trumps original National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who was seen as a key proponent of a New Detente with Russia, and his replacement by General H.R. McMaster, a protege of neocon favorite, retired Gen. David Petraeus.

McMaster was viewed as the key player in arranging the April 6 missile strike on Syria and in preparing a questionable intelligence assessment on April 11 to justify the rush to judgment. Although McMasters four-page white paper has been accepted as gospel by the mainstream U.S. news media, its many weaknesses have been noted by actual experts, such as MIT national security and technology professor Theodore Postol.

How Washington Works

But the way Official Washington works is that Trump was made to look weak when he argued for a more cooperative and peaceful relationship with Russia. Hillary Clinton dubbed him Vladimir Putins puppet and Saturday Night Live portrayed Trump as in thrall to a bare-chested Putin. More significantly, front-page stories every morning and cable news segments every night created the impression of a compromised U.S. President in Putins pocket.

Conversely, Trump was made to look strong when he fired off missiles against a Syrian airbase and talked tough about Russian guilt. Neocon commentator Charles Krauthammer praised Trumps shift as demonstrating that America is back.

Trump further enhanced his image for toughness when his military dropped the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb (MOAB), nicknamed the mother of all bombs, on some caves in Afghanistan. While the number of casualties inflicted by the blast was unclear, Trump benefited from the admiring TV and op-ed commentaries about him finally acting presidential.

But the real test of political courage is to go against the grain on a policy that may be unpopular in the short term but is in the best interests of the United States and the world community in the longer term.

In that sense, Trump seeking peaceful cooperation with Russia  amid the intense anti-Russian propaganda of the past several years  required actual courage, while launching missiles and dropping bombs might win praise but actually make the U.S. position in the world weaker.

Trump, however, saw his fledgling presidency crumbling under the daily barrage of Russia-gate, even though there was no evidence that his campaign colluded with Russia to interfere with the U.S. election and there wasnt even clear evidence that Russia was behind the disclosure of Democratic emails, via WikiLeaks, during the campaign.

Still, the combined assault from the Democrats, the neocons and the mainstream media forced Trump to surrender his campaign goal of achieving a more positive relationship with Russia and greater big-power collaboration in the fight against terrorism.

For Trump, the incessant chatter about Russia-gate was like a dripping water torture. The thin-skinned Trump fumed at his staff and twittered messages aimed at changing the narrative, such as accusing President Obama of wiretapping Trump Tower. But nothing worked.

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However, once Trump waved the white flag by placing his foreign policy under the preferred banner of the neoconservatives, the Russia-gate pressure stopped. The op-ed pages suddenly were hailing his decisiveness. If you were a neocon, you might say about Russia-gate: Mission accomplished!

Russia-gates Achievements

Besides whipping Trump into becoming a more compliant politician, Russia-gate could claim some other notable achievements: it spared the national Democrats from having to confront their own failures in Campaign 2016 by diverting responsibility for the calamity of Trumps election.

Instead of Democratic leaders taking responsibility for picking a dreadful candidate, ignoring the nations anti-establishment mood, and failing to offer any kind of inspiring message, the national Democrats could palm off the blame on Russia! Russia! Russia!

Thus, rather than looking in the mirror and trying to figure out how to correct their deep-seated problems, the national Democrats could instead focus on a quixotic tilting at Trumps impeachment.

Many on the Left joined in this fantasy because they have been so long without a Movement that the huge post-inaugural pussy hat marches were a temptation that they couldnt resist. Russia-gate became the fuel to keep the Movement bandwagon rolling. #Resistance!

It didnt matter that the scandal  the belief that Russia somehow conspired with Trump to rig the U.S. presidential election  amounted to a bunch of informational dots that didnt connect.

Russia-gate also taught the American left to learn to love McCarthyism since proof of guilt pretty much amounted to having had contact with a Russian  and anyone who questioned the dubious factual basis of the scandal was dismissed as a Russian propagandist or a Moscow stooge or a purveyor of fake news.

Another Russia-gate winner was the mainstream news media which got a lot of mileage  and loads of new subscription money  by pushing the convoluted conspiracy. The New York Times positioned itself as the great protector of truth and The Washington Post adopted a melodramatic new slogan: Democracy Dies in Darkness.

On Thanksgiving Day, the Post ran a front-page article touting an anonymous Internet group called PropOrNot that identified some 200 Internet news sites, including Consortiumnews.com and other major sources of independent journalism, as guilty of Russian propaganda. Facts werent needed; no chance for rebuttal; the accusers even got to hide in the shadows; the smear was the thing.

The Post and the Times also conflated complaints against news outlets that dared to express skepticism toward claims from the U.S. State Department and some entrepreneurial sites that trafficked in intentionally made-up stories or fake news to make money.

To the Post and Times, there appeared to be no difference between questioning the official U.S. narrative on, say, the Ukraine crisis and knowingly fabricating pretend news articles to get lots of clicks. Behind the smokescreen of Russia-gate, the mainstream U.S. news media took the position that there was only one side to a story, what Official Washington chose to believe.

While its likely that there will be some revival of Russia-gate to avoid the appearance of a completely manufactured scandal, the conspiracy theorys more significant near-term consequence could be that it has taught Donald Trump a dangerous lesson.

If he finds himself in a tight spot, the way out is to start bombing some enemy halfway around the world. The next time, however, the target might not be so willing to turn the other cheek. If, say, Trump launches a preemptive strike against North Korea, the result could be a retaliatory nuclear attack against South Korea or Japan.

Or, if the neocons push ahead with their ultimate regime change strategy of staging a color revolution in Moscow to overthrow Putin, the outcome might be  not the pliable new leader that the neocons would want  but an unstable Russian nationalist who might see a nuclear attack on the U.S. as the only way to protect the honor of Mother Russia.

For all his faults, Trump did offer a more temperate approach toward U.S.-Russian relations, which also could have tamped down spending for nuclear and other strategic weapons and freed up some of that money for infrastructure and other needs at home. But that was before Russia-gate .

Investigative reporter Robert Parry broke many of the Iran-Contra stories for The Associated Press and Newsweek in the 1980s. You can buy his latest book, Americas Stolen Narrative, either in print here or as an e-book (from Amazon and barnesandnoble.com ).
Home A Critique of False and Misleading White House Claims About Syrias Use of Lethal Gas



By Theodore A. Postol Theodore A. Postol is professor emeritus of science, technology and national security policy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a specialist in weapons issue. April 17, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " Truth Dig "- This is my third report assessing the White House intelligence Report (WHR) of April 11. My first report was titled A Quick Turnaround Assessment of the White House Intelligence Report Issued on April 11, 2017 About the Nerve Agent Attack in Khan Shaykhun, Syria, and my second report was an addendum to the first report. This report provides unambiguous evidence that the White House Intelligence Report contains false and misleading claims that could not possibly have been accepted in any professional review by impartial intelligence experts. The WHR was produced by the National Security Council under the oversight of national security adviser Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster. The evidence presented herein is from two selected videos that are part of a larger cache of videos that are available on YouTube. These videos were uploaded to YouTube by the SMART News Agency between April 5 and April 7. Analysis of the videos shows that all the scenes taken at the site the WHR claims was the location of a sarin release indicate significant tampering with the site. Since these videos were available roughly one week before the WHR was issued April 11, this indicates that the office of the WHR made no attempt to utilize the professional intelligence community to obtain accurate data in support of the findings in the report. The video evidence shows workers at the site roughly 30 hours after the alleged attack who were wearing clothing with the logo Idlib Health Directorate. These individuals were photographed putting dead birds from a birdcage into plastic bags. The implication of these actions was that the birds had died after being placed in the alleged sarin crater. However, the video also shows the same workers inside and around the same crater with no protection of any kind against sarin poisoning. These individuals were wearing honeycomb facemasks and medical exam gloves. They were otherwise dressed in normal streetwear and had no protective clothing of any kind. The honeycomb facemasks would provide absolutely no protection against either sarin vapors or sarin aerosols. The masks are only designed to filter small particles from the air. If sarin vapor was present, it would be inhaled without attenuation by these individuals. If sarin was present in an aerosol form, the aerosol would have condensed into the pores in the masks and evaporated into a highly lethal gas as the individuals inhaled through the masks. It is difficult to believe that health workers, if they were health workers, would be so ignorant of these basic facts. In addition, other people dressed as health workers were standing around the crater without any protection at all. As noted in my earlier reports, the assumption in the WHR that the site of the alleged sarin release had not been tampered with was totally unjustified, and no competent intelligence analyst would have agreed that this assumption was valid. The implication of this observation is clearthe WHR was not reviewed and released by any competent intelligence experts unless they were motivated by factors other than concerns about the accuracy of the report. The WHR also makes claims about communications intercepts that supposedly provide high confidence that the Syrian government was the source of the alleged attack. There is no reason to believe that the veracity of this claim is any different from the now-verified-false claim that there was unambiguous evidence of a sarin release at the cited crater. The relevant quotes [emphasis added] from the WHR are collected below for purposes of reference: The United States is confident that the Syrian regime conducted a chemical weapons attack, using the nerve agent sarin, against its own people in the town of Khan Shaykhun in southern Idlib Province on April 4, 2017. We have confidence in our assessment because we have signals intelligence and geospatial intelligence, laboratory analysis of physiological samples collected from multiple victims, as well as a significant body of credible open source reporting. We cannot publicly release all available intelligence on this attack due to the need to protect sources and methods, but the following includes an unclassified summary of the U.S. Intelligence Communitys analysis of this attack. By 12:15 PM [April 4, 2017] local time, broadcasted local videos included images of dead children of varying ages.  at 1:10 PM [April 4, 2017] local  follow-on videos showing the bombing of a nearby hospital.  Commercial satellite imagery from April 6 showed impact craters around the hospital that are consistent with open source reports of a conventional attack on the hospital after the chemical attack. Moscow has since claimed that the release of chemicals was caused by a regime airstrike on a terrorist ammunition depot in the eastern suburbs of Khan Shaykhun. An open source video also shows where we believe the chemical munition landed not on a facility filled with weapons, but in the middle of a street in the northern section of Khan Shaykhun. Commercial satellite imagery of that site from April 6, after the allegation, shows a crater in the road that corresponds to the open source video. Observed munition remnants at the crater and staining around the impact point are consistent with a munition that functioned, but structures nearest to the impact crater did not sustain damage that would be expected from a conventional high-explosive payload. Instead, the damage is more consistent with a chemical munition. Russias allegations fit with a pattern of deflecting blame from the regime and attempting to undermine the credibility of its opponents. Summary and Conclusions It is now clear from video evidence that the WHR report was fabricated without input from the professional intelligence community. The press reported April 4 that a nerve agent attack had occurred in Khan Shaykhun, Syria, during the early morning hours locally on that day. On April 7, the United States carried out a cruise missile attack on Syria ordered by President Trump. It now appears that the president ordered this cruise missile attack without any valid intelligence to support it. In order to cover up the lack of intelligence to support the presidents action, the National Security Council produced a fraudulent intelligence report on April 11, four days later. The individual responsible for this report was Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, the national security adviser. The McMaster report is completely undermined by a significant body of video evidence taken after the alleged sarin attack and before the U.S. cruise missile attack, which unambiguously shows the claims in the WHR could not possibly be true. This cannot be explained as a simple error. The National Security Council Intelligence Report clearly refers to evidence that it claims was obtained from commercial and open sources shortly after the alleged nerve agent attack (on April 5 and April 6). If such a collection of commercial evidence was done, it would have surely uncovered the videos contained herein. This unambiguously indicates a dedicated attempt to manufacture a false claim that intelligence actually supported the presidents decision to attack Syria, and of far more importance, to accuse Russia of being either complicit or a participant in an alleged atrocity. The attack on the Syrian government threatened to undermine the relationship between Russia and the United States. Cooperation between Russia and the United States is critical to the defeat of Islamic State. In addition, the false accusation that Russia knowingly engaged in an atrocity raises the most serious questions about a willful attempt to do damage to relations with Russia for domestic political purposes. We repeat here a quote from the WHR: An open source video also shows where we believe the chemical munition landednot on a facility filled with weapons, but in the middle of a street in the northern section of Khan Shaykhun [emphasis added]. Commercial satellite imagery of that site from April 6, after the allegation, shows a crater in the road that corresponds to the open source video. The data provided in these videos make it clear that the WHR made no good-faith attempt to collect data that could have supported its confident assessment that the Syrian government executed a sarin attack as indicated by the location and characteristics of the crater. This very disturbing event is not a unique situation. President George W. Bush argued that he was misinformed about unambiguous evidence that Iraq was hiding a substantial store of weapons of mass destruction. This false intelligence led to a U.S. attack on Iraq that started a process that ultimately led to the political disintegration in the Middle East, which through a series of unpredicted events then led to the rise of the Islamic State. On Aug. 30, 2013, the White House produced a similarly false report about the nerve agent attack on Aug. 21, 2013, in Damascus. This report also contained numerous intelligence claims that could not be true. An interview with President Barack Obama published in The Atlantic in April 2016 indicates that Obama was initially told that there was solid intelligence that the Syrian government was responsible for the nerve agent attack of Aug. 21, 2013, in Ghouta, Syria. Obama reported that he was later told that the intelligence was not solid by the then-director of national intelligence, James Clapper. Equally serious questions are raised about the abuse of intelligence findings by the incident in 2013. Questions that have not been answered about that incident is how the White House produced a false intelligence report with false claims that could obviously be identified by experts outside the White House and without access to classified information. There also needs to be an explanation of why this 2013 false report was not corrected. Secretary of State John Kerry emphatically testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee repeating information in this so-called unequivocating report. On Aug. 30, 2013, Kerry made the following statement from the Treaty Room in the State Department: Our intelligence community has carefully reviewed and re-reviewed information regarding this attack [emphasis added], and I will tell you it has done so more than mindful of the Iraq experience. We will not repeat that moment. Accordingly, we have taken unprecedented steps to declassify and make facts available to people who can judge for themselves. It is now obvious that this incident produced by the WHR, while just as serious in terms of the dangers it created for U.S. security, was a clumsy and outright fabrication of a report that was certainly not supported by the intelligence community. In this case, the president, supported by his staff, made a decision to launch 59 cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase. This action was accompanied by serious risks of creating a confrontation with Russia, and also undermining cooperative efforts to win the war against the Islamic State. I therefore conclude that there needs to be a comprehensive investigation of these events that have either misled people in the White House, or worse yet, been perpetrated by people to protect themselves from domestic political criticisms for uninformed and ill-considered actions. Here is the video evidence that reveals the White House Intelligence Report issued on April 11 contains demonstrably false claims about a sarin dispersal crater allegedly created in the April 4 attack in Khan Shaykhun, Syria. Video 1: Dead Birds </p><p>



Video 2: Idlib Health Directorate Tampering with Alleged Sarin Dispersal Site

Theodore A. Postol is professor emeritus of science, technology and national security policy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a specialist in weapons issue. At the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment, he advised on missile basing, and he later was a scientific consultant to the chief of naval operations at the Pentagon. He is a recipient of the Leo Szilard Prize from the American Physical Society and the Hilliard Roderick Prize from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and he was awarded the Norbert Wiener Award from Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility for uncovering numerous and important false claims about missile defenses.. Theodore A. Postol can be reached at postol@mit.edu. The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load. What's your response? - Scroll down to add / read comments Please read our Comment Policy before posting - It is unacceptable to slander, smear or engage in personal attacks on authors of articles posted on ICH. Those engaging in that behavior will be banned from the comment section. Click here to comment on our Facebook page
D.C.'s War Madness

By Damon Linker

April 17, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " The Week "- The past week has been an immensely clarifying  and profoundly demoralizing  one in American politics. It has demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt that the country's foreign policy establishment , along with its leading center-right and center-left politicians and pundits , are hopelessly, perhaps irredeemably, deluded about the role of the United States in the world.

From the start of the 2016 Republican primaries on down through Donald Trump's surprise electoral college victory, the transition, and the opening months of his administration, members of this foreign policy establishment and these leading politicians and pundits have been united in expressing dismay and alarm about Trump's lack of temperamental and intellectual fitness to serve as commander-in-chief. Yet the moment Trump gave the order to launch 59 Tomahawk missiles at a Syrian airbase used in a chemical weapons attack a few days earlier, all was forgotten and forgiven. Finally Trump became president ! Finally he put Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his place ! Finally the U.S. showed it had moved beyond former President Barack Obama's reluctance to use military force!

It's hard to know where to begin in formulating a response to this outpouring of delight at the thought of Trump giving the order to launch a barrage of deadly weapons at a sovereign nation over 5,000 miles from American shores. But let's start with absolute basics: Launching even one missile at another country is not, as we euphemistically like to presume, a "military action," a "military operation," or even a "humanitarian intervention." It is an act of war. Full stop. That many countries in the world, including Syria, are far too weak to consider launching a retaliatory counter-attack against the United States for such a bombardment is utterly irrelevant. How would a more powerful country  China, for example  respond if we fired even one cruise missile at its territory? How, for that matter, would we respond if China fired just one at us?

The answer is patently obvious: We would respond furiously, and with complete justification, because it would be an act of war. How people who spend their lives thinking about international affairs can write about America's actions in the world without placing this fact at the center of their analysis is nothing short of astonishing  and a confession that their thinking is really a form of ideological propaganda that places the United States in a different category from every other country in the world. (American exceptionalism might be a relatively salutary civic myth, but it is a myth all the same. It has no business playing a role in the policy recommendations of informed analysts.)

Unconvinced? Then consider another basic fact: The aforementioned foreign policy and centrist establishments were united in considering Obama averse to using American military might. Yet during the eight years of his presidency, Obama bombed at least nine countries: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Libya, the Central African Republic, and the Philippines.

If that's what " reluctance " to use force looks like, I wonder what it would take for these critics to call someone a warmonger.

What these critics really mean is that Obama didn't embrace a policy of overthrowing governments around the world ("regime change"), and that he didn't think it was a good idea (either for the U.S. domestically or for our relations with the rest of the world) to brag in moralistic terms about our motives in seeking to advance our interests militarily (which Obama mainly did with targeted drone strikes and the selective deployment of special operations forces).

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The exception, of course, was in Libya, where three senior members of the foreign policy establishment and the Obama administration (Hillary Clinton, Anne-Marie Slaughter, and Susan Rice) persuaded the president to help rebels topple the government of Moammar Gadhafi. When events ended up unfolding like a rerun of the Iraq War's disastrous aftermath in miniature (with its own unique horrors ), Obama's instinctual aversion to regime change and moral grandstanding reasserted itself, leading him to resist repeated calls to cripple or overthrow Assad's government in Syria. The president would bomb areas of the country that were controlled by ISIS, but he would not act to remove Assad for fear that the result would lead to even worse consequences than the Syrian civil war itself.

The establishment's reaction has been uniformly negative about that decision, which is a major reason why there was such an outpouring of joy and relief when President Trump reversed course and did what Obama had steadfastly refused to do for over five years: target assets of the Assad government. If there was a criticism to be heard, it was that Trump's missile strike was too limited in scope. Never mind that neither the Trump administration nor any prominent analyst presented a convincing strategy for using American bombs to bring the civil war to a sustainably peaceful conclusion. All that mattered was that the U.S. finally did something, and that this something would continue and expand. "More, please!"  that's what most of the commentary has amounted to.

I'm sorry, but this is madness.

To see why, imagine an alternative history of the American Civil War. In 1861 the southern part of the United States launches an insurrection against the central government and declares its independence. The leader of the central government decides to put it down. The result is several years of bloody conflict that eventually leaves approximately 600,000 people, or 2 percent of the total population, dead (that's about six million people in contemporary terms).

Now imagine there was a country on the other side of the globe in the 1860s that took a keen interest in the conflict and was powerful enough to intervene in the war. The citizens in this country half a world away debate furiously whether to try and "stop the killing" by joining the battle. They have no plan to resolve the underlying issues feeding the violence, but some think it would be desirable to punish the evil deeds committed by one side or the other, or perhaps to punish those who use one kind of weapon or another in prosecuting the war. Some even insist that the case for intervention in the distant conflict is so obvious that the burden of proof should fall on those who oppose it.

In the end, this super-powerful country decides that it makes most sense to pursue "regime change." So it launches an attack that adds to the death toll and eventually leads to the overthrow of the central government, allowing the southern region to prevail.

The point isn't to equate Assad to Abraham Lincoln. Go ahead and imagine the opposite scenario if you wish: Perhaps the moral busybodies on the other side of the planet are less moved by the claim to self-determination asserted by the American South than they are by Lincoln's noble speech at Gettysburg, so instead of pummeling Washington they bombard Richmond and contribute to an easy victory for the North.

The point is that regardless of which side the outside power favors, it has anointed itself the moral arbiter of the world, a position that grants it the authority to mete out justice and punishment to individuals and nations as it sees fit  and this despite the fact that no one elected this power to that ruling position, or even asked the world if it wished to offer its consent.

Every country in the world thinks well of itself. But we're the only country in the world that expects every other country to defer to our self-evident wonderfulness  apparently even when Trump is launching the missiles.

Not every problem in the world has a solution, just as not every injustice in the world is our problem. This has always been the case. But with a reckless, incompetent president prosecuting a foreign policy of " impulse and whim ," it has perhaps never been more important to remind ourselves of these truths, and of the pressing need to tame our boundless national self-regard.

More than eight years after Obama's first inaugural address , we still haven't set aside our childish things.

Damon Linker is a senior correspondent at TheWeek.com. He is also a consulting editor at the University of Pennsylvania Press, a former contributing editor at The New Republic, and the author of The Theocons and The Religious Test .
It's Not Just SyriaTrump Is Ratcheting Up Wars Across the World





From Yemen to Somalia to North Korea, the president is putting the planet on a crash course with catastrophe.



By Trevor Timm

April 17, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " The Guardian "- Donald Trumps missile strikes on Syria have attracted worldwide attention (and disgraceful plaudits ) in recent days. But much less airtime is being given to his administrations risky and increasingly barbaric military escalations on several other fronts across the world.

Lets put aside, for the time being, that the Trump administration openly admits it has no clue what it is going to do in Syria next. Or that key members of Congress and in the administration are clearly eager for regime change in Syria with no plan for the aftermath. And the fact that hardly anyone seems to care that Russias former president Dmitry Medvedev said over the weekend that Syrian strikes put the US on the verge of a military clash with Russia  a nuclear power with thousands of warheads.

As troubling as these developments are, we should be just as concerned about the explosion of civilian deaths  more than 1,000 in March alone  that have come directly as the result of the Trump administrations other reckless military campaigns across the Middle East over the past few weeks.

Recently, US airstrikes have claimed the lives of 200 civilians in Iraq , dozens were killed in separate strikes supposedly aimed at Islamic State in Syria and several more women and children died in a raid gone awry in Yemen. Those are just a few examples of the many attacks  launched under the pretext of defeating Isis  that wreaked havoc on civilian populations as the US military ramps up its bombing campaigns in multiple counties.

At the same time, the Trump administration has been expanding official US war zones in Somalia and Yemen, while working to make it easier for the Pentagon to launch counterterrorism strikes anywhere in the world and loosening restrictions on preventing civilian deaths that were put in place by the Obama administration, as the Washington Post reported a few weeks ago .

Drone strikes, already accelerated under the Obama administration, have increased even more under Trump. Micah Zenko, who tracks the numbers at the Council on Foreign Relations, noted in March that Trump was carrying out a drone strike every 1.8 days, compared to every 5.4 days under Obama.

On the other side of the world, the Trump administration is responding to North Koreas nuclear program with even more saber rattling, sending in US ships over the weekend to the region as some vague show of force.

This comes just as NBC News reported , the National Security Council has presented President Donald Trump with options to respond to North Koreas nuclear program  including putting American nukes in South Korea or killing dictator Kim Jong-un. Pressure is mounting from the outside too, as the Wall Street Journals right wing neocon-in-residence Brett Stephens loudly called for regime change in North Korea two weeks ago.

And then theres Iran, which the Weekly Standards Bill Kristol is once again saying is the ultimate prize for regime change, now that Trump is directly bombing Assads forces.

Weeks ago, Trumps defense secretary James Mattis was reportedly planning a brazen and incredibly dangerous operation to board Iranian ships in international waters. This would have effectively been an act of war. Apparently, the only reason the Trump administration didnt carry it out was because the plan leaked and they were forced to scuttle it  at least temporarily. But that hasnt stopped the ratcheting up of tensions towards Iran ever since he took office.

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On top of all this madness, 16 years after Americas longest war in history started, a top general has already testified to Congress that the military wants more troops in Afghanistan to break the stalemate there. Well before the end of the Trump administration, there will be troops fighting and dying in Afghanistan who werent even born when the 9/11 attacks occurred.

To further shield the public from these decisions, the Trump administration indicated a couple weeks ago they have stopped disclosing even the amount of additional troops that they are sending overseas to fight. The numbers were already being downplayed by the Obama administration and received little attention as the numbers continually creeped up over the last two years. Now, the public will have virtually no insight into what its military is doing in those countries.

It should go without saying that Bashar al-Assad is a monster and a butcher and the people of Syria have suffered incredibly over the past five years. North Korea is potentially dangerous and unpredictable, and Iran is far from innocent on the world stage. But the idea that starting or expanding wars against these countries is going to solve anything belies the last 15 years of history, where the US has intervened and overthrown leaders in country after country, only to cause even more chaos and destruction, with trillions of dollars and millions of lives lost.

With several conflicts likely brewing with countries that have significant military power, the Trump administration is putting the US  and the world  on a potentially catastrophic collision course. And so far, pushback from politicians, the media and anyone else with influence in Washington has barely been seen.

Trevor Timm is executive director of the Freedom of the Press Foundation , a non-profit organization that supports and defends journalism dedicated to transparency and accountability. You can follow him on Twitter at @TrevorTimm .
Al-Qaeda Suicide Attack Kills 100+ Children, Women - Whodunit?

By Moon Of Alabama

Max Abrahms @MaxAbrahms - 2:07 PM - 16 Apr 2017

After reading dozens of stories about the Shia massacre yesterday in Syria I've come to the conclusion it was perpetrator-less.

The War Nerd @TheWarNerd - 11:53 AM - 16 Apr 2017

We find that "at least 112" Shia refugees were killed. By whom? Oh, it's a real whodunit according to Reuters... link

April 17, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " Moon Of Alabama "- Two smaller cities in the northern "rebel"-controlled Idleb governate, Al Foa and Kafriya, have been under "rebel" siege for over two years. Local government aligned forces are defending them. The civilian inhabitants are of Shia believe and seen by the sectarian Sunni "rebels" as unbelievers only worthy of death. The cities are supplied by airdrops from government helicopters. Meanwhile two "rebel" controlled cities near Damascus, Zabadani and Madaya, in the south are held under siege by government forces. They are sparsely supplied by UN and Red Cross convoys. Over the years a tit-for-tat of revenge acts bound the fate of the four cities. In total some 20-30,000 people are effected. A wide ranging agreement was needed to solve the unsustainable situation.

In December an agreement had allowed for the exchange of wounded civilians. When buses were on their way to evacuated elderly and wounded from the two northern cities they were torched by some rebel group. New buses had to be send but in the end the exchange worked out.

Last week a new agreement had been reached about a complete population exchange of the cities. All inhabitants of the northern cities were to be brought to government held areas. All inhabitants of the southern cities to the "rebel" held areas. Iran, speaking for the Syrian government, and Qatar, a financer of the radical "rebels", negotiated the deal. There are many other issues involved in the deal including Qatari hostages held by Shia groups in Iraq, very large payment from Qatar to "rebel" groups (al-Qaeda) and some non-disclosed items.

"Rebel" groups in Idelb government are either aligned with al-Qaeda in Syria or with the Qatari sponsored Ahrar al Sham. Ahrar al-Sahm is the group responsible for the execution of the negotiated population exchange. Parts of al-Qaeda have publicly disagreed with the deal.

Yesterday some 5,000 inhabitants of the northern cities, mainly women and children, were brought by bus convoy to the government held city of Aleppo but were stopped while still in the "rebel" controlled area. Inhabitants from the southern city had been brought up to Aleppo and were kept under government guard. Some additional negotiations about a minor issue were going on.

The civilians in their buses, mostly elderly, women and children, were guarded by "rebels" of Ahrar al Sham. They were hungry. Someone appeared on the scene and distributed crisps. When children flocked around the food distribution a blue car drove up and a very large explosion occurred. Four buses full of people and a number of cars were totally destroyed (Pics: 1 , 2 , 3 )

127 of the civilians, only a mile or two from the safe government area, were killed in the suicide attack including 95 children. Many more were wounded. An unknown number of Ahrar al Sham "rebel" guards were also killed. There is no serious disagreement about what happened.

It is obvious that the suicide attack was committed by al-Qaeda in Syria. No government aligned element could have crossed into rebel held territory. The government aligned forces have not committed any suicide attacks while al-Qaeda as well as Ahrar al Sham have committed hundreds. This was a "rebel" suicide attack, likely by al-Qaeda, against government aligned civilian refugees.

But the BBC, CNN and other western media will not tell you that. CNN called the massacre "a hiccup" . The first Washington report was illustrated with a pastoral scene of "Shias" walking in a green field. The write-ups disguise to the average reader on which side that vast numbers of casualties of the incident were. They will not say who the likely culprits are. Some insinuate, against all logic, that the government did it.

The most recent BBC report on the massacre is one of the worst of this propaganda genre. Assume for a moment you have not read the above, only the following:

Syria war: 'At least 68 children among 126 killed' in bus bombing At least 68 children were among 126 people killed in Saturday's bomb attack on buses carrying evacuees from besieged Syrian towns, activists say. A vehicle filled with explosives hit the convoy near Aleppo.

80% of the readers will only read the headline and maybe the first graphs. Who will they assume killed whom?

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Those who actually read further will learn that some of the victims were Shia and that "evacuees from government-held towns were killed, along with aid workers and rebel soldiers." (Since when are Ahrar's marauding beheaders "soldiers"? Was this dude also a "soldier"?) The BBC story goes on to insinuates that the government did this because "rebels" could and would not do such:

It happened when a vehicle loaded with food arrived and started distributing crisps, attracting many children, before exploding, the BBC's Middle East correspondent Lina Sinjab said. She said it was not clear how the vehicle could have reached the area without government permission. But there is also no evidence that rebels were involved in the attack, as the government claims. It would not be in the rebels' interest, our correspondent says, as they were waiting for their own supporters to be evacuated from the other towns.

I have read a lot of anti-Syrian propaganda but never such a vile smear. "It was not clear how the vehicle could have reached the area without [Syrian] government permission." Well - a vehicle from that area could drive right up to the BBC's head-office in London, explode and kill many people without "Syrian government permission." (Maybe one should - just for demonstration purpose.) It is "rebel" held territory with open borders to Turkey from where they are supplied. Any of the "rebel" groups that committed suicide attacks over the last years has free access to it. The BBC correspondent and her editors know this well. They also know that "rebels" are not united at all and that their interests diverge. It is completely clear who committed this massacre. But the BBC insinuates "the government did it."

More people died in this attack than in the Khan Sheikhun chemical incident which killed some people in a rebel held area. The incident was likely a false flag attack staged by the "rebels" without involvement of the government side. A Trump NSC report falsely claimed evidence that the Syrian government was the guilty party in that incident and the U.S. then bombed one of the Syrian airports.

95 children were burned and smashed to death in yesterday's suicide attack. They will not be honored as "beautiful children", as Trump called two blond babies in a Khan Sheikhun photo. The babies killed yesterday were "pro-regime" evacuees (CNN speak) who do not deserve such honor.

The victims of yesterday's massacre will get much less media coverage than the few actually documented victims of the Khan Sheikhun incident. That bit they will get will abuse the dead, as BBC does, to incite against the vast majority of the Syrian people who are with their government.

Damascus decided that the deal and the evacuation should continue despite the massacre. The two cities in Idleb are too exposed and indefensible against a large scale attack. No bigger government operation towards Idleb can take place while they are held hostage.

UPDATE - April 17, 3:00am

Eliah J. Magnier reports (Arabic) further details of the "4 cities" exchange deal.

He tweeted the main steps:

Elijah J. Magnier @EjmAlrai

The"four cities deal"includes Qatari hostages, money, prisoners of war, prisoners and corps

The 1st step (evacuating civilians under the age of 15) was concluded.

The 2d step will evacuate all militants

The 3d step will include the exchange of prisoners held by Damascus, Hezbollah and al-Qaeda corps and prisoners

The 4th step will incl the release of Qatari hostages held in Iraq (not yet released) & the payment of ransom to AQ.
$234B In Aid To Israel Violates US Law Against Supporting Secret Nuclear States





The lawsuit warns that the U.S. gave Israel about $234 billion in foreign aid since the passage of the International Security Assistance and Arms Export Control Act of 1976, despite a ban on support for secret nuclear weapons programs.



By Kit O'Connell

April 17, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " MintPress "- AUSTIN, Texas  A lawsuit warns that U.S. aid to Israel violates a law meant to prevent nuclear weapons proliferation, even as the United States prepares to increase the already massive Israeli aid program.

Filed Aug. 8 by Grant Smith, director of the Institute for Research: Middle East Policy, or IRMEP, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the suit alleges that U.S. aid to Israel violates two amendments to the 1961 Foreign Assistance Act , known as the the Symington and Glenn Amendments, which collectively ban support for countries engaged in clandestine nuclear programs.

In the lawsuit, Smith alleges that violating these amendments means that Israel has received approximately $234 billion in illegal aid since the passage of the International Security Assistance and Arms Export Control Act of 1976 .

The lawsuit reads:

This lawsuit is not about foreign policy. It is about the rule of law, presidential power, the structural limits of the U.S. Constitution, and the right of the public to understand the functions of government and informed petition of the government for redress.

U.S. foreign policy is in sharp focus right now, as President Barack Obama prepares to sign off on a record-breaking aid package that would add to the $3.1 billion in annual military aid that Israel already receives.

Despite the U.S. government, and a compliant mainstream media, raising the alarm about the supposed dangers of the Iranian nuclear program, Israel possesses dozens of nuclear weapons  with some reports indicating the Jewish State possesses over a hundred  while showing no sign of halting its development of more.

And the WikiLeaks archive of Hillary Clintons emails suggests this is unlikely to change after November, with the potential future president heavily invested in maintaining Israels claim to a near monopoly on nuclear power in the Middle East.

Israels dangerous nuclear ambiguity

The IRMEP lawsuit argues that Israels policy of official secrecy on its nuclear weapons program perfectly fits the definition of the 1976 Export Control Act, and that the U.S. government broke the law through its failure to act upon facts long in their possession while prohibiting the release of official government information about Israels nuclear weapons program, particularly ongoing illicit transfers of nuclear weapons material and technology from the U.S. to Israel.

Smith wrote that the U.S. offers material support to Israels nuclear program while helping suppress information about the program. He continued:

These violations manifest in gagging and prosecuting federal officials and contractors who publicly acknowledge Israels nuclear weapons program, imposing punitive economic costs on public interest researchers who attempt to educate the public about the functions of government, refusing to make bona fide responses to journalists and consistently failing to act on credible information available in the government and public domain.

This policy of secrecy goes by many names, he noted. These acts serve a policy that has many names all referring to the same subterfuge, nuclear opacity, nuclear ambiguity, and strategic ambiguity.

Although long denied by both American and Israeli politicians, Israels nuclear program was first revealed by whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu , who spent 16 years in prison for sharing secret details of the program with Britains Sunday Times in 1986, and has been repeatedly arrested for continuing to publicly speak out.

Although the program is still not officially acknowledged, a November report by the Institute for Science and International Security suggested the Israeli government has amassed enough material to create at least 115 nuclear warheads. That would put Israel, a country roughly the size of New Jersey, on nearly equal nuclear footing with India and Pakistan .

Writing in 2011 for antiwar.com, Sam Husseini noted that some estimates put the number of warheads as high as 400.

Regardless of the actual number, the warheads are real, and they represent a real danger to regional stability.

These weapons pose a realnot a potential or an imaginedthreat to millions upon millions of people in and beyond the region, Husseini wrote. So do nuclear weapons held by other countries, but at least they are acknowledged.

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And unlike every other country in the Middle East, Israel refuses to sign the nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty of 1970. The country has even reportedly shared its nuclear technology, as Matt Peppe noted in January 2015 in MyMPN, MintPress News reader submission blog. He wrote:

Israel has not only amassed its own nuclear arsenal, but also exported nuclear technology and capabilities abroad. Not to just any country, but to the racist, pariah state of apartheid South Africa  surely the most despicable regime of the last century other than possibly Israel itself.

WikiLeaks: Sec. Clinton helped Israel maintain nuclear monopoly in Middle East

At least some respected figures in the U.S. government have voiced concerns over the Israeli nuclear program, at least according to the WikiLeaks archive of thousands of emails hacked from Hillary Clintons private email server.

In an August 2010 email to Hillary Clinton , Sidney Blumenthal, an American journalist who worked as an aide to President Bill Clinton, shares a Haaretz interview about the Israeli nuclear program , adding comments of his own about the need for Israel to end the secrecy and join the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Blumenthal wrote:

Another idea, dont know if it can be made to work: How to introduce Israel entering the NPT and ending its nuclear ambiguity, which is its state policy, but which itself is the model for Iran now. Can this issue be used profitably in negotiations, a wild card, as it were? Can options be developed on whether it can, how it might work, potential effect on peace process? Israels nuclear ambiguity policy is certainly a big issue coming given Iran.

While Blumenthal suggests that Israels nuclear program may serve as inspiration for Irans nuclear development, theres actually little evidence that Iran ever intended to construct nuclear weapons, much less use them to threaten Israel. In June, Efraim Halevy, former head of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, told Al-Jazeera that Iran was not an existential threat to Israel , although he also refused to acknowledge the existence of Israels nuclear weapons. And leaked diplomatic cables show that, behind the scenes, Mossad agents contradicted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus alarmist views of Iran s nuclear program by admitting that Irans nuclear material was not pure enough for use in nuclear weapons rather than for civilian energy generation. The cables go on to show that Iran was never interested in creating nuclear weapons.

Watch  Ex-Israeli spy chief: Iran isnt an existential threat  from Al-Jazeera English:

Halevys testimony stands in contrast to Clintons own statements on Iran. Despite last years landmark deal to scale back Irans nuclear program, the Democratic Party nominee called for new sanctions against Iran , claiming the country was still a threat to regional peace.

In reality, maintaining Israels power while undermining its rivals like Iran and Syria was a key part of Clintons strategy as secretary of state, and something likely to carry over into her potential presidency. In May, the Center for a New American Security, a neoliberal think tank, published  Extending American Power: Strategies to Expand U.S. Engagement in a Competitive World Order , which in many ways could serve as a blueprint for military strategy under Clinton .

Although the report emphasizes conventional (rather than nuclear weapons), the authors write: [I]t is important for a new administration to make absolutely clear that the U.S. commitment to the security of the State of Israel is unshakable now and in the future.

And an unclassified case file published by the State Department in 2001 , and found in the WikiLeaks archive of Clintons emails, suggests U.S. support for so-called moderate rebels in Syria is actually designed to prop up Israel at the expense of Syria and Iran.

The best way to help Israel deal with Irans growing nuclear capability is to help the people of Syria overthrow the regime of Bashar Assad, it reads. Bringing down Assad would not only be a massive boon to Israels security, it would also ease Israels understandable fear of losing its nuclear monopoly.

In light of the Aug. 9 anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki , its important to remember that the U.S. is the only country to have ever used nuclear weapons in war, even going so far as to use them on civilian areas of Japan .

Clinton, as a servant of the U.S. government and its military-industrial complex, seems set to continue Americas policy of determining who has access to nuclear technology, despite the hypocrisy inherent in that stance, as Robert Fantina noted in an October 2015 report for MintPress News.

Its lethal nuclear history isnt stopping the U.S. from strutting across the world stage today, deciding which countries can (Israel) and cant (Iran) have nuclear weapons, Fantina wrote. The fox, having usurped the power over the henhouse, decides which other foxes can enter and which are forbidden.

Kit O'Connell, A gonzo journalist from Austin, Texas and Staff Writer for Mint Press News, Kit O'Connell's writing has also appeared at Truthout, the Texas Observer, and The Establishment.
Trump, A Symptom Of What?







A Radical Message From a Half-Century Ago



By Ira Chernus

April 17, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " Tom Dispatch "- You could hear the deep sadness in the preachers voice as he named the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today -- my own government." With those words, the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., launched a scathing indictment of Americas war in Vietnam. It was April 4, 1967.

That first antiwar sermon of his seemed to signal a new high tide of opposition to a brutal set of American policies in Southeast Asia. Just 11 days later, unexpectedly large crowds would come out in New York and San Francisco for the first truly massive antiwar rallies. Back then, a protest of at least a quarter of a million seemed yuge.

King signaled another turning point when he concluded his speech by bringing up something even more disturbing -- something that would deeply disturb the developing antiwar movement as well. The war in Vietnam, he said, is but a symptom of a far deeper malady within the American spirit.

Many of those who gathered at antiwar rallies days later were already beginning to suspect the same thing. Even if they could actually force their government to end its war in Vietnam, they would be healing only a symptom of a far more profound illness. With that realization came a shift in consciousness, the clearest sign of which could be found in the sizeable contingent of countercultural hippies who began joining those protests. While antiwar radicals were challenging the unjust political and military policies of their government, the counterculturists were focused on something bigger: trying to revolutionize the whole fabric of American society.

Why recall this history exactly 50 years later, in the age of Donald Trump? Curiously enough, King offered at least a partial answer to that question in his 1967 warning about the deeper malady. If we ignore this sobering reality, he said, we will find ourselves... marching... and attending rallies without end. The alternative? We as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values.

Like many of my generation, I feel as if, in lieu of that radical revolution, I have indeed been marching and attending rallies for the last half-century, even if there were also long fallow periods of inactivity. (In those quiet times, of course, there was always organizing and activism going on behind the scenes, preparing for the next wave of marches and demonstrations in response to the next set of obvious outrages.)

If the arc of history bends toward justice, as King claimed , its been a strange journey, a bizarre twisting and turning as if we were all on some crazed roller-coaster ride.

The Trump era already seems like the most bizarre twist of all, leaving us little choice but to march and rally at a quickening pace for years to come. A radical revolution in values? Unless youre thinking of Trumps plutocrats and environment wreckers, not so much. If anything, the nation once again finds itself facing an exaggerated symptom of a far deeper malady. Perhaps one day, like the antiwar protestors of 1967, anti-Trump protestors will say: If the American system we live under can create this atrocity, there must be something wrong with the whole thing.

But thats the future. At present, the resistance movement, though as unexpectedly large as the movement of 1967, is still focused mainly on symptoms, the expanding list of inhumane 1% policies the Republicans (themselves in chaos) are preparing to foist on the nation. Yet to come up are the crucial questions: Whats wrong with our system? How could it produce a President Trump, a Republican hegemony, and the society-wrecking policies that go with them both? What would a radically new direction mean and how would we head there?

In 1967, antiwar activists were groping their way toward answers to similar questions. At least we have one advantage. We can look back at their answers and use them to help make sense of our own situation. As it happens, theirs are still depressingly relevant because the systemic malady that produced the Vietnam War is a close cousin to the one that has now given us President Trump.

Diagnosing Our Deep Sickness

The Sixties spawned many analyses of the ills of the American system. The ones that marked that era as revolutionary concluded that the heart of the problem was a distinctive mode of consciousness -- a way of seeing, experiencing, interpreting, and being in the world. Political and cultural radicals converged, as historian Todd Gitlin concluded, in their demand for a transformation of national if not global (or cosmic) consciousness.

Nor was such a system uniquely American, they discovered. It was nothing less than the hallmark of Western modernity.

In exploring the nature of that far deeper malady, Martin Luther King, for instance, turned to the European philosopher Martin Buber, who found the root of that consciousness in modernitys I-It attitude. From early childhood, he suggested, we learn to see other people as mere objects (its) with no inherent relation to us. In the process, we easily lose sight of their full humanity. That, in turn, allows us free rein to manipulate others (or as in Vietnam simply destroy them) for our own imagined benefit.

King particularly decried such dehumanization as it played itself out in American racism: Segregation substitutes an I-it relationship for the I-thou relationship and ends up relegating persons to the status of things. But he condemned it no less strongly in the economic sphere, where it affected people of all races. The profit motive, when it is the sole basis of an economic system, he said, encourages a cutthroat competition and selfish ambition that inspire men to be more I-centered than thou-centered... Capitalism fails to realize that life is social.

Another influential thinker of that era was a German-American philosopher, Herbert Marcuse . (Some radicals even marched in rallies carrying signs reading Marx, Mao, Marcuse.) For him, the dehumanization of modernity was rooted in the way science and technology led us to view nature as a mere collection of things having no inherent relation to us -- things to be analyzed, controlled, and if necessary destroyed for our own benefit.

Capitalists use technology, he explained, to build machines that take charge both of the workers who run them and of aspects of the natural world. The capitalists then treat those workers as so many things, not people. And the same hierarchy -- boss up here, bossed down there -- shows up at every level of society from the nuclear family to the international family of nations (with its nuclear arsenals). In a society riddled with structures of domination, it was no accident that the U.S. was pouring so much lethal effort into devastating Vietnam.

As Marcuse saw it, however, the worst trick those bosses play on us is to manipulate our consciousness, to seduce us into thinking that the whole system makes sense and is for our own good. When those machines are cranking out products that make workers lives more comfortable, most of them are willing to embrace and perpetuate a system that treats them as dominated objects.

Marcuse would not have been surprised to see so many workers voting for Donald Trump, a candidate who built his campaign on promises of ever more intensified domination -- of marginalized people at home, of  bad hombres  needing to be destroyed abroad, and of course, of nature itself, especially in the form of fossil fuels on a planet where the very processes he championed ensured a future of utter devastation.

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One explanation for the electoral success of Trump was the way he appealed to heartland white working-class voters who saw their standard of living and sense of social status steadily eroding. Living in a world in which hierarchy and domination are taken for granted, its hardly surprising that many of them took it for granted as well that the only choice available was either to be a dominator or to be dominated. Vote for me, the billionaire businessman (famed for the phrase Youre fired!) implicitly promised and you, too, will be one of the dominators. Vote against me and youre doomed to remain among the dominated. Like so many other tricks of the system, this one defied reality but worked anyway.

Many Trump voters who bought into the system will find themselves facing even harsher domination by the 1%. And as the Trumpian fantasy of man dominating nature triggers inevitable twenty-first-century blowback on a planetary scale, count on growing environmental and social disasters to bring disproportionate pain to those already suffering most under the present system. In every arena, as Marcuse explained back in the 1960s, the system of hierarchy and domination remains self-perpetuating and self-escalating.

The Long and Bitter But Beautiful Struggle for a New World

Whats the remedy for this malady, now as lethally obvious at home as it once was in Vietnam?

The end of domination [is] the only truly revolutionary exigency, Marcuse wrote. True freedom, he thought, means freeing humanity from the hierarchical system that locks us into the daily struggle to earn a living by selling our labor. Freedom means liberating our consciousness to search for our own goals and being able to pursue them freely. In Martin Luther Kings words, freedom is the opportunity to fulfill my total capacity untrammeled by any artificial barrier.

How to put an end not only to Americas war in Vietnam, but to a whole culture built on domination? Kings answer on that April 4th was deceptively simple: Love is somehow the key that unlocks the door... The first hope in our inventory must be the hope that love is going to have the last word.

The simplicity in that statement was deceptive because love is itself such a complicated word. King often explained that the Greeks had three words for love: eros (aesthetic or romantic love), philia (friendship), and agape (self-sacrificing devotion to others). He left no doubt that he considered agape far superior to the other two.

The emerging counterculture of those years certainly agreed with him on the centrality of love to human liberation. After all, it was the love generation. But its mantra -- If it feels good, do it -- made Kings rejection of eros in the name of self-negating agape a non-starter for them.

King, however, offered another view of love, which was far more congenial to the counterculture. Love unites whatever is separated, he preached. This is the kind of love that God uses in his work. We, in turn, are always called upon to imitate God and so to transform our society into what King called a beloved community.

Though few people at the time made the connection, Kings Christian understanding of love was strikingly similar to Marcuses secular view of erotic love . Marcuse saw eros as the fulfillment of desire. He also saw it as anything but selfish, since it flows from what Freud called the id, which always wants to abolish ego boundaries and recover that sense of oneness with everything we all had as infants.

When we experience anyone or anything erotically, we feel that we are inherently interconnected, tied together in a single garment of destiny, as King so eloquently put it. When boundaries and separation dissolve, there can be no question of hierarchy or domination.

Every moment that hints at such unification brings us pleasure. In a revolutionary society that eschews structures of domination for the ideal of unification, all policies are geared toward creating more moments of unity and pleasure.

Think of this as the deep-thought revolution of the Sixties: radically transformed minds would create a radically transformed society. Revolutionaries of that time were, in fact, trying to wage the very utopian struggle that King summoned all Americans to in his April 4th speech, the long and bitter but beautiful struggle for a new world.

50 Years Later: The Thread That Binds

At this very moment 50 years ago, a movement resisting a brutal war of domination in a distant land was giving birth to a movement calling for the creation of a new consciousness to heal our ailing society. Will the resistance movement of 2017 head in a similar direction?

At first glance, it seems unlikely. After all, ever since the Vietnam War ended, progressives have had a tendency to focus on single issues of injustice or laundry lists of problems. They have rarely imagined the American system as anything more than a collection of wrong-headed policies and wrong-hearted politicians. In addition, after years of resisting the right wing as it won victory after victory, and of watching the Democrats morph into a neoliberal crew and then into a failing party with its own dreary laundry lists of issues and personalities, the capacity to hope for fundamental change may have gone the way of Herbert Marcuse and Martin Luther King.

Still, for those looking hard, a thread of hope exists. Todays marches, rallies, and town halls are packed with veterans of the Sixties who can remember, if we try, what it felt like to believe we were fighting not only to stop a war but to start a revolution in consciousness. No question about it, we made plenty of mistakes back then. Now, with so much more experience (however grim) in our memory banks, perhaps we might develop more flexible strategies and a certain faith in taking a more patient, long-term approach to organizing for change.

Dont forget as well that, whatever our failings and the failings of other past movements, we also have a deep foundation of victories (along with defeats) to build on. No, there was no full-scale revolution in our society -- no surprise there. But in so many facets of our world, advances happened nonetheless. Think of how, in those 50 years just past, views on diversity, social equality, the environment, healthcare, and so many other issues, which once existed only on the fringes of our world, have become thoroughly mainstream . Taken as a whole, they represent a partial but still profound and significant set of changes in American consciousness.

Of course, the Sixties not only cant be resurrected, but shouldnt be. (After all, it should never be forgotten that what they led to wasnt a dreamed of new society but the Reagan revolution, as the arc of justice took the first of its many grim twists and turns.) At best, the Sixties critique of the system would have to be updated to include many new developments.

Even the methods of those Sixties radicals would need major revisions, given that our world, especially of communication, now relies so heavily on blindingly fast changes in technology. But every time we log onto the Internet and browse the web, it should remind us that -- shades of the past -- across this embattled Earth of ours, were all tied together in a single worldwide web of relations and of destiny. Its either going to be one for all and all for one, or its going to be none for 7.4 billion on a planet heading for hell.

Today is different, too, because our movement was not born out of protest against an odious policy, but against an odious mindset embodied in a deplorable person who nonetheless managed to take the Oval Office. Hes so obviously a symptom of something larger and deeper that perhaps the protesters of this generation will grasp more quickly than the radicals of the Vietnam era that Americas underlying disease is a destructive mode of consciousness (and not just a bad combover).

The move from resisting individual policies to transforming American consciousness may already have begun in small ways. After all, love trumps hate has become the most common slogan of the progressive movement. And the word love is being heard in hard-edged political discourse, not only on the left , but among mainstream political voices like Van Jones and Cory Booker . Once again, there is even talk of  revolutionary love .

Of course, the specific policies of the Republicans and this president (including his developing war policies ) must be resisted and the bleeding of the immediate moment staunched. Yet the urgent question of the late 1960s remains: What can be done when there are so many fronts on which to struggle and the entire system demands constant vigilant attention? In the age of a president who regularly sucks all the air out of the room, how do we even talk about all of this without being overwhelmed?

In many ways, the current wave of regressive change and increasing chaos in Washington should be treated as a caricature of the system that we all have been living under for so long. Turn to that broader dimension and the quest for a new consciousness may prove the thread that, though hardly noticed, already ties together the many facets of the developing resistance movement.

The largest mobilization for progressive politics since the Vietnam era offers a unique opportunity to go beyond simply treating symptoms and start offering cures for the underlying illness. If this opportunity is missed, versions of the same symptoms are likely to recur, while unpredictable new ones will undoubtedly emerge for the next 50 years, and as Martin Luther King predicted, we will go on marching without end. Surely we deserve a better future and a better fate.

Ira Chernus, a TomDispatch regular , is professor emeritus of Religious Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder and author of the online MythicAmerica: Essays .



Follow TomDispatch on Twitter and join us on Facebook . Check out the newest Dispatch Book, John Dower's The Violent American Century: War and Terror Since World War II , as well as John Feffer's dystopian novel Splinterlands , Nick Turses Next Time Theyll Come to Count the Dead , and Tom Engelhardt's Shadow Government: Surveillance, Secret Wars, and a Global Security State in a Single-Superpower World .

Copyright 2017 Ira Chernus
Home The Problem is Washington, Not North Korea



By Mike Whitney April 17, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Washington has never made any effort to conceal its contempt for North Korea. In the 64 years since the war ended, the US has done everything in its power to punish, humiliate and inflict pain on the Communist country. Washington has subjected the DPRK to starvation, prevented its government from accessing foreign capital and markets, strangled its economy with crippling economic sanctions, and installed lethal missile systems and military bases on their doorstep. Negotiations arent possible because Washington refuses to sit down with a country which it sees as its inferior. Instead, the US has strong-armed China to do its bidding by using their diplomats as interlocutors who are expected to convey Washingtons ultimatums as threateningly as possible. The hope, of course, is that Pyongyang will cave in to Uncle Sams bullying and do what they are told. But the North has never succumbed to US intimidation and theres no sign that it will. Instead, they have developed a small arsenal of nuclear weapons to defend themselves in the event that the US tries to assert its dominance by launching another war.

Theres no country in the world that needs nuclear weapons more than North Korea. Brainwashed Americans, who get their news from FOX or CNN, may differ on this point, but if a hostile nation deployed carrier strike-groups off the coast of California while conducting massive war games on the Mexican border (with the express intention of scaring the shit of people) then they might see things differently. They might see the value of having a few nuclear weapons to deter that hostile nation from doing something really stupid. And lets be honest, the only reason Kim Jong Un hasnt joined Saddam and Gadhafi in the great hereafter, is because (a) The North does not sit on an ocean of oil, and (b) The North has the capacity to reduce Seoul, Okinawa and Tokyo into smoldering debris-fields. Absent Kims WMDs, Pyongyang would have faced a preemptive attack long ago and Kim would have faced a fate similar to Gadhafis. Nuclear weapons are the only known antidote to US adventurism. The American people whose grasp of history does not extend beyond the events of 9-11  have no idea of the way the US fights its wars or the horrific carnage and destruction it unleashed on the North. Heres a short refresher that helps clarify why the North is still wary of the US more than 60 years after the armistice was signed. The excerpt is from an article titled Americans have forgotten what we did to North Korea, at Vox World: In the early 1950s, during the Korean War, the US dropped more bombs on North Korea than it had dropped in the entire Pacific theater during World War II. This carpet bombing, which included 32,000 tons of napalm, often deliberately targeted civilian as well as military targets, devastating the country far beyond what was necessary to fight the war. Whole cities were destroyed, with many thousands of innocent civilians killed and many more left homeless and hungry. According to US journalist Blaine Harden: Over a period of three years or so, we killed off  what  20 percent of the population, Air Force Gen. Curtis LeMay, head of the Strategic Air Command during the Korean War, told the Office of Air Force History in 1984. Dean Rusk, a supporter of the war and later secretary of state, said the United States bombed everything that moved in North Korea, every brick standing on top of another. After running low on urban targets, U.S. bombers destroyed hydroelectric and irrigation dams in the later stages of the war, flooding farmland and destroying crops On January 3 at 10:30 AM an armada of 82 flying fortresses loosed their death-dealing load on the city of Pyongyang Hundreds of tons of bombs and incendiary compound were simultaneously dropped throughout the city, causing annihilating fires, the transatlantic barbarians bombed the city with delayed-action high-explosive bombs which exploded at intervals for a whole day making it impossible for the people to come out onto the streets. The entire city has now been burning, enveloped in flames, for two days. By the second day, 7,812 civilians houses had been burnt down. The Americans were well aware that there were no military targets left in Pyongyang The number of inhabitants of Pyongyang killed by bomb splinters, burnt alive and suffocated by smoke is incalculableSome 50,000 inhabitants remain in the city which before the war had a population of 500,000. (Americans have forgotten what we did to North Korea, Vox World) The United States killed over 2 million people in a country that posed no threat to US national security. Like Vietnam, the Korean War was just another muscle-flexing exercise the US periodically engages in whenever it gets bored or needs some far-flung location to try out its new weapons systems. The US had nothing to gain in its aggression on the Korean peninsula, it was mix of imperial overreach and pure unalloyed viciousness the likes of which weve seen many times in the past. According to the Asia-Pacific Journal: By the fall of 1952, there were no effective targets left for US planes to hit. Every significant town, city and industrial area in North Korea had already been bombed. In the spring of 1953, the Air Force targeted irrigation dams on the Yalu River, both to destroy the North Korean rice crop and to pressure the Chinese, who would have to supply more food aid to the North. Five reservoirs were hit, flooding thousands of acres of farmland, inundating whole towns and laying waste to the essential food source for millions of North Koreans.10 Only emergency assistance from China, the USSR, and other socialist countries prevented widespread famine. (The Destruction and Reconstruction of North Korea, 1950  1960, The Asia-Pacific Journal, Japan Focus) Repeat: Reservoirs, irrigation dams, rice crops, hydroelectric dams, population centers all napalmed, all carpet bombed, all razed to the ground. Nothing was spared. If it moved it was shot, if it didnt move, it was bombed. The US couldnt win, so they turned the country into an uninhabitable wastelands. Let them starve. Let them freeze.. Let them eat weeds and roots and rodents to survive. Let them sleep in the ditches and find shelter in the rubble. What do we care? Were the greatest country on earth. God bless America. This is how Washington does business, and it hasnt changed since the Seventh Cavalry wiped out 150 men, women and children at Wounded Knee more than century ago. The Lakota Sioux at Pine Ridge got the same basic treatment as the North Koreans, or the Vietnamese, or the Nicaraguans, or the Iraqis and on and on and on and on. Anyone else who gets in Uncle Sams way, winds up in a world of hurt. End of story. The savagery of Americas war against the North left an indelible mark on the psyche of the people. Whatever the cost, the North cannot allow a similar scenario to take place in the future. Whatever the cost, they must be prepared to defend themselves. If that means nukes, then so be it. Self preservation is the top priority. Is there a way to end this pointless standoff between Pyongyang and Washington, a way to mend fences and build trust? Of course there is. The US just needs to start treating the DPRK with respect and follow through on their promises. What promises? No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter The promise to built the North two light-water reactors to provide heat and light to their people in exchange for an end to its nuclear weapons program. You wont read about this deal in the media because the media is just the propaganda wing of the Pentagon. They have no interest in promoting peaceful solutions. Their stock-in-trade is war, war and more war. The North wants the US to honor its obligations under the 1994 Agreed Framework. Thats it. Just keep up your end of the goddamn deal. How hard can that be? Heres how Jimmy Carter summed it up in a Washington Post op-ed (November 24, 2010): in September 2005, an agreement  reaffirmed the basic premises of the 1994 accord. (The Agreed Framework) Its text included denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, a pledge of non-aggression by the United States and steps to evolve a permanent peace agreement to replace the U.S.-North Korean-Chinese cease-fire that has been in effect since July 1953. Unfortunately, no substantive progress has been made since 2005 This past July I was invited to return to Pyongyang to secure the release of an American, Aijalon Gomes, with the proviso that my visit would last long enough for substantive talks with top North Korean officials. They spelled out in detail their desire to develop a denuclearized Korean Peninsula and a permanent cease-fire, based on the 1994 agreements and the terms adopted by the six powers in September 2005. North Korean officials have given the same message to other recent American visitors and have permitted access by nuclear experts to an advanced facility for purifying uranium. The same officials had made it clear to me that this array of centrifuges would be on the table for discussions with the United States, although uranium purification  a very slow process  was not covered in the 1994 agreements. Pyongyang has sent a consistent message that during direct talks with the United States, it is ready to conclude an agreement to end its nuclear programs, put them all under IAEA inspection and conclude a permanent peace treaty to replace the temporary cease-fire of 1953. We should consider responding to this offer. The unfortunate alternative is for North Koreans to take whatever actions they consider necessary to defend themselves from what they claim to fear most: a military attack supported by the United States, along with efforts to change the political regime. (North Koreas consistent message to the U.S., President Jimmy Carter, Washington Post) Most people think the problem lies with North Korea, but it doesnt. The problem lies with the United States; its unwillingness to negotiate an end to the war, its unwillingness to provide basic security guarantees to the North, its unwillingness to even sit down with the people who through Washingtons own stubborn ignorance are now developing long-range ballistic missiles that will be capable of hitting American cities. How dumb is that? The Trump team is sticking with a policy that has failed for 63 years and which clearly undermines US national security by putting American citizens directly at risk. AND FOR WHAT? To preserve the image of tough guy, to convince people that the US doesnt negotiate with weaker countries, to prove to the world that whatever the US says, goes? Is that it? Is image more important than a potential nuclear disaster? Relations with the North can be normalized, economic ties can be strengthened, trust can be restored, and the nuclear threat can be defused. The situation with the North does not have to be a crisis, it can be fixed. It just takes a change in policy, a bit of give-and-take, and leaders that genuinely want peace more than war. Mike Whitney lives in Washington state. He is a contributor to Hopeless: Barack Obama and the Politics of Illusion (AK Press). Hopeless is also available in a Kindle edition . He can be reached at fergiewhitney@msn.com . This article was first published at Counterpunch The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load. What's your response? - Scroll down to add / read comments Please read our Comment Policy before posting - It is unacceptable to slander, smear or engage in personal attacks on authors of articles posted on ICH. Those engaging in that behavior will be banned from the comment section. Click here to comment on our Facebook page
The governor of Kaduna State,Nasir El-Rufai has condemned the attack that occurred in the Southern part of the state in Asso community, Jemaa Local Government Area of Kaduna State but the reason for the attack still remains unclear.

The Southern Kaduna violence that has pitched Fulani herdsmen against largely local farming communities leading to the death of over 200 people .

The casualty from this weekends attack has not been confirmed but Mr. El-Rufai condoled with the victims and their families, while affirming that security operations are being ramped to rid the forest areas of the bandits.

The governor also launched Operation Harbin Kunama II that would help the Army deal with the armed persons responsible for the attacks in Southern Kaduna.

Read the Kaduna governors statement below:

Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai on Sunday said that the forthcoming Operation Harbin Kunama II is a necessary step towards ending the violence in parts of southern Kaduna. The governor spoke while condemning the weekend attack on Asso community in Gwong Chiefdom of Jemaa local government area of the state.

In a statement issued in Kaduna by his spokesman, Samuel Aruwan, the governor extended his condolence to the victims and their families, while affirming that security operations are being ramped to rid the forest areas of the bandits.

The Governor charged security agencies to redouble their efforts in fishing out those behind the killings, and to act promptly on carefully vetted intelligence.

The statement said that agencies responsible for emergency services have been directed to offer relief.

The governor requested support from communities to the security agencies as the Nigerian Army gets set to commence a major operation tagged Operation Harbin Kunama II, including assisting the Nigerian Army with vital information that could aid a successful clampdown on elements responsible for this terror attacks on our citizens.

Source : ( Premium Times )
The Imo State Police Command has killed one of the suspected killers, Chimaobi Okorie, of a police Inspector, Vincent Umeh, attached to Umuahia Zone 9 and a 30-year-old staff of Ecobank in Okigwe town, Enyioma Okwudiri at the Okigwe Local Government Area of the state.

This event is coming nine days after some policemen killed another suspected mastermind of the killings, simply identified as Amobi, aka, Toosolo, in Aba, Abia state.

Some gunmen had on March 1, 2017, shot dead the inspector on Enugu  Port Harcourt expressway and made away with his Toyota Corolla which he was travelling in.

They equally attacked and killed Okwudiri and a 38-year-old Nanman Lamak, who hailed from Plateau state.

The gunmen also shot dead two other persons who were making use of an Automated Teller Machine before fleeing the Okigwe town.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Andrew Enwerem, who confirmed the killing of the suspected armed robber, told our correspondent on Monday that he was arrested on Sunday at a guest house in Okigwe town known as Beghe guest in  flowing a tipoff.

Enwerem, a Deputy Superintendent of Police who alleged that Okorie was part of the gang that killed over five persons on March 1, 2017, which included the slain inspector and the bank staff, stated that the suspected armed robber engaged policemen in a gun duel on sighting the presence of the operatives of the command at the guest house.

The Police spokesperson said On seeing our men at the premises of Beghe guest in, in Okigwe, Chimaobi Okorie engaged the policemen in a shootout and attempted to escape through the fence of the hotel, but he was demobilised by the operatives.

He was taken to the hospital for treatment but was later confirmed dead by the doctor .

Enwerem, who said that one cut to size double barrel gun, four life cartridges and two expended ammunition exhibits were recovered from the armed robber, averred that the police under the leadership of the commissioner of police in the state, Chris Ezike, were committed to reducing crimes.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
Two people lost their lives on Monday in an auto crash that occurred at Gbagada Bus Stop, around Anthony area of Lagos state.

It was gathered that tragedy struck when a Volkswagen commercial bus with registration number GGE716XM had a head on collision with another vehicle, identified as a taxi.

Eye witness confirmed that Sources that the incident occurred at about 3 p.m.

When contacted, the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority, LASEMA, said 14 persons were rescued and had been taken to the Gbagada General Hospital and Trauma Centre by LASAMBUS and the LASEMA Paramedics.

The rescued passengers sustained different degrees of injuries, the agency said.

LASEMA, however, said that two lives were lost to the unfortunate incident, adding that bodies of the victims have been moved to the Lagos Mainland Hospital Mortuary.

Adesina Tiamiyu, the agencys General Manager, said the damaged vehicles were recovered with the aid of the agencys towing truck to facilitate free flow of traffic in the area.

Mr. Tiamiyu, however, advised motorists especially commercial bus drivers to drive within the speed limit to avoid loss of lives.

Source: ( Premium Times )
Abductors of two Turkish expatriates in Akwa Ibom have demanded N200 million to release them.

The victims were abducted on Monday, April 10, from their Airstrip Hotel room in Eket Local Government Area of the state.

A security source told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), that the abductors had been in touch with the BKS Construction Company in Onna local government where the expatriates work.

He said the abductors contacted the construction company and demanded N200 million to release them.

The company is negotiating with the abductors to secure the release of the victims, the source said.

According to the source, the firm is offering N500,000.

The State Police Public Relations, Chilly Ikechukwu, an assistant superintendent of police, said the police were not aware of the ransom.

Source: NAN
As Christians celebrate Easter, some passengers of the Abuja-Kaduna rail had complained of inadequate communication and inefficient services from personnel at the train station in Abuja.

Some of them who spoke, on Sunday, in separate interviews at the Kubwa station, in Abuja, said that passengers welfare should be paramount.

Alhaji Ibrahim Dauda said that it was his first time of joining the train service, saying that there was need for Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) to improve on its condition and welfare of passengers and ensure proper communication channel.

As you can see many people are standing, they need to improve on the condition and welfare of passengers, since I came, I have not heard any announcement whether the train is delayed or how long will passengers wait.

 There should be constant information from the management to the passengers, especially on the movement of the train, he said.

Toyin Idowu, another passenger, stressed the need for the station to improve on its time, communication, saying that the NRC personnel should be trained on customers service

She alleged that most of the staff members were rude to passengers.

She further commended the Federal Government for the good initiative and for reviving rail service in the country.

He added that it has helped the poor masses a lot especially the free airport service.

However, Mr Segun Tokunbo, also a passenger, commended the Federal Government for the good development and beautiful structure on ground but blamed the management for poor service.

He said that the passengers were punished because there was no proper communication from the operators to the passengers which made it frustrating and disappointing.

It is a good development in this country but the management of the operation is actually going against the wishes of the government, what I can see here is waste of resources and punishment to the public.

I have been here since 7a.m and is almost noon, there is no form of communication on the arrival and departure of the train.

The government has done a good job but the operators need to be trained so that they dont frustrate governments good intention because people are discouraged, he said.

Responding, Abdullahi Gani, the Assistant Station Manager, Kubwa, said that due to airport closure the population has increased and they have informed the management to provide more seats which they promised would be ready within two weeks.

He, however, said that the complaints of passengers that the personnel are rude could be based on the issue of change because the passengers expect them to leave their duty post to look for change.

 The issue of the seat, we have channel the complain to the management and they will response in the next one to two weeks, it will be resolved, he said.

NAN reports that passengers were seen standing for hours without communication from the public affairs unit on the arrival and departure of the train until the train arrived by 12.44p.m.

The station environment and toilets were neat, the reception was conducive with security agencies protecting the station.(NAN)

Abuja-Kaduna rail: Passengers decry poor communication, inefficient services

As Christians celebrate Easter, some passengers of the Abuja-Kaduna rail had complained of inadequate communication and inefficient services from personnel at the train station in Abuja.

Some of them who spoke, on Sunday, in separate interviews at the Kubwa station, in Abuja, said that passengers welfare should be paramount.

Alhaji Ibrahim Dauda said that it was his first time of joining the train service, saying that there was need for Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) to improve on its condition and welfare of passengers and ensure proper communication channel.

As you can see many people are standing, they need to improve on the condition and welfare of passengers, since I came, I have not heard any announcement whether the train is delayed or how long will passengers wait.

 There should be constant information from the management to the passengers, especially on the movement of the train, he said.

Toyin Idowu, another passenger, stressed the need for the station to improve on its time, communication, saying that the NRC personnel should be trained on customers service

She alleged that most of the staff members were rude to passengers.

She further commended the Federal Government for the good initiative and for reviving rail service in the country.

He added that it has helped the poor masses a lot especially the free airport service.

However, Mr Segun Tokunbo, also a passenger, commended the Federal Government for the good development and beautiful structure on ground but blamed the management for poor service.

He said that the passengers were punished because there was no proper communication from the operators to the passengers which made it frustrating and disappointing.

It is a good development in this country but the management of the operation is actually going against the wishes of the government, what I can see here is waste of resources and punishment to the public.

I have been here since 7a.m and is almost noon, there is no form of communication on the arrival and departure of the train.

The government has done a good job but the operators need to be trained so that they dont frustrate governments good intention because people are discouraged, he said.

Responding, Abdullahi Gani, the Assistant Station Manager, Kubwa, said that due to airport closure the population has increased and they have informed the management to provide more seats which they promised would be ready within two weeks.

He, however, said that the complaints of passengers that the personnel are rude could be based on the issue of change because the passengers expect them to leave their duty post to look for change.

 The issue of the seat, we have channel the complain to the management and they will response in the next one to two weeks, it will be resolved, he said.

NAN reports that passengers were seen standing for hours without communication from the public affairs unit on the arrival and departure of the train until the train arrived by 12.44p.m.

The station environment and toilets were neat, the reception was conducive with security agencies protecting the station.

Source: NAN
An artist, Chika Idu, has identified poor motivations and remunerations from the employers of arts teachers as some of the factors affecting their employees outputs and dedication to duty.

Idu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday that many arts teachers could not put in their best to the job because of poor remunerations.

This has been negatively affecting the growth of the sector, he said, adding that arts teachers needed to be well remunerated to inspire them to do more.

The teacher of Arts at the French School, Lycee Louis Pasteur, Canada, said that the teaching of arts and craft in schools could be an excellent way to facilitate youths learning other languages outside theirs.

Field trips need to be organised for students as well as seminars for students and teachers of art in tertiary institutions.

These will help them improve themselves through interactions with their contemporaries in others schools.

Government is failing to understand that development is driven by creativity and that art is also a great employer of labour.

Arts and craft can be a great way to include cross-curricular activities in schools to showcase the culture of Nigeria, he said.

According to the artist, unity is promoted when students work together to complete a project.

They have to use their hands and minds to create, instead of spending more time watching videos and television programmes that will not add any value to them.

People do not design Christmas or Easter cards anymore because of the use of mobile networks, everything is dependent on handsets and internet, he said.

Idu, however, called for the creation of more arts activities to engage the youth meaningfully, adding that such would help in the development of the society.

The artist, from Delta State, studied painting at the Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State in 1998.

He was instrumental to the creation of Defactori Studios which today has become an arts movement among Nigerias new generation of artists.

Idu also created Nigerias first Water Colour Society of Artists (SABLES) and has been a part of numerous group exhibitions.

He has been committed to exposing the plights of the African child through his work.

Recently, he began an environmental campaign on the health risks faced by children living in coastal slums.

Some of his works are: Light against visual distortion; In Jesus Name I pray, Ada Series, Women of the North, Chibok, Abandoned among others.
An attack has occurred in Asso community, Jemaa Local Government Area of Kaduna State which has left may Christians killed.

Some Christian residents in Asso community in Jemaa Local Government Area of Kaduna State, were attacked by unknown assailants, as at least 13 Christians were slaughtered in cold blood.

The latest attack on Asso is believed to be part of the larger Southern Kaduna violence that has pitched Fulani herdsmen against largely local farming communities leading to the death of over 200 people in the past year.

The details of the attack are unclear, but the state governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, condemned the attack in a statement by his spokesperson, Samuel Aruwan.

In the statement issued in Kaduna, the governor extended his condolence to the victims and their families, while affirming that security operations are being ramped to rid the forest areas of the bandits.

The Governor charged security agencies to redouble their efforts in fishing out those behind the killings, and to act promptly on carefully vetted intelligence.
Davido stays top of the chart with IF as the most played song on radio for week 13 of 2017.

Tiwa Savages All over debuts at number two on the chart, as Runtowns Mad over you sits behind at number three on the chart.

The Playdata radio chart is based on measurements from impressions gathered from radio stations in Lagos and a couple of other cities across the country. The monitoring service puts together the most played songs on radio for the past week on its top 10 chart.

The Playdata radio chart is based on results of radio stations monitored across Nigeria

Here are the top 10 songs most played for week 16 from bottom up.

Number 10 Korede Bello  Romantic ft Tiwa Savage

Number 9: Phyno  Fada Fada (Ghetto Gospel)

ft Olamide

Number 8: Justin Bieber  Sorry

Number 7: Wizkid  Ojuelegba

Number 6: Olamide  Pepper dem gang

Number 5: Ycee  Juice ft Maleek Berry

Number 4:Katy Perry  Chained to the rhythm

Number 3: Runtown  Mad over you

Number 2: Tiwa Savage  All over

Number 1: Davido  IF
Former dean of the School of Business & Entrepreneurship at the American University of Nigeria, Linus Osuagwu has been appointed pioneer Vice Chancellor of Eastern Palm University, owned by the Imo State government.

Eastern Palm University is licensed by the National Universities Commission (NUC) of Nigeria as the 42nd state-owned university in Nigeria.

Mr. Osuagwus appointment has been approved by the Governor of Imo Sate and Visitor to the university, Rochas Okorocha.

The professor is a respected member of the academia. His work experience is as varied as it is extensive, having worked in the academia for almost three decades.

He has held several academic and administrative positions, including the Dean of School of Business and Entrepreneurship at the American University of Nigeria; Chair of University-wide Promotions Committee at the American University of Nigeria; pioneer Professor of Marketing at Covenant University; and pioneer Head of Department of Business Administration & Management Technology at the Lagos State University, among others.

In addition, Mr. Osuagwu has been involved in NUC (National University Commission) assignments, including resource assessment, and accreditation of programmes.

Also, he has assessed candidates for professorial positions in many Nigerian universities, in addition to serving as external examiner for PhD programmes in many African universities.

Mr. Osuagwu is a member of several national and international professional bodies, and has attended and presented papers at many national and international conferences and seminars, in addition to authoring many scholarly books and journal articles.

He joined AUN in 2008 as professor of marketing. He received his Bachelor of Science Technology (B.Sc. Tech.) degree, Second Class Upper Division, in Management Technology from the Federal University of Technology Owerri and Master of Science (M.Sc.) and PhD in Business Administration/Marketing (with distinction) from the University of Lagos.

He is married to Caroline, with two children, Francis and Oluchi.

Source: ( Premium Times )
One of the suspected killers of a police Inspector, Vincent Umeh and a 30-year-old staff of Ecobank in okigwe, Enyioma Okwudiri in Okigwe Local Government area in Imo State, Chimaobi Okorie, has been shot dead by operatives of the State Police Command.

The gang which Okorie was part of had allegedly killed the Inspector along Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway and made away with the vehicle he was travelling in on March 1, 2017.

Confirming the death of Okorie, the State Police Commands spokesperson, Andrew Enwerem, said the deceased armed robber was arrested on Sunday at a guest house in Okigwe town known as Beghe guest in  flowing a tipoff.

The police spokesperson told Punch that Okorie on citing operatives of the Command opened fire on them but was demobilised and later taken to a hospital where he was confirmed dead.

Enwerem disclosed that one cut to size double barrel gun, four life cartridges and two expended ammunition exhibits were recovered from the armed robber.

On seeing our men at the premises of Beghe guest in, in Okigwe, Chimaobi Okorie engaged the policemen in a shootout and attempted to escape through the fence of the hotel, but he was demobilised by the operatives.

He was taken to the hospital for treatment but was later confirmed dead by the doctor,  Enwerem said.

Source: Dailypost
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has urged Nigerians to help in the fight against Smugglers and this can only be achieved if the citizens see smuggling as a crime.

According to the, Public Relations Officer of the Service, Mr Joseph Attah, , who made the appeal on Monday in Abuja.

He said that the service anti-smuggling strategy was yielding positive dividend, adding that in the past three months, the service had seized 136,506 bags of rice.

All Nigerians should see smuggling as a crime so that they will support the service to succeed in our ongoing war against smugglers.

Seeing smuggling as a crime means that you will be willing to give creditable information that will help us succeed.

As villagers that live around border line, they should be willing to support customs officers whenever they make seizures and they are encountering some difficulties, rather than supporting the smugglers against customs

In Nigeria when a thief is arrested or an armed robber is arrested, you hardly get to see people going to beg for them.

But today when a smuggler is arrested you see Nigerians, including some respected ones in our society, coming to beg for such persons to be released because they dont see smuggling as a crime; they see it as a trade, Attah said.

He said that some Nigerians often times accused the NCS of not doing enough in its service delivery, adding that it was wrong for people to think that a smuggler could only be successful when supported in active connivance by customs officers.

According to him, smugglers now take advantage of the porous borders, adding that oftentimes they are supported by villagers at the border line and unpatriotic well to do individuals in carrying out their smuggling activities.

NCS cannot 100 percent vouch for its officers like any other human organisation; it is totally wrong to suggest that every criminal activity must be with the connivance of an operative, he added.

Attah said that the service would remain focused on its statutory function of enforcing government policies rather than being distracted by the blame game.

In our continuous efforts to suppress smuggling, information, suggestions that can help the service to perform better are welcome from well meaning individuals or organisation.

Source: ( PM News )
Ex-member of the House Representatives, Dr. Haruna Yerima has alleged that former President Olusegun Obasanjo, gave N50m bribe to each member of the National Assembly that supported his third term bid.

Yerima said this at the 34th Aminu Kano Annual Memorial Symposium held in Kano.

He claimed that some lawmakers accepted it, while others turned it down.

Speaking on Politics after Malam Aminu Kano: The Role of the Legislature in Nigerias Democratic Development, Yerima stated: In the House of Representatives, I was the only member who rejected the Obasanjos third term bid and that was what led to my exit from the house.

He also said that there is nothing one can do at the moment to stop corruption in the NASS.

We have to make our legislative members and senators understand what democracy is all about. We have to make them understand the rules of the house and the constitution even if they cannot read and write.

I have a colleague who spent 12 years in the NASS but had never seconded a motion not to talk of moving it on the floor of the house.

The problem is that most of our legislatures are attached to their governors and are dancing to their tunes, he said.

Source: Dailypost
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT) at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, has arrested a high-profile thief identified as Augustine Joseph, who specialises in impersonating journalists to steal gadgets and con dignitaries at events.

Posing as an employee of the popular blogger, Linda Ikeji, with an identity card bearing the name Michael Mordi, the suspect was arrested and paraded last week for robbing unsuspicious members of public of their belongings at public events.

The suspect, who walked into one of the new generation banks head-office at Victoria Island, Lagos, for an event on March, 30, smartly made away with a Samsung Galaxy S6 phone and other items belonging to guests at the event.

In a statement by the IGP team, it said: Immediately we received the information, operatives of the IGPs Intelligence Response Team led by Superintendent Lateef Balogun, swung into action and based on the technical intelligence gathered, one Augustine Joseph (male) was arrested while the phone in question was recovered from him. The suspect confessed to have stolen the phone from the complainant and equally confessed to other heinous crimes that are becoming rampant at public events.

The suspect, Augustine Joseph said: I have been into this business of stealing peoples things at event for more than a year now. I steal phones, laptops and other gadgets when attending functions. The method I mostly use is to come in as early as possible to familiarise myself with people. I always sit close to charging points where I would be able to carry out my act and I move around with different chargers to lend to people who need to charge their phones.

To get details about upcoming events, I download some events app on my phone and I add Facebook pages of events so as to stay current on activities happening around me. I go to the extent of paying as a participant to attend trainings and workshop in order for me to rob people of their belongings, he confessed.

The police have said the suspect will be arraigned once investigations are concluded.

Source: Guardian
A woman has suffered a cruel fate in the hands of armed robbers who attacked and cut off her hand for not having money at home.

Some dare-devil robbers have vented their anger on a victim by shooting at his hands and it fell off after they were unable to get any money from him.

So you dont have anything and you are showing off. You suffered us all this while we trailed you only to find nothing in your house. the robbers angrily asked while attacking their victim.

According to PM Express, the incident happened at Victory Estate in Ejigbo, Lagos where the victim resides with his family. The victim identified as Cyril (surname withheld) went to vigil and was returning in the early morning, unknown to him the robbers were trailing him to his house.

As he entered the compound, he was accosted and taken to his flat where they searched everywhere in the rooms and they did not find any useful thing to steal.

According to the victim, he pleaded to them that he was facing financial challenge and had been praying to God to turn things for the better for him. In anger, one of the robbers pointed a gun at him and shot at his hand which fell off. They told him that was his punishment for not keeping anything in the house before they left him in pool of blood.

As the victim bled profusely, he was rushed to Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH where doctors battled to save his life. The matter was reported to the police who confirmed the incident but said no arrest has been made. The incident has thrown the residents of that area into panic because of this new antic of the robbers in the area to inflict such inhuman treatment on their victims.

Some residents who spoke to our correspondent said robbers have taken over Ejigbo and its environs lately, and the police seem not to have any solution on how to protect their lives and properties.

The residents said streets under the siege now are Oboye, Surprise, Dorcas, Tunde Alabi, Joseph, Abuna and Idimu road. They claimed it is now difficult to walk freely in those areas. When our correspondent visited Ejigbo police division, the DPO was not available to comment on the incident.

However, a police source said the police have since commenced investigation on how to arrest those bandits.
U.S Vice President Mike Pence has warned North Korea to be careful with how they provoke U.S President Donald Trump or the military power at his disposal, as recent strikes in Afghanistan and Syria show that America will act when necessary on unruly nations/governments.

Speaking during a visit to Seoul, South Korea, Pence said the recent US military strikes in Syria and Afghanistan was a similar situation to North Korea, saying they showed the strength and resolve of our new president.

We will defeat any attack and we will meet any use of conventional or nuclear weapons with an overwhelming and effective response, Pence said, adding that when it came to North Korea all options are on the table. Washington would closely consult with Seoul as we make decisions moving forward. Pence continued The era of strategic patience is over, President Trump is very hopeful that China will take actions to bring about a change of policy in North Korea. An abandonment of its nuclear weapons program and its ballistic missile program. Washington is troubled by Chinas economic retaliation against South Korea (for) taking appropriate measures to defend itself by deploying the US THAAD missile defense system.

Pences visit to Seoul on Monday is part of a 10-day visit to Asia. He met with Military leaders in Seoul and American troops there.

Pences visit followed an impressive parade Saturday to mark the Day of the Sun, the most important day in the North Korean calendar, where Kim Jong-un paraded his military arsenal and even launched a missile test- which failed woefully.

Source : ( CNN )
Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike,has continued to restate that the $43 million recently found in an apartment at Ikoyi, Lagos state, belongs to his predecessor and now Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi.

Wike had previously alleged that Amaechi stole the money from the state account when he was still a governor of the state and called on the Federal government to return the money to the state.

Speaking during an Easter Church Service at Saint Peters Anglican Church in Rumuepirikom yesterday, Wike said that the church has a responsibility to pray that God touches the Federal Government of Nigeria to return the money to the coffers of Rivers State, because the money belongs to Rivers State Government.

We need the prayer of the Church , because there is nothing that prayer cannot do. Pray that God should touch the Government of Nigeria, so that they will return the money to us. What we are interested is for the money to come back to us.

Wike stated that contrary to claims by Rotimi Amaechi, he, Wike, has not declared war on the Federal Government, but the Rivers State Government was simply requesting the return of funds belonging to the state.

I cannot declare war on the Federal Government. Anybody bringing Buharis name should leave Buhari and face his own problems . The issue is who kept the money at the Ikoyi Residence. The money was kept there by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi. No amount of blackmail, no amount of distraction will stop us from getting our money. 

He alleged that between 70 and 80 percent of the APC Campaigns in 2015 were sponsored using funds sourced by the Rivers State Government under the leadership of Rotimi Amaechi. Wike added that the idea of the selective war of corruption will not help development in the country.

He wondered why security intelligence works on opponents of the Federal Government, but when glaring corruption issues pop up like the Ikoyi case, where Billions of Dollars belonging to Rivers State have been found, the war on corruption is suspended and diversionary tactics adopted.

Source: ( Linda Ikeji )
In Android, apps arent supposed to be able to interfere with the normal behavior of other apps or the device itself. But ransomware is notorious for taking over other apps and encrypting data, and it can even block the uninstall command. Its been a long-standing problem for Googles Android mobile operating system.

Ransomware does everything opposite of what the Android security model says apps should do, says Android security team malware analyst Elena Kovakina. Google is tackling the ransomware problem on Android by beefing up app protections, deprecating certain APIs, and removing functionality, she says. Google has made antimalware improvements in the current Android Nougat, and more are slated for the forthcoming Android O.

Ransomware isnt as big of a threat on mobile devices as it has been on the desktop, but it does exist. Kovakina notes that Google tracked 30 Android ransomware families in the wild and collected 50,000 samples to learn how the malware behaved, what kind of API calls it abused, and what operating system processes it targeted.

Android ransomware variants tend to target older operating system versions; Cyber.Police, for example, exploited Android Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean, and KitKat devices a year ago. The malware locked up the devices home screens and demanded Apple iTunes gift cards in exchange for the decryption key to unlock the phones.

Victims of mobile ransomware have a guaranteed recovery method thats not available to desktop victims: the factory reset. Users who regularly back up files and important settings minimize data loss as a result of the malware encrypting the data or from a device reset. The Android security team has not yet encountered any ransomware samples capable of encrypting Googles cloud backup, Kovakina says, and we havent yet seen ransomware that can survive factory reset.

Googles past actions: Deprecate, remove functionality

In the past, Google tackled the ransomware problem by deprecating API calls used by the malware. For example, DeviceAdmin , which asks the user to grant the app administrator privileges, was being abused by 70 percent of ransomware to gain elevated privileges on the affected device. DeviceAdmin is typically used by security apps and mobile device management tools to get administrator privileges. Potentially harmful apps or malware would repeatedly display the DeviceAdmin prompt, in hopes of annoying the user into granting the app administrator privileges, essentially creating a denial-of-service condition against the user interface.

The security team addressed this particular issue by changing the DeviceAdmin prompt in Android Nougat to include an obvious option to uninstall the app engaging in this kind of behavior.

In another tactic, malware that popped up activity windows as persistent overlays while other apps were running were abusing the getRunningTasks method in the Activity Manager, which lets apps find out what other tasks are running on Android. This method was deprecated in API level 21, and as of Android Lollipop, its no longer available to third-party apps. Mobile developers who previously used getRunningTasks should now use oom_score , which requires going through the proc/ directory to find running apps. The hidepid function in Android Nougat controls who gets to use the information in the directory.

The security model in Android Nougat was also changed, so apps now need granular access to music, docs, and photos to reduce potential damage from encryption.

New defenses coming in Android O

The developer preview of Android O was released March 21, and the API is getting a complete overhaul, Kovakina says.

To control what kind of windows can be displayed above other apps, apps using the O SDK will no longer be allowed to use the window types TYPE_PHONE , TYPE_PRIORITY_PHONE , TYPE_SYSTEM_ALERT , TYPE_SYSTEM_OVERLAY , or TYPE_SYSTEM_ERROR . Instead, developers will have to use the new window type TYPE_APPLICATION_OVERLAY . Apps using older SDK versions can still use those window types, but their windows will be z-ordered below the new TYPE_APPLICATION_OVERLAY windows. An ongoing low-priority notification is displayed in the window for all apps using the SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW permission, regardless of whether its using the new window type or one of the older ones.

All alert windows will be z-ordered below critical system windows like the lockscreen or the status bar. This means users will always be able to switch away from the alert windows.

Google will keep tinkering

There is a bit of a cat-and-mouse game being played. Many of the system improvements seen in latest versions of Android were inspired by a type of malware that successfully executed on a device. Malware creators will look for new tricks as Google addresses their current ones.

Googles aim is to make it more difficult and costlier for attackers to build mobile malware. Kovakina acknowledges that users dont always have the latest version, which is why Google has beefed up its Verify Apps tools ability to detect ransomware in the Google Play Store. Instead of warning of ransomware, Verify Apps now blocks suspected ransomware apps.
After 20 years, Intel is scrapping its marquee annual Intel Developer Forum event, where tech enthusiasts gathered to load up on the chipmaker's news and technologies.

IDF started off in 1997 as a small event in Palm Springs, California. The show was later moved to San Francisco and vastly expanded during a boom in the PC market.

But with the PC market slowing down, the attraction of IDF has also dwindled. Intel's future isn't tied to PCs but instead to areas like data centers, autonomous cars, modems, the internet of things, and manufacturing.

Last year, IDF events were held in San Francisco and Beijing, and neither will happen this year. An event was scheduled this year from Aug. 15 to 17 in San Francisco, according to a calendar for Moscone Convention Center, but it has been canceled.

In lieu of IDF, Intel will instead hold small events, workshops, and participate in trade shows to highlight its technologies and connect with customers. Intel has a big presence every year at shows like CES, Computex, and Mobile World Congress.

Apple iPhone launches in the past have upstaged IDF San Francisco. From 2012 to 2014, iPhone launches around the time of IDF became the main topic of conversation on the show floor.

In 2011, IDF clashed with Microsoft's Build Conference being held in Anaheim, Calif., and Windows 8, Windows RT, and ARM chips were part of the conversation at Intel's show.

To avoid a clash with Apple's iPhone launches and other shows like TechCrunch Disrupt, Intel eventually moved IDF to mid-August in 2015.

Major PC, chip, and datacenter announcements were a staple of the show, but such announcements have dwindled in the last few years.

Over the final years, IDF started losing its technical edge and became more of a marketing vehicle for the company as it expanded into wearables, drones, cool gadgets, and other devices. The company used the show to send a message that it was more than a technology company.

Intel in 2013 scrapped a popular third-day opening keynote by former CTO Justin Rattner, who showed off future-looking technologies like a solar-powered PC. It was replaced by keynotes that didn't touch on deep technology.

Privately, attendees grumbled that Intel was losing its core audience of engineers and technology specialists with its grand show of cool devices.

Intel will be able to connect to developers via trade shows and workshops, which are more targeted, a company spokeswoman said.
Dollar Drops on Lower T-Note Yields Barchart - 14 minutes ago The dollar index (DXY00 ) on Tuesday fell by -0.48% and posted a 1-1/2 month low. The dollar gave up early gains Tuesday and moved lower as a decline in T-note yields weakened the dollars interest rate... DXY00 : 109.658s (-0.42%) ^EURUSD : 1.00701 (+0.50%) ^USDJPY : 145.620 (-0.64%) GCZ22 : 1,715.5 (+2.08%) SIZ22 : 21.440 (+2.49%)

Nat-Gas Prices Sink on Possible Delay of U.S. Nat-Gas Exports Barchart - 35 minutes ago Dec Nymex natural gas (NGZ22 ) on Tuesday closed down -0.806 (-11.61%). Dec nat-gas Tuesday sold off sharply on concern U.S. nat-gas exports will be delayed, which would cause a build up of inventories.... NGZ22 : 6.254 (-9.94%)

Cocoa Prices Underpinned by Ivory Coast Dock Workers Strike Barchart - 45 minutes ago December ICE NY cocoa (CCZ22 ) on Tuesday closed up +31 (+1.24%), and December ICE London cocoa #7 (CAZ22 ) closed up +1 (+0.05%). Cocoa prices Tuesday extended their week-long rally, with NY cocoa climbing... CCH23 : 2,524s (+1.53%) CAH23 : 2,016s (+0.40%)

Sugar Climbs on the Outlook for Smaller Global Supplies Barchart - 46 minutes ago March NY world sugar #11 (SBH23 ) on Tuesday closed up +0.32 (+1.71%), and Dec London white sugar #5 (SWZ22 ) closed up +6.50 (+1.22%). Sugar prices Tuesday extended their week-long rally, with NY sugar... SBH23 : 19.00s (+1.71%) SWH23 : 517.40s (+1.31%)

Coffee Prices Fall on Favorable Brazil 2023/24 Coffee Crop Prospects Barchart - 50 minutes ago December arabica coffee (KCZ22 ) on Tuesday closed down -4.10 (-2.40%), and Jan ICE Robusta coffee (RMF23 ) closed down -10 (-1.08%). Coffee prices Tuesday posted moderate losses, with arabica falling... KCH23 : 164.15s (-1.14%) RMF23 : 1,831s (-1.08%)

Navigating The Volatility Blue Line Futures - 1 hour ago Our daily video . . .

Hogs Lower on Turnaround Tuesday Barchart - Tue Nov 8, 11:52AM CST Hogs are giving some of the Monday rally back at Tuesdays midday, with front months down 85 cents to $1.15. The USDA National Average Base Hog Price was up $3.43 to $86.11. The CME Lean Hog Index was... HEZ22 : 85.575s (-1.69%) HEJ23 : 94.200s (-0.16%) KMZ22 : 95.975 (-0.23%)

Cotton Higher at Midday Barchart - Tue Nov 8, 11:52AM CST Cotton is seeing some buying on Tuesdays Midday, as contracts are up 65 to 116 points. The US dollar index is down 65 points on the day. The Seam Reported 706 bales were sold on 11/07 for 88.56 cents/lb,... CTZ22 : 87.68s (+0.22%) CTH23 : 85.74s (-0.10%) CTK23 : 84.84s (-0.27%)

Cattle Weaker on Tuesday Barchart - Tue Nov 8, 11:52AM CST Live cattle are down 17 to 55 cents midday. Feeder cattle are40 to 62 cents on Tuesday. Tuesdays Fed Cattle Exchange showed no sales on the 1,283 head sold, with bids running $148-149.25. Cash trade... LEZ22 : 153.050s (unch) LEG23 : 154.775s (-0.16%) LEJ23 : 158.250s (-0.19%) GFX22 : 178.275s (+0.03%) GFF23 : 179.900s (-0.01%)
Many seek to make their mark in hedge funds. But few have the collective impact of Institutional Investors lifetime achievement honorees, Kenneth Griffin and J. Tomilson Hill.

After trading from his Harvard University dorm as a 19-year-old sophomore, Griffin became one of the youngest people to start his own firm when at 22 he founded Citadel in 1990. Formed with $4.6 million in capital, and the backing of legendary hedge fund investor Frank Meyer, Citadel has become one of the largest and most successful managers with more than $26 billion of assets. The firms flagship multi-strategy hedge funds, Wellington and Kensington Global Strategies, have annualized returns of 19 percent since inception.

Griffin, a pioneer in the fields of credit derivatives and trading technology, has long focused on building out Citadels business beyond its highly successful Wellington and Kensington funds. In 2002, he formed Citadel Securities, an award-winning market-making business thats separate from his hedge fund firm. Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer Griffin has continued to start new funds and diversify business lines at Citadel. Still only 48, hes already built the hedge fund firm with a depth and breadth that make it unique in the industry.

In contrast to Griffin, who, before founding Citadel, managed a fund exclusively for Meyers Glenwood Capital Investments, Hill had a much more traditional banking career before entering the hedge fund industry. A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School, he started out at First Boston, where he became a co-founder of the investment banks mergers and acquisitions department. Hill, 68, joined Blackstone in 1993 and is now vice chairman of the private equity firm. In 2000, he was tapped to start Blackstone Alternative Asset Management, or BAAM, the firms fund-of-hedge-funds business. BAAM is now the worlds largest allocator to hedge funds with $71 billion of assets under management, up from $1.3 billion at inception.

Hills achievement at BAAM, of which he is president and CEO, has been all the more impressive amid the tectonic shifts that have led the fund-of-hedge-funds industry to shrink in the past decade. HFR data show that net assets in the industry have fallen to just over $630 billion, from a high of nearly $800 billion in 2007. Key to Hill and BAAMs success has been an ability to innovate and use the firms considerable size to its benefit.

Both Griffin and Hill are committed philanthropists, art collectors and patrons of the arts. Griffin serves on charitable boards including the board of directors of the Chicago Public Education Fund, and the board of trustees for the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the University of Chicago. He has given away more than $500 million, including a $150 million gift to his alma mater to support financial aid for students. Hill is a member of the Council of Foreign Relations, where he serves on the board of directors and is chairman emeritus of the investment committee. He has served on boards of many other charitable institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Our Lady Queen of Angels School in Spanish Harlem. Hill is also on the investor committee of the Smithsonian Institution.

Griffin, the hedge-fund manager lifetime achievement honoree, and Hill, the hedge-fund allocator lifetime achievement honoree, will be honored at II magazines 15th Annual Hedge Fund Industry Awards dinner at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in New York Wednesday, June 21. For more about the dinner, as well as a full list of hedge fund investment manager finalists -- winners to be announced at the event -- visit the Institutional Investor 2017 Hedge Fund Industry Awards web page.
Most asset managers and hedge fund directors dont try to attract new investors with a four-minute animated video. But most arent New Yorkbased Lyrical Asset Management, co-founded by two friends from the University of Pennsylvania, Andrew Wellington and Jeff Keswin.

As the firms video suggests, Sometimes its a good idea to go against the grain and challenge conventional wisdom. Founded in 2008, Lyricals office spans the entire 37th floor of a Midtown Manhattan building that also houses Soros Fund Management. There are sweeping vistas of the city, art sculptures, and pinball and whack-a-mole machines, all making it feel more like a hip tech firm than one providing financial services.

And yet Lyrical isnt exactly high-tech in its approach to investing. While many asset managers rely on high-frequency trading to produce gains, Lyrical focuses on value investing, typically making just four trades a year. It holds most of its stocks for seven years on average, says Wellington, the firms chief investment officer, adding that its portfolio consists of shares in 33 companies that are initially evenly weighted at 3 percent each. No adjustments are made to the holdings as the original weights shift with the rise and fall of the market.

Unlike most asset managers, we dont conviction rate our portfolio, says Wellington, 49, meaning the firm doesnt show preference for any one company by investing more heavily in its shares.

The firms formula of tight control, choosing value stocks, engaging in minimal trading, and buying for the long haul has worked well most years. Weve had six good years and two, in 2011 and 2015, have been bad, says Wellington, attributing the down years to an inability to overcome the headwinds of value being out of favor.

Last year Lyricals U.S. Value Equity Fund returned 16 percent, beating the Standard & Poors 500 index by about 6 percentage points. The firm had similar success from 2012 to 2014, producing a 27.6 percent gain that exceeded the S&P 500s 20.4 percent return. Meanwhile, its management fee of 0.75 percent is less than half the industry average. The result has been growth: assets have more than doubled to $6.5 billion this year, from $3 billion in January 2015.

Investors can access Lyricals U.S. Value Equity Fund through a mutual fund, limited partnerships, and managed accounts. The minimum investment for the mutual fund is $2,500; limited partners must invest at least $2.5 million; and a minimum of $5 million is required for managed accounts. Institutional investors own 75 percent of its funds, with the remaining 25 percent of assets stemming from wealth managers.

While Lyrical trades infrequently, specific instances can trigger the sale of a stock in its holdings. The firm divests shares if they rise to a level where they are fairly valued or overvalued, and if a company in its portfolio is acquired. Finally, Lyrical unloads a stock if it realizes it has made a mistake or finds superior substitutes, according to Wellington.

To determine which equities to buy and at what price, Lyrical relies on the first principles of finance, or looking at a companys cash flow, he says. The firm projects a companys earnings over five years after analyzing what the business has done in the past and how its positioned today. To reduce variables, Lyrical targets companies with more predictable earnings. If a business is cyclical, its harder to get things right, he says. For example, it can be tricky to predict the earnings of pharmaceutical companies. I know how much theyre earning today, but if they go off patent, and you dont know whats coming, its hard to get right, he adds.

Exemplifying successful picks in its holdings is semiconductor company Broadcom, whose share price of around $219 on March 8 was up 57 percent from a year earlier, and Lincoln National, which gained 27 percent last year. Broadcom possesses an incredible history of growing earnings, Wellington says, and is still at a nice discount to market multiples. He says Lincoln National has low double-digit returns on investment, with a simple, steady business of life insurance and annuities.

Lyrical, of course, isnt alone in holding onto stocks for extended periods. Warren Buffett does it, we do it, and so does a tiny minority, says Wellington. His partner, Keswin, who had earlier co-founded Greenlight Capital with activist investor David Einhorn, oversees operations at Lyrical. When the duo started the firm with $5 million in assets, the goal was to manage $1 billion. Now its to keep the doors open, says Wellington, before quoting an old proverb: Man plans and God laughs.
Crawford & Co has announced a new president for its international business.Kieran Rigby will take on the role and will head operations for Asia Pacific, Europe, the UK and Latin America.Rigby was previously CEO of Crawford Europe and Latin America and will become a member of the claims firms global executive management team.Ian V. Muress, former CEO of international, announced his resignation from the firm after 16 years.Rigby noted that, while it is an exciting time for the claims giant it is also a time to critically examine all parts of global operations in a bid to boost presence and grow revenue.In his new role, Rigby will report to Andrew Robinson, global chief operating officer of Crawford & Co, and will be responsible for improving profitability, efficiency and operating models at the global business.Rigby will be based in London.
Insurance companies have been slammed for complex and unfair contracts; and urged to come up with standardised definitions.These messages were made before the Senate economics reference committee in an inquiry that examines transparency and competition in the home, strata, and car insurance industries.The Consumer Action Law Centre (CALC) said customers suffer the consequences as insurance companies exploit an exemption to unfair contract rules and hide behind complex disclosure statements, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.Insurance policies are riddled with terms which, on their face, could be unlawful if unfair contract terms laws applied to insurance, said Gerard Brody, chief executive of CALC.Insurers enjoy an exemption from the unfair contract terms regime that applies to virtually every other business operating in consumer markets. And it is to the detriment of their customers.One example cited where insurers may be acting unfairly was cash settlement clauses in home building policies, SMH said.These allow many insurers to settle a home building claim with a one-off cash payment, said Brody, This means that if someone loses their home in a flood or fire, an insurer can get a quote on the rebuild, with all their bulk trade discounts, and just pay out that amount. It can bear little resemblance to the real cost of someone rebuilding their own home.He also called for greater transparency in the industry as well as an improved standard cover regime, to enable consumers to better compare policies.
After more than 50 years in business, The Graham Company, a Philadelphia, Penn.-based insurance and employee benefits broker, is now 100 percent employee owned through an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP).

This move serves to further the firms strategy of remaining committed to what it sees as its primary differentiating asset  its people, Ken Ewell, president, COO and principal, told Insurance Journal.

Bill Graham bought The Graham Company from his father in 1968, he said. Over the decades, despite our rapid business growth, that familial atmosphere has not dwindled  it has strengthened. The Graham Company is very much like a family  a high performance family. Our culture isnt a slogan or catchy phrase written on a wall, its the core of everything we do and instilled in every person carrying a Graham business card.

Chairman of the Board and CEO Bill Graham, as well as Vice Chairman and Principal Mike Mitchell, and Ewell, recently announced that existing shareholders sold their shares to the plan and now every employee is able to own a piece of the company.

Ewell explained it was important to the firm to remain privately held and keep ownership internal as part of a people-focused business strategy established by Graham at the firms start  something employees call The Graham Way.

This is an increasingly rare move at a time when the insurance industry is continuing to consolidate. However, Graham turned down many offers from potential buyers knowing that if the firm was sold, a buyer would likely cut staff for a short-term profit increase, Ewell explained.

We invest heavily in our employees, he stated. Cutting talented employees goes directly against our business philosophy. Regardless of the offers, it was more important that we ensured our firms culture and legacy remained intact. Doing things The Graham Way has served us well for more than 60 years. This ESOP is an investment in the next 60 years.

An ESOP is an employee benefit plan, which provides company stock to employees as part of their retirement benefit plan. By becoming 100 percent ESOP-owned, all company stock is now held in trust by the ESOP, according to a company press release. The Graham Company worked with consulting and investment banking firm MarshBerry & Company Inc. (MarshBerry) to implement an iCAP solution. The iCAP solution combines an ESOP with other unique structural features to offer a customized option to allow insurance brokers like The Graham Company to perpetuate and remain independent, the release stated.

Going forward, the firm plans to remain committed to its employees, offering health benefits, a 401(k) plan and now the ESOP  a qualified retirement plan that further strengthens financial security.

This commitment to our employees has resulted in loyalty that is essential to our growth, Ewell said. We are extremely proud of the fact that even with a strong millennial presence, Graham has more than 30 employees who have been with our agency for more than 20 years.

Its not just the employees that are considered an essential part of The Graham Companys recipe for success, however, but the clients as well, Ewell said.

As the firm has grown to 180 employees and revenues of $54 million, the foundation of its strategy is rooted in risk management, claims and safety training programs, which have been constantly refined over the last six decades, Ewell said. The firm has a six-month training program that teaches employees how to deliver the most comprehensive insurance policies for every client.

Equally important, as a privately held company, our employees understand that for our clients, its not just about protecting their livelihood, its about protecting their legacy, Ewell said. We have a strong sense of purpose: to be our clients relentless advocate protecting their employees and balance sheet. With business and technology rapidly evolving, our goal is to continue growing our company by constantly looking for ways to improve our approach to risk management.

In October 2016, the firm opened an office in Washington, D.C. to allow it to further expand into the D.C., Maryland and Virginia area.

Our strategic thinking and 24/7 approach resonates with [our clients], as they bring these same types of qualities to their own work, Ewell said. While our clients are certainly focused on profitability and running a strong business, they also share our sense of purpose and understand empowered employees are key to success.
Iowa Gov. Gov. Terry Branstad has signed a controversial workers compensation bill that reduces benefits for injured workers, notably benefits for shoulder injuries, and decreases coverage for injuries tied to a pre-existing condition.

A proposal to end permanent total disability benefits at age 67 was ultimately removed from measure, but Republicans added an amendment creating a vocational rehabilitation program for some workers with shoulder injuries. Employer would pay up to $15,000 toward a retraining program for qualified workers, according to a report by the Iowa Legislative Services Agency (LSA).

Republicans say the workers comp reform was needed to combat increased litigation following employee-friendly court and commission interpretations of the workers comp statutes in disputed cases over the past decade.

But Democrats argue that the legislation was simply a gift to corporations and a case of attempting to fix something that wasnt broken.

What does this bill do? It guts the rights of Iowa workers injured on the job.

Beginning in the 2018 budget year, payouts from the state Workers Compensation Fund are expected to decrease by about $1.8 million annually under the bill, the LSA reported. The LSA said its unknown what the fiscal impact of the retraining program will be, but it is expected to increase some costs to the state fund.

In a statement released by his office, Branstad said the Iowa workers comp system over the past decade had mutated into a system benefiting trial lawyers at the expense of Iowa businesses and Iowa workers.

He said the bill rebalances the scales to ensure employees are compensated fairly for being injured on the job, while ensuring that abuses are curtailed. This legislation prevents attorneys from taking fees from injured workers when the employer was voluntarily giving benefits, ends the burden on the employer to demonstrate that intoxicated workers incurred injuries as a result of the intoxication, and ends an individuals ability to receive workers compensation while receiving unemployment insurance.

The National Council on Compensation Insurance has found the Iowa system overall is fair for employers, according to the Associated Press. The NCCI last year proposed overall decrease in voluntary and assigned risk rates of 4.7 percent that became effective in Iowa on Jan. 1. Rates increased by about 2.2 percent in 2016.

During a March 16 debate on the bill in the House, Rep. Gary Carlson, R-Muscatine, spoke in favor of the bill, saying that it provides the intended predictability Iowa workplace needs when dealing with workers with injuries and it clarifies the intent of the workers compensation system for the commission and courts to properly interpret and administer workers compensation system.

Rep. Gary Wortham, R  Buena Vista, testified that the Iowa workers comp system began to go off the rails in 2006 because of changes in interpretation and application of the law. Wortham, who owns a trucking company, said that workers comp rates for his business are so much higher than rates in neighboring states it makes it difficult to compete for business against trucking companies those states.

I compete every day with South Dakota trucks, in an industry where we measure improvements in a tenth of a cent a mile. And the South Dakota guys have a 2.7 percent advantage over me right off the top, Wortham said.

However, Democrats overwhelmingly spoke out against the bill, saying it is a bad deal for injured workers.

What does this bill do? It guts the rights of Iowa workers injured on the job. It cuts payments to workers and it terminates the payments sooner, said Rep. Monica Kurth, D-Scott, during the House debate. Responsibility for ongoing medical services, subsidies for lost wages, unmet family needs, these may end up on the shoulders again of Iowans in the form of public assistance because the working Iowan is no longer able to work.  Its a bad bill.

Rep. Bruce Hunter, D-Polk, said the bill was written by those that want to take advantage of workers He proposed that instead of legislation written solely for the benefit of Tyson foods and those like them, we need to have legislation thats not written solely by them, not written solely by employees, but is written by a combination of those people that are going to be affected now and forever by the work comp law that we are going to pass in this body.

The bill goes into effect on July 1.

Topics Legislation Workers' Compensation Iowa Politics
The number of paid workers compensation claims fell 53 percent relative to the number of full-time-equivalent (FTE) employees from 1997 to 2015, according to the Department of Labor and Industrys 2015 Minnesota Workers Compensation System Report.

The DLI said the report shows that the number of paid claims fell from 8.7 per 100 full time employees in 1997 to 4.1 in 2015.

Other highlights of the report include:

The cost of the workers compensation system for 2015 amounted to $1.28 per $100 of payroll. In Minnesota and elsewhere, this cost follows a multi-year insurance pricing cycle. However, comparable points in the cycle for Minnesota indicate a long-term downward trend.

Adjusted for average wage growth, average medical benefits per claim were 74 percent higher in 2014 than in 1997; indemnity benefits per claim were 36 percent higher. Medical benefits per claim have been stable (relative to average wages) since 2008 and indemnity benefits since 2003.

Despite higher benefits per claim, costs are down relative to payroll because of the falling claim rate. Compared to 1997, indemnity benefits per $100 of payroll were 34 percent lower in 2015 and medical benefits were 27 percent lower.

In 2015, on a current-payment basis, medical benefits accounted for an estimated 35 percent of total system cost, followed by insurer expenses at 32 percent and indemnity benefits other than vocational rehabilitation at 29 percent.

The percentage of indemnity benefit claimants receiving vocational rehabilitation services rose from 15 percent in 1997 to 25 percent in 2015.

The percentage of indemnity claims with a dispute of any type rose from 16 percent in 1997 to 21 percent in 2008, but has been stable since then.

Pure premium rates for 2017 were down 39 percent from 1997.

Topics Trends Claims Workers' Compensation Minnesota
Kentucky lawmakers passed legislation aimed at reducing the beleaguered coal industrys costs to cover claims by workers suffering from black lung disease.

The plan, presented by Republican Senate President Robert Stivers, was in the works for weeks but surfaced on the final day of the 2017 legislative session, March 30.

The proposal cleared the Senate on a 38-0 vote, followed by final passage in the House on an 86-3 vote. The measure was awaiting the signature of Gov. Matt Bevin at press time.

The bill would change how future black lung claims are paid by reducing and phasing out assessments paid by coal companies to help cover claims. As the coal sector has shrunk, it has left fewer businesses to pay higher assessment rates.

There would be no changes in benefits for ailing coal workers, advocates said.

In typical end-of-the session maneuvering, the proposal was attached to a little-noticed bill dealing with the Workers Compensation Funding Commission.

In touting the plan to his Senate colleagues, Stivers said the failure to relieve coal companies of the black lung-related assessments would drive another nail in the coffin of an industry thats meant a lot.

Later, in a sign of the bills bipartisan support, House Minority Floor Leader Rocky Adkins, D-Sandy Hook, told colleagues he has a comfort level that the changes will help the coal industry and protect current and future black lung claims.

As coal operations have shed thousands of jobs in recent years, the industrys downturn has led to a spike in the number of out-of-work miners filing workers compensation claims.

That has resulted in sharply higher costs for coal businesses that have survived the industrys downturn. Some companies have seen 200 percent to 300 percent increases in their assessments to help cover black lung costs, Stivers said.

It has put a real strain on the industry, almost untenable, Stivers told the Senate Economic Development, Tourism and Labor Committee.

Under Stivers plan, coal businesses would continue paying into the black-lung fund for an estimated two more years. The proposal would sharply reduce the amount of those assessments until those payments are phased out. The fund is supported in part by assessments on every ton of coal produced in the state.

The fund currently has about $15 million to $20 million in assets and about twice that much in liabilities, the bills supporters said. In July, the funds assets and liabilities would be transferred to the quasi-public Kentucky Employers Mutual Insurance group to manage if the proposal becomes law.

Meanwhile, future black-lung claims would be covered completely by the workers comp insurance policies purchased by coal companies. Currently, those policies cover half those costs, while the separate black-lung fund covers the rest, coal industry officials said. Stivers predicted that coal companies would face only slight increases in insurance costs as a result.

Rusty Ashcraft, an executive with Alliance Coal, which has about 2,000 employees in Kentucky, said the changes would bring needed relief to the states coal sector. The assessments have been far outpacing the amounts that operators pay out for black-lung claims, he said.

It will enable us to continue to maintain our current level of production, hopefully until market conditions improve, he said.

The states coal industry has lost about 11,000 mining jobs in the past decade, he said.

The coal sector has been reeling from pollution restrictions and growing competition from natural gas, wind and solar.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Workers' Compensation Kentucky
More than half of all claims from workers living in Californias Sierras involve only four industries, according to a report from the California Workers Compensation Institute.

The CWCIs California Workers Comp Regional Score Card examines the claims experience of workers living in the Sierras and compares it to the experience of injured workers from the rest of the state.

The Sierra Score Card is the last installment of an eight-part series initiated last fall that uses a database to profile claimant characteristics and highlight data compiled from claims filed by residents of different regions of the state.

The score card uses data from 32,000 accident year 2005-2015 claims filed by residents of 11 counties that comprise much of Gold County and the mountainous areas that border Nevada from Sierra County south to Death Valley.

The region accounts for only 1.7 percent of all California workers comp claims.

The reports findings conclude:

More than half of all claims from the region involve workers employed in just four industries (construction, retail trade, healthcare, and hotel and food services).

Three diagnoses that represent just 4 percent of the regions claims account for 20 percent of all loss payments.

The Sierras have the highest percentage of temporary disability claims in the state but permanent disability claims are less prevalent.

Despite relatively low attorney involvement rates, short claim durations, and few lien claims, over the past decade the Sierras have experienced some of the fastest growing claim costs in the state.

All eight Regional Score Cards and the summary bulletins are available to CWCI members and research subscribers.

Others may purchase them on the groups website.

Topics California Claims Workers' Compensation
Rolling Stone magazine settled a University of Virginia administrators lawsuit over its discredited story about a rape on campus, but its legal fights over the botched article arent over.

Attorneys for Rolling Stone and Nicole Eramo announced this week that they reached a confidential settlement over the 2014 story A Rape on Campus, putting an end to the lengthy case stemming from the now-debunked claims of a woman identified only as Jackie.

We are delighted that this dispute is now behind us, as it allows Nicole to move on and focus on doing what she does best, which is supporting victims of sexual assault, Libby Locke, an attorney for Eramo, said in a statement.

Rolling Stone called it an amicable resolution.

The magazine still faces a more than $25 million lawsuit filed by the University of Virginia chapter of the fraternity where Jackie claimed she had been raped, which is scheduled to go to trial in October. A separate lawsuit from three former fraternity members was dismissed last year.

The settlement in Eramos case came after Rolling Stone challenged a jurys November verdict awarding the former associate dean of students $3 million. Rolling Stone asked the judge in December to overturn the jurys decision, arguing that there is no evidence reporter Sabrina Rubin Erdely acted with actual malice.

Media organizations, including The Associated Press, also urged the judge to overrule the jurys finding that Rolling Stone republished the false claims when it attached an editors note highlighting problems with the story to an online version. Jurors said the magazine and its publisher didnt act with actual malice when the story was originally published but did when it was republished.

The media groups said punishing Rolling Stone for trying to alert the public to problems with the story could discourage organizations from correcting errors.

Rolling Stone and Eramo settled before the judge could rule on the issue, so the jurys verdict stands and wont be examined by an appeals court.

Thats the troubling thing about the settlement, is that it doesnt give an appellate court a chance to wipe out that precedent, said George Freeman, executive director of the Media Law Resource Center and a former attorney for The New York Times.

Freeman said Eramos case shows Rolling Stone has a propensity to settle, but he said its hard to predict how the magazines attorneys will proceed in the other matter.

In documents recently filed in that case, Rolling Stone suggested that the fraternity is partially at fault for the article because, it claims, the fraternity was aware of problems with Jackies account and didnt say anything before the story went to print.

For had they done so, the article never would have been published, Rolling Stones attorneys said.

Attorneys for the fraternity did not immediately respond to messages.

Related:

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Education Virginia Universities
A train with about 1,200 passengers became stuck in a tunnel between New York and New Jersey for nearly three hours on Friday, and the chaotic scene escalated to pandemonium when Amtrak police used a stun gun to subdue a disruptive man in a station, sparking a stampede.

It was the latest in a series of recent rail problems plaguing the metropolitan area.

The New Jersey Transit train became disabled in the Hudson River tunnel late Friday afternoon, when Amtrak was experiencing overhead power problems. A New Jersey Transit spokeswoman said the train finally reached New Yorks Penn Station in the early evening.

The overcrowded train station erupted in panic when Amtrak police used a Taser to subdue a man who was causing a disturbance. New York police said the use of the Taser led to false rumors of gunshots at the station. People screamed and ran, leaving the station strewn with abandoned bags. The nearby Macys department store was briefly locked down.

Amtrak said Friday night the subdued man, who wasnt a passenger from the disabled train, was in police custody.

The loss of power in the tunnel caused delays of an hour or more on Amtrak and New Jersey Transit. It happened three weeks after the derailment of an Amtrak train at Penn Station and a week after a New Jersey Transit derailment shut down eight of 21 tracks there and disrupted travel in the region for days. No injuries were reported in any of the incidents.

One passenger from Fridays train, Mia Sanati, described a scene of confusion.

Sanati said she and her husband were headed for the New York International Auto Show when they boarded the train in Secaucus, New Jersey, at Secaucus Junction, the last New York-bound stop before Penn Station.

She said shortly after the train entered the tunnel to go under the Hudson River, they felt a bump on the side of the train and saw sparks.

About 30 seconds later, the train just came to a complete stop, Sanati said.

The power went out, except for emergency lights, and so did the air conditioning, said Sanati, who made video of the darkened car.

It got really hot really fast, with that many people crammed together, she said.

As riders waited and plans changed  they were told that the train would be towed, then that it would be evacuated  some tried to make light of the situation or scooted over in their seats to make room for people who were standing. But others were shaking, pacing, saying they had to get out or mulling about walking through the tunnel, Sanati said.

After the electricity came back on and the train started moving, there were cheers, said Sanati, who lives in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, and just finished a doctoral program in mass communications.

Rush hour passengers trying to leave New York faced mounting delays.

Adam Rosen, a chemical engineer going to Hamilton, New Jersey, said, They keep extending the delays from 45 minutes to 90 minutes and now indefinitely. This is the worst.

New Jersey Transit executive director Steven Santoro said in a statement to affected riders, we deeply apologize for your experience, and I would like to hear from you.

NJ Transit spokeswoman Nancy Snyder said the railroad was working with Amtrak to determine the cause of the problem.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics New York New Jersey Gun Liability
The Cayman Islands Insurance Industry saw a buoyant start to 2017, with eight new insurer licenses issued in the first quarter, which followed a strong year in 2016 when 39 insurer licenses were issued, said the Insurance Managers Association of Cayman (IMAC).

Total premiums written for the sector stand at US$14.6 billion per annum, with total assets held of US$60 billion, said Linda Haddleton, chair of IMAC, in a statement.

This picture is enhanced by a number of additional license applications planned or underway, she added.

While captives have been mainstream alternative risk financing instruments for some time, the Cayman Islands continues to attract new captives, Haddleton said.

Further, she continued, the Cayman Islands has a long and successful history of hosting structures for insurance linked securities (ILS), which represents another area of opportunity for new Cayman Islands licensed insurers.

About IMAC

IMAC is a non-profit association run by the insurance managers of the Cayman Islands, which has been in operation since 1981. IMAC acts as regulatory liaison with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority and the Cayman Islands government, which promoting the Cayman Islands as an offshore jurisdiction.

Source: Insurance Managers Association of Cayman (IMAC)

Topics Carriers
Chinas Anbang Insurance Group will let its agreement to acquire U.S. annuities and life insurer Fidelity & Guaranty Life (FGL) for $1.6 billion lapse, after failing to secure all the necessary regulatory approvals, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

The development casts new doubt on Anbangs commitment to U.S. deals, following its abandoned attempt last year to acquire Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc for $14 billion.

Marriott International Inc. ended up buying Starwood.

While Anbangs FGL acquisition had received clearance from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), a U.S. government panel that scrutinizes deals for potential national security concerns, it could not get past some U.S. state regulators.

FGL had extended its merger agreement with Anbang, which was signed in November 2015, to April 17 after it was set to expire on Feb. 8. Had Anbang secured a public hearing with Iowas financial regulator by April 17, it could have extended the expiration date to May 31.

However, Anbang has failed to meet the conditions for any further extension, the sources said. Anbang also needed approval from New York financial regulators, but it has abandoned efforts to secure it, the sources added.

The sources asked not to be identified because the recent developments are confidential.

The sources did not say why Anbang could not secure approvals from U.S. state regulators after clearing CFIUS, but noted that the Beijing-based group had pushed back against making some of the disclosures required.

FGL said in February it would solicit other acquisition offers as part of its merger agreement extension with Anbang. Negotiations between FGL and other suitors, including Bermuda-based reinsurance company Athene Holding Ltd, are continuing, the sources said.

FGL declined to comment, while Anbang and Athene did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Established in 2004, Anbang burst onto the global scene from near obscurity by signing more than $30 billion worth of corporate deals in the last 2-1/2 years. Its high-profile investments included a $1.95 billion purchase of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York.

Little is known about Anbangs funding and shareholding structure, partly because it is a private company. Corporate records in China show Anbang is owned by 39 privately held and little-known companies scattered across China.

Last month, Kushner Companies, the real estate firm headed by U.S. President Donald Trumps son-in-law until recently, said it ended talks to redevelop its flagship New York office tower with Anbang.

(Reporting by Koh Gui Qing and Greg Roumeliotis in New York; additional reporting by Karen Freifeld and Suzanne Barlyn in New York; editing by Richard Chang)

Related:

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions USA New York China
The Trump administration finalized a set of rules that it says will help bolster insurer participation in Obamacares markets, even as the president presses for repeal of the law itself.

The rules, published Thursday [March 13] by the Department of Health and Human Services, include shortening the health laws sign-up season and limiting exceptions that let people enroll for plans outside the regularly allotted period. Insurers have said that people use the exceptions to game the system by only joining plans after they get sick.

These actions are necessary to increase patient choices and to lower premiums, said Seema Verma, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator, which oversees the health insurance program. While these steps will help stabilize the individual and small group markets, they are not a long-term cure for the problems that the Affordable Care Act has created in our health-care system.

While Republicans have campaigned for years on a promise to repeal Obamacare, they failed in their initial attempt to rewrite the health law, canceling a planned vote last month. Thats left them responsible for running Obamacare, even as they debate how to replace it.

Industry Weighs In

Americas Health Insurance Plans, the industrys main lobbying group, said the proposed changes are helpful, but not enough to stabilize the market. The insurance industry is focused on ensuring that the government keeps paying the ACAs cost-sharing subsidies to health insurers, which President Donald Trump has threatened to cut off.

Congressional Democrats are warning they will fight to prevent Trump from doing so, in order to preserve these cost-sharing reduction subsidies which are used to lower insurance costs for poor Americans.

There is still too much instability and uncertainty in this market, Marilyn Tavenner, AHIPs president, said in a statement. Most urgently, health plans and the consumers they serve need to know that funding for cost-sharing reduction subsidies will continue uninterrupted.

Thursdays final rules are largely similar to a version initially proposed in February, before the Republican repeal attempt failed. They shorten the enrollment period to a month and a half, from three months, and require people to prove that theyre eligible for special enrollment periods. To encourage people to pay their insurance premiums, the rules require people to make up for missed payments before buying a new insurance plan, if theyre purchasing coverage from the same company they had in the past.

Reaching Out

In the finalized rules, the government indicated it will take steps to support enrollment in Obamacare plans. The Trump administration had scaled back some outreach in the final days of the 2017 enrollment period, leading to criticism that it had caused fewer sign-ups.

We intend to conduct outreach to consumers to ensure that they are aware of the newly shortened open enrollment period, according to the document.

The rule also allows more variation in the value of benefits that insurers can provide, within its classes of plans. The change could lead to some consumers facing higher out-of-pocket costs, but might also lower what they pay in premiums, drawing in more young and healthy enrollees, the government said.

Trumps Threat

To pressure Democrats into supporting a replacement plan, Trump has suggested that he will let Obamacare collapse. He told the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday that he might withhold the cost-sharing reduction subsidy payments to insurers, a move that could result in insurers boosting premiums or leaving the markets entirely. Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer has said the tactic wouldnt push Democrats to work with Trump.

The Affordable Care Act relies on private insurance companies to offer health plans that individuals can buy, often with government subsidies, in its markets. The continuing uncertainty over how the Trump administration will manage the markets has unnerved insurers, contributing to decisions by several to announce that they wont offer plans next year. Deadlines for insurers to file their 2018 plans with regulators are typically in May and June.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics Carriers
Billionaire John Paulson is planning to step down from American International Group Inc.s board after his hedge fund sold shares in the insurer, according to a person familiar with the plan.

The move is expected to be announced in the insurers proxy filing within days, said the person, who asked not to be identified discussing disclosures that havent been made public.

[Editors note: AIGs board later disclosed that John Paulson is leaving the board because of other time commitments.]

Paulsons planned exit will remove one of the boards more prominent advocates for shrinking the company. Directors are seeking a replacement for Chief Executive Officer Peter Hancock, and potential successors will want to know whether the job will involve breaking up the insurer, a more limited plan for asset sales or even a focus on growth. Paulson had proposed splitting AIG into three separate companies, a plan that won support from billionaire Carl Icahn. AIG Chairman Doug Steenland wrote in a letter to shareholders last week that it would be a mistake to divide the insurer into separate companies.

It appears that the full-bore breakup scenario is that much further on the back burner, David Havens, an analyst at Imperial Capital, said in a note Wednesday [April 12]. But, AIG remains a company in need of a major overhaul.

AIGs board intends to keep a director representing Icahn, said the person familiar with the situation. Icahn didnt immediately return a call. Spokespeople for AIG and Paulson declined to comment. The hedge fund managers planned exit was previously reported by the Financial Times.

Lacking Support

Paulson was elected to the board on May 11, 2016, along with a representative of Icahns firm amid optimism that the activists vision for reshaping the New York-based company would improve financial results and benefit shareholders. Since then, AIG posted a $3.04 billion fourth-quarter loss and Hancock said hes leaving because he lacks wholehearted shareholder support.

It has also been a tumultuous stretch for Paulson & Co., which has been pressured by client redemptions after being unable to duplicate its successes of the mortgage-crisis era. AIG failed to keep pace with the stock-market gains of rivals including Prudential Financial Inc. and CNA Financial Corp. in the past year, and Paulsons fund firm cut its stake by more than half in 2016. Charles Murphy, who helped lead the firms strategy on AIG, died in late March in an apparent suicide.

AIG slipped 47 cents to $60.32 at 9:44 a.m. [on March 12], extending its decline this year to about 7.6 percent. Paulson & Co. bought the stock for less than the current share price, according to a person familiar with the investment.

The insurer has sold more than $90 billion of assets since the financial crisis. Hancock reshaped the companys investment portfolio and divested units including a Lloyds of London insurer and a mortgage guarantor to free up capital as part of a two-year plan to return $25 billion to shareholders. The company got more than halfway to the target in the first year, but said reaching the full goal in 2017 is subject to input from regulators and ratings firms.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.
Louisiana-based private, nonprofit, mutual workers compensation insurance company, LWCC, has welcomed Thomas K. Tommy Huval as the newest member to its board of directors.

Gov. John Bel Edwards appointed Huval to serve as a representative of agents licensed to sell workers compensation insurance in Louisiana with executive-level experience.

Huval has been regional president of the retail division at Brown & Brown Inc. since September 2015 and serves as its senior vice president. He is president and CEO of Brown & Brown of Louisiana LLC (formerly Huval Insurance Agency Inc.) based in Lafayette, La.

LWCC, headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is the largest workers compensation insurance provider in the state.

Source: LWCC

Topics Workers' Compensation Louisiana
Florida officials say the number of arson wildfires has increased nearly 70 percent compared to last year.

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said Friday there have been more than 240 separate arson wildfires so far this year. Anyone convicted of arson, a felony, faces fines up to $5,000 and up to five years in prison.

In Floridas Panhandle, a St. George Island man was charged with reckless burning causing a wildfire last week that burned nearly 70 acres and caused the evacuation of 55 homes.

Authorities told The News Herald the man would be responsible for the states firefighting costs. He also faces 60 days in prison and a $500 fine if convicted of the second-degree misdemeanor. No structures were damaged and no injuries were reported.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Florida Wildfire
Legislation to reduce opioid abuse and overdoses has passed the North Carolina House with unanimous bipartisan support.

The House approved the measure April 10 that strengthens requirements for doctors and pharmacists on the use a statewide controlled substance database.

Doctors would also generally be limited to 5- and 7-day supplies when first prescribing the potent drugs for pain or after operations. A larger refill prescription would require a subsequent consultation with the doctor.

Bill sponsor Rep. Greg Murphy of Greenville, a doctor, said the legislation is meant to combat the opioid epidemic in the state and nationally.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics North Carolina
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Cleantech and Climate Change Podcast  Interview with Founder and CEO of Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN) Discussing Recent Acquisitions, Rollout and Manufacturing of EV Line of Products

Vancouver, Kelowna, Delta, BC - November 7, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Investorideas.com, a global news source and leading investor resource covering cleantech and renewable energy stocks issues a new edition of the Cleantech and Climate Change Podcast, featuring an interview with Mr. David Michery, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Electric Vehicle Company, Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN).

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Breaking AI Stock News: GBT's (OTCPK: GTCH) AI Driven Financial Technology Patent Application Received a Notice of Publication

San Diego, CA - November 3, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) GBT Technologies Inc. (OTC PINK: GTCH) received a notice of publication for its financial software patent application.

Top AI Stock News - Investor Idea

Breaking AI Stock News: Intellagents, a FatBrain AI (OTCQB: LZGI) Company, Announces Hiring of Insurtech Industry Veteran as Chief Revenue Officer

NEW YORK, NY - November 2, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) FatBrain AI (LZG International, Inc.) (OTCQB: LZGI), the leader in powerful and easy-to-use artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for star enterprises of tomorrow, announces the hiring of Euan King, an experienced and respected Insurtech industry leader as Chief Revenue Officer for insurance technology-focused subsidiary Intellagents.

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Health and Wellness Stock News - Endexx (OTCBB: EDXC) Secures $3.8M Order for Non-Nicotine Vape Product HYLA from Italy

CAVE CREEK, Az. - November 2, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Endexx Corporation (OTCBB:EDXC), a provider of innovative, plant-based, and sustainable health and skincare products, today announces it has secured a new $3.8 million USD order for its newly acquired, non-nicotine based vape product, HYLA from customers in Italy.

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The Chapter 11 reorganization filing of Westinghouse on March 29, 2017 has opened the Pandoras Box on the contentious issue of Chinese investment in the US infrastructure under Trump Administration. The immediate cause behind the decision to place Westinghouse under bankruptcy filing by its parent company, Toshiba of Japan, was the cost overrun at four 3G (third generation) AP1000 reactors under construction in two plants at the U.S. South East.





The two power plants, at the V.C. Summer station in South Carolina and the Alvin. W. Vogtle plant in Georgia, are years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget. The state regulators approved USD 14 billion budget on each of the plant back in 2009, the latest estimate from Morgan Stanley on the final bill for the South Carolina project is USD 22 billion and USD 19 billion for the Georgia plant.





The bankruptcy filing had not stopped the work at the construction site. The power companies behind the two plant, SCANA Energy in South Carolina and a consortium in Georgia led by Georgia Power, a unit of Southern Company have all arranged continuation of work in the meantime while the companies weighed options.





Our preferred option is to finish the plants. The least preferred option is abandonment, said SCANA CEO Kevin Marsh in a press conference on April 5.





It is unclear whether Westinghouse will continue to work as contractor of the project. It bought the contractor, CB&I Stone & Webster for USD 229 million last year from its former parent, Chicago Bridge & Iron Company, when the two projects run into cost overruns and delays. The purchase has not solved the construction issues. Westinghouse will probably terminate the construction contracts and ask for new contract terms that passes the losses going forward.





It could be difficult for the utilities to find another builder to take them over at a reasonable cost. The expertise required for this new 3G design is high and there is still a lot of work to complete the plant. The US Energy Department has authorized USD 8.3 billion in federal loan guarantees for the four reactors under construction, the public fund exposure will complicate the bankruptcy restructuring effort if the decision of the owner is to abandon the plant.





Westinghouse is an iconic company that stands for the electric grid and nuclear power in the US. It supplied the worlds first commercial pressurized water reactor more than half a century ago in Pennsylvania and that design has dominated the global civilian nuclear power industry in the booming nuclear power era from the 1960s to 1980s. Out of the more than 430 operating nuclear power stations operating around the world today, about half are based on the Westinghouse design. The company still employs 7,000 workers outside of its Pittsburgh headquarter to provide fuel and maintenance services to many of them. The continuing operation of the company is critical to the smooth operation of these power plants around the world.





Westinghouse remain profitable on its global service and maintenance business. It is securing a USD 800 million loan from a consortium led by Citicorp and Apollo Global Management, subject to the approval of the bankruptcy judge. The loan will support the companys global operations, including its healthy service and maintenance business, and pay for construction workers on site in Georgia and South Carolina. However, the money cannot be used to repay the liabilities stemming from cost overruns and delays at the projects. There is little doubt that Westinghouse will survive with its service and maintenance business after emerging from bankruptcy proceedings. The uncertainty revolves around the fate of the two-unfinished nuclear power plant and the future nuclear plant design business of Westinghouse.





Setback to US Civilian Nuclear Business





The Westinghouse bankruptcy is a serious setback to civilian nuclear power program in the US. The two affected nuclear plants are the first new US nuclear power plants in three decades. The construction started in 2009 and the original schedule is to start commercial operation in the first quarter of 2017. The completion date has now moved to end of 2020, and with the unexpected bankruptcy of Westinghouse, further delay appears likely.





The 3G AP1000 design used in the two-power plant represents the latest technology in nuclear engineering and is supposed to bring in a new era of safer civilian nuclear energy use. The Generator III (3G) reactor is a development of the Generation II(2G) nuclear reactor designs incorporating evolutionary improvements in design developed during the lifetime of the 2G reactors. The 3G plant has a design life of 60 years versus the design life of earlier generation of 40 years. Improvements include better fuel technology, better thermal efficiency, significantly enhanced safety systems from earthquake, plane hit and standardized designs for reduced maintenance and capital costs. Specific improvement to prevent repeat of Three Miles Island accident (1979), Chernobyl accident (1986), 911 terrorist attack (2001) and Fukushima accident (2011) are incorporated in the plant design and construction stage.





The rise of non-conventional energy and the natural gas glut in the US over the last few years somehow diminish the relevance of the nuclear power. However, the fact that nuclear power is the only power source that can deliver an annual 7000-8000 hours utilization for 60 years still makes it the most stable base load power source in a large grid.





Contrasting Fortune of AP1000 Reactors in China and US





In contrast to the construction troubles experienced by the four AP1000 reactors in the US, the four reactors with the same design constructed at the same time in China fared much better.





China imported AP1000 technology from Westinghouse in 2006, immediately after the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the basic design in 2005. The construction of Sanmen I & II and Haiyang I & II nuclear projects commenced in March and September 2009 respectively. The 2011 Fukushima accident forced a global review of safety features and all nuclear power plant under construction at that time were redesigned to handle the contingency of massive cooling power failure aka Fukushima.





While the US government has ruled out a Chinese takeover, it does not rule out the participation of Chinese contractors to complete the two nuclear power plants.



The commercial operation of the four reactors were delayed from 2014-2015 to 2018. The latest budget estimated is RMB 23000 per kilowatt. They are generally within construction time and budget estimates considering the new design change. Civil work construction of the four reactors had completed and they are undergoing hot test with uranium fuel now. Commercial operations for all four reactors are expected to be early-mid 2018. The Chinese plants will be the first GW scale commercial size 3G power plant in the world.





The Chinese experience in AP1000 construction revealed that the design of AP1000 is not the culprit behind the construction delay and cost overrun at the US reactors. The country is a strong proponent of the AP1000 technology and the Chinese government is expected to approve construction in 2017 for 6 new nuclear reactors based on AP1000 3G technology upon successful test of the four reactors. The Chinese also developed the derivative CAP 1400 nuclear reactor design based on AP1000 technology. CAP 1400 has a higher power output of 1400 MW as against the 1100 MW of AP 1000.and all the intellectual property of CAP 1400 belongs to China as per agreement between Westinghouse and China.





The likely explanation behind the US AP1000 reactors construction trouble is not so much due to its new design nor design change as the bankruptcy court filing claims, but more likely because the nuclear construction industry in the US has been dormant since the Three Mile Island accident stopped all new plant construction in 1980s. American companies lacked the equipment and expertise needed to make some of the biggest components and other new improvements called for in the new 3G plant.





The contractor Westinghouse chose to complete the projects struggled to meet the strict demands of nuclear construction, even the acquisition of the contractor Chicago Bath & Iron Stone & Webster in early 2016 does not help. An ironic twist is that both Westinghouse and CB&I are key players in the construction of the four AP1000 reactors in China, and their performance has been satisfactory.





In September 2014, Westinghouse and Chinas State Nuclear Power Automation System Engineering Company agreed to expand collaboration on Instrumental & Control systems for future Chinese AP1000 reactors, both in China and abroad. CB&I also signed a memorandum of understanding with China National Nuclear Corporation, the majority owner of Sanmen 1 and 2, for future cooperation on construction management.





The presence of a reliable general contractor accounts for the difference between the Chinese and US performance. The Chinese government established State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNPTC) for the localization of 3G technology in 2006. While Westinghouse and its partner Shaw Group are building the USD 5.88 billion phase one of the Sanmen I plant, SNPTC is the general contractor for the plant and the company is apparently a quick learner on how to convert new designs to finished projects on the ground. When one checks the figure on localization of key components in a nuclear plant (per SNPTC), locally produced components will account for 55 percent of the cost of Chinas first four AP1000 reactors, rising from 31 percent for Sanmen I to over 72 percent for Haiyang II.





The Westinghouse Dilemma Facing US Policymakers





The bankruptcy of Westinghouse and the success of the Chinese contractor in AP1000 immediately raised the spectre of Chinese takeover of the nuclear power plant projects. Bloomberg reported that cabinet officials including Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross had been involved in discussions about how to keep Westinghouse out of the control of a Chinese entity.





The US sold Westinghouse to British Nuclear Fuel in a USD 1.1 billion deal in 1999 and British Nuclear Fuel sold Westinghouse to Toshiba at USD 5.4 billion in 2006. Though the company has not been in American hands for a long time, there are lingering concerns that it holds many military nuclear secrets and selling the company to anyone not considered a key US ally is unthinkable.





It is reported that the US government is examining three potential courses of action. The government might block a sale to a Chinese buyer; encourage an alternative bid from US or friendly investors; or the government might invest in the company directly in return for an equity stake, akin to the Obama administration bailout of US automakers during the global financial crises. While the US government has ruled out a Chinese takeover of Westinghouse in the bankruptcy court, it does not rule out the participation of Chinese contractors in some other form to complete the two nuclear power plants.





The Westinghouse Dilemma is a challenge to the US policymaker and its resolution will be indicative on what the US will do and can do on the issue of Chinese investment or involvement in US infrastructure. Chinese state owned enterprises and private businesses have built up superior infrastructure experience in many areas and are often the most competitive player in those areas. At the same time, the US has lost the implementing capacity in many key areas of infrastructure. Even though it still possesses the best design power, it takes time to rebuild the necessary expertise on the ground. The case of the nuclear power plants highlight this conundrum. How the Trump administration will work out a win-win solution will be a test of its skill in handling the contentious issue of Chinese investment in US infrastructure.
In August 2017, ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) will be 50 years old. ASEAN was established on August 8, 1967 in Bangkok by the five founding member countries, namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. The major aims for the birth of ASEAN were to encourage economic cooperation, promote regional peace and stability, and create platforms for mutual assistance and collaboration in economic, social, cultural, technical, educational and administrative areas. The concepts of non-interference in one anothers internal affairs, and the peaceful settlement of interstate disputes are, among others, fundamental principles to which ASEAN tries to adhere.





Throughout these 50 years, ASEAN has both faced challenges and at the same time enjoyed prosperity as it weathered many storms in its own region, the larger Asia-Pacific region, and the global arena. Cambodia, which will celebrate her eighteen years in ASEAN late this April, has had to confront the challenges and seize the available opportunities this regional group has had to offer. To informally commemorate the 50th anniversary of ASEAN and to toast Cambodias 18th birthday in ASEAN, this article will examine the potential challenges and opportunities Cambodia, a small state and the youngest ASEAN member, has experienced and will experience in the immediate and distant future.





Challenges for Cambodia





Fifteen years ago, a Cambodian scholar predicted that Cambodia would face three categories of challenges while it was trying to secure its place in the regional association. In the short-term, during its preparation for ASEAN membership, Cambodia would face many obstacles including its lack of human and financial resources, poor legal framework, and weak institutional organization. In the medium- to long-term, Cambodia would have to address economic, diplomatic, and financial challenges, as well as tackle challenges related to national prestige, borders, sovereignty, legal and institutional framework reform, and lack of strategic thinking.





Over a decade later, many ASEAN observers and commentators also saw challenges which lay ahead for Cambodia as she prepared to join the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). Sowath Rana and Alexandre Ardichvili, for example, listed six main human resource development (HRD) challenges Cambodia would face as it joined the AEC in 2015, including the education and employment mismatch, higher education challenges, technical and vocational education and training challenges, HRD challenges in the private sector, limited awareness and engagement in ASEAN and AEC processes, and technology infrastructure challenges.





Amongst all the challenges, however, this article argues that the strategic challenge  mediating ASEAN and China over the South China Sea issue  is Cambodias greatest challenge at present. Cambodia has been condemned twice for her decision to ally herself with China and block ASEAN from issuing joint communiques which criticize China for her assertiveness and expansionist policy in the South China Sea. With the South China Sea dispute still on the horizon, Cambodia is likely to face this strategic challenge again because this small state cannot afford to lose China for ASEAN or vice versa.





Cambodia has taken advantage of her ASEAN membership to salvage her once non-existent relations with ASEAN member states and ASEAN Dialogue Partners.



Although Cambodia is not one of the claimant states involved in the South China Sea conflict, her membership in ASEAN puts her in a difficult position to help settle the disagreement between her ASEAN counterparts and her closet ally, China. Thus, it is a big challenge for Cambodia to strike a good balance in her endeavors to help mediate between the conflicting parties. As China is described and seen as Cambodias most trustworthy friend and largest provider of aid, loans, and grants, the possibility of seeing Cambodia jump on Chinas bandwagon could not be higher.





Furthermore, to expect Cambodia to act against her own national interests in order to preserve ASEANs centrality is highly unlikely to happen, even though ASEAN remains the cornerstone of Cambodias foreign policy. In this regard, the next chapter of Cambodias foreign policy will definitely play out in favor of China despite peer pressure from the ASEAN states.





Opportunities for Cambodia





Despite these many challenges, there are enormous opportunities for Cambodia as an ASEAN member. From economic to social advantages, and from diplomatic to strategic benefits, Cambodia has enjoyed and will continue to enjoy tremendous opportunities as the country strives to keep up with its more developed ASEAN friends and exert its influence on the region.





Economically, Cambodia has greatly benefitted from ASEAN as it joined the ASEAN Free Trade Area in 1999 and the World Trade Organization in 2004. It has also attracted foreign direct investment from ASEAN member states, particularly Thailand and Vietnam. While Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to strengthen cooperation in bilateral trade and investment, the two-way trade volume between Vietnam and Cambodia, according to Khmer Times, reached USD 3.37 billion in 2015 and USD 2.38 billion in 2016. These figures, however, were below the 2015 target of USD 5 billion both countries have pledged.





In terms of social prospects, Cambodias ASEAN membership has helped to increase opportunities for Cambodians through the mobility scheme for skilled labor, improved access to cheaper and a wider range of imported goods and services, and improved education and health services in the Kingdom. More importantly, by joining the ASEAN and later the AEC, people-to-people connectivity between Cambodia and the other ASEAN members has increased.





As for the diplomatic gains, Cambodia has taken advantage of her ASEAN membership to salvage her once non-existent relations with ASEAN member states and ASEAN Dialogue Partners, particularly Australia, China, Japan, and the United States. Until more recently, Cambodias foreign policy has significantly been strengthened and Cambodia has put in a great deal of effort to upgrade its diplomatic relations with its nearest neighbors, ASEAN members, and regional and global powers.





Noticeably, Cambodia-Russia bilateral relations have recently been restored and strengthened, with exchanges of high-level visits and greater mutual support and cooperation between the two countries. Likewise, Cambodia-China bilateral relations have reached a new historic high, with Xi Jinpings first presidential visit to Cambodia last year, immediately following Cambodias refusal to partake in an ASEAN joint communique critical of Chinas claims and policies in the disputed territory in the South China Sea.





Strategically, Cambodias geopolitical location and ASEAN status, together with current political developments in the region, have granted this small state a special privilege to assert its influence and exercise its power in the regional group and the wider Asia-Pacific region. If Cambodia were not an ASEAN member, she would have found it hard to capture Chinese attention and enjoy Chinas financial aid  with its controversial no-strings-attached policy  arising from Cambodias intervention in the territorial dispute over the South China Sea.





Thus, in spite of the great challenges, Cambodia seems to be able to grasp considerable opportunities along its zigzag ASEAN path. In this respect, it might not be wise to weigh the challenges against the opportunities for Cambodia because it has been a mixed blessing for the country. It would be best, nevertheless, for Cambodia to continue to engage with countries in the region and regional initiatives like the Greater Mekong Subregion and ASEAN, or else it will run the risk of becoming too dependent on China.
Current president, Hassan Rouhani, is a serious contender. Ebrahim Raisi is another. He is the custodian of Astan Quds Razavi  the countrys richest charity. His position here has gained him the trust of Supreme Leader Khamenei. They are both faithful to the rule of the ayatollahs.

Raisi was a member of the so-called death commission that oversaw the deaths of around 30,000 political prisoners during the 1988 massacre. Most of those who died were members or supporters of the Peoples Mojahedin Organizations of Iran (PMOI/MEK)  the Iranian opposition.

Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri, who was supposed to be the successor to Khomeini, told the members of the death commission that they were participating in a serious crime that would go down in history.

On 5th June 2013, the Parliament in Canada said the following: That the House condemn the mass murder of political prisoners in Iran in the summer of 1988 as a crime against humanity, honors the memory of the victims buried in mass graves at Khavaran cemetery and other locations in Iran, and establishes Sept. 1 as a day of solidarity with political prisoners in Iran.

This is not the extent of Raisis crimes; he has been involved in many other acts of suppression, but the 1988 massacre is one of the most bloody and horrific.

It would be understandable to think that any other candidate in the elections would be less criminal that Raisi, but this is not the case. Rouhani is just as brutal. His justice minister is Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi  another member of the death commission. Pour-Mohammadi, when urged to comment on the 1988 massacre, said: I carried out Gods will and I have not lost sleep over what I did.

During his presidency, Rouhani has overseen an unprecedented number of executions. So far there have been 3,000 executions since he took office in 2013. Speaking about the number of executions carried out, Rouhani too claims it is Gods will. He said: They were carried out according to Gods laws.

The European Union sanctioned Iran for the suppression of the people, stating that the regime is complicit in torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, or the indiscriminate, excessive and increasing application of the death penalty, including public executions, stoning, hangings or executions of juvenile offenders.

The fact that the contenders for the presidency are so loyal to the regime and are unabashed suppressors of the people shows that the Iranian regime is in trouble. It is at a very weak stage and clearly fears another uprising like the one in 2009. And the regime has reason to be fearful, because the people really are on the verge of taking to the streets.
Update 6.02pm: President Michael D Higgins today laid a wreath at the focal point of the Easter Rising as the nation marked the 101st anniversary of the rebellion.

Michael D Higgins was joined by Taoiseach Enda Kenny at the event outside the General Post Office on O'Connell Street, the landmark building that served as the headquarters of the 1916 rebels.

Who doesn't love a bit of pomp and ceremony on an Easter Sunday? Michael D certainly does #1916 pic.twitter.com/OXeAzKEL1H  Kevin Doyle (@KevDoyle_Indo) April 16, 2017

Members of the Irish Defence Forces personnel took part in the state ceremony.

The event began with the lowering of the Irish tricolour. A prayer was read and a piper played a lament before the Proclamation of Independence was read by a Defence Forces officer.

On Easter Monday 1916, leader Patrick Pearse stood outside the GPO and read out the proclamation to herald the start of the insurrection against British rule.

After Mr Higgins laid the laurel wreath, a minute's silence was held and the Last Post played.

The official ceremony concluded with the raising of the tricolour, the playing of Amhran na bhFiann and a fly-past by four planes from the Irish Air Corps.

And a fly past from the Air Corp to finish off #EasterSunday #1916 pic.twitter.com/idzyJBfgth  Kevin Doyle (@KevDoyle_Indo) April 16, 2017

The event was lower key than last year, when hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets of Dublin for a huge military parade to mark the 100th anniversary.

Earlie, Heritage Minister Heather Humphreys and deputy UK ambassador to Ireland Neil Holland attended a series of commemorative events in Glasnevin cemetery in Dublin.

The programme included the raising of the tricolour over the monument to celebrated poet Dora Sigerson and the laying of wreaths at the graves of Edward Hollywood, the man who delivered the first tricolour flag to Ireland from France, and Peadar Kearney, the composer of Amhran na bhFiann.

Minister Humphreys said: "These moments of commemoration provide us with an opportunity to recognise the legacy of those who went before us and their enduring influence on the Ireland of today."

The great grandson of Peader Kearney, Dualta O' Broin, sang the anthem at the event.

John Green, chairman of Glasnevin Trust, said: "In remembering Dora Sigerson, Edward Hollywood and Peadar Kearney each Easter Sunday morning we hope to encourage today's generations to explore the complex and intricate period in our history a century ago."

A granite memorial incorporating the names of all those who died in the Rising, including rebellion leaders and British soldiers, was unveiled in Glasnevin as part of the centenary commemorations last year.

Almost 500 people were killed in the 1916 Rising, the majority of them - 268 - were civilians caught up in the violence.

A total of 119 British soldiers died.

Earlier: Events are currently taking place across the country to mark the 101st Anniversary of the 1916 Rising.

The biggest one is being held at the GPO in Dublin.

Family and friends of those who passed away, along with the Taoiseach and Presidnet have gathered outside the GPO.

Members of the defence forces and other organisations like the the Air Corp and the Millitary band are remembering those who died during the 1916 Rising.

Enda Kenny, the President Michael D Higgins and the Minister for defence are in attendance and will watch the national flag being lowered and the Proclamation on Independence being read out.

Dublins OConnell street will stay closed until 3pm with smaller events also taking place across the country.
His America First policy and pledges to reduce US corporation tax to bring US multinationals home, threatens a critical element of our economic policy. However, in his first three months, there is little evidence that Irish-based US multinationals and Irish policy makers need to be particularly worried.

This doesnt mean that there is nothing to worry about from a Trump presidency. The risks are not from a reduction in US tax rates, but from the likely slowdown in US and global growth from President Trumps mishandling of the economy and the persistent threat and uncertainty that will arise from his erratic actions and u-turns.

In relation to tax, the Trump administration has championed lower taxes for companies to encourage multinationals to remain or return to the US. This is a simplistic view of the reasons why US firms operate overseas. There are many reasons, other than tax, such as market access, sourcing knowledge, and cost advantages for off-shoring by US companies.

In addition, even where tax is an important consideration, the issue for US firms in Ireland is not the difference in headline corporation tax rates.

It is necessary to note that US firms in Ireland pay the full amount of tax for which they are liable in Ireland. The low effective rates of corporation tax that US firms achieve are not due to differences in the rates of tax in Ireland and the US, but in different rules on residency.

Irish rules say that a company is tax resident, and liable for tax, in the country in which its operations are managed and controlled. The US rules say that a company is resident where it is incorporated. So, a branch of a multinational US company may be incorporated in Ireland, thus avoiding US tax, but managed and controlled in the US, thus avoiding Irish tax. This makes the company effectively stateless for tax purposes.

Eventually, US tax will be paid on repatriated profits of US multinationals and they currently have large off-shore cash reserves.

In previous years there have been one-off preferential tax rates to enable companies to bring that cash home, and I suspect a similar approach is likely from the Trump administration.

They will spin this as a sensible windfall gain for the US economy, but it will be nothing of the sort. Unless the US administration intends to change its rules on tax residency for companies, which would be a very significant move and highly unlikely, Irish industrial policy has little to worry about from the US tax changes.

President Trumps packing of his economic team with former Goldman Sachs employees and other insiders has further decreased the odds of substantial tax code changes.

Far from draining the swamp, he has ensured economic and treasury approaches are likely to remain staunchly in favour of big business.

Large companies, including multinational corporations, will continue to have the ear of political power. In addition, the US economy is not in the mess that President Trump claimed when he came into office.

President Barack Obama left the economic fundamentals, growth, employment, and productivity, in a much stronger position than he found them.

This may reduce the urgency with which President Trump needs to do something on tax and trade. This does not mean there are no risks to the Irish economy and Irish-based multinationals from a Trump presidency.

What is clear from the first 100 days is that President Trump is no different from presidential candidate Trump. He is tactical, rather than strategic.

There is little evidence of a strategic objective in any aspect of government, from economic policy to foreign policy, and from health to education.

Being tactical and opportunistic are not such bad traits during an election campaign. However, it is disastrous once elected.

President Trump is acting as if he remains on the campaign trail, and is fixated on ratings and his approval standing.

He seems very willing to jettison election promises when opportunities for short-term, tactical gains arise. This was most recently seen in relation to his attacks on Syria, his attitude to NATO and Chinas currency manipulation, and the US Import-Export Bank.

Where a president is fixated on ratings and approval rather than from any well-considered or strategic approach to policy, businesses and policy makers cannot be complacent.

Should President Trump decide one day that Ireland is no longer a faithful partner and loyal friend, perhaps as a result of IDA Ireland in attracting more US multinationals, then all bets are off.

Dr Declan Jordan is senior lecturer in economics at Cork University Business School.
Glen, which aims to help shape national policy for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and intersex (LGBTI) people in Ireland, is co-operating with the regulator following its own internal review.

In a statement issued by the board of Glen, the group confirmed the regulator was examining the governance of the network.

The board of the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network confirms that we have received a request from the Charities Regulator for information regarding the governance of the organisation, said the statement.

This arises from a request to the regulator for guidance following an internal review.

Glen was a leading campaigner for marriage equality during the 2015 referendum.

The statement also said that the request to the regulator for guidance was done on the instruction of Glens board.

The request was made on the instructions of the board of Glen, which is fully co-operating with the regulator, it stated.

The process is ongoing and we will work with the regulator to implement any recommended changes in our procedures.

The internal review of the NGO is understood to have shown up various issues of a financial nature.

These issues were alluded to in the boards statement as the NGO receives State funding, which comes with stringent obligations.

The board and staff of Glen have always been mindful of our statutory obligations, said the boards statement.

The board is satisfied that all grants received have been used for the intended purpose and has no reason to suspect there has been any misappropriation of funds.

Notwithstanding this, we have also put in place new financial procedures to enhance our administrative systems, including the appointment of specialist accountants.

Glens recently appointed executive director, Aine Duggan, has decided to step down from her post, according to the board.

It is understood that Ms Duggan brought a number of irregularities at the NGO to the attention of her board.

She then recommended that the issues be brought to the attention of the Charities Regulator.

In the statement from Glens board yesterday, the NGO indicated that Ms Duggan had decided to resign from her role but acknowledged her contribution to the internal review.

An interim executive director will now be appointed following Ms Duggans departure.

The board said that, despite recent social progress such as the marriage equality referendum, when it comes to equality there is still a need for Glen.

Notwithstanding the result of the marriage-equality referendum and progressive social change in recent years, there is still a need for a well-resourced, ambitious national organisation and our focus in the coming months will be the ongoing development of Glen, said the statement.

Glen was founded in 1988 with the purpose of securing legislative changes that would bring about equality for the LGBTI population in Ireland.

Some of its significant achievements include campaigning for the decriminalisation of homosexuality.
Donegal woman Danielle McLaughlin, aged 28, was raped and killed in Goa on the west coast of India on March 13.

One local man has been charged with her murder but others are suspected of involvement in the brutal killing.

Ms McLaughlin, who was from Buncrana, Co Donegal, but who lived in Liverpool before travelling overseas, had been celebrating Holi, a Hindu spring festival, in Palolem, a coastal village in Goa.

She left the village late at night and her naked body was found in a nearby field the next day with injuries to her head and face.

A spokesman for the Truth for Danielle Campaign yesterday said: We seek truth and justice.

The campaign has assembled an international legal team, headed by Derry solicitor Des Doherty, to pursue the case.

They urged anyone with potential information to come forward.

The campaign spokesman said: At this time we are especially interested in any mobile phone or cellular device footage that you may have, if you were present in Goa for the Holi Festival in the area of the Festival Valley at Palolem Beach and Collomb Bay on the 13th March 2017, and the days leading up to the 13th March 2017.

We are seeking to identify all potential witnesses from the footage and photographs that so many people have already sent to us.

If you feel that you can help at all please upload what images or footage you have with date, time and location, identifying any person that you can.

Any assistance will be invaluable and much appreciated by Danielles family, friends and legal team.

A childhood friend of Ms McLaughlin has already released a music single to raise money to support the justice campaign.

Anyone with information can upload their images and footage to christytduffy@gmail.com or can contact Mr Doherty on des@desmondjdoherty.co
Six ministers, along with the Taoiseach, have failed to put through any legislation since the Fine Gael-Independent Alliance minority government was formed last May.

The Government is to review the system of new politics after the Easter break as all sides now believe the current system is not working and a massive backlog of legislation is piling up.

Opposition parties have again hit out at Government for enacting just 23 bills, resulting in a do-nothing Dail.

In an interview with the Irish Examiner, Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin branded the Governments legislative programme as weak, claiming that they havent been assertive enough and they are not leading from the front in relation to legislation.

Mr Martin said: Fundamentally, its up to the Government to lead on the policy front and lead on the legislative front and government hasnt been leading.

I think part of the problem has been the internal angst from within Fine Gael from the get-go.

Fine Gael were not happy with forming the minority government, even though they were getting the lions share of the posts and positions, and the fact that Fianna Fail were facilitating that.

Then you had the angst of losing so many seats in the election and then they turned on their leader; they have been sniping at the Taoiseach for quite some time.

Ministers in the departments of education, agriculture, arts, children, foreign affairs, and jobs have not enacted any bills since they came to office. However, other departments including health, housing and justice have managed to get through several pieces of legislation.

While opposition parties have put forward many private members motions which they hope to get into law, none have so far been fully passed and there are now 140 pieces of legislation at different stages in the slow-moving system.

Mr Martin said that has to be looked at because there is no point passing legislation that is not getting anywhere.

Some of the parties are exploiting it and they are just putting down motions that they know will never see the light of day and are not going to happen immediately, he said. There has to be give and take on all sides to make the Dail work.

This was echoed by government chief whip Regina Doherty who said a review is now required and this would go ahead after the Dail resumes.

There is a need for a review so we can actually look at the bits that have worked and the bits that have not worked, she said.

Ms Doherty also said the amount of time allocated to the Government has decreased in the current Dail meaning less time to press ahead with legislation.

Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar said a minority government means it is inevitably harder to get legislation through.

The new Dail procedures, like pre-legislative scrutiny by committees, also makes it slower, said Mr Varadkar. I dont think this a bad thing, though. Bad law is rushed through, good law is examined properly and reflected on.

I dont think, however, parliamentary procedures are the main cause of Dail delays. Rather its delays in getting things drafted. We need to scale up our legislative capacity in Government to improve this.

Yet again describing it as a do-nothing Dail, Labour leader Brendan Howlin said that legislation has all but ground to a halt but, at the same time, government business regularly finishes early.

Important laws are being delayed as the Government is worried they might be amended. And anything controversial is sent to a special committee or for consultation, said Mr Howlin.
From Sunday to Wednesday, Cork Opera House will be home to The Magical Adventure of James n Matilda, the 12th annual Easter pantomime from the Wolfe Stage School. This all-singing, all-dancing production is the ultimate feel-good afternoon out and tickets start from 19.

www.corkoperahouse.ie

Cruinniu na Casca

2017 marks the first year of Cruinniu na Casca, a Creative Ireland initiative presented by RTE. The free public event will take place in towns and cities across the country on Easter Monday, culminating in a large-scale event in Dublin.

Between 11am and 6pm four zones in Dublins city centre will celebrate contemporary Irish culture and creativity through a rich variety of live music and dance, coding, art and music workshops, talks and tastings, readings and screenings.

As part of the all-of-Government Creative Ireland Programme, local authorities around the country will host their own free family-friendly Cruinniu na Casca initiatives in their own counties. Our highlight from the celebrations in Cork is the screening of Sound of the Sea at Triskel Arts Centre at 2pm.

www.cruinniu.rte.ie

Lego of Control

If the success of Lego Batman and his hold on seemingly every child countrywide is to be believed, the power of Lego is back. Lifetime Lab in Cork has cottoned onto its popularity with a series of Lego camps.

Junior Engineers aged between six and eight will focus on structural engineering with topics such as bridges, skyscrapers, pyramids and furniture covered and because of its popularity only limited space remains.

Senior engineers between the ages of nine and 12 will build more complex mechanisms and use them to make accurate observations, measurements and records; and even design their own solutions.

Easter camps run from April 18-21, from 10am-2pm, and cost from 85 per child.

www.learnit.ie

Baby Bookworms

Cork City Libraries and Triskel Arts Centre will stage the 13th Cork World Book Festival from Tuesday to Sunday. The festival features a huge amount of readings, workshops, events for teens and children as well as a Saturday Market and art installation on Grand Parade. One of the festivals main aims is to get people of all ages involved in books.

https://t.co/Fw9ku7lT3l

Everthing you need to know about Cork World Book Fest 2017! pic.twitter.com/wMtVNCq0st  Cork City Libraries (@corkcitylibrary) April 11, 2017

The annual dedicated teen day is on Wednesday, April 19, a jam-packed line up of events co-ordinated in conjunction with the Cork City Libraries Teen Committee.

Roisin O Tuathaigh gets ready for World Book Fest at Cork City Library.]zzzEasterHolsFeatPopUpBook_large.jpg

The tiniest members of the family are certainly not forgotten with Small Children Events on Saturday, April 22, in the Childrens Library and Parent and Child Workshops 18-19 April at Triskel in collaboration with Graffiti Theatre Company.

www.triskelartscentre.ie

Witness History

If you and the family are in Dublin for Easter then be sure to drop into the GPO Witness History Centre. Located in one of the most historic buildings in Dublin, the centre is a high-tech tribute to Easter week 1916 and promises to bring visitors back in time via a range of touch screens and videos. From eyewitness accounts to stories of those who led the Rising, this is the perfect time of year to immerse yourself in an event, which changed Ireland forever.

Te 1916 Centenary Exhibition in The GPO.

www.gpowitnesshistory.ie

King Of Crisps

Tayto Park has re-opened for its new season just in time for Easter and is throwing a huge crime scene investigator-themed event on Easter Sunday for all visitors. Mr Tayto will be on hand to help all mini investigators solve the mystery of Who Stole The Egg.

Who Stole the Egg?

Join us on the 16th April for our crime scene investigators inspired event!

Details click here:https://t.co/1X8VHXeLW6 pic.twitter.com/wCCTakISAB  Tayto Park (@taytopark) April 12, 2017

Both kid-size and adult-size investigators will be encouraged to explore the crime scene and collect the clues to unlock the mystery and the best thing is that all children will receive a chocolate egg to thank them for their efforts.

Of course, all the usual thrill-seeking events like the terrifying Cu Chulainn Coaster Power Surge, Endeavour and Windstar will be in operation as well as the many attractions for those of us who are not exactly adrenalin junkies

www.taytopark.ie

Daytrip To Cobh

As well as being one of the most scenic towns in Cork, Cobh offers a huge amount for a family day trip. Drop into the Titanic Experience, where you will be treated to a hugely immersive trip into what life was like on board the Titanic.

Once fully versed on the Titanic, head to the Cobh Heritage Centre where you will learn all about Corks links to the Lusitania and be sure to grab an excellent cup of tea from their on site cafe.

www.visitcobh.com

Finally, hop aboard the boat to Spike Island and show the kids around the Irish version of Alcatraz. Spike Island Tours are running an Easter Family Saver ticket of 30 on Tuesday 18 and Thursday April 20.

www.spikeislandcork.com

Master Builders

The Construction Quarry Machinery Show is coming to Tullamore, Co Offaly on April 21-22 and with it, a site full of child-size attractions. Covering 100,000 sq m, the show features the world-famous JCB Dancing Diggers, who use their hydraulics to flip their machines into sculptures and turn their buckets and shovels into acrobatic arms, lifting the JCBs clear off the ground and performing hand-stands.

Zane Blount Ronan and Sophie Bracken at the launch of CQMS17, April 21-22, at Molloys Quarry, Tinnycross, Tullamore.

There will be a live demonstration zone where over the two days 16,000 tonnes of stone will be excavated, crushed, screened, washed, loaded, dug, loaded, moved and tipped by a large range of different machines. If you are a parent to a digger-mad small person, then mark this in your diary.

On Saturday, April 22, children under 12 have free admission, and adult tickets cost from 20.

www.machinerymovers.ie

Get Away From It All

There are some great family packages on offer in hotels across the country this Easter. The Blarney Hotel Golf & Resort has a holiday offer of two nights B&B and one dinner with accommodation in a family room starting from 239 based on two adults and two children.

www.theblarneyhotel.ie

Inchydoney Lodge & Spa.

Inchydoney Island Lodge & Spa has a two night package available from 460 for a family of two adults and two children sharing a family room. The package includes breakfast on both mornings, access to the facilities and Cooking with Chef on one afternoon for the kids.

www.inchydoneyisland.com

Egg-stra Important

Of course, Easter is not Easter without a good old fashioned egg hunt, and have we got some crackers for you. The 11th annual Easter Trail is taking place today and tomorrow at Fota House and Garden. Tickets are 7 per child, and adults go free. Each ticket provides access to one child to the Easter egg trail and includes one chocolate Easter egg.

www.fotahouse.com

On Sunday and Monday, Leahys Open Farm will be hiding eggs all over their farm for visitors to find. Each child will receive a map upon arrival and even adults will be kept occupied with egg and spoon races. Theres also an egg-throwing competition, where teams of two attempt to throw a raw egg as far as they can between them.
Today

A mix of clouds and sun. High around 80F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Low 59F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph.

Tomorrow

A few passing clouds, otherwise generally sunny. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 69F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.
Space exploration is not a topic that strikes most of us with the same immediacy as tax reform or health care. Its not as urgent. But it is a topic with long-term implications for our nation that we would be wise to heed.

That message was bolstered when Captain Jim Lovell visited Morehead Planetarium at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus on April 13 for a press conference and lecture. (He trained in celestial navigation at the planetarium some 40 years ago.)

Lovell, an astronaut who orbited the moon twice, is best known for commanding the crew of the ill-fated Apollo 13 in April 1970. Malfunctions and the threat of death in space led to his famous phrase, Houston, we have a problem, and a 1995 film, Apollo 13, starring Tom Hanks.

But instead of that cold fate, Lovell, his fellow astronauts, and the scientists and engineers working for NASA used their ingenuity to bring the Apollo craft and its passengers safely home.

This is a case where good leadership, including teamwork, are really what turned this into a successful recovery, Lovell said at a press conference in Chapel Hill.

Lovell, still sharp-minded at 89, supports space exploration, suggesting we return to the moon  we barely examined the moon, he said in Chapel Hill  before going on to Mars.

Volumes have been written about the technological advancements and leaps in knowledge made through space exploration. Our solar system beckons us with its wonders  miles-high volcanoes, underground oceans  just days ago, the ocean of Enceladus, a moon of Saturn, was revealed to possess conditions that could support microbiologic life  colorful, icy landscapes, whole worlds waiting to be explored. Scientists like Neil deGrasse Tyson discuss colonizing Mars with entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, who is eager to send humans there.

The U.S. is not the leader in space exploration that it once was. Despite popular support, the NASA budget, miniscule in comparison to other programs, is often chipped at by a Congress looking for easy cuts. Its proposed 2018 budget is $19.1 billion, less than one percent of the total federal budget, and a 0.8 percent decrease from 2017. Missions to Mars and the Jovian moon Europa, which may harbor life under its icy crust, have been trimmed and postponed.

Other nations are stepping up to fill the gap and perhaps take the leadership role. India launched a successful Mars orbiter in 2014 and plans a lander next year. China expects to bring rock samples back from Mars in the 2020s. Russia is collaborating with the European Space Agency on several projects.

On Earth, we often find ourselves in conflict with one another. But space exploration more often than not calls to the best in us, harkening to a sense of optimism, of hope in the future, that can bolster us in dark times.

During his lecture, Lovell encouraged the next generation of scientists and engineers to jump in feet first, learn all that they can and follow their dreams. They could lead to the stars.
[JURIST] Former South Korean president Guen-Hye Park [BBC profile] was indicted on numerous corruption charges including extortion, abuse of power, and bribery on Monday. Prosecutors from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors officer [official website] also indicted Shin Dong-bin [Forbes profile], chairman of the Lotte Group [official website], on similar bribery charges but did not move to have Dong-bin detained. Prosecutors stated [Reuters report] that Lotte paid approximately $6 million US to Park for a wide variety of favors after experiencing operational turbulence at their locations in China. Park will remain in a Seoul prison and will be transported to and from the Seoul Central District Court [official website] for the entirety of her trial. The trial is expected to being in the coming weeks, however, it is still unclear if the trial will start before a special election to determine Parks successor which is currently scheduled for May 9th. The trial could take as long as six months.

This is the latest development in a scandal that has grown to encompass numerous South Korean political and corporate leaders. Earlier this month South Koreas Constitutional Court upheld [JURIST report] parliaments decision to impeach Park over a scandal related to government bribes paid by Samsung. South Korean lawmakers voted 234-56 to impeach [JURIST report] Park in December. In February Samsungs would-be head Lee was arrested [JURIST report] on charges of bribery and undue influence in connection with the scandal. Five Samsung executives denied the charges [JURIST report] of bribery, embezzlement and corruption that were leveled against them in connection with Park. Two weeks ago the Seoul Central District Court said that it reassigned Lees bribery case [JURIST report] to a new judge, after reports surfaced the same week concerning the previous judges connection to a woman Lee is accused of bribing. In February South Koreas special prosecutor indicted former culture minister Yoon-sun Cho [official profile] and former presidential chief of staff Ki-choon Kim on charges of coercion, abuse of power and perjury connected to creation of a blacklist of opposition artists critical to Park. Park was arrested [JURIST report] on charges of bribery, coercion, abuse of power, and leaking government secrets on March 31.
Aya Hijazi, a dual US-Egyptian citizen who has been in prison for three years in relation to her foundation dedicated to helping street children, was of acquitted all charges by a Cairo court on Sunday. Seven others, including HIzajis husband, were found not guilty as well. The eight members of Hijzais foundation were arrested in 2014 for allegations of child abuse, human trafficking, kidnapping, sexual exploitation, and torture. Human rights groups have been critical of the arrest, calling it arbitrary and unfounded by legitimate evidence, while Joe Stork, Human Rights Watch (HRW) [official website] deputy for the Middle East and North Africa, called the trial a travesty of justice. All eight defendants are set to be released [Aljazeera report] in the upcoming days.

Egypt has been under the international spotlight lately for its human rights abuses, particularly, its treatment of journalists. In February, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon [official profile] welcomed [JURIST report] the decision by Egyptian authorities to release on bail two Al Jazeera journalists awaiting retrial on terror charges. The men were arrested [JURIST report] in December 2013 along with fellow Al Jazeera journalist and Australian national Peter Greste. In March Greste was released [JURIST report] from the Cairo detention facility and deported, under a law allowing the deportation of foreign nationals to their home countries.
Lawyers for US President Donald Trump, in their answer [text, PDF] to a lawsuit Friday, contended the president was immune from being sued by protesters who were injured during a campaign rally in Louisville in 2016. The attorneys argued Trump was immune due to being the president. In addition, his attorneys argued the protesters waived any right to sue after buying a ticket to the rally and contended Trump had not urged the crowd to get [the protesters] out of here. The contentions of Donald Trump in his answer were contradictory to claims [[ABC news] made by Alvin Bamberger, a co-defendant in the lawsuit who was accused of pushing a black woman at the rally; Bamberger argues he was simply following Trumps orders in shoving the woman. A federal judge earlier this month rejected a free speech defense [JURIST report] by President Trump in the ongoing lawsuit.

President Donald Trumps election campaign faced serious concerns over eliciting violence against those opposed to his cause. In November state democrats raised voter intimidation suits in six states [Politico report], yet only a federal judge in Ohio granted the requested injunction before being rejected on appeal [JURIST report].
[JURIST] Turkeys president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan [official profile], announced a victory on Sunday after 51.5 percent of Turkish voters elected to expand presidential powers. However, his political opponents are demanding [Reuters report] a recount as some of the ballots did not contain an official stamp. The changes, which will not come into effect until 2019, would abolish the position of prime minister and give the president powers formerly granted to Parliament. Those who voted yes point to security concerns, while those who voted no fear authoritarianism. Erdogan said [NYT report], We are enacting the most important governmental reform of our history. The Turkish Parliment approved [JURIST report] the plan in January before the popular vote.

Since the failed coup in Turkey in July, where Turkish military forces tried to overthrow the government, the Turkish government has taken several controversial steps to strengthen its power. In March the UN reported [JURIST report] human rights violations in Southern Turkey. Earlier in March around 330 individuals were put on trial[JURIST report] for alleged involvement in the attempted coup. In November Turkey significantly restricted the activities of NGOs like human rights organizations and childrens groups and arrested opposition party leaders [JURIST report] alleging they were connected to terror organizations. In October Human Rights Watch warned [JURIST report] that the emergency decrees put in place after the failed coup, had resulted in serious human rights violations.
other ingredients: Vegetable capsule

What I like:

It made my skin tone even. I took this the whole month of March and despite walking around the streets of hot Singapore weather, it maintained my skin tone.

After finishing 1 bottle, I can say that marks from unwanted scratch and mosquito bites have lightened a bit. This is one of the ways where I gauge the effectiveness of glutathione in giving that whitening side effect/s.

This enhanced glutathione supplement is made with glutathione blend and powerful boosters like ALA, NAC, Grapeseed Extract, and Vitamin C. These ingredients make faster absorption of glutathione in the body.

What I don't like:

Will I purchase? Will skip this for now as there are other cheaper brands with almost the same ingredients.

Recommendation:

Have you tried Luxxe White Glutathione?

Cheska's Online Store, you may reach them through,

email: cheskasstore@yahoo.com

mobile numbers: 0915-3463000, 0922-5458124 and 0928-3997789

Like them on Facebook: Cheska's Store

Follow them on Instagram: @cheskasstore For orders and other inquiries on, you may reach them through,email: cheskasstore@yahoo.commobile numbers: 0915-3463000, 0922-5458124 and 0928-3997789Like them on Facebook:Follow them on Instagram:





Good Times!~









DISCLAIMER: This product was sent to me by Cheska's Online Store for review. The views expressed here are my honest opinion about the product. What works for me may not work for you or vice versa. My review is based on my experience during the time and period I'm using the product.

I give this a 4/5 rating. I can say that I'm satisfied with the results after one month of takingI find it pricey. If you're afraid of taking supplements, fret not because it's USA FDA approved. I also like that this glutathione is enhanced and packed with boosters that are known to speed up the absorption of glutathione in the body.Most of the glutathione in the market today contains one or two boosters butcontains more than two like NAC, ALA, L-Cysteine, and Grapeseed Extract. This combination is one of the few and really makes the absorption of glutathione faster BUT there are individuals who are allergic to it so I'm giving you a pre-caution on that part. There's a caution in the bottle that consult a doctor first before taking this supplement and I commend, the makers offor that.
KEARNEY  A Kearney man must serve 30 days in jail and was placed on two years probation following a December incident in which he allegedly pointed a gun at two women.

Under his probation, Kevin Botts, 51, must complete a domestic violence intervention program, individual counseling, cognitive group therapy, continue any mental health care, and complete classes in family ties. He was sentenced in Buffalo County Court for third-degree assault and domestic third-degree assault, both misdemeanors, in the Dec. 15 incident.

Judge John Rademacher gave Botts 22 days credit for time already served.

On Dec. 15, during an intervention at a house in the 1700 block of First Avenue, Botts became upset and pulled a handgun from his lap and put a loaded magazine in the gun. At the time, there were five people in the house.

Records said Botts racked a round into the guns chamber and pointed the gun at two women as another man fled and called police.

Kearney Police Department officers surrounded the house, and a short time later Botts walked out of the house and was taken into custody.

A handgun was seized from the kitchen table inside the house, and three fully loaded 9mm magazines were found in the pocket of a jacket hanging on a chair.

@HubChic
Farmers and ranchers now have to endure anti-agriculture ideas at the federal level, as President Donald Trump demonstrates zero interest in the welfare of producers.

Trump wasted no time objecting to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal that could have increased food exports nationwide by more than $5 billion.

The president also indicated hed counter our interest in exporting crops in another way by ending the detente with Cuba.

Farmers need the security of trade agreements that bolster farm income, generate rural economic activity and support local jobs. Instead of wrecking sensible opportunities for producers, the president should focus on building new trade relationships and improving those already in place.

Another disaster in the making came in Trumps budget blueprint, which would whack 21 percent in discretionary spending by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for fiscal 2018.

The plan would undermine water programs that ensure clean water for rural communities and strip away resources for already understaffed Farm Service Agency operations, which help producers navigate farm programs.

Trumps people suggest FSAs are in need of streamlining. While its always important to seek efficiencies, its also necessary to weigh the potential toll of significant cuts.

The goal, no doubt, is to privatize FSA functions, which would do nothing to improve the quality of services.

Trump supporters note his budget proposal is just a first step. Maybe so, but it was more than enough to seriously alarm the agriculture community.

The Journal, Salina, Kan.
Nebraska lawmakers approached a difficult issue the right way last week. They had to think through how to provide justice in child sexual abuse cases while not running afoul of the state constitutions protections for those accused.

Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha sponsored LB300, which would remove the statute of limitations on the ability to file civil lawsuits against individuals involving alleged sexual assault of a child. Eight states so far have taken that action.

Nebraska has no statute of limitations for filing criminal charges against someone accused of sexual assault of a child.

I brought this bill on behalf of people who were damaged as children at the hands of an adult, Krist told his colleagues.

Lawmakers underscored the heinousness of such abuse and how in many cases it can take decades before child victims are able to confront their abusers. Current Nebraska law allows victims to file civil lawsuits until they turn 33.

Under LB300, there would be a three-year window from the passage of the bill for anyone to bring a claim based on a prior assault. Otherwise, victims making claims on offenses that occurred before enactment of the law would have to file lawsuits by the time they turn 53.

Sens. Mike Hilgers of Lincoln and Ernie Chambers of Omaha helped the legislative process by pointing out a legal complication from the retroactive portion of Krists proposal. Hilgers and Chambers explained that LB 300s provision applying the law to past incidents of sexual assault might be unconstitutional, given court precedents.

The Legislature approved the bill on first round after adopting a Krist amendment to allow the retroactive provision to be removed if a future court rules that it violates the constitution.

Krist is going to work with fellow lawmakers and legal staff on a possible amendment to remove the retroactive component altogether when LB300 comes up for a second reading. The retroactive aspect is part of a current case before the Nebraska Supreme Court, and a ruling later this year by the court could provide clarity.

Lawmakers are handling this issue in a careful, responsible manner. The process should allow LB300 to reach a final form that deserves passage into law.

Omaha World-Herald
Photo for illustration. (Source: tuoitre.vn)

Thailand leads among the markets shipping the most fruits and vegetable to Vietnam with USD11.5 million, accounting for nearly 50% of the total value. It was followed by China USD46 million (20%) and the USD18.1 million (10%). The remaining markets include the Republic of Korea, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and more.

Compared to the same period last year, Vietnams fruit and vegetable import turnover in the first quarter this year increased by USD74 million, in which those from Thailand contributed about 71% at USD52.5 million.

On average, Vietnam spends more than VND840 billion (USD37 million) each month importing fruits and vegetable from the market.

Thai fruits and vegetable are often distributed in Vietnam through big supermarkets and retail stores with eye-catching designs and prices as same as domestic goods.

The reason for the sharp increase in Thai fruit and vegetable imports came from the countrys retail groups buying two of the biggest retailers and wholesalers in Vietnam BigC and Metro in 2015 and 2016. In addition, Thai enterprises increase distribution of the commodities through retail channel and specialized stores./.
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During breakfast with my father over the holidays, a friend of his asked me what kind of doctor I am. Im a radiologist, I answered.

I was met with a puzzled expression and a reply of Oh, I thought you were a doctor doctor. I smiled and returned to my banana.

Most radiologists, especially those like me who are not physician offspring, are faced with this sort of discourse at least once. I even once had to explain my credentials to a nurse who almost called security on me when I went to check on a patient in the middle of the night who had previously undergone an interventional radiology procedure.

Medicine is filled with radiologists who chose the specialty because it allowed them a degree of separation from patients, not despite this trait. Radiologists are physicians who interpret radiologic exams (MRIs, CT scans, X-rays, ultrasounds, etc.). Most patients will never meet us even though we regularly make life-saving diagnoses. Given the relative isolation, diagnostic radiologists spend most of their time on the art and science of their specialty and are more buffered from tasks that dont result in monetary reimbursement. With the advent of advanced computing resources, robust networking equipment, and faster scanners, radiologists commanded salaries rivaled only by highly specialized surgeons for most of the previous decade. During the radiology boom of the 2000s, medical school graduates applying for radiology residency needed medical licensing exam scores higher than almost every other specialty to earn a seat at this exclusive table (with dermatology, orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery, neurosurgery, and otolaryngology in a similar class). This is why most radiologists merely smile when challenged by the not a real doctor accusation.

Many anesthesiologists I know have similar laidback reactions when asked why they would prefer anesthesiology to surgery. An anesthesiologist friend of mine refers to the sheet between himself and the surgeons in the operating room as the blood-brain barrier, i.e. he is the brain for choosing the field that lets him bill per unit time while the blood (messy part) is on the other side of the sheet. We dont let the small stuff sweat us.

Too much isolation from patients and other doctors has hurt radiologists in recent years. The ability to interpret images remotely has turned the field into a commodity that can be sold to large consolidative practices often not stationed near the scanners, and a health care payment system that favors quantity over quality emphasizes speed over detail. While radiology salaries and job opportunities for new graduates have taken a significant hit, many doctors continue to label radiologists as master systematic vampires (and not just because we sit in the dark all day). When a radiologist like myself speaks of cutting back on unnecessary exams to improve system efficiency, I dont have to wait long until a specialist points out how my practice is predicated on unnecessary testing and that I supposedly benefit from this. At the same time, we are slighted for recommending clinical correlation regarding equivocal findings when the reality is that we are merely not given enough clinical information to comment on significance.

Truth be told, insurance companies would make a lot of money if they employed radiologists to deny inappropriate orders. I am not referencing radiologic studies that are not likely to result in a diagnosis. I am referring to studies ordered that are incapable of answering the clinical question asked. Its an epidemic.

Many radiology practices, drunk from the prosperity garnered by large workloads, are happy to perform all studies that walk in the door. Calling the ordering provider to recommend a better test takes time and may cut into productivity. The system is even fundamentally designed to prevent radiologists from improving the system. Rather than attributing us the status of experts capable of controlling unnecessary radiation and cost, we are not legally allowed to order studies for fear of predatory over-ordering.

As a resident, I learned that when a pulmonologist (lung specialist) is asked to drain fluid from the thoracic cavity of a patient (thoracentesis), he or she evaluates the necessity of the procedure, bills for a consultation, and then drains the fluid. Radiologists, on the other hand, generally cant bill for consultative services for simple procedures. Other doctors merely write orders for us to do things to their patients, often without the courtesy of a phone call or a proper explanation to the patient as to what will transpire. I cant count how many biopsies I have done on people who didnt even know that they had a concerning imaging finding. Again, this is our fault. We embrace that isolation.

Part of the radiologist oversupply stems from a lack of retirement due to a fear that health care reform would slash radiology ordering practices. From my perspective, this has not materialized. Americans have a thirst for knowing as much as possible just as much as emergency providers have a need to limit liability while maximizing patient throughput. For every conversation I have with a parent worried that his or her child was exposed to excess radiation during a CT scan, there are many more patients pushing to be scanned despite the large cost that comes with it. The health care system is driven by the pressure of its constituents. We have proven that we can work faster and harder for the same payment, so this has become our new expected baseline.

Clinicians bring many studies to my hospital for uncompensated re-interpretation, a practice that my superiors embrace because it makes us look valuable when we are instead creating more systematic waste. I find myself asking what other doctors out there are told to re-evaluate a patient for free. The practice is tantamount to accepting liability for a physical exam performed by someone else, yet radiologists are subject to this all the time because we rely on hospitals to provide a workplace. Our quality practices also require that radiologists constantly evaluate each other, a standard that few other physicians are subject to.

Even more damaging to the profession is the fact that studies that are not indicated are often merely unreimbursed (which incentivizes radiologists to find abnormalities). Are emergency physicians denied payment when the patient doesnt have an actual emergency? Obviously not.

There is no other field of medicine that I would rather do, but working among radiology colleagues who refuse to step up and become more integrated into their local clinical services risks turning radiologists into technicians. We must get out of the dark, in more ways than one. If we are not at the table, we are on the table.

Cory Michael is a radiologist.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
Local authority representatives, citizens, Canon Vietnam Co., Ltd, 100 volunteer members of Canon volunteer network, and 100 young students in Nhu Thanh district attended the event.

The project in Ben En National Park not only contributes to protect low belt forest ecosystems, but also raises young peoples awareness of environmental protection through practical planting activities. This is the seventh year that the planting forest cooperation project of Canon Vietnam is deployed in Ben En National Park, with the total area of newly planted forest growing to 120 hectares (all Erythrophleum fordii).





Photos: ATP

Mr. Shunji Sawa, General Director of Canon Vietnam, said: "Through this program, I hope that the students, Ho Chi Minh unionists, and Vietnam youth in general will raise their awareness of environmental protection and afforestation to create Green-lungs for our Earth. The Earth is what we depend on for life, so lets protect the Earth as we do our lives. This will be the most valuable gift we can transfer to the next generation. Let's try together for the greater development of Vietnam.

Apart from tree planting, the Japanese Company hosted a photo exhibition of environmental protection activities, and an activity of leaving fingerprints as a commitment to environmental protection and to raise awareness for all participants.

With the motto towards a Green - Clean - Beautiful environment and social sustainable development, through social activities such as: Planting "For a Green Vietnam", environment protection propaganda, and environmental clean-up in response to Worldwide Environment Day, the Company has contributed significantly to making the environment cleaner and enhancing peoples awareness of keeping and working together to protect the environment./.
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A few weeks ago, before the demise of the American Health Care Act, President Trump sat down for an interview with Tucker Carlson at Fox News. Citing an article from Bloomberg, Carlson informed the president that the counties which voted for him would do far less well under the bill than counties that voted for Hillary, were it to pass. Whether intentional or not, Trump agreed with his assessment, noting the contradictions between the bill and his campaign promises.

When Carlson mentioned middle-class and hardworking counties, he was probably thinking of places like Aroostook County, known for its storybook towns and potato fields. Since 1992, Aroostook County has been a stronghold for Democrats, but in 2016, political winds blew in another direction; Trump won the county by 17.3 percent.

Of course, many counties shared similar stories at the ballot box in 2016, flipping from Obama to Trump (219 total out of more than 3,100 nationally). But Aroostook doesnt seem to fit the classic confines of Trump Country weve come to understand  of rural communities in the Rust Belt, with economies toppled by the forces of globalization, and concerns about incoming immigrant populations. The economy of Aroostook is built on agriculture, fishing, and tourism  not on manufacturing. Community leaders, over the past year, have tried to pave more paths for refugees and immigrants to settle in their county  rather than keep them away.

Clearly, there was something else going on in Aroostook.

As students studying medicine and public policy, we began to wonder how health may have impacted the voting behavior of this county, and others like it, last November. Throughout 2016, headline after headline of the Bangor Daily News, the local newspaper, documented the failures of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for the citizens of Aroostook and its surroundings: Maines largest Obamacare insurer to raise rates (March), Obamacare insurers request double-digit rate hikes in Maine (May), Theres a big problem with Obamacare: Its not affordable for the middle class (September). Aroostook is not alone in its struggles with the ACA. Stories from enrollees and data from think tanks indicate that rate hikes, increasing deductibles, and decreasing insurance options on exchanges are nationwide problems. To be fair, the ACA had profoundly positive effects on American health care, reflected in the 7 percent decrease in the national uninsured rate between 2012 and 2016. But in Aroostook County, the uninsured rate actually increased from 16 percent to 18 percent.

For voters from places like this county in northern Maine, perhaps it wasnt economic anxiety or trade agreements or even elitist politics that prompted a Trump win. It was Obamacare that failed them.

We came to this conclusion after looking at voting patterns in 2012 and 2016 and discovering that they tracked changes in health care metrics collected by RWJFs County Health Rankings.

Even after controlling for income, which accounts for factors like economic anxiety and unemployment, the story of Aroostook County does not seem unusual. Demonstrated in the graph below, the higher the uninsured rate in a specific county last year, the more likely its voters chose Trump. This association grew even stronger when we omitted adults and focused only on the uninsured rate for children.

While this analysis isnt strong enough to establish causation, the story it tells, of partisan gridlock and frustrations with health care swaying the minds of voters, is certainly plausible. Perhaps an uninsured voter took a chance on Trump not because of Facebook memes but because of constant knee pain, and his inability to afford the painkillers, the cortisone shots, or the surgery needed to alleviate it. Another may have thought about her mothers missed doses on her expensive prescription medications while standing in the polling booth. Pathology, and a powerlessness to treat it, could have influenced crucial votes.

Our findings suggest that health care can help explain the decisions of the electorate last November, and how to move forward today. To many, perhaps this result isnt a surprise, given that the repeal of the ACA has served as a rallying flag for conservatives, and the hope of saving it has filled a similar role for progressives today, particularly over the past week. While access to health care improved nationwide, some communities were forgotten in the heat of bitter partisanship. Given that they tilted heavily toward Trump and his anti-establishment message, its likely that voters in these counties held both parties culpable for their frustrations.

The recent failure of the AHCA presents an opportunity for fresh ideas and a new wave of bipartisanship in health reform. As aspiring physicians, we hope Aroostooks story will be instructional for policymakers on both ends of the political spectrum. Democrats ought to acknowledge that although Medicaid expansion and state-based exchanges have expanded coverage and improved access, they have their shortcomings  like increasing deductibles and narrowing provider networks. On the other hand, Republicans should recognize that block grants for Medicaid and high-risk pools, cornerstones of conservative health policy, are unlikely to rescue Aroostook.

Instead, they would threaten access to quality care for the sickest and most vulnerable Americans. Citizens of these counties are hurting, and their issues with health care warrant more than dogmatic plans built upon abstractions, and legislative sabotage done for cold political gain. Whatever path health reform takes, they deserve to share in the gains that much of the country has seen over the past few years. We owe them no less.

Suhas Gondi and Evan Beiter are undergraduate students. Vishal Khetpal is a medical student.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
It is not a bad thing for us, that the route known as the Goldene Strae or the Golden Road as we will get to know it- has escaped the attention of so many. It has been spared being overrun by hordes of tourists and as you will discover the
Kingstree, SC (29556)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 47F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 47F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.
Your kid is halfway through high school, and the gap between your savings and the cost of college has grown alarmingly wide. Understandably, you want to position your finances, and your student, to attract as much financial aid as possible, preferably in the form of grants and scholarships you don't have to pay back.

Meet the financial aid consultants. Also known as college financial planners, they can help you navigate the convoluted financial aid process and, if you visit them early enough, provide valuable advice on saving for college. Typically, they market their services through referrals from college admissions consultants or presentations at high schools and community colleges, or through their general financial-planning practices. Many offer a free initial consultation, then charge by the hour or session -- say, $100 to $250 -- after you sign on.

But some planners go further, using the sessions to sell you a financial product that gets them a commission but may not get you college money. Others charge several thousand dollars for an iffy outcome, or make promises about money that isnt theirs to give away. Some of the advice can even hurt your finances or leave your student deep in debt. Think twice before you fork out big bucks for the sake of financial aid. Some of the strategies youre likely to hear may not pan out.

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STRATEGY: Lowering your expected family contribution.

If youve already filled out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you know that the expected family contribution, or EFC, is the amount you supposedly can afford to cover in college costs, based on the federal financial aid formula. Some private colleges use a different method, called the institutional formula, to come up with a comparable number. Either way, the expected family contribution is a starting point for determining your need. Theoretically, the wider the gap between your EFC and the total cost of attendance, the more money you get.

Accordingly, planners will suggest ways to lower your EFC -- say, by postponing a bonus into the following year, or spending down savings, especially in your student's account.

THE CATCH:

Those tactics won't necessarily change your out-of-pocket cost. Why? Few colleges fill the entire gap between the amount you are expected to pay and the cost of attendance, and any award you do receive will probably be a combination of grants, work-study and federal loans -- not the rich package of grants you were hoping for.

Rather than rely on a FAFSA-produced number to gauge how your award might shape up, use the net-price calculators (required by law as of October 2011) posted on college Web sites (Read our article: How to Zero In on the True Cost of College (opens in new tab)). The net price reflects grants, not loans, based on the average award for families in your circumstances. (Be sure to focus on net price as opposed to net cost, which is what you get when you subtract the entire aid package, including loans, from the cost of attendance.)

STRATEGY: Taking assets off the table.

Whatever your expected contribution, neither colleges nor the feds expect you to put every penny you have toward the college bills (although it may seem that way). Both the federal and the institutional formulas remove certain types of assets from the financial aid calculation before crunching the numbers, the idea being to leave you a way to sustain yourself after your kids get through college. Among the excluded assets: retirement accounts and cash-value life insurance. The federal formula also excludes home equity; the institutional formula includes it.

Some advisers recommend that you convert assets that count against you in the formulas into assets that don't -- say, by selling stocks or borrowing against home equity and investing in a variable life insurance policy.

THE CATCH:

Before you make such a move, know that income, not assets, is by far the biggest factor in financial aid. If you earn too much, you wont qualify for aid no matter where you stash your cash. As for home equity, the vast majority of colleges use the FAFSA, which ignores that asset. Colleges that do consider equity often cap the amount at one or two times your income, rendering it less significant in the financial aid calculation.

Nor should you worry unduly about the impact of other, countable assets on your financial aid prospects. The federal formula protects a chunk of parental assets, based on the age of the older parent, and it assesses the remainder at 5.6%; the institutional formula also protects parental assets using a different calculation. (Student assets have no such protection and are assessed more heavily.) The amount protected in the federal formula approximates the age of the older parent times $1,000, so a parent age 50 would have a protected allowance of $50,000. Most families dont have nearly that much in savings outside of retirement accounts, says Robert Feil, of Waterfront College Planning, in Neptune, N.J. For those families, "a life insurance policy will not help at all. All it will do is give a life insurance agent a commission."

Consider, too, that shifting assets actually costs money, in the form of capital-gains taxes on a stock sale or interest on a home-equity loan. And making important financial decisions based on financial aid prospects can have unforeseen consequences. A few years ago, "people were sucking out their home equity and putting it in life insurance," says Rick Darvis, of the National Institute of Certified College Planners. When the housing market crashed and their equity shrank, they were stuck with the loans, and some lost their homes.

STRATEGY: Focusing exclusively on getting the most money.

Some financial aid advisers offer to improve your chances for aid regardless of your child's interests or the schools on his or her list.

THE CATCH:

This strategy ignores looking for a school that represents the best fit for your student. "One of the biggest misconceptions I see is the idea that admissions decisions and financial aid decisions are separate from each other," says Feil. "Playing with numbers is not the be-all and end-all. Colleges want to know if the student will be an asset. They will make the financial aid offer more lucrative for students theyre really excited about than for students theyre not excited about."

They also might up the ante if they suspect your student has more-lucrative offers on the table from competing colleges, says Richard DiFeliciantonio, vice-president for enrollment at Ursinus College, in Collegeville, Pa. "I have to calculate not only peoples need but also their willingness to pay." The message? Dont let a financial adviser persuade you that the FAFSA is the last word. Find a school that suits your student's strengths, and have a conversation with the financial aid office about your chances for aid.

STRATEGY: Hiring a pro to fill out the FAFSA.

Once, the FAFSA was a complex, multi-page application that struck fear in the hearts of parents, some of whom were willing to pay a financial aid consultant $100 or more to complete the form for them. Financial planners will still offer to do the work for you and will charge accordingly.

THE CATCH:

If you pay a financial aid adviser to complete the FAFSA for you or give you advice in completing the application, he or she is required to sign it. That doesn't assure you of financial aid or take you off the hook for providing inaccurate information, but it just might cause your application to get noticed -- and not in a good way, says Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of Finaid.org. Financial aid officers give closer scrutiny to an application prepared by a professional than to one you prepare on your own, and they may look harder for anomalies.

Improvements to the federal application, including a streamlined, online format, have made the do-it-yourself approach less daunting and professional help less enticing. "The FAFSA is not that complicated," says Cara Stevens, a high school counselor and part-time college planning consultant in Marion, Ohio.

For free handholding, however, try the FAFSA-guidance nights in your community, typically at your high school or community college. "Families can come in, bring their tax information, sit at the computer and have somebody there who can help them with the questions that come up," says Stevens. Local branches of public universities represent another good resource, she says, as do Web sites such as Finaid.org.

STRATEGY: Fudging the numbers.

Presenting your finances in the most advantageous light is one thing, but some advisers have been known to cross the line, encouraging clients to present a picture of their finances that is downright misleading.

THE CATCH:

If you venture into fraud, not only do you risk a fine or even imprisonment for lying on your federal aid application, but you'll likely be taking that risk for nothing. Financial aid administrators are alert to information that doesn't add up, such as an application from a wealthy zip code that reports an unusually low income, or one that lists interest and dividends without showing corresponding assets. "These things do get caught," says Kantrowitz.

What happens then? Even if you dont technically lie, financial aid officers who think you're trying to hide the ball will ask you to verify your information and adjust the numbers, if needed, to more accurately reflect your financial situation. The more manipulation they spot or even suspect, the less likely youll end up with a grant out of institutional funds or a successful appeal of your financial aid award, says Kantrowitz. Recently, the federal government has improved its system for spotting red flags and requiring that families verify FAFSA information.
(Kitco News) - Gold had a good bounce in early Sunday nights open, likely more a short-cover trade into a very thin market. It appears the U.S. may leave the North Korean issue to the Chinese, at least for the time being. The rhetoric continues, however, which continues to create capital flows into the yen, which may support gold in the short-term until further clarity surfaces on the U.S. response to the North Korean threat. The French election next week is expected to provide some safe-haven buying on the continent. Gold should have support around the $1,285 level, with the upside contained at $1,292, with a break here indicating a $1,303 print. Much of the European theatre remains closed for Easter Monday and volumes will remain thin. By Peter Hug Contributing to kitco.com Follow @KitcoNewsNOW www.kitco.com

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.
(Repeats story issued on Saturday)

BEIJING, April 15 (Reuters) - Asian countries escaped the currency manipulator label in the latest U.S. Treasury report, but remain wary of possible trade friction as President Donald Trump maintains his administration will seek to address trade imbalances.

Trump has said some U.S. trading partners, particularly China, manipulated their currency, but has since backed off that claim and acknowledged that China had not weakened the yuan to make its exports cheaper.

China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan remained on a list for special monitoring of currency practices, China by virtue of a massive trade surplus with the United States. "Fixing trade imbalances will be an issue for the U.S. in its dialogues with China and Japan, while the manipulator threat has been put on the backburner," a Japanese government official told Reuters.

The semi-annual U.S. Treasury currency report released on Friday did not name any major trading partner as a currency manipulator, although it seemed to leave open the option for action in the future. Trump has softened his rhetoric against China's trade practices as Beijing has intervened in foreign exchange markets to prop up the value of its yuan, and as he looks to China for help dealing with rising tension on the Korean peninsula. "I think the United States decided to forego (labeling China a currency manipulator) this time because it wants China's cooperation on North Korea," said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute in Tokyo.

"Depending on how the North Korean situation develops, we don't know what will happen in half a year (when the next currency report is due to be published)."

NEW LANGUAGE

New language in the Treasury report citing a history of currency intervention in China, South Korea and Taiwan is in line with what experts say could be eventual changes to the criteria aimed at deterring future manipulation.

With Washington pushing a trade agenda aimed at reducing deficits, experts say the most logical option is to lengthen the time period for reviewing currency market interventions from 12 months to several years. "One thing we noticed was the report touched on the previous history of (currency manipulation). They're telling us not to do so in the future and we have no intention of doing so," a senior South Korean finance official said.

"SCRUTINIZING" CHINA

The report showed the high priority the administration puts on addressing trade imbalances and said it would be "scrutinizing China's trade and currency practices very closely".

The report came after China data showed its surplus with the United States was nearly unchanged in the first quarter compared to a year earlier at $49.6 billion , and cited China's market protection as an impediment to a balanced trade relationship.

While Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping last week agreed to 100-day trade talks, U.S. business leaders in China have expressed concern about a lack of progress in gaining further access to the Chinese market despite years of negotiations. JAPAN

The Treasury report's language on Japan was similar to past reports, and focused on the need for structural reforms to improve domestic demand, analysts said.

"The basic message is that Japan needs to expand its domestic demand and one can read this as them telling Japan to import more American goods," said Minami of the Norinchukin Research Institute.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will visit Japan next week for a bilateral economic dialogue, with U.S. officials signalling they would press Japan to remove non-tarrif trade barriers and buy more U.S. products. "The report won't have an impact on the upcoming Japan-U.S. economic dialogue next week. But the U.S. administration's focus on the trade deficit is something to keep an eye on," said Nobuyasu Atago, chief economist at Okasan Securities in Tokyo.

(Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto, Minami Funakoshi and Kaori Kaneko in Tokyo, and Christine Kim in Seoul; Writing by Elias Glenn; Editing by Stephen Coates)
Ferrari might have stuttered in qualifying, but Vettel pulled an Easter rabbit out of the hat on Sunday to see off Hamilton. Bravo to Bottas for his maiden pole, and commiserations to Verstappen, Stroll, Sainz and especially Vandoorne for their early exits. F1i breaks down each drivers performance in round 3 of the World Championship.

Stoffel Vandoorne (DNS): No Score

The young Belgian was a revelation last year in Bahrain, but now harsh reality has struck the McLaren protege. Vandoorne suffered no less than three failures of his MGU-H unit, with the last preventing him from taking the start. 2018 is perhaps shaping up to be a task too far for the rookie, but to those who would point out he is clearly behind Alonso, remember that not only is he in his first full campaign he also doesnt necessarily have the same upgrades.
BRASILIA, April 17 (Reuters) - Brazil's proposal to reform the country's pension system will be presented to the government's support base in the lower house on Tuesday, Carlos Marun, president of the pension reform commission in the lower house, said on the sidelines of a conference in Brasilia on Monday.

(Reporting by Alonso Soto, writing by Stephen Eisenhammer)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.
(Kitco News) - For the first time in its 13-year history, the Mines & Money conference is coming to the Big Apple -- New York City.

From May 3-4, Kitco News will be at the frontlines of the event, partnering with Mines & Money to host multiple gold-centered panel discussions.

These panels will be live streamed on May 3rd directly on Kitco Insider, so be sure to sign up today to gain exclusive access. The agenda is detailed below:

 2 PM ET: The Great Manipulation Debate Revisited. Has the gold market manipulation problem been resolved?

Chaired by Daniela Cambone, Editor-in-Chief, Kitco News

With: Rosa Abrantes-Metz, Managing Director, Global Economics Group

 3:40 PM ET: Gold Fund Manager Discussion  Is Gold just a dollar play?

Moderated By: Daniela Cambone, Editor-in-Chief, Kitco News

With: Ima Casanova, Sr. Gold Analyst, Van Eck; Doug Groh, Portfolio Manager, Tocqueville Asset Management; Robert Cohen, VP & Portfolio Manager, Dynamic Funds; Marcelo Kim, Partner at Paulson & Co.

 4:50 PM ET: Gold in a TRUMPian World should you be bullish or bearish? Opportunities in physical gold and gold mining stocks

Moderated By: Adrian Day, CEO, Adrian Day Asset Management

With: Peter Hug, Global Trading Director, Kitco Metals; Todd Bubba Horwitz, Chief Market Strategist, BubbaTrading; Rick Rule, Chairman and Founder, Sprott U.S. Holdings; Vince Lanci, Founder, Echobay Partners

Dont miss out on our live broadcast of these three presentations. Register now!

And feel free to send over questions to newsfeedback@kitco.com that you would like us to ask the panelists during the show.
By Tom Arnold and Hadeel Al Sayegh

DUBAI, April 17 (Reuters) - Dubai-listed Arabtec Holding , which reported accumulated losses of 4.6 billion dirhams ($1.25 billion) last year, is asking banks to waive terms on its debt, two banking sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

The building company has been in talks with its main creditors over the past month to waive the right for banks to call in facilities extended to the business, said the sources, who declined to be identified because the matter had not been made public.

The waiver request comes as Arabtec seeks to ensure that the proceeds of a planned 1.5 billion dirham ($408.4 million) rights issue will go to the company rather than be used to settle its liabilities, one of the sources said, adding that Arabtec will no longer be in breach of debt covenants after the rights issue.

Loss-making Arabtec had said in its 2016 financial statement that it was "in breach of certain debt covenants".

Some of the banks have provisionally agreed to Arabtec's request to waive terms on its debt, the source said.

In a statement to Reuters on Monday, Arabtec said: "In line with the DFM's (Dubai Financial Market) transparency regulations, any material corporate development will be disclosed to the market."

It did not elaborate further.

Arabtec has been grappling for more than two years with a depressed market for infrastructure projects in the Gulf, with its problems exacerbated by internal disagreements among shareholders and several senior management changes.

At the end of 2016 its total debt stood at 2.46 billion dirhams.

On Monday Arabtec confirmed a Reuters report that Peter Pollard had been appointed as group chief financial officer and will oversee the company's recapitalisation programme. Arabtec is due to hold its shareholder meeting on Tuesday, when it will seek investor approval for the rights issue. ($1 = 3.6730 UAE dirham)

(Editing by David Goodman)
(Kitco News) - After trickling into the gold market through most of the first quarter, hedge funds appear to be increasing their interest in the yellow metal as speculative bullish positions grew for the fourth consecutive week, according to the latest trade data from the CFTC.

According to many analysts, funds are flocking to gold as geopolitical worries continue to grow after the U.S. launched 59 missiles at a Syrian military airbase and ongoing posturing from North Korea.

Gold investors aggressively increased their long exposure and covered short positions as geopolitical risks ranging from North Korea to the Middle East increased, U.S. economic data disappointed and equity markets sloped lower. A flattening U.S. yield curve and a weaker U.S. dollar helped to propel prices past key technical levels, which has served as an important driver pushing specs into long gold exposure, said Bart Melek, head of commodity strategy at TD Securities.

The disaggregated Commitments of Traders report for the week ending April 11 showed money managers increased their speculative gross long positions in Comex gold futures by 16,413 contracts to 179,841. At the same time, short bets fell by 7,472 contracts to 46,830. Golds net length now stands at 133,010 contracts, up almost 21% from the previous week.

After a slow start to the year, speculative interest is starting to pick up momentum, increasing more than 136% in the last three weeks. The latest increased speculative buying helped to push prices up more than 1% to a five-month high, during the survey period.

George Gero, managing director with RBC Wealth Management, agreed that there are enough worries around the world to continue fund buying of more gold; however, he added that a lot of funds are positioned and the momentum could start to slow.

I dont think you are doing to see another big push higher but you are going to see a modest uptrend, he said.

Melek also warned investors that the uptrend could be losing momentum as prices reach the key psychological level at $1,300 an ounce.

With the Fed still on track to hike, its unlikely prices will go into $1,300 for a prolonged period, he said.

While gold is attracting more speculative interest, silver investment pushed to new record highs, surpassing last years numbers.

The disaggregated report showed managed-money speculative gross long positions in Comex silver futures rose by 6,424 contracts to 114,249. At the same time, short positions rose by 934 contracts to 15,685. Silvers net length now stands at 98,564 contracts.

Not only is silvers bullish positioning at record high, but it is up almost 6% from the previous week.

However, the record bullish sentiment in silver is not having a major impact on prices. During the survey period, May Comex silver prices were actually down 0.3% as prices held support above $18 an ounce.

Looking ahead, analysts have warned investors that silver could see some profit taking in the near term as the market runs out of momentum because of expanded positioning.
By Roberta Rampton and Sue-Lin Wong | SEOUL/PYONGYANG

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence put North Korea on notice on Monday, warning that recent U.S. military strikes in Syria and Afghanistan showed the resolve of President Donald Trump should not be tested.

Pence and South Korean acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn, speaking after a failed missile test by North Korea and a huge display of missiles in Pyongyang, said they would move ahead with the early deployment to South Korea of the U.S. THAAD missile-defence system, in spite of Chinese objections.

Pence was on the first stop of a four-nation Asia tour intended to show that the Trump administration is not turning its back on the increasingly volatile region.

"Just in the past two weeks, the world witnessed the strength and resolve of our new president in actions taken in Syria and Afghanistan," Pence said in an appearance with Hwang.

"North Korea would do well not to test his resolve or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region," Pence said.

The U.S. Navy this month struck a Syrian airfield with 59 Tomahawk missiles after a chemical weapons attack. On Thursday, the U.S. military dropped "the mother of all bombs", the largest non-nuclear device it has ever unleashed in combat, on caves and tunnels used by Islamic State in Afghanistan.

Korean tensions have escalated following repeated North Korean missile tests and concerns that Pyongyang may soon conduct a sixth nuclear bomb test in defiance of U.N. sanctions.

Pence, whose father served in the 1950-53 Korean War, visited the North-South border on Monday and said Washington would stand by its "iron-clad alliance" with South Korea.

"All options are on the table to achieve the objectives and ensure the stability of the people of this country," he told reporters as tinny propaganda music floated across from the North Korean side of the so-called demilitarized zone (DMZ).

At a White House Easter celebration, Trump was asked by a reporter if he had a message for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and replied: Gotta behave.

However in spite of the words, U.S. officials say the Trump administration is focusing on tougher economic sanctions in response to North Korea.

The United States worries about North Korea's efforts to develop a nuclear-topped missile that could hit the U.S. mainland.

Trump's national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, said on Sunday that the United States, its allies and China were working on a range of responses to North Korea's latest missile test, citing what he called an international consensus to act.

McMaster indicated Trump was not considering military action for now, despite the sending to Korean waters of a carrier strike group led by the nuclear-powered USS Carl Vinson.

U.S. officials say tougher sanctions could include an oil embargo, a global ban on North Korea's airline, intercepting cargo ships and punishing Chinese banks doing business with Pyongyang.

NO 'RED LINES'

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said China had taken some "very helpful" steps, although it remained to be seen how effective these would be.

Spicer, asked if Trump had a "red line" on North Korea, said the president did not believe these worked.

Trump himself, when asked if he was considering military action, told Fox News Channel that he didn't want to "telegraph" his plans like the previous administration.

"Well see what happens. I hope things work out well, but theyve been talking with this gentleman for a long time," he said.

Senior North Korean officials on Monday reiterated recent warnings that the situation was "nearing the brink of war.

Kim Song Gyong, director general of the European Department of the Foreign Ministry in Pyongyang, told Reuters that if Washington made "the slightest movement" to make a nuclear strike on North Korea, Pyongyang would strike first and "destroy the aggressors without any mercy.

Kim went on to clarify that the approach of the carrier strike force would not be considered enough to constitute the slightest movement.

North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Han Song-Ryol told the BBC that missiles would continue to be tested on "a weekly, monthly and yearly basis."

Pence is expected to discuss Korean tensions with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday when he travels to Tokyo for economic talks with Finance Minister Taro Aso. He will also visit Jakarta and Sydney.

China has appeared increasingly frustrated with its North Korean neighbor and ally, speaking out against its weapons tests and supporting U.N. sanctions, while repeatedly calling for talks.

Susan Thornton, acting U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asia, said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and China's top diplomat, State Councillor Yang Jiechi, agreed in a phone call on Sunday on the need for strict enforcement of U.N. resolutions and for international action to press Pyongyang "to cease provocative actions and recommit to peaceful denuclearization.

Thornton said any new North Korean nuclear test "would draw a pretty significant international response".

"Were definitely not seeking conflict or regime change,:" she said. "But we are committed to defending our people and our allies should it be necessary.

China banned imports of North Korean coal, the country's most important export in February and Chinese media has raised the possibility of restricting oil shipments to the North.

However, Beijing says the crisis is one between the United States and North Korea.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said the situation was "highly sensitive, complicated and high risk" and all sides should "avoid taking provocative actions".

(Additional reporting by Sue-Lin Wong in Pyongyang, Jack Kim and James Pearson in Seoul, Daniel Trotta in New York, Lucia Mutikani, Caren Bohan, David Brunnstrom, Matt Spetalnick, Lesley Wroughton and Steve Holland in Washington and Michael Martina in Beijing; Editing by Robert Birsel and Alistair Bell)
HANOI, April 17 (Reuters) - Here's a snapshot of Vietnamese dong exchange rates in the official and unofficial markets, indicative SJC gold prices in Hanoi and interbank offered rates at 0409 GMT.

April 17 USD/VND mid-point 22,323 USD/VND interbank 22,700/22,705 USD/VND unofficial 22,690/22,710 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.76/37.05

Interbank offered rates Overnight 4.3-4.9

1 week 4.5-4.9

1 month 4.7-5.0

3 months 4.8-5.2

NOTES: As of Jan. 4, 2016 the State Bank of Vietnam has begun setting the mid-point rate on daily basis, allowing dollar/dong transactions to move in a band of +/- 3 percent around the mid point. The dong's exchange rate against other currencies is not restricted by a band. Interbank offered rates are the latest indicative bid/ask prices, quoted from market sources.

One tael is equivalent to 37.5 grams or 1.21 troy ounces. SJC gold prices are quoted by state-owned Saigon Jewelry Co.

For more interbank rate fixings released at 0400 GMT, click on .

For Vietnam market overview click on: Vietnam's bonds market auctions: Bonds auction results: (Compiled by Hanoi Newsroom)
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that President Donald Trump's tax reform could be delayed and not make it through Congress before August due to setbacks with the healthcare bill, the Financial Times recently reported.

And, according to one analyst interviewed by Kitco News, a significant delay in carrying out Trump's tax reform promise could boost gold, which is known for its safe-haven appeal.

Mnuchin made the comments in an interview published by the Financial Times on Monday, describing the August deadline for the massive tax reform bill as highly aggressive [and] not realistic at this point.

It is fair to say it is probably delayed a bit because of the healthcare, he said. Trumps administration will still try to pass an overhaul of the tax code in 2017, Mnuchin added.

Some of the issues currently under debate include a border adjusted plan that would put a tax on imports, while exempting exports. It is still unclear whether this measure will be left in the proposed tax reform or not, according to Mnuchin.

Tax reform was one of Trumps central campaign promises during the election when the President pledged to lower the federal corporate tax rate to 15% from 35% and cut personal taxes.

To BMO Capital Markets, a major delay could help gold, but the gains would be limited.

Confirmation from the Trump administration that tax reforms will be delayed could provide a slight bump to gold prices (reflecting a loss of confidence in the U.S. economy over the near term), Sarah Howcroft, economist at BMO Capital Markets, told Kitco News in a phone interview on Monday afternoon.

Howcroft also noted that a boost to gold prices could easily be capped, as a tax reform delay has already been largely priced in by markets and Mnuchin's announcement wont come as much of a surprise to anyone.

Investors confidence in Trump was already questioned in the end of March, when his administration failed to repeal and replace Obamacare.

In response, gold saw a renewed interest and was boosted by its safe-haven appeal, as the Republicans unsuccessful healthcare vote demonstrated a massive divergence of opinion within the party, with many experts questioning the lawmakers skills to get things done.

The failure to pass the American Health Care Act (AHCA) call[ed] into question those optimistic assumptions about the capacity of Trump and the Republican-led Congresss ability to pass complex, impactful legislation, The Nomura Group said in a note.
Stuff reports:

More than half of all New Zealand drivers have ticked donor on their driver licences, official figures show.

The NZ Transport Agency figures come on the back of 100 submissions on a Ministry of Health-led review aimed at improving organ donation rates, and looking at what role the licence register should play.

Barring the 75-plus age group, willing donors were in the majority for every age group, when compared with those who indicated no, or left the space blank.

Released under the Official Information Act, the figures break down the number of donors out of the countrys There are 3.5 million licensed drivers, of whom 1.9m have indicated donor on their licences.

Last year, there were 61 dead organ donors.

Making the driver licence system an effective register is one of the proposals the ministry has suggested in the review. It says this could be done through better information, and more opportunities to update donor preferences.
Gary Paffett is among the drivers taking part in Formula 1 post-race testing in Bahrain this week.

The former McLaren test driver and 2005 DTM champion will be behind the wheel of the Williams FW40 on Wednesday. The 36-year-old joined the team as their simulator driver just prior to the 2016 season.

Paffet has never taken part in a Formula 1 Grand Prix. He racked up 13 years as a test driver with McLaren, completing almost 23,000km during his tenure.

Williams' full time driver Lance Stroll and Felipe Massa will share test duties on the first day of testing on Tuesday. Stroll will run in the morning, with Felipe Massa scheduled to take over following the lunch break.

Red Bull have also confirmed their driver line-up for the third test of the year, the first in-season. Daniel Ricciardo will be in the RB13 for the whole of Tuesday.

With Max Verstappen opting to sit out the test, the car will be handed over to GP2 champion Pierre Gasly for test duties on Wednesday.

Gasly has already tested for Red Bull at Silverstone and took part in a tyre test program in 2016.

He had hoped to step up to a full time race seat in Formula 1 this season. He was strongly mooted as a potential replacement for Daniil Kvyat at Toro Rosso. Instead, he is spending this year honing his skills in Japanese Super Formula while hoping for an F1 berth in 2018.

The next in-season test is due to take place later in the year, following the Hungarian Grand Prix at the end of July.

GALLERY: All the action from the Bahrain Grand Prix

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
British rock band Coldplay paid tribute to the victims of the Sewol ferry tragedy, South Korea's worst maritime disaster to-date, during its recent Seoul concert, according to the concert organizer Monday.

In its Sunday concert at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, the band paused during the middle of performing "Yellow," followed by frontman Chris Martin saying, "We want to stop this show right now because of this song and because of the Sewol ferry (tragedy)," a Facebook video from Hyundai Card, which invited Coldplay to Seoul, showed.

Martin added, "We just want to take a moment with all of you to send some love and remembrance" and asked the audience to pay silent tribute for 10 seconds. Three large images of the iconic yellow ribbon honoring the victims were put on display during the pause.

The band is speculated to have made the gesture during "Yellow," as the name coincides with the color associated with the remembrance of the victims of the tragedy.

The 6,825-ton ferry named Sewol capsized and sank off the country's southwest coast on April 16, 2014, leaving more than 300 people dead or missing. Many students from a high school in Ansan, south of Seoul, were among the dead.

According to Hyundai Card, approximately 100,000 gathered at Coldplay's two-day Seoul concert, becoming the single-largest music event ever in South Korea by a foreign artist. (Yonhap)
Shinhan affiliates blasted for worst gender inequality



By Park Hyong-ki





KIFI chief Kim Sang-kyung

Korea's financial industry lags far behind in promoting gender equality and diversity, compared to developed and developing economies, including Japan and Vietnam, says Korea International Finance Institute (KIFI) chief executive Kim Sang-kyung.



"Female workers in finance constantly face a vicious cycle in which they leave the industry after seeing no hope for a promotion because top management dominantly led by male executives rarely train and lead them to become top executives," Kim said.



Those who managed to reach executive level were not only the lucky few, but "the very tough ones" who had to withstand a highly conservative male organizational culture that lacked diversity, she said.



Shinhan Bank was the worst place, without one female executive, Kim said.



Shinhan Card and Shinhan Investment also did not have any female executives, according to their audit filings.



"Banks sought to appoint female senior executives in the early days of the former Park Geun-hye administration," Kim said. "But after about a year when politics showed no interest in gender equality, they were all gone."



"For instance, KEB Hana let go a female senior executive then. They were let go not because of poor performance, but because of a strong male culture."



Indeed, Shinhan Bank had a female deputy CEO just after ousted former President Park was inaugurated, but she had to leave the top bank within two years. Since then, the country's leading bank in terms of sales has not had another woman deputy CEO.



Among local lenders, only KB Kookmin and Industrial Bank of Korea currently have female senior executive vice presidents, Kim noted.



There are about 119,000 workers at 20 financial companies, including four banks and six brokerages. But only 22 are female executives, according to the industry's audit filings.



Eleven of the 20, such as Shinhan Bank, Hanwha Life Insurance and Korea Investment & Securities, did not have one female executive.



While more financial companies in the U.S. and the U.K. were promoting gender diversity in the workforce by adopting a quota system for females, Korea remained nonchalant, Kim said.



More than 70 financial companies signed up to the U.K.'s Women in Finance Charter to improve gender diversity in senior positions last year, she noted.



"Financial companies in countries such as Vietnam and China have far more female senior executives than Korea," the KIFI chief said.



"Even Japan, which Korea was usually compared to for similarly having low female worker participation, is moving to boost the number of female executives so they can play an important role in sustaining its economy."



The Japanese government is seeking to increase the ratio of female senior executives in the private corporate sector to 30 percent by 2020 from 7 percent now, as part of efforts to revive its economy.



Kim also leads the Korea Network of Women in Finance, which was established in 2003 to improve the networking capacity of women workers in the finance sector.




A Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) employee goes to work at the firm's shipyard on Geoje Island in South Gyeongsang Province, Monday. DSME corporate bondholders agreed to the government's debt rescheduling program for the shipbuilder. / Yonhap



By Nam Hyun-woo

Cash-strapped Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) is likely to remain afloat thanks to fresh loans, as its corporate bondholders agreed to the government-drawn debt rescheduling plan Monday.

Bondholders held a series of meetings to determine whether to agree to the government plan, under which they would provide a debt-for-equity swap on half of their bonds and postpone the payment for the remainder for three years.

Of the five meetings, three were held on Monday and two will take place today.

DSME said that among participants in the first two meetings, more than 99 percent approved the plan. The two meetings involved holders' bonds worth 500 billion won to be redeemed in June and November. Major players including the National Pension Service (NPS), the Korea Teachers' Pension and Korea Post attended.

Bondholders questioned the sustainability of DSME, but did not object to the plan. At the meeting, DSME CEO Jung Sung-leep told them he expects the shipbuilder to turn to a surplus in the first quarter.

The lopsided green light came after the NPS, the largest corporate bondholder, and the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB), the main DSME shareholder leading the rescue plan, agreed to the debt rescheduling plan at midnight Sunday.

The NPS and KDB had been at odds over the plan, with the former claiming the largest shareholder should take more responsibility in supporting DSME, while the latter said that it had no room for additional support of the shipbuilder.

The two managed to iron out their differences after the late-night meeting between KDB Chairman Lee Dong-geol and NPS Chief Investment Officer Kang Myoun-wook last week. During the meeting, Lee proposed KDB will guarantee the repayment of corporate bonds through an escrow account, if bondholders including the NPS comply with the government's request.

An escrow account refers to money held by a third party on behalf of transacting parties. If KDB places money for repayment into an escrow account, the NPS can collect its receivables without risks of insolvency.

The NPS expressed optimism about the proposal and announced Monday that it agreed to the government's plan, saying "accepting the debt rescheduling will be favorable for the pension fund's profitability."

Last month, the government and KDB asked bondholders and creditors to make some concessions as preconditions to injecting fresh liquidity into the moribund shipbuilder.

For creditor banks, the government requested them to swap 80 percent of their unsecured loans to DSME equity and postpone the redemption of the remainder. The banks submitted their written agreement to KDB last week.

The government pledged KDB and the Export-Import Bank of Korea will give the ailing shipbuilder 2.9 trillion won in new loans. Otherwise, DSME would be placed under a "pre-packaged plan," a mixture of court receivership and a debt workout program.

Two more meetings will take place today to address bonds worth 410 billion won. Major stakeholders are the NPS, the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises and the National Credit Union Federation of Korea.

They all disclosed their support of the government bailout plan.
Fashion designer Park Hwan-sung of D-Antidote / Courtesy of Seoul Design Foundation



By Kim Jae-heun



Young fashion designer Park Hwan-sung hosted his first main show at Seoul Fashion Week this season, but he is already receiving much attention as one of the top 10 Koreans in the industry.

Park flew to Hong Kong last Thursday to display his seasonal collection at popular fashion brand house I.T. in Hysan One as part of Seoul Design Foundation's project "Seoul's 10Soul" to promote the Korean fashion industry there. In the second half of this year, Park will exhibit and sell his clothes at Selfridges in London.

Park's expectation for his pop-up show in London is particularly high as his collections reflect his eight years studying in Britain.

"I lived in London for eight years, studying at Central Saint Martins College and earning a master's degree," said Park in an interview with The Korea Times at his office in Gangnam, Seoul, last Tuesday. "London is a city of culture where many fashion genres began. I am not a Londoner, but living there for a long time, I thought I can play a role as a bridge showing the merits of London from the viewpoint of a Korean to the people here in Seoul."





A model walks on a runway of D-Antidote's 2017 Spring and Summer collection at Seoul Fashion Week at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul, last Oct. / Courtesy of Seoul Design Foundation



All four collections Park presented at Seoul Fashion Week under his brand "D-Antidote" take inspiration from British musicians. The fashion designer's recent runway showed the concept inspired by the band The Sex Pistols, while The Beatles inspired his last collection.

"My slogan for my brand is SEOULONDON. The reason why I take London as a base for my inspiration is because England is the Mecca of menswear. All fashion trends began in London such as punk, hippies, skinheads and Brit-pop. There are also many vintage shops and traditional elements in the city," Park said.



Q. What is the meaning behind the brand name "D-Antidote?"

A. D is the article "The" and I used the word "antidote" because I wanted to play the role of an antidote in the Korean fashion industry. The polarization between the luxury and SPA brands is serious and I wanted to make up the space in between.



Q. Please tell us more about your career.

A. I left for London when I was 24. I studied at a Korean university until then and I transferred to Central Saint Martins. I took an internship as an assistant at Alexander McQueen for a year in my final year and worked at Tom Ford and Burberry too. Then I met Korean designer Lee Chung-chung in London, with whom I established a menswear brand under the name A. Hallucination. We participated in London Fashion Week for three seasons with collections taking Peter Pan as our muse. We wanted to do English dandy fashion that would suit actors like Orlando Bloom but many of the locals said they saw oriental elements in our clothes; something we had not intended.



Q. What inspires your collections?

A. Music is almost as important as clothes for me. My collection takes fundamental inspiration from musicians. They were trendsetters who dominated the times. The Sex Pistols were popular for their punk style and The Beatles made hippy look trendy. I try to find common ground between what was popular back then and current trends, and add something new to make my clothes unique.



Q. What kind of designer do you wish to be?

A. That is still a difficult question. If I was a passionate designer before, who wanted to become successful as soon as possible, now I want to become a designer who lasts for a long time. The trend these days changes fashion really fast. Fashion brands are doing well but people get fed up really easily. I want to have a brand that people can like for a long time.
"Jeungdogaja," a set of metal movable type that is claimed to be dated back to 1239, is revealed to the media during a press conference held by the relic's owner Kim Jong-chun at the Korea Press Center in central Seoul, Monday. The Cultural Heritage Administration declined to designate the type as a cultural heritage last Thursday, but Kim refuted the decision. / Yonhap



By Kwon Mee-yoo

The owner of "Jeungdogaja," a set of metal movable type that is claimed to be the oldest in the world, refuted the decision not to approve the type as a state-designated cultural property by the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA).

Daboseong Ancient Art Museum director and antique dealer Kim Jong-chun, who currently owns the metal type, held a press conference Monday and said he could not accept the CHA's decision.

"If the CHA was thoroughly fair, the decision-making should have been postponed," Kim said, adding that a hindrance influenced the rejection of the application for the type.

Kim and Kyungpook National University bibliography professor Nam Kwon-hee, who first unveiled the Jeungdogaja to the public, revealed the actual metal movable type pieces at the press conference.

Since the type surfaced in 2010, they claimed the 101 pieces of metal movable type were used to print "Nammyeong Cheonhwa Sangsong Jeungdoga," a Buddhist book published before 1239 in Gaeseong, the capital of Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392). If approved as authentic, it predates "Jikji," the oldest known metalloid type made in 1377, by over 100 years.

Nam emphasized that the CHA's investigation showed that the metal components and the ink on the metal type are likely to be from the Goryeo Kingdom.

"The CHA compared a woodblock reprint of Jeungdoga and the metal type and concluded that the type is not similar enough to have printed the original metal print book. However, the Jeungdoga was carved by 11 different people and thicknesses and angles of the strokes naturally are dissimilar," Nam said.

Yoo Bu-hyun, professor of Daejin University, backed Kim and Nam's arguments. Yoo said the printed book has thicker ink lines than the reprint books and adding 1 centimeter to the border line of the reprints would make the movable metal print book available.

Kim also claimed five of the metal pieces were damaged during the CHA's investigation process.

"The CHA cited unclear provenance of the Jeungdogaja as one of the reasons for rejection. But only few Goryeo metal types exist now and the CHA should clarify how many of such relics of importance were denied designation as state cultural property for how it was obtained," Kim said.

The CHA said they received opinions from experts after the results came out last December, but Nam and Yoo did not make a counterargument. "Unless new evidence proves the types are from Goryeo era, it is not likely to be re-discussed for designation," the CHA official said.
By Park Si-soo



"The era of strategic patience is over," U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said during his high-profile visit to the heavily fortified zone dividing South and North Korea on Monday.

Pence made the remark after an unannounced visit to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) at the start of his 10-day trip to Asia. As the vice president, wearing a brown bomber jacket, was briefed near the military demarcation line, two North Korean soldiers watched from nearby, one photographing the American visitor, according to reporters traveling with Pence.

Pence told reporters near the DMZ that President Donald Trump was hopeful that China would use its "extraordinary levers" to pressure the North to abandon its weapons program, a day after the North's failed missile launch.

But Pence expressed impatience with the regime's unwillingness to move toward ridding itself of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

Pointing to the 25 years since North Korea obtained nuclear weapons, Pence said a period of patience had followed.

"But the era of strategic patience is over," he said. "President Trump has made it clear that the patience of the U.S. and our allies in this region has run out and we want to see change.

"We want to see North Korea abandon its reckless path of the development of nuclear weapons. Also, its continual use and testing of ballistic missiles is unacceptable."
North Korea fired an intercontinental missile from the Sinpo area, but the missile blew up immediately after its launch on Apr. 16. / Korea Times file



By Eom Da-sol

North Korea's failed missile launch on Apr. 16 was the rogue state's deliberate plan to ease tension with the U.S. and keep its dignity by continuing the annual tradition, a Chinese military expert suggests.

North Korea deliberately arranged the failure avoided a U.S. retaliatory attack against its military provocation, while not giving up on its traditional ceremony of test-firing ballistic weapon systems, according to Luo Fu-qiang on Phoenix Television, a Chinese broadcaster, on Apr. 17.

North Korea fired an intercontinental missile from Sinpo area, but the missile exploded immediately upon launch early on Sunday.

"As the U.S. rearranged two of its aircraft carriers closer to the Korean peninsula and conducted air attacks in Syria, North Korea must have been seriously threatened," Luo said.












By Park Si-soo



China and North Korea are in secret talks about the isolated country's nuclear program, according to reports.

American broadcaster NBC on Thursday quoted a U.S. government source as saying that China sent its "top nuclear negotiators" to the North to "communicate the gravity of the situation to the North."

Taiwan's official Central News Agency on Sunday quoted Hong Kong military analyst Liang Guoliang as saying China is trying to resolve the North Korean nuclear impasse through diplomatic channels with the North.

The report said that Pyongyang is demanding China ensure the North's security and economic gain and give a period of three years to abandon nuclear weapons. However, Beijing is reportedly asking the North to dismantle nuclear weapons within three months and to accept the offer within two to three weeks.












U.S. Vice President Mike Pence arrived in South Korea on Sunday for a high-stakes three-day visit to reaffirm the robust security alliance and warn against North Korea's possible provocations, Seoul officials said.



Right after touching down at a U.S. air base in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, Pence visited South Korea's national cemetery in Seoul, a symbolic gesture to highlight the alliance forged during the 1950-53 Korean War.



"Pence laid a wreath for veterans at Seoul National Cemetery and honored those who sacrificed their lives for our two countries," the U.S. Embassy in Seoul said in a tweet.



The visit to South Korea, his first Asian trip since his inauguration in January, came amid rising tensions here. Pyongyang has been seen preparing for another nuclear test while Washington has sent an aircraft carrier strike group to waters off the Korean Peninsula in a show of force against the wayward regime.



Before his arrival, the communist state further ramped up its saber-rattling by displaying three intercontinental ballistic missiles during a military parade Saturday and launching a missile early Sunday, which ended in failure.



After his visit to the cemetery, Pence met with U.S. troops in Seoul to celebrate Easter Day.



"Pence enjoyed an Easter service and fellowship meal with his family, U.S.-ROK servicemen, and their family members," the embassy said in a tweet. ROK is the acronym for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.



On Monday, the vice president, the highest-ranking official of the Trump administration to visit Seoul, was scheduled to meet South Korea's Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn and National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun.



During his meeting with Hwang, the two sides are expected to discuss bilateral cooperation in pressuring Pyongyang into changing tack toward denuclearization through sanctions and diplomacy, observers said.



Pence is also likely to explain to Hwang the Trump administration's North Korea policy. The Associated Press has reported, citing unidentified U.S. officials, that Washington would focus on "maximum pressure and engagement" to induce the North to denuclearize.



The U.S. has indicated it could take a more aggressive approach to the North, as it has recently flexed its military muscle in Syria and Afghanistan. On April 7, the U.S. struck a Syrian air base to punish the Bashar al-Assad regime for a suspected chemical attack. Less than a week later, it dropped a massive bomb on an Islamic State complex in Afghanistan.



During their talks, Hwang and Pence are also expected to discuss the ongoing installation of a U.S. missile defense system on the peninsula. They may reaffirm the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system and call on Beijing to stop its economic retaliation against South Korea, observers said.



After their meeting, the two will release a statement, which is expected to warn the North against provocations and highlight the unwavering alliance.



Pence's schedule here includes a visit to the Demilitarized Zone bisecting the peninsula and a speech at a meeting with the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea.



In recent months, a series of top U.S. officials have visited South Korea amid concerns that security cooperation between the allies could slacken in the wake of the March 10 ouster of former President Park Geun-hye over a corruption scandal.



U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson traveled to Seoul in February and March, respectively, to highlight that Washington's commitment to the defense of South Korea will remain "ironclad."



Pence will depart for Japan on Tuesday. His trip will also take him to Indonesia and Australia. (Yonhap)




Trump, Xi may have reached closed-door deal



By Yi Whan-woo



The United States is taking a softer stance on China over trade issues while Beijing is tightening the noose on Pyongyang, in what is seen as possibly a new strategy to tackle North Korea following a U.S.-China summit.



Reversing a campaign pledge, U.S. Presidential Donald Trump backed away from labeling China a "currency manipulator" after he met with President Xi Jinping at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on April 6 and 7.



On the Chinese side, Beijing turned back 20 million tons of coal from North Korea, and suspended sales of tour packages and flights of Air China to Pyongyang.



China also sent no high-ranking officials to Pyongyang's giant military parade, Saturday, in an apparent snub to the young dictator Kim Jong-un. The parade was held to mark the 105th anniversary of the birth of North Korea's founder Kim Il-sung.



Analysts said Monday that Trump and Xi are believed to have made a deal for the U.S. to tone down its anti-China rhetoric over Washington's trade deficit with Beijing.



They said China, in return, appears to have promised to tighten the reins on North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.



"I'd say the U.S. is outsourcing the North Korea issue to China, because the cost of any U.S. military intervention, which Trump hinted at, and the repercussions would be too high," said Koh You-hwan, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University.



He said that the Trump administration means to have China exercise leverage on North Korea at its highest level when he called his North Korea policy "maximum pressure and engagement."



"China is undoubtedly North Korea's biggest benefactor and the best way for the U.S. to put maximum pressure on and get maximum engagement with Pyongyang would be capitalizing on Beijing," Koh said.



Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, claimed Trump and Xi may have agreed to link the U.S. trade deficit with China and North Korea-related issues for each other's benefit.



"There must have been a closed-door deal over North Korea," Yang said, citing that the two world leaders did not produce any tangible outcome in resolving Pyongyang's military provocations at their summit.



The professor speculated that Trump kept mum over North Korea's failed launch of a ballistic missile Sunday because "he is buying time for Xi to handle Kim Jong-un in line with their secret deal."



The analysts said Trump and Xi may have struck a deal as well over the deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in South Korea in regards to China's role over North Korea.



A senior White House official, who is accompanying U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on his visit to South Korea, reportedly said Sunday that the installation of the THAAD battery should be determined by the next South Korean president. This view reflects China's opposition to the deployment.



However, this is against a commitment reaffirmed by Seoul and Washington earlier this year to set up the anti-missile system before the May 9 presidential election in South Korea.



The measure was to rule out any possibilities of re-negotiation over THAAD by the next government here.



Yang predicted that the possible new strategy being employed by the U.S. and China may accelerate South Korea's recent isolation in talks over North Korea.



"It's even possible that Washington and Beijing may discuss a peace agreement with Pyongyang without Seoul if things go as they have planned," he said. "With no dialogue channels with North Korea, South Korea will be isolated."




By Kim Jae-kyoung

SINGAPORE  China is facing growing criticism from the international community for its retaliatory actions against South Korea over the deployment of a U.S. missile defense system.

Asia experts and economists said that Beijing's attempt to push South Korea around with economic blackmail is not the proper way to solve the political dispute caused by North Korea's nuclear brinkmanship.

The reactions came as China has expanded the scope of its economic retaliation by allegedly interfering with a Korean company's private business deal in Malaysia. Before this, it only focused on boycotting Korean goods and restricting its people's travels to Korea.

"In one word, it (China's retaliation) is irrational," William Brown, adjunct professor at Georgetown School of Foreign Service in the U.S., told The Korea Times.

"We have had a sense that China acts with ruthless objectivity when it comes to its own interests but this apparent blunder' shows a crack in that country's governance," he added. "That makes it hard for Seoul to deal with."

According to industry sources, China has recently pressured a Malaysian firm to cancel a business agreement with a large Korean chemical company to start a joint venture in the Southeast Asian country. Chinese capital is the largest shareholder of the Malaysian firm.

The Washington-based Korea expert pointed out that China must understand that North Korea's provocations are the biggest factor for Korea's decision to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery.

"Simply put, THAAD is a useful platform for U.S. and South Korean forces to defend themselves against the very missiles North Korea is testing," he said. "For China to be worried about the radar is nonsense."

Observers say that China's strategy will only damage its reputation as a global power failing to achieve its intended goal of having Korea give up the defense system.

"I believe that China has gone too far," said a business executive at a Singapore-based company on condition of anonymity, citing its alleged attempt to hinder a Korean firm's business deal in Malaysia.












Bribery amount increased to 59.2 billion won



By Jung Min-ho





Former President Park Geun-hye

Prosecutors have indicted former President Park Geun-hye on 18 charges, including bribery, as they continue to wrap up a six-month investigation into the major political scandal that removed her from office.



According to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Monday, Park has been indicted on charges of colluding with her friend Choi Soon-sil to receive or demand 59.2 billion won ($52 million) in bribes from Samsung, Lotte and SK.



Government officials who demand bribes are subject to prosecution even if they do not actually receive the money, Roh Seung-kwon, the prosecution's spokesman, told reporters during a briefing.



Park has also been charged  among others with abuse of power and giving state secrets to an unauthorized person  Choi.



She has become the nation's third former president to stand trial on corruption charges, after Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo.



The prosecution also indicted Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin on charges of giving 7 billion won in bribes to Choi through the K-Sports foundation last year to take advantage of her friendship with Park.



Prosecutors concluded that he did so to recover Lotte's license to operate a duty-free shop in Seoul. The company eventually recovered it, following a decision by the Korea Customs Service.













Shin is the second business tycoon to be indicted in the scandal after Lee Jae-yong, the heir to the Samsung empire.

Lee is already standing trial for offering 43.3 billion won in bribes to Park and Choi. In return, according to the prosecution, the former president ordered the National Pension Service to support a merger of two Samsung units in 2015 _ a crucial decision for Lee to tighten his grip on the group's management.



But SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, who was also suspected of bribing Choi, avoided the same fate after prosecutors concluded that he was asked to give money, but refused.



"We found that Lotte offered kickbacks, though it took the money back later. As for SK, we confirmed that Choi asked the company for the same thing, but it refused the request," Roh said.



Woo Byung-woo, the former presidential secretary and one of the key figures in the scandal, has been indicted  without detention  on charges of abusing power and neglecting his duty.



One of the most sensational stories about the scandal was a blacklist of artists, which was used to selectively support those who were friendly to the Park administration. Prosecutors concluded that Park conspired with former presidential chief of staff Kim Ki-choon in creating it.



Prosecutors are preparing for a fierce court battle as Park continues to deny all the charges. At the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, prosecutors questioned her over the past two weeks, only to confirm her claims of innocence.



The trial of Park is expected to begin after the May 9 presidential election to minimize the political impact it could have on election campaigns.



A 150-member team with 31 prosecutors questioned Park six times, searched seven places, traced 30 bank accounts and investigated 110 people to clarify suspicions surrounding the scandal.



Meanwhile, more than 30 people have been indicted. But the prosecution failed to receive credit for its accomplishments, while Park Young-soo, the independent counsel who led a special investigation team for three months, took most of it.



Woo, who avoided arrest twice, played a major role in fomenting public distrust. The former prosecutor has become a symbolic figure of corruption within the prosecution, which many people accused of "being too political" and "not trying hard enough in an attempt to hide its own secrets," while questioning him.
Students at Songun Elementary School in Busan duck under desks during emergency evacuation training in 2014. / Korea Times file



By Eom Da-sol

All schools in Busan city will get early warning of an earthquake at least 25 seconds after its initial detection.

The port city signed an agreement with the National Weather Service and Busan Education Office on Monday to introduce an early earthquake and disaster warning system for all city schools.

According to the agreement, the weather authority will assist with administrative and technical services to the city.

The education office will take charge of emergency evacuation training and familiarizing each school with the system.

The city will warn the schools of quakes in 15-25 seconds through each school's remote broadcasting system, reserved for disaster warnings. The city will install the system in schools that do not have it this year.

Busan, Korea's second-largest city, will be the nation's first city to implement an early earthquake warning system in schools.

The agreement between the National Weather Service, Busan city and Busan Education Office will expire next year.

"The city will try to expand its early warning system to other institutions and buildings such as subway stations, major supermarkets and department stores," a city official said.
By Kim Hyo-jin



The official three-week presidential campaign kicked off Monday, with the highest number of contenders registered in the nation's presidential election history.



During the two-day candidate registration period from April 15 to 16, 15 contenders had registered their candidacy, exceeding the previous record of 12 in the 1960 and 2007 elections.



Five candidates from the established parties were given the first five numbers on the ballot papers in accordance with the number of their parliamentary seats. Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) was given No. 1; Hong Joon-pyo of the former ruling Liberty Korea Party (LKP), No. 2; Ahn Cheol-soo of the People's Party, No. 3; Yoo Seong-min of the Bareun Party, No. 4; and Sim Sang-jung of the Justice Party, No. 5.



Ahn started his campaign with a visit to the Vessel Traffic Services Center (VTS) at the Incheon port at 12:00 a.m. This was followed by his participation in a commemorative event marking the third anniversary of the sinking of the ferry Sewol, Sunday.



Ahn's aide explained the move intended to show the candidate putting the most emphasis on public safety. Incheon VTS was in charge of the departure of the vessel, en route to Jeju, April 15, 2014.



He plans to canvass in North and South Jeolla provinces and Gwangju afterwards. The country's southeastern region is where Ahn is engaged in a heated rivalry with Moon. Public sentiment is divided between the ex-leader of their favorite party, Ahn and the strongest liberal contender, Moon.



Rep. Son Kum-ju, chief spokesman of Ahn's camp, expressed hopes of gaining momentum at the party's powerbase, saying, "Honam helped launch the People's Party. Our influence will spread throughout the country." Honam refers to Gwangju and North and South Jeolla provinces.













Ahn is scheduled to move to Daejeon. Son stressed it is the signature city for science and technology. Ahn, the IT mogul-turned-politician, has particularly appealed to the public with an understanding of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.



Moon picked Daegu as his first campaign venue. He will start his campaign at a monument there paying tribute to students who participated in protests against Syngman Rhee in 1960.



It is viewed as a move seeking conservative support. Moon, though having topped opinion polls for months, has had difficulty in raising the support rate. The liberal candidate is eyeing drawing more votes from the traditional conservative home turf where people are left disappointed with their party following the presidential corruption scandal and removal from office of former President Park Geun-hye.



Moon's camp said the candidate will then move to Daejeon and join a ceremony for the launch of the party's election committee. The party put importance on the Chungcheong region for having been a casting vote in the previous elections.



His first day of campaigning wrapped up at Gwanghwamun square, central Seoul. Moon's aides said they focused on the significance of the venue where bereaved families of the Sewol victims protested against the government, requesting a thorough investigation into the disaster that claimed over 300 lives.



Moon earlier pledged to move his office to the government complex building at Gwanghwamun, if elected, from the secluded Cheong Wa Dae situated further north in the capital.



Hong will start his campaign at a market district in Songpa, Seoul, in the early morning, a move to align with his slogan, "the president for ordinary citizens."



He is scheduled to visit Hyeonchung Temple that encompasses the shrine of Admiral Yi Soon-shin of the Joseon Kingdom as part of efforts to link himself to Yi's heroic image.



Hong will then canvass from Daegu to Ulsan and Busan to secure support in the conservative party's home ground.

Yoo, whose slogan is "conservatives' new hope," picked the Seoul Emergency Operations Center as his starting point. He will then move to the Memorial Hall for the Incheon Landing Operation, a move to show his image of prioritizing security. He plans to focus his campaign in Seoul and the metropolitan area.



Sim plans to kick off her campaign at a subway garage run by Seoul Metro in Gyeonggi province. She will meet irregular workers _ cleaners and mechanics and listen to their difficulties at the workplace.
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence arrives at Camp Bonifas on Monday, ahead of visiting Panmunjeom, the truce village on the inter-Korean border some 50 kilometers north of Seoul. / Joint Press Corps



U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will hold talks with South Korea's Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn Monday over the bilateral security alliance and North Korea's escalating nuclear saber-rattling, Seoul officials said.

The meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. at Hwang's official residence in Seoul, followed by a press conference where they will issue a joint statement expected to carry the allies' stern warning against possible provocations by Pyongyang, such as a nuclear test.

Pence began his three-day visit to South Korea -- the first leg of his four-nation tour of the Asia-Pacific region -- on Sunday afternoon, hours after Pyongyang's botched attempt to launch yet another ballistic missile.

In recent weeks, tensions have been rising here, with Pyongyang seen preparing for yet another nuclear test and Washington sending an aircraft carrier strike group to waters off the peninsula in a show of force against the unruly regime.

Before his talks with Hwang, Pence was set to visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a 4-kilometer-wide buffer zone bisecting the peninsula. The DMZ is one of the most telling vestiges of inter-Korean division and tensions.

During their meeting, Hwang and Pence are expected to discuss bilateral cooperation in pressuring the North into changing tacks toward denuclearization through sanctions and diplomacy, observers said.

Pence is also likely to explain to Hwang the Trump administration's North Korea policy. Washington has reportedly decided to focus on "maximum pressure and engagement" to induce the North to denuclearize.

The Trump government is seen favoring a more aggressive approach to the North as it has claimed an end to its predecessor's policy of so-called "strategic patience," which critics say has failed to prevent the North from furthering its nuclear program.

Its recent military action in Syria and Afghanistan has fueled speculation that Washington could use force to cope with Pyongyang's relentless provocations. On April 7, the U.S. struck a Syrian air base to punish the Bashar al-Assad regime for a suspected chemical attack. Less than a week later, it dropped a massive bomb on an Islamic State complex in Afghanistan.

During their talks, Hwang and the vice president are also expected to reaffirm their agreement to install a U.S. missile defense battery in South Korea and call on Beijing to stop its economic retaliation against South Korea, observers said.

Following the talks with Hwang, Pence was set to meet with National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun.

Pence will leave for Japan on Tuesday. His trip includes visits to Indonesia and Australia. (Yonhap)
By Choi Ha-young





Moon Jae-in, presidential candidate of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea, shakes hands with a supporter during a visit to a monument commemorating a pro-democracy movement in Daegu, Monday. / Yonhap Ahn Cheol-soo, presidential candidate of the minor liberal People's Party, delivers a campaign speech in a street near Chonbuk National University in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, Monday. / Yonhap

Major presidential candidates started their three-week campaigns for the May 9 election Monday with vows to change the country for the better.

Leading candidate Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) chose Daegu, a conservative stronghold, as his first destination in an apparent bid to woo conservative voters.

Weak support in Daegu and the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province is a major challenge for Moon. According to an opinion poll by Hankook Research released Sunday, Moon was behind Ahn Cheol-soo of the People's Party by 8 percentage points in the region.

"I hope to be a president of all in Korea, not a president of Gwangju, Busan or Daegu," Moon said in a campaign speech at Kyungpook National University. "Let's make a miracle together to clinch a victory in Daegu. Once Daegu wakes up, the nation will do so," he said.

He touted himself as a "reliable president" who can integrate the divided country.

Also, the former head of the DPK has recruited former anti-Moon lawmakers, such as Reps. Park Young-sun and Lee Jong-kul as chief campaigners. "I met former lawmaker Kim Chong-in over the weekend to ask for his help, and Moon himself met former JoongAng Media Group Chairman Hong Seok-hyun," Rep. Park said in a radio interview.












U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, second from right, along with his wife Karen and two daughters, Audrey and Charlotte, look at North Korea while listening to U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Vincent Brooks at Observation Post Ouellette in the Demilitarized Zone near the border village of Panmunjom in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. / Joint Press Corps





By Kim Hyo-jin



U.S. Vice President Mike Pence visited the demilitarized zone (DMZ) dividing the two Koreas, Monday, amid soaring tensions between the U.S. and North Korea.



The visit was viewed as a show of U.S. resolve against the North's military provocations as it came a day after Pyongyang launched a missile that ended in failure. But it also carries a personal meaning for Pence, whose father fought in the 1950-1953 Korean War.



"It is particularly humbling for me to be here," Pence said. "My father served in the Korean War with the U.S. Army, and on the way here we actually saw some of the terrain my father fought alongside Korean forces to help earn your freedom."



"We are grateful to all of those who each and every day stand in the gap for freedom here at the DMZ," he said.



He started his DMZ tour at Camp Bonifas, a U.S.-led United Nations command in the south of the DMZ. It is a camp named after a victim in a high-profile "axe murder" case in 1976. At the time, two U.S. Army officers, who were pruning a large tree in the Joint Security Area, were killed by axe-wielding North Korean soldiers.













After U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Vincent Brooks briefed Pence, he then moved to the Panmunjom truce village, which is best known for the low-slung blue United Nations huts that straddle the inter-Korean border.



Vice President Pence's father Edward Pence served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and was awarded a Bronze Star for his service on April 15, 1953.



Pence made a twitter post in the afternoon that read, "Meaningful visit to DMZ where 64 years ago my dad earned Bronze Star in Korean War. His medal stays close in my West Wing office."



He already mentioned it was an emotional trip for him on Air Force Two en route to Seoul, according to CNN, who accompanied Pence on the journey.



"I think about what Dad would be thinking about and is thinking about as he looks down at this third son to return to the place he came to so many years ago and the commitment that endures here that has resulted in a free and prosperous South Korea," Pence told the reporter.



Pence made the first trip to Korea, embarking on his 10-day trip to the Asia-Pacific region. He is scheduled to visit Japan, Indonesia and Australia later in his trip. He was joined by his wife and two daughters and began his visit to Korea by paying tribute at the Seoul National Cemetery.



Pence reaffirmed a strong alliance between the U.S. and South Korea during the visit to the DMZ, calling it an "unshakable bond."



"All options are on the table to achieve the objectives and ensure the stability of the people of this country," he told reporters. "There was a period of strategic patience but the era of strategic patience is over."




By Kim Hyo-jin



The presidential candidates have unveiled their security and economic pledges with tension on the Korean Peninsula and the sluggish economy expected to affect voter sentiment ahead of the May 9 election.



In particular, security issues are dominating the race to the presidency amid rising concerns over North Korea's possible nuclear provocations and Washington's confrontational stance toward the Kim Jong-un regime.



Leading contenders are poles apart over the issue of deploying a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery here.



Ahn Cheol-soo of the People's Party recently backtracked on his longstanding opposition to the deployment, saying it would be "irresponsible" to disregard the promise between the U.S. and South Korean governments.



Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is sticking to his original stance that the next government should deal with the issue. But he has conspicuously softened his stance, saying the deployment could be "inevitable if the North continues nuclear provocations and China fails to curb these."



Hong Joon-pyo of the former ruling Liberty Korea Party (LKP) is adamant in his support for the U.S anti-missile system, calling it "non-negotiable." He went so far as to say that Seoul should ask Washington to re-deploy strategic nuclear weapons in South Korea.



Yoo Seong-min of the conservative Bareun Party, the LKP's splinter group, is also a vocal supporter. He argues for one or two additional THAAD batteries to be deployed to better protect the entire country.



Sim Sang-jung of the progressive Justice Party remains as the only clear opponent. She said, not to mention its incapability of fending off nuclear weapons, the installation itself is too costly as it is turning the Korean peninsula into a stage for heated rivalry between the superpowers.



Sim, along with Moon and Ahn, though, are opposed to the re-deployment of U.S. strategic nuclear weapons in South Korea.



Regarding the North, both Moon and Ahn vowed to seek dialogue with the Kim regime while maintaining economic sanctions, which could be a possible source of contention with the hard-line Trump administration.



"If the North continues nuclear and missile provocations, sanctions are inevitable. But keeping in mind reunification in the future, we should improve relations between the two Koreas at the same time," Moon said.



Ahn also believes Seoul should make efforts to thaw strained bilateral relations through cultural and humanitarian exchanges while supporting international sanctions against the regime.



He pledged to step up resuming the six-party talks, or pushing for four-party talks between the U.S., China and North and South Korea while seeking dialogue between Seoul and Pyongyang.



Moon said he is willing to meet Kim Jong-un to address the nuclear issue. But Ahn has a more prudent idea. "A summit should not be the aim. I believe it can be held only when it is viewed as an efficient measure to deal with the issue with the North," he said during a recent interview.



The stances of Moon and Ahn differ over whether to resume the Gaeseong Industrial Complex that was jointly run with North Korea.



Moon said it should reopen as soon as possible and vowed to expand inter-Korean economic cooperation. Sim echoed the same view as Moon.



Ahn, however, disagree with an immediate resumption of the industrial park, saying the issue should be negotiated first.

Conservative contenders, Yoo and Hong, are clear opponents. They said it should not be considered until the North provides an assurance of no military provocations, or shuts down its nuclear program.













All candidates are negative about upholding the "comfort women" deal reached between Seoul and Tokyo in December 2015.



Moon proposed the deal should be nullified for omitting an official apology from Japan. Seoul agreed to end the dispute once and for all with Tokyo paying 1 billion yen for a foundation to be established by the Korean government to support Korean victims of sex slavery.



Ahn argued it should be readjusted based on the opinions of the surviving victims. Yoo would push for a hard renegotiation, saying, "If Tokyo does not agree to renegotiate, I will unilaterally abrogate the deal."



Hong called the accord an outcome of a shady deal, not an act of diplomacy. He said he would declare it null and void.



Sim is also seeking to renegotiate with Tokyo. Her party is pushing for the installation of a statue of a girl, symbolizing Korean wartime sex slaves, in the National Assembly building.





Economic plans



All candidates have promised to put Koreans back to work, mindful of the worsening unemployment rate hovering around 4 percent with the figure for youth joblessness particularly worse at over 11 percent.



Moon's employment plan focuses on job creation in the public sector. He has pledged to create 810,000 jobs including 174,000 for civil servants. Moon is also determined to encourage more businesses to hire employees. The goal is the creation of 500,000 jobs by reducing working hours to 52 hours a week.



He wants to set up a job committee under the presidential office and establish committees for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and start-up businesses as governmental branches, showing his intention to push for an administration-led move.



Ahn is focused more on spurring employment for young adults. He promised to guarantee 80 percent of the salary for workers at big businesses for young people hired by small- and mid-sized companies by providing 6 million won a year per person.



He proposed giving 300,000 won in a monthly subsidy during the first six months of a youngster on job training.



Sim wants to curb the expansion of the non-regular workforce and support those workers existing under the system. She said she would help workers at subcontractors get paid 80 percent of what workers at contractor companies receive.



Yoo, though from a conservative party, is in tune with liberal contenders. He pledged to limit the number of non-regular workers at big companies and provide financial and policy support for start-up businesses. He plans to raise the minimum wage to 10,000 won per hour by 2020.



Hong disagrees with the government-led move and argues its role should be limited to creating a business environment for job creation.



He is skeptical of reform plans for conglomerates while all his competitors express strong support, acknowledging public sentiment in the aftermath of a presidential corruption scandal involving big business.



Moon promised to make the management process more transparent by introducing an electronic voting system and appointing boards of directors based on the recommendation of workers. He would raise the current 30 percent of the shares that a holding company has to acquire, to run its subsidiaries.



Ahn also heralded a tough stance against Chaebol with the expansion of a punitive damages system for their illegal acts. He has put stress on reforming the corporate governance structure.



Yoo and Sim are seeking to abolish the exclusive right to file a complaint by the Fair Trade Commission, the government's corporate watchdog to better regulate family-controlled conglomerates.



All but Hong pledged to abstain from granting pardons to leaders of big companies.



Their stances on tax rises are not much different. Four contenders have suggested a corporate tax hike back to 25 percent, previously cut from this to 22 percent under the Lee Myung-bak administration, along with higher taxation of high-income earners.



Yoo has actively voiced the need to raise taxes to support expanded welfare, supporting an increase of the tax burden from the current 18.5 percent to 22 percent. Progressive taxation would better assist this goal, he believes.

Meanwhile, Hong said he would rather cut corporate taxes for businesses if they increase employment and invest more in R&D.
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, second from right, along with his wife Karen and two daughters, Audrey and Charlotte, look at North Korea while listening to U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Vincent Brooks at Observation Post Ouellette in the Demilitarized Zone near the border village of Panmunjom in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. / AP-Yonhap



All options on table, says US vice president

By Kim Rahn

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence reaffirmed the Donald Trump administration's stern attitude toward Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions and continuous provocations Monday, saying all options were on the table.

In a joint press conference with South Korea's acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, Pence said the Trump government will be different from previous administrations which attempted to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula in vain through negotiations.

The vice president mentioned the recent U.S. attacks on Syria and Afghanistan, clearly sending a warning to the North of the possible military measures it may face if it continues on its current path. "North Korea would do well not to test his (Trump's) resolve or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region," Pence said.

His remarks come amid escalating tension on the peninsula after Washington intensified its warnings to Pyongyang following a series of ballistic missile tests by North Korea. Pyongyang in response has pledged counterattacks against any U.S. use of military force.

"The era of strategic patience is over," Pence said in the conference at Hwang's official residence in Seoul.

He said two decades of attempts by the U.S. and its allies to peacefully dismantle the North's nuclear programs only met with willful deception, broken promises and more missile tests.




By Lee Kyung-min







Almost 150,000 men helped their family businesses without receiving paychecks as of last quarter, an 11.7 percent increase compared to a year earlier, government data showed Monday.



Those men, classified as "employed" under the labor statistics, are cited as the major factor of decreasing job quality amid the latest employment statistics that showed 466,000 people landed jobs last month alone.



According to a study by Statistics Korea, the increase is the largest since 2007, when the nation was still struggling in the aftermath of the 1997 financial crisis which resulted in massive layoffs here.



The 2007 statistics showed more than 20,000 men, including those who had been laid off, were helping their family businesses without being paid through the second quarter in 2007, up 12.8 percent from a year earlier.



The largest increase in nine years comes as the small to medium-sized self-employed businesses are cutting corners by using the labor of family members instead of hiring workers, the study said.



The number of such unpaid males has been steadily increasing over the past year: a 1.6 percent increase in the second quarter last year, 1.9 percent in the third, 6.9 percent in the fourth.



The uptrend also comes as the number of self-employed people soared by 170,000 in the first quarter of this year.



According to a separate study, almost a third, or 30.6 percent, of the self-employed posted annual sales between 12 million won ($10,500) and 46 million won, and a fifth posted less than 12 million won. This indicates half of the self-employed, many of which work in restaurants and small lodging services, posted average monthly sales below 3.83 million won.



Further aggravating such small businesses is the implementation of the Kim Young-ran Act, the anti-corruption law, under which public servants, teachers and journalists are banned from receiving meals and gifts exceeding limits from 30,000 won to 100,000 won.



"The number of these unpaid men helping family businesses is expected to grow amid the protracted economic slump," the study said.



"The current situation is likely to worsen as an increasing number of the so-called baby boomers born between 1955 and 1963 are opening small businesses after retirement, coupled with chronic youth unemployment."



According to a separate study, about 5.5 million people are self-employed as of the first quarter. Of them, 3.96 million ran businesses on their own without any employees, up by 104,000 compared to the previous year.



Considering most of them opened businesses by taking out loans and using their retirement funds, the possibility of them going bankrupt could pose a grave threat to the economy, the study said.



According to Korea Ratings and the Bank of Korea, the bank loan default rate of the self-employed in Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, Jeju Island, South Gyeongsang Province and North Jeolla Province stood at 0.7 percent, as of last September, a 0.21 percent increase compared to nine months earlier.




By Lee Jun-youb





April is the cruelest month, and three years ago it had the cruelest day for South Korean teenagers. Although ten million candles have finally raised the sunken boat from the sea after 1,089 days, the presidential impeachment trial has not unveiled truths that could soothe the spirits of the 304 dead, 172 survivors and a nation in mourning.



On my first ballot in 2012, I voted for former President Park Geun-hye. I was politically apathetic then, and I voted with filial piety. Along with 51.6 percent of the Koreans, my parents voted for Park as they still romanticize the decades-long economic boom under Park's military dictator father, Park Chung-hee. He was assassinated in 1979 when his daughter was my age, five years after his wife was assassinated during an attempt on his life.



The economy roared on after his death, but with the premonition that the "Miracle on the Han River" was a mirage. For the past two decades, my family has lived in Gangnam's Sampoong apartments, next to the Sampoong Department Store that buried more than 500 people in its 1995 collapse. A year before when I was four, a bridge across Seoul collapsed out of the blue. Like the Sewol, the causes of the department store and bridge disasters were a combination of illegal redesigns, overloading and lax government oversight. The largest of the four Asian tigers turned out to be a paper tiger.



Within two years of the Sampoong collapse, my nouveau riche family moved to the eponymous apartment. Within a decade of the fall, a high-end apartment opened on the graveyard. "As a survivor, absence of a memorial at the site disheartens me," Sampoong survivor Choe Myeong-seok said in an interview marking the decennial of the collapse in 2005. He was one of the three survivors who persisted for more than ten days in the rubble.



The sea is crueler than land, and no one escaped from Sewol after it capsized around the time President Park called the Coast Guard. Although Korea's Neo-Confucian norms demand three years of mourning by sons for the passing of their parents, bereaved parents had barely grieved for a year before a right wing civic group paid North Korean defectors $20,000 to stage demonstrations against Sewol parents who lost 250 teenagers.



In a classical folk tale beloved by both Koreas, a 16-year-old daughter, "Simcheong," offers herself to be sacrificed on a sea voyage in exchange for 300 bags of rice offered to Buddha to restore her father's vision. The Yellow Sea that embraced Simcheong and the Sewol is fed by the Han River, which dissects Seoul. Countless bodies still flow down this river, as Seoul's luminescent bridges are hotspots for suicides. The suicide rate has tripled since my parents' generation while our incomes also tripled, and Korea now suffers from the second highest suicide rate in the world.



Meanwhile, candles and yellow ribbons commemorating the Sewol will continue to circle the square at the heart of Seoul. The "children of Sewol" were born in 1997 during the Asian financial crisis catalyzed by decades of crony capitalism, and the rising generation will not let the unholy alliance of business and politics sink the truth.



Lee Jun-youb is a freelance journalist and literary translator based in Seoul. His writings have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and OZY Media. He has written the travel essay "Paran naleul dalida" published by Sigonsa. Write to junyoub@stanford.edu.
















By Lee Sang-ou





The sinking of the RMS Titanic occurred on the night of 14 April, 1912, in the North Atlantic Ocean, during her first voyage from Southampton to New York City. The Titanic had an estimated 2,224 people on board when she struck an iceberg at around 23:40 p.m. Sunday, 14 April, 1912. Her sinking only took two hours and 40 minutes, which was one of the most rapid sinking speeds of a passenger ship at that time. And finally at around 02:20 a.m., 15 April, the sea swallowed one of the strongest and biggest man-made objects. Also, this resulted in the death of more than 1,500 people, which made it one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history.



The whole world over was in great shock. And soon, the movement for an international treaty occurred in order to ensure the safe voyages and safety of ships themselves. So finally in 1914, SOLAS (the Safety of Life at Sea) was legitimized and is still in force today. Also, SOLAS itself is the father to numerous maritime safety regulations.



SOLAS requires to be flagged by states in order to ensure that such ships comply with the minimum safety standards in construction, equipment and operation. Currently, SOLAS has 162 contracting states, which hold oversee than 99 percent of vessels around the globe. After the activation of SOLAS, the number of maritime incidents and accidents decreased to some extent. In relation to this, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is continuously enacting regulations and treaties for the sake of prevention of maritime disasters.



What is the similarity of these regulations and treaties? Surprisingly, all of them are motivated by maritime incidents and accidents. Actually, the IMO investigates all kinds of maritime incidents and accidents from huge disasters like the Titanic, to minor incidents just to ensure a safe voyage.



Just like this, the main purpose of a survey of maritime accidents is to prevent similar disasters, not to punish an interested party. The same policy must be applied to the MV Sewol. After the Sewol disaster, we must concentrate on how to prevent this kind of disaster. But sadly, in our society, we totally fail to learn from our errors and take necessary counter-measures. Instead of this, we just blame and criticize each other and punish the related parties without any consideration of the flaws that enabled these tragedies that lie in wait. If you speculate on all of the related policies after the disaster, you are sure to have doubts about their effectiveness. Counter-active measures are the key to prevention.



Finally, the government successfully salvaged the MV Sewol. It is not common in maritime accident history to salvage a civilian ship which has no military affiliation. So, it is an opportunity which rarely comes up. In relation to this, we must prevent similar disasters through a thorough investigation and cause identification without wasting time. We neither have the time nor money for criticism. We cannot repeat the same mistake which took place three years ago. Identifying the cause of the accident and building a recurrence prevention system will be the only way to become a "not-sorry adult" to youngsters.





The writer attends Korea Maritime University, serving as apprentice officer on the motor training ship TS Hanbada. Write to sangou2marine@gmail.com
U.S. Air Force Col. David Murphy is with his F-16 after his last flight in July of 2009. With him are his wife and three children.

/ Courtesy of David Murphy





By David Murphy



It was a familiar feeling when I felt my body slow, I knew then I would survive. I confirmed my parachute was open, then watched my airplane hit the water and disappear into the deep. I was about to follow my airplane into the East Sea.



On August 24, 1998, I was flying out of Osan Air Base with three other F-16s. We were training in an area near Wonju when my engine quit. I turned toward the closest landing runway, Gangneung Air Base. I passed through a layer of clouds and emerged underneath them seeing several things I will never forget. I saw the airbase and knew I could not land there, so would have to eject. My disabled airplane was pointed toward the city, and I did not want anyone on the ground to get hurt, so I turned toward the sea and prepared to eject. When I reached the ocean, I pulled the ejection handles and with a bang, my ejection seat fired. I launched out of my cockpit and entered the violent airstream rushing past my airplane. My body hung suspended in the air, heaven above and the ocean below. My fate for that split second was unknown, but a calmness I did not understand overtook me.



I looked up and saw my open parachute, my hope to survive. My airplane hit the water and disappeared. I would soon follow, so I took off the mask covering my face and splashed down in the water. I struggled into my survival raft and started to paddle toward shore with my hands. About that time, I saw a fishing boat approaching from the shoreline. This boat pulled alongside me, and the crew helped me get on board. The crew pointed toward the sky and kept saying "Ha na," and "Doo"? I was not sure what they were asking. I soon realized they were asking if I had another pilot in the airplane. I replied "Ha na" and held up one finger. They smiled, and we headed toward Gangneung Port.



At the port, there were many people gathered when the boat arrived. I said hello and waved at everyone. The crew turned me over to the police, who rushed me to a police station. At the station, they gave me a hot drink, which helped because I was wet and cold. The police were busy making many calls, and I wrapped into the blanket they gave me. Soon a ROKAF doctor arrived to help me. A ROKAF cargo airplane flew me back to Osan, this ROKAF doctor by my side the entire way. He spoke perfect English; I will never forget his compassion. He was one of many Koreans who worked hard to care for me and deliver me safely back to Osan. They all spoke the universal language of a warm smile, a kindness I will never forget.



Over the course of the next week, I recovered from the accident and started flying again. I realized the tug I felt after ejection seemed familiar because ten years earlier I'd completed military parachute training, and my body remembered the feeling of my parachute opening.



After my accident, I wished I had been able to express my gratitude to the boat crew better. I returned to Korea in 2015, and one day, I was telling my Korean language teacher my story. Much to my surprise, she found a news story about the crew. The boat captain is Chang Hwan Bu, and his ship is the Samwonho. These heroes are still hard at work today.



This situation reminds me of the long friendship between Korea and the United States. In some ways, it is like the feeling of my parachute opening, a familiar friend of many years. The real work of friendship between Korea and America is not the politicians and leaders who make public speeches or create policy. These public actions are important, but the most significant work of our friendship is out of the public eye. It is Americans and Koreans, both working hard to serve their countries while also building the partnership between two great nations. These relationships are especially important in light of current tensions with the North Korean regime. America and South Korea must stand as brothers as we face this crisis.



Capt Bu, thank you for rescuing me. You represent the many Koreans who are not famous and not in the public spotlight but work hard every day to make Korea a great nation. Although I will never meet you again, I consider you a brother in my heart. This article is dedicated to you and your crew. I will soon leave Korea, perhaps never to return, but I cannot go without extending my deepest gratitude for your efforts to bring me home that August day.





David Murphy is retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, F-16 pilot with 2,500 hours flying time and now working on a PhD in leadership philosophy from Dallas Baptist Univesity in Texas.
It is three years since the Sewol ferry sank on April 16, 2014, claiming more than 300 lives.

The third anniversary of the tragedy is an occasion to remember the victims and offer solace to their families, who have gone through unimaginable suffering since losing their loved ones, many of whom were young students on a school trip.

Many people also feel sorry for the families of the nine missing people whose remains have yet to be found even after a government-led salvage operation brought the ferry to land before the third anniversary of the sinking.

A long time has passed since the incident, but there are still so many unresolved issues. The government's pledges for a safer Korea have not been properly realized despite post-disaster measures like the establishment of the Ministry of Public Safety and Security.

There is still a lot of controversy about what caused the boat to sink and who should take ultimate responsibility. The Sewol sinking has turned into a political issue and opposition parties blamed former President Park Geun-hye for mishandling the situation.












Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering is likely to avoid court receivership, as the National Pension Service (NPS) has accepted a proposal to bail out the troubled shipbuilder. The debt restructuring plan won approval at Monday's series of bondholder meetings, although two more meetings are scheduled for Tuesday. The bailout is expected to go ahead as other large bondholders will follow the pension agency's lead to approve the proposal.



The NPS appears to have agreed from its judgment that it is the best way to minimize its investment losses. The state pension fund is Daewoo's largest bondholder, accounting for nearly 390 billion won of the shipbuilder's 1.5 trillion won debt. If the bailout plan is approved, the NPS will agree to a 50 percent debt-to-equity swap and a three-year grace period on the remainder.



The approval of the debt restructuring plan will enable Daewoo to ride out its looming liquidity crunch as state banks will give 2.9 trillion won in fresh loans to the cash-strapped shipbuilder. Daewoo's debt-to-equity ratio would tumble from 2,700 percent at present to 300 percent. The nation would also avoid the huge economic impact arising from the Daewoo debacle.



Now the likelihood is that the shipbuilder will put out fires and have a chance to remain afloat. But this is not to say the company's normalization is a sure thing.



The Korea Development Bank, the shipbuilder's majority shareholder, has ordered Daewoo to sell off most affiliates and trim the number of regular workers from 10,000 to 9,000 by the end of June next year. The shipbuilder is also under pressure to close its unprofitable offshore plant business and focus on building higher value-added vessels.



Nonetheless, Daewoo's turnaround is murky unless the global shipbuilding industry recovers from its current gloom and doom. Clarksons Research, a market consultancy, has cut its 2018 outlook on global shipbuilding orders by 20 percent compared to its previous forecast last September.



Daewoo's insolvency is a result of the government's poor supervision and employees' moral laxity. Salvaging the embattled shipbuilder might be inevitable, but it's imperative that those who incurred this fiasco be held strictly accountable.



Certainly, this is the last chance for Daewoo Shipbuilding to pave the way for its independent survival. Bold structural reform is essential.








LG Group Chairman Koo Bon-moo, third from left, and Vice Chairman Koo Bon-joon, second from left, listen to research and development (R&D) achievements at the company's R&D Campus in Yangjae, southern Seoul, March 8. The former is the elder brother of the latter. On left is LG Electronics CEO Jo Seong-jin. / Courtesy of LG Group



Koo Bon-joon brings success with timely investments



By Yoon Sung-won



LG Group Vice Chairman Koo Bon-joon's long-term perspective on investment in future businesses and research projects is benefiting group affiliates.



In its preliminary earnings report, April 7, LG Electronics estimated it will post 14.66 trillion won in sales and 921.5 billion won in operating profit in the first quarter, up 9.7 percent and 82.4 percent year-on-year, respectively. This is the company's best quarterly performance in eight years.



Market watchers said Sunday that LG Electronics' emphasis on high-tech products, and a premium branding strategy led the performance.



"LG Electronics has expanded the proportion of high-tech products such as organic light-emitting diode (OLED) televisions, while promoting its super-premium "SIGNATURE" brand of home appliances," an industry source said. "The company's long-term vision and investment in high-end markets have led it to profitability."



Among all LG Electronics TVs sold worldwide, more than 10 percent were OLED products last year. The company aims at extending the proportion to over 15 percent.



LG Electronics' drive for premium brand and OLED TV started three years ago when Koo took charge of the company.



Koo launched a committee of design experts and top decision makers at the company in 2014 to leading the SIGNATURE brand. Launched in March 2016, TVs, refrigerators, washing machines and air purifiers were included in the premium brand.



The committee has suggested a new way of making electronics _ designing products as a whole first and developing technological details for them later.



Renowned industrial designer Torsten Valeur, who used to work with Danish premium audio company Bang & Olufsen, was also invited to the committee to consult for the SIGNATURE brand products, according to LG.



The SIGNATURE brand improved the image of LG Electronics' products by receiving prizes at Germany's iF design, the Red Dot and Japan's Good Design awards.



Early this month, Koo visited the Milano Design Week 2017 to front LG's design exhibitions for electronics, vehicle components and lighting.



"Koo's visit to the design fair came as he seeks to expedite the growth of major businesses of group affiliates," a Seoul analyst said. "He understands that strength in product design can build a premium image."



As CEO of LG Electronics, Koo also made a bold decision to shift the focal point of the company's TV business from liquid crystal display (LCD) TVs to OLED TVs in 2013.



Unlike LCDs, OLED displays do not need backlights because every pixel of the panel can light themselves. It has been considered as one of the most promising technologies for future TVs with its color production and contrast features.



LG Electronics released a 55-inch OLED TV in January 2013 for the first time in the world. Last year, the company became the world's top provider of premium TVs that cost over $2,500.



The company has continued to increase investment in research and development (R&D) under Koo's leadership since 2010. It invested 3.8 trillion won in R&D projects in 2015, up about 40 percent from 2.7 trillion won in 2010.



Backed by the investments, LG Electronics has developed new products such as the Twin Wash washing machine, which has separate dual drum washers in one body, and the Gram series of laptops, which weigh less than 1 kilogram.



Vehicle components business



The vice chairman also decided on the foundation of LG Electronics' future growth businesses _ vehicle components.

Koo launched an LG Electronics vehicle components unit by integrating V-ENS, an automobile component design subsidiary of LG CNS, in 2013. He also opened the LG Electronics R&D campus in Incheon.



Koo has continued his push the competitiveness and profitability of LG's vehicle component business.



In January, he visited Las Vegas to participate in the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2017. He paid extra attention to the automobile industry and visited exhibitions of global automakers as well as LG Electronics' vehicle components section. As CES, the world's largest consumer electronics fair, has increasingly been exhibiting future automobile technologies such as autonomous driving and electric vehicles, LG Electronics has also strengthened the promotion of its vehicle components business.



Koo also attended the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, not just for the exhibition but also to meet with executives of major U.S. automakers such as General Motors and Ford to discuss cooperation, according to an industry source.



"Industrial boundaries between electronics and automobiles have continued to be blurred in recent years," the source said. "Koo's visit to the CES and the NAIAS earlier this year shows his interest in the vehicle components industry worldwide."
By Kang Seung-woo



Around 1 million people are estimated to have preordered Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S8 this month here, according to mobile operators and market watchers on Monday.



Wrapping up its 10 days of accepting preorders on Monday, the tech giant did not disclose its official figure. In light of the previously disclosed figures, however, the number of preorders is expected to be around 1 million.



"Given its early pace, the Galaxy S8 preorders are likely to surpass 1 million," an industry official said.



"If it does not reach the mark, the number would surely be just shy of 1 million."



Samsung, seeking to repair its reputation damaged by the Galaxy Note 7 recall last year, unveiled the Galaxy S8 on March 29 in New York and the new handset is becoming a big hit in the local smartphone market.



Last week, Koh Dong-jin, the president of Samsung's mobile communications business, said at a press conference that preorders for its new flagship smartphone exceeded 720,000 units in just five days, heralding a new record in Galaxy series history.



Last year, the Galaxy Note 7 attracted 400,000 preorder customers over 13 days, while the Galaxy S7 received 200,000 preorders in one week.



Market watchers attribute its larger display and features like its digital assistant Bixby to its higher demand.



The Galaxy S8 comes in two sizes: the standard S8 with a 5.8-inch display and a larger Galaxy S8 Plus with a 6.2-inch screen and both have 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Samsung will also release the S8 Plus that features bigger storage.



The high-end phone features a bezel-less, edge-to-edge curved display with a unique 18.5:9 aspect ratio. In addition, it offers various innovative biometric authentication features _ fingerprint, iris and facial recognition.



To boost its preorders, Samsung enables its loyal customers to activate their new smartphones today _ although the G8's official launch is April 21.












By Lee Hyo-sik



The Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) has acquired a solar power plant in the United States, its first acquisition in the field of renewable energy in North America.



Using the deal as a springboard, the state-run utility plans to acquire more wind, solar and other renewable energy businesses in the United States and elsewhere to become a global leader in the clean energy industry.



KEPCO said Monday that it paid $34 million on April 14 to complete the acquisition of Cogentrix Energy's Alamosa Solar Generating Plant in Colorado. KEPCO's U.S. unit holds a 50.1 percent stake in the 30-megawatt Alamosa solar plant, which sits on 225 acres of land. An investment fund, jointly set up by KEPCO and the National Pension Fund, has the remaining 49.9 percent.



KEPCO CEO Cho Hwan-eik left the country Monday for the U.S. to visit the Alamosa solar plant and meet with company employees. The facility is a 30-megawatt concentrator photovoltaic power station, operating 7,700 panels.



Each panel contains 7,560 Fresnel lenses to concentrate sunlight 500 times greater than it is naturally and multi-junction solar cells to allow greater efficiency than other photovoltaic power plants.



The output is sold to Public Service of Colorado under a long term power purchase agreement.



"It is the first time for us to take over a renewable energy company in the world's largest economy," a KEPCO official said. "We had tried many times to acquire U.S. energy companies but weren't able to close the deals, due mainly to regulatory risks. KEPCO will continue to look for additional opportunities to expand its presence in the U.S. and neighboring countries."



In Asia, the utility firm has acquired several renewable energy facilities, such as a solar power plant in Japan and a wind farm in China, but failed to do anything like this in the U.S. until now.



After signing a sales contract with Cogentrix Solar Holdings last August, KEPCO had initially planned to operate the plant by October. But it took longer than expected for the company to receive approval from the U.S. government. It received the green light last December.




By Park Jae-hyuk





AmorePacific Chairman Suh Kyung-bae

AmorePacific Group defeated the world-famous cosmetics brands Chanel and LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE in terms of global sales figures last year, Women's Wear Daily (WWD) data showed Monday.

The U.S.-based fashion and beauty industry trade journal ranks global cosmetics companies every year based on their gross sales figures exclusive of those of non-cosmetics products sold by each company, such as soaps, toothpastes, drugs and health supplements.

Korea's largest cosmetics firm took the seventh spot last year, up from 12th in 2015, with $5.58 billion in global sales and 18.2 percent in growth rate. It experienced the most significant increase in rankings among the top 10 firms.

Chanel and Louis Vuitton, both of which beat the Seoul-based company in 2015, experienced relatively poor growth in global sales.

LVMH, which owns Guerlain and Dior, ranked ninth, two steps higher from a year earlier, with $5.48 billion in sales and 6 percent growth rate. Chanel experienced a significant falloff from eighth to 11th with $5.28 billion in sales and only 1 percent in sales growth.

WWD said AmorePacific's achievement can be attributed to Asian consumers' preference for the group's five signature brands  Sulwhasoo, Laneige, Mamonde, Innisfree and Etude.

AmorePacific said the company has enhanced its brand awareness, developed innovative technologies and diversified the market to achieve success.

Since it had been ranked among the top 20 in 2006, the group has posted fourfold growth in sales and fivefold increase in operating profits. In particular, the group made 25 percent of its sales earnings overseas.

"As a global cosmetics maker representing Korea, we are honored to be ranked among the top 10," AmorePacific Chairman Suh Kyung-bae said. "Promoting the value of Asian beauty to our domestic and global customers, we will make a new leap to be a great company."

Perennial champion L'Oreal once again topped the podium in a convincing fashion with $28.6 billion in sales, followed by Unilever with $20.5 billion, Proctor & Gamble with $15.4 billion and Estee Lauder with $11.4 billion.
Michael Hohl, right, and Amber Maxwell were ordered off United Airlines flight 1737 in Huston on Saturday (local time) reason, fueling public anger against the American airline. / Captured from Michael Hohl's Facebook page



By Lee Han-soo

Major U.S. carrier United Airlines is in hot water again, this time after a couple were thrown off a plane while on their way to get married.

The Saturday incident follows a wave of criticism on Apr. 10 after the airline violently removed a Vietnamese-American doctor from an overbooked flight.

American couple Michael Hohl and Amber Maxwell and friends were headed to Costa Rica to marry when a U.S. marshal removed them from the plane for changing their seats.

The couple claim they took the seats because a man was sleeping on their designated seats.

But the seats they took were an upgraded version, which they claim they did not realize.

When a flight attendant asked if they were their ticketed seats, the couple explained the situation and asked if an upgrade was possible.

The attendant replied that they had to return to their assigned seats.

"After we complied with the flight attendant's demand, a U.S marshal came aboard and told us to get off," Hohl told KHOU News in Houston.

""They said that we were being disorderly and a hazard to the rest of the flight and to the safety of the other customers."

The couple allegedly did not make a fuss while leaving, but pointed out that the airline had handled the situation in "a very absurd way."

United Airlines issued a statement saying the couple tried several times to sit in the upgraded seats and did not follow instructions.

"We're disappointed anytime a customer has an experience that doesn't measure up to their expectations," an airline official said. "These passengers repeatedly attempted to sit in upgraded seating which they did not purchase. These passengers would not follow crew instructions to return to their assigned seats. We've been in touch with them and have rebooked them on flights tomorrow."
Cosmopolitan Korea recently got "The Legend of the Blue Sea" actor Lee Min Ho to pose for their 200th issue. In his interview with the magazine, the actor discussed his own definition of "perfect love".

"The kind of love that one can create positive energy toward each other's work or every part of life through the stability that love gives," said Lee Min Ho. The actor however, does not believe the idea of people achieving something through love.

According to Kpop Herald, Lee Min Ho stated how important it is for people to keep their feet into the ground. He also added how he sees people as they are and that he tries his best to be as himself in front of others.

The interviewer moved on and started talking about "The Legend of the Blue Sea". The interviewer asked Lee Min Ho what he would do if he was in the same boat with the character he portrayed in the drama.

Lee Min ho replied how difficult it may be to keep the values of purity, passion and sacrifice of love in real life. The actor then added that he would do his best to keep his love if he was in the same situation as his character.

In other news, Lee Min Ho attended the press conference for MBC's documentary "DMZ, The Wild". As previously reported, the actor discussed his plans before he enlists in the military.

Lee Min Ho first stated how he would feel when he enlists. He stated that he would feel so gloomy and sad, just like all the other men who is enlisting in the military too.

Lee Min Ho then revealed his plans before joining the military - stating that he would like to do more projects before that time arrives.

Lee Min Ho narrated MBC's "DMZ, The Wild" and even went into the demilitarized zone to see the view around the area himself. MBC's "DMZ, The Wild" aired earlier this month on April 3.
Ukrainian border guards have detained a Russian national wanted by Interpol on fraud charges.

A Russian citizen on the Interpol wanted list was detained at Boryspil Airport on April 16 by officers of the Kyiv separate checkpoint, the Ukrainian State Border Service said on Monday.

The 40-year-old Russian who arrived in Kyiv from Istanbul had been wanted by Russia since 2016 on fraud charges.

The detainee was handed over to relevant agencies.
PRESS RELEASE

Prof. Cohen: This Is Most Dangerous Time In U.S.-Russian Relations Since Cuban Missile Crisis

April 15, 2017 (EIRNS)Professor Stephen Cohen, professor emeritus of Russian Studies at New York University, in a series of interviews this past week warns that U.S.-Russian relations are in the worst state hes ever seen in his 40 years of watching them. During his appearance on the John Batchelor radio show on April 11, Cohen reported that Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, considered the leader of the pro-Western faction in the Kremlin, declared that U.S.-Russian relations have been "ruined," a statement Cohen said he didnt recall any previous Soviet or post-Soviet leader ever having made. Medvedev also said that the two nuclear superpowers are at "the brink" of war. Considering that Medvedev is regarded as the leading pro-Western figure in Putins inner circle, imagine what the other side, state patriots, or nationalists, as they are called, are telling Putin.

On top of that, the Kremlin said that President Trumps cruise missile strike on Syria crossed Russian "red lines" and Russian President Vladimir Putin himself called the alleged April 4 chemical attack in Syrias Idlib province a provocation. "In short, while the Kremlin does not want and will not start a war with the United States, it is preparing for the possibility," Cohen said.

Cohen made the same points during an April 13 appearance on "Democracy Now," and said:

"I think this is the most dangerous moment in American-Russian relations, at least since the Cuban missile crisis. ... And arguably, its more dangerous, because its more complex."

The complexity on the U.S. side is the factless accusations that Trump is somehow compromised by the Kremlin.

"So, at this worst moment in American-Russian relations, we have an American president whos being politically crippled by the worst imaginableits unprecedented,"

Cohen said.

In both interviews, Cohen stressed that what the Russians wanted to know from Secretary of State Rex Tillersons visit to Moscow, is who is making policy in Washington and what is that policy? Theyre particularly concerned about fighting terrorism. "Theyve had more, outside the Middle East, casualties of terrorism than any country in the world," Cohen said.
PRESS RELEASE

New Congressional Moves Against Saudi Genocide In Yemen

April 15, 2017 (EIRNS)Four U.S. SenatorsChris Murphy (D-Conn.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Al Franken (D-Minn.)have introduced a resolution that would limit U.S. support for the Saudi war in Yemen.

"The United States has no business supplying a military that targets civilians or enables terrorist groups to thrive, but thats exactly what were doing right now in Yemen,"

Murphy said in a statement posted on his Senate office website. "The Saudis are important partners in the Middle East, but they have continued to disregard our advice when it comes to target selection and civilian protection."

The bipartisan legislation will require the President to formally certify that the government of Saudi Arabia is demonstrating an ongoing effort to target terrorist groups, minimize harm to civilians, and facilitate humanitarian assistance before Congress can consider the sale or transfer of air-to-ground munitions to Saudi Arabia, before the Congress will consider further arms sales.

Fifty-five members of the House have also reportedly written to Trump calling for an end both to U.S. refueling for Saudi coalition warplanes and to logistical assistance for the Saudi-led bombings in Yemen, and they said Trump must seek Congressional approval before he deepens U.S. military involvement, reports Defense News. This all comes as the administration is considering supporting a Saudi-led assault on the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, which is controlled by the Houthis and is really the only serious deepwater port for the entire country. On April 12, the World Food Program warned that 9 million Yemenis are in urgent need of food assistance. At the same time, 38 NGOs signed a letter to President Trump calling on him to reconsider supporting the assault on Hodeidah.
PRESS RELEASE

Gorbachev: The Cold War Could Turn Hot

April 15, 2017 (EIRNS)Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, warned in an interview with the German tabloid Bild Zeitung, that a Cold War is ongoing and it could turn hot.

"The language of politicians and the top-level military personnel is becoming increasingly militant. Military doctrines are formulated increasingly harshly,"

he said.

"The mass media pick up on all of this and add fuel to the fire. The relationship between the big powers continues to worsen. This creates the impression that the world is preparing for a war. So all the indications of a Cold War are there."

When asked if this Cold War could turn hot, he said: "Well, anything is possible if we just keep watching, sit back and do nothing."

Prior to this, Gorbachev had charged repeatedly that the West did not treat Russia as an equal after the end of the Cold War. Many people in the West, he said,

"were secretly rubbing their hands and felt something like a flush of victoryincluding those who had promised us: We will not move one centimeter farther East."

He reminded his interviewer that, in the 1980s, the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. "took unprecedented steps together," referring to the nuclear agreements that resulted in a reduction of the nuclear potentials of both nations by 80%.

"However, the West then used Russias weakness after the dissolution of the Soviet Union to declare itself the winner of the Cold War,"

he said. "The principle of equality in international relations was forgotten, and thus we all ended up where we are today."
The Special Monitoring Mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE SMM) has recorded an increase in ceasefire violations in the occupied part of Donetsk region and a decrease the occupied part of Luhansk region; violations of weapons withdrawal lines by militants have been also recorded.

"The SMM observed more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, though fewer explosions, compared with the previous reporting period. It observed fewer ceasefire violations in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period," the OSCE SMM said in a report posted on its website on April 15.

In Luhansk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including about 120 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (at least 150 explosions), the mission said.

In Donetsk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including, however, fewer explosions (about 475), compared with the previous reporting period (at least 600 explosions).

In Novooleksandrivka, Luhansk region, the SMM heard six explosions assessed as outgoing IFV (BMP-1) cannon fire 3km north-west. Not far from 'LPR'-controlled Kripensky, the SMM heard five explosions assessed as outgoing rounds of multiple-launch rocket systems (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) and six explosions assessed as 152mm artillery rounds.

Observers believe them to be part of a live-fire exercise outside the security zone.

The OSCE SMM also registered violation of the heavy weapons withdrawal lines in non-government-controlled areas. The SMM again observed seven MLRS (BM-21), seven self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm), ten towed howitzers (five D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm; and five 2A65 Msta-B, 152mm), and seven tanks (T-72) at an aerodrome in the south-eastern outskirts of the city of Luhansk.
PRESS RELEASE

Senator Cantwell Issues Call for Mass Support for Glass-Steagall

April 16, 2017 (EIRNS)On April 12, various media received a message from the Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), calling for mass support for S.881, the Senate bill for a 21st Century Glass-Steagall Act. Cantwell, along with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sen. John McCain (R-Ark.), and Sen. Angus King (I-Me.), introduced the bill on April 6. She is now issuing a petition for circulation among the citizenry of the nation. Rep. Marcy Kapturs bill for restoring Glass-Steagall (the Return to Prudent Banking ActH.R. 790) already has 43 sponsors in the House.

Other petition campaigns on Glass-Steagall are already underway, including one by a coalition of groups, led by the AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Teachers, and Americans for Financial Reform; it reportedly has surpassed 250,000 signatures on the Internet. Progressive Democrats from Ohio and the LaRouche Political Action Committee are also conducting petition campaigns to hold President Trump to his promise to support Glass-Steagall.

Cantwell intends to submit the petition signatures to the Republican and Democratic leaderships of the House and Senate, and the relevant committees on banking and finance.

The petition (which can be signed) reads in part:
President Trump has used his favorite social media platform to make an unusual literary recommendation: a book called Reasons to Vote for Democrats by Michael J. Knowles.

Trumps plug isnt an indication that the Republican president is ready to reach across the aisle and work with his progressive detractors, however. The 256-page book is mostly blank, with a table of contents and chapter titles providing the only text.

Knowles novelty book has become a big hit with Republicans. As of Monday morning, it ranked No. 85 among all books on Amazon, and it boasts blurbs from popular conservatives like Ben Shapiro (Thorough.) and Michelle Malkin (A real page-turner!).

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Fans of Trump might be delighted by the book, but the idea behind it is not an original one. In December, former Oregon First Lady Cylvia Hayes, a Democrat, published Surprising Reasons to Believe Trump Will Be a (Bigly) Great President! under the pen name Dr. Ann Alystiam. The 150-page book, published by a small press in Bend, Ore., is entirely blank.

A great book for your reading enjoyment: "REASONS TO VOTE FOR DEMOCRATS" by Michael J. Knowles.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2017

Knowles book, which was released last week, is published by Threshold Editions, the conservative Simon & Schuster imprint that has also published books by Rush Limbaugh, Dinesh DSouza and Glenn Beck, as well as Trump himself.

The imprint made news in December when it announced it would be publishing Dangerous, a book by controversial conservative provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos, who had been banned from Twitter after a controversy following the harassment of Saturday Night Live actress Leslie Jones on the social media platform.

In February, after video recordings surfaced of Yiannopoulos appearing to defend sex between older men and underage boys, Threshold announced that it had canceled the alt-right authors book deal.

Stunt books like the ones by Knowles and Hayes have become somewhat ubiquitous in the last few months. On Amazon, customers can buy blank books with titles like Why Trump Deserves Trust, Respect and Admiration and The Best Reasons to Vote for Democrats.

Many of the listings for the books make clear that the pages are blank. A disclaimer on Knowles book reads, Lefty lawyers require that we state the book is mostly blank and contains precisely 1,235 words.

Book recommendations from Trump are relatively rare. He has said in the past that he enjoys reading, but rarely has time to go through a whole book.

In the past, hes cited his own books, the Bible and All Quiet on the Western Front as his favorites.

But in an interview with Tucker Carlson last month, Trump seemed to struggle to name books with actual text in them that hed recently read.

Actually, Im looking at a book, Im reading a book, Im trying to get started. Every time I do about a half a page, I get a phone call that theres some emergency, this or that, he said. But were going to see the home of Andrew Jackson today in Tennessee and Im reading a book on Andrew Jackson. I love to read. I dont get to read very much, Tucker, because Im working very hard on lots of different things, including getting costs down.
I divide every disagreement into two classes, Bob Taylor was telling me. Class One is when two people disagree and neither can explain to the other persons satisfaction that other persons point of view. A Class Two disagreement is when each can explain to the others satisfaction the others point of view.

He paused. Class One is destructive. Most wars and pain and suffering in the world are based on Class One disagreements. Class Two disagreements enable people to work together even when they disagree.

The key to his management style, he said, was to avoid Class One disagreements, and when he encountered them, to turn them into Class Two.

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If youre looking for the magic, it was him.  PC co-inventor Chuck Thacker, on his mentor Bob Taylor

This technique worked. The team Taylor led in the 1970s at Xerox PARC, the companys fabled Palo Alto Research Center, invented the Alto, the worlds first personal computer, as well as the laser printer, the Ethernet local area network, the graphical computer display, and other pioneering advances in computing hardware and software. Its safe to say that the computerized world that occupies our attention from millions of desktops, laptops and smartphones can be traced to Taylors leadership and his vision of the computer as an interactive communication device. That includes the Internet, the earliest version of which Taylor funded in the late 1960s as a civilian research director at the Pentagons Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Taylors death last week at the age of 85 should prompt us to contemplate this legacy, along with the management skills Taylor employed to create a team out of a disparate group of preternaturally smart, willful, self-confident and competitive young scientists. There are lessons here for managers of any research team, especially nowadays when the competitive challenge in corporate research is greater than ever and corporate demands even more intensive than when Xerox established PARC in 1970.

That brings me back to that conversation in 1998. I was working on Dealers of Lightning, a book about PARC, and met Bob at his home in Woodside, in the hills overlooking Silicon Valley and the Stanford campus, a residence he shared with a hyperactive giant black poodle named Max. Strapping himself into his BMW (bearing the license plate The UDM for ultimate driving machine), he led me in my rental car on a hair-raising race along winding forested streets to a restaurant down the hill.

Roughly a quarter-century removed from his tenure as one of PARCs laboratory directors, he was still dividing the world between the geniuses he employed and those from whom he struggled to protect them. He sought my assent to the notion that when you had a team that was turning a vision of a digitally interconnected world into reality, it was the height of folly not to give them everything they needed. That he was still trying to make the argument so long after that vision had been fully realized only hinted at the intensity of the battles he had waged to win it.

Taylor holds a good claim to being one of the most successful leaders of a research lab who ever lived. There were two elements to Taylors success as a research leader: his vision and his management style.

He had developed the vision under psychologist J.C.R. Licklider, his immediate superior at the Pentatgon, whose 1960 paper Man-Computer Symbiosis outlined how computers would move beyond their role of crunching data using pre-formulated programs to become equals with their human controllers in problem-solving: The resulting partnership will think as no human brain has ever thought, Licklider wrote, and process data in a way not approached by the information-handling machines we know today.

This would require much more computing power than was then available, as well as a high-quality display to allow rapid man-machine communication, another huge drain on the computer memory of the day. The computer designers said, The display? Thats crazy. The display is peripheral, Taylor recalled. I said, No, the display is the entire point!

But Taylor was not always crystal-clear in communicating this vision to his team. Not a computer scientist or engineer, but a psychologist, he was unable and unwilling to set down anything resembling a detailed road map of what they should work on. His guidance often was often obscure or metaphorical, or unintelligible.

The master often speaks in somewhat inscrutable fashion, Butler Lampson, one of the co-designers of the Alto, reminded the guests at the 1996 party marking Taylors retirement from Digital Equipment Corp., where he moved after PARC. To a wave of knowing laughter, Lampson continued: In retrospect, you can really see that the path has been plotted years in advance, and youve been following his footsteps all along.

Alan Kay, another of Altos co-designers, considers the emblematic photo of Taylor from his PARC tenure to be one that appeared in a Rolling Stone article about the lab in 1972. Shot by Annie Leibovitz, Taylor is barely visible behind a cloud of pipe smoke with a sly look on his face, Kay says, as though to illustrate that his influence was catalytic, not direct. He created the social dynamic at PARC that essentially enabled him to get other people to lead, Kay says.

That was not a trivial task. The members of Taylors lab included people who had been trained at academic pressure cookers such as MIT and Berkeley. They arrived in Palo Alto with few doubts about their own talents, and often fewer compunctions about showing off as alpha-intellects. Taylor himself was not even a PhD. He had to bring the lab members together and coax them into working toward a shared goal by the force of personality and the devices of psychology, including the eradication of Class One disagreements.

Taylors skill was managing down, not managing up, Kay recalls. He created maximum synergy in the room by showing maximum pugnaciousness upward. This is rare among middle managers, he observes, because their careers depend even more on schmoozing with their own bosses than obtaining maximum results from their own underlings. Taylors viewpoint was that I was hired to produce the best technology I could, and there could hardly be any doubt that he had achieved the goal. Im not sure he ever felt any fear, Kay says.

But that may have been his downfall at Xerox, which was an extremely bureaucratic East Coast organization that was never quite sure how to handle the computer revolutionaries it had installed three thousand miles from headquarters on a California hilltop.

In 1981, the company appointed as PARCs new director Bill Spencer, an experienced research lab manager. Spencer marveled at Taylors personal management style. Every day, Taylor would go in his office, break out a Dr Pepper, and for the next eight or 10 hours, individually touch every member of his lab, Spencer recalled. As a consensus manager he was extraordinary.

But Taylors relentless battle to protect his own lab within PARC had made the whole organization dysfunctional, Spencer concluded. PARCs output of revolutionary technology had slowed markedly, although it was plainly an error to blame that on Taylor  the arc of technological progress was bound to peak, at least for a time, after the immense advances of the 1970s. Youd had this wonderful burst of imaginative things, Spencer recalled later, but by 1980, it was dead.  The place needed a change.

Spencer provoked Taylor into resigning in September 1983. That opened the floodgates to a torrent of resignations from Taylors lab and others at PARC. Of Taylors lab members, 15 joined him at Digital. Others went on to populate Apple Computer, Atari, Microsoft and their own new entrepreneurial ventures.

Taylors career shows how much can be achieved by assembling the best staff, giving it maximum latitude to select its own goals and maximum resources to reach them. Its also a reminder of the natural process by which supernovas such as the computer science lab at PARC inevitably burn out.

But when an inspired team comes together with an inspired leader, the results can be spectacular. Taylors team members showed by their devotion and their words how much they owed to him. In 1998, when I was first deciding whether to write my book, Chuck Thacker  the third of the three-man team that conceived and designed the Alto  described concisely what Taylor meant to the project.

If youre looking for the magic, he said, it was him.

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.

UPDATES:

2:52 p.m.: This post has been updated with the correct date of Taylors resignation from PARC.
Welcome to California Inc., the weekly newsletter of the L.A. Times Business Section.

Im Business columnist David Lazarus, and heres a rundown of upcoming stories this week and the highlights of last week.

Trading resumes Monday after an inauspicious statistic Friday. Retail sales slipped despite a relatively healthy job market, down a seasonally adjusted 0.2% last month. Since the start of 2017, Americans have cut back on purchases at auto dealers and restaurants and bars, two major sources of sales gains in prior years. Consumer spending represents about two-thirds of total U.S. economic activity.

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LOOKING AHEAD

Gas plan: The future of the Aliso Canyon gas storage facility will be the focus of a public hearing Monday evening in Northridge. The meeting, sponsored by the California Public Utilities Commission, will offer an opportunity for the public to comment on the long-term feasibility of minimizing or eliminating the use of Aliso Canyon, the site of a massive 2015 methane gas leak. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the Northridge Womans Club, 18401 Lassen St., Northridge.

Tax deadline: Tuesday is the deadline to submit your tax return to the IRS. Dont complain  you got three extra days this year. The normal tax day, April 15, fell on a Saturday. The deadline would normally be shifted to Monday, except thats when the District of Columbia observes Emancipation Day, which is actually April 16, but because that falls on a Sunday, the holiday was bumped to Monday. Under the tax code, legal holidays in Washington, D.C., affect the filing deadline nationwide.

Flying finances: United Airlines will hold a conference call and live webcast Tuesday to discuss its financial results from the first quarter of 2017. The airline could face questions about its customer service and public relations after last weeks forceful removal of a passenger. United has been the target of much outrage and ridicule over the incident that left Dr. David Dao bloodied. The carrier said it needed the seats of Dao and three other paying passengers for its own employees.

Church funding: On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court  with newly appointed Justice Neil Gorsuch giving the panel a full roster of nine judges  will hear arguments in a long-pending religious-rights challenge to state bans on the funding of church schools. The dispute involves Trinity Lutheran Church in Columbia, Mo., and a state program that donates old tires used for rubberizing playgrounds. Nonprofits could obtain the tires, but Missouri officials turned down Trinitys application because of the states ban on funding for churches.

Bank settlement: Wells Fargo and the attorneys who negotiated a $110-million class-action settlement with the bank have until Thursday to submit their plan to a federal judge. That plan will include estimates of how many of the banks customers might be eligible for the settlement, which aims to resolve a suit over the banks creation of unauthorized accounts. A handful of attorneys representing Wells Fargo customers in other cases have said they plan to object to the settlement plan and either continue fighting the bank in court or push for a bigger payout.

THE AGENDA

Mondays Business section looks at the uncertain future of nuclear power. Westinghouse Electric Co.  long considered the leader in nuclear power development  has filed for bankruptcy protection. The move puts in jeopardy the completion of two nuclear plants in the Southeast that had been heralded as proof the industrys future was still vibrant. It also comes as California nears elimination of its last remaining nuclear power plant.

STORY LINES

Here are some of the other stories that ran in the Times Business section in recent days that were continuing to follow:

Mystery infections: Over the course of eight months, a lethal bacteria infected 10 already critically ill infants in UC Irvine Medical Centers neonatal intensive care unit  but the outbreak was not made public until last week. Orange County health officials have known about the continuing hospital-acquired infections since the middle of December, when lab tests confirmed that five infants had been infected by the same strain of a superbug. UCI doctors have still not found the source of the infections.

Go east: Residents of coastal Southern California are increasingly making the decision to move away  a trend many economists blame on a housing shortage driving rents and home prices sharply higher during the economic recovery. Many are looking toward the Inland Empire and nearby states for additional square footage and a lower mortgage payment.

Jobs moved: Sacramento will lose 1,100 jobs over the next 18 months as rocket engine maker Aerojet Rocketdyne plans to relocate or cut positions there and move jobs to Alabama, Canoga Park and other locations. The changes are the next phase of a multiyear plan initiated in 2015 to reduce costs and increase operational efficiency, the companys CEO said. Sacramento jobs in space programs will move to Canoga Park, where the company has its space headquarters.

Harassment alleged: Another woman has accused Fox News anchor Bill OReilly of sexual harassment. Former TV news correspondent Wendy Walsh contends OReilly went back on a stated commitment to get her a position as a paid contributor at Fox News after she rejected his advances at a 2013 dinner meeting at Hotel Bel-Air. She is not seeking any monetary compensation from OReilly or Fox News, but has chosen to go public with her story for my daughters. She has also filed a complaint with the human resources hotline of Fox News parent 21st Century Fox.

Our bad: United Airlines Chief Executive Oscar Munoz went on an apology tour last week, pledging to change policies and reimburse customers on a flight in which a passenger was dragged off a plane  all in an attempt by the company to put behind it a raging public relations disaster. But experts in branding and crisis public relations say it may be too late to minimize the damage that video of the incident  and Uniteds original non-apology blaming the passenger  wreaked on the airline.

WHAT WERE READING

And some recent stories from other publications that caught our eye:

Investing insight: The success of money manager Guggenheim Partners, which oversees assets of $260 billion, can be traced to an idea Scott Minerd got from Adam Smiths The Wealth of Nations, writes Bloomberg. Minerds idea set off a reorganization of the investment house  with striking results. The $5.7-billion flagship Guggenheim Total Return Bond Fund has beaten 97% of its peers over the past five years, chalking up a better record than similar funds headed by fixed-income gurus.

Defense contracts: A secretive Silicon Valley start-up is trying to force its way into the insular world of U.S. military contracting, Fortune says. Palantir Technologies began an unprecedented battle eight years ago to crash a long-running, exclusive party involving the annual dispensing of hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars. But even though Chairman Peter Thiel is President Trumps pal, the upstart company is struggling to unseat traditional contractors.

Teslas rise: Over the last month, stock in electric car maker Tesla has enjoyed an extraordinary surge. But now even some of Teslas biggest fans say the company is overvalued, the New York Times reports. Teslas stock price has risen so high that the Palo Alto company is at or near the market value of auto giant General Motors. Some worry that exuberant investors are ignoring the challenges of turning battery-powered cars into mass-market products.

Made in USA: The man who worked all his adult life to turn Toms of Maine from a maker of hippie toothpaste into a $100-million company is now turning his attention to making clothes, reports Inc. Tom Chappell believes he can upend the apparel industry by making clothes in the United States in an environmentally sensitive way. Hes figured out how to source what he says is the finest wool fiber grown in America, and process the yarns, fabrics, dyeing, and sewing according to stringent environmental standards.

Making games: The video game industry is evolving into a business dependent on outsourcing and temporary workers, the Wall Street Journal reports. A small group of full-time employees handle the most important tasks in developing a game, with the rest of the work is farmed out to contractors and subcontractors. People who make video games are often hired quickly through Craigslist and gaming website Gamasutra or by word of mouth  and then are let go just as fast.

SPARE CHANGE

OK, best movie involving video games (but not based on games)? Definitely not this unfunny loser from Adam Sandler. On the other hand, this one was pretty clever. I loved this one. But the digital trophy is shared by this classic and this classic.

For the latest money news, go to www.latimes.com/business. Mad props to Scott J. Wilson for helping put this thing together.

Until next time, Ill see you in the Business section.
Snapchat is facing backlash after its chief executive allegedly said he didnt want to expand into poor countries like India and Spain.

The alleged remarks were described in a lawsuit by former employee Anthony Pompliano, who worked at the Venice company for three weeks in 2015 before being fired.

As part of the lawsuit, Pompliano said he raised concerns about Snapchats low usage in India and Spain, which he saw as potential growth areas. Pompliano alleges that Chief Executive Evan Spiegel said the app was only for rich people, and opposed expanding into poor countries like India and Spain, before storming out of the meeting.

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After Variety published the allegation last week, Indian publications picked up the story. At least one of them attributed the comments directly to Spiegel rather than to Pomplianos lawsuit.

Twitter users adopted the hashtag #boycottSnapchat to rail against the app. Users have given the app a one-star rating on the Apple app store and Google Play app store in protest. (Just installed the app so that i can tell you the power of poor indians. I wasted my data just to give rating. Now removing it from my phone now and forever, wrote one Google Play reviewer.)

At the rate at which Snapchat CEO is being slapped by us Indians, he will have to change the app's name to Slapchat #boycottsnapchat #MIvGL  Viru (@VirenderSehweg) April 16, 2017

Snapchat parent company Snap Inc. called the allegation ridiculous.

Those words were written by a disgruntled former employee, the company said in a statement. We are grateful for our Snapchat community in India and around the world.

The company, however, has made clear that it intends to expand in areas with the highest potential for advertising revenue and the most robust infrastructure.

The company admits in Securities and Exchange Commission filings that its app wont find many users in countries where top-of-the-line smartphones are rare and speedy mobile broadband is limited.

Snap has said most of its daily active users are concentrated in the top 10 advertising markets worldwide  a list topped by the U.S., China, Japan and Britain. It does not include India or Spain.

Citing market research firm IDC, Snap said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that these top 10 markets command more than 70% of overall ad dollars and nearly 85% of mobile ad spending.

Pompliano is seeking a court order to prevent Snap from misrepresenting why he was fired when prospective employers call the company. He claims Snap labels him as incompetent; in his view, Spiegel wanted him fired for internally raising concerns about usage data.

In the suit, Pompliano also alleges that Snap misled investors and advertisers.

The suit was filed in January, but included portions redacted at Pomplianos request to protect Snaps trade secrets. Pompliano recently asked a judge to unseal the lawsuit because of public interest.

Snap released an un-redacted version of the suit before the court could rule on the matter, noting that some of its usage data is no longer private because Snap is now a publicly traded company.

samantha.masunaga@latimes.com

Twitter: @smasunaga

ALSO

As colleges embrace e-sports, who profits  if anyone?

Uber is accused of using a secret program called Hell to track Lyft drivers

Robert W. Taylor, visionary figure in the birth of personal computing and the Internet, dies at 85
United Launch Alliance will lay off 48 people at Vandenberg Air Force Base, a move that comes as rival SpaceX ups the competition in the launch services market.

The joint venture between aerospace giants Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. said the layoffs will take place June 1, according to a notice filed in late March under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. Most of those affected are aerospace technicians.

United Launch Alliance said last year that it would initiate two rounds of layoffs  one in 2016 that eliminated about 350 positions and one this year  to accomplish its business goals.

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United Launch Alliance continues to transform our company to provide cost-effective solutions for our customers, while we maintain our focus on mission success, the venture said in a recent statement. We appreciate all of our team members contributions and understand the difficulty and stress that workforce reductions place on the impacted employees and their families.

The company launches rockets from three pads at Vandenberg.

The venture has faced increased competition for military launch contracts after Hawthorne-based SpaceX was certified in 2015 by the U.S. Air Force to launch national security satellites, breaking up a long-standing and lucrative monopoly held by United Launch Alliance.

Since then, SpaceX has been awarded two Air Force satellite launch contracts, the most recent of which came in March.

At the same time, the U.S. has largely finished replacing Cold War-era spy satellite constellations with newer satellites, meaning there will be fewer national security satellite launches in the years to come, said Loren Thompson, aerospace analyst at the Lexington Institute, a think tank that receives money from Lockheed and Boeing.

On the one hand, the Air Force has now replaced many of its most sensitive satellites, he said. And on the other hand, SpaceX is competing successfully to win some of the business thats left.

Vandenberg is a military and commercial satellite launch site for both ULA and SpaceX, which launches Falcon 9 rockets from a pad on base.

The base is home to the 30th Space Wing, which manages space and missile testing for the Department of Defense, as well as the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile force development evaluation program.

Vandenberg also houses at least four interceptors for the U.S. Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system, which is capable of intercepting long-range missiles from North Korea, Thompson said.

samantha.masunaga@latimes.com

Twitter: @smasunaga
A New Jersey woman has sued Wells Fargo Bank, saying she was fired for refusing to participate in a scheme to manipulate accounts and sell products that werent in customers best interest.

Melinda Bini filed a lawsuit in state court in New Jersey on April 5 against the bank and three supervisors from the branch she worked at in Highland Park, NJ.com reported.

In the lawsuit, Bini accused her superiors of running or knowing about the scheme and says she was retaliated against and later fired for refusing to participate. Bini, a former assistant vice president and regional private banker, is seeking her job back and damages.

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In September, San Francisco-based Wells Fargo & Co. agreed to a $185-million settlement with Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency after employees were found to have created as many as 2 million checking, savings and other accounts in customers names without those customers knowledge or consent.

The tactics, blamed on onerous sales goals, were first uncovered by the Los Angeles Times in 2013.

Kevin Friedlander, a spokesman for the bank, said the company doesnt tolerate retaliation against employees who express their concerns.

Our nonretaliation policy makes clear that no team member may be retaliated against for providing information about suspected unethical or illegal activities or possible violations of any Wells Fargo policies, Friedlander said.

Friedlander said the supervisors are still employed, but he wasnt able to comment further on the allegations because it was an ongoing legal matter.

The scandal over the unauthorized accounts led to last years resignation of John Stumpf, Wells Fargos chairman and chief executive, and the early retirement of Carrie Tolstedt, the head of the community banking division.

More than 5,000 bank workers also lost their jobs over unethical practices, which prompted some lawmakers to chide the bank for firing low-ranking, front-line workers while regional and national executives kept their jobs.

In early March, Wells Fargo said it would cancel bonuses and revoke millions of dollars in compensation from eight top executives, including Tim Sloan, who succeeded Stumpf as CEO in October. The bank also eliminated sales goals for front-line workers as a part of a reform of its incentive compensation system.

In a long-anticipated report released last week, the bank pinned the blame for the scandal on weak corporate oversight, calling out Stumpf and Tolstedt. It also said it would take back more than $47 million in pay from Tolstedt and $28 million from Stumpf.

Times staff writers James Rufus Koren and James F. Peltz contributed to this report.

ALSO

Heres one way driverless cars will change urban development

Trumps plan to privatize air traffic control has benefits and pitfalls

Nuclear energy was once considered a key part of Americas future, but the industry is struggling

UPDATES:

8:35 a.m.: This article was updated with background information about Wells Fargos accounts scandal.

This article was originally published at 6:45 a.m.
Prince Harry isnt fine. He is, however, much better than he used to be.

The 32-year-old royal broke with his familys stiff upper lip tradition and opened up in a Sunday podcast about his struggles with mental health that stemmed, in part, from Princess Dianas sudden death in 1997.

Hes been very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions, he said  a revelation that would be hard for most people but is a radical step for the historically reticent royal family.

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Losing my mom at the age of 12 and therefore shutting down all of my emotions for the last 20 years has had a quite serious effect on not only my personal life but also my work as well, he told the Telegraph. It was only three years ago, with support from his brother, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, that he decided to do something about it.

My way of dealing with it was sticking my head in the sand, refusing to ever think about my mom, because why would that help? Its only going to make you sad. Its not going to bring her back, he said. On the emotional side I was like, right, dont ever let your emotions be part of anything. I was a typical 20-, 25- 28-year-old running round going, life is great, or life is fine.

He was in denial for 20 years, he said. During that period, his antics  dare we say acting out?  were well documented.

When he was underage, he drank and smoked weed. He got in fights. He dressed up as a Nazi. While partying hard, he fell into a pool. Just before his 28th birthday, he was photographed partying in the nude in Las Vegas, and while it got a lot of public support, it wasnt exactly Kensington Palace-approved. (He also served in Afghanistan while in the army and did charitable work around the globe.)

Over the years, he said, friends and family encouraged him to look into getting mental-health help, but, he said, the timing wasnt right  until three years ago. It was 20 years of not thinking about it and then two years of total chaos. I couldnt put my finger on it. I didnt know what was wrong with me.

He enlisted the help of psychologists, but made it clear that his issues did not stem from his time in Afghanistan. Luckily, thank God. Grief that hed never processed started to come to the forefront, he said, and he also dealt with a fight-or-flight reaction he had in certain public situations.

The experience that Ive had is once you start talking about [mental health], you suddenly realized, actually, youre part of a big club ... and everybodys gagging to talk about it, Harry said.

He and his brother and sister-in-law, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, are working together on the Heads Together charitable campaign to help people who need mental health care.

The younger prince, who primarily shared his experiences as a member of society at large, also got specific about holding it together as a member of Britains royal family.

I generally dont know how we stay sane, he said. I dont have any secrets.

Ive probably been very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions when all sorts of grief and lies and misconceptions [are circulating], and everythings coming at you from every angle, but it comes with the job, he added. It comes with the role, and one of the hardest things, I suppose, is not being able to have that voice and stand up for yourself, and to let it wash over you.

But, he said, he has to.

The Mad World podcast by Bryony Gordon, who interviewed Harry, will continue for a total of 10 episodes.

cdz@latimes.com

@theCDZ

ALSO

Prince Harry condemns media abuse of American girlfriend

Actress Meghan Markle joins Prince Harry for pals Jamaican wedding

See Prince Harrys rescue work with rhinos, elephants: pics from his personal album
Caitlyn Jenner memoirs version of life with Kris Jenner creates a new rift in the family

(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images)

As Caitlyn Jenners just-published memoir The Secrets of My Life pulls back the curtain on her gender transition and her life among the Kardashians, not everybody is taking it well.

Especially not Kris Jenner.

Details about the Olympian-turned-reality-stars decision to transition in 2015 from Bruce Jenner to Caitlyn Jenner and confirmation that she had her final gender reassignment surgery are all in the book, but some dishy material about the Kardashian matriarch is reverberating with fans and upsetting the reigning first family of reality TV.

The memoir, co-written by Buzz Bissinger, who penned the Vanity Fair article that introduced Caitlyn Jenner to the masses, has some kind words for the momager, including admiration for Kris connections, her business acumen and her ability to perfectly apply lip liner without a mirror.

However, Caitlyn also said in the book that she told Kris about her gender issues before they got married and said Kris knew that for 4 years before they met, Caitlyn had been on hormones. Additionally, Caitlyn wrote that she told Kris about her gender problems before they would make love.

I told her there had been a woman inside me all my life, she wrote.

The couple announced their split in 2013 and finalized their divorce in 2014. During their decades-long union, Caitlyn cross-dressed in front of her ex but was asked by Kris to do it only while traveling, so that their children wouldnt get wind of it. It was something Caitlyn grew to resent, she said, and she would steal her wifes gowns and purses to wear while traveling. (Their differing takes on their marital woes have been a topic of discussion for years.)

In a recent episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Kris fumed with anger about passages in The Secrets of My Life that claimed she knew Caitlyn was transgender before they wed.

None of it makes sense,Kris said to daughters Khloe and Kim Kardashian. I read it and basically the only nice thing she had to say was that I was great socially at a party one time. ... Everything she says is all made up. Why does everything have to be that Kris is such a bitch?

She added: Ive never been so angry and disappointed in somebody in my whole life.

In response, the Olympic gold medalist said on Good Morning America that the book is extraordinarily honest.

It is my perspective, and obviously when you do a book like that, there are different opinions. I have a lot of friends that know the truth and know what Ive been through and know the whole situation, Caitlyn said.

She told Andy Cohen that in the wake of publishing, Kris said she didnt want to talk to Caitlyn ever again. (Caitlyn also elaborated on her claims that she was a punching bag on the show and a revelation that Kris had been in charge of her finances.)

Honestly, I never had a low point [while doing the show], actually, until the other day when Kris said some of that stuff. It was the first time I was really upset, she said. I had some of the best conversations with my children on that show. ... It forces you to deal with issues. ... It forces you to sit down with your kids and deal with a lot of things.

Meanwhile, Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenners second-born child with the late Robert Kardashian, shared her thoughts on the feud on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in an episode that aired Thursday.

My heart breaks for my mom, you know, because I feel like shes been through so much and [Caitlyn is] promoting this book and shes saying all these things, Kardashian said. I just dont think its necessary and I just feel like its unfair. Things arent truthful.

Kardashian said Caitlyn was dishonest with certain things about Kris in the book.

I feel like its taken [Caitlyn] a really long time to be honest with herself, so I dont expect her to be honest about my mom now. But its just so hurtful, she said. I wish her all the success in the world, but not at our expense.

Kardashian said she and husband Kanye West have been avid supporters of Caitlyn Jenners transition and wanted to remain respectful of her, but thought there was no need to bash the family. She said she was hurt by her stepfather, whos dad to her half-sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner, and hasnt spoken to Caitlyn in a few weeks.

Kendall and Kylie, thats their dad and I think my moms been so respectful for so long and always wanting Caitlyn around and always wanting to have a great relationship with Caitlyn, Kardashian said. But that doesnt appear to be the case for the rest of the Kardashian brood.

Ill always love her. That was my stepdad for so many years. She taught me about character and so much growing up and I just feel like I dont respect the character that shes showing now.

Kim Kardashians younger sister, Khloe Kardashian, is also taking it a little tough, Caitlyn said at a book signing, according to RadarOnline. Everyone on the Jenner side is fine. All this stuff tends to work itself out!

Someone call Ryan Murphy, because this needs to be turned into a Feud series, stat.

------------

FOR THE RECORD

April 27, 3:31 p.m.: An earlier version of this article said Bruce Jenner and Kris Jenner finalized their divorce in 2013. They divorced in 2014.

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The Fate of the Furious, the eighth installment in Universals Fast & Furious series, sped to more than $100 million domestically and $532.5 million internationally  notching the biggest global opening of all time  thanks to its muscular star power, fast cars, furious action and the kind of over-the-top spectacle usually reserved for summer blockbuster season.

But the record-breaking franchise, built on physics-defying stunts and fervent fan loyalty across the globe, is also fueled by the one not-so-secret idea more potent than a well-timed blast of nitrous oxide: family.

The recurring motif gets a workout in Fate of the Furious, the first sequel without the late Paul Walker, whose character was last seen driving off into the sunset  some might say toward heaven  in 2015s emotional Furious 7.

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As the films have grown and the worlds gotten smaller and weve gotten more global in scope, the [characters] definition of family has widened a lot, said series screenwriter and producer Chris Morgan, who scripted the last six Fast & Furious films.

 L.A. Times film critic Justin Chang and film writer Jen Yamato talk fast and furiously about what works and what doesnt inFate of the Furious and the idea of family in the record-breaking franchise. (Warning: spoiler revealed halfway into video.)

In the first film, 2001s The Fast and the Furious, the word family was sparsely spoken in a story focused on the brooding bromance between gearhead criminal Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and undercover cop Brian OConner (Walker).

As the sequels charged on, new members joined the cast (Tyrese Gibson and Chris Ludacris Bridges in 2 Fast 2 Furious, Sung Kang in Tokyo Drift, Gal Gadot in Fast & Furious, Dwayne Johnson and Elsa Pataky in Fast Five, Nathalie Emmanuel in Furious 7) and original members came back (Michelle Rodriguez in Fast & Furious 6).

Fate of the Furious, directed by Straight Outta Comptons F. Gary Gray, leans further into the family theme by making it a plot point and adding Helen Mirren as Magdalene Shaw, mother of the brothers (played by Jason Statham and Luke Evans) whove been battling Doms crew since the final moments of Fast 6.

It was Diesel who made Doms love for his familia an iconic signature by dropping memorable one-liners, like the insta-classic, I dont have friends I got family.

I used to fight like crazy for my own ego, the producer, star and father of three told The Times. For my own sense of greatness. I was trying to fight for myself. And now I have kids, so I fight for a legacy that they will be proud of.

Actor-producer Vin Diesel, who stars in the movie, The Fate of the Furious, the eighth installment in, The Fast and the Furious, franchise, doesnt have friends -- hes got family. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Offscreen, Diesel says he and Walker grew so close that Walker was the only person who knew about the birth of his first child during the filming of 2009s Fast & Furious.

He said, There are a lot of tough guys thatll tell you dont go into the delivery room,  Diesel recalled of his friend and co-star, who gets an on-screen tribute in Fate of the Furious. It will be the best day of your life  go in there, and cut her umbilical cord. And I did. And I am so grateful that I did.

Walkers absence was felt throughout the Fate of the Furious shoot, said Game of Thrones star Nathalie Emmanuel, who joined the franchise in Furious 7 as genius hacker Ramsey with the knowledge that she might be invited back for a multi-film arc. It was really hard without him. He was thought about constantly.

It was difficult, echoed Bridges. We say the last one was for Paul, and this one is from Paul. We did this in his honor, to continue the legacy of what he started.

Fate of the Furious sets a record for mentions of family as Charlize Therons new villain, a cyber hacker named Cipher, lures Dom to the dark side by preying on his weakness.

Believe me, we get it  we say it a lot, admitted Morgan. But every time a character says it, its not because were trying to hammer in that family theme. Its because that character in that moment believes it. And thats why I think it resonates with people.

In these soapy, machismo-fueled fantasies in which cars fly (over train tracks in L.A., onto yachts in Miami, between skyscrapers in Abu Dhabi, and even parachute out of the sky from a C-130 plane soaring high above the Caucasus Mountains), some lucky characters ride, die and return to ride again.

Rodriguez sees another reason the loyal Fast & Furious fandom has grown exponentially as the franchises episodic story arc has taken its heroes global, from racing the streets of Los Angeles a quarter mile at a time to saving the world from nuclear annihilation on the icy plains of Russia: diversity.

Theres a void in the market, said Rodriguez, pointing to Hollywoods market-dominating presence worldwide. When you have that kind of penetration but everybody whos leading your movie on the big screen is white, a lot of people dont feel included. Dont you think theyre going to buy more tickets to those movies where they do feel included?

The series is not only known for its multiethnic cast, but for the diversity of its directors, starting with John Singleton taking charge in 2 Fast 2 Furious. Justin Lin steered four chapters in the series through Fast & Furious 6, James Wan took on Furious 7 and with Fate Gray has broken the record for the highest grossing opening ever by an African American director.

Fate of the Furious exploded into North American theaters and 63 international markets over Easter weekend. That global reach and representation of multiculturalism, she said, also helps keep focus through tough shoots and personality clashes, like the reported feud between Diesel and Johnson on Fate of the Furious.

Were allowing the 99% to be part of Hollywood and I think that puts a fire under us to make it good, said Rodriguez, and ultimately I think that will reign over any little rift that the family might have.

With the $532.5 global opening of The Fate of the Furious, F. Gary Gray broke the record for the highest grossing opening ever by an African American director. (Ron Eshel / Invision / AP)

Gibson says he became a de facto therapist to his cast mates and director Gray, on set and off. There were moments when the politics and the egos were flying off the handle, and we were literally in each others trailer, just making sure we were laughing and just enjoying the process.

My Benihana grill in the backyard is literally the kumbaya of life, he added. But the beautiful thing about The Fast and the Furious is that if any one of us were to ever try to do The Fast and the Furious by ourselves, it would bomb before it even got off the ground.

Gray, hot off of Universals Straight Outta Compton, was a logical choice to helm Fate of the Furious with its ambitiously wrought set pieces filmed in Cuba, Iceland, New York, Cleveland and Atlanta, plus its sprawling ensemble of actors, many of whom hed directed before.

What I learned in joining the Fast family was the art of collaborating differently, said Gray, who also praised Universal head Donna Langley for supporting a push to put inclusive heroes on-screen. Its the next level when your star is also producing and you have actors who have lived with these characters for 15-plus years. I come to the party and I end up doing a whole lot of listening.

Gray declined to comment on the reported friction between his two biggest stars, but diplomatically acknowledged the challenges of managing the Fate cast. Ive worked with Oscar-winning and Oscar-nominated actors, and you get varying degrees of process. When youre striving for perfection, sometimes the process isnt always perfect.

Familys family, said Gray, smiling, and everything that comes with it.

jen.yamato@latimes.com

@jenyamato

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Two Ukrainian servicemen were injured in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone on Easter day, April 16, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's spokesman Andriy Lysenko said.

"Over the past day, none of Ukrainian military were killed in the ATO zone, two servicemen were wounded and traumatized," he said at a briefing in Kyiv on Monday.

Earlier, the ATO headquarters press center reported that on Sunday militants shelled the Ukrainian military positions 22 times, as a result of which two Ukrainian servicemen were injured.
Long Beach-based artist Yoskay Yamamoto has created the poster for this years Los Angeles Film Festival. This follows other festival posters in recent years by Los Angeles area artists Ed Ruscha, Noah Davis and Carolyn Castano.

The 2017 edition of the Los Angeles Film Festival, produced by Film Independent, will run from June 14-22. The festivals full programming announcement is scheduled for early May.

Born in Japan, Yamamoto moved to the United States while a teenager. The self-trained illustrators work as a painter and sculptor often blends the influences of Japanese heritage and contemporary popular culture with a playful sensibility.

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I found myself immediately falling in love with his work. It was unlike any of the art I was looking at up to that point, LAFF festival director Jennifer Cochis said in an email. There is something dreamy and even story-like about his sculptures and paintings that drew me in from the instant I saw them.

For the poster image, done in a mix of acrylic and aerosol paint, Yamamoto decided he wanted to capture the colorful beauty of Los Angeles sunsets and the creative energy of the moon, tied together by a nod to the French artist Rene Magritte. (Hence the bowler hat.)

And also I wanted to create an image that was peaceful and calm, Yamamoto said during a recent phone interview from his studio. I really feel like we are facing such a chaotic and difficult time that I thought it would be nice to have a peaceful image throughout the city.

A positive image can help peoples mood or feelings. As an artist, a lot of times my goal is to lift peoples spirits, to put a smile on someones face or brighten up their day just a little bit, Yamamoto added. If people are overwhelmed by too much information or too much news nowadays, maybe they can just feel a short, brief peaceful moment.

Yamamoto will have a solo exhibition later this year at the Giant Robot/GR2 Gallery on Sawtelle Boulevard. Passes for the L.A. Film Festival go on sale to Film Independent members Tuesday and to the general public on April 25. Individual tickets go on sale to members May 16 and the general public on May 23.

When I first spoke to Yoskay, we talked at length about how this is a unique opportunity for an artist to be in dialogue with the city itself, Cochis also noted. This is art that represents not only the festival, but is being shown for free in public spaces, which feels like a pretty radical achievement.

SIGN UP for the free Indie Focus movies newsletter 

Mark.Olsen@latimes.com

Follow on Twitter: @IndieFocus

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What am I going to change my Twitter bio to? Jenni Konner wonders aloud.

A few days before the finale of Girls  the HBO series shes run for the past five years alongside Lena Dunham  Konner is in the midst of a minor existential crisis. On her social media page, the 45-year-old has long characterized herself this way: i write, direct and ep #Girls on HBO.

Come Monday, that will no longer be the case.

Im in a definite postpartum scene right now, as you can tell by the fact that youre up at my house and Im drinking wine at 5 oclock, she says lounging on a pool chaise in her backyard, hidden in one of the winding hillsides of Nichols Canyon.

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Across the country in New York, Dunham was feeling similarly discombobulated. Shed made plans to watch the finale with co-star Allison Williams and pizza. But saying goodbye to the show she began work on at 23 was proving challenging.

I miss everybody already, Dunham, now 30, said over the telephone last week. At a certain point, my entire life was making the show  then I entered a long-term relationship, I had a career, I was financially stable, I was living in a neighborhood that Hannah has probably never even walked through. Our lives diverged.

While they may be moving away from Girls, Dunham and Konner arent ready to bid farewell to each other. Theyre still running their feminist newsletter, Lenny  an amalgamation of their names  which is about to celebrate its second anniversary. And through their joint production company, A Casual Romance, theyre planning a VICE-esque Lenny docuseries for HBO and looking at making their first film.

Plus, theyre totally co-dependent. Every morning, Dunham texts Konner first thing to make sure her partner made it through the night.

Itll say, like, Hi, baby! but its to make sure Im alive, said Konner. If I dont respond, Im dead, or something terrible has happened. So I have learned to respond instantly.

When they first met, however, Konner was supposed to be more of a mentor to Dunham than an equal. While the younger woman was just a kid out of Oberlin, the older was fresh off a divorce and raising two kids. Konner had already established herself as a TV writer and script doctor on action films like Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Red, where she was brought in to flesh out the female roles. But she was taken with Dunhams debut film, the 2010 South by Southwest hit Tiny Furniture, so when HBO asked if shed be interested in shepherding the newcomers blind pilot script, Konner said yes.

Initially, Konner  along with fellow executive producer Judd Apatow  was brought in as a supervisor. She was tasked with teaching Dunham everything from three-act structure to on-set protocol, like the fact that when the crew starts ringing bells, that means its time to shoot.

But Lena is like the fastest learner in the history of learning, Konner said.

It became clear that she had just as much to offer creatively as I did, Dunham added. I think they had prepared her for babysitting a 23-year-old, and I actually was able to partner with her more than had been expected.

Dunham had never envisioned her career would include a collaborator. She is the daughter of two solitary visual artists who prized working alone and she studied creative writing in college  another solo endeavor. To find that my life and my art were better when somebody else was there, she said, was amazing.

Over the years, Konner has imparted plenty of her own experiences to Dunham. During the finale, when Hannah is struggling with breastfeeding, Konner explained how inadequate you can feel as a new mom.

The finale, by the way  directed by Konner  left Hannah in about as good of a place as weve ever seen her. After moving to upstate New York for a teaching gig, shes five months into motherhood and living with Marnie (Allison Williams) for emotional  and physical  support. When her son stops taking to her breast, Hannah fears shes failing as a mother. One late night, as she sings Tracy Chapmans Fast Car as a lullaby, he finally latches on.

The episode is meant to be more than a commentary on breastfeeding, though the duo is prepared for that kind of reaction. Since its inception, Girls has proven to be one of the most dissected programs on television, inspiring criticism about everything from how the show dealt with race to Dunhams oft-naked, non-cellulite-free body. Dunham frequently felt inclined to respond, posting public apologies on Instagram. She felt so grateful to have her dream job, she said, that she constantly felt it was necessary to repeat some version of I am humbled. Thank you. Whatever you say.

She doesnt feel that way anymore.

Im completely done with apologizing for my existence or going, I totally understand if you dont like me! I know Im taking up too much space! Dunham said. Im not just done apologizing because its tiring for me, Im done apologizing because its a bad example for other young women.

Zosia Mamet, left, Lena Dunham and Allison Williams after winning a Golden Globe in 2013. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

Both she and Konner attribute much of the criticism to an infamous line from the pilot. After drinking opium tea, Hannah wanders over to her parents hotel and begs them not to cut her off financially. I think that I may be the voice of my generation, she explains. Or at least, a voice of a generation.

People dont give women the benefit of the doubt, Dunham said of the backlash. Larry David can say whatever he wants and take a prostitute into the carpool lane and its What a fun, funny guy. But I cant make a joke while my character is on drugs and not be told Im a raging egomaniac who wants to speak for every woman in the world.

And I think, in a way, its true, said Konner. I think shes one of the voices of a generation. I think shes inspired so many people. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend could not be a more different show  and I love it  but its also a safe space for a woman to put on Spanx and talk about her body and eating in a way Im not sure was done before Lena.

Dunhams body  and her relationship to it  has long been a topic of public discourse. When she first showed up naked on Girls, she was one of the first leading ladies without a thigh gap or flat stomach to bare herself unapologetically. Since, women with all different body shapes have slowly begun to land prominent roles in film and television.

Even now that Dunham has lost weight  a result of recent surgeries to help with her chronic endometriosis  critics are still chiming in on her figure. But Konner described Dunham as immune to body shaming. She is someone who truly feels hot as [hell] at every weight. Its all I wish for my daughter.

Dunham said shes exceptionally close to Konners kids, who are 10 and 13, and has always dreamed of having her own children and liked wearing a prosthetic pregnant belly during the sixth season of Girls. But because her endometriosis was flaring during the final episodes, she began to wonder whether or not shed ever be able to get pregnant herself.

There was a part of me that was like, Maybe this is the only time that Ill look like this, Dunham acknowledged. The way the finale intersected with my personal life, what it was as an end to an era for us  its all deeply, deeply, deeply, emotional. It was one of the most wonderful times of my life.

Eventually, she and Konner would like to explore a Girls movie  though they stress that no one at HBO has asked them to make one yet. Theyd also be down for a spinoff for Andrew Rannells character, Elijah, but thats also just a pipe dream, for now.

I just want to start feeling more normal about seven years of work ending, said Konner. And if Girls is the greatest thing that ever happened to me  the thing that people paid the most attention to  then I just feel so lucky to have that.

amy.kaufman@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @AmyKinLA

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Is there more trouble ahead for Forever 21? Puma dubbed the fast-fashion retailer a threat to its entire business after originally alleging it copied some of Rihannas Fenty Puma designs. Now, Kanye West fans are calling out Forever 21 on social media for selling clothes that resemble Wests The Life of Pablo merchandise.

One Twitter user posted screenshots of four Forever 21 offerings, including a graffiti jacket and three T-shirts, on Thursday afternoon. The tweet gained traction as others on the platform took note of the similarities between the Forever 21 items and Wests highly popular Life of Pablo merch.

One of the Forever 21 items, a yellow T-shirt with black font, has Saint Francis printed on the front. Wests latest tour was called the Saint Pablo Tour, which was printed on most of his merch.

Another Forever 21 shirt, the Aisle 316 Los Angeles Tee, has Los Angeles printed vertically down the front in a way that resembles Wests Calabasas merch, a collaboration with Adidas. The Calabasas collection includes track pants with the word Calabasas running vertically alongside Adidas iconic three stripes. Forever 21s Aisle 316 shirt includes two stripes  a distinction that harkens back to Forever 21s lawsuit against Adidas in March.

Forever 21 originally called Adidas a trademark bully, asserting that Adidas has taken its [trademark-related] claimstoo far  essentially asserting that no item of clothing can have any number of stripes in any location without infringing Adidas trademarks. To this end, Adidas has sued clothing and footwear manufacturers who have used two stripes. It has sued those who use four. It has sued over stripe patterns involving multiple widths and colors, and it has sued over garments Adidas is not known for making. It has also threatened to sue many others on similar claims.

This is not the first time Forever 21 has been called out by West fans for copying his Life of Pablo merch. A similar instance happened over the summer, while West was gearing up for his tour. The Life of Pablo merch was a collaboration between Los Angeles-based graphic artist Cali Thornhill DeWitt and DONDA, Wests creative content company.

West, Forever 21 and Adidas have yet to comment on the similarities.

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The United Nations recent announcement that it would end its peacekeeping mission in Haiti in mid-October, removing its soldiers and leaving a smaller contingent of police, has been met with celebration, apathy and concern.

It also raised the perennial question: Whats in store for Haiti now?

The decision to pull out the military component of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, commonly known by the French acronym MINUSTAH, recognizes the progress that the Caribbean nation has made toward stabilization, including last years presidential election and the return to constitutional order, U.N. officials said.

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These are all indications that the people of Haiti are ready to move forward, Sandra Honore, U.N. special representative and head of MINUSTAH, said in an interview with The Times.

The resolution calls for the more than 2,300 blue-helmeted personnel to gradually depart while 1,275 U.N. police remain for an initial period of six months. The mandate of the follow-up mission will be to train Haitian national police and support the government in maintaining the rule of law, human rights and stability, Honore said.

Haiti is ready to move on without the presence of the military contingent, she added.

But what will this mean for the poverty-stricken country of more than 10.4 million people that has been beset by political tumult and had successive U.N. peacekeeping missions for more than two decades?

Unwanted Guests

The U.N. military presence was never really welcome. Peacekeepers first arrived in 1994 to facilitate the return of ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, secure a stable environment in the country and promote the rule of law.

Various U.N. missions followed until MINUSTAH was established in 2004, following Aristides second removal from power. His overthrow was among more than 20 military coups in Haiti since the country won independence from France in 1804.

But the presence of U.N. troops in the country sparked controversy.

Theres been an ongoing question over whether Haiti ever needed peacekeepers, said Jake Johnston, a research associate at the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C. Its not a country with an ongoing civil war. Its not at war with any of its neighbors.

In many respects, Haitians have chafed over this incursion into their sovereignty, said Robert Maguire, a professor of international affairs at George Washington University. And various politicians had called for the U.N. mission to end.

Beset by scandals

In recent years, the peacekeepers have been plagued by controversy. They were blamed for a 2010 outbreak of cholera in Haiti that killed at least 9,100 people and sickened hundreds of thousands more. Scientists traced the source of the waterborne disease to a U.N. base.

Some U.N. troops also have been implicated in a sexual abuse scandal, including a sex ring that exploited Haitian children, according to an internal U.N. report obtained by the Associated Press.

Youre talking about a mission of foreign soldiers who were ostensibly sent to protect people and caused quite a bit of harm to those they were meant to protect, said Johnston, the research associate, adding that a U.N. resolution passed last year to tackle the issue of abuse by peacekeepers does little to hold them accountable.

Its very troubling that MINUSTAH is withdrawing from Haiti without a real concrete commitment to repair harms that it has caused, said Beatrice Lindstrom, a staff attorney at the Boston-based Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti.

Lindstroms group is among several organizations that filed a federal class-action lawsuit seeking compensation for the cholera victims. But promises to provide a remedy to the victims remain unfilled she said.

Two men suffering from cholera rest while receiving treatment at an emergency cholera clinic run by Samaritans Purse outside of Cabaret, Haiti. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

The U.N. is trying to raise $400 million to compensate the cholera victims, including money to support survivors and renovate the shoddy water and sanitation infrastructure. But so far, less than 2% of the total has been raised, according to the agencys data.

With regard to the sexual abuse scandal, Honore said the U.N. had taken steps to sanction the abusers, that a zero tolerance policy was now in place, and support and advocacy for the victims were continuing.

Positive gains lay behind and pitfalls ahead

Despite these setbacks, U.N. officials praise the peacekeeping mission as a success. Accomplishments include training police personnel, creating a law enforcement office dedicated to addressing sexual and gender-based violence, reestablishing law and order in the capital, undertaking humanitarian work, helping to draft a law aimed at increasing judicial independence, strengthening the nations human rights institution and bolstering the renewal of democratic institutions.

Just the presence of those troops kept the Haitian political scene in balance, said Maguire, the professor, who in 2000 served as Haiti specialist in the U.S. State Departments Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. Theres always the chance and risk in Haiti that a coup detat can occur against the government in power, especially when the leader of the country is away. The U.N. effectively put an umbrella over Haiti and kept it a politically stable place.

The peacekeepers were also valuable in providing logistics and manpower during catastrophic emergencies in Haiti, which since 2000 has endured repeated natural disasters including mudslides, hurricanes and a 7.0 earthquake in 2010 that killed at least 220,000 people.

In January 2010, a 7.0 earthquake killed at least 220,000 people and left behind a trail of destruction. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Honore cautioned that Haiti would continue to need international assistance following the peacekeepers departure and U.N. humanitarian programs, such as those focused on development, education and children, would persist, she said.

Further progress was still needed in areas such as the internal management and oversight of the national police and the forces geographical reach, U.N. officials said.

Analysts warned of other potential pitfalls that could hinder Haitis advancement in the absence of peacekeepers, including the re-creation of the Haitian army.

Aristide disbanded the force in 1990s, but Michel Martelly, who ruled the country from 2011 to 2016, launched initial steps to restore it.

Now without any soldiers there from the U.N. this will undoubtedly give more push among those who want to create a Haitian army to do so, Maguire said. The presence of a Haitian army is a particularly problematic and dangerous thing. There is the long history of the Haitian army becoming directly involved in politics and being used as a tool by political leaders to destabilize governments.

Nepalese peacekeepers from the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, MINUSTAH, help in the recovery process following the January 2010 earthquake that devastated the country. (Handout / Getty Images)

Haitian Americans react

In Miamis Little Haiti, home to a sizable population of Haitian emigres, news of the U.N. missions departure was greeted with satisfaction, relief and nonchalance.

Woosler Delifort, a Haitian photojournalist, welcomed the move.

Growing up Haitian American, we always heard negative stories about the peacekeepers from family members who remain on the island, Delifort said. Stories of mistreatment and stories of them not even doing the peacekeeping.

While conceding that some Haitian leaders had caused the country harm by exploiting their people and resources, many Haitians pointed to outside influences as being equally responsible for the nations woes.

Independence of the worlds first black republic was met with isolation, meddling and exploitation from the U.S. and France.

Sandy Dorsainvil, a Miami-based consultant, said the departure of the peacekeepers would allow the new government  to have an opportunity to take full responsibility and run the country.

As one of the first countries to be free in the Western Hemisphere, its disheartening to see that weve gotten to the point where it seems as if we need help from other people to govern ourselves, Dorsainvil said. And I dont think thats necessary. Its become more of a hindrance. All of these outside nations having a presence in Haiti has not helped the country move forward.

That theyre leaving, its not too soon, artist Edouard Duval Carrie said of the peacekeepers. Haiti has to grow up. We cant be under tutelage all the time.

ann.simmons@latimes.com

For more on global development news, see our Global Development Watch page, part of a partnership with the nonprofit United Nations Foundation, and follow me @AMSimmons1 on Twitter

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The water spread into every corner of the fields, beckoning wading ibises and egrets as it bathed long rows of sprouting grapevines.

Several inches had covered the vineyard ground for a couple of months. But rather than draining it, Don Cameron was pouring more on.

This is not about irrigation, the sprawling farms manager kept telling his quizzical workers. Its about recharge.  I want all the water you can get into the grape fields now.

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After a drought-busting winter, reservoirs up and down California are dumping water to make room for spring snowmelt.

We have a great reservoir under our feet. Why not use it?  Don Cameron, Terranova Ranch general manager

There is so much water in the states vast plumbing system that for weeks, the big government water projects have reduced exports from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. San Luis Reservoir, where the projects park water on its way south, is full.

Yet there is more room than ever in one of the states most capacious storage spaces: the San Joaquin Valley aquifer.

Parts of it have been overpumped for a century. Groundwater levels fell even farther during the past five years of drought as growers in Californias heartland drilled new and deeper wells to make up for huge cuts in irrigation deliveries.

We have a great reservoir under our feet. Why not use it?, Cameron asked.

The water spilling into the vineyard had been diverted from a brimming flood-control channel nearby. Now it seeped into the sandy loam at the rate of 3 to 4 inches a day, percolating into the San Joaquin Valley aquifer that, year in and year out, provides Terranova Ranch and its neighbors with most of their irrigation water.

It goes down fast, observed Cameron as he stood amid 150 acres of flooded Barbera vines that were topped with healthy new leaves and tiny clusters of grape buds.

Most of the time, the bed of the North Fork of the Kings River is bone-dry. Near Helm, where it is called the James Bypass, the channel fills only when upstream Pine Flat Reservoir makes flood releases.

This year, milk-chocolate flows are streaming down the bypass, swirling past islands of grass and half-submerged shrubs. The chatter of birds mixes with the sweet sound of rippling water as it makes its way to the San Joaquin River and ultimately out to sea.

But on the last day of March, 10,000 gallons a minute were passing through a 24-inch pipe into a canal Cameron built to carry the water to his Arbequina olive groves, baby pistachio trees, alfalfa and Barbera grapes that Gallo Winery buys. All told, Cameron is putting Kings River floodwater on about 700 acres this year, and he plans to continue the diversions as long as the flood flows hold up.

Were reconnecting the river to its flood plain, he says.

The idea of using cropland to replenish groundwater basins is just beginning to take hold in California.

UC Davis researchers are conducting experiments to determine which crops will tolerate having their roots wet for weeks or months at a time. The Almond Board of California is funding work to identify almond acreage that has soil suitable for recharge.

Cameron has been at it much longer.

We were pioneering this. We had a lot of skeptical people. To me it seemed natural, he said.

We lose 2, 2  feet of water table a year [to overdraft]. It kind of adds up, he added. I realized a long time ago we need to take corrective action.

Don Cameron, general manager of Terranova Ranch, stands in a vineyard covered with Kings River floodwater he is using to recharge the local groundwater basin. (Tomas Ovalle / For The Times)

White-haired and 64, Cameron is more willing to embrace unconventional practices than many growers -- probably, he says, because he doesnt have a farm background.

Ive been called a communist, he notes wryly.

Cameron grew up in Redding and Fresno, earned a biology degree from Fresno State and wanted to go into wildlife management.

When he didnt get a state wildlife job, he wound up doing agricultural pest control work for a small company used by Terranova. In 1981, he went to work for the 5,500-acre farm operation, which is owned by a private family trust. Six years later he was named general manager and vice president.

During the record wet winter of 1982-83, Cameron drove by vineyards that had been flooded by the overflowing San Joaquin River. He kept watching as the months passed and the water receded. The vines bore healthy fruit and that September, pickers harvested the grapes.

I thought OK, and filed it away, Cameron recalls.

He started experimenting with flood recharge on a small scale in the 1990s. In 2011, Californias last wet year, he flooded vineyards well into the growing season. They did just fine.

There is more room than ever in one of the states most capacious storage spaces: the San Joaquin Valley aquifer.

A pump helps to irrigate one of Don Camerons fields at Terranova Ranch. (Tomas Ovalle / For The Times)

Weve proven in 2011 that it does work, he said, adding that monitoring showed that 70% of the water applied to the fields made its way past the root zone into the aquifer.

He thinks one of the reasons it works is that the cold flood water holds oxygen, so the plant roots dont suffocate. When the water temperature warms up in late spring, he stops.

But 700 acres is just the beginning. This summer Terranova expects to start construction on the first phase of a $7.5 million project to capture Kings River flood waters and use it for recharge on 16,000 acres of cropland.

A $5 million flood grant from the state is covering most of the cost, with the rest coming from Terranova. Backers have agreed to take a certain amount of flood water for as long as it is available to relieve downstream flooding.

Were designing this to make a difference in the area here, Cameron said. It will include all of the growers in our area.

Neighboring farmers used to think Cameron was nuts. But now, he says theyre believers,  converted by a landmark 2014 state law that requires groundwater users to end overdraft over the course of the next two decades.

Ive been called a communist.  Don Cameron, Terranova ranch general manager

They will either have to increase aquifer recharge or cut back on pumping, which would likely force growers to take cropland out of production.

The law is a big stick, Cameron said. Theyre understanding how important it is to replenish our underground water supplies for the long term. Without doing this, were not going to be farming all our farmland. Its pretty simple.

But not every part of the valley can do what Terranova is doing.

Part of the problem is getting the water to the right location, Cameron said. We desperately need more conveyance to move this kind of water when it is available.

In some areas, the soil is too heavy for water to percolate into the aquifer. Some irrigation districts dont have rights to flood water. Growers remain wary of harming their crops with weeks long baths.

And they fret that someone else will pump the water that they put in the ground.

Without doing this, were not going to be farming all our farmland. Its pretty simple.  Don Cameron, Terranova Ranch general manager

Don Cameron walks in a field of flooded grapes. Hes using high flows off the Kings River to flood vineyards, nut groves and alfalfa fields to recharge the local groundwater basin. (Tomas Ovalle / For The Times)

I think its just not as easy as people would hope it could be, said water researcher Philip Bachand, who is working on the Terranova project.

To overcome the concerns, growers need an incentive, said Daniel Mountjoy of Sustainable Conservation, a nonprofit group.

Why not pay growers to capture flood water and apply it their fields, he wonders.

The pricetag for new reservoirs sought by many in the farm sector is far greater than the cost of groundwater replenishment, Mountjoy said.

So why dont we use that storage money to pay a fraction of the cost and get farmers to fill that aquifer up to the extent possible?

Cameron, for one, sees the obligation to replenish the groundwater reserves that keep fields green even through drought as more than a matter of money.

Morally, he says, I thought it was the right thing to do.

bettina.boxall@latimes.com

Twitter: @boxall

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11;28 a..m.: This article was updated to include a link to an earlier story about groundwater replenishment.
For nearly two years, the Los Angeles Police Departments civilian bosses have embarked on a high-profile campaign to curb the number of shootings by officers, pushing department brass for more training and less-lethal devices.

This week, the Police Commission will consider taking a major step to help the LAPD deliver on that goal.

Commissioners on Tuesday are expected to approve a new use-of-force policy that would require officers to try, whenever possible, to defuse tense encounters before using deadly force  a decades-old concept known as de-escalation.

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The change would allow the commission to judge officers specifically on whether they could have found a way to resolve an encounter without resorting to firing their weapons. The move is the culmination of a series of actions aimed at reducing shootings.

A Times analysis found that commissioners ruled eight shootings by LAPD officers to be unjustified in 2016  the highest number in at least a decade. In three of those cases, the board took the rare step of disagreeing with the LAPDs chief, who had cleared the officers.

At the same time, The Times found, commissioners more often faulted the tactics officers used before a shooting, such as forgetting to carry a Taser or splitting from a partner during a foot chase. Last year, the panel decided there were tactical errors in 50% of the 46 shootings it reviewed, up from 32% the year before and 16% a decade ago.

These incidents are rare, given the million-plus contacts LAPD officers make with the public each year. The number of LAPD shootings has fluctuated in recent years, but generally falls between 30 and 50 annually.

In an era of increased scrutiny of policing, the commissions actions have stirred criticism both inside and outside the LAPD. Some activists  particularly those with the Black Lives Matter movement  have organized protests, complaining that the panel hasnt done enough to stop shootings and is too lenient on officers.

The Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union that represents 9,800 officers, has accused commissioners of unfairly judging officers and bending to political pressure. Officers worry theyll be second-guessed for defending themselves in life-or-death situations, union officials say, and are less inclined to police proactively as a result.

These officers, a lot of them are shutting down because their career might be in danger. They might lose their house, their family, their kids because they make one bad move, said Craig Lally, the unions president. If you make a mistake, youre going to  go through hell for it.

Craig Lally, president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, speaks to reporters at a June 2015 Police Commission meeting, the boards first since handing down its controversial ruling in the shooting of Ezell Ford. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

The Police Commission typically deemed about two or three shootings unjustified each year, according to The Times analysis, which examined nearly 440 shootings reviewed by the board. In 2007, commissioners found that none of the 55 shootings evaluated violated the LAPDs deadly force policy.

It is difficult to say whether last years uptick was the result of an increase in problematic encounters or intensified scrutiny by the five-person panel, whose members are appointed by the mayor. Police commissioners downplayed the increase, saying they carefully weigh each case on its own merits and arent influenced by outside pressure.

Weve been second-guessed by the Police Protective League and weve been second-guessed by activists that come to our meetings, said Matt Johnson, the boards president. I wont allow myself to have my decisions governed by whether Im making someone happy or making someone upset.

Johnson, a lawyer who was named to the panel in 2015 and has led the efforts to reduce shootings by officers, said he felt the board has a moral obligation to preserve life when we can. At the same time, he said, commissioners have spent time on ride-alongs and in roll-call meetings at stations, trying to learn as much as they can about what its like to be a police officer.

Steve Soboroff, a police commissioner since 2013, said he understands the impact an out-of-policy decision can have on an officers record and how that could influence morale.

I can see how they feel  they dont hold anything back, Soboroff said of the union. But I think the cops that are out there, day in and day out  do their jobs and they dont look the other way.

The Police Commission reviews every time an LAPD officer fires his or her gun, judging each in three categories: tactics, the decision to draw the firearm and the decision to pull the trigger. Commissioners consider recommendations from LAPD Chief Charlie Beck and their inspector general when making their decisions.

I wont allow myself to have my decisions governed by whether Im making someone happy or making someone upset.  Matt Johnson, president of the Los Angeles Police Commission

The board, however, does not discipline officers for their actions. It is up to Beck to determine what discipline, if any, is appropriate  decisions that are kept confidential under state law.

Beck, who has said he supports the commissions efforts to drive down shootings by officers, noted that he recommended the panel fault officers tactics more frequently last year than in years past. He said the LAPD deliberately began looking at those tactics with more scrutiny after making a few changes, including introducing training in de-escalation and mandating that officers carry Tasers.

Flawed tactics  such as officers separating in foot chases or running after an armed suspect instead of waiting for backup  can increase not only the level of danger for officers, Beck said, but also the likelihood of a shooting.

Its time to be stricter on some of these things, he said.

As for disagreements, Beck noted that chiefs and commissioners have split on cases for decades.

If we always thought the same thing, if they always agreed with me or I always agreed with them, then there would be no forward progress, he said.

In 2015, the commission drew criticism from the union when it split with Beck and found that one of two officers who shot Ezell Ford in South L.A.  a controversial killing that became the local touchstone in the national debate over police shootings of black men  had violated the departments deadly force policy.

Ford was walking near his home when the two officers tried to stop him. Authorities said the 25-year-old knocked one to the ground, launching a scuffle that ultimately ended in gunfire. Particularly galling to the union was that the investigation into Fords death acknowledged that he was shot while wrestling for the officers gun.

Commissioners relied on a new standard, adopted the year before, allowing them to consider whether an officers actions in the moments before a shooting contributed to the decision to pull the trigger. The board determined that the officers decision to stop and detain Ford was unjustified and led to the deadly encounter.

Fords death was one of four shootings reviewed in 2015 in which the Police Commission decided that an officer violated the LAPDs rules for using deadly force. The next year, the number of such findings doubled to eight.

Some were high profile, such as the shooting of an unarmed man in Venice, which Beck said he believed should result in a criminal case against the officer. According to a report Beck gave police commissioners, surveillance video and statements from Officer Clifford Proctors partner disputed Proctors account that he shot Brendon Glenn because he thought the 29-year-old was going for his partners gun. Prosecutors have not yet said whether they will charge the officer.

Other shootings received less public attention.

A little more than a year ago, the panel reviewed the killing of an unarmed man shot by an officer at the end of a car chase in Burbank. Although the officer told investigators he feared Sergio Navas was going to ambush him, commissioners agreed with Beck that the 35-year-old could not reasonably have been viewed to pose an imminent threat. The officer, they said, violated the departments rules on deadly force.

Among the three shootings that split the commission and Beck last year was the killing of James Joseph Byrd, a 45-year-old man shot after throwing a beer bottle through the back window of a police car stopped at a Van Nuys traffic light.

Beck determined the officers were justified in initially firing at Byrd, noting that they told investigators they saw Byrd holding something  one officer said he thought it was a gun. The chief said it was reasonable for the officers to believe Byrd posed an imminent threat, though he faulted them for a second burst of gunfire.

The Police Commission disagreed, concluding that the officers broke LAPD rules each time they pulled their triggers. The evidence  particularly the fact that no gun or other object was found at the scene  did not support the idea that Byrd posed an imminent threat, the board concluded.

In another shooting, Beck believed both officers who killed Norma Guzman, who was carrying an 8-inch knife, followed the LAPDs deadly force policy. But the commission again looked at the entirety of the circumstances  as it did in Fords shooting  and said one officer put himself in a vulnerable position because he did not move away from Guzman and did not discuss using a less-lethal device with his partner beforehand. In a 4-1 vote, the panel faulted the officers use of deadly force.

Police union leaders were outraged. The officers, they argued, had the right to defend themselves against someone armed with a knife.

Activists, angered by two fatal shootings by LAPD officers during one October weekend last year, turn their back to LAPD Chief Charlie Beck as he speaks during a Police Commission meeting. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Anger over the commissions ruling on a shooting  from either side  can linger for months. At the boards weekly meetings, activists routinely chant the names of people killed by police and point to cases they say show commissioners are too soft on police.

After the board decided last summer that an officer was justified in using deadly force against Redel Jones  a black woman shot in a South L.A. alley when police say she moved toward an officer while holding a knife  scores of protesters marched to City Hall. Dozens camped outside the building for weeks.

Greg Akili, a community organizer and former legislative staffer from South Los Angeles who has been active in the Black Lives Matter movement, credited some commissioners with raising issues related to police reform but said he didnt believe the board was willing to rock the boat to bring about substantial change.

Akili said he was concerned by what he described as a low standard for justifying shootings by police, such as an officer thinking someone was going for his or her gun.

That bar has to be raised, he said.

kate.mather@latimes.com

For more LAPD news, follow me on Twitter: @katemather

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A gas leak at a construction site on the USC campus briefly triggered the evacuation of a business building Monday morning, officials said.

The gas leak was reported just after 7:20 a.m. near the building in the 3700 block of South Vermont Avenue, said Amy Bastman, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Fire Department. USC officials said the gas leak was on the main campus.

Construction workers asked people inside the seven-story building to evacuate, Bastman said. The evacuation was calm and orderly, she said.

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By 9:21 a.m., the gas leak was stopped and the evacuation ended, officials said.

USC officials asked students and staff to avoid the area of Alcazar and Soto streets near the health science campus. Gate 6 was closed, they said.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

Twitter: VeronicaRochaLA

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9:20 a.m.: This article was updated with a report that the gas leak was stopped and the evacuation ended.

This article was originally published at 8:50 a.m.
Fearing mass deportations under President Trump, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and County Supervisor Hilda Solis stood together in December to unveil a $10-million fund to hire lawyers to defend local immigrants without legal status.

Modeled after programs in other cities, the L.A. Justice Fund will use city and county money and private donations to help those facing deportation proceedings.

But a proposal to bar immigrants with violent criminal convictions from using the fund is sparking protests from immigration advocacy groups, legal organizations and others in Los Angeles who argue that everyone has the right to an attorney.

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The disagreement over who deserves legal representation is the latest issue to divide political leaders and progressive groups.

Some of the same groups fighting the L.A. Justice Funds criminal conviction provision also criticized Garcettis refusal to label Los Angeles a sanctuary city.

The debate over the L.A. Justice Fund mirrors the battle over a statewide legal fund under consideration by the state Legislature. That program, passed by the Senate earlier this month, also bars those with violent criminal convictions.

Garcetti spokesman George Kivork said in a statement the mayor wants the L.A. Justice Fund  which is expected to launch later this year  to prioritize children, heads of households and victims of domestic violence and human trafficking.

The L.A. Justice Fund is designed to provide legal resources and services to those immigrant Angelenos who are Americans by every measure except the papers they hold, and are facing deportation proceedings without a lawyer, Kivork said.

Garcettis position comes after he pushed for second chances for those with criminal pasts, signing a law in December that restricts employers from asking job applicants about criminal convictions until after a conditional offer of employment has been made.

More than 1 million of the estimated 11 million immigrants in the country without legal status live in Los Angeles County, and advocates argue Los Angeles needs to be prepared for the threat of deportations.

Some anti-illegal immigration activists have criticized the L.A. Justice Fund, calling the program a waste of taxpayer dollars that interferes with the federal governments immigration policies.

Under the funds rules, those convicted of or appealing a conviction for a violent felony as defined in subdivision (c) Section 667.5 of the California Penal Code, which includes crimes of murder, rape, and robbery, would be barred from accessing the fund.

Convictions for human trafficking, child abuse, domestic violence and pimping also could prevent someone from accessing the fund, according to the city of L.A.s guidelines for the justice fund.

The citys criteria for the fund  L.A. will give a total of $2 million  differs slightly from the countys guidelines by giving the attorney the right to decide whether a defendant with a violent criminal felony conviction has a claim to fight deportation.

The city doesnt want to fund a legal case if theres no chance that the defendant will prevail, City Councilman Gil Cedillo said in an interview.

Were being realistic about this, Cedillo said.

In the criminal justice system, defendants are entitled to court-appointed attorneys if they cant afford one. But people facing deportation are not entitled to counsel.

Carmen Iguina, an attorney with ACLU of Southern California, argues the L.A. Justice Fund should be accessible to all immigrants, stating that everyone has the right to due process.

We shouldnt be saying that there are good and bad immigrants, Iguina said.

Solis said she believes the county contribution  $1 million this year  is such a small amount that the county needs to prioritize who should be helped.

There has to be rationality in terms of what our limitations are, Solis said.

The supervisor also expressed frustration that shed been targeted by protesters, some of whom are comparing her position on the L.A. Justice Fund to Trumps position that he wants to deport bad hombres.

About 40 people gathered outside the supervisors meeting Tuesday to protest the funds lack of universal access. The Board of Supervisors ultimately pulled a vote on the fund after failing to muster enough support to pass the motion.

County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl said in a statement the following day that shes concerned that the criminal conviction provision could deny legal help to those who have mistakenly been labeled as having such a conviction.

Immigration advocates cite similar programs in New York City that also use taxpayer dollars but dont bar those with criminal convictions.

Excluding those with violent criminal convictions is defining people by the worst things theyve done, said Steve Choi, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition. People have done their time. Why punish them again through the immigration system?

A Solis spokeswoman said Friday that the Board of Supervisors vote on the L.A. Justice Fund hasnt been rescheduled. Its also unclear when the L.A. City Council will hear a similar motion on the fund.

At a committee hearing on the L.A. Justice Fund last month, Councilwoman Nury Martinez said she wanted to ensure that those convicted of heinous crimes cant use the fund.

She pointed to her work fighting human traffickers in her San Fernando Valley district.

Folks like that shouldnt have access to this type of money and shouldnt have access to this representation, Martinez said.

dakota.smith@latimes.com

Twitter: @dakotacdsmith

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A San Mateo County homeowner woke up early Monday to find that whats believed to have been a mountain lion had entered her bedroom, snatched her pet dog and walked out, authorities said.

The woman and her child were sleeping in her bedroom at about 3 a.m., when her 15-pound Portuguese Podengo, which was just feet away from them, suddenly started barking aggressively, according to Det. Salvador Zuno, spokesman for the San Mateo County Sheriffs Office.

She woke up and saw a shadow of an animal walk through her partially open French doors and enter her bedroom.

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The animal then took the small dog from the foot of her bed and walked out, he said.

With a flashlight, the woman looked for her dog, but only found large wet paw prints at the entrance of her bedroom, Zuno said.

Deputies searched the area and found paw prints similar to a mountain lions, he said. They immediately notified the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the detective said.

They are very shaken up about what happened, Zuno said.

The woman and her child live in the rural, coastal town of Pescadero, where residents often come across wildlife, he said.

But even in Pescadero, Zuno said, this sighting of an apparent mountain lion is rare. In the San Mateo County mountains, cougars usually eat deer and other wildlife, not pets, Zuno said.

Whats so rare and shocking about this is that the animal comes up to the property and enters the home, the detective said.

Andrew Hughan, a Fish and Wildlife spokesman, said the department is still trying to determine if the animal was a mountain lion.

Its too early to tell, he said.

Meanwhile, Zuno said residents should take precautions and safeguard their homes. He advised residents to keep an air horn nearby and lock their windows and doors at night.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

Twitter: VeronicaRochaLA

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Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have handed over parcels to Ukrainian military held hostage in prisons on the territory of Donbas beyond Ukrainian government control, according to First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ukraine's representative in the humanitarian subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group Iryna Gerashchenko.

"Today, the ICRC mission for the first time in all this time has been able to hand over parcels to our military who are held hostage in Makiyivka penal colony and the Donetsk detention center. It was agreed about the transfer of parcels on Easter at the latest meeting of the humanitarian group in Minsk," she wrote on Facebook on Saturday.

Gerashchenko said she was satisfied that the agreements of the meeting in Minsk were being gradually carried out.
Cal State Stanislaus officials launched an immediate investigation this weekend after one of their students, white supremacist Nathan Damigo, was captured on video punching a woman in the face during a melee in Berkeley.

The university has zero tolerance for the use of violence and we will take all of the necessary legal and disciplinary measures to ensure that all students and everyone on campus have a safe and secure environment, Cal State Stanislaus President Ellen Junn said in a statement Sunday.

Violent confrontations broke out in Berkeley on Saturday. Clashes between backers and critics of President Trump  and scuffles between self-described anti-fascists and white nationalists  resulted in 21 arrests and numerous injuries.

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Damigo charged a diminutive woman who was involved in the fighting and punched her in the face, then ran away into the crowd.

Video of the punch went viral, with many on social media calling for Damigos arrest and his expulsion from Cal State Stanislaus, where he is a social sciences student.

Actor Chris Evans, who plays Marvels Nazi-punching superhero Captain America, tweeted video of Damigos punch on Saturday, saying, I hope I run into Nathan.

Damigo did not respond to requests for comment.

The presence of the 30-year-old former Marine corporal continues to present problems at Cal State Stanislaus.

Damigo is the founder of a white nationalist group called Identity Evropa, which posts fliers around college campuses nationwide with slogans like Lets Become Great Again and Protect Your Heritage. In October, after Identity Evropas material appeared at Cal State Stanislaus, someone responded by posting fliers on campus with Damigos face and a warning that he was a known white supremacist and violent offender.

Junn said in a statement at the time that while safety was her top priority, she believed in the freedom of speech on campus, even if it was offensive.

On Sunday, Junn said the university was in contact with relevant officials and will take appropriate and timely actions to address this issue. She did not reference Damigo by name.

Janice Curtin, a spokeswoman for Cal State Stanislaus, said in an email to the Times on Monday that the university was not contacted by police but that Junn had received email and Twitter messages beginning Saturday.

As part of its investigation, the universitys Police Department will be in contact with Berkeley police, she said. University leadership and campus legal counsel will be assembling teams to determine how to handle the situation, Curtin said.

Damigo, who was profiled by The Times in December, is an Iraq War veteran who was convicted of armed robbery after drunkenly pulling a gun on a La Mesa cabdriver he thought was Iraqi.

In November 2007, he had been home for a month after his second tour of duty and was suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder, drug and alcohol abuse and paranoia, according to San Diego County court records. A few days after the anniversary of a friends combat death, he spent a night drinking and went for a walk with a gun. He came across the cabdriver, put a gun to his head and robbed the man of $43, records show.

He started reading books about race and identity in prison, he told The Times. He was greatly influenced, he said, by My Awakening, the book by former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke.

Richard B. Spencer, one of Americas most prominent white nationalists, has come to Damigos defense. Spencer was punched in the head by a black-clad person while being interviewed on Inauguration Day.

In a YouTube video, Spencer compared reaction to the video of him getting punched  which prompted the New York Times to ask, Is it O.K. to punch a Nazi?  to outrage over the video of Damigo punching the woman.

This is not a situation where he randomly sucker-punched some woman, Spencer said. In fact, there was a maelstrom going on that he was involved in.

hailey.branson@latimes.com

Twitter: @haileybranson

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State officials have reopened the damaged spillway at Oroville Dam as another set of rainstorms began moving across Northern California.

Water resumed gushing through the partly collapsed concrete chute Friday morning, said Kristyne Van Skike, who is on the state Department of Water Resources team thats managing the spillway.

The rainfall Sunday was not strong enough to match the amount of water that was flowing out of the reservoir and into the spillway, she said. Water will continue pouring down the spillway for up to two weeks, depending on how much more rain falls.

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On Saturday, the state received bids to fix the spillway at a cost ranging from $275 million to $344 million. State officials hope to award the contract by Tuesday.

Fear of a spillway collapse led authorities to order an emergency evacuation of more than 100,000 people from communities below the dam in February. The order was lifted a few days later.

Even with more rain in the weather forecast, Van Skike said there was no threat to public safety.

Its typical for the season, she said.

The National Weather Service expects showers on and off through Thursday in the Oroville area, but not a large amount of total rainfall.

It looks like the rest of the systems are relatively weak, said weather service forecaster Karl Swanberg.

Amazing @CA_DWR video of Oroville's damaged spillway being reopened today for more water releases after new storms.. https://t.co/dVt7iOcnfn  John Myers (@johnmyers) April 14, 2017

michael.finnegan@latimes.com

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Investigators found narcotic medications in Princes estate in Minnesota after he died of an opioid overdose last year, some in vitamin bottles, but none had been prescribed to the pop star, according to court records released Monday.

The newly unsealed search warrants in Carver County, Minn., do not show where Prince Rogers Nelson may have gotten the powerful opioid fentanyl he took before he was found dead at his Paisley Park estate outside Minneapolis at the age of 57 on April 21, 2016.

No arrests have been made in connection with the ongoing investigation, which is being conducted by the Carver County Sheriffs Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

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Investigators records say Prince got his painkillers through others, most recently with the help of a local doctor, Michael Schulenberg, who had started treating Prince in the month before his death.

On April 14  the day Prince fainted during a private flight from Atlanta to Minneapolis and had to be revived from an opioid overdose  Schulenberg wrote an oxycodone prescription intended for the entertainer, but he prescribed the drugs to Princes friend and bodyguard, Kirk Johnson, for Princes privacy, the doctor told investigators, according to a warrant application.

The records also indicate that the states confidential prescription monitoring database, which helps pharmacists monitor for drug abuse, showed no prescriptions under Princes name.

Schulenbergs attorney, Amy S. Conners, said in a statement Monday that the doctor did not treat Johnson as a prescription pass-through for Prince and said he has cooperated with investigators.

Dr. Schulenberg never directly prescribed opioids to Prince, nor did he ever prescribe opioids to any other person with the intent that they would be given to Prince, Conners said in a statement.

Johnsons attorney, F. Clayton Tyler, said in a statement that his client did not secure nor supply the drugs which caused Princes death.

The entertainer didnt have a regular doctor.

His most recent contact before Dr. Schulenberg was various doctors his managers would set up for him before a show so that Prince could received a B12 [vitamin] injection to feel better before performing for a show, according to the unsealed records.

The records  which include requests to seize computer, email and cellphone records related to Prince  also detail some of the private life of a reclusive megastar who refused to use a cellphone after his private information was hacked, who emailed using a managers name as his pseudonym and who traveled under the name Peter Bravestrong when on the road.

The day before his death, Prince had sought the help of a California-based addiction treatment doctor, Howard Kornfeld, who couldnt go on such short notice and instead sent his son, Andrew, 26, who was not a licensed doctor, to evaluate Prince for possible admittance to his fathers treatment clinic.

Andrew Kornfeld had arrived at the property with Johnson and Princes assistant, Meron Bekure, when Princes body was discovered.

Andrew said he heard a scream and ran down the hall and observed Prince lying on his left side in the elevator, states one of the newly unsealed court records, which said that Prince lived at the Paisley Park estate alone and without a security guard.

Schulenberg arrived at the property the same morning.

Investigators were not satisfied with some of the answers they got from the group at Princes estate. Interviews with those who were at Paisley Park the morning Prince was found deceased have provided inconsistent and, at times, contradictory statements, one document stated.

Johnson told investigators he didnt know Prince was addicted, according to the warrants, which note that Johnson had known Prince since the 1980s. He was also one of the few people with untrammeled access to Paisley Park, where there was a sizable amount of narcotic medications  in various pill containers throughout the residence, one warrant stated.

Johnson had picked up various non-opioid medications for Prince the day before the entertainers death, and his name was found on some of the bottles in Princes estate, the records said.

Investigators also said they took a backpack belonging to Andrew Kornfeld that contained medications, kept in plastic bags and envelopes, that he didnt have a license to distribute. They included buprenorphine, a treatment drug for opiate addicts, and an anti-nausea suppository. Investigators asked him what he was doing with the drugs.

Kornfeld admits he brought them of his own accord. He said he got them from his own medicine cabinet, but he denied he intended to use them, one newly unsealed record states. He said he did not think about it, he just had them, and now admits it was not a very good idea.

Investigators kept hold of Kornfelds backpack as possible evidence. Kornfeld has not been accused of wrongdoing.

Kornfelds attorney, William Mauzy, said that Kornfeld is protected by Minnesotas Good Samaritan law, which gives immunity for drug possession if someone provides aid to the victim of an overdose.

I think the unsealing of the search [warrant] makes it abundantly clear again that Andrew had nothing to do with Princes death, Mauzy said, noting that Kornfeld had never met or talked to Prince. He flew from San Francisco, was met by Prince representatives, went to Paisley Park, and sadly Prince looked like he was experiencing a drug overdose, and [he] called 911 as a responsible person would.

matt.pearce@latimes.com

Twitter: @mattdpearce

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UPDATES:

5:05 p.m.: This article was updated throughout with additional details from court documents and comments from officials.

This article was originally published at 9:55 a.m.
Ever since he announced his presidential campaign in July 2015, Donald Trump has made opposition to immigration central to his political strategy  and pundits have debated whether this strategy was effective. He won, of course, but did he win despite his aggressive rhetoric, or because of it?

Data from the recently released American National Election Study has finally provided an answer: Immigration was central to the election, and hostility toward immigrants animated Trump voters.

Comparing the results of the 2012 and 2016 ANES surveys shows that Trump increased his vote over Mitt Romneys on a number of immigration-related issues. In 2012 and 2016, the ANES asked respondents their feelings toward immigrants in the country illegally. Respondents could rate them anywhere between 100 (most positive) or 0 (most negative). Among those with positive views (above 50), there was no change between 2012 and 2016, with Romney and Trump each receiving 22% of the vote. Among those who had negative views, however, Trump did better than Romney, capturing 60% of the vote compared with only 55% for Romney.

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Attitudes toward immigrants in the country illegally speak to why some voters switched parties between 2012 and 2016. Among those who voted in both elections but didnt switch their vote, the average rating of immigrants in the country illegally was 42. Among those who switched from Romney to Hillary Clinton, it was 41. But those who switched their vote from President Obama to Trump were much more negative, with an average rating of only 32.

Now that he is president and his immigration views cant be dismissed as mere campaign rhetoric, a counter-mobilization may finally be manifesting itself.

However, Trumps support wasnt limited to just those who oppose immigrants residing in the country illegally  he also picked up votes among those who want to limit all immigration to the United States. In 2012, Romney received 58% of the vote among those who said they think that the number of immigrants from foreign countries who are permitted to come to the United States should be decreased. In 2016, Trump got 74% of the vote among those who held this view.

Overall, immigration represented one of the biggest divides between Trump and Clinton voters. Among Trump voters, 67% endorsed building a southern border wall and 47% of them favored it a great deal. In contrast, 77% of Clinton voters opposed building a wall and 67 % strongly opposed it.

Trump and Clinton voters were also deeply divided on the importance of speaking English. Eighty percent of Trump voters said that speaking English is very important for being truly American, but only 43 % of Clinton voters took the same view.

Nearly half of Trump voters (49%) favored changing the Constitution so that children born to undocumented immigrants would no longer automatically receive U.S. citizenship. Only 18% of Clinton voters took this view.

Trump voters, finally, said they dont want to let Syrian refugees into the U.S., with 80% opposed to such a policy, compared with only 23% of Clinton voters. This result reflected Trump voters overall negative views of Muslims. On the 100-point scale mentioned above, 71% of Trump voters had a negative view of Muslims (50 or below). In contrast, only 31% of Clinton voters rated Muslims negatively. Trumps hard-line stance on immigration, then, likely helped him win in 2016. But a word of caution: Many of his positions actually fall on the wrong side of public opinion.

In the ANES survey, a large majority of Trump voters (68%) said that immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children and have lived here for at least 10 years and graduated high school should be allowed to stay in the U.S. They want a border wall; theyre divided on the 14th Amendment  and yet, when push comes to shove, they dont want to deport kids who have done nothing wrong.

Broadening out from Trump voters to the population at large, public opinion is even more dovish. Only 32% said they want to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Most (56%) oppose decreasing immigration levels. Only 21% said they think that immigration is bad for the economy.

Trump won in 2016 by mobilizing the minority of Americans with anti-immigration views  but only because he avoided an offsetting counter-mobilization by the majority of Americans with pro-immigration views. Now that he is president and his immigration views cant be dismissed as mere campaign rhetoric, that counter-mobilization may finally be manifesting itself.

Widespread protests against Trumps executive order barring individuals from several Muslim countries, congressional skepticism about the effectiveness and cost of Trumps proposed wall, and increased awareness of the negative effect that his policies are having on U.S. businesses, schools and families suggest a growing backlash. Should that backlash develop and sustain itself, the immigration views that helped Trump in 2016 might prove to be his undoing.

Philip Klinkner is the James S. Sherman professor of government at Hamilton College.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook

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Monday was the first day Justice Neil Gorsuch participated in oral arguments at the Supreme Court and he was an active inquisitor, peppering lawyers (as the cliche goes) with questions.

When a lawyer for a retired federal employee told the court that he wasnt asking it to break any new ground in interpreting a federal statute, Gorsuch interjected that, no, he was just asking the court to continue to make it up.

Was this said in a sarcastic tone or a gently humorous one? The easy way to find out is to listen to the audio recording of the argument  but youll have to wait until Friday, the day when the recordings of arguments from Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are customarily posted on the courts website. But by then the interest in Gorsuchs first day in the job may have ebbed.

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Why not routinely post the audio on the same day? Thats when transcripts are posted.

The idea of same-day audio has been pressed on the court for some time, including by this writer. But the justices continue to resist, though they will occasionally authorize same-day posting of arguments in high-profile cases.

One example was the 2012 arguments in the challenge to the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. That allowed for same-day broadcast of the late Justice Antonin Scalias infamous analogy between a requirement that Americans purchase health insurance and a requirement that they buy broccoli.

The court also allowed same-day posting of the audio of the arguments in the cases that produced the landmark 2015 decision affirming a right of marriage for same-sex couples. But these exceptions have been, well, exceptional.

On Wednesday the court will hear another potentially momentous case, one that could transform the relationship between church and state. A Lutheran preschool in Missouri is challenging a state constitutional provision, similar to those in many other states, that prohibits state aid to religious organizations. In this case, the school had been denied participation in a state program that provides playgrounds with rubber protective surfaces made out of converted tires. (Missouris new governor has announced a change in the state policy of excluding religious organizations from the program, but that may not keep the court from deciding the case.)

An important case, but no same-day audio.

Whether a citizen is fascinated by the legal issues involved, or just curious about what the newest member of the Supreme Court sounds like, there is no reason why he should have to wait four days to listen to arguments that can be easily uploaded in a matter of hours. The courts delay is supremely annoying.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
To the editor: Your editorial points out part of the problem in judicial elections. SB 235, a bill in California that sets standards for how judicial candidates label themselves on the ballot, will help, but there is a more significant concern for the voters. (Who would you support for judge: a government lawyer or a child molestation prosecutor? editorial, April 13)

Even with labels such as attorney or lawyer, the voting public still has no idea whether the candidate possesses any of the qualities we need in the judiciary.

Most judges are appointed by the governor after having been through a rigorous vetting process that includes interviews by a commission of lawyers and the local bar association, and recommendations by attorneys and judges. This process has been very effective in weeding out unqualified candidates who, as an alternative to being questioned by their peers, can attempt to persuade voters by spending huge sums of money to buy mailers, which are often misleading by design.

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When the third branch of government becomes part of our political morass with all of its opportunities for chicanery, we run the risk of an inferior judiciary.

Michael Solner, Burbank

The writer is a retired Los Angeles County Superior Court judge.

..

To the editor: For local voters, the Los Angeles County Bar Assn. provides a four-category rating system for candidates for the Superior Court. It is available on the bars website before elections.

I practiced civil litigation in L.A. County for 25 years, and even I didnt know all the judges running for re-election, let alone the non-judge candidates. I found the bars rating system very reliable, and I urge every voter in the county to check it out.

Julie Bisceglia, Manhattan Beach

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
To the editor: First, President Trump sent dozens of missiles to hit Syria. Next, the mother of all bombs  the militarys most powerful nonnuclear device  was dropped in Afghanistan. A lot of noise, yes; carnage, not so much. The estimated death toll from both encounters probably wont exceed 70, while a single suicide bomber can kill that many people at once for a lot less money. (Air Force drops mother of all bombs in Afghanistan, April 13)

These two actions did more to make a decisive statement for public relations purposes than to deter our adversaries from conducting business as usual. Syrian planes took off within hours of the U.S. strike, and I would bet the Afghan tunnels will soon be operational.

Regardless of who lives in the White House, this Middle East quagmire wont go away in our lifetimes. We can unleash missiles from distant warships or drop the mother bomb from an airplane and say job well done, but our wheels will continue spinning until we commit enough troops to get the job done.

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Don A. Norman, Los Angeles

..

Fridays front page said the bombing in Afghanistan is evidence of a more robust military strategy under Trump. Setting aside the fact that no strategy has been explained to us, I wonder which of these definitions of robust The Times had in mind:

Strong and healthy; suited to or requiring bodily strength or endurance; rough, rude or boisterous; or rich and full-bodied.

The most powerful nation on Earth dropped its most powerful nonnuclear bomb on a sparsely populated wasteland, and this is robust? This may not be fake news, but it sure is cosmetically altered news.

Robert Von Bargen, Santa Monica

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
To the editor: The rush to condemn White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, as shown by the three letters published in The Times, is a sad example of why nothing ever gets done in this country. We have become too impatient, self-righteous and unforgiving. (Sean Spicer should visit Auschwitz and a Holocaust museum  and then lose his job, Readers React, April 13)

Spicers apology for his remarks that Adolf Hitler did not use chemical weapons was quick, sincere and contrite. He is obviously aware of the Holocaust and Aktion T4, but his brain was lasered in on one issue at that moment: the aircraft dropping of chemical bombs on civilians.

His job requires rapid-fire responses to dozens of questions and is probably one of the most difficult in this country. I doubt if 99% of us could handle it for one day. Lets give him, and each other, a break.

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Troy Garrett, Long Beach

..

To the editor: Who is more ignorant: The spokesman who spoke as if he didnt know that Hitler used gas to kill his own elderly and infirm people and then to try to wipe out Jews through out Europe at those Holocaust centers (more commonly known as death camps), or his boss who didnt know that the internationally recognized day for Holocaust remembrance was for the world to remember Hitlers attempt to destroy Jews by gassing them and cremating their remains?

Frankly, Spicer and President Trump deserve each other, but America deserves neither.

Gilbert H. Skopp, Calabasas

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
University of California administration is paying excessive salaries and mishandling funds, state audit says

UCLA campus (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The administration of the University of California system pays top workers salaries and benefits significantly higher than that of similar state employees, and failed to disclose to the Board of Regents and the public that it had $175 million in budget reserve funds while it was seeking to raise tuition, a state audit found Tuesday.

The audit triggered a dispute with UC President Janet Napolitano, who said charges of hidden funds were false, while two members of the UC Board of Regents charged recommendations to give the Legislature budget authority over the Office of the President encroached on UCs constitutional powers.

Among the sticking points, the auditors believe the regents should contract with an independent third party that can assist the regents in monitoring a three-year corrective action plan.

The audit of the Office of the President also found that it failed to satisfactorily justify its spending on system-wide initiatives and inappropriately screened surveys submitted by auditors to campus officials.

Our report concludes that the Office of the President has amassed substantial reserve funds, used misleading budgeting practices, provided its employees with generous salaries and atypical benefits, and failed to satisfactorily justify its spending on systemwide initiatives, State Auditor Elaine Howle wrote to Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature.

Furthermore, when we sought independent perspective from campuses about the quality and cost of the services and programs the Office of the President provides to them, the Office of the President intentionally interfered with our audit process, Howle wrote.

The auditor said that because of recent tuition hikes, she recommends the Office of the President should refund available funds in the reserves by returning them to the campuses for the benefit of students.

Ralph Washington Jr. president of the U.C. Students Assn. said if any reserve money is found it should go to help students, possibly by killing the tuition increase or helping students who are starving or homeless, but he is concerned legislators may use the audit to say the U.C. doesnt need so much general fund money.

Students definitely dont want their tuition to go up, he said.

Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount), who serves on the board of regents, said the audit requires more inquiry.

The audit of the UC Office of the President appears to have uncovered the same kind of budgetary misrepresentations and executive excess that weve seen before with the State Parks Department and the Public Utilities Commission, Rendon said in a statement. There are many questions that need to be answeredand answered honestly.

The audit was requested by legislators concerned about high tuition and complaints of a bloated administration overseeing the UC systems 10 campuses.

The reserve included $32 million in unspent funds it received from an annual charge levied on the campusesfunds that campuses could have spent on students, the audit said.

Auditors said salaries paid to those in the presidents office are much higher than the pay of comparable positions in other state government jobs.

President Napolitano agreed with the vast majority of recommendations for improving budget processes and spending, but denied that $175 million was hidden from the UC Board of Regents.

In a letter to Howle, the president said changes were already underway.

The recommendations to [the UC presidents office] are helpful, Napolitano wrote. We welcome this constructive input, which aligns with our proactive efforts to continually improve UCOPs operations, and UCOP intends to implement the recommendations.

However, Board of Regents Chair Monica Lozano and Regent Charlene Zettel asked Howle to remove recommendations that they feel encroach on the constitutional autonomy of the university system, including proposals to have the Legislature approve the Office of the Presidents budget.

As written, we believe these recommendations threaten the Universitys standing as a constitutionally autonomous entity, and the Board of Regents itself, the regents wrote.

Administrative salaries amounted to $2.5 million more than the maximum annual salary ranges for comparable state employees, auditors found.

For instance, an accounting managers maximum annual salary is $169,000 at UC compared to $156,000 for other state employees.

An information system manager can make $258,000 with UC, but $150,000 with other state agencies.

The audit said: 10 executives in the Office of the President whose compensation we analyzed were paid a total of $3.7 million in fiscal year 2014-15  over $700,000 more than the combined salaries of their highest paid state employee counterparts.

On benefits, the Office of the President provided a regular retirement plan but also offered its executives a retirement savings account into which the office contributes up to 5% of the executives salariesabout $2.5 million over the past five years, the audit found.

The Office of the President also spent more than $2 million for its staffs business meetings and entertainment expenses over the past five yearsa benefit that the State does not offer to its employees except in limited circumstances, the audit said..

The audit also said the Office of the President reimbursed questionable travel expenses, including a ticket for a theater performance and limousine services. One person spent $350 per night on hotel rooms, which is above the allowable standard for other state agencies.

The audit said the Office of the President has not managed its own budget  which amounted to $747 million in fiscal year 201516  in a fiscally prudent or transparent way.

Napolitano said the audit was in error in claiming her office failed to publicly disclose tens of millions in surplus funds.

In fact, UCOPs budget and financial approaches reflect strategic, deliberate and transparent spending and investment in UC and state priorities, said a statement by the Office of the President.

Howle disagreed.

Significant reforms are necessary to strengthen the publics trust in the Office of the President, the audit concluded.

Read the audit here.
Poroshenko to go on official visit to UK on April 18-19

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko will pay an official visit to the United Kingdom on April 18-19 at the invitation of British Prime Minister Theresa May.

The visit program includes meetings of Poroshenko with May, individual members of the government and representatives of the House of Commons of the British parliament, the Ukrainian president's press service reported.

The Ukrainian president will speak on the topic "Battle for Ukraine: Leadership and Solidarity against Aggression" at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, commonly known as Chatham House.

Poroshenko will also meet with leading representatives of British business.
A confident Justice Neil M. Gorsuch took his seat on the Supreme Court for the first time Monday and quickly joined colleagues in firing questions at lawyers in three highly procedural disputes.

He was enthusiastic and well-prepared, despite having only a few days to get ready for the arguments. And the new justice showed he had clear views on how the cases should be resolved.

Wouldnt it be a lot easier if we just followed the plain text of the statute? Gorsuch asked a government lawyer. What am I missing? He repeated the reference to the plain words or plain text of the law during all three arguments.

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He cut short a lawyer who cited earlier rulings in favor of employees who had sued for discrimination and added, Were not asking this court to break new ground.

Gorsuch interjected: No, just to continue to make it up.

He also chided a lawyer who failed to give a clear answer in response to his queries.

Thats not a trick question, he said during a complicated property rights dispute.

And he sounded unswayed by a lawyer for the California public employees retirement fund who defended its decision to file a separate suit in 2011 against Lehman Bros. and one of its insurers on the grounds the rules governing class-action claims were ambiguous.

Gorsuch pointed to the plain text of the 1934 securities law. It says, in no event may new claims be filed more than three years after the sale of an allegedly fraudulent stock.

Wheres the ambiguity in in no event? Gorsuch asked.

His opening day performance matched that of other new justices who were veterans of a federal appeals court. Justice Sonia Sotomayor asked more than three dozen questions during her first full day in October 2009. But many other newcomers have sat silently and listened to the fast-moving arguments during their first weeks on the high court.

Gorsuch, 49, succeeds one his heroes, the late Justice Antonin Scalia, who famously insisted the court should decide cases based on the literal words of the law, not its purpose or how it has been interpreted by lower courts. Gorsuch made clear from the start he will try to follow Scalias approach.

But frequently the high court takes up cases because of a conflict between two laws, or because the text of the law is confusing.

The first case heard Monday was one such dispute. At issue was whether a federal employee who says he was a victim of discrimination should appeal his claims through the system for civil service appeals or before a federal district judge.

And as Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. noted, the law was anything but clear.

This is unbelievably complicated. Nobody who is not a lawyer and no ordinary lawyer could read these statutes and figure out what they are supposed to do, he told the governments lawyer. Who wrote this statute? Somebody who takes pleasure out of pulling the wings off flies?

When the gavel sounded at 10 a.m, the nine justices appeared from behind the red curtain, and Gorsuch took his place at the right end seated next to Sotomayor.

Before we commence the business of the court this morning, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said, it gives me great pleasure on behalf of myself and my colleagues to welcome Justice Gorsuch as the 101st associate justice of this court. Justice Gorsuch, we wish you a long and happy career in our common calling.

Gorsuch turned and said he wanted to thank each of my new colleagues for the very warm welcome I received last week. I appreciate it very much.

Earlier on Monday, the justices issued an orders list which showed they had taken no action in a series of closely watched appeals. They include appeals from a Colorado baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple and from California gun owners who sued when they were denied a permit to carry a concealed weapon.

Court officials said Gorsuch had decided not to participate in Thursdays closed-door conference because he wanted to prepare for the three days of oral arguments this week. The appeals will be considered again at a conference Friday.

david.savage@latimes.com

On Twitter: DavidGSavage
President Trump has bragged that hes ordered that new oil and gas pipelines built in the U.S. will be made from American steel, but its one of a number of times he has overstated the scope of an executive order to make his administration look good.

Washington Bureau Chief David Lauter reviewed the practical effects of the 39 orders and presidential memorandums signed by Trump so far, and found few affect actual policy. He found that many, like the order that steel for pipelines has to come from the U.S., may be toothless.

Im Sarah D. Wire, and I cover the California delegation in Congress. Welcome to the Monday edition of Essential Politics.

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Meanwhile, thousands of people marched in rallies across the country to demand Trump release his taxes (and Trump responded on Twitter), and pro- and anti-Trump demonstrators clashed in Berkeley.

Get the latest about the Trump administration on Essential Washington and follow @latimespolitics. Keep an eye on our Essential Politics news feed for California political news.

WHATS NEXT IN WASHINGTON

National security advisor H.R. McMaster warned North Korea on Sunday to end its nuclear testing or face U.S. reprisals. He called that countrys leader a global threat and said Trump will take action if North Korea continues to threaten the U.S. W.J. Hennigan and Barbara Demick looked at the few good military options Trump faces in North Korea.

Members of Congress are scheduled to be back home for one more week of recess, and face an immediate fight when they return over a spending bill to keep the government functioning. If they cant agree, parts of the government will shut down April 28.

FUNDING THE CENSUS

The next national census may still be three years away, but national advocacy groups say the government is running out of time and money to do it right.

Despite sweeping plans to change how citizens are counted in the constitutionally required census, observers told me that the U.S. Census Bureau wont be able to fully make the switch if Congress doesnt act soon to increase the bureaus budget.

NO MORE MAJORITY GOP CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS

California may have 14 Republicans in Congress, but those 13 men and one woman arent in the majority back at home. In fact, theres not a single congressional district in the state where the majority of voters are Republicans.

In his Sunday column, John Myers takes a closer look at the eroding base of GOP lawmakers in these districts  a reality that makes the 2018 election cycle all the more do-or-die for the states second-largest party.

TAX TAMPONS AND DIAPERS, OR LIQUOR?

Two California assemblywomen are trying to eliminate sales taxes on diapers and tampons and other womens health products and cover the cost of the change by hiking alcohol taxes.

The lawmakers are positioning their bill as a way for their colleagues to express their values and put the California in line with numerous other states that have passed proposals to exempt sales taxes on those products, Liam Dillon reports. But their bill faces a high hurdle due to the power of the alcohol lobby and the difficulty of raising taxes in general.

CALIFORNIA AND CLIMATE CHANGE

It was never going to be easy for the U.S. to meet its obligation under the Paris agreement on climate change, but Trump is making it even more difficult by rolling back federal regulations on greenhouse gas emissions. The lack of a national plan to fight global warming means decisions from individual states are more important than ever. Chris Megerian explores how California has tried to rally its allies and looks at what states are doing right now to support clean energy.

Megerian and Melanie Mason explored how the heavy lift to pass the $52-billion roads bill may have made it harder for state lawmakers to approve a cap-and-trade program.

Also, Gov. Jerry Brown spoke to The Times about California, climate change and Trump.

SHOULD CALIFORNIA MOVE ITS PRIMARY?

Columnist George Skelton weighed in on talks about whether the most populous state in the country should move its primary to earlier in presidential election years so it has a greater say in who the nominees are.

Moving the primary was also one of the topics of this weeks California Politics Podcast.

TRACKING TRUMPS TWEETS

Twitter has long been Trumps favored means of pushing his message. Were compiling all of his tweets and looking into his use of the platform.

TODAYS ESSENTIALS

 Over the weekend, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said tough rhetoric from the Trump administration has caused confusion among those considering crossing illegally into the U.S. and made them abandon their travel plans.

 The Trump administration will keep secret the records of those who visit the White House, ending a practice started under the Obama administration of partially releasing visitor logs.

 Brown issued 72 Easter weekend pardons and seven sentence commutations, largely for nonviolent drug crimes, but also for crimes including burglary and being an accomplice in a murder.

 What you need to know about Californias sanctuary state bill and how it would work.

 Mark Z. Barabak has a look at the splits within the groups that want California to break away from the U.S.

 New prison parole overhaul guidelines won initial approval from California state regulators.

 A rift has opened between the Brown administration and legislators over new marijuana laws in California.

 A Republican assemblymans Modesto district office was vandalized Thursday night, the latest in a series of troubling incidents at the location in the past few months.

 Uber could face a $1.1-million fine from state regulators after an investigation found the company didnt adequately investigate suspected drunk drivers.

 A trio of California state senators spent its spring break up north, studying Canadas single-payer healthcare system.

 Trumps Interior secretary met with Brown in Sacramento.

 North Carolinas repeal of its controversial bathroom bill isnt enough to address discrimination concerns, California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra said, and the ban on state-funded travel to that state remains.

LOGISTICS

Essential Politics is published Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You can keep up with breaking news on our politics page throughout the day for the latest and greatest. And are you following us on Twitter at @latimespolitics?

Miss Fridays newsletter? Here you go.

Please send thoughts, concerns and news tips to politics@latimes.com.

Did someone forward you this? Sign up here to get Essential Politics in your inbox.
The editors of the prestigious Annals of Internal Medicine are urging their colleagues in the medical community to join the March for Science. To make sure they leave no room for doubt, the headline on their editorial reads, Alternative Facts Have No Place in Science.

Published by the American College of Physicians, its a jam-packed piece that explains how the politicization of science is threatening the health of our nations citizens.

So what, exactly, has made these physicians worked up enough to participate in Saturdays march?

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Lets start with: Climate change is not a hoax ...

Climate change has adverse effects on human health that include respiratory disease, heat-related conditions, vector-borne disease and food and water security.

 and its effects are being felt, right here, right now.

These are not merely future hypothetical threats in foreign lands  poor air quality due to global warming is already associated with poor respiratory health in U.S. locales.

Also, vaccines work

Well-designed and meticulous studies [have established] the effectiveness and safety of vaccines for such diseases as measles, pertussis, varicella, and polio.

 and anti-vaxxers are putting people in danger.

the antivaccine lobby is bolstered by political leaders who echo its alternative facts about vaccines. Consequently, people are increasingly at risk for illness and death that vaccines had previously prevented.

A 1-year-old girl is vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Guns dont make people safer ...

Growing evidence shows that guns do not make U.S. citizens safer but are actually associated with increased risk for suicide, homicide and injury.

 and politicians dont seem to care.

Legislators ignore this evidence when they block regulatory actions that could enhance safety of firearms in our society.

And then theres Trumps budget:

The budget President Trump released in mid-March 2017 proposes to reduce the National Institutes of Health budget by $5.8 billion, an 18.3% reduction.

They know it probably wont go through, but 

The proposed NIH cuts, along with the proposal to eliminate the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, exemplify that the administration fails or chooses not to recognize the importance of science to the health of the United States and its citizens.

 and that could have long-term effects.

Bright young people will be hesitant to pursue careers in medical research in such an environment, resulting in fewer people being ready to seek out what science can teach us to combat future problems.

Good medicine can occur only thanks to good science.

And good science cannot occur and its rewards cannot be reaped when we choose to pursue only the data and knowledge that seem to support our ideologies and denigrate the rest as fake. Science doesnt work that way.

So get out there and make your voice heard.

Politicians who pick and choose the scientific data they are willing to promote and denigrate represent a peril we must face head-on.

deborah.netburn@latimes.com

Do you love science? I do! Follow me @DeborahNetburn and like Los Angeles Times Science & Health on Facebook.

MORE IN SCIENCE

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Laguna Beach High Principal Chris Herzfeld will step down at the end of this school year and will remain with the school district as a teacher.

In an email to parents, Herzfeld, said a variety of professional and personal circumstances contributed to the decision.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to lead our towns only high school, and I feel I will be stepping away with the school in excellent condition for the next leader, Herzfeld said in the letter. I have always been a connoisseur of effective instructional practices in the classroom and have dedicated my career to building positive professional relationships with students, staff and community.

In the remaining months in my position as principal, I will continue to work diligently in pursuit of the schools mission statement and to build the future of LBHS.

Join the conversation on Facebook 

The Laguna Beach Unified school board approved Herzfelds request for reassignment last week.

I continuously assess my professional setting, Herzfeld wrote in an email to the Daily Pilot. This was not a sudden decision.

Before coming to Laguna Beach High in October 2014, Herzfeld spent 10 years as principal at Fountain Valley High School.

Herzfeld started his career in education in 1987 as a social studies teacher at Sierra High in Colorado Springs, Colo., and has held three assistant principal positions, according to the 2014 story.

Laguna Beach Unified officials could not be reached for comment as of Monday afternoon regarding further details of Herzfelds reassignment. The district is observing spring break this week.

bryce.alderton@latimes.com

Twitter: @AldertonBryce
If you want experiences only the Golden State can offer, check out the Travel sections California Bucket List. Then come tell us about your favorite places Saturday at the 2017 Festival of Books at USC.

How many have you done? And whats on your bucket list? Our list grows every day with a new essential adventure, from easy to edgy.

L.A. Times Travel writer Christopher Reynolds will moderate a panel with Forbes travel blogger Andrew Bender, travel writer Michele Bigley and Charles Fleming, who writes about cars, motorcycles and urban hiking for The Times.

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The panel runs 2:15 to 2:45 p.m. Saturday at the Travel & Wellness Stage.

 Motion graphic shows key speakers and locations for the 2017 Los Angeles Festival Of Books at the University of Southern California.

The Festival of Books also will feature a performance by the TSA Chorus (yes, they have one!) from 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. Saturday at the Travel & Wellness Stage.

Events are free and open to the public.

Check out the complete Festival of Books schedule for Saturday and Sunday.

ALSO

Swim in a cool Hearst-worthy pool that Julia Morgan designed in Berkeley

Taste the states greatness (or at least something fresh and local) at Berkeleys Chez Panisse

Dine in high style at the former Ahwahnee in Yosemite Valley

Romp at the worlds safest beach in Carpinteria

travel@latimes.com

@latimestravel
The rush is on to Alaska, but its not a repeat of the Gold Rush that flooded the state with prospectors in the late 19th century.

Instead, the 2017 version features cruise ships large and small bound this summer for the sheltered waters of the Inside Passage and scenic ports of call in Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan, along with some surprising guests and experiences.

Industry analysts predict more ships, many of them large but some more intimate. Their number bodes well for passengers, because that means more bargains, more adventures ashore and more special events.

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In the April 9 Cruise News column (www.lat.ms/alaskabysea), we talked about some of the reasons to cruise Alaska; today well concentrate on new things to see and do. Among them:

 Interested in setting sail with Oprah Winfrey? Try Holland America Line, which will team up with O, the Oprah Magazine in July for a round-trip voyage from Seattle to the Inside Passage. And yes, the boss and buddy Gayle King will be on board for a part of the weeklong cruise.

Winfrey said in a statement that shes excited about seeing another bold new place Ive never been before: Alaska. The cruise departs July 15. Inside cabins begin at $1,499 per person, double occupancy.

The cruise line will also help passengers chill out on the way to Alaska with some beautiful vibes. Alaska in Concert, which combines live music and footage from BBC Earth TV, will illustrate the cycle of the four seasons in polar regions.

Alaska continues to be widely successful and something people always enjoy, said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line. When people ask me where they should go on their first cruise, I point them in that direction.

 Princess Cruises, another heavyweight in the Alaska market, is offering a North to Alaska program on board this summer. You can hear firsthand stories from mountain climbers who have conquered Denali, meet Alaskan sled-dog pups who will come on board to make friends and pose for pictures, and listen to the tales of the fishermen from Discovery Channels Deadliest Catch, who will also meet with guests.

If you like to fish, you can sign up for the Cook My Catch program that has Princess chefs preparing and serving it in the main dining room.

Incidentally, if you hate to fly, be aware that Princess will add its first round-trip sailings from Los Angeles to Alaska in 2018, offering 12-day cruises in April and September. Rates for an interior cabin begin at $1,699 per person, double occupancy.

 For those who want to avoid air travel, Carnival will offer a two-week, round-trip sailing from Long Beach to Alaska on Sept. 2. Rates for an interior cabin begin at $1,529 per person, double occupancy.

 Celebrity Cruises will have three ships plying Alaskan waters this year, including the Millennium and the Infinity, which underwent $8-million makeovers.

Alaska is an amazingly popular destination for us, said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, Celebritys president and chief executive, whose family  11 of us in all  recently cruised Alaskan waters.

The line is expanding opportunities for passengers to go on private shore excursions, she said. People want to curate their own experiences, creating amazing personal memories, she said.

Among the new cruise lines sailing to Alaska this summer is luxury small-ship line Seabourn, which hasnt visited Alaska for 15 years. It will sail a series of 11-, 12- and 14-day cruises from Vancouver, Canada, and Anchorage, Alaska.

Lindblad Expeditions will launch on June 26 the 100-passenger National Geographic Quest, which will sail on eight- and 13-day expeditions that explore Alaskas coastal wilderness and Inside Passage.

The small-ship cruise line also plans an 11-day Big Picture Alaska cruise with an emphasis on photography aboard its National Geographic Sea Bird ship.

Alaskan Dream Cruises, an Alaska Native-owned, small-ship cruise company, will spend two days within Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, including an overnight stay aboard the ship inside the park. There will also be a chance to explore a remote wilderness area near Reid Glacier.

Tip

Tour first: If you plan to combine a land tour (to Denali National Park, for instance) with a cruise, think about tackling this part of your trip first. Hopping on a bus at dawn, spending the day visiting landmarks and grabbing meals on the run can be stressful. Youll have more energy at the beginning of your journey and can unwind and enjoy your leisurely cruise later.

ALSO

Silverseas expedition ship adds even more luxury to polar cruises

Sip (and save) on cruise through Frances Rhone Valley hosted by California winery owners

Want to take pictures like this? Hop aboard a wildlife photography cruise to Antarctica

U.S. river cruise line goes all in on sleek European-style ships

travel@latimes.com

@latimestravel

UPDATES:

4:17 p.m. Thursday: This article was updated with additional details on the price of the Alaska cruise with Oprah Winfrey.

This article was originally published at 7 a.m. Monday.
We are fascinated by fire. The leap of the flames, the warmth, the danger  fire is both horrifically destructive and spectacularly creative.

On Hawaii Island, home of one of the worlds most active volcanoes, its a bit of both.

Kilauea has been erupting since 1983, destroying whole villages and creating new land. About 500 acres have been added to the island since the flow began.

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Spending time in the active lava zone and the transfigured area around it is startling and educational. Watching the hot lava pour into the sea, a plume of smoke and steam rising 150 feet, is one of the few times when you can use the word awesome without qualms.

Where to begin

The best place to start, if you want to frame your awesome with facts, is Volcanoes National Park on the southern end of the island, where magma makes a name for itself.

The visitor center has historical island information (including eruptive movies), distinctive visual exhibits, a bookstore and rangers quick with answers on all things volcano.

The park encompasses the Jaggar Museum, which has an overlook about a mile from the eruption site of Halemaumau Crater, where steaming lava-lake sightings are a regular feature.

The Jaggar has great exhibits on ancient Hawaiian lore and visuals of Peles handiwork as her moods moved mountains.

But my girlfriend, Alice, and I wanted lava more than lore; we wanted to get out and walk on the stuff.

The real thing

A bountiful place for that is the Kilauea Iki Trail, whose trailhead is a quick drive from the visitor center; get a trail guide at the center first.

The trail is a result of a late 1959 eruption that included a 1,900-foot fountain of lava and a lava lake.

You get to walk over the cooled results of that eruption, edge to edge across the crater zone.

Iki is a bizarre landscape of buckled lava, cooled cinder and spatter cones and tiny trees trying to eke out a living.

The eruption denuded the thriving forest that was on the crater floor, which makes the descent from the trailhead above, through the lush rain forest and riotous Hawaiian greenery, all the more dramatic.

The hike is about four miles round trip over rough, bleakly impressive  and occasionally steaming  but not intimidating terrain. The trek will take two to four hours, depending on your lava walking style and whether you packed a lunch as we did.

Before heading back to Hilo, we had strong reviving coffee and sweet desserts at the friendly Lava Rock Cafe in the nearby little town of Volcano.

Our Hilo home, the comfy Dolphin Bay Hotel, was no slouch when it comes to a vivid landscape of galloping growth, with orchids, fruit trees and gushing creek.

Seeing the hot stuff up close

On Day 2, we wanted to see the hot stuff up close and personal outside the confines of the park.

We first fortified ourselves at the casually gracious Kaleos Bar & Grill in Pahoa, about half an hour south of Hilo on Highway 130.

The Mediterranean-plate brunch was outstanding and the town atmosphere funky and loose. A Kilauea flow in late 2014 destroyed several buildings in Pahoa, but that wasnt visible from the downtown streets.

Follow 130 to the roads end (dont take the fork into Kalapana), where youll see a parking lot filled with lava enthusiasts.

You can hike for four miles on the gravel road to where the lava flows into the ocean, but we rented bikes from Kaimu Rentals. (Several bike rental options are available near the lava viewing.)

Biking to the flow is surreal: The landscape is blasted and buckled, with sinuous twists and torquings of the topography. Then, in this moonscape, you see the occasional small house, with a driveway, perhaps some adjacent plants, made dramatic by the severity of the surroundings.

The biking road is rough and modestly hilly, but its not an overly strenuous ride. We parked about half a mile from the viewing area, heading off on foot over bumpy lava to see natures barbecue.

The lava viewing is a roll of the dice: Vents and crevices open, flow and cool constantly, so your lava encounter changes day to day.

We followed a protective rope line to where we could see a luminous lava skylight, perhaps 10 feet wide, a few feet tall and glowing like the eyes of Satans cat.

People do make these tours in the evening as well, where the lava glows are more dramatic, but the footing getting there demands more attention.

Reversing course, we hiked back to where the cliff curved and the lava poured its flame into the ocean.

Wow.

Crashing waves, giant steam, gas plumes and the powerful sense that nature knows things you dont. Along with a small crowd, we stared, mostly in silence. Awesome indeed.

travel@latimes.com

If you go

THE BEST WAY TO HAWAII ISLAND

From LAX, United offers nonstop service to Hilo, and United, Delta, Hawaiian, American and Virgin America offer connecting service (change of planes). Restricted round-trips fares from $712, including taxes and fees. American, Delta and United offer nonstop service to Kailua Kona, and United, Delta, Hawaiian, American and Alaska offer connecting service (change of planes). Restricted round-trip fares from $650, including taxes and fees.

WHAT TO DO

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park $20 vehicle fee; $10 for pedestrians or bicyclists

Kaimu Bike Rentals, Highway 130, Kalapana, Hawaii; (808) 333-4392

WHERE TO STAY

Dolphin Bay Hotel, 333 Iliahi St., Hilo, Hawaii; (877) 935-1466. Rooms from $109.

WHERE TO EAT

Lava Rock Cafe, 19-3972 Old Volcano Road, Volcano, Hawaii; (808) 967-8526

Kaleos Bar & Grill, 15-2969 Pahoa Village Road, Pahoa, Hawaii; (808) 965-5600

Kalapana Farmers Market. If you ride to the lava on a Wednesday, you can go to the Kalapana Farmers Market that evening. The market resembles a love-in from yesteryear, with hippies, organic foods, arts and crafts, music and kava bars.

TO LEARN MORE

Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau

travel@latimes.com

@latimestravel
She had already lost her eldest son, Jamal, a Syrian soldier killed in action three years ago. He was 25.

Her family endured two years of shortages of food, water, medicine and other essentials  along with frequent shelling  in her hometown of Fuah, which has been the target of a more-than two-year rebel siege.

All that misery was supposed to end for Hanan Hussein on Saturday. She was among thousands of people who boarded buses promising an evacuation from Fuah and Kfarya, pro-government bastions in Syrias Idlib province that had been under steady attack by rebels seeking to overthrow President Bashar Assad.

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Relatives of slain victim Saeed Sheikh from the town of Fuah arrive at the abandoned industrial complex of Jibreen on the outskirts of eastern Aleppo, Syria, on April 16, 2017. At left, Ali Sheikh, 12, is hugged by his mother, Hanan al Hussein, 42. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times)

The trip offered a safe new beginning. Instead, it ended violently and tragically when a car bomb detonated amid the buses, killing more than 120 people, mostly women and children, according to government and opposition accounts.

Among the many missing and unaccounted for as of late Sunday were Husseins husband, Mohammed Hussein, and the couples 13-year-old daughter, Zahara. Both are feared lost.

We thought we were going to a better life, a shaken Hussein, a tiny woman in a long woolen coat, said Sunday between bouts of tears at a makeshift Syrian government shelter in a factory complex on the eastern outskirts of war-battered Aleppo. We were tired of the shortages, the shelling. But now this.

The attack, apparently by a suicide bomber, occurred in the rebel-held Rashidin area outside Aleppo. The blast site raised suspicions that an opposition faction was behind the bombing. As of late Sunday, no group had claimed responsibility publicly.

But victims from the two towns were overwhelmingly Shiite Muslims, who, like other minorities in Syria, tend to support the government of President Bashar Assad.

The hard-core Sunni Islamist groups that dominate Syrias armed opposition frequently target Shiites and other Muslim minorities as apostates.

Denunciations of the attack rolled in from across the globe.

The scope of the carnage stood out even amid the widespread bloodshed and atrocities of the more than 6-year-old Syrian war, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, forced millions to flee their homes and reduced broad swaths of Aleppo and other cities and communities to rubble-strewn ghost towns.

In his Easter Sunday message, Pope Francis denounced the assault as the latest ignoble attack on fleeing refugees.

Stephen OBrien, the United Nations humanitarian affairs chief, said he was horrified at the incident.

The evacuation of the two communities was part of a complex plan hammered out over months by three countries, Iran, Qatar and Turkey. It involved moving more than 7,000 people from four besieged towns  the pro-government enclaves of Fuah and Kfarya; and the opposition strongholds of Madaya and Zabadani, outside Damascus.

The idea was to provide safe passage and fresh starts for residents who had endured years of food shortages, shelling and other hardships.

Survivors of a car bombing at the abandoned industrial complex of Jibreen on the outskirts of eastern Aleppo, in a meal line on April 16, 2017. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times)

Distraught survivors from Fuah and Kfarya gathered at the factory complex in Jibreen, southeast of Aleppo. They were provided with food, shelter and medical care. Overhead, Syrian fighter jets roared into the sky from a nearby air base.

A sense of disbelief coursed through the hangar-like structures in which the survivors gathered.

Hanan al Hussein, 42, was in tears as she stared at the yellow identification card of her husband, Saeed Sheikh, who was confirmed killed in the blast.

Why did this happen? she repeated over and over. Why?

She was flanked by her daughter, Samah, 14, and son, Ali, 13.

We still have some relatives missing, said a despondent Ali. We dont know anything about them.

Many expressed fears that injured survivors still in rebel territory could become hostages. Others worried about how they would recover the bodies of loved ones from opposition-held terrain.

Inside the shelter, a woman crumpled to the ground when she got word that one of her loved ones was confirmed dead. An ambulance pulled up to take her to the hospital.

Many blamed the opposition for the attack. Evacuees said they had been treated roughly, and given little food and water, once they left Fuah and Kfarya and entered rebel-held territory en route to government-controlled Aleppo. The convoy of some 75 to 100 buses carrying 5,000 evacuees from the two towns got stuck in rebel-held Rashidin for more than 24 hours for reasons that remained unclear.

Late Sunday, a number of the battered buses were parked outside the shelter. The drivers were shell-shocked, wandering aimlessly amid shrapnel-pocked buses with blown out windshields.

It was something horrible  there was blood and body parts everywhere, recalled a traumatized Mahmoud Bahloul, 32, driver of a bus that was part of the convoy evacuating people from the two Shiite-majority towns.

A day after a car bombing of a bus convoy carrying evacuees from the Syrian towns of Fuah and Kfarya, bus driver Mohammed Bahloul, 32, stands in his bus on April 16, 2017. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times)

He provided a lamentable roster: 14 of the 79 people riding on his bus were killed, he said. Many were decapitated or had limbs severed by flying glass and shrapnel, he recalled, seeming to recoil at the memory. He survived with only scratches because he was sleeping in the baggage compartment below, which was somewhat shielded from the main arc of the blast.

Inside his bus, the narrow aisle was lined with blood-soaked clothing, water bottles, bags and other debris, a grisly scene repeated on other vehicles from the ill-fated convoy. In the post-blast chaos, the wounded and others struggled to exit the buses as smoke and flames enveloped the area.

All I could think of was my three children, said the disoriented Bahloul. Im alive. Im a lucky one. But I think of those people.

patrick.mcdonnell@latimes.com

twitter: @mcdneville

ALSO

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Nine months ago, after fighting off a coup attempt, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed that his opponents would pay a heavy price. And pay they did: The autocratic-minded president embarked on a sweeping purge that left nearly 170,000 compatriots, viewed by the president as enemies, either behind bars or forced from their jobs.

Now the Turkish leader may be setting his sights on another perceived foe: the West.



For the record: An earlier version of this story said Turkey was the only Muslim-majority nation in NATO. It is one of two. Albania is the other.

The confrontation, were it to escalate, could have lasting repercussions for the U.S.-led fight against the militants of Islamic State, Europes migrant crisis and perhaps even the NATO alliance, of which Turkey is one of only two Muslim-majority members. It has the blocs second-largest military.

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Erdogan had hoped to put a final seal on his consolidation of power this week by decisively winning a referendum that replaces Turkeys century-old parliamentary democracy with a presidential system. It greatly expands the presidents authority and would allow Erdogan to serve for an additional 15 years in office.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife, Emine, greet supporters at the presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, on Monday. (Gokhan Sahin / Getty Images)

But the margin of victory in Sundays balloting was razor-thin, and the votes legitimacy was sharply questioned by both domestic opponents and foreign observers.

The opposition Republican Peoples Party on Monday demanded the annulment of the constitutional referendum, charging that the rules for counting ballots were changed illegally in the midst of voting. And observers from the Council of Europe issued a scathing report, saying the campaign took place on an unlevel playing field and that the rules for organizing the referendum were not up to international standards.

For the 63-year-old leader, the muddied result was a fury-inducing affront. Addressing supporters in the Turkish capital, Ankara, on Monday, Erdogan denounced the crusader mentality in the West  a loaded reference to Europes medieval holy wars aimed at Islam.

Bashing the West, particularly Europe, is a well-thumbed page in the Erdogan playbook, a sure-fire way of appealing to his conservative, nationalistic base at home.

In recent months, the Turkish president has quarreled repeatedly and publicly with European leaders. Most recently, he accused the Netherlands and Germany of Nazi-like behavior when they prevented Turkish politicians visiting those countries from campaigning for the referendum in front of crowds of expatriate Turks.

This time, though, a leader who had once touted himself as a bridge between East and West appeared determined to issue a rebuke to Europe that was more than symbolic. At several appearances Monday, he emphasized his readiness to restore the death penalty, a step that would all but kill Turkeys decades-long campaign to join the European Union.

Playing to popular Turkish sentiment, Erdogan has also said the question of whether to continue seeking EU membership should be put to a referendum.

That resonates well with his constituency, and beyond, said Gonul Tol, the director of the Middle East Institutes Center for Turkish Studies. If you talk to a regular Turk in the street about the European Union, you hear this often: They wont accept us because were Muslim.

While Erdogan may be grappling with Europe, he seems to have retained one Western friend: Donald Trump.

In a remarkably friendly telephone conversation, Trump congratulated Erdogan for the referendum victory, apparently ignoring the narrow margin, allegations of fraud and criticisms of overreaching power, according to an account released by the White House.

Instead, Trump focused on Syria, the importance of holding Syrian President Bashar al Assad accountable for the recent chemical attack on his people and the fight against Islamic State, the White House said. He thanked Erdogan for his support.

Supporters of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan wave national flags as they wait for his arrival at the presidential palace in Ankara on Monday. (Elif Sogut / Getty Images)

Turkeys growing estrangement comes at a time when Ankaras cooperation with the West is at a premium. Europe needs Turkey to continue stemming the flow of refugees to its shores via the short sea voyage from Turkey to Greece. And Turkey is an important partner in the anti-Islamic State coalition, with the U.S. using Turkeys sprawling Incirlik Air Base as a major staging ground.

But Turkeys own needs are more in play in its dealings with Washington than with Europe, Tol and others said.

The government still very much values its partnership with the United States, said Tol. That relationship, she said, remained strong despite tensions over Turkeys unfulfilled demand for the extradition of self-exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania and is blamed by Erdogan for fomenting Julys attempted coup.

The referendum result left little doubt that Erdogan is presiding over a deeply polarized country, already beset by violent spillover from the war in Syria and a flaring Kurdish insurgency. The Turkish leader had argued that the wholesale overhaul of the republics political structure would help stave off instability.

Official results were not expected for 10 or 12 days, but Turkish election authorities said preliminary results gave a majority of 51.41% to 48.59% to the package of 18 constitutional amendments.

The vote illustrated long-standing divisions: secular Turks pitted against more pious Muslims, cosmopolitan urbanites versus the conservative rural heartland, and tensions between those who embrace a Turkish role in the wider world and homegrown nationalists.

Erdogan has been in power since 2003, his rise coinciding with Turkeys emergence as an industrial dynamo, though its economy has since faltered, and as a regional heavyweight, with a large footprint in Syrias civil war.

The consolidation of authority makes Erdogan the most consequential Turkish leader since Kemal Ataturk, the founding father of the republic that arose from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire. Erdogan often harks back to past imperial glory with grandiose gestures like the construction of a lavish 1,000-room Ottoman-themed presidential palace.

Mindful of Erdogans reputation for holding fast to grudges, European leaders urged him to consider the narrow referendum result a mandate to reach out to his political opponents. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in a statement issued along with her foreign minister, said the closeness of the contest pointed to a big responsibility for the Turkish leadership and for President Erdogan personally.

But analysts expressed doubt such rapprochement would occur, with the exception of a possible effort by Erdogan to try to mend fences with the Kurds and restart negotiations aimed at halting the insurgency.

Hes a double-down kind of guy  hes not going to be more moderate and reach out to the opposition, said James Jeffrey, a former ambassador to Turkey who is now an analyst with the Washington Institute.

The bitterness was apparent on both sides of the referendum question.

This referendum will take its place in the dark pages of history, said Bulent Tezcan, the deputy leader of the Republican Peoples Party, or CHP. This referendum will always be remembered as illegitimate.

The CHP, founded by Ataturk, called for annulment of the result. Its primary complaint was that ballots are required by law to have the stamp of the Supreme Board of Elections to be valid, but the board decreed midway through the voting that unstamped papers were valid unless there was clear evidence of fraud.

The CHP said at least 1 million ballots were stamped after they were handed in. Thats close to the winning margin for yes, which according to unofficial results received 24.3 million votes, compared to 23.2 million for no votes.

The report by the international referendum observer mission, meanwhile, said the legal framework for the vote was inadequate for a genuinely democratic referendum. It also faulted Turkish authorities for holding the vote during a state of emergency, under which the government issued decrees that affected the outcome but could not be challenged.

The observers were from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which monitors compliance with human rights norms, and the Council of Europe, which sets them. They complained that coverage by the news media, which has been significantly purged of critical voices under Erdogan, was significantly imbalanced, with three-quarters of the coverage going to the yes campaign.

Special correspondent Gutman reported from Istanbul and staff writer King from Washington. Staff writer Tracy Wilkinson contributed to this report from Washington.

ALSO

Turkeys Erdogan declares victory in referendum giving him broad new powers, but opposition calls foul

These Syrians were finally being evacuated to safety. Thats when the bomb went off

Amid reminders of bloodshed and oppression across the Middle East, beleaguered Christians celebrate Easter

UPDATES:

8:50 p.m.: The article was updated with news of President Trumps phone call to Erdogan.

5:05 p.m.: This article has been updated throughout with details, quotes, background, analysis.

This article was originally posted at 12:10 p.m.
Ex-president of Georgia and former head of Odesa Region Administration, currently Ukrainian opposition leader Mikheil Saakashvili has said his brother David Saakashvili has been denied the right to permanent residence in Ukraine, Georgian media reported on April 16.

"It is a very low blow! Businessmen who support us are being shut down, and nobody touches oligarchs. I also learnt yesterday that based on a letter from the Security Service of Ukraine, the permanent residence permit for my brother David Saakashvili was canceled and he must leave Ukraine," Saakashvili wrote on his Facebook page.

"It's nothing! We'll break through! All this proves once again that we are on the right track," Saakashvili wrote.
France, Japan Aim To Land Probe On Mars Moon: Both Countries To Undertake On Project By 2024

staffwriter@latinoshealth.com By Melvin Magadia Apr 17, 2017 04:49 PM EDT

France and Japan are aiming to launch a probe to a Martian Moon and return them to planet Earth. The mission is targeting Mar's Phobos moon, the largest and closest of the Red Planet's two moons. A decision is expected before the end of 2017.

Channel News Asia reports that Paris and Tokyo had already signed a preliminary agreement and will make a final decision before the end of the year. The Martian Moons Exploration Project would launch a probe in 2024 aimed at Phobos, the largest and closest of two moons circling the Red Planet. The Japanese partner for the mission is the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

"It's a very important mission because aside from the Moon it would be the first time samples from the satellite of a planet would be brought back to Earth," said Jean-Yves Le Gall, President of France's National Center for Space Studies (CNES). Analysis of its composition would solve a long-standing question as to its origins.

There are theories that say that Phobos was an asteroid captured by Mars' gravitational pull while another theory says that it is left-over matter from the creation of the Red Planet. Landing on the moon will give probers another vantage point for observing Mars. Le Gall says that there are fewer challenges landing on Phobos than on the planet itself. He said that the mission is twice as easy since the probe will not have to go through the Martian atmosphere.

The egg-shaped Phobos measures 27 kilometers in diameter from end-to-end. Mail Online reveals that Phobos is approaching Mars by about 2 meters every century. According to scientists, the moon is expected to be pulled apart from the planet by 30 to 50 million years.

The joint project is just one of the many missions to the planet Mars or its moons. In 2011, Russia launched a Phobos-bound mission which failed. Pieces of the probe fell to the Pacific a couple of months later. In 2020, a joint Europe-Russia mission will launch a rover designed to discover traces of Martian life, past or present. NASA's Curiosity rover has been conducting missions for more than three years now.

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North Korea held a military parade in honor of Kim Il-sung, the country's founding father and the leader who put the country's nuclear weapons as the core of his regime. The parade showcased thousands of soldiers marching a tune to resounding military music as well as military vehicles possibly to taunt the world of its growing nuclear capabilities.

Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence was at the Demilitarized Zone which separates South Korea and North Korea during Easter weekend. Pence delivered the news that the United States is fed up with North Korea and his visit marks the "era of strategic patience is over."

Pyongyang relayed that it is ready to take the toughest action against the United States if it did not stop its intervention. The U.S. is suspecting that North Korea is ready to hold another nuclear test, its sixth so far, in an effort to develop long range weapons that can aim for the United States mainland, The Guardian reported.

It is said that the North Korean capital is also in the stage of developing launching systems that will be quick enough to response to a preemptive attack. This is quite a challenge for a country that has very minimal resources but reports say that the North Korean government is doing all that it can to complete this project.

Among the weapons that were paraded were ballistic missiles on top of trucks. A researcher said that these missiles were possibly untested and are a long way from being used. North Korea has been known to show off their military capabilities before these were ever tested. Among the possibly "untested" missiles were Pukkuksong submarine-launched ballistic missiles which are known to have a range of more than 600 miles.

Mike Pence held a press conference near the DMZ and told the press that President Donald Trump wants China to pressure North Korea to stop its test and use of nuclear weapons. Pence added that the U.S. and its allies will use peaceable means however U.S. is done with being patient over North Korea, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The U.S Vice President said that the U.S. and its allies in the region want to see change especially when it comes to North Korea's testing of ballistic missiles. A policy for "maximum pressure and engagement" was created by U.S. officials after two months of review.

This emphasized how the U.S. increased pressure on Pyongyang through Beijing. Pence was in South Korea to explain this policy and he will also visit Japan, Indonesia, and Australia to persuade these countries to pressure North.
Apr 16, 2017, 2:01pm ET

Headlights to become vestigial, says Genesis design boss

Luc Donckerwolke explains why the GV80 has such small headlights.

The Genesis GV80 concept at the New York Auto Show may have been notable for being a hydrogen-powered SUV or the brand's first luxury crossover, but there was another future trend written across its face  small headlights.

Luc Donckerwolke, head of design for the Genesis brand, believes that some time in the not-too-distant future headlights on cars will be rendered obsolete. Speaking to the Australian press, he noted that thanks to autonomous driving, cars of the future will be able to navigate roads in complete darkness.

It explains in part why the Genesis SUV's grille takes up so much frontal real estate, with only four slivers of LEDs flanking it on each side. "We are reducing the size because we are anticipating the fact that slowly cars won't need lights any more, he told Motoring.com.au.

Though lights for illuminating the road may be replaced by an array of radar and laser sensors, vestigial headlights like the ones on the GV80 might still persist as design cues.

Though it sounds far fetched, we wouldn't rule out anything Donckerwolke has to say. Having worked previously at VW Group designing Audis, Bentleys and Lamborghinis, the Belgian designer knows a thing or two about setting trends.

Image by Brian Williams.
Shanghai LIVE: Jeep Yuntu concept

Apr 19, 2017, 2:18pm ET

The Yuntu won\'t be sold in the U.S., but it could spawn the next Chrysler crossover.

Jeep made a splash at the biennial Shanghai Auto Show this year by introducing a concept named Yuntu--a rare full-on concept reveal in China from multinational manufacturer FCA.

The seven-seater Yuntu concept looks sharper than any past or present member of the company's lineup. Its design is characterized by a tall, upright front end with a short rendition of Jeep's trademarked seven-slot grille, blacked-out roof pillars, and an elegant strip of chrome trim that runs from the side mirror to the D-pillar on either side.

The PHEV emblems on the front doors confirm power for the Yuntu comes from a gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid drivetrain. Additional technical details haven't been made public yet, but it's reasonable to assume the battery pack is capable of powering the soft-roader on its own for relatively short distances.

What's next?

The Jeep Yuntu concept will spawn a regular-production model in the coming months, according to Motor1. It will be built and sold locally (meaning in China), and it likely won't join the Jeep lineup in the United States, but a Chrysler-badged model with the same plug-in drivetrain and seven-seater layout could debut before the end of the year.

If the rumors are accurate, the Chrysler variant will be manufactured by Jeep alongside the Cherokee in its Belvidere, Illinois, factory.

Live photos by Ronan Glon.
Apr 17, 2017, 8:33am ET

Volkswagen to sell current Tiguan until 2019

The Tiguan Limited will be Volkswagen\'s entry-level crossover.

A brand-new Volkswagen Tiguan is about to reach showrooms, but its predecessor isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

A recent report indicates production of the current model (pictured) is scheduled to carry on through the 2019 model year. The model will adopt the Tiguan Limited nameplate, according to Car & Driver, though we don't know whether it will receive any mechanical, visual, or tech upgrades.

Officials from the German brand explained Tiguan sales in the United States were strong in 2015, and a record-breaking 43,000 examples found a new home last year in spite of the model's undeniably aging design. Crossovers and SUVs are more popular than ever here, so keeping the old model around makes a lot of sense for Volkswagen.

The Limited will slot beneath the standard Tiguan in terms of pricing and size. It will be Volkswagen's most affordable crossover, and it will also be much smaller than its newer counterpart, which has a longer wheelbase and an optional third-row seat.

For 2018, the new Tiguan and Atlas people-movers benefit from a six-year, 72,000-mile warranty that's fully transferable. Volkswagen has confirmed the Tiguan Limited won't receive the same warranty.

More details about the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan Limited will be announced in the coming months.
Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson exchanged views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula via phone on Sunday.

They also discussed the implementation of those agreements reached by the two countries' presidents during their first meeting in U.S. state of Florida earlier this month.
Apr 17, 2017, 3:55pm ET

VW to add second SUV to Chattanooga plant

VW will eventually build a two-row SUV in Tennessee.

Volkswagen has confirmed plans to build a second utility vehicle model at its Chattanooga, Tennessee production facility. VW is hoping that an expanded fleet of utility vehicle models will help speed its recovery in the United States market.

Speaking on the sidelines of the recent New York auto show, VW Group of America CEO Hinrich Woebcken told reporters, according to Automotive News, that the company will eventually add a five-seat crossover to the production mix at its Tennessee plant. Woebcken failed to give a timeframe for when that vehicle might enter production.

VW currently sells two five-seat SUVs in the U.S.  the compact Tiguan and the larger Touareg. However, it's unlikely that either of those nameplates will join the three-row Atlas SUV in Tennessee. VW will source the next-generation of its Tiguan from Mexico and the low-volume Touareg is built exclusively in Europe.

The most logical guess is that VW will build a production version of its Cross Coupe GTE concept in Chattanooga. Like the Atlas already being built there, the Cross Coupe GTE rides on a version of VW's modular MQB vehicle architecture. In essence, adding such a vehicle would give VW both long- and short-wheelbase versions of the Atlas.

VW recently completed a $900 million investment in its Chattanooga plant to build the Atlas. It remains unknown if that investment will allow for production a two-row crossover or if another round of spending will be necessary. Given the red-hot SUV market, we suspect an official announcement on the topic could be right around the corner.
Apr 17, 2017, 5:30pm ET

VW to spend $300M on EV charging stations, advertisements

The investment chips away at VW Group\'s $2 billion settlement commitment, to be spent on brand-neutral support of zero emissions vehicles.

Volkswagen's 'Electrify America' program -- a provision from the diesel emissions settlement -- has announced details of its first $300 million in spending commitments.

The cash will help pay for a network of more than 450 charging stations in 11 major metropolitan areas and along busy highway corridors. The program will also launch a brand-neutral public awareness and educational campaign to promote zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs).

The national ZEV investment plan is the first of four 30-month investment cycles, initially focusing on maximizing public access to charging infrastructure. The company will start construction in the second quarter and complete the buildout by 2019.

Charging stations promise to support the latest non-proprietary charging technology, including at least four 150 kW and 320 kW fast chargers at each highway location. The company claims some vehicles can be filled in as little as 15-20 minutes.

The highway charging sites will closely follow the US government's EV Charging Corridors, averaging 66 miles between stations and no more than 120 miles in the most remote areas.

The community-based charging sites will be a mix of Level 2 or DC Fast Chargers from 50 to 150+ kW in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, Portland, Raleigh, Seattle and Washington DC.

VW will have to spend a total of $2 billion supporting ZEV initiatives in the US, including an $800 million commitment dedicated to California.
An man is accused of setting a fire in an Allentown home that injured a firefighter, killed three pets and gutted the home.

Allentown police said Nelson Rivera was not allowed to be at the home at 414 Washington St. in the city, because the mother of his children was granted a protection-from-abuse order.

City surveillance cameras recorded Rivera going into the row home before the Feb. 5 fire, and Rivera also posted about the blaze on Facebook, police said.

The 47-year-old Rivera, no address listed, was arrested Thursday in the case, and was charged with arson, risking catastrophe and two counts each of aggravated arson and criminal mischief.

Rivera is being held in lieu of $250,000 bail.

Fire crews were called at 11:15 a.m. Feb. 5 for the 2-alarm fire. A firefighter suffered burns on his neck and ears, and two cats and a dog were killed, officials said.

The home at 414 Washington St. had $40,000 in damages and was declared a total loss, police said. The home next door at 416 Washington St. was declared uninhabitable because of the fire.

Fire Marshal Ian Lenig found a burn pattern consistent with an accelerate poured onto the wood floor of the first floor, and the fire department K-9, Judge, made multiple signals for possible accelerants, investigators said.

A resident at the Washington Street home reported he was sleeping while the rest of the household was at church when the fire broke out. The man said he heard keys in the lock of the house, but that it was the other residents coming home.

The man woke up to the fire alarms, beeping, and went downstairs to find burning mattresses on the first floor, police said. The man tried to put out the flames with water, but couldn't, and he fled the home and had neighbors call 911.

Rivera's former girlfriend and mother of his children, Juminia Lopez, told police she was at church that morning, and learned about the blaze from her kids, who saw a post from Rivera on Facebook about the fire.

Rivera was also at the scene when fire crews arrived, police said, and checked on the resident who was home when the blaze broke out before leaving because of the PFA.

Police said city surveillance cameras recorded a man, wearing a dark jacket and tan pants, going into the house three minutes before 911 was called.

Rivera was interviewed at the scene by the fire marshal, and the marshal's photos from that day show Rivera in a dark jacket and tan pants, police said. A picture on Facebook posted about the fire shows Rivera in the same clothing as well, investigators said.

Rivera was interviewed in late February, and reportedly admitted going to the home the morning of the fire, and playing with one of the dogs on the first floor.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Hundreds of children Easter Sunday ran through the grassy area surrounding the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem in hopes of grabbing tasty marshmallow treats.

Children filled their baskets with classic Just Born marshmallow candy chicks in shades of pink and yellow. Bethlehem-based Just Born company each year donates thousands of boxes for the hunt.

Sunday was Artsquest's fifth year offering the Easter hunt.

Children also had nice weather as they participated; temperatures Sunday afternoon hopped into the mid-80s, according to the National Weather Service.

The Easter Bunny also was present during the hunt and, later, took photos with the children.

Scroll through photos at the top of this post for a look at some of the scenes of the Easter hunt at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
UPDATE: Man charged with shooting 13-year-old is arrested in Florida



A 13-year-old was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township after he was critically wounded Friday evening in a Berks County shooting, Pennsylvania State Police report.

A 19-year-old from Hereford Township is charged in the killing attempt, police from the Reading barracks said.

The 13-year-old and two friends were in his bedroom about 7 p.m. in the first block of Stauffer Road in Washington Township, police said in a news release.

Matthew Hale was a passenger in a small black hatchback that pulled into the driveway, police said. Hale came up to the open window, punched in the screen and yelled obscenities, police said.

The two friends ran from the room, but the 13-year-old stayed behind, police said. The friends "heard loud bangs and gunshots and then heard the victim screaming," police said.

Hale got back in the car, which was driven by a female, and the vehicle headed toward Route 100, police said.

The Reading Eagle, citing court papers, reported the boy's brother said he got a Snapchat message at that said, "We Even."

The boy was shot several times in the neck and the torso, the newspaper reported.

Hale was charged Saturday with attempted homicide, two counts of aggravated assault, and single counts of a firearms violation and possessing an instrument of crime, police said.

Hale is not in custody and if anyone knows where he is or anything else about the crime, they are asked to call police at 610-378-4011 or Berks Crime Alert at 877-373-9913.

A hospital spokesman on Monday said he couldn't provide an update on the teen's condition without a name. Police did not name the victim.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A 37-year-old Cleveland man, who uploaded a video of him killing a 74-year-old man on Sunday and later said he killed 12 other people, remains on the loose on Monday morning, according to a news website.

Steve Stephens walked up to Robert Goodwin Sr., 74, about 2 p.m. on East 93rd Street, ordered him to repeat a woman's name and then shot him, according to cleveland.com. In the video, which the news website posted in an edited form, Stephens says the woman is the reason he was about to shoot Goodwin, a father of nine and grandfather of 14, the video shows.

The woman, who is Stephens' girlfriend, is in protective custody and cooperating, police said, according to cleveland.com.

"I just snapped," Stephens says in the video. "... That's what I did, I killed 13 people. I'm going to keep killing until they catch me."

#BREAKING Aggravated murder warrant issued for #SteveStephens, @CLEpolice warn he could be out of state. Residents of PA, NY, IN, MI warned. pic.twitter.com/bhZ9wUJD1V  Derick Waller (@wallerABC7) April 17, 2017

As he drove around and spoke to someone on the phone, Stephens said, "I'm working on 14 as we speak."

Police searched vacant homes in Stephens' neighborhood, but didn't find more victims, cleveland.com said.

Police Chief Calvin Williams echoed Mayor Frank Johnson's request for Stephens to get in touch with authorities.

"If Steve has an issue, then he needs to talk to some folks to get that resolved," Williams said. Stephens indicated in a video that his concerns weren't taken seriously.

Stephen Stephens, whose is wanted in a Cleveland killing that was later broadcast on Facebook, is believed driving a late-model white Ford Fusion. (cleveland.com)

Stephens apparently turned off his cellphone and possibly left the state, the news website said. Pennsylvania residents were advised to be on the lookout.

Local police are being aided by state and federal authorities, cleveland.com said.

A friend who went to school with Stephens said she was surprised.

"I'm texting and Facebook messaging people that I went to school with -- the reaction is a collective 'I can't believe that,'" Dawn Arrington told cleveland.com. "I'm completely shocked. I'm heartbroken."

Stephens was believed to be driving a late-model white Ford Fusion with an Ohio temporary tag of E363630.

Goodwin's son, Robert Jr., called his father a "good guy" who was quiet and respectful, cleveland.com reported.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Short-term pain and long-term gain are in store for a number of Lehigh and Northampton county roads set for repair and resurfacing this spring, Gov. Tom Wolf's administration announced.

The projects total $6.4 million in Allentown, Bethlehem, Bath, Nazareth, Tatamy and Forks and Upper Nazareth townships.

The first two projects, in Bath and in Nazareth east to Forks Township, got underway April 10, and the work in the two cities is set to start this coming week.

Each project includes milling off the existing road surface and repaving it with new asphalt that aims to seal the roads and provide motorists with a smoother riding surface. The work also replaces existing curb ramps with new Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant ramps.

Here is a look at each of the projects:

Northampton County state roads

Where: Walnut Street/Tatamy Road/Main Street/Uhler Road between South Broad Street in Nazareth east through Upper Nazareth Township and Tatamy to Sullivan Trail in Forks Township -- and Main Street between Chestnut Street in Bath and the Upper Nazareth Township line.

How many cars affected: Walnut Street to Uhler Road has an average daily traffic volume that varies between 5,594 and 7,198 vehicles, and Main Street has an average daily traffic volume that varies between 6,740 and 8,473 vehicles.

When: Work began April 10 and is expected to be complete in June. Motorists should be alert for lane restrictions 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays.

Who: Intercounty Paving Associates LLC, of Hackettstown, is the general contractor on the $1,073,000 project, which is financed with 100 percent state funds from Act 89, Pennsylvania's Transportation Plan.

Quote: "These two arterial highways are important to these communities, and Act 89 has provided critical funding that allows PennDOT to work on projects like this that otherwise may not have been brought to fruition," Wolf said in a statement.

Union Boulevard in Allentown and West Union Boulevard in Bethlehem

Where: From the Lehigh River in Allentown to the area of Route 378 in Bethlehem.

How many cards affected: This stretch has an average daily traffic volume that varies between 8,284 and 17,398 vehicles.

When: Work is scheduled to begin April 17 and wrap up in October. Motorists should be alert for lane restrictions 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays.

Who: New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co. Inc. of New Enterprise, Pa., is the general contractor on the $3,633,798 project, which is financed with 100 percent state funds from Act 89, Pennsylvania's Transportation Plan.

Quote: "This busy east-west corridor between Allentown and Bethlehem is used by thousands of motorists each day, and will soon be resurfaced due to Act 89," Wolf said in a statement.

Tilghman Street in Allentown

Where: Between North 10th and Front streets.

How many cars affected: This section of Tilghman Street has an average daily traffic volume that varies between 10,615 and 12,347 vehicles.

When: Work is set to begin April 17 and be complete in July. Motorists should be alert for lane restrictions 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays.

Who: J.D. Eckman Inc., of Atglen, Pa., is the general contractor on the $1,846,363 project, which is financed with 100 percent state funds.

Quote: "Tilghman Street is used by thousands of motorists each day, so I'm pleased that it will be resurfaced for better traveling conditions for the public," Wolf said in a statement.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation invites motorists to learn more about Act 89 projects and its four- and 12-year plans at projects.penndot.gov.

Motorists can check real-time traffic conditions by visiting 511PA.com; 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1 or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

Follow regional PennDOT information on Twitter at twitter.com/511PAAllentown or on Facebook at facebook.com/PennsylvaniaDepartmentofTransportation.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A 19-year-old Berks County man who was wanted in the Friday evening shooting of a 13-year-old boy has been arrested in Florida, according to a published report.

Matthew Hale, of Hereford Township, was picked up Sunday night in Brevard County, the Reading Eagle reports.

Pennsylvania State Police say Hale about 7 p.m. Friday went to a home in the first block of Stauffer Road in Washington Township, Berks County, and shot a 13-year-old boy. The boy was initially listed in critical condition at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township, police said.

State police developed a Florida address as part of their investigation and while Hale wasn't found there, that led to a second address where Brevard deputy sheriffs made the arrest, the newspaper said.

Records show he was arrested at 8:30 p.m. in Melbourne, Florida, and booked early Monday morning. He faces Florida charges from Sunday of possession of a controlled substance, possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, records show. His bond was set at $3,000 on those charges.

It wasn't immediately clear if Hale would fight extradition to face charges of attempted homicide, two counts of aggravated assault and single counts of a firearms violation and possessing an instrument of crime.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
By Wu Yong in Beijing and Shi Xiaofeng in Hangzhou ( China Daily ) 08:55, April 17, 2017

The colorful, fragrant and refreshing spring is in full bloom in Changping district, 50 kilometers from downtown Beijing, but 27-year-old precision instrument engineering student Shao Meng, sporting a white cotton T-shirt and goggles, is busy in his 60-square-meter flat, seemingly more fascinated by the task of debugging the operating system of a "climbing robot".

That's the kind of intensity, focus and dedication you will likely see in specialists across China these days, as the nation accelerates its drive to upgrade its manufacturing sector, in line with the central government's "Made in China 2025" strategy launched in 2015.

The grand plan aims to transform the country from the world's factory into a world-leading high-tech manufacturer of top-end products.

Think automation, smart and net-connected factories, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, big data, electric vehicles, driverless cars, so on.

Shao, a Tsinghua University student, has been on the climbing robot project for over 14 months now. His job is to provide safe and efficient testing-and-maintenance services for over 100,000 wind power generator towers around China.

"I love automation and have the full support of my tutors who are all top scholars," Shao said. "I dream of creating something great."

Shao is among X-Lab's 116 teams dedicated to technology and intelligent manufacturing or IM. X-Lab is the startup incubator of Tsinghua, which houses China's best scholars in the fields of mechanics, engineering and computer sciences.

Mao Donghui, executive director of X-Lab, said there were no such programs even two years ago. The national plan changed all that in 2015.

She attributed the current boom in IM programs to significant increase in financial support, government policy and public attention.

Besides universities, even enterprises and governments at various levels are making joint efforts to realize the 2025 dream.

"As the second-biggest economy, China must rely on independent research and development. We have made big gains in the past few years," said Qu Xianming, executive director of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society and an expert on the Advanced Manufacturing Strategy Advisory Committee.

He said last year's R&D inputs from enterprises surpassed that of 2015, providing full steam for technological innovation.

According to National Bureau of Statistics data, R&D funding expenditure reached 1.42 trillion yuan ($205.86 billion) in 2015, double that of 2011, and ranked next only to the United States.

According to a Financial Times report, Chinese inventors filed 43,000 international patent applications last year, up 45 percent year-on-year. This put "the country on track to overtake Japan and the US to become the largest user of the international patent system within two years".

Qu said: "It really amazes me that not only big power-transmission equipment manufacturers but even small furniture factories in inland counties are embracing technology and innovation. They are no longer content with just expanding their operations."

Fu Dafan, chief information officer of Tebian Electric Apparatus Stock Co Ltd, also known as TBEA, said the company won 216 patents in the past two years, with the R&D spend topping 1 billion yuan.

TBEA is China's leading energy equipment producer that has supplied the nation's technology backbone projects as well as a dozen other countries in Asia, Africa and Europe. It has invested in intelligent workshops, production lines and robots, to reap incentives related to the 2025 initiative.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Technology or MIT data, high-tech manufacturing contributed more than 20 per cent of industrial growth in the first three quarters of 2016.

"R&D and industrial output are correlated, and critical to China's manufacturing upgrade," said Mao of X-lab. "Only with close collaboration among research institutes, enterprises and the government, we can overcome this challenge."

But there is a general sense that a missing link keeps China's labs and industrial applications disconnected. To forge a high-level collaborative innovation platform that can link labs and industry, the MIT published "1+X Plan" in mid-February.

The "1" stands for the Make-in-China strategy; and "X" refers to a series of supports such as the construction of 15 National Manufacturing Innovation Centers.

Wang Shouwen, vice minister of commerce, has said foreign enterprises will be encouraged to join the effort and enjoy the same treatment as their domestic counterparts, in terms of patent applications, government purchases and preferential policies.

The first two National Manufacturing Innovation Centers were set up in May 2016 and early this year, respectively. They focus on power batteries and additive manufacturing.

"At least three Chinese manufacturing segmentspower generation and transmission equipment; communication equipment; and rail transportationwould wrest global lead in the coming 10 years," Qu said.

Industry insiders expect this year to be instrumental in making the Made in China 2025 plan a success. For, 25 provinces and municipalities had issued supportive policies by the end of last year, which are expected to give a solid impetus to China's industry.

In February, GE China's supply chain president, Steve Meszaros, said that with manufacturing upgrade, the company plans to increase the share of its purchases in China to $10 billion by 2020, which would be the largest for any country in the world.

Ha Enjing, a spokeswoman for Siasun Robot &Automation Co Ltd, understands the significance of Meszaros' statement. She said Siasun Robot has supplied products and services worth hundreds of millions of yuan to many leading Western companies, including BMW, General Motors and a US-based flash memory maker.

She believes the trend could prove win-win for both Chinese suppliers and Western corporate buyers.

John Seifert, worldwide CEO of WPP's Ogilvy &Mather, said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency that Chinese companies are willing to invest in technology, go global to become more competitive, and thus succeed in both local and overseas markets.

Agreed Hao Wu, a managing director at Silicon Valley Bank Financial Group, who focuses on management of relationships with venture capital firms. "X-Lab is functioning like a magnet and catalyst. It has attracted top academic talents and facilitated a lot of original technology innovation."

SVB, based in California, mainly serves venture capital firms and global companies engaged in innovation. The joint venture bank was set up in 2012.

"I believe the platform (X-Lab) could play an instrumental role in upgrading the traditional manufacturing sector and we would be more than happy to assist these efforts."

For Tsinghua student Shao, all these developments are harbingers of exciting times ahead. For the rest of the year, he is intent on sustaining his intense focus on two aspects: technical optimization and marketing.

"Climbing robots are a niche market, but key to the green energy strategy. Maybe, we (X-Lab) can grow into the sector's No1 and China's ABB," said Shao.
Rosenallis Cystic Fibrosis sufferer Daniel McDonald finally has hope for the future, now that his national campaign has succeeded in guaranteeing that a potentially lifesaving new drug to treat the disease will be available in Ireland.

Its amazing what can be achieved when a small community, like the CF community in Ireland, comes together. It brings home the reality that those who shout the loudest do get heard, he told the Leinster Express.

The 28-year-old Rosenallis man became the face of a national poster campaign to pressure the Health Minister to negotiate a lower price for the drug Orkambi, after the American drug manufacturer Vertex set the cost at 158,000 per patient per year.

In the wake of the campaign, the HSE has reached an agreement with the manufacturer to start providing the drug to CF patients from the beginning of May.

Daniel is delighted with the result and praised all involved in the campaign, saying that many had to reveal their most inner, personal selves.

He acknowledges that there will be questions raised about where the funding will come from for the drug, but believes that people must look at the bigger picture.

While this is the most expensive drug the State has purchased, Daniel points out that less money will have to be spent on hospitalisation of users once they start accessing Orkambi.

As trials of the drug have resulted in a decrease in hospitalisation, he said that in the long-term it makes sense to invest in the drug.

New drugs are being developed all the time, but just not for Cystic Fibrosis, he said.

Initially, he will have to travel to St Vincent's University Hospital in Dublin, which incorporates The National Centre for Adult Cystic Fibrosis, to receive his treatment, but thereafter he will be able to receive it from his local pharmacy.

At present, Daniel has an intense daily routine lasting up to two hours to address his condition, including the use of a nebuliser, exercise and a regime of tablets.

Its all to halt the decline of lung disease, but it just treats the symptoms and not the cause, he explains.

He reveals that at the moment he is feeling very well, following a significant low period in 2015/2016 where he was hospitalised and was down to 23 percent lung capacity.

He is now off antibiotics for the last seven months and his lung capacity is good at the moment, which puts him in a very strong place to begin treatment as those with higher lung capacity have a good chance of benefiting from Orkambi.

As long as I can remember, from childhood until now, there was nothing like this that would give me any hope for the future, he said.
Kildare Town firm McMahon and Co Accountants and Advisers, has been shortlisted in this years Irish Accountancy Awards, which are hosted by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

The awards are in recognition of accountancy practices which provide the highest quality of service and who can demonstrate that they have added significant value and competitive advantage to their client organisations.

The judging panel will make their decision at the Ballsbridge Hotel on Thursday, May 18.

Frank McMahon, MD of McMahon and Co, said the company was delighted to be shortlisted for this prestigious award

He put the nomination down to his hard working staff and loyal customers. And he thanked them all.

Success in business, as in life, depends on human interaction and open communications. We enjoy our work and the positive impact we have on society. As our mission statement states We work for people who care about their business.
A major refurbishment job has been done on the organ at the Church of Our Lady and St David, Sallins Road, Naas.

Parish priest Fr Liam Morgan told the Leader that, while the organ hadnt broken, it was necessary to carry out maintenance and upgrading work.

An instrument like this needs to be maintained and if not done it would prove to be more expensive and it's about preserving the past, said Fr. Morgan. The parish church itself is 190 years old this year.

Historian Paddy Behan recalled that the original organ was unveiled in October 1846.

In November 1939, Fr Doyle signed the contract, commissioning the organ for 1,500, and six months later it was operational, having been constructed in Huddersfield.

The most recent renovation entailed a professional overhaul, cleaning and tonal finishing and was carried out by County Wexford-based Neiland and Creane, specialist organ builders.

Gary Creane told the Leader: The organ has an extremely well designed tonal scheme.

Much of the internal workings had deteriorated. The chests (on which the pipes sit) were restored and the four bellows were releathered.

All of the work was carried out at Neiland and Creanes workshop with an input from Daniel Spencer, a voicer, at Bishop and son, organ builders in London.

Neiland and Creane have restored many fine organs including instruments in Bandon and Kinsale, built in 1809 and 1812.

The dedication plaque on the organ at the church
Gardai in Athy are seeking information from members of the public on a Mazda hatchback used in a robbery and abduction at an Athy petrol station last Friday night.

At around 9pm on Friday, April 14, two raiders armed with weapons entered the Top Oil premises on the Kilkenny Road in Athy.

They made demands for cash, but when none was forthcoming they took one of the staff members, a young man, and left the area.

Arrangements were made for a sum of cash from the businesss safe to be handed over, and the staff member was later released. He was unhurt, although understandably shaken from the incident.

Gardai at Athy station, tel 059 8634210, are seeking information from any member of the public who may have witnessed anything suspicious on the towns Kilkenny Road, from the Blackparks area to Ballylinan, from 8.30pm to 10pm that Friday night.

They are particularly interested in any sightings of the Mazda hatchback car, which was of an older style.
The County Leitrim Fleadh Cheoil will be hosted by the Ballinamore Branch of Comhaltas from 28th to 30th of April in Ballinamore.

On Friday 28th at 8pm Noel Hill opens the Fleadh with the launch of his new solo CD 'Alive in New York' in 'The poor Scholar' pub. His first solo project in 12 years and it is quickly gaining notable acclaim in the traditional music circuit.

On Saturday 29th the competitions get underway in the Community Centre with U-10 music at 3.45pm followed by all dancing competitions at 5pm. Sunday 30th all other music competitions take place in the new Community School. Doors open at 10.30am.

Highlights on Saturday include a multi-media presentation by Mick Mulvey. The North Connacht Legacy  is about the influence of north Connacht musicians in the development of Londons traditional music scene since the Second World War. There will also be a singing workshop by Keshcarrigan native Eleanor Shanley whose vibrant career has spanned over 20 years.

Music and singing sessions will be held in pubs throughout the town over the weekend starting off with Students from the Drumshanbo Traditional Irish Music Course hosting a session in McGirls pub from 5pm on Friday.

John McCartin, Chairperson of Ballinamore Comhaltas Branch said The committee is delighted to welcome visitors and musicians to sample the heart of the tradition here in Ballinamore.

Monica Ward, Chairperson County Board Leitrim Comhaltas said It is fitting that Ballinamore a town steeped in a wealth of ceol, culture and heritage should host our County Fleadh. I would like to congratulate our competitors and their families and teachers on keeping this great tradition alive through music, song, dance and storytelling.

Lorraine Sweeney, Secretary of Ballinamore Comhaltas Branch said, We are delighted to be able to provide a platform for the talented youngsters in our community to play sing and dance this coming weekend. We wish them the best of luck in progressing to Connacht.

Follow Leitrim CCE facebook page for more details or contact, Lorraine 086 8631785/ Monica 089 4037596/ John 087 2517432
The volunteer crew of Bundoran RNLI Lifeboat were called out to assist in the rescue of dive boat with four people on board yesterday afternoon. (Sunday, April 16).

The dive boat with 4 persons on board, had broken down. The alarm was raised around 1:50pm with Malin Head Coast Guard who immediately requested the launch of the Bundoran Lifeboat and also tasked the Killybegs Coast Guard Rib.

The Bundoran Lifeboat launched at 2pm to the dive boat which was around a mile north of Bullockmore, (west of St Johns Point). The Killybegs Coast Guard rib took the dive boat under tow to Killybegs Harbour with the Bundoran Lifeboat accompanying both vessels.

On returning to the station around 90 minutes later, Volunteer Lifeboat Crew member with Bundoran RNLI Richard Gillespie said "the people on board the dive boat were absolutely correct to call the Coast Guard and have ourselves and Killybegs launched. While they were in no immediate danger, the longer they left the call, the more chances there were of something going wrong. We would always encourage boat users to contact the Coast Guard on the first sign of a problem so we can be there to help sooner rather than later."

The Bundoran RNLI Lifeboat remains on call 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. In case of emergency call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.
An American man named Geoffrey Banta experienced a cashless day in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province together with his Australian friend, Tim Clancy, who has been living in the city for six years.

The duo paid for everything through payment apps on their smartphones, including breakfast, vegetables at the market, public transportation, medical fees, shopping and the use of shared bikes. Both Banta and Clancy praised the convenience of mobile payment services, saying that a smartphone can accomplish just about anything in Hangzhou.
With party membership heading towards 90,000 it is also pleasing to hear that ALDC has recruited over 3,000 members. ALDC  originally the Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors  is open to Lib Dems aspiring to be local councillors and well as those already elected, so now bills itself as the Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors and Campaigners.

ALDC provides comprehensive advice on campaigning in local elections, including its excellent, and intensive, Kickstart weekends.

On 6th April Susan Morgan won a by-election at Aylesbury Vale District Council with a massive 38% swing from UKIP. She is now being celebrated as ALDCs 3000th member. She said:

Im really pleased to have joined ALDC and to be their 3,000th member is a nice touch. My successful campaign to win last weeks by-election couldnt have been achieved without the support of my campaign manager, Cllr Steven Lambert. His knowledge and experience picked up over almost 10 years of being an ALDC member, not to mention the templates and advice that he had access to through his membership, were key to me winning. Id recommend other community campaigners, whether you want to be a councillor or not, should follow suit and join ALDC too.

So we make no apologies for endorsing the plug, and encouraging you to join ALDC.
Thats the encouraging headline in todays Guardian. And the timing couldnt be better with everything to play for on 4th May in the local elections and the Manchester Gorton by-election.

In Cornwall 

 the tide appears to be turning. The Lib Dems have won a succession of council by-elections in Cornwall and are now once again the biggest group on the council with 43 members, governing in coalition with the independents. Lib Dem loyalists are buoyed both by the national partys resurgence and by a report in the New Statesman claiming that Lynton Crosby, who helped the Tories into government in 2015, has warned the prime minister, Theresa May, that if she called a snap general election she would lose all the Lib Dem seats her party gained in Cornwall.

It will please Mark Pack to hear that we are putting up candidates in every single one of the 123 council seats. Of these 31 are new members.

I didnt think Id like this bit, having to knock on peoples doors, says the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Altarnun ward, Adrian Parsons. But you meet so many people and you learn so much. Most people want to talk. And the majority seem to be positive about our messages. Im enjoying this. Parsons, a 42-year-old dairy and sheep farmer, is one of a new generation of Lib Dem activists helping to forge what increasingly seems to be a strong revival in the partys fortunes in Cornwall.

There are some hints about our campaigning techniques  not that they are a secret:

Experienced campaigners are on hand  The Lib Dem peer Baroness Jolly, the partys defence spokeswoman, was knocking on doors with Parsons. The Lib Dems have long been seen as an anti-establishment party, she said. That became a hard sell when the party governed in coalition with David Camerons Tories. But I think were getting that back quickly. The door-knocking is backed by technology. The Lib Dems are using a canvassing app called MiniVAN, which was used by Barack Obama. They are also pleased with the return on the money they have invested on boosting Facebook posts. But face-to-face contact is still the Lib Dems bread and butter.

The advantage of MiniVAN (mobile canvassing tool) is that it really supports those face-to-face contacts rather than hinders them. So make sure you have a smart phone or tablet with you when offering to do some door-knocking over the next two-and-a-bit weeks, wherever you are.

* Mary Reid is a contributing editor on Lib Dem Voice. She was a councillor in Kingston upon Thames, where she is still very active with the local party, and is the Hon President of Kingston Lib Dems.
Every MP or peer who fails to recognise the importance of EU workers should take a very careful look at their own workplace.

From the cleaning of their offices through to the serving of food and drink, it is EU citizens who are playing a key role in the daily running of Parliament.

It is simply hypocritical for any MP to vote against EU citizens being guaranteed the right to remain in the UK, and then spend the rest of the evening in a Commons bar staffed by EU citizens.

MPs and Peers who fail to guarantee the status of EU citizens are creating unnecessary uncertainty and stress for many families around the UK. They are also undermining the effective running of a large number of businesses and public bodies, including Parliament itself.
A WOMAN who was threatened that she would be shot by a serial offender who took her phone and wallet developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) following the robbery, a court has heard.

Craig ODonnell, aged 20, of OMalley Park Southill has pleaded guilty to a number of charges relating to the incident which happened at Brookfield Hall, Castletroy, shortly before midnight on August 1, 2015.

Limerick Circuit Court was told the defendant, who was on bail in relation to number of burglaries at student houses in Castletroy, approached the injured party as she was sitting in her car.

Detective Garda Pardaic Quirke said the woman was on the phone when the car door swung open.

He said ODonnell, who was with another man, blocked her from getting out of the car and demanded that she hand over her valuables.

A pellet gun was pointed at the womans head by ODonnell who said he would shoot and kill her if she did not cooperate.

She thought she was going to die, Det Garda Quirke told Cephas Power BL, prosecuting.

The culprits escaped with a Michael Kors handbag which contained around 170 in cash and a variety of bank and identity cards.

In a victim impact statement, the woman said she was treated in hospital for PTSD following the incident and still wakes in the middle of the night.

She said she has had to leave her home on a number of occasions since as she does not feel safe and is constantly double-checking the locks.

She added that the theft of the money had also caused her great financial strain.

Outlining the facts relating to one of the burglaries, Det Garda Quirke said the occupant of a house at Cambridge Close was woken when a male entered his bedroom at around 4am on December 3, 2014. When he followed him, he encountered a second man (Mr ODonnell) who was armed with a knife.

After the culprits escaped left with his phone and wallet, the student, who is from Ennis, got a taxi home and his parents raised the alarm.

Brian McCartney QC said his client was absolutely stoned out of his head when he committed the robbery and the earlier burglary offences and that his motivation was to get money to pay for drugs.

He described the offending as haphazard and opportunistic and said ODonnell has expressed genuine remorse. Judge Tom ODonnell will impose sentence on May 5, next.
TRIBUTES have been paid to the enthusiastic and passionate Mary Immaculate president Prof Michael A Hayes, who unexpectedly passed away at the weekend.

The respected Limerickman and dedicated academic, aged 59, died in the early hours of Easter Saturday morning at the Mater Private Hospital in Dublin, following a short illness.

The respected priest, who attended St Munchins College and St Patricks Pontifical College in Maynooth, was appointed the president and the chief executive of the South Circular Road institution in October 2011.

Before serving as MIC president for six years, Prof Hayes lived and worked in the United Kingdom for more than 30 years. He was a priest of the Archdiocese of Southwark in South East England.

Leading the tributes was acting president, Prof Eugene Wall, who said that the Limerickmans death came as an enormous shock to the college community. He said that his guiding hand will be sadly missed.

Since becoming president almost six years ago, Michael worked relentlessly and with compelling conviction to lead the college with clear-sighted vision through a difficult era for higher education. He was an enthusiastic and passionate champion of the colleges role in the Irish educational landscape and he possessed an unwavering belief that student wellbeing should be a mainstay of the colleges mission. He spoke earnestly and eloquently of his hope that the enduring contribution of the College would be to contribute to the flourishing of our students lives, he said in a statement on Easter Sunday.

Limerick bishop Brendan Leahy, chairperson of the Trustees of the Governing Authority, expressed his sorrow at the death of Prof Hayes on Sunday.

He said that Prof Hayes dedicated more than 100% to the advancements of MIC on so many levels.

I was always struck by the untiring zeal with which Michael approached his role as president.

"Any time he updated the Trustees and the Governing Board of the college, he spoke so warmly and with pride of the achievements of staff and students. Even in recent weeks, he was so clearly delighted that the college team had for a second time in a row won the Fitzgibbon Cup, he commented.

Bishop Leahy described him as a man with a large cluster of talents and competencies, who befriended many with kind words of wisdom, clarity and wit.

Keeping before us all the high ideals that he believed the Colleges history and mission proposed, Michael certainly played a key role in ensuing Mary Immaculate College is today not only the largest Catholic third level college in the country but well acclaimed for its significant role in the Irish academic and educational landscape.

His loss will be deeply felt. He faced his illness with admirable calm and trust in Gods providence. No doubt, when the moment of death came for Michael, it was a handing over of his life to the One who can do so much more than we can imagine. With that hope, we pray for Michael and trust he will continue to contribute to the College that he served so generously, he added.

Sad to hear of the passing of Michael Hayes, President of Mary Immaculate College, Limerick  MikeFitzpatrick (@MikeFitzpatric4) April 16, 2017

Heartfelt sympathies to our colleagues in Mary Immaculate College, and to Prof Hayes's family. A sad day for Irish education. https://t.co/7sBosLd7kK  DCU Education (@DCU_IoE) April 15, 2017

During Prof Hayes successful six years, he contributed immensely to a myriad of major developments at MIC. This included the colleges incorporation of St Pats in Thurles; the opening of the Lime Tree Theatre; the mammoth growth of the student population to 5,000; the expansion plans of the John Henry Newman Campus on OConnell Avenue; and the development of the state-of-the-art 21m library and learning centre, which received the green light from Limerick City and County Council.

University of Limerick president, Prof Don Barry said that he was saddened to learn of Prof Hayes untimely passing.

As an active member of the Shannon Consortium, Prof Hayes was a wonderful colleague who worked creatively and collaboratively to advance the cause of education in the Mid-West Region in partnership with UL and LIT. I know I speak for all my colleagues at the University of Limerick in expressing sympathy to the members of Michael's family and to the entire MIC community.

We are profoundly shocked & saddened at the death of Prof. Michael Hayes, President of MIC. He was a powerful leader & advocate for the arts https://t.co/LUCuuaaJ6c  Michael Finneran (@soilsitheoir) April 16, 2017

A staunch supporter of the arts and culture in Limerick, Prof Hayes was instrumental in MICs involvement in the 1916 Easter Rising centenary programme and the National City of Culture designation in 2014.

Staff at the Lime Tree Theatre took to social media to express their sadness at the death of the MIC chief executive.

Prof Hayes played a key and vital role in the setting up and running of the company charged with managing and programming the Lime Tree Theatre and, through his invaluable and dedicated support, ensured the success of the venue both as a regional and national venue.

He took a keen interest in everything we presented and was a regular and enthusiastic supporter of events in the theatre. He was a regular visitor to the office in the Tara building, bringing support, encouragement and good humour to the everyday challenges and triumphs we faced and we are deeply saddened at his passing, it stated on Facebook.

Following his appointment at MIC, he was nominated by the colleges of education in Ireland to the Teaching Council of Ireland in April 2012.

A qualified psychotherapist, having studied at London Institute of Psychosynthesis, Prof Hayes was internationally-renowned for his academic expertise in pastoral theology.

In May 2013, the late academic was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane letter from De Sales University, Pennsylvania. He also served as editor of the international journal, The Pastoral Review, published in London.

Prior to his appointment at MIC, he taught in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Roehampton University, and was latterly Vice-Principal and Professor of Catholic Pastoral Studies at St Marys University College, Strawberry Hill in Twickenham, where he had also been Head of the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, and the founding Head of the School of Theology, Philosophy, and History. He was a visiting professor at St Marys University College, London.

Prof Hayes will be reposing at MIC chapel, on South Circular Road, this Tuesday at 4pm, with evening prayer at 8pm. Requiem Mass will take place at 12.30pm at St Johns Cathedral, with burial afterward at Mount St Lawrence Cemetery.

Son of the late Sean and Margaret and beloved twin brother of Elizabeth, he is deeply mourned by his loving brother David Aidan; sisters Deborah ONeill, Marjorie OMalley, Bredette Keane and Marie-Therese Foley; sister-in-law Gertrude, brothers-in-law Tom, Gerard, Kieran, Mark and Mike; nephews, nieces, grand nephews, grand nieces; uncles Dermot and John Reid; his MIC colleagues; Archbishop Peter Smith, of Southwark; Bishop Brendan Leahy; and his fellow priests, other relatives and his many friends.
A FORMER manager at Advance Pitstop stole almost 40,000 in cash from the company to fund his 800-a-day drug habit, a court has heard.

Pat OShaughnessy, aged 36, who has an address at Derrynane, Old Cork Road, pleaded guilty to 20 sample charges relating to offences which happened on various dates between January 1, 2014, and June 30, 2014.

During a sentencing hearing, Detective Garda Enda Haugh told Limerick Circuit Court that senior management at the company launched an internal investigation in June 2014 after discrepancies came to light relating to the lodging of monies in the bank.

Judge Tom ODonnell was told that in addition to stealing 37,732 in cash, cheques to the value of 18,810 were also stolen.

The defendant, who worked at the companys Ennis Road branch, was confronted and made admissions about what had happened.

Mr OShaughnessy, who had worked for Advance Pitstop for 12 years, also agreed to repay 40,000 with the help of his parents.

However, Detective Garda Haugh said Mr OShaughnessy  a separated father-of-five  did not repay any money to the company but instead paid 15,000 to criminal elements as he was under a lot of pressure over a drug debt.

A formal complaint was made to gardai in December 2014 resulting in the defendant being arrested and charged with a total of 95 offences.

Yvonne Quinn BL said her clients life was in turmoil around the time of his offending as his cocaine habit had escalated from around 50-a-week to 800-a-day.

It spiralled out of control, his sole motivation was to get cash to pay for drugs, she said.

Ms Quinn said the defendant, who has no previous convictions, was dismissed by Advance Pitstop and now works for a valeting business in the city centre.

He is essentially a hard-working person, it was out of character for him, she told the court.

In mitigation, Ms Quinn said her client would like to repay all of the stolen money but that it is not realistic to make such a promise.

Judge ODonnell was told the company was able to secure payment in relation to the stolen cheques but that it still remains at a loss in relation to the cash which was taken.

Urging the court to be lenient, she said Mr OShaughnessy had made full and frank admissions to both gardai and company management and that he was embarrassed to be before the courts for such a crime.

She said he entered a residential rehabilitation programme more than two years ago and is now drug-free.

Referring to the contents of a probation report, she added that her client represents a low risk of reoffending.

Adjourning the matter to October to allow for reflection Judge ODonnell said the payment or non-payment of the monies will be influential in his decision.

Ill have to factor in whatever happens, he commented.

Ms Quinn said her client will seek to put some form of arrangement in place between now and then.

Mr OShaughnessy was remanded on continuing bail pending the conclusion of the proceedings against him.
THE LOCAL authority and University of Limerick will establish a series of public consultations this month, in a bid to gather the peoples hopes and aspirations for the citys riverfront.

The Council will join the School of Architecture at UL (Saul) in delivering the second week of the Living Limerick: City Engage series, which aims to collect the publics views on living in Limerick.

The City Engage week will take place from April 25 to April 28.

Launching the series, Limerick City and County Council senior architect, Rosie Webb said that the programme was about listening to people and incorporating their views into the overall plans for the city.

The first ever Living Limerick: City Engage event in March which focused on plans for OConnell Street was very well attended and we were able to collect many interesting ideas and opinions. We aim to build on that momentum with the next series of City Engage events.

"Were holding a range of events throughout the week that allow people to choose a time that suits them to engage with Limerick City and County Council and to give their views about the Riverways.

The River Shannon is one of our greatest assets and we need to develop it to its maximum potential. This City Engage week beginning on April 25 will focus on proposals for the river aimed at connecting the river to the city. This is a novel way of engaging people. The hope is that the approach allows for local knowledge to have an impact on the final design outcome.

Saul professor Merritt Bucholz, welcoming the series, said: We want to help Limerick build an accessible vision of a great city.

Using physical models and prototypes we will help people understand how they can help build a city they want in a way they understand. These events aim provide an open door to the design of the city and a really new way to get great ideas for its future from the people who know it best.

The City Engage consultations will coincide with the 13th annual Riverfest celebrations in the city centre, putting the River Shannon on the centre stage once again.

As some of the worlds most renowned jetboarders return to for thrills and spills along the quays, a new feature is in store for Limericks most daring individuals  a zip line across the river Shannon.

Mayor Kieran OHanlon said: the festival about celebrating the majestic Shannon river that flows through our beautiful city. For years, we turned our backs on the river, but over the past decade or so, we have come to realise the importance of the river.
LEGENDARY musician Peter Hook is to return to Limerick for a show in November.

The bass player and co-founding member of Joy Division and New Order is back for another show at Dolans Warehouse, scene of a memorable gig in April last year.

Bowled over by the ecstatic response of his Limerick fans, Hook will return to Dolans this November to play his Substance gig. Hook and his band, which includes his son Jack Bates, will perform songs from the Joy Division and New Order albums  both of which are called Substance.

Mick Dolan said they really looking forward to welcoming Peter Hook and The Light back to Limerick. We are delighted that Peter has decided to play at the Warehouse again. This will be one of only three Irish shows and is a must for fans of Joy Division and New Order.

Welcoming the news, Eoin Devereux of UL said Hooks previous gig had gone down in the annals of Limerick rock music history.

Tickets for the November 30 gig are on sale now. See www.dolans.ie.
A 55-year-old female taxi driver parked her taxi outside the famous Semperoper opera house in Dresden, Germany during the Easter holiday to promote the Belt and Road Initiative.

The driver, who goes by the name Brigitta, decorated her taxi with the national flags of China and Germany, as well as a number of Belt and Road slogans. She said she works the night shift and has been using her car as a publicity tool during the daytime since last March, when she read an article written by the Chinese ambassador to Germany, Shi Mingde, on the initiative. She hopes to inform more people about it, as she believes the plan can bring jobs and economic prosperity to the countries involved. (Photo/China National Radio)
Apr 17, 2017, 5 AM

This purple 3 Mothers of America commemorative stamp played an important role in U.S. stamp history.

Editors Insights  By Donna Houseman

Mothers Day is Sunday May 14. For collectors of United States stamps, the only stamp issued specifically to honor mothers and their special day is the purple 3 commemorative stamp issued in 1934.

The stamp has the distinction of having been designed, at least in part, by a U.S. president.

Brian C. Baur, a collector of U.S. stamps, tells the story of this stamp in his book Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Stamps of the United States 1933-45 (published by Linns Stamp News in 1993).

Connect with Linns Stamp News:

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President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a stamp collector in his own right, received a request for a stamp to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of U.S. artist James Abbott McNeill Whistler, and another for a stamp to honor mothers, for mailing cards and letters for Mothers Day.

FDR combined the two subjects as he took pencil to paper to sketch his proposal for a stamp design. He handed the design to Postmaster General James A. Farley, who, Baur said, was visiting the White House. The date was Feb. 16, 1934.

The sketch showed an inelegant rendition of Whistlers Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1, better known as Whistlers Mother.

Max G. Johl writes in The United States Commemorative Stamps of the 20th Century, Vol. 1, Seventeen designs were submitted by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

Victor S. McCloskey Jr. designed the stamp, reproducing Whistlers painting and adding carnations in the lower left corner. McCloskey used Roosevelts suggested inscription, In Memory and in Honor of the Mothers of America, placing it to the left of the seated subject.

The stamp was engraved by J.C. Benzing (vignette), and E.M. Hall and W.B. Wells (lettering).

The BEP printed the stamps on two presses. More than 193 million stamps were printed on the Bureaus rotary press, and more than 15 million stamps were printed on the flat-plate press.

Stamps from the rotary press (Scott 737) are perforated gauge 11 by 10. Stamps from the flat-plate press (738) gauge perf 11.

The stamp was issued May 2, 1934, but as is often true today, stamps were sold prior to the issue date. Covers exist to document the early releases.

The first uncut press sheet was presented to President Roosevelt, and the second press sheet was given to first lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Other dignitaries also received press sheets.

When word got out that one of the press sheets was offered to the Scott Stamp & Coin Co. to be sold, stamp collectors protested.

To calm the protests, Postmaster General Farley ordered a special printing of 20 issues in sheets without gum or perforations to be made available to the public. The special printings, issued in sheets of 400 (Scott 752) or 200 each (753-771), became known as Farleys Follies.

The special imperforate printings were issued March 15, 1935, and included the flat-plate 3 Mothers of America stamp (Scott 754).
SEOUL, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Visiting United States Vice President Mike Pence said on Monday that "an era of strategic patience is over" on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Pence made the remarks during a joint press conference with South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn who is serving as acting president. They held talks in Seoul before the televised press conference.

Since 1992, Pence said, the United States and South Korea made joint efforts to achieve the denuclearized Korean Peninsula through peaceful means.

The U.S. vice president, however, said "all options are on the table" though the U.S. wants peaceful means for the denuclearization of the peninsula.

Citing two nuclear tests and multiple ballistic missile test-launches the DPRK conducted in the past 18 months, he said the era of strategic patience is over.

The strategic patience refers to a U.S. policy on the DPRK advocated by the previous Obama administration.

Pyongyang carried out its fourth and fifth nuclear detonations in January and September last year respectively. After the January atomic bomb test, the country launched a long-range rocket that put a satellite into orbit.

The rocket launch is seen by South Korea and the U.S. as a disguised test of a banned ballistic missile technology. The DPRK is banned from testing such technology under UN Security Council resolutions.

Shortly before Pence's arrival in South Korea, the DPRK test-launched an unidentified missile from its east coast. It exploded seconds after the launch, which was assessed by the South Korean military as a failed test.

Pence arrived in South Korea on Sunday as part of his 10-day trip to Asia. He will leave for Japan on Tuesday.
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With the installation of the dome on the containment building, all major civil engineering works have been completed at Unit 5 of the Hongyanhe nuclear power plant developed by China's State Power Investment Corp, located Northeast China's Liaoning province. [File Photo]

Chinese companies are craving access to the colossal untapped potential of the nuclear power industry in Belt and Road countries, which could yield a market of up to 4 trillion RMB ($580 billion), said the chairman of one of the countrys largest nuclear power developers.

About 72 countries globally have been or are planning to develop nuclear power, among which 41 are along the Belt and Road route, and most of them are still in the earliest stages of nuclear power development. We estimate that if their nuclear energy were raised to reach development levels comparable to those of the U.S. or Japan, it would spawn a market worth 4 trillion RMB,  remarked Wang Shoujun, chairman of China National Nuclear Corp (CNNC).

The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along ancient trade routes, in an unprecedented effort that will unite up to 65 countries.

China a powerful nuclear tech player

As domestic demand for electricity soars in China, and the country accelerates its shift to renewable energy, nuclear power will be one of the highest-priority projects. China currently operates 36 nuclear reactors, and is in the process of building 20 new ones, according to an official with the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

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, ranking second in the world for number of installed units.

When it comes to homegrown technologies, China is gathering steam to occupy a position of leadership in the world. The Hualong One pressurized water reactor, manufactured by China First Heavy Machinery, completed its hydraulic pressure tests on April 8. This milestone shows that China has mastered the independent design and manufacture of third-generation nuclear power facilities.

On Jan. 5, 2017, State Power Investment Corp (SPIC), one of Chinas five largest power generators, released NuPAC platform, a digital instrumentation and control system for nuclear power plants, complete with independent intellectual property rights. The platform has obtained approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, giving it access to American and European markets.

The digital instrumentation and control system----which ensures the automatic, safe shutdown of nuclear power plants in abnormal circumstances such as natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis--- is like the "nerve center" and "bodyguard" of nuclear power plants. Only four countries have mastered the technology, China is one of them,  said He Yu, president of CGN Group.

Photo taken on May 7, 2015 shows the construction site of a nuclear power project in Fuqing, southeast China's Fujian Province. China on Thursday began construction on the pilot nuclear power project using Hualong One technology, a domestically-developed third generation reactor design on Thursday.

Sailing abroad

With the third-generation Hualong One reactor as a star export, Chinese nuclear technologies have established a presence in the U.K., Romania, Pakistan and beyond.

In March, China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) inked a protocol with Kenya on nuclear power training based on the Hualong One reactor, coming one step closer to actually exporting the Hualong One design to Kenya, and testing the waters on other exports of technology and equipment overseas.

Citing indigenous technologies like Hualong One and NuPAC platform, the president of CGN Group announced that homegrown technologies lay the foundation for Chinas nuclear expansion overseas.

According to CNNC Chairman Wang Shoujun, CNNC has successfully exported six nuclear power units and eight reactors to at least seven countries, and has established links with more than 40 countries for further cooperation spanning the full nuclear industrial chain.

SPIC releases NuPAC Platform, a nuclear reactor protection system with independent intellectual property rights. [File Photo]

Nuclear, radiation safety measures reliable

According to a source from the National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA), from August to September 2016, the International Atomic Energy Agency conducted a comprehensive nuclear and radiation safety evaluation. Their assessment found that nuclear and radiation safety in China is in line with international standards, and regulatory work is "effective and reliable".

The anonymous NNSA official noted that, in the past 30 years, the Chinese nuclear industry has maintained a record of safe operations, with no incidents exceeding Level 2 or higher on the 7-level International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale. No radiation was deemed detrimental to the environment.

However, the official also stressed that a shortage of storage space for used fuel and the disposal of radioactive waste is a major issue affecting the development of China's nuclear power.

In March, China's State Council approved a plan for nuclear power safety and radioactive pollution control. According to the plan, China will build five sites for the disposal of solid waste with a low or intermediate level of radioactivity. Underground laboratories will be called upon to dispose of highly radioactive waste.

By 2025, China plans to have fully modernized its supervisory system for nuclear safety and radioactive pollution control. The safety of the country's nuclear facilities will be markedly enhanced by 2020, with a lower rate of occurrence of radiation accidents and better emergency response and safety supervision, according to the plan.
China has been proactive in its response to the threat of antibiotics-resistant "supergerms," a health issue that has been highlighted by the World Health Organization (WHO).

In late February, WHO published a list of 12 groups of supergerms threatening to change from easily-treatable infections into incurable diseases. According to the agency, the 12 groups of bacteria were ranked based on the severity of the diseases they cause, how easily they spread, how many drugs still work against them and how many new ones are already being developed, AFP reported.

Antibiotics-resistant bacteria are extremely smart and tenacious. Bacteria usually develop in four ways to get around the use of antibiotics, including pumping and degrading those antibiotics. Bacteria can also release modifying enzymes to disarm antibiotics, or evade the blockade created by antibiotics. This is why antibiotics-resistant bacteria usually develop less than two years after a new medicines release, explained Professor Huang Qingshan from Fudan University's School of Life Sciences. Huang also pointed out that the new bacteria are usually stronger, making treatment even harder.

Since the 1990s, a Chinese research team led by Huang and Lu Wanying, an expert with the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association, has been attempting to target supergerms with antimicrobial enzymes and antibiotic peptides, instead of the more traditional antibiotics.

Having already found some success, the team is now working on a new type of enzyme, which is expected to combat prioritized supergerms on the WHO list, the Peoples Daily reported.

China has issued several top-level guidelines to encourage innovative research of supergerms and their treatment. In August 2015, national health authorities released a guideline on the use of antibiotics. Last August, 14 ministry-level bodies jointly released a national action plan to curb antibiotics-resistant bacteria. In February, the Ministry of Agriculture unveiled a plan to monitor antibiotics-resistant bacteria that originate from animals.
Details added (first version posted on 10:10)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17

Trend:

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has viewed the Aran Regional Development Center as part of his visit to Yevlakh district.

The Azerbaijani president first viewed an exhibition of non-oil export products launched in the foyer of Aran Regional Development Center.

Azerbaijani Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev informed the head of state about the products displayed at the exhibition.

He noted that the exhibition features nearly 450 kinds of products of more than 60 companies, including wine, tea, fruits and vegetables, mineral water, juices, honey, sweets, textile.

Apart from being used in domestic market, these products are exported to a number of countries, including Europe, CIS countries, US, UAE, China, Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The Azerbaijani president then viewed conditions created in Aran Regional Development Center.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17

Trend:

Iran has always supported and supports the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Ali Larijani said.

He made the remarks in Iran at the meeting with Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov, the press service of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said.

Iran supports peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the norms and principles of international law, Larijani added.

During the meeting, the Azerbaijani defense minister noted the important role and the great contribution of numerous meetings and mutual visits of presidents, state representatives of Azerbaijan and Iran in expansion of the relations between the two countries, as well as in the development and strengthening of bilateral cooperation.

Touching upon regional security issues, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov informed Larijani about the ongoing negotiations on the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, in particular about the recent incidents on the contact line between the Armenian and Azerbaijani troops.

The sides also discussed prospects for development of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Iran in the military, military-technical sphere, as well as regional, global and other issues of mutual interest.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Scientists at the University of Manchesters High Voltage Laboratory hit the drone with more than 1 million volts to simulate a lightning strike.

What would happen if a drone got caught in an electrical storm?

That's the question YouTuber Tom Scott asked when he brought two DJI Phantom 3 drones to the University of Manchesters High Voltage Laboratory. The British university's lab can generate lightning on command, thanks to an impulse generator that can create a bolt of more than 1 million volts. The drones were no match for the lightning, and were fried when caught in the middle of the bolt.

For the first experiment, a drone was tethered to the ground (to ensure it wouldn't fly out of the bolt's path) and shocked with more than 1 million volts of electricity. Slow-motion video of the shock showed that the lightning strike went through the drone, and the robotic flyer came crashing down. [Electric Earth: Stunning Images of Lightning]

"The electricity passed straight through, flowing from one of the propellers to exit through the foot of the drone," Enna Bartlett, digital coordinator for the university, described in a blog post. "Surprisingly there were no visible marks on the outside of the drone, but that doesnt mean that the insides got away unscathed; as it turns out, the electricity took the path of least resistance and fried all the sensitive internal electronics."

Electrical engineering researchers Vidyadhar Peesapati and Richard Gardner, who carried out the experiments to answer Scott's question, thought they'd try to protect the other drone in the second experiment. Rather than tether the done as is, the researchers added a lightning rod made of copper tape to act as a lightning conductor.

Though the copper tape was intended to attract the lightning atthe highest point on the drone, the propellers were still equally as tall (and attractive) to the bolt of electricity. In that experiment, the drone was more severely damaged than the first experiment. The researchers said the propellers were explosively pulled away from the drone due to the sheer force of the strike.

The tests made for an electrifying video on Scott's YouTube channel, but also added to scientists' understanding of how aeronautics interact with lightning.

"With our understanding of how airplanes behave in thunderstorms and how to provide protection for them," Bartlett wrote, "this knowledge could be applied to drone technology to ensure the drone and its pilot stays safe should they fly in adverse weather conditions."

Original article on Live Science.
The facial approximation of a woman who lived more than 13,000 years ago in what is now Thailand.

The pretty face of a woman who lived more than 13,000 years ago in what is now Thailand, and is considered a likely descendant of the first humans to populate Southeast Asia, is seeing the light of day.

Scientists have created a digital reconstuction of the woman's face based on skeletal remains found in 2002 in the Tham Lod rock shelter in northwest Thailand. Though fragmented, the remains included the bones of the skull and teeth. [Images: A New Face for Otzi the Iceman Mummy]

It appears the body was laid to rest on its left side in a flexed position and with a hammerstone (stone used as a hammer) across the forearm.

Above the burial was a circle with five large pebbles and rounded limestone fragments. This could be interpreted as being part of the woman's burial ritual, but that's just speculation, as graves have been shown to be highly variable across the region, the researchers said.

Dating bones

A Thai research team, led by Rasmi Shoocongdej, a professor of archaeology at Silpakorn University in Bangkok, established that the bones belonged to a woman who was probably between 25 and 35 years old and 5 feet tall (152 centimeters).

The team used accelerator mass spectrometry to separate out istotopes of radiocarbon from the sediment where the burial was found. (Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons.) Using the known decay rates of this form of carbon, the scientists estimated that the young woman lived 13,640 years ago during the Late Pleistocene.

This makes the woman "the oldest human burial to be excavated in the northwestern highlands of Thailand, and probably a direct descendent of the founder population of Southeast Asia," Shoocongdej wrote in the academic journal Antiquity.

Finding a face

To produce a representation of the woman's face, the Thai-funded research project did not rely on the widely used forensic facial reconstruction method. Instead, they employed a range of robust skull-soft tissue relationships to estimate the individual's facial features.

"Facial reconstruction is a very, very popular method, but it has been tested and found to be scientifically invalid since around 2002," study co-author Susan Hayes, of the University of Wollongong in Australia, told Live Science.

Hayes noted the woman was a perfect candidate to test whether the new methods could reconstruct aspects of the unique facial features of a woman who is neither recent nor European.

The estimation of facial soft-tissue depths and shapes of facial features (eyes, nose, mouth, ears). (Image credit: Susan Hayes)

To estimate the facial appearance, Hayes used measurements of skulls, muscle, skin and soft facial tissue derived from large samples of contemporary populations worldwide. She then used the data to determine the relationship between the skull and soft tissue measurements and facial features. By applying this relationship to the Thai skeletal remains, Hayes created a two-dimensional image of a good-looking woman with small, almond-shaped eyes and a wide jaw.

"The woman is anatomically modern, so you would anticipate an anatomically modern facial appearance," Hayes said.

Hayes explained that facial reconstructions in museums tend to depict ancient human ancestors in a particular style.

"But this style is not at all supported by the evidence in scientific studies, and instead relates to the pre-Darwinian Christian mythology of the appearance of 'wild men,'" she added.

Stone Age looks

However, the main concern of the study was to make sure the results weren't too biased toward the facial appearance of contemporary women. Indeed, most of the skull-soft tissue relationships used in the study were statistical averages derived from the variation displayed in recent European populations.

"So it was possible that these predominantly recent European relationships might have overwritten the woman's distinctive Late Pleistocene and population characteristics," Hayes said.

Instead, when compared to the facial data derived from 720 contemporary women living in 25 different countries and across three continents, the facial appearance of the Stone Age woman remained clearly distinct, the researchers said. Moreover, it was not influenced by European features, the scientists said. [In Images: Deformed Skulls and Stone Age Tombs from France]

The facial approximation showed a closer connection with women from East and Southeast Asia, and appears affiliated with today's Japanese women in facial width and height, the study said.

Analyses of eyes, nose and mouth also indicated that the Stone Age woman shared morphological similarities with African women, particularly in the dimensions of the nose and mouth, the researchers said.

"Other than a clustering with extant modern Hungarian women with regard to mouth width, European women, despite dominating both the comparative population study and the methods used to estimate facial appearance, are noticeably absent," the researchers said.

Overall, the estimated face retained the distinctive characteristics of Late Pleistocene skulls, such as a larger jaw and more robust features, the researchers said.

The downside to the methods used by the team is that they take longer to achieve than the much quicker, and comparatively simple, method of facial reconstruction, the researchers said.

But, Hayes said, "the dead deserve the best we can do, no matter how long ago they lived, and this includes taking the time to apply the best methods to estimate each unique face from our human past."

Original article on Live Science.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17

Trend:

Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev has hailed the development of tourism in the country.

The number of tourists increased by 11 percent last year, while it rose by 25 percent in the three months of this year. It is obvious now, said President Aliyev in a closing speech at a republican conference of non-oil exporters in Azerbaijans Yevlakh District.

The number of tourists is increasing dramatically both in Baku and regions of the country. And there are, of course, reasons for this. This has not happened spontaneously. The work done in recent years has led to this situation. First of all, stability, tranquility, social and political order reigning in Azerbaijan, of course, make the country more attractive to tourists. Particularly, under current circumstances when there is tension in various parts of the world, threats, conflicts, social discontent is growing, mass protests are widespread. None of these problems exists in Azerbaijan, he noted.

Azerbaijan enjoys unity of the people and the government. Our policy is supported and approved by the people. And this is the key factor of stability in Azerbaijan, added President Aliyev.
The satellite images not only capture the crack's length, but also the "texture" of the ice shelf with smooth ice depicted as blue and rougher areas  like the rift and open water  as orange.

NASA satellite images spotted a massive iceberg set to break free from a cracking ice shelf in Antarctica, and scientists are trying to predict when the dramatic calving incident will occur.

Since 2014, scientists have been monitoring Antarctica's Larsen C Ice Shelf and the crack that cuts across the slab of floating ice. The crack currently measures about 112 miles (180 kilometers) long, but when it reaches the ocean, an iceberg about the size of Rhode Island will break from the ice shelf, according to NASA. As of this month, only 10 miles (16 km) of ice is left between the end of the crack and the open sea, agency officials said.

Ice fracturing is caused by a number of factors, so scientists can't quite pinpoint when the iceberg will break off: It might be days from now, or it could take years, according to researchers from Project MIDAS, a United Kingdom-based group that studies the cracking ice. [Images of Melt: Earth's Vanishing Ice]

Satellite images, like these taken by NASA's Terra satellite, help scientists study the growing crack on Larsen C to better understand what might happen to the ice shelf in the future. The three composite images above show the ice shelf on Aug. 22, 2016, when the rift was 81 miles (130 km) long; on Dec. 8, 2016, when the crack stretched 90 miles (145 km); and on April 6, 2017, when the rift reached 112 miles (180 km) long.

In addition to capturing the crack's length, the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument aboard the Terra satellite records the "texture" of the ice shelf by combining the photos taken by backward-, vertical- and forward-pointing cameras into one image. False-color composites of these different angles show the mostly smooth ice shelf's surface (blue) and the rougher areas of the crack and open water (orange). The crack's rougher surface is a sign of its active growth, according to NASA.

With much of the country experiencing an unseasonably warm winter, fears of climate change come to mind. See how well you understand recent weather, climate and the difference between them.

Pop Quiz: Sign of Climate Change, or Just Weird Weather?

When the crack reaches the ocean and the iceberg breaks away  an event known as calving  it could lead to "the complete disintegration of the ice shelf," NASA officials said. Though calving is a routine process for ice shelves, the massive shelf of floating ice helps keep land-based glaciers in place. If the shelf deteriorates, the glacier's flow toward the ocean can accelerate and lead to sea-level rise.

The collapse of Larsen C and its glaciers would lead to only 0.4 inches (1 centimeter) of global sea level rise, according to Helen Fricker, a member of NASA's sea level change science team.

However, the ice shelf's growing crack and potential collapse are indicators of the overall health of ice shelves across Antarctica.

"What we are seeing on Larsen C has implications for the big ice shelves farther south that hold considerable (sea level) potential," Eric Rignot, another member of the sea level change team, said in a statement. "The loss of these larger ice shelves and the resulting acceleration of glacial calving could amount to meters of sea level rise in the decades and centuries to come."

Original article on Live Science.
There is a new crack in one of Greenland's largest glaciers, and NASA researchers have captured the first images of the ice shelf's mysterious rift.

Operation IceBridge, NASA's airborne survey of polar ice, recently completed a land-ice mission over northwest Greenland. During the mission, researchers flew over and photographed a new rift near the center of Petermann Glacier's ice shelf (the floating end of the glacier). In the survey photos, the new rift appears relatively close to a larger, known crack that is spreading toward the center of the ice shelf. [Images: Greenland's Gorgeous Glaciers]

Part of Petermann Glacier's ice shelf could break off if the two rifts intersect, but researchers with Operation IceBridge said in a post on Facebook that the "medial flowline" (the flow of ice in the middle of the ice shelf) could keep the new rift from advancing.

Petermann, one of Greenland's largest glaciers, has shrunk in recent years. Previous rifts have resulted in massive icebergs breaking away from the glacier. In 2012, an iceberg the size of Manhattan broke away from the glacier's ice shelf. In 2010, another iceberg, this one four times the size of Manhattan, dropped, or calved, from Petermann. It was one of the largest ever recorded in Greenland, Live Science had reported.

A portion of the new rift at the center of Petermann Glacier's floating ice shelf (straight feature near bottom center), and an older rift from the side of the shelf (near top center), as photographed during a recent Operation IceBridge mission in northeast Greenland. (Image credit: Kelly Brunt/NASA)

The glacier's new rift was discovered by Stef Lhermitte, an Earth sciences professor at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, while studying satellite images of the area, reported The Washington Post. Lhermitte provided coordinates of the chasm to Operation IceBridge so that researchers could conduct an aerial survey of the ice shelf.

"[It's] amazing to see the rift from nearby after studying it from space for several days," Lhermitte told The Washington Post. "From these images alone, it is difficult to already say anything about what exactly caused the crack on this unusual spot."

Glaciers typically crack along their sides. A rift in the center of the floating ice shelf could be due to the warming ocean waters beneath the shelf, Lhermitte hypothesized, according to The Washington Post.

In other parts of the world, researchers have observed warm ocean waters that are melting ice shelves from below and weakening them at the center. A recent study of Antarctica's Pine Island Glacier showed that subsurface cracks in the glacier were likely caused by melting underneath the floating ice shelf.

Original article on Live Science.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

Baku is hosting the 13th meeting of the heads of the railway structures of the member-states of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), Sevinj Gadirova, spokesperson for the Azerbaijan Railways CJSC, told Trend Apr. 17.

Igbal Huseynov, deputy chairman of Azerbaijan Railways, delivered speech at the meeting.

Huseynov spoke about the railway projects which are being implemented in Azerbaijan, upgrading of the infrastructure and the role of international transport corridors in increasing the transit potential.

During the meeting, the participants discussed the expansion of regional cooperation in the railway transport.

At the same time, Baku is also hosting the 7th meeting of the Railway Committee of the ECO Transit Transport Council and the 3rd meeting of the ECO high-level working group on the Gazvin-Rasht-Astara (Iran)-Astara (Azerbaijan) railway project.

The representatives of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Iran, China, as well as the Islamic Development Bank, the Intergovernmental Organization for International Carriage by Rail, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and the ECO Trade and Development Bank are attending the meetings.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov
Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

Azerbaijans State Committee on Property Issues invited 500 foreign companies, investment banks and pension funds to participate in the process of privatization of state properties in the country, said head of the Committee Karam Hasanov.

He was addressing an expanded meeting dedicated to the results of the first quarter of 2017 and future tasks.

In total, almost 250 state properties, including small enterprises, joint stock companies, vehicles, as well as 63 non-residential areas and plots of land, were privatized in the first quarter of 2017, according to Hasanov.

He noted that it is necessary to speed up the work to attract investors to privatization of state properties in the regions, which have potential and can contribute to Azerbaijans socio-economic development.

Hasanov also reminded that the Committee launched a special website dedicated to privatization. Nearly 200,000 people used its services in January-March 2017, according to him.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17

Trend:

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has said the decisions, laws and decrees he signed last year created good opportunities to diversify Azerbaijans economy even more.

In particular, the measures taken to promote export of non-oil products yield good results, President Aliyev told a republican conference of non-oil exporters he chaired in Azerbaijans Yevlakh District.

We began to apply a promotion system. I have told about this in the past years, too. Because the system of promotion has justified itself in some other countries and led to growth of export. We studied appropriate advanced experience in the world and on this basis we applied promotion of investing and exporting systems in Azerbaijan, said Ilham Aliyev.

Both systems are functioning successfully, he added. Entrepreneurs maybe even didnt believe the state would render them such assistance. Sometimes they were even surprised.

Now, they see if their products reach the world markets, the state returns some percent of the products price to them. That is, this is a great initiative for stimulation.

On one hand, entrepreneurs gain extra profits, and on the other, this has moral sense, the president underlined. Because, the entrepreneurs confidence increases, they work even more confidently, they bring investments to our country with more confidence.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

Azerbaijan Airlines CJSC (AZAL), starting from September, will carry out direct flights from Baku to Jeddah, the second big city of Saudi Arabia, the press service of AZAL said Apr. 17.

Jeddah is an economic capital of Saudi Arabia and the largest city in the administrative district of Mecca. Jeddahs King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) is one of the main transit points for pilgrims and tourists.

Flights to Jeddah will be carried out on Thursdays and Sundays on comfortable Airbus A320 airliners equipped with economy and business class cabins.

Direct flights to Jeddah, which will become unique in the region, will be conveniently matched with other flights of AZAL. This will allow planning convenient transit from the countries of Europe and the CIS through the Heydar Aliyev International Airport, which was named the best airport in the post-Soviet area by UKs Skytrax.

To purchase tickets and for more information, please call:

+ (99412) 598-88-80

*8880

Email: [email protected]
Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17

Trend:

Development of entrepreneurship is one of the priority issues for Azerbaijan, said President Ilham Aliyev at a republican conference of non-oil exporters in Azerbaijans Yevlakh District.

Development of entrepreneurship is one of the priority issues for us. The government is providing both political and great methodological support for the development of entrepreneurship. The Aran Regional Development Center for entrepreneurs in Yevlakh District was built and commissioned by the Azerbaijani government. And this is another sign of support for the development of entrepreneurship, said the president.

We hold meetings with entrepreneurs on a regular basis several times a year. We have held hundreds of meetings with entrepreneurs over the past 13-14 years. I have personally attended the opening of a number of business ventures. Entrepreneurs are well aware that a great support, as well as political support is given to their activities by the state, he added.

President Ilham Aliyev noted that low-interest loans totaling more than two billion manats have been granted to entrepreneurs by the state through the National Fund for Entrepreneurship Support in recent years.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17

Trend:

President Ilham Aliyev said practical measures have been taken to promote the Made in Azerbaijan brand worldwide, adding the brand is already gaining world fame.

Several export missions have been dispatched to foreign countries and this has been of great benefit, the head of state said at a republican conference of non-oil exporters in the Yevlakh District.

We decided to open Azerbaijani trading houses in several countries, and we are already close to doing it. All steps taken by the state create additional opportunities for entrepreneurs.

We need to try to completely provide ourselves with consumer products in the next 3-4 years. This will create additional opportunities for export, Ilham Aliyev said. We should constantly increase production in order to fully meet the domestic demand and present competitive export products.

President Ilham Aliyev also stressed the importance of food security, saying Azerbaijan is close to completely providing its food security.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

The World Bank (WB) and the BestComp Group have signed a contract on the delivery, installation and maintenance of IT equipment for main and reserve DATA-centers as part of the Judicial Services and Smart Infrastructure Project (JSSIP) in Azerbaijan, the bank told Trend Apr. 17.

The contracts cost is almost $33 million.

The JSSIP project was approved in 2014. Its total cost is $200 million, $100 million of which accounts for the government share. The JSSIP project is expected to be implemented until December 31, 2018.

The projects aims are to improve the access, transparency and efficiency of delivery of selected justice services.

Azerbaijan joined the WB in 1992.
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One of south Longford's most popular tourism amenities has been given a 130,000 investment boost.

Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre was approved the six figure sum following a recently rubber-stamped government announcement.

Independent Councillor Mark Casey said the monies would go a long way towards enhancing the centre's all-round appeal.

The visitor centre interprets the significance of an Iron Age bog road dated to the year 148 BC, which crosses the bog lands close to the River Shannon and is a very important part of Longfords history, he said.

Based in Kenagh, the centre has become somewhat of a tourist haven for visitors interested in learning more about the early days of Irish Christianity.

In 1984 a major pre historic trackway of large oak planks was discovered in a raised bog.

Inside the interpretive centre, an eighteen-metre stretch of the preserved trackway is on permanent display in a hall specially designed to preserve the ancient wooden structure.

Cllr Casey lauded the part played by fellow Independent and Longford-Westmeath TD Kevin 'Boxer' Moran in securing the funding.

This Iron Age track way at Corlea is bigger and heavier than any other prehistoric road in Europe and has momentous historic value, he said.

Cllr Casey said Deputy Moran's expected assumption to the position of OPW Minister of State, the Government office which oversees management of the site, was pivotal to the announcement.

Since Deputy Moran got elected I have lobbied him for additional funding for this project and again he has delivered for Longford, said Cllr Casey.

This is a significant investment in the area which will tie in with the opening of the canal walkway which Deputy Moran has previously secured 250,000 funding for.

Cllr Casey said the investment provided an ideal opportunity to underpin Longford's burgeoning tourism base while also augmenting what he termed Longford's premier visitor centre.
The Governments broadband scheme will cover half a million homes, equivalent to a quarter of all Irish households, making it one of the largest state interventions in a telecoms market anywhere in the world.

Announcing details of the Governments finalised intervention strategy last week, Minister for Communications Denis Naughten said the plan would deliver high-speed broadband to 542,000 homes and businesses in so-called broadband black spots.

But in Co Longfords Legan - one of those so called broadband blackspots - business owners remain cautious about the new initiative.

Billy Moran & Sons Vans & Diggers Sale and Repairs Ltd operates on the outskirts of the village.

The company, like most in Legan faces speed issues with its internet provider on a daily basis.

It is with Eircom and Meteor.

Avril Bridget Moran, who runs the administrative side of the business, says that some days she waits hours for an email to send!

In recent times, the company installed debit card machines for customer convenience.

GPRS terminals were established to accommodate the new technology, however it failed to work.

We had a technician out but they still didnt work, so we had to send them back, said Avril before pointing out that broadband was then installed at the business.

'Hit and miss' is how she describes the internet facility at Billy Moran & Sons.

Some days it works and some days it doesn't work, she sighed.

And we are one of the lucky ones to even have broadband!

Avril says that even to download an image of a vehicle for a potential customer can take anything from 15 minutes to half an hour to download, attach to an email and send.

We would use the internet a lot for the downloading of payments for overseas cars, etc and the whole thing could cut out and fail while you are in the middle of processing a payment, she continued.

We actually use business on line now because nobody uses cheques any more, they pay online; thats the way it is these days.

Even first thing in the morning when Avril comes into the office to start her day, once she switches on the computer, it could take 15 or 20 minutes for her emails to open.

We also got a second broadband modem installed recently with Meteor, so now we have two internet providers and that is an additional cost for us, she added, before pointing out that the move has helped to improve services at the company.

There are three businesses in our area and we are waiting in anticipation for the roll-out of the fibre broadband, but nothing is happening in relation to that.

Everything in our business is impacted by poor broadband - even down to general payments and making phone calls.

When the plan was announced last week I was hopeful; I dont want to be pessimistic about this, but we will just have to wait and see how it all works out.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17

Trend:

President Ilham Aliyev has said Azerbaijan will establish trading houses in many countries, adding that the first such house will open in Belarus in the coming weeks.

The establishment of such houses in other post-Soviet countries, including Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan is on the agenda. This will both promote our country and open up new opportunities for exporters, said President Aliyev in a closing speech at a republican conference of non-oil exporters in Azerbaijans Yevlakh District.

At the same time, we should certainly have trading houses in large countries in the Asian continent, he noted.

Gulf countries now demonstrate great interest in our products, said the head of state. We need to actively enter these markets. Therefore, we should establish trading houses in Gulf countries.
Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Health & Wellness, Politics

By Long Island News & PR Published: April 17 2017

Suffolk County will Partner with First Company Pink, Stony Brook University to Encourage Self-Checks and Mammograms.

The Getting Checked seminar will be held on Wednesday, April 19 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Suffolk County, NY - April 17, 2017 - Executive Steve Bellone today announced a free educational seminar with First Company Pink and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone today announced a free educational seminar with First Company Pink and Stony Brook University to inform residents about the necessity of receiving regular breast cancer screenings. The Getting Checked seminar will be held on Wednesday, April 19 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the H. Lee Dennison Building

Early detection and education are the surest ways to help women of every age understand the importance of getting checked to help defeat breast cancer, said County Executive Bellone. I thank Stony Brook University for partnering with Suffolk County to host this free seminar and we will continue to do our part to help spread the message on services that are available.

The seminar will focus on how to practice self-checks from a young age for males and females, the criticalness of receiving regular mammograms as early as 40 years of age, and the significance of knowing your family history and risks.

The seminar will feature speaker and special guest Dr. Paul Fisher. Dr. Fisher is an Associate Professor of Radiology and Surgery at Stony Brook University who has attended multiple prestigious universities along with winning multiple prestigious awards. He currently serves on the Committee of Admission for Stony Brook Medical School, and serves on the RSNA Scientific Program Committee.

The County is also partnering with First Company Pink, a local not for profit organization that does fundraising for breast cancer research and awareness. The group also promotes the Got Checked? campaign, which emphasizes the importance of getting checked and early detection.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women, including younger adults. The disease is also the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women.

According to national statistics, 1 in 227 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer between the ages of 30 and 40. The average males risk of breast cancer is approximately 1 in 1,000.
Culture / Art Republik

Apr 17, 2017 | By Marc Wong

An esteemed individual that needs little introduction, Emi Eu has been an invaluable core member of Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI) since its humble beginnings. She is on the Selection Committee of Art Basel Hong Kong (ABHK) and a member of the Joint Committee for Art Basel. She is also the programme director of Hermes Singapores art space, Aloft; the Vice President of the Art Galleries Association Singapore (AGAS); and adjunct lecturer at Singapore Management University.

In celebration of its 15th anniversary, STPI will be opening their blockbuster exhibition from March 18 to April 22, featuring its first collective collaboration with four luminary international artists: Carsten Holler, Tobias Rehberger, Anri Sala and Rirkrit Tiravanija. Over the past year, the artists jointly produced a body of four new works based on the childrens game Exquisite Corpse  a device the Surrealists adopted to engineer free association. STPI is also participating in ABHK 2017 with a group showing of acclaimed artists from across Asia, including Jane Lee, Shinro Ohtake, Do Ho Suh, and Haegue Yang.

Art Republik sits down with Emi to reminisce STPIs serendipitous uphill climb, and to find out whats in store for its celebratory 15th year.

STPI turns 15 this year. How was it like when STPI started?

We were on our own since 2002. Back then we had [Ong] Boo Chai, who is now with Helutrans. He was the person keeping everything together while I was busy trying to get programming going. Then later on in 2004, Irene Lee, my predecessor joined us and she put everything in place and gave us the structure in which we were supposed to operate. Irene was extremely helpful in STPIs transitional period, teaching us how to run a business and more.

What are the biggest chances you have taken since becoming director of STPI in 2009?

I was very involved in just about everything since the beginning. STPI started out with a small team of three people and now we have 12 people in the gallery. When I took over formally as director, our main goal was to participate in Art Basel for the validation. So we were constantly looking to building up our CV, and at the same time really working towards getting the gallery to be much more active. We needed more money as our residency programme. Working with artists from the international circuit whose ways of working were very different demanded a lot more resources. So we spent a lot more time making sure that whatever we do through our residency program was recognised. We did a lot of PR exercises in-house. But I think it was possible because our programming at the time was not as rigorous as now.

Even in 2009?

2009 was not so demanding yet because we were only doing Art HK. And in 2007 and 2008, we participated in SH Contemporary. But you know when we are talking about participating in a fair like Art Basel, the preparation that goes into it is really a lot more. The benchmark is much higher in a sense; its a very rigorous process of preparing the proposal. Wed been doing it year after year; we started to apply since 2007 I believe, and we only first participated in Art Basel, Basel, in 2013. It really took us a while before we got accepted.

So your biggest aim for STPI was to take it international?

I knew that Art Basel was the ultimate place we needed to be in order to get validation. And once were there as a gallery that participates in Art Basel, then the collectors, curators and artists will look at us differently. And sure enough, they did.

We participated in Art Basel, Basel, in 2013, but Art HK in the meantime became Art Basel Hong Kong (ABHK). I was then sitting on the selection committee of Art HK while ABHK inherited most of us. It all happened at once and we basically had to make sure we stayed on top of everything and maintained consistency.

That was a huge leap from 2009 to 2012, and 2012 was in fact our 10th year anniversary. After that, everything just scaled up so much because we were participating in three Basel fairs, including Art Basel Miami Beach (ABMB), which we debuted at in 2014 during ABMBs 10th year anniversary when they formally introduced their Edition sector. So just keeping up with three fairs for a place like us  small team where we do production, maintain, conserve, sell, everything  its just a big operation for us.

And just when we were really starting to take off, Rita Targui joined us in 2014. Since then, she has brought gallery activity and programming to another level, which was something I was wanting for the gallery.

When I look back, things were happening at the right time and I just cannot be more thankful. And I have an amazing board. I mean if they didnt support me, I dont think I would be able to do a lot of these things. And of course MCCY (Ministry of Culture, Community & Youth, Singapore) has been a lot more engaging; theyve turned around and given us the support we need.

Im sure being STPI where you create original works, you must stand out?

Each fair is very different. You know when we went to Basel for the first year, nobody knew who we were. So when you go to a new fair that is not in your home ground, you still have to do a lot of marketing, and the best and most effective way is a personal and physically present approach. So I was just doing a lot of lobbying, a lot of ground work.

That year, I submitted [Ho] Tzu Nyens work into the Film sector as well, so it was playing there, and at the same time we had one of his works at our booth, along with a work by Genevieve Chua  she freshly made this really amazing table  and a beautiful flower wall by Heman Chong. So it was all of that and we were very busy just promoting ourselves but we didnt sell anything.

Oh you didnt

Because they didnt know who we were. Basel is very much a European fair and American collectors come but most of the visitors are from Europe so we had to first build our name. And people had to see us and our consistency. Presentation is also very important. So even though we didnt sell a thing that first year, it was a marketing chance for us and just the fact that we got in there, we were so elated and kind of just basked in the euphoria. We made it! But it was also only the start.

Over your time at STPI, which artist is your favourite or stand out the most?

Its always very difficult to answer this and I cant really choose one artist over another because each experience is different. But if I had to, I think I would name Do Ho Suh because it took me a very long time to convince him to come to STPI. From the time I wanted to work with him, which was 2004/2005, and when he came in which was 2008, it took a very long time so when it happened I felt like I accomplished something.

The same was with Rirkrit Tiravanija. I first met him when Eugene Tan came back to head LASALLEs The Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore when it was still at Goodman; I met Rirkrit there and saw his work for the first time and by the time he came in, it was 2012/2013, so that also took a very long time.

So I wouldnt say my favourite project but the artists that stood out for me are the ones I really needed to persevere to bring them in. And moreover with these artists we had amazing projects that further gave me great satisfaction.

Some of these artists dont work in print.

Exactly. Actually you know Rirkrit came finally but I remember he was just like: What am I supposed to do [?] I dont even make print. But its when he realised he could make something then it became more about the process that he enjoyed very much. In fact, hes so fluent in the print language now that he could just come in and make something really quickly.

Thats amazing. Its like you unlock different worlds for them.

Yeah theres a groove. And I think thats why artists really dont mind coming back even though it is a very big commitment on their part, because they really have to work hard and intensely as they have limited time, but they get something back.

How do you choose the artists you work with?

In the beginning, I didnt have a formula. Through the years, I think mostly I have to first understand and appreciate the practice of an artist: what they do and what is the concept behind their works. And I have to always think about how much of a risk a project will have because because I have a big family at STPI, so I have to make sure whatever we do and the effort that we put in, there has to be a good return, financially as well. I need to see whether they are capable and willing to take on this huge challenge of working with more than 12 people to make artworks that dont necessarily utilise what they are used to. I mean its a very big risk for the artist to come out of the comfort zone of their own studio, to experiment and to put out a show. And a lot of the time artists see our gallery space and they get intimidated thinking about how much work they have to make to fill the space. So its not only us taking the risk but them as well.

The whole kind of invitation process  because our program is by invitation only  is to see the capability and calibre of the artist that can actually work with our team and be able to take advantage of every single thing that we can offer. I usually see this in museum shows, solo shows in galleries and new works in art fairs. And of course it would be great if I could also meet them in person to get a better feel and prepare my team on what particularities he or she has. And sometimes, depending on the artist and how much time they have with us, I have hunches about the kind of works they can produce with us so I can suggest how we can add on to their practice. So its even better if I can understand the artist on a personal level, but really its more important that I get a feel of their practice and understand it, which is why I need to go and visit art a lot.

Do you get art-out?

Yeah sometimes. I think its more that I get art-out daily, but then the next day Im ready for it again.

Could you name three artists whose works you would love to have?

Yes, I would love to have anything by da Vinci, any of the Song dynasty masters scrolls, and any of the Renaissance masters sculptures, like Donatello  Ill take anything from him.

What can we expect from STPI in 2017?

2017 is our 15th anniversary. We would like to use the whole year to just celebrate with our usual exhibitions and residencies; not that these are going to be better than the other years, but just the fact that weve been around for 15 years, we would like to make more effort in reaching out to Singaporeans, because I think were still not well-known in Singapore because were still very niche. So we would like to publicise more and maybe if we can give back something, we will do so.

So far, weve opened with Amanda Heng as our first exhibition of 2017 in the gallery, as well as participated in Art Stage. Then at the end of January, we had an external show in London, which was a project with Do Ho Suh. Every time he comes back to do something, were discovering new ways to make different types of work. So we came up with another type of work and it was part of his first solo show with his London gallery, Victoria Miro. That was also a huge debut for STPI in London, without having to go to Frieze. And we have our upcoming participation at ABHK where we have big plans to showcase, amongst others, Shinro Ohtake who has only been shown in Singapore and Miami Beach; and at the same time in March, our huge four-artist group exhibition opens at the gallery. So it has been an amazing start to 2017 and a lot more to come throughout the year with a strong focus on Singapore.
Style

Apr 17, 2017 | By Teri Chong

Luxury watchmaker Officine Panerai reveals its first official ambassador for the Greater China region  actor Wallace Huo. The Taiwanese actor has starred in a myriad of Chinese movies and TV dramas, making him one of the most recognisable faces in China. Panerai, which has its roots in Florence, Italy, ushered in a new era with four promotional videos featuring the actor. Angelo Bonati, CEO of Officine Panerai also arrived in Beijing to celebrate this new partnership.

As the protagonist, Huodonning Panerai watchesjourneys through the streets of Florence. He perfectly captures the tradition and culture infused in Panerais vision. Visiting opulent locations such as a Florentine villa, the star muses, Panerai is a timeless brand, coherent with its history and identity that has always offered an uncompromised quality to its fans. The same approach that I apply to my career. Only authenticity and passion stir true emotions.

Huo is seen wearing a range of Panerai watches: the Luminor 1950 Equation of Time 8 days GMT Titanio, Luminor Due 3 Days Automatic Oro Rosso, as well as the Luminor Marina 1950 Carbotech 3 Days Automatic. The first is a tribute to the bond between time measurement and astronomy. Interestingly, the timepiece displays both mean solar time by which a day may be up to 15 minutes longer or shorterand apparent solar time. The difference between these two measurements is displayed using a linear indicator on the dial at six oclock.

Wallace Huo is a great artist, an elegant man with a distinctive personal style that perfectly mirrors the identity of the Panerai watches, declares Bonati. His career is a testament of talent, and the commitment he infuses in everything he does, make those who are lucky enough to know him admire his authenticity and passion. We are honored to give him the task of representing our brand in Greater China.

After over a century and a half, Panerai continues to marry Swiss craftsmanship with state of the art Italian design. This collaboration sees the brand take another step towards addressing its international audience.

For more information, visit Panerai.
Business / Collectibles

Apr 17, 2017 | By Vimi Haridasan

Dubbed to be the most valuable earrings ever to appear at auction, the earrings are certainly eye-catching. As one of the many lots to go under the hammer next month during Sothebys Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels auction in Geneva, this is one pair that we expect to join the league of remarkable gems such as the Oppenheimer and Graff diamonds.

Named after the twins born to the Greek god, Zeus and Leto, the earrings feature a blue and pink diamond respectively. Unlike most earrings that are auctioned together, the varying values of the jewels will see Apollo and Artemis sold separately. The Apollo Blue, which boasts a fancy vivid blue internally flawless Type IIb diamond, weighs in at 14.54 carats and is expected to fetch an estimated $38 to $50 million. Remarkable thanks to its size and clarity, the diamond is just one of the few diamonds that has received the Fancy Vivid Blue grading.

Named after Apollos twin, is the Artemis Pink diamond that boasts an intense pink hue. The Type IIa diamond, weighing 16 carats, has been cut in a pear-shape that matches the Apollo diamond perfectly. Boasting exceptional clarity and colour, the diamond is estimated to fetch $12.5 to $18 million. According to GIA, the occurrence of a pink diamond is extremely rare and finding one that is chemically pure is another feat.

Speaking ahead of the sale, David Bennett, Worldwide Chairman of Sothebys International Jewellery Division, said, The Apollo and Artemis Diamonds will be the stars of our May sale in Geneva  by far the most important pair of earrings ever offered at auction. These exquisite coloured diamonds are enormously rare and each is a wonderful stone in its own right. Together, as a pair of earrings, they are breathtaking. We have named them after Apollo and Artemis, a twin brother and sister of great power and beauty who were among the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. These are diamonds of great distinction, with extraordinary presence, and we are honoured that Sothebys has been chosen to bring them to auction in May.

Ahead of the auction on May 16, the diamonds will be making a trip around the world  a perfect chance for diamond lovers to catch a glimpse of the duo before they are sold. Having kicked off their tour in London and already been seen in Dubai, the diamonds will be heading to New York from April 21 to 24. Following the Big Apple, diamonds will be sent on their way to Hong Kong from April 27 to 28 and then Taiwan from May 2 to 3. The second last stop on the tour is Singapore from May 5 to 6 before concluding in Geneva from May 13 to 16.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 14

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

Azerbaijans State Agency on Alternative and Renewable Energy Sources is taking part in international tenders for supply of engineering solutions, Jamil Melikov, deputy head of the state agency, told Trend.

He said that there are certain prospects in the sphere of exporting solutions and technologies in alternative energy.

"These prospects are small, because it is very difficult to compete with Chinese equipment manufacturers in the field of alternative energy," Melikov said. "However, we are trying to position ourselves in the solutions export market more than in the goods export market."

The economic feasibility of development of alternative energy remains even if energy prices are low, he added.

"Alternative energy uses free resources," Melikov noted. "Almost 70 percent of the cost of electricity and any other type of energy includes the cost of energy resources. So, theoretically, I think that the renewable energy will have no competition in the near future. Currently, our small projects in alternative energy can seriously compete with the projects regarding traditional energy."

He added that nowadays, it is difficult for Azerbaijans State Agency on Alternative and Renewable Energy Sources to compete in the areas where traditional energy has been used over a long period of time, where power transmission lines are already stretched, as well as in the areas having substations and extensive electricity network.

Currently, the capacity of Azerbaijans electricity system exceeds 12,000 megawatt. The total potential of renewable energy sources exceeds 25,300 megawatt in the country.

The major part of the country's potential in this sphere accounts for solar energy and this potential is estimated at 5,000 megawatt.

Wind energy accounts for 4,500 megawatt, biomass - 1,500 megawatt, geothermal energy - 800 megawatt and the remaining 350 megawatt accounts for the small hydro power plants.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Apr. 17

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

Ashgabat will host the Energy Charter Forum, titled Towards a Multilateral Framework Agreement on Transit of Energy Resources on May 30-31, the Turkmen Oil and Gas Complex said in a message.

The issues of preparation were discussed during the meeting of the Organizing Committee on holding international events related to Turkmenistans Chairmanship in the Energy Charter Conference in 2017.

The forum will provide a platform for a policy dialogue on energy transit in order to promote open energy markets, diversification of supply sources and routes, and sustainable development.

The forum will address operational, regulatory and legal aspects of energy transit, including natural gas, oil and electricity. It will bring together government officials, representatives of international organizations, industry and academic institutions to discuss existing challenges and opportunities stemming from cross-border energy flows.

According to the message, the forum will be followed by the International Energy Media Forum on May 31 to brief representatives of diplomatic corps in Turkmenistan and mass media on the Energy Charter Process and priorities of Turkmenistans chairmanship in 2017, and the fifth international meeting of experts on reliable and stable transit of energy resources.

It was previously reported that Ashgabat suggested to start developing universal mechanisms within the UN that would ensure the reliable and safe operation of the international energy infrastructure taking into account the interests of both producer countries, transit countries and gas consumers.

Turkmenistan is one of the rich countries for its natural gas resources. According to BP, the countrys recoverable reserves are estimated at 17.5 trillion cubic meters of gas or nine percent of total global reserves, which puts Turkmenistan on the fourth position in this field after Iran, Russia and Qatar.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Apr. 17

By Demir Azizov Trend:

A Tajik citizen was killed as a result of the incident Apr. 15 on the Uzbek-Tajik border, the press service of the Committee for State Border Protection of the National Security Service of Uzbekistan said Apr. 17.

The Uzbek border guards noticed that a herd of cattle crossed into the Kuruksay village of the Sariasi district of the Surxondaryo region (south of Uzbekistan) from the adjacent Tajik territory, according to the press service.

Tajik citizens, who were grazing the livestock in the territory of Uzbekistan, didnt obey the demand of the Uzbek border guards to leave the countrys territory and attacked them using knives and sticks.

The Uzbek border guards opened fire at the violators, according to the press service.

As a result, one of the violators, a citizen of Tajikistan, Asliddin Shoimov, died from the wounds. The other two violators were able to escape to the adjacent Tajik territory.

The Uzbek border guards received various injuries when repelling the attack.

The law enforcement agencies of Uzbekistan initiated a criminal case.
Recep Tayyib Erdogan officially won the YES vote in Turkeys referendum. But what was the character of his victory and what does it mean?

According to the official results, some 51.3 percent of the 48 million voters voted to accept the new constitution which gives sweeping and more or less unchecked powers to the president. Turnout, officially at 84 percent, was very high and the mood in the whole country extremely polarised.

What was at stake, was not merely a change in the system of governance, but a vote on President Erdogan and the AKP regime itself. It reveals a society which is divided into two diametrically opposed camps. Acknowledging the result, Erdogan immediately went on the offensive saying, Weve got a lot to do, we are on this path but its time to change gear and go faster We are carrying out the most important reform in the history of our nation. Later on in the evening he called for the reintroduction of the death penalty. The state of emergency was also immediately extended

But while the referendum was staged to give the impression of a strong regime with solid backing - a democratic vote for dictatorship as some had called it - it revealed the exact opposite.

A democratic vote?

There was nothing democratic about the vote. As we have reported before, the whole preceding period had seen the complete mobilisation of the state and the media to secure the YES vote. Both private and state owned media focussed almost solely on promoting the YES campaign, giving little or no space to the NO campaign. The campaign reached such ridiculous levels, producing a kind of self-imposed ban on the word no in the media, leading to anti-smoking leaflets being recalled and a movie called NO being removed from the air!

President Erdogan threateningly equated a NO vote with "siding with the coup-plotters". Everyone can understand what this threat means. More than 120,000 people have been fired from their jobs and 40,000 arrested after being accused of being complicit in the failed coup attempt in July 2016. Thousands of councillors, MPs, officials and party organisers of the leftist, Kurdish based, HDP, which was campaigning for a NO, have been arrested on trumped up charges.

Not to mention the siege and open war on the whole South East of the country, which has led to the complete destruction of dozens of towns villages and neighbourhoods, leaving thousands dead and tens of thousands without a home. In the period of the referendum campaign these tactics of intimidation and terror were completely synced with the campaign of the HDP, and with curfews imposed on towns and villages where it had planned events. In the past week alone curfews were imposed on 14 villages in the Lice, Kocakoy and Hazro districts of Diyarbakir. The atmosphere of intimidation and terror was magnified on voting day, as hundreds of thousands of police and military personnel were posted on the streets to maintain security.

Finally, in an unprecedented act, the Supreme Election Board (YSK) suspended the requirement that the envelopes and the ballot papers be sealed before the start of the voting process. This is not only illegal, but it is quite probable that this was part of a plan to rig the vote. The last time such a step was taken, was in 2004. Back then the number of the unsealed ballot papers were 145. This time the figure was approximately 2-2.25 million (!).

Video allegedly shows mass stamping of YES votes in a polling station in Eyyubiye village of Urfa, South-East Turkey. pic.twitter.com/6nQcdDqwVK  Turkey Untold (@TurkeyUntold) April 16, 2017

Coupled with this there has been a stream of videos showing outright vote rigging throughout the country. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europes International Referendum Observation Mission (OSCE IROM) also reported that access was denied or limited to several polling stations. At the same time, the state controlled Anadolu news agency seemed to be reporting some results before the official election board had even counted them. Especially in the rural Kurdish areas, there were many instances of results reported which were highly dubious and unlikely.

VIDEO: In Catbas village of Mus, mukhtar (village head) comes out of the voting cabin with five envelopes. #TurkeyReferendum pic.twitter.com/iXHz4gEJ2U  Turkey Untold (@TurkeyUntold) April 16, 2017

In Bitlis for instance, the YES vote won with 59.35 percent of the vote, but this is a wild swing from the 45.74 percent AKP/MHP received in the November parliamentary elections and even higher than the 52.06 percent Erdogan received in the presidential elections in 2014 when he was at the apex of his popularity amongst the Kurdish population. Considering the violent oppression of Kurds which he has been carrying out since then, the results this year seem fantastic. Similarly, in nearby Van the YES vote received 42.72 percent of the vote yesterday, much higher than the 20 percent the two parties received in the June 2015 general election and the approximately 30 percent they received in November 2015. The figures seem suspicious to put it mildly, and they back up the many accusations of vote rigging which have been voiced from these areas.

The opposition parties, CHP and HDP, have refused to accept the result and have called for the unsealed ballots not to be counted. The HDP English Twitter account claims that the party is estimating a 3-4 percent manipulation of the vote. Groups of people also took to the streets around the country to protest the vote. These protests continued today on a larger scale as awareness of the scale of irregularities became more apparent. It is beyond doubt that, had there been a level playing field, Erdogan would have most likely lost the vote.

Declining support

In spite of all the vote-rigging, terror, intimidation and vote manipulation, what is most surprising is the low level of votes in favour of the new constitution. The final breakdown of the vote will not be ready for another 10-11 days, but the picture which emerges from the vote reveals a serious dent in support for the regime.

Compared with the parliamentary elections in November 2015 when the combined votes of the AKP and the MHP (the two parties behind the YES campaign) stood at 61.4 percent, the YES vote yesterday declined by 10 percent, or by approximately 4.2 million votes.

In the Kurdish areas, where the state was trying its best, and probably succeeded to an extent, to keep voters at home, 9 out of 10 provinces which have had their Kurdish friendly governors removed and replaced with centrally appointed trustees, all voted NO.

Most importantly, almost all the major cities have gone against Erdogan. In Istanbul, where Erdogans political career took off after he became the mayor, the NO vote won with 51.41 percent despite the fact that the YES camp parties received 57.34 percent of the vote in the previous elections. In fact the YES camp received less votes (48.65 percent) than the AKP received in previous elections (48.75). In the working class area of Fatih, the YES camp won with 51.35, but this is still less than the 52.2 percent the AKP received in 2015, not to mention the 8.1 percent the MHP received. In Umraniye, also a working class area, the picture is the same: YES 55.2, but 55.5 for the AKP in 2015 and 9.3 percent for the MHP.

The same process can be seen in Ankara where the AKP/MHP received 63 percent of the vote in 2015, but where the NO vote won with 51.15 percent. In Izmir as well, the stronghold of the CHP, the AKP/MHP alliance saw a steep decline, as their combined vote went from 42.38 percent in 2015 to 31.2 yesterday.

The NO vote won all the most important urban areas, Diyarbakir, Adana, Antalya in the same manner. In Antalya, the YES received 18.8 percentage points less than the 2015 result and the NO vote got a sweeping 59.08 percent victory.

Meanwhile, what pushed the YES vote, apart from the very irregular figures from the South East, were to a large degree the rural areas. It is not by chance that the biggest percentage of YES votes came from non-industrial areas such as Bayburt, Rize, Aksaray, Gumushane and Erzurum. However even here the YES-alliance lost massively compared to the previous elections: Bayburt by 11.58 points, Rize by around 5.7 points, Aksaray by 14.22 points, Gumushane by 16.27 points and Erzurum by 15.23 points.

Most importantly there was a decline in support in the core strongholds of the AKP in the new Anatolian Tiger industrial cities. The AKP is the party of the Anatolian capitalist class. But its electoral success has, to a large degree, been tied to the young working class in these areas where average incomes, along with the local general growth, have increased 4-5-6 fold, since the party came to power. But the stagnating economy is bound to increase class tension in these areas and break the remnants of the paternalistic relations which have had a big impact on economic and political life. This referendum may just have given us the first glimpse of class divisions in the AKP heartlands.

Of course, Erdogan did manage to win in the Anatolian Tiger regions, but he also saw for the first time significant declines in support. In Gazienatep, the heartland of Turkish Jihadism and a bridgehead in Turkeys intervention in Syria, the YES vote received 62.45 percent, 8.79 points less than the two parties gained in 2015. In the urban districts of Gaziantep the YES received around 61 percent of the vote while it was the rural areas which guaranteed the overall average.

In Konya the YES vote received 7.88 points less than the AKP alone gathered in 2015 (74.52 percent). Here the YES vote received 13.04 points less than the two YES parties gained in 2015. This vote, again, was carried by the urban districts of Konya, Meram, Karatay and Selcuklu, which all voted YES, but at a lower rate than even the AKP alone received in 2015.

In Kayseri the YES camp retreated 16.17 points compared to 2015. In Denizli, a key Anatolian Tiger, which started its economic growth before the others and therefore has a more mature working class, the NO vote won, wiping off around 15 percentage points from the result of the YES parties in 2015. As long as the economy was growing and there was no real political alternative, the working class in Anatolia swung behind the AKP. But as ties with village life drift further and further away in the memory of the workers, the real class antagonism between the workers and the bosses become more and more apparent. It is only natural that this class differentiation will also reflect itself in the political field. As the economic crisis in Turkey deepens, this process will become stronger and a violent class struggle will ensue in Anatolia. These elections reveal the first phases of this process.

The process of declining support for the YES parties is visible throughout the country. It is difficult to see where this support has been taken from, but it is likely to be a decline in support for both parties. Even if we presume that the result only reflects a decline in MHP support, it would still be a warning sign for Erdogan who has relied on right-nationalist support to stabilise his rule for the past two years. In any case, had the MHP not supported the referendum, a lot more vote rigging would have been necessary to carry the victory for Erdogan.

Lack of an alternative

It was clear that Erdogan would not spare any means to realise his dream of a modern day sultanate. Besides outright rigging, his main tactic was, on the one hand to rely on the legacy of a booming economy during his rule and nationalist anti-Kurdish hysteria and terror on the other. He was promising stability as opposed to the threat of instability. It is clear that this had an effect on a certain layer of the population, mainly in rural areas throughout the country. But this effect was negligible.

The main reason why Erdogan was not defeated, was that there was no credible opposition campaign. The HDP was massively handicapped by the extreme anti-Kurdish mood whipped up by the civil war, as well as a massive crackdown which effectively paralysed its whole organisation. At the same time the party has not managed to break out of its political isolation and counter the daily attacks in the media portraying it as a Kurdish-only terrorist organisation.

The Kurdish question has now become completely tied with Erdogans fate. Had it not been for the civil war against the Kurds and the resulting divisions in the working class along national lines, he could not have stayed in power. Unfortunately, the main opposition party, the CHP, only plays into Erdogans hands by adopting the same rhetoric and by supporting a string of anti-Kurdish laws. In fact, in their protest over the vote, not one word was mentioned about the war being waged against the Kurds, who make up a fifth of the population, nor the brutal crackdown on the HDP, the fourth party in parliament.

More than anything, the current CHP leadership has excelled in its impotence. While Erdogan was mobilising the whole power of the state apparatus for the referendum, the CHP leaders were trying their best to retain their statesman-like status. Anger with CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu has been mounting amongst CHP supporters who see that his actions as a loyal opposition to legitimise the Erdogan regime go against the Kemalist roots of the CHP. The CHP leaders are far more afraid of whipping up an uncontrollable mass movement on the streets than they are of the prospects of an Erdogan neo-Sultanate. Even Erdogan doesnt take the CHP opposition seriously. To Kilicdaroglus calls to declare the vote void, he coldly replied: They shouldn't try, it will be in vain. It's too late now.

A dictatorship?

Erdogan was publicly raising hopes of getting up to 60 percent support in the referendum, yet it is now clear that he barely scraped past 50 percent. This is not a sign of a strong vibrant regime. On the contrary, it reflects a weakening regime which is lashing out to survive. What the CHP leadership and the traditional Kemalist big bourgeoisie fear more than anything is not Erogan's sweeping powers, but that by moving away from formal bourgeois democracy, he is also eliminating the "safety valves" of Turkish capitalism. The more bonapartist his rule becomes, the less of a chance will there be to ensure an "orderly" - non-revolutionary - transition once his support has become too low to maintain his regime.

Erdogan, initially came to power on a wave of popular support and anti-establishment mood in Turkey against the army as well as all the establishment parties. His popularity was sustained by the longest boom in Turkish history. Since 2013 however, when growth started wearing off, the Gezi park protests erupted and after Turkey began intervening in the Syrian civil war, he has gradually been losing support. While this referendum seems to be a victory for his regime, it only reveals the continuation of this process.

Erdogan has only avoided the many crises by creating new ones. The war in Syria, the war against the Kurds and the enormous bubbles in the credit and property markets, are all problems which will not go away. At the same time, while he has taken on the Kurdish movement and different factions within the state and the ruling class, he has not taken on the Turkish working class, a class which has grown massively over the past 20 years and which has not seen a major defeat since 1980. In order to establish a firm dictatorship Erdogan would first have to crush this class, but any attempt to do so would end up with his own downfall. In the meantime, with the lack of a political alternative, the regime will continue down the same path, growing weaker with every crisis.
This article contains Lenins famous April Theses, read by him at two meetings of the All-Russia Conference of Soviets of Workers and Soldiers Deputies, on April 4, 1917. Published April 7, 1917 in Pravda No. 26. Signed: N. Lenin.

I did not arrive in Petrograd until the night of April 3, and therefore at the meeting on April 4, I could, of course, deliver the report on the tasks of the revolutionary proletariat only on my own behalf, and with reservations as to insufficient preparation.

The only thing I could do to make things easier for myselfand for honest opponentswas to prepare the theses in writing. I read them out, and gave the text to Comrade Tsereteli. I read them twice very slowly: first at a meeting of Bolsheviks and then at a meeting of both Bolsheviks and Mensheviks.

I publish these personal theses of mine with only the briefest explanatory notes, which were developed in far greater detail in the report.

Theses

1) In our attitude towards the war, which under the new [provisional] government of Lvov and Co. unquestionably remains on Russias part a predatory imperialist war owing to the capitalist nature of that government, not the slightest concession to revolutionary defencism is permissible.

The class-conscious proletariat can give its consent to a revolutionary war, which would really justify revolutionary defencism, only on condition: (a) that the power pass to the proletariat and the poorest sections of the peasants aligned with the proletariat; (b) that all annexations be renounced in deed and not in word; (c) that a complete break be effected in actual fact with all capitalist interests.

In view of the undoubted honesty of those broad sections of the mass believers in revolutionary defencism who accept the war only as a necessity, and not as a means of conquest, in view of the fact that they are being deceived by the bourgeoisie, it is necessary with particular thoroughness, persistence and patience to explain their error to them, to explain the inseparable connection existing between capital and the imperialist war, and to prove that without overthrowing capital it is impossible to end the war by a truly democratic peace, a peace not imposed by violence.

The most widespread campaign for this view must be organised in the army at the front.

Fraternisation.

2) The specific feature of the present situation in Russia is that the country is passing from the first stage of the revolutionwhich, owing to the insufficient class-consciousness and organisation of the proletariat, placed power in the hands of the bourgeoisieto its second stage, which must place power in the hands of the proletariat and the poorest sections of the peasants.

This transition is characterised, on the one hand, by a maximum of legally recognised rights (Russia is now the freest of all the belligerent countries in the world); on the other, by the absence of violence towards the masses, and, finally, by their unreasoning trust in the government of capitalists, those worst enemies of peace and socialism.

This peculiar situation demands of us an ability to adapt ourselves to the special conditions of Party work among unprecedentedly large masses of proletarians who have just awakened to political life.

3) No support for the Provisional Government; the utter falsity of all its promises should be made clear, particularly of those relating to the renunciation of annexations. Exposure in place of the impermissible, illusion-breeding demand that this government, a government of capitalists, should cease to be an imperialist government.

4) Recognition of the fact that in most of the Soviets of Workers Deputies our Party is in a minority, so far a small minority, as against a bloc of all the petty-bourgeois opportunist elements, from the Popular Socialists and the Socialist-Revolutionaries down to the Organising Committee (Chkheidze, Tsereteli, etc.), Steklov, etc., etc., who have yielded to the influence of the bourgeoisie and spread that influence among the proletariat.

The masses must be made to see that the Soviets of Workers Deputies are the only possible form of revolutionary government, and that therefore our task is, as long as this government yields to the influence of the bourgeoisie, to present a patient, systematic, and persistent explanation of the errors of their tactics, an explanation especially adapted to the practical needs of the masses.

As long as we are in the minority we carry on the work of criticising and exposing errors and at the same time we preach the necessity of transferring the entire state power to the Soviets of Workers Deputies, so that the people may overcome their mistakes by experience.

5) Not a parliamentary republicto return to a parliamentary republic from the Soviets of Workers Deputies would be a retrograde stepbut a republic of Soviets of Workers, Agricultural Labourers and Peasants Deputies throughout the country, from top to bottom.

Abolition of the police, the army and the bureaucracy.

The salaries of all officials, all of whom are elective and displaceable at any time, not to exceed the average wage of a competent worker.

6) The weight of emphasis in the agrarian programme to be shifted to the Soviets of Agricultural Labourers Deputies.

Confiscation of all landed estates.

Nationalisation of all lands in the country, the land to be disposed of by the local Soviets of Agricultural Labourers and Peasants Deputies. The organisation of separate Soviets of Deputies of Poor Peasants. The setting up of a model farm on each of the large estates (ranging in size from 100 to 300 dessiatines, according to local and other conditions, and to the decisions of the local bodies) under the control of the Soviets of Agricultural Labourers Deputies and for the public account.

7) The immediate union of all banks in the country into a single national bank, and the institution of control over it by the Soviet of Workers Deputies.

8) It is not our immediate task to introduce socialism, but only to bring social production and the distribution of products at once under the control of the Soviets of Workers Deputies.

9) Party tasks:

(a) Immediate convocation of a Party congress;

(b) Alteration of the Party Programme, mainly:

(1) On the question of imperialism and the imperialist war,

(2) On our attitude towards the state and our demand for a commune state;

(3) Amendment of our out-of-date minimum programme;

(c) Change of the Partys name.

10. A new International.

We must take the initiative in creating a revolutionary International, an International against the social-chauvinists and against the Centre.

In order that the reader may understand why I had especially to emphasise as a rare exception the case of honest opponents, I invite him to compare the above theses with the following objection by Mr. Goldenberg: Lenin, he said, has planted the banner of civil war in the midst of revolutionary democracy (quoted in No. 5 of Mr. Plekhanovs Yedinstvo).

Isnt it a gem?

I write, announce and elaborately explain: In view of the undoubted honesty of those broad sections of the mass believers in revolutionary defencism ... in view of the fact that they are being deceived by the bourgeoisie, it is necessary with particular thoroughness, persistence and patience to explain their error to them....

Yet the bourgeois gentlemen who call themselves Social-Democrats, who do not belong either to the broad sections or to the mass believers in defencism, with serene brow present my views thus: The banner[!] of civil war (of which there is not a word in the theses and not a word in my speech!) has been planted(!) in the midst [!!] of revolutionary democracy....

What does this mean? In what way does this differ from riot-inciting agitation, from Russkaya Volya?

I write, announce and elaborately explain: The Soviets of Workers Deputies are the only possible form of revolutionary government, and therefore our task is to present a patient, systematic, and persistent explanation of the errors of their tactics, an explanation especially adapted to the practical needs of the masses.

Yet opponents of a certain brand present my views as a call to civil war in the midst of revolutionary democracy!

I attacked the Provisional Government for not having appointed an early date or any date at all, for the convocation of the Constituent Assembly, and for confining itself to promises. I argued that without the Soviets of Workers and Soldiers Deputies the convocation of the Constituent Assembly is not guaranteed and its success is impossible.

And the view is attributed to me that I am opposed to the speedy convocation of the Constituent Assembly!

I would call this raving, had not decades of political struggle taught me to regard honesty in opponents as a rare exception.

Mr. Plekhanov in his paper called my speech raving. Very good, Mr. Plekhanov! But look how awkward, uncouth and slow-witted you are in your polemics. If I delivered a raving speech for two hours, how is it that an audience of hundreds tolerated this raving? Further, why does your paper devote a whole column to an account of the raving? Inconsistent, highly inconsistent!

It is, of course, much easier to shout, abuse, and howl than to attempt to relate, to explain, to recall what Marx and Engels said in 1871, 1872 and 1875 about the experience of the Paris Commune and about the kind of state the proletariat needs. [See: The Civil War in France and Critique of the Gotha Programme]

Ex-Marxist Mr. Plekhanov evidently does not care to recall Marxism.

I quoted the words of Rosa Luxemburg, who on August 4, 1914, called German Social-Democracy a stinking corpse. And the Plekhanovs, Goldenbergs and Co. feel offended. On whose behalf? On behalf of the German chauvinists, because they were called chauvinists!

They have got themselves in a mess, these poor Russian social-chauvinistssocialists in word and chauvinists in deed.

Source: Marxist Internet Archive
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Apr. 17

By Demir Azizov  Trend:

President of Russia Vladimir Putin has ratified an agreement with Uzbekistan to develop military and technical cooperation. A corresponding document was published on the Russias official internet portal of legal information.

Earlier, Putin and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev in a joint statement supported further development of military and technical cooperation.

It was previously reported that Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a law on ratification of the agreement with Russia on April 3. The law was adopted by the Legislative (lower) house of the Uzbek parliament on Jan. 25 and approved by the Senate (upper house) on March 28.



The agreement on military and technical cooperation was signed between Russia and Uzbekistan in Moscow in November 2016.

The purpose of the agreement is to further deepen cooperation in the military and technical sphere, improve the system of equipping with prospective weapons and military equipment, maintain the scientific, technical, production and technological potential of the parties, as well as strengthen the sides defense capabilities.
missing-man-from-celtics-game-20170401100501905-7664823-ver10-640-360png-b54e2824f21e911b.png

After Michael Kelleher was pulled from the Charles River on Sunday, his parents shared a statement about their son.

"Michael was loved by many and we want to thank everyone who reached out to us during this difficult time," Lori and Mike Kelleher wrote.

The 23-year-old from Southborough was reported missing after he attended a Boston Celtics game on March 29.

"Michael was claimed by the Charles River the night of his disappearance," his parents wrote. "At 8:00 this morning, the river gave him back to us."

His body was recovered by the Massachusetts State Police Marine Unit on Sunday.

The Kellehers thanked all involved in the search, from detectives in Boston and Southborough, to those online who shared the missing posters. Now, they ask for privacy while they grieve.

"Nothing can make up the loss of our son and we would greatly appreciate our privacy at this extremely difficult time," they wrote.
22435906-mmmain.jpg

Amherst fire officials are looking into the cause of a Bridge Street fire that damaged a porch.

(Republican file Diane Lederman)

AMHERST - Fire officials are continuing to investigate the cause of an early morning porch fire on Bridge Street Saturday morning.

When crews arrived after the 5:16 a.m. call, the fire was burning under and above the porch floor and the porch column and siding, according to a press release from Assistant Chief Lindsay Stromgren.

Damage was confined to the porch itself which will have to be replaced, one porch roof support column, and some siding and one window, Stromgren wrote.

The building was ventilated and tenants were able to return by 7 a.m.

There were no injuries. The four-apartment building is owned and managed by the Amherst Housing Authority. Representatives of the Authority were on scene to assist tenants and facilitate repairs, he wrote.

Bridge Street was closed for approximately two hours

The fire is not believed to be suspicious, he wrote
wheelie.jpg

A Connecticut man was arrested Saturday after he drove past state troopers in Danbury and popped a wheelie, similar to the rider in this file photo. He was arrested after the motorcycle turned out to be stolen.

(Photo by Christian Holmer / Flickr)

Being able to do a wheelie with a motorcycle? Cool.

Doing a wheelie in front of state troopers, and on a stolen motorcycle? Not cool, and not especially smart, either.

Jose Garcia-Polanco

A 20-year-old man from Bethel, Connecticut was arrested Saturday in Danbury following a brief pursuit that started when he and another motorcyclist drove past a state troopers and popped wheelies.

The man, Jose Javier Garcia-Polanco, was charged with third-degree larceny of a motor vehicle and numerous motor vehicle violations.

When he was apprehended, he was found to be riding a Honda dirt bike that had been reported stolen last year New Milford, some 20 miles north.

The other man was also found, but he was able to prove ownership of his bike. He was issued citations for various motor vehicle violations.

According to state police, troopers were parked on the side of Interstate 84 assisting a disabled vehicle when Garcia-Polanco and the other man rode past the troopers and popped wheelies.

One of the troopers broke away from the vehicle assist and began pursuing the pair along the highway and then into Danbury.

Once leaving the highway, the trooper shut off his lights and siren but continued following. When Garcia-Polanco turned onto a dead-end street, the trooper boxed him in, police said.

Garcia-Polanco was released on $1,000 bail and is ordered to appear in court on May 5.
SPRINGFIELD - The armed robbery suspect who crashed his car on Union Street Monday morning during a police pursuit was driving a vehicle that he had carjacked a few hours earlier in Connecticut, police said.

Springfield police are charging Matthew DeCredico, 30, of Middletown, Connecticut with armed robbery and assorted traffic violations in connection with the robbery of the Walgreens pharmacy on Sumner Avenue and subsequent police pursuit, said Springfield Police Capt. Trent Duda of the Major Crimes Unit.

DeCredico is also considered a suspect in crimes reported in Hartford and Middletown, Duda said.

He is accused of entering the Walgreens at Sumner Avenue and Dickinson Street in the "X" on Monday morning and holding up the pharmacy. He reportedly indicated he had a gun, but no weapon was shown. He demanded drugs from the pharmacy and then fled.

He was witnessed leaving the scene in a black Acura. Police spotted it a short time later and began pursing it from Main Street up Union Street until it crashed at the intersection with Oak Street in front of the Dunbar Community Center.

The car he used in the attempted getaway from the Springfield robbery was taken at gunpoint from a woman in Middletown earlier in the day, he said.

DeCredico is a convicted bank robber who was released from prison four months ago.

He was arrested in 2010 in connection with a bank robbery with two other men in Norwalk, Connecticut. According to The Hour newspaper in Norwalk, DeCredico and the other two men were homeless at the time of the bank robbery, and were looking for money to feed their drug habits.

They made off with $4,200 from the bank and immediately used it to purchase heroin and cocaine.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced in Jan. 2011 to 12 years in prison with the sentence to be suspended after 78 months, to be followed by 5 years probation.

Duda said that after he was booked in Springfield, he was talking with Middletown detectives about the carjacking.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17



By Fatih Karimov  Trend:



A delegation from the Central Bank of Iran will visit the US to take part at the 2017 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).



The CBI delegation will attended the upcoming meetings which will be held in Washington, DC from April 21 to 23, the CBI said Apr. 17.



The spring meetings of the World Bank Group and the IMF bring together economy ministers, governors of central banks and civil society organizations to discuss among others global economic affairs.



The plenary session of the IMF and World Bank Group's Boards of Governors is scheduled only during the Annual Meetings in autumn.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

Head of Central Bank of Iran Valiollah Seif has said that talks are underway to connect the countrys nationalized ATM card system with inter-bank payment systems of the neighboring countries.

According to Seif, once the idea is realized Iranians can use their ATM cards in the neighboring countries and vice versa, ILNA news agency reported Apr. 17.

He added that the Central Bank of Iran has held talks with Turkey and Azerbaijan in this regard, and expressed hope that the connection of the inter-bank payment systems would be realized over the current year.

It should be noted that during Iranian President Hassan Rouhanis trip to Azerbaijan in August 2016, a meeting was held between heads of central banks of Iran and Azerbaijan, Valiollah Seif and Elman Rustamov. The sides signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) after the meeting. The memorandum envisages the integration of the two countries card systems.
Seven Montana brewers and distillers, including Lewis and Clark Brewing and Gulch Distillers in Helena, are considering exporting their products to Japan after attending a trade show in Tokyo last week.

While no Montana businesses have exported alcohol to Japan yet, the Montana Department of Commerce said an existing trade relationship and Japans growing affinity for craft beer and spirits creates an opportunity for the state. Japan was Montanas sixth largest trading partner in 2016, Daniel Iverson, DOC communications manager, said.

ERIN LORANGER [email protected]

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/montana-brewers-distillers-consider-exporting-to-japan/article_b3a33a75-f7ca-5286-8711-b8f7fa409884.html
What to do when you want a team to help make our idea a reality, but you dont have the money to hire anybody.

Natasha Che

Full Story: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/291930
Its the ultimate battle of the bots at the FIRST World Championship in Houston, Texas starting Wednesday.

FIRST stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. And one team from Sun River is headed back again after rising to the top two years ago.

MTN caught up with the group before their trip.

Sun River Rednek Robotics http://srvs.k12.mt.us/assets/newsletters.pdf Coach Chuck Merja says his team is ready to turn up the heat in their FIRST Tech Challenge division at Worlds in Houston.

The Sun River Rednek Robotics team will be competing at FIRST against 128 teams April 19  22.

To watch the Sun River Rednek Robotics Team #724 compete in their division live, click here: https://www.twitch.tv/firstinspires_franklin .

To download the FIRST Championship App to follow the team, click here: https://www.firstchampionship.org/event-app .

By Keeley Van Middendorp

Full Story: http://www.kbzk.com/story/35162031/sun-river-rednek-robotics-headed-to-first-worlds-competiton
Tehran, Iran, Apr. 17



By Mehdi Sepahvand, Fatih Karimov  Trend:



Iran, Russia and Turkey will hold an expert meeting on Syria in Tehran April 18, the Islamic Republics Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said.



Delegations from Russia and Turkey will participate in the one-day meeting to discus the latest development in Syria crisis, Qasemi said in a press conference in Tehran Apr. 17, Trend's correspondent reported from the event.



He expressed hope that the meeting will be fruitful, adding that another meeting is scheduled to be held in Astana on May 3.



Earlier on Apr. 14, foreign ministers of Iran, Rusia and Syria gathered in Moscow over Syrian crisis and warned Washington against further missile strikes.



The top diplomats called the attacks "an act of international aggression" and requested for two investigations, an independent probe into the chemical attack and another investigation into the US missile strike.



A suspected chemical attack on Khan Sheikhoun in Syria earlier this month left 89 people dead.



In response to the chemical attack on the rebel-held town, dozens of US missiles hit Shayrat airfield in western Syrian province of Homs during the early hours of April 7. The strike was the Pentagon's first direct attack against Syria since the beginning of the conflict in 2011.



Iran and Russia are Syrian president Bashar Asads major allies.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17



By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:



Iranian armys strategy to confront the so-called Islamic State terrorist group (IS aka ISIS/ISIL) is eliminating the terrorist group beyond the countrys borders, a senior Iranian commander said.



Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan, the second-in-command of the Iranian army, described the terrorist group as a threat to the regional security and said Iranian armed forces collaborate together to neutralize the threats, ISNA news agency reported.



Earlier in March, the IS released a 36-minute video in Persian language threatening to attack Iran.



According to media reports several members of the special forces of the Iranian army were killed last year in armed clashes in Syria.
Tehran, Iran, April 17

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

Tehran has lashed out at the UK for preventing the Islamic Republic from buying nuclear yellow cake from Kazakhstan, according to the Irans Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi.

Iran is authorized by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to purchase natural uranium or yellowcake. However, to do so, it needs to obtain the approval of the Joint Commission, a body of representatives from Russia, the UK, China, France, Germany, the US, and the EU.

Qassemi said that UKs negative vote on the purchase was contrary to its commitments under the nuclear deal.

We hope the UK returns to its commitments under the JCPOA. They have acted contrary to the JCPOA, Qassemi said.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Qssemi commented on the prospect of the JCPOA under Irans future government as the country is planning a presidential election May 19, saying any Iranian government will continue to enact the deal.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17



By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:



Iranian army plans to reorganize its ground forces in order to improve the battle capabilities, a senior commander said.



Iranian Ground Force Commander Brigadier General Kioumars Heidari has said that structural changes will take place within the ground forces in order to improve battle capabilities, Fars news agency reported.



The changes will shift the orientation of the ground forces towards offense, according to the commander.



According to the commander several army brigades will be reorganized and equipped in order to become mobile offensive brigades.



The Islamic Republic on several occasions has announced that its military doctrine is merely based on deterrence assuring other countries that its military might poses no threat to anyone.
The Dobson Knob fire, last estimated at 85 percent contained over Easter weekend, remains at 1,760 acres and is 96 percent contained, according to Mondays report.

The N. C. Forest Services Harvell Type 2 Incident Management Team handed over fire suppression over to Incident Commander Wickers Type 4 Team from the Asheville District. The Harvell team traveled home on Monday. Rain in this weeks forecast should help Wickers Team extinguish the fire and eliminate what little smoke remains.

On Easter Sunday, some residents and business owners in the Triad and Triangle wondered if the smoky haze in their communities was due to the Dobson Knob Fire, forestry officials said. The smell and sight of smoke in the air was caused by to the West Mims Fire burning on the Georgia-Florida border. Southwesterly transport winds and atmospheric mixing brought a band of smoke from this 20,151-acre fire to central and west-central portions of North Carolina.

Getting smoked-in from a large fire hundreds of miles away is not an unusual event. When the wind and atmospheric conditions are right, this can and will happen, said David Greathouse, fire behavior analyst assigned to the Dobson Knob Fire.

The N.C. Division of Air Quality is forecasting Good air quality for today in those areas that were smoke-impacted on Sunday.

Due to the fire, trail closures remain in place on the Grandfather District of the Pisgah National Forest. The April 11th closure order includes a portion of the Mountains to Sea Trail along the edge of the fire. Forest trail and forest road closures can be found on the National Forests in North Carolina website at www.fs.usda.gov/nfsnc.

Additional fire information can be found on INCIWEB (inciweb.nwcg.gov/).
Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

Tehran has put long-term cooperation with Ashgabat on agenda, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told an economic conference in Turkmenistans capital on Monday.

Calling for expansion of bilateral trade, Zarif added that the two countries enjoy proper diplomatic ties, IRNA news agency reported Apr. 17.

He further urged for employing national currencies in trade cooperation between the two countries.

The foreign minister also spoke about cooperation in transportation sector and said the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway is capable of linking Central Asia to the Persian Gulf.

Speaking about energy sector, Zarif called for further expansion of cooperation between the two countries in this sector.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has arrived in Turkmenistan on the first leg of his regional tour to Central Asia and Caucasus to discuss issues of mutual interest.

Georgia and Kyrgyzstan will be the next destinations of the top Iranian diplomat during the three-day visit.
From rashes to puffy cheeks and persistent coughs, infectious diseases are a complex, everyday threat to human health. The introduction of vaccines was a revolutionary step in combating epidemic viruses and bacteria. However, during an age in which herd immunity is slipping and multidrug-resistant pathogens are on the rise, spotting infectious diseases can feel similar to detective work for many primary care physicians. Share on Pinterest Although vaccines help control life-threatening infectious diseases, some of the most common vaccine-preventable diseases have recently made a comeback. The World Health Organization (WHO) currently list 26 infectious global diseases as vaccine-preventable or potentially preventable. Many of the diseases listed are seldom, if ever, encountered by physicians in high-income countries. Some of the most common and serious ones have, however, recently made a comeback. What is worse is that these were once considered eliminated or near elimination in these regions. In the United States and Europe, resurgences have been recorded for three diseases for which vaccines are universally recommended in childhood: measles, mumps, and pertussis (or whooping cough). Other diseases such as tuberculosis (TB) are reappearing as multidrug-resistant (MDR) forms. In the U.S. and many other countries, measles, mumps, pertussis, and TB are classed as notifiable conditions that must be reported to local and national public health authorities. This must be done as soon as they have been diagnosed, so that immediate action can be taken to curtail the spread of the virus or bacterium. However, each disease presents specific challenges that may result in delayed diagnosis and allow further spread of the infection. An article published in Academic Pediatrics reports that the median public health cost of each recent measles outbreak in the U.S. is between $71,000 and $179,000. In 2011, the U.S. experienced 16 measles outbreaks, the associated cost of which a paper in Vaccine estimated to be in the region of $2.7 million to $5.3 million. Spotting these diseases can, in some cases, be quite a challenge for family practitioners and other primary care physicians (PCPs). Medical News Today spoke to William Schaffner, M.D., professor of preventative medicine and infectious diseases specialist at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, TN, about measles, mumps, pertussis, and TB, as well as tips for spotting them.

Unvaccinated people are most vulnerable to measles Share on Pinterest After measles outbreaks in 1989 and 1990  leading to 115 deaths  annual case numbers dropped due to improved vaccine coverage. Measles was declared as eliminated in the U.S. in 2000. However, outbreaks of between 50 and 100 cases continue to occur each year and recently reached a peak of 667 cases reported nationwide in 2014. The majority of measles outbreaks nowadays occur in unvaccinated individuals after coming into contact with infected individuals traveling from countries where measles is still endemic. Measles is the probably most highly transmissible infection that we know [of], Dr. Schaffner told MNT. Share on Pinterest Measles outbreaks continue to occur. The most recent peak in 2014 saw 667 reported cases. Virus transmission that traced back to outbreaks in the Philippines and France led to the outbreaks recorded in 2014 to 2015 and 2011, respectively, in the U.S. With the prompt public health response, outbreaks are rapidly curtailed, but they are very vexing, Dr. Schaffner commented. Because some parents are withholding their children from vaccination, there is the opportunity for reintroduction and the re-establishment of measles in the U.S., he stressed. Outside the U.S., measles remains endemic in 14 European countries, including France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. Large measles outbreaks are ongoing in Romania and Italy. As a result, the number of measles cases reported annually is rising in Europe, despite measles having been declared eliminated in 24 European countries.

Mumps cases increasing despite vaccination Share on Pinterest Outbreaks of mumps continue to occur. Cases of mumps in the U.S. have dropped by 99 percent since a vaccine was introduced in 1967. Outbreaks still occur, however  especially among close-contact communities such as college campuses. Mumps infections often originate in Europe and can become established in these communities before leaking out into the wider population. Mumps is endemic worldwide, despite its vaccine being routinely used in 61 percent of countries. In the U.S., 5,748 mumps cases were reported in 2016 , the highest level for 10 years. Yet each outbreak usually affects only a few hundred people, typically adolescents or young adults. Importantly, most cases occur in individuals who have received a mumps-containing vaccine. Unlike measles and rubella, which offer lifetime protection, we have come to learn that after about 15 years, protection with [a] mumps vaccine wanes. If an individual whose protection has waned is exposed intensely, such as through prolonged face-to-face contact, they can acquire mumps, although almost always in a much milder form. William Schaffner, M.D. The currently available mumps vaccine is rated as 78 percent effective after one dose, and 88 percent after the second dose. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued guidance for use of a third dose in specific target populations, and its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices are currently evaluating the potential benefits and harms of adding a third dose for routine use. Many physicians in high-income countries may never have seen a case of measles or mumps. The classic triad of cough, conjunctivitis, and coryza, along with a rash, is the key, but it can easily be overlooked when a child presents with measles. Often it will be an older physician or nurse who recognizes it, Dr. Schaffner said. In cases of mumps, the typical swelling in the cheeks is usually so prominent that it tends to get diagnosed more promptly, but physicians practicing in areas with colleges and travelers from abroad should have a higher index of suspicion, Dr. Schaffner advised.

Pertussis still endemic in the U.S. Share on Pinterest Pertussis cases have been rising steadily since the 1980s. Pertussis was one of the most common childhood diseases in the U.S. before a vaccine became available. After widespread vaccination began in the 1940s, the incidence of pertussis decreased by more than 75 percent, but from the 1980s onward, the number of cases started to rise again. In 2012, the last peak year, 48,277 cases of pertussis were reported , the highest number since 1955. Currently, pertussis is considered the most common vaccine-preventable disease in the U.S. The CDC believe that many more cases may go unrecognized, since clinical presentation of the disease in adolescents and adults can be much milder than in children. Pertussis incidence rates in other high-income countries have also risen, notably in Europe and particularly in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, as well as in Australia. Once again, this is an illness we had hoped to eliminate completely but have not yet been successful at doing so, Dr. Schaffner commented. A number of reasons have been proposed for the increases in reported cases, including vaccine refusal, increased surveillance, and reporting of pertussis to public health departments. The switch in high-income countries from whole-cell to acellular pertussis vaccines has also been implicated. Dr. Schaffner identifies two main factors in the U.S.  the first is waning immunity from vaccination, and the second is genetic mutation of the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. The vaccine we use is very effective in the short-term, but after only about 5 years its protection wanes partially, so we have had continuing transmission of pertussis in many parts of the country, he told MNT. Whether the bacterium has mutated such that its characteristics now enable it to evade the vaccine continues to be an issue of ongoing scientific debate and research, he noted. In cases of pertussis in children, the cough is extremely predominant and very recognizable, whereas in adults, the cough is usually milder but extremely persistent. However, in its early stages, it may resemble the common cold and may not be suspected or diagnosed until the more severe symptoms appear.

Emergence of MDR-TB TB has re-emerged globally due to the evolution of MDR strains of the causative bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which, through mutation or genetic exchange, have acquired resistance to the antibiotics used to treat the disease. In the U.S., the incidence of TB was declining until the year 2013. This followed the public health response to an epidemic of an MDR strain in the 1990s, which led to a decrease in incidence of 67 percent within 5 years. Since 2013, however, the incidence has leveled out at around 3 cases per 100,000 people. Two thirds of cases of active TB in the U.S. occur among foreign-born residents, often years after their arrival in the country. The U.S. is not the only high-income country to see a stall in TB decline; in Europe, there were 70,000 reported cases of MDR-TB in 2016. A recent article in The Lancet warned that every year, strains of drug-resistant tuberculosis will emerge that are more transmissible, more difficult to treat, and more widespread in the community, and that an MDR-TB epidemic of unprecedented global scale is possible within the next decade. Family practitioners need to be aware that a puzzling lung disease which seems not to be responding to conventional antibiotics might be TB, cautioned Dr. Schaffner. A key question to ask every patient who presents with a respiratory infection is whether they have been traveling, and if so, which countries they have been to. Practitioners should be on the alert for individuals who come in with latent TB infection who do not appear ill, he stressed.
Chemotherapy is the most commonly available form of cancer treatment, but its serious side effects are well-known. New research investigates the mechanism behind the cognitive impairment often associated with chemotherapy and offers new options for treating these adverse effects on the brain.

Share on Pinterest Many patients undergoing chemotherapy report a decline in their cognitive abilities. New research may have found a way to prevent these side effects.

The National Cancer Institute estimate that there are currently 15.5 million cancer survivors in the United States.

As many as 1 in 3 patients with cancer who undergo chemotherapy experience cognitive impairment as a result of the treatment. The cognitive dysfunction associated with chemotherapy is commonly referred to as chemo brain.

The symptoms of chemo brain include difficulty remembering things, trouble concentrating and processing information, and overall confusion. A survey of cancer survivors has shown that this population are 40 percent more likely to report cognitive issues compared with their cancer-free counterparts.

At the most recent national meeting of the American Chemical Society, University of Kansas researcher and associate professor of chemistry, Michael Johnson, presented scientific studies suggesting a potential new treatment for chemotherapy-associated cognitive impairment.

[Chemo brain is] something doctors learned about because patients were complaining, Johnson says. Symptoms include visual and verbal memory loss  so if you have a conversation with somebody, you may have difficulty recalling it. You might have attention deficit, so if you are trying to do taxes, it might be difficult to focus. It also can result in a decline in processing speed, so it may be more difficult to think on your toes. You may have trouble remembering words.

The new findings presented by Johnson examine the brain chemistry behind this cognitive dysfunction, using rodent models. The studies also suggest new ways of treating the symptoms of chemo brain.
Breast thermography, or thermal imaging, is a noninvasive and painless test that doctors sometimes use to monitor for early breast changes that could indicate breast cancer. It works by detecting increases in temperature. Thermography does not involve radiation. Instead, it uses an ultra-sensitive camera to produce high-resolution, infrared photographs, or heat images, of the breast. Thermography first appeared in the 1960s, but it has struggled to gain ground as a diagnostic tool for breast cancer due to concerns about poor sensitivity and inaccurate results. The authors of a 2018 study noted that the sensitivity of infrared imaging technology had improved drastically in recent years. They concluded that it may show promise for the future but that, for now, people should only use it alongside other screening methods. Health authorities, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) , have issued similar recommendations. Read on to find out more about thermography, including what it involves and its benefits and risks.

How thermography works Share on Pinterest Thermography detects a rise in skin temperature that can occur when cancer cells are multiplying. Thermography uses digital infrared imaging to detect subtle changes in the breast by revealing areas of heat and cold. In the body, areas of high or fast blood flow will show on a thermograph as being warmer than other areas. When a tumor develops, cancer cells grow, and these cells need additional blood to reproduce. When blood flow increases for this purpose, the skin in that area will become warmer. A tumor will, therefore, appear as a hot spot in thermography images. According to the American College of Clinical Thermology, thermography can detect changes that may indicate various conditions, such as: cancer

fibrocystic disease

an infection

vascular disease The test cannot confirm that cancer is present. It can only show that there are changes that may need further investigation. However, the FDA do not recommend using thermography without another screening method. They stress that thermography is not an effective alternative to mammography and should not be used in place of mammography for breast cancer screening or diagnosis.

What to expect Thermography should always take place in a doctors office or another healthcare setting. It will involve the following: The person will stand about 68 feet away from the camera.

They will have a painless, noninvasive test that does not involve compressing the breast.

The procedure will last approximately 15 minutes. The practitioner will look for clear differences between the breasts. For this reason, thermography might not be suitable for a person who has undergone a mastectomy or other breast surgery. The FDA note that other facilities, such as spas and homeopathic clinics, are also carrying out thermography services. The FDA express concern that these providers may be giving false information that can mislead patients into believing that thermography is an alternative or better option than mammography. This incorrect information may result in people not obtaining a correct diagnosis in the early stages of breast cancer when treatment is usually most effective. Anyone who opts for thermography should ask a doctor to recommend a provider and also attend mammogram screening as the doctor recommends. What can you expect during a mammogram? Find out more in our step-by-step guide. What thermographs detect A thermograph will not detect a lump, but it will show changes in body and skin temperature, which may be a sign of increased metabolic activity or blood flow in one particular area. These changes happen as the cancer cells strive to maintain themselves and grow. If the results show something unusual, this may not necessarily be cancer. The cause could be mastitis, a benign tumor, fibrocystic breast disease, or another issue. Follow-up tests If the thermography detects any abnormalities, the person should seek further screening, which may include a mammogram. If a mammogram confirms that a lump is present, the doctor may recommend an ultrasound or MRI scan and a biopsy. Only a biopsy can confirm whether cancer is present. What happens in a breast biopsy? Learn more here.

Benefits As a screening option for breast cancer, thermography offers the following benefits: It is not painful.

It is not invasive.

It does not involve radiation.

Risks Thermography itself does not appear to pose any physical risk to a person, but there can be other risks. Inaccurate results Share on Pinterest A doctor can give advice on thermography. The authors of a review article noted both that thermography produces a high number of false-positive and false-negative results and that estimates of its sensitivity vary widely. They concluded that, overall, thermography was not sufficiently sensitive to use as a diagnostic tool. False-positive results can result in anxiety and unnecessary follow-up procedures. They could occur if there is another issue, such as mastitis. False-negative results can give the impression that breast cancer is not present when it is, which may result in late diagnosis and a lower chance of effective treatment. The FDA echo these concerns . Misleading information Some organizations that provide thermography may not provide a person with all of the information that they need, potentially resulting in a false sense of security. They may give the impression that they are monitoring the persons health, when, in fact, they are not making the person aware of the whole picture. Not risk-free Some people say that thermography is better than mammography because it is a natural method that avoids exposure to radiation. Mammography screening guidelines try to balance the risk of the small amount of radiation a person will receive with that of finding breast cancer when it is too late to treat it effectively. Consequently, they recommend more frequent screening for people who have a higher risk of breast cancer. Lack of scientific evidence The authors of a systematic review concluded that there was not enough evidence to support the use of thermography as a screening method for breast cancer, either alone or in combination with of other screening methods. The authors were unable to find enough suitable data to assess the tool effectively. They noted that some studies receive sponsorship from industries supporting the use of thermography, which can lead to biased results. How does thermography compare with mammography? Find out more here.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Tehran mayor and a potential candidate for Irans May 19 presidential election, has come under fierce criticism over the municipalitys massive debts arising from wasteful projects.

Mohammad Tondgouyan, a member of Tehran City Council, has accused the mayor of mismanagement of public funds, saying that Tehran Municipality ran up huge debts during Qalibafs term, ILNA news agency reported Apr. 17.

According to the member of Tehran City Council, the amount of municipalitys outstanding debt is about $1.8 billion (60 trillion rials).

Tondgouyan added that some development projects launched during Qalibafs 12-year term were aimed at persuading voters to cast ballots in his favor during elections.

Qalibaf had put his candidacy in the previous two presidential elections in Iran.

Incumbent President Hassan Rouhani, influential cleric Ebrahim Raisi as well as former controversial President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are among the most well-known hopefuls planning to assume power through elections next month.

All candidates need to be vetted by the countrys constitutional watchdog body, the Guardian Council by April 27.
New research from the University of East Anglia (UEA) suggests that the process of dealing with emotional exhaustion can sometimes increase happiness.

The study examined when and how dealing with emotional exhaustion can enhance happiness in a work environment. The research was focused on the role of perceived supervisor support (PSS) - the workers' view of their manager's level of supportiveness, caring and appreciation for their efforts - in stimulating ways to cope with exhaustion.

The research was conducted by Carlos Ferreira Peralta of UEA's Norwich Business School and Maria Francisca Saldanha of Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada. They found that perceiving low supervisor support stimulates the employee's engagement in developing an action plan which, when paired with what the researchers call instrumental social support - the activity of searching for advice, support or information from others - boosts happiness.

Low PSS enhanced the relationship between emotional exhaustion and planning activities; whereas searching for instrumental social support enhanced the relationship between planning and happiness.

This new study is thought to be one of the first to investigate how the negative relationship between emotional exhaustion and happiness can be reversed. Previous studies have highlighted the harmful consequences of emotional exhaustion, such as poorer performance and depression, and that PSS can prevent the emergence of emotional exhaustion.

However, little was known about how people could overcome emotional exhaustion and experience positive outcomes in its aftermath, and about the role of PSS once employees experience emotional exhaustion. The findings are published in the journal Work & Stress.

Dr Peralta, a lecturer in organisational behaviour, said: "Perceived supervisor support appears to be a double-edge sword, on the one hand preventing the emergence of emotional exhaustion but on the other hand diminishing the likelihood that employees will engage in planning to deal with the emotional exhaustion they are experiencing.

"It is important to note that it is not emotional exhaustion per se, but rather how people cope with it, that is beneficial for individuals. Our findings suggest that the activities people engage in have a key role in building happiness from an internally stressful experience and that emotional exhaustion can have a silver lining."

Dr Peralta added: "This research contributes to a greater understanding of whether benefits can be gained by individuals as they cope with emotional exhaustion. The findings help clarify the role of social support in dealing with and becoming happy after emotional exhaustion."

The researchers suggest that managers would probably help their employees by being attentive to their experiences and could benefit from training that differentiates between the actions that can prevent employees' emotional exhaustion and those that can support employees' efforts to cope with emotional exhaustion.

"Providing support may prevent the emergence of emotional exhaustion in employees," said Dr Peralta. "However, when an employee is experiencing emotional exhaustion it might be useful to just provide support when and if requested. Otherwise, the employee may not engage or delay the engagement in coping activities that can enhance their happiness. This is particularly relevant as caring supervisors might be tempted to increase the support they provide when an employee is showing signals of emotional exhaustion."

The findings suggest that emotionally exhausted employees may benefit from an individually developed action plan enriched with instrumental social support, such as a focused and directed search for potentially useful information, in order to increase happiness after emotional exhaustion.

The researchers conducted three complementary studies involving a total of 500 employees in Portugal and the United States. They worked in multiple occupations including management, architecture and engineering, computer and mathematical, business and financial operations, as well as office and administration support, sales, education and healthcare. The studies used different measures of emotional exhaustion, happiness and PSS and the participants were asked to complete questionnaires.

Article: Can dealing with emotional exhaustion lead to enhanced happiness? The roles of planning and social support, Carlos Ferreira Peralta and Maria Francisca Saldanha, Work & Stress, Volume 32 part 2, 2017.
University of Helsinki researchers have uncovered a mechanism through which a mutation in the STAT3 gene leads to a disorder in the development of the pancreas and to infant diabetes. The mutation causes the pancreatic cells that produce glucagon and insulin to differentiate too early.

Neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM), or diabetes among infants less than six months of age, is a rare form of diabetes caused by a mutation in genes crusial to the development or function of beta cells. In about half of such cases, the disease becomes permanent (PNDM). Mutations in more than 20 genes have thus far been identified as causing the permanent variety of neonatal diabetes.

Unlike in type 1 diabetes, NDM patients typically do not have the autoantibodies normally associated with diabetes. However, it was recently discovered that mutations which activate the STAT3 gene may result in neonatal diabetes that includes a strong autoimmune phenomenon.

The mutation that activated the STAT gene most intensely (K392R) was found to cause the most severe form of neonatal diabetes. The mutation was discovered in 2014 in a Finnish patient, who had high levels of beta cell antibodies at birth and underdeveloped pancreas. The patient later developed several autoimmune manifestations in different organs.

A new study, led by Professor Timo Otonkoski, examined the impact the STAT3 mutation has on the development of the pancreas by using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) derived from the patient's skin cells. The study was published in Cell Reports.

The iPS cells produced from the skin cells were made to differentiate into pancreatic islet cells through a complex in vitro method that mirrors the normal development of the pancreas in humans. Before differentiation, the point mutation in the patient cells was repaired using CRISPR-CAS9 genome editing. After this, it was possible to compare the differentiation of the patient's cells during pancreatic development in two kinds of genetically similar cells: ones sick carrying the disease mutation and ones made healthy after being repaired through genome editing.

The results showed that the mutated STAT3 protein produced by the patient's cells led to the premature differentiation of the pancreatic progenitor cells into endocrine cells that produce insulin or glucagon. The results were clearly apparent in both cell cultures and in cells transplanted to mice, which allowed the researchers to study the development of the cells for much longer.

"The impact of the mutated STAT3 protein mechanism we discovered accounts for the underdeveloped pancreas and the early onset of diabetes, even without the damage done by autoimmune mechanisms," states Jonna Saarimaki-Vire, postdoctoral researcher and first author of the article.

Professor Otonkoski and researcher Diego Balboa, who was in charge of genome editing, point out that even though the mutation is rare, the study has broader impact.

"These results reveal the previously unknown significance of the STAT3 gene to pancreatic development. We also successfully used new stem cell technologies and genome editing methods that enable high-precision analysis of the mechanisms underlying disease mutations. We intend to use the same approach to study other diabetes genes in the future."
BOSTON

April 17, 2017

May 3, 2017

Boston, Massachusetts

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's

Tawfig AlRabiah

the United States

Majid AlKassabi

Saudi Arabia's

Edward Burton

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Tawfig AlRabiah

Majid AlKassabi

Qasim Al Qasabi

Hisham Al-Jadhey

Mahmoud Al-Yamany

Fahad Al Rasheed

Jeffrey Immelt

Paul Rothman

Marc Boom

Dennis Kogod

DaVita International

Saudi Arabia

$32 billion

$5 billion

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia

$180 billion

$100 billion

$54 billion

$14 billion

Jay Ennis

About the USSABC

December 1993

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is encouraging further foreign direct investment from American companies in its healthcare sector as part of its Saudi Vision 2030 transformation plan and will be highlighting opportunities at the high-level conference "New Horizons and Opportunities in the Saudi Healthcare Sector", oninThe Kingdom is actively seeking partnerships with foreign firms to raise the competitiveness and productivity across the healthcare industry. Priorities for future investment include medical device and pharmaceuticals manufacturing, medical information technology, and hospital management, amongst others.Organized by the Saudi Ministry of Health, the U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council (USSABC), and the Ministry of Commerce and Investment, and held in collaboration with GE (NYSE: GE), the conference is designed to provide a platform to senior business executives and government representatives, from both countries, to review specific commercial and investment opportunities and network with potential business partners. Specifically, the event will introduce U.S. healthcare manufacturers and service providers to opportunities infor sales, technical tie-ups, joint ventures and investments inexpanding healthcare market.The program will feature panel discussions with U.S. and Saudi company executives who are already successfully engaged in the Saudi market alongside Saudi Government experts from a wide variety of fields, and will present ample networking opportunities.H.E. Dr., Saudi Minister of Health, said: "Saudi Vision 2030 has given us a driving force to move forward with solid steps regarding the reforms needed to uplift the level of healthcare in the Kingdom. Key to these reforms are public private partnerships and global best practices. We are reaching out to foreign investors in this vital sector, and want to spearhead this initiative by coming into contact with as many key players as possible from."H.E. Dr., Saudi Minister of Commerce & Investment added: "As a part of Vision 2030, the Kingdom is seeking to form and encourage partnerships with firms to raise the competitiveness and productivity across the healthcare industry. The Saudi Horizons Healthcare Conference will bring together the American and Saudi public and private sectors to explorerapidly expanding and re-structuring healthcare market. These changes are creating lucrative and exciting opportunities for local and foreign investors alike."Emphasizing the importance of the event,, USSABC President and CEO said, "This is a unique opportunity to inform the American business community in the healthcare industry about the unprecedented market growth opportunities in this critically important sector within the. It will also provide unequaled access to the key government and private sector decision makers who are having high developmental impact on the direction of this industry."Confirmed Saudi high-level officials and executives to address the conference include H.E. Dr., Minister of Health; H.E. Dr., Minister of Commerce and Investment; H.E. Dr., CEO, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center; Dr., CEO, Saudi Food and Drug Administration; Dr., CEO, King Fahad Medical City; and, Managing Director and CEO, King Abdullah Economic City.Distinguished U.S. senior executives confirmed to speak at the conference include Mr., Chairman and CEO, GE; Dr. Omar Ishrak, Chairman and CEO, Medtronic; Dr., CEO, Johns Hopkins Medicine; Dr., President and CEO, Houston Methodist Hospital; and Mr., CEO Emeritus,has allocatedfor healthcare and social spending in its 2017 budget, an increase of nearlyover 2016 and a significantly larger budget than any other country in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. In addition, demand for healthcare services inis projected to increase by 25 percent through 2025 with expenditure in the sector growing at an annual rate of 10 percent. Over the next five years,is expected to spendon healthcare: an additionalon healthcare service provision,on pharmaceuticals, andon medical products.Director, Communications and Information Services U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council Tel.: 703-962-9300 Email: jennis@us-sabc.orgThe U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council (USSABC) was established into improve the mutual knowledge and understanding between the private sectors of the U.S andand to promote and facilitate increased trade and investment between the two countries. The USSABC has built a membership base of approximately 350 leading companies in the U.S. andand serves as the central source of information and assistance for companies that want to pursue specific business activities in Saudi Arabia. The USSABC organizes conferences and seminars in both countries to promote dialogue between the two private sectors, as well as trade and investment missions that provide networking opportunities for U.S. and Saudi companies. For more information on the Business Council, please visit www.us-sabc.org.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/saudi-arabia-seeking-us-partners-unprecedented-partnership-opportunities-to-be-unveiled-at-saudi-healthcare-conference-in-boston-300440388.html



SOURCE U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council




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Opens the door to new research approaches

Helps to reduce the amount of animal testing in brain research

Cell cultures in the Petri dishes are human origin and resemble human brains

Attractive economic opportunities

Anna S. Monzel, Lisa M. Smits, Kathrin Hemmer, Siham Hachi, Edinson Lucumi Moreno, Thea van Wuellen, Javier Jarazo, Jonas Walter, Inga Bruggemann, Ibrahim Boussaad, Emanuel Berger, Ronan M.T. Fleming, Silvia Bolognin, Jens C. Schwamborn. Derivation of Human Midbrain-Specific Organoids from Neuroepithelial Stem Cells. Stem Cell Reports, 2017; DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2017.03.010

Prof. Dr. Jens Schwamborn, said, "Our cell cultures open new doors to the brain.""We can now use them to study the causes of Parkinson's disease and how it could possibly be effectively treated."The results of the study are published in the scientific journalThe human midbrain can be of particular interest because:It is the seat of tissue structure (Substantia nigra). Here, nerve cells are capable of producing dopaminergic neurons which produce dopamine. This is essential for maintaining the smooth body movements.If the neurons die, then the person may develop tremors or muscle rigidity, which are some of the common symptoms of Parkinson's disease.Since cells cannot be taken directly from the substantia nigra for studies. Scientists around the world are continuously trying to cultivate three-dimensional structures of the midbrain in the Petri-dishes.Some induced pluripotent stem cells were used by the scientists from the LCSB. The procedure for converting the stem cells into the brain cells was developed by Anna Monzel.Monzel described her procedure, "I had to develop a special, precisely defined cocktail of growth factors and a certain treatment method for the stem cells, so that they would differentiate in the desired direction."An extensive preparatory work that had been done by Schwamborn's team was studied for some years ago. These pluripotent stem cells in the petri dish may multiply and spread out to form a three-dimensional supporting structure that produces tissue-like cell cultures.Jens Schwamborn, said, "Our subsequent examination of these artificial tissue samples revealed that various cell types characteristic of the midbrain had developed.""The cells can transmit and process signals. We were even able to detect dopaminergic cells - just like in the midbrain."These facts made it interesting for the Parkinson's researchers.Schwamborn stressed that, "On our new cell cultures, we can study the mechanisms that lead to Parkinson's much better than was ever the case before. We can test what effects environmental impacts such as pollutants have on the onset of the disease, whether there are new active agents that could possibly relieve the symptoms of Parkinson's - or whether the disease could even be cured from its very cause. We will be performing such investigations next."Jens Schwamborn also explained that "The production of tissue cultures is highly elaborate. In the scope of our spin-off Braingineering Technologies Sarl, we will be developing technologies by which we can provide the cultures for a fee to other labs or the pharmaceutical industry for their research."Source: Medindia
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The government can help by making medicines available at all times and address the shortage of trained haemophilia doctors and nurses in government hospitals, say those working in the field of haemophilia patient care."Haemophilia occurs in one out of 10,000 babies born. There is no official record of haemophilia cases in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. However, it is estimated that the Telugu states together have about 4,000 cases. Though haemophilia can affect men and women, it's mostly manifested in men as the disorder is linked to X or female chromosome. We now have facility to prevent any damage to joints or muscles due to internal bleeding," said Dr Padmaja Lokireddy, consultant, haematooncology and stem cell trans plant, Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills.There is also a shortage of coagulation laboratories in the country.Vikash Goyal, president Haemophilia Federation (India), says, "We have tried our level best to involve as many stakeholders as possible so that we all work as a team to take our movement forward that is care and solace for people living with haemophilia.""We are advancing the need of developing these, at least 1 Haemophilia Comprehensive Centre in every state as well as 1 HaemophiliaTreatment Centre in every district. HFI has been raising the problems the Haemophilia Community faces for the past 34 years," he said.Haemophilia is a rare disorder in which the blood doesn't clot normally because it lacks sufficient blood-clotting proteins (clotting factors). A person with haemophilia may bleed for a longer time after an injury.Small cuts usually aren't much of a problem. The greater health concern is deep bleeding inside an affected person's body, especially in your knees, ankles and elbows. That internal bleeding can damage your organs and tissues, and may be life-threatening.Source: Medindia
Born in a small town in Tamil Nadu, Ambur initially worked with Ashok Leyland and then went on to become a delivery boy with Courier Company in Bengaluru. A quick learner, it took him very less amount of time to manage and head all the logistic requirements. Later, he joined Flipkart, which was a book selling website, and became their first employee as a delivery manager. There was no HR department, neither he had an offer letter in hand, yet, he instilled his faith and went on to call it home.

I call him a human ERP. A lot of code I wrote in the early days was bout automating his processes. https://t.co/eomAlFWxDh  binnybansal (@binnybansal) January 11, 2016

Ambur was so well versed with the customers, that he knew whose order was pending, whose order was being delivered. He was so good at it, that he earned the tag of a Human EPR. Though his salary was a meagre 8,000 rupees, he was made a stake holder in the nascent stage itself. He went on to sell his shares in 2009 and made a lot of money the first time around.

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Cut to present day, Ambur is now the associate director for managing customer experience and is earning more than 6 lakhs, still never bought a car, owns a scooter and lives in the same colony with his family where he lived when his journey began. When Flipkart recently completed a decade of existence, Ambur wrote a blog for TOI and explained what did this e-commerce company signify for him.

"We were audacious, that's what enabled cash-on-delivery'

When I walked into Flipkart's makeshift office on a sunny April morning in 2008 looking for a job that would meet my simple necessities, little did I know my life was about to transform. Two young men in ordinary clothes, Sachin and Binny, greeted me and the meeting got underway. At that time, I didn't know I was going to be the first employee of a company that would eventually redefine commerce in India. Or that I would still be around to celebrate Flipkart's 10th anniversary in 2017.

I was nervous and with good reason. All my experience until then was on the operations side of a logistics company and here I was interviewing with an online seller of books. E-commerce was at that time a relatively new industry. Was I in for a monumental failure?

Customers reign supreme

Many companies run with this tag line. And why not? It is attractive. But how do you live it? At Flipkart, customer delight was and still is the single most important driver. Much before today's well-defined policies for returns or replacement, Sachin, Binny and I had to tackle complaints of a missing CD that should have come with a book, or torn pages inside or something else, and fix the issue. That customer-centricity is still the way Flipkart operates.

 Twitter

Give and earn respect

I still remember how Sachin, Binny and I would debate ways to improve our supply chain in those early days. My ideas were seldom different from theirs. While their opinions prevailed at times, mine topped on other occasions. The important thing was that I could speak freely. That sense of inclusion, mutual respect and valuing differences has stuck to this day. It's something we ought to live with in our family and people around us in our daily lives. Not everyone will think alike.

 Twitter

Prefer action over contemplation

On a personal level, this was perhaps the single-most important lesson - that it's not enough to have great ideas. What's important is to execute them with urgency. Flipkart operates in one of the most competitive markets in India. So we don't have the luxury of ideating endlessly. Sure, there were mistakes. We sometimes went too soon into a category and had to withdraw. But we learnt from them and emerged stronger. That's how we leave a mark in this world as people and that's certainly how a great company leaves a dent on history."
Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17

By Orkhan Quluzade  Trend:

The presidential form of government will be introduced in Turkey in 2019, at the same time with the next presidential election, the countrys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters in Turkey.

He added that Turkey made a historic decision regarding the form of government at the referendum on constitutional amendments, which was held in the country on Apr. 16.

Over 25 million Turkish voters cast their ballots in favor of the amendments to the countrys Constitution, Erdogan noted.

Among other changes, the amendments to Turkeys Constitution envisage the introduction of the presidential form of government.

In the eastern provinces of Turkey, the voting began at 07:00 (UTC/GMT+3), while in the remaining provinces it started at 08:00, and ended at 16:00 and 17:00, respectively.

Over 55 million Turkish voters were to cast their ballots to say Yes or No to the proposed amendments to the countrys Constitution.

Earlier, amendments to Turkeys Constitution got more than 330 votes in the Parliament, which allows putting the Constitutional changes to a public voting. According to the amendments, the number of seats in the Turkish Parliament will increase from 550 to 600.

The amendments also suggest allowing Turkish citizens to run for the MP seats from the age of 18 (currently, the lowest age limit is 25), and holding parliamentary election every 5 years (currently, the parliamentary election is held every 4 years).

Under the amendments, a Turkish citizen, no younger than 40, will be allowed to run for president.

Furthermore, the amendments stipulate that the Turkish president will head the government and will be granted the power to appoint ministers or replace them. Also, presidential hopefuls wont be required to be non-party nominees any more.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @o_quluzade
Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17

By Orkhan Quluzade  Trend:

Turkeys Justice and Development Party will offer President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to become a member of the party, Turkish media reported citing the partys deputy chairman, Mustafa Elitas.

The offer will be sent to the president in late April after Turkeys Supreme Electoral Council approves the results of the referendum on amendments to the constitution, which provide for the introduction of a presidential system in the country, according to Elitas.

One of the amendments to the constitution envisages that the Turkish president can be a member of a political party. The current constitution stipulates that the president-elect cannot be affiliated with a party.

Erdogan founded the Justice and Development Party in 2001. He had to leave it in 2014 due to being elected a president.

According to preliminary data, 51.4 percent of votes in a referendum held April 16 were in favor of amendments to the Turkish constitution.

The amendments provide for the number of seats in the Turkish Parliament to be increased from 550 to 600.

It is also suggested that Turkish citizens can run for the MP seats from the age of 18. Currently, the lowest age limit is 25.

The amendments also provide for holding parliamentary elections every 5 years. Currently, the parliamentary elections are held every 4 years.

A Turkish citizen no younger than 40 can become a president, according to the amendments.
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The United States, its allies and China are working together on a range of responses to North Korea's latest failed ballistic missile test, U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser said on Sunday, citing what he called an international consensus to act, Reuters reported.

H.R. McMaster indicated that Trump was not considering military action for now.

"It's time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully," he said on ABC's "This Week" program. "We are working together with our allies and partners and with the Chinese leadership to develop a range of options."

McMaster added: "There is an international consensus now, including the Chinese leadership, that this is a situation that just cannot continue."

The Trump administration is focusing its North Korea strategy on tougher economic sanctions, possibly including an oil embargo, a global ban on its airline, intercepting cargo ships and punishing Chinese banks doing business with Pyongyang, Reuters reported last week, citing U.S. officials.

While Trump has employed tough rhetoric in response to North Korea's recent missile tests, the new U.S. president's options appear limited in dealing with a challenge that has vexed his Oval Office predecessors.

Most options fall into four categories: economic sanctions, covert action, diplomatic negotiations and military force.

The North Korean missile blew up almost immediately after its test launch on Sunday, the U.S. Pacific Command said.

Hours later, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence landed in South Korea for talks on the North's increasingly defiant arms program. His visit came a day after North Korea held a military parade in its capital, Pyongyang, marking the 105th anniversary of the birth of founding father Kim Il Sung. What appeared to be new long-range ballistic missiles were on display in the parade.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:



A referendum on amendments to the Constitution of Turkey was held in the country Apr. 16.



Some 51.4 percent of voters cast their ballots in favor of the amendments to the Turkish Constitution. Although there was no doubt that those who cast their ballots in favor of the amendments would make a majority, still nobody expected such results.

As it was expected, it was mainly supporters of Turkeys ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) who voted for the changes. Besides, it was expected that the supporters of Turkeys Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) would also vote in favor of the amendments.



Looking at the results of the voting, one can say that either the MHP leader Devlet Bahceli changed his position or the MHP members didnt obey the political will of their leader, or, as the Turkish media jokes, Bahceli was the only one from his party who voted in favor of the amendments.



The Republican Peoples Party (CHP) and, of course, the Democratic Peoples Party (HDP) of Turkey voted against the adoption of the new constitution.

At the same time, despite some European countries blocked rallies and speeches of the Turkish ministers in support of the constitutional referendum, 63 percent of Turkish voters voted for the amendments in Germany, 71 percent  in the Netherlands, 65 percent - in France, 75 percent - in Belgium and 57 percent  in Norway.



The amendments to the Turkish constitution cover 18 points. The main amendments are as follows:



- The number of seats in the Turkish Parliament will increase from 550 to 600;



- Turkish citizens will be able to run for the MP seats from the age of 18 (earlier, the lowest age limit was 25);



- Parliamentary election will be held every 5 years (at present, the parliamentary election is held every 4 years);



- A Turkish citizen, no younger than 40, can be elected as president;

- President of Turkey will be granted the power to appoint ministers or remove them;



- The elected president can be a party member (current legislation doesn't allow this).



All of the above is publicly known, however, to understand the changes, they need to be further explained.



The number of seats in the Turkish Parliament will increase from 550 to 600.



In Turkey, it is not excluded that this is designed to facilitate the adoption of decisions in the countrys parliament. As practice shows, lack of votes in the parliament led to the non-adoption of several decisions, including the failure to adopt a new constitution in the parliament.



Turkish citizens will get permission to run for the MP seats from the age of 18.



This is one of the most actively discussed additions of the new constitution. The countrys government and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan believe that the age limit of 25 was undemocratic and infringed the rights of the countrys youth. The opposition believes that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) wants to compensate for the lack of personnel.



The president will be empowered to appoint and dismiss ministers.

This is the clause that envisages the transition from the parliamentary system of government to the presidential system.



It is worth noting that creation of a new government headed by Prime Minister Binali Yildirim on May 24, 2016, could already be considered as a first step towards a presidential system.



The president-elect can remain affiliated with a party.

Prior to the adoption of a new constitution, the newly elected president had to leave his party and become unaffiliated. It is possible that this clause of the new constitution will speed up the political competition between parties in Turkey. There are currently 27 political parties in the country that are eligible to participate in the elections.
Turkey's National Security Council has recommended extending the country's ongoing state of emergency, according to a statement following Monday evenings meeting, Anadolu reported.

The National Security Council, which convened in Ankara under the chairmanship of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, issued the statement after a 50-minute meeting.

The statement said that the council advised extension of the state of emergency "in an attempt to provide the continuance of measures aimed at securing the rights and freedoms of citizens."

After last summers deadly coup attempt blamed on the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), which martyred 249 people and injured some 2,200 others, Turkey declared a state of emergency on July 20.

According to the Turkish Constitution, a state of emergency can be declared for a maximum period of six months.

To enact the state of emergency, the government must see serious indications of widespread violence that could interfere with Turkey's democratic environment or its citizens' basic rights and freedoms as e established by the Constitution.
Chinas Internet Regulation to Ensure Security (Photo : Getty Images)

Firms that export data would undergo an annual security assessment as mandated by China's draft cyber law, Reuters reported.



On Tuesday, China's top cyber authority, Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), released the draft regulation as part of its efforts to introduce safeguards against terrorism and hacking.



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According to the proposed law, "any business transferring data of over 1,000 gigabytes or affecting over 500,000 users will be assessed on its security measures and on the potential of the data to harm national interests."



The said law also bans outbound data--may it be scientific, economic or technological--that could potentially pose a threat to security or any other public interests.



It will also mandate companies to get users' consent whenever data is transmitted abroad.



Furthermore, the rules require sensitive geographic data, including information concerned with marine environments, to undergo scrutiny from the country's cyber watchdog.



Assessments that will be made will also consider the destination countries and the probability of tampering.



China's draft cyber law comes a day after news about a citizen getting a reward of $1,500 to $73,000 from the government for reporting suspected spies surfaced.



The draft will be open for public comment until May 11.



The recently released proposal can actually be regarded as an extension of a law passed in November last year. The legislation gave the Chinese government the authority over organizations whose data-exporting operations are deemed crucial to national interests.



The said law, which will be effective starting June, has earned the ire of different business groups for its vagueness. They also claim that it unjustly goes after foreign firms that have tight requirements.



Nonetheless, this matter has been denied by Chinese cyber officials.



In November last year, several officials and authorities have advocated for more rigid cyber regulations in order to curb terrorism as well as the rampant spread of fake news.


Labeled as the Internet Plus policy, the new service delivery will cover various aspects of government work. (Photo : Getty Images)

Tonglu County in Zhejiang Province, a rural area with a population of only 400,000 people, is now more popularly known as the birthplace of the founders of four successful delivery and logistics companies or kuaidi, in the country.



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The business success of the four natives had made them billionaires as their companies have listed on Chinese and foreign stock exchanges, the Financial Times said.



Zhejiang Province, located along the coastline, started to benefit from export-oriented light manufacturing in the 1990s. The province is also known for its strong entrepreneurial spirit and close business communities.



The city of Wenzhou became the leading producer of cigarette lighters and spectacle in the world in the early 2000s, while Ningbo was identified for its "limit-up kamikazes" with their bold speculation in the stock market. Hangzhou, the provincial capital, is regarded as the home of Alibaba and other big Internet companies.



But in the early 1990s, Tonglu, a remote place located in the mountain, is only accessible by foot. Its villagers were known for their endurance and hard labor or the willingness to "eat bitter," a Chinese phrase for toughness and endurance.



"The people of Tonglu were adept at traveling on foot. Because transport wasn't developed, you had to rely on your own two legs to gain contact with the outside world," Sun Kan, author of the 2014 book "China's Kuaidi Tonglu Gang," said.



"The first cohort of kuaidi people drove tricycles or used other simple transport methods. City people couldn't have endured this kind of job."



At age 20, Nie Tengfei, the godfather of the Tonglu Gang, established the STO Express in 1993, after moving to Hangzhou then Shanghai. STO was staffed by friends and relatives during its early days, when it delivered biscuits, cakes and alcohol.



Breakthrough years



STO's breakthrough came when it started delivering business documents. It delivered customs declaration forms for exports from Zhejiang manufacturing hubs to the customs office in Shanghai. STO has an overnight service that beat China Post's three-day delivery service.



After Nie's death in a car accident in 1998, other people from Tonglu followed in his footsteps. His brother, Nie Tengyun, set up Yunda Holding in 1998. In 2000, Yu Weijiao, wife of a former STO worker, founded STO Express. Another STO employee and Tonglu native Lai Meisong established ZTO Express in 2002.



"The change in the village is like heaven and earth," Feng Genfu, chairman of the Tonglu-Shanghai Chamber of Commerce, said. "The ones who left home and became bosses, they've all built big houses. When they come home from Spring Festival, it's an endless line of fancy cars."



When the Alibaba-led e-commerce boom came in the mid-2000s, many courier companies in China benefitted from the growth. Last year, logistics companies delivered about 31 billion parcels across China, an increase of 51 percent from the 2015 record.



The four logistics companies have listed in the exchanges. ZTO made its initial public offering in New York in October, while the three others listed in Shanghai or Shenzhen. The three bought low listed companies to avoid the long wait for IPO approval on the mainland bourses.


Here are five news stories and events to start your week.

US Warns of Response to North Korean Nuke Test

Via Richard Sisk at Military.com: The U.S. warned Sunday of unspecified action against North Korea if the regime of Kim Jong-un conducted another underground nuclear test following a failed missile launch. "If it had been a nuclear test, then other actions would have been taken from the U.S.," said a White House foreign policy adviser traveling with Vice President Mike Pence in South Korea. The vice president spoke from the demilitarized zone shortly after a North Korean land-based medium-range ballistic missile exploded minutes after launch -- a day after the North paraded a potentially new intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM.

Decorated Navy SEAL Moonlighting as a Porn Star

Carl Prine at The Union-Tribune reports, "Navy Chief Special Warfare Officer Joseph John Schmidt III has been living dual lives. As a member of the Navy SEALs, the 42-year-old boasts a chest of ribbons and medals during his 23 years in the military, including a valor citation for combat overseas. To his East County neighbors and Coronado shipmates, he's been the married father who has given pep talks to special-needs children in Los Angeles and toured the country recruiting for the elite Naval Special Warfare teams, even serving as the face of the SEAL program on its website. Schmidt is also Jay Voom, the actor in at least 29 porn flicks."

Navy Training Jets Resume Flying After Pilot Strike

Ben Finley at The Associated Press reports, "The U.S. Navy on Saturday said it will allow a fleet of its training jets to fly again under modified conditions, while it determines what's causing a lack of oxygen in some cockpits. Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker said in a statement that its nearly 200 T-45C Goshawk aircraft will resume flights as early as Monday, after being grounded for more than a week. Its pilots had become increasingly concerned late last month after seeing a spike in incidents in which some personnel weren't getting enough oxygen. The concerned pilots had declined to fly on more than 90 flights."

Air Force Dispatches F-35 Stealth Fighters to Europe

Via Oriana Pawlyk at Military.com: The U.S. Air Force is dispatching F-35A Joint Strike Fighters to Europe in the aircraft's first training deployment to the continent, officials said. A "small number" of the Lockheed Martin Corp.-made fifth-generation stealth fighters will fly overseas for several weeks beginning this weekend, according to a release Friday from the Defense Department. The move is part of the Pentagon's larger push to deter Russian military aggression in the region. "This is something leaders have planned and suggested for a number of months," Capt. Mark Graff told Military.com. The service last year deployed the F-22 Raptor to the continent for training exercises.

VA Now Posts Wait Times, Private-Care Comparisons Online

Via Richard Sisk at Military.com: In a move to provide greater "transparency," the Veterans Affairs Department has activated a website to give vets wait times for appointments at every VA hospital and clinic nationwide by clicking in their zip codes. The website, accesstocare.va.gov, also for the first time provides information on how care at VA hospitals compares with nearby private-sector hospitals and national averages. The Access and Quality in VA Health site has four sections: "How quickly can my VA facility see me? How satisfied are veterans with their care in my facility? How does care in my facility compare to other hospitals in my area? How is the VA system doing with access nationally?"

-- Brendan McGarry can be reached at brendan.mcgarry@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Brendan_McGarry.
Nepal-China Joint Military Exercises (Photo : Getty Images)

The first-ever Nepal-China military drills commenced on Sunday. The launch will likely bother India as Beijing increases its presence in the region.



Nepal is located in between China and India. For the past few years, the impoverished country has been shifting sides between the sphere of influence of Delhi and Beijing while the two compete for regional supremacy.



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According to the Nepali army, counter-terrorism will be the center of the 10-day drill in Kathmandu. The joint military exercise was named Sagarmatha Friendship 2017 in reference to the Nepali name for Mount Everest.



This is in line with our efforts to hold joint exercises with countries that have diplomatic relations with Nepal, military spokesman Jhankar Bahadur Kadayat said to AFP.



India, which has frequently been reported of playing big brother to Nepal, will probably observe the drills closely.



Surrounded by land, Nepal still relies on India for most of its imports. However, the earlier administration insistently strengthened its relations with China. The Nepali nationalist campaign aims to lessen the countrys dependence on New Delhi.



Nepal and China share a multi-faceted tie and a joint military exercise broadens that relationship, according to former Nepali ambassador to China Tanka Karki.



Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan paid Nepal a visit last month to talk about the Nepal-China military drills. Chang is the first Chinese defense minister to visit Kathmandu in 15 years.



The present Nepali government, led by Maoist principle, has made efforts to mend tensed relations with India. At the same time, it keeps on accepting financial support from its influential northern neighbor.



China has pledged Nepal with splendid infrastructure projects. Among these promises is an $8.3 billion investment pledge, amounting to about 40 percent of its GDP. The pledge overshadowed the $317 million investment offer by India.



While the Nepal-China military drills boost the ties between the two countries, India may possibly be left uneasy as Chinese influence expands in the region.


Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi extended his condolences during a meeting with Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II on Thursday at Saint Mark's Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo

Egypt will exert maximum effort to catch those involved in the Palm Sunday church bombings, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi told Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II during a Thursday meeting at the Saint Mark's Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo, presidency spokesman Alaa Youssef said in a statement.

El-Sisi said that Egypt is determined in its fight against terrorism, adding that he is confident that Egyptians are aware of who is behind terrorism in the country and their intentions to divide the nation and undermine its development.

Pope Tawadros II stressed that terrorism would not succeed in dividing Egyptians, adding that only harmony and love can ensure the safety of Egypt.

Last Sunday, two blasts ripped through Alexandria's St Mark's Cathedral and Tanta's Mar Girgis Cathedral in the deadliest attack on civilians in the country's recent memory.

The Islamic State in Egypt has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

On Wednesday, Egypt's Ministry of Interior identified the Alexandria bomber as 30-year-old Mahmoud Hassan Mubarak Abdallah.

The ministry added that efforts are underway to identify the Tanta bomber.

Egypt imposed a nationwide three-month state of emergency after the attacks.

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Mattis' visit is part of a tour of African and Middle eastern countries aimed at reaffirming key US military alliances

US defence secretary Jim Mattis will visit Egypt on Wednesday 19 April to discuss regional security issues and participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at Cairo's Unknown Soldier Memorial in honour of fallen Egyptian soldiers, according to a statement published on the Pentagon's official website on Friday.

Mattis' visit is part of a tour of African and Middle eastern countries aimed at reaffirming key US military alliances, engaging with strategic partners in the region, and discussing cooperative efforts to counter destabilising activities and defeat extremist terror organisations, according to the Pentagon statement.

On 18 April, Mattis will be visiting Saudi Arabia, where he will have "a series of meetings with key international counterparts to strengthen commitments to the US-Saudi security partnership."

Mattis will also visit Israel on 20 April to meet Israeli President Reuben Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Avigdor Lieberman.

On 22 April, Mattis will visit Qatar to meet with "key international leadership and continue efforts to strengthen regional security architectures."

Mattis will end his tour on 23 April with a trip to Djibouti to meet with President Ismail Omar Guelleh to discuss promoting regional stability.

A US Congressional delegation visited Cairo last week where they met with Egyptian defence minister Sedki Sobhi, expressing the US administration's full support of Egypt's war against terrorism and extremism.

American President Donald Trump has said that the US "strongly condemns the terrorist attack" in Egypt on 9 April where two churches in Alexandria and Tanta were hit by suicide bombers.

The deadly blasts at Tanta's Mar Girgis Church and Alexandria's St Mark's Cathedral, where Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II was leading a service, killed at least 47 people and injured more than 100 in the deadliest attack targeting Copts in years.

Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi visited Washington earlier this month in his first official trip to the US as head of state, where Trump said that he was "very much behind" El-Sisi, who he said has a great friend and ally in the United States.

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On Palm Sunday, two suicide bombings hit St George's Cathedral in Tanta and St Mark's Cathedral in Alexandria, killing 46 and injuring dozens

Egypts prosecution detained three alleged members of a terrorist cell on Sunday as part of investigations into the bombing of two churches on Palm Sunday that left dozens killed and injured.

The three suspects will be detained for 15 days pending investigations into their involvement in the terrorist attacks.

On 9 April, two suicide bombings hit St George's Cathedral in Tanta and St Mark's Cathedral in Alexandria, killing 46 people and injuring dozens in the deadliest attack on Copts in the country's recent history. The attacks were timed to take place on Palm Sunday, at the start of Holy Week, in the run up to Easter, thereby ensuring large-scale casualties.

The Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for the attacks, naming the Alexandria suicide bomber as Abu Isaac Al-Masry and the Tanta suicide bomber as Abu Al-Baraa Al-Masry.

One day following the attacks, the interior ministry said that police had killed seven members of a terrorist cell in a shootout in Upper Egypt's Assiut governorate.

The three men detained on Sunday are being investigated on suspicion of joining an illegal group that calls for disobeying authority and overthrowing the state, as well as attacking Christian citizens and their places of worship.

The three suspects are also accused of conducting a terrorist attack in January on a security checkpoint in New Valley governorate, leaving eight policemen dead.

The interior ministry said at the time that the checkpoint attack was executed by 12 militants, two of whom were killed by the police during the attack.

A three-month state of emergency was declared by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on the day of the churches attacks.

The cabinet approved the state of emergency on Monday, and parliament approved the decision unanimously on Tuesday.

Copts, who make up about one tenth of Egypt's population of more than 92 million, have been targeted by several terrorist attacks in recent months.

In December, a suicide bombing claimed by IS killed 29 worshippers at a Cairo church.

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Army Chief of Staff Mahmoud Hegazy stressed Egypt's strategic partnership with its Arab partners

Egypt's Army Chief of Staff Mahmoud Hegazy held talks on Monday with his Kuwaiti counterpart Lieutenant-General Mohamed Ahmed al-Khader as part of his official visit to Cairo, state-run news agency MENA reported.

The two senior military officers discussed a range of international and regional issues of concern to the two nations, according to MENA.

The duo reviewed bilateral military cooperation, joint efforts to combat terrorism, and efforts to establish stability and security in the region.

Hegazy stressed the depth of the strategic relationship between Egypt and its Arab partners.

He also emphasised the importance of sharing experiences in support of Egyptian national security and that of the Arab region.

The meeting was attended by senior Kuwaiti and Egyptian military officials.

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Herewith enclosed a copy of proposed Media Release dated April 17,2017 titled as "Central Bank of Armenia choses Intellect's Quantum Central Banking Platform for its Digital transformation". Kindly take the above information on record.Source : BSE
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Cairn India Limited, along with its partners is set to invest Rs 3,240 crore in the Ravva Fields in the Krishna-Godavari Basin, to undertake 20 Developmental Wells and for setting up related infrastructure, as the oil and gas production is dwindling from the existing wells.

Cairn India Limited approached the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change seeking necessary clearances for the proposed project.

According to the minutes of the meeting by Expert Appraisal Committee under the Ministry, the proposal was given green signal as far as Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) is concerned.

"In order to enhance the hydrocarbon production within the already approved capacities, Cairn India Limited on behalf of Ravva JV proposes the following oil and gas developments to produce contingent hydrocarbon resources available in Ravva Field-Drilling of 20 developmental wells: 6 from new RI Platform and 14 from existing platforms... Drilling of 6 nos. of exploratory/appraisal wells to assess presence of hydrocarbons in identified pockets..

"The cost of the above proposed oil and gas development is estimated to be approximately Rs 3,240 crore," the EAC said in the minutes of the meeting held last month.

According to the companys annual report of FY 16, the Ravva Fields produced 18,602 Barrels of Oil Equivalent per Day (BOEPD) average daily gross operated production in 2016-17 against 23, 845 BOEPD in FY 16.

Cairn India officials did not respond to mail seeking additional information.

The Ravva field (PKGM-1 Block) located in the shallow offshore area of Krishna Godavari Basin, has completed 21 years of successful operations with ,Cairn India as the operator with 22.5 per cent participating Interest.

Exploration, development and production in the block are governed by a PSC that runs until 2019, which is in partnership with ONGC, Videocon and Ravva Oil Singapore.

Currently, there are eight unmanned offshore platforms and a 225 acre onshore processing facility at Surasaniyanam in East Godavari of Andhra Pradesh which processes the natural gas and crude oil produced from the field, the annual report said.

Over the years due to ageing of the field, production of oil and gas has declined. The onshore processing facility though has approved capacity to produce 50,000 BOPD (Barrels of Oil Per Day) crude oil and 2.32 MMSMD ( Million Metric Standard Cubic Meters per Day) of gas and is presently producing approximately 22,000 BOPD of crude oil and 1.44 MMSCMD of natural gas, the minutes added.
Cleveland police issued an arrest warrant Monday for a gunman they said murdered a man in a crime he broadcast live on Facebook.

Officials in the Ohio city said suspect Steve Stephens, 37, shot his 74-year old victim Robert Godwin Sr at random on Easter Sunday, in cold blood.

"Suspect did broadcast the killing on Facebook Live and has claimed to have committed multiple other homicides which are still NOT verified," Cleveland police said in a statement.

"Suspect in this case is... armed and dangerous. If seen call 9-1-1. Do not approach."

Police said Stephens may be out of the midwestern state, and asked residents of Indiana, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania to be on alert.

Stephens worked for Beech Brook, a behavioral health agency serving children through mental health services, foster care and adoption, at-risk youth programs and other services.

In his broadcast, Stephens displayed his Beech Brook badge. The facility did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

At a press conference late Sunday, authorities urged Stephens to turn himself in.

"Everyone is out there looking for Steve. We want this to end with as much peace as we can bring to this right now, and we want him to turn himself in," Cleveland Police Chief Calvin

Williams told reporters, adding that local authorities were working with the FBI and regional law enforcement.

"We have all of our partners in on this, and we'll look until we find him."

Mayor Frank Jackson told reporters police were still trying to communicate with the suspect.

"We want to communicate to him that we know who he is, and that he will eventually be caught. And that we're saying to him that he need not do any more," said Jackson.

Stephens was at large after fleeing in a white Ford Fusion with temporary license plates, police said.

Some local media reported that he had boasted on Facebook of killing more than a dozen people in an Easter Day massacre, but authorities said there was no indication of a broader killing spree.

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business Aim to add 1000 MW by June 2018; no formal guideline on divestment yet: NLC India SK Acharya, Chairman, NLC India said they have not yet got any formal guideline on divestment but it is likely to happen in 2-3 months through the offer for sale (OFS) route.
Oil marketing companies plan to revise petrol, diesel prices daily in 5 cities from May 1 and going forward a nationwide rollout is expected. To discuss this and the business outlook, CNBC-TV18 spoke to B Ashok, Chairman, India Oil Corporation (IOC).

The fortnightly price revisions of petrol and diesel are basically done to neutralise the changes in international prices and by passing on this revision in pricing, we have been able to maintain the trend of pricing with that of international and this has also helped us maintain the margins, said Ashok.

The gross margins have been maintained around USD 2-2.50 per barrel.

The decision of dynamic pricing that would be done on a daily basis in five cities is a pilot project. Five cities include Puducherry and Vizag, Udaipur, Jamshedpur and Chandigarh, So we would study the impact of that on market. However, it would benefit the customer by preventing sudden shocks and volatility and on the longer-term it would be a zero-sum game for customers, said Ashok. With regards to retailers also they would be less distortion and they would maintain stock as per their average sales etc.

The dynamic pricing would also help reduce the distortion in demand and supply for the oil marketing companies, said Ashok.

Petrol & Diesel Rates Nov 07, 2022 Petrol Rate in Mumbai Nov 07, 2022 Current Petrol Price Per Litre 106 106 View more Diesel Rate in Mumbai Nov 07, 2022 Current Petrol Price Per Litre 94 94 View more Show

On the overall business front, he said volumes growth for the company in FY17 for all segments stood at 3 percent. Petrol grew by 8-10 percent, diesel demand was flat, LPG volumes great at 11-12 percent in FY17.

He is also upbeat on gross refining margins as well.

He said Chennai Petro has been performing well and currently the merger is work in progress.
In an interview to CNBC-TV18, Ravi Uppal, MD & CEO of Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) spoke about the latest happenings in his company and sector.

"We are always looking at the various options which are in interest of our stakeholders to see how the loans can be reduced and we have the favourable debt equity ratio", he said.

He expects the growth to go up for the steel industry because the government has put huge amount of investment in the infrastructure sector in particular.

On reducing debt, he said, "First step is to make sure that we do not add any debt and second is to reduce the debt through a gradual process".

At the end of FY18, the debt should be reduced by about Rs 3,000 crore, he added.

Below is the verbatim transcript of the interview.

Anuj: Before we discuss business, I just wanted to discuss what is happening at JSPL in terms of fund raising and equity dilution because you have recently approved raising funds via allocation to promoters. If you could tell us whether there is further equity dilution plan and if this is a precursor to dilution to some other big player as well, some overseas player?

A: There are no plans as such of our dilution of equity. I will not like to get into any speculations. We are always looking at the various options, which are in the interest of our stakeholders to see how the loans can be reduced and we have a favourable debt equity ratio.

Latha: But you have issued these Rs 4.8 crore warrants to the promoter group on a preferential basis. When will they be able to exercise the warrants and become shares and what will it take this stake to, the promoters stake?

A: It is a window of about 18 months, after 18 months option can be exercised.

Latha: So when they convert what will the stake go to?

A: I cannot tell you right now, I do not have those figures with me but the amount to equity which is being offered is obviously stated publically.

Sonia: Can you tell us little bit about the sector itself because the steel consumption growth in India was hardly 3-4 percent in the last fiscal, what is the expectation as we head into the new one?

A: Calendar year 2017 has started off very well. I think for the Indian steel industry, the primary sector in particular has had their production grow between 15 percent and 17 percent and on the whole as an industry, we have grown by about 12 percent on production.

We are quite right in saying that the demand has not grown as much as one would like to see but the demand in the last financial year has grown between 3 and 3.5 percent but I am quite optimistic that the year, which is just setting in, I think the growth is going to go up because the government has put huge amount of investment in the infrastructure sector in particular. The government has planned to put Rs 350,000 crore in infrastructure, we already see signs of that happening now and I reckon that in this year if all goes well and the project gets executed as planned we should see that the industry should grow between 5.5 percent and 6 percent.

Latha: The interesting part is increase in coal prices, it is double the coking coal from USD 150 to USD 300 in April. What is your in-house output now both including Australia and Mozambique?

A: You are quite right in saying that there is huge amount of volatility in the prices of the coking coal. They first went up to a level of USD 315 in October-November and then it crashed to a level of about USD 155 and USD 160 but in the last two weeks I have seen that coking coal prices have bounced back to the level of about USD 315-320. So this is not only coal even the iron ore is also witnessing quite a lot of volatility. Tthey are gone up to the price of about USD 85-86, now it is down to USD 70 so they remain very volatile. But I think this is a kind of a new setting in which we have to learn to do business where the input material will continue to remain volatile much depends on what China intends to do. How are they going to import and they decide to a very large extent how the raw material prices will move.

Answering your second question, we produce about 100,000 tonne a month in Australia and we are currently producing about 150,000 tonnes a month in Mozambique. We are in the process of ramping the Mozambique production to double the size which means that we will go to about 3 million tonne a year in Mozambique and in Australia we should be doing between 1.2 and 1.5 million tonnes a year.

Sonia: What will all of this do to your EBITDA per tonne because it has been around this Rs 6,000 or so per tonne, there is an expectation that it could improve substantially going ahead, what is your own estimate?

A: I do not know, you are asking about us or the industry?

Sonia: About you.

A: I do not think I am in a position to give you any numbers because we are bound by the rules and we are soon going to have our board meeting towards the end of April. But I would say that the numbers that we had in Q3, they were not 6,000, we were at a level of about Rs 8,100 per tonne and it will remain our endeavour to see we continue to improve from that EBITDA levels.

Latha: So FY18 your EBITDA could be higher than this Q3 number?

A: We are working towards it.

Anuj: Let us talk about the power business now, how is that looking up? Would you see improvement in generation, profitability this year in FY18?

A: I think JSPL has done well in Q3. We have made sure that our operational efficiency helps us to improve our EBITDA. The EBITDA in Q3 is around 35 percent. We are seeing better generation this year. The summer has started early, the load has picked up for the industry as a whole, the exchange rates have gone better than the same time last year. So EBITDA remains to be seen how things pan out in the days and weeks to come.

Latha: What is your conversation with the banks leading to, are you getting some relief either through a 5:25 or an Scheme for Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets (S4A), will your interest outgo in FY18 be any different from that in FY17?

A: We have managed our debts quite well. We have managed to service all our dues as well as interest payments very regularly. I think the company seems to be doing better as in the weeks to come, our earnings improve, we would be able to do it even more efficiently.

The effort remains as we mentioned in the past, how to reduce the debt. The first step is to make sure that we do not add any debt, the second is how we can reduce the debt through a gradual process. That is what we are constantly working on.

Latha: Give us some numbers, what will the debt look like at the end of FY18 at least a target?

A: We should reduce by about Rs 3,000 crore.

Anuj: No plan to revisit initial public offering (IPO) for Jindal Power? That was a big issue some years back, now because the market has also revived  the IPO market, I am sure you would have seen the kind of response that the primary market is getting now, any plans to revive IPO?

A: Nothing, there is always a right time for one to go with the IPO. We do not believe this is the right time. What we are focused on right now is to improve the operation efficiency of JPL. We still are running the plant only at 50 percent. This is something that we need to improve. I just hope that the demand should pick up because our plant is up and ready, it is operating very efficiently. We would like to see that we take it up to the level of about 80-85 percent of its capacity. It has started to do better, compared to the previous quarter, it is inching up and we are optimistic that the current financial year we should be able to see a better utilisation of the 3,500 megawatt plant.

Latha: So 1,800 megawatt, what should we expect?

A: We are running the plant right now at about 1,750 to 2,200 megawatt. So right now the plant is running fine. So let us just hope that it continues and gets even better than what we are doing right now.
Kairali Ayurvedic Group is embarking on a major expansion in the US and China where it will open a majority of 118 new centres it has planned by the end of 2018.

The ayurvedic treatment provider currently has 35 centres in 10 countries besides India.

While it already has one centre in the US, this will be the first time that it will enter China.

"We are looking to open 118 treatment centres overseas and in India by the end of 2018. Out of these, 50 will be in the US and 50 will be in China," Kairali Ayurvedic Group Executive Director Abhilash Ramesh told PTI.

While eight centres will be across cities where the group is already present in India, the rest will be in other countries, he added.

At present, the company has presence in 10 countries overseas including Japan, Lebanon, Mauritius, Poland, UAE, Malaysia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic and the US.

It has 13 centres across India in locations such as Delhi and NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Patna, Dibrugarh, Raipur and Palakkad among others.

Commenting on the expansion strategy, he said the centres outside India will be mainly operated through a franchise model.

"We have already signed mandates with our franchise partners for the US and China," Ramesh added.

The eight centres in India will be company-owned and operated, he added.

The group offers treatment for conditions such as sciatica, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, obesity, besides providing general and detox rejuvenation, Ramesh said.

In addition to the treatment centres, he said the group's pharmaceutical and herbal division has been strengthening ancient ayurveda tradition through research and development to suit modern life style.

"We make a range of 180 products at our factories," Ramesh said.
At a time when Indians confused Snapdeal for messaging app Snapchat and started downgrading the app of the e-commerce platform, co-founder Kunal Bahl took a light-hearted approach and shared a meme on Twitter, terming the whole incident as ridiculous.



The ridiculousness of the situation aside, this snippet is funny beyond belief. https://t.co/G2oEomZjQh

 Kunal Bahl (@1kunalbahl) April 16, 2017

"The ridiculousness of the situation aside, this snippet is funny beyond belief," Bahl tweeted on Sunday night.

In a case of mistaken identity, people started criticising e-commerce firm Snapdeal on social media, after Evan Spiegel, the chief executive of Snapchat was alleged to have called India a "poor country" adding that his app was only for the rich.

The details of the remarks were revealed in a lawsuit by filed by an ex-employee named Anthony Pompliano, Variety magazine reported.

This came as a shock to many especially at a time when most international technology companies are looking to get a pie of the Indian market.

According to the lawsuit, the incident happened 2015 when Pompliano was expressing his concerns that the app was not making a mark in the overseas market. Abruptly cutting him off, Spiegel said this app is only for rich people. I dont want to expand into poor countries like India and Spain.

In the meme, shared by Bahl, Snapchat is seen as crying over its founder's alleged ill-fated comment even as Snapdeal is trying to save itself from the brickbats of common users.

Snapdeal is currently in talks with larger rival Flipkart for a merger.
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NLC India Ltd has no plans to acquire coal mines overseas as the three blocks alloted to it by the government were sufficient to meet fuel requirement of its power plants, a top company official said.

"We have no plans to acquire coal mines overseas as three coal blocks alloted to us -- two in Odisha and one in Jharkhand -- were enough to meet the coal requirement of our power plants," NLC India Ltd Chairman and Managing Director S K Acharya told PTI.

The company would continue to focus on the blocks allotted to it in line with government of India's mission of 'Make in India'

Company's coal-based plants "with 1,000 mw capacity were running, while 2,000 mw (plants) were under construction and around 4,000 mw were in the planning stage," the CMD said.

Around two years back, "we had invited expression of interest...to find out commercial viability and to find out whether it would make good business sense for us to go abroad but now we are not thinking that," he said.

The main activity of NLC India is mining (coal and lignite) and power generation of thermal and renewable energy. The company's present mining capacity (lignite) is 30.6 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) and the present power generation capacity, including JVs is 3,240 mw.

At present, NLC India has four open cast lignite mines namely Mine I, Mine II, Mine IA and Barsingsar Mine.

The lignite mined out is used as fuel to the linked pit-head power stations. Also, raw lignite is being sold to small scale industries to use it as fuel in their production activities.
The logo of messaging app Snapchat is seen at a booth at TechFair LA, a technology job fair, in Los Angeles

On Sunday, netizens woke up to reports of Snapchat CEOs disinterest in investing in poor countries like India and Spain. A former employee of the company  Anthony Pompliano  said Evan Spiegel told him that the app is meant for only rich people. This reportedly happened in 2015.

The reports led to severe backlash in India with people taking to Twitter to criticise the statement.

The comments are a part of the lawsuit filed by Pompliano, where he has also alleged Snapchat has exaggerated user data, and the top employees were misinformed about the key metrics.

Here is what happened:

After the backlash on social media, Snapchat denied the reports calling them 'ridiculous'. The companys spokesperson said Snapchat is grateful for its support in India and the world while adding, "the words were written by disgruntled former employee."

Despite the clarification, people were not ready to relent and took to Twitter to retaliate against the US company. Not only that, on Sunday, Snapchats rating fell to one star from four on the Apple store with many deleting the app.

Over the weekend, hashtags like #boycottSnapchat and #Uninstall-Snapchat were trending.



Uninstalled snapchat, now my phone is free from antiindian bug. #boycottsnapchat #MIvGL

 Pranav Shah (@Pranavtw) April 17, 2017

But, here comes the twist! People mistook Snapdeal for Snapchat and started trolling the former instead. Many started writing bad reviews for the Indian e-commerce player and de-rated it too.

In the reviews section on the Play Store and Apple Store, people fired the company for calling India poor.

There were some who sympathised with Snapdeal too:



@thetanmay Thanks bud. Ppl asking us to make a statement that @snapdeal is not @snapchat was possibly the last thing I thought I would ever need to do.  Kunal Bahl (@1kunalbahl) April 16, 2017

If this was not enough, some reports also suggest that in retaliation anonymous hackers claim to have leaked database of 1.7 million Snapchat users, which they hacked last year.

This has been done to show resentment against the poor country remark of Snapchat CEO.

Hackers had found the bug in Snapchats database last year, but never used the data till now. They have further threatened to carry out strike against the company online till Spiegel apologises for the remark.

However, Snapchat has not confirmed of the leak yet.
Supporters of Congress party are framed by the party's symbols installed at the venue where Rahul Gandhi is addressing a rally at Bardoli

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad today supported the idea of forming a 'mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) along with the SP and the BSP in Uttar Pradesh to counter the surge of the BJP.

"The idea of 'mahagathbandhan' is good," the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said here.

However, Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar, while commenting on the issue, said, "It is too early to say. If we do not honour the feeling of the people and workers, it will be wrong. We will also talk about 'mahagathbandhan' with our senior leaders."

He also claimed the Congress does not practice votebank politics as done by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

The party's Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari, when asked about the idea of formation of a grand alliance with the SP and the BSP, said, "My best wishes are with them."

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav had backed the idea of forming a coalition of political parties against the BJP, saying, "There should be a coalition, which can pave the way forward. We are ready to welcome it. We had welcomed such a move earlier too." BSP chief Mayawati too had asserted that she would join hands with other parties to take on the BJP.

The Congress' district unit presidents, who had gathered here to deliberate upon the strategy for the upcoming civic body elections in the state, alleged that the pre-poll tie-up with the SP was a "major roadblock" for the party's prospect in the Assembly elections.

The SP and the Congress had contested Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls together in which the alliance managed to get only 54 of the 403 Assembly seats. The SP had contested on 298 seats and the Congress on 105 seats. The Congress managed to win only seven seats.

"Most of the district presidents are of the view that the SP-Congress pre-poll alliance proved to be a major roadblock for the party's poll prospect in the 2017 UP Assembly elections," a party office bearer who attended the meeting said on condition of anonymity.

According to party sources, nearly 30-40 district chiefs of the Congress, from eastern and central Uttar Pradesh, attended the meeting at the party's state unit headquarters here.

Speaking to mediapersons, Tiwari said, "The party workers are sad over the poll outcome in Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, but their morale is high and we will resurrect the Congress with the help of this spirit."

On any possible change in party leadership at the state level, he said, "There is no question of any hint being given in any organisation. Whenever changes take place, it will be visible to all.
In an interview with CNBC-TV18's Latha Venkatesh and Sonia Shenoy, Udayan Mukherjee shared his reading and outlook on the market and specific sectors.

Speaking about Infosys, he said he has not been very positive on Infosys or the sector for some time now. "But it is not getting better."

"The commentary from the management inspires zero confidence in my book, I would say now there is a prospect of material downside on Infosys," said Mukherjee.

Below is the verbatim transcript of the interview.

Latha: I won't start with Korea and Syria, let me start with Infosys. What did you make of the numbers, is this the beginning of disappointment?

A: That too looks a bit like Korea and Syria to me now after the communication from the management. I have not been very positive on Infosys or the sector for some time now, but it is not getting better. Last time we spoke, we were discussing how it might just be a range bound kind of stock with some downside, but I think now, having seen these results and the fact that the commentary from the management inspires zero confidence in my book, I would say now there is a prospect of material downside on Infosys.

It may not be Rs 950-1,025 kind of stock as I thought earlier; it may actually gravitate much lower from here. I know a lot of people are reluctant to put a sell out on that name, and I see a lot of the funds still owning quite a bit of Infosys. In fact many of the mutual funds have Infosys in their top five or top seven holdings. So, I think it is still a very well owned company and I doubt whether the larger institutional investors have actually walked out of the door on that name. So, they were probably hoping against hope or hoping that things would improve and they would stay the course and the stock would bounce back. However, now it looks like it will be another at least four to six quarters of hunkering down and then hoping that the things turn for the better.

So, they were probably hoping against hope or hoping that things would improve and they would stay the course and the stock would bounce back. However, now it looks like it will be another at least four to six quarters of hunkering down and then hoping that the things turn for the better.

In terms of valuations, there is no comfort at all for a stock which will probably grow in middle single digits in terms of earnings this year. If that, I dont know why people are talking about paying 15 kind of price-to-earnings (P/E) multiples. I know historically Infosys has not traded much below that, but I think 12-13 P/E is absolutely ample in the kind of growth metric that we are surrounded by in the IT space now.

13 times Infosys expected earnings which may actually come lower than that, but let us say for FY18 it is Rs 64 earnings, 13 times 64 is 830. I think the stock could lose a Rs 100 from here and go down to those Rs 830-840 levels and over a period of one year, at best limp back to those Rs 900 kind of levels once again just looking out into FY19. So, I think there is material downside and if I was on the sell side, I would have no hesitation in putting a sell out even after such stark underperformance on that name.

Anuj: The other stock that I wanted to discuss with you was ITC because that has been one bit of strength point for the market, up 15 percent this year. Here a lot of people believe that maybe valuations are also comforting. What is your thought on the rally that we have seen in ITC?

A: I think there is a lot of relief on the fact that overall taxation structure will boast GST, not be very onerous on ITC and that was a sword which was hanging around ITC's neck or above ITC's neck for such a long time. Now that it looks like it is almost out of the way and ITC can demonstrate reasonable or moderate growth in the tobacco business, and some growth in the consumer business, it has got a very good balance sheet, it is probably trading at a big discount, maybe 30 percent discount to its peers like Hindustan Unilever (HUL) which one finds far more difficult to be more optimistic on and even stocks like Asian Paints and all which are trading at such significant premium to a stock like ITC. So, unless you have any moral problems about owning a sin stock, I think ITC probably is top of the heap in some of the consumer names because valuations are not in that stratospheric 40 kind of P/E level.

Latha: I just wanted to complete the IT point. Your worries with Infosys, does it extend to the entire sector?

A: In the past we have seen that some companies tend to do better than others, but generally when a large company is exhibiting very weak metrics, it is not very -- I know TCS did outperform Infosys for a fairly long period of time, but the backdrop was a little different out there. It was a question of the sector doing not so badly, but one company doing much better than the rest. So, I would not extend Infosys problems to all of them necessarily, but I think IT as a space will probably continue to struggle.

Look at pharmaceuticals; how many people thought that Sun Pharmaceutical will be at Rs 600 and that was a sector leader? And when it did that, you were struggling to find too many stocks in the pharmaceutical sector which were doing well; one or two exceptions. IT is a far more homogenous kind of an industry than pharmaceuticals is, so, I think maybe HCL Technologies, or TCS will do a bit better than Infosys. However, broadly, if I was a fund manager, I would be underweight IT and I would throw Infosys out of my fund.
By Satish Gupta of astrostocktips.in

Weekly planetary position: During the week, Moon will be transiting in Sagittarius, Capricorn & Aquarius. Lord Saturn in Sagittarius. Jupiter in Virgo. Lord Rahu in Leo. Lord Ketu in Aquarius. Venus in Pisces. Sun & Mercury in Aries. Mars in Taurus. Pluto in Sagittarius. Neptune in Aquarius & Uranus in Pisces.

Planet Mercury, which controls our mind (Buddhi) is transiting in Aries and will be in retrograde position from April 10, 2017 to May 3, 2017. Be cautious, as one is likely to take wrong decisions, resulting in financial losses, depending on its position in individual horoscope. Technical analysts/researchers can be worst affected (since planet Mercury is significator of this profession). Persons with Aries, Libra, Gemini & Virgo ascendant need to be extra vigilant.

Following sectors will be receiving astrological support:

Bank: Bank of India, ICICI Bank, OBC, Allahabad Bank, Indian Bank, etc.

Aviation: Interglobe Aviation, Jet Airways, SpiceJet, Taneja Aerospace, etc.

Auto: Hero Moto, Bajaj Auto, SML Isuzu, TVS Motor, Eicher Motors, etc.

Cement: ACC, UltraTech Cement, Ambuja Cements, Birla Corp, HeidelbergCement India, etc.

Tyre: Apollo Tyres, Ceat, TVS Shrichakra, MRF, JK Tyre, Goodyear, etc.

This sector was predicted last week also & during the week  Apollo Tyres, Ceat, TVS Shrichakra and JK Tyre moved up by 5-6 percent.

Food processing: Jubilant Food, Britannia, Parag Milk, ADF Food, Umang Dairy, Varun Beverages, etc.

Housing finance/NBFC: Indiabulls Housing, Canfin Home, GIC Housing, Repco Home, Capital First, Shriram Transport, Bharat Financial, Bajaj Finance, Reliance Capital, etc. Housing finance sector too was predicted last week & during the week  Repco Home, PNB Housing, Can Fin Home, GIC Housing shot up by 5-14 peercent.

Capital goods: ABB, Havells India, BHEL, Siemens, Larsen & Toubro, etc.

Pharma sector too will be receiving astrological support,

Buying stocks that can rise multi fold in a short period is every investors dream. But it is not easy to identify and buy such stocks at right time and exit at right time. Timing is most crucial element in investing or trading. This timing can be known through financial astrology. Astrology is only science which can predict future correctly & guide us about sectors which have to outperform.

Every year with commencement of new Samvat (Hindu New Year), astrologically, based on planetary position, certain new sectors start getting strong astrological support & start outperforming, while some others sectors which were performing earlier start underperforming. Some sectors/stock remains laggard. Stocks of astrological supported sectors outperform resulting in exorbitant gains irrespective of market behaviour, either bull market or bear market.

Predicting bullish sectors of next Samvat 2074

Every year we release sectors of new Samvat in the month of March/April when new Samvat starts. But this year, we shall prepone release of next Samvat sectors, which are going to get strong astrological support & stocks from those sector outperform markets. Purpose of releasing sectors of next Samvat earlier is that investors & traders should get maximum advantage of down trend of markets by good timing.

We firmly believe that these special astrological positions present very unique opportunities to investors and traders both. This opportunity, if utilised properly, can safeguard your existing portfolio and simultaneously optimise your future investments and trading also. So we request you not to wait till March 2017. After all successful investing and trading is all about good timing only.

Needless to mention our innumerable past predictions, where most stocks from the SECTORS of SAMVAT gave exorbitant returns & certain stocks appreciated by over 500 percent.

During current Samavat 2073 among other sectors  dyes/chemical/sugar sector received strong astrological support & outperformed and gave exorbitant return. Many stocks from dyes/ chemical sector appreciated by over 500 percent.

Sectors which get very strong astrological support are not normally affected by downfall in the market.

: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts 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.
Venezuela's defense minister on Monday declared the army's loyalty to President Nicolas Maduro, two days ahead of a major protest by opponents trying to oust the leftist president.

"The Bolivarian National Armed Forces remains united... and confirms its unconditional loyalty to the president," General Vladimir Padrino told thousands of pro-Maduro militia members at a rally outside the presidential palace.

The center-right opposition has called on the military -- a pillar of support for Maduro -- to turn on the president amid an economic and political crisis that has triggered severe food shortages, riots, looting and violent protests.

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Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi waves following a joint statement to the press with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, in Los Pinos presidential residence in Mexico City, Wednesday, June 8, 2016. Modi met with the Mexican President Wednesday evening during a short working visit to the country.(AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two days visit to Gujarat just ahead of the state BJP executive meet in Somnath later this week has fuelled speculations that the party plans to hold early elections in the state. The BJP is hopeful that its recent spate of successes in assembly polls, especially UP, should provide it a comfortable victory in the state.

PM Modi landed in Surat late on Sunday evening to a grand reception by party workers, just two days after a similar roadshow was organised by the BJP ahead of the its national executive in Bhubneshwar.

BJP has been in power in the state for almost two decades now, with the party winning the last three elections under the leadership of Narendra Modi as the then chief minister of the state.

The term of the current government under Vijay Rupani is set to expire in December this year, but a flurry of political activity in Gujarat is being seen as a sign that the party is trying to bring forward polls which are generally held after the extended Dussera-Diwali festive season.

Modi and his right-hand man, Amit Shah have in the last one month picked engagements in Gujarat quite meticulously. Shah has already held a round of meeting with state leaders, exhorting them to work to better the long held Madhav Singh Solanki-led Congress' record of 149 seats in 1985.

PM Modi took this message forward with his two day visit to the state.

Similarly, the Prime Minister's engagements on day-two of the Gujarat tour also clearly reflects an attempt to soothe ruffled feathers and reach out to constituents hit during the demonetisation drive.

On Monday morning, Modi inaugurated a new diamond polishing unit in Surat and a state-of-the-art hospital. Both projects have been established by top businessmen of the Patidar community which has been demanding reservations in government jobs and educational institution under the OBC category.

The Prime Minister will culminate his Gujarat tour on Monday afternoon with a programme scheduled in the tribal dominated Silvassa, in South Gujarat, followed by commissioning of a Narmada water irrigation project for the parched Saurashtra region.
V Srivatsa, Executive VP & Fund Manager, UTI MF in an interview to CNBC-TV18 spoke about the governments divestment plans, market outlook and the spaces the fund is upbeat on.

The government Monday cleared the sale of stakes in multiple state-owned companies. It will be offloading 10 percent stake each in PFC, SAIL, NTPC & NHPC, 5 percent in REC, 15 percent in NLC India, and 3 percent in IOC via offer for sale

Srivatsa believes the government should have gone the ETF way to reduce the impact on stock prices because of this news. Although this has been a regular feature of the government, it puts a lot of pressure on the stock prices of these companies, says he.

According to him, these companies could have launched another series of ETF and should have sold it in the market. It would have received good retail participation and government too would have got their share of pie and stocks prices would have been saved the blushes.

Talking particularly about REC and PFC, he says the house prefers to stay away from this sector. They are a direct play on power sector and there is decent amount of stress in the private sector, so one is not sure what kind of impact it may have in the next 6-12 months. However, fall in borrowing rates have helped these companies.

He is positive on the oil marketing companies because bulk of their profits come from marketing, which in turn is proxy to branded space. Therefore, although valuations are on the higher side, the prospects still look good. The fund is holding on to their bets in this space, says Srivatsa.

The fund has also been positive on pharma in spite of bearing the brunt with regards to inspection etc, in the last six months but would still buy them at current levels, says Srivatsa, adding that there is still a decent value in them from the near-term perspective.
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The S&P BSE Sensex rose by about 3 percent for the month of March supported by strong global and domestic liquidity. The domestic mutual funds (MFs) turned out to be net buyers in equity for the month of March 2017.

Mutual Funds were net buyers of equities in 21 trading session worth Rs 2,368 crore, as against net buying of Rs 1,850 crore in February 2017; however, the asset under management (AUM) dipped slightly.

The total AUM of the mutual fund industry decreased by 1.9 percent (Rs 34,428 crore) to Rs17.54 lakh crore for the month of March 2017, IDBI Capital said in a report.

On a month-on-month (MoM) basis, five categories namely Balanced, ELSS, Other ETFs, Equity Funds and Infrastructure Debt saw growth in AUM while categories like Income, GILT, Liquid, Gold ETFs & FOF Overseas saw a decline, it said.

Top twenty stocks which mutual funds bought in the month of March based on market value include names like SBI , ITC, HDFC Bank, Hindalco Industries, L&T, IOC, ICICI Bank, Yes Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, IndusInd Bank, GAIL, IDFC, Indiabulls Housing Finance, Tata Motors, MRF etc. among others.

The AUM of Equity Fund increased by 4.1 percent or by Rs 18,842 crore to Rs 4.82 lakh crore in March 2017 over February 2017. The assets of ELSS increased by 8.2 percent or by Rs 4,679 crore to Rs 61,403 crore.

Equity Funds registered net inflow of Rs 5,307 crore and ELSS Fund saw a net inflow of Rs 2,906 crore. Thus, total equity funds witnessed net inflow of Rs 8,213 crore.

SIP Revolution is coming

The bulls run witnessed in the Indian market has taken everyone by surprise but retail investors will not let this opportunity go this time around. The systematic investment plan (SIP) has made the job easier for investors who are willing to jump into equity markets.

Investors pumped in a record Rs 3.43 lakh crore in mutual funds (MFs) in 2016-17, mainly into income and liquid schemes, more than double of Rs 1,34,180 crore seen in 2015-16, according to the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi) data.

Some experts say that the trend has just started as we are in the middle of SIP revolution. As the attractiveness of other asset classes such as gold, real estate, fixed deposits fade more and more money will be pumped into equity markets via MFs.

"We are in the middle of a SIP revolution, Equity is the most attractive asset class and there will be big inflow from retail investors," Porinju Veliyath, MD & Portfolio Manager, at Equity Intelligence India told Moneycontrol.com.
CNBC-TV18 brings you a brand new week of Bull's Eye. It's the popular game show where market experts come together to dish out trading strategies for you to make your week more exciting and compete with each other to see whose portfolio is the strongest.

Remember these are midcap ideas not just for the day, but stocks that look attractive in the medium-term as well.

This week, Rakesh Bansal, Sumeet Jain and Ashish Kyal battle it out for top honours.

Below their top stock picks and analysis:

Rakesh Bansal of R K Global

Buy Gayatri Projects with a stoploss at Rs 145 and target of Rs 184

Buy Dolphin Offshore with a stoploss at Rs 125 and target of Rs 142

Buy Dredging Corporation with a stoploss at Rs 657 and target of Rs 748

Buy ICICI Prudential Life Insurance with a stoploss at Rs 390 and target of Rs 425

Sumeet Jain of Destimoney Securities

Buy Gujarat State Petronet (GSPL) with a stoploss at Rs 164 and target of Rs 187

Buy Gayatri Projects with a stoploss at Rs 149.5 and target of Rs 166

Buy Dishman Pharma with a stoploss at Rs 328 and target of Rs 354

Buy Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation with a stoploss at Rs 866 and target of Rs 919

Ashish Kyal of Waves Strategy Advisors

Buy Natco Pharma with a stoploss at Rs 875 and target of Rs 965

Buy Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) with a stoploss at Rs 197 and target of Rs 221

Buy Eveready Industries with a stoploss at Rs 281 and target of Rs 306

Buy Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation with a stoploss at Rs 850 and target of Rs 950
VK Sharma, Head of Business - Private Client Group at HDFC Securities told CNBC-TV18, "SRF has done well for itself, almost rising 20 percent in the current series. Open interest (OI) has been added by around 5 percent. However, in terms of OI, yesterday the OI has reduced by 2 percent and the stock went up by 3 percent. So, I am buying the 1,700 Call here. Although close was around Rs 30, I am buying it around Rs 26-27, stop loss at Rs 21 and a target of around Rs 42."

Engineers India (EIL) is another stock which has really done well for the series. It is mildly up 4 percent, but the OI has been added 9 percent. So, I am buying the 160 Call at around Rs 2.7, stop loss at about Rs 1.8 and a target of around Rs 4.5. This is a company which will also benefit from the expansion of refineries which currently capex is on. Even today, we have the news of Numaligarh Refinery going in for an expansion," he added.
Indiabulls Real Estate Monday announced the restructuring of their business by demerging two entities -- commercial and residential.

Talking about the rationale behind this decision Vishal Damani, Joint MD, Indiabulls Real Estate said the two demerged entities would be commercial leasing and development for sale. The idea is to look at these two businesses separately. They would look for a strategic partner for the commercial leasing business who would do an equity investment or would look at demerging that business, he said. However, the decision would be taken by the committee and presented to the board in due course, said Damani in an interview to CNBC-TV18.

The focus on commercial side would be on signed lease agreements, he added.

With regards to REIT listing in India, he said they would first look at statutory changes and then decide on it.

Talking about debt, he said the residential business post restructuring would have a debt of Rs 4440 crore but with completion of two major projects in the next 12-18 months  Blu Estate and Club and based on the sold inventory and to be sold inventory, they will generate net surplus of around Rs 2700 crore, so the net debt would be around Rs 2000 crore. Other projects too would contribute towards the reduction in debt. So the debt levels in the residential business would be comfortable.

Going forward strategy would be to do joint ventures with landowners so that we do not incur significant upfront land acquisition costs. Therefore, return on equity will also be higher on these projects, said Damani.

Giving a thumbs up to this decision, market expert Prakash Diwan of Altamount Capital Management said contours of the restructuring announced by the company looks very positive. The investors were concerned about the debt but now this restructuring would help them become leaner in terms of debt.

However, Diwan does not expect the stock to sell off but neither see it going up significantly higher. He said it may consolidate at current levels.

Below is the verbatim transcript of the interview.

Latha: Can you tell us the logic, clearly your press release says that your commercial real estate is the performing business, but why would you demerge, would you want to get a strategic investor, what is the purpose?

A: What happened is, earlier today our board had a meeting and we have approved the restructuring of the existing business into commercial leasing as well as development for sale. The commercial leasing business for us generates about Rs 692 crore of annuity revenue in this fiscal year and that has about 5.2 million square feet of completed properties which is One Indiabulls Center, Indiabulls Finance Center in Lower Parel, and One Indiabulls Park in Chennai. The residential business is having a lot of products like Blu Estate and Club which is in Worli, the London property, the Gurugram property, and the Chennai property.

So, the whole idea behind this is to look at these two businesses separately and for the commercial leasing business we would be looking for either a strategic partner who comes in as an equity investment or we would demerge that business and that decision will be taken by the committee and presented to the board in due course.

On the residential side, the focus would be like Blu Estate and Club alone will generate about Rs 2,700 crore of net surplus for us over the next 12-18 months. Plus, there are about another 16 projects which will also contribute to the net surplus as and when they complete. The goal would be long-term strategy to focus on joint ventures with land owners without incurring huge upfront land acquisition cost and hence deliver a high return on equity on that business.

Sonia: You have told us that your commercial business will increase to Rs 1,350 crore of annuity revenues in the next three years. Can you give us a slightly shorter term objective? Over the next one year how much of annuity revenues can you generate and how much will your overall debt in the commercial business come down to over the next one year?

A: The focus on the commercial side would be based on the signed leased agreements that we have on all the three properties. We would generate Rs 692 crore of annuity revenue this year which should more than the service the net debt on the business and also contribute to fund construction.

We have four projects lined up for construction and over the next three years, we will see this annuity income increase on account of rent escalations and also these four new properties, one commercial development in Indiabulls Finance Center, one commercial development in Blu at Worli, and two more commercial developments in Gurugram that would contribute the balance taking the entire annuity revenue to about Rs 1,357 crore in three fiscal years, by FY20-FY21.

Anuj: Going forward what would be the shareholding pattern of this business, would you be looking to induce strategic investors as well?

A: On the commercial leasing side we would be talking to a few parties to come in as a strategic investor onto the commercial leasing part and either that or we would demerge and that is a decision that would be taken by the board in due course.

Sonia: Are you close to raising any money in commercial assets for a REITs listing in India because your Singapore REITs has not really done too well, is it an option that you could perhaps fold up the REITs in Singapore and look for a REITs listing in India?

A: In Singapore listing our public foot has gone to less than 10 percent and the stock is suspended for trading. Post a decision with the other investors in Singapore, we could look at REIT in India as well. We are observing a lot of statutory changes in this regard and we would continue to look at the changes that happen with respect to stamp duty avoidance, etc. which will make REIT investing in India more attractive. So, we are watching these developments quite closely.

Latha: Until now the expectation of an investor in the integrated Indiabulls Real Estate is that the amount of money you are generating through rents and annuity rents in commercial business could be used to pay off your debt which is largely sitting in the residential space. Now, if you demerge, there is a fear that that debt will not come down.

A: For the residential space, the projects that we have under the residential portfolio, especially the Blu Estate and Club, that project will be completed in 12-18 months and based on the sold inventory and very little inventory that we have left for sales that alone will generate a net surplus of about Rs 2,700 crore in the residential business.

So, the residential business right now post restructuring will have about Rs 4,400 crore of debt and with this the Blu Estate and Club net surplus, that itself will bring it down to a net debt of less than Rs 2,000 crore. With the other projects contributing to the net surplus, the debt level is quite comfortable. Even going forward our strategy would be to do joint ventures with land owners so that we dont incur significant upfront land acquisition cost thereby further controlling the debt and hence we can give a high return on equity on that business.

Latha: Your commercial rents will not be used to bring down the overall debt of the company?

A: The commercial rents, the annuity revenue of Rs 692 crore in this fiscal will more than service the debt and fund construction. I mentioned about four projects that will add 3.15 million square feet of commercial leasing space. Taking that portfolio from 5.2 million to 8.35 million square feet and that is a huge amount of development that we can do and by fiscal year 2021, the annuity revenue from that portfolio will account to about Rs 1,350 crore of annuity revenue.

Sonia: From this Rs 3,950 crore of debt that you are sitting on just in the commercial business, over the next 12 months how much do you think it could fall to?

A: The number of Rs 3,957 crore is not the net debt number. It is actually the growth in the annuity revenue which will grow from the current Rs 692 crore to this number of Rs 1,357 crore. The focus on the commercial leasing business is because of the steady steam of the annuity revenue there is no issue in servicing the debt. Also once these new projects come through, that would generate more annuity revenue. With the strategic investor also coming in, the net debt levels in this company would further go down.

Latha: Will Ratan India Power benefit at all from the group generally getting more money?

A: The company that you mentioned is already a split in terms of Indiabulls Real Estate and Ratan India and that split happened a long time ago along with the promoter split as well. So, there is no crossholdings, no interest between the companies.

Sonia: When can we expect the listing of the commercial business if at all?

A: What board has done is they have constituted a committee which will look at both these options of either a strategic investor coming in or a demerger happening and that decision will be taken in due course and then put back to the board for approval. So, it should happen in few months.
Employees walk in a forecourt at the Infosys campus in the Electronic City area of Bangalore September 4, 2012. Infosys Ltd, the company that symbolised India's rise as an outsourcing powerhouse but has struggled this year, will have to wait longer than expected for returns from a remodelled strategy, according to S.D. Shibulal, the company's chief executive officer. Picture taken September 4, 2012. To match Interview INDIA-INFOSYS/ REUTERS/Vivek Prakash (INDIA - Tags: SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS) - RTR37L4F

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Marginal selling pressure on Infosys continued on Monday, following its lower-than-expected March quarter results that was announced last week, as well as mixed views by analysts on the same.

After falling over 3 percent intraday on Thursday, the stock nearly fell a percent on Monday as well.

The software services exporter has reported consolidated profit at Rs 3,603 crore for the January-March quarter, de-growth of 2.8 percent from Rs 3,708 crore in previous quarter. Revenue also fell 0.88 percent to Rs 17,120 crore on sequential basis.

Furthermore, it outlined its planned to focus more on local hiring in the US and setting up development and training centres in the country as part of its efforts to tide over visa-related issues.

Analysts largely have maintained their subdued view on the stock due to the weak revenue and disappointing guidance for the next year.

Deutsche Bank maintained its hold rating on the stock with a lowered target price of Rs 970. The brokerage house highlighted that the companys Q4 was weak, while the guidance was a disappointment, though not conservative.

The research firm has also cut its earnings forecast by 8-9 percent owing to slow growth and a drop in margin.

The companys FY18 constant currency guidance implies that it is adding incremental revenue of USD 6-80 million per quarter.

The research firm expected Infosys to deliver 7 percent constant currency revenue growth in FY18 with EPS of Rs 61.4. Moreover, the increased dividend payout as well as new appointments are short term measures and does little to mask the frailties in business performance.

Jefferies has a buy call on the stock with a lower target price of Rs 1,100 from Rs 1,220. The global research company too pointed out the lower guidance for FY18 and said that the guidance implies that recovery was still a while away and translates into revenue growth of 6.1-8.1 percent year on year.

Growth could be stable for the firm, but a recovery in growth is not implied in guidance, it said. The downward resetting of EBIT margin band to 23-25 percent is a bigger disappointment, it added.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch has reiterated its neutral rating on the stock with a lower target of Rs 1,000 from Rs 1,050. It cut FY18/19 earnings per share by 8 percent and believes that the consulting segment is likely to remain a drag on FY18 growth.

The companys cash return announcement is now a key support at current price amid muted earnings growth in FY18. The USD 2 billion buyback/dividend program implies a further yield of 6 percent in FY18.

Goldman Sachs, meanwhile, has reiterated a sell call on the stock with a new target price of Rs 798, thus implying a downside 14 percent.

Weaker-than-expected guidance by Infosys for FY18 both for revenues and EBIT margins underscore the multiple concerns we earlier highlighted, the report stated.

It observed that the threat to app services amid a shift to cloud was visible in both pricing deflation and weakness in app service line growth during Q4, and Infosys high reliance on H1B visas was visible in an increased onsite mix led by more local hiring in US and higher sub-contracting costs.

Kotak has maintained an add call on the stock and believes that the stock is inexpensive. It has reduced the target price to Rs 1,015.

Infosys disappointed with miss on quarterly revenues, lower-than-expected revenue growth guidance and reset of operating margin band. Return of excess cash through buyback/dividend, though, is a positive, it said in its report.

The recent performance of Infosys does reflect slippages in certain areas, induced by either poor execution or distractions, it added.

Meanwhile, Motilal Oswal too has a buy call with a target price of Rs 1,200. Its recovery has taken a pause because of unexpected blips through the year, the report added.

While the guidance implies a gradual pick-up in momentum, lower deal wins in FY17 (USD 3.4 billion; - 10% YoY) and multiple pockets of issues restrict confidence around immediate broad-based recovery, which would be a necessary trigger for valuations, the report added.

The stock has seen weak movements in the past one month, falling nearly 11 percent, while its three-day loss was seen at 4.29 percent. At 13:14 hrs, Infosys was quoting at Rs 925.65, down Rs 5.75, or 0.62 percent on the BSE. It touched an intraday high of Rs 932.35 and an intraday low of Rs 924.50.
business Looking for value buys? 5 stocks AlfAccurate Advisors is positive on We have collated a list of top five stocks which Rajesh Kothari of AlfAccurate Advisors is positive from his interview with CNBC-TV18.
Richa Industries bagged an order from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to build six elevated metro stations.

In an interview with CNBC-TV18, Sandeep Gupta, Joint MD of Richa Industries spoke about order win from DMRC and latest happenings in the company.

Below is the verbatim transcript of the interview.

Sumaira: To begin with, can you confirm, these are two separate orders right? What does this take your order from Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to?

A: These are two separate orders. One is to build six elevated stations and other is for a depot in Badli. Both are for Delhi Metro.

Sumaira: So your total order book from DMRC now stands at what?

A: Total order book from Delhi Metro is Rs 36 crore approximately.

Sumaira: And the combined order book?

A: Combined order book is close to Rs 280 crore.

Prashant: These are the first of orders that you have got from the Delhi Metro?

A: No, these are the fifth or sixth orders from metros and from Delhi Metro, third and fourth.

Prashant: What is the kind of work this involves? These are extremely well bid, margins are low, just some detail if you can on the metro orders.

A: Basically the work involved is manufacturing and assembling the pre-engineering steel buildings - that is the stations part, not a civil part, it is a steel part only and both the depot and the station.

Sumaira: Are these high margin orders? What are the margins you enjoy on these orders?

A: These are good margin although I will not say they high neither are they low margins.

Sumaira: Approximately?

A: Approximately, you can say around 8-10 percent net profit.

Prashant: This is work for the scaffolding involved in the construction or actual firm structures?

A: No, it is not scaffolding, it is a permanent structure.

Sumaira: I am looking at your nine month financials and so far, on a bottomline, you have only done about Rs 5.5 crore. You think in Q4, you can cover up the traditional Rs 10 odd crore that you do or is it going to fall short this time around?

A: It should be around the same, but we are looking forward, it should be around Rs 9 crore or Rs 10 crore from here.

Sumaira: So, in Q4, you are expecting Rs 4-5 crore on the bottomline?

A: Yes, in totality.

Prashant: So for nine months, it is Rs 5.5 crore, so in three months you would do at least Rs 4 crore in profit after tax (PAT)?

A: Yes.

Prashant: And that is mainly from?

A: Mainly from construction only because a lot of billing has been done during the last quarters and the third quarter because of the demonetisation and other issues a lot of billing could not be done. So, a lot of bills were under work in progress.

Prashant: Let us take financial year 2016, what was the topline and net profit at?

A: 2016, topline was Rs 480 crore and PAT was around Rs 10.59 crore and ratio was something around 2.21 percent.

Prashant: So, that remains approximately the same?

A: Yes, it should be around 2 percent plus only, PAT ratios.

Sumaira: Your company is already highly leveraged. Additionally, you have also approved a private placement of Rs 20 crore of non-convertible debentures (NCD). What will this be utilised for?

A: This will be utilised for taking up the further orders from the government sector. As we are moving towards the government sector, there is a lot of increase in the working capital. So, more business we are looking from the government, the more fund requirements we have.

Prashant: What is the interest cost annually?

A: You want in figures or you want in ratio?

Prashant: No, figure.

A: It is around Rs 28 crore.

Prashant: Rs 28 crore annually?

A: Yes.

Prashant: What is the earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) likely to be for the year? Nine month was Rs 34 crore.

A: EBITDA should be somewhere around Rs 45 to Rs 50 crore approximately, 10-11 percent, it should be.

Sumaira: Going back to your debt for a second, you have about Rs 350-360 odd crore in both long-term and short-term debt, right?

A: No, we have approximately Rs 250 crore. Not Rs 350 crore.

Sumaira: Can you break that up for us in terms of long-term and short-term?

A: Yes, out of that Rs 250 crore, approximately, non-fund based facilities; we have around Rs 80 crore which includes letters of credit (LC) and bank guarantees mainly. And approximately Rs 40 crore is term loans and rest is working capital.

Sumaira: What is the timeline for bringing this down?

A: That is a tough question in the present scenario, but certainly another 2-3 years, we will be looking forward to bring it down.
If youve seen Facebook pictures of friends visiting Thailand, you might have seen them, possibly coy in beachwear, against a backdrop of turquoise blue waters. Thailand offers several picturesque island backdrops, but apart from Coral Island, the others that most Indians land up on are the Phi Phi Islands or James Bond Island.

The latter two are the most obvious choices for people visiting Phuket or Krabi. While Similan Islands are also an option - preferred by serious divers on account of more abundant marine life - they are further off and the seas rough enough to make unseasoned travelers throw up their breakfast.

The James Bond Island tour, also called Phang Nga Bay tour, is so popular that almost every travel agency worth its salt will have it on its list. Although the local name for the island is Khao Phing Kan, it got the moniker after Roger Moore as James Bond in The man with the golden gun landed here seeking the Solex Agitator, a device that harnessed solar energy to dangerous effect. A face-off with the antagonist Francisco Scaramanga (Christopher Lee) led to Bond retrieving the device before the islands limestone cliffs were blown apart.

You wont get that thrill when you land here, but youll be treated to a view of the Andaman Sea, an islet called Ko Tapu that not only featured in the movie but has also served as background to countless selfies to date, and part of the greenery that makes Ao Phang Nga National Park a natural treasure.

In the shallow blue green waters of the Phang Nga Bay is a karst landscape with vertical cliffs and overhanging rocks having craggy, icicle-shaped formations jutting from their underside. When you pass by in a boat, it gives you the feeling of being an ancient seafarer discovering the mysteries of the sea.

But the aha moment will most probably be canoeing in the open sea through caves shaped by natural forces. Experience the joy of an adventurer as your guide squeezes the canoe through dark, narrow passages to reveal a pool of water surrounded on all sides by towering limestone formations. If you can kayak, you could go further to discover secret lagoons and island caves, or explore Thailand's largest remaining mangrove forests. You might even spot sea snakes and flying lizards in the protected environment of the bay.

Should this not satiate your appetite, theres more. As the boat approaches Ko Panyee or Panyi, a village built entirely on stilts comes into view. This is where you have your lunch, gazing out at a sea where long tailed boats ferry tourists between the nearly 70 islands in the bay. On Panyee, you could potter around shops which stock colourful sarongs, seashell jewellery, and other knick-knacks. The next and last stop will be Naka Island for a luxurious and safe swim, or beach lounging. Given that there is so much to see and do, you would most probably feel that the tour is worth the hype. Go, give it a whirl!
Egypt aims to increase its use of renewable energy to 22 percent by 2020, the countrys investment and international cooperation minister Sahar Nasr told regional director of Norways Scatec Solar Morten Langsholdt during a Cairo meeting on Sunday.

According to an official press release by the ministry, Nasr told Langsholdt that Egypt is keen on achieving sustainable development through the use of renewable energy.

Nasr discussed future investments in Egypt with Langsholdt, who asserted that his company  along with a number of investors including the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)  is keen on providing $3 billion in investments to Egypt under the Solar Feed-in Tariff (FIT) Program.

Egypt has approved feed-in tariffs for renewable energy production, allowing the government to guarantee a certain price for energy produced so as to encourage investment in the renewable energy sector, with tariffs depending on designated production categories.

The Norwegian company is expected to pump $500 million in Egypt in October, according to Langsholdt, who said that 40 solar power plants would be established in Upper Egypts Benban village.

The solar plants are to be completed in Aswan by 2018 with a capacity of 1,800 megawatts.

Nasr welcomed Scatecs investments in Egypt, especially in the solar power field, adding that Egypt is keen on utilising its massive solar power resources and generating electricity from renewable energy so as to ensure sustainability.

In 2016, Scatec announced a plan to inject $650 million in renewable energy investments in Egypt, establishing five solar energy projects with a capacity of 250 MW, including three in Aswans Benban.

Egypt has been aiming to upgrade its power plant capacity and renewable energy projects in order to meet rising power demand and resources.

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Education

Montgomery County Community College will present the spring installment of the interview/talk show program Issues and Insights April 20 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Science Center room 214, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The programs will be simulcast to the Colleges West Campus in South Hall room 216, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Dr. Kolsky will offer a humorous presentation, Carrots, Sticks and Politics: A State of the Nation and the World Message. In this speech, he will provide his interpretation of domestic and international politics and then welcome questions from the audience for discussion. Issues and Insights, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Dr. Thomas Kolsky, professor of political science, at 215-641-6380 or tkolsky@mc3.edu.

Montgomery County Community Colleges STEM Scholars Program will host a STEM Jam! open house April 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center at the Colleges Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The drop-in event is designed for students interested in learning more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Activities will include STEM program information and career advising, STEM speakers throughout the day from industry and academia, micro-helicopter and robotics competitive obstacle courses and demonstrations and static models of STEM student and faculty work. For more information about STEM Jam! or STEM programs at MCCC, contact William Brownlowe at wbrownlowe@mc3.edu or 215-641-6644, or Robin Zuhlke at 215-619-7440 or rzuhlke@mc3.edu.

Temple Ambler, located at 580 Meetinghouse Road, presents the following events:

International Club Global Bazaar April 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Ambler Campus International Club invites all students, faculty, staff and the community to celebrate a multitude of diverse cultures, which will be showcased at the organizations Global Bazaar. This family friendly event will highlight cultural traditions and celebrations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South American, North America and Africa through music, entertainment, food and informative displays developed and presented by students at the Ambler Campus. Young visitors will be provided with passports, which they may get stamped at each country they visit. Prizes will be awarded to world travelers who talk to cultural representatives, answer questions about the countries theyve visited and take part in fun-filled activities designed to help them learn about the rich diversity of cultures found throughout the world. Refreshments will be served. The event is free. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail tuc36466@temple.edu.

EarthFest 2011 April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 75 exhibitors, including the Philadelphia Zoo, The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Elmwood Park Zoo and the Insectarium, will take part in EarthFest 2011. School students of all ages are invited to attend and develop displays of their own. EarthFest partner the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society also offers its Kids Grow Expo, featuring the Junior Flower Show, as part of the event. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail duffyj@temple.edu.

Annual Spring Plant Sale May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The plant sale  an Ambler Campus tradition dating back to the early 1900s  will feature woody plants and perennials in portable sizes, hardy trees, shrubs, and vines, native plants that are attractive to wildlife, herbs, and hanging baskets. There will also be numerous special plants for sale to highlight Amblers special anniversary year. Garden books and garden tools will also be available for sale. Students, staff, and volunteers from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and the Ambler Arboretum Advisory Committee will be available to answer questions. All proceeds from the Spring Plant Sale will support the Ambler Arboretum Fund and the Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society. Information: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

June Homecoming/Louise Bush-Brown Garden Dedication June 5 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (June Homecoming), Bright Hall Lounge; 2 p.m. (Garden Dedication), Ambler Campus Formal Perennial Gardens. Tickets  June Homecoming: Participant  $18 per person; Sustainer  $25 per person; Benefactor  $40 per person. The 2011 June Homecoming, sponsored by the School of Environmental Design Alumni Association, will include the Alumni Association annual meeting and luncheon. June Homecoming will be followed by the formal dedication of Temple University Amblers Formal Perennial Gardens as the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Gardens. During this 100th anniversary of the campus, Temple University Ambler and the Ambler Arboretum of the Temple University is honoring Louise Bush-Browns many contributions to the history of the campus by formally dedicating the gardens in her honor. During the program, campus Executive William Parshall will welcome guests, Ambler Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey will speak about the Bush-Browns and the history of the garden, and an official ribbon cutting will be held for the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Garden. Following the ribbon cutting, guests are invited to take a tour of the gardens, which will wend their way to the Campus Greenhouse for the School of Environmental Designs annual Plant Auction. Information (Garden Dedication): 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Information (June Homecoming): 215-482-0722. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

Northview Garden Tour and Fundraiser for the Ambler Arboretum June 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Call for reservations. Tickets: $15 per person or $20 at the door. In addition to the gardens of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey has a garden oasis all her own right in Ambler  Northview. Visitors will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours throughout the many gardens, where garden experts will be available to answer questions about the various designs. The Ambler Keystone Chapter of the Womans National Farm and Garden Association will also provide tea and refreshments. All proceeds from the tours will support the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. Information or to register: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

The Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County, 536 George Street, Norristown, will hold the following events:

SAAC Adult Day Care, an alternative to Nursing Home Care is available  for information call 610-275-1960

Volunteers are needed for Meals on Wheels Program (call the number above)

SAACs Fifth Avenue Boutique opens Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Exercise with Theresa will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m.

Dance class is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Tai Chi is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Yoga is held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

Line Dancing is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

Dancing with Joan is held every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

Sculpture Class is held Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Why Should I Learn Spanish? will be held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Generations On-Line computer classes for seniors will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.  4 p.m.  computers are available during those hours.

Health Living will be held every Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Boomer U will hold the following events. Boomer U is located at 45 Forest Avenue, Ambler. Registration & payment is required for all events: 215-619-8863.

Pilates Class is held Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. First class is free; please bring a mat. For information call 610-291-5376.

Blue Bell School of Dance, 921 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, hosts Argentine Tango Classes and a Milonga dance party every Friday evening. Lessons start at 8:30 p.m. followed by dancing at 9:30 p.m. Andrew Conway, master Argentine Tango dancer, instructor and performer and his partner Linda Chase will instruct. All levels welcome and no partner is needed. Refreshments will be served. Fee is $12 per person and includes lesson and dancing. Information: 215-634-1101 or www.amoretango.com.

The Montgomery Hospital Medical Center will offer the following classes:

Childbirth Education Class- all parents are invited to participate, including those who are delivering at

other hospitals. For more information on maternity services or classes, call 610-270-2020.

CPR and First Aid Courses are offered for beginners to experiences health care providers. Call 610-270-2313.

The Ambler SAAC (Senior Adult Activities Center), located at 45 Forest Ave in Ambler will hold the following events:

Tai Chi every Monday and Thursday at 11 a.m.

Yoga is every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m.

Strength and balance training every Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Armchair Aerobics is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Gourmet Weight Wise every Thursday at 12:30.

Fitness Center and Pool Room open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Diabetes Education Center will offer day and evening classes each month. Health insurance pays for diabetes education classes. Preregistration is required. Call 610-270-2301.

For Kids & Families

The Ambler Kiwanis Club will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt April 26 at 10 a.m. in Ambler Borough Park, located just off of the intersection of Hendricks Street and Valley Brook Road. Members of the Wissahickon Key Club will assist Kiwanians in hiding thousands of wrapped chocolate eggs in a designated area of the park. Also hidden will be plastic colored eggs, which are redeemed for prizes. Elementary school children are separated by age.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation will hold its 21st annual Storybook Egg-Stravaganza April 15 fom 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Township Building. Toddlers and preschoolers love this annual event where photo opportunities with favorite friends abound! Treasures are collected from UDP&Rs assortment of lifesize cutouts of favorite cartoon characters from Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon and other well-known animation. Children can have their picture taken with Bugsy OHare; bring your own camera. And dont forget a basket for goodies! $7 for UD residents; $12 for non-residents. Pre-register at 215-643-1600 ext. 3443.

Splash Week is a free week-long program that teaches children and families basic swimming skills and water safety practices. All YMCA branches will host multiple classes each day from April 11 to 15. For more information, contact the Ambler Area YMCA at 215-628-9950.

Healthy Kids Day is April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day is filled with fun, engaging and artistic activities that cultivate healthy living as part of the YMCAs larger efforts to help more kids and families become physically active. All activities are free and open to the community. For more information, contact the Ambler YMCA at 215-628-9950. No reservation is required.

The Ambler Area YMCA has added several new programs for area youngsters. Classes are held late afternoons or evenings on various weekdays. For more information, visit philaymca.org or call 215-628-9950.

Basic Beading: Ages: 10+. Wednesdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. This class will teach you the fundamentals of wiring and stringing along with how color can be used to create unique and vibrant beadwork design. You will create various jewelry including earrings, bracelets, charm pendants and much more! Supplies will be provided. Bringing your own jewelry pliers or tools would be a plus.

Messin with the Masters: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. Learn about some of the worlds greatest artists. You will be inspired to create your own Starry Night with oil pastels and tempera paints, a tissue paper painted Monet garden, a Picasso head using scraps of paper, a Georgia OKeeffe clay flower bowl and a Rousseau jungle collage.

Super Scientist: Ages: 5-7. Mondays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Well be concocting chemistry experiments such as making slime, mixing potions and having fun with magnet magic. Your budding little scientist will enhance his/her creative thinking and motor skills and to top it off will learn that science can be serious fun.

Wacky Junk Art: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 6 to 6:45 p.m. Why throw it away! Instead join us to make household junk into aliens from outer space, wacky specs, crazy hats, body masks or a recycled train.

Globe Trotters: Ages: 4-6. Tuesdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Youre never too young to start thinking globally. Each week, we explore a new country through crafts, games, music, stories and even some taste-testing. A perfect introduction to our great big world!

Crazy about Crafts: Ages: 5-7, Thursdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Let your childs creative juices flow with our fun arts and crafts projects each week. Fine motor skills and creative thinking skills will be enhanced with this crafty class.

Come out and join the Ambler Area YMCAs Teen and Junior Leaders Club. Participants are given the freedom to plan community service projects year round and truly make a difference in the lives of people in need. Those in Teen and Junior Leaders also attend leadership retreats all along the East Coast three times a year and meet other leaders who are doing the same great work in their respective areas. Dont miss out on this inspiring opportunity. Teen Leaders, ages 13-17, meet every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Junior Leaders, ages 10-12, will begin in the spring and will meet every Monday. For more information, contact Mike Miles, Teen Director, 215- 628-9950 x 1540 or mmiles@philaymca.org.

Did you know that the new Ambler Area YMCA holds childrens birthday parties at its site for members and non members as well. The Ambler Y does all the work from start to finish and birthday parties include a personalized cake, ice cream, beverage and paper products. Parties are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and include two party hosts to lead activities, set-up, clean-up and assist with serving. You can have a Splash Party for children ages six to 12 in the new zero depth entry pool with water slide and spray fountains. Up to 25 children have exclusive use of the pool area with 30 minutes in the party room. Sports Parties are offered for kids ages four to 12 with age appropriate activities and games, and sports such as floor hockey, soccer, basketball or dodge ball. Children ages three to five years of age will enjoy parties in the Family Active Center with use of the Moon Bounce and organized activities, such as parachute play and songs. For information, 215-628-9950 ext. 1583.

Community Events at the Ambler Y:

-YAchievers YMCA Achievers is a developmentally based, extracurricular, educational and team mentoring program designed to help students in grades five through 12 prepare for fulfilled livelihoods in college and beyond. Participation is free and all students in this program receive a free YMCA membership. Registration for the 2009 program begins now. You do not need to be a YMCA member to utilize these special services. Call 215-628-9950 to register.

Greater Norristown Art Leagues Childrens Weeklong Summer Art Camps will be held at 800 West Germantown Pike in East Norriton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. The cost per session is $125 per student for ages 6 and up. Jo Ann Cooksey Bono teaches an introduction to basic drawing skills and techniques from 10 a.m. until the lunch break each day. In the afternoon sessions, Mary Vogel Lozinak involves the students in hands on projects such as collage, papermaking, T-shirt printing, 3D design and sculpy clay. Fridays Graduation Day includes an art show, awards ceremony and reception for parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. All supplies are included. Students provide their own lunch. A refrigerator is available and the building is air-conditioned. This is the 15th year to run this successful program. Both instructors are professional artists with State Police and Child Abuse Clearances. To register, call Jo Ann at 610-279-1008, or register on-line at www.gnal.org.

Health

Dresher Physical Therapy is hosting an interactive seminar discussing its Golf Assessment Progam April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Dresher Physical Therapy, 1075 Virginia Drive, Suite 200, Fort Washington. Physical therapist Chris Miller, certified through the Titleist Performance Institute, will discuss why your body may be the most important piece of golf equipment you invest in and how this can drastically improve your game. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Call 215-619-4545 to reserve your spot.

The Chestnut Hill Center for Enrichment, Center on the Hill and Chestnut Hill Hospital will host a Senior Health and Resource Fair April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, 8855 Germantown Ave. The event is free. For more information, call 215-248-0180 or e-mail chseniors@cavtel.net.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is hosting Help Yourself to Health, a new six-week workshop for older adults with ongoing health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and others. The free workshop will take place at the Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center, 45 Forest Ave. on six Thursdays, May 12 through June 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Although there is no charge to participate, registration is required. To register, call 215-619-8863.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is sponsoring an eight-week program called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Presented by the Montgomery County Health Department, this workshop will be held on Tuesdays, May 3 to June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ambler Center, 45 Forest Ave. If you pre-register by April 27, the fee is only $5! Registration at the first class is $10. (Checks should be payable to SAAC and will benefit our Meals on Wheels program that serves homebound seniors.) A workbook will be provided and refreshments will be served. Call 215-619-8863 to register or for more information.

Fort Washington Wellness Center classes are ongoing. There are several offered during lunch or right after work, for your convenience: Boot Camp from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday; Zumba is MWF from 11 a.m. to noon and Friday at 4 p.m.; there are 25 cycling classes; Ashtanga and Vinyasana Yoga and Pilates; and a group Womens Strength Training class M-F from 10 to 11 a.m. Questions, call Cathy DeMarco at 215-641-1245.

Following the success of other local area programs, Impact Sports and Upper Dublin Parks and Recreation are delighted to team up again to offer a spring program for the 2011 season! Upper Dublin area children ages 3-5 years old can attend a Sports Program featuring their favorite sports games; soccer, rugby, hockey, track and field, basketball, and more. The program will start on April 27 and run through June 1. Cost for the program is $85 for the six weeks. The classes will be running 12- 1 p.m.; 1- 2 p.m.; 2- 3 p.m. For more info or to register, call Upper Dublin Township on 215 643 1600 or visit their website a http://www.upperdublin.net.

Spring Aquatic Programs  UDHS Pool:

-Summer is just around the corner  Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool can help get you into shape! Programs begin in March; preregistration is required.

 Shallow Water Aerobics  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 8-8:45 p.m., $40R/$50NR.

 Adult Swim Instructions  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 7-8 p.m., $50R/$60NR

-Open Rec Swims are fun for the whole family! Come out on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. or Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. and enjoy use of the pool and diving area. Fridays are offered through June 17; Saturdays are offered March 12-May 21.

-Join a growing group of adult lap swimmers and water walkers. Lanes are set aside evenings and weekends for use; lanes are shared. Monday  Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays (March 12-May 21) from 1-4 p.m.

-Private Swimming & Diving Lessons for ages 3-adult are offered at the UDHS Pool through a partnership with the Upper Dublin Aquatic Club (UDAC). Visit the UDAC website for more information, www.udac.us, and click the link to UDHS Private Lessons.

-Looking for local programs for US Masters Swimming (adults) or Water Polo (all ages)? UDAC and UDSD are working together to develop programs that will be offered at the UDHS Pool. Add your name to Interest Lists by emailing slohoefer@upperdublin.net. emails will be sent about clinics and program start dates.

Questions about Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool, group use of the pool or pool rental? Contact Susan Lohoefer, Facility & Community Affairs Manager at slohoefer@upperdublin.net or call 215-643-8800 x8994.

SilverSneakers Fitness Program. The Healthyways SilverSneakers Fitness Program is a result-oriented program that enables older adults to take charge of their health. The program is an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programing. Members of the program are eligible for a free YMCA membership, with use of the pool and exercise equipment, along with customized classes designed for older adults who want to improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. If you are a subscriber to Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice 65 PPO) or Keystone 65 HMO, Bravo Health, or Health Options Programs (HOP), call the Ambler Area YMCA, 215-628-9950 or Hatboro Area YMCA, 215-674-4545. You can also visit www.silversneakers.com.

Zumba Fitness offers Zumba dance/fitness classes at Academy of Dance and Music/BBAD Studio located at 1524 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell (behind Sherwin Williams). Classes are offered three times a week: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. For a free trial pass for your first class, email us at info@danceandmusic.biz or call 610-277-2557. For more info, visit our site at www.academyofdanceandmusic.org.

Chestnut Hill Health Systems presents the following Health Education Programs:

FITNESS CLASSES

Golden Yoga: A Breathing, Stretching and Relaxation Class. Fridays, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Lea Auditorium, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. Registration for four classes at a time required. Golden Yoga is Classical Yoga, adapted by the SKY Foundation, to accommodate those who have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. The program includes postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques, all performed while sitting in a chair and standing. Registration required. Call 215-247-3029. Cost: $20 for 4 classes per month.

Tai Chi: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30  9:30 a.m. Springfield Residence, 8601 Stenton Ave. Classes, for the novice or beginner/intermediate student, are designed to improve balance, power, posture, coordination, flexibility and mental focus. Slow, gentle movements are modified to most everyones abilities. For more information or to sign up for a free introductory class, call 215-882-2804. Cost: $8 per class/paid monthly.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Weight Loss Surgery Support Group: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7-8 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Join us for a monthly get-together where well share information for those interested in weight loss surgery, learn from guest speakers discussing current news on issues including lifestyle modification, nutrition and exercise and provide ongoing support for those who have completed surgery. Registration required. Call 215-753-2000.

Breast Cancer Networking Group: Fourth Tuesday of the month 5:30  7 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. A free, confidential support group for women living with a diagnosis of breast cancer designed to provide a forum for sharing information, feelings and concerns associated with breast cancer. Facilitated by Tish Wakefield, LCSW, Oncology Social Worker. Registration required. To register or for more information, call 215-248-8047.

New Moms Support Groups Tuesdays 10:30 a.m.  12 p.m.; contact Jeanine ORourke, MSW or 2:30  4 p.m.; contact Susan Schack, Ph.D Volunteer Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. The Center for Postpartum Depression at Chestnut Hill Hospital is pleased to offer two new support groups to support new moms. Both groups will be run by experienced mental health professionals who really get it when it comes to new motherhood and juggling relationships, extended family, work/family balance and self-care. If you are experiencing new mom challenges that often heighten anxiety and involve hormonally driven depression, join us for an informative and supportive forum to connect with other moms. Infants are welcome. $30 per session (flexible based on need). Registration is required. Call Dr. Schack, 646-265-2484, or Ms. ORourke, 215-206-2931.

Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group Third Thursday of the month 8-9 a.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. A networking group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer designed to provide education, support and encouragement. Spouses and partners welcome. Harry M. Baer, MD, Chief, Urology Division, will host Ask the Doctor. Registration required. Call 215-248-8325.

Contact the Senior Center by phone 215-248-0180 or email (chseniors@cavtel.net) with your questions about these programs or any of our on-going activities and classes.

Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice seeks compassionate and emotionally mature volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Volunteers may also assist with pet therapy and administrative work within the hospice department and are requested to have daytime availability. Hospice patient care volunteers visit with patients in their homes or nursing facilities once a week for two to three hours. They provide emotional support and companionship to patients and family members, assist with errands or provide respite for caregivers. Bereavement volunteers support the families of hospice patients following the loss of a loved one, while administrative volunteers assist with typing, mailings and/or filing. Hospice care workers provide a great service to families and loved ones of hospice patients. Many volunteers also report a great deal of personal satisfaction as a result of their services. Patient care and bereavement volunteers complete an application and attend an 18-hour volunteer training program that covers the medical, psychological and spiritual aspects of hospice volunteering. Day and evening training programs are offered. To sign up for volunteer opportunities in Pennsylvania, contact Holy Redeemer Volunteer Coordinator Jean Francis at 215-698-3737 or email jfrancis@holyredeemer.com.

Librarytalk

Upper Dublin Public Library, 805 Loch Alsh Avenue, Ft. Washington, 215-628-8744

www.upperdublinlibrary.org

APRIL CHILDRENS PROGRAMS:

Storytimes: Please register in the library.

o Wee Ones: 0 to 23 months Thursdays and Fridays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m.

o Tiny Tots: age 2. Wednesdays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. and Fridays 11 to 11:20 a.m.

o Jr. Book Lovers: ages 3 to 6. Tuesdays 10:30 to 11 a.m.

o Bedtime Storytimes: 7 to 7:30 p.m. April 20 and 27. Wear your jammies, bring your teddy & hear Miss Barbara read bedtime stories! For ages 3 to 6.

APRIL TEEN PROGRAMS:

North Hills Library Teens April 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. Movie Matinee

APRIL UDPL ADULT PROGRAMS:

NEW! ESL Conversation Group. Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Interested in practicing your English in a safe and caring environment? Come to our conversation group and improve your skills! Please register with Kay Klocko at 215-628-8744 or kklocko@mclinc.org.

One-on-One Computer Mentoring. Get personalized assistance from experienced computer volunteers! Sign-up for a one-hour session. Limit one session per month. Please register  contact info above.

Book Groups Please register with Kay Klocko 215-628-8744.

o Daytimers: April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tired of book groups where you all read the same book? Read any fiction or non-fiction book on this months theme: Explorers. Please register.

Meetings:

Annual Meeting of the Friends of UDPL: April 14 at 1 p.m.

Board of Directors: April 20 at 7 p.m.

Blue Bell Library www.wvpl.org Upcoming Events: The Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 650 Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Blue Bell, is diagonally across from the Blue Bell Inn. Call 215-643-1320 or visit their website at www.wvpl.org.

For children and teens at Blue Bell:

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* Fridays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Family Movies, new releases, second Saturdays of the month at 1:30 p.m.

* May 14  Despicable Me

* June 11  Alpha and Omega

* Special Events

* April  watch for date of spring/Easter events

* April 14 at 4:30 p.m.  Junior Lego Club for children ages 3 through 5. Parents and caregivers need to stay with children.

* April 14 at 7 p.m.  Jeopardy for ages 11 to 18. Test your book and library knowledge for prizes. Sign up to be a contestant. No sign up to be in the audience. Snacks provided.

* April 16 at 1 p.m.  Adult Mystery Book Group discussing The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie King.

* April 16 at 1:30 p.m.  Childrens event for One Book, Every Young Child celebration. Story and craft for book Whose Shoes?

* April 19 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m.- Adult book group discusses The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. Group led by Adam Button.

* April 30 through May 3  Friends book sale with about 10,000 items for sale for children, teens and adults.

* May  sign up for Science in the Summer

* June  sign up for Enrichment Programs for Elementary-Age children

* June  sign up for Summer Reading, all ages

For adults at Blue Bell:

* Daytime Book Discussion Group  fourth Tuesday, Jan  April at 1:30 p.m.

* April 26  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Night-time Book Discussion Group  third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.

o April 19  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Art Series with Dr. Sheldon Weintraub, docent at The Barnes and speaker at local colleges

o April 27 at 2 p.m. The Art of Looking at Art-Is She Nude or Is She Naked?

*Mystery Book Discussion Group, third Saturday of the month at 1 p.m.; new mystery theme each month; www.wvpl.org/programs

* Yoga on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop-in class.

* Tai Chi on Mondays at 3 p.m. with Dr. Kurt Findeisen. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop in class.

* Philadelphia Museum of Art presents class on their Marc Chagall exhibit, April 13 at 2 p.m.

* Giant Book Sale, April 29  May 3

o Starts with almost 10,000 items for children and adults!

o Held during library hours.

o Preview for members of the Friends of the Library, April 28 at 7 p.m.

o Join the Friends and attend the preview sale. Modest fee to join.

* Blooms at Blue Bell Gardening Series

o May 11 at 1 p.m.  Summer Bulbs by PA Horticultural Society

* Knitting group Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Work on your project or observe and learn. The groups continue year-round in the community room.

* Socrates Cafe discussion group every Monday at 7 p.m. You pick the topic to discuss each week. No sign-up, nothing to read.

* Bridge every Friday at 12:30 p.m. New players welcome.

* Mah Jong every Wednesday at 1 p.m. New players welcome.

*Chess every Wednesday at 7p.m. for adults and teens 14 and older.

* Movie Matinee showing recent releases every Thursday at 2 p.m. April 14: Maos Last Dancer; April 21: Welcome to the Rileys; April 28: Conviction; May 5: Inception; May 12: Inside Job; May 19 The Kings Speech; May 26 The Fighter; June 2 Rabbit Hole; June 9 Black Swan; June 16 127 Hours

* Ongoing like-new, year-round book sale for adults & children during library hours

* Library opening at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday!

Ambler Library, a branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 209 Race St., 215-646-1072. www.wvpl.org. All the following events occur at the Ambler Library.

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* For adults:

* Beading Group meets the first and third Monday of every month at 1 p.m. Work on your own projects or come to watch and learn.

* Free Family History Lookup with Connie Briggs. Email Connie for an appointment at the Ambler Library. conniebriggs@comcast.net

* Special Events:

* April 14 at 1:30 p.m.  Book Group discusses Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian.

* April 19 at 7 p.m.  Travel to Paris with world traveler Harry Balin. Tea and scones at 6:30 p.m.

* April 21 at 7 p.m.  Art with Sara for children in fourth through seventh grades.

*May 2 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Lone Star with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

*May 10  Robert Capucci discusses Art into Fashion. Tea and scones served at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*May 12 at 1:30p.m.  Book Group discusses The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman.

*May 17  Tour the gardens of Devon and Southwest England with Lois McMullen. Tea and Scones at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*June 13 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Blade Runner with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

Meetings and Lectures

The Unisys Blue Bell Retiree Group will meet in the Church on the Mall in the Plymouth Meeting Mall April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Kathy Sacket Young, director/trainer with the North Penn YMCA, will speak on Keeping Fit in Retirement. For more information, contact Membership Committee Chairperson Jerry Feldscher at 610-275-3538 or President Al Rollin at 215-368-4833.

The next FWBA meeting will be April 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Leon Singletary, Principal, First Contact HR and FWBA Executive Board, will present: Social Media: How to Use It To Get More Business. Lunch is provided courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Members are welcome to bring a guest. An RSVP is requested by return email or 215-628-0313.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA is hosting a information sessions over the next few weeks on how to become a Big Brother. The information sessions will take place: April 16 at noon, April 19 at 8 a.m. and April 28 at 6 p.m. All sessions will be held at the groups Norristown Office,t 530 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information, call 610-277-2200.

The North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month from now until May. Meetings are held at the William Penn Inn on Route 202 and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd, PA. Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the technical program begins at 7 p.m. Cost with reservation is $28 for members. Members without reservations and guests pay $30. Students with reservations pay $15. Reservations may be made by noon on the Monday preceding the meeting by phoning 215-371-1854 or emailing the reservation to northpennima@yahoo.com northpennima@yahoo.com. Information about the North Penn Chapter is available at http://northpenn.imanet.org/.

LeTip, a professional organization of men and women who are dedicated to the highest standards of competence and service meets every Tuesday at Cedar Brook Country Club, 180 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell at 7 a.m. -meeting officially starts at 7:16 a.m. and ends at 8:31 a.m. Our purpose is the exchange of business tips, leads, and referrals. Each business category is represented by one member and conflicts of interest are disallowed. Guests are welcome to visit any of our breakfast meetings.

Every third Thursday of month, Sunrise Assisted Living of Blue Bell (795 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, 215-619-2777) serves as a satellite site to 148th Legislative district PA congressman Mike Gerber from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for help needed with things such as disability placards and license plates, vehicle registration, utilities issues, birth/death certificates,property tax/rent rebates, etc. Notary services arranged by appointment.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is an action-oriented organization dedicated to promoting its members and the economic health of eastern Montgomery county. The Chamber is committed to serving as a catalyst by uniting business, community agencies, government and education to make our county a great place to live and work. For information, call 215-887-5122 or visit www.emccc.org.

Do you have a fear of public speaking? Blue Bell Toastmasters Club can help. We meet from 7 to 9 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday at the Marriott Courtyard, located on Route 202, directly across from the Montgomeryville Mall. Learn how to improve communication and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment. Guests are welcome. Admission fee: $5. For more info, visit www.bbtoast.org.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will hold the following meetings (for reservations to any of the following, email info@PennSuburban.org)

-Breakfast News Network, 7:30-8:45 a.m. at Normandy Farm Hotel (1401 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422) $15 members, includes full buffet breakfast. Join us for a networking program at Normandy Farm Hotel every Thursday morning for breakfast, business news, informative speakers, and plenty of networking. The cost includes a full breakfast buffet. Copies of the business cards will be made available to those who would like them.

The BNI, Fort Washington Chapter meets every Monday at The Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington for a networking meeting. Meetings are from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Visitors are welcome. The only cost to attend is the cost of your meal. For information or a reservation to attend, please call Luanne Cram at 215-947-7784, or visit our Internet site at: http://www.BNIDVR.Com and click on the menu item Find a Chapter.

For the past seven years, people have enjoyed participating in WVWAs Adopt-a-Tree program. Individuals can support the Association in its reforestation efforts by purchasing native trees to be planted. Supporters can plant their adopted tree or have WVWA volunteers will plant it. Trees cost $30 each. If you would like to volunteer or purchase a tree(s), please contact: Bob Adams at Bob@wvwa.org or call: 215-646-8866 for more information. Check www.WVWA.org for directions and maps.

Sustainable Upper Dublin, http://sustainableupperdublin.org, meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Please send any questions to suec@sustainableupperdublin.org or call 610-996-6316. To learn more about Sustainable Upper Dublin, view or join the discussion at http://googlegroups.com/group/sustainableupperdublin.

Special Events

The Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard will hold its first nutrition class April 19 at 10 a.m. at the Community Cupboard, 150 N. Main St., Ambler. Lynne Sinclair, a nutritionist from Abington Memorial Hospital specializing in diabetic nutrition, will conduct the class. Topics will include healthy eating, beneficial foods, recipes, making meals with every day foods, and how to use unfamiliar produce. A healthy snack will be provided.The class is is open to all residents in Montgomery County.

The Historical Society of Fort Washington presents The History of Conshohocken April 19 at 8 p.m. at the Clifton House, 473 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington. Jack Coll will present an illustrated program on the history of the Borough of Conshohocken. Coll is a longtime resident of Conshohocken and a member of the Conshohocken Historical Society. He is co-author with his son, Brian, of the Arcadia Then and Now Series book Conshohocken. He has also done books Conshohocken and West Conshohocken Sports and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Italian Feast. He has taken many photos for the Conshohocken Record and the Norristown Times Herald. This program is free. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, call 215-646-6065.

Taste of the White House Soiree featuring former White House Chef Walter Scheib will take place April 29 at 6 p.m. at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington to celebrate HealthLinks 10th anniversary and honor its founders, the Eugene Jackson Family. The evening will heat up with a Chef Meet & Greet, followed by a specially selected presidential menu. Gala tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds benefit HealthLink, a free clinic providing compassionate, quality medical and dental care to uninsured, working adults in Bucks and Montgomery counties who fall in between the health care cracks. Go to http://tasteofthewhitehouse.charityhappenings.org to make reservations online or lend support through sponsorship. For event information, call 267-699-0124 or email jmarushak@healthlinkmedical.org.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association will hold an open house at the Evans-Mumbower Mill April 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. The Mill is at the corner of Swedesford and Township Line Roads in Upper Gwynedd. The open house is free but donations are welcome. For more information, call 215-646-8866 o email info@wvwa.org.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will host Breakfast With Your County Commissioners and State Representatives April 21 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Fort Washington, 432 W. Pennasylvania Ave. Commissioners: James R. Matthews (Chairman), Joseph M. Hoeffel (Vice Chair), State Representatives: Todd Stephens (District 151) and Josh Shapiro (District 153). Register onlineat www.emccc.org. $10 for EMCCC member; $20 for non-members.

Upper Dublins Districtwide Allied Art Show will be held April 27 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Upper Dublin High School Athletic Complex.

The Rev. Alfred Muli, chaplain at Fort Washington Estates, will be the featured speaker at the Kiwanis sponsored breakfast observing the National Day of Prayer May 5 at 7 a.m. at the William Penn Inn. The breakfast is open to the public ($15). Reservations can be made by calling 215-646-4356 or by emailing georgesaurman@Juno.com.

The Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commission invites people to participate in its spring bare root planting events, sponsored in part by Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Friends of Robbins Park. On April 9, zix trees will be planted at the Evelyn B. Wright Park & Community Pool, 401 Logan Ave., North Hills, at 9 a.m., followed by the planting of 10 trees at Sheeleigh Park, Loch Alsh Avenue and Douglas Street, Ambler, at 10:15 a.m. On April 29, students from Upper Dublin High School will join the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to plant 16 trees in Robbins Park, Butler Pike and Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, to help launch the societys Million Trees campaign. This event will occur in conjunction with Temple Amblers EarthFest. Experienced tree-tenders are sought to assist the students. For more information,contact Ron Ayres at 215-653-0421 or 215-483-4348.

The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association are teaming up once again to clean the Wissahickon Creek from top to bottom April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. This spring marks the 41st anniversary of Wissahickon Valley Watershed Associations annual Creek Clean Up, and the second year that FOW has teamed up with WVWA. Volunteers of all ages will clean the creek, the surrounding trails and the many tributaries of the Wissahickon Creek. Armed with bags, volunteers will be assigned to sections of the creek. Following the clean up, all volunteers are invited to WVWAs Talkin Trash picnic in Fort Washington State Park, with food provided by Whole Foods Market of North Wales. The pavilion is located on Mill Road in Flourtown. To help out in Montgomery County, all volunteers must be pre-assigned a section of the Wissahickon Creek to clean. Please contact Bob Adams, WVWA director of stewardship, at 215-646-8866 ext. 14 or bob@wvwa.org. To work with the Friends of the Wissahickon in Philadelphia, meet at the pavilion along Forbidden Drive, a short distance south of the intersection of Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Avenue. Limited parking is available along Northwestern Avenue and other nearby streets. Volunteers are encouraged to bike or carpool to the event. To participate, register at www.fow.org. Contact Kevin Groves with questions at 215-247-0417 ext. 105 or groves@fow.org.

Montgomery County Community Colleges International Club invites the community to the second annual International Festival April 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The rain date is April 26. The International Club will transform the outside quad area into multicultural celebration with various performances by dancers, singers and musicians. Artists will share their artwork at various display tables. Activities include games, raffles, Easter egg decorating and henna tattoos. Students will have samples of international cuisine at tables representing different countries and will serve food from various local ethnic restaurants. Throughout the evening, volunteers will accept donations and will raffle gift baskets and prizes to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Donations of food, international clothes and prizes are needed. Volunteers, including artists and performers, are welcome. For more information or to sponsor an activity, contact Gillian Nel, International Club president, at gnel9277@students.mc3.edu or 267-974-0163.

The Arts and Humanities Division at Montgomery County Community College is partnering with the Philadelphia Writers Conference to host Memoirs Matter: How Life Stories (Including Yours) Can Transform Your Relationship to Literature April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Advanced Technology Center room 101, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The event is free and open to the public. In the first part of this two-hour seminar, professor and author Robert Waxler will explain how writing his two memoirs affected his life as well as his relationship to literature. In the second part, blogger and workshop leader Jerry Waxler will present a sequence of steps to help writers find their own story. For information, contact Dana Resente at dresente@mc3.edu.

The Maple Glen Garden Club will hold its fourth annual Plant Sale on May 7 from 8 to 11 a.m. Perennials, shrubs, vegetables and native plants grown by the club members will be sold. The club uses the plant sale proceeds to fund community projects, a college scholarship and community plantings. The sale will be held in the 500 block of Coach Road, Horsham, as part of a neighborhood garage sale. Plants will be sold at bargain prices. For more information, email MapleGlenGardenClub@gmail.com.

The Relay for Life Craft Show is looking for local crafters to participate in show, which will be May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Wissahickon High School track, 521 Houston Road, Ambler. There is a $10 entry fee, and 20 percent of sales are donated to the American Cancer Society. Participants will receive a 6-foot table under a tent. For information, contact Joanne at joannescoles@comcast.net or Mindy at mcamsilver@comcast.net.

Spring House Estates is hosting its annual book fair on April 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. and April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Included will be hardback and paperback used books. Spring House Estates is located at 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will present the Penn Suburban/Hatfield Joint Business Card Exchange April 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Univest Bank Lansdale Area Financial Service Center, 120 Forty Foot Road, Hatfield. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. Join Univest National Bank and Trust Co. for a spring-inspired Business Card Exchange at its newest office in the Hatfield Pointe Shopping Center. Come out and meet members of Univests executive management team while enjoying fine food and beverages.

13th Annual Community Reading Day Kick-off Breakfast Get Together April 26 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the North Wales Area Library, 233 Swartley St., North Wales. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. For more information, contact the chamber office at 215-362-9200 or info@pennsuburban.org. Join presenting sponsor Verizon, chamber staff and fellow members for the Community Reading Day volunteer get together. The Community Reading Day program allows volunteers to read a designated book to second-grade students throughout 38 area public and private schools and present the book as a gift to each class. Even if you are not a volunteer, you are cordially invited to stop by to network, enjoy coffee and pastries.

Ambler Mennonite Church is hosting a Spring Craft Show and Flea Market May 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain date will be May 28. The community is invited to shop the great craft booths, find some gifts and deals, as well as enjoy home baked goods and tasty lunch specials. Childrens activities are planned. All vendors are encouraged to contact the church at 215-643-4876 or AmblerMennonite@verizon.net. Advertising, signage, customer parking and a shuttle to auxiliary parking at nearby lots for vendors will be provided. 10 foot by 10 foot spaces can be rented for $5 each and tables for an additional $5 each. All proceeds from space and table rentals go toward school kits for children around the world. The church is located at the corner of East Mt. Pleasant Avenue and North Spring Garden Street, Ambler.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association presents The Life & Times of Aquatic Insects in the Wissahickon Creek April 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join WVWA for a hands-on program. RSVP required: www.wvwa.org or 215-646-8866. WVWA member fee: $5 per person / $15 per family. Non-WVWA member fee: $10 per person / $20 per family.

The photography exhibition Natures Palette by photo-artist Judy Miller will run March 18 to May 19 at the Art in the Storefront gallery, 41 E. Butler Pike, Ambler.

JPRN  Networking For People in Transition & People Who Can Help Them  Unemployment remains high. JPRN, the Jarrettown Professional Relationship Network can help. Are you trying to network your way to a new job? Do you have expertise or contacts that can help people in transition? Is your company or organization looking for people in the area? This is a free outreach program to support those seeking work, involve people with contacts and networking know how, and involve local companies. Meetings held monthly at Jarrettown United Methodist Church, Limekiln Pike.

Pennsylvanias Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) grant program is now open for the 2010-11 heating season. Grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Additional information, such as specific income limits, and applications for LIHEAP grants are available online via the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS) website at www.compass.state.pa.us. Applications are available at most public officals district offices, county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies.

Begin your holiday shopping at Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation! Entertainment books for 2011, Philadelphia North, are now on sale at $30 each. Regal/United Artists movie tickets are on sale for just $7.50 each, and tickets to the Adventure Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, and the Philadelphia Zoo are also available. Discounted ski vouchers to area mountains will be arriving in December; call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

RSVP of Montgomery County and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library have partnered again to offer the public their popular free mock interview sessions. The mock interviews are conducted by RSVP volunteers who are retired professionals, some of whom were in hiring positions themselves. Packets of information which include a sample employment application and interviewing tips with mock interview questions are available at the library to pick up prior to a scheduled mock interview or will be sent via email once the interview is scheduled. To schedule your interview, please contact Janis Glusman at RSVP 610-834-1040, ext. 16. The library is also offering a free resume review service. Bring in your current resume and the professional reference staff will assist you with hints and tips on capturing your work history accurately.

Registration for Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation summer playgrounds, Camp B.I.G. and Small Folks, X-Zone, and sports camps has began. Register online at www.upperdublin.net/store, or at the UDP&R office, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington. Call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Danielles Espresso Cafe presents Mornings at Mondaug Bark Park April 16 and May 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Meet fellow dog lovers. These events include complimentary coffee, treats for people and pups and raffles/giveaways.

Upper Dublins Annual Spring Flea Market will be held June 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reserve a table, or come and shop. Tables are $15 for UD residents, $20 for non-residents. This successful event occurs rain or shine. Refreshments available. Call 215-643-1600 ext. 3443 to register for a table.

Regal movie tickets available for purchase at Upper Dublin Township Parks & Recreation. Reduced rate: $7.50 per ticket. Some restrictions apply. Call 215-643-1600 x3443.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation movie tickets $7.50 Regal Cinemas, United Artist & Edwards Cinemas on sale throughout the year Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation Camp Sign-ups for Stony Creek Day Camp  Stony Creek Tracers and Park n Tots. Register on-line at www.whitpaintownship.org OrCome to Township Building with check or Visa MasterCard Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m. For additional information call 610.277-2400 ext. 374

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation offers exciting new programs for the fall:

-Returning favorites include UK Elite Petite Soccer, Tiny Dancers, Kiddie Tennis, Fun-nastics, Messy Playtime, Little Chefs, and more. Babysitters Training will be offered in November and December. Continuing Adult Fitness Classes include Cardio Circuit, Core & More, Yoga, Boxing, and Adult G.Y.M. For more information call 215-643-1600 x3443. Register for programs online at www.upperdublin.net/store.

Music and Theater

The community is invited to a Cantors Concert April 16 at 8 p.m. Congregation Beth Or, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen. Listen and hum-along to the Yiddish, pop tunes and classical music performed by Congregation Beth Ors own Cantor David Green and his special guest, Cantor Irvin Bell, from Temple Beth Israel in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The cantors will be accompanied by Mark Sobol and his Klezmer musicians. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door. RSVP with payment to Barb Murtha, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen, PA 19002, or call 215-646-5806 ext. 220.

Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse will host the Jameson Sisters May 14. Doors open at 7:30 pm, performance at 8:00 pm. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse is located at the corner of Rte. 202 & Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd. $5 suggested donation. Light refreshment available at a modest cost. For further information, call 215-393-9576 or visit gwyneddmeeting.org/coffeehouse.html.

Celebrate patriotism through song with Gwynedd-Mercy Colleges choir, the Voices of Gwynedd, as it presents Hear America Singing April 15 at 8 p.m. The choir will perform song selections from all over the country, including Georgia on My Mind, New York State of Mind, and a medley including Philadelphia Freedom and Allentown. The performance will end with When the Saints Go Marching In to acknowledge the choirs upcoming tour in New Orleans. Hear America Singing will take place in the Julia Ball Auditorium, located in St. Bernard Hall. Parking is available in lots A, C and D. Admission is free.

The Choristers will present Anton Dvoraks Stabat Mater April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church in Ambler. The choir will be accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for students and children are free. Tickets will be sold in advance or at the door. For more information, call 215-542-7871 or visit TheChoristers.org

Religious News

The Staircase Gallery at Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation in Fort Washington will feature the work of Emily Ennuat-Lustine. The artist will be showing paintings and graphics inspired by her own personal spiritual journey and quest for meaning. Some of the works to be shown have been inspired by Biblical Psalms and writings. Her work has been shown at Abington Art Center, Cheltenham Arts Center and Old City Gallery of Jewish Art among others. The exhibition is open Friday evenings starting Feb. 18 after Shabbat services. Gallery hours are: Mondays through Thursdays 10-4:30, Fridays 10-3 and following Shabbat Services and Sundays 10-1. The synagogue is located at 190 Camp Hill Road in Fort Washington. For additional information contact the synagogue office at 215-283-0276.

Reunions

St. Matthews High School Conshohocken Class of 1961 is looking for classmates. For details, contact Greg Marincola at 215-646-2239, 215-740-1296 or gregcola@comcast.net.

Olney High School Class of 1971 is Lloking for classmates for a 40th reunion Oct. 28. For details, contact Judy at ohsclassof71@yahoo.com or 215-870-7572.

Abington High School Class of 1961 is seeking classmates for a 50-year reunion to be held Oct. 14-15, 2011.Visit the website, www.abington61.com, for details or call 215-947-1779.

Overbrook High School class of January 1956 is having a 55 year reunion on May 22, 2011 at the Bala Golf Club in Philadelphia. For information please contact overbrookreunion56@comcast.net

Germantown High School Class Of January 1961 is looking for classmates for 50th year reunion to take place in May of 2011. Please contact: 215-362-9148, 856-577-0659 or samdelcomo@comcast.net

The June 1961 class of Germantown High School is holding their 50th reunion on May 15, which will be a brunch. For further details please contact Linda Dorfman Alten at lindaalten@yahoo.com or call 215-441-8411.

Support

New Life Presbyterian Church in Dresher, will host GriefShare, a special seminar and support group which will run on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., from March 7 through June 6. At each meeting there will be a DVD about the grief process, discussion and reference to a grief workbook. Preregistration is required to secure a place in the group and to purchase a GriefShare notebook (for a one-time fee of $15). The notebook goes along with the 13-week schedule covering such topics as: living with grief, the effects of grief, and stuck in grief. For more information or to register, call: Sandy Elder at 215-884-5149.

PUPS (People Understanding Parkinsons) A self-help group for those adjusting to a new diagnosis or dealing with the early stages of Parkinsons Disease. Meets fourth Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Abington Health Center, Schilling Campus, Willowood Building, 2510 Maryland Road, Suite 251, Willow Grove. For more information or to RSVP, contact Lorna at 215-542-2931.

The North Penn Visiting Nurse Associations Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers to pack or deliver meals to the elderly and infirmed. Meals are packed and delivered mornings, Monday through Friday. You can volunteer for as many days per week or month as you would like. Packaging meals requires approximately 2-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves making sandwiches, packaging food into individual serving containers and packing coolers with the meals. Delivering meals requires approximately 1-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves loading coolers into your car and delivering a route of approximately 10 to 15 stops. The Meals on Wheels program is also in need of emergency, winter-weather volunteers to pack and deliver meals in bad weather. North Penn VNA is located at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale and delivers meals in the Lansdale, North Wales and Blue Bell areas. For more information or to volunteer, please call Bridget, North Penn VNA Meals on Wheels coordinator at 215-855-8296.

Elkins Park Area CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) meets the first Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 p.m., at Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital in Elkins Park. For information on CHADD or ADHD, please see our website www.chadd.net/249 or call Claire Noyes at: 215-779-6656.

Center for Loss and Bereavement, 3847 Skippack Pike, Skippack (610-222-4110) www.bereavementcenter.org Offers professional counseling for individuals, couples, children and families dealing with issues of loss and bereavement. Six-week adult support groups: Newly forming young adult grief support group  every other Wednesday, 7  8:15 p.m. (free of charge); Monthly loss of child support  second Mondays, 7-8:15 p.m.; Six-week young loss of spouse/partner  Thursdays, 10-11:15 a.m.; Other groups scheduled as interest is shown for suicide loss support, adult loss of parent, motherless daughters, adult loss of sibling, coping with chronic illness and disability and mens loss of spouse. Nellos Corner Family Bereavement program offers peer grief support groups for ages 4 through teen and their caregivers  Every other Tuesday or Wednesday (free of charge) Local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children also meets at the Center. Registration required. Call for further information.

CHADD is a national organization for children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, providing education, advocacy and support for individuals and their families with AD/HD. Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital, 60 Township Line Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027, will host children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder on the First Tuesday of each month 7  8:30 p.m. Free, no childcare provided.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphias Kehillah of Old York Road is sponsoring a free Caregiver Support Group for individuals who care for an elderly person with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The group meets at SarahCare Adult Day Care Center, 101 Washington Lane, Suite G-6, Jenkintown, Pa., on the first Wednesday of each month. Patty Rich,
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To further protect the integrity of our editorial content, we keep a strict separation between our sales teams and authors to remove any pressure or influence on our analyses and research.

Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process.
Parties showed support for housing suggestions presented by the industry; one party said it would increase BCs foreign buyer tax.CMBA presented a position paper, which outlined the associations recommendations for addressing housing issues in BC, to a number of government representatives last week.The paper was generally supported by both the Liberal and NDP representatives at the meeting, according to Samantha Gale , executive director of the Canadian Mortgage Brokers Association.David Eby said the NDP would scrap the BC HOME Partnership program which gives a no interest, payment free second mortgage to first time home buyers, as he believes this program creates demand for housing and the government should instead be focussed on helping to create housing supply, Gale said in an email to MortgageBrokerNews.ca. He said, instead his party would focus on giving money to renters  their policy is to give tenants $400 per year.The representative for the Green party would increase the foreign buyers tax to 30%, and eliminate property transfer tax for BC residents if the property was under one million dollars.CMBA-BC joined a number of real estate associations  including the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver, Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, BC Real Estate Association, Real Estate Institute of BC, Greater Vancouver Home Builders' Association, Canadian Home Builders' Association -Fraser Valley, Canadian Home Builders' Association - BC, Urban Development Institute - Pacific Region, and Landlord BC  in hosting a housing and mortgage forum with representatives from BC sitting political parties.The CMBA-BC organized the forum to give members of the mortgage industry an opportunity to address mortgage and housing issues to the candidates and to assist them in deciding how they will cast their vote in the coming provincial election, Gale said.Government representatives at the forum were Liberal Rich Coleman, Minister of Housing, NDPB housing critic David Eby, and David Young from the Green Party.Housing issues have become hot button issues for government officials at both the provincial and federal levels.The industry has been doing its best to advocate for broker and Canadian interest, with both CMBA and Mortgage Professionals Canada engaging in a number of housing-related meetings with members of all government levels.And with elections and budgets on the horizon, its likely well see some housing policies released in the coming weeks. Hopefully government officials heed the industrys advice.
Urban growth in the U.S. will be significantly impacted by the housing and neighborhood location choices of immigrants for decades to come, according to research from the Urban Land Institutes Terwilliger Center for Housing. This comes as more foreign-born residents seek to own homes in suburban communities.



Immigrants have helped stabilize and strengthen the housing market throughout the recovery, said Terwilliger Center executive director Stockton Williams. Immigrants housing purchasing power and preferences are significant economic assets for metropolitan regions across the country. This suggests the potential for much more growth attributable to foreign-born residents in the years ahead, he added.



Without growth of the foreign-population, regions with strong housing markets such as San Francisco would not have recovered as quickly following the recession, according to the report.

Read more: Commercial/multifamily off to uncertain start after strong 2016

It said immigrants will be a key driver for owner-occupied housing for years to come, as they have strong aspirations for single-family homeownership.



Immigrants seeking to own homes as well as those renting homes are increasingly drawn to the suburbs in search of employment opportunities, lower-cost housing and a higher quality of life. Suburbs are home to high-income, high-skilled immigrants as well as lower-income, lesser-skilled immigrants.
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No reason was given as to why accused cop-killer Markeith Loyd's hearing on Monday has been canceled, according to the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, adding that no new hearing date has been set.

Today's hearing in the State v. Markieth Loyd case has been canceled. A new hearing date has not been set yet.  Ninth Circuit of FL (@NinthCircuitFL) April 17, 2017

Loyd was due back in court Monday morning as the debate was supposed to continue over who will represent him in his upcoming murder trial.

Loyd is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend Sade Dixon, her unborn child and Police Lieutenant Debra Clayton.

Since his arrest, Loyd has said he wanted to represent himself and demanded a speedy trial. More recently, Loyd said he wanted to pick Miami-based attorney Terance Lenamon to represent him, but Judge Frederick Lauten told Loyd could not hand pick his attorney if the state is paying for another one.

However, on Monday Loyd's court-assigned attorney Roger Weeden was supposed to work to try to sign Lenamon on as co-counsel. The pending discussion on attorney appointment could impact trial start dates.

That trial for the Dixon murder is set to start May 1, but that depends on who represents Loyd and if that lawyer tells Lauten if he is ready for that fast-approaching trial.


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Patrick Swayze, the Houston native who became a heartthrob with the surprise success of the movie "Dirty Dancing," was a multi-talented performer who battled personal demons and had a sensitive side.

He died at age 57 in 2009 from the effects of pancreatic cancer.

Now, selected items from his estate are being auctioned April 28-29 at Julien's Auctions in Los Angeles. His widow, Lisa Niemi, has decided it's time to share some of his personal and career mementos with the public, according to The Daily Mail.

STILL DANCING: Remake of 'Dirty Dancing' shows Hollywood just can't let Swayze go

Among the highlights in the collection of 234 items are the leather jacket that Swayze wore in "Dirty Dancing," a burgundy silk shirt he wore in "Ghost," a custom-built surfboard from "Point Break," a framed photograph of the actor in drag standing next to his mother and a 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 coupe.

Personal possessions include a teddy bear he adored as a child and his class ring from Houston's Waltrip High School.

FASHIONABLY LATE: This MC arrived 90 minutes late for event but no one seemed too upset

A week-long exhibit of the auction items is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 24-28 at the auction house, 741 North La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles. It is free and open to the public.

Swayze met his wife when he was 19 and she was 15, studying at his mother's dance studio in Houston. The couple remained devoted to each other until his death eight years ago.

His mother, Patsy Swayze, died in 2013.
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Alicia Guadiana, whose warm smile welcomed diners to La Fonda on Main for decades, has died. She was 74.

Guadiana died April 11 after apparently falling in her home.

She was a woman of incredible strength who came to work every day with a smile, said Cappy Lawton, the restaurants owner. She cared deeply about people and was known by so many.

Lawton also said Guadiana had a savant-like ability to remember names, a vital skill for a restaurant hostess.

While she easily could recall seating celebrities such as Yul Brenner, Lady Bird Johnson, Gov. Dolph Briscoe and others, she treated everyone with the same respect.

There were so many times shed remember someones name and theyd say something like, But I havent lived here in 20 years, Lawton said. But shed say, Oh, you used to come in and sit right there at that table. People would be so moved theyd break out in tears.

News of Guadianas death was greeted with sadness and fond memories on the restaurants Facebook page. One post likened her to a favorite aunt. Another called her, simply, a sweet person.

Born in Tampico, Mexico, on Dec 3, 1942, Alicia Govea was attending art school in Mexico City when she met Jose Guadiana, an art teacher whod apprenticed with Diego Rivera. The two were married and moved to San Antonio in the early 1960s when he accepted a teaching position at the Mexican Cultural Institute. The couple had two sons, Jose Julio and Sergio.

In a 2002 interview with the Express-News, Guadiana said she was hoping to supplement the family income when she stopped into the restaurant shed pass every day while taking her boys to nearby St. Anthony's Catholic School and asked for a job. She was hired, she said, to make guacamole salads.

I started on a salary of $33 a week, she told the reporter with a smile.

Lawton, who along with his wife, Suzy, bought La Fonda in 1997, said Guaiana started there in 1965.

She told Lawton that, before claiming her spot as the welcoming face of the restaurant, she worked as a waitress, a manager and even a cook.

When not manning her hostess position, Guadiana loved art, making jewelry and sewing. She crafted many of the colorful, Mexico-inspired dresses she wore while working.

And she loved action movies, especially those with Arnold Schwarzenegger, said her granddaughter Catherine Guadiana. Westerns and documentaries, too.

To honor Guadianas time at the La Fonda, Lawton commissioned artist Lionel Sosa to paint a portrait of her in a saint-like pose holding a La Fonda menu; the portrait was later used for the restaurants Fiesta medal. The party room in the back of the restaurant was named Casa Alicia in her honor.

In recent years, as Guadianas health declined, Lawton told her to come in to work only on days she felt up to it. After her death, he and several employees were trying to come up with the proper adjective to describe the wide, friendly smile shed greet customers with.

Eventually, they decided to call it her welcome-home smile.

Guadianas husband, Jose, died in 2012. She is survived by her two sons, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

A viewing will be 1 to 9 p.m. Sunday, with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Castillo Mission Funeral Home, 520 N. General McMullen. Funeral service will begin at 10 a.m. April 24 , followed by internment at San Fernando Cemetery No. 3, 1735 Cupples Rd.

rmarini@express-news.net

Twitter: @RichardMarini
Still going strong: First daughter Tiffany Trump and her boyfriend, Ross Mechanic, had an unusually public hang-with-the-fam weekend.

Mechanic accompanied Trump, the younger of the president's two daughters, to President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, where he attended Easter services with President Trump and first lady Melania Trump and their son, Barron. Photographers snapped the couple - who were holding hands and smiling - as they deplaned from Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base.
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A letter has been sent from presidents of the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities to President Donald Trump asking him to continue protections for undocumented students.

There are over 800,000 of these young men and women nationwide who were brought here as minors, said the letter, signed by System President Mark Ojakian. For most of them this is their country and, in the instance of Connecticut, their state.

As Trump and his administration debate the future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program, Ojakian said DACA students are part of community and need an education to contribute to the states economy.

This was prompted by continued conversations with students expressing their concern for their families and themselves, Maribel La Luz, a system spokeswoman said.

DACA was started in 2012 by the Obama administration. It allows undocumented immigrants brought into the country as minors to get renewable reprieves from deportation while allowing them to work lawfully in the United States.

Connecticut has some 85,000 undocumented students, of which an estimate 5,000 are enrolled in college. Some dont discover their status until they apply for college and find they are ineligible for federal and state financial aid.

More than 40 undocumented students attend Eastern through a privately funded scholarship program and there are more throughout the system.

They did not have a choice in how they arrived here, but they are asking for the ability to stay here to pursue their dreams without the fear of deportation, Ojakian wrote in a letter dated on April 13, 2017.

Deportation, Ojakian added, is the last thing young students need to think about when they are trying to pursue their dreams.

On the campaign trail, Trump promised to be tough on all undocumented individuals. Recently, he appears to have softened that stance, telling reporters that the issue of so-called Dreamers, was a tough one.

Among others who signed the letter were Housatonic Community College President Paul Broadie, Norwalk Community College President David Levinson, Southern Connecticut State University President Joe Bertolino and Western Connecticut State University President John Clark.
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Washington

What the average person knows about silencers likely comes from James Bond and the "Bourne" movies  stealthy assassins holding up cylinder-tipped pistols and shooting their victims with nary a sound.

The National Firearms Act of 1934 subjected silencers to heavy and (at the time) unaffordable regulation, in an effort to deprive the Al Capone-era gangsters of a favored murder accessory.

But as part of a legislative-strategy switch from defense to offense, the gun lobby is including a rollback of silencer regulations on its wish list in the era of gun-friendly GOP control of Congress and the White House.

Also included is the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which would enable anyone legally carrying firearms in gun-rights states such as Texas and Florida to get protection of those loose laws even when traveling to gun-unfriendly jurisdictions such as New York and Connecticut.

But no one is popping Champagne corks at National Rifle Association HQ. Although the nation's premier gun-owners' group is getting new-found respect at the White House, its CEO, Wayne LaPierre, is marketing the same brand of dystopia as before: There's a frustrated cabal led by "Anarchists, Marxists, communists and the whole rest of the left-wing Socialist brigade'' aiming to hog-tie the Trump presidency.

LaPierre has even resurrected the group's favored bogeyman, former President Barack Obama, whom he describes as simply going from "commander-in-chief to organizer in chief.''

Although the NRA has long thrived on doomsday visions, it has scored some notable wins just within Trump's first 100 days.

It sank $1 million into ads urging Democratic senators to support pro-Second-Amendment Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch  or else. Gorsuch won confirmation April 7 with help from two of the targeted senators. The NRA also won rollback of never-implemented Obama regulations governing access to firearms for Social Security recipients unable to manage their own affairs. And Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on his first day canceled regulations banning use of lead ammunition on federal property.

The concealed-carry reciprocity measure is a perennial that never got through Congress in previous years, and surely would've earned an Obama veto if it had.

But this year's version has 187 co-sponsors including Reps. John Faso, R-Kinderhook, and Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro. The proposal would "give law-abiding gun owners continuity and certainty while traveling,'' said Stefanik spokesman Tom Flanagin.

"Concealed carry reciprocity is a common-sense reform that reduces confusion for law-abiding gun owners who wish to travel to other concealed-carry states,'' Faso said in the statement, adding that out-of-state carriers would have to follow New York state and local prohibitions on weapons in bars, churches, public buildings and other institutions.

All states, including New York, permit concealed carry in some form, although New York makes it much more difficult to obtain a permit than, say, the Southern states.

"New York has strict gun laws, which is why New York is one of the safest states in the union for gun violence,'' said Pat Tuz, Capital Region coordinator, for New Yorkers Against Gun Violence. "Allowing people to carry guns into New York from states with lax gun laws will lead to chaos.''

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Everytown for Gun Safety reportedly is ready to sink $25 million into 2018 congressional races with concealed-carry reciprocity as its centerpiece.

Rolling back regulation of silencers might prove a steeper climb for the gun lobby. Under federal law passed in 1934 as part of the government's war on bootleggers, purchase of a silencer requires payment of a $200 tax (an astronomical amount at the time), submission of fingerprints and a thorough background check by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.

Because of the gun lobby's long history of opposing greater funding for ATF, the undermanned agency takes from seven months to a year to approve applications.

New York is one of eight states that bans silencers altogether.

Pro-gun Republicans in Congress are trying to turn the loosening of regulations into a consumer-protection issue, naming the legislation the "Hearing Protection Act.''

They argue that lifting federal regulation and subjecting silencer purchases to the same background check used for guns would add a needed layer of hearing protection for target shooters and hunters.

Common hearing protections now consist of ear plugs and headphones. Virtually all police departments require hearing protection during target practice, but none rely on silencers for noise reduction, according to law enforcement officials and advocates.

The NRA says that with human hearing vulnerable to noises above 140 decibels, the 30-or-so decibel reduction of suppressors  they abhor the word silencer  is crucial. Suppressors also make shooting ranges more neighborly, improve sport-shooter accuracy and allows hunters greater awareness of surroundings and wildlife movements, the NRA says.

The gun lobby has an ally in the form of Donald Trump Jr., a hunter and suppressor enthusiast.

"I love your products,'' the younger Trump said in an online video interview with Josh Waldron, CEO of SilencerCo, a Utah-based manufacturer. "I don't get to use it in the People's Republic of New York, but I (have been able to) shoot it all over the country.''

Gun-control advocates say the hearing-protection argument is disingenuous at best. "The name is a fraud,'' said David Chipman, a former ATF agent who is now a policy advisor to Americans for Responsible Solutions, the advocacy group formed by former astronaut Mark Kelly and former Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz., after Giffords suffered devastating injuries during a 2011 mass-shooting incident in Tucson.

Gun owners see them in video games and movies, and want them because they're "cool,'' Chipman said.

But unlike in James Bond, said Chipman, silencers don't deaden gunfire as much as mask its direction and disguise the noise enough to make anyone hearing it unsure that it is, in fact, a shot.

Deregulation would pose "a huge threat to public safety,'' he said. "The regulation of silencers is the reason why they're rarely used in crimes now,'' he added.

Several law enforcement groups including the Major Cities Chiefs Association are on record against it.

Acting Albany police chief Robert Sears said he did not know a lot about the proposal, "but anything that makes it easier to get away with a shooting is a threat to law enforcement.''

There are nearly 903,000 legal silencers registered with the ATF. That number could skyrocket if regulations are trimmed back.

The gun-control side frames the firearms industry as being in free fall since Trump took over from Obama, with no threat of greater gun regulation to fuel sales. The NRA disputes that, citing the rising number of submissions from firearms dealers to the FBI's background-check system.

The economic imperative is behind the legislative push for silencers, Chipman argued. "Silencers have been around since the 1930s,'' he said. "It only became a public health 'solution' when the gun industry needed new business.''

In an online video, Waldron and Knox Williams, the associate executive director of the American Suppressor Association, are shown on a trek across Capitol Hill to win support for the Hearing Protection Act.

In one encounter with an unidentified congressional aide, Williams underlines the need for the legislation by saying: "We got leaders from whether its manufacturers, distributors or dealers. Everybody's hurting!''

Clarification: Although Reps. Faso and Stefanik are co-sponsor of the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, they have not taken a position on the Hearing Protection Act.

dan@hearstdc.com
COLLEGE STATION  College students at Texas A&M University may tack on a new, official certification to their degrees  winemaking.

The Enology Certificate program will begin in the fall and offer 15 hours of concentrated study in viticulture, pre- and post-fermentation winemaking processes, wine etiquette and sensory evaluation, according to Dr. Andreea Botezatu, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service enologist in College Station.

The wine industry is growing exponentially in Texas, said Botezatu, who will be teaching the enology course for the certificate. With 400 wineries now and an increasing number of new starts, the states industry faces specific challenges such as the climate and the geographical particularities of the state.

She should know about the challenges. A native of Romania, Botezatu began her career as a winemaker in August 2000 producing wine first in Iasi and Barlad, Romania, and then in Grimsby and Jordan, Ontario, Canada.

And winemaking may have remained her main path except for another lady of sorts  the ladybug. The multicolored Asian ladybugs attraction to wine can lead to tainting of the product, Botezatu said. Even a few bugs can ruin entire batches.

After facing the arduous challenge of hand-sorting 50 tons of ladybug-infested grapes in the Ontario winery where she worked, Botezatu decided to obtain a graduate degree that allowed her to focus her research on the ladybug taint problem and others facing the industry worldwide.

To her bachelors and masters degree from the University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine in Iasi, Romania, Botezatu added a doctorate in wine science from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, in 2014.

In early 2017, she joined the faculty of the department of horticultural sciences at Texas A&M as assistant professor in addition to her role with AgriLife Extension.

My goal is to serve the winemaking industry through applied research as well as through developing educational opportunities for current and prospective winemakers, Botezatu said. The new Enology Certificate program is an exciting additional opportunity for training future wine specialists.

She hopes students who share her passion for winemaking  and are up to facing the challenges  will opt for the certificate. It will be offered through the horticultural sciences department at Texas A&M, but it is open to students of any major.

Among the classes are Understanding Wine: From Vines to Wines and Beyond, Concepts of Wine Production, Enology (from small- to middle-scale commercial), Viticulture and Small Fruit Culture and Fruit and Nut Production. Students will also take Elements of Organic and Biological Chemistry and Sensory Evaluation of Foods.

For more information, contact Botezatu at 979-845-8563, abotezatu@tamu.edu.
HART -- The Hart City Council met in regular session Tuesday, April 11 at Hart City Hall.

City Secretary Monica Guzman presented to the council final drafts of the General and Utility Budgets for the upcoming fiscal year. Its been tradition that the city secretary deals with the budget each year. No mention was made if newly-named City Administrator Adrian Rosas would now oversee the budget.

The General Fund Budget, ending the year on April 30, 2018, shows a loss of $7,200. Income is budgeted at $208,400, with $90,000 from property tax revenue and $64,000 from franchise fees. Sales tax is projected at $45,000.

General Fund expenses total $215,600. Payroll expense is $65,150.00, which includes the full-time city secretary and her part-time assistant. Included in this are health insurance premiums and retirement expenses. The other three employees are paid through the Utility Fund.

The Utility Fund also begins the year with an expected loss, of $33,656. Utility revenues (trash, sewer and water) total $315,000. Total utility income is projected at $319,174.

Expenses are projected at $352,830. Payroll expense is the largest expenditure, totaling $168,680.

There was no discussion on ending the next fiscal year in the red for both funds. According to the budget figures presented by the city secretary, the current year will end in the black for both General and Utility Funds.

In other business, the council approved a Municipal Maintenance Agreement between the Hart and the Texas Department of Transportation. Presented by TxDOT, the agreement notes that jurisdiction on city streets, highways and roads rests with the city council, except for those declared as controlled-access highways by TxDOT, namely Broadway (FM 168). Similar agreements are executed by TxDOT with every incorporated Texas city with at least one state highway within its jurisdiction.

The remaining streets are maintained by the city. Rosas, city administrator, said current practice is to resurface six streets each year, which mean that all the city streets are resurfaced every 10 years. In the new General Budget, $65,000 is allocated for street repairs.

The council approved resignations of Vickie Etheridge and Lupe Velasquez from the Hart Economic Development Corporation, and approved appointments of Roy Gonzales and Ezekiel Barron.

One of the city pickups, a 2002 Ford utility vehicle, Rosas reported, is in need of repairs. He said the pickup has 85,000 miles, and Mayor Eliazar Castillo said he thinks its worth repairing. Rosas contacted a local mechanic and learned the cost to replace a motor, parts and labor is $3,100. Rosas noted the figure was quoted three weeks ago. The council voted to repair the pickup, with no specific figure mentioned in the motion.

Guzman told the council that her part-time assistant, Corie Longoria, will be leaving soon on maternity leave, and City Hall will be closing at noon during her absence. Residents are reminded that there is a drop at City Hall for utility customers to leave payments.

During the Open Forum, Mayor Castillo told press representative Neoma Williams that he did not want her speaking unless called on during a meeting. He mentioned that Williams had said in news reports that the council had done things wrong. He included Guzman and Rosas in this, telling them not to speak during a meeting unless requested to do so by the council.

After the meeting, Williams asked Castillo for clarification on these things. Castillo admitted he doesnt read newspapers, but said some council members had complained about the press. He did not provide specifics. Williams does report possible violations of the Texas Open Meetings Law. She contacted Texas Press Association in March regarding council members getting together in an informal setting to discuss city business in direct violation of the law. At the March meeting, she noticed that it seemed evident that some council members had discussed agenda items prior to the meeting. There are two council members who work at the same business, and other council members have been seen at that business. Four members constitute a quorum.
The first photographs of a new and ominous crack in Greenland's enormous Petermann Glacier were captured by a NASA airborne mission Friday.

NASA's Operation IceBridge, which has been flying over northwest Greenland for the past several days, took the photos after being provided coordinates by Stef Lhermitte, a professor at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, who had spotted the oddly located chasm by examining satellite images.

The NASA pictures make clear that a significant new rift has opened near the center of the glacier's floating ice shelf -- an unusual location that raises questions about how it formed. Moreover, this crack is not so distant from another much wider and longer crack that has been slowly extending toward the shelf's center from its eastern side wall.

If the two cracks were to intersect, then a single break would run across more than half of the ice shelf. That might, in turn, cause the piece to begin to break away.

But in the image NASA also noted another feature in the ice that it termed a "medial flow line" that, it said, "may exert a stagnating effect on the propagation of the new rift toward the older one." So it remains to be seen just how much, and how rapidly, the new rift - which has only just been discovered - could undermine the floating ice shelf.

Still, there's good precedent for worrying about what could happen at Petermann. When two prior ice islands broke off the glacier in 2010 and 2012 - the 2010 island in particular was extremely large - the events drew major media attention and were even discussed in a hearing before Congress.

"Last week, an ice sheet covering 100 square miles broke off Greenland," then-Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., the chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, said at the opening of the hearing in summer 2010. "This giant ice island is more than four times the size of Manhattan. It is the largest piece of Arctic ice to break free in nearly half a century."

Those past breaks also caused the glacier's floating ice shelf to become much smaller than it had been before.

Petermann Glacier has grown back somewhat since the 2010 and 2012 breaks because of its steady flow outward (at a rate that appears to be accelerating somewhat). But if the next piece breaks off, the size of the glacier would plunge once again, according to Jason Box of the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland. Box estimates the resulting ice island would be some 50 to 70 square miles in size, or more than twice the size of Manhattan.

NASA's Operation IceBridge is a research mission in which instrumented aircraft are flown over ice at both poles - both Greenland and Antarctica - to collect data about the state of polar ice and how it is changing. IceBridge operates over Greenland at this time of year and snapped the photos on what appeared to be a crystal-clear day at the glacier.

It has also taken recent photos of other nearby glaciers, such as Heilprin and Upernavik, and the state of floating sea ice in the channel between northwestern Greenland and northeastern Canada, in addition to its extensive data-gathering work.

After seeing the new NASA images, Lhermitte responded that it was "amazing to see the rift from nearby after studying it from space for several days." But, he added, "From these images alone, it is difficult to already say anything about what exactly caused the crack on this unusual spot."

The crack appeared in the middle of the floating shelf, rather than on one of its sides, as is typical of this glacier -- leading Lhermitte to wonder whether it could have been caused by the ocean waters below the shelf.

You can bet that scientists will be conducting a great deal more research on this crack, what caused it and whether it might precipitate bigger changes to Petermann Glacier.
A State Board of Education member and church science camp director in The Woodlands is advocating for a subtle change to a bill that could determine what public schoolchildren learn in textbooks, including sex education books.

Instructional and supplemental instructional materials such as textbooks currently reviewed and adopted by the SBOE, which sets standards and policies for Texas public schools, must be clear of factual errors, according to state law.

But SBOE member Barbara Cargill, R-The Woodlands, claims that while statements may be factually correct in a textbook, it still can be "in poor taste." She referred to a textbook submitted for a high school career and technology personal finance course as an example. She said the book's publisher included a section about a woman meeting a man who was not her husband for a "quickie" during her lunch break to relate to the children through a real-life scenario.

Cargill has a keen interest in American conceptualism and is the camp director for Wonders of The Woodlands Science Camp at The Woodlands United Methodist Church that provides hands-on learning to about 1,200 children with materials she authors.

She said the SBOE lost authority to decide the quality and content of textbooks in 1995, which is when the Texas Education System underwent a major reform prompted by Senate Bill 1, according to the TEA.

"To add clarity" to the law, Cargill is seeking support of Senate Bill 801, which would add language to the law stating that materials adopted by the board be free from factual error and "suitable for the subject and grade level for which the instructional material was submitted."

Next year, the board will review social studies; and in 2019, it will review health.

"You know what comes under health? Sex Ed," said Cargill, while speaking to attendees at the North Shore Republican Women luncheon April 5 at the Bentwater Yacht Club in Montgomery. "I need that leg to stand on because what you all, this awesome club, thinks is suitable; what I think is suitable. I can guarantee a lot of folks in Austin will not agree. They will think something is very suitable where we would disagree."

She asked the members to contact their legislators, email the bill's author, state Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, and express the need for the support of House Education Committee Chair Dan Huberty,. R-Houston. The bill is co-authored by state Sens. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, and Van Taylor, R-Plano.

"This is going to really help us because I'm looking ahead toward all the sex education issues that will come up," Cargill said. "We have already started hearing from people about that. The curriculum they want your kids, kids right here in Willis, Montgomery, surrounding areas, Conroe. I'm looking at some of these online programs and I'm going A) I've never even heard of that and I've been married almost 33 years; and B) 'Quick, get all of your children out of the room,' but it's geared for seventh- and eighth-graders."
Willis ISD board members adopted its District of Innovation plan last week, giving itself more control over the school calendar, teacher certification requirements and probationary contracts.

The move enabled WISD to start school early and create "the most awesome" 2017-18 calendar, according to one school board member. To the cheers of school board members and employees in attendance, the board approved starting next school years Aug. 17 and ending May 25. It calls for a winter break of Dec. 23 to Jan. 8, with the first semester ending Dec. 22 before the long Christmas time off. Students also will have a full week off for Thanksgiving break (Nov. 18-26). Spring Break will be March 10-18.

"I make the motion to pass the most awesome 2017-2018 calendar ever," Position 3 Willis ISD Board Member Robin Sproba said.

The early start date couldn't have been done without becoming a District of Innovation. Being a DI means a public school system has more flexibility available to claim exemptions from state laws in many areas already subject to waivers. Schools across the state, including Conroe ISD and Montgomery ISD, have considered DI options.

Willis ISD initiated the process in February, developed a plan, appointed a committee to develop and consider the plan, held a public discussion and posted the plan for public input for 30 days.

The board unanimously approved the final version Wednesday prior to approving the school calendar. It will go into effect at the start of the 2017-18 school year.

There are three key elements of the WISD plan:

1. First Day of Instruction: A school district may not begin instruction for students for a school year before the fourth Monday in August; however, Willis ISD's exemption allows the Aug. 17 start date.

Certification Required: A person may not be employed as a teacher by a district unless the person holds an appropriate certification or permit issued by the appropriate state agency. With the exception, Willis ISD will maintain flexibility regarding state rules for certification of teachers as it applies to specific areas of concern, such as for bilingual instructors and Career and Technical Education professionals.

Probationary Contract: State rules currently require a probationary period of up to a year for experienced teachers who are new to the district if the person has been employed as a teacher, principal, supervisor, classroom teacher, nurse, school counselor or other full-time position required to hold a certificate in public education for at least five of the previous eight years. This exemption will allow Willis ISD to extend probationary contracts to two years instead of one when "deemed necessary."

Each exemption includes a rationale and guidelines for local implementation on the plan.

For more information, visit www.willisisd.org.
CHICAGO -- Many teens spend their summers lifeguarding or ice-cream scooping. Not Evon Lopez.

Lopez, at 16, spent the summer between her sophomore and junior years of high school interning at Abbott Laboratories. At graduation from the eight-week program last August, she delivered a PowerPoint presentation detailing, among other things, corporate safety initiatives at the health care company headquartered outside Chicago.

Sound like a snooze? To the contrary, Lopez said the experience reinforced her interest in architectural engineering.

Asked to name the highlights of the program, the teen described a visit to Abbotts nutrition facility in Ohio where employees explained how they created formula to save infants lives.

It just shows that their goal is to help as many people as they can in any way possible, Lopez said of the company, and thats a place that I would like to work in.

An interest in jobs with a greater social purpose is a hallmark of the millennial generation. But Lopez is a member of Generation Z, the post-millennial group that is just starting to graduate from high school and college and catch the interest of employers.

Gen Z is composed of the kids who were born, roughly, between 1995 and 2010 and came of age during the Great Recession.

Though its too soon to say how Gen Z might shape the workplace, early surveys paint a portrait distinct from the wide-eyed, self-involved image of their millennial predecessors. Gen Zers, an emerging trove of research suggests, are entrepreneurial yet pragmatic, hardworking yet easily distracted, with a streak of realism running through their desire to make a social impact.

Some employers are trying to appeal to Gen Z early, with versions of internships normally reserved for college students now being extended to high schoolers to create a pipeline of talent.

At Abbott, which started its high school internship five years ago, starting younger also is meant to address the shortfall of women and minorities in the STEM -- science, technology, engineering and math -- workforce, which is important as it serves an increasingly diverse customer base.

What we want to do is increase the possibility that they will enter STEM, be successful at it and be able to go on and have meaningful careers in these areas, said Corlis Murray, Abbotts top engineer and leader of the high school internship program. The younger we reach them, the higher we increase that probability.

With the rise of early professional exposure, members of Gen Z are positioned for powerful careers, said Jeanne Meister, partner at Future Workplace, a human resources research firm in New York.

They are definitely more serious and mature entering the workforce than millennials, Meister said.

Assigning sweeping generalizations to a generation of 60 million people is, at best, an inexact exercise, but that doesnt stop a steady drip of research from offering varied takes on Gen Z.

They are radically different from millennials, aid David Stillman, co-author, with his 17-year-old son Jonah, of the book Gen Z @ Work, released in March.

If everyone-gets-a-trophy millennials, reared by baby boomers during flush times, prioritized passion and teamwork, then Gen Z, raised by independent Generation Xers during times of financial distress, learned that you have to fight hard to win, Stillman said.

We have a generation entering the workforce that is extremely competitive, said Stillman, who has written several books on how generations interact in the workplace.

Some Gen Z traits seem old-school.

Three-quarters of Gen Zers say they are willing to start at the bottom and work their way to the top, implying a respect for paying dues, Stillmans research found. More than 60 percent said they are willing to stay at a company for 10 years, suggesting a return to employer loyalty after the job-hopping tendencies of millennials. Only 8 percent said they want an open-office concept, despite workspace design trends that have been knocking down walls to emphasize collaboration.

But other traits are less traditional. For example, more than half of Gen Zers want to write their own job description, reflecting a desire for a hypercustomized career experience that could be driven by the personal branding that social media has pushed since they were kids, Stillman said.

That preference could draw them to small and medium-sized businesses, where employees can more easily wear multiple hats than at large companies, he said.

Indeed, a survey last year by Accenture of the 2016 graduating college class, by some measures the vanguard of Gen Z, found they are three times more likely to want to work at a small or medium company than a large one, presenting big companies with a recruiting challenge.

Some employers are being proactive by planting a seed early.

Southwest Airlines last summer hosted its third class of high school interns, who worked for eight weeks at the companys Dallas headquarters. This fall it plans to host its first  aviation day for kids in third through eighth grade, a free event that will include guest speakers and a tour of an aircraft maintenance hangar.

Anticipating a massive skills shortage as baby boomers retire, Greg Muccio, a senior manager in Southwests  people department, said the airline industry needs to drum up excitement among youth.

We have consciously set down a path to start reaching a much younger audience to encourage them and make them aware of a career in aviation, he said. Some of the industrys biggest needs are in hourly entry-level jobs that dont require higher education, so Muccio wants to appeal to high schoolers who may not be interested in or ready for college.

Southwest this summer also will host its third summer camp for the high-school aged children of employees across the country. The three-day event of tours and games in Dallas, which last year drew 150 teens, aims to steer those already familiar with the company to careers there by showing what it takes to be a pilot or a mechanic.

The camp left an impression on Chicagoan Kyle Norbut, who participated just before starting his freshman year at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana last year. The 18-year-old acting major, who was impressed by the family atmosphere and the sense that employees were  having a ball, intends to pursue a career in theater -- but now is considering a flexible side job at Southwest.

Back at Abbott, the company is starting to see the fruits of its high school investment.

Nick Urh, who was in Abbotts first high school internship class, went back as a college intern and now is in its professional development program, rotating through various divisions at the company. He is currently in the diabetes division in Alameda, Calif., working on glucose meters that will no longer require finger pricks.

It really opened my eyes to the potential we had to impact so many lives, he said.

Urh, 23, who grew up in Gurnee, Ill., and graduated last year from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is on the generational cusp. He says he identifies with both the millennial eagerness to make a social difference and the Gen Z appetite for job security -- and, thanks to the internship, sees a path to achieve both.

Urh expects to be hired as a permanent employee at Abbott once the program finishes in June and hopes to pursue a career there in manufacturing operations.

Why should I leave? Urh said.

Music to an employers ears.

--

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency
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SAN ANTONIO  Patrick Von Dohlen, one of the 10 candidates seeking the open District 9 City Council seat, on Monday said he's asking the district courts to declare opponent Lynlie Wallace an ineligible candidate.

The San Antonio Express-News exposed Wallace's residency issues  that she lives in Austin, not the District 9 home she declares is her primary residency.
AUSTIN - Tea party activists pressured Republican House members Monday to side with them on key issues including sanctuary cities, the so-called bathroom bill and local property taxes  or face their wrath at the ballot box.

We do appreciate the way that the Senate has moved forward with a number of conservative reforms  We have 95 Republicans in the House, and they cant seem to get some measures passed, said JoAnn Fleming, executive director of Grassroots America.

Elected Republicans  just the way its happening in Washington  have determined that they dont care what the (Republican) platform says. They dont care what their primary voters have said  They just frankly do not care, said Fleming. And I submit to you, the people of Texas need to make them care. Because after all, we hired them to do a job at the ballot box.

If they come up here and they get a C rating, you need to fire them at the ballot box, she said, suggesting that anything short of full support of tea party issues isnt enough.

Fleming was joined by advocates for a host of issues at a Capitol news conference on Tea Party Day, when some of the most fervent GOP primary voters came to rally, present their issues and buttonhole lawmakers.

Their force helps explain why a number of House Republicans are pressing for their own version of the so-called bathroom bill approved by the Senate. House Speaker Joe Straus, R-Straus, opposes the Senate measure championed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Straus and others have expressed concern over the potential economic implications for the state if it passes a law seen as discriminatory, and a number consider the bill a side issue.

The Senate measure would require people using restrooms in public schools, universities and government buildings to choose the facilities that align with the gender on their birth certificate. Although backers have said its aimed at sexual predators, it would affect transgender people. The House State Affairs Committee this week will consider a measure that would target local non-discrimination ordinances in addressing the matter of public bathrooms.

The House is now beginning to get a little traction, said Dana Hodges, state director of Concerned Women for America. Were asking all of our members, and Im asking all the people here today, the tea party people here today, to contact your state representative and let them know where you stand on this issue.  Let your voice be heard.

The bathroom bill was among a slew of measures cited by advocates, which included anti-abortion, budget, tax, religious liberty, gun rights, toll road and sanctuary city legislation.

Fleming lambasted the House committee version of legislation against sanctuary cities, which are seen as providing a haven for undocumented immigrants by not complying enthusiastically with federal authorities. Its awaiting a vote by the full House. A number of local law enforcement officials have expressed concern over a bill earlier passed by the Senate, saying it would interfere with effective community policing.

Tea party grassroots activists are going to call it out if a bill is approved that doesnt pass muster in their view, Fleming said.

We will absolutely not tell this nation that we have passed a ban on sanctuary cities if we dont actually do it, Fleming said, pointing out that Gov. Greg Abbott has nationally trumpeted the prospect of a Texas ban. The time for fairy tales coming out of this Capitol and spreading all over the country needs to stop.

State Affairs Chairman Byron Cook, whose committee came under particular criticism from Fleming for passing its version of sanctuary cities legislation and whose seat has been targeted in the past by tea party activists, described his work in a way that suggests it has a broader focus.

We have to do whats right. We have to be thoughtful. We have to ensure that things we do are constitutional, Cook, R-Corsicana, told the Express-News. Weve got to focus on core issues, such as education; services for the states most vulnerable, such as those in the child protective services system; and infrastructure needs in a growing state.

Aaron Harris, executive director of Direct Action Texas, touted a Senate-approved bill to restrict how much local property tax revenue can be raised by cities or counties without an automatic election. Local entities say the measure would endanger the funding needed for basic services including public safety. Its awaiting House action.

People are hot. Theyre mad about their property taxes, Harris said. This is the single biggest issue at the local level we encounter as we go around and talk to taxpayers and residents. And Ill tell you this, they will remember this bill, come election season.

Southern Methodist University political scientist Cal Jillson said the tea party plays a powerful role but its support isnt determinative. Much will be determined by tradeoffs yet to be made among Abbott, Patrick and Straus as the legislative session barrels toward its Memorial Day ending, he pointed out.

The tea party is still a powerful force in Texas politics, and particularly within the Republican primary electorate, he said. Republican incumbents do listen to the tea party, but theyre not driven by then. They havent been in the past and they wont be this session.

pfikac@express-news.net

Twitter: @pfikac
The knife-wielding man shot multiple times in the torso by a police officer early Saturday has been transferred from University Hospital to the Bexar County Jail.

Guadalupe Balderas, 57, now faces three charges of aggravated assault against a public servant. His bond was set at $225,000.

RELATED: TEA investigating over 150 improper student-teacher relationships in Texas this school year

Police said they encountered Balderas, who was armed with a combat knife, around 2:15 a.m. inside a residence in the 400 block of West Magnolia while responding to a disturbance with a knife call.

Officers allegedly told Balderas to drop his weapon, but he refused.

"One officer drew his taser, the other his service weapon," according to Doug Greene, a spokesman for the San Antonio Police Department. "One officer fired his taser and shortly thereafter, the second officer fired his service weapon."

Balderas was hit "multiple" times in the upper torso. He was transported to University Hospital in critical condition.

RELATED: District 9 city council candidate sues opponent over residency

"We're not quite sure exactly what happened," Police Chief William McManus said in an overnight news conference. "We have not pieced it all together yet."

The officer who shot Balderas was identified Monday as Ofc. Joshua Vega. Police said he has been a member of the department since April 25, 2016 and graduated from the police academy in December.

He has been placed on administrative duty, per policy in an officer-involved shooting.

Text "Breaking" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

cdowns@mysa.com

Twitter: @calebjdowns
City elections are less than a month away, and ExpressNews.com sat down with each of San Antonio's mayoral candidates  some known, some unfamiliar  for exclusive video interviews in an effort to make you, the voter, knowledgeable about your options for Election Day on May 6. Get to know the contenders as we roll out the video interviews each weekday in reverse ballot order.

Today, we focus on Ron Nirenberg, San Antonio's District 8 councilman who was first elected in 2013 and re-elected in 2015. Nirenberg said he is running for mayor because he wants to help the city reach its fullest potential.
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A 22-year-old Harlingen man was arrested Thursday for allegedly threatening to shoot a police officer on social media after getting pulled over, according to the Harlingen Police Department.

Chad Michael Mollish faces third-degree felony charges of terroristic threat and possession of a controlled substance. His bond was set at $100,000.

RELATED: Report: Family says remains found in South Texas belong to a 19-year-old who went missing in 2016

Police in Harlingen first learned of the recording at about 3 p.m. Thursday when U.S. Customs and Border Protection notified them of a video posted on social media, a news release said.

In the video, Mollish is speaking with a Harlingen police officer during a traffic stop. After the officer releases Mollish, the suspect is seen entering his vehicle, showing off a handgun to the camera and threatening to shoot the officer the next time he is stopped, according to the news release.

RELATED: Police: Man in Austin wipes feces on woman's apartment after breaking in

After police viewed the video, they went to arrest Mollish that night in the 1400 block of Vermont. They took him into custody without incident. While arresting him, officers found several pills packaged for distribution in his vehicle, along with a loaded .40-caliber handgun, the news release said.

If convicted, Mollish faces up to 10 years in prison for each charge.

Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

twhite@mysa.com

Twitter: @tylerlwhite
The 100-day mark of the Trump presidency is approaching, and his aides are worried that the media narrative will depict his historically awful lack of accomplishments with highly unflattering levels of accuracy. But don't tell that to President Donald Trump. He knows the real problem is that the news media won't acknowledge how terrific the start to his presidency has actually been in comparison with his loser predecessors:

Trump tweeted: The Fake Media (not Real Media) has gotten even worse since the election. Every story is badly slanted. We have to hold them to the truth!

---

A new Gallup poll out Monday, however, strongly suggests that an increasing number of Americans just don't believe Trump's spin about his presidency anymore. It finds that only 45 percent of Americans think Trump keeps his promises, down from 62 percent in February, an astonishing slide of 17 points.

The drop has been 11 points among Republicans and 9 points among conservatives. Meanwhile, among Americans overall, there has been a 7-point drop in those who think Trump can bring about the change this country needs, from 53 percent to 46 percent, and a 6-point drop in those who think that Trump is honest and trustworthy, from 42 percent to 36 percent.

Trump's failure to fulfill his promises is worrying to Republicans, too. The Post reports that Republicans, eyeing the 2018 elections, are fretting that Trump has achieved "no major legislative victory," which cuts against his promise to execute "beautiful" deals in Washington. As GOP pollster Frank Luntz puts it, Trump and Republicans must post "a record of accomplishment," because "if you don't, no rhetoric will fix it." Meanwhile, Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., commits full-blown heresy, warning: "We can't blame this on Barack Obama. We have to look in the mirror." (Can we have that in writing, Tom?)

It's important, however, to drill down with more precision on what it really means that Trump is failing to "keep his promises." There are several ways this is occurring, and they are distinct from one another. First, Trump is explicitly adopting policy goals that contradict black-letter promises (the GOP health-care plan that he championed would roll back coverage for 24 million people and deeply cut Medicaid, after he vowed "insurance for everybody" and promised not to cut Medicaid). Second, he is failing to unite the party to accomplish generally promised goals (Republicans have yet to pass anything that can satisfy the baseline need to be described as "repeal and replace").

Third, other general promises may be in the process of running aground, or just disintegrating, now that the difficulties of translating them into detailed policy are proving that the original promises were unrealistic, rooted in bad faith or outright fantasies.

The travel ban is blocked in part because the true motives behind the measure -- combined with the lack of any serious rationale for it -- put it in legal jeopardy. Ambitious tax reform may founder due to GOP divisions over specifics. The promise of massive infrastructure spending may shrivel into an unambitious, cronyist tax-break-and-privatization scheme. The bluster about China and trade and NATO and the Export-Import Bank is all getting retracted in the face of factual reality. The vow not to touch entitlements cannot be squared with the ideological imperatives of congressional Republicans, so it has quietly been put in a drawer.

More broadly, Trump is generally moving away from the "economic populism" that was supposed to make him different from other Republicans and increasingly embracing a more-orthodox GOP governing approach (while doubling down on Trumpism's nativism and xenophobia). Meanwhile, that approach is itself proving to have been based on unrealistic promises. (Many congressional Republicans are not actually willing to roll back coverage for millions while deeply cutting taxes for the rich, it turns out; GOP fiscal priorities are deeply unpopular, and -- as I believe we will discover during the coming budgetary and tax reform debates -- mathematically unworkable.)

Many pundits are ascribing a number of Trump's recent reversals to a learning process, in which Trump is discovering that our challenges are much more complicated than he originally thought and is evolving accordingly. But as Brian Beutler points out in The New Republic, what all this really demonstrates is that the original slate of false promises and assumptions is failing him.

As my attempted taxonomy of Trump's broken vows suggests, different groups of voters may be basing their conclusion that Trump isn't keeping his promises on different things. But at bottom, this all originates with the increasingly undeniable reality that much of what he campaigned on was based on one sort of lie or another.

---

Greg Sargent writes The Plum Line blog, a reported opinion blog with a liberal slant -- what you might call "opinionated reporting" from the left.

(c) 2017, The Washington Post
AT least 54 Zimbabweans travelling without valid passports were arrested in Polokwane, South Africa this week as they returned from Zimbabwe after spending their festive season with family and friends.

Three buses they were travelling in were impounded at a police road block.

At the roadblocks, we experienced two or three buses from Zimbabwe. They cant continue with their journey, unfortunately, South African Deputy Minister of Police, Cassel Mathale said.

Millions of Zimbabweans living in neighbouring countries are now trooping back to their countries of stay and work after spending the long holiday period with their loved ones.

They fled the country seeking better economic and employment opportunities as over 80% of the population in Zimbabwe is unemployed.

However, a high number of them have no passports, as it is no longer easy to get an ordinary passport in Zimbabwe and the fortune seekers use undesignated entry points or pay bribes to travel.

South Africa Police Services (SAPS) said they had this week also impounded a truck travelling from Zimbabwe with a contraband of cigarettes worth over R1 million.

 NewZimbabwe

Breaking News via Email
SEATTLE  U.S. payments startup Remitly has expanded its services to the United Kingdom, Reuters reports. Backed by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, Remitly allows users to send money overseas digitally.

The digital money transfer service currently handles more than $2 billion in remittances each year to the Philippines, India, Mexico and other Latin American countries by users in Canada and the United States. British customers can use Remitlys mobile and desktop app to send funds to the Philippines and India.

The United Kingdom already has two other companies in the digital remittance industry: Azimo and Transferwise. These digital upstarts have begun eroding traditionaland the most costlyservices of banks and other financial firms, such as Western Union and Moneygram.

Europe as a continent is the second largest remittance-sending geography, so there's a lot of opportunity around here, said Remitly CEO Matt Oppenheimer. Over 19 billion pounds in remittances are sent from the U.K., and launching here is a natural next step for us as we expand across the globe.
By Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics and Chairperson at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Originally published the March/April 2017 special Costs of Empire issue of Dollars & Sense magazine. You can read Part 1 here

International Economic Agreements

The past two decades have witnessed an explosion in the treaties, agreements, and other mechanisms whereby global capital imposes it rules upon governments and their citizenries. Unlike the conditions imposed on developing countries by the IMF and the World Bank, these rules apply even to countries that are not debtor-supplicants to international financial institutions. They require all countries to restrict their policies, though these restrictions are especially damaging to the prospects of autonomous economic development in the periphery of the world capitalist economy.

The Multilateral Trading System

In terms of the multilateral trading system, the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (signed off in 1994) moved to a single-tier system of rights and obligations, under which developing countries have to fully implement all rules and commitments. This was a quid pro quo for access to developed-country markets in agriculture, textiles, and clothingsectors that had previously been highly protected. This has constrained the possibilities for autonomous development in the peripheral countries, reducing the policy choices open to them and denying them some of the most important instruments that had been used by countries of the current capitalist core in their own industrialization.

For example, the Agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measures (TRIMS) does not allow practices like local content specifications, designed to increase linkages between foreign investors and local manufacturers. The Agreement on Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) not only allows for the concentration and privatization of knowledge as noted above, but also restricts reverse engineering and other forms of imitative innovation that have historically been used for industrialization. It has forced the extension of patent rights in many countries, allowing the patenting of life forms. Under this new property regime, a large and powerful multinational company can, for example, sue a poor small farmer in a developing country for setting aside part of the harvest as seed for the coming year, on the grounds that this violates the companys patent rights. The Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM) prohibits subsidies that depend upon the use of domestic over imported goods, or that are conditional on export performance. Ongoing negotiations in the World Trade Organisation on Non Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) are currently proceeding on the basis of much deeper tariff cuts in developing countries, which will further deprive them of a crucial policy instrument to support their infant industries.

The Agreement on Agriculture (1995) contained fine print that effectively allowed the developed countries to continue the massive subsidization and protection of their own agriculture sectors (and agri-business interests), but prevented developing countries from doing even a small fraction of this. Most developing countries are allowed only subsidies of 10% or less, while most developed countries only have to reduce certain agricultural subsidies, while maintaining and even increasing some others. Developing countries (like India) that attempt to provide some protection to farmers and to ensure food security are coming up against constraints imposed by the agreement. All subsidies, even in developing countries, are measured in relation to 1986-88 prices, not current prices, so even low subsidies run afoul of the 10% limit. Instead of recognising the ridiculous nature of this clause, the developed countries are resisting any change and have only agreed to provide a Peace Clauseapplying only to certain countries and only for a limited period, preventing any case being brought to the dispute settlement panel of the WTO until the matter is finally resolved.

Regional and Bilateral Trade Agreements

However, if the WTO has constricted the policy space for developing countries, the many regional trade agreements of the past two decades have been even worse. There are nearly 400 such agreements in force, and they have become more comprehensive over the past twenty years. Most of these agreements, especially North-South agreements, tend to be WTO-plus (augmenting provisions already covered by the multilateral trading regime) or WTO-extra (containing provisions that go beyond current WTO rules). They often require reductions of actually applied tariffs, rather than of bound maximum tariff rates: Countries are forced to reduce tariffs from whatever level they happen to be at the moment, even if this is already below the upper limit. They demand more deregulation of trade in services. They require more stringent enforcement of intellectual property rights and reduce exemptions. For example, they allow compulsory licensing of medicines for generic (lower-cost) production only in emergencies. They also prohibit parallel imports (purchases of needed medicines from countries with cheaper production because they have used compulsory licensing). These agreements extend intellectual property rights to areas like life forms, extend exclusive rights to test data, and make intellectual property rights provisions more detailed and prescriptive. They forbid technology-transfer and knowledge-transfer requirements, as well as conditions on the nationality of senior personnel, as conditions for access to a countrys markets. They also enter into a range of areas that the WTO still leaves open to individual countries policy choices, such as antitrust policy, rules on investment and capital movement, government procurement, environmental standards, and even labor mobility. Further, unlike the WTO, most regional trade agreements do not provide exceptions to countries in cases of serious balance-of-payments problems or other external financial difficulties.

In addition, there are more than 4,000 bilateral investment treaties (BITs) in force in the world. These are all about protecting and promoting private investment of all types, and effectively privileging the rights of investors over the rights of citizens in the host country. There is typically a very broad, asset-based definition of investment that includes foreign direct investment (FDI), some types of investment in stocks, purchases of real estate, and even intellectual property rights. There is also a very strong and expansive view on what constitutes expropriation of assets for which investors can demand compensation. It is not only outright nationalization of assets that can be interpreted as expropriation, but also all sorts of government regulation (even for environmental or labor protection) as well as taxes. So for example, in Mexico, companies that have polluted municipal water suppliesand therefore been ordered to stop production until they can prevent such pollutionhave successfully claimed damages for the associated losses. Other companies have won cases under BITs when governments have imposed higher taxes on their profits.

Both bilateral and, increasingly, regional agreements are subject to dispute settlement mechanisms, both between states and between an investor and a state, that are highly arbitrary, opaque to public scrutiny, and generally pro-investor in their judgments. Since they are legally based on equal treatment of legal persons with no primacy for human rights, they have become known for their pro-investor bias. This is partly due to the incentive structure for arbitrators, since there is a lucrative revolving door for legal experts between serving as arbitrators and as legal advisors for corporations. And it is partly because the system is designed to provide additional guarantees to investors, rather than making them respect host countries laws and regulations.

Similarly, the rules governing international finance and debt work in ways that reinforce the unequal global power relations between large capital and people across the world. Nowhere is this more evident than in the legal structures governing sovereign (national government) debt. The lack of any coherent system to deal with debt default and to enable the restructuring of sovereign debt has led to situations in which countries and their populations are bled dry over years and even decades. Austerity measures that reduce public spending on social essentials are forced upon unwilling societies. Developing countries have known this for some time, but some developed countries (such as crisis-ridden economies of the European periphery, like Greece and Spain) are now experiencing the same.

Countries that somehow manage to restructure debt or that unilaterally decide to renege on some patently unfair debt taken on in the past are punished. Under the systems governing international debt, entire national populations lack even the minimum conditions of debt workout that are routinely accorded to individual and corporate debtors within national legal systems. Here, too, legal proceedings tend to be biased towards investors and show little recognition of the minimum rights of the citizenry in affected countries. (Take, for example, the travails that the government of Argentina currently faces in U.S. courts, in lawsuits brought by financial vulture funds.) This is another way in which contemporary imperialism is expressed.

NOTE: Parts of this article appeared in The Creation of the New Imperialism: The Institutional Architecture, Monthly Review, July 2015.
For the last few years, weve been writing about the many ways in which private equity does not live up to its billing. One beef has been that fees are excessive given that private equity has not outperformed over the last decade when you factor in its risks. Nosebleed prices for deals and even more money pouring into the strategy as desperate underfunded pensions hope private equity will salvage them means this inadequate performance isnt likely to change anytime soon, if ever.

Oxford professor Ludovic Phallipou has estimated total private equity fees and costs at 7% per year. No one in the industry has roused himself to object to his estimate, which suggests if anything it might be low. Second is even with private equity managers charging fees that would be considered extortionate in any other type of asset management, many, including some of the very biggest fund managers, have been caught out regularly levying unauthorized fees and costs. That is called embezzlement yet oddly no one has seen fit to call in the cops.

Heretofore, the debate over private equity fees has been restricted largely to the trade press. A salvo of articles by Gretchen Morgenson in New York Times and Mark Maremont of the Wall Street Journal in 2014 about abuses by industry leaders such as Apollo, Bain, Blackstone, and KKR helped keep pressure on the SEC to sanction the questionable practices theyd exposed to the general public. But the big media coverage has been sporadic since then.

Moreover, the big question of whether private equity is worth its lofty cost has gotten less notice, but that may finally be changing.

Last week, Pew released a study, State Public Pension Funds Increase Use of Complex Investments, and findings werent at all positive about private equity. The reason Pews take matters is that Pew has the image of being independent, but if anything, it has a small c conservative orientation. So for an organization which no one would depict as anti-business or liberal to voice doubts about private equity is a significant development. 1

The Pew study covers some private equity topics weve covered regularly, such as: high fees relative to the risks, lack of transparency (which is an unduly polite way of saying investors dont even know how much in total fees they are paying) and lack of consistent accounting (note that some pension funds report only returns gross of fees while others report net or both).2 The report also has some important findings about overall public pension fund results and behavior:

.only two of the funds examined exceeding investment return targets over the past 10 years. While examples exist of top performers with long-standing alternative investment programs, the funds with recent and rapid entries into alternative marketsincluding signicant allocations to hedge fundsreported the weakest 10- year returns Many states have consistently achieved relatively high returns without a heavy reliance on alternatives. Plans in Oklahoma exemplify this approach. Both of the Oklahoma state-sponsored retirement systems examined have

lower-than-average allocations to alternatives; one holds no alternatives. Both, however, have 10-year earnings that outpace the median.

In fairness, the study highlights alternative investments generally, and not just private equity. We pointed out in 2006, in our very first post, that a careful reading of what CalPERS revealed about its experience in hedge funds was tantamount to saying it shouldnt invest in them at all. Even as of then, there were cheap replication strategies that would allow investors to achieve returns that were not much or negatively correlated with the stock market at much lower cost than hedge funds. Starting around 2012, hedge funds became more and more correlated with equity, obviating that rationale.

A full eight years after we suggested that CalPERS ought to listen to itself and get out of hedge funds, the giant pension fund finally did just that. CalPERS shook the industry with its late 2014 announcement that it was exiting hedge funds and by early 2016, the combination of years of lackluster returns and high fees led more and more investors to reduce commitments or even pull cash out.

The Pew study report stresses that investing in more risky investments in the hope of getting higher returns is, well, risky:

Measures of volatility in investment returns are important to consider because that volatility creates budget uncertainty for state and local governments sponsoring plans. Between 2003 and 2013, for example, actuarially required pension contributions increased from 4 percent to 8 percent of state revenue to adjust for investment losses from the dot-com crash and the onset of the Great Recession.

And increased commitments to alternative investments is a big part of the increased risk story:

The Pew authors highlight that public pension funds fail to capture as much as half of the private equity fees they are charged, as this site and others reported, and thats before factoring in carry fees. That means most public pension funds are understating their true investments costs by a large margin. The report drily notes:

If the relative size of traditionally unreported investment costs demonstrated by CalPERS, MOSERS, and the SCRS holds true for public pension plans generally, unreported fees could total over $4 billion annually on the $255 billion in private equity assets held by state retirement systems. Thats more than 40 percent over currently reported total investment expenses, which topped $10 billion in 2014. Policymakers, stakeholders, and the public need full disclosure on investment performance and fees to ensure that risks, returns, and costs are balanced to meet funds policy goals. Such assessments are unlikely when billions of dollars in fees are not reported.

Mind you, we believe this estimate is low, since fees charged to portfolio companies, which come out of investors funds, are not reported.

So in a a bit of synchronicity, the Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend that Calpers Is Sick of Paying Too Much for Private Equity. However, virtually all of this story is old news; you could have gotten all of the substance from our post five months ago, CalPERS Considers Cutting Out Private Equity Firms, Making Direct Investments in Companies, in which we reported on CalPERS past and current interest in reducing its reliance on private equity firms. So its odd to see the Journal taking up this story now.

Our 2016 post discussed at length how the giant public pension fund had considered setting up its own private equity arm in 1999, as some Canadian pension funds have done in recent years. CalPERS hired McKinsey, which gave a host of reasons why not to go there, the two biggest being the difficulty of recruiting and keeping talent and legislative bars to paying state employees incentive fees. But the bigger issue was that staff wasnt keen about the idea. It didnt help that McKinsey in general and the retired partner who curiously delivered the recommendation, former firm managing partner Ron Daniel, had glaring and undisclosed conflicts of interest.3

The news item last November was that CalPERS chief investment officer, Ted Elioupolos, said at a public board meeting that CalPERS was launching a serious study of whether and how to become a more direct private equity investor, meaning reducing its reliance on costly fund manager middlemen. From Pension & Investments write up:

CalPERS Chief Investment Officer Theodore Eliopoulos asked the retirement systems senior private equity staff Monday to explore options to the change the $299.5 billion pension funds private equity program, including cutting out general partners and making private equity investments directly. Other options that will be explored include increasing the number of co-investments and increasing the number of separate accounts with general partners, Mr. Eliopoulos said.

The detail in the Journal story does not add much to what Elioupolos said in public session last year:

Among the options being considered are: buying a private-equity firm or creating a separate company outside Calpers that would make private-equity wagers. Calpers could also choose to act as the sole investor in more customized accounts with outside managers, these people said. In perhaps the biggest shift being reviewed, Calpers also may ask its staff members to make private-equity investments directly.

If you watch the board video below (or use this link here) starting at 1:32:30, you will see Elioupolos lay out all the options that the Journal bizarrely depicts as breaking news. He states that CalPERS is setting up a formal team to look at all the possibilities, including setting up a new company that CalPERS would staff. Eliopoulos names some of the participants and indicated that the project was starting but would really gear up in 2017.

And even though Eliopoulos is a master of speaking in a coded manner, hes fairly direct here, and makes clear that a big impetus for the study is the magnitude of private equity fees, particularly for sought-after funds. Admittedly, there are some new tidbits in the Journal account, like Calpers also is studying an increase in the pension funds $3 billion investment in customized accounts, and that it is soliciting input from other funds that have done more direct investing.4 But they arent all that consequential.

So while its good to see the Journal calling attention to CalPERS skepticism over the need to pay big private equity fees, it would be nice if it has published the story up on some time other than over a big holiday weekend. And it would be even better if the Journal hadnt made it CalPERS sound as if it was acting out of pique, as opposed to making a perfectly rational study of strategic options.

Last week also saw some dodgy defenses of private equitys hefty charges. Yales endowment, which has earned sparking returns due to a outsized helping of successful venture capital funds, went to bat for its managers. From Bloomberg:

Yale University, one of the most-watched and best-performing college endowments, defended the fees it pays to external managers, saying in an annual investment report that a low-cost passive strategy would have shortchanged the Ivy League schools students and faculty.

This is disingenuous. First, the comparison to passive investing is a straw man. The academics that have modeled strategies that yield returns that are generally better than private equity net of fees do so by targeting pubic companies that are the sort private equity would buy, and having rules as to how to rebalance and under what circumstances to sell. The limit on this sort of investing strategy is that if too many investors pursued it, the returns would fall. That makes it a questionable alternative for big public pension funds, but a more viable alternative for endowments, even a large one like Yales.

Second and even more important, Yales results are a big outlier and for a good reason. It made a monster China bet that paid off. Yale claims to have benefitted from intelligence from recent graduates in China. Even so, some storied venture investors like Sequoia are rumored to have launched doggy China funds, so Yale was either lucky or smart, depending on your point of view. By contrast, Larry Summers made an outsized swaps wager at Harvard, investing from the operating budget as well as the endowment, and blew up both.

Third, private equity and venture capital partners among Yale alumi are big donor targets. Even if Yale were to become disappointed with them down the road, one can be sure that nary a bad word would ever be said.

Finally, Dan Primack, who was the most visible private equity beat reporter when he was at Fortune, issued a sorry attack on an effort to rein in fees, including those of private equity, at the North Carolina pension fund from his new home, Axios.

Primack fails to substantiate his thesis:

Bottom line: Fees can indeed be problematic but, in North Carolina, most of the fees are actually tied to strong investment returns. Folwell doesnt seem to connect those dots.

His only evidence?

Performance: The two asset classes that comprise the bulk of fees  real estate and private equity  also are the systems two best performing asset classes (net of fees) over both a three-year and five-year period.

As readers know well by now, and Pew underscored, what counts is risk-adjusted returns, not gross returns. Primack is effectively arguing for measuring investments results via absolute returns. As we discussed in sordid detail in 2015, any finance student would be failed for making that sort of argument, as would anyone taking a professional certification, like a CFA. Primack ought to know better, so he is either not technically competent at his job or shilling for his sources. Neither possibility reflects well on him.

So how has North Carolina done in private equity relative to the investment risk? Unfortunately, North Carolinas own private equity benchmark isnt intended to measure risk-adjusted results. It instead assesses how its investment team has done by measuring results against a mix of private equity indexes (see page 18, Appendix 2, Part B).

However, North Carolina issue its latest investment report within days of when CalPERS released its CIO investment report. That doesnt necessarily mean the private equity measurement periods match up exactly. But the flip side is that CalPERS private equity benchmark has a 1/3 foreign stock component. 5 Given that the US has been in a strong dollar environment, its likely that an all-US benchmark that most public pension funds would use would result in a higher return target. So itt not unreasonable to use CalPERS benchmark as a crude proxy.

Remember that Primack cites North Carolinas supposedly superior private equity (and real estate) results to justify his dont touch that dial position. Over the last three years, the CalPERS private equity benchmark was 10.22%. North Carolinas private equity returns for that time frame fell short at 9.70%. For the last five years, the CalPERS private equity benchmark was 16.38% while North Carolina earned only 9.30%.

As more people look under private equitys hood, the more it becomes obvious that its defenders have only a short list of tired talking points that dont hold up well to scrutiny. Given that there are many people who make a handsome living from the crumbs that fall off private equity plates, its encouraging to see such a powerful industry get a tad defensive.

____

1 One concern is that the study was funded in part by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, which is rabidly hostile to public pension funds. However, the report is judicious and looks analytically solid. Even though someone from the Arnold Foundation was among the reviewers, there more people with public pension fund and private equity experience providing input.

Nevertheless, statements like this, while technically accurate, are frustrating:

In a bid to boost investment returns and diversify investment portfolios, public pension plans in recent decades have shifted funds away from low-risk, xed- income investments such as government and high-grade corporate bonds. During the 1980s and 1990s, plans signi cantly increased their reliance on stocks, also known as equities. And over the past decade, funds have increasingly turned to alternative investments to achieve investment return targets.

We discussed how in 1978, the Department of Labor issued an new interpretation of its rules that allowed pension fund investors to assess risk on a portfolio basis rather than an investment-by-investmetn basis (public pension funds are not required to follow ERISA but virtually all do). That change came about in no small measure as a result of lobbying by the then-in-its-infancy venture capital industry. But it was also seen as being desirable to allow pensions to manage themselves in accordance to modern investment thinking. However, as we detailed in ECONNED, orthodox methods in financial economic understate risk in several significant ways. So following the advice of the experts leads investors to take on more risk than they bargained for. In addition, it is key to remember that public and private pension funds take actions that have been blessed by experts for liability reasons. But complex investments justify higher consultant fees, so it would be against their economic interest to recommend against alternative investments or call for more limited use if their clients wanted to load up.

2 Its perplexing that the study is based on 2014 data (yes, they say this is the most recent they could get, so I wonder if this is a function of difficulty of extracting information from some of the funds included in their data analysis). I also cant tell if the report addressed the fact that public pension funds are are June 30 fiscal years but the ones that report detailed private equity fees and costs like CalPERS do so on a calendar basis because thats how the private equity fund managers report them.

3 A source for our account said he hadnt spoken to the Journal and thought sources at CalPERS could be relying on our account. But our write up could also have led someone at CalPERS to dig up old board meeting transcripts.

4 It may be that the unexpected departure of the head of private equity, Real Desrochers, led the Journal reporters to go sniffing around for a story and this was the best they could come up with. There seems to be two schools of thought which are not mutually exclusive as to why he left. One is that, as will be presented formally at CalPERS board meeting later today, chief investment officer Eliopoulos is proposing to restructure the investment organization and put private equity under global equity investing. That would be tantamount to a demotion for the private equity chief. Desrochers is going to the private equity investing area of the Chinese state bank CIC, which would be risky for anyone but particularly for so a non-Chinese speaker (which I presume is Desrochers status). Desrochers is rumored to be particularly money-oriented and this post presumably has the required hazard comp.

5 67% FTSE U.S. Total Market + 33% FTSE All World ex U.S. + 300 basis points.
The yes vote means the Turkish parliament will be largely sidelined. The prime minister and Cabinet will be abolished, and ministers will be directly appointed by the president and accountable to him. The president also will set the budget.

"For the first time in the history of the republic, we are changing our ruling system through civil politics," he said in a brief address.

Erdogan told cheering supporters outside his official residence in Istanbul that the "yes" camp had secured 25 million votes -- 1.3 million more than those cast by opponents of the sweeping changes. He also said the referendum had ended Turkey's decades-long history of military intervention in government.

With 99 percent of the ballots counted, official Turkish media placed the "yes" vote at more than 51 percent, and the "no" vote at just under 49 percent. The head of Turkey's electoral board later confirmed those results and said official tallies would be released within the next 12 days.

The constitutional amendments also end the official neutrality of the president, allowing him to lead a political party. The president will have the power to dissolve parliament and declare a state of emergency, while enjoying enhanced powers to appoint judges to the high court and constitutional court.

The referendum has divided the nation, with both supporters and opponents arguing that the future of the country is at stake."I voted no," said one man in the Kadikoy district of Istanbul, where voting was brisk earlier Sunday. "There is no such constitution in the world like the one they present to us. It is not republic, it is not democracy, it is nothing. All the power is united in one person. Let's assume this president is a good person, but what about the next one? Anyone can use this power in a very bad way."

The Istanbul Kadikoy district is a traditional stronghold of opponents of Erdogan, who has been in the forefront of campaigning for the change. "I voted for our future. I don't want a one-man regime," another woman said. "Whether it is functioning well or not, we at least have a separate legislative, judiciary and executive powers. I want this system to continue."

But Erdogan supporters were enthusiastic about the proposed constitutional changes. "I voted yes, yes! For the benefit to my country," one voter said.

Erdogan insists the reforms will create a fast and efficient system of governance that will allow Turkey to face the challenges of fighting terror and the slowing economy.

Erdogan cast his vote late in the morning amid heavy security, including police snipers on surrounding buildings in Istanbuls Uskudar district. Speaking to reporters, he said he expected a high turnout in support of the referendum. "I believe that our people will decide for a faster development and even a leap forward. I believe that my people will walk toward the future by making their decision," he said.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, head of the main opposition Republican Peoples Party and leader of the No campaign, stressed the importance of the vote in remarks to supporters and TV cameramen. "We are voting for Turkeys destiny," he declared.

Critics argue the constitutional reforms would usher in an elected dictatorship.

"A one-man regime," is how Kemal Klcdaroglu , leader of the main opposition Republican Peoples Party, described the proposed changes at a rally Saturday in the capital, Ankara, saying the country was in danger. We are putting 80 million [people] on a bus with no brakes," he added.

The referendum campaign has added to the deep polarization already plaguing Turkey. Concerns have been expressed that division could spill over into violence after the result. Ahead of the vote, both Erdogan and Klcdaroglu called on their supporters to respect the result and their opponents.

The narrow margin of victory was expected to attract scrutiny to the conduct of the balloting. Turkey has a long tradition of fair voting, but 'no' campaigners had voiced concern that some of their voting observers have been excluded by authorities.

The OSCE, which is monitoring the vote, said it was closely following up those concerns. In its interim report last week it expressed concerns over reports of intimidation of the 'no' campaigners and the lack of fair access to the media.
'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.
Two mental health services in Tipperary received financial boosts as a result of recent fundraising.

Both the West Tipperary Mental Health Association and Mount Sion Community Residence were the recipients of cheques as a result of a Smiley Pancake Coffee Morning that took place in the Tipperary Community Services Centre and a social fund donated from "The Woolpack Ladies" based at the Tipperary Curtain Shop in Tipperary Town.

The West Tipperary Mental Health Association received a cheque for 700 from the Smiley Pancake Coffee Morning and 400 from The Woolpack Ladies.

Chairperson of West Tipperary Mental Health Association, Martin Quinn, thanked Teresa Hinchey, Tom Fitzgerald, John Allison and the staff of Tipperary Community Services Restaurant for facilitating and serving pancakes at the Smiley Pancake Day on Shrove Tuesday and Dolores Bourke and the "Woolpack Ladies" at the Tipperary Curtain Shop for their fantastic fundraising efforts.

West Tipperary Mental Health Association is led by volunteers and fundraises to organise outings and events for those struggling with mental health issues in the community, said Martin who also thanked Brian "Bocca" Glasheen, for his wonderful talk on addiction and for sharing his own personal story at the Smiley Pancake event and to Margaret Coskeran and Walter Hennessy for their great assistance on the day.

The West Tipperary Mental Health Association is part of Mental Health Ireland's national voluntary organization, which was established in 1966 as the Mental Health Association of Ireland. The Association aims to promote positive mental health and wellbeing to all individuals and to the West Tipperary community.

The Friends of Mount Sion received a cheque for 400 from the "Woolpack Ladies" at the Tipperary Curtain Shop.

We hold a knitting group every Tuesday morning called The Wool Pack and every week the ladies donate their loose coins that are collected over the year and donated to local charities, said Deloras Burke, Proprietor of the Tipperary Curtain Shop facilitates the knitting group. Weve been facilitating the knitting group for three years and with a preference for local charities, this year we donated 400 to Mount Sion and 400 to the West Tipperary Mental Health Association.

Mount Sion Community Residence is a two-storey building in Tipperary Town, which was a former Christian Brothers residence.

It opened in 1997 as a community residence when long stay residents of St. Lukes Psychiatric Hospital, Clonmel moved in. The philosophy of the residence is to provide a proactive service in which the specific needs of each person are assessed and individualised plans of care are implemented in helping each resident along the recovery process. Along with the long stay residents there is one respite bed in occupancy in the residence. The Friends of Mount Sion was set up to provide financial support to enable the residents to enjoy outings, holidays and social and personal development for the residents. Martin Quinn said that Mount Sion was a vital part of the community and he said that the funding would be of great benefit towards the social needs of the residents. There was a wonderful gathering for the presentation ceremony, which was attended by the Friends of Mount Sion and by four residents from Mount Sion plus a member of staff.
The 6th class girls in Our Lady of Mercy Primary school were delighted when Oliver McGrath paid them a special visit recently.

He informed them about his work as a water engineer with Medicines Sans Frontieres in Liberia and Congo. He spoke about the problems with water sanitation and subsequent spread of diseases in developing countries.

The girls enjoyed the question and answer session with Oliver and were interested in finding out more about MSFs work across the globe but most notably in Syria.

They learned about the risks that doctors and nurses face every day when working in this war torn country. The plight of the Syrians holds a special place in the girls hearts and they raised a record 1,820 for MSF by selling handmade decorations and homemade treats at their Christmas market.

Oliver personally congratulated the girls on their hard work, compassion and extreme generosity. The money raised will certainly help to secure emergency medication for the victims of the ongoing Syrian crisis.

Cahir Country Market

The market continues to operate every Friday morning in the Cahir Community hall (near post office) from 9 to 11am in Cahir. However over the Easter it will operate on tomorrow, Holy Thursday (13th April) instead of Good Friday . We have all the usual fresh eggs, cakes, buns, breads, Jams as well as bedding plants, shrubs and vegetables, all locally home produced products. Come along and meet the producers and have the cup of tea & chat afterwards. .

Vincents Easter Raffle

The St. Vincent de Paul Shop on Abbey Street in Cahir is holding their annual Easter Raffle this week. Tickets are still on sale in the shop now priced at 2 per strip or 3 for 5. The Prize is a beautiful, big hamper. The Draw will take place during this week so do pop in and buy a ticket from the shop on Abbey Street.

Donations as well as Mens, Ladies and childrens clothes and household items are most welcome too and can be dropped off anytime to the shop. Your support is much appreciated.

Cahir Weekly Lotto

There was no Jackpot winner for the Draw that took place on last Wednesday the 5th April, 2017. This is a 4 number Draw with numbers picked from 1  32.The Draw was witnessed by Mary ODonnell. The numbers drawn were 2, 13, 19 and 22. The 4 lucky dip winners who each won 25 were Paddy Quinn, Day Care Centre, Margaret McLaughlin, Barnora Crescent, Catherine OGorman, c/o McCarthy Looby Sol., and Mary Myles, Tubrid, Ballylooby.

The next Draw takes place on today, Wednesday 12th April, in the Day Care Centre at 12 noon with results next week.The Jackpot now stands at a massive 13,000!
(Natural News) Flame retardants commonly sprayed in fabric and fillings in furniture were associated with a 74 percent increase in thyroid cancer rates in the U.K. during the last 10 years, a study revealed. Health experts said exposure to this flame retardants through dust might have contributed to the surge in thyroid cancer rates. To assess this, researchers at the Duke University analyzed household dust and blood samples from cancer patients.

Researchers found that patients with thyroid cancer had significantly higher exposure to flame retardants called polybrominated diphenyl ethers compared with healthy controls. Data also showed that cancer patients exhibited higher levels of TCEP, also known as Chlorinated Tris. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers were banned in 2004, while TCEP was banned 16 years ago. (Related: Explore more news about toxic chemicals at Toxins.news.)

The chemicals are released as household dust and enter our bodies on our food and hands, with the highest levels in children, said lead researcher Dr Heather Stapleton in an article published in DailyMail.co.uk. The research team also noted cognitive defects among children exposed to the flame retardants during pregnancy or before the age of four.

The findings were slated for presentation at the International Symposium on Fire Retardants.

More studies link flame retardants to thyroid conditions

The recent research was only one of the many studies that established a link between common flame retardants and thyroid cancer risk.

An analysis of dust samples from the homes of 140 participants showed that people who had high exposure to the flame retardant BDE-209 were twice more likely to develop thyroid cancer compared with those who had lower exposure. Data also showed that participants exposed to high levels of TCEP had a fourfold increased odds of developing larger, more aggressive tumors.

Thyroid cancer is the fastest increasing cancer in the U.S., with most of the increase in new cases being papillary thyroid cancer. Recent studies suggest that environmental factors may, in part, be responsible for this increaseour study results suggest that higher exposure to several flame retardants in the home environment may be associated with the diagnosis and severity of papillary thyroid cancer, potentially explaining some of the observed increase in the incidence of thyroid cancer, said lead researcher Dr. Julie Ann Sosa in an article in UPI.com.

The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in Orlando, Florida.

Another study revealed that women exposed to flame retardants were at an increased risk of suffering thyroid conditions. Researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health pooled data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and found that women exposed to toxic flame retardants were more likely to develop adverse thyroid conditions compared with men. The study also showed that women with the highest blood concentrations of flame retardants were at an increased risk of thyroid problems. Older women had a twofold increased risk of thyroid problems, the researchers added. The findings were published in the journal Environmental Health.

Toxic flame retardants prevalent in U.S. households

American households were found to be filled with toxic flame retardants, research showed. A team of researchers at the Silent Spring Institute and the University of Antwerp in Belgium examined dust samples from 16 California homes in 2006 and 2011, and detected 44 of 49 separate flame retardant chemicals in at least one. The research team also found that at least 50 percent of homes examined contained at least one of 36 specific flame retardant chemicals. A majority of households also contained at least one chemical with levels that surpassed the federal safety standards.

An analysis of polyurethane foam samples also revealed that more than 50 percent of couches in American households contained flame retardants that were either deemed toxic or have never undergone safety testing. Researchers also found that 41 percent contained Tris, while 17 percent contained polybrominated diphenyl ethers.

Both studies were published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Sources:

DailyMail.co.uk

Mirror.co.uk

UPI.com

HSPH. Harvard.edu

NaturalNews.com
Monday, April 17, 2017 by: Vicki Batts Tags: alternative medicine , Lyme disease , North America This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author

(Natural News) Biologists say that 2017 is going to be a big year for Lyme disease, and that the condition could ravage the United States and other parts of North America. The culprit? An explosion in mice populations across the country, but particularly in the Northeast.

But what do mice have to do with Lyme disease? Ticks and deer are what spread the disease, right?

While deer are commonly thought of as the sole bearers of Lyme disease, which then infects ticks feasting on their blood, it appears that a much smaller mammal is capable of doing a lot more damage. Mice are also carriers of the disease, and they are excellent incubators: mice will infect 95 percent of the ticks that feed on them.

Two biologists recently told NPR that they have discovered that mice are actually a primary indicator for future outbreaks of Lyme disease; when mice populations grow larger, the size of the following years Lyme disease pool also grows larger.

At one point in time, Lyme disease was generally seen only in New England, and a small portion of Wisconsin. In fact, the disease is named after Lyme, Connecticut. It is primarily caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorefi and is transmitted to humans via a bite from a black-legged tick. The typical symptoms of Lyme disease include fever, headache, fatigue, and a trademark skin rash known as erythema migrans.

Untreated Lyme disease can spread to the heart, joints, and nervous system. This can lead to drastic consequences such as facial palsy, arthritis with severe pain and swelling, inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, nerve pain and problems with short-term memory.

In the last thirty years, the number of yearly Lyme disease cases has tripled, and the disease has spread across the continental U.S. like wildfire. At least 30,000 people are infected by the bacteria every year, but some health officials think that the true number of affected individuals could be ten times that.

Currently, mainstream medicines only treatment for Lyme disease is antibiotics. Antibiotics need to be administered early in order to effectively clear the bacteria from the body, but some people still go on to develop chronic Lyme disease. Some organizations regard Lyme disease as easy to treat, while others maintain that it is actually quite difficult, due to the fact that many patients continue to have lingering symptoms long after the antibiotics are finished. Though antibiotics are the primary route of treatment, it seems that no single antibiotic is capable of eliminating the bacteria that causes Lyme disease in entirety, and no currently available treatment is immune to failure or relapse.

However, some alternative treatments for Lyme disease have also shown great success, even for those with late-stage Lyme disease.

For example, cannabis could be an effective treatment for the condition. In fact, Dr. Joycelyn Elders, former U.S. Surgeon General, has even shown support for cannabis as a medical treatment. [T]he evidence is overwhelming that marijuana can relieve certain types of pain, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms caused by such illnesses as multiple sclerosis, cancer and AIDS  or by the harsh drugs sometimes used to treat them. And it can do so with remarkable safety. Indeed, marijuana is less toxic than many of the drugs that physicians prescribe every day, Elders said.

Whats even more impressive is that cannabis can be used to both reduce the painful symptoms of Lyme disease, as well as to combat the condition entirely. There are a number of anecdotal stories of people using cannabis or cannabis oil to treat their Lyme disease and relieve their symptoms.

There are many other alternative treatments used for Lyme disease, such as antiviral and antibacterial nutraceuticals, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, along with a number of traditional Chinese medicine techniques.



Sources include:

CNBC.com

CDC.gov

CDC.gov

LymeDisease.org

TheAlternativeDaily.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Dark energy is not so dark anymoreor existent. A new study published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society asserts that the enigmatic dark energy doesnt really exist. For the last two decades, it was believed that 68% of the universe was made from dark energy (in contrast, dark matter makes up 27% of the universe, while ordinary matter only accounts for 5%). This dark energy explained that little something-something that described the motion of stars within galaxies, including the acceleration rate in which the universe expanded. And yes, that phrase was used intentionally: the fact is, astronomers had no real clue what they were seeing or how it influenced the universe.

According to conventional theories of astrophysics, the universe was formed by the Big Bang almost 14 billion years ago. It has been expanding ever since. This is based on Hubbles law, which states that on average, the speed in which a galaxy moves away from us is proportional to its distance. The velocity of this recession can be seen by looking at lines in the spectrum of a galaxy, which shift to red the faster the galaxy is moving away. It is this mathematical model that proved that the universe is expanding and that it began life as a small point. Still, scientists were never able to explain the force that drove the acceleration.

Observations of the explosions of white dwarf stars in binary systems, called Type Ia supernovae in the 1990s, confirmed to scientists that there was a third previously-unknown component to the universe. Astronomers named this component dark energy.

This new study questions these assumptions. Lead author, Ph.D. student Gabor Racz of Eotvos Lorand University in Hungary, says that relying on the conventional models of cosmology ignores the uniform density of matter itself. This is because scientists rely too much on approximations rather than seeing other possibilities.

Co-author of the study, Dr. Laszlo Dobos explains in an article published in ScienceDaily.com, Einsteins equations of general relativity that describe the expansion of the universe are so complex mathematically that for a hundred years no solutions accounting for the effect of cosmic structures have been found. We know from very precise supernova observations that the universe is accelerating, but at the same time we rely on coarse approximations to Einsteins equations which may introduce serious side-effects, such as the need for dark energy, in the models designed to fit the observational data.

The darkness of illusion

Is the universes acceleration just driven by mere variations or inhomogeneities? If the researchers are to be believed, this could explain one of the biggest mysteries in physics with nothing more than the old-familiar general theory of relativity explained by Albert Einstein years ago. Naturally, some researchers remain skeptical. Tom Giblin, a Computational Cosmologist at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio said in an article in ScienceMag.com, I would love if inhomogeneities explained dark energy[but] I dont see any evidence from our simulations to expect it to be as big an effect as they see here.

The issue at hand is that the new study questions computational models that have been used for 20 years. Simply speaking, cosmologists relied on two equations to describe how the universe evolved. One defines how matter coalesces into galaxies, while the other (known as the FriedmannLemaitreRobertsonWalker (FLRW) metric) is based on Einsteins theory of gravity and hopes to explain how much the universe has expanded at any given time. Dark energy models relied on FLRW to explain its function. Needless to say, astronomers have had varying results. This, the new research says, is because FLRW equations apply only to a smooth and homogeneous universe. This is already questionable, considering that general relativity says that mass and energy warp space-time. Thus, in principle, inhomogeneities are more likely to affect the universes expansion rather than calculated simulations.

The new studys computational model on inhomogeneities suggest that studying these vectors are more relevant to understanding the universe than previous research. Still, experts argue for more data. Mainstream cosmology has done such a bad job of solving the dark energy problem that it will likely be some nonmainstream idea like this that does, says Giblin. However, he adds, I dont know if this is the one.

Learn more about the universe and space technology by reading the articles at Space.news.



Sources include:

ScienceDaily.com

ScienceMag.com

Science.NASA.gov
Police in Texas have found an abandoned box filled with baby owls at the City Lake Park in Texas. City of Kaufman Police Department posted on Facebook images of the poor, adorable creatures.

According to the United Press International, the birds were immediately taken to Rogers Wildlife Rehab Center. They were then transferred to the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center, the only state and federally licensed raptor rehabilitation and conservation center in North Texas.

Rogers Wildlife Rehab Center director Kathy Rogers told KXAS-TV (NBC5) that the baby owls, estimated to be two weeks to more than three months old, were "in good health."

Meanwhile, Executive Director Erich Neupert says the baby owls would be released in the next couple of months after treatment and rehabilitation. Neupert added that with a lot of storms lately, more baby birds would be affected. He advised people, who will come across injured baby birds, to not take them at home but surrender them to professionals.

"The biggest issue we have is people try to take baby birds home. A baby bird taken home doesn't learn how to hunt, survive in the wild at all," Neupert said. The owlets found at the park were identified as barn owls.

Barn owls, just like most owl species are nocturnal. Cornell Lab of Ornithology said they are characterized by their ghostly heart-shaped pale face, white chest and belly and their eerie shrieks. They have a long, rounded wings and short tail which they use when they search for prey at night.

Barn owls require large areas of open land when hunting for their prey, which are usually rodents. Their ability to locate prey by sound alone is one of the best compared to other animals.

Although they are currently listed as least concern by IUCN status, barn owls are noticeably declining in parts of their range due to habitat loss. Royal Society of Bird Protection Community noted that barn owl population was adversely affected by organochlorine pesticides such as DDT in the 1950s and 19660s.
Recent observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) revealed that the distant icy object known as 2014 UZ224, or more commonly dubbed as "DeeDee," has enough mass to maintain a spherical shape, qualifying it as a dwarf planet.

The new observations, described in a paper published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, suggest that DeeDee is about 394 miles in diameter. DeeDee is about two-thirds the size of the dwarf planet Ceres located in the asteroid belt.

"Far beyond Pluto is a region surprisingly rich with planetary bodies. Some are quite small but others have sizes to rival Pluto, and could possibly be much larger," said David Gerdes, a scientist at the University of Michigan and lead author of the study, in a press release. "Because these objects are so distant and dim, it's incredibly difficult to even detect them, let alone study them in any detail. ALMA, however, has unique capabilities that enabled us to learn exciting details about these distant worlds."

For their observations, the researchers pointed ALMA to the location of DeeDee. Using the ability of ALMA to detect the heat emitted naturally by cold objects in space, the researchers were able to estimate the diameter of the dwarf planet DeeDee. The heat coming from cold objects in the space is detected in the form of millimeter-wavelength light. Heat signature from a distant object would be directly proportional to its size.

Initially observed using the four-meter Blanco telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, DeeDee is about 92 astronomical units (AU), the average distance between the Sun and Earth, or about 150 million kilometers, from the sun. DeeDee takes over 1,100 years to complete one orbit. Additionally, light from DeeDee takes nearly 13 hours to reach Earth.

With the latest observations of DeeDee, astronomers are now pretty ecstatic about the idea that other undiscovered dwarf planet candidates are lurking at the outer reaches of our solar system still waiting to be found. The researchers also noted that the techniques used to estimate DeeDee's measurements can also be used to help the search for the highly elusive Planet Nine.
Dogs are brave, strong and extremely loyal creatures, so it's no surprise that they're being trained to help save African wildlife who are in constant danger of poachers. Heroic pups have come to play an important role in every anti-poaching initiative, giving the public another reason to love man's best friend.

"Today, almost every anti-poaching unit in South Africa have dogs assisting them in their daily fight against poaching," Paramount Group law enforcement dog trainer of Henry Holsthyzen told ECNS. "The contribution these dogs are making in the field of anti-poaching is phenomenal."

One particularly exceptional dog that's fighting the good fight is Arrow, a German shepherd who is the world's first ever skydiving, anti-poaching dog. He is trained to tandem skydive with Holsthyzen in hopes of improving the response time to poachers in South Africa.

Certainly, more and more dogs are being enlisted to help anti-poaching efforts, particularly across Africa.

According to a report from BBC News, the canines of the Extremus Dog Training in St. Clears have to undergo an extensive 12-month training period in Wales before further training with the organization Animals Saving Animals in Africa.

"I would imagine 99.9 percent of poachers are going to, upon sight of the dogs, instantly give up," Extremus Dog Training director, Darren Priddle, pointed out. "In the interest of their own personal safety it's not going to be beneficial for them to try and outrun one of the anti-poaching dogs. There is no chance a poacher is going to outrun one of these dogs."

These anti-poaching dogs can reach a speed of up to 30mph (50kph) when chasing after a target.

Part of the training also includes familiarizing the dogs to various wildlife like lions, rhinos and giraffes, so they're used to the jungle animals upon arriving in another continent. They're also taught to lead their wardens to poachers as well as detecting gunpowder and weapons by scent.

When performing their duties, the anti-poaching dogs will wear body armor that'll protect them from the poachers. None of Extremus' animals have ever been injured or killed during their anti-poaching operations.
Sri Lankan soldiers and rescue workers raced Sunday to find people trapped after a mountain of garbage came crashing down on homes near the nation's capital.

Military spokesman Roshan Seneviratne said 26 deaths have been reported so far, and military personnel were still searching the site in Meetotamulla, a town outside Colombo. They were speaking to survivors to determine how many were missing, he said.

The mound collapsed Friday evening as people were celebrating the local new year. Major General Sudantha Ranasinghe, who is heading the rescue efforts, said 78 houses were destroyed and more than 150 were damaged.
A 52-year-old man died Sunday morning after a recreational vehicle caught fire in an unincorporated area of San Mateo County known as North Fair Oaks, according to the Menlo Park Fire District.

Fire crews from Menlo Park and Redwood City responded to a report of smoke at 3190 Park Lane about 5:55 a.m. When they arrived, firefighters found the smoke was coming from an RV parked next to the garage behind a gate at the address, fire officials said. The fire was quickly extinguished, and when crews gained access to the RV, they found a man unconscious and in full cardiac arrest in the back of the vehicle, fire officials said.

Firefighter paramedics performed CPR and advanced life-saving techniques at the scene. The man was transported by ambulance to Stanford Hospital, where he later died, fire officials said.

Menlo Park fire investigators determined that an electrical extension cord that was run for power through the driver's door was severely pinched and damaged from constant use and was the likely cause of the fire.
The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office is reminding residents on the Peninsula to lock and secure their homes after a women reported that a mountain lion attacked her dog in Pescadero, California.

Deputies responded early Monday morning to a report of a mountain lion entering a home and snatching a small dog. Vickie Fought told deputies she and her 12-year-old daughter were sleeping in a bedroom with their small dog at the foot of their bed and the back door open a crack.

Fought said they woke up in the middle of the night when their dog, Lenore, started barking.

"That's when I saw what I thought was our bigger dog walking in," Fought said.

Seconds later, Fought said Lenore, a 15-pound Portuguese Podengo, went silent.

Fought said she thought Lenore finally recognized the bigger dog. That was until, Fought added, "I saw the lion walk back out the door."

Fought's bed is about a foot away from the back door. Fought said she did not see the lion's head. However, by the animal's size and walk, she knew exactly why Lenore went silent.

"As it walked down our path, I thought, 'That looks a lot like a lion,'" she said.

Then she saw evidence that confirmed her fears. "Wet, very clear, large paw prints walking in," Fought said, adding that she also saw drops of blood.

The Foughts live in the hills of Pescadero, an area where it is not uncommon to see a mountain lion in the fields near their house. But Fought never expected a mountain lion to walk into their house.

"It's hard to fathom," she said. "It's beyond what we thought."

The Department of Fish and Wildlife were notified of the incident, the sheriff's office said.

On Monday, a state wildlife warden looked for paw prints or any sign of the mountain lion near the property but did not appear to find any evidence other than the blood on the bedroom door.

For mountain lion safety tips, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/Keep-Me-Wild/Lion.

NBC Bay Area's Cheryl Hurd contributed to this report.
Prosecutors have dismissed rape charges against former San Francisco 49er Ray McDonald after the alleged victim refused to testify.

Judge David A. Cena dismissed the felony charges Monday morning in Santa Clara County Superior Court after the accuser's refusal to offer testimony. It is unclear at this point whether the woman received any kind of financial settlement from McDonald.

Despite my best efforts to convince the victim to testify, she refused. That is her legal right. Regretfully, Ray McDonald will not face a jury for what he did that night. We are disappointed that he will not be held responsible, Deputy District Attorney Chris Lamiero said.

A Santa Clara County grand jury in 2015 indicted former San Francisco 49ers lineman Ray McDonald on one count of rape of an intoxicated person. The indictment stemmed from a Dec. 15, 2014 incident that took place after a pool party at McDonald's home in San Jose.McDonald pled not guilty in Sep. 2015.

The San Francisco 49ers released Ray McDonald on Dec. 17, 2014 after San Jose police revealed the defensive lineman was under investigation for an alleged sexual assault.

Police were called to a hospital on Dec. 15 regarding a "possible sexual assault victim" who was receiving treatment. Officers spoke to the woman, and she told them she was "possibly assaulted." The preliminary investigation revealed the alleged suspect to be Ray McDonald, police said.

Court documents detailing sexual assault allegations against McDonald show the woman claims the encounter happened at his home after they drank together at a bar in San Jose and she injured her head in a fall near the player's swimming pool.

If convicted, McDonald would have faced up to eight years in prison.
Ten years after a mentally ill student fatally shot 32 people at Virginia Tech, survivors and families of the slain are returning to campus to honor the lives that were lost that day.

Virginia Tech is holding a series of events Sunday to mark the anniversary of the deadly campus shooting on April 16, 2007. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine was be among the 10,000 to 20,000 people expected at the Blacksburg campus for the solemn occasion.

Kaine, who was governor at the time of the shooting, said he still vividly remembers the horrors of that day, but has also grown close to many of the survivors and the victims' families.

"We're going with a lot of different emotions, but we wouldn't be anywhere else," said Kaine, who is attending the service with his wife, Anne Holton.

The shooting at Virginia Tech was, at the time, the deadliest mass shooting in recent U.S. history. A massacre that claimed 49 lives at an Orlando, Florida, nightclub surpassed it last year. The Virginia Teach shooting forced schools across the country to rethink campus security and reignited the debate over gun control that rages to this day.

On Sunday morning, McAuliffe and his daughter participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at 9:43 a.m. -- the time when Seung-Hui Cho's rampage in Norris Hall began. The Roanoke Times reported that the pair, along with former Virginia Tech President Charles Steger and current President Timothy Sands and his wife, walked around the memorial, stopping at every one of the 32 stones arranged in a semi-circle, each engraved with the name of a victim.

In a speech Sunday afternoon, Kaine said April 16, 2007 remains "the worst day of my life."

Kaine had been governor for a year and a half when the shooting occurred, and said since that day he's kept in touch with many families who lost children, spouses or loved ones in the mass shooting.

Kaine recalled speaking with families as he was leaving the governor's mansion in 2010.

"I remember saying to them, I'll never understand what you lost, because I never lost a child, a spouse, a parent or a sibling,'' he said. "But as somebody who has grown to know the biographies and stories of each of these 32, I begin to have a sense of what the Commonwealth lost, what the country lost, what the world lost on April 16, 2007."

After Kaine's remarks, short biographies of each of the victims were read aloud.

On Sunday evening, students, faculty and visitors gathered for a candlelight vigil. At 11:59 p.m., a candle at the April 16 memorial that was lit at midnight will be extinguished and carried into Burruss Hall. The events were planned by current students over the last 18 months, said Mark Owczarski, a Virginia Tech spokesman.

Leading up the anniversary, the atmosphere on campus has been one of reflection and remembrance, Owczarski said. Most of the current students were in elementary school when the shooting occurred, but understand that the "tragedy is part of Virginia Tech," he said. Counselors have been stationed at commemoration events throughout the weekend to provide support.

"It is together - as a community - that we endure difficult times," Tech President Tim Sands said in a recent email to students and staff.
Vice President Mike Pence made an unannounced visit to the perilous Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea Monday, warning the North not to test America's military strenth, NBC News reported.

"All options are on the table," the vice president said, reiterating that the U.S. or South Korea would not tolerate further nuclear or missile tests from the North.

Pence's remarks come after the North's failed missile launch on Sunday and continuing threats of its nuclear and defense capabilities.

Pence said that the U.S. would achieve its objectives when it comes to the North through "peaceable means or ultimately by whatever means are necessary to protect South Korea and stabilize the region," adding that America stands with the South "100 percent."
President Donald Trump traveled to Wisconsin Tuesday, where he spoke at a local factory and signed an executive order his administration has dubbed "Buy American, Hire American."

Trump toured the facility of big-name tool manufacturer SnapOn Inc. before addressing a crowd. He was introduced by the company's CEO Nicholas Pinchuk, who thanked the president for his support for the company's "makers and fixers."

White House spokesman Sean Spicer had said the president wanted to visit "a company that builds American-made tools with American workers."

Trump opened by thanking officials, including Janesville-native House Speaker Paul Ryan, who is on a congressional trip visiting NATO countries and was not present Tuesday.

Both Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Republican Sen. Ron Johnson joined Trump at SnapOn, as did White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, who attended high school in Kenosha.

"We are about to take bold new steps on my pledge to buy American and hire American," Trump said, echoing a campaign promise he's made several times in the past.

Trump carried Wisconsin in November by under 23,000 votes  less than 1 percentage point  making him the first Republican to win the state since 1984. He campaigned on the promise of returning manufacturing jobs that have been lost in Upper Midwest states.

"Were sending a powerful signal to the world," he added. "Were going to defend our workers, protect our jobs and finally put America first."

Trump then signed an executive order seeking to change the H-1B visa program that allows workers from other countries to enter the United States for employment, largely in the technology industry.

The order directs multiple federal agencies to examine the visa process and make changes to award the visas to the "most-skilled or highest-paid applicants" and ultimately discourage companies from hiring foreign employees over American workers.

The White House says the visa program undercuts American workers by bringing in large numbers of cheaper, foreign workers, driving down wages.

Opponents of Tuesday's executive order, like many in the tech industry, have argued that the H-1B program is needed because it encourages students to stay in the U.S. after getting degrees in high-tech specialties  and companies can't always find enough American workers with the skills they need.

Tuesday's event was Trump's first visit to Wisconsin since being elected, carrying the state by less than 23,000 votes over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Trump currently has only a 41 percent approval rating in the state.

He had planned a trip to Milwaukee earlier this year to deliver a speech on the economy but that trip was ultimately canceled.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is warning guests that hackers may have accessed their payment card information at locations across the country, including 10 in Connecticut.

IHG said it received several reports from credit card companies of unauthorized charges appearing on accounts used at IHG locations. When IHG investigated, it discovered malware used to steal payment card information from cards used at front desks at certain franchise hotel locations. The theft took place between September 29, 2016 and December 29, 2016.

IHG has 12 brands including Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Candlewood Suites, Crowne Plaza, Even, Hotel Indigo, HUALUXE Hotels and Resorts, InterContinental, Kimpton Hotels and Resorts, and Staybridge Suites.

There were 10 Connecticut locations affected by the breach  the Holiday Inn locations in East Hartford, New London, and Norwich, and the Holiday Inn Express locations in Branford, Meriden, Milford, Mystic, Newington, Southington, and Vernon.

IHG said it believes the malware accessed only payment data and that other guest information was not affected. IHG is working with the payment card networks and a cyber-security firm to ensure the malware was properly removed, and to evaluate and enhance security measures. The company has also informed law enforcement.

Anyone who stayed at an affected location is encouraged to review statements for any unauthorized activity and report it immediately to your bank or credit card company. For a full list of affected locations across the country, click here.

United States residents who want more information can contact IHG at 855-330-6367 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, Monday to Friday. Anyone from outside the United States can call 800-290-9989 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, Monday to Friday.
Shelton police have arrested a man accused of setting a house on fire while people were inside.

Michael Karolkowski, 51, of Shelton, faces charges of first-degree arson, first-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree breach of peace, and interfering with an officer.

The charges stem from an investigation into a basement fire at a downtown home Sunday afternoon. The occupants of the home all escaped without injury, police said.

According to police, while crews were responding to the fire scene, they were informed by a resident that there was a man in the area who claimed to have lit the house on fire.

That man, identified as Karolkowski, was found walking on Howe Avenue.

Shelton police, the Shelton Fire Marshalls Office, and the Connecticut State Police Fire Investigation Unit all investigated the fire.

Karolkowski was held on a $250,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Derby Superior Court Monday.
North Korea botched another ballistic missile test on Sunday as it marked the 105th birthday of nation founder Kim Il-sung and ahead of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's visit to Seoul.

The attempted launch came about an hour after a plane carrying Pence took off from an Alaska stopover.

In a massive military parade a day earlier, the North showed off three new ballistic missiles.

The failed launch came at a time of heightened U.S. pressure and warnings that tension with North Korea is "coming to a head," but Pyongyang refrained from another nuclear test despite signs that preparations at its remote test site are complete.

According to South Korean and U.S. military authorities, the missile was fired from Sinpo, South Hamgyong Province around 6:21 a.m. Sunday but its flight lasted just a few seconds. A White House official said. "It wasn't a matter of if, it was a matter of when. The good news is that after five seconds it fizzled out."

What type it was is not known.


Bishop Edward Burns likes the climate in North Texas.

I never could have imagined a warmer welcome, he said.

After serving in Alaska, the 59 year-old Burns also likes the temperature.

I definitely love the weather, he said.

Thats not the only big change. As bishop in Juneau, Burns oversaw a diocese of approximately 12,500 Catholics. In Dallas, the number is 1.3 million.

Its amazing the difference in size, Burns said.

In his short time in Dallas, Bishop Edward Burns has already made his mission clear.

In his short time in Dallas, Burns has already made his mission clear.

There is no mistake about it. We are called to serve the poor, the homeless, the stranger as we would serve Christ himself, he said.

Burns has taken a strong stand in support of immigrants.

I cant speak to how it is people came to this country. But the fact that theyre in our community means that we approach them as either our brother or our sister, Burn said.

Pope Francis named the Most Reverend Edward J. Burns to serve as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Dallas.

He knows that many of them are Spanish-speakers, so he is taking lessons to become fluent.

Its a full-court press, he said.

The new bishop is also committed to tackling a pressing issue for the Church  a lack of priests.

My goal is that the Church continues to grow in pace with the larger community so that we are able to serve them. So do we need priests? Yes, we do, he said.

The Catholic Diocese of Dallas will soon have a new bishop. Rev. Edward Burns will be installed as the Bishop of Dallas February 9, 2017.

Perhaps an even bigger challenge for the Pittsburgh native is swearing allegiance to the Dallas Cowboys after a lifetime of rooting for the Steelers.

I told the people at my announcement, Burns said while laughing, I said in order for the bishop to be in solidarity with his people, yes, I am a Dallas Cowboys fan!

But on Easter Sunday, Burns turns from humor to hope and a centuries-old message for the modern day world.

Sin, evil, suffering and death does not have the last word. Jesus Christ, our Lord, has risen. This is such a powerful message. This is such a powerful day, he said.

The Diocese of Dallas installed a new bishop Thursday afternoon. The Installation Mass of the Bishop Edward J. Burns took place at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe in downtown Dallas.
An Egyptian court on Sunday acquitted Aya Hijazi, a dual U.S.-Egyptian citizen who has been held in detention for nearly three years over accusations related to a non-governmental organization she founded to aid street children.

Authorities arrested Hijazi, her husband and six others in May 2014 on charges of abusing children that were widely dismissed as bogus by human rights groups and senior U.S. officials, who called for her release.

The arrests came as part of a wider clampdown on civil society especially following the military overthrow of an elected Islamist president in 2013. Prosecutors provided little if any evidence to support the allegations.

Several U.S. congressmen have called on Egypt to release Hijazi, and Hillary Clinton reiterated the demand in a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi last September, when she was the Democratic presidential candidate.

This wonderful news was a long time coming, said U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Virginia). I feel a deep sense of joy and relief for Aya, her husband, their colleagues at Belady who were imprisoned, Ayas mother Naglaa, and her sister Alaa and brother Basel. I offer my humble thanks and congratulations today to them and to her many friends who worked so hard to raise the profile of this case and pressure the Egyptian government to gain her freedom."

U.S. President Donald Trump did not publicly mention the case when he welcomed el-Sissi to the White House earlier this month, but a senior White House official had said ahead of the meeting that the case would be addressed.

The court's decision to acquit surprised Hijazi's mother, Naglaa Hosny, who told The Associated Press "we were expecting the worst and hoping for the best."

Hijazi's lawyer, Taher Abol Nasr, said she would likely remain in detention another two to three days while her acquittal is processed. He expects all the defendants to walk free by the end of the week. It was not immediately clear if Hijazi would remain in Egypt.

Hijazi, 30, grew up in Falls Church, Virginia. She received a degree in conflict resolution from George Mason University in 2009, and then returned to her native Egypt.

Along with her husband, Hijazi established a foundation by the name Belady, Arabic for "our nation,'' in 2013 with the aim of providing shelter for street children.

A few months later, authorities raided the foundation's office after a man alleged that his son was missing and blamed it on Belady.

Egyptian authorities have clamped down on civil society, particularly human rights groups and other organizations that receive foreign funding. Such groups played a central role in the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak, and pro-government media often present them as part of a conspiracy to undermine the state.

The authorities also arrested thousands of people in the months following the 2013 overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi, mainly his Islamist supporters but also a number of secular and liberal activists.
A man who was setting up a birthday party for his daughter at a small park in El Monte was shot in the back and police were searching Sunday for the shooter.

The attack happened inside the Baldwin Avenue Mini Park in the 3700 block of Baldwin Avenue around 6 a.m. Saturday, Torrance police Lt. Michael Buckhannon told City News Service.

"He was in the park by himself setting up for his daughter's party when someone shot him," Buckhannon said. "He remains in extremely serious condition after undergoing several surgeries.''

The wounded man -- said to be in his 30s -- was being treated at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center.

No other injuries were reported.

A motive for the shooting was unknown.

"We don't know if it was a gang shooting," Buckhannon said. "I'm not going to say it's not a gang shooting, because it's still under investigation.''

No suspect description was currently available, Buckhannon said.

Anyone with information on this shooting was asked to call the El Monte police at (626) 580-2100 or (626) 580-2110.

Tipsters also can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS.

All tips can be made anonymously.
Police in Cleveland are searching for a man they said posted a video of a killing on Facebook and who claims to have killed other people, authorities said Sunday.

Police have issued an aggravated murder warrant for Steve Stephens, identified by officials as the suspect. Stephens is considered armed and dangerous, according to a Cleveland Police Department statement.

The suspect has been described as a black male with medium complexion, 6-foot-1, 240 lbs and bald with a beard. He was last seen wearing a dark, striped polo shirt.

Stephens is believed to be driving a recently purchased white Ford Fusion with Ohio temporary tag E363630, which may have been switched out, Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said at a news conference Sunday afternoon. Residents of New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Michigan have been asked to be on alert for the suspect.

Williams is urging Stephens to turn himself in and not to "do anymore harm to anybody."

A video was posted Sunday to a Facebook account apparently belonging to Stephens  the user's name is listed as Stevie Steve, and a city representative confirmed it belongs to him. In the video, the man filming walks up to an older man and, after asking him a question, shoots him. The video, which was posted about 2 p.m. ET and was later taken down, was captioned, in part, "Easter day slaughter."

The homicide that's been confirmed took place at 635 E. 93, police said.

The victim has been identified as 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr., but police say they don't know the suspect's motive in choosing the victim.

Several GoFundMe pages have been created to support Godwin's family, but police asked on their behalf that people refrain from contributing to such crowdfunding accounts until an official means of support can be set up.

In other videos posted to the same Facebook page, the man filming discusses the killings.

"I'm at the point where I snapped," the man says in one video. He added that he's killed 13 people.

"And I'm about to keep killing until they catch me," he says.

He says in comments that he's killed 15 people in the area of 105 freeway. The account was last active about 3:30 p.m. ET.

Police have had not confirmed more than one homicide as of Monday morning.

The FBI has joined Cleveland police in search for Stephens, NBC News reported.

Facebook issued a statement stating: This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook. We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety.

A Facebook representative said that the killing was not broadcast live on Facebook, as previously reported. The video was later uploaded, "although, the suspect did go live at one point during the day," the representative said in a statement.

Chief Williams said anyone with information is asked to call 911.
In a rambling video, Steve Stephens said, "I snapped, I just snapped." But as the manhunt dragged on Monday for the man accused of posting Facebook footage of himself killing a retiree, police were unable to explain what set him off.

"Only Steve knows that," Cleveland police Chief Calvin Williams said as authorities posted a $50,000 reward for Stephens' capture in the shooting of Robert Godwin Sr., a 74-year-old former foundry worker.

In the video, Stephens blamed a former girlfriend he had lived with, saying he woke up last week and "couldn't take it anymore." But in a statement Monday, the woman shed little light on what might have gone wrong and said Stephens was good to her and her children.

As for the shooting victim, Godwin appeared to have been selected at random, gunned down while picking up aluminum cans Sunday afternoon after spending Easter with some of his children.

A manhunt that started in Cleveland's gritty east side expanded rapidly into a nationwide search for Stephens, a 37-year-old job counselor who worked with teens and young adults, police said.

"He could be nearby. He could be far away or anywhere in between," FBI agent Stephen Anthony said.

Law enforcement officials said his cellphone signal was last detected on Sunday afternoon in Erie, Pennsylvania, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of Cleveland.

Police reported getting dozens and dozens of tips, and nine schools in Philadelphia were locked down Monday while authorities investigated possible sightings of Stephens. But they said there was no sign he was actually there.

Police also asked New York residents to remain on the look out for Stephens.

Some of those who know Stephens described him as pleasant and kind, while some said he had a gambling problem. He filed for bankruptcy two years ago.

In another video posted to Facebook, Stephens said that he gambled away everything and that he and his girlfriend had planned to marry but didn't, without saying why.

"He got along with everybody, so it's just unbelievable what happened," said Alexis Lee, a friend who saw Stephens last week.

The police chief said: "We are not going to pinpoint a specific thing and say this is what triggered this, because we don't know."

Godwin's daughter said he was killed while collecting cans in a plastic shopping bag.

"Not because he needed the money, it was just something he did," said 52-year-old Debbie Godwin. "That's all he was doing. He wasn't harming anyone."

She said her father, who had 10 children, was a gentle man with nothing mean about him.

In the shooting video, Stephens told Godwin a woman's name and said, "She's the reason that this is about to happen to you." The victim did not seem to recognize the woman's name. The gunman then pointed a weapon at Godwin, who shielded his face with the plastic bag.

The woman Stephens spoke of, Joy Lane, said in a text to CBS that "we had been in a relationship for several years. I am sorry that all of this has happened." She said Stephens was "a nice guy" who was generous to everyone.

The video of the killing was on Facebook for about three hours before it was taken down.

Investigators said that Godwin was the only victim so far linked to Stephens, despite his claim in a separate video on Facebook that he killed more than a dozen people.

Detectives spoke with Stephens on Sunday by cellphone and tried to persuade him to surrender, police said.

Stephens worked at Beech Brook, a social services agency in suburban Cleveland that deals with vulnerable young people. He helped them gain job skills and find employment, said Beech Brook spokeswoman Nancy Kortemeyer.

An extensive background check before he was hired turned up nothing worrisome, she said.

Stephens filed for bankruptcy in January 2015. His attorney at the time, Trent Binger, said Monday that he remembered Stephens discussing gambling problems.

"He was an easy client to deal with," Binger said. "Always respectful to me ... well-mannered."
At the Bay of Pigs monument in Little Havana, the torch is lit and a wreath of flowers is up commemorating those who risked their lives to overthrow the Cuban government more than 50 years ago.

Bombings and air strikes over Cuba took place exactly 56 years ago Monday, when the American backed and financed invasion on the communist island took place.

It was our duty to fight for Cubas independence and freedom, said Jose Andreu, a veteran of that mission who was among the first to reach the beaches of Cuba.

Andreu was 24 years old when he joined Brigade 2506, joining hundreds of other Cuban exiles as they trusted the American government under President John F. Kennedy to help them overthrow dictator Fidel Castro.

The brigade pushed inland and Castros people fought back. Their planes were shot down, ships sunk and within minutes they lost their air cover and supply.

I remember distinctly seeing North American jets go over Cuba, over the battlefield when we were being bombarded by the enemy and not shooting those Cuban pilots down, Andreu said. They were taking photographs, the sense of sadness, frustration, anger and hate you develop in those moments are always with you.

Andreu was jailed and singled out by Castro after the invasion, where he was constantly interrogated  saying it was easy to stick to two or three principles and defend them there as you would have defended them elsewhere.

Almost 1,200 members of Brigade 2506 surrendered, and more than 100 were killed.

Because of us, there were prior movements and after we failed there were still guerrilla fighters in Cuba, said Andreu. So even after feeling hopeless after betrayal we suffered by the American government, they continued fighting. It gives you the best idea of the depth of our feelings.
A new visionary project is moving forward to transform Miamis vibrant Wynwood neighborhood into an international commerce hub that will bring an estimated 20,000 jobs in South Florida.

Newly released captivating animated renderings paint a bustling image of what is being called the MANA Wynwood Americas-Asia Trade Center & International Financial Center.

"Lots of work has been done in Asia and South America in order in order to make this project possible," says Moishe Mana, chairman of the MANA Group. "We are ready to move forward."

The 10 million sq. foot facility will be topped off with world-class showrooms, prime office space, supporting retail, a 400-key luxury hotel, and restaurants and bars to facilitate trade and business between Asia, Latin America, North America, and the Caribbean.

"Our purpose is to take Miami from its historic role as a tourist destination to its next chapter," says Mana.

The state-of-the-art facility will house banks, law firms, advisors and consultants, multinational corporations, small and medium size businesses, and government representatives.

The project will also create an estimated 20,000 direct and indirect jobs in South Florida.

The new renderings, based on designs by award-winning architect Bernard Zyscovich of Zyscovich Architects, offer a modern look to the artsy warehouse district.

The final plan is designed to allow the project to blend with the existing neighborhood with buildings up to 24 stories tall along I-95, stair-stepping down to eight-floor buildings along NW 2nd Avenue.

"Wynwood is where we chose to put this project," says Mana. "Its where business and culture reside side-by-side, in a symbiotic relationship."
What to Know Vice President Mike Pence paid a visit to the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, which is part of a 10-day Asia trip

A growing dependence on opioids has mushroomed into a health crisis, ripping apart communities and straining police and health departments

Actor Gary Sinise is being honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his Emmy Award-winning television career

Get the top headlines of the day in your morning briefing from NBC 4 New York, Monday through Friday. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Pence Visits Demilitarized Zone Between North and South Korea

Vice President Mike Pence paid a visit to the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, part of a 10-day Asia trip, NBC News reported. Pence's trip comes amid turmoil over North Korea's threats to advance its nuclear and defense capabilities, including a failed missile launch. Pence, who is in South Korea to kick off a 10-day trip to Asia, said earlier during an Easter dinner at U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan that the North's latest failed missile launch was "provocation" and that he had spoken to President Donald Trump twice. Pence, whose father was a decorated solider in the Korean War, said "all options are on the table." But despite the North's provocations, U.S. officials have said the United States doesn't intend to use military force.

Supreme Court, With Gorsuch, Set to Hear Church-State Case

Justice Neil Gorsuch's first week on the Supreme Court bench features an important case about the separation of church and state that has its roots on a Midwestern church playground. The outcome could make it easier to use state money to pay for private, religious schooling in many states. The justices will hear a Missouri church's challenge to its exclusion from a state program that provides money to use ground-up tires to cushion playgrounds. Missouri is among roughly three dozen states with constitutions that explicitly prohibit using public money to aid a religious institution, an even higher wall separating government and religion than the U.S. Constitution erects. Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Missouri, says its exclusion is discrimination that violates its religious freedoms under the U.S. Constitution.

Man Wanted After Posting Killing to Facebook, Police Say

Police in Cleveland are searching for a man they said broadcast a killing on Facebook and who claims to have killed other people, authorities said. Police have issued an aggravated murder warrant for Steve Stephens, identified by officials as the suspect. Stephens is considered armed and dangerous, according to a Cleveland Police Department statement. He was last seen wearing a dark, striped polo shirt. The suspect has been described as a black male with medium complexion, 6"1' in height, 240 pounds and he is currently bald with a beard. Stephens is believed to be driving a recently purchased white Ford Fusion with Ohio temporary tag E363630, which may have been switched out, Cleveland police chief Calvin Williams said at a news conference. A video was posted to a Facebook account apparently belonging to Stephens  the user's name is listed as Stevie Steve, and a city representative confirmed it belongs to him. In the video, the man filming walks up to an older man and, after asking him a question, shoots him. The video, which was posted about 2 p.m. and was later taken down, was captioned, in part, "Easter day slaughter."

White House Expecting More Than 21,000 at Trump's 1st Easter Egg Roll

Thousands of children are heading to the White House for its biggest social event of the year: the annual Easter Egg Roll. There had been some hand-wringing over whether President Trump and his wife, Melania, would be able to pull off a successful "egg-stravaganza." Both the president and first lady have been slow to fill White House staff jobs. But a downsized version of the 139-year-old event is kicking off on the South Lawn. The White House is expecting more than 21,000 children and adults to attend the festivities. That's down from the 35,000 people who attended last year. The Martin Family Circus, a six-person family band from Nashville, is set to perform at the event, according to Politico. The first lady tweeted over the weekend that she's looking forward to hosting the Easter Egg Roll. The event was first held in 1878.

Overcoming Opioids: The Quest for Less Addictive Drugs

Vicodin, OxyContin and similar drugs are widely used for bad backs, severe arthritis, damaged nerves and other woes. They work powerfully in brain areas that control pleasure and pain, but the body adapts to them quickly, so people need higher and higher doses to get relief. This growing dependence on opioids has mushroomed into a national health crisis, ripping apart communities and straining police and health departments. Every day, an overdose of prescription opioids or heroin kills 91 people, and legions more are brought back from the brink of death. With some 2 million Americans hooked on these pills, evidence is growing that they're not as good a choice for treating chronic pain as once thought. Drug companies are working on alternatives, but have had little success.

Prince Harry Opens Up About Mental Health After Diana's Died

Prince Harry spoke out about how he dealt with the death of his mother, Princess Diana, NBC News reported. "I buried my head in the sand for many, many years," he said, nearly 20 years after the death of Princess Diana in a Paris car crash. In the interview with the Daily Telegraph, the 32-year-old royal added that he came "very close to a complete breakdown on multiple occasions" because he was unable to deal with his grief. Prince Harry, who was only 12 at the time of his mom's death, only sought counseling in the past few years after his family's encouragement to do so. Prince Harry was promoting his mental health charity Heads Together, which he set up with his brother, Prince William, and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge.

Gary Sinise Receiving Hollywood Star for Acclaimed TV Career

Actor Gary Sinise is being honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his Emmy Award-winning television career. The ceremony, which will be held in front of The Supply Sergeant store on Hollywood Boulevard, will be livestreamed on walkoffame.com. It will feature Walk of Fame honorees Patricia Heaton and Joe Mantegna as emcees, as well as U.S. Air Force Gen. Robin Rand in honor of Sinise's support of the U.S. military. Sinise's star will be the 2,606th on the Walk of Fame. The acclaimed actor is being honored in the television category. His best-known television role was starring as New York Police Department Detective Mac Taylor in the 2004-13 CBS police procedural "CSI: NY." He played that same character in the original series, "CSI:Crime Scene Investigation," as well as the "CSI: Miami" off-shoot. Sinise now stars in another crime drama, "Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders."
What to Know The first of the 20 new boats built for the new NYC Ferry system have arrived

A christening ceremony was held at Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 1

Many of the boats are being named by second-graders; so far, they include "Lunchbox," "McShiny" and "Friendship Express"

The first three of 20 new NYC Ferry boats have arrived, and officials have released the official maps and timetables for the two first routes kicking off next month.

A christening ceremony was held Monday morning for the very first NYC Ferry vessel, nicknamed "Lunchbox" by the second-graders at Bay Ridge's P.S. 170, after it docked at Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Mayor de Blasio also announced new maps and timetables for the Rockaway and East River routes, both kicking off May 1. The South Brooklyn and Astoria routes launch in June and August, and the entire NYC Ferry system will fully launch in 2018.

The one-stop Rockaway-to-Wall Street route will take about an hour, while Astoria to Wall Street, with three stops, will take about 38 minutes, according to officials. Astoria to East 34th will clock in at about 22 minutes, and Bay Ridge to Wall Street, with four stops, will take about 48 minutes. Soundview to Wall Street, with two stops, should be about 43 minutes.

The cost of a single ferry ride will be the same as a subway ride, meaning that the current East River Ferry customers will see fares reduced from $4 in May.

Many of the ferry boats are being named by students at public schools located near the ferry landings, according to WNYC. The names will be displayed on the sides of the ferries and officially registered with the U.S. Coat Guard.

The students at P.S. 170 liked "Lunchbox" because "you can put different foods in a lunch box, and there's different people from different countries in New York," student Jannat Moughal told WNYC. So if you put different people together on a ferry boat, "you make a lunch box."

The boat-naming contest was targeted at second-graders because that's the age they typically learn the history of New York waterways and transportation, as well as immigration and the evolution of New York City, WNYC reports.

Other winning ferry boat names include "Friendship Express" and "McShiny," also from P.S. 170; "Sunset Crossing" from P.S. 971 School of Math, Science and Healthy Living; "Urban Journey" from P.S. 69 Journey Prep; and "Waves of Wonder" from P.S. 15 Roberto Clemente.
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence landed at the U.S. Forces Korea's Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province on Sunday afternoon for a three-day visit to South Korea.

He visited the National Cemetery in Seoul later the same afternoon. Pence then attended an Easter Sunday church service and had dinner with Korean and U.S. military officers and their families in the USFK Yongsan Garrison.

In a dinner speech Pence said his father, a Korean War veteran, was one of the U.S. soldiers stationed here some 60 years ago.
President Donald Trump asserted on Sunday that China was working with the United States on "the North Korea problem," and his vice president told American and South Korea service members that the North's latest "provocation," a failed missile launch shortly before his arrival in Seoul, laid bare they risks they face.

While the North did not conduct a nuclear test, the specter of a potential escalated U.S. response trailed Pence as he began a 10-day trip to Asia amid increasing tensions and heated rhetoric. Trump's national security adviser cited Trump's recent decision to order missile strikes in Syria after a chemical attack blamed on the Assad government as a sign that the president "is clearly comfortable making tough decisions."

But at the same time, H.R. McMaster said, "it's time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully."

In a broadcast interview that aired on Sunday, McMaster said the U.S. would rely on its allies as well as on Chinese leadership to resolve the issues with North Korea. "I mean, North Korea is very vulnerable to pressure from the Chinese," McMaster said on ABC's "This Week."

The bottom line, McMaster said, is to stop the North's weapons development and make the Korean Peninsula nuclear-free: "It's clear that the president is determined not to allow this kind of capability to threaten the United States. And our president will take action that is in the best interest of the American people."

After a two-month policy review, officials settled on a policy dubbed "maximum pressure and engagement," U.S. officials said Friday. The administration's immediate emphasis, the officials said, will be on increasing pressure on Pyongyang with the help of Beijing.

The officials weren't authorized to speak publicly on the results of the policy review and requested anonymity.

Pence will be tasked with explaining the policy in meetings with leaders in South Korea and Japan at the start of his trip, which will also include stops in Indonesia and Australia. He will also aim to reassure allies in South Korea and Japan that the U.S. will take appropriate steps to defend them against North Korean aggression.

Pence was aboard Air Force Two flying over the Bering Sea when a North Korean missile exploded during launch on Sunday, U.S. and South Korean officials said. The high-profile failure came as the North tried to showcase its nuclear and missile capabilities around the birth anniversary of the North's late founder and as a U.S. aircraft carrier neared the Korean Peninsula.

A White House foreign policy adviser traveling with Pence said no U.S. response to the missile launch was expected because there was no need for the U.S. to reinforce the failure. The adviser spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the administration's initial understanding of the launch.

Trump, spending the Easter weekend at his Florida resort, reinforced his commitment to the armed forces under his control. "Our military is building and is rapidly becoming stronger than ever before," he tweeted.

More directly on North Korea, the president returned to a theme of placing much onus on China for reining in the North. Last week, he said he would not declare China a currency manipulator, pulling back from a campaign promise, as he looks for help from Beijing, which is the North's dominant trade partner.

"Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem? We will see what happens!" Trump tweeted on Sunday.

Into this tense environment, Pence made his first trip to the region since taking office in January. After arriving in the South Korean capital, he placed a wreath at Seoul National Cemetery and then worshipped with military personnel at an Easter church service at the U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan.

During a fellowship meal after the services, he said the tensions on the Korean peninsula had put into sharp focus the importance of the joint U.S.-South Korean mission.

"This morning's provocation from the North is just the latest reminder of the risks each one of you face every day in the defense of the freedom of the people of South Korea and the defense of America in this part of the world," said Pence. "Your willingness to step forward, to serve, to stand firm without fear, inspires the nation and inspires the world."

Along with the deployment of the U.S. aircraft carrier and other vessels into waters off the Korean Peninsula, thousands of U.S. and South Korean troops, tanks and other weaponry were deployed last month in their biggest joint military exercises. That led North Korea to issue routine threats of attacks on its rivals if they show signs of aggression.

The White House foreign policy adviser traveling with Pence told reporters that the type of missile that North Korea tried to fire on Sunday was medium-range, and that it exploded about 4 to 5 seconds after it was launched.

The North regularly launches short-range missiles, but is also developing mid-range and long-range missiles meant to target U.S. troops in Asia and, eventually, the U.S. mainland.

The failed launch will sting in Pyongyang because it came a day after one of the biggest North Korean propaganda events of the year celebrations of the 105th birthday of late North Korea founder Kim Il Sung, the current leader's grandfather.

According to the White House adviser, the test had been expected and the U.S. had good intelligence both before and after the launch. The official said, without elaborating, that had it been a nuclear test, "other actions would have been taken by the U.S."

North Korea has conducted five nuclear tests, including two last year. Recent satellite imagery suggests the country could conduct another underground nuclear test at any time.
Authorities say a 15-year-old boy has been injured in a shooting that occured Sunday night in Edgemoor, Delaware.

New Castle County Police said in a release Monday that officers were called to the scene on the block of South Pennewell Drive on Sunday night for a report of a shooting just before 11 p.m.

Officers found the teen with an apparent gunshot wound and administered first aid. The teen was taken to an area hospital, where police say he was treated for injuries that aren't considered life-threatening.

Police say they investigation into the shooting is continuing.

If you have any information on the incident, you are asked to contact New Castle County Police at 302-573-2800. You can also submit a tip vio their website or call Crime Stoppers at 800-TIP-333.

Police say a reward of up to $20,000 is available to anyone who provides information leading up to the arrest or conviction of those responsible.
Police in Florida arrested a 19-year-old wanted in the shooting of a 13-year-old boy through the bedroom window of his eastern Pennsylvania home last week.

Pennsylvania state police in Berks County said 19-year-old Matthew Hale of Hereford Township was charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons charges following the shooting along Stauffer Road on Friday night.

Authorities said the 13-year-old boy and two friends were in his bedroom when a car pulled into the driveway and a man came to the window and punched the screen in, yelling obscenities. The two friends ran but heard loud bangs and gunshots and then the victim screaming. He was critically injured. Police said another relative reported receiving a message on social media that said "We Even."

An arrest warrant was issued for Hale.

On Sunday night, the Brevard County Sheriff's Office charged him with drug counts after an arrest in Melbourne, Florida -- that's more than 1,000 miles from Berks County. Police didn't immediately reveal how Hale got to Florida. No word yet on when extradition could occur.

Court documents don't list a defense attorney who could respond to the charges.

[NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More
Four people were killed and 16 others hurt in a series of shootings that plagued Philadelphia over the warm Easter holiday weekend.

"Summertime is coming, warm weather today, we get shootings that peak and valley during the warm weather," Philadelphia police Capt. Jamill Taylor said early Sunday at the scene of a homicide at 62nd Street and Woodland Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia.

An unidentified 27-year-old man died outside Lounge 62 around 2 a.m. as a large crowd gathered, investigators said.

The gunfire continued Monday morning as a gunman shot and killed a 34-year-old man along E Clementine Street in Kensington around 5:45 a.m, police said.

Earlier Monday, around 1 a.m., a triple shooting at Wingohocking and D streets in the city's Feltonville neighborhood left two men and a woman in stable condition at Temple University hospital, police said. Witnesses two men were arguing prior to gunfire ringing out, investigators said.

"We have enough police out here to respond," Taylor said.

Shooting investigators were hard at work Sunday as a gunman shot a 24-year-old woman in the chest along the 3200 block of F Street in Kensington around 1:20 a.m. Easter Sunday. She died a short time later at Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia Police said.

Around 2 a.m. Sunday, gunfire rang out at the Roxxy Nightclub along N Delaware Avenue leaving a 26-year-old man shot in the leg, police said.

A series of shootings plagued Philadelphia overnight as a woman died in Kensington and a man was shot in a Delaware Avenue nightclub.

Around 11 a.m. Sunday, gunfire struck a 23-year-old man and 63-year-old man along the 5400 block of Chester Avenue in the Kingsessing neighborhood. Doctors listed both men in stable condition, police said.

Sunday night around 5, a shooting on S 6th Street near Porter Street in South Philadelphia left a 29-year-old man in stable condition, police said.

The bloodshed Sunday continued after a string of shootings Saturday.

Around 10:30 p.m. Saturday, a shooting along the 100 block of Hansburry Street in Germantown left a blood trail along the sidewalk and left a 37-year-old man hospitalized, police said.

Around 3 in the afternoon Saturday, a gunman killed a 23-year-old man along the 5500 block of Warrington Avenue in the Kingsessing neighborhood, police said.

Saturday night around 8:15, a shooting along Hope Street near Somerset Street in North Philadelphia left two 28-year-old men in critical condition and a 24-year-old man in stable condition, police said.

[NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More

On Saturday morning around 9, a shooting on Girard Avenue near 62nd Street in West Philadelphia left a 19-year-old in stable condition, police said.

And, on Saturday around 12:30 a.m., a quadruple shooting along Hammond Avenue near Nedro Avenue in Olney left four teenagers -- males between the ages of 16 and 18 -- hurt, police said.

Police continued Monday morning to search for the shooters in each case. It was unclear if any of the shootings could be related.
The number of militants killed in an attack by the largest non-nuclear weapon ever used in combat by the U.S. military has risen to 94, an Afghan official said Saturday.

Ataullah Khogyani, spokesman for the provincial governor in Nangarhar, said the number of Islamic State group dead was up from the 36 reported a day earlier. A Ministry of Defense official had said Friday the number of dead could rise as officials assessed the bomb site in Achin district.

"Fortunately there is no report of civilians being killed in the attack," Khogyani said.

The increased death toll in Nangarhar was announced as officials in southern Helmand province reported at least 11 civilians were killed and one wounded in two roadside bomb blasts overnight.

The U.S. attack on a tunnel complex in remote eastern Nangarhar province near the Pakistan border killed at least four IS group leaders, Khogyani said. He said a clearance operation to assess the site of the attack was continuing.

The strike using the Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, or MOAB, was carried out Thursday against an Islamic State group tunnel complex carved into the mountains that Afghan forces had tried to assault repeatedly in recent weeks in fierce fighting in Nangarhar province.

Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai on Saturday criticized both the Afghan and U.S. governments for the attack in Nangarhar. Addressing a gathering in capital Kabul, Karzai said that allowing the U.S. to carry out the bombing was "a national treason" and an insult to Afghanistan.

Current President Ashraf Ghani's office said Friday there was "close coordination" between the U.S. military and the Afghan government on the operation, and they were careful to prevent any civilian casualties.

The U.S. estimates 600-800 IS fighters are in Afghanistan, mostly in Nangarhar. The U.S. has concentrated on fighting them while also supporting Afghan forces against the Taliban. The U.S. has more than 8,000 US troops in Afghanistan, training local forces and conducting counterterrorism operations.

In Helmand province, at least 11 civilians were killed and one wounded in two roadside bomb blasts late Friday evening, said Omar Zwak, spokesman for the provincial governor.

"All victims of the attack were innocent civilians including women and children," said Zwak. The 11 died in a blast in Nawa district when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb. Another person was wounded when a second bomb exploded in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand, he said.

Also on Saturday, Khogyani said a district leader and three others were wounded when their vehicle was targeted by a bomb. One of the wounded was Ghalib Mujahid, Bati Kot district chief, he said.

"The district chief and others are out of danger and are not in life-threatening condition," he said.

Last November, Mujahid was attacked by a sticky bomb attached to the vehicle and he was wounded and his driver was killed.
Amid evidence of a failed missile test in North Korea, Sen. John McCain said Sunday morning that "this could be the first test, real test, of the Trump presidency," NBC News reported.

McCain, R-Ariz., said on "Meet the Press" that China's "control over the North Korean economy" will be key in how the world addresses rising tensions with the dictatorship.

"It may be part of the overall new relationship, but China is the key," McCain told Chuck Todd.

North Korea's attempted missile launch failed "almost immediately, U.S military officials told NBC News, but McCain said tensions with the country are nevertheless "very serious."
A thumbs-up and a high-five from Nolan Brandy are small gestures that hold so much meaning for the parents of the 9-year-old boy shot this week at his Southern California elementary school.

After a painful and difficult week, Rachel and Leon Brandy said their only son  the youngest of their three children  is doing better than expected but still not talking about the shooting that killed his teacher, 53-year-old Karen Smith, and his classmate and friend, Jonathan Martinez, at North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino.

"He just kind of ignored questions about what happened," Leon Brandy told NBC4. "I don't think it's sunk in yet."

Nolan suffered a gunshot wound to the upper body that left him with a broken rib and injuries to his abdomen, liver and kidney.

He left the hospital Friday and is home recovering. Doctors said he could be ready to return to school later this month.

His mother Rachel, a parent volunteer at the school, said she was friends with Smith and Martinez. She's still struggling with her emotions surrounding their death and her relief at her son's recovery.

Rachel vividly recalls the terror and anxiety she and other parents felt waiting for news of their children: "I'm in the gym with all the other parents and they call his name and I thought, 'OK, my son is right outside the gym doors, we're going to be reunited and go home.' And that's when they said it to me, 'Your son's been shot we're going to Loma Linda.'"

The Brandys said they are grateful for all the support and well wishes they have received from around the world. Rachel hopes time and prayers will help with emotional healing.

"All those parents out there, we can do this," she said. "North Park is strong and we will continue to be strong."

Nolan added a "thank you" of his own.
The only real threat when it comes to North Korea following the country's recent missile launch - which exploded almost immediately - is the situation spiraling out of control, a San Diego State University (SDSU) professor and expert said.

"In terms of imminent threat, I really dont see it that way," said SDSU Public Affairs Professor Ric Epps.

Epps, who has been following the conflict closely, said the failed launch was likely not planned, and probably an embarrassment to the country's leaders.

The launch concerned some Americans, Epps said, but the move was likely a way for the country to show off its power than an actual threat, which he said could have serious consequences for the country.

But Epps views the exploding missile, which was launched Sunday North Korea time, as a veiled threat, not an actual threat. Tensions always rise and fall at certain times, Epps said.

The test was carried out just hours after a large North Korean parade celebrating the birthday of the countrys founder (Kim Jong-uns grandfather) that showcased the state's military might.

It is believed they used a medium-range or submarine launched ballistic missile. U.S. officials confirmed to NBC News that they detected the launch, and tracked it as it blew up almost immediately.

"It certainly does give people a moment of pause. But I think its one of these things, its just their way of trying to show their capacity  its like a deterrent to the west, a message," Epps said, adding that he certainly believed the launch was a foreign policy concern.

There is a chance the situation could escalate, he said, depending on who flinches and who reacts.

"It doesnt mean it cant happen it doesnt mean you cant escalate, things cant escalate out of your control, and all of a sudden you have a bigger problem," he said. "But that means that, it requires, the United States also being very careful in how we conduct our operations there."

One way it could escalate, Epps said, is through what he called a security dilemma. Both sides involved start to escalate the arms race to counter each other, trying to avoid war, but in the quest to avoid each other, one ends up shooting first in the tension. The countries end up in an intended war, he explained.

The only real threat is it going out of control, Epps said of the increased international tension. You [need to] have both leaders understanding the context and the dynamic."

Epps said the Cuban Missile Crisis was a good example of that.

"You know you have the right players with Kennedy and Khrushchev in place to avoid a nuclear war, he explained. If you had the wrong people in place, you could easily wind up in a much more problematic scenario.

An administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to NBC News, said if it had been a nuclear test the U.S. would have taken other action.

In a statement, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Trump and his military team "are aware of North Korea's most recent unsuccessful missile launch. The president has no further comment."

In the past, North Korea has conducted five nuclear tests, including two last year.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's sister Yo-jong was repeatedly shown in the state media orchestrating the celebrations of nation founder Kim Il-sung's 105th birthday on Saturday. Kim Yo-jong was spotted accompanying her brother to official functions last year but stayed largely out of the limelight this year. Dressed in a black suit, Kim Yo-jong, who is officially a vice director of the Workers Party's Propaganda and Agitation Department, stood next to ceremonial head of state Kim Yong-nam to greet her brother as he entered the main venue.

Kim Yo-jong holds a booklet for her brother Kim Jong-un during celebrations of nation founder Kim Il-sung's 105th birthday on Saturday in this video grab from [North] Korean Central TV.

She was then seen bustling about in the background as the camera focused on key officials, holding a booklet next to Kim Jong-il as the military parade began, apparently explaining to him the order of events of the ceremony, walking behind as he exited the ceremony and whispering something to top apparatchik Choe Ryong-hae. She was also seen signaling orders to bodyguards during last week's ceremony marking the opening of Ryomyong Street, an avenue of glitzy high-rise apartments in Pyongyang, and being handed a bouquet of flowers. "This shows that Kim Yo-jong is a key official who's responsible for major protocol and security for Kim Jong-un," a researcher at a think tank here said.

Kim Won-hong in June last year (left) and during celebrations of nation founder Kim Il-sung's 105th birthday on Saturday.

Another North Korean official who has come to prominence is former State Security Minister Kim Won-hong, who was believed to have been sacked early this year. He is so skinny that his uniform hangs on him, but he sported the insignia of a four-star general and stood next to Choe Pu-il, head of the Ministry of Public Security, which suggests that he has been reinstated after some grueling re-education. Earlier, the government here said Kim Won-hong had been fired for corruption and demoted to the rank of major general.

Read this article in Korean
A man who barricaded himself inside his Virginia home with his two young children for more than 17 hours has been taken into custody, Fairfax County police said.

Police said the man was taken into custody just after 1 p.m. Monday, more than 17 hours after the barricade situation began.

Officers were called to the home in the 8600 block of Thomas J. Stockton Parkway in the Alexandria section of Fairfax County at 8 p.m. Sunday for a welfare check, after a friend of the man became concerned after talking to him on the phone.

Police said the man was having a mental health crisis, and officers had paperwork authorizing them to take the man into custody for an evaluation. But the man refused to leave the home when they arrived.

Police said his two children, ages 4 and 8, were also inside the home during the incident.

The children safely left the home shortly after 1 p.m. Monday, but the man remained uncooperative and started going out of and back into the house, Fairfax County Police said.

My Vernon district: Barricade at home near Culpeper Rd/Londonderry Rd. Man experiencing mental crisis. Officers in area. pic.twitter.com/Fs11NeBqAP  Fairfax Co. Police (@fairfaxpolice) April 17, 2017

The last time he left the house, an officer used a stun gun on him, police said. The man was taken into custody and was also taken to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment.

No one else was injured in the incident.

The man did not made any threats toward his children during the incident, according to police.
Prince George's County police are working to identify a woman killed in Forestville, Maryland, Sunday morning.

Officers were called to the 3300 block of Springdale Avenue about 8:25 a.m. to help a woman who had been stabbed. The victim knocked on a resident's door and collapsed in the yard, police said.

The victim died at the hospital a short time later, police said.

Investigators are working to identify the victim so that her relatives can be notified of her death, but they have failed to identify her through various forensic methods.

Prince George's County Police

Police released a composite sketch of the victim and photos of her clothing.

Her name will be released once her family is located.

Police are also still establishing a suspect and motive.

Anyone with information that can help police is asked to call 301-772-4925.
Massachusetts is trying to solve an economic puzzle.

Unemployment is low and the economy is humming along, but tax revenues are sluggish and lawmakers are struggling to balance the state budget.

It's not supposed to work this way.

In another recent boom during the late 1990s, the state's economy was also buzzing. But back then, the boom was felt on Beacon Hill, too, which found state coffers flush with cash. Taxes were trimmed as officials strived to shed its "Taxachusetts" nickname that was scaring many businesses away.

Now? Revenues can't seem to keep pace with spending, leading to chronic shortfalls in a $40 billion budget that the state's constitution requires to be balanced.

There's plenty of disagreement over whether the state needs to raise taxes, or tighten its belt and cut spending. But nearly all agree there's a problem.

In March, state tax collections fell about $81 million, or 3.4 percent, below projections for the month, and it wasn't just a blip. Overall, tax revenues are $220 million - or 1.2 percent - below benchmark with just three months left in the current fiscal year.

Democratic Senate President Stan Rosenberg says it's been years since Massachusetts could balance its budget without resorting to what he called "gimmicks" and "Band-Aids."

A big part of the problem, according to Rosenberg and others, is that Massachusetts is trying to apply a 20th century tax code to a 21st century economy - an economy based increasingly on internet sales and services and less on struggling brick-and-mortar stores.

Rosenberg told reporters this week that while there's no outcry for a new sales tax on services, that discussion should be in the mix.

"The service area is very wide and deep and so it doesn't mean that just because you're talking about a service tax that you're looking at taxing everything under the sun," he said. "But a service tax is in place in a substantial number of states and we ought to take a look at it and see if it works for us."

Democratic leaders in the House are more reluctant to raise taxes.

They released a budget plan this past week with no broad-based tax hikes and even passed on a proposal by Republican Gov. Charlie Baker to apply the state's hotel tax to online lodging services such as Airbnb.

House Ways and Means Committee chairman Brian Dempsey noted that while the Legislature backed modest tax increases in 2011 and again in 2013, "It's never easy to get a package through."

Dempsey, a Haverhill Democrat, said the House would take a wait-and-see approach as the budget winds its way through the legislative process.

Baker's stance against any broad-based tax increases also remains unchanged.

Some Democrats are pinning their hopes on a so-called "millionaire tax" ballot question that could go before Massachusetts voters next year and, if passed, generate nearly $2 billion for transportation and education.

Under the proposal, individuals with annual incomes above $1 million would be subject to 4 percent surtax on any income over $1 million.

Noah Berger, president of the independent Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, said there are no simple solutions. He said taxing services may sound like one option, but one of the largest providers of services is the health care sector, and there would likely be little political appetite for taxing health services. He backs the millionaire tax but doesn't think it would fully solve a problem that has been developing over two," Berger said.

Jim Stergios, executive director of the conservative-leaning Pioneer Institute, said the problem isn't how much revenue the state is collecting, but how much it's spending. He said since 2000, growth in the state budget has outpaced household income growth.

Take the state's Medicaid budget, which has doubled in the past decade and consumes more than 40 percent of the entire state budget.

"The state has blown a gasket on health care spending," he said.
Authorities are looking for the suspect wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of a man in Bangor, Maine.

Police responded around 3 p.m. Sunday to reports of a shooting on Ohio Street. Authorities say one person was found shot at a home.

The victim, later identified as Terrance Durel, 36, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was taken to a local hospital where he later died of his injuries.

Police said on Monday an arrest warrant had been issued for Antoinne J. Bethea, 41, in connection with the shooting.

Anyone with information on Bethea's whereabouts is asked to contact the Bangor Police Department at 207-947-7384.
Police in Lynn, Massachusetts, say two men were shot on Sunday afternoon and one died from his injuries.

The shooting occurred at approximately 3:10 p.m. in front of 25 Exchange St.

One victim, Leonardo Clement, 46, of Lynn, was transported to North Shore Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Another unidentified man, 41, was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital and is in stable condition.

Police say no arrests have been made and a suspect has not been identified.
Police are still searching for the driver who fatally struck a 4-year-old boy and kept going on Sunday in Milford, Massachusetts.

To know he is gone, its just really hard, says Raquel Tacuri, a cousin of the victim.

Jhonthan Loja was attending an Easter BBQ when he was killed on Water Street. His family told NBC Boston that he was inside a fenced in area playing when somehow he made it outside and onto the street. Seconds later, he was struck and killed.

He knew because they said that once he hit him, a couple of feet up, he stopped and once he didnt see the child got up, he kept driving, says Tacuri, referring to the hit-and-run driver.

Police initially said a red Scion was captured on surveillance cameras from a nearby gas station, identifying it as the vehicle that struck the boy. However, they announced Tuesday that they do not believe that vehicle was involved, but that they would like to speak with the occupants to determine whether they saw Loja in the area.

The person who hit the child must have been scared of something. Maybe he didnt have a license or something. But regardless, its devastating and unacceptable, said Nathalia Teixeira, who lives several blocks away from where the accident happened.

Meanwhile, family members have started building a memorial at the spot where the child was killed.

He loved riding his bike. He loved his ninja turtles, Tacuri told NBC Bostons Jason Frazer. His smile was so contagious.

Neighbors we spoke with said Water Street is notorious for speeders.

Maybe they should put a light in or a couple of lights in, said neighbor Angela Lancia.

Police havent released any other details regarding the vehicle the suspect was driving. But Lojas family has a message for the driver.

We need justice. And youre going to give it to us, said Tacuri. Please turn yourself in. This little boy didnt deserve to die.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been set. To help Loja's family with the expenses, click here for their GoFundMe page.
A neighbor of the Worcester, Massachusetts, man accused of killing jogger Vanessa Marcotte in Princeton, spoke out on Monday.

Angelo Colon Ortiz, 31, was taken in custody Friday night inside his Woodland Street apartment after providing DNA evidence to investigators.

"He does live downstairs with his wife," said neighbor Locksann Mateo. "I know he has a couple of kids."

Mateo said Ortiz moved into the apartment right below her about six months ago, and they've never had a problem. Authorities say Ortiz is now the suspect in the August 2016 murder of 27-year-old Marcotte. Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early said it still remains unclear if they knew each other.

"He was working and was in the area at about the time of Vanessa's disappearance," said Early.

Massachusetts State Police said Ortiz is not an undocumented immigrant.

Marcotte, a Google employee and Boston University graduate went missing after a jog in Princeton last summer during a family visit. Her body was eventually found in the woods near her mothers house.

The district attorney said the DNA evidence on Marcottes hands are what linked Ortiz to the crime.

"I just feel very relieved," said Princeton resident Elizabeth Laroux, who lives next to Marcotte's mother.

Laroux says shes looking forward to Tuesday's arraignment.

"I want to see his face. I don't know why," said Laroux.

Ortiz is facing charges including aggravated assault with intent to rape. The district attorney's office says a murder charge will soon be filed.

While Mateo says she wants justice for Marcotte, she also feels for Ortiz's family.

"This family downstairs is also going through something they shouldn't be going through," Mateo said.

Oritz is being held on a $10 million bond at the Massachusetts State Police Barracks in Millbury until his arraignment Tuesday in Leominster District Court.
The police chief in Lawrence, Massachusetts, held an emergency meeting Monday in response to a string of violent crimes in the city.

Chief James Fitzpatrick said the meeting involving his operational captains and representatives from the Massachusetts State Police Crime Prevention and Control comes after 10 incidents so far in April where shots were fired.

"This is an unusually high number of calls for services involving this type of activity," Fitzpatrick said.

He said his department has taken steps to curb the violence, but they have not had a lasting effect.

"We need to get everyone in the room and reevaluate our tactics. Although we have made arrests for some of these crimes and have identified a suspect in the most recent homicide, we need to do better," Fitzpatrick said.

He's also asking for a special federal prosecutor to focus on Lawrence gun crime to scare gun-toting criminals.

"These felons in possessions of firearms can face much stiffer sentences at the federal level than we can give them at the state level." said Fitzpatrick.

Lawrence Mayor Daniel Rivera also issued a statement Monday on the recent spate of shootings.

"On the holiest of days we experienced yet another shooting and homicide in our City," he said. "This incident makes it 9 shootings in 6 days and 2 homicides in 3 days for a total of 6 homicides for the year... These facts are both alarming and a trend that is unacceptable."

Two people were shot and killed and a third person injured in two separate shootings in Lawrence over the weekend. The first shooting occurred early Saturday morning near a Burger King on Broadway and Concord Street. The second was around 8 p.m. across the street from La Cava Bar on Union Street.

Police said they believe much of the recent violence is related to drug sales and domestic violence.

Rivera specifically cited the ongoing opioid crisis, the proliferation of illegal guns and "Out of towners acting out in Lawrence."

Lawrence police have already increased their presence in areas where violence is known to occur - bars, clubs, restaurants and neighborhood parties - four nights a week and are planning to add a fifth night given the recent spate of violence. In addition, Fitzpatrick said the Essex County Sheriff's Department will be providing additional resources in the coming weeks in the form of two full-time sheriff's deputies to help capture some of the city's most violent fugitives.

Rattled residents are hoping to see some improvement from the surge in violence.

"Its worrisome for citizens of Lawrence that when the sun goes down, you stay inside," said long-time resident Arlene Garcia. "We might as well have, you know, a curfew."

Rivera said Fitzpatrick is also calling for a special prosecutor to oversee all serious violent crimes committed in Lawrence. And the mayor said he plans to work with the City Council to determine if the city needs to hire additional police officers, and to require any liquor-selling establishment with a DJ or live entertainment that is open past midnight to have a detail from dusk to close.

"Chief Fitzpatrick and I and the men and women of the Lawrence Police Department have been hard at work dealing with the increase in violence, the immediate crimes and also how to be more proactive," Rivera said. "There is nothing easy about these problems nor are there any easy solutions."
Beijing and Pyongyang are in secret talks about the North's nuclear weapons program, reports said last week.

NBC on Thursday quoted a U.S. government source as saying that China sent its "top nuclear negotiators" to Pyongyang to "communicate the gravity of the situation to the North."

Taiwan's Central News Agency on Sunday quoted Hong Kong military analyst Liang Guoliang as saying China is trying to resolve the North Korean nuclear impasse through diplomatic channels with the North. He said North Korea demanded a three-year deadline to scrap its nuclear weapons in exchange for economic assistance and security guarantees from China.

But the reports were not officially confirmed, and a diplomatic source in Beijing said, "We're trying to verify the reports, but they don't seem to fit with the current atmosphere between China and North Korea."

Beijing seems to be getting tougher on North Korea. Chinese media reported that major travel agencies have stopped selling package tours to North Korea, and a search on Ctrip, the largest online travel agency in China, confirms that.

Tourism revenues from Chinese visitors have been a vital source of hard currency for the impoverished North. Ctrip sold four-day trips to the North until Saturday but now a message comes up saying they are unavailable.

Other major Chinese online travel agencies also scrapped North Korea tours. One travel agency staffer said, "It seems the order was given to show that China is raising the pressure on North Korea."

Earlier, state-run broadcaster CCTV reported that Air China stops flights from Beijing to Pyongyang on Monday.

Meanwhile, Xinhua reported that State Councilor Yang Jiechi, China's top diplomat, spoke on the telephone with U.S. State Secretary Rex Tillerson on Sunday to discuss the situation on the Korean Peninsula.


Software-defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) technology promises enterprises true transport independence and flexibility. SD-WAN adopters can turn to any transport protocol -- 3G, 4G LTE, MPLS, Internet or Wi-Fi -- to provide the best cost and performance benefits for specific applications.

IDC last year predicted that the SD-WAN market could reach $6 billion by 2020, fueled by its efficiencies and cost savings. Yet many organizations continue to avoid the technology, fearing that deployment issues will create new headaches in performance, reliability, security, staff training and other key areas.

John Shaffer, CIO at Greenhill & Co., a New York-based global investment bank, says that such fears are generally unwarranted. "I found it to be one of the most painless experiences that you could ever have," he says.

Like many SD-WAN adopters, Greenhill turned to the technology to solve a specific problem. For Greenhill, the issue was MPLS connectivity snags at some of its overseas branch offices. "SD-WAN began as a backup and then we started to realize this really can be the primary approach; you can leverage MPLS into your overall SD-WAN adoption," Shaffer says.

Shaffer was impressed by how well the Viptela SD-WAN worked and how easy it was to deploy. "SD-WAN has the opportunity to displace MPLS networks, and thats the direction I'm moving toward right now," he says.
A few special light antennas dotted around a room would provide significantly more bandwidth for internet-connected devices than traditional Wi-Fi, says a Dutch scientist. Wi-Fis days could be numbered if the technology works as suggested.

+ Also on Network World: IoT device sales set to surge in next decade +

With this new Wi-Fi replacement system thats been proposed, benign, infrared rays of light emitted from ceiling-mounted transmitters would beam bandwidth-intensive streams of data at smartphones and laptops within the room. And each ray of light could provide 40 gigabits per second, says Joanne Oh, a Ph.D. researcher at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in a news article on the universitys website.

Wi-Fi has traditionally been restricted in bandwidth due to the characteristics of frequencies used. The microwave spectrum at 2.4GHz and 5GHz isnt particularly capacious compared to higher-up frequencies such as infrared. That chunk of spectrum, at 1,500 nanometers and higher in wavelengths spectrum by a few hundred terahertz, is much roomier, the school explains.

Download rate of 42.8Gbit per second

Hence the proposed idea: Forget the traditional microwave Wi-Fi for downloads, and distribute the data via the fatter infrared pipes. Oh says she achieved 42.8Gbit per second over 2.5 meters. For comparison, fast, currently available Wi-Fi radios will deliver 1.3Gbit per second on one channel.

Oh says her system is best suited to downloading. She says one will also need Wi-Fi, or Wi-Fi-like radio, for upload functions. But there wont be any interference between the two streams because the frequencies are so disparate.

Multiple light antennas, with no moving parts, supplied by fiber-optic internet will squirt the download data at the on-network devicessuch as laptops, smartphones and video screensthrough a special kind of individual aiming process.

If you walk around as a user and your smartphone or tablet moves out of the light antennas line of sight, then another light antenna takes over, the university explains.

Different wavelengths are used to point the data streams at different devices.

The network tracks the precise location of every wireless device using its radio signal transmitted in the return direction, the article says.

You add devices by adding wavelengths. That means each device is on its own wavelength, doesnt share bandwidth and doesnt interfere with another.

Other light-based systems

Ive written about Li-Fi before. Thats a way for using a rooms LED lighting to create optical indoor networks. TU/e claims its system is better than other ideas out there because it provides more bandwidthits connected devices wont have to share streams because the network has directable beams with each beam dedicated to one device.

Infrared light direction using moveable mirrors is another open light-inspired internet delivery method being explored by others, says TU/e. Indeed I recently wrote about scientists who say infrared lasers, pointed by mechanically controlled mirrors, should replace data center wiring.

Another open-air light-based system proposed uses solar panelsthe panel not only acts as a receiver, but also powers the rig. Thats conceivably an advantage over mirrors in that mirrors require power to physically move them for the pointing process.

The Eindhoven school behind light antennas claims its system wont require power at all, though, for aiming. Gratings radiate light of differing wavelengths through different defractions and therefore angles. Changing the light wavelengths also changes the direction of the ray of light, it explains.
Plenty of companies have smart, resourceful IT teams that diligently support their organizations computers and networking operations. But Im not sure how many of them could pull off the technological tricks that a group of inmates at Ohios Marion Correctional Institution did.

From e-waste to identity theft

According to local news reports that blew up over the internet last week, at least five prisoners built a pair of working PC out of parts scavenged from e-waste as part of a program designed to teach computer skills by having inmates break down end-of-life computers and recycle the parts. The inmates smuggled the PCs to a training room, hid them in the ceiling and then ran wiring to connect to the prison network.

But thats only the beginning of the story, which was disclosed to the public in a recent report. The big score came as the inmate IT ops team (I dont know if they called themselves that, but I definitely hope they did) managed to connect the devices to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction's network. And from there they were off to the races.

Apparently, the inmates looked over the shoulder of a prison employee to steal his password. Once in the system, they attempted to use the machines for a number of cybercrimes, including identity theft of another inmate serving a long sentence, applying for multiple credit and debit cards in his name. One of the inmates even used the computers to send text messages to his mother, telling her where to go pick up the fraudulently obtained cards!

The scheme was discovered when the correction networks support team got an alert that a device "exceeded a daily internet usage threshold." The login was registered to an employee who wasnt scheduled to work on the days in question. But while that discovery came in July of 2015, only now is the incident coming to light, a development that is causing a fair amount of consternation in the Ohio prison community.

Surprising, or not so much?

Frankly, though, TechWatch doesnt particularly care about the possible lapses in Ohios prisons. Im more interested in how these prisoners came up with and executed their scheme.

Ohio Inspector General Randall J. Meyer told reporters, "It surprised me that the inmates had the ability to not only connect these computers to the state's network, but had the ability to build these computers."

At first I was surprised, too. This kind of pirate ingenuity might have challenged a corporate IT team, I thought. But as I considered the story, I realized that in 2017, building PCs, connecting to the networks and hacking into protected systems is no longer that difficultespecially for folks who have already shown theyre not very interested in playing by the rules.

Heck, we all know maintaining cybersecurity can incredibly difficult, even if we didnt think real threats could come from inside a prison! If thats not a wake up call for security professionals everywhere, I dont know what is.
Mourners on Sunday observed the third anniversary of the 2014 ferry disaster that killed over 300 mostly young people.

They paid their respects at an altar in Ansan south of Seoul, where most of the victims attended high school. Mourners wore yellow ribbons, yellow clothes or carried yellow balloons as a sign of respect for the dead.
Princy Alexander By

Express News Service

KOCHI: Deepa Kiran visited Iran for the first time in 2016. It was her first trip to the country known for its rich and powerful story telling tradition. I was taken to Iran in my capacity as a professional story teller to attend an international art festival. It was amazing to see how seriously the people and their government have taken up the art of storytelling.

Deepa Kiran in one of her

sessions

The adults were also awesome. I saw politicians and academicians shed all inhibitions and participate in my workshops with enthusiasm, says Deepa who was in Kochi for a readers fest organised by Panampilly-based Circuit Creative.

Over the years, Deepa has also visited countries like Vietnam, Thailand and Scotland which is the Mecca of storytelling. She will be visiting Austria for a session in May.

So, how did this come about? I guess I have been lucky. I was referred to these places by other international story tellers. These travels helped me grow as I have been able to meet very senior artists who have been in this field for years. I have been able to pick up on many of their techniques and the kind of stories they tell children, Deepa said.

Deepa believes she always has an edge over many others, because she has always been very passionate to learn new languages. Ever since I was a child, I always had a keen sense to learn new languages. In my profession, this helps a lot. Right now I am taking a course in German and learning a few stories in this language so that I can connect well with the audience when I go to Austria. It helps to know and narrate in their language since it breaks many barriers, says the Hyderabad-based girl.

Apart from her storytelling workshops, Deepa is an active resource person at the Ministry of Culture.

When you ask her about the situation of story telling in India, she is quick to say she has come a long way. Storytellers have existed even 25 years ago. But then, towards the end of the 20th century, there was a big lull in this art form. It has grown over the years. Kerala has grown in the storytelling field too. In Kochi, unlike other states, I was amazed to see that almost all the children knew a lot of stories, she says.

KOCHI: Deepa Kiran visited Iran for the first time in 2016. It was her first trip to the country known for its rich and powerful story telling tradition. I was taken to Iran in my capacity as a professional story teller to attend an international art festival. It was amazing to see how seriously the people and their government have taken up the art of storytelling. Deepa Kiran in one of her sessionsThe adults were also awesome. I saw politicians and academicians shed all inhibitions and participate in my workshops with enthusiasm, says Deepa who was in Kochi for a readers fest organised by Panampilly-based Circuit Creative. Over the years, Deepa has also visited countries like Vietnam, Thailand and Scotland which is the Mecca of storytelling. She will be visiting Austria for a session in May. So, how did this come about? I guess I have been lucky. I was referred to these places by other international story tellers. These travels helped me grow as I have been able to meet very senior artists who have been in this field for years. I have been able to pick up on many of their techniques and the kind of stories they tell children, Deepa said. Deepa believes she always has an edge over many others, because she has always been very passionate to learn new languages. Ever since I was a child, I always had a keen sense to learn new languages. In my profession, this helps a lot. Right now I am taking a course in German and learning a few stories in this language so that I can connect well with the audience when I go to Austria. It helps to know and narrate in their language since it breaks many barriers, says the Hyderabad-based girl. Apart from her storytelling workshops, Deepa is an active resource person at the Ministry of Culture. When you ask her about the situation of story telling in India, she is quick to say she has come a long way. Storytellers have existed even 25 years ago. But then, towards the end of the 20th century, there was a big lull in this art form. It has grown over the years. Kerala has grown in the storytelling field too. In Kochi, unlike other states, I was amazed to see that almost all the children knew a lot of stories, she says.
Dhinesh Kallungal By

Express News Service

KOCHI: Customs officers just cant seem to catch a breath with the persevering gold smugglers devising dodgy strategies to evade their net to smuggle in large quantities of gold into the state.

Though de-mon pulled the plug on the shady activities of the racket in November and December, the smugglers were back with a bang post January, Customs officers said.

In the past we used to take extra vigil to screen the passengers from Koduvally in Kozhikode, Kasaragod and some other selected places notorious for gold smuggling, M Shairaj, Assistant Commissioner of Customs, at Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL), told Express.

But now, the smugglers seemed to have changed their tack to avoid coming under the Customs radar, he said.

After a rise in gold smuggling cases, frequent flyers and passengers hailing from the suspicious locales have been subjected to detailed scrutiny.

But now the smugglers are cashing in on the rise in ticket fare from the West Asia to the state during festivals. They lure gullible flyers by dangling free two-way tickets and cash compensations for every trip.This is a new trend , said officers. According to a senior Customs officer at CIAL, a women passenger, who was arrested on Vishu for trying to smuggle out gold worth `26 lakh, confessed she had done so to forego the travel expenses during the festival season.

Since the festival rush began, there has been substantial rise in gold smuggling through CIAL into the state.

If there were only seven major gold seizures weighing less than a total of 10 kg in Kochi in the first seven months of last fiscal, the latter part of the fiscal witnessed around 15 major seizures.

Apart from these, the gold smugglers from Kerala are also expanding their network to the border states in North East India to smuggle gold through the porous Indo-Myanmar-Nepal borders to put the investigators off their trail.

KOCHI: Customs officers just cant seem to catch a breath with the persevering gold smugglers devising dodgy strategies to evade their net to smuggle in large quantities of gold into the state. Though de-mon pulled the plug on the shady activities of the racket in November and December, the smugglers were back with a bang post January, Customs officers said. In the past we used to take extra vigil to screen the passengers from Koduvally in Kozhikode, Kasaragod and some other selected places notorious for gold smuggling, M Shairaj, Assistant Commissioner of Customs, at Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL), told Express. But now, the smugglers seemed to have changed their tack to avoid coming under the Customs radar, he said. After a rise in gold smuggling cases, frequent flyers and passengers hailing from the suspicious locales have been subjected to detailed scrutiny. But now the smugglers are cashing in on the rise in ticket fare from the West Asia to the state during festivals. They lure gullible flyers by dangling free two-way tickets and cash compensations for every trip.This is a new trend , said officers. According to a senior Customs officer at CIAL, a women passenger, who was arrested on Vishu for trying to smuggle out gold worth `26 lakh, confessed she had done so to forego the travel expenses during the festival season. Since the festival rush began, there has been substantial rise in gold smuggling through CIAL into the state. If there were only seven major gold seizures weighing less than a total of 10 kg in Kochi in the first seven months of last fiscal, the latter part of the fiscal witnessed around 15 major seizures. Apart from these, the gold smugglers from Kerala are also expanding their network to the border states in North East India to smuggle gold through the porous Indo-Myanmar-Nepal borders to put the investigators off their trail.
Meera Suresh By

Express News Service

Film Sakhavu

Director Siddartha Siva Genre Drama

Cast Nivin Pauly, Aiswarya Rajesh, Aparna Gopinath

Come what may, there is a certain fondness we harbour for the tales of comrades with an unparalleled dedication for the working class. A part of our conscience and culture, the billowing red flag, Marxian principles and a fierce young leader continue to be elements that top our must-watch list.

It is for the same reasons that Siddartha Sivas Sakhavu strikes a chord with us. It has a protagonist, Sakhavu Krishnan (Nivin Pauly) who lives for the poor. On the flip side, there is a pragmatic young comrade who has no qualms pulling every tricks in the book to rise through the ranks because he just cant wait. Through these two faces, Siddartha Siva puts the focus on todays business of politics.

Comrade Krishna Kumar cant wait to climb the ladders and is ready to go to any extend to attain it. He is adamant to wipe off his friend who might become a potential threat. But, one morning he is asked to go to a hospital to donate blood for an ailing person. Krishna Kumar half-mindedly agrees, only to find out more about Sakhavu Krishnan, which changes his perception and attitude towards life and politics.

For such a hard-hitting subject, Sakhavu starts off a bit slow.

The director takes time to establish Nivins character. Krishna Kumar wears communism as a garb, he shamelessly proclaims himself as an emerging leader and insists people respect him (Siddartha, obviously, must not have found difficulties getting inspiration for creating Krishna Kumar). The first half heads nowhere in particular and is spend around Krishna Kumar and his Man Friday, played by Althaf.

But, the real game changer happens post interval. As Sakhavu Krishnan, Nivin finally puts the act into actor. He is at ease playing the fierce union leader and at the same time beautifully gets under the skin of an aged comrade, thereby establishing beyond doubts his acting skills.

Not only does Siddartha puts forth a sensitive topic of contemporary relevance, but he also does it through humour. Through the life and work of Sakhavu Krishnan, we are told about communism and activism which once brought light to the lives of a generation. But, he could have done it without the vexing lags, which at times turns a huge put off.

Music director Prashanth Pillai does wonders with his BGM and music. Aiswarya Rajesh proves her mettle in two avatars while Aparna Gopinath looks cheerful as usual. Sakhavu is definitely a worthy endeavour. The movie has a heart, gives a message while urging us to spare a thought for the many unsung heroes or comrades who spend their lives for the betterment of others.

Film Sakhavu Director Siddartha Siva Genre Drama Cast Nivin Pauly, Aiswarya Rajesh, Aparna Gopinath Come what may, there is a certain fondness we harbour for the tales of comrades with an unparalleled dedication for the working class. A part of our conscience and culture, the billowing red flag, Marxian principles and a fierce young leader continue to be elements that top our must-watch list. It is for the same reasons that Siddartha Sivas Sakhavu strikes a chord with us. It has a protagonist, Sakhavu Krishnan (Nivin Pauly) who lives for the poor. On the flip side, there is a pragmatic young comrade who has no qualms pulling every tricks in the book to rise through the ranks because he just cant wait. Through these two faces, Siddartha Siva puts the focus on todays business of politics. Comrade Krishna Kumar cant wait to climb the ladders and is ready to go to any extend to attain it. He is adamant to wipe off his friend who might become a potential threat. But, one morning he is asked to go to a hospital to donate blood for an ailing person. Krishna Kumar half-mindedly agrees, only to find out more about Sakhavu Krishnan, which changes his perception and attitude towards life and politics. For such a hard-hitting subject, Sakhavu starts off a bit slow. The director takes time to establish Nivins character. Krishna Kumar wears communism as a garb, he shamelessly proclaims himself as an emerging leader and insists people respect him (Siddartha, obviously, must not have found difficulties getting inspiration for creating Krishna Kumar). The first half heads nowhere in particular and is spend around Krishna Kumar and his Man Friday, played by Althaf. But, the real game changer happens post interval. As Sakhavu Krishnan, Nivin finally puts the act into actor. He is at ease playing the fierce union leader and at the same time beautifully gets under the skin of an aged comrade, thereby establishing beyond doubts his acting skills. Not only does Siddartha puts forth a sensitive topic of contemporary relevance, but he also does it through humour. Through the life and work of Sakhavu Krishnan, we are told about communism and activism which once brought light to the lives of a generation. But, he could have done it without the vexing lags, which at times turns a huge put off. Music director Prashanth Pillai does wonders with his BGM and music. Aiswarya Rajesh proves her mettle in two avatars while Aparna Gopinath looks cheerful as usual. Sakhavu is definitely a worthy endeavour. The movie has a heart, gives a message while urging us to spare a thought for the many unsung heroes or comrades who spend their lives for the betterment of others.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Amid the controversy regarding tampering of EVMs, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi has written a fresh letter to Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad seeking release of `3,100 crore for procurement of paper-trail voting machines to be used in the 2019 general elections. This is the 13th letter the Election Commission has sent to the Centre seeking funds to buy over 16 lakh machines to cover all polling stations.

The latest one, sent on March 22, stated that procurement of EVMs with Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) cannot be delayed any longer given the prevailing environment. The Commission stands fully committed to deploy VVPATs along with EVMs in all future elections so that transparency of electoral process is enhanced, integrity of the voting preserved and the voters confidence in the process is further strengthened, Zaidi wrote in his letter to Prasad.

The BSP, SP, Congress and AAP have accused the government of not releasing funds for VVPATs and allege that EVMs were tampered with during the recent Assembly elections in five States. The opposition has demanded that EC revert to the paper ballot system as EVMS can be tampered with.

The government has repeatedly said it is considering the viability of manufacturing VVPATs as only two government companies make them. According to official figures, in 2015, 67,000 VVPATs were ordered, but only 33,000 were received. Zaidi said an order for the machines should be placed immediately as it would take 30 months from the date of release of funds for Bharat Electronics Ltd and Electronics Corporation of India Ltd to manufacture them.

NEW DELHI: Amid the controversy regarding tampering of EVMs, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi has written a fresh letter to Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad seeking release of `3,100 crore for procurement of paper-trail voting machines to be used in the 2019 general elections. This is the 13th letter the Election Commission has sent to the Centre seeking funds to buy over 16 lakh machines to cover all polling stations. The latest one, sent on March 22, stated that procurement of EVMs with Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) cannot be delayed any longer given the prevailing environment. The Commission stands fully committed to deploy VVPATs along with EVMs in all future elections so that transparency of electoral process is enhanced, integrity of the voting preserved and the voters confidence in the process is further strengthened, Zaidi wrote in his letter to Prasad. The BSP, SP, Congress and AAP have accused the government of not releasing funds for VVPATs and allege that EVMs were tampered with during the recent Assembly elections in five States. The opposition has demanded that EC revert to the paper ballot system as EVMS can be tampered with. The government has repeatedly said it is considering the viability of manufacturing VVPATs as only two government companies make them. According to official figures, in 2015, 67,000 VVPATs were ordered, but only 33,000 were received. Zaidi said an order for the machines should be placed immediately as it would take 30 months from the date of release of funds for Bharat Electronics Ltd and Electronics Corporation of India Ltd to manufacture them.
Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: Initiating action before a full-blown courtroom drama, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) thrashed out an eight-point code of conduct to be followed by the community, on Sunday. The board has decided to impose a social boycott on those misusing the practice to dissolve a marriage. The right way to annul a marriage, says the boards eight-point code of conduct, is to do it in three sittings with a gap of at least a month between two sittings.

Refusing to accept any interferences from the outside to curb the practice, the board maintained it was its constitutional right to get the Muslim personal law implemented. However, in a shift from its earlier stand of denial of misuse, the board agreed that doing it in one go was unfair and improper.

The board meeting also took a decision on the Ayodha dispute. Presided by chairman Rabey Hasan Nadvi, the AIMPLB decided not to go for an out-of-court, mutually negotiated settlement of the issue as suggested by the Supreme Court.

All the prior efforts in this direction have proved futile, said the AIMPLB working committee, adding that the community would accept the SC decision and decided to press for an early disposal of the case. No out-of-court settlement is acceptable to us, AIMPLB General Secretary Maulana Wali Rehmani told reporters.

A resolution passed by the board executive also said that on the Babri Masjid issue, the board would only accept a decision by the Supreme Court, making it clear that the AIMPLB is not willing to accept the Supreme Courts suggestion.

LUCKNOW: Initiating action before a full-blown courtroom drama, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) thrashed out an eight-point code of conduct to be followed by the community, on Sunday. The board has decided to impose a social boycott on those misusing the practice to dissolve a marriage. The right way to annul a marriage, says the boards eight-point code of conduct, is to do it in three sittings with a gap of at least a month between two sittings. Refusing to accept any interferences from the outside to curb the practice, the board maintained it was its constitutional right to get the Muslim personal law implemented. However, in a shift from its earlier stand of denial of misuse, the board agreed that doing it in one go was unfair and improper. The board meeting also took a decision on the Ayodha dispute. Presided by chairman Rabey Hasan Nadvi, the AIMPLB decided not to go for an out-of-court, mutually negotiated settlement of the issue as suggested by the Supreme Court. All the prior efforts in this direction have proved futile, said the AIMPLB working committee, adding that the community would accept the SC decision and decided to press for an early disposal of the case. No out-of-court settlement is acceptable to us, AIMPLB General Secretary Maulana Wali Rehmani told reporters. A resolution passed by the board executive also said that on the Babri Masjid issue, the board would only accept a decision by the Supreme Court, making it clear that the AIMPLB is not willing to accept the Supreme Courts suggestion.
By Express News Service

LUCKNOW: It's been a month since Yogi Adityanath took over as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, but where's his secretariat? The cabinet is meeting -- for the third time -- Tuesday, and a rejig of the bureaucracy is anticipated.

Babus in Lucknow are keeping their ears cricked for any indications from the chief minister that he is going to allow the Centre to para drop officers from the Gujarat cadre to 'help' Adityanath. Any such move would send out mixed signals -- either that the Centre wants to remote control UP, curtailing the chief minister's room for manoeuvre or that the BJP regime at the Centre doubts the competence of UP cadre IAS officers.

The new regime did carry out a major bureaucratic reshuffle on April 13, transferring some 20 bureaucrats and putting nine senior IAS officers, including Navneet Sehgal and ex-Noida chairman Rama Raman, on the wait list.

But so far, Adityanath has appointed just three officers to his secretariat -- one secretary, Mritunjay Kumar Narain, and two special secretaries, Rigzin Samphel and Amit Singh.

The rest of the slots are still being handled by officers from the Akhilesh Yadav regime.

According to the highly placed government sources, the chief minister has requested New Delhi to relieve senior IAS officer Awanish Awasthi of his duties as he has been deputed to Lucknow as principal secretary to the CM. Awasthi has been handed charge of functions Navneet Sehgal was holding in the Samajwadi Party regime.

Last week, ahead of the bureaucratic reshuffle, the CM went to Delhi to consult with the central leadership. If sources are to be believed, Adityanath discussed names for the new chief secretary, DGP and home secretary with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Singh and BJP president Amit Shah. But the incumbents in the three posts have not been touched yet.

Its an open secret in UP that a number of officers ensconced in crucial posts are politically aligned to the two parties -- Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party -- that ruled UP for 15 years. Adityanath's task is to fine 'neutral' officers for his secretariat who will help him implement his party's Sankalp Patra.

LUCKNOW: It's been a month since Yogi Adityanath took over as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, but where's his secretariat? The cabinet is meeting -- for the third time -- Tuesday, and a rejig of the bureaucracy is anticipated. Babus in Lucknow are keeping their ears cricked for any indications from the chief minister that he is going to allow the Centre to para drop officers from the Gujarat cadre to 'help' Adityanath. Any such move would send out mixed signals -- either that the Centre wants to remote control UP, curtailing the chief minister's room for manoeuvre or that the BJP regime at the Centre doubts the competence of UP cadre IAS officers. The new regime did carry out a major bureaucratic reshuffle on April 13, transferring some 20 bureaucrats and putting nine senior IAS officers, including Navneet Sehgal and ex-Noida chairman Rama Raman, on the wait list. But so far, Adityanath has appointed just three officers to his secretariat -- one secretary, Mritunjay Kumar Narain, and two special secretaries, Rigzin Samphel and Amit Singh. The rest of the slots are still being handled by officers from the Akhilesh Yadav regime. According to the highly placed government sources, the chief minister has requested New Delhi to relieve senior IAS officer Awanish Awasthi of his duties as he has been deputed to Lucknow as principal secretary to the CM. Awasthi has been handed charge of functions Navneet Sehgal was holding in the Samajwadi Party regime. Last week, ahead of the bureaucratic reshuffle, the CM went to Delhi to consult with the central leadership. If sources are to be believed, Adityanath discussed names for the new chief secretary, DGP and home secretary with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Singh and BJP president Amit Shah. But the incumbents in the three posts have not been touched yet. Its an open secret in UP that a number of officers ensconced in crucial posts are politically aligned to the two parties -- Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party -- that ruled UP for 15 years. Adityanath's task is to fine 'neutral' officers for his secretariat who will help him implement his party's Sankalp Patra.
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: In what could add fire to the already tense situation in Kashmir, the student community in Valley has turned against the Mehbooba Mufti government and staged protests on Monday against the security forces for conducting raid on college and beating youth. They engaged in intense clashes with the security men across the Valley during which scores of students sustained injuries.

The students of SP College in city centre Lal Chowk boycotted classes and came out of college premises this morning and tried to stage a protest march against Saturdays raid on a Degree College Pulwama by security forces in which 50 students were injured.

We want to lodge our protest against the forces raid on a college and beating and injuring of students. How has Mehbooba government allowed security men to barge into a college and use force on students in its premises, said the protesting students, who were staging anti-government, anti-Mehbooba and pro-freedom slogans.

As they reached Maulana Azad Road, they were intercepted by police and CRPF men, who fired dozens of tear smoke shells and resorted to heavy baton charge to disperse the students, who retaliated by hurling stones on them.

Due to the clashes, the traffic movement on Maulana Azad Road was halted, causing traffic jams in the city centre.

The cops cleared the students from the road and pushed them back to the college, where the clashes between the two sides continued till afternoon.

The female students of Government Womens College Srinagar also tried to take out protest march. They too were intercepted by the cops, who fired tear gas and pepper gas shells to disperse them.

The students also staged protests in other colleges in Srinagar. They also protested in Pattan, Sopore, Baramulla, Handwara, Kupwara, Bandipora in North Kashmir, Ganderbal and Budgam in Central Kashmir and Shopian, Kulgam, Anantnag, Tral and Pulwama in South Kashmir.

During the protests, the students clashed with the police and paramilitary personnel and pelted stones on them. The cops in retaliation fired tear smoke shells to disperse them.

Many students sustained injuries in police action across the Valley.

The call for protests was given by J&K Students Union to protest against the security forces raid on a college in South Kashmir and beating of students and youth by security men.

Educational institutions closed

After the day students protests, the government ordered closure of all universities, colleges and higher secondary schools in Kashmir tomorrow.

All the universities, Higher Secondary Schools and colleges shall remain closed tomorrow as a precautionary measure, an official said.

A spokesman of Kashmir University said all university examinations scheduled for tomorrow have been postponed.

He said fresh dates for the deferred examinations shall be notified later.

Mobile internet, broadband services suspended

Authorities suspended mobile internet and broadband services in the Valley in the afternoon.

Sources said police has directed telecom companies operating in Valley to stop providing mobile internet services to its subscribers in the Valley.

They said police has taken the action after several videos surfaced in which security men were shown beating and humiliating the Kashmiri youth. At least two videos have also been shot by militants also. In the videos, a PDP leader and a trader seek forgiveness and announce disassociation from mainstream politics on gunpoint.

Former CM slams Mebhooba Government

Opposition National Conference's working president and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in a series of tweeted slammed Mehbooba Mufti government for handling of students protests.

"I hope Mehbooba has thought through the implications of mass student protests across the valley. This is a deeply worrying situation, he tweeted.

In another tweet, he wrote, "Why could all colleges and universities not have been closed for a few days after the Pulwama clashes? Is Mehbooba not alert to the situation.

FIR against Army

Police has registered an FIR against army for using civilian as a human shield in Beerwah area of central Kashmirs Budgam district on April 9, when bypolls were held for Srinagar Lok Sabha seat.

The FIR has been registered under sections 342, 149, 506 and 367 of Ranbir Penal Code against unidentified Army personnel and investigation taken up, a police official said.

The FIR was registered after a video had gone viral showing a youth Farooq Ahmad Dar tied in front of an army vehicle in Budgam.

In the video announcement is being made that stone pelters will meet the same fate.

The video had evoked strong condemnation from all sections of society.

Even a former retired Lt General H Panad had condemned use of civilian as a human shield.

The image of a Kashmiri youngster tied in front of a jeep as a human shield will haunt the force forever, he had tweeted.

SRINAGAR: In what could add fire to the already tense situation in Kashmir, the student community in Valley has turned against the Mehbooba Mufti government and staged protests on Monday against the security forces for conducting raid on college and beating youth. They engaged in intense clashes with the security men across the Valley during which scores of students sustained injuries. The students of SP College in city centre Lal Chowk boycotted classes and came out of college premises this morning and tried to stage a protest march against Saturdays raid on a Degree College Pulwama by security forces in which 50 students were injured. We want to lodge our protest against the forces raid on a college and beating and injuring of students. How has Mehbooba government allowed security men to barge into a college and use force on students in its premises, said the protesting students, who were staging anti-government, anti-Mehbooba and pro-freedom slogans. As they reached Maulana Azad Road, they were intercepted by police and CRPF men, who fired dozens of tear smoke shells and resorted to heavy baton charge to disperse the students, who retaliated by hurling stones on them. Due to the clashes, the traffic movement on Maulana Azad Road was halted, causing traffic jams in the city centre. The cops cleared the students from the road and pushed them back to the college, where the clashes between the two sides continued till afternoon. The female students of Government Womens College Srinagar also tried to take out protest march. They too were intercepted by the cops, who fired tear gas and pepper gas shells to disperse them. The students also staged protests in other colleges in Srinagar. They also protested in Pattan, Sopore, Baramulla, Handwara, Kupwara, Bandipora in North Kashmir, Ganderbal and Budgam in Central Kashmir and Shopian, Kulgam, Anantnag, Tral and Pulwama in South Kashmir. During the protests, the students clashed with the police and paramilitary personnel and pelted stones on them. The cops in retaliation fired tear smoke shells to disperse them. Many students sustained injuries in police action across the Valley. The call for protests was given by J&K Students Union to protest against the security forces raid on a college in South Kashmir and beating of students and youth by security men. Educational institutions closed After the day students protests, the government ordered closure of all universities, colleges and higher secondary schools in Kashmir tomorrow. All the universities, Higher Secondary Schools and colleges shall remain closed tomorrow as a precautionary measure, an official said. A spokesman of Kashmir University said all university examinations scheduled for tomorrow have been postponed. He said fresh dates for the deferred examinations shall be notified later. Mobile internet, broadband services suspended Authorities suspended mobile internet and broadband services in the Valley in the afternoon. Sources said police has directed telecom companies operating in Valley to stop providing mobile internet services to its subscribers in the Valley. They said police has taken the action after several videos surfaced in which security men were shown beating and humiliating the Kashmiri youth. At least two videos have also been shot by militants also. In the videos, a PDP leader and a trader seek forgiveness and announce disassociation from mainstream politics on gunpoint. Former CM slams Mebhooba Government Opposition National Conference's working president and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in a series of tweeted slammed Mehbooba Mufti government for handling of students protests. "I hope Mehbooba has thought through the implications of mass student protests across the valley. This is a deeply worrying situation, he tweeted. In another tweet, he wrote, "Why could all colleges and universities not have been closed for a few days after the Pulwama clashes? Is Mehbooba not alert to the situation. FIR against Army Police has registered an FIR against army for using civilian as a human shield in Beerwah area of central Kashmirs Budgam district on April 9, when bypolls were held for Srinagar Lok Sabha seat. The FIR has been registered under sections 342, 149, 506 and 367 of Ranbir Penal Code against unidentified Army personnel and investigation taken up, a police official said. The FIR was registered after a video had gone viral showing a youth Farooq Ahmad Dar tied in front of an army vehicle in Budgam. In the video announcement is being made that stone pelters will meet the same fate. The video had evoked strong condemnation from all sections of society. Even a former retired Lt General H Panad had condemned use of civilian as a human shield. The image of a Kashmiri youngster tied in front of a jeep as a human shield will haunt the force forever, he had tweeted.
By Express News Service

PATNA: RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Monday slammed BJP leaders for boycotting a programme organised by Bihars Nitish Kumar-led government in which President Pranab Mukherjee honoured freedom fighters.

Fifteen freedom fighters were personally felicitated by Mukherjee at a function that was attended by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Bihar Governor Ramnath Kovind, the RJD chief, his son and deputy chief minister Tejaswi Yadav, among others. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh of BJP and state BJP chief Nityanand Rai, an MP from Bihar, were among the NDA leaders who were invited, but did not show up.

The RJD chief, who lavished praise on Nitish Kumar for organising the programme as part of the centenary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhis Champaran Satyagraha movement, slammed BJP leaders for boycotting the event and for using the Mahatmas name to broaden the saffron partys base across the country.

On the one hand they remain the killers of Mahatma Gandhi, the people associated with Nathuram Godse. On the other hand, they are garlanding Mahatma Gandhis statues all over the country. We will not allow this to continue, said Yadav, who addressed the gathering after Nitish Kumar.

Yadav said Rajnath Singh and other BJP leaders did not turn up at the event because they knew that he (Yadav) would be on stage. This programme is neither Nitish Kumars or Lalu Yadavs, but one organised by the State government to honour freedom fighters. By raising issues like triple talaq and cow protection, they want to divert the peoples attention from real issues crippling the country, he said.

Why did you (Rajnath Singh) not come? Why should I keep quiet? All matters related to freedom fighters is dealt with by the Union Home Ministry. If you had no plans to attend, why did you consent? Your name had to be removed from the dais and your chair had to be taken off, said Yadav.

BJP leaders attacked Nitish Kumar for allowing an event attended by the President and Governor to be politicised. In his alacrity to save his alliance government, he (Kumar) is trying to dignify Lalu Prasad Yadav. Had Gandhi started his freedom movement from Bihar so that corrupt, convicted leaders like Lalu felicitate freedom fighters? asked Mangal Pandey, MLC and former president of Bihar BJP.

Nitish, are you insulting or felicitating freedom fighters by inviting Lalu convict in scam & Rahul on bail in NH case? tweeted senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi earlier in the day. Yadav has been convicted in the Rs 1,000-crore fodder scam and barred from contesting polls. Rahul Gandhi is facing trial for alleged fraud and the use of vast real estate belonging to the now-defunct National Herald newspaper.

Nearly 1,100 freedom fighters, 260 from various states and the rest from Bihar, had been invited to the programme to be honoured by the President. Bihar has lined up a host of events as part of its year-long celebration of Mahatma Gandhis arrival in Champaran on April 10, 1917 to begin his Satyagraha that grew into the larger freedom and reform movement across the country.



PATNA: RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Monday slammed BJP leaders for boycotting a programme organised by Bihars Nitish Kumar-led government in which President Pranab Mukherjee honoured freedom fighters. Fifteen freedom fighters were personally felicitated by Mukherjee at a function that was attended by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Bihar Governor Ramnath Kovind, the RJD chief, his son and deputy chief minister Tejaswi Yadav, among others. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh of BJP and state BJP chief Nityanand Rai, an MP from Bihar, were among the NDA leaders who were invited, but did not show up. The RJD chief, who lavished praise on Nitish Kumar for organising the programme as part of the centenary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhis Champaran Satyagraha movement, slammed BJP leaders for boycotting the event and for using the Mahatmas name to broaden the saffron partys base across the country. On the one hand they remain the killers of Mahatma Gandhi, the people associated with Nathuram Godse. On the other hand, they are garlanding Mahatma Gandhis statues all over the country. We will not allow this to continue, said Yadav, who addressed the gathering after Nitish Kumar. Yadav said Rajnath Singh and other BJP leaders did not turn up at the event because they knew that he (Yadav) would be on stage. This programme is neither Nitish Kumars or Lalu Yadavs, but one organised by the State government to honour freedom fighters. By raising issues like triple talaq and cow protection, they want to divert the peoples attention from real issues crippling the country, he said. Why did you (Rajnath Singh) not come? Why should I keep quiet? All matters related to freedom fighters is dealt with by the Union Home Ministry. If you had no plans to attend, why did you consent? Your name had to be removed from the dais and your chair had to be taken off, said Yadav. BJP leaders attacked Nitish Kumar for allowing an event attended by the President and Governor to be politicised. In his alacrity to save his alliance government, he (Kumar) is trying to dignify Lalu Prasad Yadav. Had Gandhi started his freedom movement from Bihar so that corrupt, convicted leaders like Lalu felicitate freedom fighters? asked Mangal Pandey, MLC and former president of Bihar BJP. Nitish, are you insulting or felicitating freedom fighters by inviting Lalu convict in scam & Rahul on bail in NH case? tweeted senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi earlier in the day. Yadav has been convicted in the Rs 1,000-crore fodder scam and barred from contesting polls. Rahul Gandhi is facing trial for alleged fraud and the use of vast real estate belonging to the now-defunct National Herald newspaper. Nearly 1,100 freedom fighters, 260 from various states and the rest from Bihar, had been invited to the programme to be honoured by the President. Bihar has lined up a host of events as part of its year-long celebration of Mahatma Gandhis arrival in Champaran on April 10, 1917 to begin his Satyagraha that grew into the larger freedom and reform movement across the country.
By Express News Service

BHOPAL: A man who died under mysterious circumstances in his house in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh three years ago is being blamed for the alleged suicide of his distant relative Durga Prasad Bhargava on Sunday.

Salt trader Durga Prasad Bhargavas body was found hanging in a relative's house in Shivpuri district on Sunday. A five-page suicide note purportedly written by him was found in the lobby of the first floor of the double-storeyed house, which is owned by a retired forest ranger O P Sharna, whose younger brother is Bhargava's brother-in-law.

But what's baffling the police are the contents of the five-page suicide note written by Bhargava, which stated that a dead man, Golu Purohit, abetted the suicide.

The note mentions that it was Golu Purohit, (the house owners son who was found dead mysteriously in the same house three years ago), wearing black clothes, forced him to commit suicide, a police officer said Monday.

The suicide note also mentions pressures upon Bhargava by more than 10 creditors.

The suicide note addressed to the superintendent of police of Shivpuri states that a bank manager demanded a bribe from Bhargava to clear a loan of Rs 15 lakh.

According to the Shivpuri additional superintendent of police Kamal Maurya, prima facie it's a case of suicide under pressure of mounting debts.

"We've also seized empty liquor bottles and plastic glasses from the courtyard of the house," said Maurya.

The deceased salt trader is survived by his physically challenged wife and a six-year-old son.

The house owner, retired forest ranger O P Sharma, had gone to Delhi to meet his daughter after asking Bhargava to take care of the house in his absence.

BHOPAL: A man who died under mysterious circumstances in his house in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh three years ago is being blamed for the alleged suicide of his distant relative Durga Prasad Bhargava on Sunday. Salt trader Durga Prasad Bhargavas body was found hanging in a relative's house in Shivpuri district on Sunday. A five-page suicide note purportedly written by him was found in the lobby of the first floor of the double-storeyed house, which is owned by a retired forest ranger O P Sharna, whose younger brother is Bhargava's brother-in-law. But what's baffling the police are the contents of the five-page suicide note written by Bhargava, which stated that a dead man, Golu Purohit, abetted the suicide. The note mentions that it was Golu Purohit, (the house owners son who was found dead mysteriously in the same house three years ago), wearing black clothes, forced him to commit suicide, a police officer said Monday. The suicide note also mentions pressures upon Bhargava by more than 10 creditors. The suicide note addressed to the superintendent of police of Shivpuri states that a bank manager demanded a bribe from Bhargava to clear a loan of Rs 15 lakh. According to the Shivpuri additional superintendent of police Kamal Maurya, prima facie it's a case of suicide under pressure of mounting debts. "We've also seized empty liquor bottles and plastic glasses from the courtyard of the house," said Maurya. The deceased salt trader is survived by his physically challenged wife and a six-year-old son. The house owner, retired forest ranger O P Sharma, had gone to Delhi to meet his daughter after asking Bhargava to take care of the house in his absence.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday for the first time spoke about his impending visit to Israel  a first by an Indian Prime Minister  thus stamping the official seal on the shift in Indian foreign policy.

Modi will be visiting Israel on July 5 and even as his itinerary has not been made public, he in all probabilities will be skipping Palestine during his visit.

The Prime Minister made the announcement of his visit to Israel during an event in Surat: I am soon going to Israel, in fact, I'm the first Prime Minister to go to Israel, and I'm going there on your behalf. You have trading relations with that country. Prime Minister Modis visit will be coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The Narendra Modi-led government had indicated in 2015 that it will be revamping its foreign policy in the Middle East as it becomes at ease at openly courting the Jewish nation. This has been a tectonic shift as far as Indias balancing act vis-a-vis Israel and Palestine are concerned. New Delhi has been in-principle supportive of the statehood to Palestine and at the same time has strong defence ties with Tel Aviv.

Tel Aviv has, in fact, welcomed the de-hyphenation between Israel and Palestine. (Israel has shifted its capital from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem but it is yet to be recognised by any country including India. The Indian Embassy in Israel is also located in Tel Aviv).

Israeli Ambassador to India Daniel Carmon in an interview to the Express earlier had said: India and Israel during our low-key ties have developed relations in the field of development and defence. The relations are becoming more and more visible in the last few years. At the political level, the Indian narrative says we can have good relations with anyone. We are committed to Arab cause, we are committed to having a good relation with Israel.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday for the first time spoke about his impending visit to Israel  a first by an Indian Prime Minister  thus stamping the official seal on the shift in Indian foreign policy. Modi will be visiting Israel on July 5 and even as his itinerary has not been made public, he in all probabilities will be skipping Palestine during his visit. The Prime Minister made the announcement of his visit to Israel during an event in Surat: I am soon going to Israel, in fact, I'm the first Prime Minister to go to Israel, and I'm going there on your behalf. You have trading relations with that country. Prime Minister Modis visit will be coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between the two countries. The Narendra Modi-led government had indicated in 2015 that it will be revamping its foreign policy in the Middle East as it becomes at ease at openly courting the Jewish nation. This has been a tectonic shift as far as Indias balancing act vis-a-vis Israel and Palestine are concerned. New Delhi has been in-principle supportive of the statehood to Palestine and at the same time has strong defence ties with Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv has, in fact, welcomed the de-hyphenation between Israel and Palestine. (Israel has shifted its capital from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem but it is yet to be recognised by any country including India. The Indian Embassy in Israel is also located in Tel Aviv). Israeli Ambassador to India Daniel Carmon in an interview to the Express earlier had said: India and Israel during our low-key ties have developed relations in the field of development and defence. The relations are becoming more and more visible in the last few years. At the political level, the Indian narrative says we can have good relations with anyone. We are committed to Arab cause, we are committed to having a good relation with Israel.
Qingpu goes after illegal taxis

From:Shanghai Daily | 2017-04-17 01:29

LOCAL authorities in suburban Qingpu District have launched a coordinated campaign to crack down on illegal taxis around the National Exhibition and Convention Center.

The aim is to ensure an ordered transportation environment during the this weeks automobile exhibition.

Auto Shanghai 2017, or the 17th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition, is to be held in the exhibition center from Wednesday. A surge in traffic is forecast during the 9-day exhibition.

Officers with the city and Qingpu Districts traffic law enforcement teams, local police and West Hongqiao Management Center took part in a joint action last Thursday to crack down on illegal taxi services.

Five drivers within an hour were caught near the exhibition center for unlicensed operation, four of them unqualified drivers who took orders via car-hailing platforms.

Their vehicles were seized, and the drivers face an administrative penalty from 10,000 to 50,000 yuan (US$1,450 to US$7,265), with their driving licenses confiscated for three to six months.

The citys law enforcement team said more crackdowns would be held around the area, to curb illegal taxi operations, particularly drivers who provide illegal car-hailing services via online platforms.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Signalling of thawing of ties Nepalese President Bidya Devi Bhandari arrived on her first visit to India, nearly a year after the showdown between the two countries had resulted in the cancellation of the visit.

India is the first port of calling for President Bhandari, who assumed office in October 2015. Bhandari is staying at Rashtrapati Bhawan as an honoured guest  a privilege for the leaders of South Asia. On Tuesday, the President will be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

In a briefing ahead of her visit, the Ministry of External Affairs Joint Secretary (North) Sudhakar Dalela said: A high-level delegation comprising ministers, MPs and senior officials will be accompanying her. Her visit will reflect the priority that India attaches to further strengthening the age-old and unique partnership with Nepal, shared cultural and historical linkages and strong people-to-people relationship.

Since 2015, the two countries had been at loggerheads owing to the constitution of Nepal that short-changed the Madhesis, Tharus and Janjatis. What looked like an impromptu blockade by the protesting groups also had a tacit support of the Indian government, something that Kathmandu saw New Delhi laying a seize around it. Nepal in turn recalled its ambassador to India and cancelled the visit by its president to New Delhi.

Talking about the constitutional arrangement in the country, Dalela said:During our high level political exchanges in recent time the Government of Nepal has shared with our leadership its governments priorities and efforts to address all constitution implementation issues by taking all sections of society on board.

The ties between the two countries started looking up after a new government led-by Pushp Kamal Dahal was sworn-in in Kathmandu in August 2016.

NEW DELHI: Signalling of thawing of ties Nepalese President Bidya Devi Bhandari arrived on her first visit to India, nearly a year after the showdown between the two countries had resulted in the cancellation of the visit. India is the first port of calling for President Bhandari, who assumed office in October 2015. Bhandari is staying at Rashtrapati Bhawan as an honoured guest  a privilege for the leaders of South Asia. On Tuesday, the President will be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. In a briefing ahead of her visit, the Ministry of External Affairs Joint Secretary (North) Sudhakar Dalela said: A high-level delegation comprising ministers, MPs and senior officials will be accompanying her. Her visit will reflect the priority that India attaches to further strengthening the age-old and unique partnership with Nepal, shared cultural and historical linkages and strong people-to-people relationship. Since 2015, the two countries had been at loggerheads owing to the constitution of Nepal that short-changed the Madhesis, Tharus and Janjatis. What looked like an impromptu blockade by the protesting groups also had a tacit support of the Indian government, something that Kathmandu saw New Delhi laying a seize around it. Nepal in turn recalled its ambassador to India and cancelled the visit by its president to New Delhi. Talking about the constitutional arrangement in the country, Dalela said:During our high level political exchanges in recent time the Government of Nepal has shared with our leadership its governments priorities and efforts to address all constitution implementation issues by taking all sections of society on board. The ties between the two countries started looking up after a new government led-by Pushp Kamal Dahal was sworn-in in Kathmandu in August 2016.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: In a big jolt to Sahara Group, the Supreme Court on Monday asked Bombay High Courts official liquidator to sell Rs 34,000 crore worth of properties of Aamby Valley and asked its chief Subrata Roy to personally appear before it on April 27.

Enough is enough. You cannot say something today and resile tomorrow, a bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra said. In February, the court had attached the Aamby Valley project. The court took strong note of non-submission of over Rs 5,000 crore by the Sahara group. The bench also cautioned Roy from playing with the courts order and said non-compliance of its order would invite the wrath of the law and ultimately he will be at his own peril. The Bench asked the official liquidator to auction the Aamby Valley properties and directly report to it.The bench also directed Roy and his group as well as SEBI to provide all necessary details relating to the properties to the official liquidator within 48 hours.

Senior advocate Salman Khurshid, who was appearing for Sahara, said that the sale of its three overseas hotels two in downtown New York and the plush Grosvenor House in London will be finalised on May 28.

Meanwhile, the court also restrained Prakash Swamy, who has filed an affidavit with regard to the sale of Sahara hotels in the USA, from leaving India and asked him to deposit Rs 10 crore as fine with the market regulator SEBI and directed his personal appearance too.

Earlier this month, the court had warned Sahara Group that if it failed to deposit Rs 5092.6 crore in SEBI-Sahara refund account by April 17 in pursuance of its order, it will be compelled to auction its property at the Aamby Valley in Pune.

The Bench also directed Roy and his group as well as the Securities and Exchange Bureau of India (SEBI) to provide all necessary details relating to the properties to the official liquidator within 48 hours.

The observation had come when the lawyer mentioned an interim plea seeking extension of time for depositing the money in the SEBI-Sahara refund account. The court had also observed that it had clearly told the group that a substantial amount must come in the refund account. Whatever you do, we had told you that a substantial amount must come. Otherwise we will be compelled to put up Aamby Valley for auction, the Bench had said, noting: What matters is the money coming in the kitty. The apex court had on February 28 said: In case, the substantial amount is deposited, this court may think of extending the time, otherwise appropriate direction shall be issued.

The court had in March ordered an international real estate firm, which had shown willingness to buy Saharas stake in New York-based Plaza Hotel for $550 million, to deposit Rs 750 crore in the SEBI-Sahara refund account, instead of the apex court registry to show its bonafide.

NEW DELHI: In a big jolt to Sahara Group, the Supreme Court on Monday asked Bombay High Courts official liquidator to sell Rs 34,000 crore worth of properties of Aamby Valley and asked its chief Subrata Roy to personally appear before it on April 27. Enough is enough. You cannot say something today and resile tomorrow, a bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra said. In February, the court had attached the Aamby Valley project. The court took strong note of non-submission of over Rs 5,000 crore by the Sahara group. The bench also cautioned Roy from playing with the courts order and said non-compliance of its order would invite the wrath of the law and ultimately he will be at his own peril. The Bench asked the official liquidator to auction the Aamby Valley properties and directly report to it.The bench also directed Roy and his group as well as SEBI to provide all necessary details relating to the properties to the official liquidator within 48 hours. Senior advocate Salman Khurshid, who was appearing for Sahara, said that the sale of its three overseas hotels two in downtown New York and the plush Grosvenor House in London will be finalised on May 28. Meanwhile, the court also restrained Prakash Swamy, who has filed an affidavit with regard to the sale of Sahara hotels in the USA, from leaving India and asked him to deposit Rs 10 crore as fine with the market regulator SEBI and directed his personal appearance too. Earlier this month, the court had warned Sahara Group that if it failed to deposit Rs 5092.6 crore in SEBI-Sahara refund account by April 17 in pursuance of its order, it will be compelled to auction its property at the Aamby Valley in Pune. The Bench also directed Roy and his group as well as the Securities and Exchange Bureau of India (SEBI) to provide all necessary details relating to the properties to the official liquidator within 48 hours. The observation had come when the lawyer mentioned an interim plea seeking extension of time for depositing the money in the SEBI-Sahara refund account. The court had also observed that it had clearly told the group that a substantial amount must come in the refund account. Whatever you do, we had told you that a substantial amount must come. Otherwise we will be compelled to put up Aamby Valley for auction, the Bench had said, noting: What matters is the money coming in the kitty. The apex court had on February 28 said: In case, the substantial amount is deposited, this court may think of extending the time, otherwise appropriate direction shall be issued. The court had in March ordered an international real estate firm, which had shown willingness to buy Saharas stake in New York-based Plaza Hotel for $550 million, to deposit Rs 750 crore in the SEBI-Sahara refund account, instead of the apex court registry to show its bonafide.
Karamatullah K Ghori By

The pot of simmering tension between India and Pakistan has been stirred to another spasmodic boiling point with the death sentence of Kulbhushan Jadhav, an alleged Indian spy on the payroll of Indias prime intelligence agency, the RAW.

Jadhav, said to be an in-service Indian Naval officer on loan to RAW, was handed down the capital punishment by a military court in Rawalpindi on April 10. The charge sheet against him alleged he was running an extensive spy network in Pakistans strife-torn Balochistan provincewith hundreds of locally-recruited agentsfrom his sanctuary in neighbouring Iran. Hed been nabbed in Balochistan last year. His trial lasted for more than three months.

Briefing the Senate in Islamabad on April 11, Pakistani Defence Minister Khwaja Asif said Jadhav was working against Pakistans integrity by promoting terror and by spying for India. He defended Jadhavs trial and conviction by being charitable at the same time. Under Pakistans Military Act of 1952, Jadhav has 40 days to appeal to a higher military court and has also the right to move a higher civilian court if his sentence is maintained. A mercy appeal to the president of Pakistan for clemency will be a last resort for him.

Understandably, the harsh penalty to Jadhav has touched a raw nerve in India. Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, decrying it as pre-meditated murder, warned Pakistan to beware of its fallout on Indo-Pakistan relations. She also assured an irate Lok Sabha that India will go out of its way to ensure Jadhav's return. Of course she didnt elaborate what that out-of-the-way would be.

Not surprisingly, Jadhavs sentencing is being hailed in Pakistan as convincing evidence that a BJP-controlled India, swayed by its Hindutva ideology that professes hate against Muslims, has been pursuing a conspiracy to unhinge and destabilise Pakistan. The nerves in Pakistan have been badly rattled by the BJPs victory in the recent UP elections.The complete eclipse of Muslim influence in what has traditionally been seen as the cradle of a millennium-old Indo-Gangetic culture has rubbed the Pakistaniswith many still having families in UPthe wrong way. The Jadhav saga has only fuelled their abhorrence of Hindutvas exclusivist agenda. But theres certainly much more to this cloak-and-dagger saga of an Indian spy caught red-handed as per the charge against him.

Giving a macabre twist to the unfolding drama of two countries with a hot potato on their hands is the disappearance of a retired colonel of the Pakistan army from Nepal, close to the border with India.

The strange story of this ex-serviceman strains credibility and sounds too apocryphal to be true. He was called for a job interview to Nepal by an Englishman with a presence in that country. The phone number used turned out to be computer generated from India. The man hasnt been heard from since April 9, from his last location near the India-Nepal land border.

But the bizarre twist has many takers in Pakistan. Conventional wisdom on the grisly episode is already hooked on the belief that the RAW has engineered this drama, enticed the Pakistani ex-soldier to walk into their trap and abducted him. The bets are on that there would, eventually, be a trade-off between the two countries.

Pundits are already refusing to hedge their bets on their prognosis that Jadhav will not be hanged. A spy swap will be an ideal scenario to bring down the curtain on all the commotion-filled drama. It will be a solution with a lot of necessary face-saving for both countries. And face-saving will have to be an essential and unavoidable part of any rancour-free settlement.

Once again, the dyarchy of the Pakistani establishment hasnt failed to manifest its role in this spy saga, too.

The GHQ-inspired gung-ho chauvinism is looking for a lot of fodder in it to feed its nationalistic pride. It isnt jingoism, exactly, but something bordering on it. Sushmas tough talk hasnt gone unnoticed and invited a quick and robust backlash from those not prepared to ever remove their blinkers. They arent mincing their words on paying back India in its own coin if New Delhi follows through on its warning of a dire fallout from the saga.

But Nawaz Sharif seems still unswayed and unscathed by the wave of swashbuckling riposte to India in the face of Sushmas harsh words. Addressing the passing-out parade of officers at the Air Force Academy on April 12, Nawaz still seemed poised to extend an olive branch to India. Without ever mentioning the Jadhav episode, he said Pakistan believed in being on good terms with all its neighbours.

The Jadhav episode, since his arrest last year has, in fact, been wielded by Nawazs political opponents as a whip to lash him with publicly. Nawaz has been accused of being pusillanimous, vis-a-vis a jingoistic India. His opponents accused him, for instance, of getting cold feet in his address to the UN General Assembly last September, and not making a pointed reference to Indias blatant meddling in Pakistan and its alleged sponsorship of terrorism.

So Nawaz is apparently treading a very fine line, not only in the context of this spy saga, but in relation to the totality of Pakistans strained relationship with India. He must always keep an eye on how a robust parochialism, whipped on the theme of a confrontationist India, is distancing his softer approach from the popular wave. Nawaz is obviously on thin ice. But to his abiding dismay, if not alarm, his stance is getting no help from an India itself consumed by Hindutva fanaticism.

Someone has got to throw him a lifeline.



The author is a former Pakistani diplomat.

Email: K_K_ghori@yahoo.com

The pot of simmering tension between India and Pakistan has been stirred to another spasmodic boiling point with the death sentence of Kulbhushan Jadhav, an alleged Indian spy on the payroll of Indias prime intelligence agency, the RAW. Jadhav, said to be an in-service Indian Naval officer on loan to RAW, was handed down the capital punishment by a military court in Rawalpindi on April 10. The charge sheet against him alleged he was running an extensive spy network in Pakistans strife-torn Balochistan provincewith hundreds of locally-recruited agentsfrom his sanctuary in neighbouring Iran. Hed been nabbed in Balochistan last year. His trial lasted for more than three months. Briefing the Senate in Islamabad on April 11, Pakistani Defence Minister Khwaja Asif said Jadhav was working against Pakistans integrity by promoting terror and by spying for India. He defended Jadhavs trial and conviction by being charitable at the same time. Under Pakistans Military Act of 1952, Jadhav has 40 days to appeal to a higher military court and has also the right to move a higher civilian court if his sentence is maintained. A mercy appeal to the president of Pakistan for clemency will be a last resort for him. Understandably, the harsh penalty to Jadhav has touched a raw nerve in India. Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, decrying it as pre-meditated murder, warned Pakistan to beware of its fallout on Indo-Pakistan relations. She also assured an irate Lok Sabha that India will go out of its way to ensure Jadhav's return. Of course she didnt elaborate what that out-of-the-way would be. Not surprisingly, Jadhavs sentencing is being hailed in Pakistan as convincing evidence that a BJP-controlled India, swayed by its Hindutva ideology that professes hate against Muslims, has been pursuing a conspiracy to unhinge and destabilise Pakistan. The nerves in Pakistan have been badly rattled by the BJPs victory in the recent UP elections.The complete eclipse of Muslim influence in what has traditionally been seen as the cradle of a millennium-old Indo-Gangetic culture has rubbed the Pakistaniswith many still having families in UPthe wrong way. The Jadhav saga has only fuelled their abhorrence of Hindutvas exclusivist agenda. But theres certainly much more to this cloak-and-dagger saga of an Indian spy caught red-handed as per the charge against him. Giving a macabre twist to the unfolding drama of two countries with a hot potato on their hands is the disappearance of a retired colonel of the Pakistan army from Nepal, close to the border with India. The strange story of this ex-serviceman strains credibility and sounds too apocryphal to be true. He was called for a job interview to Nepal by an Englishman with a presence in that country. The phone number used turned out to be computer generated from India. The man hasnt been heard from since April 9, from his last location near the India-Nepal land border. But the bizarre twist has many takers in Pakistan. Conventional wisdom on the grisly episode is already hooked on the belief that the RAW has engineered this drama, enticed the Pakistani ex-soldier to walk into their trap and abducted him. The bets are on that there would, eventually, be a trade-off between the two countries. Pundits are already refusing to hedge their bets on their prognosis that Jadhav will not be hanged. A spy swap will be an ideal scenario to bring down the curtain on all the commotion-filled drama. It will be a solution with a lot of necessary face-saving for both countries. And face-saving will have to be an essential and unavoidable part of any rancour-free settlement. Once again, the dyarchy of the Pakistani establishment hasnt failed to manifest its role in this spy saga, too. The GHQ-inspired gung-ho chauvinism is looking for a lot of fodder in it to feed its nationalistic pride. It isnt jingoism, exactly, but something bordering on it. Sushmas tough talk hasnt gone unnoticed and invited a quick and robust backlash from those not prepared to ever remove their blinkers. They arent mincing their words on paying back India in its own coin if New Delhi follows through on its warning of a dire fallout from the saga. But Nawaz Sharif seems still unswayed and unscathed by the wave of swashbuckling riposte to India in the face of Sushmas harsh words. Addressing the passing-out parade of officers at the Air Force Academy on April 12, Nawaz still seemed poised to extend an olive branch to India. Without ever mentioning the Jadhav episode, he said Pakistan believed in being on good terms with all its neighbours. The Jadhav episode, since his arrest last year has, in fact, been wielded by Nawazs political opponents as a whip to lash him with publicly. Nawaz has been accused of being pusillanimous, vis-a-vis a jingoistic India. His opponents accused him, for instance, of getting cold feet in his address to the UN General Assembly last September, and not making a pointed reference to Indias blatant meddling in Pakistan and its alleged sponsorship of terrorism. So Nawaz is apparently treading a very fine line, not only in the context of this spy saga, but in relation to the totality of Pakistans strained relationship with India. He must always keep an eye on how a robust parochialism, whipped on the theme of a confrontationist India, is distancing his softer approach from the popular wave. Nawaz is obviously on thin ice. But to his abiding dismay, if not alarm, his stance is getting no help from an India itself consumed by Hindutva fanaticism. Someone has got to throw him a lifeline. The author is a former Pakistani diplomat. Email: K_K_ghori@yahoo.com
By Express News Service

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Ministry of External Affairs on Monday initiated steps to ensure the safe return to India of 24 labourers from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha who fled torture by their Saudi employer in Riyadh.

Responding to a report in the New Indian Express on Monday, external affairs minister Sushma Swarajs private secretary Vijay P Dwivedi took up the issue with the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia.

Indias ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ahmad Javed has contacted the victims and counselled them. Efforts are being made to obtain the details of the company, Aamal Al Muqawil Contracting Company (AMCO), which recruited them.

The workers  four from Telangana, 10 each from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh each  ran away from their company on April 6 and have been without food and shelter since then.

On Monday, New Indian Express spoke to the workers on the telephone. The workers, all trained in pipe-fitting and welding, said they went to Riyadh in December 2016 after being recruited through walk-in interviews at three institutes  Lakshmi Ganapathi Piping and Training Institute at Gajuwaka in Vizag, Lakshmi Narasimha Institute at Tekkali in Srikakulam district and Planet Tech ITIC Institute at Brahmapur in Odisha.

They were hired at a basic pay of 1500 riyals per eight-hour working day, with a promise of 6 riyals per hour for overtime.

But although the contracts said they were required to do pipe fitting and welding work, they were asked to do helpers' work since day one. After 15 days, the workers asked to be sent back to India but they were convinced to stay, said one of the workers, P Srinivas, a native of Telanagana.

They were initially promised free food and water but later told to make their own arrangements. The workers were scared to seek help from the Indian Embassy.

"We heard there were cases of labourers from Odisha being tortured by some companies. Our company too blackmailed us saying that the embassy would file cases and would not allow us to go back to India," Srinivas added.

The workers were made to work for 10 hours a day, and refused to pay for overtime. Previously, I had worked with companies in Dubai and Iraq, but never faced such a pathetic situation, Srinivas said.

Further, the workers alleged that no safety measures were followed at the work sites. "They made us work at great heights, but never did they provide us helmets or protective gear. I had severe pain as I was not used to the grinding work. After a week, they promised us medical help which never came. Unable to bear the pain, we repeatedly called the recruitment agents, who promised us to bring back us home after three months, but there was no response," Srinivas told New Indian Express.

Vexed, the workers finally ran away from the company in the early morning of April 6. "We contacted the embassy and they told us that we need to file a case in the Riyadh court. We do not have money for our food. Can we afford to file a court case?" Srinivas said.

A good Samaritan gave them shelter on Monday and the 24 workers were cramped together in a single room.

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Ministry of External Affairs on Monday initiated steps to ensure the safe return to India of 24 labourers from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha who fled torture by their Saudi employer in Riyadh. Responding to a report in the New Indian Express on Monday, external affairs minister Sushma Swarajs private secretary Vijay P Dwivedi took up the issue with the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia. Indias ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ahmad Javed has contacted the victims and counselled them. Efforts are being made to obtain the details of the company, Aamal Al Muqawil Contracting Company (AMCO), which recruited them. The workers  four from Telangana, 10 each from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh each  ran away from their company on April 6 and have been without food and shelter since then. On Monday, New Indian Express spoke to the workers on the telephone. The workers, all trained in pipe-fitting and welding, said they went to Riyadh in December 2016 after being recruited through walk-in interviews at three institutes  Lakshmi Ganapathi Piping and Training Institute at Gajuwaka in Vizag, Lakshmi Narasimha Institute at Tekkali in Srikakulam district and Planet Tech ITIC Institute at Brahmapur in Odisha. They were hired at a basic pay of 1500 riyals per eight-hour working day, with a promise of 6 riyals per hour for overtime. But although the contracts said they were required to do pipe fitting and welding work, they were asked to do helpers' work since day one. After 15 days, the workers asked to be sent back to India but they were convinced to stay, said one of the workers, P Srinivas, a native of Telanagana. They were initially promised free food and water but later told to make their own arrangements. The workers were scared to seek help from the Indian Embassy. "We heard there were cases of labourers from Odisha being tortured by some companies. Our company too blackmailed us saying that the embassy would file cases and would not allow us to go back to India," Srinivas added. The workers were made to work for 10 hours a day, and refused to pay for overtime. Previously, I had worked with companies in Dubai and Iraq, but never faced such a pathetic situation, Srinivas said. Further, the workers alleged that no safety measures were followed at the work sites. "They made us work at great heights, but never did they provide us helmets or protective gear. I had severe pain as I was not used to the grinding work. After a week, they promised us medical help which never came. Unable to bear the pain, we repeatedly called the recruitment agents, who promised us to bring back us home after three months, but there was no response," Srinivas told New Indian Express. Vexed, the workers finally ran away from the company in the early morning of April 6. "We contacted the embassy and they told us that we need to file a case in the Riyadh court. We do not have money for our food. Can we afford to file a court case?" Srinivas said. A good Samaritan gave them shelter on Monday and the 24 workers were cramped together in a single room.
Tushar Majukar and H Rajan Samuel By

Express News Service

BELAGAVI: A huge wave came by. We saw our friends, who were walking hand-in-hand, being swept into the sea by high waves, in a matter of seconds. What looked like fun, ended in tragedy, recalled a student of Maratha Mandal Engineering College.

She was one of the eye-witnesses to the incident when seven students and a professor drowned in the sea at Wairy Bhutnath beach in Malavan on Saturday.

Vaibhavi (name changed) told Express that everything was going according to the plan from day one of the industrial tour. It was the last day of the tour when the unpredictable sea gulped her friends while she along with others stood watching, she said. When Prof Mahesh Kuduchkar and fellow student Avdoot Tahashildar tried to help, they too disappeared into the sea, she added.

Vaibhavi admitted that the fishermen at the beach had warned them not to enter the sea due to high tides.

She said all the 47 students and two faculty members were enjoying on the beach when a group of 10 students decided to go into the sea.

They assured that they will not go deep and held each others hands tight while entering the sea. They asked Poonam Chavan, older sister of deceased Anjali Chavan, to accompany them, but she refused. They had hardly gone a little deep, when a huge wave pulled them all inside, she said. Vaibhavi said that for a few seconds everyone at the beach stood stunned watching the scene.

Prof Kuduchkar and student Avdoot Tashildar, who tried to save the students from drowning, succeeded in pulling out three students, of whom Akansha Ghatge is critical and undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Malavan.

But the duo disappeared into the sea. The students ran for help. A few fishermen immediately pulled out their small boats and entered the sea. They could fish out six bodies immediately. However, it took a little time to trace the other two bodies, she added.

The locals and district administration rushed to the spot and shifted the rest of the students and a woman faculty member to a lodge.

The injured were rushed to a hospital and the authorities concerned in Belagavi were informed about the incident.

The Sindhudurg district administration completed the necessary legal procedures immediately and facilitated four ambulances to carry the eight bodies to Belagavi.

BELAGAVI: A huge wave came by. We saw our friends, who were walking hand-in-hand, being swept into the sea by high waves, in a matter of seconds. What looked like fun, ended in tragedy, recalled a student of Maratha Mandal Engineering College. She was one of the eye-witnesses to the incident when seven students and a professor drowned in the sea at Wairy Bhutnath beach in Malavan on Saturday. Vaibhavi (name changed) told Express that everything was going according to the plan from day one of the industrial tour. It was the last day of the tour when the unpredictable sea gulped her friends while she along with others stood watching, she said. When Prof Mahesh Kuduchkar and fellow student Avdoot Tahashildar tried to help, they too disappeared into the sea, she added. Vaibhavi admitted that the fishermen at the beach had warned them not to enter the sea due to high tides. She said all the 47 students and two faculty members were enjoying on the beach when a group of 10 students decided to go into the sea. They assured that they will not go deep and held each others hands tight while entering the sea. They asked Poonam Chavan, older sister of deceased Anjali Chavan, to accompany them, but she refused. They had hardly gone a little deep, when a huge wave pulled them all inside, she said. Vaibhavi said that for a few seconds everyone at the beach stood stunned watching the scene. Prof Kuduchkar and student Avdoot Tashildar, who tried to save the students from drowning, succeeded in pulling out three students, of whom Akansha Ghatge is critical and undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Malavan. But the duo disappeared into the sea. The students ran for help. A few fishermen immediately pulled out their small boats and entered the sea. They could fish out six bodies immediately. However, it took a little time to trace the other two bodies, she added. The locals and district administration rushed to the spot and shifted the rest of the students and a woman faculty member to a lodge. The injured were rushed to a hospital and the authorities concerned in Belagavi were informed about the incident. The Sindhudurg district administration completed the necessary legal procedures immediately and facilitated four ambulances to carry the eight bodies to Belagavi.
Manish Anand By

Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: BJP chief Amit Shah has blown the bugle for the final and decisive battle against the Left. Making a special reference to the alleged political violence perpetrated by the CPI(M) activists against BJP workers and RSS functionaries in Kerala and Tripura, Shah has told the national executive of the party that he would himself lead the battle against the Left in its last surviving bastion in the country.

The BJP chief will be camping in Kerala to connect with party workers at the booth level in an apparent bid to boost the morale of party workers in the southern state where the saffron outfit could win just one Assembly seat. Shah will hold a roadshow in Agartala, capital of Tripura on May 24, to launch the long campaign to wrest power in the Northeastern state, sources said.

The BJP chief has said that the Left has been rejected by the people across the country except for Kerala and Tripura, sources quoted Shah having told party leaders.

The BJP chief has tasked at least one Union minister to visit Tripura every fortnight. Tripura goes to the Assembly elections early next year where the Manik Sircar-headed Left government has been in power for about 19 years. After bagging Manipur recently, the BJP is hopeful that the party would make a strong entry into Tripura. Talking of Kerala, the BJP chief mentioned the political violence in the state and remarked that party workers wouldnt be cowed down in the state. Union ministers have also been asked to connect with party workers at the booth level in Kerala and make a strong case for developmental agenda of the Modi government, sources added.

Even while the Kerala Assembly elections are not upcoming, the State appears to have become a matter of prestige to ensure that the ideology of party ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay of Antyodaya triumphs over Marxism.

BHUBANESWAR: BJP chief Amit Shah has blown the bugle for the final and decisive battle against the Left. Making a special reference to the alleged political violence perpetrated by the CPI(M) activists against BJP workers and RSS functionaries in Kerala and Tripura, Shah has told the national executive of the party that he would himself lead the battle against the Left in its last surviving bastion in the country. The BJP chief will be camping in Kerala to connect with party workers at the booth level in an apparent bid to boost the morale of party workers in the southern state where the saffron outfit could win just one Assembly seat. Shah will hold a roadshow in Agartala, capital of Tripura on May 24, to launch the long campaign to wrest power in the Northeastern state, sources said. The BJP chief has said that the Left has been rejected by the people across the country except for Kerala and Tripura, sources quoted Shah having told party leaders. The BJP chief has tasked at least one Union minister to visit Tripura every fortnight. Tripura goes to the Assembly elections early next year where the Manik Sircar-headed Left government has been in power for about 19 years. After bagging Manipur recently, the BJP is hopeful that the party would make a strong entry into Tripura. Talking of Kerala, the BJP chief mentioned the political violence in the state and remarked that party workers wouldnt be cowed down in the state. Union ministers have also been asked to connect with party workers at the booth level in Kerala and make a strong case for developmental agenda of the Modi government, sources added. Even while the Kerala Assembly elections are not upcoming, the State appears to have become a matter of prestige to ensure that the ideology of party ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay of Antyodaya triumphs over Marxism.
By Online Desk

CHENNAI: Ministers of the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu came together around 11 pm today and told the media that they were in favour of merging the two factions of the party after rebel leader O Panneerselvam said he was open to the option earlier this morning.

They gathered for a late night meeting at Electricity Minister P Thangamanis house in Greenways Road in the city.

Led by Finance Minister D Jayakumar, several ministers spoke as one in saying that they were in favour of the merger. They hoped it would also put an end to the tug of war over the Two Leaves party symbol, which the Election Commission froze ahead of the RK Nagar bypoll. The bypoll was cancelled after allegations that arose that AIADMK deputy general secretary and poll candidate TTV Dhinakaran had tried to bribe voters.

Earlier today, in another development, the Delhi police filed a case against Dhinakaran, charging him with having tried to bribe Election Commission officials to ensure the Two Leaves party symbol is allocated to the AIADMK-ruling faction led by him. The Delhi police have nabbed a conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, who they claim is Dhinakarans accomplice who was tasked with bribing the EC officials.

At todays press conference, when asked whether Dhinakaran would quit his party post, Jayakumar said the defacto party head had ruled it out. Once Dhinakaran returns from his trip to Bengaluru where he went to visit his aunt and party general secretary VK Sasikala at the Parappana Agrahara prison, they would sit together and work out the terms of the merger, Jayakumar said.

To a question whether rumours that Sasikala had given up her post as General Secretary of the AIADMK, Law Minister C Ve Shanmugham shot out saying it was a pack of lies.

Ministers including Health Minister C Vijayabaskar, who is under the Income Tax scanner, were present at the meeting, whereas Chief Minister K Palanisamy did not attend it. Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister too held talks with his Cabinet colleagues.

The meetings are being held after Panneerselvam spoke about merger talks. Earlier, Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai said that Dhinakaran faction was ready for talks with Panneerselvam for a patch-up.

Incidentally, Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao arrived in the city earlier in the day.

According to the CNN News 18, D Maitreyan, Rajya Sabha MP of the AIADMK, who joined hands with Panneerselvam, the only way in which his faction would agree to a merger is with OPS as chief minister. This raises questions about the future of Edappadi K Palanisamy, who is currently heading the government. His absence at the meeting, therefore gave rise to speculation.

In the past couple of days, there has been a buzz about a possible merger between the two AIADMK factions. The case against Dhinakaran today and the meeting of ministers held in his absence seem to point to a sidelining of the Mannargudi family of Sasikala. The OPS faction has always pointed out that the Sasikala and family have never found favour with the public in Tamil Nadu.

With Sasikala in jail and her nephew now charged with a case, the ministers who gathered together claimed that all the MLAs of the party were united in their desire to merge as one party.

CHENNAI: Ministers of the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu came together around 11 pm today and told the media that they were in favour of merging the two factions of the party after rebel leader O Panneerselvam said he was open to the option earlier this morning. They gathered for a late night meeting at Electricity Minister P Thangamanis house in Greenways Road in the city. Led by Finance Minister D Jayakumar, several ministers spoke as one in saying that they were in favour of the merger. They hoped it would also put an end to the tug of war over the Two Leaves party symbol, which the Election Commission froze ahead of the RK Nagar bypoll. The bypoll was cancelled after allegations that arose that AIADMK deputy general secretary and poll candidate TTV Dhinakaran had tried to bribe voters. Earlier today, in another development, the Delhi police filed a case against Dhinakaran, charging him with having tried to bribe Election Commission officials to ensure the Two Leaves party symbol is allocated to the AIADMK-ruling faction led by him. The Delhi police have nabbed a conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, who they claim is Dhinakarans accomplice who was tasked with bribing the EC officials. At todays press conference, when asked whether Dhinakaran would quit his party post, Jayakumar said the defacto party head had ruled it out. Once Dhinakaran returns from his trip to Bengaluru where he went to visit his aunt and party general secretary VK Sasikala at the Parappana Agrahara prison, they would sit together and work out the terms of the merger, Jayakumar said. To a question whether rumours that Sasikala had given up her post as General Secretary of the AIADMK, Law Minister C Ve Shanmugham shot out saying it was a pack of lies. Ministers including Health Minister C Vijayabaskar, who is under the Income Tax scanner, were present at the meeting, whereas Chief Minister K Palanisamy did not attend it. Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister too held talks with his Cabinet colleagues. The meetings are being held after Panneerselvam spoke about merger talks. Earlier, Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai said that Dhinakaran faction was ready for talks with Panneerselvam for a patch-up. Incidentally, Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao arrived in the city earlier in the day. According to the CNN News 18, D Maitreyan, Rajya Sabha MP of the AIADMK, who joined hands with Panneerselvam, the only way in which his faction would agree to a merger is with OPS as chief minister. This raises questions about the future of Edappadi K Palanisamy, who is currently heading the government. His absence at the meeting, therefore gave rise to speculation. In the past couple of days, there has been a buzz about a possible merger between the two AIADMK factions. The case against Dhinakaran today and the meeting of ministers held in his absence seem to point to a sidelining of the Mannargudi family of Sasikala. The OPS faction has always pointed out that the Sasikala and family have never found favour with the public in Tamil Nadu. With Sasikala in jail and her nephew now charged with a case, the ministers who gathered together claimed that all the MLAs of the party were united in their desire to merge as one party.
By Online Desk

An FIR has been registered today against AIADMK deputy general secretary and Sasikala's nephew TTV Dinakaran by the Delhi police crime branch for allegedly trying to bribe Election Commission officials for the AIADMK's two leaves symbol, reported news agency ANI.

Sources said the seizure of cash took place yesterday and after enquiry, the middleman was arrested this morning. Also, Sukesh Chandrashekhar has reportedly admitted that he had received the money from Sasikala faction.

Significantly, the arrest took place just hours ahead of the Election Commission is scheduled to hear the dispute between the two factions of the AIADMK about the validity of appointment of Sasikala as the general secretary as well the Two Leaves symbol.

Reportedly, the Delhi Crime Branch has also sent a report on the arrest of middleman to the Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi.

TTV Dinakaran named accused in FIR filed by Delhi Police crime branch for allegedly offering bribe for AIADMK's 'Two leaves' symbol':Sources pic.twitter.com/ze74aUkEkq  ANI (@ANI_news) April 17, 2017

Earlier this month, the EC had cancelled the RK Nagar bypoll over systemic bribing of voters. The order, passed jointly by Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi and the two other election commissioners, largely relied on the recent alleged seizures of documents by Income Tax officials from the premises linked to a few State ministers. Read more

REPLUG: Actor Leena Maria Paul, partner arrested for fraud

On March 23rd, the Election Commission froze AIADMK's two leaves symbol, after hearing both factions of the party contesting for the symbol. After the death of former AIADMK chief and Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, there has been a tug of war between General Secretary VK Sasikala and the breakaway faction headed by former chief minister O Panneerselvam. Read more

(With inputs from Express News Service)

An FIR has been registered today against AIADMK deputy general secretary and Sasikala's nephew TTV Dinakaran by the Delhi police crime branch for allegedly trying to bribe Election Commission officials for the AIADMK's two leaves symbol, reported news agency ANI. Sources said the seizure of cash took place yesterday and after enquiry, the middleman was arrested this morning. Also, Sukesh Chandrashekhar has reportedly admitted that he had received the money from Sasikala faction. Significantly, the arrest took place just hours ahead of the Election Commission is scheduled to hear the dispute between the two factions of the AIADMK about the validity of appointment of Sasikala as the general secretary as well the Two Leaves symbol. Reportedly, the Delhi Crime Branch has also sent a report on the arrest of middleman to the Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi. TTV Dinakaran named accused in FIR filed by Delhi Police crime branch for allegedly offering bribe for AIADMK's 'Two leaves' symbol':Sources pic.twitter.com/ze74aUkEkq  ANI (@ANI_news) April 17, 2017 Earlier this month, the EC had cancelled the RK Nagar bypoll over systemic bribing of voters. The order, passed jointly by Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi and the two other election commissioners, largely relied on the recent alleged seizures of documents by Income Tax officials from the premises linked to a few State ministers. Read more REPLUG: Actor Leena Maria Paul, partner arrested for fraud On March 23rd, the Election Commission froze AIADMK's two leaves symbol, after hearing both factions of the party contesting for the symbol. After the death of former AIADMK chief and Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, there has been a tug of war between General Secretary VK Sasikala and the breakaway faction headed by former chief minister O Panneerselvam. Read more (With inputs from Express News Service)
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: One more public litigation has been filed, this time by a serving IRS officer, seeking a thorough probe into the mysterious death of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa at the Apollo Hospitals in December last year. P Balamurugan (52), an Assistant Commissioner, Customs, Excise and Service Tax Tribunal, urged the court to constitute a panel, headed by IAS officer U Sagayam, to unearth the truth behind the death of Jaya.

The first bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar, before which the PIL came up for hearing on Monday, clubbed it along with similar PILs pending before the bench and posted it for July 4.

According to the petitioner, Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao visited Jayalalithaa at the hospital only 10 days after her admission, that too, after opposition parties raised the issue.

While Jayalaithaa was admitted on September 22, 2016 itself, Rao visited the hospital only on October 2 and returned without actually meeting her. He had handed over a fruit basket to someone else and returned, only to issue a press statement that she was recovering.

When a chief minister falls seriously ill, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, either through the PMO or the home minister or the Governor, should have ordered an inquiry about the CMs health and called for a report from the Governor to assess her capability of running the administration and to oversee the change of power, if needed, as per Constitution.

But the PM had not called for any such report from the Governor nor made a courtesy phone call to the CM to inquire about her health.

When the Governor visited the hospital twice, nobody prevented him from seeing Jaya. But, he deliberately did not see the ailing Chief Minister and in fact he had drawn a Laxman Rekha in the hospital so that nobody else would cross that line and see the Chief Minister, the PIL said. At a later stage, the Governor reallocated the portfolios held by the CM and there is no documentary evidence to prove that she had advised him to do so, it said.

As for the hospitals role, Balamurugan asked why the hospital did not allow anybody, including Jayalalithaas blood relative Deepa, to see her. When Jaya was cured of fever and dehydration and she started her normal functions on September 28, 2016, why she was not discharged, the asked.

CHENNAI: One more public litigation has been filed, this time by a serving IRS officer, seeking a thorough probe into the mysterious death of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa at the Apollo Hospitals in December last year. P Balamurugan (52), an Assistant Commissioner, Customs, Excise and Service Tax Tribunal, urged the court to constitute a panel, headed by IAS officer U Sagayam, to unearth the truth behind the death of Jaya. The first bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar, before which the PIL came up for hearing on Monday, clubbed it along with similar PILs pending before the bench and posted it for July 4. According to the petitioner, Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao visited Jayalalithaa at the hospital only 10 days after her admission, that too, after opposition parties raised the issue. While Jayalaithaa was admitted on September 22, 2016 itself, Rao visited the hospital only on October 2 and returned without actually meeting her. He had handed over a fruit basket to someone else and returned, only to issue a press statement that she was recovering. When a chief minister falls seriously ill, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, either through the PMO or the home minister or the Governor, should have ordered an inquiry about the CMs health and called for a report from the Governor to assess her capability of running the administration and to oversee the change of power, if needed, as per Constitution. But the PM had not called for any such report from the Governor nor made a courtesy phone call to the CM to inquire about her health. When the Governor visited the hospital twice, nobody prevented him from seeing Jaya. But, he deliberately did not see the ailing Chief Minister and in fact he had drawn a Laxman Rekha in the hospital so that nobody else would cross that line and see the Chief Minister, the PIL said. At a later stage, the Governor reallocated the portfolios held by the CM and there is no documentary evidence to prove that she had advised him to do so, it said. As for the hospitals role, Balamurugan asked why the hospital did not allow anybody, including Jayalalithaas blood relative Deepa, to see her. When Jaya was cured of fever and dehydration and she started her normal functions on September 28, 2016, why she was not discharged, the asked.
Shanghai steps up fight against invading foreign species

From:Shanghai Daily | 2017-04-17 01:29

Shanghai border control authorities will blacklist people who intentionally bring in non-native plants and animals multiple times.

Officials with Shanghai Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau said ports have reported more instances of people bringing in invasive speices as exchanges between Shanghai and the world have increased.

Shanghai borders screened 20 million inbound tourists and 12 million parcels last year and blocked more than 7,000 entries involving 124 dangerous non-native species.

They included the Mediterranean fruit fly, which attacks fruit crops and the pine wilt nematode that threatens forests.

Officials say existing regulations stipulate a fine up to 5,000 yuan (about 730 U.S. dollars) for offenders, but this is not enough of a deterrent, so they will blacklist repeat offenders.

Being blacklisted may be recorded on people's credit and police records, the officials said.

Repeat offenders could face criminal charges once an amendment submitted to the legislature is passed, they added.

The officials did say they would be lenient on those who did not know the species were controlled.
SV Krishna Chaitanya By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: In a glaring violation of provisions of the Right to Information Act (RTI), the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has not uploaded consent orders issued to industries on its website for more than two years.

The board had put up consent orders only till December 2014. All State pollution control boards are legally bound to update data, be it consent to operate, establish or authorise grant under hazardous waste management rules and biomedical waste management rules in their respective official websites immediately so as to enable general public to challenge them, if found in violation of any statutory laws.

As per proactive disclosure Section 4(1)(b)(xiii) of RTI Act, recipients of concessions, permits or authorisations granted by the Public Authority should be made available online, and Section 4(2) requires every Public Authority to provide data suo moto to the public at regular interval by various means of communications including internet.

TNPCB has come under fire many times for showing

disregard to the RTI Act

In fact, there is an order from the Tamil Nadu Information Commission dated July 14, 2008, where petitioner Nityanand Jayaraman, noted environmentalist and writer, has filed a case accusing the TNPCB of similar mischief. The commission had upheld petitioners view and directed the board to upload all documents on the web. The commission was even critical about TNPCB operations, and noted that it seldom has any regard for the RTI Act, the order reads, a copy of which is available in the TNIC website.

RTI activist Shweta Narayan told Express that it was criminal on part of TNPCB to hide information from public scrutiny. Its a deliberate ploy. Under the National Green Tribunal (NGT) Act, we can challenge the order issued by a Public Authority only within 30 days. Any sensitive orders are not uploaded, and public lose rights to challenge them. And, this is not the first time, the board is resorting to such a practice. We have written letters to chairman of the TNPCB in 2013 and 2015 for similar misdeeds, she said.

In the Research Foundation for Science versus Union of India case pertaining to hazardous waste dumping in India, the SC in 2003 passed an order wherein the apex court had directed the State Pollution Control Boards to take steps to ensure that relevant important information should be displayed on notice boards and newspaper and communicated through radio, television and the Internet. The SPCBs should ensure that all industries display online data outside the main factory gate, on quantity and nature of hazardous chemicals being used in the plant, water and air emissions and solid wastes generated within the factory premises. If such data is not made available, the unit should be asked to show cause or even be asked to close down, the order reads.

CHENNAI: In a glaring violation of provisions of the Right to Information Act (RTI), the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has not uploaded consent orders issued to industries on its website for more than two years. The board had put up consent orders only till December 2014. All State pollution control boards are legally bound to update data, be it consent to operate, establish or authorise grant under hazardous waste management rules and biomedical waste management rules in their respective official websites immediately so as to enable general public to challenge them, if found in violation of any statutory laws. As per proactive disclosure Section 4(1)(b)(xiii) of RTI Act, recipients of concessions, permits or authorisations granted by the Public Authority should be made available online, and Section 4(2) requires every Public Authority to provide data suo moto to the public at regular interval by various means of communications including internet. TNPCB has come under fire many times for showing disregard to the RTI ActIn fact, there is an order from the Tamil Nadu Information Commission dated July 14, 2008, where petitioner Nityanand Jayaraman, noted environmentalist and writer, has filed a case accusing the TNPCB of similar mischief. The commission had upheld petitioners view and directed the board to upload all documents on the web. The commission was even critical about TNPCB operations, and noted that it seldom has any regard for the RTI Act, the order reads, a copy of which is available in the TNIC website. RTI activist Shweta Narayan told Express that it was criminal on part of TNPCB to hide information from public scrutiny. Its a deliberate ploy. Under the National Green Tribunal (NGT) Act, we can challenge the order issued by a Public Authority only within 30 days. Any sensitive orders are not uploaded, and public lose rights to challenge them. And, this is not the first time, the board is resorting to such a practice. We have written letters to chairman of the TNPCB in 2013 and 2015 for similar misdeeds, she said. In the Research Foundation for Science versus Union of India case pertaining to hazardous waste dumping in India, the SC in 2003 passed an order wherein the apex court had directed the State Pollution Control Boards to take steps to ensure that relevant important information should be displayed on notice boards and newspaper and communicated through radio, television and the Internet. The SPCBs should ensure that all industries display online data outside the main factory gate, on quantity and nature of hazardous chemicals being used in the plant, water and air emissions and solid wastes generated within the factory premises. If such data is not made available, the unit should be asked to show cause or even be asked to close down, the order reads.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: TTV Dinakaran, the AIADMK's deputy general secretary, has denied even knowing Sukesh Chandrasekar, the person who was said to be arrested by Delhi police when he allegedly tried to bribe election commission officials on behalf of Dhinakaran.

Dinakaran claimed efforts were on to "destroy our organisation politically," but said he was not aware who was doing so.

"I dont know who is Sukesh Chandrasekar. I never spoke to him over telephone or have come across this person in my life. I did not bribe anyone for getting anything. If Delhi police summons me, I will face it legally. I will answer their questions. There is ulterior motive behind this development," he told reporters here soon after the news broke this morning.

Sukesh Chandrasekar was arrested by Delhi police with cash

worth Rs 1.5 crore, reportedly admitted he received money

from Sasikala faction. (EPS | Shekhar Yadav)

Asked about the reports that he had spoken to Sukesh Chandrasekar over telephone, Dinakaran denied. "I used to spoke to lawyers regarding the dispute before the Election Commission. Rumours are being spread to politically destabilise our party. I am on the way to Bengaluru to meet VK Sasikala, general secretary of the party. I saw it in television channels about arrest of Sukesh Chandrasekar and spoke to my lawyer over telephone. So far I did not receive any communication from the Delhi Crime Branch. 

READ MORE: FIR against Dinakaran on charges of trying to bribe Election Commission officials for AIADMK's two leaves symbol

Today, we have already filed a petition before the EC. To my knowledge, there wont be any hearing today as we have sought time.

WATCH: AIADMK chief Dhinakaran reacts to arrest of alleged middleman in 'two leaves' case

Asked there is a crisis in the party and he is going to meet Sasikala only to discuss this with her, Dinakaran said  no one has urged me to stay away from politics.

(with inputs from PTI)

CHENNAI: TTV Dinakaran, the AIADMK's deputy general secretary, has denied even knowing Sukesh Chandrasekar, the person who was said to be arrested by Delhi police when he allegedly tried to bribe election commission officials on behalf of Dhinakaran. Dinakaran claimed efforts were on to "destroy our organisation politically," but said he was not aware who was doing so. "I dont know who is Sukesh Chandrasekar. I never spoke to him over telephone or have come across this person in my life. I did not bribe anyone for getting anything. If Delhi police summons me, I will face it legally. I will answer their questions. There is ulterior motive behind this development," he told reporters here soon after the news broke this morning. Sukesh Chandrasekar was arrested by Delhi police with cash worth Rs 1.5 crore, reportedly admitted he received money from Sasikala faction. (EPS | Shekhar Yadav) Asked about the reports that he had spoken to Sukesh Chandrasekar over telephone, Dinakaran denied. "I used to spoke to lawyers regarding the dispute before the Election Commission. Rumours are being spread to politically destabilise our party. I am on the way to Bengaluru to meet VK Sasikala, general secretary of the party. I saw it in television channels about arrest of Sukesh Chandrasekar and spoke to my lawyer over telephone. So far I did not receive any communication from the Delhi Crime Branch.  READ MORE: FIR against Dinakaran on charges of trying to bribe Election Commission officials for AIADMK's two leaves symbol Today, we have already filed a petition before the EC. To my knowledge, there wont be any hearing today as we have sought time. WATCH: AIADMK chief Dhinakaran reacts to arrest of alleged middleman in 'two leaves' case Asked there is a crisis in the party and he is going to meet Sasikala only to discuss this with her, Dinakaran said  no one has urged me to stay away from politics. (with inputs from PTI)
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: First successful cadaver heart transplant surgery was performed at the Government Multi-Super Speciality Hospital, Omandurar, the pet project of former late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, doctors said on Monday.The first beneficiary was C Jayammal (46), native of Gobichettipalayam in Erode district, who was diagnosed with end-stage heart disease. The surgery was performed on April 4, after harvesting a suitable heart from a brain-dead patient from Global Hospital.

We received a call from Global Hospital on April 3 around 5 pm. We harvested the heart around 11.02 pm. Green corridor was created and reached the hospital with heart at 11.20 pm. We started transplant around 12.02 am, that is, April 4. The six hours surgery was performed by six doctors, said Dr P Amirthraj, professor, Cardiothoracic Surgery Department of the hospital.

Jayammal, who was admitted in the hospital in December was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy in which the heart becomes enlarged and can not pump blood efficiently.

Normal pumping of the heart should be around 60 per cent, but the patient had less than 20 per cent of pumping. Because of this she had difficulty in breathing and could not take two steps also. She was managed on medication, till we got suitable donor. Earlier two attempts to harvest the heart failed, said Dr Amirthraj.

Speaking to media, Dr R Narayana Babu, Director of Medical Education (incharge), said that the hospital got licence to perform both heart and lung transplant. Soon, lung transplant also will be performed in the hospital. The heart transplant which would cost around `30 lakh in private hospitals was performed free of cost under Chief Minister Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme. The patient also will be provided immunosuppressive drugs free of cost, which would cost monthly `20,000 outside, he added.

C Madesh, son of Jayammal, said we are from agrarian family and could not afford transplant or treatment in private hospitals. After consulting various hospitals in Mysore, Erode and Coimbatore, finally we were referred to this hospital. She had been suffering from heart problem for the last two years, he added.

The Multi Super Speciality Hospital, Omandurar is the second government hospital in the state to do heart transplant. So far, five heart transplants were performed at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, said Dr Narayana Babu.

Four patients from the hospital have been waitlisted for heart in the Tamil Nadu organ sharing registry, said Dr V Anand Kumar, Nodal officer, Multi Super Speciality Hospital, Omandurar.

CHENNAI: First successful cadaver heart transplant surgery was performed at the Government Multi-Super Speciality Hospital, Omandurar, the pet project of former late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, doctors said on Monday.The first beneficiary was C Jayammal (46), native of Gobichettipalayam in Erode district, who was diagnosed with end-stage heart disease. The surgery was performed on April 4, after harvesting a suitable heart from a brain-dead patient from Global Hospital. We received a call from Global Hospital on April 3 around 5 pm. We harvested the heart around 11.02 pm. Green corridor was created and reached the hospital with heart at 11.20 pm. We started transplant around 12.02 am, that is, April 4. The six hours surgery was performed by six doctors, said Dr P Amirthraj, professor, Cardiothoracic Surgery Department of the hospital. Jayammal, who was admitted in the hospital in December was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy in which the heart becomes enlarged and can not pump blood efficiently. Normal pumping of the heart should be around 60 per cent, but the patient had less than 20 per cent of pumping. Because of this she had difficulty in breathing and could not take two steps also. She was managed on medication, till we got suitable donor. Earlier two attempts to harvest the heart failed, said Dr Amirthraj. Speaking to media, Dr R Narayana Babu, Director of Medical Education (incharge), said that the hospital got licence to perform both heart and lung transplant. Soon, lung transplant also will be performed in the hospital. The heart transplant which would cost around `30 lakh in private hospitals was performed free of cost under Chief Minister Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme. The patient also will be provided immunosuppressive drugs free of cost, which would cost monthly `20,000 outside, he added. C Madesh, son of Jayammal, said we are from agrarian family and could not afford transplant or treatment in private hospitals. After consulting various hospitals in Mysore, Erode and Coimbatore, finally we were referred to this hospital. She had been suffering from heart problem for the last two years, he added. The Multi Super Speciality Hospital, Omandurar is the second government hospital in the state to do heart transplant. So far, five heart transplants were performed at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, said Dr Narayana Babu. Four patients from the hospital have been waitlisted for heart in the Tamil Nadu organ sharing registry, said Dr V Anand Kumar, Nodal officer, Multi Super Speciality Hospital, Omandurar.
By AFP

PANMUNJOM (SOUTH KOREA): The United States is ruling nothing out in its dealings with North Korea, Vice President Mike Pence said Monday during a visit to the heavily militarised border between the two Koreas.

Washington wants to achieve security "through peaceable means, through negotiations. But all options are on the table as we continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of South Korea," he said at the border village of Panmunjom.

Pence, speaking at Freedom House, a few metres from the military demarcation line that he described as a "frontier of freedom", said America's relationship with South Korea was "ironclad and immutable".

"The message of the people of the United States of America is that we seek peace, but America has always sought peace through strength and my message here today standing with US forces Korea, standing with courageous soldiers from the Republic of Korea is a message of resolve.

"The people of North Korea the military of North Korea should not mistake the resolve of the United States of America to stand with our allies."

Pence's visit to the DMZ comes a day after North Korea's latest missile test failed, when the rocket exploded seconds after blast off.

PANMUNJOM (SOUTH KOREA): The United States is ruling nothing out in its dealings with North Korea, Vice President Mike Pence said Monday during a visit to the heavily militarised border between the two Koreas. Washington wants to achieve security "through peaceable means, through negotiations. But all options are on the table as we continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of South Korea," he said at the border village of Panmunjom. Pence, speaking at Freedom House, a few metres from the military demarcation line that he described as a "frontier of freedom", said America's relationship with South Korea was "ironclad and immutable". "The message of the people of the United States of America is that we seek peace, but America has always sought peace through strength and my message here today standing with US forces Korea, standing with courageous soldiers from the Republic of Korea is a message of resolve. "The people of North Korea the military of North Korea should not mistake the resolve of the United States of America to stand with our allies." Pence's visit to the DMZ comes a day after North Korea's latest missile test failed, when the rocket exploded seconds after blast off.
By PTI

LONDON: British MPs today wrote to Home Secretary Amber Rudd, seeking revocation of the citizenship of Asma al-Assad, the UK-born wife of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, for her support to his regime on social media.

"The first lady of Syria has acted not as a private citizen but as a spokesperson for the Syrian presidency... [UK foreign secretary] Boris Johnson has urged other countries to do more about Syria, but the British government could say to Asma Assad, either stop using your position to defend barbaric acts, or be stripped of your citizenship," Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson, Tom Brake said.

Brake is leading a group of his party MPs calling on Rudd to use her powers to withdraw Asma Assad's citizenship for her support to Assad's regime on social media.

"This is a barbarous regime, yet Asma Assad has continued to use her international profile to defend it, even after the chemical weapons atrocity," he said.

Conservative party MP Nadhim Zahawi backed the call, saying she was "very much part of the propaganda machine that is committing war crimes".

After a US strike, Asma Assad posted a message on one of her accounts saying: "The presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic affirms that what America has done is an irresponsible act that only reflects a shortsightedness, a narrow horizon, a political and military blindness to reality and a naive pursuit of a frenzied false propaganda campaign."

The 41-year-old was educated in Britain and worked as an investment banker before she married in 2000. Withdrawing her passport would not leave her stateless, however, because she is thought to be a dual British-Syrian national.

Social media accounts in Asma Assad's name have some 500,000 followers and are used as pro-regime tools.

LONDON: British MPs today wrote to Home Secretary Amber Rudd, seeking revocation of the citizenship of Asma al-Assad, the UK-born wife of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, for her support to his regime on social media. "The first lady of Syria has acted not as a private citizen but as a spokesperson for the Syrian presidency... [UK foreign secretary] Boris Johnson has urged other countries to do more about Syria, but the British government could say to Asma Assad, either stop using your position to defend barbaric acts, or be stripped of your citizenship," Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson, Tom Brake said. Brake is leading a group of his party MPs calling on Rudd to use her powers to withdraw Asma Assad's citizenship for her support to Assad's regime on social media. "This is a barbarous regime, yet Asma Assad has continued to use her international profile to defend it, even after the chemical weapons atrocity," he said. Conservative party MP Nadhim Zahawi backed the call, saying she was "very much part of the propaganda machine that is committing war crimes". After a US strike, Asma Assad posted a message on one of her accounts saying: "The presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic affirms that what America has done is an irresponsible act that only reflects a shortsightedness, a narrow horizon, a political and military blindness to reality and a naive pursuit of a frenzied false propaganda campaign." The 41-year-old was educated in Britain and worked as an investment banker before she married in 2000. Withdrawing her passport would not leave her stateless, however, because she is thought to be a dual British-Syrian national. Social media accounts in Asma Assad's name have some 500,000 followers and are used as pro-regime tools.
By Associated Press

WASHINGTON: Once soft on Russia and hard on China, President Donald Trump rapidly reversed course in the last weeks, concluding there's more business to be done with Beijing than with Moscow.

Trump's evolving views on those two world powers have brought the U.S. back into alignment with former President Barack Obama's pattern of "great power" politics. Though Russia critics welcomed Trump's newly hardened tone, there's less enthusiasm from America's allies in Asia, who fear the U.S. could overlook China's more aggressive posture toward its neighbours.

It may be that Trump, the businessman-turned-world leader, is discovering China's transactional approach to foreign relations is better suited to achieving his own goals. Chinese leaders have sought a U.S. relationship based on the two powers respecting each other's spheres of influence and not intervening in one another's internal affairs.

Such a balance-of-powers approach had been Russia's traditional stance. Moscow still wants Washington out of its backyard, but Russia's alleged campaigns to influence the U.S. presidential election and upcoming votes in the heart of Western Europe have made it harder for American officials to take the offer seriously. Russia's support for Syrian President Bashar Assad and Trump's newfound commitment to militarily countering any chemical weapons attacks also is proving hard to square.

Also, Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin's shared tendency toward nationalist, "don't-mess-with-us" rhetoric may be putting the pair on a collision course.

The sudden U-turn for Trump has been head-snapping for people around the world, despite his self-professed penchant for unpredictability and willingness to adapt to changing circumstances.

As the Republican presidential nominee, Trump praised Putin repeatedly as a strong, "very smart" leader. Trump dismissed America's Russia hawks as "stupid people or fools" and predicted that under his leadership the Cold War foes would "work together to solve some of the many great and pressing problems and issues of the world."

Trump's gestures to Moscow even fueled perceptions that his campaign and Russia were colluding to help him get elected  a possibility the FBI is now investigating.

"Frankly, if we got along with Russia and knocked out ISIS, that would be a good thing, not a bad thing," Trump told a radio host in October, citing his still unrealized goal to have both countries cooperate to defeat the Islamic State group.

This past week, it was the opposite message, as the U.S. and Russia feuded about Syria.

"We're not getting along with Russia at all," Trump said. "We may be at an all-time low."

Trump's declaration came at a joint news conference with the leader of NATO, an alliance established as a Cold War bulwark against the Soviet Union. Trump had dismissed NATO as "obsolete," but now says it is "no longer obsolete."

As he shifts away from Russia, Trump is offering an outstretched hand to China. Trump recently hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping at Trump's Florida resort, and on Thursday hailed Xi as a "terrific person" and a "very special man."

For years Trump said that China was "eating our lunch," and he peppered his campaign rallies with promises to label China a currency manipulator as one of his first acts. He even threatened to start a trade war, arguing that China's trade surplus was the reason for America's economic woes.

Trump's growing focus on the North Korean threat, heightened by signs the North might soon conduct another nuclear test, has changed Trump's thinking. Now he is looking for help from China, North Korea's dominant trade partner, and easing up on his rhetoric. "I think China has really been working very hard" on North Korea, he said.

Coinciding with this new assessment was Trump's announcement that he won't declare China a currency manipulator. It was Trump's second major concession to Xi, after backing away from a threat to abandon America's "One China" policy that sees Taiwan as part of China.

So what did Trump, the self-declared deal-maker, get in return?

"The U.S. hasn't gotten anything from China yet," said Evan Medeiros, who was Obama's top Asia adviser in the White House. "The question becomes, if they don't give him what he wants, what happens next?"

Trump and White House aides have pointed to Beijing's move to restrict coal imports from North Korea as a sign it's listening to Trump. But the restriction merely put in place U.N. sanctions passed last year with China's support  before Trump took office.

Although U.S. allies Japan and South Korea are heartened by Trump's North Korea focus, his softer tack toward Beijing is causing concern. China's other designs for Asia include staking sovereignty to maritime territories, sometimes far from its coast, that others countries claim as well.

Despite Trump's argument that China is taking North Korea seriously, China remains adamantly opposed to U.S. deployment of an advanced missile-defense system in South Korea. Trump, like Obama before him, insists the system's sole purpose is to protect against the North. Beijing isn't so sure and doesn't like such sophisticated radar being able to peer into Chinese territory.

WASHINGTON: Once soft on Russia and hard on China, President Donald Trump rapidly reversed course in the last weeks, concluding there's more business to be done with Beijing than with Moscow. Trump's evolving views on those two world powers have brought the U.S. back into alignment with former President Barack Obama's pattern of "great power" politics. Though Russia critics welcomed Trump's newly hardened tone, there's less enthusiasm from America's allies in Asia, who fear the U.S. could overlook China's more aggressive posture toward its neighbours. It may be that Trump, the businessman-turned-world leader, is discovering China's transactional approach to foreign relations is better suited to achieving his own goals. Chinese leaders have sought a U.S. relationship based on the two powers respecting each other's spheres of influence and not intervening in one another's internal affairs. Such a balance-of-powers approach had been Russia's traditional stance. Moscow still wants Washington out of its backyard, but Russia's alleged campaigns to influence the U.S. presidential election and upcoming votes in the heart of Western Europe have made it harder for American officials to take the offer seriously. Russia's support for Syrian President Bashar Assad and Trump's newfound commitment to militarily countering any chemical weapons attacks also is proving hard to square. Also, Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin's shared tendency toward nationalist, "don't-mess-with-us" rhetoric may be putting the pair on a collision course. The sudden U-turn for Trump has been head-snapping for people around the world, despite his self-professed penchant for unpredictability and willingness to adapt to changing circumstances. As the Republican presidential nominee, Trump praised Putin repeatedly as a strong, "very smart" leader. Trump dismissed America's Russia hawks as "stupid people or fools" and predicted that under his leadership the Cold War foes would "work together to solve some of the many great and pressing problems and issues of the world." Trump's gestures to Moscow even fueled perceptions that his campaign and Russia were colluding to help him get elected  a possibility the FBI is now investigating. "Frankly, if we got along with Russia and knocked out ISIS, that would be a good thing, not a bad thing," Trump told a radio host in October, citing his still unrealized goal to have both countries cooperate to defeat the Islamic State group. This past week, it was the opposite message, as the U.S. and Russia feuded about Syria. "We're not getting along with Russia at all," Trump said. "We may be at an all-time low." Trump's declaration came at a joint news conference with the leader of NATO, an alliance established as a Cold War bulwark against the Soviet Union. Trump had dismissed NATO as "obsolete," but now says it is "no longer obsolete." As he shifts away from Russia, Trump is offering an outstretched hand to China. Trump recently hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping at Trump's Florida resort, and on Thursday hailed Xi as a "terrific person" and a "very special man." For years Trump said that China was "eating our lunch," and he peppered his campaign rallies with promises to label China a currency manipulator as one of his first acts. He even threatened to start a trade war, arguing that China's trade surplus was the reason for America's economic woes. Trump's growing focus on the North Korean threat, heightened by signs the North might soon conduct another nuclear test, has changed Trump's thinking. Now he is looking for help from China, North Korea's dominant trade partner, and easing up on his rhetoric. "I think China has really been working very hard" on North Korea, he said. Coinciding with this new assessment was Trump's announcement that he won't declare China a currency manipulator. It was Trump's second major concession to Xi, after backing away from a threat to abandon America's "One China" policy that sees Taiwan as part of China. So what did Trump, the self-declared deal-maker, get in return? "The U.S. hasn't gotten anything from China yet," said Evan Medeiros, who was Obama's top Asia adviser in the White House. "The question becomes, if they don't give him what he wants, what happens next?" Trump and White House aides have pointed to Beijing's move to restrict coal imports from North Korea as a sign it's listening to Trump. But the restriction merely put in place U.N. sanctions passed last year with China's support  before Trump took office. Although U.S. allies Japan and South Korea are heartened by Trump's North Korea focus, his softer tack toward Beijing is causing concern. China's other designs for Asia include staking sovereignty to maritime territories, sometimes far from its coast, that others countries claim as well. Despite Trump's argument that China is taking North Korea seriously, China remains adamantly opposed to U.S. deployment of an advanced missile-defense system in South Korea. Trump, like Obama before him, insists the system's sole purpose is to protect against the North. Beijing isn't so sure and doesn't like such sophisticated radar being able to peer into Chinese territory.
By PTI

COLOMBO: The death toll in the giant open garbage dump which collapsed and buried dozens of houses near the Sri Lankan capital has climbed to 30 after rescuers pulled out more bodies from the rubble today.

At least seven children were among 30 people killed in the collapse of the garbage dump in Meetotamulla area in Kolonnawa near Colombo, local media quoted officials as saying.

According to the Disaster Management Centre, at least 625 people belonging to 180 families had been displaced due to the tragedy, the report said.

Survivors of the garbage dump site blamed politicians for the tragedy.

"I lost my three children. My wife is in a critical condition. My battle has ended," said N Keerthiratne, who as the Convenor of the movement 'People Against the Meethotamulla Dump' has led many protest since 2009 when the dumping of heaps of Colombo garbage began at the site.

"Please do not report this as a natural tragedy, please say this was a planned massacre, relatives of the victims cry hoarse," he said.

"Is this my fate?, Now I only have to live for my grandson," Keerthiratne, a retired prison official sobbed looking at the rubble that is left of his two storied house.

The military said 1,000 security personnel, including police and special task forces, have been deployed for rescue operation. It said troops from the Sri Lanka Light Infantry, Commandos, Gemunu Watch and Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment were carrying out relief operations, the Colombo Gazette reported.

The National Building Research Organisation said the site of the accident be declared a "danger zone" and people living in over 130 houses in the area must be relocated for safety.

Officials said hundreds of people have been moved to temporarily shelters and the government will soon begin shifting more people.

Since, the residents of the north Colombo Bloemendhal ward were protesting against the dump site there, the Supreme Court ordered that it should be relocated at Meethotamulla, limited to two acres. "What was limited to be just two acres continued to expand. Two acres have now become 18 acres. We protested but were beaten up by the police using tear gas," Stanley Silva, a resident said.

"In 2011, several houses began to crack open because of the dump. We protested in January, August 2012 and throughout 2013. We represented the matter to the former Rajapaksa government and the current government. Prime Minister promised to give a solution within 6 months. But nothing happened," Nuwan Bopage, a lawyer who had led the protests, said.

Nearly 80 houses completely destroyed while 17 more have suffered partial damage, officials said. Schools and others facilities will be moved as well, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Harsha De Silva said.

He said the dumping of garbage at the site has been banned. Ironically, the government had signed agreements a few weeks ago to convert the waste into energy, he said in a post on Facebook. Police were investigating whether the collapse of the 91 -metre open garbage pile could be a sabotage. A 10-member team of geologists, officials from mining and excavation divisions, have been sent to the spot. More than 600 people had to flee in the aftermath of the mishap on Friday.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in a statement has apologised for the delay in relocating the garbage dump.

The residents near the dump had been protesting for months, demanding that the garbage dump be relocated.

The authorities, however, claim that they had given enough warning to the slum dwellers to relocate themselves.

"We had even paid compensation to them to relocate," De Silva said. He said the state will bear the funeral expenses of the dead.

The massive garbage caught fire and collapsed on dozens of homes as the residents celebrated the traditional New Year. Police said the true scale of the damage remained unclear.

Sri Lanka's Parliament was recently warned that 23 million tonnes of garbage at Kolonnawa dump was a serious hazard. About 800 tonnes of garbage were added to the dump daily.

COLOMBO: The death toll in the giant open garbage dump which collapsed and buried dozens of houses near the Sri Lankan capital has climbed to 30 after rescuers pulled out more bodies from the rubble today. At least seven children were among 30 people killed in the collapse of the garbage dump in Meetotamulla area in Kolonnawa near Colombo, local media quoted officials as saying. According to the Disaster Management Centre, at least 625 people belonging to 180 families had been displaced due to the tragedy, the report said. Survivors of the garbage dump site blamed politicians for the tragedy. "I lost my three children. My wife is in a critical condition. My battle has ended," said N Keerthiratne, who as the Convenor of the movement 'People Against the Meethotamulla Dump' has led many protest since 2009 when the dumping of heaps of Colombo garbage began at the site. "Please do not report this as a natural tragedy, please say this was a planned massacre, relatives of the victims cry hoarse," he said. "Is this my fate?, Now I only have to live for my grandson," Keerthiratne, a retired prison official sobbed looking at the rubble that is left of his two storied house. The military said 1,000 security personnel, including police and special task forces, have been deployed for rescue operation. It said troops from the Sri Lanka Light Infantry, Commandos, Gemunu Watch and Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment were carrying out relief operations, the Colombo Gazette reported. The National Building Research Organisation said the site of the accident be declared a "danger zone" and people living in over 130 houses in the area must be relocated for safety. Officials said hundreds of people have been moved to temporarily shelters and the government will soon begin shifting more people. Since, the residents of the north Colombo Bloemendhal ward were protesting against the dump site there, the Supreme Court ordered that it should be relocated at Meethotamulla, limited to two acres. "What was limited to be just two acres continued to expand. Two acres have now become 18 acres. We protested but were beaten up by the police using tear gas," Stanley Silva, a resident said. "In 2011, several houses began to crack open because of the dump. We protested in January, August 2012 and throughout 2013. We represented the matter to the former Rajapaksa government and the current government. Prime Minister promised to give a solution within 6 months. But nothing happened," Nuwan Bopage, a lawyer who had led the protests, said. Nearly 80 houses completely destroyed while 17 more have suffered partial damage, officials said. Schools and others facilities will be moved as well, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Harsha De Silva said. He said the dumping of garbage at the site has been banned. Ironically, the government had signed agreements a few weeks ago to convert the waste into energy, he said in a post on Facebook. Police were investigating whether the collapse of the 91 -metre open garbage pile could be a sabotage. A 10-member team of geologists, officials from mining and excavation divisions, have been sent to the spot. More than 600 people had to flee in the aftermath of the mishap on Friday. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in a statement has apologised for the delay in relocating the garbage dump. The residents near the dump had been protesting for months, demanding that the garbage dump be relocated. The authorities, however, claim that they had given enough warning to the slum dwellers to relocate themselves. "We had even paid compensation to them to relocate," De Silva said. He said the state will bear the funeral expenses of the dead. The massive garbage caught fire and collapsed on dozens of homes as the residents celebrated the traditional New Year. Police said the true scale of the damage remained unclear. Sri Lanka's Parliament was recently warned that 23 million tonnes of garbage at Kolonnawa dump was a serious hazard. About 800 tonnes of garbage were added to the dump daily.
By AFP

ISTANBUL: Turkey voted narrowly to Sunday expand the powers of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a knife-edge poll that left the country bitterly divided.

But the outcome could more broadly influence all aspects of the country's future.

Coming 94 years after the foundation of modern Turkey by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the referendum was a landmark vote that could polarise society and affect Turkey's relations with the West as well as the renewed conflict with Kurdish rebels.

Here are five ways the referendum could shape Turkey:

Enhanced or weakened powers?

The referendum result, strongly contested by the opposition, gives the Turkish president enhanced powers, including the ability to appoint ministers and have an entire bureaucracy centralised within his presidential palace. Opponents worry that the new system will lack the "checks and balances" that mark the US system, moving the presidency toward one-man rule.

The new system would be implemented from November 2019 when presidential and legislative elections are to be held simultaneously.

With the clock wound back under the new system Erdogan, who became president in 2014, could serve two more terms, allowing him to stay in power until 2029 rather than 2024 currently.

The executive presidency system "amasses unprecedented power in the hands of one man," said Alan Makovsky, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.

But Fadi Hakura, Turkey expert at London-based Chatham House think tank, called the referendum result "at best a Pyrrhic victory" for Erdogan.

"He's lost the major cities of Ankara, Istanbul, Adana, Izmir. He's lost the base of his support. "

EU integration or disintegration?

Relations between Turkey, a longstanding candidate to join the European Union, and its EU partners plunged to bitter lows during the referendum campaign as the president lashed out at Europe for what he said was behaviour reminiscent of Nazi Germany.

Erdogan has said Turkey's membership bid would be "on the table" after the referendum and in every single campaign speech.

On Sunday, he said he might hold a referendum on reinstating the death penalty. Any country which has capital punishment on its books is automatically banned from joining the EU.

"The tactics of constantly bullying the EU... for domestic political purposes have now reached their limits," said Marc Pierini, visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe.

Erdogan could now move away from EU integration, a process which has moved slowly at best, and forge alternative strategic alliances, including with Russia.

Peace process or military action?

Erdogan was the first Turkish leader to undertake peace talks with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), resulting in an unprecedented ceasefire.

But the PKK truce shattered in 2015 and Erdogan has since waged a controversial campaign to destroy the group.

With only a narrow referendum win the president "may feel compelled to be conciliatory," said Asli Aydintasbas, senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).

"Turkey could return to the peace process."

However the Yeni Safak daily has claimed that the government will open a new front with cross-border operations against PKK camps in northern Iraq, in a new effort to destroy the group.

Reconciliation or polarisation?

Turkey's hugely diverse society has starkly polarised during Erdogan's tenure as prime minister and president since 2003. Erdogan has frequently demonised opponents, saying those who wanted to vote 'No' were playing into the hands of the PKK and US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, blamed for a failed coup last July.

"He wins, but in the end half of the country is in love with him, and the other half loathes him, and herein lies the crisis of modern Turkey," said Soner Cagaptay, author of a forthcoming book, "The New Sultan."

While Erdogan has forged a coalition with nationalists, he has in the past showed considerable pragmatism in his alliances.

Economic rally or downturn?

Markets had been cautiously expecting a 'Yes' and hoping this will bring much-needed stability and a rally in Turkish assets.

In the medium term the prospects are much more uncertain, with some economists fearing that any democratic deficits in Turkey and increased polarisation in society, coupled with the government's loss of its enthusiasm for reform, will hit long-term growth rates.

"While a potential 'Yes' may be cheered by the market in the near term, Turkish equities are not likely to trade above historical averages as growth remains subdued and the long term implications of the system untested," said economists at BGC Partners in Istanbul.

ISTANBUL: Turkey voted narrowly to Sunday expand the powers of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a knife-edge poll that left the country bitterly divided. But the outcome could more broadly influence all aspects of the country's future. Coming 94 years after the foundation of modern Turkey by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the referendum was a landmark vote that could polarise society and affect Turkey's relations with the West as well as the renewed conflict with Kurdish rebels. Here are five ways the referendum could shape Turkey: Enhanced or weakened powers? The referendum result, strongly contested by the opposition, gives the Turkish president enhanced powers, including the ability to appoint ministers and have an entire bureaucracy centralised within his presidential palace. Opponents worry that the new system will lack the "checks and balances" that mark the US system, moving the presidency toward one-man rule. The new system would be implemented from November 2019 when presidential and legislative elections are to be held simultaneously. With the clock wound back under the new system Erdogan, who became president in 2014, could serve two more terms, allowing him to stay in power until 2029 rather than 2024 currently. The executive presidency system "amasses unprecedented power in the hands of one man," said Alan Makovsky, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. But Fadi Hakura, Turkey expert at London-based Chatham House think tank, called the referendum result "at best a Pyrrhic victory" for Erdogan. "He's lost the major cities of Ankara, Istanbul, Adana, Izmir. He's lost the base of his support. " EU integration or disintegration? Relations between Turkey, a longstanding candidate to join the European Union, and its EU partners plunged to bitter lows during the referendum campaign as the president lashed out at Europe for what he said was behaviour reminiscent of Nazi Germany. Erdogan has said Turkey's membership bid would be "on the table" after the referendum and in every single campaign speech. On Sunday, he said he might hold a referendum on reinstating the death penalty. Any country which has capital punishment on its books is automatically banned from joining the EU. "The tactics of constantly bullying the EU... for domestic political purposes have now reached their limits," said Marc Pierini, visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe. Erdogan could now move away from EU integration, a process which has moved slowly at best, and forge alternative strategic alliances, including with Russia. Peace process or military action? Erdogan was the first Turkish leader to undertake peace talks with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), resulting in an unprecedented ceasefire. But the PKK truce shattered in 2015 and Erdogan has since waged a controversial campaign to destroy the group. With only a narrow referendum win the president "may feel compelled to be conciliatory," said Asli Aydintasbas, senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). "Turkey could return to the peace process." However the Yeni Safak daily has claimed that the government will open a new front with cross-border operations against PKK camps in northern Iraq, in a new effort to destroy the group. Reconciliation or polarisation? Turkey's hugely diverse society has starkly polarised during Erdogan's tenure as prime minister and president since 2003. Erdogan has frequently demonised opponents, saying those who wanted to vote 'No' were playing into the hands of the PKK and US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, blamed for a failed coup last July. "He wins, but in the end half of the country is in love with him, and the other half loathes him, and herein lies the crisis of modern Turkey," said Soner Cagaptay, author of a forthcoming book, "The New Sultan." While Erdogan has forged a coalition with nationalists, he has in the past showed considerable pragmatism in his alliances. Economic rally or downturn? Markets had been cautiously expecting a 'Yes' and hoping this will bring much-needed stability and a rally in Turkish assets. In the medium term the prospects are much more uncertain, with some economists fearing that any democratic deficits in Turkey and increased polarisation in society, coupled with the government's loss of its enthusiasm for reform, will hit long-term growth rates. "While a potential 'Yes' may be cheered by the market in the near term, Turkish equities are not likely to trade above historical averages as growth remains subdued and the long term implications of the system untested," said economists at BGC Partners in Istanbul.
By IANS

PYONGYANG: North Korea's state-owned airline Air Koryo delayed its flights from Pyongyang to Russia and China without explanation. Foreign journalists were among those stranded in the airport, NK News reported on Monday.

Flights to Vladivostok, Beijing, and Shenyang were delayed on Monday, with airline authorities failing to provide a reason.

The Russian embassy posted an announcement on Facebook that Air Koryo had delayed the flights while providing "no rational basis for the delays".

"Over 30 Russian nationals are waiting at (the) departure lounge," the announcement stated, adding that diplomats were monitoring the situation.

"We strive to get an update from the North Korean Foreign Ministry and air service and demand that Russian citizens take their flights on designated routes," the Facebook post continues.

Meanwhile, NK News reported that some of its journalists, along with other foreign reporters, were among those who scheduled to travel on Air Koryo Flight JS 151 to Beijing. Other affected journalists include those from CBC, CBS, the LA Times, and Russia 24.

The journalists were in North Korea to cover the 105th birthday event of former leader Kim Il-sung and the military parade that followed.

The Air Koryo office in Beijing said the delays were being caused by bad weather, with NK News reporting that a local airport security officer was overheard telling a tourist that it was due to "rain clouds" in Pyongyang.

However, weather in Pyongyang appeared to be clear on Monday.

Air Koryo, headquartered at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport, operates flights to 23 destinations in Asia.

PYONGYANG: North Korea's state-owned airline Air Koryo delayed its flights from Pyongyang to Russia and China without explanation. Foreign journalists were among those stranded in the airport, NK News reported on Monday. Flights to Vladivostok, Beijing, and Shenyang were delayed on Monday, with airline authorities failing to provide a reason. The Russian embassy posted an announcement on Facebook that Air Koryo had delayed the flights while providing "no rational basis for the delays". "Over 30 Russian nationals are waiting at (the) departure lounge," the announcement stated, adding that diplomats were monitoring the situation. "We strive to get an update from the North Korean Foreign Ministry and air service and demand that Russian citizens take their flights on designated routes," the Facebook post continues. Meanwhile, NK News reported that some of its journalists, along with other foreign reporters, were among those who scheduled to travel on Air Koryo Flight JS 151 to Beijing. Other affected journalists include those from CBC, CBS, the LA Times, and Russia 24. The journalists were in North Korea to cover the 105th birthday event of former leader Kim Il-sung and the military parade that followed. The Air Koryo office in Beijing said the delays were being caused by bad weather, with NK News reporting that a local airport security officer was overheard telling a tourist that it was due to "rain clouds" in Pyongyang. However, weather in Pyongyang appeared to be clear on Monday. Air Koryo, headquartered at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport, operates flights to 23 destinations in Asia.
By AFP

BERLIN: Germany Monday warned Turkey against further distancing itself from Europe by reinstating the death penalty after a disputed referendum and urged authorities to seek "respectful dialogue" to heal a divided society.

Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said that if Ankara were to bring back the death penalty, the move would be "synonymous with the end of the European dream" and mark the end of decades of negotiations to enter the European Union.

It is in Turkey's "own interest" not to distance itself further from Europe, said Gabriel in an interview in the Bild mass circulation daily to be published Tuesday.

"Any decision (about joining the EU) will not be on the agenda anytime soon. At any rate, joining would not work right now," he added, noting that Turkey must decide which direction to take.

Immediately after winning a nail-biting vote on extending his powers, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan mooted a second referendum on bringing back the death penalty, which would sound the death knell for the country's EU ambitions.

"If (a bill) comes before me, I will approve it. But if there isn't support (from opposition MPs) ... then we could have another referendum for that," Erdogan said, as his supporters chanted for its reintroduction.

Turkey abolished the death penalty in 2004 as part of its bid to join the European Union and Brussels has made it clear that any move to restore it would scupper Ankara's efforts to join the bloc.

In an earlier joint statement with Gabriel, Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Turkish authorities to "seek respectful dialogue with all political and social forces in the country after this tough election campaign."

Merkel said Germany "respected the right of Turks to decide on their constitution" but added that "the close result shows the extent to which Turkish society is deeply divided."

Ties between Germany and Turkey plunged during the referendum campaign when Erdogan accused authorities of acting like "Nazis" by banning ministers from campaigning to Germany's huge ex-pat Turkish community.

The 'Yes' camp won with 51.41 percent in Sunday's vote on giving Erdogan sweeping new powers, according to near-complete results, but angry opposition groups have cried foul and demanded a recount.

International observers from the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said the referendum campaign was conducted on an "unlevel playing field" and the vote count itself was marred by the late procedural changes that removed key safeguards.

BERLIN: Germany Monday warned Turkey against further distancing itself from Europe by reinstating the death penalty after a disputed referendum and urged authorities to seek "respectful dialogue" to heal a divided society. Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said that if Ankara were to bring back the death penalty, the move would be "synonymous with the end of the European dream" and mark the end of decades of negotiations to enter the European Union. It is in Turkey's "own interest" not to distance itself further from Europe, said Gabriel in an interview in the Bild mass circulation daily to be published Tuesday. "Any decision (about joining the EU) will not be on the agenda anytime soon. At any rate, joining would not work right now," he added, noting that Turkey must decide which direction to take. Immediately after winning a nail-biting vote on extending his powers, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan mooted a second referendum on bringing back the death penalty, which would sound the death knell for the country's EU ambitions. "If (a bill) comes before me, I will approve it. But if there isn't support (from opposition MPs) ... then we could have another referendum for that," Erdogan said, as his supporters chanted for its reintroduction. Turkey abolished the death penalty in 2004 as part of its bid to join the European Union and Brussels has made it clear that any move to restore it would scupper Ankara's efforts to join the bloc. In an earlier joint statement with Gabriel, Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Turkish authorities to "seek respectful dialogue with all political and social forces in the country after this tough election campaign." Merkel said Germany "respected the right of Turks to decide on their constitution" but added that "the close result shows the extent to which Turkish society is deeply divided." Ties between Germany and Turkey plunged during the referendum campaign when Erdogan accused authorities of acting like "Nazis" by banning ministers from campaigning to Germany's huge ex-pat Turkish community. The 'Yes' camp won with 51.41 percent in Sunday's vote on giving Erdogan sweeping new powers, according to near-complete results, but angry opposition groups have cried foul and demanded a recount. International observers from the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said the referendum campaign was conducted on an "unlevel playing field" and the vote count itself was marred by the late procedural changes that removed key safeguards.
Turkish president says constitutional amendments accepted in referendum

From:Xinhua | 2017-04-17 09:29

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan makes statements in Istanbul, Turkey, on April 16, 2017. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared on Sunday night that the proposed constitutional changes were accepted in a referendum, paying the way for the country to introduce the presidential system. (Xinhua/DHA/Depo Photos)

ISTANBUL, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared on Sunday night that the proposed constitutional changes were accepted in a referendum, paying the way for the country to introduce the presidential system.

In a televised address to the press in Istanbul, Erdogan said the amendments passed in the referendum held in the country the same day with 25 million "Yes" votes, or by leading the "No" camp by 1.3 million votes.

"Today Turkey made an historic decision about the governance system," he remarked, calling for countries that Turkey accepts as allies to "respect the decision of our nation."

The constitutional package voted on the day has 18 articles, the most controversial one being the switch to an executive presidency from the parliamentary system put in place ever since the Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923.

The package shall grant the office of the presidency sweeping powers with less checks and balances, a scenario that has been rejected by main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party.

CHP is calling for a recount after the initial result was unveiled, citing reported irregularities. Naysayers were protesting against the result in different districts of Istanbul on Sunday night, with some banging pots and pans from their windows and others holding a march.

Turkey will not turn to the presidential system until 2019, when Erdogan's current term ends and fresh parliamentary elections will be held concurrently.

In his later address to supporters, Erdogan said his first job after the victory is to discuss the reintroduction of death penalty and that another referendum on this issue is possible.

The issue of capital punishment was raised in the wake of a failed military coup in July last year, which the Turkish government says was masterminded by Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric now living in the United States.

The European Union has responded by threatening to terminate the accession talks with Turkey in a row that has contributed to chilled bilateral ties.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan makes statements in Istanbul, Turkey, on April 16, 2017. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared on Sunday night that the proposed constitutional changes were accepted in a referendum, paying the way for the country to introduce the presidential system. (Xinhua/DHA/Depo Photos)

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Turkish citizens celebrate the victory of referendum in Ankara, capital of Turkey, on April 16, 2017. Turkey voted to support constitutional change with "Yes" votes leading on 51.3 pct in the historic referendum after 99 pct count of vote, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Sunday. (Xinhua/Mustafa Kaya)

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Turkish citizens celebrate the victory of referendum in Ankara, capital of Turkey, on April 16, 2017. Turkey voted to support constitutional change with "Yes" votes leading on 51.3 pct in the historic referendum after 99 pct count of vote, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Sunday. (Xinhua/Mustafa Kaya)

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Turkish citizens celebrate the victory of referendum in Ankara, capital of Turkey, on April 16, 2017. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared on Sunday night that the proposed constitutional changes were accepted in a referendum, paying the way for the country to introduce the presidential system. (Xinhua/Mustafa Kaya)

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By PTI

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said today that it has briefed the US about the "plight" of Kashmiris and the status of its relations with India as America's National Security Adviser held talks with top officials here during a visit, the first by a top Trump aide to this country.

US National Security Adviser (NSA) H R McMaster, who arrived here earlier in the day, held talks with Pakistan Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz.

Aziz gave a detailed briefing on the policies being pursued by the Pakistan government that have resulted in improved security environment and the "economic turnaround" in Pakistan, the Foreign Office here said in a statement.

The Pakistani side also shared its perspective on the "plight of Kashmiris" in India and the status of relations with New Delhi, the statement said.

Also Read: Use diplomacy, not proxies to pursue foreign interests: US NSA to Pakistan

Aziz reiterated Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's vision of a peaceful neighbourhood and commitment to dialogue and engagement while also apprising the visiting US delegation of the steps taken by Pakistan to reach out to both India and Afghanistan, it said.

On terrorism, Aziz noted that "impressive gains" had been made in eliminating terrorists and Pakistan remained determined to continue this fight as part of the National Action Plan until the scourge of terrorism is completely eliminated from its soil, the Foreign Office said.

He said that Pakistan was "determined to maintain the existing momentum" on both the security and economic fronts to lead the people of Pakistan towards a prosperous and secure future, it said.

Conveying Pakistan's concerns over the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, Aziz reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to working with the international community to support efforts for peace and reconciliation in the war-torn country.

He also highlighted the importance of effective border management as part of the actions required to achieve sustainable peace in the region.

On his part, McMaster thanked Aziz and acknowledged Pakistan's "sacrifices" in combating extremism and terrorism, the statement said.

The US NSA also renewed the commitment of the new Trump administration to work closely with Pakistan in strengthening mutually beneficial relations and also work towards the shared objectives of peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region.

McMaster's visit to Pakistan marks the first visit by any senior official of the Donald Trump administration to Pakistan. Yesterday, McMaster visited Afghanistan.

In his meeting with Aziz, McMaster was accompanied by US Ambassador to Pakistan David Hale, Acting US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Laurel Miller, Senior Director for South Asia Lisa Curtis and Director Pakistan in the National Security Council Jay Wise.

Aziz was accompanied by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi, National Security Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Nasser Khan Janjua and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said today that it has briefed the US about the "plight" of Kashmiris and the status of its relations with India as America's National Security Adviser held talks with top officials here during a visit, the first by a top Trump aide to this country. US National Security Adviser (NSA) H R McMaster, who arrived here earlier in the day, held talks with Pakistan Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz. Aziz gave a detailed briefing on the policies being pursued by the Pakistan government that have resulted in improved security environment and the "economic turnaround" in Pakistan, the Foreign Office here said in a statement. The Pakistani side also shared its perspective on the "plight of Kashmiris" in India and the status of relations with New Delhi, the statement said. Also Read: Use diplomacy, not proxies to pursue foreign interests: US NSA to Pakistan Aziz reiterated Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's vision of a peaceful neighbourhood and commitment to dialogue and engagement while also apprising the visiting US delegation of the steps taken by Pakistan to reach out to both India and Afghanistan, it said. On terrorism, Aziz noted that "impressive gains" had been made in eliminating terrorists and Pakistan remained determined to continue this fight as part of the National Action Plan until the scourge of terrorism is completely eliminated from its soil, the Foreign Office said. He said that Pakistan was "determined to maintain the existing momentum" on both the security and economic fronts to lead the people of Pakistan towards a prosperous and secure future, it said. Conveying Pakistan's concerns over the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, Aziz reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to working with the international community to support efforts for peace and reconciliation in the war-torn country. He also highlighted the importance of effective border management as part of the actions required to achieve sustainable peace in the region. On his part, McMaster thanked Aziz and acknowledged Pakistan's "sacrifices" in combating extremism and terrorism, the statement said. The US NSA also renewed the commitment of the new Trump administration to work closely with Pakistan in strengthening mutually beneficial relations and also work towards the shared objectives of peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region. McMaster's visit to Pakistan marks the first visit by any senior official of the Donald Trump administration to Pakistan. Yesterday, McMaster visited Afghanistan. In his meeting with Aziz, McMaster was accompanied by US Ambassador to Pakistan David Hale, Acting US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Laurel Miller, Senior Director for South Asia Lisa Curtis and Director Pakistan in the National Security Council Jay Wise. Aziz was accompanied by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi, National Security Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Nasser Khan Janjua and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
By IANS

NEW YORK: The US can defuse the tension between New Delhi and Islamabad over the Kashmir issue as Washington has good relations with both the countries, Pakistan's envoy to the UN Maleeha Lodhi has said.

"Somebody needs to play this role and we think the US is in the best position to do that," the envoy said on Sunday.

However she also said that such a role required a more balanced policy on part of the US.

The situation in Kashmir -- the long-standing dispute between Pakistan and India -- is once again inflamed, she explained and said that such an environment possessed threat to regional peace and security.

She said the US could avert any kind of crisis in the region. "So I am not suggesting that's about to happen but I am saying before the next crisis happens this is a role of leadership that the US can play."

"Pakistan has felt that the US lacked balance in its approach to South Asia, and as a result we lost something in the relationship," the envoy said.

According to her, the nuclear deal that the Bush administration concluded with India was a discriminatory policy towards the South Asian region and had consequences for it.

"The people of Kashmir have waited for 70 years to see justice done to their cause, to see Security Council resolutions being implemented, so we do believe that the answer to the instability in our region, which is caused by primarily and principally the dispute over Kashmir, should be resolved."

She believed that there was a need for dialogue between the two sides to resolve the ongoing tension.

NEW YORK: The US can defuse the tension between New Delhi and Islamabad over the Kashmir issue as Washington has good relations with both the countries, Pakistan's envoy to the UN Maleeha Lodhi has said. "Somebody needs to play this role and we think the US is in the best position to do that," the envoy said on Sunday. However she also said that such a role required a more balanced policy on part of the US. The situation in Kashmir -- the long-standing dispute between Pakistan and India -- is once again inflamed, she explained and said that such an environment possessed threat to regional peace and security. She said the US could avert any kind of crisis in the region. "So I am not suggesting that's about to happen but I am saying before the next crisis happens this is a role of leadership that the US can play." "Pakistan has felt that the US lacked balance in its approach to South Asia, and as a result we lost something in the relationship," the envoy said. According to her, the nuclear deal that the Bush administration concluded with India was a discriminatory policy towards the South Asian region and had consequences for it. "The people of Kashmir have waited for 70 years to see justice done to their cause, to see Security Council resolutions being implemented, so we do believe that the answer to the instability in our region, which is caused by primarily and principally the dispute over Kashmir, should be resolved." She believed that there was a need for dialogue between the two sides to resolve the ongoing tension.
By PTI

ISLAMABAD: Ehsanullah Ehsan, former spokesman of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and a senior leader of a splinter Taliban terror group has surrendered to the security agencies, Pakistan Army announced today.

Ehsan, a top leader of the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar terror group, had turned himself into Pakistan's security agencies, Military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor told reporters. A known face of violence in Pakistan as former spokesman of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Ehsan joined Islamic State-linked Jamaat-ul-Ahrar outfit after 2014 military operation 'Zarb-e-Azb'.

Major General Ghafoor said that it was a big achievement for Pakistan that "our biggest enemies" were surrendering. "I want to take this opportunity to announce that Ehsanullah Ehsan, the former spokesperson of the TTP and a leader of the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, has turned himself into our security agencies," he told reporters. He did not share more details about the surrender.

In 2014, after a split in the TTP, Ehsan had become a spokesperson for the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar  what was then a newly- formed splinter group of the Taliban. Ehsan had said at the time that 70 to 80 percent of the TTP commanders and fighters had also joined the splinter group.

Jamaat-ul-Ahrar was behind the horrific attack on Lahore's Mall Road earlier this year, which sent shock waves through the country. Thirteen people were killed and over 100 injured in the attack, which targetted top police officials.

On March 31, Jamaat-ul-Ahraar claimed responsibility for an attack in Parachinar that killed 24 and injured 68 people. Major General Ghafoor said operation 'Radd-ul Fassad' launched in February against militants was going on successfully and no militant groups would be spared. He said 15 major operations were carried out as part of it and 108 militants were killed and 4,510 suspects arrested.

"The people, the state and the institutions of Pakistan have made considerable progress in the betterment of the country's security situation. We will completely destroy militancy," he said. He also said the military courts had decided 274 cases and awarded death sentence to 161 militants. He said border with Afghanistan was being fenced to stop infiltration of militants from across the border.

ISLAMABAD: Ehsanullah Ehsan, former spokesman of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and a senior leader of a splinter Taliban terror group has surrendered to the security agencies, Pakistan Army announced today. Ehsan, a top leader of the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar terror group, had turned himself into Pakistan's security agencies, Military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor told reporters. A known face of violence in Pakistan as former spokesman of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Ehsan joined Islamic State-linked Jamaat-ul-Ahrar outfit after 2014 military operation 'Zarb-e-Azb'. Major General Ghafoor said that it was a big achievement for Pakistan that "our biggest enemies" were surrendering. "I want to take this opportunity to announce that Ehsanullah Ehsan, the former spokesperson of the TTP and a leader of the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, has turned himself into our security agencies," he told reporters. He did not share more details about the surrender. In 2014, after a split in the TTP, Ehsan had become a spokesperson for the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar  what was then a newly- formed splinter group of the Taliban. Ehsan had said at the time that 70 to 80 percent of the TTP commanders and fighters had also joined the splinter group. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar was behind the horrific attack on Lahore's Mall Road earlier this year, which sent shock waves through the country. Thirteen people were killed and over 100 injured in the attack, which targetted top police officials. On March 31, Jamaat-ul-Ahraar claimed responsibility for an attack in Parachinar that killed 24 and injured 68 people. Major General Ghafoor said operation 'Radd-ul Fassad' launched in February against militants was going on successfully and no militant groups would be spared. He said 15 major operations were carried out as part of it and 108 militants were killed and 4,510 suspects arrested. "The people, the state and the institutions of Pakistan have made considerable progress in the betterment of the country's security situation. We will completely destroy militancy," he said. He also said the military courts had decided 274 cases and awarded death sentence to 161 militants. He said border with Afghanistan was being fenced to stop infiltration of militants from across the border.
By Associated Press

ANKARA: Turkey's main opposition party on Monday prepared to contest the results of a landmark referendum that gave a narrow victory to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's long-time plans to greatly expand the powers of his office.

Turkey's electoral board confirmed the "yes" victory in Sunday's referendum and said the final results would be declared in 11-12 days. The state-run Anadolu Agency said the "yes" vote stood at 51.41 percent, while the "no" vote was 48.59 percent.

The margin fell short of the sweeping victory Erdogan had sought in the referendum. Nevertheless, it could cement his hold on power in Turkey and is expected to have a huge effect on the country's long-term political future and its international relations.

"I suspect the result was narrower than what Erdogan expected," said Howard Eissenstat, associate professor of Middle East History at St. Lawrence University in the United States. "Erdogan has ruled with a narrow victory before. He does not see a narrow victory as anything less than a mandate. His tendency has been to not to co-opt the opposition but to crush it."

The 18 constitutional amendments that will come into effect after the next election, scheduled for 2019, will abolish the office of the prime minister and hand sweeping executive powers to the president.

Opponents had argued the constitutional changes would give too much power to a man who they say has shown increasingly autocratic tendencies.

The referendum campaign was highly divisive and heavily one-sided, with the "yes" side dominating the airwaves and billboards. Supporters of the "no" vote have complained of intimidation, including beatings, detentions and threats.

Opposition parties complained of a number of irregularities in the voting, including an electoral board decision to accept as valid ballots that did not bear the official stamp.

Legislator Utku Cakirozer told The Associated Press that his Republican People's Party would on Monday file objections to results at local electoral board branches, before taking their case to the Supreme Electoral Board.

Cakirozer said: "At the moment this is a dubious vote."

The country's pro-Kurdish party said it may take the case to the European Court of Human Rights if the electoral board does not reverse his decision and nullify the ballots lacking the official stamps.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, whose monitors observed the vote, were to announce their findings later Monday.

Electoral board head Sadi Guven rejected opposition claims of foul play, saying none of the ballot papers that were declared valid was "fake" or fraudulently cast. Guven said the decision was taken so that voters who were by mistake given unstamped ballot papers would not be "victimized."

"The ballot papers are not fake, there is no (reason) for doubt," Guven said.

In Istanbul, hundreds of demonstrators opposed to the amendments marched in a central neighborhood late Sunday, clanging pots and pans.

Ismail Calisan, an Ankara resident, accepted the result with grace.

"Even though I choose "no" and the results came out "yes" I wish the best to our country," he said.

In Istanbul, accountant Mete Cetinkaya said he was worried about his country's future.

"I don't see the country is going down a good path," he said, sitting by the Bosporus. "Tayyip Erdogan may have done more good than the other big players (of Turkish politics) ... but I think of Tayyip Erdogan as just the best of the worst."

Many pro-government newspapers praised the results and Sabah newspaper's headline read: "A popular revolution."

Sozcu newspaper, one of a few newspapers critical of the government, referred to the alleged irregularities and asked in its headline: "Is your conscience at ease?"

ANKARA: Turkey's main opposition party on Monday prepared to contest the results of a landmark referendum that gave a narrow victory to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's long-time plans to greatly expand the powers of his office. Turkey's electoral board confirmed the "yes" victory in Sunday's referendum and said the final results would be declared in 11-12 days. The state-run Anadolu Agency said the "yes" vote stood at 51.41 percent, while the "no" vote was 48.59 percent. The margin fell short of the sweeping victory Erdogan had sought in the referendum. Nevertheless, it could cement his hold on power in Turkey and is expected to have a huge effect on the country's long-term political future and its international relations. "I suspect the result was narrower than what Erdogan expected," said Howard Eissenstat, associate professor of Middle East History at St. Lawrence University in the United States. "Erdogan has ruled with a narrow victory before. He does not see a narrow victory as anything less than a mandate. His tendency has been to not to co-opt the opposition but to crush it." The 18 constitutional amendments that will come into effect after the next election, scheduled for 2019, will abolish the office of the prime minister and hand sweeping executive powers to the president. Opponents had argued the constitutional changes would give too much power to a man who they say has shown increasingly autocratic tendencies. The referendum campaign was highly divisive and heavily one-sided, with the "yes" side dominating the airwaves and billboards. Supporters of the "no" vote have complained of intimidation, including beatings, detentions and threats. Opposition parties complained of a number of irregularities in the voting, including an electoral board decision to accept as valid ballots that did not bear the official stamp. Legislator Utku Cakirozer told The Associated Press that his Republican People's Party would on Monday file objections to results at local electoral board branches, before taking their case to the Supreme Electoral Board. Cakirozer said: "At the moment this is a dubious vote." The country's pro-Kurdish party said it may take the case to the European Court of Human Rights if the electoral board does not reverse his decision and nullify the ballots lacking the official stamps. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, whose monitors observed the vote, were to announce their findings later Monday. Electoral board head Sadi Guven rejected opposition claims of foul play, saying none of the ballot papers that were declared valid was "fake" or fraudulently cast. Guven said the decision was taken so that voters who were by mistake given unstamped ballot papers would not be "victimized." "The ballot papers are not fake, there is no (reason) for doubt," Guven said. In Istanbul, hundreds of demonstrators opposed to the amendments marched in a central neighborhood late Sunday, clanging pots and pans. Ismail Calisan, an Ankara resident, accepted the result with grace. "Even though I choose "no" and the results came out "yes" I wish the best to our country," he said. In Istanbul, accountant Mete Cetinkaya said he was worried about his country's future. "I don't see the country is going down a good path," he said, sitting by the Bosporus. "Tayyip Erdogan may have done more good than the other big players (of Turkish politics) ... but I think of Tayyip Erdogan as just the best of the worst." Many pro-government newspapers praised the results and Sabah newspaper's headline read: "A popular revolution." Sozcu newspaper, one of a few newspapers critical of the government, referred to the alleged irregularities and asked in its headline: "Is your conscience at ease?"
By ANI

NEW YORK: United Airlines, which faced intense backlash over violently dragging off a passenger due to flight being overbooked, has again made another policy change aimed at preventing such incident.

The air carrier on late Friday said that, henceforth, crew members would be allocated seats at least an hour before departure.

"This [policy change] ensures situations like flight 3411 never happen again. This is one of our initial steps in a review of our policies in order to deliver the best customer experience," CNN quoted United spokesperson Maggie Schmerin as saying.

The development comes after the United Airlines announced to compensate all passengers on the flight in which 69-year-old Dr. David Daowas was forcibly removed from his seat, after refusing to give up his seat in an overbooked flight.

According to CNN, Dr. Daowas plans to file a lawsuit against the company.

United Airlines spokeswoman Megan McCarthy said the passengers could take the compensation in cash, travel credits or miles.



Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz, in an interview to a local news channel, had said that he felt ashamed of the incident and promised to review the airline's passenger-removal policy.



The passenger was forcibly removed from the Louisville, Kentucky-bound United flight 3411 at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, reports CNN.



The incident has created a major publicity nightmare for United Airlines and the internet is showing no mercy as well.



Several passengers recorded the incident on their phones and posted videos on social media showing three Chicago Department of Aviation security officers dragging the man down the aisle by the arms and legs while other passengers shout in protest.

The massive backlash to the airlines prompted CEO Oscar Munoz to call the incident "upsetting" and apologise "for having to re-accommodate" customers.

NEW YORK: United Airlines, which faced intense backlash over violently dragging off a passenger due to flight being overbooked, has again made another policy change aimed at preventing such incident. The air carrier on late Friday said that, henceforth, crew members would be allocated seats at least an hour before departure. "This [policy change] ensures situations like flight 3411 never happen again. This is one of our initial steps in a review of our policies in order to deliver the best customer experience," CNN quoted United spokesperson Maggie Schmerin as saying. The development comes after the United Airlines announced to compensate all passengers on the flight in which 69-year-old Dr. David Daowas was forcibly removed from his seat, after refusing to give up his seat in an overbooked flight. According to CNN, Dr. Daowas plans to file a lawsuit against the company. United Airlines spokeswoman Megan McCarthy said the passengers could take the compensation in cash, travel credits or miles. Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz, in an interview to a local news channel, had said that he felt ashamed of the incident and promised to review the airline's passenger-removal policy. The passenger was forcibly removed from the Louisville, Kentucky-bound United flight 3411 at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, reports CNN. The incident has created a major publicity nightmare for United Airlines and the internet is showing no mercy as well. Several passengers recorded the incident on their phones and posted videos on social media showing three Chicago Department of Aviation security officers dragging the man down the aisle by the arms and legs while other passengers shout in protest. The massive backlash to the airlines prompted CEO Oscar Munoz to call the incident "upsetting" and apologise "for having to re-accommodate" customers.
Demand pickup sparks rise in foreign trade

From:Shanghai Daily | 2017-04-14 09:29

China's foreign trade in March firmed beyond market expectations, reflecting improving external and domestic demand.



Exports in yuan-denominated terms rose 22.3 percent year on year in March to 1.24 trillion yuan (US$180 billion), while imports surged 26.3 percent to 1.07 trillion yuan, the General Administration of Customs said yesterday.

The figures compared with a 11 percent increase in exports and 34.2 percent growth in imports in the first two months of this year.

In US dollar terms, exports jumped 16.4 percent and imports rose 20.3 percent, higher than market estimates of 3.2 percent and 18 percent respectively according to a Reuters poll.

Analysts said the better-than-expected trade data suggested a stronger global economy and continued improving domestic demand.

March export growth accelerated, import growth moderated less than expected, Morgan Stanley said in a note yesterday. The better export readings confirmed improving external demand. Meanwhile, growth in imports were better than expected, as the drag from a high base was partly offset by higher import prices, stronger processing trade and a still resilient domestic demand.

The strong export growth provided room for the central bank to continue raising interbank rates and imposing tighter rules on non-standard credit to slow the pace of broad credit growth, the note said.

But Huang Songping, a customs spokesman, cautioned yesterday that pressure remains for the year as the global economic recovery is uncertain while the prices of commodities remain volatile. He added that a high base in the second quarter last year may result in slower headline growth of trade in the next three months.

Earlier economic indicators such as the Consumer Price Index and Producer Price Index for March also showed stability in the Chinese economy, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
Penalty kicks the difference as Rogers heads to girls soccer championship

Rogers keeper Katie Guinan made nine saves during regulation and then stopped three penalty kicks during the shootout to secure the win.
The Made in China 2025 strategy will drive Chinas economic transformation and upgrade its manufacturing industry, according to foreign media commenting recently on the 10-year plan.

Forbes.com said in a story that the plan shows China is endeavoring to promote innovation to keep winning in global competition.

Cai Yuan, a researcher at the Lowy Institute in Australia, said manufacturing in China must be upgraded, as traditional industries are losing competitiveness and labor costs are rising.

He said that some industries in China, including rail transportation equipment, communications and power equipment, have already been competitive in the international market. Some Chinese enterprises, such as Huawei and ZTE, have entered the market in developed countries.

Key tasks in the proposal include upgrading traditional industries, developing advanced manufacturing, and integrating traditional industries with emerging ones, such as 3D print and the robot and artificial intelligence industries.

According to the British Financial Times, Chinese enterprises are beginning to take the lead in lithium batteries, a sector that has been dominated by Korean and Japanese manufacturers.

Data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence shows that Chinas output of lithium batteries will account for 62 percent of the worlds total by 2020, followed by the US (22 percent) and South Korea (13 percent).

In addition, the robot industry has become another highlight in Chinas manufacturing upgrade. In 2016, the nation produced 72,400 industrial robots, up by 34.3 percent year on year, as shown by data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

Xiong Yu, a professor at Northumbria University, said it would be a right direction for China to upgrade manufacturing with artificial intelligence, big data, and the internet, based on its huge domestic demand and strong technical ability.

While targeting traditional and emerging industries around the word, Made in China 2025 will raise the nations position in the global industry chain.

Experts believe that industrial upgrade is a necessary move for China to remain competitive, and requires constant fiscal support and R & D efforts.

That would explain the finance, tax, and other support policies laid out in Made in China 2025.

According to the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, China hopes to turn itself into a paradise for knowledge-intensive industry, and its strong capital input will give an upper hand to many Chinese enterprises in the world economic landscape.
A collaboration between stroke neurologists at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and bioengineers at the University of Massachusetts has led to the creation of a realistic, 3D-printed phantom of a stenotic intracranial artery that is being used to standardize protocols for high-resolution MRI, also known as vessel-wall MRI, at a network of U.S. and Chinese institutions, according to an article published online March 9, 2017 by the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery.

High-resolution or vessel-wall MRI has been used to study the plaque components in vessels in the brain for more than ten years and has the potential to elucidate the underlying pathology of intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD), the leading cause of stroke worldwide, as well as to gauge patient risk and inform clinical trials of new therapies. However, progress has been stymied by the lack of standardization in high-resolution MRI protocols, which poses an obstacle to multicenter trials.

"There is a lot of exciting research that is possible with high-resolution MRI techniques, but it has much less opportunity to affect patient care if it can't be systematically distributed to multiple sites and multiple populations," says Tanya N. Turan, M.D., director of the MUSC Stroke Division and senior author of the article.

To overcome this obstacle, Turan worked with bioengineers at the University of Massachusetts to produce a phantom of a stenotic intracranial vessel using imaging sequences obtained from a single patient with ICAD at MUSC. The 3-D printed ICAD phantom mimics both the stenotic vessel and its plaque components, including the fibrous cap and the lipid core. The phantom is being shared with collaborating institutions so that it can be used to standardize high-resolution MRI protocols. The imaging data presented in the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery article demonstrate the feasibility of using the phantom for standardization and were obtained from six U.S. and two Chinese sites.

Producing the phantom was a major step in the right direction for standardizing high-resolution MRI ICAD protocols. However, several more years may be necessary to complete the process. The next major challenge for these investigators will be establishing parameters for MRI machines from a variety of manufacturers. So far, MRI parameters have been established for Siemens and GE systems but work is still under way on Philips systems.

The phantom is also being shared with sites in China, where the burden of intracranial stenosis is especially high. Turan is collaborating with Weihai Xu, M.D., of Peking Union Medical College, the lead Chinese site, to collect additional data to assess interrater reliability among the participating institutions. Once high-resolution MRI protocols have been standardized and good interrater reliability demonstrated, the international team plans to conduct a prospective observational trial to examine risk prediction at participating centers, which would more quickly meet the required patient enrollment than would a trial conducted in the U.S. alone.

"We're only going to be able to advance the field more quickly if we work together," says Turan. "The phantom gives us the tool to be able to work together."
Breaking research published today in AACC's Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine reveals that a number of diagnostic tests are less accurate when performed in pediatric patients with impaired kidney function. These findings show that healthcare providers should assess patient kidney function when interpreting clinical test results for certain conditions to ensure that patients receive the correct diagnoses and treatments.

Many different patient groups can develop impaired kidney function-;it can result from an actual kidney disorder, but can also be caused by common treatments that stress the kidneys such as chemotherapy. Because the kidneys filter some of the body's molecules that indicate the presence of disease-;known as biomarkers-;it is suspected that impaired kidney function could lead to decreased accuracy of diagnostic tests that measure biomarkers. If this is the case, healthcare providers need to know which clinical tests are affected by impaired kidney function so that they can interpret these test results correctly. Otherwise, patients could be misdiagnosed, under- or over-treated, or monitored improperly due to clinicians thinking that patients are more or less sick than they actually are.

In this study, scientists led by Lars Mrkrid, MD, PhD, of Oslo University Hospital, Norway, have found that impaired kidney function impacts tests for the developmental disorders known as creatine deficiency syndromes, for acute kidney failure, and for ovarian cancer. To determine this, the researchers measured the blood and urine levels of three biomarkers-;guanidinoacetate (GAA), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and human epididymis protein 4 (HE4)-;in 96 children with chronic kidney disease, and evaluated participant kidney function using measured glomerular filtration rate (mGFR). When mGFR decreased, indicating reduced kidney function, the researchers observed significant drops in serum GAA and the urine GAA/creatinine ratio, which could prevent a child from being diagnosed with and treated for a creatine deficiency syndrome. An increase in blood NGAL also occurred, which could lead to a misdiagnosis of acute kidney failure. The level of serum HE4 rose significantly as well, which could interfere with ovarian cancer management.

"The majority of the diagnostic disease markers in blood and urine investigated in this cohort were influenced by kidney function," said Mrkrid. "Urine GAA/creatinine level could easily be shifted below the diagnostic limit for screening of [CDS]. A small change in GFR could increase the level of serum HE4 above the reference limit regardless of age. A considerable increase in serum NGAL levels was observed with decreasing kidney function [] This must be taken into account when interpreting test results."
The government has made headway in business system reform with priority on business licensing integration, and its efforts have surpassed public expectations and helped boost market development.

According to data from the State Administration for Industry & Commerce, newly registered market entities reached nearly 3.6 million in the first quarter, up 19.5 percent over the same period in 2016.

Among them, more than 1.2 million were newly registered enterprises and over 2.2 million were individual businesses, 18 percent and 21 percent higher than the previous year, respectively.

According to online information, netizens generally remained positive about the current market access environment. They think highly of the business license reform, with positive comments accounting for 99.5 percent of the total, said Yu Fachang, spokesman for the administration.

They believe it is good for reducing institutional costs of enterprises and facilitating mass entrepreneurship, he added.

During this years two sessions, Premier Li Keqiang stressed the governments efforts in transforming functions and reforming the business system, and support for promoting mass entrepreneurship and innovation.

With the governments help, over the past three years, more than 40,000 market entities were created every day, meaning more than 10 million came into being every year.

The initiative of mass entrepreneurship and innovation that the Premier put forward is an approach to solve two major issues in Chinas economy  employment and innovation, said Alibabas founder Jack Ma.

Although the economic growth rate has slowed, China has seen more than 13 million urban jobs being created for four consecutive years. Analysts believe that millions of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) founded in the process played the biggest role in promoting employment.

New driving forces of Chinas economy were also promoted. In the first quarter, the number of construction enterprises increased rapidly, up 73.1 percent from 2016. Manufacturers and high-tech enterprises increased 25.4 percent and 14.8 percent, respectively, and the number of service businesses also saw rapid growth.

Premier Li said in the governments work report that business reform should be continued. We should make continuing efforts to promote mass entrepreneurship and innovation to boost development of both SMEs and large enterprises, and to invigorate market vitality, he said.
Cocaine, nicotine, capsaicin.

These are just three familiar examples of the hundreds of thousands of small molecules (also called specialized or secondary metabolites) that plants use as chemical ammunition to protect themselves from predation.

Unfortunately, identifying the networks of genes that plants use to make these biologically active compounds, which are the source of many of the drugs that people use and abuse daily, has vexed scientists for years, hindering efforts to tap this vast pharmacopeia to produce new and improved therapeutics.

Now, Vanderbilt University geneticists think they have come up with an effective and powerful new way for identifying these elusive gene networks, which typically consist of a handful to dozens of different genes, that may overcome this road block.

"Plants synthesize massive numbers of bioproducts that are of benefit to society. This team has revolutionized the potential to uncover these natural bioproducts and understand how they are synthesized," said Anne Sylvester, program director in the National Science Foundation's Biological Sciences Directorate, which funded the research.

The revolutionary new approach is based on the well-established observation that plants produce these compounds in response to specific environmental conditions.

"We hypothesized that the genes within a network that work together to make a specific compound would all respond similarly to the same environmental conditions," explained Jennifer Wisecaver, the post-doctoral fellow who conducted the study.

To test this hypothesis, Wisecaver - working with Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Biological Sciences Antonis Rokas and undergraduate researcher Alexander Borowsky - turned to Vanderbilt's in-house supercomputer at the Advanced Computing Center for Research & Education in order to crunch data from more than 22,000 gene expression studies performed on eight different model plant species.

"These studies use advanced genomic technologies that can detect all the genes that plants turn on or off under specific conditions, such as high salinity, drought or the presence of a specific predator or pathogen," said Wisecaver.

Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today

But identifying the networks of genes responsible for producing these small molecules from thousands of experiments measuring the activity of thousands of genes is no trivial matter. That's where the Vanderbilt scientists stepped in; They devised a powerful algorithm capable of identifying the networks of genes that show the same behavior (for example, all turning on) across these expression studies.

The result of all this number crunching - described in the paper titled "A global co-expression network approach for connecting genes to specialized metabolic pathways in plants" published online Apr. 13 by The Plant Cell journal - was the identification of dozens, possibly even hundreds of gene pathways that produce small metabolites, including several that previous experiments had identified.

Vered Tzin from Ben-Gurion University's Jacoob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research in Israel and Georg Jander from Cornell University's Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research in Ithaca, NY, helped verify the predictions the analysis made in corn, and Daniel Kliebenstein from the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of California, Davis helped verify the predictions in the model plant system Arabidopsis.

The results of their analysis go against the prevailing theory that the genes that make up these pathways are clustered together on the plant genome. "This idea comes from the observation in fungi and bacteria that the genes that make up these specialized metabolite pathways are clustered together," said Rokas. "In plants, however, these genes appear to be mostly scattered across the genome. Consequently, the strategies for discovering plant gene pathways will need to be different from those developed in the other organisms."

The researchers argue that the results of their study show that this approach "is a novel, rich and largely untapped means for high-throughput discovery of the genetic basis and architecture of plant natural products."

If that proves to be true, then it could help open the tap on new plant-based therapeutics for treating a broad range of conditions and diseases.
Mumbai: Hit hard by the note ban, securitisation volume of microfinance institutions (MFIs) fell 21 per cent to around Rs 7,150 crore in fiscal 2017 compared to Rs 9,000 crore last year, says a report.



Domestic rating agency Icra said MFIs raised nearly Rs 5,500 crore through the securitisation route in the first six months of fiscal 2017 but this fell to just around Rs 1,650 crore in the second half.



Last year MFI securitisation volumes had increased 80 percent to around Rs 9,000 crore.



"The dip in micro loan securitisation volume is primarily due to the impact of the demonetisation on the portfolio of most MFIs.



"Investors also adopted a wait and watch approach for this asset class on the back of a rapid increase in the portfolio at risk numbers in the softer delinquency buckets, and the uncertainty around the portfolio performance going forward," Icra said in a note on Monday.



The impact of the unexpected demonetisation also magnified for this asset class due to high reliance on cash for both collections and disbursements to MFI borrowers, the agency said, adding the cash crunch resulted in loan repayments being severely impacted.



"Additionally, local political interference and rumours of loan waiver in some areas led to further disruption in the collection process. This was primarily seen in states where local body or assembly elections were due," it said.



The agency further said it's rated MFI transactions were strong till October 2016 collection with monthly and cumulative collection efficiency in the 98-100 per cent range.



"However, post-demonetisation, the monthly collection efficiency of the pools declined significantly in November and December 2016 to 91 percent and 82 percent, respectively," the report said.



Post-demonetisation, there was also a notable slowdown in loan disbursements due to lack of currency availability in the initial period, and also on account of MFIs becoming more cautious while offering incremental loans, especially in geographies where collections were low.



Due to sharp decline in disbursements, additional funding requirement for MFIs also reduced, which further took a toll on securitisation volume, as around 25 percent of incremental funding requirement of MFIs was being met through the securitisation route, it said.



Majority investors in securitisation transactions were banks, with their prime motive for investing in these transactions being to meet their priority sector lending targets, it said.
Mumbai: A Corporate tribunal has dismissed a petition by former Tata Sons' chairman Cyrus Mistry that alleged mismanagement and discrimination against minority shareholders at the Tata group holding company, Tata Sons said on Monday, adding it welcomed the order.



The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), a quasi-judicial body, also refused to grant a waiver to Mistry's family-owned companies on the minimum shareholding needed to go ahead with the petition.



Tata Sons, the holding company in a business empire ranging from car maker Jaguar Land Rover and steel mills to aviation and salt pans, forced Mistry from the chairmanship last October, and has since been embroiled in a public spat with him.



Mistry was also voted off the company's board in February.



Mistry had accused former Tata chairman Ratan Tata and his associates in Tata Trusts of interfering in the running of the various Tata group companies, launching legal proceedings in December.



"We are pleased that Mr. Mistry's claims have been dismissed by the NCLT. The order of the NCLT represents a vindication of our position," F.N. Subedar, Chief Operating Officer of Tata Sons, said in a statement after Monday's verdict.



A spokesman for Mistry declined immediate comment.



The Mint newspaper said Mistry's side would appeal the order at the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), without citing a source for the information.



Although Mistry's family firms own 18.4 percent of the ordinary shares in Tata Sons, that stake falls to about 2.17 percent when preference shares are taken into account, according to several local media reports.



Indian law requires Mistry's firms to own a minimum of 10 percent of the issued share capital of Tata Sons to be able to file a petition alleging mismanagement and discrimination against minority shareholders.
New Delhi: With the dust finally settling on its feud with Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, Air India has proposed new measures to deal with unruly passengers. These measures include legal options and fines.



Those delaying the flight by one hour would have to cough up a fine of Rs 5 lakh, while those late by two hours face a fine of Rs 10 lakh. Anything beyond that and the defaulter will have to shell out Rs 15 lakh.



The latest rules come after three high-profile cases involving MPs  Sena MP Gaikwad, Trinamool Congress MP Dola Sen and YSR Congress MP Mithun Reddy. The Air India has also directed its employees not to interact with media. Besides this, the Staff will also be trained to handle unruly passengers. In case of any loss to the property, the damages will also be assessed.



While Reddy was arrested in January last year for allegedly assaulting an Air India employee at Tirupati airport, Gaikwad was grounded by the national carrier and other private airlines last month for hitting a senior staffer with slippers onboard a flight. Gaikwad was reportedly angry at being denied a business class seat despite purchasing the ticket for one.



The Delhi-bound flight was an all-economy one. The ban was lifted after government intervention.



Soon after the Gaikwad episode, Trinamool Congresss Dola Sen entered into an argument with the crew of a Delhi-Kolkata Air India flight for asking her elderly mother to vacate the seat next to the emergency exit.




The Delhi Police on Monday arrested Sukesh Chandrasekar, the alleged middleman who struck a Rs 50-crore deal with AIADMK leader TTV Dinakaran to help influence the war over the partys election symbol of two leaves. Police also seized Rs 1.5 crore and a BMW and a Mercedes car from him.The alleged 27-year-old middleman from Bengaluru, who also goes by the name Balaji, has a colourful history of his own.The cash seized from Sukesh Chandrashekhar by the Delhi Police. (Nitisha Kashyap/CNN-News18)His tryst with crime started at the age of 17 when the ambitious lad from Bishop Cotton School was arrested in connection with a scam in the Bengaluru Development Authority.He later graduated to become a master conman who duped close to 100 people across the country of almost Rs 50 crore by posing as a relative of leading politicians.Sukesh, who always wanted a lavish lifestyle, used his ill-gotten wealth to buy luxury cars like Rolls Royce, Ferrari and Maserati, and expensive watches.In 2013, the then Chennai Police Commissioner S George ordered a Central Crime Branch (CCB) team led by inspector K Vijayakumar to travel to the national capital after the Delhi police had caught Chandrasekhar in Kolkata on April 4.Chandrasekhar had befriended Bengaluru actress Leena Maria Paul through Facebook and promised her roles in movies. Although the Madras Cafe actor called his bluff soon, she stuck around thanks to the lavish lifestyle.According to the police, Sukesh used the services of bodyguards and cars with red beacons to convince his targets that he was a relative of politicians. One of the cars even had a Member of Parliament sticker.The duo shot into the limelight after they duped Canara Bank in Chennai, where three persons, including a bank manager, had already been arrested for siphoning off Rs 19 crore.Sukesh posed as an IAS officer and, along with Paul, duped a company on the pretext of facilitating a government project.Till date, Sukesh has close to 15 FIRs against him and over 100 complaints filed by victims from whom he had extracted crores of rupees.
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has asked the Devaswom Vigilance to enquire into the allegations that women younger than 50 had entered the Sabarimala Temple.



Some photographs of women devotees praying in a temple were published online recently, stating they were captured at Sabarimala.



The faces of these women were not visible and the photographs were taken from behind, following which the allegations surfaced that the women weren't above 50.



However, there were rumours that the photos could have been photoshopped. To put all these rumours to rest, the Devaswom minister has ordered an enquiry.



Women in the age group of 10-50 are not allowed to enter the Sabarimala temple and a related case is pending before the Supreme Court.



The LDF-led government in Kerala had filed an affidavit before the Supreme court, earlier, stating they had no objection to women of any age entering the temple.



On the other hand, the Travancore Devaswom Board and some Hindu organisations are of the view that the tradition should continue.



The minister in his Facebook post also said that he has received complaints that an industrialist from Kollam is arranging VIP visit and the women also came with them. The Devaswom vigilance will enquire into this complaint.


New Delhi: Border guarding force, ITBP has come up with an unique booklet which was distributed among the wives of its troops deployed in far-flung areas.



One of the salient points on the booklet says, 'Do not allow your husband to tie the nuptial knot again while he is still married to you; be updated with the regimental number and rank of your husband.'



The advisory booklet is part of a larger publication that the paramilitary has prepared to educate its jawans and their families about issues of health and personal hygiene.



Over 85,000 copies of these two booklets have already been printed and dispatched to the field formations of the force.



ITBP Director General Krishna Chaudhary, who has also written a foreword in the book, told PTI that strict directions have been issued to all the formations to ensure that these books are handed over by the troops to their families when they visit them on leave.



"We got these booklets prepared by talking to experts and doctors of the force. The aim is to keep the troops and their families healthy and happy given the fact that they are deployed in hard areas where communication with the world is minimal," the DG said.



PTI reported that the booklet for wives tells them that they should be updated and informed about the regimental number (force ID), rank, current pay, location of battalion or unit and even the number of official leaves their husbands are entitled to.



"Ensure that your name is included in his service book, your name has been entered as the next of kin in the service record and all bank accounts and life insurance policies," the instructions state.



ITBP spokesperson Deputy Commandant Vivek K Pandey explained to PTI the rationale behind the initiative: "The duty charter of the force is such that troops are on duty and away from home for long and visit their homes only during the leave period and it is the wives who run the household in their absence.



"It was found that many jawans and their families were totally ignorant about their rights and their entitlements and hence the books were prepared to make them aware," he said.



The booklet, prepared by the wives welfare association of the force, is an attempt to make sure that wives can make an informed choice and no one is able to mislead them in case of any eventuality, Pandey said.



The booklet for wives also speaks about the legal rights they have: "Do not give your husband the right to marry again while he is still married to you. If any force personnel remarries while his first wife is still alive and without her written consent, then according to ITBP rules he can be terminated from service."



It also tells them in detail that a government servant demanding dowry is illegal and is a punishable offence and also about the grounds a wife can seek divorce.



However, divorce is the last resort, it states. Woman can take help of family, friends and the commanding officer and the stress counsellor of her husband's battalion.



The wives are also suggested to "understand" the service conditions of their husbands which are quite tough and that they should "cooperate" with them in this regard.



"Inform your husband's seniors officers about any doubtful activities of your husband. Try to be self reliant and mentally strong to face any situation," it said.



The health awareness guide book informs the jawans about various lifestyle diseases and ways to live healthy without indulging into alcohol or drugs abuse.



It also makes them understand various aspects of healthy living and the correct procedure for undertaking daily ablutions like brushing teeth and the benefits of doing regular exercises.



The health book also warns them about the drawbacks of having junk food and not adopting a healthy lifestyle and undertaking excessive stress.



A special mention has been made on health challenges faced on high-altitudes and mountains as the force is largely deployed in the Himalayan region along the China border.



The about 86,000 personnel strong force is tasked with securing the 3,488-km-long frontier apart from rendering a variety of duties in the internal security domain of the country including undertaking anti-Naxal operations.



(With inputs from PTI)
New Delhi: The government has asked paramilitary forces to use plastic bullets instead of pellet guns in the Kashmir valley. The move comes after the Centre assured the Supreme Court that as per the standard operating procedure, pellet guns are only used as the second last option to ward off crowd. PAVA shells were introduced as an alternative but were not successful.



"We have reiterated the SOP to the central forces that pellet guns should be used only when all other measures fail," a top home ministry official told CNN news18.



Plastic bullets are hollow-based plastic cylinders and are designed like a flat nose. It is meant to cause pain but not a serious injury and can result in contusions and abrasions.



The non-lethal weapon was first introduced in 2010 when violence broke out in the valley. Pellet guns were also introduced around the same time, but the casualties post-Burhan Wani's death forced centre on the back foot on the issue of pellet guns.



PAVA shells or chilly bombs were then suggested by a committee, but paramilitary forces on the ground called the shells ineffective.



"We are also sending modified PAVA shells to the valley, along with plastic bullets. Bullets can be used only as a last resort," an officer said.



The decision to introduce these non-lethal weapons comes amid videos showing forces shooting stone pelters down from close quarters in the last few days.




: As a mark of protest against the death sentence given to alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav by a Pakistani military court, a self-proclaimed group of hackers from India reportedly hacked the homepage of the Pakistan Academy for Rural Development's (PARD), Peshawar, on Monday.The PARD home page shows a message by a group called 'Kerala Cyber Warriors' demanding justice for Kulbhushan Jadhav.He Lives For India.All the cases filed against him are completely fake.When the same situation arose in India, Indian Gov has taken a fair decision.Indian Media and Gov should react against it.WE ARE THE VOICE OF THE SILENT AND THE EYES OF THE BLIND.WE ARE LEGION | WE DO NOT FORGIVE | WE DO NOT FORGET | EXPECT USA screen grab of the Pakistan Academy for Rural Development's (PARD) website.A military court in Pakistan has sentenced Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav to death for alleged involvement in "spying" and "subversive activities". India has acknowledged Jadhav as a retired Indian Navy officer, but denied that he was in any way connected to the government.Kulbhushan Jadhav was arrested reportedly from Balochistan after he entered from Iran. He was accused by Pakistan of being a "R&AW (Research and Analysis Wing) agent and planning "subversive activities" in the country. The Indian government, on the other hand, believed that he was picked up from Iran.
State Council executive meeting on April 12

The State Council executive meeting, presided over by Premier Li Keqiang on April 12, decided to promote medical treatment partnership systems and strengthen safety and risk prevention in primary and middle schools and kindergartens, and passed a draft on implementation regulations for national statistics law.

Details:>> Quick view: State Council executive meeting on April 12

Key tasks in food safety for 2017

The State Council has released a guideline for work on food safety in 2017, with the goal of ensuring peoples health and safety.

It urged efforts to improve related laws and regulations on food safety, develop and revise national standards in key fields of food safety, carry out measures to prevent pollution in agricultural production, and promote the transformation and upgrading of food industries.

According to the guideline, related departments should also speed up building a legal system on food safety and enhance its enforcement, to strictly crack down on illegal activities.

Details:>> State Council lays out key tasks in food safety for 2017

Safeguarding agricultural production

The State Council on April 10 planned to set up land for production of grain and other important agricultural products, in order to safeguard food supply and security.

The establishment of the function areas is an important measure for the food security. And the State Council urged strengthened policy support for the land.

Details:>> China to set aside land for agricultural production

Pilot program for land planning at provincial level

The State Council approved an inter-department joint meeting system for land planning at the provincial level, as an effort to push forward pilot work in space planning in provinces.

According to the document, the joint meeting should promote the pilot program in provinces, study major issues encountered in the process, evaluate work results and promote successful practices. Meanwhile, it should study laws and regulations involved in space planning, and undertake other tasks from the central government.

Details:>> State Council to promote pilot program for land planning at provincial level

Pensions raised for the elderly

Starting from the beginning of this year, the average monthly payment for pensioners of enterprises, government agencies and public institutions has been lifted by 5.5 percent from the 2016 level, according to a circular issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Ministry of Finance on April 13.

Details:>> China raises pensions for 13th year in a row

Whole-process electronic enterprise registration

The State Administration for Industry and Commerce on April 11 issued a guideline on the implementation of electronic enterprise registration for the whole registration process.

With the reservation of window registration service, an online registration platform dealing with various businesses concerning all registration procedures of every type of enterprise will be put into use before the end of this October.

The guideline also urged formulating registration norms, accelerating construction of the new system, strengthening the management of electronic archives and reinforcing information publicity and credit supervision.

Combating counterfeit agricultural production materials

The Ministry of Agriculture recently adopted the 2017 action plan to fight against counterfeit agricultural production materials.

Non-standard business operations in urban-rural, cross-provincial, and cross-county regions, peddlers without licenses, and other illegal activities will be cracked down.

Plan for the development of cloud computing

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released a three-year plan for the development of cloud computing (2017-2019).

The plan proposed key tasks on technology enhancement, industrial development, application improvement, security guarantees and environmental optimization.

With these efforts, Chinas industrial scale of cloud computing is expected to reach 430 billion yuan ($62.47 billion) by 2019, making breakthroughs in a number of core technologies as its cloud computing services become internationally advanced, according to the plan.

Transparency for banking products and services

The China Banking Regulatory Commission urged the banking industry to resume its main function of serving the real economy, making efforts to enhance transparency for bank products and services.

It required commercial banks to strictly comply with business provisions in terms of credit, finance, trust and other aspects.

Meanwhile, illegal behaviors and market disorder will be prohibited to make sure financial resources flow to the real economy.

Colleges and universities granted more autonomy

Five government departments, including the Ministry of Education, jointly issued a guideline on deepening reform on streamlining administration in the higher education sector.

Local authorities, colleges and universities will be granted greater autonomy in terms of issues, including the authorization assessment of graduate degrees, specialty settings for undergraduate and junior college education, staffing, evaluation of professional titles and salary distribution.

Assistance policies to facilitate implementation of tax preferential policies

The State Administration of Taxation said that it will release operation rules on tax collection after the introduction of every tax-related policy, making clear specific issues that are the concern of tax leviers and taxpayers, thus reducing costs on both sides.
Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke security protocol on Monday to meet a four-year-old fan who attempted to reach his convoy but was stopped by the elite commandos protecting the PM.



Seeing the little girl being turned away, Modi stepped out of his vehicle and greeted the tot in Gujarats Tapi district where he earlier inaugurated a cattle feed plant and an ice-cream plant.







The gesture was loudly cheered by supporters who dotted the convoy route.



The Prime Minister is on a two-day visit to Gujarat, which goes to the polls later this year. He was accorded a grand welcome in his home state on Sunday evening with a 11-km-long sari depicting his governments schemes dotting the route of his massive roadshow.



Modi did something similar during the roadshow in Bhubaneswar during a roadshow when he stood on the guard rail to wave at people gathered there.
Young boys and girls hit the streets and within hours the protests spiralled out to almost every volatile area.

Some students from SP College, Srinagar, threw stones from the main campus entrance while others climbed a wall of a neighbouring women's college to attack policemen.

The party felt that resultant outrage from students on the provocative incident is natural and appealed to student community to maintain calm as peace at educational institutions was paramount to our future," the party's spokesman told News18.

On Monday, anger swept the Valley college campuses that left scores of students and a dozen policemen wounded in day-long stone pelting clashes.The Mehbooba Mufti government responded by shutting down colleges and universities for a day and barred mobile Internet, apparently to stop videos and pictures of alleged security forces atrocities from going viral.Violent clashes between forces and students replayed at many schools and colleges across Kashmir. The trigger was Saturday's clashes between police and students outside Pulwama degree college. Around 50 students and 15 policemen were injured then.The Kashmir University Students Union or KUSU gave the protest call against the Pulwama incident in which police fired tear shells inside the college premises.Masked stone pelters collect stones strewn across the road. (Mufti Isla/CNN-News18)In Srinagar Lal Chowk area, masked students in neat white shirts and grey pants pelted stones on the police after the latter stopped them from marching out. The clashes lasted for several hours disrupting traffic. But while the action was unfolding, shopkeepers continued to work and some passersby were seen catching the scenes on cellphones.Police burst a number of smoke shells but played a waiting game by not rushing at the students to avoid causalities.Apparently, under strict instruction from the government, police did not enter the college.The students protests fanned out in many volatile townships but there was not any serious injury reported till the evening.Former chief minister Omar Abdullah criticised the government for failing to curb the violence. He tweeted: I hope Mehbooba Mufti has thought through the implications of mass student protests across the valley. This is a deeply worrying situation. Why were all colleges/universities not shut for a few days after the Pulwama clashes? Is Mehbooba Mufti not alert to situation?To pacify the students, Mehbooba Muftis Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) demanded immediate probe and stern action against the personnel involved in disturbing peace of the college and use of any force against students and the staff.The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) alleged "disproportionate" use of force against students at Degree College Pulwama and sought report from the police.Its chairman, Justice Bilal Nazki, directed Superintendent of Police Pulwama to file a detailed report of Pulwama campus violence within two weeks.The authorities suspended 3G and 4G mobile Internet services across Kashmir but fixed line Internet facility was not taken back."E-curfew to be imposed in the valley again. I believe the orders have been issued," tweeted Omar minutes before it was withdrawn.
The court has also directed Subrata Roy to remain present during the next hearing on April 28. The business tycoon, who has so far paid Rs 11,000 crore, was granted parole to attend rituals after the death of his mother. The SC warned Roy that if the courts leniency was misused by him, or if there was any attempt to not follow the previous undertakings given by him, then only peril awaited him.

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the auction of Aamby Valley, Saharas marquee project in Maharashtra, as the company failed to pay Rs 300 crore as the first instalment of Rs 5,000 crore it was ordered to pay for allegedly duping the investors.In an earlier hearing on the dispute between Sahara chief Subrata Roy and Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) over the non-payment of money to millions of investors, the Supreme Court had warned Sahara that if the company failed to deposit Rs 5,000 crore, the court would auction the Aamby Valley property.The court has said that the official liquidator of Bombay High Court will value the property and then proceed with valuation and auction. The apex court has directed Sebi to provide all the necessary details to the official liquidator within 48 hours. The property which is valued at Rs 34,000 crore is spread across 10,600-acre land near Pune.In the earlier hearing, the SC bench took a stern note of the consistent non-payment and observed that If money does not come into the accounts, then your Aamby Valley project will be sold.The special bench of Justices Dipak Misra, Ranjan Gogoi, and AK Sikri was not satisfied with the recourse Sahara group was resorting to for paying the duped investors. The court had remarked that the property was substantial enough for the recovery of the amount.Roy was sent to Tihar jail on March 4, 2014 as he did not comply with the SC orders in relation to his tussle with the market regulator. Sebi had alleged that Roy did not comply with the SC directive to return the investors money.Sahara in the past made several failed attempts to raise the bail money by selling his high prized possessions such as The Plaza hotel in New York and the Grosvenor House in London. Sahara maintains that it has already paid more than 80% of the dues to investors, but Sebi differs and has submitted that more than Rs 10,000 crore remains unpaid.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court took strong note on Monday of huge vacancy in police force in six states, including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, and asked their Home Secretaries to either personally appear or depute an officer to assist it.



A bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar referred to the vacancy in the states -- Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, and summonsed the home secretaries or officers not below the rank of the joint secretary authorised by them for assisting it on Friday.



The bench, also comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul, said that the data, mostly pertaining to 2013, indicates that there are huge vacancies in police force in various states and said, "We endeavour to monitor the filling up of vacancies."



It said that there are more than 40,000 and 1.5 lakh vacancies in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, respectively.



The six states have been asked to provide the roadmap as to how they endeavour to fill up the vacancies with the apex court fixing the plea filed by Manish Kumar for monitoring by it on April 21.
These days there is a new debate in the country. Some people are maintaining a silence on this issue. This reminds me of the scene in the Mahabharata in which Draupadi is being disrobed in an assembly and she asks a question to the gathering as to who is responsible for this?" he said.

Seeking to link triple talaq with the larger issue of social justice for Muslim women, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asked party workers to make it happen through dialogue and not discord.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday compared triple talaq to the disrobing of Draupadi in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, calling the Muslim practice an insult to women."...no one was able to utter even a single word. At that time Vidur said people who have committed the crime, those who are the accomplices and those who maintained silence on this issue are equally responsible," Adityanath said.ALSO READ| Need to Provide Justice to Muslim Women: PM Modi on Triple Talaq He made these remarks at an event to mark the 91st birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar.Batting for a Uniform Civil Code, Adityanath said, (Former PM) Chandra Shekhar had said that if we are the same when it comes to soldiering and getting married, then why not a Uniform Civil Code?Adityanaths statements come amid a raging debate on the issue with the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) rejecting government interference, saying anyone who misuses the practice would face social boycott.ALSO READ| UP Shocker: Woman Attacked With Acid For Refusing Triple Talaq Over Phone In his valedictory address at the conclusion of the two-day BJP National Executive in Bhubaneswar, Prime Minister addressed the issue in the context of giving social justice to all, including Muslim women.ALSO READ| Triple Talaq Hype a Conspiracy, Divorce Rate Low in Muslims: AIMPLB Member "He (Modi) talked about social justice. He said our Muslim sisters should also get justice. Injustice should not be done with them. Nobody should be exploited," Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said, quoting the Prime Minister."We do not want conflict within the Muslim community over this issue. What we have to do is that if there are any social evils, we have to wake the society up and make efforts to provide justice to them (Muslim women). That was the Prime Minister's spirit," Gadkari added.
Facing a shortage of Roman Catholic priests, women churchgoers have stepped in to lead Sunday services in villages in southeastern Portugal, a sign the ageing communities are open to change.



In the tiny church of Carrapatelo, a village overlooking the vineyards of the Reguengos de Monsaraz region, Claudia Rocha stands before a dozen mostly elderly female churchgoers wearing a black dress and sneakers.



Her leather jacket and smartphone sit on the front-row bench as the 31-year-old leads what the church terms "Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest" with ease.



After prayers and church hymns, she makes comments on the day's biblical reading, a form of preaching.



At the end, Rocha hands out communion wafers representing the body of Christ that were blessed by the priest beforehand, but wine is not part of the ceremony.



"This church would be closed if I wasn't here. Who cares if I am a woman, a deacon or a priest? What matters is having someone from the community who maintains our connection with the priest, even when he isn't here," she tells AFP.



No misgivings



A divorced social worker without children, she is one of 16 laypeople -- eight men and eight women -- chosen by Father Manuel Jose Marques to help ensure regular attendance at the seven parishes he presides over.



"It might seem strange and new, but we haven't invented anything here. It's a tool that has long been set out in the Church's guidelines, for cases when it's absolutely necessary," says the 57-year-old priest.



The practice of Sunday services being led by laypeople in a priest's absence take place in a number of countries, including Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland and the US.



It began in the 1980s, when services were prepared with a priest or ordained clergy member, resembling mass but without the rite of consecrating bread for communion or the Eucharistic prayer.



The Vatican and many clergy members have refused to encourage the practice, fearing a trivialisation of the tradition of Mass.



Father Manuel had no such misgivings.



To him, the need to set up Sunday services without a priest became apparent as soon as he took on his seven parishes around 16 years ago.



Before, there had been three priests for the seven parishes in Reguengos de Monsaraz, a town in the region of Alentejo between Evora and the Spanish border.



He assembled a group of 16 volunteers aged between 24 and 65 from varied backgrounds.



"These are people who have experience with faith and welcoming Christ, and who know how to talk about it," he says, noting he makes no distinction between men and women.



Lay women step in, too, in other rural parts of Portugal, whose population of 10 million is overwhelmingly Catholic but only counts around 3,500 priests for 4,400 congregations.



'Very sensitive subject'



Last August, Pope Francis set up a group to study the role of women deacons in the early days of Christianity.



While he ruled out the possibility of ordaining female priests, the move was considered a potentially historic opening towards a place for women in the Church.



"It is a very sensitive subject, but what we have done is very simple. In this tiny village, we are quite a bit ahead of the Vatican," says Rocha.



The progressive Father Manuel says he believes "women would be very good priests and deacons" but is quick to add: "It's not the opinion of one priest, or even 10 that makes theology."



"We are living in the heart of an open community, the difference between men and women is no longer as strong as it was in the past," says Dora Cruz, who teaches catechism in Campinho, a village of 700 people.



"But women's equality doesn't necessarily come from priesthood," adds the 31-year-old mother and kindergarten teacher.



Members of the congregation approve of having a woman behind the altar.



"People found it strange at first -- a woman leading Mass? But now we're used to it," says Angelica Vital, a 78-year-old pensioner.



"If we're short of priests, I think they should be allowed to marry -- they are men, like any other!" she adds, with a devilish grin.
It is Chiyaan Vikrams birthday today! And what better way to make it special than having the makers of Dhruva Natchathiram release its new teaser today? The teaser of the much-awaited film was released on Sunday evening, but its impact continues to get stronger today. As soon as the teaser was released, it found several takers, and soon turned into a viral video on social media. Dhruva Natchathiram is Vikram's a Tamil spy thriller which is being helmed by Gautham Vasudev Menon. Vikram essays the role of a secret agent, and is paired with Anu Emmanuel in the film. Megastar Amitabh Bachchan is also expected to play a pivotal role.(With inputs from IANS)
When the makers and stars of the much-anticipated Raabta came for its trailer launch, little did they know that the event would make headlines for a spat with a journalist over the most topical national issue, but not related to the film. At the trailer launch of Raabta, which also saw the presence of actors Kriti Sanon and Sushant Singh Rajput, a senior journalist got into an argument with the films team including the lead. The reason? Well, they refused to comment on Kulbhushan Jadhav issue wherein a Pakistan military court recently awarded death sentence to him after he was convicted of "espionage and sabotage activities".



On being asked for his reaction to the Jadhav controversy, Rajput said, One can condemn or not if one knows the issue inside out. Why is it important for a public figure expected to know every issue?



When asked for his reaction on the ongoing fairness cream debate and nepotism, he said, As responsible citizen we should not endorse a tone of skin color.



For the uninitiated, on April 12, Abhay Deol took to his Facebook account to slam Bollywood actors endorsement of fairness creams. From Shah Rukh Khan to Sonam Kapoor and Deepika Padukone, he targeted everyone for endorsing fair skin colour.



Among other Bollywood actors who had reacted to Pakistan military court's decision awarding death sentence to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav has been Richa Chadha.



"A person gets trapped in the politics between two governments. In such times, it's that person and his family who are the biggest casualty," Richa was quoted as saying in a recent interview.



(With inputs from IANS)


Senior Tamil Nadu Ministers held an urgent consultations in Chennai on Monday night amid talk of merger of the rival AIADMK factions led by V K Sasikala/T T V Dhinakaran and former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam.

The unscheduled late night meet was held at K Thangamanis official residence at the Greenways Road in Chennai.

As it happened

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The crime branch of Delhi Police booked Dinakaran for allegedly trying to bribe an Election Commission official to get the 'two leaves' poll symbol in the by-election to the R K Nagar Assembly seat.

"I will answer if I get summons. I will face it legally. How does a broker or somebody say the money was from TTV Dinakaran? I don't know anybody by that name nor have I come across any such name in my life," he told reporters in Chennai.

AIADMK (Amma) Deputy General Secretary TTV Dinakaran, booked by Delhi Police for allegedly trying to bribe an Election Commission official, vowed on Monday to fight the case legally and alleged that efforts were being made to "destroy our organisation politically".He was booked following the arrest of Sukesh Chandrasekhar, a middleman, from a five-star hotel in Delhi on Sunday.The leader of the V K Sasikala faction of the ruling party also claimed he did not know Sukesh Chandrasekhar, a middleman arrested by the Delhi police in this matter.He claimed efforts were on to "destroy our organisation politically," but said he was not aware who was doing so.ALSO READ | Why Putting Off RK Nagar Bypolls Won't Stop Cash-For-Votes "Such information is being spread to destroy our organisation politically. It is basically wrong to say that Sukesh has spoken to me. I don't know any such person. I don't know what is the plan and who is doing it," Dinakaran, on his way to meet his aunt and jailed party chief Sasikala at Bengaluru, said.He also denied the bribery charges, saying "I didn't bribe anybody."The Election Commission had frozen AIADMK's 'two leaves' symbol after the two factions led by Sasikala and former chief minister O Panneerselvam staked claim to it.The bypoll to the R K Nagar Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu was scheduled for April 12, but the EC cancelled it, saying the electoral process had been "seriously vitiated" by parties through use of money power.Dinakaran was the candidate of the Sasikala faction. The seat fell vacant after the death of then chief minister J Jayalalithaa on December 5.
Chennai: Chennai was abuzz with speculation of another midnight revolt in the ruling AIADMK party with nine ministers of the Edappadi Palaniswami cabinet going into a huddle and early reports indicating that there could be a merger of the two warring factions.



Rumours flew thick and fast that VK Sasikala  now lodged in a prison in Karnataka after being convicted in a disproportionate assets case  had resigned as the party chief. This, however, was denied by Jayakumar, who is finance minister in the Palaniswami government.



At the late night meeting held at Thangamani's residence, Jayakumar said two things were discussed: one was the party's election symbol issue and the other was Panneerselvam's suggestion at merger.



According to sources, AIADMK leaders claim all MLAs and ministers are on the same page regarding the merger of the warring factions.



"We appreciate Panneerselvam's offer to merge. We want AIADMK to be united...Amma's legacy should continue. We spoke about how to function if we merge," said Jayakumar. "We will talk to Dinakaran once he returns from Bangalore".



Rebel leader and former chief minister O Panneerselvam had earlier hinted at fresh efforts at a unified AIADMK when he said he was confident that AIADMK leaders would approach him for merger talks.



Post the late night meeting, Jayakumar said,"We discussed about keeping the party united." The minister claimed that they also discussed the submission of affidavit to the EC.



The midnight developments capped a day that dawned with the sensational arrest of a man in Delhi with Rs 1.5 crore in cash that Delhi Police suspect was aimed at influencing the fight over the AIADMK official symbol.







The FIR filed by Crime Branch also names TTV Dinakaran  Sasikalas nephew  who has since been summoned to join the probe. Dinakaran, who is the AIADMK candidate in the RK Nagar bypoll  postponed by Election Commission after allegations of large-scale cash distribution  had gone to Bangalore today to meet Sasikala in jail.


Orissa goes to polls in 2019, along with general elections in the country. However, Gujarat is of immediate concern to the party.

At the inauguration of the Samasta Arogya Trust hospital in Surat, Modi reached out to the community. He addressed a predominantly Patidar gathering as "Aatre upasthit mara parivarjano (my dear family members)."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two days visit to Gujarat just ahead of the state BJP executive meet in Somnath later this week has fuelled speculations that the party plans to hold early elections in the state. The BJP is hopeful that its recent spate of successes in assembly polls, especially UP, should provide it a comfortable victory in the state. PM Modi landed in Surat late on Sunday evening to a grand reception by party workers, just two days after a similar roadshow was organised by the BJP ahead of the its national executive in Bhubneshwar.BJP has been in power in the state for almost two decades now, with the party winning the last three elections under the leadership of Narendra Modi as the then chief minister of the state.The term of the current government under Vijay Rupani is set to expire in December this year, but a flurry of political activity in Gujarat is being seen as a sign that the party is trying to bring forward polls which are generally held after the extended Dussera-Diwali festive season.ALSO READ | 11-km-long Sari Dots Modi's Roadshow Route in Gujarat Modi and his right-hand man, Amit Shah have in the last one month picked engagements in Gujarat quite meticulously. Shah has already held a round of meeting with state leaders, exhorting them to work to better the long held Madhav Singh Solanki-led Congress' record of 149 seats in 1985.PM Modi took this message forward with his two day visit to the state.Similarly, the Prime Minister's engagements on day-two of the Gujarat tour also clearly reflects an attempt to soothe ruffled feathers and reach out to constituents hit during the demonetisation drive.On Monday morning, Modi inaugurated a new diamond polishing unit in Surat and a state-of-the-art hospital. Both projects have been established by top businessmen of the Patidar community which has been demanding reservations in government jobs and educational institution under the OBC category.The Prime Minister will culminate his Gujarat tour on Monday afternoon with a programme scheduled in the tribal dominated Silvassa, in South Gujarat, followed by commissioning of a Narmada water irrigation project for the parched Saurashtra region.
In a major setback for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a chargesheet against several senior Trinamool Congress leaders in the Narada sting case."We have filed chargesheet against these people under Section 120 B of IPC (criminal conspiracy), Section 13 (2), 13 (1D) and Section 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act. We will soon summon them for questioning, a source in CBI told News18.He said, Preliminary inquiry revealed that the Trinamool leaders accepted money, misusing their official position. Those named in the chargesheet are Firhad Hakim, Mukul Rai, Saugata Roy, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Sultan Ahmed, Subrata Mukherjee, Subhendu Adhikari, Sovan Chatterjee, Aparupa Poddar, Madan Mitra, Iqbal Ahmed, Prasun Banerjee and H.M.S. Mirza."An IPS officer, who allegedly accepted cash for bribes on behalf of a top TMC leader, is also indicted.The accused have been slapped with sections 7 and 13 of The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 which covers Public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration in respect of an official act and Criminal misconduct by a public servant, respectively. Alongside these two sections, the suspects have also been slapped with section 120 (B) in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which spells out punishment for criminal conspiracy.The FIR was filed in Delhi and, according to sources in the agency, a Special Investigation Team with officers of the anti-corruption unit at CBI headquarters is being formed to take charge of the investigations.Responding to the FIR, Trinamool Congress Supremo Mamata Banerjee said, Theres nothing to worry. Merely lodging an FIR does not prove guilt. This is a political game and we will combat this politically.Reacting to the CBI chargesheet, state education minister Partha Chatterjee said, Our party will decide the next course of action soon.BJP state president Dilip Ghosh welcomed the development and said, Most of the TMC leaders featured in Narada sting operation are involved in corrupt practices. Law will take its own course. We are happy they were named in the CBIs chargesheet.Two Trinamool MPs  Sudip Banerjee and Tapas Pal  are already in the CBI custody for their alleged link to the chit fund scam.Sources said, a special investigation team (SIT) will be formed to probe the case.The CBI has already questioned Mathew Samuel of Narada News who planned the sting operation and allegedly handed over cash to the accused TMC leaders.Samuel has welcomed CBIs move. We always wanted the truth to come out. The CBI has gone through unedited version of the video and they are now convinced that the videos are not doctored and there is no conspiracy. We will cooperate with the CBI in further investigation, he said.On March 17, the Calcutta High Court had ordered CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry in the case in which several TMC leaders were seen accepting money during a sting operation.When asked, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, We want the West Bengal Chief Minister to comment on this development. She always maintained that her leaders were framed and that they are innocent. Now, it is proved that all of them named in the chargesheet accepted money and were involved in the crime.Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to travel to Bhubaneswar on April 18. One of the main purposes of her travel is to visit senior party colleague Sudip Bandyopadhyay who is in judicial custody in connection with the Rose Valley Ponzi scam case and is currently admitted at a private hospital in that city following multiple illnesses.
KCR's son and IT Minister KT Rama Rao sold ice cream and juice in Hyderabad and earned Rs 7.30 lakhs in one hour. His daughter and MP from Nizamabad, K Kavitha, sold sarees in a shopping mall in her constituency. Within a few minutes, she earned Rs 6.90 lakhs.

KCR himself will take up coolie work for one day on April 19th in Thorrur Mandal and raise funds for the party plenary.

Coolie work seem to have become the highest paid job in Telangana. Across districts "Gulabi Coolies" can be sweating out in the heat to earn money.Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao announced a week-long "Pink Labourer Days" from April 14-20 where Telangana Rashtra Samithi workers have to work as labourers to earn money for the party's plenary.However, from Cabinet ministers to TRS party leaders, everyone is raking in big bucks as labours, prompting criticism from opposition leaders that the government is mocking the poor in the state.Energy Minister, G Jagadish Reddy, took up coolie work in Nalgonda and earned Rs 3 lakhs in few hours while Karimnagar MLA Gangula Kamalakar earned a modest Rs 21 thousand. Kothagudam MLA Jalagam Venkat Rao worked in a hotel and a Kirana store.Manual labour is a symbolically way to raise funds for party's plenary. Grand celebrations are planned to mark party's formation day and three years of government. The TRS will hold plenary on April 21st in Hyderabad and then a massive public meeting in Warangal.Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao's son Kalvakuntla Taraka Rama Rao (in pic) sold ice cream and juice in Hyderabad and earned Rs 7.30 lakhs in one hour.Chief Minister appealed every party worker to work and earn money, to pay for their travel and food expenses. Earlier also party has taken up such campaigns to raise money for party's plenary.But opposition has been critical of the practice. BJP Spokesperson Krishnasagar Rao said, "TRS party is a drama company. Instead of good governance, party is indulging mocking unemployed youth. There are lakhs of students without jobs and here ultra-rich "coolies" are earning lakhs of rupees is nothing but an insult to them.""This is the same Chief Minister who has been splurging exchequers money on his personal luxuries. This is a juvenile attempt to show non-corrupt character. But people are not fools", he added.Krishank, a student leader from Osmania University, said, There are youth in state who are struggling to get job of few thousands and TRS leaders are making lakhs of rupees as labours. These politicians who have failed in supporting the poor and farmers in their constituencies are pouring wealth to appease KCR. Its a mockery of shramdaan and TRS leaders should stop fooling people. Its nothing but just photo opportunity. "
Panasonic recently unveiled the Eluga Ray Max alongside the Eluga Ray X and both smartphones will be available exclusively on e-commerce site Flipkart. With these smartphones, debuts Panasonic's new personal assistant - Arbo.The Eluga Ray Max had been launched at a price of Rs 11,499 for the 32GB storage option and the 64GB storage variant is priced at Rs 12,499. Interestingly, the Eluga Ray Max looks like any other unibody smartphone at first glance. The metal rear is, however, removable.There are two SIM card slots and a dedicated microSD card slot at the back. A 3,000mAh battery is powering the device with support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 for fast charging.In terms of connectivity, the Ray Max supports 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS/ A-GPS, FM radio with RDS, and Micro-USB with OTG support.How does the Ray Max fare in the already crowded Indian smartphone space? Read our review to find out.The metal body is sturdy and faintly curved to offer a firm grip. The 5.2-inch full-HD screen is vivid with good viewing angles and comes topped with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection.Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 really enables the Eluga Ray Max to pack in juice to last half a day within 15-20 minutes.The smartphone is not very heavy despite housing a 3,000mAh battery and sporting a metal body.Those hungry for additional memory should know that there is a dedicated MicroSD card slot to expand memory up to 128GB.The fingerprint sensor is placed right on the home button, which unlocks the device quickly. The 8-megapixel selfie camera also comes with a flash, which is another cool thing.Unlike its Chinese rivals, Panasonic hasnt customised the OS heavily and hence the Eluga Ray Max delivers Vanilla Android experience.While a major highlight of the Eluga Ray Max is the Arbo virtual assistant, you can also deactivate it if you wish to.Panasonics Arbo virtual assistant, which competes with the likes of Apples Siri, Google Assistant, Microsoft Cortana and the recently launched Samsung Bixby, offers suggestions based on the user's daily habits. It is unlike an assistant app that you would speak to. The concept sounds good but fails to impress.Out of the two bottom firing speakers, only one is functional, which is a disappointment.Panasonic has done well in terms of delivering pure Android experience and battery backup in the Eluga Ray Max. It offers high-end features to people on a budget and is a decent overall package.Having said that, there is no distinguishing factor barring the Arbo assistant that can make the device stand out.
Hordes of revellers armed with plastic water guns poured onto Thai streets on Friday for a second day of watery warfare to ring in the kingdom's traditional new year.



Known as Songkran, the Thai holiday is celebrated by paying respect to elders and sprinkling water over Buddha figures at local temples.



But the festival has also become one of the world's biggest -- and booziest -- water fights.



Every April rowdy street parties erupt across the nation as hundreds of thousands of Thais and tourists don floral shirts and drench each other with brightly-coloured water pistols.



Similar but smaller water festivals are also held in neighbouring Buddhist countries like Myanmar and Laos.



The burst of colour was especially striking this year in Bangkok, where many Thais have worn only black and white for the past six months to mourn the October death of the deeply revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej.



"At its peak I think there were hundreds of thousands of people in Silom," city official Vallop Suwandee told AFP, referring to a downtown Bangkok district that has become a Songkran hotspot.



"Overall the situation is orderly," he added.



Many see the soggy celebration as a fun-filled respite from the sweltering heat that engulfs Thailand during its hot and dry season.



But the military junta that came to power in 2014 has tried -- mostly in vain -- to rein in the revelry with bans on skimpy clothing and restrictions on alcohol.



The generals have also struggled to curb drink driving, which surges during the holiday week, earning it a reputation as Thailand's "Seven Deadly Days".



Authorities reported 167 road deaths over the first three days of this year's festival -- a toll only marginally lower than the 181 deaths recorded over the same period last April.



The number of road accidents was also up slightly, according to the Interior Ministry, with nearly half of the crashes involving drunk drivers.


Islamabad: Pakistan's Balochistan province Chief Minister has said that Balochs can never become "slaves" of India at the behest of a handful of "elements".



Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri, while addressing a gathering at Anjera Kalat, Balochistan, yesterday said "Balochs live in Pakistan as brothers."



Zehri said people in Balochistan can never become "slaves of India" at the behest of a handful of "elements propagating enemys agenda" in the province, Dawn News reported.



He was quoted as saying that elements "sitting abroad" were trying to use the youth for their nefarious designs.



"Social media is not the criteria for liberation, in fact, the Baloch people stand for prosperous and peaceful Pakistan," Zehri said.



He said that if the suspected militants shun violence and come down from mountains, they would be welcomed by the government, the report said.



Zehri, however, clarified that the writ of the government would be ensured at all cost.



He was speaking at the fourth "Zehri martyrs" commemoration event held in remembrance of those killed in an April, 2013, attack in which Zehris convoy was targeted during the election campaign.



Zehris son, brother and a nephew were killed in the attack.



Pakistan has often accused India of supporting insurgency in Balochistan. The accusation has been outrightly dismissed by India.
But the outcome could more broadly influence all aspects of the country's future. Coming 94 years after the foundation of modern Turkey by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the referendum was a landmark vote that could polarise society and affect Turkey's relations with the West as well as the renewed conflict with Kurdish rebels.

The new system would be implemented from November 2019 when presidential and legislative elections are to be held simultaneously.

The executive presidency system "amasses unprecedented power in the hands of one man," said Alan Makovsky, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.



"The tactics of constantly bullying the EU... for domestic political purposes have now reached their limits," said Marc Pierini, visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe.

"He wins, but in the end half of the country is in love with him, and the other half loathes him, and herein lies the crisis of modern Turkey," said Soner Cagaptay, author of a forthcoming book, "The New Sultan."

Turkey voted narrowly to Sunday expand the powers of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a knife-edge poll that left the country bitterly divided.Here are five ways the referendum could shape Turkey:The referendum result, strongly contested by the opposition, gives the Turkish president enhanced powers, including the ability to appoint ministers and have an entire bureaucracy centralised within his presidential palace. Opponents worry that the new system will lack the "checks and balances" that mark the US system, moving the presidency toward one-man rule.With the clock wound back under the new system Erdogan, who became president in 2014, could serve two more terms, allowing him to stay in power until 2029 rather than 2024 currently.But Fadi Hakura, Turkey expert at London-based Chatham House think tank, called the referendum result "at best a Pyrrhic victory" for Erdogan."He's lost the major cities of Ankara, Istanbul, Adana, Izmir. He's lost the base of his support. "Relations between Turkey, a longstanding candidate to join the European Union, and its EU partners plunged to bitter lows during the referendum campaign as the president lashed out at Europe for what he said was behaviour reminiscent of Nazi Germany.Erdogan has said Turkey's membership bid would be "on the table" after the referendum and in every single campaign speech.On Sunday, he said he might hold a referendum on reinstating the death penalty. Any country which has capital punishment on its books is automatically banned from joining the EU.Erdogan could now move away from EU integration, a process which has moved slowly at best, and forge alternative strategic alliances, including with Russia.Erdogan was the first Turkish leader to undertake peace talks with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), resulting in an unprecedented ceasefire.But the PKK truce shattered in 2015 and Erdogan has since waged a controversial campaign to destroy the group.With only a narrow referendum win the president "may feel compelled to be conciliatory," said Asli Aydintasbas, senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)."Turkey could return to the peace process."However the Yeni Safak daily has claimed that the government will open a new front with cross-border operations against PKK camps in northern Iraq, in a new effort to destroy the group.Turkey's hugely diverse society has starkly polarised during Erdogan's tenure as prime minister and president since 2003. Erdogan has frequently demonised opponents, saying those who wanted to vote 'No' were playing into the hands of the PKK and US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, blamed for a failed coup last July.While Erdogan has forged a coalition with nationalists, he has in the past showed considerable pragmatism in his alliances.Markets had been cautiously expecting a 'Yes' and hoping this will bring much-needed stability and a rally in Turkish assets.In the medium term the prospects are much more uncertain, with some economists fearing that any democratic deficits in Turkey and increased polarisation in society, coupled with the government's loss of its enthusiasm for reform, will hit long-term growth rates."While a potential 'Yes' may be cheered by the market in the near term, Turkish equities are not likely to trade above historical averages as growth remains subdued and the long term implications of the system untested," said economists at BGC Partners in Istanbul.
Golan Heights: Hundreds of Druze on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights marched Monday for Syrian independence day, carrying portraits of President Bashar al-Assad and chanting anti-Israel slogans.



"God save Syria!" they shouted as they rallied in the town of Masada. "Down with the occupation!"



Israeli officials say there are about 20,000 Druze on the strategic plateau seized by the Jewish state from neighbouring Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War.



Israel subsequently annexed the 1,200 square kilometres (460 square miles) of territory in an action never recognised by the international community.



But the vast majority of Golan Druze have retained Syrian nationality.



The civil war which has ravaged their homeland for the past six years is reflected in local divisions, with Masada opponents of the Assad regime refusing to march behind his picture.



But both sides are united in their opposition to the Israeli occupation, residents told AFP.



"We retain our Syrian identity and follow the path of national resistance," said Nasser Ibrahim, one of the organisers of Monday's march.



"With the crisis in Syria, Israel has increased its measures on the Golan," said Assad opponent Ayman Abu Jabal, referring to what he called Israeli-ordered changes to the Golan school curriculum.



Israel and Syria are still officially in a state of war, but Israel says it has no wish to get involved in the fighting.



It does, however, carry out strikes against its Lebanese foe Hezbollah, which fights for Assad in Syria.



Last month, Israel struck what it said were Hezbollah targets in Syria, drawing Syrian anti-aircraft missile fire in the worst flare-up between the two governments since the Syrian civil war began in 2011.
Peshawar: Police in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province on Monday said there was no concrete evidence yet to register a blasphemy case against Mashal Khan who was lynched by a violent mob, as it arrested 22 people and opened a hate speech probe against two clerics in the case.



"We did not find any concrete evidence under which an investigation or legal action can be launched against Mashal, Abdullah or Zubair," Inspector General of Police Salahuddin Khan Mehsud told reporters at a press conference.



Mashal, a journalism student at the Khan Abdul Wali Khan University in Mardan in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, was stripped, beaten and shot in the head and chest by the mob on Thursday.



The video of the gruesome violence made via mobile phone cameras shows Khan's disrobed body covered in blood being dragged, first in a hallway and then on a road of the campus.



The murder shocked the people and triggered protests. Mehsud said that prior to the murder, investigating officers had not found anything on social media but after the incident, there was a lot of activity.



He added that police have sought the help of Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) because there are manufactured, edited pictures and videos on social media sites for which we need an expert opinion of the FIA.



Mehsud also said that a total of 22 individuals have been arrested in the murder case. "The suspects were identified through closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras. The suspects will be presented before an anti-terrorism court," he added.



Responding to a question about the association of the arrested suspects with political parties, Mehsud said that the police will only consider the arrested individuals' suspects and not focus on their political affiliations.



"I will ensure that the investigation is impartial," he said.



"Details of the incident will be submitted to the Supreme Court tomorrow. It will contain all major and minute details of our investigation," the IGP said. Meanwhile, police opened a hate speech investigation involving two clerics in Khan's hometown of Swabi for attempting to disrupt funeral proceedings and instigate hatred against his family.



A local imam had refused to lead Khan's funeral prayers on Friday. A technician led the funeral prayer. University officials had issued a public notification hours before Khan's murder naming three students being investigated for "blasphemous activities".



Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif last week issued a strongly-worded condemnation of the lynching of the student, saying the entire nation should be united in condemning this crime and to promote tolerance and rule of law in the society.



"The state will never tolerate those who take the law in their own hands," he warned.
New York: The US National Security Adviser Lt Gen H R McMaster has criticised the Pakistan leadership for selectively targeting terror groups, while saying it should use diplomacy and not proxies that engage in violence to pursue its interests in Afghanistan and elsewhere.



While speaking to Afghan TV channel ToloNews, McMaster appeared to take a tougher line on Pakistan, which has been accused of using the Taliban as a proxy and giving its leaders sanctuary.



As all of us have hoped for many, many years we have hoped that Pakistani leaders will understand that it is in their interest to go after these groups less selectively than they have in the past, McMaster said during his latest visit to the war-torn country, according to a report in The New York Times.



The best way to pursue their interests in Afghanistan and elsewhere is through the use of diplomacy, and not through the use of proxies that engage in violence, the PTI reported McMaster as saying.



The report added that Afghan officials aware of the discussions with McMaster said there was a common understanding of the threat of terrorist groups emerging from Pakistan.



And there are other indications that the United States may be weighing a tougher stance on Pakistan, among them General McMasters reported pick of a point person on the country who has strongly advocated that the United States stop treating Pakistan as an ally and condition any future military aid on fighting terrorist groups, the report added.



It said many analysts, as well as some coalition partners, have been critical of the United States uphill struggle to persuade Pakistan to crack down on the Afghan Taliban leadership, which has used Pakistan as a base for its battles in Afghanistan.



Many people in Afghanistan are wondering about the nature of relations between the United States and Pakistan, particularly the fact that everyone recognises the principal role of Pakistan in supporting Taliban and other terrorist groups, said Davood Moradian, the director of the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies.



Moradian said the new administration realised that the prior appeasement policy with Pakistan had not worked and needed to be reconsidered, the PTI further reported.



(With PTI Inputs)
Bruce fights the Robins and the Alfred question is answered in Batman vs. Robin #3

Bruce Wayne's inner demons are weaponized as he fights the Bat family in Batman vs. Robin #3
Local academic on international book tour

This year, the academy, in its commitment to the diffusion of research and the preservation of local cultural traditions, has published Balkaransinghs work, The Shaping of a Culture: Rituals and Festivals in Trinidad compared with selected counterparts in India, 1900-2014. It was launched in February.

Since the release of the work, Balkaransingh has travelled to India on a book tour, with upcoming presentations to take place in Lucknow, Benares, Goa and Delhi as well as the presentation of further academic papers at conferences held in India.

Balkaransinghs love affair with India and its culture is not a new one. A former permanent secretary at the Ministry of Finance, he completed his undergraduate education in economics at New Delhi University and is a Kathak classical dancer and choreographer, having received instruction in both the Kathak and Kuchipudi styles from the Kathak Kendra in Delhi. He founded the Nrityanjali Theatre in 1977, and has performed extensively with the group, both locally and internationally.

Praise for The Shaping of a Culture Professor Ken Julien from the UTT expressed great support for Balkaransinghs work, lamenting that Trinidad and Tobago suffers from the irreversible loss of cultural heritage and tradition due to a failure to undertake efforts towards preservation and recovery. We dont study and adore where we came from; done today, forgotten tomorrow. Professor Hollis Liverpool, in sharing Julien and Balkaransinghs passion for cultural preservation, expressed the need to ensure that academic efforts translate into tangible and accessible progress. Dont just keep (the research) within the walls of UTT, he urged. Let it out  let it be reviewed, critiqued and help the community at large. Professor Brinsley Samaroo, who accompanied Balkaransingh on one of his research trips to India, also discussed the importance of the work and of cultural preservation in general to the new Caribbean civilisation which we are creating. According to Samaroo, We have proven (19th-century English author Rudyard) Kipling wrong when he wrote, East is east, west is west and neer the twain shall meet. The process of collecting data for the work was a highly extensive one, and required combing several towns and villages in India. It was there that Balkaransingh uncovered  with, he says, an open, inquisitive mind and a clear, trusting heart the lifestyles, rituals and stories of the Indian people, with their varied languages and cultural traits coloured with the nuances of different lands.

These stories shed light on the extent to which Trinidad and Tobago and Indias connections run more deeply than annual Divali celebrations.

The author was amazed to come across a woman of about 90 who was familiar with Trinidad; when he enquired further, she explained that her father had been indentured in Trinidad and, on completing his labour, returned to India with his two daughters, leaving his nine sons on the island.

Among numerous other topics, the book tells of the 400-year-old Carnival celebrated in the former Portuguese province of Goa, and of Indians hailing from Pondicherry arriving as French-speakers in Martinique and Guadeloupe before arriving in Trinidad.

The presence of Christianity in India is another subject covered : the then-new faith was brought to Indian shores by missionary St Thomas (otherwise known as doubting Thomas) in 52 AD. His missionary work and subsequent martyrdom there led to the construction of San Thome (St Thomas) Basilica in Chennai.

Return to India Two months after the launch, Balkaransingh once again finds himself pulled towards the motherland, this time to promote the book and to present additional academic work On March 28 and 29, he spoke on the centenary of the en d of the Indian indentureship system at a conference organised by Professor Ashutosh Kumar and the University of Leeds in collaboration with the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, held at the museum in New Delhi. Entitled 100 years after Indentureship, Where and How are the Present Generations of the Post-indenture System Influencing their Environments?, Balkaransinghs work was among those of 20 speakers from ten countries and was well received.

Also to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of Indian indentureship, Balkaransingh is carded to present his work at the International Conference to Commemorate the Centenary of Abolition of Indenture System, to be held on April 20 to 22, under the aegis of the Indian Council for International Cooperation. This paper, 100 years after the Abolition of the Indenture System, Identifying Indo-Trinidadian Performative Traditions, Locating their Appropriate Antecedents in the Ancestral Country, and Examining their Potential for Future Development, appears to resonate closely with the books research and maintains Balkaransinghs theme of linking the past and present, the cultural and the national, the east and the west.

The Shaping of a Culture: Rituals and Festivals in Trinidad compared with Selected Counterparts in India, 19002014 is available at local bookstores, on Amazon and via the UK online bookstore Hansib Publications.

A Kindle edition is soon to follow.
A man fleeing Philadelphia police on a dirt bike struck a 6-year-old girl and her aunt, resulting in serious injuries to both as well as himself, police say. The girl was in serious condition and her 44-year-old aunt was in guarded condition, while the bike rider, 32-year-old Caliph Douglass, suffered a collapsed lung and a spinal injury. He was arraigned from his hospital bed Sunday on charges including vehicular aggravated assault, auto theft, and reckless endangerment, reports NBC Philadelphia. Douglass has a lengthy criminal record, including attempted murder charges, and his bail has been set at $1 million. The incident happened about 1:30pm in Upper Darby on the township's busy 69th street, where many families were attending a children's show at the Tower Theater.

Philly.com reports that Philadelphia police were looking for dirt bikes and ATVs, illegal on city streets, when they tried to pull Douglass over. They say he sped away, eventually hitting the girl at full speed, then the aunt, sending them both into the air. Police say Douglass then fled and carjacked a 2002 Nissan, which was soon found near a wooded area, where Douglass was injured and a homeless man was helping him walk. When he was first brought to the hospital, he reportedly asked a nurse if the little girl he hit had died. Police were reviewing their pursuit policy in the wake of the incident, given that Douglass wasn't being sought for a serious crime and that the pursuit went beyond the city limits of Philadelphia. (This pedestrian hit by a car was ticketed after the accident.)
When Ben Lamb put out the call for funds for a new home for his Indiana church, the pastor hoped congregants would to show their generosity. But as time ticked away to secure a bank loan for a permanent building for GracePoint Church, Lamb began to lose hope. One man donated $150,000, but the church needed twice that to meet the bank's terms, the Chicago Tribune reports. Then a woman offered up a gold $20 Double Eagle coin. The rare piece stamped 1866 was in the first series stamped with "In God We Trust." The coin, one of 30, was never put in circulation. There are believed to be only 10 left, a rep for Heritage Auctions tells NBC Chicago. She estimates the coin could sell for more than $300,000 at an auction later this month. "Honestly, we were completely stunned by the value of the coin," Lamb says.

The donor, who requested anonymity, tells CBS Chicago she has all she needs. "I can get by just fine. Im not looking for wealth." But Lamb tells NBC the coin, which was purchased by her late husband, a collector, has been something of a "thorn in her side" since four assailants broke into her house a few years ago and tried to steal it. A neighbor intervened and they failed. For Lamb, the "incredible gift" that will allow GracePoint to move into a converted furniture store has restored his faith. "Its ironic that the last few hours before our financial deadline, the congregation had to do exactly what the coins motto said over a hundred years ago: trust God. (President Trump's Ferrari didn't pull in as much as expected at auction.)
The Cleveland man accused of shooting an elderly man Sunday and posting video of the murder on Facebook is armed, dangerous, and could be out of Ohio by now, police say. An aggravated murder warrant was issued for Steve Stephens late Sunday and police have asked people in Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana, and Michigan to be on the alert, CBS reports. Police, who initially said Stephens broadcast the murder of 74-year-old Robert Godwin on Facebook Live, now say he posted the video after the killing. In the video, Stephens appears to target the elderly passerby at random. In another video, the 37-year-old claims to have killed more than a dozen other people, reports Cleveland 19.

Police describe Stephens as a 6-foot-1, 244-pound black male with a full beard and say he is driving a white Ford Fusion sedan that may have the temporary Ohio tag E363630. In his videos, Stephens, who works for an agency that provides youth counselling services, says he snapped because of problems with partner Joy Lane and other family members. At a Sunday evening press conference, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and Police Chief Calvin Williams called the killing "senseless" and urged Stephens to turn himself before he harms anybody else, the Cleveland Dispatch reports. Williams said police hadn't found any evidence to support Stephens' claim to have carried out more killings. (Read more Cleveland stories.)
Raymond Haerry always planned to return to Pearl Harbor, where as a young sailor he valiantly fought to save his ship, the USS Arizona, as it sank on Dec. 7, 1941, after being attacked by Japanese warplanes. Haerry never made it back to Hawaii before his death last September at age 94. On Saturday, the retired master chief petty officer was laid to rest inside the remains of the battleship, an honor reserved for the men who survived the sneak attack that launched the US into World War II, KITV reports. "Raymond Haerry, even in the last days of his life, decided he was going home, going home to the USS Arizona," says Daniel Martinez, chief historian of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument. More than 100 people gathered at the USS Arizona Memorial to bid farewell to Haerry.

Afterward, a team of divers delivered an urn containing Haerry's ashes deep below Pearl Harbor, placing it in turret No. 3, near the remains of the 1,177 who perished. Of the 335 who lived that day, only five are still alive. It took Haerry 50 years to tell his story, per the AP. Only 19 when the bombs fell, he raced to an anti-aircraft gun, but found it unarmed. A massive blast split the ship apart, sending Haerry into the fiery, oily water. He made it to shore, grabbed a gun and began firing. He spent days retrieving bodies. Many survivors "went on to fight the war like Raymond Haerry," says Martinez. Like 41 other Arizona survivors who made the same choice, he says Haerry "has returned to his ship and his shipmates." (A formerly "unknown" sailor killed at Pearl Harbor finally got the burial he was due.)
At age 101, retired Lt. Col. Dick Cole says his memories are vivid of the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders mission that helped change the course of World War II. Now the sole survivor of the original 80-member group, he plans to take part in events Monday and Tuesday at the National Museum of the US Air Force near Dayton, Ohio, marking the 75th anniversary of the attack that rallied America and jarred Japan. It will be "a somber affair" when he fulfills the long Raider tradition of toasting those who've died in the past year, using goblets engraved with their names, Cole tells the AP. In a private ceremony, he will offer tribute to retired Staff Sgt. David Thatcher, who died last year at age 94 in Missoula, Mont.

The Raiders, led by aviation pioneer Jimmy Doolittle, launched their assault April 18, 1942, in B-25 bombers not built to fly off an aircraft carrier at sea. After hitting Tokyo and other targets in the first US airstrike on Japan's home islands, they continued to China because it would have been impossible to land the bombers back on the USS Hornet. Three Raiders died trying to reach China. Out of eight later captured by Japanese soldiers, three were executed, and a fourth died in captivity. Their attack inflicted scattered damageand stunned Japan's people. Its military diverted resources to guard their homeland, while news of the raid lifted US morale after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and a string of Japanese victories in the Pacific. (Read more World War II stories.)
Viewing his adversaries in the distance, Mike Pence traveled to the tense zone dividing North and South Korea on Monday and warned Pyongyang that after years of testing the US and South Korea with its nuclear ambitions, "the era of strategic patience is over." Pence made an unannounced visit to the Demilitarized Zone at the start of his 10-day trip to Asia, the AP reports. As the vice president was briefed near the military demarcation line, two North Korean soldiers watched from a short distance away. Pence told reporters that President Trump was hopeful that China would use its "extraordinary levers" to pressure the North to abandon its weapons program, a day after the North's failed missile launch.

"President Trump has made it clear that the patience of the United States and our allies in this region has run out and we want to see change," Pence said. "We want to see North Korea abandon its reckless path of the development of nuclear weapons, and also its continual use and testing of ballistic missiles is unacceptable." Later Monday, Pence said in a joint statement alongside South Korean acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn that the United States' commitment to its ally is "iron-clad and immutable." (National Security Adviser HR McMaster said Sunday that the US is developing a "range of options" to deal with North Korea's threat to use nuclear weapons.)
Whether Harvey Kenyon-Cairns was nervous at the US Embassy in London as he was questioned about possible terrorist activities is unclear, but his grandfather tells the Guardian Harvey was "good as gold" and didn't cry once. Which is surprising, as Harvey is a 3-month-old British infant, caught up in what grandpa Paul Kenyon calls a "genuine mistake" that led to more than $3,700 in extra costs to make a Florida vacation happen after Harvey's travel papers didn't show up in time. It all started when the elder Kenyon was preparing for his extended family's trip from the UK to Orlando and filling out Electronic System for Travel Authorization forms, which the Telegraph explains are necessary if one is traveling to the US under a visa waiver program.

But after filling out five forms for himself and other family members, Kenyon mistakenly checked "yes" for the question on Harvey's form that asked: "Do you seek to engage in or have you ever engaged in terrorist activities, espionage, sabotage, or genocide?" The family had to cart Harvey on a 10-hour round trip from his home in Cheshire to the London Embassy, where he was apparently cleared of all terrorist tiesthough "he has sabotaged quite a few [diapers] in his time," his grandpa notes. Kenyon, who'd considered dressing baby Harvey up in an orange prison suit for his interview, decided against it because the Embassy "didn't appear to have a sense of humor over it." Kenyon also points out that "if you were a terrorist, I suspect youd not be ticking yes on the ESTA form anyway." (The FBI is now poring over three years' worth of terror tips.)
Since 2012, doctors in Massachusetts have observed a most unusual kind of patient just 14 timesor, 14 times that we know about. It all started with Max Meehan, who was taken to the hospital after his behavior freaked out his family: his memory had suddenly vanished. "The kid was amnestic," neurologist Yuval Zabar says of the then-23-year-old, and what Zabar found when he reviewed an MRI scan of Meehan's brain essentially freaked him out: As BuzzFeed puts it, two bright white orbs where there should have been gray, each "perfectly localized" to both hippocampi, which plays a crucial role in the formation of memories. Zabar had never seen it before, but it wasn't a total anomaly: Doctors in the state have now identified 13 more people who experienced the same white orbs and memory issues, and one of their commonalities, with two exceptions, is opioid use.

In Meehan's case, he shot up heroin and collapsed before waking to a seeming inability to form new memories, leaving him in a state that forced him to drop out of college and made it difficult to hold a job. Memory improvements came slowly over two years. "The only thing that seems to parallel" the conditionwhich has been named CHIAS, for complete hippocampal ischemic amnestic syndrome"is fentanyl use," says another Massachusetts neurologist. Among the many varied theories: that there was a toxin in the drugs ingested, or that persistent fentanyl use results in severe respiratory issues that may deprive those parts of the brain of oxygen. For now, state public health officials are pushing the mystery forward by branding CHIAS a "reportable disease," meaning the state will have to be alerted to any new cases. Read the full piece. (Read more Longform stories.)
Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and independent Emmanuel Macron have been drawing the lion's share of attention as the French presidential election nears (the first round is April 23), but a leftist candidate who has used a hologram of himself to stump at campaign rallies is now gaining some traction. In what the Washington Post calls a "truly unprecedented campaign," Jean-Luc Melenchon has seemingly emerged out of thin air as the Unbowed France candidate, with added support from the French Communist Partyand he "gives shivers to banks, businesspeople, and the bourgeoisie," per the New York Times. Melenchon, once considered a fringe candidate no one really paid mind to, is running on an anti-capitalism platform, with a mission to dismantle the monarchy-styled governmental system implemented by Charles de Gaulle in the late '50s.

Melenchon is now ahead of mainstream conservative Francois Fillon in the polls and only a couple of points behind Macron and Le Pen. He's been speaking to the younger set with videos on YouTube and a video game in which players go after bankers and the head of the IMF. What makes this year's election in France notable is that the slightly left-leaning Socialists and slightly right-leaning Republicans aren't the ones duking it out for the country's top seat. And the showdown between Le Pen and Melenchon, whom the Times says is sometimes depicted as a "French Bernie Sanders," even sounds strikingly like the one witnessed between Sanders and Donald Trump, with both candidates vying for voters who want to decimate the status quo, though with different tactics: Le Pen is tapping into nationalism, while Melenchon is pushing help for the poor. (Facebook is going after false accounts before the election.)
Alex Jones is maybe the nation's most well-known conspiracy theorist thanks to his controversial Infowars program. But the radio host is now locked in a custody dispute forcing his lawyers into an argument that surely won't please Jones' many followers: The attorneys say his on-air persona is largely an act, reports the Austin American-Statesman. Hes playing a character, attorney Randall Wilhite told the judge in a pretrial hearing. He is a performance artist. Jones and his ex-wife are fighting over custody of their three kids, who have lived with him since 2015, and jury selection begins on Monday. Her legal team got permission from the judge to play certain clips from the show during the trial as part of their argument that he's not fit to be a parent.

Hes not a stable person, Kelly Jones said in court. He says he wants to break Alec Baldwins neck. He wants J-Lo to get raped." She says that because her ex-husband broadcasts from home, their three kids, ages 14, 12, and 9, are exposed to his rants. The story notes that Jones himself recently acknowledged on the air, after a particularly nasty attack on Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, that his outbursts were a "form of art." Jones has famously called the Sandy Hook shooting a hoax, and he recently apologized for pushing the Pizzagate conspiracy, notes the Houston Chronicle. President Trump has appeared on the show and publicly supported Jones, prompting the daughter of a Sandy Hook victim to ask Trump to cut ties with him. (Read more Alex Jones stories.)
Don Juan de Onate sought a city of gold when he explored what are now the Plains states. It wasn't to be, but according to an interview given by five of his men in 1602, they did find something staggering: a "great settlement" some five miles long that housed at least 20,000 people, an ancestral Wichita Indian town called Etzanoa. But French explorers in the region 100 years later found no sign of those people, sowing confusion among latter-day historians. Donald Blakeslee, an archaeologist with Wichita State University, says he's cleared it all up: Etzanoa did exist, he claims, once thriving where the Walnut and Arkansas Rivers meet in Arkansas City, Kansas. Per a university press release, things got off the ground with a new and more correct transcription of centuries-old Spanish documents by the University of California, Berkeley's Cibola Project.

Prior translation errors caused "many archaeological discoveries in the area [to be] misinterpreted," per the release. In 2015, Blakeslee noted that a geographic description of a 1601 ambush described in a Spanish account had to have occurred where the rivers joined. And, indeed, a search there turned up small iron cannon balls, reported the Kansas City Star at the time. If Blakeslee is right, the "long-lost city" would be second only to Cahokia on the list of biggest prehistoric Native American sites, reports the Wichita Eagle. That would be a boon for Arkansas City and its 12,000 residents; some 400,000 flock to the remains of Cahokia, in Illinois, each year. The Kansas House of Representatives thinks Blakeslee is onto something; earlier this month it approved a resolution that formally recognizes Etzanoa based on "the evidence," reports the Courier Traveler. (This man followed a hunch, says he uncovered a lost city.)
When scientists from the University of Illinois and Canada's Simon Fraser University headed to northern Canada last August to do some fieldwork along the Slims River, they were met by a surprising sight. The Yukon river was no longer flowing and instead resembled a "long, skinny lake," researcher Daniel Shugar says, per Phys.org. The reason, as they now explain in a study published in the Nature Geoscience journal: The waterway had become a victim of "river piracy," in this case caused by the retreat of the Kaskawulsh Glacier, which in turn caused the meltwater to completely change its northward course toward the Bering Sea (via the Slims, then Kluane Lake and the Yukon River) and instead merge with the Kaskawulsh River, which flows south to the Gulf of Alaskaand what the Guardian calls the "abrupt" vanishing of the Slims seems to have happened over just four days last spring.

Those four daysMay 26 to May 29showed a sudden drop in the Slims' flow, with Shugar saying comparable river piracy hasn't, to his knowledge, been seen in our lifetimes. The glacier is said to have retreated nearly 2,300 feet in the 50-year period between 1956 and 2007, and in 2016, the rapid pace of the meltwater's movement created an ice channel that directed more water toward the Kaskawulsh River, a tributary of the Alsek River that dumps into the gulf. The glacier's decline is being blamed with 99.5% probability on climate change, and scientists say the new development will affect local wildlife, fish populations, and water chemistry, among other things. "I always point out to climate-change skeptics that Earth's glaciers are becoming markedly smaller, and that can only happen in a warming climate," co-author John Clague says, per Phys.org. (Breathtaking photos show glacier melt.)
A doctor who saw Prince in the days before he died had prescribed the painkiller oxycodone under the name of Prince's friend to protect the musician's privacy, according to court documents unsealed Monday. The documents show authorities searched Paisley Park, cellphone records of Prince's associates, and Prince's email accounts to try to determine how he got the fentanyl. The documents reveal nothing about how the pop superstar got that synthetic drug, but do shed light on Prince's struggle with addiction to prescription opioids in the days before he died. A search of Prince's home yielded numerous pills in various containers. Some were in prescription bottles for Kirk Johnson, Prince's longtime friend and associate, reports the AP.

Some of the drugs in Prince's bedroom were in a suitcase with the name "Peter Bravestrong" on it. Police believe Bravestrong was an alias Prince used when he traveled. Just six days before his April 21 death, Prince fell ill on a plane and made an emergency stop in Illinois as he was returning home from a concert in Atlanta. First responders revived him with two doses of a drug that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. One affidavit says Dr. Michael Todd Schulenberg, a family doctor who saw Prince on April 7, 2016, and again on April 20, acknowledged to authorities that he prescribed oxycodone for Prince the same day as the emergency landing "but put the prescription in Kirk Johnson's name for Prince's privacy." In addition to the dozens of pills recovered, authorities also found a pamphlet for an addiction recovery center in California. (Read more Prince stories.)
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New Delhi:

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered auction of Sahara's Aamby Valley at Lonavala and appointed Bombay HC official liquidator for selling the property.

The order has been passed after the business conglomerate's alleged failure to deposit money for refunding to its investors.

The Apex Court bench directed that Sahara Group's Subrata Roy be personally present in the next date of hearing on April 28th in the case. The Supreme court has asked Sahara to deposit all necessary documents related to Aamby Valley with 48 hours.

The SC directed the SEBI and Bombay High Court to initiate the process of auction immediately after receiving the documents.

The SC bench directed that Sahara Group's Subrata Roy be personally present in the next date of hearing on April 28th in the case pic.twitter.com/71a8R8iCHU  ANI (@ANI_news) April 17, 2017

The Apex Court had directed the Sahara Group to deposit Rs 5092.6 cr by April 7 in the SEBI-Sahara account to keep its chief Subrata Roy out of jail and had said the amount will be refunded to the investors.

The Supreme Court had warned the Sahara Group that it would auction its prime property worth Rs 39,000 crore at Aamby Valley in Pune if Rs 5092.6 crore is not paid by the company by April 17 as promised.

A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra had also directed the international real estate firm, which had shown willingness to buy Saharas stake in New York- based Plaza Hotel for USD 550 million, to deposit Rs 750 crore in the SEBI-Sahara refund account instead of the apex court registry to show its bonafide.

Read Also | Will auction Aamby Valley property worth Rs 39,000 crore if Rs 5,000 cr not paid: SC to Sahara
Mumbai :

The Andheri magisterial court in Mumbai has cancelled the non-bailable arrest warrant against Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt on Monday.

Earlier the court has issued a non-bailable warrant for not appearing before it to answer a complaint of criminal intimidation filed by producer Shakeel Noorani.

Dutt, however, attributed his non-appearance before the court to a communication lapse between his counsel and those of Noorani and vowed to rectify the situation.

We had sought an arrest warrant against Dutt for non-appearance. The court has allowed our application, said advocate Neeraj Gupta, Nooranis lawyer.

The next hearing will be on August 29.

#WATCH Sanjay Dutt leaves Andheri Court, Non-Bailable Warrant against him over alleged threat to filmmaker Shakil Noorani canceled #Mumbai pic.twitter.com/dwy6dmuD0x  ANI (@ANI_news) April 17, 2017

Noorani has filed a private complaint with the court demanding registration of a case against Dutt for criminal intimidation, which Dutt had abandoned midway in 2002 a film, Jan ki Bazzi, which he was producing, said Noorani in his complaint, adding the actor did not even return the money already paid to him.

Noorani approached Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association which directed Dutt to pay back the money. Noorani later moved the Bombay High Court, seeking execution of the IMPPAs order.

Also Read | Sanjay Dutt biopic: Dia Mirza talks about Ranbir Kapoor's leaked look

In the meantime, he started receiving threatening calls from some underworld figures who asked him to withdraw the case, the producer alleged.

Earlier too a warrant had been issued against Dutt for non-appearance in this case, but he was granted bail.

Dutt, who was convicted under the Arms Act in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, was released from the jail last year.

(With Inputs from PTI)

Andheri court order copy: In the meantime, he started receiving threatening calls from some underworld figures who asked him to withdraw the case, the producer alleged.



Earlier too a warrant had been issued against Dutt for non-appearance in this case, but he was granted bail.



Dutt, who was convicted under the Arms Act in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, was released from the jail last year.

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New Delhi:

The problems for Kapil Sharma does not seem to die down soon. Kapil and comedian Sunil Grover were recently miffed with each other while they were returning back to Mumbai after their show in Australia, where Kapil allegedly abused Sunil publicly.

The incident spread its roots to that extent leaving The Kapil Sharma Show completely distorted.

Since past few weeks the charm of the show has declined leading the TRP going down. Fellow comedians have left the show after the dispute between Kapil and Sunil.

Sunil Grover himself has no plans to return to the show along with him, Ali Asgar, Chandan Prabhakar and Sugandha Mishra too have decided to corner from Kapil.

Audience is yet not sure whether they will be able to see the comedians altogether back again like earlier.

Chandan Prabhakar, too comments something similar leaving us in more dilemma. Is he planning to return to the show?

As we have known that Kapil and Chandan have been friends from years. They both belong from Amritsar and have shared a great bond while working together.

Also Read: 'The Kapil Sharma Show' drops down in TRP, 'Nach Baliye 8' acquires the spot

Reportedly, after the fight Kapil unfollowed Sunil. Now, the comedian-actor has unfollowed Ali Asgar and Chandan too on Twitter.

When asked Chandan about returning back to the show, he says that he is aware that people love his bonding with Kapil, but it will be early to say whether he would return to the show or not.

Chandan Prabhakar, who plays chaiwala on The Kapil Sharma Show, recently met family friend and Abhinay Kala Kendra's Cheif, Shami Chaudhary.

Is that a sign of Chandan preparing himself for something else.

He also admitted that he will always remain Kapil's true friend. But as of now Chandan has got some other plans. Apparently, Chandan plans to make a unique Punjabi film.

Will we be able to see the whole cast of The Kapil Sharma Show together once again, well only the time will tell.
New Delhi:

No need to keep the accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case in judicial custody as a charge sheet has been filed in the matter, The National Investigation Agency (NIA) told the Supreme Court on Monday.

A bench of Justices R K Agrawal and A M Sapre was told by counsel for NIA that they were not pressing any more for the custody of accused in the case.

Charge sheet has been filed in the case and argument on framing of charges is going on and at the moment the agency is not pressing for police custody of the accused, the counsel said.

The bench after recording the submission adjourned the matter for further hearing.

Read more: Grenade blast injures 36 in Colombia nightclub

Lt Col Shrikant Purohit and other accused Sudhakar Dhar Dwivedi, have moved apex court saying that the investigation has remained incomplete with NIA failing to file charge sheet and his detention without trial is illegal.

They have sought bail and expeditious hearing of the case saying that due to the tardy pace of investigation by NIA, they have suffered for all these years.

The apex court had earlier directed the special court in Maharashtra to expedite the hearing in the case and decide on the bail pleas of the accused Purohit and Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur.

The court had said that, barring accused Rakesh D Dhawade, who is alleged to be involved in other similar cases in Parbhani and Jalna before the Malegaon blast, the provisions of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act (MCOCA) would not be considered while dealing with the bail applications of the other accused persons.

It had said there was considerable doubt about the involvement of other accused in Parbhani and Jalna blasts cases and therefore, they are entitled for their bail applications to be considered on merit.

The apex court had also asked the special court to commence trial at the earliest and conclude it expeditiously, noting that the matter pertained to 2008.

The accused persons had moved the apex court challenging denial of bail by the Bombay High Court.

Seven people were killed in the blast on September 29, 2008, at Malegaon, a communally-sensitive textile town of Nasik district in North Maharashtra. The probe into the blast brought into focus the activities of right-wing Hindu groups.

Read more: Special court to hear complainant's opinion in Ajmer blast case

A special court had earlier ruled that Anti Terrorist Squad had wrongly applied MCOCA in the case against Pragya, Purohit and nine others.

Last year, in its secondary supplementary charge sheet the agency has cited lack of evidence against Sadhvi as the reason, and also stated that the draconian MCOCA was not applicable in the case. Purohit, however, remained a key accused in the case.

The NIA, however, has recommended prosecution against Ramesh Shivaji Upadhyay, Sameer Sharad Kulkarni, Ajay Rahirkar, Rakesh Dhawde, Jagdish Chintaman Mahatre, Prasad Shrikant Puruhit, Sudhakar Dhar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Ramchandra Kalsangra (wanted) and Sandeep Dange (wanted) under the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Arms Act and the Explosives Substances Act.

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New Delhi:

Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat on Sunday met National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and apprised him of the situation in the Kashmir Valley.



The meeting comes amidst a raging controversy after a video surfaced showing a man being tied to an army jeep as a shield against stone-pelters during polling for the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat.



Sources said the Army Chief, during the 30-minute-long meeting, apprised Doval of the situation in the Valley besides briefing him about the overall security scenario in the state.



The video triggered a public outcry in the Valley, prompting the civil and army authorities to launch separate investigations.

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Srinagar:

A clash between students and security forces took place in different areas of Kashmir valley on Monday. The incident occured during protests against the alleged 'highhandedness' of security forces at a college in Pulwama in south Kashmir.

The students also boycotted classes.

The protesting students, mostly from degree colleges across the valley and some universities, tried to take out rallies but were stopped by police, leading to clashes, police officials said.

The clashes led to disruption in normal activities in various places including Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the city, the officials said.

Various student groups had called for protests on Monday against the "brutality" perpetrated by forces on students of Degree College Pulwama in south Kashmir on Saturday, leaving many a students injured.

The trouble started when a group of students took out a rally near Sri Pratap (SP) College on Moulana Azad Road in the vicinity of Lal Chowk against the Pulwama incident, leading to clashes between the protesting students and the law enforcing agencies, the officials said.

They said police fired dozens of teargas shells and used batons to chase away the protesting students who indulged in stone-pelting and fought pitched battles with them.

The clashes created panic in the area, forcing shopkeepers to pull down the shutters of their establishments, the officials said, adding traffic on Moulana Azad Road was also affected.

Soon after, protests broke out in nearby Womens College and other colleges in the city and elsewhere in the valley.

Protests were going on in various colleges in the valley including in Ganderbal, Baramulla, Shopian and Pulwama districts, the officials said.

They said the clashes left many, including security forces personnel, injured.

"We are compiling the details of the injured," an official said.

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New Delhi:

The Congress on Monday quoting a Supreme Court verdict demanded the Election Commission revert to the old system of paper ballots till the time all EVMs were linked to VVPAT machines providing paper trail of votes.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks that the opposition "fabricated" the issue of alleged EVM tampering and instead accused the government of not being interested in having voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines or giving the Election Commission money to buy them.



Citing the 15-page Supreme Court verdict of October 8, 2013 in the matter of Subramanian Swamy versus Union of India, he also accused the government of violating the judgement.



"Today there is no answer, only stunning silence is the answer by the prime minister. There is no answer to a simple question that till such time you fulfill the Supreme Court mandate, why don't you have paper ballot.

ALSO READ: EVM row: Cong leader Digvijay Singh want EC to allow parties to examine coding software



"Otherwise, instantly give Rs 3,000 crore RPT crore to the Election Commission and within a few months have VVPAT for each EVM. There is no answer to either of these basic points," he told reporters.



Singhvi said the problem is that for some reason this government is disinterested in having either a VVPAT or in giving money to the EC to get VVPATs. The Congress leader read out the Supreme Court verdict that states that paper trail of votes is indispensable and it is only with the introduction of paper trail that EVM would be a confidence measure of voter and it is necessary for fullest transparency.



"It leaves us with very cogent, serious, logical, deep, strong and fundamental objections questioning the very efficacy and purity of our electoral process and, therefore, for the world's largest democracy.



"Why should the government treat it as an adversarial issue? Why is it not possible to revert to paper ballot at least till such time you give one VVPAT accompanying one EVM? At least till that time, the paper ballot is tried, tested and age old method," he said, adding that there is no reason given "except persistence and except perhaps a vested interest".



He said 30 months on, there are only 58,000 machines with VVPAT against the total of 16 lakh EVMs. "At the current rate, it will take nearly 150 years to have VVPAT in all constituencies in India. If the SC says that paper trail is important, then till there is VVPAT in EVMs, should we not go back to a paper ballot?" he asked.



He also said that while 50 countries across the world tried EVMs, not a single country carried it forward and out of eight which pursued EVMs use actively six of them have reverted to the old paper ballot system.



"Only one nation, South Africa, apart from India continues to use EVMs," he said, adding that even the BJP and its senior party leaders L K Advani have raised doubts over their efficacy.



Singhvi also quoted a 2010 study of University of Michigan, USA, that stated that "India's EVMs do not provide transparency. So voters and election officials have no reason to be confident".



The Congress spokesperson said the Prime Minister said in Bhubaneshwar that there are many fabricated issues and one of them he raised was the EVM issue.



"I would respectfully remind the prime minister and the ruling party that they are rightfully scared and fearful because fabrication and manipulation may lie somewhere else and that is why they want to bury this issue deep," he said.



He said as a responsible and sober party, the Congress has raised the issue through media before the general public. Asked if Congress would boycott elections in case the government did not meet its demand of VVPATs, Singhvi said he would not at all suggest that at this stage.



"You are going far ahead of the story. At the moment, there is absolutely no reason for reasonable, balanced, right thinking people, who value democracy, to not agree to our most reasonable demand and therefore, let us not speculate," he said.

ALSO READ: BJP National Executive Meet in Bhubaneswar: Amit Shah says blaming EVMs equivalent to insulting Election Commission

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New Delhi :

A massive fire broke out at a warehouse in Delhi's Okhla phase two late night on Sunday. As many as 30 fire tenders rushed to the spot to douse the flames, and brought the situation under control.

According to fire officials, the fire broke out at a wood godown at Mata Sundaris Road. No casualty has been reported so far.

As it was Sunday, the presence of people was almost negligible in the building. A senior official told that cause of fire has to be ascertained.

Also Read: Massive fire breaks out at forest near Mount Abu in Rajasthan; Air Force deploys MI-17 chopper to douse it

On Friday, a cotton factory was gutted in a major fire that broke out in Alwar district of Rajasthan. The fire broke out in the factory located in an industrial area.Three fire tenders were pressed into service and the flames were doused in the morning, SHO Behror Ramesh Sinsinwar had said.

Fire broke out a wood godown at Delhi's Mata Sundri Road, last night. 12 fire tenders were rushed to the spot, situation now under control pic.twitter.com/BPoX1xNCE9  ANI (@ANI_news) April 17, 2017

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New Delhi:

After the outrage in Kashmir over the controversial human shield video, Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Monday reminded top army commanders about the strong image of the force and called for efforts to reinforce it further.

Gen Rawat was speaking at the army commanders conference, which deliberated on an array of issues including the evolving security situation, modernisation of the force and logistical difficulties for troops in conflict zones.

In his address on the opening day of the three-day conference, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley hailed the army for effectively meeting national challenges, in an apparent refernce to its anti-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir.

He complimented the army commanders, saying Whenever the challenges multiply or their nature changes, Indian Army has always outperformed itself, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

Also read: Army chief Rawat meets NSA Doval to discuss situation in Kashmir valley

The Defence Minister also said modernisation of weapons and other crtical systems for the army is the governments top-most priority.

The conference will deliberate in detail on the prevailing security scenario, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, besides strategic and actionable issues to ensure effective combat edge over adversaries.

He (Gen Rawat) observed that Indian Army continues to hold a strong image and a professional reputation. He exhorted all ranks to endeavour to further strengthen the same, the Ministry said.

The video, showing a man tied to an army vehicle purportedly as a shield against stone-pelters during polling in the Srinagar Lok Sabha by-election, has triggered a public outcry prompting civil and army authorities to launch separate investigation.

Also read: Indian Army has to develop technical prowess and modernise itself: Army Chief Bipin Rawat

The army is contemplating whether to order a Court of Inquiry into the incident.

The conference is likely to deliberate extensively on the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

The army commanders conference is an important event in the planning and execution of various key decisions relating to the countrys security and strategic interests.

The issue of Non-Functional Upgrade (NFU) also figured during the deliberations. There has been demand for implementing NFU in the armed forces.

Under the NFU scheme, officers in central group A category get automatic time-bound pay promotions. Pay hike under NFU scheme are independent of organisational requirements and vacancy.

Issues relating to operational prepardness and logistics for field commanders were also discussed at the conference.

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New Delhi:

The Jammu and Kashmir police has filed an FIR against Indian Army in connection with a man tying up with a vehicle of Army as human shield during a rescue operation of security personnel and government officials who were trapped during election duty by stone-pelters on April 9.

According to Times of India, the police informed that it has registered a case under sections 342/149/506 and 367 of Ranbir penal code and a sub-divisional officer will conduct the probe.

Several political leaders raised the issue while dubbing it a serious concern and demanded a thorough investigation.

The Army had already said that it would investigate the video that led a controversy.

Also Read: J-K: Army investigates video of Kashmiri youth tied to army jeep against stone pelting

In reference to the video showing a young man tied to an army jeep, the contents of the video are being verified and investigated, a defence spokesman had said in Srinagar.

The video had led to an outrage with former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, terming it as shocking.

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Surat:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to his home state Gujarat, on Monday inaugurated Kiran Super Speciality Hospital and Research Centre built by a private trust in the city.

Live Coverage: As it happened

#3:20 PM: PM Modi speaking at the inauguration of several Government projects in Silvassa

-Make your mobile phones your bank. I urge you all to download the BHIM App

-Our Government will never allow the poor and the middle class to be looted

-In less than a year, Ujjwala beneficiaries crossed 2 crore. People in Dadra and Nagar Haveli have also got cookers

-Earlier, do you remember how tough it was to get gas connections? One had to approach the local MP & the wait period was so long

-Every Indian must have access to housing facilities

-When we assumed office, I sought details on impact of development schemes in Dadra & Nagar Haveli & we worked on areas needing attention

-Yes, as PM I am coming for the first time & it is after years that a PM has come here. But, I have been here many times in the past

-This nation belongs to each and every Indian. There is no question of discrimination against anyone

#1:19 PM: PM Modi speaks at the inauguration of SUMUL Cattle Feed Plant in Tapi

-As far as milk production is concerned, we are doing well but we can do lot more. Focus must be to increase per capita milk production

-Here, in SUMUL we see the positive results that can be achieved when Sahkar and Sarkar work together

-The stretch from Umbergaon to Ambaji has been transformed and this has benefited the tribal communities of Gujarat

-SUMUL has empowered several people in the nearby areas. SUMUL is also closely linked with Morarjibhai Desai

-I have worked here, in this area for a long time. I have also come here as CM but the gathering today is very big. Thank you for coming

#1:18 PM

PM Modi inaugurates SUMUL Cattle Feed Plant in Tapi, Gujarat

#1:00 PM:

#WATCH Live : PM Modi at inauguration ceremony of fully automatic Cattle Feed Plant in Tapi, Gujarat https://t.co/BVgTrDcb97  ANI (@ANI_news) April 17, 2017

#11:00 AM: PM Modi begins his speech at the inauguration of 'Diamond Manufacturing Unit' in Surat

-As far as the gems and jewellery sector is concerned our aim should not only be make in India but also 'Design in India'

-Surat has made a mark in the diamond industry but can we now look at the entire gems and jewellery sector

-If there was someone who had a clear vision about how India should be, it was Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He integrated India

#10:50 AM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates a diamond manufacturing unit in Surat



#10:15: PM Modi ends his speech

#9:45 AM: PM Modi begins his speech

-Everyday, some or the other person gets upset with my work



-We have fixed the prices for around 700 medicines to ensure affordability for poor, and this has upset big companies

-After Atal govt, this government has brought the health policy



-Govt will bring law for generic medicines

-We reduced the prices of several life-saving medicines

-Hard work is more precious than money

-Kiran Multispeciality Hospital in Surat has been built with hard work and sweat and not money

-I congratulate the entire team who built the hospital

-I chose to speak in Hindi because you have done a big thing and the entire should know about it



-Confused whether I should speak in Hindi or Gujarati

-PM Modi speaks at inauguration ceremony of Kiran Multispeciality Hospital in Surat, Gujarat

#8:55 AM

PM Modi inaugurates Kiran Multispeciality Hospital in Surat, Gujarat



Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates Kiran Multispeciality Hospital in Surat, Gujarat pic.twitter.com/8AZ8u4rW7H  ANI (@ANI_news) April 17, 2017

#8:00 AM:

-Fully automatic Cattle Feed plant of SUMUL Dairy to be inaugurated by PM, to also dedicate to nation Phase 1(Link 2)of SAUNI Yojana

Surat (Gujarat): Fully automatic Cattle Feed plant of SUMUL Dairy to be inaugurated by PM Modi today, preparations underway. pic.twitter.com/0XfVBm2g5U  ANI (@ANI_news) April 17, 2017

-PM Narendra Modi to also inaugurate a Diamond manufacturing Unit in Surat's Ichhapore, will also address a gathering here



-Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate Kiran Multispeciality Hospital in Surat, to also address the gathering Gujarat

ALSO READ | BJP's national executive meet: It's time for taking a long jump to build new India by 2022, says PM Modi

ALSO READ | Surat gets 'Modi-fied' with Prime Minister Modi's mega roadshow

In August last year, Modi inaugurated the first phase of ambitious Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran Irrigation (Sauni) Project from Jamnagar.



Under this project, which is divided in four phases, the Gujarat government plans to fill 115 dams of Saurashtra region with overflowing water of Sardar Sarovar Dam across river Narmada through a web of pipeline network.



This is Modis second visit to his home state this year. He had visited Gandhinagar on March 8 to address women sarpanchs from across the country on International Womens Day.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Mumbai:

Maharashtra's Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Ratnakar Gaikwad has been brutally assaulted by some people in Aurangabad on Monday, police said.



Six persons, including an ex-corporator of Prakash Ambedkar's Bharip-Bahujan Mahasangh, have been detained in connection with the assault, which took place at the state government's Subhedari Guest House, police said.



"We are checking if the assailants were supporters of Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar, who has been critical of Gaikwad over demolition of the 'Ambedkar Bhawan' in Mumbai in June last year," a police official said.



Ambedkar, grandson of Dr B R Ambedkar, had filed an FIR against Gaikwad, former Chief Secretary, and Madhukar Kamble, trustee of the People?s Improvement Trust, in connection with the demolition of the historic Ambedkar Bhavan in central Mumbai.



Gaikwad, who was in Aurangabad to attend a meeting, was attacked after he got out of his car, police said.



Police personnel present at the guest house rushed to Gaikwad and rescued the former IAS officer, Aurangabad Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar told PTI. Ambedkar was immediately not available for comment.

ALSO READ: CRPF jawans assault video: Five arrested, fresh row in Kashmir over two more disturbing clips

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Jammu:

In the sixth instance of ceasefire violation this month, Pakistani troops fired from automatic weapons and shelled mortars on forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.



Pakistani Army fired indiscriminately from small arms and automatic weapons and resorted to mortar shelling from 0800 hours today on Indian Army posts along the LoC in Noushera belt of Rajouri district, a defence spokesman said.



Army troops deployed on forward posts retaliated and the exchange was continuing till last reports came in. This is the sixth ceasefire violation this month. On April 8, Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir by resorting to firing on forward posts.



On April 5, ceasefire violation took place along the LoC in Poonch district. On April 4, Pakistani Army fired mortar shells on Indian Army posts along the LoC in Bhimbher Gali sector of Rajouri district.

ALSO READ | Pakistani troops violated ceasefire 268 times along LoC in last one year, faced appropriate retaliation by Indian Army



On April 3, Pakistani troops had shelled mortar bombs on forward posts in Balakote sector of Rajouri district.



In the second ceasefire violation on April 3, Pakistani troops had shelled Indian posts along the LoC in Digwar area in Poonch sector.



In the same area, a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO), Naib Subedar S Sanayaima Som, was killed in an improvise explosive device (IED) blast along the LoC in Poonch sector on April 1.



There were four violations of the ceasefire along the LoC in Poonch in March.

ALSO READ | Cross-border terrorism by Pak affecting India's vision of peaceful neighbourhood: Sushma Swaraj



On March 9, army jawan Deepak Jagannath Ghadge was killed when Pakistani soldiers initiated indiscriminate and unprovoked firing along the LoC in Poonch.



In 2016 there were 228 instances of ceasefire violation along the LoC, while there were 221 instances of ceasefire violation along the International Border (IB).

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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:



#10:00pm

No consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav: Pakistan Army - ANI

#9:05 PM

No notice has been served upon Karti Chidambaram so far. If a notice is received, a suitable reply will be sent: P Chidambaram

#8:30pm

EVMs will be used in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh municipal corporations elections 2017: State Election Commission

#8:15pm

AIADMK 'Two leaves' symbol case: A Delhi court sends Sukesh Chandrasekhar to 8 days police custody: ANI

#7:32pm

Whenever challenges multiply & their nature changes, Indian Army has always outperformed itself: Defence Minister Arun Jaitley: ANI

#7:30pm

Modernisation of defence equipment is important requirement&govt is working towards it-Defence Min Jaitley: ANI

#7:00pm

MHA has asked security forces to use plastic bullets against stone-pelters, says pellet-guns should be the last option: MHA Sources: ANI

#6:20pm

Universities, Colleges and Higher Secondary Schools of Kashmir division to remain closed on April 18 as precautionary measure due to present condition in the Valley: ANIA

#5:50pm

CBI registers FIR against 13 persons including Madan Mitra, Mukul Roy and Saugata Roy among others in Narada sting operation case: ANI



CBI registers FIR against leaders of Trinamool Congress in Narada sting case: PTI



#5:40pm

National carrier Air India considers imposing a penalty of up to Rs 15 lakh on unruly passengers for flight delays: PTI



#5:35pm

Canada's Defence Minister #HarjitSinghSajjan arrives on 7-day visit to India to explore ways to boost defence, security cooperation: PTI



#5:30pm

TCS shareholders approve Rs 16,000 crore share buyback proposal: PTI



#5:20pm

India should not use the #DalaiLama to undermine China's interests: Chinese foreign ministry: PTI

#5:10pm

Maha:Members of a political group thrash State CIC Ratnakar Gaikwad in Aurangabad on belief that Ambedkar Bhavan was demolished on his order pic.twitter.com/Ey1mxUdecL a ANI (@ANI_news) April 17, 2017

# 4:55pm

35-40 years back Morarji Desai visited Silvassa as PM, after him I had the good fortune to come here as PM: PM in Silvassa, earlier today pic.twitter.com/AQ16wPFzyR a ANI (@ANI_news) April 17, 2017

A

#4:18 PM

SC said N. Srinivasan can't be nominated to represent BCCI at April 24 ICC meet, clarified Amitabh Chaudhary&Rahul Johri will attend meeting- ANI #3:57 PM PM Narendra Modi breaks security protocol to meet a 4-year old girl on his way to inaugurate Kiran Multispeciality Hospital in Surat.- ANI

#3:53 PM

Turkey's Erdogan to rejoin ruling AKP party after referendum win: official- AFP

#3:43 PM

This is not a Congress govt but Modi's govt. Here you've to work for public: PM Modi at an event to inaugurate govt projects in Silvassa- ANI

#3:34 PM

Turkey's opposition CHP deputy leader urges referendum result annulment- AFP

#3:10 PM

Turkey to extend state of emergency after referendum win: TV- AFP

#3:03 PM

North Korea should not 'test Trump's resolve': US VP Pence - AFPA

#3:00 PM

Delhi HC refuses to entertain plea against use of public money to pay Ram Jethmalani, appearing for Arvind Kejriwal in defamation suit- PTIA

#2:54 PM

Air India formulates a rule against unruly passengers; to take legal action and impose fine/charges.- ANIA

#2:42 PM

SC orders auction of Sahara's Aamby Valley over the business conglomerate's alleged failure to deposit money for refunding to its investors- ANIA

#2:30 PM

President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari arrives in Delhi on state visit to India- ANIA

#2:20 PM

Tariq Ahmad Dar, convict in 2005 Delhi serial blasts moved plea as Delhi HC challenged his conviction under sections of 38 & 39 of UAPA.- ANIA

#2:03 PM

Jammu and Kashmir: All schools in Naushera closed for the time being, as ceasefire violation by Pakistan continues in the area. - ANIA

#1:57 PM

Allahabad HC's Lucknow bench expresses displeasure over death sentence to #KulbhushanJadhav by Pakistan, asks Centre about the steps take- ANIA

#1:49 PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugrates fully automatic Cattle Feed plant of SUMUL Dairy in Tapi- ANIA

#1:40 PM

Gujjar reservation issue: No relief to Gujjars for the time being. Supreme Court adjourns the matter for two weeks- ANIA

#1:32 PM

Delhi Police Crime Branch recovered Approx Rs 1.3 Crore from alleged middleman Sukesh Chandrashekhar.- ANIA

#1:22 PM

ED serves notice to Advantage Strategic Consulting of Rs 45 crore for FEMA contraventions in sale of Vasan Shares to overseas investors - ANIA

#1:17 PM

ED also issues notice to Chennai-based pharma firm for #FEMA contraventions to the tune of Rs 2,262 crore. - PTIA

#1:02 PM

ED issues show-cause notice to Karti Chidambaram & others for alleged forex violations to the tune of Rs 45 crore.- PTIA

#12:57 PM

Enforcement Directorate serves notice to Vasan Health Care Pvt. Ltd for FEMA contraventions to the tune of Rs 2262 Crore.- ANIA

#12:54 PM

Sanjay Dutt appeared before Andheri Court, NBW against him over alleged threat to filmmaker Shakil Noorani, cancelled by court Mumbai - ANIA

#12:43 PM

Telangana: BJP members detained who staged protest near Hyderabad collector's office opposing Muslim reservation bill in assembly yesterday.- ANIA

#12:32 PM

PM Hwang says US & South Korea agreed on early deployment of THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense): AFPA

#12:19 PM

Police vacancies in six states:SC asks Home Secretaries to appear in court with a road map regarding filling up of vacancies in their states- ANIA

#12:13 PM

Wholesale inflation falls to 5.70% in March, from 6.55% in the previous month.- ANIA

#12:08 PM

ED files prosecution complaint against Aamir Gazdar, a close aide of Dr. Zakir Naik in Islamic Research Foundation case under PMLA.- ANIA

#12:02 PM

WPI for aAll Commoditiesa (Base: 2004-05=100)for March,2017 declined by 0.1% to 185.3(provisional)from 185.5 (provisional)for previous month- ANIA

#11:59 AM

Issue of security clearances in airports: Supreme Court ordered to maintain status quo till the case is heard in July- ANIA

#11:46 AM

Congress-led-UDF candidate P K Kunhalikutty wins Malappuram by polls.- ANIA

#11:30 AM

Molestation case: TVF CEO Arunabh Kumar gets anticipatory bail from Dindoshi Sessions Court Mumbai - ANIA

#11:18 AM

2008 Malegaon blast case- NIA sought Supreme court's direction that it does not want accused, Colonel Purohit's police custody in the case.- ANIA

#11:04 AM

Supreme court issued notice to the Centre and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) asking both to file a reply on Palekar's plea. - ANI

#11:03 AM

Noted actor, filmmaker Amol Palekar moves SC seeking certain relaxations in censorship rules by means of removal of pre-censorship of movies - ANI



#11:01 AM

I don't know anybody by this name, Sukesh Chandrasekhar (alleged middleman). I haven't bribed anyone for anything: TTV Dinakaran - ANI



#11:01 AM

Sukesh Chandrasekhar, alleged middlemen accused in case of TTV Dinakaran allegedly offering bribe for AIADMK's 'Two leaves' symbol' arrested. - ANI



#10:59 AM

I will legally face if any summon comes to me from Delhi Police: TTV Dinakaran on FIR for allegedly offering bribe for 'two leaves' symbol. - ANI



#10:54 AM

Land allocation & acquisition policy of Haryana Govt in Manesar: State government submits Dhingra Commission Report in the apex court. - ANI

#10:52 AM

Nothing found in the search yet: Assam DGP, Mukesh Sahay on reports of explosives in former CM Prafulla Kumar Mahanta's car in Guwahati. - ANI



#10:52 AM

#FLASH Petition seeking uniform civil/ family laws has been filed in Supreme Court, especially of Muslim Sharia law . - ANI



#10:43 AM

Delhi Govt moves SC seeking setting up of Constitution Bench to decide its appeal against Delhi HC order which said LG is the boss of Delhi. - ANI



#10:33 AM

WATCH Live: PM Modi at inauguration ceremony of a Diamond manufacturing Unit in Surat, Gujarat. - ANI



#10:23 AM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates a Diamond manufacturing unit in Surat #GujaratA - ANI



#10:22 AM

Tamil Nadu: One killed, more than 70 people injured during 'Jallikattu' event held at M Pudur village in Cuddalore district yesterday. - ANI



#10:19 AM

Farmers suicide case: Supreme Court allows protesting Tamil Nadu farmers to file an intervention application in the case. - ANI



#10:09 AM

My father was BSF jawan, put in Pak jail during 1971 war,we are worried about him after Jadhav's death sentence: A Singh,son of Surjit Singh. - ANI



#9:43 AM

Many pharma firms are unhappy with my decision of cheaper stents, medicines: PM Modi in Surat,Gujarat. - ANI



#9:39 AM

FIR against TTV Dinakaran under sec IPC 170 & 120b, 8 PoC by DP crime branch for allegedly offering bribe for AIADMK's 'Two leaves' symbol'. - ANI



#9:22 AM

#WATCH Live: PM Modi at inauguration ceremony of Kiran Multispeciality Hospital in Surat - ANI



#9:20 AM

PM Modi at inauguration ceremony of Kiran Multispeciality Hospital in Surat, Gujarat. - ANI



#9:04 PM

Jammu and Kashmir: Ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the Line of Control in Naushera's Kalsian, Indian army posts retaliating. Firing on - ANI



#8:46 AM

TTV Dinakaran named accused in FIR filed by Delhi Police crime branch for allegedly offering bribe for AIADMK's 'Two leaves' symbol':SourcesA - ANI



#8:52 AM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates Kiran Multispeciality Hospital in Surat, Gujarat. - ANI



#8:45 AM

Ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir's Kalsian (Nowshera). More details awaited. - ANI



#8:37 AM

Uttarakhand: Two elephants killed after they were hit by Ranikhet Express near Haldi road railway station. - ANI



#8:31 AM

#Kerala Malappuram by polls: Congress-led-UDF candidate P K Kunhalikutty leading by more than 3000 votes. Counting underway. - ANI



#8:25 AM

'All options on table' with North Korea- US VP Pence at DMZ, reports AFP - ANI

#8:19 AM

BREAKING: VP Mike Pence says North Korea 'should not mistake the resolve' of the US to stand with its allies. - AFP



#8:16 AM

One dead and another injured after touching a high tension wire in Ludhiana yesterday. Police registers case, investigation underway. - ANI



#8:04 AM

Surat (Gujarat): Fully automatic Cattle Feed plant of SUMUL Dairy to be inaugurated by PM Modi today, preparations underway. - ANI



#7:27 AM

#WATCH: IAF helicopters deployed to douse forest fire in Rajasthan's Mount Abu with underslung Bambi Bucket end their ops (earlier visuals). - ANI



#7:24 AM

#WATCH: Earlier visuals of the the fire that raged through the forest area in Rajasthan's Mount Abu for three days, now completely doused. - ANI



#7:08 AM

Forest fire continues to rage in Mount Abu (Rajasthan), fire fighting operations by IAF helicopters underway. - ANI

#6:57 AM

Fire broke out a wood godown at Delhi's Mata Sundri Road, last night. 12 fire tenders were rushed to the spot, situation now under control. - ANI

#6:53 AM

Fire broke out at a warehouse in Delhi's Okhla phase two last night. Situation now under control as 30 fire tenders doused the flames. - ANI

#6:35 AM

Fully automatic Cattle Feed plant of SUMUL Dairy to be inaugurated by PM, to also dedicate to nation Phase 1(Link 2)of SAUNI Yojana #GujaratA - ANI

#6:31 AM

#ExpectToday PM Narendra Modi to also inaugurate a Diamond manufacturing Unit in Surat's Ichhapore, will also address a gathering here. - ANI

#6:30 AM

#ExpectToday Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate Kiran Multispeciality Hospital in Surat, to also address the gathering #Gujarat. - ANI

#5:36 AM

#breaking US VP Pence arrives near DMZ after failed N.Korea missile: AFP

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Lucknow/Delhi:

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi's pitch against 'triple talaq' has added fuel to the contentious debate on the divorce practice of Muslims, with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday saying those silent on the issue were as "guilty" as the ones practising it.



The All India Shia Personal Law Board (AISPLB) asked the Uttar Pradesh government to draft a strict law against triple talaq, similar to the one which banned the practice of sati, to prevent Muslim women from getting victimised.



The Hindu far right also reacted angrily to the All India Muslim Personal Law Board's (AIMPLB) assertion that Muslims have a constitutional right to follow their personal laws of which 'triple talaq' was a part, contending the Sunni outfit was responsible for "all problems" faced by the community.

ALSO READ: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath targets politicians silent on 'triple talaq' row



While deprecating any outside meddling with the Muslim personal law, the AIMPLB had said it would issue a code of conduct under which those pronouncing 'triple talaq' without valid reasons mentioned under 'Sharia' (Islamic law) will face social boycott.



Adityanath, known for his hardline Hindutva image, questioned the "silence" of the political class on the "burning issue" of triple talaq.



Drawing an analogy between the silence of politicians on triple talaq and that of the nobles during the disrobing of 'Draupadi' in the Mahabharata, he said in Lucknow, "Those in the political class that are keeping mum need to be put in the dock along with the perpetrators of the crime and their accomplices."



Reacting sharply, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) termed Adityanath's remark as "jaahilaanaa" (foolish).



"These days, there is a new debate in the country on a burning issue. Some people are maintaining silence on this issue. This reminds me of the scene in the Mahabharata in which Draupadi is being disrobed and she asks a question to the gathering as to who is responsible for this incident, this sin?" Adityanath said.



"No one uttered even a single word. Only Vidur said people who have committed the crime, the accomplices and those who maintained silence on this issue are equally responsible," he said, referring to the practice of triple talaq.

Adityanath made these remarks at an event to mark the 91st birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar. Calling for an end to the Muslim practice of triple talaq the Chief Minister also advocated a uniform civil code in the country.

ALSO READ: Triple talaq row: Following Sharia laws constitutional right of Muslims, says AIMPLB



His remarks came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch against the divisive issue of triple talaq, insisting that exploitation of Muslim women should end and justice be done to them.



Modi had, however, spoken against any attempt at creating a "conflict" within the Muslim community on the issue and suggested tackling it through social awareness.



On Adityanath's statement, AIMPLB General Secretary Maulana Wali Rahmani said, "I don't know how to react to the jaahilaanaa (foolish) statement. He is linking talaq with a greater issue -- the disrobing of Draupadi. No sane person will do so. He is looking at things using a different lens (doosraa chashmaa)."



Meanwhile, the All India Shia Personal Law Board (AISPLB) spokesman Maulana Yasoob Abbas said merely boycotting those guilty of pronouncing talaq without reasons mentioned under the Sharia will not amount to doing justice to the aggrieved woman.



The Shias among Muslims do not practise triple talaq. Abbas drew a parallel between pronouncing triple talaq in one go and the sati, the banned Hindu practice of the wife immolating herself on the dead husband's funeral pyre.



"The need of the hour is to enact a strict law against triple talaq in one go that is similar to the anti-sati law to prevent any Muslim woman from getting victimised and ensure that the culprit is punished," he told PTI in Lucknow.



"Triple talaq is wrong as also is the tendency to remain silent on this issue. Giving triple talaq in one go to a woman is a sin, but it cannot be equated to disrobing (of Draupadi)," he said, referring to Adityanath's analogy.



With the hugely divisive issue being hotly debated, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad attacked the AIMPLB on triple talaq, saying the Islamic body was not ready to give equal rights to women, whom they treat as an "object".



"AIMPLB is responsible for all problems faced by Muslims. They still assume women as objects and are not ready to give them basic fundamental right of equality.

"Muslim women should have equal rights in cases of talaq at par with men," Jain said in a statement in New Delhi, asking the Modi government to bring a law guaranteeing equal rights to Muslim women.

ALSO READ: Issue of triple talaq not religious, related to social reforms, says Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

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Vadodara:

Six Indian students have made India proud by successfully completing National Aeronautics and Space Administrations (NASA) Human Exploration Rover Challenge at the US Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, reports have said.

The Barodian-led undergraduate students represented India at the NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge, a report in TOI said.

Indian student Tirth Shah led the 'Team Technovators' which represented India. Shah, 20, is a student of NMIMS Mukesh Patel School of Technology Management and Engineering in Mumbai.



To take up the challenge, the students were required to design, build, test and race rovers powered by humans. One male and one female member was required to drive the human-powered rover.



The 99 teams participated in the NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge from various countries including Brazil, Russia, Japan, Germany and Mexico and the US itself.

There was a nearly three-quarter-mile course which had 17 tough obstacles that mimic terrain present on Mars as well as other planets, moons and asteroids throughout the solar system.

"We had designed, fabricated and tested the rover which is capable of operating at the harsh terrains of various celestial bodies of the solar system. The challenge included designing, constructing and testing technologies for mobility devices to perform in environments of different celestial bodies of the solar system. It also included developing an advanced telemetry system along with features for astronaut safety," said Shah.

Apart from Shah the other five team members were  Anyun Sharma from Vadodara, Birva Ghodasara from Rajkot, Chirag Kulkarni from New Delhi, Dishit Kalsaria from Mumbai and Sarthak Agarwal from Mumbai.

"Just the way astronauts retrieve samples from other planets and moons, a mechanism for retrieval of samples was also to be made. The rover was tested at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama where the surface of Mars and Moon were simulated. The rover is human powered," he said.

Dr Gerald Fishman, chief scientist at NASA appreciated the design.



"The wheels of the rover were designed after rigorous testing and prototyping. They were manufactured by using a very new and unique technique of additive printing which literally prints the design layer by layer. The design has partially bent vanes in order to decrease the rigidity which helps dampen the impulse caused by impacts with the large rocks and pits," he said, adding that because of its unique nature, the team has also filed for a patent for the design of the rover.



NASA aims for future exploration to Mars and beyond and the Rover Challenge was part of the US agencys future plans. The NASA Human Rover Challenge is inspired by the lunar roving vehicles of the Apollo moon missions. The competition challenges students to solve engineering problems. NASA has been inspiring the new generation of scientists, engineers and explorers.

ALSO READ | NASA releases India's night lights pictures: Its 'darkness beautifully iced with lighting' as seen from space

For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Panmunjom:

The US has kept all options open in its dealings with North Korea, said Vice President Mike Pence on Monday as he visited the heavily militarised border between the two Koreas.

Washington wants to achieve security through peaceable means, through negotiations. But all options are on the table as we continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of South Korea, he said at the border village of Panmunjom.

Pence, speaking at Freedom House, a few metres from the military demarcation line that he described as a frontier of freedom, said Americas relationship with South Korea was ironclad and immutable.

ALSO READ: North Korea nuclear missile test failed, confirms US

The message of the people of the United States of America is that we seek peace, but America has always sought peace through strength and my message here today standing with US forces Korea, standing with courageous soldiers from the Republic of Korea is a message of resolve.

The people of North Korea the military of North Korea should not mistake the resolve of the United States of America to stand with our allies.Pences visit to the DMZ comes a day after North Koreas latest missile test failed, when the rocket exploded seconds after blast off.

READ: China remains tight-lipped over North Korea's 'failed' missile test

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
The union minister has hailed the former prime minister for giving India a new direction.
Dominos turns to robots to deliver pizza

The pizza giant is turning to robotics, just like everyone else. Dominos Pizza has formed a group called Dominos Robotic Unit to collaborate with a London-based company, Starship Technologies, to deliver Dominos pizzas to customers in Germany and the Netherlands. Starship, which was launched in 2014, gained fame when it created a line of six-wheeled self-driving delivery robots that act as your own personal courier. The concept was incredibly simple. Users could track, manage, and schedule their deliveries on their own delivery bots  effectively cutting out the middle man and any potential disruption to delivery.

For this new project, a small robot was designed to be a little under two feet tall, weigh around 40 pounds, and travel at a maximum of four miles per hour. Dominos already tested the vehicles for pizza delivery in Australia and New Zealand in 2016. The pizza chain also delivered a pizza by drone in New Zealand. Dominos Pizza Enterprises Chief Executive Officer, Don Meji said, With our growth plans over the next five to 10 years, we simply wont have enough delivery drivers if we do not look to add to our fleet through initiatives such as this. Robotic delivery units will complement our existing delivery methods, including cars, scooters, and e-bikes.

Starships battery-powered robot runs autonomously on sidewalks and can carry loads of up to 20 pounds. The cargo hold is sealed and can only be unlocked via a code sent to the customers on their mobile phones. The hold itself is completely insulated. Orders are placed inside a special hot or cold bag similar to the ones already being used in motorcycle-based deliveries. These robots navigate using on-board cameras, maps, and ultrasonic sensors.

Dependent on size, we can carry up to eight pizzas on a delivery or a variety of combinations of pizzas, sides and cold drinks or dessert products, says the company.

The robotic deliveries are expected to launch in Hamburg, Germany by summer. However, it will only be available within a one-mile radius of select Dominos branches. If this proves to be successful, the company plans on launching these delivery bots in the U.K.

Starship is already in partnerships with several food, grocery, and parcel services in such countries as the U.K, U.S, Estonia, Switzerland, and Germany.

The future of robotics

Mercedes-Benz Vans recently entered a strategic, long-term partnership with Starship Technologies. The strategic initiative carried a hefty price tag of around 16.5 million euros. The hope is that the collaboration would give life to the mothership concept. That is, combining the advantages of a van with that of a self-driving delivery robot to create a machine  or rather, a set of delivery systems  that could act as both. A prototype presents a Mercedez-Benz Sprinter (a passenger van) serving as the mobile loading and transport hub for eight Starship robots. Through digital interlinking of delivery processes, the mothership would improve the efficiency of last-mile delivery logistics. In a statement to the press, Volker Mornihinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans says, the introduction of the van as a mobile hub widens the operational radius of the robots significantly, while also rendering superfluous the cost-intensive construction and operation of decentralized warehouses.

The idea is to eventually have self-driving vans that would transport these robots for more efficient delivery. This setup would have several advantages. Not only does this concept significantly improve delivery time, but it also improves customer satisfaction. We see the combination of these two technologies as an opportunity to give our van customers access to some completely new services and business models. At the same time, we make the delivery process much more convenient for the end customer, concludes Mornhinweg.



Sources include:

Bloomberg.com

TheSun.co.uk

Media.Daimler.com

Submit a correction >>
OTTAWA, April 14, 2017 /CNW/ - The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on Easter:



"This weekend, millions of Canadians and people around the world will gather with friends and family to celebrate the Easter holiday. This year is special, as Christians in both the Eastern and Western churches are celebrating Easter on the same day.

"Easter, also known as Pascha, is a sacred time of year in the Christian tradition, and celebrates Jesus Christ's resurrection and triumph over death.

"The Easter story reminds us of the sacrifices made for us, and of the forgiving power of compassion. It is also a call to hope, especially when hope feels most impossible.

"This year, as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation, let us take the opportunity to honour the many cultures, traditions, and beliefs that make Canada such a wonderful place to live. Christian Canadians of all backgrounds help make Canada the strong, diverse, and inclusive country it is today.

"As we gather with those most important to us, let us put into practice what it truly means to love our neighbours as ourselves, and do what we can to make the world a more just, compassionate, and peaceful place for all.

"On behalf of our family, Sophie and I wish all those celebrating a blessed and joyful Easter. We hope all Canadians, no matter their faith, find this a time of renewal and promise."

This document is also available at http://pm.gc.ca

SOURCE Prime Minister's Office

For further information: PMO Media Relations: 613-957-5555

Related Links

http://pm.gc.ca/


Second quarter revenue of $13,727,000 .

Operating profit of $606,000 .

Board declares twenty-first consecutive quarterly dividend of 2.0 cents .

TORONTO, April 13, 2017 /CNW/ - Retained executive search firm The Caldwell Partners International Inc. (TSX: CWL) today issued its financial results for the fiscal 2017 second quarter ended February 28, 2016. All references to quarters or years are for the fiscal periods unless otherwise noted and all currency amounts are in Canadian dollars.

Financial Highlights (in $000s except per share amounts)









Three Months Ended: Six Months Ended:

2.28.2017 2.29.2016 2.28.2017 2.29.2016 Professional fees $13,665 $14,281 $27,294 $28,226 Investment income - $787 - $787 License fees $62 $67 $137 $132

Revenues $13,727 $15,135 $27,431 $29,145 Cost of sales 9,725 11,693 19,946 22,561 Expenses (1) 3,396 2,733 5,780 6,022

Operating profit $606 $709 $1,705 $562 Investment income from marketable securities - $403 - $404

Earnings before tax $606 $1,112 $1,705 $966

Net earnings after tax $267 $764 $1,029 $600

Net earnings per share $0.013 $0.038 $0.051 $0.030





1. Included in Expenses are costs for the firm's annual partner conference held during the second quarter in the current year and the first quarter of the prior year. Expenses of $318 were recorded during the quarter ended February, 28, 2017 compared to the prior year when expenses of $339 were recorded in the quarter ended November 30, 2016. Year-to-date expenses for both periods reflect the costs of the conferences.

"While lower average fees and a slightly lower number of partners during the current quarter put pressure on revenue, this was somewhat mitigated by a growth in search volumes, demonstrating continued strength in the recruitment sector," said John Wallace, chief executive officer. "Additionally, the cost-alignment initiatives enacted over the course of the prior fiscal year enabled us to deliver significantly higher profit year-over-year through the first half. We feel positive about the productivity metrics of our partner and supporting teams, and how that has translated into operating profit, and remain bullish about the direction of our firm."

Wallace continued: "We continue to pursue high-calibre, content-driven professionals to join our firm, partners and teams who will expand the scope of our capabilities and market presence to the betterment of our clients. The additions in March of Matt Comyns (Stamford/New York), Shawn Banerji (Stamford/New York) and Manny Corsino (Miami) to our partner team adds significant depth to our cybersecurity and CIO/CTO functional capabilities; and incorporates regional expertise to further strengthen our already exceptional Latin American presence. The new partners will also contribute positively to our second half revenues."

The Board of Directors today also declared the payment of a quarterly dividend of 2.0 cents per Common Share payable to holders of Common Shares of record on April 25, 2017 and to be paid on June 20, 2017.



Financial Highlights (all numbers expressed in $000s)

Operating revenue:



Second Quarter

Professional fees for the second quarter of 2017 decreased 4.3% (a decline of 0.2% excluding a 4.1% variance from exchange rate fluctuations) over the comparable period last year to $13,665 (2016: $14,281 ).

(2016: ). Second quarter professional fees in the US were down 1.9% (up 3.3% excluding a 5.2% variance from exchange rate fluctuations) to $10,621 (2016: $10,828 ). Increases in the Number of Assignments per Partner were more than offset by a lower Average Fee per Assignment and a lower Average Number of Partners.

(2016: ). Increases in the Number of Assignments per Partner were more than offset by a lower Average Fee per Assignment and a lower Average Number of Partners.

Second quarter professional fees in Canada were up 9.0% to $2,979 (2016: $2,732 ). A higher Average Number of Partners and higher Number of Assignments per Partner were partially offset by a lower Average Fee per Assignment.

were up 9.0% to (2016: ). A higher Average Number of Partners and higher Number of Assignments per Partner were partially offset by a lower Average Fee per Assignment.

Second quarter professional fees in Europe were down 91.0% (down 89.5% excluding a 1.5% variance from exchange rate fluctuations) to $65 (2016: $721 ). During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016 and first quarter of fiscal 2017, two partners, whose aggregate related costs were significantly higher than the revenue produced, left the firm and corresponding reductions were made to the support staff. As a result, there was a significant decrease during the quarter in the Average Number of Partners, exacerbated by decreases in Average Fee per Assignment and Number of Assignments per Partner. Additionally, with Europe's small partner base, we have limited diversification, and consequently, results will fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter.

were down 91.0% (down 89.5% excluding a 1.5% variance from exchange rate fluctuations) to (2016: ). During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016 and first quarter of fiscal 2017, two partners, whose aggregate related costs were significantly higher than the revenue produced, left the firm and corresponding reductions were made to the support staff. As a result, there was a significant decrease during the quarter in the Average Number of Partners, exacerbated by decreases in Average Fee per Assignment and Number of Assignments per Partner. Additionally, with small partner base, we have limited diversification, and consequently, results will fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter. License fees from our licensees in Latin America and New Zealand for the use of the Caldwell Partners brand and intellectual property for the 2017 second quarter were $62 (2016: $67 ).





Year to date

and for the use of the Caldwell Partners brand and intellectual property for the 2017 second quarter were (2016: ). Professional fees for the first six months of 2017 decreased 3.3% (1.0% excluding a 2.3% variance from exchange rate fluctuations) over the comparable period last year to $27,294 (2016: $28,226 ).

(2016: ). Year to date professional fees in the US were down 3.0% (0.4% excluding a 2.6% variance from exchange rate fluctuations) to $20,178 (2016: $20,801 ). Increases in the Number of Assignments per Partner were more than offset by a lower Average Fee per Assignment and a lower Average Number of Partners.

(2016: ). Increases in the Number of Assignments per Partner were more than offset by a lower Average Fee per Assignment and a lower Average Number of Partners.

Year to date professional fees in Canada were up 7.7% to $6,568 (2016: $6,102 ). A higher Average Number of Partners and higher Number of Assignments per Partner were partially offset by a lower Average Fee per Assignment.

were up 7.7% to (2016: ). A higher Average Number of Partners and higher Number of Assignments per Partner were partially offset by a lower Average Fee per Assignment.

Year to date professional fees in Europe were down 58.5% (down 49.6% excluding an 8.9% variance from exchange rate fluctuations) to $548 (2016: $1,323 ), for the reasons described above.

were down 58.5% (down 49.6% excluding an 8.9% variance from exchange rate fluctuations) to (2016: ), for the reasons described above. License fees from our licensees in Latin America and New Zealand for the use of the Caldwell Partners brand and intellectual property for the six-month period ended February 28, 2017 were $137 (2016: $132 ).

Operating profit:



Second Quarter

For the second quarter of 2017, lower revenue ($1,408) , lower cost of sales ($1,968) and higher expenses ($664) decreased operating profit by $103 to $606 over the comparable period in the prior year (2016: $709 ). The higher expenses resulted from increases in share-based compensation expense caused by increases in the share price in the current year compared with share price declines in the previous year and partner conference expenses in the current quarter versus the first quarter in the prior year.

, lower cost of sales and higher expenses decreased operating profit by to over the comparable period in the prior year (2016: ). The higher expenses resulted from increases in share-based compensation expense caused by increases in the share price in the current year compared with share price declines in the previous year and partner conference expenses in the current quarter versus the first quarter in the prior year. The firm held its global partner conference during the second quarter which caused additional expenses of $318 during the second quarter of the current year ( $339 when held during the first quarter of fiscal 2016).

during the second quarter of the current year ( when held during the first quarter of fiscal 2016). Excluding exchange rate variances, operating profit decreased $27 to $682 . On a segment basis, $457 of operating profit was from the US ( $696 net of intercompany license fees), $335 ( $96 net of intercompany license fees) of operating profit was from Canada and Europe's operating loss was $186 from the variances discussed above.





Year to date

to . On a segment basis, of operating profit was from the US ( net of intercompany license fees), ( net of intercompany license fees) of operating profit was from and operating loss was from the variances discussed above. Year to date, lower revenue ($1,714) , offset by lower cost of sales ($2,615) and lower expenses ($242) increased operating profit by $1,143 to $1,705 over the comparable period in the prior year (2016: $562 ). The lower expenses were driven by a decrease in share-based compensation expense caused by a lower average share price in the current year and a reduction in the contingent consideration payable related to the Hawksmoor acquisition based on final earn-out achievement calculations, partially offset by increases in management operating performance bonus accruals.

, offset by lower cost of sales and lower expenses increased operating profit by over the comparable period in the prior year (2016: ). The lower expenses were driven by a decrease in share-based compensation expense caused by a lower average share price in the current year and a reduction in the contingent consideration payable related to the Hawksmoor acquisition based on final earn-out achievement calculations, partially offset by increases in management operating performance bonus accruals. Excluding exchange rate variances, operating profit increased $1,212 to $1,773 . On a segment basis, $1,184 of operating profit was from the US ( $1,639 net of intercompany license fees), $773 of operating profit was from Canada ( $318 net of intercompany license fee revenue) and Europe's operating loss was $252 from the variances discussed above.

Net earnings after tax:

Second quarter net income was $267 ( $0.013 per share), as compared to $764 ( $0.038 per share) in the comparable period a year earlier.

( per share), as compared to ( per share) in the comparable period a year earlier.

Year-to-date net income was $1,029 ( $0.051 per share), as compared to $600 ( $0.030 per share) in the comparable period a year earlier.

Average Number of Partners, Professional Fees per Partner, Number of Assignments, Number of Assignments per Partner and Average Fee per Assignment do not have any standardized meaning under IFRS and may not be comparable to measures presented by other companies. These operating measures are used by the Company to analyze its results. Please refer to section "NonGAAP Financial Measures and Other Operating Measures" in the Company's MD&A for a definition of these terms.

For a complete discussion of the quarterly financial results, please see the company's Management Discussion and Analysis posted on SEDAR at www.sedar.com

About Caldwell Partners

Caldwell Partners is a leading international provider of executive search and has been for more than 45 years. As one of the world's most trusted advisors in executive search, the firm has a sterling reputation built on successful searches for boards, chief and senior executives, and selected functional experts. With offices and partners across North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific, the firm takes pride in delivering an unmatched level of service and expertise to its clients.

The Caldwell Partners' Common shares are listed on The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: CWL). Please visit our website at www.caldwellpartners.com for further information.

Forward-Looking Statements

Forward-looking statements in this document are based on current expectations that are subject to the significant risks and uncertainties cited. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by use of statements that include phrases such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "foresee," "may," "will," "likely," "estimates," "potential," "continue" or other similar words or phrases. Similarly, statements that describe our objectives, plans or goals also are forward-looking statements. The Company is subject to many factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the relevant forward looking statement including, but not limited to, the Company's ability to attract and retain key personnel; the performance of the Canadian, US domestic and international economies; competition from other companies directly or indirectly engaged in executive search; the possibility of a significant shareholder impacting shareholder votes; foreign currency exchange rate risks; the Company's ability to invest retained earnings in marketable securities and in short-term money market instruments to generate consistent investment income returns; volatility of the market price and volume of common shares; and legal matters. For more information on the factors that could affect the outcome of forward-looking statements, refer to the "Risk Factors" section of our Annual Information Form and other public filings (copies of which may be obtained at www.sedar.com). These factors should be considered carefully and the reader should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Although any forward-looking statements are based on what management currently believes to be reasonable assumptions, we cannot assure readers that actual results, performance or achievements will be consistent with these forward-looking statements, and management's assumptions may prove to be incorrect. Except as required by Canadian securities laws, we do not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by us or on our behalf; such statements speak only as of the date made. The forward-looking statements included herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary language.



THE CALDWELL PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL INC.

CONSOLIDATED INTERIM STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION (unaudited - in $000s Canadian)





As at

February 28

2017 As at

August 31

2016 Assets





Current assets





Cash and cash-equivalents 4,467 8,422

Marketable securities 5,076 5,056

Accounts receivable 8,801 10,031

Prepaid expenses and other assets 1,633 2,416





19,977 25,925 Non-current assets





Restricted cash 140 187

Marketable securities 289 573

Advances 143 502

Property and equipment 1,909 1,838

Intangible assets 235 279

Goodwill 2,860 2,920

Deferred income taxes 2,497 2,475 Total assets 28,050 34,699









Liabilities



Current liabilities





Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 2,703 2,384

Compensation payable 9,898 16,125

Dividends payable 403 403

Income taxes payable 627 513

Contingent consideration - 289

Deferred revenue 180 1,187





13,811 20,901 Non-current liabilities





Compensation payable 612 687

Provisions 165 184





14,588 21,772 Equity attributable to owners of the Company





Share Capital 7,515 7,295

Contributed surplus 14,992 15,025

Accumulated other comprehensive income 1,304 1,179

Deficit (10,349) (10,572) Total equity 13,462 12,927 Total liabilities and equity 28,050 34,699



THE CALDWELL PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL INC.

CONSOLIDATED INTERIM STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS (unaudited - in $000s Canadian, except per share amounts)



Three months ended Six months ended



February 28 February 29 February 28 February 29



2017 2016 2017 2016











Revenues









Professional fees 13,665 14,281 27,294 28,226

Investment income - 787 - 787

License fees 62 67 137 132



13,727 15,135 27,431 29,145











Cost of sales 9,725 11,693 19,946 22,561 Gross profit 4,002 3,442 7,485 6,584











Expenses









General and administrative 3,116 2,439 5,372 5,474

Sales and marketing 262 270 439 530

Foreign exchange loss (gain) 18 24 (31) 18



3,396 2,733 5,780 6,022 Operating profit 606 709 1,705 562











Investment income - 403 - 404 Earnings before income tax 606 1,112 1,705 966











Income tax 339 348 676 366











Net earnings for the period attributable to owners of the Company 267 764 1,029 600











Earnings per share:









Basic $0.013 $0.038 $0.051 $0.030

Diluted $0.013 $0.038 $0.051 $0.029



THE CALDWELL PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL INC.

CONSOLIDATED INTERIM STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE EARNINGS (unaudited - in $000s Canadian)

Three months ended Six months ended

February 28 February 29 February 28 February 29

2017 2016 2017 2016









Net earnings for the period 267 764 1,029 600









Other comprehensive income:







Realization of gains included in net income - (403) - (403) Unrealized (loss) gain on marketable securities 115 (52) 153 (28) Cumulative translation adjustment (113) (50) (28) (36) Comprehensive earnings for the period attributable to owners of the Company 269 259 1,154 133



THE CALDWELL PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL INC.

CONSOLIDATED INTERIM STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY (unaudited - in $000s Canadian)







Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income



Deficit Capital Stock Contributed Surplus Cumulative

Translation Adjustment Unrealized Gains on Marketable Securities Total Equity













Balance - September 1, 2015 (9,843) 7,295 15,025 1,271 841 14,589













Net earnings for the six month period ended













February 29, 2016 600 - - - - 600













Dividend payments declared (806) - - - - (806)













Realization of gains included in net income - - - - (403) (403)













Change in unrealized loss on













marketable securities available for sale - - - - (28) (28)













Change in cumulative translation adjustment - - - (36) - (36)













Balance - February 29, 2016 (10,049) 7,295 15,025 1,235 410 13,916



























Balance - September 1, 2016 (10,572) 7,295 15,025 841 338 12,927













Net earnings for the six month period ended













February 28, 2017 1,029 - - - - 1,029













Dividend payments declared (806) - - - - (806)













Employee share option plan share issue - 220 (33) - - 187













Change in unrealized gain on













marketable securities available for sale - - - - 153 153













Change in cumulative translation adjustment - - - (28) - (28)













Balance - February 28, 2017 (10,349) 7,515 14,992 813 491 13,462



THE CALDWELL PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL INC.

CONSOLIDATED INTERIM STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOW

(unaudited - in $000s Canadian)

Six months ended

February 28 2017 February 29 2016 Cash flow provided by (used in)









Operating Activities





Net earnings for the period 1,029 600

Adjustments for:







Depreciation 265 268



Amortization 47 48



Amortization of advances 337 550



Realized gain on marketable securities - (403)



Change in fair value of contingent consideration (108) 5



Unrealized foreign exchange on subsidiary loans (27) 30



Decrease in long term incentive accrual (74) (533)



Decrease (increase) in accounts receivable 1,285 (1,230)



Decrease in marketable securities 432 -



Decrease in prepaid expenses and other assets 454 41



Increase in accounts payable 300 914



Increase in income taxes payable 102 186



Decrease in compensation payable (5,583) (6,084)



Payment of contingent consideration (181) (254)



Payment of compensation payable (709) (449)



Decrease in deferred revenue (999) (332)



Decrease in provisions (19) - Net cash used in operating activities (3,449) (6,643)





Investment Activities





Proceeds from sale of marketable securities - 3,171

Decrease (increase) in advances 350 (592)

Decrease in restricted cash 48 313

Additions to property and equipment (326) (171) Net cash provided by investing activities 72 2,721

Financing Activities





Share issuance from employee share option plan 187 -

Share purchase and cancellation - (1,604)

Dividend payments (806) (828) Net cash used in financing activities (619) (2,432)





Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents 41 205 Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents (3,955) (6,149) Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 8,422 9,956 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period 4,467 3,807

SOURCE The Caldwell Partners International Inc.

For further information: Investors & Analysts: Chris Beck, CPA, Chief Financial Officer, The Caldwell Partners International, [email protected], +1.617.934.1843; Media: Caroline Lomot, Director of Marketing, The Caldwell Partners International, [email protected], +1.516.830.3535
Many view Europe as a spent force in global politics. Conventional wisdom states that world politics today is unipolar, with the United States as the sole superpower. Or perhaps it is multipolar, with China, India, and the rest rising to challenge Western powers. Either way, Europes role is secondary  and declining. The European Union, it is said, is too weak to avoid withering away in the face of Russian subversion, mass migration, right-wing revolt, British plans to leave, slow growth, and anemic defense spending.

Foreign Policy makes the case that Europe rivals or surpasses the United States and China in its ability to project a full spectrum of global military, economic, and soft power. Europe consistently deploys military troops within and beyond its immediate neighborhood. It manipulates economic power with a skill and success unmatched by any other country or region. And its ability to employ soft power to persuade other countries to change their behavior is unique.

If a superpower is a political entity that can consistently project military, economic, and soft power transcontinentally with a reasonable chance of success, Europe surely qualifies. Its power, moreover, is likely to remain entrenched for at least another generation.

The UK by itself is better than China for projecting militarily power around the world. China is strong on defense and is strong a few hundred to a thousand miles from its borders. France and Germany also have capable military power.

China has a far larger annual military budget than the UK, but military capability is better viewed by the total of decades of spending. It is similar to individual households. A family with lower income can accumulate greater assets over time than a person who only recently obtained a high paying job.

The bang for the buck of the weapons Europe procures remains competitive, as evidenced by the fact that it consistently ranks as the worlds No. 1 arms exporter, outstripping even the United States and Russia.

European militaries actually do more in the world than those of any country except the United States. Only Europe and the United States have deployed tens of thousands of combat troops outside of home countries almost continuously since the end of the Cold War. During the past decade, European deployments have averaged 107,000 soldiers per year on land, plus a considerable naval presence. By contrast, China has deployed almost no combat soldiers abroad, and India has done so only within U.N. missions. Recent Russian activities have been limited to brief forays in neighboring parts of the former Soviet Union and air and naval support for its sole remaining Middle Eastern ally.

One European specialty is economic power projection. To induce political concessions, European countries manipulate access to their markets, condition economic assistance and exchange, and exploit regulatory and institutional dominance. Thus, a basic source of European economic power is the raw size of its economy.

The conventional wisdom again misleads us. According to a recent poll of citizens in 40 countries, almost everyone in the world believes either that China is already the worlds dominant economy, or that the United States still maintains primacy. Only 5 percent think of the EU as a leading economic power. Yet those 5 percent have a point. By the simplest measure of economic power, nominal GDP, the EU is nearly the same size as the United States and 63 percent larger than China.
By Oluwafunke IsholaThe President, African Development Bank (AfDB), Mr Akinwumi Adesina, says Africas richest man, Aliko Dangote, will become the largest exporter of rice in the world by 2021.Adesina said this at the Mo Ibrahim Forum in Morocco over the weekend.He said Africa should focus on agriculture to drive growth and employment on the continent.Adesina recalled that during his tenure as Nigerias Minister for Agriculture, Dangote decided to invest in local production of rice due to governments import substitution policies.Adesina said that Dangote initially planned a 300 million-dollar investment in production and processing of rice in Nigeria but later changed it to one billion dollars three months after.If they continue that policy, he would probably be the single largest producer of rice in the world, in about four years.The reason why I was so excited about that is that agriculture is cool, agriculture is a business and agriculture pays, Adesina said.Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Chairman, Dangote Ltd, said he ventured into rice cultivation because of governments interest to revive agriculture as the mainstay of the economy and reduce importation of food that could be produced locally.He lamented that Nigeria consumes 6.5 million Metric tonnes of rice which costs the nation over two billion dollars annually and commended governments policy that encourages private sectors active participation in agriculture.In the next three years, we want to produce one million tonnes of quality rice, make it available and affordable to the people.We hope to do 150, 000 hectares and when we are done, Nigeria will not have anything to do with importation of rice, Dangote said.According to him, Dangote Rice Outgrowers Scheme is committed to creating employment, increasing incomes of smallholders farmers and ensuring food security in the country.He said that to achieve the goal, the scheme would provide high quality seeds, fertilizers, agro-chemicals and technical assistance on best agricultural practice to farmers.This scheme will help to diversify the economy, alleviate poverty and reduce the nations import bill.The scheme has been designed as a one stop solution for the rice value chain, Dangote stated.The pilot phase of the Dangote Outgrowers Scheme launched in Sokoto State would create jobs for 16,000 rice farmers in the state.
The Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described President Muhammadu Buharis claims in his Easter message, to having met the expectations of Nigerians as an insult on their intelligence.Its spokesman, Dayo Adeyeye, yesterday said the comments from Mr. President are to say the least untrue and unfair to Nigerians, who have been at the receiving end of his governments mismanagement in the last two years.On the war against Boko Haram, Adeyeye reiterated that the armaments procured by former President Goodluck Jonathan are what are still being used to prosecute the war.Adeyeye added that current administration has also abused the Presidential Initiative for the North East (PINE) created by Jonathan, which covered all sectors in the rehabilitation efforts for the zone with comprehensive project cost and partnership.PINE under the APCs watch has been a monumental disaster with allegations of contract scams while the internally displaced persons (IDPs) endure daily hardship and starvation. Tragically, we are yet to see the outcome of the investigation on the Nigerias fighter jet bombing of the IDP Camp in Borno State killing more than 200 persons.On the war against corruption, the partys spokesman, said like other policies and programmes of the APC administration, it has failed as well. He said: The entire anti-corruption war of the APC since inception is just in the media with only one conviction. Many of the cases in the courts have been set aside and suspects discharged and acquitted while others are in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Department of State Services (DSS) detention centres without trial, in violation of their fundamental human rights as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.The Makarfi-led PDP insisted that the recession we are experiencing today is as a result of the failure of the APC-led administration to properly manage our economy.The Buhari government is indeed clueless and had no economic plan until March 2017 when it launched the so called recovery plan.The economy is at a standstill. Major infrastructural developments that began with the previous administrations of the PDP have been abandoned. Power generation has dwindled from over 5,000mw in 2015 to the present all time low of less than 2,000mw. The only project of note this government has ever commissioned is the Abuja- Kaduna railroad, which was 99 percent completed by the PDP administration.
President Nana Akufo Addo of Ghana has declared war against illegal miners following reports many of them were destroying the environment.The government had substantially received complaint against Chinese illegal miners, with the help of their local collaborators.Illegal mining has reportedly caused massive river pollution, destruction of arable lands, farms, cocoa plantations and forest reserves compromising sustainable development in the West African country.Speaking at the coronation of one of the traditional rulers, Nana Effah Opinamang of Kwahu Obeng in the Easter Region on Saturday, Nana Akufo-Addo told the gathering that Ghana would continue to have a cordial relationship with the Chinese.However, the government would ensure full enforcement of law and order without fear or favour toward any group of people.President Akufo Addo does not hate the Chinese, but the laws governing foreign nationals in trade and business will be applied to the letter.President Akufo Addos comments came days after officials at the Chinese embassy in Ghana, wrote a letter to the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources expressing their disgust about how the media were portraying illegal Chinese miners.China also complained about a cartoon published by one of the newspapers, which allegedly defamed the Chinese President.President Akufo Addo in the said speech reiterated that just like the law works for everyone in China irrespective of status, so will it be in Ghana.Ghanaians are happy to hear him speak about galamsey (illegal mining) because of its devastating nature, Akufo Addo went on, and urged all Ghanaians to unite and fight it to save the countrys future.The devastation of the Ghanas environment by Chinese illegal miners has attracted international attention, with Australia, cocoa producing countries, NGOs and other institutions all lending support to the government to rid the country of Chinese illegal miners and their local collaborators, so as to restore sanity in the mining sector.Meanwhile, observers fear the enviable diplomatic and bilateral relationship, existing for almost 60 years, could be affected.Source: APA
Former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, NRHC, Chidi Odinkalu, has observed that people of the South East can not move forward with the leadership style of the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha.Speaking at the first Imo Good Governance Lecture held in Owerri, at the weekend, Odinkalu amongst other reasons, alleged that pensioners in the state were forced to surrender their money.According to Odinkalu,  On the line question is that how many people are satisfied with the state of Imo state. I remember when the last election was taken place and there were people who were prepared to kill for the governor. I mean the current governor. Where we are today everybody is recounting.Pensioners are being forced to surrender their money as a precondition for getting anything at all. Regular workers are being owed and they are required to sign away a significant chunk of their salaries.All the so called roads are undone and in tatters and indeed have become a danger to a lot of people and insecurity has risen. The government does not appear to have the attention span of the serious responsibility of government.I am sure the government means very well but sometimes we got to admit that people may be on the wrong job and I think he is. I wish him very well but the thing is that we cannot continue to keep the wrong people in the wrong job.I say here, Imo state is the most educating state in the country, highly globalized and internationalized. It needs to begin to think of the kind of government of leadership and structure that will reflect the awareness structure of it demographics.Listen, if we Igbo are to compete at the Nigeria level in a manner that makes our people rise up with dignity then we cant continue to have this type of level of governance. We got to say no to it.
The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has given a seven-day ultimatum to the former Aviation minister, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayod...

The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has given a seven-day ultimatum to the former Aviation minister, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode; and Mr. Lere Olayinka, the media aide to Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, to publicly apologise and pay the sum of N1.25 billion to him (Amaechi) for linking him to the seized Ikoyi N13 billion.Amaechi had through his lawyer, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), written to Fani-Kayode and Olayinka, claiming that he (Amaechi) had been defamed by messages on the duos Twitter timeline concerning the controversy surrounding the recovered money.The immediate past governor of Rivers State warned that there would be stiff legal actions should Fani-Kayode and Olayinka fail to adhere to his demand over the alleged defamatory acts.Amaechi had in the copies of the two letters dated 14th April, 2017 quoted the offensive aspect of Fani-Kayode and Olayinka respectively as, The $43 million is Rotimi Amaechis. He owns the flat it was found in (sic) too. NIAs story is fake news! NIA does not keep cash in ministers flats.The Osborne Towers, a luxury residential complex in Ikoyi, Lagos, where EFCC said it found $43,449,987, 27,800 pounds N23,218,000 on Wednesday is owned by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.Apart from the demand for an apology from the duo to be published in five national dailies and their Twitter handle, Amaechi specifically asked for the sum of N500 million from Fani-Kayode as compensation for the malicious and defamatory claim.He, however caution that the amount might increase should Fani-Kayode fail to address the situation as expected, while Olayinka was asked to also apologise in five national dailies and pay the sum of N750 million as compensation for the malicious and defamatory claim on his (Olayinka) Twitter handle.
Some gunmen have attacked Asso community, Southern Kaduna,during Easter celebrations, with at least 13 Christians dead.

Some gunmen have attacked Asso community, Southern Kaduna,during Easter celebrations, with at least 13 Christians dead.The details of the attack are unclear, but the state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, condemned the attack in a statement sent to NE by his spokesperson, Samuel Aruwan.The attack on Asso is believed to be part of the larger Southern Kaduna violence that has pitched Fulani herdsmen against largely local farming communities leading to the death of over 200 people in the past year.The casualty from this weekends attack has not been confirmed but Mr. El-Rufai condoled with the victims and their families, while affirming that security operations are being ramped to rid the forest areas of the bandits.The governor also launched Operation Harbin Kunama II that would help the Army deal with the armed persons responsible for the attacks in Southern Kaduna.Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai on Sunday said that the forthcoming Operation Harbin Kunama II is a necessary step towards ending the violence in parts of southern Kaduna. The governor spoke while condemning the weekend attack on Asso community in Gwong Chiefdom of Jemaa local government area of the state.In a statement issued in Kaduna by his spokesman, Samuel Aruwan, the governor extended his condolence to the victims and their families, while affirming that security operations are being ramped to rid the forest areas of the bandits.The Governor charged security agencies to redouble their efforts in fishing out those behind the killings, and to act promptly on carefully vetted intelligence.The statement said that agencies responsible for emergency services have been directed to offer relief.The governor requested support from communities to the security agencies as the Nigerian Army gets set to commence a major operation tagged Operation Harbin Kunama II, including assisting the Nigerian Army with vital information that could aid a successful clampdown on elements responsible for this terror attacks on our citizens.
Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia state governor, has secured a $1.5bn deal for the establishment of a shoe industry in Aba from Huajian Shoe Industry ...

Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia state governor, has secured a $1.5bn deal for the establishment of a shoe industry in Aba from Huajian Shoe Industry in Dongguan, Guangzhou, China.Enyinnaya Appolos, chief press secretary of the governor, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.According to him, Ikpeazu secured the deal at a meeting with Zhang Huarong, group chairman of the Huajian Group in the course of his official visit to China for the 1st Nigeria-China Governors Investment Forum.Appolos explained that the Abia-Huajian Shoe Industrial City would have the capacity to produce 5,000 shoes per day and employ about 10,000 people directly and indirectly.Abia state government will provide the land and other investment incentives for the project while the Huajian group will fund the entire project, he said.Mr Huarong, who noted that Governor Ikpeazu was the 1st Nigerian leader to visit him, disclosed that the Huajian Group was already employing 6,000 staff and is currently developing a 250 Acre Industrial City in Ethiopia and expressed his eagerness to come to Nigeria.Huajian Group currently employs about 20,000 staff in China and operates a 10,000 shoes per day factory in Dongguan valued at $2bn.Mr Huarong assured the governor that he will visit him in Abia before the end of April 2017 for further discussion on the project.
The President, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Samson Ayokunle, has assured Nigerians that corruption and economic downturn will so...

The President, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Samson Ayokunle, has assured Nigerians that corruption and economic downturn will soon become a thing of the past.Mr. Ayokunke said this in a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Adebayo Oladeji, on Sunday in Abuja.The CAN president, who gave this assurance in his Easter Message to the nation, prayed God to bring to end the economic hardship facing the country.I wish all Nigerians a happy Easter in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. It is a season of hope, joy and restoration.The Lord that rolled away the stone from the mouth of the tomb to put the enemy to shame will roll away all causes of economic hardship from our nation.Corruption will be a thing of the past as earthquake came to help in removing all hindrances to the resurrection of Christ for a glorious dawn to emerge.The God of heaven will divinely intervene to bail our nation out of economic downturn in the name of Jesus.Mr. Ayokunle expressed optimism that the future of the country would be characterised by abundance, joy and celebrations.As the resurrection morning brought a day of joy and laughter back to the disciples, the future years shall be full of abundance in Nigeria.It will bring back our joy and celebration in our streets in the name of Jesus.Our challenges of today will become the ladder to our testimonies tomorrow in the name of Jesus.It is well with you, our leaders at all levels of government and our nation in the name of Jesus Christ, he said.He therefore admonished Nigerians to sustain praying for the country and her leaders as they confront the challenges facing the populace.Daniel Kadzai, the National President, Youth Wing of CAN, also urged youth to be drivers of peace and nation building instead of being accomplice of massive looting and corruption.He also called on the church to be agents of change so as to help transform the nation from its present predicament to a better living condition for all.Nigeria cannot arise until the church decides to arise and take her original responsibility of soul winning, than too much emphasis on money, questionable miracles and dirty fight over positions.We all need to think of bringing a positive change in our various capacities because we can change the nation, he said.
Five gunmen, suspected to be assassins, yesterday, killed an employee of the Bayelsa State-owned radio station, Glory 97.1 FM, Mr. Famou...

Five gunmen, suspected to be assassins, yesterday, killed an employee of the Bayelsa State-owned radio station, Glory 97.1 FM, Mr. Famous Giobaro.The broadcaster, a Desk Editor, was reportedly attacked in his home at a mini-estate in INEC Road area of Yenagoa, the state capital.The gunmen were said to have broken into his apartment at 5 a.m, shot him several times in the stomach at close range and left without taking away anything.It was gathered the killers entered Giobaros by scaling the fence with a ladder, after cutting the barbed wire.The suspected assassins, who seemed to have a good knowledge of the house, reportedly pulled down the kitchen door and forced their way into the broadcasters bedroom through the living room.Two unidentified men, who were said to be in the bedroom with the deceased, reportedly attempted to prevent the gunmen from entering the room.But they were said to have hidden in the wardrobe and the toilet when the gunmen started shooting at the door.A neighbour of the deceased, who spoke in confidence, said the gunmen made many bullet holes on the door.He said Giobaro, who tied a piece of wrapper round his waist, was first hit by a bullet when he scrambled out of his bed on hearing the gunshots.The neighbour said: They went to his house. They cut the barbed wire and climbed the fence with a ladder. They went to the kitchen, cut the protector, passed through the kitchen door and entered his living room.When they got to the room and found it locked, they started marching the door. Two other guys there with him tried to resist them. But they started shooting at the door and, in the process, one of the bullets hit him and he raised the alarm.One of the two guys ran into the wardrobe while the other hid in the toilet. When the gunmen entered and saw him lying on the floor, they shot him again many times at close range and left through the way they came.They didnt steal anything and they didnt go to any other flat. It was a case of assassination.The source said the children of the deceased were not at home when the gunmen struck.Giobaro was said to have sent them to stay temporarily with his separated wife.The source added: They (gunmen) were on a mission to kill him. They shot many bullets at the door. They still came to him in the pool of his blood to shoot him several times in the stomach.It was gathered the police took the body to the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Yenagoa, the state capital.But sources urged the police to look for an unidentified lady, who allegedly had a failed romantic relationship with the deceased.The late journalist was said to have received multiple threat messages in connection with the relationship before he was killed.The state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) described the incident as sacrilegious.Its Chairman, John Angese, said the killing of Giobaro was a big blow to the journalism family in the state.He urged the police to bring the perpetrators to justice.Police spokesman Asinim Butswat said the command was investigating the incident.
Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, says as far as he is concerned, he did not offend anyone in the upper legislative chamber.

Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, says as far as he is concerned, he did not offend anyone in the upper legislative chamber.Ndume was handed a six-month suspension after he demanded that allegations brought against Senate President Bukola Saraki and Dino Melaye, lawmaker representing Kogi west senatorial district, be investigated.Saraki was accused of owning a vehicle that was imported with fake documents, while Melaye was said to have forged his degree certificate.Both men denied the allegations and were subsequently cleared by the senate committee on ethics and privileges.Speaking to his constituents on Sunday, Ndume said he preferred to be isolated in the upper chamber than betraying Nigerians.Ndume argued that his support for the anti-graft war of President Muhammadu Buhari and backing the confirmation of Ibrahim Magu as chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) irked his colleagues.He said the suspension would not in any way deter him from saying and practising the truth in the interest of the nation.As far I am concerned, I wronged no one in the senate and I am not regretting my loyalty and support for President Buharis fight against corruption as well as all forms of financial crimes, he said.Mamman Mailafiya, emir of Shani, called on Saraki to convince his colleagues to rescind the suspension of Ndume.The monarch said the suspension of the former senate leader had affected the interest of southern Borno senatorial district.
The All Progressives Congress in Rivers State on Monday lambasted Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti S...

The All Progressives Congress in Rivers State on Monday lambasted Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State and former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, for linking the contentious Ikoyi $43m to the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi.The party, in a statement by the State Chairman, Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, described the accusation as mischievous, wicked, diabolical, and evil, and urged the three to apologise to the former governor.It said that allegation was an attempt to smear the former Rivers States governor whose only crime was that he led APC to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party.Rivers APC said, It is very sad and unfortunate that over two years that Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi led APC to dust PDP in the 2015 general elections, the PDP Leadership up till date has refused to forgive Amaechi for disgracing them out of power and salvaging our nation from a system whose corruptive tendency is not only contagious but legendary.It is on record that apart from the Abuja residence of Amaechi he has no other single plot of land in any part of this country, so linking him to the ownership of the contentious Ikoyi estate and the huge sum found in it is nothing but an insidious plot to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it. It is sad and shameful that a frustrated and disgraceful group with Wike and Fayose as the key actors should attempt to tarnish the hard-earned reputation of Amaechi just because he collaborated with other patriotic Nigerians to oust a regime that is now exposed as the most corrupt ever in the history of Nigeria.We sincerely sympathise with Wike, Fayose and Fani-Kayode in this failed plot which has once again exposed them for their lowly type of life, even as we wish to remind them that one day we all shall stand before God Almighty to give account of the type of politics people like them are promoting in Nigeria devoid of integrity and ideology. It has become very obvious that Wike and Fayose now derive pleasure from mentioning Amaechis name whenever any negative thing happens, in order to remain relevant and revive their dwindling political fortunes. Instead of Wike and Fayose to face the myriad of problems they have created for themselves, PDP and their states, they prefer to preoccupy themselves with how to drag the name of Amaechi into every imaginable controversy. Their thinking is that by pulling down Amaechi PDP will come back to power come 2019 to continue with their looting spree and destruction of our economy. They truly deserve sympathy because they are living in a fools paradise as Nigerians are now wiser and will never entrust their fate in the hands of wicked and shameless looters like Wike and his co-travellers.For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state that Amaechi has nothing to do with either the Ikoyi estate or the huge sums of money discovered there by EFCC. We urge Nigerians to ignore the antics of the likes of Wike, Fayose and Fani-Kayode. Now that the revealing facts before the public domain disassociate Amaechi from this, we hereby request these three rabble-rousers to formally apologise to Amaechi for this false accusation within two weeks or we may be left with no other option than to brief our lawyers accordingly.Meanwhile, we urge Wike and his confused government in Rivers State to carry out their threat to sue the Federal Government if by the end of seven days the contentious huge sum is not returned to the Rivers State Government or else they should hide their ugly faces in shame if they should fail to do as threatened. We urge the Federal Government for once take the continuous threat from Gov Wike of Rivers State against the Buharis administration seriously and call him to order to avoid this confused undemocratic mind from aborting our hard earned democracy abruptly.It is unfortunate for Wike to state that the Ikoyi $43 million was part of the proceeds of the Rivers State gas turbines sold during the administration of Amaechi, knowing very well that the money realised from the sale was duly lodged in the coffers of the Rivers State Government and budgeted accordingly.Nigerians can now attest that Amaechi stands as the most vilified, persecuted politician in Nigeria for his bravery, patriotism and commitment to work for a better future for our country. We remain convinced that God who has seen Amaechi this far will always safeguard him from the Wikes and Fayoses, whose favourite pastime is their obsession to plot Amaechis downfall  a satanic project which Almighty God will continue to frustrate to the shame of all the Wikes, Fayoses and Fani-Kayodes of this world.
Chimaobi Okorie, a suspected killer of a police Inspector, Vincent Umeh, attached to Umuahia Zone 9 and a 30-year-old staff of Ecobank in ...





Chimaobi Okorie, a suspected killer of a police Inspector, Vincent Umeh, attached to Umuahia Zone 9 and a 30-year-old staff of Ecobank in Okigwe, Enyioma Okwudiri at the Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo state, has been reported to have been killed by the operatives of the Imo State police command on Sunday.Recall that some gunmen had on March 1, 2017, shot dead a police inspector on Enugu  Port Harcourt expressway and made away with his Toyota Corolla which he was travelling in.They equally attacked and killed Okwudiri and a 38-year-old Nanman Lamak, that hailed from Plateau state.According to some other reports, the gunmen also shot dead two other persons who were making use of an Automated Teller Machine before fleeing the Okigwe town. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Andrew Enwerem, who confirmed the killing of the suspected armed robber, told newsmen on Monday that he was arrested on Sunday at a guest house in Okigwe town known as Beghe guest in 
Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of giving presidential protection to treasury looters in his ad...

Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of giving presidential protection to treasury looters in his administration.Fayose alleged that Presidential Villa in Abuja has been turned to a facility where Presidents men hide their own loot.The Ekiti governor neither provided details nor gave any proof to substantiate his allegation.He accused the President and his administration of fooling Nigerians with what he called staged-managed recovery of looted cash in some locations in the country in a bid to convince them that the anti-corruption war is on course.Fayose, in a statement issued on Monday by his Special Assistant on public Communication and New Media, Lere Olayinka, alleged that the hefty cash in local and foreign currencies recovered in some parts of the country belong to top officials of the Buhari administration who have become untouchable because of the backing they enjoy from their principal.He called on the international community to hold the Nigerian government under Buharis watch accountable on the recovered N13 billion cash found at a flat in Ikoyi, Lagos, stressing that the issue must not be swept under the carpet.Fayose was reacting to a statement credited to the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, who said that treasury looters now bury stolen funds in their backyards, deep forests and burial grounds in a bid to escape the scrutiny of Bank Verification Number (BVN) and evade arrest.But Fayose countered by saying: Looters in the Muhammadu Buharis Presidency, especially those being compensated for funding the election of the President in 2015 bury their own loots in the Villa with presidential protection.Should it be wrong for other supposed looters that do not have presidential protection like their All Progressives Congress (APC) counterparts to bury their loots in burial grounds probably for spiritual protection?Nigerians can no longer be fooled with stage-managed loots recoveries, with no traceable owners (looters), especially when the loots are traceable to close associates of the President and his cabinet members.Obviously, this so-called anti-corruption war has become a laughing stock with N49 million found in Kaduna Airport, N448 million discovered in a shop at Victoria Island, Lagos and N13 billion found in Ikoyi, Lagos, neither having owners nor the identities of owners of the properties where the money was found known.It is either the money belongs to members of Buharis government or it is being planted by the government to sustain its fake anti-corruption fight in the minds of the people.Enough of stage-managed and fake anti-corruption war aimed solely at opposition figures, especially presidential hopefuls in the 2019 election.The governor noted that two different laws were now being operated in the country, with one law for the APC and those who decamp to the party and the other for the opposition, especially those perceived as having presidential ambition.He added: The narrative they push daily is that only those in their government are saint while other Nigerians, including those in the National Assembly, Judiciary, opposition politicians and the civil servants are rogues while only Buharis appointees are saints.To worsen matters, the cluelessness of the APC government in the last two years has plunged the country into debt without anything to show.The cabals in the Presidency are also taking advantage of the Presidents state of health, which is as a result of his age to oppress Nigerians.Nigerians must therefore keep their eyes on the ball and not be carried away by the orchestrated distractions aimed at preventing them from seeing how the APC led government has failed woefully.
The federal government would be jeopardising its whistle-blowing policy if it accepts the National Intelligence Agencys claim over the mo...

The federal government would be jeopardising its whistle-blowing policy if it accepts the National Intelligence Agencys claim over the monies recently recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), says Femi Falana.Following the discovery of $43 million, N22 million and 27,000 in a residential apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos, the NIA reportedly claimed ownership of the stashed funds.Reacting in a statement on Sunday, the senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) wondered why the funds, if it truly belongs to the NIA, was not kept in a safe in the well-fortified office of the national security adviser.The human rights lawyer also wondered why the NIA had not briefed anti-graft agencies about the funds since the whistle-blowing policy was launched.Falana also advised the Rivers state government, whose governor Nyesom Wike claimed ownership of the funds, to file an affidavit to the effect at the federal high court.The statement read: In 2014, two businessmen (an Israeli and a Nigerian) smuggled $9.3 million to South Africa from Nigeria. It was alleged that the private jet with which the fund was hauled was leased from the then President of Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.Both suspects were arrested while the fund was seized. The additional sum of $5.7 million sent to South Africa through a bank by the duo was also seized. Although the Federal Government was not implicated in the transfer of the fund, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) later claimed that the $15 million was meant for the purchase of arms from a firm in South Africa.As the ONSA could not justify the brazen contravention of the Money Laundering Act of South Africa, the fund was confiscated on the orders of a High Court in Pretoria. When tried last year to confirm from the Attorney-General of the Federation if the forfeited sum of $15 million had been recovered from the President Jacob Zuma regime, I was asked to direct my enquiry to the ONSA.It is hoped that history is not repeating itself with respect to the embarrassing attempt by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to claim the sum of $43 million, N22 million and 27,000 seized by the EFCC last week from a flat at a building in Osborne Road, Ikoyi.The Federal Government owes the nation a duty to handle this matter with utmost transparency and circumspection. The NIA should not be allowed to play on the collective intelligence of the Nigerian people. If the Federal Government believes the cock and bull story of the NIA, the danger is that similar hidden funds are going to be officially protected, thereby making a mockery of the whistle-blowing policy of the government.We must avoid a situation whereby huge funds hidden in abandoned buildings and apartments are said to be operational funds kept by certain security agencies. If the EFCC had refused to seize the fund last week, the whistle-blower could have rushed to the media to accuse the Buhari administration of keeping stolen money for the 2019 general elections.Apart from the NIA, the Rivers State government is also laying claim to the fund. But instead of giving the Federal Government a seven-day ultimatum to hand over the money to the Rives State government, Governor Nyesom Wike should instruct his attorney-general to file an affidavit at the Federal High Court.But before doing that, he should carefully study the case of FRN v CBN (unreported) where the application of the Delta State government to claim the bribe of $15 million paid to the then EFCC chairman, Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, by a former governor of the state was dismissed as the applicant was unable to prove that it owned the money.On a more serious note, are Nigerians to believe that an agency of the federal government kept about $50 million in an apartment without adequate security personnel to guard the money? Why was the fund not kept in a safe in the well-fortified ONSA? When was the National Intelligence Agency exempted from the Treasury Single Account (TSA)?If the DG of NIA has just gone to brief President Buhari that the fund was collected from former President Goodluck Jonathan for a special project, why did the briefing not take place before now? Since the NIA is in charge of external security why was it necessary to execute projects in the country? How much of such fund is being kept in private homes by the NIA and other security agencies?Since the whistle-blowing policy of the Federal Government commenced why has the NIA not deemed it fit to take the anti-graft agencies into confidence with respect to the fund being kept in Ikoyi for the so called covert operations?Is the Federal Government not being exposed to ridicule when corrupt public officers are competing with government departments to hide millions of United States dollars in dump sites and safe apartments? Anyway, since the Federal High Court has granted the application filed by the EFCC for an interim forfeiture of the fund, it is no longer an internal affair of the Buhari administration. Let the National Intelligence Agency approach the court with convert proof to claim the money.
Nigerian winger Nnamdi Oduamadi is in talks with unnamed clubs in the French Ligue 1 ahead of next season, the player has told reporters.Oduamadi who had an impressive loan spell with Finnish side HJK Helsinki until his return to AC Milan in January is also in talks over a possible extension with the Rossoneri."Talks are ongoing with some teams in France and there's a big possibility there, but I'm keeping my options open," Oduamadi told journalists."With the takeover here at Milan we have to wait to know what happens in June."The Nigerian international's current deal expires this summer.Oduamadi also ruled out the possibility of playing in the Italian second-tier Serie B next season.The 26-year-old has previously featured for Torino, Varese, Crotone, Latina and Brescia all in Serie B."I don't think I'd play in the lower division again but who knows," he added.
Popular Cool FM On Air Personalty, Ifedayo Olarinde better known as Daddy Freeze has lambasted Humble Okoro, a Senior Pastor with Joy Ch...

Popular Cool FM On Air Personalty, Ifedayo Olarinde better known as Daddy Freeze has lambasted Humble Okoro, a Senior Pastor with Joy Christian Church, Port Harcourt, Rivers State for accusing him of having 52 demons.Okoro had said in an interview published by Street TV, that the OAP needs spiritual help and he is willing to offer such help.He had claimed that Freeze insult pastors.Okoro had said: This young man use to insult pastors- they call him Daddy Freeze. That fair boy! That boy is not normal! I saw about 52 demons inside him. I can help him!But in a swift response, the OAP described the pastor as an alpine dialect crestin, that was anointed with engine oilFreeze also told the pastor via his Instagram page to beg for forgiveness from him and he would be forgiven for the insult he heaped on him.Watch video below.
As Christians celebrate Easter, some passengers of the Abuja-Kaduna rail had complained of inadequate communication and inefficient serv...

As Christians celebrate Easter, some passengers of the Abuja-Kaduna rail had complained of inadequate communication and inefficient services from personnel at the train station in Abuja.Some of them who spoke on Sunday in separate interviews at the Kubwa station in Abuja said that passengers welfare should be paramount.Alhaji Ibrahim Dauda said that it was his first time of joining the train service, saying that there was need for Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) to improve on its condition and welfare of passengers and ensure proper communication channel.As you can see many people are standing, they need to improve on the condition and welfare of passengers, since I came, I have not heard any announcement whether the train is delayed or how long will passengers wait.There should be constant information from the management to the passengers, especially on the movement of the train, he said.Toyin Idowu, another passenger, stressed the need for the station to improve on its time, communication, saying that the NRC personnel should be trained on customers serviceShe alleged that most of the staff members were rude to passengers.She further commended the Federal Government for the good initiative and for reviving rail service in the country.He added that it has helped the poor masses a lot especially the free airport service.However, Mr Segun Tokunbo, also a passenger, commended the Federal Government for the good development and beautiful structure on ground but blamed the management for poor service.He said that the passengers were punished because there was no proper communication from the operators to the passengers which made it frustrating and disappointing.It is a good development in this country but the management of the operation is actually going against the wishes of the government, what I can see here is waste of resources and punishment to the public.I have been here since 7a.m and is almost noon, there is no form of communication on the arrival and departure of the train.The government has done a good job but the operators need to be trained so that they dont frustrate governments good intention because people are discouraged, he said.Responding, Abdullahi Gani, the Assistant Station Manager, Kubwa, said that due to airport closure the population has increased and they have informed the management to provide more seats which they promised would be ready within two weeks.He, however, said that the complaints of passengers that the personnel are rude could be based on the issue of change because the passengers expect them to leave their duty post to look for change.The issue of the seat, we have channel the complain to the management and they will response in the next one to two weeks, it will be resolved, he said.Passengers were seen standing for hours without communication from the public affairs unit on the arrival and departure of the train until the train arrived by 12.44p.m.The station environment and toilets were neat, the reception was conducive with security agencies protecting the station.
The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, has ordered the removal of all illegal road blocks by unlawful revenue collectors acr...

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, has ordered the removal of all illegal road blocks by unlawful revenue collectors across the country.A statement issued by the Force Spokesman, CSP Jimoh Moshood in Abuja on Sunday, said that the Special X-Squad Teams of the Force had been deployed to begin the exercise on April 17.Moshood said that the exercise would remove obstructions on public highways and roads mounted by unlawful revenue and tax collectors, NURTW among others.Moshood said the X-Squad Teams deployed were under strict instructions to also arrest, investigate and prosecute any person or group of persons found committing this illegal act. It is unlawful and contrary to the laws for any individual, or group under any name to take laws into their hands and block any Road or highway under the guise of collection of Revenue/Tax, he said.He advised all relevant State Governments Local Government Councils, Boards of Internal Revenue Services across the Country to desist from the acts as it was against the laws of the nation.The spokesman said that these illegal road blocks were most times taken over and used by armed robbers and Kidnappers to rob, kidnap and maim innocent travelers and other road users.He warned that anyone arrested in the act would be prosecuted along with their sponsors.Parents and guidance are also enjoined to monitor their children and wards not to be used to commit illegal acts under the pretence of employment.The renewed commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to continue to enforce the law, guarantee adequate security and safety of every Nigerian and ensure crime free society remained unwavering,he said.
Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), has asked Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State to te...

Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), has asked Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State to tender tangible evidence to prove ownership of the $43.4m, 27,000 and N23m (about N13bn) uncovered in a house in Ikoyi, Lagos, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission last Wednesday.Wike had on Friday claimed the money belonged to the Rivers State Government and that it was stolen and stashed in the Ikoyi house by his predecessor and current Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.However, the commission had gone before a Federal High Court in Lagos where it claimed that no one had come forward to claim the cash and obtained an interim forfeiture order.The court then ordered that the money would be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government if no one came forward within 30 days to show proof that he or she owned the cash.The governor had earlier said the money was proceed from the sale of gas turbine belonging to Rivers State by Amaechi.Amaechi had dismissed Wikes claim, describing it as reckless and unfounded, saying he (Amaechi) knew nothing about the seized money.Reacting to the development on Sunday, Sagay said Wike must tender concrete evidence that the cash belonged to the Rivers State Government or else he would not be taken seriously.He said, The court has already given an order that the seizure should be advertised and anybody, who has an interest or thinks he is the owner, should come in and file an affidavit and explain the basis upon which he is claiming the money.So, if Rivers State is serious about what it is saying, it has a fair opportunity to present its case. This should not be a matter of politics. This is something that has to be legally established; not politics of attack.They (state officials) need to file an affidavit to establish ownership and if they cant, they will lose. So, they have an avenue to establish ownership now and let them go ahead.The Rivers matter is pure politics as far as I am concerned. Since the NIA has claimed ownership, all they need to do is to go to court and present documents and satisfactorily convince the courts that it owns the money and it was obtained legitimately.
Senator Dino Melaye, has given the latest update after the reported assassination attempt on him by unknown gunmen yesterday.

Senator Dino Melaye, has given the latest update after the reported assassination attempt on him by unknown gunmen yesterday.Recall that Senator Melaye, yesterday escaped assassination, as unknown gunmen attacked his home in Ayetoro-Gbede, Ijumu local government area of Kogi State.The gunmen were said to have shot sporadically into the building for over an hour, leaving two vehicles parked within the premises damaged.However, reacting via his twitter handle on Sunday morning, Melaye wrote, 7 people arrested at the residence of Taofik Isa and a jeep loaded with ammunition.Jeep now in the custody of DC Crime and investigation.
Ayodele Fayose, governor of Ekiti state, has alleged that some people close to President Muhammadu Buhari buried loot in the presidential ...

Ayodele Fayose, governor of Ekiti state, has alleged that some people close to President Muhammadu Buhari buried loot in the presidential villa in Abuja.Fayose made the claim in response to the statement of Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, that looters have resorted to burying stolen funds in their backyards, deep forests and burial grounds.Mohammed said this while saying whistleblowing policy of the federal government had been yielding results.But in a statement issued on his behalf by Lere Olayinka, his spokesman, Fayose said Mohammed was only trying to play on the intelligence of Nigerians.Looters in the Muhammadu Buharis presidency, especially those being compensated for funding the election of the president in 2015 bury their own loot in the villa with presidential protection, he said in a statement.Should it be wrong for other supposed looters that do not have presidential protection like the All Progressives Congress (APC) looters to bury their loots in burial grounds probably for spiritual protection?Nigerians can no longer be fooled with stage-managed loots recoveries, with no traceable owners (looters), especially when the loots are traceable to close associates of the president and his cabinet members.Obviously, this so-called anti-corruption war has become a laughing stock with N49 million found in Kaduna Airport, N448 million discovered in a shop at Victoria Island, Lagos and N13 billion found in Ikoyi, Lagos neither having owners nor the identities of owners of the property where the money was found known.Fayose claimed that it is either the recovered monies belong to those around Buhari or the government planted them to sustain its fake anti-corruption fight.It is either the money belongs to members of Buharis government or it is being planted by the government to sustain its fake anti-corruption fight in the minds of the people, he said.Enough of stage-managed and fake anti-corruption war aimed solely at opposition figures, especially presidential hopefuls in the 2019 election.The governor alleged that two different laws were now being operated in the country, saying one is for the APC and those who decamp to the party and the other for the opposition, especially those perceived as having presidential ambition.The narrative they push daily is that only those in their government are saint while other Nigerians, including those in the national assembly, judiciary, opposition politicians and the civil servants are rogues while only Buharis appointees are saints, he said.To worsen matters, the cluelessness of the APC government in the last two years has plunged the country into debt without anything to show.The cabals in the presidency are also taking advantage of the presidents state of health, which is as a result of his age to oppress Nigerians.Nigerians must therefore keep their eyes on the ball and not be carried away by the orchestrated distractions aimed at preventing them from seeing how the APC led government has failed woefully.He called on the international community to hold Nigeria accountable on the recovered N13 billion cash found in that Ikoyi, Lagos apartment saying; this must not be swept under the carpet.
Food aid will be cut for more than a million hungry Nigerians affected by Boko Harams insurgency if promised funding from the internatio...

Food aid will be cut for more than a million hungry Nigerians affected by Boko Harams insurgency if promised funding from the international community doesnt arrive, according to a United Nations official.Peter Lundberg, the deputy U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, wrote in the French newspaper Le Monde that just 15 percent of the U.N. aid appeal for one of the worlds worst humanitarian crises has been received. Over the next six months, $242 million is needed to help 1.8 million people, he said.Without sufficient financing, the World Food Program will have to reduce its vital support, he said in the report published on Friday.A half-million children in the Northeast are suffering from severe malnutrition, Lundberg said. Without treatment, one in five will die, he said.WFPs Nigeria office did not respond to a request for more details on what aid would be cut and when.Nigeria is part of what the U.N. has called the largest humanitarian crisis since the world body was founded in 1945, with more than 20 million people in four countries facing possible famine. The other nations are South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen.Lundberg said the U.N. has appealed for $1 billion in aid this year for Nigeria, where an estimated 4.7 million people in the northeast are in urgent need of food aid.The army has been fighting to win back areas that have been under the control of the Boko Haram extremist group. The years-long Islamic insurgency in the Northeast has disrupted both markets and farming, creating the hunger crisis.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Sunday urged Nigerians to emulate the sacrificial love that Jesus Christ showed to all generations by pr...

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Sunday urged Nigerians to emulate the sacrificial love that Jesus Christ showed to all generations by preaching and showing love to all.Osinbajo gave the advice while speaking to newsmen shortly after the Easter Service at the Aso Villa Chapel.The VP had at the service preached on love to one another and said it was the foundation of the nations development.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Osinbajos sermon is entitled: `Revelations on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.It is a message for love for all; there is no tribe, no religion; regardless of faith, Jesus loves us. This is how we should relate with ourselves.It is a pure love and I think that it is what everyone should bear in mind at this time, he said.He reminded Nigerians to serve God faithfully to earn forgiveness and salvation in the hereafter.Osinbajo noted that spiritually, Jesus stood between hell and heaven, and serves as an intercessor for mankind.All that is required is to believe in Him by acceptance of the commitment he made on the cross, he said.The service had in attendance, Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity and Sen. Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters. (NAN)
The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar says there is hunger in the land because people are lazy.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar says there is hunger in the land because people are lazy."The chairman, Shura committee talk about hunger in the land but let me make it clear that we are hungry because we are lazy," he stated.He was responding to the remarks of the chairman of the Shura committee of the National Islamic Centre, Ahmad Bello who said that there is extreme hunger in the land at the 22rd annual Ummah Convention held in Sokoto.The Sultan noted that Nigeria was endowed with fertile land and that if properly harnessed could lead the country to greatness but for the laziness of the people.He recalled that agriculture had been the pride of the north in the past which need to be restored.The monarch urged Nigerians, particularly northerners to take advantage of the agricultural programmes initiated by their state and federal governments for development of the region and the country in general.He also harped on the unity of the Ummah and the need for them to live peacefully with other religious faithful.Sultan urged the organizers to ensure that their resolutions and recommendations reach those people in government for onward implementation.However, Bello advised the federal government to address the cognate issue of hunger in the country."Let us be very frank and blunt about this- there is hunger, extreme hunger in the land.There is no more vociferous and forceful evidence on this than the millions of our hapless children, all victims of cruel parental neglect, who go about begging for food from households, on streets, or just eating out of dustbin, " he stated.The committee chairman added:"Our political and spiritual leaders must do something about this, and urgently too, as it would be a crime, a sin and a folly not to do so."He congratulated the federal government for defeating the Boko Haram threat to security and advised it to investigate and gather intelligence on some pertinent questions about this "glaringly licentious and clearly unislamic group.Delivering a lecture on "Agriculture:Panacea for Nigeria's Economic Recession", the Vice Chancellor, Al-Qalam University, Katsina Professor Shehu Ado stressed the need for Nigeria to take agriculture to the centrepiece of industrialization and economic take off.He said by focusing on an action-oriented process, Nigeria could accelerate agric-led development that leads to self-reliant productive economies capable of eradicating hunger and poverty.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has explained why it rejected Fridays ruling of the Election Petitions Tribunal which a...

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has explained why it rejected Fridays ruling of the Election Petitions Tribunal which affirmed the election of Governor Godwin Obaseki.Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ahmed Badamasi, had in a unanimous judgment thrown out the petition of the PDP and its governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu for failing to support their pleadings with evidence as well as abandoning some pleadings in their petition.State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, who gave reasons why the party rejected the judgement said the tribunal threw away the results obtained from the inconclusive ballot recount.Chief Orbih said the tribunal expected the party and its candidate to call over 2,000 witnesses within the 14 days allotted to prove its case.Orbih noted that the tribunal through it pronouncement said different unit presiding officers could adopt different standards in the conduct of same election and that the tribunal was saying that there was no need for uniformity in the conduct of elections.He said, Conduct of an election is not a free-for-all exercise where anyone is at liberty to apply his own discretion. What Justice Badamasi was simply saying was that whether the presiding officers followed the regulations or not did not matter.For the first time ever, a judge redefined over-voting as a situation whereby the total number of votes cast exceeds the total number of registered voters. Is that not laughable? I think these are the salient issues that we will challenge.Orbih also challenged former governor Adams Oshiomhole to explain what he meant when he (Oshiomhole) referred to the tribunal verdict as Mama Akara judgement.He stated that Oshiomholes comment suggested that Oshiomhole may have inadvertently exposed how his party purchased the verdict.His words, I watched former Governor Adams Oshiomhole on national television describing Fridays judgement as Mama Akara judgement. This is about the first time Oshiomhole will be describing things the way they are in his political life.We know what goes into the making of akara and we also know that the Mama Akara will not part with her akara for nothing. So, we are demanding from Oshiomhole to tell Edo people and indeed Nigerians what was handed the Mama Akara before she let go of her akara.
Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi wants to be known for who he is than the tagged New Kante at the English club.The Nigeria international joined Leicester from Belgian club Genk midway through the current season and many have regarded him as N'Golo Kante's replacement.Kante, who is a French international, left Leicester for Chelsea after helping them win the 2015/16 English Premier League (EPL) title.I can only see myself as myself, Ndidi told journalists.Whether people say I play like Kante, or that hes better than me, I dont listen to them."All I want to do is play and keep improving, and it is working well at the moment  we are doing the basic things well and we try to kick on from there," he said."I prefer to enjoy the winning mentality of the team rather than how I play or what I try to achieve."
Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode has slammed President Muhammadu Buhari for rating high his performance in the last two years in...

Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode has slammed President Muhammadu Buhari for rating high his performance in the last two years in office.Fani-Kayode accused President Buhari of gross incompetence, adding that God will deliver Nigeria from him.It was understood that Fani-Kayodes statement is as a result of President Buharis Easter message to Christians in Nigeria.The former Minister said Buharis performance rating was grossly exaggerated.President Buhari had in the message said his administration had worked hard in the last two years to meet the expectations of Nigerian citizens.Fani-Kayode wrote via @realFFK, his twitter handle, The Buhari govt. is the most divisive, vindictive, incompetent, primitive, mendacious, cruel and ignorant govt. that has EVER ruled Nigeria.The former Spokesperson to Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organization in 2015, also denied claims that his former boss approved the $43 million uncovered in a building in Ikoyi, Lagos.He disagreed with reports by the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, that Jonathan knows about the N13 billion.He added, The idea that @GEJonathan approved the $43m is a lie.DG NIA is a treacherous and lying coward. A massive cover up is on. He must resign.
boozle-LTC insurance 1 Kari 3.JPG

Pete Hamerslag (left) goes over long-term care insurance policy paperwork with Joe Becker (right).

(Amanda Brown/For NJ Advance Media)

Eighteen years ago when Joe Becker was 72, he bought a long-term care insurance policy.

He paid more than $75,000 over the years.

Becker, a retired chemist, saw first-hand how important the policy could be. His wife of 54 years, Roz Becker, had a stroke about 15 years ago. She was bedridden and needed constant care until she died in December 2015.

She didn't have a policy.

"Joe took care of her religiously over that entire period," said Pete Hamerslag, Becker's neighbor.

Joe Becker is well-known for his walks around his Martinsville neighborhood, where Hamerslag said people look out for each other.

So last fall, when Hamerslag learned that Becker missed a July 2016 payment on his long-term care policy, he tried to help.

"He had paid premiums for 18 years, but due to confusion likely related to a fall and broken ribs, he missed that one," Hamerslag said, noting the fall happened in April 2016 and the payment was due in July. "I've been trying to get the company to reinstate the policy."

Pete Hamerslag (left) and Joe Becker (right) pose for a photo at Becker's home.

Becker's premiums used to be taken directly from his bank account twice a year.

"At some point that changed," Hamerslag said. "Joe's son, who was the alternate person receiving notice of a missed payment, told me that he reminded Joe to pay and assumed it got done."

But apparently, the payment was never made.

Hamerslag contacted the insurance company, Senior Health Insurance Company of Pennsylvania (SHIP), in writing. He included Becker's check for the half-year premium of $2,372.91 and asked for reinstatement.

The company denied the request, and it returned the uncashed check.

SHIP said it would only reinstate the policy if either state regulations or the policy itself required it to, but it wasn't specific about terms or rules.

Hamerslag said he tried to get more details on why the reinstatement was declined, but the company wouldn't give it over the phone the reasons were not in the letter.

The company did say Becker could file an official request for reinstatement, for which it required updated medical records.

Becker signed all the forms, and added a letter from Becker's physician, who has cared for him for nearly 25 years.

The doctor confirmed that Becker fell and broke several ribs in April 2016.

"I saw him on July 11th and he was confused, malnourished, dizzy and weak," the doctor wrote.

Of Becker's confusion over the payment, the doctor wrote: "I am not surprised given his recent stresses of losing his wife, his fall, fractured ribs and his age."

Hamerslag said the doctor's letter offered a strong argument that Becker suffered from "Cognitive Impairment," a key phrase defined in the policy and one of the reasons a lapsed policy could be considered for reinstatement.

There was a lot more back and forth. The company said Becker stopped the auto-draft payments in 2015 because he planned to change bank accounts. He never changed the account, and a month later, he asked the company about re-starting the auto-draft, documents show.

A redacted copy of the letter Joe Becker received from SHIP, saying he had 60 days to appeal.

But Becker never returned the form.

On Feb. 3, Becker received another letter denying the reinstatement. The postmark was 18 days later, Feb. 21, and the letter wasn't received until Feb. 24.

It said Becker had 60 days from the date of the letter to appeal. Hamerslag saw they had lost 21 days because of the slowly mailed letter.

Hamerslag was suspicious that SHIP was trying to run down the clock on the appeals calendar.

He wrote to SHIP again, asking for the reasons for the reinstatement denial, and followed up with another letter arguing the doctor's statement demonstrated Becker had a cognitive impairment at the time of the policy lapse.

"I suspect their real reasons are that they have profited from Joe for 18 years and now that he is approaching the age when he might need the policy, they can get out of it," Hamerslag said.

And he asked Bamboozled to evaluate the case.

DIGGING DEEPER

After reviewing the timeline and all the letters, we asked SHIP to take another look.

On April 10, we received a statement from the company.

"The appeal has been reviewed and a response will be sent to the policyholder's attorney today," a spokeswoman said.

So we waited for the snail mail to arrive, and it did on April 12.

Another denial.

SHIP's letter said "Cognitive Impairment," as defined by the policy, "means a deficiency in a person's short or long-term memory, orientation as to person, place and time, deductive or abstract reasoning, or judgement [sic] as it relates to safety awareness."

That sounds very much like what Becker's doctor described in the letter to SHIP.

The letter continued: "Mr. Becker was not diagnosed as having a Cognitive Impairment or Loss of Functional Capacity at the time his Policy lapsed."

Joe Becker (left) receives help from his neighbor Pete Hamerslag (right) in trying to reinstate Becker's long-term care insurance policy.

It said the doctor's letter didn't include a medical diagnosis, nor did the medical records, and it said its decision was within state law.

It concluded with this heartwarming statement: "The Trust and SHIP are committed to operating for the exclusive benefits of its policyholders, without a profit motive."

Hamerslag isn't giving up yet.

"The doctor clearly raised the issue of a cognitive problem," he said. "Whether it was in the precise form that a diagnosis should be in, it raised the issue for them and they should have had the obligation to follow through."

He used this analogy: Under the Miranda Law, if a suspect in custody raises the issue of an attorney, even if he doesn't say the magic words, "I want an attorney," law enforcement is obligated to determine if that's what the suspect means.

Hamerslag argued this is no different, and he and Becker will file a complaint with the Department of Banking and Insurance.

We took the case to estate planning and elder care attorney Shirley Whitenack, who said a diagnosis of "confusion" is not the same as "cognitive impairment."

"It is not uncommon for elderly people to become confused when they suffer a trauma like a fall or the death of a loved one or a hospitalization, but that confused state is often temporary, whereas cognitive impairment is usually -- but not always -- permanent," Whitenack said. "The fact that he may have been confused on the day the doctor saw him doesn't mean that he was cognitively impaired at the time the premium was due."

She said it is the burden of the insured to prove cognitive impairment, so the question now is whether the doctor will certify Becker was cognitively impaired, and whether the insurance company will accept that.

Hamerslag said they will be in touch with the doctor to discuss those issues.

"Even if the insurance company is technically correct, they ignored the real likelihood that Joe was confused at that time and they should have raised it and followed through on it," Hamerslag said. "The fact that they didn't do that is immoral."

We'll let you know what happens.

IMPORTANT TAKEAWAYS

This unfortunate story offers an important lesson. It's essential for everyone to have a back-up plan in case you're ever incapacitated.

Becker did the right thing in naming his son to receive duplicate notices about his policy. The son asked his dad about the non-payment, and his dad said it was taken care of.

What more can the child of a senior to do? What more can seniors do?

We hope you use Becker's story to start the conversation.

Having a trusted loved one receive alternate notices is a great first step. But unless you give that person access to your bank account, it will be hard to confirm that payments are made on time.

If you don't want your kids' noses in your business, consider hiring a financial planning firm or an attorney to do the job.

And before you say you've got it together, let's be real. Anyone can get hit by a bus. Or have a fall. Or suffer any number of unfortunate events.

That's why Bamboozled keeps what we lovingly call the "When I'm Dead" file.

It's a list of all accounts, insurance policies, online logins and passwords. It's everything the Bamboozled family will need if that bus ever veers our way.

The original "When I'm Dead File" story appeared in another publication, but you can still read a version of it here.

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.
Cleveland suspect in 'senseless' killing on Facebook urged to turn himself in
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, holds up a copy of the original Affordable Care Act bill during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, March 8, 2017. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Bidya Devi Bhandari, the president of Nepal today will reach the New Delhi who is on a five-day visit to the country. Yesterday at the press briefing the Joint secretary in the External Affairs Ministry Sudhakar Dalela as per the sources news told that she will have delegation-level talks.

He also mentioned that she will meet President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is the first state visit of Bhandari after assuming the office of the President in October 2015.

As per the sources news, Sudhakar Dalela said India and Nepal have air services agreement and both the countries are quite open to improving it also the work on two rail links Biratnagar and Jaynagar are being implemented out of five rail links.

Also Read:

PM Modi inaugurated Kiran Multispeciality Hospital in Surat

Don't forget to Read the Top 10 News of the Day

Compensation announced for the injured in Rajya Rani express derailment
In Alaska, anyone with a disability can be accompanied by a certified service animal in a public place.

Alaska makes it a crime to prevent someone with a disability from being accompanied by, or receiving assistance from, a certified service animal in a public place (which includes motels, restaurants, theaters, and more). Alaska's Human Rights Law defines a disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity or a condition that may require the use of a prosthesis, special mobility equipment, or a service animal.

In addition, under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), people with disabilities may bring service animals to all public accommodations. Public accommodations in Alaska must comply with both state and federal law. Below, we explain which public accommodations are covered, which animals qualify as service animals, and some rules you may need to follow with your service animal.

Which Animals Count as Service Animals in Alaska?

Alaska's Human Rights Law does not say which animals can count as service animals, but the state's criminal statutes, which make it illegal to prevent someone with a disability from being accompanied or assisted by a certified service animal, does provide a definition. A certified service animal is an animal trained to assist someone with a disability and certified by a school or training facility for service animals to have completed such training.

Under the ADA, a service animal is a dog that has been trained to perform tasks or do work for the benefit of a person with a disability. The tasks or work the animal does must be directly related to the person's disability, such alerting a handler of an impending seizures, reminding handlers to take medication, or helping those who are visually impaired to navigate safely. In some cases, a miniature horse may also qualify as a service animal. The ADA also covers psychiatric service animals, which can help their handlers manage mental and emotional disabilities by interrupting self-harming behaviors, checking spaces for intruders, or providing calming pressure during anxiety or panic attacks.

Neither the ADA nor Alaska law includes what some people call "emotional support animals": animals that provide a sense of safety, companionship, and comfort to those with psychiatric or emotional conditions. Although these animals often have therapeutic benefits, they are not individually trained to perform specific tasks for their handlers. Under the ADA and Alaska law, owners of public accommodations are not required to allow emotional support animals, only service animals.

Public Accommodations Defined

Alaska's Human Rights Law defines public accommodations as places that offer goods, services, or facilities to, or that cater to, the general public. The law includes a list of places that qualify, such as:

restaurants, soda fountains, soft drink parlors, taverns and bars, ice cream parlors, and anywhere else that sells food or drinks

hotels, motels, inns, trailer parks, resorts, and campgrounds

barber shops and beauty parlors

transportation companies

bathrooms and rest houses

theaters

skating rinks, golf courses, and swimming pools, and

all other public amusement and business establishments.

The ADA sets out a long list of facilities that qualify as public accommodations to which you may bring your service animal, including:

hotels and other lodging establishments

public transportation and terminals, depots, and stations

restaurants and other places that serve food and drink

any place of public gathering, such as an auditorium or convention center

gyms, bowling alleys, and other places of exercise or recreation

libraries, museums, and educational institutions, and

social service centers, like senior centers, homeless shelters, and food banks.

Rules for Your Service Animal

Under the ADA, a public accommodation may not ask you questions about your disability or demand to see certification, identification, or other proof of your animal's training or status. If it is not apparent what your service animal does, the establishment may ask you only whether it is a service animal, and what tasks it performs for you.

Alaska's criminal law applies only to "certified" service animals. However, the law doesn't indicate whether the person using the animal must show certification or other proof.

The ADA and Alaska law both prohibit public accommodations from charging a special admission fee or requiring you to pay any other extra cost to have your service animal with you. However, you may have to pay for any damage your animal causes.

The ADA allows a public accommodation to exclude your service animal if it poses a direct threat to health and safety (or example, if your dog is aggressively barking and snapping at other customers, the facility can kick the dog out). Your animal may also be excluded if it is not housebroken, or if it is out of control and you are unable or unwilling to effectively control it. You are still entitled to enter the public accommodation even if your service animal is not allowed in.

When Assistance Animals Are Allowed in Alaska Housing

The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing accommodations against those who use service animals. You must be allowed full and equal access to all housing facilities, and you may not be charged extra for having a service animal (although you may have to pay for damage your animal causes). If your lease or rental agreement includes a "no pets" provision, it does not apply to your service animal.

Alaska's Human Rights law prohibits housing discrimination against those with disabilities and, as explained above, this includes those who have a condition requiring use of a service animal.

Finally, pursuant to the federal Fair Housing Act, housing facilities must allow service dogs and emotional support animals, if necessary for a person with a disability to have an equal opportunity to use and enjoy the home. To fall under this provision, you must have a disability and you must have a disability-related need for the animal. In other words, the animal must work, perform tasks or services, or alleviate the emotional effects of your disability in order to qualify. (For more information, see the Department of Housing and Urban Development's guidance on service animals.)
New Hampshire law allows you to have any type of service dog in rental housing and in public places.

Under New Hampshire's service animal law and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), people with disabilities may bring service animals to all "public accommodations," including stores, businesses, motels, restaurants, theaters, schools, and more. Below, we explain which animals qualify as service animals, which public accommodations are covered, and some rules you may need to follow with your service animal.

What Are Service Animals in New Hampshire?

In New Hampshire, a service animal is a dog that has been trained to do tasks or work for the benefit of someone with a disability. The disability may be physical, sensory (such as low vision or deafness), or intellectual, psychiatric, or some other kind of mental disability. The tasks a service animal might perform include helping a blind person navigate, retrieving items, pulling a wheelchair, helping a person with a psychiatric disability by preventing or interrupting impulsive behaviors, or providing physical support to assist someone whose mobility is impaired to balance and remain stable.

Similarly, under the ADA, a service animal is a dog that has been trained to perform disability-related tasks or do work for the benefit of a person with a disability. In some cases, a miniature horse may also qualify as a service animal under the ADA. In addition to guide dogs and hearing dogs, here are some other examples of service animals that must be allowed into public accommodations under the ADA:

psychiatric service animals, which can help their handlers manage mental and emotional disabilities by interrupting self-harming behaviors, reminding handlers to take medication, checking spaces for intruders, or providing calming pressure during anxiety or panic attacks

seizure alert animals, which let their handlers know of impending seizures, and may also guard their handlers during seizure activity, and

allergen alert animals, which let their handlers know of substances that could be dangerous (such as peanuts).

Neither the ADA nor New Hampshire's service animal law includes what some people call "emotional support animals": animals that provide a sense of safety, companionship, and comfort to those with psychiatric or emotional disabilities or conditions. Although emotional support dogs and therapy dogs and other animals often have therapeutic benefits, they are not individually trained to perform specific tasks for their handlers. Under the ADA and New Hampshire law, owners of public accommodations are not required to allow emotional support animals, only service animals. These laws also don't apply to pets.

Public accommodations in New Hampshire must comply with both state and federal law.

What Counts as a Public Accommodation in New Hampshire?

In New Hampshire, you may bring your service dog into any public accommodation, which includes a long list of examples, including hotels, roadhouses, and trailer parks; restaurants, ice cream parlors, and bars; swimming pools, skating rinks, gymnasiums, fairs, and pool halls; shops and stores; theaters, auditoriums, music halls, and meeting places; schools and libraries; and hospitals.

Under the ADA, the definition of public accommodations is also quite broad. It includes:

hotels and other lodging establishments

public transportation and terminals, depots, and stations

restaurants and other places that serve food and drink

service, sales, or rental establishments

any place of public gathering, such as an auditorium or convention center

places of entertainment and exhibit, like theaters, sports stadiums, museums, and libraries

recreational facilities, such as zoos, parks, gyms, and bowling alleys

educational institutions, and

social service centers, like senior centers, homeless shelters, and food banks.

Are There Any Limitations on Your Service Animal?

Under the ADA, a public accommodation may not ask you questions about your disability or demand to see certification, identification, or other proof of your animal's training or status. If it is not apparent what your service animal does, the establishment may ask you only whether it is a service animal, and what tasks it performs for you.

The ADA prohibits public accommodations from charging a special admission fee or requiring you to pay any other extra cost to have your service animal with you. However, you may have to pay for any damage your animal causes.

Under the ADA, your service animal can be excluded from a public accommodation if it poses a direct threat to health and safety (or example, if your dog is aggressively barking and snapping at other customers, the facility can kick the dog out). Your animal may also be excluded if it is not housebroken, or if it is out of control and you are unable or unwilling to effectively control it.

Are Service Animals Allowed in New Hampshire Housing?

Both the federal Fair Housing Act and New Hampshire law prohibit discrimination in rental housing accommodations against those who use service dogs. You must be allowed full and equal access to all housing facilities, and your landlord may not charge you extra for having a service dog (although you may have to pay for damage your animal causes). If your lease or rental agreement includes a "no pets" provision, it does not apply to your service dog.

Pursuant to the federal Fair Housing Act, housing facilities must allow service dogs and emotional support animals, if necessary for a person with a disability to have an equal opportunity to use and enjoy the home. To fall under this provision, you must have a disability and you must have a disability-related need for the animal. In other words, the animal must work, perform tasks or services, or alleviate the emotional effects of your disability in order to qualify. (For more information, see the Department of Housing and Urban Development's guidance on service animals.)
West Virginia allows service dogs and emotional support animals in all housing and public places.

Under West Virginia's White Cane Law and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), people with disabilities may bring service animals to all "public accommodations," including restaurants, theaters, schools, stores, businesses, motels, and more. Below, we explain which public accommodations are covered, which animals qualify as service animals, and some rules you may need to follow with your service animal.

Which Support Animals Are Covered in West Virginia?

Under the ADA, a service animal is a dog (or miniature horse) that has been trained to perform disability-related tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability. In addition to hearing dogs and guide dogs, service animals that must be allowed into public accommodations under the ADA include:

seizure alert animals, which let their handlers know of impending seizures, and may also guard their handlers during seizure activity

allergen alert animals, which let their handlers know of foods or other substances that could be dangerous (such as peanuts), and

psychiatric service animals, which can help their handlers manage mental and emotional disabilities by reminding handlers to take medication, checking spaces for intruders, or providing calming pressure during panic attacks.

West Virginia's White Cane Law defines a service animal as a guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to perform work or tasks for someone with a physical or mental disability. The law lists the following as examples of tasks a service animal might perform:

guiding those with visual impairments

alerting those with hearing impairments to intruders or other sounds

pulling a wheelchair

fetching dropped items, or

providing minimal rescue or protection work.

Neither the ADA nor West Virginia law includes what some people call "emotional support animals": animals that provide a sense of safety, companionship, and comfort to those with psychiatric or emotional conditions. Although these animals often have therapeutic benefits, they are not individually trained to perform specific tasks for their handlers. Under the ADA and West Virginia law, owners of public accommodations are not required to allow emotional support animals, only service animals.

Public Accommodations Defined in West Virginia

West Virginia's White Cane Law defines public accommodations to include:

public transportation and common carriers, including airplanes, cars, buses, ferries, and streetcars

hotels and lodging places

restaurants

hospitals and professional offices that provide health services or legal services

other places of public accommodation, resort, or amusement, and

other places to which the general public is invited, including places of employment.

The ADA sets out a long list of facilities that qualify as public accommodations to which you may bring your service animal, including:

hotels and other lodging establishments

public transportation and terminals, depots, and stations

restaurants and other places that serve food and drink

places of entertainment and exhibit, like theaters or sports stadiums

gyms, bowling alleys, and other places of exercise or recreation

recreational facilities, such as zoos and parks

libraries, museums, and other places where items are collected or displayed publicly

educational institutions, and

social service centers, like senior centers, homeless shelters, and food banks.

Rules for Your Service Animal

Under the ADA, a public accommodation may not ask you questions about your disability or demand to see certification, identification, or other proof of your animal's training or status. If it is not apparent what your service animal does, the establishment may ask you only whether it is a service animal, and what tasks it performs for you.

West Virginia's White Cane Law specifically says that a service animal need not be licensed or certified by the government. Your service animal also need not have any particular sign or label. It must be on leash while on a common carrier like a bus, and it may not take up a seat on public transportation.

The ADA and West Virginia law both prohibit public accommodations from charging a special admission fee or requiring you to pay any other extra cost to have your service animal with you. However, you may have to pay for any damage your animal causes. West Virginia law creates an exception to this rule: You are not liable for damage done by your service animal to someone (or that person's property) who provokes or incites your animal to cause damage.

The ADA allows a public accommodation to exclude your service animal if it poses a direct threat to health and safety (or example, if your dog is aggressively barking and snapping at other customers, the facility can kick the dog out). Your animal may also be excluded if it is not housebroken, or if it is out of control and you are unable or unwilling to effectively control it. You are still entitled to enter the public accommodation even if your service animal is not allowed in.

Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals in West Virginia Housing

The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing accommodations against those who use service animals. You must be allowed full and equal access to all housing facilities, and your landlord may not charge you extra for having a service animal (although you may have to pay for damage your animal causes). If your lease or rental agreement includes a "no pets" provision, it does not apply to your service animal.

Pursuant to the federal Fair Housing Act, housing facilities must allow service dogs and emotional support animals, if necessary for a person with a disability to have an equal opportunity to use and enjoy the home. To fall under this provision, you must have a disability and you must have a disability-related need for the animal. In other words, the animal must work, perform tasks or services, or alleviate the emotional effects of your disability in order to qualify. (For more information, see the Department of Housing and Urban Development's guidance on service animals.)

Similarly, West Virginia's fair housing law prohibits discrimination in selling or renting housing based on disability and requires landlords to accommodate assistance animals: any service, therapy, or support animal that weighs less than 150 pounds. The animal must provide assistance or do work or tasks for the benefit of someone with a disability, or must provide emotional support that alleviates at least one identified effect or symptom of the person's disability. The animal need not be certified or have specific training. However, a landlord need not allow an assistance animal that would pose a direct threat to health and safety or that would cause substantial physical damage to the property.
Art Cullen, the 60-year-old editor of the Storm Lake Times, doesnt bother with rinky-dink journalism contests.

I dont need a wooden plaque or a piece of paper, Cullen said last week.

Cullen won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing at the twice-weekly Storm Lake Times.

They give you 15 grand. Thats worth it, said Cullen.

So hows Cullen and company spending the money?

We intend to put a jag on, then donate the rest of the money half to IFOIC and other local charities, probably all the other half to Catholic Charities to help resettle refugees in Storm Lake. After the bash, that means IFOIC gets $5 and the refugees get a Big Mac and fries, writes Cullen in an email.

The IFOIC is the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, which describes itself as a coalition of journalists, librarians, lawyers, educators and other Iowans devoted to open government. Its role in the Storm Lake Times Pulitzer started with a journalist whining over the phone.

The Storm Lake Times had been pressing three northern Iowa counties  Buena Vista, Calhoun and Sac  for internal records relating to just how they were financing their defense against a lawsuit filed by the Des Moines Water Works, which claimed that the counties had allowed elevated nitrate levels in the Raccoon River.

For some unknown reason, the counties stonewalled the requests from the 3,000-circulation newspaper.

County officials had done exceptional job of ignoring them, and Art was complaining in a phone call one time, and I said, Let me take a crack at it, said Randy Evans, the 66-year-old executive director of IFOIC.

Having spent 40 years at The Des Moines Register, Evans knew the regional journalism scene and had some time to dig into the law. He sent correspondence to the counties that apparently forced a new attitude about the records.

Receiving mail from Des Moines might have had something to do with the turnabout, surmises Evans.

When the Iowa FOI Council got involved, I think they probably took a deep breath and thought Oh my gosh, what are we getting into? said Evans, noting that membership of the IFOIC includes the states biggest television stations, newspapers and other organizations of long standing in the state.

I think the counties realized that the Storm Lake Times as well as IFOIC meant business, and they were going to ignore the requests at their own peril, Evans said.

The counties coughed up a bunch of paper. The Storm Lake Times was able to establish that the counties had spent $1 million just in fact-finding and brief-writing financed by so-called dark money from agri-business interests.

As for his contribution to the Storm Lake Times national distinction, Evans insists it was minor. His organization runs on a budget in the $20,000 range  though the coming year will be a more prosperous time for the organization.

Since the Pulitzer announcement, Evans reports receiving $12,000 in donations that have just come over the transom and that we were never expecting.

Meanwhile, $4,000 in new subscription revenue has blown into the Storm Lake Times  almost all online and with little interest in Storm Lake, just people wanting to contribute to the cause, Cullen wrote in an email.
The President of India Pranab Mukherjee is on a two-day visit to Patna and will take part in ongoing centenary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi's Champaran Satyagraha. He will attend felicitation ceremony to honour freedom fighters from across the country.

Today many freedom fighters from different states will be felicitated here.The state government will honour those freedom fighters who could not attend this function due to health or other reasons. The women freedom fighters will also be felicitated.

The ceremony will also be attended by the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Governor Ram Nath Kovind, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Also Read:

Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari will reach New Delhi today

Sahara-SEBI refund case to be heard by Supreme Court

Counting of votes for Malappuram Lok Sabha bypoll underway
CROWN POINT  Like leaders across the world, Crown Point High School freshman Maria Jeffirs was stunned when she read about President Donald Trump's travel ban in January.

Jeffirs, 15, said she was upset about the president's executive order limiting or banning immigrants and refugees, especially the Syrian woman who was detained in Chicago Jan. 28 after traveling to the United States to help care for her cancer-stricken mother.

Nour Ulayyet, of Valparaiso, had asked her sister to come and help care for their mother. Ulayyet's sister, Sahar Algonaimi, was among those detained at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport after she arrived from Saudi Arabia.

Algonaimi, a 58-year-old Syrian woman, was sent back to Saudi Arabia. Three weeks later, and after working with an attorney, she was allowed to visit.

Jeffirs said her class did not specifically discuss the travel ban or politics. She said her father, Crown Point City Court Judge Kent Jeffirs, pointed out to her the story involving the Syrian woman and that inspired her drawing.

"In my class we were learning about political geography," Jeffirs said. "We talked about placement and how boundaries are made. We talked about immigration and the population of each district in the United States.

"Our teacher asked us to create a political cartoon of our own choosing. I had some ideas in mind. I was thinking about a strong woman that everyone would recognize. I thought about the Statue of Liberty, because everyone would know her," Jeffirs said.

Two things the Statue of Liberty of Liberty represents is friendship among nations and freedom from oppression.

Historically, the Statue of Liberty is important, because it was given to the U.S. by France to celebrate Americas first 100 years as a nation. It commemorates the alliance between France and the U.S. during the Revolutionary War.

Jeffirs' drawing shows a Lady Liberty whose hand carrying the "forever torch" is hanging down and her left hand holding a message saying, "Notice of Deportation to France."

Her crown is broken, and she stands on a base that also is broken.

"I think the travel ban was a very bad idea," said the teen who talked about her political cartoon while at home on spring break.

"I thought a lot about the woman who was initially stopped from seeing her family," she said.

"It made me think. What if that were me? What if I couldn't see my mother, my father or my brothers? This country is made up of immigrants. I just didn't understand how someone could ban families from being together.

"I understand the president is trying to prevent terrorism, but you can't assume that everyone is a terrorist based on the country that person is from, or their religion," Maria said.

Maria's mother, Calliopi Jeffirs, who is Greek, said her heart goes out to the families who were affected by the ban. "We have a vast variety of people here, and that's what this country is all about," she said.

Maria, who also is vice president of the freshman class, is very involved at school and said her favorite classes are math and biology, though she said, "biology is really hard."

Jeffirs, who wants to be an emergency room pediatric physician, participates in school plays and musicals, as well as student council, and speech and debate.

She also is involved in a new school organization called the Cure, which stands for Courtesy, Understanding and Respect for Everyone, designed to prevent bullying.
Two new fuel and convenience stores have opened along the Indiana Toll Road in Portage, replacing two 1950s food-and-fuel plazas demolished last year.

An APlus Convenience Store opened over the weekend on each side of the Toll Road. They're part of a $70 million project to replace a total of eight travel plazas along the 156 miles of the Indiana Toll Road.

APlus Convenience Stores are owned by Sunoco, which was chosen last year to operate the Toll Road's fuel and convenience stores.

The last time the travel plazas were updated was in 1956 when they were originally constructed, said Nicolas Barr, CEO of ITR Concession Co., the private operator of the Toll Road. We now have the opportunity to supply two new modern facilities to our Toll Road users with the help of Sunoco.

The APlus stores will offer made-to-order food as well as snacks and convenience items. Fuel service includes high-speed diesel pumps for interstate truckers and Sunoco fuels.

APlus owner Sunoco and the Indiana Toll Road Concession Co. will host an open house at the store on the eastbound side of the Toll Road from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 26, and various grand opening activities at both stores during the day.

The project also includes plazas in Howe, Rolling Prairie and Elkhart. Howe, which is scheduled for completion next, and Rolling Prairie will continue as "full-service" plazas with restaurant facilities.

The project is being performed in conjunction with ITRCC's $200 million 80/90 Push rehabilitation of the Toll Road. The project is in its second season, with significant work continuing in Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties.

At Portage, the eastbound exit and westbound entry ramps were reopened early this week after rehabilitation work. The other two ramps are expected to reopen later this week, according to the Toll Road.
CROWN POINT  A 44-year-old woman accused last week of operating an unsafe home day care in Merrillville was previously charged in an attempted stabbing, according to court records.

Tawana Cole was accused of attempting to stab a man in front of his 8-year-old child in April 2014, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The man told police Cole slashed at him several times with a kitchen knife at the Walgreen's at 2500 Grant Street in Gary, where he had taken the child to drop him off with his mother, who was with Cole, the affidavit states.

The man said Cole threatened to carve (him) up like a turkey before he fled the scene in his vehicle, the affidavit states.

The man said Cole chased him down and tried to run him over with her vehicle while he was outside his cousin's home.

Cole was charged in June 2014 with two counts of attempted battery with a deadly weapon, among other offenses, but she pleaded guilty March 31 to one misdemeanor count of criminal recklessness in an agreement with the state, according to court records.

Cole was sentenced to one year in Lake County Jail, which was suspended for probation.

Cole's defense attorney did not respond Monday to a request for comment.

Cole may have violated that probation last week after police allegedly found loaded guns, knives and bottles of liquor at her home day care at 1730 W. 53rd Ave. in Merrillville, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Police were dispatched to the home April 11 after the Indiana Department of Child Services requested help searching for a child with a head wound, the affidavit states.

Police found two women and 15 children, including a child with a head wound, inside the master bedroom of the residence, the affidavit states.

Police also found four loaded guns, assorted blades and bottles of whiskey and vodka, all of which were allegedly within reach of the children, the affidavit states.

Cole and the two women, Adriana Johnson and Roberta Sanders, were charged Thursday in Lake Criminal Court with 13 counts of felony neglect of a dependent and 13 counts of criminal confinement.

Elizabeth Massey, program director of Early Learning Connections in Merrillville, a nonprofit organization that assists parents in finding high-quality child care providers, said Monday she was disturbed by the news of Cole's arrest.

Massey said parents who are seeking child care can contact her organization to receive information about accredited child care providers in Lake, LaPorte, Porter and Starke counties.

Early Learning Connections can be contacted at 219-685-1500.
VALPARAISO  Valparaiso Community Schools Superintendent Ric Frataccia said he is unsure why a rear door was left ajar Friday at Thomas Jefferson Middle School, allegedly allowing a man to enter with heroin, a hypodermic needle and a pocketknife.

"We're going to communicate to staff again about the importance of making sure the doors are not ajar," he said.

Jason Rasco, 39, of Valparaiso, reportedly told police he was looking for his girlfriends children to walk them home after school.

Students were locked in their classrooms as a precaution and dismissed a little late, but no one was injured during the ordeal, police said.

Frataccia said he did not know whether the man was telling the truth about his reasons for being at the school at 1600 Roosevelt Road. The door Rasco entered was functioning correctly, he said.

Rasco was confronted by the assistant principal after being noticed by a teacher, Frataccia said. The staff and students responded quickly, and Frataccia said he remains confident about the school's security plan.

Porter County Sheriff Dave Reynolds, who heads the county's drug task force, said the incident is yet another example of crimes occurring because of the area's drug problem.

"Almost all crimes that we have in Porter County are directly associated with substance abuse," he said.

Rasco was arrested and faces charges of trespassing, possession of a hypodermic needle, possession of heroin and possession of a knife on school property.

Building safety was on the minds of area school officials last week in the wake of a man entering a San Bernardino, California, elementary school April 10 and shooting and killing his estranged wife, one student and himself, and injuring another student.

Officials at Thomas Jefferson Middle School notified police prior to dismissing students Friday that a man was walking around the school and attempting to get into the building. Police said they had also received a report of a similar-looking man acting suspicious in the area of 1506 Lind Court near the school.

The school resource officer arrived and learned the assistant principal had detained Rasco in the office until police arrived.

Reynolds said the local substance abuse problem is fueling associated crimes such as home, garage and business break-ins.

"These addicts need money," he said.

The good news is that police departments and schools are working together, not only in Porter County, but also regionwide, Reynolds said. He said he attended a drug-related meeting Monday morning that involved local, state and federal officials.

"It's not an easy solution, but we're working together," he said.
CROWN POINT  Lake County's 2017 property tax bills are arriving in the mail for payment early next month.

Lake County Treasurer Peggy Katona said the deadline for making their spring installment is May 10.

Taxpayers who need personal attention can bring their bills to her offices between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays at 2293 N. Main St. in Crown Point, 232 Russell St. in Hammond and 400 Broadway in Gary.

The offices will have extended hours from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. for May 10 only.

Katona said taxpayers who don't have questions or concerns about their bills also can pay at these bank branches: American Community Bank, BMO Harris Bank, Centier Bank, DeMotte State Bank, Dyer Bank & Trust, First Financial Bank, First Merchant's Bank, First Midwest Bank, Horizon Bank, MainSource Bank, Peoples Bank and the Indiana branch offices of Tech Federal Credit Union.

Those wishing to pay by credit card or e-check should got to www.lakecountyin.org, click on the "Home Page", click on "Go to Website," click on "Online Service," click on "Property Tax Records and Payments," click on the "Click here to Start Your Search," click on "Location Address," enter the property's street address, click on the property number 45-xx-xx-xxx-xxx.xxx-xxx, which appears in blue just below the Search Results bar, click on the "Click Here to Pay Now" button just below the spring and fall tax installment dollar amounts.

Lake County Assessor Jerome Prince reminds the deadline for taxpayers wishing to appeal their property assessment is May 30.
VALPARAISO  It doesn't look like much now, just a couple of old buildings and a rusty water tower, but plans are rolling on the city's bus service expansion project.

The city's Redevelopment Commission will close soon on the purchase of the former ANCO building on South Campbell Road and Brown Street this month at a cost of $214,000. Even before the papers are signed, however, they will begin redeveloping the former windshield wiper manufacturer's parking lot.

By June 1, the lot will be the new home of the ChicaGo Dash parking lot and ticket booth.

The RDC last week approved spending up to $150,000 to revamp the former parking lot. Project manager Don McGinty said that will include cleaning, restoring, paving and marking the area for ChicaGo Dash riders. It will also include the installation of security lighting.

The creation of the new parking lot is an urgent matter, said McGinty, because the city's utility department is slated to begin construction on the replacement of a large stormwater pipe which runs under the present ChicaGo Dash parking lot at the Franklin House. The project is to begin June 1.

Of less urgency, but still a growing concern, is the need to add parking spaces for bus riders to Chicago.

Tyler Kent, a city planner, said the present location has 110 parking spots to accommodate the average 125 to 140 daily riders on the four 53-passenger buses. Riders are having to find parking elsewhere. The new lot will provide sufficient parking for now and into the future.

Beyond the parking lot

The RDC also approved putting an offer in on nearly 17 acres north of the ANCO building and expects to close on the deal with owners of Smith Ready Mix within the next month. The property will cost $272,000.

In addition, the commission approved contracts related to the bus service expansion project, including a contract with Valparaiso-based Amereco Inc. for a soil management plan and health and safety plan for a total of $4,000; Amereco Inc. for environmental remediation work for $34,200; American StructurePoint for the design of a pedestrian connection between the expansion area and the downtown for $74,300 and with Skillman Corp. for construction management services for the transit center and overall ANCO site project for $175,725.

The RDC also plans to purchase additional property in the area of South Napoleon and Brown streets. They recently contracted with Judy Fisher, a local real estate agent, to talk to property owners in the area to determine if they were willing to sell. They also approved the hiring of AER Group and Newton Appraisals to perform appraisals on any potential purchases.

Fisher will be paid $125 per hour, not to exceed $7,000, and the two appraisal firms will be paid $400 per property appraised.

RDC Executive Director Stu Summers said the city's plans are to eventually turn the former industrial site into a bus depot to serve the growing ChicaGo Dash. He also envisions retail, and possibly residential development, in the area as part of the city's transit-oriented development.

Summers said he anticipates the RDC will hire an architect next month. The team of four consultants will devise a plan of what could be built, when and how much it will cost.

The RDC was also recently awarded $6.8 million from the Regional Development Authority for the purchase of additional buses.

Summers said it is all part of a three-year plan they hope will attract private investors in redeveloping the area just south of downtown.
IDEM and EPA dont appear to agree on whether dangerous lead levels EPA found in East Chicagos drinking water are a systemwide problem, but there is consensus that residents of the USS Lead Superfund site may not see improvements in their tap water as quickly as others.

Dead-end water lines near railroad tracks, the relocation of more than 1,000 from a public housing complex and the loss of the citys second-largest water customer could result in lower water flows, sources said.

Lower water flows mean less orthophosphate  a chemical added to water to control corrosion of lead pipes  is being pulled through lines to create a protective scale that can prevent releases of lead and copper.

East Chicago increased the amount of orthophosphate it adds to water in October, after the U.S. Environmetal Protection Agency notified the Indiana Department of Environmental Management it found low or no orthophosphate levels at two homes in the Superfund site. It can take up to a year to "optimize" chemical levels, and the only solution that is 100 percent safe is replacing lead pipes, lawyers said.

EPA found low orthophosphate levels during a pilot study at the Superfund site, but later said its sampling results and the citys monthly operating reports showed high lead levels were likely to be systemwide. The agency found lead levels above its 15 parts per billion action level at 18 of 43 homes tested.

No level of lead in water is safe, EPA said. However, EPA's recent water sampling was more robust than testing required under the federal agency's Lead and Copper Rule, which East Chicago has been in compliance with since 1993, officials said.

Lead in the soil and lead in the water are unrelated, but Superfund residents  particularly children  exposed to both face cumulative health risks. Up to 90 percent of East Chicagos water lines could be lead; EPA recommended residents should assume they have lead lines and use a certified water filter.

IDEM: EPA found isolated location

A Jan. 5 email obtained from EPA in a Freedom of Information Act request shows IDEM Drinking Water Branch Chief Mary Hollingsworth thought her departments close working relationship with EPA Region 5 was compromised because of the way EPA handled its pilot study.

IDEM was never contacted nor had any input before this pilot project was started, Hollingsworth wrote. IDEM expressed to you and other members of Region 5 our concerns with this pilot project on several different occasions.

EPA said it disagreed.

EPA has a strong relationship with IDEM continues to work in close collaboration to address all the issues associated with the USS Lead cleanup, including the agencys drinking water pilot study, a spokeswoman said.

In the Jan. 5 email to an EPA employee, Hollingsworth took issue with details in a letter EPA Region 5 Acting Adminstrator Robert Kaplan wrote to a congressman.

It needs to be clear that IDEM asked East Chicago to increase orthophosphate levels in October 2016, because EPA made a recommendation to IDEM that there should be higher orthophosphate residuals in the Superfund site area, Hollingsworth said.

The city does not conduct their routine monthly testing for orthophosphate in the Superfund site area; therefore EPAs orthophosphate results from the Superfund site area are not consistent with the levels on the citys monthly reports. The special Superfund study conducted by EPA found an isolated location in the distribution that had a low amount of orthophosphate residuals.

Marc Edwards, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech, said its hypothetically possible EPA found an isolated location. However, results from EPAs pilot study, the citys monthly operating reports and knowledge of water chemistry indicate EPA was correct to assume high lead levels likely are a systemwide problem, he said.

Edwards, who reviewed documents for The Times, said East Chicago for decades likely has not adequately treated its water to prevent corrosion of lead lines. A 1992 plan called for using an orthophosphate-polyphosphate blend not effective in controlling lead releases at an insufficient dose, he said. In addition, the citys change to sodium hexametaphosphate to treat its water in spring 2015 could have been worse that having no corrosion control at all, he said.

I think they should assume that the lead levels are high throughout the city, because they did not have an effective corrosion control program, and the risks are too high to residents without extensive additional monitoring, Edwards said.

'They could do better'

In addition to recommending the city increase orthophosphate levels, IDEM said it has stepped up testing.

"The city is currently monitoring for orthophosphate in the Superfund area and has a target orthophosphate residual of at least 1 mg/L," the department said. "Each resident that has their tap sampled for lead and copper is notified of their results via the lead consumer notice."

Edwards said the latest target orthophosphate residual might not be high enough.

"To put it in perspective, Flint is currently feeding seven times more orthophosphate," he said. "It is possible that the current levels are adequate, but they are still relatively low."

Also, the orthophosphate-polyphosphate blend East Chicago now uses is more effective than sodium hexametaphosphate, which Edwards described as a "bad" corrosion control. He said but East Chicago "could do better with just orthophosphate.

IDEM, which has primary regulatory authority over the city's drinking water, said it does not have authority to demand the use of a specific chemical mix for achieving corrosion control.

Public water systems, including East Chicago, must achieve the end goal of protecting the pipes with corrosion-control treatment to prevent lead from leaching into the drinking water supply, IDEM said. East Chicago has done this successfully since 1993. IDEM staff monitor corrosion control (among other things) and makes recommendations based on what we see in monthly reports and advise accordingly.

IDEM has committed to conducting more water sampling in East Chicago.

Reduced water flows an issue

What Edwards, EPA and IDEM appear to agree on is that recent increases in orthophosphate to help control lead releases from aging pipes may not reach residents, particularly Superfund residents, as quickly because of reduced water flows.

East Chicago recently lost its second-largest water customer, Indiana American Water, officials said. In 2015, Indiana American purchased more than 465 million gallons of water from East Chicago, records show.

Indiana American stopped buying water from East Chicago in December, after giving notice to the city before concerns about high lead levels were raised, a spokesman said. Water from East Chicago represented less than 10 percent of the total water Indiana American used to service northwest Gary.*

Edwards said it's possible the loss of the Indiana American contract could reduce water flows in East Chicago if the company was pulling water through pipes that also serve the city.

East Chicago Utilities Director Greg Crowley said water sold to Indiana American was pumped through the city's mains.

"There's a tie-in at a location near Cline Avenue," he said.

IDEM said dead-end lines near railroad tracks in the Superfund site and the relocation of more than 1,000 people from the West Calumet Housing Complex, located in the first of three Superfund cleanup zones, also could cause reduced flows.

Less people using the water means the water flows less in the lines, which means the orthophosphate is not moving and might be dissipating in the water mains, IDEM said.

The areas where EPA was finding no orthophosphate residual are in dead-end lines near the railroad tracks, so there is stagnant water in the area that will allow the residual levels to dissipate  these same areas also had low chlorine residual levels. If water is not being used in the homes, fresh water does not get pulled in from the water main. If the fresh water containing the orthophosphate is not being pulled into the service line, it cannot protect the customer at the home from the potential of lead leaching from the service line.

Lawyer: All should be given filters

EPA agreed reduced water use can affect how long it takes for orthophosphate to reach an area.

EPA is confident that IDEMs recently announced plan to provide water filters to all homes in Zones 2 and 3 ensures that residents have safe drinking water, a spokeswoman said.

An IDEM contractor began distributing free water filters to residents in zones 2 and 3 of the Superfund site last week.

The Natural Resources Defense Council, one of 17 groups petitioning EPA to use its emergency powers to address lead levels in East Chicagos drinking water, said water filters for Superfund residents is not enough. All residents should be given filters, because high lead levels may be systemwide.

According to the petition, it can take up to a year to optimize corrosion control. In the meantime, residents should not be drinking, cooking or preparing baby formula with unfiltered East Chicago water, the council said.

Along with filters, Superfund residents are being given a three-month supply of cartridges, which need to be changed from time to time to ensure the filters remain effective.

Three months supply of filters is a Band-Aid solution to a much more serious issue, said Anjali Waikar, an attorney with the council. While its laudable that IDEM is taking some proactive measures to ensure that residents in parts of the Superfund site have access to filters, IDEM should be ensuring that the filters are available to all city residents and until such time as the water is safe to drink.

* Editor's note: This story has been updated from a previous version.
LAPORTE  Turnout recently hasn't been quite the same, but with Dyngus Day in LaPorte turning 30 Monday, bars on the festive Polish holiday could be overflowing again.

"It's crazy to think that Dyngus Day has been going on that long," said Thaddeus Cutler, the city's downtown coordinator.

12 establishments, or two more than last year, are on this year's barhopping route.

As usual, charter buses will be made available to take revelers from bar to bar starting at 4 p.m., and nothing in terms of food has changed, with Polish favorites like sauerkraut and sausage and kluski noodles still on the menu.

Live music until after midnight remains a staple at some of the watering holes.

The popular buttons given at each bar for people to wear will commemorate the milestone.

Special 30th anniversary brochures featuring a map of the route and happenings at each bar have also been printed.

"It's gotten to be a LaPorte tradition," said Howie Hunsley, owner of Dick's Bar, at 912 Lincolnway.

Hilltop Bar and Grill, at 502 Pulaski St., is back on the route after taking a break for several years and will use the occasion to show off a newly remodeled facility and to connect with people strolling in for the first time.

"Hopefully, we'll see a lot of new and old faces," said Vicky Samuelson, manager of the family-operated establishment.

Mickey's, one of the most happening places on Dyngus Day in the past, is also back on tap after vanishing from the route during a change of ownership.

"We wanted to get back into it. I love the way the community kind of comes together. It's just a really fun time," said Josh Montemayor, the new owner of the tavern at 501 Tipton St.

People used to be allowed to go from bar to bar with beer and other alcoholic beverages in their hands, but Indiana State Excise Police put a stop to it a few years ago.

Ever since, Hunsley estimated, turnout has dipped about 10 to 15 percent.

The drop from about 10 to 15 years ago, though, has been even larger because of beefed-up drunken driving enforcement, he said.

Nevertheless, it's still the busiest day of the year for tavern owners and something that's put LaPorte on the map enough to draw from areas like Westville, Michigan City and Chesterton, said Hunsley, president of the Tri-County Bar Association.

"We get some real out-of-towners who show up and have a good time in LaPorte," Hunsley said.
As opioid addiction continues to spread in Northwest Indiana and the state as a whole, the demand for drug counselors is intensifying.

But there just aren't enough of them to meet that ever increasing need.

A central Indiana collaborative believes it has found a solution that could one day come to the Region.

Workforce development group Ascend Indiana and Indianapolis-based Community Health Network are partnering to grow more substance abuse therapists in the capital city. The program was made possible with a $376,000 grant from the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation.

Ascend Indiana will spend the next 18 months designing the program, then it will publicly release a report about the best way to develop more drug counselors.

"Any health care system can learn from what we find," said Jason Kloth, president and CEO of Ascend Indiana. "The idea is replicable and can be a model for other health care institutions around the state, and could have national implications as well."

Indiana has the fourth-largest shortage of substance abuse providers in the nation, the Pew Charitable Trusts found. An Indiana Council of Community Mental Health Centers survey determined that the state has only half as many addiction counselors as it needs to meet demand. Meanwhile, the state has the 17th-highest rate of drug overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As Northwest Indiana continues to see an increase in opioid overdose deaths, addicts often have trouble accessing treatment when they do want to get clean.

The central Indiana program aims to produce up to 50 addiction counselors a year, based at Community Health Network, expanding coverage to 3,000 people annually.

Exactly how the program will work and the educational partners still have to be decided. But Ascend Indiana will look at such factors as the licensing process, insurance reimbursement and what skills employers are looking for.

For instance, Kloth said, insurers often require licensed clinical social workers to have a master's degree and complete a 2,000 hour practicum. But the wages don't make up for those investments in time and tuition.

"There isn't, in my view, adequate financial incentives to pursue that career path to begin with," Kloth said.

A 2016 report on opioid addiction in Indiana by the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health identified three main solutions to the epidemic: better prevention, more harm reduction and an increase in the number of substance abuse specialists.
HAMILTON, Ohio  An Ohio sheriff has issued an order protecting a trespassing jailbird.

Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones has told deputies not to use a sheriff's office car that a dove chose as the perfect location to build its nest.

Deputies in the southwestern Ohio county noticed the nest last week and then saw the bird had laid two eggs.

The nest is in the space between the front windshield and hood that holds lowered windshield wipers.

Sheriff's office personnel have dubbed the dove "jailbird."

That led Jones to quip: "I always take care of my jailbirds."
Police in Ohio are warning New Yorkers to keep an eye out for a man police say is on the run after posting a video of a murder online.

Cleveland police are urging Steve Stephens to turn himself in.

They have also issued warnings for Pennsylvania, Indiana and Michigan.

Stephens is accused of shooting 74-year-old Robert Godwin on camera and then putting the footage on Facebook.

They do not believe the two knew each other.

The video ran for three hours before it was taken down.

Police say Stephens later streamed another video of himself live during the day, claiming he killed more than a dozen others.

Officials haven't verified any other murders and his Facebook page has been deactivated.
Fed up with the constant noise made by his upstairs neighbors, a man in China got his revenge by giving them a taste of their own medicine. He bought a device known as a building shaker online and left it on for a whole weekend.

A resident of Xian, Chinas Shaanxi province, the man  known only by his surname, Zhao  had complained that his upstairs neighbors son was making too much noise jumping around, and robbing him of his much needed rest and relaxation. He first tried reasoning with the family, politely asking them to keep the noise down at certain hours, but his requests fell on deaf ears and the constant banging continued.

After the diplomatic approach failed, Zhao decided that it was time for some serious payback. He went online and paid 400 yuan ($58) for a device known as a building shaker. Yes, you can actually buy such a thing legally in China, and a simple search on online retail giant Taobao reveals dozens of different models and brands priced as low as 76 yuan ($11). They are designed to produce strong vibrations, with the stronger versions claiming to reproduce the same effect as someone drilling into the floor. Upstairs neighbors have to shout to hear each other over the loud noise, so sleeping is out of the question, and the constant vibration is annoying as well. Most models even come with timers or connect to your smartphone so you can turn them on while you are away.

And thats exactly what Zhao did. He turned on the building shaker at 8 p.m., on Friday, just before leaving his apartment for the weekend. For two days straight, his noisy upstairs neighbors had to put up with the drill-like sound and vibration caused by the motorized device, and they were powerless to stop it. They tried calling the property management and the police to complain about the situation, but since the owner of the apartment where the noise was coming from wasnt at home, all they could do was wait until he got back.

Police were waiting for Zhao when he returned home on Sunday afternoon, and asked him to turn off the infernal building shaker, but its unclear if he was fined for his revenge scheme. TOMO News reports that Zhao and his neighbors agreed to never bother each other again.

Believe it or not, building shakers are marketed as the perfect way of getting back at noisy neighbors and making their life a living hell. Apparently, they are designed to keep the noise in the users apartment to the level of an air conditioning unit, while wreaking havoc upstairs.

Photos: Taobao

Sources: Shanghaiist, Next Shark
PR executive search pioneer Larry Marshall, looking back on a 50-year career that included working for more than half of the Fortune 500, said the most striking change he sees is the switch from male to female executives.

Larry & Joy Marshall

In the late 1960's, most communications practitioners, especially senior-level corporate executives, were male, many of them former journalists, said Marshall, who heads Marshall Consultants, Ashland, Ore. Now most are female and come from a broad variety of disciplines. There are many high-profile, top-level women corporate communications executives.

In those early days, women had subordinate PR roles, primarily doing marketing publicity. Many now head corporate communications functions and are well-respected as strategists, often counseling and reporting to the CEO, he said.

Whereas PR, corporate and marketing communications, and investor relations were relatively minor corporate functions, often for window-dressing, they are now in senior management, akin to other senior functions such as finance, legal, marketing, and human resources, he said. They are seen as vital to the very existence of corporations. Some have even become the 'consiglieris or gurus to the 'Dons' of industry!

Mid-senior level compensation that used to be in the $25K to $50K area is now in the $125K to $250k bracket, he said, with some packages exceeding $500k. Years ago, salary was the sole component of compensation, but now packages are often boosted by hefty bonuses, stock options, deferred compensation, family college grants, etc.

Duties of Corp Execs Expanded

Marketing PR programs were dominant in the 1960s but executives are now working on corporate media relations, internal communications, public affairs, crisis communications and corporate social responsibility, among other areas, said Marshall, who founded the first retainer-oriented search firm to specialize in the PR area. A New York office was maintained from 1967-2001.

Corporate practitioners had little job security, often being the last to know and first to go, but are now seen as essential to corporate growth and survival, some being the one to finally turn off the lights in failing companies!

Whereas PR firm success was often measured by how much 'ink' was secured, nowadays message-targeted, strategic media PR programs, counseling ability, media training, relationship-building and business acumen are often keys to success. Print and broadcast media used to be the principal targets but today comprehensive and diverse communications, especially new digital and social media, are required.

PR Firms Grew Exponentially

While duties of top corporate communications executives expanded, the size of corporate staffs shrank as many functions were shifted to outside firms. A similar trend took place in the 1950s and 1960s when corporate ad departments were closed in favor of independent ad agencies which were able to put many creative minds on a project and also had buying power that could reduce the cost of media time and space.

Revenues of the leading PR operations were in the single-digit millions in the 1970s. Biggest firm in 1971 was Hill and Knowlton with $8.5M in fees, followed by Ruder Finn, $6.3M, Burson-Marsteller, $6M, JW Thompson PR dept., $5.4M, and Harshe & Rotman, $3.7M. The operations grew by leaps and bounds as corporations transferred many functions to outside counsel and the firms added new areas of expertise. Propelling the growth was purchase of many of the leading firms by conglomerates including WPP, Omnicom Group of Companies, the Interpublic Group of Companies, Publicis and Havas. The offerings of the firms were expanded and ad clients referred to them.

Revenues of Edelman, the biggest firm, an independent, were $874 million in 2016. Other major operations, according to figures compiled by everthing-PR.com, a U.K. organization, are Weber Shandwick, a unit of IPG, with $800M in revenues; OMCs Fleishman-Hillard, $580M; OMCs Ketchum, $515M, and MSL Group of Publicis, $490M. Figures are for 2015.

Marshall Typified Era of Sociability

Marshall, who hosted gatherings at his East Side New York apartment, as well as inviting PR people and press for stays at his house near the Catamount ski resort in the Berkshires, personified an era of sociability in PR that lasted to about 2000.

A goal of corporate, agency and service people was to become close personal friends with as many editors as possible, opening their homes to visits by editors and visiting editors homes. PR and press mixed at more than a dozen New York luncheon and dinner groups. Contact points of PR people were available in PR/IR industry directories.

PR/press contacts currently are mostly via emails. Communications with the press are closely monitored by corporate management.

Marshall searches over the years included mid-senior corporate communications staff for Avon, Citicorp, ITT, Mobil, Playboy, United Technologies, American Express, Pepsico, AT&T, New York Stock Exchange and John Hancock, where he recruited David D'Alessandro, who rose from communications chief to CEO.

Agency clients included Burson-Marsteller, Bozell PR, Kekst, Edelman, Rowland, Howard Rubenstein. Ruder-Finn, Ketchum, GCI, KCSA, Omnicom, Porter-Novelli, and Lobsenz Stevens, among others. Nonprofits included United Jewish Appeal, Planned Parenthood, American Bible Society and United Way.

Associates of the firm through the years included Walter Carlson, former New York Times ad columnist, Judith Cushman, Hugh McCandless, Susan Elion, Sandra Charet, Neysa Schindler, Anna Kosof, Cathleen DesRosiers, and James Bardwell. All were based in New York except Cushman, who also worked in Seattle, and DesRosiers and Bardwell, who worked in Los Angeles.

Some Searches Still Handled

Marshall Consultants continues to handle a limited number of senior-level national and global searches. Marshall, who is semi-retired, works with his wife, Joy, who was involved in national fund-raising events for the Children's Miracle Network of more than 170 childrens hospitals. They partner in Marshall Fundraising and Event Management which represents local, regional and national nonprofit clients with public service missions. Son Donald, who has created family-oriented video games, now works on movie and TV properties for Radar Pictures, Hollywood.


GOP Should Back Away From Trump in 2024 Wed., Jul. 6, 2022 Trump has allegedly told his inner circle hes considering officially announcing his second run for the White House as early as this month. Heres why it would be a bad idea for the GOP to get behind him.
Alabama Bill Hopes To Combat Racial Profiling By Police Officers Elijah C. Watson Elijah Watson serves as Okayplayer's News & Culture Editor. When

An anti-racial profiling bill is on its way to being approved in Alabama.

Introduced by Sen. Rodger Smitherman (a Democratic member of the Alabama Senate in Birmingham), Senate Bill 192 would require the race, gender, and age of both the police officer and the person stopped by the officer to be recorded on a form. The form would also include the location of the stop and the reason for the stop.

From there, police and sheriff departments and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency would have to report those summaries annually to the state attorney generals office, which would review the information and provide a report to the Legislature and the governor.

The bill was inspired by Smitherman and two other black members of the committee (Reps. Thomas Jackson, a member of the Alabama House of Representatives in Thomasville, and Mary Moore, a member of the Alabama House of Representatives in Birmingham), who shared their experiences on being stopped by police on multiple occasions because of the color of their skin.

The House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee have approved Smithermans bill, and it has been sent to the House. It has already passed the Senate.

Smithermans bill was first introduced back in 2015.

An app has been created in hopes of combating racial profiling from police officers. Called Legal Equalizer the app begins recording a persons interaction with police as soon as it is opened. It also includes an emergency button that sends both video and a GPS location to three preselected contacts once the app is closed.
Agricultural News

Meet Your Central District Star in Agribusiness Ryan Noland from the Springer FFA Chapter







During the month of April, the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and Oklahoma Farm Report is spotlighting the twenty District Stars of Oklahoma FFA that are among the highest achievers in the organization. The stars come from the five districts in four categories- Star in Ag Placement, Star in Agriscience, Star in Agribusiness and Star in Production Agriculture. Last week, we spotlighted the five district stars in Agriscience- this week we move on to the Agribusiness Stars for 2017.





We begin this week with Central District Star in Agribusiness Ryan Noland, of the Springer FFA Chapter. Noland has started mowing lawns in the 5th grade with just a simple push mower. Today, Noland has turned his hard work into a profitable turf management business, with more machines and more services to offer his customers.





"It really started turning into a business when I hit the 8th grade," he said. "Now I'm licensed, insured- I do everything from tree removal, to general mowing, weed control and fertilization."





As his business has grown, Noland has expanded his business to include both residential and commercial properties. He says one of the most important things he has had to learn, is developing relationships with his clients.





"Building relationships with your customers is key," he said. "That's the most important thing. Anybody can mow a lawn. You have got to go the extra mile and build those relationships with your customers."







Beyond customer service though, building a business has also taught Noland financial responsibility and how to manage business expenses, to earn the most potential profitability.







Many of the skills he has developed through owning a business and working with customers, he credits to a solid foundation in those areas established during his FFA career.







"One of the first things I did was give a speech," Noland remembers. "I did not want to do it, but now I've seen how much that's helped me in my business - not being awkward and uncomfortable with the customers."







Beyond prepared public speaking though, Noland has participated in several activities since joining FFA in the 8th grade, including livestock and land judging and his latest involvement with an agribusiness project. After graduation, he plans to attend East Central University to earn a business degree in the Business Scholars program. After that, Noland intends to return home to continue managing his turf management business and pursue other business opportunities as well.







You can hear his entire conversation with Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays, by clicking or tapping on the LISTEN BAR below.







A complete list of the District Stars can be seen on the Oklahoma FFA website by clicking or tapping here.







Our salute of the 2017 District Stars of the Oklahoma FFA is brought to you by American Farmers & Ranchers, proud to support Oklahoma's youth. Visit the AFR website by clicking or tapping here to learn more on how AFR supports the young people of Oklahoma, and how AFR can provide you with quality insurance for your home, auto, farm, and life.























You can hear Ryan Noland's entire conversation with Farm Director Ron Hays, by clicking below

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Governor Mary Fallin Signs Wind Tax Legislation that She Says is Essential to Her Energy Strategy

Governor Mary Fallin today released the following statement after signing House Bill 2298, which was authored by Speaker Charles McCall (R-22), and Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Schulz (R-38) and passed the Senate 40-3 last Monday. This legislation would sunset the tax credits for the wind industry on July 1, 2017.





"The wind industry for Oklahoma is an essential piece of my 'All of the Above' energy strategy. With the support of the zero emissions tax credit, our state has become a national leader in wind energy. Currently, Oklahoma ranks third in the nation in total installed wind capacity, with nearly 7,000MW in the ground. This accounts for more than 25 percent of the state's electricity generation mix, and is an important contributor to Oklahoma having the lowest cost of electricity in the nation.





"The zero emissions tax credit was key to the growth of wind energy in Oklahoma, and I'm grateful to the industry for their ambitious successes, as well as their willingness to work with the state to address our challenging budgetary circumstances. Their leadership, along with the leadership of Speaker McCall and Senate Pro Tem Schulz, is a critical part of our continued investment in the future of our state. It is time to ensure that Oklahoma has a bright future, and continues its position as a prominent energy state."







Source - The Office of Governor Mary Fallin











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A 26-year-old man suffered non-life threatening injuries after he was stabbed Sunday afternoon.

Christopher Howe told Omaha police officers he was stabbed by someone near 16th and Yates Streets.

Officers spoke to Howe at the Siena Francis House just after 1 p.m.

Howe was taken to Creighton University Medical Center for treatment, but the injuries are non-life threatening, police said.

Anyone with information should contact Omaha CrimeStoppers at 444-STOP, at omahacrimestoppers.org or on the P3 Tips mobile app.
An Omaha day care provider charged with intentional child abuse has paid the $1,000 needed to be free on a $10,000 bail.

Lynn Rowe, 58, the owner of Lynns Learning Center at 3109 S. 112th St., was arrested Thursday night in connection with the alleged abuse of a girl in Omaha.

Authorities said Rowe was taken into custody by the Harrison County Sheriffs Office at a Missouri Valley, Iowa, home.

According to court documents, the alleged abuse occurred on March 28.

Allen and Kelley Meyers have said that they were given a video of their daughter with Rowe, taken by a former day care employee. The video shows an adult hitting the girl in the head, slapping the girls hands and slamming them onto a desk.

Quit messing with your hair, the woman yells at the girl. Good, I hope it hurts you! Do what youre told to do now.

On Friday night, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services issued an emergency order closing the day care.

Prosecutor Eric Fabian said Rowe hit the girl during a lesson.

Onlookers during the hearing let out a sigh and shook their heads when they heard Fabians description.

Douglas County Judge Marcena Hendrix set the bail amount.

Rowe also waived her preliminary hearing, meaning she will stand trial. She faces a maximum of three years in prison.

Police said they received a complaint April 3 about alleged child abuse at Rowes center.

The matter came to light after a now-former employee of Lynns surreptitiously shot video of the allegedly abusive acts. That former employee, who gave a copy of the video to the Meyerses, also had children at the center, Kelley Meyers said.

Omaha detectives are investigating whether other children were abused or neglected at Rowes center, police said.

Authorities urged anyone who thinks his or her child may have been abused at Lynns Learning Center to call the special victims unit at 402-444-5636 or Omaha Crime Stoppers at 402-444-STOP.
Pete Ricketts' time as governor is coming to an end, but after spending over $3.8 million in the last 11 months, he will likely have an influence on the future of state leadership for years to come.
Omaha Central High School students used their noggins to update a four-decade tradition of celebrating academic achievement.

Parents and administrators listened when more than 300 Central students and outside environmental activists questioned the wisdom of releasing balloons, littering the land and risking the health of animals.

For 40 years, Central students with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 or better have released purple balloons each spring to mark the rising feather of an eagle, the schools mascot.

This year, the schools parent-teacher organization switched from mylar balloons to biodegradable, latex balloons, similar to what University of Nebraska fans release at Memorial Stadium. A committee will explore additional options for next years celebration of academic excellence.

Central senior Evangelina Gomez-Mancillas, one of several students who worked with parents and school administrators on this years compromise plan, said, It was really nice to see what we could accomplish working together instead of against them. They proved compromise is possible without compromising ones beliefs  a lesson befitting Purple Feather Day.
Accession Day: Valley lights up on this day when J&K became part of India

AAP "merely a party of UT Delhi", only Cong can challenge BJP in Gujarat, HP: Azad

30,000 central troops to be withdrawn from Kashmir

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Apr 17: At least 30,000 central paramilitary personnel, sent in for the bypolls, are being temporarily withdrawn from the Kashmir valley as bypoll for the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat has been postponed.

Officials said the central government has ordered for the de-induction of 300 companies of these forces as it was difficult to keep them in the area owing to limited number of accommodation and other logistical facilities in the valley.

They were sent in only few weeks back. While the bypoll in Srinagar was held on April 9, the one scheduled on April 12 in Anantnag has been postponed to May 25.

A paramilitary company comprises about 100 personnel. The officials added that these companies may be sent back to the valley again once again closer to the polling date in Anantnag.

The Kashmir valley has about 50 CRPF battalions for law and order and counter-insurgency operation duties.

PTI
After humiliating by-poll defeats in Karnataka, BJP on introspection mode

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

After a humiliating loss in the Karnataka by-elections, the BJP is on introspection mode. At the BJP's national executive meeting in Odisha held over the weekend there was introspection by senior leaders on the losses at Nanjangud and Gundlupet.

The party collected the booth wise voting pattern and are analysing the same. A meeting of the Karnataka BJP leaders will take place next week to analyse the loss. Before that, BJP's Karnataka president, B S Yeddyurappa will visit Mysuru, Gundluper and Nanjangud and speak with the party cadres in a bid to boost their morale. He would tell them to gear up for the 2018 assembly elections.

The BJP says that this is a huge set-back, but also adds that it is temporary. We are studying the voting pattern and finding out where we went wrong. Once the analysis is done, we would look to fix the flaws so that we can win both the constituencies in 2018, a BJP leader said.

OneIndia News
Bellandur lake foams again, froth flies in the face of citizens

India

oi-Anusha

Light showers that came as a respite to the whole of Bengaluru, became a bane to the residents of Bellandur. While the burning sun is raising a stink from the heavily polluted Bellandur lake, the light showers resulted in the froth on Sunday and Monday. Despite a temporary grill that the civic authorities have erected near the lake, froth flew past the grill and landed on commuters using the stretch of road near the lake.

Unchecked affluents continue to choke the already dying lake of Bellandur with civic authorities doing precious little to clean or revive it. The recent video of foam flying into the face of citizens comes days after a video of the lake on fire went viral. Each time a frothing incident takes place, the government including the civic authorities and district in-charge minister make fresh promises, none of which have materialised.

Taking note of the cringeworthy state of the lake, the national green tribunal has asked Karnataka government to file replies on a PIL that was filed. The Namma Bengaluru Foundation, a civic NGO had impleaded that the fire incident in February was not a lone incident and several instances of major or minor fire had been reported from the lake due to the burning of solid municipal waste, garbage in the lake catchment.

OneIndia News
TTV Dinakaran's meeting with Sasikala Natarajan postponed

India

oi-Anusha

TTV Dinakaran who was to meet his aunt Sasikala Natarajan on Monday postponed the same. AIADMK worker and close aide of TTV Dinakaran, Pugazhendi said that the deputy general secretary was delayed and could not meet Sasikala as scheduled. No other date has been decided upon for the meeting as of now.

Hours after he was booked on charges of bribery by the Delhi crime branch police, TTV Dinakaran left to meet aunt Sasikala Natarajan. Dinakaran was to visit Sasikala in the Bengaluru central prison during the post-lunch session. Dinakaran's meeting with Sasikala was scheduled at a time when the election commission was to commence its hearing on the AIADMK's two leaves symbol row.

A decision on Sasikala's parole was also on the agenda of the meeting which was canceled at the last minute. Dinakaran before leaving to Bengaluru told reporters that he had nothing to do with the bribery charges leveled against him.

TTV Dhinakaran denied all links with Sukesh, who was arrested by the crime branch police in Delhi. "I have never come across this person and neither have I bribed anyone for anything," he said. "If Delhi police summons me, I will face it legally and answer all queries," he added. He also hinted at a conspiracy

Meanwhile, officials from the Delhi crime branch are expected to visit Chennai to issue summons to Dinakaran on Tuesday.

OneIndia News
Delhi MCD Election 2017: Congress promises to implement 5-R concept for waste-management

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, April 17: In an intensified campaign ahead of the MCD elections in the national capital, the Congress on Sunday said it will ensure closure of all sanitary landfills in Delhi in two years if elected to power in the civic body.

The former Union Environment Minster Jairam Ramesh on Sunday visited Gazipur landfill site to work on Congress party's promise of making Delhi "zero landfill" city.

At an event organised by the Congress at Gazipur landfill site, Ramesh termed the presence of such sites as a "disgrace" not only for the incumbent government but also for the society as a whole.

While accepting the magnitude of trash generated by a city as populous as Delhi (approximately 9,000 metric tonnes daily), he said that more than 40 percent or 3,600 metric tonnes of this waste goes untreated.

He said efficient waste management system including proper segregation and composting needs to be deployed in Delhi at the earliest, and added that households will be given free blue and green bins for waste segregation.

"The Congress-led municipal corporations will build a mechanism to transport biodegradable waste to the local compost machine which will then be converted into fertiliser bringing down the amount of waste going to landfill sites," he said.

Ramesh said that Congress-run civic bodies will strictly adhere to the revised Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.

"Keeping up with the best practices, the municipal bodies will follow the 5-R concept for waste-management, that is, reduce, reuse, recover, recycle and re-manufacture," the former minister added.

He said he made efforts for closing the landfills located in Narela-Bawana, Bhalaswa, Okhla and Ghazipur localities during his tenure as the Union Environment Minster. But all directives sent by his Ministry fell on deaf ears in the BJP-ruled civic bodies.

Accompanied by the local Congress leaders and the candidate, Ramesh also erected a flag bearing "Mission Zero Landfill Delhi" on the giant waste mountain.

IANS

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Story first published: Monday, April 17, 2017, 12:23 [IST]
The NIA, ED dossiers that led to the raid on the PFI

Keep it clean, keep it safe: How the federal agencies raided the PFI

ED files case against Zakir Naik's aide

India

ians-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, April 17: The Enforcement Directorate on Monday filed a prosecution complaint against controversial preacher and televangelist Zakir Naik's close aide Aamir Gazdar for money laundering.

Last year, the ED had registered a money laundering case against Naik's Islamic Research Foundation under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 on the basis of an FIR registered by the National Investigation Agency.

"It was alleged that Dr Zakir Abdul Karim Naik and his associates were indulging in unlawful activities and through his provocative utterances, promoting enmity and hatred between different religious groups in India.

"His inflammatory speeches and lectures have inspired and incited a number of Muslim youths in India to commit unlawful activities and terrorist acts," a statement from the Directorate said.

The Islamic Research Foundation, Mumbai was declared as unlawful under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 by a government order on November 17, 2016.

Based on the investigation conducted, Gazdar was arrested by the ED under Section 19 of the PMLA on February 16 and is currently in judicial custody.

The ED said during the investigation, it was found that certain dummy companies were established by Naik for routing the proceeds of crime. Out of the various companies established by Naik, Gazdar was Director in at least six of those.

The investigation also revealed that Gazdar, a confidant of Naik, was in close touch with him and also involved in illegal activities at the behest of Naik and was not only aware of many of his nefarious and illegal activities but actively collaborated and assisted in such activities.

"Aamir Gazdar has even gone beyond and knowingly assisted Naik and his associated companies in their financial shenanigans by providing 'accommodation entries' and parking and utilising these tainted monies through his personal bank accounts and the bank accounts of his family members," the ED statement read.

The agency said unaccounted money around Rs 5.15 crore belonging to Naik in cash had been handled by him on the instructions of Naik without leaving any trail on its origin or utilisation within a span of eight months only.

"No other person is privy to the source and actual use of this substantial unaccounted cash."

The ED has already attached properties in the form of Mutual Funds, real estate properties and bank balances worth Rs 17.45 crore of the Islamic Research Foundation.

A special court on April 13 issued a non-bailable warrant for arrest against Naik after he failed to appear before the ED despite four summons served on him.

The statement added that the ED may file supplementary prosecution complaints against Naik as he had so far not appeared before it.

IANS
FIR against Army for using stone pelter as human shield

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Jammu and Kashmir police have registered a First Information Report against the Army for using a stone pelter as a human shield against protesters. Chief Minister of J&K, Mehbooba Mufti sought a detailed report on the incident from the state police following which an FIR was filed.

The Army too is conducting a detailed investigation into the matter. Sources tell OneIndia that the government of India is however planning on backing the Army as it does not want the forces to be demoralised. The situation mandated desperate measures, a highly placed source said.

The J&K police however would probe into the matter and even file charges against the officer concerned. The video was filmed when polling officers faced a mob of stone pelters on April 9, when by-polls were held for the Srinagar parliamentary constituency.

The man was identified as Farooq Ahmad Dar, a resident of Sitaharaan village in Khag tehsil of Budgam district in central Kashmir and the army unit involved is 53 Rashtriya Rifles.

OneIndia News
Goa registers deaths of 245 foreign tourists in 12 years, reveals RTI

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Panaji, April 17: We all love Goa, be it foreign or local tourists. The state, irrespective of any season, always witnesses steady flow of tourists from across the globe. However, the tourism industry, the primary source of livelihood for scores of Goa residents, of late is facing a crisis.

The large numbers of deaths related to foreign tourists have rocked the coastal state's otherwise vibrant and lively culture. An estimated 245 foreigners have died in Goa in the last 12 years, according to a Right to Information reply accessed by a local activist in support of relatives of several of the deceased, reports Hindustan Times.

The state police department has classified most of the deaths under the category 'natural'. However, relatives of the deceased allege 'foul play' and have expressed their unhappiness in the way the investigations were conducted in these cases.

Every year, more than five lakh foreign tourists visit Goa. In recent times, relatives of deceased foreign nationals have been demanding re-investigation into the cases of their loved ones and better safety measures for foreign tourists in the state.

In around six cases, where police had initially declared them to be 'natural' deaths, however, after relatives' intervention these cases were found to be 'pre-meditated murders' and courts have issued investigations into these matters.

The memory of the infamous Scarlett Keeling case of 2008 is still fresh in the minds of many Goans. The rape and murder of Keeling was initially dubbed by the police as a case of drowning and drug overdose.

This year, a 28-year-old Irish woman Danielle McLaughlin was raped and murdered in Canacona in March. Unlike, Keeling's case, police were prompt to arrest an accused related to McLaughlin case.

Recently, the relatives of dead foreign nationals in Goa held a meeting to demand justice for their loves ones. The police stated that safety of foreign tourists was their prime responsibility.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Monday, April 17, 2017, 10:00 [IST]
Going on your behalf to Israel, Modi says in Surat

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

I will be going to Israel on your behalf, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi said at an event in Surat on Monday. Surat is a diamond hub while Israel is one of the biggest player in producing cut diamonds.

I am soon going to Israel and I am also the first Prime Minister to go to that country, Modi said. I will be going there on your behalf, Modi further said in his address after inaugurating a hospital in Surat.

The visit to Israel is historic. He is expected to visit Israel on his way back to India from the G20 summit in Hamburg in the second week of July. The visit to Israel is significant as the two countries share a special bond. India and Israel also mark 25 years of full diplomatic relations.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Monday, April 17, 2017, 10:53 [IST]
Hindu Yuva Vahini puts recruitment on hold after Yogi Adityanath's warning

India

oi-Anusha

Irked by the vigilantism of fringe groups in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has given out a stern warning. "Remember, the law is the same for everyone," said the Chief Minister in his first meeting with members of Hindu Yuva Vahini and Vishwa Hindu Mahasangh. Members of the fringe groups made headlines after assaulting youngsters in the garb of anti-Romeo drives.

The Uttar Pradesh chief minister has warned cadres both organisations that he has associations with against indulging in vigilantism. He has further asked them to seek help from government authorities instead of taking the law into their hands. Following the warning, the organisations have now, reportedly, decided to channelise their energy into popularising initiatives of Yogi Adityanath's government.

Hindu Yuva Vahini was founded by Yogi Adityanath himself in 2002 and he happens to be the Chairman of Vishwa Hindu Mahasangh. The vigilante activities of members of both groups had put his government in a tight spot.

Following the warning, the organisations are said to have put their membership recruitment drive on hold. Even as membership requests have increased manifold in just the last one month, the organisations are being extra careful about who they are accepting as members. New membership requests for Hindu Yuva Vahini have been put on a one-year waitlist while Hindu Mahasangh is not accepting any fresh membership requests.

OneIndia News
Explained: What the SC said and how is Talaq-e-Hasan different from triple talaq

For triple talaq victims, judicial verdict in favor but social verdict still against them!

In-laws attack UP woman with acid after husband gives triple talaq over phone

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Lucknow, April 17: On a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured justice for Muslim women over the controversial issue of triple talaq, the harrowing story of a Muslim woman from Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh, came to light on Sunday.

Rehana a resident of Pilibhit told the media that her in-laws attacked her with acid after she refused to accept triple talaq given to her by her husband over phone from the United States.

Rehana has filed a police complaint against her in-laws and husband. The UP police has registered an FIR against five people in this case. "She has received burn injuries on her back. We are waiting for the medical report," a police officer said.

"They should be punished for what they did. Right now, I want them to be in jail," Rehana told the media. Rehana, in her 40s, married Matlub 18 years ago. After marriage she left for the US with her husband.

In 2001, the couple came back to India after their relationship developed cracks. Matlub left for the US after sometime, but never called Rehana to join him in the foreign country.

Few years ago, Matlub called Rehana and divorced her over phone. Rehana never accepted the divorce and was staying with her in-laws. In order to forcefully evict Rehana from her husband's house, her in-laws attacked her with acid.

On Sunday, during the Bharatiya Janata Party national executive meeting in Bhubaneswar, PM Modi batted for Muslim women and spoke against triple talaq.

PM Modi said all women had the right to live with dignity. "The PM dwelt on social justice and said our Muslim sisters should be saved from injustice. However, there should be no division in the community and it should be done amicably," highways minister Nitin Gadkari said.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Monday, April 17, 2017, 11:10 [IST]
Maneka writes to HRD, says father's name should not be mandatory in degree forms

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Maneka Gandhi does not want a father's name to be compulsory on degree certificates. The Woman and Child Development Minister in her letter to the HRD Ministry said that it should not be mandatory for students to mentions their father's name on degree certificates, keeping in mind some may be the children of single mothers.

Maneka had made a similar request where passports were concerned. She said that she had been approached by several women, single, separated and divorced who are unable to procure their child's degree as the father's name is mandatory on the forms. She explained that the rules must factor in the sensitivity of the issue.

Earlier she had written to External Affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj in which she highlighted the harassment faced by a single mother. She said that the father's name should not be be mandatory on passports.

OneIndia News
Meet the conman from Bengaluru who promised Dinakaran the AIADMK symbol

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

His tryst with crime started at the age of 17. Today Sukesh Chandrasekar is all over the news for allegedly trying to help Sasikala Natarajan's nephew T T V Dinakaran bribe Election Commission of India officials to bag the two leaves symbol of the AIADMK.

Rs 50 crore for AIADMK symbol: How police tracked the TTV deal

The Bengaluru based Sukesh is 27 is the alleged middleman who struct a Rs 50 crore deal with T T V Dinakaran to help influence officials and bag the AIADMK's symbol. At the time of Sukesh's arrest from the Hyatt hotel in Delhi, the Delhi police found Rs 1.3 crore and also a Mercedes car from him.

Charged for bribery, TTV Dinakaran to meet convict Sasikala Natarajan

Sukesh who also goes by the name Balaji hails originally from Bengaluru and has had quite a history. His first tryst with crime began when he was 17 years old. He studied at a prestigious school on Residency Road in Bengaluru. He was always ambitious and wanted to lead a lavish life-style.

The first time he was arrested was in connection with a Bengaluru Development Authority scam. He is said to have duped over a 100 people to the tune of over Rs 75 crore. Police sources say that he would pose as a relative of politicians and assure people that he would get their job done.

The money he made would be used to buy luxurious cars that included a Rolls Royce, Maserati among others. He also would invest heavily on luxury watches. The police is currently investigating how he managed to get in touch with T T V Dinakaran and strike the alleged deal. The police say that the deal was for Rs 50 crore and only a part of the payment had been made when Sukesh was arrested.

OneIndia News
No comment on Pranab Mukherjee book before reading it: Former Union Minister

Pranab memoirs: PM Modi must speak more often in Parliament

President honours freedom fighters on Champaran Satyagraha centenary

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Patna, April 17: President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday honoured freedom fighters from across the country to mark the ongoing year-long centenary celebrations of the Champaran Satyagraha.

"It is a matter of pride to honour freedom fighters, who have played important roles in the freedom movement of our country and fight against the colonial rule," Mukherjee said in his address.

He said: "I pay respect to all freedom fighters who are alive and pay homage to those who are dead. The nation cannot forget the important contributions made by freedom fighters in the country's freedom movement."

He said "Mahatma Gandhi transformed the Satyagraha into a powerful tool. Gandhi's first satyagraha began in Champaran, Bihar. In fact, with it Gandhi began a new chapter for the country.

Champaran is the laboratory of freedom movement of Satyagraha by Gandhi," he added.

The year-long celebrations to mark the 100th year of Mahatma Gandhi's first major resistance against British rule, popularly known as the Champaran Satyagraha, began last week in Bihar.

IANS

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Story first published: Monday, April 17, 2017, 16:15 [IST]
PM Narendra Modi stops convoy to meet 4-year-old girl in Surat

India

oi-Anusha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not new to breaking protocols and on Monday he did just that as he stopped his convoy for a 4-year-old girl. The young fan was delighted as she was taken to meet the Prime Minister who was seated in his car.

The Prime Minister brushed protocol aside and asked for his convoy to be stopped en route to Surat. PM Modi asked for the convoy to halt after noticing a little girl trying to get his attention. Following his instructions, officials accompanying him arranged an audience with the prime minister for the little girl. Within moments, the convoy was back on track and sped away.

#WATCH PM Narendra Modi breaks security protocol to meet a 4-year old girl on his way to inaugurate Kiran Multispeciality Hospital in Surat. pic.twitter.com/vtLuleRMYV  ANI (@ANI_news) April 17, 2017

Narendra Modi is known for unexpected surprise moves. The Prime Minister in an unprecedented move had shunned traffic restrictions last week in Delhi. Modi set aside protocol and travelled in regular traffic to the Indira Gandhi international airport in Delhi to receive Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheik Hasina. No traffic restrictions were imposed on the route.

Oneindia News
Roping in the relatives: Here is how Indian Mujahideen is reviving

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

There is no doubt that the cadres of the Indian Mujahideen are a depleted lot. While the outfit is down, security agencies say that the matter cannot be taken lightly as the IM would look to bounce back. Currently the outfit is looking for people in a bid to revive itself.

Sources in the Intelligence Bureau tell OneIndia that the group members are now talking to relatives in a bid to indoctrinate and recruit them. The job of bringing the IM back to life has been handed over to Mohsin Chaudhary, currently in Pakistan.

Chaudhary an accused in the Pune serial blasts of July 2008 has been absconding and according to intercepts he is now in Pakistan. He reports to one of the founders of the group, Riyaz Bhatkal who is based out of Karachi.

As a first step, he has got in touch with his relatives in India and is attempting to recruit them. The IM does not want to focus too much on Bhatkal as the place is very high on the radar. The IM would look for people in Maharashtra, IB sources say.

Following the arrest of Yasin Bhatkal and Assadullah Akthar, the IM took a beating. Currently the outfit does not have a bomb maker. Chaudhary during his conversations that were intercepted is heard asking his aides to look for an expert bomb maker. He is also heard saying that someone must be trained to make bombs. Yasin was the expert bomb maker in the outfit and following his arrest, the IM has not been able to find a replacement

OneIndia News
Rs 50 crore for AIADMK symbol: How police tracked the TTV deal

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

It was a high profile case which mandated a special team to be formed. The Crime Branch of the Delhi police learnt that there were attempts on to allegedly bribe officials in the Election Commission of India in the wake of the symbol row within the AIADMK between the Sasikala and O Panneerselvam factions.

It is the claim of the Delhi police that Sasikala Natarajan's nephew, T T V Dinakaran was ready to pay up to Rs 50 crore to buy the Two Leaves symbol of the AIADMK. Both the OPS and Sasikala camps had staked a claim for the symbol and the Election Commission of India had decided to freeze the same ahead of the R K Nagar by-election which was countermanded after charges of corruption emerged.

Delhi Police Crime Branch recovered Approx Rs 1.3 Crore from alleged middleman Sukesh Chandrashekhar. pic.twitter.com/IhLePVkTCY  ANI (@ANI_news) April 17, 2017

Delhi police sources say that it was on the basis of an intercept that they were able to track the deal that was being struck. An alleged middleman Sukesh Chandrasekhar was arrested from the Hyatt hotel on Sunday night. Rs 1.3 crore was recovered from him. Sources confirmed that the total amount that was to be paid to the EC officials was Rs 50 crore.

A special team under Joint Commissioner Praveer Ranjan has been formed. The special team comprising officials of the inter-state cell of the crime branch will now ask Dinakaran to join the probe.

The police have however not found any evidence against any official of the Election Commission of India. The police say that they had questioned Sukesh, but he had not revealed any name. On Sukesh the 27 year old accused, the police say that he is a known con-man and had cheated a politician in the past. He owns a fleet of luxury cars, the police also added.

OneIndia News
Man who promised TTV the AIADMK symbol was a 'son' of many chief ministers

India

oi-Anusha

In April 2011 he called himself the grandson of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi. In 2008 he was roaming the streets of Bengaluru calling himself the son of former Karnataka Chief minister H D Kumaraswamy. In 2009 he moved around in Hyderabad introducing himself as the nephew of former Andhra Pradesh Chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. Sukesh Chandrasekar, the man that the Delhi police finally caught up with is a master conman.

Meet the conman from Bengaluru who promised Dinakaran the AIADMK symbol

With a dozen cases against him in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, Sukesh has managed to con the high and mighty as easily as the less fortunate. The Cubbon park police from Bengaluru had arrested Sukesh from Chennai for conning people with the promise of swanky cars for cheap rates in 2011. The man who spent a few months in jail was given a bail after which he vanished. In 2013, the Delhi police missed him by the whisker but arrested his live-in partner, a television host and an actor.

Sukesh Chandrasekhar knew how to pull off a con. Apart from using the easiest trick in the book, dropping big names, Sukesh ensured that his lies were foolproof. Expensive clothes, special liking for watches and cars apart, Sukesh moved around in vehicles with beacons and emblems of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu state governments.

He was arrested by the Chennai police for duping a businessman posing as M K Azhagiri's son and M Karunanidhi's grandson. He duped a businessman in Bengaluru calling himself the son of H D Kumaraswamy while he told his landlord that he was a close friend of Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Gowda. A class 10 dropout, Sukesh preyed on the vulnerability of his victims. To make his VVIP act look all real, Sukesh moved around with private security personnel dressed in safari suits and armed. In Hyderabad, he stayed in a post jubilee hills service apartment that cost him Rs 2.5 lakh per month. And now he has allegedly managed to convince TTV DInakaran to part with Rs 50 crore to get him a favourable verdict from the election commission of the AIADMK 'two leaves' symbol.

OneIndia News
Support pours in for farmers protesting in Delhi, demand for relief grows

India

oi-Anusha

Apart from students, techies and those from the film fraternity, multiple organisations have backed Tamil Nadu farmers protesting in Delhi's Jantar Mantar. The National alliance of People's Movement has now urged the central and the state government to act swiftly on the demands made by the farmers. In a statement, the organisation has hailed efforts by people like director V Gowthaman who spearheaded protests back home in Tamil Nadu in solidarity with the farming community.

Farmers from Tamil Nadu have been protesting for over a month in Delhi's Jantar Mantar demanding loan waiver, setting up of Cauvery water management board, fair price for agricultural produce and drought relief. Despite the peaceful yet novel protests that the farmers are undertaking, neither the state government nor the central government has come forward with a concrete action plan to address their concerns.

The organisation claims that the seed for the farmers' protest was sown during the Jallikattu protests in Tamil Nadu earlier this year. The National Alliance for People's Movements has been staging protests since March 2017 in support of the farmers. In a press statement, the organisation recalled how protesters numbering in hundreds were driven away by the police every time they tried to assembly to express solidarity with the farming community. The organisation after its successful blockade of the Kathipaara flyover has demanded release of the protesters who were taken into custody and stated that it would continue to rally behind the farmers and fight for their cause.

OneIndia News
TTV Dinakaran bribery case brings Delhi police team to Bengaluru

India

oi-Anusha

A team of Delhi police investigating the case of bribery charges against TTV Dinakaran and Sukesh Chandrasekhar has arrived in Bengaluru. The team is on the lookout for a middleman based in Bengaluru who is said to have connected Sukesh to TTV Dinakaran. While it was initially suspected that Sukesh Chandrasekhar was the tout who would connect TTV Dinakaran to officials of the election commission, sources now suggest that there may be more people involved in the entire bribery drama.

The Bengaluru city police are assisting a team of Delhi police in finding a man who connected TTV Dinakaran with Sukesh Chandrasekhar. The tout, who the police are now pursuing is said to have posed as an official and introduced TTV Dinakaran to Sukesh Chandrasekhar. Post the introduction, a deal was reportedly struck between Dinakaran and Sukesh to bribe officials of the election commission.

Police sources suggested that the tout and Sukesh are part of a larger ring that works towards identifying potential businessmen, politicians and bureaucrats who are in need of favours. The team assures their 'clients' of help for a set amount. The team boasts of having connections and ability to influence decisions in favour of their client. The joint teams are now on the lookout for the tout who brought TTV Dinakaran and Sukesh Chnadrasekhar together.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Monday, April 17, 2017, 16:50 [IST]
COLUMN: Understanding Aadhaar and debunking controversies!

India

oi-Oneindia

By Shrikant Karwa

Several media reports have been discussing Aadhaar and its misuse of late. People may have differing views, but it is important that the facts about Aadhaar are clearly understood. I am writing an article that explains some of the basic concepts about Aadhaar while addressing some common concerns observed.

[How to apply for Aadhaar Card for Kids?]

Aadhaar as an identity is familiar, and yet a little different. This leads many people to believe that they understand it completely, when they may still harbor some misconceptions. The UIDAI is in the business of providing only a unique ID to resident of India along with an online verification service. UIDAI is not involved in any service delivery linked with Aadhaar.

[What if name on Aadhaar Card does not match name on Pan Card?]

The inherent difficulty in understanding Aadhaar (a relatively new concept, only 7 years in the life of utility is young) are two fold:

An easier way to understand Aadhaar:

1. Aadhaar is a pure ID utility, unlike most programmes where the ID is part of some other entitlement (eg Passport, PAN, Election Card) and thus shortcomings in service delivery process are assumed to be shortcoming of the ID system.

The ID system works with its reality and limitations, and the service delivery organisation (be it Bank, PDS, etc) have to recognise this reality and leverage it to the best possible while creating fail-safe mechanism. A easier way to understand Aadhaar is to think of it like a new type of utility like electricity. Just the way electricity can be down (and you keep candles), similarly Aadhaar services will not work in certain situations and the service delivery needs to factor this reality in its service delivery obligation.

Now there can be two approaches - you can choose not to use electricity, or understand how it works and help make life better. Similarly, a service provider must make a decision about how to best use this Aadhaar utility, and manage failures, so that they do not get in the way of service delivery.

A simple example, Aadhaar as part of its inclusive mandate provides identity to people who do not have any fingers & Iris (no biometrics). These people are enrolled through a biometric exception process and are issued Aadhaar numbers with additional checks to prevent fraud and misuse of facility.

Such a person will never be able to do a biometric authentication, may do an OTP authentication, but lets say he/she does not have a mobile phone (since mobile is not mandatory as part of Aadhaar enrolment). This reality exists, it is the responsibility of the service provider (for instance PDS) to build in exception handling, and to be sensitive and inclusive to such scenarios. The exception handling can be done in different ways - service like pre-aadhaar days, use a photo ID verification etc. The critical point will be to monitor the exception handling usage for any misuse with smart auditing.

2. Another major challenge in understanding Aadhaar type ID utility is that there is no comparable utility today in the developed world. The ID system of any country fundamentally begins with its Birth Registry System. In most developing countries including India the birth registry does not have universal coverage. The World Bank in 2008 estimated that only 52.8% of births in India were attended by skilled staff. Recording the unique time and place of birth is the source of uniqueness of a person in a country ID system. In the developed world, where 99% of births are in hospitals, the birth registry system gives those countries their unique ID system without the need for taking any biometrics.

In developing countries like India, not having a robust universal birth registry, there is a need for a national id to find a robust source of uniqueness. The UIDAI selected biometrics for this purpose. The various service agencies in the country can leverage this ID. If the service delivery agency needs to ensure uniqueness in its customer database, they can integrate Aadhaar and remove all duplicates, and ghosts that found their way into the system.

Some of the other common concerns observed are:

A. Exclusion of service due to authentication failure: It is interesting to observe, how in some media reports, every authentication failure is treated as a denial of service. Did someone check if the next authentication transaction success was for the same person and did they get served? Also if someone puts your Aadhaar number and his fingerprint do you want the system to reject or accept. Thus jumping on Aadhaar failure as denial of service is not pragmatic, the context of failure rates, and backup mechanisms needs to be understood.

A person sincerely wanting to understand the reality of "exclusion of service" needs to understand the process of service delivery (Bank, PDS etc) and the data generated by the service provider when providing the service. Aadhaar is may be just one of the authentication protocols used and failure of Aadhaar (False Reject) triggers exception handling protocols with no denial of service.

Many service providers have put in exception handling protocols to deal with scenarios where biometric authentication may not work. For instance, the PDS systems in AP, and in Telangana, make all attempts to bring down biometric errors. When all fail, an official adjudicates to ensure that no one loses out on their food entitlements.

Improving (Reducing) the False Reject Rate

It is important to understand that biometric authentication is not a exact match science. The UIDAI relies on the STQC to certify devices. In the certification process, these devices are tested in the field, with real people (in addition to laboratory testing). Only those devices that provide biometric matches above a certain threshold are considered for certification. Thus each certified fingerprint sensor is able to achieve a true accept rate of over 98% in the field - using 2 finger authentication, with three attempts. Iris sensors have even better results. Service providers should be able to accomplish this, (or close to it).

While the raw authentication failure rates depend on the person, the operator, the quality of capture during enrolment, and many other factors, they can be improved by process.

For fingerprints alone:

Use of 2 fingers instead of 1 finger for authentication. This alone improves the accept rate significantly, and is simple to implement. Multiple attempts: The acceptance rate also goes up significantly with this method. This is natural field behaviour. If the authentication fails, the person tries again and probability of success improves with every additional attempt. This process is similar to retyping a password to overcome a typing error. Best Finger Detection (BFD): The UIDAI has a process to allow the user to help discover the best fingers to be used for authentication. This also reduces the error rate.

Allow for an alternate biometric, such as Iris, which has better success rates.

Ensure adoption of a well documented and monitored exception handling process. It could be a physical id card, or an empowered ombudsman. Monitoring the usage of the exception handling protocol is essential to prevent it from becoming a source of fraud.

If the original enrollment data was of poor quality, then the Best Finger Detection (BFD) process can diagnose the problem and recommend a biometric update.

While the UIDAI can, should, and does issue guidance in this regard, it is the responsibility of the implementing agency (service provider) to work towards understanding and decrease the failure rates incorporating efforts described above.

B. Costs versus Benefits, Savings etc: Various numbers are floating on the cost savings, benefits or otherwise. There is no point in my justifying why the number I like is more correct and the number you like is more wrong. Aadhaar was designed to bring efficiency to government service delivery. Apportioning credit from efficiencies is a tough job! However, adoption is growing (because it is seen to work). Aadhaar empowers individuals with a verifiable identity and brings in accountability into every retail transaction with the government. Opposition will come from some of those who benefit from the current system, or from proponents of other potential alternate systems (such as smart cards, which have been leapfrogged).

C. Most of the country already had an Identity: The most common identity before Aadhaar was the electoral ID card (EPIC). However, the EPIC has no guarantee of being unique, is not available to people below voting age, and nor to other residents (many services are available to residents, and not citizens). There is also the issue of duplicates (people move, and get a new EPIC, but do not surrender the old one).

The second most common identity was the ration card. This contains details of the head of the household, and a list of family members, with their ages (not date of birth) at the time of issue! In some states, this includes a photograph of the head of family. This identity document is not recognised beyond the state of issue, and nor is it useful to identify the rest of the family. This system has a gender bias - resulting in a disproportionate number of women without a usable identity. There is also the issue of ghosts, and fakes in this system.

With Aadhaar, the individual members of the family now have their independent identity. Having a portable, online electronically-verifiable Id and one that is accepted across the country's geography creates the necessary value-add to the people.

D. Control of data: You cannot control the data that some of the companies collect about you. Your phone number is in Truecaller (associated with your name), because you are in someone else's phone book. The same is true of many other systems, and none of them is accountable to you. Also, any data that they hold about you is accessible, under various processes, to law enforcement. And as shown by Edward Snowden, it is sometimes accessible without process.

In the case of Aadhaar, the law protects your data. The Aadhaar Act does not allow organisations to use or share your Aadhaar information for any purpose other than its original application. We can demand more such protections and may be best practices of privacy protection from across the globe could be a constructive criticism for Aadhaar.

Conclusion

The recent debates are indeed a result of the system having reached a certain mass, and applications developing rapidly. It would be more useful to have constructive conversations about how we move ahead from where we are now, in ways that protect privacy and personal data.

A colonial hangover means some Indians naturally have a high distrust for their government. Given that Aadhaar is bringing about a large-scale reduction in retail corruption, it is easy to understand that there are many lobbies at play that are maligning the project and feeding the distrust with misinformation to confuse people.

I, like the naysayers, am also a person of this country. I also do not want exclusion, nor do I want big- brother systems. I fully support demands for overarching privacy laws from our representatives and enhanced measures for protecting the privacy of all. If the debate moves in the direction of potential ideas to improve the Aadhaar ID system for stricter privacy, enhanced security, efficient performance, wider inclusion, etc., it'll lead to a constructive effort in the right direction.

(Shrikant Karwa worked on the UIDAI project in its early design and implementation stage. The views expressed here are personal)
Venkaiah Naidu to review progress of urban schemes in NE states

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Apr 17: Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu will review the progress of urban schemes in the eight states of North-Eastern region in Guwahati tomorrow. He will also chair a meeting of 'Joint Hindi Advisory Committee' of Urban Development and Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation ministries to review the use of Hindi language in official works in both the ministries and their offices.

The meeting is being held in the North-East for the first time. The minister will also release a compendium of 2,500 frequently used words in both the ministries translated from English to Hindi to promote the use of language, an official release said.

The urban schemes to be reviewed include Prime Minister's Awas Yojana (Urban), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation and Smart City Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban).

The schemes relates to two ministries of Urban Development and HUPA in states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. Under PMAY (Urban), HUPA ministry has approved construction of 99,940 affordable houses for urban poor in the eight states of North-Eastern region during the last two years.

As many as 12 towns of North-Eastern states have been included in the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation for Urban Transformation scheme. The scheme aims to provide water taps to all urban households, besides expanding sewerage and drainage networks, and promoting non-motorised transport, among others.

Eight towns of North-Eastern states have been included under Smart City Mission under which central assistance of Rs 500 crore is provided to each smart city over a period of five years.

PTI
'Is this acceptable?' Mamata Banerjee on Hindu Mahasabha's depiction of Mahatma Gandhi as Asura

Amit Shah to chair two-day 'Chintan Shivir of Home Ministers'; Mamata to skip the meet

WB: CBI registers FIR in Narada sting operation case

India

oi-Madhuri

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday registered FIR against 13 persons including MPs and ministers in West Bengal government, and an IPS officer in Narada sting operation case where they were allegedly caught on camera taking money.

The agency has registered case of alleged criminal conspiracy and corruption against Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Roy, Lok Sabha MPs Sultan Ahmed, Saugata Roy, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Aparupa Poddar, among others, CBI sources said.

Earlier on March 21, the Supreme Court declined West Bengal Trinamool Congress leaders' plea to set aside a Calcutta high court order directing the CBI to investigate a Narada News 'sting' operation.

News website Narada News allegedly caught visuals of top Trinamool leaders taking money from a man who was apparently seeking favours from the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had alleged that the sting operation was a conspiracy against her government and party members. She had claimed that it was meant to hurt her party's image before the polls. In June, she had ordered a Kolkata Police inquiry into the case.

OneIndia News (with inputs from PTI)
With gold metal cow, Gujarats Muslim children ask PM Modi to save cow

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Surat, April 17: At a time when the issue of ban on cow slaughter is hogging the limelight, two Muslim children in Surat, Gujarat, had a message for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to 'save cow'.

During PM Modi's roadshow in Surat on Sunday evening, two Muslim children were seen holding a gold metal cow and a placard with the message--'I am Muslim, save cow'. Later, the gold metal cow was gifted to PM Modi by the children.

Several Muslim organisations and individuals in recent times have supported ban on cow slaughter. Recently, Ajmer dargah dewan Syed Zainul Abedin Ali Khan said that the government should put a ban on the slaughter of all bovine animals as well as the sale of beef to promote communal harmony in the country.

"Muslims must stop eating beef as it is a cause of disharmony," said Syed Zainul. Welcoming the Gujarat government's move to enact a law with the provision of life sentence for those found guilty of cow slaughter, the dewan said that the central government should declare cow as the national animal if the government wants to protect it.

Moreover, a madrasa in Uttar Pradesh has started a postcard campaign asking PM Modi to ban cow slaughter all over the country. The campaign, started by Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar madrasa in Sambhal, UP, also urged PM Modi to declare cow as the national animal of India.

The issue of ban on cow slaughter has been hogging the limelight in recent times, especially in the wake of killing of a dairy farmer, Pehlu Khan, in Alwar, Rajasthan, by a group of gau rakshaks (cow vigilantes).

Cow slaughter laws in India are pretty confusing as different states have different rules and regulations. While in Kerala and in most parts of the Northeast India, cows, bulls and bullocks are allowed to be slaughtered, in several southern and northern parts of India only bulls and bullocks are allowed to be killed. In states like Maharashtra, none of these animals are allowed to be slaughtered.

Experts say ban on cattle slaughter, including cow, has an adverse impact on farmers as they can't sell their old livestock once they become useless for them. Moreover, many say ban on beef is against an individual's right to food. For millions of poor, especially Dalits and Muslims, beef is their main source of protein, as the red meat is cheaper than pulses.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Monday, April 17, 2017, 8:42 [IST]
Yogi Adityanath likens Triple Talaq to 'Cheerharan', says those silent are guilty

India

oi-Anusha

Making his anger clear over those remaining mum over triple talaq, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that those silent on the issue were equally guilty. Speaking at an event in Lucknow Yogi Adityanath on Monday said, "A debate is going on nowadays and the silence on the issue reminds me of Draupadi's Cheerharan. I am surprised over the silence."

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister quoting the Mahabharata said that much like those who kept mum during Draupadi's disrobing, those silent over triple talaq were equally guilty. He was at an event to release a book on late politician Chandrashekhar and said that the former Prime Minister was also for Uniform civil code.

Yogi Adityanath's statements come a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked party workers especially the BJP Mahila Morcha to empathise with the victims of triple talaq.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Monday, April 17, 2017, 13:51 [IST]
Massive US bomb was an 'atrocity', says Hamid Karzai

International

pti-PTI

Kabul, Apr 17: Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Monday that the US is using Afghanistan as a weapons testing ground, calling the recent use of the largest-ever non-nuclear bomb "an immense atrocity against the Afghan people."

Last week, US forces dropped the GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb in eastern Nangarhar province, reportedly killing 95 militants. Karzai, in an interview with The Associated Press, objected to the decision, saying that his country "was used very disrespectfully by the US to test its weapons of mass destruction."

The office of President Ashraf Ghani said following the bomb's usage that there was "close coordination" between the US military and the Afghan government over the operation, and they were careful to prevent any civilian casualties. But Karzai harshly criticized the Afghan government for allowing the use of the bomb. "How could a government of a country allow the use of a weapon of mass destruction on its own territory? Whatever the reason, whatever the cause, how could they allow that? It just unimaginable," he said.

The strike was carried out Thursday morning against an Islamic State group tunnel complex, carved into a mountain in Nangarhar province, that Afghan forces had tried to assault repeatedly in recent weeks, according to Afghan officials.

US and Afghan forces have been battling the Taliban for more than 15 years. But the US military unveiled the largest conventional bomb in its arsenal against the Islamic State group, which has a far smaller but growing presence in Afghanistan.

US President Donald Trump has publicly vowed to aggressively confront IS. Trump called the operation a "very, very successful mission" but Karzai had harsh words for the new US leader.

"My message to President Trump today is that he has committed an immense atrocity against the Afghan people, against fellow human beings," he said.

"If the American government sees us as human beings, then they have committed a crime against fellow human beings, but if they treat us as less than human beings, well, of course they can do whatever they want."

The US estimates 600-800 IS fighters are in Afghanistan, mostly in Nangarhar. American forces have has concentrated on fighting them while also supporting local Afghan forces against the Taliban.

PTI
Nepal govt withdraws public holiday amid criticism

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Kathmandu, April 17: Amid wide criticism, the Nepal government has decided to roll back its decision to declare a public holiday on Friday, the day when President Bidya Devi Bhandari is scheduled to return home at the end of a five-day state visit to India.

Earlier, the government had announced public holidays on April 17 and April 22, days when the President was slated to leave for her foreign tour and return home.

On Monday morning, Bhandari, leading a 33-member delegation, left Kathmandu for India on a five-day state visit at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee. A public holiday was observed on Monday.

In monarchical Nepal, public holidays were customarily announced whenever the King embarked on an official visit to any nation or returned home after the visit. The announcement on Sunday by Law Minister Ajay Shankar Nayak about the public holidays on April 17 and 22 appeared a continuation of the previous practice but strident criticism from almost all quarters forced the government to have a re-think on the decision.

Her delegation includes Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat and Peace and Reconstruction Minister Sita Devi Yadav, five women MPs and senior officials.

IANS

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Story first published: Monday, April 17, 2017, 16:58 [IST]
Nepal: Suspicious object found at Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu

Explosion in south Nepal, 3 killed, another 3 injured

Ready to forget everything if PM KP Sharma Oli accepts mistakes: Madhav Kumar Nepal at protest rally

Delhi to Kathmandu Bus Service: Ticket Price, Timings, Distance, Travel Duration, Guidelines (All Details)

Nepal President arrives in Delhi on five-day visit to India

International

oi-PTI

Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari, who is on her first foreign visit, arrived in Delhi on a five-day visit to India.

Bhandari will be given a ceremonial reception and accorded a guard of honour at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday.

"Neighbourhood first," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted while announcing the President's arrival.

PTI
Now, United Airlines evicts couple on their way to wedding from plane

International

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

New York, April 17: Once again United Airlines is hogging the limelight. Days after crew members of the US-based passenger carrier tried to forcibly evict an elderly man from one of their flights, a couple has been reportedly removed from one of its planes on Saturday.

Reports say the couple was flying from Houston, Texas to Costa Rica. The couple was travelling to Costa Rica to get married. According to the officials of United Airlines, the man and his fiancee repeatedly tried to sit in more expensive seats for which they did not book. Moreover, the couple did not follow the instructions issued by the crew members of the flight.

Thereafter, they were removed by a federal law enforcement officer from the plane. However, the couple shared a different version of the story with the media. Michael Hohl said he and his fiancee Amber Maxwell found another passenger sleeping sprawled across their seats after they were the last to board the flight, according to an interview with KHOU.

Soon after moving to other, empty seats in the economy cabin a few rows up, flight crew denied their request to pay a supplement for the seats, which United sells as 'economy plus', and told them to move back to their original seats, Hohl said.

"We thought not a big deal, it's not like we are trying to jump up into a first-class seat," Hohl told KHOU. "We were simply in an economy row a few rows above our economy seat."

They then cooperated with an officer from the US Marshals Service who boarded and told them they had to get off the plane, Hohl said. Later, the couple was rebooked on a flight on Sunday, KHOU reported.

Recently, a video went viral in which a man was seen getting dragged off from an 'overbooked' United Airlines flight. In the process, the man was left profusely bleeding from his mouth. Now, the man has launched a legal action against the passenger carrier after the incident.

OneIndia News
Pak has an Islamic State problem: Here is why

International

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

A 20 year old woman was arrested in Lahore, Pakistan on the charge that she had joined the Islamic State. Identified as Naureen Leghari, the lady had joined the outfit on Facebook and had been planning a major attack on Christians in Lahore.

Naureen spent two months in Syria and returned to Lahore in February. Naureen, resident of Hyderabad, had disappeared from the university in February to join the IS. After reaching Lahore on February 10, Naureen had messaged her brother through a friend's Facebook profile that she has reached the land of Khilafah.

"Brother, I am Naureen, I hope you all are fine, I am fine and happy too, I have contacted you to inform you that by the grace of God, I have migrated to the land of Khilafah and hope that you all will someday migrate."

On her arrival to Lahore she married an IS activist Ali Tariq, 32. Tariq was an expert in preparing suicide vests. Naureen also got training to use weapons especially Kalashnikov. When a raiding team surrounded the couple's hideout on Ghazi Road, they opened fire on it. The firing lasted for 35 minutes. Tariq was killed in the cross fire while Naureen engaged the security forces till she ran out of bullets and some commandos managed to nab her.

Investigators say that she had planned a major suicide attack on Christians on Easter. Had she been successful, it would have been the first case of a woman suicide bomber in Pakistan.

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Komfie Manalo, Opalesque Asia: Toronto-based asset management company Sprott Asset Management LP (SAM) has entered into an agreement to sell its Canadian diversified fund business to a management-led group. Under the deal, the new group will have more than $3 billion in assets under management as well as a unique investment solutions that help financial advisors differentiate their businesses and add significant value to their clients' portfolios. "This agreement marks a new and exciting era for our clients and our employees - one where the new company's management team is fully aligned behind one idea: Continue our growth as an exceptional fund management business that uses innovative thinking to help advisors succeed," said John Wilson, CEO and co-CIO of SAM. Wilson and James Fox, President of SAM, will be co-Managing Partners of the new firm. The agreement is expected to be finalized in the coming months, pending regulatory approvals. "Our Canadian diversified asset management business has been showing significant growth over the last five years," added Fox. "We've had great success with our alternative income products, flow-through offerings, energy offerings, and our core equity and credit products. These are things that few others are doing in the same way. Our team is incredibly excited to be able to bring all our passion to bear on delivering more of this kind of innovation to Canadian investors." W...................... To view our full article Click here
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Recyclability, lightweight, and other physical attributes of disposable cups will continue to make them the foremost choice of packaging food products and beverages. Disposable cups are designed to hold both, hot and cold, substances, which further propels their applicability in global food & beverage industry. However, a majority of disposable cups are made from plastic materials to reduce chances of food contamination. This raises concerns regarding impact of such plastic cups on the environment, whether in terms of rising production or from dumping waste plastic disposable cups.The breakthrough for disposable cup manufacturers in tackling such stringent hurdles is the advent of biodegradable materials in production of disposable cups. Disposable cups made from bioplastics or other such materials is predicted to garner surplus demand in the years to come. Such favourable consumer preferences, coupled with rising consumption of fast foods and on-the-go beverages in the world, will also continue consolidating the growth of global disposable cups market. Future Market Insights latest report on global market for disposable cups projects that by the end of 2026, more than US$ 21.2 Bn worth of disposable cups will be sold globally.The report estimates the markets current value at a little less than US$ 12 Bn, and anticipates it to register a value CAGR of 5.9% for the forecast period, 2016-2026. According to the report, more than 500 Bn units of disposable cups were sold across the globe in 2016. The global sales of disposable cups is expected to surge steadily at 5.1% CAGR, procuring revenues from sales of over 850 Bn units towards the end of 2026.Request For Sample@Key highlights of the report, titled Disposable Cups Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2016-2026, include:Based on moulding technologies, demand for thermoformed moulding is projected to gain traction, procuring over 70% share of global market revenuesPaper will continue to be the most sought-after material for production of disposable cups, revenues from which are projected to soar at 6.3% CAGRBy 2026-end, more than 280 Bn units of plastic disposable cups are projected to get sold across the globe; registering higher sales of disposable cups made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) materials.Throughout the forecast period, over 700 Bn units of printable disposable cups will sold globally, while non-printable disposable cups will register a relatively sluggish revenue growthOwing to their higher applicability in packaging beverages, disposable cups with 200 to 400 ml capacity will remain in great demand, accounting for nearly half of global market revenues towards the end of 2026Over two-third of revenues emanating from global sales of disposable cups will be accounted by dairy and beverage applications, with the latter procuring higher shareSend An Enquiry@On the same lines, the market is projected to witness higher contribution from food retail companies as end-users of disposable cupsThe report further reveals that North America is likely to be procure a little over one-fourth share of global disposable cup revenues through 2026. During this period, the Asia-Pacific region will dominate the market by closing in on 30% revenue share. The regions dominance is being continued by active participation of China-based disposable cup manufacturers such as Hong Er Plastic Manufacture Limited, Zhejiang Hongsu Plastic Co., Ltd., UNHONG Corp., Zhejiang KaiJia Plastics Co., Ltd., and Changsha Yuhao Imports & Exports Co. Ltd. The report has also profiled leading manufacturers of disposable cups in the world, which include, Berry Plastics Corporation, Pactiv LLC, Huhtamaki OYJ, Solo Cup Company, Greiner Packaging GmbH, Genpak LLC, Dart Container Corporation, ConverPack, Eco-Products Inc., Cosmoplast Ind. Co. (LLC) and Churchill Container.Browse Full Report@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:Blog:
Marine Lubricants Market - Turkey Industry Analysis 2022

Marine Lubricants Market

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Marine lubricants constitute mineral oil, synthetic and bio lubricants. Marine lubricants are manufactured either from crude oil from chemicals or vegetable oils. Lubricants are required to reduce the friction caused between different operating components and increase their output efficiency. Marine lubricants help in assisting various components in performing their functions smoothly. The growing shipping industry is expected to fuel the overall marine lubricants market growth.Marine lubricants are segmented based on their applications in different machines, engines, etc wherein these lubricants play a vital role in reducing friction and increasing the output efficiency of the operating machines. The engine oil marine lubricants have a higher market share than hydraulic oil marine lubricants. The growing incidence of oil spillage has impacted aquatic life. Bio lubricants are non toxic, non-bio-accumulative and biodegradable in nature and hence are preferred to mineral oil marine lubricants.Obtain Report Details @The global marine lubricants market until 2011 was dominated by Europe with Turkey constituting second highest market share. However, due to ongoing shift in market forces of the shipping industry towards Asia Pacific, the marine lubricant industry followed suit. Demand of marine lubricants in Turkey is expected to rise due to the growth in increased marine traffic across the Turkish straits and increased domestic consumption. The Ministry of Environment in Turkey has established several regulations for environmental protection and simultaneously ensures that shipping companies strictly comply with these regulations.Basic raw materials utilized in manufacturing marine lubricants comprise mineral oils, synthetic oils or bio- based lubricants. Refinement of petroleum or crude oil leads to the production of mineral oil while synthetic oils are obtained from polyalphaolefins, which are hydrocarbon-based polyglycols. Group I plants are capable of producing heavier grade oils such as bright stock. Feedstock utilized in manufacturing marine lubricants consists of bright stock oil. Bright stock oils are used to formulate different types of industrial and marine lubricants. Bio-lubricants are based on biodegradable and renewable feedstock. They are manufactured using bio-based materials such as palm oil, castor oil and other vegetable- and animal-derived oils. Marine lubricants mainly comprise of 90% base oils and 10% additives.For more information on this report, fill the form @With increasing traffic in the ports of Turkey, the marine and port authorities in Turkey are focused towards enforcing strict norms to curb the emissions of polluting substances in Turkish waters. Shipping companies voyaging to Turkey or passing through the Strait of Bosporus have to comply with the regulations established by marine protection organizations. The marine environmental regulations are anticipated to further increase in the future, which would lead to increase in penalties. Regulations over usage of different marine lubricant grades and their leakages have been put forth by the respective marine protection organizations.Additionally, several international regulatory agencies such as International Maritime Organization (IMO) and Det Norske Veritas (DNV) have formulated several legislations regarding the use of marine lubricants. These regulations are attracting shipping companies to invest substantially in Environmentally Accepted Lubricants (EALs). The market for these clean marine lubricants is gradually increasing. However, the adoption of EALs is limited due to factors such as the absence of international agreement and standard definitions, accompanied by the growing concern among equipment suppliers about environmentally-recognized lubricants. As a result, bio-based marine lubricants are likely to experience substantial rise in demand owing to the impending regulatory norms that are adopted by the Turkish regulatory frameworks.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 insights for 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, TMR employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact Us:-Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Visit Blog:
Industrial Thermal Insulation Market - Global Industry Analysis 2024

Industrial Thermal Insulation Market

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Insulation is defined as the process of using a material or a compound made up of different materials that are capable of restricting the flow of thermal or heat energy. Insulation materials carry out the functions such as noise reduction, process control, condensation control, energy conservation, freeze protection, and importantly, reduction of environmental pollution. While selecting an appropriate insulation material, factors such as operating temperature, fire protection, physical stress, service & maintenance, vibration, and water ingress have to be kept in mind.Thermal insulation has become essential in industries for safety and to reduce heat loss during the manufacturing process. Industrial thermal insulation helps in increasing the sustainability of the manufacturing processes. The process of thermal insulation of industrial equipment and processes protects the personnel at the operating end, reduces environmental impacts, and enhances process security in the long run.Browse Market Research Report @Industrial Thermal Insulation Market: Market TrendsThe need for thermal insulation in industries is increasing with every passing day as a result of the increase in awareness regarding the benefits associated with its usage. The materials used for insulation are easily available in various forms and can be effortlessly installed. These forms include flexible blankets, pre-formed shapes & flexible sheets, foams & rigid blocks, sheets, and boards.Ideally, cellular, fibrous, and granular types of materials are employed for industrial thermal insulation, and these are further classified into various sub-types. The fibrous materials are made up of small-diameter fibers of slag wool, rock wool, silica, and alumina silica. Mineral wool and glass fiber products are extensively used in their formulation. Cellular insulation materials are composed of small individual cells separated from each other. The material used may be glass or foamed plastic such as poly-isocyanurate, elastomeric, and polystyrene. Granular insulation materials consists of small nodules which may have hollow spaces or voids. Some of materials being used for granular isolation are as follows cellulose, calcium silicate, perlite, and expanded vermiculite. Lately, demand for fibrous and cellular thermal insulation material has increased in comparison to that for the granulation variety, since gas can be transferred across granular isolation material, which can reduce of the efficiency of the material.Fill the form to gain deeper insights on this market @There has been a considerable rise in the number of industries in recent days. With growing industrialization, the awareness about the benefits of insulating materials has increased substantially. Hence, the market for industrial thermal insulation is likely to expand at an exponential rate in the future.Industrial Thermal Insulation Market: Region-wise OutlookThis market is highly dependent on the rate of industrialization observed on a regional as well as global level. The market in North America is dominant due to the presence of major manufacturing companies in leading economies such as the U.S. Asia Pacific exhibits excellent potential for the development of the market due to the presence of various industries in China, India, and Japan.In Europe, awareness about pollution control and increasing environmental concerns have been responsible for the rapid progression of the market for industrial thermal insulation. Latin America and the Middle East & Africa have displayed moderate growth in the previous years, however the market here is likely to advance further in the near future as a result of rising awareness about the use of thermal insulation.Industrial Thermal Insulation Market: Key PlayersKey players operating in the market of industrial thermal insulation include Industrial Insulation Group LLC, Cellofoam North America, Inc., Insulcon Group, URSA Insulation S.A., and Isolatek International, Inc.About Us :-Transparency 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 insights for 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, TMR employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact Us:-Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Visit Blog:
Electric Vehicle Plastics Market - Global Industry Analysis 2024

Electric Vehicle Plastics Market

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Components of electric vehicles which are made of plastic fall under the electric vehicle plastics category. Electric vehicles usually possess metal batteries, the weight of which affects their functioning. Instead of metals, plastics and composite materials can also be used as they help reduce running costs. An electric vehicle requires relatively little servicing and no expensive exhaust systems, starter motors, fuel injection systems, radiators, and other parts. A higher quantity of plastic material is used in these vehicles than in conventional ones, owing to the inclusion of a larger battery pack, the smaller size of the internal combustion engine, and demand for lightweight materials to improve fuel efficiency. Electric vehicle plastics are the raw materials prominently used to manufacture parts and supplies.Increasing demand for electric vehicles owing to growing environmental awareness supported by innovation, government initiatives, and investments made by OEMs has resulted in a technological revolution in the global automobile industry. The need for electric vehicles propels allied sectors such as plastics, an essential material required in the manufacturing of the former. Manufacturers need lightweight materials to develop electric vehicles, which is the primary driver of the global electric vehicle plastics market.Browse Market Research Report @Environmental concerns are expected to increase the requirement for electric vehicles, thereby driving the electric vehicle plastics market over the forecast period. With a shift in consumer need toward automobiles which contribute to fewer greenhouse gas emissions, highly fuel-efficient electric vehicles and their variants are being manufactured by almost all major automakers owing to the improving year-on-year sales of this product, directly influencing the development of the electric vehicle plastics market. Another contributing factor is the decline in the prices of raw materials used in the manufacture of electric vehicles.In terms of material, electric vehicle plastic is categorized into the following types: PP, PE, ABS, PE, PVC, PA, nylon 6, polycarbonate, PVB, and other engineering resins. Based on vehicle type, the market is classified into the hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery varieties. On the basis of application, the market is segmented into the interior, exterior, lighting & electric wiring, and under the hood divisions. Polyurethanes are a widely used material in electric vehicles, which could be attributed to the advantages they offer, such as high strength, flexibility, resistance to temperature, and radiation.For more information on this report, fill the form @Key applications of polyurethanes include seating, electric wiring, and hard plastic parts. Battery electric vehicles are a rapidly expanding segment in the electric vehicle plastics market, driven by factors such as increasing innovation, environmental concerns, and stringent emission regulations. To promote their growth, governments are introducing various tax and non-tax incentives for owners of these vehicles. This eventually supplements the growth of the plastics employed in them.The global electric vehicle plastic market has witnessed modest growth in 2015 and is expected to follow the same trend during the forecast period. Asia Pacific dominates the electric vehicle plastic market and has emerged as a hub for electric vehicles in recent years, with China and Japan being the leading players. Governments in APAC are also trying to provide incentives to support the demand for electric vehicles. The electric vehicle plastics market in North America and Western Europe are flourishing at a healthy rate as a result of the increasing adoption of non-polluting vehicles as a means of transportation. The markets in Latin America and Middle East & Africa are likely to experience a sluggish growth rate due to limited demand for and sales of electric vehicles, but this situation could improve in later years when the demand for fossil fuels increases.Key players operating in the global electric vehicle plastics market include BASF SE, Formosa Plastic Corporation, U.S.A, Evonik Industries, and Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.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 insights for 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, TMR employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact Us:-Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Visit Blog:
Global Shoe Polish Market 2017 : Johnson, Lincoln, Cherry Blossom, Fiebing & AVEL

Shoe Polish

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Global Shoe Polish market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingJohnsonLincolnCherry BlossomFiebingTRG Shoe CreamTimpson Shoe PolishAngelus ProductsCadillac ProductsGriffin ProductsLexol ProductsMeltonian ProductsMoneysworth & BestThe survey report by Market Research Store is an overview of the global Shoe Polish market. It covers all the recent trends including key developments in the global market in present and in future. Analyses of the global Shoe Polish market trends along with the projections of CAGRs (compound annual growth rates) are provided in the research report.Further, an evaluation of the history of the global market and the basic information of the global market is included in the report. A developmental perspective of the industry is also documented in the report. Competitive profiles of the key players in the industry are also discussed.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The research report provides both an assessment of recent developments in the industry along with forecasts examining the industry from the perspective of major competitors, present players and prospective end users in the Shoe Polish market.Forecasts are generated on the basis of region, type, product, supply, demand, and other vital factors of the global market. The research report analyzed the major factors driving the global Shoe Polish market in various countries with a satisfactory and manufacturing and structure of the global market. Forecasts are also provided region-wise in the research report.The research report comprises several chapters, tables, figures, graphs, and various other presentations formats so as to provide a precise overview of the market. The sequence of the report is maintained in such a way that highlights the overall flow of the global market. Recent developments in the global market are further described in the research report. The report also summarizes latest trends along with abstracts of the Shoe Polish market. Major competitors of the global market including commercial and non-commercial participants in the global market are also covered in the report.Inquiry For Bying @Thus, the research report provides in-depth analysis covering all the major regions, competitors, and vital aspects of the Shoe Polish industry.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
Global Off-highway Dump Truck Market 2017 : Bell, Liebherr, Freightliner, NHL, BZK & XEMC

Off-highway Dump Truck

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https://goo.gl/sMfZnD

Global Off-highway Dump Truck market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingCaterpillarTerexKomatsuHitachi Construction MachineryJohn DeereDoosanBelazVolvoHydremaThe survey report by Market Research Store is an overview of the global Off-highway Dump Truck market. It covers all the recent trends including key developments in the global market in present and in future. Analyses of the global Off-highway Dump Truck market trends along with the projections of CAGRs (compound annual growth rates) are provided in the research report.Further, an evaluation of the history of the global market and the basic information of the global market is included in the report. A developmental perspective of the industry is also documented in the report. Competitive profiles of the key players in the industry are also discussed.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The research report provides both an assessment of recent developments in the industry along with forecasts examining the industry from the perspective of major competitors, present players and prospective end users in the Off-highway Dump Truck market.Forecasts are generated on the basis of region, type, product, supply, demand, and other vital factors of the global market. The research report analyzed the major factors driving the global Off-highway Dump Truck market in various countries with a satisfactory and manufacturing and structure of the global market. Forecasts are also provided region-wise in the research report.The research report comprises several chapters, tables, figures, graphs, and various other presentations formats so as to provide a precise overview of the market. The sequence of the report is maintained in such a way that highlights the overall flow of the global market. Recent developments in the global market are further described in the research report. The report also summarizes latest trends along with abstracts of the Off-highway Dump Truck market. Major competitors of the global market including commercial and non-commercial participants in the global market are also covered in the report.Inquiry For Bying @Thus, the research report provides in-depth analysis covering all the major regions, competitors, and vital aspects of the Off-highway Dump Truck industry.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
Beauty Devices Market Will Grow at at 18.7% CAGR by 2020

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According to a new market report published by Persistence Market Research Global Market Study on Beauty Devices: Asia to Witness Highest Growth by 2020, the global beauty devices market was valued at USD 19,389.1 million in 2014 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18.7% from 2014 to 2020, to reach an estimated value of USD 54,186.9 million in 2020.Globally, the beauty devices market is witnessing significant growth due to increasing disposable income, which is enabling people to spend more on personal care. In addition, rise in aging the population and increasing prevalence of skin diseases and harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation are also driving the growth of the market. However, there are various risks and complications associated with beauty devices which may lead to bruising, swelling, and redness. In addition, extended availability of easy-to-use beauty products inhibits the growth of the market. The global beauty devices market is anticipated to grow from an estimated USD 19,389.1 million in 2014 to USD 54,186.9 million in 2020 at a CAGR of 18.7% during the forecast period.In North America, increasing aging population and availability of advanced devices are driving the use of beauty devices in the market. In addition, in the U.S., there are around 750,000 beauty salons and spas. These beauty salon and spas have propelled the demand for beauty devices and personal care products in order to offer better services to their customers.In Europe, the beauty devices market is driven by rising aging population. In addition, in Spain the market is evolving due to rising awareness about potential healing applications of beauty devices in the treatment of skin and hair problems.Request to view table of content @However, in Asia the growth for beauty devices is much higher than developed countries due to increasing disposable income, availability of multinational brands and the introduction of less expensive beauty devices.A sample of this report is available upon request @LOreal Group, Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc., Home Skinovations, Ltd., PhotoMedex, Inc., TRIA Beauty, Inc., Syneron Medical, Ltd., Koninklijke Philips N.V., Panasonic Corporation, Carol Cole Company and Procter & Gamble are some of the major players of beauty devices market.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.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Leak Detector Market will Grow at 5.3% CAGR by 2020

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According to a new market report published by Persistence Market Research Global Market Study on Gas Leak Detector Market - Asia Pacific to Witness Highest Growth by 2020, The global gas leak detectors market accounted for US$ 2,312.2 Mn in 2014 and while exhibiting a CAGR of 5.3% over the forecast period. The Global Gas Leak Detector Market is expected to reach US$ 3143.67 Mn by the end of 2020, representing a CAGR of 5.29% through 2015 to 2020.Key driving factors, identified in the global gas leak detectors market are stringent government safety norms, growing investment in oil & gas and chemical Industries and increasing commercial and residential infrastructure development. However, lower profit margin due to intense competition deferred investments in oil and gas might pose a challenge towards the growth of the global gas leak detector market. Some of the major trends identified in the global gas leak detector market are the use of internet of everything (IoT) and artificial neural network technology and gas leak detectors.The global gas leak detector market report is categorically split under four sections namely: market analysis by region, applications, product type and technology. The report analyses the global gas leak detector market in terms of market value (US$ Mn) and volume (Million Units).From a regional perspective, North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Western Europe together contributed 50% of the global gas leak detector market value in the year 2014. Whilst Asia Pacific excluding Japan contributed total 35%, making it the largest geographical segment in the global gas leak detector market. The Middle East and Africa gas leak detector market are projected to grow at promising CAGR of 6.27% through the forecast period.From the product type perspective, Portable type gas leak detectors accounted a leading share in the global gas leak detector market value in 2014, which is projected to remain dominant throughout the forecast period. The fixed type gas leak detector market is projected to exhibit CAGR of approximately 3.8% for the year 2015 to 2020.On the basis of technology type, the electrochemical-based gas leak detector is the predominant segment with a total share of about 38%, whilst the ultrasonic, semiconductor and infrared based gas leak detector cumulatively accounted for 46.6% % in the global gas leak detector market value in 2014. When compared with other remaining technology segment the infrared based gas leak detectors is projected to grow at higher CAGR of 6.30% over the forecast period.A sample of this report is available upon request @From an application perspective, the Industrial application segment of the gas leak detector is the largest segment of the global gas leak detector market in 2014. Out of the sub-segment oil & gas is the major segment, holding the largest market share as compared with other remaining sub-segment. On the other hand, the market value accounted in the year 2014 by commercial establishment application segment is approximately 2.5X of the value registered by the residential segment. Others application segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.1% from 2015 to 2020.Request to view table of content @Key market participants covered in the report include MSA Safety Inc., Honeywell International Inc., TycoInternational plc, Dragerwerk AG & Co. KgaA, Emerson Electric Company and other players.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.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Semiconductor Assembly Services Market Will Grow at 4.7% CAGR by 2021

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According to the latest market report published by Persistence Market Research, titled Global Market Study on Semiconductor Assembly & Testing Services (SATS): To be Driven by Increasing Demand for High-End Packaging Solutions, the semiconductor assembly & testing services market is estimated to be valued at US$ 29,585.9 Mn by the end of 2015 and is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 4.7% from 2015 to 2021, to account for US$ 39,050.7 Mn by 2021.Semiconductor Assembly and Testing Services (SATS) market are witnessing increased demand for outsourced SATS services. Presently, around half of the market is exploiting the Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) services, and the trend is expected to continue in the long run. With increasing competition from the leading and regional players, the market is witnessing consolidation. This helps market participants in utilizing resources of other players to meet increasing technological demands.Currently, the semiconductor assembly & testing services market across the world is mainly driven by factors such as increasing demand for mobility and connectivity in the consumer electronic products. An increasing demand for connected devices worldwide including smartphones and tablets having connectivity and multimedia capabilities are fuelling the demand for higher packaging technologies, setting up potential revenue opportunity for the SATS market. Additional features offered by SATS providers over in-house testing and packaging capabilities is also one of the primary reasons for the market growth. Additionally, SATS providers facilitate a more efficient supply chain and in-turn reduces time-to-market for a product, therefore SATS providers are becoming the primary choice of integrated design manufacturers.Increased use of safety systems in the automobile industry is also one of the factors contributing to the growth of the SATS market. . However, factors such as the high capital requirement for offering higher end packaging solutions, fluctuations in exchange rates, and volatility in the market are expected to constrain the growth of the SATS market.On the basis of services, the semiconductor assembly & testing services market has been segmented into assembly & packaging services and testing services. The assembly & packaging services segment is expected to account for 79.4% share of the global Semiconductor assembly & testing services market by 2015 end and is anticipated to increase at a CAGR of 4.9%, during the forecast period (20152021).The Assembly and Packaging services segment is further classified on the basis of packaging solutions (interconnecting technologies) which includes copper and gold wire bonding, copper clip, flip chip, wafer level packaging, and TSV. Copper and gold wire bonding accounted for the 55.5%share of the assembly and packaging services segment in 2014. The wafer level packaging (interconnecting technology) segment in the global SATS market is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 9.2% during the forecast period.On the basis of application, the semiconductor assembly & testing services market is segmented into communications, computing & networking, consumer electronics, industrial and automotive electronics. Among these, communication segment dominated the market in 2014 and is expected to account for 49.4% share of the global semiconductor assembly & testing services market by 2015 end. This segment is expected to expand at CAGR of 5.9% during the forecast period.Increasing adoption of tablets and wearable devices globally, is expected to drive the market growth of consumer electronics segment during the forecast period. Consumer electronics segment is analyzed to increase at a CAGR of 6.6% during the forecast period.A sample of this report is available upon request @The report provides detailed information about various trends driving each segment and offers analysis and insights about the potential of the semiconductor assembly & testing services market in specific regions. On the basis of region, the semiconductor assembly & testing services market is segmented into six regions; among these, Taiwan is expected to dominate the market representing 46.5% share by the end of 2015. The market in the region is analyzed to represent largest market share by 2021 expanding at a CAGR of 5.8% during the forecast.Request to view table of content @Key players in global semiconductor assembly & testing services market include ASE Group, Amkor Technologies Inc., STATS ChipPAC Ltd. (JCET), Silicon Precision Industries Co. Ltd., Powertech Technology Inc., CORWIL Technology corporation, Psi Technologies Inc. (IMI), GlobalFoundries and Chipbond Technology Corporation.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.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Social Business Intelligence Market Size, Status and Forecast 2021

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A new research study presents a comprehensive analysis and understanding of the United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Social Business Intelligence market. The study throws light on the vital growth factors and the current trends that are estimated to enhance the growth of the United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia market. The research report also offers an-depth analysis of the United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Social Business Intelligence market, focusing on the product portfolio, primary applications, latest developments, regional segmentation, and the competitive scenario of the overall market. In addition, with the aid of diverse analytical tools, the research study throws light on the key opportunities and the challenges that are being faced by the prominent players that are operating in the globe market. This is expected to help the readers and players in gaining a strong understanding of the Social Business Intelligence market across the globe.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The research study addresses important questions related to the development in the United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Social Business Intelligence market. Some of them have been mentioned below:What are the vital factors augmenting the United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Social Business Intelligence market?Which primary factors are projected to restrict the development of the United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Social Business Intelligence market?Which application segment is expected to lead in the forecast period?Which technological developments are likely to encourage the growth of the United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Social Business Intelligence market?Which regional segment is estimated to lead and account for a key share in the coming few years?What are the anticipated value and growth rate of the United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Social Business Intelligence market?How is the competitive landscape of the United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Social Business Intelligence market?Which are the leading players operating in the United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Social Business Intelligence market?The research report has offered a thorough study of the competitive scenario of the United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Social Business Intelligence market. The strategies and tactics that are used by the key players have been highlighted in order to guide the new players of the United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Social Business Intelligence market.Browse Complete Report with TOC @Table of ContentsUnited States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Social Business Intelligence Market Size, Status and Forecast 20211 Industry Overview of Social Business Intelligence1.1 Social Business Intelligence Market Overview1.1.1 Social Business Intelligence Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Social Business Intelligence 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 Social Business Intelligence Market by End Users/Application1.3.1 Application 11.3.2 Application 21.3.3 Application 32 United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Social Business Intelligence Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Social Business Intelligence 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 Company One3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Social Business Intelligence Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Company Two3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Social Business Intelligence Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Company Three3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Social Business Intelligence Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Company Four3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Social Business Intelligence Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 Company Five3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Social Business Intelligence Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.5.5 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.com
Glycobiology Market: Advanced Technologies, Growth & Opportunities in Global Industry by 2026

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The world glycobiology market is envisioned to sense a strong lead in the biotechnology sector with the mutual advantage of glycobiology and proteomics proliferating their applications in different fields. Due to the capacious overlap and interdependency of both glycobiology and proteomics markets on the part of instrument sections, the global market could gain a sound impetus from the episode.With regard to segmentation, the global glycobiology market could be analyzed on the basis of product, application, and end user. The geographical segmentation can provide an outlook of the key regions that practice the various applications of glycobiology.Browse Market Research Report @The authors of the report have taken to thoroughgoing primary and secondary research to provide a reliable platform for both new entrants and established players to make intelligent decisions. Besides this, the analysts have provided critical data on the forecast of future trends and present market size.The international glycobiology market is foreseen to be motivated by the enlarging research and development spending on the part of biotechnology and pharmaceutical organizations. One of the most influential motive powers for the growth of the global market is the heightening private and government funding initiated for forwarding research activities related to proteomics and glycomics.The drug discovery and development division by application was anticipated to hold a gargantuan share in the world glycobiology market in 2016. The advancement of this possible segment could be accredited to the rise in the evolution of unconventional therapies and drugs through thorough research and development. Other segments such as immunology, oncology, and diagnostics could be listed under the application category.Out of the many probable product type segments, enzymes are predicted to register a higher CAGR and growth on the back of their extensive applications in drug discovery and research and development operations. While they can be further segregated as sialyltransferases, neuraminidases, glycosyltransferases, and glycosidases, the other glycobiology products could be reagents, kits, and instruments.If the end users are concerned, a larger share of the global glycobiology market was expected to be secured by academic research institutes in 2016. The success of this end-user segment could be attributed to the strong private and government support offered through funding. Other end users such as contract research organizations and pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms are foretold to stay in the run.For more information on this report, fill the form @Although the world glycobiology market could be geographically divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World, Asia Pacific is envisaged to outshine while riding on a sharp CAGR. Much of the demand for glycobiology in Asia Pacific could be ascribed to the uprising significance of companion diagnostics, maturing want for customized medicine, and escalating research and development commercialization by biotech and pharma firms.North America may not lag behind in terms of growth, mainly due to the increasing incidences of herpes, AIDS, cancer, and other infectious and chronic illnesses. The sedentary lifestyle and multiplying geriatric population in this region is deemed to be responsible for the prevalence of such diseases. Moreover, citizens are being able to access well-assembled reimbursement programs and afford expensive medication, which is expected to further push the rise of North America.The report presented here for the perusal of the buyers could include an unfathomable study of the competitive landscape along with the future trends of the glycobiology industry. Some of the epoch-making players of the world glycobiology market could be Waters Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Takara Bio, Inc., Merck KGaA, Shimadzu Corporation, ProZyme, Inc., New England Biolabs, Danaher Corporation, Bruker Corporation, and Agilent Technologies.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:
Rising population, Increase in Disposable Income and Increase in the Geriatric Population Drives the Asia Pacific market

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Gamma knife is an advanced radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer in adults and children. Gamma knife is not really a knife; it is a beam of highly focused gamma rays, to precisely cut or destroy the tumor or damaged cells, generally in the brain, causing little or no damage to the surrounding normal cells. Gamma knife technology is used to treat medium brain tumors, trigeminal neuralgia, epilepsy, nerve disorders that causes chronic pain, abnormal blood vessel formations called arteriovenous malformations, and other neurological conditions.Patients with serious diseases can be treated with the help of this technology which is a noninvasive procedure and get cured in a few days with no long hospital stay, returning to normal life and activity promptly. Typically, gamma knife treatment is completed in a few hours with little or no side effects. According to Leksell Gamma Knife Society, gamma knife technology is universally preferred and no other radiosurgery system has greater clinical acceptance as gamma knife. Gamma knife radiosurgery is performed in leading hospitals around the world, with more than 70,000 patients treated every year. To treat with gamma knife technology the surgeon neither requires to make an incision in the scalp, nor an opening in the skull.Obtain Report Details @The gamma knife market can be segmented by disease indication and geography. Based on disease indication, the market is classified into cancer, arteriovenous malformation (AVM), trigeminal neuralgia, essential tremor and others (epilepsy, Parkinsons disease etc.). Cancer holds the dominant share of the gamma knife market by disease indication, and its increasing prevalence is expected to boost the overall market. There are over 100 types of cancer. According to WHO, about 16% of the world population die because of cancer. In 2015, 8.8 million people died of cancer. This is expected to be the prominent driver for the gamma knife market.Geographically, the gamma knife market is classified into five regions, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America has the leading market share followed by the other developed region, Europe. The U.S. accounts for a major share of the global market. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2016, about 1,685,210 new cancer cases were diagnosed. Advanced technologies, high awareness levels, and high purchasing power in North America influenced the gamma knife technology market expansion significantly.Fill the form to gain deeper insights on this market @However, the same factor of affordability has restrained the markets in developing regions. Despite this, the gamma knife market in Asia Pacific has shown significant increase in growth rate. Rising population, increase in disposable income, increase in the geriatric population, and increase in awareness levels are some key factors driving the Asia Pacific market. Due to these factors, the Asian market is observing a large number of new entrants compared to developed regions.Other factors that drive the gamma knife market are increasing prevalence of various types of cancer, increasing preference toward non- and minimally-invasive procedures, high adoption and acceptance in developed markets, high success rate of gamma knife procedure, innovations and developments in technology, and comprehensive health insurance cover for radio surgery procedures. The market is also experiencing certain restraints such as stiff competition among existing players, high cost of the procedure, low equipment availability, and lack of awareness about gamma knife therapy among the rural population in developing and underdeveloped economies.The major players in the gamma knife market include Elekta, Varian Medical Systems, Huiheng Medical, Inc., Nordion Inc., ET Medical Group, and American Shared Hospital Services.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:
Hair Loss Treatments (Haircare) Market in Global - Outlook to 2020: Market Size, Growth and Forecast Analytics

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ReportsWorldwide has announced the addition of a new report title Hair Loss Treatments (Haircare) Market in Global - Outlook to 2020: Market Size, Growth and Forecast Analytics to its growing collection of premium market research reports."Hair Loss Treatments (Haircare) Market in Global - Outlook to 2020: Market Size, Growth and Forecast Analytics" is a broad level market review of Global Hair Loss Treatments market by country. The research handbook provides the up-to-date market size data for period 2011-2015 and illustrative forecast to 2020 covering key market aspects like Sales Value and Volume for Hair Loss Treatments. The research handbook also provides analytics on Sales by Brands and by Distribution Channel.Hair Loss Treatments - products which restore or correct hair loss (male-pattern baldness), excluding general hair tonics and cosmetic hair thickening products which do not entail any physiological change. Applied topically, these products stimulate hair growth, but only for as long as they are used. These products typically contain minoxidil.Sales Values in the handbook are depicted in USD ($) and local currency by country and Volumes are represented in M Units.Furthermore, the research handbook details out Sales Value for top brands for the year 2012 to 2015 and overall market sales by Distribution Channel (Hypermarkets & Supermarkets, Convenience Stores, Department Stores, Dollar Stores, Variety Store, Cash & Carries and Warehouse clubs, eRetailers, Food & Drinks specialists, Drug stores & Pharmacies, Health & Beauty Stores, Other general retailers and others) where ever applicable.The research handbook acts as an essential tool for companies active or plans to venture in to the Global Hair Loss Treatments (Haircare) market. The comprehensive statistics within the report provides insight into the operating environment of the market and also ensures right business decision making based on historical trends and industry model based forecasting.Countries covered in this report include: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United StatesTo Enquire about this Report please visit @Scopes- Overall Hair Loss Treatments (Haircare) market value and volume analytics with growth analysis from 2011 to 2020.- Value terms for the top brands.- Distribution channel sales analytics from 2012-2015.To view a detailed description and Table of Contents please visit:Reasons to buy- Get access to authoritative and granular data on the Hair Loss Treatments (Haircare) market and fill in the gaps in understanding of trends and the components of change behind them.- Enhance your understanding of the market to update your strategic and tactical plans based on volume and value changes, brand dynamics and distribution trends.- Analyze the components of change in the market by looking at historic and future growth patterns.- Use the data to understand future patterns of the market trends from winners and losers to category dynamics and thereby quickly and easily identify the key areas in which you want to compete in the future.About ReportsWorldwide.comReportsWorldwide.com is a leading provider of global market intelligence reports and services. With research reports from top publishers, consulting and advisory firms, ReportsWorldwide.com offers instant online access to a growing database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, geographies and trends.Press Contact:Abigail CrastoSenior Vice President101, Arch StreetBoston, MA 02110USPhone +1 (617) 398-4994Fax +1 (617) 398-4995abigail@reportsworldwide.com
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Market Analysis (TAVR) major drivers, challenges, opportunities and forecast 2022

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Global Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Market: Analysis By Type of Approach (Transfemoral and Transapical), By Region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Rest of the World), By Country (U.S., Canada, Germany, France, U.K., China, India, Japan, Brazil and South Africa): (2017-2022) has covered and analysed the potential of Global Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Market and provides statistics and information on market size, shares and growth factors. The report intends to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and help decision makers take sound investment evaluation. Besides, the report also identifies and analyses the emerging trends along with major drivers, challenges and opportunities in the global transcatheter aortic valve market. Additionally, the report also highlights market entry strategies for various companies across the globe.Report Available @A comprehensive research report created through extensive primary research (inputs from industry experts, companies, stakeholders) and secondary research, the report aims to present the analysis of Global Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Market, on the basis of Type of Approach (Transfemoral and Transapical); By Region (North America, Europe, APAC and ROW) and By Country (U.S., Canada, Germany, France, U.K., China, India, Japan, Brazil and South Africa).Global Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Market: Analysis By Type of Approach (Transfemoral and Transapical), By Region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Rest of the World), By Country (U.S., Canada, Germany, France, U.K., China, India, Japan, Brazil and South Africa): (2017-2022) global market is projected to display a robust growth represented by a CAGR of 18.30% during 2017  2022, chiefly driven by large number of product approvals and launches, rising geriatric population, rapid adoption in U.S. and growing awareness about minimally invasive techniques.Get a copy of Report @OR Inquire before buying this report @Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has been a ground-breaking advancement in the field of interventional cardiology and cardiovascular surgery. Although, surgical aortic valve replacement is considered the standard treatment, yet 30% of patients are not considered candidates for traditional open heart surgery because of advanced age and presence of multiple comorbidities. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement offers this population a less invasive treatment option also with better outcomes. Over the recent years, the global TAVR industry has been growing rapidly mainly due to growing number of elderly population, rising awareness about minimally invasive devices, new device approvals and increasing health expenditure in developing countries.Company Profiles:-Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, Medtronic Plc, Boston Scientific Corporation, St. Jude Medical Inc., JenaValve Technology Inc., Meril Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd.Scope of the ReportGlobal Market (Actual Period: 2012-2016, Forecast Period: 2017-2022)Regional Markets  North America, Europe, APAC, RoW (Actual Period: 2012-2016, Forecast Period: 2017-2022)Country Analysis - US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Japan, China, Singapore, India, Brazil, South Africa (Actual Period: 2012-2016, Forecast Period: 2017-2022)Check for Discount on this Report @Other Report HighlightsMarket Dynamics  Trends, Drivers, ChallengesPorter Five Forces AnalysisSWOT AnalysisCompetitive LandscapeoCountry Pricing and Volume AnalysisoCompany Share AnalysisPolicy and Regulatory LandscapeCompany AnalysisoEdwards Lifesciences CorporationoMedtronic PlcoBoston Scientific CorporationoSt. Jude Medical Inc.oJenaValve Technology Inc.oMeril Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd.Complete TOC Available @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.Ritesh Tiwari+ 1 888 391 5441sales@reportsandreports.com
Hair Colorants (Haircare) Market in Asia-Pacific - Outlook to 2020: Market Size, Growth and Forecast Analytics

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ReportsWorldwide has announced the addition of a new report title Hair Colorants (Haircare) Market in Asia-Pacific - Outlook to 2020: Market Size, Growth and Forecast Analytics to its growing collection of premium market research reports."Hair Colorants (Haircare) Market in Asia-Pacific - Outlook to 2020: Market Size, Growth and Forecast Analytics" is a broad level market review of Asia-Pacific Hair Colorants market by country. The research handbook provides the up-to-date market size data for period 2011-2015 and illustrative forecast to 2020 covering key market aspects like Sales Value and Volume for Hair Colorants and its variants Bleachers, Highlights/Lowlights, Permanent Colorants, Semi-Permanent Colorants, Tone-On-Tone Colorants and Other Hair Colorants. The research handbook also provides analytics on Sales by Brands and by Distribution Channel.Hair Colorants - products that change a person's hair color. Includes all bleachers, highlights, lowlights, permanent colours, semi-permanent colours, tone-on-tone colorants and natural hair dyes such as henna, mehendi and others.Sales Values in the handbook are depicted in USD ($) and local currency by country and Volumes are represented in M Units.Furthermore, the research handbook details out Sales Value for top brands for the year 2012 to 2015 and overall market sales by Distribution Channel (Hypermarkets & Supermarkets, Convenience Stores, Department Stores, Dollar Stores, Variety Store, Cash & Carries and Warehouse clubs, eRetailers, Food & Drinks specialists, Drug stores & Pharmacies, Health & Beauty Stores, Other general retailers and others) where ever applicable.The research handbook acts as an essential tool for companies active or plans to venture in to the Asia-Pacific Hair Colorants (Haircare) market. The comprehensive statistics within the report provides insight into the operating environment of the market and also ensures right business decision making based on historical trends and industry model based forecasting.Countries covered in this report include: Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, ThailandTo Enquire about this Report please visit @Scopes- Overall Hair Colorants (Haircare) market value and volume analytics with growth analysis from 2011 to 2020.- Sales Value and Volume analytics for variants of Haircare; Bleachers, Highlights/Lowlights, Permanent Colorants, Semi-Permanent Colorants, Tone-On-Tone Colorants and Other Hair Colorants- Value terms for the top brands.- Distribution channel sales analytics from 2012-2015.To view a detailed description and Table of Contents please visit:Reasons to buy- Get access to authoritative and granular data on the Hair Colorants (Haircare) market and fill in the gaps in understanding of trends and the components of change behind them.- Enhance your understanding of the market to update your strategic and tactical plans based on volume and value changes, brand dynamics and distribution trends.- Analyze the components of change in the market by looking at historic and future growth patterns.- Use the data to understand future patterns of the market trends from winners and losers to category dynamics and thereby quickly and easily identify the key areas in which you want to compete in the future.About ReportsWorldwide.comReportsWorldwide.com is a leading provider of global market intelligence reports and services. With research reports from top publishers, consulting and advisory firms, ReportsWorldwide.com offers instant online access to a growing database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, geographies and trends.Press Contact:Abigail CrastoSenior Vice President101, Arch StreetBoston, MA 02110USPhone +1 (617) 398-4994Fax +1 (617) 398-4995abigail@reportsworldwide.com
Global Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022" to its huge collection of research reports.The global Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) is the core objective of examination in this research report recently added to our extensive database. The report to a great degree is a spellbinding and savvy archive that helps chalk out a careful and comprehensive investigative Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC), covering all key classifications and their market segments, alongside the elements that have the capability of being powerful sooner rather than later. The report accordingly displays a 360-degree examination of the present condition of the Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) market to its reader.The market has been unearthed from a ground-up manner, where simple information and key, industry-particular meanings of the Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) components are portrayed in the outline. The report then moves into the complete examination of Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC), adhering to viewpoints, including arrangements, industry chain structure, applications, approaches, industry diagram, and recent market improvements.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @The enormous volume of market information incorporated into the report has been collected after some time with the assistance of various essential and optional research systems. This information is additionally limited to utilizing standard industry-based systematic procedures so that the vital areas of subjective and quantitative data are offered to the report's clients.The competitive and administrative scene of the Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) are also broken down and examined in the research report. The different levels of elements on the standards, controls, arrangements, and arrangements are likewise incorporated into the expansion to an investigation of their effect on the markets general development prospects. The report additionally incorporates a point by point inspection of the market players business profiles ranging in the top categories.Browse Press Release of this Research Report:Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC)1.1 Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Market Overview1.1.1 Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) 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 Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Market by Type1.3.1 Testing1.3.2 Inspection1.3.3 Certification1.4 Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Petroleum1.4.2 Environmenta1.4.3 Consumer Goods1.4.4 Agriculture1.4.5 Mining1.4.6 Construction & Infrastructure1.4.7 Manufacturing1.4.8 Oil & Gas1.4.9 Chemicals2 Global Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) 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 ALS Global (Australia)3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 BSI Group (U.K.)3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Bureau Veritas S.A. (France)3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.3.5 Recent Developments11 Market Forecast by Regions, Type and Application (2016-2021)11.1 Global Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Market Size (Value) by Regions (2016-2021)11.1.1 United States Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Revenue and Growth Rate (2016-2021)11.1.2 EU Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Revenue and Growth Rate (2016-2021)11.1.3 Japan Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Revenue and Growth Rate (2016-2021)11.1.4 China Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Revenue and Growth Rate (2016-2021)11.1.5 India Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Revenue and Growth Rate (2016-2021)11.1.6 Southeast Asia Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Revenue and Growth Rate (2016-2021)11.2 Global Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Market Size (Value) by Type (2016-2021)11.3 Global Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Market Size by Application (2016-2021)12 Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Market Dynamics12.1 Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Market Opportunities12.2 Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Challenge and Risk12.2.1 Competition from Opponents12.2.2 Downside Risks of Economy12.3 Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Market Constraints and Threat12.3.1 Threat from Substitute12.3.2 Government Policy12.3.3 Technology Risks12.4 Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Market Driving Force12.4.1 Growing Demand from Emerging Markets12.4.2 Potential ApplicationList of Tables and FiguresFigure Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Product ScopeFigure Global Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Market Size (2011-2016)Table Global Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure Global Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Market Share by Regions in 2015Figure United States Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure EU Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure Japan Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure China Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure India Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure Southeast Asia Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure Global Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Market Share by Type in 2015QYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. 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United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Aged Care Market Size, Status and Forecast 2021

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Aged Care Market Size, Status and Forecast 2021" to its huge collection of research reports.The Aged Care from the point of view of all its present patterns that are impacting it, is essential to comprehend so as to acquire the most adjusted answer for business procedures in it. These patterns are financial, topographical, monetary, political, buyer, and social, and their general impact on customer or purchaser inclinations will have a noteworthy say in how this market will frame itself in the years to come. These elements and the way they affect the Aged Care have been examined in supreme detail in the report. A definitive objective for the spread of this data is to make an unmistakable investigation of how these patterns could conceivably influence the eventual fate of the market inside the report's given forecast period.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @The report, similar to all reports added to this research repository, is a comprehensive and engaging perspective of the Aged Care. It explains available progression, extent of development in different regions and specific locations, and different parameters that have been so far compelling amid its extension regarding value and volume. This examination study is along these lines a quantitative and a subjective review for conferring a reasonable vision of every single conceivable circumstance in the Aged Care, and in addition the drivers that may exist between 2017 and 2022.The Aged Care is likewise introduced to the readers of this report as an all-encompassing preview of the competitive scene inside the given time frame. It displays a similar examination of the regional portions and player competitiveness, offering readers a superior comprehension of where territories in which they can put their current assets.Browse Press Release of this Research Report:Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Aged Care1.1 Aged Care Market Overview1.1.1 Aged Care Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Aged Care 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 Aged Care Market by End Users/Application1.3.1 Application 11.3.2 Application 21.3.3 Application 32 Global Aged Care Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Aged Care 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 Vanke3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Aged Care Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Poly Group3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Aged Care Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Beijing Capital Land3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Aged Care Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.3.5 Recent Developments12 Aged Care Market Dynamics12.1 Aged Care Market Opportunities12.2 Aged Care Challenge and Risk12.2.1 Competition from Opponents12.2.2 Downside Risks of Economy12.3 Aged Care Market Constraints and Threat12.3.1 Threat from Substitute12.3.2 Government Policy12.3.3 Technology Risks12.4 Aged Care 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 Aged Care Product ScopeFigure Global Aged Care Market Size (2011-2016)Table Global Aged Care Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure Global Aged Care Market Share by Regions in 2015Figure United States Aged Care Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure EU Aged Care Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure Japan Aged Care Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure China Aged Care Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure India Aged Care Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure Southeast Asia Aged Care Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure Global Aged Care Market Share by Application in 2015Figure Aged Care Market Size and Growth Rate in Applications 1 (2011-2016)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
Mexico Geothermal Power Market 2016 Industry, Analysis, Research, Share, Growth, Sales, Trends, Supply, Forecast to 2021

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The Mexico Geothermal Power Industry Report 2016 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Mexico geothermal power industry. According to the capacity of geothermal plants, Mexico is the fourth in the world, having a world share of approximately 8%.The report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions and classifications. The geothermal power market analysis is provided for the international markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status.Global and Mexico policies are analysis in Chapter1. Global and Mexico development history and statues are introduced in Chapter 3 and 4. The major four geothermal power stations in Mexico are separated discussed in from Chapter 5 to Chapter 8. In this section, the profile, plants picture, technology types of geothermal electricity, capacity and production are mentioned. The major geothermal equipment suppliers are analyzed in Chapter 9, including company profile and market share. Chapter 10 is about the forecast of development. Cost structures including investment costs and O&E costs are analyzed in Capter12. And our some points and conclusions are located in Chapter 13.The report focuses on Mexico major geothermal power stations providing information such as station profiles, installed capacity, running capacity and production, etc.With 104 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.Get Free PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @Table of Contents1 Industry Overview 81.1 Basic Information of Geothermal Power 81.1.1 Definition of Geothermal Power 81.1.2 Analysis of Energy by Types 111.1.3 Analysis of Geothermal Energy Resources 131.1.3 Geothermal Resource Types and Their Definitions 151.2 Classifications of Geothermal Power Station by Technology 162 Geothermal Power International and Mexico Market Analysis 282.1 Geothermal Power Industry International Market Analysis 282.1.1 Geothermal Power International Market History and Development 282.1.2 Geothermal Power International Main Countries Development Status 312.1.3 International Famous Geothermal Power Plants 363 Environment Analysis of Geothermal Power 523.1 Mexico Environment Analysis 523.2 Policy Analysis of Geothermal Power 523.3 News Analysis of Geothermal Power 554 Plant Analysis of Geothermal Power by Type 574.1 Mexico Installed Capacity of Geothermal Power by Plant 2011-2016 574.2 Mexico Running Capacity of Geothermal Power by Plant 2011-2016 584.3 Mexico Running Capacity of Geothermal Power by Plant 2011-2016 60About Us :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.Contact US:Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
United States Marine Diesel Engine Market 2016 Industry, Analysis, Research, Share, Growth, Sales, Trends, Supply, Forecast to 2021

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The United States Marine Diesel Engine Industry 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Marine Diesel Engine industry.The report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Marine Diesel Engine market analysis is provided for the United States markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status.Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and Bill of Materials cost structures are also analyzed. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand Figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins.Get Free Research Summary Of The Repot:The report focuses on United States 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 Marine Diesel Engine industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally the feasibility of new investment projects are assessed and overall research conclusions offered.With 145 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.Table of Contents1 Industry Overview1.1 Definition and Specifications of Marine Diesel Engine1.2 Classification of Marine Diesel Engine1.3 Applications of Marine Diesel Engine1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Marine Diesel Engine1.5 Industry Overview of Marine Diesel Engine1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of Marine Diesel Engine1.7 Industry News Analysis of Marine Diesel Engine2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Marine Diesel Engine2.1 Bill of Materials (BOM) of Marine Diesel Engine2.2 BOM Price Analysis of Marine Diesel Engine2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Marine Diesel Engine2.4 Depreciation Cost Analysis of Marine Diesel Engine2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Marine Diesel Engine2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Marine Diesel Engine2.7 United States Price, Cost and Gross of Marine Diesel Engine 2011-20163 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of United States Key Manufacturers in 20153.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of United States Key Marine Diesel Engine Manufacturers in 20153.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of United States Marine Diesel Engine Key Manufacturers in 20153.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of United States Marine Diesel Engine Key Manufacturers in 20154 Production Analysis of Marine Diesel Engine by Regions, Type, and Applications4.1 United States Production of Marine Diesel Engine by Regions 2011-20164.2 United States Production of Marine Diesel Engine by Type 2011-20164.3 United States Sales of Marine Diesel Engine by Applications 2011-20164.4 Price Analysis of United States Marine Diesel Engine Key Manufacturers in 20154.5 United States Capacity, Production, Import, Export, Sales, Price, Cost and Revenue of Marine Diesel Engine 2011-20165 Consumption Volume and Consumption Value Analysis of Marine Diesel Engine by Regions5.1 United States Consumption Volume of Marine Diesel Engine by Regions 2011-20165.2 United States Consumption Value of Marine Diesel Engine by Regions 2011-20165.3 United States Consumption Price Analysis of Marine Diesel Engine by Regions 2011-2016Access the Report and full TOC @6 Analysis of Marine Diesel Engine Production, Supply, Sales and Market Status 2011-20166.1 Capacity, Production, Sales, and Revenue of Marine Diesel Engine 2011-20166.2 Production Market Share and Sales Market Share Analysis of Marine Diesel Engine 2014-20156.3 Sales Overview of Marine Diesel Engine 2011-20166.4 Supply, Consumption and Gap of Marine Diesel Engine 2011-20166.5 Import, Export and Consumption of Marine Diesel Engine 2011-20166.6 Cost, Price, Revenue and Gross Margin of Marine Diesel Engine 2011-2016About Us :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.Contact US:Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Facilities Management Market: Cross-border M&As Reveal Mammoth Opportunity for Growth

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The vendor landscape of the facilities management (FM) market is characterized by the presence of industry leaders Sodexo, Inc. and ISS World Services A/S. Transparency Market Research reveals that these two companies, along with Broadspectrum (Australia) Pty Limited and Bilfinger HSG Facility Management GmbH, together accounted for only 28% of the global market in 2015, indicating that there is significant scope for other service providers to strengthen their position in the FM services market.Cross-border mergers and acquisitions with expanding regional coverage and customer network hold immense opportunities for FM service providers owing to the expansion of business activity across the globe, a TMR analyst predicts.Read more atTMR finds that an increasing number of companies have been providing bundled facilities management services  a combination of soft and hard FM services  in order to improve the efficiency of business processes and deliver quality and valued services to their clients.Bundled facilities management services have proven to be extremely useful in strengthening long-term relationships between the service provider and the client, says a TMR analyst. Several companies in the U.K., for instance Northampton-based 14forty FM Support Services and London-based G4S plc, have been dedicatedly providing a variety of bundled FM services such as security, cleaning, reception, food and hospitality, and workplace management. This has enabled an enhanced level of professional development and cross-service efficiencies of facilities management services.Get PDF Brochure atOn the other hand, total FM services have also gained much traction in recent years. These single-point delivery services have successfully helped improve services and bring down overall cost, the author of the study observes. Companies have also found that total FM services provide central control to the entire facilities management and minimize complexities among various services.Tackling Cost Issues with Facilities ManagementAs more and more companies aim toward reduction in maintenance and operation costs, facilities management has emerged as the ideal solution for firms in the short, medium, and long term. FM services have been supporting companies in reducing capital expenditure and increasing investments in primary services, a goal which most organizations strive for.Energy consumption is also a major hiccup in most business activities since excessive consumption of energy acts as an added operating cost. By developing an integrated design for business operations, FM services help companies curb energy usage and improve overall performance.Facilities management outsourcing services have emerged as an alternative for firms that want to focus solely on their core functions and business strategies. In the short and medium term, the adoption of outsourced FM services is likely to have a moderate impact. However, TMR predicts that these services will have a significant impact on companies in the long run. This can be attributed to the increasing number of third-party contracts for FM outsourcing and the surging adoption of facilities management services in regions such as Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific, the analyst states.The opportunity in the facilities management market is set to rise at a 13.6% CAGR over the course of the forecast period, TMR finds. This means an increase from US$606.4 bn in 2015 to US$1,887 bn by 2024.This review is based on the findings of a TMR report titled Facilities Management: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024.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:
Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Market (Oil and Gas, Chemical, Food and Beverages, Pulp and Paper, Pharmaceutical, Energy and Power, Water and Wastewater Treatment, and Others)

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According to a new market report published by Transparency Market Research Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2023, manufacturing execution system market was valued at USD 7,860.5 Million in 2014; and is expected to reach USD 19,364.7 Million in 2023, growing at a CAGR of 11.1% from 2015 to 2023.Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) are integrated software application aimed to provide manufacturing industries with the means to schedule and plan, direct and operate, and track and analyze their operations. Presently, manufacturing industries are experiencing increasing overhead and material costs. In addition, intense economic conditions are compelling manufacturers to surge production in a cost effective way. This in turn is leading to rising need for implementation of industrial control systems aimed to optimize processes and provide better visibility of the shop floor. Need for quicker turnarounds and efficient utilization of resources or inventories is further driving the need for automation in industries.Browse Report:MES solutions offers real-time information of the shop floor, allowing end user industries to quickly response to any challenge that could negatively impact efficiency, productivity and quality. In addition, MES solutions offer uninterrupted visibility into production operations, gaining an overall view of the shop floor. Demand for industrial automation, better visibility of the shop floor and need for real-time control and adjustments to operations is driving the demand for manufacturing execution system (MES).However, requirement of high initial investment upfront, end user industries are often reluctant to install MES, which in turn is posing as a major factor restraining the market growth. Moreover, rising complexities in manufacturing industries is leading to complexities in installation of MES, further limiting the growth of the MES market. Growth opportunities for key players in the MES market lies in increasing penetration of industrial internet of things (IoT), which in turn is leading to rising demand for next-generation advanced MES solutions across the globe.Download PDF Brochure atThe global manufacturing execution system (MES) market is categorized based on process and discrete industry. Process industry includes oil and gas, chemical, food and beverages, pulp and paper, pharmaceutical, energy and power, water and wastewater treatment and others. Other process industry segment includes textiles, and steel and aluminum. In 2014, oil and gas segment contributed the majority of the global MES market share by process industry in terms of revenue. Based on discrete industry, the global manufacturing execution system (MES) market is segmented into automotive, aerospace and defense, electronics and electrical, medical devices, FMCG, and others. Others segment includes semiconductors, furniture & wood products, and printing and publishing. Amongst discrete industry, automotive segment held the majority of the market share in terms of revenue in 2014. Surge in installation of MES in automotive industry to meet increasing demand for faster time to market is driving the growth of the segment.Geographically, North America led the manufacturing execution system (MES) market in 2015. Growth in this region is attributed to the rising need for advanced MES in industries aimed at integrating data from ERP and routing the information to plant floor for efficient operation. Europe followed North America and held the second largest market share in terms of revenue in 2014. Asia Pacific region closely followed Europe region and is anticipated to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period.Key players have also been profiled on the basis of company overview, financial overview, business strategies and recent developments in the field of manufacturing execution system (MES) industry. Major market participants profiled in this report include ABB Ltd. (Switzerland), Schneider Electric S.E. (France), Rockwell Automation, Inc. (U.S.), Emersion Electric Co. (U.S.), General Electric Co. (U.S.), and SAP SE (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. 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 Shower System Market 2017 Analysis And Forecast

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SummaryOrbis Research Present's Global Shower System Market 2017 Industry Trend and Forecast 2022 enhances the decision making capabilities and helps to create an effective counter strategies to gain competitive advantage.DescriptionThe Global Shower System market report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Shower System industry. This report evaluates the Global market for "Global Shower System".The Global Shower System market report report provides complete analysis of the Global Shower System market by analysing all round market dynamics such as regional market opportunities, drivers, challenges, constraints, threats, and other market trends.The Global Shower System Market report contains latest Business Data resulting from various Research sources that helps Decision Makers to deliver a Distinctive and Trustworthy Analysis for Companys Growth.Get a PDF Sample of Global Shower System Market report at:The Global Shower System Market Survey starts with Industry overview of Global Shower System Market covering Major Regions Status, Industry Chain Structure, Definitions and Specifications, with a detailed focus on Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis including Raw Material Suppliers, Equipment Suppliers and Manufacturing Process.In Next Part, the researchers has collected and presented information on Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis which comprises of Capacity and Commercial Production Date, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, R&D Status and Technology Source of Major Manufacturers in 2015.In following segment, with Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin, Business Region Distribution Analysis, Competition between various Company Profile has been given along with Product Pictures and Specifications in Global Shower System Industry Report.The Key Players Mentioned in Global Shower System Market Report are: JOMOO KOHLER MOEN ARROW MICOE Hansgrohe GROHE American Standard VATTI TOTO SUPOR FAENZA Vigo Larsd Hegii Cobbe Ballee DEZHONG DONGPENG Enzorodi Joxod EASO KERHLIER BESTH HOROW DGPOSY Muvi WMDA OULIN HDEM MEJUE Sakura Huayi BolinaPlace a Purchase Order for this Report at:The Global Shower System Industry Report is also a Great Source of Marketing Type Analysis consisting:1. Global Shower System Regional Marketing Type Analysis2. Global Shower System International Trade Type Analysis3. Traders or Distributors with Contact Information of Global Shower System by Regions4. Global Shower System Supply Chain AnalysisNo. of Report Pages: 236Got any Query? Feel free to ask us at:Lastly, the Report provides Development Trend Analysis for 2016-2021 years which will forecast Market Size (Volume and Value), Sales Price, Consumption Forecast, Market Trend (Product Type) and Market Trend (Application). Also the List of Major Consumers is analyzed and Contact Details are provided to easy communicating.Finally, the Report is concluded with Various Methodology, Analyst Introduction and Data SourcesOrbis 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.Hector CostelloSenior Manager  Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas  75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +9164101019Follow Us on LinkedIn:
Human Coagulation Factor VII Market Analysis, Market Size, Application Analysis, Regional Outlook, Competitive Strategies And Forecasts, 2017 To 2022

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Human Coagulation Factor VII is one of the proteins that cause blood to clot in the coagulation cascade. It is an enzyme of the serine protease class. It is sometimes used unlicensed in severe uncontrollable bleeding, although there have been safety concerns. A bio similar form of recombinant activated factor VII is also available, but does not play any considerable role in the market.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Human Coagulation Factor VII 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.Request a sample copy of Human Coagulation Factor VII Market Research Report @Human Coagulation Factor VII Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers NovoNordiskHuman Coagulation Factor VII 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)Human Coagulation Factor VII Market Segment by Type, covers Type 1 Type 2Human Coagulation Factor VII Market Segment by Applications, can be divided into Hemophilia Treatment Surgery OtherBrowse full table of contents and data tables For Human Coagulation Factor VII Market Research Report @Table of Contents2 Manufacturers Profiles2.1 NovoNordisk2.1.1 Business Overview2.1.2 Human Coagulation Factor VII Type and Applications2.1.2.1 Type 12.1.2.2 Type 22.1.3 NovoNordisk Human Coagulation Factor VII Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)3 Global Human Coagulation Factor VII Market Competition, by Manufacturer3.1 Global Human Coagulation Factor VII Sales and Market Share by Manufacturer3.2 Global Human Coagulation Factor VII Revenue and Market Share by Manufacturer3.3 Market Concentration Rate3.3.1 Top 3 Human Coagulation Factor VII Manufacturer Market Share3.3.2 Top 6 Human Coagulation Factor VII Manufacturer Market Share3.4 Market Competition TrendEnquire for Discount Human Coagulation Factor VII Market Research Report @Related Reports: -Global and Chinese Human Coagulation Factor VIII Industry, 2017 Market Research ReportThe 'Global and Chinese Human Coagulation Factor VIII Industry, 2012-2022 Market Research Report' is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global Human Coagulation Factor VIII industry with a focus on the Chinese market. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Human Coagulation Factor VIII 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.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
Global Bio-Implant Insights Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Bio-Implant Insights Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022" to its huge collection of research reports.The term healthcare has held a consistent definition over the many years of its development so far. However, the point at which this industry resides now is extremely advanced than the point it was at a few decades ago, thanks to the recent boom in technological advancements, the use of modern materials in medical devices and equipment, and the growing knowledge on the many aspects of healthcare themselves. One of the key factors currently benefitting several aspects of this industry is the high percentage of the geriatric population across the world, especially in developed economies. Meanwhile, developing economies are also showing a high rate of demand for modern healthcare components due to improvements in economy and a growing regional outreach of several healthcare institutions.The inventive techniques used for research and introduction in this research report provide an appearance of the numerous times the information accumulation and investigation procedures have gone into the sum of the healthcare industry. What this report especially gives is an inside and out take of the Global bio implant insights market size status and forecast 2022, where regional information sources matter as much as the competition between the more prominent entities, both global and provincial. The underlying parts of the report cover an essential review of the market, including certainties and insights relating to its divisions, orders, definitions, and other market-particular parameters. This fills in as a groundwork for the approaching abundance of data that a client will get in the up and coming sections of the report. The fragmented investigation of the report can incorporate different applicable classifications to the Global bio implant insights market size status and forecast 2022, for example, new products or innovations, common end users, and topographically determined diversities in player profiles from the overall healthcare industry.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @The competitive scene of the Global bio implant insights market size status and forecast 2022 is introduced in a way suited for players of all sizes inside the market. Regardless of whether a client is a newer contestant or a globally built up one, this report has a great deal of offer for each sort. The report draws a comprehensive photo of the market and the different key competitions that exist inside it, in view of the quantity of top players in operation to date and their regions of operations. The report in this way gives profiles of each key player as of now important to the Global bio implant insights market size status and forecast 2022 and permits clients to draw their systems in view of the data exhibited.The geographical investigation of the Global bio implant insights market size status and forecast 2022 incorporates information on all the real districts related with it. This segment of the report utilizes the center areas dynamics for the market regarding player action and also the general request volume by end users. The introduction of the drivers, restrictions, and openings prior in the report ends up at ground zero here and helps players understand the potential that each and every area inside the report's parameters holds. With regards to increasing complete favorable position of the drivers and patterns in every district, a client can accomplish the most ideal outcome for their business using this land investigation.Browse Press Release of this Research Report:Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Bio-Implant Insights1.1 Bio-Implant Insights Market Overview1.1.1 Bio-Implant Insights Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Bio-Implant Insights 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 Bio-Implant Insights Market by Type1.3.1 Cardiovascular Implants1.3.2 Spine Transplant1.3.3 Orthopedic, Trauma Implants1.3.4 Implant1.3.5 Ophthalmic Implants1.3.6 Implanted Nerve Stimulation1.3.7 Others1.4 Bio-Implant Insights Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Hospital Use1.4.2 Clinic Use1.4.3 Research1.4.4 Others2 Global Bio-Implant Insights Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Bio-Implant Insights 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 Medtronic Inc3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Bio-Implant Insights Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Abbot Laboratories3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Bio-Implant Insights Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 AAP Implantate AG3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Bio-Implant Insights Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments11 Market Forecast by Regions, Type and Application (2017-2022)11.1 Global Bio-Implant Insights Market Size (Value) by Regions (2017-2022)11.1.1 United States Bio-Implant Insights Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.1.2 EU Bio-Implant Insights Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.1.3 Japan Bio-Implant Insights Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.1.4 China Bio-Implant Insights Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.1.5 India Bio-Implant Insights Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.1.6 Southeast Asia Bio-Implant Insights Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.2 Global Bio-Implant Insights Market Size (Value) by Type (2017-2022)11.3 Global Bio-Implant Insights Market Size by Application (2017-2022)12 Bio-Implant Insights Market Dynamics12.1 Bio-Implant Insights Market Opportunities12.2 Bio-Implant Insights Challenge and Risk12.2.1 Competition from Opponents12.2.2 Downside Risks of Economy12.3 Bio-Implant Insights Market Constraints and Threat12.3.1 Threat from Substitute12.3.2 Government Policy12.3.3 Technology Risks12.4 Bio-Implant Insights 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 Bio-Implant Insights Product ScopeFigure Global Bio-Implant Insights Market Size (Million USD) (2012-2017)Table Global Bio-Implant Insights Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure Global Bio-Implant Insights Market Share by Regions in 2016Figure United States Bio-Implant Insights Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure EU Bio-Implant Insights Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure Japan Bio-Implant Insights Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure China Bio-Implant Insights Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure India Bio-Implant Insights Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure Southeast Asia Bio-Implant Insights Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)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 Hydraulic Press Market Outlook 2022: Top Companies, Trends and Growth Factors Details for Business Development

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Hydraulic press is a device using a hydraulic cylinder to generate a compressive force. It uses the hydraulic equivalent of a mechanical lever. These presses are ideal for assembly, straightening, fabrication, quality control, maintenance, product testing, bending, punching and shearing. Press frames are constructed of heavy-duty arc steel and can be easily modified to accommodate a wide range of pressing needs.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Hydraulic Press 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.Request a sample copy of Hydraulic Press Market Research Report @Hydraulic Press Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers Schuler SMS Meer Siempelkamp Osterwalder Lasco Dorst Gasbarre Beckwood Enerpac French Neff Press Greenerd Betenbender Dake Hefei Metalforming .Hydraulic Press 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)Hydraulic Press Market Segment by Type, covers C-Frame Hydraulic Press H-Frame Hydraulic Press 4-Post Hydraulic Press Bulldozer Hydraulic PressHydraulic Press Market Segment by Applications, can be divided into Automotive Industry Ceramic and Abrasives Industry Electrical Industry Food Compaction Industry Government/Military Industry OthersBrowse full table of contents and data tables For Hydraulic Press Market Research Report @Table of Contents2 Manufacturers Profiles2.1 NovoNordisk2.1.1 Business Overview2.1.2 Hydraulic Press Type and Applications2.1.2.1 Type 12.1.2.2 Type 22.1.3 NovoNordisk Hydraulic Press Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)3 Global Hydraulic Press Market Competition, by Manufacturer3.1 Global Hydraulic Press Sales and Market Share by Manufacturer3.2 Global Hydraulic Press Revenue and Market Share by Manufacturer3.3 Market Concentration Rate3.3.1 Top 3 Hydraulic Press Manufacturer Market Share3.3.2 Top 6 Hydraulic Press Manufacturer Market Share3.4 Market Competition TrendEnquire for Discount Hydraulic Press Market Research Report @Related Reports: -2017 Global Hydraulic Press and Hot Stamping Equipment Market Research ReportThis 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 in Chapter 1.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 in Chapter 2.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
Power Electronics Market: Demand from ICT and Automotive Sector to Impel Markets Growth

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Market Scenario:The major growth driver of Power Electronics Market includes rising demand for high-power electronics, increasing adoption of renewable energy sources such as electric vehicles, and growing ICT and telecommunication sector among others. Hence the market for Power Electronics is expected to grow at CAGR (2016-2027). However, high initial cost and time consuming manufacturing process are the major factors which are hindering the growth of Power Electronics Market.Market Segments:Global Power Electronics Market can be segmented as follows: Segmentation by Components: Diodes, Silicon controlled rectifier (SCR), MOSFET, AC/DC converter, and static switches among others. Segmentation by Application: Commercial, industrial, consumer electronics, automotive, aerospace, and healthcare among others.Request a Sample Report @Objective of Power Electronics 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 Power Electronics market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To Analyze the Power Electronics 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 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 Power Electronics market.Browse Report Details @Key PlayersSome of the major players in Global Power Electronics Market include Fairchild (U.S.) Infineon (Germany) Mitsubishi (Japan) STMicroelectronics (Switzerland) Toshiba (Japan) ABB (Switzerland) Cree (U.S.) Micro semi (U.S.) Renesas Electronics (Japan) Rockwell Automation (U.S.)Industry News: Fairchild has announced on July 2016 about its new development FDMQ8205, the first member of its next generation GreenBridge series. The GreenBridge is used for application that receives power through Power over Ethernet which include security cameras, wireless access points and LED lighting. Infineon technologies has announced on July 2016 about its acquisition of wolfspeed power and RF division of Cree. This acquisition will provide broadest offering for Infineon in producing compound semiconductor which will strengthen Infineon in high growth market such as electro-mobility, renewables and next generation cellular infrastructure.Request Table of Contents for this Report @The reports also covers brief analysis of Geographical Region includes: Americas North America US Canada Latin America Europe Western Europe Germany France U.K Rest of Western Europe Eastern Europe Asia Pacific Asia China India Japan South Korea Rest of Asia Pacific The Middle East& AfricaAbout 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
Acetone market has shown growth in the overall production of over 6 million tons per year

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Market Synopsis of Acetone MarketThe global acetone market has experienced a phenomenal growth over the past few years. Acetone is used in laboratories and servers as an important solvent. With the huge demand from the application segment such as include solvent, cosmetics, medicals, laboratories, automotive, electronics, pharmaceuticals, paints & coating and others, the acetone market has grown immensely with the overall production of over 6 million tons per year, where the United States has the highest production capacity followed by China and Taiwan. As per the MRFR analysis, the global acetone market is expected to grow over the forecasted period.SegmentationThe global Acetone markets are segmented into Applications which primarily include solvent, cosmetics, medicals, laboratories Others (automotive, electronics, pharmaceuticals, paints & coating).Request a Sample Report @Key PlayersThe leading market players in the global acetone market primarily include INEOS Phenol Company, Mitsui chemicals, Shell, DOW Chemicals, Minda, U.S. Chemicals, Formosa Chemicals, ConChemCo, Sunoco and others.Browse Report Details @Study Objectives of Acetone 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 acetone market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To analyse the global acetone 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 prospectiveRequest Table of Contents for this Report @Regional Analysis of Acetone MarketAsia-Pacific is expected to be the largest consumer of Acetone whereas; the United States will be the leading producer. As per the analysis, the global acetone market is poised during the forecasted period.The reports also covers brief analysis of Geographical Region includes:North America US Canada MexicoEurope Germany France Italy Spain U.K Rest of EuropeAsia  Pacific China India Japan Australia/New Zealand Rest of Asia-PacificLatin America Brazil OthersMiddle East & AfricaAt 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.Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Market Analysis of Luxury Fashion Market by type and distribution channel-2022

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SegmentsGlobal Luxury Fashion Market Information segmented as- By type (Clothing, Footwear, Accessories and others), By distribution channel (monobrand stores, department stores, specialty stores, multi brand boutiques, airport, e-commerce and others)Key PlayersThe key players profiled in luxury fashion market are Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Gucci, Chanel, Rolex, Cartier, Prada, Burberry, Michael Kors, Tiffany, Zara, Dolce & GabbanaRequest a Sample Report @Study Objectives Deep dive study for segments and sub-segments To estimate market size by type, and distribution channel To understand the supply and demand dynamics including supply and consumption concentration mapping To provide region level market analysis and future outlook for North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (ROW) and their countriesKey Findings: Secondary data reveals that among the various market segments accessories specifically watches and jewelry witnessed highest growth followed by clothing in the last few years Clothing and accessories dominates the luxury fashion market both in market volume Rise in women working population across the world has boosted the luxury fashion product sales to a greater extent, traction for branded items, rise in disposable incomes continue to support growth of the luxury fashion marketBrowse Report Details @Intended Audience Personal Luxury Clothing manufacturers Accessories manufacturers Retailers, wholesalers E-commerce companies Traders, Importers and exportersReasons to buy This report includes in-depth study of luxury fashion market and its segments and sub-segments It covers market segmentation by type, and distribution channel It helps in identifying major consumption patterns in different market segments The report will provide useful and premium insights that will support in investments for luxury fashion and allied companies providing details on the fast growing segments and regions In addition, it will provide key findings that will help the companies to improve profitability by using supply chain strategies, cost effectiveness of various products mentioned in the report The data used in the report is primarily based on primary interviews with the major producing companies and industry experts and also supported by authentic industry data from secondary sourcesAt 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.Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Global Industrial Robotics Market Drivers, Trends and Opportunities Forecasts from 2017 to 2022

Industrial Robotics Market

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Executive SummaryIndustrial Robotics :-WiseGuyReports.com adds Animal Hospitals Market 2017 Global Analysis, Growth, Trends and Opportunities Research Report Forecasting to 2022reports to its database.WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On Request a Sample Report @This report provides insight into the current market scenario, structure and practices.In depth market scenario includes: Current market size estimate Revenues by players - Top 5 Companies Market size by product categories Market size by regions/countryMarket structure details the value chain, Players presence across products, market trends, distribution practices and pricing.The report also provides a snapshot of key competition, past market trends with forecast over the next 5 years, anticipated growth rates and the principal factors driving and impacting growthAnalysis and market data has been derived through secondary and primary sources.Browse Full Report Details@Some Major Points from Table of Content:Table of Contents1. Introduction1.1 Scope of the study1.2 Objectives of the study1.3 Stakeholders1.4 Limitations2. Research Methodology2.1 Primary Research and Secondary Research2.2 Market Sizing Approach2.3 Research Assumptions3. Executive Summary3.1 Global Market Demand Analysis3.2 Market Demand by Region3.3 Past Market Demand3.4 Future Market Demand4. Market Overview4.1 Industry Structure4.2 Product Classification4.3 Player product presence4.4 Player segment presence4.4 Demand by Category4.5 Key Market Trends5. Market Size Analysis by region5.1 Overall Market Size5.2 Past Market Size5.3 By product/service category5.4 By application6. Competitive Landscape6.1 Overview6.2 Investment & Expansion: the Most Popular Growth Strategy6.3 Market Share by top 3 Key Players6.4 Key Growth Strategies6.4.1 Expansion6.4.2 Partnership, Joint Ventures & Agreements6.4.3 Mergers & Acquisitions6.4.4 New Product Launches7. Factors Impacting Growth7.1 Market Drivers7.2 Market Challenges7.3 Market Restraints8. Market Forecast8.1 Demand Forecast overall8.2 Demand Forecast by Category9. Company snapshot of Top 3 playersPurchase 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
Workforce Analytics Market by Product & Data Validation, Analysis and Forecast 2022

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According to Publisher, the Global Workforce Analytics market is accounted for $439.4 million in 2015 and is expected to reach $1.29 billion by 2022 growing at a CAGR of 16.7% from 2015 to 2022. Workforce analytics is a combination of software and methodology that implements statistical models to employee related data. The driving factor for workforce analytics market is competition within the business which leads to better business development. Other factors such as huge requirement for skilled workforce, changing work dynamics, BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) trend and implementing of consumer type applications in the workplace are impelling market growth. However, lack of awareness in organization and data security concerns are impeding the market. Demand for integrated workforce analytics solutions and cloud-based solutions along with demand for mobile applications will further provide opportunity for the market to grow.For more informationThe workforce analytics solutions are estimated to have greater demand in the enterprise segment followed by consulting services. Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) segment contributes the largest market share. The workforce analytics market in the retail, healthcare, and energy & utilities sectors are also projected to grow further. North America is expected to be the largest market share for the given forecast period. Europe and Asia Pacific is anticipated to grow rapidly.Some of the key players in global Workforce Analytics market are ADP,LLC., IBM Corporation, ORACLE Corporation, SAP SE, TABLEAU SOFTWARE, Cornerstone OnDemand, Kronos Inc, Visier Inc, WorkForce Solutions, Cvent Inc, Active Network LLC, Workday Inc., Zerista, Inc., Eventzilla, Concentra .Deployment Models Covered:-On-Cloud-On-PremiseEnd Users Covered:- Large Enterprise-Small and Medium EnterpriseServices Covered:-Solutions-Services-Consulting Services-Managed Services-System IntegrationVerticals Covered:-Healthcare-Government and Public Sector-Education-Energy and Utilities-Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI)-Manufacturing-Telecom and IT-Retail-Travel and Hospitality-Other VerticalsRequest Sample CopyRegions Covered:-North America-US-Canada-Mexico-Europe-Germany-France-Italy-UK-Spain-Rest of Europe-Asia Pacific-Japan-China-India-Australia-New Zealand-Rest of Asia Pacific-Rest of the World-Middle East-Brazil-Argentina-South Africa-Egypt11 Company Profiling11.1 ADP, LLC.11.2 IBM Corporation11.3 ORACLE Corporation11.4 SAP SE11.5 TABLEAU SOFTWARE11.6 Cornerstone OnDemand11.7 Kronos Inc11.8 Visier Inc11.9 WorkForce Solutions11.10 Cvent Inc11.11 Active Network LLC11.12 Workday, Inc.11.13 Zerista, Inc.11.14 Eventzilla11.15 ConcentraMake an enquiry:Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
nanofest2016.jpg

Nanobreweries pour their offerings for attendees of the 2016 Nano Beer Fest. The spring 2017 festival will be held Friday and Saturday in Multnomah Village.

(Courtesy of Nano Beer Fest)

Daniel McIntosh-Tolle's job description: janitor, bottler, sales rep, delivery driver, leak finder. Oh, and if there's time, throw brewer in there, too.

He's one of the small guys. A nano. As in, nanobrewer. Which is to say you've probably never heard of him nor his creations.

But McIntosh-Tolle and about 25 other small brewers like him will gather April 21-22 in Southwest Portland to show you that size actually doesn't matter - that they can brew beer as good as the big boys and, they hope to convince you, maybe even better.

Their efforts - more than 50 beers, meads, ciders and soft beverages -- will be poured under one tent Friday and Saturday at the 2017 Spring Nano Beer Fest at Johns Marketplace in Multnomah Village. The bi-annual event is your best chance to try something new without having to figure out where to find their hole-in-the-wall operations and time your arrival to their sales windows - if they even have one.

"These are the best breweries you haven't heard of yet," says Brandon Mikel, an organizer and the festival's brewery liaison. "They all intend to grow. They've all got that fire."

Bigger than homebrewers but smaller than your neighborhood craft brewpub, nanobrewers are often one-person operations working on small systems in garages or tight industrial spaces. Often without a taproom or any retail space, they sell to local bars, restaurants and anyone who swings by their place to fill up a growler or grab a bottle.

The Portland festival, launched in 2008 and which organizers say is now the biggest nanobrewery festival in the world, allows the nanobrewers the rare chance to broaden their customer base.

"We connect to people and answer questions; our customers get the chance to be really connected to the brewery and get solid confident answers," says McIntosh-Tolle, who started gluten-free Moonshrimp Brewing in Southwest Portland because he couldn't find good, inexpensive beer he could digest. "I love to do tastings, giving new customers the chance to try our beer for the first time. As a nanobrewer I think I get the chance to do that myself a lot more than bigger breweries do."

Rodney Woodley, one of the festival's three organizing partners, says the event also serves as a "springboard for the brewers to have their beers seen and visible by people who are decision-makers."

"To be able to have those kegs that are hard to get into pubs and restaurants -- few people know who they are -- it's a great way for them to make a name for themselves, be identified by people in the beer community," Woodley says. "It's their time to shine."

So why try the small guys' beers? For starters, one of these outfits could be the next Breakside Brewery. And what self-respecting Portland beer drinker wouldn't want to say, "Oh yeah, I drank Leikem Brewing back in '17 before anyone knew who they were."

Plus you're going to taste experimental offerings from people not beholden to The Man. Consider a smattering of what will be pouring at the festival: Agrarian Ales' Dew Drop kettle sour, Backpedal Brewing's Abacaxi Pineapple Hef, Brewed By Gnomes' Seducer of Virility Blood Cardamom Orange Belgian Pale or Three Mugs' Damsel's Raspberry Desire blonde.

Here are three nanobreweries to watch:

Moonshrimp Brewing

503-970-2234; www.moonshrimpbrewing.com; no taproom, direct sales noon to 7 p.m. Tuesdays at 8428 S.W. 22nd Ave., Portland.

McIntosh-Tolle had just graduated from college and was beginning to enjoy the Portland beer scene when he was diagnosed with Celiac disease. He said at the time his only options for gluten-free beer were expensive and "terrible tasting." So he wanted to make "good-tasting gluten-free beer that doesn't charge a premium just for being gluten-free." Moonshrimp's beers are made from millet, beet sugar, hops and yeast and don't use oats.

He says the worst thing about being a nanobrewer is that "every single little thing that needs doing at every moment falls to just us." But someday he wants to have a brewpub with an attached greenhouse powered by the brewery and serve a gluten-free menu paired with Moonshrimp's beers.

Pouring at Nano Beer Fest: Starlight White. McIntosh-Tolle describes it as a "very light white ale inspired by a Belgian wit. ... It is brewed with a touch of coriander and orange peel. Reminiscent more of a white wine or moderately dry cider than a traditional ale, it has regularly been our best-seller."

Brewery 26

www.brewery26.com; no direct sales; on tap at Bottles, a retail outlet at 5015 N.E. Fremont, Portland; 22-ounce bottle release planned within months.

Friends Andrew Shaw and Scott Bean had homebrewed for years then started thinking bigger - even just a little bit for the immediate future. That was four years ago, and today they are beginning to sell their beer - without investors or debt, a difficult road but something Shaw says was important to them. The name Brewery 26 comes from U.S 26, especially the Cannon Beach to Mount Hood part, Shaw says, because it symbolizes what they love about Oregon: "Mountains, beaches, and one of the best cities in the world right in the center that we get to call home."

The best part of being a nanobrewer? Sharing their beer with their community. "That, and come on now, we're making beer here!" And the worst? "The day jobs really hinder some of the goals we have."

Pouring at Nano Beer Fest: Silent Rock Stout. Shaw describes the oatmeal stout as having the "smoothness of oatmeal with roasted barley and chocolate malt for a perfect blend of boldness and smoothness."

Tuebor Brewing

971-266-4083; www.tuebor.beer; no direct sales, growler fills at taprooms including Imperial Tap Room, Growlers Hawthorne, NW Growlers.

Steven Hook hails from Grand Rapids, Michigan - aka Beer City, USA -- so he's no stranger to craft beer. But in 2015 he decided to take his homebrewing game to Portland, where he decided, "It was finally time to share my beer with the world." That kind of confidence found a home in Beervana.

He says the best part of running a nano is "being active in all realms of the process. From recipes to ingredient-sourcing to marketing and sales to distribution." The worst part: "Sure would be nice to not fight equipment that has to cobbled together. But ... that's kind of fun, too."

Pouring at the Nano Beer Fest: Seize the Saison. Hook describes his farmhouse offering: "It's made with locally harvested honey, which gives it some apparent sweetness while still allowing the beer to dry out like a good saison should. Beyond that, no additional spicing is used allowing the yeast character to really shine."

IF YOU GO:

When: 2-10 p.m. Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday.

Where: John's Marketplace in Multnomah Village, 3535 S.W. Multnomah Blvd., Portland

Cost: $20 entry fee buys a logo glass and 10 beer tickets. One ticket yields 2 ounce pour, two tickets a 4 ounce pour and three tickets a full-mug 7 ounce pour. Additional tickets are $1. Advance website purchase yields higher-value packages.

Website:

-- Andre Meunier

503-221-8488

The Oregonian/OregonLive
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SALEM, APRIL 17, 2017 -- Gov. Kate Brown signs Senate Bill 863, which prohibits Oregon marijuana retailers from keeping or sharing customers' personal information.

(Anna Marum/The Oregonian)

Oregonians who worry about a federal crackdown on legal marijuana use now have an extra layer of protection: Gov. Kate Brown on Monday signed a bill that prohibits the state's marijuana retailers from sharing or keeping information about their customers' identities or purchases.

Senate Bill 863, which drew broad bipartisan support, flew through the Legislature and is one of the first bills to be signed by the governor this session.

"I think it's appropriate under the circumstances," Brown said after signing it.

She fears the Trump administration could make good on its threat of a "higher level of federal engagement" when it comes to legalized pot, she said.

The bill's signing comes after U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in January that he couldn't promise to continue to ignore federal laws prohibiting marijuana use, and White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer suggested in February that states will be subject to "greater enforcement" of those laws.

In March, Brown said she was willing to "go to bat" for Oregon's burgeoning pot industry and that she would "respond appropriately" should the White House take any action.

Earlier this month, Brown, along with the governors of Alaska, Colorado and Washington wrote a letter to Sessions and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin asking for clarity on the administration's marijuana policy.

In response, Sessions said the Department of Justice will look at marijuana as part of a broader crime-reduction policy review.

For now, the newly signed bill protects pot users by prohibiting shops from keeping or transferring customers' personal information, including names, birth dates and addresses.

This data, typically used for marketing and customer service, is often collected from customers' IDs, often without their knowledge. Shoppers may still sign up for emails from shops to get coupons or discounts.

Now that the law is in effect, Oregon marijuana retailers have 30 days to destroy their customers' data from their databases. The law does not apply to medical marijuana patients.

-- Anna Marum

amarum@oregonian.com

503-294-5911

@annamarum

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Melissa Etheridge

Rock singer and Grammy winner Melissa Etheridge. (Tarina Doolittle)

(Tarina Doolittle)

Rock star marijuana advocate Melissa Etheridge says she even smokes with her children.

"I have smoked with my older two," the musician told Yahoo (via People). "It was funny at first, and then they realized, it's a very natural, end-of-the-day [thing] ... And it brings you much closer. I'd much rather have a smoke with my grown kids than a drink -- oh, God, no."

Etheridge has four children, including Bailey, 20, and Beckett, 18. Her comments appear in a new Yahoo documentary, "Weed & the American Family."

"My children have a very clear understanding of cannabis," she said. "When I hold it without shame or confusion, then they can understand it as simple as if I was pointing to a bottle of Percocet and said, 'That's Mama's medicine.' You take the naughtiness out of it, and it's not something that kids run to."

Etheridge became interested in medicinal marijuana during her treatment for breast cancer over a decade ago. She's fought for legalization ever since.

"It wasn't about being high," she added. "It was just being to a place where I could communicate with my children, to where I could get up, to where I could eat. It was great medicine."

In a 2013 editorial for CNN, she wrote that taking marijuana during chemotherapy "changed my life."

"I believe it is time to shine a light on the old 'Reefer Madness' fears," she continued. "Let's legitimize cannabis sales so that our youth are as protected from illegal pot as they are from illegal alcohol and tobacco sales. Legitimize the growers so that pot can have regulations and I know I am supporting American businesses and not outlaws when I purchase it.

"Our great Constitution challenges us to grow constantly Let's put an end to marijuana prohibition and get clear regulations on the legal sale of pot. The benefits might surprise us."

-- David Greenwald

dgreenwald@oregonian.com

503-294-7625; @davidegreenwald

Instagram: Oregonianmusic
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Entek International's facility in Lebanon. (Google Street View)

Fred Girod and Sherrie Sprenger

No one disputes the desirability of clean air, including the many businesses that take precautions - often going beyond requirements of the law - to ensure that they manufacture products while protecting employees, communities and the environment.

There are many ways to achieve this goal. The worst of those options is government coercion and manipulation. But a recap of events in the wake of well-publicized incidents involving two glass manufacturers in Portland shows nothing less than a government power play.

Over the past year, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) have pursued a new, expanded air quality regulatory program, called Cleaner Air Oregon. In recent weeks, those two state agencies attempted to push a misleading storyline at the expense of one of Oregon's rural employers -- Entek International.

For those who are unfamiliar with Entek, the Lebanon company employs about 400 and contributes significantly to the local and state economy. According to the state's own admission, Entek is in compliance with all relevant state and federal air quality rules and laws, both inside and outside of its plant. But apparently, those standards didn't neatly fit the agencies' overall narrative necessary for generating political support for their recent rulemaking efforts.

As Entek was working with the agencies, responding to their request for additional information in anticipation of "Cleaner Air Oregon" rules -- at a significant expense -- the agencies secretly planned a public campaign against the business. In fact, the agencies went so far as to create a new hashtag, #cleanerairLebonon. This campaign was going to claim that Entek might be emitting at levels that could exceed a possible future regulatory standard. Keep in mind that this air emissions standard had yet to be adopted by an agency in Oregon or at the federal level.

All of this occurred while the House Environment and Energy Committee was considering HB 2269, which imposes new fees to support Cleaner Air Oregon. According to the state's most recent plans, Cleaner Air Oregon - if adopted by the Environmental Quality Commission and paid for by taxpayers - would set emissions standards at levels that would be unachievable for some manufacturers and financially devastating to many others.

So why would state agencies rush to judgment against one of our local employers? And if there is a health risk, why wouldn't the agencies work with business rather than working quietly behind the scenes? Like us, two Linn County judges also found the tactics concerning.

Linn County Circuit Court Judge Thomas McHill issued a temporary restraining order April 7, blocking the state agencies from beginning their communications campaign about the air surrounding Entek. Then, during a follow-up hearing April 12, Circuit Court Judge Carol Bispham reinforced the concern stating, "People have the right to have information, but it needs to have some indication of reliability when you're going to affect people's lives, scare them in a community, affect a company that's been here for 30 years and worked well within the community." She further stated, "The question is, if we're going to get information out there, we don't want it to mislead. And that's what I'm not sure of that was happening here. That's a big concern."

Share your opinion

Submit your essay of 500 words or less to commentary@oregonlive.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification.

In summary, DEQ and OHA are spending limited state funds attempting to regulate Oregon businesses using standards that have not yet been developed through the public rulemaking process. Worse yet, their tactics were intended to come at the expense of law-abiding, job providing businesses that are operating in full compliance with current rules and laws these agencies and others have declared are protective of public health. Rather than seeking to spread accusations about Entek, they should be explaining their actions.

Oregonians deserve both clean air and clean government. In this case, the air around Entek is a lot clearer than the actions state agencies took against the company.

Sen. Fred Girod is a Republican who represents District 9, which includes portions of Clackamas, Linn and Marion counties. Rep. Sherrie Sprenger is a Republican who represents District 17, including parts of Linn and Marion counties.
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(Denis Poroy/Getty Images)

By E. J. Dionne, Jr.

BOSTON -- Those of us who hail from Massachusetts are proud of our special patriotic holiday, formally celebrated only in our state and Maine (which was part of us until 1820), though Wisconsin and Florida pay it some honor as well. Patriots' Day commemorates the rebels at Lexington and Concord who fired the shot heard round the world on April 19, 1775.

For tragic reasons, the holiday commanded the nation's attention on April 15, 2013. Two homemade bombs exploded 12 seconds apart at 2:49 p.m., killing three people and injuring hundreds of others.

This city will never forget the dead and severely injured. But it will also remember the heroism of its citizens, including the first responders and medical professionals who saved countless lives. A sense of solidarity arising from the love of a place and its people gave birth to the slogan, "Boston Strong." The worst Patriots' Day in history produced an outpouring of local patriotism.

This year's celebration of Patriots' Day comes when another impulse jostles with patriotism as the definition of dedication to country.

Nationalism, it's true, runs deep in American history, as the brilliant and ideologically idiosyncratic writer Michael Lind often reminds us. It's not just a Donald Trump or Steve Bannon import. It was, after all, Theodore Roosevelt, a hero to many progressives, whose forward-looking program was memorialized as the New Nationalism.

Yet nationalism rankles, partly because of its association with the evils of Nazism and Fascism, and partly because its claims are so sweeping. As George Orwell wrote, patriotism stems from "devotion to a particular place and to a particular way of life." Nationalism, by contrast, "is inseparable from the desire for power."

It's worth noting that even patriotism makes some uncomfortable. They often see it in the same light as the word "chauvinism," which is defined as "excessive or prejudiced loyalty or support for one's own cause, group or gender." It's a mistake, however, to view patriotism as nothing but chauvinism in bright colors.

My own love of the United States is rooted in the profound debt I feel to this place and to my fellow citizens, and in a deep attachment to our habits, customs and what I see as our exceptional capacity, over time, to correct our flaws. But just as the special love I feel for my family does not prevent me from admiring other families and individuals, so my allegiance to the United States does not stop me from offering respect and affection for other peoples and places.

There is also a quality to American patriotism that is commonplace to note but absolutely central to our identity: Ours is not a loyalty to blood or soil. It is an embrace of a series of powerful propositions.

Last week, I spent time with the gifted young political theorist Yascha Mounk, who had just become an American citizen. He told an audience at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs that while he did not discount our country's problems, particularly the costs of a "racial hierarchy," the United States was genuinely different because it rejected a "mono-ethnic and mono-cultural" definition of nationality. "In America," he said, "there is an idea that you can have an accent and be American, you can have immigrated and be American." It's another reason I love this country.

Earlier this year, in a useful exchange published in the conservative magazine National Review on the relative merits of patriotism and nationalism, Mona Charen of the Ethics and Public Policy Center had it exactly right when she argued: "Patriotism is enough -- it needs no improving or expanding." She called nationalism "a demagogue's patriotism" more likely to be converted "into something aggressive."

And the columnist Jonah Goldberg caught something important when he wrote that "nationalism is ultimately the fire of tribalism, having too much of it tends to melt away important distinctions, from the rule of law to the right to dissent to the sovereignty of the individual."

Lind (with whom I usually agree more than I do with Goldberg) would argue back that forms of liberal nationalism have been just as committed to these values. He would also remind us of the national commitments of Hamilton, Clay and Lincoln.

Fair enough. But if both nationalism and patriotism can get out of hand, nationalism strikes me as far more perilous. I love my country, as I love Boston, and love can be ruined by an overweening will to power. The patriot is more likely to be alive to this danger than the nationalist.

E.J. Dionne's email address is ejdionne@washpost.com. Twitter: EJDionne.

(c) 2017, Washington Post Writers Group
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(The Oregonian/OregonLive)

A Portland woman accused of trafficking her three-year-old child for sex told the FBI she was only trying to rob a prostitution client, federal court records show.

Kelsey Wheeler

Agents arrested Kelsey Christine Wheeler, 27, of Southeast Portland on Friday after an investigation that began in Eugene earlier this month, according to federal court records.

In a probable cause affidavit, the FBI said agents and Eugene police tracked a man, suspected of viewing child pornography, to his house April 13. The man, identified as Barret Spangler, admitted to viewing illicit photos of children and began telling authorities about a sexual encounter in Portland he had with a woman he met on a website known for advertising prostitution services, according to the affidavit.

The man told investigators he met Wheeler, who identified herself online as Kelly Kox, in early January for the encounter at her home in the 12500 block of Southeast Powell Court, according to the affidavit. Through their conversations, the pair discussed taboo sexual fantasies, including children and "mother-daughter" scenarios, according to the affidavit.

At one point, Spangler said Wheeler offered her child for $1,000, and she said must be in the room during the encounter, according to the affidavit. The man also told investigators he paid an internet bill for Wheeler, according to the affidavit.

Portland police detectives, on the same day agents spoke with Spangler, visited Wheeler's home to check on her child, according to the affidavit. She agreed to be questioned by investigators after finding someone to look after her child, according to the affidavit.

Wheeler told agents Spangler had offered $6,000 for an encounter with her child, according to the affidavit. Wheeler said she was angered by the offer because of past abuse she experienced, but she played along with the intention to rob Spangler, according to the affidavit.

The FBI later learned Wheeler was named in a Child Protective Services report from Las Vegas that claimed she was found in a room with a man and a child and all people were wearing "minimal clothing," according to the affidavit.

"When confronted with the evidence of the investigation, Wheeler admitted that it looked 'very bad' for her," according to the affidavit. "She understood why investigators thought she was trafficking her child. Wheeler could not provide any evidence besides her testimony that she did not intend to traffic her daughter," according to the affidavit.

The FBI also received help from the Benton County Sheriff's Office, court records show. Investigators booked Wheeler into a Multnomah County jail where she remains without bail, and she was scheduled for a first appearance in front of a federal magistrate Monday afternoon.

Spangler was not listed in online state and federal court records for any arrest related to child pornography on Monday afternoon. He is not listed as an inmate in jails of Lane, Multnomah or Benton counties.



This post will be updated as news develops.

 Tony Hernandez

thernandez@oregonian.com

503-294-5928

@tonyhreports
public_safety_oregonian_100.JPG

(The Oregonian/OregonLive)

Portland detectives began a death investigation Sunday after hikers found bones near a trail in Southwest Portland, police said.

Officers responded around 2:45 p.m. near the 8400 block of Southwest Macadam Avenue to reports of the discovery. Hikers took officers to the site along a trail in the River View Natural Area, police said in a brief news release.

Detectives said the bones appear to be human, but they have not determined the age, sex or if there was any criminal activity, according to the news release. The remains will be sent to the Oregon State Police Crime Lab for examination. It's unclear what types of bones or how many were found.

Police said no other information will be available Sunday evening. The hiking trails nearby will be closed while detectives process the scene Sunday evening.

This post will be updated as news develops.

 Tony Hernandez

thernandez@oregonian.com

503-294-5928

@tonyhreports
BLOOMINGTON  Plea negotiations are underway between the former director of U.S. Cellular Coliseum and the state to resolve charges accusing him of using a company credit card for personal expenses.

Curtis Webb, 45, was charged in December with theft of government property, a felony, for allegedly taking an unspecified amount of money from the city through the improper use of a credit card belonging to VenuWorks, the firm that manages the city-owned event center.

Webb's defense lawyer, Stephanie Wong, told Judge Casey Costigan on Monday that talks are ongoing with the state over a possible plea deal.

A June 26 hearing is set for review of the potential plea agreement.

VenuWorks executives noticed the issues with company expenses during a routine financial review. The company said it would reimburse the city about $16,000, the total amount charged on the debit card during the several months Webb's expenses were questioned.

Webb remains free on $5,035 bond.

VenuWorks fired Webb in October after financial issues were detected and the city asked police to investigate. VenuWorks began managing the Coliseum in April 2016.

Webb also is under investigation for possible "financial impropriety" discovered at the public facility he previously managed for VenuWorks in Bemidji, Minn.

Webb was executive director of Bemidji's Sanford Center from 2013 until May 2016, when VenuWorks, based in Ames, Iowa, named him to lead the Coliseum's daily operations in Bloomington.

Bemidji City Manager Nate Mathews told The Pantagraph in December that the state of Minnesota auditor's office was conducting an audit as part of a review of the internal investigation completed by VenuWorks at the Sanford Center.

VenuWorks President Steve Peters said earlier this month the audit was completed.

VenuWorks is working with law enforcement in its investigation of some impropriety that Webb allegedly conducted while he was under employment in the city of Bemidji, Peters and Mathews have said.

The discovery was made during VenuWork's review of Sanford Center's financial records after the financial issues arose at the Bloomington facility, said Peters.

Mathews and Beltrami County Attorney Annie Claesson-Huseby, who serves as chief prosecutor, were out of their offices Monday and could not be reached for comment.

Other than a misdemeanor conviction for speeding in 2013, no other charges have been filed against Webb in Beltrami County District Court, court officials said Monday.
BLOOMINGTON  It's spring and this week, it will feel like it, say forecasters with the National Weather Service in Lincoln.

Temperatures are expected to top out at 72 degrees on Monday, and on Tuesday, the high could reach 75 degrees. A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms is possible Wednesday and on Thursday, when it will be a little cooler, with temperatures around 65 degrees in the afternoon.

It also will be cooler on Friday, Saturday and Sunday with high temperatures about 60 degrees and a chance of showers and thunderstorms each day.

The storms are not expected to be severe, but forecasters point out, that especially at this time of the year, anything can happen. On April 17, 1922, for instance, a violent tornado touched down a few miles north of Ogden, in eastern Champaign County, then moved eastward through Vermilion County. Two people were killed north of Ogden.

Another tornado touched down in southeast Effingham County and moved across Jasper and Clark Counties. One person was killed by this tornado, with 25 injured. In 1963, a violent tornado, close to F5 strength at times, moved across Kankakee County before continuing into Indiana. The worst damage was in Bourbonnais, Bradley, Exline, and in populated areas north of Kankakee. Several houses completely disappeared. Fifty injuries were reported in Illinois, with one fatality.
BLOOMINGTON  Further evidence that flu season is abating in Central Illinois came Monday as several hospitals lifted voluntary visitor restrictions enacted when flu was widespread in January.

The decisions mean no Pantagraph-area hospitals have visitor restrictions still in place because of flu.

"The number of local influenza cases has been trending downward," said Brianne Riley, spokeswoman for OSF Center for Health-Streator and OSF Saint Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa, which lifted their ban on Monday.

"Our infection control coordinator feels that our patients, visitors and staff are no longer at an elevated risk for transmission of the flu," Riley said.

Memorial Health System, which includes Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Lincoln, also lifted its visitor restrictions on Monday, spokeswoman Angela Stoltzenburg said.

Earlier Monday, hospitals in Tazewell and Peoria counties decided jointly to lift their restrictions. Those hospitals are Hopedale Medical Complex, Hopedale; OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, Peoria; and UnityPoint Health's Methodist, Proctor and Pekin campuses.

The Tazewell and Peoria City/County health departments announced the lifting of the ban, which was verified by Hopedale Chief Operating Officer Mark Rossi.

Visitor restrictions, enacted in January, requested that hospital visitors be at least 18 years old; that individuals who aren't feeling well not visit hospital patients; and that hospital visitors wash their hands when entering and leaving a patient room.

Advocate BroMenn Medical Center in Normal, OSF St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington, Advocate Eureka Hospital in Eureka, OSF Saint James-John W. Albrecht Medical Center in Pontiac and Warner Hospital & Health Services in Clinton lifted their visitor restrictions in late March.

While flu is on the decline, upper respiratory illnesses remain in Central Illinois, so people should wash their hands thoroughly and frequently, cough and sneeze into their sleeve and stay home when they're sick, infection preventionists said.
Janet Jackson's divorce from Wissam Al Mana made headlines in the last week. It was raising concerns about her arrangement in the custody of their newborn son, Eissa.

The 42-year-old new dad, however, got to spend time with his 3-month-old recently without Jackson. Al Mana took his boy out for a stroll in a park in London over the weekend. Daily Mail shared photos of the Qatari dad playing, cuddling and feeding his son formula milk while they sat on the park bench.

Days before this dad and son outing, Al Mana penned a short note for his ex-wife on his official website. Amid the divorce news, he thanked Jackson for her "divine love" and "eternal support." He also called the mother of his child his "best friend."

Janet Jackson's estranged husband Wissam Al Mana takes their newborn son Eissa for a stroll https://t.co/rfXl07oNUD pic.twitter.com/wOXom3jyTg  Daily Mail Celebrity (@DailyMailCeleb) April 16, 2017

A friend of the couple revealed the split in another Daily Mail report. The ex-couple allegedly agreed the baby will stay with his mother. Jackson chose London as her new home base.

The ex-couple welcomed Eissa in January 2017 after Jackson's controversial pregnancy at nearly 50-years-old. Doctors said the first time mom's delivery had a "stress-free and healthy" delivery, as per E! News. Eissa means Jesus in Arabic.

My baby and me after nap time. A post shared by Janet Jackson (@janetjackson) on Apr 14, 2017 at 6:17pm PDT

Jackson and Al Mana married in secret in 2012. She allegedly converted to Islam shortly after her marriage. Friends described her husband, who runs a billion-dollar family business involving luxury brands and McDonald's franchises, as a private person.

It remained unclear why Jackson and Al Mana decided to end their five-year marriage. Relationship experts analyzed religion might have played a part in the split as Jackson's husband reportedly insisted she followed strict Muslim traditions now that she's a mother, as per New York Post. This meant no more raunchy costumes and performances during her concerts and tours, as well as lessened public appearances.
A 16-year-old girl from Tucson, Arizona cornered a Republican lawmaker who favored the defunding of Planned Parenthood. Deja Foxx blasted Sen. Jeff Flake during a town hall meeting Thursday for taking away her right to reproductive health care. The exchange took place just as President Donald Trump approved the bill to cut the organization's funds.

After Foxx introduced herself to the senator, she asked Flake why he believed it was in his place to take away her right. Onlookers cheered on the 16-year-old girl for addressing the 54-year-old lawmaker head on, especially when she compared her background with his background.

"I'm wondering, as a Planned Parenthood patient and someone who relies on Title X, who you are clearly not, why it's your right to take away my right to choose Planned Parenthood?" the teenager asked, as per Refinery 29. She clearly defined she would benefit from Planned Parenthood as an underprivileged woman with little choices to costly reproductive health services, while the senator, a privileged male, don't need Planned Parenthood.

The president and his Republican Party made their plans clear for Planned Parenthood since the elections. The newly-signed law repealed former President Barack Obama's ruling on state funding for organizations servicing abortion, contraception and other reproductive health issues.

Now, states are entitled to block tax payers' money intended for family planning programs related to abortion. Some cases, however, could be exempted such as aborting pregnancies from rape, incest or life-threatening situations, as per NPR.

Foxx also told CNN she decided to speak up on behalf of women "ignored on Capitol Hill." The teenager said she wasn't satisfied with the answers Flake gave her because he did not address her concerns on reproductive rights.

Flake talked about the American dream but Foxx wanted to hear concrete plans and commitments from lawmakers in supporting women's health, especially from people in low-income backgrounds. Watch Foxx on CNN in the video below.
A torrent of unsolicited advice from family and friends comes once pregnant moms reveal their condition in public. Some of these are helpful tips but a few could include pregnancy superstitions.

Every mom from around the world has heard an old wives' tale or two on pregnancy. This makes the pregnancy experience more fun and colorful, whether pregnant moms follow the beliefs or not.

Baby showers are a no-no under Jewish beliefs or pregnancy superstition, as per New York Times. A small gathering to celebrate the baby's coming could entice the Angel of Death, resulting in the baby's sad fate, so it's best to do celebrations after birth.

The Chinese delay house renovations when there's a pregnant woman at home or else it will be harmful to the baby's spirit. The Chinese also do not attend weddings or funerals while a woman is heavy with child as the baby's energy could come in conflict with the occasion's energy negatively, as per Smart Parents Singapore.

It's not advisable for pregnant moms to wear any jewelry or braid their hair among the Inuit from Canada. The elders believe this could lead to the baby choking on his umbilical cord during birth, as per Classroom. Elders also advise against women walking backward through doors to prevent a breech birth.

The Hispanics believe pregnant moms must avoid looking at something or someone ugly or else they will have an ugly child. They also limit bath times to prevent "dirty water" from affecting the fetus, as per Baby Center.

It's common for parents in Ukraine to prepare the baby's room and stuff until after birth. Preparing ahead of the birth is bad luck based on their pregnancy superstitions, as per Europe Is Not Dead.

It's better for Italian moms to indulge in their food cravings or else the baby could end up with a birth mark similar to the food they wanted. Scratching the belly is not advisable among Brazilian or Israeli moms because the baby might also have obvious birth marks that cannot be covered with clothes.
In recent years, parental alienation alarmed so many family law experts and psychologists due to its rising emergence. Considered a form of abuse, parental alienation could arise from divorce, child custody situations, as well as with intact families.

So, what exactly is parental alienation? According to Shelby County Reporter, it is described as a set of "behaviors and attitudes" displayed by one or both parents that aim "to interfere, damage or destroy" the parent-child relationship or the other. Experts stress parental alienation is considered a form of child abuse due to the fact that it causes emotional trauma to kids.

"Parental alienation is evidenced by the alienating behaviors of a person, such as a parent or family members, or as a result of the judicial system restricting the relationship between a child and a loving parent," author Steven Calhoun wrote. "Alienation can severely damage or destroy a child's relationship with a parent."

Due to the emergence of parental alienation, the publication revealed that Mayor Hollie Cost proclaimed April 23 to 29 as Parental Alienation Week in Montevallo. Cost made the proclamation on April 10, Monday.

As part of the commemoration for the said campaign, the Alabama Family Rights Association has urged the community to join the 10-minute bubble blowing activity called "Bubbles for Love" on April 25 at noon. Aside from Mayor Cost and the City of Montevallo, Mayor Woody Jacobs of the City of Cullman in Alabama also proclaimed the week of April 23-29, 2017 as Parental Alienation Prevention Week, while April 25 is officially the "Bubbles for Love Day" in the city, The Cullman Tribune detailed.

Meanwhile, the most common symptom of parental alienation among children is a "child's rejection of a loving parent." As parental alienation continually affects both broken and intact families, some experts suggest shared parenting as a good solution.

In fact, some lawmakers have advocated the shared parenting law like Rep. Larry Haler's House Bill 1554, which allow divorcing and other parents to have equal rights in all decision-making, as well as equal time to spend with their children, Daily Sun reported.

What are your thoughts on the parental alienation awareness campaign of Alabama's local government officials? Feel free to share your comments below.
There's usually a negative connotation that comes with helicopter parenting. The general perception is hovering over the children won't teach them problem-solving skills essential for living independently as adults.

Some experts and parents, however, think helicopter parenting might be good for the children. For mom Yolande Barial, helicopter parenting is not entirely bad. In her article published in Golden State Newspapers, Barial details how she loves the idea of hovering over her children.

Barial likens hovering to an actual helicopter crew doing rescue missions, where a team provides assistance to those on the ground. Hovering also gives one a vantage point from which to assess what's really going on. Using this analogy, Barial said helicopter parenting gives parents the option to step in "if necessary" or simply watch how a child handles a situation.

For family issue expert Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, there seems to be a confusion between helicopter parenting and over-parenting, and this requires differentiation. She believes the latter is more about letting children get a free pass from making mistakes because parents micro-manage all of their activities, including taking care of everything for the kids.

"Helicopter parenting is entirely different, and I think it is a positive style of child-rearing," she said, as per Boston Globe. One example is that of an involved mom who still helps her college-age children choose decorations for their dorm rooms or becomes their sounding board whenever they have to figure out problems and challenges.

Helicopter parenting gives children the assurance that they have their parents' support and that whatever they do or experience are felt, seen and known; their parents acknowledge all of these, as per Good Therapy. Helicopter parenting keeps a sense of connectedness between parents and children as well.

Such a positive relationship benefits children, which will help their success in the long run as adults. Once helicopter goes beyond extreme measures, however, then that's when it becomes bad parenting.

Do you agree with what these parents say about the good side of helicopter parenting? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.
While we've known for about a year now that Samsung Display would be the exclusive OLED supplier for Apple's iPhone 8, we're now learning that other South Korean firms have won important contracts for this year's iPhone 8 as well.

Apple usual course of business is to diversify suppliers for all key parts for the iPhone but for the first OLED iPhone some Korean suppliers are expected to provide the parts solely due to their technological sophistication.

Because Apple is still less experienced in OLED, Samsung Display is said to be playing a key role in the overall supply chain management that consists of its own key parts suppliers.

Samsung's non-memory chip unit System LSI will supply display driver IC, the display chip for the OLED screen, while STEMCO and LG Innotek will provide the chip on films that connect it to the printed circuit board.

The flexible printed circuit board will be provided by Interflex, BH and Samsung Electro-Mechanics.

Samsung's System LSI is estimated to earn about 480 billion won (US$422 million) from the display driver IC supply to Apple. Considering the unit price of about US$5, about 80 million OLED iPhones are expected to be rolled out this year.

One of the publication's industry sources stated that "Apple will seek to diversify suppliers for the OLED model but Samsung Display and its key suppliers will dominate the supply chain for some time." Lastly, the report noted that for other key parts, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix will supply memory chips, while LG Innotek will supply camera modules.

As a side note, SK hynix is also in the bidding for Toshiba to strengthen their business with Apple. Toshiba will announce the winning bid sometime in June.

About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus.
News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism.
Foreign Minister Zarif in Central Asia as Iran seeks to fire up economy

04/17/17

Source: Press TV

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has started touring Central Asia and the Caucasus to boost Iran's ties with three major countries in the region, especially in the field of economy. The three-day tour spans Turkmenistan, Georgia, and Kyrgyzstan. A 20-member delegation of businessmen and company representatives is accompanying Zarif who cited transit cooperation among the objectives of the visit.



Iran's FM Javad Zarif (R) meets his Turkmen counterpart Rasit Meredow in Tehran

(July 26, 2015 file photo by Tasnim)

"There is a possibility for transit cooperation with Georgia to link the Black Sea to the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean which is a very favorable way for the future of transit and the North-South Corridor," he said.



Zarif made the remarks as he landed in Ashgabat on Sunday and was received by Turkmenistan's First Deputy Foreign Minister Vepa Hajiyev.



The Iranian foreign minister started his visit in Turkmenistan with a meeting with President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, discussing regional developments as well as ways of expanding bilateral ties, IRNA news agency reported.



The International North-South Transport Corridor (NSTC) was formalized among India, Iran and Russia in 2000 to link the Subcontinent and the Middle East to the Caucasus, Central Asia and Europe.



Besides Iran, India and Russia, countries that are on board to integrate into the transit network include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Turkey, Tajikistan, Oman, Syria and Bulgaria.



Zarif has already said the countries involved were discussing the "final details" of the project. Dry runs of the route were conducted in 2014, from Mumbai to Baku and Astrakhan via Bandar Abbas.



The NSTC opens a window for alignment with Silk Road Economic Belt pushed by China to establish new trade and transport links with Central Asia and Europe and provide a counterbalance to US "pivot" to Asia.







Before his talks in Ashgabat, the Iranian minister said his talks were aimed at reinforcing the bilateral ties among other things. "Enhancement of relations with neighbors has always formed the Iranian foreign policy's most important priority," he said.



Iran, Zarif said, also sought to pave the way for increasing its non-oil exports as well as technical and engineering services to the neighbors, and follow up on the memoranda of understanding already signed with them.



Zarif touched on the Iranian foreign ministry's plans to help revitalize the country's economy, saying exports of technical and engineering services to neighbors were one of the subjects which his delegation sought to bring up in the talks.



Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei named the new Persian year as "the year of production and employment and "the Foreign Ministry has been taking measures to help in their regard," he said.



Zarif also touched on common threats to the regional countries and the need for collective efforts to confront them.



"Our region is faced with the threat of extremism and terrorism from all sides and we need close cooperation with the regional countries," he said.
Iran forges deal with China to redesign Arak reactor

04/17/17

By Ali Kushki, Tehran Times

TEHRAN - Iran has hashed out price differences with China to receive counselling on redesigning its only heavy water nuclear reactor, signing a deal on the project with the Chinese side, Iranian Foreign Ministry has said in a written briefing to parliament.





Arak heavy-water reactor



"The contract to receive counselling on the redesign was negotiated and signed in Beijing on April 13," read part of the report, the fifth parliamentary briefing on the 2015 international nuclear accord between Iran and six world powers.



The deal went into effect on January 16, 2016, resulting in the lifting of economic sanctions against Tehran in reward for it rolling back its nuclear program.



The bargain with China, the report said, has taken into account all "concerns of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran", saying nothing of the nature of the concerns.

Iranian experts have already come up with a conceptual redesign of the reactor and now fuel details are being discussed with the Chinese, it further explained.





The redesign mechanism was agreed upon in a separate document on Nov. 13, 17 and 18 by the foreign ministers of Iran and the great powers.



Earlier in January, Iran protested that the Chinese side was demanding too much for redesigning the nuclear reactor, what it said was much beyond "international standards."



The very political nature of the issue had whetted the appetite of the Chinese for a more lucrative deal, the Iranian side speculated.



Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for Iran's atomic organization, said: "The agreed-upon price is quite different from the initial one proposed by the Chinese side."



The fate of the 40-megawatt Arak reactor was a key sticking point in nearly two years of negotiations that led to the nuclear agreement.



Under the document, the reactor will be redesigned and rebuilt in the form of an international partnership for "peaceful nuclear research" and "radioisotope production for medical and industrial purposes."



The redesigned reactor also will not produce weapon grade plutonium.



Iran will act as project manager, according to the document, while China "will participate in the redesign and the construction of the modernized reactor" and the United States "will provide technical support and review of the modernized reactor design".



France, the United Kingdom and Germany will participate in design review and Russia will provide consultative services.



Heavy-water reactors like Arak, fuelled by natural uranium, are seen as especially suitable for yielding plutonium, one of two materials, along with highly enriched uranium, that can

produce a nuclear explosion.



Iran says it needs to refine uranium to fuel a planned network of nuclear power plants.



Under the nuclear accord, Tehran agreed to change the Arak reactor core to one sized for low-enriched uranium fuel.



Iran removed the core of the reactor and filled it with cement as required under the deal days before it took force.
Windows 10 privacy is a contentious issue. This is in part because Windows 10 is integrated with cloud-based features like Cortana, and it has features influenced by mobile such as determining your location. Then theres Microsofts more questionable goals, like scooping up diagnostic data and gathering information for better ad-targeting.

In previous versions of Windows 10, managing privacy was, to put it mildly, an insane process. Settings were strewn all over the operating system and the web.

Privacy isnt much better in the recently released Creators Update, but Microsoft has consolidated its web-based privacy information related to a users Microsoft Account. In addition, privacy settings on the PC are a little more helpful.

Weve already covered the Creators Update privacy dashboard that users see during an upgrade from a previous version of Windows 10 or installing the OS for the first time. In this article, well discuss the privacy settings users will see on a daily basis in the Creators Update.

Microsoft Account dashboard

Ian Paul/IDG Microsoft Account online privacy settings.

Microsoft released a web-based privacy dashboard in January. Users will see it more often with the Creators Update, however, because there are more direct links to this webpage built-in. This dashboard includes items such as a users browsing history in Microsoft Edge, search history, location data, and the Cortana Notebook.

To access the online privacy dashboard go to account.microsoft.com/privacy and log in. One of the handiest pieces in this section is the ability to clear the location activity in one click. Go to the location section and look for the Clear location activity button on the right-hand side.

The Settings app

Ian Paul/IDG The Privacy section of the Settings app in the Creators Update.

The changes to the Privacy section of the Settings app in the Creators Update are mostly subtle. Theres the usual left-hand navigation pane to scroll through all the privacy categories, including location, camera, microphone, the new tasks feature, and many others.

The most significant change is that each privacy screen in the Settings app now has a sub-heading titled Know your privacy options, with a Learn more link underneath. Clicking Learn more takes you to Microsofts online privacy pages with a description for each setting. This is the explanation of Windows 10s general privacy settings, for example.

Youll find many other new links on the various Privacy settings screens. The aforementioned link to location activity, for example, is also available toward the bottom of Settings > Privacy > Location and is labeled Manage my location info thats stored in the cloud.

Ian Paul/IDG The background apps privacy settings now offers a universal off button.

One other notable addition to the new Privacy section of the Settings app is that the Background apps section now has a universal off button. Previously, users had to turn off each apps background process one by one.

Basic and Full diagnostic data

The final significant change with the Creators Update is that Microsoft is being more transparent about the types of diagnostic data it collects. The default amount of information is Full, and youll see that level selected for you in the Feedback & diagnostics section of the Privacy settings.

Microsoft You have to send at least a little data to Microsoft, but you can now choose between Basic and Full levels of collection.

You may, of course, choose the Basic level. You cant forgo bothyoure going to send Microsoft at least a little data whether you like it or not.

For more information about the Basic and Full data, start with the article listing the basic diagnostic data collected, and then move on to the article explaining full diagnostic collection. This information is stored online on Microsofts Technet website. Fair warning: These articles are extensive and can be fairly technical.

The Creators Update doesnt make any significant changes to how privacy works on Windows 10. What it does have, however, is privacy information that is more transparent, and easier to access and understand.
Ghana's biggest telecommunications network, MTN Ghana says it is still committed to paying interest to Mobile Money customers on their network despite a request to discontinue by some subscribers.



In a press release signed by a media relations officers of MTN Ghana, Georgina Fiagbenu referenced a bulk text message which the company sent to its Mobile Money Customers requesting for those who do not wish to receive interest to opt out.



The decision, she explained, was arrived at after a number customers strongly expressed their displeasure with the automatic payment of interest by MTN to its customers.



MTN has been made to understand that based on Islamic teachings as stated in several verses in the Quran, Muslims are not allowed to take interest.



The network has therefore offered these customers an opportunity to opt out of the interest payment. Customers are to call a dedicated service line and following some basic steps, subscribers who do not wish to receive interest can be exempted from subsequent payments.



The payment of interest to MTN Mobile Money customers is in line with the EMI Guidelines issued by the Bank of Ghana (BoG) in July 2015 and this decision does not in any way affect MTNs commitment to the payment of interests.



"MTN remains committed to the Bank of Ghana regulations and continues to take stringent measures to adhere to them," the release said.



Since September 2016 when the Bank of Ghana finally gave approval for the payment of interest, the network has paid over GH45 million to its Mobile Money customers and currently in the process of paying the first quarter interest for 2017 in line with Central Bank's calendar for interest payment.



"In as much as MTN remains compliant with the Bank of Ghana Regulations, the company also respects the wishes and religious beliefs of its customers and will not continue to offend them by paying interests to them if they wish to opt out," the network explained



MTN has already engaged the regulator, BoG to agree on what to do with the retained interests from those who decide to opt out. As soon as a decision is reached we will communicate to customers.

















Source: JFM Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Members of The Grace Community International Ministry have been awed by the images of angel-like wings, which were captured by a teenager on his mobile phone during a fervent worship session on Easter Sunday.



What has been interpreted by all as an angelic visitation occurred during at an annual General Easter Convention, which is underway in Sunyani in the Brong-Ahafo Region.



This could possibly be perceived as what was experienced by Rev. Shepherd Bushirus charismatic Church in Pretoria, South Africa, Mr Kwaku Agyei, a member remarked.



The teenager, who would like to be identified only as Sammy, took the pictures when the rest of the congregation were steep in the worship service.



Sammy, who is from the New Drobo Branch of the Church, later told the GNAs correspondent, who was also worshiping that, he had no idea that his camera had captured the immaculate white-winged creature till he went through the gallery to view the pictures he had taken.



It was not until this time that I saw that my camera had captured an angel, right inside the congregation! the stunned Sammy told the GNA.



I was so amazed that I could not view the picture in detail after the first glimpse.



Bishop Isaac Kankam-Boadu, the President of the Ministry, received the picture and showed it to the whole congregation to their utter amazement.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Australian government has lauded Ghanas campaign against the activities of small-scale illegal miners and has promised to support the effort.



The Australian High Commissioner to Ghana, Andrew Barnes, said the anti-galamsey fight that has been gaining traction since last month is timely and it underscores the Nana Akufo-Addo-led administration's resolve to end the destruction to water bodies, arable land and the environment by the illegal miners.



The Australian government, through its embassy in Accra, is very supportive of Ghana governments attempt to manage the galamsey. We understand that it is a significant problem for Ghana, for the environment, for health and safety, for the people involved in this industry. It is also bad for the economy because it is diverting a lot of the gold revenues out of Ghana without being appropriately taxed and it also makes the legitimate investments of mining companies much more difficult to work here and undermine the legitimate miners, said Andrew Barnes.



The Australian government we are supporting the Minster and the Minerals Commission and the mining companies and we want to do all we can to help them, he adds.



He said as a first step Australia will provide funds for a stakeholder workshop on the campaign. He was speaking on the sidelines of a workshop on the Australian government administered Direct Aid Program (DAP) on Wednesday, April 12, 2017, held at his residence in Accra.



The 2016  2017 round of the DAP initiative will support 24 development projects from Ghana, Burkina Faso, Cote dIvoire, Guinea, Liberia Mali, Senegal and Sierra Leone.



Commenting further on the Ghanas fight against illegal mining, Andrew Barnes said his country was very impressed with the steps taken by the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, John Peter Amewu, end galamsey.



He is an excellent Minister and we believe he is working very hard, he said.



A media campaign against galamsey has snowballed into a fierce activism to end the effects of illegal mining and has won the support of the current government, civil society organisations, professional associations and the public.



The Chief Justice, Georgina Wood, recently designated 14 courts to hear illegal mining-related cases in a bid to expedite theses.



Various hashtags aimed at generating advocacy for the anti-galamsey fight have also been trending on social media.



It has been neglected in the past and it is something that Ghana absolutely cannot afford to ignore and must not walk away from the problem, said the Mr Barnes.



He said for the fight against illegal mining to be successful, it will need a concerted effort by chiefs, by the legitimate miners and the landholders because it's a problem that we cant allow them to destroy the environment and the waterways.

Source: JFM Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Easter Sunday turned bloody when unknown gunmen reportedly attacked Asso community in Jema'a Local Government Area in Kaduna on Easter eve, leaving 13 Christians dead. Details of the attack remain unknown but it's believed to be part of the Southern Kaduna violence involving the Fulani Herdsmen and local farming communities, which so far have left over 200 people dead in past attacks.



In a statement issued by Nasir El-Rufai, the governor of Kaduna State through his spokesperson, Samuel Aruwan, the governor condemned the act and extended his condolence to the victims and their families while affirming that security operations are being ramped to rid the forest areas of the bandits.



According to Samuel's post on Facebook, he said the governor have launched an Operation Harbin Kunama II that would help the Army deal with the armed persons responsible for the attacks in Southern Kaduna.



He said that the forthcoming Operation Harbin Kunama II is a necessary step towards ending the violence in parts of southern Kaduna.



The governor also requested support from communities to the security agencies as the Nigerian Army gets set to commence a major operation tagged Operation Harbin Kunama II, including assisting the Nigerian Army with vital information that could aid a successful clampdown on elements responsible for this terror attacks on our citizens.









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Thousands of migrants have been saved from the sea near Libya between Friday and Sunday during the Easter by rescue workers, but 20 drowned, including an eight-year-old.



According to Africa Review, more than 2,000 people were rescued on Friday and 3,000 on Saturday in dozens of separate rescues in the ongoing operation.



The Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) said its rescue started in the early hours of Saturday and had continued non-stop into Sunday afternoon and had rescued at least 453 people, but more than 1,000 remained in danger.



Chris Catrambone, one of the founders of MOAS, said they had never seen anything like this before and had requested urgent assistance on Saturday morning.



The Libyan coastline remains a hot spot for such rescues, as unscrupulous smugglers crowd wooden boats or inflatable dinghies with hundreds of desperate migrants.



At least 97 migrants died the previous Thursday when their boat sank. Just 23 men were rescued, clinging to a flotation device. In late February, the bodies of 87 people washed ashore in a Libyan city.









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has asked the Multimedia Group to render an unqualified apology to it for its failure to admit its representatives to the stations Newsfile programme on Saturday April 15.



Last Saturdays edition of the show proceeded without representation from the governing party after the station turned away two of the partys picks for the show  Eric Twum, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority; and Henry Nana Boakye, the Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Scheme.



Newsfile host Samson Anyenini explained at the beginning of the show that the two were not up to the standard of the show for which reason producers had failed to admit them to the programme.



Reacting to the development, the Acting General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu, in a statement said the description of the two as being below the standard of the current affairs programme was unsavoury and asked the media house and Mr Anyenini to issue an official apology to the party.



The party demands an immediate and an unqualified apology from Multimedia and from Samson Anyenini, the statement noted.



Mr Boadu further stated that Multimedias decision was high-handed and the controversy could have been avoided had the station decided to resolve the matter through dialogue and respect.



Below is the statement from the NPP:



ATTENTION:



MULTIMEDIA GROUP



Dear Sir/Madam



NPP DEMANDS AN UNQUALIFIED APOLOGY FROM MULTIMEDIA GROUP



The New Patriotic Party (NPP) demands an official apology from your media organisation and also Samson Anyenini, the host of your programme, Newsfile.



The NPP, after submitting names for representation on the Saturday 15th April, 2017 edition of Newsfile, was surprised to hear on the live show our representatives were not up to the standard of the show. The unsavoury pronouncement was made by the host.



The party finds this statement very unfortunate.



Mr Henry Nana Boakye, who is currently the Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Scheme and Eric Twum, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, are members of our national communications team.



We have worked hand in hand with your organisation at different levels and find this not only unnecessary but a display of high handedness in a simple matter that could have been resolved through dialogue and respect.



The party demands an immediate and an unqualified apology from Multimedia and from Samson Anyenini.



Signed



Boadu John



(General Secretary, Ag.)

Source: classfmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A former Northern Regional Minister and regional campaign coordinator for John Mahama 2016, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru-Limuna insists former president John Dramani Mahama remains the best bet for the party in 2020.



He is the one who is spiritually and physically capable to lead the party to victory in 2020. It is either John Mahama or no one else. My prayer however is that he should accept to go as our candidate in 2020 despite claims by his family he will not run again, he told mynewsgh.com in an exclusive interview.



Alhaji Limuna said the former president per the constitution is still qualified to run and if successful rule for another four-year term indicating that he has contributed immensely to the development of the country just that Ghanaians have failed to show gratitude and his track record will be largely depended on for the 2020 campaigns.



On why the party lost to the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), he said there was disconnect between the top hierarchy of the party and the grassroots which resulted in disaffection among the youth in particular who failed to vote for the National Democratic Congress (NDC).



There were certain things we overlooked that cost us. There was disconnect from the top and the ground and the youth were a bit aggrieved and we needed to pay special attention to them. I commissioned someone to do a research and it proved that they were very angry and likely not to vote for us.



I shared the report with other people but they did not give me the hearing, he stated.



Aside that, he observed that there was governance fatigue among Ghanaians not because the government of the day was not performing, but that the citizenry were just not willing for the continuity of an NDC government.



It has now been put in the minds of Ghanaians that every government has a maximum of 8 years not because of what the government of the day can do for the people. All the good things and the struggling we did, they were not moved. All they wanted was change and you know God works in several ways and as a believer of faith there are reasons God does certain things, he added.



He however appealed to the rank and file of the party not to turn the partys mistakes into blame games underscoring the need for the party to restructure and reunite and become a formidable force to reckon with in 2020.

Discussions







Source: mynewsgh.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has re-assured Ghanaians that the country is safe under the ledership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.



According to him, the Nana Addo-led government will deliver as promised all what they said during their campaign time.



"I can assure Ghanaians that Ghana is in safer hands and we will deliver" he said.



Speaking at a forum organized by Accra-based radio station, Joy FM, the Vice President also noted that government is reprofiling the country's debt as a matter of strategy to enable to the first cedi bond under the Akufo-Addo government is a deal of the year



He said the country would replace its short-term debt with long-term debt adding the recent bond issued some two weeks ago was part of the reprofiling strategy.



What is so remarkable about what I call the deal of the year so far is that we have been able to get foreign exchange without increasing our debt stock."



Many people didnt understand the transaction and thought that we have gone to borrow $2 billion to add to Ghanas debt. No! we are actually replacing more expensive debt with less expensive debt and elongating it and making it better for this country" he said.



Dr Bawumia disclosed that in the process of doing that, Ghana has witnessed a massive increase in its foreign exchange reserves.



The former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank also explained that government has created a lot of fiscal debt by capping earmarked funds to 25 percent of government revenue and realigning expenditures to government priorities.



This, he said, is a remarkable reform as budgets from 2011-2015 attempted to do that but never did it.



We did in our first budget and it created some space for us because we were heading into a ditch. You take wages; interest payments, statutory payment and they exceeded all your revenue.



He said this made it difficult to manage the economy and the capping made that possible.



Being a highly indebted country, there was the need to reprofile Ghanas public debt, which stands at GH120 billion in 2016.









Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/ Twitter: @Washman5/ Instagram: Washman007









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A 17-year-old girl has died following a shark attack near Esperance on the south-western coast of Western Australia.

The girl was surfing with her father at a surf break known as Kelp Beds when the attack took place at roughly 4pm local time.

@EsperancePol have grave concerns for 17yo girl after shark attack near Wylie Bay. Photos from the scene. @EspExpress #Esperance pic.twitter.com/WdrEuSzBvl  Caitlyn Rintoul (@caitlynrintoul) April 17, 2017

She was treated by paramedics at the scene before being taken to Esperance Hospital in a critical condition where she died from her injuries, WA Police has confirmed.

It is with sadness that WA Police confirm that the 17 year old teenage girl attacked by a shark has died from her injuries. @abcnewsPerth  Courtney Bembridge (@courtbembridge) April 17, 2017

Local surfer Tilo Massenbauer told The Australian that shark sightings hadnt been particularly common in that location recently:

Theres been the odd one, but nothing like there was a few years ago. Its a little bit early. Theyve had more run-ins at Margaret River, where theyve had a lot of salmon.

In 2014, a 23-year-old had an arm and a hand bitten off while surfing off the coast of Esperance.

Source: The Australian.

Photo: Twitter / Caitlyn Rintoul.
I think we can all agree that I am not a counter-terrorism expert. You might not know me as well as I do, but its a reasonable assumption for you to make that I am not well-versed in the ins and outs of what is required in protecting a nation from terrorism. I will say, however, this baby is probably innocent.

The baby Im referring to is a three-month-old named Harvey Kenyon-Cairns, who had been due to make his first ever overseas trip when authorities noticed something a bit suspicious on his ESTA form  namely that he had checked yes to the question that asks Do you seek to engage in or have you ever engaged in terrorist activities, espionage, sabotage, or genocide?

Possibly the first person in history to ever actually respond to that question in the affirmative (truthfully or otherwise), the shocking admission of terroristic intent from the tiny bub who has been on this planet for a shorter amount of time than Rogue One was the result of a huge, tiny mistake from his grandfather.

Through some slip of the keyboard, Harveys grandfather Paul Kenyon accidentally intimated that the baby was a terrorist, and, somehow, the US embassy didnt think that this might have been erroneous despite the extremely young age of the child:

I couldnt believe that they couldnt see it was a genuine mistake and that a three-month-old baby would be no harm to anyone.

In a completely surprising and uncharacteristic development, the Yanks took the charge extremely seriously and our tiny baby terrorist friend was required to travel five hours from his home in Cheshire to London. Grandpa reckons he handled it like a champ though:

Baby Harvey was good as gold for the interview and never cried once. I thought about taking him along in an orange jumpsuit, but thought better of it. They didnt appear to have a sense of humour over it at all and couldnt see the funny side. Hes obviously never engaged in genocide, or espionage, but he has sabotaged quite a few nappies in his time, though I didnt tell them that at the US embassy.

The huge, tiny mistake ended up costing the family the equivalent of nearly bang-on $5,000 as they did not get the new visa before their trip.

Here is a handy pro-tip from your m8s at P.TV: do not check that you have engaged or will engage in terrorism. Unless you are a terrorist, in which case, you are probably beyond the point at which we can offer you advice.

Source: The Guardian.
Police investigators in Cleveland have launched a major manhunt for the man they believe live-streamed a random act of murder on Facebook Live.

The suspect, identified as 37-year-old Steve Stephens, was seen in the distressing video walking up to 74-year-old Robert Godwin, who Stephens reportedly had no prior relationship with. Stephens then raises a gun, shooting him at point-blank range. Emergency responders later confirmed that Godwin died as a result of the assault. The live video remained active on Stephens Facebook account for 3 hours after the attack. His account has subsequently been deleted.

Stephens was seen in a second video, again initially broadcast live to Facebook, appearing distressed as he spoke on the phone to an unknown person, claiming he had already shot 13 people and was working on the 14th. Ohio officials were quick to refute that claim, asserting that any additional potential homicides are yet to be verified. In other text-based status updates posted on Facebook, Stephens claimed to have shot a varying number of people.

Facebook has been quick to condemn the attack today, despite the original video remaining online for a considerable amount of time. In a statement issued to press, Facebook asserted that this was a horrific crime, and that they do not allow this type of content.

Facebook statement on Cleveland shooting video: This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content https://t.co/G8mpL2QxfI  Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) April 16, 2017

Stephens had earlier made additional posts on Facebook claiming that he had lost everything to gambling, and had labelled his own actions as an Easter Day slaughter.

Ohio police are undergoing a state-wide search for the alleged offender, with several state-run department and educational facilities on lockdown while the search continues.

Law enforcement officials have pleaded for the suspect to turn himself in.

More as this story develops.

Source: NBC News.

Photo: Cleveland Police/Twitter.
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Election explainer: How Michigan's university boards are determined

Michigan's process for determining the members of university governing boards is unique. The state is just one of four that uses a statewide vote.
China to create 10 "mega" coal companies with 100 million tonnes capacity





SHANGHAI

Petroleumworld 04 17 2017

China aims to create 10 "mega" coal producers by the end of the decade as part of its drive to consolidate the industry and tackle overcapacity, the official China Daily reported on Friday, citing an energy official.

Wang Xiaolin, deputy director of the National Energy Administration, said China was preparing guidelines to create 10 new industry giants each with annual production capacity of more than 100 million tonnes.

The report said China already has six firms with production capacity above 100 million tonnes.

According to the China Coal Trade and Distribution Association, the new guidelines will compel coal mining regions to consolidate smaller mines over the next two years, and close those that are not restructured.

The association said large-scale state miners, including the Shenhua Group, China's biggest coal producer, are also set to undergo restructuring.

China is in the middle of a programme aimed at tackling price-sapping supply gluts in the coal sector, and aims to shut at least 500 million tonnes of production capacity by the end of the decade, with smaller mines shut or consolidated.

China aims to shut at least 150 million tonnes of coal production capacity this year alone, and the campaign has helped drive up coal prices by more than a quarter since the beginning of the year.






Argentina, Indonesia biodiesel imports to be investigated by U.S.





WASHINGTON/JAKARTA

Petroleumworld 04 17 2017

The United States said on Thursday it would start an investigation into imports of biodiesel from Indonesia and Argentina for possible dumping and subsidisation.

The U.S. International Trade Commission is scheduled to make a preliminary decision by May 8 on whether such imports hurt U.S. producers, the U.S. commerce department said in a statement.

The step, just days ahead of a visit to Indonesia by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, comes after some U.S. biodiesel producers last month asked their government to impose anti-dumping duties on imports of biodiesel from Argentina and Indonesia that they say have flooded the U.S. market and violated trade agreements.

"The Indonesian government, especially the trade ministry, will be cooperative in the investigation by providing arguments and supportive data and documents to show that there was no dumping or subsidies," Oke Nurwan, Indonesia's director general for foreign trade, told Reuters.

Indonesia's biodiesel group said it had asked its government to bring up the issue during Pence's visit to Jakarta next week.

Argentine biodiesel exporters and manufacturers have also rebuffed the accusation.

"Now they have to prove everything that they are claiming, which is a sham. It's a protectionist measure," said Claudio Molina, head of Argentina's Biofuels Association, a trade group known by its Spanish acronym AABH.

"We hope that the United States offers a fair process, which will show that there is no dumping or subsidies of Argentine biodiesel," he added.

Argentina is the world's No. 1 exporter of soyoil, used to make biodiesel. Indonesia is the world's top producer of palm oil, which can also be used to churn out the fuel. Both countries rely heavily on resource exports.

Total U.S. biodiesel imports rose to a record 916 million gallons (3.5 billion liters) in 2016, according to U.S. government data published in March. Argentina represented about two-thirds of U.S. foreign imports, followed by Indonesia and Canada.

Indonesia is also facing pressure in Europe, with its government filing a WTO complain against European Union anti-dumping duties on Indonesian biodiesel.

Meanwhile, the European parliament voted last week to call on the EU to phase out use of palm oil in biodiesel by 2020. Indonesia, along with Malaysia, plans to send a joint mission to Europe next month to prevent the adoption of that resolution.






South Korea's March crude imports from Iran hit record high





SEOUL

Petroleumworld 04 17 2017

South Korea's intake of Iranian crude oil soared to a record high in March and its first-quarter crude imports from Iran nearly doubled on year, reflecting Tehran's efforts to raise output after the lifting of sanctions early last year.

The increase in volumes since international sanctions against Tehran were lifted in January 2016 has made Iran the second-largest oil supplier to South Korea after Saudi Arabia, in the first quarter of 2017, according to preliminary customs data on Saturday. Iran was fifth-largest in the first quarter of 2016, behind Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and Qatar, according to data from Korea National Oil Corp (KNOC).

The official KNOC data ranked Iran as second-largest for the first two months of the year. The KNOC figures for March and the quarter are due out in one week.

In March, the customs data showed South Korea imported 2.26 million tonnes of Iranian crude, or 534,368 barrels per day (bpd), up 118.8 percent from 1.03 million tonnes a year ago, reaching a record. That was up 38.3 percent from 1.63 million tonnes in February.

The world's fifth-largest crude importer and one of Tehran's biggest customers shipped in 5.68 million tonnes of Iranian crude in the first three months of 2017, or 463,234 bpd, up 92.4 percent from the 2.96 million tonnes imported during the same period a year ago.

Meanwhile, oil shipments from Saudi Arabia to South Korea, rose 10.9 percent to 3.52 million tonnes, or 831,413 bpd, in March on year. That was down 2.6 percent from 3.61 million tonnes a month ago as the world's top oil exporter complies with the OPEC deal to cut supplies.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and some non-OPEC members reached an agreement to curb output last year by almost 1.8 million bpd in the first half of 2017. Iran was exempted from the deal.

Korea's crude oil imports from Saudi Arabia fell 10 percent to 10.44 million tonnes in the first quarter of this year, or 850,614 bpd, from 11.61 million tonnes in the previous quarter, but that was 5.7 percent higher on year.

Overall, Asia's fourth-largest economy brought in 12.68 million tonnes of crude oil in March this year, or nearly 3 million bpd, up 10.1 percent from 11.52 million tonnes a year ago, according to the data.

For the first quarter of 2017, South Korea imported 36.94 million tonnes of crude, or 3.01 million bpd, up 4.6 percent from 35.32 million tonnes a year earlier.

Final data for the country's March crude oil imports will be released by state-run Korea National Oil Corp (KNOC) later this month.






U.S., allies weigh all options after North Korea's missile test -H.R. McMaster





WASHINGTON/PYONGYANG

Petroleumworld 04 17 2017

The United States, its allies and China are working together on a range of responses to North Korea's latest failed ballistic missile test, U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser said on Sunday, citing what he called an international consensus to act.

H.R. McMaster indicated that Trump was not considering military action for now.

"It's time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully," he said on ABC's "This Week" program. "We are working together with our allies and partners and with the Chinese leadership to develop a range of options."

McMaster added: "There is an international consensus now, including the Chinese leadership, that this is a situation that just cannot continue."

The Trump administration is focusing its North Korea strategy on tougher economic sanctions, possibly including an oil embargo, a global ban on its airline, intercepting cargo ships and punishing Chinese banks doing business with Pyongyang, Reuters reported last week, citing U.S. officials.

While Trump has employed tough rhetoric in response to North Korea's recent missile tests, the new U.S. president's options appear limited in dealing with a challenge that has vexed his Oval Office predecessors.

Most options fall into four categories: economic sanctions, covert action, diplomatic negotiations and military force.

The North Korean missile blew up almost immediately after its test launch on Sunday, the U.S. Pacific Command said.

Hours later, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence landed in South Korea for talks on the North's increasingly defiant arms program. His visit came a day after North Korea held a military parade in its capital, Pyongyang, marking the 105th anniversary of the birth of founding father Kim Il Sung. What appeared to be new long-range ballistic missiles were on display in the parade.

RISING TENSIONS

Tensions have risen as Trump takes a hard rhetorical line with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has rebuffed admonitions from China and proceeded with nuclear and missile programs seen by Washington as a direct threat.

Trump acknowledged on Sunday that the softer line he had taken on China's management of its currency was linked to China's help on the North Korea issue.

"Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem? We will see what happens!" Trump said on Twitter. Trump has backed away from a campaign promise to label China in that way.

South Korea said the North's latest show of force "threatened the whole world."

But a U.S. foreign policy adviser traveling with Pence on Air Force Two sought to defuse some of the tension, saying the test of what was believed to be a medium-range missile had come as no surprise.

"We had good intelligence before the launch and good intelligence after the launch," the adviser told reporters on condition of anonymity.

"It's a failed test. It follows another failed test. So really no need to reinforce their failure. We don't need to expend any resources against that."

The adviser said the missile's flight lasted four or five seconds.

Pence, addressing an Easter service with American troops in South Korea, said the U.S. commitment to South Korea was unwavering.

"Let me assure you under President Trump's leadership, our resolve has never been stronger. Our commitment to this historic alliance with the courageous people of South Korea has never been stronger."

Pence was beginning a 10-day trip to Asia in what his aides said was a sign of U.S. commitment to its ally in the face of mounting tension.

The U.S. nuclear-powered Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group is also heading to the region. ( tmsnrt.rs/2p1yGTQ )

China, which Trump has urged to do more to rein in North Korea, has spoken out against its weapons tests and has supported U.N. sanctions. It has repeatedly called for talks while appearing increasingly frustrated with the North.

Beijing banned imports of North Korean coal on Feb. 26, cutting off its most important export. China's customs department issued an order on April 7 telling traders to return North Korean coal cargoes, said trading sources with knowledge of the order.

'HOSTILE REGIME'

Trump's decision to order a cruise missile strike on a Syrian airfield this month, in response to what he said was Syria's use of chemical weapons, raised questions about his plans for reclusive North Korea.

Pyongyang has conducted several missile and nuclear tests in defiance of U.N. sanctions, and regularly threatens to destroy South Korea and the United States.

"The president has made clear that he will not accept the United States and its allies and partners in the region being under threat from this hostile regime with nuclear weapons," McMaster told ABC.

But McMaster, who was speaking from Kabul, Afghanistan, acknowledged the likelihood of North Korean retaliation if Washington uses military force in an attempt to stop its weapons programs.

"What (is) particularly difficult about - about dealing with this regime, is that it is unpredictable," he said.

South Korea, which hosts 28,500 U.S. troops and holds a presidential election on May 9, warned of punitive action if the Sunday launch led to further provocation.

Impoverished North Korea and the rich, democratic South are technically still at war because their 1950-1953 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

The North has warned of a nuclear strike against the United States if provoked. It has said it has developed and would launch a missile that can strike the mainland United States, but officials and experts believe it is some time away from mastering the necessary technology, including miniaturising a nuclear warhead.

North Korea launched a ballistic missile from the same region this month, ahead of a summit between the United States and China in Florida to discuss the North's arms program.

That missile, which U.S. officials said appeared to be a liquid-fuelled, extended-range Scud, only flew about 60 km (40 miles), a fraction of its range, before spinning out of control.

Tension had escalated sharply amid concern the North may conduct a sixth nuclear test or a ballistic missile test around Saturday's celebration of Kim Il Sung's birthday, which it calls the "Day of the Sun."

In Pyongyang, there was a festive atmosphere at a flower show, with families out, taking pictures with North Korean-made smartphones. There was no mention of the test failure by the KCNA state news agency.

Company worker Rim Chung Ryol, 30, said he had not heard of the test.

"If it is a failure, then failure is the mother of success," he told Reuters.

Factory worker Ri Gul Chol, 37, also had not heard about the missile test.

"But whatever Kim Jong Un decides and instructs will succeed and all the citizens will support him," he said.






Most of Opec & non-Opec oil producers want extension of output cuts - Iran





DUBAI

Petroleumworld 04 17 2017

Most oil producers support an extension of output cuts by OPEC and non-OPEC countries, and Iran would also back such a move, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh was quoted as saying.

"(Zanganeh) stressed that most countries want OPEC's decision to be extended," the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) reported.

"Iran also supports such a decision and if others comply, so would Iran," Zanganeh told reporters late on Saturday, according to ISNA.

The market has been oversupplied since mid-2014, prompting members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and some non-OPEC producers to agree to cut output in the first six months of 2017.

OPEC meets on May 25 to consider extending the cuts beyond June. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and most other OPEC members are leaning towards this if agreement is reached with other producers, OPEC sources told Reuters last month.






Oil market rebalancing, demand expected to rise - Saudi Aramco CEO





NEW YORK

Petroleumworld 04 17 2017

The oil market is rebalancing in the short term, and demand will continue to grow in the long term, Saudi Aramco Chief Executive Amin Nasser said at the Columbia University Energy Summit on Friday.

In the short term, the oil market has a surplus, but Nasser said that supplies are falling behind what will be required in coming years.

"The future market situation will be increasingly on firmer grounds, though volatility could continue until the rebalancing takes firmer hold and inventory withdrawals assume a more consistent trend," he said.

In both 2018 and 2019, Aramco expects demand to continue to grow, and Nasser said he expects the growth will continue into the years ahead.

"I believe that peak demand is not in sight," he said, when asked whether the market was approaching peak demand.

Nasser expects demand for hydrocarbons to increase with many more traditional fuel vehicles than electric cars to be added in coming years even as more efficient engines emerge and renewables are used for some light transportation.

Oil prices have begun to emerge from a two-year rout as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries has cut production this year, following an agreement in November aimed at reducing an overhang of stockpiles. Still, concerns about U.S. production overhang the market. [O/R]

Nasser said the count of rigs operating in U.S. shale formations and bounces in inventory figures have depressed the market.

Aramco approves investment projects based on a long-term view, spanning decades, and sees demand growth continuing to support expanded refining and marketing in the United States, Asia and other markets. Asia already accounts for 60 to 70 percent of Aramco's exports and is seen as continuing to be a growth market, he said.\

The company is also increasing its gas production and expects to double it to about 23 billion standard cubic feet daily over the coming decade.

Aramco is gearing up for a share listing next year, aiming to get a valuation of up to $2 trillion in what could be the world's biggest initial public offering.

Nasser said that offering is "on track."






Odebrecht paid $3.3 billion in bribes over a decade -Brazil's media



Odebrecht paid as much as $730 million annually in both 2012 and 2013





RIO DE JANEIRO

Petroleumworld 04 14 2017

Odebrecht SA, the Brazilian engineering company at the center of a historic corruption scandal, paid out a total of about $3.3 billion in bribes in the nine years through 2014, according to testimony cited by local media on Saturday.

Through a department specifically established to pay politicians and other recipients for public works contracts, Odebrecht paid as much as $730 million annually in both 2012 and 2013, the years when bribe payments peaked, according to a spreadsheet that a former executive reportedly gave investigators as part of a plea deal.

The $3.3 billion figure, and related annual tallies as laid out in the spreadsheet, were reported on Saturday by the G1 news site of the Globo media group and the Estado de S. Paulo, a leading newspaper.

Officials at Odebrecht could not immediately be reached for comment.

A trove of plea deal testimony unsealed this week by a Supreme Court justice is shedding light on the extent and manner in which Odebrecht, once Latin America's most successful engineering firm, routinely paid officials in Brazil and other countries in exchange for winning contracts.

The testimony was unsealed as the justice, Edson Fachin, authorized investigations of eight government ministers, 12 governors and dozens of federal lawmakers implicated in the scandal, uncovered three years ago because of a kickback investigation at the state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA, or Petrobras ( PETR4.SA ).

Odebrecht, whose former chief executive has been jailed since 2015 because of the probe, negotiated a far-reaching plea agreement with Brazilian investigators last year, leading to testimony by about 80 company executives and employees.

Along with an affiliate, Odebrecht also agreed last year to pay at least $3.5 billion to U.S. and Swiss investigators for international charges related to the scandal.

Earlier on Saturday, Estado de S. Paulo also reported that Brazilian authorities were investigating if any of the foreign kickbacks the company has already admitted to violated Brazilian law. The company made those payments in countries including Mexico, Ecuador, Peru and Angola.






As police in several states are searching for the man who police say shot a Cleveland retiree and then posted video of the killing on Facebook, an unconfirmed sighting of the man in West Fairmount Park on Monday afternoon put more than 30 Philadelphia schools on lockdown for about two hours.

Philadelphia police said they received "multiple 911 calls" stating that Stephens might be in the area of Belmont Plateau. But they also stated "so far there is no indication that the subject is" anywhere in Philadelphia.

During a police briefing in Cleveland about 3:30 p.m., Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams was asked if there was any truth to the rumor that the suspect was spotted in Philly.

"No, there's no truth to that, but, again, we're receiving dozens and dozens of tips, and we follow up on all tips that we receive."

Philadelphia school officials said the lockdown was lifted at 2:55 p.m., roughly 2 hours after it began.

Lee Whack, a spokesman for the School District of Philadelphia, said police requested that more than 30 schools lock down as a precaution. "Schools that were on lockdown dismissed according to their regular schedule," Whack said in a statement.

Law enforcement officials in New York, Indiana and Michigan are also on the lookout for Stephens, at the request of Cleveland police and U.S. Marshals. He was believed to be driving a white Ford Fusion with a temporary Ohio license plate No. E363630.

At High School of the Future in Parkside, students and teachers were huddled away from windows in darkened rooms, said one teacher. The lockdown was called at 1 p.m., and the final bell rang at 2:34, but teens and staff remained in their second-to-last period classes, said the teacher, who asked not to be identified.

No one was told why the lockdown was called; some were checking smartphones for more information.

The mood, overall, was calm, said the teacher, though some were beginning to worry about after-school commitments.

Activity in Fairmount Park seemed to continue normally Monday afternoon despite news of the unconfirmed sighting.

A girls' softball team was practicing, people walked their dogs, and streets winding through the park remained open.

Tariq Lear, 46, sat on the bed of his pickup truck at Belmont Plateau with his dog Kobe panting nearby. When Lear first pulled into the park, he said, there was so much helicopter traffic overhead, "I thought it was like a UFO sighting."

Police vehicles continued to circle the grounds for a few minutes, Lear said, but slowed down after about a half hour.

Lear doubted Stephens was around, but said he thought Philadelphia police would be on top of the situation either way.

"I know they'd catch him," he said.

On Sunday, Steve Stephens, a 37-year-old job counselor for teens and young adults, allegedly killed Robert Godwin Sr., a 74-year-old former foundry worker, in a random shooting, the Associated Press reported.

Numerous police units responded to the site, where Godwin had been collecting aluminum cans, after a report that Stephens was broadcasting a live video of the murder. Facebook later said the video was not broadcast live; it was up for about three hours before being taken down, along with Stephens' full Facebook page.

In another video, Stephens, who is wanted on a charge of aggravated murder, claimed that he was responsible for killing more than a dozen other people.

"I killed 13, so I'm working on 14 as we speak," he said in that video.

Police, however, said the only victim linked to Stephens so far is Godwin, a father of 10.

Cleveland police searched dozens of places around the city and spoke with the suspect by cellphone. The motive for the shooting was not clear.

In the shaky Facebook video, Stephens told Godwin a woman's name, Joy Lane, and said, "She's the reason that this is about to happen to you." Godwin did not seem to recognize the woman's name. The suspect then pointed a gun at Godwin, who shielded his face with a plastic bag.

Lane, when contacted by CBS, said of Stephens: "We had been in a relationship for several years. I am sorry that all of this has happened."

Godwin apparently was out picking up cans in a plastic shopping bag when he was killed, his daughter said.

"Not because he needed the money, it was just something he did," said 52-year-old Debbie Godwin. "That's all he was doing. He wasn't harming anyone."

She said her father was a gentle man with nothing mean about him. "We called him the junk man," she said. "He'd pick up things off the street and fix them. He picked up bikes and he fixed them."

"This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook," the company said. "We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety."

Stephens worked at Beech Brook, a behavioral health agency headquartered in Pepper Pike, near Cleveland. He helped young people develop job skills and find employment, said Beech Brook spokeswoman Nancy Kortemeyer.

An extensive background check before he was hired turned up nothing worrisome, she said.
#Moon-NK dogs Moon returns to state two dogs gifted by N. Korea's Kim Former President Moon Jae-in returned to the state a pair of dogs that he had been in custody of since North Korean leader Kim Jong-un gave them as a gift in 2018, Moon's side and ...

#taxi Seoul to increase late-night taxi service amid shortage The Seoul city government said Tuesday it will expand the operation of late-night taxis to cope with the growing demand for taxi service during late hours. Currently, an average...
The NPA has highlighted the UK pig industrys determination to maintain the current very low levels of risk from Livestock Associated-MRSA (LA-MRSA) in pigs in this country.

The association has responded to a feature on the BBC Countryfile programme about the problem of LA-MRSA in Denmark, where about 88% of pig farms are believed to be infected with the antibiotic-resistant bacteria, also known as MRSA CC398.

The feature, which can be viewed here (7 and 27 mins), described the situation in Denmark as a public health scandal.

Presenter Tom Heap acknowledged that for most people the bug poses very little risk, with people working pigs at the highest risk. He also stressed that although the bug is found on meat, it is killed by proper cooking.

A microbiologist working in Denmark told Mr Heap that, while in most cases of infection nothing really happens, a minority of patients may get life-threatening infections. There is clear evidence seven patients have died of MRSA CC398, he said.

The feature linked the spread of the bug to overuse of antibiotics in Denmark and highlighted calls to significantly reduce usage.

It turned the spotlight on the UK, where LA-MRSA has only been confirmed in a small number of pigs. But with nearly 700 live pigs imported from Denmark last year and no compulsory testing in either Denmark or the UK, Mr Heap said addressing the problem was in our interests, too.

NPA chief executive Zoe Davies was interviewed for the feature but the footage was not shown on the programme. Part of an NPA statement sent to the programme was featured, noting that producers were aware of the public concern and highlighting the associations recommendation that all imported pigs are tested for LA-MRSA.

The NPA was quoted as saying CC398 is considered to be of low risk to health and not a food safety issue.

NPA response

Commenting after the programme was aired, Dr Davies added: The programme did briefly feature our comments but it is really important to put this in its full context.

LA-MRSA has not been deemed high risk by the government, and is not the same as hospital associated MRSA, so the public should not be worried. Hospital surveillance has picked up very few cases and none that are associated with people working directly with livestock.

In addition, the recent Food Standards Agency MRSA risk assessment confirmed, there has never been a single case documented of LA-MRSA being contracted by anyone eating meat products from anywhere in the world.

I also want to stress that the link made between antibiotic usage on farms and the prevalance of bugs like LA-MRSA is not as simplistic as is made out in features like this. For example, Denmark has already significantly reduced antibiotic usage but LA-MSRA levels remain high.

However, we know LA-MRSA is here in the UK and, as a proactive industry we have worked with government to provide guidance for those working with pigs to reduce risk even further.

The NPA has developed an imports protocol in conjunction with the UK breeding companies, which is now mandatory under Red Tractor.

It details testing that should be considered for many key diseases that we dont wish to import, including LA-MRSA, when anyone is bringing in live breeding animals or semen from outside the UK.

Get Our E-Newsletter - Pig World's best stories in your in-box twice a week See e-newsletter example Will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy
AirAsia BIG Final Call X Sale to Perth Australia

When we discovered the AirAsia BIG Final Call X Sale last month, there is now cheaper possibilities to travel to AirAsiaX destinations. The AirAsia BIG Final Call X Sale happens every third week of the month.

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The most important part is it offers 81% off market fares. Thus, you save 81% off from the usual AirAsia BIG points, that is more than other sales out there in the market. On top of that, you need to pay airport taxes only without any surplus taxes. This is one of the best airlines miles redemption systems out there in the market right now.

What is best deal for April 2017 AirAsiaBIG Final Call X Sale?

Redemption Period: NOW until 30th April 2017

Travel Period: 1st May to 30th June 2017

KL to Perth is only at 9,600 AirAsia BIG Points one way and we checked just now and there are still many seats available at 19,200 AirAsia BIG Points for return and airport taxes of RM 437.

On top of Perth, there are many KL to China cities routes at 11,000 AirAsia BIG Points one way such as Hangzhou, Shanghai, ChongQing and Wuhan at 12,000 AirAsia BIG Points one way.

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Another superstar deal is KL to Haneda and Osaka at 20,000 AirAsia BIG points one way. There are not many deals involving Japan routes usually as they are top sellers but since this is for summer, there could be not many takers. We been to Tokyo during summer two years ago and it is hotter than Malaysia.

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We know 20,000 or 30,000 AirAsia BIG Points are a lot and it takes a while for you to save it up. Thus, you can actually use partial AirAsia BIG Points (min 1,00 AirAsia BIG Points) and pay the remaining balance with money. You can have this option at the payment page and you can find the AirAsia BIG Points slider.

We really hope by sharing this story, you can actually save up and travel to your favourite destinations. If not mistaken, this period is the Hari Raya Period so make use of this time to book your holiday in advance. The AirAsia BIG Final Call X Deal is first come first serve basis so the early birds get the worms. Log in at AirAsiaBIG.com and good luck!

Wilson Ng A Father and traveler who enjoys to eat, shop, travel and taking pictures with Samsung S22 Ultra and Sony ZV-1. Im a full time blogger, youtuber and father for two. I used to travel around 17 International trips per year but now staying at home. Remember to follow us at www.instagram.com/placesandfoods and www.youtube.com/placesandfoods. For advertisements or features, contact me at [email protected] See author's posts
Malaysia Airlines KL to Darwin Flight Experience MH 144

Do you know there is a direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Darwin Australia? It is operated by Malaysia Airlines and it is one of their cheapest routes to Australia compared with other major cities.

When we travelled to Darwin with Malaysia Airlines last year, our experience was rather unique and also a strange one. The flight reaches Darwin wee in the morning (3 am) and the surprise thing is the airport runs 24 hours. Even some of the cafes, restaurants and shops are open in Darwin.

The flight experience was pretty good. Since Malaysia Airlines upgraded their meals, the food was okay and it could be better. Compare to the Malaysia Airlines meals ten years ago, they really look at the quality of the meals but yet again now they are restructuring so it will take them some time to get back on track again.

The service is still there, the trademark Malaysian Hospitality, friendly and courteous cabin crews. The smiles that once branded Malaysia Airlines The Best Cabin Crew in the world.

The entire journey was pretty good, no overbooking and no security guards attempt to remove any passengers. It was a pleasant flight.

So why travel to Darwin?

We have this little bucket list of traveling to all the states in Australia. So far, we have travelled to South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, Canberra, New South Wales, Victoria and missing Northern Territory and Queensland.

Is Darwin worth the travel?

Many will associate Darwin with national parks and crocodiles. Actually, Darwin is more than national parks and you can find many unique things to do in this city. There is night market, beaches, awesome sunset places, cruises, flights and also you can visit Tiwi Island to check out the daily lives of the aborigins (native Australian aka orang asli), termite mounds and many more. Expect to spend at least three to four days for the day tours and excursions out of the city.

When is the best time to fly to Darwin?

Well lets say May to July and the climate of Darwin is similar to Malaysia. Hot and humid. There are tropical rain and it floods like Kuala Lumpur during raining season. However, it doesnt rain every day but on certain days during off peak season.

One of the best ways to visit Darwin is to redeem your MH Enrich Points. Remember, for Malaysians you need to apply visitor visa that you can do online.

Our advice is buy during the airlines promotion so remember to check on their website, MalaysiaAirlines.com from time to time.

Wilson Ng A Father and traveler who enjoys to eat, shop, travel and taking pictures with Samsung S22 Ultra and Sony ZV-1. Im a full time blogger, youtuber and father for two. I used to travel around 17 International trips per year but now staying at home. Remember to follow us at www.instagram.com/placesandfoods and www.youtube.com/placesandfoods. For advertisements or features, contact me at [email protected] See author's posts
Dogs have been used in police operations since the earliest days of organized law enforcement. Over the centuries a wide variety of canines have been trained to be patrol partners. However, in recent years two breeds of dogs have been primarily favored for K-9 patrol duties: the German shepherd and the Belgian Malinois.

But that doesn't mean that other varieties of man's best friend can't be police dogs. It's not unusual to see a wide range of dogsincluding bloodhounds used for tracking and cadaver recovery and Labrador retrievers and beagles used to sniff out explosives and illegal narcoticsworking alongside police officers. And recently, a number of law enforcement agencies have decided to expand their K-9 ranks to include some unusual breeds and mixed breed dogs from shelters and dog rescues. There are now organizations that are funding the training of shelter dogs for police work or training and placing dogs with agencies.

Universal K9 (www.universalk9inc.com) has been training shelter dogs to serve in law enforcement since 2010. But that's just one aspect of the company's mission. "Our program is like no other and we produce more dogs and handlers per month (civilian side) than any other company profit or non-profit I know of," says Brad Croft, Universal K9's founder and operations director. Croft says to date Universal K9 has saved and placed hundreds of fully trained dogs with law enforcement agencies.

By saving dogs and donating them once they are trained for law enforcement operations, Universal K9 ensures the dogs are well taken care of and tax dollars are saved. "I realized I didn't need to buy expensive purebred dogs to do police work," says Croft. "I knew there were plenty of capable dogs in shelters."

Croft says this new concept has proven successful for both his company and law enforcement agencies. "Many times these dogs are overlooked by families and put down." He says that by adopting these dogs, taking care of them, and training them, Universal K9 is able to offer a service that helps unwanted dogs and also cuts down on costs for the law enforcement agency and the city where the dogs were sheltered.

Choosing Dogs

When searching for a shelter dog that will make a good fit for law enforcement operations, Croft says he looks for an animal with confidence, drive, energy, and the focus needed for the training and the job. "Many times the dogs that are overlooked by families work really well for our program," Croft says, adding that shelter dogs are primarily trained only for detection and tracking.

Programs focused on training shelter or rescue dogs for police work are increasing in popularity and that can be attributed to the work of the Animal Farm Foundation (AFF). A partner of Universal K9, AFF was originally founded as a horse rescue. However, when the founder adopted a pit bull, she realized the growing need to help dogs in shelters and rescues. (The majority of dogs in American animal shelters are bully breeds or bully breed mixes: Staffordshire terriers, American pit bull terriers, American bully, and Staffordshire bull terrier. All of these animals and dogs that look like them are commonly referred to as "pit bulls.")

AFF teams up with Universal K9 by providing the company with grant money. The funding goes toward covering the expenses of handler training as well as care and shelter for the dogs.

The Universal K9 training program provides constant activity for dogs with high play drives and excessive energy. "Once the dog is selected and evaluated for the program, it undergoes a four- to eight-week training in San Antonio (with Brad Croft of Universal K9)," says Stacey Coleman, executive director of AFF.

During the first week of the training program the dogs are evaluated for K-9 potential. "If during that time a dog does not respond well, Universal K9 or Austin Pets Alive! will dedicate time to find the dog a good home," Coleman says.

Dogs that pass the evaluation are taught a variety of tasks such as finding hidden toys and retrieving them. The dogs must rely on their sense of smell instead of their sight in order to complete each task. "Upon completion, the dog is professionally trained to seek out a variety of narcotic odors," says Coleman. "The dog is trained to provide sit and stare signals to the handler."

Currently, there are more than 20 pit bull-type dogs working as K-9s nationwide. The two most recent K-9 placements by Universal K9 are dogs named Storm and Athena. "Storm is serving the Ferris (TX) Independent School District Police Department," Coleman says. "Athena is serving the Dallas Independent School District Police Department."

The Dallas ISD is the second largest school system in Texas, responsible for 227 schools and around 160,000 students. The duty held by the Dallas ISD Police K-9s is to protect the students and promote safety by finding illegal drugs in the school locations. These detection dogs also help lift the spirits of the students as students are allowed to interact with the dogs when they are resting from duty.

High-Drive Dogs

Programs designed for rescuing and training shelter dogs provide high-quality K-9s for law enforcement agencies all over the country at no cost to the department. Utilizing dogs from shelters to become detection dogs saves canine lives and reduces shelter populations so more animals can be housed. Often the best candidates for law enforcement work in these shelters may not make the best pets. "This gives shelters an additional option for placing high-drive dogs who otherwise might not be a good fit for a pet dog in a home," says Coleman.

Experts say any canine with the appropriate characteristics and temperament may be trained for various public safety tasks whether it be rescue services, sniffing out narcotics, or other duties, regardless of breed.

Frank Kobel, a K-9 handler at the Cortez (CO) Police Department, says there are three main attributes or drives that a dog must have in order to make a good police K-9. "The three must-have drives are the play drive, the prey drive, and the hunt drive," he says.

The prey drive is crucial since this is a way of expressing the tenacity of the animal, the amount of fight in the dog. "A high prey drive dog would fight until it could not fight anymore," says Kobel. "They would hunt their prey until they could not hunt anymore."

Equally important is the hunt drive. For example, a dog with a high hunt drive would go to any length to find its toy once it has been thrown. The dog will not stop hunting for its prize until it is located.

Kobel says rescue dogs can benefit a police department because of the high cost of specifically bred dogs. Imported dogs such as Belgian Malinois can cost up to $25,000, while a rescue dog often costs under $200.

One way to determine whether a shelter dog is a suitable fit for a K-9 unit is to research and test the dog. This is a good way for law enforcement agencies to gauge the workability of a potential police canine. The dog must be able to fulfill each demand. "Training any Police K-9 is a time-consuming task," says Kobel. "To get a dog to the point of certification and being street worthy can take up to a year."

Much of the training and the amount of time it takes to train a dog depend on the dog, the trainer, and the handler. Kobel says once the dog is certified, training never stops. By federal standards there is a four-hour-per-week minimum. In addition to normal duties, most agencies exceed that number of training hours on top of performing regular duties.

Dual-Purpose Dogs

Pat Doyle, a supervisor and instructor for K-9s in Las Cruces, NM, says that the dogs he works with are trained and certified for specific tasks. "PSD1 dogs are trained to apprehend while PSD2 dogs are trained to track and search within surface areas."

For the Las Cruces PD as well as the Dona Ana (NM) County Sheriff's Office, K-9s are essential for search-and-rescue techniques. "They are keen on scent, and the more experienced K-9s are critical for tracking," says Doyle.

Dogs may be trained for several purposes or cross-trained for specific instances, including detection and rescue. Often the type of training a dog receives depends on the dog's temperament as well as its amount of energy.

Blending a variety of breeds for K-9 units is common among many police departments. German shepherds, Dutch shepherds, Belgian Malinois, akitas, Doberman pinschers, and Rottweilers are among the choices for dual-purpose patrol work. These breeds work well for both patrol and detection.

But some dogs are only suited for one mission. For example, the Lubbock (TX) Independent School District Police Department uses Labradors as single-purpose dogs. They are search dogs and very capable of finding just about any target.

Officer Daryl Kissell says search dogs are generally sourced from hunting and hound groups. These breeds include Labradors, pointers, retrievers, bloodhounds, and St. Bernards. Additionally, the breed of dog that is chosen depends on the nature of the work they will be doing. Kissell says all breeds of canines have been bred for specific purposes. However, as the need arose for canine help in instances with first responders, specific breeds have been favored for training.

Utilizing shelter dogs for a higher calling in law enforcement is a winning situation for all involved. These dogs bring additional, positive attributes and enhanced capabilities to the profile of K-9 units and law enforcement agencies all at very little cost thanks to organizations like AFF and Universal K9.

Hilary Romig is a freelance public safety writer. In addition, she has extensive law enforcement training. Hilary has recently accepted a position at the Lubbock (TX) Police Department.
The Leicester (MA) Police Department is staging the five sets of granted protective equipment in portable gear bags in their patrol cars for quick deployment. Included are Damascus FlexForce suits, Damascus Vector gloves, and impact-resistant protective shields. (Photo: The Spirit of Blue Foundation)

The Spirit of Blue Foundation announced that it has awarded a Safety Equipment Grant to the Leicester (MA) Police Department (LPD) for the purchase of personal protective equipment. LPD received five sets of Damascus FlexForce riot control suits, Damascus Vector gloves, and clear impact-resistant riot control shields, valued at $5,691.25. The equipment will enable LPD officers to adequately protect themselves when responding to riots, protests, and other incidents requiring crowd control.

"The Leicester Police Department would like to thank the Spirit of Blue Foundation for providing us with this protective equipment. The equipment affords officers additional protection in a variety of different scenarios," said Chief Jim Hurley of the Leicester Police Department. "The equipment has been placed in 'go bags' so that it can be rapidly deployed to officers in Leicester or to other law enforcement agencies in surrounding communities. The purchase of this equipment, by the Spirit of Blue Foundation, shows that they truly have law enforcement's back."

Funding for the grant was provided by a generous gift from The Dunkin' Donuts & Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation (DDBRCF), which serves our neighborhoods through children's health, hunger relief and safety. Since 2006, together with Dunkin' Brands franchisees, The DDBRCF has awarded $11 million in grants to local charities such as food banks and children's hospitals. In total the DDBRCF has enabled Spirit of Blue to make 17 Safety Equipment Grants throughout New England with a total value of more than $100,000.

"Sadly, there are too many examples of speech transitioning into violence, and our nation's police officers are put at risk when having to respond to keep the peace," said Ryan T. Smith, Executive Director of the Spirit of Blue. "Further, the Leicester Police are planning to lend this equipment to neighboring agencies at a moment's notice when they are faced with similar situations, so the impact of this grant will be felt well beyond just this city."

The Spirit of Blue Foundation actively encourages the public at large to honor and appreciate law enforcement officers who serve to protect our communities. By supporting the Spirit of Blue Foundation, the public can make an impact in the lives of law enforcement officers every day. To learn more about the Spirit of Blue, or make a donation, visit www.spiritofblue.org.
A coordinated investigation Thursday by three police agencies and the U.S. Marshals Service led to the arrest of a man accused of following and firing shots at a Stark County deputy taking part in a surveillance operation.

Frederick M. Hill, 49, of Barberton was arrested Thursday by the Barberton Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Hill faces charges of felonious assault on a peace officer, first-degree felony, and illegal cultivation of marijuana, the Canton Repository reports.
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Republicans like to condemn Americans reaping the lifelong investments in their Social Security retirement plans and Medicare as welfare recipients taking unearned entitlements as a reason to slash the taxpayer-funded retirement and healthcare programs. Its just their way of stealing other peoples money. Now there is a report that Trump intends on making American taxpayers subsidize and support evangelical efforts to politicize their pulpits and elect more religious Republicans, while taking unearned entitlements that number in the hundreds-of-billions of taxpayer dollars. In 2013 the number was estimated to be about $82.5 billion annually; it has certainly increased over the past four years. For an idea of how much that robs the people, since the Meals on Wheels program began in 1974, The federal government has spent over $150 billion on this grant since its inception.

Trump had pledged to abolish the Johnson Amendment that bans churches from campaigning for Republicans from the pulpit while enjoying tax exemptions costing taxpayers well over tens-of-billions of dollars every year. Since it is probably too difficult for Trump to figure out how to unilaterally repeal the Johnson Amendment, reports are that he will conspire with Republicans in Congress to insert the repeal in a storied tax reform plan. It is an atrocity that while cutting taxes for the wealthy elite and corporations, Trump will give the religious right free reign to continue robbing billions more from taxpayers to campaign for Republicans who perpetually complain about other Americans getting free stuff as justification to cut social programs to save money.

The Washington Post and The Hill reported that Republicans are adding a provision to end the six-decade-old ban on churches supporting political candidates. As remuneration to the religious right for helping Russia elect him, Trump will fulfill his vow to totally destroy the Johnson Amendment; a move opponents and this author know will effectively turn churches into Republican super PACs. Trump and Republicans veritably have to sneak the church super PAC provision into the broader tax reform legislation because a standalone repeal effort would certainly face a filibuster in the Senate; not that Republicans would allow a filibuster on a religious bill to stand any more than a filibuster on a religious Supreme Court nominee.

The move was applauded by evangelicals, particularly chairman of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, Ralph Reed, who claims abolishing the Johnson Amendment was every evangelicals highest priority in helping elect Trump. Reed also said he could not care less how the amendment is repealed, just so it happens quickly to show that Trump and other Republican leaders keep their [theocratic] promise. Reed said:

That would be fine with us, if it were to become law as part of a tax package. Wed like to have and up-or-down vote, but this might make it easier to pass.

The president of Liberty University, evangelical fanatic Jerry Falwell said the concerns that evangelical churches will become Republican super PACs are overblown and he thinks any Republican repeal would be carefully crafted to guard against such an idea. His only concern is that now evangelical leaders are unable to campaign from the pulpit and still maintain their tens-of-billions of dollars annually in taxpayer provided subsidies. That just needs to be worked out according to Falwell. He also said that now churches are only allowed to use the taxpayer-funded tax exemption as a small percentage of their monetary support for Republican candidates. It is highly likely that if the mythical Jesus Christ actually existed, he is weeping.

However, not all non-profits and religious groups are enthused about giving evangelicals free reign to campaign from the pulpit while accepting tens-of-billions from unwitting taxpayers; but their primary concern is creating yet another method of hiding dark money Republicans depend on to stay in power. According to WaPo, last week about 4,500 tax-exempt organizations signed onto a letter to congressional leaders urging them not to weaken or repeal the [Johnson] Amendment.

The signatories to the letter claim, and rightly so, that repealing the Johnson Amendment will create a loophole in campaign disclosure laws because churches are not required to account for contributions from anyone even though they tax deductible for the donor class. The letter noted that, nonpartisanship is a cornerstone principle that has strengthened the publics trust of the charitable community. Republicans see the repeal as an opportunity to force taxpayers to fund election campaign efforts supporting Republican candidates under the bovine excrement excuse of reinstating religious freedom to evangelicals pushing theocracy.

The chairman of the House Ways and Means committee, Kevin Brady (R-TX) pledged in February to insert abolition of the Johnson Amendment in any tax reform legislation. Brady said:

Places of worship across America need to be free to practice their faith without worrying about Washington or the IRS targeting their religious freedom. So in our tax reform were going to repeal the damaging effects of the [60 year old] Johnson Amendment once and for all.

The corrupt and treasonous criminal in the Oval Office, Donald Trump, agreed with Bradys assessment of the Amendment during his address at the unconstitutional National Prayer Breakfast and told the faithful precisely what they came to hear:

I will get rid of and totally destroy the Johnson Amendment and allow our representatives of faith to speak freely and without fear of retribution. I will do that, remember.

Heres the thing, though; representatives of faith are already free to speak and if the evangelicals took a minute to open that rule book they claim is the be all, end all, they would never even consider campaigning from the pulpit, or taking taxpayers hard-earned money, and would instead start paying their fair share of taxes.

The evangelical religions namesake, Jesus Christ, said that anything to do with his Kingdom is not of this world and unrelated to politics or whichever government of man happens to be in power. He also commanded, like the so-called Apostle Paul, that Christians are bound to obey the government authorities that their biblical god put in power and to pay their fair share of taxes; not take other peoples tax dollars to help elect Republicans. That is not this secular humanists opinion, it is in the evangelicals own version of the Christian bible; but there are very, very few evangelicals adhering to Christs commandments because they just dont comport with Republicans savage ideology.

The only equitable solution is revoking all church tax exemptions and then allow them to campaign from the pulpit to their religious hearts desire. Doing so would not only save taxpayers tens-of-billions of dollars annually, it would allow the religious right to become a legitimate, tax paying extension of the Republican Party. However, they want it all and it appears they are going to get their wish to become taxpayer-funded Republican Super PACs that allows them to use other peoples money to elect more evangelical Republicans; Republicans happy to hasten Americas decline into a bonafide evangelical theocracy and replace the U.S. Constitution with their version of Christian Sharia law.
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President Trumps son Eric said in an interview that his dads feelings get hurt when people say falsehoods, and question the legitimacy of his presidency.

In an interview with Irish Independent, Eric Trump complained that the falsehoods hurt his Dads feelings:



What is the one thing that is said which hurts his father the most?

The falsehoods. He is the one person who did not need this job. He is a man who has achieved every aspect of success  wealth, family  in fact so many people often come up to me and talk about him and the concept of the American dream. He is the epitome of the American dream.

In Trump lingo, falsehoods mean facts. Facts like there is evidence that Russia interfered in the presidential election. Facts like Donald Trump is the least transparent president in history, who refuses to release his tax returns and make the White House visitors log public. Facts like Donald Trump is historically unpopular.

Interestingly, Eric Trump didnt specify what falsehoods hurt his daddys little feelings, but the Trump family trait of whining while being a bunch of entitled white billionaires appears to be genetic.

The message from Eric Trump to the American people is that they need to stop saying things that hurt his dads feelings like suggesting that his father is not a legitimate president because his campaign colluded with Russia to win the presidential election.

Suggesting that Donald Trump is not a legitimate president because he was elected by 78,000 voters in three states while losing the popular vote is not nice, and we need to stop pointing out such things, or the President will cry himself to sleep in bed each night.

Trump ran a campaign that promoted strength, but as president has shown nothing but weakness. Getting ones feelings hurt his human, but having your son tell the media that the leader of the worlds only superpower is a fragile little flower who gets bent of shape by things that are said about him is the definition of weakness.

Eric Trump would really like it if we were all nicer to his dad, and we start by pretending that President Trumps lies are real and the Russia had nothing to do with the 2016 election.
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First Lady Melania Trump, an immigrant to the U.S., had to nudge her husband, the President of the United States, to remind him to put his hand over his heart during the National Anthem on Mondays Easter Egg celebration at the White House.

Watch President Trump forget to put his hand over his heart during the Star Spangled Banner standing on the Truman Balcony:

Full version with music here at about 1:52

Heres the official code of conduct during the National Anthem:

Designation.  The composition consisting of the words and music known as the Star-Spangled Banner is the national anthem. Conduct During Playing  During rendition of the national anthem 

when the flag is displayed  individuals in uniform should give the military salute at the first note of the anthem and maintain that position until the last note;

members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute in the manner provided for individuals in uniform; and

all other persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart, and men not in uniform, if applicable, should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart; and

when the flag is not displayed, all present should face toward the music and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed.

This is the same Donald Trump who chastised Democrats for not having a flag pin on stage.

Not one American flag on the massive stage at the Democratic National Convention until people started complaining-then a small one. Pathetic  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 27, 2016

Sure, a Senator named Barack Obama once made this mistake. But of course, he wasnt president yet at the time. Donald Trump and his Republican followers later accused Obama of not being legitimate and of having allegiance to another country.

The man who is actually being investigated by the FBI for his contacts with Russia during the 2016 campaign forgot to put his hand over his heart during the National Anthem, but luckily his immigrant wife was there to remind him how to at least look patriotic.
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Police are investigating the theft of equipment that could make every voter in Georgia at risk for theft after a precinct manager had equipment used to check in voters stolen from his car.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported:



Cobb County elections director Janine Eveler said the stolen machine, known as an ExpressPoll unit, cannot be used to fraudulently vote in Tuesdays election but that it does contain a copy of Georgias statewide voter file.

We have managed that so that whats stolen could not impact the election, Eveler said.

While the file includes drivers license numbers, addresses and other data, it does not include Social Security numbers, Eveler said.

Without needlessly sowing the seeds of any conspiracy theories, this news has to make Democrats a little queasy given what happened in Novembers presidential election.

What is odd is that local officials waited until two days after the theft to begin an investigation. Even with assurances from state officials that the election results will not be compromised, this is a horrible development for the belief in the security and integrity of US elections. After Russia meddled in the 2016 election, voters need their confidence restored in the process. Local officials waiting two days to report the theft of voting equipment only serves to fuel questions about the integrity of US elections.

American officials need to handle voter data and voting equipment more responsibility. No matter the results of the House special election, local officials have opened themselves up to conspiracies with their behavior.

Something might be rotten in Georgia, as the story surrounding this breach of voter data isnt adding up.
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Vice President Mike Pence made an unannounced visit Monday to the demilitarized zone, or DMZ on the border of North and South Korea to deliver what Fox News is calling a fiery message.

The VP turned his back to North Korean border guards to tell CNNs Dana Bash that,

Were going to abandon the failed policy of strategic patience. But were going to redouble our efforts to bring diplomatic and economic pressure to bear on North Korea. Our hope is that we can resolve this issue peaceably.

.@VP Pence warns North Korea not to test President Trump's resolve in exclusive CNN interview at the DMZ https://t.co/qb7kjI3sPK  New Day (@NewDay) April 17, 2017

[Strategic patience] was the policy of the United States of America during prior administrations to practice what they called strategic patience, that was to hope to martial international support to bring an end to the nuclear ambitions and the ballistic missile program of North Korea. that clearly ahs failed and the advent of nuclear weapons testing and development of a nuclear programall confirms the fact that strategic patience has failed.

Bash asked what it means to say that policy has ended and Pence explained,

Were going to abandon the failed policy of strategic patience but were going to redouble our efforts to bring diplomatic and economic pressure to bear on North Korea.

Our hope is that we can resolve this situation peaceably. And I know the President was heartened by his discussions with President Xi (Jinping). Weve seen China begin to take some actions to bring pressure on North Korea but there needs to be more.

Pence went on to add that,

Resolving this issue requires all relevant parties, especially parties that bear major responsibility and play a key role in this issue, to work in the same direction and make a joint effort.

In case youre wondering what this means with regard to some sort of U.S. policy, Sarah Kendzior offers an answer:

Pence joins growing list of Trump admin officials to abandon diplomacy with North Korea https://t.co/3xPJxyfsQ7  Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) April 17, 2017

Sure, Pence paid lip-service to diplomacy in talking to Bash, but what he said during an appearance with acting South Korean President Hwang Kyo-ahn on Monday shows hes thinking more in terms of stick than carrot:

Just in the past two weeks, the world witnessed the strength and resolve of our new president in actions taken in Syria and Afghanistan.

North Korea would do well not to test his resolve or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region.

The meaning is pretty clear. North Korea will make nice or Donald Trump will give them another example of his resolve.

We can joke about Trumps resolve to distract people from his Russia scandal, or at the image of Kim Jong-un trembling at the loss of an airfield for less than a day, or even at Trump dropping the mother of all bombs in a remote mountain valley that contained the blast and killed less than 100 enemy combatants.

However, Kim Jong-un seems unimpressed so far with either China or Trumps admonitions to make nice. The threat of war is nothing to joke about, and that is where Trumps careless saber-rattling could be leading us.
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 52F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 52F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph.
Angie Jackson covers crime and breaking news for The Post and Courier. She previously covered the same beat for the Grand Rapids Press and MLive.com in Michigan. When shes not reporting, Angie enjoys teaching yoga and exploring the outdoors.
MOORHEAD  Alarm bells are going off around the state as homeless shelters and housing organizations witness a troubling rise in the number of seniors looking for help.

"I think we're starting to see the beginning of the wave," said Sue Koesterman, executive director of Churches United for the Homeless shelter in Moorhead. "And I'm not sure how broadly this is being engaged yet. It needs to be talked about."

Across Minnesota seniors still constitute a relatively small part of the overall homeless population, but they are the fastest growing segment of homeless people, according to the Wilder Foundation homeless survey.

It's a problem that's expected to intensify as a wave of baby boomers age into retirement during the next 20 years. But the growth isn't being driven by chronically homeless boomers turning 65.

James McKinstra, a housing case worker with Mahube Otwa community action partnership in Detroit Lakes, works in several rural counties. He said he's seeing a steady increase in homeless seniors. About a third of his clients have been homeless at various times in their lives, but two-thirds are experiencing homelessness for the first time, he said.

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"If they've never experienced homelessness and they're in their 60s or 70s, it's just a huge shock to her system, and they don't know how to respond," he said.

McKinstra said the problem is masked by the fact that not all homeless seniors end up in shelters. Couch surfing is common. Some people live in abandoned trailer homes or pile up debt for temporary housing.

Betty Hanson, 73, found her Social Security wasn't enough to even pay rent in the Detroit Lakes area. She said apartments she looked at ranged from $800 to $1,000. "If you only make $800 and some dollars, then that's impossible," she said.

For several years, Hanson lived out of a suitcase, traveling between Minnesota and Arizona, staying with her adult children or renting a room from people looking to earn a little extra cash.

"I never considered myself homeless, but I guess I was," she said.

Finally, at her daughter's urging, Hanson started asking about subsidized housing. With McKinstra's help, she became eligible for a program targeting homeless seniors that allowed her to move into a one bedroom apartment where the rent is based on income.

"I love my little place here," she said. "It's just big enough. Living room, kitchen, bathroom, storage room, bedroom. That's all I need."

A recent study Maxfield Research prepared for a consortium of housing organizations projected that as soon as 2020 there will be a need for 23,000 new affordable housing units for seniors in Minnesota.

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That's a staggering demand, said Barbara Dacy, executive director of the Washington County Community Development Agency and president of the Minnesota chapter of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials. "But it really does quantify this collision between demography and a gap in the marketplace for low-income seniors."

For many low-income seniors, affordable housing would be $400 per month. Rents are two or three times higher in many parts of Minnesota.

Dacy says developers are hesitant to build low-income units.

"Developers are savvy investors so if you have to charge a lower rent but your operating costs are higher than that, there has to be a gap financing," she said.

But current prospects for government help with that gap financing are slim. A proposal at the Minnesota Legislature to allow bonding for affordable senior housing projects did not get a hearing this session. In Washington, the Trump administration is proposing significant cuts to grants that help fund affordable housing programs.

In the absence of a concerted effort to reverse these trends, Sue Koesterman expects to see more seniors showing up at her Moorhead shelter.

"It offends me as a pastor that someone who is at end of life should have to receive hospice care in a dorm in a homeless shelter," she said. "To me that's just offensive to my sense of human dignity."
In a terrific post called The Power of Silence, Scott noted that Samantha Power, once the leading advocate of military intervention to combat genocidal practices, had nothing to say in favor of President Trumps use of force to combat Bashar al-Assads genocidal use of chemical weapons. Such partisan hypocrisy was not confined to the left, though.

Sen. Marco Rubio led the justified praise of Trumps one-time missile attack. However, when former president Obama proposed a similarly limited response to Assads use of chemical weapons, Rubio opposed it. Rubio is not the only Republican legislator in this boat.

A few days ago, I wrote:

I doubt there is any such thing as a bi-partisan issue these days. Not for the Democrats and not for a great many Republicans. Statements and positions are rarely judged based on their merit; instead they are judged based on which side said or took them.

The response to Trumps missile attack is a troubling case in point. Can a limited punitive response, via an air attack, to the use of chemical weapons be a good idea when proposed by one president but a bad idea when proposed by another? I doubt it.

I understand the argument made by some conservatives that Obama could not be trusted to carry out military action effectively. But even if the argument had merit when applied to an extended military campaign, it did not apply to the very military response Obama proposed when Assad crossed the red line.

I have trouble understanding Mitch McConnells defense of his flip-flop. He says he opposed Obamas proposed response because Secretary of State John Kerry described it as a pin-prick. Trumps one-time attack on only the air base from which Assad launched his latest chemical attack fits the definition of a pin prick. In both cases, the purpose was to send a message, not to deal a major military blow to Assad.

If anything, the case for supporting a limited response by Obama was stronger than the case for supporting Trumps response. After all, it was Obama who drew the red line. A great deal was lost when Obama, facing opposition from many Republicans, backed down after initially proposing to enforce it. Much less would have been lost had Trump not responded to Assads latest chemical attack.

Moreover, the Russians are more entrenched in Syria now than they were when Obama proposed a military response to Assads genocide. Thus, the risk associated with a U.S. attack on Syria is greater, though probably not significantly greater in the context of the limited strike Trump carried out.

Fortunately, some public figures remain capable of judging national security issues on the merits, rather than through a partisan lens. Our friend Sen. Tom Cotton supported Obamas proposed attack back in 2013. On the other side, John Kerry, who pushed for a limited attack back then (and praised Cotton for his support), backed Trumps attack.

Kerry reportedly said he is absolutely supportive of the military action. He added that he is gratified to see that it happened quickly.

Good for him. We need more of that from both sides of the political divide.
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The Federal Government has recorded over N7 trillion in the Treasury Single Account (TSA) by the end of March 2017, the Accountant General of the Federation, AGF, Ahmed Idris, has said.

In an interview with the Economic Confidential in Abuja, Mr. Idris said the amount represents monies belonging to different Ministries, Departments and Agencies(MDAs) put in portal in such a way that government can view the entire balance as one.

When we say we have over N5 trillion in TSA, it does not mean free funds for spending. No! no! no! These monies belong to various ministries, departments and agencies put in a portal in such a way that you can view the entire balance as one.

The movement is now over N7 trillion. But as I explained earlier, these are not free money. People should not be thinking of why is government borrowing to fund budget. These are budgeted monies for MDAs for projects and developments, he said.

He said that the federal government through the implementation of the TSA has saved additional N4 billion monthly which could have been held by banks, noting that a total collapse of government activities would have occurred were it not that TSA was in place.

But let me also make a strong and important point. If not because TSA is in place and now that the recession is here, only God knows what would have happened. A monthly drain of over N4 billion and yet no revenue coming in and leakages continued. It could have been a disaster. It was governments foresightedness and focus even as TSA was in place before the recession. And that is why we are floating and not sinking, and we will not sink God willing, he said.

For instance, why would one university have over one hundred and twenty bank accounts, and some of them even hidden and missing and carrying huge balances. We also discovered that there are costs associated with keeping these multiple bank accounts. Every month the government incurs over N4 billion in maintaining these accounts! Yet Government is borrowing its own money. And to stop government from borrowing its money and for the fact that there was no commensurate returns on such monies, it was double tragedy! This is like a sword with two sides that can cut from any of the sides. Sanity was brought with the introduction of TSA.

Speaking on the transparency in the disbursement of federation account monthly, the AGF noted that transparency and openness are key to the present administration. He said the government cannot be trusted if it says one thing and does another.

The meagre revenue that has been accruing is being judiciously used and there is fiscal discipline in management of public resources. Let me give you an example, in the previous administration. There was a time state government kicked against savings. Now because what they know and being practiced by government of the day, they have decided to imbibe the culture of savings.

What am I trying to say? We have excess Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT). These are excess taxes from petroleum tax. When we get money over and above budgeted figure, the excess is always being saved. If it were before, state governments and other stakeholders would say it should be shared. And this is what has been giving us buffer, especially at this time of recession.

Despite the lean resources, we take from it and augment accordingly. And this is being done transparently. All the stakeholders are aware of balances at any point in time. Whatever revenue comes in is shown at National Economic Council meetings including all the governors who will be briefed by the Minister of Finance. They have seen the openness and have accepted what government has put in place and the economic team. This is why we are achieving remarkable success amidst recession, he said.

On staff welfare, Mr. Idris said the welfare of the staff of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation is one of my cardinal objectives since I assume office. It is even a core objective I must say as managers of the treasury. Welfare as you may know promotes the best out of the staff apart from making them serve the system very well. There are different types of welfare for the staff of the OAGF. Some border on entitlements, training to enhance the capabilities of the staff. We have also done very well in the provision of brand new staff buses we sourced from public spirited organizations including banks.

On the part of the Federal Treasury Academy, we have done very well in building hostel facilities, renovation of infrastructure and provision of generators, furniture for the classrooms and the auditorium and the provision of sporting facilities among others. Right now, there is an ongoing discussion with some real estate developers to build four hundred one bed-room and two-bedroom houses at our land situated at Federal Treasury Academy Orozo, Abuja.

According to him, these developments are targeted at lower cadre officers. All these are some of the initiatives we have put in place. We pay the first 28 days to staff on first come first serve basis and each month we set aside the sum of N5 million towards that. Any staff that gets admission to tertiary institutions on part-time basis and would not disrupt his or her job schedule is allowed. So far, we have given approval to such staff almost one thousand, most especially Nasarawa State University and University of Abuja.

We train them and also promote them, we maintain facilities here at the headquarters, we maintain and buy new furniture, apart from making the office environment conducive for work. This is part of motivation, this is part of welfare.

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The troubled indigenous airline, Chanchangi, and top officials of the National Industrial Court are at the centre of an alleged conspiracy to deny a retired pilot, Eric Adegbite, 67, his due benefits, several years after serving the company.

Mr. Adegbite who worked for the airline for nine years resigned in 2010 after working for several months without salaries.

He approached the Lagos division of the industrial court in 2012 to press for payment of his salaries and retirement benefits. Two years after the litigation commenced, judgement was delivered in his favour, according to court documents reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES.

The court ordered that he be paid N4.75 million as outstanding salary owed, N13 million as arrears of gratuity, and N100,000 as judgement cost, giving a total cost of N17.85million. All the money was to be paid within 30 days of the judgement, the court ruled.

In separate interviews with PREMIUM TIMES, the Managing Director of the airline, Trevor Worthington, and a director, Bello Chanchangi, did not deny the court judgement, nor did they deny indebtedness to Mr. Adegbite,

However, three years after the judgement and seven years after the pilot retired from the company, the victim has not been paid his dues.

The Judgment debtor, Chanchangi Airlines Ltd refused to pay the judgment sum

despite repeated demands to settle same amicably as ordered by the court, Mr. Adegbite, now based in Lagos, said.

I am suffering. I have treatment to undergo but I dont have money to do so. I have worked for 30 years but see what Im made to suffer at my age and in retirement.

EXECUTING THE JUDGMENT

As it became increasingly difficult to get his benefits and salary arrears, despite the court order, Mr. Adegbite asked his lawyer, Femi Farohundiya, to file a writ of execution (fieri facias) which in legal vocabulary means enforcement of a judgement by levying on or disposing a property belonging to the judgement debtor to obtain funds to pay the creditor.

The writ was taken out to attach property located at No. 4 Nola Close, Off Bangui Street, Wuse II Abuja belonging to Chanchangi Airline Ltd.

After the order was endorsed by the industrial court in June 2016, the Chief Registrar, John Targema, referred it to the Sherriff for pasting on the gate and wall of the attached property. A notice of auction of action dated June 23, 2016 was also pasted.

Mr. Adegbite said Chanchangi started interacting with him and his lawyer, when it became aware of the writ of execution, for the sale of the property to realize the judgement sum.

We were looking for buyers from our different ends, said Mr. Adegbite. But along the line the company, Chanchangi Airlines, declared the C of O over the

attached property missing, published same in the Newspaper (Daily Trust Friday July 1 2016), swore to an affidavit before the High Court of Justice of Kaduna State on 29/06/2016 and also reported same to the Police Station at Ungwan Sanusi, Kaduna and an extract of this report was issued on 18/07/2016.

However, while the airline, which currently runs a skeletal charter service, claimed the C of O of the property was missing, records show the building was sold without the formal knowledge of Mr. Adegbite or the court.

And although the companys Managing Director, Trevor Worthington, when faced with facts obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, confirmed the property was indeed sold, he, however, said it belonged originally to another company owned by the Chanchangi family, not Chanchangi Airlines Limited.

He said he regretted that the target property, already put up for auction by the court, was sold by the family. He claimed that the airline had wanted to source the fund to pay Mr. Adegbite and settle other matters from the sale of another family property.

But Mr. Worthingtons claim on ownership of the property is untrue, PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively report. The C of O of the property, seen by this newspaper, clearly carries Chanchangi Airlines Limited as the owner, not any other family business.

The notice of the purported loss in Daily Trust newspaper of July 1, 2016 also stated that it was Chanchangi Airlines Limited that lost the C of O of the property.

A source close to the airline alleged that one of its directors, a member of the Chanchangi family, sold the property with forged documents, but the airline had to cover-up for him.

COURT OF CONTROVERSY

One person, Simon Naoum, found to have bought the property from Chanchangi according to documents reviewed, filed an interpleader at the registry of the industrial court in Abuja.

The interpleader was to regularise the procurement of the property as it is a subject of litigation between two parties.

But the court did not serve any notice on Mr. Adegbite.

It was insiders that alerted us to the motion and I did file a response through my lawyer that I was not a party to the sale of the property which was attached by the court to be sold to pay me.

Chanchangi Airline too denied participation in the process of the sale, Mr. Adegbite said.

The matter was then assigned for hearing, slated to commence on March 27, 2017.

But while he was already in Abuja for the hearing, on the morning of March 27, Mr. Adegbites lawyer, Mr. Farohundiya, got a call from the court registry that the case file had been recalled by the management led by the Chief Registrar, Mr. Targema, and as such could not be listed, the lawyer told PREMIUM TIMES.

This was a further attempt to stop this matter from being heard in open court, after being assigned to a judge; a date is given but administratively adjourned without the knowledge of the presiding judge, said Mr. Adegbite.

Mr. Adegbite said he has reason to assume that the court registry and Chanchangi are colluding to deny him his due benefits. At the time the registry was unwilling to serve notice on him, disallowing inquiries from his lawyer and administratively adjourning the case, Chanchangi officials were asking Mr. Adegbite to withdraw from the case with offer of N5 million for settlement  though he is owed over N17 million.

His lawyer was also asked to accept N2 million to withdraw from the case, the counsel said.

Mr. Worthington, the company MD, confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that his firm had been negotiating with Mr. Adegbite to settle their dispute out of court.

One of the directors, Musa Chanchangi, also disclosed that he had personally contacted Mr. Adegbite for negotiation.

Then, one registry official identified as Mr. Akindipo, wrote a letter dated March 9, 2017 declaring illegal the order directing the auction of the Chanchangi Abuja property by his office a year before.

By some curious coincidence, this was immediately after the purported sale of the property and upon the filing of an interpleader which was yet to be served on Mr. Adegbite as at the time of filing this report.

WE WANT TO PAY

Both company officials  Messrs Worthington and Chanchangi  said there was no plan to not pay the retired pilot his salary arrears and gratuity.

Mr. Worthington said the airline was looking at selling three real asset belonging to the Chanchangi family to revamp the troubled airline and also pay Mr. Adegbite.

The Chief Registrar of the industrial court, Mr. Targema, told PREMIUM TIMES he could not comment on the allegation of colluding with the airline, citing judicial principle of not addressing court matters in the press.

He said Mr. Adegbite should formally approach the head of the industrial court, if not satisfied with the administrative process at his office or petition the National Judicial Council.

While the case continues at the industrial court, Mr. Adegbite fears he may have to wait for much longer or never be able to get his due rewards seven years after leaving Chanchangi, unless his case is treated with impartiality, transparency and integrity.

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The senator, who alongside other public officials, was stoned by irate protesters in his constituency has given reasons for the Saturday incident.

Abu Ibrahim (APC, Katsina south) blamed his political opponents for the disruption of Saturdays All Progressives Congress, APC, rally in Funtua.

Amiru Tukur, the member representing Bakori/Danja federal constituency in the House of Representatives also narrowly escaped the mob action at the rally in Funtua, Katsina

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that it took a combined team of security personnel to rescue notable politicians, including the governors entourage, as they came under attack from protesters.

Stones and shoes were reportedly used in attacking the dignitaries.

Some vehicles in the entourage of the governor were smashed by irate youths while security personnel had to use tear-gas to disperse the crowds and free the dignitaries.

The event, according to NAN, was an APC rally where the ruling party was accepting defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) and other parties into its fold.

The event however ended abruptly.

Reports say trouble started when some youths started chanting Bamaso Abu Ibrahim (We dont want Senator Abu Ibrahim) and then started throwing stones and shoes at dignitaries and entertainers invited to perform at the event.

Mr, Tukur, the Representative from the area, reportedly sustained injuries while Mr. Ibrahim, along with some of his aides and supporters, who were trying to rescue the senator, were also assaulted.

In an interview with NAN on Monday, Mr. Ibrahim who is the Senate committee chairman on Police Affairs said he is hale and hearty and was unharmed.

He said Funtua residents are peace loving, noting that he would neither be distracted nor succumb to the antics of political thugs.

The politician said he is committed to proactive representation of his people and works for their upliftment by pursuing development programmes in the interest of the constituency and nation at large.

He said disruptions at political events are normal, especially as the APC was receiving hundreds of defectors from different political groups, who chanted the praises of their respective political leaders.

He alleged that the disruption was from political opponents looking for recognition at all costs and enjoined party loyalists to disregard their antics.

I have contested and won elections in all my polling units at various times without a single record of using thugs or rigging elections, Mr. Ibrahim said.

He noted that some people had contested with him and lost elections and they always challenged his victory at various quarters but failed, stressing that the use of thugs should be condemned in the interest of democracy.

The senator enjoined the people to vote wisely based on candidates records of achievements and counselled politicians to promote virtues and prudent governance.

He pledged to continue with his efforts of improving the welfare of the people.

The lawmaker said in a fortnight, he plans to unveil a skill empowerment training programme for about 600 youth beside the ongoing provision of 750 wells with 750 water pumping machines for irrigation farming in the constituency.

He said a free eye treatment in which about 515 people underwent surgeries while 330 persons received medicated glasses and 1,908 others were treated for various eye defects was conducted this month.

Last year, Mr. Ibrahim said, he sponsored the training of 1,775 persons in various small scale businesses that included soap and pomade makings, livestock and poultry keepings, food processing, perfume and cream makings, decoration and air freshener making as well as animal feeds processing.

The beneficiaries were from Funtua, Faskari, Kankara, Kafur, Dandume, Sabuwa, Malumfashi, Musawa, Bakori, Danja and Matazu local government areas in Katsina south senatorial district.

(NAN)

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Abductors of two Turkish expatriates in Akwa Ibom have demanded N200 million to release them.

The victims were abducted on Monday, April 10, from their Airstrip Hotel room in Eket Local Government Area of the state.

A security source told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), that the abductors had been in touch with the BKS Construction Company in Onna local government where the expatriates work.

He said the abductors contacted the construction company and demanded N200 million to release them.

The company is negotiating with the abductors to secure the release of the victims, the source said.

According to the source, the firm is offering N500,000.

The State Police Public Relations, Chilly Ikechukwu, an assistant superintendent of police, said the police were not aware of the ransom.

(NAN)

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A former Minister of Education, Ibrahim Shekarau, has lauded the anti-corruption fight by President Muhammadu Buhari, describing it as a good omen.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the former Kano State governor, made this disclosure to journalists in Sokoto on Monday.

Mr. Shekarau said: The efforts by the president to fight corruption in all its ramifications is good for Nigeria.

Anybody, who gets any money fraudulently should be arrested, thoroughly investigated and prosecuted.

I am a strong advocate of anti-corruption fight, as I set up an anti-corruption and public complaints commission in Kano State in 2005.

The Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, however, cautioned against selective justice in the anti-corruption war.

Nobody should be above the law in this direction; there should also be respect, adherence and respect for the rule of law.

You are innocent until you are proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt, the former minister added.

On security, Mr. Shekarau called for improved funding of the nations security agencies.

This, he noted, would ensure the provision of ultramodern weapons, logistics, training, retraining, as well as the need to improve their welfare.

On agriculture, the former governor called for the reintroduction of commodity boards in the country.

He said: This will add value to farming, boost food security and encourage farmers.

Food security is next to nothing and any nation that fails to provide it remains weak and vulnerable.

On politics, Mr. Shekarau said, PDP will bounce back and reclaim its lost glory in 2019.

(NAN)

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The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, on Monday, said it had constituted a surveillance team to curb activities of vandals along the petroleum pipelines across the country.

Chinedu Okoronkwo, the National President of the association, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that pipeline vandalism was causing the nation huge losses.

He said the setting up of the team signified the readiness of IPMAN to support the Federal Government on the surveillance of petroleum pipelines.

The IPMAN boss expressed concern over incessant pipeline vandalism, especially in the South-West zone of the country.

He, however, lauded governments initiative on incessant vandalism on pipeline network with a view to curbing the menace.

Very soon, the menace will be stamped out.

I urge my members to bear with government on the ongoing challenges facing loading at some depots.

It is our collective responsibility to check and bring pipelines culprits to book, Mr. Okoronkwo said.

Earlier, Debo Ahmed, Chairman, Western Zone of IPMAN, had told NAN that the association would support necessary efforts to curb incessant vandalism, especially on the system 2B which, he said, pumped products from Atlas Cove to five depots in the zone.

He called on the stakeholders in the oil and gas industry to form a synergy with security agencies toward tackling pipeline vandalism.

Mr. Ahmed also urged them to join hands with the government in fighting vandalism out of the system, noting that the country had suffered greatly from such menace.

The zonal chairman further urged the stakeholders not to open their eyes to watch some criminal elements destroying national assets.

It costs government billions of naira to revive the oil pipelines.

Members of IPMAN, Western zone, have agreed to join hands with government and other security agents to embark on 24-hour surveillance of the pipelines network.

We believe that mutual cooperation between the association and security agencies will lead to greater success in the fight against the menace.

There is need to intensify the fight against vandalism because it is having adverse effects on the economy and the businesses of our members, Mr. Ahmed said.

He also assured that IPMAN would not rest on its oars in providing environment that would enable security personnel perform their duty effectively and reduce the impact of pipeline vandalism.

He lauded the management of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for re-opening the Ejigbo and Mosimi depots, after one year of closure due to activities of vandals.

The IPMAN zonal chairman expressed optimism that the reopening of the two depots would ease distribution of petroleum products to South-West and put less pressure on marketers going to Apapa private depots to load.

(NAN)

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With the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, now declared ready for flight operations, local airlines have announced their plans to commence flight operations on Wednesday.

The Abuja airport was closed for six weeks to allow repair of its only runway. The repairs have now been completed to meet the April 19 date for the reopening of the airport, officials have said.

One of the local airlines, Air Peace, announced commencement of its flights to Abuja on Monday.

We are pleased to announce resumption of all our flights into and out of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, with effect from April 19. Air peace said in a statement by its Corporate Communications Manager, Chris Iwarah.

Air Peace also applauded the Federal Government and the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, for ensuring immediate completion of the repairs of the facility.

We considered the decision of the Federal Government to shut down the airport for quick repair of its runway in tandem with the high safety standards of our flight operations.

At Air Peace, the safety of our esteemed guests is our first rule of business. We do not compromise on that for any reason.

Although the decision to shut the facility to traffic came with huge costs, for us, nothing compares with safety.

We are also aware that our numerous guests and the entire travelling public had to make a lot of sacrifice to enable the repair of the runway possible and wish to commend them for their understanding and cooperation, it said.

It added that the repair of the runway has further intensified our enthusiasm to deliver the best flight experience to our valued guests in a very safe atmosphere.

Our Abuja schedules are alive once again and we promise to give the best of air travel services as we resume our flight operations in the Federal Capital Territory.

Another local airline, Medview, in a statement by its Chief Operating Officer, Lookman Animashaun, also announced resumption of flights.

According to the airline, besides the six daily flights to Abuja, its flights to Yola, Kano and Maiduguri will be routed through Abuja, which has been the practice.

The airline said that the closure of Abuja airport brought out the potential of Kaduna International Airport.

It said that it was operating a daily flight to Kaduna.

Kaduna has a lot of potential, hence, we decided to maintain daily presence there, it said.

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A team of doctors from the United States of America are arriving the country this weekend for a medical mission at Ile Ife, Osun State.

The 20-man collaborative team of physicians, surgeons and medical support staff is made up mostly of alumnus of the Obafemi Awolowo University, formally University of Ife.

Among other things, the week-long activities for the medical mission include free medical clinics at the Oonis palace; and a full day of Campus clinics, health fair, preventive/public health activities, including screenings for diabetes, hypertension and some communicable diseases.

According to the schedule, while the physicians are running the clinics, there will be simultaneous surgeries at designated centres within the University teaching hospital by the US-based surgeons and their Ife counterparts on cataract patients and laparoscopic procedures using top-notch, state of the art and cutting edge technology equipment brought from the US.

According to the team, all surgeries will be conducted for free.

Also members of the team interested in teaching and giving lectures will be provided the opportunity to do so at the university.

The team led by Dr Olabisi Jagun, who describes her role as a fortunate one is sponsored by the Mercysaidno Foundation (an Atlanta-based Nigerian Philanthropic organization), Ifemed Alumni Association (USA), member physicians, Friends of Ifemed Physicians and Ife Ooye North America Association (IONA).

Our team is very excited and ready to go, and we are grateful for the wonderful opportunity to give back, says Ms. Jagun.

She explains that all our physicians and surgeons are brilliant and distinguished in their field of expertise; a few of them are leading world experts; they have all been vetted and their licenses are current.

It is estimated that during the mission, the team will see between 5,000 to 10,000 patients and hand out over $150,000 worth of free medications and prescriptions.

Yemi Ogunbiyi, the Chairman of the Governing Council of the university, who is planning many initiatives for the institution, says the medical mission is a great thing to happen to the university and Ile-Ife city.

It fills me with joy to see distinguished physicians and surgeons in the United States remember home for this kind gesture. The Council and the entire university are proud of this wonderful support.

The Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) is a leading federal government owned and operated Nigerian university at the ancient city of Ile-Ife, Osun State.

It was founded in 1961 and classes commenced in October 1962 as the University of Ife by the regional government of Western Nigeria, and was renamed Obafemi Awolowo University on 12 May 1987 in honour of Chief Obafemi Awolowo , first premier of the Western Region of Nigeria, whose brainchild the university was.

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The Catholic Pontiff, Pope Francis, has enjoined Christians to remain hopeful in the face of challenges.

The cleric said this in his Easter message delivered at the Saint Peters Basilica in Rome.

When the High Priest and the religious leaders, in collusion with the Romans, believed that they could calculate everything, that the final word had been spoken and that it was up to them to apply it, God suddenly breaks in, upsets all the rules and offers new possibilities.

The Risen Shepherd walks beside all those forced to leave their homelands as a result of armed conflicts, terrorist attacks, famine and oppressive regimes. Everywhere he helps these forced migrants to encounter brothers and sisters, with whom they can share bread and hope on their journey.

May the Good Shepherd remain close to the people of South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, who endure continuing hostilities, aggravated by the grave famine affecting certain parts of Africa.

The pope prayed for people working to alleviate the sufferings of those affected by conflicts, urging world leaders to remain courageous and ensure justice for all.

May He sustain the efforts of all those actively engaged in bringing comfort and relief to the civil population in Syria, prey to a war that continues to sow horror and death. May he grant peace to the entire Middle East, beginning with the Holy Land, as well as in Iraq and Yemen.

May He grant the leaders of nations the courage they need to prevent the spread of conflicts and to put a halt to the arms trade.

In his Easter message, the Catholic Bishop of Lagos Arch Diocese, Adewale Martins, called on Nigerian leaders to be more active in their efforts towards improving the poor economic situation of the country.

We would like to call on government that has the responsibility of taking care of people to do all that needs to be done, said Mr. Martins who added that although the Nigerian government has established an economic policy to ensure a growth within the sector, palliative measures were urgently necessary.

Create palliative measures that will ensure that people remain alive while the plan for economic recovery is out in place.

In its message, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, urged Nigerians to remain hopeful in prayers as the nation joins other parts of the world in marking Easter.

In a message signed by Bolaji Abdullahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, the party also urged Nigerans to imbibe the culture of selflessness.

The party also assured of its determination to ensure economic recovery and growth.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) extends its best wishes to Christians in the country and indeed all Nigerians on the joyous occasion of Easter which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Easter signifies a time for renewal and rebirth. We hope that there will a rebirth of the belief that each of us is our brothers keeper, irrespective of our religious, tribal, political and sundry affiliations.

With the prayers, cooperation and support of Nigerians, the vision of a peaceful and prosperous Nigeria is achievable. The APC calls on Nigerians to continue to support the President Muhammadu Buhari APC-led administration as it works to deliver on the promises made to Nigerians.

In his Easter message, the Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, urged Nigerians to be hopeful of a better future in the country.

It is our hope that God heard our prayers for continued peace, progress and unity of the country. So, on this auspicious occasion, I urge our people to celebrate hope offered by the significance of Easter because Enugu State is, indeed, in the hands of God.

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In February, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, raised an alarm over the outbreak of Cerebro Spinal Meningitis across north-western Nigeria.

The first case of the disease was reported in Zamfara State in November, 2016, but did not become a national concern until February when the NCDC said it got alerted. By then, the disease had become an epidemic affecting six states in the northern part of the country.

Since the outbreak, about 489 people are believed to have died of the disease with about 4,637 suspected cases reported across the country.

MENINGITIS

Meningitis is a condition in which the protective membrane (meninges) covering the brain and spinal cord becomes inflamed. This inflammation is usually caused by an infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

Meningitis has occurred in different parts of the world but the highest incidence of the disease is found in the meningitis belt of sub-Saharan Africa including Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Nigeria, Niger, Chad.

Though the epidemiology of meningitis is not fully understood, it is more commonly seen during the dry season, from December to June.

In this meningitis belt, until recently, the Type A strain of the bacteria was most common with attack rates sometimes reaching 1,000 cases per 100,000 population.

However, it is the unusual Type C strain of the bacteria that Nigeria is currently battling with.

According to Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, a chief epidemiologist at the Federal Ministry of Health, the recent outbreak of the strain C bacteria does not mean that the type A has been eliminated totally, but only displaced.

Mr. Sani-Gwarzo, who spoke at a meeting of traditional and political leaders on meningitis in Kaduna, said if care not taken, the Type A can return in a full epidemic outbreak in 10 years.

CONTAINING THE DISEASE

On getting information about the outbreak, procuring vaccinations and drugs to contain the spread of the deadly disease became a major concern for international health agencies, the federal government, state governments, local governments and concerned individuals across the globe.

Unfortunately, there was no vaccine readily available for the Type C.

The Health Minister, Isaac Adewole, said Nigeria usually had an outbreak of the Type A meningitis and that its vaccine, MenAfriVac, was readily available in the country.

Mr. Adewole, a professor, in a statement by his ministry, said there have been mass vaccination campaigns since 2010 when the vaccine was introduced.

What we have in the country now is the serotype C, which we didnt have the vaccine available in the country. We needed to solicit to the World Health Organisation and other international partners to supply us with the vaccine needed to combat the disease as the vaccines are not readily accessible, he said.

Mr. Adewole said of the 489 deaths, 171 were confirmed to be from the Type C meningitis with Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Niger and Kebbi states most affected. Many of the other deaths could not be clinically confirmed as the victims were buried before any autopsy could be carried out.

The Minister of State for Health, Osagie Ehanire, while explaining some of the challenges the country is facing in combating the disease said the drugs are extremely expensive and have a short shelf life.

Mr. Enahire added that the vaccines are expensive to make and if acquired and stored without use, they could expire.

There is just a limited stock of the Type C as it is not much in demand, this outbreak has led to a greater demand, he explained.

Mr. Ehanire said the Type C vaccine has been very rare and immunisation for one type does not work for the other.

Unfortunately, there is no cross immunisation. If you are immune to Type A doesnt make you immune to Type C. And because Type C was very rare, the availability of vaccines has been very meagre relatively, he said.

Mr. Adewole said 500,000 doses of the Type C vaccines have been acquired and distributed, with about 420,000 used in Zamfara to vaccinate residents between the age of zero and 30.

He also said 823,000 doses of conjugated Type C had been delivered to the Federal Government by the UK government, while UNICEF had provided over one million Type A vaccines to Nigeria free, and the ministry has placed an order for additional two million doses.

Mr. Adewole said the Federal Government would spend over $1 billion to procure vaccines and administer on some 21 million persons against the meningitis in the affected states.

NEW VACCINE

After the Federal Executive Council meeting last week, Mr. Ehanire shed more light on the new vaccine used to contain the meningitis outbreak. He explained that the new vaccine is called the conjugate A+C vaccine which can serve as a cover for the strain A and C meningitis.

He said it protects the recipient for 12 years compared to the previously used vaccine, MenAfriVac which protects for about 10 years from only the Type A meningitis.

The minister said the outbreak has been managed and is no more expanding.

We hope it will come down soon, he added.

TRANSMISSION AND PREVENTION

Meningitis infects only humans. The bacteria can be carried in the throat and spread through close and prolonged contact such as kissing, sneezing or coughing on someone, or living in close quarters such as a dormitory. Sharing eating or drinking utensils with an infected person also facilitates the spread of the disease.

Common symptoms to look out for in a person suspected with the disease includes stiff neck, high fever, sensitivity to light, confusion, headaches and vomiting.

The symptoms often present similar symptoms with other infectious diseases such as cerebral malaria, experts said. It is, thus, very important to seek medical care at health centres when someone is experiencing any or all of these symptoms  especially sudden neck stiffness.

Wondimagegnehu Alemu, the WHO Country Representative to Nigeria said that the NCDC with support from WHO, the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC), UNICEF and other partners were leading the response to the on-going outbreak and also carrying out intensified surveillance, capacity building for case management and risk communication.

NMA REACTS

The Nigerian Medical Association in its press statement, however, condemned the late immunisation Nigerians against the disease.

The president of the association, Mike Ogirima, said the reactive measures were ineffective based on the epidemiology of the disease.

For immunisation to be effective, it must be administered around three months before the clinical manifestation due to latent period. We want the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and other government agencies to be proactive in the approach to our emergencies.

Various epidemiological studies in the country in the past has shown that meningitis strain C was involved in the epidemic past in Nigeria and we should have emergency medical preparedness plans that should be activated routinely to avert disaster, he added

Mr. Ogirima also demanded the immediate resuscitation of local vaccine production (LVP) at Yaba, Lagos State which has been moribund since 1991; and the expansion of the scope of LVP at the national veterinary research institute, Vom, Plateau State.

Our pharmaceutical industries should be challenged and supported to produce our consumable. This should be the new order instead of budgeting huge sums of money for importation of vaccines and other consumables, he said.

Mr. Alemu had also said that an accelerated development of affordable and effective conjugate vaccines to cover all epidemic types of meningitis is a high priority for WHO and partners to prevent future outbreak.

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The Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, has threatened to sue a former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, and Lere Olayinka, an aide to Governor Ayo Fayose, for allegedly naming him as the owner of the Lagos apartment where over N13 billion was found last week.

Mr. Amaechi, through his lawyer, Lateef Fagbemi, informed Messrs. Fani-Kayode and Olayinka in separate letters dated April 14 that some comments they posted on social media amounted to defamation.

The letter to Mr. Fani-Kayode was addressed to his home in Abuja, and it detailed the former Minister of Aviations alleged defamatory statements.

The attention of our client has been drawn to your tweet posted on your Twitter timeline (@realFFK) where you claimed that:

The $43 million is Rotimi Amaechis. He owns the flat it was found in too (sic). NIA story is fake news! NIA does not keep cash in Ministers flats.

Mr. Amaechis lawyers said the claims as uploaded by Mr. Fani-Kayode were blatantly false, malicious and aimed at impeaching the credit of the minister, whos also a former governor of Rivers State.

Our client neither owns the cash nor the house where the cash was found and your story and claim are unfounded.

As a matter of fact, our client does not own any house in Lagos State not to talk of keeping cash in one and your story is preposterous, the lawyers said.

Consequently, they demanded that Mr. Fani-Kayode apologise for his alleged offences within seven days or face legal action.

To avoid a defamation suit, the lawyers also said Mr. Fani-Kayode must publish his retraction on five national dailies and pay a compensation of N500 million to Mr. Amaechi

In his letter to Mr. Olayinka, which was address to the government House in Ado-Ekiti, Mr. Amaechi maintained that there was no truth in the allegations that he owned the apartment where the money was found in Lagos.

Mr. Amaechi also countered Mr. Olayinkas statement that the minister rented an apartment for television personality, Mo Abudu,

Ms. Abudu had also denied that Mr. Amaechi paid for an apartment for her inside the Osborne Towers where the money was found.

As a result, the lawyers demanded that Mr. Olayinka must apologise to Mr. Amaechi, issue a retraction and pay a compensation of N750 million to Mr. Amaechi for allegedly defaming character.

When contacted, Mr. Fani-Kayode said he will respond to Mr. Amaechis demand at the appropriate time.

We have been inundated with calls concerning about a threat by Rotimi Amaechi to sue Chief Fani-Kayode for defamation over the 43 million USD issue.

We have not received any court processes or letters from Amaechi but when we do so our lawyers will respond vigorously and appropriately, Mr. Fani-Kayodes spokesman, Jude Ndukwe, said in a message to PREMIUM TIMES Monday night.

Mr. Olayinka also said he didnt receive any correspondence from Mr. Amaechis legal representatives, but that he would carefully study any notice of demands and react thereafter.

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Four unidentified gunmen have killed the newly sworn-in Ukanafun Local Government Area Secretary, Ime Atakpa.

Mr. Atakpa was shot while in his farm in his backyard at Ukanafun on Sunday.

His wife, Imo , who disclosed this to newsmen , said they went to Ukanafun for Easter service.

She said prior to the churchs service they decided to check on some pigs in the farm.

While she and the children were in the house, she heard gunshots.

When she tried to find where the sound of the gunfire emanated, she saw four masked men walking away from the compound.

The Akwa Ibom Police Public Relations Officer, Chukwu Ikechukwu, confirmed the incident.

Mr. Okechukwu, a deputy superintendent of police, said four gunmen shot the late council secretary in the stomach.

He added that he died on the way to hospital.

The man was in his farm in Ukanafun LGA when four unidentified gunmen shot him, he said.

(NAN)

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DelhiShri A. K. Jain, Managing Director, Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Limited (REIL), Jaipur received the honor of the SCOPE Excellence Award in Individual Leadership Category and the SCOPE Meritorious Award 2014-15 in Research, Innovation and Technology Development category from the honorable President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee. The awards were presented by the SCOPE, in the gracious presence of Shri Anant Geete, Honorable Minister, Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, Government of India , Shri Babul Supriyo, Honorable State Minister,Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, Government of India and Shrimati Seema Bahuguna, Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises, Government of India and other dignitaries, at a magnificent programme organized in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. These prestigious awards are given by SCOPE to the enterprises of Public Sector for their valuable contribution in economical, industrial and social development of the country.On this occasion, Shri A. K. Jain, Managing Director, REIL stated that REIL is a C-category Mini Ratna Public Sector Enterprise under the administrative control of the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Government of India. The Company has a consistently progressing track record of professional management and profitable operations since its inception in year 1981 with sustained growth. Shri Jain said that the use of innovating solutions to technology has significantly contributed in the rapid growth of REIL. Our objective is to address the emerging needs through rugged, efficient, reliable and affordable products and solutions in Electronics, Renewable Energy and Information Technology, benchmarking with worlds best and best in class while working in Mission mode aligning with National Missions to ensure food safety, energy security, access to information and economic freedom, which are necessary for empowering our rural brethren and the nation at large.REIL is established as a brand in Dairy sector for last three decades and has successfully installed 1.85 Lac Power plants with more than 50 products in the field of Solar Energy, across the country. The Company has emerged as Largest Off Grid Solar Solutions provider and has spread its business across the country by deploying more than 2.85 Lac SPV solutions, with an aggregative capacity of more than 50 MW, covering 1.5 Lac villages, benefiting more than 60 Lac citizens.Shri Jain said that the turnover of the Company has increased two folds, profit has increased seven folds and the network has increased five folds by its giant order bookings, in last 5 years. Last year, the Company has paid high revenues to its share holders. Shri Jain told that the Company has ensured total customer satisfaction by identifying their specific needs translating them into Quality products and providing dependable and trustworthy after-sales-services. Shri Jain told that the Company has commenced many signature and prestigious projects of Government of India in various sectors namely Dairy, Solar Energy, Railways, Agriculture, Education, Defence and Medical etc.REIL has been appointed by MNRE as an expert PSE, to install 750 MW Solar Rooftop Power plant at various Ministries and Enterprises of Government of India. The Company is putting efforts in the direction of installing 100 MW Sale Line in order to increase its production capacity and is also continually endeavoring to garnish 8000-10000 villages every year with Information Technology through its various solar-module products.Shri A.K. Jain, Managing Director, REIL, thanked the organizers and the Jury, for selecting REIL for these awards. He also acknowledged the support and guidance from The Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Department of Heavy Industry, Government of India and Government of Rajasthan.Shri Jain congratulated the employees of REIL for these prestigious awards and assured that the Company, with the help of everyones support and taking inspiration from past records, would continue this success and will touch newer heights in future
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Udaipur: Prabha Khaitna Foundation, Hotel Radisson Blu palace and Cultural Rendezvous organized An evening with Shatrughan Sinha on 12th April.Prabha Khaitan Foundation is a Kolkata-based non-governmental organization (NGO) engaged in various social welfare activities and promotion of Indian culture.The foundation, through its activities and events, seeks to spread education and also raise its standard, promote Indian art, culture and literature, impower women by providing livelihood, spread awareness of global humanitarian and environmental issues.Prabha Khaitan Foundation has initiated specific events in different cities of India to provide an interactive platform for authors, litterateurs and renowned personalities from different walks of life. These freewheeling interactive sessions bring the authors and their views to a selection audience many of whom are opining makers.The events was in collaboration with cultural Rendezvous  a newly formed organization of prominent individuals of udaipur - swati agarwal, shubh shinghvi, mumal bhandari, riddhima doshi, sharddha murdia and kanika agarwal.The hospitality partner will be hotel radission blu palace.. In the Hotel Radisson Blu, when things went unnoticed-velvet, things went away. Everyones favorite Viswanatha and Chhenu kept the heart of the heart open. Unselfish and silly aspects of his life-based book, Any thing But Khamosh, were exposed to the untimely aspects, he told the youths in the tones of the stories that keep a sense of becoming better than the best and never give up. The enemy said, If Better cannot do the best, then Better than the rest, because the real battle of life is still there, the wait of my intentions remains. Right now, we have a handful of fats, we still have all the rest. This is my life journey saying that if it is decided, it is possible to make the impossible and to make the impossible poison able. Because Ishq jumps from death and bowing down to death. So always keep your learning capability and orientation.Shatrughan Sinha, in turn, spoke about the struggles of his life in a very simple way and said that a simple-looking babua of Bihars village can be named after the film institute of Poona and later on reaching Bollywood. It can also achieve a special place on the basis of determined intentions. Confidence is your capital. Rahul needs to learn moreHe said that Rahul Gandhi needs to get mature in politics by learning more now. But I have not been in favor of sarcasm in politics.Mom and yammy will not runShotgun said that on the face of the countrys goumons, Shotgun said that Mummy and Yummy cannot go together in the country. We should always take care of peoples feelings. He called Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as a dynamic leader. Who will become President? And will you become the Chief Minister of Bihar? Laughing on the question, he said, "Ask this question to politicians.Politics should not be in the case of Kul bhushanIn Pakistan, the death sentence of Kul bhushan, the son of the country, was sentenced to death, BJP leader and film actor Shatrughan Sinha condemned it in stern words and expressed confidence that the governments efforts would bring this Lal of Maharashtra to the well-settled Varan again. Sinha said that the countrys Home Minister and the Foreign Minister are doing their best and without doing any kind of politics in this matter, all possible efforts should be made to bring Kulbhushan to the settlement.Shatrughan Sinha has falsely acclaimed CM Yogi Adityanath of Uttar Pradesh. Sinha said that the speed of Yogi Adityanaths work is a step towards making UP a good state. Sinha said that the whole country is Modi and the whole of Uttar Pradesh has become a yogi at this time. Describing Yogi as a scholar and justice choice, Yogi Adityanath became the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh as a privilege of the people of UP.Ridshima Doshi welcomed the gathering, while swati Agarwal introduced Mr. Shatrughan sinha and Kanika Agarwal gave the vote the thanks.
CAMDEN  Former Atlantic City Councilman John Schultz was sentenced Monday to six months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to defraud the IRS of $119,800 in unpaid taxes.

Schultz, 74, was partners in an Atlantic City rolling chair operation, Royal Rolling Chairs, with two others, whom he conspired with to hide cash receipts from the IRS.

In court Monday, he cried and apologized before his sentence, saying he knew what he did was wrong.

Its my own fault, he said. I should have known better.

His lawyer, Ed Jacobs, asked the judge to give Schultz a term of probation, citing his record of charitable works in Atlantic City that include 30 years with the South Jersey AIDS Alliance and contributions to the Atlantic City African American Museum and Atlantic City Police Foundation through his charity.

Judge Joseph Rodriguez, however, said there was no reason Schultz had to commit this crime because his net worth is nearly $2 million and he lives in a penthouse that includes an indoor swimming pool, a home theater and two elevators.

It makes one wonder why they needed to commit this offense, the judge said, adding that greed was the motivating factor.

Still, Rodriguez said, he reviewed several letters from people around the community attesting to Schultzs character and many charitable works. The sentence was a balance between the serious nature of the crime and the good works he has previously done.

After sentencing, Schultz left the courtroom with his head down and declined to comment. His lawyer also declined comment on whether Schultz will appeal the sentence.

Schultz will also serve six months of supervised release and pay restitution and a fine of $3,000.

Schultz pleaded guilty in September to hiding gross cash receipts from his Boardwalk rolling-chair business and maintaining a second set of books not shared with the government.

According to the U.S. Attorneys Office, Schultz bought into the business in 2007. The plot to hide cash from the IRS began in September 2006, and the company concealed $342,632 in revenue during the 2007-09 tax years.

Schultzs business partner, William Boland, previously pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy charge and is scheduled to be sentenced by Rodriguez on May 4. Abdus Mian, the bookkeeper for Royal Rolling Chairs Inc., pleaded guilty to making false statements to federal investigators and was sentenced to a year of probation last April.

Mian admitted lying to investigators about having just one set of financial records for the business and that he did not know the owners of the company were taking cash from the business.

The conspiracy was investigated by the IRS and the FBI.

Schultz is a founding member of the Atlantic City Metropolitan Business & Citizens Association, a nonprofit civic group that has provided more than $280,000 in scholarships, teacher grants and Thanksgiving turkey donations over the past 25 years.

In 2007, Schultz was indicted in a scheme to blackmail Councilman Eugene Robinson by paying a prostitute to seduce him and filming the tryst. Schultz was allowed to enter the pretrial intervention program after he was charged with conspiracy to commit criminal coercion and invasion of privacy.

Robinson settled his civil lawsuit against Schultz before it went to trial in 2009.

A year later, Schultz was honored with the Spirit of Hospitality Award by the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority, an honor Gov. Chris Christie called inappropriate.

The judge revealed Monday that another secret tape would have been used against Schultz in the tax-fraud case if it had gone to trial.

Schultz was a councilman from 1994 to 2001 and from 2005 to 2010. He did not seek re-election after his indictment.

Staff Writer Christian Hetrick contributed to this report.
ATLANTIC CITY  The president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is set to speak out Thursday against the state takeover of the resort.

NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks will speak at a 1 p.m. news conference in council chambers, officials at the citys NAACP branch said.

At the event, Brooks will express support for city workers who stand to lose jobs or have their pay cut, according to Charles Goodman, a member of the Atlantic City NAACP.

The event also will highlight the local branchs petition drive to force a referendum on any sale or lease of the citys water authority. Goodman has asked workers at the Municipal Utilities Authority to attend the event wearing their uniforms.

Just as Martin Luther King went to Memphis to help out the union workers on the trash trucks in sanitation, Brooks is coming here to help us, Goodman said.

The news conference will include remarks by New Jersey state AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech, Food & Water Watch Project Director Mary Grant and International Association of Fire Fighters Local 198 President Bill DiLorenzo.

Residents and activists launched a campaign last month to circulate two related petitions.

One would initiate an ordinance to ensure residents receive the same right to referendum that would be afforded to them absent a state takeover. The other preemptively protests a possible decision to sell or lease the water system to a private company through the Water Infrastructure Protection Act. It requests a referendum before privatization takes place.

The takeover law, the Municipal Stabilization and Recovery Act, rendered initiatives and referendums as advisory only, saying they may be followed, or disregarded by state officials in charge of the citys finances.

Those organizing the petition drive have acknowledged the laws language but describe the proposal as a political statement. They need 1,500 signatures to initiate the ordinance but are seeking 5,000 signatures.

The drive is going pretty good, but we need more volunteers, foot soldiers to handle the various areas, said Linda Steele, a member and former president of the Atlantic City NAACP.

The Municipal Utilities Authority became a focal point in the fight against the state takeover last year. State officials urged the cash-strapped city to dissolve the MUA to make money off it. But council pulled or voted down measures to do so five times before the state took over major decision-making powers in November.

Residents fear rate hikes and a loss of local control if the authority is sold.

I dont think people who live in public housing realize that once a private owner comes into play, that they have to recoup their money they used to purchase (the authority) from the city, Steele said.

The takeover law gave city officials until late May to maximize the value of the water system before the state could do it for them.
CAPE MAY  The sea is too rough to sink a ship.

Rough seas have delayed the intentional sinking of the famed Coast Guard ship Tamaroa, which was scheduled to become an artificial reef 26 miles off the South Jersey coast Tuesday.

The 74-year-old ship was featured heavily in the book and film The Perfect Storm and is the last surviving vessel from the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.

A rescheduled date for the sinking has not been set. The earliest it could happen is late this week, state officials said Monday.

The 205-foot Tamaroa, which served the Navy under the name Zuni during World War II, will become part of the Del-Jersey-Land Inshore Artificial Reef.

The Coast Guard decommissioned the boat in 1994. Three years earlier, the ships crew saved seven people during two rescue missions near Massachusetts. The events formed the basis for The Perfect Storm.

Artificial reefs are used to attract fish, and subsequently fishermen and divers.

All manner of vessels have been used as reefs over the years, including a 1901 steamboat that later served as a floating Hooters restaurant on the Philadelphia waterfront and stainless steel New York City Transit Authority subway cars.

The states artificial reef program returned last year after a five-year hiatus prompted by the federal governments concern commercial fishermen were impeding recreational anglers on the reefs.

Delaware officials said Wednesday the Tamaroa had been cleared for deployment after inspections by the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Initially, officials from Delaware and New Jersey had said they were expecting to sink the vessel before the end of last year.

Work had to be done on the ship to remove interior paneling and insulation and to empty and clean the vessel of all fuel and fluids, according to a statement from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, which is the lead agency in the deployment.

Other military ships have been deployed at the Del-Jersey-Land reef, including the SS Arthur W. Radford, the Gregory Poole and the Shearwater, according to the DNREC.

Artificial reefs attract wildlife and become hubs for fishermen and divers, DEP spokesman Larry Hajna told The Press of Atlantic City in October.

They allow a surface for barnacles, mussels and sea stars to attach themselves to, Hajna said. They, in turn, attract smaller fish that will sort of peck away at them.
DUBAI, UAE, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

- Firm to invest AED 2 Billion in the next 5 years, leading the region's healthcare, education and consumer investment market.

- New appointments strengthen the firm's market leadership and follow its recent marquee partnership with Abu Dhabi headquartered Bloom Holding.

Foundation Holdings, a strategic healthcare, education and consumer focused investment firm, announced today the appointment of 5 new senior executives as the firm continues to expand its investment portfolio in India and the GCC. This step follows the firm's set plan of investing AED 2 billion in the region over the next 5 years. The new appointments include Tharshan Wijey as Chief Financial Officer, Karan Yadav as Chief Strategy Officer, Aakash Sachdev as Managing Director (India), Parvati Banati as Managing Director - Asset Management and Phil Garrison as Managing Director - Operations.

"Our vision is to build 'sustainable, industry defining companies' and we believe that actualising this is a team sport. Human capital or our people are the key drivers of our superior investment returns, and w e are very committed to the proposition that people drive business performance.I am delighted to welcome our new, highly-talented and accomplished business leaders as we continue to expand the Foundation team. It is critical that we are building a 'human engine' to amplify Foundation Holdings' robust 'business engine'. The new appointments will not only add depth and bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our business, but together with the existing board of directors and advisory board, will help redefine the industry. As a unique firm, Foundation Holdings' value proposition is a thematic investment strategy focused on human capital, innovation and youth. We aim to combine financial strength, market position, and innovation leadership with an organizational focus on speed, agility, and simplicity. The world moves so much faster today and Foundation Holdings strives to build sustainable and long term partnerships," said Abhishek Sharma, Foundation Holdings' Chief Executive Officer.

Each member of the team brings a wealth of experience in investments, operations and strategic business building. Mr. Tharshan Wijey, Chief Financial Officer , joins Foundation Holdings after beginning his career with Morgan Stanley (Australia & Singapore). Having spent the last decade in the GCC defining healthcare and education businesses, Mr. Wijey will develop Foundation Holdings' long-term financial planning and investment portfolio with his disciplined, efficient and focused approach to business. Chief Strategy Officer, Mr. Karan Yadav, a former Senior Executive at Philips Lighting, Middle East, has also spearhead initiatives such as the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi (CCAD). Mr. Yadav will be responsible for developing and executing the long-term business strategy as well as expanding the business and market reach, stressing on creativity, innovation and visionary approach. The firm's focus on the fast-growing USD 2.5 trillion Indian market, is led by Mr. Aakash Sachdev. Responsible for building, managing and growing the business in India, Mr. Sachdev has fourteen years of experience in financing and investing in private and public companies which is augmented by his entrepreneurial investment approach and leadership characteristics.

In February this year, the firm launched a joint venture with Bloom Holding, an Abu Dhabi headquartered group, aimed at investing over AED 1 Billion in innovative workforce solutions, targeting the impactful sectors of healthcare, education and services within the UAE. This joint venture, with an ambition to IPO, brings together two best-in-class partners, who share strategic and operational know-how in addition to solid political and financial capital.

Foundation Holdings' new strategic initiative will welcome Ms. Parvati Banati as a Managing Director - Asset Management. Ms. Banati was the former Managing Director and Head of Investment Banking Coverage & Advisory, South East Asia at Deutsche Bank, Singapore and led the transformative IPO of IHH Healthcare. She will be joined by Mr. Phil Garrison as Managing Director - Operations who enjoys over 40 years of experience in international businesses, including various positions held with Caltex Petroleum. Mr. Garrison also served as the Former Chairman of the American School of Dubai.

About Foundation Holdings

Foundation Holdings is a strategic global investment firm focused on building sustainable, industry defining companies in the healthcare, education and consumer sectors across India and the GCC. The firm enhances operational value for companies in these high growth sectors through its dynamic team across Dubai and Mumbai. For further information visit http://foundationholdings.co/.

For more information, please contact:

Foundation Holdings

Vaibhav Arora

arora@wize.ae

+971-(0)-55-623-3211



SOURCE Foundation Holdings


For the month ended March 31, 2017

For the three months ended March 31, 2017

(dollars in thousands) Average receivables $ 15,463,987

$ 15,685,438 Year over year change in average receivables

14%



16% Net charge-offs $ 81,763

$ 247,877 Net charge-offs as a percentage of average receivables(1) (2)

6.3%



6.3%











(1) The net loss rate is consistent with maintaining the Company's full year guidance of $7.7 billion in total

revenue, $18.50 in core EPS, and a net loss rate in a mid-5% range. Net loss rates are expected to be higher in

the first half of 2017 and are tracking to improve significantly in the second half of the year. (2) Compares to 5.1% and 5.2% for the month and three months ended March 31, 2016, respectively.



As of March 31, 2017

As of March 31, 2016

(dollars in thousands) 30 days + delinquencies - principal $ 719,621

$ 547,874 Period ended receivables - principal $ 14,980,340

$ 12,881,378 Delinquency rate

4.8%



4.3%

About Alliance Data

Alliance Data (NYSE: ADS) is a leading global provider of data-driven marketing and loyalty solutions serving large, consumer-based industries. The Company creates and deploys customized solutions, enhancing the critical customer marketing experience; the result is measurably changing consumer behavior while driving business growth and profitability for some of today's most recognizable brands. Alliance Data helps its clients create and increase customer loyalty through solutions that engage millions of customers each day across multiple touch points using traditional, digital, mobile and emerging technologies. An S&P 500 and Fortune 500 company headquartered in Plano, Texas, Alliance Data consists of three businesses that together employ more than 17,000 associates at approximately 100 locations worldwide.

Alliance Data's card services business is a leading provider of marketing-driven branded credit card programs. Epsilon is a leading provider of multichannel, data-driven technologies and marketing services, and also includes Conversant, a leader in personalized digital marketing. LoyaltyOne owns and operates the AIR MILES Reward Program, Canada's premier coalition loyalty program, and Netherlands-based BrandLoyalty, a global provider of tailor-made loyalty programs for grocers.

Follow Alliance Data on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements give our expectations or forecasts of future events and can generally be identified by the use of words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "project," "plan," "likely," "may," "should" or other words or phrases of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe our business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions or goals also are forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements we make regarding our expected operating results, future economic conditions including currency exchange rates and the guidance we give with respect to our anticipated financial performance.

We believe that our expectations are based on reasonable assumptions. Forward-looking statements, however, are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, anticipated results or other expectations expressed in this release, and no assurances can be given that our expectations will prove to have been correct. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, factors set forth in the Risk Factors section in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year, which may be updated in Item 1A of, or elsewhere in, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed for periods subsequent to such Form 10-K.

Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and we undertake no obligation, other than as required by applicable law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events, anticipated or unanticipated circumstances or otherwise.

Contact: Investors/Analysts

Tiffany Louder

Alliance Data

214-494-3048

[email protected]





Media

Shelley Whiddon

Alliance Data

214-494-3811

[email protected]

SOURCE Alliance Data Systems Corporation

Related Links

http://www.alliancedata.com


WASHINGTON, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease has announced that applications are now being accepted for the Fall 2017 WomenHeart Science & Leadership Symposium. The Symposium is taking place October 6-October 9, 2017 at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. The application deadline is July 31, 2017.

The four-day Symposium brings together dedicated female heart patients and provides a rigorous training for them to be WomenHeart Champions -- patient volunteers who work in their local communities to lead support network meetings with heart disease survivors and/or participate in other WomenHeart education and advocacy activities.

"Education, advocacy and support are at the core of the fight against heart disease in women. WomenHeart Champions trained at this prestigious program are equipped to improve awareness, increase action and lead peer support efforts in their local communities," said Mary McGowan, CEO of WomenHeart.

McGowan referenced research that underscores the impact of peer support in helping women improve their heart disease outcomes.

"So many women experience feelings of fear, anxiety and isolation following a heart disease diagnosis. However, women who regularly attend a support group led by a trained peer leader are more engaged in their health care and experience lower levels of stress, anxiety and depression," she said. "This is just one example of the real impact made by participating in the WomenHeart Science & Leadership Symposium, and we're so proud to see the difference it makes in each WomenHeart Champion's local community."

Members of WomenHeart's National Hospital Alliance are encouraged to nominate patients that they believe would be would be best suited for this leadership opportunity. The organization is also seeking nominations from hospitals not currently affiliated with the National Hospital Alliance, as well as directly from women living with heart disease. Patients are asked to complete a short survey to begin the application process.

WomenHeart was founded in 1999 and the Science & Leadership Symposium at Mayo Clinic was founded as an integral part of WomenHeart in 2002. WomenHeart currently boasts more than 800 WomenHeart Champions and 97 WomenHeart Support Networks that reach more than 10,000 women heart patients nationwide every year.

WomenHeart National Hospital Alliance

The WomenHeart National Hospital Alliance is currently comprised of 40 member hospitals. It is a unique partnership between WomenHeart and member hospitals throughout the country who are dedicated to advancing women's heart health in their community. The National Hospital Alliance was developed by WomenHeart to ensure that women heart disease patients in every community have access to information, education and patient support services.

WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease

WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease is the nation's only patient centered organization serving the almost 48 million American women living with or at risk for heart disease  the leading cause of death for women. WomenHeart is devoted to advancing women's heart health through advocacy, community education, and the nation's only patient support network solely for women living with heart disease. WomenHeart is both a coalition and a community of thousands of members nationwide, including women heart patients and their families, healthcare professionals, and health advocates, all committed to helping women live longer, healthier lives. To join or donate, visit www.womenheart.org.

SOURCE WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease

Related Links

http://www.womenheart.org


TUCSON, Ariz., April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- AudioEye, Inc. (OTCQB: AEYE) ("AudioEye" or the "Company") today announced that it will host a business update call on April 19, 2017 at 11:00 am Eastern Time, 8:00 am Pacific Time. Dr. Carr Bettis, Executive Chairman, and Todd Bankofier, Chief Executive Officer, will discuss AudioEye's preliminary first quarter results and continued progress with the Company's new cash contract bookings, end markets and technology development.

AudioEye previously announced preliminary first quarter 2017 results, including record cash contract bookings for the Company of more than $1.7 million, compared to $1.9 million for the full year 2016. The Company's estimated new business pipeline remains in excess of $5.3 million. The Company previously announced it anticipates cash contract bookings of $4.0 million to $6.0 million for 2017.

Investors wishing to join the call should dial 1-877-317-6789, or +1-412-317-6789. A replay will be available until April 26, 2017, by dialing 1-877-344-7529 or +1-412-317-0088, and using passcode 10105527. A webcast replay will be available online at http://www.audioeye.com in the Investor Relations section after the call.

About AudioEye, Inc.

AudioEye's software enables every enterprise, from corporations to government agencies, to make their content more consumable through technology.

More accessible. More usable. More people.

AudioEye's common stock trades on the OTCQB under the symbol "AEYE." The Company maintains offices in Tucson, Atlanta and Washington D.C. For more information about AudioEye and its online accessibility solutions, please visit https://www.audioeye.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements in this press release about AudioEye's expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, prospects, financial condition, assumptions or future events or performance are not historical facts and are "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined under the federal securities laws. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as "believe", "anticipate", "should", "intend", "plan", "will", "expects", "estimates", "projects", "positioned", "strategy", "outlook" and similar words. You should read the statements that contain these types of words carefully. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from what is expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements, including the risk that the Company's bookings will not increase as currently expected or at all. There may be events in the future that AudioEye is not able to predict accurately or over which AudioEye has no control. Other risks are described more fully in AudioEye's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements reflect management's analysis as of the date of this press release and AudioEye urges you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. AudioEye does not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to such forward-looking statements to reflect events or uncertainties after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

For Further information, please contact:

Matt Kreps

Darrow Associates Investor Relations

(512) 696-6401

[email protected]

David Kovacs

Strategic Advisor

AudioEye, Inc.

(520) 308-6143

SOURCE AudioEye, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.audioeye.com


Worthington is the first to win the Rising Star award at The University of Utah. The award was created to highlight business individuals that have had an impact in their industries. After experiencing almost every position with the company, Worthington joined the corporate team as Director of Operations in 2007, before taking the position of CEO in 2013. Under his direction, the Utah-based brand has experienced 500 percent growth in restaurant locations with an expansion to 56 stores in 6 states.

"I am humbled to receive this award from my alma mater. This is where I found my passion for business and entrepreneurship. There are so many great people and community leaders that have graduated from the David Eccles School of Business. To be recognized among Utah's top business leaders is a high honor," said Worthington.

"We are so proud of James for representing our brand and our family with integrity. His dedication to Kneaders is unmatched and we look forward to the work he will continue to do for us in the future," said Gary Worthington, co-founder of Kneaders.

James Worthington earned his Master in Business Administration from the University of Utah after earning his bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University. Along with maintaining beneficial and positive relationships with the community, company vendors and valued partners, Worthington is also a dedicated husband to wife Amy and father to five sons. He enjoys spending quality time with family while enjoying the adventure of building his family's legacy with the brand he loves.

Kneaders is also proud to announce a $25,000 endowment to the David Eccles School of Business for the Kneaders Women in Business Scholarship in honor of the business achievements and spirit of entrepreneurship exemplified by Kneaders Co-Founder Colleen Worthington.

Kneaders Bakery & Cafe was recognized as an Inc. Magazine 5000 fastest-growing private company, has earned the No. 8 rating on "Restaurant Business" magazine's Future 50 list, and has received a No. 100 rating in the Technomic's 150 Fast-Casual Sales Growth list. Kneaders Bakery and Cafe continues to receive top honors and praises from customers and industry experts alike.

About Kneaders Bakery & Cafe

Founded by Gary and Colleen Worthington in 1997, this year marks the 20th anniversary of the company's first Kneaders location in Orem, Utah. The award-winning, fast-casual restaurant uses only the highest quality ingredients to create fresh European hearth breads, delicious sandwiches, mouthwatering pastries, hearty soups and refreshing salads, all made in-house each day. All Kneaders restaurants have a retail section and offer a variety of custom-made and themed gift baskets in addition to providing catering services. Kneaders Bakery & Cafe currently operates corporate-owned and franchised locations in six western states. For more information, visit kneaders.com.

SOURCE Kneaders Bakery & Cafe

Related Links

https://www.kneaders.com/


CHENGDU, China, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In 800 A.D., Tang poet Li Bai sang the praises of Chengdu by likening it to a natural painting scroll hanging from heaven, "Like a painting scroll hanging from the zenith, it is densely covered with numberless houses." While the world has changed a great deal in the past 1,200 years, the charming scenery and beautiful culture of Chengdu have not faded a bit over time.

Inhabited by 16 million people, this inland city lying where China's "the Belt and Road" National Strategy and Yangtze Economic Zone Strategy overlap has emerged as the sixth "National Central City" by virtue of its strategic geographical location and great success in urban economy.

In China, the term "National Central City" is assigned to a city at the top urban governance level to assert its global image and task it with the role of a frontrunner local economy.

According to Chengdu municipal government, it has implemented great reform to put the National Central City into operation, the newest route map for a city with a historic-making starting point is rolling out for the green development of Chengdu.

Global Fame for Ecology and Attractions

Nature, history and culture have combined to make Chengdu one of the world's most preferable destinations of global tourists. With five World Heritage Sites, the 2,000-year-old city in Western China ranks among the first State Council-named 24 historic cities and prides itself on the oldest world-known urban heritage sites in Asia - Kuan and Zhai Alleys, Jinli, Panda Breeding Ground, Du Fu's Thatched Cottage, Wuhou Shrine, Dujiangyan Irrigation Project and Mount Qingcheng.

Chengdu was rated as the "Most Recommended Tourist Destination in China" in 2015 and 2016. In June, National Geographic Traveler magazine, run by National Geographic Society, recommended 21 must-sees, citing Chengdu as the only Chinese candidate along with Uri (Switzerland), Georgia (the U.S.), the Cradle of Mankind (South Africa), etc. "The vibrant city is perfusing China with vitality." Ernest Hemingway Award winner John Creech commented.

In fact, tourists have the final say. They cast votes with their feet. In 2016 alone Chengdu drew 2.7 million foreign tourists and more than 200 million visits.

One out of every seven Chinese travelled to Chengdu in 2016, pushing it high above many provinces in respect of all-year tourism revenue.

Harmonious Coexistence of Man and Nature

Located in eastern suburb of Chengdu, Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is a must-see place for foreign and domestic tourists. This is a place with 30 years history and one of the representatives for harmony between "human and nature" in Chengdu, China even the whole world. Chengdu is the hometown to giant pandas with 170 pandas living in this idyllic breeding and research base with green coverage ratio of 96% which establishes an appropriate ecological living environment for giant pandas and various rare wild animals. It is now being called "Urban Home for Giant Pandas" by foreign and domestic tourists.

Built more than 2,000 years ago, Dujiangyan Irrigation Project now still gives its play. It is the oldest, largest and only surviving hydraulic engineering construction in the world characterized by no-dam irrigation system. Millennium Dujiangyan seems like the miniature of Chengdu reflecting co-existence between human and nature with time flying.

With a history of thousands of years and numerous cultural landscapes conserved, Chengdu has now become the model city which showcases harmony between human and nature.

Green First-Based Urban Construction

On weekends, the Qinglong Lake and Jincheng Lake in Chengdu are very lively, with birds twittering in woods and people strolling along the lake. This is the best benefit to local citizens from the ecological zone around Chengdu and it will be better. Last year, the local government clearly expressed to invest nearly RMB 600 billion in ecological civilization construction.

As one of the most important civil engineering, the ecological zone around Chengdu will be finished in 2020. When the time comes, one third of Chengdu will be an ecological green land, which is made of six ecological lakes including Jincheng Lake, Jiang'an Lake, Jinsha Lake, Anjing Lake, Bei Lake and Qinglong Lake as well as eight aquatic crop areas. Chengdu citizens can enjoy the ecological nature without going far from the city.

Zhu Ke, having spent seven years in Melbourne, decided to settle down in Chengdu when she came to this city three years ago. "The market is just downstairs, very convenient. On my way home from work, I could buy a cup of coffee from Starbucks when passing by the Financial Center and get the materials for dinner", said Zhu Ke. In the future, such a comfortable and convenient "work-life circle" will cover every corner of Chengdu.

After having a baby, Zhu Ke stays with other moms living in the same residence area every weekend. They often take babies to the parks. There were many parks nearby and it only took 15 minutes to Jincheng Park, Zhu Ke told us.

By the side of Jincheng Park, there is Jincheng Lake. As the first established one among the six lakes, it has now become the best place to go for a ride, take a walk or do some running.

Over the past "NPC & CPPCC", the topic on economic civilization construction attracted high attention. Green development occupies the position of top prominence. Green, the background color of urban development, is the dominant color of establishing the "National Central City". As the green development plan is put into implementation, a livable ecological "National Central City" is under construction.

SOURCE Chengdu Municipal Government
VANCOUVER, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- City Office REIT, Inc. (NYSE: CIO) ("City Office" or the "Company") announced today it will release its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2017, before the market opens on Friday, May 5, 2017.

City Office's management will hold a conference call at 11:00 am Eastern Time on May 5, 2017 to discuss the Company's financial results. Additionally, a supplemental financial package to accompany the discussion of the results will be posted on www.cityofficereit.com.

Webcast

Click on the webcast link under the "Investor Relations" section of the Company's website at www.cityofficereit.com.

Telephone Conference Call

Domestic: 1-866-262-0919

International: 1-412-902-4106

To listen to the call, participants can reference the City Office REIT, Inc. First Quarter 2017 Earnings Call. Please dial in at least 10 minutes before the scheduled start time.

Conference Call Replay

Domestic: 1-877-344-7529

International: 1-412-317-0088

Passcode: 10105263

A replay of the call will be available later in the day on May 5, 2017, continuing through 11:59 pm Eastern Time on August 5, 2017. A replay will also be available at "Webcasts & Events" in the "Investor Relations" section of the Company's website.

About City Office REIT, Inc.

City Office REIT is an internally-managed real estate company focused on acquiring, owning and operating high-quality office properties located in leading markets in the Southern and Western United States. City Office currently owns or has a controlling interest in 4.5 million square feet of office properties. Additional information about City Office is available on the Company's website at www.cityofficereit.com. The Company has elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Contact

City Office REIT, Inc.

Anthony Maretic, CFO

+1-604-806-3366

[email protected]

SOURCE City Office REIT, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.cityofficereit.com


NOVI, Mich., April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CPS) will hold an investor conference call on Wednesday, May 3 at 9 a.m. ET. The Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Edwards and Chief Financial Officer Matthew Hardt will discuss Cooper Standard's first quarter 2017 results, provide a general business update and respond to investor questions.

The Company expects to release results for the first quarter 2017 on Tuesday, May 2. The Company's earnings results will also be posted to the Cooper Standard website (http://www.ir.cooperstandard.com) once released.

A link to the live webcast of the call (listen only) and presentation materials will be available on Cooper Standard's Investor Relations website at http://www.ir.cooperstandard.com/index.cfm.

To participate by phone, callers in the United States and Canada should dial toll-free 800-949-4315 (international callers dial 678-825-8315) and provide the conference ID 95008471 or ask to be connected to the Cooper Standard conference call. Representatives of the investment community will have the opportunity to ask questions after the presentation. Callers should dial in at least five minutes prior to the start of the call.

Individuals unable to participate during the call may visit the investors' portion of the Cooper Standard website (http://www.ir.cooperstandard.com) for a replay of the webcast.

About Cooper Standard

Cooper Standard, headquartered in Novi, Mich., is a leading global supplier of systems and components for the automotive industry. Products include rubber and plastic sealing, fuel and brake lines, fluid transfer hoses and anti-vibration systems. Cooper Standard employs approximately 30,000 people globally and operates in 20 countries around the world. For more information, please visit www.cooperstandard.com.

CPS_F

Contact for Analysts: Contact for Media: Roger Hendriksen Sharon Wenzl Cooper Standard Cooper Standard (248) 596-6465 (248) 596-6211 [email protected] [email protected]

SOURCE Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc.

Related Links

http://www.cooperstandard.com


EDINA, Minn., April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This summer Creating IT Futures, Minneapolis Urban League and the City of Minneapolis are offering the award-winning IT-Ready career program in downtown Minneapolis. IT-Ready trains and certifies information technology (IT) workers and helps place them into their first paid IT role. IT-Ready is part of the City of Minneapolis' MSP TechHire initiative. To close the workforce skills gap in the high-tech economy, the MSP TechHire initiative enables diverse workers to access training, support and tech jobs across the Greater Minneapolis Region.

"Our MSP TechHire partnership keeps on giving, and continues to pave the way for a more prosperous economy," said Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges. "I remain committed to continue investing in the development of human capital and making sure our workforce reflects the diversity of our Minneapolis community. I am grateful to Creating IT Futures, the Minneapolis Urban League, and the rest of our partners for sharing that commitment."

The eight-week class run by Creating IT Futures will be hosted and funded by Minneapolis Urban League's Urban Tech Jobs Program, with additional funds from the City of Minneapolis Employment and Training and The Minneapolis Foundation. IT-Ready is offered free of charge to students to help unemployed and under-employed individuals enter the IT field, which has a shortage of qualified workers.

"The Minneapolis Urban League is committed to connecting African descendants and other people of color to career opportunities and helping them achieve success. We chose to partner with Creating IT Futures because of their history of placing women and people of color in family-sustaining work. We are pleased to have the next class of IT-Ready participants launch their future in the IT industry at the Minneapolis Urban League," said Steven Belton, president and CEO, Minneapolis Urban League.

Located at 2100 Plymouth Avenue North, Minneapolis, the class begins on June 12 and runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every weekday until August 4. Applications are due by May 19. To demonstrate their commitment to the training and pursuing an IT career, IT-Ready students are allowed only one absence and two late days during the program.

"Minnesota's future prosperity depends on the work we do now to build new career pathways in high-demand industries," said Jo-Anne Stately, director of impact strategy for economic vitality, The Minneapolis Foundation. "Creating more opportunities Minneapolis residents to pursue careers in IT is a win for everyone  employers, workers, and our whole community."

Only City of Minneapolis residents will be accepted into the June class. Beyond the class in downtown Minneapolis, Creating IT Futures also has two more classes in Edina this year, with courses starting August 14 and October 23 and open to anyone (male or female) 18 years or older. Applications for the next Edina class are due by July 21. Potential students can apply online for any IT-Ready class at www.creatingitfutures.org/apply.

"IT-Ready is a proven program. More than 85 percent of our students graduate and certify, with 80 percent also receiving full-time work in the industry," said Sue Wallace, executive director, Minnesota, Creating IT Futures. "Our second class of the year is already underway in Edina, and we're excited to partner with the Minneapolis Urban League to bring another IT-Ready class downtown in June."

What Do IT-Ready Students Learn?

In the IT-Ready training, students get hands-on labs taking apart and building desktop computers and other hardware; learn about motherboards, printers, peripheral devices, memory and physical storage, connections and mobile devices; set up computer networks and troubleshoot networks, displays, printers, and operating systems; configure operating systems and hardware; and secure networks, systems and data.

All IT-Ready students also receive targeted professional development in key business "soft" skills such as professional communication and presentation, teamwork and collaboration, and critical thinking and problem solving. After completing training, the students sit for the CompTIA A+ certification exam which covers desktop and help-desk technical support duties and skills.

IT-Ready students receive:

Free tuition, books and learning materials,

More than 200 hours of classroom and hands-on training,

Qualification for a local, six-month, paid, on-the-job work experience, and

Certification vouchers toward the CompTIA A+ exam.

To see what's required of IT-Ready students, potential students, employers and community partners can learn more at www.ITReady.com.

Media Contact:

Lisa Fasold

Sr. Director, Marketing & Communications

Creating IT Futures

630-678-8558

[email protected]

SOURCE Creating IT Futures Foundation

Related Links

http://www.creatingitfutures.org


ROANOKE, Va., April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Deschutes Brewery has unveiled plans to create a tasting room in downtown Roanoke. The Oregon-headquartered brewery, which announced it will be creating an east coast facility in Roanoke last year, is looking forward to sharing beers and interacting with local craft beer fans - as well as those who are visiting Roanoke and want to learn more about what Deschutes is all about - in the new space. The opening is tentatively slated for late August.

"Roanoke is home to us now and we wanted to put down some roots while we plan for breaking ground on our new brewery east of town," said Nate Brocious, tours and tasting room manager of Deschutes Brewery. "Since we will not be breaking ground on our new brewing facility until 2019, we're excited to take one of our first steps in becoming part of this awesome community by opening the new tasting room."

The tasting room will be located at 315 Market St SE close to many local businesses, restaurants and hotels. Plans include more than 15 taps of Deschutes Brewery beers where patrons can share a pint or fill growlers, as well as purchase brewery branded merchandise. Details are still being finalized, but the space will likely include both indoor and outdoor seating and ready-to-eat foods crafted by local restaurants. The brewery will be hiring staff for the new venture in early summer. Once these positions are posted, applications will be accepted at www.deschutesbrewery.com/jobs.

In other area news, Deschutes is bringing its popular Street Pub event back to Roanoke on July 15 to support local nonprofits such as Roanoke Outside, Bradley Free Clinic, Pathfinders for Greenways and the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy. Last year, the event welcomed 22,000 people and raised $81,000 for nonprofit organizations. For more information on the Street Pub, visit www.deschutesbrewery.com/streetpub.

About Deschutes Brewery

Family and employee owned since 1988, Deschutes Brewery  Bend's original brewpub  has become the cornerstone of Central Oregon's flourishing craft brew culture. Known for its generous use of whole hops in its defining beers such as Black Butte Porter, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, and Fresh Squeezed IPA, the brewery also keeps fans on the edge of their bar stools with the release of small batch experimental beers each season. Now available in 29 states and Washington D.C., Deschutes' flagship brewpub has been joined by a main brewing facility overlooking the Deschutes River in Bend, a pub in Portland, and coming in 2021, a new east coast brewery in Roanoke, Virginia. www.deschutesbrewery.com

Media Contact: Marie Melsheimer, 541-815-3951, [email protected]

SOURCE Deschutes Brewery

Related Links

http://www.deschutesbrewery.com


FLINT, Mich., April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. (NYSE: DPLO) announced today that it will release its first quarter 2017 operating results on Monday, May 8, 2017 after market close, with a conference call to follow at 5:00 p.m. ET.

Shareholders and interested participants may listen to a live broadcast of the conference call by dialing 877-201-0168 or 647-788-4901 for international callers, and referencing participant code 6760661 approximately 15 minutes prior to the call. A live webcast of the conference call will be available on the investor relations section of the Company's website and an audio file of the call, as well as supplemental investor information, will be available for 90 days at ir.diplomat.is.

About Diplomat

Diplomat (NYSE: DPLO) serves patients and physicians in all 50 states. Headquartered in Flint, Michigan, the company focuses on medication management programs for people with complex chronic diseases. Diplomat opened its doors in 1975 as a neighborhood pharmacy with one essential tenet: "Take good care of patients and the rest falls into place." Today, that tradition continuesalways focused on improving patient care and clinical adherence. For more information visit diplomat.is.

INVESTOR CONTACT:

Bob East, Westwicke Partners

443.213.0500 | [email protected]

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jenny Cretu, Diplomat

810.768.9370 | [email protected]

SOURCE Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.diplomat.is


OAKLAND, Calif., April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On the eve of the Psychedelic Science 2017 conference being held in Oakland, California, from April 19-24, Dr. Bronner's, family-owned maker of the top-selling natural brand of soap in North America, has announced it will donate $1 million per year over the next five years to the non-profit Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). The gift comes after MAPS was given the go-ahead by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin Phase 3 drug trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for people with treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Dr. Bronner's $5 million, five-year pledge is just a portion of a $25 million drug development budget set forth by MAPS to make MDMA an FDA-approved medicine. "There is tremendous suffering and pain that the responsible integration of MDMA for treatment-resistant PTSD will alleviate and heal," says David Bronner, Cosmic Engagement Officer (CEO) of Dr. Bronner's. "To help inspire our allies to close the funding gap, my family has pledged $1 million a year for five years$5 million totalby far our largest gift to an NGO partner to date. In part, we were inspired by the incredible example of Ashawna Hailey, former MAPS Board member, who gave MAPS $5 million when she died in 2011."

MAPS has concluded an international series of Phase 2 pilot studies into MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD. These studies laid the groundwork for two larger multi-site Phase 3 trials, required to show the FDA that MDMA is a safe and effective adjunct to psychotherapy for patients with PTSD. Alongside Ashawna Hailey's bequest, Dr. Bronner's gift will be reserved for Phase 3 studies, bringing MAPS significantly closer to raising the estimated $25 million needed to develop MDMA into an FDA-approved prescription treatment.

"MAPS intends to use the income generated from selling MDMA once it's an FDA-approved medicine to train therapists and set up treatment clinics around the world," explains Rick Doblin, Ph.D., founder and Executive Director of MAPS. "Investment into making MDMA a legal medicine will turn MAPS into a self-sustaining organism, exponentially increasing our ability to heal suffering in the world."

Founded in 1986, MAPS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit research and educational organization that develops medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful uses of psychedelics and marijuana. Dr. Bronner's donates its profits to social and environmental causes, as part of the company's mission to put into practice the social and ecological principles that inform Dr. Bronner's philosophy printed on the company's iconic soap labels.

In unity, Doblin and Bronner agree: "Our larger goal is to see psychedelic medicine responsibly integrated into American and global culture, readily available to those who need it most, while helping the rest of us open our hearts and minds to each other and to the miraculous living world we live within."

For further information on Dr. Bronner's, please visit: http://www.drbronner.com.

For further information on MAPS, please visit: http://www.maps.org.

SOURCE MAPS; Dr. Bronners
Organizers expect that the expo will serve not only as a venue for exhibiting diverse food applications of seaweed but also an opportunity to explore the possibility of developing it into a major industry with great growth potential.



"Seaweed, which used to be known only as food, has limitless potential as it is now being used as a raw material for bioenergy, paper, medicines, cosmetics and other products," Shin Woo-chul, head of Wando County and the organizing committee, said prior to the opening.



In a congratulatory message, National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun said seaweed is one of the core ingredients for new economic growth engines.



Chung said the National Assembly will spare no efforts to help South Korea promote its marine resource industry.



Oceans and Fisheries Minister Kim Young-suk said the government will make efforts to build a complex to produce and export dried laver.



The event is expected to bring together about 1,000 buyers from 150 countries, including the United States, China, Japan, Canada and Australia, according to the organizers.

The organizers held a ceremony at 8:15 a.m. to mark the launch of the expo that included a performance by a military band, releasing balloons into the air to wish for its success, and the celebration of the first South Korean and foreign visitors.



Lee In-sook from Seoul, a 64-year-old pharmacist, and Yokuo Ota from Japan, owner of a seaweed processing firm, were greeted as the first visitors.



The expo has six event halls -- the Main Theme Hall, the Health Food Hall, the Industrial Resources Hall, the Ecology Environment Hall, the Aquatic Culture Hall and the Experience of Seaweeds Hall.



The expo's main exhibition hall, located at a seaside park, hosts participating companies showcasing new technologies, products, materials and services related to the seaweed industry. Three exhibition halls stand on large barges, the first of their kind in South Korea, according to organizers.



A water screen was installed to give visitors a glimpse into the history of seaweed and learn about various types such as kelp, sea mustard and laver. A virtual reality system enables visitors to experience an undersea forest of seaweed.



Various workshops and forums will also be held during the expo to discuss new technologies and the results of the latest research on seaweed farming and the management of the coastal ecosystem. A host of "experience" and other events are also in store for visitors.



The number of visitors is expected to reach 600,000, including 30,000 foreigners, as many as 500,000 advance tickets have already been sold, organizers said, adding the 10 billion-won (US$8.9 million) expo will likely generate 49.7 billion won in estimated revenue.

SOURCE Wando Seaweeds Expo 2017
SUGAR LAND, Texas, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Written by John Egan for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Georgia Power Company (Atlanta, Georgia), a subsidiary of the Southern Company (Atlanta), has, for now, pulled the plug on a new nuclear power station the utility was considering building in Stewart County, Georgia. The potential nuclear plant, which has not been given a name, was in the very preliminary stages of development. It is not clear what sized nuclear plant Georgia Power was considering building.

For details, view the entire article by subscribing to Industrial Info's Premium Industry News, or browse other breaking industrial news stories at www.industrialinfo.com.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, five offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. To contact an office in your area, visit the www.industrialinfo.com "Contact Us" page.

Brian Ford

(713) 980-9393

SOURCE Industrial Info Resources, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.industrialinfo.com


CHICAGO, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Grubhub Inc. (NYSE: GRUB), the nation's leading online and mobile food-ordering and delivery marketplace, today announced that it will host a conference call to discuss its first quarter financial results on Thursday, April 27, 2017, at 9 a.m. CT, following the release of the Company's financial results. CEO Matt Maloney and CFO Adam DeWitt will host the webcast.

The live webcast of the conference call will be available on the investor relations section of the Grubhub website at http://investors.grubhub.com/. Following completion of the call, a recording of the webcast will be available on the website.

About Grubhub

Grubhub (NYSE: GRUB) is the nation's leading online and mobile takeout food-ordering marketplace with the most comprehensive network of restaurant partners and largest active diner base. Dedicated to moving eating forward and connecting diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, the Company's platforms and services strive to elevate food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub is proud to work with more than 50,000 restaurant partners in over 1,100 U.S. cities and London. The Grubhub portfolio of brands includes Grubhub, Seamless, AllMenus, MenuPages, LAbite, Restaurants on the Run, DiningIn and Delivered Dish.

SOURCE Grubhub Inc.

Related Links

http://www.grubhub.com


TSX Symbol: HNL

CALGARY, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Horizon North Logistics Inc. ("Horizon North" or the "Corporation") announced today that it intends to release its 2017 first quarter results after market close on May 3, 2017 and has scheduled a conference call and webcast to begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. MT (11:00 a.m. ET) on May 4, 2017.

The conference call dial in number is 1-888-231-8191

A live webcast of the conference call will be accessible on Horizon North's website at www.horizonnorth.ca by selecting the webcast link on the home page.

An archived recording of the conference call will be available approximately two hours after completion of the call until May 11, 2017 by dialing 1-403-451-9481 or 1-855-859-2056 - Passcode: 9986447.

About Horizon North

Horizon North is a publicly listed corporation (TSX: HNL.TO) providing a full range of industrial, commercial, and residential products and services. Our Industrial division supplies workforce accommodations, camp management services, access solutions, maintenance and utilities. Our Modular Construction division integrates modern design concepts and technology with state of the art, off-site manufacturing processes; producing high quality building solutions for commercial and residential offerings including offices, hotels, and retail buildings, as well as distinctive single detached dwellings and multi-family residential structures. As a result of our diverse product and service offerings, Horizon North is uniquely positioned to meet the needs of our customers in numerous sectors, anywhere in Canada.

Corporate Information

Additional information related to Horizon North, including the Corporation's annual information form, press releases, financial statements and MD&A are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com

SOURCE Horizon North Logistics Inc.

Related Links

www.horizonnorth.ca


LONDON, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- International Game Technology PLC ("IGT") (NYSE:IGT) today announced it has signed a definitive purchase agreement to sell its social casino subsidiary, Double Down Interactive LLC, to an affiliate of DoubleU Games Co., Ltd., a leading global social casino operator headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. The transaction establishes a new multi-year strategic partnership between IGT and DoubleU Games to provide innovative player experiences in the social casino market worldwide.

"Since acquiring DoubleDown in 2012, IGT has grown it into one of the largest and most successful brands in the North American social casino market," said Marco Sala, CEO of IGT. "After several years of strong, organic growth and increasingly attractive valuation levels, the time is right for us to maximize the value of this asset for our shareholders. We will continue participating in the growth of the social casino market through our multi-year, strategic partnership with DoubleU Games."

"This transaction represents a unique and value-accretive partnership combining the operational excellence of DoubleU Games with IGT's world class slot content," said Ga-Ram Kim, CEO of DoubleU Games. "With this partnership, we are excited and confident about DoubleU Games' future as a global leader in social casino."

The cash purchase price is $825 million, which represents 10.5x DoubleDown's full-year 2016 Adjusted EBITDA. Proceeds from the transaction will be used for general corporate purposes, including debt reduction. IGT will provide an updated financial outlook that includes the full impact of this transaction in late May, in conjunction with its first quarter of 2017 results.

Upon the closing of the sale, the parties will enter into a game development, distribution and services agreement which will enable DoubleU Games to offer IGT's extensive casino game library on DoubleU Games' combined social casino platforms, in exchange for ongoing royalties to IGT.

The sale has been approved by the Board of Directors of IGT and the necessary governance body of DoubleU Games, and is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. The sale is anticipated to be completed in the second quarter of 2017.

The Raine Group and Credit Suisse International are acting as financial advisors to IGT, and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz and Cooley LLP are providing legal counsel. Deutsche Bank is acting as financial advisor to DoubleU Games, and Kim & Chang and Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP are providing legal counsel.

About IGT

IGT (NYSE:IGT) is the global leader in gaming. We enable players to experience their favorite games across all channels and regulated segments, from Gaming Machines and Lotteries to Interactive and Social Gaming. Leveraging a wealth of premium content, substantial investment in innovation, in-depth customer intelligence, operational expertise and leading-edge technology, our gaming solutions anticipate the demands of consumers wherever they decide to play. We have a well-established local presence and relationships with governments and regulators in more than 100 countries around the world, and create value by adhering to the highest standards of service, integrity, and responsibility. IGT has over 12,000 employees. For more information, please visit www.IGT.com.

About DoubleU Games

DoubleU Games (KRX:192080) is one of the leading social casino gaming publishers based in Seoul, Korea. Founded in 2012, DoubleU Games is the only Asia-based social casino game operator among global top-tier players. For more information, please refer to www.doubleugames.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements (including within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning International Game Technology PLC and other matters. These statements may discuss goals, intentions and expectations as to future plans, trends, events, dividends, results of operations or financial condition, or otherwise, based on current beliefs of the management of International Game Technology PLC as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, such management. Forward-looking statements may be accompanied by words such as "aim," "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "could," "would," "should," "shall," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "future," "guidance," "intend," "may," "will," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project" or the negative or other variations of them. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside of International Game Technology PLC's control. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ materially from those predicted in the forward-looking statements and from past results, performance or achievements. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include (but are not limited to) the possibility that the sale of DoubleDown Interactive may not be consummated in a timely manner or at all, including as a result of a failure to satisfy a condition to closing (including regulatory approvals); the possibility that there may be an adverse effect or disruption from the sale of DoubleDown Interactive that negatively impacts International Game Technology PLC's remaining businesses; the possibility that the anticipated benefits of the sale to International Game Technology PLC or the strategic partnership with DoubleU Games may not be realized as presently contemplated or at all; the sale-related costs and charges being greater than anticipated; the possibility that the businesses of International Game Technology (Nevada) and GTECH S.p.A. will not be integrated successfully, or that the combined companies will not realize estimated cost savings, synergies, growth or other anticipated benefits or that such benefits may take longer to realize than expected; unanticipated costs of integration of International Game Technology (Nevada) and GTECH S.p.A.; the possibility that International Game Technology PLC will be unable to pay future dividends to shareholders or that the amount of such dividends may be less than anticipated; the possibility that International Game Technology PLC may not obtain its anticipated financial results in one or more future periods; reductions in customer spending; a slowdown in customer payments and changes in customer demand for products and services as a result of changing economic conditions or otherwise; unanticipated changes relating to competitive factors in the industries in which International Game Technology PLC operates; International Game Technology PLC's ability to hire and retain key personnel; the impact of the consummation of the combination of International Game Technology (Nevada) and GTECH S.p.A. or the sale of DoubleDown Interactive on relationships with third parties, including customers, employees and competitors; International Game Technology PLC's ability to attract new customers and retain existing customers in the manner anticipated; reliance on and integration of information technology systems; changes in legislation or governmental regulations affecting International Game Technology PLC, including as a consequence of the announced withdrawal of the U.K. from the EU; international, national or local economic, social or political conditions that could adversely affect International Game Technology PLC or its customers; conditions in the credit markets; changes in the top management team; risks associated with assumptions International Game Technology PLC makes in connection with its critical accounting estimates; the resolution of pending and potential future legal, regulatory or tax proceedings and investigations; and International Game Technology PLC's international operations, which are subject to the risks of currency fluctuations and foreign exchange controls. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties that affect International Game Technology PLC's business, including those described in International Game Technology PLC's annual report on Form 20-F for the financial year ended December 31, 2015 and other documents filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), which are available on the SEC website at www.sec.gov and on the investor relations section of International Game Technology PLC's website at www.IGT.com. Except as required under applicable law, International Game Technology PLC does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements. Nothing in this news release is intended, or is to be construed, as a profit forecast or to be interpreted to mean that earnings per International Game Technology PLC share for the current or any future financial years will necessarily match or exceed the historical published earnings per International Game Technology PLC share, as applicable. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to International Game Technology PLC, or persons acting on its behalf, are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

Contact:

Robert K. Vincent, Corporate Communications, toll free in U.S./Canada (844) IGT-7452; outside U.S./Canada (401) 392-7452

James Hurley, Investor Relations, (401) 392-7190

Simone Cantagallo, (+39) 06 51899030; for Italian media inquiries

SOURCE IGT

Related Links

http://www.igt.com


LONDON, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- 26 designers from around the world showcased their new lines at the Modanisa London Modest Fashion Week, which ended on Sunday. Sponsors Modanisa  the world's biggest online modest fashion retailer  brought the glitz and glamour of its concept to the British capital after hosting the hugely successful first-ever Modest Fashion Week in Istanbul last year.

Industry Pioneers Modanisa Dazzle With Their First London Modest Fashion Week Malaysia's Aidijuma showcasing its globally renowned scarfs and shawls at Modanisa London Modest Fashion Week 2017 This dress by American designer Fluame was one of the standout outfits at Modanisa London Modest Fashion Week 2017 Elegance personified in this outfit by Norwegian headwear designer Helen Latifi at Modanisa London Modest Fashion Week 2017 This stunning three-quarter jacket by British designer Farrah Naaz caught the eye at Modanisa London Modest Fashion Week The world's first hijabi model Halima Aden leads on catwalk for Turkish swimwear designer Mayovera at Modanisa London Modest Fashion Week

Tickets for all the fashion shows sold out weeks ago. Emerging and established designers presented their new collections on the catwalk at the iconic Olympia, including British labels Pillar and Farrah Naaz, Fllumae (USA), Aidijiuma (Malaysia), Mayovera (Turkey), and Helena Latifi (Norway).

Franka Soeria a co-creator of Modest Fashion Week, said: "The shows illustrated how diverse modest fashion style is. Some were heavily defined by cultural influences, while others fused East-West elements, producing modern daywear and glamorous evening dresses that adhere to Islamic principles, yet appeal far beyond."

Somali-American Halima Aden  the world's first hijab-wearing model  opened MLMFW, stepping on to the runway wearing a peach blush abiye (evening dress) and hijab by Minel Ask. Halima was mobbed by fans afterwards, eager to talk to and have their pictures taken with the rising star.

British hijabi model Mariah Idrissi also attended, as did globally renowned modest fashion bloggers Leena Asad and Sena Sever, each with half-a-million social media followers, and Nabiilabee, whose new BBC documentary 'New York Hijabis' aired last week.

Complementing the catwalk shows were panel talks featuring big names from the industry, clothes stalls, and networking activities for designers, buyers and the media, all programmed by consultants Ozlem Sahin and Franka Soeria of Think Fashion.

Following its first LMFW, Modanisa CEO Kerim Ture said: "London is one of the key fashion capitals of the world, so it was important for us to bring our Modest Fashion Week concept here. The fact that the catwalk shows sold out weeks ago illustrates the demand for them."

Modest fashion is a thriving new sector. A 2015 State of the Global Islamic Economy report valued the industry at $230 bn globally, predicted to rise to $327 bn by 2019.

About Modanisa

Launched in 2011, modanisa.com is the world's first online fashion and shopping website for women embracing a modest dressing style. It stocks 30,000 items from over 300 brands, serving 9 million visitors each month with sales to 103 countries.

SOURCE Modanisa

Related Links

http://www.modanisa.com


HOUSTON, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- InTech Aerospace LLC, a steadily growing aviation technical services firm specialized in commercial and government airplane interiors and components, has promoted Mr. Scott Mowery to Chief Operating Officer. Scott previously held the position of Vice President-Operations for InTech Aerospace and now in the expanded role as C.O.O. Mr. Mowery will oversee all technical and business operations of InTech and will be the Responsible Officer for the company's performance for its customers and FAA compliance.

Based in Houston TX, InTech Aerospace is poised for continued growth as commercial airlines fleets keep expanding. InTech performs a variety of overhaul, repair, and retrofit chores chiefly on aircraft interiors and related components on fixed-wing aircraft. InTech Aerospace today enjoys a client list that includes regional airlines, mainline carriers, large OEM's, aircraft leasing companies, government aircraft, and major MRO facilities.

Scott Mowery originally joined InTech as Senior Director of Operations & Quality, with a subsequent promotion to VP-Operations. He has 29 years' total aircraft maintenance experience, including 6 years in aviation maintenance with the US Air Force. He previously was a General Manager and the Maintenance Production Control Manager for the fleet support division of a major airline. Mr. Mowery is a well-recognized expert in aircraft interiors and numerous other aviation overhaul & repair disciplines, and practices a quality-centered approach with LEAN principles. In addition to extensive USAF training, Scott is also an FAA-licensed Airframe & Powerplant Repairman, and holds the FAA's Inspection Authorization distinction.

InTech's served markets show strong underpinnings for long-term growth. InTech Aerospace finds itself in a period of unprecedented expansion in commercial aerospace. The airlines' fleets of large and regional sized planes are expected to double in their numbers in the next 20 years (forecasts by Boeing, Airbus, and FAA), and interiors tend to wear out with heavy use, requiring periodic overhaul and upgrade. Published reports recently cited over $5 Trillion in new orders for commercial planes through the year 2037, and all of those planes (which will fly for 30 years or more) represent an "Installed Base" of many millions of man-hours of required repairs and refurbishments. That aftermarket cycle of recurring repairs is where InTech Aerospace predicts its steadiest growth in the next 5 to 10 years.

Known as the "interior experts," InTech Aerospace has teams of highly experienced craftspeople and FAA-licensed aircraft technicians that repair and overhaul virtually everything inside the cabin of an aircraft, including seats, galleys, lavatories, floor panels, sidewalls, overheads, and everything in between.

Steve Townes, CEO of InTech's parent company, said: "Scott Mowery is a well-qualified Officer level leader who has steadily advanced inside InTech Aerospace, leading the team with great performance for our airline and MRO customers. His long technical career in aircraft MRO has been enhanced in recent years through higher levels of business responsibility."

InTech Aerospace is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ranger AeroSystems in Greenville SC, an aviation growth platform created by Ranger Aerospace. Plans are to enhance and expand InTech Aerospace through internal investments and organic growth, entering new lines of technical capacity, expanding geographically, facilities enhancements, and possibly acquiring complementary companies.

For more information, see: www.intechaero.com and www.rangeraerospace.com. Reach InTech Aerospace at PH (281) 810-4400, or Ranger Aerospace at (864) 329-9000.

Forward Looking Statements: The Company from time to time may discuss forward-looking information. Except for factual historical information, all forward looking statements are estimates by the Company's management and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that are beyond the Company's control and may cause actual results to differ materially from management's expectations.

SOURCE Ranger Aerospace

Related Links

http://www.rangeraerospace.com


SHANGHAI, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. ("JinkoSolar" or the "Company"), a global leader in the Photovoltaic (PV) industry, today announced that after over six months of intensive meetings and discussions, the B20 Germany ECRE Taskforce Policy Paper has been developed. JinkoSolar, as co-chair of the B20 Germany ECRE (Energy, Climate and Resource Efficiency), and the world's largest PV module manufacturer, had been working with BASF, Continental, Enel S.p.A., Gamesa and other 8 world famous organizations and enterprises to promote the B20 Policy Paper.

The B20 German ECRE Taskforce has proposed three main recommendations and corresponding policy actions further presented to G20 to push policy related reform and promote global sustainable and balanced development. The B20 Summit 2017 will be held on May 2-3 in Berlin, Germany with the aim to find solutions for common global challenges. JinkoSolar will attend this conference on behalf of Chinese enterprises.

Please find a summary of the B20 Germany ECRE Taskforce Policy Paper below.

Recommendation 1: Curtail Climate Change - The G20 should curtail climate change by implementing the Paris Agreement and developing consistent and robust carbon pricing.

Policy Action 1.1: Implement the Paris Agreement - The G20 governments should support the UNFCCC in developing an effective Paris rule book with close business participation, submit NDC with high and comparable ambition levels, and develop transparent national long-term low GHG emission development strategies.

Policy Action 1.2: Drive Carbon Pricing - The G20 should establish an intergovernmental G20 Carbon Pricing Platform as a forum for strategic dialogue to create a basis for global GHG emissions pricing mechanisms, and to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, using its revenues to finance an energy transition that benefits everyone.

Recommendation 2: Foster the Global Energy Transition - The G20 should accelerate the market readiness and deployment of low-carbon technologies through effective and predictable energy policies, a joint innovation agenda, and strengthened Energy Access Action Plans.

Policy Action 2.1: Develop Effective and Predictable Energy Policies - The G20 should promote effective and predictable policies for accelerated investments into low-carbon technologies by broadening the technology scope of the G20 Voluntary Action Plan for Renewable Energy and developing an energy policy toolkit.

Policy Action 2.2: Accelerate Energy Innovation - The G20 should develop a G20 Energy Innovation Action Plan to accelerate the market readiness of innovative technologies, business models, and digital solutions that can contribute to large GHG emissions reductions within the next decades.

Policy Action 2.3: Enhance Energy Access - The G20 should strengthen the G20 Energy Access Action Plans by supporting the development of national, urban and rural action plans, and by mobilizing private sector participation in sustainable infrastructure development.

Recommendation 3: Advance Resource and Energy Efficiency - The G20 should advance resource and energy efficiency by establishing a Resource Efficiency Platform and translating the Voluntary Energy Efficiency Investment Principles into a policy toolkit.

Policy Action 3.1: Improve Resource Efficiency - The G20 should establish an intergovernmental G20 Resource Efficiency Platform as a forum for international collaboration with the goal of reducing the resource intensity of the world economy.

Policy Action 3.2: Accelerate Energy Efficiency - The G20 should accelerate the efforts within the G20 Energy Efficiency Leading Programme by translating the Voluntary Energy Efficiency Investment Principles into a policy toolkit.

SOURCE JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.
PHOENIX, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Make your window screens look clean and brand new for spring without the hassle of a hose and bucket. Just spray or wipe Screen Magic on your window screens and you're done, no rinsing, no scrubbing, saving a substantial amount of time, energy and water.

Now available at Lowe's, Screen Magic is a specially formulated product that allows users to organically dissolve dust and restore screens to looking new again without the use of a hose or bucket which saves up to 15 gallons of water per minute.

Screen Magic, USA

Professional window washers have been using Screen Magic for nearly a decade to clean window screens. Now Screen Magic has released a version for homeowners that can be found at Lowe's stores in AZ, NV, and CA and online nationwide. With a loyal base of customers in the USA, Screen Magic is also available internationally and is continuing to experience rapid growth.

Using Screen Magic is simple. Homeowners spray it on and they're done. There is no rinsing with water, no scrubbing and no streaks. On average, it takes approximately one minute to clean a screen and make it look new again. Once sprayed or wiped on the screen, Screen Magic's non-toxic formula continues to repel dust 24/7.

Product Creator and President, Tim Meester noted, "Part of why people love Screen Magic so much is that it's now easy to clean screens and it keeps them looking like new for four to six months. Our customers love how easy this product is to use and the fact that it is safe and non-toxic. If you use Screen Magic, you'll never scrub a screen again."

Screen Magic's special formula of emulsions, UV inhibitors, glossing agents and dust repellents destroys dust, as particles are organically dissolved. Designed to work with all screen types including sliding screen doors, bug doors, doors of different colors and solar window screens, Screen Magic was designed to be both highly effective and versatile.

Screen Magic uses a special non-toxic and completely safe formula to get window screens impressively clean. The product contains no solvents, phosphorus or petroleum distillates which can contribute to ozone-depletion. It is non-flammable and non-reactive.

Meester added, "Screen Magic also comes highly recommended by customers in the water conservation states. Cleaning can take place completely without water. We're happy to have a product that is so environmentally friendly!"

About Screen Magic, USA

Screen Magic, USA is the result of nearly ten years of research and development, Screen Magic is a green cleaner that is 100 percent non-toxic and makes screen cleaning easy and fast. Since 2009, Screen Magic has built a loyal customer base and can now be found at leading retailers including Lowe's. For more information visit, www.screenmagicusa.com.

Media Contact

Tim Meester

888-209-1424

Media kit: Screenmagicusa.com/media

Email: [email protected]

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This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE Screen Magic, USA

Related Links

http://www.screenmagicusa.com


AUSTIN, Texas, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Epiphany Dermatology (www.epiphanydermatology.com) announced today it has expanded its presence in the Las Cruces, New Mexico market through its acquisition of Las Cruces Dermatology Associates, PC ("LCDA"). Epiphany Dermatology is comprised of leading dermatologists committed to improving access to great dermatologic care.

Founded in 2005, LCDA has a long history of providing quality dermatology services to patients in Las Cruces and surrounding communities. Through this acquisition, LCDA's dedicated providers and support staff have joined Epiphany in a partnership grounded in exceptional patient care.

Dr. James Kerner, a board-certified medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatologist who earned an M.D./Ph.D. at the University of Washington and completed his dermatology residency at Harvard Medical School, commented, "My staff and I are excited to partner with Epiphany, which has proven itself to be a high-quality company comprised of intelligent and caring professionals. Epiphany shares the values and goals of LCDAto provide high-quality and compassionate care across the entire spectrum of dermatologic needs. Southern New Mexico has an epidemic of skin cancer, and by partnering with Epiphany we will expand our ability to effectively and expeditiously treat the thousands of skin cancers we are faced with annually. Epiphany has the infrastructure to help us deal with the growing regulatory burdens that would otherwise interfere with our ability to focus on what matters mosttaking care of our patients and serving our community."

Gheorghe Pusta, Chief Executive Officer of Epiphany, said, "We are pleased to form this partnership with Dr. Kerner and the staff at LCDA, who are as committed as Epiphany is to clinical excellence. This is an exciting opportunity to expand our provider network and improve access to great dermatologic care in the Las Cruces marketplace."

Through this partnership, LCDA's providers and staff gain additional resources to help with operations, managed care, marketing, compliance, recruiting, and many other areas.

About Epiphany Dermatology

Epiphany Dermatology is a rapidly expanding dermatology company, driven by a passion to improve access to high quality dermatologic care in a values-based manner. Through its partnership with leading dermatologists at nineteen locations in Texas and New Mexico, Epiphany provides general dermatology, skin cancer care, Mohs surgery, cosmetic services, and additional dermatologic services. Epiphany raises the standard of dermatology care by making clinical excellence accessible to all patients, promptly and in a warm and inviting environment. Epiphany Dermatology is headquartered in Austin, Texas. For more details, please visit www.epiphanydermatology.com or call (512) 628-0465.

Ted Emmert

Chief Development Officer

Epiphany Dermatology

(512) 628-0465

[email protected]

Gheorghe Pusta

Chief Executive Officer

Epiphany Dermatology

(512) 628-0465

[email protected]

SOURCE Epiphany Dermatology

Related Links

http://www.epiphanydermatology.com


The events will provide opportunities for attendees to learn about needs specific to millennial Hispanic consumers and to hear from guest speakers on topics including:

Challenges for hispennial homebuyers

Social media and technology

Techniques to remain relevant to this group.

In Phoenix, A.Z. Araujo, founder of A.Z. & Associates Real Estate Group, will be speaking about the millennial generation, trends, needs and opportunities.

In Tucson, two prominent figures of the Latino Community will be sharing their insights. Humberto N. Stevens, managing partner of J. Nelson Company, a corporate development and capital funding firm, will be speaking on the Hispanic market and its economic power. Raul E. Aguirre, President and CEO of REA Media Group will address the cultural nuances of this burgeoning group.

The workshops will be held on April 20, 2017 from 9:00 A.M. -11:00 A.M. at the Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel & Spa, 9495 W Coyotes Blvd, Glendale, AZ 85305 and on April 21, 2017 from 12:00 P.M. -2:00 P.M. at the Casino del Sol, 5655 W. Valencia Road, Tucson, AZ 85757.

To learn more please visit http://www.latinofocus.com.

In 2013, New American Funding formed the Latino Focus Committee to develop services that enhance the quality of the lending experience among Hispanic consumers, aiming to enrich the Hispanic community through homeownership.

These events are produced in collaboration with Freddie Mac and Radian.

About New American Funding

New American Funding is a national mortgage banker licensed in 48 states with 130+ branch locations offering a variety of home loan options including: Conventional, FHA, Cash Out, Fixed Rate and Adjustable Rate Mortgages, VA, HARP 2.0, Jumbo, and Reverse Mortgages. The company is a Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae Direct Seller/Servicer, FHA Direct Endorsement, and VA Automatic mortgage lender.

SOURCE New American Funding

Related Links

http://www.newamericanfunding.com


ALBANY, New York, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

According to a new research report by Transparency Market Research (TMR), the global load cell market demonstrates a highly competitive and a fragmented structure due to the presence of a large number of players. The top three players, namely, Mettler-Toledo International Inc., Precia Molen, and Vishay Precision Group Inc., could hold only 20% of the overall market in 2015.

Hitherto, product innovations, strategic acquisitions and diversifying production operations have been the key strategies adopted by the leading players in this market to remain competitive. They are also expected to focus aggressively on OEM customers and the decreasing of manufacturing cost through relocation of production plants in emerging economies, notes the research study.

Analysts at TMR estimated the global market for load cells to rise at a CAGR of 3.50% during the period from 2016 to 2024, increasing the market's opportunity from US$1.87 bn in 2015 to US$2.55 bn by the end of the forecast period. Currently, analog load cells have been registering a higher demand than digital load cells and the scenario is projected to remain so throughout the period of the forecast.

Europe to Register Lead with 2.9% CAGR between 2016 and 2024

Geographically, the global market for load cells has been classified into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and Latin America in this research report. Among these, Europe has acquired the leading position, thanks to the increased application of these cells in the oil and gas, automotive, aerospace and defense, and the bulk material handling industries. Analysts project this regional market to remain leading throughout the forecast period, rising at a CAGR of 2.90%.

Get PDF Sample for this Research Report @ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=1104

The presence of a large pool of companies, catering to bulk material handling industries, such as the cement, coal and iron ore mining, and railway sectors, is also expected to support the Europe market for load cells in the years to come. Germany and the U.K. are anticipated to surface as the prime domestic players in this regional market over the next few years.

The report considers the bulk material handling, retail, healthcare, agriculture equipment, oil and gas, aerospace and defense, and the automotive industries as the key end users of load cells. The oil and gas industry has been recording a greater demand for load cells than other end user and is expected to continue doing so over the forecast period, states the research report.

Increasing Usage of Digital Load Cells in Heavy Lifting Industry to Boost Market's Growth

"With the growing demand for home hemodialysis (HHD) machines, the usage of load cells has increased phenomenally in the medical and healthcare sector, impacting the global load cell market greatly," says a TMR analyst. The rising need for infusion pumps, on account of the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, surging geriatric population, and the upswing in the number of surgical procedures, is likely to drive this market further in the near future.

Although the future of this market looks thriving, it may face obstacles, such as the declining demand for analog load cells across various industries over the forecast period. However, the augmenting demand for digital load cells in the heavy lifting industry will create new growth opportunities for market players in the years to come, report the market study.

Get more information from Research Report Press Release: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/load-cells-market.htm

The study presented here is based on a report by Transparency Market Research (TMR), titled "Load Cell Market (Technology - Analog Load Cells and Digital Load Cells; Type - Single-point, S-type, and Shear Beam; End-use Industry - Healthcare, Agriculture Equipment, Oil & Gas, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, Bulk Material Handling, and Retail) - Global Industry Analysis Size Share Growth Trends and Forecast, 2016-2024."

The global load cell market has been segmented as follows:

By Technology

Analog Load Cells

Digital Load Cells

By Type

Single-Point

S-Type

Shear Beam

Others

By End-use Industries

Healthcare

Agriculture Equipment

Oil & Gas

Aerospace & Defense

Automotive

Bulk Material Handling

Retail

Others

By Region

- North America

The U.S.

Canada

Mexico

- Europe

U.K

Germany

France

Italy

Rest of Europe

- Asia Pacific

Japan

China

South Korea

India

Rest of Asia Pacific

- Middle East and Africa (MEA)

United Arab Emirates

Saudi Arabia

South Africa

Rest of MEA

- Latin America

Brazil

Rest of Latin America

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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.

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SOURCE Transparency Market Research
Chaired by Andreas Sohmen-Pao, Chairman of BW Group Ltd and the Singapore Maritime Foundation, the debate will delve into the complexities and outlook of the shipping industry that has traditionally been modeled around privately-owned, family-oriented businesses, which are now coming up against increased challenges.

The speakers for the motion are Kenneth Hvid, President and CEO of Teekay Corporation, Michael Parker, Global Head for Shipping, Logistics and Offshore Industries at Citigroup, and Mikael Skov, Chief Executive Officer of Hafnia Tankers. Those going against the motion are Randy Chen, Vice Chairman of Wan Hai Lines, Filippos Lemos, President of N.S. Lemos & Company Ltd, and Philippe Louis-Dreyfus, President of BIMCO and Chairman of Louis Dreyfus Armateurs S.A.S.

Providing a preview of the debate, Mr Parker said: "Globally the shipping sector has seen many companies shift away from private, independent ownership. This continues a trend to seek outside capital and diversify sources of finance as traditional shipping banks cut back given heavy losses in the industry, regulatory pressure and the need for greater transparency in their clients business.

"Traditional sources of finance for ship orders are drying up as many banks look to improve their lending portfolios and decrease risk. For many independent private shipowners, this means looking to different financial solutions, with non-bank sources such as private equity and hedge funds. For some private and family-owned businesses, going public will be the alternative solution although for many small and medium-sized companies, mergers to create scale first will be essential to attract investor interest."

Speakers will debate the value of going public or taking on private equity from outside investors, and consider whether these are sustainable solutions, given the volatile nature of the shipping industry.

Going against the motion, Mr Louis-Dreyfus said despite the various headwinds facing the industry today, there is still a future for the private independent shipowner, such as the family-owned business he currently leads.

"Private shipowners have the ability to directly influence their company strategy, and hence have the opportunity to be more agile and innovative. Now, more than ever, it is important for shipowners to understand the value of deep research, risk analysis, identification of risk mitigation, innovative solutions and a high-quality team. By focusing on these areas private shipowners will be able to better leverage opportunities that arise in the current market.

"The shipping industry has a founded reputation for being volatile and cyclical. While I believe that the future of the private family business -- especially those in the big bulk transportation business -- will not be as bright as before, I strongly believe there is still a future for the private shipping companies which know how to react to changes in the industry. These include maintaining good relations with stakeholders and managing finances well. Family businesses usually do better in these areas, especially those in the shipping sector.

"I look forward to engaging in a robust discussion with my industry peers on this topic at Sea Asia 2017," said Mr Louis-Dreyfus.

Established as one of Southeast Asia's largest maritime conferences and leading forum for analysis and debate on the challenges and opportunities facing the sector, Sea Asia 2017 will take place next week in Singapore from 25-27 April 2017.

For more information, please contact:

Disha Gurnani Caroline Leeming

Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Mobile: +65 9789 1655 Mobile: +65 8742 3266

DID: +65 6239 4105 DID: +65 6239 4102

About Sea Asia 2017

Sea Asia, the premier maritime and offshore conference and exhibition in Asia is returning for the 6th edition on 25-27 April 2017 at the Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Co-organised by Seatrade and the Singapore Maritime Foundation, Sea Asia is well-attended by trade professionals and some of the most influential and respected leaders in the industry, delivering an unparalleled reach of key decision-makers.

Alongside an international exhibition, the highly acclaimed and interactive Sea Asia conference complements and puts Sea Asia at the forefront of regional maritime events. International thought-leaders will address the latest topics, debate on key trends, and discuss opportunities and challenges facing the maritime and offshore businesses from a commercial perspective.

For a full list of sponsors and exhibitors, and more information on the conference programme, please visit www.sea-asia.com/.

About Seatrade

Founded in 1970, Seatrade was acquired in 2014 by UBM, the world's second largest media and event organiser across a wide variety of industries. Seatrade's publications, events, management training, research and award schemes cover every aspect of the cruise and maritime industries. The company's principal strength is its ability to bring key people together, encouraging innovation and facilitating better communication within the industry. Seatrade is headquartered in Colchester, UK, with regional offices in Dubai, Singapore, as well as representatives in all major maritime centres and cruise destinations across the globe.

For more information, please visit www.seatrade-maritime.com.

About the Singapore Maritime Foundation

Established in 2004, the Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF) is a private sector-led organisation that seeks to develop and promote Singapore as an International Maritime Centre (IMC). As the representative voice for the commercial players of the maritime industry, SMF seeks to forge strong partnerships with the public and private sectors of the maritime industry. SMF spearheads initiatives to promote the diverse clusters of the maritime industry in Singapore and at international frontiers, and to attract young talents to join the sector. SMF is directed by its Board of Directors which comprises prominent leaders in the Singapore maritime community.

For details, please visit www.smf.com.sg.

About the Singapore Maritime Week 2017 (22nd-28th April 2017)

Sea Asia 2017 is held in conjunction with the Singapore Maritime Week 2017 (SMW). SMW is the leading maritime event in Singapore driven by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. SMW gathers the international maritime community in Singapore for a week of conferences, dialogues, exhibitions and social events in celebration of all things maritime. These events reflect the vibrancy and diversity of Singapore as a major international maritime centre.

SOURCE Seatrade Communications

Related Links

http://www.sea-asia.com/


RICHMOND, Va., April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mosquito Squad, the largest and most trusted mosquito and tick control franchise in North America, today launched its Protect Your Squad campaign to educate consumers and build awareness about mosquito protection.

"The risk of Zika in America is growing, and it's our duty to ensure everyone not only knows how to protect themselves, but also their families, friends, pets, Co-workers and so on," said Amy Lawhorne, vice president of Mosquito Squad. "The Protect Your Squad campaign gives us an opportunity to push mosquito prevention to the forefront of the existing narrative by providing consumers with facts about the current mosquito climate, easy ways to stay protected and a platform to help us drive our message."

To kick off Protect Your Squad and further fuel conversation among consumers, Mosquito Squad is launching the #protectmysquad social media photo contest. To enter, participants must post a photo of a squad they want to protect to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #protectmysquad, tagging Mosquito Squad on the respective platform and sharing where they're from. The winner will receive a full season of America's #1 mosquito elimination solution  the original Mosquito Squad Protective Barrier Treatment.

The contest is open for entries beginning today, April 17, through Friday, May 19. Once entries close, Mosquito Squad will select one winner at random and announce them on social media on Friday, May 26.

"We're eager to engage with people from communities across the country and give them the tools they need to stay informed on effective ways to ward off mosquitoes and prevent the spread of disease. We take our position as industry leaders seriously and always strive to remain a valuable resource for consumers everywhere," added Lawhorne.

Founded in 2005 and proud sponsor of Malaria No More, Mosquito Squad specializes in eliminating mosquitoes and ticks from outdoor living spaces so that homeowners can enjoy their yards, and outdoor living and dining spaces. Since Mosquito Squad's partnership with Malaria No More, a nonprofit global health organization with the goal of ending malaria deaths in Africa, they have raised more than $300,000 to help fuel the fight against malaria.

For additional #protectmysquad contest details, full terms and conditions and to keep up with entries, visit www.protectmysquad.com.

More information on Mosquito Squad is available at www.mosquitosquad.com. Follow Mosquito Squad on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and trends.

ABOUT MOSQUITO SQUAD

With over 200 franchise locations nationwide, Mosquito Squad specializes in eliminating mosquitoes and ticks from outdoor living spaces, allowing Americans to enjoy their yards, outdoor living spaces, special events and green spaces. For more information, visit http://www.MosquitoSquad.com, http://www.MosquitoSquadFranchise.com and http://www.OutdoorLivingBrands.com

CONTACT:

Tiffany Trilli

954-893-9150

[email protected]

SOURCE Mosquito Squad

Related Links

http://www.mosquitosquad.com


PHOENIX, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Although real estate investing books can be had by the hundreds, Truth or Comfort by John Trautman of Real Estate Knowledge Institute (REKI) provides something most books neglect to provide: the truth.

Do You Want Truth or Comfort in Real Estate?

Truth or Comfort, available now at Truthorcomfort.com & Amazon, tells you the truth about real estate investing: it's hard work. If you are looking for a get rich quick scheme, then real estate investing is not for you. However, Trautman goes on to explain why it is worth it. "Real estate investing can provide for you and your family. For me, it hasn't been a get rich quick deal, but done correctly, you can generate income over time."

The name of the book came from a small group presentation Trautman attended years ago, before the recession. The presenter asked, "Truth or comfort? Which do you prefer?" Those at the conference wondered about the question and why they should have to choose. Real estate was going great.

However, the presenter had some truths he wanted to impart about the impending bubble. He suggested that the group prepare themselves for what was to come. Trautman says, "For those of us who listened, it was information that helped us more easily navigate through some difficult times. Those who didn't listen got hit hard. In fact, some lost everything. That's why I named the book Truth or Comfort. I want to provide others with the truth so they can make the best decisions."

Truth or Comfort begins with Trautman's story as he discovers the common denominator between those that have made it and those that have not  real estate. He then explains his journey from a 23-year-old first-time home buyer to the present day, where he has done over 10,000 loans and purchased hundreds of properties across the US. Despite some setbacks, he states, "My real estate investments gave me the freedom I have been seeking for years."

This book, based on Trautman's personal experiences, provides the truth about real estate investing with helpful hints, best practices, and off-the-cuff tips to help you keep your investments strong.

You'll learn:

5 Steps to ensure real estate investing success

A wide variety of investment strategies

Investments that don't require property purchase and/or cash in hand

Dozens of ways to get financed

Why networking is the most important part of investing

How to pick the best neighborhoods for investing

The differences between buying to flip and buying to rent

How foreclosures can be part of your portfolio

How to buy property via an auction

Tips for finding the best tenants for your rental homes

And More!

Whether you are just beginning to think about investing or have been investing for years, Truth or Comfort will provide you with tried and true ideas for making your business better. John Trautman has not only been there and done that, but is currently there and doing it. By the time you finish this book, you will be prepared to find the freedom, flexibility, and financial security you desire.

Media Contact:

[email protected]

866-677-4807

Related Links

Truth or Comfort

Real Estate Knowledge Institute

Related Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsVX61DR5Y4

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE Real Estate Knowledge Institute
LAS VEGAS, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- After five years at the head of one of the world's most illustrious luxury hospitality companies, Neil Moffitt has confirmed he will be stepping down from his role as CEO as of today.

The decision follows weeks of speculation around a proposed merger with hotel giant sbe, a move that would see the two companies create one of the most powerful global players in the hospitality industry. Moffitt decided to liquidate his interests in Hakkasan prior to the closing and they have been acquired by the current shareholder.

Commenting on his departure, Moffitt remarked, "The task I set myself is now complete. I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last five years as we have transformed our company from the hopeful and ambitious nightlife group we once were to an extraordinary global hospitality corporation with more than 60 nightlife, daylife and dining venues spanning 4 continents. With over 6,000 extremely talented employees worldwide, the business is now primed for continued success and ready to move into its next exciting phase of development. My passion for what we have built will never go away, however it feels like the right moment for me to step off the train and refocus on my own future and family.

"I feel honored and privileged to have been at the helm for so long and I leave behind an incredibly talented and motivated team to continue the journey. I am looking forward to spending some time reflecting on what we have achieved and considering what my next project will be. I am proud to leave a lasting legacy and an excellent management team, and wish the new shareholders and the team the best of luck on the next phase of the journey."

Khalifa Bin Butti, Chairman of Hakkasan Group added: ''Neil Moffitt has been the driving force of this company and we are incredibly grateful for his vision, commitment and leadership over the years. We are naturally disappointed to see him leave."

Moffitt is widely regarded as one of the most influential operators in the Las Vegas market and within nightlife globally. His story began in the UK in 1999 when he took Godskitchen from a Midlands nightclub to a festival entity and global event brand. In 2007 he led the charge in changing the landscape of Las Vegas from a gambler's paradise to the center of daylife and nightlife in the US, with the opening of Wet Republic followed by the renowned Hakkasan and OMNIA nightclubs. His keynote speech at The Nightclub and Bar show event in Las Vegas last month attracted a crowd of thousands and earned him two standing ovations. His contribution to the hospitality sector in both the UK and the US has been a hugely significant and well documented story, and one that is unlikely to finish now.

About Hakkasan Group

Hakkasan Group is a worldwide hospitality company with establishments across North America, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa. Its namesake is taken from its Michelin star restaurant that set the high-level standard for the group's collection of diverse brands. Its 'brand first' philosophy builds restaurants, nightlife, daylife and soon-to-open hotels, resorts and residences into world-class hospitality brands, all with a focus on service, design, innovation and experience.

Its restaurant portfolio includes Hakkasan, with 11 locations worldwide, Ling, Yauatcha, HKK, Sake no Hana, Herringbone, Searsucker and Ivory on Sunset. Under the nightlife/daylife umbrella of brands are Hakkasan Nightclub, Wet Republic, OMNIA and JEWEL Nightclub.

Hakkasan Group is fully owned by Alliance International Investments LLC, an investment company based out of Abu Dhabi.

SOURCE Hakkasan Group
SAN JOSE, Calif., April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Numerify, a cloud analytics solutions company focused on business analytics for IT leaders, today announced its silver sponsorship of the ServiceNow Knowledge17 conference. Knowledge17 will take place from May 711, 2017 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

This will be Numerify's fourth year sponsoring and exhibiting at the annual ServiceNow event. Attendees can stop by booth #732 for an overview of Numerify and demonstration of the value of comprehensive analytics for IT.

"We deeply value all of the connections we've made at previous Knowledge conferences and look forward to engaging in conversation with forward-thinking service professionals," said Sunil Dixit, VP of Marketing at Numerify. "Once again, we expect to learn a great deal from our interactions with individuals at the forefront of IT thought leadership."

A Fortune 25 Numerify customer will present a session at the ServiceNow conference entitled Data-Driven ITSM Strategy - Leveraging Analytics to Deliver CSI. The session, taking place Wednesday, May 10, 2017 at 1:30pm ET, will include a discussion by the ITSM Director about how the organization is driving continuous service improvements (CSI) through a data-focused IT strategy.

Numerify will also be a silver exhibitor at the Gartner IT Operations Strategies & Solutions Summit. The event will occur May 8-10, 2017 at the Hilton in Orlando, Florida. Event attendees can visit booth #109 to meet the team and learn more about the value of Numerify for their IT organization.

"We are excited about the opportunity to connect with industry-leading IT operations professionals and share some of the unique value that Numerify customers have captured through comprehensive analytics," said Roberto Ayala, VP of Worldwide Sales. "With an expanding segment of our customers focused on a data-driven approach to their IT operations, we feel this is an ideal time and forum to showcase our solutions as a trusted partner of innovative IT organizations."

Adjacent to the conferences, Numerify will host its second annual Customer Council. Customers elected to council membership will participate in roundtable discussions with Numerify executives on the product roadmap and best practices in IT business analytics.

About Numerify

Numerify is a provider of IT business analytics applications to leading organizations that have embraced cloud-based IT services, assets, projects, and finance systems. The company's pre-built analytics solutions integrate data across IT sources as well as contact center, HR, and finance systems. Numerify's cloud applications rapidly deliver precise insights that help IT organizations lower costs, increase delivery speed, and dramatically improve service levels. Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., Numerify is backed by Lightspeed Venture Partners, Sequoia Capital, Tenaya Capital, Silicon Valley Bank, and Four Rivers Group. For more information, visit www.numerify.com or follow @numerify.

Contact:

Sunil Dixit

VP, Marketing

408-822-9611

SOURCE Numerify

Related Links

http://www.numerify.com


RAS AL KHAIMAH, UAE, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Move creates one of the largest economic zones in the region

RAKEZ to be positioned as a world-class investment destination with a focus on the customer experience

The government of Ras Al Khaimah announced today the launch of Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ), a world-class authority established to oversee, regulate and consolidate the services, facilities and zones of Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone (RAK FTZ) and RAK Investment Authority (RAKIA). RAKEZ is now one of the largest economic zones in the region, covering about 33 million square metres of land and housing over 13,000 companies, currently served by RAK FTZ and RAKIA.

The launch took place during a Gala event in Ras Al Khaimah, and was attended by His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, United Arab Emirates Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, in addition to many high profile dignitaries, policymakers, businessmen, media members, and clients of RAK FTZ and RAKIA.

The two leading free zones started their collaboration last year by combining their boards and management teams, led by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saqr Al Qasimi as Chairman and Ramy Jallad as Group CEO. This was followed by the unification of the back-office functions of both entities in order to streamline their activities and boost service delivery to clients.

RAKEZ combines the best of RAK FTZ and RAKIA. It offers both existing clients and prospective investors an exceptional platform in Ras Al Khaimah, from which they can access local, regional and global markets. As a comprehensive investment destination, the new entity presents a wide range of premium customisable facilities, enhanced levels of service and five diversified and strategically located zones for all types of business setups, including startups, entrepreneurs, SMEs and manufacturers, all within the unique and cost-effective environment of Ras Al Khaimah.

Commenting on the announcement, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Chairman of RAKEZ, RAK FTZ and RAKIA, said: "The formation of RAKEZ marks an important milestone for the free zone landscape in Ras Al Khaimah. We have worked very hard to establish a new Authority that will drive the emirate's development by diversifying its offerings to attract a broad client base and grow the number of investors. It is our firm belief that after nearly two decades of operating independently, the time is right to leverage the combined resources of RAK FTZ and RAKIA under one strong, unified brand. We are confident that with RAKEZ, we will start an exciting journey that will help achieve our vision for Ras Al Khaimah to become a leading global investment destination that is better able to serve our clients."

Ramy Jallad, Group CEO of RAKEZ, RAK FTZ and RAKIA, said: "Bringing together RAK FTZ and RAKIA under the umbrella of RAKEZ is the first step towards taking our customer experience to the next level. It underlines our commitment to provide exceptional service delivery, simplified processes and cost-effective solutions."

"Indeed, it is only natural for entities with the scale, scope and know-how of RAK FTZ and RAKIA to come together. We are very pleased that this collaboration has the full support of the RAK government and leadership. All government and private stakeholders are fully supportive of the launch of RAKEZ and have been cooperating with us in an effort to provide a seamless service to our clients, and to ensure that their businesses continue as usual."

Jallad continued, "We are confident that all RAKEZ has to offer will have a significant impact on existing clients, potential investors and the economy at large. We look forward to continuously meeting our clients' and investors' needs and empowering their growth every step of the way."

RAKEZ is fully committed to supporting the vision of Ras Al Khaimah of being a leading investment destination for investors from all over the world and significantly contributing to the economic growth of the emirate.

About Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) :

Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) is an authority established by the government of Ras Al Khaimah to oversee, regulate and consolidate the services, facilities and zones of Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone (RAK FTZ) and Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority (RAKIA), and serves their respective clients. Established in 2017, RAKEZ builds on 17 years of consistent value generation by RAK FTZ and RAKIA.

RAKEZ offers its clients easy access to local markets of the UAE, in addition to growing markets of the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and South and Central Asia.

The authority offers free zone and non-free zone licenses through RAK FTZ and RAKIA for companies operating in diverse industry sectors including, manufacturing, consulting, trading, logistics, academic, media and many more.

RAKEZ currently hosts over 13,000 companies from entrepreneurs and startups to SMEs and manufacturers covering over 50 industries from over 100 countries. Through its five specialised zones including RAKEZ Business Zone, Al Hamra Industrial Zone, Al Ghail Industrial Zone, Al Hulaila Industrial Zone and RAKEZ Academic Zone, it offers a wide range of customisable and cost-effective solutions for existing clients and potential investors. All clients have access to three local offices in Ras Al Khaimah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and international offices in India, Turkey and Germany.

A leading economic zone, RAKEZ, aims to continue attracting diversified investment opportunities that will contribute to the economic growth of Ras Al Khaimah.

SOURCE RAK FTZ and RAKIA
Powered by ReneSola's Virtus II 315W modules, the utility project has a capacity of approximately 6.75 MW and will sell the power generated to the local utility under a 15-year purchase agreement.

Xianshou Li, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ReneSola, commented: "This agreement further demonstrates our capability of developing and monetizing projects in more attractive developed markets. The U.S. remains an important market for us, and recent activity continues to highlight our competitive advantages in the region. Our project pipeline in the U.S. consists of over 105 MW of mid-to-late stage projects, and we expect the region to be a major growth market in the years ahead."

About ReneSola

Founded in 2005, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2008, ReneSola (NYSE: SOL) is an international leading brand and technology provider of energy efficient products. Leveraging its global presence and expansive distribution and sales network, ReneSola is well positioned to provide its highest quality green energy products and on-time services for EPC, installers, and green energy projects around the world. For more information, please visit www.renesola.com.

About Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC

Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company is a publicly registered, non-traded limited liability company that has acquired a diversified portfolio of income-producing renewable energy power plants, energy efficiency projects and other sustainable investments.

Based in New York, New York, Greenbacker operates solar and wind facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Whenever you read a statement that is not simply a statement of historical fact (such as when the Company describes what it "believes," "plans," "expects" or "anticipates" will occur, what "will" or "could" happen, and other similar statements), you must remember that the Company's expectations may not be correct, even though it believes that they are reasonable. The Company does not guarantee that the forward-looking statements will happen as described or that they will happen at all. Further information regarding risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's annual report on Form 20-F. The Company undertakes no obligation, beyond that required by law, to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made, even though the Company's situation may change in the future.

For investor and media inquiries for ReneSola, please contact:

In China:

ReneSola Ltd

Ms. Rebecca Shen

+86 (21) 6280-9180 x106

[email protected]

The Blueshirt Group Asia

Mr. Gary Dvorchak, CFA

+86 (138) 1079-1480

[email protected]

In the United States:

The Blueshirt Group

Mr. Ralph Fong

+1 (415) 489-2195

[email protected]

For investor and media inquiries for Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC, please contact:

David Sher

Director

+1 (917) 309 -1234

SOURCE ReneSola Ltd.

Related Links

http://www.renesola.com


"It's hard to say what I love most about Rue La La! Super-fun handbags, sassy heels and classy clothes...not to mention the custom set they painted just for me," said Erin Robertson, Designer.

Rue Now (Rue La La's editorial site) conversed with the designer on all things "Project Runway," sustainable fashion, and her next big thing. The interview goes live in tandem with her Boutique.

"Erin is cool  plain and simple! From the makeup choices to fashion selects to set creation, each step of the collaboration was vibrant and lively," said John Camilleri, Executive Creative Director, Rue La La.

The brand's in-house studio creative team produced a hand-painted banana-themed backdrop for the shots. The bubbly and playful design mimicked her personality and approach to the shoot. "She exudes confidence  which is everything our brand embodies. Perfect fit!" said Camilleri.

The Boutique will be open on RueLaLa.com until April 19 at 11AM.

About Rue La La

Rue La La strives to be the most engaging off-price, online style destination connecting world-class brands with the next generation shopper. Each day, Rue La La Members discover the most desired men's, women's, and children's apparel and accessories; home decor and accents; and exclusive destinations and experiences. Rue La La's engaging approach to retail has brought theater and excitement to online shopping, creating a captivating e-commerce destination that strategically supports its brand partners and inspires its Members daily. Rue La La is ranked #8 on Internet Retailer's 2016 Mobile 500 List. Visit us at www.ruelala.com.

Contacts:

Trisha Spillane

Rue La La

617-790-3666

[email protected]





SOURCE Rue La La

Related Links

http://www.ruelala.com


SAVANNAH, Ga., April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) will unveil "Chaos Concepcion," a permanent, monumental sculpture by internationally renowned artist Jedd Novatt, on Friday, April 28, 2017. The sculpture will be installed in the Alex Townsend Courtyard at the SCAD Museum of Art, 601 Turner Blvd., Savannah, Georgia.

Jedd Novatt in his foundry. Courtesy of the artist.

"Chaos Concepcion" is the second Jedd Novatt sculpture that has been donated to the university. A work from Novatt's Chaos Series, "Chaos Mundaka," is installed on the front green of the SCAD Atlanta campus. "Chaos Pacific," an exhibition of 15 monotypes by the artist, is on display at the SCAD Museum of Art through June 4. Novatt's sculptures have been exhibited extensively in galleries and museums in the United States, Europe and Asia, including Sotheby's prestigious annual exhibition "Beyond Limits" at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire and the Perez Art Museum Miami. Novatt's work is also represented in numerous public and private collections worldwide.

"The roots of SCAD's friendship with Jedd Novatt run deep," says SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace. "In Lacoste, SCAD's European home, Jedd completed his formal arts education, prior to the establishment of SCAD Lacoste, where students now learn every quarter. His sculpture 'Chaos Mundaka' stands proudly on the lawn of SCAD Atlanta on Peachtree Street, where it's been viewed by millions. This spring SCAD continues its strong tradition of sharing public art with our communities around the world with another Jedd Novatt sculpture, this time, at the SCAD Museum of Art in the Alex Townsend Memorial Courtyard, the new home of 'Chaos Concepcion.'"

Novatt's "Chaos" series explores the internal and external dynamics of space, with works that seemingly defy gravity in effortless, kinetic ways. His fixed-motion sculptures push boundaries and challenge expectations by creating a unique aesthetic through the use of lines and borders to sculpt a space more than a material. Novatt is known for using the raw qualities of materials, such as stainless steel or bronze, to magnify their own notions of purity, power, permanence or stoicism.

The unveiling will take place during a dedication ceremony on Friday, April 28 at 5:30pm hosted by President Paula Wallace. The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, visit:

scadmoa.org/calendar/2017/jedd-novatt-sculpture-unveiling

About the SCAD Museum of Art

The SCAD Museum of Art is a premier contemporary art museum established to enrich education of SCAD students and attract and delight visitors from around the world. Introducing new exhibitions every academic quarter, the museum showcases work by a range of highly acclaimed professional artists, inspiring and challenging students across disciplines to push the boundaries of their creative practice.

The SCAD Museum of Art was recognized with the 2014 AIA Institute Honor Award for Architecture, named one of CNN's 11 coolest buildings in North America and earned the National Trust for Historic Preservation Honor Award. The museum houses the Walter O. Evans Center for African American Studies, a multidisciplinary center for the study, understanding and appreciation of African American culture, art and literature.

The SCAD Museum of Art has received support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Ford Foundation, as well as gifts and grants from numerous family foundations, corporations and individuals. Foundation donors include the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, Charles A. Frueauff Foundation, Georgia Power Foundation, Hallmark Foundation, J.C. Lewis Foundation, Pfizer Foundation, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and Wyeth Foundation for American Art. Support has also come from a range of corporations, including 1600 Peachtree, THA Group, Latham & Watkins, Stanley Convergent Security Solutions, ArKay, Carver Community Development Corporation and T.W. Lord & Associates.



SCAD: The University for Creative Careers

The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited university conferring bachelor's and master's degrees at distinctive locations to prepare talented students for professional careers. SCAD offers degrees in 43 majors. SCAD also offers minors in more than 70 disciplines. With 32,000 alumni worldwide, SCAD is known as a thought leader, preparing graduates for professional success.

At locations in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia; in Hong Kong; in Lacoste, France; and online through SCAD eLearning, the diverse student body consists of nearly 13,000 students, from across the United States and over 100 countries. SCAD's innovative curriculum is enhanced by advanced, professional-level technology, equipment and learning resources. Curricular collaborations with companies and organizations including Google and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) affirm the professional currency SCAD champions in its degree programs.

The university, students, faculty and alumni have garnered acclaim from respected organizations and publications worldwide including five consecutive years of No. 1 rankings for the undergraduate interior design program by Design Intelligence, 2015 ranking among the top five universities in the Americas and Europe by Red Dot, and the No. 1 graduate fashion program in the U.S. as determined by London-based Business of Fashion.

For more information, visit scad.edu or the official SCAD blog.

SOURCE Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)
MECHANICSBURG, Pa., April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Select Medical Holdings Corporation ("Select Medical") (NYSE: SEM), will release the financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2017 on Thursday, May 4, 2017 after the market closes.

Select Medical will host a conference call regarding its first quarter results, as well as its business outlook, on Friday, May 5, 2017, at 9:00am ET. The domestic dial in number for the call is 1-877-430-7741. The international dial in number is 1-615-247-0054. The conference ID for the call is 9660441. The conference call will be webcast simultaneously and can be accessed at Select Medical Holdings Corporation's website www.selectmedicalholdings.com.

For those unable to participate in the conference call, a replay will be available until 11:59pm ET, May 12, 2017. The replay number is 1-855-859-2056 (domestic) or 1-404-537-3406 (international). The passcode for the replay will be 9660441. The replay can also be accessed at Select Medical Holdings Corporation's website, www.selectmedicalholdings.com.

Select Medical began operations in 1997 and has grown to be one of the largest operators of specialty hospitals, outpatient rehabilitation clinics and occupational health centers in the United States based on the number of facilities. As of March 31, 2017, Select Medical operated 102 long term acute care hospitals and 20 acute medical rehabilitation hospitals in 27 states and 1,610 outpatient rehabilitation clinics in 37 states and the District of Columbia. Select Medical's joint venture subsidiary Concentra operated 308 centers in 38 states. Concentra also provides contract services at employer worksites and Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinics. At March 31, 2017, Select Medical had operations in 46 states and the District of Columbia. Information about Select Medical is available at www.selectmedical.com.

Investor inquiries:

Joel T. Veit

Senior Vice President and Treasurer

717-972-1100

[email protected]

SOURCE Select Medical Holdings Corporation

Related Links

http://www.selectmedicalholdings.com


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Browse 70 market data Tables and 41 Figures spread through 150 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Smart Meters Market"

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/smart-meter-366.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report.

The global market is witnessing a significant growth, which is driven by government policies, energy conservation, increasing smart grid deployment, and utilities urge to enhance distribution efficiency.

Residential - the largest Smart Meters Market by application

The Smart Meters Market in this report has been classified based on application, into three segments, namely, residential, commercial, and industrial. The residential segment accounted for the largest market size, in terms of value, in 2016. The meters measure the electricity, water, and gas consumption and communicate this to the central utility system. The installations of these devices in the residential sector helps in reducing CO2 emissions globally as the consumer's inclination towards peak time savings of energy would increase. The increasing residential construction activities and government mandates such as the European Union 20-20-20 policy, which aims to convert 80% of the installed meter base to smart one, have ensured the growth in the demand for smart meters.

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"The AMR technology segment would dominate the global smart meters market"

The Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) segment was estimated to be the largest market for smart meters in 2016. AMR is a metering technology that collects consumption data from the meters and transfers it to a central database (in the utility station) for billing and other purposes (one-way communication only). It is the initially developed smart metering technology and, hence, it has widely been adopted since its inception. North America and Europe are the regions that have much embraced this technology. It is less costly when compared to the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and, hence, has a high market size.

North America: The leading market for smart meters

The North American market dominates the Smart Meters Market during the forecast period. In North America, the growth of the Smart Meters Market can be attributed to focus on electricity, water, & gas, monitoring & prevention of leakage, and the repair & upgrade of aging infrastructure. Lot of smart meters rollouts are taking place in countries such as the U.S., Canada, and Mexico which would impart growth in the North American region.

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To provide an in-depth understanding of the competitive landscape, the report includes profiles of some of the leading players in the Smart Meters Market, namely, Itron, Inc. (U.S.), Kamstrup A/S (Denmark), Holley Metering, Ltd. (China), Honeywell International, Inc. (U.S.), and Toshiba Corporation (Japan). Leading players are trying to penetrate the markets in developing economies and are adopting various strategies to increase their market share.

Browse Related Reports:

Smart Electric Meter Market by Communication Technology (RF, PLC, and Cellular), End-User (Residential, Commercial, Industrial), Phase (Single Phase and Three Phase) and by Region - Global Trends & Forecasts to 2021

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/smart-electric-meter-market-244481146.html

Smart Water Management Market by Advanced Water Meters (Meter Type & Meter Read Technology), Solution (Network Monitoring, Advanced Pressure Management, SCADA System, Advanced Analytics, Residential Water Efficiency), Service - Global Forecast to 2021

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/smart-water-management-market-1265.html

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HARRISBURG, Pa., April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Department of Health is warning Fulton County residents of a potentially rabid black and white ferret that bit one individual and may have bitten two others since April 12.

The department is seeking to identify two individuals who were observed handling the animal and may have been bitten: one female described as Mennonite in her mid-20s with blonde hair riding or driving in a black van; and one male, approximately in his mid-20s with multiple piercings. A third individual was bitten and received treatment.

The aggressive animal has been spotted near a single lane bridge along Cherry Lane, just south of Hustontown. Anyone who sees the animal should not approach or try to capture it, but rather call the Pennsylvania Game Commission at 814-643-1831.

The department urges anyone who may have been bitten or exposed to saliva, fluids, or tissue from the ferret to call the Fulton County State Health Center at 717-485-5137 Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Residents with questions can also call 1-877-PA-HEALTH.

Exposure includes either having been bitten or scratched by an animal, or had saliva, nervous system fluid, or tissue from an animal enter a person's eyes, nose, mouth, or open wound. Under these circumstances, individuals should seek immediate medical attention.

Anyone with a pet that may have encountered the ferret should contact a veterinarian for information about how to protect the animal, the owner, and family members.

The department also reminds all residents to avoid contact with feral animals of any kind, as it can be difficult to tell if an animal is rabid. All animals that can be vaccinated, including but not limited to cats, dogs, and ferrets, should be given the rabies vaccine to protect them in case they are ever exposed to a rabid animal.

For more information about rabies, visit the Department of Health website at www.health.pa.gov or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

MEDIA CONTACT: April Hutcheson, 717-787-1783 or [email protected]

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Health

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SARASOTA, Fla., April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gold Krugerrand holds the title of being the world's first modern gold bullion coin, and is still one of the most widely traded gold coins around the globe today. It's also one of the world's most popular investment coins, and has had such a monumental impact, that it is now being offered in silver. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Krugerrand flagship gold bullion coin, the South African Mint has struck the very first, legal tender premium uncirculated 1 ounce Silver Krugerrand.

ModernCoinMart

On July 3, 1967, the South African Mint issued the first Gold Krugerrand coins to help market South African gold, which at the time, accounted for 70 percent of the world's total output of gold. By 1980, the Krugerrand accounted for 90 percent of the global gold coin market. The name of the coin was derived from Boer statesman Paul Kruger, four-term president of the old South African Republic, and the rand, which is the South African unit of currency.

To date, more gold Krugerrands have been minted and circulated than all other gold bullion coins combined. Because of the coin's popularity, it has also been a great way to track the price of gold around the globe. The Gold Krugerrand's popularity and investment value has made its new Silver Krugerrand counterpart highly-anticipated and hoped for by collectors.

ModernCoinMart debuted a test strike of the Silver Krugerrand at the Florida United Numismatists (FUN) Show in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in early Jan. 2017. It was the first time the coin was seen in person in North America. Both ModernCoinMart and its sister company GovMint.com now offer the coin for sale on their websites. The Silver Krugerrand has the same simple, classic design as the gold coin. The coin bears the face of Paul Kruger and the Springbok antelope, one of the national symbols of South Africa, along with special 50th anniversary Mint mark.

"ModernCoinMart and GovMint.com are excited to offer the first-ever 2017 Silver Krugerrand as the exclusive North American distributors for this coin," says Steve Wolff, VP of Product Development of ModernCoinMart. "The worldwide popularity Gold Krugerrand has really made the silver version a great collector item. Proof and bullion versions of the Silver Krugerrand will also be released at a later date."

To learn more about the companies and purchase the new 2017 Silver Krugerrand, visit ModernCoinMart.com or GovMint.com.

About ModernCoinMart

ModernCoinMart, established in 2004, has pioneered the modern coin market online. The company has a professional customer service team, offers free domestic shipping on all orders with no minimum, and strives to bring their customers the lowest possible prices. To learn more, visit ModernCoinMart.com.

About GovMint.com

For more than 30 years, GovMint.com and its related companies have been a trusted source for collector coins for over one million customers. With headquarters located in Minneapolis, MN, they are one of the largest retailers of rare and collectible coins in the country. To learn more, visit GovMint.com.

Contact Information

Steve Wolff

VP of Product Development

[email protected]

952-707-7120

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SOURCE ModernCoinMart

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NEW YORK, SAN RAMON, Calif., LONDON and SINGAPORE, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. institutional investors, such as pension funds, endowments, and foundations, plan to reduce their new capital commitments to real estate by an average of 19 percent in 2017. An annual investor survey conducted by Institutional Real Estate, Inc. and Kingsley Associates  the 2017 Institutional Investors Real Estate Trends  reveals U.S. investors plan to commit $62 billion of new capital to real estate this year.

"The decline in new capital flows can be largely attributed to two primary factors," says Jim Woidat, a principal at Kingsley Associates. "U.S. survey respondents reported real estate holdings exceeding their target allocations to real estate, which reduces the need for new capital commitments. In addition, investors report a significant uncalled capital overhang of $47 billion, which also limits the need for new capital deployment."

While average new capital commitments to real estate are expected to decline relative to 2016 commitments, the wide majority of U.S. investors  72 percent  still plan to be active with new commitments to real estate in 2017. Survey respondents ranked industrial assets as the most attractive property type for new investments, followed by multifamily assets.

"Real estate investors have enjoyed healthy returns postglobal financial crisis, but it's evident from the survey that they are showing more caution at this point in the cycle," notes Geoffrey Dohrmann, president and CEO of Institutional Real Estate, Inc. "U.S. investors dialed back their total return expectations for real estate from 8.7 percent last year to 7.4 percent for this year. However, on a risk-adjusted basis, respondents ranked real estate as the most attractive asset class for the seventh consecutive year."

The survey also revealed U.S. core properties and value-added properties would receive the majority of new real estate investment capital, 33 percent and 27 percent, respectively. U.S. investors also plan to allocate 20 percent of capital to opportunistic investments, and 8 percent of capital to debt products. Foreign investments are targeted for 7 percent of the capital, and 5 percent was earmarked for real estate securities.

This is the 21st year IREI and Kingsley have teamed up to conduct the survey. This year's study received the highest level of participation since the survey inception, with a total of 164 responses, comprising 113 U.S. investors and 51 foreign investors representing $7.9 trillion in total assets and $741 billion in real estate assets.

A report detailing the complete results of the survey is available on IREI's website. Click here to purchase.

ABOUT INSTITUTIONAL REAL ESTATE, INC.

Institutional Real Estate, Inc. is an information company that produces publications and conferences for institutional real estate and infrastructure investors around the globe.

ABOUT KINGSLEY ASSOCIATES

Kingsley Associates provides business intelligence for the real estate industry. The firm offers research services and customizable tools and benchmarks to help property owners and investors maximize their portfolio and organizational performance.

SOURCE Institutional Real Estate, Inc.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Thirteen years after gracing Hollywood's silver screen with Harold & Kumar, White Castle and its food truck, the Crave Mobile, returned to Tinseltown on April 15 and 16 to celebrate one super hero and satiate the Cravings of hundreds more.

In a special ceremony in front of fans and media, White Castle welcomed comic legend and Marvel Chairman Emeritus, Stan The Man Lee into the White Castle Cravers Hall of Fame. A big fan of White Castle since his childhood years spent in New York City, Stan Lee joins& rock icon Alice Cooper and the stars of Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, John Cho and Kal Penn, as a full-fledged member of this exclusive club. For more information, visit https://www.whitecastle.com/cravernation/chof

In a special ceremony in front of fans and media, White Castle welcomed comic legend and Marvel Chairman Emeritus, Stan "The Man" Lee into the White Castle Cravers Hall of Fame. A big fan of White Castle since his childhood years spent in Washington Heights and the Bronx, Stan Lee joins rock icon Alice Cooper and the stars of "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle," John Cho and Kal Penn, as a full-fledged member of this exclusive club.

"Stan is the ingenious creator of Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, X-Men and so many others  he has the incomparable power to create legendary superheroes that are favorites in homes around the world!" said Jamie Richardson, Vice President of White Castle. "It turns out, while we grew up on his comics, he grew up on our sliders. The Cravers Hall of Fame was founded to celebrate a shared love of White Castle, and, now Stan Lee will forever be celebrated among the elite Cravers!"

Stan Lee is no stranger to Hall of Fame inductions. Lee was inducted into the comic book industry's Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1995. This was White Castle's turn to induct Lee in true Craver fashion. Stan Lee was honored with a custom plaque and a host of surprise gifts, including a framed photograph of the first White Castle Lee visited as a child, an official identification badge granting unlimited access to the employee cafeteria in Columbus, OH, and a guarantee of one Crave Case per month for as long as he would like.

The tributes continued with a signed resolution from Ohio Governor, John R. Kasich, commending Stan Lee on his induction. Columbus Mayor, Andrew J. Ginther, sent a letter of congratulations and personal invitation to visit Ohio's capital.

"Growing up in Washington Heights and the Bronx, I loved White Castle. The infamous slider was a favorite then, just as it remains today over 85 years later!" said Lee. "I am grateful to White Castle for recognizing my lifelong Crave-ings and honored to join past and future Craver Hall of Fame inductees. And to be perfectly honest, I'm also looking forward to receiving my Crave Case each month from White Castle!"

A surprise headliner of the event, White Castle's Crave Mobile, made the 2,200-mile drive from Columbus, Ohio, to be on hand and serve the chain's iconic slider and other menu items free of charge for all in attendance. The ceremony coincided with the grand opening of Stan Lee's Excelsior Collectibles store in Brea, CA.

The Cravers Hall of Fame will begin accepting submissions in May for the 17th annual class of Cravers. For more information, visit https://www.whitecastle.com/cravernation/chof.

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 signature products 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.

SOURCE White Castle

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WASHINGTON, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease announced the most generous donation in the history of the organization. Burlington Stores, the national off price retailer, is pleased to donate more than $2.3 million to the organization through its #KnockOutHeartDisease in women campaign, which was hosted in all its stores from February 1st through March 31st. This significant contribution further demonstrates Burlington's continued commitment to the fight against heart disease in women.

Funds raised through its #KnockOutHeartDisease in women campaign will support WomenHeart's education, support and advocacy resources for the nearly 48 million women living with or at risk of heart disease.

This year's #KnockOutHeartDisease in women campaign included a partnership with Kelly Rowland, Grammy Award-winning artist and heart health advocate, who served as the voice and supporter of the campaign. The nationwide campaign took place in all 593 Burlington stores across the country, giving customers the opportunity to donate $1 or more to support WomenHeart at checkout.

Throughout the promotion, 47 Burlington store locations nationwide (a store in each State/Territory where Burlington has locations) hosted a Night Out to #KnockOutHeartDisease event, offering free heart health screenings in partnership with WomenHeart. Customers had the opportunity to get their blood pressure, pulse, cholesterol and BMI checked by a certified health professional, and receive bi-lingual (English/Spanish) women's heart health information and tips for living heart healthy.

Providing the chance for women to get their heart screened at a Burlington store allowed women to learn about the status of their heart health. Those that participated in the screening were encouraged to spread the word by tagging two friends to do the same with the hashtag #KnockOutHeartDisease. Burlington Stores donated $25,000 to WomenHeart to support this social media campaign.

"At Burlington, we support causes that are important to our associates and customers. As the leading cause of death in women, Burlington is dedicated to providing resources to educate women on the importance of their heart health. I am proud of our 35,000 associates and millions of customers nationwide for their commitment to this cause," says Tom Kingsbury, President, CEO and Chairman, Burlington Stores.

"The #KnockOutHeartDisease Campaign has not only raised money for our cause, but has also raised awareness of our mission through events, social media and in the news" says Mary McGowan, CEO, WomenHeart. "We are thankful to Burlington customers and associates for their extraordinary ongoing dedication, and look forward to the progress we can make towards improving the lives of women living with or at risk for heart disease as a result of this partnership."

Over the past six years, Burlington and its generous customers have raised more than $8 million to support WomenHeart and its free education and support services for women living with heart disease. Donations from Burlington allow WomenHeart to significantly expand its National Hospital Alliance  an innovative partnership that helps ensure female heart disease patients nationwide have access to information, education and patient support services through the hospitals in their communities. Burlington funds have also enabled the organization to continue to support and educate Hispanic women  a high-risk population for heart disease  through its Para la Mujer Hispana initiative.

About Burlington Stores, Inc.

Burlington is a national off-price retailer offering style for less at up to 65 percent off other retailers' prices every day. Departments include ladies' dresses, suits, sportswear, juniors, accessories, menswear, family footwear and children's clothing. It also includes an assortment of furniture and accessories for baby at Baby Depot, home decor and gifts, along with the largest selection of coats in the nation for the entire family. Burlington has 593 stores in 45 States and Puerto Rico. For more, visit www.BurlingtonStores.com.

About WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease

WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease is the nation's first and still only patient-centered organization solely serving the nearly 48 million American women living with or at risk for heart disease  the leading cause of death in women. WomenHeart is devoted to advancing women's heart health through advocacy, community education, and the nation's only patient support network for women living with heart disease. WomenHeart is both a coalition and a community of thousands of members nationwide, including women heart patients and their families, physicians, and health advocates, all committed to helping women live longer, healthier lives. To receive a free online heart health action kit or to donate, visit www.womenheart.org.

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SOURCE WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease
YIWU, China, April 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Yiwugou.com, the official website of the Yiwu Commodity Market (YCM), which is the largest commodity wholesale market in the world, attended the 2017 China International Electronic Commerce Expo. The new retail platform "Youxuangou" was strongly promoted during the Expo and received extensive attention from Expo visitors.

From April 11th to 13th, the three-day 2017 China International Electronic Commerce Expo was held in Yiwu, Zhejiang province. This year's exhibitors included renowned Chinese and overseas e-commerce players such as Amazon, Alibaba, JD.com and Yhd.com. Plus, more traditional entities are exploring a new retail model for online-offline integration, which will derive new value from offline resources. The "Youxuangou" platform launched by Yiwugou.com is a new retail platform based on the huge market of Yiwu and featuring online-offline integration.

Why did Yiwugou.com, always a professional wholesale e-commerce platform, build the new retail platform "Youxuangou"?

E-commerce gears wholesale towards "wholesale+retail"

The development of e-commerce has been improving commodities distribution and logistics. Unburdened by the weaknesses of wholesale, such as pressure from large stock and slow upgrading of products, small-quantity procurement models are becoming more popular and less costly. Cities with developed wholesale such as Yiwu, Guangzhou and Shenzhen are all exploring the new "wholesale+retail" marketing model.

New retail model drives offline economy

2016 saw the continuously slower growth of pure e-commerce platforms and more intense competition between businesses. Pure e-commerce, always seen as a big threat by offline-economy entities, is now poised to transform itself as well. Big platforms such as JD.com and Taobao.com are moving offline. In the 2016 Computing Conference, Jack Ma, Executive Chairman of Alibaba, said: "Pure e-commerce is doomed and new retail will be born soon." Following this conference, Alibaba began to make moves offline. According to Jack Ma, the core of new retail lies in online-offline integration as well as supply chain restructuring and logistics upgrading, which will surely provide new engines for the offline economy.

Launching "Youxuangou" is well-timed

Since its inception in 2012, Yiwugou.com has been set to pursue online-offline integration, several years earlier than Jack Ma's proposal. In 2014, Chinese national leaders visited Yiwu and spoke highly of this model, which boosted the confidence of Yiwugou.com. In recent years, Yiwugou's online transaction volume keeps rising, which drives offline transactions worth tens of billions. With abundant supply, developed logistics and professional supporting services of the Yiwu market, the e-commerce ecological sphere needed by "Youxuangou" has been initially put in place. Thus, in line with the retail trends in the wholesale market, Yiwugou.com launched "Youxuangou".

About Yiwugou.com

SOURCE Yiwugou
The partnership is a part of YourMechanic's strategy to collaborate with brands, including suppliers, who share a commitment to delivering quality products and services at a fair price. Under the agreement, Castrol will be the exclusive motor oil provider for YourMechanic's consumer-facing business and business-to-business partners comprised of fleet, dealerships, and ridesharing customers.

"Castrol shares our vision to deliver the highest quality products and services to customers," said Lee Senderov, Vice President and General Manager, North America, YourMechanic. "We are proud to partner with Castrol, a brand with more than a century of expertise and recognition for innovative, high quality products."

To launch the partnership, customers who book an oil change with YourMechanic will receive up to two free tickets to Universal Pictures' The Fate of The Furious. Redemption details are available at www.castrol.com/en_us/united-states/promotions.html.

"Castrol is a company with deep roots in innovation, quality, and delivering unparalleled results," said Daryl Benton, Head of North America Channel Marketing, Castrol. "We are keen to work with partners who are transforming the automotive industry and look forward to our new partnership with YourMechanic."

In addition to the exclusive supplier relationship, YourMechanic and Castrol will partner on programs aimed to make car repair and maintenance convenient and transparent for car owners. The companies will also collaborate to deliver educational programs for mechanics.

YourMechanic offers car owners the convenience of car maintenance, repair, and diagnostic services at their home or office, seven days a week. A common service the company offers is an oil and filter change, which is recommended for vehicles approximately every 3,000 to 5,000 miles as part of a routine maintenance schedule. Low oil levels or old oil can result in increased friction between moving engine parts, potentially damaging the engine. Car owners are advised to follow their owner's manual for proper vehicle maintenance.

The Castrol product line includes Castrol EDGE , which is comprised of advanced full-synthetic super premium motor oils that offer unsurpassed strength and performance, Castrol GTX, a premium conventional motor oil, Castrol GTX HighMileage, a premium synthetic blend designed for vehicles with over 75,000 miles, as well as a range of commercial transport lubricants.

About YourMechanic

YourMechanic is the industry leader in mobile car repair, offering more than 600 repair, maintenance, and diagnostic services. YourMechanic is available in the top 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas. YourMechanic connects mobile mechanics to customers who seek affordable, convenient, and honest car repair services at their home or office, seven days a week. Mobile mechanics enjoy flexible hours and higher pay than at a shop or dealership.

Founded in 2012, YourMechanic has secured $32 million in funding. YourMechanic won TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco in 2012 and holds an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

Headquartered in Mountain View, California, YourMechanic is funded by SoftBank Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Y Combinator, Ashton Kutcher, Data Point Capital, and others. For more information on YourMechanic, to book a service, or to view current career opportunities, visit www.YourMechanic.com.

About Castrol

Castrol, a global leader in lubricant technology, serves customers and consumers in over 140 countries in the automotive, marine, industrial and energy production sectors. Our leadership brands include the Castrol EDGE  line of advanced full-synthetic super premium motor oils that offer unsurpassed strength and performance, Castrol GTX - a premium conventional motor oil, Castrol GTX HighMileage - a premium synthetic blend designed for vehicles with over 75,000 miles, as well as our range of commercial transport lubricants. To find out more about Castrol products and programs, please call 1888CASTROL or log on to www.castrol.com/us.

SOURCE YourMechanic

Related Links

http://www.YourMechanic.com


The promotions include Lee Gonzalez, who will take on the role of SVP, Executive Creative Director. Dan Gitlitz will serve as SVP, Group Creative Director. Harry Gonnella and Brian Anderson have been elevated to VP, Group Creative Director roles. They have different backgrounds, but they all share one vision when it comes to an obsessive focus on using creativity to help achieve business objectives. In their new roles, they will continue to report to David Nathanson, EVP, Chief Creative Officer.

Gonzalez, previously Group Creative Director, has been with Zimmerman for eight years, working on accounts like Lane Bryant, Boston Market, Chuck E. Cheese's, Crocs, Six Flags and more. Gitlitz has been with Zimmerman for over 20 years working with brands like Nissan, Papa John's, AutoNation and Party City. Gonnella joined Zimmerman from Campbell Mithun with experience on brands like General Mills, H&R Block, Pfizer and Dairy Queen. Anderson brought experience with brands like Norwegian Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises and Sandals Resorts.

Jordan Zimmerman, Founder and Chairman of the agency, said, "Creating success in today's fierce retail marketplace requires innovation, instinct and ideas that can both re-position brands while de-positioning their competitors. It is because of this that there has never been a higher value for creative that is sharp, inviting and simple, and Lee, Dan, Harry and Brian understand that better than any team in the business."

Chief Creative Officer David Nathanson added, "We understand we are in the growth business  of business and of people. That is why this announcement is even more special, as they are all very good people who prove themselves on the retail battlefield every day. It makes talent grown from within that much more sweet."

These promotions come in the middle of a great shift of momentum for Zimmerman having recently signed on all Nissan brand work and having won back the Office Depot/Office Max account.

About Zimmerman Advertising

Zimmerman Advertising, an Omnicom Group company, is the leading integrated, retail agency in the country. Zimmerman's clients represent some of the most prominent retail brands in the country, including Office Depot/Office Max, Nissan, Dunkin' Donuts, Tire Kingdom, Advance America, ADT, Five Below, Chuck E. Cheese's, AutoNation, La-Z-Boy and Michaels. Headquartered in South Florida, the agency has retail service offices throughout the country, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Nashville. For information on the agency, visit http://www.zadv.com.

About Omnicom Group

Omnicom Group (NYSE: OMC) is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries.





SOURCE Zimmerman Advertising

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Panaji, April 15 : Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday denied media reports that he quit as Defence Minister due to "pressure" over the Kashmir issue, but Opposition parties lashed out at the BJP leader, accusing him of being "anti-national" and a "bhagoda" (deserter).

All India Congress Committee Secretary Girish Chodankar said the only thing Parrikar had learnt from Pakistan, during his stint as Defence Minister, was staging coups, referring to the 'coup' staged by the BJP, which upstaged the Congress to come to power in Goa last month.

"The Congress believes that securing the borders of the country are more important that becoming Chief Minister of Goa. Parrikar's return to Goa is an 'anti-national' act. He has clearly run away from the Defence Ministry. In fact, Parrikar was the worst Defence Minister India has ever had," Chodankar told reporters at a press conference in Panaji at the party's state headquarters.

"The only thing Parrikar has learnt from Pakistan as Defence Minister is how to stage coups, which are popular in Pakistan, where the army dethrones popularly elected governments. No wonder Parrikar staged a coup in Goa, where he led the BJP to power using unfair means," Chodankar said.

Reports in a section of the media on Friday quoted Parrikar as saying that he had quit his sensitive central ministry brief because of pressures generated by the Kashmir crisis, among other issues.

Parrikar on Saturday took to Twitter to post a clarification, saying the news report was "factually incorrect".

The BJP media cell in Goa said the Chief Minister had been misquoted.

"This is to clarify that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has never given any such statement that he had pressure of any sort working as Defence Minister," a statement issued by the Goa BJP media cell stated, adding that the senior BJP leader was "willing to take on any challenge in Goa and also at the national level".

The Aam Aadmi Party in a statement issued here called Parrikar a "self-admitted bhagoda".

"Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's claim in public that it was the pressure of running the Defence Ministry, in particular the vexed Kashmir issue, that got to him and facilitated his grabbing the opportunity to return to Goa politics is a self-admission that he is a bhagoda," the AAP said in a statement.
Chandigarh, April 16 : One is Canada's Defence Minister and the other is the Chief Minister of a state (Punjab) that has strong connections with the North American country.

Both are politicians of standing and share a military background too. One has been a frontline trooper in war-ravaged Afghanistan as a Lt. Colonel in the Canadian Army; the other has seen war from close quarters as a Captain in the Indian Army.

But the forthcoming visit of Canadian Defence minister Harjit Sajjan to Punjab, the land of his birth, has led to a political war of sorts with Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

Amarinder has gone on record to say that Sajjan is a "Khalistani sympathiser" and that they will not meet during the latter's visit to Punjab starting next week. Even though there is no direct proof of Sajjan's links to Khalistani elements, Amarinder has stuck to his guns.

Amarinder's stand, besides the protocol issues involved with the visiting Canadian Defence Minister, has stirred up a political storm in Punjab -- a state which has such strong connections with Canada through its non-resident Indians (NRIs) settled there that the country is, in a lighter vein, referred to as Punjab's 23rd district.

The background of Amarinder's rather hard stand on Sajjan dates to as recently as April last year when his visit to that country was scuttled at the last minute after the Canadian authorities denied him permission to visit. Amarinder was to address rallies and meet with Punjabi NRIs in Canada, who are an influential and cash-rich group, in the run-up to the Punjab assembly elections.

A hurt Amarinder had shot off a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, protesting the move. Amarinder had later even refused to meet the Canadian High Commissioner in India.

Amarinder, who became Chief Minister of Punjab for a second time last month, feels that pro-Khalistan political leaders of Punjabi origin, including Sajjan, secretly backed the move by radical elements to deny him entry into Canada.

While the Canadian authorities did not let Amarinder in on the ground that political activity was not allowed, leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) openly campaigned within the NRI community in Canada.

The Punjab Chief Minister has, however, said that Sajjan will get all the security and protocol in the state that has to be provided to a dignitary of his stature.

Sajjan, 46, otherwise has strong credentials for visiting Punjab. His parents and family lived in Punjab's Hoshiarpur district before migrating to Canada in 1976. He is the first Sikh to become the Defence Minister of another country.

During his visit to Amritsar, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Chandigarh, Sajjan won't essentially miss meeting Amarinder as political and religious leaders in Punjab will welcome him with open arms.

The controversy over his visit to Punjab was quite avoidable had Amarinder not taken a stand. After all, political leaders do hobnob with all kinds of elements in public life.

(Jaideep Sarin can be contacted at jaideep.d@ians.in
Patna, April 16 : Hundreds of freedom fighters from across the country started arriving here on Sunday to be honoured by President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday to mark the ongoing year-long centenary celebrations of the Champaran Satyagraha, officials said.

"Hundreds of freedom fighters from different states have started arriving in Patna to be honoured by President Pranab Mukherjee on April 17 at the felicitation ceremony as part of centenary celebrations of Mahatama Gandhi's Champaran satyagraha," Vinodanand Jha, an official of the state education department, said.

Jha said that while some freedom fighters have arrived here on Saturday, others will arrive on Sunday. "Most of the freedom fighters would reach here by Sunday night."

According to Jha, freedom fighters from 19 states -- including Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi -- would be honoured by the President.

In all, 2,972 freedom fighters from across the country, including Bihar, would be honoured. "As per the plan, 264 freedom fighters from 19 states and 554 selected of 2,708 freedom fighters of Bihar will be honoured by the President," Jha said.

The year-long celebrations to mark the 100th year of Mahatma Gandhi's first major resistance against British rule, popularly known as the Champaran Satyagraha, began last week in Bihar.

Mahatma Gandhi launched his Satyagraha -- a non-violent agitation -- against the forced cultivation of indigo by the British rulers in Champaran district in Bihar on April 10, 1917.
New Delhi, April 16 : Soon after the Dalai Lama's visit to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, which drew an angry response from China, former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said on Sunday that Chinese Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui assured him that he he will "take up all our issues" with Beijing.

In a series of tweets tagged with pictures, Gogoi said that Lao visited his residence and they discussed a range of issues, including the Tibetan spiritual leader's visit to Arunachal Pradesh earlier this month that had raised the hackles of Beijing.

"I am glad to welcome H.E #LuoZhaohui, Chinese Ambassador to India at my Residence & along with @GauravGogoiAsm..," the veteran Congress leader said in a series of tweets.

"and we discussed a range of issues v.i.z River Brahmaputra, historic stilwell road for road connectivity to China from Assam,NE terrorism "& Dalai Lama's visit.He have assured to take up our issues with Chinese Govt. & i have also assured to take up his issues with @PMOIndia".

China has been very vocal in protesting the Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh from April 4 to 11 saying it would hurt bilateral ties with India.

India has maintained that there has been no change in its policy towards Tibet and the negotiations with China over the border along Arunachal Pradesh following the Dalai Lama's visit.

Ahead of visiting Arunachal Pradesh, the Tibetan spiritual leader also visited Assam where he attended the Namami Brahmaputra river festival organised by the state government.

The Stilwell Road, constructed during World War II, connected Assam with Kunming in China.
New Delhi, April 16 : For long a pariah in the global nuclear technology market, Indian policymakers are pleasantly discovering how the boot is on the other foot as they are furiously courted by foreign firms themselves facing financial ruin.

American nuclear giant Westinghouse, which is in talks with the Indian government on a proposed project in Andhra Pradesh, filed for bankruptcy earlier this month. A year ago, the French energy major Areva, which has offered to build reactors at a Maharashtra site, began a process of major restructuring following huge losses.

Westinghouse is proposing to build six reactors of 1,000 MW capacity each at Kovvada in coastal Andhra Pradesh. The government has indicated this site in place of the originally proposed Mithi Virdi in Gujarat, where the local population protested against plans to erect a nuclear plant in their area.

Minister of State for Atomic Energy Jitendra Singh said in Parliament earlier this year that the land acquisition process at Kovvada had begun, while discussions had also started with Westinghouse on the techno-commercial aspects of a project proposal.

"I don't understand why the government is so keen to talk to these nuclear power companies that are in major financial difficulty, unless it is to bail them out," former Union Power Secretary E.A.S. Sarma told IANS.

"The inevitable fallout of Westinghouse being in a financially weak position will be delay in completing the project and resulting cost over-runs. In this scenario, our government is looking to bail out American companies... to create jobs in the US," he said.

"On the other hand, the government is going ahead with acquiring land, as if the opposition of locals at Kovvada is of no consequence as compared to the protests at Mithi Virdi," he added.

Sarma said there are also concerns about the fuel for the reactors to be supplied as per contractual practice, by a financially crippled Westinghouse.

"Westinghouse has sold its fuel fabrication facility to the Chinese and so our fuel will come from the latter, which is a cause for concern, and I have written to the government on this," the former Secretary said.

The case of Areva, which is proposing six EPR-type 1,650 MW reactors at Jaitapur, is even more complex, with the French firm having signed the agreements with Larsen & Toubro and state-run Nuclear Power Corp during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's France visit in 2015. Soon after, Areva declared massive losses of 4.8 billion euros and the French government, which owns 87 per cent of the company, announced its nuclear power arm would be sold to another state-run firm, EDF.

Sarma pointed out that Areva has struggled to complete two identical EPR reactors, one at Olkiluoto in Finland, which is still not operational despite over a decade-long delay and a trebling of costs, and the other in Flamanville, France, plagued by serious construction and security issues, delays and massive cost over-runs.

"The French nuclear security watchdog has issued a number of severe warnings to Areva on major security issues and manufacturing and construction flaws in the reactor being built in Flamanville," Sarma said.

Flamanville is one of four EPRs under construction worldwide, and its cost overrun -- from an estimated 3.3 billion euros to over 10 billion euros -- is at the heart of Areva's current problems.

"Now with their current troubles, there is even more likelihood of Areva compromising on design safety features, on which they have such poor track record," Sarma said.

M.R. Srinivasan, a former Secretary to the Union government and ex-Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, is equally concerned about the time-delays and cost-escalations involved in closing the deals with these beleagured foreign companies.

"Both these proposals are facing great uncertainty. Toshiba (the Westinghouse parent) is in serious financial difficulty, while Areva is undergoing major restucturing," Srinivasan said.

"Some technical discussions are on, but the issue of financing will surely come up owing to concerns about cost-escalation," he said.

According to Sarma, in the changed situation, "Westinghouse itself says it can only supply the technology for the nuclear island and does not want to undertake any construction activity."

This is a complete reversal of the situation that prevailed before an agreement with the US in 2008 allowed India to engage in nuclear commerce and start importing uranium fuel again for its reactors.

Srinivasan said that in a world where multilateral financing is absolutely scarce for nuclear projects, which have long gestation periods, old allies Russia, whose state-run Rosatom is constructing the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project in Tamil Nadu, provides a tried, tested and less expensive option.

"That is why we are going ahead with the Russians on more Kudankulam units -- 3,4,5 and 6. The agreements with Russia also have provision for government financing," he said.

Rosatom is currently in talks with the Indian government on the site for a second project of six reactors.

Russia has offered India a new range of reactor units -- the VVER Generation 3 pressurised water reactors of 1,200 MW capacity -- for the third and fourth units of the Kudankulam project.

An inter-governmental agreement between India and Russia was signed in December 2008 for setting up Kudankulam's units 3 to 6. The ground-breaking ceremony for construction of units 3 and 4 was performed last year.

"All the Russian built units at Kudankulam, including the first and second, are 'Generation 3 plus' reactors. They meet all current safety requirements," Srinivasan said.

"Their design has benefited from the review conducted of nuclear accidents like Three-Mile Island (US) and Fukushima (Japan)," he added.

(Biswajit Choudhury can be reached at biswajit.c@ians.in)
New Delhi : "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?" The Shadow, the mysterious narrator of a 1930 American radio show, knows -- as he told us with his eerie laugh -- but he wasn't the only one. Various detectives -- Sherlock Holmes, et al -- made it their business to find out too, as well one whose calling exposed him to it. And he was equally effective despite being Holmes' polar opposite.

Unlike the tall and lean and striking Holmes, Father Brown, a Roman Catholic priest, is short and stumpy, with "a face as round and dull as a Norfolk dumpling", "eyes as empty as the North Sea" beneath his spectacles, wears shapeless black clerical garb and always carries a large umbrella.

The real difference is in their methods. While Holmes uses the deductive approach -- reasoning from one or more premises towards a logical conclusion -- as well as the abductive, using his superb observation and sharp brain to fashion from available evidence a theory that can explain it, Father Brown is intuitive, seeking to place himself in the criminal's mind to find how the deed was done and thus ascertain who did it.

But there were similarities too. Both rejected supernatural causes and had keen insights into evil -- Holmes by dint of research and our priest by his work, once telling an adversary: "Has it never struck you that a man who does next to nothing but hear men's real sins is not likely to be wholly unaware of human evil?"

Debuting in 1911, Father Brown was the creation of author and lay theologian G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936), a colossus both in appearance and intellect, and also a poet, philosopher, dramatist, journalist, and a literary and art critic.

Chesterton, who had read Holmes (he prepared a number of illustrations for them -- which weren't used and have been only recently discovered), however sought to create a counterpoint to the trend of the coldly analytical detective. The good priest's reliance on philosophical and spiritual truths also serves to express Chesterton's own point of view of the world.

The 50-odd stories, 48 published in five collections: "The Innocence/Wisdom/ Incredulity/Secret/Scandal of Father Brown" between 1911 and 1935 (three stories were found and published posthumously) are masterpieces of the genre, with their ingenious puzzles, fiendish plots set out against evocative descriptions of time and place, and spirited dialogue and observations. Chesterton, termed the "prince of paradox", was also gifted in creating a supernatural ambience -- but one that is easily dissipated and stumping us with the unexpected, but perfectly reasonable, solution.

Brown debuts in "The Blue Cross" in which French policeman Valentin, in England on the trail of notorious criminal Flambeau, sees him in his rail carriage but dismisses him as pitiable. But it is the seemingly oblivious priest who enables the arrest of Flambeau (disguised as a fellow priest) by identifying and outsmarting him while laying a strange but unmistakable trail across London for Valentin to follow.

But after encountering Flambeau in two further stories in the first volume itself, Brown succeeds in weaning him off a life of crime and making him a companion (like Dr Watson) in most of the canon, a strange assortment of tales, set not only in Britain, but also in rest of Europe, the US and in Latin America. And all may not be crimes, despite the evidence (if you pardon the pun).

A recently-deceased Scottish lord's castle has several strange things -- candles without candlesticks, jewels lying loose, prayer books mutilated and so on -- and when his body is exhumed, the skull is missing ("The Honour of Israel Gow"); a retired soldier faces some inexplicable attempts on his life after a strange curse in India while an assailant runs off with condiments from the dinner table ("The Salad of Colonel Cray"); a dog howls in despair at the time its master is stabbed to death back at home ("The Oracle of the Dog"); an unclaimed glass which held whiskey helps to solve a murder in a bar ("The Quick One"); are the simultaneous murders of three American millionaires ("The Ghost of Gideon Wise") a conspiracy by the militant trade unionists and so on.

Father Brown also shows how a revolution-minded university teacher cannot have murdered two businessmen in an Oxbridge college ("The Crime of the Communist") , how an eminent criminologist and psychic researcher are misled in two cases ("The Absence of Mr Glass" and "The Blast of the Book"), and exposes a number of charlatans, including holy men drawn from various sects/religions.

But the priest-detective, who like Holmes, continues to be written about long after his creator passed on and appearing in other media, had another prominent legacy. The good father, who according to Italian Marxist ideologue Antonio Gramsci, far outstripped Holmes, also inspired the trend of clergy detectives (nearly 350 according to Philip Grosset of www.detecs.org, mainly from Christianity and Judaism but even Buddhism). Other religions are only represented by devout laity. Anyone keen to address the deficiency?

(Vikas Datta is an Associate Editor at IANS. The views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in)
New Delhi, April 16 : The rooms feel like hotels -- fully furnished and well-maintained, says Shivalika Verma, one of the 77 residents in the first building of Your-Space, a new venture that aims to disrupt the student housing market by providing premium facilities - plus comfort and safety that feels like home.

Another resident of the Greater Noida facility, Samiksha Singh, who is pursuing M.Tech at Galgotias University, couldn't stop talking about how the round-the clock security system, centralised air-conditioning and free Wi-Fi help her make the most of her time and pursue her studies in a secure environment.

"My parents want me to stay here for the next year too," she told IANS, adding that all that the residents have to pay for the lodging and food is Rs 10,000 per month.

"For a bed in a double-seater room, we need to pay Rs 125,000 a year and for one in a three-bed room it is Rs 105,000," Verma, who is pursuing B.Tech from the same university, added.

But most students in India, especially those who migrate from remote villages or small towns to their city of dreams to pursue higher education, are not that lucky.

In the absence of a reliable, branded, student-housing solution, they often spend a days, sometimes weeks scouting for a suitable place, and ultimately settle for a ramshackle place with unknown individuals because of the skyrocketing rents in the cities.

And what is more, some even end up spending most of their time doing daily chores, rather than on studies.

The co-founders of the start-up -- Shubha Lal, Karan Kaushish and Nidhi Kumra, all in their early 30s -- understood the need for a clean, serviced, home-like place for students to come back to at the end of the day even when they were students themselves and staying in hostels. But little did they realise then that one day they would take steps to fill the gap.

"I saw my friends struggling to find a good, clean and safe place to live," Lal, who did her graduation from Lady Shriram College in New Delhi, said.

"This situation hasn't changed in the last 10 years, and premium, standardised accommodation for students is definitely a niche market that is untapped. We launched our first girls' hostel in Greater Noida in July 2016 and secured 100 per cent occupancy within a month," she added.

Sumit Tyagi, who agreed to offer the building on lease to Your-Space is not complaining either.

"I thought of starting a guest house or a hostel accommodation myself. But when the founders of Your-Space approached me, I decided to give the building on lease as I liked their proposal. Now I don't have to concentrate on managing the hostel, which allows me more time to devote to other work," Tyagi said.

"It was a good decision. The journey with the Your-Space team has been fabulous so far," Tyagi added.

Going ahead, however, Your-Space would stop taking buildings on lease and would rather develop accommodation in partnership with developers, Kaushish, an alumnus of the University of Oxford's Said Business School, revealed, adding that more changes are on the cards for the young start-up.

"Your-Space currently offers accommodation only for female students. But we have realised that the living conditions of male students too are far from satisfactory. From 2018 onwards, we plan to roll out housing solutions for boys too," Kaushish said.

The model provided by Your-Space has already attracted the interest of investors.

In March this year, the company announced the closure of an angel round of half a million dollars towards expansion of their premium student housing venture.

This was a first angel round after the promoters invested their own capital in the seed round. HNI and angel investors from both India and abroad participated. The investor-profile included people from leading financial institutions, and the real estate and hospitality sectors.

Globally, the student housing market is estimated to be about $200 billion, according to a recent report by education consulting firm Eduvisors.

With continued growth of higher education institutes and the estimated projection of over 300 million college students by 2020, the market opportunity remains massive in India too.

With organised players like Your-Space embracing an aggressive expansion spree, the face of the segment is likely to change soon, when more such players start crowding the space.

The founders of Your-Space aim to more than double their capacity this year and expand to other educational hubs in the Delhi NCR region, and eventually to other cities.

"We aim to be a pan-India brand that is trusted by students, parents and universities across the country," Kumra said.

So, does the future look bright? Watch this space.

(Gokul Bhagabati can be contacted at gokul.b@ians.in)
Ghaziabad, April 16 : Four robbers were arrested here and 18 kg of silver bricks looted from two employees of a Meerut jeweller recovered, police said on Sunday.

Police said that on March 28, nine criminals looted the silver bricks from two employees - Monu and Neetu - of the Meerut-based jeweller Bhushan Swaroop Jain in Sihani Gate police station area.

On Saturday evening, a team of the Crime Branch and local police, acting on the tip of an informer, nabbed four criminals in Raj Nagar Extension area.

During interrogation, they confessed their crime and enabled police recover the stolen silver. Police also seized a car, a pistol, a home-made pistol and three live cartridges from their possession.

The four were identified as Rituraj, Anuj, and Raj Kumar, all residents of Meerut, and Sushil, a resident of Muzaffar Nagar. They further revealed the names of the other five criminals involved were Rohit, Kuldeep, Deepak, Gulab and Ashu, all residents of the same area.

"Raids are being conducted to nab others who are absconding," said Senior Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar at a press conference here.
Shimla, April 17 : It's a real life scene right out of reel life.

Hindi films "Karma" and "Do Aankhen Barah Haath" showed convicts being taken out of prison to be reformed. Now, in Shimla's first Book Cafe inmates of a sub-jail near here are trained by a renowned hotel to serve cookies and pizza they have baked.

The cafe, with a seating capacity of 40 and constructed at a cost of Rs 20 lakh, was opened by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh last week.

It is located right above the Ridge -- once the promenade for the British colonial rulers when this city was their summer capital -- and on the way to the famed Jakhu temple.

The four who run the cafe are Jai Chand, Yog Raj, Ram Lal and Raj Kumar, all of whom are serving life imprisonment at the Kaithu jail near Shimla, Director General (Prisons) Somesh Goyal told IANS.

The first-of-its-kind cafe in the country is funded by the state's Tourism Department. It is open daily from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. At night, the prisoners return to the jail.

Goyal, who has also been credited with reforming prisoners through music, said employing prisoners at the cafe was an attempt to rehabilitate them.

"This cafe has given us the chance to connect to the world," Jai Chand told IANS.

Another beaming jail inmate, Yog Raj, said this cafe had given them a chance to get employment once they walk out of the prison.

"This is being run by four of us independently. Even the visitors, the locals, don't show any apprehension while interacting with us. Indeed, they are keen to know more about our radical transformation," he added.

Most of the time, the cafe, which offers free Wi-Fi access, is occupied by visitors reading books on wildlife, environment, tourism and Shimla's history while sipping coffee.

It has books of authors like Chetan Bhagat, Nikita Singh, and French novelist Jules Verne, besides educational books, magazines and newspapers.

"The cafe has a good collection of books of national and international authors," Shimla Deputy Mayor Tikender Panwar said.

For tourist Rewti Menon and her husband John Philip, it was a unique experience to interact with the prisoners.

"This cafe has given them another opportunity to live with dignity. Such experiments with an extensive support network will deter them from returning to crime," Philip said.

Last year, 10 inmates of the Central Jail in Nahan in Sirmaur district performed at the Gaiety Theatre here at a public function.

And the Chief Minister was among those who enjoyed their performance.

According to jail authorities, five of the 10 prisoners are undergoing life sentence for murder and two are facing trial under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

Special music classes were organised by prison authorities for almost a month to train the inmates in singing and playing instruments.

They sang Himachali folk songs, qawwali and Sufiana songs of Bollywood movies.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)
Mumbai, April 17 : Former actress and now writer Twinkle Khanna, famous on social media as Mrs Funnybones, says her father and late legendary actor Rajesh Khanna wanted her to be a writer.

"Dad always said I should be a writer -- was proud of my maggot filled poetry -- would've been beaming that I got that paper in my hand eventually," Twinkle posted on Twitter on Monday while sharing one of her articles.

Twinkle started her career as an actress with 1995 film "Barsaat", for which she received the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.

However, after her marriage to actor Akshay Kumar in 2001, she realised that she was meant to do things beyond being in front of the camera. After tasting success in interior designing, she also got down to pen her thoughts for a column and subsequently for "Mrs Funnybones: She's Just Like You and a Lot Like Me" -- her debut book.
Hyderabad, April 17 : Police detained leaders of Telangana unit of Congress party here on Monday as the opposition intensified its protest over shifting of 'Dharna Chowk', a popular venue of protests in Hyderabad.

Tension prevailed at Tank Bund in the heart of the city as several leaders sat on satyagraha at the state of B.R. Ambedkar but police evicted them on the ground that there is no permission for the protest.

Telangana state Congress chief Uttam Kumar Reddy, former ministers Bhatti Vikramarka, Mohammed Ali Shabbir, D. Nagender and former MPs V. Hanumantha Rao and Anjan Kumar Yadav were among those detained and shifted to different police stations.

The Congress party had called for the protest to demand Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government to revive 'Dharna Chowk' at Indira Park in the heart of the city.

Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that TRS government is suppressing the voice of opposition by shifting 'Dharna Chowk' to the city outskirts. "This move is undemocratic. The government is not ready to tolerate the voice of dissent," he told reporters.

The Congress leaders said TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who organised many protests in the city including Million March during Telangana movement, was not snatching the rights of the opposition parties.

The protest by the Congress came a day after leaders of Dharna Chowk Protection Committee launched a month long relay hunger strike at the Communist Party of India (CPI) headquarters, Mukhdoom Bhavan here.

The committee comprising leaders of CPI, CPI-M, other Left parties and mass organisations denounced the attitude of the Chief Minister and said the government was denying the democratic rights of the people to protest.

Noted educationalist and former Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Chukka Ramaiah said that it was unfortunate that Chandrasekhar Rao, who participated in many agitations programmes and meetings at Indira Park during the Telangana movement, now does not want that very Chowk to exist.

'Dharna Chowk' had been the venue of thousands of protests by political parties, people's organisations, students' groups, employees' unions and others for over two decades.

Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao had last week defended the police move to shift 'Dharna Chowk' to the city outskirts saying that that some parties were deliberately creating problems in the name of protests. He also stated that the venue doesn't make any difference as the opposition will still be able to highlight the issues and bring them to the government's notice thanks to the coverage by the media.

Last month, leaders of all opposition parties had come together to meet Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan Rao and submit a memorandum protesting the government's move.
Kolkata, April 17 : Former National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan on Monday said an exchange of prisoners is possibly the only way to sort out the controversy surrounding alleged spy Kulbhushan Jadhav.

"From my point of view, an exchange of prisoners is possibly the only way we can sort it (the issue) out," Narayanan told IANS here. But he declined to comment further on the issue.

New Delhi has warned that if Jadhav was hanged, it would amount to "premeditated murder".

Jadhav has been sentenced to death on charges of espionage and waging war against Pakistan. Islamabad says Jadhav was arrested in Balochistan. India says he was abducted from Iran.

As a fallout of the case, India on Saturday called off bilateral maritime security talks with Pakistan scheduled for April 17.

Narayanan was speaking on the sidelines of an international energy conference organised by The Neotia University.
Rome, April 17 : Italian ports on Monday received thousands of migrants who had been rescued during several coast guard operations in the Mediterranean.

UN Refugee Agency's (UNHCR) spokeswoman Carlotta Sami told Efe news that 8,300 people were rescued in 60 rescue operations were conducted throughout the weekend by 35 ships, including some merchant vessels that offered support.

Sami said the weekend's work had a frenetic pace, to the point where some humanitarian agents involved in the rescues worked for 40 hours straight.

Many of those rescued were young, and often unaccompanied children, as well as adult men who presented signs of having been tortured, including burns on their backs and welts from lashings and electrocutions.

According to Sami, seven deaths were registered, including a pregnant woman, but the toll could rise.

She said this was possibly due to the fact that many are held prisoners in Libya by human traffickers in order to extort their families.

The Italian coast guard told Efe news that some 1,200 people arrived in the Sicilian port of Messina, and that sea conditions were rough.

Local media reported that another 1,181 migrants were brought by a German boat to Catania, also in Sicily.

Italy continued to register record-setting amounts of migrant arrivals.

According to interior ministry data, between January 1 and April 12 some 26,989 migrants arrived in the country, a 23.8 per cent increase from 2016.
Ghaziabad, April 17 : Police arrested a gangster, who carried a Rs 50,000 reward on his head, during an encounter here on Monday.

Acting on a tip-off, the gangster Sumit Jat, a resident of Meerut, was arrested along with his accomplice Ashu Chaddha.

The gangsters had opened fire at the police team.

According to police, Sumit was wanted in 11 criminal cases while Ashu Chaddha was involved in seven cases.

The police recovered a carbine, three pistols, a gun, a huge stock of cartridges, a Nissan Terrano car and Rs 32,000 in cash.

The criminals revealed during interrogation that one of their accomplices, Ajay, fled during the encounter.

According to the police, Jat and Chaddha looted Rs 10 lakh from a trader in Ghaziabad during the demonetisation period out of which Rs 32,000 were recovered from them.
Kabul, April 17 : An Afghan Army General was killed and another person injured in an attack in Kunduz province on Monday, authorities said.

The commander of Baghlan coordination command General Abdul Hai Atayi, who was travelling from Badakhshan to Baghlan, was ambushed by Taliban militants, Khaama Press reported.

Several other officials accompanying Atayi were also killed in the atatck but the exact number was not ascertained so far.

The Taliban have not yet commented on the incident.

Kunduz is among the relatively volatile provinces in Afghanistan where the Taliban insurgents are active.

The latest attack on the commander comes despite the Afghan intelligence said there was panic among the Taliban insurgents following the death of their leader Mullah Abdul Salam.
New Delhi/Chennai, April 17 : AIADMK leader T.T.V. Dinakaran, a nephew of jailed party chief V.K. Sasikala, was on Monday accused of trying to bribe the Election Commission with crores of rupees to reclaim the party's disputed and now frozen "two leaves" symbol.

A Delhi Police officer told IANS that they arrested Dinakaran's close aide Sukesh Chandrasekar from a south Delhi hotel on Sunday with Rs 1.3 crore that was meant for bribing the poll panel members.

The suspect reportedly told police that he was Dinakaran's "middleman" and was asked to pay the money to the officials in exchange for the symbol.

"Dinakaran has been booked for criminal conspiracy and corruption after Chandrasekar disclosed his name during the late night police raid at the hotel where he was staying," the police officer said.

The officer said the 27-year-old suspect, who is said to own a fleet of luxury cars, confessed he was playing the middleman.

The police raided the hotel following a tip, the officer said. A police team is expected to travel to Chennai to summon Dinakaran, who denied the allegation.

Dinakaran told reporters in Chennai that he didn't know "anybody by the name Sukesh Chandrasekar" and called it a conspiracy to destroy the AIADMK -- divided between two factions after its leader J. Jayalalithaa died on December 5 while she was the Chief Minister.

"Somebody is scheming to destroy the AIADMK. I will meet the allegation legally. If I am summoned by Delhi Police, I will meet it legally," he said.

Dinakaran is the candidate of the ruling AIADMK faction in the R.K. Nagar assembly constituency in Chennai.

The by-poll, due on April 12, was postponed following allegations of cash distribution to voters on a massive scale by the ruling AIADMK.

Sasikala made Dinakaran the party in charge before she went to prison.

The other faction is led by O. Panneerselvam, who was also close to Jayalalithaa and used to stand in for her as Chief Minister. The two factions have been fighting over ownership of the AIADMK.

The battle reached the Election Commission that gave the two factions new symbols and ordered a freeze over "two leaves" on March 23.

Dinakaran also said he would meet Sasikala in the Bengaluru prison.

Meanwhile, the alleged attempt to bribe the Election Commission by Dinakaran may hasten the process of uniting the two AIADMK factions, said former MP K.C. Palaniswamy, a Panneerselvam supporter.

"If the election panel decided that Sasikala's election (as AIADMK General Secretary) was not legal, then every other thing in the party will automatically settle down," Palaniswamy told IANS.
New Delhi, April 17 : Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan on Monday began his maiden visit to India during which he will meet top Indian leaders, an official statement said.

Sajjan will be meeting his Indian counterpart Arun Jaitley, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and other leaders and senior officials during his week-long visit, said the Canadian High Commission here said in a statement.

On his first trip to India since becoming Canada's Defence Minister, Sajjan said: "This visit will further strengthen Canada and India's bilateral defence cooperation, and expand our partnership in the security and defence sectors."

High Commissioner Nadir Patel said: "Minister Sajjan's visit is an ideal opportunity to highlight strong links between Canada and India, and to boost our people-to-people ties. There continues to be enormous potential for more cooperation in all areas of the bilateral relationship."

Sajjan will speak at an event hosted by the Observer Research Foundation here on Tuesday.

He is also slated to visit Punjab, where he will visit the Golden Temple and also inaugurate the new consulate in Chandigarh. This part of his visit has come under controversy with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh having announced his decision not to meet the Canadian dignitary, whom he has termed a "Khalistani sympathiser".

Sajjan will visit Mumbai, where he will meet several business and industry leaders.
Mumbai, April 17 : Director Anees Bazmee, who wrapped up the shooting of "Mubarakan" last week, says he has already locked in a script for his next, and cant wait to start working on it.

Bazmee has signed his next film with the producers of "Mubarakan" -- Murad Khetani and Ashwin Varde. The film is expected to go on the floors in September this year.

Bazmee says it is too early to reveal details of the new project.

"The producers Murad and Ashwin have become very dear friends too. And I want to start my next film with them as soon as possible," Bazmee said in a statement.

The director added: "We have already identified the script. We will start working on the casting as soon as the post-production of 'Mubarakan' ends. I am already very excited about this new film. It's going to be something special."

"Mubarakan", starring Anil Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, Athiya Shetty and Ileana D'Cruz, is slated to release on July 28.

The official signing of the new project was done in London after the "Mubarakan" crew celebrated the film's wrap.
Chandigarh, April 17 : The Haryana Police have arrested six men and one woman, all members of the same gang who were planning to commit loot in a house in DLF Phase-II of Gurugram, adjoining New Delhi, police said on Monday.

Police recovered two country-made pistols, two cartridges, an iron bar, a sharp-edged weapon and a rope from their possession.

"Police got information that some persons were planning to commit loot in a house in DLF with the help of the maid in that house.

"Acting swiftly, the police nabbed all the accused who have been identified as Sunil, Satyanarayan, Rajkumar Thakur, Ram Kalesh alias Hritik, Arvinder and Mohammad Zahir, all residents of Bihar, and Madhuri, a resident of Odisha. Besides, police have also arrested maid Manju alias Poonam, a resident of Odisha," a police department spokesman said here.

He said that Manju was known to Satyanarayan, who was the kingpin of the gang.

According to the plan, Manju served sedative-laced food to members of the family. But police nabbed the gang before they could commit the crime.

The spokesman said that during the interrogation, it was found that Satyanarayan was also involved in various other such crimes and had recently come out of jail.
Guwahati, April 17 : Former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday demanded that India enter into a water sharing agreement over the Brahmaputra river with China, so that Assam was not deprived of its share of the river water.

Gogoi raised the issue with Chinese Ambassador Luo Zhaohui who visited Gogoi at his official residence in Guwahati late Sunday evening. Luo Zhaohui is on a three-day visit to Assam.

"The reports of China's proposed construction of big hydro power dams in the upper reaches of Brahmaputra river is a matter of concern to us. I have taken up the issue with the Chinese Ambassador. He said that there is no reason for apprehensions for Assam about the water flow," said Gogoi while addressing the media later.

"I told him that the flow of (water in) Assam should not be affected. I am also going to write to the Prime Minister and Minister of External Affairs. There should be a water sharing agreement between the two countries which will ensure that there is no impact on flow of water," said Gogoi.

The former Chief Minister said that he also took up with the Chinese Ambassador the issue of Indian insurgents taking shelter in the neighbouring country.

"The Chinese Ambassador refuted the reports and said that China had not been giving shelter to any Indian insurgent outfits," Gogoi added.
Ankara, April 17 : Turkey's referendum process to grant expansive new powers to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was held on an "unlevel playing field", with campaigning restrictions and late procedural changes, monitors said.

Opposition events were obstructed and state resources misused, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said.

In the referendum, voters gave sweeping new powers to President Erdogan, reported BBC.

The narrow vote was ruled valid by Turkey's electoral body, despite claims of irregularities by the opposition.

Erdogan's push for an executive presidency succeeded with 51 per cent voting for it.

"[The] referendum took place on an unlevel playing field and the two sides of the campaign did not have equal opportunities," the OSCE said in a statement.

"The campaign rhetoric was tarnished by some senior officials equating No supporters with terrorist sympathisers, and in numerous cases No supporters faced police interventions and violent scuffles at their events."

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has demanded a recount of 60 per cent of the votes.

Its deputy head said the result should be annulled altogether.

The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) also challenged the vote.

They criticised a decision by electoral officials to allow voting papers without official stamps to be counted, saying it opened the way for fraud.

But the head of Turkey's electoral body, Sadi Guven, said the unstamped ballot papers had been produced by the High Electoral Board and were valid.

He said a similar procedure had been used in past elections.

Three of Turkey's biggest cities -- Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir -- all voted "No" to the constitutional changes, BBC reported.

Opposition supporters took to the streets of Istanbul to bang pots and pans, a traditional form of protest, in a series of noisy demonstrations.

Meanwhile, flag-waving supporters of Erdogan celebrated as their President praised them for their "historic decision" that could keep him in office until 2029.

With 99.97 per cent of ballots counted, the "Yes" campaign had won 51.41 per cent of the votes cast, while "No" had taken 48.59 per cent.

The turnout was said to be as high as 85 per cent.

Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said there would be no early elections following the result.

Meanwhile, the German government on Monday urged Turkey to hold "respectful dialogue" with different political factions in the country after the narrow referendum win backing constitutional changes.

In a joint statement, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said the outcome of the vote had indicated a "deeply divided" Turkish society.

Austria's Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said the outcome of Sunday's referendum went against EU principles.

The final referendum results will be released within 12 days.
Srinagar, April 17 : Rights group Amnesty International on Monday condemned the "targeting of civilians in Kashmir by armed groups", after undated videos showed two men forced to shout anti-India slogans.

"The killings, intimidation and harassment of ordinary people by suspected armed group members can never be justified, and should stop immediately," Aakar Patel, Executive Director at Amnesty International India, said in a statement.

Urging the authorities to investigate these incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice, the statement said people's political or personal associations should "not be reason for them to come under attack".

The videos uploaded on social media over the last week appeared to show members of armed groups forcing two political workers to apologise for their political associations at gunpoint.

The men - identified as Bashir Ahmad, a former worker of the National Conference party, and Wali Muhammad, a People's Democratic Party worker - are also forced to raise slogans including "Hindustan Murdabad" and "India, go back".

On April 15, a civilian was killed and another injured in attacks by unidentified gunmen in Pulwama. A day later, Imtiyaz Ahmad, a former public prosecutor, was shot dead by suspected armed group members inside his house in Shopian.

The statement also took note of militants ransacking the homes of police personnel and threatening their family members that had prompted the Jammu and Kashmir police chief to advise the force personnel to "preferably avoid visiting their homes for the next few months".
Kohima, April 17 : A five-member Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) on Monday visited Nagaland for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation in the wake of floods and landslides in the state during 2016, a official statement said.

The central team along with the Nagaland State Disaster Management Association officials also briefed Chief Minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu on how the natural calamities caused the damages in the state During the meeting, Liezietsu said Nagaland is a resource crunch state totally dependent on the Centre, and disasters are an unexpected chapter which draw considerable amount from the state exchequer.

Noting that the soil in Nagaland is young which makes it more prone to landslide than the neighbouring states, he said the damages caused by rainfall here are often overlooked since our soil does not retain the rain water. This destroys not only Nagaland's crops but also its roads.

Moreover, he said, floods in the Brahmaputra river in Assam are also caused by the rainfall in Nagaland.
Washington, April 18 : US President Donald Trump on Monday took to Twitter to attack the media's use of false information and agreed with those who said his foreign policy was superior to that of his predecessor, the Democrat Barack Obama.

"The Fake Media (not Real Media) has gotten even worse since the election. Every story is badly slanted. We have to hold them to the truth!" Trump wrote on Twitter.

In another of his morning tweets, Trump acclaimed as "so true" the remark made on the conservative TV programme "Fox & Friends" that the first 90 days of his presidency "has exposed the total failure of the last eight years of foreign policy!"

Trump, who again spent the weekend at the Trump Organisation's West Palm Beach tourist complex Mar-a-Lago, is winning support for bombing Syria and for dropping the most powerful non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal on militants of the Islamic State (IS) in Afghanistan, Efe news agency reported.

Two weeks ago, Trump decided to respond to the use of chemical weapons in Syria, which Washington attributes to the Bashar al-Assad regime, with a massive launch of Tomahawk cruise missiles against a Syrian air base, a move supported by both Republican and Democratic lawmakers.

Last week the Pentagon chose to launch "the mother of all bombs" against IS in a remote mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan, which was considered a show of force by the Trump government and a message to other US adversaries like North Korea.

US Vice President Mike Pence followed up on that idea on Monday in South Korea when he told North Korea that "the era of strategic patience is over," a reference to Obama's concept of persuading the Pyongyang regime to report to the negotiating table to discuss its nuclear program.
Washington, April 18 : The US Defense Ministry has officially started a review of the country's nuclear posture and will submit a final report to President Donald Trump at the end of this year, the Pentagon announced Monday.

"Today, Secretary (James) Mattis directed the commencement of the review, which will be led by the deputy secretary of defense and the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and include interagency partners," Xinhua news agency quoted a Pentagon spokeswoman as saying.

"The process will culminate in a final report to the president by the end of the year," said the statement.

The nuclear posture review was ordered by Trump in a January executive action on military readiness.

The January memo called for a review "to ensure that the United States nuclear deterrent is modern, robust, flexible, resilient, ready and appropriately tailored to deter 21st-century threats and reassure our allies."

Democratic lawmaker Adam Smith, a ranking member of the House Armed Services committee, said he hopes the review includes a "thoughtful assessment" to "rethink what the priorities should be for a strong yet affordable nuclear arsenal."

"In the past, nuclear posture reviews have considered in depth the crucial role played by efforts to enhance strategic stability and prevent nuclear proliferation," he said in a statement.

"It is important that this review do the same. I hope that it includes a thorough assessment of policy options that would allow us to avoid a costly and dangerous nuclear arms race; and that it properly analyzes the enormous risks inherent in lowering the threshold for using nuclear weapons." said Smith.

Though planned since January under Trump's order, the start of the nuclear review comes at a time of high anxiety over increasing tensions on the Korean peninsula.

The last time the Pentagon conducted a nuclear posture review was in 2010.
Sarah Stineman, Rookie of the Year I am honored and grateful to have been chosen by the WPTA to receive such a distinguished award.

Capitol Physical Therapy is proud to announce that Dr. Sarah Stineman, PT, DPT, OCS, has been selected by the Wisconsin Physical Therapy Association (WPTA) as this years recipient of the WPTA Rookie of the Year Award. The WPTA Rookie of the Year Award is awarded annually to a member of the WPTA who has made significant contributions to the physical therapy profession in the areas of clinical practice or service within three years of graduation from an accredited PT or PTA program. This award also acknowledges an individual WPTA member in good standing who has made outstanding and enduring contributions to the practice of physical therapy.

Dr. Stineman received this award by proving her dedication to her profession at the state level. Currently, she serves as Wisconsins Federal Affairs Liaison for the WPTA, and is an active member of WPTAs Technology Committee. She is a past recipient of WPTAs Student Emerging Leader Award. On a national level, Dr. Stineman is past recipient of the APTA Outstanding Student Award and served on APTAs Health Policy & Administration Student Mentorship Program.

Sarah is also a leader in her current position as Assistant Director of Capitol Physical Therapys Madison location, and in 2016 was recipient of Capitol PTs Above & Beyond Award. She leads her team by example with clinical excellence, professional fortitude and integrity.

Dr. Stineman holds a Doctor in Physical Therapy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed an orthopedic residency at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics and Meriter Hospitals. She has received training and earned the professional designation of Orthopedic Certified Specialist (OCS). This board-certification is granted by the APTAs American Board of Physical Therapy Specialists (ABPTS) and only 3.9% of therapists in the United States are Orthopedic Certified Specialists. This board-certification involves rigorous application and examination processes and provides assurance to patients and the medical community of Dr. Stinemans skills and abilities. She is recognized for advanced knowledge, experience, and skills in the practice of orthopedic physical therapy and the conditions affecting bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves.

I am honored and grateful to have been chosen by the WPTA to receive such a distinguished award, and I am also grateful to Capitol Physical Therapy for supporting me in combining my passions of clinical care, leading others, and to better the field of physical therapy through my work with our state and national associations, said Stineman. Stineman was honored at a ceremony and reception at the Radisson Hotel in Green Bay, Wisconsin on April 20th, 2017. For more information on the award, please visit the WPTA website.

About Capitol Physical Therapy

Since 2004, Capitol Physical Therapy has been delivering patient focused therapy to the Dane County area, and they are now touching lives each day in Verona, Mount Horeb, Madison, and Sun Prairie. Patients continue to experience the same unparalleled customer service and outstanding results they received when the doors opened. Capitol Physical Therapy remains committed to providing expert care without the wait. For more information, please visit http://www.capitolphysicaltherapy.com. You can also find Capitol PT on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Over our successful six-year history, weve helped more than 400 clients modernize billions of lines of code, said John Rhodes, managing director of CM First. The funding will enable us to help thousands more enterprises confidently modernize."

CM First Group, an innovative provider of modernization solutions for enterprise software applications, announced today that it has secured $1.2M of new equity financing. The investment funds will accelerate the growth of CM Firsts software tools and services. The investment round was led by Central Texas Angel Network (CTAN) and Lone Rock Technology Group with Capital Factory participating. Clint Whitaker of CTAN and Joel Trammel of Lone Rock were appointed to the Board of Directors of CM First.

Over our successful six-year history, weve helped more than 400 clients modernize billions of lines of code, said John Rhodes, managing director of CM First. The additional funding supports our continued growth and will enable us to help thousands more enterprises confidently modernize through the best possible understanding of their applications.

CM Firsts cutting edge technologies enable IT architects to fully understand and confidently migrate the business rules and system interdependencies of large complex software applications.

We are excited to be involved with helping CM First take the next step, said Joel Trammel, deal lead for Lone Rock Technology Group. The hardest challenges in IT often revolve not around doing new things but in upgrading existing systems to meet new business challenges. We believe CM First has the best solution for solving these difficult problems.

CM First saves time and money for enterprises with large IT investments, said Clint Whitaker, deal lead for CTAN. They use the latest technologies to help IT organizations modernize. CTAN is excited to help them deliver value to their growing international customer base.

The companys offerings include CM evolveIT, which automatically analyzes and mines business rules from mainframe applications, and CM M3, which automates the transformation of CA 2E applications to modern platforms using CA Plex, Java/.Net and the cloud. With the maintenance of legacy applications being handled by a dwindling resource pool of COBOL experts, supporting new business needs like modern user experiences and mobile device support dictates a move toward object-oriented programming languages like Java and C#.

Legacy mainframe and midrange server applications are invaluable to thousands of companies to run crucial business processes, said Rhodes. Legacy systems are expensive to maintain, inadequately documented and poorly architected for new technologies such as web and cloud deployment. Our modernization tools speed the transformation process, allowing IT organizations to maintain, enhance and evolve their legacy applications more cost efficiently.

About CM First Group

CM First Group provides analytical software and software migration services to help IT departments and software development partners maintain, enhance and migrate legacy applications. CM Firsts offerings include CM evolveIT and CM M3. CM First has served over 400 customers across the Americas and Europe including T. Rowe Price, Foot Locker and others in financial services, insurance, healthcare, retail and government. CM First has key business partnerships with CA Technologies for the migration of CA 2E applications, and with Sencha, to transform vintage applications to their enterprise web platform. For more information, visit http://www.cmfirstgroup.com

About Central Texas Angel Network

Having invested more than $82 million in 140+ companies since 2006, the Central Texas Angel Network (CTAN) is the most active single-chapter angel group in North America and is a significant source of early-stage capital for entrepreneurs from Texas and beyond.

A nonprofit, member-based organization, the angel group features more than 160 individual accredited investors from an extensive cross section of sectors and backgrounds. CTAN members not only invest, they also mentor entrepreneurs and connect them to business resources, providing critical support to the success of early-stage business and the Texas economy.

Web: http://www.centraltexasangelnetwork.com

Twitter: @CTANAngels

About Lone Rock Technology Group

Lone Rock Technology Group is an operationally oriented investment firm focused on the enterprise software industry. Lone Rock specializes in taking positions in software companies that have an established market presence, proprietary technologies and can benefit from Lone Rocks expertise, back-office resources and proven success in establishing growth-oriented operational excellence.

For more information, visit http://www.lonerock.com

About Capital Factory

Capital Factory is the center of gravity for entrepreneurs in Austin, the number one startup city in the U.S. Last year more than 100,000 entrepreneurs, programmers and designers gathered day and night, in-person and online for meetups, classes and coworking. We meet the best entrepreneurs in Austin and introduce them to their first investors, employees, mentors and customers. According to Pitchbook, Capital Factory has been the most active investor in Texas since 2013.

For more information, visit https://capitalfactory.com/
Zoey, a SaaS ecommerce platform focused on meeting the needs of sophisticated businesses, today announced a new partnership with Addressy, an application that searches for and validates shipping and billing address information on an online stores checkout. Along with the partnership is the announcement of general availability of Addressys address search and verification services app on the Zoey platform.

We strive to empower merchants by making advanced technology easy for merchants to use, while helping them be more sophisticated with their businesses. said Uri Foox, Zoey founder and president. Partnering with companies like Addressy, who offer a world-class address solution in a very consumer-friendly package, helps us continue to achieve that goal.

Addressy is the first app built and launched with Zoeys Developer Toolkit. The Toolkit empowers developers to integrate their applications with Zoey and tap into the platforms native functionality to build custom features for clients. This allows Zoey to close the gap between powerful but complex open source ecommerce platforms and easy to use but limiting SaaS platforms. For developers with a Magento 1.x extension, the Toolkit allows for an easy conversion to a Zoey compatible app.

Addressy is also one of the first apps launched in Zoeys recently enhanced app store. Along with easier discoverability, Zoey merchants can install a new app by simply clicking the Get App button, and if logged in can immediately begin configuring the app. No merchant intervention is needed to download or install an app.

The Addressy app can be installed in just a couple of clicks. With another minute or two of set up, a merchant is up and running and can begin benefiting from Addressys search and verification solution, Foox said.

Our goals of reducing failed deliveries, streamlining the checkout experience and increasing conversion rates dovetail nicely with Zoeys ability to power merchant growth through advanced technology, said Tom Mucklow, Partner Development Manager for Addressy. The Toolkit made development a breeze, and their team were there to assist us with any questions. Were looking forward to a long and prosperous partnership.

Zoey merchants can install the Addressy app immediately by visiting the Addressy page on the Zoey app store: https://www.zoey.com/apps/addressy

If you would like to develop an app for Zoey, please sign up for our App Developer Beta Program: https://www.zoey.com/app-developer-toolkit

About Zoey

Zoey is advanced ecommerce platform that blends the ease of use of SaaS technology with the power of open source platforms. With hundreds of features and a modern infrastructure optimized for speed, Zoey reduces the cost and complexity associated with building, managing and growing an ecommmerce business. To learn more, visit: https://www.zoey.com.

About Addressy

Addressy, the cutting-edge address verification platform in the US, offers a faster, easier way to optimize and streamline the checkout process for online retailers and their customers. From the team behind PCA Predict, the leading provider of address verification technology in the UK, Addressy combines industry-leading predictive technology with an unmatched user experienceeliminating key frustrations and saving businesses and customers money and time. For more information, visit: https://www.addressy.com/
Criminal Background Records The new California law is evidence of a continuing evolution to laws protecting against disparate impact. As these laws continue to change and evolve it is critical that hiring managers work with a third-party employment screening agency.

California recently enacted one of the more specific and rigorous laws protecting against employment applicants for potential disparate impact, just as the opinion over the hiring of ex-cons has softened. Adam Almeida, President and CEO of CriminalBackgroundRecords.com states: Now, more than ever, is the time to stay fully diligent regarding hiring policies and the use of criminal records as part of the pre-employment background check, as laws protecting against disparate impact will continue to remain in the headlines for the foreseeable future.

Long a leader in protectionist law, California has recently enacted new rules protecting individuals for potential disparate impact.

Key to the California law is the specific use of criminal records as part of a pre-employment background check.

From Mondaq.com (Apr. 05, 17):

Considering criminal records when making employment decisions has long been the subject of scrutiny, and will soon be governed by new California regulations. On March 27, 2017, the California Office of Administrative Law approved several amendments to the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). They include adding a section (Section 11017.1) that effectively establishes the standard of proof for claims by applicants and employees that employment decisions based upon criminal records create an adverse impact on protected classes in violation of the FEHA. The amendments will take effect on July 1, 2017.

Section 11017.1 adopts the EEOC's definition of "disparate impact" to define adverse impact. But unlike the EEOC guidance, it authorizes using "state-or national-level statistics" (rather than employer-specific recruiting records) to create an adverse impact presumption. An employer may rebut this presumption only by showing a "reason to expect a markedly different result" than an adverse impact, after accounting for factors specific to the area or job. (1)

Almeida states: The new California law is evidence of a continuing evolution to laws protecting against disparate impact. As these laws continue to change and evolve it is critical that hiring managers work with a third-party employment screening agency in order to maintain compliance with current law as well as stay ahead of the curve on any potential new law.

As new laws are enacted there appears to be a softening of attitude towards the hiring of ex-convicts and those individuals that may be subject to disparate impact.

From Courant.com, a Connecticut newspaper that conducted a local survey regarding the hiring of ex-offenders (Mar. 21, 17):

A newly released survey of Connecticut employers found strong support for efforts to give ex-offenders a second chance.

The survey of 311 employers found that 95 percent of respondents agreed that hiring previously incarcerated individuals can help turn them into productive members of society. The poll, conducted by Harris Poll for the Malta Justice Initiative between June and October of 2016, was released this week. (2)

Almeida states: The rise of laws protecting individuals for disparate impact in hiring has contributed to the softening of attitudes toward the hiring of ex-convicts. But it is important to remember that new law only changes when and where criminal background checks can be conducted. These laws will continue to evolve over time and it is very important that all employers immediately understand their current hiring policies and ensure full compliance by working with a third-party pre-employment background screening company.

CriminalBackgroundRecords.com is a third-party background screening company with highly trained operators well versed in the needs and requirements of companies and organizations large and small utilizing public records, such as criminal records, as part of a hiring process. Assisting companies in maintaining full compliance under the law is a central tenet of all client relationships with CriminalBackgroundRecords.com

Notes:

(1) mondaq.com/unitedstates/x/583094/Employee+Benefits+Compensation/New+Fair+Employment+and+Housing+Act+Regulations+Further+Limit+Consideration+of+Criminal+History+in+Employment+Decisions

(2) courant.com/politics/capitol-watch/hc-business-survey-finds-support-for-second-chances-for-those-with-criminal-records-20170321-story.html
We are honored to serve and support immigrant entrepreneurs in New York City, says Yanki Tshering, Executive Director of the Business Center.

In recognition of the important role immigrant entrepreneurs play in the economy of New York City, the Business Center for New Americans will mark Immigrant Heritage Week 2017 by honoring inspiring NYC immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs.

Special guest and Keynote Speaker will be Sree Sreenivasan, Chief Digital Officer of New York City.

Gregg Bishop, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS), will present the awards at the event, which will be held on Friday, April 21, from 8:30  10:45am at SIFMA Conference Center, 120 Broadway.

A panel led by Judy Messina, founder of "Digital New York" and former senior reporter for Crain's New York Business will discuss How Digital Access is Helping Women Entrepreneurs Build Connections. Panelists will include Deepti Sharma Kapur, Founder and CEO of FoodtoEat; Natalia Konovalova, Founder and CEO of LeBulga; Nancy Reynoso, a Green Taxi owner and industry spokesperson; Annabelle Santos, Founder and CEO of SPAdet; and Alimata Zabsonre, Founder and CEO of Alima Hair Braiding and Founder of the Association of African Women.

The 2017 Bootstrap Entrepreneur Award will be presented to Astou Diaw of Astou African Hair Braiding

The 2017 New York Job Creator Award will be presented to Sunita Adhikari of Shruvashree.

The 2017 New Beginning Awards will go to Behzad Pouyanfar, Nabina Khanal, and Olawale Obayemi.

The 2017 Innovation Award will go to Juan Quelal of SmartCab.

The 2017 Trailblazer Award will go to Yevgeniy Mordkovich of EVELO.

We are honored to serve and support immigrant entrepreneurs in New York City, says Yanki Tshering, Executive Director of the Business Center. We are especially proud of this years honorees, who are not only working hard to pursue their dreams and create a better future for their families, but also making valuable contributions to New York Citys economy, culture and community.

Immigrant Heritage Week, an initiative of the Mayors Office of Immigrant Affairs, is a collaboration of a diverse group of city, state, and community organizations featuring cultural events in all five boroughs celebrating the citys immigrant communities.

Business Center for New Americans (BCNA) is an award-winning Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and Small Business Administration Microlender. BCNA has disbursed over $16.6 million in loans and assisted over 10,000 immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs in New York City since 1998. For more information, please visit http://www.nybcna.org
Michelle Schwalbach Michelle has exemplified the GAP values of innovation, collaboration and excellence.

Rapidly growing software development company with a nearshore focus, Growth Acceleration Partners has promoted Michelle Schwalbach to Chief Financial Officer. Michelle is a 20 year accounting and finance veteran and has extensive expertise in the software industry as well as in international business. Prior to Growth Acceleration Partners, Michelle was the Controller for Digby, Pinion Software and HotData.

GAP has experienced explosive growth in terms of its expanding customer base and its addition of a new development center in Medellin Colombia. GAP also has multiple offices in Costa Rica and it is well positioned for continued growth.

"We have self funded our rapid growth over the last 10 years, always maintaining significant profits each year. The conservative and prudent financial planning that has enabled us to achieve this is a testament to Michelle's leadership, discipline and foresight," said Brett Bachman, Co-Founder and Managing Partner.

Michelle has exemplified the GAP values of innovation, collaboration and excellence at the highest levels while stewarding GAP financial resources for the past three years. She currently serves on the Supervisory Committee of Amplify Credit Union. She holds a B.B.A. in business from the University of Alabama and she is a Certified Public Accountant.

"Michelle has made a significant and sustained contribution to GAP's financial success. She has done a masterful job of managing to the bottom line with ever increasing top line numbers and built a model that ensures financial stability and risk mitigation," said Joyce Durst, Co-Founder and Managing Partner.

About Growth Acceleration Partners

Based in Austin, Growth Acceleration Partners (GAP) offers best-in-class software development, combining leading-edge technical skills with serious business perspective. The companys mission is to support their clients in such a way that they reach their full business potential  in essence, crafting the software of their dreams. GAP has partnered with more than 250 satisfied clients, ranging from startup tech companies to multinational enterprises.

For more information, visit http://www.wearegap.com.
Pharmed LLC, a subsidiary of Polycare Technology Co. Ltd. known for exclusively distributing a number of different over-the-counter drugs and medical devices, announced its Nasal Spa spray is now available for purchase on RonnieColemanNutrition.com, a popular nutritional products website.

Pharmed LLC was founded with the primary purpose of providing high-quality products to customers all over the world. The company currently has 36 different suppliers across Europe, China and the United States. Now that its natural sea salt spray produced in Germany is available on a popular nutritional products site like RonnieColemanNutrition, the company will be better able to reach out to health-conscious consumers across America.

We are excited to announce that Nasal Spa spray is available on RonnieColemanNutrition.com, said Wei Zhao, President of Pharmed LLC. Many people around the world have appreciated this natural sea salt spray for its effectiveness and its lack of any harmful side effects. Now through this new sales partnership we will be able to reach out to more people than ever who care about putting healthy products into their bodies.

Nasal Spa marks the very first product exclusively distributed by Pharmed to be sold in the United States. It is an extremely simple formula of just water and natural sea salt, which ensures customers they are getting a completely natural product that does not contain any additives, such as chemicals, preservatives, drugs or antibiotics. Natural sea salts contain some minerals and elements that are effective at repairing the natural mucosa, which in turn spurs greater nasal immunization in the body. Additionally, this simple list of ingredients helps people to avoid some of the stinging side effects often associated with other nasal sprays.

The product is deemed totally safe for people of all ages, from newborns to the elderly, which makes it extremely versatile and a great item to have on stock in ones home. Even people who suffer from such conditions as rhinitis find it to be an effective means of treating their conditions.

This is a great next step for our brand as we work to continue spreading awareness of our product across North America, said Zhao.

For more information about Pharmed LLC and its products, visit http://www.pharmedllc.com.
Digital Research Data Management Platform RSpace promotes data integrity, privacy and secure collaboration

Mass Innovation Labs, a cutting-edge incubator for scientific start-ups, together with the UK firm ResearchSpace, and its Ohio affiliate, Lab-Ally, have announced that the RSpace electronic lab notebook (ELN) will be made available to member companies to help catalyze their research and protect their intellectual property. Mass Innovation Labs has become the accelerator of choice for Boston's small startups and rapidly maturing life-science companies like Editas Medicine, Cellaria and C4 Therapeutics.

The addition of RSpace to Mass Innovations suite of infrastructure tools will facilitate accurate lab data collection and help with trouble-free commercialization of members discoveries. RSpace will also smooth the process of graduation from incubator to larger facility by ensuring that critical knowledge assets, IP provenance and due diligence procedures are not lost or disrupted by the logistics of growth, or the rigors of relocation. RSpace features an open framework and modern API that allow seamless integration with data sources like Dropbox, Box, Google Docs, MS OneDrive, and Github, as well as connection to verbose data held in file servers, sample management systems and more. RSpace will help Mass Innovation Labs members share and archive files securely, but also allows for easy bundling and export of data in ways that maintain integrity and traceability. Embedded metadata and digital signatures protect members' data claims even when information is disclosed externally to auditors, investors or other stakeholders.

RSpace was chosen because it is easy to use yet fully featured, said Amrit Chaudhuri, CEO and cofounder of Mass Innovation Labs. This valuable research tool adds to the arsenal of support we provide to companies in areas like setup, workflow, biosafety and other operational programs, ultimately helping companies start work quickly and significantly reduce the typical time it takes to set up lab operations.

Were delighted to partner with Mass Innovation Labs, said Rory Macneil, CEO and cofounder of ResearchSpace. The addition of RSpace as a digital environment to complement the world class physical environment Mass Innovation Labs already provides to its member companies is a great example of Mass Innovation Labs' commitment to continual innovation.

Rob Day, CEO of Columbus, OH based Lab-Ally added: RSpace has been specifically designed for modern, dynamic research environments like Mass Innovation Labs. With features like distributed, hierarchic, configurable administration, we believe that RSpace is ideal for any discovery environment where autonomous organizations or semi-autonomous divisions need privacy, but also want the option for secure collaboration or tiered oversight.

About Mass Innovation Labs:

Mass Innovation Labs was created to support an expert powered ecosystem that drives brilliant execution. Its 124,000-square-foot chemistry and biology space is located among the worlds leading life-science companies in Kendall Square, epicenter of the Boston biotech boom. Comprehensive support for growing member companies includes animal facilities, on-site CRO services, and a range of other scientific amenities. For more information visit massinnovationlabs.com.

About ResearchSpace:

ResearchSpace provides the RSpace electronic lab notebook, which is used by universities, medical schools and life sciences companies around the world. The company mission is to enable researchers to document and protect their work from bench to market or publication, and share it in ways that catalyze discovery. For more information visit researchspace.com

About Lab-Ally:

Lab-Ally operates the US office of ResearchSpace and is involved with the creation of scientific data management tools like RSpace, as well as a variety of other biomedical research ventures. For more information visit lab-ally.com
Scott Schrader, Chief Commercial Officer, Access Healthcare Access Healthcares focus on making a positive impact on the revenue cycle process of our customers through a combination of local touch, global delivery, and robotic process automation makes it a compelling value proposition for customers,

Access Healthcare, a leading provider of end-to-end healthcare revenue cycle and information technology services, today announced the addition of Scott Schrader as Chief Commercial Officer. Scott has over two decades of professional experience in leading healthcare revenue cycle management businesses.

Scott joins Access Healthcare from R1 RCM (formerly Accretive Health). He served as Senior Vice President of Sales leading the team in year over year growth in Physician Advisory Services, Revenue Cycle Management, and Value Based Reimbursement.

Before Accretive/R1 RCM, Scott served as Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer at RevenueMed, Inc., a provider of medical coding and revenue cycle outsourcing software and services. While there, he was responsible for sales, marketing, product & software development, and operations. Under Scotts leadership, RevenueMed was recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of Americas fastest growing companies for 6 consecutive years.

Scott brings rich experience in the revenue cycle management business, particularly in creating value through analytics, and technology-enabled services, said Anurag Jain, Chairman at Access Healthcare. His experience will be invaluable in helping us develop and design new solutions while expanding our customer base. We are excited to add his deep industry knowledge and entrepreneurial energy to the team and look forward to him contributing to the growth of the business.

Access Healthcares focus on making a positive impact on the revenue cycle process of our customers through a combination of local touch, global delivery, and robotic process automation makes it a compelling value proposition for customers, Scott explained. I am looking forward to building on this foundation to grow the companys business and working with a highly entrepreneurial team.

About Access Healthcare

Access Healthcare provides business process outsourcing and applications services, and robotic process automation tools to healthcare providers, payers, and related service providers. We operate from 12 delivery centers in the US, India and the Philippines, and our 7,500+ staff is committed to bringing revenue cycle excellence to our customers by leveraging technology, emerging best practices, and global delivery. Based in Dallas, we support over 125,000 physicians, serve 80+ specialties, process over $ 50 billion of A/R annually, and ascribe medical codes to over 10 Million charts annually. To learn how Access Healthcare can help your organization boost its financial performance, visit accesshealthcare.org.

Media Contact:

Sumitra Sundaram

info(at)accesshealthcare(dot)co

+91 98844 09349

Peter Snell

illumeture

(214) 810-6207

psnell(at)illumeture(dot)com
I am more than the color of my skin. Gender rules dont matter. Self-hate is just as dangerous as any other. "Where you're from shouldnt change how people treat you. Nearly 3,300 Northeast Ohio 6-12th graders recently submitted these and other reflections on intolerance as part of the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage annual Stop the Hate Youth Speak Out competition. Each student shared his or her experiences and ideas for effecting positive change in a 500-word essay. Its not just about students recognizing and evaluating instances of discrimination in their own lives, explains Jeffery Allen, Maltz Museum Director of Education. We encourage them to recognize they have agency and a voice. We want them to see the role they can play in creating a more inclusive future.

After 440 volunteer readers blind scored the essays, 25 finalists representing 22 different schools emerged. These upstanders are now in the running to win a portion of $100,000 in scholarships and anti-bias awards. Winners will be announced at the Stop the Hate Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, April 26 at 6pm at the Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center at The Temple-Tifereth Israel (Case Western Reserve University, 1855 Ansel Road, Cleveland, OH 44106). The public is invited to celebrate this next generation of leaders and to hear the top ten (10) juniors and seniors read their essays for the audience and a panel of community judges. The Awards Ceremony is being hosted by Lori Stokes, the award-winning TV journalist and daughter of former United States Congressman Louis Stokes.

The 2017 Stop the Hate Youth Speak Out Grand Prize scholarship finalists are:

Brian Amusat, Shaker Heights High School, Grade 12 (Shaker Heights, OH)

Tionna Cisco, Brush High School, Grade 11 (Lyndhurst, OH)

Aurora Fleming, Bay Village High School, Grade 11 (Bay Village, OH)

Zephaniah Galloway, Cleveland Early College High School at John Hay, Grade 12 (Cleveland, OH)

Geoffrey Gao, Solon High School, Grade 11 (Solon, OH)

Zachary Holtz, Gilmour Academy, Grade 11 (Gates Mills, OH)

Miao, Muqing, Gilmour Academy, Grade 12 (Gates Mills, OH)

Courtney Reed, Hawken School, Grade 11 (Gates Mills, OH)

M. Seven Richmond, University School, Grade 11 (Hunting Valley, OH)

Maria Savani, Gilmour Academy, Grade 11 (Gates Mills, OH)

Fifteen 6-10th grade Youth Speak Out finalists are also being honored on April 26. The finalists from each of those grades are eligible for cash prizes. They are:

Grade 6

Curt Harris III, Newton D. Baker School of Arts (Cleveland, OH)

Nicholas Niemiec, St. Barnabas Catholic School (Northfield, OH)

Aparna Srikanth, Orchard Middle School (Solon, OH)

Grade 7

Emily L. Brackin, Old Trail School (Bath, OH)

Jeremiah Sheppard, Kenneth W. Clement Boys Leadership Academy (Cleveland, OH)

Megan Wooley, Beachwood Middle School (Beachwood, OH)

Grade 8

Fiona Macke, Roxboro Middle School (Cleveland Heights, OH)

Olivia Pelley, Constellation Schools Old Brooklyn Community Middle (Cleveland, OH)

Hana Samad, Horizon Science Academy Cleveland Middle School (Cleveland Heights, OH)

Grade 9

Yash Ghosh, Mayfield High School (Mayfield Village, OH)

Maggie Hall, Mayfield High School (Mayfield Village, OH)

Lara Nunez-Cerrillo, Mayfield High School (Mayfield Village, OH)

Grade 10

Zaria Acy, Brooklyn High School (Brooklyn, OH)

Brigid Naughton, Magnificat High School (Rocky River, OH)

Maya Stupica, Kenston High School (Chagrin Falls Township, OH)

In confronting the pain that hate and intolerance causes, students from all grade levels overwhelmingly share a belief that efforts they make to educate others and create connections can yield positive results. In America lately discrimination and hatred have been dividing us, Hana Samad wrote in response to learning her essay was in the top three for her grade level. If a 13-year-old girl's voice helps heal the rift, at least I can say I did something to help.

Those sentiments are echoed in the original Stop the Hate: Youth Sing Out songs being performed by students from Shaw High School, Midview High School and Newton D. Baker School of Arts, as well as appearances by the Horizon Science Academy's US Army JROTC Color Guard and the Student Group on Race Relations (SGORR), Shaker Heights High School.

Stop the Hate: Youth Speak Out is presented by the Maltz Museum with the support of Dealer Tire, Dominion Resources and Nordson Corporation Foundation. Youth Sing Out is possible through the partnership of Roots of American Music and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the generosity of The Abington Foundation, The Bruening Foundation, Martha Holden Jennings Foundation and The Nord Family Foundation. For more information or to register to attend the Awards Ceremony, visit maltzmuseum.org.

# # #

Interviews and individual photos of the judges and student finalists are available upon request. Please email erudolph(at)mmjh(dot)org if youre interested in attending and/or covering the Awards Ceremony.

Stop the Hate - The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage created Stop the Hate to foster an appreciation for people of diverse religions, races, cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds. By challenging young people to consider the consequences of discrimination and the role of the individual in effecting change, Stop the Hate Youth Speak Out and Youth Sing Out encourage students to be leaders and upstanders. Learn more at maltzmuseum.org/stop-the-hate or by following @stopthehateUS on Twitter.

Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage - Maltz Museum celebrates culture and identity to encourage connection and promote a greater appreciation of Jewish heritage and the diversity of the human experience. Personal stories of struggle, courage and creativity are brought to life through interactive exhibitions and thought-provoking programs. For more information, visit maltzmuseum.org and follow us on Twitter @maltzmuseum.
Health Atlast founder, Stephanie Higashi, announces the opening of the newest location in Inverness, Florida. Were excited to open our Inverness clinic to better serve the needs of patients in the surrounding communities.

As more healthcare consumers look for therapies and treatments that avoid the use of drugs or surgery, Health Atlast, a new approach to integrated healthcare, is pleased to announce the April 4th opening of the franchises newest location in Inverness, Florida. The Inverness clinic offers comprehensive medical and chiropractic care and alternative treatments, including massage therapy, platelet-rich plasma injections, and advanced disc decompression.

The healthcare providers at the new Inverness location have over 40 years of experience providing top-notch patient-focused care to members of their communities. The clinic will offer patients a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and care, with every effort made to avoid the use of unnecessary medications or surgical interventions.

Health Atlast sets a new standard for patient care. The Crystal River clinic has been voted by members of the community as the Best of the Best for the past five consecutive years. For the last three years, the clinics medical doctors and chiropractors have worked together to provide patients with treatment options beyond those normally found in traditional medical settings, where the focus is often medication and surgery.

Stephanie Higashi, founder of Health Atlast, said, Were excited to open our Inverness clinic to better serve the needs of patients in the surrounding communities. We know that people want treatment options that dont include surgery or medications, and we stand ready to help them achieve their health and wellness goals while avoiding those kinds of interventions wherever possible.

Each Health Atlast shares a common goal: to help patients receive the healing and rehabilitation theyre looking for while avoiding drugs or surgery as much as possible. As part of the franchises unique practice model, healthcare providers from differing backgrounds practice together at each clinic location, sharing ideas, planning treatment, and assisting the patient towards a speedy recovery. Patients receive not only the benefit of a multidisciplinary approach to care, they also benefit from the convenience of having access to each type of healthcare professional in one centralized location.

Dr. Higashi said, The fact that more healthcare providers are signing on to become part of the franchise is a direct reflection of what they hear from their patients. People are becoming more interested in finding ways to heal that dont involve drugs or invasive procedures, and the providers who join our team have already recognize this trend. Were thrilled to welcome these new team members and offer patients another location at which they can receive effective treatment.

About Health Atlast:

Health Atlast was founded to bring medical, chiropractic, acupuncture, massage and nutrition care models together into one convenient, all-encompassing healthcare practice. Rather than referring patients to other healthcare providers, Health Atlast brings professionals from multiple disciplines together under one roof to provide comprehensive, focused care to each patient.

At each Health Atlast franchise location, patients have access to knowledgeable, experienced healthcare providers, including medical doctors, doctors of chiropractic, and physiotherapists. Once a medical diagnosis is made, each patient is treated with the goal of successful rehabilitation and healing while avoiding unnecessary medications and surgeries as much as possible. Successful doctors of chiropractic, medical doctors, doctors of osteopathic medicine, wellness professionals and philanthropic investors looking to expand and improve the health of others are candidates for being a great Health Atlast franchise owner. To learn more about Health Atlast, please visit http://www.healthatlastnow.com/inverness/.

About Mario Mendizabal

A practicing Internal Medicine Specialist for over 40 years bringing patients helpful solutions to health.

He is best known for keeping people out of the hospital and if for any reason patients have to go to the hospital he goes and watches over them like an angel to ensure not a single thing is done that is unnecessary and everything that is actually needed. He makes sure patients understand their care and is there holding their hand every step of the way.

About Dr. Jones & Dr. Ross Dumbadse

Practicing Chiropractors for Decades. They know how to treat patients from the weekend warrior to the old and tired joints. They are true community doctors that serve the people of the community with outstanding care and results that have lead to their award of The Best of Citrus County for 5 years in a row.
Everyone wrestles with the big questions of Who am I? "What matters? Why am I here?" and "What happens after I wake up dead? We try to provide a place where people can discover answers to lifes most important questions.

In 1993, Matt Eversmann was an Army Ranger serving in Somalia when he and his fellow soldiers were trapped inside a hostile area in Mogadishu for eighteen hours. Until their rescue, these soldiers were vastly outnumbered and targeted by an angry mob.

For the courage and leadership that Matt demonstrated during the ambush, Sergeant Eversmann received a Bronze Star Medal with Valor device and the Combat Infantrymans Badge. His inspiring story of survival is portrayed in the film Blackhawk Down.

First Sergeant Matt Eversmann is committed to sharing the lessons that he learned in the military. He uses his experiences to provide valuable insight about the importance of leadership, courage, responsibility and how these relate to our relationship with God and others. Matts warm approach, powerful story and important lessons are expected to have a profound effect on his audience at the event.

Before retiring in 2008, Matt Eversmann received a number of additional military decorations including the Army Service Ribbon, the National Defense Service Ribbon, eight Army Achievement Medals and four Army Commendation Medals.

We agree with Pascal who observed that everyone has a God-sized vacuum in the soul, said Brett Andrews, Lead Minister and Founder of New Life Christian Church. Everyone wrestles with the big questions of Who am I? "What matters? Why am I here?" and "What happens after I wake up dead? We try to provide a place where people can discover answers to lifes most important questions. Thats why were convinced Sergeant Eversmann's story will connect with so many."

New Life Christian Church strives to create a fun, casual environment where people can discover God. The church offers a safe environment for every individual, regardless of age, habits or hang-ups. New Life Christian Church believes in living life to its fullest and learning the art of laughing at ones self, while still taking God seriously. The church meets in two physical locations in Virginia and offers online sermons. To learn more about the Eversmann event visit our website here: http://newlife4me.com/matthew-eversmann/

About New Life Christian Church

New Life Christian Church creates fun environments where people discover God. Thats why they own and run the nZone, an 80,000 square foot community recreation facility. Most people who use the nZone do not attend New Life. Jesus said that we are to be the light of the world. We want to do our part to make NoVA a little brighter place for everybody, said Brett Andrews, founder and lead minister. The church meets in two physical locations in Virginia and offers online sermons. For more information, please visit http://www.newlife.church
Travel industry leader, Recommend magazine, is excited to announce the relaunch of its website with an array of new features ahead of the brands 50th Anniversary. Recommend.com continues to surpass itself as not only a great companion to the magazines legacy, but as a top choice for agents looking for quality, up-to-the-minute worldwide destination content at the touch of their fingertips. Now, more than ever, the website is a must-stop online source in the field with daily updates to keep readers informed on the best new hot spots for travel worldwide, as well as important industry trends.

We are optimistic about 2017, as Recommend is celebrating its 50th Anniversary with the debut of a newly designed eye-catching and playful website, as well as a gorgeous May issue, said Editor-in-Chief Paloma Villaverde de Rico. As weve done for the past 50 years, Recommend will continue to offer, both in print and online, unique and engaging content that educates and informs travel consultants.

To kick off the festivities, the 50 Days of Giveaways sweepstakes launched April 12th online. This important milestone celebration continues with the May 2017 issue, which will feature The Future of Travel Report with interviews and insight from industry professionals, as well as travel consultants. Industry advertisers will have the opportunity to tell their story, alongside Recommends story, in book and online with custom content written specifically for them by Recommends editors. As we commemorate the publications 50 years, it is important that we also acknowledge the travel industrys suppliers in a very organic way, Villaverde de Rico added.

Ahead of Recommends anniversary celebration, we asked our travel agent readers for design feedback for the website. The result was the development of a streamlined homepage design that includes updated navigation, striking imagery, and a user-friendly experience.

Recommend.coms new enhancements include:



New content sections: Editors Picks, which features Recommend staffers favorite stories from the week, and a Best Of section highlighting the best in tours, attractions, deals or distinctive experiences.

Education: Access to webinars and education courses from the main menu.

Responsive Design: Completely accessible on all mobile and tablet devices. Agents can effortlessly turn an article into a PDF document or e-mail articles for use on their own site.

Search functionality: Improved search featuresearch for stories by category (beach, family, eco & sustainable travel, etc.)

Recommend is thrilled to debut its newly designed site that not only features new enhancements and stellar content, but also allows advertisers the opportunity to reach our audience of engaged travel agents with new high-impact and native advertising opportunities.

See all the new features at http://www.recommend.com. The 50 Days of Giveaways sweepstakes ends May 31, 2017.

###

About Recommend

For 50 years, Recommend (recommend.com) has helped travel agents sell travel by providing them with in-depth destination and product information. Its editors travel the globe previewing, reviewing, and crafting experiential articles that make for some of the most informative and engrossing destination content available today. As one of the leaders in the travel trade marketplace, Recommend offers a wide array of products and services to educate and inform travel agents, while partnering with the community to enhance the essential role travel agents play in creating travel experiences for their clients.

Contact: Sharon Lewen, Corporate Director of Marketing, sharon(at)worthit(dot)com
On April 11th, 2017, luxury lifestyle brand Haute Media Group launched its newest market in Chicago. Chicago marks the second of many upcoming cities which the luxury lifestyle brand plans to expand its geographic reach and platforms, in combination with hosting exclusive events, reporting news and luxury content on HauteLiving.com, the Haute Living mobile app and showcasing original social media content. The Google news-ranked site offers luxury guides and coverage on the city of Chicago. Additionally, Haute Living will incorporate the newest city into its Northeast print publication, featuring a Dispatch from Chicago section where luxury news from the city will be reported in every issue. To celebrate the launch of the new market, the team hosted an exclusive event honoring Chicago Cubs co-MVP and Haute Living Chicago's first cover star, Javier Baez, on "Javier Baez Day," where the city named a street after the beloved star. The event took place at hotspot Sunda with partners Hublot / Geneva Seal and Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Further images and highlights can be found on HauteLiving.com under the Chicago page. Were excited to bring our luxury media platforms to the Chicago market as its a market many of the luxury brands we work with have expanded into. We have an exciting growth plan in 2017 and looking forward to continue expanding Haute Living into other cities around the globe, remarked Haute Living CEO Kamal Hotchandani. To follow all the action live, be sure to tune into Haute Livings social pages:

Website: http://www.hauteliving.com / http://hauteliving.com/chicago

Instagram: @hauteliving

Twitter: @hauteliving

Snapchat: hauteliving

Facebook: /HautelivingMiami, /Hautelivingnewyork, /Hautelivinglosangeles, /Hautelivingsanfrancisco, /Hautelivingatlanta /Hautelivingchicago
Nearly 20 years after being stolen, a 1,300-year-old stone Buddhist pagoda body has been returned to its home of northern Shanxi province with the best wishes from pilgrims across the Taiwan Straits, officials said Sunday.

The 1.77-meter-high component, a part of a 3.2-meter-high pagoda was located in Dengyu village in Shanxi province's Yushe county. Based on inscriptions on the pagoda, it appears to have been made in 720 AD. It was included in Shanxi's first provincial list of key protection cultural relics as early as in 1965. However, its top part was stolen in 1996, and the body became lost two years later. Its octagonal foundation and eaves were left at the site.

"It's rare to see such exquisite stone pagoda of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) in Shanxi, even though our province has abundant Buddhist cultural relics," said Shi Jinming, director of the Shanxi Museum, where a ceremony on Sunday was held to announce the pagoda body's return. The artifact was quietly returned to the museum in January.

"The figures are elegant and vivid," he said. "What the artifact reveals is the typically prosperous flavor during the zenith of the Tang Dynasty."

Four facades of the pagoda body were carved with Buddhist reliefs and decorated with color drawings. The inscriptions also include important historical information, Shi said.

In 2015, the pagoda body was donated by a private collector to Chung Tai Chan Monastery in Nantou county, Taiwan. Nevertheless, Abbot Wei Chueh, who since has died, founder of the monastery, showed willingness to return it via his delegates who visited the State Administration of Cultural Heritage in February 2016, noting "it was possibly an artifact stolen from Shanxi around 2000".

An official in charge of cultural relic repatriation under the administration was on a business trip in 2015, passing Yushe county and was told by locals the pagoda was possibly taken to Taiwan. Even as the administration pursued clues, the pagoda body was returned.

An expert panel was organized to compare the artifact and old pictures and files of the lost item in Shanxi. They determined the two matched perfectly and the Shanxi Museum and the monastery signed an agreement in August 2016 for the pagoda body to be returned.

"It was Wei Chueh's last wish to take this pagoda body back to enhance religion and art exchange across the Taiwan Straits," Abbot Jian Deng from the monastery said at ceremony marking the item's return.

Still, no one knows where the pagoda's top is.

"This is a remarkable event to set a good example for similar cases in the future," said Guan Qiang, deputy director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. "It encourages more people's good deeds to better protect cultural relics and bring more lost artifacts back."

The returned pagoda body will be exhibited in Shanxi Museum until May 21, and it is unclear whether it will be housed at the museum or moved it to Yushe county after, Shi said.

"If safety conditions allow, it's good to let it go back home in the village," Shi said.

wangkaihao@chinadaily.com.cn

A ceremony marking the return of a 1,300-year-old stone Buddhist pagoda body to its home in Shanxi province is held in the Shanxi Museum on Sunday. The top was taken first but has not been found, leading the museum to use a recreated top.Hu Yuanjia / For China Daily

(China Daily 04/17/2017 page3)
By claiming deductibles and paying less in taxes, consumers have the ability to put the money towards paying off any outstanding debt.

Everyone wants more money in their pocket. When filing federal tax returns it is easy to miss out on simple ways of saving money. Tax deductions allow consumers to lower their taxable income and pay less in taxes. With Tax Day coming up on April 18, American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC) wants to help consumers save money and claim all tax deductions they qualify for.

With the right planning and knowledge, claiming tax deductions is a perfect way for consumers to keep more money in their possession, said Steve Trumble, President and CEO of American Consumer Credit Counseling, which is based in Newton, MA. By claiming deductibles and paying less in taxes, consumers have the ability to put the money towards paying off any outstanding debt.

According to the Congressional Research Service Report, taxpayers with an adjusted gross income above $200,000 who itemized their deductions ranged from 94 percent to 98 percent with an average sum ranging from $39,470 to $441,719 claimed. In contrast, 6 percent to 22 percent of tax filers with an income less than $50,000 chose to itemize their deductions in 2011, with an average deduction claim of $15,227.

Tax deductions are often very individual, meaning one would benefit from speaking with a credit counselor who can help develop a more personalized approach to tax deductible claims. Seeing as this is not always an option, ACCC is providing some helpful tips for claiming tax deductions and putting more money in your pocket.

1. Know your standard deductible. The Standard deductible you can claim is determined by your filing status. On your federal tax return you must specify whether you are single, head of household, married filing separately, married filing jointly or a qualifying widow or widower. Each status receives a different standard deductible. It is important to be aware of what you are entitled to claim depending on how you are filing.

2. The standard deductible is not always the best option. Similar to a standard deductible, an itemized deductible lowers your taxable income but to do so you must create a list of items already purchased or paid for within the tax year that are tax deductible. If the itemized deductible is larger than the standard deductible, you should claim this instead. Itemized deductibles can include: charity, student-loans, job-expenses your company does not reimburse, self-owned business, state income and sales taxes, property tax, real-estate tax, casualty and theft and gambling losses. These options may vary depending on the total amount spent on the good or service.

3. You can file for tax deductions based on events that are considered life changing. There are certain large events in life that you may not expect are tax deductible. These events can include the loss of a job, marriage, divorce, having or adopting a child, going to college or purchasing a home.

4. Home energy improvements and renewable energy are not only tax deductible but can save you money monthly. Up to 30 percent of the cost of home improvements that create greater energy efficiency and can be written off as a tax deductible. Additionally, homeowners can receive a tax credit of nearly 30 percent of the money spent to install renewable energy options. Not only that but these improvements and energy options can allow for more money in your pocket each month as systems run more efficiently allowing for lower electric bills.

ACCC is a 501(c)3 organization that provides free credit counseling, bankruptcy counseling, and housing counseling to consumers nationwide in need of financial literacy education and money management. For more information, contact ACCC:



For credit counseling, call 800-769-3571

For bankruptcy counseling, call 866-826-6924

For housing counseling, call 866-826-7180

Or visit us online at http://www.ConsumerCredit.com

About American Consumer Credit Counseling

American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC) is a nonprofit credit counseling 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to empowering consumers to achieve financial management through credit counseling, debt management, bankruptcy counseling, housing counseling, student loan counseling and financial education concerning debt solutions. In order to help consumers reach their goal of debt relief, ACCC provides a range of free consumer personal finance resources on a variety of topics including budgeting, credit and debt management, student loan assistance, youth and money, homeownership, identity theft, senior living and retirement. Consumers can use ACCCs worksheets, videos, calculators, and blog articles to make the best possible decisions regarding their financial future. ACCC holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and is a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC). For more information or to access free financial education resources, log on to ConsumerCredit.com or visit http://www.consumercredit.com/financial-education.aspx
The irony of the Trump Administration trying to host the first ever debate on human rights at the Security Council isnt lost on anyone, - Akila Radhakrishnan, Vice-President & Legal Director of the Global Justice Center

On April 18, the United States, who holds the presidency of the UN Security Council in April, plans to hold an open briefing on human rights. Many fear that this is an attempt by the Trump Administration to undermine the UN Human Rights Council, an institution that has long been the target of Republican ire (US UN Ambassador Haley recently called it so corrupt), while continuing to pay lip service to notions of human rights. This is a move that would seriously complicate the enforcement and advancement of human rights around the world.

The irony of the Trump Administration trying to host the first ever debate on human rights at the Security Council isnt lost on anyone, says Akila Radhakrishnan, Vice-President & Legal Director of the Global Justice Center (GJC). Trump and his administration in this first 120 days have shown nothing but a callous disregard for human rights with nearly every step they have taken, from the reinstatement of the Global Gag Rule, to the Muslim Ban, to steps to take away health care coverage for millions of Americans.

The debate also comes at a time of global insecurity due to escalating tensions between nations that are playing out at the UN. Just this week, Russia vetoed an 8th Security Council Resolution on the situation in Syria. Further both, Russia and China oppose the proposed debate on human rights in the Security Council as a standalone agenda item and as a result the briefing may take place under the existing agenda item maintenance of international peace and security.

Human rights are regularly discussed by the Council in different contexts and we would welcome a stronger focus on human rights by the Security Council, but the approach the US is taking is risky as it will likely lead to further polarization and instrumentalisation human rights, says Stephanie Johanssen, GJCs UN and EU Director.

While Haley is correct that human rights abuses are often the cause of conflict and the Security Council should seriously address human rights violations, this also appears to be an attempt to undermine the UN Human Rights Council , says Johanssen. The United States should be trying to strengthen all UN human bodies that fight for human rights, not look for ways to subvert them or cut their funding.
As President Bronson Newburger, Clarke Veneers and Plywood, passed the gavel to Incoming President JoAnn Gillebaard Keller, Holland Southwest International, the International Wood Products Association (IWPA) celebrated the end of the 61st World of Wood Annual Convention at the Hotel Nikko in San Francisco, California. IWPA saw yet another year of 9% growth in attendance over last year's record-setting convention in Austin and welcomed a diverse group of attendees from more than two dozen countries involved in the global wood products trade: overseas suppliers, importers, trade facilitators, service providers, non-governmental organizations, and government partners.

I am honored to be the next President of IWPA and plan to continue our membership growth, build on our successful due diligence training program, provide resources to members as they tackle the political landscape, and reach out to organizations so that we can all ensure the sustainability and health of the forests worldwide. We have a lot ahead of us, and I am ready to get started, Gillebaard Keller said of her upcoming presidency.

World of Wood 2017 hosted presentations including social media business strategies from Keynote Speaker Peg Fitzpatrick and global currency trends from Marc Chandler, Senior Vice President of Investor Services for Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. Attendees also received the latest information about: Lacey Act compliance, the Chinese plywood dumping petition, complying with rosewood CITES requirements, formaldehyde regulations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board, and many other topics. IWPAs semi-annual Board Meeting and meetings of IWPAs member-led committees were also conducted at the convention.

IWPA has posted the speakers' presentations on our convention website for attendees and for those who were unable to travel to San Francisco.

Mark your Calendars: IWPA now turns to planning World of Wood 2018, which will take place at the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, Louisiana on March 14-16, 2018.

Established in 1956, the International Wood Products Associations (http://www.IWPAwood.org) mission is to build acceptance and demand in North America for globally sourced wood products from sustainably managed forests. IWPA is the leading international trade association for the North American imported wood products industry, representing 200 companies and trade associations engaged in the import of hardwoods and softwoods. Association members consist of three key groups involved in the import process: U.S. importers and consuming industries, offshore manufacturers and the service providers that facilitate trade.

--30--
Holi Hai, the 8th annual free springtime celebration of the triumph of good over evil and spiritual renewal has grown in popularity making Governors Island the venue of choice this year. Known as the happiest event in New York City Holi Hai is the largest open festival of colors in the east coast and has drawn more and more people steadily each year since its inception. The event, which is traditionally celebrated mostly in India and Nepal, includes live music performances, dancing, crowd participation and authentic Indian cuisine with the highlight being the traditional color-throwing festivities which leaves revelers covered in a variety of pichkaris, which span the beautiful colors of the rainbow. Imagine thousands of people covered from head to toe in powdered color! Its beautiful, messy and so much fun.

Hosted by NYC Bhangra Dance Company, the free event encourages people to connect, embrace diversity, spread goodwill, joy, love and peace. Attendees come wearing white, they purchase colored powder from stalls and have fun throwing the colored powder onto one another in a joyous celebration of diversity and inclusiveness. The powders represent happiness, love and the freedom to live vibrantly.

We are thrilled to see how this event has caught on in New York City and want to make sure this years venue is more spacious in anticipation for even more revelers. Its a fun time with high energy, love, positivity with plenty of delicious food, lively music, great activities for the little ones and lots of dancing. Although optional the color tossing makes it truly a unique celebration with the final results, a stunning visual work of art, says Megha Kalia, Event Producer.

This years event will take place at the Ball Fields on the western side of Governors Island on May 6th beginning at 10am and ending at 5pm. Specifically, the day will be filled with dance performances, live music bands, live Indian drums (Dhols), interactive dance workshops which are fun and festive. There will also be an activity area for children making the celebration appropriate for people of all ages.

Although the event is FREE, people are encouraged to RSVP by visiting https://www.nycholi.com/. A suggested donation of $15 is welcomed and colors can be preordered to make sure you have enough to throw.

Governors Island is a 172-acre island in the heart of New York Harbor and is a 6-minute ferry ride from lower Manhattan and a much closer commute from Brooklyn, it is a prime location for large festivals in NYC.
S/4HANA Finance adoption has increased 100% YoY. Finance and IT teams worldwide always ask us how to migrate to S/4HANA finance sans disruption. Central Finance is the way to go and is massively popular with our customers.

HighRadius will host an online workshop featuring SAP on the topic SAP Order-to-Cash: 2 Obstacles That Inflate OPEX by 100% in Credit and A/R on April 20, at 1:00 PM CDT. Attendees of the workshop will learn the two most common challenges that cause operational inefficiencies and how to resolve them.

Given that operational expenses cost North American businesses more than $600 Billion annually, it is critical for finance departments to address the above challenges. Addressing some of the operational inefficiencies leads to an increase in cash on hand by 11.3% and reduction of DSO by two days.

In the upcoming workshop, Christina Sievert, Solution Consultant at SAP and Shankar Bellam, Senior SAP Solutions Architect, HighRadius, will discuss two simple steps followed by Fortune 1000 companies to address operational inefficiencies in credit and A/R processes. Christina will address the core problem of multiple versions of the truth and how organizations could leverage SAP Central Finance and S/4HANA to achieve a single source of truth for credit-to-cash operations. Shankar will continue the workshop and discuss how to identify and eliminate low-value clerical tasks from credit, cash application, deductions and collections operations. He will also discuss real-world examples of Fortune 1000 companies saving up to 50% in operational expenses across the credit and A/R lifecycle.

Registered attendees of this live, online event will learn the latest innovations in S/4HANA Finance and Artificial Intelligence technology that double the productivity of credit-to-cash operations. The session will also feature an interactive Q&A session as Christina fields questions on the key capabilities of S/4HANA Finance and the recommended migration methodology.

Christina states S/4HANA Finance adoption has increased 100% YoY. Finance and IT teams worldwide always ask us how to migrate to S/4HANA finance sans disruption. Central Finance is the way to go and is massively popular with our customers.

Adds Shankar At HighRadius, it is our mission to deliver value in the credit-to-cash space with our Integrated Receivables offerings. We are delighted that HighRadius solutions work seamlessly with S/4HANA to help credit and A/R leaders save up to 50% in OPEX.

For more information or to register for the live event click here.

About HighRadius

HighRadius provides Financial Supply Chain Management software solutions to optimize receivables and payments functions such as credit, collections, cash application, deductions and eBilling. Our Integrated Receivables solution suite is delivered as software-as-a-service to automate the credit-to-cash cycle. Our certified Accelerators for SAP S/4HANA Finance Receivables Management enables large enterprises to achieve business transformation initiatives and leverage their SAP investments. HighRadius solutions have a proven track record of reducing day sales outstanding (DSO), bad debt and increasing operation efficiency enabling companies to achieve an ROI in just a few months. For more information please visit http://www.highradius.com.

# # #

SAP, SAP S/4HANA and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE (or an SAP affiliate company) in Germany and other countries. See http://www.sap.com/corporate-en/legal/copyright/index.epx for additional trademark information and notices. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.

For More Information Contact:

Sally Huynh

Marketing Manager

sally.huynh(at)highradius(dot)com

281.972.2101
Judy Woodruff (left) and the late Gwen Ifill, the award-winning co-anchors and managing editors of the PBS NewsHour, are the 2017 recipients of the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism

Judy Woodruff and the late Gwen Ifill, who broke new ground in journalism as the award-winning co-anchors and managing editors of the PBS NewsHour, are the recipients of the 2017 Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism, Arizona State University announced today.

Woodruff, the anchor and managing editor of the PBS NewsHour, will receive the 34th annual award, given by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, at a luncheon ceremony Oct. 19 at the Sheraton Grand Phoenix Hotel. Woodruff also will accept the award on behalf of Ifill, who served with her as co-anchor and co-managing editor from 2013 until her death from cancer in November.

Its an incredible honor to be recognized by the esteemed Cronkite School at Arizona State University, a place that has set new standards for educating the next generation of journalists, and generations to follow, Woodruff said. I grew up watching Walter Cronkite, then was fortunate to get to know him a little: He represented the very best of our craft. Im humbled to receive this award in his name, along with my dear friend and longtime colleague, the late Gwen Ifill, who has left a legacy of excellence and dedication that touched all who knew her.

Woodruff and Ifills ascent to co-anchors at the PBS NewsHour marked a milestone in journalism. No national news organization had ever paired two female journalists as co-anchors for an evening news broadcast. The tandem built upon the NewsHours four-decade reputation for providing reliable reporting, analysis and live studio interviews with world leaders and newsmakers.

At PBS, Ifill also was the moderator and managing editor of the primetime news and public affairs program Washington Week, for which she won a George Foster Peabody Award for her coverage of the 2008 presidential election. Ifill, who joined both Washington Week and PBS NewsHour in 1999, also moderated the vice presidential debates in 2004 and 2008.

Woodruff served as the chief Washington correspondent for The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour from 1983-1993. She also anchored PBS award-winning weekly documentary series Frontline with Judy Woodruff from 1984-1990. In 2011, she was the principal reporter for the PBS documentary Nancy Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime.

Before coming to PBS, both Woodruff and Ifill were already accomplished veteran journalists. Ifill was chief congressional and political correspondent for NBC News, White House correspondent for The New York Times, and a local and national political reporter for The Washington Post. She also reported for the Baltimore Evening Sun and the Boston Herald American. Woodruff previously was anchor and senior correspondent for CNN, where she anchored the political news program Inside Politics for 12 years. She also was the White House correspondent for NBC News from 1977-1982.

Judy Woodruff and Gwen Ifill are both trailblazers in broadcast journalism who embody the legacy of Walter Cronkite, said Cronkite Dean Christopher Callahan. We are honored to have Judy at ASU to celebrate the accomplishments of two great journalists with our students, alumni and friends.

Woodruff, a graduate of Duke University, is the recipient of numerous honors, including the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award in Broadcast Journalism/Television, the CINE Lifetime Achievement Award and the Duke Distinguished Alumni Award. She is the author of the book This is Judy Woodruff at the White House.

Ifill was a graduate of Simmons College in Boston and received numerous honors throughout her career, including the National Press Club's highest honor, the Fourth Estate Award. She also was the author of The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama.

Both journalists have previously spoken at high-profile events at the Cronkite School. Woodruff was the keynote speaker at the schools convocation ceremony in 2015, and Ifill led a lecture on diversity at the Cronkite School in 2013.

Two months before her death, Ifill took part in a Cronkite School celebration in Washington, D.C., honoring the life and legacy of Water Cronkite in advance of what would have been his 100th birthday. At the celebration, she alluded to the journalistic values of honesty, accuracy and integrity that Cronkite passed on to future generations of journalists. She called it the salvation for the news business.

Woodruff and Ifill are just the third pair of co-winners in the history of the Cronkite Award. They join fellow NewsHour anchors Robert MacNeil and Jim Lehrer as well as CBS founder William Paley and former CBS President Frank Stanton. Ifill is the first person to posthumously receive the honor.

Other Cronkite Award recipients include TV news anchors Scott Pelley, Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts; newspaper journalists Ben Bradlee, Helen Thomas and Bob Woodward; and media executives Katharine Graham and Al Neuharth. Cronkite personally presented the award during its first quarter-century. The CBS News anchor died in 2009.

The Cronkite School, named in Cronkites honor in 1984, prepares the next generation of journalists in both the time-honored fundamentals embraced by Cronkite and the digital skills necessary to thrive as journalists in the digital age.

Housed in a $71 million state-of-the-art media complex in downtown Phoenix, the school has been featured in The New York Times, The Times of London and USA Today as a leader in 21st century journalism education and innovation.

The Cronkite School is the home of Arizona PBS, which serves as a journalistic teaching hospital for hundreds of students who work under 15 full-time faculty in professional programs that include a nightly television news broadcast on Arizona PBS, digital reporting bureaus in Phoenix, Washington and Los Angeles, business and borderlands reporting bureaus, an entrepreneurial digital innovation lab, a digital production desk, an audience engagement bureau and the Carnegie-Knight News21 investigative reporting program.
The American Medical Association is extremely pleased that Project Sonar is the first alternative payment model nationally to be recommended to the HHS Secretary by the PFPM Technical Advisory Committee.

On April 10th, Lawrence Kosinski, MD, MBA presented Project Sonar, a physician-focused payment model (PFPM), to the Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC). The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) created PTAC to make comments and recommendations to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (the Secretary, HHS) on proposals for PFPMs submitted by individuals and stakeholder entities. Culminating months of public review and debate on the merits of the proposal, the Committee voted to recommend Project Sonar to the Secretary for limited scale testing.

The American Medical Association is extremely pleased that Project Sonar is the first alternative payment model nationally to be recommended to the HHS Secretary by the PFPM Technical Advisory Committee, said AMA President-elect David O. Barbe, MD. This model holds great promise to improve patient care for serious chronic diseases while lowering spending on avoidable hospitalizations, as well as provides a means for specialist physicians who have had few opportunities to participate in alternative payment models to effectively do so.

Project Sonar was developed by Dr. Kosinski, in partnership with the Illinois Gastrointestinal Group (IGG) and SonarMD, LLC, to improve care coordination and outcomes for patients with Crohns Disease. Clinicians using the SonarMD platform can track and manage patients between visits through ongoing electronic health assessment surveys. Nationally recognized, evidence-based guidelines, combined with Patient Reported Outcome survey scores, are leveraged to notify both patients and providers of health trends to address before more costly interventions are required, enhancing care management and reducing costs.

The results of a year-long study among 500 pilot patients enrolled in the initiative showed significant reduction in hospitalization and overall cost of care, which can have broad-ranging implications for other high-risk patient populations, their primary and specialty care providers, purchasers and payers. As Dr. Kosinski explains, The management of most serious chronic illnesses requires close involvement and collaboration between the primary care physician and the specialist. Project Sonar shows how a specialty group, in partnership with a major payer, can advance overall patient healthcare management from fee-for-service to value-based care and, in the process, demonstrate cost savings with improved patient quality of life. We believe this model, proven in patients with IBD, is applicable to other conditions where there is an opportunity to improve care by addressing the necessity of services and potentially avoidable hospitalizations.

The next step is for PTAC to draft its report to the Secretary transmitting its recommendations and rationales for those recommendations. The Secretary will post his response to PTACs recommendations on the CMS website.

In the News: MedPage Today: PTAC OKs Alternative Payment Model for IBD

For further information, contact Scott Brown, sbrown(at)sonarmd.com, 847-496-9006 or visit http://www.sonarmd.com.
min has released the speaker roster and agenda for an action-packed Snapchat & Instagram Master Class, taking place on Tuesday, May 16 at the Yale Club in New York City. The full-day event will provide publishers and media brands with strategies and best practices to succeed on the two fastest rising social platforms. Early bird rates expire on Tuesday, April 25.

More Information

Speakers Include:



Nora Barak, Engagement Editor, New York Media

MaryAnn Barone, Social Media Editor, Health.com

Elizabeth Baugh, Social Media Manager, ESPN

Kevin Driscoll, Social Media Director, Sports Illustrated

Dan Ghosh-Roy, SVP, Audience Development, Complex

David Grant, President, POPSUGAR Studios

Sarah Halliday, Managing Editor, Snapchat, Refinery29

Mallory Johns, Engagement Editor, Popular Science

Liat Kornowski, Director of Social Strategy & Innovation, Refinery29

Amanda Lucci, Senior Social Media Editor, Womens Health

Kristen Maxwell-Cooper, Executive Editor, Digital, The Knot

Ashley Mayo, Brand Editor, Golf Digest

Session Topics Include:

-How to understand your audience to expand reach and lift

-How to get the most out of every post

-How to leverage your incredible media assets

-How to achieve instant success on Instagram

-How to tell better stories on Snapchat & Instagram Stories

-How to maximize your ROI

-And More

Attendees will also have the opportunity to learn from Jessica Liu of Forrester Research during a moderated lunchtime presentation. As a Senior Analyst at Forrester, Liu focuses on serving B2C marketing professionals, with a special focus on social marketing. Prior to joining Forrester, Liu spent 10 years on the marketing agency side, working closely with leading B2C and B2B brands to define and execute their digital strategies.

More Information

For questions about the Master Class or registration, please contact Zoe Silverman at zsilverman(at)accessintel(dot)com. Early bird rates expire on Tuesday, April 25.

To inquire about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Tania Babiuk at tbabiuk(at)accessintel(dot)com.

About min:

min is the industry's trusted source on the consumer and b2b magazine business, reaching thousands of media executives through print, online and in-person events. For more than 60 years, min has been serving the magazine and media community with unparalleled coverage of this ever-changing industry. For more information, visit http://www.minonline.com.
Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that Attorney Carlos B. Gutierrez has joined the firms Phoenix office as Of Counsel.

Mr. Gutierrez focuses his practice in complex commercial litigation, including administrative and employment litigation. He has represented clients in disputes involving real estate and land development, lender liability, business and partnership breakups, the cannabis industry, local government officials and business licensing, unfair competition, commercial evictions, aviation, fraud and fraudulent transfers, successor liability, wrongful discharge and discrimination claims, wage claims, and lost profit claims.

Mr. Gutierrez is a member of the State Bar of Arizona and Los Abogados (Arizonas Hispanic Bar Association). He received his B.S. from Arizona State University and his J.D. from Arizona State University College of Law.

About Dickinson Wright PLLC

Dickinson Wright PLLC is a general practice business law firm with more than 450 attorneys among more than 40 practice areas and 16 industry groups. Headquartered in Detroit and founded in 1878, the firm has seventeen offices, including six in Michigan (Detroit, Troy, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Saginaw) and ten other domestic offices in Austin, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Lexington, Ky.; Nashville and Music Row, Tenn.; Las Vegas and Reno, Nev.; Phoenix, Ariz.; and Washington, D.C. The firms Canadian office is located in Toronto.

Dickinson Wright offers our clients a distinctive combination of superb client service, exceptional quality, value for fees, industry expertise and business acumen. As one of the few law firms with ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification, Dickinson Wright has built state-of-the-art, independently-verified risk management controls and security processes for our commercial transactions. Dickinson Wright lawyers are known for delivering commercially-oriented advice on sophisticated transactions and have a remarkable record of wins in high-stakes litigation. Dickinson Wright lawyers are regularly cited for their expertise and experience by Chambers, Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and other leading independent law firm evaluating organizations.
Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy Conference with Pete Wright, Esq. We have seen this informative workshop positively impact and empower those navigating the education system." Nancy LaBelle, Executive Director, Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area

Parents of children with special needs, and the professionals who serve them, will have the opportunity to uncover hidden resources at the Special Education Law & Advocacy Conference in Napa Valley on May 19, 2017. Preregistration is required. Registration closes Friday, April 28.

For parents with children in special education programs, the complex world of IEPs, 504s and evaluations can prove daunting and downright overwhelming. Renowned special education law expert Pete Wright will share with parents and professionals his years of legal insight at a one-day conference in Napa Valleys Yountville, California. Wright will discuss the two recent unanimous U.S. Supreme Court special education cases and how he expects those two cases will be used to open more doors to the schoolhouse and the courthouse for children with special needs. Wright has long been among the most sought after speakers in special education law. This event is the first offered in Northern California in several years.

After years of seeing fellow parents struggle with access to services, I came to the realization that we are not alone in this predicament, said Joanne Gouaux, the events host sponsor. Navigating the complexities of IEPs and 504s creates a tremendous weight on our families. By hosting this conference, I hope to empower fellow parents and professionals in advocating through each step of a childs K-12 education.

Over the course of a six-hour training, Wright will give parents, educators, healthcare providers, advocates and attorneys access to practical tools they can use with their children, students, patients and clients who have learning disabilities and other special needs. Working with a private attorney for that amount of time would ring in at $2,500 or more. This event offers access to invaluable legal experience and expertise for a fraction of that cost, in one of the world's great destinations.

The events featured speaker, Pete Wright, understands first-hand what it means for a child to live with learning disabilities. As a young child, he was diagnosed with dyslexia, dysgraphia and ADHD. His life experience led him to pursue a career advocating for others with special needs. He has been practicing law for nearly four decades, and he has published six books on special education law and advocacy. In 1993, he successfully represented student Shannon Carter before the United States Supreme Court. The Florence County School District Four v. Shannon Carter case resulted in a unanimous decision in Carters favor.

Wright focuses on helping parents cut through the red tape many encounter as they try to advocate for their children who may not be receiving the services or help they need to live up to their learning potential. He teaches parents how to act as their childs Special Education Manager with specific, proven tips on what to do and how to do it.

The conference agenda covers a variety of special education and advocacy topics, including: special needs assessments and evaluations; determining progress vs. regression; age equivalencies; individualized education plans (IEPs); strategies for parents advocating for their special needs child, including developing a long-term game plan and coping with conflict and crisis; and much more. It will answer such questions as:



What rights do parents have in a childs education?

Can the school do that?

How do I get more Speech, OT services?

What can I do for a child whos fallen behind in Reading / Math?

Can the school say they dont have the money to provide accommodations or resources?

Should the school pay for outside evaluations?

What is the school required by law to provide a child?

Can the school suspend my child for behavior problems?

How is my child really doing in school?

Does a child qualify for mainstreaming or inclusion (and whats the difference)?

Can the school say a child needs medication?

WHAT PARENTS AND PROFESSIONALS ARE SAYING

I have attended Pete Wrights trainings and they are more than helpful for any parent or professional that is advocating for their child or student! I can't imagine being an Advocate without Pete Wright and his workbooks!Juliet Barraza, Parent and Professional Bilingual Education Advocate; Castro Valley, CA

My motivation is very personal. Having two daughters who have a disability, I felt very overwhelmed and scared not knowing who to turn to in their early years. With the help of my fellow parents, we started a non-profit organization, called Challenged Family Resource Center, to help ease the fear that sometimes accompanies our Special Needs/Special Ed life by helping parents be resourceful, empowered and part of their child IEP team. I'm looking forward to attending the Wrightslaw Conference in Napa Valley to learn new tools that will be shared with the parents we work with here at Challenged Family Resource Center.Jodie Frade, Executive Director, Challenged Family Resource Center; Merced, CA

"The Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area proudly supports individuals with Down syndrome, their families and other involved in their lives: medical professionals, educators, therapists and other professionals. We are grateful to have Peter Wright of Wrightslaw offer a presentation to Bay Area families about cutting-edge educational policy and law surrounding special education, advocacy and inclusion. We have seen this informative workshop positively impact and empower those navigating the education system," Nancy LaBelle, Executive Director, Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area; Danville, CA

As a grassroots movement composed of parents, educators and professionals concerned about the lack of access to appropriate educational services for dyslexic students in our public schools, Decoding Dyslexia CA is thrilled to have Peter Wright come to northern California. Wrights hands-on workshop will provide invaluable information to support our dyslexic community.Tobie Meyer, State Director, Decoding Dyslexia CA

EVENT DETAILS

The Wrightslaw Special Education Law & Advocacy Conference will be held at the Napa Valley Performing Arts Center at Lincoln Theater on Friday, May 19, 2017. Conference hours are 9 a.m.  5:30 p.m. The cost to attend is $190 for individuals and $235 for professionals. An early bird rate of $165 or $210, respectively, is available until April 21, 2017.

Preregistration by April 28 is required. An optional boxed lunch will be offered for $15. Each attendee will receive three of Peter Wrights books, valued at $62.85. Professional attendees will qualify for CLE and/or CEU credit. Register online at http://www.lincolntheater.com.

###

ABOUT JOANNE GOUAUX

Joanne Gouaux, the events organizer and sponsor, is an advocate for children and teens with disabilities. Her professional and personal experience with special education barriers prompted her to work with attorney Pete Wright to bring the Wrightslaw conference to California. Joanne is a member of the grassroots group Decoding Dyslexia California, Parents Education Network (PEN) and the Northern California International Dyslexia Association.

ABOUT WRIGHTSLAW

Parents, educators, advocates and attorneys come to Wrightslaw for accurate, reliable information about special education law, education law and advocacy for children with disabilities.

ABOUT PETE WRIGHT

Pete Wright is an attorney who represents children with special educational needs. His advocacy grew out of his personal educational experiences.

Pete represented Shannon Carter before the U. S. Supreme Court in Florence County School District Four v. Shannon Carter, 510 U.S. 7 (1993) - the Court issued a unanimous decision on Shannon's behalf.

Pete is the co-author of Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Ed. (2006), Wrightslaw: No Child Left Behind (2003), Wrightslaw: IDEA 2004, (2005), Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy, 2nd Ed. (2005), Wrightslaw: All About IEPs (2009) and Wrightslaw: All About Tests and Assessments (2014).

He appeared as the parent's attorney in the award-winning DVD video, Surviving Due Process: When Parents and the School Board Disagree - Stephen Jeffers v. School Board (2004).

ABOUT NAPA VALLEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AT LINCOLN THEATER

The Napa Valley Performing Arts Center at Lincoln Theater is a comprehensive performing arts center dedicated to the cultural and artistic well-being of the Napa Valley. From presenting world-renowned artists and producing Symphony Napa Valley, to creating and sustaining arts education and access programs in schools and at our theater, the Performing Arts Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that nurtures the artists and audiences of tomorrow, while sustaining a more vibrant and engaged community today.
China will be the guest country at the 27th International Book Fair in Havana, Cuba, in 2018, the president of the Cuban Book Institute, Juan Rodriguez, announced on Sunday.

Rodriguez, who also chairs the fair's organizing committee, said it will be a great opportunity to showcase the cultural richness of the Asian nation, from its literature to music and other artistic expressions.

The Caribbean island is home to a sizable Chinese community of more than 162,000 residents of Chinese ancestry, and the fair will allow them and others to learn more about their Asian roots, Rodriguez told Xinhua.

The featured personality at the fair will be Cuban historian and writer Dr Eusebio Leal, who received the National Award for Social Sciences in 2016, and is considered a "fervent guardian of the island's culture."

2017's edition of the international book fair featured Canada as guest country and paid tribute to the late revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, who passed away in November at the age of 90.

The fair brought together books from some 46 countries, representing more than 500 authors, including Canada's Margaret Atwood, the French Ignacio Ramonet, Ireland's Joseph O'Connor, and Brazilian intellectual Frei Betto.

The Havana book fair is considered the largest and most important annual cultural event in the Caribbean island.
Description

Over 400 artists participate for the opportunity to be awarded Top Honors and receive a solo show in the Museums Spiga Gallery. The 2017 Awards Judge is Ruba Katrib, Curator, SculptureCenter. The Artist Members Exhibition is the oldest non-juried museum exhibition on Long Island. This community-centered exhibition is an opportunity to celebrate the artists who live and work here. Artists from every level participate in this exhibition to show their support of Guild Hall and its role in their life as their community. Free Admission. Museum Hours: Monday, Friday & Saturday 11am-5pm & Sunday noon-5pm. The Museum at Guild Hall, 158 Main Street, East Hampton, New York 11937, 631.324.0806, GuildHall.org.
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:

Home Regional News East
Description

The New York International Auto Show will be returning to the Jacob Javits Convention Center for 10 days of non-stop excitement. With four full floors devoted to the world's top automakers and nearly 1,000 vehicles, it's no wonder that the show has consistently held the highest attendance of any car show in North America for its entire 117-year history.

Dates and Times:

Friday, April 14th, through Sunday, April 23rd

Monday  Saturday: 10 AM  10 PM

Sundays: 10 AM  7 PM

Early access and tours led by automotive experts are also available. See the show's official website for tickets and additional information!
GALVA -- A Prophetstown man has been arrested in connection with an early Monday incident in Henry County, according to the Illinois State Police.

At 6:20 a.m. Monday, Galva police were sent to a residence at 19 S.E. 5th Ave. for the report of a severely injured person. The person was transported to OSF St. Luke Hospital in Kewanee and then Life-Flighted to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria.

The Henry County Investigative Task Force was activated in response to the incident and Henry County State's Attorney Matthew Schutte issued a temporary arrest warrant for Quenton D. Whiteside, 25, of Prophetstown in connection to the incident.

Police are still looking for a gold 2000 four-door Lincoln with Illinois license plates AJ36183 driven by Mr. Whiteside. Anyone seeing the vehicle is asked to contact the Henry County Sheriff's Office at 309-937-3911.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP)  Some Illinois doctors are traveling to Springfield to help residents enroll in the state's medical marijuana program.

Dr. David Footerman of Rockford began seeing patients seeking medical marijuana last month at an office complex in Springfield, and Chicago-based internist Dr. Mauricio Consalter has been seeing such patients in Bloomington, The State Journal-Register (http://bit.ly/2pg19YT) reported.

Medical marijuana advocates in Illinois said doctors' willingness to help patients remains the biggest hurdle to long-term success for the pilot program. The program's enrollment since fall 2014 stands at 18,300, and the number of potential enrollees is believed to be two to five times higher.

HSHS Medical Group CEO Dr. Loren Hughes said he believes the number of doctors willing to fill out paperwork required by the state for patients with one of 40 qualifying chronic medical conditions will continue to grow.

"The longer that something's around, the more likely attitudes will change," he said.

Amanda Davis, a 31-year-old resident of rural Coles County, drove nearly two hours to visit with Footerman in Springfield.

"He's very knowledgeable," Davis said of Footerman, who previously specialized in anesthesiology. "He's doing it from his heart."

Dan Linn, executive director of the Illinois chapter of the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws, said Springfield isn't the only community where doctors are traveling to help patients obtain medical marijuana.

"I think it's meeting a demand that's out there," Linn said.

A statement by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation in 2013 says state law doesn't permit "'medical cannabis clinics' or practices that exist solely to offer cannabis certifications."

Medical marijuana advocates said the department's rules on this issue are vague, and decisions on whether to seek disciplinary action have been unpredictable.

Chris Stone, chief executive officer of Health Central Illinois Alternatives, which operates Illinois-regulated dispensaries for medical marijuana in Collinsville and Springfield, said generally doesn't approve of out-of-town doctors certifying local patients.

"It's bad for our industry. It's bad for doctors in general," Stone said. "I hope they are spending some time to know the community so it's not just a fly-by-night operation."

Stone said he'd prefer that local doctors meet the area's demand. He said his organization is working to educate the medical community about medical marijuana.

"There are definitely some doctors who are fully resistant to it," Stone said. "There are some doctors who are being educated and realize the benefit to patients."
CHICAGO (AP)  Protesters are taking to the streets in Chicago and other cities nationwide to demand that President Donald Trump release his tax returns.

The atmosphere was festive on Saturday at a downtown Chicago rally where a sousaphone band played and rally goers chanted.

Retired public school teacher Donna Moschinski lives in suburban Chicago. She says she considered not paying her taxes this year as a protest to Trump not releasing his. She calls it an "utter lack of transparency."

Attendees included the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Democratic U.S. Reps. Mike Quigley and Jan Schakowsky of Illinois.

Trump is the first major party nominee in more than 40 years to not release his tax returns, saying it was because he was under audit. He later said voters don't care.
Trial of Chinese citizen charged with stealing brilliant to begin in Russia

Context Chinese citizen charged with stealing brilliant to stay in Russian detention

ST. PETERSBURG, April 17 (RAPSI, Mikhail Telekhov)  The Pushkinsky District court in St. Petersburg will begin hearing a case against Chinese citizen Liu Limay, who stands charged with stealing a brilliant worth 6 million rubles ($106,000) from a jewellery exhibition, on April 28, the united press service of St. Petersburg courts told RAPSI on Monday.

The woman has pleaded guilty. Damage caused to victims amounting to 6 million rubles has been paid.

According to case papers, on February 1, the brilliant was stolen from the International Jewellery Exhibition JUNWEX held in St. Petersburg.

Investigators believe stole the jewel was stolen by three Chinese nationals specializing in such thefts. Liu Limay allegedly replaced the brilliant with a fake and gave it to her accomplice, who hid the jewel in his mouth. Initially, police officers suspected that the he had swallowed the brilliant. Later, Liu Limay confessed that they had given the brilliant to a third accomplice, who took it away and left for China. According to investigators, that woman has been arrested in Hong Kong.
Russian government backs bill giving life-term prisoners right for long visits

MOSCOW, April 17 (RAPSI)  Russian government has approved a bill that would grant life-term prisoners a right to have long visits from relatives, according to the Justice Ministrys statement.

The bill was drafted by the Justice Ministry in compliance with the Constitutional Courts order.

In November 2016, the Constitutional Court of Russia published a regulation that allows prison inmates sentenced to life to receive at least one long visit from close relatives in the first 10 years of prison term.

The Court was reviewing Russian legislation regarding prison visits under the request of the Volgograd Regional Court regarding cases of convicts Anton Matsynin and Nikolay Korolev. Their wives tried to organize prolonged conjugal visits in the first 10 years of imprisonment but were denied.

Currently, prolonged visits for such inmates are only allowed when they are moved to less strict conditions, but those who serve life terms may be transferred to such conditions only after 10 years of prison time for good behavior.

The bill would give life-term convicts serving their sentence in stringent conditions in high-security prisons the right to have one long visit from close relatives within a year.

Additionally, the draft law proposes to change the number of short and long visits for inmates serving their term in stringent conditions in correctional colonies of general and strict regimes, prisons and juvenile correctional facilities.
Japanese and Russian interpretations of the Trump-Xi summit underscored the differences with which the two countries currently see the world. Japanese reporting of the Xi visit focused as much on North Korea as on the Syrian airstrikes. Tokyo was relieved by the lack of major blow-ups or breakthroughs. Nothing that would threaten the budding Trump-Abe bromance is good for Japan's security. By contrast, Russian coverage of the summit focused on Syria rather than the Korean question or the ramifications of the Trump-Xi relationship for Asia-Pacific security. This attitude of ignoring the Asia Pacific region is typical of Russian foreign policy thinking, which remains resolutely focused westward. This is what Tokyo is seeking to change by encouraging Russia to develop a long-term strategy in Asia based on improved ties with Japan.
Spare a thought for pollsters around the world; theyve gotten a bad rap, and their job isnt getting any easier now.

As RealClearPolitics analyst Sean Trende wrote in the aftermath of Donald Trumps surprising win in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, it was not the polls that missed the outcome -- as Trende noted, the national polls actually performed better last year than they did in the previous presidential election -- it was the pundits. Blame groupthink, blame a tendency to favor the status quo -- blame the data geeks whose in-house mashups of polling numbers led to aggregate predictions that were comically overconfident and ultimately wrong. (98 percent? Really?) But ultimately, blaming the pollsters became the useful fallback.

The same malaise affected the pollsters after Brexit. Its been somewhat surprising to see established the conventional wisdom that the polls missed Brexit, because it simply is not true. Some polls had Remain ahead and others Leave, but the spread was close at the end and tightening, which reflected a basic reality: Polls are reactive more than they are predictive.

As we wrote in early 2016, the idea of leaving the European Union always had valence in the mainstream of British politics. If Leave started off polling low, it was because the referendum was an answer to a question no one was really asking, and relatively few would have been bothered if the proposition never reached a ballot. Nevertheless, the British never were enthusiastic about the European Union, and after Brexit emerged from a longstanding spat within the British right and was presented to voters as an in-out proposition, events took over as they tend to do. Polls couldnt predict that the sudden surge of refugees to Europe would open immigration as the defining issue in the final weeks of the campaign. They couldnt predict that far-left Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn would prove useless in promoting the EU cause to his base, which included the voters most stridently fought over. But they did react to the shifting dynamics, and while the final prognostications may not have matched precisely the results, the trend line of a tightening race was clear, and EU supporters we talked to were in a justified panic on the eve of the vote.

Enter France

It doesnt get any easier for pollsters now, yet Frances election, tight and tough to call, provides a teachable moment in the utility of polling numbers. Journey with me if you will to the sunny streets of the southern port city Marseille, where last week center-right presidential candidate Francois Fillon, the scandal-dogged entity who is the closest thing to a standard candidate on offer this cycle, took time during a rally to lash out at not one, not two, but three top competitors. His rhetorical targets newly included Jean-Luc Melenchon, whose archaic far-left views, including a 90-percent tax on income above 400,000 euros and withdrawal from NATO, didnt stop him from rocketing up the polls into a competitive fourth place in an 11-candidate field. (Maybe Fillon honed in on the right target? The latest polls in our average have Melenchon hitting a plateau, and Fillon rising.)

To put it mildly, Frances election this Sunday is unpredictable. To put it more frankly, it is a Mad Max hellscape of a four-way race. The path toward the presidency was littered with the wreckage of the once-credible before the survivors even emerged from the party primaries. Indeed President Francois Hollande, a Socialist dragged down by muddle-through economic policies and an ineffectual response to a string of terror attacks, became the first incumbent in the history of the Fifth Republic not to even run for re-election. Other notables -- Manuel Valls, Alain Juppe, Nicolas Sarkozy -- soon joined him in the unexpected ranks of the vanquished. France is in enough turmoil to spark talk of the end of the Fifth Republic and a new constitutional arrangement. This makes the polls more difficult to read -- yet they are telling us something very revealing.

Volatility

The surest thing the French polls reveal is a high degree of volatility. That volatility starts with who made it through in the first place. Depending on who you ask, the putative front-runner Emmanuel Macron is either a sort of radical centrist or secretly a Socialist stooge indebted to big finance -- he runs the upstart En Marche! movement, but was minister of the economy for two years under Hollande. Melenchon is a longtime curmudgeonly fixture in French politics, but benefits now from dissatisfaction with the centre-left; for a crude analogy, think of him as a sort of Jeremy Corbyn with an outside shot of actually winning, though as Kevin Lees points out, Melenchon has underperformed his polls before, and there are signs he is moderating his platform some. Fillon is dogged by his scandals but stubbornly sticks around. Then you have Le Pen, the consummate faux political outsider who improbably benefits from the best combination of established party machinery and voter support. Le Pen also, and for the better part of a decade, has sought to moderate the image of her party, the Front National.

As I write this, Melenchons numbers have risen substantially. He has vaulted from polling at around 11 percent to averaging out at 19 percent in our own polling average, as Le Pen and Macrons numbers slip into the mid- and low-20s. Fillon remains a quiet force despite his scandals, hovering at the edge of parity with the front-runners in the latest batch of polls. The Socialist Party candidate, Benoit Hamon, ranks as an irrelevance, and some left-wing editorial pages and social media have urged Hamon to drop out and consolidate the leftist vote. (Do read Lees analysis on why that wouldnt necessarily propel Melenchon to the second round.)

Can Le Pen Win?

This is the question that obsesses the foreign press and terrifies EU leadership, and the answer according to the polls is far more complex than the headline numbers, which would give Macron a big win in a runoff between the two. In that scenario, our poll average gives Macron a 22-point lead. But thats not so comfortable a lead as it might appear. Poll after poll shows the shallowness of Macrons support. Take IFOP, considered the gold standard. In the most current update to its rolling average, 69 percent of Macrons voters say they are sure of their vote; 84 percent say the same of Le Pen. Considering the tightening spread over Fillon and Melenchon, Macrons appearance on the second-round ballot on May 7 is far from a given. And if he does go on to the second round, he will need to win voters from Melenchon and others; they do not appear enthusiastic.

Regardless the second-round opponent, there are big obstacles for Le Pen if she makes it:

The Front Nationals best electoral score, in all of its history, gathered less than 7 million votes (in November 2015 for the French regional elections), Manuel Lafont Rapnouil, head of the European Council on Foreign Relations Paris office, reminded us. The last presidential elections victors won with over 18 million votes.

Yet, Lafont Rapnouil adds, the stars could very realistically align for Le Pen.

Turnout might be significantly lower than average, and that usually benefits Front Nationals candidates, he said. The traditional two party system is going through a severe crisis ... which suggests a totally unknown dynamic, especially in between the two rounds. Parts of the electorate which used to be like dams against the FN -- such as Catholics, women, civil servants -- have stopped denying the possibility that they would vote for Marine Le Pen.

France and the Interregnum

But the polls are helping to tell a story of which Le Pen is just one part. The unexpected rise of Melenchon and the establishment of a four-way race elucidates what Lafont Rapnouils colleague, ECFR director Mark Leonard, described to RealClearWorld last year: The arrival of an interregnum, a period of history where the old order is dying, and nothing new has yet replaced it. Trumps election and Brexits success were seen as successful insurgencies, but the election in France, as the roller-coaster polls make clear, is the first global event taking place fully within that interregnum. (With the possible exception of the Dutch election, which saw the center-right adjust to and in moderated forms successfully co-opt Geert Wilders provocative views on immigration and the European Union, while a couple of smaller left-wing and centrist parties surged as Labor collapsed.)

The traditional left-right axis is fraying; the parties representing the old way either languish deep in the polls or, in the case of Les Republicains, are led by a candidate who -- and read Robert Zaretsky on this -- differs considerably from his affiliated political predecessors. Uncertainty prevails: The most important numbers lie below the headlines. A recent BVA poll indeed found that 34 percent of French voters who say they are sure to vote are however unsure how they intend to vote. Thirty percent of those on the voter rolls say they may not even vote at all. To top it off, legislative elections will follow, and its an open question whether the new president will have a majority in parliament or will not, in which case power shifts to the prime minister.

A wholesale realignment of the party system is certainly possible. Prolonging the suspense, we wont have a true answer until mid-June. What the polls show us right now, with individual candidates from Macron to Melenchon rapidly rising, then slowly slumping, failing to inspire true confidence and ultimately leaving us to observe this four-way muddle, is an election that is fully and consciously about the interregnum Leonard described. The storyline is no longer simply about the rise of the far-right or the possible demise of the European institutions: Those factors are now taken as givens and established as valid political forces, and the forces opposing them have organized as such. The French, the Germans, and others are now deciding which elements of the old and new to carry forward. There is no great enthusiasm for any of these candidates -- not for the fresh-faced defender of Europe, nor for its longtime adversary. The French go to the polls with a world-weary skepticism, unsure of the new face they want to show the world, and aware they can cosmetically alter that face later on.

Lafont Rapnouil: [I]ndeed, we may be on the verge of a complete overhaul of the party system. Still, I wouldnt rush to proclaim the death of either the Socialist Party or Les Republicains. The restructuring of the political landscape will not happen based on the presidential election, but more likely based on the results of the following legislative elections, on June 11 and June 18, and the political dynamics -- coalitions, cohabitation? -- that will prevail during the next presidential term.

So far, the Fifth Republic has proven quite resilient, and provided governments with stability and authority. I would not confuse the demise of the political system and that of the constitutional framework.

All of Europe watches and waits.
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But Indian information technology workers might do better without the companies that held them back, says Mihir S Sharma.

Lets give President Donald Trump the benefit of the doubt, and assume that he genuinely believes that he was elected to protect American workers.

He did promise on the campaign trail to direct the Department of Labour to investigate all abuses of visa programmes that undercut the American worker. But even if that were the stated motivation behind the changes his administration rolled out to the work visa programme recently, their effect is to help American companies, instead.

Three major alterations were made to the H-1B visa system by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS. It said it would make more targeted visits to companies that hire workers on H-1B visas. It would focus on cases where the companies were difficult to validate; where there was a high ratio of H-1B to regular workers; and, finally, places where H-1Bs worked offsite at another company or organisations location.

Meanwhile, the US Department of Justice issued a caution to companies seeking H-1B visas to not discriminate against US workers. It threatened to investigate and vigorously prosecute claims that US workers were disadvantaged by companies that had applied for H-1B visas.

A third US government agency, the Department of Labour, is similarly energised; its head promised during his confirmation hearings to investigate any layoffs that result from H-1B visas being granted.

This may not, of course, be as much a product of Mr Trumps own instincts - to the extent he has any in this domain - as the long-held beliefs of some of his appointees. The man Mr Trump set to head the Department of Justice, for example, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, has had a long history of attacking work visa programmes.

But the Trump administrations efforts so far appear to be much more narrowly focused than expected  they arent, so far, about protecting American workers, but about protecting American companies. The third component of the USCIS efforts to target raids is illustrative: It specifically singles out outsourcing firms, many of which are Indian in origin.

Silicon Valley may worry in general about immigration, which is central to its innovation engine. But it will not be massively concerned about these moves, which in fact increase its competitiveness vis-a-vis Indian firms.

Indian IT firms got about two-thirds of H-1B visas in 2015. The top 10 sponsors of H-1B applications in 2016 included Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Wipro, and Tech Mahindra. The latest regulations will simply make life harder for them, and easier for American firms.

Its worth noting that US-based firms are looking for slightly higher-paid immigrants in general. Another move by the US recently, reminding H-1B processing centres to ignore the relatively low-skilled computer programmer category from H-1B qualifications, is an additional indication that the US firms are going to benefit under the new regime, and Indian firms lose.

But this is not necessarily bad news for Indian tech graduates. Its widely known that US firms are better employers and visa sponsors than Indian firms. They give you more freedom, have a more open work environment with better prospects for advancement - and, crucially, might well sponsor you for a green card, which few Indian firms would.

Even more benefits might accrue to Indian tech workers, if not to Indian IT companies, once these administrative changes are followed up by actual new legislation.

New laws might take a year or more to work their way through Washington DC, but their general outline is already discernible in a Bill being sponsored in the House of Representatives by California Republican Darrell Issa. Mr Issa wants to raise the minimum wage for an H-1B visa holder from $60,000 a year to $100,000. (The average H-1B visa holder earns around $78,000, but new visa awardees and those from Indian companies reportedly have a much lower average.)

A competing Bill, from the California Democrat Zoe Lofgren, sets the floor even higher at $130,000 - and gives higher-paying companies priority access. Ms Lofgren actually represents San Jose in Congress, so it might be worthwhile to think of her as being the voice of Silicon Valley here.

The big US companies may well go to the mattresses to defend immigration in general - but will clearly be happy to join the Trump administration to attack Indian outsourcers and render them unviable.

One Bill in the Senate, sponsored by Iowa Republican and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, would completely shut down the business model used by many outsourcing companies, by prohibiting outplacement of the H-1B-holding employee in the physical location of another company or organisation.

Many India-related companies have a business model in which about a third of work by time (but not value) happens in client locations. Mr Grassleys Bill would especially target visa-dependent companies.

These are those companies in which at least 15 per cent of employees physically in the US are H-1B holders - a list which includes not just the four I mentioned above but also Cognizant, Larsen & Toubro, Syntel and Capgemini.

Indian IT has responded with a shrug. TCS and Infosys have promised to hire more Americans, and perhaps buy a few American companies - presumably to reduce their visa-dependent proportion, just another way of continuing to game the system.

TCS has insisted it is already reducing the number of H-1Bs it applies for. Others have said they will now focus on Europe. Nasscom has declared that there will be little impact on Indian firms.

I disagree. Indian IT is a dead man walking. It has run on an obsolete business model for too long. Even those companies that have tried half-heartedly to transform themselves - Infosys, for example - dont seem to be doing it fast enough.

Infosys Vishal Sikka gets the danger, not just from visa restrictions but from technological change, warning that 60 to 70 per cent over the next 10 years, or maybe less than 10 years, of the jobs that we do today are going to be replaced by AI.

Hes also called the IT industrys growth over the past two decades mechanical, and warned that Infosys is seen as professional but not innovative. Yet, three years into his tenure, its not clear if Infosys bedrock business model has really changed, or even how it can. And if Infosys cant change, nobody else is likely to.

Yet those Indian IT professionals who want to be innovative, and want to get ahead, might do far better in this new world than Indian IT companies have allowed them to do so far. Margins might collapse, but wages could rise. This is not bad news. Indian IT is dead; long live the Indian IT professional.

Photograph: Shailesh Andrade/Reuters
The fact is that BS-IV vehicles, particularly diesel trucks, are much less polluting than BS-III ones, says Sunita Narain.

Why this huge fuss? I am talking about the automobile manufacturers insistence that great injustice has been done to them because they have been asked to move to Bharat Stage-IV (BS-IV) technologies for emission control before the due date.

The government notification, which they are using in their defence, says that companies would stop manufacturing Bharat Stage-III (BS-III) vehicles by March 31, 2017. The companies say that this does not mean that registering BS-III vehicles would be stopped as of April 1, 2017.

Automobile companies, ably represented by their association, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), says this decision to stop sale means that there are huge inventories that have been piled up; and so, huge losses for them and for the country. This is injustice.

I ask this because I was involved with this decision - first taken by the Environment Pollution (Control and Prevention) Authority for the NCR (EPCA) and then by the amicus in the air pollution case, Harish Salve, and then finally directed by the Supreme Court. I write this both to explain my position and also ask the question, once again, humbly, why the fuss?

Lets understand the issue at stake. First, vehicles contribute to the toxic pollution, which is choking our lungs and making us ill.

Second, improving the quality of fuel and vehicle technology is a critical way to clean up emissions.

But third, this improvement in fuel quality and technology has always been hard fought and adversarial. It has always come in spite of Indian automobile companies and not because of them.

It was in April 1999 that the Supreme Court, also then listening to the matter on air quality in Delhi, had directed that all vehicles in India would have to meet Euro I (BS norms were not fashioned then) by June of the same year. It also directed that Euro II would be mandatory in the National Capital Region (NCR) by April 1, 2000.

The precedent set then was its direction that no vehicle shall be registered unless in conforms to Euro II norms.

The telling one-liners from the apex courts top Bench of that time should remind us of today. In May 1999, at the hearing on this matter, counsel for automobile companies argued for more time to implement the Euro norms.

The Bench remarked in obvious sarcasm, People cant breathe and you are asking for more breathing time? The transition happened in Delhi and the NCR, as directed by the court. There were front-end companies, which pushed for technology improvement and the laggards caught up.

But this was not the agreed road map for the country. The government set up the auto-fuel committee under RA Mashelkar to finalise the clean fuel-technology road map for the country. In 2003, it was agreed that in April 2005 Delhi, the NCR and 12 other polluted cities would get BS-III and the rest of the country by April 2010. Then there was a pause.

The 2008 notification said Delhi, the NCR and 12 cities would get BS-IV by 2010. And in 2015, the road map for the rest of the country was decided  fuel would be progressively available and technology transition would happen.

The final deadline was April 1, 2017, when the entire country (barring very small remote pockets) would be covered with this 50 ppm sulphur fuel as compared to 350 ppm available till then.

So, the fact is, the automobile companies knew well in advance that the fuel would be available across the country by April 1, 2017.

The transition to BS-IV is also not new as technologies have been available since 2010, when Delhi and other cities moved to these standards.

The technical date of manufacture is then only technical, as fuel and technology are both available. The only constraint of clean fuel being available nationwide - needed for long-distance carriers like taxis and trucks - has been removed. The transition should have been seamless.

But it was not. This is my fourth point. The fact is that the EPCA, of which I am a member, had convened a meeting in October 2016 to discuss this switch date. Our position was that as clean fuel would be available by April 1, 2017, at considerable cost to the public exchequer, companies should plan their inventories accordingly.

The objective was to ask them to reduce the production of BS-III vehicles and to start ramping up the manufacture of BS-IV vehicles so that stocks with dealers were ready for sale by April.

But instead, the data supplied by the companies to the Supreme Court show that most of them - makers of commercial vehicles, three-wheelers and two-wheelers - continued to produce BS-III vehicles at the same or even an increased rate in the subsequent months - in fact, all the way till end February in most cases.

This then built up inventories - over 90,000 commercial vehicles would be unsold, said industry. So, whose fault is this?

The fifth issue is that this transition matters. The fact is that BS-IV vehicles, particularly diesel trucks, are much less polluting than BS-III ones. There is 80 per cent reduction in particulate emissions between the two generations. So, bringing cleaner vehicles into the market as fast as possible matters.

There is no doubt that the country has a massive problem of older and more polluting vehicles. But why should this be an argument for delaying the transition to new ones? After all, vehicles have a life of 10-15 years - the faster the new stock takes over the better it is. How can there be any argument on this? Tell me? Please.



Sunita Narain is at the Centre for Science and Environment

Photograph: PTI Photo
The biggest scooter and motorbike market in the world is -- of course -- India. Guess who are the gainers?

IMAGE: Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters.

India is emerging as a top market for leading Japanese two-wheeler companies.

IMAGE: Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Photograph: Anindito Mukherjee/Reuters.

Last year, this country became Hondas biggest global market for two-wheelers.

IMAGE: The largest selling scooters in India in January 2017, according to figures from Autocar.

Now, another Japanese major, Yamaha, is set to see India emerge as its second biggest market, for the first time.





IMAGE: Mumbai, Maharashtra. Photograph: Mansi Thapliyal/Reuters.

For Yamaha, India is about to overtake Vietnam and will be next only to Indonesia.

Yamaha believes it will sell a million two-wheelers in India during the 2017 calendar year, compared to the 0.92 million it expects to sell in Vietnam.





IMAGE: Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. Photograph: Jitendra Prakash/Reuters.

India emerged as Yamahas third biggest market in 2014, overtaking China. The Japanese company globally sold 5.15 million of two-wheelers in the 2016 calendar year and aims to sell 5.82 million in 2017. And, almost 30 per cent of this growth is supposed to come from the Indian market.





IMAGE: Mumbai, Maharashtra. Photograph: Danish Siddiqui/Reuters.

With the current product portfolio and the aggressive marketing strategy to enhance our reach in the tier-I, II and III markets, as well as rural areas, we will reach our target of one million domestic sales in 2017. It will be a big achievement for Yamaha; we always believed in the potential of the Indian market, says Hiroaki Fujita, chairman, Yamaha Motor India.





IMAGE: Mumbai, Maharashtra. Photograph: Danish Siddiqui/Reuters.

India is the biggest two-wheeler market in the world and Yamaha has expanded its market share here from 2.7 per cent in calendar year 2012 to 4.7 per cent in 2016. It will also become the fifth company to sell a million two-wheelers in India (after Hero, Honda, Bajaj and TVS), and the second Japanese brand to achieve this feat, after Honda.





IMAGE: Chandigarh, India. Photograph: Ajay Verma/Reuters.

Yamaha sold 786,000 two-wheelers in the Indian market last calendar year, up 32 per cent from 2015. It also shipped out 162,000 vehicles.





IMAGE: Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters.

For Honda and Yamaha, the traditional large markets of this region are no longer driving growth. Many of the top two-wheeler markets in Southeast Asia, such as Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand, have already matured. The India market has shown constant growth in recent years and there is huge scope for us to grow, said Fujita.

Yamaha has invested Rs 1,280 crore in manufacturing and research & development facilities in India.
The Supreme Court also asks the Sahara chief Subrata Roy to appear before it on April 28.

The Supreme Court on Monday asked Bombay high court's official liquidator to sell Rs 34,000 crore (Rs 340 billion) worth of properties of Aamby Valley owned by the Sahara Group and directed its chief Subrata Roy to personally appear before it on April 28.

"Enough is enough. You cannot say something today and resile tomorrow," a bench, comprising Justices Dipak Misra, Ranjan Gogoi and A K Sikri, said, taking strong note of non-submission of over Rs 5,000 crore (Rs 50 billion) by the Sahara group.

The bench also cautioned Roy from playing with the court's order and said non-compliance of its order would invite the wrath of the law and ultimately he will be at his own peril.

The bench asked the official liquidator, attached with the Bombay high court, to auction Aamby Valley properties, estimated to be worth Rs 34,000 crore, and directly report to it.

The bench also directed Roy and his group as well as Sebi to provide all necessary details relating to the properties to the official liquidator within 48 hours.

Meanwhile, the top court restrained one Prakash Swamy, who has filed an affidavit with regard to the sale of Sahara hotels in the USA, from leaving India and asked him to deposit Rs 10 crore as fine with the market regulator Sebi.

Swamy will also have to appear in person in the apex court on April 28.

The Supreme Court had on April 6 warned the Sahara Group that if it failed to deposit Rs 5092.6 crore in Sebi-Sahara refund account by April 17 in pursuance of its order, it will be "compelled" to auction its property at the Aamby Valley in Pune.

The top court had told the group that no extension of time would be granted for depositing the amount.

The observation had come when the lawyer mentioned an interim plea seeking extension of time for depositing the money in the Sebi-Sahara refund account.

The court had also observed that it had clearly told the group that a "substantial amount" must come in the refund account.

"Whatever you do, we had told you that a substantial amount must come. Otherwise we will be compelled to put up Aamby Valley for auction," the bench had said, noting "What matters is the money coming in the kitty."

The apex court had on February 28 said "in case, the substantial amount is deposited, this court may think of extending the time, otherwise appropriate direction shall be issued".

The court had last month ordered an international real estate firm, which had shown willingness to buy Sahara's stake in New York-based Plaza Hotel for $550 million, to deposit Rs 750 crore in the Sebi-Sahara refund account, instead of the apex court registry to show its bonafide.

The top court had earlier directed attachment of Sahara Group's prime property for realisation of money to be paid to its investors.

It had also asked the group to provide it within two weeks the list of "unencumbered properties" which can be put up for public auction to realise the remaining over Rs 14,000 crore (Rs 140 billion) of the principal amount of around Rs 24,000 crore (Rs 240 billion) that has to be deposited in the Sebi-Sahara account for refunding the investors.

The court had on November 28 last year asked Subrata Roy to deposit Rs 600 crore (Rs 6 billion) more by February 6 in the refund account to remain out of jail and warned that failure to do so would result in his return to prison.

It had on May 6, 2016 granted a four-week parole to Roy to attend the funeral of his mother. His parole has been extended by the court ever since. Roy was sent to Tihar jail on March 4, 2014.

Besides Roy, two other directors -- Ravi Shankar Dubey and Ashok Roy Choudhary -- were arrested for failure of the group's two companies -- Sahara India Real Estate Corporation (SIRECL) and Sahara Housing Investment Corp Ltd (SHICL)  to comply with the court's August 31, 2012 order to return Rs 24,000 crore to their investors.

However, director Vandana Bhargava was not taken into custody.

Photograph: Reuters
The world is still figuring out the man as he continues his enigmatic journey towards the first 100 days of the US presidency.

But with emerging trends of realism and flexibility even his enemies have begun to see the logic in some of his actions, says Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.

IMAGE: By ordering bombing in Syria after an emotional reaction to the gas attack after repeatedly asserting that he will not intervene and maintaining his hope of a grand coalition with Russia, President Trump has revealed a silver lining of rare flexibility.

Photograph: Carlos Barria/Reuters

'Arguably the best week for Donald Trump's still young presidency from a successful strike in Syria to confirmation of his supreme court nominee' tweeted Richard Haass, President, Council on Foreign Relations and author of A World in Disarray on April 3.

Such acknowledgments of the United States president's success have been few and far between, as he continues his enigmatic journey towards the first 100 days of his presidency.

The world is still figuring out the man.

By ordering the bombing in Syria after an emotional reaction to the gas attack after repeatedly asserting that he would not intervene and maintaining his hope of a grand coalition with Russia, President Trump has revealed a silver lining of rare flexibility.

He was compared earlier to Shakespeare's Richard III; President Thomas N Tucker (TNT), the hero of a forgotten bestseller by Christopher Buckley The White House Mess; and a bull in a china shop. But as the days drag on, he appears more like Hamlet, with a method in his madness or the prophet lunatic of Kerala, Naranath Bhranthan (Madman of Naranam) who was a seeker of truth, but behaved erratically to convey some worldly wisdom.

Even his enemies have begun to see the logic in some of his actions, giving him the benefit of doubt.

Steven Schier, a presidential scholar, has observed that the idea that the president is off on an unprecedented dictatorial path is inaccurate. There is no evidence that he has gone further than his predecessors, including President Obama, in issuing executive orders.

Moreover, he has modified some of them to meet judicial objections and submitted them for the required Congressional approval.

Most elected political leaders begin with a honeymoon with their people even after contentious elections. Their supporters applaud their actions as they proceed to implement their election promises, while their opponents allow time before agitating for their demands.

But in Trump's case, the agitation and protests began the day he took over, not for violating his promises, but for fulfilling them.

This is the first time in history that someone is elected in the hope that he will not live up to his promises.

Even the party that nominated him did not feel obliged to support him, even in the early days. But within a month, Trump is seen in a new light as the checks and balances of the system have begun to operate and Trump himself has begun to understand the limits of the powers of the president.

The focus is shifting from his follies and idiosyncrasies to some signs of flexibility and realism.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel had some awkward moments in the White House during her first encounter with Trump, but considering the prevailing uncertainties about US policies towards NATO and refugees, the meeting marked a thaw.

In fact, the beeline to the White House has followed the traditional pattern, beginning with close allies like British Prime Minister Theresa May, Shinzo Abe of Japan, Justin Trudeau of Canada and Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel -- and not President Putin of Russia, as some had suspected.

Of course, much was made of the spelling mistakes in the White House communications relating to May, which were attributed to Trump himself and the oddity of the handshake with Abe.

But the substance of the conversations was on expected lines without any fireworks even with Trudeau, who had challenged Trump's refugee policy and volunteered to hire the IT workers discarded by the US.

Predictably, he met President Xi Jinping of China against the backdrop of tensions between the Koreas.

Though he said he had not gotten anything from the meeting as yet, there were no surprises in protocol or substance. Trump has also made amends for his phone call with Taiwan's president and restored the 'One China' policy without batting an eyelid.

He may have chided Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull , but the calls made to others, including the leaders of India and Pakistan, were impeccable politically. A visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi also appears to be on the cards.

IMAGE: A protest against Trump's Muslim travel ban.

In a sobering lesson to Trump, the judiciary put its foot down and prevented overzealous implementation of the order.

Photograph: Stephanie Keith/Reuters

The so-called Muslim ban was the most controversial of the executive orders issued by the new president, though it was limited to six Muslim countries.

Fortunately, the judiciary put its foot down once again and prevented overzealous implementation of the order.

The general antipathy towards refugees and visitors from Islamic countries provoked a serious challenge to the image of the US, but the status quo remains because of judicial intervention.

The lesson not to overreach may have sobered Trump and also given him an alibi not to go for the drastic promises he made. The Statue of Liberty still remains intact, without being re-exported to France.

Many seem to have forgotten that Hillary Clinton had also announced that she would withdraw from the Trans-Pacific partnership, one of Obama's pet projects. But action by Trump to exit TPP soon after assumption of office had a shocking impact.

The general assessment of the US exit from TPP is that this will give China a free hand to dominate the Asia Pacific. But the reaction of other TPP members do not indicate that China will be the winner in the bargain. TPP members are looking for alternatives rather than a rush to China to get it into the partnership.

Trump has given no indication that Obama's Asia pivot is a thing of the past. He has committed to have separate trade agreements with the countries in the region.

China's initiatives to counter TPP, such as the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific, have not gained popularity because of the US action.

Since there is no permanent US exit from Asia, the TPP action does not seem to have elevated China to hegemonic power.

In fact, India and Japan seem to have gained as a result. India will get greater access to the US market and Japan will work out its own alternative to TPP.

IMAGE: A vigil for Srinivas Kuchibhotla, the H-1B visa holder from India, who was killed in Kansas in February. Photograph: David Ryder/Reuters

The H1-B visa issue was considered the litmus test of Trump's friendship for India and there was expectation he would go slow on this subject. But this was one of the issues which Trump took up at the very beginning of his presidency.

Trump began by saying that he would investigate any misuse of the visa, but the intention was to reduce the number of visas in this category so that the jobs can go to local people. This was ambitious because it was known that it would take more than seven to nine years to replace all the Indian IT workers.

The methodology he used was to double the minimum salary required for a foreigner to qualify for the H-1B visa. This would make it unattractive for companies to hire foreign workers.

The uncertainty created by the order would be like a Damocles' sword over the heads of many IT companies. But an important point to remember is that even Obama was not too liberal with visas and outsourcing.

This is a populist measure, which will be moderated when the IT companies up the ante and the IT industry faces losses.

Modi may also make this a bargaining point at his first meeting with Trump. India has already warned that Trump should be analyzed, not demonised.

US national security adviser Michael Flynn's exit reflects an expected reversal of Trump's policy of friendship and cooperation with Russia.

The cold warriors on both sides would never have allowed a game changing policy on Russia. Flynn's resignation on account of an unauthorised conversation with the Russian ambassador on the possible relaxation of sanctions against Russia shows that the Cold War is alive and well and Trump cannot move the Russian agenda too far.

The international ramifications of a US-Russia rapprochement can rest at least for the present.

The method in his madness will not permit him to pursue his announced policy despite Rex Tillerson's appointment as the US secretary of state. Flynn's fate will be an advance warning for Tillerson.

Trump was much more realistic on Russia than ever before at his press conference, wondering whether it would be possible at all to strike a deal with Russia.

'I would like to be able to get along with Russia,' he said. He also vowed that he had no contacts with Putin except for the calls the Russian leader made to congratulate him on his victory and on his inauguration.

Flynn's exit also turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the president now has a more balanced and reputed national security adviser in H R McMaster.

The action in Syria has made the chasm between the US and Russia wider.

IMAGE: Trump arrives to deliver his first address to a joint session of the United States Congress in February. Photograph: Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool/Reuters

In the case of Israel, the expectation was that America's closest ally would be free to do whatever it wished to do under Trump. But the very issue on which Obama tried to undercut Trump by allowing a UN Security Council resolution has become a point of convergence between Trump and Obama.

Trump warned Israel that its settlements on Palestinian territories may not lead to peace. More recently, on the eve of a crucial meeting between Trump and Netanyahu, the White House said America can only lend a helping hand in resolving the decades-long conflict, but it cannot dictate the terms of peace.

'Peace is the goal, whether it comes in the form of a two State solution if that's what the parties want or something else, if that's what the parties want, we're going to help them,' the White House said.

It was also clarified that the US was not abandoning the two State solution. At least, it is not for Israel to call all the shots.

The coming of age of Trump, signified by such symptoms, may well be wishful thinking at best or illusion at worst. But his method rather than his madness was evident in his first address to the US Congress.

He was cogent, coherent and subdued in his presentation, even though his tough policies on immigration, trade, national security, the wall and others remained intact.

The Republicans appeared to have come to terms with him as evidenced by the enthusiasm shown by US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan.

A streak of humaneness was visible in the president's reference to the hate crimes, particularly against an Indian in Kansas.

The threat of impeachment appears to recede as Trump approaches his first 100 days in office.

T P Sreenivasan, (IFS 1967) former Ambassador of India and Governor for India of the IAEA, is Chairman, Academic Council and Director, NSS Academy of Civil Services, Director General, Kerala International Centre.

Please scroll down for more insights into Trump's presidency.
'Putting Yogi Adityanath in the CM's seat two years before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls is something to be read carefully.'

'Opposition parties would be dishonest themselves and unfair to secular people if they failed to unite and work as a single force to defeat the BJP.'

Justice (retd) Rajinder Sachar headed the Sachar Committee which studied the socio-economic and educational status of Muslims in India.

A champion of civil liberties for decades, the 93-year-old former chief justice of the Delhi high court spoke to M I Khan in Patna about India today.

In recent months, hate crimes against Muslims seem to have increased. Is it a reflection of rising intolerance or something else?

Oh yes, hate crimes against Muslims are rising, but it is not mere intolerance. It is far worse than intolerance.

As a matter of fact, this danger has become further catastrophic after the BJP's (Bharatiya Janata Party) victory in Uttar Pradesh.

The most dangerous signal came after Yogi Adityanath was made UP chief minister. It is part of a deliberate plan by the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh).

Let us not forget that (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi is only the face.

Earlier, he was chief minister in Gujarat. Thanks to corporate backing, he was propagated as a development man.

Modi as PM hardly bothers to say a few words to check and control hate crimes against Muslims.

The RSS has now made up its mind that 2019 is its target to declare India a Hindu Rashtra after the BJP returns to power, I think the danger of which is not being realised by the Opposition parties.

Putting Yogi Adityanath in the CM's seat two years before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls is something to be read carefully.

All Hindus have nothing to do with the RSS and are not its supporters or sympathisers. They belong to different cultures, different traditions, have different food habits.

Why is the RSS so upbeat in your view?

Look, the BJP victory in UP has given more strength to the RSS. Now it controls a state with the largest number of seats in Parliament (the Lok Sabha).

Opposition parties would be dishonest themselves and unfair to secular people if they failed to unite and work as a single force to defeat the BJP.

What happens if the RSS pushes its agenda of a Hindu Rashtra?

It is not possible and when I say not possible, I mean there will be lots of resistance.

If India declared itself a Hindu Rashtra, it will not progress. There will certainly be resistance by Hindus themselves in different parts of the country. They will be the biggest hurdle.

A large number of people do not want a Hindu Rashtra at all. Today, there may only be a few people who are vocal against it.

(The Shiromani) Akali Dal in Punjab will never want a Hindu Rashtra. It will not support it.

Minorities, not only Muslims, but Christians and Sikhs are also against it.

Who wanted the British empire? Nobody wanted British rule. Ultimately, people fought against it and won.

To avoid the danger of 2019, I would suggest that Opposition parties come together.

Take the case of Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress in West Bengal. The CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist) and Congress should realise that Mamata is more powerful than them like the BJD (Biju Janata Dal) is in Odisha, the RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) and the JD-U (Janata Dal-United) is in Bihar.

The Opposition only talks about stopping the BJP, but what practical measures are they taking to take it on?

BJP leaders including Union ministers have said Muslims should no longer be treated as a minority as their population has grown.

Not only Muslims, Christians, Jains, Sikhs are religious minorities. They are minorities because they belong to different religions with a population less than the majority community.

There is no question that Muslims will not be minorities in India.

If we remove the minority tag from Muslims, then we cannot be a member of the United Nations. The international community will boycott us.

It has been clearly mentioned in the UN's minority council that a special commission should be set up for minorities in each country. The council also recommended a targeted approach for the upliftment of the minority communities.

Union Minister of State Giriraj Singh has stated that the Muslim population in India has reached such a level that the minority tag should be removed from it.

According to the Sachar Committee report, at the end of the (this) century, the population of Muslims will consolidate at 18 to 19 per cent approximately. Even in this scenario, the population of Hindus will remain at about 80 per cent.

The latest figures have revealed that Muslims have a lower birth rate than others including Hindus in the last decade.

A decade after the Sachar Committee submitted its recommendations, the RSS and BJP say the move to constitute such a committee to study the socio-economic status of Muslims was a wrong approach in a secular country.

But the reference to the Sachar Committee categorically specified that it was tasked to collect the comparative figures of poverty, education, service of Muslims vis-a-vis upper caste Hindus, Other Backward Classes and Dalits. So, it was a comprehensive report. It was clearly not a communal approach.

The report was not only for the Muslims. The report mainly highlighted Muslims because if you look at the parameters -- education, poverty, health and others -- they were at the bottom of the table.

One of the most important recommendations of the Sachar Committee report was the setting up of an equal opportunities commission. This exists in the United Kingdom and the United States.

There is also talk about Muslim appeasement.

The socio-economic status of Muslims is very low and poor. Muslims are still deprived and marginalised. You can see it for yourself if you visit any town across the country.

If you are improving the lives of Dalits, who are Hindus, then can you call it appeasement?

Like any other community, Muslims are citizens of this country. Their condition is improving, but there is urgent need for an equality commission.

Muslims have been part of this country for centuries, large numbers of Muslims have converted (in the past) for different reasons.

Swami Vivekananda said they (the Muslims) converted because they were in the worst conditions.

Hindus and Muslims coming together, Vivekananda said, is the only remedy for India.

IMAGE: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat at an RSS rally.

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In what can be called as a major hint towards sewing up an unprecedented merger between two warring factions, the Sasikala and the O Panneerselvam groups of the All Anna India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam met on late Monday night in Chennai.

The focus of the late night meeting was on the residences of Thangamani and Udumalai Radhakrishnan where two separate meetings went on to discuss the resignation of Sasikala's nephew TTV Dinakaran.

The developments come a day after Panneerselvam opined that he would welcome a merger of both factions.

"We appreciate OPS's offer to merge. We spoke about how to function if we merge," said AIADMK leader D Jayakumar at the press briefing.

Ruling party legislators have also been asked to be available in Chennai on Tuesday, sources said.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister K Palaniswami too held talks with his Cabinet colleagues.

If the merger does come successful, this will be a new chapter in the political drama of the AIADMK post late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa's demise.

Earlier, Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai said that Dinakaran faction was ready for talks with Panneerselvam for a patch-up.

"Those who left due to differences... let them come, we are ready to talk," he told reporters.

Repeatedly asserting that "all are united," and there was "no split" in the party, he said there may be differences in a democracy and it should be addressed.

Stating that all the leaders, including him and Panneerselvam, were elected on the 'two leaves' symbol of the AIADMK, he emphasised that it was the collective responsibility of all partymen to continue the regime of 'Amma' (late chief minister Jayalalithaa).

Thambidurai, who earlier called on Chief Minister K Palaniswami at the secretariat, said, "We will get back the 'two leaves' symbol and to get that we will function unitedly."

He said Amma regime should continue and for that "All should give their support," adding "it is important to retain the government and all MLAs are united."

Denying that the party symbol had been frozen, he said it was applicable only for the bypoll which had been cancelled.

"To freeze a symbol, there should be a split... comprising exit of two-thirds of partymen including MPs...there is no such split," he added.
Upping the ante, Pakistani Army on Monday ruled out consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, days after India had made a strong case for the access to the Indian prisoner on death row.

Jadhav, 46, was awarded death sentence by the Field General Court Martial last week, evoking a sharp reaction in India which warned Pakistan of consequences and damage to bilateral ties if the "pre-meditated murder" was carried out.

"Under the law we cannot give consular access to Khubhushan who was involved in spying," Pakistan Military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor told reporters.

However, Indian officials in New Delhi maintained that there was no communication from Pakistan on the denial of consular access.

Pakistan has denied India's request for consular access to Jadhav over a dozen times in the last one year.

On Friday, Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad Gautam Bambawale had met Pakistan Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and demanded a certified copy of the charge-sheet as well as the army court order in the Jadhav case, besides seeking consular access to the retired Indian navy officer.

Addressing the media in Rawalpindi on Monday, Maj Gen Ghafoor said that Jadhav was involved in anti-state activities so he had to face court martial.

"It was duty of the army (to apprehend and punish him). We have not compromised on it and awarded him punishment. We will not compromise on this issue in future also," he said.

He said all legal requirements were fulfilled in the trial of Jadhav which resulted in his conviction.

"The court martial is based on such evidence which cannot be refuted at any forum," he said.

He said the Indian man can appeal against the judgement in the army appellate court and then to the army chief against the decision of the appellate court.

The spokesman said the convict can also file an appeal to the Supreme Court and the president of Pakistan.

"We will defend his conviction at every forum," he said.

Pakistan claims its security forces had arrested Jadhav from the restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran. It also claimed that he was "a serving officer in the Indian Navy."

The Pakistan Army had also released a "confessional video" of Jadhav after his arrest.

However, India denied Pakistan's contention and maintained that Jadhav was kidnapped by the Pakistan authorities.

India had acknowledged that Jadhav had served with the navy but denied that he has any connection with the government.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has claimed victory in the referendum, which would see the country switch from the parliamentary to the presidential system.

IMAGE: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan greets his supporters in Istanbul. Photograph: Murad Sezer/Reuters

Not only the result will give him new powers as the countrys head of state, but will also extend his influence over the judiciary making him dominant over the Parliament.

The Yes campaign won 51.4 per cent of the vote against 48.6 per cent for No, the election commission said on Sunday in figures quoted by state news agency Anadolu, in a count based on 99.5 per cent of the ballot boxes.

Erdogan congratulated the heads of political parties, who supported him in the Yes campaign in Sundays referendum.

IMAGE: Supporters of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan celebrate after news bulletins on the outcome of Turkey's referendum on the constitution. Photograph: Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters

The president also thanked the voters, who went to the polls to reflect their choice.

The Yes campaign was backed by the ruling Justice and Development Party and the opposition Nationalist Movement Party, whereas the main opposition Republican Peoples Party did not support it.

Erdogan was voted to power in August 2014, the first time a Turkish President had been directly chosen by the popular vote.

IMAGE: Supporters of AK party react at the party headquarters in Ankara. Photograph: Umit Bektas/Reuters

The referendum asked voters to choose Yes or No on the 18-article bill. It was passed by the Parliament in January with 339 votes in favour.

Other major changes include lowering the age to become a lawmaker to 18 from 25, increasing the number of seats in the Parliament from 550 to 600, closing down military courts and same-day Parliamentary and Presidential elections after every five years.

The countrys current Constitution was formed in 1983 following a military coup in 1980.
The Indian Air Force continued their Herculean operations to control the forest fire near Mount Abu that has been raging for nearly four days now.

On Sunday, in an operation called Bambi Bucket, the Indian Air Force flew a total of 64 shuttles, pouring over 1,95,500 litres of water to douse the raging forest fires, a defence spokesperson said.

On the third consecutive day, the IAF has so far flown a total of 144 shuttles with Bambi buckets dropping around 4,00,000 litres of water at various locations to douse the blaze in Mount Abu.

The IAF Crash Fire Tenders and men were also seen fighting fire at various locations on the ground. The helicopter operations were called off for the day as darkness set in. The forces, however, are stationed at Mt Abu, and are ready for any additional task for tomorrow, the spokesperson said.

The army also assisted to douse the fire, especially in critical areas of Chipa Beri and Sat Ghum along Mt Abu near Chipaberi Beri police station and adjacent locations.

The fire broke out on Friday morning in Mount Abu close to the famous sunset and honeymoon point prompting the district administration to rope in suitably modified IAF MI-17VS helicopter.

Tourists have been asked to avoid going to sunset point and honeymoon point till the flames are doused fully.

Besides, boating activity in Nakki lake has been restricted as the helicopters are fetching water from the lake. The lake is located in the middle of the town, nestled between the hills.

-- With inputs from Agencies
FILE - In this Tuesday, March 28, 2017 file picture, masked members of the collective "500 Brothers" take part in a march supporting a general strike in Cayenne, French Guiana. French government calls on protesters in French Guiana to lift the roadblocks after a 1 billion euro government plan to help the South American territory has been presented during Cabinet meeting.

Cayenne, French Guiana

The Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guianaa tiny territory wedged into the peak of South America between Suriname and Brazilhosted unexpected visitors on the afternoon of April 4.

A protest march, estimated about 10,000 strong, advanced on the space center and was standing at the gates, chanting their movements rallying cry, Nou bon ke sa, approximately weve had enough, in Guianese Creole. On the other side of the gate, riot police, shaded from the brutal sun in the covered beds of camouflage trucks, looked on.

In an apparent attempt to defuse tensions, a delegation of protestors and union leaders had been invited inside to speak with the space centers director. And now they were refusing to leave.

Were not going to move, Manuel Jean-Baptiste, a protestor, told the centers director, according to Agence France-Presse. We want the billions we asked for.

The impromptu occupation was part of a larger protest movement against conditions in the French overseas department, a political status approximately equivalent to that of a US state. The action was intended to attract the attention of Europe, said Jean-Jose Mathias, an employee of the space center and member of the Guianese Workers Union.

It was a symbolic action to make France and Europe aware of the problems in the department, he told Quartz. French Guiana has an unemployment rate twice that of France, and a homicide rate 14 times that of the mainland.

For the handful of protestors in South America, mostly clad in black t-shirts and makeshift balaclavas, attracting the attention of European governments might seem like an unlikely goal. But their movement has already succeeded, largely thanks to one extremely valuable bargaining chip. By blocking launches at the Guiana Space Center, the protestors are threatening the entire European space program.

Story continues

Desperate times, desperate measures

For more than three weeks, French Guiana has been effectively shut down by protests and a general strike. The movement has closed schools, grounded flights, and stranded cargo ships of goods in the capital Cayennes port. The territorys few highways are blocked. Long lines of cars and people carrying jerrycans flood gas stations after the infrequent fuel deliveries. Fresh vegetables have disappeared from grocery shelves, and money in ATMs is increasingly scarce.

The movement is a reaction to the departments chronic problems. Besides joblessness and crime, wages are on average about a third lower than on the mainland but the cost of livingespecially foodis significantly higher. The territory produces little food, and many products are imported from Europe.

Infrastructure, too, is severely lacking. Roads are few and in poor condition. In the countrys interior, people travel in canoes, helicopters, and bush planes. According to the governmental French Guiana Water Office, nearly 20% of the population lacks direct access to potable water, and medical services and schools are inaccessible for many of the territorys residents.

Young people dont have a future, Davy Rimane, the secretary-general of the Union of Guianan Lighting Workers, told Quartz. Businesses are closing.

Current conditions are rooted in the territorys colonial past. An agricultural and slaving colony since the 17th century, much of the agricultural infrastructure disappeared after the discovery of gold in the mid-1800s. After the abolition of slavery, the territory became a penal colony, whose inhabitants included the political prisoner Albert Dreyfus and Henri Charriere, who would later write Papillon. The prison did not cease operations until 1947.

In 1946, the French government, responding to assimilation movements within its overseas territories, passed a law turning turning French Guiana into a department, along with its overseas holdings of Martinique, Guadeloupe, and La Reunion. The residents of French Guiana are French citizens and the territory uses the euro. Recognizing the benefits of being part of France, residents have had little desire to become independent. But despite its status, the territory lags far behind France.

Once French Guiana became a department, they launched plans to develop it. But they didnt succeed in elevating living conditions like in France, said Serge Mam Lam Fouck, a historian and professor at the University of French Guiana. The new department was centuries behind.

Despite its troubles, French Guiana boasts the highest GDP per capita in South America, 15,820 as of 2014. With its links to mainland Europe, French Guiana has long been an attractive destination for migrants from Suriname, Brazil, and Haiti. In the 1960s, the departments population was around 60,000; now it is 250,000, with more than a third of French Guianese residents born in other countries. This migration has exacerbated the territorys problems.

The infrastructure didnt keep up, said Mam Lam Fouck. The construction of schools didnt keep up, the construction of medical facilities didnt keep up.

French President Francois Hollande sits in the 'Jupiter' operations manager room at the Kourou space centre (CSG), French Guiana, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013. Hollande made his first trip overseas as French President to Guyana, after having recently approved two newly signed agreements, one which aims to fight illegal gold mining and another which hopes to promote better vocational training nationwide. Others are unidentified.

French president Francois Hollande visits the Guiana Space Center in 2013.

Europes stairway to space

Despite its crumbling infrastructure, the territory is home to some of the worlds most advanced technology. In 1965, construction of the Guiana Space Center began, and the first rocket was launched in 1968. Last year, CSGan acronym from the French name Centre Spatial Guyanaiswas the second-busiest spaceport in the world after Cape Canaveral in the United States.

Eleven different orbital launches took place there in 2016. Arianespace, the European company which operates the rockets launched at the center, was among the busiest launch organizations in the world, putting just one fewer into space than its American competitor United Launch Alliance and matching the tally by Chinas state-backed rocket builder.

Arianespace is essentially owned by Europes state aerospace industry; France owns the bulk of its capital through a joint venture between Airbus and Safran Launchers, with the second-largest share held by German firms. Because CSG is its primary launch site, the European Space Agency and the French national space agency have also invested in facilities there.

Why do European space launches happen thousands of miles from Europe? Launches are easier near the equator, where rockets can take advantage of the earths rotation for an extra boost. The remoteness of the area and its proximity to open water means that debris from botched launches is less likely to cause harm. The territory does not suffer from earthquakes or tropical storms.

At the moment, however, it suffers from political unrest. Last year, Arianespace earned 1.4 billion from its eleven launches; and similar revenue from the remaining nine launches scheduled this year are now in jeopardy.

Operations and launches should resume as soon as the conditions in French Guiana make this possible, an Arianespace spokesperson told Quartz.

A gap in revenue could mean delays in the development of the companys next-generation rocket, Ariane 6, which is designed to compete with new, cheap rockets being designed in the United States. Prolonged unrest in French Guiana could even make satellite operators reluctant to hire the company to fly their expensive satellites.

If we can take up launch campaigns again in the next few days, we could do our initial planned twelve launches for 2017, if all goes well for the rest of the year, Daniel Neuenschwander, director of space transportation for the European Space Agency, told Quartz. If we are missing that in the next two weeks, then we are seriously endangering the twelve launches. We will only know at the end of the conflict. I sincerely hope that this conflict ends soon.

The next ESA mission expected to launch from CSG is a communications satellite in October, but postponed commercial satellite launches expected in April and June could mean a cascade of delays pushing back the entire schedule.

Neuenschwander described Europes investment in the spaceport as a boost to French Guiana as well as the space program, estimating that about 15% of the countrys economic production is connected to the spaceport.

Russia's Soyuz-ST-B spacecraft is shown to the media at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, Friday April 29, 2011. The Russian Federal Space Agency and Arianespace, the commercial arm of the 13-country European Space Agency, will launch in September the Soyuz rocket from the European spaceport in South America, carrying two Galileo navigation satellites in its maiden flight.

A Soyuz rocket is maneuvered into position at CSG in 2011.

Let French Guiana Lift Off

Economic benefits or no, the space center has become a focal point of resentment in the department. Theres a widespread sense that mainland France (la metropole) is indifferent to the needs of the French Guianese population, and its concern in the territory extends only so far as the space center. But that concern means the space center is also the movements most powerful source of leverage.

Its a number one global industry, and just next to it, in Grand-Santi, in Sinnamary [nearby towns], theres no potable water, theres no electricity, said Bertrand Razan, a protestor manning a roadblock in front of the university. This situation is not sustainable. Its not normal.

There are rails to transport satellites onto a rocket, and theres no train, no metro, no night bus, Stephane Miatti, a receptionist, said at a March 29 protest in Cayenne.

This sense of injustice has even informed the name of the group behind the protests: Pou Lagwiyann Dekole, a Creole phrase roughly translatable as Let French Guiana Lift Off. Its a twist on one of the refrains of the movement, pulled from a 17-year-old protest track from the now-deceased Guianese rapper Freaky Fan: La fusee decolle mais la Guyane reste au sol,the rocket takes off, but French Guiana stays on the ground.

Negotiations continue between the Pou Lagwiyann Dekole and the French government. The collective has issued a document of more than 400 demands, touching on everything from education to security to fisheries. Guianese negotiators turned down an initial offer worth approximately 1.1 billion euros from the government, demanding instead an aid package worth 3 billion.

Most recently, French President Francois Hollande wrote Guianese officials calling for an end to disruptions, but saying that the government and I have not closed the door on discussions, though he called the demonstrators proposals ambitious.

The foundationseducation, health, energyif we dont have these things we need, in ten years well have to protest again, said Rimane, of the Guianese Lighting Workers Union, at the April 4 march on the space center. Thats not logical.

On March 20, protestors, including striking workers from the CSG, blocked the roundabout that leads to the complex, preventing the launch of a rocket carrying a Brazilian satellite and a South Korean satellite.

We knew well that, by blocking Europes space center, there would be a global repercussion, said Mathias, who, nearly a month ago was among the first protesters to block the roundabout. Its real pressure.

That night, protestors spent an uncomfortable and hungry night in the CSGs conference room. Talks with the director had been unsatisfying, and the movements representatives left the next morning, calling for more protests and roadblocks.

Mathias said the message to Europe had been sent. It was to tell them, look, if you dont unblock the situation in French Guiana, the space center will stay blocked, he said.

Tim Fernholz contributed additional reporting to this story.

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By Cindy Silviana and Eveline Danubrata JAKARTA (Reuters) - U.S. video streaming service provider Netflix is in talks with Indonesia's top telecom firm PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk (Telkom) to roll out its service in the country, a spokesman at the Indonesian company said. The U.S. company has made an aggressive push globally, but faced problems such as tough local competition and regulatory hurdles in several major Asian markets. In Indonesia, a country of 250 million people, Netflix ran afoul of the film censorship board last year for carrying content deemed inappropriately violent or sexual. The communications ministry of Indonesia, home to the world's largest Muslim population, had also demanded that Netflix set up a office in the country and pay local taxes. While state-controlled Telkom had blocked Netflix, the service was still available in Indonesia via WiFi connections and other carriers. Telkom is now negotiating a partnership agreement with Netflix and hopes to complete the process next month, Arif Prabowo, vice president for corporate communication at Telkom, said in a text message. Telkom was previously concerned that Netflix carried "content that has a negative element", Prabowo said. "If we work together, that means we would know and can be responsible for the content broadcast by Netflix." Teaming up with Netflix would expand Telkom's content offering, Prabowo added. "The choices for our customers will be more varied." A Netflix spokeswoman declined to comment. (Reporting by Cindy Silviana and Eveline Danubrata; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
A Chinese rights activist from the eastern province of Shandong has said he plans to seek political refugee status in the democratic island of Taiwan after deserting his tour group.



While Taiwan, which has never been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party, has no formal asylum process for defectors from the mainland, defector Zhang Xiangzhong could apply for long-term residency on the basis of political persecution.



On Monday, the island's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), which governs relations with Beijing, said it had yet to receive an application from Zhang, who arrived in Taiwan with a package tour group on April 12.



But MAC minister Chang Hsiao-yueh told lawmakers it would examine any application from the 48-year-old dissident to see if he meets requirements.



Zhang, a 48-year-old civil rights activist from Shandong province, arrived in Taiwan on April 12 as part of a tour group on an eight-day visit but left the group the next day and has not been located since.



Taiwan doesn't always regard defection favorably, and has ordered previous escapees from the mainland to leave.



Chang said Zhang's actions were a "violation of Taiwan's regulations pertaining to Chinese visitors" and that the Taiwan authorities had informed mainland officials of the situation, under the terms of a cross-straits agreement governing tourist exchanges between the former enemies.



A sudden decision



Zhang told RFA in an April 14 interview that he would base his application on a three-year jail term he served for his participation in the New Citizens' Movement, a group working for cleaner, more constitutional government that has seen many of its key figures sent to prison.



He said he was inspired to defect after the detention of Taiwan NGO worker and lifetime member of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Lee Ming-cheh, and the mainland government's refusal to allow his wife Lee Ching-yu to visit him in detention.



"I thought to myself, where is the spirit of the Chinese people?" Zhang said. "I made a sudden decision that I didn't want this any more, and that I would quit the tour group."



"I want to stay in Taiwan, because I think that [here] is where the spirit of the Chinese people still resides, so that's where I want to be."



Zhang was released last July after serving a three-year jail term linked to his activism, and joined an eight-day tour of the island.



Shortly after his release, he told RFA that he had suffered health problems through inadequate care in prison.



"I have asthma, but they wouldn't give me a nebulizer," he said shortly after his release. "They told me to stand near the window to breathe."



"After a while, I got brain atrophy because of the lack of oxygen."



'Can't break our dignity'



Now at an undisclosed location in Taiwan, Zhang said he had his eureka moment after seeing on the television news that Lee Ching-yu had been prevented from boarding a flight to Beijing to try to visit her husband.



Later, he left all of his luggage in the hotel room he was sharing with the tour guide, taking only his cell phone, travel documents, and 5,000 yuan in Chinese money, along with a book on ancient Chinese culture.



A former veteran of the 2013 protests on the streets of Guangzhou over state media censorship, Zhang spent many years campaigning for democratic change in China before being detained on public order charges.



He said he was convicted on the basis of a forced confession, the result of torture in a police-run detention center.



He said he was inspired by a line in a public statement made by Lee Ching-yu.



"I remember something Lee Ching-yu said: 'I must carry on fighting. I will not allow my husband to lose his dignity in return for his freedom' and to spend the rest of his life little better than a dog'," he said.



"It doesn't matter how powerful China becomes," he said. "They can only take our freedom and our lives, but they can't break our dignity."



Detention confirmed



China last week confirmed it is holding 42-year-old Lee Ming-cheh, who became the first overseas NGO worker known to be detained in China since a draconian law gave police control over foreign nongovernmental groups at the beginning of this year.



He was detained by the ruling Chinese Communist Party's state security police on suspicion of "endangering national security" on his arrival in the southern border city of Zhuhai on March 19.



Chinese law allows police to detain those suspected of "national security" crimes and hold them under residential surveillance at a secret location for up to six months, with no access to lawyers or family visits.



Reported by Hsia Hsiao-hwa for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Hai Nan for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.




Authorities in the northwestern Chinese province of Liaoning issued an environmental alert in response to escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula and ahead of Pyongyang's attempted test launch of a missile on , RFA has learned.



An emergency notice issued by the environmental protection department in Liaoning's port city of Dalian, a city of some 10 million 300 kilometers (180 miles) from the North Korean border, called on all environmental agencies to prepare for an emergency response to "any nuclear or chemical environmental incident in North Korea."



"[Any] North Korean nuclear and chemical environment incident, may have a negative impact on our country's safety and potentially damage the health of our people," the notice, which was leaked online, warned.



"Higher-level departments have therefore initiated emergency measures in our city, and a state of alert with immediate effect, according to the Liaoning Provincial Emergency Plan prepared by the North Korean Nuclear Environmental Group," the notice, signed by the Dalian environmental protection bureau, said.



"All relevant work units must now enter emergency response preparations and begin emergency duties."

It was not clear if other Chinese cities close to North Korea had taken similar measures as Dalian, which is directly ruled from Beijing.



An official who answered the phone on at the Dalian environmental protection bureau declined to comment.



"You'll have to call the main office and ask them," the official said.



But repeated calls to the main office rang unanswered during office hours on .



A Dalian surnamed said local people had heard nothing of any emergency alert status.



"Nope, never heard about this. I haven't seen any notices up in our neighborhood," said. "I'm worried, because this is people's health we're talking about."



"Dalian is next in line after [the border city of] Dandong," she said. "Of course I'm worried. We're so close."



Saying little, but mobilizing

Beijing-based rights activist Zha Jianguo said the ruling Chinese Communist Party may be saying little about any threat from North Korea in public, but it is mobilizing behind the scenes.



"It's pretty normal for China to make these sorts of preparations, regardless of the potential threat," Zha said. "It's just in case."



News of the alert emerged as U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said the "era of strategic patience is over" with North Korea, and called on China to use its "extraordinary levers" to step up the pressure on Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear program.



South Korea and the United States agreed on to take "punitive action" on any provocation from the North, South Korean prime minister Hwang Kyo-ahn told a joint news conference with Pence.



Earlier, Pence, who visited the demilitarized zone (DMZ) on , said the North's failed missile test was "a provocation," and has said the U.S. will use whatever means are necessary to protect ally South Korea and stabilize the peninsula.



Back in China, veteran Hunan journalist Xiao Jiansheng said the environmental protection bureau was unlikely to have been acted on the basis of actual intelligence, but that tensions are running high between Beijing and its isolated Stalinist neighbor, which relies heavily on Chinese economic aid.



"This is definitely a question of acting on a probability, because just recently Chinese special envoy Wu Dawei wanted to visit North Korea, but they refused to receive him," Xiao said.



"The North is unlikely to engage with China, with a lot of tensions in the relationship," he said. "It's also unlikely that the North would ever share any information [about its planned activities] with China."



China and Russia recently sent intelligence-gathering vessels to follow the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier as it travels toward the Korean peninsula, Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun reported at the weekend.



The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and its strike group are believed to be in waters around the East China Sea and are expected to arrive around .



Major threat seen

Seoul and Washington are in talks to pursue a joint military exercise involving the aircraft carrier, local media reports said on .



The move comes amid fears that North Korea may conduct a sixth nuclear test or an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch in commemoration of the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army on .



North Korea paraded an apparently new ICBM in a massive show of military strength in Pyongyang on , to mark the 105th anniversary of late supreme leader Kim Il Sung's birth.



Military analyst Huang Dong said the hardware on display indicated that the North now had more than one or two of such missiles ready to deploy.



"They have already formed a strike force ready for deployment, and it seems they have more than one or two of them," Huang told RFA.



"This is a pretty major threat to neighboring countries," he said.



But Terence Yeung, of the department of Government and International Studies at Hong Kong's Baptist University, said tensions between the U.S. and North Korea are nothing new.



"Yes, the situation between the U.S. and North Korea is pretty tense, but North Korea has always posed a tough problem, and I personally don't see any particularly new developments," Yeung told RFA.



"As for the future ... without any major shifts in policy from either side, I think we are looking at a stalemate. It's not going to be easy to end this stand-off," he said.



On , Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson by phone to "exchange views" following the failed missile launch, Chinese state media reported.



"The successful meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump at the Mar-a-Lago estate has set a constructive tone, defined the direction and made a plan for the development of bilateral ties," the Global Times newspaper quoted Yang as saying.



Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Lau Siu-fung and Dai Weisen for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
A group of farmers in Vietnams capital Hanoi on Monday continued to detain at least 20 peopleincluding riot policein a situation sources described as heated, after a land dispute led to a rare incident of violence between residents and authorities over the weekend.



On the morning of April 15, police clashed with residents of Dong Tam commune, in Hanois My Duc district, who say the government is seizing 47 hectares (116 acres) of their farmland for the military-run Viettel Groupthe countrys largest mobile phone operatorwithout compensating them.



Police arrested several farmers for allegedly causing social unrest, and other farmers responded by detaining at least 20 police officers and threatening to kill them if security personnel attack again, according to social activist La Viet Dung, who was able to visit the area on April 16.



On arriving in My Duc, I saw that the situation was heated and that local villagers are very determined, Dung told RFAs Vietnamese Service on Monday.



If any of the detained riot police had shown any resistance, he might have been beaten to death and whoever committed the act would never be known. The villagers are so upsetto an extent that I rarely see.



The Associated Press cited Dung in a report saying that the farmers are currently holding more than 30 people, including more than 20 riot police, as well as local policemen and officials. Relative peace had returned to the area as the standoff continues, the report said.



Hanois government has demanded that the farmers release the detainees and gradually increased a security presence around Mieu Mon village, where they are being held. Electricity and wireless phone networks have been cut off in the area, leaving residents unable to communicate with the outside world.



The farmers want authorities to release those who have been arrested and for the government to give up its plan to take their farmland without compensation.



Activists around the country have called on Hanoi to withdraw security forces from the area, for the farmers to release the police officers, and for both sides to settle the dispute peacefully.



State media reported that the farmers say they are treating the detainees well, though rights group Defend the Defenders said in a statement Sunday that the farmers were keeping them in a closed room and were prepared to burn them with petrol if authorities attack the village.



Lawyer Tran Vu Hai, who is advising the farmers, told RFA that representatives had spoken to Hanoi mayor Nguyen Duc Chung for one hour on Monday, and Chung had also met with a senior resident of Dong Tam commune surnamed Kinh who was arrested on April 15 and later released.



Hai said Chung told him that the remaining six farmers who had been arrested were released and that the mayor plans to visit Dong Tam commune on Tuesday to meet with local farmers, who he noted have their doubts about any negotiations because of past dealings with the government.



The villagers tell me that they have been cheated many times with promises, but if Kinh and Chung come here together, that would earn their trust, he said.



Otherwise, the villagers will fight to the last breath, since they do not have any other options left.



Land activist questioned



Also on Monday, a land activist named Trinh Ba Phuong who had advised farmers in Dong Tam told RFA he was forcibly taken from his home in Hanois Duong Noi district and questioned by police in connection with the land dispute.



At 7:00 a.m. they raided my house while I was in bed, forced me into a car and brought me to the Duong Noi district [government] office, Phuong said, after being released at 4:00 p.m. that afternoon.



They asked me to admit my wrongs and say that I incited the My Duc residents  [but] I said I would only work with them if they listed their own crimes on paper.



According to Phuong, an inspection team from the Hanoi city police came to the Duong Noi office to assist in questioning him, at which point he began shouting about how Vietnam had become a police-run regime and the illegal arrest of citizens by authorities.



At that point, they released me  without saying anything, he said.



In November, a court in Hanoi upheld the conviction of Phuongs mother Can Thi Theu on public disorder charges for protesting government-sanctioned evictions used to clear the way for commercial development in Duong Noi, sending her back to prison to serve a 20-month term imposed two months earlier.



It was the second time Theu, 54, had been convicted for opposing land grabs. In 2014 she was sentenced to 15 months in jail for her role in a similar protest.



While all land in Vietnam is ultimately held by the state, land confiscations have become a flashpoint as residents accuse the government of pushing small landowners aside in favor of lucrative real estate projects, and of paying too little in compensation to those whose land is taken.



Many petitioners who seek justice and demand adequate compensation for their land have been beaten and imprisoned by authorities on allegations of causing public disorder under Article 245 of Vietnams Penal Code.



Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by An Nguyen. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) says it will issue a ruling on April 19 on Kyivs bid to block Russia from sending money, weapons, and troops to eastern Ukraine.



The ruling will take place at the Peace Palace in The Hague in the Netherlands, the ICJ said. The event will be streamed live on the court's website.



Moscow seized control of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 and has supported separatists in eastern Ukraine in fighting that has killed more than 9,750 people.



Kyiv is also calling on the ICJ to order Russia to stop what it says is "racial discrimination" against minority groups in Crimea, particularly against the Tatar population.



The ICJ was established by the United Nations in 1945 to hear disputes between states.



Cases can take years to pass through the court and Ukraine has also filed to seek interim protection measures.



Although the court's rulings are final and binding, it has no means of enforcement.



Kyiv accuses Russia of violating UN conventions against terrorism and discrimination by supporting groups in eastern Ukraine and Crimea.



Moscow rejects the allegations.



Ukraines case called on the court to rule that "the Russian Federation bears international responsibility" for "acts of terrorism committed by its proxies in Ukraine."



Kyiv is seeking to force Russia to pay compensation to civilians caught up in the conflict.

With reporting by AFP
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.
Iraqi authorities have accused Islamic State (IS) militants of using "toxic chemical material" in the battle for Mosul, but they say it has had little effect and that the campaign to liberate Iraqs second-largest city is continuing.

"The [IS] terrorist gangs tried to block the advance of our forces by using shells filled with toxic chemical material, but the effect was limited," Iraq's Joint Operations Command said on April 16.

Brigadier General Yahya Rasool told the Associated Press that six soldiers suffered breathing problems and were treated at a field clinic.

Federal Police officers participating in the drive against west Mosul told Reuters that government forces were hit by IS shells containing chemical weapons in the Urouba and Bab Jadid districts.

It is not yet known the exact type of chemical used, officials said.

Iraqi officials have said IS periodically uses chemical weapons but that the effect on military operations has been minimal.

IS fighters captured Mosul in 2014 as they gained wide swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in battles against government troops.

However, U.S.-led coalition forces have made major gains against the extremist group, having liberated eastern Mosul. Iraqi forces are now engaged in a battle to take crowded west Mosul from about 2,000 IS fighters.

Based on reporting by AFP, Reuters, and AP
A Kremlin spokesman is distancing Moscow from an incendiary commentary on Russian state TV that alleged U.S. President Donald Trump is more dangerous and unpredictable than North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.



Dmitry Peskov told reporters on April 17 that comments made by Channel One's anchor Dmitry Kiselyov often, but not always, matched Kremlin thinking.



Like much of Russia's state-controlled media, Kiselyov initially praised Trump in the weeks before and after his election.



But the tone of Russian state-controlled media has shifted since April 7 when Trump ordered a missile attack on a Syrian government air base in response to a chemical-weapons attack that killed dozens of civilians.



Since then, Channel One and other Russia media outlets have become increasingly critical of the U.S. president.



On April 16, just hours after North Korea launched a ballistic missile in a failed test, Kiselyov said Kim is less frightening than Trump because the North Korean ruler was ready for talks, had not attacked other countries, and had not sent a naval fleet to the U.S. coast.



"War can break out as a result of confrontation between two personalities: Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un," Kiselyov said.



"Both are dangerous, but who is more dangerous? Trump is," the Russian state TV personality said.

With reporting by TASS, Channel One, and vesti.ru


Civil rights activists marched in the northwestern Pakistani city of Bannu to protest the mob killing of a university student accused of blasphemy. Mashal Khan was beaten to death at a university in the northern city of Mardan on April 13 after an argument at a dormitory. (RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal)
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan -- Pakistans military said on April 17 that a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban has surrendered along with other members of the Tehrik-e Taliban (TTP) militant group.

Major General Asif Ghafoor, the director-general of Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations Agency, the military's media wing, identified the detained Taliban spokesman as Ehsanullah Ehsan, saying he had served as a spokesman for both the TTP and a Taliban-linked terrorist faction called Jamaat-ul-Ahrar.

Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is the group that claimed responsibility for the December 2014 terrorist attack on a Peshawar school that killed 147 people, most of them schoolchildren.

Ghafoor told reporters in Rawalpindi on April 17 that the spokesman "is not the only one" who has surrendered to Pakistani security forces, adding that he would share information at a later date about others who have surrendered.

Pakistani intelligence sources told RFE/RLs Radio Mashaal that Ehsanullah Ehsan is an alias used by several different people who are spokesmen for the TTP and the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction.

Those officials told RFE/RL that the militant who surrendered is named Sajjad Mohmand and that he had turned himself in to Pakistani authorities in mid-March.

Ghafoor would not confirm that information or provide further details.

However, TTP sources have also confirmed to RFE/RL that one of their spokesmen had surrendered.

There was no immediate comment from the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction.

The Jamaat-ul-Ahrar split away from the TTP in September 2014 and the faction has voiced support for the Islamic State (IS) extremist group.

The split came when Jamaat-ul-Ahrar commander Omar Khalid Khorasani and his associates in Pakistans Mohmand tribal region publicly accused the TTP leader in Pakistan's Swat Valley, Maulana Fazlullah, of deviating from the TTPs strict Islamic fundamentalist ideology.

Fazlullah said in September 2014 that he had ousted Khorasani and his associates from the TTP because they had formed what Fazlullah described as "dubious" organizations.

At the time of the split, Khorasani was considered to be one of the Pakistani Taliban's most powerful leaders in Pakistan's tribal regions.

Khorasani attracted international attention as the alleged mastermind of the deadly December 2014 terrorist attack on a school in Peshawar.

In March 2015, a Jamat-ul-Ahrar spokesman announced that the faction was rejoining the Pakistani Taliban.

Pakistans military and Pakistani Taliban sources have said that Khorasani was killed in July 2016 by a U.S. drone strike in eastern Afghanistan.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Pamir Sahil, Reuters, and AP
Russian security agents have detained a ninth person in connection with the St. Petersburg subway train bombing that killed 15 people and injured 45 on April 3.



A statement from the country's security service, the FSV, said the suspect, 27-year-old Abror Azimov, was detained on April 17 in the Moscow region's Odintsovo district "in the framework of the criminal case" over the suicide terrorist attack.



The FSB statement said Azimov was a "native of the Central Asia region" and allegedly had "trained the suicide attacker."



Akbarjon Jalilov, a 22-year-old Kyrgyz-born ethnic Uzbek man with Russian citizenship, has been identified by Russian authorities as the suicide bomber.



Law-enforcement officials have been trying to determine Jalilovs motives, whether he had been radicalized by Islamic extremists, and whether anyone else assisted him in the planning of the bombing.



There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack.

Based on reporting by Current Time TV, Reuters, and Interfax
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called for an extension of the Black Sea grain export deal that has allowed exports from three major Ukrainian ports, easing a global food crisis.

"We maintain the line that the initiative must continue regardless of whether the Russian Federation is willing," Zelenskiy told U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who made a one-day visit to Kyiv on November 8.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

Zelenskiy emphasized that despite the full-scale Russian invasion, Ukraine is ready to remain the "guarantor of global food security," a reference to his country's status as one of the world's top grain producers.

The grain export accord with Russia, brokered by Turkey and the United Nations in July, expires on November 19. It appeared in jeopardy last month when Moscow briefly suspended its participation.

Kyiv wants the grain export deal expanded to include more ports and other goods, Ukraine's deputy infrastructure minister told Reuters on November 8. Ukraine also hopes the pact will be renewed for at least a year.

Thomas-Greenfield said global food security depends on extending the grain export deal, and that this is a priority for the UN.

She said she considers Ukraine the breadbasket of the world" and said the war "really has had an impact on the entire global food market.

Russias deputy foreign minister, Andrey Rudenko, said on November 8 that the Kremlin has not yet decided whether to extend the agreement.

We still have time. We are looking at how this deal is being implemented following the restoration of our participation, Rudenko said. We are very dissatisfied with how the Russian part is being implemented."

During his meetings with Thomas-Greenfield, Zelenskiy emphasized the need for the United Nations to take a number of immediate steps, including the urgent referral to Ukraine of UN experts to investigate the issue of Iran supplying drones to Russia, his press office said.

Zelenskiy also told Thomas-Greenfield that Ukraine wants the UN to send representatives to assess damage to critical infrastructure in Ukraine and requests the maximum involvement of the UN in the restoration of Ukrainian energy.

He also called for the UN to "limit the membership and privileges of Russia in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Among other topics reportedly covered in the talks were limiting Russia's ability to abuse its membership in the UN and launching a special tribunal against Russia.

Thomas-Greenfield tweeted a photo of herself visiting a forensic lab in Kyiv where she said technicians are "meticulously examining war crime evidence to hold Russia accountable."

She added: "If Russian forces think they are going to get away with their atrocities, they are in for a rude awakening."

Thomas-Greenfield also announced an additional $25 million to help Ukrainians survive the coming winter.

"Attacks by Russian forces have damaged housing and critical infrastructure across Ukraine," Thomas-Greenfield said on Twitter. "Today, while in Kyiv, I announced the United States, through @USAID, will provide $25 million in winterization assistance to help vulnerable people in Ukraine survive the winter ahead."

With reporting by Reuters and AP
You might want to think twice before grabbing a book to read on your flight to Tajikistan -- especially if it is written in an unfamiliar script.

The country's Culture Ministry recently announced that no books are allowed in or out of the country without written permission, part of a stated effort to prevent valuable manuscripts from being smuggled out of the country.

"Regardless of the number of books, authorization from the Culture Ministry is required," Sherali Khojaev, the head of the ministrys department for the protection of cultural heritage, told RFE/RL's Tajik Service. "The requirement applies to [travelers to and from] all countries, regardless of the language or script of the books."

Despite that last comment, however, the move has led some to come to the conclusion that it is really intended to stop the dissemination of extremist religious material and could mean that books written in languages like Farsi and Arabic could fall under particular scrutiny.

Saidi Yusufi, a Dushanbe-based expert on social affairs, says the Tajik government is seriously concerned about preventing extremist literature from entering the country.

"However, since many of the customs employees can't read the Arabic-Farsi script, every book with such script can be treated with suspicion," Yusufi adds. "In some instances, the customs officials seized entirely 'harmless' books."

The State Customs Service recently confirmed that a copy of Bustan, a famous work by the renowned medieval Persian poet Saadi Shirazi, had been seized from an unidentified Tajik citizen traveling abroad.

The customs office said in March that the book was confiscated along with three others -- including a book on interpretations of dreams and a book of spells. All four books were in the Arabic script.

Despite the recent announcement by the Culture Ministry, however, travelers at the Dushanbe airport said they had not attracted additional scrutiny despite having books in their luggage.

Scanning machines are installed both in departure and arrival halls at Dushanbe's international airport, and staffers routinely scan both carry-on and checked luggage. Some passengers say customs officials randomly select bags or suitcases for additional searches.

Khojaev described the process for obtaining written permission to take a book out of the country as a simple procedure. You only need to fill out an application "citing the name of the books, stating their language, the place of publication, the name of the authors, and the country of origin or destination," he said.

Arriving passengers whose books have been seized at airports or other border-entry points are advised to submit a similar application to the ministry to reclaim their confiscated goods -- that is, if the authorities have determined that the material is allowed.

Tajikistan's state religious-affairs committee and the Interior Ministry have compiled a blacklist of banned books, most of them religious in nature, but also including books of spells.

In 2015, the country updated the list, adding 13 books alleged to promote the fundamentalist Salafi branch of Islam.

Tajikistans Supreme Court banned Salafism in 2009, deeming it a threat to the countrys security and stability.

The Koran and other Islamic books, such as manuals to Islamic prayers, are freely available in bookstores across the county.

The secular government in the predominantly Muslim Central Asian country has taken a tough stance on how its citizens practice the religion, including banning the wearing of the hijab in schools and discouraging men from growing long beards.

The government has ordered most Tajik students studying abroad at Islamic schools to return home, saying they can potentially pose security threats to Tajikistan.

Tajikistan was the first and only former Soviet country to officially register an Islamic political party in 1999. But the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan was banned and branded as a terrorist organization by the countrys Supreme Court in 2015.

Written by Farangis Najibullah, based on reporting by RFE/RL Tajik Service correspondent Abdullo Ashurov


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Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has lashed out angrily at criticism from European election monitors over a referendum that will bring sweeping new powers to the presidency.

Erdogan's remarks came after observers from the OSCE and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) said on April 17 that the legal framework for the referendum "remained inadequate for the holding of a genuinely democratic referendum."

The monitors also said the referendum campaign was conducted on an "unlevel playing field" and that the counting of ballots in the April 16 referendum had been marred by "late procedural changes."

The U.S. State Department echoed the monitors' criticisms later, saying it was "concerned' about "observed irregularities on voting day and an uneven playing field during the difficult campaign period, which took place during a state of emergency."

Responding on April 17, Erdogan rejected those criticisms and told the OSCE monitors to "know your place."

The Turkish president also said that Turkey "does not see, hear, or acknowledge reports by the OSCE observer mission."

In response to warnings from some European officials that Turkeys candidacy for European Union membership could be rejected over of its failure to adhere to the EU's democratic and human rights standards, Erdogan said it is "not so important" if the EU suspends Turkeys accession talks "as long as they inform us."

Erdogan also said Turkey would, "if necessary," conduct its own referendum on whether Ankara should suspend the EU accession talks.

Turkeys Central Election Committee (CEC) late on April 16 declared that 51.3 percent of voters supported the adoption of 18 constitutional amendments that will create a presidential system of government and could allow Erdogan to remain in power until 2029.

WATCH: Turkey's Erdogan Claims Victory, Backs Reinstating Death Penalty

Tana de Zulueta, the mission chief from the OSCEs Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), said on April 17 that Turkeys referendum did not meet international standards.

She said the referendum contravened Turkeys commitments to the standards of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Council of Europe "regarding freedom and equality in the campaign."



Noting that the closely contested vote was conducted under a state of emergency, she said people forced to flee their homes because of security operations in mostly Kurdish-populated southeastern Turkey had faced difficulties trying to vote.



"We also noted a considerable imbalance in the campaign, due -- among other things -- to the active involvement of the president, several leading national officials, and many local public officials in the 'yes' campaign," she said. "Our team observed the misuse of administrative resources, and the obstruction of efforts by parties and civil society organizations supporting the 'no' campaign."

The OSCE/ODIHR mission chief also said the campaign rhetoric had been "tarnished by some senior officials equating 'no' supporters with terrorist sympathizers."

"In numerous cases, 'no' sympathizers faced police interventions and violent scuffles at their events," she said.

Cezar Florin Preda, the head of a PACE monitoring delegation, told reporters in Ankara on April 17 that "the two sides of the campaign did not have equal opportunities."

"Voters were not provided with impartial information about key aspects of the reform and civil society organizations were not able to participate," Preda said.

"Under the state of emergency put in place after the July 2016 failed coup attempt, fundamental freedoms essential to a genuinely democratic process were curtailed," Preda said. "The dismissal [from government jobs] or detention of thousands of citizens negatively affected the political environment. One side's dominance in the [media] coverage and restriction of the media reduced voters' access to a plurality of views."

Preda also said "late changes in counting procedures removed an important safeguard and were contested by the opposition," referring to a move by election officials to allow ballots that did not have an official stamp to be counted.

Turkeys opposition says a decision on April 16 by the Supreme Electoral Council to count unstamped ballot papers had created possibilities for widespread fraud in the ballot count.

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) demanded a recount of up to 60 percent of the ballots and said it would challenge 37 percent of the ballots that had been counted.

CHP Deputy Chairman Bulent Tezcan has called for the results to be annulled, saying his party would take its challenge to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary.

Turkey's pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) claimed there was a vote "manipulation of 3 to 4 percentage points" in favor of expanding presidential powers.

But the head of Turkeys electoral commission, Sadi Guven, rejected the claims of foul play and the criticism from international monitors.

Guven said the unstamped ballot papers that were counted had been produced by his Supreme Electoral Council and were valid.

Western critics have said the amendments pose a huge threat to human rights and the rule of law because they concentrate too much power in the hands of the president.

Pelin Ayan Musil, an expert on Turkey at the Anglo-American University in Prague, told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that Erdogan's victory could spark radical change inside Turkey and damage Ankara's relations with the European Union.

"It will give a lot of power to the president. He will be able to do many things: dissolve the parliament, appoint judges ... So, institutionally, yes, [it is a radical change]. In terms of societal change, though, Turkey was already very divided. And this result [shows] the division in a [clearer] way.

"The constitutional changes look like a one-man dictatorship," continued Musil. "If we look at [the constitutional changes], the way it is designed, it really kills the checks and balances. The checks and balances were already damaged to a high degree. Now it makes it much worse. ... So I do not think there is a positive future for Turkey-EU relations."

Meanwhile, French President Francois Hollande said on April 17 that the Turkish referendum results revealed a nation that is sharply divided.

Saying that France "takes note" of accusations of substantial voting irregularities, Hollande urged Turkish authorities to respect opposition voices and European values.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel on April 17 urged Erdogan to "seek a respectful dialogue with all of the country's political and societal groups."

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini, and EU enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn said in a statement after the results were announced that the "practical implementation" of Turkeys constitutional amendments "will be assessed in light of Turkeys obligations as a European Union candidate country and as a member of the Council of Europe."

Their statement also said they would closely examine the assessment of the OSCE and PACE observation missions in regard to "alleged irregularities."

With reporting by RFE/RL Radio Mashaal correspondent Pamir Sahill, AP, and Reuters
Observers at Turkey's constitutional referendum said it took place on an "unlevel" playing field and fell short of international standards. The comments were made at a news conference in Ankara by officials from two international organizations monitoring the vote: the OSCE and the Council of Europe. (Reuters)
U.S. national-security adviser Jake Sullivan has confirmed that communication channels between the United States and Russia remain open despite the war in Ukraine, the BBC reports.

Sullivan, speaking in New York on November 7, said it was "in the interests" of Washington to maintain contact with the Kremlin.



Sullivan's comments came after a report in The Wall Street Journal on November 6 that he had held undisclosed talks with top Russian officials in the hope of reducing the risk the Russian invasion of Ukraine spills over or escalates into a nuclear conflict.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

A previous media report, in The Washington Post, said Washington was privately encouraging Ukraine to signal an openness to negotiate with Russia, as the State Department said Moscow was escalating the war and did not seriously wish to engage in peace talks.



The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, said the request by U.S. officials was not aimed at pushing Ukraine to the negotiating table, but a calculated attempt to ensure Kyiv maintains the support of other countries.

Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, told RFE/RL it was absurd to suggest that Western countries that are supplying Ukraine with weapons would push Kyiv to negotiate on Moscow's terms.

"Ukraine receives from its partners, first of all from the United States, quite effective weapons," he said. "We are pushing the Russian Army out of territory. And against this background, forcing us to the negotiation process, and in fact to recognize the ultimatum of the Russian Federation, is nonsense! And no one will do that."

He said suggestions the West was pushing Ukraine to negotiate were part of Russia's "information program," though he did not directly rebut a report in The Washington Post.

Zelenskiy said in his nightly address on November 7 that he was open to talks with Russia, but only "genuine" negotiations that would restore Ukraine's borders, grant it compensation for Russian attacks, and punish those responsible for war crimes.



Zelenskiy signed a decree on October 4 formally declaring the prospect of any Ukrainian talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin "impossible" but leaving the door open to talks with Russia.



Sullivan told a public event in New York that the Biden administration had "an obligation to pursue accountability" and pledged to work with international partners to "hold the perpetrators of grave and grotesque war crimes in Ukraine responsible for what they have done."



Sullivan did not elaborate on the communication channels that Washington and Moscow maintained, but insisted that U.S. officials were "clear-eyed about who we are dealing with," the BBC reported.



Sullivan travelled to Kyiv on November 4 and pledged Washington's "unwavering and unflinching" support for Ukraine.



His unannounced visit coincided with an announcement the same day by the U.S. Defense Department of another shipment of weapons to Ukraine worth $400 million.



"I was just in Kyiv on Friday and I had the opportunity to meet with President [Volodymyr] Zelenskiy and my counterpart Andriy Yermak, with the military leadership and also to get a briefing on just what level of death and devastation has been erupted by Putin's war on that country," Sullivan was quoted by the BBC as saying on November 7.



White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre declined to comment on the U.S. media reports.



"I've seen those reportings. So, you know -- and, look, people claim a lot of things about conversations that we -- that the United States has or doesn't have," Jean-Pierre told a news briefing on November 7. "I don't have any specific conversations to read out to you."



The secretary of Ukraine's Security Council, Oleksiy Danilov, said on November 8 that the "main condition" for the resumption of negotiations with Russia would be the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity.



Danilov said on Twitter that Ukraine also needed the "guarantee" of modern air defenses, aircraft, tanks, and long-range missiles.



According to the report in The Wall Street Journal, Sullivan held confidential conversations in recent months with Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov and Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev that were not disclosed publicly.



Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on November 7 that while Russia remained "open" to talks, it was unable to negotiate with Kyiv due to its refusal to hold talks with Russia.

With reporting by Reuters
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Three years after the beginning of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, battlefield tactics are shifting to incorporate newer technology. Ukrainian soldiers near the southeastern city of Mariupol are relying on surveillance drones to monitor the positions of Russia-backed separatists. (RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service)
A day after a failed North Korean missile test, U.S. President Donald Trump has warned North Koreas ruler Kim Jong Un that he has "got to behave."



Trump made the remark at the White House on April 17 after a reporter asked what message he had for the North Korean leader.



Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said during a visit to the South Korean side of the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on April 17 that Washington's "era of strategic patience is over."



Pence said Trump hopes China will use its "extraordinary" influence to pressure North Korea into abandoning its nuclear weapons and ballistic-missile programs.



Pence said Trump has "made it clear that the patience of the United States and our allies in this region has run out and we want to see change."



In New York, North Koreas deputy UN ambassador accused the Trump administration of transforming the Korean Peninsula into "the worlds biggest hot spot" and creating "a dangerous situation in which a thermonuclear war may break out at any moment."



Pence warned North Korea not to test Trump's resolve, saying that "all options are on the table."

Pence said during a press conference in Seoul on April 17 that recent U.S. military action in Syria and Afghanistan had signaled the "strength and resolve of our new president."

"North Korea would do well not to test his resolve, or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region," Pence said during a joint press conference with South Korea's acting President Hwang Kyo-Ahn.

The U.S. military this month struck a Syrian airfield with 59 cruise missiles. On April 13, the U.S. military said it had dropped the largest nonnuclear bomb it has ever used in combat, on Islamic State (IS) group hideouts in eastern Afghanistan.

WATCH: Pence Warns North Korea Not To Test U.S. Resolve

Pence's remarks stirred a warning from Russia against the launch of a unilateral strike on North Korea.

"This is a very risky path," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a news conference in Moscow on April 17. "We do not accept the reckless nuclear missile actions of Pyongyang that breach UN resolutions, but that does not mean that you can break international law.

"I hope that there will not be any unilateral actions like the one we saw recently in Syria."

Earlier, on April 17, Pence said during his visit to the DMZ and the border village of Panmunjom that Washington wants to proceed "through peaceable means, through negotiations."

"But all options are on the table as we continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of South Korea," he added.

Speaking at Freedom House, a few meters from the military demarcation line, Pence said, "The people of North Korea, the military of North Korea, should not mistake the resolve of the United States of America to stand with our allies."

Pence's visit to the border between North and South Korea comes as tensions on the peninsula have risen substantially over Pyongyangs missile program.

It also comes a day after the North attempted to test-fire a missile that exploded almost immediately after launch.

Pence is on a 10-day, four-nation tour of Asia. He will visit key U.S. ally Japan, which has also condemned North Koreas missile program that has included at least six nuclear tests, along with Indonesia and Australia.

Pence arrived by helicopter at Camp Bonifas, a U.S.-led United Nations post just outside the DMZ, for a briefing with military leaders and to meet with U.S. troops stationed there.

"It is particularly humbling for me to be here," he said to a group of soldiers and others.

"My father served in the Korean war with the U.S. Army, and on the way here we actually saw some of the terrain [where] my father fought alongside Korean forces to help earn your freedom."

Earlier, Pence called North Korea's failed missile launch a "provocation."

"This morning's provocation from the North is just the latest reminder of the risks each one of you face every day in the defense of the freedom of the people of South Korea and the defense of America in this part of the world," Pence told soldiers at a U.S. base earlier in the day.

Amid elevated tensions, the United States has dispatched what Trump called an "armada" of ships -- including an aircraft carrier -- into waters off the Korean Peninsula.

Trump in an April 16 tweet said that China is working with the United States on the "North Korea problem."

A White House adviser on the Pence trip said that the United States was unlikely to respond to the North's latest missile test because there was no need to reinforce the failure.

North and South Korea are technically still at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended without an official peace treaty. The U.S. military has about 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea.

With reporting by AP and AFP
H.R. McMaster, U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser, has visited Pakistan, a day after he hinted that Washington could take a tougher stance on Islamabad.

McMaster arrived in the capital on April 17 for talks with Pakistan's civilian and military leadership as the Trump administration reviews its policy in the South Asian region.

His visit to Islamabad, coming a day after talks with Afghan leaders in Kabul, is the first high-level visit by an administration official since Trump took office on January 20.

A statement issued by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's office said McMaster had assured him that "the new administration was committed to strengthening bilateral relations and working with Pakistan, to achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan, and in the wider South Asian region."

Trump has yet to shed light about his broader strategy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, where some 8,400 U.S. troops remain.

The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said recently that he needed several thousand more foreign troops in order to break a stalemate in the war with the Taliban.

Washington and Kabul have long accused Pakistan of failing to crack down on the Taliban and other Pakistan-based extremist groups fighting Afghan and foreign forces in Afghanistan.

"As all of us have hoped for many years, we have hoped that Pakistani leaders will understand that it is in their interest to go after these groups less selectively than they have in the past," McMaster said in an interview with Afghanistan's Tolo News on April 16. "And the best way to pursue their interest in Afghanistan and elsewhere is through diplomacy, not through the use of proxies that engage in violence."

Pakistan denies supporting militant groups and has accused Afghanistan, in turn, of allowing insurgents to cross from its territory into Pakistan to carry out attacks.

The Pakistani government statement added that the U.S. delegation included Lisa Curtis, a researcher with the Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington, who McMaster has hired to oversee South Asia affairs.

Analysts say the move could be a sign that Washington may toughen its stance on Islamabad.

In February, Curtis co-authored an article calling for Washington to "levy heavy costs on Pakistan for policies that help perpetuate terrorism in the region."

With reporting by Tolo News, AFP, Reuters, and Samaa TV
The Luncheonette Northside, offering comfort food with a twist, is scheduled to open today at 10 E. Brookland Park Blvd. in Richmond.

Owner Brad Barzoloski said the menu will be similar to the food served at his other restaurant  The Luncheonette at 104 N. 18th St. in Shockoe Bottom.

We will also do some more natural stuff, more local than our other location, Barzoloski said.

Some gluten-free items, local foods and we will also have our normal crazy stuff like our smores French toast and chicken-and-waffle egg rolls, he said.

Barzoloski said he is leasing the Brookland Park space, which formerly housed Streetcar Cafe, a neighborhood coffee shop. Initially, there will be seating for about 16 customers, with plans to expand to accommodate as many as 50.

We want to see what everyone likes, what everybody is eating, if we are getting a lot of groups of people. We are going to test this out and then open up the other side (of the space) and do bigger tables, Barzoloski said.

Hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The eatery also will offer delivery.

Barzoloski, 29, said he is working on expanding the Luncheonette brand outside of the Richmond area.

We are looking at all over Virginia right now. We have a few places in mind but nothing really set in stone, he said.

Barzoloski said he got his start in the restaurant business as a bus boy and has worked for independent restaurants, for himself and for the Ruby Tuesday chain  including at the chains busy restaurant in New Yorks Times Square.
Off in a corner of the Danville National Cemetery, resting among the rows of headstones, stands a towering beech tree. For some passing through the graveyard, it would be an appealing place to find shade on a hot day.

But Albert Atwell, in his early 60s, looks at the tree and sees a symbol to a pathway of riches.

On the tree trunk, there appears to be an etching of a figure eight. Its a few inches long with a winding tail pointing to the ground. Atwell saw it for the first time about 15 years ago and thought nothing of it. It couldve been drawn by anyone. After all, the cemetery opened in 1866. But after diving into the captivating rabbit hole of an old local legend, Atwell has come to believe its a message sent from long ago to serve as a clue to where a secret treasure lies.

And he isnt the only one.

The legend of Confederate gold hidden and buried somewhere in Danville has intrigued treasure hunters for more than a century. Its impossible to know how many people have made a trip to the small city in search of the cache. These days, historians say Confederate treasure seekers are few and far between, but there are still some believers who are convinced some gold is buried in the old tobacco town.

As with any legend, much of the mystery is buried in truth. In April 1865, the Confederate States of America was falling apart. The government headquarters in Richmond collapsed, sending President Jefferson Davis and other leaders fleeing by train to Danville, which was then named the new capital of the Confederacy. It would also be the last one.

Over the course of several days, Confederate leaders held their last formal Cabinet meeting, then fled Danville as the South fell.

But what happened to the money from the Confederate treasury department? Was there even any money left?

A long-held belief is that the funds  which would be worth millions today  were put on a train from Richmond to Danville, and Confederate leaders buried it around the city. Others think its in hiding places all over the South.

How much was it? Was it just Confederate gold, or was some Mexican silver hidden, as well?

The questions have plagued Civil War history buffs for 150 years. Some historians think there never was any gold. Just asking about the mystery will draw an eye roll from the average Danvillian.

Yet treasure seekers still come, some more notable than others.

The History Channels Brad Meltzers Decoded spent time in Danville in 2010 for an episode dedicated to finding the gold. Like Atwell, the team focused on cemeteries, including the city-owned Green Hill Cemetery, which is next to the Danville National Cemetery. The Discovery Channel also visited in 2015, when the crew from the show Rebel Gold went searching for treasure at the historic Oak Hill Plantation site in Pittsylvania County. Both crews left empty-handed.

Not all of the searches have been welcome.

State archaeologists fumed after the Rebel Gold crews visit. The show was investigating a theory that the wealthy Hairston family, which owned the plantation, hid the Confederate treasure after the South fell. The crew discovered no gold, but did excavate several historical artifacts.

Because archaeologists rely on the arrangement of artifacts for information, many were angered over the items removal. The crew had permission from the private landowner to be there, but they caused a lot of damage to a historical site, according to Sonja Ingram, the Danville field representative for Preservation Virginia.

She said that is the only negative incident she knows of involving treasure hunters.

The few who still come around seem to be mostly harmless.

Its a fun story, Ingram said, adding that sometimes it gets people interested in Danville history who otherwise wouldnt care.

Atwell is convinced he knows where the gold lies, but he is careful not to trespass onto historical sites or private property. He believes there are maps buried in graves in some of Danvilles cemeteries that point to the location of 58 depositories all over the South. But it is illegal to dig in a cemetery without permission, which he has not been granted and now seems to no longer expect. Other theories also point to locations on private historical sites, such as plantations, monuments and government buildings.

It is so difficult for people to dig in those locations, the legend goes, that they make for great hiding spots. And Danville is a place rich in history, with Civil War sites covering as much of the land as the aging tobacco warehouses its known for.

Atwell, who lives in Henry County, became interested in the mystery of the Confederate treasure as a 5-year-old boy listening to his father tell stories about the Civil War, in which his great-great-grandfather played a role. He has spent years working over details with other treasure seekers and has a pile of documents he believes tells him where some of the gold and silver rests.

Its pretty bad, Atwell said of his frustration. Especially when you look around and know where the stuff is but you cant touch it.

He believes $8.6 million worth of treasure is buried in Danville. He declined to say exactly where he believes the gold and silver is hidden, but he offered up some clues that would pique the curiosity of even the most cynical historian.

Like many locals interested in the legend of the gold, Atwell uses the book Confederate Treasure in Danville by the late J. Frank Carroll as a guide, since it explores theories of where the treasure could be. Many of the theories alone could make for a Hollywood adaption, merging historical facts with incredible, if improvable, legends. They tell of talking trees, sabotage and a secret society charged with protecting the treasure.

Atwell said a light went off after he read Carrolls book.

He believes there are trees across the South that have symbols and numbers carved into them by Confederate soldiers. The carvings lead to clues where maps to the gold and silver are buried. Decoding the symbols has been the hard part for generations of treasure hunters, he said. But he believes he has cracked them after years of collecting historical documents.

He also thinks the gold remains hidden and is protected by a secret society.

Others are less optimistic about its existence. Local history buff Danny Ricketts, who was friends with Carroll, the author, said he has seen enough historical documentation to believe there is no treasure.

I dont think there was much gold left. In Danville, the officials handed out a lot of the gold in exchange for Confederate money to help the soldiers when all hopes of saving the Confederacy were lost, Ricketts said. If gold was buried, I think whoever buried it dug it up later. You dont bury gold and forget about it.

But he said its a great story. This is perhaps why it has generated interest from so many people, especially out-of-towners, even after a hundred years.

Danville historian Gary Grant said Carroll typically would say that the real treasure resided in the epic story of the Confederate government in Danville, regardless of whatever they brought with them and might have left behind.
Chesterfield Countys top administrator has proposed new changes to the schools financially troubled retirement program, though the proposal felt like an equal opportunity punch in the gut to the teacher association president.

Under the Supplemental Retirement Programs current design, retired employees take temporary jobs for one more year, performing tasks that may be similar to their pre-retirement work.

For that one year of work, they are paid 175 percent of their former salary over a minimum of five years. For example, an employee in SRP for five years who was making $100,000 before retirement will collect $35,000 annually.

Its financial woes stem from the School Board underfunding the program for five years as well as errors in the assumptions that underpin the program, such as retiree projections. Thats left the plan only about 20 percent funded, with an unfunded liability thats swelled to $85 million or $99 million, depending on the type of calculations used.

That puts the countys AAA bond rating at risk, County Administrator Joe Casey noted in an April 5 letter to school leaders describing proposed changes.

Perhaps most notably, Casey recommended a more restrictive salary cap that Superintendent James Lane said effectively eliminates principals, many 12-month employees and other school leaders from participation in the program.

Casey proposed a maximum salary benefit at $85,000, instead of the $135,000 cap proposed by a 26-member schools committee that included school-based employees.

In other words, any employee who enters SRP who earned more than $85,000 before they retired would only be able to collect 175 percent of $85,000, rather than their preretirement salary. The original SRP had no salary cap.

Casey wrote that the change preserves the entire teacher pool, and future salary increases mitigate the impact to those who make more than $85,000.

But in a letter to school employees, Lane expressed concern over the school systems ability to grow leaders from within if that change is adopted.

What does that say to people who came here as teachers and then became principals in their 25th year? Were saying all that work doesnt get to count? said Donald Wilms, head of the Chesterfield Education Association that represents teachers. Almost as equally as appalling about it is that we dont ever expect teachers to ever go above $85,000.

The programs critics have long pointed to some administrators participation in the program who often earned six-figure salaries.

Of the 881 people in SRP, according to a late February school document, 68 were administrators. Twelve of those 68 were central office administrators.

Casey did keep two other committee recommendations: extending the 175 percent salary payout period from five to seven years and limiting the pool of people who could participate annually to 175.

Although the school committee based entrance on service time and age, Casey emphasized age.

Casey extended the qualifying years of Chesterfield school service from 10 years to 20 years, but the school committee suggested 15 years. He added an exception for those who are 65 years old, who will only need 15 years in Chesterfield schools plus 20 years of Virginia Retirement System service.

That, according to Lane, may decrease the number of employees retiring each year below the threshold needed to fund the plan, forcing the school to use more local dollars to keep it afloat. A suggested newly formed Board of Trustees will manage that risk, Casey suggested.

Wilms said thats a punch in the gut for career switchers.

In addition, if someone was hired before 2010, the qualifying age was raised to 55 years old from 50 years old. Post-2010 hires still qualified for the program when they turned 60 years old.

By the fiscal year that ends next June, 25 percent of the program would be funded under the countys plan compared with 22 percent under the school committees proposal. The countys plan also reaches the healthy benchmark of an 80 percent funded program a year earlier, in 2027, compared with the committees plan.

Casey wrote that the changes ensured that as many as possible were not impacted while keeping the program sustainable until the end of its life around 2050. Lane called the countys proposal disappointing.

It saves one year. To hurt all these people for just one year; that just seems as if people dont count as people, Wilms said. Why they (county leaders) feel they need to control teachers and other school employees, I dont know.

Casey also wants to see changes in the way the SRP is governed by establishing a Board of Trustees, hiring a joint county and schools investment advisor and actuary, making SRP subject to county internal audit functions, among other things.

The report by the law firm hired by the schools to, in part, drill down into how the SRP got into its situation is not being made publicly available.

The SRPs trust fund is fed by salary savings that come when people retire plus contributions from the schools operating budget.

Supervisors would hold back the schools general appropriation until the division contributes the required amount into SRP each year, Casey suggested, and schools should use some end-of-year surplus money to increase annual contributions.

The Board of Supervisors, which has final authority over changes to the plan, will take up the proposal April 26. Casey suggested the School Board take up the countys changes April 19, but Lane wrote in the letter to school employees that he will continue to stand by the committees recommendation.

The countys separate retirement plan for nonschool employees is 85 percent funded. But its designed for higher-income earners who may get less of a percentage from social security. The county saw the plan, which 315 people participated in as of June 2016, as a way to even the playing field, Deputy County Administrator Scott Zaremba said.
Just as Napa Valley has attracted the worlds wine connoisseurs, Denver has become the go-to destination for marijuana aficionados since Colorado legalized recreational pot in November 2012.

One marijuana enthusiast, Michael Eymer, saw an early opportunity to cash in on the $1.3 billion legal marijuana industry. He founded Colorado Cannabis Tours in January 2014, the year it became legal to sell recreational weed in the state.

The business began as a rudimentary model, with Eymer driving four people around in a sedan to check out a couple of dispensaries. These days, Cannabis Tours takes around 200 people in six party buses every weekend. Though the bus ride itself is the main attraction, tourists get to check out a few dispensaries, including Medicine Man (aka the Walmart of weed) as well as a live glassblowing demonstration.

Now, although Eymer, a 35-year-old single dad, runs his company out of his home, he raked in $1.8 million in sales last year. Hes up 66 percent this year so far.

Pot is my passion, Eymer told Yahoo Finance. I keyed into the business opportunity early on. Ive always had some involvement in the industry even before it was official. Then, seeing all these changes happening in Colorado, I just thought it was the perfect time to seize the opportunity.

The business of weed

Eymer, an avid cannabis consumer since he was 15 years old, first saw the possibility of building a business around his pastime in December 2009, when Colorado legalized medical marijuana. He decided to move to Denver when Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize recreational marijuana use. (Weed sales didnt begin until 2014 in either state.)

Legal cannabis is now a $6 billion industry in the U.S., and analysts expect it to be worth $50 billion by 2026. Pot legalization in Colorado has increased the amount of money coming into state coffers, legal pot opponent and former Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter acknowledged in an interview with Yahoo Finance. Still, Ritter believes the state Legislature  rather than the voters  should have decided whether to legalize pot.

Story continues

We did this through our constitution. We didnt write a piece of legislation that could really deal with all the issues. It was passed by the voters in the constitution. It was like using a blunt force instrument to try and do this when we should have been using surgical instruments, he said.

Ritter isnt alone in opposing marijuana legalization. Just over 53 percent of Coloradans voted in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana, which mirrors the countrys divide overall. Only 49 percent support nationwide legalizing recreational marijuana, according to an exclusive Yahoo News/Marist Poll, Weed & the American Family.

Moreover, most people dont see weed as a worthwhile venture despite the economic opportunities: 72 percent of Americans would not be likely to invest in the marijuana business, according to the same Yahoo News/Marist Poll.

A controversial cash cow

Despite its divisive nature, pot has been lucrative for Eymer. Originally from south Florida, he moved to Colorado to help start and manage dispensaries around Denver. After a couple of failed ventures, he decided to forgo that business amid a glut of competitors. Dispensaries line Denvers streets, and there are 459 retail marijuana stores across Colorado. Thats more than the total number of Starbucks stores in the state.

He decided to build an experiential tour company instead. Anyone could seek out dispensaries on their own, but not everyone could facilitate a decked-out party bus that hit the streets of Denver. Colorado Cannabis Tours is one of a handful of companies that have built their businesses around weed tourism without selling the drug itself.

Because federal law prohibits banks and credit unions from taking marijuana money, the overwhelming majority of dispensaries operate only with cash. CCT has a massive advantage over other pot-related ventures, though. As an ancillary business, its found banks and merchant-service providers to work with and accepts credit card payments.

All aboard the cannabis tour bus

Yahoo Finance joined a 30-person tour with a wide range of attendees, hailing from all over the U.S. and representing different ethnic and age groups.

The youngest participants were three Hispanic 23-year-olds from Chicago. The oldest was a Caucasian grandmother from New York City, whose nephew took her on this trip to commemorate her 69th birthday.

Sherri Doll, a 50-year-old visiting from Dallas, Texas, came to Denver with her best friend to see the city from a weed-friendly perspective.

We are on a bus in Denver, Colorado, being chauffeured to smoke pot. Thats unbelievable. Younger, in my early teens, we wanted to smoke weed and were too afraid because every time you turned around, the police was pulling you over, she said in disbelief.

She said she would definitely return with her adult kids: I would come back. I would want them to experience the good, the bad and the ugly.

Members have to be at least 21 to get on the bus, but Eymer says he has made a few exceptions for those who are over 18 if they have a medical marijuana card.

The tour itself costs $99, and it makes three stops. The first stop is Medicine Man, aka the Walmart of Weed (appropriately so, given its the largest dispensary in Colorado). Tourists there learn how to grow marijuana indoors, and they are shown the nutrients needed to produce a healthy plant. Next, they stop at a dispensary called River Rock. Finally, they stop at Glasscraft and see a glassblower make a pipe.

A tour guide accompanies the crowd, and his primary role is to pass around a bong and keep guests happy and hydrated (especially given Colorados mile high altitude).

The tour begins at noon and ends, fittingly, at 4:20 pm.

Entrepreneur  and a family man

Now, with 30 employees, CCT has evolved to offer much more than its namesake tours.

Eymer and his business partner Heidi Keyes, a visual artist, offer Puff Pass and Paint, a cannabis-friendly painting class, and an edible-making demo called Cooking with Cannabis, taught by a Culinary Institute of the Arts-trained chef who teaches people how to infuse coconut oil with cannabinoids. Eymer and Keyes are planning to expand to California, Nevada, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., starting in January 2018.

Mike Eymer with his family (Source: Mike Eymer)

As his business enjoys continued success, Eymer hopes to chip away at the stigma surrounding cannabis and its users.

I want to show that [my customers] are just normal people. This is just a plant they enjoy consuming. And when non-cannabis users can realize that  by seeing them and by them not being hidden  then perhaps once the stigma is completely dropped, well see the laws dropped, too. And hopefully, 10 years from now, a company like mine wont even be necessary.

As CCT continues to grow, Eymer has found it increasingly difficult to operate the business out of his home, especially as the single father of a 5-year-old daughter. Despite his current entrepreneurial success, he says that being her father is the most important thing in my life  far beyond my business.

For now, hes been able to avoid talking to her about marijuana entirely. But he anticipates the conversation will change imminently.

I havent had any [conversations] yet. I havent needed to have any yet. When your child is that young, theyre still in a bit of a bubble. Shell leave that bubble in the next few years.

So what does his daughter think he does for a living?

Im a travel agent, he said. She just thinks of cannabis as a plant.

_____

Read more from the Yahoo Weed & the American Family series:
The Richmond school system is investigating an altercation involving three students at Thomas Jefferson High School and a Taser on Monday morning, according to a spokeswoman.

A Taser was allegedly smuggled past the schools metal detectors by a student, who then used it on another student, according to Kenita D. Bowers, director of communications and media relations from the school system.

Bowers said she couldnt release any other details because of student privacy, but released the following statement:

School administrators are currently investigating this incident and appropriate disciplinary action is being taken. As part of this investigation, the RPS Office of Safety and Security is also reviewing the safety procedures that are currently in place at the school to ensure that this remains an isolated incident.

Based upon preliminary findings of the investigation, immediate steps are being taken to resolve a breakdown in compliance with the school divisions standard operating procedures for safety and security, and appropriate personnel action is being taken in accordance with the school divisions human resources policies.

Safety is a top priority, the statement adds.
MONDAY

The Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the agencys headquarters, 901 Chamberlayne Parkway.

The Richmond School Board will meet at 6 p.m. in the community room, number 250, at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, 700 E. Jackson St.

The Prince George County School Board will meet at 6:30 p.m., 6602 Courts Drive.

TUESDAY

The Dinwiddie County Board of Supervisors will meet at 3 p.m., 14016 Boydton Plank Road.

The Chesterfield County Planning Commission will meet at 6 p.m., 10001 Iron Bridge Road.

The Colonial Heights City Council will meet at 6 p.m., 201 James Ave.

The Petersburg City Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. in the citys General District Court building, 35 E. Tabb St.

The Ashland Town Council will meet at 7 p.m. at Ashland Town Hall, 101 Thompson St.

WEDNESDAY

The Dinwiddie County School Board will meet at 4 p.m., 14016 Boydton Plank Road.

The Chesterfield County School Board will meet at 6:30 p.m., 10001 Iron Bridge Road.

THURSDAY
Europe has become an important source of growth for S&P 500 (^GSPC) companies, which generate around 30% of revenue outside of the US. This is surprising for some.

The headlines coming out of Europe in recent months have often reflected instability in the continent. From Brexit to the French elections to the Turkish referendum, youd think all of this uncertainty would be bad news for growth.

But relative to the US, growth in Europe is looking rather robust.

Outside the New York Stock Exchange

The Euro area has made an important contribution to global growth with GDP projected to expand 2.25% in 1Q and 2.5% this quarter, JPMorgans Bruce Kasman wrote on Friday. This compares to JPMs forecast for around 1% growth in the US in the first quarter.

As you can see in the chart below, economic data has been surprising to the upside, with Europe in the lead.

Europe has led the upside economic surprises.

RBC Capital Markets Jonathan Golub noted that businesses in Europe have more exposure to customers in higher growth regions, and thus should see stronger growth in their earnings per share (EPS).

EPS in Europe are forecast to top those in the U.S for 1Q and full-year 2017, Golub wrote. Within the S&P 500, more export-driven companies are expected to out-earn their more domestically oriented peers.

Businesses in Europe are benefiting from both higher revenue growth and fatter profit margins. US companies are getting a better EPS tailwind from share buybacks, however EPS growth is still much higher in Europe.

Europe is looking a lot stronger than the US.

Higher nominal GDP outside the U.S. is benefiting European firms and U.S. export-oriented names, Golub said.

FactSet analysts also highlighted the importance of overseas exposure in a research note on Thursday.

The earnings growth rate for the S&P 500 for Q1 2017 is 9.2%., FactSets John Butters noted. For companies that generate more than 50% of sales inside the U.S., the earnings growth rate is 6.0%. For companies that generate less than 50% of sales inside the U.S., the earnings growth rate is 15.7%.

Story continues

Source: FactSet

This week comes with a wave of earnings announcements, with Netflix, Johnson & Johnson, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Verizon and General Electric among names announcing Q1 results.



Sam Ro is managing editor at Yahoo Finance.

Read more:
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
A developer has proposed building 200 single-family homes on two neighboring properties off U.S. 221 in between Goode and Forest.

Thomas Bell, of Thomas Builders of Virginia, has requested the rezoning of more than 180 acres adjacent to Gladden Circle and Everett Road from agricultural residential to low-density residential.

This is the second significant residential development Bell has sought permission to build in the county in recent months. In March, the Bedford County Planning Commission recommended approval for Bells plans to develop more than 400 townhomes, apartments and houses in Forest off U.S. 221, about two miles east of Gladden Circle.

The planning commission will hold a public hearing on the single-family development Tuesday; its recommendation then will be submitted to the Bedford County Board of Supervisors.

The homes would be located on 188 acres off U.S. 221, according to Bells application to the county. The development would have two access points onto Forest and Everett roads.

A traffic analysis projected minimal impact at nearby intersections, but recommended both an eastbound and westbound turn lane into the site from the proposed U.S. 221 entrance and an eastbound turn lane at the Gladden Circle and U.S. 221 intersection.

Planner Jordan Mitchell said the Virginia Department of Transportation has approved a traffic plan for the proposed project. Staff of the Bedford County Planning Department recommended approval of the development to the planning commission.

The developers application closely resembles existing development patterns of the surrounding area, documents read.

According to planning documents, the surrounding properties in the area have agricultural, residential and commercial uses as well as churches. Some of the properties nearby are undeveloped. The Trivium and West Manor Estate are nearby.

Both the single-family development and the one proposed at Perrowville Road are in the Forest school zone.

Bedford County Community Development Director Gregg Zody said though staff has recommended approval for the single-family homes project, he still has concerns regarding traffic.

Clearly we have issues with the roads on [U.S.] 221 and Everett, he said. Theres a lot of traffic on those roads and [they] are already well traveled.

He said the crux of the dilemma is the future land use map recommends residential zoning in that area, and the zoning ordinance supports a residential district, but the planning department now is challenged in tackling the pace of growth in the Forest area.

He also expressed concern with how the schools might handle the possibility of 200 more children, which the single-family homes development is expected to attract.

Typically youll have at least one child in each single-family home, so that will have an impact on the schools, he said. You could have at least 200 children entering that district, and we have to plan for that.

According to planning documents, Mac Duis, chief operating officer for Bedford County Public Schools, said when not considering new developments, school enrollment is projected to remain steady in the Forest zone during the next several years.

Jefferson Forest High School is projected to remain below capacity with some room to grow, but Forest Middle and Forest Elementary schools currently are at or over capacity, a trend he doesnt see changing.

Within the past three years, the schools have redrawn the elementary school district lines to relieve Forest Elementarys enrollment, and as a result, more neighborhoods have shifted to the Thomas Jefferson and Boonsboro elementary school zones.

Increases in enrollment would likely require the BCPS to redistrict students into other zones or add classroom space through building additions, he said in the documents.

Moving forward, Zody said the planning department needs to evaluate how it promotes development and how it addresses the cost of the impacts of those developments on taxpayers.

How do we assess the impact of fire and rescue, law enforcement, schools, water and sewer and schools? Zody said. Every development we approve, its going to have a direct impact on that.
The Virginia Department of Forestry is offering up to $2,000 for information about a possible act of arson behind a Rockbridge County brush fire that has burned nearly 3,000 acres in the span of a week.

State Forester Bettina Ring authorized the reward for anyone who provides information that leads to a conviction in connection with the Goshen Pass fire, according to a news release.

The brush fire, which started April 10, has been difficult to extinguish because of high winds and relatively low humidity.

A Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries conservation police officer said last week that the department is investigating the fire as a possible arson.

Woods arson is a felony in Virginia and carries a sentence of up to five years in prison, according to the news release. Those convicted could also be required to pay a fine of $2,500 and be liable for the cost of suppressing the fire.

By the end of the day Monday, the fire was 95 percent contained, according to the release.

The fire is on a 30,000-acre wildlife management area thats owned by DGIF. No homes or structures are threatened at this time.

Last week, Virginia 39 was briefly closed in the area due to the nearby firefighting activities.

It has since reopened, but numerous forest roads and trails remain closed, including Bratton Mountain Road, Guy Run and Laurel Run. Smoke may also reduce visibility for drivers going through the area.

Anyone with information about the Goshen Pass brush fire can call (800) 237-5712 or email wildcrime@dgif.virginia.gov. Tips can be anonymous. Investigators ask anyone who observes possible cases of woods arson to call. Callers should note the location and time of the fire, the description of any people seen in the area, a description of any vehicles or ATVs in the area and any other details that might help law enforcement.
CHICAGO (AP)  President Donald Trump says "someone should look into who paid" for the rallies around the country Saturday that urged him to release his tax returns.

Trump tweeted Sunday: "I did what was an almost an impossible thing to do for a Republican-easily won the Electoral College! Now Tax Returns are brought up again?"

Trump was the first major-party nominee in more than 40 years not to release his returns and he reneged on a campaign commitment to release them. He said they were being audited.

"Someone should look into who paid for the small organized rallies yesterday. The election is over," he tweeted.

Thousands of sign-waving, chanting protesters marched Saturday through streets across America, demanding that the president release his tax returns so the public can examine his business ties and determine whether he has links to foreign powers.

The demonstrations came on the date taxpayers traditionally have to file their returns by and just days before this year's filing deadline Tuesday. The tax day protests in more than a dozen cities were largely peaceful, though occasionally demonstrators and some pro-Trump groups taunted each other in face-to-face exchanges.

In Berkeley, California, police arrested at least 20 people at unrelated gatherings of about 200 pro- and anti-Trump people in a park after fist fighting erupted. Officers confiscated knives and makeshift weapons.

Trump has said that voters don't care about his tax returns.

But many demonstrators said they hoped Saturday's marches would convince Trump otherwise.

"We do care. We want to see his taxes," said Ann Demerlis, who was among hundreds who marched in Philadelphia from City Hall to an area in front of historic Independence Hall, carrying signs and chanting "We want your taxes now!"

Seventy-one-year-old Ilene Singh said he's wrong. She rode a bus from New Jersey to New York City with her friend Geraldine Markowitz, 83, to take part in the protests. "We're here to say we care," said Singh.

Story continues

Pushing her walker, Karin Arlin, 85, a Holocaust survivor who came to the U.S. from Germany when she was 9, said she's also worried about the direction of the country.

"You don't know which way the country goes," said Arlin next to her 89-year-old husband who fled Czechoslovakia during World War II. "I hope Republicans see it."

Protesters in Raleigh, North Carolina, said they suspect that Trump's returns might show he has paid little or nothing to the government he now heads, or that he was indebted to Russian, Chinese or other foreign interests.

"His reputation ... as a businessman and, more importantly, as a true American, a person who is concerned with American values, would be totally destroyed if all his financial information was made public," said Mike Mannshardt, a retired teacher.

One of Trump's sharpest critics in the House spoke to protesters at the U.S. Capitol just before they set off on a march to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, of California, said there's nothing to prevent Trump from releasing his income taxes.

"If he thinks he can get away with playing king, he's got another thought coming," Waters said.

Trump's break with precedent has raised questions about possible conflicts of interest.

Democrats are pushing for a vote on a bill from Rep. Anna Eshoo, a Democrat from California, which would require the president and all major-party nominees to publicly disclose their previous three years of tax returns with the Office of Government Ethics or the Federal Election Commission.

Republicans also have rebuffed Democrats' efforts to get the House Ways and Means Committee to act. It has legal authority to obtain confidential tax records, and could vote to make them public.
Ivan Teleguz will be put to death April 25. You are literally his last chance. The Commonwealth of Virginia found him guilty of "murder for hire" based on the testimony of three witnesses. Two of the prosecution's witnesses have now admitted they lied under oath and have since submitted sworn written statements that Ivan had nothing to do with the death of Stephanie Sipe. The third witness, the gunman, struck a deal with the prosecution to save his own life and is serving a life sentence. To change his testimony now could possibly put him in danger of the death penalty.

Governor, I understand that you come out of the Christian tradition of those who follow that nonviolent, merciful Jesus. Of course, not everyone agrees with that and you have to represent all of the people. I also understand that your specific religious tradition is Catholic. Despite the fact that the Catholic Church has given clear statements in opposition to the death penalty, you obviously can't favor your own specific tradition because of the diversity of thought and beliefs throughout our state. But there is one thing that every single religious tradition and every unbeliever and every atheist and all of us agree on... Justice. Give Ivan Teleguz clemency. You will be able to sleep better...we all will.
OHIO

Man livestreamed homicide on Facebook

CLEVELAND  A manhunt was underway Sunday for a suspect who police say killed a man on the street earlier in the day while streaming it live on Facebook.

Law enforcement were searching the Cleveland area and beyond for Steve Stephens, the suspect police say walked up to an elderly man and shot him while on video, said Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams.

The victim was identified as 74-year-old Robert Goodwin Sr.

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson publicly urged Stephens to turn himself in to police and not to do anymore harm to anybody.

Any problems he is having, we can have a conversation, Jackson said.

In the video, Stephens said he snapped over a woman and claimed to have killed more than a dozen other people. Williams said police have not verified that information.

There are no more victims that we know are tied to him, he added.

FLORIDA

Trump attends Easter service in Palm Beach

PALM BEACH, Fla.  President Donald Trump attended Easter service at the Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea near his estate in Palm Beach, Florida on Sunday  an annual ritual that provided a break from a host of foreign policy crises, including escalating tensions with North Korea.

The president attended the service with his wife, Melania, his two younger children, Barron and Tiffany, and the first ladys parents. Its the same church where he and the first lady were married in 2005.

The president had yet to attend a church service in the nations capital since his inauguration weekend back in January. The church attendance of past presidents has been a topic of intense interest in Washington.

MEXICO

Fugitive ex-governor moved to Guatemala

GUATEMALA CITY  A former governor who had become a symbol of government corruption in Mexico was transferred to a Guatemalan military prison on Sunday hours after being captured in a hotel following six months on the lam.

Ex-Veracruz state Gov. Javier Duarte looked pale and visibly tired as he was brought to the military base in Guatemalas capital guarded by two dozen police officers. Prosecutors in Mexico directed the Foreign Relations Department to request his extradition to his homeland, where he is wanted on suspicion of money laundering and organized crime.

Duarte, 43, captured Saturday in Panajachel, a picturesque tourist town on Lake Atitlan in Guatemalas highlands, with the cooperation of that countrys police and Interpol office, a statement from Mexicos federal Attorney Generals Office said.

Duarte is accused of running a corruption ring that allegedly pilfered millions of dollars from Veracruzs coffers. State officials say schools, hospitals and other public institutions were stripped of resources under Duartes government and that of his predecessor.

CALIFORNIA

2 critically injured in motel explosion

SAN JOSE, Calif.  Fire officials in Northern California say two people were critically injured in an explosion inside a motel room thats being investigated as a crime scene.

The Mercury News repored the explosion Sunday at the Casa Linda Motel in San Jose badly damaged one room.

San Jose Fire Capt. Mike Van Elgort says fire investigators consider the explosion suspicious.
Business News Forex Dollar At 5 Month Low Vs Yen On Increasing North Korea Tensions | RobinsPost News & Noticias

The dollar index =USD was little changed after falling 0.5% in the previous ... action" against excessive currency volatility. Last month, Japan intervened to buy yen for the first time since ... Read More The dollar loomed large over fragile financial markets on Tuesday, with worries about rising interest rates, global growth and geopolitical tensions unsettling investors, while the yen was testing ... Read More The yen may weaken even further to 170 levels against the U.S. dollar next year, according to Japan's former vice minister of finance for international affairs. Read More The yen fell to a 32-year low against the dollar in New York on Oct. 13, prompting expectations among investors of another intervention by Japan to prop up its currency. At one point, the dollar ... Read More The dollar rose on Thursday, after earlier falling to a one-month low in choppy trading ahead of an expected rate hike from the European Central Bank (ECB). Meanwhile, the yen gained some footing ... Read More LONDON, Oct 11 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar edged back ... rates and geopolitical tensions unsettled investors, while the yen hovered near the level that prompted last month's intervention. Read More Its central bank spent $121.7 billion (9.4%) of its reserve, but this intervention seems to have failed to arrest the yen ... forex reserve and witnessed a 5.5% appreciation of the American dollar ... Read More TOKYO - Currency traders braced themselves for possible intervention to support the yen on Monday after it touched a 32-year low and neared the key psychological 150 per US dollar level. Read More TOKYO -- The Japanese yen dropped to a 32-year low on Thursday as the country's ... The yen was briefly trading at around 147.65 against the dollar, crossing the 147.64 mark it recorded in 1998 ... Read More 20 (UPI) --The Japanese yen on Thursday weakened to its lowest point since August 1990 against the U.S. dollar to ... according to Kyodo News. "I don't comment on specific currency levels." ... Read More The dollar index was little changed after falling 0.5 per cent in the previous ... action" against excessive currency volatility. Last month, Japan intervened to buy yen for the first time since ... Read More
Business News Why South Africa S Political And Economic Remains A Very Specific Story Instead Of A Global One | RobinsPost News & Noticias

The laundry list of challenges confronting South Africa is a massive headache for Cyril Ramaphosa heading into governing-party elections in December and a national vote in 2024. Since taking over as ... Read More The presidency said the aim of the meeting was to afford Ramaphosa an opportunity to share with the leadership of the Association his views on South Africas dynamic political, economic and ... Read More South Africa is one of the biggest producers ... international inflows into the economy. These inflows to the country are based on South Africas political stability, credible judiciary system ... Read More Sustained business growth is crucial for expanding any economy ... This is an imperative of South Africa, given the countrys history, and one which Nedbank Commercial Banking maintains is ... Read More Oct 12 (Reuters) - South Africas leading business groups on Wednesday warned that the ongoing strike at logistics utility Transnet would significantly impact Africas most advanced economy. Read More The UKs Conservative ... Bheki Mngomezulu, a political analyst from the University of Western Cape, said that due to bilateral and economic ties with the UK, South Africa should be concerned ... Read More BusinessTech is the largest and most influential business news website in South Africa, and has a powerful audience. Digital marketing provides South African companies with the best return on ... Read More The buckling of South Africas local economy under the pressure of severe load shedding and global headwinds has ... The local economy remains woefully unable to gain synchronised momentum ... Read More About half of South Africas assassinations are linked to the taxi business ... in public procurement. One group was even called the Federation for Radical Economic Transformation. Read More Read more summary Africas influence on issues of global importance remains far too narrow ... The IMFs latest economic outlook for Africa shows that the region faces uncertainty. Read More We must accept that technology will change things, but I fear this cashless world will kill our income, Nhassavele told the Thomson Reuters Foundation as a customer dropped a one ... s strategy and ... Read More South Korea or the Republic of Korea has achieved what the World Bank describes as remarkable success in combining rapid economic growth with significant poverty reduction. That country's ... Read More
Business News Nebraska Company Acquires Sacramento S River City Building Supply | RobinsPost News & Noticias

BELOITABC Supply Co. Inc. has acquired the United States distribution business of Kaycan ... products along with other complementary building products and accessories. Read More As hard as it might be to believe, projects with planned completion in 2023 are just around the corner from being done. Several projects in and around the Sacramento urban core are on that precipice, ... Read More The new building would stand at Riverfront and Mill streets, along the Sacramento River and next ... the neighborhoods population in a few years. The district has city approval for roughly ... Read More Nebraska is among 11 states getting $1 billion in funding under the State Small Business Credit Initiative, the U.S. Treasury Department ... Janet Yellen said in a news release. Read More Mutual didn't set out to build the city's tallest building ... to help the company pay for the project. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first ... Read More SACRAMENTO -- For two downtown Sacramento property owners, large boulders placed along the perimeter of their X Street building ... business could be at one time be described as a small city ... Read More bringing business owners new hope. Ron Hills was one of the thousands of season ticket holders making the trek to downtown Sacramento. "As we were coming in, though, you could see there's not as ... Read More Thats how he remembers the early days of the pandemic. His company ... concern for small-business owners. With no end in sight to delays and backlogs, building domestic supply chains from ... Read More Neon is once again shining from downtowns City Market Building after a long-hoped-for ... was done by Roanoke-based Kinsey Neon & Sign Co. The reaction to the relit signs has been immense ... Read More Broken stock, or broken company? That's the question that every investor ... Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis. Read More What is the all-time rainfall record in Sacramento Sacramentos record for the most amount of rain in a 24-hour period was set starting at 1 a.m. on Oct. 24, 2021, when the city had 5.44 inches ... Read More --(BUSINESS ... (RPM) company, has acquired Florida-based MassCare, a provider of Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) and Chronic Care Management (CCM) services. Moving to Verustat's software platform ... Read More
Business News Why South Africa S Political And Economic Remains A Very Specific Story Instead Of A Global One | RobinsPost News & Noticias

The laundry list of challenges confronting South Africa is a massive headache for Cyril Ramaphosa heading into governing-party elections in December and a national vote in 2024. Since taking over as ... Read More South Africa can build a more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable economy while simultaneously responding to climate change, says the World Banks ... Read More Sustained business growth is crucial for expanding any economy ... This is an imperative of South Africa, given the countrys history, and one which Nedbank Commercial Banking maintains is ... Read More BusinessTech is the largest and most influential business news website in South Africa, and has a powerful audience. Digital marketing provides South African companies with the best return on ... Read More South Africa is one of the biggest producers ... international inflows into the economy. These inflows to the country are based on South Africas political stability, credible judiciary system ... Read More The UKs Conservative ... Bheki Mngomezulu, a political analyst from the University of Western Cape, said that due to bilateral and economic ties with the UK, South Africa should be concerned ... Read More Africa Business Weekly on CNBC Africa brings you the most impactful business stories across sub-Saharan Africa every week. From the capital markets to economic news affecting the regions from East ... Read More The buckling of South Africas local economy under the pressure of severe load shedding and global headwinds has ... The local economy remains woefully unable to gain synchronised momentum ... Read More About half of South Africas assassinations are linked to the taxi business ... in public procurement. One group was even called the Federation for Radical Economic Transformation. Read More Oct 12 (Reuters) - South Africas leading business groups on Wednesday warned that the ongoing strike at logistics utility Transnet would significantly impact Africas most advanced economy. Read More We must accept that technology will change things, but I fear this cashless world will kill our income, Nhassavele told the Thomson Reuters Foundation as a customer dropped a one ... s strategy and ... Read More Read more summary Africas influence on issues of global importance remains far too narrow ... The IMFs latest economic outlook for Africa shows that the region faces uncertainty. Read More
Consumer News Texas Landowners Facing Pipelines And Border Walls Push For Eminent Domain Reform | RobinsPost News & Noticias

Most of Texas ... from using eminent domain powers to seize land for the wall, thanks to an amendment to the states multi-billion-dollar border security funding bill passed in 2021. That means the ... Read More The Texas Facilities Commission continues negotiating with private landowners for the rights to build segments of a state-funded border wall ... ve really loaded that pipeline now, and we ... Read More Editors' Blog / Analysis & Opinion News Live ... TPM HIDALGO, Texas (AP)  As President Donald Trump travels to the border in Texas to make the case for his $5.7 billion wall, landowner Eloisa ... Read More Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) LLC last week filed a voluntary dismissal of eminent domain proceedings in ... cooperatively and in good faith with landowners and communities along the pipeline ... Read More He dodges the question by going on about other things. Eminent domain should be used by the government, not private pipeline companies. -- Jule Karrer, Lawton, Iowa Opinions expressed in the Mini ... Read More Greg Abbott, kicking off a rally in the Texas border city of Harlingen ... immigration has virtually no impact on their lives." "Wall Street bankers don't have to worry about a poor Central ... Read More A Woodbury County landowner has been successful ... in a longer-term battle to prevent the use of eminent domain to build the carbon dioxide pipeline. I am elated, just absolutely elated ... Read More Equitrans and its partners withdrew the 77 N.C. eminent domain suits in the ... greatly exaggerated. The pipeline has secured easements from 80% of the landowners along the Southgate route ... Read More
Politics News How Oregon Predicted Trump S Partisan Politics More Than A Decade Ago | RobinsPost News & Noticias

A toss-up in one congressional district and a closer-than-expected race in another have Democrats battling to maintain their advantage in Oregon as Republicans seek to capitalize on concerns about inf ... Read More President Biden warned "democracy is on the ballot this year" as midterm elections are just five days away. Follow Newsweek for the latest. Read More Closely fought contests across the country will determine the balance of power in Congress, state legislatures and governorships. Follow along as our reporters provide updates from across the country. Read More The Nov. 8 general election is less than one week away. Follow our live coverage to get the latest news on the 2022 midterm elections. Read More A new study from the Republican-leaning Heritage Foundation shows high murder rates in Democrat-led cities. The Heritage Foundation found that 27 of the top 30 cities with the highest murder rate are ... Read More
Elizabeth Holmes Theranos

Theranos will have to wait until 2019 before it can operate a blood testing lab again.

On Monday, Theranos said that it had settled up with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the government agency responsible for regulating blood-testing labs.

As part of the settlement, Theranos has to pay $30,000, and the company won't be able to own or operate a clinical lab within the next two years. In return, the CMS is no longer revoking Theranos's CLIA certification, which is needed to run a blood-testing lab.

"The Company looks forward to working with regulatory authorities to secure approval for these innovative technologies," Theranos said in a news release.

In January, The Wall Street Journal reported that Theranos had failed a CMS inspection of its Arizona lab, just a few days before Theranos decided to shut down all of its clinical labs on October 5. A year earlier, Theranos's Northern California lab also failed a lab inspection.

In October, Theranos pivoted to focus solely on developing its technology instead of simultaneously operating clinical laboratories. The end goal? Getting its miniLab machine (which only requires a small amount of blood to function) in places that have difficulties sending full blood samples to a traditional, full-blown clinical lab operation.

The technology debuted in August as part of Theranos' attempt to be what CEO Elizabeth Holmes called a "decentralized" lab, meaning the test could be processed without needing to be shipped back to a brick-and-mortar lab.

Theranos' saga came into the spotlight in October 2015 after The Wall Street Journal published an investigation that questioned the accuracy of Theranos' blood test.

The company still faces lawsuits from investors, patients, and its once partner Walgreens, which ended its relationship with Theranos in June 2016 and is accusing Theranos of breaching its contract. Theranos has said it will "respond vigorously to Walgreens unfounded allegations."

Story continues

NOW WATCH: These are the only vitamins you should be taking  and the ones you should skip





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Potus News Trump Says China Working With Us On North Korean Issue | RobinsPost News & Noticias

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Technology News Why China Is Beating The U S At Innovation | RobinsPost News & Noticias

One last reason why developing countries might have swayed from the U.S. towards China and Russia are conflicting values: as the U.S. and Western nations have embraced more progressive values in ... Read More Investors can take a look at active ETFs in emerging markets to target innovative companies and sectors primed to thrive despite inflationary headwinds. In the recent webcast, Be Active: Beating ... Read More Investors can take a look at active ETFs in emerging markets to target innovative companies and sectors primed to thrive despite inflationary headwinds. In the recent webcast, Be Active: Beating ... Read More Harsh lockdowns are a fact of life in zero-covid China. One in September in Chengdu ... To stay on top of the biggest stories in business and technology, sign up to the Bottom Line, our ... Read More For those in China hoping for a reprieve from the unpredictability ... Another criticized the likes of Japan and the United States for deciding to "lie flat," a euphemism for giving up. Read More ACM Research (ACMR) stock is taking a beating on Monday after the U.S. placed restrictions on exports of certain chip technology.More From InvestorPlace Buy This $5 Stock BEFORE This Apple Project ... Read More Since the early days of the internet, Silicon Valley has been the epicenter of tech innovation ... United States has been very slow to adapt to the rise of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. Read More National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). (2022, October 24). To break new ground with frequency combs, an innovation plays with the beat: Breakthrough could help Nobel-winning tech ... Read More Exports, a major driver of China's growth, beat expectations with an increase of 5.7% in U.S.-dollar terms in September. Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast a 4.1% increase. However ... Read More Welcome to The National Beat powered by American Inno, a weekly look at the startup fundings, profiles, analysis and other news you need ... and driving the U.S. innovation economy. Read More Welcome to The National Beat powered by American Inno, a weekly look at the startup fundings, profiles, analysis and other news you need to know from 40+ cities across the U.S. Want more stories ... Read More
Travel News Wv Travel Team Exploring Mother Nature S Wonders In West Virginia | RobinsPost News & Noticias

LOGAN COUNTY, WV (WOWK)-A man is in custody after a deadly shooting in Logan County, West Virginia ... of his mother-in-law, 42-year-old Lamanda Lynn Vance. For the latest news, weather, sports ... Read More Nationally-Recognized, Quality Local Journalism.. Click here to stay informed and subscribe to the Mountain States Trusted News Source. Click #isupportlocal for more information on supporting our ... Read More you could try betting on which team will eventually win the NBA title, or which player will become MVP of the season. Here are some of the betting markets that you could wager on in West Virginia ... Read More If you look at it, some of our founding members were involved with the forming of the state of West Virginia, the state Constitution, former attorneys who went on to prominent roles in the ... Read More The good news is that West Virginias economy has regained all ... transportation and utilities, mining and natural resources, and financial activities are at or slightly above January 2020 ... Read More West Virginia State Police and the sheriffs office are investigating. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox ... Read More DELBARTON, W.Va. (AP)  The driver of a truck was killed Tuesday in a head-on collision with a school bus in southern West Virginia, police said. The accident happened around 7 a.m. on U.S ... Read More CHARLESTON  The following events happened on these dates in West Virginia history. To read more, go to e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia at www.wvencyclopedia.org. Oct. 16, 1859: John Brown ... Read More But the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Provision Drug Overdose Death Counts did hold one piece of positive news for West Virginia. We are one of only six states that showed ... Read More That makes it, I think, a little bit more difficult," Huggins told Fox News Digital in ... Joe Mazzulla, who played for West Virginia from 2006-2011, will be running the team for this season. Read More Editor's Note  Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel's weekly newsletter. Get news about destinations opening, inspiration for future adventures, plus the latest in aviation, food and ... Read More
Travel News Alaska Travel Industry Association Seeks Ad Agency | RobinsPost News & Noticias

Last week I manned a booth at a convention trade show in Sitka. The Alaska Travel Industry Associations end-of-season meetup offers insiders a sneak peek at some of the new travel options aroun ... Read More The Alaska Native Culture Guide debuted on Oct. 10  Indigenous Peoples Day  at the travel associations annual convention in Sitka. The guide includes information on cultural groups and ... Read More The Association Les 3 Vallees announces today the launch of a new online travel agency  Les 3 Vallees Travel - to provide consumers globally a simple and direct way to book vacations to the ... Read More Alaska Air Group's third-quarter corporate travel volume remained flat from the second quarter at about 75 percent to 80 percent recovered versus the same period in 2019, while revenue is ... Read More A company that helps advertisers streamline modern ad campaigns is moving further into the travel industry through a new partnership. Clinch, headquartered in New York City, said this week that it ... Read More Chadwick replaces interim president Stewart Alvarez, who will support Travel Tech in an advisory role. Chadwick was previously vice president of industry relations at the XR Association. Read More VA --News Direct-- Travel Tech The Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech), the voice of the travel technology industry, announced today that following a comprehensive executive search ... Read More A new report indicates the travel industry in Asia-Pacific may be the only one in the world to recover by 2023. This year's "Travel & Tourism Economic Impact" report  an annual publication by ... Read More An estimated 1 billion snow crabs suddenly disappeared from the Bering Sea, according to CBS News. The collapse deals a heavy blow to Alaska's biggest crab industry, and could drive many fishers ... Read More Muir noted that while that final show was very successful, the then-emerging COVID-19 pandemic began impacting and ceasing the travel industry two months later. Then, another major change occurred. Read More
Us News Pause On Arkansas Executions Highlights National Trend | RobinsPost News & Noticias

But by 9:15 p.m., the US Supreme Court ruled that his execution could proceed ... according to NBC News. Miller had attempted to request nitrogen hypoxia as his method of death because he dislikes ... Read More An execution planned next month for an Arizona ... Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox ... Read More The Arizona Supreme Court is allowing the state to move forward with the execution for death row inmate Murray Hooper next month PHOENIX -- Arizona can move forward with the execution of death row ... Read More (AP)  A divided jury spared Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz the death penalty Thursday for killing ... yelled during a news conference after the decision was read. We need justice. ... Read More The stories of these execution survivors remind us of the ways that executions fail and also of the tortured logic courts have used to allow states a second chance when the first one doesnt ... Read More At one point, they left him hanging vertically on a gurney before state officials made the decision to call off the execution. Attorneys for 57-year-old Alan Eugene Miller wrote about his ... Read More The MarketWatch News Department ... Manufacturing Execution System Market Research Report is spread across 98 Pages and provides exclusive data, information, vital statistics, trends, and ... Read More PHOENIX (AP)  Arizona can move forward with the execution of death row inmate Murray Hooper next month, the states Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. The states high court granted the motion ... Read More A jury spared Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz from the death penalty Thursday for killing ... cousin of shooting victim Peter Wang, said at a news conference after the jurys decision ... Read More
An interior view of U.S. bitcoin mining company Bitfury's mining farm near Keflavik, Iceland, June 7, 2016. REUTERS/Jemima Kelly

By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Ukraine has partnered with global technology company the Bitfury Group to put a sweeping range of government data on a blockchain platform, the firm's chief executive officer told Reuters, in a project he described as probably the largest of its kind anywhere.

Bitfury, a blockchain company with offices in the United States and overseas, will provide the services to Ukraine, CEO Valery Vavilov said in an interview on Wednesday.

Ukraine's blockchain initiative underscores a growing trend among governments that have adopted the technology to increase efficiencies and improve transparency.

Blockchain is a ledger of transactions that first emerged as the software underpinning digital currency bitcoin. It has become a key global technology in both the public and private sector given its ability to permanently record and keep track of assets or transactions across all industries.

Ukraine and Bitfury signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday.

Though Vavilov said he was unable to estimate the cost of the project, he said it was by far the biggest government blockchain deal ever. It involves putting all of the Ukraine government's electronic data onto the blockchain platform.

"A secure government system built on the blockchain can secure billions of dollars in assets and make a significant social and economic impact globally by addressing the need for transparency and accountability," said Vavilov.

There are other countries that have started blockchain programs, but they are smaller in scope involving one or two sectors, such as land titles and real estate ownership. Countries that have launched blockchain programs include Sweden, Estonia, and Georgia.

"This agreement will result in an entirely new ecosystem for state projects based on blockchain technology in Ukraine," Oleksandr Ryzhenko, head of the State Agency for eGovernance of Ukraine, said in an emailed response to Reuters questions.

Story continues

"Our aim is clear and ambitious -- we want to make Ukraine one of the world's leading blockchain nations."

Ukraine's deal with Bitfury will begin with a pilot project to introduce blockchain into the country's digital platform. The areas being explored for the pilot project are state registers, public services, social security, public health, and energy, Vavilov said.

He expects the pilot scheme to launch late this year.

Once the pilot is complete, the blockchain program will expand into all areas, including cyber security.

This is Bitfury's second government blockchain project. In April last year, Bitfury signed an agreement with Georgia to pilot the first blockchain land-titling registry.

(Reporting by Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss; Editing by Tom Brown)
World News North Korea Puts Its Long Range Missiles On Parade In Massive Military Show | RobinsPost News & Noticias

South Korea dispatched its own warplanes in a show of force as the ... stopped testing nuclear and long-range missiles for a time. The North Korean military said on Friday that it conducted ... Read More South Korea launched at least three test missiles on Wednesday after North Korea fired off at least 17 missiles. The barrage of fire comes after NoKo threatened to use nuclear weapons. Read More North Korea launched four ballistic missiles into the sea, as the U.S sent two bombers over South Korea in a dueling display of military might that underscored rising tensions in the region. Read More SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  North Korea early Friday launched a short-range ballistic missile toward its ... of long-range cruise missiles that he said successfully demonstrated his military ... Read More SEOUL, South Korea  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised tests of long-range cruise missiles ... it may perceive its leadership as under threat. South Koreas military has since ... Read More SEOUL, South Korea ... long-range cruise missiles that he said successfully demonstrated his militarys expanding nuclear strike capabilities. North Korea said earlier this week that its ... Read More North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of two long-range strategic cruise missiles ... its military capabilities amid a prolonged stalemate in nuclear diplomacy. Last month, North ... Read More North Korea said Monday its recent missile tests were simulations of nuclear strikes on South Korean and U.S. targets in response to their dangerous military ... of Guam; long-range cruise ... Read More North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised tests of long-range ... weapons against South Korea and the United States if it perceives its leadership as under threat. For all latest news, follow ... Read More North Korea says leader Kim Jong Un has supervised tests of long-range cruise missiles ... where it may perceive its leadership as under threat. South Koreas military has since warned North ... Read More North Korea early on Friday (October 14) launched a short-range ballistic missile It fired missile toward its eastern waters and flew warplanes near the border with South Korea South Koreas ... Read More
World News Abu Sayyaf Captive Beheaded In Philippines Says Army | RobinsPost News & Noticias

At least 26 Abu Sayyaf Muslim gunmen and one soldier were killed Sunday while nine other government troops were wounded in fierce clashes in the southern Philippines, an army official said. Read More After negotiations, Thien was released on Nov 8 the same year but the Abu Sayyaf group beheaded Then on Nov ... arm during a fire fight with the Philippine army. Read More MANILA--A senior Abu Sayyaf operative and four members of the militant group believed to be behind the deadly bombing of a church in the southern Philippines ... via its Amaq news agency early ... Read More The mopping up of Islamic militants in Southeast Asia continues. Philippine authorities have arrested Adzhar Mawalil, an Abu Sayyaf gunman linked to the 2000 kidnapping of Western tourists from a ... Read More ZAMBOANGA CITY: An Abu Sayyaf terrorist allegedly working for the military was killed after he shot dead a government soldier and wounded two civilians at an army post in Sumisip town in Basilan. Nur ... Read More Three Abu Sayyaf fighters with links to foreign terrorists surrendered to the Philippine Navy in the southern province of Basilan. The Navy said the trio, known only by their aliases Abu Bero, Abu ... Read More Many militants belonging to Abu Sayyaf, which the United States and the Philippines have blacklisted ... been facing a trial for drug charges she says were fabricated by former President Rodrigo ... Read More Thien was released after negotiation on Nov 8, the same year but the Abu Sayyaf group beheaded Then on Nov ... arm during a fire fight with the Philippines army two years ago, had surrendered ... Read More ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga del Sur  A former Abu Sayyaf bandit who had surrendered to the military ran amok inside an Army detachment in Basilan on Tuesday afternoon, killing a soldier and two ... Read More We are appalled by reports that Burmas military regime arrested, publicly mutilated, and beheaded a schoolteacher ... and education personnel since the army takeover, the U.N. Child Rights ... Read More We are appalled by reports that Burmas military regime arrested, publicly mutilated, and beheaded a schoolteacher ... and education personnel since the army takeover, the U.N. Child Rights ... Read More
World News Tough Talk From Pence At Demilitarized Zone Separating North And South Korea | RobinsPost News & Noticias

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World News Iraq Fears That Isil Fighters Could Regroup In Kirkuk | RobinsPost News & Noticias

Iraqi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Rasoul on Monday announced that a major ISIL chieftain was arrested. Read More "The Islamic State has begun to regain its activity in an attempt to gather what remains of its members," Fadil Abu Ragheef, an Iraq-based expert on terrorist groups, told Fox News Digital. Read More The ISIL hideouts were located in northern Iraq's Diyala province ... The remaining elements of ISIL are still operating in areas of Baghdad, Saladin, Diyala, Kirkuk, Niveneh, and Al Anbar provinces. Read More and theres Taliban fighters in the same cell, terrorists. Now hes stuck in a prison with terrorists and hes had to join up with a gang for protection. Its terrifying and it could ha ... Read More The airport will start receiving flights as of Sunday, Imad Daham, an Iraqi adviser, told the state news agency INA ... complete the new airport in Kirkuk. Iraq currently has four ... Read More Iraq was home to some of the world's oldest cities and earliest civilizations, including the Babylonians, the Sumerians and the Assyrians. In around 700 BC, the Assyrian King Sennacherib made ... Read More Then, between 2014 and 2017, ISIL seized large parts of Iraq and neighbouring Syria and demolished pre-Islamic treasures with bulldozers, pickaxes and explosives. The armed groups fighters also ... Read More Exiled Kurdish forces in Iraq feel abandoned by west ... The smell of death rose from the rubble; two fighters remained unaccounted for and only heavy equipment could shift the enormous piles ... Read More There are fears the blackouts could last weeks. Ukrainian President  Volodymyr Zelensky said most Russian missiles and drones were shot down. In his nightly address he added: The geography ... Read More 14 (UPI) --Iraq's Parliament has elected ... that paints a grim picture concerning the world's fight to curb climbing temperatures. World News // 6 hours ago 35 adult migrants denied entry to ... Read More Iraq and Uruguay Deposit Crop Seeds at Arctic Doomsday Vault OSLO (Reuters) - A vault built on an Arctic island to preserve the world's crop seeds from war, disease and other catastrophes will ... Read More SULAIMANIYA, Iraq (Reuters) - Two people were injured in a car bombing in the northern Iraqi city of Sulaimaniya on Thursday, police and hospital sources said, a relatively rare attack in a major ... Read More
World News Park Geun Hye Ousted President Of South Korea Is Formally Indicted | RobinsPost News & Noticias

South Korea will grant a special pardon to former president Park Geun-hye, who is serving a lengthy ... She was impeached by lawmakers in December 2016, and formally removed in March 2017, after ... Read More The former South Korean president, Park Geun-hye, is to be granted a presidential pardon. She was convicted in 2018 for her part in a huge corruption scandal which involved major S Korean ... Read More Ousted president Park Geun-hye. South Korean court will hold a hearing on Thursday to decide whether to arrest ousted president Park Geun-hye and hold her in a cell for up to 20 days while she is ... Read More Park Geun-hye is the 11th President of South Korea and the first woman to lead ... and she was then ranked 11th on the Forbes list of the world's most powerful women. But a year after taking ... Read More South Korea ... world's tenth largest economy has become. Mr Yoon only entered politics last year and rose to prominence for successfully prosecuting the former conservative president Park Geun ... Read More In a speech on Tuesday, November 29, South Korean President Park Geun-hye announced her intent to ... according to the Korea Herald. While Park did not deliver her resignation immediately ... Read More U.S. President Barack Obama gestures as he speaks during a joint news conference with South Korean President Park Geun-hye at the Blue House, Friday, April 25, 2014, in Seoul, South Korea. Read More As if a plummeting approval rating wasnt enough, a new anti-Park Geun-hye faction is taking shape in South Koreas parliament. On Monday, Yoo Sung-min was elected floor leader of the ... Read More South Korean President ... "North Korea has been consistently developing and advancing nuclear weapons capabilities and is now threatening not only (South Korea) but the entire world, but I ... Read More Shocked family members collected bodies, parents searched for children and a country sought answers on Sunday after at least 153 people were crushed to death when a crowd in South Korea surged in an ... Read More Amid the continuing rise of military tensions on the Korean peninsula, South Korea's new president, Park Geun-hye, will make her first visit to the US since her inauguration in late February for a ... Read More
World News Pence Calls North Korea S Failed Missile Test A Provocation | RobinsPost News & Noticias

Ballistic missile launches from Pyongyang have raised new concerns among Western officials of a new nuclear weapons test  and an escalation toward war. Read More
World News 1 000 Migrants Rescued Off Libya S Coast | RobinsPost News & Noticias

Italy's new Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni vowed Tuesday to stop migrants crossing in boats from Africa, in her first speech to parliament since taking office at the weekend ... Read More Italy and Malta continue to refuse safe harbour to vessels carrying nearly 1,000 migrants rescued at sea. Three rescue boats run by civilian organisations have been waiting for more than a week off ... Read More Three charity boats carrying almost 1,000 rescued migrants on Wednesday urged Italian or Maltese authorities to welcome them into one of their ports, saying those onboard needed urgent assistance. Read More Almost 100 people, mostly from Haiti, who were rescued from an overcrowded boat off the Florida coast had no food or water for two days, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. A Coast Guard helicopter ... Read More Children rescued in the Mediterranean must be allowed to disembark in a safe port, charities said Saturday, as a stand-off with Italy over migrant ... Read More 98 Migrants Rescued ... who were rescued from an overcrowded boat off the Florida coast had no food or water for two days, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. A Coast Guard helicopter spotted ... Read More
World News At Least 5 Dead After Small Plane Crashes Into Supermarket In Portugal | RobinsPost News & Noticias

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP)  Six people, apparently including the German businessman behind Golds Gym, were feared dead Saturday after a small plane crashed into ... At least one other of ... Read More It said both crew members bailed out safely, but the plane crashed into ... After hours of combing through the charred debris, authorities said 14 people, including three children, were found dead. Read More were feared dead Saturday after a small plane crashed into the Caribbean just off the Costa Rican coast. All five passengers were believed to be German citizens, Security Minister Jorge Torres said. Read More A small passenger plane crashed Sunday morning into Lake Victoria on approach to an airport in Tanzania, and the country's prime minister says 19 people on board were killed. Prime Minister Kassim ... Read More Transport Minister Makame Mbarawa said the plane ran into "a sudden change of weather conditions" just before 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, according to CNN ... Read More Two men who were on board a small plane were killed when it crashed into a house in Miramar Monday ... to lose power at a low altitude. "Shortly after takeoff it potentially had an engine problem ... Read More At least four people have died and almost two dozen are injured after a Russian ... a military base when it crashed into the courtyard of the apartment complex. The plane crew ejected from the ... Read More A small plane crashed into an ... the aircraft they were traveling in crashed into the Pioneer Buick GMC dealership on Pike Street in Marietta shortly after 7:15 a.m. Authorities reported that ... Read More SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP)  Six people, apparently including the German businessman behind Gold's Gym, were feared dead Saturday after a small plane crashed into ... At least one other of ... Read More [WTVJ]  Two men who were on board a small plane were killed when it crashed into a house Monday in Miramar ... said. Shortly after takeoff, it potentially had an engine problem, and there ... Read More Six people, including the German businessman behind Gold's Gym, are feared dead after a small plane crashed into the Caribbean ... The plane's pilot was Swiss. At least one other of those aboard ... Read More
World News Pakistan Says Woman Detained In Isis Plot To Attack Church On Easter | RobinsPost News & Noticias

German police on Thursday arrested a woman accused of being the ringleader of a far-right anti-lockdown group that planned to kidnap the health minister. The plot was uncovered earlier this year ... Read More Shanti De Corte died in May after medics agreed she could be legally euthanised She was depressed and had PTSD after surviving terror attack in 2016 Her request to ... Read More Indonesian authorities detained ... shot dead a woman who had opened fire on officers at the national police headquarters in Jakarta last year in an attack inspired by the ISIS. Read More ABUJA, Nigeria (AP)  Gunmen attacked a church in north-central Nigeria during a service, killing a woman and her young ... the assailants in the latest attack in Kogi had specifically targeted ... Read More A Russian woman has been arrested after ... the whole world is praying for his death, the note read, according to reporting by the independent Russian news site Mediazona. Read More ALMOST EVERY IRANIAN WOMAN HAS AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIFE BEEN HARASSED OR ASSAULTED OR HUMILIATED OR, YOU KNOW, ARRESTED ... IS WHY NEVE SAYS IRAN NEEDS PEOPLE ACROSS THE WORLD TO KEEP SHARING ... Read More Islamabad [Pakistan], October 9 (ANI): A cleric of the proscribed Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) has asked his followers to attack Ahmadi pregnant women to "make sure that no new Ahmadis are ... Read More Sacramento police on Monday said they safely detained a woman after an hourslong standoff in the Oak Park area. Officers got a call about a shooting just before 4 p.m. in the 3900 block of 7th ... Read More The U.N. says 7 million women and children require immediate access to food. Pakistan wants the world community to scale up aid for flood survivors, now also threatened by waterborne diseases ... Read More Gunmen attacked a church in north central Nigeria during a service, killing a woman and her young daughter ... that the assailants in the latest attack in Kogi had specifically targeted the ... Read More Authorities in Indonesia have detained ... a woman who had opened fire on officers at the national police headquarters in Jakarta on March 31 last year in an attack inspired by the ISIL (ISIS ... Read More Authorities in Nigeria say a mother ... attacked a church during Sunday services ABUJA, Nigeria -- Gunmen attacked a church in north-central Nigeria during a service, killing a woman and her ... Read More
World News Inside The World S First All Female Special Forces Unit Norway S Jegertroppen | RobinsPost News & Noticias

Ninety miles east of Denver, Colorado, Inside Wire, the nation's first and only statewide ... be heard around the world thanks to Inside Wire, which is broadcast to all of Colorado's correctional ... Read More Are you interested in knowing the BEST SPECIAL FORCES IN THE WORLD? This article has compiled a list of the top 10 best-trained soldiers you should know. Read More World's Female Foreign Ministers to Meet on Iran ... the Iranian regime must end all forms of violence and persecution against the Iranian people, including their brutal aggressions against ... Read More Andy Altman is a producer covering all ... news producer, earning a local Emmy award and multiple Emmy nominations. Scientists in Northern California are putting finishing touches on the world's ... Read More Oct 20 (Reuters) - Canada's ... world is watching," she said. "We have a responsibility to help amplify the voices of women in Iran." Female foreign ministers from Germany, Chile, New Zealand and ... Read More Female foreign ministers across the world joined a virtual conference on ... No longer will they tolerate the regimes vision of women in society, she tweeted. As women foreign ... Read More The world's first geological tomb for nuclear waste is ... worldwide since the dawn of nuclear power in the 1950s. Sky News was given rare access to the site, called Onkalo, which means "cavity ... Read More dedicated to welcoming all women who love running, from the worlds top female athletes to fun runners and first-time marathon challengers. All finishers will receive an exclusively designed ... Read More Scientists believe they have discovered the worlds oldest complete star map. In fact, they say that the map is the first known map ... it would have all been transcribed in the fifth or sixth ... Read More 22 (UPI) --Giorgia Meloni, leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party, was sworn in by President Sergio Mattarella as Italy's first female premier ... temperatures. World News // 7 hours ... Read More Inside the nation's first and only statewide prison ... His voice can be heard around the world thanks to Inside Wire, which is broadcast to all of Colorado's correctional facilities and streamed ... Read More OTTAWA, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Many of the world's female foreign ministers will discuss ... the Iranian regime must end all forms of violence and persecution against the Iranian people, including ... Read More
World News Changing Trump Views Toward Russia China Worry Some Allies | RobinsPost News & Noticias

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World News Story Hawaii State Rep Looks To Update Contingency Plan In Case Of Nkorean Attack | RobinsPost News & Noticias

Voters in Hawaii's 2nd Congressional District will elect a new U.S. representative Tuesday after the incumbent, U.S. Rep. Kaiali'i ... Read More Hawaii Gov. David Ige speaks at a news conference at the Hawaii State ... in other states while they are in Hawaii temporarily. State Rep. Linda Ichiyama expressed concern about moves by other ... Read More Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your ... or their existing incumbent in the state legislature. Nobody knows our name., Hawaii State Representative Gene Ward (R) said. Read More The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol is set to dissolve no matter who wins Tuesdays midterm elections  but a GOP takeover of the House leaves a near zero ... Read More According to the Hawaii State Health Department ... the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news DOH reported almost half of the people with hepatitis C are unaware ... Read More the attack was focused on systems hosting the landing page for 15 Hawaii airport websites, including the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, according to a news release from the state ... Read More And we will not cooperate with any other state that tries to sanction medical professionals who provide abortions in Hawaii, Ige, a Democrat, said at a news conference. Ige is the latest ... Read More
Indias gold imports rose to $4.17 bn in March, which is expected to widen the current account deficit.Gold imports stood at $974 mn in March last year. Imports of gold were on a decline since February 2016 until September 2016. It grew in October and November last year but again dipped in December 2016 and January 2017. In February, the inbound shipments grew to $3.48 bn from $1.4 bn in the same month the previous year.

The increase in gold imports in March widened the trade deficit to a four-month high of $10.4 bn as against $ 4.4 bn in March 2016. Silver imports, however, dipped by 3.19 percent to $204.2 mn in March.

According to rating agency ICRA, the imports surge was led by restocking, as well as marriage and festive season demand. India is the worlds second-biggest gold consumer after China. The imports mainly take care of demand from the jewellery industry.

In volume terms, India imported 560.32 tonnes of gold during the April-January period of the last fiscal. Gold import aggregated to 968.06 tonnes in the entire 2015-16 fiscal and 915.47 tonnes in 2014-15.

At present, gold import attracts 10 per cent duty. The gems and jewellery industry along with the Commerce Ministry have time and again urged the Finance Ministry to consider cut in the import duty.

For the full year 2015-16, CAD stood at $22.1 billion, or 1.1 percent of GDP, as against $26.8 bn, or 1.3 percent, in 2014-15.



Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in -Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished




Signet Jewelers Ltd is ready to introduce its inaugural Corporate Social Responsibility report which is centered on Signets responsible sourcing and global CSR initiatives.

The CSR Report marks the first time Signet has published a formal report with a detailed overview of its activities, programs and achievements, the company said. "The report is truly a reflection of who we are as a company," Signet said, adding it is focused on four 'CSR pillars': people, responsible sourcing, environmental stewardship and charitable giving.

In 2016, the company launched the Signet Responsible Sourcing Protocol for Diamonds, which it says ensures that all of its suppliers are in full auditable compliance in 2017. "The Protocol is another protection in partnership with our suppliers to ensure due diligence on the source of all diamonds delivered to Signet.

Signet Jewelers Ltd is the world's largest diamond jewelry retailer with around 3,600 stores in the United States, Canada and the UK.



Theodor Lisovoy, Rough&Polished, Moscow




HNTB Corporation added Francesco Cantatore as senior program director, rail systems.

He has an established track record of leadership and technical expertise on an international scale, with project management and delivery experience in the U.S., Italy, Russia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Hungary and Bulgaria, said Ian Choudri, HNTB national rail and transit business development director and senior vice president.

Cantatore is an expert in rolling stock, rail systems, including traditional and high-speed rail systems, with more than two decades of experience in operations, engineering, supply chain management, procurement and project delivery. He has had success in examining and re-engineering operational procedures, managing complex rail system projects, formulating operational policies and procedures.

Prior to joining HNTB, Cantatore served another firm as senior director, business operations  surface transportation management systems. He completed major projects for Caltrain, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Sound Transit and others.

He holds a doctorate in electronic engineering, University of Genoa, Italy, with a specialization in robotics and control systems. He also holds a Professional Engineer certificate.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has narrowly won a referendum to expand presidential powers, which could keep him in office until 2029.

With 99.45% of ballots counted, the "Yes" campaign had won 51.37% and "No" 48.63%, and the electoral board called victory for "Yes".

Erdogan supporters said replacing the parliamentary system with an executive presidency will modernise the country.

Turkey's two main opposition parties said they would challenge the results.

In his later address to supporters, Erdogan said his first job after the victory is to discuss the reintroduction of death penalty and that another referendum on this issue is possible.

The issue of capital punishment was raised in the wake of a failed military coup in July last year, which the Turkish government says was masterminded by Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric now living in the United States.

The European Commission called on the Turkish authorities to "seek the broadest possible national consensus" when implementing the constitutional reforms.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Japanese conglomerate Toshiba Corp. (TOSYY.PK,TOSBF.PK) announced Monday that its autonomous hydrogen energy system H2One is now in operation at Musashi-Mizonokuchi Station on the JR Nambu Line in Kawasaki City, Japan.

The system, a Business Continuity Plan or BCP, is designed for use in both normal, day-to-day operation and in the event of a disaster that knocks out power supply.

The company noted that in emergencies, the H2One will provide uninterrupted, off-grid energy supply to light part of the station concourse and its lavatories. At other times, the system produces hydrogen and generates electricity, lowering consumption of mains electricity.

In winter, hot water it produces will be circulated though benches at the station to warm them. Toshiba's H2EMS management system provides optimal control of overall operation, including hydrogen production and power generation and storage.

Hiroyuki Ota, Project Manager, New Energy Solutions Project Team of Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Company said, "I am delighted that we have installed an H2One at a train station for the first time. I am sure use of the BCP H2One will save energy and raise environmental awareness among passengers using the station. Our goal is to help realize a low carbon where CO2-free electricity from hydrogen is widely used."

Toshiba has already delivered an H2One BCP model to the Kawasaki Marien public facility and Higashi-Ogishima-Naka Park in the Kawasaki Port area, and to an artificial island and pier in the Port of Yokohama.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
In the face of a China-US trade dispute, domestic demand in both economies will shrink, which in turn would negatively influence the South Korean , the think tank Korea Development Institute said Monday.

Further, the agency advised authorities to diversify its exports in the wake of growing trade protectionism led by the US, while preparing to prevent any backlash from the China-US trade disputes from spreading to the Korean economy.

Due to China's processing trade quotas, the global supply chain between Korea and China weakened, the think tank noted.

Given that China depends more on the US than the other way around, it is mostly the decrease in China's domestic demand caused by US trade barriers which will negatively impact the Korean economy.

According to KDI, a 10 percent fall in China's exports to the US would pull down Korea's GDP by about 0.31 percent, but it is not deemed as a serious crisis.

As such, the think tank said Korea should maintain composure and take necessary actions.

The agency said Korea needs to cohere with other countries in efforts against the global spreading of trade protectionism.

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.
Indonesia's external debt grew at a slower pace in February amid weaker borrowing from both the public and private sectors, figures from Bank Indonesia showed Monday.

External debt grew 2.7 percent year-on-year to $321.7 billion following 3.6 percent increase in January.

Bank Indonesia said the development of external debt in February remains healthy. However, the bank said it continues to be vigilant about the risks to the national .

The bank also said that it will continue to monitor the development of external debt, particularly the private sector external debt.

Public sector external debt in February grew 10.3 percent, which was smaller than the previous month's growth of 12.4 percent.

Private sector external debt declined 4.0 percent, the same rate as the previous month's decline.

Slower growth was led by long-term external debt, when based on original maturity. Based on economic sector, the private external debt position at the end of February was mainly concentrated in the financial, manufacturing, mining, and utility sectors.

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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.
Cleantech Solutions International (CLNT), a Chinese manufacturer of dyeing and finishing machinery to the textile industry, reported Monday that its fiscal 2016 net loss was $11.7 million or $9.79 per share, compared to net loss of $12.8 million or $12.97 per share in 2015.

Loss from continuing operations was $1.4 million, or $1.17 per share, compared to income from continuing operations of $3.0 million, or $3.04 per share a year ago.

Revenue for 2016 decreased 40.1% to $17.4 million from $29.0 million for 2015.

The company said its only source of revenue is dyeing and finishing , since its forged rolled rings and related products and petroleum and chemical equipment businesses are reflected as discontinued operations.

Revenues declined due to an anticipated slowdown in shipments of low-emission airflow dyeing machines as many companies in the dyeing industry had already upgraded to new models and did not require additional equipment. Also, orders for new low-emission airflow dyeing machines slowed down in 2016 as potential customers for equipment did not have the financial resources or credit to purchase equipment.

In addition, the business was also affected by government actions requiring textile manufacturers in Zhejiang province to temporarily cease operations in order to improve air quality ahead of the G20 Summit in Hangzhou during September 2016.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
While a report released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on Monday showed continued growth in the New York manufacturing sector in the month of April, the pace of growth slowed by much more than anticipated.

The New York Fed said its general conditions index tumbled to 5.2 in April after dipping to 16.4 in March, although a positive reading still indicates growth. Economists had expected the index to edge down to 15.0.

The bigger than expected drop by the headline index came amid a notable slowdown in new orders growth, as the new orders index plunged to 7.0 in April after jumping to a multi-year high of 21.3 in March.

On the other hand, the report said the shipments index rose to 13.7 in April from 11.3 in March, indicating a faster rate of growth.

Job growth in the New York manufacturing sector also accelerated, with the number of employees index climbing to 13.9 in April from 8.8 in March. The index reached its highest level in just over two years.

The report also said the prices paid index edged up to 32.8 in April from 31.0 in March, while the prices received index rose to 12.4 from 8.8.

Looking ahead, the New York Fed said forward-looking indexes were mixed but generally at high levels, suggesting fairly widespread optimism about future conditions.

The index for future business conditions rebounded to 39.9 in April after sliding to 37.4 in the previous month.

On Thursday, the Philadelphia Federal Reserve is due to release its report on regional manufacturing conditions in April. The Philly Fed Index is expected to drop to 26.0 in April from 32.8.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Fast food chains refund money to dissatisfied customers, but a manager at a McDonald's restaurant in Wisconsin had a different idea. She issued fake refunds for almost 1,100 Big Mac sandwiches over a period of two months and pocketed the money.

The Milwaukee Patch reported that Mary Ruelle, a manager at a McDonald's restaurant in Greenfield, Wisconsin, faces a felony theft charge after she was accused of stealing more than $3,800 in money from her employer as refunds for Big Macs.

If convicted, Ruelle might face up to a year and a half in prison or up to $10,000 in fines.

According to the criminal complaint filed with the Greenfield Police, Ruelle had been stealing money from the restaurant from mid-January to March 24. She fraudulently refunded $3,827.17 during the period between January 14 and March 24, amounting to about 1,071 Big Macs.

A refund requires a manager's code, which was used by Ruelle. In order to issue a refund, Ruelle was required to select food items that were sold that day. She chose popular food items like the Big Macs for the fraudulent refunds, as they represented high dollar amounts.

Ruelle's manager reportedly told police he reviewed surveillance video that showed Ruelle would authorize refunds and take the money from the cash register when no customer was present.

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Business News
Hundreds of Charlie Chaplin fans gathered at Manoir de Ban, his former home in Vevey, Switzerland, to mark the first anniversary of a museum dedicated to the legendary actor, and his 128th birthday.

662 people, dressed as Charlie Chaplin, gathered for a group picture at Chaplin's World, Sunday.

The Chaplin fans, young and old, wore bowler hats and black suits - the costume worn by Charlie Chaplin as his iconic Little Tramp character.

It set a world record for the largest gathering of Charlie Chaplins.

A year has passed since the official opening of Chaplin's World. The museum, dedicated to the life and work of Charlie Chaplin, has already welcomed around 300,000 visitors.

Chaplin is best remembered for donning the suit and bowler hat combination to portray a bumbling vagrant striving to behave like a gentleman in the film "The Tramp."

Chaplin, who rose from humble beginnings in South London to reach a film audience of 300 million, died in 1977.

Peter Ackroyd, who has written the biography of Charlie Chaplin, regards him as "the first global celebrity."

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Political News
Ahead of a special election in Georgia on Tuesday, President Donald Trump took to Twitter on Monday to lash out at the leading Democrat in the closely watched House race.

"The super Liberal Democrat in the Georgia Congressional race tomorrow wants to protect criminals, allow illegal immigration and raise taxes!" Trump tweeted.

Trump was seemingly referring to documentary filmmaker and former congressional aide Jon Ossoff, the top Democrat in the race to fill the seat previously held by Health And Human Services Secretary Tom Price.

Polls have shown Ossoff leading a group of several Republican candidates in the race, although it remains to be seen if he can reach the 50 percent threshold needed to avoid a runoff.

National Democrats have been pumping money into the race, which they see as an early referendum on Trump's presidency.

In an earlier tweet, Trump compared the race in Georgia to a special election in Kansas, which he claimed only received media attention until the Republican candidate emerged victorious.

"The recent Kansas election (Congress) was a really big media event, until the Republicans won. Now they play the same game with Georgia-BAD!" Trump tweeted.

Kansas Treasurer Ron Estes defeated civil rights attorney James Thompson by 53 percent to 46 percent last week in the race to fill the seat previously held by CIA Director Mike Pompeo.

(Photo: Gage Skidmore)

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
The Reserve Bank of Australia will on Tuesday release the minutes from its April 4 monetary policy meeting, highlighting a light day for Asia-Pacific economic activity.

At the meeting, the bank decided to lead its benchmark lending rate unchanged at the record low 1.50 percent.

Malaysia will provide February figures for unemployment; in January, the jobless rate was 3.3 percent and the participation rate was 67.7 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.
Pakistan Army on Monday again broke the LoC ceasefire along the Line of Control in Naushera's Kalsian area and the Indian army posts also retaliate.

Exchange of fire are still going on in the area.

"Pakistan Army initiated indiscriminate firing and shelling on our positions on the LoC in the Naushera sector," Defence Ministry spokesman Manish Mehta told media.



They are using small arms, automatics and mortars, he said.



"The firing started at 8 a.m. Our forces are effectively retaliating," Mehta added.





On April 8th, Pakistan Army broke the LoC ceasefire, with unprovoked firing and mortar shelling at Indian positions in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, triggering of a gun duel.

Pakistan's 268 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir in the last 12 months has led to nine deaths.


The Supreme Court on Monday said it will monitor the filling of vacancies in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu police departments.

A bench of Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said the Chief Secretaries of these six states would assist the top court in filing these vacancies.

"At the moment we will monitor the filling up of vacancies in (these) six states. We therefore hereby direct the Chief Secretaries of these states to assist the court personally or nominate an officer of Joint Secretary" for the purpose.

According to the court, the state administrations will prepare a definite roadmap for filling the vacancies.

Pointing out that there were vacancies in the police departments in all states across the country, the court said that for the time being it would focus on Uttar Pradesh (150,679), Bihar (34,532), Jharkhand (26,307), West Bengal (37,325), Karnataka (24,388) and Tamil Nadu (19,804).

_

_SHOW_MID_AD__
Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari arrived Delhi on Monday on a five-day visit to India at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee.

This is Bhandari's first foreign tour after assuming office in October 2015.

She is accompanied by a 33-member delegation that includes Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat and Peace and Reconstruction Minister Sita Devi Yadav, five women MPs and senior officials.

Bhandari will be given a ceremonial reception and accorded a guard of honour at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday.

Also on Tuesday, she will pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat and visit the Yamuna Biodiversity Park.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister Susham Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will call on the visiting dignitary.

Vice President Hamid Ansari will also call on Bhandari at the Rashtrapati Bhavan where she will stay. She will call on President Mukherjee and attend a banquet hosted by him.

"Neighbourhood first," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted, announcing the President's arrival.

On Sunday, Sudhakar Dalela, Joint Secretary (India and Bhutan) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said India's ties with Nepal were people-centric and focused on improving connectivity between the neighbours besides improving energy infrastructure.

The visit reflects "the priority India attaches to further strengthening the age-old unique partnership with Nepal and our shared historical and cultural linkages and strong people-to-people connection", he said.

Though wide-ranging discussions are expected to be held on bilateral issues, no agreement is expected to be signed.

Bhandari will visit Gujarat and Odisha on Wednesday and Thursday before leaving for Kathmandu on Friday.
People who are illiterate and falsely accuse others of blasphemy should be educated and strictly dealt with, the Imam of Makkah's Grand Mosque, Shaikh Saleh Bin Muhammad Ibrahim, has said.

The visiting Imam-e-Kaaba told Pakistani Private News in an interview aired on Sunday that Islam is a religion of peace, forgiveness and tolerance and that people should be educated about the religion in a peaceful way.



The Grand Mosque prayer leader's statement came days after a mob on April 13 lynched and killed Mashal Khan, a journalism student, in Pakistan's Mardan city for alleged committing blasphemy.



According to the Imam, terrorism and extremism have nothing to do with Islam and it is the Muslim world that is bearing the brunt of extremism.



He said that when it comes to accusing someone of blasphemy, there are two types of people - "those who are illiterate and those who misuse Islam for personal gains".



He said those "whose hearts are plagued with disease misuse Islam intentionally" and that there was no reprieve for such people.





However, the Imam also stated that such people who openly commit blasphemy could not "remain unmonitored".



"We must make stern decisions to protect our faith, principles, sanctity or values."



"Allah has said that he will not reveal his signs to those who act as an authority on the Earth," the Imam said, adding that such people "will never choose to follow the right path even if directed towards it".
Thousands of protesters took to the streets across the United States on Saturday to call on President Donald Trump to release his tax returns.

According to organisers, demonstrators came out in large numbers in about 200 cities, including a few outside the US, CNNMoney reported.



Images of tax protesters in cities including Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and New York flooded social media.



Comedy writer Frank Lesser, whose tweet in January sparked the idea for the 'Tax March', said the participation in the nationwide marches proves that people want to see Trump's returns, Xinhua news agency reported.



Trump has said Americans "don't care at all" about his tax returns, but polls show 74 per cent of Americans say he should release them.



Many lawmakers, including some Republicans, have also called on him to make them public. And a petition demanding that Trump release his returns has garnered more than 1 million signatures.



For the past 40 years, every US President and presidential candidate has released tax documents.

Still, the White House has not indicated that Trump has any intentions of releasing his returns.



Trump has repeatedly said he can not release his tax returns because they are under audit, though many tax experts have said he is not barred from releasing the information during the audit.



"We march to demand that the President release his returns, as he has repeatedly promised, but failed, to do," the Tax March website reads.

"We march because it is in the best interest of the American people to know what financial entanglements and conflicts of interest our leaders have."



Much like the "Pussyhats" symbolised by the Women's March in January, the hallmark of this protest are giant inflatable chickens.



Organisers have nicknamed the march's symbol "Chicken Don".



On Saturday morning, chickens could be spotted on the steps of the Capitol building and outside the Trump Hotel.



Thirty-foot inflatable chickens, designed purposely made to resemble Trump, were also seen at the marches in New York City and San Francisco.
A US couple headed to Costa Rica for their wedding got booted off a United Airlines flight in Houston, the media reported.

The incident took place on United Airlines Flight 1737 which was headed from Houston to Liberia, Costa Rica.



Michael Hohl was boarding the plane on Saturday with his fiancee, Amber, when they noticed a passenger spread out across their seats, napping over their row, he told Houston's Khou TV on Sunday.



Hohl said that they did not want to disturb the passenger so they decided to sit three rows up in an upgraded area within the economy seating.



"We thought not a big deal, it's not like we are trying to jump up into a first-class seat," Hohl told the news station.



"We were simply in an economy row a few rows above our seat."



In a Boeing 737-800 like the one the couple was on, United considers Row 21 "economy plus," an upgrade.



After sitting, Hohl said a flight attendant approached and asked if they were in their ticketed seats. The couple explained they were not and asked if they could get an upgrade, but instead they were told they needed to return to their assigned seats.



Hohl told Khou TV that after complying with the flight attendant's demand, a US Marshall came onto the plane and asked them to get off.



The couple cooperated and got off the plane without incident.



"They said that we were being disorderly and a hazard to the rest of the flight, to the safety of the other customers," said Hohl.





However, United Airlines in response claimed that they actually tried to sit in an upgraded seat "repeatedly" and they "wouldn't follow crew instructions".



The couple were rebooked for another flight on Sunday morning, but Hohl said they will never fly United again and described the whole situation as "quite strange".



United Airlines has faced a firestorm of negative reactions from passengers and the public after security officers forcibly removed passenger David Dao when he refused to give up his seat for United crew members on a flight from Chicago to Louisville last week.
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Apr-17-2017 16:15 TweetFollow @OregonNews U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri and her Sordid Investigation Is there some sort of connection that we all should be aware of?

Sen Claire McCaskill is investigating something fully investigated.

Photo: American Thinker

(MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.) - Someone may want to inform Senator McCaskill that her recent call for an investigation into the prescription opioid epidemic was already launched by the U.S. Finance Committee in 2012 and as of 2017 there is still no report. So why would McCaskill demand action on an epidemic killing in the thousands every year when she is aware the waters are not uncharted? Let me try to enlighten those people, including McCaskill, why not everyone is buying what she is selling. The initial call for an investigation by the U.S. Finance Committee into the prescription opioid health crisis was launched by U.S. Senators Max Baucus (Montana) and Chuck Grassley (Iowa) who have since moved on to greener pastures. They were succeeded by Senators Orrin Hatch (Utah), Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and Ron Wyden (Oregon). Baucus and Grassley began an investigation in May 2012 into the ties of pharmaceutical giants Purdue Pharma, Endo Pharmaceuticals and Johnson & Johnson with pharma funded pain foundations and physicians who pushed for the increased use of prescription painkillers aka opioids. This push for physicians to prescribe painkillers was by the pharmaceutical companies and their paid foundations and physician spokespersons to advocate for the "under treatment of pain". McCaskill sent letters to Purdue Pharma, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Insys Therapeutics, Mylan, and Depomed, which she said make the top-five-selling prescription painkillers. She is seeking sales and marketing materials, any studies the companies might have conducted about the addictive properties of their drugs, information on compliance with legal settlements and figures on donations to advocacy groups. Someone want to ask Senator McCaskill why she did not include in her "waste of taxpayer money investigation" the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical company, Mallinckrodt who manufactures oxycodone and fentantyl and have been under U.S. Department of Justice and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) investigation for their contributions to the prescription opioid death toll? In fact, Mallinckrodt reached a $35 million settlement to resolve its monitoring and reporting of suspicious orders of controlled substances. McCaskill did not call out Mallinckrodt because they are headquartered in her home state of Missouri. Something to hide Senator? Now, getting back to the good senator's "Joan of Arc" fight for the families who have lost loved ones to the prescription opioid epidemic... May I make a suggestion to you Senator McCaskill? Hop a plane to Utah and bring back the sealed copy of the original investigation into the prescription opioid epidemic launched in 2012. Senator Orrin Hatch has sealed the report. Why would you be launching an investigation into a life and death crisis when you have to be aware that a report has already been conducted by the U.S. Senate Finance Committee? You might want to ask Senator Hatch why he sealed the report as the death toll mounts? While you are confronting Senator Hatch as to his unethical sealing of a report that the American people are entitled to have Senator McCaskill -- and could save tens of thousands of lives -- ask Mr. Hatch if he knows anything about a pain clinic in Salt Lake City, Utah. You might need to refresh Senator Hatch's memory though so I will help you out. There was a pain clinic headed by Lynn R. Webster, MD in Salt Lake City, Utah. There was a DEA raid on the clinic when patients were dying. Rumor was up to 100 deaths. A U.S. Attorney in Utah was investigating the deaths. Lawsuits were filed and settled out of court by victim families. The pain clinic was shut down and the U.S. Attorney closed his investigation. Webster moved out of the pain clinic business when there were ripplings that his license to prescribe opioids was suspended. He reinvented himself and now is an "expert" on the research of the attributes of prescription opioids. There couldn't possibly be a connection between the sealing of a U.S. Finance Committee investigation report on the prescription opioid epidemic, Senator Hatch and Dr. Webster now could there, Senator McCaskill? And then there is your allegiance to Mallinckrodt headquartered in your state of Missouri. Too sordid to even imagine, don't you think? _________________________________________ Below are links to articles I have written since 2012 asking where the report is and more importantly where the outrage from families losing loved ones to the prescription opioid epidemic is. Don't Let FDA and Painkiller Profiteers Slide in Senate Investigation

Is the U.S. Senate responsible for thousands of deaths in sealing their fact finding report on drug epidemic?

www.globalnewscentre.com/u-s-senate-committee-on-finance-investigation-silent-on-prescription-opioid-epidemic-why/#sthash.plAU6BEH.dpbs _________________________________________

Pharma | Drugs | Medicine | Fatal | Most Commented on





Articles for April 16, 2017 | Articles for April 17, 2017 |
Salina native to present nature photography seminar

Nature photographers in the Great Plains area are gathering for a seminar and photography contest in McPherson this weekend.
At last our Savior is risen!

On Sunday, nine parishes in the Faleata West Sub District (Pulega), performed the story of Jesus from His triumphant entry to Jerusalem to His crucifixion and His Resurrection.

The presentation was carried out by youths and Sunday Schools members.

This is one of the programmes in the Calendar of the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa held every year in each Pulega both in Samoa and overseas.

Leading the service was Reverend Siaosi Mataia of the C.C.C.S., Vailoa-Tai.

What are we going to answer to this love that our Father in heaven has shown us? asked Rev. Mataia.

Theres no other way than to repent from our sins and walk with love with a humble heart in front of our God.

Not only to commemorate this occasion, but we also have to reflect God in our lives every day.

Reverend Elder Faauuga Matautia of the Faleata Sub District thanked each parish for their hard work and for making it all possible for the glory of God.

Glory to God for all your performances today and let us give Him praise and honour, Rev. Matautia said.

I know youve given all your time in putting together all of your performances to add in more and more meaning and life to the story of Jesus.

May God continue to bless us all with His everlasting love.

The nine parishes involved were Nuu Fou, Elise, Toamua, Vaigaga, Vaitele-Uta, Vailoa-Uta, Vailoa-Tai, Tulaele and Peteleema Fou (Vaitele-Fou).
My last column addressed challenges an employer faces in establishing that a former employee violated a nondisclosure agreement by making anonymous general comments about the employers plans on social media. This column focuses on a recent case that demonstrates challenges an individual faces in suing his former employer over a post-termination announcement.

Dov Charney, the founder and then-CEO of American Apparel, was dismissed by the companys board following an investigation into aspects of Charneys conduct. Investment firm Standard General issued a press release supporting what the firm called the independent, third-party and very thorough investigation into the allegations against Mr. Charney and expressing respect for the boards decision to dismiss Charney based on the results of that investigation.

Charney sued Standard General asserting several claims, all of which depended on the press release being defamatory. Defamation is the utterance or publication to others of a false, unprivileged statement of fact about a person that has a tendency to harm the persons reputation. Charney asserted that the press release falsely stated that the investigation had been independent and had suggested that Charney had committed specific kinds of misconduct.

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The trial court and then the court of appeal dismissed Charneys lawsuit, finding that there was not even a minimal chance his claims ultimately would succeed. The court of appeal concluded that the statement in the release about the independent nature of the investigation could not be defamatory because the statement was not about Charney, but about the investigation. Anyway, it was a statement of opinion, not fact.

The court rejected Charneys allegation that the press release falsely suggested he had engaged in specific kinds of misconduct. The release said nothing specific about why Charney was terminated, though it did say that certain allegations were made about him, investigated, and that he was thereafter terminated. The court of appeal added that, even if the press release could be interpreted as saying Charney was fired for unidentified misconduct, a dispute over whether improper conduct justified his termination was a matter of opinion, not a matter of provably false fact.

Just as an employer suing a former employee for post-termination disclosure of company secrets must prove that what was disclosed was legally a trade secret, an individual suing over post-termination public statements his former employer made were defamatory must show that the statements were at least: (1) about the individual and (2) a matter of fact, not of opinion.

The takeaway from this is not that an employer may say anything about the circumstances of an employees departure as long as the statement is framed as opinion rather than fact. For one thing, the line between fact and opinion is not always clear.

Instead, the prudent employer will be careful about: (1) who is told anything other than that the employee is no longer with the company; (2) what information is conveyed; and (3) how the information is conveyed. Generally, the fewest number of people should be told why an employee left and should be told in a way that makes it least likely the information will spread. When a key operational employee leaves, the employer should focus the message on the future: who will be responsible going forward and how the operation will change.

That guidance will not always apply. Sometimes, particularly in the aftermath of dismissals for ethical misdeeds, it may be appropriate to send a general reminder about the policy violated and the consequences for violating it. Assuming that the former employee will learn whatever is said, however, the message and the recipients should be limited. And that in turn will limit the risk.

Dan Eaton is a partner with the San Diego law firm of Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek where his practice focuses on defending and advising employers. He also is an instructor at the San Diego State University Fowler College of Business Administration where he teaches classes in business ethics and employment law. He may be reached at eaton@scmv.com. His Twitter handle is @DanEatonlaw.
Im a big fan of Billions, a series that airs on Showtime. I am fascinated by the characters and the strategies, and my bride thinks that the lead character, played by Damien Lewis, is gorgeous. (I agree). Recently, the show presented an interesting puzzle that I was able to use in my work as a member of the board of directors of an e-commerce company. The conflict was between Chuck Rhodes, the US attorney for the Southern District, and a hedge fund manager who may have operated outside legal bounds, i.e. he was bid rigging the U.S. Treasury auctions.

Without spending too much time on the nuances, the show comes down to a few scenes in the conference room in which the high-priced legal talent for Mr. Hedgie offers a settlement, and Rhodes rejects it. Mr. Hedgies legal eagles come back with another even more generous settlement and again the US attorney calmly rejects it saying, I think we should have a nice big trial. I really think this abuse of the public trust deserves a trial. Mr. Hedgie is flabbergasted. He thinks: How can Rhodes take the chance of losing at trial?

Nota bene: Our US attorney has a very shaky case. No really concrete evidence. By all logic, he should take the settlement and get out of Dodge. A trial is two years away, and long before then, he will have been fired. So he needs the easy win, and that explains why Mr. Hedgie is astounded. But by the same token, Mr. Hedgie has to consider the possibility of real time in the Big House with Bubba.

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From a strategic point of view, this is the classic line in the sand, push all the chips into the center play. And as we know, the most dangerous man at any table is always the one who has nothing to lose-- or everything.

Lets jump ahead to my young CEO. He has two private equity shops wanting to buy the company. And he must make a deal. Failure to sell by a certain time will cost the company $15 million, and the company will crater. So the P.E. boys know that there is a deadline. Game theory says they should wait until a couple weeks before the drop dead date and then engage rapidly to buy the company just before the deadline and pay only peanuts. Our CEO is frustrated by their nibbling at the edges, but neither one is biting the bait.

Another nota bene: There are TWO private equity shops showing interest.

So I suggest to my CEO that he call up both shops and tell them politely, but firmly, that if he doesnt have a letter of intent by April 15, that he will no longer talk to them. In other words, it doesnt matter what they offer after the 15th, we will not talk to you. As my favorite shark says, You are dead to me.

My CEO is a bit nervous. After all, what if they both walk? My answer is they would have walked anyway. I explain that he has nothing to lose. There is either a deal or he is a dead man walking.

The update: Both P.E. shops have assured him they will send an LOI by the deadline. I will keep you, dear reader, posted.

You may remember a previous line in the sand story about a tech transfer office on the East Coast. As of this writing, they have agreed to sign the deal with no further changes.

And in the case of Mr. Hedgie, when faced with Bubba as his roommate, he cops a major plea, folds his cards, and goes down for the count -- and our US attorney keeps his job. I know this one is only television, but I like the model.

So the question worth considering is this: Why is it so hard for us to learn how to say no? I have a theory. We all had mothers and fathers, and as children, it was hard to say no when faced with the consequences of no allowance, no car, no whatever. No.

I will test that premise with my shrink next week.

Rule No. 513: FOMO (fear of missing out) is still the law of the land.

Neil Senturia, a serial entrepreneur who invests in early-stage technology companies, writes weekly about entrepreneurship in San Diego. Please email ideas to Neil at neil@blackbirdv.com.
One of the first artists to paint in San Diegos Chicano Park has finished a new mural, one depicting the plight of migrant workers and denouncing President Trumps planned border wall.

Salvador Sal Barajas was part of a group of artists who painted the Historical Mural in the park in 1973 that features the leaders and history of the Chicano movement. While Barajas also worked on a restoration project for the parks many murals several years ago, the new mural is the first time Barajas has put up his own work in the park since 1973.

Park enthusiasts are pleased with the new mural, on the south side of a pillar of the Coronado bridge.

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But some who support Trumps border wall are upset at the murals message.

Barajas latest piece was commissioned almost a decade ago by Border Angels, a migrant rights group known for putting water in the desert to keep border crossers from dying of thirst. This year, the nonprofit group finally had enough funding to make the mural a reality, at a cost of about $10,000.

The mural shows a worker sending money back to his family in Mexico while being strangled by two hands. One hand represents U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is responsible for deporting people from the U.S. The other hand represents Mexican government officials, whose corruption makes it necessary for Mexicans to migrate for work, Barajas said.

We are minorities, and minorities have been oppressed for so long.  Salvador Sal Barajas

The bottom of the piece pays homage to Roberto Martinez and Micaela Saucedo, two activists who worked with Border Angels. A large cross toward the bottom reads, No Border Wall. Another one carries a Border Angels slogan, Love has no borders.

The text No Border Wall was one of the last things added to the piece, Barajas said, though the overall message and image was largely the same as what was planned when Border Angels first commissioned the work.

We are minorities, and minorities have been oppressed for so long, Barajas said in an interview at the park. We have to express our feelings. We have it in our DNA.

Barajas was born in Mexico and sponsored by his father, who was living and working legally in the U.S., to move to San Diego when he was 17, he said. He talked about struggles with racial profiling, low wages and lack of resources that his community experienced as he came of age in Barrio Logan before joining the U.S. Air Force.

When youre a minority, youre faced with realities like this all the time, Barajas said.

Jesus Amaro, who lives in Mission Gorge, stood admiring the new mural at Chicano Park on Thursday while his daughter played on the playground. He brings her to Chicano Park often, he said, because he likes the community.

Its great work, especially for the community around here, Amaro said when asked about the mural. Its a whole united message, everybody coming together and standing for everybodys rights.

All of the murals tell the stories about the history of the parks community, he said, and he was happy to see one added that reflected current events.

Word of the mural has spread farther than Chicano Park, and some dont welcome the artworks message. Patti Brasga, a Vista resident, received an email from a friend with a picture of the mural.

These kinds of people and incendiary statements only serve to divide us and elevate the discord and hate, she said via email.

Suellen Shea of Vista took issue with the imagery Barajas used. Shea hasnt seen the mural in person but has seen pictures of it, she said.

The artist has talent, but, in my opinion, much of it is offensive and anti-American, especially the ICE agent choking the migrant worker, Shea said via email. American Citizens want safety & sovereignty (enforced borders) for our country. Nothing strange or racist about that  Mexico does too.

Several San Diegans who were bothered by the new mural, as well as other murals at the park, said they dont think public parks should have art with political messages.

San Diego has many parks, wrote Carol Hamilton, an Imperial Beach resident who also received an email about the mural. Only one is splattered with garish posters and anti-American slurs  Chicano Park. A national shrine? I dont think so. Its time to whitewash it and use it as a park and not for politics.

The Chicano Park Steering Committee, a nonprofit, is responsible for approving any murals or other additions to the park. Neither the city nor the California Department of Transportation is involved, Barajas said, though Caltrans could step in if the department disapproved of a piece.

That committee was formed at the same time as the park was founded. Chicano Park was created when the Barrio Logan community, reeling from losing homes to make way for Interstate 5, gathered there in 1970 to stop the California Highway Patrol from building a patrol station under the Coronado Bridge.

Isidro Ortiz, a professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies at San Diego State University, said the act of claiming land for a park was in line with one of the principles of the Chicano movement  self-determination.

The community has the right to determine its own destiny, Ortiz said.

The Chicano movement, Ortiz said, was a way for people of Mexican origin living in the U.S. and coming of age in the 1960s to get a sense of identity.

We were neither accepted as Americans nor accepted as Mexicans, Ortiz said. We were living in a twilight zone. It can be very confusing because you really dont know who you are.

Morrissey writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

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The nations colleges and universities are scrambling to add courses to prepare students to fill the huge number of cybersecurity jobs that have arisen due to exponential growth in hacking worldwide.

The extent of the problem isnt clear; analysts say the number of job vacancies ranges from 100,000 to 350,000, with as many as 45,000 positions in California.

Ashton Mozano, a cybersecurity professor at the University of San Diego, says there are thousands of $80,000 entry-level jobs available to applicants who have nothing more than an undergraduate degree in computer science or computer engineering.

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Analysts are trying to nail down the actual number of openings.

The cybersecurity industry does not have the best track record when it comes to quantification, said Stephen Cobb, a senior researcher in the San Diego office of ESET, a digital security company.

But the shortfall is real.

And a lot of the blame has been placed on academia for failing to train large numbers of students with targeted skills. Industry and government officials also are being criticized for failing to define their needs more clearly  a key component for helping colleges solve the labor shortage.

Academia is trying to fix the problem, especially in San Diego County, where hackers routinely assault the regions huge military, defense and science communities, as well as the assets of consumers.

National University, the University of San Diego, San Diego State University, UC San Diego Extension and Palomar College now teach courses that werent available 5 to 10 years ago.

USD also closely works with Circadence Corp., a company in Kearny Mesa that specializes in the gamification of cybersecurity training. Students are exposed to high-resolution videos and graphics that give them a sense of what a real hack attack is like. They also use the immersive software to learn how to spot and prevent digital assaults.

The company is led by Mozano, who is also part of USDs growing cyber program.

Hes trying to change the way students are taught in hopes to drawing larger numbers of people into the field quickly.

Unfortunately, presenting technical training in an aesthetically pleasant way does not seem to be a high priority among course material developers, Mozano said.

Certain academic fields in mathematics and engineering are infamous for presenting material in drab, monotonic, esoteric, non-interactive manners.

Analysts said that compounds the problem because cybersecurity already suffers from an image problem.

The field pays well, but many computer-science students would rather create new products and technologies for Apple and Google than design and operate systems that spot, resist and mitigate a widening variety of attacks.

Computer science is sexy. Cyber isnt, said P.K. Agarwal, regional dean of Northeastern Universitys Silicon Valley campuses, which teach cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity can be a high-stress job where you can get fired if things go wrong, and no one pats you on the back if there were no problems overnight, he added.

Analysts said the industry needs to jazz things up and highlight job opportunities.

The chances are excellent for graduates of homeland security and cyber security degree programs to enter the job market directly out of college, said Lance Larson, assistant director of the Graduate Program in Homeland Security at SDSU.

The reality for recent graduates is that they need a degree, experience, and certification; this is really the perfect trifecta for graduates to have a powerful job seeker portfolio.

At San Diego State Universitys Graduate Program we are requiring students to intern, starting with our 2018 graduate class, to allow students to gain practical experience required for the job market.

San Diego-based National University also is emphasizing practicality.

One thing we do to improve students skills and make them more marketable is provide opportunities to work with local small businesses and nonprofits to conduct free security assessments as part of their final Capstone project, said Chris Simpson, director of Nationals Center for Cybersecurity

Students who gain experience from this applied learning and who have the opportunity to network within the tech community have shared with us how well-prepared they are for the job market.

The staffing shortage is serious enough that, The president should  train 100,000 new cybersecurity practitioners by 2020, the Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity said on Dec. 1.

The shortage also means youll see more things like the Tesco attack, which targeted bank accounts (in England), and a greater risk to health-care records and everyday devices like your phone, said John Callahan, director of cybersecurity programs at the University of San Diego.

In the digital age, this is potentially the greatest period of risk that consumers have ever faced.

Theres special concern about ransomware, a type of malicious software that hackers can use to remotely take control of computers, including those in automobiles. In most cases, victims have paid money  from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars  to regain control. For example, hackers carried out such an attack against Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in February, forcing the hospital to pay $17,000 in ransom.

The U.S. Justice Department estimates there are about 4,000 attempted ransomware attacks each day against individuals, companies and the government, and that many of them are successful.

Based on FBI statistics, bank robbery in the U.S. is a $40 million a year problem, whereas cyber criminals using ransomware are making over $200 million per quarter, said Cobb at ESET.

And while a handful of bank robbers are shot dead every year, there are no reports of cyber criminals ever being killed in the commission of a crime, he added.

The federal government and the military began to significantly ramp up their efforts to fight cyber attacks about a decade ago. Security firms and a wide range of companies did the same.

The results have been mixed.

Analysts said most cyber attacks, including some pretty sophisticated ones, are blocked or minimized. But hackers have quickly adapted to every method used to stop them, leading to damaging and embarrassing breaches amid an ongoing game of cat and mouse.

Earlier this year, hackers stole digital spying tools thought to belong to the super-secret National Security Agency. Hackers also stole data from the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clintons campaign in an apparent attempt to influence the presidential election.

In late November, a hacker disabled the fare system for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, forcing it to give commuters free rides until proper operations were restored.

Experts said these kinds of intrusions underscore the need to develop a huge professional class of cyber professionals  and to market the field as a noble and dynamic domain where well-regarded, highly valued specialists defend precious assets and protect the publics safety.

Some people think of cyber as the I.T. guy, which is wrong, said Callahan at the University of San Diego.

While the staffing estimates vary, analysts agree on the huge need for qualified workers in the cyber industry.

Northeastern Universitys Agarwal estimates there are 100,000 of these unfilled jobs nationwide. Peninsula Press, a journalism program at Stanford University, puts the figure at 209,000. Cyber Seek, an industry-government coalition, said the number could be about 350,000 when including positions that require at least some cyber abilities.

The job descriptions range from security analysts to network engineers to software developers to risk managers. Some lower-level positions pay as much as $70,000 per year, and management positions can hit $235,000 or higher.

Experts are eager to see the applicant pool widen, and theyre looking for specific types of candidates.

The best cybersecurity professionals think like criminals, said Domini Clark, an Idaho-based recruiter at the recruiting company Decision Toolbox. The joke in the industry is that superstars have an evil bit in the code of their personalities. They know better than to have a high-profile online presence. Paranoid is too strong a word, but they tend to be hyper-cautious and some take pride in operating in stealth mode.

Those people tend to be coveted, so low-ball employment offers just dont work.

(Some) companies are doing lip service, not willing to fund the important roles that are necessary for the growing security issues, said Kirsten Bay, chief executive of the firm Cyber adAPT in Half Moon Bay. There is a desperate need for technologists who can speak at both the engineering and board levels, candidates who can understand technology and yet speak to the business case for security.

Clark at Decision Toolbox agrees, noting: About half of cybersecurity professionals are contacted by a recruiter at least once a week. If you post a standard H.R. job description of duties and requirements, it will wash out among all the other background noise  (Candidates) want to do intriguing work that is varied and unique. Let them use their devious creativity to your companys advantage.

Cybersecurity Playlist  On Now Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) slams Equifax On Now LA 90: Yahoo data breach worse than originally reported On Now Lifelock offers to protect you from the Equifax breach  by selling you services provided by Equifax 1:02 On Now California beer maker thrives in Germany On Now Cyberattacks on Hollywood On Now Hackers gain access to OneLogin On Now What is WannaCry? On Now Senate overturns privacy rules for Internet providers On Now Online pirates claim to hold Disney's latest 'Pirates of the Caribbean' movie hostage, demand ransom On Now Yahoo warns users of malicious activity

Twitter: @grobbins

gary.robbins@sduniontribune.com
Kiwanis Club of Ramona, which for years has provided Hugh OBrian Youth Leadership (HOBY) scholarships to high school students annually, recently presented Ramona High School sophomores Isabella Ettore and Mitchell Sutter scholarships totaling $545 to attend the two-day HOBY seminar in Orange County in June.

Both students were guests at a Kiwanis meeting in Ramona Town Hall on April 1.

To attend a HOBY seminar, students must be chosen by their high school out of all students in the schools sophomore class. At the seminars, students participate in programs designed to enhance their leadership and teamwork skills. They also meet and converse with leaders in their community in fields such as volunteerism, media, education, philanthropy, and politics.

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Founded in 1958 by the late actor Hugh OBrian, the first leadership seminar was held in Los Angeles. Seminars have been held annually since then, and the HOBY program has spread to over 70 locations in all 50 states and in 19 other countries.
As the nesting season begins for sea turtles off the coast of Florida, a study being conducted by a team of researchers 2,600 miles away could lead to steps that will help the endangered species survive.

The National University study is looking at sand taken from nesting sites at Florida beaches to determine what type of bacteria is in them, where it came from and whether it could harm the eggs laid by loggerhead sea turtles.

We started looking at the bacteria in the sand and we found there is a correlation with the level of human activity and the amount of bacteria, which kind of makes sense, said Mario Mota, a National University professor who teaches oceanography and marine biology through the College of Letters and Sciences. He also has taught a marine biology course with a focus on sea turtles in Belize each summer for more than a decade.

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Mota and students Gregory Heidel, Garett Huffstutler, Brian Arko, Nicole Salazar, and Richard Cale have been studying conditions of sand from nesting sites in Florida and recently published an abstracted titled Microbiotic Diversity in the Sand of Fourteen Florida Sea Turtle Nesting Beaches. They hope to have their findings published soon in a scientific journal.

Beginning this weekend, they will present their most recent findings at the International 37th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, which runs through Thursday in Las Vegas.

The greatest threat to the loggerhead, one of seven types of sea turtles, is the loss of nesting habitat due to coastal development, predation of nests, and human disturbances, according to The Sea Turtle Conservancy.

Motas study is looking specifically at whether bacteria is a contributing, detrimental factor to nesting areas.

Right now Im just trying to find out how much bacteria there are in different beaches and identify bacteria through DNA, he said. After that step, he said he will look at the effects of the bacteria on the nesting sites.

Other studies have looked at bacteria in nesting areas with unhatched eggs, but nobody has done a large study on bacteria that looks at the environment as a whole, Mota said.

If a nest doesnt hatch, I get the sand from that nest and look at the bacteria there, he said. With a nest that hatches, I do the same. Im looking for a pattern.

Other scientists in what Mota described as a tight-knit community of sea turtle researchers collect and ship the sand to be studied in National University labs.

Its too early to draw conclusions, as the study will continue for another year and a half and include the three-month nesting season that is about to start, Mota said.

His hunch is that some bacteria will be found that harms the eggs sea turtles lay in the sand.

That finding could result in steps that could make the nesting areas safer, such as monitoring the runoff from beach houses where homeowners fertilize their lawns, he said.

On a bigger scale, cities that conduct beach-restoration projects might start looking for certain bacteria in dredged sand before it is brought to shore.

It may seem unusual for a scientist in San Diego to study beach conditions in Florida, but Mota has a long history with the southern state and still has many connections there.

He earned his doctorate in wildlife ecology and conservation from the University of Florida in Gainesville and has worked with other sea turtle biologists in tracking the movements of male sea turtles during breeding and nesting seasons through satellite transmitters.

It also may seem unusual that the research is being done at National University, which isnt as well known for marine biology research.

But in fact, Mota said, all professors in the department of math and sciences do research as part of their job.

Heidel, 30, the student researcher, has a microbiology degree from the University of Tennessee and said he had heard good things about the research being conducted at National University from colleagues at Pomerado Hospital in Poway, where he works as an emergency room technician.

When I got on board, I was actually surprised at the amount of research opportunities, he said. There were even more than they were at the University of Tennessee. I didnt even have to go out of my way to find them. Dr. Mota took me right on board.

Heidel plans to go to medical school, and he hopes being a published researcher will help him be accepted.

He also likes the idea that his research might lead to practices that help an endangered species.

Being on the clinical side of medical work, it feels reactive, he said. But this feels like Im being proactive, expanding the knowledge base of work. It felt great to do that.

gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @GaryWarthUT

760-529-4939
Many readers of our Car Wars column had one question after transportation officials in San Diego last month announced a new app that allows transit riders to use their cellphone to pay for and board trolleys, buses and commuter rail.

From emails to tweets to conversations with coworkers, friends and family, they wanted to know whether the app would allow them to do something theyve long hoped for: pay for one-way fares with greater speed and convenience.

The answer is a resounding not yet. The app works only with daylong and monthly passes.

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Its been a longstanding frustration that riders cannot load money onto their Compass card  the transit systems version of a prepaid debit card  and then have those dollars deducted incrementally with each ride, rather than packaged as a full days or full months fare. People who want to take a single ride still have to go through the process of buying a new ticket for each boarding, and thats more time-consuming and thus far less convenient.

This can be extremely annoying, especially when running for a trolley that ends up pulling away before the transit systems temperamental vending machines spit out a paper ticket.

In the past, officials with the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System have promised that so-called stored value would become available on the agencys Compass card. The option would allow a rider to put, say, $20 at a time on the card and use it as needed for the Coaster, the trolley and various types of bus service.

That has yet to materialize, and people who push for greater use of mass transit have been vocal with their displeasure.

According to the transportation think tank Circulate San Diego, MTS is the only major transit agency in the United States with a payment card that doesnt allow riders the option of a one-way ticket or the ability to store money on their transit card.

Before we look deeper into the stored-value issue, heres a reminder: If you have a question for Car Wars about commuting and the environment, write to carwars@sduniontribune.com. Thanks for participating, and were doing our best to work through all the thoughtful queries weve received.

William Moore of Carmel Valley asks: I heard a while back that MTS was going to set up a system where you can store value on (the Compass card).  MTS said it was going to do this a while ago, I thought. But I still havent heard a word about it. Any progress on this?

Car Wars: Progress? Maybe.

MTS officials said in the past year, it has repeatedly run internal pilot programs to test the option for consumers to store money on their Compass cards  and thereby allow payments for one-way rides.

According to the agencys officials, there have been hiccups with the software. For example, one test was allowing cards with insufficient funds to read as paid on buses.

The agency is now in the middle of yet another internal test. If everything proceeds smoothly, its officials said, transit riders could be able to add a dollar value to their Compass cards by this summer.

Theres no concrete timeline for adding such an option  if it truly materializes  to the cellphone app.

MTS said another overhaul of its ticketing system will likely be rolled out within the next three to five years. Upgrades could include a significantly different fare system that could eliminate the need for Compass cards altogether.

David Batterson of North Park asks: How about changing the rules at MTS so that the overpaid CEO Paul Jablonski is legally required to ride a bus or trolley at least once a week?

Car Wars: Im not sure that would be legal or necessary.

Its true that Jablonski does make a nice salary. After a 3.5 percent pay bump in March, the head of MTS now receives $371,316 a year.

But its also true that Jablonski frequently rides the trolley and bus during the day, according to the agencys staff. This is partly for quality control, but its also to get back and forth between MTS headquarters at 12th and Imperial avenues and the SANDAG offices at 5th Avenue and B Street in downtown San Diego.

Jablonski has also been known to commute using the Rapid bus from his home near Carmel Mountain Ranch area.

Twitter: @jemersmith

Phone: (619) 293-2234

Email: joshua.smith@sduniontribune.com
Immunization rates for kindergartners are up in San Diego County and statewide despite fears that parents leery of vaccination would find ways to skirt a law that bans personal-belief exemptions.

Newly released data from the California Department of Public Health shows that San Diego Countys kindergarten immunization rate hit 94.7 percent this school year. Thats one percentage point higher than the figure from the previous academic year.

And although this years rate in the San Diego region is nearly a point lower than the statewide level of 95.6 percent, its still the highest one for the county since the current vaccination schedule was adopted in 2001.

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The increased rates across most of California occurred even though there is evidence that some parents who would otherwise decline to vaccinate their children based on personal beliefs managed to find a doctor willing to write them a medical exemption. Under current state law, medical exemptions from a licensed physician are still valid.

The massive change in school vaccination behavior started with a measles outbreak at Disneyland in 2015. Dismayed by how the outbreak grew, legislators banned personal-belief exemptions by passing Senate Bill 277. The new law inspired a number of now-dismissed lawsuits, including one filed by a group in San Diego, which claimed that it violated students constitutional rights to a public education.

Concern over vaccination rates has been building in San Diego County for years and ever since it became clear that some schools, most often private and in relatively-affluent areas, had vaccination rates that were far below county averages. Public health officials have fretted that, when vaccination rates drop too low, preventable diseases such as measles and mumps spread through pockets of students at individual schools even if the regions overall vaccination rate exceeds 90 percent.

Dr. Wilma Wooten, the countys public health officer, applauded the latest state numbers.

I think that this is good news. It shows the bill is working. Now we just need to maintain the progress we have made, Wooten said.

State results show that personal-belief exemptions dropped from 3.6 percent of county kindergartners during the 2015-2016 school year to 1.4 percent this year. The new law barring the exemptions allows any kindergartner who was enrolled in prekindergarten last year, and who had a personal-belief exemption on file by the last day of 2015, to keep that exemption until they enter seventh grade. That is also the case for anyone who had an exemption in kindergarten or a higher grade last year. Seventh grade exemption numbers, and results for individual schools, have not been released by the state but should be out later this year.

The countys kindergarten personal-belief exemption rate is more than twice as high as the state rate of 0.6 percent, according to statistics from the California Department of Public Health. In addition, San Diego County saw the ratio of medical exemptions granted by doctors jump from 0.2 percent last year to 0.9 percent this year. The number of medical exemptions also jumped statewide, reaching 0.5 percent.

Locally, 329 kindergartners were not immunized by the time local districts filed their immunization reports with the state in October 2016. Those kids were home-schooled, were on an independent-study program with no classroom work or had special needs programs that require them to be granted access to public schools even if theyre not immunized.

Another 247 kindergartners were deemed overdue for immunization, meaning that they started the school year with a started, but not completed, vaccine schedule and did not get the required shots to complete the process within specified deadlines. It was unclear Friday whether or not these kids ended up getting sent home or if they were allowed to stay in school despite the new state law.

Jeanne Salvadori, a school nursing program specialist with the San Diego County Office of Education who serves as a resource to school nurses at public schools across the county, said she did not know what the final resolution was for those deemed overdue.

They may have gotten bounced from school or they may not have. We dont know about those 247 students, what their situations are, Salvadori said.

She referred the question to the countys immunization services branch. Jennifer Sterling, the agencys school and child care coordinator, declined to comment, referring all questions to the countys media relations department. County communications officer Jose Alvarez said Friday afternoon that school nurses follow up with those families, but he did not indicate whether children who were granted conditional public school enrollment were asked to leave when they failed to follow through with needed shots by specified deadlines.

Overall, it appears that many did see the laws mandate as a good enough reason to get fully immunized.

Dr. Eyla Boies, a pediatrician with the UC San Diego Medical Group who chairs the immunization committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics San Diego chapter, said that she and many of her colleagues noticed a difference in the fall of 2016 as the new school year approached.

They have been saying yes, I do want to do this so my child can go to school, Boies said.

But she also noted that some have taken another route, going online to find a doctor willing to write a letter testifying that their child has a medical problem that makes vaccinating them too risky.

I know of one family who went to an outside pediatrician, paid to get the letter for school enrollment, and then came back for their primary care to the original doctor, Boies said.

Technically, there is nothing necessarily illegal about this practice. While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention generally considers only severe allergic reaction to a previous vaccine dose, and in some cases a compromised immune system, as valid reasons to skip vaccination, state law takes a less-strict approach. Any licensed doctor can grant a medical exception based on his or her medical judgment on a case-by-case basis. When SB 277 passed, some doctors began listing prices for vaccine exams online for interested families.

In the end, Boies said, convincing families to follow the vaccination schedule and not look for a doctor willing to write out an exemption letter comes down to pediatricians seeing patients day in and day out. It is the job of doctors, she said, to work with their patients and explain all of the aspects of the vaccines that parents are being asked to have administered to their children.

I think if you look at how we were doing things for years, we werent always doing our jobs and fully explaining those extremely rare but still real side effects. For parents who have lots of education, who can read that package insert themselves, that approach just wasnt cutting the mustard, Boies said.

Health Playlist On Now Video: Why aren't Americans getting flu shots? 0:37 On Now Video: Leaders urge public to help extinguish hepatitis outbreak On Now San Diego starts cleansing sidewalks, streets to combat hepatitis A On Now Video: Scripps to shutter its hospice service On Now Video: Scripps La Jolla hospitals nab top local spot in annual hospital rankings On Now Video: Does a parent's Alzheimer's doom their children? On Now Video: Vaccine can prevent human papillomavirus, which can cause cancer 0:31 On Now 23 local doctors have already faced state discipline in 2017 0:48 On Now EpiPen recall expands On Now Kids can add years to your life

paul.sisson@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1850

Twitter: @paulsisson
Vice President Mike Pence issued a blunt warning to North Korea about its nuclear program Monday, saying the United States would no longer adhere to a policy of strategic patience and that the authoritarian state should take a lesson from the Trump administrations recent actions in Syria and Afghanistan.

The era of strategic patience is over, Pence said, referring to President Obamas nonconfrontational approach to North Korea. President Trump has made it clear that the patience of the United States and our allies in this region has run out and we want to see change. We want to see North Korea abandon its reckless path of the development of nuclear weapons, and also its continual use and testing of ballistic missiles is unacceptable.

Pences comments came as part of a full-court press by the Trump administration to intensify pressure on North Korea.

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North Korea has in recent weeks stepped up its testing of ballistic missiles  part of its overall goal of building a nuclear program capable of striking the U.S. mainland.

The vice president, in Seoul as part of a 10-day swing through Asia, said North Korea should remember that the United States recently bombed targets in Syria and Afghanistan, suggesting the Trump administration might be willing to take similar military action in the face of continued nuclear provocation from Pyongyang.

North Korea would do well not to test his resolve  or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region, Pence said of Trump.

At the same time, U.S. officials appear to be leaving the door open to diplomacy.

Susan Thornton, the acting assistant U.S. secretary of State for East Asian affairs, said the U.S. continues to hope that China will take a leading role in pressuring North Korea to abandon its nuclear proliferation efforts.

At a teleconference briefing with reporters Monday, Thornton also opened the door for possible negotiations with the North Korean government  but only if it showed tangible change in the way of freezing its nuclear program.

She wouldnt specify what Pyongyang had to do to get the U.S. to engage in talks, but said launching additional missiles, as North Korea did over the weekend, was not the way to go.

The vice president spoke during a meeting with acting South Korean President Hwang Kyo-ahn on Monday, a day after he spent Easter Sunday with some of the 28,000 U.S. troops stationed on the peninsula. His comments were also delivered a day after North Korea unsuccessfully attempted to test launch a ballistic missile, in violation of international resolutions.

Also on Monday, Pence said the Trump administration remained committed to the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system in South Korea  an antimissile system designed to protect American allies in the region from the Norths medium-range missiles.

We will continue to evolve a comprehensive set of capabilities to ensure the security of South Korea, he said. We will defeat any attack, and we will meet any use of conventional or nuclear weapons with an overwhelming and effective response.

Pences visit and remarks come in the broader context of escalating tensions between the United States and North Korea. The communist state on Saturday paraded dozens of missiles and other military hardware in a show of its advancing military capability.

North Korea and South Korea maintain a tense relationship under a decades-old armistice. Some analysts fear an American strike could rekindle the deadly Korean War. About 25 million people live in and around Seoul, and its suburbs are within striking range of the Norths artillery.

Previous presidential administrations have struggled since the early 1990s with how to prevent the North from building or proliferating nuclear weapons. Those efforts have largely failed, with many security experts believing the country now has more than a dozen nuclear devices and an expanding capacity for delivering them from land- and sea-based missiles.

Obamas strategic patience approach relied on a combination of pressure tactics, such as international sanctions, and covert actions to curb the Norths program. Although Pence said that era was over, he didnt detail a new policy during his short remarks with the South Korean president.

At every step of the way, North Korea answered our overtures with willful deception, broken promises, and nuclear and missile tests, he said.

Pence said he was heartened by signs that China would use the extraordinary levers it has to pressure North Korea into giving up its nuclear ambitions. But he also reiterated Trumps warning that the U.S. will act unilaterally if China fails to assist.

White House officials said they are encouraged that China, North Koreas biggest benefactor, appears to be prepared to take a more aggressive role.

China this year suspended coal imports from the isolated nation. The Communist-run Global Times has recommended China also support sanctions to cut off oil supplies to North Korea if it conducts a sixth nuclear test.

Beyond the coal ban, officials have not stated what, if any, measures they have taken to rein in their rogue neighbor.

We think that theyve [the Chinese] gotten the message about increasing pressure, Thornton said. But its still quite early. It takes time.

Although China formally has agreed to U.N. Security Council sanctions against the North Korean government, it tends to bust those prohibitions and continue trade.

At his daily briefing, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Trumps efforts to push China to use its influence on North Korea are paying off, after a face-to-face meeting between the president and Chinese President Xi Jinping this month in Florida.

I think you see China playing a much more active role, he said. Theres a lot of economic and political pressure points that I think China can utilize. And weve been very encouraged with the direction in which theyre going.

Thornton, who spoke at an on-the-record teleconference briefing by a senior State Department official that has become rare since Trump came to power, stressed the urgency of the threat.

The rate of testing and launching illegal technologies currently far surpasses anything that weve seen previously, she said. So there is a feeling that this is a very urgent and not just a local or a regional threat, but actually a global threat at this point.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang on Monday repeated his countrys calls for negotiations and a peaceful solution to escalating tensions.

China is not the initiator of this issue, he said, emphasizing that Chinas desire for talks has been a consistent approach, not something beginning today.

The countrys top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, spoke by phone with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday and exchanged views on the Korean peninsula situation, according to a statement by the Foreign Ministry.

The White House declined multiple opportunities Monday to further characterize the presidents thinking on North Korea, and refused to rule out any diplomatic or military response.

He holds his cards close to the vest, and I think youre not going to see him telegraphing how hes going to respond to any military or other situation going forward, Spicer said when asked if the president had a red line in mind that might prompt a military response.

Trump, speaking earlier in the day on Fox News, similarly declined to outline his thinking.

I dont want to telegraph what Im doing or what Im thinking, Trump said. Well see what happens. I hope things work out well.

Everybody has been out-played by North Korean governments, he added.

In Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, speaking to a parliamentary session Monday, called for added pressure on North Korea, and urged China and Russia to play more constructive roles.

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov issued a muted statement urging calm.

Our position is well-known and consistent. We are urging all the sides for restraint and urging all the countries to avoid any actions that could be qualified as a provocation. And we stand for continued coordinated international efforts in existing formats to settle the North Korean problem, Peskov said, according to the Tass news agency.

Pence travels next to Tokyo followed by Jakarta, Indonesia, and Sydney, Australia.

Stiles reported from Seoul, and Wilkinson from Washington. Special correspondent Jessica Meyers in Beijing and staff writer Michael Memoli in Washington contributed to this report.

ALSO

Why a North Korean leader called a gleaming new neighborhood more powerful than 100 nuclear warheads

North Korea puts its long-range missiles on parade in massive military show

Former Defense Secretary William Perry on why we didnt go to war with North Korea

UPDATES:

2:00 p.m. This article was updated with comments from the State Department, White House spokesman Sean Spicer, and President Trump.

9:35 a.m.: This article was updated with additional comments from China.

6:45 a.m.: This article was updated throughout with staff reporting.

3:55 a.m.: This article was updated with information about Pences trip to Panmunjom on Monday.

This article was originally posted at 12:55 a.m.
Next month a major initiative to help vulnerable children and their families will begin in San Diego under a partnership between three prominent organizations.

The collaboration between the Clinton Foundations Health Matters Initiative, San Diego County, and San Diego Foundation, will focus on the foster care and juvenile justice programs, particularly what sort of factors lead to the disparities that cause some populations disproportionately entangled in these systems.

The three-year effort is expected to help diagnose what the county does well to assist its most vulnerable children, where it needs improvement, and then recommend changes.

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We are really looking at diving deeply at what are some of the causes, elevating this issue, and elevating this topic, said Gillian Sealy, the CEO of the Clinton Health Matters Initiative, a part of the Clinton Foundation.

While the campaign is still in early planning stages, some of the details about the collaboration, and the potential benefits to the parties and the people they serve, are starting to emerge.

Were looking and want to determine that the systems do everything they can so that those children who are living in the system are living the best quality of life possible, and were strengthening the families of youth engaged in the system, said Kathlyn Mead, the president and CEO of the San Diego Foundation.

Next month the Clinton Health Matters Initiative will convene in San Diego with county officials, the San Diego Foundation to begin the process of analyzing the foster and juvenile justice systems, and will meet with public health organizations, community groups, and faith-based organizations, to discuss factors that impact the success of the foster care and juvenile justice systems.

These groups will be charged, based on the data they provide, with developing a plan to improve these services, Sealy said.

The effort could help address some of the disparities that different communities face, Supervisor Greg Cox said. For one, it could identify reasons why a disproportionately high number of African Americans are in the foster care and juvenile probation systems, he said.

I would hope that one of the deliverables we would find is a decrease in out-of-home placement of African Americans, he said. Thats pretty easy to measure. Wed see a decrease in percentage of African Americans in our juvenile court system, our juvenile diversion system, and improve the quality of life, and keep families together, he said.

Last weekend Cox and Mead went to Arkansas to meet with the Clinton Foundation, including former President Bill Clinton and Sealy.

The process could result in San Diego implementing successful programs from other jurisdictions, the development of a report about what works well here that might work elsewhere. The overall goal is a reduction in disparities and an improvement of existing programs in San Diego.

The work isnt expected to cost taxpayers any additional money beyond what is already allocated for public health programs.

The good news is that it doesnt really cost us financially. Certainly staff time will be focused on it, Cox said. County employees, he noted, already work to address disparities amongst residents. The San Diego Foundation is providing $900,000 to cover expenses with funding through private donors, Mead said.

As the May meeting approaches, the county and San Diego Foundation are scheduling meetings with child welfare groups, community leaders, and faith-based organizations to hear about their experiences serving children, Mead said.

Twitter: @jptstewart

joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1841
San Diego has adopted a new policy for naming city libraries, parks and other assets that is expected to spur more donations, especially for renovations of Balboa Parks aging buildings.

The policy also aims to prevent inappropriate commercialization of city properties and protect the city from having them named for harmful, controversial or disreputable people or organizations.

A city in Missouri that lacked such a policy was forced to allow the Ku Klux Klan to participate in an adopt-a-highway program after the group sued to overturn being rejected from the program.

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The City Council last week unanimously adopted the policy, which covers all city assets and combines a hodgepodge of policies individual city departments have been using into a comprehensive and universal set of regulations.

The policy outlines the criteria, conditions and procedures that govern naming and renaming of city assets.

Natasha Collura, the citys executive director of corporate sponsorships, said San Diego reviewed the policies of 26 cities and universities in crafting the new regulations.

Councilman Chris Ward, whose district includes Balboa Park, said the policy was a crucial step forward.

Its important that the city has a comprehensive and clear naming policy to ensure that were properly recognizing those individuals for their civic or financial involvement, Ward said.

Thomas Herrera-Mishler, chief executive of the Balboa Park Conservancy, said the policy will help his group when opportunities arise to secure major donations, which he said was likely.

I expect to become very adept at following this procedure in the coming years, Herrera-Mishler told the council.

Save Our Heritage Organisation, a local group that seeks to preserve historic buildings, also endorsed the new policy.

Councilwoman Georgette Gomez said another key element of the policy is preventing naming of assets that overcommercialize the city, urging city officials to be cautious.

Lets make sure it doesnt get out of control, she said.

Collura said the new policy wont prevent litigation like the Ku Klux Klan lawsuit, but will help the city defend itself.

The current policies did not adequately protect the city if the city chose not to accept funds from organizations that do not reflect city values, she said.

The policy allows the city to reject naming or renaming proposals that portray or include depictions, words, or phrases that the city deems to be harmful, controversial or that otherwise dont support city principles.

The policy also allows the city to rename any city asset if the resident, organization or business for which it is named turns out to be disreputable or becomes disreputable.

david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick
Officials are investigating after four coffee carts were set on fire late Sunday night at the University of California San Diego.

Firefighters were dispatched to the La Jolla campus just before 11:45 p.m. where they found a cart near the Social Sciences building on fire, said campus spokeswoman Laura Margoni.

During the next 40 minutes, three more carts at Warren Mall, Center Hall and Revelle Plaza all went up in flames

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The blazes were confined to the stands and did not spread, said San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokeswoman Monica Munoz.

Damage to each was estimated to be $5,000 for the carts and about $2,000 to their contents, said Munoz.

Firefighters are working with campus officials to find the cause of the fires and investigating a report that they may have been set remotely.

Anyone with information is asked to call the UCSD police department at (858) 534-4357.

619-293-1710

debbi.baker@sduniontribune.com

twitter.com/Debbi_Baker
A driver who veered into oncoming traffic and then a tree with her unrestrained daughter in the front seat was suspected of driving under the influence, San Diego police said.

The 25-year-old woman was headed east in a Ford Mustang on University Avenue when she veered across the road, jumped a curb and crashed into a tree near Chollas Parkway about 2:30 p.m., police said.

Officers didnt say whether she was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs in the El Cerrito neighborhood crash.

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She was taken to a hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries. Her daughter, who was not wearing a seat belt, was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

Twitter: @LAWinkley

(619) 293-1546

lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com
A former engineer at the San Onofre nuclear plant has lost his bid to formally join talks aimed at renegotiating a deal that assigned utility customers to pay $3.3 billion in premature shutdown costs.

Vinod Arora of Anaheim Hills, who subsequently formed a public-benefit charity to advocate on behalf of Southern California Edison customers, told the California Public Utilities Commission he should become a party to the case to help explain and expose what caused the plant failure.

SCEs silence is neither reasonable nor in ratepayers interest, he told the commission in his March motion. Arora needs to be invited in the CPUC San Onofre investigation to tell the truth under oath.

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Administrative Law Judge Darcie Houck disagreed. In her ruling Monday, she said it was simply too late to be adding new voices to the proceeding.

The settlement agreement  was adopted two and one-half years ago and the record in this proceeding was reopened just short of a year ago, the judge wrote. Arora appears to have been fully aware of these proceedings, yet failed to seek timely party status in the proceeding.

The 2,200-megawatt plant on the San Diego County coast just north of Oceanside was shut down after a small radiation leak in 2012. An investigation showed excessive wear inside replacement steam generators that had been installed months earlier.

The commission approved a deal that assigned 70 percent of the $4.7 billion of premature closure costs to customers rather than utility shareholders  a deal now being renegotiated after a federal appeals court agreed to hear a civil lawsuit challenging the agreement.

A well-regarded mediator has agreed to help develop a more equitable settlement, although any revision would require both court and commission approval.

Edison and minority plant owner San Diego Gas & Electric both opposed Aroras request to join the mediation process. Arora was invited to renew the motion if and when the commission formally reopens the proceeding.

Mediation sessions are scheduled for June.

Watchdog Videos On Now Sexual misconduct accusers worry deputy is being protected 6:16 On Now City funded $2-million waterfront bathroom 1:26 On Now Public water district charges customer for legal work, response to records request On Now Video: Tiny homes won't be reused amid housing, homeless crisis On Now Attorney General seeks documentation for Miss Middle East On Now Rep. Hunter probe covers possible fraud On Now Video: SDG&E delaying solar credit for some low-income housing tenants On Now Video: Former San Diego Junior Theatre teacher sentenced for sex with teen girl 0:24 On Now Video: Shelter volunteers believe they were fired for finding a dog a home 0:49 On Now McKamey Manor is leaving San Diego 3:35

jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonald
America still suffers an intense hangover from its war on crime in the 1980s and 1990s, when politicians of both parties enacted far more draconian policies than those seen in other affluent nations. Three strikes and youre out, zero-tolerance and minimum-sentencing laws have an undeniable appeal to Americans who worry about public safety  especially those who have been directly affected by crime. But these approaches can overlook the crucial fact that crime, especially violent crime, is largely a young mans game. The lives of people who make mistakes while young shouldnt be thrown away by having them languish decades in prison, at great cost to society and to taxpayers.

Gov. Jerry Brown understands this bigger picture. Its why he pursued and won approval of Propositions 47 and 57, two criminal-justice measures that while flawed have the impeccable goal of trying to help offenders lead productive lives.

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Now Browns insight is again on display with his decision to pardon 72 people, including three veterans who were deported after getting in trouble after leaving the U.S. military. Former Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher deserves praise for helping the men  Erasmo Apodaca Mendizabal, Marco Antonio Chavez and Hector Barajas Varela  win their pardons and putting the three on track to getting their green cards back and possibly eventually winning citizenship. As the governors office emphasized, these pardons were earned. Each of the 72 were certified as rehabilitated by a Superior Court and have had positive, constructive lives since finishing their sentences.

Good for Brown. People who have chances to contribute to society shouldnt be discarded  especially those who have served our country.

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: UTOpinion
Paul Ryan, GOP should lose their health care

I find it amazing that someone who is being paid $174,000 a year by the taxpayers and has the best health care available that the taxpayers can provide refuses to give health care to the least fortunate because they cant afford it.

Thanks to Ryan and his colleagues. The only way things are going to change is for our representatives to earn what a middle-income wage earner makes, has to save for retirement, has to contribute to social security, and has to be concerned about health care costs.

You cant represent me if you do not live in the same world I do.

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Tony Kopec

San Marcos

Letters and commentary policy

The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below.

If Starbucks can do it, why cant everyone?

Regarding Starbucks extends China health coverage (April 13): I find it fascinating that Starbucks has figured out how to provide medical insurance for its employees and their families in China. Starbucks is providing a much-needed and wanted service while boosting its public relations.

Meanwhile, here in Trump-land, the wealthiest country in the history of the world, our elected representatives cant work together to fix the relatively minor flaws in an already functioning health care system (ACA).

After eight years of mindlessly opposing Obamacare, the Republican Party still cant produce a workable health care program that doesnt eliminate basic health care coverage for millions of people. Seriously, lets get Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz to solve the problem.

Steven Miller

Rancho Penasquitos

Want to see more letters that appear only online? Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook.
Regarding Thousands march in San Diego demanding Trumps tax returns (April 16): What a total waste of time and showing no intellectual thought is the protest to get Donald Trumps taxes released.

First, for those willing to show theirs if Trump does, no one cares what they made.

Second, the president is no less a citizen than anyone else whose taxes are confidential, 75 percent of which would likely not want their taxes open to scrutiny.

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Third, if Trump had to produce them, then our elected congressional officials should too, and you know that aint happening, ever.

Fourth, shouldnt these protesting be more concerned about what North Korea is doing rather than knowing what one more elected millionaire made last year.

Mark Blakey

Bonita

Letters and commentary policy

The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below.

Why is it important for President Trump to release his tax returns? Not because hes taken advantage of legal loopholes to avoid paying income tax. (Avoidance isnt evasion.)

But, President Trumps financial stake in an unorthodox, sprawling, and largely secretive global economic and political network presents a potential conflict of interest of staggering proportions.

Do foreign countries have leverage over him because of his financial ties? Is this multi-billionaire head-of-state using his position and power for his personal economic advantage? Like proposing tax laws that benefit wealthy real estate tycoons? Or promoting laws or regulations favoring industries in which he is personally invested?

Many Americans believe Trump is hiding something. And transparency  by disclosing his tax returns, as others have doneis necessary to establish trust. Congress can make this happen by passing the Presidential Tax Transparency Act. (H.R. 305 and S. 26).

John Pierce

Cardiff

* * *

I recently had a discussion with my certified public accountant regarding the disclosure of Trumps tax returns, and he pointed out that tax returns alone would not necessarily reveal what we all need to see.

They wont tell us exactly who the customers, debtors and creditors are of the businesses owned by Trump and his family. And they wont tell us who Trump and his family personally owe money to, and who owes them money. And they wont necessarily tell us who the equity partners are of the businesses owned by Trump and his family. Or who the key employees of their businesses are.

In other words, theres a lot of information that isnt in Trumps tax returns. All of this should be required in addition to Trumps personal income tax returns and those of all the businesses he owns, partially or in full.

Mike Allen

San Diego

Let me see if I have this straight. North Korea is threatening nuclear war. Syria is killing children with gas. Turkey is on the verge of a dictatorship. And, there is a group of Looney Tunes out there protesting the President not releasing his tax returns. Have they been committed yet?

* * *

M.A. Eckberg

Scripps Ranch

Want to see more letters that appear only online? Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook.
Update: San Diego-area migrant activist Hugo Castro has been found alive after he went missing in Mexico last Thursday, his partner Gaba Cortes announced on Facebook Tuesday afternoon.

Communicating to our friends, family, that Hugo has been found alive. Thats what we can share. We thank those who intervened, Cortes wrote.

Monday had marked the fourth day since Castro disappeared in Mexico on Thursday after he made a plea for help and offered clues to his whereabouts on Facebook Live.

Mexican and U.S. authorities had since joined the search along with Castros friends and family who fear for the Border Angels volunteers life after he said on Facebook Live that a group of criminals wanted to kill him and that he didnt trust the local police.

I was threatened. They want to kill me, Castro says in a 20-minute recording of a live broadcast he made on Facebook on Thursday afternoon. Ive been walking for a long time, they dont want to sell me anything, and theyre looking at me as if I were a dog. I need help.

Castros mysterious disappearance had captivated widespread concern as the lack of details and updates from authorities fuel speculation and rumors on social media. People continued to turn to his Facebook Live broadcast to look for clues.

The mystery began when Castro left his home in Tijuana on April 9. He was headed to the Mexican state of Chiapas where he was set to meet with a caravan of people helping migrants travel from Central America to seek asylum in the U.S., The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

While he was on his way there, Castro said men driving in trucks began to follow and corner him near Puebla. Thats when he began to broadcast live on Facebook to ask for help.

Castros Facebook Live broadcast starts with him standing on the shoulder of a busy highway between Puebla and Mexico City. Castro describes landmarks of his location: a water storage tank and the highway marker  Kilometer 37  where he asks for someone to come pick him up.

In the video he says locals wont accept his U.S. dollars and that he was greeted by a group of criminals who had been following him on his trek.

I really need help. I cant move from here. My battery is going to die. Im not going to move from here, he says in the video, which was the last contact he made before disappearing Thursday.

San Diego-based Border Angels activist Hugo Castro was declared missing on Thursday, April 13, 2017, after making a plea for help via Facebook Live. The above image was distributed in a bulletin shared on social media. (Gaba Cortes/Facebook) (Gaba Cortes/Facebook)

As of Monday morning, Castro had not been found but his friends and relatives continued to post pleas for help via his Facebook profile.

Hugo Castro, we ask God that you soon return home, one post reads. His video and a missing person bulletin have been widely shared on social media. Over the weekend, supporters held prayer vigils at Chicano Park in San Diego.

Messages of support and pleas for help in Spanish and English largely circulated on Facebook. After Castro went missing, his partner and fellow Border Angels activist Gaba Cortes went on Facebook Live to ask for help and relay details of his trip. He was on a bus on his way to Chiapas and appeared to be in good spirits the night before he went missing, she says.

Its very hard to talk about this, she says. In another video she recorded on Friday, Cortes asks people to refrain from sharing rumors and speculation about Castros fate.

On Sunday, a woman identifying herself as Cortes sister set up a PayPal account and on Facebook she asked for donations to cover the costs for her trip to Mexico City to search for Castro.

Enrique Morones, founder of the immigrant rights group Border Angels, told KPBS that Castro had received death threats in recent months while helping deported Haitian migrants in Tijuana.

These people that threatened him were trying to take advantage of the Haitians and Hugo was defending them," Morones told KPBS. Its unclear whether the death threats were connected to his disappearance.

Have some thoughts to share?

Join me in a conversation: Shoot me a private email with your thoughts or ideas on a different approach to this story. As always, you can also send us a tweet.

Email: luis.gomez@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @RunGomez

UPDATES:

1:25 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details.

This article was originally published on Monday, April 17, at 11:40 a.m.
Consumers can be victimized in many ways. One of the worst is to have your financial identity compromised. It can cost you lots of money and cause a loss of privacy.

Most victims arent sure about where to turn for help or what to do when they learn theyve been victimized.

This is what makes San Diegos Identity Theft Resource Center so valuable. It helps consumers recover, partly by offering easy-to-read tutorials on its website  idtheftcenter.org.

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Heres what you should do if your financial identity is compromised. All of the following information is provided by the center.

FIRST STEPS

Under the law, you have the right to have a police report taken. Many states do not have a specific law about this but if you are persistent you should be able to get a report in the jurisdiction where you live. With a police report you are entitled to:

* A seven-year fraud alert.

* A credit freeze in the states that have adopted this procedure into law.

* Have inaccurate or fraudulent information blocked from your credit report.

* Receive a copy of all application and transaction records on accounts opened fraudulently in your name.

* To have the account removed from your credit report once you have provided evidence the account is fraudulent. This includes any collection actions or inquiries.

ORGANIZING YOU CASE

* Keep a detailed log in a spiral or composition book of all phone calls you receive or make, including the names or people, their title, phone numbers, company name and notes about the conversation. Keep loose papers in an accordion folder (or something similar).

* Mail all correspondence as certified, return receipt requested to confirm it has been delivered. Keep the postcard you receive for evidence, if necessary.

* Confirm all conversations and agreements in writing. The person who made an oral agreement with you may not be at that company two months later.

* Keep all receipts of expenses and copies of correspondence.

WORK WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE

* The biggest waste of time is talking with the wrong people. Keep in mind that whenever possible you want to speak with someone on the investigative or fraud side of a company or governmental agency. Customer service is seldom the correct department; it only deals with billing and service issues.

* The Social Security Administration does not work on financial identity theft cases. It only gets involved through its Office of Inspector General if there is benefit fraud or theft of benefit checks.

* Talk with your local law-enforcement agency and file an identity theft report with it.

* The Secret Service and FBI only get involved upon the request of local law enforcement or the U.S. Attorney Generals Office.

* When mail theft or fraud is an issue, speak only with the Postal Inspectors Office, not a post office manager.

* When speaking to the Department of Motor Vehicles, ask for a fraud investigator.

ASSESSING THE DAMAGE AND BEGINNING STEPS

* Stolen credit cards, checks, ATM or debit cards: Contact the financial institution immediately and close the affected accounts. Put passwords on the new accounts. If you never made a copy of the card, you should be able to find a 24/7 phone number on the back of a billing or bank account statement.

* Account takeover: If a bank, credit card or debit account has been taken over by another person (charges you didnt make appear on your monthly statements), close the account and open a new one. In most cases you need to notify the company (bank or credit card issuer) within 30 days, so act quickly.

It is vital to check statements monthly as few financial institutions allow a grace period longer than the contractual agreement (on the back of your monthly statement). Add a password for protection. If checks are involved, see Identity Theft Resource Center Fact Sheet FS 126  Checking Account Takeover and Check Fraud for details. A password on the account may help to deter a thief from changing the billing address or adding a name to the account.

* Stolen or lost wallets: If your wallet (or PDA) has been lost or stolen, follow the steps in Identity Theft Resource Center Fact Sheet FS 104.

* Social Security number: If this has been taken, order your credit reports from all three credit reporting agencies. The primary contact numbers are Equifax at (800) 525-6285 or TDD (800) 255-0056, TransUnion at (800) 680-7289 (fraud victims also can send email to fvad@transunion.com) and Experian at (888) 397-3742.

The best way to evaluate how bad your case might be is to examine your credit reports. You may call the CRAs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. At this time, English is the only language being used.

When ordering your credit reports, you will have an opportunity to place a FRAUD ALERT. The initial fraud alert will only last for 90 days. It is renewable, using the same phone number and procedure you used to place your first fraud alert. It may be extended to seven years when you write the agency and send a copy of your police report verifying you as an identity theft victim.

Please understand you will NOT be speaking with a person. These are automated systems and it is safe to give them your Social Security number. You will have access to a fraud assistance adviser once you receive your reports in the mail.

While the first credit reporting agency you call will state that they will contact the other two agencies for you, the Identity Theft Resource Center recommends you empower yourself and make sure the job is done by calling all three agencies. These are separate companies and they may have different information about you causing one of them to not send a report to you.

When placing the fraud alert, should you hear that the information you have provided does not match the information on file, this is a clear indication that there is a problem. This may mean that a thief has used an address with such frequency that it appears to be your primary address. In that case, follow the directions given and mail your request (with the requested documents) to the address given, which may vary from state to state.

You may also ask that your entire Social Security number is not on the report mailed to you, a good safety measure. Be sure that you have a locked mailbox in which you receive mail  a good tip for everyone.

CONTINUING THE RECOVERY PROCESS

* Contact the law-enforcement agency in the jurisdiction where you live and file an identity theft report. You will need to obtain a physical copy of this report, not just a case number. This is a critical document required to clear your name.

* Contact all credit issuers, utility companies and collection agencies that have opened a fraudulent account. Speak only to a fraud investigator.

* Then make a request to close the account(s).

* Inform then that they may not sell, share, exchange, give away, donate, and/or trade this account to any other entity for the purposes of collection while it is under investigation.

* Get Application and Transaction Records  FCRA section 609e requires companies to send you any documents they have. You will need to send an affidavit and/or a police report to receive copies of transaction and application records. A copy of the transaction information may also be sent to a designated police department. These documents may contain valuable evidence to point to the thief or help you to clear your name. The credit issuers must send you this information within 20 days (FCRA/FACTA). This demand is part of Identity Theft Resource Center Letter Form LF 100-1  Initial Victim Statement.

* Once you get the information from the credit issuers, contact the investigating law-enforcement agency and give it the designated information.

* Contact the three credit reporting agencies using the form they provide for correction of errors. FCRA states they must remove the information unless credit issuers prove it is a true account. Ultimately, the credit issuer must be the one to remove fraudulent accounts from your credit report permanently. The credit issuers also must correct any erroneous information including addresses, phone numbers, birth dates and other information falsely provided by the thief.

COLLECTION AGENCIES:

TERMS you should know:

FCRA: Fair Credit Reporting Act

FDCPA: Fair Debt Collections Practices Act: you can get a copy of this at www.ftc.gov

SSN: Social Security number

Credit Reporting Agencies (CRAs)  The credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, Transunion) are for-profit companies that are a necessary component of the identity theft remediation process. The Identity Theft Resource Center does not recommend consumers contact these entities as an endorsement of their goods, products or services, but rather as a necessary part of the mitigation process. There is no alternative for following this process. The center is able to provide its free services due to the financial support of our corporate sponsors. We currently have the following Credit Reporting Agencies providing financial support to the Identity Theft Resource Center: none.

FTC: Federal Trade Commission is the governmental agency that oversees identity theft issues.

All victims should report their case when they have time to 877-IDTHEFT or to the website: https://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft . The information the FTC collects is vital statistical information and they have a booklet that will also help guide you through the process.

EPTA: Electronic Transfer Act: provides consumer protection for all transactions using a debit card or electronic means to debit or credit an account. It also limits a consumers liability for unauthorized electronic fund transfers.

Fraud alert: A fraud alert heightens credit issuers awareness that they need to authenticate and verify the applicant before issuing credit. However, it is not 100% reliable and not always heeded. They dont affect your credit score but may slow down the application process. When you initially place a fraud alert as a potential victim of identity theft, you will be offered a free credit report as part of your federal rights. This is not the same as the free federal annualcreditreport.com (please refer to Identity Theft Resource Center Fact Sheet FS 125).

Security or credit freeze: With a freeze, a company may not look at your credit report for the purposes of establishing new lines of credit. Companies you already have an existing relationship with (example: a credit card, loan or utility service) may view your reports but only to review your credit-worthiness. Placing a freeze is a strong step to take and will affect your ability to get instant credit since it can take up to 3 days to thaw a report. However, it also locks out thieves. In those states with freeze laws, most state that victims with a police report get this service for free. Most states also allow the consumer to buy a freeze. You may thaw your freeze anytime you wish to apply for credit but you will need to plan ahead. See Identity Theft Resource Center Fact Sheet FS 124 for more information or our State & Local Resources to see if your state has a freeze program.

Passwords: a password should not be a mothers maiden name. If the bank insists on a mothers maiden name then make one up. A strong password should be more than 8 characters in length, and contain both capital letters and at least one numeric or other non-alphabetical character. Use of non-dictionary words is also advised. Place passwords on all bank accounts and credit cards as a proactive prevention action against account takeover.

This solution sheet should not be used in lieu of legal advice. Any requests to reproduce this material, other than by individual victims for their own use, should be directed to itrc@idtheftcenter.org.

Cybersecurity Playlist  On Now Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) slams Equifax On Now LA 90: Yahoo data breach worse than originally reported On Now Lifelock offers to protect you from the Equifax breach  by selling you services provided by Equifax 1:02 On Now California beer maker thrives in Germany On Now Cyberattacks on Hollywood On Now Hackers gain access to OneLogin On Now What is WannaCry? On Now Senate overturns privacy rules for Internet providers On Now Online pirates claim to hold Disney's latest 'Pirates of the Caribbean' movie hostage, demand ransom On Now Yahoo warns users of malicious activity

Twitter: @grobbins

gary.robbins@sduniontribune.com
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/17/2017 -- Buruli ulcer, brought about by Mycobacterium ulcerans is a perpetual crippling sickness that influences primarily the skin and bone sometimes. The organism has a place with the group of microscopic organisms that causes tuberculosis and infection. The correct method of transmission is hazy. The fundamental weight of malady falls on kids living in sub-Saharan Africa, however sound individuals of any age, races, and financial classes are vulnerable. Despite the fact that it has been accounted for in more than 33 nations around the globe, the best weight of infection is in the tropical areas of West and Central Africa, Australia, and Japan. It basically influences kids matured 5-15 years. Notwithstanding, in some exceptionally endemic regions in Ghana, the commonness of Buruli ulcer has been assessed to be as high as 150.8/100,000 people, and in southern Benin, a current review has revealed location rates of 21.5/100,000 every year, higher than for either tuberculosis or leprosy. Disease regularly prompts ulcers on the arms or legs, which can likewise devastate skin or soft tissue. At the point when not appropriately treated, the ailment can bring about irreversible disfigurement or long haul practical inability. The disease is likewise endemic in a few different nations outside Africa, including country territories of Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, French Guiana, and Mexico. In Australia, Buruli ulcer treatment stays uncommon, however there have been increments in both occurrence and the quantity of endemic territories over the most recent 15 years.



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Buruli Ulcer Treatment Market: Drivers and Restraints



Growing incidence of Buruli ulcers is expected to increase demand for antibiotics and surgeries.. As per WHO (World Health Organization) major have likewise been accounted for from South East Asia , Australia, South America and Central regions in Africa. In the course of the most recent 2 decades the rate of Buruli ulcer has expanded, in spite of critical underreporting of cases. In 1999 there were 6000 new cases in Ghana; in 2004 (Australia), there were 25 new cases, 47 more in 2005 and 72 in 2006. Ordinarily, 05 cases for every year happen in the Daintree area (Australia) in any case, in 20112012, there was a noteworthy flare-up, with no less than 75 cases recognized. In Victoria (Australia), 157 cases happened in 20112012. The development is basically determined by expanded prevalence. New companies in the antibiotics industry have indicated expanded competence and safety profiles along with lessening the chances of ulcers. The ulcer showcase likewise has majorly two different procedures of treatment, which are via antibiotics and surgery. Late information recommend that combinations of anti-mycobacterial antibiotics that incorporate rifampicin and either streptomycin or amikacin can execute M. ulcerans in human injuries. Temporary rules now suggest the utilization of chose hostile to mycobacterial drugs, generally consolidated with surgery, for the treatment of Buruli ulcer. Effective treatment will abbreviate the course of the sickness and limit distortion. Skilled surgery, expert nursing care, and therapeutic physiotherapy are regularly required to accomplish great results.



Yet, the remedial action of such events still rests an undiscovered area of research and development for pharmaceutical & healthcare organizations to carry innovative medications and advanced treatment into the Buruli ulcer treatment market. However nonappearance of conclusive treatment, reactions, restricted adequacy of the medications and high cost of surgery accessible in the market and reliance in manifestation based treatment in a few cases is required to hamper treatment growth & development of the overall Buruli ulcer treatment market over the forecast period.



Buruli Ulcer Treatment Market: Overview



Around 70% of those suffered with Buruli ulcer are kids under 15 years of age. In Ghana the normal cost to treat Buruli ulcer is over US$ 780 for each individual. The acknowledged current treatment for Buruli ulcer is typically surgery. Inconveniences incorporate contracture distortions, removal of appendages, and inclusion of the eye, breast and genitalia. In a few areas 2025% of those with recuperated injuries are left with inabilities that have a long-term social and financial effect. The current financial and social weight forced by Buruli ulcer is colossal. The global market for Buruli ulcer treatment is expected to witness firm growth owing to increasing incidence rate of the ulcers coupled with new treatment (branded and generic) approach.



Buruli Ulcer Treatment Market: Region  wise Outlook



Globally the Buruli ulcer treatment market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan and Middle East and Africa (MEA). North America and Western Europe are expected to be the leading markets in the global Buruli ulcer treatment market. Rising treatment options among the young age population, prescription rates and the maturing worldwide population are additionally considered vital drivers for this market. Public awareness via hospitals, drug manufacturers, medical campaigns and simply available diagnostic tests are relied upon to lift interest for Buruli ulcer treatment items in these areas. Japan and APEJ are relied upon to take after next as far as interest for the treatment of Buruli ulcer treatment advertise. Eastern Europe, Latin America and MEA markets are likewise anticipated that would witness normal development over the forecast period. Nonattendance of populace based reviews in creating nations is a noteworthy test in appraisal of ulcer related contaminations in these nations.



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Tucson, AZ -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/17/2017 -- Southern Arizona Urgent Care (SAUC) has expanded its footprint and will open its fifth Tucson location in early April at 6303 E. Broadway Blvd. Suite 161 Tucson, AZ 85710. Since its launch in 2012, SAUC has opened four other leading urgent care facilities in Tucson and has quickly become a new standard of outpatient healthcare for anyone with routine or episodic healthcare needs.



As the top rated urgent care center in Arizona, Founder and CEO Dr. David P. Skinner, M.D., Ph.D., MBA has realized his vision for an all-encompassing Urgent Care experience that serves as a one-stop shop for all patients' needs. As a native Tucsonan and U of A College of medicine graduate, Dr. David Skinner understands the medical needs of his local community and personally oversees the construction and design of each of his facilities.



SAUC is on the path to becoming the number one urgent care model in Southern Arizona. With the opening of his fifth location, Dr. Skinner is well on his way to achieving his goal of establishing 12 premier facilities in the Tucson Metro area by 2018. The next SAUC location will open in September of 2017 at 6572 East Grant Rd followed by his most eastern location at 1040 S. Harrison Rd. in October of 2017.



Dr. Skinner's dedication to outpatient healthcare has set the bar high and continues to define urgent care standards. SAUC has a comprehensive inventory of in-house capabilities including a point-of-care laboratory armed with state of the art diagnostic equipment and an in-house dispensary. Furthermore, SAUC offers Workers Compensation evaluations while tailoring its processes to the needs of local employers as well as management and triaging of individuals involved in the non life threatening motor vehicle accidents.



Southern Arizona Urgent Care facilities are open daily from 7am to 7pm, 7 days a week. They accept most insurance providers and have affordable fee-for-service pricing options that are posted on their website at http://www.sauc.com.



For check-in visits and other information visit the website at http://sauc.com or call 520-544-CARE.



Contact:

Janet Belnap

Tel: 520-900-7023

email: janet@sauc.com
Seattle, WA -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/17/2017 -- The report "Tool Steel Market by Product Type (Metal Cutting Tools, Cold Working Tools, Others), End-Use Industry (Automotive Industry, Plastic Industry, Aerospace Industry, Energy Sector, Others), Region - Global Forecasts to 2021", The tool steel market is projected to grow from USD 2.13 Billion in 2016 to USD 2.77 Billion by 2021, at a CAGR of 5.3% from 2016 to 2021.



Browse 147 market data tables and 48 figures spread through 164 pages and in-depth TOC on "Tool Steel Market - Global Forecasts to 2021"



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Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report.



The growing demand for tool steels to manufacture various cutting tools, such as tool bits, drills, taps, gear cutters, saw blades, planers, jointer blades, milling cutters, router bits, punches, and dies, among others is driving the growth of the tool steels market, globally.



Among product types, the metal cutting tools segment of the tool steel market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period, 2016 to 2021.



Among product types, the metal cutting tools segment of the tool steel market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period, 2016 to 2021. This growth can be attributed to the rising demand for cutting tools made from tool steels as tooling is an important part of the manufacturing process since machine tools are used to bore, grind, mill, tap, form, drill, cut, shape, cut & cast, and determine the quality of the manufactured product. The advantages of tool steels are their high strength to withstand cutting forces and low costs of the tools manufactured from tool steels. Tool steels are the most economical materials that can be used to manufacture any type of cutting tool. As such, tool steel based cutting tools are widely used in various end-use industries including automotive, plastic, aerospace, chemical, medical, and oil & gas, among others.



Request for the Sample PDF of Report @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=230635068



Tool steels are widely used in the automotive industry.



Among end-use industries, the automotive industry segment is projected to lead the tool steel market from 2016 to 2021. In the automotive industry, tool steels are used for manufacturing pumps, valves, injectors, turbochargers, inserts, pistons, valve needles, valve balls, and valve seats, among others. Tool steels based molds are used in the molding of plastics to form headlamps, tail lamps, and inner panels of automobiles. Growing automation in the automotive industry and rising demand for vehicles across the globe have boosted the demand for tool steels in the automotive industry.



The Asia-Pacific tool steel market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period, 2016 to 2021.



The Asia-Pacific tool steel market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period, 2016 to 2021. The growth of the Asia-Pacific tool steel market can be attributed to the high economic growth of the Asia-Pacific region as well as increased investments by various governments and leading market players in the Asia-Pacific region to carry out innovations in the field of tool steels. Moreover, increasing income of the middle class population in the region is also driving the demand for different products, which is fueling the growth of numerous industries in the Asia-Pacific region. This, in turn, is leading towards continuous industrialization in the region, thereby fueling the growth of the Asia-Pacific tool steel market.



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Hudson Tool Steel Corporation (U.S.), Sandvik Materials Technology AB (Sweden), Erasteel (France), Nachi-Fujikoshi Corporation (Japan), Daido Steel Co., Ltd. (Japan), Friedr. Lohmann GmbH (Germany), Kennametal Inc. (U.S.), Voestalpine AG (Austria), ArcelorMittal S.A. (Luxembourg), and ThyssenKrupp AG (Germany), among others, are the key players operating in the tool steel market.



Browse Related Report:



Flat Steel Market by Type (Sheets & Strips, Plates), End User (Building & Infrastructure, Automotive & Other Transport, Mechanical Equipment), and Region (Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, Middle East & Africa, South America) - Global Forecast to 2026



http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/flat-steel-market-%20110723589.html



High Strength Steel Market by Type (High Strength Low Alloy Steels, Dual Phase Steels, Bake Hardenable Steels, Carbon Manganese Steels, and Others), by End User (Automotive, Construction, and Others), by Region - Global Forecast to 2021



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NASA snaps the first photographs of a gigantic crack in Greenlands Petermann Glacier. On Friday, during the airborne mission, the crack was first noticed by scientists. NASA named this mission as Operation IceBridge, the main purpose of this mission was to fly over the northwest Greenland and take photographs according to coordinates.

Professor Stef Lhermitte from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, first observed the crack while examining the photographs with satellite images. NASAs latest photographs define that a new rift has opened near the center of the glacier's floating ice shelf. Scientists are now looking for the reason why it is formed in an unusual location.

The Washington Post reported that the crack is getting wider and longer and it is not so distant from another bigger crack. Both cracks are slowly extending toward the shelf's center from its eastern side wall. NASA explained that when those two cracks would intersect then a large slice will be detached from the main ice shelf, and it will cause other pieces to break away.

NASA also found a Medial flow line on the ice that has a stagnating effect on the newer rift. It helps to slow down the propagation towards the older one. According to Mashable, those two cracks were started breaking off since 2010 and 2012 and the 2010s crack was the largest that seek attentions of scientists and media.

Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, Edward Markey said at the opening of the hearing in summer 2010,This giant ice island is more than four times the size of Manhattan. It is the largest piece of Arctic ice to break free in nearly half a century. During Operation IceBridge, NASAs aircraft also captured the images of other nearby glaciers, such as Heilprin and Upernavik.

NASA also analyzed the floating sea ice in the channel between northwestern Greenland and northeastern Canada. Lhermitte responded, seeing the images that after studying it from space it is really amazing to see the rift closely, but it is still difficult to answer what exactly caused the crack on this unusual spot.
It requires rigorous testing on Earth to venture out in space. NASA's ambitious plan to float a spacecraft on Titan's methane seas is undergoing technological testing in a Chilean lake.

Titan is Saturn's moon that is most likely to harbor life, the reason why NASA is targeting it for landing a spacecraft. Although it is impossible to recreate methane seas on Earth, a Chilean lake was selected to test a miniature mock-up of the lander concept called Titan Mare Explorer (TiME).

The aim of this technological test was to simulate conditions of the Titan's seas on the lake to see how the probe behaves under waves and winds. This is NASAs bold step towards understanding the effects of diverse environments on other planets and moons in Earth's solar system to enable future spacecraft to land.

Space.com reports what Ellen Stofan, TiME's former principle investigator had to say, "I found it extremely helpful to see the remote operations and to participate in measuring the depth of the lake [with TiME]." However, according to him the trial was not designed for a complete test of planetary lake lander.

Since Titan is the only heavenly body in Earth's solar system to have liquid lakes and seas consisting of methane and ethane, there is a strong possibility that these liquids contain alien lifeforms completely different from those on Earth. NASA thinks that Titan is the best bet to find alien life.

According to Scientific American, unlike the Mars rovers, robotic explorations on Titan would require intense brainstorming and brain work. To this end, TiME will be powered by Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator especially developed by NASA.

Stofan is upbeat on the prospects of splashing down TiME in Ligeia Mare, a methane-ethane sea near Titan's north pole in 2023. Since it is designed to float, it will drift across the surface of the liquid, wherever the currents and winds carry it.

As TiME bobs up and down on the surface of the Titan lake with its bulk rising 6.5 feet above the liquid, it will measure the temperature, methane humidity, atmospheric pressure and details about the Titan winds. The data will provide crucial information as to how Titan's atmosphere and sea interact and whether this chemistry would lead towards creation of life.
The Federal Government of Australia released $18 million to fund 6 new projects on Thursday to help save the Great Barrier Reef which is now in great danger. But a quality expert says this budget is too small for the project.

The new funding activities are for the recent water quality enhancement program and seek to handle erosion of stream banks and also gullies - something liable of 70 percent of the fine residue overflow onto the Great Barrier Reef, as indicated by Australian environment minister Josh Frydenberg.

Earthly drainage, like, supplements and pesticides from farms convert to bigger damage to corals and in addition ocean grass. They also have a share in an epidemic of crown-of-thorns starfish in the territory.For Frydenberg, the efforts are a part of preserving the reef, to which water quality expert and James Cook University's Jon Brodie said $18 million is somewhat insufficient or small and won't make a real dent in the Great Barrier Reef's recent issues.

"It's great, however, it's all a bit little too late," he said in an SBS report, saying that while water quality administration will collect short term wins, it makes a difference to oversee climate change in the distant future.The Great Barrier Reef Water Science team expressed that their estimation for this project is $8.2 billion to obtain water quality targets by 2015.

In view of current aerial surveys, mass coral bleaching influenced 66 percent of the Great Barrier Reef for the second time in only a year. Fearing high coral mortality in the reef's central part, Australian authorities said that extreme bleaching scenes in 2016 and this year just left the reef's southern third undamaged. Coral bleaching happens when heat stress prompts corals to discharge small, clear green algae from their inner parts, which turn them white. Restoration or recovery is possible with a drop in temperature and algae's return, yet continued bleaching can prompt inevitable death.

Brodie, who has dedicated a lot of his professional life to water quality on the Great Barrier Reef, even told the Guardian that the celebrated piece of nature is as of now in a "terminal stage," and that they have been unsuccessful in spite of spending "a lot of money." As per BusinessInsider.

The scientist regarded 2016 as a sufficiently terrible year for the reef. However, though 2017 is a "calamity year" nevertheless.


There's now a number of American States that have legalized the use of medical marijuana over the recent years. This is due to numerous studies that have been claiming the endless benefits that the drug can give to an individual with neurological diseases such as Parkinson's, Epilepsy, and more. To join the list perhaps by this year, North Dakota has been lobbying for the legalization of medical marijuana in their state only awaiting approval from Governor Doug Burgum.

This is after a research from the local health department claimed that five out of every 1,000 individuals in North Dakota will benefit from the regulated use of the drug, as explained by Star Tribune. Things are looking up and if the Governor signs the policy, the drug might be available for regulated use come next year, 2018. People with neurological disorders are now hoping that the new policy can prolong their life and provide treatment to their illnesses.

If they will be available by next year, medical marijuana will be in forms such as capsules, topical creams, and patches. Smoking is not a recommendable way to ingest it, however, it will be allowed should a medical practitioner specifically instruct such actions.

According to a report from Fox News, there is a list of 17 medical conditions that allow the use of regulated medical marijuana. Mostly these include neurological diseases, including terminal disorders as well. No purchase nor use will be allowed without the authorization of a doctor, a nurse, or a medical certificate.

On the other hand, there are very strong restrictions that remain for the use of medical marijuana particularly a limit on the amount of purchase. For anyone, say a caregiver, trying to purchase the drug for someone else, there are also requirements needed including an age limit of 21, a criminal background check, a registered caregiver to a patient with a certificate, and a $50 annual fee.
Doctors in Spain were able to perform 4, 818 transplants in 2016 including 2, 994 kidney transplants. This scenario reflects that there were 43.4 organ donors per million inhabitants in the past year compared to 2015's 40.2 donors.

According to CTV News, compared to other countries, Spain is leading in terms of organ transplant as compared to other countries. The United States has just 28.2 donors per million inhabitants in 2015, 28.1 in France, and 10.9 in Germany. According to Rafael Matesanz, after transplant, the patient starts to recover initiated by gaining weight. Matesanz is the founder of National Transplant Organization (ONT).

The ONT is an institution belonging to the Spanish Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality geared towards the development of skills related to the delivery and clinical utilization of organs, tissues, and cells. The essential duty of the organization is to promote organ transplant.

Matesanz described the implementation of centralized, healthy organ donation and organized transplant system that has inspired medical institutions across Europe. One key person in the successful transplant system of Spain is the transplant coordinator. A transplant coordinator is usually a nurse or a doctor whose specialization is intensive care.

Organ donations are quickly informed to ONT in order to look for the best match. Kidneys, livers, lungs and pancreas and sometimes even the heart can be transplanted. To avoid organ trafficking, operations are free under Spain's public healthcare system, however, available only to residents of the country.

Furthermore, in Spain, only four to six percent of patients died in 2016 while waiting for a vital organ transplant either liver, heart or lung. According to National Kidney Foundation, on average, three thousand new patients are added to the kidney waiting list each month. In the year 2014, 4, 761 patients died while waiting for a kidney transplant.

Matesanz also explained that the success of the Spain in organ transplant includes training and communication. Empathy, sensitivity, and respect are the key secret as stated by Belen Estebanez, a transplant coordinator at Madrid's La Paz Hospital. Altogether, organized centralization and great character possessed by the health care professional are the keys to in changing people's quality of life.


Scientists from the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, managed to deduce a composite image of intergalactic dark matter web that substantiates the previously doubtful notion of the existence of dark matter. The extensively large composite image, which is represented with the help of a bar scale of 0-50 million light-years, was created with the help of several images captured by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope.

Dark matter and dark energy are among the most elusive physical entities that people know very less about. The exact role of dark energy in determining the existence of the universe remain ambiguous till date. Though scientists have proposed that almost 25 percent of the universe is composed of dark matter, the exact structure of the intergalactic dark matter could not be predicted. This was mainly attributed to the fact that dark matter neither absorbs light nor does it reflect it, i.e., it is virtually undetectable.

Therefore, researchers tried to detect its presence through gravity, a method termed as gravitational lensing. The researchers studied 23,000 pairs of galaxies before they created the composite image of the connecting web of dark matter. The study findings and the image were published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

According to the Science Recorder, the image shows how galaxies are held together by a web of dark matter filaments. The image is quite possibly the only existing proof of the hypothesis that the concentration of dark matter is nearly five times the concentration of normal matter. It is proposed that these recent revelations could also help astronomers in studying distant galaxies and unearth hitherto unknown facts about the formation and expansion of the universe.

Perfscience reported that on the flipside, some scientists including Erik Verlinde, physicist from the University of Amsterdam, and Margot Brouwer from the Leiden Observatory, Netherlands, believe that the composite image of dark matter may not be of substantial help in future studies on stars and galaxies. These scientists are of the opinion that unlike the data obtained from Verlinde's prediction, the said study has many free parameters that help it fit in the extant data models. This not only questions the fidelity of the data but also mitigates its future applications.
The annual death toll of people who lost their lives to drug overdose has been rising at alarming rates. In addition, the number of reports of HIV positive cases among drug addicts has also been on the rise. In an effort to reduce the spread of diseases caused due to unhealthy practices of sharing or reusing needles, syringe vending machines will soon be set up in different locations in all major cities. Nevada will be the first state to host such syringe vending machines that will provide free of cost clean syringes.

The novel initiative is the outcome of the collaborative efforts of Southern Nevada Health District administration, the Nevada AIDS Research and Education Society (NARES) and the Trac-B Exchange program. Apart from the syringes, each gift-wrapped kit also contains alcohol wipes, safe sex supplies and a disposal box, Valley News Live reported.

The concept of setting up these syringe exchange centers is not entirely new. Vending machines that provide clean syringes are already operational in various cities of Australia, Europe and Puerto Rico. However, setting up of such machines in the U.S. was earlier restricted due to federal regulations that banned funding such syringe exchange programs. In the wake of the rising concerns associated with heroin crisis, the congress decided to lift the ban in January 2016.

Fox 31 Denver reported that three of these machines will be up and operational by the end of next month. Unlike the crack pipe vending machines that were set up in Vancouver, Canada, in 2014, where anyone can get a pipe by paying a quarter, the syringe vending machines in Nevada will be free of cost. People who wish to access these machines can register their names in the Trac-B Exchange program, upon which they will be issued a card and a pin code. They can swipe the card and punch the pin code to get their free kit from the machines any time they want, but restricted to twice a week. It is expected that these machines may contribute in the prevention of spreading infections like HIV and hepatitis C among compulsive drug users.
A new study indicates that drinking pomegranate juice has many health benefits. These include lowering blood pressure, enhancing memory in elderly, reduces inflammatory reactions and limit the cancer cell growth.

The findings of the study were printed in the journal Pharmacological Research. The researchers have examined eight randomized placebos controlled studies to come up with the health benefits of pomegranate juice.

Pomegranate juice is extracted from the pomegranate, which is a fruit that belongs to a family of Lythraceae that is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub. The tree bears pomegranate fruit in the Northern Hemisphere from September to February. In Southern Hemisphere, it is in season from March to May. The fruit is not only used in juice blends but also in cooking, baking, smoothies, wine, cocktails and meal garnishes.

Pomegranate originated in the modern-day Iran. On the other hand, this is cultivated in India and Mediterranean. In the 16th century, it was introduced in Spanish America and later in California. Currently, it is also cultivated in Central Asia, Middle East, north and tropical Africa, Indian subcontinent, Caucasus region, Mediterranean Basin, Arizona and some parts of southeast Asia.

In the study, the scientists examined the average systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels of those individuals who were drinking pomegranate juice and those who were not drinking it. The higher number of systolic blood pressure levels is around 120 millimeters of mercury (mmHg). Meanwhile, the lower lumber is the diastolic number of 80 mmHg on average, according to Business Insider.

The results showed that drinking pomegranate juice lowered the systolic blood pressure by almost 5 mmHg and the diastolic blood pressure by 2 mmHg. The diastolic blood pressure is difficult to bring down. A person has to drink more than three glasses a day and for a sustained period to get the diastolic blood pressure.

Pomegranate juice contains antioxidant polyphenols that could lower blood pressure. It also has some anti-inflammatory properties that could stop the growth of cancer cells and relieve the symptoms of arthritis. It could also control the inflammation in the dental gingival border that lessens gingivitis and periodontitis. Eight ounces of pomegranate juice daily could also enhance verbal and visual memory in the elderly.
The Event Horizon Telescope had finally captured the first-ever image of a black hole after a 10-day long task. It observed and took images of the mysterious regions around the massive black hole called Sagittarius A* and a black hole, which is about 1,500 times heavier at the center of the galaxy M87. On the other hand, the image will not be released yet, and it is under investigation and examination now.

Sagittarius A* is a supermassive black hole located in the middle of the Milky Way. This is the first time that the region around Sagittarius A* has been imaged. This could also test the Einstein's Theory of General Relativity and better understand black holes, according to Universe Today.

According to Heino Falcke, a radio astronomer at Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands, even if the first images are still inferior and washed out, they can already examine and investigate for the first time Einstein's Theory of Gravity in the odd environment of a black hole. One of the first predictions of Einstein's theory includes the existence of enormously massive black holes. Falcke further said that the first images could turn black holes from some imaginary object to something existing that they can examine.

National Geographic pointed out that the scientists monitored the black holes in millimeter radio waves. The radio telescopes are located at high altitudes such as the on tops of the mountains or high desert plateaus. On the other hand, the weather including clouds, rain or snow could interfere with the observation and high winds could also shut down the telescope. With this, they were able to complete the task. They will have to wait for months for analysis and figure out if they generated an image of the black hole portrait.

The data from all the telescopes, which was recorded on 4,024 hard drives, will be forwarded to the Event Horizon Telescope's processing center at MIT Haystack and the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn, Germany. Hopefully, the image could be released by the end of 2017.
NASA has taken the first photos of a new and mysterious crack in the massive Petermann Glacier, one of the largest glaciers in Greenland. The images were captured by NASAs airborne mission -- Operation IceBridge.

Operation IceBridge is a research mission that flies instrumented aircraft over North Pole (Greenland) and South Pole (Antarctica) to gather data about polar ice and how it is changing. During this time of the year, the mission operates over Greenland -- in the course of which it took the photos of the strange new crack.

The NASA pictures show that a pronounced new rift has opened near the center of Petermann Glaciers floating ice shelf, which has raised questions about how it formed due to the unusual location. Furthermore, this crack is not too far from another much longer and wider crack that has been slowly reaching out toward the center of the shelf from its eastern side wall.

According to The Washington Post, if the two cracks intersect, then it would cause a single break running across more than half of the ice shelf. Subsequently, the piece could start to break away. Ice shelves breaking off into icebergs do not directly increase sea levels as the ice is already floating in the water. However, since ice shelves act like the gateway to the land-based ice behind them, their disappearance could start making glaciers move into the ocean. Consequently, new water would be added to the ocean, which would raise sea levels.

Incidentally, Professor Stef Lhermitte from Netherlands Delft University of Technology noticed the oddly located chasm after studying satellite images and provided the coordinates. Professor Lhermitte feels that ocean forcing, which occurs when warm ocean waters melt the ice from below, could be a possible reason for the appearance of the massive crack. However, this is just a suggestion, not a confirmation.
A new species of herbivorous dinosaurs has been discovered by palaeontologists. The newly discovered Moabosaurus that lived 125 million years ago belonged to the sauropods group of herbivores. Sauropods included giant dinosaurs with long necks and pillar-like legs such as Brachiosaurus and Brontosaurus.

The bones of the Moabosaurus were assembled using bones excavated over the past 40 years from a quarry near Arches National Park in Utah. The scientists feel that they are lucky to get anything out of the site because most of the bones that they have found were fragmentary. Only a small percentage of the bones were usable. And that is why it took so long to get this animal put together, researcher Brooks Britt from Utahs Brigham Young University said in a statement. We had to collect huge numbers of bones in order to get enough that were complete.

According to a Zee News report, the Moabosaurus lived in the region during a period when Utah had lakes, streams and large trees. A previous study has suggested that a large number of dinosaurs, including the Moabosaurus, perished in a severe drought. The surviving dinosaurs trampled over the dead bodies and crushed their bones. The bones were transported a short distance after streams eroded the land, when the drought ended.

The newly discovered species of dinosaur is being said to be closely related to ones found in Tanzania and Spain. Researchers have implied that during that time period, there were still fragmentary physical connections between North America, Africa and Europe.

Incidentally, the Moabosaurus has been named in honor of the city of Moab in Utah because paleontologists feel that the area is a gold mine for dinosaur bones. In addition, the team of researchers has said that the state and the city were very supportive of the excavation efforts that have spanned over four decades.
FLORENCE, S.C.  The Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the Darlington Chamber of Commerce, will continue its annual tradition of celebrating Administrative Professionals Day on Wednesday, April 26 at the SiMT building on the Florence-Darlington Technical College campus.

The event will start at 11 a.m. featuring vendor exhibits and free gifts. The main program will begin at noon with giveaways and door prizes as well as a delicious lunch. The event will also feature a presentation from Laura Hamilton titled, SuperWoman: Are You Invincible?

Hamilton is President of her own speaking, training and consulting business whose clients include Dell, Chevrolet and Home Depot. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Hamilton is an active member of the National Speakers Association and serves on the board of the Carolinas Speakers Association. She has received the coveted Certified Speaking Professional designation, which has been awarded to less than 500 professional speakers in the nation.

This years event is sponsored by SPC Credit Union, Duke Energy and AT&T. The annual program attracts more than 450 from throughout the Pee Dee region. To register for the event and to purchase tickets, visit www.flochamber.com or call 843-665-0515.
FLORENCE, S.C.  The American Red Crosss Giving Day on April 26 will allow individuals to donate money that can provide hope and urgent relief such as food, blankets and other essentials to people who need it most.

Giving Day is a 24-hour fundraising campaign supporting the work of the Red Cross, helping people in communities each and every day in need of emergency support.

Every 3.9 hours in South Carolina, there is a family that has lost everything to a home fire or other disaster , said Nancie Conley, executive director for the Red Cross of Eastern SC. " This one-day nationwide event will raise funds to ensure the Red Cross is able to meet the critical mission of helping those families who have been affected by emergencies.

According to a news release from the Red Cross, $60 can approximately provide six hearty meals for disaster victims and $30 can offer children and families with six comforting blankets.

The Red Cross said the generous support of the community helps the organization provide such items to those in need of a disaster. Giving Day, a day to #help1family, allows individuals to make donations to the Red Cross to help the Red Cross support the community.

Red Cross is a volunteer program and receives no money from the government, unless it is a grant, said Richard Schafer, a Red Cross community volunteer leader.

He has been with the Eastern SC chapter for the past six years. They cover Florence, Darlington, Dillon, Marion, Marlboro and Horry counties. He said 93 percent of the people with Red Cross are volunteers.

In the counties served by Eastern SC, the Red Cross responded to more than 340 local disasters, helping over 1,150 people, in fiscal year 2016, according to the news release.

Hurricane Matthew taught us a lot, Schafer said. Because of the minimum access to local communities during Matthew, like Dillon to Latta, we learned how certain areas are flooded.

He went on to say that whenever there is a disaster  weather, home fire or tornado  the Red Cross goes to help.

According to Schafer, the Red Cross helps with extended housing, prescriptions being reinitiated for disasters such as home fires, comfort kits that provide toiletry, towels and wash cloths and fire alarm blitzes.

Fire alarm blitzes are fire alarm installations.

We do fire alarm installation with local fire stations, Schafer said. We go to homes in the Pee Dee to install fire alarms that last 10 years. We provide extra lithium batteries, and we do a family fire exit plan as well.

In order to send donations on April 26, individuals can visit redcross.org/givingday. If not, they can walk into a Red Cross office and donate. The closest office in Florence is 1601 A W. Lucas St.

Checks can be sent to:

American Red Cross-Eastern SC Chapter

3531 Pampas Drive

Myrtle Beach, SC 29577

ATTN: Nancie Conley
FLORENCE, S.C.  The South Carolina Department of Education last week released efficiency reviews for 32 of 34 districts involved in the 1993 Abbeville County School District v. State of South Carolina lawsuit as part of Phase One.

The reports said that over a five-year period, South Carolina could save between $35 million and $89 million by modernizing and/or collaborating between districts.

In a news release, State Superintendent Molly Spearman said the reports helped show what the state needs to prioritize.

This report clearly shows that consolidation and collaboration of services should be a top agenda item for districts, Spearman said. I am looking forward to working with educators, the General Assembly and communities to ensure that we maximize the use of taxpayer dollars while serving students at the highest level in a positive, sustainable school environment.

Below are a few of the recommendations to four of five Florence County school district, as seen in their individual reports. Several of the recommendations were repeated for the districts. Reports can be found on the South Carolina Department of Education website.

Florence One

Finance departments should modernize by training and cross-training employees in multiple key functions to increase efficiency. Payroll should change from bi-weekly to semi-monthly. Human resources staff members should train and cross-train employees on recruiting, talent management and professional development. The reports also recommended that human resources staff members make a clear plan on how to replace the significant number of retired teachers. Transportation should begin using routing software, evaluate routing changes and use dual employment to address driver shortages.

Performing all of the recommendations to modernize would be a one-time cost between $25,000 and $98,000.

Regional collaboration was suggested to finance to share processing and create a standardized workflow of approval. Procurement should collaborate with other districts to make large purchases at discounts and to share analysis of spending, monitoring and optimizing purchasing. The reports recommended that districts share key maintenance positions for all facilities (HVAC, electricians, plumbers).

These recommendations to collaborate could result in $391,6000 and $1,610,100 in savings.

Florence Two

This report is not available online.

Florence Three

As a part of modernization, the report suggested the districts financial office continue to improve transparency as well as cross-train personnel to perform more than one key function. Human resources staff members should work to create incentive programs to increase teacher enrollment and retention. Procurement should perform frequent spending analysis to determine areas of improvement, and transportation should consider using activity buses to run high-hazard routes.

Modernizing could cost a one-time fee of between $23,000 and $67,000.

Finances and human resources should share processing with other districts. Procurement should work with the other districts to analyze the markets and make large purchases together to receive discounts. The district also should share research and development functions with other districts.

Collaboration could result in $225,400 to $486,200 in savings.

Florence Four

To modernize, the districts financial office should provide more training on financial systems to personnel. The human resources office should incorporate more software into its department so applicant sourcing, tracking and on-boarding will be automated. Florence Four received the same transportation recommendation as Florence Three.

Similar to Florence Three, finances and human resources should share processing with other districts, and procurement should collaborate with other districts to share intelligence. Technology in the district should share oversight and support functions with other districts.

The reports did not include the financial impacts of modernizing and collaborating.

Florence Five

The financial office should modernize to incorporate more technology and eliminate manual activities. Procurement should digitize contracts, invoices and purchase orders. Human resources and transportation received the same recommendations as District Three and District Four.

The modernization recommendations would require a one-time cost of between $39,500 to $76,500.

The collaboration recommendations were the same as were given to District Three and District Four. The implementation of the recommendations could result in up to $121,600 in savings.
Codero will be leaving the FMC in May to take up the post of the Port of Long Beach after its Board of Harbor Commissioners voted on Friday to hire him to run the US West Coast port.

Democrat Cordero was replaced as chairman of the FMC by US President Donald Trump in January with Republican Michael Khouri coming in as acting chairman. Coderos term as a commissioner was set to expire in 2019.

After a comprehensive international search, the Board of Harbor Commissioners recognised that Mario Cordero is an ideal choice to lead the Port of Long Beach, said Harbor Commission president Lori Ann Guzman, said on Thursday a day before the vote.

Mario not only has a deep understanding of the maritime industry from his leadership of the Federal Maritime Commission, but his service as a member of the Long Beach Harbor Commission gives him extensive knowledge of the needs of our carriers, terminal operators, cargo owners, and other trade partners.

Commenting on leaving the FMC Cordero said: "It has been a privilege to serve on the Federal Maritime Commission these past six years, and it was a distinct honor that during my tenure I was entrusted with the chairmanship of the agency.

Acting FMC chairman Khouri said: "Commissioner Cordero is an excellent choice to lead the Port of Long Beach and I am pleased for my friends latest professional success.

"He understands the criticality of transportation and trade to the strength of national economic competitiveness. I have every confidence he will work tirelessly on behalf of the Port of Long Beach, its tenants, and all those who depend upon that facility to move their goods."
From January to March this year, Chinese shipbuilders recorded 5.54m dwt in new vessel tonnage, a decline of 25.4% compared to the first quarter of 2016, data from Cansi showed.

In completed newbuild tonnage, the Chinese shipyards produced a total of 15.67m dwt of vessel capacity during the first three months, representing a jump of 87.7% compared to the previous corresponding period.

The shipbuilders order backlog this year up until 31 March 2017 stood at 88.65m dwt, decreasing by 26.3% year-on-year and down 11% compared to end-2016, according to Cansi.

The association further showed that Chinas 53 leading shipbuilders racked in new orders of 4.42m dwt and completed vessel tonnage of 13.37m dwt over the first quarter, and sat on an order backlog of 82.6m dwt up until end-March 2017.

Cansi also monitors 80 main shipyards showing that their combined completed newbuild value came up to RMB85.87bn ($12.47m), down 7.5% year-on-year.

Among the total value, shipbuilding accounted for RMB37.01bn, equipment amounted to RMB5.04bn and ship repairs took up RMB2.7bn.

The 80 main yards generated a total revenue of RMB62.4bn in the first three months of 2017, a fall of 9.7% compared to the same period of 2016, and a profit of RMB250m, plunging 63.5% year-on-year.
Profit for the first three months was recorded at RMB11.06m ($1.61m), an astronomical spike of 1,104% compared to the gain of RMB918,400 in the same period of 2016.

Shanghai-listed Cosco Shipping Specialised Carriers attributed the surge in profit to strong returns from equity investments and an improved shipping operating environment, according to the companys brief unaudited financial statement.

Cosco Shipping Specialised Carriers, subsidiary of China Cosco Shipping Corporation Limited (Cosco Shipping), operates a fleet of more than 150 ships including heavylifts, semi-submersibles, ro-ros and ice-class vessels.
Overall I would say we are in a much better place than 12 months ago especially dry bulk and containers, Poulsson told a media briefing for Singapore Maritime Week (SMW) 2017.

Looking at the dry bulk sector he said there was a lot of optimism at the moment. The Baltic Dry Index is currently at around 1,200 points, compared to an all time low of 290 points in February 2016.

However, he added, I hope we dont repeat the mistakes of the past, we have to hope any ordering will be moderate.

In the container sector Poulsson said that the bankruptcy of Hanjin Shipping had acted as a real wake up call. That led to more discipline in terms of the supply side.that has led to rate levels coming back to levels that are beginning to be sustainable.

On the question of consolidation in container shipping saw five mergers and acquisitions being announced in little more 12 months he said there was still more to be done but it would not be at the pace seen in 2016.

Looking at the tanker sector Poulsson commented: The tanker market is volatile and there are many ifs and buts. The supply side looks quite stable, but there is a lot of potential supply coming onstream.

Poulsson was even hopeful that the offshore marine sector was past its worst despite overcapacity of huge proportions for rigs and supply vessels. The global fleet of supply vessels has quadrupled from 1,000 in the early 2000s to 4,000 today, with another 700  800 newbuilds to be delivered this year.

There is an enormous overcapacity that will take time to work through, but it is very much related to oil price, he said.

Nonetheless, Im still reasonable optimistic. I dont think theres going to be upturn in the offshore industry over night, but I think the worst is over time it will return to a healthy balance.

As to whether the Singapore government should provide more support to companies in the maritime and offshore sectors going through financial difficulties Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) chief executive said market forces had to be allowed to take their course.

As a maritime centre we are at a stage where there has to be some economic restructuring, and the restructuring has to be allowed to take its course. So we provided some targetted assistance to the maritime sector, but in terms of standing in the way of this restructuring we have to allow market forces to pan out.

What we can do is help the industry prepare for its long-term capabilities when the market upturns, he added.

For more information on SMW 2017 visit: www.smw.sg/2017
In its 12th year SMW 2017 will feature over 30 events with a projected 50,000 participants with 20,000 trade visitors and 30,000 at outreach projects.

SMW 2017 brings to the table in-depth insights that will allow participants to sharpen their understanding of the dynamic maritime landscape, and in turn equip them with the readiness and in-depth knowledge to navigate through these challenging times, said Andrew Tan, chief executive of the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).

A key highlight of the week will be Sea Asia 2017 co-organised by Seatrade and the Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF) that will host more than 16,000 people from 80 countries over three days from 25  27 April. The exhibition will feature over 400 exhibitors occupying over 8,000 sq m of space at Marina Bay Sands.

David Chin, executive director of SMF highlighted the 10 national pavilions at the show, which will feature country pavilions in for the first time national pavilions from Japan, Korea and Denmark.

The Sea Asia conference will see leading executives from across the maritime world addressing key issues in the industry across seven sessions. Tan highlighted that: It will see shipping industry leaders debate for and against the motion, This House believes that the best days of the private independent shipowners are over in an inaugural parliamentary-style debate.

This years Singapore Maritime Lecture will feature Detlef Trefzger, ceo of Kuehne + Nagel International bringing a focus on the disruptions taking place in the logistics sector and the lessons they hold for the maritime industry.

The Singapore Maritime Technology Conference & Exhibition (SMTC) will profile prominent maritime and port industry trends and technological developments.

For the first time Singapore Iron Ore Week will be co-locating with SMW for the first time and will bring together industry players from both the demand and supply sides of the equation.

A focus on marine insurance will see the first Singapore Marine Insurance Conference, Lloyds Asia Marine Open Day and the third edition of Gards Seminar for Charterers and Traders.

A series of outreach events will include the Sea Dreams musical tale in collaboration with the Global Cultural Alliance as well as the Amazing Maritime Challenge.

For more information on SMW 2017 visit: www.smw.sg/2017

For more details on the Sea Asia 2017 conference and the Parliamentary Debate, and how to register please visit: http://www.sea-asia.com/Conference/2017-Conference-Programme
The Singapore Maritime Gallery, which underwent a refresh, now has new features including the Changing Gallery and the Epilogue.

The Changing Gallery is a versatile space that can host exhibitions, workshops and other maritime-related activities. The Epilogue is a resource corner where visitors are able to access maritime-related materials and publications for research work or students project work.

Visitors can also immerse themselves in virtual reality as they can experience 360-degree view of various ship models and their components from a ship simulator to ship spotting.

The visiting experience is extended to children as well for them to learn more about the diversity and vibrancy of Singapore's maritime industry through interactive games such as container-stacking game, and a Set Sail game where children can learn about navigational safety and the importance of marine conservation.

The gallery was first opened back in September 2012 and has hosted more than 100,000 visitors since.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has meanwhile refreshed and enriched the gallery to incorporate the developments of the maritime industry since five years ago.

Andrew Tan, chief executive of the MPA, said: The transformation of Singapore from a small trading post into a global hub port and international maritime centre is a remarkable story. Singaporeans should be proud of this achievement while at the same time, not be complacent.

The refreshed Singapore Maritime Gallery will allow us to reach out to younger Singaporeans and interest them not only in our heritage, but also a career in the maritime industry which contributes some 7% to our GDP. It will complement the activities of our MaritimeONE partners in raising the profile and awareness of the maritime industry.

The interactive 'ship spotter' section

The junior maritime explorer's corner
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Press Release

April 16, 2017 ANGARA: IMPROVE PH INTERNET CONNECTIVITY TO PROVIDE ONLINE JOBS IN RURAL AREAS Senator Sonny Angara has urged the government to fast-track its programs on improving internet speed and connectivity in the country, especially in far-flung areas, to create more high-value online jobs in untapped communities. Angara said the Rural Impact Sourcing Program of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has a huge potential in providing high-paying and sustainable jobs in socio-economically disadvantaged areas, where there is high population but low employment due to lack of investors. Impact sourcing is a subsector of the IT-business process management (IT-BPM) industry that pushes forth access to digital markets and rural BPOs as tools for creating internet-based jobs in disadvantaged communities. "While the IT-BPM industry continues to thrive as one of the country's top career providers, there seems to be a growing disparity in opportunities provided to people living in our major cities as opposed to those in far-flung provinces. We must bridge this gap and bring opportunities in the countryside where they are needed the most," Angara said. The Rural Impact Sourcing Program was implemented in 2013, and has since attracted some locals to work online as their employment option. Among the program's success stories is in Kapatagan, Lanao Del Norte where the locals had set up homegrown companies in their own municipalities. This encouraged other rural areas to replicate this model in their own localities. According to the Contact Center Association of the Philippines, impact sourcing operations have also been established in Puerto Princesa in Palawan, Balanga in Bataan, and in San Nicolas in Ilocos Norte. To help develop and expand the program, Angara pushed for the increase of the DICT's 2017 budget for its rural impact sourcing program to as much as P22.5 million. Angara, who sponsored and defended the DICT's budget, also noted that the Congress allocated P1.8 billion for the Juan Konek (Free Wifi) Program of the government. "We are hopeful that our vision of the government bringing 21st century opportunities to the farthest, most impoverished communities of the country will finally be realized," said the senator who is one authors of the law creating the DICT. "Dapat mayroon din silang oportunidad sa kani-kanilang mga probinsya. Hindi na dapat nila kailangang pumunta pa sa Metro Manila o sa Cebu para makakuha ng online jobs. They should be able to stay where their families are and have meaningful work," he added. Early this month, the DICT, in partnership with the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines, conducted the first Philippine Impact Sourcing Conference in Davao City, attended by more than 300 delegates including major stakeholders from different local government units, various groups of freelancers and virtual workers, online platform providers, and advocates of impact sourcing from all over the country. During the said event, the Digital Career Advocates of the Philippines was established to promote the growth of the online outsourcing industry and to advocate for the welfare of online workers in the Philippines. In 2016, the IT-BPM industry provided direct employment to some 1.15 million Filipinos, and generated $22.9 billion in revenue. "The internet does not only connect us with our friends and loved ones. It is also a way to create jobs--to make our economy more inclusive. We should work together towards opening up more internet opportunities for all of our countrymen," Angara said.
Press Release

April 16, 2017 De Lima hopes for own resurrection and salvation on Easter Sen. Leila M. de Lima today prayed for her own resurrection as she marked her 52nd day of detention in Camp Crame. "They may deprive me temporarily of my liberty, they may paralyze me physically, but they can never ever kill or destroy my spirit and my passion for the things I truly believe in--respect for human rights and justice," said De Lima, a prisoner of conscience, during the Easter Sunday mass held inside her detention facility. Earlier, De Lima said that she was engulfed with sadness because for the first time in her life, she was not able to join the Good Friday procession in Iriga, her hometown, to personally pray before Santo Entierro. Instead, she observed the Stations of the Cross at her detention facility together with family and friends. Visitors, among them De Lima's relatives who were able to attend their family's annual religious tradition, shared their stories of the said occasion, which made the Senator glad. As in every mass celebrated by Fr. Robert Reyes, the Senator's spiritual adviser, guests are encouraged to give their own reflection. This time, they shared about their personal cavalry. One of them said he experienced being falsely accused of a crime by his colleagues. In response, De Lima said: "Nauunawaan ko po ang mga ibinahagi ninyo, lalo na po ngayong isa rin akong biktima--biktima ng kawalan ng respeto sa aking karapatan, at sa kawalan ng hustisya, dahil sa pagpapakulong sa akin nang walang basehan." "Ang malaking kaibahan lang po, ang kalaban ko ay ang buong estado. Nakikita naman ninyo kung paano gamitin ng nasa kapangyarihan ang kanilang posisyon para ako ay gipitin at ipitin." De Lima's legal team is set to submit tomorrow her memorandum to the Supreme Court for her petition to nullify her arrest. "I pray that SC will have the wisdom, discernment and courage to uphold what is true and just, and to see right through my case as clear political persecution," she said. De Lima ends her sharing with a prayer: "As I commit my own resurrection and salvation, dear Lord, increase my faith, strengthen my hope, inflame my love for You and our country."
Press Release

April 17, 2017 De Lima makes final SC bid for her release Sen. Leila M. De Lima today asked the Supreme Court (SC) to order her release, claiming that the case filed against her by the government for trading in illegal drugs is a case of political persecution, rather than legitimate prosecution. In her Memorandum filed with the High Court, De Lima said: "what makes [her] case special is [the government's] willingness to use the strong arm of the law to persecute [her] simply to fulfill one man's promise to make her rot in jail". She added the charges filed against her "are manifestly false and brought before a court that is manifestly without jurisdiction, simply to satisfy the lust for vengeance". De Lima has been at odds with President Duterte since she investigated the former Mayor of Davao City in 2009 for his alleged involvement as the mastermind of the Davao Death Squad (DDS). As Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, she also conducted hearings on extrajudicial killings at the start of the President's term, presenting Edgar Matobato as star witness, a self-confessed DDS hitman who claims to have witnessed the former Davao Mayor himself executing victims of the DDS. Another witness, SPO3 Arturo Lascanas, also surfaced and testified before the Senate, tagging the President as the DDS mastermind responsible for the killing of hundreds of EJK victims in Davao City. In her Memorandum, De Lima argued that the government's confusion on what crime she is being jailed for only shows that she was arrested and detained on the basis of fake charges. The former secretary was originally charged in the RTC of Muntinlupa for Consummated Trading in Dangerous Drugs. However, the Office of the Solicitor General told the Supreme Court that the crime she actually committed is mere Conspiracy to Commit Trading in Illegal Drugs. De Lima said this violates her constitutional right to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation against her. "In plain terms, Petitioner was charged and arrested for the wrong crime," she said in her Memorandum. "She must therefore be released without delay, as every moment of confinement is unconstitutional," she added. De Lima also assailed the jurisdiction of the Muntinlupa court, saying that the Sandiganbayan, not a regular court, has jurisdiction over high public officials accused of committing crimes using their government positions. She asserted that Judge Guerrero violated the Procedural Checklist in criminal cases of the Benchbook for Trial Court Judges when she fast-tracked De Lima's warrant of arrest without first checking her court's jurisdiction over the former Secretary of Justice's case. She also questioned the judge's finding of probable cause against her based on the testimonies of convict witnesses who are disqualified to be State witnesses, thus leaving the government with no witnesses to testify against her.
April 15 marks the traditional date that Americans know as Tax Day. Typically, the day raises loud groans from all of us taxpayers as we file our taxes (though groaning will be heard this year on Tuesday, April 18, when 2016 returns are due). But April 15 this year also marked a day of national uprising against an attack on the basic transparency and trust that should exist between the American people and the president of the United States.

We stand with the Tax Day protesters calling for President Trump to release his tax returns, and we are working on a bill to make sure no president can refuse to release his or her returns again. President Trumps disregard for this tradition is alarming because our conflict of interest laws do not apply to the Office of the President. It is alarming because this administration seems set on undermining every norm called for by an ethical and accountable government. It is alarming because the American people have been left in the dark.

Ever since Jimmy Carter ran for our nations highest office, every major presidential candidate has released his or her tax returns in an effort to be transparent and accountable to the people they wish to serve. The decision to do so was not about partisan politics  Republicans and Democrats alike have released returns  but about making our democracy stronger. But President Trump broke with this time-honored tradition by refusing to release his tax returns  even though he had promised the American public that he would.

We will never know what financial connections and potential conflicts of interest exist between President Trumps business interests and foreign governments. Or if hes taking actions to benefit his business partners or lenders. Or if the tax reform he is undertaking is aimed at benefiting the American people or his own balance sheets. In short, the American public will never know if their president is putting his own interests before those of the nation.

As the Republicans in Congress have shown little interest in pursuing disclosure from the Trump administration, it is up to state legislators to seek this basic level of transparency.

That is why we have introduced SB149, the Presidential Tax Transparency and Accountability Act. This straightforward bill simply says anyone who wants to appear on the California presidential primary ballot must submit five years of personal tax returns to the California secretary of state.

Once it becomes law, if President Trump ever wants to appear on the California ballot again, he will need to do what presidential candidates have done for decades before him  be open and honest about his finances with the American people.

Transparency and disclosure are nonpartisan issues. In the end, yes, we want to hold Donald Trump accountable, but this bill is bigger than just one person. Its about standing strong for American constitutional values and time-honored traditions that have made our democracy stronger.

SB149 is working its way through the California State Senate, with a hearing on Tuesday in the Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee. But even as this bill moves forward, the Tax Day protesters need to be heard by the president. The level of distrust engendered by his obfuscation and secrecy is harming his presidency, and it is harming the American people. He should release his returns now, or California will do it for him.

State. Sen. Mike McGuire, a Democrat, represents the North Bay and North Coast. State Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat, represents San Francisco and northern San Mateo County.
Many of the 1,000 people who attended Sen. Dianne Feinsteins town hall Monday in San Francisco didnt necessarily disagree with her; they just wanted her to be louder and more aggressive in opposing the Trump administration.

We would like to see her represent her liberal constituency a lot more forcefully, said Jegath Athilingam, 27, a neuroscience doctoral student at UC San Francisco. We want to see her take the lead, as someone with her amount of seniority should do.

At times, the hour-long constituent gathering at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center on 19th Avenue involved Feinstein trying to explain the rhythms of Washingtons slow-moving bureaucracy to an audience made up largely of people who are afraid, frustrated and angry at total Republican control of the government and want something done fast. Over the past five months, Feinsteins office has received more than 2.5 million calls, emails and notes; typically, it receives 1 million in a year.

One man asked Feinstein, to speak loudly and clearly, not just in your deliberative body but in public as much as you can. ... You have the ability to draw cameras just because you are Sen. Feinstein.

While Feinstein was dropping Capitol Hill-speak phrases like omnibus  a bill that addresses multiple issues  and CR  continuing resolution, a type of appropriations legislation  audience members were demanding she speak out against the fascists in the White House and commit to a single payer health plan. Im not there yet she said on single payer.

Many in the audience were associated with the San Francisco and East Bay chapters of Indivisible, the national anti-Trump network that has galvanized resistance efforts across the country. Yet aside from one persistent heckler, occasional shouts of answer the question and a rousing chorus of single payer now, the audience at what Feinstein staffers believe was her largest public town hall was fairly tame compared with what some of her colleagues have faced around the country.

A couple of attendees carried Retire Feinstein! signs, and one woman carried a poster urging U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, to challenge Feinstein when the senators term is up next year. Feinstein, who has been in office since 1992, has not said if she will seek re-election.

Yet while appreciative their senator showed up Monday to face her constituents, many were frustrated that Feinstein  famous for doing her homework before committing to a position  wouldnt take more pointed, absolutist positions, like opposing everything Trump does.

It was a little frustrating, said Becky Shea, a Berkeley artist who is not part of Indivisible. She acknowledged the gap between the slow pace in Washington and the audiences desire to see Feinstein pick up the pace and volume of her opposition.

But I think there could be a happy medium somewhere between those two, Shea said.

Illustrative of that disconnect was when San Franciscan Steve Rapport, who said his mother survived the Holocaust, asked Feinstein to speak out loudly against the fascists in the White House, including top presidential strategist Steve Bannon.

We cant normalize it, Rapport said.

Feinstein listened, and said, Youve given me an idea. Let me explore that idea, then said she would get back in touch with him. But she didnt explain what her idea was.

The audience started jeering her, and many held up yellow signs made by Indivisible S.F. that said, What are you doing about it?

Whoa, whoa, whoa, youre pretty good at yelling, Feinstein responded, trying to quiet the audience. All of this takes a plan. Youve got to work something out. Youve got to have people with you. You can sit here and pound your fists, and I can show you what Ive gotten done. And you can take a look at it. And Id be surprised if you found too many senators, if any, that have gotten more done.

I dont get there by making statements I cant deliver, Feinstein continued.  I get there through some caution, some discussion, some smart help, good lawyers, and we generally get where were going.

But that wasnt good enough for some in Mondays audience.

Shes been a gateway for the Trump administration, said Ben Becker, who was holding a five-foot long fake check made out to Feinstein on behalf of the 8.75 million Californians who voted against Trump. The memo field on the check read: What will it cost before you hear our voice?

It didnt seem to matter to Becker that Trump has yet to register a significant legislative win and that his approval rating is stuck in the low 40s, according to polls  hes concerned about the impact he might have as president.

Trump nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch got a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court, Becker said. Thats not a nothing.

The Feinstein camp knew who would be in Mondays audience. In the lobby of the building, Feinstein aides posted 36 statements, position papers and opinion page pieces, most focused on how she has opposed Trump nominees (labeled Feinstein on Trump nominees) or taken stances different from the administration.

Not mentioned there were the nine Trump nominees she voted to confirm, including CIA Director Mike Pompeo, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly and Defense Secretary James Mattis. A Feinstein aide said that given Trumps lack of expertise in international and military policy, she wanted to surround the president with seasoned professionals.

Feinstein also responded to questions about Trumps personal finances by saying the Senate Judiciary Committee, where she is the ranking Democrat, is looking at the emoluments clause of the Constitution. That section prevents office holders from accepting gifts from foreign leaders or governments and the committee wants to know whether you can in fact deny certain federal payments for the business trips of his sons.

Closer to home, she urged people to go rustle up Democrats to run against the 14 California Republicans in Congress. She was ticked that all 14 California GOP members wrote a letter to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao asking her to put on hold a $647 million grant that was to help electrify Caltrain until a full audit is done on high-speed rail.

Democrats shouldnt be scared off by well-funded GOP incumbents because the times are volatile. Mistakes are being made. And theres plenty that can be done Feinstein said. But, to do that, she said, Democrats have to go leave their area of comfort to work those valleys.

As to her own plans, even though she is actively raising money  including at a fundraiser in San Francisco last week  Feinstein still has not made an announcement about whether she plans to seek re-election next year.

And there are lingering questions about her age. This month, 48 percent of the registered voters said it would be a good thing for California if Feinstein sought re-election, according to a Berkeley IGS Poll conducted by the Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley. But that figure dropped to 38 percent when voters were reminded that she will turn 84 this year.

Feinstein, who stood for the entire town hall meeting while answering questions, did not address the re-election issue. And it was one of few pointed questions she was not asked about.

Perhaps the best news for those in attendance was hearing Feinstein commit to holding another town hall on a Saturday during the summer recess  a time, they said more of her constituents could attend, as opposed to 11 a.m. on a Monday.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
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Showers and gray skies on Easter Sunday didnt keep the people of San Francisco from spilling into the streets to celebrate at an eclectic mix of events ranging from the classic to the wildly irreverent.

For some, the day began early at the Easter sunrise service beside the 103-foot-tall Mount Davidson cross, where worshipers watched the sun rise over the hills of the East Bay for the 95th year.

Likewise, at Glide Memorial Church in the Tenderloin neighborhood, festivities began early with a 7 a.m. sunrise celebration and Easter breakfast, followed later by a dinner of fried chicken and mashed potatoes served to many homeless and marginalized families.

Under a gray sky in Golden Gate Parks Hellman Hollow, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence staged their annual Easter celebration, which featured contestants vying for the title of Hunky Jesus and Foxy Mary. It was smaller, perhaps, than in some years past because of the rain, but no less spirited.

People fanned out across the grass, sitting on beach towels and spread-out rain jackets. Its a day out with the family, said Paul Margolis, who sat with his husband, Don Grant, sheltering their two dogs, Hans and Otto, under a pair of umbrellas.

Margolis is the director of Our Town SF, which promotes LGBT nonprofits. He said he recognized many faces in the crowd as volunteers associated with an assortment of LGBT-related causes.

Its great to see all these volunteers come out  these are people who really care about the community. I like to get together with the good people, he said.

For Kirk Linn-Degrassi, who wore a tiara and was shimmering, having been glitter-bombed by one of the Sisters, the day was doubly festive  it was his birthday (39 again, he said when asked his age).

Its tradition for me to hunt down the Sisters when its my birthday, he said.

Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence from all over the region descended on Hellman Hollow for the celebration, including one who goes by the name Sorenda da Booty, 42, a member of the Russian River chapter. Ive only missed one (Easter celebration) since Ive been a Sister  seven years in May, the faux nun said. When all the Sisters get up onstage and renew our vows  I love that.

Many of those who braved the rain to celebrate in Golden Gate Park were old friends or fans of the Sisters, but there were new faces, too.

Kelly Davin just relocated to the Bay Area from Reno and was spending the day in the park with her 11-year-old daughter, Tabitha, and 4-year-old son, Sid.

Were adjusting but loving it, Davin said. Were excited to have our first San Francisco Easter.

In the Marina, parking meters were wrapped in candy-colored streamers and Union Street was transformed into a miniature carnival, with spinning tea cups, bouncy castles and funnel cake.

Kids sparred with balloon swords made by a lone clown, and several people in full-body bunny suits worked the small crowds.

Easter bonnet-wearers milled about near the intersection of Union and Buchanan streets after the conclusion of the Easter bonnet contest. They were a diverse crowd that included at least one dog.

Governor the dog wore a bonnet covered in blue flowers and displayed an impressive amount of tolerance toward the hat.

His owner, Elizabeth OBrien, said her last dog loved to dress up in costumes but that Governor is still adjusting. Hes getting used to the fact that this is his life now, she said wryly.

As many of the days events were winding down, the Bring Your Own Big Wheel race on Potrero Hill was getting ready to begin, with riders preparing to twist their way down Vermont Street, which has five full turns and two half turns between 20th and 22nd streets.

As they arrived, they were presented with stickers with cartoon Big Wheels that read, Never Grow Up.

Filipa Ioannou is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: fioannou@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @obioannoukenobi
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The American Automobile Association, the 115-year-old auto club founded when cars were poised to disrupt the horse and buggy, is branching into a new business, anticipating major changes in car ownership.

AAA Northern California, Nevada and Utah is starting Gig Car Share on April 30 in Oakland and Berkeley. It will be the Bay Areas only one-way, short-term car rental service.

Car sharing is the industry parlance for short-term car rentals, often hourly, available from dispersed locations. Established services like Zipcar and City Car Share require cars to be returned to their original locations.

Beginning with a fleet of 250 black Toyota Prius C hybrids with teal-blue roof bike racks, Gig will let customers pick up cars at locations throughout Berkeley and Oakland and then drop them off at street parking spaces in those cities. Parking fees are included in the rental price.

Gig bought master permits allowing its cars to be parked in almost any public street space in Berkeley and Oakland, both metered and unmetered. (Spots limited to two hours or less are excluded, as are handicapped parking, loading zones and other restricted spaces.) In addition, Gig has designated parking spots in the two cities at BART stations, Oakland International Airports Park N Fly lot, and some hospitals.

Customers will find available vehicles using an app and unlock them either with a recent-model smartphone or a card the company sends out, said Mike Hetke, chief innovation officer for the regional AAA branch, which has 2 million members in the Bay Area. Nationwide and in Canada, AAA has 56 million members.

Gig is AAAs bid to connect with urban Millennials, who are avid users of transportation services such as Uber and Lyft, as well as more-flexible car rentals.

We are doing what weve always done: enabling mobility, Hetke said. But we see member needs changing over time. Theres a fundamental shift from individual vehicle ownership to transportation as a service.

Some major car makers are also offering flexible car rentals to prepare for that shift. General Motors has a car sharing program called Maven, which started in October in San Francisco, its ninth city. Users must return cars to the spot where they picked them up.

Michelle Krebs, senior analyst with Cox Automotives Autotrader, said car sharing, like ride hailing, is increasingly popular in congested urban areas. Gigs one-way model and abundance of parking spots for drop-offs sounds compelling, she said.

Gigs parking spots at Oakland airport seem particularly useful, Krebs said.

Why have your car sit at the airport racking up parking fees? she said. It makes a lot of sense to just drive to the airport, drop off the car, then get another one when you return.

While one-way car-sharing is fairly new to the Bay Area, its been pioneered in other cities. Seattle is a hotbed because it passed legislation allowing free floating car-rental services to use public parking spots, similar to Gigs deal in the East Bay. Avis Budget Groups Zipcar, Daimlers Car2Go and BMW ReachNow all operate one-way car-sharing there. Each also offers the one-way service in a few other cities nationwide, often using a mix of public and private spaces.

Seattle surveyed users of the free-floating services in 2015 and found that about 14 percent of them ditched their cars, amounting to about 9,100 vehicles.

BMW offered one-way car sharing in a few San Francisco neighborhoods from 2012 to 2015, but it pulled out because the city didnt permit flexible on-street parking. San Francisco allocates some specific spaces for car-share services, but they require the cars to be returned to the same spot where they were picked up.

Gigs prices are $2.50 a mile, $15 an hour or $85 a day; it will charge fees by the method thats cheapest for the consumer, Hetke said. Anyone with a valid drivers license and credit card can sign up instantly through the app. AAA members get a 10 percent discount. Prices include gas, liability insurance and up to 250 miles per trip, as well as parking in designated spots. Renters are responsible for any damage to the car.

AAA hopes to expand the service to other cities, which would require their cooperation on parking permits. While Gig renters could now drive to any other city, they must return to Oakland or Berkeley to drop off the car.

Hetke said that Oakland and Berkeley are two very progressive cities that stepped forward and passed legislation to issue super permits, allowing us to park in virtually any public parking spot in those cities. Thats key to making the one-way model work.
Wells Fargo changed its severance policy that lowers the amount it will pay out to most displaced employees, the San Francisco bank told workers on Monday.

The bank said the changes were made to meet regulatory requirements that emerged after Wells sales scandal erupted this fall. The move also allows Wells Fargo to pay severance to most of the employees who had been in limbo over payments they were owed, the bank said.

On Nov. 18, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which regulates national banks, slapped new requirements on the bank, including stricter review of severance or golden parachute payouts. As a result, Wells Fargo was unable to pay about 400 employees who had been displaced before Nov. 18 but hadnt started receiving severance payments.

The bank has received approval to pay the majority of the workers, but there are still a number whose severance is still under review, spokeswoman Diana Rodriguez said Monday.

So that the bank could begin paying severance again without receiving regulatory approval each time, Wells has now adjusted its severance plan for U.S. employees. Changes for international employees are still being reviewed, Rodriguez said.

According to severance plan documents obtained by the Charlotte Observer, the main change is that salary level is no longer a factor in determining severance. The previous plan took into account tenure at the company as well as salary bands, with higher-paid employees receiving more severance.

Severance is now two weeks of pay for every full year of service, with a minimum of eight weeks and a maximum of 52 weeks, Rodriguez said. The result is that in most cases an employee will now make less in severance if they are laid off, the documents show.

In other developments, a New Jersey woman has sued Wells Fargo, saying she was fired for refusing to participate in a scheme to manipulate accounts and sell products that werent in customers best interest.

Melinda Bini filed a lawsuit in state court in New Jersey on April 5 against the bank and three supervisors from the branch she worked at in Highland Park, NJ.com reported. Bini accused her superiors of running or knowing about the scheme and says she was retaliated against and later fired for refusing to participate.

Meanwhile, Wells CEO Tim Sloan and Chairman Stephen Sanger bought more than $5 million of the companys stock a week after the board published a report into its bogus account scandal to help rebuild investor confidence.

Sloan purchased just over $2 million of shares on Monday, while Sanger acquired a bit more than $3 million, according to regulatory filings. Both documents list the same price: $51.65.

Earnings

United tops

estimates

United Airlines profit plunged 69 percent in the first three months of the year, and that was before the terrible publicity surrounding the dragging of a bloodied passenger off a plane.

The cost of fuel, labor and maintenance all rose sharply in the first quarter, helping push Uniteds profit down to $96 million, despite higher revenue.

The results released Monday beat Wall Street expectations, however. United performed better by other measures  more cancellation-free days, fewer lost bags.

The power to raise prices was also swinging Uniteds way. A key revenue-per-mile figure was flat, adding to evidence that a two-year decline in average fares is over. United expects the revenue-per-mile figure to rise by 1 to 3 percent in the second quarter.

It is unclear whether last weeks incident in which Chicago airport officers dragged a 69-year-old man off a United Express plane will halt Uniteds progress.

Medicine

Theranos in

lab settlement

Theranos has reached a settlement with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that resolves all legal and regulatory proceedings between the federal agency and the embattled Palo Alto blood diagnostics firm, the company announced Monday.

Theranos has agreed to pay a penalty of $30,000 and cannot operate a clinical laboratory for the next two years.

As part of the settlement, the federal agency, which regulates blood testing labs, has withdrawn its revocation of Theranos lab operating certification.

Theranos, founded in 2003 by CEO Elizabeth Holmes, had been a high-flying startup that promised to revolutionize blood testing before a Wall Street Journal investigation alleged that the company misled people about the accuracy of its blood testing technology.

New York

Uber pressured

to include tips

New York Citys taxi and black car regulator plans to require Uber Technologies to add a tipping feature to its app by July. Drivers have long complained that Uber has resisted such a move, even as other ride-hailing companies offer a way for customers to tip.

Uber is facing a similar push in California, where a lawmaker introduced a bill early this year that would require ride-hailing companies to accept tips via credit cards. If Uber has to adopt tipping in its two most important U.S. markets, it wouldnt make much sense to refuse to do so elsewhere. Drivers have been asking for a tipping option for years. As Uber faces myriad controversies this year, its locked in intense competition with Lyft for drivers, and any worker who feels tipping is important can easily switch.

A change in New York would be a big victory for the Independent Drivers Guild, which Uber helped set up last year in conjunction with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, a trade union. The drivers guild has made tipping a priority in recent months and pushed the New York City regulator to take action.

Chronicle News Services
CLEVELAND  In a rambling video, Steve Stephens said, I snapped, I just snapped. But as the manhunt dragged on Monday for the man accused of posting Facebook footage of himself killing a Cleveland retiree, police were unable to explain what set him off.

Only Steve knows that, Police Chief Calvin Williams said as authorities posted a $50,000 reward for Stephens capture in the shooting of Robert Godwin Sr., a 74-year-old former foundry worker.

In the video, Stephens blamed a former girlfriend he had lived with, saying he woke up last week and couldnt take it anymore. But in a statement Monday, the woman shed little light on what might have gone wrong and said Stephens was good to her and her children.

As for the shooting victim, Godwin appeared to have been selected at random, gunned down while picking up aluminum cans Sunday afternoon after spending Easter with some of his children.

A manhunt that started in Clevelands gritty east side expanded rapidly into a nationwide search for Stephens, a 37-year-old job counselor who worked with teens and young adults, police said.

He could be nearby. He could be far away or anywhere in between, FBI agent Stephen Anthony said.

Law enforcement officials said his cell phone signal was last detected on Sunday afternoon in Erie, Pa., about 100 miles east of Cleveland.

Police reported getting dozens of tips, and nine schools in Philadelphia were locked down Monday while authorities investigated possible sightings of Stephens.

Some of those who know Stephens described him as pleasant and kind, while some said he had a gambling problem. He filed for bankruptcy two years ago.

The police chief said: We are not going to pinpoint a specific thing and say this is what triggered this, because we dont know.

Godwins daughter said he was killed while collecting cans in a plastic shopping bag.

Not because he needed the money, it was just something he did, said 52-year-old Debbie Godwin. Thats all he was doing. He wasnt harming anyone.

In the shooting video, Stephens told Godwin a womans name and said, Shes the reason that this is about to happen to you. The victim did not seem to recognize the womans name. The gunman then pointed a weapon at Godwin, who shielded his face with the plastic bag.

The woman Stephens spoke of, Joy Lane, said in a text to CBS that we had been in a relationship for several years. I am sorry that all of this has happened.

The video of the killing was on Facebook for about three hours before it was taken down.

Mark Gillispie is an Associated Press writer.
CLEVELAND (AP)  An Ohio man said he was angry at a woman when he shot and killed an elderly passerby Sunday afternoon and posted the incident on Facebook, police say.

Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as Steve Stephens, and Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said officers were searching for him in the Cleveland area and beyond.

The victim was identified as 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr.

In a statement Sunday night, Facebook said the suspect did go live on the social media site at one point during the day, but not during the killing. Police earlier Sunday had said that Stephens had broadcast it on Facebook Live.

In the video, which appears shaky, Stephens gets out of his car and appears to randomly attack Godwin, who was holding a shopping bag. Stephens says the name of a woman, whom Godwin does not seem to recognize.

Shes the reason that this is about to happen to you, Stephens appears to tell Godwin before pointing a gun at him. Godwin can be seen shielding his face with the shopping bag.

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson publicly urged Stephens to turn himself in to police and not to do any more harm to anybody.

Any problems he is having, we can have a conversation, Jackson said.

In a separate video, Stephens said he had killed more than a dozen other people. Williams said police have not verified any other shootings or deaths.

There are no more victims that we know are tied to him, he said.

The chief also said theyve been talking with family and friends of Stephens, who is employed at Beech Brook, a behavioral health agency in Pepper Pike, near Cleveland.

We are shocked and horrified, and we dont know anything more about it, agency spokeswoman Nancy Kortemeyer told WOIO-TV.

It was not immediately known what Stephens does for the agency, whose website says it will serve more than 18,000 children and families this year.
Delta is letting employees offer customers almost $10,000 in compensation to give up seats on overbooked flights, hoping to avoid an uproar like the one that erupted at United after a passenger was dragged off a jet.

In an internal memo obtained Friday by The Associated Press, Delta Air Lines said gate agents can offer up to $2,000, up from a previous maximum of $800, and supervisors can offer up to $9,950, up from $1,350.

United is reviewing its policies, including incentives for customers, and will announce any actions by April 30, a spokeswoman said. Other airlines did not immediately comment on whether they would raise their limits on passenger compensation.

When there aren't enough seats, airlines usually ask for volunteers by offering travel vouchers, gift cards or cash.

Last year Delta got more passengers to give up their seats than any other U.S. airline, partly by paying more than most of the others.

As a result, it had the lowest rate among the largest U.S. airlines of bumping people off flights against their will  something that is legal but alienates customers and requires the airline to pay compensation of up to $1,350 per person.

Overselling flights is a fact of life in the airline business. Industry officials say that it is necessary because some passengers don't show up, and that overbooking keeps fares down by reducing the number of empty seats.

The practice has been questioned, however, since a 69-year-old man was violently dragged off a sold-out United Express flight over the weekend. He and three others were ordered off the plane after four airline employees showed up and demanded seats so they could be in place to operate a flight the next day in Louisville, Kentucky.

It has turned into a public-relations nightmare for the entire industry, not just United, and led to calls from politicians and consumer advocates to suspend or ban overbooking.

Ben Schlappig, a travel blogger who first wrote about the Delta compensation increase, said it shows Delta is trying to reduce forced bumping. He said he couldn't imagine many situations in which people wouldn't jump at nearly $10,000.

Delta no doubt hopes that gate agents and their supervisors won't need to make maximum offers, and the financial cost to the airline is likely to be limited. If Delta paid $9,950 to every person it bumped involuntarily last year, that would total $12 million. Delta earned nearly $4.4 billion.

Raising the limits "lets them solve some PR problems" and might head off U.S. Transportation Department regulations to curb overbooking, said another travel blogger, Gary Leff. "They can say, 'Look, we're already solving the problem.'"

An Associated Press analysis of government data shows that in 2015 and 2016, Delta paid an average of $1,118 in compensation for every passenger that it denied a seat. Southwest Airlines paid $758, United $565, and American Airlines $554.

After the incident in Chicago, critics questioned why United didn't offer more when no passengers accepted the airline's $800 offer for volunteers to give up their seats.

"If you offer enough money, even the guy going to a funeral will sell his seat," said Ross Aimer, a retired United pilot.
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Charges were dropped against former 49ers defensive lineman Ray McDonald after the alleged victim told a judge Monday in San Jose that she would not testify.

Judge David Cena dropped the charges after a brief hearing, and prosecutors lamented that the case would not go forward.

Despite my best efforts to convince the victim to testify, she refused, said deputy Santa Clara County district attorney Chris Lamiero. That is her right. Regretfully, Ray McDonald will not face a jury.

The case involved an incident during a pool party at McDonalds home in San Jose in December 2014. The alleged victim said she had passed out and been raped. McDonald said they had consensual sex.

McDonald sued the woman for defamation in March 2015, and she counter-sued him for assault and battery and false imprisonment. According to court documents, a settlement was reached in January.

Were very satisfied with the outcome, said John Halley, McDonalds Redwood City attorney. Weve always thought this is the right outcome.

The womans attorneys did not return calls for comment.

The 49ers cut McDonald two days after the 2014 incident. Then-general manager Trent Baalke said that McDonald demonstrated a pattern of poor decision making ... that can no longer be tolerated.

He was signed by the Chicago Bears, who let him go when he was arrested on domestic-violence charges after an incident with his ex-fiancee in May 2015. Though a grand jury decided not to indict McDonald on false imprisonment or misdemeanor domestic-violence charges, video of that incident was released in December 2016 amid a custody dispute between McDonald and his former fiancee.
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SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)

A police officer was injured early this morning in San Francisco in an attempt to stop two suspects in a stolen vehicle, police said.

At 4:37 a.m., officers tried to stop two people in a vehicle at Mission and Allison streets in the city's Outer Mission neighborhood.

An officer reported a vehicle he saw was stolen and when other officers responded to help stop the vehicle and the suspects, the driver sped away, police said.

As the officer was getting out of his patrol car, the suspects' vehicle crashed into the patrol car's driver's side door, injuring the officer, police said.

The officer's injury was not life-threatening and he did not require medical attention, according to police.

The two suspects got out of the vehicle and ran but the driver was caught. The other person got away.

The name of the suspect who was arrested is not yet being released by police because the other suspect got away, police spokesman Officer Robert Rueca said.

Officers took possession of the stolen vehicle.
Cleveland police seek suspect in Facebook Live homicide video

That's just Fukked Up

Cleveland police and the FBI are hunting for a shooter who killed an elderly man in broad daylight and streamed it on Facebook Live.I found somebody Im about to kill, the man said in the video, as he pulled his Ford Fusion to the side of a road in east Cleveland about 2 p.m. Sunday.Im about to kill this guy right here. Hes an old dude, the man said as he confronted Robert Godwin Sr., 74, who was walking on the sidewalk.Can you do me a favor? the man asked Godwin before asking that he say the name of a woman. Shes the reason this is about to happen to you.The shooter  whom police suspect is Steve Stephens, 37  then asked Godwins age before killing him. The interaction lasted less than a minute. The two men did not know each other, police said.Stephens said in the live video that he has killed more than a dozen people, police said, though they have announced no other victims.Authorities searched Sunday night across the Cleveland area for the suspect, who they said is African American, 6-foot-1, bald and has a full beard. Police said he is driving a white Ford Fusion with the temporary Ohio plate E636360.Facebook allows any user to live-stream video from their phones, a service started in 2010. As the live videos have gained in audience and prominence, some have questioned how the company should best control for potentially horrific scenes. The video of Sundays homicide was viewable on Facebook for about three hours before it was removed and Stephenss profile was deactivated.The video is likely to reignite a debate about the haunting reach of grisly violence in the Internet age, and follows shocking beatings and killings shared in real time on a global stage.Three men were shot last year in Norfolk, while one was broadcasting live on Facebook from inside a car. And in 2015, a shooter killed a TV journalist and her cameraman during a live-TV broadcast before posting his own video of the killing on Facebook.In January, four people in Chicago were accused of attacking an 18-year-old disabled man while broadcasting the assault on Facebook Live. They have since pleaded not guilty.Other live platforms have been used to broadcast haunting videos. An Ohio woman was accused of broadcasting her friends rapist on Twitters live-streaming service Periscope.Police said the Easter Sunday shooting occurred on a residential road in east Clevelands Glenville neighborhood. In the video, Godwin is seen walking alone on a sidewalk, wearing a blue plaid shirt and holding a grocery bag.What happened today is senseless, Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said at a news conference. I know, Steve, that you have a relationship with some of our clergy in Northeast Ohio. I encourage you to give them a call and then call us and turn yourself in.Posts on Stephenss Facebook page said he had lost everything to gambling and wanted to speak to several people he named, according to NBC News, which saved the Facebook posts before they were removed.The posts also said Stephens killed 12 people today during what he called his Easter day slaughter and would not surrender until he could speak to two women, including his mother.This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook, a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement. We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety.Stephens is an employee at Beech Brook, a childrens behavioral health center in Ohio, a company spokesperson told ABC News. The suspect records video of an employee ID with Stephenss face and name on it.Nancy Kortemeyer, a spokeswoman at Beech Brook, said Sunday night: We were shocked and horrified to learn of this news today. We were notified that it was on Facebook, and we are waiting along with everyone else to hear if he has been abducted. Our hearts go out to the family of Mr. Goodwin, and we are hoping that the Cleveland Police will be able to apprehend Mr. Stephens as soon as possible and before anyone else is injured. We do not have any additional information at this time.Family members of Godwin were in tears when they spoke Sunday with local reporters. It feels like my heart is going to stop, one woman said.The woman whom the shooter refers to, a girlfriend of Steve Stephens, is cooperating with investigators in the manhunt, according to Cleveland.com, which cited an unnamed senior law enforcement source.
A Fremont man was sentenced to prison time Monday morning in Dodge County District Court by Judge Geoffrey Hall for methamphetamine possession.

Jeremy T. Nordboe, 30, pleaded no-contest and was found guilty of being in possession of methamphetamine, a Class IV felony, in both June and August of 2016.

Hall sentenced Nordboe to spend one year on the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services and under the Good Time Law of Nebraska, Nordboe could be eligible for release in six months.

In June, the III CORPS Drug Task Force searched the defendants home in collaboration with the Nebraska Probation Office and proceeded to find a makeshift bong containing a white, burnt substance that field tested positive for methamphetamine.

In August, a Dodge County Deputy on routine patrol pulled over a vehicle because of issues with its left rear tail light, court records show.

Dispatch advised the deputy that the vehicles passenger, Nordboe, was not wanted but was on active probation through Dodge County for driving during a 15-year-long revocation, court records show.

A search of the vehicle was conducted and a black, rectangular container was located under his seat. Inside of the container, the deputy found a small zip loc baggy that had yellow print with black spiders on it, court records show.

The small baggy contained a white crystal substance that field tested positive as being methamphetamine. Several used hypodermic needles were also located.
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The folks who live in Monterey Countys Parkfield call their tiny community the earthquake capital of the world.

Six big quakes have hit along the San Andreas Fault there, averaging 22 years apart for the past 160 years, and since the last one a dozen years ago, scientists have been studying the fault zone with all the seismic instruments they can muster.

Their new measurements show for the first time that the Earths crust beneath the town has been slipping continuously along each side of the fault since the most recent quake a dozen years ago, a finding that could have major implications for the Bay Areas major faults.

The motion, which cant be felt above ground, is called afterslip, and within six years after the most recent quake struck Parkfield in 2004 with a magnitude of 6.0, the two sides of the fault had slid past each other by as much as 12 to 14 inches, said James J. Lienkaemper, a veteran geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey.

The four most dangerous faults around the Bay Area are moving in similar afterslip as a result of earlier earthquakes and are likely to slip more after the faults rupture again in a future quake, Lienkaemper said.

That hidden slip could damage the Bay Areas dense networks of highways, BART tracks, tunnels and underground pipelines even long after a future quakes earlier damage is repaired, he said.

The four faults are the Hayward between San Pablo Bay and San Jose; the Rodgers Creek from San Pablo Bay through Santa Rosa and the Healdsburg area; the northern Calaveras between Sunol and Danville; and the Green Valley between Napa and Fairfield.

All are capable of generating major quakes, according to recent Geological Survey studies.

The Hayward and the Calaveras faults, long considered among the most likely to rupture, could each trigger a quake with an estimated magnitude of 6.8, while a quake on the Rodgers Creek or Green Valley fault could be even bigger, reaching a magnitude of 7.1, the studies say. By comparison, in 1989 the Loma Prieta quake on the San Andreas Fault system that rocked the Bay Area registered a magnitude of 6.9.

When a quake strikes in California, the ground abruptly ruptures and the two sides of the fault jolt past each other  for several feet in a truly big quake. Then, as in Parkfield, the afterslip motion can continue for years.

Some of that afterslip is certainly removing strain on the Bay Areas faults that has built up since past earthquakes, Lienkaemper said, but we cant really tell yet how much strain it might remove.

Scientists have been seeking evidence of past quakes on Bay Area faults for years, using airborne observations, deploying instruments on the ground and digging deep trenches to reveal the signs of past movements.

The Hayward Fault, for example, last ruptured in a violent quake in 1868; the Rodgers Creek Fault last broke in 1745; the last known major quake on the Calaveras struck in about 1740; and evidence shows that the Green Valley Fault last ruptured about 1609.

Measuring ongoing rates of surface motion along Bay Area faults has long been a major project for Lienkaemper, who has just retired from the USGS. And since 1979, teams of earth science students at San Francisco State University have been monitoring movement at nearly 40 sites along active faults throughout the Bay Area.

The teams measure tiny surface movements called fault creep that are visible on some Bay Area pavements and streets, particularly along the Hayward Fault in the East Bay. They are evidence of the larger afterslip events that occur deeper underground.

The student survey is led by Forrest S. McDonald, a university technician who is the co-author of Lienkaempers latest report, published in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.

David Perlman is The San Francisco Chronicles science editor. Email: dperlman@sfchronicle.com
A team of scientists Monday documented what theyre describing as the first case of large-scale river reorganization as a result of human-caused climate change.

They found that in mid-2016, the retreat of a very large glacier in Canadas Yukon Territory led to the rerouting of its vast stream of meltwater from one river system to another  cutting down flow to the Yukons largest lake, and channeling freshwater to the Pacific Ocean south of Alaska, rather than to the Bering Sea.

The researchers dubbed the reorganization an act of rapid river piracy, saying that such events had often occurred in the Earths geologic past, but never before, to their knowledge, as a sudden present-day event. They also called it geologically instantaneous.

The river wasnt what we had seen a few years ago. It was a faded version of its former self, said lead study author Daniel Shugar of the University of Washington, Tacoma, of the Slims River, which lost much of its flow due to the glacial change. It was barely flowing at all.

The study was published in Nature Geoscience.

The study found that the choking of the Slims River in turn deprived Kluane Lake, the largest body of water in the Yukon Territory. The lake level was at a record low in August, and two small communities that live on the lake may now have to adjust to the lower water levels.

The Kluane lake level dropped last year and is likely to continue dropping, Shugar said. If it drops enough that the lake level is below its other outlet, at the north end, it becomes what is called a closed basin. That will have changes to the chemistry, the structure of the lake, the biology.

The precipitating event for all of this happened in summer 2016, when meltwater from the retreating Kaskawulsh glacier burst through a channel of ice, suddenly draining a glacial lake that had fed Slims River and directing waters into a different river that ultimately heads south toward the Gulf of Alaska. Previously, these waters had ultimately fed into the vast Yukon River, which empties on Alaskas west coast.

The researchers found only a minuscule probability that the retreat of Kaskawulsh glacier  which retracted by nearly half a mile from 1956 to 2007  could have occurred in what they called a constant climate. They therefore inferred that the events in question could be attributed to human-caused climate change.

The beneficiary of the change, in hydrologic terms, is the Alsek River, known for its whitewater rafting. It saw far higher flows than normal as a consequence  and empties eventually into the Gulf of Alaska.

Chris Mooney is a Washington Post writer.
PANMUNJOM, South Korea  A day after a failed North Korean missile test, President Trump had a message Monday for the Norths ruler: Gotta behave. At the same time, Vice President Mike Pence warned at the Korean Demilitarized Zone that Americas era of strategic patience is over.

Keeping up the verbal volleying, North Koreas deputy U.N. ambassador accused the United States of turning the Korean Peninsula into the worlds biggest hotspot and creating a dangerous situation in which a thermonuclear war may break out at any moment.

Pences visit to the tense DMZ dividing North and South Korea came at the start of a 10-day trip to Asia and underscored U.S. commitment. It allowed the vice president to gaze at North Korean soldiers afar and stare directly across a border marked by razor wire.

Pence told reporters that Trump was hopeful China would use its influence to pressure the North to abandon its weapons program, a day after the Norths failed missile test launch.

Trump himself appeared to reinforce the message at the White House, replying Gotta behave when a CNN reporter asked what message he had for North Korean leader Kin Jong Un.

In New York, the Norths deputy U.N. ambassador, Kim In Ryong, said U.S.-South Korean military exercises being staged now are the largest-ever aggressive war drill. He said his country is ready to react to any mode of war desired by the U.S.

In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he hoped there would be no unilateral actions like those we saw recently in Syria and that the U.S. will follow the line that President Trump repeatedly voiced during the election campaign.

Meanwhile, China made a plea for a return to negotiations. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said tensions need to be eased on the Korean Peninsula to bring the escalating dispute there to a peaceful resolution. Lu said Beijing wants to resume the multiparty negotiations that ended in stalemate in 2009 and suggested that U.S. plans to deploy a missile defense system in South Korea were damaging its relations with China.

In Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, speaking to a parliamentary session Monday, said: Needless to say, diplomatic effort is important to maintain peace. But dialogue for the sake of having dialogue is meaningless.

Ken Thomas and Darlene Superville is an Associated Press writer.
Teacher sues PED over sick leave

A teacher from tiny Logan, New Mexico, is suing the Public Education Department because she says counting the use of contractually promised sick leave against teachers in their annual performance evaluations is illegal. The issue was a big part of the education conversation in the last legislative session. The governor vetoed a bill that would have given teachers more latitude to use their sick leave. By the way, Republican legislative education guru Rep. Dennis Roch is the superintendent of Logan Municipal Schools.

Oil company leaves San Juan Basin with $3 billion

ConocoPhillips has been doing business in northwestern New Mexico for 50 years. But the company has announced plans to

in the San Juan Basin for up to $3 billion. That's a discount from what the company claimed it was worth just last year. Hilcorp Energy Corporation is the parent company that bought everything.

Balderas raises cash from law firms with state contracts

New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas counts out-of-state law firms with big contracts to represent New Mexico as

. Balderas is in his first term as attorney general and has often been mentioned as a man with an eye on higher office. He says there's nothing untoward and that a committee in his office picks the law firms, not him.

Trump doubles arrests of immigrants with no criminal record

Numbers out from Immigration and Customs Enforcement show the agency has stepped up arrests of undocumented immigrants with no other crime on their record. Most of the undocumented immigrants ICE arrests do have a record, but since President Trump took office, the agency has doubled the number of people it takes in who are on its radar only because they're in the country illegally.

Cancel that cab

The turquoise-and-white taxis of Capital City Cab have become a familiar sight around Santa Fe over the past three decades. But the company is parking its fleet and shutting down amid competition from services like Lyft and Uber.



Film pros eye SFUAD campus

The campus of the Santa Fe University of Art and Design will be vacant after May 2018. But the city will still owe roughly $25 million on the property it bought in 2009. The Garson Studios have long been a focal point on campus, and some of the most promising ideas about what to do next involve growing a robust film and television industry in the heart of midtown Santa Fe.



NM case to Supreme Court

Attorney Clinton Marrs woke up in Washington DC this morning a day away from one of the biggest arguments in his life. Marrs represents Charles Kokesh in his fight against the Securities Exchange Commission. SFR highlighted Charles and his (in)famous son, Adam, in a 2013 cover story that touches on the origins of the case and the elder Kokesh's willingness to fight: "Just because it's the federal government doesn't mean that they are right," Charles said.



Baby, it's lovely outside

Today should be a great start to the weekwarm and not very windy. In fact, most of the week will be gorgeous before cooling down next weekend.



Thanks for reading! The Word thinks at this point you should just file an extension with the IRS and promise yourself you'll get your taxes done next weekend.



Subscribe to the Morning Word at sfreporter.com/signup.

Santa Fe Reporter
SINGAPORE: An Indian environmental engineer has won this years prestigious Cartier Womens Initiative Awards here for providing women working on farms with water management solutions and protecting small farmers against droughts and flash floods. Trupti Jain, 46, was one among the six winners chosen for the Asia-Pacific laureate from a pool of nearly 1,900 applicants from over 120 countries and were selected by an independent international jury.

Each recipient receives a USD 100,000 prize money as well as a year of mentoring. Jain, an Indian government employee for two decades in the rural development, has worked for women farmers whose work frequently go unrecognised. I didnt expect it, but I am so proud of what my team has achieved and I am happy I was so determined to reach my goal, Jain said. I hope to use the prize money to scale up the business as well as create a certification programme for women, so their skills and indigenous knowledge will be recognised, she was quoted as saying by The Straits Times.

Jain started Naireeta Services in 2013, providing handmade water management solutions that enable small farmers to filter and store rainwater underground to protect them against droughts and flash floods. Her Gujarat-based company has already implemented 232 systems in India, directly benefiting 18,000 small farmers and indirectly helping more than 100,000 of the rural poor.

Jain was presented the award on Wednesday at a function held at the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall. It was the first time the awards ceremony was held outside France since it began in 2006 to supports women entrepreneurs around the world who want to kick-start their business. We recognise the gender gap that still exists today and, for us, the awards are a chance to recognise and reward the work of women entrepreneurs who have created businesses that are real drivers of change in their communities, said Cyrille Vigneron, chief executive Cartier International.

Five other winners, representing Latin America, North America, Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East and North Africa, were also honoured at the awards ceremony.

Read Also:

President To Inaugurate 3rd Global Exhibition On Services

NASA Finds Ingredients For Life On Saturn's Moon Enceladus
NEW DELHI: President Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate Global Exhibition on Services (GES) tomorrow which will highlight Indias potential to boost its services exports across sectors.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will also address the inaugural session to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The third edition of the GES comes in the backdrop of increased focus on services trade and Indias submission to the World Trade Organisation on trade facilitation in services.

Indias services exports increased from USD 52 billion in 2005 to USD 155 billion in 2015, with a share of 3.3 per cent in global services exports. In the first 11 months of 2016-17, services exports stood at USD 146.5 billion, growing at 3 per cent.

The four-day event, to be held from 17-20 April at India Expo Mart, Greater Noida, will see participation from over 70 countries and focus on 20 services sectors including information technology, tourism and hospitality, logistics, education and financial services, among others.

The exhibition is being organised by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, together with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Services Export Promotion Council.

"GES 2017 brings together 550 exhibitors from 70 plus countries. More than 20,000 visitors are expected to attend the exhibition. The exhibition will see over 5,000 business meetings and deliberations at more than 30 seminars," CII said.

The Indian Space Research Organisation, which recently won laurels for placing 104 satellites on a single launch, will also showcase its offerings regarding application of space technology for implementing and monitoring of public programmes on real time basis at the GES.

Besides, the Ministry of Tourism is hosting the Incredible India Haat ? a cuisine, culture and handicrafts show at the GES.

Indias services trade witnessed a surplus of USD 59 billion in April-February 2016-17 with imports rising 12.1 pct to USD 87 billion. IT and software services contribute over 48 pct of the countrys overall services exports.

Read Also:

India Can Only Progress When Women Are Empowered: Modi

Indian Students Will Continue To Be In Demand In The U.S.
SINGAPORE CITY: B. Sai Praneeth clinched his maiden Super Series title by downing compatriot Kidambi Srikanth 17-21, 21-17, 21-12 in the Singapore Open final on Sunday.



This was Praneeth's first appearance in a Super Series final, the biggest events of the international badminton calendar.



Previously, Saina Nehwal, P.V. Sindhu and Srikanth have won the coveted crown.



Until Sunday, only three other countries -- China, Indonesia and Denmark -- had been represented on both sides of the court.



After losing the first game 17-21, Praneeth showed tremendous grit to come back from being 1-6 in the dumps to level at 7-7.



Srikanth tied to assert his dominance with a superb smash down the line to take a 8-7 lead but Praneeth seemed determined to go into the break 11-10, winning 10 of the 14 points on the bounce.



Leading 18-16, Praneeth showed great awareness to outfox Srikanth who relied on his smashes and netplay to dink the cork over his head when he was closer to the net for a sublime point.



Three game points to play for, Praneeth returned the favour this time with an identical 21-17 win to hang the final game perfectly in balance.



In the final game, Praneeth opened up a 10-4 lead and never looked back as Srikanth made an error.



Srikanth, who has a fair bit of experience having played in two finals and winning both - the 2015 India Open and 2014 China Open, never looked settled after the first game. It was Praneeth's all round play and array of strokes that pinned his rival down.



"It's a great feeling," an elated Praneeth said later. "I practice with him (Srikanth), so we know each other's game very well. It was a really tough match.



"I have been playing well in this tournament and the final win is very special. My hard work had paid off," the 24-year-old said.



Read Also:

Wrestler Sakshi At 5th Spot, Tomar 7th In World Rankings

India Win 12 Medals At Asian Youth Chess Ch'ship
MIAMI (AP) -- Rookie J.T. Riddle launched a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning and the Miami Marlins, after coming close to holding the Mets hitless helped by left fielder Marcell Ozuna's acrobatic catch, beat New York 4-2 Sunday.

Ozuna raced back, hung on to the top of the wall, and caught Wilmer Flores' drive in the fifth. Flores slammed his batting helmet into his leg while Ozuna flashed a big smile.

Marlins starter Dan Straily and three relievers didn't allow a hit until Neil Walker singled with two outs in the eighth. Miami won the final three of a four-game series.

The Mets made it 2-all in the ninth on pinch hitter Asdrubal Cabrera's two-out, two-run single off David Phelps (2-1).

Ozuna led off the bottom of the ninth with a single against Addison Reed (0-1). Miguel Rojas doubled with one out, and a perfect relay from left fielder Yoenis Cespedes to Cabrera to the plate nailed Ozuna.

Riddle, whose only previous hit in the majors with a little infielder dribbler on Wednesday, sent a drive over the wall in right-center.

Straily, who entered with a 7.56 ERA in his first two starts, tossed 5 1-3 no-hit innings before being lifted after issuing a pair of walks. He walked five and threw 93 pitches.

Marlins reliever Jarlin Garcia got the final two outs of the sixth. Kyle Barraclough pitched a hitless seventh before turning it over to Brad Ziegler, who gave up Walker's hit.

Christian Yelich and Ozuna drove in runs to put Miami ahead 2-0. The Marlins nearly had another run, but Justin Bour missed the plate on a slide.

Mets starter Matt Harvey allowed one earned run in six innings.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Marlins: 3B Martin Prado (right hamstring) is expected to rejoin the team on Monday after completing a rehab assignment with Single-A Jupiter. "I'm feeling ready to go," Prado said. "It's been a fun four days getting back to my routine and I've been able to play defense and offense and not worry about running the bases. I think I'm close as I can be to play at this level now." ... C J.T. Realmuto returned to the lineup after battling an illness shortly after delivering a walk-off RBI double on Friday.

UP NEXT

Mets: Begin a nine-game homestand on Tuesday against Philadelphia with RHP Zack Wheeler (1-1, 7.45 ERA) on the mound. Wheeler is 3-1 with a 3.25 ERA in six starts against the Phillies.

Marlins: Open a three-game series at Seattle on Monday. RHP Tom Koehler (0-0, 3.27) will start for Miami while the Mariners will counter with LHP Ariel Miranda (0-1, 5.06). Miami's Ichiro Suzuki returns to Seattle where he was a 10-time All-Star in 12 seasons.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As an investigation into the death of 1-year-old Bianca Abdul continues, her mother and father continue to struggle with the fallout of the child's passing.

Her mother, Leila Wade, lost custody of a 12-year-old daughter within days of the incident. Her father, Joseph Abdul, was arrested in front of the family's home on charges of violating multiple orders of protection, including one against Wade.

The medical examiner was set to release the body for burial early last week, though as of Monday family members on both sides were still working on the logistics and funding for a funeral.

Both parents, who split last summer, spoke separately to the Advance about the life and death of their baby girl.

'I KNEW SHE WAS DEAD AND COLD'

"I picked her up and I knew she was dead," said Wade. "I looked in her eyes and I tried to do CPR...but in her eyes I knew that she was dead and cold."

She tried to call 911 but her phone was dead, so she ran in to the street screaming for help. She said when police arrived, they ransacked the house for evidence.

"They trashed the house like it was a drug raid," she said. "They ripped things all over the place. Her toys were removed; her blanket was torn out of my hand."

But the detectives who questioned her were compassionate, she said, practically throwing cigarettes at her.

She had quit smoking, but decided to start up again.

The child's family had been investigated by the Administration for Children's Services seven times previously for allegations of abuse and neglect in the home, according to a New York Post report.

In 2015 and 2016, police twice responded to domestic disputes at the address, and once to a house nearby where Abdul's family lives, according to an NYPD spokesman.

Wade told police the day of the incident her daughter was dancing in their living room three days prior, when she fell and struck her head on the coffee table.

12-YEAR-OLD REMOVED

After Wade was released from the hospital for medical bereavement and screened by authorities for evidence, she reunited with her 12-year-old at a neighbor's house.

Police continued to investigate at her home.

It was at that point, she said, detectives asked her to answer more questions at the 122 Precinct stationhouse in New Dorp. So she went. And when she returned about an hour later, her daughter was gone.

"The family was saying '[ACS] just came and they took Sasha,'" she said. "And they wouldn't tell them why."

She said she learned the next day at an ACS meeting the agency put the child into foster care.

An ACS spokesman said the agency would not comment on the case.

The girl was removed from Wade's custody, with a second court date pending.

That same week, said Wade, she was readmitted to Staten Island University Hospital for a nervous breakdown.

A hospital spokeswoman confirmed this week that Wade had been a patient "several times" recently.

Case workers have been assigned to Wade on and off for about a dozen years, she said, after several domestic disputes and displacement by Hurricane Sandy caused her daughter to miss school.

She said a brain injury in 2005 left her with chronic head pain and a prescription to opioids for the past decade. She's also prescribed to Benzodiazepines for anxiety.

Wade, 38, has never been arrested, according to a NYPD spokesman.

DAD BAILED OUT TO ATTEND FUNERAL

Bianca's father, Joseph Abdul, was bailed out of jail two week ago by friends.

During an appearance in Criminal Court, a judge permitted Abdul, 36, to attend the funeral.

He later apologized for his actions, saying he's not usually an aggressive person.

"I couldn't believe what happened," said Abdul, in regard to the death. "I thought, 'how the hell could this happen, she was fine during visitation.'"

He was allegedly in violation of multiple orders of protection issued on behalf of both Wade and a male neighbor, involving two assault cases in 2016.

He's since pleaded guilty to the case involving Wade, but maintains he was defending himself during the bloody encounter with the neighbor.

He has 14 arrests on his record, police said.

A childhood friend who was with Abdul that day said he was sickened by the actions of the officers who arrested him and the arraignment judge who issued the bail.

"I said, 'you're going to put a man through the system while his daughter is in the morgue?!"

Abdul said that prior to getting arrested, he threw his phone in to the ocean.

"People kept calling, and every time I checked Facebook all people were talking about was my baby," he said.

Abdul didn't live at the house for about eight months leading up to the death due to the orders of protection. He said he attempted to see Bianca as much as possible, while completing anger management classes.

FIGHTING THROUGH GRIEF

On a recent Sunday, an exhausted-looking Wade sat in the living room where her daughters used to play.

She lit a half-smoked cigarette.

"This is beyond the most horrible nightmare I can't get up from," she said.

She sorted through unworn baby clothes scattered on the couch, one of the few reminders of Bianca not confiscated by police.

She spoke about other scenarios of what could have gone wrong, including a diagnosis in 2016 of Kawaski's disease, which typically is found in young children.

The disease, which causes inflammation in the walls of some blood vessels, typically is curable, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Kawasaki disease is the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children, the Kawasaki Disease Foundation says on its website.

Wade said she also fears for her 12-year-old in foster care.

During a recent supervised visit, she instructed her daughter to mark initials on her clothes so bunk mates at the foster home wouldn't steal them. She said her daughter looked skinny and gray under the eyes.

"My daughter's not street smart, she doesn't know the system," she said.

She said it had crossed her mind to show up uninvited to a birthday party her daughter was attending and essentially kidnap her from the state. But the thought of leaving her infant behind, unburied, kept her from acting.

"I keep dreaming of an empty shroud, and I can't find her," said Wade. "And I'll never be able to forgive myself if I were to just leave."

---

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The city will be awarding $1 million in grants to community organizations -- including Staten Island Downtown Alliance and Staten Island Business Outreach Center (SIBOC) -- to benefit both the Bay and Jersey street corridors.

The grants -- awarded by the city Department of Small Business Services (SBS) -- are earmarked for neighborhood development projects that support small business corridors in every borough.

The purpose of the grants is to fund projects that strengthen and preserve underserved neighborhoods through tailored projects that include business attraction/retention, facade improvements, merchant organizing, place making and organizational development.

"These corridors are our neighborhoods' Main Streets. Their small businesses give our communities character," said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

"They help hundreds of thousands of families earn a living. So we're giving grants in places like New Brighton and Stapleton to make these stretches of neighborhood stores stronger," he added.

Through the Avenue NYC initiative, the $1 million will be distributed to 34 unique development projects across the city, all with the goal of supporting the small businesses in underserved neighborhoods.

BAY STREET CORRIDOR

Staten Island Business Outreach Center will use the grant money to promote the full development of the Bay Street corridor.

"The Bay Street corridor is primed for unprecedented development, so it is extremely important for us to hit the streets and prepare the existing business owners to take advantage of the economic changes to come," said Daniel Clark, executive director of the SIBOC.

"The merchant organizing work that we will be conducting will strengthen the voice of the small business community and inform the direction of SBS' Neighborhood 360 initiative. We are proud to partner with other existing economic development advocates on the North Shore to make sure this is an inclusive and productive process," he added.

UPGRADING JERSEY STREET

Staten Island Downtown Alliance will use its share of the grant money to host promotional events, develop marketing collateral, and coordinate discount programming to encourage residents to patronize local businesses along Jersey Street in New Brighton.

"We are grateful to the Department of Small Business Services for awarding us this grant to do place making on Jersey Street," said Michael Behar, president of the Staten Island Downtown Alliance.

"Historically, Jersey Street was the place where North Shore residents went to shop. Working with the Jersey Street Merchant Association and the community, we plan to use this grant to continue to bring positive change to the corridor so that everyone will say, 'I Love Jersey Street'."

Want to discuss this report? Click the comment link near this story's headline to join in the conversation.

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By ELENA BECATOROS, SUZAN FRASER and ZEYNEP BILGINSOY, Associated Press

ISTANBUL (AP) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared victory in Sunday's referendum that will grant sweeping powers to the presidency, hailing the result as a "historic decision."

Speaking to reporters in Istanbul, Erdogan said unofficial results showed the "yes" side had won by a margin of 1.3 million votes.

The president struck a conciliatory tone, thanking all voters regardless of how they cast their ballots and describing the referendum as a "historic decision."

"April 16 is the victory of all who said yes or no, of the whole 80 million, of the whole of Turkey of 780,000-square kilometers," Erdogan said.

Returns carried by the state-run Anadolu news agency showed that with nearly 99 percent of the vote counted, the "yes" vote had about 51.3 percent compared to 48.7 percent for the "no" vote.

Turkey's main opposition party vowed to challenge the results reported by Anadolu agency, saying they were skewed.

Erdogan has long sought to broaden his powers, but a previous attempt failed after the governing party that he co-founded fell short of enough votes to pass the reforms without holding a referendum.

Opponents argued the plan concentrate too much power in the hands of a man they allege has shown increasingly autocratic tendencies.

The outcome is expected to have a huge effect on Turkey's long-term political future and its international relations. Although the result, if officially confirmed, would fall short of the sweeping victory Erdogan had sought, but nevertheless cements his hold on the country's governance.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, whose position will be eliminated under the presidential system of government called for in the referendum, also welcomed the results and extended a hand to the opposition.

"We are all equal citizens of the Republic of Turkey," he said. "Both the ones who said 'no' and the ones who said 'yes' are one and are equally valuable."

"There are no losers of this referendum. Turkey won, the beloved people won," Yildirim said, adding that "a new page has opened in our democratic history with this vote. Be sure that we will use this result for our people's welfare and peace in the best way."

Erdogan supporters gathered outside the AK Party headquarters in Istanbul to celebrate, sending fireworks into the night sky.

But the main opposition People's Democratic Party, or CHP, cast doubt on the results. CHP vice chairman Erdal Aksunger said they would challenge 37 percent of the ballot boxes.

"Our data indicates a manipulation in the range of 3 to 4 percent," the party said on its Twitter account.

The country's pro-Kurdish opposition party, which also opposed the constitutional changes, said it plans to object to two-thirds of the ballots.

An unprecedented decision by Turkey's Supreme Election board to accept as valid ballot papers that don't have the official stamp also drew the ire of the CHP, with the party's deputy chairman, Bulent Tezcan, saying the decision had left the referendum "with a serious legitimacy problem."

The board made the announcement after many voters complained about being given ballot papers without the official stamp, saying ballots would be considered invalid only if proven to have been fraudulently cast.

Sunday's vote approved 18 constitutional changes that will replace Turkey's parliamentary system of government with a presidential one, abolishing the office of the prime minister and granting sweeping executive powers to the president. The changes will come into effect with the next general election, scheduled for 2019.

The reforms allow the president to appoint ministers, senior government officials and half the members of Turkey's highest judicial body, as well as to issue decrees and declare states of emergency. They set a limit of two five-year terms for presidents and also allow the president to remain at the helm of a political party.

Erdogan and his supporters had argued the "Turkish-style" presidential system would bring stability and prosperity in a country rattled by a failed coup last year that left more than 200 people dead, and a series of devastating attacks by the Islamic State group and Kurdish militants.

But opponents fear the changes will lead to autocratic one-man rule, ensuring that the 63-year-old Erdogan, who has been accused of repressing rights and freedoms, could govern until 2029 with few checks and balances.

The ballots themselves did not include the referendum question -- it was assumed to be understood. Voters used an official stamp to select between "yes" and "no."

At one Istanbul polling station, eager voters lined up outside before it opened at 8 a.m.

"I don't want to get on a bus with no brake system. A one-man system is like that," said Istanbul resident Husnu Yahsi, 61, who said he was voting "no."

In another Istanbul neighborhood, a "yes" voter expressed full support for Erdogan.

"Yes, yes, yes! Our leader is the gift of God to us," said Mualla Sengul. "We will always support him. He's governing so well."

Erdogan first came to power in 2003 as prime minister and served in that role until becoming Turkey's first directly elected president in 2014.

The referendum campaign was divisive and heavily one-sided, with the "yes" side dominating the airwaves and billboards across the country. Supporters of the "no" vote have complained of intimidation, including beatings, detentions and threats.

The vote comes as Turkey has been buffeted by problems. Erdogan survived a coup attempt last July, which he has blamed on his former ally and current nemesis Fethullah Gulen, an Islamic cleric living in the United States. Gulen has denied knowledge of the coup attempt.

Still, a widespread government crackdown has targeted followers of Gulen and other government opponents, branding them terrorists and a state of emergency has been imposed.

Roughly 100,000 people -- including judges, teachers, academics, doctors, journalists, military officials and police -- have lost their jobs in the government crackdown, and more than 40,000 have been arrested. Hundreds of media outlets and non-governmental organizations have been shut down.

Turkey has also suffered renewed violence between Kurdish militants and security forces in the country's volatile southeast, as well as a string of bombings, some attributed to the Islamic State group, which is active across the border in Syria.

The war in Syria has led to some 3 million refugees crossing the border into Turkey. Turkey has sent troops into Syria to help opposition Syrian forces clear a border area from the threat posed by Islamic State militants.

Meanwhile, Turkey's relations with Europe have been increasingly tense, particularly after Erdogan branded Germany and the Netherlands as Nazis for not allowing Turkish ministers to campaign for the "yes" vote among expatriate Turks.

___

Fraser reported from Ankara. Bram Janssen in Istanbul and Mucahit Ceylan in Diyarbakir also contributed to this report.
As millions of Christians flocked to churches across the United States to celebrate Easter, the centerpiece of their faith, millions more around the world embraced the risen Christ with unspoken alleluias in the silence of their hearts. For innumerable followers of The Prince of Peace, their former places of worship are mere memories, desecrated and destroyed by malevolent dupes of the Prince of Darkness.

According to a recent report from the Center for Studies on New Religions, Christians continue to be the most persecuted group in the world. The Turin-based organization, a network of American and European university scholars, found that 90,000 Christians were murdered because of their religious beliefs during 2016 alone. This is consistent with research by the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, which concluded that, between 2005 and 2015, there were 900,000 Christian martyrs worldwide. Its report, "Christian Martyrdom as a Pervasive Phenomenon," including the methodology on which it was based, appears in the December 2014 edition of the journal "Society." The academic research center's paper defined "martyr" as "Believers in Christ who have lost their lives prematurely, in situations of witness, as a result of human hostility."

Four nuns murdered

The viciousness with which Christians are being targeted is the handiwork of evil personified. Mass murders, beheadings, crucifixions, sexual savagery, child enslavement, the destruction of churches and religious icons, and the demonic desecration of the Eucharist itself are among the instruments of oppressors driven to annihilate a religion they despise. Typical of their barbarity was the March 4, 2016 storming of a Missionaries of Charity home for the elderly and disabled in Aden, Yemen, by ISIS thugs. Subsequently, Sister M. Sally, the Superior, and the only nun to survive the attack, recounted the details of the massacre.

After attending daily Mass in their convent as usual, the five sisters went to the home. ISIS, dressed in blue, arrived a half-hour later, immediately killing a guard and a driver. The attackers next confronted five Christian men, who had run to warn the sisters of the attack. They tied each to a tree, shot them the head, and then smashed their heads in. As four of the five sisters at the home ran in various directions, ISIS encountered four female workers. While the terrified women were pleading "Don't kill the sisters!" the brutal murderers slaughtered each of the workers then and there. ISIS next caught Sister Judith and Sister Reginette, tying them up, shooting them, and similarly smashing their heads. Soon thereafter, Sister Anselm and Sister Marguerite were caught and murdered the same way. ISIS, aware that there were five sisters at the home, next pressed their search for Sister Sally but were unable to find her.

Christian symbols destroyed

Meanwhile, at the convent, Father Tom Ozhonaniel, hearing the screams, consumed all the regular-sized Hosts. Unable to eat the large Host, however, he threw the oil out of the sanctuary lamp and dissolved it instead. He was thereupon kidnapped by the ISIS invaders. In a YouTube video posted on December 26, he's seen, frail and in need of hospitalization, pleading for Pope Francis and the government of India, his home nation, to come to his assistance.

ISIS murdered 16 people in its attack on the Missionaries of Charity home for the elderly and disabled. They also smashed and destroyed every single Christian symbol on the site, including a crucifix, an image of the Blessed Mother, the altar, the tabernacle, Bibles, and prayer books. Sister Sally, who witnessed the massacre unfold, expressed sadness that she hadn't died with her fellow sisters.

According to Open Doors, an advocacy organization for persecuted Christians worldwide, "Islamic extremism is by far the most significant persecution engine" of Christians today. Indeed, its 2016 "World Watch List" notes that in nine of the 10 countries in which Christians suffer "extreme persecution," Muslims comprise at least 50 percent of the population. A 2014 report from the Pew Research Center made similar findings.

Jihadist vision

It's certainly true, of course, that Islam can be practiced peacefully, a reality manifest by the fact that the majority of Muslims do precisely that. At the same time, it's foolish and dangerous to deny that a jihadist vision is enunciated in the Quran. Which is why fundamentalist adherents, whose actions are guided accordingly, can't be simplistically dismissed as maniacs or morons.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, provides in Article 18 that everyone has the right to freedom of religion. Still, the world body remains essentially silent in the face of global Christian persecution, even declining to declare that Christians are the victims of genocide at the hands of ISIS. Similarly, the mainstream media in the United States routinely underreports, downplays, or simply ignores the shocking atrocities committed against the world's Christians.

Without intervention by people of good will, Easter 2018 will find Christians even more oppressed than they are today.

[Daniel Leddy's column appears each Tuesday on the Advance Editorial Page. His e-mail address is column@danielleddylaw.com. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/LegalHotShots.]
Hannah Traore '17 beams as she walks into the Tang Museum's Payne Room. She scans the yellow- and red-painted walls and the framed photographs that rest on the floor awaiting final placement. Ian Berry, the Tang's Dayton Director, asks, "So, where are you thinking for Hassan's work?" The two look together at a colorful photograph by Moroccan artist Hassan Hajjaj that was recently acquired for the Tang's collection, and they discuss how it relates to the other photographs.



It's a telling moment in the months-long curatorial process, which is Traore's senior thesis project as an art history major. Her exhibition Africa Pop Studio, open through April 23, explores African studio portraiture and its impact on the broader diaspora. Positioning the eMalian photographer Malick Sidibe as a touchstone for a new generation of artists such as Hajjaj and the American artist Mickalene Thomas, the exhibition evokes the mood of an African photography studio-a space of exuberant patterns and posed bodies. The show culminates in an evening of music, dance, spoken word, and West African fashion, on Saturday, April 22, starting at 5 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

"I have never been more proud of something in my life, and I owe so much of that to the Tang Museum, Ian, and Rachel Seligman," Traore says.

(Seligman is the Tang's assistant director for curatorial affairs and a 1991 Skidmore graduate.) "They supported me every step of the way, challenging my ideas in order to foster creativity. It is impossible to describe the feeling when a work of art that you have only dreamed about being in your show hangs in front of you." She adds, "This experience has made me into a more critical thinker with a more developed eye. And because of it, I now wish to pursue a career in curating."



Berry says, "Hannah's project adds to the Tang's rich tradition of student-curated projects. By working with collection objects and visiting artists, our students can put into action so many of the lessons they've learned inside and outside the classroom." In addition, he notes, "They provoke us to see our collection in new ways and to come up with unique ways of making our collection topical and alive."



On Thursday, April 20, African Pop Studio will be the location of the next Accelerator Series talk, "Migration and Borders: Visible and Invisible Walls," featuring artist Hassan Hajjaj, Irish photographer Richard Mosse, and artist and activist Tanya Selvaratnam, with the Tang's Curator-at-Large Isolde Brielmaier as moderator.
Ukraine International Airlines launched non-stop scheduled flights between Kiev and Kherson. Currently, Ukraines flag carrier operates domestic flights between the capital and nine regional destinations.

Daily flights connecting Kiev and Kherson are operated on Embraer 145 and Embraer 190 aircraft with two-class cabin configuration  Business Class and Economy Class.

We are very pleased to have another regional airport connected to our network,  noted Evgeniya Satska, UIA Corporate Press Secretary.  After the Crimea was annexed and air traffic to Simferopol terminated, we faced the challenge of providing the residents of the southern part of our country with an alternative departure airport and connect the new route with the entire UIA international network. We hope the flight will be much in demand during the summer season.

UIA offers one-way economy class tickets (all taxes and surcharges included) for Kiev  Kherson services at the price from 2040 UAH.

Source: Ukraine Travel News
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Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai has appointed Azel Casianan as the new Assistant Director of Sales. Azel has more than 10 years of experience in the hospitality field.

During her career, she has worked with many renowned international hotels such as Rotana Hotel Management Corporation, Accor Hotels & Starwood Hotels.

In her new role, Azel will mainly be in-charge of strengthening business ties with the existing clients, as well as generating leads for new accounts. She will also assist the Director of Sales & Marketing in carrying out the various sales activities to maximise business opportunities and revenue for the property.

Binu Varghese, Director of Sales & Marketing, Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai, said: We are delighted to welcome Azel to our growing team and are confident she will contribute to our success.
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The fight against all forms of discrimination, and the call for "Tourism for All" by Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Candidate for Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) was seen as inspiring by the Seychellois, the Region, for mainland Africa and for the World said Ronny Arnephy, the Vice Chairman of the LGBTI Seychelles.

In a letter of endorsement sent to Mr St.Ange by the LGBTI Seychelles, Mr Ronny Arnephy says:- "Your message ("Tourism for All" and the fight against all forms of discrimination) should resonate with the world because it is the correct message not only for us the LGBTI community, but also other communities such as people with disability, young people, women who find themselves marginalised for a reason or another" said Mr Ronny Arnephy before adding that the LGBTI Seychelles will be calling on their affiliated bodies to seek support for the Seychelles bid.

The LGBTI Seychelles is the only registered LGBTI organisation of the Seychelles and they are looking forward to receiving support for the Seychelles bid for SG of the UNWTO from African LGBTI Organisations and also from those from many UNWTO Voting Member States.

Alain St.Ange said he was delighted to see more local organisation stand behind the Seychelles bid. "Patriotism is not in the heart of everyone, I am so happy to see the LGBTI Seychelles join the long list of committed Seychellois show proudly they are behind Seychelles and all that is Seychellois" said St.Ange, the islands candidate for SG of the UNWTO.
The Iliad Out Loud & Abridged. By William Zappa after Homer. Directed by Zappa. April 28 and 29 at 7pm. April 30 at 4pm. The Street Theatre. Tickets: $35-$40. Packages: two session $60-$70; three sessions $75-$90. Bookings: 6247 1223 or www.thestreet.org.au.

William Zappa is nothing if not ambitious. The veteran actor of stage and screen will next be seen in Canberra performing his own adaptation of Homer's epic poem The Iliad at The Street Theatre. It will be presented in three parts over three nights live and in chronological order by Zappa and Canberra performers Nick Byrne and Chrissie Shaw  "both great storytellers", Zappa says.

William Zappa will perform his adaptation of The Iliad at The Street Theatre. Credit:Shelly Higgs

They will be accompanied by Groove Warehouse director and percussionist Gary France.

The performance will take a total of nine hours over three days with comfort and refreshment breaks. People can book for part of it, sampling the story, or settle in for the whole epic tale.
Qantas has told a parliamentary committee that overseas carriers should not be allowed to operate on domestic routes in Australia.

The senate's red tape committee is looking at cabotage  the practice of providing access to domestic transport markets by foreign operators.

Qantas has warned against allowing foreign carriers to fly domestic routes in Australia.

Most of the submissions focus on coastal shipping, with the committee's inquiry running parallel to the government's release of a discussion paper on coastal shipping reform.

Qantas took the opportunity to slap down any suggestion that domestic aviation should be opened up to foreign-based rivals.
Two weekends ago disgraced former rich lister Craig Gore appeared to be on top of the world as he tore big game fishing trophies from the walls of the Waterfront Restaurant in the sleepy Queensland town of Cardwell and threw them into the marina.

It was as much a demonstration of the twice-bankrupt banned businessman's apparent dislike for fellow white-shoe brigadeer Keith Williams (who had owned the trophies) as it was a boorish mark of ownership over the $450 million luxury resort and estate development for which he is a consultant.

Craig Gore in happier times with one of WPS Racing's V8 cars. Credit:Robert Rough

Fast forward to Easter Saturday, and Gore, 50, was struggling with his large roller suitcase as he left the Brisbane watchhouse after being charged with 12 counts of fraud.

He was slapped with three further charges of making decisions for a business while being disqualified from managing corporations. According to reports, he plans to fight the charges and denies wrongdoing. Fairfax Media unsuccessfully attempted to contact him.
CBD is still blinking away the glare after reading the explosive writ filed over Easter by Israeli magnate Beny Steinmetz against hedge fund supremo George Soros.

Steinmetz leaves no grievance unturned in the claim filed in a New York court accusing Soros of all manner of misdeeds against his BSG Resources and its ill-fated attempt to mine iron ore in Guinea.

Amid the allegations of a "shakedown" and "racketeering by Soros, and several uncomfortable references for Rio Tinto, there were some points that raised CBD's singed eyebrows.

For example, Steinmetz claims to have poured $1 billion into the "socially constructive project". Yet the case also claims that after Soros' "mendacious and illegal" conduct  that's a tame bit  BSG lost its development rights, meaning "nothing has been done to develop the resource".
In a presentation in November, the American Hotel and Lodging Association, a trade group that counts Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide and Hyatt Hotels as members, said the federal investigation and the New York bill were "notable accomplishments".

The two actions appeared unrelated. But one group quietly took credit for both: the hotel industry.

The short-term rental company became a Federal Trade Commission target after three senators asked for an investigation into how companies like Airbnb affect soaring housing costs. In October, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York signed a bill imposing steep fines on Airbnb hosts who break local housing rules.

Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide and Hyatt Hotels are members of the American Hotel and Lodging Association. Credit:Bloomberg

Both were partly the result of a previously unreported plan that the hotel association started in early 2016 to thwart Airbnb. The plan was laid out in two separate documents that the organisation presented to its board in November and January. In the documents, which The New York Times obtained, the group sketched out the progress it had already made against Airbnb, and described how it planned to rein in the start-up in the future.

The plan was a "multipronged, national campaign approach at the local, state and federal level", according to the minutes of the association's November board meeting.

The documents provide an inside look at how seriously the US hotel industry is taking Airbnb as a threat  and the extent to which it is prepared to take action against it.

In the past, hotel executives typically played down the privately held company's effect on the $US1.1 trillion ($1.4 trillion) US hotel industry. As recently as December, a Marriott executive dismissed Airbnb as not "really making headway in the corporate environment, which is really our bread-and-butter business."
I am 72 and astounded to find out recently that I was adopted, writes Anne Smith, Fairlight. "I know I am drawing an extremely long bow but I discovered I have a half-sister called Dawnne Higson. I have been unsuccessful at finding her and noticed a Don Higson of Paddington responding to Column 8 in Thursday's column and wondered if he is related as it is a quite unusual surname."

"Agreed, the ABC TV's weather forecast is a bit difficult to understand and to have it described as "a dog's breakfast" (C8) sounds apt. But what really does a dog's breakfast look like and how and when did such a description become part of our lexicon?" Stewart Smith of North Kellyville.

I have also noticed that Lord Howe Island has apparently disappeared from the weather map, says Liz Gregory, of St Ives. "This possibly explains why my family and I, along with others, were unable to land there recently following a two-hour flight from Sydney. And there were we, under the impression that the prevailing weather conditions in the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie were the cause, not that the island no longer exists."

And while we are airborne, former air hostess Anne Burton of Strathfield requests help from C8ers. Flying in to Hobart in 1944 (ANA on a DC5) she remembers crew recommending the "newly opened legal casino, the only one in Australia". But Google, she says, states the first casino in Australia opened in Sandy Bay long after the war. Any pre-war croupiers from Tassie out there?

Much has been written in C8 about white and yellow line markings, writes Col Shephard of Yamba. The latest, Dr Graham Brisbane's: remarks "Use of white paint was an economic decision ... Research did not indicate any difference in road safety outcomes". Col reports: "Well, there are yellow markings on about 1km of the Pacific Highway south of the Harwood Bridge which crosses the Clarence River. The RMS is trialling use of yellow paint where there are changes in road conditions to improve road safety. Our local daily newspaper reports the RMS saying if the trial is successful there will be more yellow road markings on other sections." What goes around...
Christians celebrate Easter on Sunday. But wait  do we really think Jesus literally rose from the dead?

I asked questions like that in a Christmas Day column, interviewing the Reverend Tim Keller, a prominent evangelical pastor. In this, the second of an occasional series, I decided to quiz former US President Jimmy Carter. He's a longtime Sunday school teacher and born-again evangelical but of a more liberal bent than Keller. Here's our email conversation, edited for clarity.

Former US President Jimmy Carter is a born-again evangelical Christian. Credit:Washington Post

ME: How literally do you take the Bible, including miracles like the Resurrection?

CARTER: Having a scientific background, I do not believe in a six-day creation of the world that occurred in 4004 B.C., stars falling on the earth, that kind of thing. I accept the overall message of the Bible as true, and also accept miracles described in the New Testament, including the virgin birth and the Resurrection.
Put yourself in Donald Trump's place for a moment. Glitzy, isn't it  all that gold. And that tower  over the top! Now get into his head. Empty? Well, perhaps, but notice the other thing.

He's not at all worried about the long term. He's in the moment and his schtick is, quite simply, "the art of the deal". That is, of course, the title of his bestselling book that he believes contains insights into life that are "second only to the bible". I think you'll agree with me that that's the sign of a very humble man in his willingness to accord God first place.

The real point about Trump, though, is that he's always in the moment and the focus is on winning. There are no "long-term plays" because everything is transactional and the ledger is closed off every night. A quick glance at the White House shows he's running government the way he ran his real-estate company: with his friends close, enemies closer and, at the very centre, a bodyguard of family.

The point is that, as United States President, he can do whatever he chooses. Trump can run the country the way he wants  the only difference today is that he is showing more willingness to break the mould than previous (and more conventional) US leaders. There's no one to stop him if he suddenly wakes up thinking it might be a good idea to bomb Syria or send a carrier fleet to patrol off North Korean waters, because that's the way the American system of government works.
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan -- Pakistans military said on April 17 that a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban has surrendered along with other members of the Tehrik-e Taliban (TTP) militant group.

Major General Asif Ghafoor, the director-general of Pakistans Inter-Services Public Relations Agency, the military's media wing, identified the detained Taliban spokesman as Ehsanullah Ehsan, saying he had served as a spokesman for both the TTP and a Taliban-linked terrorist faction called Jamaat-ul-Ahrar.

Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is the group that claimed responsibility for the December 2014 terrorist attack on a Peshawar school that killed 147 people, most of them schoolchildren.

Ghafoor told reporters in Rawalpindi on April 17 that the spokesman "is not the only one" who has surrendered to Pakistani security forces, adding that he would share information at a later date about others who have surrendered.

Pakistani intelligence sources told RFE/RLs Radio Mashaal that Ehsanullah Ehsan is an alias used by several different people who are spokesmen for the TTP and the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction.

Those officials told RFE/RL that the militant who surrendered is named Sajjad Mohmand and that he had turned himself in to Pakistani authorities in mid-March.

Ghafoor would not confirm that information or provide further details.

However, TTP sources also have confirmed to RFE/RLs Radio Mashaal that one of their spokesmen had surrendered.

There was no immediate comment from the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction.

The Jamaat-ul-Ahrar split away from the TTP in September 2014 and the faction voiced support for the Islamic State (IS) extremist group.

The split came when Jamaat-ul-Ahrar commander Omar Khalid Khorasani and his associates in Pakistans Mohmand tribal region publicly accused the TTP leader in Pakistans Swat Valley, Maulana Fazlulah, of deviating from the TTPs strict Islamic fundamentalist ideology.

Fazlullah said in September 2014 that he had ousted Khorasani and his associates from the TTP because they had formed what Fazlullah described as "dubious" organizations.

At the time of the split, Khorasani was considered to be one of the Pakistani Talibans most powerful leaders in Pakistans tribal regions.

Khorasani attracted international attention as the alleged mastermind of a December 2014 terrorist attack on a Peshawar school.

In March 2015, a Jamat-ul-Ahrar spokesman announced that the faction was rejoining the Pakistani Taliban.

Pakistans military and Pakistani Taliban sources have said that Khorasani was killed in July 2016 by a U.S. drone strike in eastern Afghanistan.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Pamir Sahil, Reuters, and AP
When Bede Nairn, one of the editors of the Australian Dictionary of Biography in the 1970s, was casting about for a suitable author for the entry on Miles Franklin, the country girl who became a cosmopolitan nationalist, Jill Roe was suggested as a possibility. Nairn was keen to find a fresh, young, female author. He already knew Roe as the author of earlier ADB entries. She responded with enthusiasm and embarked on what was to become a lifetime's work. Her biography, Stella Miles Franklin did not appear until 2008, but before that she had compiled and published a significant selection of letters from the extensive Franklin Papers in the Mitchell Library and written numerous papers on aspects of Franklin's life and work. She joked, with good reason, that there was no subject where she could not produce a relevant story or quotation from Franklin.

The ADB entry on Franklin, published in 1981, led to further involvement with the ADB. She joined the NSW Working Party, the group responsible for drawing up lists of possible entries and suggesting likely authors, became an editor of the NSW entries, a member of the editorial board and, in 1996, chair of that board. She was the first woman and the first appointment from outside the ANU. This, she perceived as an initial problem, however she was able to forge strong alliances with significant people at the ANU, with the editorial staff in Canberra, and she brought a Sydney perspective to the more cautious world of Canberra. Without her urging, it may have taken much longer for the ADB to join the digital world and go online. It was also due to her strongly egalitarian principles that the ADB became freely available on-line as the great research tool that it is now for students, journalists, and anyone who has an interest in Australia's history and its people.

Historian Jill Roe receives ADB's gold medal for long and meritorious service, 2016. Credit: Ian Provest

On her birthday last November, when she was gravely ill in hospital in Woy Woy, she was presented with the ADB's gold medal for long and meritorious service, an award she had instituted many years earlier to honour the voluntary work of long-standing ADB authors and editors.

Born on November 10, 1940, at Tumby Bay on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula, Jill Roe was the youngest of John and Edna Roe's four daughters. Her mother died when Jill was 14 months old and she was sent north to live with her grandmother Heath and her aunt Isie at Pygery. She returned south to the family in time to start school at the one teacher school at Yallunda Flat. After some time at Cummins Area School she moved to Adelaide, first to Unley High, then to Adelaide Girls' High.
Robin Norling was born in Windsor and grew up in Taree where his family moved in 1946 after his father's demobilisation after World War II. When he was four years old, a lady he described as "an overbearing great aunt", asked: "And what will you be when you grow up?". He replied with the greatest of confidence, "I want to be an artist".

This ambition followed him through school to the age of 15 to pursue the only artistic opportunity available in Taree  sign writing. He began an apprenticeship with Jim Nesbitt, who recognised Norling's innate ability and realised he would find sign writing unfulfilling. Nesbitt recommended he return to school to complete his secondary education and subsequently study fine arts.

Robin Norling in his studio.

He took the advice, successfully completed secondary school and won a Teacher's College scholarship to train as a secondary school art teacher. Of the four-year course, the first three were at the National Art School (NAS), with the final year at Teachers' College. He was so enthralled and successful with the art programme at NAS (he achieved straight As throughout), he applied for funding to undertake a fourth year. He was the first art teacher trainee to be permitted to transfer to the NAS Diploma course, a two-year programme, which he completed in one and graduated with honours. Some of his paintings from those years are retained and displayed at the NAS. In the year after his graduation, Norling won the Le Gay Brereton Memorial Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW.

Norling's short-lived secondary school teaching career began at Macquarie Boys' High school in 1962, the year he applied for the NSW Travelling Art Scholarship  a three-year programme providing overseas travel. The judges, famous artists Jeffrey Smart, James Gleeson and Clifton Pugh, awarded the prize to Norling, at 22, one of the youngest prizewinners. The scholarship and three Dyason Bequest Grants from the Art Gallery of NSW enabled him to study and travel in Europe and Asia for five years, together with his new bride, Elaine Odgers, with whom he had studied. In September 1963, he began his studies at the Royal College of Art in London. Travels around Europe during vacations gave him the opportunity to pursue his exploration. He saw the pre-historic Lascaux cave paintings and countrysides whence van Gogh and Cezanne drew inspiration.
Young people have always invented their own terminology in order to communicate beneath the adult radar, but without wishing to sound like Methuselah's great aunt, there's a deal of difference between "groovy, baby" and "NIFOC", which translates as "Nude in front of the computer", not a phrase I'd ever thought I'd write, but apparently that makes me quite the fuddy-duddy.

That's why police hackers in Britain have decoded a list of 112 phrases to assist parents with their inquiries, as it were. They include: WTTP (want to trade pictures?), RU/18 (are you over 18?), IWSN (I want sex now), LMIRL (let's meet in real life) and KPC (keeping parents clueless).

We are all so addicted to the quick fix of WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and email that many of us would rather fiddle with a tiny screen than sit down and talk.

Letting some light in on this lexicon of "love" is supposed to combat the spectre of sexting. According to Britain's National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, one in seven youngsters has taken a naked or semi-naked picture of themselves; more than half of them went on to share the image with someone else.

As I see it (ooh no, poor choice of words, please don't show me ...), the vogue for sexting is sad, narcissistic and depressing, but it is also, crucially, attention-seeking and bespeaks a dolefully low self-esteem.
Tony Abbott likes to think he has the solution to good government. The Herald wonders whether he has considered the obvious alternative: that he is the problem.

Some of the former prime minister's parliamentary coalition colleagues believe he is causing trouble. On Monday backbencher Warren Entsch said Mr Abbott would be "far better serving the country outside the parliament", yet kept conducting his "jihad" against Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Tony Abbott says he's heard the voters while on his pollie pedal. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The Herald has urged Mr Abbott to do the honourable thing by resigning from parliament to give the Turnbull government the clear air it needs to develop policy and restore faith with voters.

Yet Mr Abbott lingers. He even outlined in the Murdoch press a five-point plan to  allegedly  help Mr Turnbull.
Illustration: Cathy Wilcox Anne Cooper Earlwood Might part of the solution to Sydney's housing affordability crisis be to build less expensive homes  the 21st century equivalent of the 1950s fibro bungalows? Norm Neill Darlinghurst The government need simply embargo any non-resident Australians from buying real estate in any Australian city or areas deemed unaffordable.

By far the biggest offshore buyers are Chinese  whose government imposes strict and varying controls on both foreign ownership and local investor buying. This measure could be temporary. This would assist in offshore investment in housing and infrastructure in areas that would benefit it and slow down external demand currently irrationally affecting house values. John Gilmour Neutral Bay It is sad that the home has become to be regarded as a financial instrument; that the price of a home is more important than the true intrinsic value of the home and the moral right for everybody to have a home. Chris Hinkley Dawes Point

How about a level bidding field? Listen between the spiel at auctions these days and you will hear: "It's the ideal family home. For you the first home buyers over here it's got everything you're looking for. While for you, the investors over there, not only will you get good rental income but the government will subsidise your bid with tax benefits worth probably over $100,000. What could be fairer than that?" Well, how about introducing tax benefits for first home buyers and/or modifying the benefits for investors? Peter Grey Belfield What a great letter from Peter Thompson (Letters, April 17). In my suburb alone we suffer from several problems related to poor government planning over recent decades. Our local school was flogged off by the Greiner government. Small children have to be driven to schools kilometres away, across the horrific Pennant Hills Road. Our very good train service is about to be destroyed, with the Epping to Chatswood section given over to private operators, with changes at Epping and Chatswood. People old and young, and especially the disabled, use this service. Our local council is unpopular for its development decisions and we are being forced into two elections in two years, because of the unsettled and unpopular amalgamation proposal. Houses are sold to developers. Where are our children and grandchildren going to live? Vivienne Parsons Thornleigh

Dumping Safe Schools program gives bullies a free pass Bullying can take many forms ("State to replace Safe Schools program", April 17). Pretending a person or group of people in the community aren't there, or are insignificant, or pose a risk to society, refusing to speak to them or acknowledge them, belittling those who do support them, dismissing their concerns as manipulative or dangerous ("a social engineering program dressed up as anti-bullying") are all examples of bullying of a minority group. That the NSW government engages in promoting this bullying of a group of young people and their supporters is deeply distressing. That an ex-prime minister virtually invites us to dismiss these young people and their supporters as deliberately manipulative and attempting to undermine our society is even more disturbing. I read this as an invitation to continue to bully and discriminate against this group of young people who have different and diverse sexual orientations that pose no risk to anyone. Sadly these attitudes are coming from those who could really make a difference by advocating for the rights of all young people to be safe at school, including all those who don't fit some imagined norm.

Anne McDonald Summer Hill So was the Safe Schools Program the reason Adrian Piccoli, probably the best education minister of any hue in the past 50 years, was dumped? The conservatives certainly have NSW in a stranglehold. Mary Lawson Marrickville Ethical jobs better So the Adani coal project is being promoted as offering thousands of new jobs (Letters, April 17). Meanwhile, there is the very real threat of the loss of many thousands more tourism jobs on the Great Barrier Reef. Would you rather work in a coal mine as opposed to one of the world's greatest natural features? How 18th Century.

John Swanton Botany Threats to North Korea compound problem The solution to the "How do you solve a problem like Korea" (April 15-16) stares you in the face. As the article says, "technically, the war never ended" and Kim Jong-un knows what happened when Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi had inadequate arsenals of retaliatory weapons. North Korea is not that stupid that it will start a war knowing it can't possibly win. Continual threats to North Korea leave them little choice but to arm themselves as best and as quickly as they can. All the talk is about war and how to get rid of the so-called "rogue state" with no consideration being given to the 73 million people living on the Korean Peninsular let alone in Japan and elsewhere.

Wars are the problem, not the answer. Continual threats over the period of seven decades haven't worked. A peaceful approach by offering a peace treaty and a non-aggression treaty (albeit with suitable safeguards for both sides) is the only available answer to the threat to more war. Noel McCarthy Mount Colah I fear the next horrific surprise will be the grandmother of all bombs (Letters, April 17). Barry Lamb Heidelberg West

Manus Island rampage was predictable I have worked in the area of human rights and have a fair understanding of Australia's obligations to refugees under international law. I have lived in Papua New Guinea and witnessed firsthand how outbreaks of violence can occur, especially when locals resent people who are from other areas, are not their "wontoks", and when alcohol is involved. Whatever the specific reasons for the most recent violent acts on Manus Island such violence has been totally predictable ("Commander blames drunk soldiers for Manus Island rampage", April 17). And it will continue. I cannot think about people like Rudd, Dutton, and, increasingly, Turnbull, without feeling revulsion, contempt and shame. Dr William Jonas Artarmon Par for the cause Clementine Ford, no need to fear a love so powerful ("The love so powerful it feels like a mistake", April 17); your beautiful child will turn two and for a year will test the theory that they are breakable. Your beautiful child will turn seven and, having been at school for a while now, will know far more than a mother could ever fit in her head. Your beautiful child will turn 14 and, with frontal lobe in-deficit and emotion-based decision-making, seeking the acceptance of peers at the exclusion of yours for a couple of years, will for a while disappear from view. Eventually your child will leave, returning for your lasagne, washing machine, occasional loans and, one day, babysitting. Throughout all of this your love will develop into a more level-headed attachment, less fearful that you will cause their demise but love nevertheless. Enjoy.

Anna Beniuk Mount St Thomas ABC 'fixer' should check his facts first Re-appraisals of the ABC's role and performance must always be welcome, but not when they are based on ignorance ("The ABC: what should go, what should stay, and what to fix", April 17). Tony Walker proposes that our national public broadcaster should appoint "a news supremo". It has always had a senior broadcaster or journalist in that position since the mid-1930s. Next, he wants the ABC to consider "an hour-long national news bulletin that would combine news and the 7:30 Report into a livelier format". Walker has clearly forgotten The National (1985), which attempted exactly that mix and sank without trace after just nine months.

Then he suggests that Media Watch be expanded to provide the community with "a safety valve for ABC critics to vent their views". Perhaps Mr Walker never saw Backchat, a program that provided precisely that outlet for many years until the audience tired of it. And finally, Walker trots out the dog-eared old proposal to merge the ABC and SBS so that Aunty could accept advertising. He would do well, on his next visit to New Zealand, to sit down and view just one night of TVNZ. By turning itself into a commercial network, that once-proud national public broadcaster has become little more than another outlet for mindless quiz shows, reality exhibitionism, American crime series  and endless ad breaks. Is that what he really wants for the ABC? David Salter Hunters Hill

Tony Walker's otherwise thoughtful and measured article on how to fix the ABC fell at the final hurdle when it offered support for plans to merge the ABC and SBS. This would only be seen as a calamity for those of us who have come to depend on the SBS for informative and thought-provoking documentaries, an area long ago abandoned by the ABC. By all means, put the wind up Aunty's skirt but leave SBS, currently fighting well above its weight, alone. Garth Clarke North Sydney Private school drop-outs alter university statistics It is not surprising to learn girls who finished Year 12 at a private school are most likely to go to university ("Private school students most likely to go on to university", April 17). What we need now are the statistics on the percentage of those from private schools who actually graduate from university. It is often the case that the public school students are better equipped to handle university study. Often a private school student cannot cope with the independence needed to survive at uni.

Going to university is expensive and this is where private school students have an advantage over many public school students. Public school students can achieve highly but in many cases going to uni is beyond the means of parents to support them during tertiary studies. This is particularly difficult for students in country areas wishing to study in Sydney. I recall a private school student telling her father she wanted to go to university. When he asked her what she wanted to study she said she did not care as long as she had a good time! A wise father refused to let her go and told her to find a job. Robyn Lewis Raglan Adding to the waste that public funding of private schools entails, a higher proportion of their students drop out of university than students who go to public schools. There's something about being raised in "the real world", which private schools don't provide that gives public school students an edge.

Brenton White Mosman Money wasted investigating complaints to Wind Farm Commission Over 14 months, the federal government's Wind Farm Commission has wasted $800,000 of taxpayers' money on 90 complaints about those ugly wind farms (Herald, April 17). One wonders how many complaints would be received by a Coal Mine Commission if the government dared to establish one to investigate complaints about coal-mine operations.. Rob Phillips North Epping A very costly extravagant exercise to try to find out how the wind blows with wind farms.

Steve Ngeow Chatswood Grazing, shopping not only interest Some vision for Sydney! ("The Quay to unlock life in the laneways", April 15-16). Are we nothing but grazing animals, then, who like a bit of shopping? More high-rise for the rich, who'll have a great view of the harbour while blotting it out for everyone else. No holes in the wall for jazz musicians (the rich object to their noise) or artists. Precious little heritage left to showcase our history. Jeannette Tsoulos West Pymble Mr Bean casts shadow

I thought Rowan Atkinson was great as French detective Maigret (Sunday night, ABC) but I kept having an uneasy feeling that he would turn into Mr Bean at any moment and spoil the mood of the whole thing. BIll Yonge Frenchs Forest Eggs of Easter Bird The Easter bunny has always puzzled me. This no doubt springs from the very basic fact that rabbits do not lay eggs. But it must also be from my childhood on a remote sheep and cattle property. There not a single person had any time for rabbits and our parents very sensibly told us of the magical Easter Bird who laid chocolate eggs under the palm tree; just once a year.
Imagine you're a parent, and you've been called into the school because your daughter was spreading rumours about another girl who "everyone thinks is a lesbian".

Or that your son just got suspended because he beat up a younger boy. He can't tell you why this boy got under his skin, but he felt angry about the boy's effeminate manner and he lashed out.

NSW Education Minister Rob Stokes will dump the Safe Schools program when federal funding runs out later this year. Credit:Brook Mitchell

Do you know what's worse than finding out your kid is gay? Finding out your kid is a bully.

One can be fixed with early intervention from the school, parents and perhaps the local church. The other doesn't need to be.
Taiwan has banned the sale and consumption of cat and dog meat, a departure from a controversial practice that is common among its Asian neighbours.

The island's legislature has amended the Animal Protection Act, imposing steeper fines and lengthier punishments for acts related to animal cruelty.

A Taiwanese man holds his dog during a gathering in 2011 to demand that dogs and cats be protected. Credit:AP

These include a fine of 50,000 to 250,000 new Taiwan dollars (about $2000 to $10,500) for anyone caught selling or consuming cat and dog meat, or any other products that contain parts of the animals, Taiwan's Central News Agency reported.

The government will publicise the names and pictures of offenders.
A team of scientists have documented what they're describing as the first case of large-scale river reorganisation as a result of human-caused climate change.

They found that in mid-2016, the retreat of a very large glacier in Canada's Yukon territory led to the rerouting of its vast stream of meltwater from one river system to another - cutting down flow to the Yukon's largest lake, and channelling freshwater to the Pacific Ocean south of Alaska, rather than to the Bering Sea.

A close-up view of the ice-walled canyon at the terminus of the Kaskawulsh Glacier, with recently collapsed ice blocks, taken in 2016. Credit:Jim Best/University of Illinois

The researchers dubbed the reorganisation an act of "rapid river piracy," saying that such events had often occurred in the Earth's geologic past, but never before, to their knowledge, as a sudden present-day event. They also called it "geologically instantaneous."

The process that would ordinarily take thousands of years - or more - happened in just a few months in 2016.
International aid organisations have told the Turnbull government to place women and girls at the centre of Australia's new foreign policy initiative.

Concentrating on educating girls aged 10 to 19 would also give families living in neighbouring countries the greatest chance of moving out of poverty, they say.

"Greater gender equality delivers stronger economic growth and security. It is strongly correlated with greater peace and stability," Care Australia chief executive Sally Moyle said in the organisation's submission to the white paper process. "It is beyond doubt that supporting gender equality internationally, and particularly in our Indo-Pacific region, is in Australia's interest."

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop is looking to establish a new "philosophical framework" to guide Australia's engagement with the world.
A Liberal MP has called on Tony Abbott to quit Parliament, labelling the former prime minister a "wrecker" who is trashing his own legacy and sacrificing the national interest to wage "jihad" against Malcolm Turnbull.

Queensland MP Warren Entsch said Mr Abbott's "nonsense" was driving voters into the arms of minor parties and independents, and likened his actions to Kevin Rudd's relentless campaign of vengeance against Julia Gillard.

Responding to Mr Abbott's latest public interventions  a newspaper column in which he sought to diagnose the problems of modern politics, and a high-profile Sydney radio interview  Mr Entsch called on him to "back off".

Mr Abbott should honour his promise of "no wrecking, no sniping and no undermining", Mr Entsch told Fairfax Media.
When I started my psychiatric training we were taught what were called the five stages of grief - first described by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, a famous American psychiatrist. The bereaved, we were told, would shift through "denial, anger, bargaining and depression" like the gears of a car, before eventually ending up with the right outcome, namely "acceptance".

This turned out to be good in theory, but more complex in real life. There is no right way to do it. Like love and other normal human emotions, everybody experiences it in different ways.

So, to have an advocate such as Prince Harry discussing so openly the impact of the death of his mother on his own mental health will make a huge difference to the way we discuss grief.

I think that in just 25 minutes he has achieved more good than I have in 25 years. He's an incredibly powerful role model and has a reach that we can only dream of.
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, pulled a perfect granddaughter-in-law move as the Royal family celebrated Easter Sunday by curtsying to the Queen while looking elegant in a custom-made coat from Catherine Walker with matching pillbox hat.

The label is a favourite of both Catherine and the late Princess Diana, the Duchess' mother-in-law.

The Royal Family arrive for the Easter Sunday service. Credit:Getty

It is protocol for Catherine to curtsy to the Queen upon seeing her for the first time, normally this would happen in private.

Her husband, Prince William, nodded in deference to his grandmother, the 90-year-old monarch.
Protesters have called on the Australian government to close the Manus Island detention centre after Papua New Guinea soldiers fired shots into the detention compound late last week.

A crowd of 150 protesters gathered on steps of the State Library of Victoria on Easter Monday to call for the closure of the "torture camps", saying they are not safe.

Tamil Refugee Council spokesman Aran Mylvaganam told the crowd the Australian government needed to bring the 900 men on Manus Island to mainland Australia.

"There are refugees on Manus who have fled such navy attacks from their home countries, only to be subjected to the same treatment," he said.
Sutherland Shire Council is considering urgent measures to reduce its gas bill, including closing swimming pools in winter, increasing entry fees, lowering water temperatures and cutting subsidies to swimming programs after its gas supplier hiked the price by 220 per cent.

The increase will cost the community an extra $500,000 and will see the cost of heating and powering the council's three major swimming centres blow out to $2 million a year, unless savings measures are implemented.

Mayor Carmelo Pesce said the council was flummoxed when it was informed in March of the imminent increase.

"It's quite extraordinary. We don't understand why it's such a big increase. There was no explanation," he said.
Change doesn't come easily to the northern beaches and former Labor premier Barrie Unsworth is doing his bit to fight it, finding an unlikely ally in Liberal Bronwyn Bishop.

Taking aim at the proposed B-Line bus service, Mr Unsworth has tapped into a vein of discontent in the Liberal heartland, which is broadly brewing around the new bus service, council amalgamations and the fears of overdevelopment in the northern beaches.

Calling the B-Line a "Trojan horse" for development, Mr Unsworth has slammed the expected privatisation of the new bus corridor between the northern beaches and the CBD, and the decision to build a new bus stop at Mona Vale's Village Park.

"We've had government bus services for as long as anyone can remember. We're all happy with the operation of the buses now," Mr Unsworth told Fairfax Media.
A woman who advertised a room for rent in her apartment in Sydney's inner west was allegedly violently sexually assaulted and choked by a man who turned up to inspect the property, police say.

Jong Han Park, 26, has been charged with attacking the 31-year-old woman at her home on Corby Avenue in Concord early on Easter Sunday.

The Concord apartment block where a woman was allegedly sexually assaulted after advertising a room for rent. Credit:Rachel Olding

Mr Park, a Korean national, has also been charged with assaulting another woman at a house in Strathfield last month, as well as stealing two cars and leading police on a pursuit.

Police believe the man may have responded to other online advertisements for rental properties in Sydney, and have appealed for anyone who may have encountered him to contact police.
Police search the area surrounding Forresters Beach following the killing. Credit:Richard Gosling "We're going to fight it with every breath in our body and we would not be doing that if we thought our son was guilty," the teenager's mother said. The jury never got to hear the results of the detective's unorthodox experiment, but it was told of his expertise in "bloodstain pattern interpretation", and his views about blood found on the teenager's clothes that pointed to the teen's guilt. In a judgment on Thursday, almost nine years to the day since the experiment, three judges of the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal ruled that, while much of the detective's evidence was misleading or incorrect, and almost certainly influenced the jury's guilty verdict, the murderer's appeal against his conviction "must be dismissed". The victim's identification of the teenager as she lay dying in the car park of Forresters Beach Resort, after specifically ruling out another teenage boy as her killer, was "very powerful evidence" of the teenager's guilt, Justices Mark Leeming, Stephen Rothman and Helen Wilson found.

The court found a critical, unchallenged aspect of the detective's evidence was damning of the teenager. The victim's blood was on clothes found at his house after police arrived to arrest him hours after the stabbing, which prompted a short chase as the teenager tried to run away. The detective's experiment in court meant there was a risk the teenager was denied procedural fairness, but "this is not a case where the trial miscarried in such a way that it is not possible to assess" the strength of the case, the appeal court judges found on Thursday. The appeal judges heard that, in the final 10 minutes of her life, the victim was repeatedly questioned about who stabbed her. What she said that day kept her murderer in jail more than a decade later.

Four times the girl, who cannot be identified apart from the name Tania, named her killer as "D, year 10", and named a high school. As she bled from 48 stab wounds to her head, neck, arms, legs, chest and back, and deteriorated in 10 minutes from being "completely awake", to unconscious, and then not breathing and with no pulse by the time ambulances arrived, Tania ruled out another named teenage boy as her attacker. Four witnesses, who were with Tania as she lay dying, gave consistent accounts of what happened that day, had no motive to lie and their evidence was powerful, the appeal court found. "Although the dying declarations could not be tested, they were in the circumstances of this trial very powerful evidence identifying DL as the assailant. Their force is not undercut by the submissions advanced by DL on appeal," the judges found. DL's appeal for a possible fresh trial failed even though the court found most of the detective's evidence about bloodstain interpretation of the killer's clothes was "misleading or incorrect", had at least the risk of denying procedural fairness to the teenager's defence case, and contributed to the jury finding him guilty within 90 minutes.

The appeal heard the detective gave evidence about the bloodstains in the 2008 trial without knowing the blood was not just from the victim, but from the victim and the killer after DL cut his hand. This affected one section of his evidence. The appeal judges rejected the argument that the prosecutor prejudiced the jury with a closing address questioning the defence case that the teenager confronted the killer and went for help. "Why didn't he get help at reception? At the shops? From the passing cars on The Entrance Road?" the Crown put to the jury in the 2008 trial. The trial heard evidence the teenager went to a house with a bleeding hand, obtained a Band Aid from a woman and told her he fell over a rock. He told his mother he cut his hand on rose bushes and she took him to the doctor where his hand was stitched. He told the doctor he cut his hand on barbed wire.

"At no time did the jury hear evidence of any account by DL that he sought to prevent some other assailant from striking the victim. DL did not give evidence at the trial," the appeal judges noted. "The prosecutor was highlighting the implausibility of a defence case consistent with innocence by exposing its inconsistency with what the Crown had demonstrated DL had in fact done later that afternoon." There was no motive for the brutal killing. In their decision on Thursday the appeal court judges accepted there were grounds for appeal based on the detective's incorrect evidence, and despite the "extreme delay". The court acknowledged the impact of the lengthy delay of years between the defence's notification of a likely appeal, court hearings in 2016 and the final decision.
But why? Was it just a phase? Did something cooler come along? Please tell me you didn't just simply 'grow-up'. I pray you haven't 'matured' into two-wheel cyclists - Lycra with fake sponsors doesn't scream sex appeal like in-line skates and Nirvana shirts.

I spoke to Mark McCrindle about you today. He's an expert on social trends. He said trends used to happen "more organically back in the day". He said movies and TV and music used to influence the critical mass in a way they don't anymore. Now, we do what the kids on social media do, and they are so damn quick about changing what they do that it's harder to keep up. He said Pokemon Go was a great example of how trends get "fatigued" quickly these days, but blading "had a whole fashion and identity with it." "It had a little bit of an alternative factor." It also had Mighty Ducks, I thought.

"But trends do have a rebound," he went on. "There's a rest cycle, and sometimes that's just a seasonal thing. Sometimes it's a generational thing." Mark said kids still drive trends but parents still pay for them. And if there's some nostalgia

I asked him if he thought blading could come back. He paused. He said he used to blade. "I guess no kid's going to be caught dead going for a blade with their parent," I said. "No, probably not," he replied. I said I didn't think that I was cool enough to bring it back by myself. He said he probably didn't think so either. He laughed politely, and I laughed too. But I was crying a little bit inside.

So, that's why I write this letter.
Two teenagers and woman have been charged after allegedly holding an 86-year-old man at knifepoint while they robbed and ransacked his Rockhampton home.

Police said two boys, aged 14 and 16, and a 21-year-old woman forced their way into the Boreham Street house in West Rockhampton just after midnight on Saturday.

The three accused were charged with a string of offences including armed robbery and wilful damage. Credit:Rob Gunstone

Once inside it will be alleged the trio held the man at knifepoint while they cut his phone line, damaged his mobile, drank his alcohol, damaged property and stole numerous items from the house.

The man was not physically injured during the incident and all three accused have been charged with entering with intent, armed robbery, stealing and wilful damage. The woman was expected to appear in the Rockhampton Magistrates Court on Monday.
Geekologie has shut down.

Thank you to everybody.

Now go be happy.
Koala carer Sam Longman said she is still holding out hope for the safe return of her three joeys, after they were stolen from her home sometime between Thursday night and Friday morning.

Ms Longman said she has moved her remaining koalas inside her Brisbane home with 24/7 guards since the theft.

The three koala joeys were aged between 14 and 20 months old. Credit:Queensland Police Service

"I just don't trust people anymore," she said.

Despite a public appeal for information regarding the animals' whereabouts, there were no fresh leads over the weekend and the koala carer of 14 years said on Monday that "it's becoming quite desperate".
Prominent public health advocate Simon Chapman has slammed the Australian Academy of Science, describing it as "spineless" for its refusal to endorse March for Science rallies in Australia.

April 22  World Earth Day  will see demonstrations in 53 countries, centred on Washington DC, in response to what many perceive as US President Donald Trump's attacks on science.

Since taking office in January, Mr Trump has ordered the removal of climate-change initiatives from the White House website and moved to stop scientific organisations, including NASA, from tracking the impacts of climate change.

In various posts to social media website Twitter, Mr Trump has vowed to dismantle the Paris climate accords and in 2012 he infamously stated that global warming was "created by and for the Chinese to make US manufacturing non-competitive".
Good morning and welcome to Melbourne's weather. Well, an article about it.

We are in for a veritable corker on this, the last day of the school holidays. After Easter Sunday brought all the sun its name promises, the next few days look set to deliver a return to the warmth of our not-so-distant summer.

There's a little cloud visible right now and certainly a chill in the air  glove up if you're on a bike  but we'll end up with a top of 22.

And for those who love to bask in the rays, there will be more! By Wednesday we'll be right up to 26. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Here's what the weather is doing right now
Anti-bikie Echo taskforce detectives have released an image of a man they wish to speak to over a drive-by shooting in Melbourne.

Police are still investigating the shooting outside an Airport West gym on February 23 which left one man in hospital with gunshot wounds.

The man injured in the Airport West shooting. Credit:Courtesy of Nine News

The victim, a 31-year-old Hillside man, parked his car on Louis Street about 5.30pm and was walking to the entrance of the Derrimut 24:7 gym when he was shot at.

It's believed a black Audi SUV pulled up and an occupant produced a firearm, shooting at the man before fleeing the scene, driving east along Rodd Road.
A psychiatric hospital that houses dangerous offenders will undergo a $44 million expansion amid rising demand for mental health services.

The state government funding boost for the Thomas Embling Hospital comes after prolonged calls for more resources in the overstretched mental health system.

The Thomas Embling Hospital is to be expanded. Credit:Penny Stephens

The coming budget will also include $28.6 million over four years to identify people at risk of entering the criminal justice system. There will also be mental health support for youths aged between 16 and 24.

Mental Health Minister Martin Foley said "successive governments" had previously failed to make the required investments in mental health.
Most stories, no matter how implicitly, encourage you to make judgments. You want to know, pretty quickly, who is the hero. That way you can barrack for them and there won't be any nasty surprises as you read along.

Unfortunately, this isn't one of those sort of stories. It is, instead, simply a tale about the way things are, in a very different country, in the middle of a war. But unless you, too, have seen your home city become a battle zone, or witnessed your future evaporating as a nation disintegrates around you, then don't judge Brigadier-General Hassan al-Nuaimi. Because one thing's for sure: his men would follow him anywhere.

From his youth, Nuaimi was destined for the army. He came from a well-connected military family: his father and uncle were generals in Saddam Hussein's army. It would have been more surprising if he'd refused officer training and so, as a good, responsible child, of course he didn't. He did what was expected of him, so, five years before the US invaded Iraq, he graduated into the technical arm that we'd call artillery. He then engaged in all the peacetime routine drills that come with being in the army. Then, suddenly, like a terrible swift sword, war came. It has never departed.

Nuaimi was in part of the Iraqi army that was outmanoeuvred and outgunned by the US forces. It disintegrated rapidly as the Americans carved their way through the "ring of steel" that supposedly surrounded Baghdad. Iraq's defences proved feeble and incapable of holding back the far superior weapons and equipment of the allies. Nothing could have stopped that assault, and nothing did.
Beijing: US Vice-President Mike Pence has warned that the "era of strategic patience" with North Korea was over, saying the US "and its allies" would deal with the problem if China didn't act.

In a joint appearance with South Korea's acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn, Mr Pence said North Korea should mind the actions and intent of US President Donald Trump.

"Just in the past two weeks, the world witnessed the strength and resolve of our new President in actions taken in Syria and Afghanistan. North Korea would do well not to test his resolve or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region."

Visiting the Demilitarised Zone between North and South Korea earlier on Monday, Mr Pence said the US wouldn't discuss specific military tactics, and the Trump administration was hopeful that China would "use the extraordinary levers they have" to pressure North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.
The well-planned abduction by at least 15 masked men of a Protestant pastor and the disappearances of three other church-linked people in Malaysia have prompted fears of religious vigilantism in the Muslim-majority nation.

Security camera footage showed the daylight abduction of the 62 year-old pastor Raymond Koh in the leafy suburb of Kelana Jaya near the capital Kuala Lumpur on February 13.

Abducted:62 year-old pastor Raymond Koh. Credit:Change.org

A convoy of three black SUV's, two cars and two motor cycles blocked Mr Koh's car.

Several men ran to Mr Koh's car while one filmed the incident and another stopped traffic, witnesses said.
Colombo: The death toll in Friday's catastrophic collapse of a garbage dump in the Sri Lankan capital mounted to 28 on Monday, and it was expected to increase as rescuers dug for a fourth day through debris that buried part of a residential neighborhood.

Thirty people have been reported missing, according to Pradeep Kodippili, deputy director of Sri Lanka's disaster management centre.

The death toll in the catastrophic collapse of a garbage dump in Sri Lanka has risen to 28. Credit:Eranga Jayawardena

"It's hard to guess what the total number" of dead will be, he said.

An explosion in the dump on Friday afternoon caused a portion of the mound to collapse, sweeping scores of houses off their foundations and burying others, trapping residents inside. Survivors described hearing a loud noise and running outside to see nearby dwellings rushing in their direction on a tide of debris, surrounded by smoke.
Supporters of AK party react at the party headquarters in Ankara. Credit:Getty Images "Both the close margins and disputed votes will taint Erdogan's sense of victory and ease of handling the process to follow. This strengthens the Turkish opposition but also would mean international actors will be more vocal about asking for some of the proposed changes not to go ahead. That can be seen in the Council of Europe's statement already asking for the independence of the judiciary to be respected. The next phase will be socially and politically intense, with protests and harsh political polemics." Ragip Soylu, the Washington correspondent for Turkey's Sabah newspaper - which is decidedly pro-Erdogan - said the "Yes" vote was a reaction to years of turmoil that included the resumption of a violent Kurdish insurgency, a wave of Islamic State terror attacks and last year's failed coup attempt: Supporters of the opposition Republican People's Party watch the polling results in Ankara. Credit:Getty Images "I think the international media have focused more on Erdogan's personality and less on social polarisation, and what Turkish people have gone through for the last four years. Considering all of these problems, crises and hardships, the majority of the voters chose stability, and a system that provides more control and powers to Turkish government that can be influential to prevent further setbacks. The new system also creates a stronger presidency that can swiftly act against the crisis."

Howard Eissenstat, an associate professor at St Lawrence University and a fellow at the Project on Middle East Democracy, argued that the powers-that-be in Ankara should be chastened by the "no" camp's ability to force a stunningly close result despite the full weight of the state working against them. But Erdogan may not hear the warning: "Given the suppression of the 'no' campaign, the fact that much of the [pro-Kurdish] Peoples' Democratic Party leadership is in jail, and that the government's effective control of the media ensured a massive imbalance in campaign coverage, the 'no' campaign did very well. For Erdogan, a narrow win is still a win. He is unlikely to either slow his consolidation of power or reach out in meaningful ways to the opposition. He promised a 'yes' vote would result in more stability and a return of economic growth. I suspect that neither of these things is true." Omer Taspinar, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, pointed to the significance of the "Yes" camp's defeat in Turkey's three biggest cities - including Istanbul, where Erdogan was once mayor: "The fact that Erdogan failed to win Istanbul for the first time since 1994 is a particularly important sign that even some of the urbanised AKP supporters have deserted him. The result also shows that a united front against Erdogan has a chance of providing an alternative. The division of the opposition parties is a major liability for Turkish democracy. A galvanised opposition should start by seeking unity." Gonul Tol, the director of the Middle East Institute's Centre for Turkish Studies, believes Erdogan may have to take a more moderate tack - and perhaps resume the peace process with Kurdish separatists:
GREAT BAY(DCOMM):--- Ministry of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Development and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI), announces that part of Back Street will be closed from Tuesday, April 18 to Wednesday, April 26.

The closure is in connection with Phase 1 of placing asphalt on Back Street. The street repair works will take place from 7.00am to 5.00pm.

Barriers will be placed on the entrance of Back Street from the Ch. E.W. Voges Street down to the intersection where Back Street joins Zout Steeg.

The section of Back Street that will be closed during the aforementioned dates means that there will be no through traffic. All motorized traffic will have to take Zout Steeg to continue driving down the remainder of Back Street that will be open to motorized traffic.

Motorists are advised to be observant of a detour and directional signs.

The works will be carried out by Windward Roads.

Ministry VROMI apologizes for any inconveniences this may cause.
Is there mass corruption at St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation? Where is the foundation money and how an employee gets a home over other residents?

PHILIPSBURG:--- Residents of Belvedere housing project that is managed by the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) have to run for shelter during this rainy season while the Minister of VROMI Christopher Emmanuel falls asleep after requesting the government appointed board members to resign and they blatantly refused, even though they are civil servants.

Several of the residents that contacted SMN News states that the management of SMHDF refused to meet with them, one of which is an 89-year old homeowner even though their homes are in deplorable conditions, they said there are water leakage, mold, electrical problems and other very dangerous situations at the homes in Belvedere but the Director Helen Solomon and even the board members refused to meet with them to find solutions to their living conditions.

While the management of SMHDF is running from their responsibilities and the board believes their appointment are lifetime, SMN News learned that there is gross mismanagement of the foundation and monies have disappeared, documents are being shredded, certain employees managed to get promotion and at least one employee also obtained a home before the hundreds of persons that are on the list for years now waiting for a home.

SMN News further learned that Solomon crashed a vehicle belonging to the foundation and even went as far as taking another vehicle and transferred the insurance to the vehicle she is now driving. They also stated that the SMHDF management has connection in the Council of Minsters that are protecting them.

According to information provided to SMN News states that the SMHDF is now in the red, monies are unaccountable for and those that are in charge refused to move so that government could audit the SMHDF and also bring those responsible for the mismanagement to justice.

Just recently, a very explosive letter to the editor appeared online, accusing the Minister of VROMI Christopher Emmanuel to be involved in all sorts of illegal activities and aligned with at least one person with criminal background since the Minister announced the construction of 160 homes that will be built with Vidanova funds that SMHDF will have no control over. Ever since the publication of the letter the Minister has remained silent on the allegations levied against him.

The writer/ writers of the letter claimed its TELEM workers and GEBE workers did research and are against the construction of the homes. However, those that penned the letter forget that St. Maarten is a small island and even though there are very heavy accusations levied against the Minister of VROMI the publisher of the online news and newspaper where the letter was sent to choose to publish the letter as anonymous. While it is clear that the writers are affiliated with certain political parties and seemingly have an agenda, they also thought that their identity would remain sealed.

SMN News learned that the letter came out of SMHDF and indeed workers at SMHDF do have people working at both companies, TELEM and GEBE and while both companies have the same union representation these workers who claimed to have done their research sent out the letter without their union. It is not yet known what the Chairman of GEBE Supervisory Board thinks of the letter since he is on sick leave but traveling abroad to seek LNG gas for GEBE while he already signed an agreement in the Dominican Republic with AES.

While there is much talk in the community about the letter that was published during the Easter weekend, no one seems to be concerned about the residents of Belvedere and most of all there seems to be no concern over the funds of SMHDF and how many people were not paid by the foundation. SMN News tried reaching the Minister of VROMI for a comment on the letter and also about how he intends to deal with the management and board of SMHDF but the Minister could not be reached.
Fucking, Austria is a draw for English speaking tourists.

The Daily Mirror said it best: The village of Fucking, Austria, is especially popular with British tourists. As a local tour guide explained: "The Germans all want to see Mozart's house in Salzburg; the Americans want to see where The Sound of Music was filmed; the Japanese want Hitler's birthplace in Braunau; but for the British, it's all about Fucking."

Augustina Lindlbauer, the manager of an area guesthouse, noted that the area had lakes, forests, and vistas worth visiting, but there was an "obsession with Fucking". Lindlbauer recalled how she had to explain to a British female tourist "that there were no Fucking postcards."

All of this may change soon. Reportedly, residents who are tired of replacing stolen signs, are once again pushing to change the name from Fucking to something less controversial such as Fuking or Fugging.

Media reports said local residents in the town - whose name apparently derives from Adalpert von Vucckingen, who lived there in the 11th Century - had grown weary of tourists stealing town signs and striking indecent poses for photos.

"I don't know where this comes from in the international press," an annoyed-sounding Mayor Franz Meindl said by telephone in 2012 from Fucking, an Upper Austrian town near the German border. "This was discussed a few years ago but nothing came of it. It is certainly not under discussion now."

A resident of the village, Josef Winkler, attempted to cash in on the village's fame by setting up a website on which he sold T-shirts featuring the village road signs, with the slogan "I like Fucking in Austria" printed on them. According to Winkler, they were selling well, and he was in negotiations with Maxim regarding possible promotions, but was forced to stop his venture after being shouted at and threatened in the street. Winkler said, "It was a bit of fun that didn't hurt anyone, but I found out that in this region you just can't do something like that. The whole thing became a real trial for me and I had to stop. People are very traditional here."

"Fucking: Please, Not So Fast" warns the sign below a sign referring to Fucking, Austria. Like, so you don't hit the children. Well, what did you think it meant?

It is believed that the settlement was founded in the 6th century AD by Focko, a Bavarian nobleman. The Austrian region during this century was mostly under the domain of the Kingdom of the Ostrogoths, and was populated by a mix of Christians and Pagans, says Wikipedia.

The existence of the village was documented for the first time in 1070, and historical records show that some twenty years later, the lord was recorded in Latin as Adalpertus de Fucingin.

The spelling of the name has evolved over the years; it is first recorded in historical sources with the spelling as Vucchingen in 1070, Fukching in 1303, Fugkhing in 1532, and in the modern spelling Fucking in the 18th century, which is pronounced with the vowel oo as in book. The ending -ing is an old Germanic suffix indicating the people belonging to the root word to which it is attached, thus Fucking means "(place of) Focko's people." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fucking,_Austria
EE Automation in Malaysia offer top notch security systems

EE Automation & Technology Sdn Bhd, a top professional security company in Malaysia, offers a great selection of security systems which include CCTV cameras, control access systems, MATVs, alarm systems, and many more. Their service areas include Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Puchong, Shah Alam, and its surrounding districts.

The Malaysian business environment has seen an increase in demand for sophisticated security & alarms systems with user controls to help in keeping commercial spaces secure.

Security systems have cost less and less over the years in the country which is good news for businesses since burglary and property crimes have not gone down in recent years. [EE Automation](https://www.facebook.com/EE-Automation-Technology-Sdn-Bhd-383299811862908/) has made itself a top supplier and installer of security systems for residences and businesses who want to secure their buildings. With a team of professional security staff, they install alarm systems, Autogates barrier gates (https://www.eeautomation.com.my/barrier-gate/), modern cctv cameras, door access security, fiber optic connection, intercoms, and key phones.

Various CCTV camera systems (https://www.eeautomation.com.my/cctv-camera/) can be installed from the simple analog cameras to the full on 4k Ultra HD cameras for clear view of all the areas inside building premises. EE Automation assesses the entire area for an efficient security system. The installation will be carried out by experienced installers. All of these will be approved by the client along with their input during the whole process.

Camera units can be stand alone for easy monitoring by the homeowner.

The system can also be connected to a network so that the footage can be accessed by users who own a computer or device that part of the network.

EE Automation & Technology also offers the top notch Paradox alarm systems to keep intruders out. A professional team will give a security assessment, design the alarm system, and install the necessary alarm technology to secure the area.

Lastly, the door access system helps secure certain areas in a building from unwarranted access. Clients can choose to install a PIN system or a security card to restrict access on their doors.

Interested clients can visit www.eeautomation.com.my to learn more about the top Malaysian security provider. A ton of clients have requested the installation of a security system from EE Automation for many years and many of them have had a secure building for years.

Here is their location & contact:

EE Automation & Technology Sdn Bhd

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Phone: +60 3-8062 5891
Zinc Raises $11 Million Led by GE Ventures to Transform Deskless Communication

SAN FRANCISCO, CA  (Marketwired)  04/17/17  Today, Zinc announced an $11 million funding round led by a strategic investment from GE Ventures with participation from Hearst Ventures. Existing investors Emergence Capital and CRV also participated in the round. As part of the strategic investment, GE Digital will explore opportunities to collaborate with Zinc to streamline communication for GEs approximately 100,000 deskless workers, including key integrations to complementary products like Predix and ServiceMax. Zincs mobile communication platform connects deskless workforces with the information, knowledge and leadership that drive business results.

Theres a massive opportunity for companies delivering technology purpose-built for people working away from the teams, systems, and knowledge that can help them do their jobs better, said Lisa Coca, Managing Director of GE Ventures. Zincs platform can completely transform how these companies communicate. This strategic investment will help Zinc grow and continue to build essential technology for a market thats hungry for it.

Companies in industries like field service, construction, hospitality, and healthcare trust Zincs secure communication platform to share the real-time information thats the beating heart of their business. Using Zinc, businesses can instantly communicate important or time-sensitive pieces of information to the entire company, facilitate connections and sharing between employees in the field, and make sure that management has immediate visibility into whats happening on the front lines. Whether its quickly relaying a new operating procedure to an entire company, enabling knowledge sharing between workers miles apart, or getting product and customer feedback from the field back to managers, Zinc connects employees with the real-time knowledge that drives business results.

Communication is the lifeblood of an organization. Mobile workers are projected to make up by 2020  yet this group is too often left disconnected from their companies, said Zinc CEO Stacey Epstein. Weve seen firsthand, through working with customers like Vivint and BlueLine Rental, how transformational and easy to use Zinc is for both workers and businesses. This new round of funding and strategic partnership with GE and Hearst allow us to continue delivering solutions that empower organizations with information that makes them safer, more connected, and ultimately more effective.

We focus on industries that have been historically neglected by technology, said Darcy Frisch, Managing Director and Vice President of Hearst Ventures. Zincs focus on deskless workforces makes this investment a perfect fit. Were excited to see Zinc grow and keep building technology for companies that truly need it.

Zinc is a San Francisco-based company that believes communication is the essential element every company needs to do its best work. By providing the technology that drives knowledge dissemination in organizations with deskless workers, Zincs full-featured communications platform illuminates ideas and makes information come to life. Zincs platform combines secure messaging, broadcasts, voice, video, file & location sharing, and more in an easy to use mobile-first interface. Backed by GE Ventures, Hearst Ventures, Emergence Capital Partners and CRV, Zinc has raised $16 million as part of its mission to inform and empower workers in industries underserved by technology. For more information, visit and follow @Zinc on Twitter.

Abigail Homer

zinc[at]launchsquad[dot]com

415-625-8555
Document Security Systems, Inc. Files Patent Infringement Suits

ROCHESTER, NY  (Marketwired)  04/17/17  (NYSE MKT: DSS) announced today that it has filed lawsuits against Cree, Inc., Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd. and Seoul Semiconductor, Inc., and Everlight Electronics Co., Ltd. and Everlight Americas, Inc., in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division. The complaints allege infringement of several of DSSs Light Emitting Diode (LED) patents. DSSs lead counsel for these cases is Russ August & Kabat, located in Los Angeles, California.

DSSs products and solutions are used by governments, corporations and financial institutions to defeat fraud and to protect brands and digital information from the expanding world-wide counterfeiting problem. Its technologies help ensure the authenticity of both digital and physical financial instruments, identification documents, sensitive publications, brand packaging and websites. DSS continually invests in research and development to meet the ever-changing security needs of its clients and offers licensing of its patented technologies. For more information on DSS and its subsidiaries, please visit .

Jody Janson

Media & Investor Communication

Document Security Systems, Inc.

Tel: (585) 232-5442

Email:
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Not one, but two huge illegal raves were shut down by the police within 24 hours this Easter weekend.

Riot police and a helicopter were sent to reports of an illegal rave in Chitterne, near Warminster, in the early hours of Sunday (April 16) where police found at least 500 people at Quebec Farm.

Officers are said to have "taken control of the area" fearing that numbers may swell, and the event was ended shortly after sunrise.

A Wiltshire police statement read: "Officers from the local community policing team, Tri-Force officers and PSU officers, as well as officers from neighbouring forces attended the scene where approximately 500 revellers were on site.

"NPAS (police helicopter) also assisted as officers took control of the area, preventing numerous vehicles attending via various access points to the site."

The statement added: "Without the intervention of our officers, it is likely the numbers attending would have grown considerably.

"A Section 63 notice was served to the organiser ensuring the event came to a close by 7am. This was adhered to and equipment was dismantled and crowds dispersed."

The police have confirmed that no arrests were made, no disorders were reported and there were no injuries to officers.

Then, less than eight hours after the first party was shut down, police were tasked with attending a second rave only 15 miles away on Sunday afternoon.

A statement read: "Shortly before 3pm, we were also informed of a second illegal rave being set up in the Enford area  again, officers attended swiftly and seized sound equipment from the scene to prevent further incidents.

"We'd like to pay tribute to our officers who attended, many working overtime, and ensured this event drew to a peaceful close."
The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit is currently accepting applications for Christmas assistance from residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb Counties at all metro Detroit Salvation Army corps community centers.
St. Joseph County voters cast ballots in midterm elections

Most vote centers in St. Joseph County are seeing numbers on par with their usual midterm levels as 2022 Election Day gets underway.
This artist's illustration shows a hypothetical planet covered in water around the binary star system of Kepler-35A and B.

Life on an alien planet with two suns in its sky, like Luke Skywalker's home world Tatooine in the "Star Wars" films, may indeed be possible, a new study suggests.

A Tatooine world could be habitable despite its inevitably complicated orbit, as long as the planet stays within a particular range of distances from its two host stars, researchers said.

"This means that double-star systems of the type studied here are excellent candidates to host habitable planets, despite the large variations in the amount of starlight hypothetical planets in such a system would receive," Max Popp, an associate research scholar at Princeton University in New Jersey and the Max Planck Institute of Meteorology in Hamburg, Germany, said in a statement. [10 Real Alien Worlds That Resemble 'Star Wars' Planets]

Popp and Siegfried Eggl, a Caltech postdoctoral scholar at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, investigated the "habitable zone" for Tatooine worlds  that just-right range of orbital distances at which liquid water, and perhaps life as we know it, could exist on a planet's surface.

Nailing down the habitable zone for single-star planets isn't simple or straightforward; details of the zone depend heavily on the nature of a world's atmosphere, for example. But habitable zones get even trickier when the planet in question has two suns.

Tatooine planets' habitable zones, after all, depend on the distance from the two host stars' center of mass, not just the distance from any particular star. And Tatooine worlds don't orbit in a circular path; their paths wobble considerably due to the gravitational influences of their parent stars, researchers said.

To better understand such factors, Popp and Eggl modeled conditions on a hypothetical Earth-size, water-covered world in Kepler-35, a real two-star system more than 5,000 light-years from Earth that's known to host a planet eight times more massive than our own. (Popp and Eggl ignored the gravitational influence of this actual planet, which is known as Kepler-35b, for simplicity's sake.)

"Our research is motivated by the fact that searching for potentially habitable planets requires a lot of effort, so it is good to know in advance where to look," Eggl said in the same statement. "We show that it's worth targeting double-star systems."

The duo's simulations investigated what this imaginary Tatooine world's climate would be like if it orbited with periods between 341 and 380 Earth days.

They found that, near the outer edge of Kepler-35's presumed habitable zone, the planet would be relatively cold and dry. The dearth of atmospheric water vapor would also make the climate quite variable; global average surface temperatures would swing by as much as 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius), the researchers said.

"This is analogous to how, on Earth, in arid climates like deserts, we experience huge temperature variations from day to night," Eggl said. "The amount of water in the air makes a big difference."

But conditions would be quite hospitable, and much more stable, near the habitable zone's inner edge, thanks to the water vapor's stabilizing influence, the researchers said. (Just as with single-star systems, a planet beyond the outer edge of the habitable zone would become a "snowball" world, while one too close in would experience a runaway greenhouse effect like Venus did and end up a sweltering hothouse, they found.)

Interestingly, the duo's models suggest that Tatooine worlds have less cloud cover than their single-star counterparts, providing any hypothetical inhabitants with great views of their double suns.

The new study was published April 6 in the journal Nature Communications (opens in new tab).

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
NATO essential but allies must pay up says Trump; Ryan to visit next week







Washington (AFP) April 12, 2017





NATO is the "bulwark of international peace and security" but its European members "must pay what they owe," US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday alongside the political head of the military alliance. Reversing some of his campaign rhetoric, Trump told a joint news conference that NATO "is no longer obsolete" and hailed its role in the fight "against terrorism." But he renewed his argument that NATO's member states need to dedicate two percent of their gross domestic product to military e ... read more
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Paris, April 17, 2017 (SPS) A rally in the Place des Invalides near the Paris metro will take place Tuesday to demand the "immediate and unconditional" release of the Saharawi political prisoners of Gdeim Izik group, and

The rally, called for by the platform of solidarity with the Saharawi people, in collaboration with the Saharawi associations and community in France, as well as the League of Saharawi Students in France, also demands for the cessation of Moroccan repression against defenseless Saharawi civilians in the occupied territories of Western Sahara, who peacefully demand the right of their people to self-determination and independence.

It calls for the rapid organization of the referendum on self-determination, in order to enable the Saharawi people to decide freely on their future.

It also calls for the extension of the mandate of the UN mission for the referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to monitor respect of human rights in Western Sahara, awaiting its decolonization through a fair and transparent referendum under the auspices of the UN and AU.

Moreover, the rally demands for the respect and full application of the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) of 21 December 2016, which excludes Western Sahara from the agreements between the European Union and Morocco. (SPS)

062/090/TRA




Contributed

STAMFORD  A King School sophomore has won a national award for an oil painting inspired by the national debate over transgender bathroom access.

Ashley Xu, a Stamford resident, recently won the National Gold Medal in the 2017 Scholastic Art & Writing Award for Questioning, the only oil painting from Connecticut to win a gold medal this year. The art piece will be displayed in New York City in early June.
STAMFORD  A police officer stopped a carjacking Monday afternoon on Long Ridge Road near the Merritt Parkway.

Lt. Diedrich Hohn said Officer Anna Edwards was on Long Ridge Road near the intersection of Stillwater Road at 3 p.m. when she saw a car pulled over with a man getting out while the woman driving was crying.

Edwards initially thought it was a domestic incident, but the woman told her the man ran across Long Ridge Road, nearly getting struck by a car, banged on the hood of another car and then got in front of her car to make her stop, Hohn said.

The man, identified as Christopher Evans, got into her car and ordered her to keep driving south on Long Ridge, Hohn said. He then told her he was going to take the car, Hohn said.

The 21-year-old woman pulled over at the intersection of Stillwater and ordered Evans out of her car, Hohn said.

Evans threatened the woman verbally and tried to grab her backpack as she fled, Hohn said.

Evans refused to answer any of the police questions and would not allow them to take his mug shot or fingerprint him, Hohn said.

Evans was charged with criminal attempt of a robbery of an occupied vehicle, criminal attempt at first-degree larceny and criminal attempt at sixth-degree larceny. He is being held in lieu of a $50,000 court appearance bond. His age and where he lives was not immediately available Monday.

jnickerson@stamford

advocate.com;
A brawl broke out at a packed shopping centre after a group of paedophile hunters accused a man of grooming a 14-year-old girl for sex.

Violence broke out on Easter Sunday at the Bluewater centre in Greenhithe, Kent, after a 29-year-old man was met by members of vigilante group The Hunted One.

Footage broadcast on Facebook Live showed the men approach him, saying: "You're here to meet a child for sex, yeah?"

The man, under repeated questioning by the group, denies their allegations.

But, as the confrontation continues, a shopper in a red top appears to attack the man, kicking and punching him as other people try to contain the situation.

At one point, the alleged attacker appears to climb on to a flower bed and start repeatedly kicking the man while hurling abuse.

Security guards from the shopping centre step in to prevent any further violence before police officers arrive.

Detective Chief Inspector Emma Banks, of Kent Police, said a 29-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of grooming and officers were investigating the disturbance.

She said: "Officers from Kent Police arrested a 29-year-old man from east London at Bluewater Shopping Centre on suspicion of grooming at 2.27pm on April 16.

"The arrested man is in custody. Police are also investigating a disturbance which took place in connection with this incident.

"I strongly discourage people taking the law into their own hands to avoid them and others including individuals which may have been wrongfully identified, being put in any danger.

Any acts of violence reported will always be fully investigated and enquiries into this incident are ongoing."

Additional reporting by the Press Association.
P olice are hunting a pair of teenage arsonists after a huge fire ripped through a terraced home in north London.

Six fire engines and more than 30 firefighters tackled the blaze at the three-storey home near Chalk Farm Tube station throughout the evening of March 27.

Dramatic footage from the scene showed smoke billowing over residential streets as flames tore through the top of the building on Prince of Wales Road, where homes cost upwards of 1 million.

Detectives have now announced they are treating the incident as an arson and are appealing for witnesses and information.

Thick smoke: Clouds billowed over north London streets / David Hill/Twitter

Two males, believed to be in their late teens, were seen outside the building shortly before the fire broke out, with one seen to throw something towards it.

Both then made off towards Haverstock Hill, police said.

The cause of the fire is still unknown but it is believed an accelerant was used.

Chalk Farm house fire

The two males are described as around 5ft 4ins tall and of slim build. They were both wearing dark tops and trousers, while one also had red trainers and a light blue Nike rucksack.

Detective Constable Dean Puzey, Central North CID said: "Due to the prompt response of police and London Fire Brigade surrounding houses were evacuated. Luckily no one was injured and the fire was brought under control quickly.

The roof of the building was badly damaged / @londoncabtour

"We are keen to hear from anyone with information on this incident and in particular those who witnessed the two males near the address around the time the fire started. If anyone took images or captured footage of these males then we ask you make contact us with us as soon as possible."

The house was severely damaged in the fire but there were no reports of any injuries.

If you have any information about the fire or saw the males near Haverstock Hill, then please call Central North CID police on 020 8345 0195 or via 101, tweet @MetCC or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
A man was seriously injured after becoming involved in an argument at the Bijou Club in Manchester.

Police said a man was restrained after the row, but when he tried to break free, he was punched and hit.

The 31-year-old is in a serious but stable condition.

Guests at the club have included Justin Bieber, Tulisa, Drake and Rita Ora.

Greater Manchester Police asked for anyone with information to contact them.


P olice have urged a killer, who broadcast a video of the moment he shot an elderly man dead on Facebook, to turn himself in.

Steve Stephens, 37, has been on the run from police in Ohio, Cleveland, since he posted a video of the killing on the social networking site on Easter Sunday and claimed to have murdered 14 other people.

He used Facebook to post a video of him fatally shooting the man, who police identified as 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr, at about 2pm local time.

Police immediately issued an aggravated murder warrant for Stephens, and warned that he could have travelled to Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana or Michigan.

Calvin Williams, the Cleveland police chief, told a news conference: "We know who Steve Stephens is and he will be eventually caught.

Victim: Robert Godwin / Facebook

He need not to do anymore harm to any innocent people. Whatever concerns or problems that hes having, were here to have a conversation.

Everybody is out there looking for Steve. We want this to end with as much peace as we can bring to this right now.

He said police had found no evidence to support Stephens' claim that he had killed 14 others and urged the killer to turn himself in.

Police said Stephens could be driving a white or cream-coloured Ford Fusion, and that he was armed and dangerous.

Stephens broadcast the killing on Facebook Live / REUTERS

In a text message to CBS News, Stephens' longtime partner Joy Lane described him as a generous and loving man.

She said: We had been in a relationship for several years. I am sorry that all of this has happened. My heart & prayers goes out to the family members of the victim.

Steve really is a nice guy... he is generous with everyone he knows. He was kind and loving to me and my children. This is a very difficult time for me and my family Please respect our privacy at this time.

The Facebook video, which has since been removed, reportedly shows Stephens driving up to his victim in the street and opening fire.

He allegedly shot Mr Godwin in the head before leaving him lying bloodied in the street.

Stephens is not believed to have known his victim, police said.

Mr Godwin had just celebrated Easter at a dinner with his family, who said they were devastated over their loss.

One man, who said the victim was his father, told a local broadcaster: He was a good guy. He would give you the shirt off his back.

Im not just saying that for these cameras This man, right here, was a good man and I hate that hes gone.

In a statement, Facebook condemned the killing and said: This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook.

"We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety."
T housands of boy racers caused chaos and gridlock on Londons roads as they staged a mass late-night convoy through the capital.

Witnesses described being stuck in horrendous traffic after the annual controversial high-performance car rally took place on Sunday night.

Up to 4,000 people had pledged to attend the London Tunnel Run, an annual parade of souped-up vehicles around the capitals roads.

Residents complained of loud music blaring, engines revving and participants driving erratically as they gathered for a huge static meet-up at the Surrey Quays shopping centre car park at about 8pm before winding their way through the capital.

Mass ride-out: Drivers gathered at Surrey Quays on Sunday night for the London Tunnel run (@YeahLukeTweets) / @YeahLukeTweets/Luke Philpott

Drivers set off on the mass rideout at 10.30pm, cruising through Limehouse into the city and passing famous landmarks including the Westminster and Tower bridges and the London Eye.

Police had warned drivers they faced having their vehicles seized if they took part in the annual parade of souped-up cars.

A Met Police spokeswoman told the Standard that no arrests were made and no issues were recorded at the event.

Footage posted on social media showed drivers carrying out stunts as they drove through the streets and the Surrey Quays shopping centre car park packed with vehicles as loud music blared.

People gather at the controversial high-performance car rally / @YeahLukeTweets / Luke Philpott

The Rotherhithe and Blackwall tunnels were forced to close because of the traffic caused by the rally.

Resident Jerry Hewitt, who lives on the Hawkstone Estate, told the Standard: Surrey Quays Shopping Centre was invaded and taken over completely.

London Tunnel Run 2017 1 /10 London Tunnel Run 2017 A motorist takes part in the London Tunnel Run 2017 which residents say caused 'gridlock' on the roads @palmer People gather at Surrey Quays car park for the controversial high-performance vehicle rally @YeahLukeTweets/Luke Philpott Participants take pictures of souped-up cars at the rally @YeahLukeTweets/Luke Philpott A driver performs a stunt after the Tunnel Run event YouTube A driver parades his car at the London Tunnel Run 2017 @YeahLukeTweets/Luke Philpott Drivers parade their cars at the London Tunnel Run 2017 @YeahLukeTweets/Luke Philpott People gather at Surrey Quays car park for the controversial high-performance vehicle rally @YeahLukeTweets/Luke Philpott Participants take pictures of souped-up cars at the rally @YeahLukeTweets/Luke Philpott

Traffic and buses were gridlocked till 1am and residents furious because of the terrible noise. We measured 100 decibels and that was 100m away from the event.

We saw no police and TFL had to close the Rotherhithe Tunnel for a while. What's the point of max 20mph roads if there's zero enforcement?"

Another witness, who did not give his name, said: "Last night the estate where I live in Canada Water was reeling from the noise of loud revving of cars and motorbikes and loud bangs from backfiring exhaust.

"The music was so loud that our flats were shaking from the bass. It was a great show of cars but the wrong place and the wrong time.

"Our police were overwhelmed by the amount of cars and bikes."

Darren Lloyd said there were fast cars driving erratically in the car park and that he feared someone would get hurt.

A Twitter user named Jess said: Stuck in the traffic chaos. Took two hours for 40 min journey. Noise and fumes truly awful. @lb_southwark #SurreyQuays.

Ahead of the event Tower Hamlets police had urged drivers to stay away from the area and warned they would be clamping down on anyone who caused a disturbance.

In a statement published online, they warned: Any unnecessary noise, antisocial behaviour or traffic offences will be dealt with robustly to prevent disruption to the community and other road users."

A Met Police spokesman had told the Standard an appropriate policing plan would be in place with a number of officers on duty along the route.

But a spokesman for event organisers Essex Cruising accused the police of overreacting.

He said: "It's a social gathering and nothing for the police to worry about. We will only be passing through like normal road users.

"To be honest I'm not really sure what all the fuss is about. We pay road tax to drive on a public road."

He added: "I think it's a little over the top and would probably be a waste of time and money."
T he seriously injured wife of a tourist killed in the Westminster terror attack has returned home to the United States.

Melissa Cochran had been visiting London from Utah with her husband Kurt, 54, to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary when they were caught up in the carnage on Westminster Bridge last month.

The pair were both mowed down by Kent-born Khalid Masood as he drove a rental car through pedestrians before stabbing PC Keith Palmer to death outside Parliament.

Mrs Cochrans brother Clint Payne today revealed doctors have cleared her to fly back home to Salt Lake City, and added that she is healing faster than expected.

Tribute: US tourist Melissa Cochran arrives for a memorial service at Westminster Abbey / AP

The 46-year-old suffered a broken leg and rib and a cut to her head during the 82-second atrocity, while her husband died after being thrown from the bridge.

Three others, retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, 75, Spanish mother Aysha Frade, 44, and Romanian tourist Andreea Cristea, 31, also died as a result of Masood's murderous rampage.

Kurt Cochran family press conference

In an interview with the BBC Mrs Cochran described her husband as the "love of my life", and said she does not feel "any ill will" towards Masood.

"I don't know what he was feeling or thinking or anything that had been going on in his life so I can't relate," she said.

"I just know that unfortunately he didn't have the qualities and the beautiful heart that my husband had so I actually kind of feel a little sorry for him and no hate."

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

A Gofundme page set up to raise funds to help cover Mrs Cochrans monthly expenses following the loss of her husbands income has raised over 66,000.

On April 5 Mrs Cochran used a wheelchair to join the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry at a service for the families and survivors of the attack, held at Westminster Abbey.

Masood, who had a history of violent crime, was shot dead by armed police after knifing Pc Palmer.
A new barista visa could be introduced to ensure Londons coffee shops and pubs are still fully staffed after Brexit.

Under the plan, young European citizens will still be able to work in the UKs hospitality industry after it exits the EU.

The proposal is based on a Youth Mobility Scheme for travellers from Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

It comes after the British Hospitality Association warned that the shortage of British workers in restaurants is so severe that many will go bust without a steady stream of migrants.

The scheme was suggested by Migration Watch UK chairman Lord Green and a senior Home Office source said it was a good idea, according to The Sun.

The proposed scheme would mean jobs in bars and coffee shops could still be staffed with EU citizens after Brexit / Stefan Wermuth/Reuters

Using the so-called barista visa, European citizens time in Britain will reportedly be strictly limited to two years.

And they would not be able to claim benefits or free housing under the proposed scheme.

Explaining his plan, Lord Green told The Sun: We can kill two birds with one stone here.

We can meet the needs of pubs and restaurants and maintain our links with young Europeans by allowing them to come for a strictly limited period of two years to work.

The crossbench peer and former Foreign Office ambassador added: They could work at any level but would not become long term immigrants who would add to the pressure on public services.

Nor should they qualify for benefits or housing.

BHA said that ministers should allow low skilled jobs to be taken on by EU migrants after the UK leaves the bloc.

Explaining why, the association said that just one in 50 job applicants for cafe chain Pret a Manger are British  and that chains will need ten years to replace EU staff after Brexit.

A Home Office spokesman said: "Leaving the European Union allows Britain to take control of our immigration system.

"We are working across Government to identify and develop options to shape our future system to ensure the best possible outcome for the British people.

"It is logical to consult on proposals to make sure businesses, services and communities can contribute their views.

"However, as we are currently considering the various options as to how EU migration might work once we have left, it would be wrong to set out further positions at this stage."
A group of daredevil youths climbed to the top of one of Britains tallest rollercoasters.

The four youngsters broke into Thorpe Park and scaled the 200-feet tall Stealth ride on Sunday night.

Police and firefighters were called to the Surrey theme park at around 10.15pm after it closed for the evening, according to the Croydon Advertiser.

They arrived after the group reached the top of what is known as one of the UKs tallest rollercoasters.

A Surrey Fire and Rescue Service spokesman told the paper: "A group of youths broke in and climbed to the top of the Stealth ride.

"By the time we got there they had rescued themselves.

"I think they saw the better of it and climbed down as it is crazy going that high."

It is unclear whether the group were arrested.

Stealth is a white-knuckle ride that accelerates from 0-80mph in just 1.9 seconds.

A Thorpe Park spokeswoman said the theme park will be pursuing legal action against the youths - who have all received lifetime bans from the premises.

She said: "Thorpe Park can confirm that last night, after the theme park had closed, 4 youths broke in and attempted to climb one of the rides.

"They were spotted very quickly by our security team and the police were informed. One of the young men had difficulty descending from his position and the Surrey Fire Service were called to help him down safely.

"Thorpe Park takes trespass extremely seriously. It has a zero tolerance policy towards this behaviour which is irresponsible and potentially very dangerous for those individuals as well as others.

"As such we will be pursuing legal action against those involved. And the first immediate action we've taken is that they've all received a lifetime ban to our premises."

Surrey Police have been approached for a comment.
A three-month-old baby was reportedly summoned to the US embassy for an interview after his granddad accidentally declared on a form that his trip to America was for terrorism.

Paul Kenyon, 62, made the error while filling out his grandson Harvey Kenyon-Cairns travel forms ahead of a family holiday to Orlando.

He claims he accidentally marked yes in response to the question: Do you seek to engage in or have you ever engaged in terrorist activities, espionage, sabotage, or genocide?

As a result, Harveys ESTA (electronic system for travel authorisation) application was refused and the baby was called to the embassy in Grosvenor Square just three days before the scheduled flight.

Mr Kenyon travelled down with Harvey and his mother Faye from their home in Cheshire, but the Visa still failed to arrive in time.

The saga ended up costing an extra 3,000 as they had to buy new flights so that Faye, 27, her husband John and baby Harvey could fly out to Orlando later.

Mr Kenyon, a factory owner, told the Daily Star: I had filled in the first five forms all correctly, but it was taking some time.

I had no idea I had made a mistake on the babys form until Harveys travel was refused.

I couldnt believe that they couldnt see it was a genuine mistake and that a three-month-old baby would be no harm to anyone.

Harvey was even summoned down for an interview to the US Embassy. I really couldnt believe it.

I went down with him and his mum and took him in for the interview, but he cant even speak as hes so young.

We went down on the Monday and flew on the Thursday, but sadly the visa didnt come in time, so half of us went."

A US Embassy spokeswoman told the Standard they could not comment on individual applications but that anyone who ticks that particular box is automatically refused a Visa.
T he death of a young man who accidentally strangled himself while playing Judas in an Easter stage performance in Mexico is being investigated.

Horrified audience members are said to have scrambled to revive him after he slipped off a plinth while during the scene he prepared to be hanged during the crucifixion scene.

But despite their efforts, the 23-year-old died in an ambulance as he was being rushed to hospital, The State Attorney Generals Office of Justice of Michoacan told local media.

The tragedy happened in the district of Barranquillas in Tancitaro, where the Easter passion play, known as the Viacrucis de Jesus, was being performed.

According to reports, witnesses say the man lost his balance before slipping, which caused him to be suspended.

A full police investigation has now been launched.
D ean Gaffney is returning to EastEnders in the role of Robbie Jackson after a 14 year break from the soap.

The actor has said he feels "so lucky" to be reprising his role as the Walford regular after previously starring in the BBC series from 1993 until 2003.

Mr Gaffney last appeared in EastEnders in 2015, following a few brief appearances in the years following his official departure.

Of his return, he said: "I'm really happy to be back. I'm so lucky to be given the chance to work again with such a talented group of people."

He said it will be a "lot of fun" and thanked the soap's executive producer Sean O'Connor for bringing him back.

O'Connor said: "I'm thrilled to welcome back Dean as Robbie Jackson, one of EastEnders' most loved and most popular characters.

"Bridge Street Market has never quite been the same without Robbie policing it in his high-vis jacket. Dean brings a wonderful warmth and fun to his portrayal of Robbie and I'm sure that audiences will take him to their hearts again, just as they have always done."

Robbie was a troublesome teen when he first arrived in Albert Square with the Jackson family over 20 years ago, although he went on to become a fan favourite.

After a decade as one of the soap's most familiar faces, Robbie left to move to India with his girlfriend Nita (Bindya Solanki) although he later moved to Milton Keynes.

In 2010, he returned briefly for the wedding of Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) and Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen), during which time he revealed that Nita was pregnant.

At the time, he was also devastated to learn that his trusty sidekick, pet dog Wellard, had died a few years before.

Mr Gaffney is set to appear in EastEnders in the coming weeks, although details of his comeback storyline are currently unknown.

Additional reporting by the Press Association.
Mitchell Public Schools held a spring concert on April 11 that was a taste of what some students will be performing at the district music competition.

This year, there was an extra concert with the vocal music instructor, Charnele Stewart, deciding not to do a spring musical this year. There are typically four concerts in a school year at Mitchell.

It came at a time where students might need a little warm up with the district music competition taking place on Thursday, April 20.

Im excited for districts, I really enjoy working with this group, Stewart said. I can do a lot of things with them musically.

The students sang one song in English, one song in Spanish, and one in Latin. One was slower paced and two were fast-paced.

For high school, I just picked songs that they could do well and push them, but also were contrasting from each other so at districts the judges can see the different abilities the choir can do, Stewart said.

Stewart said its nice not working on parts, because she is able to delve deeper into other aspects of music. Stewart said they read music pretty well, so they are able to get into items of musicality, dynamics and phrasing with the students because of that.

Gabe Reynoso, senior at Mitchell High School, said he likes all of the parts of the concert and how they come together.

There are about 40 students in eighth grade, 30 in seventh grade, and 45 in high school choir that performed at the concert.

Eighth grade had a couple songs with younger members of choir.

They will know what it is like to be the leaders and also sing with more mature voices, Stewart said.

Stewart said there are a lot of students in the school district who are involved with choir or band. The community also supports the students. Stewart said she gets a lot of compliments on providing a variety of music classes and opportunities for the students.

Not a lot of schools our size do a musical, or have a show choir and jazz band, Stewart said.

Carter Snyder, eighth-grader at Mitchell High School, is a part of eighth-grade band and eighth-grade choir.

Snyder said he enjoys music and the aspect of self-expression.

Do something that others dont get to do, Snyder said.

Snyder had a solo in the band concert on April 10. He played the trumpet which he has only been playing since last year.

Snyder said he went well and there was not many mistakes made, just a few cracking instruments.

One day he hopes to learn another instrument just to see the differences.

I will probably stick to the trumpet too, Snyder said.

Mitchell High School had five students go to the district music competition last year. Two students this year are going to pursue going to a national music competition.

Stewart said the show choir has done well and they have cleaned up a lot of things so they are looking to get a superior rating at districts.

Usually around district time is when we really shine up, Reynoso said.

Lexie Jackson, freshman at MHS, said there is a lot of talented students, with seniors and juniors that have a lot of experience.

We all know what we are doing and sound good, Jackson said.

Reynoso said there is a lot of focus in order to prepare for districts.

Focus even on the small things, like facials, Reynoso said.

Hannah Plasencio, senior at MHS, said there is a lot of practice behind the music with having to practice certain words.

Reynoso is going to pursue a degree in music education at the University of Nebraska- Kearney.

Music is a big part of my life ever since I was young. Just the fact that you can explain how you feel with notes, that really amazes me, Reynoso said

Plasencio said there is one more concert in May but as the last serious one it was bittersweet.

Jackson performed a solo called Der Schwur or the vow in German.

I liked it because it is fast and there is this really cool riff at the end, Jackson said.

Down to the River to Pray was Plasencios favorite song the students performed.

Thats an a capella song and we sound amazing on it, Plasencio said.
Stark Insider indie film review: The Wedding Ring (original title: (HAWSA) ZINNAARIYA!) which recently screened at the San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM).

Director Rahmatou Keita has given us a delicious and timeless film in The Wedding Ring. It is a 2016 release from Niger, Burkina Faso and France under the original title of Zinnaariya! This is only her second feature film, and in it Keita gives a distinctly female perspective on the subjects of love and marriage.

I spoke with the director before the screening at the San Francisco International Film Festival. She was especially concerned that western critics in particular and western viewers in general understand that there is more than one way to tell a love story, and that it most definitely does not have to involve explicit physical moments onscreen. Love is the heart-felt emotional connection which defies reason and defies dynasties, which has been the occasion for a U.S. Supreme Court decision outlawing laws against intermarriage, and the occasion for a legendary war between two powerful Greek city-states in the ancient world.

There is love, the pain of love, sensuality, prayer, conjuring, joy and weddings!

A woman who speaks seven languages, Keita has used her deep knowledge to write and direct a film which depicts daily life and family interactions in villages in the south of the Republic of Niger. These desert citizens are aristocrats and pay serious attention to quality of family life and the arrangement of marriages. Tiyaa (Magaajyia Silberfeld) is returning home to her village after studying in France, where she became enamored of another aristocratic African from a different culture while absorbing some western ways. She is received with love at home, but maintains a distance from her family while she tries to process this strange new emotion of love. Seeking to find out the nature of the problem, her friend Mayya persuades Tiyaa to go with her to a zimma, a shamanic practitioner of the ancient arts using shells and sand. And it is here that magic happens.

This is a warm and vibrant culture with distinct areas of endeavor for men and women. Both Muslim and pre-Christian cultural practices are explored, and we see two ways of existence side by side. The men and women take tea throughout the day, sitting near each other but separated by gender. When Tiyaa and Mayya travel from place to place, they ride in a car which always has a male chauffeur. The Hausa value courtesy above all else, and have clear rules against domestic abuse.

The personalities of three different generations; the bright colors worn by both genders in natural fabric; the male weaver who sits in the middle of the compound working quietly as he drinks tea; the herdsmen who live simply near the river and who regard the villagers as city folk; the hilarious affectations of a young relative who has taken totally to western ways; the joyous music played at weddings; the celebration of the lunar new year; the escapades of brides who have their own way of circumventing arranged marriages; the contrast between the traditions of village life and truckloads of heavily armed soldiers going to a conflict somewhere. The tragedy for us westerners is that we only see media stories of the heavily armed soldiers, and rarely anything about village life in peaceful areas.

This film delights on several levels, from the sheer beauty of this desert culture to the humor inherent in the communication between generations, as well as negotiations through the complexities of courtship and marriage. There is love, the pain of love, sensuality, prayer, conjuring, joy and weddings!

The Wedding Ring is fiction but is firmly rooted in the culture of the Sahel, the zone of transition in Africa between the Sahara Desert to the north and the savanna area to the south. It is a semi-arid region extending from the Atlantic Ocean eastward through Senegal to the great bend of the Niger River and all the way into the Sudan.

Their vibrant way of life may be disappearing, and this film is a welcome and joyous remembrance. Many thanks to the director.
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A grief-stricken Savannah Gillespie sorted through photos Monday of the times she shared with lifelong friends Karli and Kelsey Richardson.

Pictures of the three span almost a lifetime, from pre-school days in Mooresville through their recent graduations.

I will look back at all these pictures of us and remember them as happy, Gillespie said, her voice cracking. I will remember their laughs. There are so many things Im going to remember about them.

They were always full of love and I thought I would always have them.

Authorities with the Arizona Department of Public Safety said Keaton Allison, 21, drove southbound in the northbound lane of Interstate 17 in Arizona for nearly six miles before slamming into the Richardson sisters vehicle head on.

All three were pronounced dead at the scene.

A VISIT TO ARIZONA

Karli, 20, was just weeks away from graduating Grand Canyon University in Arizona when Kelsey, 18, headed west for a visit. Kelsey was a freshman at Western Carolina University.

Finals were scheduled the same week as Karlis graduation, so Kelsey went up there because she couldnt miss finals, but she wanted to see her sister for graduation, said Gillespie, also a student at WCU.

The sisters were reportedly heading to the Grand Canyon to watch the sunrise when the crash happened.

Im really glad their last days were with each other, Gillespie said. They were very close  They had a beautiful relationship.

A BEAUTIFUL FUTURE

Both Richardsons graduated from the Collaborative College of Technology and Leadership school and earned associates degrees at Mitchell Community College.

Friends and family say the sisters were destined for something great.

They were beautiful girls with a beautiful future ahead of them, said their father, Perry Richardson.

Karli was receiving her bachelors degree in communications at Grand Canyon University, while Kelsey was working toward a microbiology degree at WCU.

They were really going to be something one day, Gillespie said. We always knew it.

'SO LOVED'

Family friend Kyle Kercher, along with Gillespie and friend Kassy Barton, established a GoFundMe to help cover funeral costs.

With a goal of $26,000, just under $24,000 was raised as of press time Monday  the first day of the campaign.

We knew the girls were loved, but this is amazing, Gillespie said. You know, both were crowned prom queen. I even voted for Karli. I knew they were going to win. They were so loved.

SERVICES

A visitation at Cove Church in Mooresville is being planned for Friday and a funeral for Saturday, Gillespie said, but the exact times have not been determined.

Grand Canyon University and Western Carolina University are hosting vigils for the victims.

And even though the sisters will be laid to rest this weekend, Gillespie plans to honor their memory the rest of her life.

Blood doesnt make family, Gillespie said. I always said Karli would be my maid of honor and Kelsey would be a bridesmaid. They were my sisters even if we werent related. One day I will tell my kids about them and about how special they are.
DES MOINES (AP)  An Iowa judge has dismissed the case against a man convicted of a dragging death, citing a court clerk's error and failures by other officials.

Judge Robert Blink also ordered that inmate Michael Moss be released from prison. Moss was convicted in 2009 of killing Des Moines resident Nick Harris over a $200 drug debt and sent to prison for life.

In 2015, Moss won a new trial, arguing that his trial lawyer had been ineffective. The state appealed, but the district court's decision was upheld by the Iowa Appeals Court. That court issued an order last November for a new trial and sent the order to the state prosecutors handling the appeal and to the Polk County District Court. The order was not sent to Polk County prosecutors or to the district judge who handled the case. The state prosecutors, however, did notify Polk County prosecutors.

On March 2  121 days after a new trial was ordered  Moss filed a motion to dismiss the case, arguing that a new trial had not begun within 90 days. Iowa law requires that a new trial begin within 90 days unless the defendant waives his or her right to a speedy trial or a prosecutor can show good reason for any delay.

Prosecutors argued that a court clerk had made the error by failing to set a trial date. The Polk County clerk of court testified that the office had changed procedures, which resulted in the error.

But Judge Blink said the county attorney's office also failed in its duty to follow up on its notice from state prosecutors that a new trial had been ordered.

Blink said in his April 3 order dismissing the case that "clerical errors do not justify good cause for failure to provide speedy trial rights" and that prosecutors "failed to exercise due diligence in this case." The remedy, Iowa appellate courts have ruled, is dismissal of the case.

Polk County Attorney John Sarcone declined to discuss the case on Monday.
ST. LOUIS  A man who three times faced death in the 1996 murders of a De Soto couple has had the penalty thrown out on appeal for a third time, this time by a federal judge who ordered him to serve life in prison without parole.

In her ruling Thursday, U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry called Carman Decks third penalty-phase trial fundamentally unfair from even before it began.

Decks inability to present mitigation evidence prevented the jury from adequately considering compassionate or mitigating factors that might have warranted mercy, she wrote. In the absence of such consideration, imposition of the death penalty violates Decks right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment.

Deck and his sister, after plotting with another man, went to the De Soto home of James and Zelma Long in July 1996 to rob them, according to court records.

Zelma Long answered the door, and Deck asked for directions. Zelma Long invited them into her house, and as she explained the directions and her husband wrote them down, Deck pulled a pistol from his waistband. He ordered the Longs to lie facedown on their bed and ultimately shot them after listening for about 10 minutes as they begged for their lives, according to the ruling.

Deck later gave a full account of the murders in oral, written and audio taped statements.

Decks original death sentence was imposed in February 1998. It was reversed in 2002 by the Missouri Supreme Court, which found errors by his lawyer so egregious that without them there was a reasonable likelihood that the outcome would have been different, Perry wrote.

His second penalty-phase trial was set for April 2003, but Deck was shackled in front of the jury over his lawyers objections. That triggered the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse his death sentence in May 2005.

His third penalty-phase trial started in September 2008, after a series of delays. Perry said that most of the delay was attributable to either prosecutors or the judge, not Deck.

Perry wrote that substantial evidence arguing against the death penalty in Decks first two penalty phases was unavailable for the third. Witnesses either couldnt be found, had died or had developed hostile attitudes in the more than 10 years since he was convicted, Perry wrote.

Perry found that Decks lawyers for the third trial were ineffective for not raising mitigation evidence, and his post-conviction lawyers were also ineffective for not raising the issue in state appeals.

Perry rejected a series of appeals on other grounds, including that his confession should have been suppressed and that Missouris death penalty procedures were unconstitutional.

While the passage of time does not and cannot lessen the loss and grief suffered by the victims family, it nevertheless affected the fairness of the process in this case and the fact finders ability to render a just penalty. Deck was deprived of a constitutionally fair penalty trial, the result of which cannot stand, she wrote.

In an email, daughter-in-law Karen Long said she was frustrated by the ruling.

Why (do) we even need three juries with the same conclusion each time when a judge can put her two cents in and change what has been in the pipeline for nearly 21 years? she wrote.

It was unclear whether the state would appeal.

EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Karen Long's relationship with the victims.
JEFFERSON CITY  Gov. Eric Greitens still has $2.4 million in his campaign checkbook, though he raised only about $25,000 during the first three months of 2017.

According to reports filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission, the Republican governor did little fundraising during the first quarter of the year as he took the helm of state government. The political rookie, however, spent $550,050.

Greitens was among a slew of Missouri politicians filing updated fundraising reports with election regulators by Mondays deadline. Many of those showed a slowdown in the pace of campaign contributions after heavy spending in the 2016 campaign season.

Greitens biggest expense  a $180,000 check  went to Atlanta-based C5 Creative Consulting, a campaign strategy company run by Nick Ayers, a top political adviser to Vice President Mike Pence and a possible candidate for Georgia governor next year.

Greitens also spent $173,483 on media production with a South Carolina-based advertising company.

And, records show Greitens spent nearly $12,000 on airfare and lodging for trips to Washington during his short tenure.

The numbers for the governor, however, only tell part of the story.

In February, Greitens allies formed New Missouri Inc., a nonprofit designed to promote the governors agenda. Under federal tax law, the so-called dark money organization is able to collect donations without having to report who is contributing to the cause.

Lawmakers, including Greitens fellow Republicans, have complained about the secrecy and, last week, voted in support of requiring nonprofits such as New Missouri to disclose where they are getting their money.

After Greitens campaigned on a pledge to improve ethics in the capital city, the new organization has become fodder for Democratic critics.

The only thing Eric Greitens cares about more than keeping his political bankrollers hidden might be scheduling his next flight back to D.C., Missouri Democratic Party Chairman Stephen Webber said in a statement Monday. Its no secret, theres not a single campaign promise Eric Greitens isnt willing to break at the expense of Missourians if he thinks it will help promote himself.

The measure awaits further action in the House.

Meantime, the only statewide races on the ballot in 2018 are for state auditor and U.S. Senate, where incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill is gearing up for a challenge from a potential lineup of GOP opponents including U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner.

Auditor Nicole Galloway, a Democrat, reported $381,662 in her account as she prepares for her first election. She raised $152,136 during the period. Galloway, of Columbia, was appointed to the post after the death of Republican Auditor Tom Schweich in 2015.

Candidates are now operating under campaign contribution limits as part of a new law voters imposed during the November election. Contributions from individuals are capped at $2,600 per election.

Galloway deputy treasurer Mike Pridmore said the new limits pose a challenge, but donors are showing their support for her candidacy.

We like what were seeing at this point, Pridmore said.

Andrew Westerfield of St. Peters is the lone Republican formally eyeing the auditors race, according to Missouri Ethics Commission filings.

Among other statewide officials, Attorney General Josh Hawley reported $1.1 million in his campaign checkbook. He raised just $3,831, but spent $211,771.

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft raised $133,647 and spent $83,213, leaving him with $139,312.

Republican Lt. Gov. Mike Parson had $36,900 on hand after raising $28,700. Parson, who is asking the Legislature for an increase in his budget to pay for added travel costs, reimbursed himself $843 for mileage from his campaign coffers.

Treasurer Eric Schmitt raised $41,317 in the first quarter and had $215,332 in his campaign coffers.

Among lawmakers, Senate Minority Leader Gina Walsh, D-Bellefontaine Neighbors, had $87,760 on hand after spending $15,803 in the first three months of the year. Most of her spending was on lodging and meals.

Sen. Scott Sifton, D-Affton, reported $135,159 in his account. He raised $102,959 from January to April.

Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard, R-Joplin, reported $203,057 in his campaign account. He spent $49,400.

Sen. Bob Onder, R-Lake Saint Louis, reported $219,508 on hand after spending $25,755. The biggest chunk of his expenses  $10,125  went to campaign consulting firm Survey St. Louis.
LATIMER | Genevieve Borcherding saved everything she could about her husbands service in the Korean War.

Every medal, picture, dog tag or program was safely preserved in folders and boxes, piecing together the time in his life that he didnt speak of.

Donald didnt talk about the war, even though he had his boots on the ground there," she said.

Donald Borcherding of Latimer ran moving equipment to build air fields in Korea as a heavy equipment officer in the 840th Engineer Aviation Battalion.

From 1952 to 1954, Donald served in Korea in the Army, but was assigned to the Air Force with SCARWAF, a Special Category of the Army with the Air Force.

During his service he helped build Air Force runways at Kimpo and received a letter of commendation as assistant platoon sergeant of the earth-moving platoon.

In fact, when he came home, he never hunted or anything like that again, Genevieve said. Except one time he took my dad hunting. My husband shot a pheasant with a rifle right through the head and all my dad could say was Did you see that? He shot it right through the head!

Donald received several awards including the Korean Service Medal with two Bronze Stars, the Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal and United Nations Service Medal.

Though he didnt say much about his service when he returned, Donald became more involved with veterans' events and recognition later in life.

I think he was proud of the fact that he served, Genevieve said.

The couple attended events in Washington, D.C., and other places to recognize Korean veterans.

Genevieve and Donald married in 1957 and had three children during their 42-year marriage.

After his return to Iowa, he worked several jobs over the years as an electrician and in construction.

The couple had a family poultry operation as well.

Donald passed away at age 68 in 2000.

We never argued, Genevieve said. "People always thought that was funny. We had all of our problems worked out before we were married."

Genevieve and her son attended an event in Cedar Falls in 2001 to receive an award for Donald.

He enjoyed going to those events so we went after, Genevieve said.

She remembers it being an emotional time.

People dont do much now for Korean War veterans, Genevieve said. I thank a veteran every day or policeman or fireman for their service.
New headstones at Hebuterne Cemetery, Crown Copyright.

THE resting place of four members of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment has finally been marked more than 100 years after they gave their lives for their country.

New headstones were dedicated to Lance Corporal James Thomas Spencer, Private Joseph Turton Cleaver, Private Walter Jennings and Private Reuben Kimberley in a moving ceremony at Hebuterne Military Cemetery in France.

The service was arranged by the s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre () and led by the Reverend Justin Bradbury, Regimental Chaplain of The Queens Royal Hussars.

Private Kimberley and Private Cleaver had been friends from childhood, joined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment together, served and later died together.

All four were killed on 1st July, 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, but their final burial location has until now been unknown.

War Diaries from the Warwickshire Regiment provide evidence that 14 soldiers of the 1/7 Battalion were killed that day and whilst it was believed all were buried in Hebuterne Military Cemetery, it was not possible to confirm this positively for each individual.

However, a more recent review of the evidence, including historical records, has allowed to be able to say there is now firm evidence the four soldiers are indeed buried at Hebuterne.

Although it still hasnt been possible to confirm in which of the many unknown soldiers graves they are buried, the new headstones, provided by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (), mean there is now a permanent memorial to them within the cemetery.

The Reverend Justin Bradbury said: "It has been a privilege to conduct this rededication ceremony in such a beautiful cemetery and finally recognising their final resting place."

Nicola Nash, from the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (), added: "We feel very lucky to have been able to attend such a moving ceremony for these four Warwickshire soldiers, made even more poignant that two were very close friends and died together on the first day of the Battle of the Somme."

In a separate ceremony, the grave of 2nd Lieutenant Lawrence Paul Strawson of the 8th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment was rededicated.

2nd Lieutenant Strawson was killed on 21st May, 1940, fighting a desperate rear-guard action in Calonne, Belgium. They had spent the night being relentlessly and heavily shelled by German forces, who threatened to envelop their reserve companies, when their Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Baker, decided to lead a daring but risky counter-attack.

He assembled around 50 men from , which included the signals officer, 2nd Lieutenant Strawson. The force set off for the ridge that lay between Calonne and at Warnaffles Farm. Even before they reached this point, they came under heavy artillery fire and suffered many causalities.

The survivors continued firing until their ammunition ran out. It was only when night fell many hours later, that these few remaining survivors were able to crawl back to . This attack was the last time Lawrence was seen alive.

2nd Lieutenant Strawson was born on 3rd December, 1915, in Nice, France, but grew up in Surrey. He enlisted in the Territorial Army in January 1937 and joined the Artists Rifles as a Private.

He was granted an emergency commission as 2nd Lieutenant on October 1939 and was posted to the 8th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment and sent to France on 11th January, 1940. Tragically, on 21st May, 1940, he was listed as missing presumed killed.

Lawrences burial place had remained unknown, until the grave of an unknown 2nd Lieutenant buried in Calonne Cemetery, Belgium was brought to the attention of the . After extensive historical research into this unknown grave, it has been agreed by the s that this grave is that of 2nd Lieutenant Lawrence Strawson.
Stories behind the Easter symbols By Therese Motha View(s): View(s):

The story of Easter in all its glory has been told and re-told countless times during the past 2000 years, starting with the chronicles of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John. From time to time, down through the ages, symbols have come into sharp focus, and in this day and age, serve to pinpoint the significance of the Easter season for all of us.

Except a corn of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abideth alone; but if it dies, it bringeth forth much fruit.

In these simple words, Christ summed up the fact that life depends on death and resurrection. Christ was crucified on Passover Day. This important feast in the Jewish calendar was observed in thanksgiving for the deliverance of the Israelites the night before they fled from Egypt.

In the Hebrew tradition, food shared together has always been in itself a pledge of friendship and loyalty. The traditional table is laid with symbolic foods and the stirring story of the Exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt is read so that the Jewish people re-live their ancestors dramatic flight from Egyptian bondage.

Pride of place on the table goes to the Matzo or unleavened bread called the bread of affliction, because the Israelites had left in such haste that their women had no time to leaven the bread. Then comes the roasted lamb to commemorate the sacrifice made by the Israelites in Egypt before leaving for the Promised Land; a roasted egg to symbolise mourning for the destroyed Temple. Moror, or bitter herbs dipped in vinegar as a reminder of the bitterness of Israels slavery in Egypt; Charoseth made of chopped almonds, grated apple, figs, dates, wine, sugar and cinnamon to symbolize the mortar with which the Jews were forced to lay bricks for Pharoah and which was the colour of common brick, and salt water, symbolizing the Red Sea that parted miraculously to let the Israelites escape.

Innumerable legends and folk beliefs are associated with the Lenten season and Eastertide. Many of the ancient liturgical customs of the early Church are being adapted to give greater symbolic meaning to traditional forms of service. In the Old World, little or no work was done on Good Friday. Household chores such as weaving and laundering were taboo. It was believed to be a good day to graft fruit trees. No self-respecting blacksmith would drive a nail because of the use to which hammer and nails were put on Good Friday. Iron, so tradition goes, should not be driven into the ground for the same reason. The egg was a symbol of the creation of the world. The Phoenix represented the Risen Christ  chosen for the belief that it died and came to life again.

On Easter Eve, people gather in a darkened church to remind them of Christ in the tomb, as they witness the making of light when new fire is kindled. Once the flame is made, the Paschal Candle is lit, followed by the lighting of other candles in the church. These candles, symbols of Christ as the maker of light, provide an aura of glory that makes a profound impression on the faithful, as they wait through the night watching for the dawn.
N. Korea leader oversees special forces op as tensions soar View(s):

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has overseen a special forces commando operation, state media said Thursday, as tensions soar with Washington over Pyongyangs nuclear programme. President Donald Trump has sent a naval armada to the Korean peninsula in a show of force, accompanied by a warning that Washington is ready to take on North Korea alone if necessary.

The North has since said it is ready for war with the US, while speculation is mounting that it might conduct a nuclear or missile test to mark the 105th birthday anniversary of founder Kim Il-Sung on Saturday.

The reclusive state has long been on a quest to develop a long-range missile capable of hitting the US mainland with a nuclear warhead, and has so far staged five atomic tests, two of them last year.

On Thursday, the Norths state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim watched from an observation post as special forces dropped from light transport planes like hail and mercilessly blew up enemy targets. With a broad smile on his face, Kim praised his troops for their precision, saying the bullets seemed to have their own eyes, KCNA said, without identifying when the operation was held.

The Rodong Sinmun  the official mouthpiece of the ruling Workers Party  carried several photos from the contest including one of Kim watching the troops parachuting down from jets into an open field. Another showed him grinning from ear-to-ear as he walked by cheering soldiers. The contest proved once again that our Korean Peoples Army will show a real taste of gun shot and real taste of war to the reckless invaders, KCNA said.

China  the Norths sole major ally  has urged the US president to take a peaceful approach to resolving the North Korean tensions. Sabre-rattling between Washington and Pyonyang has unnerved China, which is losing patience with the North but whose priority remains preventing any instability on its doorstep. Seoul and Washington are currently conducting joint military drills, an annual exercise which is seen by the North as a practice for war.

SEOUL, April13 (AFP)
A group of Tauranga business people have become so frustrated by the city councils mismanagement of its CBD parking monopoly, they plan to build their own parking building.

The council was put on notice earlier this year when commercial real estate agent Philip Hunt offered the council a share in the new parking building intended to be built on Durham Street/Spring Street, opposite the existing city council parking building.

The site has gone through several iterations including that of a hotel/conference centre. In February Philip was saying there will be four floors of parking with 200 parking spaces on each floor.

The city council was advised of the development in February by Ray White commercial manager Philip, who invited the city council to buy in with a floor of parking.

With council buying in the development will include four floors of parking with 100 cars per floor  two for the hotel conference centre and 200 car parks for lease.

A lack of secure parking in the central city is holding back its revitalisation, says Phil.

Businesses are wanting to move back into town from their converted suburban housing, drawn by the lure of the cafes.

The Ray White agency has more people wanting to move their business into Tauranga than there are carparks available for them.

Apata Coolstores has found its new First Avenue offices working so well the company wanted to bring more staff in from Katikati, says Philip.

The Tauranga office works because it is central for the staff to move in and out of between customer calls about the district.

Philips recipe for re-vitalising the central city is to lease all the first floor office space in town. The people in the offices will eat in the city and add to the retail precincts foot traffic.

Quite frankly its my opinion that the future of the CBD lies not only with ground floor tenancies, but also strongly with filling the first floor tenancies up.

Thats where we are really struggling because a lot of businesses wanting to relocate to town are consultant and so on, that are in and out.

They must have access to car parks so they can come back to the office, do reports and head out.

But the problem is finding parking. I would describe the situation now as desperate, says Philip.

We can hardly accommodate new tenants because of the lack of leased parking available.

He says the business community has taken up the call to build more parking with incredible rapidness.

We are working along the lines that we cant wait for council to support it, we have just got to get it done.

They have a site, the former TEL building on the corner of Spring Street and Durham, and its getting good traction.

We have had outstanding support from the business community, building owners who want to lease long term parks for their tenant.

When he spoke to city councillors in February he said council participation would accelerate the development by about a year. It was mentioned as a confidential matter at a recent council committee meeting by councillor Larry Baldock.

Speaking outside the meeting, Larry says the council is no longer going to be involved.

We said we were interested in talking about it, and his response has been there is no need to do so, says Larry.

Im hearing that developers are interested in doing carparks now because its becoming more profitable.

Its just a sign of the development thats occurring in the CBD so the demand is increasing.

Its not so much we are doing anything to affect that, but the message is going out that things are happening in the CBD. We dont require them to provide parking. That requires them to find it in another way, and that creates an opportunity for the market really.

Larry says the council used to require developers to provide parking on site, but changed the policy when the late Ken Paterson was CEO between April 2011 and June 18, 2012.
My sister Andrea Meredith is the keyboard player in local Tauranga jazz band Pacific Blue, so of course this means going to see them playing live at the Jazz Festival. Sisterly duties.

As a musician/composer its more than supporting family though, its in your blood. Soaking up saxophone and the blues is my thing.

Every year my usual Easter jazz tradition is to meet up with childhood friend Beryl Wilson, from Whakatane. We fill up our water bottles and do the Downtown Carnival, walking from one end of the Strand to the other catching up with friends, each other and the bands. It takes a few hours. I love it. Its inspirational. I go home and paint large canvases of brightly dressed women sitting under the awnings and Strand palms.

For those who havent dipped their toes into this vibrant street scene of Taurangas Easter jazz, there are bands playing each day across five stages for just over an hour each. By the time Beryl and I have reached one end of the Strand, its time to turn around and head back. Theres no specific plan to the meandering, although we tend to browse the carnival timetable to make sure we dont miss new bands like Gin Rickey Jive with Carol Power.

That whisky voice, heard at jazz festivals in the Bay of Islands, Blue Mountain Australia, Hawkes Bay and Vietnam, is irresistible.

Each year, Easter seems warmer, and theres no biting winter wind breathing at us from the south this year. A popular photo stop is the Angel Wings mural.

This Easter, Beryl couldnt make it, so on Sunday afternoon I picked up my mum Pat Liddle from her home and met up with another sister and niece in Red Square. I did my usual Strand band walk while they stayed to listen to Andrea and her band, which includes award winning vocalist/songwriter Carol Storey, Wayne Melville on bass and Jeff Baker on drums.

Wayne is also the President of the Tauranga Jazz Society and I know is proud of the team that brings the festival to the local scene every year. Much of the emerging talent of tomorrow is fostered here through the National Youth Jazz Competition held in Baycourt.

Out of the Blue, Shirazz, Gin Rickey Jive and The Bay City Ramblers  these were just four of the over 20 bands playing during my walk through the Downtown Carnival. The whole weekend is an explosion of classic jazz, blues, swing, funk  really something for everyone.

And the cafes and bars spill out with people and colour and laughter. Fabiano Fava from Brazil is street busking on his trumpet up Devonport Road.

I love Carol Storeys distinctive voice. Its more overpowering than sisterly duties, so I head back to Stage One in Red Square, only to find shes attracted a fan who dances uninhibited in front of the stage. I can see why. Pacific Blue are performing a selection of songs from Meloday Gardot, Sade, Lizz Wright and Diana Krall to list a few. Carol is singing jazz in English, Te Reo, Spanish and Portugese which enriches the tone of her performance. Latin, jazz and easy listening soft exotic flavours - its intoxicating.

Michaela Churstain, Celia Young, and Margaret Young staying dry while enjoying the music.

Even a light shower of rain didnt dismay listeners who stayed under umbrellas or shop fronts to shelter while the band played on.

Brand new to the festival is the TECT Waterfront Gala, on today from 11am-5pm. Its time for the Big Bands to do their thing.

The Tauranga Big Band, now in its 56th year, is a 20 piece group lead by Murray Mason and will be performing a range of styles including early swing, Latin American and modern favourites from pop through to contemporary fusion.

Also performing will be the Queen City Big Band, a 22 piece group with strong brass, sax and rhythm sections and great vocalists bringing us jazz, funk and rock.

Shirazz, from Melbourne, a crowd favourite on Saturday and Sunday at the Downtown Carnival, have been asked to play today as well.

Food trucks and market stall holders are on site. TECT cardholders and children 14 and under have free entry to the TECT Waterfront Gala.

The Bay City Ramblers playing on Stage Four.
The Gibraltar government has announced that several events are being planned this year to mark the 50th anniversary of the first referendum, in which the residents of Gibraltar decided that they wanted to remain British rather than accept the offer of Spanish sovereignty which had been made to the British government.

One of the events will be an exhibition at the Casemates galleries which will open on 14 June this year, 50 years exactly from the day upon which the British government announced that a referendum would take place.

The exhibition is being organised by the government archivist, who is asking anyone who has photographs, footage and memorabilia which relates to the 1967 referendum to contact him if they would like them to feature in the exhibition, which will continue until the first week of July. His phone number is 20079461.

Later in the year a memorial event and concert will take place, and special coins are to be minted to mark the 50th anniversary. A set of commemorative stamps will also be issued.

Other plans include painting the steps at Devils Gap red, white and blue, the colours of the Union flag, and a commemorative booklet similar to the one which was published to mark the 75th anniversary of the Evacuation in 2015.

In a statement, deputy chief minister Dr Joseph Garcia said: The referendum took place on 10 September 1967. On a turnout of 95.8 per cent, 12,138 people voted to remain British and only 44 voted for Gibraltar to become a part of Spain. This was the first time that the Gibraltarians had been given the choice and encouraged to exercise it. They spoke with devastating clarity.

The Government considers that it is important to mark the 50th anniversary of this momentous occasion in the history of Gibraltar. The referendum represented, at a symbolic level, that fact that British sovereignty over Gibraltar had come to rest on the living wishes of the descendants of the people who had lived on this Rock since 1704.

September 10th was later chosen as the date for Gibraltar National Day because it marks the anniversary of the day on which this referendum took place. This year promises to be extra special.

In a second referendum in 2002, 98.97 per cent rejected the idea of shared sovereignty.
The Ministry of Public Works has now awarded the contract for remodelling the exit to Arroyo de la Miel at kilometre 222 on the A-7 motorway, at a cost of 10.1 million euros. The works will resolve the problems caused by the volume of traffic that uses the junction to access Arroyo and Benalmadena Costa.

According to the plans, the length of the new stretch of road, including slip roads, is approximately 2.3 kilometres and the present layout for the junction will be changed without altering its functionality.

In future, traffic joining and leaving the A-7 in Benalmadena will do so via a large new roundabout. Filter lanes will also be created on the motorway between the access road and the Arroyo de la Miel service station, between kilometres 223 and 224.

New structures

Several new structures will have to be built, including two new underpasses, four walls and the widening of the existing underpass. Some 876 metres of noise barriers will also be installed.

The budget for the work is seven million euros less than the amount expected when the contract was put to tender. It was published in the Official State Bulletin at a cost of 17.9 million euros.

The works will put an end to a situation that has caused problems at peak travelling times for years; the traffic jams mean that drivers wanting to exit the motorway have to wait on the hard shoulder for several minutes, while other vehicles pass them at high speeds.

This makes it impossible to leave the distance stipulated by law between the waiting vehicles and those passing them, and this increases the risk of accidents.

The junction is used by 15,000 vehicles a day and has become the main access to Benalmadena from the motorway.

The president of the Partido Popular political party in Benalmadena, Paloma Garcia Galvez, who was the mayor when the first funds were allocated for this project, has welcomed the restart of the project.

Still no start date

She said it is the best possible news for the municipality and that she hopes the contract will be signed very soon. She also called on the council and MPs from all parties to urge Madrid to complete the administrative processes quickly so that the works, for which there is still no start date, can begin.

The daily difficulty in accessing Arroyo de la Miel is one of the main infrastructure problems on the Costa del Sol. Paloma Garcia Galvez has said credit must be given to Malaga MP Celia Villalobos (also PP), who has been continually pushing for a solution to the problem. She said Villalobos has played an essential role in unblocking a project wh
The Mancomunidad de Municipios, a collective of the town halls in the Axarquia, has announced a pilot scheme of free Spanish classes aimed at foreigners with little or no Spanish.

The course is designed to prepare students to take the official Spanish exam (DELE) level A2, which is the minimum required to obtain Spanish nationality.

In this initial pilot programme a total of thirty places are available and the window for registering for the classes is from 17 until 21 April, after which the successful applicants will be expected to start classes on 2 May. The intensive course will last until 13 July and students will have classes for two hours a week, from Monday to Friday.

Inscriptions are open to every foreign resident and students will be shortlisted on the basis of necessity for work or Spanish nationality applications. Priority will be given to those who need the qualification for those purposes.

In 2015 the Spanish government introduced the requirement of a minimum level of A2 in order to apply for Spanish nationality. The classes will also include information about Spanish culture and traditions, which is another part of the Spanish nationality test.

The Mancomunidads spokesperson for education and culture, Antonio Campos, said, Foreigners come with a certain urgency to learn the language as they come here and need to learn it whether its for work reasons or just to integrate more on a daily basis.

Monica Cabo, who is coordinating the project, said that although the timing coincides with the UK triggering Article 50, this project had already been discussed before last Junes referendum. She was keen to stress that the programme is open to every foreign resident, regardless of where they are from. Further courses will be running depending on the uptake of the pilot programme.

Those interested in the classes should go to the Mancomunidad de Municipios building on Avenida de Andalucia 110, Torre del Mar, from 10am until 2pm between Monday 17 and Friday 21 April.
At his 87 years of age Michael Hoskin has explained the mysteries of the Antequera dolmens in countless lectures and articles. At the end of last week, however, the British archaeoastronomer and Emeritus Fellow of the University of Cambridge revealed their secrets to his most important audience yet - his own family. Four generations - 25 people - joined him inside the tholos of El Romeral to hear why this Andalusian town and its history has been so important in his life and career.

I wanted them to see it and understand why Ive devoted so much time to this, said the scientist. It was Hoskins devotion to these prehistoric Mediterranean structures that led to his discovery of the unique orientation of the Menga dolmen, the perfection of the tholos of El Romeral and the interesting construction of Viera. And it was this discovery that helped put the dolmen site in Antequera on the UNESCO list of World Heritage.

Hoskin and the mayor in front of his bust. / A..J.Guerrero

This was just the start. There are still mysteries to be solved: Why are there three different dolmens and only one of each type? I dont have the answer, he said in Antequera lastFriday. His research involved the study of the orientation of more than 3,000 megalithic structures in the Mediterranean area and served to confirm the unusual position of the Menga dolmen, his favourite.

This is the only one he had found that had been positioned, not in relation to the suns rays, but in line with something terrestrial, the huge rock, in the form of a sleeping giant, known as the Pena de los Enamorados. Thats why I wear this medal, he told his family, fingering his Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts awarded by the Spanish government.

During the Hoskin familys visit, the mayor of Antequera, Manuel Baron, and the central government representative in Malaga, Miguel Briones, unveiled the sculpture placed in Hoskins honour at a new lookout point. His bust, of course, faces the Pena de los Enamorados.

Hoskin said you only understand the dolmen after youve spent some time inside. His family agrees. Weve heard him talk so much about Antequera, but only by coming here can we understand what it means, said his granddaughter Megan Hoskin.
Seatrade Cruise Med, the most important cruise-industry trade fair in the Mediterranean and nearby area, will be held in Malaga in 2020.

Bosses from major world shipping companies, representatives of ports and delegates from component industries will converge on the citys Palacio de Congresos for the biannual event.

Not only will stands fill the exhibition space, but a full programme of conference and other events are also planned so that the city makes the most of the networking opportunity.

MedCruise, the association of Mediterranean cruise ports, commented that Malaga has positioned itself as the most significant cruise port in its region thanks to investment in port facilities.

Paulino Plato, president of the port of Malaga stated that hosting the event has been made possible due to the ports commitment to promoting itself as a gateway to Andalucia.

Last years fair was in Tenerife and the 2018 event will be in Lisbon.
Brexit and how it could affect British people living or owning a business on the Costa del Sol was the subject of a seminar hosted by Linea Directa and SUR in English in Torremolinos last Friday.

Pedro Fernandez, a partner with the Malaga-based law firm Garrigues, said that the negotiations now beginning between the United Kingdom and the European Union would be the most difficult recorded in history.

Fernandez, a specialist in international tax law, claimed that a soft Brexit was the best option for both the UK and the Costa del Sol, where there are numerous important British businesses and thousands of foreign residents.

Referring to people that believe there is still time to stop the clock, Fernandez claimed that, although there were many things we do not know, one of the few things that can be said is that Brexit is definitely going to happen.

He insisted that the negotiations must honour the rights of the British living in Spain and the Spanish nationals living in the UK.

Outlining how Spain had always welcomed the British and their business ventures, he suggested that business relationships would probably not suffer as much as we are sometimes led to believe.

The English approach to business is so practical and the English language is of great importance, and no matter what happens, I dont see London losing its status and relevance in the world of business. London is the centre of finance and I think it is going to remain so regardless of what Frankfurt or Paris want, Fernandez said.

He stressed his belief that the EU should not punish the UK for its decision to leave Europe, claiming that negotiations should be entered into with a sensible attitude since there is a lot at stake.

The expert referred to recent tensions that flared when guidelines were published that proposed giving Spain a veto over any deal involving Gibraltars future.

Making reference to Theresa Mays comments, which claimed that the UK will not negotiate away Gibraltars sovereignty as part of Brexit talks, Fernandez said: I really dont like to think that we are going to bargain with Brexit and Gibraltar. I dont see the purpose; is that really going to help us here? Would it not be better to have a good deal with the UK and smooth out whatever is coming?

Looking at the possible consequences of Brexit from the angle of the Spanish tax system, Fernandez said the situation will only be clear once an exit agreement has been reached, but he added that coming out of EU could put the British who live in Spain in a worse position.

Exit taxes on gains would be imposed on foreigners who have decided to return to Britain, but perhaps more important would be the changes in inheritance tax, affecting especially those living in areas other than Andalucia.

Business challenge

One of the biggest dilemmas caused by all the uncertainty is affecting business and trade, and Fernandez showed concerns for this: For those of us helping people establish businesses or buying properties, it is going to be a very, very challenging time. Of course, this is not good news, because, uncertainty is the main fear of investment and trade.

However, the general feel of the seminar was positive and Fernandez gave British expats a little reassurance that things are not going to be that terrible. There will obviously be issues created by the UKs exit, but in general, for the vast majority of British citizens who live in Spain, he believes life will not be that different.

The formal exit notification has no immediate impact on the legal arrangements between the United Kingdom and the European Union. Its effects will begin to come into force after two years, and this period might even be extended by mutual agreement if more time is required.

However, for the entire period over which the exit is being negotiated, the UK will continue to be an EU member and all rules of the union will continue to be applicable to British residents.

The seminar was one of several organised during the II International Home and Leisure fair held in Torremolinos last weekend.
There are four Brexit phrases that are particularly vexatious.

The first is I am British not European. Apart from being geographically inaccurate it is an obvious denigration of Johnny Foreigner. It infers that distance must be kept from the Frogs, the Krauts, the Itis and the Spics. Is the intention that with Brexit a new continent Britannia be proposed?

The second: We must have the best deal for the UK is rather unjust as surely the best deal must be for the EU who are the injured party and so, should be the least prejudiced by the outcome.

The third: We are leaving the EU not Europe is at least geographically exact but still difficult to interpret. Does it mean that the UK will still sing in the Eurovision song contest and play in the UEFA Champions league so that the hooligans can continue to vomit and fight on European streets?

The last is The EU must not punish the UK. Here, again, I beg to differ; there surely must be some punishment to a government that has taken such an irresponsible step. To weaken and destabilise the world power which at present stands alone in the defence of democracy, civil rights, human rights, labour legislation and the environment, to name but a few, is for me a punishable offence and one which has made the world a far more uncertain place to live in. This has been proven by the particular interest the other powers have shown in the debilitation of our unique Union.
Ocean View, Delaware, April 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --



The global industry report White Oil Market Size By Application (Plastic & Polymer, Pharmaceuticals, Personal Care & Cosmetics, Food Industry, Textile), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S, Canada, Germany, UK, France, Russia, China, India, Taiwan, South Korea, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Africa), Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2016  2024 by Global Market Insights, Inc. says White Oil Market size will surpass USD 2 billion by 2024, translating in volume of over 2,000 kilo tons.

Increasing white oil consumption as lubricator, moisturizer and insulator in cosmetics, pharmaceutical and textile industries will propel the industry growth. Continuing growth of cosmetics including sunscreens, emollient creams, suntans lotions, cleansers, makeup & hair care products will provide new opportunities for the industry. Advancement in production process enables complete removal of dust particles, improving its purity, odorless and tasteless properties, which enhances white oil market penetration in various end use industries.

Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/1192

Strong application outlook in food, adhesives, paper, bakery, precision machinery, cement, wood and textile industries will surge the revenue growth. Increased product usage in consumer goods including food packaging, coating on vegetables, animal food and medications will drive white oil market demand size. Technical grade white oil approved by the FDA are used in the food & beverage applications.

White oil is used in manufacturing medical devices, laxatives, ointments and various excipients in healthcare industry. Prevalence of disease and demographic rise in APAC is expected to initiate the pharmaceuticals market demand in China and India.

Rapid industrialization and urbanization particularly in the emerging countries have supported the product development. High product usage as hydraulic fluids and gear lubricants in industrial applications including compressors, machinery, vats and tanks will further favour white oil market growth.

Plastics & polymers dominates the white oil market share, accounted for over 50% in 2015. Surging demand for PVC lubricants, extenders, plastic annealing, thermoplastic elastomers, rubber and catalyst carriers are he stimulating factors of business demand. Moreover, mold release agents and extrusion aids are extensively used in the polymer production.

Personal care & cosmetics white oil market is set to observe growth exceeding 2.5% up to 2024. Rising demand for pure, durable and consistent products along with growing consumer spending has enhanced the industry growth. High consumption in bath & baby oil, lotions, creams and emollients are the supporting factors of the product development.

Global white oil market will witness significant gains from food industry in the forecast period. Rising food grade product scope in sugar refining, egg shell sealants and animal feed has encouraged the business demand. Increased product usage in lubes, wrappers, filling & packaging equipment are the driving factors of the product penetration.

Economic uncertainty and fluctuating petroleum prices are the major factors restraining the industry growth. Strict government guidelines on the manufacture and consumption of the product especially in developed nations are probable to act as limitation in the next years.

Browse key industry insights spread across 160 pages with 83 market data tables & 10 figures & charts from this 2017 report White Oil Market in detail along with the table of contents:

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/white-oil-market

White oil market consumption from the textile industry is set to witness growth above 4% by 2024. Upsurge in demand for anti-rust, anti-oxidant and anti-wear products in manufacturing process will propel the industry demand. Increasing use of the product in apparel, fabrics and garment applications will drive the industry growth.

U.S. will witness a significant market growth at over 4.5%, with strong consumption in protective diluents, emollients, moisturizers, baby care and hair care products will propel the regional demand. Regulatory compliance accompanied by product innovations particularly in healthcare industry will surge the white oil market growth.

MEA white oil market will witness growth over 2.5% by 2024. Technological advancement in production process accompanied by substantial petroleum reserves will drive the regional demand size. Changing consumer tastes along with increased cosmetics and personal care product consumption has also enhanced regional product penetration.

Global white oil market share is extremely fragmented. Key industry participants are concentrating to strengthen their position by implementing various approaches such as development in promotion of new products, distribution networking channel, and upgrading technology & innovation.

The major industry participants are British Petroleum, Exxon Mobil, JX Nippon Sinopec, Petro-Canada, Royal Dutch Shell, Sasol, TOTAL, Sonneborn and Renkert. The companies are focused on growth strategies including mergers & acquisitions, product innovations and product portfolio expansion.

Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @ https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/1192

White oil market research report includes in-depth coverage of the industry with estimates & forecast in terms of volume in tons and revenue in USD from 2013 to 2024 , for the following segments:

White Oil Market, By Application

Plastic & Polymer

Pharmaceuticals

Personal Care & Cosmetics

Food Industry

Textile

Others

The above information has been provided on a regional and country basis for the following :

North America U.S. Canada

EU Germany UK France Russia

Asia Pacific China India Taiwan South Korea

Latin America (LATAM) Brazil

Middle East and Africa Saudi Arabia UAE South Africa



Browse Related Reports:

Tall Oil Fatty Acid Market Size By Product (Oleic Acid, Linoleic Acid), By Application (Dimer Acids, Alkyd Resins, Fatty Acid Esters), By End-user (Soap & Detergents, Coatings, Lubricants, Plastics, Fuel Additives, Metal Working Fluid), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, China, India, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, GCC), Application Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2017  2024

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Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) Market Size By Product (Liquid, Dry [Powder, Needles, Granules]), By Application (Dish Washing Liquids, Household Detergents & Cleaners, Industrial Cleaners, Personal Care Products), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, China, India, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, GCC), Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2016  2024

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/sodium-lauryl-sulfate-SLS-market

About Global Market Insights

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DENVER, Colo., April 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Resolute Energy Corporation (Resolute or the Company) (NYSE:REN) today announced that it has engaged Petrie Partners, LLC and Barclays Capital Inc. to act as financial advisors in connection with the previously announced disposition process for its Aneth Field properties in southeast Utah, in the Paradox Basin. The Company anticipates that a virtual data room will be available in the coming weeks. Certain overview materials regarding the properties have been posted to the Companys website at www.resoluteenergy.com. Parties interested in participating in the process should contact Andy Rapp at Petrie Partners (303.953.6768) or Steve Almrud at Barclays (713.236.2417) to arrange execution of a confidentiality agreement.



The Company also announced that pursuant to the spring borrowing base redetermination under its Third Amended and Restated Revolving Credit Facility, the Companys new borrowing base has been set at $225 million, providing ample liquidity for the Company to fund the pending Reeves County, Texas acquisition scheduled to close in May and also to pursue its 2017 drilling program.

Cautionary Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements in this press release include matters that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from results expressed or implied by this press release. Resolute undertakes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this press release. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

About Resolute Energy Corporation

Resolute is an independent oil and gas company focused on the acquisition and development of unconventional oil and gas properties in the Delaware Basin portion of the Permian Basin of west Texas. Resolute also operates Aneth Field, located in the Paradox Basin in Utah. For more information, visit www.resoluteenergy.com. The Company routinely posts important information about the Company under both the Investor Relations and the News sections of its website. The Companys common stock is traded on the NYSE under the ticker symbol REN.
Supplier of advanced composites and related materials to the Asia Pacific aerospace industry, Argosy International inaugurated its 2,000 square metre manufacturing facility in the Taichung Duty Free Zone in Taiwan. The new facility includes a clean room, cutting table, and freezer to process, cut to shape composite kits and will be qualified to AS9100.The configuration of the facility will help Argosy offer composite aerospace manufacturers in the Asia Pacific region with composite kitted solutions.

Supplier of advanced composites and related materials to the Asia Pacific aerospace industry, Argosy International inaugurated its 2,000 square metre manufacturing facility in the Taichung Duty Free Zone in Taiwan. The new facility includes a clean room, cutting table, and freezer to process, cut to shape composite kits and will be qualified to AS9100.#

"Argosy Taiwan Aerospace Materials (ATAM) reflects our commitment to serving our customer's needs, now and into the future," Ryan Flugel, vice president of sales and marketing at Argosy said. "This facility increases our capacity and expands our capabilities in providing innovative solutions to the aerospace industry." (AR)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Less than a week after the Shadow Brokers came out of retirement to release a password it had previously tried to auction off, the hacking group has posted a new NSA data dump along with some (now mostly patched) Windows exploits.

"Is being too bad nobody deciding to be paying theshadowbrokers for just to shutup and going away. TheShadowBrokers rather being getting drunk with McAfee on desert island with hot babes," the group wrote in a post alongside the published documents.

The new leaks suggest that the NSA hacked into EastNets, a Dubai-based firm that oversees payments for SWIFT, an international financial messaging service used for transferring money between banks, particularly those in the Middle East.

Despite apparent evidence to the contrary, EastNets has denied it was hacked. "While we cannot ascertain the information that has been published, we can confirm that no EastNets customer data has been compromised in any way. EastNets continues to guarantee the complete safety and security of its customers' data with the highest levels of protection from its SWIFT certified Service bureau," wrote EastNets CEO and founder, Hazem Mulhim, in a statement.

The Shadow Brokers' post also contained a number of Windows exploits, but Microsoft said in a blog post that it has already issued patches for the majority of the attacks, and the remaining three unpatched exploits are only designed for unsupported systems - anyone using Windows 7 or above is not at risk.

"Customers still running prior versions of these products are encouraged to upgrade to a supported offering," the post added.

What's interesting is that four of the exploits were patched just last month, which could indicate Microsoft was informed about the vulnerabilities before they were leaked.
Hot on the heels of the whole WikiLeaks CIA hacking reveal, a new leak has now detailed hacking tools the National Security Agency allegedly use to hack Microsoft's Windows.

A mysterious group called "Shadow Brokers" disclosed some Windows hacking tools, purportedly stolen from the NSA, on Friday, April 14. All tools date back at least a few years, but exploit vulnerabilities in several Windows versions to shift across networks and compromise Windows systems.

The hacking tools Shadow Brokers dumped online revealed techniques to breach both Windows systems and certain financial networks. Some of those NSA hacking tools were already flagged by antivirus services years ago, but experts think that Shadow Brokers' leak still includes at least some unknown exploits for older Windows versions.

Microsoft Responds To NSA Windows Hack Leak

Microsoft was quick to respond to Shadow Brokers' reveal, noting that it already went through all of the listed exploits and evaluated them. As expected, the company says that most of those exploits have already been patched. Considering that those hacking tools were a few years old, it's barely surprising to learn they don't really work anymore on newer OS versions.

"Today, Microsoft triaged a large release of exploits made publicly available by Shadow Brokers," the company explains. "Understandingly, customers have expressed concerns around the risk this disclosure potentially creates. Our engineers have investigated the disclosed exploits, and most of the exploits are already patched."

Microsoft's response comes after exaggerated concerns from a number of security researchers. One researcher even went so far as to recommend turning off Windows computers for the weekend.

Coincidence - Or Not?

The leak even drew the attention of famous NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, who said that the NSA didn't warn Microsoft about the exploits. Microsoft itself claims that no organization or individual aside from reporters has contacted the company in regard to the Shadow Brokers' leak.

However, as The Verge points out, at least one security researcher believes that the NSA might have told Microsoft about at least some of the bugs. Microsoft typically reveals who reported various security flaws, but one researcher noticed that the company issued patches with the MS17-010 update last month, fixing some of the newly revealed NSA exploits, without noting any source for flaw reports.

At the same time, that update marked the first time that Microsoft significantly delayed its Patch Tuesday update because of a "last-minute issue." That update was supposed to roll out in February but didn't hit the scene until March, when it patched some of the NSA exploits disclosed by Shadow Brokers. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.

Be that as it may, Microsoft has patched most of the flaws detailed in Shadow Hunters' NSA hack leak, so users running Windows 7 or later should have no reason to worry if they've installed all patches from Windows Update. Those still holding a torch for the old Windows XP or Vista, however, might want to consider upgrading at last, as they're still vulnerable to these exploits and many more that remain unpatched since the OS versions are no longer supported.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
SAN MATEO, Calif., April 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Friday, April 28, 2017, Franklin Resources, Inc. (the Company) (NYSE:BEN) will release its second fiscal quarter 2017 operating results at approximately 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. A written commentary on the results by Chairman and CEO Greg Johnson and CFO and Executive Vice President Ken Lewis will be available at approximately 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Access to the written commentary and accompanying slides will be available via investors.franklinresources.com.

Johnson and Lewis will also lead a live teleconference at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time to answer questions of a material nature. Access to the teleconference will be available via investors.franklinresources.com or by dialing (877) 407-8293 in the U.S. and Canada or (201) 689-8349 internationally. A replay of the teleconference can also be accessed by calling (877) 660-6853 in the U.S. and Canada or (201) 612-7415 internationally using access code 13659331, after 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 28, 2017 through May 28, 2017. Analysts and investors are encouraged to review the Companys recent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and to contact Investor Relations at (650) 312-4091 before the live teleconference for any clarifications or questions related to the earnings release or written commentary.



Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN) is a global investment management organization operating as Franklin Templeton Investments. Franklin Templeton Investments provides global and domestic investment management to retail, institutional and sovereign wealth clients in over 170 countries. Through specialized teams, the Company has expertise across all asset classesincluding equity, fixed income, alternative and custom solutions. The Companys more than 650 investment professionals are supported by its integrated, worldwide team of risk management professionals and global trading desk network. With offices in over 30 countries, the Californiabased company has 70 years of investment experience and approximately $740 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2017. For more information, please visit investors.franklinresources.com.
An outbreak of a dangerous superbug has been reported from the UC Irvine Medical Center, one of the largest hospitals in Orange County under the University of California. The infection was confirmed at the neonatal intensive care unit where 10 infants contracted methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA.

Superbugs are incredibly difficult to treat as they are resistant to antbiotics.

According to hospital sources, the babies contracted MRSA between August 2016 and March 2017. But the hospital said all of them have been cured and there are no active infections at present.

Hospital Investigating Superbug Outbreak

Meanwhile, investigations started on how the infants tested positive during treatment at the intensive care unit of the Irvine Medical Center. Fortunately, there were no casualties.

The hospital said it raised the bar on infection prevention measures. After detecting MRSA in December, many steps have been taken but no specific source has been found.

The hospital also persuaded the staff to be proactive in killing potential MRSA by using antiseptic soap and ointment, following four staff members testing positive for MRSA in January. The latest case of MRSA was detected in March.

"With the most recent MRSA case in March, we have repeated deep cleaning, continued attention to hand hygiene and repeated staff decolonization," the hospital added.

How Does MRSA Bacteria Spread?

The MRSA bacteria spreads easily, with nearly 2 percent of people carrying MRSA either on the skin or nose, according to the CDC.

Sharing personal items like towels and razors will transmit the bacteria. The risk increases when people mingle with crowds, develop skin contact, and share equipment and supplies. That is why athletes, school students, and military personnel have been advised to be vigilant against the risk of MRSA transmission.

Health care settings are often the ideal breeding ground for the bacteria and its rapid spread. Accumulating in contaminated wounds, it reaches patients through health care providers as carriers.

Observing the difficulty in fully eliminating MRSA, Dr. Amy Edwards, a pediatric physician at UH Rainbow Babies Hospital, said MRSA is naturally occurring and hard to eliminate completely from hospital settings.

The UC Irvine Medical Center said that more initiatives to thwart the spread of the superbug have been taken. One is the intense screening of infants right from the admission stage.

Strict use of antibacterial nasal ointments and antiseptic soaps on infants has been ensured, Also, visitors have been directed to carry mobile phones that are cleaned by alcohol wipes.

WHO Calls For MRSA Elimination

The World Health Organization has declared the MRSA superbug as one of the "greatest threat to human health."

It also called for faster production of new antibiotics to rescue patients from the clutches of superbugs.

"Antibiotic resistance is growing, and we are fast running out of treatment options. If we leave it to market forces alone, the new antibiotics we most urgently need are not going to be developed in time," said Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO Director-General for Health Systems.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Lenovo-owned Motorola has pushed back the release date for one of its Moto Mods  the Power Pack  until later this spring. The company was expected to roll it out for the Moto Z line of smartphones this past March, but no such thing occurred, clearly.

Battery Pack Moto Mod Delayed

Motorola first announced the Moto Mod accessory late February during its Mobile World Congress trade show press event. When snapped on the back of compatible Moto Z devices, the accessory would add 50 percent more battery capacity but notably without adding bulk to the overall aesthetic of the phone. It was projected to cost $49.

The accessory has indeed been pushed to "later this spring," as admitted by a representative from Motorola. Among the mods the company plans to release are a wireless charging back panel, and a dedicated gamepad accessory. Motorola is also working on a cable to charge mods when they aren't snapped on to Moto Z devices. All these planned mods have yet to be given a proper release date.

Other Moto Mods You Should Be Hyped For

All told, there's still a number of Moto Mods worth being hyped for, even if your zeal has been crushed by the delay of the Power Pack. Here are forthcoming Moto Mods you should watch out for, both from Motorola and from crafty third parties:

 Edge - A third-party Moto Mod accessory, the Edge cover features a band of RGB light that snakes around the phone's edges. It will emit vibrant colors when the phone receives notifications, prompting the user even from afar. But it's not just for show, as the colors actually serve their own purpose: blue light means someone's calling, red light means someone just sent you a text, and so forth. It also includes wireless charging features and a battery pack so the lights can draw power on their own without draining the phone's capacity.

 Amazon Alexa Moto Mod - Motorola is planning to equip the Moto Z range of devices with an Alexa, via a Moto Mod, of course. Amazon confirmed such an accessory a while back, stating that it was partnering with Motorola for the development. It'll even come with the signature Echo glow!

 Wireless Charging and Gamepad Moto Mods - These two are officially from Motorola, and they're pretty self-explanatory. The former equips the phone the ability to charge sans any direct cables, while the latter tacks down a full-fledged gaming controller on the device, a la Nintendo Switch.

 Wireless Charging and IR Emitter Moto Mod - This accessory promises to equip Moto's Z line of smartphones with wireless charging and IR emitter capabilities without adding significant bulk to the device. In fact, it's just as thin as normal Style Shells, or alternative back covers for the Z range. No official release date has been sent, but the vision has already been successfully funded on Indiegogo.

Thoughts about the Moto Mods mentioned here? Anything you have in mind we failed to include? Feel free to share them in the comments section below!

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Star Wars Land, announced by Disney back in 2015 as upcoming attractions in Disneyland in California and in Disney Hollywood Studios in Orlando, will play out as full-blown role-playing games, with visitors to determine the outcomes of their experiences.

The information about Star Wars Land was revealed at a panel in Star Wars Celebration, where Electronic Arts also unveiled Star Wars: Battlefront II.

Star Wars Land Visitors Will Develop Reputations

In the Star Wars Celebration panel that discussed Star Wars Land, it was revealed that the attractions will be fully immersive, with visitors able to develop reputations that will shape their experience throughout the theme park area.

For example, one attraction will have players decide whether to ride with the First Order or with the Resistance, a choice that will lead to certain consequences while in Star Wars Land. Another attraction will have customers try to fly the Millennium Falcon, if they do not do a great job at it, they would be on the receiving end of angry snarls from Chewbacca. Visitors may also be given tasks by either the First Order or the Resistance, and whether they choose to complete the tasks or not will also affect their stay in Star Wars Land.

How Will Star Wars Land Look Like?

From the immersive experience and the descriptions by the panel members, composed of people from Disney and Lucasfilm working on the project, Star Wars Land will not be merely a theme park area but rather an experience that will bring visitors to an alternate world as soon as they step in.

The area will be based on a brand new planet within the Star Wars universe created for Star Wars Land. The planet lies somewhere in the Outer Rim, formerly a busy crossroads for space trade routes until hyperspace travel made it a forgotten location. The planet is now home to those who do not want to attract attention, including adventurers, rogue traders, and smugglers.

Visitors to Star Wars Land will be able to spot members of the First Order and the Resistance walking on the streets, and will be able to purchase food items such as meat grilled on the engine of a podracer and blue milk.

The theme park area will also utilize technology for lightsabers that will look more realistic than ever. There will also be life-sized AT-ATs that will be towering over Star Wars Land.

Pablo Hidalgo of Lucasfilm's Story Group gave the assurance that the theme park area will be "real-world building," with nothing to feel cheap or unrealistic. Designer Doug Chiang, meanwhile, said that he is working on Star Wars Land as he would on a movie, with the overall setting to be based on Morocco and Istanbul.

Disney started building Star Wars Land last year, and the project remains on track to be completed by 2019. More information regarding Star Wars Land will be revealed in July at the D23 Expo, but even with the theme park area not yet completed, the franchise has already established a significant presence in Disneyland.

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North Dakota will soon get access to medical marijuana at some government registered centers once Governor Doug Burgum signs the petition.

The move to bring medical marijuana in the state met with voters' approval in November 2016 and last week, the legislators approved the regulatory plan.

However, strict rules have been chalked out regarding the production, distribution, and usage of medical marijuana in North Dakota, which is anticipated to become legal in the state within a year.

Medical Marijuana Availability

According to North Dakota state health officials, medical marijuana will become available within a year in the state.

Arvy Smith, the Deputy State Health Officer, stated that the department estimates that 5 out of every 1,000 North Dakotans will use medical marijuana.

However, according to Kenan Bullinger, director of the medical marijuana North Dakota program, this usage rate may steadily increase with time. Bullinger's assertions are based on medical marijuana usage in Delaware, where the number of registered patients increased from just 50 in the first year to over 1,400 in 2016.

The health department is planning to register two "compassion centers" or Compassionate Care Centers in North Dakota to facilitate mass production of marijuana. The health department will also have eight centers to dispense medical marijuana.

However, to qualify as an applicant for a marijuana manufacturing center in North Dakota, several criteria exist.

The application criteria includes a massive fee of $110,000 to get the two-year certificate required for manufacturing operations. There are also stringent security measures. Moreover, the applicant also has to shell out $90,000 for the dispensaries.

The center will also be subjected to random inspections from the health department staff to ascertain if it is functioning properly and legally.

Additionally, all the center officials or "agents"  which includes owners, investors, and employees  will undergo a background check and are required to have a drug-free record. All the agents will also need to pay $200.

Who Can Use Medical Marijuana And Where Will They Get It?

Patients, including minors suffering from "debilitating medical conditions," are eligible to receive medical marijuana. People with such conditions, including minors, will have to apply to the Health Department for a $50 registry card every year.

The patient is required to be authorized by a practicing nurse or doctor. The government has the authority to revoke a card if they think it has been misused. People whose application for the card is unsuccessful have to wait a year before they can reapply.

Patients suffering from an illness under the "State law lists of 17 qualifying medical conditions, along with terminal illnesses" are eligible to receive medical marijuana.

Patients or their care givers will have to pick up the marijuana directly from the dispensary or through the dispensary's delivery system. The marijuana cannot be obtained through third-party delivery systems or FedEx.

In addition, North Dakotans will have to buy the medical marijuana from dispensaries in the state. They cannot buy it from another state and bring it inside North Dakota.

Available Dose Of Medical Marijuana

A registered patient or a caregiver will be able to buy not more than 2.5 ounces of flowers or dried leaves within 30 days. They must not have more than 3 ounces of marijuana in possession on any occasion.

According to reports, North Dakota government plans to spend over $1 million to monitor and run the medical marijuana program during the next two years. The project is expected to cost around $3.2 million in the ensuing two-year budget cycle and would be a self-supported program.

The first Compassionate Care Centers are anticipated to become functional in January 2018.

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Modern interconnected life would not have been possible if it wasn't for Robert Taylor, pioneer of the modern internet. The innovator passed away on April 13 at the age of 85.

Taylor ushered the development of the Arpanet in 1966, the precursor to today's internet. He was also responsible for the development of the mouse and graphical user interface, two features that made personal computers such as Windows and Mac possible.

Taylor died of Parkinson's disease at his home in Woodside, California. He is survived by his three sons and three grandchildren.

Arpanet: The Granddaddy Of Internet

In 1965, while working as director of Information Processing Techniques Office (IPTO) for Pentagon's Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), he found the constant switching of terminals to communicate with fellow researchers to be cumbersome. This frustration would later revolutionize modern life as we know it today.

His solution: a single computer network that connected all the computers in his department. It was called the Arpanet. Charlie Herzfeld, then-head of ARPA, poured in a portion of the ballistic missiles project to fund Arpanet.

Taylor liked the success of his project he predicted that one day it will be an essential part of human life.

"In a few years, men will be able to communicate more effectively through a machine than face to face," he wrote for The Computer as a Communication Device paper in 1968. In his paper, he also coined the word "on-line," and argued that the internet be open to everyone, not just a privilege of the "favored segment of the population." And the rest they say was history.

Alto: The Forerunner Of Personal Computers

In 1970, Taylor moved to California to work for the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) of Xerox. There, he led the design and creation of Alto, considered to be the first personal computer. The Xerox Alto supported an operating system that featured a design that allowed better interaction with users: the graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI would later inspire Apple's Lisa and, eventually, the Macintosh systems.

Taylor's tenure at PARC also led to the development of the Ethernet, the computing technology that connected computers to a network. In 1961, as project manager at NASA, he learned about the work of a Stanford engineer named Douglas Engelbart, who was researching on the direct interaction between computers and humans. Taylor helped fund Engelbart's research, which later led to the invention of the mouse.

Gardner Campbell | Flickr

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The number of diabetes cases has surged dramatically in the last decade. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported an increase in type 2 diabetes rates among teenagers and schoolchildren.

Moreover, the CDC notes diabetes is more prevalent in the African-American population, with a ratio of 22.6 cases per 100,000 people. By comparison, the diabetes ratio among Caucasians is only 4.4 cases for 100,000 individuals.

According to the American Diabetes Association, this ethnic group is "disproportionately affected" by this condition, having 1.7 more chances of contracting the disease than the non-Hispanic white population.

More than 13 percent of all African-Americans (about 1.5 million people) aged 20 years or older have been diagnosed with diabetes. In addition, statistics show another 750,000 undiagnosed cases, bringing the total of African-American people plagued by this affliction to more than 2.2 million.

Dallas Weekly states that "for every six white people who have diabetes, 10 African-Americans have the disease," making this chronic condition "one of the most serious health problems" this ethnic group is currently facing.

Diabetes Complications

Diabetes is characterized by a rise in blood sugar levels beyond normal parameters, which affects the way the body produces and metabolizes insulin. This hormone is crucial for energy production, as well as the proper function of all bodily systems.

The difference between the two forms of the condition is that, while people with type 1 diabetes have an insulin deficit, type 2 diabetes cases are linked to the faulty use of this hormone throughout the body.

The signs and symptoms of diabetes include extreme fatigue, blurred vision, slow healing of minor cuts and bruises, weight loss, lack of feeling satiated even after meals, feeling thirsty, frequent need to urinate, and pain in the hands and feet.

When a person's body can no longer regulate insulin, its systems begin to shut down, putting the person at risk of "devastating consequences." The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality lists kidney disease, blindness, coronary artery disease, and lower limb amputation as the top four diabetes complications minorities are facing.

In addition, the diabetes death rate for African-Americans is 27 percent higher compared with Caucasian diabetics.

Diabetes Outreach Programs For Minorities

Because of the seriousness of this widespread condition, as well its differentiated impact on each minority group, the ADA has designed "culturally specific" awareness programs.

The initiative dedicated to the black community is called Project POWER and aims to inform and educate the public regarding the seriousness of diabetes and its complications among African-Americans.

The project also promotes the means and tools that aid in battling this disease, with emphasis on preventive measures, early symptom detection, and a healthy lifestyle.

Project POWER offers six educational workshops organized by ADA-trained staff, who are fully instructed to guide community members in the implementation of diabetes preventive strategies.

Other similar projects developed by the ADA in an effort to help the black community combat this disease are Live Empowered and Choose to Live, the latter specifically tailored to African-American women.

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In photos and a short video clip shared on social media, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin showed off the new skill of the humanoid robot Fedor: shoot guns using both of its arms.

Russia's Intelligent Humanoid Robot

Fedor (Final Experimental Demonstration Object Research) is a robot designed for space missions. It is set for launch to the International Space Station by 2021 to do tasks that are considered too dangerous for astronauts to do in space.

Rogozin assured that Russia is not creating a Terminator-like killing machine and explained that the training helps hone artificial intelligence.

"Combat robotics is key to making intelligent machines," Rogozin said. "This is applicable to areas including aviation and space."

Fedor was also trained to do a range of other tasks such as screwing a light bulb, operating a drill and driving a car but its new ability to shoot guns raised concerns about killer robots.

Fears Over AI Taking Over The World

James Cameron's Terminator showed a fictional world where highly intelligent robots set off to eliminate the human race but there are reasons that the likes of Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk and Bill Gates expressed concerns about artificial intelligence possibly taking over humanity.

"I am in the camp that is concerned about super intelligence. First the machines will do a lot of jobs for us and not be super-intelligent. That should be positive if we manage it well," Gates wrote during a Reddit Ask Me Anything interview.

"A few decades after that though the intelligence is strong enough to be a concern. I agree with Elon Musk and some others on this and don't understand why some people are not concerned."

Mankind's Efforts To Prevent Rise Of Killer Robots

Amid fears over the potential rise of robots that can threaten human race, some individuals, companies and groups find ways to stop rogue AI from taking over the world.

Developers from Google's artificial intelligence division DeepMind and researchers from Oxford University, for instance, have teamed up to develop a kill switch for artificial intelligence.

Experts say that a "big red button" could be necessary so humans can stop AI from doing dangerous things. They also think that AI could be coded so that they would not learn to ignore instructions from humans.

Researchers who work on robotics and AI have likewise issued a call for a preemptive ban on autonomous weapons, which can choose and engage targets without human intervention. Examples of these lethal machines are armed quadcopters that are capable of hunting and eliminating enemy combatants.

The United Nations has also started to take action as 123 nations voted to initiate official discussions on the dangers of killer robots at the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons in Geneva last year.

"In essence, they decided to move from the talk shop phase to the action phase, where they are expected to produce a concrete outcome," said Campaign to Stop Killer Robots co-founder Stephen Goose.

Financially-able individuals also do their share. Billionaire Musk, who has openly expressed his fears over the potentials of AI, has donated money to conduct research on artificial intelligence.

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The list of mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus has been upgraded to include an additional species, namely the Aedes albopictus.

After Aedes aegypti, the primary vector of the deadly Zika virus, this is now the second mosquito species that can potentially transmit the disease.

Commonly known as the Asian tiger mosquito, the insect was found to carry Zika virus RNA. Although the new species hasn't yet been confirmed to have infected any people, it does however represent an important public health concern.

The discovery belongs to researchers from the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory at the University of Florida, who published their findings in the Journal of Medical Entomology.

Zika RNA Fragments Present In Aedes Albopictus Males

The researchers collected Ae. albopictus eggs from a number of households in Brazil and later hatched them in their lab. The resulting mosquitoes were then tested for Zika RNA.

The outcome revealed fragments of the virus' RNA were present in the male mosquitoes. According to study lead author Dr. Chelsea Smartt, this means the virus RNA had been genetically passed on by the previous generation.

However, Smartt's team didn't uncover traces of the live Zika virus, which translates into two possible scenarios: either the females that laid the eggs were not actually infected, or the live virus strain couldn't be transferred from parent to eggs (known as vertical transmission).

However, the findings still pose a Zika virus concern and call for further research into the other potential vectors species.

"Our results mean that Aedes albopictus may have a role in Zika virus transmission," Smartt points out.

Asian Tiger Mosquitoes Are Very Common

The new potential Zika virus carrier discovered in Brazil is a widely spread mosquito species. Commonly found throughout the world, the Asian tiger mosquito "has a wide range of hosts and has adapted to colder climates," notes Smartt.

This fuels the worries that Ae. albopictus could help spread the Zika virus as mosquito season hits temperate regions worldwide.

As Smartt explains, it is paramount that insect scientists and medical researchers handle these mosquitoes with caution. All mosquitoes gathered from the virus' risk zones need to be tested for Zika RNA before being brought back to the lab, she emphasizes.

Her study indicates the necessity of extensively analyzing the Asian tiger mosquito's part in the spread of the Zika virus. Additional studies are required to corroborate whether Ae. albopictus is a real threat to the human population.

"There is a need to investigate the role of Ae. albopictus in the Zika infection process in Brazil and to study the potential presence of vertical and sexual transmission of Zika in this species," the study authors wrote in their paper.

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Microsoft is hosting a big software and hardware event on May 2 in New York, and a cool new Surface CloudBook running Windows 10 Cloud could make its debut.

The event will focus on education, so it's unlikely that we'll see the highly anticipated Microsoft Surface Pro 5 or Surface Book 2. The very elusive Surface Phone that's been rumored for ages is not expected to make an appearance at the event either.

Microsoft Surface CloudBook On Windows 10 Cloud

Instead, Microsoft could use the event to unveil a midrange laptop  something between a Surface tablet and a Surface Book  designed for education. That said, this device should be an affordable offering suitable for the classroom, and rather than the full-fledged Windows 10, this laptop could run the rumored Windows 10 Cloud.

While there's no official information available at this point, Windows 10 Cloud is expected to run only apps from the Windows Store, potentially with an option to change this in the Settings.

Windows 10 Cloud presumably aims to keep devices more secure, but it could also come with some limitations compared with the full-fledged version of Windows. For instance, machines running Windows 10 Cloud will likely not be able to run apps such as Steam or others that are not available on the Windows Store. The rumored Microsoft Surface CloudBook could be the first Windows 10 Cloud machine to hit the scene.

Getting Over Windows RT

If this idea sounds vaguely familiar, it's because Microsoft already tried something like this a few years ago, when it released a Surface RT tablet running what it called Windows RT. That was a watered-down version of Windows 8 that didn't really catch on, but rather caused confusion and disappointment more than anything else.

Windows RT basically looked like Windows at first glance, but didn't really work like it at all. It turned out to be a major flop because it could offer a desktop mode and some Windows utilities, but could not run traditional desktop apps which severely limited its performance. All in all, Windows RT was an ambitious project but ultimately a failure.

Windows 10 didn't include an RT version, but it might soon get a Cloud version. Nevertheless, Microsoft has learned a lot in the past few years since it tried and failed with Windows RT, and Windows 10 Cloud is expected to be a whole different story.

At the same time, Apple and Google have also come a long way in recent years and the market is getting more competitive. Apple went up against Microsoft's Surface Pro line with iPad Pro tablets with optional keyboard covers; Google launched a number of convertible, detachable and traditional Chromebooks and also brought Android apps to Chromebooks; and Microsoft has to rise to the challenge.

With this in mind, Microsoft is expected to come up with new hardware at more affordable price points, especially since Apple recently launched its cheapest iPad to date.

Windows 10 Cloud And Microsoft CloudBook

Windows 10 Cloud is expected to be Microsoft's answer to Google's Chromebooks and work with Universal Windows Platform Apps or Win32 apps. The new Windows version should also be far cheaper than other Windows 10 SKUs such as Pro or Home, albeit it remains to be seen.

The Surface CloudBook should come with a host of educational apps on board and will most likely make its debut at Microsoft's education event on May 2, but it remains unclear at this point just what specs and features it will have to offer. Rumors indicate that it could run on an ARM processor and this theory makes sense, since Microsoft teamed up with Qualcomm late last year to give ARM another shot.

It's all in the rumor state for now so take things with a grain of salt, but Microsoft's event is just around the corner and we'll keep you in the loop as soon as we get the official scoop. Would you be interested in a Windows 10 Cloud-powered Microsoft CloudBook? Let us know in the comments section below.

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VICTORIA, British Columbia, April 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Evergreen Medicinal Supply Inc. (Evergreen) is pleased to announce that it received its ACMPR (Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations) license from Health Canada on March 16th, 2017. With the granting of its license, Evergreen is permitted to begin cultivating medicinal cannabis at its facility, located in Victoria, British Columbia. Evergreen becomes the 40th company in Canada to receive a cultivation license from Health Canada under the ACMPR program.



Evergreens founder and CEO Shawn Galbraith commented, The granting of our license by Health Canada is a significant milestone on a journey that began almost four years ago, when the company initially applied for a license under the MMPR program. This incredible accomplishment is a testament to the hard work, and vision of a tremendous group of talented individuals. We are all honored by the great responsibility, and privilege that Evergreen assumes as a Licensed Producer of medical grade cannabis. Galbraith continued Evergreen looks forward to taking our place in an industry that is being recognized globally as the gold standard for medical cannabis regulation, and we thank our colleagues at Health Canada for their incredible support during the application process.

ABOUT EVERGREEN MEDICINAL SUPPLY INC.

Born and bred in historic Victoria, British Columbia, Evergreen Medicinal Supply operates out of a 5,700 square foot licensed facility, located on a 2.9 acre parcel of agricultural land. In compliance with current local zoning, the site is permitted to house in excess of 115,000 square feet of production space. Evergreen embraces advanced growing techniques, and will incorporate many of the innovations that the industry has developed over the last several years. The company has a very clear mission to support the local community, and is wholly owned and operated by the company founders and private investors of Victoria.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 rumors are starting to pick up steam and a newly leaked Galaxy S8+ prototype holds some clues as to what the phablet may look like.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ made their official debut in late March and are about to hit store shelves later this week, but leaked renders of purported prototypes are still relevant because they offer precious hints about the design of the upcoming Galaxy Note 8.

This means that although we already know what the Galaxy S8 looks like, leaked prototype renders offer a better idea about what Samsung was considering in terms of design. Even if it didn't implement all of its ideas with the Galaxy S8 series, it might be saving some for its next flagship device.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Design

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is expected to hit the scene later this year and have a design similar to the Galaxy S8 in many respects, but with a few critical differences. Just recently, some images purportedly showed some Galaxy S8 prototypes that looked nothing like the smartphone Samsung unveiled.

Those prototypes featured a different design with a dual rear camera setup, as was rumored at one point for the Galaxy S8. At the same time, the prototypes showed no rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, lending credence to the claim that Samsung would launch the Galaxy S8 with in-display fingerprint authentication.

Samsung Galaxy S8 Leaked Prototype

Another Samsung Galaxy S8+ leak from Russian tech blogger Eldar Murtazin now shows two more images of a purported Galaxy S8 prototype and they're not like the final design either (the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ have the same design, but in different sizes). The Galaxy S8 launched with a single rear camera and an oddly-placed fingerprint scanner right next to the rear camera.

In fact, this fingerprint reader placed on the upper rear part of the handset, next to the camera, is considered a Galaxy S8 design flaw that Samsung could not avoid unless it significantly delayed the smartphone's release. Having run out of time for in-display fingerprint authentication, Samsung ultimately went for the weird placement on the smartphone's back instead.

The purported Galaxy S8+ prototype leaked by Murtazin shows a dual rear camera combo with a vertical orientation, with the flash and heart rate sensor below it. Again, no fingerprint scanner is present on the back of this alleged prototype. Murtazin says that the Galaxy S8 was envisioned like this, but this design will not go to waste  it will grace the Galaxy Note 8.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Expectations

Building on the design of the Galaxy S8 makes perfect sense, especially under these circumstances. First off, we have the Galaxy Note 7 flop that set the world on fire, leaving Samsung with quite a lot to make up for with its next-generation Note flagship. Secondly, we have the weird rear-mounted fingerprint scanner of the Galaxy S8, which seems cumbersome to use and will surely lead to a lot of accidental smudges on the camera lens, but is acceptable if Samsung ran out of time  at least it didn't compromise on other major aspects.

That said, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is expected to resemble the Galaxy S8 to some extent, but boast a dual rear camera and a fingerprint reader embedded into the display. Being part of the Note line, the Galaxy Note 8 will also come with S Pen stylus support.

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One of the most interesting announcements last week was for a new service called Nextio (sounds like Next to you). This takes an idea that I first heard from Bill Gatesthat the emails folks are annoying you with should come with a costand pushes that idea into a revenue opportunity for people that are constantly getting pitches and not responding to most of them (Im one of those people). Sadly, like LinkedIn, the service is mostly focused on connecting people to those that might hire or buy from them. However, I see real utility, and potentially larger revenue, when it comes to connecting people to folks like Bill Gates. Let me explain.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a typical social media service in that it is a place where people go to share. It is focused, however, on business, and that means much of the interaction of value comes from job prospecting and sales attempts and far fewer selfies of folks eating food and cats. LinkedIn makes its money selling access to you which you are more than free to ignore and through ads. Like most social networks, that makes you the valued commodity that they, not you, are making money from. This has always seemed unfair in that companies like Google and Facebook make billions off you and, in exchange, they are generous enough to let you use their services. It makes us look like the current version of the Native Americans that sold Manhattan Island for trinkets (granted, the actual history suggests the Native Americans were the scam artists and the folks paying the money were the idiots). Ill bet that made you feel a TON better

Now, that doesnt mean that LinkedIn doesnt provide value, but there is no real incentive for anyone on the service to respond to any of the inquiries they get. And, the most powerful people you might want to talk to arent at all motivated, or able (given the amount of spam content they likely get), to respond.

This last goes to what Bill Gates argued years ago that spam is a major problem and that the only sure way to end it is to put a cost on it so that someone annoying you pays a fee basically an email stamp. LinkedIn does do that, but that money doesnt go to you; so while the spam you get on LinkedIn is far less folks that do mass mailings pay a fee it isnt non-existent and there is no incentive for you to respond.

Nextios Better Idea

On Nextio, folks not only pay to contact you, but 80 percent of that money flows to you. Dont get excited, you arent going to suddenly become an Internet Billionaire or even pay your cars lease payment with this service anytime soon, but it better showcases the value of contact with you, creates a higher barrier to sending you stuff you arent interested in and provides you with an incentive to respond.

Right now, the suggested price for an email you respond to is between $1 and $10 but, I think, this really gets interesting when you realize that this price could go over $1,000.

Taylor Swift or Bill Gates

What would you pay to have someone like Bill Gates or Taylor Swift actually read and respond to a note from you? $1,000 might not be unreasonable, and given both of these folks likely do handle up to 100 emails on a given day, at $1K a pop, that is $100K and likely worth their time. Granted, it would also more than pay for an assistant to do this for them, which would significantly reduce the value. Therefore, there would need to be some form of assurance that the real person was actually reading and responding to the message, and that the response be more than the typical, terse, three-word reply. Now, what would it be worth for you to get a VC, reporter, or even an analyst to look at your pitch? Might not be $1,000 or even $100, but it would likely be more than $10, and $1,000 a day for looking at and responding to 100 emails still isnt bad.

Wrapping Up: Getting Paid For Social Media

Boy, given the massive trend in the last decade to get everyone to participate on social media for free, and how quickly most of us really tired of that, it is nice to see a firm pushing back the other way. However, I think the real opportunity for a service like Nextio is to get people on it where the value is well above the $10 max they now have because then you can get to critical mass with far less volume. Besides, $1, the current common standard, just isnt enough to truly make a difference. Still, Ill take $1 over nothing, and that makes Nextio a service that is worth watching. Granted, if the service went into arguments, some of you might end up richer than Bill Gates! Here is an example. I can think of some celebrities, pundits, politicians, and reporters who could make a fortune!
The world's largest forest must be protected through a coordinated, efficient, and active process, President Nicolas Maduro stressed. | Read More
First oceans may have been acidic







Rehovot, Israel (SPX) Apr 13, 2017





One way to understand how ocean acidity can change, for example, in response to rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, is to look to the history of seawater acidity. Dr. Itay Halevy of the Weizmann Institute of Science has looked to the distant past - all the way back to Earth's earliest oceans. The model he developed, together with Dr. Aviv Bachan of Stanford University, suggests that the early oceans, right around the time that life originated, were somewhat acidic, and that they gradually became a ... read more
Louisiana's rainy day fund could keep the state afloat for just a fifth of the length of time that it could prop up the state a decade ago.

According to a new analysis from the Pew Charitable Trusts, Louisiana had just 15.1 days worth of emergency operating expenses in its rainy day fund during the budget cycle that ended June 2016  down from 69.3 days in the 2007 fiscal year.

The actual number is likely lower, as the state has tapped into its rainy day fund twice since then  most recently pulling down $99 million during a February special session.

Use of Louisiana's rainy day fund requires approval from two-thirds of the members of the state House and Senate.

The state savings account currently has a balance of about $261 million. The Legislature can't take more than a third of the fund in a given budget cycle, and the state is required to put at least $25 million back into the budget stabilization fund each year.

Louisiana's among about two dozen states with rainy day accounts that have not been fully replenished to pre-recession levels (a few states, including Arkansas, didn't have comparative data available), the study found.

The national median is 17.9 days. Alaska has enough rainy day money set aside to keep the state afloat for 397 days.

Nine states tapped their rainy day funds in fiscal 2016, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers. Alaska, which has one of the largest state rainy day funds, withdrew the most in fiscal 2016, drawing down more than a third of its savings to cover its budget gap prompted by low oil prices.

When considering all the state's balances, Louisiana has enough to cover about 19.4 days, compared to 33.7 just 10 years ago, Pew reports. The national median is 34.9 days.

"Since ending balances vary from year to year, they do not necessarily represent how much a state has stowed away but can serve as an indicator of budget stress," Pew's researchers note in the report. "Often these funds can be available for a state to use in a budget crunch and provide an additional source of fiscal flexibility."
After years of objecting to Canberra being registered as a national heritage site, saying it would freeze the city in time, Chief Minister Andrew Barr has quietly put forward an alternative proposal.

Proponents of two initial bids to list the capital, made in 2009, have criticised Mr Barr's counter-proposal saying it's reduced scope failed to offer adequate protections.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr: Clubs ACT is a wreckage and a joke. Credit:Jamila Toderas

A decision is due to be made on whether or not National Heritage Listing goes ahead for Canberra by June 30, provided the council does not seek a further extension.

All submissions regarding the nomination are under consideration and will be put forward to the federal environment minister and will run to the same timeline.
Before the federal government, or anyone else for that matter, gets too excited about the prospects of an airport link to Tullamarine as part of an overdue $1 billion infrastructure refund to Victorians, there's a far more humble figure that we need to consider. Seven dollars and ninety-six cents, to be precise.

The significance of this relatively meagre sum hasn't featured in the long-winded debate over the airport link but it should, because it represents a key factor in whether a Melbourne link will ever be built and, if so, whether it will ever attract the anticipated patronage.

Sydney's airport rail line is held up as a template for Melbourne and although Kingsford Smith is much closer to the city centre it shares with Tullamarine a critical characteristic: both are operated under 99-year leases from the federal government and their operators have the final say on what gets built on the land they control.

That's why it costs train commuters almost $8 to travel the one extra stop  less than 90 seconds of train time  from Mascot station, located outside Sydney airport, to the domestic terminal station located on the airport site.
Let me rise in defence of public broadcasting, not an unqualified defence to be sure but resistance to the idea that public service broadcasting represents a luxury the country can ill afford.

Let's also confront the misuse to which endless debate about public broadcasting's alleged bias has become a weapon in this country's culture wars to no one's benefit least of all consumers.

ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie. Credit:Andrew Meares

Bias exists, of course, but criticism tends more often than not to reside in the eye of the beholder. We'll return to this.

If it is any comfort to managers at our own public broadcasters, the ABC and SBS, they are far from alone among their counterparts worldwide in finding themselves under siege from the ideologically motivated or those with commercial interests at stake.
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There are two questions which at some point occur to every Western observer of the North Korean government. The first is: are they serious? The second is: are they utterly mad?

Donald Trump's threat on weekend of a pre-emptive strike if North Korea carries out any new nuclear tests has raised tensions on the peninsula to a level unseen since the Korean War. Many have sought to blame him for it. But in truth, the so-called Democratic People's Republic has made such a confrontation inevitable with its persistently outrageous behaviour.

For this rogue state it is not enough to threaten the world with nuclear war. Nor is it enough to bombard us with hyperbolic language, such as the promise last year to turn South Korea into a "sea of fire". No, North Korea also seems to lack the moral compass of even the most hardened criminal states. It has, to list only a few transgressions, mass-produced and smuggled illegal narcotics through its diplomatic carrier bags; counterfeited international currencies on an industrial scale; abducted non-Korean citizens to help train its spies; been implicated in the black market arms trade; and carried out high-profile assassinations in other countries.

For most Europeans the concept of the concentration camp seems a dark relic of history, but according to a UN report there are 80,000 to 120,000 inmates still languishing in North Korean camps as you read these words.
Fairwater construction manager Adam Chymiak with the rig that drills the geothermal pipelines. Credit:Wolter Peeters Mr said Frasers worked for more than four years with QPS Geothermal, the drillers, and local airconditioner maker Actron Air to hone the process. The developer is now doing "real life testing" to see how systems performed. Early response A straw poll by Fairfax Media earlier this month found experiences ran hot and cold. Fairwater residents have mixed views of the success of geothermal so far. Credit:Peter Hannam

Sid and Nimarta Banga said they were "mostly positively exuberant" since moving into Fairwater before summer's height. Their electricity bill came in at $260 for about eight weeks. "You can't even feel like the airconditioning is working" because it's so quiet, Mr Banga said, adding "it works really quickly". Fairwater development residents Sid and Nimarta Banga in front of their new home. Credit:Wolter Peeters Around the corner, Manvinder and Deepti Verma were also glad their three-month electricity bill came in at $450 for their four-bedroom house. "We were expecting a lot more," Ms Verma said. The geothermal unit "should pay for itself in three or four years," Mr Verma said, adding that "very few people know about this system".

The equipment, though, has not been without glitches, with a portion of the Vermas' street tripping for several days. The fault left them  and their 15 month-old child  without cooling for two "unhappy" nights and a day during the heat peak. Marc Crook, who rents in another street, is not happy, either. His summer's power bill came to $1385 and the system struggled so much to keep his house cool he resorted to spraying water on the coolant pipes to try to cool them. "They really don't cope at all" once the mercury climbs above the low-30s, he said. "We'd be lucky to get it 24 degrees inside" even with the thermostat turned down to 16 degrees. Mr Crook, who works in the boiler industry, said it stood to reason that "the harder and further you have to pump something, the more heat you're going to generate at the pump", reducing efficiency and effectiveness. 'Great achievement'

Adam Chymiak, Fairwater's construction manager, said that while there may be teething troubles at individual sites the overall outcome was "a great achievement". The energy efficiency of the homes, which include fans in most rooms and LED lightning, meant the estate "lessened the demand on the overall grid" especially at peak times, he said. Fairwater is also the first community in NSW to be awarded a 6 Star Green Star Rating for sustainability. Fairwater is planning to monitor and make public the performance of the geothermal systems, Mr said. Graham Morrison, an emeritus professor at the University of NSW said that geothermal could be an attractive option provided it delivered the promised energy savings: "Sixty per cent is quite OK  technically, it's close to the average of competing products." Frasers is examining rolling out geothermal at its Edmondson estate near Liverpool, and says other developers are looking at the technology for their large sites too.

Professor Morrison said geothermal may work better for cooler climates, such as Melbourne, where heating is a bigger part of the annual energy bill. "Generally, the colder the climate is worse for solar [energy] but better for heat pumps," he said. For Nimarta Banga, the benefit of installing geothermal in new homes may be that residents of a whole community start with lower energy use that may otherwise have been the case  whether they are aware of it or not. "For us, it was a blanket package," she said. "No one will pay out of their pocket for [geothermal]." 'Living building' Frasers Property is involved in another pioneering venture, the $115 million Burwood Brickwoods project in Melbourne's east.

The centrepiece of the mixed retail and housing project over 20.5 hectares on a former industrial site is the shopping centre. The developers are seeking the first "Living Building" certificate issued for a retailer by the International Living Future Institute. The US-based group, which has certified about 360 projects worldwide, demands projects achieve at least net-zero energy, waste and water, and avoid a range of harmful "red-listed" materials from lead and cadmium to chemicals that don't break down in the environment. Frasers will aim to generate 105 per cent of the energy used by the site, deploying as much as 3 megawatts of solar panels and batteries to meet its own needs and to export to neighbours or recharge customers' electric cars. Geothermal technology is not being considered as part of the project. A 2000-square-metre farm, the largest of its kind in Australia, will supply vegetables and even poultry from within the retail site. "It's called a challenge for a reason," Amanda Sturgeon, chief executive of the institute, said.
Alan Jones, one of the Coalition's highest-profile media backers, says the Turnbull government is failing to learn from its mistakes and could benefit from an electoral thrashing.

"I tell you what. These people just deserve to be smashed in an election to make them wake up," the conservative 2GB pundit declared on Monday during his show, which reigns supreme in its breakfast timeslot and is syndicated in NSW and Queensland.

The undisputed king of Sydney talkback radio, Jones has long been associated with the Liberals and Nationals but has recently diverged from the Coalition on hot-button issues, in particular over mining in agricultural areas. The conservative broadcaster has increasingly talked up the resurgent One Nation Party.

"There's a golden rule, whether it's in sport or politics: people will only repair the house when it's burnt down. And it seems that these people are waiting for the house to be burnt down," he told Fairfax Media after his show.
Today, perhaps even as you're reading this, the last episode of Girls will air on television. It's the show, as some have wryly pointed out, that launched a thousand think pieces, but for good reason. Lena Dunham created something radical in 2012: the demonstration of ordinary, clumsy women having ordinary, clumsy sex.

That this seemed radical five years ago is both heartbreaking and maddening, but no less true. Although the main reason behind the initial high praise for Girls  apart from Dunham's purposefully vulnerable brand of genius  is paradoxically the same reason for the vehement backlash: over-identification.

In March 2012, NYMag breathlessly declared that the dreams of every young, writerly feminist were about to come true  we were about to see our real selves represented on screen.

"The show," wrote TV critic Emily Nussbaum, was FUBU: "For us, by us."
Let's play Count the Concepts. For a start, Barangaroo's new 12-Micron is named for a superfine grade of merino wool fibre, which, "much like an ingredient in the kitchen", I'm told, "is refined into a beautiful garment". Uh-huh.

Second, the smart SJB Architecture interior design breaks up the vast space into corrals variously devoted to drinking, dining and dessert, with an unspoken invitation to move from one to the next.

Go-to dish: Roast chicken with chicken fat potatoes and corn. Credit:Edwina Pickles

Third, the "proudly Australian" menu is divided into Ocean, Land, From the Grill, Air, and The Milk Artists (cheese), accompanied by opaque and increasingly meaningless lines. Ocean is "one who swims free and consumes the weak". Land is "to graze on the land the gods gave them". Uh-huh.

Fourth, there's a dedicated 64-seat dessert bar. Yes, I know all restaurants serve desserts anyway, but this is A Concept, OK? Masterminded by Melbourne patissier Darren Purchese of Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio, the 12-strong dessert list can be amplified into three, five and seven-course dessert tasting menus. (Skip to the end if you're the type who likes dessert first.)
It's been called the blue ribbon effect and the stakes are high.

Within a few hours, a blue ribbon can double the value of an animal, even a dead one. The 450kg carcass of a young animal that won an award in the first week of the Sydney Royal Easter Show sold a few hours later at auction for $3600, while the carcasses of non-winners averaged $1700. A stud owner said semen sales from a champion short horn bull to foreign buyers earned $40,000 a year.

Master Court, a young limousin bull, at the Easter Show in Sydney. Credit:Janie Barrett

"It's not about the ribbons, they're the icing on the cake," says Myers Limousins co-owner Sam Beresford, who had brought five black limousin cattle to the show, and one calf, a robust 13-month-old called Master Court. "It's all about selling and the promotion."

She and her partner, Scott Myers, are hoping to grab the attention of some of the 600 foreign buyers who are visiting the show looking for embryos and semen to strengthen their own herds and improve yields. Master Court, bred from show winners, is an living advertisement for what is possible. Limousin cattle generate a high yield, and give a "lot of beef for your buck", Ms Beresford said.
After months of care, almost 60 turtle hatchlings have been escorted away from danger and released into safe waters.

On Monday 58 baby loggerhead turtles were taken by boat from Sea Life Sunshine Coast and released into the East Australian Current  20 kilometres from Mooloolaba.

Now released, it is expected the turtles won't return to Queensland waters for 16 years.

The hatchlings started their journey in January when they were collected from nests at Mon Repos, near Bundaberg, as part of the world-renowned Queensland Turtle Conservation project.
The number of rough sleepers on the Sacred Heart Mission's verandah in St Kilda has risen dramatically, sparking calls for a crisis meeting of welfare agencies to tackle homelessness.

Rough sleeping in the inner bay-side area is expected worsen following the closure of the Gatwick Hotel and a looming crackdown on homelessness in the CBD.

Sacred Heart Mission is now calling on the Andrews government to provide more temporary shelter for people who have no alternative to sleeping rough, in addition to other recent funding commitments.

Although Sacred Heart Mission tolerated "a few people" sleeping on the verandah over the years, that number has now blown out to more than 20 each night.
Chantelle Baxter undergoing treatment for her condition. Credit:Facebook/Chantelle Baxter While most people recover, the condition can recur. Research on the condition is relatively limited. Chantelle Baxter pictured before being diagnosed with CRPS. Ms Baxter said she cannot walk, sit or lie down without pain.

The pain, she said, has spread throughout her body, most recently into her wrists and elbows. Chantelle Baxter has been diagnosed with a rare and incurable neurological disease. The Melbourne entrepreneur's "living hell" began after she twisted her ankle while hiking last year. She was left in severe pain every hour of the day and suffered multiple convulsions. Chantelle Baxter has been diagnosed with a rare and incurable neurological disease.

Ms Baxter has dedicated her life to empowering the world's most vulnerable people. She is co-founder of one of Australia's fastest-growing non-profit organisations, One Girl, which pledges to educate a million girls across Africa by 2020. It has already helped thousands of girls and women in Sierra Leone in West Africa. She also runs another new enterprise called Be Bangles, which sells bangles for the same cause. She has been recognised as one of 30 Influential Aussie Women Under 30 and Melbourne's Top 100 Most Influential People by The Age. But now, she is now fighting for her life and is hoping treatment at specialist facility in Arkansas will hold the key to her recovery. Ms Baxter said she originally planned to go to Italy to try a drug called Neridronate Acid, which has been used to treat patients with an 80 per cent success rate.

However, she said she began responding well to Accelerated Recovery Performance Wave treatment in America. The relatively new mode of treatment involves a system that uses patented bio-electrical current along with active range-of-motion exercise techniques to speed up the body's natural recuperative ability. Dr Chris Hayes, who is the Dean of the Faculty of Pain Medicine at the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, said a specialist pain clinic might see about 12 patients with the condition each year. "It's a very fascinating condition. There's some milder forms and some more extreme forms," Dr Hayes said. He said CRPS could occur in response to a minor trauma, like a sprained ankle or wrist, and involved the nervous system and immune system being hyper-aroused or hyper-reactive. The condition emerged after World War I, when it was recognised in returned soldiers, particularly those with injuries to their nerves. "Causalgia" was the first name for it.

"What defines the diagnosis are things like swelling and change in temperature of the affected limb, colour change and change in sweating," Dr Hayes said. Doctors take a broad approach to treatment of CRPS, with the aim to re-train the brain, he said. "Often [treatment involves] physical activity  putting weight on a leg, if it is a leg, or using an arm in a more normal way," Dr Hayes said. One of the more common treatments in Australia is "Graded Motor Imagery" - a rehabilitation process used to re-train the brain that can involve watching your limbs move in front of a mirror. "Then there's the psychological aspects. We would be keen to explore what else was happening psychologically around the time of that injury," Dr Hayes said.

Ms Baxter's friends have started raising funds via her online blog and have already raised nearly $30,000. The donations will go towards hyperbaric oxygen chambers, psychological treatment and treatment at the Neurological Relief Centre. In a Facebook post on Monday, Ms Baxter thanked the public for their outpouring of support and said her health had been improving. "A lot has happened even just in the last two weeks when it comes to CPRS," she posted. Loading
A teenager has been questioned and is expected to be charged following a violent assault which left an 18-year-old unconscious in the toilet at a fast-food outlet in the state's south-east.

Victoria Police arrested an Outtrim teenager, 19, after he handed himself into police on Monday morning.

He has been released and is expected to be charged on summons.

A friend of the victim found him unconscious in the bathroom of the South Gippsland Highway McDonald's in Leongatha in the early hours of Sunday.

Ambulance Victoria spokesman John Mullen said the Inverloch man had sustained head and facial injuries.
A teenage girl has died after a shark attack near Esperance in WA's south on Monday afternoon.

The 17-year-old is believed to have been unconscious when she was pulled from the water, after the attack occurred at Kelp Beds - approximately three kilometres east of Wylie Bay.

The teenager had been surfing at the spot with her father, when the attack occurred shortly before 4pm.

Her mother and two sisters were reportedly watching on from the beach as she was attacked by the shark.
Washington: President Donald Trump warned North Korea on Monday to "behave".

"They gotta behave," he said, when asked by a reporter at the White House Easter Egg Roll for his message to North Korea after its failed missile launch.

Later, when ABC News reportedly pressed Trump on his next move on the Korean Peninsula, he said, "You'll see."

Trump's first egg roll marks the 139th year of the White House tradition, which dates to 1878.
if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi...
The melee that erupted in Berkeley on Saturday in the name of free speech was nothing like the Free Speech movement there a half-century back.

Starting around 10 a.m., protesters from both the far right and the far left gathered in a park next to City Hall. For the first few hours they stood on opposite sides of a no-mans land space that police had set up with orange webbed fencing in the park. There were good-natured taunts between the opposing sides initially, but as more and more people arrivedeventually more than 2,000the exchanges turned into name-calling and jeers. Police were able to temporarily maintain peace because they had confiscated flagpoles, bats, pipes, sticks, knives and other items as people entered the park. Police also positioned themselves in the neutral zone when the shouting got too intense.

By 1 p.m., all semblances of order or peaceful protest were gone. The two sides had moved onto city streets and set upon each other with fists, M-80 firecrackers, and pepper spray. They hurled bagels, soda cans and even dumpsters back and forth as police largely stood by. The policy of the Berkeley Police Department is not to break up small fights as police involvement might result in more violence and injuries. Even so, 20 people were arrested by the end of the day, and 11 protesters reported injured.

As a reporter who has covered Berkeley since 2009, when two journalists and I founded a local news site, Berkeleyside, I have attended numerous demonstrations. Cal students have staged sit-ins at UC Berkeley buildings and Occupy activists occupied the same park in 2011. Black Lives Matter protests in Berkeley extended over five days in December 2014 and dozens were arrested as they surged onto various freeways, stopping traffic. Berkeley police handle, on average, nine large protests a year, according to Officer Byron White, a spokesman.

But what is happening in Berkeley in 2017 is completely different. Instead of protesters rallying against authoritarianism and state power (the Free Speech Movement protested against the University of Californias decision not to let people distribute political materials on campus; the fight for Peoples Park was against the university and the National Guard) these are fights among citizens.

I feel like Berkeley has become the ground zero of a new civil war.

The first clue of the ferocity of this fight came Feb. 1, when former Breitbart writer and self-proclaimed dangerous faggot Milo Yiannopolous was scheduled to speak at UC Berkeley. While local media had reported the pushback by liberal professors, most everyone was surprised when an army of people dressed in black, their faces hidden by ski masks and bandanas, marched onto campus around 5:00 p.m. and began swinging sticks, setting objects on fire, and attacking pro-Trump attendees.

UC Berkeley cancelled Yiannopolouss talk and the black bloc or Antifas, as they call themselves, then swarmed through the downtown, looting a Starbucks, and smashing store windows and ATM machines of Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Chase, and Mechanics Bank.

The violence of the riot garnered national attention. Rather than blaming the black-clad protesters for the violence, many on the right blamed UC Berkeley and Berkeley residents for squashing free speech, just yards away from where the original Free Speech Movement began on Sproul Plaza in 1964. President Trump tweeted that maybe funding to UC Berkeley should be cut.

Those on the right called for a response, and organized a Free Speech rally in Berkeley for March 4, prompting anti-fascists group to vow to show up. A few hundred attended and chaos ensued. The vitriol and violence spewed at that rally prompted the Liberty Revival Alliance, a new group created by Rich Black, to call for a Patriots Day rally for April 15.

The promoters insisted that they sought a peaceful demonstration, and many were, in fact, largely peaceful. And it did look to this reporter that the far left, the black clad demonstrators, initiated much of the violence. But the pro-Trump side also included provocateurs that preach in favor of white racism, gun rights and against immigrants both legal and illegal. Among those at the rally were members of The Proud Boys, a right-wing group started by Gavin McInnes that extolls white chauvinism and has called for closing Americas borders and the Oath Keepers, a group of former military and police who have pledged to uphold the Constitution and support gun rights. The founder of Identity Europa, a supremacy group dedicated to the idea of awakened Europeans, Nathan Damigo, attended and was captured on video assaulting a woman. (In the same clip, a man wearing a Jesus Will Judge You sweatshirt is kicking someone on the ground). Lauren Southern, a Canadian far-right activist, was a featured speaker and insisted that Berkeley was infested with Communists and militant leftists. Several protesters held up anti-Jewish signs such as one reading, Da Goyim Know. Others made the Heil Hitler salute.

Some of those on the right actively promoted violence. Kyle Chapman, aka Based Stickman, who has been arrested in Berkeley twice in the previous month, advised his followers in a video how to dress for the day he dubbed The Battle for Berkeley. He suggested they don helmets, goggles to protect their eyes from pepper spray and shin guards and demonstrated how to make shields and attach flags to long sticks that could be easily wielded as weapons. He even showed off a spiked ring he planned to wear.

Those on the far left issued their own fashion instructions. For Safety, Security, and Solidarity: wear a white, gray, or black shirt and jacket (layers is best), and blue jeans, said the flyer. Bring a bandana and something to cover your head.

It is more difficult to identify those in the Antifa movement as they cover their faces, tend to keep their personal identities quiet on social media, and eschew talking to the press. They can be identified by the groups calling for action, such as Berkeley Antifa or BAMN, standing for By Any Means Necessary. Their social media postings reveal that their sole intent on Saturday was to stop the pro-Trump and far right groups from even speaking. The notion of allowing an exchange of ideas is anathema to black-block and anti-fascists groups.

Their members believe fascist white supremacists should not be granted the right to express their views in public, Mark Bray, a visiting historian at Dartmouth College and the author of Translating Anarchy: The Anarchism of Occupy Wall Street told Brook Gladstone on WYNCs On the Media.

The result was two camps with fixed ideologies determined not to discuss or debate but to fight one another for dominance. The hatred between the demonstrators could be seen on their faces and at the way they lunged at one another over a six-hour period. Each side was convinced of its righteousness, that it was fighting for the future of America. And at the end of the day, each side declared victory on social media. (If you doubt that is significant, know that these sites and You Tube videos and Twitter streams have thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of followers.)

I have no doubt that there will be another confrontation called for Berkeley in the coming months. Those on the right cant resist the irony that conservative speech is squashed in the city that launched the Free Speech Movement. The Bay Area is rich with activists and motivating them to confront those they consider racist, fascist, and sexist is easy.

Berkeley has always been on the vanguard, a barometer of the direction the country is going. Not only was this city the birthplace of the free speech movement, it was the first city to put police on bicycles, the first to voluntarily desegregate its public schools, the first to offer equal benefits for domestic partners, and the first to ban Styrofoam.

So the country should be disturbed by the hand-to hand combat among citizens that broke out in Berkeley on Saturday. And be warned.
Editors Note: This story has been updated throughout.

Police in Cleveland are searching for a man who shot a random victim in the head while recording it on video he uploaded to Facebook.

Steve Stephens posted the video at 3 p.m. Sunday, some time after he shot and killed Robert Godwin Sr. Stephenss whereabouts are unknown, though police said his phone pinged a cell tower 100 miles east of Cleveland, in Erie, Pennsylvania. A $50,000 reward has been offered for information leading to his capture.

Find me somebody Im about to kill, Im gonna kill this guy right here. The older dude, Stephens said on video as he exited a white Ford Fusion in Clevelands Glenville neighborhood on Sunday afternoon. Stephens then approaches Godwin on the sidewalk, asking him to do me a favor by saying the name Joy Lane.

Joy Laneshes the reason this is about to happen to you, Stephens told Godwin before raising a pistol and shooting him in the head on video.

Godwin, 74, was walking home from an Easter meal with his family when he was killed, they told the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. He hugged my wife and me and said Ill see you guys next time, Robert Godwin Jr. recounted. I said OK, enjoy your Easter.

Godwin was a retired foundary worker who leaves behind nine children and 14 grandchildren.

A family member of Godwins told a local CBS affiliate: I feel like my hearts gonna stop.

Video of the slaying, which occured in the citys Glenville neighborhood on East 93rd Street, south of Interstate 90, remained live on Facebook for nearly three hours before being taken down. In a subsequent video, broadcast via Facebook Live, Stephens claimed to have already killed 13 people, and to be working on the 14th as I speak.

All because of this bitch named Joy Lane, Stephens told his camera. You know, she pushed me to my pushing point, man. I was living over there with her, woke up Friday and just couldnt take it anymore and I just left.

Lane confirmed she was dating Stephens in a text message to CBS News.

We had been in a relationship for several years. I am sorry that all of this has happened. My heart & prayers goes out to the family members of the victim(s). Steve really is a nice guy... he is generous with everyone he knows. He was kind and loving to me and my children. This is a very difficult time for me and my family. Please respect our privacy at this time.

Cleveland police say Lane is cooperating and is under protective custody.

Stephens said on video he would not stop killing until his girlfriend or mother told him to stop. Stephens mother, Maggie Green, told him to stop on CNN.

He said this is the last time I was going to see him, Green said of his visit to her house on Saturday afternoon. If you see me again, itll be a miracle, she quoted him as saying.

Green said she spoke to Stephens briefly on the phone after the shooting, but her phone died.

I want him to call me, she said.

Stephens in his rambling video claimed to have killed 13 people, but police said this claim has not been verified.

Speaking at a press conference Monday, Police Chief Calvin Williams urged Stephens to turn himself in.

Steve if youre there listening, call someone  whether its a friend or family member or pastor  theyre waiting for you to call them, he said.

A Facebook spokesperson condemned the shooting, calling it horrific.

This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook, the spokesperson told a local reporter. We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety.

While Stephens had no criminal record beyond traffic violations, he was evicted from an apartment in January for failure to pay rent. The Plain-Dealer reports court records show he was evicted from an apartment five months earlier and his wages were garnished to pay backdue rent. Stephens declared personal bankruptcy in 2015.
Theres a new band in town thats guiding national security by quietly tutoring the most powerful man in America. Never-Trump Republicans whod been apprehensive about President Donald Trump are celebrating the trios influence, calling Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and Homeland Secretary John Kelly the Axis of Adults.

Through near daily contact with the trio, as well as Trumps National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster and CIA director Mike Pompeo, Trumps world view appears to be morphing more closely to match hawkish conservatives of the Bush administration.

They point to the mens influence in the Tomahawk strike in Syriain contrast to Trumps isolationist slogans on the campaign trail; the outreach to China, compared to Trumps threats to launch a trade war; a possible escalation of the war in Afghanistan; and Trumps hardening stance toward Russia.

None of these key national security chiefs were part of the Trump campaign, or movement. They are seen by those who work most closely with them as loyal to the office of the president but still getting to know the man himself, said a senior administration official, speaking anonymously to describe the interactions just 11 weeks into the fledgling presidency.

They realize this is a tumultuous White House, and they are serving as a leveling influence over fractious personalities responsibly protecting the country from enemies both foreign and domestic, the official said, lumping Trump campaign veterans like embattled advisor Steve Bannon into the domestic enemy camp. Bannons removal from the official NSC roster by H.R. McMaster is seen as a sign the adults are winning.

H.R. has been a steadying force, a second senior administration official said. A third senior administration official described last week how there is now an efficient process to debate ideas, put them before the president and come to fairly swift decisionsa contrast to the chaos NSC staffers described in the early weeks under now-resigned National Security Advisor Mike Flynn.

Last weeks Marist poll shows the majority of Americans still disapprove of how Trump is handling foreign policy, but theres a slight shift upward from the last time Marist measured. Trumps behind-closed-doors, boardroom style of decision-making may not be winning over the bulk of the American people, who feel blindsided by the recent national security moves that come with little warning before, and scant explanation afterward. And even those supportive of the Trump administrations recent actions arent sure theres any sort of coherent policy behind them yet.

But many former staffers for President George W. Bush told The Daily Beast that they are now putting their names into the ring to work in one of the safe zones with Mattis, Tillerson or Kelly, according to three former Bush staffers who now all work for the administration or are interviewing for jobs there. (And it was actually a former Obama administration staffer, Colin Kahl, who was one of the first to publicly use the phrase Axis of Adults to describe the three national security chiefs.)

Mattis earned their trust during his military career as a Marine General who unsuccessfully pushed the Obama administration to challenge Iran, combined with his scholarship on civil-military relations. Kelly, also a retired Marine general, commanded in Iraq, ran the U.S. militarys Southern Command, and bears the heartbreaking distinction of having lost a son in combat. Tillerson has never served in combat, but has done high-stakes business in many conflict zones, and eschews the limelight as much as his counterparts.

Hes consulting all these guys and they have a high degree of comfort among themselves, said a senior administration official. There is the band of military brothersMattis, Kelly and McMaster. Tillerson and [UN Ambassador] Nikki Haley are not military but play a big role.

Whats making this work for the president is the mixnot one or the other, the official said, speaking anonymously to describe the presidents decision process.

All the administration officials interviewed say the key discussions happen not at the NSC, but at fairly regular informal dinners with Tillerson and the others.

The president deserves credit for being incredibly flexible and listening, said Michael Waltz, a former senior advisor to Vice President Dick Cheney. Its his stylein The Art of the Deal, you see even in the late 80s he was on the phone and having dinners all the time. Thats how he learned, Waltz said.

Trump had two dinners with Mattis only last week, a senior U.S. official confirmed, speaking anonymously to describe the presidents schedule.

[President Barack] Obama was cerebral and consumed lots of written information and liked to have highly structured meetings, said Richard Fontaine, president of the Center for a New American Security and a former adviser to Republican Sen. John McCain. That clearly is not Donald Trump, who is more freewheeling and informal and responds with his gut.

The chemistry thats developed amongst Trumps advisors is also key to their leveling influence on the president. Mattis and Tillerson have a standing breakfast once a week, where they share views to be able to present a more united front on defense and foreign policy at key White House meetings, two of the senior administration officials said.

Their low-key approach is materializing in the form of a blunt bat to rhetorical and incendiary pitches from North Korea, such as the Mattis weekend comment on Pyongyangs failed medium-range missile launch: The president and his military team are aware of North Koreas most recent unsuccessful missile launch. The president has no further comment.

That was matched by Tillersons 23-word comment about an earlier North Korean test: North Korea launched yet another intermediate range ballistic missile. The United States has spoken enough about North Korea. We have no further comment.

And Mattis tamped down swirling anti-Russian sentiment last week after Moscow defended the Syrian regimes suspected sarin gas attack last week and cut off military deconfliction communications with the U.S.-led coalition. It will not spiral out of control, Mattis insisted in a sober press conference, adding that hes confident Russians will act in their own best interests, which means stand down on the panic.

Of the relationship between the two men, a Pentagon spokesman would only confirm they have a weekly breakfast, and State Department spokesman R.C. Hammond would only say that, the Secretary is in daily contact with his Cabinet and NSC colleagues, and works to give the President information and options.

U.N Ambassador Nikki Haley doesnt work as closely with the group because of the simple fact of geography, being based at the U.N. in New York. But she told CNN that she talks regularly with the president, and one of the senior administration officials said her views are melded into the developing strategies for ISIS, Russia and North Korea.

Haley and Lt. Gen. McMaster are quickly becoming the face of the presidents national security strategy, praised for handling high-stakes television interviews, while Mattis, Kelly and Tillerson only make rare appearances.

McMaster has also won kudos internally for leaving his ego out of NSC debates, running efficient meetings that end with recommendations for the president (something that past NSC insiders say didnt always happen in the last administration) and then translating the outcome of those meetings to Trump, even bringing his own NSC experts to the Oval Office for the president to question.

Theres one potential downside for the Bush-era influx the axis of adults is encouraging. One of the senior administration officials said as more Bush veterans join Team Trump, they are reconnecting with each other and the old relationships are facilitating getting things done, and they seldom see eye-to-eye with the less experienced true believers from the campaign. Thats adding to the friction, and the delays in hiring to fill a couple thousand still-empty posts. Hiring is still hamstrung by a loyalty test, which puts a black mark against any job applicant who once expressed #NeverTrump views.

For a lot of people who put their name on the first #NeverTrump list, they did it on the basis of what they heard on the campaign trail and to be fair, I can see why theyd say that, said former Trump transition official James Carafano of the Heritage Foundation. Those of us briefing Trump saw more depth, maturity and responsibility there.

If you look at how hes used his leadership team, they dont look half bad, and people are a lot less risk averse in signing on now, said Carafano, whose job was to line up potential hires for the new administration.

The so-called adults have also had some misfires. Kellys comments endorsing Trumps tweeted accusations that the Obama administration wire-tapped himand floating the idea of splitting up immigrant familieshave drawn heavy criticism.

Tillerson is criticized for not engaging enough with his departments experienced diplomats, engaging with the press as little as possible, and not objecting strongly enough to Trumps proposed slashing of the State Department and USAID budgets.

And as for an overall defense strategy, its not yet clear that there is one. The Tomahawk strike in Syria seems to be a one-off, to signal Russia that it better rein its client state into line. The massive bomb dropped in Afghanistan seems to be just one more salvo in a never-ending war with no end. And Mattis said they are fleshing out an ISIS strategy, but early reports are that its much like the Obama administrations longterm plan: manage the chaos with the minimum of U.S. troops, but dont expect to intervene too heavily or change much.

Still foreign policy watchers say the direction they are going is largely positive, with the axis drawing praise from moderate national security watchers as well as the more conservative ranks.

After more than two months of relative chaos and uncertainty surrounding U.S. foreign policywhen a lot of people have been questioning the administrations basic competence, this looked like governing at its finest by a group of highly experienced professionals, said former Bush official John Hannah, now at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He said the personalities involved start from the basic premise that U.S. leadership, realistically applied, remains an essential bulwark for maintaining a minimally acceptable degree of international order and security.

All three understand very well civilian control of the military, among other core principles of our democracy, and all three are very serious men with their egos in check and no fascination with the maximization of personal power, said Michael OHanlon of the Brookings Institution.

Some Republicans are still waiting to see what happens next before applying for jobs, stung by Trumps tweet storms, the most recent seeming to goad North Korea into direct conflict.

McMaster, Haley, Pompeo, and the Axis are still in reactive mode when it comes to the presidents tweets, which often complicate their development of policy, such as Trumps taunting tweets that North Korea is looking for trouble.

Their staff deeply wish they would have a heart-to-heart with POTUS and at least coordinate the messages.

Even if you have adult supervision above you at the cabinet secretary level, is that enough? To work really hard on something, and then have the president roll in with a tweet, it doesnt matter how much Mattis protects you, because the tweet just undercut your negotiations, said Mieke Eoyang, a vice president at the Democratic think tank Third Way, of conversations she has had with would-be Trump staffers. I have a lot of Republican friends really wrestling with this.
ISTANBUL  Turkeys move to abandon parliamentary democracy and adopt one-man rule fulfills a long-held dream of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who not only expands his powers but also gets a chance to stay in office for another 15 years if, as expected, the current referendum ballot count holds up.

The official Anadolu news agency said the country voted on Sunday 24.3 million to 23.2 million, a margin of 51.1 to 48.8 percent, in favor of a package of constitutional reforms. But the opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP) said it will challenge well over 1 million ballots which lacked the seal of the election oversight board.

If Erdogan prevails in the end, as many here expect, the result will be a system under which theres no prime minister, where the parliament will be weakened to the point of being a rubber stamp, and the judiciary will become still more subservient than it is already.

The path to one-man ruleopponents talk of a dictatorshipis the story of a politician with a gut instinct for gaining power whos seized on every political setback thats come his way in the past two years and turned it into an opportunity to advance his ambitions.

Using adversity as a stepping stone, hes accreted so much powerfar more than is constitutionally accorded to his ceremonial post as presidentthat the referendum in a sense only formalizes what hes already accomplished.

Dealing with Turkey after the referendum will present big challenges to the U.S. and Turkeys other NATO allies. Ankara and Washington are already in a major dispute over how to defeat the Islamic State terror group in Syria, which President Donald Trump has set as a top priority. Soon the two countries are likely to be bickering over how to retain the semblance of democracy in Turkey and thus prevent the alliance from splitting up.

In some respects, the U.S. has played an unwitting role in Turkeys move toward authoritarian rule. Like Brexit in Britain and the rise of rightwing populism in Europe, which are partly reactions to the flood of refugee from Syria, the internal political shift here is also a byproduct of that war.

Former President Barack Obama decided largely to ignore the Assad regimes war against its own people as well as the consequencesmore than half the population displaced internally or abroad, of them more than 3 million Syrians in Turkey alone.

It wasnt until ISIS extremists seized Mosul, Iraq, and named Raqqa, Syria, as their capital that he decided to intervene militarily. That led to a tactical U.S. alliance with Peoples Protection Units (YPG), the Syrian affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which the U.S., the EU, and Turkey all have designated a terrorist organization. Turkey has been at war with the PKK for some 40 years, with a brief break from 2013-2015.

Less than a year after Obama began providing military support to the YPG in the fight against ISIS, the PKK, no doubt buoyed by its burgeoning relationship with Washington, announced an end to the cease-fire with Turkey and began attacking Turkish security forces in the southeast.

Erdogan, citing the revived war with the PKK, pleaded with the U.S. repeatedly to break off the alliance with the YPG, but to no avail.

Today the U.S. appears as determined to use the PKKs affiliate in Syria to help capture Raqqa as Erdogan is to block it.

A security challenge in its own right, the PKKs return to war with Turkey in July 2015 provided an occasion for Erdogan to rally political support at home.

He was in need of a new political strategy.

Just a month before the PKK had announced the return to violence, Erdogan had endured a major electoral setback, a loss of his majority in national parliamentary elections. The big winner in those elections was Selahattin Demirtas, the charismatic leader of the pro-Kurdish HDP, whose election campaign had gained support from non-Kurds partly because he was campaigning to block Erdogan from gaining additional powers.

The HDP won 80 seats in the 550-seat parliament, a gain of 51, while Erdogans party fell to 258, down 69, and lost its parliamentary majority.

Other politicians might have been discouraged by such setbacks, but Erdogan saw opportunity. Rather than form a unity government, he delayed and delayed until he could call new elections. To weaken the HDP, and destroy the chances of its giant-killer Demirtas, he labeled it the political arm of the PKK.

Calling a second round of elections in November, the AKP regained its majority with 317 seats. With that, Erdogan formed a one-party government and began efforts to sideline the HDP, which still had 59 seats in parliament.

In March 2016, parliament voted to lift the immunity of 115 members, including nearly all of the HDP parliamentarians. Demirtas and his co-leader Figen Yuksekdag were arrested last November, and both are now in jail. Yuksekdag was found guilty of supporting terrorism in February and stripped of her parliamentary seat and Demirtas was found guilty of insulting the Turkish nation and state institutions. The party of the giant-killer was crippled.

Erdogans third opportunity to turn adversity into political capital occurred July 15 last year, when a group of senior military officers staged an abortive coup. Erdogan, who was vacationing on the Aegean coast, was cut off from his own government, but took to the airwaves over a FaceTime link with CNN Turk, an independent television channel, in which he appealed to the Turkish public to take to the streets in opposition to the coup. His followers confronted tanks in Ankara, Istanbul, and other cities, and 248 lost their lives.

In a daring return to center stage, Erdogan flew in a small plane through airspace controlled by the coup plotters to Istanbuls Ataturk airport, where loyalists had cleared the runway and facilitated a safe landing.

At a brief appearance the next day, he declared: This uprising is a gift from God to us, because this will be a reason to cleanse our army. Five days after the failed coup, he ordered a state of emergency and began ruling by decree.

With his expanded powers, he purged political opponents associated with one-time ally, Fethullah Gulen, an Islamic preacher who lives in U.S. self-exile, who Erdogan charged was behind the coup. But he also purged, fired or arrested Kurds suspected of sympathies with the PKK and many others. Some 150,000 people, many of them public employees, were dismissed from their jobs, 100,000 were put under investigation, and 44,000 were imprisoned pending trial, according to a recent report by the parliamentary committee of the Council of Europe, which sets human rights norms for Europe. Some 177 media outlets were closed, many them Gulenist, but a great many Kurdish, and 2,500 journalists lost their jobs, among them many Kurds but also many affiliated with the opposition CHP.

This set the stage for Erdogans drive to change the Turkish constitution and give him the powers he had sought for years.

First, he obtained the backing of Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the nationalist MHP, although what the quid pro quo might have been remains unclear. That gave Erdogan the votes in parliament needed to call a referendum. And then, without any public discussion, he submitted the amendments to the parliament itself.

Such debate as there was had to take place under the state of emergency. When ISIS organized a terror attack on an Istanbul nightclub in the dark early hours of New Years Day, Erdogan launched a major crackdown by the security forcesand extended the state of emergency.

A good part of the debate was not even televised, and individual CHP members posted it on the Internet, using their smartphones. But that was just a preview of the almost surreal campaign for the amendments.

Ever since they won parliamentary approval in mid January and the date for the referendum was set, whats been missing is vigorous public discussion.

The Turkish news media, with some notable but rare exceptions, toe the government line, and those that dont support Erdogan self-censor, particularly at a time some 150 journalists are now reported in jail.

So, there was little debate in the news media. Also missing from the national debate was an actual debate, according to Utku Cakrozer, a former editor at the opposition daily Cumhuriyet, whos now a CHP deputy from Eskisehir, an industrial city in central Anatolia. I dont think theres been a debate between yea-sayers and nay-sayers at the expert level, he said.

Absent such input, the government was able to make claims for the amendments that were completely spurious, such as that the changes would strengthen the separation of powers and that the boost in deputies to 600 from the current 550 would strengthen the parliament.

Erdogans decision to run an all-out campaign when his current post is supposed to be apolitical and ceremonial rankled his opponents, as did the decision to deploy the ministers in the Turkish government and the aircraft, vehicles, state buildings and other facilities in the campaign.

Erdogan also tapped into an ingrained attitude of defiance to foreign powers last month when he sent government ministers to western Europe to try to win votes from Turks living abroad.

When the German and Dutch governments made it clear the ministers were not welcome, Erdogan seized the opportunity to accuse both governments of Nazi-style policies. The gambit, which shocked public opinion in west Europe, appears to have won him support among Turks.

But the most critical factor in putting his message across was the way in which Erdogan, who according to the constitution is supposed to be neutral, and his Prime Minister, Binali Yildirim, commandeered the airwaves. What made this possible was a decree issued on the eve of the referendum campaign that lifted the requirement that television channels to give equal time to each side in the debate.

Erdogan made two or three speeches a day, as did Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, and they invariably got full coverage on national television. A study just cited by the CHP said Erdogan, in his capacity as president, and the AKP as the party advocating the yes vote received 10 times as much air time as Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the head of the CHP. The HDP was not even a minor player.

The fact the deck was thus stacked in favor of a yes vote may win the losing no advocates a vote of sympathy, and that seems to be what Kilicdaroglu now hopes for. We held a referendum on unequal conditions, he said Sunday night. We did our best to obey the rules under these conditions.

He promised a fight to the end. But theres almost no place in the Turkish government to appeal to, and international opinion appears to carry less weight with Erdogan with every passing day.

Duygu Guvenc in Ankara contributed to this story
Hugo Chavez left some very hard shoes to fill for his successor, Nicolas Maduro. Not because the shoes were malodorous or had holes in them, which they do, but because they required certain talents President Maduro just doesnt have and will not acquire in whatever time hes got left in office.

Chavezs showmanship, his ability both to dictate and distract, was unparalleledskills that would come in handy now that brutal clashes between government security forces and protesters are gaining momentum in Venezuela, and as the world points at the Maduro administration for breaking the constitutional order.

Last week was, for Maduro, an unmitigated disaster.

On Tuesday evening, during the anniversary of an incident that ousted Hugo Chavez for a few days 15 years ago, and also commemorated the bicentennial of the battle of San Felix in Bolivar State, Maduro attended a military celebration where he gave a public speech to what should have been a carefully selected crowdhe wouldnt do this in Caracas.

But the presence of tanks and heavy artillery couldnt deter a small but feisty group of protesters that broke Maduros security ring while screaming questions, throwing rocks, and shouting maldito, damn you, at the president. The bodyguards and security force scrambled to get him out, but the damage was done. Videos of the episode soon went viral on social media, showing a weak, pathetic leader in what should have been a show of force and support.

The mounting Venezuelan discontent had reached a new crescendo on March 28 when the Supreme Tribunal, which was packed in 2015 with judges who dont comply with the minimum requirements to hold their posts, ruled that they would take over the functions of the National Assembly so long as the legislature remains in rebellion against their authority.

See, in December 2015 the Venezuelan opposition took over the parliament in a landslide vote where they obtained the supermajority. After this, the Elections Authority and the Supreme Tribunal invalidated the election of enough deputies required for the opposition to lose that edge. Eventually the parliament complied, but the Supreme Tribunal insisted that wasnt enough, and since then, the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Tribunal has been ruling invalid every action by the parliament.

In broad terms so theres no mistake: The Supreme Court, which was repacked in an illegal process attempted to nullify the Congress which was elected by a landslide vote a year ago and which does have the faculty to appoint or remove Supreme Court justices. Checks and balances gone haywire, its a massive institutional crisis.

The motivation? The executive branch needed a work-around to bypass the parliamentary approval needed for international loans, not to cover the deep humanitarian crisis in which the country is, but to pay bondholders of PDVSA, the state petroleum company. And theres where the judicial branch decided not only to usurp the functions of the parliament, but to annul it.

Yes! Socialists at the service of Wall Street: The market is king.

The international backlash against the Supreme Tribunals blunt attack on the rule of law was, well, what would be expected when the judicial branch tries to terminate the legislative branch. After several heated diplomatic exchanges, the Organization of American States put in place resolutions aiming to re-establish constitutional order in Venezuela, and many countries all over the world recognized that the Venezuelan executive and judiciary had ganged up to stage a coup against the parliament.

Protests have been sparked all over the country, and the answer of the government has been brutal repression accompanied by a cynical call for dialogue. At the same time, Governor Henrique Capriles, one of the leaders of the opposition who sort of had an untouchable quality, was hit with a resolution from the Comptroller General barring him from public office for 15 years, in a process that also departs from the constitution and the legal requirements to penalize elected public officials.

More and more, local and foreign politicians have been feeling comfortable using the D word around Venezuela, calling it a straight up dictatorship that is imposing a nonsensical system of government against the wishes of its people.

But even dictatorship may not be an adequate term.

The country is falling apart, children die of malnutrition, there are few medicines, theres no sustainable job market, crime is rampant with a violent death rate that goes off the charts, and the military still has found ways to make a profit off of the crisis by hacking the food distribution chain.

Is there a way out?

The biggest challenge for the resisting opposition is being able to administer wisely the expectations of their followers. People are desperate, the situation is urgent, and there are no immediate solutions to the problem.

Right now the opposition is calling for elections and respect for the National Assembly. Regional elections for states and municipalities were due last December, and a constitutional referendum to depose Maduro was illegally blocked by the elections authority in October when the opposition was close to completing all requirements to put it in place.

If Maduro were to resign, or be removed by referendum, or even by trial, the vice president would be first in line to finish his constitutional term. The current Venezuelan veep is a man called Tareck El Aissami, who was recently listed under the drug kingpin act of the United States. For many Venezuelans, it would be tragic to get rid of Maduro and get stuck with El Aissami. He has been ruthless repressing opposition protests in the past, and whether true or not, his reputation has not been helped by rumoured connections to international terrorism.

So when the opposition calls for elections, it isnt altogether clear whether they refer to regional elections or a general election including the president, which wouldnt have a firm legal foundation.

Others seem to hope that the military might have a change of heart and force the government out and help re-establish constitutional order through a not-so-constitutional coup detat.

Of course, this would be the fastest route to the end of Maduro and chavismo. But considering how things have gone with military adventurers and politics in the past, and considering that the military is a big part of the present problem, this seems a less desirable option.

On the other hand, so many irregularities have taken place since the opposition took over the parliament that perhaps a legal case could be made to dismantle some instances of the chavista government, and cobble back together a more gentle Frankenstein monster that could hold until a complete government overhaul can be made. But this would require some sort of transitional pact between the government and the opposition.

Meanwhile we are seeing defections from the chavista camp. Luisa Ortega Diaz, the general prosecutor, called out on the Supreme Tribunal for their constitutional violation, and her office has been refusing to prosecute protesters. (The military solution: Put the kids in front of military courts.)

But the truth is, that behind all the protests and the rage, more than the constitutional violations and coups and bans, theres a true sense among Venezuelans that their future has been stolen and their day to day survival is imperilled. For a while, people commonly took to diving into trash bins, but even garbage is becoming scarce.

The repression by government security forces and pro-Maduro urban paramilitary groups has already produced five deaths, the latest being that of Tony Canelon, who was blasted in the gut at point-blank range while protesting.

Meanwhile, Nestor Reverol, the Venezuelan minister of justice, whos also under investigation abroad for drug trafficking charges, has been tweeting that right wing terrorist groups linked to opposition parties are trying to oust Maduro. More alarming than a tweetstorm, however, are allegations that young protesters detained by Maduros secret police (SEBIN) have been tortured to get confessions that may incriminate opposition politicians in terrorist activities.

Venezuelas long-brewing rebellion is pushing for constitutional order to be restored, but one fears that restoring it to where it was a few weeks ago wont be enough.
ATLANTAThe upcoming Georgia special election to fill the seat of Health and Human Services Sec. Tom Price is putting the jungle in jungle primary. With 18 candidates, a $14 million tsunami of TV ads, a Republican field attacking each other like a pack of dingoes, and an unknown Democrat raising cash like a presidential contender, the usually ho-hum race for the suburban-Atlanta House seat has become an all-out war. If no candidate clears 50 percent in Tuesdays primary, the top two will go on to a June 20 runoff and the war will continue for another eight weeks.

At the heart of the chaos is President Donald Trump, whose election in November solidified his base among the Tea Party faithful here, but also lit a fire of national resistance whose singular goal recently has become flipping Georgias 6th congressional district to Democratic hands. Trump won the solidly Republican district by just 1.5 percent. over Hillary Clinton.

In an ordinary election year, in an ordinary time, an open seat in or around Atlantas wealthy northern suburbs would be a mostly friendly contest between whichever two Republicans said they wanted the job. But the race has drawn a melee of 11 GOP hopefuls, a scramble of activists, gray-haired state-senators, Trump enthusiasts and businessmen.

Instead of getting behind one or two of the strongest candidates, local Republican leaders have similarly scattered their support among the field. Former U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss is backing Karen Handel, a former secretary of state, while current U.S. Sen. David Perdue has gotten behind former state Sen. Dan Moody. Sean Hannity endorsed Tea Party founder Amy Kremer, while Sen. Marco Rubio, who won the district in the GOP presidential primary, is supporting state Sen. Judson Hill.

The Club for Growth has pumped $600,000 into the race to help businessman Bob Gray, but is also running a blistering attack ad against Handel, who is also getting attacked by Gray and Moody. Gray claims he was the only candidate to back Trump early on, but it was Bruce LeVell, not Gray, who arrived at an event in a Trump 2020 campaign bus and had former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski stumping for him. Confused yet? Thats the problem for Republicans.

Its crazy, its a true jungle primary, said Kerwin Swint, the chair of the political science department at Kennesaw State University, which sits just beyond the districts current lines. This is one of the headaches behind the way that Georgia does special elections, but its usually not this complex and its presenting some difficulties Republicans clearly didnt anticipate.

Among those difficulties, along with the fact that the monster field has split money, air time, and enthusiasm between the Republicans, is that it has also opened the door to Jon Ossoff, the 30 year-old former congressional staffer whom national Democrats got behind early and rocketed to an unprecedented fundraising haul. Ossoffs campaign reported $8.3 million raised since January, with much of that coming from small-dollar donations around the country through DailyKos, an early endorser, and ActBlue, the liberal activist fundraising portal.

Chip Lake, a longtime Republican consultant in Georgia, described Ossoffs fundraising as an alarming possible glimpse into the future for Republican candidates in a Trump era.

Ive been in this business for over 25 years and I have never seen anything like what Job Ossoff has been able to do, Lake said. That doesnt mean he can win, but he is a shoe-in to make the runoff and two or three weeks ago we were worried he could get to 50 percent. They say money cant buy you love, but it can buy a lot of votes.

Giving money to Ossoff seems to be downright therapeutic for Democrats across the country looking for a way to stick it to Trump. Locally, volunteering for Ossoff seems to have the same result.

Turin Mamoun, a stay-at-home mom from East Cobb County, Ga. went to her first-ever political meeting in January after Trump was elected president. Im worried, very worried, she said before heading out to canvass for Ossoff Saturday afternoon. Ive been a Democrat my whole life, but Im scared now and I didnt even know where to begin.

Mamoun and her friend, Sara Mhazel, met Ossoff at the Cobb County Democrats meeting just after he got into the race. Mhazel had never volunteered for a campaign. Mamoun had never even had a sign in her yard. They were both soon canvassing for Ossoff and his campaign in the sixth district, where they both live.

Ive spent my entire professional life promoting democracy overseas, when all of the sudden I woke up in November and realized we were neglecting our own backyard, said Mhazel, a lawyer at Atlantas Carter Center. How much of the race is about sending a message to Donald Trump? A lot, they both said.

If the race does go to a runoff, conventional wisdom says the top Republican should easily win in June, as conservatives coalesce behind a single candidate. Democrats may have the energy in the district right now, but for decades Republicans have had the infrastructure that candidates typically need to win, especially in a special election in June.

Democrats see an opportunity. Theyve galvanized, theyve organized, theyve raised a ton of money, theyre going all out, Kennesaw States Kerwin Swint said. But just looking at the numbers, if Ossoff doesnt win Tuesday, I just dont see how he can win. What are you going to do, bus a lot of people in from California?

But if theres one thing that has failed completely in the last year, its using past political performance to predict the future. With Trumps approval ratings underwater, his policy positions shifting every day, and Democrats like Ossoff able to nationalize local races and raise millions from small dollar donors in a week, Republican operatives say their party may be facing an entirely new paradigm. Its a dynamic that Lake says should worry Republicans greatly, even in a district like the Sixth that Lake sees as solidly Republican.

We really are in no-mans land when it comes to campaigns and elections at the federal level, Lake said. Any Republican would be lying to you if they told you they werent deeply concerned about the damage Donald Trump could cause our party over the four years hes in office.
John Oliver is no fan of Donald Trump. Hes called the President of the United States damaged for fabricating a terrorist attack in Sweden; branded him a Klan-backed misogynist internet troll; and last week, explained why Trumps Syria strikethat the commander-in-chief has learned he shall receive heaps of praise for firing missiles, no matter the outcomeshould make us all very, very worried.

On Sundays Last Week Tonight, before dedicating his main story to warning the French people against electing Marine Le Pen, a far-right nationalist in the Trump vein, the British quipmaster addressed the impending doom that is President Trump.

This past week saw Trump make a number of stunning foreign policy reversals, including on NATO, which he repeatedly labeled obsolete on the campaign trail (Its no longer obsolete now), and China, who he no longer feels is a currency manipulator after hosting Chinese President Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago.

If that werent enough, Trump told The Wall Street Journal that, after explaining the history of China-Korea relations to him for 10 minutes, Xi managed to convince him that curtailing North Koreas nuclear threat is not so easy.

That revelation seems to match the findings of an August 2016 story in The Washington Post where one of Trumps advisors claimed, Trump tends to echo the words of whomever last spoke to him, making direct access to him even more valuable, the people said, requesting anonymity to talk about internal campaign discussions.

Xi Jinping got him to change his mind in just ten minutes! exclaimed Oliver. The president seems to change his mind based on any information that is new to him, which seems to be almost any information. And that is genuinely worrying. We have a leader operating on a learners permit, and we were reminded just this week of what our president has at his disposal.

Yes, the United States, for the first time in its history, dropped a GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blastan 18,700 pound bomb nicknamed the Mother of All Bombson an ISIS cave complex in the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan. The bomb, produced in 2002, hadnt been used by the Bush or Obama administrations because of the potential of civilian casualties. The MOAB bombing killed at least 94 ISIS militants, according to Afghan Army officials.

But when Trump was asked if he authorized the bombing, his response was strange. Uh everybody knows exactly what happened, so and what I do is I authorize my military. We have the greatest military in the world, and theyve done a jobas usual. So, we have given them total authorization, he said. What the fuck was that? shot Oliver. That was a yes or no question to which you vomited 38 wordsnone of which were yes or no, although to be fair, none of them were Holocaust center either, so I guess we should be partially relieved. Later, the AP reported that military officials didnt need and didnt request President Donald Trumps approval, meaning that the commander-in-chief is anything but. Trump has placed a significant amount of authority in the hands of his commanders. And you may think thats good, you may think thats bad, but I would not expect Trump to curb that power anytime soon, because, as we talked about last week, this is a man who responds to praise, and yet again, he is being praised for this, explained Oliver. The late-night host then cut to a clip of Trumps favorite cable news show, Fox & Friends, airing footage of the MOAB bombing set to Toby Keiths hyper-patriotic anthem Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue. The mushroom cloud prompted co-host Ainsley Earhardt to gush, The video is black and whitethat is what freedom looks like, thats the red, white and blue, while Geraldo Rivera added, Well, one of my favorite things in the 16 years Ive been here at Fox News is watching bombs drop on bad guys. Oh, thats a coincidence, because one of my favorite things in four seasons on this show is getting to look directly into the camera and say, Fuck you, Geraldo. I hope your mustache gets caught in a box fan, shouted Oliver. That wasnt all. Rivera tried to rationalize the bombing by comparing President Trump to a sadistic bully who tortured him in school. Its not gonna win the war, but it certainly sends a message, said Rivera. You know, I had a bully in high school. A guy named Richie. You never knew what Richie was gonna do. He had a temper. Sometimes hed want to kill ya and sometimes hed let ya go. I like that they think Donald Trump is like Richie from my high school. I want the bad guys to think that he could do anything to them at any moment, and I think that that has a positive impact.

Oliver, of course, was not impressed: Holy shit! You see, this is why bullying never works. If you have a bully in school, there is a good chance hes turning some kid into the next Geraldo Rivera. And if you have a bully in the White House, he does violent, impulsive things that seem to be inching us closer to, among other things, potential nuclear war with North Korea.
John Oliver has a message for France: Dont fuck up, too.On Sundays edition of Last Week Tonight, the British comedian broke down the upcoming French presidential election. With current President Francois Hollande, a Socialist, enjoying a dismal 4 percent approval ratingdue to 10 percent unemployment and a string of terrorist attacks under his watchvoters are yearning for new blood. The two frontrunners are Emmanuel Macron, who is center-left, and Marine Le Pen, president of the far-right National Front.

Honestly, she is the main reason you should be invested in this election, Oliver said of Le Pen.

For the uninitiated, Le Pens father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, co-founded the National Fronta party historically composed of immigrant-loathing white nationalists. Jean-Marie is a Holocaust truther who once dismissed Nazi gas chambers as a mere point of detail of the history of the Second World War, and said of a Jewish critic: Well put a batch in the oven next time. Marine, meanwhile, recently downplayed Frances role in the Holocaust, saying, I dont think France is responsible for the Vel dHiv. She also claimed that the Nazi-collaborationist Vichy regime was not France, adding, I think that generally speaking if there are people responsible, its those who were in power at the time. Its not France.The Vel dHiv roundup came when the French police detained 13,000 Jews, including 4,000 children, at the Winter Stadiumor Vel dHivin Paris. They were then transferred to concentration camps in Paris, as well as Auschwitz. By the end of September 1942, almost 38,000 Jews had been deported to Auschwitz from France. In 1945, only some 780 of them remained alive, according to Yad Vashem, Israels Holocaust memorial center. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Le Pens comments showed her true colors.

While the youth of France have responded to Le Pens message of France First, promising to reduce French unemployment by making it more expensive for businesses to hire non-citizens, she is wildly xenophobic.Oliver threw to a 2012 interview of an unhinged Le Pen on French television saying, Would you accept 12 illegal immigrants moving into your flat?! You wouldnt. On top of that, they start to remove the wallpaper! Some of them would steal your wallet and brutalize your wifeHold on: Brutalizing your wife and stealing your wallet, again, thats just boilerplate racism. But people are coming to take my wallpaper is something a crazy person says, quipped Oliver. No one wants your wallpaper, you catastrophically weird person!

If that werent enough, Le Pen hopes to ban the wearing of hijabs, yarmulkes, and turbans in public; any conspicuous show of religious belief would be outlawed. Despite its not-so-latent racism, Le Pens National Front party has managed to win several seats at the local and national level, which explains why many are calling this upcoming French presidential election a battle for the future of Europe. If Le Pen wins and is granted her wish of France leaving the European Union, then the EU will likely fragment.

Its particularly challenging for American and British people to watch because, well, weve seen this show beforeand it isnt pretty.

One of the frustrating things about watching this unfold from America is this feels a little like deja vu: a potentially destabilizing populist campaigning on anti-immigrant rhetoric who rages against the elites despite having a powerful father and inherited wealth, said Oliver, comparing Le Pen to U.S. President Donald Trump. All the experts, however, say a Le Pen win couldnt possibly happen. But recent polls showing that around one-third of French voters may abstain could lead to Le Pens incredibly motivated base turning out and propelling her to victoryjust like Trump.

You in France love nothing more than acting like you are better than Britain and America. Well, now is your chance to prove that, said Oliver. Because we made populist, nativist choices with Brexit and Trump, and to be honest, its not working out so great for us so far. And now you have a populist, nativist choice of your own, and just imagine how superior you could feel if you dont make the same mistake that we did.

Oliver then addressed the French in their native languagethat is, in French, in black and white, while sipping wine and puffing a cigarette at a cozy bistro:

Hello, France. I know a British man speaking on an American television show about the Republic of France is basically French kryptonite, said Oliver. But pleaselisten: Britain and America fucked up. Dont fuck up, too. Marine Le Pen ishow do you say in French? A demagogic asshole. A monstrous, demagogic asshole. Youre better than this. This is your chance to live up to the French philosophy of the Enlightenment. To show the whole world that the French ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity go together, like Larry Skywalker and, of course, that weird bearhe said, holding up dolls of Star Wars Luke Skywalker and Chewbacca.

Help us, France. Youre our only hope.
REGGIO CALABRIA, ItalyBecoming a victim is surely a rescuers worst nightmare. But on Sunday in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya, NGO charity rescue vessels started tweeting very distressing messages that seemed to foreshadow a very serious situation.

The first came from the German NGO Jugend Rettet, whose rescue vessel Iuventa was chock full of migrants, including seven pregnant women, from multiple rescues over a 40 hour period in which nearly 7,000 migrants and refugees were saved from drowning in multiple operations. They also sent out emails to media they knew, urging them to try to get the word out that they were in dire need.

Their steering had gone under the weight of their human cargo and there were more rubber dinghies on the horizon as dark clouds signaled a coming sea storm. They had used all their life jackets, too, meaning even those who had been rescued from deadly rubber dinghies were at risk again.

Then the German NGO Sea Eye, which was making its way to help the Iuventa faced similar challenges trying to pluck as many people at risk of drowning from the increasingly rough seas as they could without putting their own rescue vessel at risk. They, too, started facing navigational challenges as seas worsened and their passengers shifted nervously.

Jugend Rettet first tweeted: MAYDAY RELAY MAYDAY RELAY MAYDAY RELAY! all stations all! This is Jugend rettet! We are in distress! Position: 3314N 01226E.

Then another tweet: Iuventa + @seaeyeorg need urgend [sic] help. Several hundred people in rubberboats nearby. Both NGOs in distress. Bad weather on its way!

Then, another: #Iuventa and @seaeyeorg are unable to move due to the high amount of people on board and nearby us in rubberboats! We need help

The German NGO ships had come to the aid of the Mobile Offshore Aid Station or MOAS. They, too, were at capacity but there were more stranded rubber dinghies and dangerous wooden fishing boats full of people.

MOAS had spent the previous night monitoring several boats with more than 1,000 people they could not assist because their own boat, the Phoenix, was full. Dramatic situation unfolding in #Med. #MOAS crew caring for 453 people aboard; assisting 1000+ people on rubber boats around, their crew tweeted.

Later they witnessed a rubber dinghy butted up to a merchant vessel that did not have the capacity to rescue them, so the migrants and refugees were essentially holding on for dear life.

By late Sunday night, many of the migrants had been offloaded from the over-capacity rescue vehicles to other vessels, including passing merchant ships that were summoned to the maritime emergencies. The three rescue boats in distress were limping toward land despite a continuing number of distress calls from the migrant boats still out at sea.

On land, Doctors Without Borders MSF Prudence brought 649 people to shore, including four young children and several men who had suffered gunshot wounds at the hands of the traffickers in Libya. Of the 60 women, several had reported torture. Their ship will head back out for more rescues on Monday.

The busy weekend comes on the heels of an investigation by a local Italian prosecutor into funding of the NGO charity ships with an eye to removing them from service. The NGOs have denied wrong doing, insisting that their purpose is to fill the vacuum created by an absent Europe that is seemingly leaving the migrants to sink or swim.
For those following the post-Soviet space over the past few years, the historical revisionism on display has been enough to cause serial whiplash. Claims that Crimea has always been Russian have competed with the sudden notion that Washington promised a Russian government that NATO would never expand, all swirling amongst beliefs that Novorossiyaliterally, New Russiais a distinct polity within Ukraine.

Unsurprisingly, this revisionism always spikes to the benefit of Moscow and comes through most clearly via the Kremlins stable of propaganda outlets. But for those following the fringe, another piece of historical re-writing has burst to the fore over the past few months, centering on an event over two decades ago.

To hear American conspiracy and far-left outlets tell it, Russias recent meddling in the U.S. election is simply blowback from Washingtons apparent role in Moscows 1996 election, which saw incumbent Boris Yeltsin knock off the wooly Gennady Zyuganov, a revanchist communist, in a run-offthanks, supposedly, to American interference.

It doesnt take long to trace the outline of this narrative re-write. From junk Twitter accounts to any number of conspiratorial news sites to, of course, the screeching, bizarro Russia Insider website, the notion that America swayed the 1996 election has begun gurgling through fringe actors and publications.

This revisionism has taken root among those whove only recently discovered the post-Soviet space on a map, and among those already predisposed to view Moscow as a sympathetic, victimized state, whose post-2014 movesin Crimea, in Washingtoncan be excused as simple reaction to prior American malfeasance. Rather than viewing the Kremlin as a revisionist power in its own right, these hard-left factions would rather pump unrepentant whataboutism for all to see.

The narrative, as it is, appears to stem largely from a 1996 Time magazine cover. Featuring a puffy Yeltsin holding an American flag, the headline is impossible to miss: YANKS TO THE RESCUE. Focused on the efforts of a trio of West Coast American consultantsGeorge Gorton, Joseph Shumate, and Richard Dresner, all of whom had been close to former California Gov. Pete Wilsonthe piece portrays the three as supposedly essential to Yeltsins re-election. In a fit of arrogance, one consultant describes his work as simple education, Campaigning 101.

The cover, and the angle, have been too good to pass up for whingeing, far-left sites looking to excuse Russias hacking campaign. Truth Out put forth a prime example last month, claiming the consultants secretly ran Yeltsins re-election campaign. AlterNet recently featured an interview in which the guestwho himself runs a website positing that Obama led an assault on FDRs New Deal and LBJs War on Povertyadded that Yeltsin was little more than a drunken U.S. stooge. One 2006 article on the topic from an independent socialist magazine has also seen a recent resurge, allowing new readers to check out the magazines Reflections of Fidel section.

But the claims that the U.S. swayed the 1996 election havent been limited solely to crank conspiracy sites. The Guardian ran a piece in late 2016 to such an effect, even citing New York Universitys controversial Stephen Cohen, perhaps best known for lending credence to the autonomy referendums Russian-backed separatists held in eastern Ukraine. (In keeping with a pattern, Cohen this month cast doubt on whether Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was actually behind the recent chemical-weapons attack.) Far-left outlet Jacobin ran a piece that, while far more even-handed than most other the other fringe fluff, nonetheless claimed that the U.S.s 1996 efforts were an even bolder interference campaign than what we saw from the Kremlin in 2016.

To be sure, it was an open secret that Washington preferred Yeltsin to Zyuganov in 1996; as President Bill Clinton told Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott, save for a nominating speech, weve got to go all the way in helping in every other respect. Indeed, there were certain avenues Washington pushed to help Yeltsins chances, including backing a $10.2 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund to Russia. The U.S.s support was sufficient to land in Carnegie Mellon post-doc Dov Levins recent database of Washington- and Moscow-led electoral interference.

But the idea that Washingtons 1996 efforts compare in either form or fashion to Russias 2016 campaign is not simply poor history. Its a rhetorical tactic that undercuts, purposely or otherwise, the magnitude of the Kremlins assault on Americas democratic underpinnings. Clintons efforts, for instance, went no further than Obamas push to sway the 2016 Brexit vote. Only the most strident claim Obama interfered in the U.K.s move to exit the European Union.

Likewise, for those who actually followed the threads of Russias 1996 election, the idea that American consultants swayed the final voteor that they even played a notable role in Yeltsins campaignis as farcical as the idea that Moscows 2018 presidential election will be free or fair.

For instance, Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia and doyen of Russian democratization studies, wrote that the consultants claims that they have brought democracy to the evil empire is ludicrous. Further, many of the pieces of advice bumbled by these consultants were either already in play, or smacked of such obvious import that they bordered on outright condescension. The angle pursued by Time, McFaul added, insult[ed] the intelligence and sophistication of the Russians who really orchestrated the campaign victory, embarrass[ed] American journalism, and taint[ed] the legitimate achievements of Americans who have lived and worked in Russia for years to strengthen that countrys nascent democratic institutions.

Other witnesses to the election, or players in it, back McFauls claim.

Yeltsins daughter told The New York Times that none of the Americans work was central, either in terms of planning or strategy. Yeltsins chief political adviser added that the Russian presidents team carved one of the campaigns primary lines of attack, centering on an anti-communist push, without any help from American advisers, saying that the Americans hardly made their presence, or their work, known. As the Times noted, the Americans seem to have had no contact with any of the other top campaign strategists. Yeltsins head pollster added that, when all the real decisions were made, they were not present. Talbott, the Clinton Administrations Russia hand, similarly said that the American consultants role was minuscule.

But rather than examine, say, support from Russian oligarchs via the now-notorious loans-for-shares scheme, or the death of Chechen leader Dzhokhar Dudayev, or even runoff support from third-party candidate Gen. Alexander Lebed, and how these factors conspired to help Yeltsin mount a come-from-behind victory, many American reporters appeared eager to buy into the consultants own spin. Regurgitating the consultants claims, these reports, as the Times noted, created a meta-narrative of their own: The Selling of the Consultants.

And now, some two decades on, the American fringe has parlayed those claims, and that Time cover, into a narrative of their own: that Russian actions in 2016 were somehow justified, on the backs of American interference in 1996.

As mentioned above, some have even claimed the U.S.s efforts were that much more egregious than the Kremlin campaign. This conveniently ignores the fact that Moscow trafficked in stolen communiques, funneling said documents to a man currently holed up in an embassy to avoid facing sexual assault charges and who, when he wasnt busy hosting a television show on a Russian propaganda channel, runs an organization whose post-Soviet ties have already threatened anti-autocracy dissidents through the region.

To be sure, the 1996 elections were, for many in Russia, something of a Faustian bargain, a moment of original sin, as Bloombergs Leonid Bershidsky wrote. And Yeltsin, a few years later, would step aside for a man who still remains ensconced in the Kremlin nearly 20 years later. But contrary to what the far-left fringe may believe, American consultants didnt return Yeltsin to power. Nor did they beget a Russian leader who, in 2016, would oversee Moscows greatest efforts to date to sway an American election.
The Trump administration is about to follow through on a major campaign promisecracking down on Chinese trade practicesbut the presidents nomination of a veteran industry lobbyist to lead the effort could quickly mire his trade agenda in ethics issues.

The administration previewed an aggressive package of protectionist trade policies last week, designed to crack down on market manipulation by China in particular. Just a few days earlier, President Donald Trump had nominated a top trade policy official to oversee an agenda that mirrors one he has pursued for years as a paid lobbyist for the steel industry.

The confluence of interests sets up a potential clash with Trumps own ethics rules, and illustrates how an administration ostensibly devoted to draining the swamp and reducing lobbyist influence on policymaking is melding its agenda with corporate advocacy efforts where those efforts align with the presidents priorities.

The administration isnt draining the swamp so much as it is boosting its preferred special interests.

Trump is preparing a pair of executive orders designed to punish companiesChinese companies in particularthat he blames for hollowing out American manufacturing. The details include ramping up enforcement of punitive tariffs on imports subsidized by foreign governments, a frequent practice among Chinese steel firms and one that the U.S. steel industry has fought for decades.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross previewed those policies on the White Houses website just a few days after Trump tapped steel industry lobbyist Gilbert Kaplan to be Rosss top trade policy lieutenant. Kaplan worked for decades as a lobbyist and government official to advance the same policies that Trumps executive orders seek to implement.

Kaplan is now vying to lead Commerces international trade division. If Kaplan is confirmed, he will lead the International Trade Administration, the federal body that oversees and enforces the precise types of import tariffs that the administration plans to employ in its efforts to crack down on alleged Chinese market manipulation.

Theres just one problem: The administrations own ethics rules likely bar him from crafting and enforcing key portions of Trumps executive orders, due to their overlap with the precise issues on which he was lobbying Congress and the administration until late last year.

With Kaplan helming those efforts, administration trade policy would be dictated at the highest levels by officials with longstanding ties to the steel industry. Ross himself is an industry veteran. He bought up distressed American steel companies in the early 2000s, consolidated them, and sold the conglomerate to Luxembourgian firm ArcelorMittal, now the worlds top steel manufacturer.

Kaplan, like Ross and Trump, is an unabashed promoter of the American steel industry. And that would be fine, had he not spent years on the industrys payroll before seeking a post in an administration that ostensibly prohibits appointees from working on issues on which they recently lobbied.

Those rules were designed to limit Washingtons revolving door between regulators and the industries they regulate. Kaplan has passed through that revolving door more than once. Before his stint as a lobbyist, he oversaw steel industry policy in President Ronald Reagans Commerce Department, where he administered countervailing duties, or taxes on imports subsidized by foreign governments and sold domestically at below-market rates, a practice known as dumping.

Kaplan joined the law firm Hale & Dorr in 1990 and registered as a lobbyist in 1999 for companies including Bethlehem Steel, one of the firms Ross later bought up and sold to ArcelorMittal. More recently, at the firm King & Spalding, he lobbied on behalf of Chicago-based steel company Zekelman Industries.

From 2007 to present, Zekelman has paid King & Spalding more than $3.4 million to enlist Kaplans services in pressing Congress and federal agenciesincluding Commerceto craft, implement, and enforce additional restrictions on Chinese steel imports. A year after Kaplan began, the Commerce Department imposed countervailing duties on Chinese competitors to Zekelmans steel pipe products.

Kaplans nomination comes as Trump and Ross ramp up the administrations protectionist agenda, an agenda that Kaplan was paid to promote for more than a decade. The policies that Kaplan will help administer at Commerce include one of Zekelmans top regulatory priorities.

Ross pledged in his statement last week to go after whats known as circumvention, or importers attempts to evade countervailing duties and other anti-dumping measures. Zekelman unsuccessfully filed an anti-circumvention petition late last year alleging evasion of the countervailing duties imposed on Chinese pipe imports in 2008.

The company might have better luck under Ross, who last week pledged ensure punitive tariffs are collected. It makes no sense to expend the time and resources to get an affirmative ruling if you cannot then take the necessary action to punish and deter bad actors, Ross said. This will no longer occur.

Lobbying disclosure forms show Kaplans work for Zekelman involved advocacy on general matters such as international trade issues and China steel trade issues. But he also lobbied on more specific issues, including legislation and regulation surrounding countervailing duties and other anti-dumping measures aimed at Chinese steel imports. Those policies are generally overseen by the arm of the Commerce Department that Kaplan is now vying to lead.

They are also pillars of the Trump administrations emerging trade agenda. The presidents executive orders will reportedly step up efforts to enforce and collect countervailing duties and other anti-dumping measures. Ross emphasized those policies in his written remarks on the White House website last week.

That sets up a likely policy intersection with the specific issues on which Kaplan was lobbying until late last year. As a result, he could be barred from participating in major Commerce Department trade policy decisions unless the president decides to waive his own ethics rules to facilitate policymaking by an industry lobbyist.

Under ethics rules imposed by Trumps predecessor, Kaplan would be barred from serving in the Commerce Department altogether. President Barack Obamas White House decreed early in his administration that no one who had lobbied a federal agency in the past two years could seek or accept employment in that same agency.

Trumps executive order omitted that provision entirely, even as it mirrored language in other parts of Obamas ethics rules.

But Trumps version does contain language that could prevent Kaplan from participating in major Commerce Department trade policy decisions on issues central to the presidents aggressive stance towards China.

Trumps rules bar appointees from participating in particular matters of general applicability on which they lobbied in the past two years.

The language in legal interpretations of that prohibition can be murky, but it is generally interpreted to bar former lobbyists from working on specific regulations or legislationsuch as import duties on a particular productthat affect an identifiable segment of the population that includes the people or organizations on which the appointee lobbiedsay, U.S. steel companies.

The White House declined to comment on the record on the potential ethical pitfalls of Kaplans nomination. An official familiar with the ethics rules said Kaplan would be working with administration attorneys to navigate the application of ethics rules to his work at Commerce.

Lobbying disclosure filings, the official said, are only a starting point as significant additional steps are taken to gain all relevant facts regarding compliance with the ethics pledge. Where potential ethics issues arise, a waiver may be requested and considered in the normal course.

While it is within Trumps authority to waive those rules where he sees fit, Washingtons revolving door is the precise type of insiderism that Trump vowed to combat.

For those who control the levers of power in Washington, and for the global special interests they partner with, our campaign represents an existential threat, Trump said late in the campaign.

The White House billed his January executive order implementing restrictions on employment by former lobbyists and lobbying by former administration officials as follow-through on the presidents repeated pledges to drain the swamp in Washington and upset the comfortable relationship between government officials and the special interests they regulate and oversee.

But Kaplans nomination highlights some gaping holes Trumps ethics rules, and could be a test of how strictly the White House plans to enforce them against special interests that align with his policy priorities. A New York Times report last week revealed that a number of other lobbyists are running administration policy on issues on which they recently lobbied, in apparent violations of the ethics rules.

But the Times noted that there is no way to say definitively whether Trump has chosen to waive those rules to allow direct policymaking and regulation by lobbyists who are supposedly restricted in high-level administrative posts. The White House still will not make that information public in any comprehensive way.

A page on the White Houses website promises that waivers will be publicly disclosed as the information becomes available. But another page promising disclosure of visitors to the White House used similar language despite the White Houses statement on Friday that it will not release that information. That page has since been removed from the website.

Without that public waiver disclosure, there is no way to know the extent of the Trump administrations circumvention of its own ethics rules. Even Walter Shaub, the federal governments top ethics regulator, is in the dark.

Theres no transparency, and I have no idea how many waivers have been issued, Shaub told the Times.
Roger Stone, a longtime friend and former adviser to Donald Trump, once again spoke to conspiracy-theorist radio host Alex Jones on Saturday to rail against the White House staffers he perceives as pushing the president in the wrong direction.

Inside the White House, they have essentially what is referred to as the gang of three, Stone told the InfoWars host in a Facebook live video.

That really is comprised of Jared Kushner, Reince Priebus, Dina Powella former Bush operative who spoke at the Clinton Global Initiative conference a couple years ago, Stone said referring to Powell who recently joined the administration as deputy national security adviser.

They have gotten lofty positions in [Trumps] government. Perhaps they thought that this was going to be like some of the Democratic presidents who operate on the basis of somebody elses talking points, Stone continued.

And they have failed spectacularly when it comes to getting Trump off of his agenda. They would like him to be more mainstream, more establishment. They want him to be popular when he goes to Malibu or the Upper West Side. But I dont think Donald Trump cares about how hes perceived in those places. He has no interest in kowtowing or ass-kissing for the establishment. So I think that his advisers trying to push him in the wrong direction.

Stone has been a vocal critic of Kushners rise in the White House, recently claiming on InfoWars that the presidents son-in-law was leaking damaging information about White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon to MSNBCs Joe Scarborough. In the weeks after those comments were made, Bannons reported influence in the White House has diminished as his faction has continually waged war with the globalist-minded wing comprised of Kushner and economic adviser Gary Cohn.

The most illustrative example of Bannons fall from grace may have been an interview with the New York Post, in which the president downplayed the importance of a man who served as CEO of his presidential campaign for several months.

I like Steve, but you have to remember he was not involved in my campaign until very late, Trump said. I had already beaten all the senators and all the governors, and I didnt know Steve. Im my own strategist and it wasnt like I was going to change strategies because I was facing crooked Hillary.

During the Saturday interview with Jones, Stone seemed to agree with the established wisdom that Bannon has been somewhat neutralized.

Steve Bannon, who I continue to think is a good man, has been increasingly surrounded, Stone lamented. And theres two possibilities: He could survive but be neutered, sitting in an office with a phone and a desk but have no authority. Or he could choose to leave.

But Stone didnt think that the former Breitbart chief would exit the White House any time soon.

I dont think hell be fired, he said. But when the president of the United States in an interview with the New York Post says that he barely knows who you are, thats a pretty clear indication that your power is on the wane. It really is tragic Alex, that Steve made no effort to bring other trumpites into the circle, to have allies take on the neocons internally.
President Barack Obama did not release the names of every visitor to his White House, so President Donald Trump will not release any at all.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters on Monday that President Donald Trumps predecessor scrubbed the logs of names they did not want to be made public, and therefore that there was no reason to release any list of visitor names.

This is the policy thats existed from the beginning of time since [logs] were kept through the last [administration], and that last one was a faux attempt, Spicer said. They would scrub whoever they didnt want to put out.

The decision not to release White House visitor logs was made last week.

Publicly posted Obama White House logs were indeed missing the names of thousands of visitors, including a number of lobbyists and campaign donors. But they did include the names of tens of thousands of guests in entries that informed a number of critical stories about the administration, including some by the most vocal Trump supporters in media.

Spicer cited the Obama White Houses omissions to defend the current administrations decision to keep the public entirely in the dark about the individuals meeting with top White House staff.

The White House promised that visitor logs would be forthcoming on a since-deleted page of its website. On Friday, it announced that it was scrapping transparency data tools used by the previous administration and abandoning plans to release similar visitor logs.

Spicer told reporters that Americans have a right to make their voice heard at the White House without their identities, or the names of officials hearing their concerns, being publicly listed.

We recognized that theres a privacy aspect to allowing citizens to come and express their views, Spicer said. Theres an opportunity for the American people who want to have a conversation and be able to share their view to do so without being publicly identified.

Spicers comments came amid increasing scrutiny of former lobbyists now employed in the administration who have been secretly exempted from ethics rules that would bar them from taking meetings with their former colleagues in the influence business.

The lack of visitor logs will also make it more difficult to determine when private individuals in the government or public relations business seek access and influence that does not trigger lobbying reporting requirements.

Reporters pressed Spicer on those points on Monday in light of Trumps campaign pledge to drain the swamp in Washington and root out official corruption and special interest influence.

Members of the swamp can walk into the White House and theres no recourse to the public to hold them to accountability, one reporter pointed out.

The White House has insisted, and Spicer reiterated on Monday, that its decision to keep visitors secret is an attempt to safeguard information that might compromise national security information or violate the privacy of individual visitors.

But even as the Obama administration released unprecedented records on the individuals who visited the White House, it reserved the right to remove information from visitor logs on privacy and national security grounds.

Despite their official commitment to transparency, Obama staffers found ways to get around visitor reporting requirements for meetings that might look unseemly or embarrassing. Staffers began meeting lobbyists at a coffee shop across the street from the White House in order to avoid public disclosure of the meetings.

But even that faux commitment to transparency, as Spicer characterized it, resulted in a wealth of information on people seeking White House access - information that will no longer be publicly available.

The White House is currently facing federal litigation over its refusal to release visitor logs. The group bringing the open records lawsuit, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, also sued the Obama White House for visitor records early in that administration.

The Obama team released that information voluntarily in order to resolve that lawsuit, but that didnt occur until about seven months into the administration.

With four months to go until the same point in his presidency, Trump still has a chance to be more transparent than his predecessor.
By Abigail Fielding-Smith & Crofton Black of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism

A mysterious Turkish organisation gave a former U.S. homeland security adviser a $400,000 contract to improve public perceptions of Turkey, deepening questions about the countrys attempts to influence U.S. politics and the limited transparency surrounding them.

The contractwith a firm run by Douglas Baker, the son of Republican grandee James Baker forms part of more than $3 million-worth of U.S. lobbying contracts linked to Turkey that have been signed since last summer

Its discovery comes in the wake of revelations that President Donald Trumps disgraced former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn received more than $500,000 to lobby on behalf of Turkish government interests as recently as November 2016, just before he was appointed.

Unlike Flynn, Baker registered his contract promptly in the Department of Justices list of Foreign Agents According to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), any U.S. citizen doing political or quasi-political activity on behalf of a foreign entity is legally obliged to inform the DoJ and disclose details of their work.

But an examination of the contract shows how many questions can remain about a lobbying transactions origin and goals even when the lobbyist has fulfilled their obligations under FARA in a timely fashion.

The DoJ filing shows that an Istanbul-based organisation known as the Knowledge Economy Association (KEA) signed a contract with a company called Monte Advisory Group in August 2016. The documents list Douglas Bakerwho also jointly runs a private equity firm called Monument Capitalas the sole and managing member of Monte Advisory Group.

Bakerwho served on George W. Bushs Homeland Security Councilis the son of James Baker, who for more than a decade was one of the most powerful people in Washington, serving from 1981 to 1993 as chief of staff then Treasury Secretary under Ronald Reagan, and Secretary of State then chief of staff under George Bush senior. James Baker is also on Monument Capitals advisory Board.

Monte has no active website and the Bureau has been unable to find any other information online relating to its activities other than the filing relating to KEA. The KEA also has very little online presenceits website is blank and its Youtube and Twitter accounts have no postings.

In its DoJ filing Monte states it engaged in outreach to the Trump Presidential Campaign and Presidential Transition Team on behalf of its client, who had hired it to improve the overall relationship and public perceptions between Turkey and the United States. Monte also made contact with outgoing Obama administration officials, holding meetings with staff from the Department of Defense and emailing Colin Kahl, the National Security Advisor to then Vice-President Joe Biden.

According to Israfil Kahraman, an Istanbul lawyer named in the DoJ filing as the legal representative for the KEA, the purpose of the contract was to develop friendship and cooperation between Turkey and the United States in the fields of scientific and economic development.

He told the Bureau that the KEA had been founded by a group of distinguished scientists with the aim of conducting civil society activities in order to raise awareness in Turkey about developing an economy with high added value.

Steven Cook, a Turkey expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, said that it was odd for an NGO to be involved in lobbying overseas. That isnt what NGOs typically do, he told the Bureau.

When contacted by the Bureau, Douglas Baker said there had been some concerns the US-Turkey relationship had soured a little in the later years of the Obama administration. There could be opportunities to either strengthen that relationship or see it undergo further harm, he said. And thats the reason that [KEA] retained Monteto help during that transitional phase.

Montes work for KEA was never designed to be broad brush public relations campaign, he added. It was a bit more of an opportunity to present their point of view they felt we were positioned to help them with the necessary introductions.

The KEA, known in Turkish as the Bilgi Ekonomisi Dernegi, opted not to renew the contract with Monte when its initial six-month term expired in February. Only $105,000 of the contracted $400,000 had been paid out by this point, according to the filing.

Concerns about foreign money and influence in the US have been growing since the start of the Trump administration, particularly relating to Russia, whose alleged connections to Flynn ultimately led to the security advisors resignation a few weeks after his appointment.

The subsequent revelations of Flynns Turkey-related activitieswhich were first reported in last November but revealed in much more detail last monthhave drawn attention to the Turkish governments lobbying efforts in the U.S.

Turkey has long lobbied internationally against the U.S-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, an exiled rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who has been accused of leading the attempted coup (allegations that Gulen denies).

Since the coup, which left 248 people dead, Turkey has been on a major offensive against suspected Gulen supporters. Turkish authoritiesin what they argue is a necessary response to a violent attempt to overthrow the governmenthave detained more than 110,000 people, nearly 50,000 of whom are still in jail. Turkey has also been demanding foreign governments take action on Gulen-affiliated organisations overseas.

Turkey was strongly criticised internationally for alleged human rights abuses during the crackdown, which happened at the same time the civil war in neighbouring Syria was causing Turkeys alliance with the US to fray, and just as US politics was entering a crucial transition stage.

President Erdogan has been accused of authoritarian behaviour as he has consolidated his grip on power. The Turkish people gave their verdict on Sunday in a referendum on whether the country should switch from a parliamentary democracy into a presidential system, a move that will significantly extend his powers and allow him to stand in two more election cycles.

According to the DoJ filing, Flynn Intel was contracted by a Turkish businessman in September 2016 to carry out investigative research on Gulen.

According to an interview the former CIA director James Woolsey gave to the Wall Street Journal, Flynn was even present in a meeting when the idea was discussed of having someone whisk Gulen away to circumvent the legal process (Flynns spokesperson has denied the claim).

Baker said that the Monte contract did not involve advocacy on Gulen. We told them early on that we were not interested in any of the discussions on the Gulen matter, he said.

Discussions about the contract had begun before the attempted overthrow in Turkey, he pointed out. I dont see this as tied to the coup, he said.

The Bureau has found no evidence that Monte did anything controversial. But it is hard to tell much about the KEAs interests from the FARA filing. The documents simply state that the KEA was a Turkish non-governmental organization whose activities aligned sometimes with the interests of the Turkish government.

The filing also said that at least one member of the KEA leadership was a representative of the Turkish government.

The founding president of the KEA, Davut Kavranoglu, who holds a PhD from the California Institute of Technology, is now a scientific advisor to President Erdogan. I have always placed a very high value and importance on Turkish-American friendship, Kavranoglu told the Bureau.

But he said he had given up his role running the KEA after taking up the position with the president.

In December last year Kavranoglu tweeted a photograph of himself with James Baker.

Flynn Intel and Monte Advisory Group are just some of many firms that have been been contracted in support of Turkish policy goals since last summer, the Foreign Agents registry shows.

Some of these contracts, like the Flynn Intel and Monte Advisory Group, were brand new. Others were renewals of ongoing relationships.

Details of the filings reveal the breadth of Turkeys attempts to secure influence in America as concerns about its human rights record grow.

One beneficiary is Signal Group Consulting, which was subcontracted to produce a short video. The video described Gulens extensive school network in the US as a sleeper cell hidden amongst the rolling hills of Americas heartland.

Others include two companies known as Capitol Counsel and Daschle Group, which were awarded $432,000 each to help carry out a lobbying and government relations services contract, according to filings in January 2017.

The brief filed by Capitol Counsel included a commitment to educate and reeducate elected and appointed policy makers about the strategic relationship between Turkey and the US.

Lydia Dennett from the non-profit watchdog Project on Government Oversight said that vaguely worded statements about the purpose of lobbying contracts typify filings made with the foreign agents registry. Though compliant with the law, such filings leave the public a little bit in the dark about what exactly theyre doing and what US policies they are trying to influence, she said.

The law governing the registration processthe Foreign Agents Registration Actdoes not require lobbyists to file much information about who is contracting them, she pointed out.

If the goal of the law is to truly provide transparency, additional information should be required so that the public and those who are being lobbied have an idea of where this message is coming from, she said.

I think its long past time to review a lot of different aspects of this law.
The average nightly cost of housing homeless people in commercial hotel rooms in NYC surged approximately 600 percent between November 2015 and this February, according to the latest analysis from Comptroller Scott Stringer's office. According to the report, the average cost increased from $82,214 to $576,203 per night, city-wide.

The highest room rate documented between last October and this February was $549, at a hotel near Times Square.

"Hotel rooms are not only a Band-aid solution to a complex problem, but they're also very expensive," Stringer said in a statement. "If families are going to get back on their feet, we need to help get them the services they need."

A vocal critic of Mayor de Blasio's handling of the homelessness crisis in New York City, Stringer has issued multiple reports on the thousands of dollars spent nightly on commercial hotel rooms. Both de Blasio and Stringer have criticized hotel shelters, which are more expensive than traditional shelters, and have fewer resources to bootno kitchens, for example. But the Department of Homeless Services has argued that hotel shelters are a necessary stopgap measure while the city works to reverse a 35-year trend of steadily increasing homelessness.

Stringer's data is based on hotel room charges made to city-issued credit cards, or "P-cards." February 28th, the last day analyzed, coincided exactly with the launch of Mayor de Blasio's new homelessness plan. In order to reduce reliance on hotel shelters, the mayor announced, the city will open 90 new shelters city-wide.

"The comptroller is behind the curve," said mayoral spokeswoman Jaclyn Rothenberg. "We announced as part of our plan that we will be ending the use of hotels by opening a smaller number of better shelters across the five boroughs, reducing the number of shelter sites by 45 percent."

Rothenberg added that the current average nightly cost per commercial hotel room is $175, and that the city has instated a new policy prohibiting room rentals in excess of $400 per night. Also, according to DHS, certain room rates from the week of New Year's Eve were initial charges that were later reduced (Rothenberg did not clarify how many charges this applied to).

"We recently put into place a plan to further reduce costs and improve services," Rothenberg added.

De Blasio's new shelter plan has been met with considerable pushback in Crown Heights, which is slated to host two of the first new facilities. One of the new shelters, on Bergen Street, has been temporarily blocked in court. Residents filed a lawsuit alleging that their neighborhood already has its share of facilities, and that opening a new shelter would violate fair share criteria in the city charter.

"Because we cannot use these beds, we've been forced to rent commercial hotel rooms," DHS spokesman Isaac McGinn told Gothamist this month.
When Holy Week ends, Tax Day descends. Lurking behind the scenes of Easter egg hunts and Passover dinners, you might have caught glimpses of wild-eyed accountants while citizens gripe and gulp before writing checks to the IRS.

This year, the underlying anxiety is supposed to be paired with the hope of tax reform, as congressional Republicans try to redeem their reputation for legislative competence by pivoting toward their core issue when they return from spring recess.

No specific plan has been presented and the chaos of the Republican caucus makes success murky at best. Nonetheless, theres hope among policy wonks that tax simplification will finally take center stage. But in a pathetic abandonment of fiscal conservative principles, Trumps OMB director Mick Mulvaney announced that deficit reduction is not a priority for this administration. In a double-insult to generational responsibility, the proposed Trump budget cuts much of the public investment that supports research in science and technology.

As America faces a future of budget cuts, an aging population and exploding deficits, its time for a more ambitious and innovative visionmoving beyond taxes to look for new forms of revenue that can spur long-term growth without saddling future generations with more debt.

So heres a big idea worth exploring: What if the money given by state and federal governments to fund research and entrepreneurship was treated as an equity investment rather than a tax-payer funded gift or loan?

Treating Uncle Sam as an angel investor would not only incentivize R&D that can help keep our country economically competitive, it could provide dividends that stave off budget cuts and tax hikes alike. Future generations could be buoyed by an annuity created by todays taxpayer investments. It might allow us to reduce the overall tax burden by providing an entirely new source of government revenue thats built upon investment in the public good. Thats the definition of win-win.

This isnt a pie-in-the sky idea or some sort of doomed-to-fail socialist scheme. Its based on bedrock values and the venture-capital backbone of modern American investment.

The United States has been in the investment business since its inception. For over 200 years, the federal government has been a lending resource for farming, education and infrastructure (protected under Section 8 of the Constitution, To promote the Progress of Science).

Heres how it currently works: The government gives out loans at low rates to encourage the kind of long-term national-interest investments (like railroads or steel) that no individual bank may want to fund. No matter how successful the railway or steel industries ever became, the American government would only make back its money plus interest.

But Silicon Valley runs on a much different type of investment, an equity model where venture capital firms hope to make (a lot) more money if the company does especially well. For example, an investor who had a $100,000 share of Apples 1980 IPO would have made $30 million by 2015.

As it happens, one of these early investors was the federal government, through the Small Business Administrationwhich takes credit for helping to fund the likes of Apple through a program that matches $2 for every $1 raised from private investors.

If the government had taken an equity stake in these initial investments, it would have made hundreds of millions or perhaps billions of dollars on behalf of taxpayers. (When we reached out to experts at the SBA who oversee these programs, it seems that no one has bothered to calculate what the government would have actually made if the funding was treated as equity.)

But since the government doesnt deal in equity, the treasury doesnt benefit from a real return on its investment. And the government is never really incentivized to allocate more funding to science and technology because it doesnt accurately track or recoup the costs.

Equity will never offset the need for taxes, but we could better align government spending in ways we know create long-term value.

Its easy to anticipate the ideological criticism that if the government is treated like an investor, it will distort the free market by politically picking winners and losers. No one wants another Solyndra, the infamous titanic of an energy company that sank millions of dollars in government loans when it went bankrupt. But an equity model leverages the same fund of funds model that helped create Apple. The government just becomes one of many partners in institutions with an existing track record, mitigating the risk.

Many of the worlds most profitable internet companies started out at universities. For example, the founders of Google began as unappreciated graduate students at Stanford University, using National Science Foundation money to help to sustain their ramen noodle-fueled existence. Like most top universities, Stanford takes a cut of the intellectual property developed on their campuses and earned over $170 million when Google went public in 2004. Taxpayers got much less in direct benefit despite the fact that, in effect, they provided crucial seed capital.

Investments in university research sidesteps much of the winners and losers ethical thicket. Instead of taking intellectual property royalties, which can snuff out fragile startups before they generate meaningful cash flow, universities and the federal government can initiate their involvement as venture capitalists, funding businesses o based on academic origins.

This is what a new project at Cornell Tech is committed to creating. There is already legal precedent through the Small Business Administrations Participating Securities program for the government to make indirect equity-style investments through venture funds. Rather than directly investing in Google, its one step removed by investing in funds that have a history of successful venture capital partnering with universities. This approach reduces the risk of political favoritism seeping into the process.

There are other exciting ideas brewing in this innovative space. The Small Business Innovation Act, being reintroduced this year by Senator Tammy Baldwin, would allow the government to recoup its investments through equity. In order to build long-term economic growth, we need to make strong investments in advanced manufacturing, innovation, science, research and technology, Senator Baldwin told The Daily Beast.

The approach could prove popular with Democrats and Republicans alike. The Defense Department keeps close tabs on its investments but it authored a glowing report of SBA loans for private contractors (PDF), estimating billions in new economic output and new groundbreaking innovations, including a laser-based LASIK eye procedure once used for Air Force pilots, now utilized in a significant portion of all consumer surgeries.

This plan could work for states as well as at the federal level. Residents of California, for example, could see long-term returns thanks to their $3 billion-dollar, ballot-approved, bond issue to fund stem-cell research. Lives have been saved thanks to the research, but as federal science funding dries up, scientists must convince voters of its value. Medical procedures built on the science could well pay for the bond over the long run, but with no objective way of measuring its benefits, these extraordinary discoveries are too often seen as a financial cost than an investment in the future.

Changing the federal revenue system to rely more on equity rather than simply taxes is a paradigm shift. But it has the potential to bridge partisan divides, incentivizing long-term growth while creating an intergenerational assetan annuity that benefits tax-payers for generations to come. Its a compelling vision for how we can all do well while pursuing the public good.
Anneke Lucas, 56, a Brooklyn-based survivor of child sex trafficking and advocate for victims, launched a petition in January urging New York to mandate informational signage about human trafficking in all New York hotels and motels. The signs would offer resources to victims, she says, and educate hotel staff on certain indicators of trafficking: guests who book multiple rooms with cash, for example.

Inspired by legislation recently passed in Connecticut, Lucas's petition has received 54,569 signatures as of this writing. A few weeks ago, New York Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-Westchester) introduced legislation mandating signage and training for hotel staff, with Lucas as her muse. A task force like ECPAT-USA, which has standardized guidelines for identifying trafficking, would conduct the training.

Lucas says her parents sold her into a sex trafficking ring in Belgium when she was six years old, in the late 1960s. "I was trafficked in hotels twice, luxury hotels," Lucas told Gothamist on Monday. "When I was taken by these men I didn't speak the same language that they did, so I was suppose to be quiet, and no one ever tried to address me. I had no idea as a young child, 9 and 11, that I was being trafficked. I think if I had seen something very simple in the hotel lobby'If you are under 18 and engaging in a sex act, you are a victim'I would have taken down the number."

Paulin's legislation comes on the heels of an NYPD announcement that NYC is shifting its sex trafficking policing tactics. Commissioner James O'Neill said recently that he intends to prevent people coerced into performing sex from also being criminalizedarrested for prostitution, fingerprinted, and sent through the court system. The goal, he said, is to focus on arresting pimps and johns instead: what sex work advocates call the "end demand" approach. Eliminate the buyers of sex and exploiters of sex workers, and you eliminate the possibility of sexual exploitation, the logic goes.

Lucas told Gothamist that she is a proponent of end-game policing, which has also been endorsed by anti-sex trafficking nonprofits across the country. Paulin's legislation, she said, could help law enforcement target traffickers while helping victims.

"People can be on the look out, and hotel personnel can have a protocol in place," she said. "The protocol is to notify their manager, and then the manager knows what to do. The hotline is there that will connect to Polaris [a national human trafficking hotline], and they can notify police."

"Those who work in the hospitality industry are on the frontlines," echoed Sonia Ossorio, president of the National Organization for Women. "These are workers who can intervene and save lives with the proper training."

But some sex trafficking victims and their advocates are skeptical of the NYPD's ability to target perpetrators without also arresting victims. Proponents of legalizing sex work also argue that the crusade against sex trafficking emboldens the NYPD vice unit to make hotel sweeps, often arresting women who are working of their own volition, and are not trafficked. A recent Gothamist report documented hotel sweeps, resulting in prostitution arrests, a few days after Commissioner O'Neill pledged that "we can't just arrest our way out of this problem."



Anneke Lucas (Francesca Magnani / courtesy Lucas).

An Urban Institute report released last month details the shortcomings of NYC's current approach to policing prostitution: the vast majority of people arrested on prostitution charges in NYC between mid-2015 and mid-2016 were women of color. And while most of them ultimately had their charges vacatedpart of a recent effort to clear the records of sex trafficking victimscops and courts often leave sex workers and victims of trafficking feeling like criminals.

"Anybody that's trafficked isn't looked at as a victim," one 32-year-old woman told researchers. "They're a criminal until after the aftermath. That's when they find out we're really victims and not criminals."

Anti-sex trafficking organizations say that rates of trafficking are difficult to track, since victims often fear coming forward. According to the Urban Institute, of 1,413 defendants arrested for prostitution or related charges in NYC between February 2015 and March 2016, 35 percent reported that they had been trafficked into sex work at least one time in the past.

Polaris also keeps track of sex trafficking reports annually. According to that site, 327 human trafficking cases were reported in New York in 2016, up from 285 in 2015 and 271 in 2014.

Lucas runs a nonprofit organization that brings yoga and meditation into prisons. Despite New York's safe harbor law protecting children 17 and under from being charged with prostitution, she said that she still encounters minors in prison, arrested on prostitution charges.

"I personally think it's not wrong to criminalize prostitution," she said, adding, "I would love to see that the criminalization wouldn't focus on the woman, but would focus on the john."

Legal Aid attorney Kate Mogulescu, who heads up the organization's human trafficking advocacy program, has criticized any response to sex trafficking that doesn't explicitly denounce the policing of sex work. "We continue to gather reports about inappropriate policing, coercive policing," she told Gothamist recently.
WEST COLUMBIA -- The Brazos River passes wide and muddy through the Griffith family ranch.

Floodwaters frequently prompt family members and an armada of cowboys for hire to round up their cows and move them to higher ground. Historic flooding on the Brazos last summer made much of the ranch accessible only by boat for weeks.

"You'd have to be crazy to want to put a subdivision here because of the flooding we get," Wilson Griffith told the Houston Chronicle. "About all the land is good for is ranching, and maybe growing a few pecan trees."

Griffith and his brother, Jamie, never have wanted to sell the land, which their family has owned for more than 100 years. They want to give it to their children some day but worry about the tax implications.

Thanks to a state program designed to assist landowners who want to conserve working farm and ranch lands, however, the Griffiths will be able to keep the property in the family in perpetuity, in exchange for promising not to sell it to developers. Keeping the ranch "as is" helps protect surrounding natural resources, such as wetlands that act like a magnet for migratory birds and soak up floodwaters.

The Texas Farms and Ranch Lands Conservation Program, created by the Legislature in 2005, was meant to play a vital role in protecting agricultural lands, which are disappearing as a result of the population boom. A 2014 Texas A&M study found that the state was losing farm and ranch land at a faster rate than anywhere else in the country.

The program provides state funds to nonprofits -- often land trusts -- to purchase conservation easements. Landowners who sell or donate those easements retain title to their land if they agree not to mine or build a residential subdivision or commercial development on the property.

In most cases, that legal agreement leads to a win-win situation: working farms and ranches stay intact, and natural resources are protected.

"In Texas, the focus has really been on protecting water resources," said Blair Calvert Fitzsimmons, chief executive officer of the Texas Agricultural Land Trust. "When the state is looking at spending $63 billion on a plan that includes pumps and pipelines and desalination plants, you need a strategy to protect the land where the rain falls."

Despite initial enthusiasm for the program, state lawmakers did not fund it until recently, and they initially put it in the hands of the General Land Office.

The Land Office secured some federal dollars for coastal work but that limited the scope of projects.

Many in the statewide conservation community thought the General Land Office was miscast to manage the program: Part of the agency's mission is maximizing revenues through land leases, yet conservation easements actually reduce the land's taxable value.

So in 2015, the program was moved to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and received a $2 million appropriation -- its first.

Many land trust leaders say the program now is experiencing a rebirth.

"Clearly, Texas Parks and Wildlife is a much better fit," said Lori Olson, executive director of the Texas Land Trust Council. "Managing lands for conservation is their bailiwick."

Over the past year, the agency has funded seven projects spearheaded by groups such as The Texas Agricultural Land Trust, the Hill Country Conservancy, the Nature Conservancy and the Valley Land Fund. In all, those groups have been able to protect about 10,000 acres through conservation easements.

Ted Hollingsworth, land conservation director for Texas Parks and Wildlife, said all the projects conserve land with immense ecological value while maintaining the landowners' ability to utilize the land.

"My own personal bias might be toward wildlife, saving the snakes, lizards, mice and things like that," he said. "But the fact is, like most people, I really like to eat, too, and this is working land. The beauty of this program is that we're helping to ensure that Texas landowners are still producing cattle, still raising crops."

Initial returns on the revived program are good. An evaluation by Texas A&M's Institute of Natural Resources last year found that the funded projects were saving water at a rate that was about six times more cost effective than conventional conservation strategies.

The evaluation also found the program is growing in popularity among landowners and conservation groups.

Consequently, the department has asked lawmakers for more money, but it's unclear what will happen given current budget constraints.

Mark Steinbach, director of the Texas Land Conservancy, said it would be a shame if the program stalled again.

The effort helped provide his group with $1.7 million to secure a conservation easement on the Griffith ranch in Brazoria County. The easement lowered the value of the land, reducing the family's tax burden.

At 3,000 acres, it represents the largest piece of private property being conserved in the Columbia Bottomlands, one of the most ecologically valuable regions in Texas. The vast stretch of hardwood forest serves as a crucial stopover for birds trekking across the Gulf of Mexico. It's also threatened by Houston's population creep.

"I think the most significant thing about this property is just its sheer size," Steinbach said. "This was the kind of opportunity that just doesn't come along all that often in conservation."

The Griffith family always has been conservation minded. Family members love to fish and hunt. Several years ago, they granted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service a conservation easement on about 1,400 acres.

They've been interested in working with a conservation group to further protect their land but had some reservations.

Steinbach and the Texas Land Conservancy, however, shared their vision -- allowing the family to control its future while protecting natural assets.

"I think it's going to be a good fit," Griffith said. "We get to continue to enjoy this land and now so do our kids."

Photo by Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle

Willow Glenn Plantation in West Columbia benefits from a state program aimed at conserving land.
A Houston teen told a Brazos County Sheriff's deputy that he paid $150 to someone he met on social media who promised to secure a prescription for cough syrup with codeine and an antibiotic from a pharmacy near Bryan.

Employees at Kroger Pharmacy on Boonville Road received a call April 7 from a person claiming to be from a doctor's office in Sugar Land, asking to fill a prescription for 19-year-old Darrion Denard Brooks and giving information that typically accompanies such a request, according to court documents. The employee reported the suspicious request to the deputy, asking for the situation to be investigated.

The deputy contacted the Sugar Land doctor's office, which confirmed Brooks was not a patient but said the office recently had been contacted by other law enforcement officials with regard to fake prescriptions, the police report states. The doctor's office sent a regional advisory out with regard to the scam, authorities said.

When Brooks was arrested after picking up the prescriptions April 10, he told the deputy that he was getting it for recreational use and that while some mixed it with soda, he drank it straight, court documents state.
The first batch of citywide ferries have finished the journey from the Floridian mudbanks to Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, where Mayor de Blasio was on hand this morning to welcome them with a couple of dad jokes.

Two of the total 20 new ferries (now with booze!) journeyed from Liberty Landing in New Jersey to Brooklyn Bridge Park this morning for their first official dedication ceremony. The ferries, operated by San Francisco-based company Hornblower, will service multiple routes in Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn, including Far Rockaway and Astoriain 2018, the service is expected to expand to the Bronx as well. Rides will cost $2.75 each way. De Blasio called the expansion "part of the next wave of transportation in this city."

"It's going to be a new day for our city and a new chance for people to get around in a better way and easier way," the mayor said today. "It's going to create so many good options for people to choose from. It's going to improve the quality of life for New Yorkers to have the ferry service as part of our everyday life, as something people can depend on." The expanded service starts rolling out May 1st, ahead of schedule.



The new ferry routes due to come into service (via NYC Mayor's Office)

In addition to announcing the start of service, Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen "christened" the new fleet's first vessel, named "Lunchbox" by a bunch of enterprising second graders in Bay Ridge. Ensuing vessels will be named "Friendship Express" and "McShiny." Second graders should be in charge of everything.

Check out a complete gallery of the Mayor's dedication, as well as the first onboard tour of Lunch Box, above. You can peruse the new schedules and landing docks here.
The community of the University of Alabama School of Law has received the devastating news that two of its members, Liz Whipple, the interim director of the school's Domestic Violence Clinic, and Shelly Darling, a staff attorney in the school's Elder Law Clinic, were found dead in Lake Tuscaloosa on Saturday morning. Their deaths are believed to have been accidental. Our thoughts are with the families of the two women.
The MTA tour guide who showed legions of visitors the off-limits underbelly of Grand Central Terminal is out of a job, possibly because he gave unsanctioned tours during his time off.

The New York Post reports, citing anonymous sources, that veteran Grand Central docent-in-chief Dan Brucker was pushed out because of security concerns about his alleged rogue tours.

An automatic response to an email sent to Brucker's MTA email address reads, "Dan Brucker no longer works for Metro-North." Brucker could not be reached by other means.

MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan wrote in an email that "There is an ongoing [Inspector General] investigation and as such, we can't comment on the matter. He is suspended at this time."

Brucker made $102,500 in 2015, according to payroll records. Though paid by the state, he technically worked for the tour company Orpheo. His tours brought tourists and transit buffs into otherwise restricted areas of the storied train terminal, including the sub-basement, home to a century-old computer, the inside of the Tiffany clock atop the building facing 42nd Street, and the secret spiral staircase inside the information booth in the center of the terminal.

Orpheo did not return a call seeking comment, but a worker told the Post that Brucker "retired a couple weeks ago."

The Post quotes a photographer who says that Brucker took him and other shutterbugs up to the terminal's glass catwalks as a favor between booked tours.

The tour we took with Brucker in 2015each tidbit punctuated with exclamations such as "Right" and "Check"was on the regular tour schedule, but came with its own batch of controversy.

Gothamist's invitation to the tour was arranged by a public relations person outside of the MTA's main press office, and two weeks after we began to publish articles based on our visit, then-MTA spokesman Adam Lisberg wrote that he was "pissed" about the pieces.

Lisberg wrote, "I have no issue with the articleswe love Danny, love his tours, and love showing off GCT. If anything, we could have helped you make it even better had you come through the front door. But when my bosses see a three-part series about GCT in a major outlet and I dont know anything about it, you can be assured I will have lots of questions."

A week later, then-Gothamist features editor Christopher Robbins sent the MTA a routine inquiry seeking information on the history of a bus driver arrested following a fatal hit-and-run. When he followed up two days later to point out that the MTA had provided the information to the New York Times but failed to respond to Gothamist, Lisberg wrote in reply, "Must have fallen down [editorial director] Jen Carlsons special staircase, or perhaps it slipped into her hidden basement."
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It did not come to hell or high water, but after nearly two years of anticipation a new SoNo brew pub has switched out brown paper in its windows to reveal pub stools, a bar and gleaming copper tanks where it will crank out new beers.

Where should you go out in Connecticut?

The Hell or High Water Brewpub opened with little fanfare on Friday at 136 Washington St. in South Norwalk, offering eight beers brewed on the premises with another three in the works under Anderson Santanna Delima, head brewer.

Owned by Mayub Murshed, the brew pub also boasts a gourmet tavern menu, from local standards like oysters on the half shell, to nibbles like an artisanal cheese and meat platter, to unusual entrees like roasted bone marrow. Entrees run between $8 and $20.

The unabashed stars of the show are the beers, however  and Santanna Delima is more than happy to rattle off not just the brewing process for each, but their histories and antecedents. They range from Belgian-style Dubbel, Trippel and Red Strong Ale; to German Kolsch; to California Brown Lager, which prompts a retelling of the brews lore dating back to the California Gold Rush.

Hell or High Water brings a microbrewery back to South Norwalk two years after the closure of Sono Brewhouse on Marshall Street, along with the brief-lived Guvnors Brewery whose quarters have been taken by Hell or High Water. Prior to that, the storefront near the corner of Water Street was occupied by candy proprietor Sweet Rexies that had relocated to Southport.

Santanna Delima promises there will be more than enough at Hell of High Water to tempt the taste buds  the bar has eight taps through which he plans to rotate new beers regularly, with the tanks currently brewing a New England IPA, a Belgian-style Saison and a California lager. He hails from Sao Paulo, Brazil, and attended culinary school before a career in New York City and elsewhere (including one stop in 2012 where his bar was unable to hold back the rising waters of Sandy).

Hell or High Water has no plans for now to expand beer distribution beyond its walls in SoNo, but Santanna Delima believes plenty will visit to experiment with what he says will be an ongoing selection of new varieties.

I mill the grains myself, he said. Its a real brew pub.

 Kaitlyn Krasselt contributed to this report.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-354-1047; www.twitter.com/casoulman
Childrens book or philosophical insight laced with social commentary?

No matter ones opinion, the fact remains Le Petit Prince, or The Little Prince, is one of the most popular books of all time, having sold more than 150 million copies in about 300 languages since it was penned in 1943 by French aviator, illustrator and writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

The novella has inspired a host of artistic endeavors over the decades, including symphonic pieces, cartoons, films, television shows, ballet and operatic works and live stage performances.

On Sunday, April 23, the Glendale, Calif., troupe, Swazzle, brings its all-ages musical of The Little Prince to Fairfield Universitys Quick Center for the Arts as part of its East Coast tour. The iconic tale will be told on stage through puppets, human actors, inventive stage design and music, according to Swazzle founders, twin brothers Sean and Patrick Johnson.

At its core, The Little Prince is about a wise little boy from Asteroid B-612 who arrives on Earth looking for sheep to rid his tiny world of invasive plants and baobab trees. He lands in the vast Sahara Desert, where he encounters a downed flyer, who is attempting to rebuild his damaged airplane. During their eight days together, they attempt to understand their lives: love, loss, loneliness, friendship, laughter and responsibility.

During their adventure, the Little Prince also frequently comments on the bizarre nature of the narrow-minded adults (and their obsession with materialism) whom he has met on other asteroids. Its for all ages, understandable on various levels  for adults and kids, Patrick Johnson said. The Little Prince is said to be based on St. Exuperys life as an aviator and his relationship with his beloved wife, who takes the form of a lovely red rose in the book.

More Information Quick Center for the Arts, 200 Barlow Road, on the campus of Fairfield University. Sunday, April 23, 3 p.m. $20. 203-254-4010, bit.ly/2pbARar, quickcenter.com. Also Sunday, April 30, at 2 p.m. at the University of Connecticut's Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, 2132 Hillside Road, Storrs. 860-486-4226. See More Collapse

The Johnsons, both trained at the Jim Henson Co., founded their puppet production group in 2004. Patrick said The Little Prince was adapted for the stage by Rick Cummins and John Scoullar, with original music by Rick Cummins. The production is part of the Quick Centers Family Fun Series, offering a one-of-a-kind experience to enhance childrens learning and creativity, and offer a new perspective on the world around them.

Patrick said he and his brother fell in love with puppetry as kids watching The Muppets on television and started building their own shows (and getting gigs) in their early teens. Swazzle specializes in creating puppetry for film, television and stage and for their productions. Their puppets are featured in numerous TV commercials and on Broadway; they have built puppets for Jim Hensons Creative Shop, as well.

Together, said Patrick, the brothers collaborate on every aspect of the creative process, from designing and building to performing and directing. Most exciting for them, Patrick said, was the opportunity to have puppeteered on the Disney feature films, The Muppets and Muppets Most Wanted  like working with old friends.

All in all, Patrick said he and his brother are passionate about what they do. Its fun and wonderful to make things.

pasboros@ctpost.com; Twitter: PhyllisASBoros
NORWALK  A Norwalk man has been accused of speeding through South Norwalk streets Sunday afternoon in an attempt to elude police before striking a car on Nash Place.

Police said that at around 1:23 p.m. an officer observed a white car traveling at a high rate of speed on Summit Avenue. The driver of the car, later identified as Idris Gay, was traveling at estimated speeds in excess of 50 mph and the officer activated lights and sirens.

Gay pulled his car over and after the officer asked for license and registration, police say that Gay sped off toward Elmwood and Hillside Avenues.

The officer lost sight of the car near Cedar Street. Additional responding officers saw Gay speed down Ferris Avenue, and other one spotted him on North Taylor Avenue.

Another officer was flagged down by a Nash Place resident, who reported that they heard a loud bang and saw that a parked car had been struck. The resident reported that the driver ran off.

Gay was located by police who said that he had three Vicodin pills in his pocket when he was arrested.

Gay, 26, of Walter Avenue, was charged with interfering with an officer, failure to keep drugs in original container, failure to bring motor vehicle to full stop, engaging in pursuit, evading responsibility, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, possession of narcotics, and reckless driving.

His bond was set at $50,000 and he was given a court date of April 25.

Police said that Gay was a parole absconder and he was remanded to custody.

Court records show that Gay has a criminal record dating to a 2008 conviction on drug-related charges and on March, 2014, he was sentenced to three years in jail on a burglary conviction.

Norwalk Police spokesman Lt. Terry Blake commended the member of the community who notified officers of Gays whereabouts.
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NORWALK  Just over 20 years ago, a group of public school teachers from different walks of life bounded together with a single mission: to create a public charter school in South Norwalk.

It was 1996. Connecticut's laws allowing charter schools had just been signed. During a flurry of meetings between teachers in the area, the idea to take advantage of the new laws was tossed around.

Some of the instructors had become disenchanted with their current schools teaching environments. Others simply embraced the opportunity creating a new charter school could offer.

So a group of six teachers decided to take up the idea.

Within a year, the teachers opened Side by Side Charter School, the citys only regional public charter school, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

Looking back it was the hardest thing Ive ever done in my life, said Carole Oddie, one of the schools founders who still teaches there today, but Im so glad we did it.

The school opened in 1997 with the mission to allow a diverse groups of students to come together to learn in an academically challenging and cooperative way that instilled both a sense of the surrounding community and social justice.

Over time, despite changes to meet the needs of state and national mandates and standards, the schools feel has remained mostly the same.

An example of their philosophy can be seen in the second-graders lesson on Norwalks beloved oyster industry. It is used as a tool by teachers to show students its history, economics, social stratification  as in which types of people did which jobs  and role in the surrounding Long Island Sound environment.

Despite controversy surrounding many other charter schools across the country that rake in large profits or are dedicated solely to boosting test scores, Mary Newbery, the schools assistant director, said Side by Sides goal is enriching peoples lives.

Were what we like to call a mom and pop version of a charter school, she said.

As a public charter school, Side by Side receives funding only from the state  about $11,000 per student. It has no Board of Education or Central Office. Its considered its own school district, reporting only to the state, with administrative work left on the shoulders of two administrators and the teachers themselves.

Its that same setup though that allows the freedom the founding teachers sought out to begin with.

There is less red tape, less bureaucracy ... a lot more freedom within the school for those voices to make bigger decisions, said Matthew Nittoly, the schools executive director.

It's like everyone takes on a little stake of ownership, he added.

That setup in addition to the the schools relatively small population gives it a community feel, Nittoly said.

Though it accepts students from 3 years of age through the eighth grade, there is just one class of 22-or-so students per grade enrolled each year in a lottery process.

That community-centered feel with its unique teaching philosophy, has largely come to define the school since its conception.

And its what drew Jessica Garnett of Norwalk to enroll her daughter there this fall.

Garnett always sensed her daughter, Emma, 6, would thrive in a smaller school setting. Having attended Norwalk Public Schools herself and having an older son attend there as well, Jessica Garnett knew class sizes there were larger.

So she went through the lottery process at Side by Side and  after being wait-listed  her daughter was eventually accepted as a kindergartner in the school this past fall.

Its been wonderful, Garnett said. She has made great friends. Her teacher is wonderful. Because the school is so small and its one class per grade, the teachers seem to form a deeper bond with the kids, even teachers she hasnt had yet.

Nittoly said its those relationships that are formed that have a major impact on learning.

Through trust and these bonds we are able to meet needs more efficiently, he said.

Though the school originally focused more on its holistic approach to education, the rise in importance of test scores has made it evolve throughout the past decade.

Weve always seen that qualitative success in what our kids have left here with, Newbery said, and now we are seeing some of the quantitative success as well.

Newbery said its been all about trying to find a way to balance that belief system.

There were times we were deemed as a school in need of improvement, she said. Last year we were the highest performing charter school in the state.

Looking forward, Nitolly said the school will start construction on a new on-campus secondary building this summer, with an expected opening date of fall 2018. That building will replace the current bundle of portables that have been used on-site since 1998.

As of how the school community feels after its first 20 years, Nitolly said there is certainly a feeling of success.

I would say that we are definitely where we want to be, he said, but still want to look for ways to get better.

KSchultz@thehour.com; 203-354-1049; @kevinedschultz
Ready, set, watch! The 16th edition of the Tribeca Film Festival kicks off Wednesday, April 19, and runs through April 30. What started as a showcase and support system for New York Citys independent film community following 9/11 has become an important cultural -- and business -- event where classic storytelling and technological innovations converge on a global stage.

The festival will open with the world premiere of the feature length documentary Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives about the legendary music man, followed by a live concert featuring Aretha Franklin. On April 30, the festival will close with back-to-back screenings of Godfather and The Godfather Part II, celebrating the 45th anniversary of the American masterpiece. In between, the days will be packed with film, digital, VR, music and gaming content. And at the center of this artistic storm is Andrew Essex, who describes the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival thusly: 12 days of mind-boggling, head-spinning cultural whiplash.

Entrepreneur spoke with Essex about the challenges and joys of running such a mammoth undertaking. Challenge number one? Getting people off the couch.

Youve been at Tribeca for just over a year now. What was the biggest problem you needed to solve as CEO?

I don't think there was so much of a major problem to be solved as a chance to start focusing on the problems of the next five years. Tribeca has entered into its teenage years and anyone alive in the world today recognizes that consumer behavior as it relates to media has radically changed.

When the festival started there was no Twitter or YouTube, let alone iTunes, Netflix and Amazon Prime. And now, all of those things exist and my central hypothesis is that for consumers of content, there really is no reason to leave the house. There are 429 scripted television shows available on any device at any time. So the question becomes: how do you make the event more eventful? We realized that there is a very serious case of FOMO that we need to generate. And that means incredible programming that really cant be seen anywhere else on the planet.

Tribeca CEO Andrew Essex (right) with co-founders Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal

Examples, please.

To celebrate the 45th anniversary of the The Godfather, were going to have the original cast -- De Niro, Pacino, Coppola, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton -- all onstage together. In one of our featured talks, Bruce Springsteen is going to be interviewed by Tom Hanks. We have a VR piece called The Last Goodbye that is co-produced by Steven Spielberg, about a Holocaust survivor who returns to the Majdanek concentration camp. It is extremely challenging and compelling and is just one of the ways the festival is showing that there are new ways to tell stories.

Related: 'The Godfather' Trilogy's Greatest Quotes for Entrepreneurs

What are you doing to help people who cant make it to the festival experience it?

We have an amazing audience in New York, but we thought, how do we get a kid in South Dakota to see whats happening here as well? So live streaming is key. Well be live streaming on Facebook for the first time, and will continue to work with our partner AT&T to use their expanding assets to scale the enterprise.

Related: 10 Ways to Make Millions on YouTube

How do you walk the line of integrating sponsors into your events and content while staying authentic?

I'm not a fan of traditional sponsorship. I think its an antiquated model. A brand doesnt get a lot of return on being on a step and repeat. So we think about the event as a live experience, which brands can be natively integrated. For example, we are using IBMs Watson to crowdsource creativity. We have Tribeca alumni making films for Tumi.

One of the biggest trends is brands telling authentic stories. We have a new category called the Tribeca X which is awarding interesting work that used to be called Madison Avenue work. Brands that are making content that is designed to attract an audience rather than repel one. Thats a very encouraging development for the industry. I think the main breakthrough has been brands recognizing that there is a person at the other end of the screen. The single-most important thing that successful brands do is recognize that just because they can doesnt mean that they should. We learned that recently from a certain carbonated soda company.

Related: Watch: IBM's Watson Created a Super Creepy Movie Trailer All By Itself

Can you give us any kind of prediction of what you think the Tribeca Film Festival will look like in five years?

I would personally like to be cryogenically frozen in five years! If the rate at which media is changing is crazy now, I think it will be exponentially more intense in five years. But I can assure you that Tribeca will remain on the cutting edge. There is so much to discover this year. I would encourage people to download the app -- we're officially paperless -- and explore and they will be blown away by the breath and depth of the programming. And if theyre not, I will personally give them their money back.

Tickets are available on tribecafilm.com and via the TFF 2013 App, available for download for on Android and iOS.

Related:

'The Godfather' Meets Bruce Springsteen -- How This CEO Aims to Give You a Severe Case of Cultural Whiplash

Read This Long-Lost Interview With Charlie Murphy

Missed the First Live Episode of 'The Never Settle Show'? Watch It Here.



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
Sample street food from around the world on Tuesday at the 10th annual STREETS Eats benefit for the STREETS non-profit in Vietnam that trains disadvantaged youth in cooking and restaurant hospitality. NYC chefs include Floyd Cardoz (Paowalla), Leah Cohen (Pig & Khao), Daniel Holzman (The Meatball Shop), and King Phojanakong (Kuma Inn) will be preparing global street foods available for sampling at the walk-around tasting event. There will also be an open bar with beer, wine and cocktails. Tickets cost $150 and the event will take place at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) at Brookfield Place in Battery Park City.



(courtesy Piora)

A sandwich pop-up has arrived at Piora in the West Village. Tuesday to Friday from noon to 2:30 p.m., chef Chris Cipollone will operate "Cipolloni," selling a variety of sandwiches ($15) influenced primarily by Italy. Options include a Porchetta with provolone, cherry pepper relish, spicy broccoli rabe and oregano mojo, and the American Hero, with American-made prosciutto, local mozzarella, kale pesto and marinated peppers.



Farmers Cheese Dumplings (courtesy Delmonico's)

NYC's first fine dining restaurant, Delmonico's, marks a milestone in restaurant history with the introduction of a new guest chef series where female chefs design and executes a lunch menu, commemorating the restaurant's admission of unaccompanied female diners in the late 1860's. From April 20th to April 30th, Delaware & Hudson's Patti Jackson will be the chef of honor, creating special dishes including Farmer's Cheese Dumplings with flowering wild mustard ($13) and Long Island Duck Breast with rhubarb, celery pecan gratin and sauteed spinach ($32).

Eataly's new meat-centric restaurant Manzo reboot will be the inspiration for a total site takeover on Friday. From 8 p.m. to midnight, Eataly's flagship Flatiron store will turn into Meat Me at Eataly, with Manzo dishes offered at stations around the store, in addition to hands-on demos like pasta- and mozzarella-making, and more Italian bites including freshly-sliced prosciutto, and olive oil samplings. Tickets $95.
Supervisor Gary Quandt hopes Tuesdays meeting will better inform the Hall County Board of Supervisors about the Livestock Friendly Program.

The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. in the board room of the Hall County Administration Building.

Steve Martin from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture will give a presentation on the Livestock Friendly Program and how it could benefit Hall County.

Martin will "explain what it is and what the advantages and disadvantages are to becoming a livestock friendly county," Quandt said. "There will be an opportunity for the public to ask questions. Its really just an informational item on the agenda so we know what the advantages and disadvantages to this are."

The Hall County Zoning Review Committee has considered the possibility of submitting an application to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture to declare Hall County a livestock friendly county.

"We are looking at zoning outside the small communities and the city of Grand Island, and there is a possibility we may want to look at becoming a livestock friendly county," Quandt said.

He said he placed the item on the agenda to clear up confusion among county supervisors and to allow them to ask Martin questions about the program.

The county board will also discuss asbestos removal from the Federal Building. Supervisor Jane Richardson, who chairs the countys facilities committee, said asbestos has already been removed from the building and the county board will receive an update at Tuesdays meeting.

"They were made aware of it at a prior meeting, so we will just discuss that its been completed and everything went as planned with the exception of the thin tubes," she said. "There were thin tubes at the baseboard that they (crews working in the Federal Building) couldnt get out without hiring a plumber or hiring an electrician. So were going to discuss how they can be covered instead of removed."

Richardson said crews did work in an additional room outside of what the county had contracted them to do. She said crews "just finished it" and are not charging the county any extra money for that work.

The board will also receive an update on and discuss bids for work on the steps in front of the Hall County Courthouse. Richardson said the county received bids to cover the steps with an elastomeric coating, which is "kind of like something roofers use to seal roofs."

"Our primary purpose for putting this elastomeric covering on the steps is to seal it up because it sometimes leaks down by the entryway," Richardson said. "We want to completely seal it off so that there is no leaking of rainwater."

She said the steps have been "caulked and recaulked, so they are going to put this new elastomeric covering on them."

Richardson did not know the rough cost of putting the elastomeric coating on the courthouse steps but said this will be discussed at Tuesdays meeting.

In other action, the county board will:

 Discuss and consider possible action on the retention of legal counsel for the Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust appeal.

 Discuss and consider approving a conditional use permit for a tower for BNSF Railway. A public meeting took place at the April 4 county board meeting.

 Discuss and consider approving a plan for mental health counselors in the Hall County Department of Corrections.

 Hold a public hearing on and consider approving a conditional use permit for Warped Sportz Adventure Park paintball facility at 19387 W. Rainforth Road in Wood River.
If you are looking for a new job or just want to explore your employment possibilities, it is time for you to attend the Spring Job Fair at Southwestern Illinois College.

The fair runs from 9 a.m. to noon, Thursday, April 13 in the Belleville Campus Varsity Gym, 2500 Carlyle Ave. All job seekers are welcome and should arrive dressed to impress with plenty of copies of their resumes. The job fair is open to the public.
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Linkedin David Willis (The Jakarta Post) Adelaide  Mon, April 17, 2017

ASEAN has been at the core of Indonesias preferred regional order since its inception in 1967. However, after half a century, it is clear that regional challenges have got the best of ASEAN and that the grouping requires substantial reform if it is going to remain the cornerstone of Indonesias foreign policy.

Ibrahim Almuttaqis article on March 17, ASEAN still the cornerstone of Indonesias foreign policy, responding to the debate between myself and Dedi Dinarto of the Gadjah Mada University in The Diplomat, rightly reminds us of the importance ASEAN has held for Indonesia over the last 50 years.

ASEANs designation as the cornerstone of Indonesian foreign policy came in the 1970s during the first decade of the New Order regime.

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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Linkedin Sebastian Partogi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 17, 2017 10:53 2031 a291276806121264c0bd211cde973a48 4 Books Book,history,nonfiction,batik,Batik-Betawi Free

The motifs of batik Betawi are often associated only with Jakartas iconic National Monument (Monas) or ondel-ondel effigies, failing to expose its rich story in the process. Batik collector Hartono Sumarsono believes batik Betawi from Jakarta had rich cultural and sociological significance during its glory days from the 1930s to the 1970s. This significance, unfortunately, might now have been forgotten.

Currently, batik pesisir from the coastal areas of Java or batik Solo (or Surakarta) from Central Java are much more popular among batik lovers.

A book titled Batik Betawi Koleksi Hartono Sumarsono (Batik Betawi from Hartono Sumarsonos collection) aims to change that.

The book was co-authored with former Intisari monthly magazine chief editor Helen Ishwara as well as the magazines two reporters: LR Supriyapto Yahya and Xenia Moeis with photographs from veteran Kompas daily photographer Arbain Rambey.

The book chronicles the glory days of batik Betawi, which was made in Jakarta from the 1930s to 1990 in production centers owned by Chinese-Indonesian merchants located in Karet, South Jakarta, as well as in Palmerah, West Jakarta.

Read also: Exploring 'Peranakan' influence in batik exhibition

The centers produced commercial stampmade batik cap instead of the handmade variety to meet the fast-growing demand coming from not only Java but also Sumatra and Kalimantan.

Nowadays, most of the parts of Karet that previously served as production centers for batik Betawi have already been turned into residential areas and business centers. Im afraid that in the next 20 years, the next generation will know nothing about batik Betawi, Hartono said.

The 63-year-old has been collecting batik since 1983. He runs his own batik store called Kencana Ungu in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta. Since 2010, he has also been producing fabric called Batik Citra Lawas.

His personal collection, however, is not for sale.

In conducting research for this book, we went to some houses in Karet where family members of these batik craftspeople live to find out the origins and story behind each motif and production center, Hartonos personal assistant Dance told The Jakarta Post.

He said many stories about the origins of the classic batik Betawi motifs had been circulated and they wanted to cross-check the stories with the family members. Some family members they visited, unfortunately, no longer clearly remembered the classic batik Betawi tradition between the 1930s and 1970s.

The book opens with a socio-historical portrait of Jakarta in the era of Portuguese occupation in the 15th century and continues to the Dutch occupation period before moving forward to the early days of Indonesian independence. This provides readers with the cultural influences that have shaped the capital city. It also discusses the ethnic diversity that has been present in the melting pot of Jakarta since the 17th century, with Chinese, Muslim Indians and Arabs moving from their home countries, not to mention Indonesians from various ethnicities such as the Balinese and Ambonese.

Many scholars believe the Betawi people of Jakarta are actually the result of inter-ethnic marriages among these groups. Chinese merchants, who started to populate the city in the 16th century, played a significant role in setting up these centers. One of them was Lie Tiang Tjeng (1887 to 1961), who came to Jakarta in 1906. Around seven years after settling in Jakarta, he had already built a large batik factory in the Karet area.

This man is significant because the wealth he accumulated from selling batik turned him into a landlord, Hartono said.

Read also: Indonesian batik heritage on display in Surakarta batik museum

Another prominent figure was Tee Boen Kee, a batik craftsman in the 1930s who owned a workshop in what is now called the Eng Soen alleyway in Jl. Palmerah Utara, West Jakarta.

Hartono said the batik Betawi of the 1930 to 1970 period had no specific distinguishing characteristics as it was made primarily by imitating motifs and patterns that happened to be in vogue across Java at a given time.

For instance, in the 1950 to 1960 period, the merak ati motif featuring the gurdo [an eagle-like shape] was very popular, particularly in Tasikmalaya, West Java, so they focused on [producing] that. The same went for the merak ngibing motif that was popular in the same period, Hartono said.

Chinese-Indonesian craftspeople also played a significant part in batik-making, learning the craft directly from local craftspeople living in Sudirman, South Jakarta and Bendungan Hilir, Central Jakarta. They constituted a large chunk of the batik production centers workforce.

The craftspeoples personal lives and culture also inspired the motifs of their batik.

For instance, they make cauliflower motifs; as we know cauliflowers are important ingredient of cap cay [stir-fried vegetables], Hartono said, referring to a popular Chinese food. Lotuses are also prominently featured in these Chinese batik makers work.

Inspiration also came out of the blue for these workers. For instance, they saw a becak (pedicab) passing by and, lo and behold: a becak driver motif was created. They also came up with an elephant motif, which became so popular that it was exported to Singapore.

The glory days of batik Betawi, however, ended in 1990 when the production centers had to relocate to Cikarang, West Java, and other areas due to concerns about industrial waste. Since then, it has increasingly lost the wild popularity that it enjoyed during its heyday.

Batik Betawi: Koleksi Hartono Sumarsono by Hartono Sumarsono, Helen Ishwara, L.R.Surpriyapto Yahya, Xenia Moeis

Published by Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia, 2017

243 pages
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Linkedin Tomoyuki Hamahata (The Japan News/Asia News Network) Fukui, Japan  Mon, April 17, 2017 14:37 2031 a291276806121264c0bd211cde97c60b 2 Art & Culture Buddhism,Japan,#ArtsandCulture,culture,religion,technology,innovation Free

Faced with declining attendees among the young, one temple priest in Fukui has found a unique way to help them see the light. His techno hoyo fuses traditional religious images projected in brilliant lights with Buddhist sutras set to a techno beat.

Gyosen Asakura, 49, the master of Shoonji temple in the city, has experience as a DJ. Using his high-tech equipment, his ritual expresses images of life after death in the paradise that Buddhism says awaits us.

With many young Japanese shunning religion these days, Asakura hopes this creative take will stoke interest in Buddhism.

Read also: Recalling the history of the gamelan

Priests are publicity agents for Buddha, he said. I want to reach out to people in my own way.

Asakura became interested in music around the time he was a first-year student in junior high school. His father, who also loves music, gave him a stereo system.

At that time, Rydeen, a piece by the techno music group Yellow Magic Orchestra, was all the rage. The priest was fascinated by it.

After graduating from high school, Asakura got a job in a club in Kyoto, working on the lighting staff on weekdays and as a DJ on weekends. He immersed himself in music.

At 24, he returned to Fukui and began working as a Buddhist priest. Since then, he has noticed a decline in families supporting the temple and worshipers. Most worrying to him was the lack of young temple supporters.

Read also: New Damien Hirst exhibition leaves critics divided

With encouragement from his family, Asakura decided to use his skills to promote Buddhism after he succeeded his father as the 17th temple master in 2015.

In Buddhism rituals, candles are used for lighting altars.

After someone saw how the gold leaf on altars can shine so beautifully when bathed in light, people started to illuminate it with candle flames, Asakura said.

If the olden days found their lighting through candles, Asakura thought modern times could find its lighting through colorful illuminations.

Read also: Art charity to benefit floating hospital in Jakarta

The priest thought of Perfume, a popular female trio known for its fantastical stage performances using lighting effects. Asakura employed similar techniques in many parts of his techno hoyo rituals.

As he reads the sutras, a projector displays geometric light patterns of various colors, such as white, blue, red and purple, inside the temple rooms or over Buddhism statues.

I have long thought the rhythm of reading the sutras can be matched with techno music, Asakura said.

The priest performed the first techno hoyo ritual in May last year with about 60 people attending. Asakura said the event was well received. One of the attendees told him, The paradise of Buddhism looks beautiful.

He posted a clip of the ritual on YouTube, which gained traction among the sites users.

However, Asakuras equipment at that time limited the variations of the light performances. He recently finished a crowdfunding drive for donations to purchase new lighting equipment.

Asakuras temple belongs to the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha sect. It was established in 1475 in the Ichijodani district in todays city of Fukui, and later relocated to its current location.

Techno hoyo rituals will be held on May 3 and Oct. 25, when the temple will hold a Hoonko ceremony to commemorate Shinran, who founded the Jodo Shinshu Buddhism.

Admission to the techno hoyo ritual is free, and up to 100 visitors can be admitted.

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This article appeared on The Japan News newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
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Linkedin Ivany Atina Arbi and Indra Budiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 17, 2017 07:27 2031 a291276806121264c0bd211cde96a8aa 2 City 2017JakartaElection,ahok-djarot,Anies-Baswedan-Sandiaga-Uno Free

It has been one month since Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama left City Hall to campaign for reelection in the capitals runoff election and to defend himself in a blasphemy trial by taking an official leave of absence.

Sunday marked the first full day Ahok reassumed his position from acting governor Sumarsono.

Yet, Ahoks tenure as governor might be short-lived as the prosecutors at his blasphemy case are scheduled to read their sentence demand on April 20, the day after voting day.

If the prosecutors decide to charge Ahok with religious blasphemy of Article 156a of the Indonesian Criminal Code (KUHP), which carries a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment, then Ahok would be temporarily dismissed until the judges reach a verdict, as mandated by the 2014 law on regional administration.

Because Article 156a carries a maximum five-year sentence, the law will require him to be temporarily dismissed from his seat, Chudry Sitompul, a law expert from the University of Indonesia, told The Jakarta Post.

Article 83, Item 1 of the Regional Administration Law stipulates that a regional head should be dismissed temporarily without recommendation from the Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) if he or she faces criminal charges with a minimum prison sentence of five years.

However, Ahok could still hold his position if he is charged under Article 156, which only carries a maximum sentence of four years prison time, according to Chudry.

Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo previously said the decision on whether Ahok would be temporarily dismissed or not would have to wait until the sentence demand reading by the prosecutors.

Should Ahok not be dismissed, he would serve as the governor of Jakarta for at least another six months, even if he loses the gubernatorial race to his rival, Anies Baswedan.

Various surveys released just days prior to the upcoming Jakarta gubernatorial runoff election on April 19 have indicated that the race is one of the tightest in the capitals history, with no clear frontrunner.

Four out of the five surveys released last week showed Anies Baswedan to be in the lead, albeit with small margins, with a recent survey by Indikator Politik Indonesia showing the margin to be as small as 0.8 percent.

The only survey that showed Ahok to be winning was released by Charta Politika Indonesia.

According to that survey, Ahok has an electability rating of 47.3 percent, compared to 44.8 percent held by Anies.

The survey, which involved 782 respondents across Jakarta from April 7 to 12, showed that while the electability of Ahok-Djarot plummeted from November 2016 to January, it rose again from February to April.

On Sunday, Ahok spent his first day back as governor attending a discussion on the revitalization of the Kota Tua area in West Jakarta, one of his signature projects as governor.

During the discussion, Ahok declared he would continue the revitalization of the area as well as nearby historic sites for the next six months of his leadership.

The sites include Luar Batang Mosque and the Sunda Kelapa Port in North Jakarta.

Among the actions he aid he would take to beautify the Kota Tua area were fixing and widening the sidewalks from Kota Tua to several tourism spots surrounding it, including the Bahari Museum in North Jakarta.

Hundreds of tourists will visit Kota Tua if we take good care of it. Therefore, we have to provide tourists with other nice tourism spots, like Sunda Kelapa Port, the Bahari Museum and the Luar Batang Mosque as well as proper sidewalks, Ahok said at the Fine Arts and Ceramics Museum in Kota Tua. We also have to arrange the houses there.

The governor said he felt blessed to have six months to beautify the city.

[If citizens do not trust me to lead the city again] we still have time, six months to complete [this mission], Ahok said. I am sure that the foundation we have created is good.

After declaring to revamp the Mbah Priok memorial site in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, as it was designated as a cultural heritage site in March, the governor also planned to renovate Luar Batang Mosque. I want the mosque to have a huge alun-alun [town square] or field, he previously said.

The governor also mentioned the controversial Jakarta Bay reclamation project in the discussion, saying that it would continue despite protests from fisherfolk.

Ahok said there would be a 10-hectare man-made island dedicated to fisherfolk, in which the city administration would build low-cost apartments to accommodate the fisherfolk as well as provide moorings for their boats.

Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) has released a report on the track records of the citys gubernatorial candidates, revealing incumbent Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama may excel in preserving diversity, while Anies Baswedan, with his promise to humanely develop the capital, may end the current practice of forced evictions.

Nelson Nikodemus Simamora, a lawyer with the institute, said during his term as governor, Ahok had shown his commitment to protecting the rights of minorities, including Ahmadis and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, something that had never been touched upon by Anies on the campaign trail.

Basuki protected the rights of Ahmadis to worship in their mosque in Bukit Duri when dozens of people expelled them from that area, Nelson said recently, referring to an incident that occurred in July 2015.

Nelson credited the move as brave.

The governor said in 2016 that even though all religions condemned LGBT people, he could not pass judgment on them.

The most important thing was that the administration tried to prevent HIV transmission among this group, Nelson said, citing Ahoks statement.

On the other hand, Anies commitment to preserving diversity had been questioned after visiting Islam Defenders Front (FPI) headquarters in Petamburan, West Jakarta in January.

The institute noted that Anies had never expressed concern for minorities, including Ahmadis, Shiites and Christians who faced difficulties in establishing churches.

The former culture and education minister once referred to LGBT people as deviants, a statement that indicated his lack of research on the LGBT community, Nelson said.

While the governor stands accused of blasphemy, Anies has said nothing to reduce heightened tensions amid the ongoing case.

Anies shouldve commented to ease tensions and restore the election as a contest of programs. However, he said nothing, Nelson said.

Nevertheless, the institute said it believed both candidates had failed to show their commitment to upholding freedom of expression.

Ahok and his running mate Djarot Saiful Hidayat appeared to do nothing in February 2016 while police and several mass organizations dispersed a leftist event called the Belok Kiri (Turn Left) Festival at Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM), Cikini, Central Jakarta.

As for Anies, during a campaign event in Sawah Besar, Central Jakarta in January, he, who was once deemed a figure of moderate Islam, was unperturbed to see a banner urging people to uphold the state ideology Pancasila and expel members of the nowdefunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) from the country.

Anies said such a statement should be respected as a form of freedom of expression.

Meanwhile, Anies vow to not conduct forced evictions but urban renewal that engaged public aspirations should be appreciated, Nelson said.

Anies has stated his plan to develop other housing options instead of carrying out evictions.

The former minister signed on April 8 a political contract with the Urban Poor Network (JMRK) and Urban Poor Consortium (UPC) in Ancol, North Jakarta, which, among others, stated his promise to adjust spatial planning in favor of the residents and legalize their houses, should he be elected governor.

That promise should be appreciated. His promise is in accordance with morality, Nelson said.

The institute noted that the number of forced evictions had significantly increased during Ahoks tenure.

There were 113 cases of forced evictions in 2015 involving police and military personnel, affecting the livelihoods of 8,145 families and activities of 6,283 businesses.

The research found that 84 percent of those cases were conducted without proper dialogue with residents.

In September 2016, the incumbent refused to respect the ongoing legal process related to a classaction lawsuit filed by Bukit Duri residents against evictions.

The administration, however, went ahead and evicted the Bukit Duri residents in late September 2016.

A panel of judges at the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN) ruled in favor of the Bukit Duri residents in January, declaring the evictions had violated the law.
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Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 17, 2017 12:59 2031 a291276806121264c0bd211cde977d02 1 Business AirAsia,India,China,flights,tourism,Arief-Yahya,comments Free

AirAsia Group has pledged to support the government's effort to boost tourist arrivals by opening new flights to Indonesia from cities in India and China this year.

"We are ready to support the government. We will add new aircraft and open new international routes," Air Asia Group CEO for Indonesia Dendy Kurniawan said on Monday.

The airline will add two new aircraft of the Airbus A320 and A330 types. Currently, Air Asia accounts for around 25 percent of inbound flights to Indonesia, according to Tourism Ministry data.

(Read also: AirAsia sets up low-cost airline in Vietnam)

The route to India was expected to commence in May, while that to China was expected to commence in October, said Tourism Minister Arief Yahya.

The government eyes to welcome 15 million foreign visitors this year and 20 million in 2019.

Arief said the government saw a two million shortage in seat capacity to achieve this year's target. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 17, 2017 13:58 2031 a291276806121264c0bd211cde97a365 1 National narcotics,BNN,war-on-drugs Free

The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) has planned to launch a raid into areas in Cianjur, West Java, where khat, also known as Arabian tea, a flowering shrub classified as a drug, is suspected to be cultivated.

BNN head Budi Waseso recently ordered the agency's chapter in Cianjur, West Java, to launch a raid into three districts -- Cipanas, Pacet and Sukaresmi -- where the herbal stimulant is suspected to be cultivated.

BNN Cianjur head Hendrik said on Sunday that Arabian tea contained cathinone, hence its classification as a category one narcotic in the country. Hendrik added that the shrub was also cultivated in northern parts of Cianjur.

"The plant became famous after the arrest of Indonesian entertainer Raffi Ahmad in 2013. After the plant was banned in Bogor, it targeted Cianjur as a new planting area," he said, as quoted by antaranews.com.

(Read also: 100 kilograms of marijuana seized in Aceh)

According to Hendrik, cathinone causes euphoria, hyperactivity and loss of appetite to those consuming it.

Lika Nurhayati, member of the Cianjur House of Representatives, said House members there were ready to help BNN in educating citizens about the dangers of Arabian tea so that people would not be fooled by those trafficking the drug. (rdi/wit)
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Linkedin Safrin La Batu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 17, 2017 19:48 2031 a291276806121264c0bd211cde98366a 1 National Ramapanicker-Rajamohanan-Nair,arif-budi-sulistyo,corruption,bribery,tax-evasion,Joko-Widodo Free

The Jakarta Corruption Court sentenced businessman Ramapanicker Rajamohanan Nair to three years behind bars and Rp 200 million (US$15,082) in fines on Monday for bribing a tax official to help him settle his company's tax problems.

Ramapanicker was found guilty of giving high-ranking tax official Handang Soekarno Rp 1.9 billion in bribes in November last year.

The verdict also revealed that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's brother in-law, Arif Budi Sulistyo, had a role of connecting Ramapanicker to Handang before the two were arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) officials for bribery in November last year.

(Read also: Jokowis in-law in graft trial)

The court said Nair contacted Arif through a text message to help him figure out ways to solve his company's issues after he received notification from the tax office that his company had unpaid tax dues in 2014 and in 2015 amounting to Rp 75 billion.

Arif later forwarded Nair's message to Handang.

The verdict quoted Arif as saying to Handang in the text message, "whatever the decision [...] hopefully it will be the best for [Ramapanicker]."

To which Handang replied: "Noted. I will meet [Ramapanicker] tomorrow morning."

Arif previously told the court that he knew Ramapanicker as a business partner and that he once tried to help him with his company's problems, including registering for the government's tax amnesty program.

Arif is married to Jokowi's youngest sister Titik Relawati and is the operational director of the president's extended family's flagship company PT Rakabu Sejahtera. (wit)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Mon, April 17 2017

State administrative expert Saldi Isra, 48, is widely known as a tough critic of the Constitutional Court (MK), which has been hit hard by graft cases. One of the courts justices since April 11, he now finds himself being the poster boy of the courts bid to restore public faith. Saldi, a law professor at Andalas University in Padang, West Sumatra, spoke with The Jakarta Posts Moses Ompusunggu and Dian Septiari about the future of the court and the high expectations put on him to recover the courts tarnished reputation during an interview, last Thursday.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 17 2017

PT Panasonic Gobel Indonesia, one of the countrys major electronics manufacturers, wants to triple the growth of its sales within the next three years.

To achieve the target, the company said it would boost its promotional activities and advertisement spending to maintain its relations with its dealers and consumers.

With such a strategy, we hope to triple our sales growth by 2020, president director Hiroyoshi Suga said during the recent launch of the companys Lets Live Life Better campaign in Jakarta.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 17, 2017 22:16 2031 a291276806121264c0bd211cde984b06 1 City KPU-Jakarta-chairman-Sumarno,ethics-council,violation Free

A volunteer group of incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama reported the Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU Jakarta) head Sumarno to the ethics council on Monday for alleged ethics violations.

Yuliana Zahara Mega, the chairwoman of the Cinta Ahok volunteer group, said that Sumarno had been reported to the Election Organization Ethics Council (DKPP) for trying to discredit Ahok and his running mate Djarot Saiful Hidayat during the final debate on April 12 by engaging civil groups, which often opposed the incumbents policies, to prepare questions for the debate.

The report is based on the runoff debate, which allegedly has been used by Sumarno to defame and corner the AhokDjarot pair, Yuliana said, as quoted by Antara news agency on Monday.

The groups included the Indonesian Traditional Fishermen's Association (KNTI), which often protested Ahoks reclamation policy, and a community called Apartments and Toilets for All Residents, in which a member, Sukarto, had said he resented the governor.

The group also question the commissions decision to involve a political analyst from the Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI), Siti Zuhro, who, according to the group, often expressed opinions that were not in line with Ahoks policies, thus her appointment as a panelist could indicate that Sumarno was not neutral.

Separately, Sumarno has denied the accusation, saying it was the panelist team who selected the civil groups for the debate.

On April 7, DKPP decided that Sumarno had violated the code of conduct by postponing the preliminary meeting to announce the runoff on April 4. (cal)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 17 2017

The East Jakarta Police have launched an investigation into an alleged firebombing that occurred in the vicinity of the firebrand leader of Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), Rizieq Shihab.

The incident occurred early on Sunday, when a car caught fire and exploded near the location of a tabligh akbar (mass prayer ceremony) being held on Jl. MT Haryono in Cawang, East Jakarta, the event was being attended by Rizieq and other FPI members.

We have gathered statements from several witnesses as part of the investigation, said East Jakarta Police spokesperson Comr. Wasiem on Sunday as quoted by wartakota.tribunnews.com.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 17 2017

Bollywood actor Barun Sobti is not that into social media, having no Instagram account and only tweeting 64 times since he joined Twitter in 2014.

Im not really into social media and I dont even have an Instagram account, the star of Kushi television series was quoted as saying by kompas.com during a meet-and-greet in Tangerang, Banten on Friday.

His co-star, actress Dalljie Kaur, who also at the event, said Sobti did not like posting photos or revealing his personal activities on social media.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 17, 2017 11:58 2031 a291276806121264c0bd211cde975ab9 1 National child-pornography,Internet,Twitter Free

Womens Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Yohana Yembise has said that, based on data from Interpol and the National Police, 25,000 child pornography activities took place in the country every day.

She added that according to observation conducted by the ministry and digital media analysis and survey institution Katapedia from September to November 2016, 1,200 tweets related to child pornography were sent out on Twitter.

"The ministry has been coordinating with Interpol and the National Police to tackle the problem. We will also coordinate with the Communications and Information Ministry," she said on Monday, as quoted by kompas.com.

(Read also: Jakarta Police dismantle child pornography network)

Yohana called on parents and teachers to supervise children's use of smartphones, which could be used to make them victims of pornography.

"The family is the key in protecting children from negative influence. We can see that many children interact less with their parents because of their addiction to gadgets. I ask all parents to supervise the use of gadgets, because children could access pornographic content through these," she added. (rdi/wit)
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Linkedin Grace D. Amianti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 17, 2017 18:33 2031 a291276806121264c0bd211cde9808b6 1 Business protectionism,World-Bank,IMF,meeting Free

Indonesia hopes a series of upcoming joint-periodical meetings held by the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will prove to be a strong measure against the rising trend of protectionism that threatens to disrupt global trade.

Slated to attend the World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings, held from April 17 to 23 in Washington D.C., United States (US), Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said the upcoming gatherings would be important as leaders are expected to reach strong conclusions in the face of global uncertainty.

There was an impression that finance ministers did not reach agreement on that issue [protectionism] during the previous meeting of the G-20 in Baden-Baden, Germany, she said in a press conference on Monday.

(Read also: Indonesia can still thrive in trade finance despite protectionism)

This time, we want to ensure the commitment is strong to work together on our economic policies to fight protectionism and manage our developments fairly.

Sri Mulyani, who also chairs the forums Development Committee, said leaders were also expected to discuss critical issues in developing countries, such as weak commodity prices, as well as rising poverty and inequality.

Indonesia will also attend several other meetings at the forum to discuss various topics, such as the future of Africa, the fight against tax evasion and money laundering, infrastructure financing schemes and climate change.

On the sidelines, Sri Mulyani is also scheduled to meet businesspeople involved in the US-Indonesia Society (USINDO) to discuss Indonesias economic updates. The council was established in October 2015 by President Joko Jokowi Widodo and former US president Barrack Obama. (bbn)
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Linkedin Safrin La Batu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 17, 2017 12:20 2031 a291276806121264c0bd211cde976a6f 1 National Corruption-court,bribery,tax-evasion,Ramapanicker-Rajamohanan-Nair,arif-budi-sulistyo,Joko-Widodo Free

The Jakarta Corruption Court on Monday will hand down a verdict for Ramapanicker Rajamohanan Nair, a businessman charged with bribing a tax official to help settle his companys tax issues.

The case also involves businessman Arif Budi Sulistyo, the brother-in-law of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors in a trial hearing two weeks ago demanded four years and Rp 250 million (US$18,763) in fines for Ramapanicker, who is the country director of PT EK Prima Ekspor Indonesia, a local unit of Abu-Dhabi-based retail giant LuLu Group International.

In their indictment, the prosecutors accused Ramapanicker of bribing tax official Handang Soekarno with Rp 1.9 billion. Handang is being tried separately.

(Read also: Jokowi 's brother-in-law denies involvement in tax fraud)

Ramapanicker has confessed to bribing Handang. In an emotional defense last week, the Indonesian businessman said he had to bribe Handang, because he had been shocked and flustered when the Tax Office notified him last year that his company had tax dues amounting to Rp 75 billion last year, forcing him to find some individuals to resolve the issue.

He said paying the Rp 75 billion could cause his company to collapse and render all its employees jobless.

"I want to say, from the bottom of my heart, that I apologize to the Finance Ministry and all the Indonesian people [...] I really love this country," Ramapanicker said. (wit)
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Linkedin Haeril Halim and Margareth S. Aritonang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 17, 2017 18:58 2031 a291276806121264c0bd211cde981f14 1 National #JakartaElection2017,security Free

President Joko Jokowi Widodo gathered officials in charge of security at the Presidential Palace on Monday to discuss security measures for the April 19 Jakarta runoff election.

Officials seen at the palace included Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto, Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo, National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian and National Intelligence Agency (BIN) director Budi Gunawan.

I have instructed all security officials from the TNI and the National Police to take measures to guarantee peace and security during the Jakarta election, Jokowi told the media after a closed-door meeting with the officials.

He also encouraged Jakartans to exercise their voting rights during the runoff that would see incumbent pair Basuki Tjahaja Purnama-Djarot Saiful Hidayat pitted against the Anies Baswedan-Sandiaga Uno ticket.

The National Police have announced that 64,000 personnel would secure polling stations throughout the city on election day. The police will be backed up by soldiers and members of the Community Protection Agency (Linmas).
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 17, 2017 10:58 2031 a291276806121264c0bd211cde974049 1 City 2017JakartaElection,Anies-Baswedan-Sandiaga-Uno,ahok-djarot,election-runoff Free

With only a couple of days left before the second round of Jakartas gubernatorial election, the Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU Jakarta) has urged police not to be excessive in securing the event.

KPU Jakarta commissioner Dahliah Umar said too much security might make citizens feel uneasy when they come to polling stations to cast their votes.

The police should remain proportional [in deploying officers] and not make the security too conspicuous, so that people will feel comfortable when they vote, Dahliah said, as quoted by kompas.com on Sunday.

(Read also: Tangerang Police to help secure Jakarta election runoff)

However, Dahliah agreed that police should follow their own assessment on how prone particular polling stations were to potential threats.

The police certainly have their own analysis and consideration about how much security is needed, she said.

Explaining the mass deployment of personnel from outside Jakarta to guard the election, Dahliah said voters might otherwise feel imperiled.

We dont want citizens failing to show up at polling stations because they are scared of people threatening them, she said. (dea/wit)
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Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post)  Mon, April 17 2017

After almost a week, Andi Lala, 35, the alleged main actor in the brutal slaughter of five members of a family in Medan, North Sumatra, was arrested in Pekan Tua village, Indragiri Hilir regency, on Saturday.

The arrest was made following a weeklong investigation by a team comprising members of the North Sumatra Police and Riau Police.

I have instructed for the suspect to be taken to the North Sumatra Police headquarters [in Medan]. We hope he doesnt

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 17 2017

Various surveys released just days before the upcoming Jakarta gubernatorial runoff election on April 19 have indicated that the race is one of the tightest in the capitals history, with no clear frontrunner.

At least four out of five surveys released last week showed Anies Baswedan to be in the lead, albeit with small margins, with a recent survey by Indikator Politik Indonesia showing the margin to be as small as 0.8 percent.

The survey, released on Saturday, put Anies and his running mate, Sandiaga Uno, at the top of the poll, with 48.2 percent of respondents saying that they would vote for the former education and culture minister on polling day.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 17, 2017 09:38 2031 a291276806121264c0bd211cde970206 1 National press,Internet,fake-news,cyber-media,AMSI Free

In the wake of rampant fake news and hoaxes on the internet that have caused social discord, Indonesian online media outlets have established a forum in a bid to ensure credible digital content based on trusted information.

The forum, the Indonesian Cyber Media Association (AMSI), is founded by 23 media companies, including thejakartapost.com, tempo.co, kompas.com and merdeka.com, which are committed to delivering balanced and responsible content that adheres to journalistic ethics.

"With the establishment of AMSI, it is hoped that more cyber media will uphold accuracy and balanced [reporting] in line with journalistic ethics and cyber media guidelines," the group said in a statement.

(Read also: Mainstream media responsible for rise of fake news)

The association, which will officially launch on April 18, has appointed merdeka.com editor-in-chief Wenseslaus Manggut as its chairman. It already has 143 media companies as members.

The inauguration on Tuesday is set to be attended by Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara, Press Council chairman Yoseph Adi Prasetyo and National Police cybercrime director Sr. Comr. Fadil Imran.

AMSI is open for any digital media in Jakarta or in the regions to join if they meet the Press Councils Press Company Standards. (rdi/wit)
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Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani and Margareth S. Aritonang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 17 2017

The United Development Party (PPP)  the countrys oldest Islamic party  was supposed to publicly declare its support for Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, the only Christian candidate in the Jakarta gubernatorial race, last month.

However, the party, led by Muhammad Romahurmuziy, canceled the March 26 event in the eleventh hour, citing technical issues.

Not until April 13, six days before voting day, did the partys Jakarta chapter finally make a formal declaration of its support for Ahok, who has been struggling to contain the rising religious sentiment set against him.

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Linkedin Grace D. Amianti (The Jakarta Post) Surabaya  Mon, April 17 2017

Focusing on fewer, but focused priority programs is the main theme of the state budget planning for next year and its success is dependent on improved performances from regional administrations in designing their spending.

Regions with extensive knowledge in budget management may find the new task a walk in the park. However, for many others, the task may prove daunting.

Eni, a development planning official in Sidoarjo, East Java, is among those wondering how to set priority programs for her regency and work together with other institutions.

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Linkedin Fachrul Sidiq (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 17, 2017 21:45 2031 a291276806121264c0bd211cde984a70 1 City #JakartaElection2017,religious-leaders,sectarian-issues Free

Two days prior to the Jakarta gubernatorial runoff election, which has sparked sectarian conflicts, organizations from various religions have called for a peaceful democratic process in determining new leaders for the capital, the most diverse city in the archipelago.

Seven organizations, the Nahdlatul Ulama executive council (PBNU), the Indonesia Bishops Conference (KWI), the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI), the Nichiren Shoshu Indonesia (NSI), the Indonesian Parisada Hindu Council (PHDI), the Islamic Organization Friendship Body (LPOI) and the Confucian Supreme Council of Indonesia (Matakin), declared on Monday their support for democracy in the midst of one of the most heated elections in Indonesias history.

They urged their members to use their political rights without qualms and to respect the outcome of the election.

We need to remain calm and fearless and to think clearly in dealing with the situation. We are obligated to support the governments efforts in handling the second round of the Jakarta election and we should safeguard the peace and unity of the nation, representatives of each organization said in a joint statement at the PBNU headquarters in Central Jakarta.

PBNU chairman Said Aqil Siradj said Indonesias largest Muslim organization acknowledged that the tension in the capital had drawn nationwide attention and the exploitation of religion for certain political gain would grow rampant should religious organizations fail to decry the move.

PGI chairwoman Rev. Henriette T. Hutabarat-Lebang said that she had urged members of the organization exercise their political rights. "I urge them to refuse any kind of money and transactional politics," she said.
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Linkedin Viriya P. Singgih (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 17, 2017 10:30 2031 a291276806121264c0bd211cde97135e 1 Business small-and-medium-enterprises,Minister,holding-company,lawmaker,comments Free

A lawmaker has voiced concern about the prolonged ban on State-Owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno from attending meetings at the House of Representatives, saying it hinders negotiations on the governments holding company plan.

Government Regulation (PP) No. 72/2016 was issued last year as the legal basis for the establishment of holding companies operating in different sectors.

The Houses Commission VI deputy chairman Azam Asman Natawijana said there had been concerns that the regulation could be used arbitrarily, as it allowed asset transfers from one company to another, including to private firms, without House approval.

(Read also: House preparing bill on special energy holding company)

Nonetheless, he said such a matter could not be discussed and solved properly without the presence of Rini at various meetings between the government and the House.

It has been nearly two years since Minister Rini was banned from attending meetings at the House. This is not healthy, neither for the ministry nor the House, as it protracts the discussion of the holding company plan, Azam said recently in Jakarta.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has been leading the negotiation with the House since the ban on Rini was introduced in December 2015 following a corruption case involving port operator PT Pelindo II and executives of four SOEs.

However, its still not the domain of the finance minister to talk about this matter. We want to hear it directly from the SOE minister, Azam said. (bbn)
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Linkedin Fedina S. Sundaryani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 17, 2017 15:58 2031 a291276806121264c0bd211cde97fb78 1 Business BPK,investigation,state-losses Free

The Supreme Audit Agency's (BPK) latest investigative audit has estimated potential state losses and shortfalls stemming from violations of laws and regulations at Rp 12.59 trillion (US$949 million).

Meanwhile, the figure of potential losses based on the investigative audit of the second half of 2016 reached Rp 19.48 trillion, said BPK chairman Harry Azhar Azis on Monday

He said that 1,205 findings worth Rp 1.37 trillion had clearly led to state losses, while 329 findings worth Rp 6.55 trillion had potentially led to losses.

Meanwhile, 434 findings indicated a state revenue shortfall of Rp 4.66 trillion," he said after his meeting with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta.

(Read also: Poor reporting, irregularities cause state losses: BPK)

Harry pointed to three main problems causing irregularities: a lack of integration of regional health care into the state health care system, a lack of coordination between the central government and regional administrations in education and a lack of monitoring of taxpayers. (bbn)
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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Tanjung Pandan, Bangka Belitung  Mon, April 17, 2017 10:47 2031 a291276806121264c0bd211cde973234 1 Business tax-revenue,Q1,increase Free

Tax revenue increased by 18.13 percent year-on-year (yoy) in the first quarter to Rp 222.27 trillion (US$16.73 billion), thanks to the after-effect of the tax amnesty.

The increase was mostly attributed to private taxpayers who had filed their taxes this year, said the Directorate General of Taxation's tax revenue and compliance director, Yon Arsal, adding that previously many taxpayers had not filed their taxes.

"We got Rp 2 trillion from them; this means people are getting more diligent [in paying taxes] after the tax amnesty," Yon said at a media briefing in Tanjung Pandan, Bangka Belitung, on Sunday.

(Read also: Why tax amnesty failed to repatriate assets)

Yon added that the tax office had targeted an 18.23 percent yoy increase in first-quarter revenue. The government has set itself a target of collecting Rp 1.31 quadrillion in tax revenue this year, and with the recent increase, the office has reached 17 percent of that target.

Indonesia has 36.03 million registered taxpayers in 2017 compared to 32.79 million in 2016. As of March, 9.71 million taxpayers have submitted their tax forms, resulting in a 58.47 percent tax ratio.

"The 58.47 percent tax ratio is the March number and still running; last year we reached 63.15 percent by December," he added. (bbn)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 17 2017

Amid the simmering sectarian tension in the Jakarta election that has radicalized conservative Muslims, President Joko Jokowi Widodo has found himself in an uncomfortable position.

While still aiming to maintain support from mainstream Muslim groups in the country, he finds his support for incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, who has been accused of blasphemy, antagonizing the groups.

As the groups political movement grows, Jokowi has become concerned about the activism calling people to separate religion and politics and uphold the countrys pluralism.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 17, 2017 08:18 2031 a291276806121264c0bd211cde96b8d8 2 National Jokowi-administration,Joko-Widodo,RI-Saudi,radicalism,sectarian-issues Free

Amid the simmering sectarian tension in the Jakarta election that has radicalized conservative Muslims, President Joko Jokowi Widodo has found himself in an uncomfortable position.

While still aiming to maintain support from mainstream Muslim groups in the country, he finds his support for incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, who has been accused of blasphemy, antagonizing the groups.

As the groups political movement grows, Jokowi has become concerned about the activism calling people to separate religion and politics and uphold the countrys pluralism.

Only to withdraw the statement weeks later, saying that his only concern was national unity.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician made another flip-flop about Islamic conservatism last week, by criticizing the small investment made by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud during his historic visit to the country recently.

I even held up the umbrella for the King, but we only got a small amount. I am a little bit disappointed, just a little, the President quipped during his speech at Buntet Islamic Boarding School in Cirebon, West Java, on Thursday.

(Read also: Jokowi let down by S. Arabias low investment)

On Saturday, he called his sour comments on the kings visit a joke.

Why cant we get a big investment? Its because our investment climate and investment ratings are low. Not to mention legal certainty, which needs to be improved, he said while inaugurating KH Hasyim Asyari mosque in Jakarta, turning the criticisms of Saudi Arabia into domestic policy issues.

Despite the flip-flop in his statements being potentially unintentional, critics say the President might want to distance himself from the growing Islamic conservatism in the country.

Robby Habiba Absor, a Muslim Scholar from State Islamic University (UIN) Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta said the Presidents remarks might indicate his discontent toward local conservative groups.

He speaks clearly about his disappointment. This could be perceived as criticism toward conservative Muslim groups in Indonesia, which adore and admire Saudi Arabia, he said.

Broto Wardoyo, international relations expert of the University of Indonesia, said Jokowis comments were largely harmless to conservative groups, let alone the relation to the kingdom.

The comments convey the Presidents discontent of his own administration, which fails to attract investments. The criticisms are mostly of government officials, he said.

The political expert from Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Siti Zuhro, said Jokowis statement might have been just a joke as he clarified.

It might have been just a joke, but I can understand if hes disappointed by learning Saudis investment in the country was lower than in China, Siti added.

She further said that Jokowis disappointment was purely an economic matter, and it was not related to Muslim communities.
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, April 18 2017

The Indonesia AIDS coalition (IAC) has called on the government to provide antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for people with HIV/AIDS through the national health care program (JKN), saying doing so will be more effective than giving ARV drugs to patients through a special program.

ARV treatment could prevent the growth of HIV in a patient, which could decrease the chances of the virus being transmitted to others. It could curb the spread of HIV/AIDS, which killed 2,746 Indonesians last year.

The government has allocated Rp 1.2 trillion (US$92 million) to provide ARV treatment for 123,000 HIV/AIDS patients this year through a special program.

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Linkedin Winny Tang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, April 18 2017

In a new trade dispute with the United States, Indonesia is determined to prove that the dumping and subsidy allegations charged against local biodiesel producers are groundless.

The worlds largest economy started last week an investigation into biodiesel imports from Indonesia, along with Argentina, which it accused of benefitting from unfair trade practices, namely improper subsidies and dumping.

Dumping occurs when manufacturers sell their products overseas at prices lower than in their home markets or below their actual production costs.

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Linkedin Nethy Dharma Somba and Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Jayapura/Semarang  Tue, April 18 2017

In the early morning hours of Sunday in Jayapura, Papua, the usually silent city turned festive as thousands of worshippers took to the streets in a musical procession, carrying torches as they sang in celebration.

Happy Easter, Christ has arisen, revelers were heard greeting one another.

The parade was the peak of a series of Christian celebrations in Papua, which started with Good Friday to commemorate the death of Jesus Christ.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 17, 2017 11:31 2031 a291276806121264c0bd211cde974d53 1 News tanjung-lesung,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia Free

Tourism Ministry officials and members of Ertiga Club Indonesia Depok Chapter (ERCI DC) recently paid a visit to Tanjung Lesung in Banten province. The automotive club had a total of 150 members of its community join the trip with 75 cars.

We took the Jakarta  Merak toll road to Serang city, Pandeglang, and finally arrived at Tanjung Lesung after a 185-kilometer six-hour road trip, said the head of ERCI DC, Husni Tamrin.

Read also: Tanjung Lesung to add 10,000 rooms to welcome travelers

Participants arrived at 3:00 p.m. and stayed at the Tanjung Lesung Beach and Resort. During their stay, a work discussion titled Musyawarah Kerja Komunitas Otomotif dan Touring 2017 (Automotive and Touring Community Work Discussion 2017) was held. There was also a business presentation on tourism opportunities in Tanjung Lesung by Ida Irawati, who heads the governments team tasked with accelerating the development of 10 priority tourist destinations.

To raise public awareness of environmental problems, the automotive community organized a beach clean-up along Tanjung Lesung on Saturday Morning. (asw)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 17, 2017 13:04 2031 a291276806121264c0bd211cde97820d 1 News Chinese-tourists,tourism,Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia Free

A total of 1,452,972 Chinese visited Indonesia in 2016, marking a 27.3% increase from the previous year. In response to this trend, national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia serves 52 flights a week to Indonesia from mainland China and Hong Kong.

This year, the Tourism Ministry aims to increase the number of Chinese visitors to 2,037,000, and one of the ministrys efforts to achieve this goal is to hold consumer sales events at two of the biggest malls in Guangzhou and Beijing, China.

Read also: New Indonesian restaurant in China seeks to promote tourism in Indonesia

The first of the two event was held from April 15-16 at the Grand View Mall in Guangzhou and was attended by Garuda Indonesia along with the airlines partners: Cities Travel, Peace Travel, GDCTS, CTrip and Tong Cheng Travel.

To attract visitors, we play tourism videos on a huge LED screen, [stage a] music performance featuring the traditional sasando instrument and a violin and have a photo booth with the Jember Fashion Carnaval. Guests are also served Indonesian coffee and can explore the wonders of Indonesia in virtual reality, said the ministry's deputy assistant for Asia-Pacific tourism promotion, Vinsensius Jemadu.

The second event will be held at Xizhimen Capital Mall in Beijing from April 22-23. (asw)
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Linkedin Markus Makur (The Jakarta Post) Waingapu, East Nusa Tenggara  Mon, April 17, 2017 14:55 2031 a291276806121264c0bd211cde97cc5a 1 News edelweiss-flower,flowers,MaTaLaWa-National-Park,national-park,#NationalPark,travel,#travel,traveling,#traveling Free

It was Saturday morning in Manupeu Tanah Daru and Laiwangi Wanggameti (MaTaLaWa) National Park on Sumba Island, East Nusa Tenggara. Despite the quiet surroundings, visitors at the national park were ecstatic upon seeing edelweiss in the national park.

The mountain flowers are said to grow only at high altitudes, where oxygen is thin. At an altitude of 1,225 meters, the peak of Mount Wanggameti is ideal environment for the flowers. Edelweiss can also be found in Wanggameti forest.

Edelweiss are commonly seen as a symbol of true love as only those who want to prove their devotion are willing to climb the mountain to pick the flowers. In MaTaLaWa National Park, the edelweiss symbolizes eternity as its color never changes.

The flowers are also known as anaphalis javanica or Javanese edelweiss. However, the flowers can also be found outside Java Island.

Read also: Sumbas MaTaLaWa National Park lures visitors with ecological attractions

Maman Surahman, the head of the MaTaLaWa National Park, told The Jakarta Post that he initially thought that edelweiss only grew on Java Island. The flowers also grow in MaTaLaWa National Park, which means the area needs to be maintained, he said.

Edelweiss usually bloom in March, April and August. However, during the dry season in Wanggameti, wildfires often threaten the flowers.

Oktovianus Klau and Fabianus Beremau of the Wanggameti resort said they often patrolled the area so that people living around the national park did not burn the savanna. They explained that they were working with local people to protect the area. Some locals had also become tourist guides in the area.

Meanwhile, Umbu Naimanna Wanggameti, the tribal leader of Wanggameti, said that local people considered the Wanggameti forest sacred.

The forest is protected by our ancestors. The area is surrounded by the graves of our ancestors and so both local and foreign visitors need a local guide to hike to the top of the mountain, said Umbu. (jes/asw)
An affordable housing lottery opened this morning for 99 senior apartments at 175 Delancey St., part of the Essex Crossing project.

All of the apartments, located on site 6 of the large mixed-use development, are one-bedroom units. At least one applicant must be 55 years of age or older. There are various income bands for the apartments, ranging from no income up to 90% of Area Median Income (AMI). Monthly rent will be set from $396-$1254. The largest block of apartments (75 units) are available to households earning between $21,066-$43,500/year.

Half of the apartments have been designated for residents of Community District 3. This project is, of course, rising in the former Seward Park Urban Renewal Area. Within the local set aside, former site tenants will have priority for the available units.

You can apply for these apartments through the NYC Housing Connect website. If you would like a paper application, send a request to: Essex Crossing Site 6/ Triborough Finance New Station, PO Box 2010, New York, NY 10035-9997. June 16 is the application deadline.

The Essex Crossing project will eventually include 1,078 apartments, 561 (or 52%) of them affordable. In addition to the 99 apartments, there will be a 55,000 square foot medical facility in this building from NYU Langone, a senior center and social enterprise cafe from Grand Street Settlement and an educational institution (not yet named). The 14-story building, designed by Dattner Architects, includes outdoor roof space.

Essex Crossing Project Manager Isaac Henderson said in a statement, 175 Delancey is designed specifically to meet urgent neighborhood needs  low-income seniors in particular From the outset, weve prioritized our affordable units, and now have begun construction on 313 of the projects 561 overall affordable units. Were looking forward to starting construction on the second phase of Essex Crossing later this year.

A housing lottery for another building, 145 Clinton St., got underway last month. The lotteries for two additional buildings, on Essex Crossing sites 1 and 2, will begin in the coming weeks. The project is being built by Delancey Street Associates, a consortium consisting of BFC Partners, L+M Development Partners, and Taconic Investment Partners.
Eleanor Jones, King's College London

Dearest, at this moment I would give my soul to the Devil if I could kiss you and be kissed.

In the summer of 1908, the Bloomsbury artist Duncan Grant wrote anguished letters to his sometime lover and lifelong friend, the economist John Maynard Keynes. In the infancy of their romance, the pair had been forced to spend time apart while Grant holidayed with family friends, a period of separation which served only to deepen their emotional closeness. Absence, after all, makes the heart grow fonder.

Duncan Grant  Tate

Grants letters expose a longing for the comfort of commonality, the security we find in shared experiences. He needed the company of someone who understood what it meant to be a gay man living in Britain before decriminalisation in 1967. How much I want to scream sometimes here for want of being able to say something I mean, one letter reads: Its not only that ones a sodomite that one has to hide but ones whole philosophy of life; ones feelings for inanimate things I feel would shock some people.

 Tate

These letters are revealing of the ways Grant linked his sense of alienation, at the hands of his sexuality, to a broader sense of difference relating to the way he perceived the world around him. He understood his queerness as a central organising structure of his vision and his personhood; his whole philosophy of life. By making an explicit connection between his sexual alterity and his way of seeing, he leads us to consider: in what ways do our sexual pleasures and fantasies inform the way we see the world?

Queer British Art

 Estate of Angus McBean / National Portrait Gallery, London

This question, and the broader connections between art and diverse gender and sexual identities, takes centre stage in Tate Britains Queer British Art exhibition. The landmark show explores how artworks and objects can evoke the contradictory and overlapping experiences of queer intimacy and desire. It begins in 1861, when the death penalty for sodomy was abolished, and moves through the century to the partial decriminalisation of sex between men in 1967.

Some of the artists and subjects in the show were directly affected by legal persecution, including Oscar Wilde, Simeon Solomon, Radclyffe Hall and Angus McBean. At the same time, other artists encoded their sexuality and found innovative, playful and beguiling ways to express their queer identities and desires. In any case, the exhibition is revealing of how queerness resides at the heart of British art history, as well as some of its more obscure margins.

 Tate

The Bloomsbury Group sit relatively comfortably within the canon of 20th-century British art and culture. The closely-knit network of artists and intellectuals was bound together by political ideals and personal affections, as well as aesthetic tastes, and together they stood firmly at the forefront of the British avant-garde until the outbreak of World War II.

Largely comprised of queer women and men, including the writers Virginia Woolf, Lytton Strachey and E M Forster, along with the artist Dora Carrington, the Bloomsbury Group was committed to the redefinition of personal relationships as they were understood and represented in pre-war England. They regarded the conventions of the previous generation with critical suspicion. Each associate of Bloomsbury sought liberation in sexual, social and artistic terms.

Loving in triangles

As Dorothy Parkers famous remark goes, the Bloomsbury Group lived in squares, painted in circles and loved in triangles. Though she pursued relationships with women, Carrington loved and was loved by Strachey, who was almost exclusively attracted to men. Meanwhile, a select few of Duncan Grants male lovers made visits to Charleston in Sussex, where Grant lived in a domestic partnership with Vanessa Bell and her children.

 Tate

These unconventional lives and arrangements are immortalised in their artwork. Carringtons Lytton Strachey (1916), for instance, captures the life Carrington and Strachey created at Tidmarsh Mill House, and latterly Ham Spray House in Wiltshire, where they lived with Carringtons husband and Stracheys object of desire, Ralph Partridge. Writing in 1921, Carrington addressed Strachey:

You never knew, or never will know the very big and devastating love I had for you. How I adored every hair, every curl on your beard. How I devoured you whilst you read to me at night.

Her encyclopaedic knowledge of his face, mapped out in the minutest detail, is betrayed in this extraordinarily attentive portrait, an intimate testimony to the love of her life.

 Tate

The Tates show, which my research has informed, rightfully positions Bloomsbury at the centre of Britains queer history. The political, sexual and artistic frustrations motivating the artists of Bloomsbury to create still exist today, albeit in mutated forms.

From Virginia Woolfs genre-defying Orlando to Duncan Grants private erotica, the objects Bloomsbury left behind speak on behalf of those whose voices have been silenced in the mainstream. Their queer art provides tender pockets of shelter in a still-hostile world, and their work ceaselessly reverberates with the force of resistance.
Moving to a new city, and a new country, is a daunting experience. One London student is looking to change that, with the launch of his new app 'Meet'n'Eat'.

increasingly xenophobic The app connects foreigners now living in the capital with one another, allowing them to find someone to share a meal with. Its creators are hoping that the app will send a message to anpost-Brexit UK, allowing foreign workers, visitors and international students to know that "whoever you are, wherever you are from, whilst you are in London we want your time here to be as comfortable and homely as possible."

Students are at the heart of Meet'n'Eat's radar. It's creator, Oliver Phillips, is studying for an MSc in Public Policy at LSE after graduating from Oxford last year.

He had the idea whilst travelling alone in South Korea last summer, where he realised there wasn't an app that allowed him to connect with others nearby on a platonic level. "I couldn't find an app which would connect myself to others purely for the purpose of a meal, as opposed to dating, for example."

Chief Technology Officer, Nicolas Sleiman, is studying Computer Sciences at King's College London. As a Lebanese student, he was keen to join the Meet'n'Eat team because "he would want to use it if it were to exist", explained Phillips.

In 2015/2016 there were 438,010 international students in attendance at UK universities, according to the UK Council for International Student Affairs. UCL had almost 15,000 international students in 2015/2016, whilst six London universities made a list of the top 20 recruiters for international students in the same year.

Users of the app have the option to either 'Create' or 'Join' a table, choosing location, time and date of the meal. They can filter who their meal is visible to based on age or language spoken.

The app launches April 21st.
A Japanese island is becoming a tourist hotspot for one reason only: it is home to hundreds of tame rabbits.

Okunoshima, otherwise known as Rabbit Island, is located in the Seto Inland Sea National Park and hosts 100,000 visitors every summer for hiking, museum visits and seeing cute bunnies.

Bunnies arent the only reason you should visit the island, though. Its also breathtakingly beautiful.

With lush, green forest inland and crystal blue waters on the coast, the 4.3km-circumference island is easy to explore on a day or weekend trip, even if you arent a fan of our cotton-tailed friends.

Its not difficult to see why the place is so popular. Visitors can bring their own rabbit food or purchase it from the shop to attract the fluffy friends, or visit an array of attractions including hot springs.

(RachVarty/Instagram)

(@emikomayumi/Instagram)

However, the beauty and bunnies are a departure from Okunoshimas dark past. During the Second World War, the island was used to manufacture poison gas and some poor rabbits were brought in to test its effects.

Visitors can learn more about the islands past by visiting the Poison Gas Museum, one of Japans many small museums educating the public and tourists about Japans history.

Remnants of Geiyo Fortress, and a gas manufacturing plant (chemical weapons). On Okunoshima Island. pic.twitter.com/G2zciRDwpx  Darrell Drake (@MarvyMagpies) November 22, 2016

If thats a bit hardcore for you, try the visitor centre, where you can pick up guides on local plant life and hiking routes.

Although rumours suggest the current rabbit population of the island may have descended from the wartime test rabbits, others say rabbits bred from a select eight that were brought to the island by schoolchildren in the 1970s.

Either way, the reason the cute little creatures have proliferated into the hundreds on the island is a lack of predators. This is no accident, as dogs and cats are banned.
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Information being distributed in opposition of the EH Elementary bond has a flavor of fake news and misinformation which I would like to dispel. 1. The fiscal responsibility of the board, including allowing out of district students, has actually reduced school property taxes for EH residents. As EH is home to many senior citizens and those on fixed incomes, their concerns are at the forefront of the boards actions and accepting out of district students is ultimately why the taxes have continued to decline. 2. The move to run a bond was done with years of planning and community input to address short and long term growth for the next 20 years. Out of district students are not the reason for the bond, rather an infrastructure plan that looked at multiple triggers. 3. There is still a disenfranchised group who wants to return to neighborhood schools based on a loose promise from a superintendent from nearly 20 years ago. The research ofimpact of a grade level or neighborhood school is inconclusive. Cherry picking information helps no one. In EH, grade level schools have resulted in efficiencies in resources and increased student achievement. Vote YES for the EH Elementary Bond.
BILLINGS  Within a few months, U.S. beef could be in China supermarkets for the first time in 13 years, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., said Monday.

Daines traveled to China during the congressional Easter break to talk beef with China Premier Li Keqiang. China last fall agreed to lift its 13-year-old U.S. beef ban, which was prompted by the 2003 discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, better known as "mad cow disease," in a Washington dairy cow.

Daines said the two nations are close to normalizing beef trade, which is significant to Montana ranchers because China is the second largest beef-consuming nation in the world. China imported 825,000 tons of beef in 2016.

They are committed to moving forward as part of this 100-day plan that was agreed to by President Xi Jinping and President Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Daines said. The two presidents met at Trumps West Palm Beach, Florida, retreat April 6.

Premier Li Keqiang told Daines that China has terms drafted, but is waiting for the United States to seat its new agriculture secretary before presenting plans.

Daines said nominated Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue should near confirmation April 24. The Montana senator presented Li Keqiang with steaks from Miles City rancher Fred Wacker. The steaks flew with Daines, who put them on ice in a small red cooler.

"I have been putting the heat on him and all the other guys back there for a long time to get China open," Wacker said of Daines.

Wacker, who raises antibiotic-free, implant-free Angus cattle for Whole Foods, learned of Daines' trip during a Washington D.C. trip with the Montana Stockgrowers Association.

"It's a tremendous market. It would do so much for the beef industry and it would do so much for Montana," he told The Billings Gazette. "Where I see the big niche is for the kind of beef like we have and Montana is full of it. All they got to do is get some records and do some paperwork, keep the the needles and the implants out of the animals."

It came as a surprise to many last September when China announced it would lift its ban on U.S. beef. But Wacker said drought conditions in Australia probably have something to do with China's interest in American beef.

Australia sells a lot of beef into China and the Asia Pacific. Most of its cattle are grassfed which make the food supply vulnerable to drought. Shifting corn feed really isn't an option, Wacker said.

Some in China already know about U.S. beef because of sales in Hong Kong, Daines said. The meat has a good reputation. The expectation is for U.S. beef to begin selling.

"Trump is a business guy. He wants to see results. He doesn't want to see 100 days of talks," Daines said. "He wants to see results."

Daines arrived in China on April 10. He said the delegation also discussed the need for China involvement, namely through trade diplomacy in the North Korean missile crisis.

It highlights the importance of ... the role China plays in shutting off trade with North Korea, isolating North Korea. In North Korea, 90 percent of trade occurs with China, Daines aid.

Daines also stopped in Japan to discuss trade, now that the 11-nation Trans Pacific Partnership is dead. TPP, initiated by the United States under former President Barack Obama, lacked congressional support and was labeled a bad deal during the 2016 election by President Trump.

Earlier this month, Daines and fellow Montana Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat, had encouraged President Trump to raise the beef access issue when meeting with Chinese President Xi in Florida.

There were several countries that banned U.S. beef after the mad cow scare in 2003. The annual U.S. beef market went from $3 billion to $1 billion. But most nations eventually started buying U.S. beef again. China held out.
MISSOULA  The Montana University System will make payments to employees owed medical insurance claims  ones it previously denied  as part of a class action settlement.

Lawyer Hillary Carls, who represents the class, said people are submitting claims anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to $120,000 that earlier had gone unpaid because the university system's insurance policy had an exclusion that violated state law.

"We're talking about a population of employees who had been injured in some way, and we're just trying to get them the compensation they're due under Montana law," Carls said.

The Montana University System has since revised its policy, a condition of the settlement.

A process is underway to identify others who worked for the university system from Oct. 5, 2001, to Dec. 31, 2016, and may be owed money as a result of the settlement, said Carls, of Angel, Coil and Bartlett, a Bozeman firm.

She said the Montana University System used to have an exclusion in its health insurance policy that essentially said it would not pay benefits if other insurance was available. The exclusion is no longer in place.

Montana University System spokesman Kevin McRae said some 45,000 letters were mailed to people who may have had a claim in the designated period.

He also said the university system funds its own health insurance plan. It keeps a "multi-million (dollar) reserve" and he said the university system is satisfied that it has adequate funds to pay all claims that are approved as a result of the case.

Last year, the system revised the health insurance policy in question, McRae said.

***

According to the original complaint, Whitney Erin Gendron, then an employee of Montana State University, was "negligently rear-ended," and she was injured as a result.

The other party's automobile insurance "tendered the policy limits," and Gendron's auto insurance paid out an additional amount because the other motorist was under-insured, said the court document.

But Gendron was still out $24,923 at the time in medical costs, the complaint said. She had health insurance through the Montana University System and its administrator, Allegiance Benefit Plan Management.

"When Gendron has repeatedly demanded payment under Montana's 'made whole' laws, the defendants have asserted that they need not pay medical costs under a 'coordination of benefits' exclusion that the defendants had inserted into the plan language," the complaint said.

In fact, the defendants generally refused to provide health insurance benefits when medical expenses could be paid through a third party, such as another insurance company, according to the document.

But it said Gendron was not "made whole," as Montana law requires, and the systematic and programmatic violations by the university system "are subject to resolution through a class action lawsuit."

***

Last month, Gallatin County District Court certified the class and outlined terms of the settlement.

"With respect to claims submitted by Class Members, MUS shall pay 100 percent of the amount of medical expenses paid by an Other Source(s) without regard to deductibles, preferred provider rates, discounts, or co-payments," said the order, which also requires the university system to pay 10 percent interest.

The order also said the three lawyers appointed to represent the class will be paid reasonable attorneys' fees and costs.

A hearing is scheduled on December 5, 2017, according to the order. In the meantime, Carls said she wants to hear from people who may be owed money; she can be reached at hillary@angelcoilbartlett.com.

She also said Montana law is unique in the protections it provides people owed compensation through insurance.

"I think the 'made whole' doctrine is one of the best pieces of Montana's insurance law that we have and really distinguishes us from other states," Carls said.
Woman dies in two-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 12 west of Milbank

One person is dead and two more are injured after a two-vehicle crash Monday morning near Milbank.
Former actress and now writer Twinkle Khanna says her father and late legendary actor Rajesh Khanna wanted her to be a writer.

"Dad always said I should be a writer  was proud of my maggot filled poetry  would've been beaming that I got that paper in my hand eventually," Twinkle posted on Twitter on Monday while sharing one of her articles.

Twinkle started her career as an actress with 1995 film Barsaat, for which she received the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.

However, after her marriage to actor Akshay Kumar in 2001, she went on to become an interior designer and columnist.
Actress-entrepreneur Shilpa Shetty, who often shoots videos to share various food tips with her fans on every Sunday, got surprised when she bumped into actress Alia Bhatt.

The two later ended up shooting together and enjoyed eating Easter eggs.

As part of her "Sunday Binge" series on Instagram, Shilpa posted a video on Sunday in which she can be seen alongside Alia.

"My Sunday binge is always sweet, but today it just got sweeter with the sweetest Alia Bhatt (who thankfully eats). Bumped into her and we couldn't resist doing the 'Sunday Binge' together. The Shilpa Shetty channel," Shilpa wrote alongside the video.

Shilpa has been away from the silver screen for a while now, but Alia was last seen in the March 2017 film Badrinath Ki Dulhania, which went on to mint over Rs 100 crore.


Stock prices on the mend, the Finance Ministry will nudge at least six public sector banks to hit markets to raise funds and ease the pressure on the exchequer of pumping in capital as per the Indradhanush plan.

Time has come for banks to tap capital market and we think that at least half a dozen banks would take advantage of the opportunity and raise capital from the market during the current fiscal, a senior finance ministry official told PTI.

It is up to individual banks to decide when they want to raise capital and how much, but in our assessment, there are a few fit candidates for this, including State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda and Punjab National Bank, the official said.

As per the scheme, public sector banks need to raise Rs.1.10 lakh crore from markets, including follow-on public offer, to meet Basel III requirements, which kick in from March 2019.

This will be over and above Rs.70,000 crore banks will get as capital support from the government. Of this, the government has already infused Rs.50,000 crore in the past two fiscals and the remaining will be pumped in by the end of 2018-19.

SBI has already taken board approval for raising up to Rs.15,000 crore through various means, including public offer and overseas issuance of shares, during the current fiscal.

The funds will be raised either through follow-on public issue, qualified institutional placement, rights issue, private placement, Global Depository Receipt, American Depository Receipt or a combination of these, SBI had said last month.

The fund-raising will be done at an opportune time or as may be approved by the government and the RBI, it added.

The BSE banking index has jumped to 24,700 from 21,600 in the past three months.

Meanwhile, the government will continue to support public lenders based on requirements as was announced by the finance minister in his Budget speech, the official said.

In the Budget 2017-18 speech on February 1, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced capital infusion of Rs.10,000 crore for the current fiscal.

In line with the Indradhanush road map, I have provided Rs.10,000 crore for recapitalisation of banks in 2017-18. Additional allocation will be provided, as may be required, Jaitley had said.
Viet Nam imported nearly 4,800 Indian cars in the first quarter of this year, increasing more than threefold compared with the same period last year, according to the Vietnam Customs.

The average costs, insurance and freight (CIF) price were reported at nearly $3,800 each, which does not include taxes and fees, the report said.

This price is seen as very cheap as the average prices from other countries such as Thailand, Indonesia and South Korea is about $17,000  $18,000 each.

Bui Xuan Truong, a leader of Anycar Vietnam Company, said many Vietnamese customers like Indian cars because of their eye-catching designs, diversification of models, and prices which are much cheaper than other cars in the same segment.

Almost all customers, who have between VN300 million and VN400 million, will choose Indian cars, in addition to the customer psychology of using imported cars, Truong said to plo.vn, an online news web of the HCM Citys Judicial Department.

Sharing the opinion about the reason for the popularity of cheap Indian cars, auto expert Pham Xuan Mai said the automakers cut down a number of parts and components.

For example, a small sedan imported from India has fewer air bags and several other components, leading to the fact that its convenience and safeness are not as high as others from ASEAN countries, said Mai.

Cars imported from India, especially those in the small-size segment, are equipped with rudimentary safety facilities. Almost all have only one air bag for the driver, while cars imported from other countries have more air bags or are equipped with the safe electronic brake systems.

Suspiciously cheap

Nguyen Nghia, a resident in HCM Citys Thu uc District owning an Indian car, said the weak points of Indian car were low safety, uncomfortable seats and weak soundproofing.

In particularly, the tyre is so small that it does not grip the road well and its fuel savings are bad. However, one needs more time to make an accurate evaluation of the quality, Nghia said.

Insiders predicted that after a period of attracting Vietnamese customers with cheap prices, Indian cars will slowly lose their market share because they will not be able to compete with imported cars from other countries on the quality aspect. With their current quality, Indian cars will likely go the way of Chinese automobiles whose popularity waned a short while after entering the Vietnamese market.

Tata Nano is an example. The car is priced at about $2,500 in India. If it is exported to Viet Nam, its price will increase after taxes and fees to roughly VN100 million. However, the car has only one rear view mirror, no air conditioner and uncomfortable seats.

With cars such as Tata Nano which are made in India, Mai said its fate could be similar to that of Chinese cars because of their low safety. As for other global trademarks, which were manufactured and assembled in India such as Suzuki, Hyundai and Honda, they could still perform well in the Vietnamese market.

Truong said Vietnamese customers still preferred to use modern, good quality and comfortable cars which were high on the safety quotient.

Furthermore, the prices of a number of cars imported from ASEAN will go down as of 2018 when the import tax becomes zero per cent. This will put pressure on cheap Indian cars. If Indian automakers do not improve the quality to meet the Vietnamese customers demand, there will be no market share for them in Viet Nam, Truong said.

Pham Nguyen, a representative of an automobile import company, told plo.vn that the complete built-up units imported from India were suspiciously cheap.

He said Indian cars were suffering from an import tax of 70 per cent of the car value, more than double that of cars imported from ASEAN countries, but its import price is nearly half that of those from ASEAN.

The local auto importers also reported that a number of Indian cars in Viet Nam, which were tested for safety under the European New Car Assessment Programme, had worrying results with regard to air bags and anti-skid braking systems.

They said Viet Nam needed to issue standards or apply EU auto quality standards to control and prevent the import of low-quality cars to Viet Nam.

(Viet Nam News)
In order to further push digitisation and fight against black money, the Centre has asked all state governments' revenue departments to record all land records online and link Aadhaar numbers to each of these transactions, including existing land records.

Senior officials said, "Once the state authorities are able to link all PAN with Aadhaar numbers to the land record databases, the investigation officials and tax department can make searches to match property values with annual income declared and tax return files."

Under the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016, that came into force last November, the government can now confiscate property without paying any compensation to the buyer if they find any discrepancies.

Sources said this will put an end to old malpractices of fraud and embezzlement in land transactions. Moreover, it will also ensure the role of various middlemen is diminished and bribes to revenue officers is eliminated. Once complete, this will be a valuable step in catching those with benami properties across the country, the official added.

The official said the states' revenue departments have already firmed up a proposal to this effect whereby it may become mandatory for land-owners to furnish their Aadhaar numbers and get it duly verified. For, new owners it was already made mandatory to furnish the Aadhaar and PAN at the time of property registration.

Real estate is the most popular means to park unaccounted money, and is considered the hub for generation of black money where a large number of Benami transactions take place. Experts believe the Amendment Act will further reduce black money transactions, thereby adjusting prices as per the set land value, making it accessible for buyers to buy a property without hassles.

States like Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are among the states whose land revenue departments are in the process of linking Aadhaar with land records and making it complete digitised.

The Maharashtra government is already in discussions with the National Informatics Centre to link the land records, property ownership with the Aadhaar number of the owner. For instance in Uttar Pradesh, the NOIDA administration has already converted the physical records in to digital records of over 16,000 institutional, industrial and commercial properties. Now both Noida and Greater Noida administrations are undertaking a project to provide all land/property related certificates/documents/papers/etc., which will be digitally readable and verifiable.
It's a real life scene right out of reel life.

Hindi films Karma and Do Aankhen Barah Haath showed convicts being taken out of prison to be reformed. Now, in Shimla's first Book Cafe inmates of a sub-jail near here are trained by a renowned hotel to serve cookies and pizza they have baked.

The cafe, with a seating capacity of 40 and constructed at a cost of Rs.20 lakh, was opened by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh last week.

It is located right above the Ridge  once the promenade for the British colonial rulers when this city was their summer capital  and on the way to the famed Jakhu temple.

The four who run the cafe are Jai Chand, Yog Raj, Ram Lal and Raj Kumar, all of whom are serving life imprisonment at the Kaithu jail near Shimla, Director General (Prisons) Somesh Goyal said.

The first-of-its-kind cafe in the country is funded by the state's Tourism Department. It is open daily from 10 am until 9 pm At night, the prisoners return to the jail.

Goyal, who has also been credited with reforming prisoners through music, said employing prisoners at the cafe was an attempt to rehabilitate them.

"This cafe has given us the chance to connect to the world," Jai Chand said.

Another beaming jail inmate, Yog Raj, said this cafe had given them a chance to get employment once they walk out of the prison.

"This is being run by four of us independently. Even the visitors, the locals, don't show any apprehension while interacting with us. Indeed, they are keen to know more about our radical transformation," he added.

Most of the time, the cafe, which offers free Wi-Fi access, is occupied by visitors reading books on wildlife, environment, tourism and Shimla's history while sipping coffee.

It has books of authors like Chetan Bhagat, Nikita Singh, and French novelist Jules Verne, besides educational books, magazines and newspapers.

"The cafe has a good collection of books of national and international authors," Shimla Deputy Mayor Tikender Panwar said.

For tourist Rewti Menon and her husband John Philip, it was a unique experience to interact with the prisoners.

"This cafe has given them another opportunity to live with dignity. Such experiments with an extensive support network will deter them from returning to crime," Philip said.

Last year, 10 inmates of the Central Jail in Nahan in Sirmaur district performed at the Gaiety Theatre here at a public function.

And the Chief Minister was among those who enjoyed their performance.

According to jail authorities, five of the 10 prisoners are undergoing life sentence for murder and two are facing trial under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

Special music classes were organised by prison authorities for almost a month to train the inmates in singing and playing instruments.

They sang Himachali folk songs, qawwali and Sufiana songs of Bollywood movies.
A five-member Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) on Monday visited Nagaland for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation in the wake of floods and landslides in the state during 2016, a official statement said.

The central team along with the Nagaland State Disaster Management Association officials also briefed Chief Minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu on how the natural calamities caused the damages in the state

During the meeting, Liezietsu said Nagaland is a resource crunch state totally dependent on the Centre, and disasters are an unexpected chapter which draw considerable amount from the state exchequer.

Noting that the soil in Nagaland is young which makes it more prone to landslide than the neighbouring states, he said the damages caused by rainfall here are often overlooked since our soil does not retain the rain water. This destroys not only Nagaland's crops but also its roads.

Moreover, he said, floods in the Brahmaputra river in Assam are also caused by the rainfall in Nagaland.
Clashes between group of protesting students and security forces broke out here on Monday resulting in heavy lobbing of tear gas shels by the forces.

A group of students from the S.P. College blocked the Maulana Azad road in Srinagar to protest against the army's action on students in Pulwama on Saturday in which more than two dozen students got injured.

The army had entered in to the Degree College Pulwama where students resisted and pelted stones over their vehicles.

The students of the S.P. College also resorted to stone throwing on security forces and the armed police in which the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Kothibagh police station got injured.

The forces then used tear gas smoke shells and batons to disperse the students who kept on regrouping to engage the security forces in pitched clashes.

The local market around the Residency Road area was immediately shut after the situation got grim.
The Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates on Monday won the two Jammu and Kashmir legislative council seats, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate lost in a surprise development.

Balbir Singh of the Congress won the council seat polling 31 votes. He was supported by the National Conference. He polled 12 votes of the Congress, 15 of the National Conference (NC) and four votes of Independent legislators.

BJP candidate Vikram Randhawa and PDP candidate Abdul Qayoom Dar polled 29 votes each.

As per the laid down procedure after the BJP and the PDP candidate were tied at 29 each, the winner was decided by draw of lots, in which BJP's Vikram Randhawa won.

The electoral college for the state legislative council, which is the upper house of Jammu and Kahmir's bicameral legislature, comprises members of the state legislative assembly, which has 87 elected members and two nominated members, all of whom are eligible to vote in these elections.

An official announcement about the result is expected shortly in Jammu where votes were cast and counted in the council election on Monday.
The Delhi Congress on Monday released the first of its three-part election manifesto for the upcoming civic polls, announcing a slew of measures for the upliftment of the urban poor, including setting up of a Department of Urban Poverty Alleviation.

"The party would also introduce health and accident insurance for daily-wage labourers in Delhi if it comes to power in the civic polls," Delhi Congress Chief Ajay Maken told reporters here.

Maken said it was only the first phase of the party's election manifesto and that it would announce the rest of its "plans and roadmap" for Delhi's development in two more phases on Tuesday and Wednesday.

"Tomorrow (Tuesday), we would release our manifesto on urban infrastructure, which would talk about house tax, parking issues and other matters of developed areas of Delhi.

"It would be followed by our 'youth manifesto', which would be launched day after tomorrow (Wednesday) near the Delhi University," Maken said.

Municipal polls for 272 wards would be held on April 23 and the results would be declared on April 26.

Dismissing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a minor player, Maken said it would be a straight contest between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Talking about his party's proposed schemes for urban poor, especially daily-wage labourers, Maken said the municipal corporations under the Congress rule would ensure three months' salaries for them in case they did not find work.

"For domestic workers, which are one of the most neglected sections, we would create a helpline number. We would also establish a comprehensive system for their formal registration, their verification and ensure their welfare," he said.

Maken also promised to issue five lakh licences for street vendors, so "they don't have to pay bribes every day to set up their stalls".

"For unauthorised colonies, we would set up a separate development fund worth Rs 2,000 crore," he said.

The Congress leader said all this would be accomplished by boosting the revenue inflow of the three  East, North and South Delhi  municipal corporations.

"We have done elaborate analysis and made concrete plans to boost revenue of the three civic bodies by an additional Rs 5,200 crore every year," he said.

In the run-up to the April 23 civic polls, the Delhi Congress has earlier released its roadmaps for sanitation, public health and education.

It promised to transfer all municipal hospitals to the Delhi government in exchange for primary healthcare centres, saving Rs 652 crore every year.

It also promised improving education standards and infrastructure as well as filling vacancies of teachers in municipal schools.
Police detained leaders of Telangana unit of Congress party on Monday as the opposition intensified its protest over shifting of 'Dharna Chowk', a popular venue of protests in Hyderabad.

Tension prevailed at Tank Bund in the heart of the city as several leaders sat on satyagraha at the state of B.R. Ambedkar but police evicted them on the ground that there is no permission for the protest.

Telangana state Congress chief Uttam Kumar Reddy, former ministers Bhatti Vikramarka, Mohammed Ali Shabbir, D. Nagender and former MPs V. Hanumantha Rao and Anjan Kumar Yadav were among those detained and shifted to different police stations.

The Congress party had called for the protest to demand Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government to revive 'Dharna Chowk' at Indira Park in the heart of the city.

Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that TRS government is suppressing the voice of opposition by shifting 'Dharna Chowk' to the city outskirts. "This move is undemocratic. The government is not ready to tolerate the voice of dissent," he told reporters.

The Congress leaders said TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who organised many protests in the city including Million March during Telangana movement, was not snatching the rights of the opposition parties.

The protest by the Congress came a day after leaders of Dharna Chowk Protection Committee launched a month long relay hunger strike at the Communist Party of India (CPI) headquarters, Mukhdoom Bhavan here.

The committee comprising leaders of CPI, CPI-M, other Left parties and mass organisations denounced the attitude of the Chief Minister and said the government was denying the democratic rights of the people to protest.

Noted educationalist and former Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Chukka Ramaiah said that it was unfortunate that Chandrasekhar Rao, who participated in many agitations programmes and meetings at Indira Park during the Telangana movement, now does not want that very Chowk to exist.

'Dharna Chowk' had been the venue of thousands of protests by political parties, people's organisations, students' groups, employees' unions and others for over two decades.

Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao had last week defended the police move to shift 'Dharna Chowk' to the city outskirts saying that that some parties were deliberately creating problems in the name of protests. He also stated that the venue doesn't make any difference as the opposition will still be able to highlight the issues and bring them to the government's notice thanks to the coverage by the media.

Last month, leaders of all opposition parties had come together to meet Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan Rao and submit a memorandum protesting the government's move.
Police have registered a case against unnamed army personnel in the incident of allegedly using a civilian as a human shield against stone-pelters during the polling in Beerwah area of the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency.

The FIR was registered at Beerwah police station yesterday, two days after a video showing a man being tied to an army jeep as a shield against stone-pelters during the April 9 bypoll to the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency surfaced, drawing widespread condemnation and anger.

A police officer said the FIR has been registered under sections 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 367 (kidnapping or abducting in order to subject person to grievous hurt) of the Ranbir Penal Code.

The investigation of the case has been handed over to an officer of the Deputy Superintendent rank, he said.

In the video that surfaced on April 14, Farooq Ahmad Dar from Khansahib in Budgam district is seen strapped to the front of a moving army jeep.

A soldier can be heard saying, This will be the fate of people who throw stones.
Colleges, universities and other higher education institutes in Kashmir will remain closed on Tuesday following the unprecedented protests by students across the valley, authorities said.

All examinations scheduled for Tuesday have also been postponed, an official said.

Internet facilities were also suspended on Monday to prevent uploading of pictures from the protests by youths on the social media.
In a late night meeting on Monday, senior Tamil Nadu ministers discussed the issue of having talks with rival faction led by former Chief Minister O Pannneerselvam, said Finance Minister D Jayakumar.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Jayakumar welcomed Panneerselvam's remark that he is open for talks if somebody comes with the plan to merge the two factions in AIADMK.

He said that Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai also welcomed Panneerselvam's remark and the stand of the ministers is also the same.

The ministers belong to the faction led by AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala.
Actor Sushant Singh Rajput says that being an outsider, he does not have a problem with nepotism in Bollywood and that it can co-exist with constant encouragement of talent from outside the industry.

"I think nepotism can co-exist with the idea of encouraging new talent from outside of the film industry. I, being an outsider, got the opportunity and luxury of choices to choose the film that I wanted to do. So I have no complaints.

"But having said that, if new talents won't get a chance, and only the practice of nepotism continues, then the industry will collapse in some time," the actor told media at the trailer launch of his forthcoming film Raabta on Monday.

Sushant started his acting career with television, and gained popularity with the show Pavitra Rishta. He later made his Bollywood debut with Kai Po Che in 2013.

His next Raabta opposite actress Kriti Sanon, will release on June 9.
The signing of 22 agreements between Bangladesh and India during the visit of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh early his month and Prime Minister Narendra Modis announcement of a concessional line of credit of $ 4.5 billion for projects in Bangladesh, mainly for infrastructure development and a line of credit of $500 million for defence-related procurement by Bangladesh  the largest such credit ever extended to any country by India  have been well received in both the countries and hailed as  transformative in the Indian media.

In Bangladesh too it was viewed as the beginning of a new phase in the Bangladesh-India bilateral cooperation, which is sure to strengthen sub-regional initiatives, especially the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-sectoral Technical Cooperation and the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal initiative.

The joint statement condemning terrorism and the need to take strong measures against states which support and finance terrorism, provide sanctuary to the terrorists and falsely extol their virtues clearly points to Pakistan as the source of terror.

A significant feature of the visit is the signing of 14 agreements and memorandums of understanding between Indian private corporates and their Bangladeshi counterparts to enable Indias globally renowned companies like the Adani group to enter into the Bangladesh energy sector. The two Prime Ministers formally launched additional rail and bus services between the two countries.

Do these developments suggest that geo-economics is at long last prevailing over some compulsions of cynical geopolitics of South Asia? It is probably too early to think so as the foundation of the democratic modern State is still fragile in Bangladesh because the Islamist forces fuelled by outside support hold influence enough to disrupt these bold strategic initiatives founded on the unstated fact that the partition in Eastern India, covering Bengal and Assam was unnatural as it ignored the reality of geography and ecology.

Bangladesh is almost entirely a delta, criss-crossed with rivers, rivulets, creeks and bay islands; and a delta doesnt lend itself to a political division. In fact except Bengal no large delta has been partitioned in the world so far. Thus nature has positioned Bangladesh as a lower riparian country as 54 out of 57 rivers of Bangladesh originate in India and three in Myanmar.

This suggests a spirit of willing accommodation as the only durable basis of a mutually beneficial water sharing arrangement of such rivers since there is neither international law nor a juridical system in place to secure the rights of the lower riparian countries and hence, the only course is bilateral agreement.

Bangladesh is thus endowed with the largest number of international rivers as defined by HA Smith in The Economic Use of International Waters in which he propounded the doctrine of riparian rights, which entitles a lower riparian country like Bangladesh to a share of the natural flow of water. Bangladesh enjoys yet another feature of being the only large Islamic country that doesnt share land borders with another Muslim majority state; and its nearest Muslim neighbour is the multi-ethnic and multireligious Malaysia, far removed from mainstream Islamic states of West Asia.

These facts suggest that future progress of Bangladesh would critically depend on cultivation of liberal and secularist values and institutions of governance that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib stood for and not political Islam, which will only obstructs development. Faced with the reality of having to live with 57 international rivers, Bangladesh endorsed the 9 July 1997 UN General Assembly Resolution on non-navigable uses of international water courses while China voted against it and India, Israel and Pakistan abstained.

Even though 106 nations did vote for it and the convention is viewed as codification of customary international law by the International Court of Justice and as a framework for management of international rivers, it has not been ratified so far.

However, some of its provisions, like the prior intimation to user countries of any interference in any such river systems and consultations, have been adopted as standard practice. Even then as global experience with the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty has shown, faced with strong national interest only bilateral negotiations based on the principle of give and take work.

And, this could be the only way to resolve not only the Teesta water sharing deal but also other outstanding issues like the construction of a 162.5 metre-high embankment dam at Tipaimukh in Manipur for generating 1500 MW, which Bangladesh fears will adversely affect the flow into the Surma and Kushiara rivers in Bangladesh, apart from causing serious damage to the environment.

One may also note that there was no mention of any thought on the major concern of Assam, namely, the influx of people from Bangladesh. However, Bangladesh must have noted the seriousness with which India is proceeding with the task of constructing 3,400 km of barbed wire fencing and concrete posts to prevent influx and smuggling by setting a timeline for completing the task by 2017. As of now, 222 km of 263 km of Assams border with Bangladesh have been fenced and serious efforts are on to seal the border with Assam and Tripura.

Hopefully, these efforts will bear fruit and facilitate expansion of border haats along the entire North-east portion of the India-Bangladesh border, and especially in Meghalaya as it shares 443 km of border with Bangladesh, crucial for trade and development of tribes.

It is not widely known that the partition badly divided the Khasi and Garo tribes as many of them found themselves on the other side and thus expansion of border trade might reunite the tribes on bonds of trade and cultural exchange. In a way, border fencing is symbolic  it is Indias rejection of any neo-Wahabi form of Islam and determination to stop its spread emanating from Eastern Bengal as it did in the early 19th century when Wahabis from this very region, then known as Farazis went all the way to the North West Frontiers to fight the forces of Maharaja Ranjit Singh as documented in William Hunters seminal work, The Indian Mussalmans.

But not anymore, as a rapidlymodernising Bangladesh is essential for development of the Bay of Bengal region. And this geopolitical advantage and importance that Bangladesh holds are what Pakistan cannot have as it has mortgaged its future to volatile lands of oil and sectarian violence to her West.

Bangladesh, on the other hand, gave the world the Grameen model of women-led self-help groups movement and the credit-based income generation programme, which triggered broad-based social development, raised female literacy, life expectancy at birth, brought down the birth rate, ensured womens participation in the economy and, improved sanitation and water supply to the extent that the country today is largely an open defecationfree country.

This dynamics enabled Bangladesh to climb up in the UN Human Development Index to the 139th rank and her economy, growing at 7.1 per cent over the last eight years, which the IMF reckoned as the second fastest even when the Foreign Direct Investment was limited to $ 2.2 billion only.

Expansion of trade with India is therefore critical for Bangladesh, which has grown to $ 6.5 billion though Bangladesh exports are hovering around $ 500 to 700 million. The real constraint on growth of merchandise exports is poor infrastructure, which stands in the way of Bangladesh emerging as a new Asian hub of low-cost manufacturing as rising labour costs in China might induce Chinese firms to move elsewhere as costs are less and labour productivity comparable.

To overcome this, Bangladesh needs infrastructure investment of $ 20 million annually till 2030 to take advantage of her demographic dividend and cheap labour costs as stressed by Sheikh Hasina.

In this scenario the inking of 14 agreements with Indian companies entailing private investment of about $ 9 billion during the visit and her promise of allocating 100 special economic zones to Indian companies should be truly reckoned as transformative. Its outcome, however, will depend on how effectively the state and the civil society of Bangladesh counter political Islam. Herein lies the challenge to realise Sheikh Mujibs idea of a secular, socialist and democratic Bangladesh.

The writer is a retired ias officer of the assammeghalaya cadre and has served as a scientific consultant in the office of the principal scientific advisor to the government of india
John J. Hanlon, executive director and legal director of the Illinois Innocence Project, is slated to speak at the Macon County Criminal Justice Group meeting Wednesday.

The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Central Christian Church, 650 W. William St. It is open to the public.

Hanlon's primary duty with the Innocence Project is to work on cases in which it is believed there is a reasonable possibility that DNA testing could lead to a wrongfully convicted prisoner's exoneration.

He has served as adjunct faculty for the Legal Studies and/or Criminal Justice departments at the University of Illinois Springfield since 2004.
Sometime in 2010, three former cadres of the Manipurs Peoples Liberation Army were recruited by 3 Corps of the Indian Army based at Rangapahar near Dimapur (Nagaland), under its intelligence and surveillance unit that reports to its General Officer Commanding.

The three had apparently been used by this cloak and dagger unit for activities that involved extortion, drug- and gun-running, all in the name of counter-insurgency operations under the cover of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.

Then, one day the same year, the Army picked these three up from a place at 7th Mile in Dimapur and took them to Rangapahar where they were allegedly subjected to third-degree methods and, after they were killed, the bodies were dumped in a nearby jungle in Assams Karbi Along district. Phijam Manikumar, the brother of one of the victims, Hijam Naobi, reported the matter to the Nagaland police in Dimapur.

A few days later, the Assam police informed their Nagaland counterparts that three bulletriddled bodies had been recovered from a forest in Karbi Anglong. The Nagaland police, in turn, informed the authorities at 3 Corps headquarters, who retaliated that they were immune under the AF(SP)A.

The matter soon reached Army Headquarters when one Major T Ravi Kiran, turned whistleblower and wrote to his superiors at both Eastern Command and Rangapahar stating how, one night, the three Manipuris were shot dead by the Intelligence unit behind their officers mess. In his letter, Major Kiran mentioned how Colonel Gopinath Shreekumar, Commanding Officer of the rogue unit, was behind the abduction and killing and was assisted by a Major Rubeena Kaur Kheer and a Manipuri officer by the name of Nector.

The grapevine also had it that just five days after the killing, Major Kheer, the alleged killer lady, had led the operations to pick up and dispose of the bodies of the three youths. Four Army personnel of the same unit were recommended for gallantry awards for eliminating these three so-called hardcore terrorists.

Under pressure from Fort William, 3 Corps then instituted a one-man enquiry headed by the Brigadier-General Ashawani Kumar, which was a mere eyewash since it was done at the behest of Major-General Abhay Krishna, then Brigadier (Operations) HQ, 3-Corps, acting upon the instruction of Lt-General Dalbir Singh Suhag, then GOC 3 Corps, as the rogue unit reported directly to him and was answerable for all its acts.

This inquiry was against all established Army norms, given how such a probe can only be conducted through either the Discipline and Vigilance Branch or the Adjutants branches of the Army. Peeved at the manner in which 3 Corps was trying to hush up the matter, the Chief of Army Staff imposed a disciplinary and vigilance ban on Lt-Gen Suhag and his future seemed almost doomed. But as luck would have it, after the Supreme Court turned down General VK Singhs date of birth case and he was on his way out, it became clear that General Bikram Singh would be the next Chief of Army Staff, followed by Lt-Gen Suhag.

The first thing General Bikram Singh did upon assuming office as Army Chief was to lift the DV ban on Suhag, who was soon elevated to the post of Army Commander, Eastern Command, and directed his cover-up operations from Fort William.

He then began revenge surgical strikes, and unable to reach General VK Singh, who by then had already joined politics, he targeted Brigadier Laiphrakpam Ibotombi Singh, the Manipuri officer who had served the DV Ban notice on him as GOC 3-Corps, by having him placed under a DV Ban on trumped-up charges. The Statesman had earlier carried a three-part story in this regard.

The matter was soon relegated to being a distant memory in the public mind, but not to the family of the late Phijam Naobi. In early 2014, they moved Manipur High Court seeking issuance of a writ in the nature of mandamus or habeas corpus and prayed for the immediate arrest of LtGeneral Suhag, who was by then ViceChief of the Army.

When The Statesman broke this news, the Election Commission took due note and decreed that the post of Army Chief of Staff could be filled only after the 2014 general election. Manipur High Court, however, ruled that since the incident took place in Nagaland, it was only appropriate that the petitioner move Gauhati High Court, and that is what the victims brother did.

The matter dragged on as one respondent or the other from the Army side failed to file replies under one pretext or the other. In the meantime, General Suhag became Chief of Army Staff and got into yet another controversy when he deployed Army troops to appease the saffron brigade in a grand show on the banks of the Yamuna river. His objective was simple ~ to acquire a gubernatorial post.

And this became very clear when an Army officer, posting on the social media, remarked on how Suhag was likely to be made the governor of one of the Northeast states and how his experience in the region would be beneficial for the country. A barrage of replies forced the Army officer to quit the Facebook theatre.

In the meantime, the matter came up for final hearing before Gauhati High Court and there remain many pertinent questions that beg answers. The first, does an Army inquiry have legal standing as findings of such an investigation have no prima facie evidence? Second, it needs to be pointed out that any inquiry within the Army is conducted by a HQ formation save for a Loss of Classified Document that is made mandatory by the General Staff Branch.

Further, in this case, the one-man inquiry appointed to look into allegations of the complainant of triple homicide committed by fellow officers was ordered by GS Operations Branch, which was the affected party ~ hence the logic of a judge being able to adjudicate on his own conduct! Then there is the question of the Army not having provisions to go into suicide or homicide being a civil offence.

More importantly, this matter involved the killing of civilians. As pertinently, the one-man inquiry officer neither summoned the complainant nor recorded the statement of Major Ravi Kiran, the complainant. Also, no written statement has been given by Lt-Colonel Perumal, then GI(Int), 3 Corps.

It now appears that the direction of the enquiry was aimed at punishing Major Ravi Kiran for false allegations and for writing directly to the Chief of Army Staff in disregard of procedures. However, the one-man inquiry did not issue Major Ravi Kiran any showcause notice simply because the same would not stand in a civil court and also because of the awareness that such a move would be tantamount to the question of murder.

When reports last came in, Gauhati High Court had asked the Nagaland government to submit the post-mortem reports of the three deceased. The influence of 3 Corps also runs in the corridors of the Kohima Secretariat and the high court has given yet one more opportunity for respondents to file their replies.

The bigger question is whether the saffron brigade in power at the Centre considers appointing General Dalbir Singh Suhag ~ technically under investigation for trying to hush up the murder of three innocent citizens by a unit that reported directly to him while he was GOC of 3 Corps. Perhaps God will have washed His hands of the issue were he to be appointed governor of a Northeast state!

The writer is the imphal-based special representative of the statesman.
Actor Dane DeHaan and wife Anna Wood have welcomed their first child, a baby girl.

The 31-year-old actor has taken to his Instagram account to announce the news.

The new father has shared a series of pictures featuring the baby girl whom the couple named Bowie.

One close-up picture has his child looking cozy in a squirrel blanket. He captions the cute snap with welcome to the world Bowie Rose DeHaan.

Another picture shows the actor's wife Anna outdoors as she holds the new bundle of joy. Yas queens. Yas, the Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets star wrote alongside the photo that sees the newborn baby snuggling inside the new mom's jacket.

Dane and Anna announced that the're expecting their first child in late November.
Global airline organisation IATA on Monday said that air passenger carriers should be allowed to continue the long-established overbooking practices.

"The airline business is unique in that once a flight takes off, the seats on that flight are no longer available for sale; it's a time-sensitive, perishable product," said the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

"Through sophisticated revenue management systems that airlines deploy, they know the historical percentage of no-show passengers for any given route. As a result, airlines can, with a degree of certainty, overbook a flight considering the number of no-shows expected, thereby maximising the capacity available to customers."

IATA's comments on overbooking came after an incident in which a passenger was forcibly evicted out of US-based United Airlines flight.

The global airline association pointed out that some governments were considering regulations which would restrict the current practice of overbooking, where airlines, in some cases, book more passengers on a flight than the number of seats available.

"The airline business is highly marginal in nature; banning the practice of overbooking will reduce already-thin margins, and could reduce connectivity in turn," IATA said.
The police on Monday registered cases against security forces in Kashmir who used a civilian as a human shield to allegedly guard against stone pelters and in another incident gunned down a youth in the Batamaloo area of Srinagar.

A First Information Report (FIR) was registered at the Beerwah Police station days after a video of the incident of April 9 went viral, drawing widespread condemnation and anger.

A police official said the FIR was filed under sections 342, 149, 506 and 367 of the Ranbir Penal Code against unidentified Army personnel. The investigation has been handed over to an officer of a Deputy Superintendent's rank, he said.

In the video that emerged on April 14, Farooq Ahmad Dar, a resident of Khansahib, Budgam, is seen strapped to the front of a moving Army jeep.

A soldier can be heard in the video, saying, "This will be the fate of people who throw stones."

The police also registered a murder case against unnamed personnel of the Border Security Force in connection with the death of the youth, Sajad Hussain Shaikh. Shaikh was killed after being hit by a bullet in the head, an official said.

Investigations into the killing have begun, he said.
The Congress has drawn up schedule of its delayed organisational polls with election of party chief expected to be completed by October 15, party sources said.

They said that Congress Working Committee could also meet by early next month to deliberate on a range of issues concerning the organisation and the electoral challenges.

The Congress has been seeking extension of time to hold organisational elections since present term of party chief Sonia Gandhi ended in 2015. The Election Commission had asked the party to complete its organisational polls by the end of this year.

Though some Congress leaders have been suggesting that party Vice President Rahul Gandhi should take over as party chief, there is no clarity on the issue.

There is a view in the party that Rahul Gandhi could be elevated as the party chief at the culmination of the organisational polls. But there is also a view that Sonia Gandhi may decide to continue at the helm in view of enormity of electoral challenges faced by the party.

At a meeting of the CWC, the party's highest decision-making body, in November last year, the members had unanimously expressed their "strong sentiments" that Rahul Gandhi must take over as party chief and had decided to convey their viewpoint to Sonia Gandhi.

Congress' Central Election Authority chairman Mullapally Ramachandran said that he had circulated tentative schedule of elections to state party units.

According to the schedule, election to the post of Congress president will be held between September 16 and October 15.

The CEA has also told the party units to complete the membership drive by May 15.

As part of organisational polls, elections will be held to block Congress committees, district Congress committees, state Congress committees. AICC members will also be elected.

The organisational elections will be followed by a plenary and its date has not been decided yet.

Sonia Gandhi became party chief in 1998 and is the longest-serving president of the party. She was re-elected party chief in 2010 for a five year term.

There is also talk of organisational revamp in the party.


The Crime Branch of Delhi Police on Monday booked the AIADMK (Amma) deputy general secretary T T V Dhinakaran for allegedly seeking to bribe Election Commission officials to secure the party's original

"two leaves" election symbol in the now-scrapped 12 April bye-election to the R K Nagar Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu.

The police filed an FIR against Dhinakaran after arresting an alleged middleman Sukesh Chandrasekhar

from a five-star hotel in the national capital on Sunday. The FIR has been filed against the accused under Section 8 of Prevention of Corruption Act, and Section 170 (personating a public servant) and Section 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of Indian Penal Code.

The police are investigating Chandrasekhar's links with Dhinakaran and EC officials. They have recovered Rs 1.30 crore from Sukesh besides seizing two luxury cars ~ a Mercedes and a BMW ~ from his possession.

According to police, Sukesh had allegedly struck a deal of Rs 50 crore for securing the AIADMK's original election symbol for Dhinakaran.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Madhur Verma said Sukesh was arrested on the basis of a

"secret information". "Both the luxury cars seized were parked at the five star hotel and all the notes recovered from him were in the denomination of 2000 rupees," Verma said.

Dhinakaran is a leader of the AIADMK faction led by his aunt V K Sasikala, the party general secretary, who has been currently in a Bengaluru jail after being convicted in a corruption case.

Reacting to the FIR filed against him by Delhi Police, Dhinakaran, in Chennai, rejected the allegations against him as false, claiming that he has no links with Sukesh Chandrasekhar. Holding that he will fight the case legally, he charged that attempts were being made to "destroy" his organisation "politically".

Dhinakaran claimed he was clueless about Sukesh, claiming that he had never known anybody with that name.

A Delhi Police team may visit Chennai to question Dhinakaran who, on his part, said he was ready to respond to any police summons. Dhinakaran would be served notice to join the police probe.

A special Delhi Police team comprising officials of the inter-state cell of Crime Branch has been formed by Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Praveer Ranjan to investigate the case.

In the run-up to the 12 April R K Nagar bypoll ~ which was necessitated following the death of the then Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa on 5 December ~ the EC froze the AIADMK's poll symbol "two leaves" after the two party factions, one led by Sasikala and another led by her rival and ex-CM O Panneerselvam, staked their respective claims on it.

Subsequently, the EC also cancelled the R K Nagar bypoll, saying that the election process there had been "seriously vitiated" by parties and candidates through bribery and use of money and gifts to allure voters. Dhinakaran was also the candidate of the Sasikala faction in this bypoll.

The Sasikala camp had managed to get their affiliated leader K Palaniswami's government installed in Tamil Nadu in the face of a fierce challenge from the Panneerselvam faction.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday filed a prosecution complaint against controversial preacher and televangelist Zakir Naik's close aide Aamir Gazdar for money laundering.

Last year, the ED had registered a money laundering case against Naik's Islamic Research Foundation under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) on the basis of an FIR registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

"It was alleged that Dr Zakir Abdul Karim Naik and his associates were indulging in unlawful activities and through his provocative utterances, promoting enmity and hatred between different religious groups in India.

"His inflammatory speeches and lectures have inspired and incited a number of Muslim youths in India to commit unlawful activities and terrorist acts," a statement from the Directorate said.

The Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), Mumbai was declared as unlawful under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 by a government order on November 17, 2016.

Based on the investigation conducted, Gazdar was arrested by the ED under Section 19 of the PMLA on February 16 and is currently in judicial custody.

The ED said during the investigation, it was found that certain dummy companies were established by Naik for routing the proceeds of crime. Out of the various companies established by Naik, Gazdar was Director in at least six of those.

The investigation also revealed that Gazdar, a confidant of Naik, was in close touch with him and also involved in illegal activities at the behest of Naik and was not only aware of many of his nefarious and illegal activities but actively collaborated and assisted in such activities.

"Aamir Gazdar has even gone beyond and knowingly assisted Naik and his associated companies in their financial shenanigans by providing 'accommodation entries' and parking and utilising these tainted monies through his personal bank accounts and the bank accounts of his family members," the ED statement read.

The agency said unaccounted money around Rs 5.15 crore belonging to Naik in cash had been handled by him on the instructions of Naik without leaving any trail on its origin or utilisation within a span of eight months only.

"No other person is privy to the source and actual use of this substantial unaccounted cash."

The ED has already attached properties in the form of Mutual Funds, real estate properties and bank balances worth Rs 17.45 crore of the Islamic Research Foundation.

A special court on April 13 issued a non-bailable warrant for arrest against Naik after he failed to appear before the ED despite four summons served on him.

The statement added that the ED may file supplementary prosecution complaints against Naik as he had so far not appeared before it.


Former National Security Adviser MK Narayanan on Monday said an exchange of prisoners is possibly the only way to sort out the controversy surrounding alleged spy Kulbhushan Jadhav.

"From my point of view, an exchange of prisoners is possibly the only way we can sort it (the issue) out," Narayanan told IANS here. But he declined to comment further on the issue.

New Delhi has warned that if Jadhav was hanged, it would amount to "premeditated murder".

Jadhav has been sentenced to death on charges of espionage and waging war against Pakistan. Islamabad says Jadhav was arrested in Balochistan. India says he was abducted from Iran.

As a fallout of the case, India on Saturday called off bilateral maritime security talks with Pakistan scheduled for April 17.

Narayanan was speaking on the sidelines of an international energy conference organised by The Neotia University.
The Congress on Monday said that allowing EVMs without VVPATs is a direct violation of the Supreme Court's order and asked the government to go back to paper ballots till they are installed.

It also slammed the government for being "disinterested" in installation of Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs) in the EVMs".

Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment on Sunday that EVM manipulation charge was an fabricated issue, Congress said that "the government was scared because the fabrication and manipulation lie somewhere else and that is why they want to bury the issue".

"In 30 months this government has denied the Election Commission the funds to do any installation of VVPAT to accompany the 16 lakh EVMs that roughly exist against which 58,000 VVPATs is the total number.

"The Election Commission, in its third letter, said they need Rs.3,000 crore now to be able to use VVPATs in 2019 elections. I have no doubt that for the future 30 months also the Election Commission will not get Rs.13 crore leave aside Rs.3,000 crore," said Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

He asked if the government's going ahead with EVMs without VVPAT "is not a direct violation of the Supreme Court order  which in its order said it is 'indispensable' to have paper trail".

"Go back to paper ballots and when you have given the funds, installed the VVPAT, then come back with the EVM. What is the problem?" he said.

"The Prime Minister said yesterday that there are many fabricated issues and one of them he raised was the EVM issue. I would remind him they are rightfully scared and fearful because the fabrication and manipulation may lie somewhere else and that is why they want to bury this issue deep."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged all citizens to serve the nation with their hard work and said that India cannot be run by the government without the support of its people.

"Our nation was neither built, nor can it be run by governments, kings and politicians, but only by the service and hard work of its people," Modi said while addressing a public meeting here in Gujarat.

The prime minister also said that India always had a culture of service which started fading away after Independence.

"Since Independence, people wanted the government to do everything. But that has never been the nature of our nation," Modi said.

"Our nation has been built on the sentiment of our collective social responsibility," Modi added.

He also said that so many 'dharamshalas' (rest houses), wells, 'gaushalas' (cow sheds) and libraries were built across the nation not by the government but by the people.

"After Independence, the sentiment (of collective social responsibility) started to fade away. But now we are again moving in the direction to revive that sentiment and people again want to do something good for the nation and its people," Modi said.

During the public meeting, the Prime Minister dedicated a 550-bed Kiran Super-specialty Hospital to the nation built at a cost of Rs.400 crore.
DECATUR  Two main entrances to the city could get a long-awaited sprucing up, pending approval from the Decatur City Council tonight.

The move comes as part of an agenda that also includes a proposal for downtown redevelopment and contracts for millions of dollars in street repair work.

The 'corridor monument installation project' would add entryway signage, landscaping and wayfinding signage along U.S. 51 and U.S. 36/Eldorado Street. If approved, the work could begin as early as this summer.

It helps tremendously with the image of the community, said City Manager Tim Gleason.  It feels great and (we) know it will be well received by the community.

Along with signage that highlights the growing number of local landmarks, the entryway signage will be backlit so that the letters and other sign elements are illuminated at night, according to city documents given to the council and made public Thursday.

The state awarded grant money through the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program several years ago to address the condition of the main corridor entrances. Since then, the city has been in discussions with the state regarding design, engineering and review to accommodate state-required changes.

This spring, the state of Illinois has approved the city to begin construction on the project, according to the resolution that will be voted on Monday night by the city council.

The total project cost will be $677,466, with 80 percent covered by federal grant funding and the rest covered in the city's professional services line item. In addition, the city would pay $54,135.39 to Chastain & Associates, LLC to provide construction engineering assistance, with 80 percent of that cost also refunded through a grant.

More improvements to the city's appearance are also targeted with the council expected to consider more than $4 million in bids for street work.

The bulk of the work, more than $3 million, comes from local motor fuel tax proceeds. The council authorized a $7.5 million loan last year to pay for several years of large-scale projects, with the debt to be repaid from proceeds of the gas tax. The tax, which costs 5 cents per gallon for unleaded fuel and 1 cent per gallon for diesel, began last April.

The council will consider two contracts, one for $2.2 million worth of asphalt work by Dunn Co. and one for $1.4 million worth of concrete work by Otto Baum Inc. A total of 12.66 lane miles of street are targeted as part of the work, which is aimed at portions of residential streets.

An additional contract for $710,000 with Dunn Co. would be funded from state motor fuel tax proceeds. It covers mill and overlay work for 5.46 lane miles of Mound Road from Woodford Street to Illinois 48, as well as crack sealing in several other areas of the city.

The streets are chosen for repairs based on assessments by the citys Public Works department, according to the city documents. Employees evaluate half of the streets in Decatur each year and enter their observations into a computer database that is designed to predict future conditions.

City officials have set up a website, buildingdecatur.com, to track the local motor fuel tax proceeds and resulting street work.

The council will also vote on a plan that will allow developer MDA Properties to to spend more than $2 million on properties in the 100 block of West Wood Street, 100 block of West Main Street and 100 and 200 blocks of South Church Street to transform them into new residential apartments and office/commercial development. An additional $302,000 would be spent on public infrastructure improvements.

Tim Raycraft, who represents the developer, told the Herald & Review on Friday that a bar and grille and dance studio are expected to move into the area. Raycrafts agreement with the city calls for the following improvements to be completed by the end of 2017:

building new public sidewalks and angled parking in the 100 block of South Church Street between Main and Wood Streets, and repave the alley in the middle of the block;

repairing the retaining wall to the west of the property at 151 W. Wood St.;

demolishing the east center section of a building at 142 W. Wood St.;

redeveloping the second floors of buildings at 155 W. Main St. and 150 W. Wood St. to add at least five residential units;

addressing environmental concerns in the area that were identified by a previous study.

In exchange for the investment, the city would release a mortgage lien it has held on One Main Place since 1998, when the property belonged to a different owner.
Modernisation of defence equipment is the top most priority for the government, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said on Monday as he addressed the Army Commanders' Conference here.

The Defence Minister "complemented the senior military hierarchy" and said "whenever the challenges multiply or their nature changes, Indian Army has always outperformed itself", an official statement said.

The minister said modernisation of defence equipment is the topmost priority for the government, the statement added.

Army Chief, Gen Bipin Rawat, in his opening address emphasiaed that all "systems" were working well and complimented all those who are working on the ground.

He observed that Indian Army continues to hold a strong image and a professional reputation and asked all ranks to endeavour to further strengthen the same.

Top commanders of Indian Army are meeting in the national capital from April 17-22. The commanders will deliberate upon the prevailing security scenario, strategic and actionable issues to ensure an effective combat edge for the Indian Army.
Pakistan faced major embarrassment at the 11-nation meet on Afghanistan hosted by Moscow with Kabul sharply attacking Islamabad for its duplicity in dealing with terrorism.

The 14 April meeting was attended by senior officials from Russia, China, Pakistan, India, Iran, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The US, which too was invited for the meeting, did not attend it, calling it a unilateral attempt by Moscow to assert influence in the region. Incidentally, the meeting took place a day after the US dropped one of its most powerful non-nuclear bombs on IS targets in Afghanistan.

Pakistan was also cornered for its open endorsement of involving the Afghan Taliban in talks aimed at reconciliation in Afghanistan. In an indirect endorsement of Indias stand, the meeting reiterated that any peace process in the embattled nation should be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned and that the countries of the region must support the regime in Kabul in its quest for sustainable peace. India is also believed to have reiterated that the Taliban must eschew violence and affirm its faith in the Afghan Constitution as a pre-condition for its participation in any peace talks.

According to Indian sources, Ashraf Haidari, senior representative of the Afghan Foreign Ministry, made a veiled reference to Pakistans direct interference in Afghanistans internal affairs and its continued support to radical and extremist forces working against the unity of Afghanistan. "Afghanistan rejects duplicity and selectivity in defining terrorism. This means that regional counter-terrorism efforts must mirror those of national counter-terrorism action plans adopted for implementation by Afghanistans neighbours, including Pakistan, he told the meeting.

In recent days, senior Afghan officials have repeatedly accused Pakistan of continuing to nurture safe havens. At the Heart of Asia Conference on Afghanistan in Amritsar in December last year, President Ashraf Ghani had himself spurned Pakistans aid offer to his country, saying Islamabad could use the same money for dealing with terrorism emanating from the Pakistani territory. This was the the third such interaction, hosted by Russia, which is also reported to be in touch with the Taliban and positioned itself as a broker in Afghanistan. The first meeting in December last year was attended by representatives of Russia, China and Pakistan, upsetting both Afghanistan and India. Kabul called that meeting 'illegal', saying a solution to the Afghan imbroglio could not be found without the involvement of the duly elected Afghan regime. Moscow included India, Afghanistan and Iran in the second meeting held in mid-February, making it a six-nation gathering. The US and Western powers, which have troops stationed in Afghanistan, however, continue to be the missing stake-holders in the initiative taken by Moscow.
Pakistan Army on Monday resorted to firing and mortar shelling at Indian positions along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district.

"Pakistan Army initiated indiscriminate firing and shelling on our positions on the LoC in the Naushera sector," Defence Ministry spokesman Manish Mehta said.

They are using small arms, automatics and mortars, he said.

"The firing started at 8 a.m. Our forces are effectively retaliating," Mehta added.

Firing exchanges are still continuing.
The Supreme Court on Monday asked Bombay High Court's official liquidator to sell the Rs.34,000 crore worth of properties of the Aamby Valley owned by the Sahara Group and directed its chief Subrata Roy to personally appear before it on April 28.

"Enough is enough. You cannot say something today and resile tomorrow," a bench, comprising Justices Dipak Misra, Ranjan Gogoi and A K Sikri, said, taking strong note of non- submission of over Rs.5,000 crore by the Sahara group.

The bench also cautioned Roy from playing with the court's order and said non-compliance of its order would invite the wrath of the law and ultimately he will be at his own peril.

The bench asked the official liquidator, attached with the Bombay High Court, to auction the Aamby Valley properties, estimated to be worth Rs.34,000 crore, and directly report to it.

The bench also directed Roy and his group as well as SEBI to provide all necessary details relating to the properties to the official liquidator within 48 hours.

Meanwhile, the top court restrained one Prakash Swamy, who has filed an affidavit with regard to the sale of Sahara hotels in the USA, from leaving India and asked him to deposit Rs 10 crore as fine with the market regulator SEBI.

Swamy will also have to appear in person in the apex court on April 28.

The Supreme Court had on April 6 warned the Sahara Group that if it failed to deposit Rs 5092.6 crore in SEBI-Sahara refund account by April 17 in pursuance of its order, it will be "compelled" to auction its property at the Aamby Valley in Pune.

The top court had told the group that no extension of time would be granted for depositing the amount.

The observation had come when the lawyer mentioned an interim plea seeking extension of time for depositing the money in the SEBI-Sahara refund account.

The court had also observed that it had clearly told the group that a "substantial amount" must come in the refund account.

"Whatever you do, we had told you that a substantial amount must come. Otherwise we will be compelled to put up Aamby Valley for auction," the bench had said, noting "What matters is the money coming in the kitty."

The apex court had on February 28 said "in case, the substantial amount is deposited, this court may think of extending the time, otherwise appropriate direction shall be issued".

The court had last month ordered an international real estate firm, which had shown willingness to buy Sahara's stake in New York-based Plaza Hotel for $550 million, to deposit Rs 750 crore in the SEBI-Sahara refund account, instead of the apex court registry to show its bonafide.

The top court had earlier directed attachment of Sahara Group's prime property for realisation of money to be paid to its investors.

It had also asked the group to provide it within two weeks the list of "unencumbered properties" which can be put up for public auction to realise the remaining over Rs 14,000 crore of the principal amount of around Rs 24,000 crore that has to be deposited in the SEBI-Sahara account for refunding the investors.

The court had on November 28 last year asked Subrata Roy to deposit Rs 600 crore more by February 6 in the refund account to remain out of jail and warned that failure to do so would result in his return to prison.

It had on May 6, 2016 granted a four-week parole to Roy to attend the funeral of his mother. His parole has been extended by the court ever since. Roy was sent to Tihar jail on March 4, 2014.

Besides Roy, two other directors  Ravi Shankar Dubey and Ashok Roy Choudhary  were arrested for failure of the group's two companies  Sahara India Real Estate Corporation (SIRECL) and Sahara Housing Investment Corp Ltd (SHICL)  to comply with the court's August 31, 2012 order to return Rs 24,000 crore to their investors.

However, director Vandana Bhargava was not taken into custody.
The Supreme Court on Monday took a strong note of the vacancies in police force in six states, including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, and asked their Home Secretaries to either personally appear or depute an officer to assist it.

A bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar referred to the vacancy in the states  Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, and summonsed the home secretaries or officers not below the rank of the joint secretary authorised by them for assisting it on Friday.

The bench, also comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul, said that the data, mostly pertaining to 2013, indicates that there are huge vacancies in police force in various states and said, "We endeavour to monitor the filling up of vacancies."

It said that there are more than 40,000 and 1.5 lakh vacancies in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, respectively.

The six states have been asked to provide the roadmap as to how they endeavour to fill up the vacancies with the apex court fixing the plea filed by Manish Kumar for monitoring by it on April 21.
Delhi Daredevils were left ruing their luck as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) powered by 110-run fourth wicket stand between Manish Pandey (69 not out) and Yusuf Pathan (59) scripted a dramatic 4wicket victory to chalk out their third straight win and to stay put on the top of the IPL at Feroz Shah Kotla here on Monday.

Chasing a victory target of 169, KKR were tottering at 21 for 3 after 2.5 overs but daring rescue act by Pandey and Pathan changed the script and snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat by scoring 169 for 6 as the plot went horribly wrong for the hosts.

Delhis smugness at the crucial stage cost them the match, though there were some moments of make-believe excitement at the fag end but KKR could not be denied victory which they fully deserved.

Pandey and Pathan took the Delhi bowling by the scruff of the neck and the hosts could do nothing but to watch match slipping out of their hands. They thrashed the bowlers all over the park to take the score to 131 in 12 overs they were together at the crease. Pathan hit two sixes and six boundaries off 39 balls while Pandey faced 49 balls to hit three sixes and four boundaries.

After Pathans departure, the visitors lost two more wickets but withy Pandey at the crease they romped home without much do.

This was Delhis second defeat in four matches while for KKR fourth win in five matches.

Earlier Zaheer Khan had no hesitation to opt for batting after he won the toss and his openers Sanju Samson and Sam Billings gave Delhi Daredevils another blistering start.

Sanju Samson made his intent clear as he hit Australian pace, Nathan Coulter-Nile who had come in place of Trent Boult for ten runs, including two boundaries, in the very first over. On the other end, Sam Billings was a willing partner as he stepped p the run rate hitting Chris Woakes and Umesh Yadav with impunity.

The two took the score past 50 in exactly 5 overs and in the process earned the distinction of being involved in plus 50 run partnership in successive matches for Delhi daredevils after a gap of nine years. Way back in 2008, this sort of record was set up by Sehwag and Gambhir.

As Nile, Woakes and Yadav failed to check the flow of the runs, Gambhir turned to West Indian mystery spinner Sunil Narine and the Caribbean did not disappoint his skipper as he bowled a tight over conceding only three runs.

Kolkata Knight Riders' Umesh Yadav then sent back Sanju Samson, who was also caught by wicket-keeper to leave Delhi at 63 for 2. Sanju chipped in with 39 off 25 balls hitting seven boundaries.

Shreyas Iyer and Karun Nair added 43- runs came for 3rd wicket in 5.2 overs before the Iyer got run out as New Zealander Colin Grandhommes direct throw hit the stumps before he could cross the crease. .His 17- ball 26 included four hits to the fence. However, the stand enabled the hosts to cross the 100 run mark.



Nile claimed his second victim when he clean bowled Karun Nair (21,27 b, 14) to reduce Delhi to 110 for 4 in 15 overs. Before that Nair had survived a chance when Uthappa dropped him off, Sunil Narine.

Once again it was last five overs which saw Delhi middle order led by young Rishab Pant going on the rampage as hosts added 58 runs in death overs.

Rishab plundered 26 runs off Umesh Yadavs fourth over to destroy his bowling stats. Before he came hard on Umesh, Pant hit Kuldeep Yadav for a towering six over long off and then came Umesh to bowl his last over which he will remember for a long time to come.

Pant hit him for the maximum over mid on, then cracked a boundary and followed that with two huge sixes over backward square leg and long on and then end the over with a four. This was the most expensive over bowled by Umesh Yadav in IPL.

Nile ended Pants inning when he had the batsman caught by Gambhir at the point and Delhi score at that stage was 153 for 6. Pants blistering 38 came off 16 balls and included four sixes and two boundaries.

Nile would have got his fourth wicket in the same over but Chris Morris was twice dropped once by Umesh Yadav at long on and then by Gambhir at cover.

Woakes then ended his wicket drought by getting rid of Morris (16, 9 b, 34)in the last over as Delhi ended at 168 for 7.

Nile justified his inclusion claiming three wickets for 22 while Sunil Narine came up with an economical spell of 4 overs 20 runs and a wicket. Umesh Yadav was expensive as he finished with one wicket conceding 53 runs.

The Visitors chase started in a worst possible way. They lost their three top-order batsmen in three overs. Gambhir did not go for any experiment and opened with Colin Grandhomme but the New Zealander disappointed. Zaheer Khan had him caught at deep square leg by Sam Billings to make it five for one for the visitors.

The last ball of the second over saw KKR losing their second wicket with the score reading 19 when Robin Uthappa (4) was snapped by wicketkeeper Rishab Pant.

The two- time champions were in real trouble when they lost there in -form captain Gambhir (14, 12 b,24 ), who was caught by Angelo Mathews off Zaheer Khan and the scoreboard read 21 for 3 in 2.5 overs. But at that stage script changed dramatically.
When the Army chief issued his rather controversial warning to stone-pelters in the Kashmir Valley, was it an early symptom of a frustrated force abandoning one of its most cherished professional traditions ~ the capacity to refuse to be provoked into rash action?

Precisely two months from the day of his talking tough, a video has gone viral of Rashtriya Rifles personnel lashing an alleged trouble-maker to the bonnet of a jeep to serve as human shield, parading him through several villages, and asking miscreants to stone one of their own.

That the Army authorities, both in Srinagar and New Delhi, refrained from immediately condemning the incident and initiating corrective action points to their being somewhat sympathetic to an act of indiscipline and brutality that must bring shame to all those who wear the uniform, regardless of its colour.

Any linking of that outrageous action, reportedly supervised by an officer, to other videos in circulation showing paramilitary personnel on election duty being harassed by the locals will only confirm apprehensions that several members of the security forces have accepted that they are fighting a losing battle: hence acting to settle scores, and reducing to ridicule the high reputation the forces, the Army in particular, had sustained even when conducting the most arduous of duties.

Events over the last eight or nine months add weight to the contention that the forces have now become part of the problem rather than part of the solution. The implications are ominous, both politically and diplomatically. The soldiers are not entirely to blame for the cracking up.

The governments in both Srinagar and New Delhi have left them out on a limb, tasking them to resolve a situation for which a military solution is not possible. While previous governments, of all political hues, did attempt political initiatives ~ the Vajpayee administrations efforts were truly sterling ~ under Mr Narendra Modi the accent has been on muscle.

And though chief minister Mehbooba Mufti ostensibly favours dialogue, she had made no positive moves (maybe because she is hamstrung by her alliance partner) and the situation on the ground is one over which the state government is fast losing control. The PDP-NC quarrel only complicates matters, blame-games will not help when people have lost faith ~ as election fiascos underscore.

Opinion is divided over whether a spell of Governors Rule will cool the crisis: provided Raisina Hill has the moral courage to accept the extent of the deterioration. Massive majorities in a couple of Assemblies, manipulated success in a couple of others are no compensation for a government coming close to losing the only minorities-dominated state in the nation. That is the self-inflicted burden Modi sarkar is having to bear.
India is experiencing an acute water crisis. Over the last two decades, this crisis has caused widespread agrarian distress, disrupted the rural economy, and rendered countless farmers distraught, leading a number into suicide.

The water crisis has its roots in extensive deforestation, proliferation of bore wells, rampant urbanisation, and unplanned development, which has wreaked havoc with the hydrological cycle, leading to the deterioration of many rivers.

As per the World Resources Institute, 54 per cent of India faces extremely high water stress. Indias groundwater depletion is one of the worst in the world. It is disheartening to see the deteriorating state of rivers in India, a civilization that reveres its water bodies and holds the virtue of sustenance in the highest regard.

Various water bodies across India, especially in the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka, have dried up owing to the disturbed hydrological cycle, the release of untreated effluents and unsustainable water use patterns.

The holy river Ganga, which many in India refer to as Ganga Maa or Mother Ganga, has been among the top priorities of Prime Minister Narendra Modi since his election in 2014. The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation is responsible for overseeing the clean-up of the river.

Namami Gange was approved as a flagship programme by the union government in june 2014. With a budget outlay of Rs.20,000 crore, it was to accomplish effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of the river Ganga.

Despite the major steps and a strong government focus on cleaning up the Ganga, we are yet to see results. As per a recent report of the Central Pollution Control Board, Ganga receives 3,048 million litres of waste water per day. Disposal of industrial and domestic sewage effluent, directly by drains or indirectly through tributaries, has been the chief cause for the high levels of pollution.

The newly appointed Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, recently met the Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Uma Bharti, to discuss the required cooperation for Ganga rejuvenation.

Adityanath indicated that the state would take up necessary action to speed up the work, saying that since the largest stretch of the river passes through Uttar Pradesh, it is the responsibility of the state to clean up the river. A recent ruling by the Uttarakhand high court recognised rivers Ganga and Yamuna as living legal entities.

Although the ruling may encounter operational challenges, it is being hailed as a much required precedent in India. Environmentalists believe that since the ruling resonates with the civilisational ethos of the land, it will lay the foundation of responsible environmental reforms and engage the community.

The coming to power of new governments in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, coupled with this recent ruling, should reinvigorate Indias hopes of reviving its water bodies. However, before grand projects are completed and big promises are fulfilled, small steps need to be undertaken immediately.

River rejuvenation offers a sustainable solution to many of India's water problems but requires technical planning, community engagement, grass-roots leadership, efficient project management and responsible social audit for feedback.

The current government structures lack the required integration to address the problem of dying rivers as each department works in isolation, necessitating a nodal agency through which all schemes can be implemented in tandem.

This creates room for civil society to step in. Various civil society organizations are already working for this cause by acting as the required nodal agencies and providing services that make it possible for the government to undertake river rejuvenation projects.

Dr. Lingaraju Yale (a renowned geologist and member of the National Committee on Integrated Mission for Sustainable Development, Indian Space Research Organization) has developed a scientific methodology that is being used in some of the ongoing river rejuvenation projects with active involvement of civil society organisations.

These projects are based on a river basin framework. Remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) are used to analyse information relating to geology, geomorphology, lithology, lineaments, soil type and drainage network, and detailed action plans are accordingly designed.

Various civil society agencies and government departments come together to conduct capacity building and training programs for various stakeholders, and to ensure proper implementation. These projects are unique on the social front as well. They create community leaders and 'barefoot technicians' who act as trustworthy channels for last-mile delivery.

One such project has been selected for a national award by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Govt. of India, and has been recommended as a national model. This project was implemented under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA), in partnership with the central government, state government and civil society organizations.

The project spans 5,500 square kilometres of watershed, covering three districts and 1097 villages. In a span of just two years, 6.8 lakh+ man days have been generated, 28000+ people have benefited by employment under MGNREGA, 4500+ have been trained on water conservation, and 1000+ farmers have been enrolled as members of the Farmer Producers Organisation.

Representatives from a civil society organization say that the core belief is to transform individuals and communities into agents of change, and effectively work with all key stakeholders, including the government, to catalyse a silent grassroots movement.

The writers are, respectively, Professor of Law, Jindal Global University, Sonipat and Co-Founder and Program Director, Vision India Foundation.
The elegant dinner was interrupted by a piercing scream. Earlier in the evening I had asked about uncle Deep, a livewire conversationalist who liked me, and was told that he was unwell.

My host ran to see the reason, and I came out on the corridor. A loud stream of obscenities followed screams. Before anyone could stop me, I advanced and had glimpse of an inconceivable scene.

Uncle Deep, naked except for a diaper and chained to a bedpost, was foaming at the mouth as he yelled one foul word after another. Later the family apologetically explained that Uncle Deep periodically goes off the handle and has to be shackled for his own safety.

Barin was a college friend who had gone on to become a doctor and eventually the chief of a hospitals pathology department. Whenever I visited the town where he lived with his wife Mila and two daughters, we had a drink together and a long conversation.

A strange thing happened last year when Mila told me he wasnt well and she would rather not have me come to meet him. When I asked what was wrong with him, she was evasive. When I asked other friends, I found Barin had stopped working or Mila had started barring all friends.

Apparently he acted strangely, talked incoherently and did not recognize old friends. The third experience was with my cousin, Ranjit, an able journalist who enjoyed a good reputation both in his newspaper group and in professional circles.

He covered business news and was as diligent as he was knowledgeable about emerging commercial trends. When I didnt hear from him for two months, I thought it was unusual and went to see him. A voluble man he had suddenly turned taciturn and responded to all my overtures in monosyllables.

His brother called it a streak of depression, but after he was taken to a specialist at my insistence, it was diagnosed as the onset of dementia. The toll of Alzheimers is extensive: it claims a victim nearly one every minute.

Forty seven million people worldwide have Alzheimers, costing $700 billion each year; the figure is expected to double in twenty years. After heart attack and cancer it is the biggest killer. There is no cure and no prevention.

There are a couple of expensive drugs that can marginally modify the havoc, but there is nothing to fight the disease. Imagine this insidious blight attacking your father, mother, brother or sister (women seem statistically more vulnerable)  or yourself.

Day by painful day, it will shrink and atrophy your brain tissue. The first thing to go will be your memory: you will start by forgetting little things and end up by failing to recognize your wife and your own face. You will lose money and valuables; then you will get lost yourself, because you cant find your own home.

Then you will start losing your mental functions, those that make you human. You will lose your language, reasoning capacity, any kind of systematic thinking. You will forfeit the ability to do any step-by-step thing, like dressing or feeding yourself, and become fully dependent on others.

Then will come hallucinations, delusions and paranoia, resulting in impulsive and offensive behavior. The ultimate stage is when you are confined to bed as your body starts shutting down. What makes it worse, as my experience shows, is that the whole phenomenon of dementia is wrapped in misunderstanding, shame and sheer ignorance.

Few families have the vast coping skills, extensive support network and huge caregiving stamina and budget needed to deal with an Alzheimer patient. Even fewer have a basic knowledge of the way the disease can change a persons behavior and make him or her seem uncooperative, resistant, stubborn or just monstrous.

Family members then try to isolate and hide the person, aggravating the victims physical and mental decline. Some even shackle and confine the patients like animals, shorn of all dignity, ostensibly for their own safety. Given the growing threat of dementia that hangs over us all, the first step may be to know something about Alzheimers, its symptoms and consequences.

We could learn how to identify the signs, when to consult a specialist, and why we need a strategy for coping and care-giving. It may be a little better than to chain your mother or brother in a back room or cling to the vulgar fiction that they are possessed by a malevolent devil.

The writer is a Washington-based international development advisor and had worked with the World Bank. He can be reached at [email protected]
When Telanganas statehood was restored by bifurcating the composite state of Andhra Pradesh, its proportion of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, backward classes and minorities had undergone drastic change and their share of reservation in government employment and educational institutions was adversely affected.

The Telangana Rashtra Samiti, at the time of the election to the Assembly, promised to make amends for this unforeseen fallout.

The Muslim population, for instance, has gone up from 9.56 per cent in the composite AP to 12.68 per cent in Telangana, the majority of whom come under Backward Class (E) group. The SCs have increased from 15 per cent to 16.3 per cent and the STs from 7.11 per cent to 9.08 per cent.

The Telangana Assembly and Legislative Council on Sunday held a special session and passed the Telangana Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and Appointments or Posts in the Services under the State) Bill, 2017, amidst stiff opposition by the BJP, to make good the promise. Reservation for Muslims will go up from four per cent to 12 per cent if the Bill becomes law, which is anathema to the BJP.

Since the Bill requires the assent of the President, and considering the BJPs opposition to it, it is doubtful it will become a law in the foreseeable future. The five BJP MLAs created such a ruckus in the House they had to be suspended for the day while the partys lone member in the Council walked out before voting. It will push the reservations to an aggregate 62 per cent, exceeding the limit of 50 per cent set by the Supreme Court.

The Muslim community celebrated passage of the Bill by pouring milk on a portrait of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao. The Supreme Court ceiling on reservations can be overcome by parking the Bill in the 9th Schedule of the Constitution so that it cannot be challenged in any court of law.

Tamil Nadu has done just that to protect 69 per cent reservation in the state. The BJP has no quarrel with the Bill except for the section increasing reservation for Muslims from four to 12 per cent.

The community constitutes only 7.36 per cent of the total workforce in the state. If the Union government refuses to include the Bill in the 9th Schedule, the state can always approach the Supreme Court citing the Tamil Nadu precedence.

M Venkaiah Naidu, Union urban development minister, said that the NDA government was against providing reservation to anyone based on religion which is against the Constitution. Chandrashekhar Rao has clarified that the reservations provided in the Bill were entirely based on socio-economic backwardness and not on the basis of religion or caste.

The Bill was proposed to address concerns over the inclusive development of marginalised population as the proportion of the SC, ST and minorities, especially Muslims, had increased after the bifurcation.

This was mainly on account of higher concentration of these communities in the Telangana region compared to the Rayalaseema and Andhra regions of composite AP.
Most semi-frequent travelers have their own private no-fly list  that one airline whose aggressive incompetence and casual cruelty leads them to say never again. Even before introducing the term re-accommodate into the National Registry of Corporate Euphemisms, United has been that no-go airline for me, the result of a long series of outrages beginning with the near-ruination of George Gershwins Rhapsody in Blue.

And yet, after grim Expedia searches, I continue to sporadically fly those unfriendly skies, because unlike evil rental car companies (cough AVIS cough), air carriers have colluded with government to shield themselves from the consumer-friendly gales of competition. Protectionist legislators have basically made it impossible for us to quit United.

Perhaps youve seen that graphic making the rounds, showing how mergers over the last decade have consolidated the largest 11 domestic airlines into a profitable, customer-abusing Big Five? The accompanying BuzzFeed headline is a true enough conclusion: Airlines Treat You Badly Because They Can. But like a lot of the how-we-got-here coverage last week, it misses one elephant in the room.

Foreign companies and individuals  think Richard Branson and Virgin Atlantic Airways  are forbidden by U.S. law from owning more than 25 percent of a domestic airline. Thats why Virgin America could be sold last year to Alaska Airlines over the express wishes of Virgins famous founder: He just didnt have enough votes.

The differently headquartered are banned outright from servicing routes between two American cities, a practice with the sinister-sounding name of cabotage. And carriers from Singapore to the Gulf States are not only barred from competition, but subject to sneering taunts by American legacies from behind the protectionist firewall, such as when United CEO Oscar Munoz this March said that companies including the well-regarded Emirates arent real airlines.

What on Earth justifies such pre-Trump xenophobic mercantilism in our increasingly globalized world? According to North Americas Air Line Pilots Association: These regulations ensure the national security of our country and the integrity of our airline industry. Or translated into honest-ese, These regulations ensure the job security of unionized U.S. nationals and the continued existence of poorly run U.S. airlines.

The nexus between neglected infrastructure and national security is one of the most reliably insane areas of public policy. Recall the coast-to-coast freakout in 2006 when Dubai Ports World attempted to buy management rights to a half-dozen major U.S. ports.

In fact, one of the biggest worries among free-market economists about President Trumps gestating $1 trillion infrastructure bill is that it will contain buy American, hire American provisions that would discourage needed investments from foreign companies and financial institutions.

The irony of Americas lagging air travel quality  including the abject lousiness of its airports, about which President Trump is absolutely correct  is that we once led the world in airline innovation. When the domestic industry was deregulated in the mid-1970s, our trading partners scrambled to become more like us. Then they surpassed us.

It took a couple of decades, but eventually the European Union dismantled subsidies for national carriers, privatized a number of airports (something unheard of here), and let literally hundreds of low-cost airlines run riot. It even allowed some foreign-airline cabotage, on a case-by-case basis. The result is those annoying Instagram pics from friends who live in London, showing off that people in Europe fly everywhere for dirt cheap.

Yes, airlines on the continent come and go faster than New York restaurants. But thats precisely the point: With real competition comes real failure, hopefully followed by bankruptcy and even liquidation, instead of American-style too-big-to-fail bailouts. How many customers must United pummel before they can Gershwin us no more?

As Marc Scribner of the Competitive Enterprise Institute put it: If American consumers wish to enjoy improved service quality in air travel, they should demand that Congress repeal 90 years of anti-competitive federal law. Less regulation of air travel, not more, is the solution.

If we really want to punish United Airlines  and Lord, how Ive dreamed of this day  then letting Richard Branson and his cohorts come and compete on American soil will do more to extract justice than a hundred regulators ever could.
A military court in Pakistan has sentenced to death a former Indian Navy officer, Kulbhushan Jadhav, for espionage and subversive activities. In a sharp reaction, India has said that if the execution takes place, it would be regarded as a case of pre-medictated murder.

Jadhavs case brings into sharp focus the functioning of military courts in Pakistan. In a strongly-worded statement, Amnesty International has described these courts as an inherently abusive system that rides roughshod over international standards.

In 2015, Pakistans Parliament had legalized military court trials of terror suspects for a period of two years. This happened in the wake of the terrorist attack on an Army Public School (APS) in Peshawar, resulting in the killing of 144 people, mostly children.

The 21st Amendment to the Constitution, which created the military courts, was initially viewed with skepticism and was opposed by different parties. The Constitutional Amendment permitted the Pakistan Army Act (PAA) to extend its jurisdiction for speedy trial of cases for specified acts, and provided a constitutional cover with a sunset clause of two years from its date of enactment.

However, the military courts, gradually, have firmly entrenched themselves in Pakistans criminal justice system. Pakistans Supreme Court approved the previous Constitutional Amendment in August 2015, deeming it to be within the purview of Parliament to amend the law so long as military trials were subject to judicial review.

An article in Dawn (21 February 2017) by Reema Omer states that since February 2015, a total of 274 individuals have been convicted in military courts. So far, the army has sentenced 161 individuals to death, twelve of whom have been executed and 169 have been given jail terms, mostly life sentences.

There are about eleven military courts that have been set up across Pakistan ~ three in Khyber Pakhtoonwaha (KP), three in Punjab, two in Sindh and one in Baluchistan. The Pakistan Army has claimed that the cases were dealt with in accordance with the due process of law in the military courts, and such trials have had a positive effect on curbing terrorist activities.

Both these claims do not stand scrutiny. Human Rights groups and legal experts have documented, in detail, how military trials of civilian terrorism suspects, pursuant to the 21st Amendment, have fallen far short of due processes. in restraining terrorist violence.

The fact that cases pile up in the courts of law has emboldened the terrorists. Some of the offences for which military courts can try civilians are: attacking military officers or installations; kidnapping for ransom; possessing and storing explosives and firearms, creating terror and insecurity in Pakistan and waging war against the State.

However, trials in the military courts are far from transparent, and very often they are not fair. Normally judges have a duty to explain the reasoning behind their verdicts. But in many cases, this is not being done. Families of the military court convicts remain ignorant of the essential findings of the cases since the trials are closed to the families of the accused.

Even the National Commission for Human Rights in Pakistan was not given access to observe the trials. Moreover, the suspects are often defended by military officers and not civilian lawyers. The army takes the plea that the accused persons often willingly forego their right to engage civilian lawyers.

It strains credulity to accept such a claim. One of the cornerstones of a fair trial is the provision of providing the accused with a detailed judgment at the conclusion of the trial. There is no guarantee that such a document will be made available by military courts.

The confession rate in the military courts is also very high. According to a statement issued by ISPF (media wing of the army), 135 out of 144 people convicted have confessed to the charges. This confession rate of more than 90 per cent is disturbing and raises the suspicion that confessions are often obtained through questionable and coercive methods.

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), in a briefing paper published in 2016, held that the Pakistani government and military authorities have failed to make the trials in the courts, fair and transparent. The right to appeal is the essential component of a free and fair trial.

Military court convicts do not enjoy the option to appeal in civilian courts. According to the Pakistan Army Act (PAA), those convicted by military courts can only appeal in the military appellate tribunals.

However, convicts can have decisions of military courts reviewed by civilian courts under the PAA. Indeed, reinstating military courts, according to Human Rights Watch, would violate Pakistans international human rights obligations. Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civilian Political Rights, which Pakistan ratified in 2010, guarantees to everybody the right to timely trial by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal.

The Human Rights Committee, an international expert body authorized to monitor compliance with the Covenant, stated that civilians should be tried by military courts only under exceptional circumstances that generally afford full due process.

The claim that the military courts have been instrumental in reducing the threat of terrorism is unsustainable. Terrorist violence in Pakistan is going on unabated. Very often, innocent civilians are the targets. The contention that terrorists were incapacitated from carrying out further attacks because of speedy trial and conviction in military courts is difficult to sustain.

Military courts have convicted people whose cases were pending in ordinary criminal courts, or antiterrorism courts and transferred to them for trial. People have been detained at interrogation centres under FATA (Federally Administered Territorial Areas) and other undisclosed locations.

A dispassionate assessment of the performance of the courts would show that they have been instrumental in wanton violation of human rights and subversion of the rule of law in Pakistan. Terrorism in this country is the creation of the Army, which has been nurturing many of the militant groups.

They have served to help the army to further strengthen its position in the country and thus weaken the criminal justice system. Indeed, the 21st Amendment to the Constitution has been a failure but the Government, under the pressure of the army, has acquiesced in the continuation of the military courts for another two years.

Indeed, Pakistan is the only country in South Asia to allow the military to try civilians. Denying citizens a fair trial is not the way to solve Pakistans complex security challenges. The proper response to militant activities is to strengthen the civilian courts and uphold the rule of law.

The writer, senior fellow of the Institute of Social Sciences, had served as Director-General, National Human Rights Commission, and of the National Police Academy.
Nepalese president Bidya Devi Bhandari has embarked on her maiden 5-day state visit to India. Her earlier visit was cancelled abruptly last year by the KP Sharma Oli led government on account of alleged Indian involvement in his removal.

President Bhandari, who was one of the vice-presidents of the CPN-UML before getting elected to the highest position in 2015, was a close associate of the party chief, Oli.

The president is the titular head without any executive power. The impact of the visit will have to be watched to assess the extent to which it will help recoup ties after the cancellation of her last visit.

Significantly, during the last one year, there has been a change of guard in Kathmandu and PM PK Dahal Prachanda has already visited New Delhi.

Indian president Pranub Mukherjee too made a successful visit to Nepal in early November last year. During his visit he had expressed his eagerness to receive his counterpart in Delhi as early as possible.

India believes that the first foreign visit by any Nepalese head of state and government to India is a diplomatic achievement. In reality, such visits have only cosmetic value.

Over the years, India seems to have failed in its diplomacy due to drastic change in psychological and geographic make up of Nepal, as the country no longer remains totally dependent on India for its political and economic support.

China and the international community have come up forcefully behind it. Ironically, Indias good intention to encourage democratic exercises in Nepal was taken by the monarchy and the ruling elite as interference in its internal politics since early 1950s.

The ruling elite, which took over politics by winning the Constituent Assembly elections, took exception to Indias benign suggestion to include all communities in its political fold. This was taken again as Indian interference leading to the worst period of relations and resulted in a blockade of goods at the Indian border.

Historically, Nepal-India relations acquired strategic importance after Tibet became the autonomous region of China making Nepal the buffer state between India and China. This changed the geopolitics of Nepal. It was never under British India.

But the first Btirtish resident was sent to Kathmandu in April 1802. However, formal diplomatic relations were established through the 1815- 6 treaty of Sugauli.

The Nepalese establishments had to deal with the British before 1947 in accordance with the treaties of 1792, 1801, 1815-6, 1860,and 1923. The 1815-6 treaty of Sugauli reduced the boundaries of Nepal but the treaty of 1860 extended it as a prize for helping the British army in capturing Lucknow, the capital of Avadh.

After independence, India signed the Treaty of Peace and Friendship in September 1950. More importantly, Nepal-India relations, which were decided millions of years ago by Nature, by the lofty Himalayas and the perennial rivers, were also established between two peoples settled over the adjoining border areas from times immemorial but were guided by various treaties signed from time to time during the last 250 years when Nepal acquired its present geographic boundaries.

To some, the 1950 treaty had opened up the vistas of cooperation and opportunities for development as barrages on Kosi and Gandak provided irrigation facilities not in Nepal alone but also in India and relieved millions of people of their suffering from floods in Bihar.

However, in reality, most of the provisions of the treaty have been rendered ineffective in the course of time, except the provision of free movement of citizens of each country to the other (Art.7).

It thus necessitates a timely revision. There are unseen forces in Kathmandu which ignore the security concerns of India and pressurise India indirectly to get the border regulated by itself, if not sealed. They believe the open border situation minimises the independence of the country.

Strikingly, this is against the age-old dispensation which has enabled people to go on pilgrimage in either country, allowed Nepalese to earn bread and butter in India, especially the unemployed youth from the western hills of Nepal, and encouraged the Madhesis to continue to have marital relations in Bihar and UP.

Over and above, it will curtail the easy accessibility of common people to procure materials of daily need at cheaper rates at local bazaars. Interestingly, the formation of the India-Nepal Eminent Persons' Group, whose third two-day joint meeting ended in Kathmandu on 6 April poses many questions.

Will it be possible to review the special relations by eight persons, four from each side, in a limited time frame? It is intriguing as to why the group was not made inclusive enough and left out deliberately some major communities.

The unrealistic recommendations by the Group will be difficult to implement on the one hand and these may land Nepal in yet another conflict, on the other. Some sceptics hold that the vastness of the terms of reference of the group could render the exercise futile in the 21st century, when borders are being made irrelevant throughout the world and natural resources are being harnessed for serving the humanity.

In the present context, there will hardy be any problemcentric consultations during the Presidential visit, except an overview of relations. Even current issues like reviewing vital relations as defined by the Treaty of Peace and Friendship, 1950 cannot be taken up, as the Eminent Persons Group formed by both sides is discussing it.

Of course, it cannot be ruled out that the forthcoming local level elections and the Madhesi outfits participation in the election do not figure in the discussions.

The writer, a former Election Commissioner of Nepal, is associated with the Nepal Transition to Peace Institute.
Robust may have been its defence of Electronic Voting Machines, authoritative was its challenging anyone to prove that the devices could be tampered with, and bold was its declaration that only losers were crying foul.

Yet deep down somewhere the Election Commission was hurting, and acknowledged the validity of the apex courts call to authenticate those machines with a paper-trail back-up. For even as the controversy was simmering, Nirvachan Sadan renewed its plea to the government to expedite the provision of funds needed to upgrade the system.

Non-BJP participants in upcoming municipal polls in the capital are likely to use the ECs letter of 22 March to fuel their demand for an old-fashioned paper ballot in the elections due on Sunday.

Conversely, the Centre may further delay the funds lest that appear to justify the allegation that the BJPs unexpectedly onesided win in UP last month as facilitated by doctored EVMs. The chorus of lament was that press any button you want ~ a BJP vote will be registered.

Obviously that was a highly exaggerated charge, but who can ignore the old saying about there being no smoke without fire. That a number of parties referred to suspicions over EVMs in the memorandum of concerns they submitted to the President confirms that the EC is aware that a question of credibility has now arisen.

Once-hailed as an effective counter to electoral fraud, the EVMs have come under a cloud: a cloud thickened by the governments not loosening the purse-strings. Maybe there will be no loss of false prestige if the finances are sanctioned after the municipal polls in the capital ~ the most fiercely contested in recent times with the BJP and AAP desperate to prove their strength and the Congress nursing hopes of a resurgence.

It is more than a matter of the estimated Rs.3,174 crore required to put in place the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit mechanism before the next general election, for which some 15.5 lakh state-of-the-art EVMs would be required.

Ideally, the orders should have been placed in February for them to be produced well ahead of the next Lok Sabha polls. Whether the most recent reminder, the 11th, will suffice for remedial action to be taken is a matter to be monitored.

It is significant that in its missive to the law ministry the Commission has underscored that, it is felt that the process of procurement of VVPATs cannot be delayed any longer given the prevailing environment.

The ruling party perceives the environment very differently, the Prime Minister has just iterated the sour grapes jibe against the Opposition, but does that mean denying the people ~ more than the EC ~ a trustworthy means of giving unto themselves the representation to which they are Constitutionally entitled?
People who possess a greater understanding of finance tend to accumulate more assets and income during their lifetime, and therefore they are less likely to fret about life in their twilight years, suggests new research.

Financial literacy increases our awareness about financial products, builds a capacity to compare all available financial options, and changes our financial behaviour  all which bodes well for our perceptions of, and actual experiences during our seniority, said one of the researchers Yoshihiko Kadoya, Associate Professor at Hiroshima University in Japan.

For the study, researchers asked people from across Japan to answer questions assessing their calculation skills, understanding of pricing behaviour, and financial securities such as bonds and stocks.

Respondents were also asked about their accumulated wealth, assets, and lifestyle  and to rate the level of anxiety they felt about life beyond 65.

Men, and those with a higher level of education are more financially clued-in than women, and those with less education respectively, the findings, published in Journal of Risk Research, showed.

The researchers also found that more financially literate earn and accumulate more during their lifetime  and thus worry less about growing old.

It also appears that financial literacy helps shape people's perception towards risk and uncertainty  making them more capable and confident in tackling whatever problems life throws at them.


Hospitalisation for heart attacks and strokes is less common among people living in areas that restrict trans fats in foods compared to residents in areas without restrictions, new research has found.

"Our study highlights the power of public policy to impact the cardiovascular health of a population," said lead author Eric Brandt from Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, US.

Trans fatty acids, or trans fats, are commonly found in fried foods, chips, crackers and baked goods.

Eating even minimal amounts is linked to a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death worldwide.

Some communities in the US-most notably New York City-have eliminated the use of trans fats in restaurants and eateries in recent years.

To study the impact of restricting trans fats, researchers compared outcomes for people living in New York counties with and without the restrictions.

Using data from the state department of health and census estimates between 2002 and 2013, the researchers focused on hospital admissions for heart attack and stroke.

They found that three or more years after the restrictions were implemented, people living in areas with the bans had significantly fewer hospitalizations for heart attack and stroke when compared to similar urban areas where no limits existed.

The decline for the combined conditions was 6.2 per cent, said the study published in the journal JAMA Cardiology.

"It is a pretty substantial decline," Brandt said.

"The results are impressive, given that the study focused on trans fatty acid bans in restaurants, as opposed to complete bans that included food bought in stores," senior author Tamar S. Polonsky, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago, added.

"If we enact a more complete restriction on trans fatty acids, it could mean even more widespread benefits for people," Polonsky said.
People who have better understanding of finance are less likely to be worried about the later stages of their life, a new study has found.

It seems financial literacy  the ability to understand how money works, enables people to accumulate more assets and income during their lifetime, and so increases confidence for the years ahead, researchers said.

Additionally, financial literacy seemingly engenders a greater perception for risk and enables those who have it to face off later-life's dilemmas with ease.

The findings, from Associate Professor Yoshihiko Kadoya of Hiroshima University and Mostafa Saidur Rahim Khan of Nagoya University in Japan, stem from a study which asked people questions assessing their calculation skills, understanding of pricing behaviour, and financial securities such as bonds and stocks.

Respondents were also asked about their accumulated wealth, assets, and lifestyle  and to rate the level of anxiety they felt about life beyond 65.

The study suggests that men, and those with a higher level of education are more financially clued-in than women, and those with less education respectively.

The overriding thrust is that the more financially literate earn and accumulate more during their lifetime  and thus worry less about growing old.

It also appears that financial literacy helps shape people's perception towards risk and uncertainty  making them more capable and confident in tackling whatever problems life throws at them.

Financial literacy increases our awareness about financial products, builds a capacity to compare all available financial options, and changes our financial behaviour  all which bodes well for our perceptions of, and actual experiences during our seniority, said Kadoya.

While financial literacy taken alone was seen to reduce anxiety  its affect was further heightened by other factors.

Married respondents had even lower levels of anxiety about growing old than financially literate singletons.

This could be down to married couples together planning more-effectively for the future due to familial responsibilities.

Age also plays a significant role, with anxiety levels peaking around 40. The researchers suggest that people at this age have the most home and workplace responsibilities, but with less money and time to support them, increasing anxiety about the here and now  and the journey ahead.

As people get older their anxiety levels drop off on gaining access to social security, government funded health care and pensions  all taking the sting out of the post- retirement blues.

Having dependent children on the other hand increased anxiety levels  presumably due to respondent's worry for their children's wellbeing  as well as their own.

It is increasingly perceived that a pension is insufficient for daily expenses without a backup pool of savings and assets  putting the financially literate at a distinct advantage, researchers said.
An Afghan Army General was killed and another person injured in an attack in Kunduz province on Monday, authorities said.

The commander of Baghlan coordination command General Abdul Hai Atayi, who was travelling from Badakhshan to Baghlan, was ambushed by Taliban militants, Khaama Press reported.

Several other officials accompanying Atayi were also killed in the atatck but the exact number was not ascertained so far.

The Taliban have not yet commented on the incident.

Kunduz is among the relatively volatile provinces in Afghanistan where the Taliban insurgents are active.

The latest attack on the commander comes despite the Afghan intelligence said there was panic among the Taliban insurgents following the death of their leader Mullah Abdul Salam.
At least, eight people were killed and five others injured in three separate incidents of bomb explosions and firing in Pakistan on Monday, local Urdu media reported.

Dawn News said a four-year-old boy was killed while his two playmates were injured when a bomb exploded near them in Quetta in southwest Balochistan province.

Police said the kids were playing outside their home when the incident happened.

Police officer Izzat Ali was quoted by Xinhua as saying that they were investigating the motive behind the explosion.

In a separate incident, in Karak district of the country's northwest Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, three people, including a woman, were killed and two others injured in a militant attack.

Police said the victims were on their way home after attending a hearing at a local court when some militants sprayed bullets at their vehicle and fled the scene.

The injured people have been shifted to a nearby hospital.

In the third incident, in Nowshera district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, four people were killed when some assailants forced entry into their home and opened fire at them.

No group has claimed any of the attacks yet.

Police cordoned off all the three areas for investigation following the incidents.
Islam is a religion of peace and people who falsely accuse others of blasphemy have "a disease in their hearts" and should be educated, the Imam of Mecca's Grand Mosque has said.

Imam-e-Kaaba Shaikh Saleh Bin Muhammad Ibrahim told Geo News that Islam is a religion of peace, forgiveness and tolerance and that people should be educated about the religion in a peaceful way.

There are two types of people who accuse others of blasphemy "those who are illiterate and those who misuse Islam for personal gains", adding there is no reprieve in religion for the latter, he said.

The Grand Mosque prayer leader's statement came days after a mob killed Mashal Khan, a journalism student, in Pakistan's Mardan city for alleged blasphemy.

The Imam said the people who are illiterate and cast false blasphemy accusations on someone should be educated and given the relevant knowledge.

However, he added that those "whose hearts are plagued with disease misuse Islam intentionally".

"We are the followers of Islam and forgiveness is an essential part of our religion. However, we cannot accept if someone attacks our faith, principles, sanctity or values," he said.

"It is not any kind of tolerance to let such people remain unmonitored who openly commit blasphemy. We must make stern decisions to protect our faith, principles, sanctity or values," he said, adding "Islam is a religion of peace, forgiveness, and tolerance".

It was the responsibility of the ulema (Muslim religious scholars) to educate people about the teachings of Islam. "The ulema should teach people to stay away from terrorism and extremism," he said.


Italian ports on Monday received thousands of migrants who had been rescued during several coast guard operations in the Mediterranean.

UN Refugee Agency's (UNHCR) spokeswoman Carlotta Sami told Efe news that 8,300 people were rescued in 60 rescue operations were conducted throughout the weekend by 35 ships, including some merchant vessels that offered support.

Sami said the weekend's work had a frenetic pace, to the point where some humanitarian agents involved in the rescues worked for 40 hours straight.

Many of those rescued were young, and often unaccompanied children, as well as adult men who presented signs of having been tortured, including burns on their backs and welts from lashings and electrocutions.

According to Sami, seven deaths were registered, including a pregnant woman, but the toll could rise.

She said this was possibly due to the fact that many are held prisoners in Libya by human traffickers in order to extort their families.

The Italian coast guard told Efe news that some 1,200 people arrived in the Sicilian port of Messina, and that sea conditions were rough.

Local media reported that another 1,181 migrants were brought by a German boat to Catania, also in Sicily.

Italy continued to register record-setting amounts of migrant arrivals.

According to interior ministry data, between January 1 and April 12 some 26,989 migrants arrived in the country, a 23.8 per cent increase from 2016.
Dear Dr. Roach: I keep hearing that I should have my children tested for the MTHFR gene before vaccinating them. What is the MTHFR gene? Does something about it lead to more vaccine injuries?

-- K.S.H.

A: The MTHFR gene codes for the enzyme methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, an important enzyme in making the active form of folic acid.

About 10 to 15 percent of North Americans (higher in people of Hispanic or Italian descent) have a particular mutation in this gene (called the C677T, or "thermolabile" mutation). People with this mutation are at higher risk for low active folic acid, which can cause a high blood level of homocysteine. This, in turn, is associated with an increased risk of blood clots and coronary artery disease.

I should note that it isn't having the gene that seems to put people at risk, but the presence of high levels of homocysteine. However, in a review of eight trials of people with high homocysteine levels who were treated with folic acid and other vitamins, there was no benefit in terms of decreasing blood clots, heart disease, cancer or death, despite the effectiveness of the supplements in lowering homocysteine levels. There is theoretical evidence that methylfolate may be more effective than regular folic acid at reducing homocysteine levels, but there still is no evidence that treatment reduces clinical risk.

There also is no evidence that people with MTHFR mutations are at higher risk during routine vaccination, and genetic testing for MTHFR mutations is currently not recommended by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics. I did find a paper showing that people with MTHFR gene mutations had a roughly doubled risk of fever, rash or enlarged lymph nodes from smallpox vaccine (which has a very high risk of adverse effects relative to routine child or adult immunizations).

I don't recommend testing. For people who know that they have a MTHFR mutation, it is reasonable to take a vitamin containing active forms of folic acid and vitamin B-12. As far as routine immunization goes, because of the far greater benefit than risk, I recommend the vaccines for all people with or without MTHFR mutations, despite any theoretical increased risk in side effects.

Cialis

Dear Dr. Roach: My doctor gave me some free samples of Cialis. It was very effective, and I had no side effects. I travel to Mexico a lot, so I picked up Cialis there (which, of course, doesn't need a prescription). The tablets were 40 milligrams, the same as the Cialis my doctor gave me. These tablets had basically no effect, even in larger dosages.

Do all the same medications, no matter where they come from, contain the same amount of medication? In other words, can I be sure the Cialis I had in the U.S. is the same exact Cialis I picked up in Mexico? Seems like there were total differences in effect.

-- S.S.

A: Although the exact drug Cialis (and many others) can be purchased in Mexico, sometimes at huge savings, there can be problems both with the storage of the drugs (extreme heat can decrease potency) and with actual counterfeit drugs. U.S. citizens are allowed to bring into the country a three-month supply of medications (but not controlled substances). The Food and Drug Administration carefully monitors prescription drugs sold in the U.S., but it has no jurisdiction in Mexico. Purchasing brand-name drugs from reputable pharmacies is your best chance of avoiding fake drugs, but there is still a chance that you aren't getting what you pay for.

* * *

The booklet on herpes and genital warts explains these two common infections in detail. Readers can obtain a copy by writing: Dr. Roach, Book No. 1202, 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 with the recipient's printed name and address. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.
Nepal's Madhesi parties have warned the government that they would disrupt the May 14 locals election if their demands, including proportional representation in Parliament, are not addressed.

The Federal Alliance, a grouping of seven Madhesi and ethnic parties, said they would hold a fresh round of protests from Tuesday across the country.

The alliance said their protests would include sit-ins, rallies and general strikes.

Alliance coordinator and chairman of Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal Upendra Yadav said yesterday the government did not consult them before tabling the Constitution amendment proposal in the Parliament.

The government, however, claimed the amendment was tabled to address the demands of Madhesis relating to the proportional representation and the redrawing of federal boundaries.

Yadav said the government did not table the amendment proposal which it had showed them.

But, Prime Minister Prachanda, according to party sources, has told ruling CPN (Maoist-Centre) leaders that the alliance has tricked him.

Yadav claimed that the amendment proposal the government tabled in the parliament did not propose to bring the local federal units under the provinces.

He warned the government it would not be able to hold the polls on May 14, if they do not include their demands.

The Madhesi parties, who claim to represent the interests of inhabitants of the southern Terai region who are mostly of Indian origin, demand that the Constitution promulgated in 2015 be amended to revise the provisions of citizenship and re-demarcation of the provincial boundary before going to the May polls.

Om Gurung, the alliance spokesman, said their other concern relate to what he termed was the discriminatory structure of the National Assembly  the upper House of the parliament.

The protest programmes include torch rallies in the district headquarters tomorrow, 'lathi' and whistle rallies on Thursday; and mass meetings in Janakpur, Udaypur, Birgunj and Kavre on Saturday, a weekly public holiday in Nepal.

They also announced shutdowns on April 28 in the Tarai, Tharuhat and the East and a nationwide shutdown on April 29.

The indefinite general strike is said to begin on May 10.
The US Defense Ministry has officially started a review of the country's nuclear posture and will submit a final report to President Donald Trump at the end of this year, the Pentagon announced Monday.

"Today, Secretary (James) Mattis directed the commencement of the review, which will be led by the deputy secretary of defense and the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and include interagency partners," Xinhua news agency quoted a Pentagon spokeswoman as saying.

"The process will culminate in a final report to the president by the end of the year," said the statement.

The nuclear posture review was ordered by Trump in a January executive action on military readiness.

The January memo called for a review "to ensure that the United States nuclear deterrent is modern, robust, flexible, resilient, ready and appropriately tailored to deter 21st-century threats and reassure our allies."

Democratic lawmaker Adam Smith, a ranking member of the House Armed Services committee, said he hopes the review includes a "thoughtful assessment" to "rethink what the priorities should be for a strong yet affordable nuclear arsenal."

"In the past, nuclear posture reviews have considered in depth the crucial role played by efforts to enhance strategic stability and prevent nuclear proliferation," he said in a statement.

"It is important that this review do the same. I hope that it includes a thorough assessment of policy options that would allow us to avoid a costly and dangerous nuclear arms race; and that it properly analyzes the enormous risks inherent in lowering the threshold for using nuclear weapons." said Smith.

Though planned since January under Trump's order, the start of the nuclear review comes at a time of high anxiety over increasing tensions on the Korean peninsula.

The last time the Pentagon conducted a nuclear posture review was in 2010.


Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan narrowly won a referendum on Sunday to expand presidential powers.

With 99.97 per cent of ballots counted, the "Yes" campaign had won 51.41 per cent and "No" 48.59 per cent, and the electoral board called victory for "Yes", BBC reported. Final referendum results will be released within 11-12 days.

The social-democratic CHP party, the country's main opposition force, which campaigned against the reform, said the Supreme Electoral Board had helped the "Yes" option win.

CHP spokesman Erdal Aksunger told reporters that the party will challenge the ballots cast at 37 per cent of the precincts because there was "much manipulation" and will demand a recount.

The opposition's chief concern is the statement issued by the board late on Sunday saying that it will consider ballots not previously validated by the electoral precinct authorities to be valid, a move the opposition claims opens the door to manipulation.

"They're saying that ballots and envelopes without the official seal are valid. That's illegal. That means that they can bring votes in from outside," EFE news quoted CHP Vice-President Bulent Tezcan as saying.

The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) suggested "an indication of a three-four percentage point manipulation of the vote".

"Today, Turkey has made a historic decision on a 200-year-old conflict in its administrative system Today is the day when a change, a decision to shift to a truly serious administrative system was made," the state-run Anadolu Agency quoted Erdogan as saying in a post-referendum speech at Huber Palace in Istanbul

Erdogan said 25 million "Yes" votes were cast, with a 1.3-million vote margin of victory, according to unofficial results.

Referring to the military coups which marred Turkish politics for decades, including a failed coup attempt in last July, Erdogan said Turkey changed its governmental system through civilian means for the first time in its republic history.

"For the first time in the history of the Republic, we are changing our ruling system through civil politics," Erdogan said,

Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak said the results were not what they expected. "The 'yes' votes are lower than what we expected, but still they are ahead," Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying.

However, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the Turkish nation gave its final word by voting "Yes" in the country's constitutional referendum.

Speaking at the Ankara headquarters of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Yildirim said: "I thank and express my gratitude to all our citizens who went to the ballot box with a high turnout, and who protected our democracy."

"We have voiced different things to the nation but the nation gave its final world by saying 'Yes'," Anadolu agency quoted him as saying.

Saying that Turkey's new government system would be put into practice in the 2019 general elections, Yildirim said: "Our nation made its choice, and it confirmed the presidential system."

The leader of Turkey's Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Devlet Bahceli, who supported the "Yes" campaign, said the outcome of the referendum was an "undeniably successful achievement" and should be respected.

"The Turkish people have gone to the polls with a great dignity and decided on shifting to the presidential system of their own free will," Anadolu Agency quoted Devlet Bahceli as saying in a statement.

More than 55 million people in the country were registered to vote, while another 1.3 million Turks cast ballots abroad.

Sunday's referendum asked voters to choose 'Yes' or 'No' on an 18-article bill that would see the country switch from a parliamentary to a presidential system,

The draft states that the next presidential and parliamentary elections will be held on November 3, 2019 when Erdogan's current term ends. It sets a limit of two five-year terms for the President.

It enables the President to directly appoint members of Turkey's top judicial body, top public officials, ministers and assign one or several Vice-Presidents.

It gives the President authority to annul parliament and declare an election. It introduces accountability before law for the President, but makes it more difficult for the President to be referred to the Constitutional Court for trial.
US President Donald Trump on Sunday issued a number of tweets in a bid to downplay Saturday's protests across the country demanding the release of his tax returns.

"Someone should look into who paid for the small organised rallies yesterday (Saturday)," Xinhua news agency quoted Trump as saying in a tweet. "The election is over!"

"I did what was an almost an impossible thing to do for a Republican-easily won the the Electoral College! Now Tax Returns are brought up again?" Trump tweeted minutes earlier.

Demonstrators in dozens of US cities and towns, including Washington D.C., New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Palm Beach, where Trump was spending Easter Weekend at his resort Mar-a-Lago, marched on Saturday to demand Trump release his tax returns.

Some rallies were joined by thousands of people.

During his campaign and after the election victory, the Trump camp repeatedly refused to release Trump's tax returns, saying Trump's tax returns were under audit. However, many tax experts say Trump is not barred from releasing the information during the audit.

While US Presidents are not required to release their tax returns, nearly all US Presidents had voluntarily released them since 1970s.

Shortly after Trump's inauguration in January, Kellyanne Conway, senior counsellor to Trump, told US media that Trump would not release his tax returns, citing voters' indifference to the issue as one of the reasons.

However, multiple polls have found that the majority of Americans want Trump to release his tax returns.

Comedy writer Frank Lesser, whose tweet in January sparked the idea for the Tax March, said the participation in the nationwide marches proves that people want to see Trump's returns.

"We march to demand that the President release his returns, as he has repeatedly promised, but failed, to do," the Tax March website reads. "We march because it is in the best interest of the American people to know what financial entanglements and conflicts of interest our leaders have."

A petition demanding Trump release his tax returns garnered more than 1 million signatures. Many lawmakers, including some Republicans, have also called on Trump to make them public.
In a key moment for the Ukrainian crisis, the UN's highest court will rule Wednesday on a bid by Kiev to stop Russia allegedly pumping money, arms and troops into the country's war-torn east.

Three years into a bloody conflict that has claimed more than 10,000 lives, Ukraine is urging the International Court of Justice to help bring stability to its volatile east.

Kiev is also calling on The Hague-based court to order Moscow to halt what it calls racial discrimination against minority groups in the Russian-occupied Crimea peninsula, particularly against its Tatar population.

The ICJ was set up in 1945 to settle disputes between countries in line with international law.

Ukraine lodged its case in January, accusing Russia of violating the Terrorism Financing Convention and an international treaty against racial discrimination. Moscow rejects the allegations.

In its filing, Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, charged Russia with sponsoring terrorism by financing pro-Russian separatists and failing to stop military aid from seeping across the border into eastern Ukraine's Donbas region.

It called on the court's 15 judges to rule that the Russian Federation bears international responsibility for acts of terrorism committed by its proxies in Ukraine.

These include the shelling and bombing of civilians and the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, shot down by a Russian-made Buk-missile over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014.

Ukraine wants Russia to pay compensation to all civilians caught up in the conflict  one of Europe's bloodiest since the 1990s Balkans wars  as well as to the families of the 298 victims of MH17.

As it can take months for the ICJ to even decide to hear a case, Ukraine also filed an application seeking interim protection measures.

In the interim application, Ukraine is seeking a court order calling on the tribunal to order Russia to refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute or make it more difficult to resolve, including a halt to the funnelling of money, weapons, equipment and personnel into the east.

It also urges the tribunal to order Moscow to control its borders in eastern Ukraine and halt racial discrimination in the Crimea, particularly against the Tatars.

After hearings in March, the ICJ will rule on the interim application on Wednesday.

Moscow has strongly denied Kiev's terrorism claims, saying they were neither factual nor legal and argued that the ICJ does not have jurisdiction over the case.

The Russian Federation complies fully with its obligations under (the) treaties that are now relied upon by Ukraine, Moscow representative Roman Kolodkin told the court last month.

The drawn-out conflict, in which Russia also annexed Ukraine's southern peninsula of Crimea in March 2014, has pushed ties between Moscow and the West to their lowest point since the Cold War.

Although the ICJ's rulings are binding, the court has no power of its own to enforce them.

That would fall onto the UN Security Council, in which Russia  as a permanent member  wields a veto power.

International relations expert Ko Colijn, a research fellow at the Clingedael Institute thinktank in The Hague, said Moscow was unlikely to be affected by the ruling.

I expect them to ignore the verdict, whether it's positive or negative, Colijn said.

Ukrainian Justice Minister Pavlo Petrenko said in a statement on Thursday that immediately after the ruling, Kiev would unveil new, very interesting evidence that would refute what he called many of Russia's lies and Russia's propaganda.
Pakistan should use diplomacy and not "proxies" that engage in violence to pursue its interests in Afghanistan and elsewhere, US National Security Adviser Lt Gen H R McMaster has said as he criticised the Pakistani leadership for selectively targeting terror groups.

McMaster in an interview to Afghan television channel ToloNews appeared to take a "tougher line" on Pakistan, which has been accused of using the Taliban as a proxy force and giving its leaders sanctuary.

"As all of us have hoped for many, many years we have hoped that Pakistani leaders will understand that it is in their interest to go after these groups less selectively than they have in the past," McMaster said during his latest visit to the war-torn country, according to a report in The New York Times.

"The best way to pursue their interests in Afghanistan and elsewhere is through the use of diplomacy, and not through the use of proxies that engage in violence," it quoted him as saying.

The report added that Afghan officials aware of the discussions with McMaster said there was a common understanding of the threat of terrorist groups emerging from Pakistan.

"And there are other indications that the United States may be weighing a tougher stance on Pakistan, among them General McMaster's reported pick of a point person on the country who has strongly advocated that the United States stop treating Pakistan as an ally and condition any future military aid on fighting terrorist groups," the report added.

It said many analysts, as well as some coalition partners, have been critical of the United States' uphill struggle to persuade Pakistan to crack down on the Afghan Taliban leadership, which has used Pakistan as a base for its battles in Afghanistan.

"Many people in Afghanistan are wondering about the nature of relations between the United States and Pakistan, particularly the fact that everyone recognisers the principal role of Pakistan in supporting Taliban and other terrorist groups," said Davood Moradian, the director of the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies.

Moradian said the new administration realised that the prior "appeasement policy" with Pakistan had not worked and needed to be reconsidered.


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No more Monday to Friday, nine to five? Why these N.L. businesses are choosing a four-day-a-week work model

When it comes to those who work nine-to-five jobs, most will tell you the same thing: the weekends are never long enough. In recent years, especially since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been more talks of hybrid workweek models.
In April of last year, a fully-furnished modern kindergarten opened in the Ditak village of Armenias Ararat Province with US$77,500 financial assistance from the Switzerland-based Sourire vers lavenir foundation and the Swiss embassy in Armenia.

The kindergarten operated for a mere eight months before being forced to close.

To cover the kindergartens operating costs, the government of Armenia chipped in 11 million AMD to operate the kindergarten. The money lasted until December 2016.

The government hasnt renewed its funding for 2017.

Ditak is a village of 780, didnt have a working kindergarten since 1992. Today, 21 children are of kindergarten age.

During the eight months of operation, forty children from Ditak, Jrashen, Abovyan and Nshavan attended the kindergarten. The monthly fee was set at 4,000 AMD ($8.20).

A few days ago, Ditak Mayor Souren Arapoyan petitioned Ararat Provincial Governor Aramayis Grigoryan, asking him to remind Minister of Territorial Administration and Development Davit Lokyan about the lack of government funding for the kindergarten.

Arapoyan estimates that 4-6 million AMD is needed to keep the school operating from May 1 until the years end.

It was a local NGO, Armenian Women for Health and a Healthy Environment (AWHHE) that tracked down the kindergartens benefactors.

AWHHE president Yelena Manvelyan told Hetq that the NGO first heard about Alexander Fayesh, who helped finance the renovation of the kindergarten, when he visited Ditak for the opening ceremonies of the elementary school.

Fayesh asked the mayor if the village had a kindergarten, He was told that it didnt, even though some 45 children were of kindergarten age.

Fayesh was so taken with Armenia that he wanted to do something nice for the children. After some consultations, it was decided to invest in a new kindergarten for Ditak.

Yelena Manvelyan says it wont be easy finding new benefactors to fill the financial gap if the government doesnt renew its support.

People close to me have said that Fayesh has promised to take the matter to court and get his money returned from the village mayor and provincial governor. He invested so much, but children arent attending the kindergarten. They cant find the eight million AMD they need to operate. This is totally irresponsible, Manvelyan says.

The AWHHE president says Fayesh will go to the press with the story about how, after investing so much, the government has failed to come through. It will be bad PR for Armenia and government officials.

In 2016, when the government was debating whether to allocate another 11 million AMD to the kindergarten, the proposal to do so said it was urgently necessary to raise the standard of living in the countrys rural communities.

It seems that the government, by denying continued funding of the kindergarten, believes that the standard of living in Ditak is just fine as is.
Patnaik's close aides say that to understand him, one has to understand his empathy

By Pratul Sharma/Photos Sanjay Ahlawat
Madhya Pradesh health officials are in a quandary after receiving a supply of some eight lakh near-expiry DPT vaccines from the Centre last month. The vaccines will expire next month and officials face a herculean task to use them within a month to prevent them from being wasted.

Health officers from various districts who got this supply of unwanted vaccine have asked for the ways from the higher authorities to use it in a short span. The demand for DPT vaccine has plummeted especially after the introduction of new one shot Pentavalent vaccine in 2015.

The huge supply of some eight lakh vaccines by union health ministry was dispatched to Madhya Pradesh in March 2017. The vaccines bear an expiry date of May 2017.

We had asked not to supply the near-expiry date vaccine but by that time allotment was done, said Santosh Shukla, state immunisation officer. He said they would try to use the vaccine with its time-limit by holding special campaigns in schools. In a statement, he said these vaccines are potent and usable. They were supplied on the basis of target and not consumption.

Vaccines were supplied to regional centres like Bhopal (1.50 lakh), Jabalpur (1.50 lakh), Indore (2.14 lakh) and Gwalior (1.50 lakh). In centers like Gwalior, vaccine is in too much quantity as there are over 31,000 kids who are supposed to be administered vaccine.

The supply from the Centre was done in March knowing that most of the kids are now covered under Pentavalent Vaccine. The five in one Pentavalent vaccine has become part of universal immunisation programme which was adopted by the Union government.

The single shot of Pentavalent vaccine provide protection to infants from five life-threatening ailments likeDiphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus (DPT), Hepatitis B and Pneumonia due to Hib (Haemophilus influenza type B).

Health departments of most of the states, in support with UNICEF, have launched Pentavalent Vaccine programme with great fanfare two years back. With the new vaccine, infants do not have to take five doses of DTP at the age of 1.5 month, 2.5 month, 3.5 month, 2 years and 5 years.

Meanwhile, chief medical and health officer of Gwalior Dr S.S. Jadon has written a letter to Health Directorate of Madhya Pradesh asking what to do with the supply of DTP which is not required and will expire in next one month.




George Washington Byles was a successful yacht and boat builder who established and operated a successful Pelham boatyard on City Island during the 19th century. Byles was a son of William Henry Byles and Anne Eliza Barker Byles. He was born in the seventeenth ward of the Borough of Brooklyn on September 16, 1848. His father, a Brooklyn shipbuilder who worked with famed shipyard owner George Steers, was a native of England. His mother, Anne Eliza Barker, was a native of the Town of Eastchester, adjacent to Pelham.





George W. Byles was raised and educated in Brooklyn and learned the yacht and boat building trade. According to one biography, he moved to City Island in the Town of Pelham on June 1, 1869 where he became involved in the shipbuilding trade there. A report published in 1875 shows him involved in the construction of a small skiff for C. W. Lawrence. Byles seems to have specialized in small boats and yachts for the remainder of his long career.





On August 17, 1872, Byles married Mary A. Pease (born July 1848), a daughter of Elias Pease and Mary H. Fowler Pease. Less than four years later, George's father, William Henry Byles, died on May 4, 1876. It seems that, upon his father's death, George W. Byles and Mary A. Pease Byles welcomed his mother, Anne Eliza Barker Byles, into their City Island home. The 1880 U.S. Census reflects George and Mary Byles living with George's mother in the household. His mother died a few years later in May, 1885. George and Mary do not appear to have had children (if they did, it does not appear that any survived childhood).





Constant newspaper references throughout the 1870s, 1880s, and 1890s suggest that George Byles was consistently busy at his yacht and boatyard on City Island. Though it is not possible to assemble a complete list of the yachts and boats he built (or on which he worked), below is an incomplete list of some of his work.





1875 - Small skiff for C. W. Lawrence.





1879 - Eighteen

-foot copper-fastened oyster skiff, for an unidentified City Island oysterman.





1879 - Order to build a 17-foot shell boat for Mr. Aaron Vail.





1880 - The

alteration and lengthening of the yacht Mary B to bring her to 14 feet, 11 inches long (lengthened nine inches, and the position of her center-board changed).





June 18, 1882 - George W. Byles launched Surf, a cutter he built in his boatyard.





May 2, 1884 - A "large amount" of "small boat building" reportedly was underway in the boatyard of Georg W. Byles.





June 20, 1884 -

Mr. George W. Byles "has several sailboats under way" at his boatyard.





February 13, 1885 - "

Mr. George W. Byles, has several new boats about ready to launch, and prospects of three more to build."





February 27, 1885 - "

Mr. George W. Byles has just contracted for the building of several boats."





December 12, 1885 - Steam launch Frolic built for company formed by New Rochelle residents. The

dimensions of the boat were: length, 50 feet over all; keel, 43 feet; beam, 11 feet; depth, 6 1-2 feet; tonnage, 20 tons. According to a report, though launched on December 12, 1885, "In the spring work will be resumed on the boat. The cabin and births [sic] will be elaborately fitted up, and she will be supplied with a 20 horse compound engine, and a 36 inch screw. When finished she will be capable of accommodating about 60 persons."





May 10, 1894 - Cutter yacht

Mopsa

, built for J. W. Harrison, was launched from the yard of George W. Byles.





June 15, 1895 - The yawl Pilgrim, owned by Charles Crawford of Brooklyn, was hauled out at the boatyard of George W. Byles for a complete "overhaul."





July 18, 1896 -

E. D. Morgan Watermans new yawl-rigged yacht Pawnee was launched from the yard of George W. Byles. Her dimensions were 53 feet over all, 35 feet 7 inches water line, and 13 feet 7 inches beam. She was designed by H. G.

Gielow

.





June 16, 1898 - Launch of the catboat Dot built for

Rear Commodore C. T. Pierce, of the Riverside Yacht Club and designed by H. J.

Gielow with the following dimensions: l

ength over all, 37 feet 3 inches; length on load waterline, 23 feet; beam, 12 feet; draught, 26 inches. According to one report: "She has good freeboard, and her cabin is roomy and well lighted, being 15 feet long, with 5 feet 7 inches clear head room under carlines. The cockpit is 9 feet long, and is self-bailing." [See image of Dot below.]





May 1900 -

The launch of the knockabout Why Not took place at Byless yards, City Island. She was built for owner Arthur F. Mills of the New-Rochelle Yacht Club.





May 30, 1900 -

F. E. Wrights sloop yacht Nellie was relaunched after being overhauled and fitted with a new iron keel at the Byles boatyard.





June 26, 1900 -

Edward Jaegers keel yawl

Reco

was sold to Oppenheimer & Meyer of New York, and was overhauled at the Byles boatyard.





August 10, 1900 -

William Simonsons fin keel yawl Aura was hauled out at the Byles boatyard "to have her bottom smoothed and repainted."





February 1901 - C

entreboard

sloop was scheduled to be built at the Byles boatyard for Dr. Sayre with dimensions of 40 feet over all, 25 feet water line, and 11 feet 6 inches beam.





April 14, 1901 -

E.

Eberspachers

centreboard

sloop

Wacondah

was reportedly "undergoing a number of changes at the yard of G. W. Byles, including a gasoline engine, converting the yacht into an auxiliary.





March 1903 - George W. Byles reportedly is building a new auxiliary yawl named the Yabwoc for owner William P. Trench of the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club. The yawl was designed by Charles D. Mower with the following dimensions:

32 feet over all, 24 feet on the water line, 9 feet 6 inches beam, 3 feet 2 inches draught, increased to 7 feet, with centerboard down. According to one report: "The boat will carry 640 square feet of canvas and have 2,400 pounds of outside ballast.

The lines of the

Yabwoc

show a very able craft, with plenty of freeboard and moderate overhangs. The cabin has head room of 5 feet, with comfortable accommodations.

The boat will in every way fit the owners requirements, which called for a dry, well balanced, powerful little cruiser, with no useless ends. The power will be furnished by a 5 horse power Lozier engine.





As such an incomplete record of boat building activity suggests, the Byles boatyard seems to have been fairly busy throughout its many years of operation. Indeed, by 1

882, George W. Byles was sufficiently successful to afford a new home that he had builder Charles Baxter construct for him on Schofield Avenue on City Island. The home was 35 feet by 26 feet in size.





In addition to building yachts and small boats and overhauling vessels at his yard, George Byles seems to have been either a boat broker or a hustler (in the positive sense) who bought, repaired and resold small boats and yachts. There are countless "For Sale" advertisements too numerous to quote below demonstrating that Byles offered boats for sale that could be viewed at his yard on City Island.





After more than fifty years of service as a yacht and boat builder on City Island, o

n November 30, 1922, George Washington Byles died in his home at 101 Center Street, City Island. He was buried in Kensico Cemetery.













View of Portion of City Island in About 1900 Seen from Offshore Looking

Toward the Northwest from City Island Harbor With George W. Byles

Boatyard on Left, then the Archibald Robertson Shipyard and the Hawkins

Shipyard with the America's Cup Yacht Columbia Hauled Out and in

Storage. Image Courtesy of, and Used with Permission of, the City

Island Nautical Museum. NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.













Image of George W. Byles Boatyard, on the Right, Adjacent to the

Yacht Yards of Henry B. Nevins on City Island in About 1910. Image

Courtesy of, and Used with Permission of, the City Island Nautical

Museum. NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.













Detail from Map Published in 1893 Showing Location of G. W. Byles

Boatyard (To Left of the Large "A"). Source: "Towns of Westchester

and Pelham" in Bien, Joseph Rudolf, Atlas of Westchester County,

New York Prepared Under the Direction of Joseph R. Bien, p. 3 (NY,

NY: Julius Bien & Co., 1893). NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.





* * * * *









1901 Advertisement for George W. Byles Yacht and Boat Builder.

Fleming, ed., The Rudder, Vol. XII, No. 6, p. xxii (Jun. 1901). NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.

Labels: 1879, 1884, 1885, 1891, Byles Shipyard, City Island, George Washington Byles, Shipbuilder, Shipyard
As Nagaland looks for an early political solution to bring an end to the decades-long insurgency, the Union home ministry has convened a closed door meeting with two factions of the NSCNthe NSCN/GPRN (KN) and NSCN (R)over the next two days beginning Monday to review the ceasefire agreement and discuss the implementation of the ground rules before extending it.

The ceasefire extension will be for one year. The top officials of the Union home ministry, Ceasefire Monitoring Group chairman and NSCN leaders are meeting in the capital behind closed doors in The Ashoka Hotel to review the ceasefire and take stock of the situation.

Satyendra Garg, joint secretary in MHA, will be representing the central government along with special secretary (internal security) who will be meeting the Naga leaders who are in the capital for the talks. The meeting, which was expected to take place in North Block, finally found its venue at The Ashoka Hotel keeping in mind the sensitivity of the discussions and to keep the media at bay.

At the meeting, both the outfits are expected to raise their concerns over the ongoing peace dialogue between the government and the NSCN (Isak-Muivah faction), given the fact that they are not part of the ambitious framework agreement signed between the government-appointed Naga interlocutor R.N. Ravi and T.H. Muivah.

Notably, the Centre had signed a framework agreement with the NSCN (IM) in 2015 for a final peace settlement that involves contentious issues of integration of Nagas, their territory and a string of issues concerning their decades-long struggle for sovereignty.

The NSCN (GPRN), led by Kitovi Zhimomi and Neokpao Konyak, had refused to be part of the Naga peace accord last year maintaining that the pact was an understanding between the government and NSCN-IM. It maintained that the ongoing peace process was not suitable for all Naga stakeholders as it does not take into consideration their rights.

What remains to be seen over the next two days is whether the government is able to convince the two outfits to join the peace process and if not, find a way forward.

In an interview to THE WEEK, Alezo Venuh, envoy of the collective leadership of NSCN/GPRN had said, A strong message will be conveyed by our representatives to the Indian leaders that they will not accept any solution that is not acceptable to the Nagas.

Government sources said there is a growing realisation in the political brass in New Delhi that it should have taken all groups on board before announcing an agreement with the NSCN-IM. Now, with expectations growing higher with the BJP's election victory in Manipur, the attempt is to bring all the factions on board before the government proceeds further.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's action packed two-day stay in home state Gujarat has further given a boost to the ruling BJP that is already on a high after national party president Amit Shah's visit last month.

Gujarat goes to polls by the year end. After the massive victory in Uttar Pradesh, the party has set a target of winning 150 out of the 182 seats in the state.

While the opposition Congress appears to be nowhere in the picture and has only its vice president Rahul Gandhi as the star campaigner, who also has failed to make any impact, the BJP has none less than Modi and Shah.

And the popularity of these two needs to be seen to be believed. When Shah was welcomed last month, it appeared that he got a bigger reception than Modi had been getting in the past but now when Modi arrived late evening on Monday, the welcome was like never seen before in the state.

The entire stretch of over 11 kilometer road from the Surat Airport to the Circuit House had a sea of humanity on the either side, while bikers in large numbers escorted the prime minister.

Known to play to the gallery, Modi impressed one and all. While going to attend a function, he asked his driver to stop the car when he saw a young girl coming towards the car, breaking all barricades. The confused NSG asked the girl to go back, but on Modi's insistence she went near to the car.

#WATCH PM Narendra Modi breaks security protocol to meet a 4-year old girl on his way to inaugurate Kiran Multispeciality Hospital in Surat. pic.twitter.com/vtLuleRMYV  ANI (@ANI_news) April 17, 2017

Modi took her on his lap and cuddled her and also inquired about the pink wrist watch that she was wearing. Nancy, the girl, referred to Modi as Modi Dada.

In Surat, Modi inaugurated a multi crore multi-specialty Kiran Hospital set up by the Patidars and a diamond unit of Hare Krishna Exports.

For the BJP, it covered the Patidars, who have been demanding reservation for over one and a half years now. The BJP seems to have planned his visit carefully with the programme of handing over aids and appliances to the differently-abled in Silvassa targeted the tribals.

Before winding up his tour, Modi laid foundation stone of the second phase of a water works scheme at Botad in the Saurashtra region that normally faces water crisis, especially in summer.

At Botad, Modi praised Madhya Pradesh's Shivraj Sinh Chouhan government for enabling plantation on the banks of river Narmada. All this is being done so that people in Gujarat get water, Modi remarked.
Delhi Metro is all set to run on the cheapest solar power produced in one of the Asias biggest solar power project in Vindhya region of Madhya Pradesh. A power purchase agreement between Rewa Ultra Mega Solar and the DMRC was signed here on Monday in presence of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

The project, already on its final stages of completion, will start supplying power to the DMRC from September this year. IFC, a member of World Bank group, is financially supporting the project as one of its partner.

The project in the eastern Madhya Pradesh is one of the "world's largest single-site solar project". The 750 MW solar park was in news recently for producing cheapest solar power in the country at the rate of just Rs 2.97 per unit. The project recently completed its first phase where three companies Mahindra Renewables, ACME Solar Holdings and Solengeri Powersuccessfully bid three units of 250 Mw each at Rs 2.979, Rs 2.97 and Rs 2.974 tariff for the first year.

Speaking on the occasion, Union power minister Piyush Goyal said "It is a memorable day in the history of India when we are able to generate power at such a low cost."

Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu was also present at the meeting. DMRC will buy 24 per cent of the total power produced at RUMS. This will meet 90 per cent of day time requirement of Delhi Metro. This will save DMRC over Rs 1,220 crore as the present cost of power is around Rs four per unit.

Agreements among the developers, MPPMCL (Madhya Pradesh Power Management Company Limited), DMRC, RUMSL, NRED (New and Renewable Energy Department) and PGCIL (Power Grid Corporation of India Limited) were also signed on the occasions.

Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Limited is developed as a joint venture of Solar Energy Corporation of India and Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam (MPUVN). Located in Rewa on a 1500 hectares stretch of land, the project is biggest in Asia, claimed former Power Minister Rajendra Shukla.
In another late night political drama in Tamil Nadu, senior ministers in the state cabinet held an emergency meeting in Chennai amid speculations about a possible merger of two warring factions of the AIADMKled by former chief minister O.Panneerselvam and party chief V.K. Sasikala.

Sixteen ministers led by Electricity minister P. Thangamani met late on Monday night. Addressing a press conference after the hour long meeting, Finance minister D.Jayakumar said, "Discussion was to lead the party unitedly. I welcome the invitation given by OPS today to work together. We discussed about being together and continue the good governance path showed by our Amma. We also discussed on submission of affidavits for getting back the two-leaves symbol."

Earlier, Panneerselvam had said that talks would be held if somebody comes with the plan to merge the two factions, adding that their revolt is only against Sasikala and family.

Another minister Velumani said that those who left were like "our brothers". Such fights were common in families, he added.

"Amma gave her life for the party. We will all stay together and run the party together," Velumani said.

The new development came on a day when party deputy general secretary T.T.V. Dinakaran was booked along with his aide Sukesh Chandrasekar by the Delhi police for allegedly attempting to bribe Election Commission officials for a favourable order in the election symbol compliant.

Panneerselvam resigned as chief minister and launched an open revolt against the party chief after the latter was elected party's legislative party leader. She, however, was jailed within weeks after the Supreme Court found her guilty of corruption.

(With inputs from Lakshmi Subramanian from Chennai)
Two people, including notorious counter-insurgent Rashid Billa, were killed by suspected militants in Kashmir on Sunday.



Billa, a former commander of Ikhwan, a counter-insurgency force that was created by the security forces in the 90s, was killed at his home in Hajin.



Police said the attackers barged into Billa's house and shot him dead.



Security forces launched a cordon and search operation after the incident.

Advocate Imtiyaz Ahmad Khan, a close relative of a National Conference leader, was killed after militants fired at him in Shopian in south Kashmir.



On Saturday, Bashir Ahmad Dar, 46, was killed and Altaf Ahmad, 47, was injured when militants fired indiscriminately near Qasabayar village in south Kashmir's Pulwama district.


Overnight, Snapchat seems to be the only app most Indians on social platforms seem to care about. The reports of Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel having allegedly called India a poor country has not gone down well with many users of the app.

Passionate Indian Twitterati launched the hashtag #BoycottSnapchat, which soon became a top trend on the social media platform. As per media reports, people are protesting against the statement made by Spiegel by uninstalling the app in large numbers. On app stores, the fun messaging app is facing a backlash in form of down-rating. While Snapchat may take a long time to snap out of this mess, let's take a quick look at what does the app do.

Snapchat is a mobile app that allows a user to share photos and videos with their friends and family. However, what differentiates it from other visual content sharing app is that the messages, called snaps, are made available to the target audience only for a short time before they disappear. The stories feature of the app allows the users to have a chronological order of daily logs of pictures and videos that last only for 24 hours before it disappear.

In a video published on Snapchat's official YouTube channel, Spiegel explains that unlike other online interactive platforms that focused on content (text, photos and videos) accumulation, Snapchat is all about instant expressiontalking through photos and videos. The mobile phones have really empowered the idea of instant expression, which is showing someone where you are and how you are feeling in the moment, he says in the video.

Snapchat may push you to create instant photo and video messages for your followers, but that does not mean that your snaps have to be plain. Once you capture a photo/video through the app's camera, it offers an array of options to make your message interesting and creative. You could add a caption, doodle or filter/lens over top before sharing the snap with others. Your friends and followers can see snap for up to 10 seconds before it disappears, or you must add it to a story, in which case the snap would be visible for 24 hours.
US President Donald Trump on Sunday issued a number of tweets in a bid to downplay Saturday's protests across the country demanding the release of his tax returns.



"Someone should look into who paid for the small organised rallies yesterday (Saturday)," Trump said in a tweet. "The election is over!"



"I did what was an almost an impossible thing to do for a Republican-easily won the the Electoral College! Now Tax Returns are brought up again?" Trump tweeted minutes earlier.



Demonstrators in dozens of US cities and towns, including Washington D.C., New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Palm Beach, where Trump was spending Easter weekend, marched on Saturday to demand Trump release his tax returns.



Some rallies were joined by thousands of people.



During his campaign and after the election victory, the Trump camp repeatedly refused to release Trump's tax returns, saying Trump's tax returns were under audit. However, many tax experts say Trump is not barred from releasing the information during the audit.



While US Presidents are not required to release their tax returns, nearly all US Presidents had voluntarily released them since 1970s.



Shortly after Trump's inauguration in January, Kellyanne Conway, senior counsellor to Trump, told US media that Trump would not release his tax returns, citing voters' indifference to the issue as one of the reasons.



However, multiple polls have found that the majority of Americans want Trump to release his tax returns.



Writer Frank Lesser, whose tweet in January sparked the idea for Tax March, said the participation in the nationwide marches proves that people want to see Trump's returns.



"We march to demand that the president release his returns, as he has repeatedly promised, but failed, to do," the Tax March website reads. "We march because it is in the best interest of the American people to know what financial entanglements and conflicts of interest our leaders have."



A petition demanding Trump release his tax returns garnered more than 1 million signatures. Many lawmakers, including some Republicans, have also called on Trump to make them public.






It takes a lot of energy to run a dairy. Close to half of that electricity goes toward milking cows and cooling milk. Another large portion is used for lighting and ventilation.

Energy alternatives, such as solar power, are nice, environmentally friendly options, but do they pencil out?

Yes, solar panels are affordable, said Adam Wehling during his presentation at the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsins annual business conference. Wehling is the Dean of Agriculture, Energy, and Transportation at Chippewa Valley Technical College in Eau Claire, Wis.

Wehling explained that most farms installing a solar energy system see a payback in five to 12 years. As one might suspect, farms in warmer climates with more sunshine benefit sooner.

It takes time to choose the right solar system for your needs. Thought should also be given to location.

Wehling said to avoid shaded areas and consider proximity to trees, silos, hills, and buildings. These obstacles could block the desired sunlight. He also recommends a south-facing location to take advantage of the sun.

If a solar system is to be placed on a rooftop, think about the life of the current roof. Wehling explained that if the roof is old, it may be wise to replace it before installing a solar system. Also be sure the roof can support the weight of the solar panels. A roof with a 30- to 45-degree angle is best.

Another option for solar energy is a stand-alone racking system. With this design, there is no need to worry about roof maintenance, but one does have to be diligent about regular vegetation removal in the area.

Solar panels should be placed in a location where they will not get covered with dust and debris, which can impact their effectiveness. Fortunately, Wehling explained that solar panels dont have to be high maintenance, as weather naturally cleans them off. Solar energy can be a set it and forget it system, he said.

Wehling shared a cost for solar systems of $2.75 to $3 per watt before any rebates, incentives, or grants were applied. Again, payback is expected in five to 12 years for most farms and residential systems.

To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com.

(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2017

March 20, 2017
Buying gold coins or shares of a gold ETF are just two of many ways investors can gain exposure to the yellow stuff. One of the more common options, though, is picking up shares of a gold-mining company. With so many companies to choose from, it may seem like a daunting task, so let's narrow our focus to two of the industry's stalwarts: Yamana Gold (NYSE: AUY) and Goldcorp (NYSE: GG).

Getting to know you

Headquartered in Canada, both Yamana Gold and Goldcorp maintain portfolios with assets spread throughout the Americas. Yamana, for example, operates five gold-producing mines in South America and one in Canada; moreover, it has three development projects in Argentina plus numerous exploration projects. Goldcorp, on the other hand, operates four mines in Canada, two mines in Mexico, and four mines in Central and South America. With numerous organic growth projects in its pipeline, Goldcorp is one of the world's largest gold miners.

The most decisive factor in choosing an investment, though, is hardly which business operates the most mines, so let's compare the companies on some important metrics to gain better insight.

Company Market Cap FY 2016 Revenue FY 2016 Earnings per Share FY 2016 Operating Margin FY 2016 Return on Equity Goldcorp $13.1B $3.51B $0.19 10.5% 1.23% Yamana Gold $3.0B $1.79B ($0.33) (26.5%) (6.58%)

This brief look suggests Goldcorp is the better choice, beating Yamana on a variety of points. There are plenty of other things to consider, though, so let's grab our pickaxes and dig even deeper.

The case for Yamana Gold

Yamana Gold seems to have struggled in 2016, but peering further back in its past provides a different perspective -- one that illustrates the company's superior ability to generate free cash flow. According to Morningstar, Yamana reported $169 million in free cash flow for FY 2016, representing an 11.2% improvement over the previous year. Goldcorp, on the other hand, reported a 53.6% decline in its free cash flow year over year.

And according to Yamana Gold's management, the company's free cash flow growth is poised to continue. In fiscal 2017, management forecasts expansionary capital expenditures to total $270 million as it strives to develop the Cerro Moro mine and Barnat extension at Canadian Malartic. Once these projects are completed, though, management expects expansionary capital to decline significantly after completion of Cerro Moro and the Barnat extension in late 2018. As a result, management foresees free cash flow growing significantly as expansionary capex falls to approximately $50 million to $75 million annually.

Perhaps the most compelling reason for investors to opt for Yamana Gold is not the company's free cash flow growth prospects, but the stock's valuation. Management recently disappointed investors when it revealed in a mid-February press release that it would be foregoing acquisitions in the near future and remain in an "organic growth phase." Shares fell about 10% in the day following the release and have failed to recover since. Consequently, the stock appears much more attractively priced than Goldcorp's stock.

Yamana Gold not only trades at a lower sales multiple compared to Goldcorp, but according to Morningstar, it's also cheaper compared to its 5-year average sales multiple of 3.2, and the industry average 3.5 multiple. And the disparity in price tags becomes even more apparent when considering them from the perspective of cash from operations per share.

The case for Goldcorp

Goldcorp may be pricier, but it's for a valid reason: Investors are willing to pay for quality. With a substantially larger portfolio, Goldcorp benefits from economies of scale, unlike Yamana Gold. In fiscal 2016, for example, Goldcorp reported all-in sustaining costs (AISC) of $856 per gold ounce. Yamana Gold, on the other hand, reported AISC of $911 per gold ounce. Presumably, this disparity will remain in the coming year. Whereas Goldcorp's management forecasts AISC per gold ounce between $808 and $893 for fiscal 2017, Yamana Gold's management expects AISC per gold ounce between $890 and $910. Looking further into the future, one finds the contrast may be even greater. Goldcorp has revealed a five-year strategy that entails reducing its AISC to approximately $700 per gold ounce by 2021; however, Yamana Gold has provided no such outlook -- five years or otherwise.

Reducing costs is only one aspect of Goldcorp's five-year growth strategy; management also aspires to increase gold production and reserves by 2021. If successful, Goldcorp will achieve gold production of approximately three million to four million ounces of gold, and it will grow gold reserves from 42.3 million ounces, which it reported in fiscal 2016, to 50 million ounces. Juxtaposed with Yamana's gold production outlook, Goldcorp is clearly the better choice. Reporting 1.27 million ounces of gold production in fiscal 2016, Yamana is forecasting gold production to decrease by 13.4% to 1.1 million ounces in fiscal 2019.

Yet another reason Goldcorp appears the better opportunity than Yamana Gold is the company's balance sheet.

In fact, the balance sheet is so strong that Goldcorp maintains an investment-grade credit rating.

And the winner is...

In deciding between these two gold miners, the better opportunity undoubtedly lies with Goldcorp. Producing gold at a significantly better margin in fiscal 2016, Goldcorp will likely further distinguish itself from Yamana Gold in the years to come as it drives toward its target of AISC of $700 per gold ounce by 2021.

In addition, Goldcorp has a variety of projects in its pipeline on which it can rely for growth. From numerous exploration projects like Quebrada Seca to the newly acquired development projects, Cerro Casale and Caspiche, Goldcorp is not levered to the successful execution of one or two projects. Yamana Gold, conversely, is largely relying on its Cerro Moro project -- with first gold production in early 2018 -- to ensure long-term success.

Although Goldcorp appears pricier than Yamana Gold at the moment, this should hardly dissuade investors from choosing the former over the latter. Goldcorp represents a much better opportunity for long-term-oriented investors.

10 stocks we like better than Goldcorp

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.*

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Scott Levine 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.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani met Sunday with U.S. National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster and discussed mutual cooperation in Afghanistans fight against the Taliban and Islamic State group.

A statement released Sunday said both sides talked about bilateral relations between the two countries in the arenas of security, counter-terrorism, regional issues and economic development.

Ghani said in the statement that terrorism is a serious threat to security and stability in the region and the world and that if it is not defeated, it could affect the lives of future generations.

In an interview on ABCs This Week, said that in the past the U.S. didnt have as reliable a partner in the Afghan government as the U.S. would have liked but with Ghani in power that has changed.

Now we have a much more reliable Afghan partner and we have reduced to considerably the degree and scope of our effort, he said.

Afghan forces have worked to combat the Taliban since the U.S. and NATO formally concluded their combat mission more than two years ago and shifted to a support and counterterrorism mission.

This is the first visit by a U.S. official since the U.S. military dropped the biggest non-nuclear bomb it has ever used Thursday killing 94 militants in eastern Afghanistan.

(AP)
Honda Motor Company (NYSE: HMC) finally offered investors some, er, clarity around its green-car strategy. In a presentation in New York last week, Honda showed off all three variants of its Clarity sedan -- powered by plug-in hybrid, fuel cell, and battery electric drivetrains.

But the details left a lot of analysts wondering exactly what Honda is thinking with these products -- and whether Honda is already falling behind in the emerging race to bring electric cars to the mass market.

What Honda said about its new Clarity green-car models

At a press event at the New York International Auto Show, Honda officially unveiled the Clarity Plug-in Hybrid and Clarity Electric sedans. The two Claritys join a third, the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell, which went on sale in parts of California late last year.

All three Clarity variants share the same basic shape and features. They're four-door sedans about the size (inside and out) of Honda's popular and roomy Accord sedan. Like the Accord, the Clarity triplets look good inside, with crisp styling, comfortable seats, and sensibly laid-out controls.

But unlike the handsome-if-generic Accord, the Claritys' exterior styling is best described as...quirky. Honda said the Claritys' lines were optimized for low aerodynamic resistance, but they also seem to have been calculated to make the 3 Clarity models stand out from more mainstream vehicles.

The Clarity Plug-in Hybrid combines a 1.5 liter gasoline four-cylinder with a 181-horsepower electric motor and a 17 kilowatt-hour battery pack. Honda expects it to earn an EPA miles-per-gallon-equivalent rating of 105, with a respectable electric-only driving range of 42 miles.

The Clarity Electric has a 161-horsepower electric motor powered by a 25.5 kilowatt-hour battery pack. Honda says it can be fully recharged in just over three hours with a 240-volt charger, and it can get to 80% charge in 30 minutes with a DC Fast charger.

The Clarity Electric will launch in select U.S. markets later this year, while the Clarity Plug-in Hybrid will launch in 2018. Honda is targeting sales of 75,000 Claritys (of all types) in the U.S. over the next four years.

What is Honda thinking with the Clarity Electric's tiny range?

The biggest question on everyone's minds had to do with the Clarity Electric and its tiny 25.5 kilowatt-hour battery pack, which is expected to earn an EPA range rating of just 80 miles. That's a very short range for a car with a price tag that's expected to be around $35,000.

The bar for mass-market electric vehicles was raised a long way last year with the debut of General Motors' (NYSE: GM) Chevrolet Bolt EV. The Bolt offers an EPA-rated range of 238 miles -- for about the same price Honda is expected to ask for its Clarity Electric.

Honda executives in New York argued that the Clarity Electric should have a somewhat higher price because it's a larger vehicle. The Bolt is a small crossover, while the Clarity Electric is a midsize sedan. But that's weak sauce: Plain and simple, Honda's electric car is coming out of the gate a couple of big steps behind the competition. (Just wait until Tesla launches its Model 3.)

Frankly, the Clarity Electric's range is an embarrassment for Honda. It suggests that the proud Japanese automaker has fallen behind on this important emerging technology.

Will the new Honda Clarity models sell?

Honda's goal of 75,000 sales over four years for all Clarity models combined is pretty modest. It should be able to make that number on the Clarity Plug-in Hybrid alone. At least on paper, the Plug-in Hybrid is a competitive offering -- though its toughest competition may turn out to be another Honda, the Accord Hybrid.

I certainly don't see the Clarity Electric or Clarity Fuel Cell generating more than a handful of sales over the next four years -- at least, not without some big price cuts, a range upgrade for the Electric, or both.

10 stocks we like better than Honda Motor

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.*

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John Rosevear owns shares of General Motors. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Tesla. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
President Donald Trump says someone should look into who paid for the rallies around the country Saturday that urged him to release his tax returns.

Trump tweeted Sunday: I did what was an almost an impossible thing to do for a Republican-easily won the Electoral College! Now Tax Returns are brought up again?

Trump was the first major-party nominee in more than 40 years not to release his returns and he reneged on a campaign commitment to release them. He said they were being audited.

Someone should look into who paid for the small organized rallies yesterday. The election is over, he tweeted.

Thousands of sign-waving, chanting protesters marched Saturday through streets across America, demanding that the president release his tax returns so the public can examine his business ties and determine whether he has links to foreign powers.

The demonstrations came on the date taxpayers traditionally have to file their returns by and just days before this years filing deadline Tuesday. The tax day protests in more than a dozen cities were largely peaceful, though occasionally demonstrators and some pro-Trump groups taunted each other in face-to-face exchanges.

In Berkeley, California, police arrested at least 20 people at unrelated gatherings of about 200 pro- and anti-Trump people in a park after fist fighting erupted. Officers confiscated knives and makeshift weapons.

Trump has said that voters dont care about his tax returns.

But many demonstrators said they hoped Saturdays marches would convince Trump otherwise.

We do care. We want to see his taxes, said Ann Demerlis, who was among hundreds who marched in Philadelphia from City Hall to an area in front of historic Independence Hall, carrying signs and chanting We want your taxes now!

Seventy-one-year-old Ilene Singh said hes wrong. She rode a bus from New Jersey to New York City with her friend Geraldine Markowitz, 83, to take part in the protests. Were here to say we care, said Singh.

Pushing her walker, Karin Arlin, 85, a Holocaust survivor who came to the U.S. from Germany when she was 9, said shes also worried about the direction of the country.

You dont know which way the country goes, said Arlin next to her 89-year-old husband who fled Czechoslovakia during World War II. I hope Republicans see it.

Protesters in Raleigh, North Carolina, said they suspect that Trumps returns might show he has paid little or nothing to the government he now heads, or that he was indebted to Russian, Chinese or other foreign interests.

His reputation  as a businessman and, more importantly, as a true American, a person who is concerned with American values, would be totally destroyed if all his financial information was made public, said Mike Mannshardt, a retired teacher.

One of Trumps sharpest critics in the House spoke to protesters at the U.S. Capitol just before they set off on a march to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, of California, said theres nothing to prevent Trump from releasing his income taxes.

If he thinks he can get away with playing king, hes got another thought coming, Waters said.

Trumps break with precedent has raised questions about possible conflicts of interest.

Democrats are pushing for a vote on a bill from Rep. Anna Eshoo, a Democrat from California, which would require the president and all major-party nominees to publicly disclose their previous three years of tax returns with the Office of Government Ethics or the Federal Election Commission.

Republicans also have rebuffed Democrats efforts to get the House Ways and Means Committee to act. It has legal authority to obtain confidential tax records, and could vote to make them public.

(AP)
A group of British legislators is urging the government to remove the citizenship of Syrian President Bashar Assads British-born wife.

Some Liberal Democrats in Parliament sent a letter to Home Secretary Amber Rudd on Sunday, saying Asma Assad should not be able to represent her husband and retain British nationality.

Lawmaker Tom Brake said: The first lady of Syria has acted not as a private citizen but as a spokesperson for the Syrian presidency.

He said Asma Assad should either stop defending Syrias barbaric acts or lose her citizenship.

Britain has called for her husband to leave the presidency and condemned his use of chemical weapons.

Asma Assad was educated in Britain and worked as an investment banker before she married in 2000.

(AP)
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is now calling for more first responder training after the chaos at Penn Station on Friday.

Cuomo discussed the situation Saturday after an open house in Albany.

He said first responders have to be trained not to panic and to be trained further in how to handle an anxious public.

People are so on edge, theyre so nervous, theyre so now attuned to terrorist attack, etc. Theyre very quick to panic, said Cuomo. When you have hundreds of people panicking, that in itself causes chaos.

The mass hysteria and confusion at Penn Station was sparked when Amtrak police Tased a man for disobeying orders.

Thousands of people ran in every direction, leaving behind their shoes, luggage, and other valuables fearing the absolute worst.

Panicked screams were followed by a stampede of travelers during the peak of the rush hour commute.

Eyewitness News cameras were there as transit police used the Taser. He managed to get away from officers, but was tackled moments later.

In the midst of the chaos, some people overheard a false rumor that there was an active shooter in the terminal sparking a frenzied domino effect all the way to the NJ Transit terminal.

Eyewitness News Reporter Lauren Glassberg got caught up in the chaos.

EMS treated 16 patients with non-life threatening injuries at Penn Station.

(Source: WABC)
Thousands of financial institutions offer credit cards, and the industry is interested enough in bringing in new customers that it's easy to get a credit card if you want one. Even those who have questionable credit histories can typically get some type of credit card. But in choosing a card, you have to bear in mind the different credit card fees that card issuers will charge you. These fees are how credit card companies earn a profit, but there's really only one good reason why you should ever pay any of them: to get card rewards and other benefits that are more valuable than what you pay.

Dealing with credit card fees

Credit card companies have been ingenious in coming up with different fees to charge their customers. Get a credit card, and you could end up paying any of the following types of fees:

Finance charges apply when you carry a balance on your credit card. The interest rates on credit card finance charges tend to be extremely high, with double-digit percentages not unusual even in the current low-rate environment.

Some cards charge annual fees just to have the card. Regardless of whether you use it, you'll pay this fee every year.

Late payment fees occur when you miss the payment deadline on your card.

You'll often have to pay a returned payment fee if your monthly payment doesn't go through for some reason, such as insufficient funds in your account or a bank error.

Card issuers charge over-limit fees when you try to charge more than your credit limit.

If you use your card abroad, you might pay a foreign transaction fee of up to 3%.

Those who use their credit cards to get cash advances typically have to pay separate fees for the privilege, along with interest accruing from the date of the advance.

If you make a balance transfer, many cards charge a percentage of the amount transferred to your card.

However, most of these fees are completely within your control to avoid. If you pay off your balance every month, you'll never have finance charges. Pay on time and you'll avoid late payment and returned payment fees. Pay attention to your credit limit to avoid over-limit fees, and use cheaper sources for cash advances while avoiding transferring balances to a card.

Indeed, just about the only fee you can't avoid with some cards is the annual fee. And with that charge, the big question is whether the card company will make it worth your while to pay it.

Getting more than you pay for

The key question with a card that charges an annual fee is whether the rewards you get from using it outweigh the cost. That will often be the case, but it depends on what the card offers and how much you can take advantage of its provisions.

For example, American Express (NYSE: AXP) offers two types of its Blue Cash card. The Blue Cash Everyday card has no annual fee and offers up to 3% cash back on grocery purchases of up to $6,000 annually. The Blue Cash Preferred card, on the other hand, charges an annual fee of $95 but boosts the grocery cash-back percentage to 6%.

It's easy to do the math and decide whether it makes sense to pay an annual fee. If you spend $500 on groceries every month, then you'll max out the benefit. On the preferred card, that amounts to a $360 cash back reward. For the everyday card, you'd only get $180. Even after paying $95 for the annual fee, the net cash back on the preferred card amounts to $265 -- almost half again as much as what you'd get on the everyday card.

For other cards, perks can vary even more between different people. For instance, many airlines now offer cards that give you a free checked bag when you fly. With round-trip baggage fees of $50 or more, it takes just two trips to pay for the $95 annual fee that you'll typically find with such cards.

Be smart about your credit

Credit card companies profit because customers aren't always smart about how they use their cards. But you don't have to fall into that trap. By being smart about avoiding fees, you'll only pay a card company for a credit card when they make it worthwhile for you to choose them over all the other cards available to you.

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Increasing your credit score above 800 will put you in rare company. So rare that only 1 in 9 Americans can claim they're members of this elite club. But contrary to popular belief, racking up a high credit score is a lot easier than you may have imagined following 5 simple, disciplined strategies. You'll find a full rundown of each inside our FREE credit score guide. It's time to put your financial future first and secure a lifetime of savings by increasing your credit score. Simply click here to claim a copy 5 Simple Tips to Skyrocket Your Credit Score over 800.

Dan Caplinger has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends American Express. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The boss of BT could be forced to hand back some of his pay as part of the fallout from its 531m Italian accounting scandal.

Gavin Patterson, 49, earned 5.4m last year, including performance bonuses, but is likely to have to give some back after he admitted the problems in Italy were far greater than previously identified.

Markets were stunned in January by BTs admission that inappropriate behaviour had caused it to exaggerate its profits in Italy for a number of years.

Pay back: BT's CEO, Gavin Patterson, 49, earned 5.4m last year

The scandal drove a 37 per cent dent in BTs third-quarter profit as it wrote off 531m and a wave of panic selling wiped almost 8bn off the companys share price.

Now fund managers want payments to be adjusted, because BT bosses were rewarded for hitting targets that, it turned out, were not met.

It is up to BTs remuneration committee to decide if and how much Patterson will have to pay back. But this is just the latest in a string of setbacks for the telecoms boss.

Last month, BT was fined a record 42m after it risked damaging British businesses by taking too long to deliver superfast broadband connections.

A tough six months for investors BT takes 145m hit from accounting errors in Italy Shares plunge as Italian scandal write-off costs 531m Awarded Money Mails Wooden Spoon award for poor customer service  for the second time Fined 42m by Ofcom for unacceptable broadband service and must pay about 300m compensation to rivals

It will also have to pay an estimated 300m in compensation to its rivals which were forced to provide a poor service to their customers because BT was too slow to connect them.

Last month it was fined 880,000 by regulator Ofcom for continuing to charge former customers, delivering another black eye to the companys reputation.

BT has to pay 300m in compensation to its rivals which were forced to provide a poor service

That penalty came just two months after BTs EE mobile division was also fined 2.7m for overcharging customers. And BTs poor customer service led to it being crowned the winner of Money Mails annual Wooden Spoon award  for the second year in a row.

This followed thousands of complaints about BTs infrastructure arm Openreach, which it has since decided to spin off into a legally separate company.

One of BTs top-ten shareholders told Bloomberg that investors were seeking adjustments to prior payouts. It is understood the board is considering clawbacks of management compensation due to its revised financial results.

Analysts at Exane BNO Paribas said Patterson would likely see a significant drop in his bonus for the year that ended on March 31.

His total compensation could be down as much as 70 per cent for the year. The company could also pull back about 20 per cent of last years bonuses, and they could trigger a lapsing of Pattersons stock awards tied to financial performance and shareholder returns, the analysts said.

A BT spokesman said: The BT Group remuneration committee will consider the implications of the BT Italy investigation.
UK tech giant Micro Focus has raised the prospect of job losses once its 7bn deal to buy the software arm of HP Enterprise is complete.

Bosses at the Berkshire-based firm told a presentation in New York that reducing headcount was one opportunity for saving money.

Executive chairman Kevin Loosemore and chief financial officer Mike Phillips said they planned to bring profit margins at HPE Sofware up from 21 per cent to 46 per cent within four years, according to the Sunday Telegraph.

Saving money: Micro Focus is looking at the prospect of job losses

The duo highlighted previous deals where they cut staff numbers to boost profit margins. While a proportion of the job losses will come from duplicate roles, the company is understood not to have put a figure on the number of jobs that will go.

Micro Focus employs about 4,600 people across 80 locations, and before its deal with the US giant was worth about 4.4bn.

The firm creates software to allow big businesses to keep their existing computer systems going as well as enabling them to introduce new technology.
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By Patrick Donachie

Many seniors throughout the borough and city have difficulty obtaining enough food for themselves and others, according to panelists at a forum sponsored by the citys Department for the Aging held at York College in Jamaica.

Nicholas Freudenberg, a Distinguished Professor of Public Health and director of the doctoral program at CUNYs School of Public Health, also said the rhetoric of President Donald Trump has created a festering atmosphere of fear among documented and undocumented immigrant seniors.

For many services, immigrants are simply not showing up to access them, Freudenberg said during the April 6 panel discussion. We heard that people believed they needed to choose between hunger and deportation, and they chose hunger.

The event also included numerous stations set up by government agencies and nonprofits so attendees could learn more about opportunities available to seniors in the community. Nancy Arzuaga Garcia represented LiveOn NY at one table. She provided information indicating that 35 percent of older adults in the city are living with food insecurity, and 40 percent of older New Yorkers who might qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are not enrolled.

According to a DFTA analysis of data from the 2011-2013 US Census Community Survey, several areas in Queens have elevated levels of poverty in seniors older than 60 years old, including the community districts that include Corona, Elmhurst and the Rockaways. All these areas have a percentage of seniors that exceeds the citywide average percentage of seniors 100 percent below the federal poverty level.

DFTA Commissioner Donna Corrado offered opening remarks, reminding attendees that New York City was a resource-rich community despite the stark challenge of combatting hunger. Besides Freudenberg, other attendees included Joel Berg, the CEO of Hunger Free America; Jenique Jones, the director for City Harvests Program Operations; and Amy Richards, the coordinator for the Partnership for Healthier Queens at Make the Road NY.

The event concluded with a question-and-answer session that turned heated at times, with many questions focusing on issues with food pantries. One questioner said she often encountered discrimination at the pantries, with employees allegedly assisting individuals of their own ethnicity. Another questioner angrily said the first questioner was being inconsiderate and discriminatory towards immigrants who were accessing services at the pantry.

Someone else asked how she could start a food pantry, which Freudenberg said pointed to a broader question about food insecurity.

How do food pantries and other social service programs get set up? They get set up by people individually working on their own because we have not in this society, in this country, decided that people have a right to food, he said. And so when that right is not realized and there are hungry people, it requires a dedicated person like you, or many others in this room, to get together and start something.
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By Gina Martinez

City Councilman Rory Lancman (D-Hillcrest) stood on City Hall steps pushing to make revenge porn illegal.

Lancman was joined by Councilman Dan Garodnick (D-Manhattan) ahead of the Public Safety Committee hearing last week to advocate making the use of revenge porn a crime, punishable by up to one year in jail, a fine of $1,000, or both.

Revenge porn is a 21st century form of sexual assault used to embarrass or humiliate victims online. The councilman said despite the serious consequences victims face there is no law on the books in New York state or New York City to protect New Yorkers or hold perpetrators accountable.

Distributing intimate images or videos of another person on the Internet without consent is an appalling breach of privacy that can have devastating consequences for victims, Lancman said. It is critically important for the laws in New York City to catch up with our technology to provide protections for New Yorkers from such abuse. Criminalizing revenge porn will ensure perpetrators can be held accountable for their actions, and that victims can receive justice they deserve.

The legislation was introduced by Lancman and Garodnick last year, based on Assemblyman Edward Braunsteins (D-Flushing) state bill to also make revenge porn a misdemeanor offense in New York City, punishable by up to one year in jail, a fine of $1,000, or both.

Revenge porn is a vile tactic of bullies and domestic abusers, who deliberately cause harm by releasing intimate images or videos of their victims, Garodnick said. With a click of a mouse, careers are put in jeopardy, relationships are damaged, and online harassment becomes a daily battle. We must bring our laws into the 21st century and take a stand against this despicable violation of privacy. With this legislation, we are sending a clear message that this behavior is unacceptable and criminal in the city of New York.
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By Mark Hallum

Participatory budgeting in the district in Councilman Paul Vallone (D-Bayside) rose again this year with 6,214 votes cast by the community to fund projects of their choosing.

At least $1 million from Vallones capital funds will go to four different projects as a result of the new initiative entering its third year in use by the city. Vallones district was highest in the city last year with a total of about 4,500 votes cast in 2016, and this year a total of $1.4 million will go to schools, libraries and crime prevention.

The results clearly show that the district has overwhelmingly embraced the success of the participatory budgeting process. At a time when voter turnout is at a record low, we have created a way to engage our youth and youngest voters as to the power and importance of voting, Vallone said.

PS 41 will get $500,000 for a full electrical upgrade to the 100-year-old school facility. The new components will meet modern safety standards and work more compatibly with 21st century technology.

This is a celebration for Bayside and is completely on the heels of the parents and families of PS 41 who came together for the community, said Joseph Ferrara, principal of PS 41. It speaks volumes of what a community can achieve when they come together.

Up to 1,729 votes put $141,000 in the hands of NYPD to install security cameras throughout the district to enhance crime prevention. Four Argus cameras, normally placed above intersections to capture a 360-degree view of their surroundings, just like the all-seeing beast from Greek mythology they are named for, will survey the district.

Bayside High School will receive $650,000 for 3,200 new lockers to be installed in the cafeteria and basement corridor of the school to provide each of the over 3,000 students with their own locker. The school currently does not provide lockers to students apart from a minimal amount of small-sized compartments in classrooms.

An additional $100,000 will be allocated to Whitestone Librarys technology upgrade to the meeting room, commonly used for meetings and events. High-tech Smart Boards and ADA computers will be purchased for public use.

New York City has one of the lowest voter turnouts in the nation with only 58 percent of those registered showing up at the polls, according a report released by City Comptroller Scott Stringer in 2016. Participatory budgeting is a way for the city to get residents involved in the democratic process on a grassroots level to directly affect their communities.
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By Tammy Scileppi

If age is a matter of mind, then 11 glamorous 60-something goddesses from New York would most likely agree that if you dont mind, age truly doesnt matter.

The joint was jumping when those 11 vivacious and talented contestants  including two gals from Queens  recently took to the stage and dazzled the audience during the 32nd Ms. New York Senior America Pageant. The exciting event was held April 2 at Maguire Theater, located in SUNY at Old Westbury, on Long Island.

Kristin Thorne, a local correspondent for WABC-TVS Eyewitness News, was one of the six judges who rated contestants based on four categories: private interviews, evening gown & stage presence, philosophy of life, and talent.

Miss Universe, step aside.

Sharing their pearls of wisdom from a lifetime of worldly experience, each accomplished and gifted woman proved that beauty is way more than skin deep.

A queen at heart, Rita Plush revealed her inner fashionista. She wore two stunning gowns: a chic brown number accented with sequins and another in royal blue. The Bayside author, teacher and interior designer said she believed that late bloomers bloom longer.

Her special interests include reading, writing, yoga and theater.

Wearing a sexy red gown, Rose Scalia, of Jamaica Estates, who is an adjunct professor at New York University, reminded folks that theres never a question of whether well have challenges in life. Theres only a question of how we choose to handle them. Challenge yourself! Thats when you start living.

After changing to a striking black dress adorned with sequins running down its length, Scalia  the fourth runner-up  kicked off the Talent Presentation with Hey Big Spender, which she belted out, vixen-style.

Scalias special interests include animal rescue, community affairs, ziplining and shark cage diving.

Becoming a Ms. New York Senior America contestant isnt easy. Along with a hefty dose of moxie, it takes a deep sense of commitment and a desire to give back and help others. Those who want to join the sisterhood of dynamic women who are chosen to compete for the coveted crown must best exemplify the dignity, maturity and inner beauty of all senior Americans.

It was clear from the audiences thunderous applaus during the talent performances that each contestant possessed another trifecta of winning qualities: charm, personality, and a great sense of humor.

And thats what The Age of Elegance is really all about.

Surrounded by her pageant sisters, and donning her tiara and new sash, Queen 2017 Lee Ann Brill of Ronkonkoma, L.I., was beaming with happiness, as she showed off her shiny trophy.

This is a wonderful privilege and honor, and I just cant believe I won, Brill said. She wanted everyone to know that seniors matter, and we have a lot to say.

An outstanding vocalist who loves music and songwriting, Brill wowed the judges with her stirring rendition of that iconic song To Dream the Impossible Dream. In her personal statement, she declared, Walk in Faith. Know that Gods dreams for you are bigger than those you dreamed for yourself.

The new queen received a cash award, plus an all-expense-paid week in Atlantic City to compete in the Senior America National Pageant in October.

Brills regal court included fellow vocalist Jeanne Marino from Massapequa, whose laugh-out-loud version of Copacabana got her the title of first runner up. By changing the lyrics around, the tune became a mothers comedic search for someone to marry her still single, 29-year-old daughter: Her name is Talia, she is a lawyer

For her talent portion, Plush delivered a witty, light-hearted monologue, titled The Thing of it Is. Her humorous take on timely topics seemed to resonate with the audience. And drawing on her decorating mojo, she cleverly injected some imaginary style tips into her unique soliloquy.

The thing of it is  in this day and age, in our all-inclusive, multi-cultural, same-sex-marriage century, we almost put a woman in the White House, for heavensake! Why is God still personified as a He/Him rather than a She/Her? Good question. Im glad you asked. Its because men wrote the Bible, and they gave the best part to HIM. No surprise there. But has He never heard of term limits?

Plush said she wanted folks to know that competing in the pageant was a great experience, and she was thrilled and honored to be part of it.

In a letter to the pageant from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in which he applauded this years contestants, he wrote: The Ms. New York Senior Pageant showcases incredible women who have truly mastered the art of living. Each of them worthy of a crown, they can take great pride in knowing that their lives and achievements promote the positive aspects of aging and illustrate the rich legacy that seniors have endowed to our state and nation.
Hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli jails launched a hunger strike Monday following a call from leader and prominent prisoner Marwan Barghouti, a movement that could mark a serious challenge to Israeli authorities if sustained.

The hunger strike was called in connection with Palestinian Prisoners Day, observed annually, but also ahead of commemorations this summer marking 50 years since the 1967 Six-Day War and the start of Israel\s occupation.

Israel Prisons Service spokesman Assaf Librati said that hunger strikers would be disciplined and later added that Barghouti had been transferred from Hadarim prison to Jalami prison, near Haifa, 48 kilometres (30 miles) to the north.

Qaddura Fares, head of the Palestinian Prisoners\ Club which tracks the well-being of Palestinians in Israeli jails, said Barghouti had been placed in solitary confinement, but Librati did not confirm that.

Hunger strikes by Palestinian prisoners occur regularly, but rarely on such a large scale.

Protests were also held in Palestinian cities in connection with Prisoners Day, including one in Bethlehem that led to clashes with Israeli forces.

Barghouti\s call for the strike has given it added credibility, with the 57-year-old serving five life sentences over his role in the violent second Palestinian intifada.

He is popular among Palestinians, with polls suggesting he could win the Palestinian presidency.

Graffiti showing the iconic image of his cuffed hands raised above his head flashing a peace sign while being led away by Israeli authorities can be seen in the West Bank.

"Decades of experience have proved that Israel\s inhumane system of colonial and military occupation aims to break the spirit of prisoners and the nation to which they belong, by inflicting suffering on their bodies, separating them from their families and communities, using humiliating measures to compel subjugation," Barghouti wrote in a New York Times op-ed.

"In spite of such treatment, we will not surrender to it."

Issa Qaraqe, head of prisoner affairs for the Palestinian Authority, said that "around 1,300 Palestinian prisoners" were on hunger strike and the number could rise.

The Palestinian Prisoners\ Club NGO put the number at 1,500.

Librati said that some 1,100 detainees in several prisons had announced their intention to go on hunger strike.

"The prisons service has started taking disciplinary measures against the strikers and in addition a number of prisoners have been transferred to separate wings," he said.

"It is to be emphasised that the (prison service) does not negotiate with prisoners."

Some 6,500 Palestinians are currently detained by Israel for a range of offences and alleged crimes.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, in a statement carried by official news agency WAFA, "called on the international community to save the life of the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails".

Barghouti\s wife Fadwa told AFP at a demonstration in Ramallah that prisoners\ demands were in line with "international law and recognised as part of human rights".

The last large-scale hunger strike was in February 2013, when 3,000 Palestinians refused to eat for one day in protest at the death of a fellow detainee.

Israel says it must be vigilant to prevent fresh violence, particularly following a wave of knife, gun and car-ramming attacks that erupted in October 2015.

Such incidents have greatly subsided in recent months.

While many Palestinians view Barghouti as a hero, Israelis point to the bloody suicide attacks of the second intifada and his role in the uprising.

For Palestinians, the prisons have become a stark symbol of Israel\s occupation.

Those on hunger strike have issued a list of demands, including access to phones, extended visiting rights and better medical care.

Israeli public radio reported that Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan has ordered intervention units to be put on standby and a field hospital to be set up outside one prison to avoid having to take sick prisoners to civilian hospitals.

It quoted Erdan as saying that the demands regarding prisoners\ conditions were unreasonable.

Some Israeli analysts have sought to highlight the rivalry between Barghouti and Abbas within their Fatah party, suggesting his call for a hunger strike was also related to internal politics.

Abbas made no mention of Barghouti in his statement on WAFA.

Talk of who will succeed Abbas has intensified, but the 82-year-old has shown no sign of stepping down and a recent Fatah congress saw him shore up his support base and sideline rivals.

He has not publicly designated a successor.

Of the 6,500 Palestinian detainees, 62 are women and 300 are minors. Some 500 are held under administrative detention, which allows for imprisonment without charges or trial.

Thirteen Palestinian lawmakers are also among the detainees.

Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts have been at a standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed three years ago.

SOURCE: AFP
Heres what to know in Beaver County this Election Day

If youre a registered voter in Beaver County planning to vote in person today, heres what you need to know.
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The state Commission on Judicial Nomination has begun the formal process of filling the seat on the state Court of Appeals left empty by the death of Judge Sheila Abdus-Salaam, whose body was retrieved from the Hudson River west of her home in Harlem last Wednesday.

In a Monday release, the commission said it received on Friday formal notification of Abdus-Salaam's "untimely passing." Investigators have not determined what led to her death, though suicide has not been ruled out.

"Judge Abdus-Salaam was a remarkable human being who exhibited singular warmth to all who knew her, and was a distinguished jurist who epitomized the scholarship and collegiality that are hallmarks of the Court of Appeals," the release states.

The commission is tasked by the state Constitution with evaluating candidates for the state's highest court, and then providing the governor with a list of three to seven possible nominees for him to choose from. To be considered, a candidate must have practiced law in New York State for at least 10 years.

Candidates can download an application from the commission's website or contact Henry M. Greenberg of the Albany-based firm Greenberg Traurig, who serves as the commission's counsel. The deadline to submit applications is May 19.

Filling Abdus-Salaam's seat will almost certainly require the state Senate to return after the scheduled June 21 end of the 2017 session to vote on Gov. Andrew Cuomo's nominee  if, that is, he and the legislative chamber wish to stick to the statutory deadlines, something that they have not done uniformly in recent years.

The commission has until Aug. 15 to submit its list to Cuomo, after which he is required to name his pick within 15 to 30 days. The Senate then has 30 days to accept or reject his nominee.

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State judiciary law sets different timelines for planned vacancies on the high court, such as in the case of an expected departure that occurs in years in which the governor or the Senate (or both) are up for election. The time frame to fill unplanned vacancies is shorter.

Abdus-Salaam, who died at age 65, arrived on the Court of Appeals after just such an unplanned vacancy: the loss of Judge Theodore Jones, who died after suffering a heart attack in November 2012.

Cuomo has named all of the current members of the Court of Appeals.
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Albany

Two of the three former University at Albany students accused of fabricating a racially charged attack on a CDTA bus last year are scheduled to stand trial Monday.

The trial, in which the Albany County district attorney's office aims to prove the women assaulted their fellow students and then falsely reported themselves as the victims, is scheduled for 9 a.m. in Albany County Court. Judge Roger McDonough will preside.

Last year, the attack drew national attention after Asha Burwell, a black UAlbany student, took to Twitter on the morning of Jan. 30, 2016, to detail a series of harrowing events she said took place hours earlier: She and her friends, Ariel Agudio and Alexis Briggs, who are also black, got jumped on a bus by a group of white students hurling racial slurs, bystanders watched without helping, and when she and her friends called police, they didn't seem to care.

But was that what really went down?

The district attorney's office doesn't think so, and neither does the university, which expelled Burwell and Agudio and suspended Briggs, who was deemed less culpable.

Witness testimony and surveillance video that captured part of the fight played a big role in the DA's decision to pursue charges. Grainy footage showed a chaotic fight in which the only physical blows came from the women themselves. Supporters of the women, however, point out that the video doesn't capture the full fight and their blows could have been defensive.

District Attorney David Soares, unmoved, proposed a plea deal: community service in exchange for a public apology. Briggs was the only one to accept, and in a tearful apology in court last June said she should have "done more to correct the narrative and truthfully explain" what happened that night.

Agudio and Burwell have stuck by their story, and will be tried on charges of assault, attempted assault and falsely reporting an incident.

In the immediate aftermath of the incident, the claims spread on social media, prompting then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to chime in on Twitter with a statement of support for the women. The National Congress of Black Women sponsored a rally dubbed #defendblackgirlsualbany that drew more than 100 students to the campus fountain.

But when CDTA video was released to the public, the court of public opinion quickly split, with some standing by the women's claims and others expressing outrage at what suddenly seemed like a hoax.

Agudio, who was halfway through her junior year as the saga unfolded, claimed in a lawsuit that the turn of events humiliated the university and prompted officials to make up their mind before an investigation concluded anything concrete. The suit alleges the process the university used to expel her was unfair and unconstitutional.

bbump@timesunion.com  518-454-5387  @bethanybump
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Vatican City

On Christianity's most joyful day, Pope Francis lamented the horrors generated by war and hatred, delivering an Easter Sunday message that also decried the "latest vile" attack on civilians in Syria.

Both in his impromptu homily during Mass in St. Peter's Square and later in his formal "Urbi et Orbi" Easter message delivered from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, Francis reflected on a litany of suffering in the world, including wars, oppressive regimes, human trafficking, corruption, famine and domestic violence.

He encouraged people to hold fast in their "fearful hearts" to faith, acknowledging that many people wonder where God is amid so much evil and suffering in the world. Some 60,000 people, including multinational throngs of pilgrims and tourists, endured tight anti-terrorism security checks  and, later, a brief downpour  to hear Francis and receive his blessing.

The crowd size, cited by the Vatican security forces, was smaller in comparison to some other Easters, when about 100,000 turned out for the occasion.

After Mass, Francis toured the square in his open-topped, white popemobile and waved back to well-wishers.

In his balcony address, Francis prayed that God would sustain those working to comfort and help the civilian population in Syria, "prey to a war that continues to sow horror and death."

He cited the explosion Saturday that ripped through a bus depot in the Aleppo area where evacuees were awaiting transfer, killing at least 100 people.

"Yesterday saw the latest vile attack on fleeing refugees," the pope said, also praying for peace in the Holy Land, Iraq and Yemen.

Separately, in a letter he sent to the bishop of Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis, whose name he chose for his papacy, the pope decried the "scandalous reality of a world still marked by the divide between the endless number of indigent" and the "tiny portion of those who possess the majority of riches and presume to decide the fates of humanity."

Francis has repeatedly championed the dignity of migrants fleeing war, persecution or poverty. On Sunday he recalled "all those forced to leave their homelands as a result of armed conflicts, terrorist attacks, famine and oppressive regimes."

The church's first pontiff from Latin America voiced concern over the "political and social tensions" in the world as well as the "scourge of corruption" on his home continent. Francis also mentioned hostilities and famine plaguing parts of Africa.
THE ISSUE:

The president refuses to release his income tax returns.

THE STAKES:

Just what is he afraid the public will see?

More Information To comment: tuletters@timesunion.com or at http://blog.timesunion.com/opinion See More Collapse

---

"People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I am not a crook."

Stating those words shortly before he released his tax returns in 1973, President Richard Nixon sought to persuade the American people of his honesty. Every president since has followed this most basic tradition of openness. Except, that is, the current occupant of the White House, Donald Trump.

Despite his campaign promises to the contrary, it appears Mr. Trump has no intention of ever revealing what's on his tax forms. He's gone from the dubious excuse of saying he's being audited to saying that, now that he's elected, he just doesn't need to.

The fact that Mr. Trump refuses to abide by even the minimum level of transparency that Mr. Nixon didn't fear is not some ginned-up controversy like, say, the one he milked for years over former President Barack Obama's birth certificate. It's a serious and substantive matter. It leaves him suspect in the eyes of the vast majority of Americans who say he should release his returns as promised.

Tens of thousands of protesters turned out across the country on Saturday to demand Mr. Trump release his taxes. That's hardly, as he so dismissively tweeted, some "small organized rallies."

This matters, for several reasons.

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First, there's the U.S. Constitution. It bars officeholders from accepting, without Congress' consent, "any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State." With his global business interests, it remains unclear whether Mr. Trump is in violation of that clause. His taxes could help clear up that question  particularly when it comes to entanglements with Russia, which worked awfully hard to get him elected.

Second, the public is entitled to know whether he is personally profiting from his official actions and policies. We already know, for example, that the April 6 missile strike on Syria boosted stock in arms manufacturer Raytheon, in which Mr. Trump owns stock. This is the same man who once bragged that he might be the first person to run for president and make money on it. We ought to know if he's using the office to enrich himself.

Third, Mr. Trump's next big initiative is expected to be an overhaul of the tax code. This comes after he and Republicans in Congress failed to pass a health care bill that would have meant nearly $1 trillion in tax cuts for wealthy Americans and corporations while depriving millions of low- and moderate-income people of health coverage. The public ought to know if and how Mr. Trump would benefit from his own tax package.

As audacious as his defiance on his tax returns is, one has to wonder if Mr. Trump has made a calculation  that any damage he suffers from not releasing them is still less than what making them public would mean.

Mr. Nixon was right; people have to know whether or not their president is a crook. And there's another lesson from that disastrous presidency: Often it's what they don't want us to know that should concern us most of all.
A much needed fundraiser for Cappanagarrane Horse Rescue in Tipperary will take place Saturday 29th April in the unique and quaint Buddy's Big Shed, Glengoole, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Cappanagarrane Horse Rescue was founded in 2007 when we saw a need for somewhere safe for horses injured abandoned or in life threatening circumstances. We retrain and rehome horses. We hope you will support us and help keep the rescue going.

Music by Chris Kavanagh and The Patriots. Chris is the best and his Luke Kelly tribute is just breathtaking. He is also a great songwriter and Chris has agreed to this concert in aid of the rescue. Tickets are available from Anne on 0860834208 and Sinead at Buddys shed 0877500710.

Wonderful raffle also and thanks to the following sponsors of Raffle prizes - Aherlow house hotel, Clonmel Park Hotel, The National Stud, Botanica Ireland.

A big thank you to Sinead Brennan also for allowing us to hold our concert at her very unique and wonderful venue.

We hope to see you all there.
A car in 1966 with Wisconsin license plates bearing the state's "America's Dairyland" slogan parks just across the state line in Illinois at one of many dealers offering colored oleomargarine at bargain prices in case lots. Oleo was illegal in Wisconsin for more than two decades until repeal of the ban in 1967.
On Saturday morning 8th April 2017 the quietness of Roscrea Train Station at 8.30am was shattered by the sound of 46 very excited beavers.

Tuesday and Thursday Beavers under section heads Patrick Marks and Lorraine OMeara undertook the ambitious and exciting trip of travelling to Dublin Zoo on the train. It was to be the first train journey for many of the beavers (aged 6-8 years) and so many were up at the crack of Dawn.

The Irish weather obliged with beautiful sunshine on the day also. The journey up via change in BallyBrophy was great fun with the beavers happily chatting and the 9 leaders who travelled stocking up on coffee! Upon arrival in Heuston station where the large group made its way through to many admiring comments from the locals- Fair play to ye taking those small kids up here!

The beavers (in their buddy system) then made their way across the Liffey and through the Phoenix Park to the Zoo entrance. Then followed the wonder and awe at the amazing zoo animals , keeper talks and the cool play facilities at the zoo. We split into 3 groups to make the group more manageable and met up for lunch time.

After all the animals had been seen, every slide had been climbed, ice-cream had been eaten and the traditional souvenirs had been bought- It was time to gather and walk back down to the train at Heuston Station.

This was a lot of walking for small legs and so huge credit to all the new beavers in particular who walked all day without any complaint. The 20k hike when they are in cubs will be no problem to them!

Back at Heuston station , Supermacs had our order ready and seats reserved for the hungry beavers. Then it was back onto the 6pm train to our reserved carriage and our trip home with many stories told along the way. No technology, nintendos or mobile phones to be seen which is the scouting way. Back to Roscrea and all went back to the Scout Den on Abbey street where there were sandwiches and drinks ready.

The beavers then had a slumber night in the hall with the boys sleeping in tents in the hall and the girls upstairs. All slept soundly which was no surprise.

An early start for breakfast, packing up the sleeping bags, knocking the tents and a 9am run in the Glebe park- Then it was collection time at 10am. All went home with smile and memories of a lifetime. Baden Powells scouting motto has also been Be Prepared!.

The success of this day was down to the planning and organisation behind the scenes which meant that 46 beavers went to Dublin and 46 beavers returned. Sincere thanks to all the leaders involved in preparing for this day- booking tickets , organising food, making name tags with emergency numbers, putting up tents and giving up their time to go on such an action packed and fun filled day. Roll on annual camp at the end of June when the beavers go on a 2 night camp to FOTA camp site in Cork.
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.
RACINE  The widow of a Racine delivery driver James Norris, who was gunned down on Racines north side in March 2016, is calling for a ban on hollow-point bullets that reportedly contributed to his death.

The guy bought the ammunition from Walmart that killed him, Stacy Blevins said. You dont buy hollow-point bullets unless you meant to kill him.

According to Racine Police, Norris was shot to death March 25, 2016, in the 3900 block of Green Street. He was found in the street next to his car door at an apartment complex where he had just delivered food from his employer Super Steaks and Lemonade.

Jimmy was shot three times, Blevins said. There was a bullet hole in the car door. The man destroyed my kids and my family.

After an extensive year-long investigation that recovered the Smith and Wesson revolver and the ammunition in the original Walmart bag, Alex Adams, 28, of the same block of Green Street, was charged with felony first-degree intentional homicide and armed robbery.

Police said they obtained surveillance video from Walmart, 3049 S. Oakes Road, Mount Pleasant, allegedly showing Adams buying the jacketed hollow-point ammunition used in the crime.

Why would you sell something like that? Belvins said.

Blevins and Norris mother-in-law, Sandra Stravropoulos, want Walmart to stop selling the ammunition or do background checks for buyers.

If they hadnt sold the bullets that man would be alive. This has got to stop. They shouldnt sell hollow-points, Stravropoulos said.

In a statement to The Journal Times, Charles Crowson, a spokesman for the Arkansas-based retailer, said sales of hollow-point bullets will continue.

The ammunition we carry is legal and in demand for self-defense and sport shooting among our customers. At this time, we dont plan to remove the items, Crowson said.

Wisconsin bill

Wisconsin Democrats brought up the issue in 2013 following the Sandy Hook massacre in Connecticut captured the nations attention. Authorities said the shooter, Adam Lanza, wanted to use bullets designed to inflict the maximum amount of damage.

The 2013 Assembly Bill 221 sponsored by Milwaukee Democratic representatives Frederick Kessler and Christine Sinicki would have made possessing the bullets a Class H felony with up to three years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

According to the Legislative Reference Bureau, the bill prohibited a person, with certain exceptions such as for law enforcement, from selling, transporting, manufacturing, or possessing any hollow-point bullet, any bullet that expands or flattens easily in the human body, or any bullet with a hard envelope that does not entirely cover the core of the bullet.

There was much more opposition to the proposal than I anticipated, including law enforcement officers, who said hollow-point bullets were less likely to go through a wall and kill innocent people than other bullets, Kessler said.

The debate centered around the bullets that expand on impact, which do more damage and cause greater hemorrhaging, and the prey dies in a swifter, more humane manner.

Kessler, who is a former Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge and presided over homicide cases, argued at the time that banning such bullets would give a shooting victim in urban areas a better chance of survival.

I talked to medical people who said they would be more likely be able to save the victim of a regular bullet than a hollow-point bullet because theyll explode in the body, Kessler said.

After a public outcry from the hunting community about the impact the ban would have on hunting, the bill failed to pass and died in committee.

Shootings in schools doesnt outrage the public anymore. I am very pessimistic that we can put some controls on the wild west atmosphere of handgun violence, Kessler said.

Blevins still hopes that someday something can be done to ease the gun violence in the city.

I need justice for Jimmy, Blevins said.
HTC announced during VRLA last Friday that San Francisco-based SpaceVR is the first recipient of its VR For Impact program, giving the fledgling (but already successful) startup an even bigger financial boost as it nears the date when it will launch the first VR satellite into space.

SpaceVRs CEO, Ryan Holmes, was on stage at the annual VR conference, and then at HTCs exhibit showing off the actual satellite, which is called the Overview 1. The satellite will embark into space in the latter half of 2017 on a SpaceX mission, according to Holmes. The company had originally planned the launch for the SpaceX CRS-12 mission in June, but that has been rescheduled for August.

Overview 1 will first go to the International Space Station via SpaceX and will then be deployed into low earth orbit via the NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer, according to SpaceVR. There, it will orbit the earth for nine months, capturing footage that will supply a raft of VR content. Holmes told Tom's Hardware that the communications capabilities of Overview 1 wont allow a live feed at this point, so the content will come from a compilation of footage the satellite collects, particularly around earth-based events like severe weather.

Overview 1 consists of eight different Sony-made 4K camera sensors. Four sit at the top of satellite, and four at the bottom. Holmes didnt have the exact sensor model, but he said the cameras are capable of capturing about 300 meters per pixel, so these will show only larger entities and events. Your backyard barbecue foibles will not be captured via satellite for worldwide VR viewing just yet.

The satellite uses a star tracker (pictured underneath the cellophane in the image below) to understand its position relative to the stars and the earth, and then it spins three gyroscopes to turn and stabilize the satellite in space. Like most low earth orbit satellites, the Overview 1 will circle the earth every 90 minutes. Overview 1 will be deployed for nine months, at which point it will burn up.

Holmes told us that Overview 1 took about a year and a half, from idea to build, and that it was built at a cost of $1 million. The company has been funded through a series of angel investors, a Kickstarter campaign, and a round of funding last April. HTC did not reveal the amount VR For Impact awarded SpaceVR. The company also plans to charge for its content, at $35 for a one-year subscription. The companys web site reveals plans to deliver more satellites, including into the solar system.

Holmes said he believes that the future of space is robotics, given that it currently costs an estimated $1 billion to train and send a single astronaut into space. He said that launching robots to operate in space makes more financial sense, and that we would be able to control what those robots do through VR.

The VR For Impact program, announced earlier this year at the World Economic Forum in Davos, is intended to support the United Nations sustainability program. Rikard Steiber, head virtual reality for HTC, said during his VRLA talk last Friday that virtual reality can and should play a positive role in solving global problems. The company will announce a few more funding recipients next weekend during Earth Day (April 22).
Kansas City Rolling Gun Battle Tonight

Disturbance between two groups leads to one person shot near 59th and Paseo KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- One person is in critical condition after being shot along the Paseo on Sunday. Officers were called to the area of 59th and Paseo around 8:30 p.m. on a report of a shooting. The victim was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.

Big Splash Down By The River...

Water rescue underway after car reportedly plunges into the Missouri River This story is developing.

Just a quick double shot realization that Kansas City crime doesn't take a break for the holidays . . . Here's the criminal class hard at work as we move to Monday OR another indication that this town is hopping mad:Developing . . .
Trump says media downplayed Kansas victory President Donald Trump on Sunday night accused news organizations of downplaying the special congressional election in Kansas after the Republican candidate won - and suggested the same will happen in the upcoming Georgia special election. "The recent Kansas election [Congress] was a really big media event, until the Republicans won," he tweeted.

while a single tweet from the Prez might have turned the tide and given an unpopular candidate a boost . . . The Prez claims that media is ignoring the final score in order to push a narrative about midterm election season. Take a look:
Kansas City Foodie Eat Out

Seafood at the zoo, KC's best-known chefs celebrate Latin food and drink culture at Comida KC, and wine dinners at J. Gilberts and Michael Smith: this week's restaurant events, April 17-23 Courtesy MTGA Wines Monday April 17 Indulge in a four-course wine dinner tonight at J. Gilbert's (8901 Metcalf, Overland Park) featuring selections from Sonoma County's Simi Wines. The meal includes a sea-scallops-and-shrimp ceviche, roasted pork belly with burrata salad, braised wagyu short ribs and a panna cotta, plus wine pairings.

Newspaper Rounds Up TKC Talk

Horsley at City Hall: GO bonds, water needs, police, hotel ... lots of priorities City Hall officials are deliberating how to launch the $800 million general obligation bond program, while also continuing to deal with water infrastructure costs, crime prevention initiatives and a host of other priorities. This week we expect the long-awaited anti-violence task force report, plus a final City Council vote on the downtown convention hotel.

Suburban Beat Down Lesson Today

Teacher assaulted by student in special education program at Blue Valley Service Center OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- A teacher was injured after being assaulted by a student in a special education program at the Blue Valley Service Center on Monday. Johnson County Fire said they received a call that one person was assaulted shortly before 10 a.m.

Kansas City Crash Report

Deadly car crash on N. Chouteau By Paul Thompson KANSAS CITY, Missouri - At around 10:00 a.m. on the morning of Monday, April 17, a two vehicle accident in the Northeast left one woman dead at the scene. The accident occurred on the elevated portion of N. Chouteau, which rises above the railroad yard located in the Northeast industrial area.

Help Find Cowards Who Beat This Doggie

Humane Society offers $5,000 reward for information on beating death of Excelsior Springs dog EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, Mo. -- The Humane Society has offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the beating death of a beloved Excelsior Springs dog. Area residents were shocked to learn of the vicious act of animal cruelty.

Show-Me Speed Bump Kindness Advice

Missouri Department Of Conservation Urges Motorists 'To Give Turtles A Brake' Why did the turtle cross the road? Because it's turtle mating season in Missouri. Department of Conservation spokesman Joe Jerek says young male turtles are usually in search of territory while females are trying to nest. "And if you think about it, comfort's also a factor for turtles. They're reptiles.

The Kansas City Forecast This Week

Joe's Weather Blog: An active week means more rain/storm chances (MON-4/17) Good morning...a cooler but brighter day in progress in the area today as temperatures are slowly recovering after a rather cool start to the day. We dropped to 50 this morning. Our monthly temperature is still running more than 5 above average for April.

goodness gets us into the swing of things this afternoon and inspires this quick look at all the Kansas City mainstream media links today. Take a peek:And this is thefor right now . . .
ONCE AGAIN LOCAL TAX FIGHTERS QUESTION MAYOR SLY'S REFUSAL TO PARTICIPATE IN A MODERATED DEBATE AT THE KANSAS CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY!!!

Important Debate with City Leaders to Discuss the Cost of Our Aging Infrastructure

Tuesday, this week, KCPT will be hosting a discussion on infrastructure needs now that the $800,000,000 blank check has been cashed. As you can see it originally headlined the Mayor, Troy Schulte and others.

However, it is now reported when Sly found out that "others were involved, his feathers got ruffled and he flew the coop. As you recall Sly laid an egg a few weeks ago when he backed out of a KCPT Week in Review debate when he heard others would be there. How else could you have a debate??





A recent picture of our Mayor is attached below>>>

Dont let the nonsense dissuade you from attending this important meeting. Our City faces monumental crisis not the least of which is the failing infrastructure. Dont forget to RSVP for the meeting.

Kansas City Mayor Sly James doesn't get many tough questions and this week local tax fighters lament that the top politico in town won't take part in local Democracy and discourse on a vital topic.To wit . . .Mayor Sly hasn't faced any public forum where questions can be addressed from the audience so far this year . . . As locals encourage town halls fro their political representatives in Washington D.C., it's important to understand that right here in our hometown the mayor simply doesn't discuss his policy or administration even in the midst of a huge public vote and longstanding issue.Here's the word one more time in hopes that our blog community discourse might inspire an answer . . .##########You decide . . .
Erdogan said that that nothing will stop the Turkish people and that he will not step on the brake

The Cypriot government is monitoring with great caution the results and the developing situation, following yesterdays referendum government spokesperson Nikos Christodoulides said on Monday.

On Sunday, Turkish vote went to polls to cast their ballots in a referendum to expand President Tayyip Erdogans powers through constitutional amendments.

Specifically, with 100% of the votes counted, Erdogans YES camp won.

The results were as follows:

YES= 51.41%

NO= 48.59%

Following his win, Erdogan said that that nothing will stop the Turkish people and that he will not step on the brake.

He added that Turkey is entering into a new age.

The 18 amendments to the constitution are as follows:

1. Article 9- The judiciary is required to act on condition of impartiality.

2. Article 75- The number of seats in the Parliament is raised from 550 to 600.

3. Article 76- The age requirement to stand as a candidate in an election to be lowered from 25 to 18, while the condition of having to complete compulsory military service is to be removed. Individuals with relations to the military would be ineligible to run for election.

4. Article 77- Parliamentary terms are extended from four to five years. Parliamentary and presidential elections will be held on the same day every five years, with presidential elections going to a run-off if no candidate wins a simple majority in the first round.

5. Article 87- The functions of Parliament are:

Making, changing, and removing laws.

Accepting international contracts.

Discussing, increasing or decreasing budget (on Budget Commission) and accept or reject the budget on General Assembly.

Appoint 7 members of HSYK

And using other powers written in the constitution

5. Article 89- To overcome a presidential veto, the Parliament needs to adopt the same bill with an absolute majority (301).

6. Article 98- Parliament now detects cabinet and Vice President with Parliamentary Research, Parliamentary Investigation, General Discussion and Written Question. Interpellation is abolished and replaced with Parliamentary Investigation. Vice President needs to answer Written Questions within 15 days.

7. Article 101- In order to stand as a presidential candidate, an individual requires the endorsement of one or more parties that won 5% or more in the preceding parliamentary elections and 100,000 voters. The elected president no longer needs to terminate their party membership if they have one.

8. Article 104- The President becomes both the head of state and head of government, with the power to appoint and sack ministers and Vice President. The president can issue decrees about executive. If legislation makes a law about the same topic that President issued an executive order, decree will become invalid and parliamentary law become valid.

9. Article 105- Parliament can open parliamentary investigation with an absolute majority (301). Parliament discusses proposal in 1 month. Following the completion of Discussion, Parliamentary investigation can begin in Parliament with a hidden three-fifths (360) vote in favor. Following the completion of investigations, the parliament can vote to indict the President with a hidden two-thirds (400) vote in favor.

10. Article 106- The President can appoint one or more Vice Presidents. If the Presidency falls vacant, then fresh presidential elections must be held within 45 days. If parliamentary elections are due within less than a year, then they too are held on the same day as early presidential elections. If the parliament has over a year left before its term expires, then the newly elected president serves until the end of the parliamentary term, after which both presidential and parliamentary elections are held. This does not count towards the President's two-term limit. Parliamentary investigations into possible crimes committed by Vice Presidents and ministers can begin in Parliament with a three-fifths vote in favor. Following the completion of investigations, the parliament can vote to indict Vice Presidents or ministers with a two-thirds vote in favor. If found guilty, the Vice President or minister in question is only removed from office if their crime is one that bars them from running for election. If a sitting MP is appointed as a minister or Vice President, their parliamentary membership will be terminated.

11. Article 116- The President and three-fifths of the Parliament can decide to renew elections. In this case, the enactor also dissolves itself until elections.

12. Article 119- The President's ability to declare state of emergency is now subject to parliamentary approval to take effect. The Parliament can extend, remove or shorten it. States of emergency can be extended for up to four months at a time except during war, where no such limitation will be required. Every presidential decree issues during a state of emergency will need an approval of Parliament.

13. Article 125- The acts of the President are now subject to judicial review.

Article 142- Military courts are abolished unless they are erected to investigate actions of soldiers under conditions of war.

Article 146- The President used to appoint one Justice from High Military Court of Appeals, and one from the High Military Administrative Court. As military courts are abolished, the number of Justices in the Constitutional Court reduced to 15 from 17. Consequently, presidential appointees reduced to 12 from 14, while the Parliament continues to appoint three.

14. Article 159- Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors is renamed to "Board of Judges and Prosecutors", members are reduced to 13 from 22, departments are reduced to 2 from 3. 4 members are appointed by President, 7 will be appointed by the Grand Assembly. Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) candidates will need to get 2/3 (400) votes to pass first round and will need 3/5 (360) votes in second round to be a member of HSYK.(Other 2 members are Justice Minister and Ministry of Justice Undersecretary, which is unchanged).

15. Article 161- President proposes fiscal budget to Grand Assembly 75 days prior to fiscal new year. Budget Commission members can make changes to budget but Parliamentary members cannot make proposals to change public expenditures. If the budget is not approved, then a temporary budget will be proposed. If the temporary budget is also not approved, the previous year's budget would be used with the previous year's increment ratio.

16. Several articles- Adaptation of several articles of the constitution with other changes, mainly transferring executive powers of cabinet to President

Article 123- President gets power to create States.

17. Temporary Article 21- Next presidential and General elections will be held on 3 November 2019. If Grand Assembly decides early elections, both will be held at the same day. Board of Judges and Prosecutors elections will be made within 30 days of approval of this law. Military courts will be abolished once the law comes into force.

18. Applicability of amendments 1-17- The amendments (2, 4 and 7) will come into force after new elections, other amendments (except temporary article) will come into force once newly elected president is sworn in. Annulled the article which elected Presidents forfeit membership in a political party. This constitutional amendment will be voted in a referendum as a whole.

In Cyprus occupied areas Turkish citizens, who went to the polls a week ago, voted NO.

Christodoulides added, in a comments following the results in Turkey, that patience is needed for a completed picture for someone to come to a secure estimation.

In statements to ANA-MPA news agency, the government spokesperson said that some facts are worth of attention, for example that based on the results Turkey is a divided country, with the YES vote losing in the three major cities, the supporters of NO already doubting the results, the occupied areas of Cyprus voted no to the constitutional changes, and some other important facts.

Surely, in Turkey we have a unique situation and a result, which among other things and according to public statements from AKP supporters, was expected, he said.

EU CALLS ON TURKEY TO FIND NATIONAL CONSESUS

The EUs Commission President Jena Claude Juncker, High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini, and the Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn said that they noted the result in Turkey, in a joint statement on Sunday night.

In their statement, the three EU officials added: We are awaiting the assessment of the OSCE/ODHIR International Observation Mission, also with regard to alleged irregularities.

The EU said that the constitutional amendments and especially their practical implementation will be assessed in light of Turkeys obligations as an EU candidate country and as a member of the Council of Europe.

The statement added: We encourage Turkey to address the Council of Europes concerns and recommendations, including with regards to the State of Emergency. In view of the close referendum result and the far-reaching implications of the constitutional amendments, we also call on the Turkish authorities to seek the broadest possible national consensus in their implementation.

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
Seventeen migrants were arrested in the occupied village of Flamoudi, Turkish Cypriot newspaper Detay reported on Monday.

Specifically, the 17  who were arrested with five other Turkish individuals, suspected of transporting them from Turkey to the occupied areas  were found in the Flamoudi area on Monday morning, without the so called authorities identifying the individuals or their state of health.

The Turkish Cypriot newspaper reported that the so called authorities also did not comment as to how the individuals arrived in the specific area.

Source: CNA

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
150 new airlinks and 6000 additional flights at least to Greece's regional airports in 2017

Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura announced that there will be 150 new airlinks and 6000 additional flights at least to Greece's regional airports in 2017, in an interview with the Sunday edition of Vradyni newspaper.

Kountoura also said that these flights will concern, among others, destinations as Kos, Rhodes, Mykonos, Santorini, Corfu, Cephalonia, Zakynthos, Aktio and Thessaloniki adding that the "the new airlinks include a large number of European cities as well as Russia, Israel and Lebanon".

Kountoura also said that new direct flights from countries from Asia, the Middle East and USA and other international markets.

Referring to the new tourist markets she referred to an opening to the Middle East, China and South Korea adding that a 30 percent increase in tourists from India is expected according to the number of visas to be issued.

Finally, she noted that the pre-reservations from all the foreign markets, traditional and new, are increased by 15-70 percent in comparison with 2016 and everything seems to be very encouraging. "2017 will be, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the best year in the history of Greece's tourism" she said.

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
A man suspected of providing heroin to a fellow jail inmate, who then died from an overdose, was sentenced Monday to five years in prison for possession of heroin with intent to deliver.

While prosecutors said they believe Emmanuel O. Stephen, 27, had somehow gotten the heroin into the jail last summer, and charged him in January with first-degree reckless homicide for causing the overdose death of Christopher L. Thorland, they did not take him to trial on the charge or require him to plead guilty to it.

Instead, Dane County Circuit Judge Josann Reynolds was allowed to take the charge into consideration Monday as she sentenced Stephen to prison on the heroin possession conviction.

Stephen claimed that he had found the heroin in a toilet tank in the middle of the night and had no idea how it got there, an explanation Reynolds didnt find credible.

If he had found it in the toilet, the responsible thing would have been to turn it over to law enforcement, Reynolds said. Instead, she said, he chose to sell it.

Stephen and Thorland, 41, of Stoughton, who was awaiting sentencing on a felony drunken driving conviction, were in the jail together on July 5 when Thorland was found dead in his jail cell. After it was determined he died of an overdose, all of the inmates in that jail pod were strip-searched and questioned. Deputies found baggies of heroin inside Stephens underwear that totaled nearly 60 grams, according to a criminal complaint.

Assistant District Attorney Adrienne Blais, who asked for a prison sentence of five to seven years, said that with drug addiction rampant among those who find themselves in jail, Stephen was shooting fish in a barrel by selling heroin among such a vulnerable group in a small setting.

Blais also said Stephen lacked remorse for Thorlands death, telling the writer of a state pre-sentence report, I cant control other peoples actions.

In a statement in court, though, Stephen apologized for what he did, saying he wasnt in a right state of mind at the time.

Authorities havent pinpointed how Stephen got the heroin into the jail, but a jail phone call and a subsequent money transfer made the day before Thorlands death suggested that a transaction had taken place between them.

Stephens lawyer, Murali Jasti, asked for a shorter prison sentence of two to three years, saying it better matched sentences given to those convicted of similar crimes who have similar criminal histories. He said the DAs office aggressively pursues so-called Len Bias cases  prosecutions of dealers in fatal drug overdoses  but simply didnt have the evidence in this case.

And while some may scoff at Stephens explanation for the origin of the heroin, he said, the idea is not wholly implausible, as the rightful owner of the heroin possibly didnt want to store it in or around his own bunk.

Reynolds said she found it remarkable that both of Stephens parents, war refugees from Sudan, worked hard as custodians at UW Hospital, using the opportunity of coming to the U.S. that their son has squandered.

Instead of being grateful, she said, he is trying to live life as a dealer.

[Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect a correction. The original version incorrectly stated that Stephen admitted to providing heroin to jail Thorland. Stephen disputes that, but a judge was permitted to consider evidence that he had while sentencing him on another charge to which Stephen had pleaded guilty. The story also listed the wrong date for Thorland's death.]
The assailant got on the train before taking a knife out of his bag and stabbing the victim

The Israeli ambassador to the UK has named a British woman stabbed to death in Jerusalem as Hannah Bladon.

Israels ambassador to London Mark Regev tweeted: My thoughts are with the family and friends of UK student Hannah Bladon, who was murdered in a senseless act of terror in Jerusalem today.

The 21-year-old exchange student was stabbed to death by a Palestinian man in Jerusalem.

She was travelling on the Jerusalem Light Rail near Old City when she was attacked.

The Foreign Office has said: We can confirm the tragic death of a British national in Jerusalem. We are providing support to her family at this difficult time and are in touch with local authorities.

Bladon, a Birmingham University religious studies student, was partway through an exchange program with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The Rothberg International School confirmed she had been taking classes in bible studies, archaeology and Hebrew during her exchange programme.

They described her as an inquisitive and adventurous student who made the most of her opportunity to learn and experience life in Israel.

An act of terror

The University of Jerusalem has condemned what it calls an act of terror on a student who came to Jerusalem to study and widen her academic horizons.

After starting her exchange in late January, she had been due to continue her studies in Jerusalem until the end of September.

On the first day of her studies in January, Bladon posted a photo of the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem along with a message to her friends asking how she was getting on.

She wrote on her Facebook page: Thanks guys. Im ok thanks! Security is really tight on campus so no worries at mo! Managed to see a lot of sites before starting my classes today so defo having a great time! Xx.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told Sky News the assailant got on the train at Damascus Gate, before taking a knife out of his bag and stabbing the victim multiple times in the upper part of the body.

Source: foxnews.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
More than 1,000 insurance specialists and a selection of local and international executives are expected to take part in the upcoming Saudi Insurance Symposium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.



Under the patronage of Dr Ahmed Abdulkarim Al Kholifey, Governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA), the Insurance General Committee will organise the event at King Fahd Cultural Center on April 30 and May 1.



The symposium is the largest gathering for insurance companies operating in Saudi Arabia and across the Gulf Cooperation Council. Held on biennial basis, the symposium is designed to encourage the economic role played by insurance sector in promoting economic development and offer solutions to the top challenges facing the sector.



This year, the symposium is held after the issuance of the Saudi Vision 2030 and the following economic reforms and actions that would have positive impact on insurance sector, and will be attended by officials from major local, regional and international insurance and reinsurance companies, to discuss the economic role of insurance sector in advancing Saudi economic development.



Basem Odeh, chairman of the Insurance Executive Committee, said: The agenda of this event will include important talking points related to the opportunities and challenges facing the insurance sector according to Saudi Vision 2030.



The symposium seeks to provide solutions to the most significant challenges facing the insurance sector in Saudi Arabia, develop clear plans to address these challenges and a new vision for insurance future and impacts on the overall economic activity.



Odeh commented on the performance of the insurance sector and said: The insurance sector achieved positive results during last year, accounting for a growth of 157 per cent in consolidated profits for 34 companies in 2016 compared to 2015, he stated. The gross underwritten premiums hit SR36.7 billion ($9.7 billion); 0.7 per cent up compared to 2015.



The 4thSaudi Insurance Symposium is another entry in the successful track record of the insurance events in Saudi Arabia. said Adel Al Eisa, the Media Spokesman for the insurance companies.



"With hosting more than 1,000 insurance specialists and a selection of local and international administrators and executives, this number of attendees will bring lots of discussion on the role of insurance sector within Saudi Vision 2030 as a central point in the Saudi National Transformation Program and for advancing economic development."



"The 4thSaudi Insurance Symposium is associated with a state of general awareness of the important role played by Saudi insurance sector in the economic transformation of the country, particularly through stimulating the private sector to make larger contributions to the Saudi economy and raising awareness of insurance services and how to apply SAMA regulations, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
APM Terminals Bahrain, the operator of Khalifa Bin Salman Port (KBSP), plans to launch a new General Cargo Terminal Operating System (GC-TOS) to optimise operational efficiency and customer experience.



The new system, which will initially focus on digitizing KBSPs maritime services followed by General Cargo and Billing, will be key to driving greater transparency and turnaround times, resulting in faster and efficient cargo flow at the Kingdoms world-class commercial port.



The implementation of the GS TOS is a critical first step by APM Terminals towards digital transformation to improve the management data between the port, cargo owners, shipping lines and other stakeholders.



With this, the planning capabilities of the port will get enhanced through a centralized information portal including cargo booking and movement, documentation, pre-arrival notifications to name a few. This will further facilitate immediate improvements in terminal productivity and customer service.



Mark Hardiman, CEO/managing director of APM Terminals Bahrain, said: The rapidly changing maritime landscape calls for continuous investments and transformations in port operations and logistical solutions, to satisfy customer requirements and growing general cargo volumes. Integrating digital solutions into our transshipment operations will help catalyze the collaboration and coordination among the many stakeholders and help us to manage activities at the quay, yard and gate.



Most importantly, it will maximize efficiencies for the entire supply chain providing stakeholders real-time data and insights, transparency and reliability; creating business value for them. This will further increase ports competitiveness helping KBSP achieve its ambition of becoming the regions leading transshipment centre of the Upper Gulf.  TradeArabia News Service
The Dubai Government will issue its last paper transaction in 2021, asserted the Crown Prince of Dubai as he launched the Smart Dubai 2021 initiative, which represents the next step in the Emirates smart and sustainable development.



Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum also launched the Dubai Pulse platform, which will host all of the emirates data and form the backbone of its shift towards smart development.



He was attending Smart Dubais Future-Now event at the Dubai Design District, instructing the Smart Dubai Office to oversee the ambitious goal.



When Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced the Dubai Smart City project three years ago, Sheikh Hamdan said, he wanted to change the meaning of the term technological advancement by creating an unprecedented model that integrates technology with our goals of ensuring the best standards of living, wellbeing, and happiness for the people of Dubai.



Today, we mark the beginning of a new phase  Smart Dubai 2021  that revolves around challenging ourselves and surpassing our own previous achievements. We are looking to build a truly smart city  one that will use technology as the key to a balanced and happy life.



While weve already seen a great shift towards digital government transactions, I believe that the future of government will be entirely paper-free. The government of the future will set plans and strategies to ensure the best possible standard of living for people and to save them time and effort. In 2021, we will celebrate the very last paper transaction in Dubai, and Smart Dubai will see to it that we achieve this mission, he added.



He described the Dubai Pulse platform as the backbone of Dubais transformation and shift towards smart technologies, and ordering all government departments to begin populating the platform with their data as of today.



Throughout history, information has been key to our lives as human beings, allowing us to communicate with others  be they individuals or communities, said Sheikh Hamdan. Today, in the era of Big Data, it is essential to have a central platform to house all of the governments data  a platform that taps into the potential of artificial intelligence to spread happiness among people. This is the only option for countries that want to remain relevant and build infrastructure that meets the needs of the future. This is why we launched Dubai Pulse.



Meanwhile, director-general of the Smart Dubai Office Dr Aisha bint Butti bin Bishr said: Despite what Dubai has already achieved today in terms of smart city development  which is still a distant dream for most cities around the world, including in some of the most advanced countries  we are just getting started.



We are still at the beginning of a new journey to a smart city worthy of the Government of the Future, the UAE Centennial 2071, and the Mars 2117 Project, among other national initiatives. We are proud of what we have achieved since our inception; we have succeeded because of our productive collaboration with strategic partners in the public and private sectors as we edge closer to achieving the Smart Dubai 2021 strategy, she added.



Weve set our priorities, guided by the words of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as he launched Smart Dubai back in 2013, when he said that there is no single model for progress, rather there is constant innovation and development, Dr Aisha continued.



We have lived by these words ever since, applying them as we push ahead with our constant pursuit of innovation in our strategies and operations, as well as in the quality of the solutions and technologies we have adopted and developed. Smart Dubai 2021 is our action plan for the near future, as we work to transform Dubai into a fully smart city with smart government services that make peoples lives  and business dealings  easier.



Smart Dubai 2021 is the next step in the process of transforming the city into one that invests in technology and implements it to improve peoples lives and make Dubai the happiest city on earth. The four-year plan covers infrastructure, legislation, and applications that the Dubai Smart Office and all of its affiliates have succeeded in achieving over the course of the past three years.



This strategy is Dubais gateway to the next level of smart transformation, in line with the requirements of the Dubai 10X Initiative and the UAE Centennial 2071.



Dubai Pulse is another achievement for Dubai, placing the emirate ahead of other developed cities around the world. The platform compiles all data available to both the public and private sectors. The new platform provides access, for the first time, to live and up-to-date data about the city.



It includes three layers of data: the first will be free of charge and caters to the public, while the second offers a thorough analysis of the data (in exchange for a fee) to be used for academic, professional, commercial, and economic purposes. The third and final layer includes data accessible exclusively to Dubai Government entities.  TradeArabia News Service
Salon des Grandes Complications, an illustrious exhibition for watchmakers, will premiere in Saudi Arabia from May 8-11.



Featuring an impressive line-up of some of the worlds most reputable and respected horological brands, the event is the first of its kind in the kingdom.



Salon des Grandes Complications will run alongside the prestigious Jewellery Salon at Al Faisaliah Hotel in Riyadh, and is set to include both well-known Maisons and independent ateliers such as Breitling, Bulgari, Chopard, Czapek & Cie, Faberge, Girard-Perregaux, Greubel Forsey, Kerbedanz, Lang & Heyne, Panerai, Rudis Sylva and Vacheron Constantin.



Between them these companies have crafted some of the most complicated and highly valued timepieces ever and won numerous awards such as Grand Prix dHorlogerie de Geneve and Middle East Watch of the Year, continuously pushing engineering and design limits and never ceasing to surpass expectations with ever more innovative know-how.



Saudi Arabias most prestigious jewellery exhibition, Jewellery Salon is taking place for the seventh consecutive year and attracts an impressive number of visitors including members of the royal family, distinguished VIPs and dignatiaries, and influential buyers from across the GCC.



Being held outside of the UAE for the first time, Salon des Grandes Complications will make an exciting addition to the Jewellery Salon with a wide-ranging display of ground-breaking innovations, novelties and unique timepieces.



The watchmaking exhibition premiered in 2014 with the aim of offering the worlds best horological brands a platform to engage with watch enthusiasts and collectors from across the Middle East, and has since become an annual event.



Salon des Grandes Complications is held with the full support of the Swiss Embassy in Saudi Arabia and social media partner Watch Anish. - TradeArabia News Service


Hotel revenues in Bahrain reached BD3.7 million ($9.7 million) during the Formula One weekend, with 12,000 hotel rooms booked during the event and total occupancy rate of five star hotels reaching up to 89 per cent.



We are pleased with the positive results achieved by the tourism sector during the Formula One season. We hope that the coming F1 season brings further success; reflecting the Kingdoms positive image internationally and contributing to the development of the local economy," said Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa, chief executive officer of Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA).



"Our strategy is focused on strengthening Bahrain's position as a destination that is able to host leading international events. Such events, demonstrate Bahrain's potential and infrastructure where the investors confidence is firmly established, therefore the authority seeks to best serve these events, he added.



BTEA also invited more than 25 members from its representative offices located across the world in further to learn about the kingdom, its thriving tourism industry and to further promote the importance of the Bahrain Grand Prix in attracting enthusiasts to this exciting sporting event held at the Bahrain International Circuit.



On the sidelines of the event, BTEA organized Hurafuna Handicrafts Festival held at Bab Al Bahrain. The festival, running until April 18, offers residents and visitors an opportunity to learn about the handicrafts of the kingdom giving the local craftsmen a platform to sell their distinctive products and present them to the public. - TradeArabia News Service


Up for sale is a wonderful flaw / fault on a New Zealand Fleming One Pound note

As you can see in the photo the bottom right corner has had the bottom left plate of the other side over stamped onto it ( I think )

The flaw shows part of the Fleming signature which is on the wrong side

I'm not sure how this could happen but here it is for any collector of notes with errors.

I have looked online and cannot locate another so a lovely addition to ant collection

I am selling a number of banknote auctions tonight so keep a look out and save on postage

Selling them all for $1 reserve , lots of photos so you can see what's on offer.

Sorry no Buynow

BIDDERS PLEASE READ THE POSTAGE DETAILS BELOW

CAN YOU PLEASE SEND ME YOUR ADDRESS THROUGH THE TRADEME SYSTEM AS IT IS DIFFICULT TRACKING ADDRESSES THROUGH THE MANY EMAILS I RECEIVE DAILY.

ALL ANTIQUES AND COLLECTABLES ARE PROHIBITED ITEMS IF POSTING THROUGH NEW ZEALAND POST

NZ Post WILL NOT compensate on any antiques and collectables that they lose.

I will ensure your package is correctly addressed and very well packed but sending expensive items / antiques / collectables via New Zealand Post IS AT YOUR OWN RISK

They will not compensate even for tracked parcels and NZ Post Courier items

If it is lost then I will not refund

I can offer Fastway Couriers signature optional , no PO Box address and Rural is $5.50 extra.

I post on Monday , Wednesday and Friday only
The man who was behind the wheel of a car that hit three people on a South Park Street sidewalk Saturday evening, killing a UW-Madison student, is expected to face criminal charges that include homicide by intoxicated driving, authorities said Monday.

Meanwhile the student, 24-year-old Wenxin Huai, is being remembered as a bright young woman who would have earned her masters degree next month, and was excited to start a new job soon in her native China.

Madison police said Huai was walking in the 400 block of South Park Street around 7:40 p.m. Saturday when she was struck by the SUV.

Authorities said the man was driving west on West Washington Avenue and turning onto South Park Street when his car left the road and went onto the sidewalk of the block that includes Mason Lounge and Falbo Bros.Pizza.

Huai later died at a hospital from her injuries, according to the Dane County Medical Examiners Office.

A small memorial at the site of the crash grew Monday to include flowers and a card with messages in English and Chinese.

Police have so far declined to identify the driver, beyond saying he is a 32-year-old Madison man, because he is still being treated at a hospital for his injuries from the crash.

Once the man is released from the hospital, Madison police spokesman Joel DeSpain said, he will be arrested on several tentative criminal charges  among them, homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle.

Two other pedestrians who were injured in the crash were treated at the scene and have not been identified.

Ananth Seshadri, chairman of the Department of Economics and a professor who worked with Huai on her research into how changing demographics were affecting employment rates in China, said she was one of the best students in her cohort.

She was just exceptionally hard working, very talented, Seshadri said. When you gave her a task or gave her suggestions she would take every one of them very seriously and come back the next week with well-thought-out ways of dealing with those ideas.

Huai, who also went by Wendy, was from Beijing and graduated from Peking University before coming to UW-Madison in 2015.

She was due to receive her masters degree in economics in May, and also worked on campus as a research assistant in the universitys Traffic Operations and Safety Laboratory.

After graduation she planned to join Didi Chuxing  a Chinese ride-hailing service  to start a job applying economic theories to the companys pricing model, Seshadri said. Were just speechless today and stunned by this tragic loss.

A support gathering organized by International Student Services will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Tuesday in the Multicultural Student Center in the Red Gym.

Students can also contact University Health Services for support at 265-5600, ext. 9, as well as International Student Services at 262-2044.

State Journal reporter Bill Novak contributed to this report.
We are excited to work with Blackstone and CPPIB and know their partnership will be a tremendous asset for the next phase of our companys growth, said Greg Sebasky, CEO of Ascend Learning. Were also grateful for the partnership weve had with Providence and Ontario Teachers and the outstanding growth weve experienced working with them.

Peter Wilde, Managing Director at Providence Equity, said, We have enjoyed a long and productive partnership during our ten-year investment in Ascend. Greg and the Ascend team have generated consistent growth while delivering strong outcomes to students and institutions. We are gratified to have played a part in Ascends success and have no doubt Ascend will continue to grow and innovate.

The transaction is expected to close following customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Barclays acted as lead financial advisor to Ascend and Providence Equity Partners on the transaction, and Bank of America served as co-advisor. Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP acted as legal advisor to Ascend and Providence Equity Partners; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP acted as legal advisor to Blackstone and CPPIB; and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP acted as legal advisor to Ontario Teachers Pension Plan.

About Ascend Learning

Ascend Learning is a leading provider of educational content and software tools for students, educational institutions and employers. With products that span the learning continuum, Ascend Learning focuses on high-growth careers in a range of industries, with a special focus on healthcare and other licensure-driven occupations. Ascend Learning products, from testing to certification, are used by physicians, emergency medical professionals, nurses, certified personal trainers, financial advisors, skilled trades professionals and insurance brokers. Learn more at www.ascendlearning.com.

About Blackstone

Blackstone is one of the worlds leading investment firms. We seek to create positive economic impact and long-term value for our investors, the companies we invest in, and the communities in which we work. We do this by using extraordinary people and flexible capital to help companies solve problems. Our asset management businesses, with over $360 billion in assets under management, include investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, non-investment grade credit, real assets and secondary funds, all on a global basis. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow Blackstone on Twitter @Blackstone.

About Canada Pension Plan Investment Board

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) is a professional investment management organization that invests the funds not needed by the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) to pay current benefits on behalf of 20 million contributors and beneficiaries. In order to build a diversified portfolio of CPP assets, CPPIB invests in public equities, private equities, real estate, infrastructure and fixed income instruments. Headquartered in Toronto, with offices in Hong Kong, London, Luxembourg, Mumbai, New York City, Sao Paulo and Sydney, CPPIB is governed and managed independently of the Canada Pension Plan and at arms length from governments. At December 31, 2016, the CPP Fund totalled $298.1 billion. For more information about CPPIB, please visit www.cppib.com or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.

About Providence Equity Partners

Providence is a premier, global asset management firm with $50 billion in assets under management across complementary private equity and credit businesses. Providence pioneered a sector focused approach to private equity investing with the vision that a dedicated team of industry experts could build exceptional companies of enduring value. Since the firms inception in 1989, Providence has invested in more than 160 companies and is the leading equity investment firm focused on the media, communications, education and information industries. Providence is headquartered in Providence, RI and also has offices in New York, London, Hong Kong, and Singapore. For more information on Providence Equity, please visit www.provequity.com.

About Ontario Teachers

The Ontario Teachers Pension Plan (Ontario Teachers') is Canadas largest single-profession pension plan, with $175.6 billion in net assets as of December 31, 2016. It holds a diverse global portfolio of assets, approximately 80% of which is managed in-house, and has earned an average annualized rate of return of 10.1% since the plans founding in 1990. Ontario Teachers is an independent organization headquartered in Toronto. Its Asia-Pacific region office is located in Hong Kong and its Europe, Middle East & Africa region office is in London. The defined-benefit plan, which is fully funded, invests and administers the pensions of the province of Ontarios 318,000 active and retired teachers. For more information, visit https://www.otpp.com and follow us on Twitter @OtppInfo.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has listed Finland as the safest country in the world for tourists who wanted to spend their holidays anywhere in the world. Though the country ranks 33rd among the 136 countries for the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index 2017, the country is found to have strength in promoting peace within their streets, according to The Lonely Planet.

Meanwhile, the Finnish's business environment earned them in the top 10 spot of the pillars of the ranking, while they sit on the 23rd spot for health and hygiene. For their human resource and labor market, it climbed to number six of ratings, despite its high ICT ratings.

But even it's considered as the safest country in the world right now, where travelers can go there, Finland doesn't seem to prioritize travel and tourism that much as it fell on the 66th spot of the index. Either it can be blamed on its climate, Finland, however, doesn't seem to push through with it.

While it seemingly lags behind International Openness and Price Competitiveness, Finland's environmental stability ranks high among other countries and earned a place in the top five. The country's airport is average and so does its ground and port infrastructure and tourist service, some travelers made their way to the country.

However, with news spreading of its safety procedures and environment, Finland should expect an influx of visitors soon. Finland, at the moment, is celebrating its 100th Independence Day and will kick off a year's celebration that will culminate on Dec. 6, as reported by Travelers Today.

Meanwhile, Colombia ranks as the most dangerous country for the year, especially of its crime and murder rate rampaging in the country, according to The Sun UK. Nearing Colombia's post are Yemen, El Salvador and Pakistan. While El Salvador has its crime rates by locals, Yemen and Pakistan has been torn by the Islamist group for years.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
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MAZOMANIE  Twice a month, former and current UW-Madison students trek to little Mazomanie Elementary School here to help students experience what its really like to work as a scientist.

The adults are members of Biocore Outreach Ambassadors, a student organization that is an outgrowth of the Biology Core Curriculum honors program at UW-Madison. The program, which is typically open to students beginning in their sophomore year, engages students in inquiry-based science, in which students ask questions, search for solutions, test hypotheses and evaluate outcomes.

The Mazomanie Elementary students are so excited when the Ambassadors come that theyve learned to prepare for their experiments outside of the regular classroom so they are not distracting.

They teach us things we dont know and they make it fun while were doing it, fourth-grader Lydia Crowe said.

A key element of inquiry-based learning, and a fundamental part of Biocore, is asking students: What do you want to know? and How can you answer your question? In inquiry-based learning, investigations take center stage and textbooks become resources, said Biocore instructor Michelle Harris, who volunteers her time advising the Ambassadors program.

Each year, about 40 Biocore ambassadors volunteer to visit rural Wisconsin schools and American Family Childrens Hospital. In addition to the classroom-based learning, the Ambassadors teach science in other settings like an after-school club and summer science camp.

Kelly Hallowell, Patrick OGrady and Nate Teachout graduated from UW-Madison last spring, but they are continuing to serve as Ambassadors as they take a gap year before continuing their education.

They said the experience is invaluable for students pursuing a number of careers, such as medicine, because it involves communicating science at a complex level in a way that is simple to understand.

Hallowell said the experience has been an exchange of skills. While the Ambassadors are providing examples of inquiry-based science to the teachers who may not have a strong science background, those teachers are showing the visitors ways to teach children in general, as well as specific skills such as classroom management.

Fourth-grader Luke Herrling said he likes when the Ambassadors come because its a chance to do fun science activities.

Theres some explosions and stuff, he said.
The U.S. bombing last week in Afghanistan, using the most powerful non-nuclear weapon in its arsenal, signals a shift in U.S. foreign policy.

It was the second Thursday night in a row  after the justified airstrikes in Syria  that the United States used military force in a big show of might in a foreign conflict. This time the United States used the biggest non-nuclear weapon ever employed in combat.

If this was just about stamping out Islamic State soldiers hidden in caves and tunnels, we would laud the move unconditionally. Officials say the bomb took out a few dozen of the 800 Islamic State fighters believed to be hiding in the mountains and destroyed tunnels and weapons.

We worry, however, that this is about more than that. Whats President Donald Trumps end game? Is a comprehensive strategy behind these moves?

Tensions are escalating around the globe. Trump says the Afghanistan strike wasnt meant as a message to North Korea. He also said it doesnt make any difference if it was or not: North Korea is a problem, the problem will be taken care of.

Such ambiguity is troubling.

North Koreas leader, Kim Jong Un, has intensified his war of words against the United States and may be planning a nuclear test. U.S. military troops are conducting exercises near the North Korean border.

The president says hes given his military leaders total authority to make moves they see fit. (He authorized the Syrian attack; its unclear whether he gave the green light for Afghanistan.)

That sounds like hes given them free rein. At what point is that an abdication? This country has a civilian leadership form of government for good reason.

The strikes on Syria were the right thing to do. That barbarous chemical attack they came in response to left 86 civilians dead, including children who burned up from the inside after breathing savage sarin gas. The strategy behind this bomb is less clear.

And where is Congress? If Trumps predecessor had done anything like this without congressional input, its leaders would have been apoplectic. Are they urging Trump to exercise any measure of restraint now?

Americans need more information. The president must make clear he has a strategy with a realistic chance of defeating the Islamic State without launching us headfirst into another war.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 17

Five more students, who were arrested during a violent fee hike protest at Panjab University, were today granted bail by Additional District and Sessions Judge JS Sidhu. They were released on a surety bond of Rs 25,000 each.

All five  Mehar Preet Singh, a hostel inmate, Butta Singh, a native of Mansa, Vishal Kapoor, a resident of Sector 15, Sandeep Singh, a resident of Ferozepur, and Karan Kumar, a resident of Jalalabad  walked out from Burail Jail.

They could not be given bail on Saturday due to a confusion over the names while 48 other arrested youths were granted bail. The defence stated that it was a peaceful protest and the youths were falsely implicated. Some students were standing nearby while some others were celebrating Baisakhi at Gurdwara Sahib on the university campus.

The court was told that Mehar Preet was doing seva at the gurdwara and was caught by the police even though the gurdwara authorities confirmed his innocence.

According to the prosecution, the police stated that all accused created an atmosphere of lawlessness and injured 26 police personnel by pelting them with stones. It was further stated that all accused were nabbed after verifying the facts and seeing the CCTV footage.

The District Bar Association is providing free legal aid to all students and applied for their bail. It is also preparing its own fact-finding report and will submit it to the UT Administrator and the Vice-Chancellor of the university.

Ravinder Bassi, president of the Bar, said they would take the case to its logical conclusion and those who thrashed innocent students would be held accountable.
Chandigarh, April 17

With Panjab University facing "financial crisis", the Congress government in the state on Monday assured help to the institute and accused the previous SAD-BJP dispensation of not providing adequate funds to it.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

"We will try and help them (Panjab University)," state finance minister Manpreet Badal said.

However, any decision regarding providing financial support to the Panjab University will be taken after the government comes out with a white paper on the state's finances, he said.

"First, we will release the white paper. Then whatever we can do we will certainly do for PU," Badal said.

The Congress government had announced that it will come out with a white paper on the state's finances.

Notably, PU Vice-Chancellor Arun Kumar Grover has written to the Punjab government seeking a meeting to apprise the government about the university's financial situation.

"I have got a letter from the VC and I will try to meet him," Badal said, adding he felt sad at the events that unfolded in Panjab University.

The finance minister regretted that the state had frozen the funds meant for Panjab University.

Every year Punjab gives Rs 20 crore to PU and this amount has been frozen, he said and accused the previous SAD-BJP government of not properly prioritising the allocation of funds which led to the financial mess.

"Can you imagine that the last government spent Rs 2,000 crore on monuments and memorials? They spent Rs 180 crore on Tirath Yatras and gave just Rs 20 crore to PU. Priorities of the last dispensation were wrong," Badal said.

"The Vice-Chancellor of PU is right that the Punjab government should have provided more support," he said.

With PU in a financial mess, it has been getting Rs 20 crore per annum for the last several years after Punjab froze its share to this amount despite it was supposed to bear 40 per cent of the PU's fiscal deficit.

Gasping for funds, the Panjab University has now demanded 12 per cent hike in allocations from the state government to meet the rising expenditure.

"We are demanding that you (Punjab government) must increase the fund being allocated by 12 per cent from this year. Every year, expenditure on employees' salary, DA allowances and other expenses has been rising," PU Registrar Guljit Singh said.

With a total budget of about Rs 500 crore, the Panjab University has projected a deficit of about Rs 250 crore for fiscal 2017-18. Last month, the university senate raised the tuition fee for several courses which was strongly opposed by the many students' organisations.

On April 11, violence erupted at PU campus after students clashed with police during a protest against the fee hike.

Meanwhile, National Students Union of India (NSUI) chief Amrita Dhawan said a delegation of students will meet Vice-President M Hamid Ansari, who is also the Chancellor of PU, to apprise him of the situation.

"We will seek time from Vice-President and apprise him of situation," Dhawan said, adding the Centre should intervene and provide sufficient funds to the university.

Strongly condemning the fee hike, she said with this, poor students will not be able to get university education.

"Education should not be made commodity," Dhawan said.  PTI
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 17

At a meeting held with representatives of the Amritsar Vikas Manch at Chandigarh, Punjab Local Bodies, Tourism and Culture Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu asked the Central Government to stop discrimination with the Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport and start direct international flights immediately.

Sameep Singh Gumtala of the AVM said the holy city being a spiritual and cultural centre of the Sikh religion is a preferred destination for the Punjabi diaspora and foreign tourists.

Since the start of the Delhi-Amritsar-Birmingham-Toronto flight in May 2005, occupancy was approximately 92 per cent from Amritsar. With privatisation of the Delhi airport in 2010, these flights were re-routed from Delhi. Due to this, international traffic that was approximately 75 per cent of the total traffic till 2009 took a big hit and became 75 per cent domestic and only 25 per cent direct international passengers.

He said Sidhu highlighted that Delhi is the only airport in the country that is charging double User Development Fee (UDF) per passenger both for landing and departure, but still Air India and other international carriers are paying this fee and operating maximum flights from Delhi.

He said Delhi Airport is recovering Rs 300 crore every month through these charges, and at this rate, by March 2019, it would have collected Rs. 17157.15 crore against the originally targeted Rs 7709.61 crore.

On the other hand, Amritsar airport suffered a loss of Rs 50 crore last fiscal.

Gumtala said it was high time that the government should take initiative and initiate strict action to bring the local airport in profit, which would not only reduce the inconvenience caused to the public at large, but would also utilize the public money the best possible way.

There are many foreign carriers like Emirates, Etihad, Oman Air, Air Asia, Lufthansa, British Airways, Turkish, etc. who have already shown their interest to fly from Amritsar, but bilateral agreements of seat sharing and other policies of government are a hindrance in starting of these flights, which the government should look into and try bringing these airlines to the Amritsar airport by any means, he said.
Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 17

As ruling PDP lost safe seat to its coalition partner in todays crucial elections, BJP got Lions Share in the biennial elections for the six seat seats of J&K Legislative Council by winning half of the seats.

United opposition comprising- National Conference and Congress- won two seats while PDP- which is single largest party in the Legislative Assembly, with 29 members, confined only to one seat.

Four candidates namely Yasir Reshi (PDP), GL Raina Pradeep Sharma (both BJP) and Aga Syed Mehmood (NC) were declared unopposed on April 3. Today BJP candidate Vikram Randhawa and Congress candidate Thakur Balbir Singh emerged victorious in keenly contested elections. After Mondays result strength of PDP and BJP has reached to 11 each in the Upper House.

Today PDPs candidate, Abdul Qayum Dar lost seat, which was considered as safe, due to lack of coordination between two coalition partners which led to tie with BJP. Vikram Randhawa of BJP won the election through lottery.

Congress nominee, Balbir Singh, who was oppositions candidate, sailed through comfortably by securing highest 31votes, out of total 89 polled. Lottery was necessitated after PDP and BJP candidates namely Abdul Qayum Dar and Vikram Randhawa secured 29 votes each. As per agreement between two coalition partners, Abdul Qayum Dar was allotted safe seat while as BJP nominee was nominated on unsafe seat. Keeping in view composition of the numbers in the Legislative Assembly, PDP had 30 votes in its kitty including one vote of Sayeed Baqir Razvi, Zanskar MLA and BJP had 28 votes including two votes of Peoples Conference (PC) of Sajjad Lone. But at the eleventh hour annoyed Razvi decided to vote in favour of BJP instead of PDP, which led to change the equation. Razvi was annoyed with the PDP leadership for betraying people of Zanskar.

Highly placed sources said that on Saturday evening, BJP national president Amit Shah had talked to Razvi from Bhubneshwar and sought his vote for the Legislative Council elections. As Amit Shah had sought my vote, I voted for coalition candidate, Razvi told The Tribune, while admitting that BJP national president had talked to him.
Tribune News Service/PTI

Jammu, April 17

In the sixth instance of ceasefire violation this month, the Pakistan army today resorted to mortar shelling and firing by automatic weapons on forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district today.

Around seven to 10 Pakistani soldiers reportedly suffered injuries and probably fatalities when the Indian Army retaliated to the unprovoked ceasefire violation from across the border.

The Pakistani soldiers fired indiscriminately from small arms and automatic weapons and resorted to mortar shelling on the Indian Army posts along the LoC in Nowshera belt of Rajouri district starting at 8 am, a defence spokesman said.

The Indian Army responded to the violation with equivalent force. Intermittent firing was going on in the area till evening, the PRO said.

We have come to know that Pakistani troops have suffered injuries. There might be fatalities as well but we dont have any confirmation yet, said a source in the Army.

According to Pakistan English daily Dawn, four civilians were injured in the cross-LoC firing on their side. Mohammad Shakil (35) was injured in Janjot Bahadar village of Khuiratta sector in the southern Kotli district whereas Ishrat Bibi (35), Irum Younas (18) and Atif Majeed (22) were injured in Bhimber district, Dawn quoted a police officer.

Meanwhile, Rajouri DC today ordered closing of all schools along the LoC in Nowshera subdivision in Rajouri district due to the incident.

No loss to life or injury was reported till evening as all the people have been asked to remain inside their houses, said Harbansh Singh, SDM, Nowshera subdivision.
Arun Joshi

Tribune News Service

Convinced that Srinagar bypoll victory would bring National Conference back to power, party president Farooq Abdullah has embarked on a mission to dislodge the PDP-BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir and force fresh elections. But what is missing is that the party has no roadmap for restoring peace in Kashmir and is, therefore, pushing for Governors rule to stabilise the situation first.

Farooq is feeling encouraged after his victory in the Srinagar byelection wherein he defeated the ruling PDP candidate Nazir Ahmad Khan on Saturday. That he has set his eyes on the mid-term poll is obvious: the way he urged the President to dismiss the Mehbooba Mufti government and call for fresh elections after the order is restored in the state under Governors rule.

His son Omar Abdullah, also a former Chief Minister, went a step further on Monday when he said that the Mehbooba Mufti is shamelessly clinging to the chair. He listed the reasons for writing the obituary of her government: its failure in conducting peaceful polling in Srinagar on April 9; the reluctance to hold the byelection to the Anantnag parliamentary seat vacated by none other than the Chief Minister herself; and the atmosphere of fear and terror in Kashmir.

The advisory to policemen, asking them not to visit their houses for the next few months came in handy to Omar Abdullah to authenticate his charge against the coalition government that even the policemen were unsafe in her regime.

These are some of the irrefutable charges, but Kashmir has been here before too. The policemen used to move around in civilian outfits and would not travel in official vehicles 2010 when Omar was the Chief Minister.

The mid-term elections, if held, may help the National Conference and Congress to regain the power that the two parties had lost in the 2014 Assembly poll, but is there any guarantee that order would return to Kashmir. There are no clear answers. Farooq says he will press for dialogue, as if the PDP is not asking for the same.

All in the Opposition are pushing for Governors rule in Kashmir, but they dont have any formula of their own to stabilise the highly explosive situation, where the separatist and the mainstream narratives have converged to carry out Delhi-bashing.

Instead of seeking a solution to the current crisis rooted in militancy, peoples alienation and the growing radicalism, they are seeking a solution that may again result in the same mess in which Kashmir is stuck today.

The PDP-BJP government is blamed for all problems. People are not convinced that the hostile situation in the last one year did not allow the ruling parties to perform. But the alternative cannot be Central rule all the time. If the government is looking clueless, the Opposition too has nothing else to offer other than hackneyed campaign themes. What next? No answers have been offered by any of the groups.
Jammu, April 17

Pakistani troops fired from automatic weapons and shelled mortars on forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, in the sixth instance of ceasefire violation this month.

Pakistani Army fired indiscriminately from small arms and automatic weapons and resorted to mortar shelling from 0800 hours on Monday on Indian Army posts along the LoC in Noushera belt of Rajouri district, a defence spokesman said.

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Army troops deployed on forward posts retaliated and the exchange was continuing till reports last came in.

This is the sixth ceasefire violation this month.

On April 8, Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir by resorting to firing on forward posts.

On April 5, ceasefire violation took place along the LoC in Poonch district.

On April 4, Pakistani Army fired mortar shells on Indian Army posts along the LoC in Bhimbher Gali sector of Rajouri district.

On April 3, Pakistani troops had shelled mortar bombs on forward posts in Balakote sector of Rajouri district.

In the second ceasefire violation on April 3, Pakistani troops had shelled Indian posts along the LoC in Digwar area in Poonch sector.

In the same area, a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO), Naib Subedar S Sanayaima Som, was killed in an IED blast along the LoC in Poonch sector on April 1. PTI
Recently, for the shoot of a commercial, Amitabh Bachhan donned the Sikh look with a turban and beard and became nostalgic right after. Big B had even tweeted My nani Amar Kaur Sodhi and my nana Khazan Singh Suri must be smiling from the heavens to see me thus in my Sikh roots.

Big B pulled off the Sikh look with conviction and the picture became viral in no time.

The Punjabi culture has always fascinated Bollywood. Many B-town actors have played Sikh characters on screen. The latest to do so are Anil Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor, who would be seen as a Sardars in upcoming movie Mubarakan. Let us look at some of the actors who in the past have created quite an impact donning turbans

Bling it on

Akshay Kumar

Khiladi Kumar first played a Sikh in Singh Is Kinng and the audience loved his character. He played a Sikh again in Singh Is Bling.

Nothing fake

Ranbir Kapoor

Ranbir Kapoor was seen with the turban in Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year. Ranbir played the title role of a Sikh salesman with utmost conviction. He grew a real beard.

He nailed it

Farhan Akhtar

In the true sense, Farhan Akhtar upheld the respect of the turban with his articulate performance in the biopic on Milkha Singh.

The original

Sunny Deol

The versatile actor has changed the persona of Sardar roles in Bollywood films like Gadar, Border, Singh Saab the Great and Yamla Pagla Deewana. He was powerful in his performance as Tara Singh in the patriotic film Gadar.

Passion personified

Saif Ali Khan

In Love Aaj Kal Saif Ali Khan was playing the character of love-struck Sardar in this pre-independence era film. Saif was mind-blowing as a passionate Sardar who would go to any extent to get the love of his life.

Legendary role

Ajay Devgn

Ajay Devgn gave a powerful performance as freedom fighter Bhagat Singh in The Legend of Bhagat Singh. The film was felicitated with Best Actor National Award.
Beijing, April 17

China said on Monday that the Dalai Lamas Arunachal Pradesh visit had a negative impact on Sino-India ties and the vexed boundary issue, as it asserted that New Delhi should not use the Tibetan spiritual leader to undermine Beijings interests.

In the past due to some reason that we all know the political foundations of China and India relations were undermined, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said referring to the Dalai Lamas visit to Arunachal Pradesh which Beijing claims as part of Southern Tibet.

This had a negative impact for the bilateral relations and also the boundary question negotiations, he said reacting to a question on Indias clarification over the 81-year-old Tibetan spiritual leaders visit to the state.

Indias Ministry of External Affairs has said that there was no change in New Delhis position on Tibet being part of China and it would continue to seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary issue.

We urge the Indian side to observe its commitment on Tibet-related issues and implement our consensus, namely they should not use Dalai Lama to undermine the interests of China, Lu said.

Only in this way can we create a good atmosphere to the settlement of the boundary question, he said.

China has lodged a diplomatic protest with India when the Dalai Lama began his visit to Arunachal on April 4. He also visited the Tawang region close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC), from where he entered India in 1959.

Chinas foreign ministry criticised the visit, saying it would impact the boundary talks between the two countries, while the official Chinese media carried a number of articles against India, some even calling on Beijing to answer blows with blows.

China also took exception to Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju accompanying the Dalai Lama and his assertion that Arunachal Pradesh was an inseparable part of India.

The Dalai Lamas visit has largely been projected by the state media as India using him as a diplomatic tool against China after Beijing blocked Indias membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the UN ban on JeM leader Masood Azhar.

Tawang, in northern Arunachal Pradesh, is believed to be the birthplace of the sixth Dalai Lama in 1683 and is at the centre of the Tibetan Buddhism, which makes China wary of the influence the 14th Dalai Lama may have on Tibetans.

China considers the Dalai Lama as a dangerous separatist. PTI
New Delhi, April 18

Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan was on Tuesday accorded a tri-service guard of honour outside South Block lawns in Raisina Hills.

There was confusion yesterday over whether a guard of honour will be given to the Canadian Defence Minister today.

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Late in the night, MoD spokesperson Nitin Wakankar clarified that the advisory on cancellation of the guard of honour was issued erroneously.

Sajjan arrived in New Delhi today and shall be going to India Gate tomorrow.

When contacted, the Canadian High Commission refused to comment.

Earlier in the day, an official invitation was sent to the electronic media for coverage of the event.

Sajjan also held wide-ranging talks with Defence Minister Arun Jaitley on a host of bilateral issues, particularly on ramping up defence and security ties.

A guard of honour is a ceremonial welcome for dignitaries when troops in full uniform and regalia lower their weapons and the visiting dignitary inspects the guard. It ends in a salute.

In Chandigarh, meanwhile, carrying forward the tough stance against Sajjan, the Capt Amarinder Singh government has decided that no minister would accompany the dignitary during his visit to various places in the state.

Sources said only the DC and SSP concerned of the district would facilitate Sajjans visits. The Canadian Defence Minister is scheduled to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple on April 20. He is also expected to visit his native village near Hoshiarpur.  TNS

On Agenda
New Delhi, April 17

Nepalese President Bidhya Devi Bhandari arrived here on Monday on a five-day visit to India at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee.

This is Bhandaris first foreign tour after assuming office in October 2015.

She is accompanied by a 33-member delegation that includes Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat and Peace and Reconstruction Minister Sita Devi Yadav, five women MPs and senior officials.

Bhandari will be given a ceremonial reception and accorded a guard of honour at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday.

Also on Tuesday, she will pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat and visit the Yamuna Biodiversity Park.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister Susham Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will call on the visiting dignitary.

Vice-President Hamid Ansari will also call on Bhandari at the Rashtrapati Bhavan where she will stay. She will call on President Mukherjee and attend a banquet hosted by him.

Neighbourhood first, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted, announcing the Presidents arrival.

On Sunday, Sudhakar Dalela, Joint Secretary (India and Bhutan) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said Indias ties with Nepal were people-centric and focused on improving connectivity between the neighbours besides improving energy infrastructure.

The visit reflects the priority India attaches to further strengthening the age-old unique partnership with Nepal and our shared historical and cultural linkages and strong people-to-people connection, he said.

Though wide-ranging discussions are expected to be held on bilateral issues, no agreement is expected to be signed.

Bhandari will visit Gujarat and Odisha on Wednesday and Thursday before leaving for Kathmandu on Friday.  IANS
Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 17

Angry over his failure to deposit Rs 5,092 crore as ordered by it in February last, the Supreme Court on Monday ordered Sahara chief Subrata Roy to appear before it on April 27 and threatened to cancel his parole.

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He who plays truancy with the Majesty of Law, invites the wrath and, may, ultimately, has to suffer the peril, a bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra told Roy.

"We are all tired...This man must be on his toes. We will deal with this man (Roy) and his property under Article 142 (SC's power of contempt)," said the bench.

It appointed Bombay High Court official liquidator to complete process of sale of Aamby Valley in Maharashtra  estimated to be Rs 39,000 crore  realise money towards refund of investors' money and file a report in 10 days.

"I think enough is enough... You can't say something today and resile tomorrow," Justice Misra told senior counsel Salman Khurshid, who represented Roy during the hearing.

The bench asked Sahara to provide all the necessary details of the property also to the Official Liquidator within 48hours.

The top court had sent Subrata Roy to Tihar Jail in March 2014 after he failed to appear in response to its summons over non-payment of investors money. Roy has been on parole since May last year after being released for performing his mother's last rites.

It also imposed a fine of Rs 10 crore on Prakash Swamy  the representative of MG Capital Holdings LLC, an international real estate company that had offered to buy its Plaza hotel in New York but failed to deposit Rs 750 crore as directed by top court.

The bench ordered Swamy to surrender his passport before Chennai Chief Metropolitan Magistrate by Tuesday. It asked the real estate companys lawyer Sriram Parakkat to hand over the address and the passport number of Prakash Swamy for necessary action.

It also asked the government to issue a red corner notice against him to ensure that he didn't leave India and appeared before it on the next date of hearing.

It had directed the international real estate firm  which had shown willingness to buy Sahara's stake in New York- based Plaza Hotel for $550 million  to deposit Rs 750 crore to show its bona fides. But the company failed to do so.

The Supreme Court had on March 21 sternly told Roy that it would auction its Aamby Valley in Maharashtra if it failed to pay Rs 5,092.6 crore by April 13 as ordered by the court.

"We will auction your (Sahara) Aamby Valley project if the money is not deposited within the stipulated time period as promised," Justice Dipak Misra said.

The bench had on February 28 given time till April 13 to Sahara to sell their properties and deposit 5,092.6 crore to refund investors money.

The top court had on February 8 ordered to attach Sahara groups prime property Aamby Valley  situated in Pune district of Maharashtra  for the companys failure to pay over Rs 14,000 crore of the principal amount it owed to its investors.

It had also ordered Sahara to submit by February 20 a list of its properties free from encumbrances for auction to realise over Rs 14,000 crore, the remaining amount the company is supposed to pay to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) towards the money owed to duped investors. The list has since been submitted to the court.

Sahara has already deposited more than Rs 11,000 crore with SEBI and Rs 14,779 crore of the principal amount remains to be paid. Sahara had proposed to pay it by July 2019.
Rifat Mohidin

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, April 17

There were demonstrations in colleges and universities across the Kashmir valley today with students clashing with the police in Srinagar, Bandipora, Baramulla, Anantnag, Pulwama, Kupwara, Kulgam and Shopian districts.

At least 60 students and several security personnel were injured in the clashes that began early morning and continued through the day. The students were protesting against a police raid on a college in South Kashmirs Pulwama district last week following clashes with security forces over the setting up of a checkpoint near Government Degree College (Boys), in which 50 students were injured.

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Angered over the incident, the students today gathered outside their colleges. Their attempts to hold protests were foiled by the police, leading to clashes. In Srinagar, the police fired tear gas shells as students from two colleges, including a girls college, tried to march towards Lal Chowk, the citys commercial hub.

The state government has ordered that all universities, colleges and higher secondary schools in the Valley will remain closed tomorrow (Tuesday). We condemn all kind of violence. Students have the right to protest peacefully within the college premises, said Altaf Bukhari, Education Minister.

He said he had held a meeting on the Pulwama incident and the college principal had filed an FIR for trespass. The forces are not allowed to go inside educational institutions. We have told the principals to talk to the students and the police to exercise utmost restraint, the minister said.

The police today reportedly barged into colleges in South Kashmirs Kulgam and Shopian districts as well as Srinagars SP College, where the protests first began. Students of SP College blocked the Maulana Azad road. The police used tear gas shells to disperse them. The students resorted to stone-pelting, resulting in injuries to the Station House Officer of the Kothibagh police station and his two guards. The students kept regrouping to engage the police on the streets.

Girls from a womens college in Srinagar also joined the protests as the police battled to tackle the situation.

The University of Kashmir has postponed all exams scheduled for tomorrow. With videos and pictures of protests on the social media stoking public outrage, the Mehbooba Mufti government has ordered that Internet services in the Valley be suspended.
Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 17

US national security adviser Lieutenant General HR McMaster today gave the first hints as to what the Donald Trump administrations policy on Afghanistan-Pakistan is likely to be.

He landed in Pakistan today after a stopover in Afghanistan on Sunday where he hinted that the US could take a tougher line on Pakistan. McMasters next stop is India where, sources say, his main agenda is to analyse Indias stand on the Afghan crisis.

McMaster chose to make these visits just as a 12-nation meeting on Afghanistan was underway in Moscow on Friday. The Trump administration declined an invitation to attend the Moscow meet. The Trump administration viewed it as a unilateral Russian attempt to assert influence in the region that didnt go down well with the US. India attended the meet along with Afghanistan, China, Iran, Pakistan and ex-Soviet Central Asian nations.

During an interview in Kabul, the US NSA hit out at Pakistan, saying: For many years, all of us have hoped that Pakistani leaders will understand that it is in their interest to go after these groups less selectively than they have in the past. Pakistan has been accused of providing a safe sanctuary to the Taliban leadership and of indulging in proxy wars in Afghanistan.

Diplomatic sources, however, point out that there is today an acceptance of the fact that a solution to Afghanistan is not possible without the Taliban coming to the negotiating table. They point out that Iran, Russia and China are willing to talk to the Taliban and Pakistan to resolve the Afghan crisis but India finds itself in a corner over its good Taliban, bad Taliban distinction.

A statement issued by Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs office said McMaster had assured the PM that the new administration was committed to strengthening bilateral relations and working with Pakistan, to achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan and in the wider South Asian region.

In India, McMaster is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and NSA Ajit Doval. The discussions will primarily be focused on the military aid India is willing to provide to Afghanistan.

No consular access to Jadhav, says Pak army
Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, April 17

In the high-profile Lambi Assembly constituency, which had witnessed a contest between stalwarts of the SAD and the Congress, former CM Parkash Singh Badal spent the highest on his election campaign. His expenditure was Rs 13.13 lakh.

As per details submitted to the election authorities on April 10, Capt Amarinder Singh of the Congress spent Rs 11.5 lakh on his campaign, while AAPs Jarnail Singh spent Rs 12 lakh.

The Election Commission, after the declaration of results, gives 30 days to all candidates to submit their expenditure details. The Punjab election results were announced on March 11.

Perusal of the records, gathered from sources in the district administration, showed that Badal spent the entire money from his pocket. He neither got the party fund nor a single rupee as donation or loan from any individual. He transferred Rs 15.3 lakh to his election account in four instalments.

In contrast, CM Capt Amarinder got Rs 20 lakh as loan from Balbir Singh Uppal of Khamanon Kalan in Fatehgarh Sahib district. He spent Rs 1.01 lakh from his pocket.

Jarnail received Rs 37.57 lakh as party fund. He was the lone AAP candidate in Muktsar district to have got the party fund. He also received Rs 1.81 lakh as donation from individuals and spent Rs 65,150 from his pocket.

Badal, who won the Lambi seat with a margin of 22,770 votes, spent Rs 9.66 lakh on public meetings and rallies. He shelled out Rs 82,794 on rallies and meetings held by star campaigners, Rs 2.06 lakh on vehicles used for campaigning and Rs 40,200 on campaign done by workers and agents. More than Rs 18,000 was spent on miscellaneous items.

Capt Amarinder spent Rs 3.74 lakh on public meetings and rallies. Besides, he spent Rs 2.03 lakh on rallies and meetings held by star campaigners, Rs 1.05 lakh on campaign material other than that used in public meetings and rallies, Rs 2.5 lakh on vehicles, and Rs 7,500 on campaign done by workers and agents. His miscellaneous expenses were Rs 24,960.

Jarnail, who could not save his security deposit, spent Rs 2.71 lakh on meetings and rallies. He did not spend on rallies conducted by star campaigners, but spent Rs 33,530 on campaign material other than that used in meetings and rallies. Besides, he shelled out Rs 3.95 lakh on vehicles and Rs 10,000 under the miscellaneous head. He, however, did not spend on campaign by workers and agents.

None of the three candidates spent on the campaign through print and electronic media, internet, social media and bulk messages on the SMS.

Apart from the three main candidates, Gurmeet Singh Ranghreta of the Punjab Labour Party spent Rs 1.6 lakh on his campaign; Baljinder Singh of the SAD (Amritsar) spent Rs 1.03 lakh; and Manmander Singh of the Apna Punjab Party spent Rs 68,935.
Tribune News Service

Patiala, April 17

Students of Gian Sagar Nursing College, Banur, blocked the Patiala-Chandigarh highway on Monday.

They said while the Punjab government is planning to shift MBBS and dental students to other colleges, they had ignored the nursing students.
Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, April 16

Border farmers, with land-holdings across the fence along the India-Pakistan border, are being driven to drug peddling. Unable to cope with the spurt in input costs and crop failure, they are increasingly falling into the trap of cross-border smugglers, say sources.

Even if our crops are untouched by the swollen Sutlej, the wild boars destroy our fields, says a desolate Swaran Singh, claiming that government help almost never arrives. If it does, the farmers have to make umpteen rounds of offices. If fortunate to get the dole, it is invariably too meagre to make a difference, he says.

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Also, for every sickness or wedding in the family, the farmers have to borrow money, which they are unable to pay back. More often than not, they are goaded by smugglers into carrying drugs across the fence, and eventually find themselves behind bars, says Karan Singh, secretary, Border Kisan Union. The risk of getting caught and the subsequent disgrace does not stop them from entering the illegal trade, such is the economic distress. Those more conscientious, resort to suicide. It is a Hobsons choice for most, explains farmer Guram Singh.

A former sarpanch, who did not want to be identified, said he once owned 10 acres. He, however, had to sell both the land and his house owing to the mounting debt over the years. He was arrested for stealing a bike and then for drug smuggling.

Another farmer took to drug peddling because of repeated losses. Ironically, his son turned an addict and died of drug overdose. Jarnail Singh owned 8 acres. He had to sell 4 acres to pay a lawyer after his son was booked under the NDPS Act.

Last week, three farmers  Mukhtiar Singh of Gandhu Kilcha, Jarnail Singh of Dullke Ke and Major Singh of Gandhu Kilcha  were caught with drugs. Also, BSF personnel apprehended

Karnail Singh of Gandhu Kilcha with five packets of heroin that he had concealed in his bullock cart. Another farmer Jaswinder Singh was nabbed at the Dona Telu Mal post with two packets of heroin. The list of such cases is endless.

According to Dr Kaustubh Sharma, Zonal Director, Narcotics Control Bureau, the couriers are paid anything between Rs 70,000 - Rs 1 lakh. Hence, penury-struck farmers are easily lured into the trade. Young school and college dropouts, keen to buy cellphones, bikes and branded clothes, too are entrapped by the peddlers.
Sarbjit Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 16

Beset with the problem of surplus power, the Punjab Government is all set to approach the Centre seeking permission to export power to Pakistan and Nepal.

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, who will meet senior officials of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) soon to review the power scenario, will write to PM Narendra Modi on the issue, it is learnt.

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Power consumers in the state will have to bear a burden of about Rs 2,750 crore (around 70 paise per unit) this fiscal due to non-utilisation of the fixed quota of power being generated by private sector thermal plants in the state. At the time of setting up such plants, the state entered into agreements with private players that it would pay fixed charges in case its power customers did not utilise the fixed quota of power generated at these plants. In fact, the burden has to be ultimately borne by power consumers in the state.

With the setting up of three thermal plants in the private sector in recent years, there has been an addition of 3,950 MW in power generation against the requirement of 1,400-1,500 MW.

PSPCL has to pay fixed charges to these private plants for not utilising the minimal fixed quota of power generated, said Padamjit Singh, former PSPCL Chief Engineer.

During a visit to Pakistan, a representative of a leading corporate house negotiated to supply 4,000 MW to Pakistan from Gujarat. The power deficit in Pakistan is in the range of 35%. China has also offered to export power to it. Sources said if the deal materialised, the authorities would have to first synchronise the power transporting system of the two countries to match power frequency. The Pakistan power generation and supply system (based on American system) functions on a different frequency than the Indian power system, which follows the British pattern. It would take at least one year to set up high voltage direct current back-to-back module at the 400 KV grid, near Amritsar, to synchronise the supply systems of the two countries.

The financial viability will also have to be examined. The average power generation cost in Punjab is around Rs 4.50 per unit. The power rates (in Indian currency) in Pakistan at the consumer end is said to be Rs 7-8 per unit.
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, April 17

Two days after a scribe of a leading Punjabi daily was attacked, the police today arrested main accused Charanjit Singh Dhillon, president, Truck Operators Union, Gidderbaha, and two other persons. Dhillon is a close aide of Indian Youth Congress chief and Gidderbaha MLA Amrinder Singh Raja Warring.

Dhillon, Anil Kumar and Harwinder Singh, all residents of Gidderbaha, were produced in a court, which remanded them in 14-day judicial custody. The police said they had recovered a revolver and Innova vehicle used by the assailants.

DSP Rajpal Singh said, We are making efforts to arrest the other accused.

The police had on Saturday night booked Charanjit and Jaspreet Bhalaiana, a personal assistant of Raja Warring, and 15 unidentified persons for allegedly assaulting journalist Shivraj Raju at Gidderbaha. Raju was discharged from the Civil Hospital, Bathinda, today.

Meanwhile, Warring told The Tribune that he had removed Dhillon from the post of union president.

Audio clip goes viral

An audio clip, in which Shivraj Raju is purportedly heard abusing the manager of a dharamshala in Gidderbaha, has gone viral on social media. Asked about this audio, Raju said, I am ready to face action if I have abused someone. The cops can verify it. DSP Rajpal Singh said, We will investigate the matter.
Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, April 17

Two days after the alleged attack on scribe of a Punjabi daily at Gidderbaha, the police on Monday arrested main accused Charanjit Singh Dhillon, president of Truck Operators Union, Gidderbaha, and two others.

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Notably, Charanjit is a close aide of IYC chief and Gidderbaha MLA Amrinder Singh Raja Warring.

The accused, Charanjit, Anil Kumar and Harwinder Singh, all residents of Gidderbaha, were produced in a court at Gidderbaha, which remanded them to 14-day judicial custody.

Meanwhile, the police claimed that they had recovered a revolver and Innova vehicle used to commit the crime.

Speaking over the phone, Gidderbaha DSP Rajpal Singh said, The main accused and two others have been arrested till date. The court has sent them to 14-day judicial custody. Now, we are trying to arrest the remaining accused as stated in the complaint, verifying the facts.

Notably, the Gidderbaha police on Saturday night had booked Charanjit and Jaspreet Singh Bhalaiana, a personal assistant of Raja Warring, and 15 unidentified persons for allegedly assaulting Shivraj Raju at his shop-cum-office near Bharu Chowk in Gidderbaha.

A case was registered under Sections 323, 342, 355, 427, 506, 148, 149 of the IPC and Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act.

The victim, Raju (40), in his complaint, had alleged that irked over a news report on his family dispute, Charanjit along with his aides barged into his shop-cum-office and thrashed him on Saturday afternoon.

Raju also alleged that the accused forced him to drink urine and alcohol, made to rub nose on the floor and do sit-ups at gunpoint and made a video clip of entire incident.

He also named Jaspreet Singh as mastermind behind the attack, saying, Jaspreet had threatened me to face dire consequences, a day before the incident.

Raju was discharged from the Civil Hospital, Bathinda, today. I am now satisfied with police action, but the remaining accused, too, must be arrested. The police are trying to spare Jaspreet. I demand his phone call details be examined, said Raju.

Notably, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh after taking note of the incident had yesterday asked the police to treat the case on merit. Besides, security was also provided to Raju at the hospital.

The CM in a statement had also warned his party men not to interfere in administrative and police functioning.

The alleged attack on Raju was condemned by various political parties and media associations.
Kulwinder Sandhu

Tribune News Service

Moga, April 17

A defamation law suit has been filed against Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh in Canada under the Canadian laws for allegedly accusing a Sikh human rights advocacy group of playing into the hands of Inter Service Intelligence (ISI), Pakistans national intelligence agency, which has long been accused by the Indian government of spreading terrorism in India.

Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a Sikh human rights advocacy group, in a Statement of Claim filed with Ontarios Superior Court of Justice against Amarinder claims damages of $1 million and a permanent injunction against him from republishing or facilitating the republication of defamatory statements against the human rights group.

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While confirming this, Attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal advisor to SFJ, who filed the defamation suit, told The Tribune over phone that the SFJ had also announced a reward of $10,000 to anyone in Punjab who would serve the Canadian court summons to the CM.

Claiming injury to SFJs reputation, the complaint states, By reason of the publication of the defamatory statements SFJ has been injured in its reputation. The defamatory statements have caused reputational damage to the SFJs status as a non-profit organisation and, among other things; have hindered its ability to address the ongoing issues of significance to Sikh community residing in Canada.

Pannun further claims, It is an open secret that Capt Amarinder had a personal grudge against him and the SFJ; therefore, he made the statements on the SFJ-ISI nexus as a retaliation to Sikh groups successful campaign to block him from addressing political rallies in Canada, the US and European Union countries and also an effort to hold him accountable for human rights violations during his tenure as the CM of Punjab from 2002 to 2007.

Terming Amarinders statements calling SFJ as ISI agents as callous, he stated Amarinder made these allegations with the intention to hurt the reputation of SFJ with malice and knowledge that these statements are false.

In 2016, SFJ was instrumental in blocking Amarinder from addressing political rallies in Canada. We used Canadian laws which strictly prohibit such activities and SFJ filed a criminal prosecution case based on the affidavits of individuals who were tortured during his (Amarinders) tenure as CM of Punjab from 2002 to 2007, Pannun added.

We have served Amarinder in May 2016, who was visiting California, then, with Notice of Libel informing him to take notice that intended that Plaintiff, Sikhs for Justice, will commence proceedings against you, the intended Defendant, Amarinder Singh, for defamatory statements you made between April and July 2016 (the defamatory statements) unless the Punjab CM retracts the same, but Amarinder failed to do so, he said.

The ISI-SFJ nexus controversy started when responding to the Sikh advocacy groups Torture case (2016) in Canada, Captain Amarinder stated, SFJ is playing into the hands of the anti-India forces like the ISI to embarrass India and project as if rights violations was the norm of the day in the country (India) like some dictatorships in different parts of the world.
A SPECIAL appeal was made the other day to the Marwari community of Calcutta to subscribe to the War Loan. The advantages of the loan, the duty of the people and the objects of the great war were all explained to the meeting in eloquent language. The most powerful speaker was Babu Devi Prasad Khaitan who in the course of his speech pointed out how the community prospered under British rule and that it should demonstrate its loyalty now. He said: Under the fostering care of England we have progressed in our trade, made millions of money and are living luxuriously without any care or anxiety of our wealth being taken away from us unless we choose to give it voluntarily. No better form of the Government can be conceived and it would be doing a patriotic act if we do anything for the continuance of such a blissful Government.
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 17

Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has said the priority of the new state government will be balanced and transparent development of all the regions of the state, particularly far-flung and remote areas of the state.

The Chief Minister was speaking at a function organised by Niranjani Akhara at Haridwar today. He further said his government would launch a relentless drive against corruption to make Uttarakhand a corruption-free state.

He said the state government on the advice of the Sadhu Samaj and the Akhara Parishad would formulate developmental schemes for the 2021 Kumbh Mela at Haridwar. The aim of the state government is to conduct smooth Kumbh Mela in 2021 with all the facilities, he said. He said the Sadhu Samaj should be involved in the Prime Ministers cleanliness drive.

Former Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said that Namame Gange and Char Dham developmental schemes of the Central Government would help tourism in the state. Uttarakhand Urban Development Minister and Haridwar legislator said the state government would run on the advice of Hindu saints.
Paris, April 17

As Frances unpredictable presidential campaign nears its finish with no clear front-runner, centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron and far-Right leader Marine Le Pen hope to rally big crowds in Paris with their rival visions for Europes future.

Meanwhile, far-Left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, enjoying a late poll surge, is campaigning on a barge today floating through the canals of Paris. And conservative candidate Francois Fillon is taking his tough-on-security campaign to the southern French city of Nice, which was scarred by a deadly truck attack last year that killed 86 people.

The race is being watched internationally as an important gauge of populist sentiment, and the outcome is increasingly uncertain just six days before yesterdays first round vote. Le Pens nationalist rhetoric and Melenchons anti-globalisation campaign have resonated with French voters sick of the status quo.

Macron, meanwhile, is painting himself as an anti-establishment figure seeking to bury the traditional Left-Right spectrum that has governed France for decades.

The top two vote-getters on Sunday of the 11 candidates on the ballot advance to the May 7 presidential runoff.

The latest polls suggest that Le Pen, Macron, Melenchon and Fillon all have a chance of reaching the runoff and as many as a third of the voters remain undecided.

Socialist candidate Benoit Hamon insisted today that he, too, remains a contender.

Things are evolving, he said on Europe-1 radio. The Socialists campaign has suffered from internal divisions and Socialist President Francois Hollande has such a dismal image that he declined to seek a second term.

Macron, a former investment banker, fended off questions on Monday about his elitist image on television. The money I earned in my life, I earned it. I have not been given gifts, he said.

He accused rivals of pandering to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and tried to distance himself from Fillon, whose austerity-focused campaign has been damaged by accusations that he misused taxpayer money to pay his wife and children for government jobs that they allegedly did not perform.  AP
Colombo, April 17

The death toll in the collapse of a giant open garbage dump, burying dozens of houses, near the Sri Lankan capital climbed to 29 after rescuers pulled out more bodies from the rubble on Monday.

At least seven children were among 29 people killed in the collapse of the garbage dump in Meetotamulla area in Kolonnawa near Colombo, local media quoted officials as saying.

According to the Disaster Management Centre, at least 625 people belonging to 180 families had been displaced due to the tragedy, the report said.

The military said 1,000 security personnel, including the police and special task forces, have been deployed for rescue operation. It said troops from the Sri Lanka Light Infantry, Commandos, Gemunu Watch and Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment were carrying out relief operations, the Colombo Gazette reported.

The National Building Research Organisation said the site of the accident be declared a danger zone and people living in over 130 houses in the area must be relocated for safety.

Officials said hundreds of people have been moved to temporarily shelters and the government will soon begin shifting more people.

Schools and others facilities will be moved as well, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Harsha De Silva said.

He said the dumping of garbage at the site has been banned. Ironically, the government had signed agreements a few weeks ago to convert the waste into energy, he said in a post on Facebook.

Police were investigating whether the collapse of the 91 -metre open garbage pile could be a sabotage. A 10-member team of geologists, officials from mining and excavation divisions, have been sent to the spot.

More than 600 people had to flee in the aftermath of the mishap on Friday.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in a statement has apologised for the delay in relocating the garbage dump.

The residents near the dump had been protesting for months, demanding that the garbage dump be relocated.

The authorities, however, claim that they had given enough warning to the slum dwellers to relocate themselves.

We had even paid compensation to them to relocate, De Silva said. He said the state will bear the funeral expenses of the dead.

The massive garbage caught fire and collapsed on dozens of homes as the residents celebrated the traditional New Year.

Police said the true scale of the damage remained unclear.

Sri Lankas Parliament was recently warned that 23 million tonnes of garbage at Kolonnawa dump was a serious hazard. About 800 tonnes of garbage were added to the dump daily. PTI
Istanbul, April 17

Turkey's main opposition party demanded on Monday that a referendum granting President Tayyip Erdogan sweeping new powers be nullified after a narrow "Yes" vote that exposed bitter divisions and drew concern from European Union leaders.

Erdogan's supporters took to the streets to cheer, while opponents stayed indoors banging pots and pans in protest over the vote to bring the biggest overhaul in Turkish politics since the founding of the modern republic, abolishing the prime minister's post and concentrating power in the presidency.

Unofficial results showed a narrow victory with 51.4 per cent of votes cast in favour. Official results are due in 12 days.

Erdogan, a populist with a background in once-banned Islamist parties, has ruled since 2003 with no real rival, while his country emerged as one of the fastest-growing industrial powers in both Europe and the Middle East.

He has also been at the centre of global affairs, commanding NATO's second-biggest military on the border of Middle East war zones, taking in millions of Syrian refugees and controlling their further flow into Europe.

Critics accuse him of steering Turkey towards one-man rule and exacerbating divisions that could increase instability. The two largest opposition parties both challenged Sunday's referendum, saying it was deeply flawed.

The pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples' Democratic Party said it presented complaints about unstamped ballots affecting 3 million voters, more than twice the margin of Erdogan's victory.

The main secularist opposition People's Republican Party said it was still unclear how many votes were affected.

"This is why the only decision that will end debate about the legitimacy (of the vote) and ease the people's legal concerns is the annulment of this election," deputy party chairman Bulent Tezcan said.

Tezcan said he would if necessary go to Turkey's constitutional court  one of the institutions that Erdogan would gain firm control over under the constitutional changes, through the appointment of its members.

Erdogan has long said the changes were needed to end chronic instability that plagued the country over decades when the military repeatedly tried to seize power from weak civilian governments.

"For the first time in the history of the Republic, we are changing our ruling system through civil politics," he said in a victory speech.

But the divisions revealed by the narrow referendum result could also herald more unrest to come. The changes won strong backing in conservative rural areas, but were just as strongly opposed in Istanbul and other cities, as well as in the restive Kurdish southeast.

Erdogan's responsibility

The president survived a coup attempt last year and responded with a crackdown, jailing 47,000 people and sacking or suspending more than 120,000 from government jobs such as schoolteachers, soldiers, police, judges or other professionals.

The changes could keep him in power until 2029 or beyond, making him easily the most important figure in Turkish history since state founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk built a modern nation from the ashes of the Ottoman empire after World War One.

Response from Europe, which has had increasingly strained ties with Turkey, was cautious, awaiting the judgment of international observers later on Monday. Germany, host to some 4 million Turks, said it was up to Erdogan himself to heal the rifts that the vote had exposed.

"The tight referendum result shows how deeply divided Turkish society is, and that means a big responsibility for the Turkish leadership and for President Erdogan personally," said Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel in a joint statement.

In a signal of the direction he now plans for his nation, Erdogan said he could call a referendum to restore the death penalty. Such a move would effectively put an end to Turkey's decades-long bid to join the European Union, which has been the impetus for years of legal, social and economic reforms, and also an important part of how many Turks defined themselves.

Relations with Europe were strained during the referendum campaign when EU countries including Germany and the Netherlands barred Turkish ministers from holding rallies to support the changes. Erdogan provoked a stern German response by comparing those limits on campaigning to the actions of the Nazis.

Celebration

Thousands of Erdogan supporters waved flags and blasted horns into the early hours on Monday in celebration of a man who they say has transformed the quality of life for millions of pious Turks marginalised for decades by the secular elite.

There were scattered protests against the result, but these were more sporadic. In some affluent, secular neighbourhoods, opponents stayed indoors, banging pots and pans, a sign of dissent that became widespread during anti-Erdogan protests in 2013, when the police crushed demonstrations against him.

The High Electoral Board (YSK) confirmed late on Sunday the results had shown the "Yes" campaign with 1.25 million more votes than the "No" camp. The official results are expected within 12 days.

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) demanded a recount of up to 60 per cent of the votes. It cited as a potential irregularity a last minute decision by the electoral board to count ballots that had not been stamped by officials.

Erdogan said 25 million people had supported the proposal, which will replace Turkey's parliamentary system with an all-powerful presidency. That was a smaller mandate than the decisive result for which he and his ruling AK Party had aggressively campaigned.

Nevertheless, by ending uncertainty the result triggered a 2 per cent rally in the Turkish lira from its close last week. It traded at 3.6380 against the U.S. dollar early on Monday, firming from 3.7220 on Friday.

'No early elections'

Under the changes, most of which will only come into effect after the next elections due in 2019, the president will appoint the cabinet and an undefined number of vice-presidents, and be able to select and remove senior civil servants without parliamentary approval.

There has been some speculation that Erdogan could call new elections so that his new powers could take effect right away.

However, Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said there was no such plan, and the elections would still be held in 2019.

"Yesterday the president made it very clear that elections will be held in November 2019," he said. "It is very clear. We have work to do."

Erdogan served as prime minister from 2003 until 2014, when rules were changed to hold direct elections for the office of president, previously a ceremonial role elected by parliament.

Since becoming the first directly elected president, he has set about making the post more important, like the executive presidencies of France, Russia or the United States.

In a sign of his authority, he was set to chair a cabinet meeting later on Monday, a role traditionally carried out by the prime minister although he has chaired such meetings before.

Pro-government media painted the result as a victory for the Turkish people, transforming a constitution left over from a 1980 military coup. The Sabah daily hailed "The People's Revolution". The Star's headline was "The People's Victory".

However, the opposition daily Cumhuriyet's headline said: "The ballot box is overshadowed", reporting opposition objections to what they said were irregularities in the voting.  Reuters
Houston, April 17

A bride and groom headed for their wedding were booted from a United Airlines flight here after they relocated to empty seats three rows up without permission, the latest public relations headache for the major American company.

Michael Hohl and Amber Maxwell boarded Flight 1737 on Saturday from Houston to their wedding in Costa Rica, along with friends, to find a napping man sprawled across their assigned seats, 24B and 24C, they were quoted as saying by the local TV KHOU.com.

They relocated to empty seats three rows up, 21B and 21C, with Hohl saying they were simply in an economy row a few rows above our economy seat on the apparently half-full flight. Hohl said after complying with the flight attendants demand to return to their assigned seats, a US Marshall came onto the plane and asked them to get off.  PTI
Peshawar, April 17

Police in Pakistans northwestern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province on Monday said there was no concrete evidence yet to register a blasphemy case against Mashal Khan who was lynched by a violent mob, as it arrested 22 people and opened a hate speech probe against two clerics in the case.

We did not find any concrete evidence under which an investigation or legal action can be launched against Mashal, Abdullah or Zubair, Inspector General of Police Salahuddin Khan Mehsud told reporters at a press conference here.

Mashal, a journalism student at the Khan Abdul Wali Khan University in Mardan in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, was stripped, beaten and shot in the head and chest by the mob on Thursday.

The video of the gruesome violence made via mobile phone cameras shows Khans disrobed body  covered in blood  being dragged, first in a hallway and then on a road of the campus.

The murder shocked the people and triggered protests.

Mehsud said that prior to the murder, investigating officers had not found anything on social media but after the incident, there was a lot of activity.

He added that police have sought the help of Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) because there are manufactured, edited pictures and videos on social media sites for which we need an expert opinion of the FIA.

Mehsud also said that a total of 22 individuals have been arrested in the murder case. The suspects were identified through closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras. The suspects will be presented before an anti-terrorism court, he added.

Responding to a question about the association of the arrested suspects with political parties, Mehsud said that the police will only consider the arrested individuals suspects and not focus on their political affiliations.

I will ensure that the investigation is impartial, he said.

Details of the incident will be submitted to the Supreme Court tomorrow. It will contain all major and minute details of our investigation, the IGP said.

Meanwhile, police opened a hate speech investigation involving two clerics in Khans hometown of Swabi for attempting to disrupt funeral proceedings and instigate hatred against his family.

A local imam had refused to lead Khans funeral prayers on Friday. A technician led the funeral prayer.

University officials had issued a public notification hours before Khans murder naming three students being investigated for blasphemous activities.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif last week issued a strongly- worded condemnation of the lynching of the student, saying the entire nation should be united in condemning this crime and to promote tolerance and rule of law in the society.

The state will never tolerate those who take the law in their own hands, he warned.  PTI
Seoul, April 17

US Vice-President Mike Pence put North Korea on notice on Monday, warning that recent US strikes in Syria and Afghanistan showed that the resolve of President Donald Trump should not be tested.

Pence and South Korean acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn, speaking a day after a failed missile test by the North and two days after a huge display of missiles in Pyongyang, also said they would strengthen anti-North Korea defences by moving ahead with the early deployment of the THAAD missile-defence system.

Pence is on the first stop of a four-nation Asia tour intended to show Americas allies, and remind its adversaries, that the Trump administration was not turning its back on the increasingly volatile region. Just in the past two weeks, the world witnessed the strength and resolve of our new president in actions taken in Syria and Afghanistan, Pence said in a joint appearance with Hwang.

North Korea would do well not to test his resolve or the strength of the armed forces of the US in this region, Pence said. The US Navy this month struck a Syrian airfield with 59 Tomahawk missiles after a chemical weapons attack. On Thursday, the US military said it had dropped the mother of all bombs, on a network of caves and tunnels used by IS in Afghanistan.

North Koreas KCNA news agency on Monday carried a letter from leader Kim Jong Un to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad marking the 70th anniversary of Syrias independence. I express again a strong support and alliance to the Syrian government and its people for its work of justice, condemning the United States recent violent invasive act against your country, Kim said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters in Beijing the situation on the Korean peninsula was highly sensitive, complicated and high risk, adding all sides should avoid taking provocative actions that pour oil on the fire. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow could not accept North Koreas reckless nuclear actions but the US should not take unilateral action against it.  Reuters

President Trump not considering military action

Trumps national security adviser HR McMaster indicated on Sunday that Trump was not considering military action against North Korea for now, even as a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier strike group was heading for the region

The Trump administration is focusing its strategy on tougher economic sanctions, possibly including an oil embargo, a global ban on its airline, intercepting cargo ships and punishing Chinese banks doing business with Pyongyang

Tensions have risen as Trump takes a hard rhetorical line with Kim Jong Un, who has rebuffed admonitions from China and proceeded with nuclear and missile programmes seen by Washington as a direct threat

Unannounced visit to highly fortified DMZ
New York, April 17

An engaged couple was removed from a United Airlines flight to Costa Rica on Saturday, as the airline remained under scrutiny following outrage caused by a video last week of a passenger being forcibly removed from a flight.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

According to the couple, who said they were en route to get married, a federal marshal had escorted them from the plane before take-off from Houston, Texas, but United denied this on Sunday, saying in a statement that neither a marshal nor other authorities was involved.

The couple repeatedly attempted to sit in upgraded seating which they did not purchase and they would not follow crew instructions to return to their assigned seats, United said in a statement, adding They were asked to leave the plane by our staff and complied.

The statement from a United spokeswoman said the airline offered the couple a discounted hotel rate for the night, and rebooked them on a Sunday morning flight.

But Michael Hohl and his fiancee, Amber Maxwell, told KHOU they tried to pay for upgraded seating and were denied, after finding another passenger sleeping across their seats when they were the last to board.

After moving within the economy cabin a few rows up, flight crew denied their request to pay a supplement for the seats, which United sells as economy plus, and told them to move back to their original seats, Hohl said.

We thought not a big deal, its not like we are trying to jump up into a first-class seat, Hohl told KHOU. We were simply in an economy row a few rows above our economy seat. The airline suffered a public relations disaster after a video emerged a week ago showing security officers dragging a bloodied passenger off an overbooked United Express flight in Chicago.

Shares in Uniteds owner, United Continental Holdings Inc , were hammered, dropping 4 per cent last week to close at $69 on Thursday, reducing the companys market cap by $770 million to $21.5 billion. Markets were closed on Friday.

Dr. David Dao, the 69-year-old Vietnamese-American doctor who was seen in video being dragged off a United flight a week ago, will likely sue the airline, his attorney said on Thursday.

After the incident triggered international outrage, United Chief Executive Oscar Munoz apologised to Dao, his family and its customers, saying the carrier would no longer use law enforcement officers to remove passengers from overbooked flights.  Reuters
New York, April 17

Pakistan should use diplomacy and not "proxies" that engage in violence to pursue its interests in Afghanistan and elsewhere, US National Security Adviser Lt Gen HR McMaster has said as he criticised the Pakistani leadership for selectively targeting terror groups.

McMaster in an interview to Afghan television channel ToloNews appeared to take a "tougher line" on Pakistan, which has been accused of using the Taliban as a proxy force and giving its leaders sanctuary.

"As all of us have hoped for many, many years  we have hoped that Pakistani leaders will understand that it is in their interest to go after these groups less selectively than they have in the past," McMaster said during his latest visit to the war-torn country, according to a report in The New York Times.

"The best way to pursue their interests in Afghanistan and elsewhere is through the use of diplomacy, and not through the use of proxies that engage in violence," it quoted him as saying.

The report added that Afghan officials aware of the discussions with McMaster said there was a common understanding of the threat of terrorist groups emerging from Pakistan.

"And there are other indications that the United States may be weighing a tougher stance on Pakistan, among them General McMaster's reported pick of a point person on the country who has strongly advocated that the United States stop treating Pakistan as an ally and condition any future military aid on fighting terrorist groups," the report added.

It said many analysts, as well as some coalition partners, have been critical of the United States' uphill struggle to persuade Pakistan to crack down on the Afghan Taliban leadership, which has used Pakistan as a base for its battles in Afghanistan.

"Many people in Afghanistan are wondering about the nature of relations between the United States and Pakistan, particularly the fact that everyone recognisers the principal role of Pakistan in supporting Taliban and other terrorist groups," said Davood Moradian, the director of the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies.

Moradian said the new administration realised that the prior "appeasement policy" with Pakistan had not worked and needed to be reconsidered.  PTI
Photo: NACFE

Participants in next months Heavy Duty Trucking eXchange event will participate in a special interactive roundtable discussion about fuel economy technologies, facilitated by the North American Council for Freight Efficiency and HDT editors.

A handful of fleet spots are still available for the event, an all-inclusive, expense-paid networking retreat to be held May 8-10 at the Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona.

NACFE is dedicated to doubling the efficiency of North American goods movement. It has produced 15 confidence reports exploring various fuel-saving technologies, including 6x2 axles, tire pressure systems, idle reduction, downspeeding, tractor and trailer aerodynamics, platooning and more.

At HDTX, NACFE Executive Director Mike Roeth will summarize the findings of many of those reports, and attendees will have an opportunity to discuss those findings and their own experiences and insights on those topics.

Heavy Duty Trucking eXchange is a new networking event that will bring together a select group of fleet executives -- including HDT's Truck Fleet Innovators  and top industry suppliers.

Hosted by Heavy Duty Trucking magazine, the event will give fleets and suppliers an intimate environment to engage in discussions on topics that affect not only their business but also the entire industry.

In addition to one-on-one meetings and networking activities, HDTX attendees will enjoy the awards presentation for HDT's 2017 Truck Fleet Innovators, as well as an Innovators panel discussion moderated by HDT Editor in Chief Deborah Lockridge. A keynote address by inspirational speaker Tim Richardson will help attendees learn how to deal with roadblocks to innovative thinking.

HDTX is a hosted buyer event, a concept imported from the European business market more than a decade ago. It features an informal setting in which qualified buyers, or those with the decision-making responsibilities, are paired with companies attuned to their specific industry. The idea is to open doors to business relationships that fleets and suppliers will continue to draw upon year after year.

HDT sister magazine Work Truck has already successfully applied this formula to last years Work Truck eXchange.

Qualified truck fleet managers with at least 75 Class 8 trucks may qualify to attend on a hosted all-expense-paid basis. Truck fleet managers can apply to participate in HDTX by clicking here.




Tonight on Foreign Correspondent European correspondent Lisa Millar reports on Saving the Big Blue, how young Australians are deploying a new weapon against the plastic polluting our oceans, the seabin.

Every year millions of tonnes of plastic wash into the worlds oceans, killing countless turtles, sea-birds and other marine life, before breaking down into tiny particles that infiltrate the food chain all the way from plankton to whales.

By one forecast the oceans could soon hold a kilo of plastic for every three kilos of fish.

Sounds hopeless? Not to a small team of surf-loving environmentalists who have challenged themselves  and their crowd of supporters on social media  to tackle the problem.

Everybody is aware of the ocean problem with plastics and we came in at a time when the world was screaming for a solution  Australian Pete Ceglinski

Ceglinski used to design plastic products. Hes now gone full circle. A year ago he raided his life savings and launched a crowd-funding drive to chase his dream of creating a cheap device to suck plastic and other rubbish from polluted harbours and marinas.

Weve quit our jobs, weve taken all our money and weve put our hearts and souls into making this happen  Pete Ceglinski

Now his small Australian-led team is readying the invention  the Seabin  for market.

Its really exciting but at the same time were all sort of on edge  Sascha Chapman, Seabin team

Correspondent Lisa Millar joins the young team in Majorca as they face a crucial deadline. Just days before theyre due to demonstrate the Seabin to backers and sceptical officials, they hit technical problems.

It would be pretty bad if we dont get this done. If it fails somehow, then theres going to be a bit of a backlash and negativity about it  Pete Ceglinski

The team sees a day when the Seabin will be used in ports all over the world. But for that to happen, first they must pull off a successful demo at La Grande Motte.

Seabin is definitely not going to save the world, but its a start  Pete Ceglinski

Will it all go to plan?

9.30 pm Tuesday April 18 on ABC.
Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it.





I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends.





More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it.





The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity.





About me:

I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS.

Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line).

Age: 42

Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed.





I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it).
Students at British institution University of East Anglia (UEA) slammed an art installation for its suicide implications. The provocative statue by popular artist Antony Gormley showed a person placed on the edge of the library roof seemingly about to jump off the building.

Some criticized it, saying that it was a "poor choice" since it might encourage students to commit suicide. There are others, though, who mistake it for a real person, the Daily Eastern Press reported.

A spokesperson for the university defended Gormley's work, stating that it was "thought-provoking and offer both spectacle and surprise." The statue is one of three sculptures that is part of a Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts project. Gormley is best known for his works: the Angel of the North in Gateshead and Another Place on Crosby Beach in Liverpool.

One student described the provocative placement of the statue as "tactless" especially since it was done during exam season. The latest additions were said to be part of bigger plans to expand the sculpture trail at UEA, which also includes works by Liliane Lijn and Henry Moore.

According to BBC, UEA said in a statement that the reaction of the university community has been "overwhelmingly positive." They expect the figures to become "much-loved focal points" in the campus.

Gormley has also had previous works that had previously provoked fearful reactions. His Event Horizon work is a touring exhibition that features human forms placed on top of buildings. Back in 2010, New York police received frantic calls from people who mistakenly saw the human-shaped sculptures on top of tall buildings as people who were about to jump.

It was previously reported that universities and colleges in the U.S. are struggling to keep up with the rise in demand for mental health care. This has led to a lot of students being stuck on waiting lists and not receiving the help they asked for. A petition was created urging universities to do something about the lack of proper mental health services in American campuses.
A huge crack in the Greenland glacier bothers scientists at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Apparently, the fissure spreads across the area and is headed to a dangerous collision with another crack.

The NASA scientists captured the first photos of the growing rift while flying over Petermann Glacier. The said area connects the Greenland ice sheet to the Arctic Ocean. The mission was part of the field campaign dubbed as the "Operation IceBridge".

According to Newsy, cracks in a glacier are normal occurrences in the natural world. However, what separates the Greenland glacier crack from other cracks is its location. For one, it appears in the center of the glacier's ice shelf rather than at its edge where damages usually start. More so, it is "relatively close" to a larger rift spreading towards the shelf's center.

If the two cracks meet, then the ice shelf in northwest Greenland may potentially break off. Now, if the ice sheet splits into pieces, a significant rise in sea levels will take place. What is more troubling is that the scientists have not yet identified the cause of the damage. Thus, no solutions are available at the moment.

Nonetheless, a professor at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands has an intelligent guess. He was also the first to alert NASA regarding the damage seen through polar-orbiting satellites in July 2016. Stef Lhermitte noted in previous media interviews that "ocean forcing" may have caused the rift. Lhermitte further explained that "ocean forcing" is a phenomenon that happens when warm ocean waters melt the ice from below.

Per Mashable, the professor hinted that the same process is responsible for creating cracks in other icy parts of the world. In fact, researchers believe that it is also the cause of deep subsurface chasms in Antarctica's Pine Island Glacier. In July 2015, a 20-mile long crack eventually cut the ice from the inside out and resulted to a 225-square-mile iceberg.
A University of Texas at Arlington student will attend the prestigious Yale University Norfolk Summer School of Art program.

Miso Kim, a sophomore studying art with a concentration in painting, was one of only 26 students selected out of more than 250 applicants from across the world to attend the special program hosted by Yale Universitys Art Division.

UTA sophomore Miso Kim

Kim is originally from South Korea, but studied abroad in America at a small private school in Arlington when she was a high school freshman. She credits her parents for her love of art. I grew up with very affectionate, artistic parents who demonstrated delicate and wise ways of self-expression, she said. Ive always been reminded that there are endless possibilities to speak for myself in art, she said.

Kim has high praise for UTA professors Robert Hower, Sedrick Huckaby, Matthew Clark and Marilyn Jolly for being outstanding mentors and assisting her with the lengthy application process for the highly competitive program.

Robert Hower, Chair of the Department of Art and Art History in UTAs College of Liberal Arts, credits Kims talent and hard work for this well-deserved reward. When the notification to submit a candidate was received, the painting faculty immediately sent me Miso Kims name. Only 26 students who attend top universities receive scholarships and are selected to participate and she had a very strong application, Hower said.

The Yale Norfolk Summer Program is the preeminent undergraduate art program in the United States and puts students in touch with mentors and other young artists with varied backgrounds in several artistic mediums.

Elisabeth Cawthon, Interim Dean of the College of Liberal Arts said, When Miso represents the Department of Art and Art History, the College of Liberal Arts and UTA this summer, she will be a superb example of the student talent, and the development and nurturing of that talent, that characterizes our university.

Attendees will receive expert instruction through workshops and critiques from accomplished Yale faculty and visiting faculty. This vigorous program is designed to broaden already talented young artists scope of knowledge, understanding and abilities. As Kims portfolio is sure to diversify and exponentially expand this summer, her professors expect her to share her experience and work with UTA students and faculty when she returns.

Yale Universitys Norfolk Summer School of Art program, established in 1946 as a legacy of the Ellen Battell Stoeckel Trust, is a six-week summer session offered for academic credit by Yale Universitys Art Division. It is held in Norfolk, Connecticut. The 26 students are housed approximately 60 miles from the Yale University grounds on the Stoeckel Estate. All of their expenses are paid.

Notable artists who are alumni of the program include contemporary fiber artist Sheila Hicks, German-born American pioneer sculptor Eva Hesse, famed photorealist Chuck Close, American minimalist artist Robert Mangold and contemporary artist Brice Marden.

About UTAs Art and Art History Program

UTAs Department of Art and Arts internationally recognized research programs (Visual Communication and Emerging Media, Film and Video, Intermedia, Glass, 3D Studio, 2D Studio, Photography, Art History, Art Education) provide outstanding undergraduate and graduate training in theoretical, experimental and applied art, design and new media. With a distinguished faculty of approximately 60 artists, designers and historians and a diverse body of over 650 undergraduate and graduate students, we continue to educate a new generation of artists, designers, historians and educators (http://www.uta.edu/art/).

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.

--Written by Tish Williamson
We are gathering information for the 2022 general election. On desktop, click "election information" on the right side of this pag...
In a sudden turn of events, senoir ministers from the Kongu belt have met secretely with the approval of the CM who is also from the same region and all options before the pary were discussed to save the party from further embarassment and even extinction.One of the options discussed was to sideline the entire Sasikala family members in the party and merge both the factions, to enable them to regain the party symbol two leaves.This was also the wish of majority of the cadres within the party. Sources say that some of the senior ministers initiated dialogue with the Panneerselvam faction . In between important ministers and functionaries met TTV Dinakaran together with the Loksabha Deputy speaker Thami Durai and insisted that Vijayabaskar is dismissed immediately which was refused by Dinakaran.
Pham Trung Dung in court.-Photo tienphong.vn

Pham Trung Dung, 40, was arrested on May 17, 2013, as he and his partner were about to board a flight to Australia, after authorities at Tan Son Nhat International Airport found two packages containing a white powder hidden in his suitcase.

It was later confirmed that the white powder Dung was carrying was 3.5kg of heroin.

Dung, who has lived in Australia since 2000, told the investigative body that while he was visiting his family in HCM City, he met a person named Kien, who has not yet been identified. Dung said that at Kiens request he agreed to carry two suitcases to Australia and hand them over to a man named Loi for AUD$40,000 (VN600 million).

On August 24, 2016, at the second hearing, the HCM City Peoples Court found Dung guilty and handed him a death sentence.

On Monday, the HCM City Superior Court said Dung and his lawyers had failed to put forth new evidence or circumstances for the ruling to be commuted.

The court also upheld the decision that his partner was innocent as there is no evidence to show that she was an accomplice.

Viet Nam has tough drug laws, and death penalty is handed down to those convicted of producing or selling 100 grams or more of heroin, or 300 grams or more of other illegal narcotics.
Be it by land, air, or water, Haiphong is becoming a web of global connectivity

Many industrial developers have decided to set up new factories in the nearby industrial zones, where prime industrial land is available adjacent to the new developments. These locations benefit from highly improved maritime access and other trump-cards of the region such as the economic zone tax package, the abundance of competitively-priced labour, and reliable power. Among the nearly 500 projects committed to these industrial zones are those of major international firms like Bridgestone, LG, Knauf, and Flat Glass Group.

The Haiphong International Gateway port

Several years ago, authorities realised that in order to attract more foreign direct investment (FDI), the infrastructure in the Red River had to be developed further. The master plan consisted of a five-modal hub - comprised of road, rail, air, river, and deep-sea prongs - aimed at bringing the region to a new level. An airport system with close connection - between Noi Bai (Hanoi) and Cat Bi (Haiphong) - was established and has brought the region closer. A new highway between Haiphong and Hanoi was put in operation in 2015, while highway connections between Haiphong, Halong, China, and Haiphong-coastal provinces are under construction. Last but not least, a new deep-sea port is currently nearing completion and will become operational no later than the second quarter of 2018.

The main difference compared to the developments in the southern region is the availability of prime industrial land in the middle of the spiderweb of new infrastructure developments, truly unlocking the potential of the north.

Called the Gateway to North Vietnam, the new deep-sea port will have, upon full completion in 2030, more than 14 kilometres of quays and handle more than 95 million tonnes of cargo. The countrys economic growth is expected to increase the demand for container shipping in the northern area of Vietnam from 42 million tonnes in 2015 to 59 million tonnes in 2020.

With the new port, Post-Panamax vessels can make calls to northern Vietnam. This will help avoid the need for transhipment via other ports in the region and allow for direct shipment to the Americas and Europe, shortening lead times and increasing competitiveness.

The existing port of Haiphong has a draught between six and seven metres, and ships are limited to 20,000 deadweight tonnes (DWT). The new port will have a draught of 14 metres, allowing vessels up to 100,000DWT to berth, which will be a major game-changer for the entire region. This sea-change is expected to boost development and investment in the surrounding industrial zones and bring opportunities to the service industries and the supply chain. The first two container terminals are expected to become operational by the first quarter of 2018, and will be followed by one or more general cargo and bulk terminals.

Since construction started on the port and the highway, as well as other important infrastructure projects in Haiphong, FDI into northern Vietnam has increased remarkably. Not only has the north attracted more FDI than the south over the last five years ($59.19 billion against $50.8 billion), 2016 was a record year for Haiphong in FDI attraction as the city attracted almost $3 billion, ranking first among all cities and provinces in Vietnam. In the first quarter of 2017, the coastal city attracted more than $208.5 million in FDI, up 16 per cent against the same period last year.

The economic zone tax package, the advantageous location, and proximity to China are only some of the reasons why companies are deciding to invest in the northern region.

Beluxcham, together with various authorities, Deep C Industrial Zones, and KPMG will be hosting an event that goes deeper into the appeal of the north  called North Vietnam: How can you benefit from this mega infrastructure cluster  on April 26 in Ho Chi Minh City.
The average costs, insurance and freight (CIF) price were reported at nearly US$3,800 each, which does not include taxes and fees, the report said.

This price is seen as very cheap as the average prices from other countries such as Thailand, Indonesia and the Republic of Korea is about $17,000 - $18,000 each.

Bui Xuan Truong, a leader of Anycar Vietnam Company, said many Vietnamese customers like Indian cars because of their eye-catching designs, diversification of models, and prices which are much cheaper than other cars in the same segment.

Almost all customers, who have between VND300 million and VND400 million, will choose Indian cars, in addition to the customer psychology of using imported cars, Truong said to plo.vn, an online news web of the HCM Citys Judicial Department.

Sharing the opinion about the reason for the popularity of cheap Indian cars, auto expert Pham Xuan Mai said the automakers cut down a number of parts and components.

For example, a small sedan imported from India has fewer air bags and several other components, leading to the fact that its convenience and safeness are not as high as others from ASEAN countries, said Mai.

Cars imported from India, especially those in the small-size segment, are equipped with rudimentary safety facilities. Almost all have only one air bag for the driver, while cars imported from other countries have more air bags or are equipped with the safe electronic brake systems.

Suspiciously cheap

Nguyen Nghia, a resident in HCM Citys Thu Duc District owning an Indian car, said the weak points of Indian car were low safety, uncomfortable seats and weak soundproofing.

In particularly, the tyre is so small that it does not grip the road well and its fuel savings are bad. However, one needs more time to make an accurate evaluation of the quality, Nghia said.

Insiders predicted that after a period of attracting Vietnamese customers with cheap prices, Indian cars will slowly lose their market share because they will not be able to compete with imported cars from other countries on the quality aspect. With their current quality, Indian cars will likely go the way of Chinese automobiles whose popularity waned a short while after entering the Vietnamese market.

Tata Nano is an example. The car is priced at about $2,500 in India. If it is exported to Vietnam, its price will increase after taxes and fees to roughly VND100 million. However, the car has only one rear view mirror, no air conditioner and uncomfortable seats.

With cars such as Tata Nano which are made in India, Mai said its fate could be similar to that of Chinese cars because of their low safety. As for other global trademarks, which were manufactured and assembled in India such as Suzuki, Hyundai and Honda, they could still perform well in the Vietnamese market.

Truong said Vietnamese customers still preferred to use modern, good quality and comfortable cars which were high on the safety quotient.

Furthermore, the prices of a number of cars imported from ASEAN will go down as of 2018 when the import tax becomes zero %. This will put pressure on cheap Indian cars. If Indian automakers do not improve the quality to meet the Vietnamese customers demand, there will be no market share for them in Vietnam, Truong said.

Pham Nguyen, a representative of an automobile import company, told plo.vn that the complete built-up units imported from India were suspiciously cheap.

He said Indian cars were suffering from an import tax of 70 % of the car value, more than double that of cars imported from ASEAN countries, but its import price is nearly half that of those from ASEAN.

The local auto importers also reported that a number of Indian cars in Vietnam, which were tested for safety under the European New Car Assessment Programme, had worrying results with regard to air bags and anti-skid braking systems.

They said Vietnam needed to issue standards or apply EU auto quality standards to control and prevent the import of low-quality cars to Vietnam.
According to the newest announcement posted on the companys website, the company has finished its valuation. The Ministry of Industry and Trade is going to approve the companys value by the end of this month. After that, the company is going to submit its equitisation plan to the ministry. The plan will then be submitted to the Prime Minister. The plan is expected to be approved by the end of June 2017. The initial public offering (IPO) is going to be carried out at the end of August.

PV Power has approached potential investors, such as Vinacapital, BNP Paribas, Standard Chartered, and Deloitte as well as funds in Vietnam, such as Indochina Capital, Dragon Capital, SGI Cap, Kingsmead, and big investors in the region, such as Sembcorp, Keppel Infrastructure, GIC, and Nexif, in order to learn about their needs and build a negotiation plan.

At the moment, the company is searching for strategic investors and it hopes to finish the process before the IPO.

The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that the Vietnamese government hopes to reduce its holding in PV Power to under 50 per cent. The share sale is expected to earn the company $700 million and the proceeds will be used to invest in other energy projects.

PV Power, established in 2007, is currently 100 per cent owned by PetroVietnam. The company produces and sells electricity, as well as repairs and maintains power plants, provides equipment and spare parts, imports and sells coal to power plants, and develops power projects.

PV Power has a chartered capital of VND21.774 trillion ($960 million). Currently, it is operating eight power plants, including four gas-fired power plants, three hydropower plants, and one coal-fired thermal power plant, with the total designed capacity of 4,208.2 MW. The companys equitisation aims to attract capital from domestic and foreign investors to improve its financial capacity, apply new technology, as well as improve governance to boost efficiency and competitiveness.

In 2016, the company earned a revenue of VND26.522 trillion ($1.17 billion) and a net profit of VND1.595 trillion ($70.2 million), and submitted VND1.126 trillion ($49.6 million) to the state budget. In 2017, the company targets a revenue of VND29 trillion ($1.28 billion), a net profit of VND1.235 trillion ($54.4 million), and VND1.105 trillion ($48.7 million) of tax.

The company aimed to carry out its IPO in October last year and to start operating as a joint-stock company in December, but the plan failed.
Republican State Senators Kyle McCarter and Dan McConchie (the Mc's - get it?) are staking their stellar political reputations on what they're calling the "Taxpayer Bargain Budget Plan" in response to Senator Bill Brady's "Grand Bargain Budget" that features an income tax hike to pay bills that are stacking up.

We're calling it the "McPlan" budget prescription. Too good to be true, you say?

SPRINGFIELD - There's a state budget plan circulating Springfield circles that is 1. balanced, 2. hides no tax hikes, and 3. actually makes budget cuts.

"The plan is very strong medicine for a very sick state," McCarter and McConchie said last week in an op-ed about their proposal. "It forces the Legislature to make tough decisions between needs and wants. The 'Taxpayer Bargain' requires lower spending, with 10% across-the-board cuts at state agencies and departments. It simply asks for a dime of savings for every dollar spent."

Sounds like a place most conservatives would like to see our General Assembly start. And it would take some nose-holding to take the medicine for Democrat as well as Republican lawmakers, public sector union workers, municipality office holders, education staffs and yes, those that depend on government subsidies.

But if we're going to start the path towards sound economic policy, fellow Illinoisans, it will take us all paying taxes to do what must be done to stop the impending catastrophe.

Kudos to McCarter and McConchie for spending their time putting together a reasonable plan. We ask Illinois General Assembly leadership to set this plan in the middle of the negotiation as a place to start. At least it will get them to the table.

The "McPlan's" 7-Point Budget Plan

Balanced Budget 

Prioritizes spending  by recognizing limited resources and acknowledging challenging cuts

Protects elementary and secondary education  maintains 100% of General State Aid and mandated categoricals

Protects Medicaid spending for the most vulnerable

Maintains public pension payment obligations

Cuts 

Calls for 10% across-the-board at state agencies and departments, exempting primary and secondary education, Medicaid for the most vulnerable and pension payments.

Asks each university to reduce spending by 5%

Reduces discount rate to retailers for Sales Tax collection  (from 1.75% to 1%)

Requires Fiscal Responsibility

Requires no tax increase

Disallows any new taxes

Calls for Executive Branch to manage and includes some of the Governors own ideas and Republican Leader Sen. Christine Radognos Senate Bill 2063  Unbalanced Budget Response Act

Calls for Governor to negotiate changes to state employee group health care and AFSCME contract wages

Imposes a real spending cap tied to legislative salaries. If the General Assembly violates the spending cap, they lose their pay for that fiscal year.

Borrows $7 billion to pay off past due bills. Could realize savings of $500 million in late charges.

Requires borrowing to include a spending cap set at the fiscal year revenue level projected by the Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability. Any revenue increase over this amount will be distributed as follows: 25% to education 25% for roads & bridges, 10% towards pension debt and 40% to payoff the backlog of unpaid bills.



Modernizes Illinois Public Pension Systems 

Reforms legislator pensions before reforming pensions for other state employees.

Ends public pensions for all new legislators going forward.

Keeps promises to current retirees and employees, and protect taxpayers going forward.

Includes President John Cullertons Cost and Consideration plan.

Moves new state employees to a modern, 401k-style pension plan.

Shifts Public pension cost to schools, universities and local governments in exchange for financial relief from unfunded state mandates.

K-12 Pension Cost Shift  5 year phase-in ($200 million/year - $1 billion after 5 years)

University Pension Cost Shift  Immediate (Offset by procurement reform and state mandate relief)

Refinances current pension bonds  interest savings of $800 million goes to paying off old bills.

Medicaid Reforms

Established a Smart Card Pilot Program

Steps up prosecution of Vendor Fraud/3rd party vendor verification

Mandates Drug Screening for Medicaid recipients

Discontinues taxpayer support for those with criminal warrants

Adds photo to LINK Card

Upgrades Medicaid Redetermination Project  Checks recipient status every 3 months instead of current 6 months

Manages Care Changes





Reforms How Illinois Does Business

Reduces the Local Government Distributive Fund (money to local governments) by about 4% of their total budget in exchange for financial relief from unfunded state mandates, government consolidation and constitutional amendment to allow home rule for smaller communities

Makes sense of rules for purchasing goods and services  changes procurement

Changes overtime rules - Increases hiring in Corrections to reduce overtime costs

Reorganizes state government agencies by blending Historic Preservation Department into Natural Resources



Creates a Stable, Predictable Environment to Attract Job Creators to Illinois 

Reforms Illinois Workers Compensation System as currently being negotiated

Establishes a new funding formula for schools

Sets a Permanent Property Tax Freeze on Education only and shifts education funding from the property tax to state government

Sets up a Sunshine provision requiring copy of property tax bill to mortgagee

Relieves local governments of some mandates

* For more information go to www.taxpayerbargain.com.
A section of Hy Vong Canal in HCMC is seriously polluted due to garbage

The pollution of Tau Hu-Binh Dong Canal in District 8 and the section from the city center to Cu Chi District of the Saigon River was mentioned at the meeting.

Garbage and water hyacinth often affect waterway transport and cause boats to break down, which leads to higher maintenance costs, the Department of Tourism said.

HCMC now has a total of 3,268 rivers and canals with a total length of more than 5,000 kilometers. The waterway pollution is caused by animal husbandry, industrial wastewater, littering of garbage into the water, and especially a large amount of household wastewater discharged every day into the waterways.

The city also has nearly 1,000 kilometers of waterway for transport including about 200 kilometers of maritime routes with four ports and hundreds of kilometers suitable for waterway tourism.

However, waterway tourism in the city still faces difficulties, the most striking problems being the lack of piers for tourist boats and worsening pollution, according to tour operators.

The citys tourism industry expects to earn VND120,000 billion (US$5.3 billion) in 2017. HCMC has given the green light to some waterway tourism projects such as the Saigon Corner project by Trung Thuy Group and Saigon Night Market by Ngoi Sao Bien Co Ltd, and agricultural tourism projects in districts 9, Cu Chi and Can Gio.

Besides, oriental medicine streets, walking streets, music roads and weekend markets are also being developed.

HCMC vice chairman Tran Vinh Tuyen told the meeting that the city is preparing to organize an international tourism trade fair in September. The event with the participation of many tourism and IT enterprises will be a good chance to promote tourism in the city.

In addition, the department will conduct a survey of foreign tourists, local people and experts to learn their views of the citys tourism and then seek to satisfy the tourists demand.

HCMC chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong asked the tourism department to draw up a plan to attract tourism investors to achieve the targets of more than seven million international arrivals in 2017 and longer stays of tourists.

Phong highlighted that Can Gio District is valuable for forest and sea-based tourism development, so the city is developing the Can Gio Sea Encroachment Tourist Urban Area project with an area of over 2,870 hectares and Binh Khanh Bridge project to connect the city downtown with the outlying district. In addition, the city will invest in other projects such as the 500-hectare Saigon Safari Park in Cu Chi District in late 2017 and a 30-hectare amusement park in Thu Thiem area.

On April 10, the city government approved an urgent scheme to fight environmental pollution, under which the city will boost investment in the wastewater treatment system. The city targets collecting and treating 80% of urban wastewater by 2020.
Protestors take part in the "Tax March" in Washington, DC, to call on US President Donald Trump to release his tax records. (AFP/Mandel Ngan)

"Someone should look into who paid for the small organised rallies yesterday. The election is over!" the president tweeted on Sunday morning.

"Someone should look into who paid for the small organized rallies yesterday. The election is over! - Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 16 April 2017 "

That message came about an hour after an earlier tweet when he appeared to suggest the matter was a non-issue.

Trump has previously said Americans don't care about his returns.

"I did what was almost an impossible thing to do for a Republican-easily won the Electoral College! Now Tax Returns are brought up again?" Trump tweeted.

" I did what was an almost an impossible thing to do for a Republican-easily won the Electoral College! Now Tax Returns are brought up again?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 16 April 2017 "

His messages came after thousands of protesters gathered on Saturday in cities across America to pressure Trump to release his tax returns, a move of transparency he has repeatedly rejected.

The demonstrations were timed to coincide with the traditional Apr 15 deadline for annual tax filings, a key date on the calendar for US households, and resulted in dozens of arrests.

For decades, US presidents and presidential candidates have released their returns voluntarily, although there is no legal obligation to do so.

US law requires only the publication of a financial statement that estimates assets, including debt and revenue, but does not give details on the amount of taxes paid.

Trump, a billionaire property tycoon, released a financial statement but has kept his tax returns private, both during the election campaign and since taking office in January.

He argues that he cannot release them because he is being audited. But tax officials have said he can in fact release them if he so wishes.

Trump has on at least two previous occasions accused demonstrators of being paid to protest against him.

"Professional anarchists, thugs and paid protesters are proving the point of the millions of people who voted to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" he wrote on Feb 3 during protests against his executive order on immigration.
The company targeted a net profit of VND5.06 trillion ($222.6 million) for the year, a sizeable 31 per cent drop from 2016 when its net profit grew 12 per cent since the previous year.

Explaining the low expectations, the company cited its plan to proactively cut prices in order to be more competitive, a new cycle of large-scale investments, and new businesses that have yet to produce profit. The company said that its strategy to cut prices had shrunk its profit margin from 15 per cent in 2015 to 11 in 2016.

It earned a first quarter net income of VND1.249 trillion ($54.9 million), accomplishing 25 per cent of the annual target. If business results stay at a similar rate for the next three quarters, the company's 2017 profit would indeed come close to the estimate.

Truong Hai said the price cut was planned in order to compete with a spike in car imports as a result of abolishing the tariff on completely build cars from the ASEAN at the beginning of 2018, as part of the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement. Vietnam's current import tax on cars is 30 per cent.

As previously reported by VIR, major auto companies recently started reducing the prices of their products. Truong Hai, for instance, lowered the prices of its Kia and Mazda models by VND20-140 million ($878 - $6159) each.

According to data by the General Department of Vietnam Customs, in the first three months of the year, Vietnam imported 26,500 completely built car units with the total value of $488 million, up 34.4 per cent on-year in number and 1 per cent in value.

Truong Hai predicted the 2017 market volume for small cars would fall by 7-10 per cent. It projected sales totalling 112,020 vehicles for the year, a minor increase from the 2016 volume of 110,548, and a stark contrast to the 37 per cent jump in sales from 2015 to 2016.

In comparison, the overall market grew at a slower rate of 23 per cent in 2016, compared to the 55 per cent in 2015, with a volume of over 342,000 cars after a year when Vietnam's 6.21 per cent GDP growth fell short of projections.

Truong Hai plans to make ambitious investments in 2017. The company plans to expand its Chu Lai-Truong Hai automotive complex in Quang Nam Province as well as its dealership chain.

For example, the company broke ground in March for an assembling factory in Chu Lai that is going to produce 100,000 Mazda units annually. This new factory is expected to begin operation in April 2018, with a capacity of 50,000 cars per year in the first phase. The investment will cost VND12 trillion ($520 million), according to Truong Hai's website.

Besides, as previously reported by VIR, the company will invest in the supporting industry, aiming to exceed the 40 per cent localisation rate of its car production and eventually export its products to other ASEAN member states. It will also manufacture agricultural equipment and take part in housing development and social infrastructure facilities, such as schools, to lure labour force to Chu Lai Economic Zone.

The company will also invest to expand the Chu Lai port and its logistics infrastructure to receive ships with a capacity over 30,000 tonnes, and provide sea and land transport services to reduce costs for investors in the economic zone.

Separately, Toyota Motor Vietnam, which holds the second biggest share of the car market (25.5 per cent), recently stopped building its Fortuner model in Vietnam and decided to import it from Indonesia instead. The company explained that it wanted to shift resources to raise the output of its four remaining models in Vietnam, the Corolla Altis, Innova, Vios, and Camry, thereby reducing cost per unit.

With the current market volume and the number of models, assembling cars domestically can be costly, said Toru Kinoshita, president of Toyota Motor Vietnam, as quoted by Bao Dau Tu (Investment), VIR's sister newspaper.

The company might halt the production of other models in the future and switch to import, he said. The Vietnamese car market is only one-fifth of the Thai market or one-sixth of the Indonesian market by volume, and with so many models, assembling cars in Vietnam is 20 per cent more expensive than in Thailand or Indonesia.

Some said that other auto companies in Vietnam that have smaller production capacities than Toyota will face similar pressure to switch from building to importing in order to cut costs, especially after the elimination of tariffs within the ASEAN bloc.
The Republican majority of the Texas Senate agreed to move forward legislation that would grant county clerks, judges and various other public personnel the option of recusing themselves from implementing same sex marriages.

SPRINGFIELD - With a Democrat-controlled Illinois legislature, there's no chance that a bill that passed the Texas Senate last week could ever get a serious hearing in Illinois' Capitol - but it's just good to know there are places in America that still adhere to our Founding Fathers' concept of religious freedom.

"If we don't do this, we are discriminating against people of faith," said the sponsor, Sen. Brian Birdwell. He was referring to clerks, judges, justices of the peace and other elected officials empowered to issue marriage licenses in Texas' 254 counties.

Laws like the one moving forward in Texas have been stopped at the state's top court level, but the issue of religious liberties topping all others is one that has been chipped away over the past few decades.

As the First Amendment to the Constitution says:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Some argue that holding the belief in no God, or an irrelevant or disinterested god other than man himself, is in itself a religion, a belief system that competes with the Judeo-Christian belief system.

That "religion" is often referred to as secularism. The First Amendment says Congress should make no law to promote or prohibit a particular belief system. In that case, the State would be restricted from forcing Christians to implement secularists' or Muslim or Hindu beliefs.

Despite the U.S. Supreme Courts legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015, the states highest civil court will reconsider a Houston case challenging the citys benefits policy for married same-sex couples, the Star-Telegram reports. The court had previously declined to take up the case on an 8-1 vote, letting stand a lower court decision that upheld benefits for same-sex couples.

But Texas Republicans looking to narrow the scope of the landmark ruling legalizing same-sex marriage urged the Texas court to reconsider. Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in October filed an amicus brief with the court asking it to reconsider the case.

Texas' concept of religious freedom as demonstrated in allowing Christians to reject implementing same sex marriage is sure to be challenged, even again to the U.S. Supreme Court level.

It's time Christians evaluate their belief systems and be prepared to have them challenged.

Even Christians in Illinois.
Why employers are reaching out to the next generation of workers: Gen Z
A Cambodian doctor who openly criticized the government health service has claimed he has been denied a license to practice and barred from bringing medical supplies into the country.

Quach Mengly, a Cambodian-American doctor and businessman, in January last year said that nine in 10 doctors in the country were sub-par and treated their patients badly.

Menglys comments prompted a government-affiliated doctors association to demand an apology and retraction.

Now, Mengly says, he has been declined an agreement with the Ministry of Health that would allow him to open a medical practice and university in the country.

I cannot get an MOU with the Ministry of Health to bring in free medical and healthcare supplies to Cambodia for our people and our governments hospitals, he said.

Please note that I am not a politician. I am just an educationist, a medical doctor and a humanitarian. I just want to do my part to help our government, our people and our country, he added.

He does not, however, believe that the decision was a direct response to his critical comments.

I think that the actions taken ... against me are not an act by the government, but an act of an individual and/or groups of individuals who misunderstood my motive, he said. But, I want to continue to contribute in small or big ways to the development of our country and I hope I can continue to do so despite [the] obstruction, he added.

Health and education ministry officials could not be reached for comment.

San Chey, the executive director of the Affiliated Network for Social Accountability Cambodia (ANSA), urged the government to welcome constructive criticism and investment in the health sector.

I would ask both policy makers and politicians to be open to criticism and accept the comments to include in the governments policy programs, which is an advantage for deep reform, he said.

Prime Minister Hun Sen personally responded to Menglys comments at the time, saying, The majority of our physicians are very ethical, professionally responsible and make sacrifices to save peoples lives.

He did, however, acknowledge that there were deficiencies in the health sector where improvements could be made.

The comments came amid a public outcry over the state of health care facilities and treatment. A lack of confidence in local medical facilities leads many who can afford to travel to leave the country for treatment.
Cambodians living in South Korea say they are unconcerned the trading of threats between the United States and North Korea.

Last Friday, the North Korean regime responded to a threat of military action if it continued to test nuclear weapons technology.

In an official statement in response to U.S. President Donald Trump saying he would solve the problem of North Korea if China did not exert pressure on the regime, the North Korean Foreign Ministry said it would hold the US wholly accountable for the catastrophic consequences to be entailed by its outrageous actions, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

Rin Saro, director of the Cambodian Buddhist Center on the outskirts of Suwon, South Korea, said Cambodians living in the area and their South Korean counterparts had shown little evidence of succumbing to fear.

But this time I have seen that the U.S. sent a warship near here. I was worried a bit but we have seen these threats on TV too many times already, he said.

Hem Sambo, 47, an electrician who works some 50 kilometers from the North Korean border, said he was not worried because he trusted in the Souths military capacity.

In Korea, I think there is no concern about conflict between countries, unlike in Cambodia. We only continue to do our job and those who need to defend the country, they do their job. So there is no worry.

Khim Koeun, 36, who is also an electrician working near the border, echoed Sambos comments.

Korean people said that we don't have to think about it... we only need to keep working because Korean leaders know what they should do.

Vy Samnang, another Cambodian expatriate worker, said during a visit to the Imjingak memorial said his family back in Cambodia were worried for his safety.

They asked about me, but I said I am still okay and waiting for the situation to change.

The statement from North Korea warned that it could strike a U.S. military base in the South.

Saro said that the best outcome would be negotiations between the two sides.

If we want peace, happiness, unity, both parties have to get close and negotiate.
North Korean provocations continue as the United States seeks greater pressure from China. Vice President Mike Pence is in South Korea, before making other stops on a 10-day Asia visit. Afghanistan protests use of "the mother of all bombs" on its soil. A journalist in Cambodia 40 years ago finishes his story. Two centuries of research still falls short on a Parkinson's cure.
While visiting the Demilitarized Zone, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence reiterated that all options are on the table regarding North Korea. China continues to object to South Korea deploying the THAAD missile system. Plus, South Korea indicts its former President and a head of a major conglomerate. VOAs Steve Miller has your Asia news, in a minute.
The start date of the offensive to oust Islamic State fighters from the city of Raqqa and end the terror groups state-building project has been announced several times in the past few months, often with great fanfare by commanders in the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, the United States' ground ally in northern Syria.

The last announcement came in March when Kurdish commanders said an assault on the city would begin April 1.

Two weeks later that start date, like many others, has come and gone, prompting the months-long question  when will the U.S.-backed SDF offensive shift gears from isolating Raqqa, which is hemmed in on three sides now, to mounting an assault to retake the capital of the jihadists self-styled caliphate?

Over the weekend, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told the French news agency AFP he would support whomever wants to oust Islamic State militants from Raqqa, but mocked the delay in an assault on the city, which U.S. officials believe is being defended by around 4,000 IS fighters.

What we hear is only allegations about liberating Raqqa. Weve been hearing that for nearly a year now, or less than a year, but nothing happened on the ground, he said. Its not clear who is going to liberate RaqqaIts not clear yet."

No firm answer about a new start date was forthcoming on Saturday from U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis when he met in Washington with his Turkish counterpart, Fikri Isik.

The Turkish defense minister again complicated the U.S. effort to choreograph an agreement among multiple local and international players about a Raqqa offensive by pressing Ankaras long-standing demand for the U.S. to end its alliance with the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units, or YPG, whose fighters dominate the ranks of the SDF.

There were no signs that the Turkish request made persistently by Ankara in recent months, and relayed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a February phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump, will be heeded. U.S. officials say they envisage the Raqqa battle will resemble the fight in neighboring Iraq, where local indigenous forces have been waging the struggle to retake the northern city of Mosul, the last IS major urban stronghold in that country. Some 500 U.S. special forces soldiers deployed in northern Syria are helping to train and advise SDF units.

Mattis later said at a press conference the U.S. remains in solidarity with Ankara when it comes to fighting Islamic State militants and Turkeys outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, but he made no mention of discontinuing the alliance with the YPG, the armed wing of Syrias Democratic Union Party, or PYD.

The Turks, who fear the emergence of a Kurdish state in north Syria, maintain theres no real distinction between the PYD and the PKK, which has been waging an insurgency in Turkey for more than three decades.

Mattis cited the long security relationship between the U.S. and Turkey, dating back to 1952 when Turkey joined NATO; but, in the wake of Sundays constitutional referendum that greatly enhances the Turkish president's powers, analysts say it is unclear how much Erdogan values his countrys alliance with the West, and whether his slim victory will embolden him to disrupt a Raqqa assault by the SDF.

Earlier this month, Erdogan ramped up the pressure on Washington, saying his government is planning new offensives in northern Syria this spring against groups deemed terrorist organizations by Ankara, including IS and the PYD's militia.

In March, Turkish forces escalated attacks on the YPG in northern Syria, forcing the U.S. to deploy a small number of forces in and around the town of Manbij to the northwest of Raqqa to deter Turkish-SDF clashes and ensure the focus remains on Islamic State.

Meanwhile, Raqqa is being pummeled by airstrikes mounted by U.S.-led coalition forces and Syrian warplanes. Local anti-IS activists say the air raids fail to distinguish between military and non-military targets; however, with IS fighters seeded throughout the city and surrounding villages, being able to draw a distinction is become increasingly challenging, say U.S. officials.

Civilians are now [caught] between the criminal terrorists on one side and the international coalitions indiscriminate bombing on the other side, said Hamoud Almousa, a founding member of the activist network Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, which is opposed to an assault on the city being led by the YPG.

Liberating [Raqqa] does not come by burning it and destroying it over its people who have suffered a lot from the terrorist groups violations, he added.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based monitoring group that relies on a network of activists for its information, said that four civilians  two women and two children  were killed Monday in an airstrike believed to have been carried out by coalition warplanes on the Teshreen Farm area north of Raqqa.

The Observatory says between March 1 and April 10, airstrikes killed 224 civilians. They included 38 children under the age of 18, and 37 women.

Another mainly Arab anti-IS activist network, Eye on the Homeland, complains at the lack of international condemnation about the civilian casualties from the airstrikes, arguing civilians caught in the conflict are being treated inhumanely.

We assert that the liberation of civilians from all forms of terrorism requires that military forces acting in the area avoid civilian killing, displacement, and the destruction of their properties whenever possible, the network said recently on its website.

It warned the deaths will be used to by terrorist organizations in their propaganda to convince civilians that these military forces do not have their interests at heart and will only further fuel radicalization.
A spate of disappearances among the children of displaced Rohingya in Bangladesh is raising fears the children have been abducted into the regions human trafficking networks.

In the past seven months, about 70,000 Rohingya have fled a military onslaught in their home country of Myanmar, and there are concerns the newly arrived status of the latest refugees makes them particularly vulnerable to abduction and exploitation.

Meanwhile the presence of unaccompanied minors, and the statelessness of the Rohingya refugees, could mean the problem is being significantly under-reported.

A talented child

When Rashida thinks of her 10-year-old son Muhammad, she thinks of his curiosity about the wider world.

He used to read any kinds of paper, or paper cutting, he could get, she says, eyes glistening. He was a talented child, if a bit naughty.

Rashida tells VOA that her husband was fatally shot during an offensive carried out by the Myanmar military during a lockdown of the countrys northern Rakhine state, home to the nation's Rohingya Muslim minority.

The lockdown followed an attack by Rohingya insurgents that killed nine policemen in October. Since then, there have been widespread accusations of mass rapes and murders as part of a broader campaign against Rohingya civilians  charges denied by the Myanmar government.

Like many others, Rashida fled and made her way to Kutapalong Camp, near the border with Myanmar in Bangladeshs Coxs Bazar district.

She sent her son off to study a nearby religious school while her 7-year-old daughter Hosneara remained with her in the camp.

A month ago, she got a call saying Muhammad had gone missing, having never returned to the school after a short trip to get food.

All efforts to find out what happened have so far failed. All Rashida has is a suitcase of his neatly folded clothes and a picture of him and his sister.

My daughter is always crying, she says that shell never see her brother in the future, Rashida tells VOA.

Speaking out

The disappearance of Mohammed is far from unique.

Attention is being called to the problem by Action Against Hunger, an NGO that has been helping Rohingya in Coxs Bazar since well before the arrival of the latest refugees.

As many as 300,000 to 500,000 Rohingya are thought to now be living in Bangladesh. NGOs operating in the region and focused on Rohingya issues are often reticent to discuss their plight publicly because of political sensitivities. However, the child disappearances have prompted country director Nipin Gangadharan to speak out.

Gangadharan, whose NGO has created a series of "safe spaces" for youngsters, says his group has recorded the disappearance of 16 children since January.

He said most of those children came with the newly arrived Rohingya families, who face a new context and are cut loose from the community structures they had established in Myanmar.

They dont have any support  so they have some kind of set-up where they're leaving the children assuming it's safe and they're going to try to earn some living," he says. "Those kind of separations heighten the risk."

One humanitarian worker who did not want to be identified told VOA that that aid groups are aware of roughly 150 Rohingya children who had made the crossing into Bangladesh unaccompanied.

Trafficking fears

Little is known beyond the fact of the disappearances themselves  which have taken place both inside and outside the camps.

However, Gangadharan said human traffickers are known to have a strong network across the Coxs Bazar region and to target both Bangladeshis and Rohingyas.

A report in 2014 on child abductions in Bangladesh revealed that of 49 children who had been recovered, the highest number  15  came from Coxs Bazar. Last year, local media reported that trafficking syndicates in Coxs Bazar involved around 2,000 people.

The traffickers are known to force children to work, beg or smuggle drugs, and have even harvested their organs. Gangadharan said the recently disappeared children "could be used as part of this network.

A U.S. State Department report on trafficking released last year noted the vulnerability of the Rohingya in particular, and added that while the Bangladesh government does not yet fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, it is making significant efforts to do so.

Questioned on human trafficking, Abuzar al-Jahid, captain of a Bangladeshi government-backed border guard team operating around the Myanmar border, said his team would not allow those kind of activities, adding it took a zero tolerance approach.

Gangadharan agreed that Bangladeshi authorities have been positive and understanding in response to the disappearances.

However, he emphasized that because of their lack of citizenship or relationship with the Bangladesh state, there is a chance such disappearances are going under-reported.

Word spreads

Word of the disappearances has spread.

Mohammed Idris  a teacher at a recently built religious school within Kutapalong who is also a father of seven  is fearful and has heard rumors of ransom demands.

Were very sad about losing these children, he says.Were even hearing that they are taking the kidneys from some of the children.

For Rashida, these fears have already been realized.

Now, all she can do is try to protect her daughter, continue to search, and look to her faith for consolation.



I expect that I'll get him back if Allah wishes, she says.
Three people were injured in clashes between militants and local tribes in the Sinai peninsula in a fight that began when militants shot at a truck smuggling cigarettes into the area, Egyptian security officials said Monday.

The officials told The Associated Press that so-called Islamic State group militants launched RPG attacks on Sunday in their stronghold around the city of Rafah in response to the kidnapping of three IS fighters by local tribes.

The unrest started when militants shot at a truck smuggling cigarettes into the area, where they impose a strict version of Islamic law that prohibits the sale of tobacco, tribal sources said.

The government sources spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to brief the media. The tribal sources requested anonymity for fear of reprisal.

The incident marks an escalation in tension between the two sides over the imposition of Islamic Law.

Last month, female teachers commuting from North Sinai's urban center, El-Arish, to Rafah reported being stopped by militants twice in one week and were asked not to take the road without a male relative in compliance with Islamic law. Locals said the militants had previously intercepted trucks carrying cigarettes and punished passengers with flogging.

North Sinai residents have been caught in a violent battle between militant groups who have expanded their activity in the Peninsula since the removal of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in 2013 and security forces waging war against them.

Militants have beheaded locals accused of collaboration with authorities and recently stepped up their attacks against the peninsula's Coptic Christian minority, forcing hundreds to flee following a string of killings in the city of Arish in February.
President Donald Trump's appointee Neil Gorsuch jumped right into the fray Monday in his first day hearing cases as a member of the U.S. Supreme Court, asking so many questions that at one point he apologized for talking so much.

The first of the three cases before the justices Monday involved an employment dispute. Gorsuch showed no hint of nervousness sitting alongside his eight new colleagues as he grilled lawyer Christopher Landau over the fine points of a law governing civil service employees.

Landau represented a man claiming he was discriminated against by his employer, the U.S. Census Bureau.

"I apologize for taking up so much time," the black-robed Gorsuch said, sitting back in his high-backed chair and smiling.

The other two cases the justices will hear Monday involve a property dispute and the timing of securities class-action lawsuits.

Gorsuch formally joined the court April 10 after being confirmed three days earlier by the Republican-led Senate over broad Democratic opposition.

The court had its full complement of nine justices, five conservatives and four liberals, for arguments for the first time since the death of long-serving conservative Antonin Scalia in February 2016. Gorsuch restored the conservative majority on the court.

Chief Justice John Roberts welcomed Gorsuch to the court before oral arguments began, wishing him "a long and happy career" in the lifetime job. Gorsuch thanked Roberts and the other justices for their warm welcome.

Gorsuch showed his well-known, heavy focus on the text of statutes in order to judge cases before him. Citing a section of the Civil Service Reform Act, he asked Landau where in the statute does it say federal district courts may hear cases involving both discrimination and civil service claims.

"Looking at the plain language of the statute, just help me with that," Gorsuch said.

One of the lawyers due to argue the second case before the justices Monday will be a familiar face to Gorsuch. Neal Katyal, who served as acting solicitor general in Democratic former President Barack Obama's Justice Department, heartily endorsed Gorsuch's nomination, even testifying at his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing.

Gorsuch, at 49 the youngest new justice in a quarter century, served for a decade on the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals before Trump nominated him in January.

Trump was able to fill Scalia's vacancy only because Senate Republicans last year refused to consider Obama's nominee Merrick Garland.

The second of Monday's three one-hour oral arguments involved whether a developer can intervene in a lawsuit brought by a property owner against the town of Chester, New York, over its refusal to give him permission to build on his land.

Katyal, who has argued numerous cases before the high court, represented the town of Chester. Republicans backing Gorsuch's confirmation often cited liberal Katyal's endorsement as evidence that the judge enjoyed support across the political spectrum.

Katyal was also scheduled to argue before the justices on April 25 on behalf of Bristol-Myers Squibb Co in a case over out-of-state injury claims.

The third case Monday was a dispute over whether certain securities class-action lawsuits can be barred because they were filed too late.
U.S. President Donald Trump renewed his attacks Monday on two frequent targets  opposition Democrats and the news media.

In one of several comments on his Twitter account, Trump said, "The first 90 days of my presidency has exposed the total failure of the last eight years of foreign policy!" under former President Barack Obama. "So true."

Trump did not cite any specific successes, but in the last two weeks launched a missile attack on Syria in response to its use of chemical weapons, something Obama never did, and praised the U.S. military for its use of the biggest non-nuclear bomb ever against Islamic State bunkers in Afghanistan.

Trump, a business mogul turned Republican politician, also offered a literary review, praising "a great book for your reading enjoyment." The joke book, "Reasons to Vote for Democrats: A Comprehensive Guide," consists of more than 260 blank pages.

In a congressional election set for Tuesday, Trump contended that "the super Liberal Democrat ...wants to protect criminals, allow illegal immigration and raise taxes!"

In another tweet, Trump, who often has assailed news coverage of the first three months of his presidency, said, "The Fake Media (not Real Media) has gotten even worse since the election. Every story is badly slanted. We have to hold them to the truth!"

The president did not cite any specific story that had drawn his ire, but on Sunday said the news media had downplayed the election last week of a new Republican congressman from the Midwestern state of Kansas in a heavily Republican district after a Democrat lost the contest.

Trump spent the Easter weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, returning to Washington for Monday's annual Easter Egg Roll for children and their families on the White House lawn.
Nigeria's defense minister has warned it may take years to find all the Chibok girls kidnapped by the militant group Boko Haram.

Speaking to VOA's Hausa service, General Manir Dan Ali said the military is searching Boko Haram's hideouts in the Sambisa Forest, a vast area covering parts of three states in northeastern Nigeria.

He noted that it took a long time for the United States to find 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden.

"It took the U.S. up to seven, eight, up to 10 years before they could get to bin Laden," he said. "We are continuing our campaigning in the Sambisa Forest in all its nooks and corners."

Ali spoke to VOA as activists mark the third anniversary of the girls' abductions. Boko Haram kidnapped 276 students from a secondary school in the northeastern town of Chibok on April 13, 2014. There are 195 girls still missing.

In 2014, Boko Haram seized control of much of northeastern Nigeria but has been driven back by a Nigerian-led, multinational military campaign.

Despite the success, the government's inability to find the girls or determine their fate is overshadowing the military victory.

Sheikh Nuru Khalid, a member of the influential Interfaith group that tries to ensure peace between Nigerian Muslims and Christians, says failure to find the girls would translate into a victory for Boko Haram.

"We can never allow the terrorists to win the war. If they got [away] free with those girls, then they have relatively won the war," he said.

Human rights lawyer Abdu Bulama Bukar told VOA Hausa that the government needs to address the psychological trauma suffered by the families of the missing girls and other victims of Boko Haram brutality.

"Married women have been made single again; kids have been orphaned; homeowners are without shelter; Nigerians have been turned into refugees in their own homeland," he said.

Nasiru El-Hikaya in Abuja and Mahmud Irahim Kwari in Kano contributed to this report.
Mexico has requested Guatemala to extradite a fugitive former governor suspected of embezzling hundreds of millions of dollars.

Former Veracruz state governor Javier Duarte, 43, was finally captured after a six-month manhunt Saturday evening at a hotel in Panajachel, a picturesque town on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala's highlands, with the cooperation of the country's police and International Police (Interpol).



He was taken under heavy guard Sunday to a military prison in Guatemala's capital, Guatemala City.

Duarte, the former Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) member had come to symbolize official corruption to many in Mexico where he is wanted for money laundering and organized crime.

He is accused of running a corruption ring that allegedly pilfered millions of dollars from Veracruz's coffers, and stripped its schools and hospitals of their resources.

In the past, Duarte has denied the allegations against him, saying he had not stolen a single peso of state money or diverted government funds overseas.

Mexico said it has found millions of dollars purportedly linked to Duarte, frozen more than 100 bank accounts and seized property and businesses tied to the former governor. A reward of $730,000 was offered for his capture.

Duarte's detention came a week after Tomas Yarrington, the former governor of Mexico's Tamaulipas State, was arrested in Italy, also on allegations of organized crime and money laundering.

Another former governor, Cesar Duarte of Chihuahua State, is also wanted on suspicion of corruption and is said to have fled to El Paso, Texas in the southern United States. He is not related to Javier Duarte.

All three former governors were members of President Enrique Pena Nieto's PRI.

The party, which expelled Duarte on October 25, 2016, issued a statement applauding his arrest in Guatemala.
Germany said on Monday the close result in Turkey's referendum on expanding Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's powers was a big responsibility for him to bear and showed how divided Turkish society was.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel also said Turkish authorities needed to address concerns about the content and procedure of Sunday's referendum raised by a panel of European legal experts.

Erdogan declared a narrow victory in the vote, which marked the biggest overhaul of modern Turkish politics. Opponents said it was marred by irregularities and they would challenge the result.

Merkel and Gabriel, whose country has about 3 million residents of Turkish background, said they noted the preliminary result showing a victory for the "Yes" camp. Official results are expected within 12 days.

"The German government... respects the right of Turkish citizens to decide on their own constitutional order," they said in a statement.

"The tight referendum result shows how deeply divided Turkish society is and that means a big responsibility for the Turkish leadership and for President Erdogan personally."

They expected Ankara to have a "respectful dialogue" with all parts of Turkish society and its political spectrum after a tough campaign.

German integration commissioner Aydan Ozoguz warned against criticizing Turks living in Germany across the board over how they voted, telling regional newspaper Saarbruecker Zeitung that only around 14 percent of all German Turks living in Germany had voted "Yes" and added that most migrants had not voted.

German integration commissioner Aydan Ozoguz warned against criticizing Turks living in Germany over how they voted, telling regional newspaper Saarbruecker Zeitung that only around 14 percent of all German Turks living in Germany had voted "yes" and added that most migrants had not voted.

EU talks

Germany's comments were echoed in France, where President Francois Hollande said: "It's up to the Turks and them alone to decide on how they organize their political institutions, but the published results show that Turkish society is divided about the planned deep reforms."

On Sunday, the European Commission said Turkey should seek a broad national consensus on constitutional amendments, given the narrow "Yes" majority and the extent of their impact. In March, the Venice Commission, a panel of legal experts at the Council of Europe, said the proposed changes to the constitution on which Turks voted, namely boosting Erdogan's power, represented a "dangerous step backwards" for democracy.

Merkel and Gabriel pointed to the Commission's reservations and said that, as a member of the Council of Europe and the OSCE security and human rights watchdog and an EU accession candidate, Turkey should quickly address those concerns.

"Political discussions about that need to take place as quickly as possible, both at the bilateral level and between the European institutions and Turkey," Merkel and Gabriel said.

In a separate statement, France's Foreign Ministry called on the Turkish government to respect the European Convention on Human Rights and its ban on the death penalty.

Erdogan told supporters on Sunday that Turkey could hold another referendum on reinstating the death penalty. Such a move would spell the end of Turkey's accession talks with the European Union.

Austria, which has repeatedly called for halting membership talks, called once more for them to stop.

"We can't just go back to the daily routine after the Turkey referendum. We finally need some honesty in the relationship between the EU and Turkey," said Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, adding the bloc should instead work on a "partnership Agreement."

During the campaign, Erdogan repeatedly attacked European countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, accusing them of "Nazi-like" tactics for banning his ministers from speaking to rallies of Turkish voters abroad.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek told Reuters on Monday he expected the "noise" between Ankara and Europe should die down after the European elections cycle. The French vote for a new president begins next Sunday. Germany votes in September.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Monday that the U.S. is using Afghanistan as a weapons testing ground, calling the recent use of the largest-ever non-nuclear bomb "an immense atrocity against the Afghan people."



Last week, U.S. forces dropped the GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb in eastern Nangarhar province, reportedly killing 95 militants. Karzai, in an interview with The Associated Press, objected to the decision, saying that his country "was used very disrespectfully by the U.S. to test its weapons of mass destruction."



The office of President Ashraf Ghani said following the bomb's usage that there was "close coordination" between the U.S. military and the Afghan government over the operation, and they were careful to prevent any civilian casualties.



But Karzai harshly criticized the Afghan government for allowing the use of the bomb.



"How could a government of a country allow the use of a weapon of mass destruction on its own territory? Whatever the reason, whatever the cause, how could they allow that? It just unimaginable," he said.



The strike was carried out Thursday morning against an Islamic State group tunnel complex, carved into a mountain that Afghan forces had tried to assault repeatedly in recent weeks, according to Afghan officials.



U.S. and Afghan forces have been battling the Taliban for more than 15 years. But the U.S. military unveiled the largest conventional bomb in its arsenal against the Islamic State group, which has a far smaller but growing presence in Afghanistan. U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly vowed to aggressively confront IS.



Trump called the operation a "very, very successful mission" but Karzai had harsh words for the new U.S. leader.



"My message to President Trump today is that he has committed an immense atrocity against the Afghan people, against fellow human beings," he said. "If the American government sees us as human beings, then they have committed a crime against fellow human beings, but if they treat us as less than human beings, well, of course they can do whatever they want."



Karzai added that one of the fundamental reasons that he refused to sign the bilateral security agreement with the United States when he was the president was specifically to prevent such actions.



"I told the people of Afghanistan in the Loya Jirga [Grand Assembly] we must not sign the BSA with the U.S., that we must not give them bases till the day they bring peace to Afghanistan," he said. "Why would the Afghan people want to give the U.S. bases? For what? To continue the war in Afghanistan, to become more insecure, to lose peace forever, to suffer, to receive more bombs, to receive a weapon of mass destruction? Or for security, for peace and for a better life?"



The U.S. National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster met with President Ghani during a visit to Afghanistan on Sunday. According to statement from the office of the president, the pair discussed mutual counterterrorism efforts, security and economic development.



The U.S. estimates 600-800 IS fighters are in Afghanistan, mostly in Nangarhar. American forces have concentrated on fighting them while also supporting Afghan forces against the Taliban. The U.S. has more than 8,000 troops on the ground in Afghanistan, training local forces and conducting counterterrorism operations.
U.S. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster concluded Monday a daylong trip to Pakistan where he met civilian and military leaders to stress "the need to confront terrorism in all its forms" and reviewed efforts aimed at stabilizing neighboring Afghanistan.

McMaster visited Islamabad, a day after holding talks with Afghan leaders in Kabul to review and assess the situation with regard to the U.S. militarys counterinsurgency and counterterrorism missions in the country.

He met with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his top foreign policy aides before holding talks with the countrys powerful military chief, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Sharifs office later issued a statement welcoming the first formal high-level exchange between the United States and Pakistan under the Trump administration.

Sharing his concerns over the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and the continuing impasse, the prime minister conveyed Pakistans readiness to work with the International community to explore ways in which the Afghan crisis can be resolved, the statement said.

In a separate statement of its own, the U.S. Embassy said McMaster expressed appreciation for Pakistans democratic and economic development and stressed the need to confront terrorism in all its forms.

This is McMaster's first trip to the region since becoming President Donald Trump's national security adviser, and it comes in the wake of calls by military commanders for adding several thousand troops to the 8,400 U.S. forces already in Afghanistan to help break the "stalemate" in the battle with the Taliban.

No comment on more US troops

Speaking to a local Afghan television station after concluding his meetings in Kabul, McMaster withheld comments on whether a new strategy the Trump administration is putting together will include a boost to American troop strength in Afghanistan.

"Well, part of the new strategy will be what the president decides it is. What we are doing here is toPresident Trump to decide, really, what is the best course of action to begin to accelerate progress in the war and to help bring lasting peace and security to the Afghan people," the American adviser told TOLOnews.

He also had a message for leaders in Pakistan, whom Afghan officials accuse of permitting Taliban insurgents to establish sanctuaries and conduct attacks into Afghanistan with the help of Pakistan's intelligence agency.

Strained relationship

As all of us have hoped for many many years, we have hoped that Pakistani leaders will understand that it is in their interest to go after these groups less selectively than they have in the past and the best way to pursue their interests in Afghanistan and elsewhere is through diplomacy not through the use of proxies that engage in violence, McMaster said.

Pakistani officials reject allegations of harboring the Taliban and maintain recent counterterrorism operations have dismantled terrorism infrastructure, particularly in border areas. Islamabad insists the insurgents have fled to dozens of Afghan districts currently controlled by the Taliban.

Charges and counter-charges with regard to sheltering anti-state militants and sponsoring terrorist attacks against each other have in recent years damaged relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
More than 1,000 migrants picked up off the coast of Libya Sunday have arrived at a port on the Italian island of Sicily.



A German navy ship brought the rescued migrants to the port of Catania Monday aboard the FGS Rhein.



Some 29,000 migrants, most of them fleeing poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, have arrived in Italy this year after being rescued by European military ships or private charity organizations.



The U.N. migration agency (IOM) reported last week that 31,993 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2017 through April 9, with over 80 percent arriving in Italy and the rest in Spain and Greece.



This is considerably lower compared to 172,774 through the first 97 days of 2016. The number of deaths recorded, however, is almost the same for both years.



The numbers of newcomers are expected to rise during the spring's months of good weather.
Pakistans military announced Monday that its plan to fence the entire 2,611-kilometer largely porous border with Afghanistan is underway and scores of new outposts are also being built to prevent terrorist infiltration.

Army spokesman Major-General Asif Ghafoor told reporters in Rawalpindi that a total of 338 security posts and forts will be constructed along the frontier by the end of 2019. He said 42 such installations have been built while work on another 63 is under way.

Pakistan announced last month that was starting to build the fence in "high threat zones" of its shared border with Afghanistan. Both countries have long pledged to improve security in the region and go after terror groups based in the rugged and mountainous border areas, but the exact location of the border has long been disputed by Kabul.

The general said the border management plan is part of Pakistans efforts to eliminate terrorism from the region and help internationally-backed efforts to stabilize Afghanistan.

Ghafoor spoke shortly after a meeting between visiting U.S. National Security Adviser H.R McMaster and Pakistani army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

He [McMaster] acknowledges Pakistans efforts in war against terrorism. He hailed our contributions and whatever discussions took place both sides were of the view that Pak-Afghan border management is very essential to control the terrorism, General Ghafoor said while sharing details of the discussions.

General Ghafoor dismissed Afghan criticism of the fencing plan, saying the activity is being performed well inside Pakistani territory and no one has the right to raise any objection. Afghan authorities have never accepted the marked border known as the Durand Line. Afghan officials also have said the fencing plan will add to the problems of families in the region who live on either side of the border.

McMaster visited Pakistan on Monday a day after holding talks with leaders in Afghanistan. He met with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and top Foreign Ministry officials before holding talks with the country's military chief.
Military officials in Pakistan say a would-be Islamic State female suicide bomber had planned to assault a church during Easter celebrations Sunday in Lahore before a counterterrorism raid captured her this past Friday.

Army spokesman General Asif Ghafoor at a news conference Monday identified the suspect as Naureen Leghari, saying she is still under investigation.

The young woman, officials say, has told investigators she was contacted and radicalized by IS operatives through social media.

Ghafoor also dismissed reported claims that Leghari had traveled to Syria and received training at IS-run terror camps there. He said the evidence collected so far has established she never went to Syria.

"We are debriefing her. Our first effort is that she should go back and live a normal life. And the next is that we should do measures collectively as a nation that our kids are not misguided and they are not lured into such activities again," Ghafoor said.

The spokesman released a video confessional statement in which Leghari says she was studying in a medical college in the southern city of Hyderabad and only recently moved to Lahore with two other accomplices to execute the terrorist plot.

"We were given two suicide vests, four hand grenades and some bullets by our organization. The [explosives-filled] jackets were to be used for an attack on a church on Easter and I was tasked to be the suicide bomber," Leghari said. "But the security forces raided their hideout on the night of April 14 and arrested them."

Pakistani authorities have repeatedly asserted that there is no "organized" presence of IS in the country, but critics question those claims, citing recent arrests of loyalists of the group from major cities, including the national capital of Islamabad and Karachi.

More than 70 people, including Muslims and Christians, were killed during Easter celebrations in 2016 when a suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowded park in Lahore, the capital of the country's most populous province of Punjab. A splinter Pakistani Taliban faction, Jamaatul Ahrar, or JuA, claimed responsibility for the bloodshed.

Ghafoor said that Friday's raid that led to Leghari's detention was conducted as part of a nationwide military-led operation launched in February to rid Pakistan of militant networks linked to terrorist groups, including IS.

A series of deadly suicide bombings across Pakistan in early February prompted the military to undertake the operation. Militants linked to JuA took credit for most of the violence, though IS claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing of a Sufi shrine in southern Pakistan that killed scores of people and wounded more than 300 others.

Ghafoor said Monday the security operation has since detained more than 4,500 suspected militants.

He also announced that Ehsanullah Ahsan, a central leader of the Jamaatul Ahrar faction, has surrendered to Pakistani security forces. The military spokesman refused to discuss details or circumstances that led to the surrender of Ahsan, who was allegedly operating out of Afghan border areas.
North Korea did not respond this month to requests from senior Chinese diplomats, including the country's foreign minister, to meet North Korean counterparts, amid rising tension with the United States, Bloomberg reported on Monday.

Citing unidentified sources, the report said China's special envoy for the North Korea nuclear issue, Wu Dawei, was the other official whose requests for meetings went unanswered.

China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.

Last week, the ministry twice said it had no information to provide on whether Wu would be going to North Korea.

Tension has risen as U.S. President Donald Trump takes a hard rhetorical line with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has rebuffed admonitions from China and pursued nuclear and missile programmes that Washington sees as a direct threat.
International monitors have questioned the fairness of Sunday's referendum in Turkey, saying it was contested on an uneven playing field. The referendum, which would create a powerful executive presidency from the current parliamentary system, only narrowly passed and opponents are seeking a revote.

At a news conference in Ankara, monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said the "No" campaign faced numerous obstacles including a lack of freedom of expression and access to the media, and intimidation. The OSCE also alleged misuse of administrative resources by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.



The controversial decision to allow the use of ballots that did not have an official stamp was also criticized. "The Supreme Election Board issued instructions late in the day that significantly changed the validity criteria, undermining an important safeguard and contradicting the law," observed Cezar Florin Preda of the monitoring group at the Ankara press conference.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry released a statement saying it was "saddened" by the OSCE's finding that the referendum fell short of international standards. The ministry called it "unacceptable" and accused the OSCE of political bias.

Under Turkey's 2010 electoral law, all ballots require an official stamp as a measure aimed at preventing vote stuffing. The main opposition CHP alleges that as many as one-and-a-half million unstamped ballots could have been used, more than the winning margin in the referendum.

The CHP is now demanding the referendum be held again. "The only decision that will end debate about the legitimacy and ease the people's legal concerns is the annulment of this election," declared Bulent Tezcan CHP deputy head, speaking at press conference Monday.

Protests were held in several locations across Istanbul and in the capital, Ankara, over the handling of the vote; similar demonstrations were reported in other cities.

The only legal redress the CHP has to overturn the vote is with the Supreme Election Board, which made the decision to use the unstamped ballots.

In defense of the ballots

The head of the board, Sadi Guven, strongly defended his decision to allow the controversial ballots, citing high demand for ballots and saying similar procedures had been followed in the past.

"This is not some move we've done for the first time," said Guven, speaking to reporters Monday in Ankara. "Before our administration took over, there had been many decisions approving the validity of unstamped ballots."

Critics point out the previous use of unstamped ballots was before the introduction of the electoral law banning the practice. Guven said he did not know how many of the ballots were used, and admitted he made the decision after consulting with the ruling AK Party.

Many of the ballots are suspected of being used in the predominantly Kurdish southeast where strict security measures are in force due to an ongoing fight against Kurdish insurgent group the PKK. "No" campaigners in the region said its observers were prevented from monitoring many ballot stations. The OSCE also said its monitors faced restrictions.

While the OSCE refused to be drawn in on whether the shortcomings and difficulties it highlighted were enough to affect the outcome of the vote, its assessment will likely embolden the opposition and add to growing international concern.

"The European politician will refer to the OSCE; even Americans have said it was going to wait for the OSCE report [before commenting on the referendum result]," warned political columnist Semih Idiz of Al Monitor website. "It's a complication for Erdogan, but he will try and turn it to his advantage by saying the West is up to its old tricks again."

Throughout the campaign, Erdogan played the nationalist card, accusing Western countries of conspiring against him and Turkey. Erdogan described the referendum as a victory against the crusaders.

Europe has so far avoided directly addressing the controversy, choosing to look beyond the result with calls on Erdogan to reach out to his opponents to ease the political polarization. The U.S. State Department called on Turkey to protect basic rights and freedoms as authorities work to resolve the contested results.
Japan on Monday started withdrawing its troops from a U.N. mission in war-battered South Sudan, according to an official, a move coinciding with escalating violence in a conflict where killings have been described as genocide.

The 350-strong Japanese military contingent, which has been based in South Sudan's capital Juba for the past five years, has been mostly helping with infrastructure construction.

"The first group is leaving today," Daniel Dickinson, spokesman for the U.N. peacekeeping mission called UNMISS, told Reuters moments before the troops were due to board their flight at Juba International Airport.

Dickinson said the Japanese contingent would leave in three batches and that the group that was due to leave Monday had 68 troops.

Deadly violence, often driven by ethnic hatred, has gripped South Sudan since 2013 when fighting broke out between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and his political foe Riek Machar, whom he sacked as vice president.

A 2015 peace deal ended that conflict and Machar was early last year restored to his vice presidency position. However, persistent animus between the two men finally exploded into fresh fighting in July.

Episodes of mass violence  especially in the equatorial region of South Sudan  have been growing, with surviving civilian witnesses reporting government troops turning up in towns and starting shooting rampages.

The UK has described the killings and other atrocities in South Sudan as genocide, although the U.N. has not yet made that determination.

South Sudan's government spokesman, Ateny Wek Ateny, said the departure of Japanese troops was welcomed because "the government of South Sudan is able to control the country."
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday the international community should be applying diplomatic and economic pressure on North Korea to get that country to abandon its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.

Speaking during a visit to Japan, Pence said the U.S. "will not relent" until it achieves the goal of a denuclearized Korean peninsula, and that "all options are on the table."

He cited past international efforts to negotiate with North Korea on its nuclear program, including the most recent six-party talks that broke down in 2009, saying the North Korean side has repeatedly responded with "broken promises and more provocations."

Pence again stated that "the era of strategic patience is over," advocating as the best way forward dialogue among the U.S., Japan, South Korea and China in order to isolate and pressure North Korea.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who hosted Pence for talks in Tokyo, said he appreciates the Trump administration's "all options" approach. Abe added that he hopes for peaceful dialogue with North Korea, but that dialogue for the sake of dialogue has no value.

Watch: North Korea reacts to tough talk from Trump

The comments came a day after North Korea tried and failed to launch a missile from its submarine base at Sinpo.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis called the failed missile launch a reckless provocation. The leader in North Korea again recklessly tried to provoke something by launching a missile, Mattis told reporters Tuesday aboard a U.S. military aircraft while en route to Saudi Arabia.

Back in Washington, White House press secretary Sean Spicer indicated tolerance for a bit more patience on the U.S. side during a briefing with reporters Monday.

I think that we're going to continue to work with China in particular to help find a way forward, Spicer said.

The press secretary characterized the era of strategic patience as an Obama administration policy of basically wait and see that is not prudent for the United States. But, he added, as a result of the recent talks between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the current administration is giving Beijing time to use its economic and political influence on Pyongyang.

The vice president, speaking to reporters Monday near the Korean Demilitarized Zone, said President Trump has made it clear that the patience of the United States and our allies in this region has run out and we want to see change. We want to see North Korea abandon its reckless path of the development of nuclear weapons and also its continual use and testing of ballistic missiles is unacceptable.

WATCH: 'The Era of Strategic Patience is Over,' Pence Says

At a hastily called news conference Monday in New York, North Korea's deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Kim In Ryong, accused the United States of pushing the Korean peninsula "to the brink of a war," warning that a "thermo-nuclear war may break out at any moment on the peninsula."

Referring to the deployment of the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier and its strike group to waters off the Korean peninsula, Kim said if Washington "dares opt for a military action," calling it a preemptive strike, "the DPRK is ready to react to any mode of war desired by the U.S."

Such belligerent rhetoric from North Korea's state media and officials is common.

Pyongyang has yet to conduct its anticipated sixth nuclear test, amid indications it has made all preparations for such an event. North Korea held a massive military parade Saturday, exhibiting some new long-range and submarine-based missiles.

Pence's visit to Northeast Asia comes at a time of heightened tensions over North Korea's defiant efforts to ultimately develop a nuclear tipped intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland, and the Trump administration's determination to prevent that from happening.

"I think the U.S. has been clear that we want to resolve this issue through the peaceful de-nuclearization of the Korean peninsula," said Acting Assistant Secretary of State Susan Thornton. "We are definitely not seeking conflict or regime change, but we are committed to defending our people and our allies, should it be necessary."

Trump on Monday told a reporter that North Korea has "got to behave" and, in remarks recorded for airing Tuesday on a Fox News program, contended that his presidential predecessors had "all been outplayed" by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

It is a questionable whether Trump is serious about the use of force against Kim or just bluffing to pressure him and the Chinese, according to one analyst.

The national security adviser, General H.R. McMaster, and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis "are well aware that North Korea is not Syria or Afghanistan, and that a military strike against the North is a risky gambit whose full import is impossible to anticipate," a former CIA analyst on Korean issues, Sue Mi Terry, told VOA.

"My take is that all of this rhetoric is simply to ramp up the pressure and signal to the world, particularly China and North Korea, that they are not pushovers like they think the Obama administration had been," added Terry, who served as Northeast Asia affairs director on the National Security Council at the end of the Bush and beginning of the Obama administrations.

Terry said she sees the Trump administration's approach as "an intensification of Obama's sanctions approach," adding it is yet unclear what is replacing strategic patience.
After nine attempts to sneak across the border between Syria and Turkey, with an indescribable amount of fear and painful near-death experiences, 31-year-old Mustafa Hamed finally found a home in Germany, where he is working hard to piece together his life.

"The most important thing is you are lost here. So you have to find a new job, new friends  you have to find a new life," Hamed said. "So this is a new start for me."

His priority right now is mastering the language. His dream is to work in journalism. As he works hard to achieve this dream, he constantly struggles with a nightmare  the memory of his days in Aleppo.

"The clashes started in Aleppo in, maybe, 2012," he recalled. "You can imagine, it was daily and you can hear every night bombing someplace near you  maybe for just two kilometers [away]. The electricity was cut down for a long time. You have to wait for 7 or 8 hours just to charge your phone."

Resetting their lives

Psychologist and researcher Kenneth Miller, in his book War Torn: Stories of Courage, Love and Resilience, recounts Hamed's story, among many others from Guatemala, Mexico, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Iraq and Sri Lanka.

During his more than 25 years of working with war victims, Miller noticed that the majority of what has been written about war focuses on soldiers. He wanted to draw attention to what's missing from the conversation: the experience of civilians. In his book, he shares dozens of stories of people he met and worked with in many places around the world.

One of the most compelling stories is from Samad Khan, an Afghan who became a refugee in the 1980s, during his country's war against the Soviets. Khan participated in Miller's research in Afghanistan. In one of the counseling sessions on dealing with painful experiences, Khan shared a traumatic memory.

"He was driving a pickup truck with his sister's family in the back, up a steep, winding mountain road and the road was controlled by the Mujahedeen, the freedom fighters," Miller said. "They stopped him at one point and asked him to show his papers. So he stopped the car, and got out to show them his papers, but he realized he had forgotten to set the hand brake. He watched in horror as the truck spiraled off the side of the mountain and tumbled hundreds of feet down to the valley below. He had to go down to retrieve the bodies and bring them back to Kabul for burial."

Overcoming tragedies

However, when Miller met him, Khan was a life-loving community leader. "I said, 'How did you get over this? You seem to be doing so well now!' He said it was a combination of the power of his faith and he also had a tremendous support of his extended family and friends," Miller explained. "They got him through. I tell his story because this is something that recurs in the book, in every country that I worked in, that we are more alike than we are different. His story also captures something that we've seen in a lot of refugee communities, which is war, of course, can be devastating, but we're built to heal. If the conditions are supportive, safe and stable, people have a remarkable capacity to be resilient and to heal."

When the environment is safe and supportive, Miller says, refugees not only survive painful experiences, but they can thrive.

He tells another story, based on his experience in Guatemala:

"I got adopted by this one family while I was living in the camp for a year. This family fled when they heard about a massacre in a neighboring village where about 370 people were killed. They spent two months hiding in the mountains in the rainy season. They finally came down on the Mexican side of the border and found their way in to the refugee camp. This young fellow, Emilio, had developed a combination of trauma and severe shock. After a couple of days of traditional prayers and use of herbs, he healed. I think more than anything what really helped him heal was this tremendous love and support of his family. He has become a vibrant young professional musician, he became a refugee in Canada, who is doing wonderfully well."

The social media effect

Miller says he hopes sharing these stories can help raise awareness about refugees' situations.

"One of the biggest predictors about whether the refugees become severely depressed or adapt successfully is the extent to which they're either made to feel welcome, given language and the material resources to get a new start, or whether they encounter a lot of discrimination. The more people feel marginalized and discriminated, of course, the harder it is for them to integrate, and the harder it is for them to heal," he said.

One point Miller raises is the effect of social media. He says these tools can be helpful in raising awareness about the plight of refugees, but they also can be harmful if they're used to spread misconceptions.

He points to images shared on social media of Syrian refugees on Lesbos, Greece. "When you see this father holding his two children and weeping and just arriving safely after crossing the sea, it mobilizes people and brings them to want to help, do something to counter this. Now, on the other hand, you also see social media being used to spread rumors and lies about refugees. Social media can spread tremendous fear, and that has serious consequences. It gets people turned back. It causes great harm."

Miller says he also hopes these stories can inspire refugees and help them discover the inner strength they need to survive and start anew.
A top U.S. politician visiting South Sudan says he will urge colleagues to maintain assistance to the country despite severe cuts in foreign aid proposed by the Trump administration.

Senator Christopher Coons (D-Delaware), who is in rebel-controlled Ganyiel of former Unity State this week, said he was shocked to learn that the town's entire population depends on humanitarian agencies for food.



The senator noted there are no roads going into and out of Ganyiel, so all equipment and relief aid must be delivered by air, which is extremely expensive.

We will have to make stronger arguments for why particular U.N. missions and particular countries should remain a priority," Coons told VOA's South Sudan in Focus on Monday.

"South Sudan currently has the largest and most difficult refugee problem in the entire continent of 54 countries. I think it should remain a priority but there will be some difficult negotiations between Congress and the Trump administration, said Coons.

Since the outbreak of South Sudan's conflict in late 2013, the United States has contributed at least one billion dollars toward humanitarian aid in the African country. The budget proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump would cut total U.S. aid abroad by more than 30 percent.

This marks the first visit to South Sudan for Coons, the former chairman and member of the Senate Subcommittee on African Affairs. The U.S. lawmaker also visited a refugee camp in neighboring Uganda, which hosts hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese who fled the violence back home.

Coons said he came to Ganyiel to familiarize himself with U.S.-funded projects aimed at combating hunger and health problems in the area. U.N. agencies declared two counties of former Unity State famine-stricken in February.

Coons also visited Panyijar County, which hosts tens of thousands of internally displaced persons who fled to the area from Mayendit and Leer, the two former Unity State counties hit by famine.



Panyijar County Commissioner John Tap asked Senator Coons to deliver to a message to the Trump administration.



The Obama administration was not serious about resolving the South Sudan conflict, said Tap. He said even if the U.S. government continues to pour millions of dollars into South Sudan for humanitarian aid, it will do nothing if there is no peace. He called the money useless.

Coons urged South Sudanese leaders to find workable solutions to the conflict.



This is not the time to assume that the U.S. will always be present and will always provide support. I think that makes it an urgent time for the leaders of South Sudan to find a peaceful resolution to the widening violence and the conflict, he said.
The showdown South Africans have been demanding for weeks is not likely to happen soon, as a no-confidence vote for the increasingly unpopular president has been postponed from Tuesday pending a ruling from the nations top court.

The postponement is yet another twist in South Africas increasingly complicated political drama.

The main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) asked for the no-confidence vote, which was set for April 18, in response to President Jacob Zumas widely unpopular decision last month to fire a well-respected finance minister and reshuffle his Cabinet. That political upheaval prompted a major ratings agency to downgrade the nations sovereign credit rating, which has negatively impacted the economy.

But after the DA tabled the motion, the smaller United Democratic Movement opposition party asked for the vote to be held by secret ballot in what is widely seen as a bid to encourage members of Zumas African National Congress (ANC) to turn on their leader. That request for a secret ballot has to go through the Constitutional Court.

However, that left the original petitioners in a sticky position -- whether to push for a quick, but public, vote in which the ANC majority in parliament is likely to stand behind Zuma -- or to wait for a chance to have a secret vote that might actually succeed.

The DA chose the latter and pulled the motion. Parliamentary spokesman Moloto Mothapo told VOA that now puts the original motion for a no-confidence vote in an interesting limbo while the court decides.

Any motion that is postponed remains in the program of the sitting of the assembly, he told VOA. And it blocks any other member of parliament from raising a similar motion during that period. So those are the dynamics that the programming committee of parliament must look into.

The court, he says, could rule quickly, or they could take up to six months to reach a decision. Regardless, while the court is deliberating the matter, Zuma is safe from no-confidence votes in parliament.

Mothapo, a longtime member of the ANC, was quick to note that the speaker of parliament did not hesitate to schedule the no-confidence vote in the first place, and that the opposition withdrew the motion.

Political analyst Ralph Mathekga told VOA that this takes the wind out of the sails of the latest, boisterous movement to force Zuma out.

The reality is that the immediate factor upon which that motion was called upon, which was Jacob Zumas latest reshuffle, would have settled down to a point where by the time the the court decides whether its secret or not, it might not be so beneficial for the opposition parties, because the dust will have settled down, he said.

Now, he says, the opposition needs to get to work whipping the vote and trying to convince the ANC to turn on Zuma -- a tough task, as the ANC is proud of its party discipline and unity.

Zumas recent actions -- coupled with longstanding anger over simmering corruption scandals -- prompted tens of thousands of South Africans to recently take to the streets, and to the lawn of the presidents official home, to demand his resignation. At mass protests last week, opposition party leaders said they would keep the pressure on Zuma as long as it took. His term ends in 2019.

Zuma has largely brushed off the animosity, saying that those who oppose his party are racists and joking at his recent 75th birthday celebration that stress is a white mans disease.

Top South African psychologists quickly refuted that assertion, noting that a recent study found that non-white South Africans experience higher levels of stress than white South Africans. The president, it appears, is an anomaly.
Were you just reading Vulture and thinking, I wish this article could be three dimensional  like a space I can live in for a weekend? Think and you shall receive because Vulture Festival is back, baby! And this year, weve put together a bigger lineup than ever before. Like really big! Sarah Jessica Parker big. Aziz Ansari big. Stephen Colbert big. Black Mirror, Shameless, 2 Dope Queens big. And thats just the tip of the festival iceberg.

The fourth annual Vulture Festival will be held on May 20 and 21 at New Yorks Milk Studios and other spaces around the city. Tickets are on sale now! At VultureFestival.com! Each ticket will include access to a newly expanded Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages, featuring live music and DJ performances, complimentary drinks, a Grub Streetcurated food offering, and a pop-up shop curated by New York Magazines Strategist editors.

SATURDAY, MAY 20

9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.: JERRY SALTZS MAD MASTERLY TOUR OF THE WHITNEY BIENNIAL

Wake up with Jerry! Join New York and Vulture senior art critic Jerry Saltz for an ultraexclusive private tour of the Whitney Biennial. The tour will take place before public hours. The Whitney Museum of American Art (99 Gansevoort Street). Tickets $150. EVENT IS SOLD OUT.

10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.: SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS

Back by popular demand, for the fourth year in a row, Vulture presents a showcase with the actors behind some of your favorite animated voices, as they read classic movie scenes in their animated voices. Participating voices include John Roberts (Bobs Burgers), Larry Murphy (Bobs Burgers), Aisha Tyler (Archer), Lucky Yates (Archer), Spencer Grammer (Rick and Morty), Amber Nash (Archer), Kari Wahlgren (Rick and Morty), Niki Yang (Adventure Time), and Jessica Walter (Archer). Moderated by Vulture editor Nate Jones. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets $30 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event).

11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: JANE THE VIRGIN

Jane the Virgins Gina Rodriguez, Jennie Snyder Urman, Justin Baldoni, Yael Grobglas, Brett Dier, and Andrea Navedo join Vulture Festival for an exclusive interview. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets $30 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event). EVENT IS SOLD OUT. Standby line forms at venue approximately 45 minutes prior to scheduled start time.

12 p.m. to 1 p.m.: AL FRANKEN AND ROBERT SMIGEL: IN CONVERSATION

The gentleman from Minnesota, Senator Al Franken, joins Vulture Festival for an exclusive conversation with friend Robert Smigel. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets $20 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event).

1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.: CONNIE BRITTON, YALL

Join Vulture for an exclusive interview with Nashvilles finest. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets $30 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event).

1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.: INSIDE SONS OF ANARCHY WITH KURT SUTTER

Vulture hosts Sons of Anarchy and Mayans MC creator Kurt Sutter, in conversation with Vultures Hollywood editor Stacey Wilson Hunt. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets $20 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event).

2 p.m. to 5 p.m.: THE LITTLE HOURS SCREENING

An exclusive advanced screening of the film The Little Hours. Screening will be followed by an interview with writer-director Jeff Baena and stars Aubrey Plaza, Adam Pally, and Molly Shannon. Alamo Drafthouse Theater  Downtown Brooklyn (445 Albee Square West). Tickets $20.



2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.: BITCH SESH

Dont be tardy to this party! Real Housewives experts Danielle Schneider and Casey Wilson break down the latest Housewives news, as they host a live recording of their popular podcast, Bitch Sesh. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets $30 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event). EVENT IS SOLD OUT. Standby line forms at venue approximately 45 minutes prior to scheduled start time.

3 p.m. to 4 p.m.: BRYAN FULLER GETS BLOODY

Hannibal and American Gods creator Bryan Fuller in conversation with New York Magazine and Vulture TV critic Matt Zoller Seitz, discussing notable bloody scenes that inspired him over his career. The Standard, New York (848 Washington Street). Tickets $30 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event).

3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.: AZIZ ANSARI: IN CONVERSATION

Join Vulture for an afternoon with Aziz Ansari, discussing his latest season of Master of None, and maybe even score some dating advice. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets $45 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event). EVENT IS SOLD OUT. Standby line forms at venue approximately 45 minutes prior to scheduled start time.

4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.: DESUS & MERO

Comedy duo Desus Nice and the Kid Mero, from the popular podcast Bodega Boys and Vicelands Desus & Mero, visit Vulture Festival. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets $30 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event). EVENT IS SOLD OUT. Standby line forms at venue approximately 45 minutes prior to scheduled start time.

4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.: 2 DOPE QUEENS

Hey boo boos, Jessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson host a live recording of their popular podcast 2 Dope Queens. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets $30 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event). EVENT IS SOLD OUT. Standby line forms at venue approximately 45 minutes prior to scheduled start time.

5 p.m. to 6 p.m.: EDGAR WRIGHT: IN CONVERSATION

Director, screenwriter, and producer Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, The Worlds End, Spaced) joins Vulture Festival for an exclusive discussion about his work including his next film, Baby Driver (June 28), which takes audiences on a dramatically charged ride fueled by car chases, young love, and a high-octane soundtrack spanning era and genre. The Standard, High Line (848 Washington Street). Tickets $30 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event). EVENT IS SOLD OUT.

6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.: STATE OF THE UNION WITH STEPHEN COLBERT AND FRANK RICH

Stephen Colbert and New York Magazine writer-at-large Frank Rich in conversation. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets $50 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event). EVENT IS SOLD OUT. Standby line forms at venue approximately 45 minutes prior to scheduled start time.

6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.: LOVE CAST TABLE READ

The cast and creators of Netflixs Love join Vulture Festival for an exclusive table read of the second season episode 204 Shrooms. Talent includes co-creator and star Paul Rust, and stars Gillian Jacobs, Matt Mitchell, and Claudia ODoherty. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets $20 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event).

6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.: TITUSS BURGESS AND HIS PINOT NOIR

Enjoy a nice glass of Pinot (Peeno) Noir with Tituss Burgess, as he joins Vulture Festival for an exclusive interview, and an exclusive tasting of his new vineyard venture. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets $30 (includes the Pinot Noir during the event, PLUS complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event).

7 p.m. to 8 p.m.: MICHAEL SHANNON: IN CONVERSATION

Actor Michael Shannon joins Vulture Festival for an exclusive interview with New York Magazine and Vulture film critic David Edelstein. The Standard, New York (848 Washington Street). Tickets $30 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event).

7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.: VULTURE FESTIVAL PRESENTS CAT POWER

Cat Power live in concert at Webster Hall. (125 East 11th Street). Tickets $40.

8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.: COMEDY BANG! BANG! LIVE!

Vulture Festival presents a special live edition of Scott Aukermans popular podcast and television show Comedy Bang! Bang! featuring Scott and some very special guests (including Paul F. Tompkins, Lauren Lapkus, and Jason Mantzoukas) doing a totally improvised program, with plenty of character drop-ins. Tickets $32.50 to $47.50. Hosted at BAM (Peter Jay Sharp Building; BAM Howard Gilman Opera House  30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn). EVENT IS SOLD OUT.

9 p.m. to 10 p.m.: RIVERDALE  INTERVIEW AND MEET AND GREET

Join the cast of the CWs hit show Riverdale including Luke Perry, Lili Reinhart, Madelaine Petsch, Camila Mendes, KJ Apa, Casey Cott, and Marisol Nichols for an exclusive interview at Vulture Festival.Interview will be followed by a meet and greet with the cast. The Standard, High Line (848 Washington Street). Tickets $15. EVENT IS SOLD OUT.

LIVE MUSIC AT AT&T VULTURE LOUNGE AT HIGHLINE STAGES

1:00PM: Yohuna

3:00PM: Yowler

5:00PM: Snail Mail

7:00PM: Cut Worms

SUNDAY, MAY 21

10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.: NEIL PATRICK HARRIS: IN CONVERSATION  PRESENTED BY DIRECTV NOW

Join Vulture for a Sunday morning conversation with actor Neil Patrick Harris. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets $20 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event).

11 a.m. to 12 p.m.: THE OAS BRIT MARLING EXPLORES THE MEANING OF LIFE

Join Vulture Festival for a little Sunday-morning soul-searching. Vulture hosts The OA creator and star Brit Marling, as she discusses The OA and the meaning of life. The Standard, New York (848 Washington Street). Tickets $30 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event).

11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: PLAYING HOUSE PAJAMA BRUNCH

Wake up! Roll out of bed and over to the Vulture Festival pajama brunch! Brunch cocktails and pastries await you!! Nurse your hangovers while enjoying Playing House stars Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham in conversation with Vulture senior editor Jesse David Fox. Pajama attire required, please. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets $30 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event).

11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: HOLLYWOOD HANDBOOK

Join Vulture for a live taping of Hollywood Handbook  an insiders guide to achieving your showbiz dreams from two A-list It boys who are living theirs. Big megacelebrities Sean Clements and Hayes Davenport provide an exclusive, VIP backstage pass into Tinseltown politics. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets $30 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event).

1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.: SARAH JESSICA PARKER AND ADAM MOSS: IN CONVERSATION

Sarah Jessica Parker in conversation with New York Magazine editor-in-chief Adam Moss. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets $45 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event). EVENT IS SOLD OUT. Standby line forms at venue approximately 45 minutes prior to scheduled start time.

1 p.m. to 2 p.m.: IN CONVERSATION WITH DONALD J. TRUMP (ANTHONY ATAMANUIK)

Its gonna be huge. The biggest crowd youve ever seen. Just unbelievable, folks. Vulture Festival is going to host Anthony Atamanuik as Donald J. Trump, and do it bigly. New York Magazine national affairs editor Gabriel Sherman, hes great; hell do a great job, just so great; itll be the greatest interview youve ever seen. If you miss it, sad! The Standard, New York (848 Washington Street). Tickets $20 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event).

1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Amber Tamblyn and Roxane Gay present Feminist As Fuck

Amber Tamblyn hosts the first annual Vulture Festival incarnation of Feminist As Fuck, a reading series co-created with Roxane Gay in 2014. The event will showcase the most daring voices in feminist writing today, made up of a diverse group of writers, actors, comedians, and musicians. Those guests include Rachel McKibbens, Jacqueline Woodson, Tayari Jones, Emily Wells, Airea D. Matthews, and Natasha Lyonne. (Roxane Gay will not be in attendance.) Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets $30 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event).

2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.: BLACK MIRROR

Black Mirror creators Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones join Vulture Festival for an exclusive interview about the show that has disturbed everyone. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets $30 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event).

3 p.m. to 4 p.m.: THE CARMICHAEL SHOW TACKLES THE ISSUES OF THE DAY

Jerrod Carmichael, Loretta Devine, Amber Stevens West, Tiffany Haddish, Lil Rel Howery, Danielle Sanchez-Witzel, and Ravi Nandan stop by Vulture Festival for a cast interview debating the topics of the day. The Standard, New York (848 Washington Street). Tickets $20 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event).

3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.: SHAMELESS

William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum, and Nancy Pimental in conversation at Vulture Festival. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets $30 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event). EVENT IS SOLD OUT. Standby line forms at venue approximately 45 minutes prior to scheduled start time.

4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.: AN AFTERNOON JAM SESSION WITH SISTERS KATIE AND ALLISON CRUTCHFIELD (WAXAHATCHEE)

Allison and Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee) host a jam session. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets $20 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event).

4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.: POP CULTURE TRIVIA GAME SHOW

Vulture tests the pop-culture knowledge of the casts of Netflixs Orange Is the New Black versus the CWs Crazy Ex-Girlfriend in a live game show. Orange Is the New Black cast members Jackie Cruz, Emma Myles, Lea DeLaria, Diane Guerrero, and Adrienne C. Moore will go head-to-head with Crazy Ex-Girlfriend cast Rachel Bloom, Donna Lynne Champlin, Vella Lovell, Gabrielle Ruiz, Pete Gardner, and Vincent Rodriguez III. Complimentary beer and wine to be served during the event. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets $20 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event). EVENT IS SOLD OUT. Standby line forms at venue approximately 45 minutes prior to scheduled start time.

5 p.m. to 6 p.m.: ONE DEGREE FROM KEVIN BACON

Join Vulture Festival for an intimate interview with the actor, talking about everything from Footloose to I Love Dick. The Standard, New York (848 Washington Street). Tickets $30 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event). EVENT IS SOLD OUT. Standby line forms at venue approximately 45 minutes prior to scheduled start time.

6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.: GOOD ONE PODCAST LIVE WITH GUEST BILL BURR

Comedian Bill Burr joins Vulture Festival to screen an episode of the new season of his Netflix animated series, F is for Family, and to have a conversation with Vulture senior editor and Good One host Jesse David Fox. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets $20 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event).

7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.: CHELSEA HANDLER AND JOSE ANDRES HEAT UP THE KITCHEN  Presented by OUTFRONT Media

Chelsea Handler and chef Jose Andres join Vulture Festival for a cooking demo and conversation. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets $40 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event).

7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.: ABOVE AVERAGE LIVE!  COMEDY SHOWCASE

The hilarious minds at Above Average join Vulture Festival for an evening of brilliant stand-up comedy, hosted by Matt Catanzano and Richie Moriarty, featuring Josh Sharp, Patti Harrison, Hadiyah Robinson, and Julio Torres. Brooklyn Brewery (79 North 11th Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn). Tickets are FREE. All guests must register for this event online. RSVP does not guarantee admittance to the event; access to the event will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis with RSVP.

LIVE MUSIC AT AT&T VULTURE LOUNGE AT HIGHLINE STAGES

1:00PM: Wilder Maker

3:00PM: Psychic Twin

5:00PM: NOIA

7:00PM: Patrick Stickles of Titus Andronicus

Sponsored screenings include:

SATURDAY, MAY 20

12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.: TIM FERRISS AND VINCE VAUGHN: IN CONVERSATION Sponsored by AT&T AUDIENCE Network

AT&T Audience Network presents Tim Ferriss (best-selling author of The 4-Hour Workweek, Tools of Titans, and host of the popular podcast Fearless With Tim Ferriss) in conversation with actor Vince Vaughn. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets $40 (includes complimentary access to the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages following the event).

2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.: LOUDERMILK Sponsored by AT&T AUDIENCE Network

AT&T Audience Network presents an exclusive sneak peek of Loudermilk, followed by a conversation with creators Peter Farrelly and Bobby Mort, along with cast members Ron Livingston and Will Sasso. A beer-and-wine reception in the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages will also take place for guests following the interview. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets are FREE. All guests must register for this event online. RSVP does not guarantee admittance to the event; access to the event will be granted on a first-come-first-served basis with RSVP.



5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.: MARY KILLS PEOPLE Sponsored by Lifetime

Lifetime presents an exclusive sneak peek of Mary Kills People, followed by a conversation with stars Caroline Dhavernas and Richard Short. A beer-and-wine reception in the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages will also take place for guests following the interview. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets are FREE. All guests must register for this event online. RSVP does not guarantee admittance to the event; access to the event will be granted on a first-come-first-served basis with RSVP.



7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.: IM SORRY Sponsored by TruTV

TruTV presents an exclusive sneak peek of Im Sorry, followed by a conversation with creator and star Andrea Savage, showrunner Joey Slamon, executive producer Jessica Elbaum, and cast member Tom Everett Scott. A beer-and-wine reception in the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages will also take place for guests following the interview. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets are FREE. All guests must register for this event online. RSVP does not guarantee admittance to the event; access to the event will be granted on a first-come-first-served basis with RSVP.



8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.: CLAWS AND COCKTAILS

TNT joins Vulture Festival presenting an exclusive first look of their new original series, Claws. Enjoy cocktails alongside cast members Niecy Nash (Scream Queens, Getting On), Dean Norris (Breaking Bad), Carrie Preston (True Blood, The Good Wife), and Jenn Lyon (Justified)) during a viewing of this dark comedy set in a South Florida nail salon. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets are FREE. All guests must register for this event online. RSVP does not guarantee admittance to the event; access to the event will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis with RSVP.



SUNDAY, MAY 21

12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.: KINGDOM Sponsored by AT&T AUDIENCE Network

AT&T Audience Network presents an exclusive sneak peek at the third-season premiere of Kingdom, followed by a conversation with executive producer Byron Balasco, and cast members Frank Grillo, Kiele Sanchez, Jonathan Tucker, and Joanna Going. A beer-and-wine reception in the AT&T Vulture Lounge at Highline Stages will also take place for guests following the interview. Milk Studios (450 West 15th Street). Tickets are FREE. All guests must register for this event online. RSVP does not guarantee admittance to the event; access to the event will be granted on a first-come-first-served basis with RSVP.


Jessie Mueller, Tony-winning Broadway star. Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Carousel, a shining example from Broadways Golden Age if there ever were one, is returning to the Great White Way next season, reports the New York Times. And, based on the cast and behind-the-scenes players, its likely to be Bustin Out All Over the 2018 Tonys best-revival categories. The actors include Broadway star Jessie Mueller (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Waitress), renowned opera soprano Renee Fleming, and Joshua Henry (Aaron Burr in Hamiltons touring production). The dazzling music, written by Richard Rodgers (his frequent partner Oscar Hammerstein wrote the script and lyrics), will be brought to life through the choreography of Justin Peck, a dancer and resident choreographer at the New York City Ballet. Famous songs from the 1945 musical include If I Loved You, Youll Never Walk Alone, and June Is Bustin Out All Over.

The last time Carousel was revived on Broadway in 1994 it received five Tony awards. This production is scheduled to open on March 23 at an unspecified theater.
Charlize Theron and Vin Diesel in Fate of the Furious. Photo: Matt Kennedy/Universal Studios

Anyone can be a bad guy, but too few are actually good at it. Thats why Vulture is instituting a Villain Performance Review, in which well regularly evaluate the evil schemes perpetrated by big-screen baddies and ask the crucial question, Did that plan make any sense? First up, were tackling Charlize Therons Cipher in Fate of the Furious.

The Fast and Furious series is one of Hollywoods biggest moneymakers, but it still felt like a major coup when the series landed Charlize Theron to play the villainous hacker mastermind Cipher in the franchises eighth installment. An Oscar-winning actress who starred in one the best action movies of all time, Theron would surely bring some spark to a series that tends to settle for just-adequate antagonists  right?

Well, yes and no. Isolated from every cast member but Vin Diesel and left out of all of the films action set pieces, Theron exudes a real I block-shot this in five days vibe, looming over laptops, supervising a hangdog crew, and purring most of her lines into a headset like an uncaffeinated morning-news producer. She never takes the wheel or goes toe-to-toe in a fight with Michelle Rodriguezs equally formidable Letty; instead, Cipher just hangs out on her admittedly well-furnished spy plane, rocks questionable dreads, and ASMR-chats with Diesels Dom about choice theory.



All that might be forgivable if Cipher had a good plan in place, but did she? First, well evaluate her motives, then well tackle her methods. As you might expect, there will be spoilers.

MOTIVES

For most of Fate of the Furious, its not clear why Cipher is doing what shes doing. We first meet her in Cuba, where she coaxes Dom to betray his crew by showing him something mysterious on her phone. His participation secured, Cipher uses Dom to steal an electronics-jamming doodad and an advanced aerial spy system, both of which were glimpsed as MacGuffin devices in the previous two Fast and Furious films. Cipher then takes her evil troupe to New York City, where Dom is ordered to steal a briefcase full of Russian launch codes, before the group finally arrives in Russia to commandeer a submarine full of nuclear (or, as co-star Scott Eastwood pronounces with perfect GWB diction, nucular) weapons.

On the way over, Cipher finally makes her intentions clear, albeit in the most confusing way possible. What shes after, she tells Dom, is accountability. If she manages to get her hands on those nukes, she can fire one off and put the superpowers of the world on notice.

Okay, but like  then what? Having struck fear into the hearts of world leaders, does Cipher plan to extort them of cash like a James Bond villain, or is this her convoluted way of stopping world war by threatening to strike against any nation that gets out of line? Its never quite spelled out beyond Ciphers ambiguous statement, Im the crocodile at the watering hole, though I think that after shes terrorized New York City by zombie-controlling thousands of its cars during the films mid-movie set piece, shes amply put the world on notice even without any nuclear capabilities to her name. But hey, maybe Ciphers just an overachiever. She wants it all!

Seemingly sensing that this vague motive isnt quite substantial enough, the movie supplies another m.o. for Cipher to do her dirty work, this one requiring quite a bit of retcon: Secretly, she was behind the evil plots in both Fast & Furious 6 and Furious 7, pulling strings offscreen to manipulate previous baddies Owen Shaw (Luke Evans) and his brother Deckard (Jason Statham) to her will. The most recent James Bond film, Spectre, tried to pull the same stunt with Christoph Waltzs villain, proposing that he was the mastermind behind the unconnected bad guys in Daniel Craigs three other movies. It was kind of a stretch there, too.

Her plots foiled each time by Dom and his crew of fast-driving lunkheads, Cipher finally realizes that if you cant beat em, force em into joining you. But is she getting revenge on Dom by pulling him into her evil orbit, or does she really want him (in more ways than one)? He asks her, but she demurs so the movie doesnt actually have to figure it out.



METHODS

So whats the thing on Ciphers phone that convinces Dom to join the dark side? Though we never see it, plot points supplied later would lead us to believe its a photo of Elena Neves (Elsa Pataky), a former fling of Doms that Cipher has kidnapped along with her secret baby, whom Dom never even knew he fathered. How Dom intuits all this from a photo and some very ambiguous dialogue from Cipher is truly impressive. Maybe it was a captioned series on her Instagram Story?

As a twist, at least that supplies some solid motivation for the family-driven Dom to bend to Ciphers will, though its never quite clear why he wont come clean to his allies about the leverage Cipher has over him. I understand that itll be a hard conversation with Letty to spring this surprise kid on her, but at least he has an ironclad I only slept with Elena when I thought you were dead excuse to use. And would the baby-curious Letty really be more upset if Dom reveals an adorable step-kid than she would if Dom abandons her, betrays all their friends, and starts committing treasonous crimes? That path feels like a little more of a deal-breaker to me.

Related Stories Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson Are Never Onscreen Together in Fate of the Furious

Though she manages to recruit Dom to do her bidding, in true supervillain tradition, Ciphers plan still involves its fair share of needlessly convoluted tangents. First, she fakes car trouble so Dom will stop and fall into her highly specific meet-cute trap, as though that initial 30 seconds of confused friendliness is the priority instead of simply striding up to Dom, thrusting her iPhone in his face, and cooing, Guess what? Later, Cipher remotely hacks into every single thing in New York so that Dom can steal the Russian nuclear briefcase but after Doms old crew tries to stop him, shes suddenly hands-off, telling Dom to take care of it himself. Lady, hes holding the nuclear briefcase you just leveled half of Manhattan to obtain! Is this really the right time to take an extended bathroom break instead of ramming a remote-controlled car into Tyrese?

Youve got to give Cipher evil props for eventually killing Elena to manipulate Dom to fall in line, but when given ample opportunity to kill or kidnap any other member of Doms crew for further leverage  including the mans damn wife, Letty  Cipher never takes the bait. She storms Kurt Russells base and uses a sense-blasting tech device to incapacitate all the good guys, but once shes got Letty on the ground, does she nab her? No, she just makes out with Lettys husband in front of her, a move thats more mean than actually evil. It isnt until the very end of the movie that Theron is forced to deliver the Scooby-Doo line, I should have taken care of this a long time ago, and authorizes the murder of those pesky kids who have literally been breaking up her schemes for three movies now. Just admit that youre keeping Michelle Rodriguez alive so you can fight her in Fast Nine! Who would blame you for it?



FINAL EVALUATION

True to her name, Cipher turns out to be a blank slate that even Charlize Theron cant fill in. Theres room for improvement here  Cipher survives for a sequel, and eventually abandons the damn plane that hogged most of her screen time in Fate  but itll require a firmer hand on the wheel.
Who on the production staff of the newly titled Hush  Hush, Sweet Charlotte had the bright idea to put Bette Davis and Joan Crawford in hotel rooms just 30 feet away from one another? With the close proximity and the Louisiana heat suffocating our Hollywood icons as they attempt to re-create the magic of Baby Jane, it was inevitable that things would get heated. Within just a few days of working together again, the Bette-and-Joan rivalry is back on. And Joan Crawford really ups the ante this time.

It doesnt take long for Joan to realize that shes the third wheel on set. Bettes made sure she has Bobs ear  shes on set to give notes even when shes not needed for the scene. This creative control annoys Joan to no end. When she confronts Bob about it and he informs her that Bettes been made a producer, well, that sets the insecure Joan off. She has to work twice as hard for people to take her seriously, and she wont be able to do that under Bettes thumb. Bob swears its more of a vanity title, but Joan deliciously bites back that shes going to enjoy watching him learn just how meaningless Bette thinks this title is.

Even more bothersome to old Joanie is the fact that her director and co-star are hooking up and throwing rowdy parties every night. She wants the people shes working with to make responsible choices. Joan Crawford is the wettest blanket of them all.

If only Joan knew exactly what Bette was thinking.

At the end of Baby Jane, the Hudson sisters realize that if they had been honest with one another, maybe they couldve been something other than enemies. Obviously, Feud goes to some lengths to make the correlation between the Hudsons and Bette and Joan. They attempt to draw that same conclusion again here: In another life, Bette and Joan couldve put this rivalry aside and been real allies. They are both deeply vulnerable women who were pitted against each other from the very beginning. Bette tells Bob the heartbreaking story of the first time she auditioned for Jack Warner. She waited around outside to eavesdrop, and instead of Warner applauding her talent or intelligence, she heard him remark that Bette had no sex appeal. Who would want to fuck that? And that he wished she looked like Joan Crawford. Their rivalry wasnt their own doing  it was created by people like Jack Warner.

Abandoned! is the closest Bette and Joan come to acknowledging that their rivalry continues because they each want what the other has. In the most revealing scene of the episode, and possibly the entire series (seriously, I cant stop thinking about this moment), Joan stomps over to Bettes room after she and Mamacita have been left behind in Joans trailer to find their own way back from set. She accuses Bette of bringing her on to this film simply to repeatedly humiliate her. They continue to hurl insults at one another until Bette softens and asks Joan a simple but staggeringly meaningful question: How did it feel to be the most beautiful girl in the world? Joan responds that it was wonderful, but it was never enough. She then returns the favor to Bette: How did it feel to be the most talented girl in the world? Bette replies, It was great. And it was never enough. I mean, stand up and take a bow, ladies. In just those few lines of dialogue, you learn everything you need to about Bette and Joans relationship. Theyre more alike than they want to be, but that tiny recognition aside, these two will never be friends. In another life, maybe.

Definitely, definitely not this one.

That small moment of understanding means nothing when Joan discovers that more and more of her big monologues and scenes are being cut from Sweet Charlotte. She knows its Bettes doing, and shes not going to let that woman have any type of control over her. Joan goes nuclear.

Nuclear for an aging screen legend is, of course, to feign ill and hide out in the hospital until production is halted and the director and studio will have to come crawling back to her and give in to whatever demands she may have. Joans demands are all script notes in the vein of giving her character a much bigger backstory and surrounding her with lots of handsome suitors. Like, I get that. Bob, however, does not. When hes shot around Joans absence as much as possible and is getting threats from the studio about shutting down the production, he pays Joan a little bedside visit. It starts out nice enough, but ends with this colorful line: I suggest you put down your fucking script and pick up your fucking contract and give that a close fucking read. You guys, when Bob told Jack Warner that he was taking his balls back, he really meant it!

So Joanie heads back to set, but not without making it a big production. She rolls up in a wheelchair with a handsome orderly and waits for the applause. The good will doesnt last long. During one of Joans scenes, Bette has Bob cut and they discuss if the entire thing is even necessary. Joans reaction? She says shes dizzy, and once again shes whisked away to the hospital.

Production halts one more time.

Everyone knows exactly what Joan is doing, but this time the studio isnt letting her get away with it. The studio lawyers call Joan in for a little meeting. Bette, as producer, makes sure she is there  she might not be able to control her 16-year-old daughter marrying a man twice her age (fun Google adventure: B.D. and Jeremy are still married), but shes not going to let Joan derail her career.

The studio is willing to release Joan from her contract  but Joan declines. The next option is to submit to an independent exam. If Joan is cleared for work and still refuses to show up, the studio will sue her.

Joan is fully committed to her ruse, so she goes along with the independent exam, thinking she can seduce the doctor into confirming her story. The doctor is impenetrable  regardless of how fabulous Joans eyebrows are. So, when she still does not arrive on set, the studio makes good on their threat: Joan is getting sued. For a lot of money.

Still, she continues to play up her illness in the news; she is the best-looking sick person in town. She is convinced that no actress will agree to take her part and eventually the movie will be scrapped. Sure, shell be out hundreds of thousands of dollars, but so will Bette  and thats enough for her. Unfortunately, Joan forgets that Bette has a lot of actress friends, too.

Bette and Bob get to work on recasting Joans role. Several women have said no, and Bette sure as hell does not want Vivien Leigh attempting to play a southern belle (Bettes cutting remark that Leigh was unconvincing as Scarlett OHara was so unexpected and perfectly Bette). She wants her BFF Olivia de Havilland. And after a little persuasion  she did just air out her Swiss chalet, after all  Olivia, in a gorgeous little teal number, arrives on set and saves Sweet Charlotte. A round of Coca-Colas for everybody!

If you guessed that Joan takes in that piece of news with lots of screaming and then throwing yet another vase in Mamacitas general direction, youd be right. Like the studio, Mamacita is making good on her threat: She told Joan that one more thing being flung at or near her head would be the last. Shes leaving Joan. And just like that, Joan Crawford is left all alone to process how her plan couldve backfired so spectacularly. Its very clear that Joan has lost this round.
At the time of the debut of her most recent public-art project, which was also her first public-art project, Kara Walker would clandestinely ride her bike from her home in Fort Greene to the then-defunct Williamsburg Domino Sugar factory, in which her massive sculpture was housed. The sugar Sphinx was raised in the summer of 2014; crowds as big as 10,000 people gathered to visually consume, and to Instagram, the monumental sculpture. Back then, Walker had dyed the top of her cropped Afro blonde, and her vague purpose in visiting Domino, she tells me, involved evaluating the people who had come to evaluate her work: She wanted to see how the moment of encounter with the colossus could change their faces. But Walkers presence disturbed things, she says  as soon as viewers noticed, their eyes turned from the idol onto her, then they flocked in her direction. She was slightly exhausted by that, she says, still seeming a bit surprised. I dont know, I thought maybe people would be focused on the white-but-black gigantic labia!

Commissioned by the downtown public-art fund Creative Time, A Subtlety, or the Marvelous Sugar Baby induced, like any Kara Walker work, an equivocal ceremony of looking  who looks, at what, and how. The central sculpture  a Sphinx creature with the kerchiefed head of a mammy figure, her breasts naked, her vulva prominent  stood 35 feet by 75 feet, a chimera of unvarnished American desires, protected by an infantry of black-boy figurines carrying agricultural bounty, built from Walkers sketches by a team of nearly 20 fabricators, the 3-D sculpting and milling firm Digital Atelier, and Sculpture House Casting. A foam skeleton overlaid with 40 tons of sugar, water, and resin, the Sugar Baby was the largest single piece of public art ever erected in New York City. It was also one of the biggest in another sense: The show attracted 130,000 visitors, briefly lived a convoluted life as a coveted social-media geo-tag, and seemed, given the many pilgrims it enticed, to herald a new future for public art in the city. As Nato Thompson of Creative Time told me, Kara immediately understood what a different form public art can be.

A Subtlety, or the Marvelous Sugar Baby (2014). Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images

The Sphinx was not meant to be a crowd-pleaser; it was too challenging for that, with compressed politics that were the result of what Walker calls her magical thinking. The Sugar Babys extended title referred to the workers who had been degraded, maimed, underpaid, and killed in factories like this one: an Homage to the unpaid and overworked Artisans who have refined our Sweet tastes from the cane fields to the Kitchens of the New World on the Occasion of the demolition of the Domino Sugar Refining Plant. The sculpture was a feat of reengineering, its materials not only sugar but also the events running through it: the brutal repurposing of black human life for the rank, commercial lusts of white supremacy; the emphasis on black female biological potential over black female creativity; both the bygone and contemporary processes of gentrification that threaten to wipe all indications of these dark and abiding practices from the structures in which they occurred. The developer Two Trees, which underwrote much of A Subtlety, broke ground on its Domino project not long after, turning the site into new apartments, and the Sugar Baby was conceived to be wiped away, too  to be almost completely destroyed following its single showing. But while it was up, Walker wanted to be sure to scrutinize how it was received, and sent a camera crew to film the crowds as they preened, laughed, and selfied around her  producing a kind of surveillance footage. Then she screened the result at Sikkema Jenkins, the gallery that has represented her since 1995.

Its been nearly three years since the Sphinx, and Walker has spent the time interrogating what it means to make monumental and political art  representational or abstract  on the terrain, sites, and buildings in which the lives of black people have been compromised in some way. That is, how to exhume the traumas and delights of an environment rather than fabricating scenes out of black paper  and how to guide the problem of how people look. I am still wrestling with my relationship to what my art might do in the public space, she says. How I can control it.

Entering any room, Kara Walker redirects the flow of attention. She is tall, and her posture is strictly vertical, rarely lax, as if her neck were cinched to the goings-on of a higher plane. Standing in the foyer of her Fort Greene brownstone, the artist wears nondescript black workwear, Timberland boots, and her hair in utilitarian plaits.

From Gone, An Historical Romance of a Civil War as it Occurred between the Dusky Thighs of One Young Negress and Her Heart, 1994. Photo: Orcutt Photo/Kara Walker, courtesy of Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York.

Walker first became famous, quite abruptly, at 25, with her landmark 1994 show Gone: An Historical Romance of a Civil War as It Occurred btween the Dusky Thighs of One Young Negress and Her Heart  a stunning mural installation of cut-paper silhouettes depicting antebellum horrors that remains, by far, the most notable exhibition the Drawing Center has ever mounted (and which at the time thrilled and repulsed viewers, including a constituency of older black artists suspicious of her ease with racial stereotypes). Walker seemed to arrive fully formed, an American confessor exposing the terrors of sentimentalist history. Like the Spanish master Goya, to whom she is often compared, Walker carefully excavates the horrors of her country, rendering the events in stark black-and-white contrast on cut-paper tableaux, paintings, drawings, and sometimes films. A picture of a little girl in profile she found in an academic text aroused a point of entry for her early on in her education. In graduate school at RISD, she pursued the classically vulgar silhouettist style, which allowed her to conflate the ideologies of cartooning with a wry necropolitics. Out of the appalling details of slavery-era subjugation  the contour of a disembodied male arm emerging from a girl-childs skirt, a masters penis approaching the slack maw of a slave-woman  Walker makes commanding work that hews not to the black bourgeois ethic of psychic uplift nor to the art-world tradition of producing to market.

In her studio, wearing a shirt from Stone Mountain, Georgia. Photo: Ari Marcopoulos

Now 47, and a new kind of public figure thanks to the Sugar Baby, Walker remains suspicious of herself, and of the world, however much it has come to celebrate her, expressing to me the bewilderment of a thinker for whom no level of success can stamp out a phobia of personal self-satisfaction  or, worse, infidelity to craft. We talk at her home, by phone, and in her studio, where she brings me one cold day in March. She can be especially mordant in talking about the predicament of the famous black fine artist, a position shes occupied for 23 years. Were in too much of a celebrity culture, she says, but at least that means I can be a disappointment to others.

Kara Walker, My Complement, My Enemy, My Oppressor, My Love, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, 2008. Photo: Joshua White/Kara Walker, courtesy of Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York.

Walkers 2007 traveling retrospective My Complement, My Enemy, My Oppressor, My Love, which drew enormous crowds to the Whitney in New York, cemented her status as a present-day master  and one with an especially urgent set of concerns. The art Walker has produced in the decade since the retrospective is loaded with references to contemporary emergencies that compound, rather than replace, the lynchings, rapes, chases, and captures of Walkers translation of the pre- and post-Reconstruction South. The last few years have brought events that fleece the sweet false parable of post-racialism of its saccharine optimism: I fear that Michael Brown and Tamir Rice and all the rest were killed as proxies for The Black President, she wrote in an essay called Assassination by Proxy, published last September.

Kara Walker, The Crossing, 2017. Photo: Kara Walker, courtesy of Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York.

Walker did not watch the inauguration of President Trump, she tells me, having brought me to the Garment District studio she has occupied for seven years. Instead, she painted The Crossing, a 9-by-12-foot watercolor that references Leutzes 1851 painting Washington Crossing the Delaware. The painting, which I see bubble-wrapped behind her movable wall, appeared in The New Yorker in February. Currently, shes working on another wretched scene of interracial confrontation. It will be finished in a few months, she says, pointing to the most striking action: a naked black woman whipping a police officer dressed in riot gear. The reference for this painting sits on a bench beside drawing paper and Conte crayons  The Slave Trade, by Francois-Auguste Biard, in the fourth volume of The Image of the Black in Western Art.

At the Womens March in New York in January. Photo: Ari Marcopoulos

But her next two projects will be public works, a sign that the Sugar Baby might have been the beginning of a new period, however cautiously Walker has found herself wading into it. After A Subtlety, everybody was asking me to do something in a grist mill or some industrial setting, she says. Last year, megacollector Dakis Joannous deste Foundation for Contemporary Art offered a former slaughterhouse on the island of Hydra in Greece; beginning on June 20, the left hand of the Sugar Baby, making the figa gesture, will be displayed in the center of the facility. Whats going to happen is, this summer, the important art people of the world are going to go to the Venice Biennale, and then theyre going to go to Art Basel, and then some of them are going to get on a boat and come to Hydra and see something theyve already partially seen, she says confidently. Currently, its sitting in a box in a storage facility in New Jersey or Long Island.

I just felt conflicted, Walker says, speaking of the hand. I destroyed the whole piece but I felt something should remain. I didnt keep the head around because I didnt want her just sitting around, staring at me. The interaction of art and place will no doubt inspire prognostications about the nature of relics in the age of the migrant crisis, about the line connecting the genesis of democracy in Greece and the mutilation of women in America. But right now all the curators are worrying about is how theyll get the gigantic hand through the slaughterhouse door. Walker isnt.  You may not cut the hand in half,  she says she told them. I can make another piece, but I dont want to, since were running out of time, she says.

And then, this fall, in New Orleans, an ambitious new work. Walker, together with an engineer and a composer, will fabricate a novel musical instrument and have it play macabre versions of traditional protest songs from its whistles for the Prospect. 4 festival. She conceived the idea when visiting Algiers Point, a site where slaves were held before being auctioned in the 18th century and black men were shot on sight by white vigilantes in the 21st, just days after Katrina viciously rearranged the earth. She is hoping to set the project there.

At home with her daughter, Octavia. Photo: Ari Marcopoulos

In the meantime, a looming move: In May, Walker will transfer her work from Manhattan to a spacious studio in Industry City with a parking lot for snow trucks, a view of the Ikea loading dock and, a bit further off and obscured by fog when I visit, the Statue of Liberty. The move is practical  the new development is much closer to her Brooklyn home, and the rent in midtown has grown exorbitant. The new studio is one massive, rectilinear room with white walls. A recessed cove will serve as an office, and the rest of the space will be divided into a kitchen, two areas for her two assistants, and an open workspace for Walker to produce her paper arts.

Shes still affectionate for the old space.

The Garment District is certainly inhospitable to making art, which is why I love it here, Walker says back in midtown. Every artist partially lives in her workroom, where the relics of failures and half-thoughts are accrued in strange arrangements. The cliche is that the organization of a studio is chaos to everyone except for the artist and her assistants. Walker and one of her assistants had repeatedly described the old studio, in the midst of the move, as messy, but her space looks orderly to me. The cavernous midtown room is stacked with boxes labeled books, office, bookshelves. Elsewhere are photo albums, historical textbooks for reference, her mothers quilt. There is a creaky ladder shes owned for more than a decade. On a gray sectional is a gigantic teddy bear Walker bought from a nearby pharmacy once, after a rough day. Beside it, Italian hand puppets. She squats down, putting on a spontaneous show.

She lingers over a box labeled for OCTAVIA & KLAUS. Walker moved to New York in 2002, after having accepted a teaching position at Columbia University. Before that, shed been living with her then-husband, the jewelry designer Klaus Burgel, and their young daughter, Octavia, in Providence. Walker delayed the initial move to New York for months, a time she remembers mostly as folding laundry in a house in Maine, where Burgel had a brief teaching position. She gave up the Maine house and a black Isuzu, which she sometimes misses driving around the city; the divorce was only finalized in 2010. I certainly had no problem with getting successful at the age that I did, Walker says. But I wasnt the only one in the marriage.

Drawing at home in Brooklyn. Photo: Ari Marcopoulos

She isnt a diva, says the novelist James Hannaham, Walkers cousin, collaborator, and close friend. But Kara just always knew she would attain a certain level of fame. Gone made Walker a sensation at 25, the year she completed her MFA at RISD; the following year, she produced The End of Uncle Tom and the Grand Allegorical Tableau of Eva in Heaven. She earned a MacArthur genius grant two years later, one of the youngest ever to do so. That she was ever loathed, especially in the wake of the Sphinx, may seem odd.

Depending on whom you ask, the campaign against Walker was motivated by an intraracial or a matricidal anxiety. In the 90s, a young black avant-garde  Walker, Glenn Ligon, Michael Ray Charles, Lorna Simpson  felt liberated (by postmodernism, among other things) from the shallower agendas of affirmative art. This liberation appeared to some older artists as a betrayal of tribe.

What are they debating, really? My right to exist?

I felt the work of Kara Walker was sort of revolting and negative and a form of betrayal to the slaves, said Betye Saar in 1999; two years earlier, shed staged a letter-writing campaign asking that Walkers work be censored and destroyed. Shes in deep trouble, said the photographer Carrie Mae Weems at a symposium held at Harvard in 1998 about the use of black stereotypes in image culture. But then so are all of us  in deep trouble. An entire issue of The International Review of African American Art was devoted to dissecting the morality of her work. Walkers bluntness underscored the issue. I think really the whole problem with racism and its continuing legacy in this country is that we simply love it, she wrote in a 1997 artist statement. Who would we be without the struggle? Failing to identify with the struggle meant a failure of aesthetic and professional solidarity.

Today, Walker keeps that issue of International Review on her bookshelf, along with another work called Kara WalkerNo/Kara WalkerYes/Kara Walker?, published in 2009. What are they debating, really? My right to exist? she asks. I was getting a lot of letters and phone calls. People were concerned about me. They were excited to see the work but also concerned about the endemic racism of the gallery system, that I might be swallowed up and spat out by a gallery because of the sensationalistic quality of the work, Walker says of the mid-1990s. I created this space where I as the artist was also the Negress who is to some extent living in the masters house or vying for the masters attention.

In Walkers studio. Photo: Ari Marcopoulos

Walker has played with this provocation  of figuration versus personhood, and the relationship of her own identity to those bodies depicted in her work  ever since. She sometimes refers to herself as a Negress of noteworthy talent, a reference to the slave girl-child character Hilton Als once identified as the saint figure of her compositions. She looks to the languid narrators of southern novels like Gone With the Wind for the flamboyance and piquancy of her drawings. To Walker, art is description, not advertisement. To those who say she might be politically alienated, or that she doesnt exhibit much black allegiance, Walker more or less agrees. I recognize it when I see it in other people, and I recognize it in myself. Even my dealer [Brent Sikkema] would say, People would reach out to you and you seemed to be someplace else. Im older now, but I really lacked empathy in a way I did not realize. Desensitized. Not fully grasping  the positivity of black life and looking more closely at cruel native spaces. But I do that because Ive lived in that space quite a lot.

Im sure she knows the difference between herself and the Sugar Baby, says Hannaham. She knows that her work and persona is a lightning rod for what she calls the pathologies that are everywhere in the country. But she also knows that putting a naked representation of a black woman in a public space invites all sorts of projections, bullshit, and reverence. She likes that.

Photo: Ari Marcopoulos

Many black artists do prefer to make affirming images, says historian Nell Irvin Painter, author of (among other things) The History of White People. But many others want to make whatever images their eyes take them to, whether affirming or not affirming. The controversy remains a live one. In 2013, Painter and Walker participated in a public dialogue following a controversy at the Newark Public Library. Scott London had sent Walkers graphite drawing the moral arc of history ideally bends toward justice but just as soon as not curves back around toward barbarism, sadism, and unrestrained chaos to the library on loan. Its loquacious, literary titling belies the overtness of its chaos: floating figures engaged in states of amoral hygiene. A figure of President Obama wags a condemning hand over a podium, a naked black man clutches a fleeing figure, and the head of a black woman is forced into a white mans crotch. Employees at the library decided to cover the painting with a sheet.

I wouldnt make art if it were purely an ego-driven exercise.

Its funny, theres a way in which the accusation of stereotype reveals more of how their eyes work versus how my work works, Walker says. I wouldnt make art if it were purely an ego-driven exercise. Then, calmly, she moves in another rhetorical direction. If the work is reprehensible, that work is also me, coming from a reprehensible part of me. Im not going to stop doing it because what else could I do?

Even as interest turns her way, Kara Walker is not excitable, says Hannaham. Kara is almost as calm as Obama. She has the hermeneutic idea of the role of the artist in society  a person who is strong enough to withstand projection and then can project ideas back to the people in such a way that their minds change. Or not.

Walker speaks at a hushed but youthful clip, which makes it seem like the artist is sometimes startled by the drift of her own brain. She will dole out a terse declaration  Ive been disinterested over the years with my own family history  only to soften a moment later  This is my childhood couch, she says, gesturing to the gray piece of furniture in her living room.

Kara Walker, Negress Notes (BURNING CROSSES DONT MEAN ANYTHING UNLESS ACCOMPANIED BY A BURNING NIGGER), 2015 Photo: Kara Walker, courtesy of Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York.

Born under the constructed glow of golden multiculturalism, as she calls it, in Stockton, California, in 1969, Walker moved with her family to Stone Mountain, a suburb of Atlanta, in the mid-80s. Her father, the artist Larry Walker, had gotten a job at a university. The area is named for the geographical feature on which a conspicuous bas-relief was dynamited into existence post-Reconstruction, a propaganda carving of the Confederate martyr figures Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, and Jefferson Davis sponsored by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. There, Walker endured the double adolescence of black childhood: the common social ritual of becoming an adult and then the explicit social ritual of becoming a black adult. Perhaps you could say that much of my work is an endeavor to disappoint my father, she jokes. Later, she clarifies: Walker pere appreciates his daughters oeuvre, but has asked, when considering a negative-space watercolor of burning crosses called Burning Crosses Dont Mean Anything Unless Accompanied by a Burning Nigger, When are you going to get over this race thing?

Curiosity guides Walker, even in the difficult milieu where stereotype and humanity collude, where the mammies, tar babies, demonic masters and their apathetic wives live. As she tells me about Georgia back at her house, she places ginkgo and black teas at a pale wood kitchen table. Her cat, the plump and ornery Pearl, has taken up residence someplace unseen outside the kitchens screen door. Next to notebooks and stray pencils is a laptop that holds video Walker filmed, unsteady shots documenting the circuit of civil-rights landmarks and stone Confederate erections that surrounded her as a teenager. Two years ago, Walker realized the rocks intrusion into her daily horizon made it an icon of technique and of subject, to say nothing of the allure of uncut ideological brass. I make work thats historical, thats profiled, thats cut out. There was a moment, looking up at it, where I knew that this  she pauses before finding the word, which is right but not appropriate  this monument was the biggest influence on my work, Walker says.

On New Years Day in Fort Greene Park. Photo: Ari Marcopoulos

Since A Subtlety, trips have provided Walker novel filters through which to see her familiar American ruins  and possibly some strategies to revivify them. Last year, she completed a residency at the American Academy in Rome. Going to Rome was good medicine, a little distance on the violence in America, and a cultural break from being perceived as a black girl, Walker wrote after the trip. And earlier this year, she led a group of graduate students she teaches at Rutgers down to Atlanta, Americas premier black bourgeois metropolis, and its mellow environs, including the small town of Franklin, her fathers birth town. Nominally, it was a resource trip to collect rubbings and video for an installation. But she also found herself conducting personal business, visiting Old Friendship, a dilapidated cemetery that held several of her ancestors remains. For more than two uninterrupted centuries, segregationist codes decided where and with what flourish her people could lay their dead, she says, recounting the trip. I wonder if I half-expected something to jump out at me. Like the idea of a ghost.

Were it that sort of morning, the works on the walls of Walkers open-plan living space would have been streaked with light. There is a portrait of a black man in profile by the Ghanaian-British painter Lynette Yiadom-Boakye that Walker acquired in a trade with the artist. Photos by Ari Marcopoulos take up most of the wall space: Jean-Michel Basquiat nude in his tub, a zoomed-in shot of the black soldier at Grand Army Plazas Soldiers and Sailors Arch, and a gold-framed portrait of the rapper Pusha T, looking imperious in an expensive white T-shirt. Marcopoulos himself is in the living room, grazing through Walkers vast record collection. He chooses Miles Davis. Im sure people already figured it out, but if they didnt know yet, theyll know now, says Walker, raising up her arms.

Marcopoulos and Walker met when he took a portrait of her in her old Garment District studio; they live together now. For the past few years, theyve collaborated on books, pamphlets, and exhibitions. The photographer went with Walker to Atlanta in 2015, helping her to collect the impressions that would compose Go to Hell or Atlanta, Whichever Comes First, her 2015 show at Victoria Miro in London and her first major exhibition after A Subtlety. Marcopoulos had an insurgent fantasy of slowly vandalizing Stone Mountain by planting wisteria on its seditious face.

At home. Photo: Ari Marcopoulos

When Walker entered the Atlanta College of Art in 1987, she had yet to develop her silhouetted antebellum world. An etiquette of racial politesse guided her studies. And Walker says she tended toward a cartoonist style, regardless of the subject. She loved Andy Warhol and Charles Schulz. (Schulz sent Walker a cartoon and letter, which she stores in the library on the top floor of her home.) It had to be historical, as well as figurative, and it had to speak to the whole range of black consciousness, she says, enumerating the Atlanta-art-world expectations. She read her Toni Morrison and Octavia Butler on the side, she says, but I was sort of tsk-tsked by the other classmates for not doing blackness in my work. I just always thought it was too direct. I thought I was going to do it wrong. My lack of edification, or my lack of clarity on what black identity could be in my own experience  I just thought I was going to put my foot in my mouth if I was honest about my own failings as a black woman.

Dont look, Walker says, after leading me to the computer in her midtown studio. The sound of a freakish wind instrument fills the room, playing a dirge whose melody is at odds with its high pitch. I was walking down an uncomfortably picturesque street in the Ninth Ward, and I heard this alien sound, she says of a recent trip to New Orleans. She pulls up a video of the Steamboat Natchez, which operates on the Mississippi River. Walker first responded to Hurricane Katrina and the racialized, wrecking power of water in the After the Deluge 2006 exhibition at the Met. But she isnt yet finished reckoning with that flood.

New Orleans is its own art piece, Walker says. For her, the dilemma of a site-specific project is one of reconciliation. The site provides the medium, and often the subject, too. But conceiving a project entirely through a space is a surrender. Walker is adjusting to the ritual, developing a method of producing works of monumental art over which she maintains authority.

When Walker first visited the Domino refinery in 2013, the whole place overwhelmingly stank of molasses, she recalls. The history would not dry. The sugar-baron Havemeyer family opened the complex on the Brooklyn waterfront in 1856; much of the initial sugarcane harvesting was done by slaves. An 18th-century missionary poet, shaken by the violent exigencies of cultivating and cutting sugarcane, theorized that inevitably, blood was in the sugar  symbolically, sugar might have then been in the blood. By 1870, the Williamsburg refinery, which got renamed Domino Sugar in 1900, was producing more than half the countrys supply of sugar.

In her studio working on The Republic of New Afrika at a Crossroads (2016), now in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Photo: Ari Marcopoulos

Algiers Point presents a different challenge: The blood of the black dead was spilled so recently; its memory still courses. By making a cyclical performance piece, she realized, Walker had the opportunity to honor the past, and the city, without giving up control. The instrument will be a performing object, one that will have an effect on the nerves, maybe, Walker says. She is still figuring out the vessel to carry the instrument, a wagon that may or may not take human form.

Kara Walker, Slavery! Slavery! 1997 Photo: Joshua White/Kara Walker, courtesy of Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York.

Walker tells me that New Orleans may become something like the next iteration of a project she half-abandoned two decades ago in Minneapolis. When she installed that silhouette mural, called Slavery! Slavery!, shed hoped to extend the round room in which the cut-paper scene was mounted, like the Civil War cyclorama at the Atlanta History Center. I imagined that all the cut-paper pieces were existing on the same landscape somehow, and that if you put them all together youd be in this endless cycle. That way, she explains, the work would be both monumental and animate  all the binaries of the master-slave dialectic would constantly reassert themselves, and though there would be moments of exit, escape, and resistance, the theater of carnivalesque action would not end. She calls the result a kind of plantation fantasy, one that she is trying to figure out how to remote-control from Brooklyn. Then she pauses. Im saying something out loud that I hadnt even admitted to myself, Walker says. So there you go.

*This article appears in the April 17, 2017, issue of New York Magazine.
Though televisions sexiest couple, Claire and Jamie Fraser, havent seen each other in 20 years and are now continents and two centuries apart, the first trailer for Outlanders third season does bring some hope for them to be reunited. Jamie (living in 18th-century Scotland) promises, in a swoon-worthy monologue voice-over, that hell find his wife (Claire, living in the 20th century). Also, while its not shown in the trailer, we have it on good authority (Caitriona Balfe, the actress who plays Claire), that the two will definitely have smoking-hot reunion sex when they do reunite in time and space. Outlander returns to Starz in September.
We knew heading into Saturday that this past weekends episode of Saturday Night Live would be noteworthy, since it was going to be the first time in the shows 40+ year history that it was broadcast live, coast to coast, for all of America (and Canada) to enjoy in unison. That milestone, however, wasnt the only unusual thing to happen after Alec Baldwin said Live from New York in the cold open. See, though the show was certainly live, it wasnt completely from New York.

Spicey gone wild!!! #LiveFromLA, Melissa McCarthy Instagrammed at 1:30 a.m. ET (or, more accurately, 10:30 p.m. PT), revealing that McCarthys most recent send-up of Sean Spicer was in fact shot in L.A. A Vulture source has confirmed that the sketch was telecast live from a Los Angeles studio (McCarthy also participated remotely in the dress rehearsal), with the show shipping the Spicer costume out West ahead of time.

Im told this isnt the first time the show has shot something live in L.A. (so, not including pre-tapes and video pieces), though it is extremely rare. McCarthy being out of the 30 Rock studio is why this version of the sketch got relatively less response from the audience, and why it seemed like her pacing wasnt exactly matching up with the laughs. (There wasnt an audience in the L.A. studio.)



We dont yet know if the show plans on using this approach as a permanent work-around to the logistical challenge of having given high-profile impressions to busy movie stars. Theres also no word whether McCarthy attended the after-party, via satellite, at home in her pajamas, still wearing her Spicer makeup.
Like the frontier fundamentalists in the flashback sequence that opens its third and final season premiere, The Leftovers is greeting the end with open arms. Co-created by Election author Tom Perrotta and Lost honcho Damon Lindelof, and based on Perrottas novel of the same name, the show has only seven more episodes to go before its over forever. You might expect its chronicle of a world where millions of people suddenly vanished into thin air  and of the messed-up, blessed, and cursed lives of those left behind  to slow down, pare back, take stock.

Fat chance of that. The Book of Kevin, tonights episode, takes a decidedly accelerationist approach to its countdown to extinction. It starts with a cleverly soundtracked excursion to a pioneer community, where an apocalyptically minded Christian sect is perpetually disappointed to discover that the world is not ending as scheduled. It then jumps to the very day we last left off, with the members of a very different cult, the nihilistic Guilty Remnant, holed up in the visitors center for the national park theyve just stormed. Then the government sends in a drone and blows up all 93 of them, including longtime cast member Liv Tylers ringleader Meg Abbott and Jasmin Savoy Browns young recruit Evie Murphy, to kingdom come.

We pick up the action three years later, with our heroes lives not so much different as reshuffled. Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux) is chief of police again, but of Jarden, Texas, rather than Mapleton, New York. The department he heads includes his son, Tommy (Chris Zylka), whose stint as a federal-agent-murdering cult member indicates the Jarden PD could do with more stringent background checks, as well as a white horse Kevin rides while on duty, which does the impossible by making him somehow even more handsome. His longtime companion, Nora (Carrie Coon, whos pulling double duty on Fargo this year), still works for the Department of Sudden Departures, serving as a liaison with the police if any homicide suspects claim their alleged victims were raptured rather than murdered; one of her arms is in a cast for reasons yet to be explained, which makes it hard for her to get undressed but easy for her and Kevin to kick off their foreplay.

Kevin and Noras house also serves as the office for John Murphy (Kevin Carroll), whos undergone quite the 180 since last we saw him. Last year he tried to murder Kevin; this year hes the dudes BFF. Last year he ran the palm-reading psychic Isaac out of town; this year hes taken over his gig. But unlike Isaac, whose gifts appear to have been for real, Johns a goldbricker. Rather than relaying genuine messages from the dead to his bereaved clients, he recites information fed to him via earpiece by Laurie Garvey (Amy Brenneman), ex-wife of Kevin and ex-member of the Guilty Remnant cult, who culls supposedly unknowable secrets from social media accounts. But dont worry  they only do it to provide their clients with closure and shred the money they charge. (Because whod believe it if it were free, right?) Oh, yeah, John and Laurie are also married now, and everyone seems cool with it  including Lauries no-longer-estranged daughter Jill (Margarte Quallley), whos home from college to celebrate Tommys birthday in a badass Nirvana Incesticide T-shirt.

Elsewhere in town, Reverend Matthew Jamison (Christopher Eccleston), Noras brother, preaches to an ever-growing congregation about the possibility that something incredible may happen in Jarden 14 days from now, on the seventh anniversary of the Southern Departure. He parades his no-longer-comatose wife, Mary (Janel Moloney), and their son, Noah, as proof that this is a place where miracles happen, and hes got Johns religiously devout son, Michael (Jovan Adepo), backing him up. Here, I suppose, is the place to mention the episodes two big reveals: Mary is leaving Matt because shes tired of his fundamentalist zeal about her reawakening, no matter how long he waited for it; and Matt, Michael, and John are co-conspirators in the creation of the episodes titular Book of Kevin, a gospel inspired by the idea that Kevin Garvey cannot die within the Jarden city limits and therefore may be the messiah. Im not fucking Jesus, Kevin says when he finds out. Im not saying you are, Matt deadpans in his goofily broad way, but the beard looks good on you. Rim shot! Or at least there would be a rim shot if Kevin didnt physically attack him first.

As with any good time-jump gimmick, the episode allows your mind to race through its three-year gap. Wheres Erika (American Crimes Regina King)? What happened to Nora and Kevins adopted daughter, Lily? How did Nora break her arm? What persuaded Kevin and Tommy to put on the badge? John and Laurie  whats that about? Are Matt and Michael and John on to something with this whole Book of Kevin business, or are they, you know, crazy? But these arent the sort of information-gap games played by the show during its earliest episodes, when vital information like the sibling relationship between Nora and Matt was withheld for no apparent reason other than to provide a cheap shock when the reveal arrived. Nor is this the narrative sudoku played by Westworld and other shows, in which mysteries are treated like puzzles to be solved rather than questions to be explored for emotional payoffs. What The Leftovers is doing here has a lot more in common with Mad Mens between-season leaps, in which the show would skip over a few months and rely on its (and our) firm grasp of its characters to make sense of the differences between then and now. It displays remarkable faith in the audiences intelligence. And by the time a genuine WTF twist does roll around, in the form of a much older Nora living in Australia under an assumed name and denying any knowledge of Kevin at all, youre having too much fun to care.

Wait, whats that? Fun? In my episode of The Leftovers? Its more common than you think. Ever since the show gave itself an overhaul by introducing a new setting and new cast at the beginning of season two, and especially since it spent an entire episode watching Kevin attempt to murder his way out of the Afterlife Hotel, The Leftovers has become one of TVs most rollicking viewing experiences by virtue of its sheer audacity. Itll kick off a season with a sequence set hundreds or even thousands of years in the past with no apparent connection to the present not once, but twice. Itll juxtapose a lazy morning in the burbs soundtracked by Simon & Garfunkels The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin Groovy) with the image of Kevin attempting to asphyxiate himself with a plastic bag and duct tape. Itll reintroduce Dean the dog hunter (Michael Gaston), a menacing character we havent seen since season one, only to reduce him to black-comic relief with his claim that dogs have assumed human form and begun infiltrating the government  then make him menacing again by having him shoot and nearly kill Kevin before his son Tommy blows the guys brains all over the side of the squad car. Itll feature a scene in which a gaggle of bros disobey town zoning laws to erect a gigantic inflatable statue of Gary Busey in anticipation of his Second Coming.

Comedy, tragedy, horror, symbolism: The Leftovers fires them at you one after the other and doesnt much care whether youre able to field them. To find another show this confidently manic in its creativity youd have to turn to Paolo Sorrentinos The Young Pope  minus its emotional ambiguity and gorgeous European pomp and camp, perhaps, but with a relentless focus on grief, trauma, and all-American God and guns and self-improvement schemes that make for a pretty fair trade. For Lindelof (co-writing with Patrick Somerville), a creator who once seemed debilitatingly preoccupied by the reactions of his audience, this show is an absolute breakthrough. For director Mimi Leder, its a showcase for a steady hand and keen eye that keep all the disparate parts working as a powerful, often beautiful whole. For its very lucky viewers, its a sign from television heaven that rumors of Peak TVs demise have been greatly exaggerated. That crazy frisson you feel while watching the best shows, where you start each episode having no clue what will happen, but every confidence that it will somehow feel right? The Leftovers is one of the chosen few that can give it to you.
Somewhere deep in the halls of a Georgia mansion, makeup artists and hairstylists quietly and deliberately lay out their tools. Every sudden noise, no matter how quiet or distant, causes them to flinch. A hairstylist has to close her eyes and go through a breathing exercise at every closing door. It could be them, she thinks to herself. A makeup artist finds herself staring into the middle distance clutching a lip liner  waiting  waiting because once they arrive, it cant be stopped. At first slowly, then all at once, they are upon us, she thinks. And just as that thought leaves her mind, she hears them. Cackling, scheming, screaming. The Housewives. It is time to transform them into their final forms. To perform one final night of magic. To transform them into their Reunion Selves.

Once the Housewives teeter off to be arranged on two couches facing their overlord, the makeup artists and hairdressers collapse, their life forces drained and spent to make the Housewives seem human and relatable, but also glamorous. A task so monumental that the artists expire, having given their all. For this. The Four Part Reunion Special.

Oh, boy, yall. There is a whole bunch of mess here and it is all covered in a layer of Remy hair and an even thicker layer of psychosexual obsessions. It all starts out so fun and frivolous and suddenly Porsha and Kandi are talking over each other but also to Andy about if they were ever friends. The reunion makes me exhausted, I dont like any of them right now, and weve got three more hours of this to go.

First, Andy runs downs everyones looks and new hair choices. Andy slips up and calls Porshas short unit a little Kandi Burress season two, and Porsha says, or Halle Berry. Okay, fam. Cynthia has a big fro shes named her freak ho. Cynthia is finally 50, you guys. Im 22 years younger than her, but I would drink her blood to gain her essence. Kandi is wearing a gold-sequined jumpsuit and I want it for a upcoming wedding I will be going to and will be the only person of color in attendance.

The first topic is how often everyone is showing each other their vaginas and titties. Every time they bring up the word titties, Kenya screams TITTAYS to the sky like its the secret word on PeeWees Playhouse. Phaedra also turns into some sort of goblin whenever someones titties or camel toe is flourishing. She might be more ready to jump into the lady pond then shed admit. This season, the women have inserted the following things in their bodies: yoni eggs, vaginal rejuvenation wands, and new breast implants. Phaedra also declared it the year of the camel toe. There is a huge fascination with their erogenous zones, but none of them seem to be having a lot of fun with their sexuality. Everyone is worried about things sagging or puffing up or stretching out. Yall. Your bodies are fine. More than fine  amazing. No need to insert a rose-quartz egg (which is porous by the way) into your vagina. Just do some kegels waiting for your coffeemaker to percolate in the morning and youll be fine.

Andy also tries to find out if any of the women have had work done on their faces, claiming they are the most intact of all the franchises. A few Housewives meekly raise their hands that theyve tried Botox or fillers. Porsha says she has to stop because her Dish Nation job means she has to emote. Im gonna leave that there.

The first controversial topic is the battle of the buildings. Chateau Sheree vs. Moore Manor with Lake Bailey sitting in the corner minding its own business. Kenya drew a gun on some intruders and Andy asks if anyone else has a gun. YEAH, THEY GOT GUNS, ANDY. Anyone could have told you that. Kenya has been going around spreading rumors that Sheree isnt living in her house because she drives by all the time and she never sees the lights on. How are we supposed to prove this? Sheree says she is, so she is. Kenya, why do you care so much if Sheree is living there? She was rude about your house? Because you want to be shady. Move on, get a hobby, pick up needlepoint. Sheree and Kenya argue about who is more self-made and who is more able to pay for their house. Youre both on Real Housewives with otherwise dubious sources of income. Neither hair care nor Who Gon Check Me, Boo? shirts are making them mortgage payments. The only truly despicable moment in this exchange is when its revealed that Kenya didnt provide a toilet for her contractors. Girl. Its more shocking than Sheree accusing Kenya of having a rich African pay for her house.

Attention gets turned on Phaedra and attention needs to be turned on Phaedra. This episode doesnt get into all the strange happenings around Phaedra, but focuses on her charity work, both with national issues and trying to have a reconciliation service for the Housewives. When the topic of the divorce party gone wrong comes up, Phaedra decides to drag up Kenya texting Apollo years ago and tries to make a long reach between that and the divorce party. Ive said it before and Ill say it again  Kenya tends to deal with issues in a childlike way. Her solution to her friends getting divorced is to play an adult version of Pin the Tail on the Donkey. Were not operating at the highest level here.

I believe that Kenya was trying to have some stupid fun and was probably egged on by producers. Phaedra going back on forgiving Kenya by claiming she never really forgave her and well, she did do it is exhausting. Your husband is in jail. Youre seeking a divorce from him. Hes got a new girlfriend. In the grand scheme of the bullshit hes pulled, him texting Kenya is like a three. And why arent you more mad at Apollo for texting Kenya?! Phaedra also throws out that Kenya drinks like a fish and might be an alcoholic. Phaedra definitely wants to come across like a saint, but she sure has a funny way of doing it.

Kenya says theres a Southern Belle side of Phaedra and a Freak side. Phaedra then goes, You can talk about seeing yourself in the Dubai datebook all you want  Okay? Give me something you can back up with dates and times! Name Dubai names!

Now its time to deal with Porshas anger management. Oh, boy. I almost broke my fingers trying to take notes of all the cross talk and shouting. As we all remember, Phaedra told Kenya that Porsha wanted to talk to everyone about Porshas anger management but when Kenya brought it up, Porsha was stunned and it all unraveled from there. For some bizarre reason, Porsha keeps excusing the fact that Phaedra lied to her about telling Kenya. Porsha kept insisting that her anger management was her private business, her good squirrel friend shouldnt be telling everybody! But Porsha is quick to accept any answer Phaedra gives her. Hmmmm, I say. Hmmm.

Kandi also points out that Porsha is quick to excuse Phaedras wrongdoings but holds grudges against everyone else. There has to be something more there for Porsha to keep forgiving Phaedra over and over. Kandi accepts that she has a strong personality and says if everyone left her alone, she wouldnt be fighting with folks, but Porsha and Phaedra love to drag up old slights and pop off. Kandi says that she always stood up for Porsha and gave money for her charity causes because of their friendship. Porsha says that she cant be bought and Kandi thinks she can buy people and then belittle them.

TO BE CONTINUED. (Three more times.)
President Barack Obama Photo-Illustration: Getty Images

This interview originally ran in April 2017. We are rerunning it now that David Litts book, Thanks, Obama, is in stores.

When Donald Trump announced that he wasnt going to attend the White House Correspondents Dinner, it wasnt a surprise, considering his thin skin and the time he bombed at the Al Smith Dinner. But it was a bummer. Not just because it would be good TV to watch Trump get made fun of to his face, but because the White House Correspondents Dinner is a strange, unique night of comedy. The president, who has the busiest, most consequential job in the world, and who is (usually) not a trained entertainer, has to do a 20-minute stand-up set. And it has to be good.

Behind the scenes, there is a similar contradiction at work: The speechwriters who spend most of their lives writing about tax plans have to turn into the Daily Show writers room for a month. Knowing that the dinner was coming every year, Obama was always sure to have a joke guy on staff. For much of his administration, David Litt was that guy.

On this weeks episode of Good One, Vultures podcast about jokes and the people who write them, Litt talks about the nitty-gritty of writing bits for the most powerful person in the world. Specifically, the interview focuses on the 2015 dinner, in which Keegan-Michael Key came out as his Key & Peele character Luther, Obamas anger translator. The result is an interesting look at high-pressure comedy writing and what Obama was like as a boss.

Listen to the episode and read a transcript of our discussion below. Season two of Good One is set to return in late October. Subscribe on iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Jesse David Fox: On a basic, biographical level, but also a metaphysical level, what led you to working as a speechwriter with a focus on jokes for President Obama?

David Litt: I had intermittently been interested or disgusted with politics when I was in high school and college. Id always been interested in comedy, and I was one of those college students who edited a humor magazine and was in an improv group. After I finished my junior year of college, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do and I saw Obama speak during the primaries. The moment I saw that speech, I was like, I want to do whatever hes doing. So, I worked in Ohio as a field organizer on the 2008 campaign, moved to D.C. because of Hope and Change, and ended up getting an internship at a speechwriting firm that turned into a job at a speechwriting firm, where they happened to write jokes for politicians. I pitched a few jokes to the Correspondents Dinner in 2009 or 2010 and then, when I got this White House job, I was one of the people who they thought, Okay, he can write jokes.

Does the White House usually have a person so joke-focused, or was that something Obama-specific?

Most White Houses think about the Correspondents Dinner, but I was not hired as the joke guy. Eleven months a year, I wrote speeches about housing policy or infrastructure. There was one year where I was working on the Correspondents Dinner and simultaneously working on a speech about the Holocaust, so it was a very weird headspace to have to spend the morning on one and the afternoon on the other. Our designated funny person was John Lovett. Then he moved to Hollywood to write a sitcom in 2011 and they were like, Okay, I guess youre the new token funny guy.

You said for 11 months of the year, youre not working on this at all. Did you have notes in your phone to be remember jokes or topics you want to hit?

For a few years, I would try to keep notes running all year long and then Id have these weird notes in my phone like, Paul Ryan. Zombie? Just really dumb. What I found was anything that seems like its really current, three weeks later, its not. So we really got going three weeks in advance, maybe three and a half.

How does the planning start?

The Correspondents Dinner was like a writers room. We had a couple of people inside the building who would pitch jokes. We had this diaspora of people who used to work in the White House  whether that was Jon Favreau, who used to be the chief speechwriter, Jon Lovett, David Axelrod. And we would work with professional comedy writers, whether that was big names like Judd Apatow, or just like someone I went to school with. Lets say, three weeks out, I would send a list of topics to everybody and wed slowly get submissions back. While thats going on, I would also be writing my own stuff.

Every other speech pretty much had one speechwriter, but it would be very, very hard for one person to write the Correspondents Dinner on their own. Jokes are just different than speeches in that way. Every line needs to be the best possible version of that line, and its all new, its all original.

You mentioned Judd. Do you remember jokes Judd pitched you? There was one from 2013  Judd and Lovett teamed up to write this  where the president said, Everyone wants to know why am I not doing more outreach to Congress? Why dont you get a drink with Mitch McConnell? Why dont you get a drink with Mitch McConnell? What I noticed was speechwriters tend to be precise about language, but professional comedy writers tend to bring attitude in a different way. That was helpful because we got to do things that we wouldnt otherwise do.

Part of what made writing jokes for the president a lot easier than writing jokes for a lot of other politicians is that he has that performers sense of self-awareness. He could pull off a joke like that because he knows, Okay, this is how Im being perceived. That is not a requirement to be a senator or a president, but he happened to possess that.

What is it like to write jokes for the president of the United States? Does it ever feel normal, like youre just writing jokes for anybody?

It never felt normal to me. Maybe some people were like, Ah yeah, this is no big deal. I never crossed that threshold. The thing that is very, very different about writing jokes for a president is that, the next day, that person is still the president. So if you say something that breaks some taboo or offends somebody, youre still on the hook for that. Generally speaking, joke writers are not the type to self-censor constantly, but you have to be thinking in that way to write jokes for a president. Or at least to write jokes for President Obama, who cared about that sort of stuff.

Obama has an interesting persona in all of them. How would you describe it?

President Obama doing these comedy monologues was not terribly different than him as a candidate. Its a lot of confidence, a lot of intelligence, and then some sense of audience. Obviously Im biased, but before I was working on the speechwriting team, I always thought he could give a speech where it wasnt just that you thought, Oh, Obamas great, but it made you feel really great. And on top of that he has this sense of, Yeah, Im pretty good and I know it. It was fun to write for somebody who can do both of those things.

I cant think of a president that had to deal with as many absurd conspiracy theories, and he played with all of them. How deliberate were you guys, like, Oh, we gotta hit birther, Muslim, socialist?

Well, it wasnt like we had a bingo card, but I do think it was a moment to be like, Really? This is happening? One of Jon Lovetts jokes in 2012 was, This job has aged me. I look in the mirror and I think, Im not the strapping young Muslim socialist I used to be. Lines like that, where you can joke about it rather than vent about it, was a nice sort of release valve.

I imagine theres a certain sort of paradox in writing for the president. You want to write something thats funny because the president of the United States is saying it, but you dont want to write jokes that are funny only for that reason.

Well, when the president tells joke, half of the joke is that its the president telling a joke. Hes not going to tell a joke that would be right for Louis C.K. or Seth Meyers; hes going to tell jokes that make sense for him. In that sense, it is also a little bit liberating.

We had at least one Oval Office meeting where we were going over jokes, and we had one that went a little bit too far on the performing element where the president wasnt just playing the president, but we were asking him to kind of play a character. And at the end, he sort of looked at us and said, That would be funny, if a comedian did it. And were like, okay, message received.

At what point are you involving the president?

Usually we would have these topics, get submissions, and bring everything together. Lets say, 600 or 700 jokes total come in. We end up with about 40, and those we would bring to the president. Some years, we would bring them as a list. Some years, we would try to do a script. Hed read through them and cut, lets say, ten that he isnt liking. Theres usually a few more where hed say, This is pretty good, but maybe we could do better on this, or make a series of frantic notes next to that joke in the script. And then wed go back and do another, at least two, sometimes three meetings.

At what point was the first meeting?

The dinners always on a Saturday, so the first meeting was usually Tuesday or Wednesday.

Did you have certain big swings in there? Was he willing to allow you guys to push the envelope, at least with him?

Oh, for sure. The danger was not disappointing him; it was taking up his time. If hes wasting five minutes reading jokes he doesnt like, thats five minutes that could be spent on, like, Afghanistan. For him, it was never an issue of trying to scale us back; it was usually the opposite. He would read something and say, This is pretty good, but could we go a little edgier, a little sharper with it? Sharper and edgier were his two big notes, so you went back to your office feeling free to take an even bigger swing.

Lets talk about Luther, Keegan-Michael Keys anger translator character from Key & Peele. The character had been around for years at this point, and Obama has already said he liked him. What was the germ of the idea to make it happen in 2015?

We wanted to do this every year. The first year I was responsible for the joke writing process was 2012, and even then we said, Should we get Luther the Anger Translator? Then we thought about it and said, This is an election year. Maybe we dont want to risk it. In 2013 and 2014, it didnt really feel right. And then, in 2015, we had this attitude of, All right, were just going for it. Its the fourth quarter of the presidency, we dont care anymore. That was the big national story: Obamas liberated, hes doing whatever he wants. So this seems like the perfect time to do it.

What was the process of writing it once Keegan agreed to do it?

I assumed that Keegan and their team would just be like, Okay, well handle this from here, but he was like, Why dont you guys do it? So its trying to write for both the presidents voice and this voice of a character you really enjoy, but youve never written for. I wrote a draft, and then sent that to some of our sort of most trusted comedy people. We sent it back to Keegan, he made some edits and so on. Three to four days before the speech, the president knew we were going to do it. He was excited, but he hadnt seen the script, so we brought that in and he took a look at it for the first time.

Whats the rehearsal process like?

Pretty abbreviated for something like this. The president read through the lines with us once or twice before.

Youre playing Luther?

No, he would do both. I think he actually kind of liked the chance to be in the room playing Luther. That was Thursday or Friday. Saturday, the day of the dinner, we only had 20 minutes to get it right. At about 4 oclock, we smuggled Keegan into the West Wing  making sure that no journalists would see him  and then around 6, we figured, Okay, the journalists are all going to their parties, we can bring him out. We brought him over to the Map Room, which is one of the rooms, which has all these World War II maps and these old, fancy Colonial maps. We had the setup with the podium, and the president came in and we just started. We did it once and then, briefly, they made a couple of notes and then we did it again. And thats it. You get in a motorcade and you go.

Is it on you to give the president notes if his performance is off? It is, but for the most part, youre careful with stuff like that because you dont want to act like hes an actor. I mean, his job is to be the president and he happens to be there telling jokes. If something had been wildly off, it would have been my job to say, You know, Mr. President, this is not going to work if we do it this way. If its like, Oh, this could be slightly funnier if you really hit that last word in a joke rather than the first word  thats a point where you keep your mouth shut and say, Hes got other things to worry about.

Were there specific beats that you were excited to try when you were scripting it?

I was excited about making sure we could build in a twist at the end where the president gets really angry. That, to me, was fun both because I felt it would be fun for him, but also because there is a moment to talk about something real. In this case, were talking about climate-change deniers in Congress to let POTUS get really angry in a way he probably would in private, and then also help answer the question, Why is this different than the same Luther the Anger Translator sketches we see on TV? Doing both of those things seemed important to me.

I dont think Ive ever heard Barack Obama talk that way. Because hes playing a part, they all allowed it, but that might have been the angriest he ever was on TV.

Obviously hes playing a character, even though that character is himself, but thats probably the most angry he got in public. I think that is one of the reasons he was excited about doing it. It was a chance to let loose a little bit.

Do you remember the response in the room?

I remember the first moment Luther walked out onstage, and Keegan was really milking every single step. A third of the people in the room were like, Oh my God, I dreamed of this moment. And then a third of the people in the room were like, Im not sure about this. And a third of the people in the room were like, Who is this guy, and what is going on? Because the Correspondents Dinner audience runs the gamut. There was this weird tension and it took a couple of lines for that tension to break. Once people realized what was happening and felt like, Oh, were in the middle of something special, then you started to see people get really excited about it. At the very end  when the president got really upset about climate-change deniers and Luthers trying to calm him down  there was a moment where there were a lot of people on their feet, both because they enjoyed it, but also they felt like it had done this bank shot, where now were talking about something real.

Keegan Michael-Key as Luther jokes about it when he says, Really, what is this dinner?! The question I want to ask you more than any other is  why? Whats the point of this event existing? Whats the point of a president doing this?

Its important that a president does something like this because theres this relationship we have between the press and the president and the country. Every president thinks the press is unfair and the press always thinks the president doesnt give them enough access and is trying to keep them from doing their jobs. Thats just the way it is. But on this one night, everyone sort of says, In our own way, each of us is important to democracy. Thats one important element of it.

To me, the other important thing is its a chance for the most powerful person on Earth to tell some jokes and, usually, tell some jokes at their own expense. We would have millions of people watch these things on YouTube  not just in the United States, but in countries like China, where the idea that your leader would tell a joke or acknowledge a vulnerability or be anything other than this kind of demigod totally blew peoples minds. Just the fact that he was up there telling jokes. That was something that was really exciting about the Correspondents Dinners, writing aside. Just this moment where we got to say, the president of the United States is going to acknowledge, Hey, Im only human. Were all here to laugh.

Which brings us to the current president. What was your reaction to President Trumps decision not to attend the Correspondents Dinner?

Its not so much that its a bad decision. Donald Trump is a bad person and that is reflected in his decision-making. I dont say that lightly. I dont say that a lot of people are bad people. What I mean by that is, he does not understand the value of a free press. He doesnt understand the value of being able to joke about yourself or admit that its a democracy. Im the president, Im the leader, but Im also just a citizen and I work for you, not the other way around. So all of that together makes him say, Why would I go to an event like this? not as a joke, but for real. These people are out to get me. Im not going to be adored and loved unconditionally. Im going to have to earn it, so Im just going to skip it. That is a real shame and it sends a bad message. Its not the worst message hes sent, but I dont think its a good message to other countries. It was a chance for us to show that you can be more powerful than your second-rate dictator and more human. Instead, were sort of saying, maybe thats not a possibility.

Were you surprised that he decided not to do it?

Honestly, I wasnt totally surprised. He does all sorts of things that dont really make a lot of sense or that I dont agree with. Though, it wouldnt surprise me if we get into a Is he going to show up at the last minute? controversy to get a lot of retweets or something like that in the next couple of days. Im not sure whats going to happen, but it wouldnt surprise me to see anything that keeps the attention on him, which you would think you dont need to do when youre president.

And yet.

One other thing that I wanted to add. Did you see the Al Smith Dinner?

Yes, right before the election.

Hillary and Trump both told jokes. Maybe that event was the one they should have canceled. He didnt do very well. He had one good joke that was at his wifes expense and everything else  he got booed in the room. I wrote jokes for President Obama at the Al Smith Dinner. I dont think a lot of them necessarily voted for him, but its hard to not get some polite applause in that room. I think that experience of the elite of the media world, of the New York world, the finance world all booing him, he got a little skittish about whats going to happen if I show up at the Correspondents Dinner?

Do you remember Obamas absolute favorite joke you wrote for him?

The joke I wrote that he liked the most was from 2013, when he said, You know, Republicans all agree they need to do a better job of reaching out to minorities. Call me self-centered, but I can think of one minority they should start with. And that was fun because he liked that enough that he was like, All right, I might do a little wave in there. And I think he ad-libbed something like, Think of me as a trial run. It was fun when he would play off something like that.



Is there a joke that you always thought was funny that everyone else thought was terrible, but you still think thats a really good joke?

One that I wrote every year to see if people wouldnt notice that Id already written it, was something like, You know, I think no matter what else happens, Im going to go down in history as Americas first black president.

Thats a good joke!

Every year I tried, every year no one liked it. Theres a certain point you have to be accepting of the fact that you get to write for the president, but theyre not your words. You may think thats great, but if the world doesnt seem to agree, you drop it.
PRAGUE  Prague American Legion Post 254 will do its part to help get Vietnam era veterans to the war memorial in Washington D.C.

The post has scheduled a benefit breakfast from 8 a.m. until noon at the National Hall in Prague on Sunday, April 23. The menu will include pancakes, eggs and sausage.

A free-will offering will be collected. Legion Member Larry Mach said all the money will be given to Patriotic Productions for the upcoming Vietnam veterans honor flight.

There will be no expenses for this taken out. What we get will go to the flight, he said. The Legion has decided to foot the bill for expenses.

The money collected will be used to fund the Vietnam Veterans flight being billed as The Final Mission.

Patriotic Productions and founder Bill Williams plan to take about 650 Vietnam veterans aboard four chartered planes to Washington D.C. on Monday, May 1. The veterans will gather in LaVista on April 29 and 30 for pre-flight activities.

After an early morning departure from Omaha on May 1, the veterans will visit the Vietnam Wall, Lincoln Memorial, Korea Memorial, World War II Memorial, Arlington Cemetery and other sites in the nations capital.

The flight will happen at no cost to the participants. Mach said Patriotic Production is seeking donations to pay for the trip.

A lot of the Legion Posts are doing something to help, he said. The Prague Legion members wanted to help too.

Mach said it is important to the group because so many members are of the Vietnam generation.

Out of about 75 Legion members, weve got about 35 that are Vietnam era, which is close to 50 percent, he said.

And, its the right thing to do, Mach added about honoring the Vietnam veterans with parades and other events.

A veteran of that war himself, he said these kinds of activities help the healing from the days immediately following the war and when the troops returned.

The honor flights organized by Patriotic Productions also have special meaning to the Prague Post because members have gone on previous flights for Vietnam and World War II veterans.

For the upcoming flight, Mach said two Prague men, Ron Paseka and Don Fujan, will be traveling with the group to Washington D.C.

In addition to the breakfast, the April 23 event will also include a raffle and a split the pot.

We hope to get a lot of people and raise some funds, he said.
"Barbarians at the Gate" may have been a one-time popular description of New York's Wall Street, but if one local investor gets his way, Australian markets will be populated increasingly by pirates.

Benjamin Hornigold, John Bridgeman and Henry Morgan are the names of famous pirates and local investment funds.

Stuart McAuliffe: "Pirates are very mobile and very flexible in decision-making."

John Bridgeman and Henry Morgan are already listed  on the National and Australian stock exchanges respectively  while Benjamin Hornigold is in the final stages of completing a small sharemarket float, raising an initial $20 million.

The funds' namesakes were mostly active in the Atlantic, although Bridgeman, an alias for John Avery, was also engaged for a time in the Indian Ocean, where he achieved notoriety for carrying out one of the most successful heists of the era, seizing booty from an Indian fleet.
After being diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, former police officer Adam Watts applied for 250 jobs after his workers compensation insurer told him he could get a job as a librarian.

He is still unemployed five years after being medically discharged from the NSW Police Force and after his insurer assessed him as "employable".

"I applied for nearly 250 jobs and it is impossible to get a job," he said.

Metlife Insurance rejected his claim for total and permanent disablement. A psychiatrist for the insurance company considered Mr Watts was not fit to return to the police force, but could be suitable for clerical or librarian work.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un will not "willingly giving up his nuclear program" without a significant intervention from the rogue regime's powerful ally China.

In a bracing assessment of the tough choices faced by the United States and its allies, Ms Bishop and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull both escalated their rhetoric calling on Beijing to act on Tuesday.

Ms Bishop said that the US had put "all options on the table" but appeared to play down the prospect of any immediate military clash.

"I believe they mean it but I also believe they would use every other creative option, including putting pressure on China to take a role," she said of the Trump administration's plans.
Thousands of patients are being exposed to potentially fatal superbugs because their doctors and other hospital staff are not washing their hands, new data shows.



An audit of hand washing at 940 public and private hospitals in October found workers were not using alcohol-based hand rub on 16 per cent of the occasions they should be.



Doctors were one of the worst performing groups, along with cleaning and food staff and personal care attendants.

Of 7576 instances when doctors were meant to wash their hands before conducting a procedure, they did so on 6154 occasions or 81 per cent of the time.

They performed similarly after procedures. Despite being potentially exposed to body fluids, doctors washed their hands 80 per cent of the time, putting them at risk of carrying bacteria around the hospital. Their compliance rate taking in all types of occasion on which hands should be washed was 73 per cent.

The worst performing staff by area were in emergency departments.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Apr. 17, 2017 | MARSHALL COUNTY, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 17, 2017 | 11:51 AM | MARSHALL COUNTY, KY

A Paducah man was hit by a car Sunday night in Marshall County.



The Marshall County Sheriff's Office says deputies were dispatched shortly before 10 p.m. to a report of a person walking in the road on US 641, south of Kentucky Dam, and another call about a pedestrian being hit by a vehicle. Deputies said when they arrived on scene they learned that 50-year-old Teresa Gorham of Mayfield was northbound on US 641 when she encountered a man walking in the middle of her lane. She told deputies she did not see him due to his dark clothing, and was unable to swerve to avoid hitting him due to oncoming traffic.



The pedestrian was identified as 49-year-old Kenneth Pinnegar of Paducah. Deputies said they could smell a strong odor of alcohol on him. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Rita Redmond was a true lady who felt that every pupil had something to gift to the world
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/04/2017 (2031 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Fiat Chrysler chief executive officer Sergio Marchionne is putting his search for a merger on the back burner as he focuses on reaching the Italian American carmakers goal of eliminating debt before he retires in 2019.

We need to be very careful that we dont start unrealistic dreams about consolidation as we are on our way to achieve historically important results and a debt-free position, Marchionne told investors in Amsterdam at the companys annual general meeting. We are not at a point of time to discuss any alliance.

Marchionne, 64, has been a longtime proponent of consolidation, arguing that the auto industry wastes money by developing multiple versions of the same technology. Since General Motors rebuffed his approach for a merger two years ago, Marchionne has sought to eliminate debt at Fiat Chrysler to make the carmaker a more attractive partner down the road.

Carlos Osorio / The Associated Press FILEs Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne is putting his longtime support of industry consolidation on the backburner as he focuses on ridding the company of debt.

Marchionne said in March he expected an eventual approach by Volkswagen AG for a combination after PSA Groups move to purchase GMs Opel unit. He made clear today that no discussions are being held with VW, nor is he seeking a deal with Tesla.

Still, Marchionne is looking for co-operation agreements to share investments in technology and reduce costs. Fiat Chrysler, the first major carmaker to start a self-driving venture with Google, is continuing to discuss expansion of the project and may announce a new technology partnership by the end of the year, he said.

Marchionne reiterated his successor will be an internal candidate. Fiat Chrysler chairman John Elkann added that Marchionnes replacement will be confirmed at the companys 2019 annual general meeting.

The executive said Fiat Chryslers first quarter was weak because its retooling its plants in the U.S. after ending production of the Chrysler 200 sedan as part of a plan to scrap production of lower-margin cars for more profitable sport utility vehicles. He expected the automaker to meet its 2017 targets, including at least a 20 per cent increase of adjusted net income.

 Bloomberg News
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/04/2017 (2031 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Ottawa needs to prune a new marijuana bill allowing Canadians to grow up to four marijuana plants at home, and if it doesnt, Manitoba landlords may wield the shears on their own.

Wed like to make a rule about marijuana plants, a rule that says to tenants you are not allowed to grow marijuana plants in your suites, and if that doesnt work, if you do grow marijuana plants you have to pay for the extra lighting and heat they take, said Avrom Charach, spokesman for Manitobas largest landlord association.

The Professional Property Managers Association, which manages 60 per cent of all rental units in Winnipeg, has been part of the national rental industrys lobby effort to prohibit renters from growing weed.

AP PHOTO The Professional Property Managers Association has been part of the national rental industry's lobby effort to prohibit renters from growing marijuana.

As a former president of the national group, Charach said he personally met with bureaucrats drafting the bill to appeal to them directly.

It didnt work, he said.

The Manitoba arm of the national Canadian Federation of Apartment Associations took the next step Monday, making its opposition to growing marijuana crystal-clear in public statements.

We visited them before the legislation came out so were planning on going back to them again, Charach said. Well speak to the committees that are going to be hearing presentations.

Canadas new bill to legalize recreational marijuana use includes a provision that would allow individuals to cultivate up to four plants at home for their own use.

Landlords say the hothouse conditions that would have to be created, even for a few plants, would cost them in repair bills and added utility costs.

Wed be looking at double the electricity in heat and light, Charach said. Not to mention the rot that comes with high humidity.

Electricity is a small part of it. The larger issue is when I have to spend 20-grand renovating a suite because someone grew plants, he said. When you grow more than one of these plants you end up with a very hot, humid suite.

If Ottawa cant give landlords the relief they need, theyll try to prevent tenants from growing marijuana.

Were not concerned about marijuana the plant. Were concerned about damage and disturbance, Charach said. Thereve been cases where weve had to redo entire suites, and entire houses, simply because of the damage caused by growing marijuana plants.

That could run landlords up against human-rights legislation, he conceded, but Manitoba tenancy laws allow property owners and managers to lay down rules that would be considered reasonable.

We are allowed to make reasonable rules but its got to pass the test of what is reasonable, he said. Is it reasonable to say nobody is allowed to grow plants? Wed probably be told it isnt, and there could be human-rights challenges if we did but wed like to make a rule about marijuana plants. Either youre not allowed to grow marijuana in your suite or if that doesnt work, wed say if you do grow marijuana, you have to cover the lighting and the heat for them.

The association represents 64 property owners and managers as well as 120 associate members. Together they handle one-third of all the residential rental space in Manitoba, including private units, from single-family homes to multiplex apartment blocks, as well as some publicly subsidized housing.

Part of the landlords concern is related to utility policies that govern large apartment blocks in Manitoba; many of them include access to basic amenities such as heat, light and water in monthly rental costs simply because many blocks built in the last 50 years were equipped with a single electric meter.

Current hydro policies make separating out heat and light prohibitively expensive, Charach said.

If you want your tenants to be individually metered youd have to rewire an entire apartment building, he said. And put in those big, round hydro meters because Manitoba Hydro doesnt allow anything else in a building of 100 units, they take as much space as a two-bedroom apartment unit, just for the meters.

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca
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This article was published 17/04/2017 (2031 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

More than 70 Long Plain First Nation residents forced to evacuate because of overland flooding and a swamped access road could soon return to their homes, chief Dennis Meeches said Monday.

Its drying up pretty good now, so Im going to be recommending they return home this week, perhaps Tuesday (or) Wednesday, Meeches said, adding the decision will be made with an eye on the local weather forecast.

Meeches said Long Plain and Red Cross representatives had discussed allowing the more than 70 reserve residents staying in a Portage la Prairie hotel to return home last week, but decided to wait through the long weekend just to be certain.

Long Plain will make an emergency funding application to have the road upgraded to prevent future issues, said Chief Dennis Meeches. (Wayne Glowacki / Winnipeg Free Press files)

Long Plain  located 15 kilometres southwest of Portage la Prairie, with some 2,400 on-reserve residents  will make an emergency funding application to have the culprit road upgraded to prevent future issues, the chief said.

There has been problems with it year after year. This was a little bit worst than previous years, he said, adding it was the first time residents had to leave that particular neighbourhood on the reserve due to water issues. If we can upgrade the road and get proper drainage there, I dont think, in years to come, we would need to evacuate.

Environment Canada is forecasting a chance of showers, followed by periods of rain, for the Portage la Prairie area Tuesday through Thursday.

The news was not as good Monday for the 229 members of Peguis First Nation being lodged temporarily in a Winnipeg hotel because of overland flooding on the reserve, about 140 kilometres north of Winnipeg. It will be weeks before they can get back to their homes, chief Glenn Hudson said.

The water has just subsided this past week, and with the heavy rain and snow (Sunday) there were a couple more washouts, he said. Thats how fast we can flood, depending on the rain.

Peguis officials are waiting to have water tested  septic, sewage  to make sure things are operating properly within the homes. That usually takes a week to do, Hudson said. We have to do all these tests before people are returned to a safe environment and a functional home.

With roughly 300 homes affected on the reserve of 4,800 residents, we are in the middle of the process, he said.

The work will continue even after residents return, he said.

Mould is going to be a health issue for people coming back, he said. Residences have gotten wet and (are) surrounded by water and thats something we need to address longer-term.

He said the near-annual evacuation is difficult for the First Nations residents, some of whom have now spent almost three weeks in hotel rooms.

We are a community that wants to see growth, wants to see our economy develop and create opportunities, he said. But when we have this happening, it is hard to do that.

Meanwhile, in provinces northwest, more than 100 residents of Opaskwayak Cree Nation were forced to leave their homes in The Pas area on the weekend because of the threat of flooding caused by river ice jams, the Canadian Red Cross said.

The Red Cross said it is working (on behalf of the federal government) with OCN leadership to provide lodging, food and additional support services to the 107 evacuees, who are staying in hotels in The Pas.

The ice-jam-related flood warning continued Monday for the Carrot and Saskatchewan rivers around Opaskwayak Cree Nation, the province said.

Besides the displaced OCN members, the Red Cross said it is also supporting more than 325 evacuees from five other Manitoba first nations: Peguis, Long Plain, Sioux Valley Dakota, Canupawapka Dakota and Waywayseecappo.

scott.emmerson@freepress.mb.ca
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This article was published 17/04/2017 (2031 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg police say a 74-year-old woman missing since last Wednesday has been found safe.

On Monday, police asked for the publics assistance finding Georgina Weaver-Last, who was last seen Wednesday evening in the downtown area. Police said she may have been attempting to travel east to Montreal.

Tuesday afternoon police said Weaver-Last had beed located. No further information on the case was made available.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 17/04/2017 (2031 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority says its planning to launch enhanced home-care services, just weeks after shuttering its Hospital Home Team without warning.

Planning is still in the early stages, said Gina Trinidad, WRHAs chief operating officer in charge of long-term care, and the service isnt expected to be up and running for at least six more months. But the program could help free hospital beds, she said, in keeping with the goals of sweeping health-care changes the province announced last week.

The province revealed there would be extensive changes to Winnipeg hospitals with critical care units and emergency departments, based on a consultants report that found most patients in critical care beds didnt actually need to be there and that some were simply waiting for a non-hospital option.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS files Liberal MLA Jon Gerrard said he will be watching to ensure the new program retains the continuity of the Hospital Home Team.

Expanded home care could be it.

We need to learn from whats happened with the Hospital Home Team, said Trinidad, and really create stronger multidisciplinary links to provide that intensive home care service.

Details are scant for now, she said, but much like the Hospital Home Team, the program will focus on helping elderly patients get out of hospital faster and avoid unnecessary hospital stays and emergency room visits.

Unlike the team, Trinidad said the program will not be attempting to provide continuous at-home care. Instead, it will be focusing on providing intensive, short-term support for patients who are often shuttled from a hospital to a care home. Many patients follow that route, she said, because there isnt support for them in the home, in the community. Figuring out whether a support system can be established, while providing transitionary care, is where the new program will come in.

The concept comes from similar programs in Ontario and Alberta, although Trinidad said the WRHAs program wont be modelled after one in particular. She expects it will serve 600 people each year.

The programs current budget is between $7 million and $8 million for its first year, Trinidad said, with an extra $1.7 million budgeted to help facilitate patient care reorganization. The money is part of the WRHAs overall plans to shift resources and Trinidad says it wont affect the $83 million in savings the organizations been directed to find by the province.

Liberal MLA Jon Gerrard (River Heights), who is a medical doctor, said he supports the expansion of home care, but will be watching to ensure the new program retains the continuity of the Hospital Home Team, which he sees as one of its best assets.

The clients who were aging had someone who they knew and could rely on to look after them, he said. They didnt have to have somebody new coming in all the time who wasnt aware of their needs.

Similar programs to what Trinidad describes have been extremely successful, said Jan Legeros, executive director of the Long Term and Continuing Care Association of Manitoba.

While theres plenty of care options for Manitoba seniors, she said, one of the remaining gaps is transitional care.

Someone might be in hospital and might need just a little bit of rehab just to get over it, whether it was surgery or some kind of significant illness, Legeros said, but without transitional care they end up languishing in hospitals.

jane.gerster@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion

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This article was published 17/04/2017 (2031 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

While another flood season is underway in southern Manitoba, the province continues its efforts to evade responsibility for the 2011 Lake Manitoba flood.

On March 27, the Manitoba government filed its application for leave for appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada in Anderson et al. v Manitoba et al., a class-action lawsuit seeking to bring justice to approximately 4,000 indigenous persons evacuated by the Lake Manitoba flood in 2011.

While a combination of natural conditions, including lingering snow and heavy spring rains, contributed to the rapid rise of the Assiniboine River that spring, it was a human-made flood that devastated the four First Nations communities of Pinaymootang, Dauphin River, Lake St. Martin and Little Saskatchewan. In protecting its urban centres, Manitoba used its water-control structures to divert massive amounts of water from the Assiniboine River into Lake Manitoba, knowing that significant damage would be caused to the four First Nations communities located at or near the outlet of Lake Manitoba.

ALEXANDRA PAUL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Lake St. Martin First Nation, seen here in 2011 three months after its population of 725 was evacuated to Winnipeg.

Today, nearly six years after the flood, more than 1,900 indigenous people remain displaced from their communities. They continue to reside in temporary housing in Winnipeg and other communities. The evacuees have been pushed off their traditional lands and out of their communities, invoking a loss of identity, way of life and social ties. Pre-existing medical conditions have been exacerbated, while a multitude of new mental-health issues have arisen. At least five people from Lake St. Martin First Nation alone have committed suicide since the flood.

But instead of acknowledging its wrongful actions or the tragic repercussions that have resulted, Manitoba has repeatedly sought to deny responsibility for the communities flooding. The provinces primary argument in Anderson posits natural factors as the true precursor of the flood.

Their statement of defence further claims that, even if Manitoba was in fact found to be responsible for the flood, the First Nations communities themselves should be held contributorily negligent. Manitoba has filed third-party claims against each First Nation, in addition to the cross-claims launched against Canada and the Manitoba Association of Native Firefighters Inc., the two other defendants in Anderson.

The litigation has been prolonged. An initial ruling by the Manitoba Court of Queens Bench denied the class-action certification in 2013; it was only this past January that the class action was certified by the Manitoba Court of Appeal. In filing its leave for appeal in the Supreme Court of Canada last week, Manitoba affirmed that its focus remains on litigation and evading responsibility, rather than on reconciliation.

Manitobas disregard for its own indigenous population, as evidenced by this litigation, is in stark contrast to the spirit of reconciliation prevalent today. Our citys large indigenous presence fosters a higher awareness of indigenous issues than is present in most other Canadian cities. This past March, city council unanimously adopted an Indigenous Accord to enshrine its commitments to reconciliation. On paper, Manitoba has followed this message of reconciliation.

Last March, the Path to Reconciliation Act was passed by the province in the final weeks of the former NDP administration. This legislation affirms the provinces commitment to reconciliation, which it defines as the ongoing process of establishing and maintaining mutually respectful relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in order to build trust, affirm historical agreements, address healing and create a more equitable and inclusive society.

This Act also serves as a benchmark demonstrating how far removed Manitobas actions throughout the Anderson case are from any semblance of reconciliation. The province executed a flood plan that did not include First Nations in decision-making, and have responded to the class action with a combative defence that is the antithesis of how to build trust.

Rather than promoting healing, Manitoba has further burdened the already-afflicted communities with third-party claims and the full force of a taxpayer-funded legal counsel.

To create a more equitable society, the province must acknowledge the lived realities of the opposing parties. Lake St. Martin, one of the impacted First Nations communities, had a median average income of $1,636 in 2013  a mere 6.7 per cent of the median income of other Manitobans. Pinaymootang First Nation has been under a do-not-consume water advisory since 2012. Indigenous peoples face a variety of distinct complex challenges stemming from the ongoing legacies of colonialism, including the location of reserves and the poor living conditions prevalent on many reserves. The flood  and displacement  has created a whole new set of challenges.

If Manitoba truly wants to embody a spirit of reconciliation, it should shift its focus in Anderson et al. from litigation to pursuing an out-of-court settlement, accept responsibility for its actions and seek to make amends. It is only once Manitoba takes these pivotal steps that the province can move forward toward reconciliation.

Christie McLeod is a first-year law student at York Universitys Osgoode Hall Law School and is founder and managing director of Human Rights Hub Winnipeg.
Opinion

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This article was published 17/04/2017 (2031 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

United States President Donald Trump has spent a lot of time in the courts, so he must be familiar with the legal concept of cui bono  who benefits? When a crime is committed, the likeliest culprit is the person who benefited from the deed. But he certainly did not apply that principle when deciding to attack a Syrian government air base with 59 cruise missiles on April 7.

The attack against Shayrat airbase, the first U.S. military action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assads regime in six years of civil war, was allegedly a retaliation for a poison-gas attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun three days before that Trump blamed on the Syrian regime. But who stood to benefit from the chemical attack in the first place?

There was absolutely no direct military advantage to be derived from killing 80 civilians with poison gas in Khan Sheikhoun. The town, located in al-Qaida-controlled territory in Idlib province, is not near any front line and is of no military significance. The one useful thing that the gas attack might produce, with an impulsive new president in the White House, was an American attack on the Syrian regime.

Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ford Williams / U.S. Navy The guided-missile destroyer USS Porter conducts strike operations while in the Mediterranean Sea on April 7.

Who would benefit from that? Well, the rebels obviously would. They have been on the ropes since the Assad regime reconquered Aleppo in December, and if the warming relationship between Washington and Moscow resulted in an imposed peace settlement in Syria, they would lose everything. (Only a few days before the missile strike, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that removing Assad from power was no longer Washingtons priority.)

Al-Qaida  and probably several other rebel groups  have access to chemical weapons. The country was awash with them before the war, because the ability to make a mass chemical-weapons attack on Israel was Syrias only deterrent against an Israeli nuclear attack. (Assad, and his father before him, understood clearly that Syria would never be allowed to have nuclear weapons of its own.)

Chemical weapons were stored in military facilities all over Syria, and at one point half the country was under rebel control. So of course the rebels have had some for years, and are known to have used them on occasion in their own internecine wars. Would al-Qaida have hesitated to use them on innocent civilians order to trigger an American attack on the Syrian regime? Of course not.

The results have already been spectacular. The developing Russian-American alliance in Syria is broken, the prospect of an imposed peace that sidelines the rebels  indeed, of any peace at all  has retreated below the horizon, and Tillerson has declared that steps are underway to form an international coalition to force Assad from power.

Not a bad return on a small investment.

But we should also consider the possibility that Assad actually did order the attack. Why would he do that? For exactly the same reason: to trigger an American attack on the Syrian regime. From a policy perspective, that could make perfectly good sense.

The American attack didnt really hurt much, after all, and it has already smashed a developing Russian-American relationship in Syria that could have ended up imposing unwelcome conditions on Assad. Indeed, Moscow and Washington might ultimately have decided that ejecting Assad (though not the entire regime) from power was an essential part of the peace settlement.

Assad doesnt want foreigners deciding his fate, and he doesnt want a premature peace settlement, either. He wants the war to go on long enough for him to reconquer and reunite the whole country (with Russian help, of course). So use a little poison gas, and Trump will obligingly overreact. That should end the threat of U.S.-Russian collaboration in Syria.

Either of these possibilities  a false-flag attack by al-Qaida or a deliberate provocation by the regime itself  is quite plausible. What is not remotely believable is the notion that the stupid and evil Syrian regime just decided that a random poison gas attack on an unimportant town would be a bit of fun.

Villains in DC Comics do bad things simply because they are evil. The players in the Syrian civil war do bad things because they are part of serious (though often evil) strategies. Whoever committed the atrocity at Khan Sheikhoun wanted the United States to attack the Syrian regime, and Trump fell for it.

But if Trump was taken in by the Syrians, he certainly exploited his attack to send a very serious message to China and North Korea. He is a player too, after all, and it can hardly be an accident that he timed the attack for the day of his meeting with Chinas President Xi Jinping.

Wheels within wheels. It is going to be a wild ride.

Gwynne Dyer is an independent journalist whose articles are published in 45 countries.
Shots were fired toward a crowd, but no one was injured in an incident Friday evening.

Jaquann Oshay Hughes, 22, Chicago is charged with two counts of dangerous weapons violation for intentionally firing a gun and endangering the safety of another and firing a gun in a municipality in a public housing zone.

Police were called to the Maplewood Townhomes at around 9 p.m. Friday for a reported shooting.

According to the complaint, witnesses said that a person called Bay Bay  later identified as Hughes  had come from an apartment building, stood next to a tree and fired two rounds in the air.

Witnesses said that then he pointed the gun toward a group of people and continued shooting.

After searching the area, police did not find a gun but did find three .40 caliber shell casings which they determined to be used recently.

Officers located a hole in one of the buildings and a bullet was recovered from the wall of the apartment, about 1 foot from where a child was sleeping.

Hughes denies that he goes by the nickname Bay Bay and also said he has not held a gun since 2012.

Police say they recognized Hughes as the owner of a Facebook account Bay Bay Da Shoota and that he turned around when they yelled Bay Bay upon seeing him.

According to the police report, they spoke to another witness who claimed that Hughes had an argument with another man prior to hearing gun shots.

According to Winona Police Chief Paul Bostrack, the response involved around 20 officers from the Winona and Goodview police, along with Winona County sheriffs deputies and the Minnesota State Patrol.
There are few thing more important than the connection felt between family and loved ones. Even when obstacles are presented, showing care can transcend any barrier.

Sally Mathews Inglett is a multi-skilled individual with experience ranging from soldier, to radio personality, to computer technician. Now, she also works to curb some of the hardships that comes with dementia  a brain disease that gets worse over time, with no known cure.

When Sallys mother, Nancy Mathews, became unresponsive and bedridden from Huntingtons, she needed to find another way to reach out.

MEternally is a company Inglett started with the goal of using positive photo reminiscence to make joyful connections with those affected by memory loss.

The idea came from a little bird. A cardinal, to be exact, from a cuckoo clock that Nancy Matthews responded to.

She couldnt communicate with us, she didnt respond to anyone, but she loved cardinals, Inglett said. After being shown the singing cuckoo clock, Nancy turned her attention toward it. The fact that she responded was a really big deal. It was a connection that I had lost that I hadnt had for a really long time.

By finding some of her mothers favorite things, she was able to discover new ways to connect and different forms of interaction. Whether it was me or the bird didnt really matter, but somehow, on some level, she responded.

Nancy Matthews passed a few years ago, but her daughter continues to work to make a difference.

MEternally uses images and audio to take those connections a step further. The product line, favorite things, includes joyful tones and pleasant displays. DVDs, flash drives, and double sided photo cards make the content accessible in multiple platforms. All of this can be found on her website, MEternally.com. The goal is to customize each set to the unique personalities that respond to them.

Fond memories of an old family farm, for example, could be triggered by a baby calf, putting the patients in a more comfortable state of mind. Perhaps their favorite color is red. A wagon, a bird, a rose makes it possible to specialize each patients condition with a unique customization to fit their personality. The shared familiarity can help patients bond with those around them, allowing a reactions that might not be available otherwise.

Whatever we can do to provide comfort, Inglett said. Its about interaction, making connections [...] Its about dignity.

The path that brought Sally where she is today went in many different directions.

She graduated from Aquinas High School in La Crosse in 1980, and then went to Viterbo College. This was followed by her cross-enrolled with UW-La Crosse for their ROTC program.

Her time in the service also took on a support role. She served with the 426th Engineer Battalion out of Onalaska, with the Wisconsin National Guard. As a 75 bravo, or unit clerk, she had, An uncanny way for knowing what the commander needed before he needed it.

With a laugh, she compared herself to Radar OReilly from M*A*S*H.

She lived in Berlin when the Wall in fell in 1989. We were standing on the wall on New Years Eve, near where it was busted open by the Brandenburg Gate. She is thankful for the experience she had with the military, recalling all the places she was able to see and challenges she was able to take on.

After returning to school full time, she also hosted a Saturday morning radio show where she took the handle Mustang Sally as host of country music station KQ98. Though it Turned into a really good time for 10 years, she gave up the hobby to focus on MEternally. Her company is now a member of the Winona Area Chamber of Commerce.

She now works in Winona State Universitys Technical Support Center as a lead hardware repair specialist. After getting her degree in professional studies in fall semester of 2016, she is now pursuing a masters degree in leadership education.

She married her husband on Valentines Day of 2006 at the Heritage Court nursing home where her mother stayed. Since Nancy couldnt make the trip to the church, the ceremony was brought to her.

Sally Matthews Inglett knows the importance of keeping family together, and thats what she continues to do.
WASHINGTON  In a conversation with an ambassador from Asia a few years ago, I asked why her country was still more favorably disposed to the United States than to a rising China. Because we know what you believe in, she responded. Since World War II the United States has operated in the Pacific with a certain set of interests and values. Both, she said, are less clear with respect to China.

It is predictability that builds and maintains alliances. It is constancy that enforces red lines, allowing others to accurately calculate the limits of American patience. It is vagueness and impulsiveness that invite testing and the possibility of deadly miscalculation.

President Trump has now placed his own line in the Syrian sand: At the very least, the Assad regime must not use chemical weapons against civilians in its showdown assault on Idlib. But is this commitment the expression of a set of values with broader implications? Does it reflect an expansive interpretation of Americas global role, including the responsibility to protect civilians when feasible? Or is it the enforcement of a narrow norm against the use of weapons of mass destruction?

We have no idea which interpretation is correct, because Trump himself is unlikely to know. Like on health care, he seems to be encountering these issues for the very first time. It is unlikely that he played through the scenarios of humanitarian intervention and regime change during campaign policy briefings with national security experts. Trumps Steve Bannon-ridden inaugural address claimed that the worlds troubles are not Americas problem. But then there are the babies killed by nerve gas.

On Syria, Trumps message has gone from mixed to pureed. Apparently, engagement in Syria is both a stupid move and a moral necessity. On foreign policy, Trump is ideologically rootless. He seems to have no considered views about the world, just confidence about his own abilities as a leader. And this places an unsettling randomness at the heart of Americas global role.

This inconsistency is the most consistent theme of Trumps young presidency. During the campaign, he opposed entitlement reform, yet his health care bill contained the most fundamental entitlement reform  moving federal Medicaid spending from an open-ended match for state spending to a capped amount per person  that Congress has recently considered. He campaigned as a tribune for the working class, yet his economic approach seems heavily tilted toward the interests of the wealthy.

This has been attacked as lying. It also indicates a complete unfamiliarity with the issues and debates at the heart of American politics. He never encountered these matters during previous government service (which he did none of). He was not forced to explain his views during primary or general election debates (a few lines from the stump speech more than sufficed). Trump was not hiding an inner sophistication. His ignorance was presented as part of an anti-establishment package  as contempt for the quibbles of smaller men.

In this context, the current palace intrigue between Bannon and Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner actually matters. This is not the normal circumstance in which a president with developed policy views is influenced at the margins by a diverse group of advisers. What we are seeing is a president without settled or tested policy convictions, influenced by advisers with sharp knives and fundamentally different views of the world. On Breitbart this is described as a conflict between national populists and liberal, NYC Democrats. It is the high-stakes struggle to provide the soul for a soulless presidency.

This inbuilt discord has turned normal West Wing tension into a red-carpeted cage fight. A Republican with recent White House interaction told me: Watching them work was frankly terrifying. They fear each other, they hate each other, they are paranoid beyond belief, and it doesnt work.

And it should concern conservatives that neither side in the main White House conflict  ethno-nationalists or moderates related to the president  is actually conservative. It would be better for the Republican Party (and for the world) if the family were to win this contest, as it almost certainly will.

That change would make the administration marginally more humane. But it would not, for the most part, be a victory for conservative policy ideas.

More importantly: Would this divided, chaotic White House, as it stands, be ready for a major shock such as a terrorist attack or a serious military move by a rival power? There is every reason to think it would not be ready. And that makes a major West Wing personnel shakeup, costing Bannon his role, both likely and desirable.
So is this how Donald Trump is going to make America great again?

An America that claims it cant afford to subsidize Meals on Wheels programs for elderly folks who are homebound?

An America that doesnt support a public broadcasting and television network that, as one proponent said, treats us like citizens, not simply as consumers?

An America that doesnt have a viable passenger rail service to connect hundreds of thousands of rural travelers to the rest of the country?

An America that doesnt support the arts, music or the humanities  programs that have a huge impact on a countrys culture and the collective imagination of all its citizens, rich and poor?

An America that provides only minimal support to its network of national parks that presidents for decades have preserved for the enjoyment of their people forever?

An America that ostensibly cant afford to fund as much medical research as it used to, provide as much heating aid to the poor, provide after-school snacks for kids, or continue helping programs that counsel victims of rape or domestic violence?

An America that refuses to cooperate with the rest of the civilized world on helping reduce carbon emissions to protect the health and welfare of our future generations?

An America that returns to the days of the worlds most expensive health care system, which left nearly 50 million Americans without coverage, a substantial number of them kids?

An America that provides fewer safeguards to protect workers rights in dealing with their sometimes-capricious employers, or consumers in dealing with unscrupulous banks and corporate giants? A country returned to the days of caveat emptor?

While were living in an America like that, I suppose we can take solace in the fact that we will spend up to 20 percent more on the already-most-expensive military in the world, one that costs Americans more than the next seven largest countries combined. And spends billions on a useless wall to fix our immigration problem, plus millions of dollars more to arrest and deport illegal immigrants, sometimes separating parents from their kids who are U.S. citizens.

Fortunately, Trumps budget proposals arent expected to fly  at least in the draconian form he has proposed. But they are clearly a blueprint for the road on which we will now travel.

If that is truly the return to a great America, somebody please let me stay in these good, old bad days.
Columbus Police Department is asking the public for assistance in identifying a suspect on a white motorcycle who fled from officers late Monday morning.

The driver was traveling south on U.S. Highway 151 at dangerously high speeds and endangered the safety of the other motorists on the highway.

The make and model of the cycle are unknown. The suspect was wearing what appeared to be all black with a black helmet that had a camera or other recording device possibly attached to it.

Anyone with information about the identity of the owner or driver of the cycle is asked to contact the Columbus Police Department at 920-623-5919.

Anonymous tips also may be left with Columbia County Crime Stoppers at 800-293-8477. Email tips may be sent to tipsubmit.com. Text tips to CRIMES using keyword TIPCOSO.
1967

StokelyVan Camp Inc. announced that it was suspending operations in 12 plants in Wisconsin, including the one in Columbus due to a dispute with the Madison Teamsters Union. Negotiations will continue in an attempt to reach a settlement.

One of the highlights of the St. Jeromes School Spring Dance was a performance by the Mad Pad Trio made up of Don Till, Morris Venden and Dr. Earl Jahnke. Also appearing were Francis ORourke as "Old Man Winter" and Russell Nehmer as the "Spirit of Spring."

1977

A referendum concerning the granting of Class A fermented malt beverage licenses to stores other than package stores was approved by voters by one vote -- 818-817 -- after a recount. The referendum was advisory and the City Council would not have to grant licenses.

The Country-Aire Motel has been purchased by Gerald and Jean Miller, formerly of Beaver Dam.

CD Farm Supply has moved from 267 River Road to Business Highway 151.

1987

NASA Astronaut Michael Coats will be the featured speaker at a dinner sponsored by the Columbus Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs. Coats was the pilot on the Shuttle Discovery in 1984.

Eighth grade students including Kristi Yerges and Vicki Wendt painted Cardinals on the walls of the Dickason gym as part of a repainting project.

1997

Dr. Chub Poser, age 83, died at his home on Saturday. Poser practiced medicine at the Poser Clinic for over 50 years. The clinic was established by his father in 1895. Dr. Chub joined his father at the Poser Clinic in 1946.

Veterinarian Dr. Jerome Gaska of Gaska Dairy Health Services, Columbus, gave a presentation to fourth graders at Van Brunt School in Horicon. Gaska explained to students how cows also need doctors and explained the four stomachs that cows have.
Domestic violence and sexual assaults can hit close to home and happen frequently in Juneau County.

While these violent cases may never be completely banished, a group of community leaders have spent the past 18 years working to find solutions to end them and keep their neighbors safe. The Juneau County Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Elder Abuse met on April 12 for its monthly meeting at the Park Oasis Restaurant in Mauston.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, while Elder Abuse Awareness Month comes in June, followed by Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October. For almost two decades the Juneau County coalition has advocated programs in the community to help victims and their families who have suffered from abuse.

Mark Messer, retired chief of police from Mauston, serves as the coalitions chair. He said the group came together in 1999 as a pilot program because law enforcement was seeing a high number of abuse cases in Juneau County.

Today we have a lot of positive education going out in the community; a lot of contact with the schools and Im happy to say there has been legislation passed with the judges and district attorneys to assist with programs for offenders, Messer said. Weve had a lot of education opportunities with the churches and schools, which has been great. There are just a lot of positive things going on. If we can bring down the number of calls on abuse to law enforcement, I think weve helped in some way.

The Juneau County coalition is a community coordinated response (CCR) group that receives state and federal funding. At the April 12 meeting, members from the Juneau County Sheriffs Office, Aging and Disability Resource Center, UW-Extension, Human Services Department, Department of Corrections, district attorneys office, and local churches were present to discuss their programs. Melissa Chandler, an outreach advocate/team leader for Hope House of Central Wisconsin, said the coalition is vital in supporting programs for victims. The Hope House, serving Juneau, Sauk, Columbia, Adams and Marquette counties, provides support to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

Its the people that come to the table that make this successful, Messer said.

Based on a report from the coalition, there were 105 substantiated cases of physical abuse in the county in 2016; 7 substantiated cases of sexual abuse, 54 substantiated cases of child neglect or abuse, 38 substantiated incidents of elder abuse, no domestic homicide cases and no incidents of human trafficking, although Messer believes its likely cases have gone unreported.

The coalition has also worked to spread awareness of bullying in local schools. Along with Hope House, several local organizations can offer hope and support, including the Ho-Chunk Nation, Juneau County Department of Human Services, and Passages, Inc. The services are free and confidential.

Cases of elder abuse are rising in Juneau County. Members of the coalition have formed an I-team to monitor cases and form preventive solutions. The I-team meets four times a year and its next meeting is in June, during Elder Abuse Awareness Month.

Peggy Dennison, co-owner of Two Sisters Event Center and Artistic Expressions in Mauston, was the guest speaker at last weeks meeting. As a psychologist, Dennison has counseled youth and adults for many years. Dennison believes art therapy has a positive effect on victims of abuse.

We are mandated reporters and we have to report these incidents, but its also important for us to empower kids, Dennison said. Tell them its okay to say no to parents if something isnt right.

At Artistic Expressions and Two Sisters, Dennison has started Chick Chat, bringing together girls age 15-18 for an open mic night. The open mic nights are once a month and an ideal way to express feelings through art. Dennison believes journaling helps relieve stress and has started writing workshops at Artistic Expressions.

We have some wonderful poets in this county and a lot of people dont know it, Dennison said.
Michael T. Jones told state lawmakers last week that if he is confirmed as a member of the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, he has asked to be walled off from the work his law firm is doing to defend the UW-Oshkosh Foundation in a lawsuit brought by the board.

Ill also ask the Board of Regents to recuse me from any discussion about the lawsuit, Jones told members of the Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges last Wednesday.

The committee held a public hearing on the appointment of Jones, who spent years as a lawyer for Miller Brewing in Milwaukee before joining Michael Best and Friedrich, and Green Bay area banker Robert B. Atwell to the Board of Regents by Gov. Scott Walker.

The pair, each with a track record of contributions to Republican campaigns or conservative causes, would replace Jim Doyle appointees Edward Manydeeds and Mark Bradley, leaving Tony Evers as the lone member of the governing board of the states public university system not appointed by Walker. Evers by law serves ex-officio and continues on the board by virtue of his recent reelection to a third term as state superintendent of schools.

The legislative committee will send the appointments to the state Senate for confirmation. Both men would serve terms expiring in May, 2024.

Each pointed to affordability as a chief challenge for the university system.

Jones told Senate committee members he could not say how long the lawsuit  which accuses the UW-Oshkosh former chancellor and former chief business officer of improperly using the universitys funding and credit to finance real estate projects for the foundation  might keep him from fully participating as a regent.

The genial Jones, who became the face of Miller during his tenure as the general counsel, vice president for community affairs and spokesman, told legislators he would often test the pulse of the operation by going to the brewery cafeteria to talk with the people who worked for the company.

It is important for board members to get outside the paneled room, he said.

Too many students come out with their degrees and $30,000 worth of debt, Jones said. "Or worse yet, they drop out after a couple of years with debt and have less ability to earn income.

Jones completed his undergraduate work at UW-Madison before attending Marquette Law School.

I am often an admirer of the UW System, its institutions and its people, he said. But I will not be afraid as a regent to be a critic and an advocate for change if it is warranted.

Jones was a frequent contributor to Republican election efforts. According to the Center for Responsive Politics' website OpenSecrets.org, Jones gave at or near the federal limit of $5,000 a year for much of the early 2000s to the brewing companys political action committee, which gave to both Democratic and Republican candidates, but typically more to Republicans.

Jones also contributed $15,000 to the National Republican Committee in both 2013 and 2014.

Contributions to individual candidates included: $2,500 to Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney in 2011 and in 2012; $1,000 to Republican U.S. Senator from Wisconsin Ron Johnson in each of the years 2010, 2013 and 2016; and $3,000 over 2011 and 2012 to former Republican Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson for his unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate seat of retiring Democrat Herb Kohl.

Atwell is chief executive officer of Nicolet Bankshares, parent company of Nicolet National Bank, the community bank he founded.

He told legislative committee members that he has a laymans knowledge of UW System affairs. Atwell has a couple of windows into the issues, however. Not only is he a father of 11 children, six of whom have gone to or are now attending UW campuses, his father Robert H. Atwell was vice chancellor of administration at UW-Madison from 1965 to 1970.

Its been a kitchen table thing for me, he said of discussion of university issues.

He summarized the discussion he has heard of late about challenges to the UW System into three issues: cost, quality and access.

Atwell spoke with passion of the bank customers he saw struggle through the recent deep recession.

They made extraordinarily hard decisions about what they did not need to continue and what things they needed to invest in more if they could scrape up the money, he recalled. It was gut wrenching.

Atwell also expressed frustration  in response to a question from committee chair Sen. Sheila Harsdorf about an exodus of instructors from UW after a series of cuts in state funding  with the people working in higher education.

The difficulty of having the education sector own the experience of what is happening to the taxpayers around them and realize that is has some implication for them, he said.

As far as a continued tuition freeze or the 5 percent reduction Walker has proposed, those are clumsy ways to avoid the difficult discussions around cost, quality and access, he said.

I do think what we have done with student loan debt is an injustice to the next generation, said Atwell, who was deliberate in his manner during the hearing. I dont think further subsidizing student loans is the answer. Growth in student loan debt represents the refusal of our generation to deal with responsibilities of efficiency and effectiveness of the system; and also maybe a lack of generosity.

He said he supports Walkers budget proposal  removed from the budget by members of the Joint Finance Committee  to allow students to opt out of some fees.

For Atwell, it is a matter of supporting peoples right to act in conscience, he said. I want to protect the right of people to hold true to their core beliefs.

Atwell serves on the board of a Catholic hospital and is a founder of Relevant Radio, a Green Bay-based Catholic radio network with 22 stations. He is involved in pro-life activities and contributed $2,000 to the Pro-Life Super PAC in 2012, according to the OpenSecrets website.

When asked Wednesday by a reporter if he supported an Assembly bill that would prohibit physicians at UW School of Medicine and Public Health from contracting with Planned Parenthood to provide abortions, Atwell said he would not comment because he had not read the bill.

My public positions are my public positions, he said.

Atwell also donated $2,700 to Scott Walker in 2015, as the governor made a short-lived bid for the Republican presidential nomination. He donated $2,000 to conservative former congressman Mark Neumann in an unsuccessful 2011 bid for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.

Atwell also donated $7,400 from 2011 to 2015 to Reid Ribble, the recently retired conservative U.S. representative for Green Bays 8th District. Ribble was a staunch Never Trump Republican in the run-up to the presidential election.

Atwell also contributed $1,000 to the Republican Party of Wisconsin in May 2016, as the party leadership began urging members to unite behind Donald Trump as their presidential candidate.

Free speech, which some state legislators contend is under attack with the unwillingness to let conservative voices be heard at UW-Madison, has emerged as an issue in university funding debates.

Atwell, a graduate of Beloit College, shared with legislators his dismay at the political correctness he encountered as a graduate student at Yale School of Management.

There were a lot of things it was not okay to say and I learned the code pretty quickly, Atwell recalled.
The following companies are subsidiares of Dover: APM Grundstucksverwaltungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, Accelerated Production Systems, Acme Cryo Intermediate Inc., Acme Cryogenics, Acme Cryogenics Inc., Acme Elevator, Advansor A/S, Advansor Dover International (Poland) sp. z o.o., Advansor Germany GmbH, Alfred Fueling Systems Holdco Ltd., Alfred Fueling Systems Inc., Alfred Fueling Systems Intermediate Holdco Ltd., All-Flo Pump Company, Anman LLC, Anthony Equity Holdings Inc., Anthony Holdings Inc., Anthony Inc., Anthony International, Anthony International Foreign Sales Corp., Anthony International Holding Company, Anthony Mexico Holdings LLC, Anthony North Holdco Inc., Anthony Specialty Glass LLC, Anthony TemperBent GP LLC, Audax ECII Blocker Inc., Auto Glanz Solutions LLC, AvaLAN Wireless Systems Incorporated, BELVAC CR spol s r.o., BSC Filters Limited, Belanger, Belanger Inc., Belvac Middle East FZE, Belvac Production Machinery Inc., Blackmer, BlitzRotary GmbH, Blue Bite LLC, Blue Bite LLC, Butler Engineering and Marketing S.P.A., CDS Visual, CDS Visual Inc., CEP Liquidation LLC, CP Formation LLC, CPC Europe Inc., CPI Products Inc., Caldera, Canada Organization & Development LLC, Chief Automotive Technologies (Shanghai) Trading Company Ltd., Chippewa Square Captive Insurance Company, Colder Products Company, Colder Products Company GmbH, Colder Products Company LTD, Cook Compression LLC, Cook Compression Limited, Cook-MFS Inc., Cryogenic Experts LLC, DD1 Inc., DDI Properties Inc., DE-STA-CO Benelux B.V., DE-STA-CO FRANCE, DE-STA-CO Shanghai Co. Ltd., DESTACO UK Limited, DFH Corporation, DFS Netherlands B.V., Datamax International Corp, De Sta Co (Asia) Company Limited, De-Sta-Co Cylinders Inc., DeStaCo Europe GmbH, Delaware Capital Formation Inc., Delaware Capital Holdings Inc., Dositec Sistemas SL, Dosmatic U.S.A. Inc., Dover (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Dover (Schweiz) Holding GmbH, Dover (Shanghai) Industrial Co. Ltd., Dover (Shenzhen) Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Dover (Suzhou) Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Dover Asia Trading Private Ltd., Dover Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Dover Business Services EMEA Limited, Dover Business Services Europe S.R.L., Dover Business Services LLC, Dover Business Services Philippines Corporation, Dover CLP Formation Limited Partnership, Dover Canada Holdings ULC, Dover Canada Operations ULC, Dover Corporation Regional Headquarters, Dover DEI Services Inc., Dover Denmark Holdings ApS, Dover EMEA FZCO, Dover Energy UK Ltd, Dover Engineered Products Segment Inc., Dover Europe Inc., Dover Europe Sarl, Dover Fluids UK Ltd, Dover France Holdings, Dover France Participations, Dover France Technologies, Dover Fueling Solutions Segment Inc., Dover Fueling Solutions UK Limited, Dover Germany GmbH, Dover Global Holdings LLC, Dover Holdings de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Dover Imaging & Identification Segment Inc., Dover India Pvt. Ltd., Dover Intercompany Services UK Limited, Dover International B.V., Dover International Operations Inc., Dover International Ventures Inc., Dover International ithalat ihracat ve Pazarlama Limited Sirketi, Dover Italy Holdings S.r.l., Dover Luxembourg Finance Sarl, Dover Luxembourg Participations Sarl, Dover Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Dover Luxembourg Services Sarl, Dover Operations South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Dover Overseas Ventures Inc., Dover Pumps & Process Solutions Segment Inc., Dover Refrigeration & Food Equipment Segment Inc., Dover Refrigeration & Food Equipment UK Ltd, Dover Resources International de Mexico S. de R.L. C.V., Dover Solutions Colombia SAS, Dover Southeast Asia (Thailand) Ltd., Dover Spain Holdings S.L., Dover Switzerland Participations GmbH, Dover UK Pensions Limited, Dover WSCR Holding LLC, Dover WSCR LLC, Dover do Brasil Ltda., Dow-Key Microwave Corporation, Dresser Wayne Data Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Dresser Wayne Fuel Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ECI - IGT Holdings LLC, ECI Holding Company LLC, ECI RegO S. de R.L. de C.V, ECI RegO Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., ECII (Mexico) LLC, EOA Systems Inc., Ebs-Ray Holdings Pty Ltd, Ebs-Ray Industries Pty Ltd, Ebs-Ray Pumps Pty Ltd, Em-Tec, Engineered Controls International LLC, Espy, Ettlinger, Ettlinger Kunststoffmaschinen GmbH, Fairbanks Environmental Limited, Fibrelite Composites Limited, Fibresec Holdings Limited, Fibresec Limited, Finder, GAL LLC, GIIER LLC, Gala Industries, Guangdong Tokheim LIYUAN Oil Industry Technology Limited Company, Highland Park Insurance Company, Hill PHOENIX Inc., Hill PHOENIX WIC LLC, Hill Phoenix Costa Rica Sociedad De Responsabilidad Limitada, Hill Phoenix El Salvador Limitada de Capital Variable, Hill Phoenix Guatemala Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix Honduras Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Hiltap Fittings Ltd., Hydro Systems Company, Hydro Systems Europe Ltd., Industrial Motion Control LLC, Innovative Control Systems, Innovative Control Systems Inc., Inpro/Seal LLC, JK Group, JK Group S.P.A., JK Group USA Inc., K S Boca Inc., K&L Microwave DR Inc., K&L Microwave Inc., KPS (Beijing) Petroleum Equipment Trading Co Ltd., KPS Fueling Solutions Sdn. Bhd., KPS Hong Kong Holding Limited, KPS UK Limited, KS Formation Inc., KS Liquidation Inc., KSLP Liquidation L.P., Kiian Digital (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Knappco LLC, Knowles Electronics, LIQAL, LIQAL B.V., Liquip, Liquip, Liquip International Pty Limited, MAAG, MARKEM FZ SA, MARKEM-IMAJE Corporation, MIP Holdings Inc., MS Printing Solutions, MS Printing Solutions S.R.L., Maag, Maag Automatik Plastics Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Maag Gala Inc., Maag Germany GmbH, Maag Italy S.R.L., Maag Pump Systems, Maag Pump Systems (US) Inc., Maag Pump Systems AG, Maag Reduction Inc., Maag Service (Malaysia) Sdn. Bdn., Maag Service (Taiwan) Ltd., Maag Systems (Thailand) Limited, Macro Technologies LLC, Malema, Marathon Equipment Company (Delaware), Markem Imaje Center of Competencies Spain S.L.U., Markem-Imaje, Markem-Imaje (China) Co. Limited, Markem-Imaje - Unipessoal Lda, Markem-Imaje A/S, Markem-Imaje AB, Markem-Imaje AG, Markem-Imaje AS, Markem-Imaje B.V., Markem-Imaje CSAT GmbH, Markem-Imaje Co. Ltd., Markem-Imaje GmbH, Markem-Imaje Holding, Markem-Imaje Identificacao de Produtos Ltda., Markem-Imaje Inc., Markem-Imaje India Private Limited, Markem-Imaje Industries, Markem-Imaje Industries Limited, Markem-Imaje KK, Markem-Imaje LLC, Markem-Imaje Limited, Markem-Imaje Ltd., Markem-Imaje N.V., Markem-Imaje Oy, Markem-Imaje Philippines Corporation, Markem-Imaje Pty. Ltd., Markem-Imaje S.A., Markem-Imaje S.A. de C.V., Markem-Imaje S.r.l., Markem-Imaje SAS, Markem-Imaje Sdn. Bhd., Markem-Imaje Singapore Pte. Ltd., Markem-Imaje Spain S.A., Markpoint Holding AB, Midland Manufacturing LLC, Midwest Cryogenics Inc., Mouvex, Northeast Services Inc., Northern Lights (Nevada) Inc., Northern Lights Funding LP, Northern Lights Investments LLC, Nova Controls Inc., OK International, OK International Holdings Inc., OK International Inc., OK International Ltd., OPW Engineered Systems LLC, OPW Fluid Transfer Group Europe B.V., OPW Fluid Transfer Solutions (Jiang Su) Co. Ltd., OPW Fluids Group Inc., OPW Fuel Management Systems Inc., OPW Fueling Components (SuZhou) Co. Ltd., OPW Fueling Components LLC, OPW Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., OPW Slovakia s.r.o., OPW Sweden AB, Officine Meccaniche Sirio S.R.L., PDQ Manufacturing, PDQ Manufacturing Inc., PISCES by OPW Inc., PSD Codax Holdings Limited, PSD Codax Limited, PSG (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PSG (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., PSG California LLC, PSG Germany GmbH, Petro Vend Sp. z o.o., Pike Machine Products Inc., Pole/Zero Acquisition Inc., Precision Brasil Equipamentos E Servicos Para Postos De Combustiveis Ltda., Precision Service - Servicos De Manutencao E Instalacao De Postos De Abastecimento De Combustivel Ltda., Production Control Services, Pump Management Services Co. LLC, Quantex Arc Limited, Quantex Patents Limited, RAV France, Ravaglioli S.P.A., Reduction Engineering GmbH, RegO (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., RegO Holding GmbH, RegO Products, RegO Valve (Shanghai) Company Ltd., Rego GmbH, Revod Corporation, Revod Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Revod Sweden AB, Robohand Inc., Rosario, Rosario Handel B.V., Rotary Lift Consolidated (Haimen) Co. Ltd., SE Liquidation LLC, SWEP France, SWEP Germany GmbH, SWEP Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., SWEP North America Inc., SWEP Slovakia s.r.o., SWEP Technology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Seabiscuit Motorsports Inc., Shanghai RegO Flow Technology Company Ltd., Shine Bloom - ECI A Blocker Corp., Shine Bloom - ECI Blocker Corp., Shine Bloom - ECI S Blocker Corp., Simmons Sirvey Corporation, So. Cal. Soft-Pak, So. Cal. Soft-Pak Incorporated, Soft-Pak, Solaris Laser, Solaris Laser S.A., Somero Enterprises, Sound Solutions, Sound Solutions, Space S.R.L., Spirit, Start Italiana S.R.L., Superior Holding LLC, Superior Products LLC, Swep Energy Oy, Swep International A.B., Swep Japan K.K., Sys-Tech Solutions, Sys-Tech Solutions Inc., Systech, TQC Quantium Quality S.A. de C.V., TTSI III Inc., TWG Canada Consolidated Inc., TXHI LLC, Tartan Textile Services Inc., The Espy Corporation, The Heil Co., Tokheim, Tokheim Belgium, Tokheim China Company Limited, Tokheim GmbH, Tokheim Group, Tokheim Hengshan Technologies (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Tokheim Holding B.V., Tokheim India Private Limited, Tokheim Sofitam Applications, Triton Systems, Tulsa Winch Inc., UPCO Inc., US Synthetic, Unattended Payment Solutions LLC, Unified Brands, Val TemperBent Glass L.P., Vectron Frequency Devices (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Vehicle Service Group LLC, Vehicle Service Group UK Limited, Vos Food Store Equipment Ltd., WSCR Corp., Warn Automotive LLC, Warn Industries, Waukesha Bearings, Waukesha Bearings Corporation, Waukesha Bearings Limited, Waukesha Bearings Russia LLC, Wayne Fueling Systems, Wayne Fueling Systems (Rus) Limited Liability Company, Wayne Fueling Systems Australia Pty Ltd, Wayne Fueling Systems Canada ULC, Wayne Fueling Systems Italia S.R.L., Wayne Fueling Systems LLC, Wayne Fueling Systems Ltd., Wayne Fueling Systems Sweden AB, Wayne Fueling Systems UK Holdco Ltd., Wayne Industria e Comercio Ltda., WellMark, WellMark, and em-tec GmbH.

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RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. provides reinsurance and insurance products around the world. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Bermuda with offices in Ireland, Australia, Switzerland, Singapore, and the US.

The company operates through two segments that include multiple underlying businesses and investment vehicles. The two main segments are Property and Casualty & Specialty. The company operates through intermediaries that include DaVinci Resinsurance Inc, Top Layer Reinsurance LTD, and RennaisanceRe Syndicate 1458 among others.

Top Layer Re is the first major venture and was started in 1999. It is a joint venture with State Farm targeting high layers of the US reinsurance business. DaVinci Re was formed in the wake of 9/11 to assist with capacity and it was given added capacity in the wake of hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. Medici was formed in 2009 and is an open-ended fund intended to spur investment in the catastrophe bond market.

The Property segment writes catastrophic insurance policies to insure insurance and reinsurance companies against natural and man-made catastrophes. These include but are not limited to hurricanes, floods, freezes, and terrorism.

The Casualty & Specialty segment provides a wide range of consumer products including business insurance, malpractice insurance, liability insurance, workers' compensation, mortgage insurance, and health insurance among others.

Among RenaissanceRes Specialty businesses is capital management. The firm offers 6 investment vehicles and has more than $11 billion under management making it the #1 ILS or insurance-linked asset manager in the US. In regards to its credit ratings, the firm and all of its vehicles carry an A or better rating from every credit rating agency.
The following companies are subsidiares of Quanta Services: (De) Lazy Q Ranch LLC, 1 Diamond LLC, 1Diamond AS, 618232 Alberta Ltd., 8246408 Canada Inc., Advanced Electric Systems, Advanced Electric Systems LLC, Advanced Utility Testing & Maintenance LLC, Alexander Publications LLC, Allteck GP Ltd., Allteck Limited Partnership, Apprenticeship Programs Inc., Arby Construction, Arcanum Chemicals LLC, Arnett & Burgess Oil Field Construction Limited, Arnett & Burgess Pipeliners (Rockies) LLC, Arnett & Burgess Pipeliners Ltd., B&N Clearing and Environmental LLC, Banister Pipelines Constructors Corp., Banister Pipelines Constructors GP Ltd., Banister Pipelines Limited Partnership, Brent Woodward Inc., Brink Constructors Inc., Brink Constructors Inc. A Corporation Of South Dakota, Brown Engineering and Testing, CAT SPEC Ltd., CAT-SPEC Limited Partnership, CAT-SPEC Limited Partnership (Regd Name) CAT SPEC Ltd., CAT-Spec Limited Partnership, Canadian Utility Construction Corp., Cat Spec Limited LP, Cat Spec Ltd, Cat Spec Ltd. L.P., Cat Spec Ltd. LP, Cat Spec. Ltd. LP, Cat-Spec Ltd (A Domestic limited Partnership), Cat-Spec Ltd LP, Cat-Spec Ltd., Cat-Spec Ltd. L.P., Cat-Spec Ltd. LP, Cat-Spec Ltd. Limited Partnership, Catalyst Changers Inc., Chatham Electric, Citadel Industrial Services L.P., Citadel Industrial Services Ltd., Citadel Industrial Services Ltd. L.P., Citadel Industrial Services Ltd. Limited Partnership, Coe Drilling Pty Ltd., Computapole, Conam Construction Co., Consolidated Power Projects Australia Pty Ltd, Conti Communications Inc., Crux Subsurface Canada Ltd., Crux Subsurface Inc., Cutting Technology - 1 Diamond LLC, DB Utilities Inc., DE Lazy Q Ranch LLC, DNR Pressure Welding Ltd., Dacon Corporation, Dashiell (DE) Corporation (Dashiell Corporation), Dashiell Corporation, Dashiell Corporation DBA Dashiell (DE) Corporation, De Mears Group, De Mears Group Inc., Delaware Quanta Technology LLC, Delaware Underground Construction Co., Didado Utility Company Inc., Digco Utility Construction L.P. Digco Utility Construction Limited Partnership, Dorado Specialty Services L.P., Dorado Specialty Services Ltd., Dorado Specialty Services Ltd. L.P., Dorado Specialty Services Ltd. Limited Partnership, Dorado Specialty Services. Ltd. L.P., Driftwood Electrical Contractors, EHV Power ULC, ELITE PIPING & CIVIL L.P., ELITE TURNAROUND SPECIALISTS LTD, Elite Fabrication Ltd. Elite Fabrication LP, Elite Piping & Civil Limited Partnership, Elite Piping & Civil Limited Partnership, Elite Piping & Civil Lp, Elite Piping & Civil Ltd L.P., Elite Piping & Civil Ltd., Elite Piping & Civil Ltd. L.P., Elite Piping & Civil Ltd. Limited Partnership, Elite Piping and Civil L.P., Elite Turnaround Specialists L.p., Elite Turnaround Specialists Limited Lp, Elite Turnaround Specialists Limited Partnership, Elite Turnaround Specialists Limited Partnership, Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd Lp, Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd., Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd. L.P., Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd. LP, Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd. Limited Partnership, Energy Consulting Group LLC, Enscope, Enscope Pty Ltd, FIC GP LLC, Field Personnel Services LLC, First Infrastructure Capital Advisors LLC, First Infrastructure Capital GP L.P., Five Points Construction Co., G-Tek, G-Vac, GEM Engineering Co., Grand Electric Inc., Great Lakes Line Builders, Grid Creative Inc., Grid Manufacturing Corporation, Grid Training Corporation, H.L. Chapman Pipeline Construction Inc., Haverfield Aviation, Haverfield Aviation Inc., Haverfield International Incorporated, Heritage Midstream LLC, IM Electric Inc., IUC ILLINOIS LLC, IUC Nebraska LLC, InfraSource Construction LLC, InfraSource Field Services LLC, InfraSource Services LLC, InfraSources Construction LLC, Infraestructura ETP de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V, Infrasource Engineering Company PC, Infrasource Iowa Underground LLC, Infrasource Of Pa LLC, Integracion Tecnologica del Peru SAC, Intermountain Electric Inc., Intermountain Electric Inc. A Corporation of Colorado, IonEarth LLC, Irby Construction Company, Irby Construction Company Inc., Iron Mountain M.J. Electric LLC, Island Mechanical Corporation, J.C.R. Construction Co. Inc., J.C.R. Utility Construction Co., J.W. Didado Electric Inc., J.W. Didado Electric LLC, J.w. Didado Electric, JBT Electric LLC, Kingston Contracting Inc., Lazy Q Ranch LLC, Lazy Q Training Center LLC The Lazy Q Lineman School, Legend Foundation Services, Lex Engineering Ltd., Lindsey Electric L.P., Logical Link, Longfellow Drilling, M. G. Dyess Inc., M. J. ELECTRIC LLC IRON MOUNTAIN, M. J. Electric LLC, M. J. Electric LLC - Iron Mountain, M. J. Electric LLC DBA M. J. Electric Iron Mountain LLC, M.J. Electric LLC DBA M.J. Electric Iron Mountain, M.J. Electric LLC Iron Mountain, MTS Field Services, MTS Field Services (Richmond Co), MTS Quanta LLC, Manuel Bros. Inc., Marathon Construction Services, Mears Canada Corp., Mears Equipment Services LLC, Mears Group Inc., Mears Group Pty Ltd, Mears Installation LLC, Mearsmex S. de R.L. de C.V., Mejia Personnel Services LLC, Mercer Technical Services, Microline Technology Corporation, Mid America Energy Services Inc., NACAP Niugini Ltd., NC Northstar Energy Services Inc, NGI Construction, NGI Construction Inc., NGI Construction Inc. (FN), NLC CA. Inc., NLC FL. Inc. Northwest Lineman Center, NLC ID. Inc. Northwest Lineman College, NLC TX. Inc., NPC Energy Services LLC, Nacap Australia, Nacap PNG Limited, Network Communication Services, North Houston Pole Line L.P., North Houston Pole Line Limited Partnership, North Sky Communications, NorthStar Energy Services Inc., Northern Powerline Constructors Inc., Northstar Energy Solutions LLC, Northwest Lineman Center, Northwest Lineman College, Northwest Lineman Training Center, Northwest Lineman Training Center Inc., Nova Constructors LLC, Nova Constructors LTD, Nova Equipment Leasing LLC, Nova Group Inc, Nova Group Inc (CA), Nova Group Inc., Nova Group Inc. DBA NGI Construction, Nova NextGen Solutions LLC, O. J. Pipelines Canada Corporation, O. J. Pipelines Canada Limited Partnership, O.J. Industrial Maintenance, O.J. Pipelines Canada, One Call Locators Canada Ltd., P.D.G. 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Virginia Neuroscience Initiative will expand opportunities for universitys neuroscience program

Neuroscience collaboration: Josh Burk is the chair of William & Marys Department of Psychology and one of the affiliated faculty in the universitys neuroscience program, a multi-departmental initiative that is expected to benefit from membership in the Virginia Neuroscience Initiative. Photo by Joseph McClain Photo - of - Hide Caption

Participation in the Virginia Neuroscience Initiative will open new opportunities for William & Marys neuroscientists.

Josh Burk says the VNI is a component of the Virginia Biosciences Health Research Corporation (VBHRC, also known as the catalyst) a state created non-profit corporation. Burk is chair of William & Marys Department of Psychology and an affiliated faculty member of the universitys expanding neuroscience program.

The VNI is an effort to bring together major research institutions within the commonwealth to collaborate more than they have in the past, Burk explained. Another aspect is that the commonwealth is putting funds into this, so theyre looking at return on investment.

Burk said VNI participation would be particularly beneficial for William & Marys neuroscience program, an initiative that straddles five departments and conducts one of the universitys most popular undergraduate major programs.

William & Mary is one of seven academic institutions participating as core members of VNI, along with five major medical centers: Carilion Clinic, Inova Health System, Sentara Healthcare, UVA Health System and VCU Health. VNI also includes industrial partners.

Burk says that VNI participation offers a number of benefits, all of which revolve around collaboration. For example, the alliance has increased access to scientific instruments throughout the commonwealth. VNI researchers can use facilities at other VNI institutions at the same rate as researchers in the home institution.

Say that I had a collaborator at the University of Virginia, I could put a core facility at UVA into my grant proposal, Burk explained. Its something that I would have access to and at the same rate as someone at UVA. Its going to really strengthen grant proposals.

He added that VINs mission of collaboration matchmaker begins with a registry of Virginia neuroscientists. William & Mary has a couple dozen names on the registry now, and Burk says to goal is to have 50, once the word gets out to students, graduate students and post-docs in the universitys neuroscience community.

Anyones who's interested should be in the registry  students, faculty, graduate students, whomever, Burk said. Even if theyre not doing core neuroscience research, they might have expertise that could contribute to neuroscience.

The registry makes a good starting part to find a collaborator. Burk has been working in a successful long-term, inter-institutional collaboration, a partnership that has received two RO1 grants from the National Institutes of Health. The key to creating a successful research partnership is to find someone who is working on something similar, but who has different, complementary, skills.

But you need to be compatible to be able to work together, he said. This is where the registry helps, because you can call someone up or invite them to come visit.

Burk pointed out that William & Mary has a lot to offer a statewide neuroscience collaboration, offering a wide range of experts from cellular-molecular research to behavioral and cognitive neuroscience to computational neuroscience.

He added that there are a number of core facilities available on campus as well, led by the nuclear magnetic resonance facility operated by Myriam Cotten, associate professor of applied science.

Thats a piece of equipment thats unique within Virginia, and there are very few instruments like that around the world, Burk said.




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Gas measurement equipment and gas regulators for medium and high-pressure applications.

MOSCOW, RUSSIA: Honeywell Process Solutions (HPS) said that it will expand the manufacture of oil and natural gas solutions for the Russian sector at its Arzamas plant. This will include gas measurement equipment and gas regulators for medium and high-pressure applications.

The expansion will include new production lines, equipment and training at the companys existing plant in the Nizhny Novgorod region of Russia. The plant is part of Honeywells Elster Gazelektronika business.

Elster Gazelektronika will add production lines at the Arzamas plant. The first is Elster gas measurement equipment, including the Q.Sonic Ultrasonic flow meter range for measurement of gas flow and volume, the EnCal 3000 gas chromatograph for gas composition analysis, FC1 flow computers, and metering skid solutions.

Elsters gas measurement solutions are widely used in natural gas fields, at metering stations and in the transportation of gas by major oil and gas companies in Russia.

A second new line will produce Honeywell natural gas regulators for medium and high-pressure applications. Many Russian natural gas companies use this equipment to control the pressure of gas production and transportation systems.

Honeywell acquired Elster, a German-based provider of gas heating, controls, metering and advanced technologies, in 2015.

These oil and gas solutions are very important to the growing sector in Russia. This is the right time to expand our range of solutions to better serve local customers with high-quality products tailored to their requirements. This also aligns to the current priority of the Russian government creating opportunities for industrial growth, said Alexei Zenkevich, HPS business leader for Russia, Belarus and Armenia.

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Cocaine seized from boat

By: Alexis Bell WorldWideWeirdNews.com

Two illegal immigrants were caught on a speeding boat, attempting to enter Puerto Rico with millions of dollars worth of cocaine, according to police.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) seized 1,320 pounds (600 kilos) of cocaine on Wednesday, after intercepting the vessel near the southern coast of Porto Rico, and arresting 2 men on board.

The estimated value of the cocaine is $17 million.

aAir and Marine Agents always remain vigilant to find and arrest criminals trying to smuggle narcotics through our coastal areas,a stated Johnny Morales, Director of Air Operations at the CBP Caribbean Air and Marine Branch.

A CBP DHC-8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft crew detected a speeding vessel without navigational lights moving north, with two people on board.

A CBP Interceptor from the Ponce Marine Unit approached the vessel, 4 nautical miles south of Salinas, Puerto Rico, ordering the suspects on board to stop.

CBP Marine Agents arrested the two suspects on board, one claiming to be from the Dominican Republic and the other from Venezuela, and recovered 20 bales of contraband.

The contraband tested positive for cocaine and weighed approximately 1,320 pounds.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations Special Agents took custody of the 2 men and the contraband for prosecution and investigation.
A young man wanted to make a point about racism in the United States, but his plan backfired when he was exposed for a liar by police. 20-year-old Khalil Cavil of Texas was working at the Saltgrass Steak House in Odessa when he claimed he was discriminated against because of his Muslim name. Cavil took
Speech Therapy Programme Making a Real Difference to Parkinsons Patients Lives

This article is old - Published: Monday, Apr 17th, 2017

Parkinsons patients who are experiencing speech and communication difficulties are being helped to talk, take part in conversations and even joke with loved ones again thanks to a programme running in Wrexham.

The specialist speech therapy programme, which is being run by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, is helping people with Parkinsons regain control over their speech, and develop a newfound confidence.

Held in community hospitals in Wrexham and Flintshire, patients and their families are invited to take part in the intensive nine-week programme before continuing their exercises and activities at home.

Speech difficulty and impaired communication are among the main symptoms often experienced with Parkinsons. The deterioration of muscle strength and flexibility often results in people with the disease speaking with very low volume as well as other difficulties, such as a faster rate of speech and reduced facial expression.

The therapy encourages patients to practice the skills needed to increase the volume of their speech, helping them be better understood and having a positive knock-on effect on other symptoms of speech deterioration.

The therapy involves patients working together and with a family member to practice techniques and get feedback specific to their own condition. The therapy includes using decibel monitoring devices to measure an increase in the volume of their voice.

The Think Loud principles of these techniques are shown to have a positive effect on the clarity of patients voices and the confidence of their communication.

The group therapy sessions run at regular intervals throughout the year to meet demand from service users. The Health Board also offers catch up clinics for patients who have completed the course and need a refresher to focus on the techniques they need to incorporate into their everyday lives.

Cara Spencer, Head of Speech and Language Therapy for the East area said the programme is making a real difference to our patients lives.

There are very specific speech and communication difficulties associated with Parkinsons Disease, which include volume so quiet that people are not able to join in day to day interactions, said Cara.

Without specific support and feedback, people with Parkinsons Disease arent able to make the changes needed to improve this. Research shows that by supporting improved volume, patients improve a number of impaired aspects of their communication.

Its an intensive course  patients visit the clinic for 90 minutes a week, but are expected to continue the programme at home, practicing every day. Theres a number of other activities that we set participants to carry out, helping them put the techniques they learn in the programme into practice in everyday life.

Feedback from the sessions has been extremely positive. Weve heard from participants who can now take part in conversations again, having previously only been able to listen to what their loved ones were saying.

Weve heard stories about how participants now have the confidence to meet and greet new members at Parkinsons UK group meetings, and even being able to tell jokes again, feeling like they are able to be themselves again.

Its restoring a tangible quality of life to patients, and making a general difference to patients overall wellbeing.

Alongside the group therapy programme, which is being developed now across North Wales, speech and language therapy services located across the Health Board have joined forces to review the latest research to support individual and group therapy programmes for the future.

Speech and language therapists also support people with Parkinsons in multi-disciplinary clinics, enabling patients to get team support from fewer appointments, and supporting them at the earliest opportunity as they identify any issues with communication or swallowing, where therapies can often have the biggest impact.

Speech and Language Therapy teams from across North Wales are also taking part in the Parkinsons UK audit, in which the charity assesses the quality and breadth of services for people with the disease across the UK.
Kolkata, Apr 16 (IBNS): A wing commander of Indian Air Force (IAF) was found dead underneath his apartment inside Fort William military compound in Kolkata on Sunday, reports said.

According to reports, the blooded body of IAF official S.V.R. Moorthy, who hailed from Hyderabad, was seen lying at Fort William officers' mess area in the early morning.

The officer was rushed to SSKM hospital where he was declared brought dead.

Besides the IAF, Kolkata Police's homicide department have registered a case of unnatural death at Maidan Police Station and begun probe into the matter.

"After proper investigation, we can confirm the exact reason behind the death. We have also asked the IAF authority to provide us CCTV footage of the area," a senior official of Kolkata Police told IBNS.

After preliminary investigation, police are suspecting that the officer might have fallen accidentally from his flat's balcony, on second floor of the apartment, or he committed suicide by jumping from his flat, a police source said.

(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)
The Victorian branch of the Australian Education Union (AEU) is attempting to pressure teachers into voting Yes for its latest Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) with the state Labor government. It is using a series of anti-democratic and bureaucratic measures to silence considerable, but, at this point, unorganised opposition among teachers and education support (ES) staff.

After 12 months of closed-door discussions with the Victorian Labor government, the AEU has signed off on an in-principle agreement on teachers salaries and working conditions. The deal was finalised without even the pretext of consultation with union members and announced just days before the term break.

AEU president Meredith Peace has declared that its agreement with the Labor government is a victory. She has asserted that it addresses the crushing workload on teachers and provides secure employment for teachers and ES staff. A critique of the EBA undertaken by teachers who belong to the Socialist Equality Party (SEP), and which was published by the World Socialist Web Site, demonstrates that it does neither. Moreover, the agreement imposes a real wage cut and sanctions stepped-up surveillance of teacher performance based on their students results in standardised testing (see: Australian teachers agreement: The reality behind union victory claims).

The proposed EBA is entirely in line with the AEUs role as the enforcer of the national performance-ranking based assault that is underway on public education across the countryan assault paralleled and even further advanced in countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States. The federal government, whether headed by Labor or the Coalition, and with the collaboration with the state governments, is seeking to slash public education costs and accelerate the growth of private, fee-paying schools.

Teachers and education support staff need to ask the following questions:

 If the agreement is such a significant gain then why is there no framework or democratic process where teachers can discuss, debate, and seek clarification on its contents?

 Why was the EBA endorsed by the AEU just days before teachers were set to vote for protected industrial action, and on the eve of the term holiday break?

 Why have no mass meetings been called, where those for or against the agreement can have their views heard?

 Why are teachers not being provided with sufficient time to read and discuss the agreement in their local school union branches before they elect their delegates to attend meetings where a vote on the EBA will be taken?

 Why are the comments of teachers who are presenting opposition to the agreement on the AEU Facebook page, which is virtually the only official means available, being blocked and deleted?

When teachers return to school this week, they will have just nine working days to call a meeting of their local branch and elect representatives for delegate meetings that begin on May 1. Branch meetings will have to be held before or after school, under conditions where teachers are working on average 53 hours per week and are mandated to attend at least two to three hours of other after-school meetings. Many ES staff who work part-time will be unable to attend, restricting their right to express their opinions.

This process follows a well-worn path of anti-democratic and bureaucratic measures by the union leadership over many decades.

The delegates meetings consist of nine meetings in the metropolitan centre of Melbourne and 21 in country and regional centres. Local branches can elect one delegate per 20 union members, or part thereof. The delegate meetings therefore objectively water down the view of union members at schools where efforts have been made to fully discuss the agreement and where there is strong opposition.

In the 2008 and 2012-13 EBA negotiations, some local branches did not even call meetings to elect their delegates. Local incumbent representatives of the union simply appointed themselves.

In the past, delegates meetings have been bureaucratically-managed, allowing maximum time for the union leadership to speak in support of the agreement, and minimal time afforded to opposition. This process was opposed in 2013 by members of the SEP, who suspended standing orders and restricted the time of the union officials to dominate meetings.

Delegates voted via a secret ballot but had to identify their name and school on the ballot paper. This requirement is intended to intimidate teachers.

After two weeks of delegates meetings, the union will announce the result of the votewhich is counted by the union leadership, not an independent body. This is followed by a government-imposed secret ballot of all employees of the Department of Education, which includes both union and non-union members.

In December, last year the same anti-democratic tactics were utilised by the NSW Teachers Federation (NSWTF)an affiliate of the AEU in the state of New South Waleswhen it rammed through a new salaries and conditions agreement in a one-hour meeting. With teachers having no opportunity to read the agreement, the union handed them its own five-point summary, and expected them to vote on it in hundreds of separate meetings spread across the state.

Like their counterparts in Victoria, the bureaucrats in NSW claimed the deal contained no erosion of conditions. In fact, the NSWTF had already signed off on the reintroduction of inspectors and agreed to the introduction of a new Bump It Up program, aimed at intensified NAPLAN testing of Year 9 students (see: New South Wales government bumps up standardised testing in schools).

There is a clear relationship between the anti-democratic measures of the AEU apparatus and the regressive content of the agreement.

The AEU has served as the crucial mechanism enabling the imposition of a retrogressive educational agenda that was introduced under the Rudd/Gillard Labor government and which is still falsely presented as educational reform. The reforms include NAPLAN (National Assessment ProgramLiteracy and Numeracy) standardised testing, My School public ranking web site, school autonomy, teacher performance reviews tied to school improvement and NAPLAN-derived student data (see: Australian government seizes on NAPLAN test scores to justify budget cuts). All opposition by teachers has been bureaucratically suppressed.

The objective of education reform, as it is in the UK, New Zealand and the US, is to entrench a two-class system that consists of low-cost, poorly-resourced public schools alongside elite selective schools and an ever-expanding fee-paying private sector.

The beneficiaries are the corporations and the wealthy, which reap the tax reductions financed by cutbacks to public education spending. Working class youth are being condemned to a second-class education and a future of low-paid, insecure, casual work.

Teachers need to draw sharp lessons and lead the fight for social equality. It is critical that graduates, younger teachers, and ES staff review the historical record of the AEU and previous struggles. The AEUs endorsement of this agreement is not an aberration. It is part of the modus operandi of the AEU and all unions, in alliance with government, to insist that workers bow down to the interests of corporate profit.

This situation poses the need for the development of independent initiative by teachers outside the framework of the AEU.

At every school, teachers should elect a rank-and-file committee that is committed to the defence of teaching conditions and public education.

Teachers and ES staff should circulate oppositional critiques of the agreement and convene local meetings, at a time when as many staff can attend, to discuss its content and elect delegates.

Resolutions should be moved that the delegates meetings demand that a vote on the EBA should not be held until after mass meetings that are open to all teachers, both union and non-union members, and where equal time is provided for both supporters and opponents to present their case.

There must be a rebellion against the AEU and a clear No vote to this reactionary agreement. A No vote, however, can clearly only be the beginning of a political struggle to reverse the assault on public education and all other social gains of the working class.

The aim must be the establishment of a workers government that will place the banks and major corporations into public ownership and ensure that societys resources are used to meet social needs, including free high-quality education for all and decent pay and conditions for staff, not to accumulate profit and wealth for a minority.
A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction to block the planned execution of six inmates over 11 days in the state of Arkansas. Although the ruling is being appealed, the injunction looks likely to delay the planned set of executions, which were scheduled to begin tonight.

Arkansas is pushing through the spree of executions because a drug used in the lethal injections will expire at the end of the month. The state initially planned to execute eight inmates, but two of these executions have already been delayed.

Early Saturday morning, US District Judge Kristine G. Baker issued a preliminary stay of execution after a series of hearings held last week. She determined that the rapid pace of executions would prevent the inmates from having adequate access to their lawyers, and that there was a good possibility the inmates could succeed in challenging the constitutionality of the lethal injection procedure used in Arkansas.

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge immediately filed an appeal to challenge the order. Expressing a disdain for the democratic rights of the prisoners, she said that the death row inmates were trying to deliberately manipulate the judicial process to evade justice, according to the Washington Post.

It is unfortunate that a US District has chosen to side with the convicted prisoners in one of the many last-minute attempts to delay justice, said a spokesperson for Rutledge, Judd Deer, according to the Associated Press.

On Friday evening, just hours before Judge Bakers ruling, Judge Wendell Griffen of the Pulaski County Circuit Court issued a temporary restraining order on the use of one of the lethal injection drugs, the paralytic vecuronium bromide. The judge is an opponent of the death penalty and joined protesters on Friday in a rally against the executions.

Arkansas uses three drugs in its lethal injection procedure, starting with the sedative midazolam, followed by the paralytic vecuronium bromide, and ending with potassium chloride to induce cardiac arrest.

Drug distributor McKesson filed a complaint with the state claiming that the Arkansas Department of Corrections had misled the company about the reasons they needed the drug. The drug distributor issued the state a refund, but officials have refused to return the drugs. McKesson argued that without the order it would suffer loss of property and forced participation in a procedure that is likely to cause reputational injury, according to the Washington Post.

The European Commission outlawed the sale of drugs for lethal injections in 2011 and 2012, and drug manufacturers have stopped selling the drugs if they are to be used for this purpose.

Two of the initially eight planned executions had already been delayed. Last week, a federal judge called off one execution after a parole board recommended 6-1 on April 5 to commute the sentence of Jason McGehee to life imprisonment because it was found that his lawyer did little investigation into the case, and the jury was never informed that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and suffered child abuse leading to the early use of drugs and alcohol.

On Friday afternoon, the Arkansas Supreme court provided a stay of execution for Bruce Ward, whose attorneys say is schizophrenic and mentally incompetent.

Mr. Wards severe and life long schizophrenia and delusions, such as seeing demon dogs at the foot of his bed, have left him incompetent for execution under the constitutional standard, his lawyer, Scott Braden, said in a statement issued Friday, according to NBC.

On Saturday, Attorney General Rutledge filed an emergency motion with the Arkansas Supreme Court to overturn the stay of execution.

Ward had been scheduled to be put to death tonight. Don Davis, who is believed to have an IQ of 70, would now be the only inmate executed tonight if the injunction is overturned.

The large number of executions in such a short period of time is unprecedented and will likely result in additional so-called botched executions.

They have attempted to carry out these executions in a rush without any concern for what could go wrong, Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, told the Los Angeles Times on Saturday.

Arkansas planned to conduct two double executions, on April 20 and 24, which are now temporarily on hold. No state has attempted a double execution since the 2014 execution of Clayton Lockett in Oklahoma. Lockett writhed in pain for 43 minutes during the execution. Prison officials halted the execution after his vein had blown and Lockett succumbed to a heart attack shortly after. Oklahoma officials had to cancel the second planned execution. A report found that the stress caused by the double execution schedule contributed to the mistakes made by the prison staff.

Nearly two dozen prison officials signed a letter sent to Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson last month, raising concerns over the multiple execution schedule, including the mental and emotional harm it would cause to the staff charged with carrying out the executions.

The anesthetic to be used in the executions, midazolam, does not reliably render prisoners unconscious and unable to feel pain, which has resulted in a number of executions gone wrong, including that of Lockett.

In hearings held last week, a number of medical experts testified that midazolam was not a strong enough sedative and that its use in the executions would result in serious pain and suffering.

The threat of irreparable harm to the plaintiffs is significant: if midazolam does not adequately anesthetize plaintiffs, or if their executions are botched, they will suffer severe pain before they die, Judge Baker wrote in her ruling.

Nonetheless, states continue to use the drug for lethal injections. The US Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that its use in executions does not constitute cruel or unusual punishment.

The delay issued by the judge on Saturday reflects a nervousness in ruling circles that the barbaric assembly line executions planned in Arkansas are provoking widespread revulsion.

The Arkansas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty held a rally in Little Rock, the state capital, on Friday where one of the speakers was Damien Echols. Echols and two others spent 18 years on death row in Arkansas until their release in 2011 in a plea deal that allowed them to claim their innocence. DNA evidence emerged challenging their 1993 convictions for the murder of three young boys.

In an interview with the New York Times last week, Echols said that he was living proof that the state of Arkansas does indeed sentence innocent people to death, despite how infallible these politicians would have you believe the system is.

According to the Death Penalty Information Center, since 1973, 157 individuals sentenced to death and living on death row have subsequently been exonerated.
A report published last week by British MPs[Members of Parliament] on the June 23, 2016 Brexit vote, Lessons Learned from the EU Referendum, is being used to whip up accusations of foreign interference and stoke up demands for a major new cyber security programme.

The Guardian declared in response to the reports publication, foreign states may have interfered in the vote with the BBC proclaiming, Brexit vote site may have been hacked. Londons Standard newspaper cast aside any doubt, telling its readers, Brexit voting website crash caused by foreign cyber attack, inventing a quote along the way. The Sun similarly declared, Russian Cyber Hit On EU Vote Website.

No one reading the press headlines would gather that the bulk of the report, produced by the cross party House of Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee (PACAC), is concerned with devastating criticisms of the then Prime Minister David Cameron and his Conservative Party government.

Cameron is accused of holding a bluff-call referendum in order to close down unwelcome debate, using state funding and civil servants to unfairly promote a Remain vote and failing to prepare proper planning for a Leave vote. As a result, his credibility was destroyed and the reputation of the Civil Service for impartiality damaged, the Committee concluded.

These criticisms should have led to calls for the Conservative government to resign and action taken against Cameron and his associates for fraud. But no, all of this was brushed aside by the media. Instead, the focus was on the crash of the Voter Registration computer system on June 7, 2016 and unsubstantiated claims that Russia was involved.

At the time, the crash was put down to a sudden increase in applications as the deadline approached. More than 500,000 people tried to register on the final day, with the crash taking place 100 minutes before the registration deadline ended. There were no suggestions from government, other politicians, or the media that foreign powers may have been involved in the crash or that hacking was responsible.

The Lessons Learned report, based on expert testimony, explains that the cause of the crash was an exceptional surge in demand the sheer numbers of duplicate applications and confusion as to whether individuals needed to re-register. In addition, the government clearly failed to undertake the necessary level of testing and precautions and that when problems arose they were not further investigated and corrected.

However, without any evidence, the report raises the false flag of foreign interference. It states, We do not rule out the possibility that there was foreign interference in the EU referendum campaign caused by a DDOS (distributed denial of service attack) using botnets, though we do not believe that any such interference had any material effect on the outcome of the EU referendum.

The report then makes the ludicrous claim that while US and UK government involvement in cyberspace is predominantly technical and computer-network based, Russia and China use a cognitive approach based on understanding of mass psychology and of how to exploit individualsthat is, they engage in propaganda and brain-washing.

It would appear that references in the report to Russian interference were inserted at a later stage, after the Putin government was accused of using hackers to undermine the Hillary Clinton campaign during the US Presidential race late last year. Nowhere in the report are there any references to the source of the information about DDOS, botnets, cognitive approaches or mass psychology.

None of the written evidence submitted to the committee by 104 individuals and organisations made any reference to Russia.

Of the hundreds of questions asked during the three days of oral evidence, only three questionsin the session on November 1, 2016concerned Russian interference and were obviously introduced as an afterthought as the anti-Russian campaign in the US was reaching fever-pitch. They were asked by Labour committee member Paul Flynn and directed at Electoral Commission chair Jenny Watson.

Flynn asked Watson, Are the rules sufficiently robust to detect interference from a government like Russias, knowing Putins declared policy of campaigning to weaken the European Union and the allegations made about Russias conduct in the American presidential election?

Watson replied, If you are talking about the outcome of the referendum, I am confident that the declaration I made on the morning of 24 June reflects the votes that were cast by voters. She added, I would imagine that those kinds of questions would be best asked of the security services, to be quite honest.

It is clear that the intelligence agencieswhose heads have made numerous anti-Russian statements over the last period centred on unsubstantiated allegations of all manner of interference by Moscowwere duly approached to give their position.

Announcing the publication of the Lessons Learned report, Select Committee chair and Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin focussed on the web site crash, declaring, We have taken advice on this and you cannot rule out the possibility it was a direct attack.

Weve seen this happen in other countries. Our own government has made it clear to us that they dont think there was anything, but you dont necessarily find any direct evidence, Jenkin explained.

While claims of interference in the Brexit referendum campaign by Russian president Vladimir Putin are uncritically accepted as good coin, the blatantindeed unprecedentedinterventions by Western leaders in the referendum were positively welcomed.

In April 2016, former US President Barack Obama flew to the UK to warn that the country would be at the back of the queue in any trade deal with the US if people voted to leave the EU. He declared that if he were a British voter, he would think twice about leaving a market that makes up 44 percent of British exports, and is responsible for millions of jobs and an enormous amount of commerce upon which a lot of businesses depend. The Guardian crowed, Obama sends the right message.

Days before the referendum German Chancellor Angela Merkel broke her self-imposed vow of silence on the Brexit vote to say, she hoped the British population would vote to remain for the benefit of all of us. She then threatened that the UK would get a worse deal outside the EU.

European Council President Donald Tusk warned that a Leave vote would have dramatic negative consequences and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker declared, deserters will not be welcomed back with open arms.

Compared to these belligerent pro-Remain interferences, Russian reactions, according to Newsweek magazine, were notably restrained. It added, the immediate foreign policy fallout from the British referendum has been more muted than one might have expected.

Putin attacked the claim made by Cameron that Russia would savour the crisis produced by the UK leaving, accusing him of using the anti-Russian card to instil fear ahead of the referendum. Following the vote to leave Putin warned that its traumatic effect would last a long time.

Whether or not Putins pronouncements are to be believed is not the issue. As the President of the Russian Federation, Putin is the countrys elected head of state and has every right to put forward Russias view on such a fundamental issue as the Brexit referendum.

The report marks only the latest episode in British imperialisms anti-Russian campaign, backed by their media echo chambers.

In February, Ciaran Martin, head of the UKs new National Cyber Security Centre, told the Times there had been a step change in Russian aggression in cyberspace. Part of that step change has been a series of attacks on political institutions, political parties, parliamentary organisations and thats all very well evidenced by our international partners and widely accepted.

This was stated alongside a number of entirely unsubstantiated scare stories by the British political and media establishment that Russia was seeking to interfere in this years French and German elections.

In contrast to much hyped and unsubstantiated claims of Russian meddling in British politics, around 120 UK troops arrived in Estonia last month as part of one of the biggest British deployments to Eastern Europe in decades. These were joined by 300 UK vehicles, including Warrior infantry fighting vehicles, Challenger 2 tanks and AS90 self-propelled artillery pieces. A further 680 UK troops will arrive in Estonia this spring, as part of NATOs enhanced Forward Presencea critical component of NATOs ongoing military build-up and encirclement of Russia.
Protests organized by the Democratic Party drew relatively small numbers in Washington, DC, New York City and more than 100 other locations throughout the United States on Saturday. The main demonstration at the US Capitol drew about 10,000 people, with several thousand turning out in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and New York, and lesser crowds in other locations.

The protests were set for April 15, the day when income tax returns must usually be filed in the US, to highlight the demand that President Trump release his income tax returns, as all previous presidential candidates have done for the past half-century. Trump has refused to do so, giving the spurious pretext that his taxes are under audit by the Internal Revenue Service.

Democratic Party representatives sought to link the tax return issue not to Trumps status as a billionaire who has taken advantage of various real estate tax dodges to pay little or nothing, but to their bogus allegations that Trump is a Russian stooge.

The suggestion is that Trump is hiding substantial income from Russian investments or debts to Russian investors that would become public knowledge if he released his tax returns. A partial return for 2005, recently leaked to Rachel Maddow of MSNBC, showed no such Russian connection, and Trumps financial statements filed with the Federal Election Commission have shown no Russian assets or property holdings.

Despite the small size of the rallies, the cable news networks gave them extensive coverage on Saturday, avoiding any mention of the number of participants.

While the demonstrations attracted anti-Trump protesters motivated by other issues, particularly opposition to war and Trumps attacks on immigrants, the platform at the main rallies was dominated by Democrats who devoted their remarks almost entirely to right-wing denunciations of Trumps alleged Russian connections.

This was amplified by some of the signs carried by demonstrators, which included openly anti-communist attacks on Trump featuring the hammer and sickle superimposed on his name or face. One sign at the Washington demonstration seemed to demand more bombing of Syria, reading, 1 Airstrike Doesnt Erase Trumps Lies and Russia Ties.

Speakers at the main rally in Washington included such Democrats as Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon and Representative Maxine Waters of California. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was the main speaker at the rally in San Francisco, while Representative Jan Schakowsky and Representative Mike Quigley, along with Jesse Jackson, addressed a rally in the Chicago Loop.

None of these speakers made remarks criticizing Trumps missile strikes on Syria, his authorization of the military to use a huge MOAB super-bomb in Afghanistan, or his threats of preemptive military strikes against North Korea.

Reporters from the World Socialist Web Site covered the demonstration in San Francisco, which was attended by a largely upper-middle-class layer, most of middle age or older, and mostly firm supporters of the Democratic Party. There was a great deal of anti-Russian chauvinism and even unstated pro-war sentiment. Many people reacted with visible hostility to the anti-war message of the WSWS, and a few said the bombing of Syria was a good thing.

Nearly every speaker in San Francisco denounced Russia and alleged Russian interference in the 2016 elections. The first speaker, Jane Kim, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, was a Green Party member turned Democrat. She repeatedly referred to the audience members as patriots, contrasting them to Donald Trump because he wont release his tax returns.

The next speaker was David Cay Johnston, a former tax reporter for the New York Times who has written penetrating exposures of economic inequality, but focused his remarks entirely on Russia-baiting. Referring to Trump, he said, We have to know whether hes an agent of a foreign power.

The main speaker, Nancy Pelosi, argued that the Democrats needed Republican support to force Trump to release his tax returns and asked the audience to contact friends who live in Republican-controlled congressional districts. Sounding the anti-Russian theme, she asked, What do the Russians have on Trump? Why is he opposing sanctions against Russia?

At one point, a reader of the WSWS who found himself near Pelosi began calling her a war criminal, only to be accused by Pelosis followers of being a Trump supporter.

Even in this largely pro-Democratic Party crowd, there were those who were more critical, both of the Democrats and of American capitalism as a whole.

Douglas Estus, a retired computer scientist, spoke to the WSWS about the missile strikes ordered by Trump against Syria. The arms industry is profiting immensely from these bombing campaigns, as well as from the broader war campaigns, he said. The furthering of war is not the answer. We've gone from one administration to the next and all we get is more wars. Things are becoming very dangerous and there has to be an end to war.

The rally happening today is about more than taxes. There's general anger within the population, and we should expect more demonstrations in the future. Everything has to be re-done from the bottom up. All the politicians are corrupt and only represent a combination of the arms industry, the fossil fuel giants and others who are simply trying to protect their profits.

Capitalism is on its last legs. I haven't heard any substantial voice of criticism coming from the top figures in the Democratic Party.
Autoworkers in Chicago and suburban Detroit denounced the growing threat of World War III in comments to the World Socialist Web Site Autoworker Newsletter Saturday. Workers also expressed their solidarity with the 13 Maruti Suzuki in India who were framed up and sentenced to life in prison.

Many voiced strong hostility to US imperialisms war drive in the Middle East and Asia, and expressed a deep unease over the danger of a nuclear war breaking out from one or another flashpoint. A number signed the petition calling for the release of the Maruti Suzuki workers, while others expressed interest in the upcoming International May Day Online Rally on April 30.

Fords Chicago plant employs over 4,200 and is the companys oldest continually operating factory, opening in 1924 with production of the Model T. Chicagos Far South Side, where the plant is located, has undergone decades of deindustrialization, and jobs at the factory are eagerly sought after, despite often wretched working conditions and grueling shifts of 10 hours or more.

Many of the workers are younger, with the majority hired after President Obamas halved the wages of all new hires at GM and Chrysler during the restructuring of the auto industry in 2009. CAP has also been the site of militant opposition to the pro-corporate demands of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union, and workers there have voted down several UAW-backed contracts by large margins.

Workers at the plant currently produce the Explorer SUV and the Taurus sedan. Sales of the models have been declining over the last year, with Explorer sales down 6.6 percent year-over-year as of March. As sales across the auto industry have slumped, the automakers have sought to cut back production, with General Motors eliminating entire shifts at plants in Detroit-Hamtramck and Lansing in Michigan, and in Lordstown, Ohio, and plans for a 10-week shutdown at many plants later this year to trim inventories. For its part, Ford temporarily shut down five plants at the end of 2016, and in March warned of possible layoffs later this year.

Im against war, said Frank. I think all workers from here in Chicago, to workers across the seas, in Afghanistan, Syria, Russia and everywhere should stick together and go antiwar. We could start a peace movement.

Asked what he thought underlay the growing war danger, Ted said, Its always about profit, and the banking system. This stuff is rotten to the core. You got owners of the country, a ruling class, the one percent. Thats the whole thing. Put it this way, these people dont want to stop their money coming in. Theyve got their bunkers, and well be the ones wholl end up dead. Its going to end killing our kids, our children. Trumps kids arent the ones going to war. The Democrats and Republicans dont give a damn about your family, or a damn about you.

I hope we dont go to war, said Sam. I dont know what else to think about it. How the hell can I prevent this? A WSWS reporter explained it was urgently necessary to build a mass antiwar movement of the working class, politically independent of the Democrats and Republicans. He added that workers were being exploited by the same transnational corporations all over the world, and that workers in the US had to turn to workers in Mexico, India, China and elsewhere to prevent a new world war from happening. That makes sense, Sam replied.

WSWS reporters also explained the campaign in defense of the 13 victimized Maruti Suzuki workers in India, who have been framed up for murder because of their opposition to sweatshop conditions, temporary employment schemes, and shop floor abuse. Sam noted that many of the issues they faced sounded familiar to him, and when told that they had been facing the death penalty but were sentenced to life in prison, said, Like thats much better. Their situation sounds crazy.

When a reporter for the WSWS said workers needed their own political party to fight back, Ted responded, Oh, most definitely. And thats going to have to be done, because these unions have sold out all the way.

Somethings going to have to give. I appreciate what you are doing. Keep informing people and keep a voice out here.

A number of workers raised suspicions over the official pretext for the missile strike on Syria last week, namely that President Bashar al-Assad carried out a chemical weapon attack. It seems kind of like the WMDs they went over there looking for in Iraq that never appeared, noted one worker.

Another, upon taking a leaflet asking what a US-European-Russian war would look like, said, Its crazy whats happening. There could be bombs coming in over our heads as we speak.

Im against war, said Mario. I think war is wrong. The only type of people that gain anything from war are those that are in power, the upper one percent, the wealthy. The rich keep getting rich from it and unfortunately our children and our grandchildren are the ones who are shipped off and made to go fight these wars. How about we start sending the senators and the House of Representatives? And how about we are start sending their kids to war? Maybe they wouldnt be so amped up to go ahead and start conflicts wherever.

I just wish there would be an end to all of this, but whenever there is money involved things continue. Im definitely against this, and Im sure a lot of my union brothers and sisters are against it as well. If we could all band together and do something Im all for it.

On the plight of the Maruti Suzuki workers, Mario added, I would tell these workers to stick together. Unity and solidarity can get things done. I wish them the best, I hope they can stay strong and good luck to them in their fight.

In suburban Detroit, supporters of the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) campaigned at Fiat Chryslers Warren Truck assembly plant on Saturday. A worker who was born in Jordan and emigrated more than two decades ago, said, Im glad to see people out here opposing war and fighting to defend workers. Its like 0.01 percent of the populationthe real lunaticsare making all the decisions. I believe there a lot more cases of frame-ups like the Indian workers.

Im against war and all the Islamophobia. The people in the United States are nice and want peace. Its the politics that are rotten here in the US and all over the world. None of them look after the people. They want us fighting against each other so they can continue to make all the money.

Another worker added, Im all for these workers in India. They should stand up for what they believe in. If upper management can get away with it there they will make us work for lower wages and take away our health care here. We should all be standing together all over the world and fighting for the same goals.
Srinagar, Apr 17 (IBNS): Militants shot dead former public prosecutor and National conference worker in Pinjoora village of south Kashmiras Shopian district late Sunday night, police said.

According to officials, militants barged into the home of Advocate Imtiyaz Ahmad of Pinjoora village and opened fire on him.

He was declared dead on arrival at a nearby health facility, said the official.



(Reporting by Saleem Qadri)
The death toll from Fridays collapse of a large portion of the massive garbage dump in Meethotamulla, in the suburbs of Colombo, rose to 26 by yesterday evening. The bodies of seven children, along with 19 adults, have been found so far. Another 12 injured have been admitted to the Colombo National Hospital. Residents told WSWS reporters that there could be as many as a 100 people still buried under the debris.

About 145 houses have been destroyed or buried by the collapsing garbage mountain. Around 645 people from 180 families have been displaced and are temporarily sheltering in a nearby primary school and other places without basic amenities. Because the Hindu traditional New Year festival day fell on April 14, visiting relatives may also have been inside the buried houses. The Sri Lanka Electricity Board warned people to leave the surrounding area because a high voltage power line has been damaged.

The tragedy has provoked shock and outrage across the country, compounding the political crisis of the goernment, which is already facing widespread opposition over its austerity policies. President Maithripala Sirisena has held meetings with ministers, military chiefs and government officials to announce assistance and compensation for the victims. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has cut short his tour of Asia because of the disaster.

With government approval, Colombo Municipal Council had established a huge garbage dump on a 16-acre block of land and heaped waste up to 30 metres high. Management of the dump lacked any scientific application or concern for the lives of nearby residents. Fridays collapse destroyed all the houses in its southern boundary.

A woman, who had been waiting since Friday for the bodies of her brother, his wife and 12-year-old daughter to be unearthed, told the WSWS that no government officials or rescue teams reached the site for more than an hour after the disaster. Residents themselves started searching for the buried people. Then the navy and police came with few shovels, she said.

Facing rising anger, the government sent army rescue teams a few hours later. The army brigadier in charge of the disaster site told the media that a contingent of 600 has now been deployed.

Soldiers and rescue teams are searching the site with rented excavation machinery and without proper equipment or protective gear. This shows the lack of proper disaster preparedness by the government, despite the many landslides in recent years that have killed hundreds. In 2004, the Asian tsunami killed around 40,000 people in Sri Lanka.

Another woman told the WSWS: For how long have we been saying that this [heap of refuse] would collapse! She said that a university professor had warned last year that the garbage mountain could collapse due to the pressure of methane gas being produced inside. All our cries fell on the deaf ears of governments! They did nothing until so many people were buried alive, said a man who was waiting for information about relatives.

Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayaka, S.M. Marikkar, a government parliamentarian for the area, and Police Chief Pujith Jayasundara faced angry protests by local people when they visited the area.

People told them that theres no need to visit after so many have died. What we got when we protested against dumping of garbage here was baton charges, a man told the WSWS. Politicians, Buddhist monks, or Catholic priests, none of them are wanted here.

Another man, now alone with his grandson, angrily explained that these were not deaths, but murders.

Conscious of the simmering anger, the government has deployed a large number of police and soldiers in the area. Under the pretext of public safety, the entire area has been cordoned off. The residents are still unable to salvage valuables from their houses.

Contingents of riot police armed with water cannon, tear gas and firearms are on stand-by in nearby towns such as Wellampitiya and Gothatuwa New Town.

More than 24 hours after the collapse, Deputy Finance Minister Harsha de Silva said that the problem had been building up more than 20 years and the government had now decided to immediately stop the dumping of garbage at the site.

Blaming the victims themselves, de Silva stated that the tragedy occurred because the families had refused to move from the area, despite being offered compensation. Locals, however, told the WSWS that there had not been a resettlement program, apart from verbal promises by officials for a pittance in compensation or for rent for a house at an alternative location.

These attempts to evict people are a part of the project initiated by the previous government of President Mahinda Rajapakse, and continued by the current government, to transform Colombo into an international financial and commercial hub. The government is now seeking to use the tragedy to push ahead with evictions.

For a long time this area was used as a place for dumping garbage. However, the dangerous situation developed after 2009 when it became Colombos main garbage disposal facility. People protested, warning against the potential disasters on many occasions in the past few years. In early 2014 the Mahinda Rajapakse government launched a violent police attack on the residents who were engaged in a sit-in for days blocking dumping.

During the campaign for the January 2015 presidential election, Ranil Wickremesinghe, then opposition leader, visited the area and told the residents that the problem of the garbage dump would be solved as soon as Maithripala Sirisena was elected. Yesterday he sent hypocritical condolences and cynically stated that the government had been on the point of solving the problem of the garbage dump. In reality, his government responded to local protests in May and December 2015 with brutal police attacks and the arrest of many residents.

The Meethotamulla garbage dump disaster is another tragedy generated by successive governments and the drive for profit. It demonstrates that the capitalist system cannot resolve even the most basic problems facing the masses. While President Sirisena has reportedly ordered an immediate stop to garbage disposal in the area and relief for the victims, his real concern is to prevent the disaster from becoming a focus for mounting anger against the government.
In the midst of growing tensions between the United States and Russia, sections of the US media are provocatively warning that Russia is bolstering its influence in Latin America at the expense of the US. These allegations are part of a broader crusade to beat the drums of war against Russia.

On April 8, the Washington Post published an article titled The Soviet Union fought the Cold War in Nicaragua. Now Putins Russia is back, alleging that a Russian compound in Managua, Nicaragua is a covert spying facility aimed against the United States.

The article reads, The Nicaraguan government says its simply a tracking site of the Russian version of a GPS satellite system. But is it also an intelligence base intended to surveil the Americans? Citing anonymous US officials, the article claims the goal of the new facility could be to intercept internet traffic running through the ARCOS 1 fiber-optic cable from Miami to Central America, supposedly in retaliation for the Obama administrations scale-up of US and NATO troops near Russias borders in Eastern Europe.

In a similar article, the Washington, DC insider website The Hill claims Russian President Vladimir Putin is seeking to interfere in the Mexican elections in support of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO), the leader and 2018 presidential candidate of the Movement for National Regeneration (Morena). The article openly admits there is no hard evidence to justify this allegation, but puts forward conjecture as fact.

The Hill quotes Christopher Wilson, deputy director of the Wilson Center Mexico Institute, who stated, Russia meddles in elections, we know thatRussias biggest interest would be on wreaking some havoc on the U.S.-Mexico relationship. Adapting himself to the neo-McCarthyite campaign being waged in the US, Armando Rios Peter, a Mexican senator for the Party of the Democratic Revolution, told the publication: If [Russia] intervened in the United States, theres every reason to think that Mexico is a target for attack.

The United States ruling class wrote the book on meddling in Latin American affairs. Over the last century, the US has invaded several Latin American countries, orchestrated coups, backed right-wing deaths squads, and supported brutal dictators. Across Latin America, the words Central Intelligence Agency evoke memories of the most brutal and depraved crimes.

In Nicaragua, one of the two examples of alleged Russian meddling provided by the Washington Post and The Hill, the US backed the brutal dictatorship of the dynastic Somoza family for roughly three decades. After Anastasio Somozas removal from power in 1979, the US then supported the fascistic Contra rebels who murdered tens of thousands of peasants in the Nicaraguan Civil War. In the case of Mexico, US influence goes back to before the reign of Porfirio Diaz. The US has invaded Mexico three times and stole half of Mexicos territory after the Mexican-American war of 1846-48.

More recently, it is US officials who have explicitly signaled that Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is not acceptable to the American ruling class. On April 5, Senator John McCain said: If the election were tomorrow in Mexico, you would probably get a left-wing, anti-American president of Mexico. That cant be good for America.

John Kelly, Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security, added: It would not be good for America, or for Mexico.

This amounts to an acknowledgement that the US is prepared to meddle in the Mexican elections. As CIA Director Michael Pompeo stated at a speech Thursday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies: You know, we perform intelligence on [foreign] elections in the same way that we do with respect to everything else.

US concerns against Russian meddling serve not only to promote the drive to war against Russia in Syria and Eastern Europe, but also to limit the influence of both Russia and China in Latin America, which US imperialism sees as its own backyard.

During the past decade, Russia has performed some naval drills with both Venezuela and Nicaragua and continues to give military and economic aid to the Venezuelan government of Nicolas Maduro. In 2015, Nicaraguas parliament passed a resolution allowing Russian warships to dock in Nicaraguan ports, and the two countries are reportedly planning future joint military exercises. This comes nowhere near the regular military drills and billions of dollars spent by American imperialism in funding the regions many right-wing governments.

In a February 3 article, the Wilson Center noted: Russian military cooperation with the countries in the Western Hemisphere remains limited, and Moscow does not aspire to build a significant military presence in the region. Russia is unable to afford such a presence, and making a long-term financial commitment to Latin America is not the Kremlins goal.

According to the Atlantic Council, Chinese trade in Latin America has increased by nearly 2,000 percent since 2000, and Latin America is collectively now Chinas fourth largest trading partner. The Trump administrations America First trade policies could further increase Chinese economic ties in the region as many Latin American countries seek to decrease their dependence on the US for fear of higher tariffs. Mexico currently sends over 80 percent of its manufacturing exports to the United States, with Nicaragua sending over 50 percent.

The US Army War College published a similar article in 2015 with regard to China titled, Expanding the Rebalance: Confronting China in Latin America. This article makes a similar case that Chinese influence is creating economic interdependencies and undermining US influence and generating further political, social and economic tensions.

The warnings by the corporate press and military think tanks that Russia and China are expanding their influence in the region presages a deepening involvement of US imperialism in the region. The new campaign sends a message: the US will not tolerate any challenges to its self-proclaimed and unlimited right to exploit Latin America.
Despite a failed North Korean missile launch on Sunday morning and Washingtons relatively muted response, tensions in North East Asia remain extremely high. The Trump administration is continuing to warn that military force could be used in response to any nuclear or missile test by Pyongyang.

Trumps national security adviser H.R. McMaster stressed that all of our options are on the table, undergoing refinement and further development in relation to North Korea. He said: The president has made clear that he will not accept the United States and its allies and partners in the region being under threat from this hostile regime with nuclear weapons.

Speaking on ABCs This Week program yesterday, McMaster said that in the first instance Washington would rely on Beijing to put enormous pressure on Pyongyang to bow to US demands to end its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. North Korea is very vulnerable to pressure from the Chinese. Eighty percent of North Koreas trade comes from China. All of their energy requirements are fulfilled by China, he said.

The national security adviser made clear that this problem is coming to a head. He stated that this was the time to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully, but ruled nothing out. No credibility should be given to McMasters suggestion that the Trump administration will explore options, short of military force, in the coming weeks, months.

McMaster himself declared that the Trump administration would not telegraph how it would respond to certain situations. Citing the devastating cruise missile strikes on Syria, he emphasised that Trump was clearly comfortable making tough decisions.

Last week Trump ordered the aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Carl Vinson to return to waters off the Korean Peninsula and boasted that he had sent an armada including nuclear submarines to the area. The Pentagon also has at its disposal advanced fighters and strategic bombers stationed in Japan and Guam.

In South Korea, the US has 28,500 troops as well as military aircraft and other hardware on a high state of alert, ready to Fight Tonight. In the event of war with North Korea, the US military assumes operational control over the well-equipped South Korean military with some 625,000 personnel as well as sophisticated naval, air and anti-missile systems.

The South Korean government immediately denounced the failed missile test, making clear it fully supported US military threats. The government condemns this clear threat to the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula and the international community, the defense ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

The London-based Sunday Times reported that US officials had briefed their British counterparts on Washingtons preparations for war with North Korea. Theyll do anything it takes, a senior British source told the newspaper. Nothing is off the table. They think theyve got the capabilities to target things and utterly destroy them.

A former US official familiar with the war plans told the Sunday Times: Trump is pushing the Chinese hard, but in his gut he ultimately feels he will have to take a strong step himself. There are plans to destroy the missile sites and the military have strong confidence in what they know.

A US foreign policy adviser travelling with Vice President Mike Pence on his current tour of Asia repeated the threats made by McMaster. He noted that North Korea appeared to have tested a medium-range ballistic missile, not an ICBM, but it failed within seconds.

While ruling out any American action, the adviser stressed: Weve got options; weve got a range of options both militarily, diplomatic and others, so we have a wide array of tools at [our] disposal for the president should he choose to use them. He also made clear that other actions would have been taken by the US, if North Korea had conducted a nuclear test.

At the same time, the Trump administration, along with the American and international media, is continuing to demonise North Korea as a rogue state that threatens the security of the US and the world. This is in line with the propaganda campaigns that have preceded every illegal intervention and war carried out by US imperialism over the past 25 years from the Middle East, to the Balkans, North Africa and Central Asia.

National security adviser McMaster condemned the brutality of the Pyongyang regime headed by Kim Jong-un. This is someone who has demonstrated his brutality by murdering his own brother, by murdering others in his family, by imprisoning large numbers of people in horrible conditions for no reason, for political reasons, he said.

North Korea is certainly under the thumb of a vicious police-state regime and its reactionary, militarist response to US threats only heightens the danger of war. However, it is utterly hypocritical for the US to posture as a defender of peace and stability given its ongoing brutal wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East as well as other military interventions and provocations.

As for Washingtons claims to defend human rights, this is a slogan that is turned off and on depending on a particular countrys alignment with US imperialism.

The events of the past week or somissile strikes on Syria, the detonation of the Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB), and the threats of an imminent attack on North Koreaall underscore that US imperialism is the greatest source of international instability and danger of war.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, a British military source, who had talked to national security adviser McMaster this month, said that he was aware that any US attack on North Korea would come at terrible cost because it would likely provoke retaliation.

While the article did not spell out the consequences, any new war on the Korean Peninsula could result in the deaths of millions, or far more if China and other powers were drawn into the conflict. Nevertheless, the US is prepared to recklessly plunge the world into just such a catastrophe in its desperate bid for global hegemony.
The danger of a military conflict between the United States and North Korea continued to escalate throughout the weekend. Far from seeking to lessen tensions between the two countries, the Trump administration continued to employ rhetoric that signaled the possibility of imminent military action by the United States.

On Sunday, North Korea reportedly test-fired a medium-range ballistic missile, but this launch failed. The American media is speculating that covert US-organized sabotage may have been responsible. Trump administration officials have refused to deny or acknowledge involvement, but the US has been developing such techniques directed at North Korea for several years.

Trumps national security advisor, Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster, declared Sunday morning on ABCs This Week program that the situation just cant continue. He added, The president has made very clear that he is not in the business of announcing in advance exactly what hes going to do.

This deliberate ambiguity about US intentions serves no other purpose than to increase North Korean fears that an American preemptive military strike is being prepared. It heightens the danger of events spinning out of control.

The fact that no one really knows what the Trump administration will do next makes the situation even more dangerous than during the height of the Cold War in the early 1960s. During the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, as has been thoroughly documented in historical accounts, the Kennedy administration was extremely fearful that its actions might be misinterpreted by the Soviet Union, thus precipitating a nuclear exchange.

No such concern is evident today. Moreover, the danger is intensified by the fact that Trump has boasted of having authorized local military commanders to order actions as they see fit. The administration has let it be known that the decision last week to use the Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb (MOAB), the largest nonnuclear weapon in its arsenal, was made by military officials in Afghanistan. Any potential target of the United States, whether it be North Korea, China, Russia or Iran, is dealing with countless potential decision makers, with no way of determining who is in control.

Beyond the Trump administration and the military, the entire political and media establishment in the US is consumed by war fever. The major newspapers and television networks pump out nothing but government propaganda. There is a complete absence of any critical evaluation of the bellicose rhetoric coming out of Washington, let alone a frank assessment of the consequences of a war.

The official government narrative surrounding the confrontation with North Korea goes completely unchallenged. In keeping with every other war launched by the United States over the past quarter century, the conflict is being explained in the most absurd and infantile terms. As with Panamas Noriega, Iraqs Saddam Hussein, Serbias Milosevic, Libyas Gaddafi, Syrias Assad and Russias Putin, North Koreas Kim Jong-Un is being portrayed as a mad dictator, provoking confrontation and threatening the peace of the world. North Koreas nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program is denounced as a criminal and insane enterprise, for which there is no rational explanation.

In this fraudulent and cynical narrative, there is no reference to the history of imperialist oppression of the Korean people: of the 35 years of brutal Japanese colonial occupation between 1910 and 1945, or of the horrific toll exacted by the United States during its war against North Korea between 1950 and 1953, which resulted in approximately 3 million Korean deaths. The US media says nothing of the fact that throughout the Korean War, the American military exerted continuous pressure for the use of nuclear weapons.

It is a political fact that North Korea is a small country, with a long history of Great Power occupation and oppression, which is threatened with destruction by the most powerful imperialist state in the world. Without in any way endorsing the policies of the Pyongyang regime, it is not difficult to understand why it believes that nuclear weapons are essential for its survival. In a statement carried by Pyongyangs official Korean Central News Agency, a spokesman for the general staff of the Norths Peoples Army said: Nothing will be more foolish if the United States thinks it can deal with us the way it treated Iraq and Libya, miserable victims of its aggression, and Syria, which did not respond immediately even after it was attacked.

Behind the US threat to North Korea lies the more fundamental conflict with China, which American officials and military strategists see as a major long-term economic and geopolitical competitor. At the center of the campaign on the Korean peninsula is the effort to force China, which also possesses nuclear weapons, to accept US hegemony over the Asia-Pacific region.

Even as the attention of the world is focused on East Asia, the United States is intensifying its campaign against Syria and Russiaanother flashpoint that could spark a conflict between nuclear-armed powers.

Barely a week ago, the Trump administration launched military strikes against Syria, seizing on still wholly unsubstantiated allegations that the Syrian government carried out a chemical weapons attack. On Friday, Russian, Iranian and Syrian foreign ministers issued a joint statement declaring that any further attack against the Syrian government would have grave consequences not only for regional, but global securitythat is, it could provoke world war.

The recklessness of American foreign policy must be seen within the context of a broader international crisis of the world capitalist system.

Increasingly, the American ruling class sees war as the only way out of a series of interconnected global and domestic crises. Despite the official bluster about economic growth, the ruling elite is terrified of the possibility of a deflationary implosion of the asset bubbles that have developed in the aftermath of the economic crisis of 2008. Already there are indications that the markets are beginning to turn and financial volatility is increasing.

The economic tensions are intensifying the conflicts between the major imperialist powers. The European Union and the NATO alliance are breaking down. Germany is reasserting itself as a European and global economic and military power. Nationalist forces are on the rise in the wake of Brexit.

Powerful sections of the US and European ruling elites believe centrifugal pressures that threaten to destroy the existing world order can be counteracted by identifying and targeting a common enemy. This is a motive underlying the increasingly aggressive stance taken by both the United States and major European states toward Russia.

There is yet another critical factor driving the United States toward war. The ruling class is acutely aware of the tremendous level of social discontent. War is seen as a means of directing social tensions outward, while at the same time creating the framework for the suppression and criminalization of social and political opposition.

Despite the relentless propaganda of the establishment media, there is a deep-rooted distrust of the government and opposition to war. But antiwar sentiment finds no expression within the framework of official politics. The Democratic Party has been leading the hysterical anti-Russian campaign and demanding the escalation of military operations in Syria. In just the past week, the Democrats have rushed to support the air strikes on Syria, the campaign against North Korea and the dropping of the massive MOAB bomb in Afghanistan.

The vast majority of the worlds population knows that war is madness, and that a conflict involving advanced weaponrynuclear and nonnuclearmust lead to a catastrophe. The prospect of a major war is so horrifying that ordinary people cannot bring themselves to think it can happen. Somehow or other, they want to believe, the governments will pull back from the brink.

But this hope is an illusion. The danger of war is rooted in the very nature of capitalism, imperialism and the nation-state system. The recklessness of the political leaders, their willingness to take incredible risks with the lives of millions, is a subjective expression of an objective crisis.

A quarter century of unending war and fifteen years of the war on terror are developing into a confrontation involving major nuclear-armed powers. Even if the present crises do not erupt in such a war, another crisis will follow.

Opposition to imperialist war must be rooted in the working class, in the United States and internationally. It is the working class that will pay for war with their lives and their livelihoods.

Spending on the massive military apparatus will be paid for by the destruction of health care, pensions, wages and social programs. The working class, unified internationally on an anti-capitalist program, is the only social force that can put an end to the madness that threatens the entire human race.

There is only one way that war can be stopped, and that is through the political mobilization of tens of millions of working people and youth within the United States and throughout the world against the capitalist-imperialist warmongers.

The Socialist Equality Party and the International Youth and Students for Social Equality, in solidarity with its fraternal organizations throughout the world, calls for the organization of protest rallies and meetings denouncing the war policies of the ruling elites. It is vital to build an international antiwar movement, based on socialist policies. The fight against war must be brought to all demonstrations and manifestations of opposition, including the internationally coordinated protests on April 22 against the attack on science. The defense of science, reason, progress and humanity itself is inseparable from the fight against war.

On April 30, the International Committee of the Fourth International is organizing its annual International May Day Online Rally. At the center of the rally is the fight against imperialist war. The ICFI calls on all readers of the World Socialist Web Site to attend and build for this rally. Organize meetings and demonstrations against war on college campuses and in the neighborhoods. Help take the fight against war into every factory and workplace.

The same contradictions that produce imperialist war also produce the objective basis for socialist revolution. The urgent necessity is to organize and politically mobilize the working class, to connect the fight against war to the fight against social inequality, political repression and the capitalist system.

Contact the ICFI to organize a meeting or demonstration.
A convoy of buses evacuating residents from the government-held towns of Foua and Kefraya in Syrias Idlib province was targeted by a suicide bomber Saturday, claiming the lives of at least 126 civilians. The attack occurred west of Aleppo as the buses made their way to government-controlled areas.

The evacuation of the residents of the two towns began Friday morning and was part of a swap deal agreed between the government of Bashar al-Assad and rebel forces. In exchange for allowing the evacuation of residents from Foua and Kefraya, rebels agreed to resettle the populations of Madaya and Zabadani, two towns they control near Damascus. In total, around 7,250 people were evacuated from the four towns. It was part of a broader plan brokered by Iran and Qatar to move up to 30,000 people over a 60-day period.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is linked to the rebels, 68 children were killed in the blast. Other sources have put the figure as high as 80.

The observatory confirmed the blast was caused by an improvised explosive device carried in a vehicle, backing up an earlier report on Syrian state TV which said the attackers used a van meant for delivering aid to gain access to the area.

An al-Jazeera reporter at the scene described how many of the buses were completely destroyed and dead bodies littered the ground. Ambulances rushed those from the scene who had been injured.

Although no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, it occurred in a rebel-controlled area. Ahrar al-Sham, a conservative Islamist militia, condemned the bombing and called for an international investigation to determine who was to blame.

In stark contrast to the moral outrage expressed by politicians and the media in the wake of the alleged gas attack in Khan Sheikhoun earlier this month, which the Trump administration seized upon to launch an illegal missile strike on a Syrian air base, the death of over 100 Syrians in a suicide bombingsubstantially more than the number who died in the alleged gas attackprompted virtually no condemnation from the Western powers.

The US State Department released a weasel-worded statement which, while condemning the killings, sought to strike a pose of impartiality and refused even to identify the rebel Islamist militias as being responsible. We deplore any act that sustains or empowers extremists on all sides including todays attack, said State Department spokesman Mark Toner.

At a comparable stage in the aftermath of the Khan Sheikhoun incident, just hours after the alleged attack, US government officials had already acted as judge, jury and executioner, and were proclaiming the guilt of the Assad regime without presenting any evidence.

President Donald Trump, who invoked the deaths of beautiful babies and the need to defend the civilized world in justifying his April 6 cruise missile strike, which killed nine civilians, did not even comment on the bloodbath carried out by forces linked to the American CIA.

For their part, the servile corporate-controlled media reported on the incident, if at all, in a largely routine manner.

The New York Times published a lengthy front-page report concentrating almost exclusively on the crimes committed by Assad during the war, alleging that the largest number of violations by far has been by the Syrian government. It criticized the failure to bring government officials before the International Criminal Court in the Hague and blamed Russia for blocking any action by the UN Security Council.

The general indifference shown by the political and media establishment to the victims of this brutal massacre exposes once again the hypocrisy of the crusaders for human rights in the United States and the European imperialist powers. It demonstrates the fraudulent character of the propaganda campaign in the wake of the alleged gas attack, designed to conceal the real aims of US imperialist intervention in Syria: regime change in Damascus and the consolidation of Washingtons hegemonic position in the energy-rich Middle East against any challenge from its geopolitical rivals.

The reason for the lack of reaction is not hard to find. While it remains unclear precisely which faction of the rebels carried out the mass slaughter, Washington and its Gulf allies have the main responsibility for arming the collection of right-wing Islamist militias fighting the Assad dictatorship and enabling them to continue the civil war. The opposition is now dominated by the al-Nusra Front, which was formerly affiliated to Al Qaeda.

If any journalist were honest enough to follow the evidence, they would have to apportion a significant part of the blame for the bus convoy bombing to the criminal and reckless policies of US imperialism. More than six years after instigating the Syrian civil war, Washington has the blood of an estimated 500,000 Syrians on its hands.

This does not even take into account the upwards of 1 million people killed as a result of the illegal invasion of Iraq in 2003, the hundreds of thousands of deaths due to wars either led or sponsored by Washington in Afghanistan, Yemen, and Somalia, and the millions throughout the region forced to flee their homes as a consequence of conflict and societal breakdown.

The highly selective concern shown for human rights issues by the representatives of US imperialism is nothing new. Saturdays bombing came less than a month after a single US air strike launched as part of the ruthless onslaught against Mosul, Iraqs second largest city, claimed the lives of as many as 300 civilians sheltering in a basement. This horrific war crime, coming on top of the thousands of civilian deaths that have occurred since the US-backed offensive was launched last October, was largely buried by the media.

The ruling class considers the deaths of civilians to be collateral damagea price worth paying in their ruthless struggle to uphold US imperialist interests in the Middle East and around the globe. Barely 24 hours after the bus bombing, Trumps National Security Adviser General H.R. McMaster vowed in an ABC News interview that Washington was ready to escalate tensions with Russia still further, not only over Syria, but over Europe as well.

McMaster said of Russias alliance with Assad, So Russias support for that kind of horrible regime, that is a party to that kind of a conflict, is something that has to be drawn into question as well as Russias subversive actions in Europe. And so I think its time though, now, to have those tough discussions with Russia.
According to results posted last night, the constitutional referendum of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won 51.4 percent of the vote. With 99 percent of ballots counted, the No campaign, supported by the opposition Kemalist Republican Peoples Party (CHP) and the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP), stood at 48.6 percent. Erdogan, who heads the Justice and Development Party (AKP), declared victory for the sweeping constitutional changes he had promoted.

The referendum was marked by large-scale voting irregularities, however, which immediately raised suspicions of electoral fraud. The High Electoral Board (YSK) ruled that it would count ballots that had not been stamped by its officials as valid unless they could be proved fraudulent, citing a high number of complaints that YSK officials at polling stations had failed to stamp them.

The CHP declared that it would demand a recount of about 6 percentsome 2.5 millionof the votes or about 37 percent of ballot boxes. The HDP, for its part, said the result of the referendum would remain unclear until its appeal to the YSK over voting irregularities had been decided.

The YSKs decision led CHPs chairperson Kemal Kilicdaroglu to declare that the legitimacy of the referendum was open to question. In a short speech to reporters last night, Kilicdaroglu stated that constitutions should be the result of social consensus. He said he was ready to develop the Turkish constitution on a consensus basis.

Though the referendum was supported by the AKP and the fascistic National Movement Party (MHP), the initial results show that the absolute size of the Yes vote was some 10in some cities 20percent smaller than the AKP and MHP vote in the November 2015 general election. The HDP also lost part of its vote in some of its majority-Kurdish electoral strongholds, where hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee fighting between the Turkish army and Kurdish nationalist groups.

In Turkeys largest citiesIstanbul, Izmir, Ankara, Adana, Diyarbakirthe no vote carried, while large sections of the population voted no in major industrial cities such as Bursa, Kocaeli and Manisa.

As it became clear that the official result would be a yes victory, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told a crowd of AKP supporters that the referendum had opened a new page in Turkeys history. Erdogan then spoke to celebrate his razor-thin victory. There are people who belittle the results, he said, referring to his opponents. Do not beat the air. It is too late now.

Speaking at Huber Palace in Istanbul, Erdogan claimed that by approving the referendum, which effectively grants him dictatorial powers, Turkey had resolved a 200-year-old contradiction in its administration. Today is the day when a change, a decision to shift to a truly serious administrative system was made, he said.

Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the pro-yes Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), called the result a a significant success, ignoring the fact that some 50 percent of MHP voters voted no. Dismissing the issue of vote fraud, he declared, The great Turkish nation, the sole owner of sovereignty, has given the final word about the future of its country, clinging to its independence and future.

The constitutional amendment is a reactionary measure replacing Turkeys parliamentary system with an all-powerful presidency exercising total control of the legislature and the judiciary. It allows the president to issue legislative decrees, draw up the budget, appoint the judiciary, dissolve parliament and nominate the ruling partys candidates for parliamentary elections. The parliament would become a rubber stamp.

If the yes vote is confirmed, the referendum will reshape Turkeys relations with NATO and the European Union. Erdogan previously vowed to review his refugee deal with the EU after the referendum.

Even though large-scale irregularities are hanging over the vote, the pro-EU Turkish Industry and Business Association (TUSIAD) called on the electorate to support the yes result. It called for the population to stand in solidarity for a stronger Turkey and look to the future without delay. It also urged the government and parliament to prioritize the reform agenda that is before our country, adding, It is time to progress by preserving freedoms, pluralism and solidarity.

Though the referendum unmistakably grants the Turkish president dictatorial powers, TUSIAD asked Erdogan to strengthen the independence of the judiciary and end the state of emergency imposed after last years July 15 failed coup, which was backed by Washington and Berlin.

TUSIADs statement also called for closer relations with the EU on issues such as customs duties, media and Internet freedom, security cooperation on refugee policy, visa-free travel, a political solution in Cyprus, and a resolution to the war in Syria.

The Council of Europe made similar remarks, calling on the Turkish government to proceed carefully after its victory. In a written statement, Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjrn Jagland said, It is of utmost importance to secure the independence of the judiciary in line with the principle of rule of law enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights. The Council of Europe, of which Turkey is a full member, stands ready to support the country in this process.

In Germany, Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel urged the Turkish government to proceed in a level-headed way. Axel Schaefer of the Social Democratic Party treated the referendum outcome as a disaster, comparing it to the coming to power of Hitler in 1933.

The Brexit vote is pushing Britain onto the sidelines, the presidential election of Trump is taking the USA on an adventure, the Erdogan referendum is leading Turkey into absolutism like the 1933 German parliamentary election led Germany into the abyss, he said.

Erdogans closest allies were more supportive in their statements on the referendum. Azeri President Ilham Aliyev congratulated Erdogan, saying, This referendum will undoubtedly mark the dawn of a new era in the history of our sister country and will strengthen the role and place of a stable, strong Turkey in the international arena.

Qatars emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, together with leaders from Pakistan, Hungary, Macedonia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Kenya, telephoned Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to congratulate him on the result.
One hundred years ago this week, in the midst of unprecedented devastation and growing signs of working class unrest throughout Europe, Lenin follows his return to Petrograd with an unexpected declaration of war against a section of the leadership of his own party, which is still a minority in the soviets. Trotsky later refers to Lenins campaign inside the party, which opened with the publication of the April Theses, as the struggle for the rearming of the Bolshevik ranks.

Without a fundamental change in the strategic orientation of the Bolshevik Party, accepting in essence Trotskys conception of permanent revolution, the taking of power by the working class in October would not have been possible. And this strategic realignment would not be possible without the struggles of Lenin personally, who brings to bear a brilliant intellect, all his accumulated authority and prestige in the workers movement, and an untiring resolve. It is difficult to identify another moment in history when the activity of a single individual will have such a significant and far-reaching impact, ensuring the victory of a revolution that will touch the lives of generations to come all around the world.

In an entry into his diary dated March 25, 1935, Trotsky writes: Had I not been present in 1917 in Petersburg, the October Revolution would still have taken placeon the condition that Lenin was present and in command. If neither Lenin nor I had been present in Petersburg, there would have been no October Revolution: the leadership of the Bolshevik Party would have prevented it from occurringof this I have not the slightest doubt! If Lenin had not been in Petersburg, I doubt whether I could have managed to overcome the resistance of the Bolshevik leaders. The struggle with Trotskyism (i.e., with the proletarian revolution) would have commenced in May, 1917, and the outcome of the revolution would have been in question. But I repeat, granted the presence of Lenin the October Revolution would have been victorious anyway.

Petrograd, April 17 (April 4, O.S.): Lenins April Theses published

Immediately after his return to Petrograd, Lenin launches a determined struggle inside the Bolshevik Party for its strategic realignment along the lines of the struggle for a proletarian revolution against the bourgeois Provisional Government.

In the weeks between the February upheavals and Lenins return, the right wing of the Bolshevik Party, including senior figures in Petrograd such as Kamenev and Stalin, has adapted the partys line to the Provisional Government and the continuation of the war, in the name of defending the revolution.

In the April Theses, Lenin unambiguously characterizes the war as predatory and imperialist, declaring his support instead for fraternization among the warring armies. On the question of the Provisional Government, Lenin demands no support for the pro-war, pro-capitalist government produced by the February Revolution, which must be displaced by a workers state.

He writes that Bolsheviks should not demand a parliamentary republic, which would be a retrograde step in light of fact that soviets have already formed. Instead, Lenin insists that the demand should be for a republic of Soviets of Workers, Agricultural Labourers and Peasants Deputies throughout the country, from top to bottom, which he characterizes as the only possible form of revolutionary government. This conception will be reflected in the iconic slogan: All power to the soviets!

Lenin proposes renaming the party and the formation of a new revolutionary international to replace the Second International, which had been disgraced by its support for the war. Lenin openly embraces the fact that the party may be, for the moment, a small minority in the Petrograd Soviet, aligning itself against a bloc of all the petty-bourgeois opportunist elements, including the Mensheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries. From members of the partys right wing, some of whom have gone so far as to contemplate a merger with the Mensheviks, Lenins theses are met with accusations of Trotskyism.

In the period since 1905, the Bolshevik Party has advanced the slogan of the democratic dictatorship of the proletariat and peasantry. This slogan occupies an intermediate position between Trotskys conception of permanent revolution and the Menshevik conception of the Russian Revolution as essentially bourgeois. Plekhanov and the Mensheviks denounce Lenin for implying that it is possible to have a bourgeois revolution without the bourgeoisie. Meanwhile, Trotsky agrees with Lenin that the bourgeoisie in Russia cannot play a revolutionary role, but has criticized Lenins position for implying that, to preserve its alliance with the peasantry, the working class would restrain itself from carrying out socialist measures, keeping the revolution within bourgeois-democratic parameters. Further, Trotsky observes, In bourgeois Russia of the twentieth century, there could not even be talk of the seizure of power by the revolutionary peasantry.

With the April Theses, much to the shock of many leading Bolsheviks, Lenin abandons the conception of the democratic dictatorship of the two revolutionary classes in Russia, instead adopting the assessment, previously identified with Trotsky, that what is necessary is the seizure of power by the Russian working class, relying on the extension of the revolution by the working class internationally.

To accomplish this strategic realignment, Lenin is able to appeal for support to lower tiers of the leadership and a party rank-and-file steeped in the proletarian internationalist traditions for which Lenin had consistently fought over the preceding decades, including in the struggles against the Mensheviks, and to defend Marxism from every form of opportunism and revisionism. Trotsky later writes:

In his April theses which seemed so paradoxical, Lenin was relying against the old formula upon the living tradition of the partyits irreconcilable attitude to the ruling classes and its hostility to all half-way measureswhereas the old Bolsheviks were opposing a still fresh although already outdated memory to the concrete development of the class struggle. But Lenins support was too strong, prepared by the whole historic struggle of the Bolsheviks against the Mensheviks. Lenin was not an accidental element in the historic development but a product of the whole past of Russian history. He was embedded in it with deepest roots. Along with the vanguard of the workers, he had lived through their struggle in the course of the preceding quarter century. ... Lenin did not oppose the party from outside, but was himself its most complete expression. In educating it he had educated himself in it. His divergence from the ruling circles of the Bolsheviks meant the struggle of the future of the party against its past. If Lenin had not been artificially separated from the party by the conditions of emigration and war, the external mechanics of the crisis would not have been so dramatic, and would not have overshadowed to such a degree the inner continuity of the partys development.

Further Reading:

David North, Toward a reconsideration of Trotskys legacy and his place in the history of the 20th century.

Leon Trotsky, Three Conceptions of the Russian Revolution.

London, April 17: British newspapers publish propaganda story about German corpse factory

The Times and the Daily Mail, two newspapers owned by Lord Northcliffe, publish lurid accounts of the alleged existence of a Corpse Utilisation Factory (Kadaververwertungsanstalt) behind German lines. According to the propaganda piece, the German army rendered down the dead bodies of soldiers to produce fat, which is then used to make soap or candles. The tale has been circulating as rumor for some time, but this is the first time British newspapers have carried the story.

The origin of the story was a Belgian newspaper, La Belgique, published in the Netherlands. The account, which the Times published under the headline, The Germans and their dead, was fabricated from a brief story in a German newspaper describing the smell of a factory where animal corpses were rendered down to extract fats and other properties. Amplifying the attempt to whip up anti-German sentiment, Punch, the popular satirical magazine, carried a cartoon on April 25 entitled, Cannon fodder and after, which depicted the alleged factory.

The story is only the latest in a stream of anti-German propaganda in the British press, which sought to incite popular opinion against Germany as early as 1914 with exaggerated accounts of the German armys atrocities in Belgium.

Recklinghausen-Berlin, April 17: Strike wave in Germany continues

Over 500 miners at Harpener pit in Recklinghausen, a city in the northwest of Germany, go on strike. Strikes also take place at other factories in the Ruhr area and in industrial cities throughout the country, including in Magdeburg, Halle, Hamburg, Kiel, Nurnberg, Barmen, Leipzig and Braunschweig. In order to suppress future strikes, martial law is declared in Magdeburg. The military puts up posters throughout the city, threatening strike participants with severe penalties and forced conscription. In Berlin, the leading Social Democrats Gustav Bauer and Philipp Scheidemann urge the Secretary of State Karl Helfferich and General Lieutenant Wilhelm Groener to welcome a delegation from striking factories in Leipzig. To receive the delegation would cost nothing, they argue, but not to receive them could easily lead to a situation getting out of control and leading to senseless bloodshed.

The trade union leaders Alwin Korsten, Alfred Cohen and Wilhelm Siering in Berlin are received by the military high command, which promises them that the arrested revolutionary shop steward Richard Muller will be released. The trade union leaders threaten the workers that they would lose all gained conquests if they do not end the strike and abandon the political demands raised at the assembly in Leipzig, which included a peace without annexations, an end to martial law and universal suffrage. The strike committee abandons these demands and decides on April 18 that the workers should go back to work. Upon return from Berlin, the delegation from Leipzig agrees to this decision. This is supposed to end the strike, but it does not.

At numerous factories in Berlin, more workers meetings take place on April 17 which are attended by members of the Independent Social Democratic Party (USPD) and the revolutionary Spartacus League. They call for a continuation of the strike, based on the demands advanced in Leipzig. According to various estimates, between 25,000 and 50,000 workers condemn the betrayal of the trade union leadership and declare their readiness to continue the strike.

Workers at the Berlin factory of Knorr-Bremse raise and focus on the demand for the release of the leading German revolutionary Karl Liebknecht. They elect Pal Scholze, a revolutionary shop steward, as the head of their workers council, who immediately calls upon all other workers to follow their example.

One day later, the military cracks down on the strike movement, arresting numerous strike leaders, including Scholze. The factories which had been part of the strike are placed under military rule.

Gaza, April 19: Second Battle of Gaza ends with heavy casualties

The second attempt in three weeks by British, Australian and New Zealand troops, moving northeast from Egypt, to capture Gaza, in the Turkish-controlled territory of Palestine, ends catastrophically. At the end of three days of battle, the official casualty number on the Allied side is more than 6,400, with unofficial figures as high as 14,000.

The first battle, fought on March 26, and the second, which began on April 17, have been characterized by incompetence on the part of the commanding staff. Following the loss of 4,000 men in the first battle, compared to 2,400 Turkish casualties, General Archibald Murray reported to London that the British forces had been victorious, so as to safeguard his own position. Believing their troops to be on the verge of a breakthrough, London ordered Murray to attempt a second assault in quick succession.

After his troops make slow gains during the first two days, commanding officer Charles Dobell decides to launch a frontal assault on the well-defended Turkish positions. This results in heavy losses, with the 54th (East Anglian) Division suffering 2,800 casualties alone. The attempt to use tanks in the dry desert fails.

In the aftermath of the second defeat, Murray and Dobell would be relieved of their posts and sent home to England. The allied armies are forced to call on reinforcements from Italy and France before renewing their offensive in the fall.

Kreuznach, April 23: German army leadership outlines extensive plans for annexations

The German Supreme Army Command (OHL) and German Reich Chancellor Theodor von Bethmann-Hollweg meet in Kreuznach for a conference to discuss Germanys war aims. The February Revolution encourages hopes in the German army leadership that a separate peace with Russia can be achieved.

The Kreuznach program thus outlines the most far-reaching annexationist plans, which are based on the assumption that Germany can dictate peace conditions on both the Eastern and Western Front. In the East, Kurland and Lithuania (roughly corresponding to what is today the Baltics), and a substantial part of Poland are to be annexed. The German army wants to keep the Kingdom of Romania as big as possible, while placing it under de facto German domination.

As compensation, Russia should get Eastern Galicia and parts of Moldova. Austro-Hungary is supposed to get Serbia, Montenegro and Albania. In the West, the Supreme Army Command reconfirms the earlier annexationist plans by Germany which include the establishment of Belgium as a vassal state, the annexation of Luxemburg and Longwy-Briey and de facto control over Alsace-Lorraine.

The head of the German navy cabinet, General Alfred Muller, later writes that the annexationist plans discussed at the conference testified to a complete lack of measurement in both East and West. The historian George W.F. Hallgarten characterizes the conference result as an orgy of Ludendorffs militarism and as the sum total of all anarchic economic interests of German industry and the banks, which the dilettante on the imperial throne made his own.

Berlin, April 23: German trade unions and government prepare for future crackdowns as war escalates

Following the end of the strike, both the General Commission of the German trade unions and government seek to prepare for future movements of the working class.

The General Commission of the trade unions issues a circular letter to the factory managers, saying: Germany is not Russia. The toying around with revolution by the working society [meaning the revolutionary shop stewards] and the Spartacus group only threaten the German labor movement, especially its trade union organizations and the defense force of the country. So far, we were able to prevent the relevant sides from resorting to sharper measures. However, if the working group will continue to succeed in unleashing wild strikes, then such measures will be inevitable.

On April 25, Reich Chancellor Theodor von Bethmann-Hollweg issues a decree according to which any call for or attempt at a strike at factories that are important for the war effort, as well as attempts to prevent strikebreakers doing their work, should be regarded as assistance to a hostile power or as intentional damage to the armament of Germany. Those accused of these crimes are to be charged with high treason.

Lenin absolutely without supporters, according to Menshevik leader

The New York Times reprints a cable to the London Daily Chronicle, discounting the significance of Lenins return to Russia. After stating that Lenin demands immediate and unconditional conclusion of peace, civil war against the army and Government, and vengeance against Kerenski [sic] and Cheidze [sic], whom he describes as traitors to the cause of international socialism, the report paraphrases the Menshevik Chkheidze as smugly stating that the Russian Revolution would absorb Lenine [sic]. If, on the other hand he remained outside, it would be no great loss, as he is left absolutely without supporters.

The sharp repulse given to this firebrand was a healthy sign of the growth of practical sense in the Socialist wing, the correspondent of the British newspaper writes.
In its latest edition, the German political weekly Die Zeit devotes an entire page to the dispute with Humboldt University Professor Jorg Baberowski, who, according to the recent ruling of a regional court in Cologne, can be described as a right-wing extremist.

While conservative papers such as the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Die Welt reacted to the judgment with vicious smear campaigns against Baberowskis critics without ever contacting them, the author of the article in Die Zeit, Mariam Lau, not only spoke to Baberowski, but also with two representatives of the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE), including this author.

Neverthelessor perhaps because of thisher article clearly reveals the political shift to the right in the media and the academic world. Political and historical views that evoked sharp denunciations three decades ago are now accepted and defended.

On 11 July, 1986, Die Zeit published the response from the philosopher Jurgen Habermas to Ernst Nolte, who, in an article in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, had played down the role of National Socialism (Nazism) and thus opened up the Historikerstreit (Historians Dispute).

Habermas accused Nolte of reducing the extermination of the Jews to merely the unfortunate result of an understandable reaction to what Hitler would have perceived as an existential threat. Habermas explained that according to Nolte, the Nazi crimes had lost their singularity in that they are at least comprehensible as the response to Bolshevik threats of annihilation.

The Historikerstreit, in which many other historians participated, ended with Noltes complete defeat. His academic reputation was demolished and thereafter he moved almost exclusively in far-right circles.

Three decades later, Jorg Baberowski has put forward positions that go far beyond those of Nolte at the timeand is met with understanding and support in Die Zeit.

Lau writes that in Baberowskis view of history, anti-Semitism, racial hatred, historical constellations [sink] into insignificance. From this she concludes, If it can happen anywhere, anytime, the Germans do not bear any special guilt. Then, the murder of the European Jews is not a unique event.

Lau takes no offense at the obvious parallel of this position to Noltes views in the Historikerstreit. And she is well aware of Baberowskis defence of Nolte and its historical significance. She also knows that the trivialization of Nazi crimes runs like a thread through Baberowskis work.

In the one-and-a-half hours during which I spoke to Ms. Lau on these issues, I had the opportunity to present her with some of Baberowskis positions. I also gave her a copy of the book Scholarship or war propaganda? in which these issues are discussed in detail.

Already at the meeting, which took place in a crowded student cafe near Humboldt University, I was shocked by the lack of concern with which Ms. Lau responded to the issues. It was soon very clear that she approached the interview with a predetermined position and had no interest in conducting a serious discussion on the political and historical points of contention.

I showed her the article World War I Guilt: Culpability Question Divides Historians Today, which was published in February of 2014 by the newsweekly Der Spiegel. In it, Baberowski is cited as the chief witness for the revision of the history of National Socialism (Nazism), and is quoted as saying: Nolte was done an injustice. Historically speaking, he was right. To support his thesis, Baberowski adds, Hitler was no psychopath, and he wasnt vicious. He didnt want people to talk about the extermination of the Jews at his table.

In the face of this monstrous falsification of history, while every sane person would at least pause to draw breath, Ms. Lau was completely unimpressed, and even tried to justify Baberowski. And when I made her aware that Baberowski had written that the war against the civilian population on the Eastern Front had been forced on the Wehrmacht (Hitlers Armed Forces) by the Red Army, Ms. Lau responded with indifference.

Instead, she kept trying to steer the conversation toward private anecdotes and reinterpret the fundamental political conflicts at Humboldt University as personal skirmishes. Eighteen months ago in Die Zeit, Lau had justified her own reactionary positionsher advocacy of the deportation of refugees and her full support for the 2003 Iraq warby citing her relationship with her father, Bahman Nirumand, who had played an important role in the student movement.

Now she is trying to make the deplorable positions of Baberowski palatable by employing a well-known soft focus approach.

In the article, she does not address a single one of the quotes I had given her because they do not fit into her narrative. In fact, in the more than 2,000-word article, she cites just 14 words from our one-and-a-half-hour conversation.

Instead, she presents Baberowskis theory of violence and history as the result of his efforts to understand the Nazi past of his own family. In this process he had a falling out with his father and joined a Maoist sect, only finally to reconcile himself with his father.

Lau writes that Baberowskis dispute with his father, who during the war, as a member of the Sturmabteilung (SAStorm Troopers), had brutally killed American soldiers, was a key to the central question that runs throughout all his work: How does someone who is not an evil person become a violent perpetrator? What happens to people when they enter the space of violence (Raum der Gewalt)?

Baberowskis reactionary theory of violence is thus glorified as an attempt to understand the father and shelter him, and the relativization of the Holocaust is interpreted as a kind of collateral damage from the coming to grips with his family history. It is worth noting that this is not about a father who had been severely traumatized by his actions in the war. On the contrary, the SA man is described as a cheerful Rhinelander, who presented himself as a victim and played down his brutal acts as clay pigeon shooting.

Lau herself discusses the relationship between Baberowskis trivialization of Nazi crimes and his theory of violence, which she summarises with the words: It is not ideology that enables excesses of violence. In the end, one cannot explain them. They are always latent as a possibility, today no less than 70 or 200 years ago. She adds, quoting Baberowski, Man is not what he becomes, he has always been complete.

This religious and abstruse notion precludes any possible social and historical development by human beings. Advanced by a professor of history, it appears to be a rejection of the subject of his own studies. In reality, this irrationalism is a core component of reactionary theory. Violence and wars are justified by the supposedly immutable violence of Man. The moral distinction between murderer and victim is blurred.

The relationship between such a crude and reactionary worldview and the relativization of Nazi crimes was already discussed in the 1980s in the Historians Dispute. The historian Hans Mommsen, an opponent of Nolte, wrote in 1986 in the Blatter fur deutsche und internationale Politik, that the revisionist historians refer to a conditio humana, a violent and basic human condition, to classify those who draw the obligation from the Nazi experience to change the social foundations that contributed to making the Holocaust possible as unrealistic optimists, while more realistic thinkers are satisfied with the insight that the genocide he (Hitler) put into effect was not the first and was not the last, as if after the experience of nigh incomprehensible horror, it could be business as usual on the world historical agenda.

That positions rejected by Mommsen are cheerfully published again today without even discussing their deeply reactionary nature is in itself an expression of the intellectual decline that gained momentum with the reunification of Germany in 1990. Laus lack of concern is typical of a milieu whose political horizon ends with their own immediate interests. For them, the study of the unimaginable crimes of German imperialism has become an annoying obstacle.

For this reason, Lau mentions only a few words of the criticism of the IYSSE and attempts to discredit it by dishonest means. For example, she calls the IYSSE a tiny and obscure group, and puts its work on a par with Baberowskis youthful activities in the Communist League of West Germany (KBW). In reality, the contrast could not be greater.

Baberowski joined this Maoist group a quarter century after Khrushchevs secret speech had destroyed any remaining doubts regarding the crimes of Stalin. He glorified not only Stalin and Mao, but, by his own admission, collected money for the Cambodian butcher Pol Pot.

In contrast, the IYSSE stands in the tradition of the Trotskyist movement, whose members risked their lives in the struggle against Stalinism. In Germany, no one had so emphatically warned of the danger of Nazism before 1933 as Leon Trotsky, who tirelessly criticized the policies of the Stalinist Communist Party because it rejected a united front with the Social Democratic Party (SPD) against the Nazis, enabling Hitler to come to power by dividing the working class.

But for todays hacks, addressing these serious historical issues, working through the crimes of the Naziseven basic intellectual honestyare considered obstacles to success.

The fact that Die Zeit now supports revisionist views it had rejected vehemently during the Historians Dispute is directly related to the return of Germany to aggressive Great Power politics and militarism. To overcome the inherent resistance to this development in broad layers of the population, the historical crimes of German imperialism must be played down.

Die Zeit, which is close to the SPD (former SPD Chancellor Helmut Schmidt was one of its editors from 1983 until his death in 2015), has played a leading role in this revival of militarism from the start.

In 2013, its editor, Jochen Bittner, was involved in drafting the strategy paper New power, new responsibility, a kind of blueprint for a more aggressive German foreign policy. In the New York Times in 2013, Bittner complained about the Germans lack of enthusiasm for war. A comfortable and self-righteous foreign policy stance that the Germans have cultivated for 70 years and a too deeply ingrained pacifism threatened to undermine the ability of Europes unrivalled superpower, its largest economy and its most powerful political force  to consider military intervention, he warned.

Die Zeit co-editor Josef Joffe, who, like Bittner, belongs to numerous transatlantic think tanks, also ranks among the hawks on the question of war. In 2003, he supported the Iraq war, and he advocated a massive war effort in Syria in 2011.

Whoever wants to bring down the Assad dictatorship, or at least paralyze it, he wrote at the time in Die Zeit, must destroy the power supply, communications facilities, factories and bridges as in Serbia; better yet, refineries, gasoline storage facilities, airfields and ports. And, with or without precision weapons, he must accept thousands of civilian deaths.
Surat, Apr 17 (IBNS) : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated Kiran Multi Super Speciality Hospital and Research Centre in Surat, reports said.

The PM had tweeted on Sunday : Tomorrow in Surat, will inaugurate a multi-speciality hospital at Katargam and a diamond manufacturing unit at Ichhapore."

The Prime Minister arrived in Gujarat, his home state, on Sunday on a two-day visit to the state.

Apart from inaugurating the hospital, Modi will attend a number of events and inaugurate a slew of schemes and projects on Monday.
VALDOSTA, Ga. (WTXL) - An argument that led to a shooting left one man dead and another behind bars Saturday night.

It happened just before 11 p.m. near North Troup Street and East Gordon Street.

When Valdosta police arrived, they found a 26-year-old man with a gunshot wound. Paramedics tried to treat the man, who was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Police say witnesses described a vehicle that was seen leaving the area, and police were able to track the car down and arrest one man inside.

29-year-old Antonio Denson of Quitman, Georgia is now in the Lowndes County Jail facing charges of felony murder, with more possible charges pending.

The victim's identity is not yet being released.

In a statement, Chief Brian Childress said, This was a senseless incident over an argument. The offender took matters into his own hands which cost the life of another. Although it saddens me this occurred, I am extremely proud of the officer who spotted the offenders vehicle leaving and the detective who worked this case. In quick fashion, they solved this murder in record time."
TAYLOR COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - Taylor County sheriff's deputies are launching an investigation into the death of 40-year-old Amanda James.

James was found dead inside her home on 6th Street West in Steinhatchee just before 8 p.m. Friday.

Deputies say they are not sure if foul play is involved, but they are asking the community to come forward if they know anything about what happened. You can call Taylor County investigators at (850) 838-3505 or CrimeStoppers at 850-574-TIPS.
QUINCY, Fla. (WTXL) - For Easter, Farm Share Florida donated more than 100,000 pounds of food to those in need in Quincy.

That amount of food weighs nearly as much as a tank, and it went straight to feeding more than 1,100 families.

"I think we do not recognize how many families in Florida do not have enough food," said volunteer Patricia Robbins Alger. "Our seniors they are not receiving enough income to buy fresh foods and vegetables. We provide to our seniors who need this nutrition and families with children. This program saves foods and vegetables from going to the dump and we use it to feed hungry people."

"I've been coming out helping out with this event for the last couple years and I enjoy it," said volunteer Frenchie Yon. "The idea of coming out meeting people being able to support an organization like this that's helping people in need that really need different items and foods."

"There's a lot that we could do if we just do it," said J.R. Gayle. "There's a lot the community can do. The community is uniting were were working together we're doing something together for the whole community and this satisfies a lot of people that ordinarily wouldn't have some of the stuff that were giving them."
Srinagar, Apr 17 (IBNS) : The police in Jammu and Kashmir have filed an FIR against the Army for tying a man to a jeep last week allegedly as a "human shield" against protesters during Srinagar by-election, NDTV reported.

The incident took place during the unrest over holding by-elections in the valley.

After a video of the incident went viral this week, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had sought a detailed report from the state police. The Army also began an internal investigation into the incident.

The video was filmed when polling officers faced a mob of stone-throwers on April 9, when by-polls were held for the Srinagar parliamentary constituency. "

NDTV quoted officials as saying that the man was identified as Farooq Ahmad Dar, a resident of Sitaharaan village in Khag tehsil of Budgam district in central Kashmir and the army unit involved is 53 Rashtriya Rifles.

During the investigation, Dar claimed he was picked up when he was on way to his sister's house, where a relative had died, after casting his vote.

Eight people died and nearly 100 were injured in unprecedented violence during the Srinagar by-polls during which security forces opened fire at different places to quell stone-pelting mobs.

Electronic Voting Machines or EVMs were also damaged while a video showed a mob kicking and slapping a CRPF jawan, engaged in poll duty.

The separatists had given a call to boycott the polling and the turnout percentage was the worst in 30 years.
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Pak ceasefire violation along LoC, heavy exchange goes on India Blooms News Service | | #Pakistan, #CeasefireViolation, #LOC, #Firing, #ForwardPosts

Jammu, Apr 17 (IBNS) : Pakistani troops violated ceasefire on Monday as they fired on Indian forward posts along the the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu's Rajouri district, reports said.
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Kashmir : Policeman among several injured as students clash with law keepers India Blooms News Service | | #Kashmir, #StudentPoliceClash, #LalChowk

Srinagar, Apr 17 (IBNS) : Several people, including a policeman was injured when students clashed with the law keepers at at Srinagaras Lal Chowk on Monday as tension continued in the valley over a viral video of the army tying a man to a jeep as a ahuman shielda against stone-pelters.
PANMUNJOM -- US Vice President Mike Pence declared Monday the "era of strategic patience is over" with North Korea, expressing impatience with the unwillingness of the regime to move toward ridding itself of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

Pence told reporters near the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea that President Donald Trump is hopeful that China will use its "extraordinary levers" to pressure the North to abandon its weapons.

Pence, who has called the North's failed missile test a day earlier "a provocation," said the U.S. and its allies will achieve its objectives through "peaceable means or ultimately by whatever means are necessary" to protect South Korea and stabilize the region.
A 42-year-old resident of Zarzir was kidnapped Friday by six young men from Kafr Kana, who demanded a ransom of thousands of shekels from the victim's family for his release.

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The suspects took the victim to a wheat field where they proceeded to beat him before police descended upon the scene and arrested the suspects.

Victim at the scene (Photo: Israel Police)

The saga began when one of the suspects from Kafr Kana picked up the victim from his home in Zarzir on the pretense of going on a trip.

Upon entering the vehicle, the victim was surprised by two other suspects who informed him that another vehicle with backup would be following them and assist should he resist.

The suspects then proceeded to threaten the victim with physical violence if he did not give them several thousand shekels.

Upon learning that the victim did not have the ransom the kidnappers demanded, the suspects drove the victim to a wheat field near the Beit Rimon junction where he was bound, beaten and burned with charcoals.

Photo: Israel Police

After the ordeal, the suspects called the victim's family and demanded the same ransom.

Upon receiving the phone call, the victim's brother went straight to police who managed to trace the phone call, identify the victim's location and quietly seal off the area before the suspects could move the victim or escape.

With a helicopter and dozens of officers, police moved in and arrested all six suspects after a short chase.

The suspects were brought to the Nazareth District Court Saturday night where police requested their remand be extended.

Responding to criticism of a perceived lack of significant action in the Arab sector against violence, police issued a statement saying, "The quick arrest of all suspects using all available resources shows that everyone is equal before the Israel Police, who will operate in all sectors to eradicate violence and bring perpetrators to justice."

(Translated and edited by Fred Goldberg)
On a hilltop near Hirbet Madras in the Adullam Grove Nature Reserve lies an ancient Jewish pyramid.

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The rare pyramid is built of huge ashlar stones that were hewn in the vicinity. In ancient times it was easy to see the unique structure proudly overlooking the area from the top of the hill and today, the remains of the pyramid are hidden in vegetation.

Remains of the pyramid (Photo: Assaf Kemer)

Archeologist Dr. Orit Peleg-Barkat of Hebrew University is studying the pyramid and describes the structure's size as rare and monumental.

"The length of the base sides of the pyramid are 10 meters and the height is about 3 meters," said Dr. Peleg-Barkat. "The pyramid was built near a Jewish settlement from the time of the Second Temple and there is a high probability that it is a Jewish cemetery."

While ancient peoples all over the world have built pyramids, what is the connection to Jews?

Burial cave under the pyramid (Photo: Assaf Kemer)

According to archaeologist and Prof. Boaz Zissu of Bar-Ilan University, after the establishment of the empire of Alexander the Great, which conquered and unified the region geographically and culturally, Second Temple era Jews were influenced by the dominant Hellenistic culture.

"Ancient Egyptian culture had an influence on the Hellenistic culture that ruled the Land of Israel, and Hellenistic culture in turn influenced the Jews living in its territory. The pyramid was built on the border between Jewish communities and Edomite communities and it is assumed that the Jews took the geometry of the pyramid rather than the religious ideas," said Prof. Zissu.

In ancient Jewish sources, the monument above the burial cave is called "Nefesh," and it symbolizes the location of the cave. In Israel, there are other pyramids such as those in the Jerusalem area like the Tomb of Zechariah in the Kidron Valley.

Despite the hypothesis that the structure is indeed a burial complex, Dr. Peleg-Barkat notes that the chances of the underground caves being excavated are low. This is due to an incident in the 1970s in which Ultra-Orthodox protestors destroyed findings they deemed "desecration of graves" of a previous Jewish burial ground.

(Contributed, translated and edited by Fred Goldberg)
The night of May 17, 1977, is one that none of them will forget. For each of them, it was a moment of political and personal victory, after years of deprivation and discrimination. The results of the elections to the Ninth Knesset led to the end of the almost three-decade rule of Mapai and the Ma'arachboth precursors of the present-day Labor party. Even today, 40 Years after the revolution in the 1977 elections, it seems that this was the most significant and dramatic election campaign in the history of the state in Israeli politics.

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"There was a yearning for change," says Michel Buskila, a member of Ashkelon Municipal Council and one of the city's central Likud activists. "When the results came in, people took to the streets and went wild, because we were a stronghold of the Likud."

Menachem amd Aliza during the 1077 elections (Photo: Ya'akov Sa'ar/ GPO)

Menachem Begin and Shimon Peres (Phoot: Moshe Milner)

'We felt that our turn had come'

The Likud won 43 seats in those elections, while the Ma'arach won 32, suffering a 19-mandate drop. Likudniks today see this turbulent election campaign as the beginning of a historic rectification. According to them, voters expressed their desire for change in the most decisive way possible. Four decades later, and the older Likudniks still will not forget the Histadrut's red notebook, which in many cases opened doors to better jobs and health and education services, but not for everyone. The red notebook became the trademark of the left-wing Mapai regime, and for many Likud activists was also one of the main reasons for the fall of the Labor Party.

Yedioth Ahronothon the day of the elections upheavel (Photo: Yedioth Ahronoth Archive)

"The discrimination against Sephardi Jews was the main reason for Begin's rise to power," says David Simchi of Petah Tikva. "It was blatant discrimination, and we simply were not prepared to feel more what we felt anymore."

Veteran Likud activists in Petah Tikva (Photo: Assaf Magal)

Shalom Said recalls the air of superiority that inner city Sephardim felt from Ashkenazi kibbutz members. "We saw them only during the elections campaign, when they came to make sure that we voted for Mapai. After that they disappeared. "

The activists point to another factor that led to Begin's rise to power: the many corruption affairs that were linked to senior members of the Labor Party. Among them was the resignation of then Labor leader Yitzhak Rabin, who resigned over his wife Leah's bank account; the bribe received by Asher Yadlin, one of a number of convicted members of the party; and the case of Avraham Ofer, who served as housing minister in Rabin's government and was suspected of accepting bribes, who then committed suicide. "They admitted these crimes, and therefore there was an atmosphere of corruption in the ruling party," says attorney Shaul Tzur of Ashkelon, adding that "this was certainly one of the factors that brought on the change." Shlomo Gavera from Rishon Letzion also points to a general sense of disgust with corruption among the citizens of the state. "Leah Rabin's account for dollars was it for us," he says.

It was not only the problematic image of the Labor Party that undermined the party, but also public opinion about the functioning of the Israeli government during the Yom Kippur War in 1973. The failure was largely attributed to the leadership of the Labor Party. Many veteran Likudniks are convinced that this, too, played into Begin's hands.

The Revolution of 1977

Even today, the Histadrut's red notebook appears to be just as strong a symbol of systematic discrimination. "When we were children, we felt the deprivation," says Simchi. "They would not even let our parents work in the orchards. It was a very hard feeling that went deep inside me, I carried this with me all the time; they controlled everything, and if you did not have a red notebook, you could not find a job."

The feeling of insult from Mapai's rule is still evident on Simchi's face, which talks with excitement about the expectations they had of Begin in those days: "It was joy. We longed for someone to look at us differently, not as poor people who do not contribute anything. "Moshe Sa'adon added:" We were second-class, and it felt that way. It began in school and continued into the army, when they recruited us with the criminals. The attitude to us was different. "

For those Likudniks who brought him to power, Begin was someone who promised a new order, but also so much more. "Begin was traditional," says Ariel Buchnik, a Likud activist from Petah Tikva. "He always had a kippa in his pocket. It resonated with us. Most of the Sephardim identified with that."

When asked whether Begin kept his promises, most answer in the affirmative. In Petah Tikva, Ashkelon and Rishon Letzion, Likud activists do not forget one of the hallmarks of Begin's first government: the Neighborhood Restoration Project, which aspired to create a new set of priorities in governmental budgets.

'There are those who mock the heritage'

None of them ever thought of leaving the Likud. They believe in the movement's journey, though when asked about the party's current situation, 40 years after that sweeping upheaval, the nostalgic smiles are replaced with a more serious expression. "I think Begin would be happy to see what is happening in the country and the party," says Buskila, "but I will not sweep it under the surface. He would have liked to tell the current leadership: 'Friends, do everything in your power to make sure that certain MKS will not come near the Knesset within the next one hundred years."

With regard to the current situation, it appears that the activists are in agreement. They are convinced that the Likud governments have benefited the Sephardim and the neighborhoods. "We have problems, but we do not want to return to Mapai's rule," says Simhi, "The Likud's investment in the neighborhoods is evident and the overall situation is much better," agrees Said, noting the improvement in infrastructure and the narrowing of social gaps, their.

Rami Greenberg, a member of the Petah Tikva Municiapl Council and a well-known activist in the city, is convinced that the Likud today is as strong as it was, but agrees that there are people who took the party to other districts and caused it damage. "It's painful to see what is happening around us today, and not just in the Likud," he says. "I would like to see a lot of Menachem Begins today, not in terms of power, but in what he exuded. Some who aims to be a servant of the public, instead of someone looking to see how the public can serve him."
Israel Prison Services (IPS) issued a statement Monday morning that 1,187 Palestinian security prisonersout of a total of 6,200 currently held in Israeli prisonshave begun a hunger strike

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Marwan Barghouti, convicted terrorist and the main instigator of the strike, wrote an opinion piece for the New York Times in which he explained why prisoners are conducting the hunger strike.

Photo: Gil Yohanan

Barghouti claims, "There is no choice but to go on a hunger strike."

The majority of the prisoners participating in the hunger strike are members of Fatah and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). According to prisoners, the strike is indefinite.

"Having spent the last 15 years in an Israeli prison, I have been both a witness to and a victim of Israels illegal system of mass arbitrary arrests and ill-treatment of Palestinian prisoners. After exhausting all other options, I decided there was no choice but to resist these abuses by going on a hunger strike," wrote Barghouti in the New York Times.

Barghouti is a prominent figure in the Fatah movement. His leadership and charisma were seen as a driving force behind the Palestinians last intifada, or uprising, against the Israelis launched in late 2000.

Barghouti has been accused of founding the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade and being the head of Tanzim, both of which have murdered dozens of Israelis in suicide bombings and other terrorist attacks.

The New York Times went on to refer to Barghouti as a "Palestinian leader and parliamentarian."

After hundreds of prisoners joined the strike Sunday and on Monday, IPS officials announced that disciplinary measures will be taken against those who are striking.

In a statement, IPS officials said, "A hunger strike in the prison endangers the health and life of a prisoner in the custody of the state, which is responsible for the safety of the prisoner. It also violates the order and discipline in the prisons. Especially an organized hunger strike."

Palestinian security prisoners (Photo: Gadi Kablo)

Disciplinary measures include the confiscation of property granted as a privilege, such as radios, television and other electrical equipment, and the confiscation of food purchased in the prison canteen.

According to Barghouti in his article, "Hunger striking is the most peaceful form of resistance available. It inflicts pain solely on those who participate and on their loved ones, in the hopes that their empty stomachs and their sacrifice will help the message resonate beyond the confines of their dark cells.

"Decades of experience have proved that Israels inhumane system of colonial and military occupation aims to break the spirit of prisoners and the nation to which they belong, by inflicting suffering on their bodies, separating them from their families and communities, using humiliating measures to compel subjugation. In spite of such treatment, we will not surrender to it."

(Translated and edited by Fred Goldberg)
TOKYO -- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday that Japan's government is drawing up contingency plans in case a crisis on the Korean Peninsula sends an influx of refugees to Japan.

Abe told a parliamentary session that the government is formulating measures including protecting foreigners, landing procedures, building and operating shelters, and screening asylum seekers.
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas called on the international community "to intervene quickly and save the lives of hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners." He warned of the worsening situation because of Israel's "stubbornness and its refusal to comply with the just humanitarian demands of the prisoners."

However, he refrained from mentioning the leader of the strike, Marwan Barghouti, by name.

At the same time, thousands participated in rallies in Palestinian cities. There were no confrontations between Palestinians and security forces, except at a demonstration at the entrance to Bethlehem, in which two people were injured.
UK lawmakers are calling on the government to strip Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's wife of her British citizenship, for supporting her husband's regime during the country's ongoing war.

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The Liberal Democrats' foreign affairs spokesman, MP Tom Brake, on Sunday accused Assad of using her international profile to defend "a barbarous regime".

Asma al-Assad with Husband Bashar (Photo: AP)

"(Foreign Secretary) Boris Johnson has urged other countries to do more about Syria, but the British government could say to Asma Al-Assadeither stop using your position to defend barbaric acts, or be stripped of your citizenship," Brake said.

Photo: AP

His remarks follow Johnson branding the Syrian president an "arch-terrorist," in a Sunday Telegraph newspaper article calling on Syrian ally Russia to end its support of Assad.

Photographed with Syrians at Christmas (Photo: AFP)

Brake's comments echoed those of MP Nadhim Zahawi, from the ruling Conservative Party.

"The time has come where we go after (Bashared) Assad in every which way, including people like Mrs. Assad, who is very much part of the propaganda machine that is committing war crimes," he was quoted in the Sunday Times newspaper as saying.

Asma visiting the sick during International Women's Day (Photo: Reuters)

Once hailed as a progressive rights advocate, Assad has fallen from international grace during Syria's ongoing war which has killed more than 320,000 people since erupting in 2011.

The 41-year-old, who is believed to hold joint British-Syrian nationality, has stood by her husband's side in his rare public appearances, posing for selfies with supporters in photos posted to the presidency's Instagram account.

The couple's marriage was announced six months after he assumed the country's leadership in July 2000. They had met at a party hosted by the British Syrian community in London.

Photo: AFP

According to the Liberal Democrats, which served in an uneasy five-year coalition government with the Conservative Party until 2015, Assad's ongoing support for her husband allows Britain to deprive her of her UK citizenship.

"If Asma continues defending the Assad regime's murderous actions, the onus will be on the UK Government to deprive her of her citizenship or demonstrate that her actions are not seriously prejudicial to the vital interests of the United Kingdom," said Brake.

He is due to write to Home Secretary Amber Rudd outlining the view of the Liberal Democrats, which holds nine seats in British parliament.

The Home Office would not comment on whether the government would take action against Assad, who previously worked as an analyst for Deutsche Bank and JP Morgan.

"The Government takes its duty to protect the British public exceptionally seriously," said a spokesperson for the office. "We cannot discuss individual cases but the Home Secretary can deprive individuals of their citizenship where it is conducive to the public good to do so."
New Delhi, Apr 17 (IBNS): President of Nepal Bidhya Devi Bhandari arrived in New Delhi on Monday on a five-day State visit to India, at the invitation of President of India, Pranab Mukherjee.

President Bidhya Devi Bhandari was received at the airport by the the Centre's Minister of State for Women & Child Development, Krishna Raj.

This is the first State visit of the President of Nepal after assuming office in October 2015.

According to a release by the Ministry of External Affairs, the upcoming visit reflects the priority that both India and Nepal attach to further strengthening of their age-old, unique, wide-ranging partnership, underpinned by shared historical and cultural linkages and strong people-to-people connections.

During the visit, President of Nepal will meet with the President of India, Vice President and the Prime Minister.

The External Affairs Minister and other Union ministers will call on the President of Nepal.

Apart from official engagements in New Delhi, the President of Nepal will be visiting Gujarat and Odisha.

Image: PIB
ANKARA  Turkeys main opposition party urged the countrys electoral board Monday to cancel the results of a landmark referendum that granted sweeping new powers to the nations president, citing what it called substantial voting irregularities.

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An international observer mission who monitored the voting also cited irregularities, saying the conduct of Sundays referendum fell short of the international standards Turkey has signed up to. It specifically criticized a decision by Turkeys electoral board to accept ballots that did not have official stamps, saying that hurt the fight against fraud.

Turkeys electoral board confirmed the yes victory in the referendum and said the final results would be declared in 11-12 days. The state-run Anadolu Agency said the yes side stood at 51.4 percent of the vote, while the no vote saw 48.6 percent support.





Erdogan high-fives a supporter. (Photo: Reuters)

The margin could cement President Recep Tayyip Erdogans hold on power in Turkey for a decade and is expected to have a huge effect on the countrys long-term political future and its international relations.

I suspect the result was narrower than what Erdogan expected, said Howard Eissenstat, associate professor of Middle East History at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. Erdogan has ruled with a narrow victory before. He does not see a narrow victory as anything less than a mandate. His tendency has been not to co-opt the opposition but to crush it.

Erdogan, 63, initially sounded conciliatory in his remarks, saying the result was a victory not just for those who voted yes, but for the whole 80 million, the whole of Turkey.

But his more abrasive style quickly returned.

There are those who are belittling the result. They shouldnt try, it will be in vain, he told cheering, flag-waving supporters in Istanbul. Its too late now.

Opposition parties still cried foul. Bulent Tezcan, deputy chairman of the Republican Peoples Party, or CHP, cited numerous problems in the conduct of the vote.

An unprecedented electoral board decision to accept as valid ballots that didnt bear the official stamp has led to outrage.

Normally for a ballot to be considered valid, it must bear the official stamp on the back, be put into an envelope that also bears an official stamp and be handed to the voter by an electoral official at a polling station. The system is designed to ensure that only one vote is cast per registered person and to avoid the possibility of ballot box-stuffing.

The board announced Sunday, however, that it would accept unstamped envelopes as valid after many voters complained about being handed blank envelopes that did not bear the official stamp. The board said the ballot papers would be considered invalid only if it was proven they were fraudulently cast.

There is only one way to end the discussions about the votes legitimacy and to put the people at ease, and that is for the Supreme Electoral Board to cancel the vote, Tezcan said.

He said it was not possible for authorities to determine how many ballot papers may have been irregularly cast.

Tana de Zuleta of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which monitored the vote, said the ballot decision undermined important safeguards against fraud and contradicted Turkeys own laws.

The monitoring group described a series of irregularities in the referendum, including a skewed pre-vote campaign in favor of the yes vote, the intimidation of the no campaign and the fact that the referendum question was not listed on the ballot.

De Zuleta said overall, the procedures fell short of full adherence to the standards Turkey has signed up for. The OSCE cannot sanction Turkey for its conduct of the vote but it can suggest recommendations.

Bulent Tezcan (Photo: Reuters)

Electoral board head Sadi Guven rejected opposition claims of foul play, saying none of the ballot papers declared valid was fake or fraudulently cast. Guven said the decision was made so that voters who were by mistake given unstamped ballot papers would not be victimized.

The ballot papers are not fake; there is no (reason) for doubt, Guven said.

Erdogan greets supporters (Photo: Reuters)

Tezcan said any decision that changes Turkeys political system to such a vast extent should have been passed with an overwhelming endorsement.

This is not a text of social consensus but one of social division, Tezcan said. There is a serious and solid problem of legitimacy that will forever be debated.

The referendum approves 18 constitutional amendments that will replace Turkeys parliamentary system of governance with a presidential one.

The changes allow the president to appoint ministers, senior government officials and half the members of Turkeys highest judicial body, as well as to issue decrees and declare states of emergency. They set a limit of two five-year terms for presidents.

The new presidential system takes effect at the next election, currently slated for 2019. Other changes will take effect sooner, including an amendment that scraps a clause requiring the president to be impartial, allowing Erdogan to regain membership of the ruling party he foundedor even to lead it.

Opponents had argued the constitutional changes give too much power to a man who they say has shown increasingly autocratic tendencies.

The referendum campaign was highly divisive and heavily one-sided, with the yes side dominating the airwaves and billboards. Supporters of the no vote complained of intimidation, including beatings, detentions and threats.

CHP legislator Utku Cakrozer told The Associated Press his party would file official objections Monday to results at local electoral board branches, before taking their case to the Supreme Electoral Board.

At the moment, this is a dubious vote, he said.

The countrys pro-Kurdish party said it may take the case to the European Court of Human Rights if the electoral board does not reverse its decision and nullify the ballots lacking the official stamps.

Ismail Calsan, an Ankara resident, accepted the result with grace.

Even though I choose no and the results came out yes, I wish the best to our country, he said.

In Istanbul, accountant Mete Cetinkaya was worried about his countrys future.

I dont see the country is going down a good path, he said, sitting by the Bosporus. Tayyip Erdogan may have done more good than the other big players (of Turkish politics)  but I think of Tayyip Erdogan as just the best of the worst.
On Monday afternoon, unknown persons burnt alive several dogs in an abandoned vehicle in the Arab city of Umm al-Fahm.

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The incident was filmed, and one can hear in the footage the desperate howling and whimpering of the dogs in the blaze. A fire crew and municipal workers came to the site and extinguished the fire, but they were unable to save the dogs.

X

Residents of Umm al-Fahm harshly condemned the monstrous act. Rami Mahamid, a resident of the city, said, The people who did this are not human. These dogs were better than they are. Its a shocking act, and its hard for us to digest it The police have to find the people who burnt the dogs and punish them; they need to be in jail.

Another resident said, Its no different from the murder of a person. I think that such people are mentally ill and dont deserve to be amongst (other) people. Theyre capable of more serious things.

Eti Altman is the founder of Let the Animals Live , a non-profit organization that states its goals as providing help to distressed animals, rehabilitating them and finding them adoptive homes. She commented, Every possible line has been crossed. I implore the public: Watch the video, listen to the whines and cries of the poor dogs that are being burnt alive, and you will understand how animals are treated in Israel.

There is no red line for human evil. For 30 years we have been asking, day after day, just let the animals live. And look, the scum of the human race is burning dogs for fun.

"I call on Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan, who has been a partner for years in the struggle for animals, to make this a test case. Give the police explicit instructions to find the culprits, no matter what is required.

We have seen in the past that when there is pressure from above, the police quickly find the criminals. I want to look them in the eyes, and I want to see them stand trial and sit in jail for years, so that they will see and be seen. 

The Israel Police said in response, The video is shocking. We have opened an investigation to locate the perpetrators to bring them to justice.

(Translated and edited by J. Herzog)
Hundreds of Druze in the Golan Heights marched Monday in commemoration of Syrian independence day, carrying portraits of President Bashar al-Assad and chanting anti-Israel slogans.

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God save Syria! they shouted as they rallied in the town of Masada. Down with the occupation!





Israeli officials say there are about 20,000 Druze on the strategic plateau seized by the Jewish state from neighboring Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War.

Israel subsequently annexed the 1,200 square kilometers of territory in an action never recognized by the international community.

But the vast majority of Golan Druze have retained Syrian nationality, despite the Israeli offer to acquire Israeli citizenship.

The civil war which has ravaged their homeland for the past six years is reflected in local divisions, with Masada opponents of the Assad regime refusing to march behind his picture.

But both sides are united in their opposition to what they term the Israeli occupation, residents told AFP.

We retain our Syrian identity and follow the path of national resistance, said Nasser Ibrahim, one of the organizers of Mondays march.

With the crisis in Syria, Israel has increased its measures on the Golan, said Assad opponent Ayman Abu Jabal, referring to what he called Israeli-ordered changes to the Golan school curriculum.

Israel and Syria are still officially in a state of war, but Israel says it has no wish to get involved in the fighting.

It does, however, carry out strikes against its Lebanese foe Hezbollah, which fights for Assad in Syria.

Last month, Israel struck what it said were Hezbollah targets in Syria, drawing Syrian anti-aircraft missile fire in the worst flare-up between the two governments since the Syrian civil war began in 2011.
Hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli prisons launched a hunger strike Monday, in what their leader behind bars called a new step in the Palestinians long walk to freedom.

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Activists said more than 1,500 of about 6,500 Palestinians held by Israel as security prisoners joined the open-ended protest and that it was the largest such strike in five years. The hunger strikers immediate demands included better conditions, including more contact with relatives, an end to solitary confinement, and an end to Israels practice of detentions without trial for some 500 Palestinians.

The strikers also want better medical treatment and that disabled inmates or those suffering chronic illness be freed, access to more television channels and more phone contact with relatives and more family visits.

Palestinian protesters wave their national flag during a demonstration in the West Bank town of Bethlehem. (Photo: AFP)

In the West Bank and Gaza, thousands staged solidarity marches Monday to mark Prisoners Day in the Palestinian areas.

The hunger strike was led by Marwan Barghouti, a prominent figure in Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbass Fatah movement. Over the years, polls have indicated that Barghouti is the most popular choice among Palestinians to succeed the 82-year-old Abbas, who has failed to groom a political heir.





Palestinian protesters hurl stones towards Israeli security forces during clashes following a demonstration in the West Bank town of Bethlehem. (Photo: AFP)

Barghouti was arrested by Israel in 2002 for his role in a violent Palestinian uprising against Israel and is serving multiple life terms. He is one of the best-known among thousands of Palestinians jailed for charges ranging from stone-throwing and membership in groups outlawed by Israel, to attacks that wounded or killed Israelis.

In an op-ed published in The New York Times, Barghouti wrote that Israeli prisons have become the cradle of a lasting movement for Palestinian self-determination.





A Palestinian protester uses a sling shot to hurl towards Israeli security forces during clashes following a demonstration in the West Bank town of Bethlehem. (Photo: AFP)

This new hunger strike will demonstrate once more that the prisoners movement is the compass that guides our struggle, the struggle for Freedom and Dignity, the name we have chosen for this new step in our long walk to freedom, he wrote.

The hunger strike was launched as the approaching half-century mark of Israeli rule over Palestinians appeared to generate new interest in the long-running conflict, which in recent years was often overshadowed by war and turmoil elsewhere in the region.





A Palestinian protester hurls stones towards Israeli security forces during clashes following a demonstration in the West Bank town of Bethlehem (Photo: AFP)

Field hospital

Israel denies Palestinian inmates are mistreated, and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said the Barghouti-led protest was prompted by internal Palestinian politics and therefore includes unreasonable demands.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement, The Palestinian prisoners are not political prisoners. They are convicted terrorists and murderers. They were brought to justice and are treated properly under international law.

The Israeli Prison Service said Monday morning that disciplinary measures had been taken against the strikers, most of them Fatah members, and some of them had been transferred to separate divisions.

Israeli security forces fire tear gas towards Palestinian protesters during clashes following a demonstration in the West Bank town of Bethlehem. (Photo: AFP)

The IPS commented, We have a lot of experience in dealing with hunger strikes, and have the capability and means to cope and contain them. We are not negotiating with the prisoners. We prepared in advance for the possibility of a strike, in coordination with other bodies, including the IDF, the Ministry of Health, COGAT, the Shin Bet, the police and others.

The prisons in which prisoners announced a strike were Gilboa, Megiddo, Nafha, Ketziot, Shikma, Ramon, Hadarim and Nitzan.

Erdan said a field hospital would be erected next to one prison - an apparent move to pre-empt transfers to civilian medical facilities, which could draw wider media attention.

Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem in the June 1967 Six-Day War.

Abbas and his supporters seek a Palestinian state, roughly in the pre-1967 lines. The Islamic militant group Hamas, which seized Gaza from Abbas in 2007, has called for an Islamic state in a state that would include what is now Israel. Hamas recently suggested it would support a smaller Palestine state, without specifying if this would be a stepping stone to Israels destruction.









A Palestinian protester jumps near burning tires during clashes with Israeli security forces following a demonstration in the West Bank town of Bethlehem to show their support for Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails. (Photo: AFP)

In Gaza City, about 2,000 people turned out for a march, raising flags of different Palestinian factions.

Militants from Hamas surrounded cages on truck flatbeds depicting cells. One cage held two Palestinians in Israeli prison uniform. The other cage bore the pictures of two Israeli soldiers killed in the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas, and the pictures of two Israeli civilians who disappeared after entering Gaza, though atotal of three are believed to be held there. Hamas is believed to hold the two civilians and the remains of the soldiers.





Palestinians hold pictures of their relatives held in Israeli jails during a supportive rally calling for the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel, in the West Bank city of Hebron on Monday (Photo: EPA)

Your soldiers will not see the light unless the price is paid, read a banner on the truck.

Ismail Radwan, a Hamas official who participated in the march, reiterated Hamass demand for a prisoner swap with Israel. In 2011, Israel swapped more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who had been held by Hamas for five years.

In the West Bank town of Ramallah, Barghoutis wife, Fadwa, joined about 1,500 marchers





Palestinians hold pictures of their relatives held in Israeli jails during a supportive rally calling for the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel, in the West Bank city of Hebron on Monday (Photo: EPA)

Palestinians hold pictures of their relatives held in Israeli jails during a supportive rally calling for the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel, in the West Bank city of Hebron on Monday (Photo: EPA)

This massive strike sends a strong message to the Israelis, after 50 years of occupation, suppression and oppression, that the prisoners  will lead their people from behind bars, she said.

Qadoura Fares, who runs the Prisoners Club advocacy group, said over 1,500 prisoners joined the strike and that more were expected to follow.

Palestinians hold pictures of their relatives held in Israeli jails during a supportive rally calling for the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel, in the West Bank city of Hebron on Monday (Photo: EPA)

In 2012, hundreds participated in a large-scale strike that lasted 28 days, said Fares. In 2014, dozens of detainees who were being held without trial or charges staged a two-month-long hunger strike to demand their release.

Abbas released a Prisoners Day greeting and called the prisoners in Israeli jails heroes. He stressed that efforts would continue to ensure their release and end their suffering, and he made it clear that the issue of prisoners would always be central to the Palestinian people and its leadership.

The Palestinian leader called on the international community "to intervene quickly and save the lives of hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners." He warned of the worsening situation because of Israel's "stubbornness and its refusal to comply with the just humanitarian demands of the prisoners."

However, he refrained from mentioning Marwan Barghouti by name.
BERLIN  Germany and France said on Monday the close result in Turkeys referendum on expanding President Tayyip Erdogans powers showed the division in Turkish society, while others questioned Europes relations with the country.

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said it was a big responsibility to bear for Erdogan, who declared a narrow victory in the vote that marked the biggest overhaul of modern Turkish politics.

The result prompted renewed calls by Austria for Turkeys EU stalled accession talks to be halted. Germanys Gabriel called for a new format for talks with our neighbor, comments echoed by the conservative bloc in the European Parliament.

The Council of Europe rights organization said it did not live up to its standards , citing an inadequate legal framework and late changes in ballot counting. OSCE observers made similar comments, which were dismissed by Turkey.

The German government  respects the right of Turkish citizens to decide on their own constitutional order, Merkel and Gabriel, whose country has about 3 million residents of a Turkish background, said in a statement.

The tight referendum result shows how deeply divided Turkish society is and that means a big responsibility for the Turkish leadership and for President Erdogan personally.

They expected Ankara to have a respectful dialogue with all parts of Turkish society. The United States also called for all citizens rights to be respected.

Bulent Tezcan, deputy chairman of the Republican Peoples Party (Photo: Reuters)

Frances President Francois Hollande said: Its up to the Turks and them alone to decide on how they organize their political institutions, but the published results show that Turkish society is divided about the planned deep reforms.

EU talks

On Sunday, the European Commission said Turkey should seek a national consensus on the constitutional amendments, given the narrow majority and the extent of their impact.

In March, the Venice Commission, a panel of legal experts at the Council of Europe, said the proposed changes to the constitution represented a dangerous step backwards for democracy.

Merkel and Gabriel pointed to the Commissions reservations and said that, as a member of the Council of Europe and the OSCE security and human rights watchdog and an EU accession candidate, Turkey should quickly address those concerns.

Political discussions about that need to take place as quickly as possible, both at the bilateral level and between the European institutions and Turkey, Merkel and Gabriel said.

France also called on Turkey to respect the European Convention on Human Rights and its ban on the death penalty.

Erdogan told supporters on Sunday that Turkey could hold another referendum on reinstating the death penalty. Such a move would spell the end of Turkeys EU accession talks.

Austria, which has repeatedly called for halting membership talks, called once more for them to stop.

We cant just go back to the daily routine after the Turkey referendum. We finally need some honesty in the relationship between the EU and Turkey, said Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, adding the bloc should instead work on a partnership agreement.

Gabriel said during a visit to Albania that too many people in Europe, some for reasons related to domestic policy, would now urge a rigorous attitude towards Ankara and call for an end to talks but he said he wanted to find new formats for talks instead because Turkey is still our neighbor.

Turkey has been on a decades-long quest to join the EU. Turkey and the bloc last year reached a deal to help stem the flow of migrants to Europes shores.

The head of the European Peoples Party in the European Parliament, Manfred Weber, called for a new approach to a partnership between friendly neighbors.

We should offer Turkey a thematic partnership, for example on the fight against terrorism, migration and economic policy, as well as student and cultural exchange. However, this also means that Turkeys EU membership is off the table, he said.

During the campaign, Erdogan repeatedly criticized European countries , including Germany and the Netherlands, accusing them of Nazi-like tactics for banning his ministers from speaking to rallies of Turkish voters abroad.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek told Reuters on Monday he expected the noise between Ankara and Europe should die down after the European elections cycle. The French vote for a new president begins on Sunday. Germany votes in September.
Since the beginning of the year there have been 18 civilian deaths among the Arab populace caused by shooting incidents in which dozens more were wounded either deliberately or accidentallyamong them children, who were hurt not only physically but mentally.

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As Israel Police activity in Arab towns and villages is considered to be complicated and dangerous, Arab-on-Arab crime has grown rampant in recent years; with protection rackets, drugs and illegal weapons trade, primarily carried out by crime cells or clans that have devolved into crime families, causing a massive increase in violence and shooting incidents.

Jinnah Mahamid (Photo: Ido Erez)



"After what I've been through I'm scared to leave home and go to school. I'm afraid that I'll get shot again," said Muhammad Amash, 10, who was struck by a stray bullet.

Binan Mahamid talks about the shootings in Umm al-Fahm

X

Muhammad, who lives with his family in Jisr az-Zarqa, told Ynet that about a month ago he and his relative went to visit a friend, when suddenly they heard gunshots. "We tried running away but I got hit in my right leg. My relative was also wounded; he got shot in the chest."

Jamil Amash, Muhammad's father, said, "The little children are the ones paying the price of the violence. My son is having a hard time coping with what happened to him. We're all scared to get shot. My nephew, who is 13 years old, was shot in that same incident and is still in serious condition.

"We're all busy with treating the wounded and in the meanwhile the shooters are walking free. Unfortunately, the police are not doing enough. Even if they arrest someone the court releases them and our lives remain in danger."





Muhammad Amash and his father, Jamil

Wesam Amash, Muhammad's mother, said, "Despite the horrible incident we went through, the authorities didn't pay us any mind. Our situation demands assistance for my son, but we were abandoned. My son is traumatized. He barely sleeps at night, reliving that nightmare."

Muhammad's injury

The head of Jisr az-Zarqa's local council, Murad Amash, said that the current situation worries him and all of the town's residents. "The violence cannot continue. We need immediate solutions before more disasters occur."

Murad continued, "We at the council try constantlytogether with our schools' administrative staff and teachersto raise awareness to decrease violence and crime. We also meet with different groups and organizations to come up with a plan to eradicate this trend."

Jinnah Mahamid, who lives with his family in the E-Shajur neighborhood in Umm al-Fahm, recounted, "A few days ago, I was sitting in the backyard with my parents. All of the sudden, we heard gunshots and immediately ran inside. Later, when we went outside again, we saw bullet holes where we had been sitting.

"Now, we're scared to even sit in the guest room, afraid that a bullet might pierce through the window and hit us. We stay in a closed room and don't leave the house. It's like being in prison."

Child cries after shooting in Umm al-Fahm

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Marwa Ahmad Mahamid, 12, also recounted a shooting that nearly wounded her and her family: "Most of the time, especially at night, I'm nervous because of the loud gunfire you constantly hear here. We girls go to school terrified. Even during class, we're afraid that a bullet might enter through a window and hurt us.

"It's not an easy thing to cope with. We also had an incident where shots were fired at our home and almost pierced through to the rooms we were in. Sometimes I can't sleep, even in days before tests. It's affecting my grades."

Binan Mahamid, who lives in the Ayn Jarar neighborhood in Umm al-Fahm, echoed the same experience and hardships, saying, "It's constant shooting at night, which really stresses me out.

"A couple days ago, we came home and we saw a bullet right on the ground, and it was really creepy for me because it was at the entrance to our house. If we had been here in that moment (when it was shot), we could have been injured.

Binan Mahamid (Photo: Ido Erez)

"I got really angry when not even one policeman would come (after we reported it). If this would have happened in a (Jewish) Israeli community, not just one policeman would come, but four or five.

"Why is that? Do they think Arab blood is cheap?

"We lived for awhile in the Unites States and never had this kind of problem. I want to go back because I'm tired of the violence.

"We used to ask for playgrounds, museums, nice streets, but what we really need now is safety. We need to feel safe in our homes. We need somebody to protect us."

Nadiya Mahajana, principal at the Khadija Secondary School for girls in Umm al-Fahm, explained that it is common knowledge that the phenomenon has spread throughout the city.

"We all suffer from it because it affects us all. We do our best here, together with the administrative staff and teachers, to help the girls put the danger out of their minds through social activities," she said.

Bullet holes in a car, Umm al-Fahm

Reda Jaber, director of Amanthe Arab Center for a Safe Societyexplained that "the challenge of dealing with violence in Arab society is both social and structural. Arab society needs to be reorganized and rebuilt from its foundations for it to resolve the issues afflicting it, and not just deal with their symptoms.

"Fixing the erosion of its values that once united it. Forgoing its clannish and tribal structure, which prevents any real progress by the local Arab authorities. Nurturing Arab settlements, fighting poverty and taking care of youths by establishing vital community centers for non-formal education. Improving women's status in society and the perception of government and law.

"All these things require political and social leadership willing to take the lead, face reality and bravely work for meaningful and even painful changes.

Police at the scene of shooting, Umm al-Fahm

The police responded that they "have been operating in recent years together with the Ministry of Public Security to meet the unique needs of Arab society to reduce crime and increase feelings of safety and trust in the police and the rule of law among citizens. That is done through, among other things, firm enforcement against law breakers.

"In recent years we have seized thousands of armaments and arrested hundreds of suspects, indicting them whenever we could. In 2015 more than 1,100 indictments for weapon violations within the Arab populace were filed, and more than 900 suspects' remands were extended until the end of the proceedings against them.

"These results are a product of due decisive action and are, and the number of arrests that result in indictments is only getting higher."

(Translated & edited by Lior Mor)
Large amounts of Israelis celebrated Mimouna, the quintessential holiday of house-hopping politicians, on Monday night immediately upon the conclusion of Passover.

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Various Mimounas in Israel (:  ,  ,  ,  ,  )

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Following a week of ritual abstention from leavened bread, the public are finding long lines at bakeries that have opened to provide the traditional Moroccan crepe called mufleta. Political figures tend to take advantage of the colorful celebrations that attract photographers and are keen on attending.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife attend a Mimouna in Hadera (Photo: Ido Erez)

Minister of Culture and Sport Miri Regev (C) and friends (Photo: Barel Efraim)

Dimona Mayor Benny Biton (C) enjoys mufleta with Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked and Histadrut chief Avi Nissankorn (R)

The Mimouna celebrations originated in Jewish communities in northern Africa, primarily in Morocco.

Buying leavened bread hours after Passover's conclusion (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

The Mimouna has become recognized as a national holiday in Israel, and according to Dr. Meir Buzaglo, the head of the Philosophy department at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the holiday, which has been celebrated for hundreds of years, has become widely celebrated in Israel, even by those who are not of North African descent.

Former Minister Gideon Saar (3rd from left) in Ashkelon

According to one tradition, the name comes from Rabbi Maimon ben Yosef, the father of Maimonides, who died on the day after Passover.

(Photo: Barel Efraim)

Another tradition says the name comes from the Hebrew word emuna (faith). A third etymology claims the name comes from the Arabic word for wealth or good luck.

Leader of the Opposition Isaac Herzog (L)

Since the Mimouna is celebrated after the final day of Passover, the day in which, according to tradition, the Red Sea was split in half, some view the celebrations and the customs attached to them as relating to that biblical event.

A Mimouna spread (Photo: Barel Efraim)

Others believe that since the Mimouna celebration begin with a dough-kneading ceremony, the Mimouna actually serves as a transition between the days of the Passover holiday to the unsanctified days to follow.





(Photo: Rotem Pirani)

(Photo: Asaf Zagrizak)

According to yet another belief, the sweets served at the Mimouna symbolize abundance and blessings. On this holiday, the family doesnt gather around its own table, but rather opens its door to guests, serves sweets and welcomes all who come. A fish placed in a bowl of water and the bracelets worn are also popular signs in Arab nations for abundance and good fortunes.

Because good fortunes and abundance are at the center of the Mimouna celebrations, some believe the custom originated in a pagan celebration: a song of praise to the goddess of good fortune.
United States Defense Secretary James Mattis is looking to the Middle East and North Africa for broader contributions and new ideas to fight Islamic extremism as the Trump administration fleshes out its counterterrorism strategy.

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His trip to the region this week includes stops with longstanding allies Israel and Saudi Arabia, and new partners like Djibouti.

United States Defense Secretary James Mattis (Photo: AP)

As the administration enhances its efforts, Mattis has made a point of consulting counterparts around the world. His goals include expanding the American-led coalition against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, but also combating al-Qaida, whose Yemen branch is posing particular worry as it uses ungoverned spaces in the Arab world's poorest country to plan attacks on the United States.

In announcing Mattis's trip, the Pentagon said last week he would be discussing ways to "defeat extremist terror organizations."

Mattis with Defense Minister of Israel, Avigdor Lieberman (Photo: AP)

Mattis is starting his travels Tuesday in Riyadh, where he is expected to meet senior Saudi leaders. Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition that is fighting Iran-backed rebels in Yemen. The coalition's airstrikes began two years ago but haven't driven the Houthi rebels from the capital and large parts of Yemen they still control.

The Munich Security Conference (Photo: AP)

The Trump administration is considering providing intelligence, aerial refueling and other military assistance to the United Arab Emirates, which is helping the Saudis. The UN says some 50,000 civilians have been killed or wounded in the three-year stalemate.

Worries about ISIS aren't limited to Syria and Iraq. Its influence has spread to Libya and elsewhere in North Africa. Mattis told a Pentagon news conference last week that he hoped to bring as many other nations as possible into the administration's new strategy, which involves diplomatic and other non-military features. He said that plan was still in "skeleton form," though it was being "fleshed out."

Mattis in Baghdad, Iraq

The Middle East's landscape is getting more complicated.

Syria's alleged chemical weapons attack on April 4 prompted a US cruise missile strike, temporarily slowing the pace of Washington's air campaign against ISIS in northern Syria.

And a US airstrike April 11 killed 18 fighters associated with a US-supported Syrian rebel group. Central Command said the US strike was misdirected.

Also last week, US forces in Afghanistan struck an ISIS stronghold near the Pakistani border with the 11-ton "mother of all bombs," the largest US non-nuclear bomb ever used in combat.

Mattis with South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-goo (Photo: AP)

The Middle East is familiar turf for Mattis, a Marine veteran of the Iraq war who rose to four-star rank. He finished his military career as head of Central Command, which directs US military operations across the Middle East and Central Asia.

On his weeklong trip, Mattis also is scheduled to visit Egypt and Qatar, the small Arab country that hosts the US military's main Mideast air operations center. It will be his first trip to these countries since taking office in January. He also will make a brief stop at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa, which the US uses to fly sensitive drone missions over Somalia and Yemen.

Mattis visited Iraq in February on his first trip to the Middle East as Pentagon chief.
Three people were injured in clashes between ISIS militants and local tribes in the Sinai Peninsula in a fight that began when militants shot at a truck smuggling cigarettes, Egyptian security officials said Monday.

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The officials stated that ISIS militants launched RPG attacks on Sunday in their stronghold around the city of Rafah in response to the kidnapping of three ISIS fighters by local tribes.

ISIS militant carrying an RPG

The unrest started when militants shot at a truck smuggling cigarettes into the area, where ISIS imposes a strict version of Islamic law that prohibits the sale of tobacco, tribal sources said.

The government officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to brief the media. The tribal sources requested anonymity for fear of reprisal.

The incident marks an escalation in tension between the two sides over the imposition of Islamic Law in northern Sinai.

Last month, female teachers commuting from the region's urban center, El-Arish, to Rafah reported being stopped by militants twice in one week and were asked not to take the road without a male relative in compliance with Islamic law. Locals said the militants had previously intercepted trucks carrying cigarettes and punished passengers with flogging.

ISIS car-bomb attack in El-Arish, Sinai (Photo: AP)

Northern Sinai residents have been caught in a violent battle between militant groups who have expanded their activity in the Peninsula since the removal of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in 2013 and security forces waging war against them.

Militants have beheaded locals accused of collaboration with authorities and recently stepped up their attacks against the peninsula's Coptic Christian minority, forcing hundreds to flee following a string of killings in the city of Arish in February.
Turkey's Council of Ministers has decided to extend for a further three months a state of emergency declared in the wake of a failed July 2016 coup.

Government spokesman Numan Kurtulmus made the announcement Monday, saying the extension would come into effect from April 19, when the previous state of emergency was to expire. The decision will now go to parliament for approval.

The state of emergency includes the granting of greater powers to security forces in detentions and arrests.

Kurtulmus said that combatting terror organizations "must continue without mercy." He mentioned the followers of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who lives in the US and who the Turkish government has blamed for the failed coup. Turkey considers Gulen's movement a terrorist organization.

It is the third extension of the state of emergency in Turkey.
Guwahati, Apr 17 (IBNS) : Former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta has cancelled his second day tour after the National Security Guard (NSG) on Monday found traces of TNT explosives in the official bullet proof vehicle of the former Assam Chief Minister during the routine inspection.

On Monday morning, the NSG had traced explosives in the bullet proof ambassador car bearing registration number of AS-01-AP-6565 of the two times former Assam CM during routine inspection.

Later, the special branch of Assam police declared that, they had not found any explosive from the official vehicle after inspecting by the bomb squad and dog squad teams.

Assam DGP Mukesh Sahay said that the bomb squad team which used high quality explosive detectors had not found any explosives in the vehicle.

But the former Assam CM had refused to journey by using the vehicle.

Two times Assam CM Prafulla Kumar Mahanta has demanded a probe into the matter.

Earlier on Sunday too, explosive detectors used by the NSG had alarmed about presence of TNT explosives in the vehicle.

Mahanta on Sunday had cancelled his Arunchal Pradesh tour following the explosives alarming on his official vehicle.



(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
New York: The US can defuse the tension between New Delhi and Islamabad over the Kashmir issue as Washington has good relations with both the countries, Pakistan`s envoy to the UN Maleeha Lodhi has said.

"Somebody needs to play this role and we think the US is in the best position to do that," the envoy said on Sunday.

However she also said that such a role required a more balanced policy on part of the US.

The situation in Kashmir -- the long-standing dispute between Pakistan and India -- is once again inflamed, she explained and said that such an environment possessed threat to regional peace and security.

She said the US could avert any kind of crisis in the region. "So I am not suggesting that`s about to happen but I am saying before the next crisis happens this is a role of leadership that the US can play."

"Pakistan has felt that the US lacked balance in its approach to South Asia, and as a result we lost something in the relationship," the envoy said.

According to her, the nuclear deal that the Bush administration concluded with India was a discriminatory policy towards the South Asian region and had consequences for it.

"The people of Kashmir have waited for 70 years to see justice done to their cause, to see Security Council resolutions being implemented, so we do believe that the answer to the instability in our region, which is caused by primarily and principally the dispute over Kashmir, should be resolved."

She believed that there was a need for dialogue between the two sides to resolve the ongoing tension.
Illinois: Cleveland police issued an arrest warrant Monday for a gunman they said murdered a man in a crime he broadcast live on Facebook.

Officials in the Ohio city said suspect Steve Stephens, 37, shot his 74-year old victim Robert Godwin Sr at random on Easter Sunday, in cold blood.

"Suspect did broadcast the killing on Facebook Live and has claimed to have committed multiple other homicides which are still NOT verified," Cleveland police said in a statement.

"Suspect in this case is... armed and dangerous. If seen call 9-1-1. Do not approach."

Police said Stevens may be out of the midwestern state, and asked residents of Indiana, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania to be on alert.

Stevens worked for Beech Brook, a behavioral health agency serving children through mental health services, foster care and adoption, at-risk youth programs and other services.

In his broadcast, Stevens displayed his Beech Brook badge. The facility did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

At a press conference late Sunday, authorities urged Stephens to turn himself in.

"Everyone is out there looking for Steve. We want this to end with as much peace as we can bring to this right now, and we want him to turn himself in," Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams told reporters, adding that local authorities were working with the FBI and regional law enforcement.

"We have all of our partners in on this, and we`ll look until we find him."

Mayor Frank Jackson told reporters police were still trying to communicate with the suspect.

"We want to communicate to him that we know who he is, and that he will eventually be caught. And that we`re saying to him that he need not do any more," said Jackson.

Stephens was at large after fleeing in a white Ford Fusion with temporary license plates, police said.

Some local media reported that he had boasted on Facebook of killing more than a dozen people in an Easter Day massacre, but authorities said there was no indication of a broader killing spree.
Vijayawada: Former Andhra Pradesh minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Devineni Rajasekhar alias Nehru died of cardiac arrest on Monday, his family members said. He was 65.

A key figure in Vijayawada politics, he suffered cardiac arrest at his house in Hyderabad. He is survived by a son and a daughter.

Nehru was suffering from kidney-related ailments and was discharged from a hospital in Hyderabad a few days ago.

His body was shifted to Vijayawada, where last rites will be performed on Tuesday.

Popular as Nehru among his followers, he had joined TDP when it was floated by thespian NT Rama Rao in early 1982.



He was elected to Andhra Pradesh Assembly from Kankipadu in 1983 and retained the seat in 1985, 1989 and 1994.



Nehru served as the minister in NT Rama Rao`s cabinet from 1994 to 1996. When N Chandrababu Naidu led a revolt against NT Rama Rao, Nehru was one of the few leaders to remain loyal to the party founder.



He later joined Congress party but lost 1999 election. He, however, was again elected to the Assembly in 2004 but suffered defeats in 2009 and 2014.



The Coastal Andhra's firebrand leader and his son switched over to TDP deserting Congress in 2016.

Nehru`s family had a long-running feud with their political rival Vangaveeti Ranga.



Ranga, a leader of Congress party and belonging to the Kapu community, was murdered in 1988 when he was on hunger strike, sparking unprecedented violence in Vijayawada and other parts of Krishna district as well as neighbouring districts. More than 40 people were killed and properties worth billions of rupees were destroyed in the violence.



The violence abated after then Chief Minister NT Rama Rao made Nehru surrender.



In 2002, a court acquitted all 33 accused including Nehru in the Ranga`s murder case.



A Telugu movie "Vangaveeti" on the feud between two families and produced by controversial filmmaker Ramgopal Verma was recently released.



Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu condoled the death of Nehru and termed it as a personal loss to him and also a loss to the party.

(With Agency inputs)
New Delhi, Apr 17 (IBNS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated several Government projects at Silvassa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

These include Government buildings, solar PV systems, Jan Aushadhi Kendras and a Passport Seva Kendra.



He also distributed Aids and Assistive Devices to Divyangjans, and other benefits under existing Government schemes.



Speaking on the occasion, he said that he is coming to Dadra and Nagar Haveli for the first time as Prime Minister, but he has been here many times in the past.



He said that after assuming office, he sought details on impact of development schemes in Dadra and Nagar Haveli; and since then the Union Government has worked on areas needing attention.



Speaking on development themes, he said that every Indian must have access to housing facilities.

He said that in less than a year, the number of beneficiaries under the Ujjwala scheme for LPG has crossed 2 crore.



The Prime Minister emphasized that the Union Government will never allow the poor and the middle class to be looted. He urged the assembled people to download the BHIM App for cashless transactions.
Islamabad: US President Donald Trump`s national security adviser HR McMaster has suggested that Washington may take a stronger line on Islamabad.

A day after making the comments in Afghanistan, he arrived in Islamabad on Monday on an unannounced visit.

McMaster in an interview to Afghan television channel ToloNews had said - "As all of us have hoped for many, many years, we have hoped that Pakistani leaders will understand that it is in their interest to go after these groups less selectively than they have in the past" - as per The Times of India.



"The best way to pursue their interests in Afghanistan and elsewhere is through the use of diplomacy, and not through the use of proxies that engage in violence," McMaster had added.

At the same time, describing Afghanistan as a "modern-day frontier" between "barbarism and civilisation", he had said that the stakes were high in the war-torn country.

"What's clear in Afghanistan is the stakes are high. This is really the modern-day frontier between barbarism and civilisation," said McMaster had told ABC News.

"So with those high stakes in mind, recognising that the Taliban groups that we're fighting here, that the ISIS groups that we, really the Afghan forces are really fighting and we're just enabling them - in the eastern part of the country, are a threat to all civilised peoples, he had said on his first visit to the country as President Donald Trump's envoy.

"So really what we do from this point on is going to depend on the decision that the President makes," he had maintained, as per PTI.

McMaster had arrived in Kabul yesterday, days after the American military dropped its largest non-nuclear bomb on Islamic State group hideouts in eastern Afghanistan, killing nearly a hundred militants.

(With Agency inputs)
Colombo: The death toll in the collapse of a giant open garbage dump, burying dozens of houses, near the Sri Lankan capital climbed to 29 after rescuers pulled out more bodies from the rubble today.

At least seven children were among 29 people killed in the collapse of the garbage dump in Meetotamulla area in Kolonnawa near Colombo, local media quoted officials as saying.

According to the Disaster Management Centre, at least 625 people belonging to 180 families had been displaced due to the tragedy, the report said.

The military said 1,000 security personnel, including police and special task forces, have been deployed for rescue operation. It said troops from the Sri Lanka Light Infantry, Commandos, Gemunu Watch and Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment were carrying out relief operations, the Colombo Gazette reported.

The National Building Research Organisation said the site of the accident be declared a "danger zone" and people living in over 130 houses in the area must be relocated for safety.

Officials said hundreds of people have been moved to temporarily shelters and the government will soon begin shifting more people.

Schools and others facilities will be moved as well, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Harsha De Silva said.

He said the dumping of garbage at the site has been banned. Ironically, the government had signed agreements a few weeks ago to convert the waste into energy, he said in a post on Facebook.

Police were investigating whether the collapse of the 91 -metre open garbage pile could be a sabotage. A 10-member team of geologists, officials from mining and excavation divisions, have been sent to the spot.

More than 600 people had to flee in the aftermath of the mishap on Friday.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in a statement has apologised for the delay in relocating the garbage dump.

The residents near the dump had been protesting for months, demanding that the garbage dump be relocated.

The authorities, however, claim that they had given enough warning to the slum dwellers to relocate themselves.

"We had even paid compensation to them to relocate," De Silva said. He said the state will bear the funeral expenses of the dead.

The massive garbage caught fire and collapsed on dozens of homes as the residents celebrated the traditional New Year. Police said the true scale of the damage remained unclear.

Sri Lanka's Parliament was recently warned that 23 million tonnes of garbage at Kolonnawa dump was a serious hazard. About 800 tonnes of garbage were added to the dump daily.
Morigaon: China's Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui on Monday visited Pobitora wildlife sanctuary, which has the world's densest population of Great Indian one horned rhino, and praised its bio-diversity.

Luo Zhaohui, who is leading a six-member high level official team, appreciated the bio-diversity of the 38.8 sq km sanctuary in central Assam, which has other animals such as leopard, wild boar, barking deer, wild buffalo, birds and reptiles, official sources said.

The Chinese diplomat, however, declined to take questions of waiting journalists on Sino-India relations, the recent visit of the Dalai Lama to Tawang and dams on Brahmaputra in his country.

Zhaohui went around the sanctuary with his wife looking at rhinos and migratory birds in Pobitora which has the world's densest population of the one-horned rhinoceros in only 16 sq km effective rhino habitat, said official sources.

The Chinese ambassador also visited the World War II memorials and monuments in Tinsukia district during his two-day official visit to Assam, the sources added.

Meanwhile, former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told reporters that he had raised his concern about the construction of big dams in China whish is affecting the flow of rivers in Assam during his meeting with Zhaohui during the day.

The Chinese ambassador, Gogoi said, had assured him that China would do no such thing and that the dams there will not affect Assam.

Zhaohui also said his country has never given shelter to any Assam-based insurgent outfit, including the Paresh Baruah-led ULFA(Independent, he added.
Chennai: In a late night political drama here on Monday, Tamil Nadu ministers called an emergency meeting to discuss the merger of two AIADMK factions after former chief minister O Panneerselvam flagged a "unity proposal".

At least 25 ministers attended the meeting at AIADMK leader P Thangamani's residence in Chennai, media reports said.

Confirming the development, state minister D Jayakumar said that the leaders discussed Panneerselvam's statement on a possible merger.

OPS has given us a suggestion and we welcome that; we will hold further talks, Jayakumar told reporters after the meeting.

All the MLAs want Amma's wish to be fulfilled, Amma wanted AIADMK to stay together, he said.

However, the EPS faction has denied rumours of Sasikala's resignation as AIADMK general secretary.

It is being reported that some ministers are in favour of a truce with the Panneerselvam camp in order to keep the party united, and they are also not averse to the idea of keeping Sasikala and her deputy TTV Dinakaran away from the party.

Senior AIADMK Amma leader M Thambidurai said the Dinakaran faction was ready to hold talks with the Panneerselvam camp so as to work for the merger of the two factions.



"Those who left due to differences... Let them come, we are ready to talk," he told reporters.

He was replying to a question about rival group leader and former Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam earlier in the day expressing confidence about the scope for merger talks.

Stating that all the leaders, including him and Panneerselvam, were elected on the 'two leaves' symbol of AIADMK, he emphasised that it was the collective responsibility of all partymen to continue the regime of 'Amma' (late chief minister Jayalalithaa).



Thambidurai, who earlier called on Chief Minister K Palaniswami at the Secretariat, said, "We will get back the 'two leaves' symbol and to get that we will function unitedly."



The development comes after the Delhi Police earlier in the day booked Dinakaran for attempting to offer a bribe to election commission officials.

The AIADMK (Amma) faction led by VK Sasikala and the rival AIADMK (Puratchithalaivi Amma) led by former chief minister O Panneerselvam are locked in a bitter power tussle following the death of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on December 5 last year.

Sasikala had picked Palaniswami to lead the government.

He won the floor test in February amid strong protests by the opposition parties which were evicted from the legislative assembly during the voice vote.

He got 122 votes in favour but eleven MLAs from the former chief minister camp voted against him.

The MLAs who voted for Edappadi Palaniswami have betrayed Amma. Dharmam will be restored, Panneerselvam had said.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: In a bid to crackdown on unruly passengers, Air India has formulated new rules, under which it proposes to impose a fine of up to 15 lakh for causing a delay beyond 2 hours.

The latest rules come less than a month after Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad assaulted a staffer of the national carrier at the airport here.

Under the new rules, for a delay up to 1 hour, a fine of Rs 5 lakh will be imposed. In case the delay is between 1 to 2 hours, a fine of Rs 15 lakhs will be imposed and for any delay beyond 2 hours, the passengers will have to pay Rs 15 lakhs as fine.

Since the incident of Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad assaulting an Air India staffer last month, the national carrier as well as the government have been exploring ways, including a no-fly list to bolster the existing mechanism to rein in unruly passengers.

The airline had already changed the logbook entry format to ensure that the exact reasons for delays in flights are recorded, rather than generic explanations. Under the new system, all details, including the specific reason for delays especially in cases of passenger misbehaviour, will be furnished if a plane fails to depart on time because of errant fliers, the officials said.

Air India and other domestic airlines had barred Gaikwad. The ban was revoked after the leader apologised in Parliament.

With Agency Inputs
New Delhi: Along with providing us with numerous insights into the working of the universe, US space agency NASA has time and again forewarned us of potential dangers like asteroids buzzing past the Earth, hurricanes and storms and most importantly, climate change.

NASA's IceBridge mission, an airborne survey of polar ice has been flying over northwest Greenland for the past several days. While flying over Greenland's enormous Petermann Glacier, NASA captured the first photographs of a new, ginormous crack, which is quite worrying.

Stef Lhermitte, a professor at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, provided the coordinates to NASA, after spotting the oddly located fissure by examining satellite images. This helped NASA capture the images.

Lhermitte posted satellite images on Twitter, thereby alerting a Petermann Glacier expedition team and questioning whether it was a prelude of a new island, or simply ocean forces creating the rift.

Is this recent internal crack in #Petermann glacier the prelude of a new @Petermann_ice island? 1/5 pic.twitter.com/V8qKF1MwmC  Stef Lhermitte (@StefLhermitte) April 12, 2017

.@Petermann_Ice @AndreasMuenchow @glacier_doc @CopernicusEU @ESA_EO Sentinel-2 satellite time series show this new crack for the first time in July 2016. It has been growing since then. 2/5 pic.twitter.com/5dIiLs8kX9  Stef Lhermitte (@StefLhermitte) April 12, 2017

The NASA images captured later, are a clear indication of a significant chasm near the center of the glaciers floating ice shelf  an unusual location that raises questions on its formation.

From today's #IceBridge flight: Portion of the newly identified rift on Petermann Glacier's ice shelf (straight feature near bottom center) pic.twitter.com/kmeQoik8ZO  NASA ICE (@NASA_ICE) April 14, 2017

Furthermore, not far from this crack, another longer and wider crack has gradually been inching toward the shelfs center from its eastern side wall. The second crack is also visible in the images.

The point of concern is that if the two cracks meet, part of the ice shelf could break off, calving an iceberg.

Covering about 1,295 square kilometres along the north-western coast of Greenland, Petermann Glacier's floating ice tongue is the Northern Hemisphere's largest, and it has occasionally calved large icebergs.

Needless to say, the crack is definitely a cause for concern and requires more digging into what caused it and whether it has the potential to trigger bigger changes.

NASAs Operation IceBridge is a research mission in which instrumented aircraft are flown over ice at both poles  both Greenland and Antarctica  to collect data about the state of polar ice and how it is changing. IceBridge operates over Greenland at this time of year and snapped the photos on what appeared to be a crystal-clear day at the glacier.
New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal on Monday asked the Centre to clarify what should be the minimum environmental flow (E-flow) in the Ganga, in a bid to ensure uninterrupted water supply in the river.

The apex environment watchdog also said that unless the excessive extraction of water and discharge of high pollutants are controlled, it would be difficult to restore Ganga to its original pristine condition.

The E-flow defines the quantity, timing and quality of water flow required to sustain freshwater and the estuarine ecosystems, besides human livelihood.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed the Environment Ministry, Ministry of Water Resources and the Central Pollution Control Board to provide complete information on e-flow to be maintained in the river.

It asked them to apprise the green panel about extraction of groundwater in the stretch of 543 km between Haridwar and Unnao, and state whether the water being diverted into the various canals should be regulated so as to help maintenance of minimum flow of the river.

"Ministry of Environment and Forests, Ministry of Water Resources and CPCB will take a clear stand as to what should be the minimum environmental flow of river Ganga in Segment-B (Haridwar and Unnao)," the bench said.

The NGT fixed the matter for hearing on April 19.

Earlier, the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government favoured the shifting of British-era tanneries releasing toxic wastes into the river Ganga at Kanpur.

The UP government had told the NGT that the hunt for a new site for setting up of these leather units, which are the "major source of pollution" in Ganga, was under consideration and would be identified soon.

Last year, the then Akhilesh Yadav government had opposed the idea of shifting of over 400 tanneries giving employment to over two million people, saying the moving the tannery hubs to some other place was almost "next to impossible" due to paucity of land.

In a detailed report covering various aspects of contamination in the river, CPCB had informed the NGT that the Ganga, spanning a distance of 543 km between Haridwar and Kanpur, was affected by 1,072 seriously polluting industries which were releasing heavy metals and pesticides.

At present, 823.1 million litres per day of untreated sewage and 212.42 MLD of industrial effluent flows into the river while three of the four monitored Sewage Treatment Plants were non-compliant with the set standards, it said.

The green panel has divided the work of cleaning the river in different segments Gomukh to Haridwar (Phase-I), Haridwar to Unnao (termed as segment B of Phase-I), Unnao to border of Uttar Pradesh, border of Uttar Pradesh to border of Jharkhand and border of Jharkhand to Bay of Bengal.
New Delhi: NASA has launched a genius campaign called "Adopt the Planet". Through this, the US space agency invites anyone who is interested to virtually adopt a piece of Earth as seen from space, however, invitees won't be legally entitled to the adoption.

After selection of your preferred location and submission of your coordinates, you get to learn more about the piece of land or sea that you have adopted. It's really that simple!

Through NASAs Worldview, individuals also get the opportunity to take a closer look at their adopted location, as per a report in the Deccan Chronicle.

The website gives users information on different layers of data and even allows individuals to get a close and personal experience their their new adopted section of the planet. Users can take photos, share social media posts and print out pictures of their locations, the report further said.

64,000 locations are reportedly still up for adoption, which will be randomly assigned to those who sign on for it. As per reports, once all the 64,000 patches are taken, the system reassigns them to new participants, so everyone who wants to participate will be able to.

This is in accordance with Earth Day which falls on April 22 every year; a day that is observed annually to raise awareness about our home planet and how we can save and protect it from recurring damage.

Started in the year 1970, Earth Day is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network and celebrated in more than 193 countries each year.

Every year, the event is celebrated under a different theme. The theme for 2017 is Environmental and Climate Literacy, chosen to empower everyone with the knowledge to inspire action in defense of environmental protection.
London: In a weird incident, a three-month-old British boy was summoned to the US Embassy in London for questioning after his grandfather mistakenly marked that the purpose of his trip to the United States was terrorism.

Paul Kenyon, 62, was due to visit Orlando, Florida, with his wife Cathy, 57, his daughter Faye, 27, her partner John Cairns, 31, and his grandchildren, three-year-old Ava and three-month-old Harvey.

While filling the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) form - required to enter into the United States, Paul Kenyon accidentally ticked "yes" in the section that reads: "Do you seek to engage in or have you ever engaged in terrorist activities, espionage, sabotage, or genocide?" on baby Harvey's document.

Just three days before their flight to the US, the family made a 10-hour round-trip journey from their home in Poynton, Cheshire to the US embassy in London, so that officials could ask questions to Harvey, who cannot even speak yet.

Harvey's application was then rejected. So, his grandparents travelled to Orlando on the scheduled date, while Harvey and his parents took the flight a few days later.

Kenyon said the mistake cost him an extra GBP 3,000.

He said: I had filled in the first five forms all correctly, but it was taking some time.

I had no idea I had made a mistake on the baby's form until Harvey's travel was refused to the USA...I couldn't believe that they couldn't see it was a genuine mistake and that a three-month-old baby would be no harm to anyone.

Kenyon said that Harvey was 'good as gold' during the interview.

Baby Harvey was good as gold for the interview and never cried once  I thought about taking him along in an orange jumpsuit, but thought better of it, he said.

He's obviously never engaged in genocide, or espionage, but he has sabotaged quite a few nappies in his time though I didn't tell them that at the US Embassy, reported MailOnline.
New Delhi: The chhoti begum of Bollywood Kareena Kapoor Khan is a head turner in every which way. The diva, who delivered a gorgeous baby boy Taimur Ali Khan is an inspiration to many young women out there, who think career takes a backseat post marriage and kids.

Kareena recently took off for London and it set tongues wagging about the reason of her going abroad. However, according to Mid-Day.com, the beautiful Bebo was in London for her work commitments. The actress reportedly shot for a UK magazine cover in Dubai after discussing the concept in London.

And interestingly, this is first for any Bollywood actor to feature on the cover of this bridal magazine, reportedly. The report quotes a source as saying, The photo shoot took place on an 84-foot VIP luxury yacht. Kareena had five [costume] changes. Given that the theme was royal weddings and the regal bride, Bebo was a perfect selection.

One of the fan clubs of the actress shared a picture collage of the shoot on Instagram.

Check out the picture here:

Famous fashion designer Faraz Manan took care of the costumes for the diva who even turned up at his show and stunned in a shimmering gown in Dubai.
New Delhi, Apr 17 (IBNS): The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa PVSM AVSM YSM VM ADC visited Anti Naxalite Task Forces at Raipur and Jagdalpur on Apr 17.

He was briefed by the local commanders of various paramilitary forces deployed in Bastar area.

He reviewed the operational preparedness of forces deployed in the sector. He also interacted with personnel from various state agencies and air warriors to boost their morale.
Surat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Gujarat, inaugurated the Kiran Multispeciality Hospital in Surat on Monday.

According to ANI, Kiran Multi-Super Specialty Hospital and Research Centre has been built by a private trust in Surat.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates Kiran Multispeciality Hospital in Surat, Gujarat pic.twitter.com/8AZ8u4rW7H  ANI (@ANI_news) April 17, 2017

Addressing a gathering, PM Narendra Modi said while the health surveys across world have reinstated the importance of hygiene, no one has paid much attention to preventive healthcare measures in India, adding that his government's 'Swachh Bharat' mission is a part of promoting preventive healthcare habits.

Prime Minister Modi said he was proud that his Surat has adopted the habit of cleanliness in such a way that they can be an example to other cities.

The Prime Minister, addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Kiran multi-speciality hospital in his home state said that he was unsure whether he should address his people in his mother tongue or Hindi.

However, he said that he then chose to speak in Hindi because he felt that they have done a big thing and the people should know about it.

"Labour is more valuable than money. I had said that I will also inaugurate the places where I lay foundation stones, because I want to see work completed. This hospital (Kiran Multispeciality Hospital) is built on a foundation of hard work and family value. After Vajpayee ji, we brought a healthcare policy in India after 15 years," the Prime Minister said.

He said that the government will ensure that the doctors prescribes only generic medicines so that monopoly of big medicine outlets can be broken.

The Prime Minister while speaking of his connect with the city, said that people in other areas have probably changed the way they behave with him after he became the prime minister. He, however, said that Surat has always treated him like a family and he loves coming back to the place because it feels like home to him.

"I have become Prime Minister for everyone but Surat treats me like family. I cannot see the Prime Minister's tag here," he added.

Lauding the diamond merchants of Surat for undertaking the Rs. 500 crore project for people's welfare, Prime Minister Modi said that he was not surprised by what they did.

He said that these people have known poverty and the pain of paucity, therefore they won't sleep at night until they are satisfied that they have done as much as they could for the society.

"Many pharmaceutical firms are unhappy with my decision of cheaper stents, medicines. We have fixed the prices for around 700 medicines to ensure affordability for poor and this has upset big companies," he added.

PM will later inaugurate a diamond manufacturing unit of a Private company at Hira Bourse Special Economic Zone at Ichhapore in the district.

The Prime Minister will then go to Bajipura village in Tapi district to inaugurate a cattle feed plant and ice-cream plant of Sumul Dairy and lay the foundation stone for dairy products plant at Nava Pardi.

Prime Minister Modi will then visit Silvassa town in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, where he will address a gathering apart from inaugurating a few projects.

The Prime Minister in Saurashtra will inaugurate phase-1 of the ambitious Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran Irrigation project for Botad and surrounding districts and also lay foundation stone for the phase-2.

Under the project divided in four phases, the Gujarat Government plans to fill 115 dams of Saurashtra region with overflowing water of Sardar Sarovar Dam across river Narmada through a web of pipeline network.

This is Prime Minister Modi's second visit to his home state this year. He had visited Gandhinagar on March 8 to address women sarpanchs from across the country on International Women's Day.

With ANI inputs
Surat: The people in Gujarat's diamond city Surat were taken to surprise when a 4-year-old girl forced Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cavalcade to stop midway on Monday.

Surprisingly, the Prime Minister not only stopped his cavalcade, but also came out to meet the minor girl who had by chance ran towards his motorcade.

The security guards moving along with PM Modi were also confused initially as to what should be done and tried to stop the child from coming near fearing for her safety.

However, they soon took the girl to PM Modi after he ordered officials to immediately stop his SUV.

PM Modi then embraced 'Nancy', the 4-year-old, and also asked what was the time, pointing towards the wrist watch tied on her hand.

On a two-day visit to Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Sunday led a 11-km roadshow in the Surat city, a Patel community stronghold. He was accorded a rousing reception.

The roadshow was a mega outreach by PM in the election year. The BJP has decided to project him as the face of 2017 state Assembly polls. It will be a battle of prestige for the Prime Minister in his home state and he first visited to Surat.

Surat was the hub of Patidar agitation for reservation in government jobs and educational institutions.

During the roadshow, stood along the road illuminated with lights of different colours, people chanted "Modi! Modi!" and "Bharat Mata Ki Jai", as the PM acknowledged greetings from the cheering crowd. He waved towards them while standing through the open sunroof of an SUV for almost two hours.

Interestingly, Modi came to his home state for the first time after the BJP's resounding victories in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

In addition to 3D laser shows at regular intervals and colourful LED light decoration, 11 km-long saree with names of various government schemes printed on it was also tied along the route of the PM.

A 1008 metre-long welcome banner signed by over one lakh people was also on display and a 22-feet tall cutout of Modi was also installed near the airport.

Watch here how the 4-year-old girl forced PM Modi's motorcade to stop midway in Surat.
Hyderabad: Police detained leaders of Telangana unit of Congress party here on Monday as the opposition intensified its protest over shifting of `Dharna Chowk`, a popular venue of protests in Hyderabad.

Tension prevailed at Tank Bund in the heart of the city as several leaders sat on satyagraha at the state of B.R. Ambedkar but police evicted them on the ground that there is no permission for the protest.

Telangana state Congress chief Uttam Kumar Reddy, former ministers Bhatti Vikramarka, Mohammed Ali Shabbir, D. Nagender and former MPs V. Hanumantha Rao and Anjan Kumar Yadav were among those detained and shifted to different police stations.

The Congress party had called for the protest to demand Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government to revive `Dharna Chowk` at Indira Park in the heart of the city.

Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that TRS government is suppressing the voice of opposition by shifting `Dharna Chowk` to the city outskirts. "This move is undemocratic. The government is not ready to tolerate the voice of dissent," he told reporters.

The Congress leaders said TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who organised many protests in the city including Million March during Telangana movement, was not snatching the rights of the opposition parties.

The protest by the Congress came a day after leaders of Dharna Chowk Protection Committee launched a month long relay hunger strike at the Communist Party of India (CPI) headquarters, Mukhdoom Bhavan here.

The committee comprising leaders of CPI, CPI-M, other Left parties and mass organisations denounced the attitude of the Chief Minister and said the government was denying the democratic rights of the people to protest.

Noted educationalist and former Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Chukka Ramaiah said that it was unfortunate that Chandrasekhar Rao, who participated in many agitations programmes and meetings at Indira Park during the Telangana movement, now does not want that very Chowk to exist.

`Dharna Chowk` had been the venue of thousands of protests by political parties, people`s organisations, students` groups, employees` unions and others for over two decades.

Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao had last week defended the police move to shift `Dharna Chowk` to the city outskirts saying that that some parties were deliberately creating problems in the name of protests. He also stated that the venue doesn`t make any difference as the opposition will still be able to highlight the issues and bring them to the government`s notice thanks to the coverage by the media.

Last month, leaders of all opposition parties had come together to meet Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan Rao and submit a memorandum protesting the government`s move.
New Delhi: Rebuffing anti-BJP alliance talks, the Janata Dal (United) on Monday said Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav is living in the past and is unaware of the present situation of the saffron party.

"Mulayam Singh Yadav is living in past days. He is unaware of present situation of the BJP. This BJP is not the the old one, this is 2017 BJP party," JD (U) leader KC Tyagi said.

Mulayam yesterday dismissed the suggestion that Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati and the Samajwadi Party can work together.

"We are capable on our own," party veteran said when asked to comment on talks of a grand alliance against the BJP for 2019.

Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav earlier on Saturday asserted that there should be a great alliance and the party is in favour of it.

"There should be a grand alliance. We are in favour of it," said Akhilesh after Mayawati said that her party was ready to work with like-minded parties "to save democracy".

While addressing her party members on the 126th birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar, Mayawati yesterday said that she was open to enter into alliance with any political party to defeat the BJP.

"The BSP now has no reservations in taking the help of anti-BJP parties in its fight against EVM tampering and the BJP as it is the democracy which comes first...we have to keep democracy alive," she said.

With ANI inputs
Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urged North Korea on Monday to refrain from taking further provocative actions, comply with UN resolutions and abandon its nuclear missile development.



Tensions on the Korean peninsula have escalated as US President Donald Trump takes a hard rhetorical line with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has rebuffed admonitions from China and proceeded with missile tests.



North Korea launched a ballistic missile on Sunday but it blew up almost immediately, the US Pacific Command said.



Abe told Parliament he would exchange views on North Korea with Russian President Vladimir Putin when they hold a summit meeting later this month.



He also said the government was considering measures to respond to contingencies stemming from a potential crisis on the Korean peninsula, including floods of refugees and how to evacuate Japanese citizens from South Korea.



"We assume a series of responses in case of evacuees into Japan, such as protecting them, a process of landing, housing facilities and their management, and a screening whether our nation should protect them," Abe said.



Japan`s National Security Council discussed how to evacuate its nearly 60,000 citizens from South Korea in the event of a crisis, a government official said on Friday amid rising concern over North Korea`s nuclear weapons programme.



US Vice President Mike Pence visited the demilitarised border between North and South Korea on Monday and reiterated that the US "era of strategic patience" with Pyongyang was over.
New Delhi: Amid a bitter row over a viral video showing a man from Jammu and Kashmir being tied up on an Army jeep in what it claims ''self defence'', the Centre is expected to issue a favourable statement supporting the security forces, reports said on Monday.

An FIR was also registered against Army's 53 Rashtriya Rifles for tying a man to a jeep allegedly as a "human shield" against stone pelters who took on security forces in the Kashmir Valley over by-elections held last week.

According to The Times of India, the Union government has decided to back the security personnel responsible for taking the decision to tie up an alleged stone-pelter to the bonnet of a jeep to prevent any kind of attack on the convoy during election duty on April 9.

The Centre has taken a serious note of the issue and Union Defence Minister Arun Jaitley is likely to issue a statement in this regard later today.

On April 9, violent clashes were reported between the stone pelters and the security forces in the Kashmir Valley. More than 300 people were injured  including Army officials - and eight killed amid polling unrest stirred by miscreants in the region.

The government is of the view that the army officer responsible for ordering his men to tie 26-year-old Farooq Ahmed Dar to the bonnet of the jeep took the decision reluctantly and as a complete last resort.

He took the decision after he realized that his unit had to pass a street, crowded by hordes of stone-pelters, who had also occupied positions on rooftops.

The Army claimed that the particular unit which is under the scanner were on a mission to bring back trapped personnel including a dozen local J&K employees, about 9-10 ITBP personnel, couple of constables and a bus driver.

Defence Minister Arun Jaitley is expected to address the issue when he meets Army commanders today. The government believes that the controversial decision was taken in an ''extraordinary situation'' where the officer incharge of the unit had a difficult choice to make.

The Army brass is of the view that the unfortunate incident was unavoidable as the unit was surrounded by hundreds of protestors who were bent on violence.

As things turned out, the man used as a human shield was handed over to local authorities and no lives were lost. The video of the incident, released by former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah, went viral and sparked off protests by human rights activists and political parties.

BJP, meanwhile, said the incident was being probed but the challenging situation the Army has to deal with on the ground must be appreciated.

The run-up to the by-elections was been marked by strongly pro-separatist campaigning by the National Conference with its leader Farooq Abdullah in the fray.
New Delhi: Modernisation of defence equipment is the top most priority for the government, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said on Monday as he addressed the Army Commanders' Conference here.



The Defence Minister "complemented the senior military hierarchy" and said "whenever the challenges multiply or their nature changes, Indian Army has always outperformed itself", an official statement said.



The minister said modernisation of defence equipment is the topmost priority for the government, the statement added.



Army Chief, Gen Bipin Rawat, in his opening address emphasiaed that all "systems" were working well and complimented all those who are working on the ground.



He observed that Indian Army continues to hold a strong image and a professional reputation and asked all ranks to endeavour to further strengthen the same.



Top commanders of Indian Army are meeting in the national capital from April 17-22. The commanders will deliberate upon the prevailing security scenario, strategic and actionable issues to ensure an effective combat edge for the Indian Army.


New Delhi: Amid simmering tensions between India and Pakistan, the leaders of the two countries - Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif  are likely to meet in June.

A senior Pakistani official told The Express Tribune that the meeting of Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, in June is very much possible.

The tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated after a Pakistani military court sentenced alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav to death.

The official also "made it clear that Pakistan did not want that the issue of India spy to undermine the overall bilateral engagement process" with India.

"Kulbhushan is just one element. The main point is that involvement of Indian state in sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan has been established. Yet, the government's policy of reaching out to its neighbors has not changed. the official said, according to the Pakistani newspaper.

Notably, India is yet to receive copies of the Pakistani charge sheet against Jadhav and the copy of the judgment sentencing him to death.

India said it has sought consular access to Jadhav 13 times earlier, but the permission was refused each time.

Jadhav, sentenced to death by Pakistan's military court on April 10, faced seven charges, including sponsoring IED attacks on important installations and attacks on Shias in Pakistan -- according to the list read out by the country's foreign policy chief Sartaj Aziz on Friday.

As a fallout of the case, India had called off bilateral maritime security talks with Pakistan scheduled for April 17.

(With Agency inputs)
New Delhi: Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari arrived here on Monday on a five-day visit to India at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee.



This is Bhandari`s first foreign tour after assuming office in October 2015.



She is accompanied by a 33-member delegation that includes Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat and Peace and Reconstruction Minister Sita Devi Yadav, five women MPs and senior officials.



Bhandari will be given a ceremonial reception and accorded a guard of honour at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday.



Also on Tuesday, she will pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat and visit the Yamuna Biodiversity Park.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister Susham Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will call on the visiting dignitary.



Vice President Hamid Ansari will also call on Bhandari at the Rashtrapati Bhavan where she will stay. She will call on President Mukherjee and attend a banquet hosted by him.



"Neighbourhood first," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted, announcing the President`s arrival.



On Sunday, Sudhakar Dalela, Joint Secretary (India and Bhutan) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said India`s ties with Nepal were people-centric and focused on improving connectivity between the neighbours besides improving energy infrastructure.



The visit reflects "the priority India attaches to further strengthening the age-old unique partnership with Nepal and our shared historical and cultural linkages and strong people-to-people connection", he said.



Though wide-ranging discussions are expected to be held on bilateral issues, no agreement is expected to be signed.



Bhandari will visit Gujarat and Odisha on Wednesday and Thursday before leaving for Kathmandu on Friday.
New Delhi/Kolkata, Apr 17 (IBNS): After completing its preliminary enquiry into Narada sting operation, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday registered an FIR against 13 persons, who were seen taking bribes in the sting footage, in New Delhi, officials said.

According to CBI sources, the central probe agency has lodged the FIR under IPC section 120B (Criminal conspiracy) and several sections of Prevention of Corruption Act against as many as 12 influential leaders, cabinet ministers, MPs and MLAs of West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress, including Mukul Roy, Firhad (Bobby) Hakim, Sultan Ahmed, Sougata Roy, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Aparupa Poddar, Prasun Banerjee, Madan Mitra, Shovan Chatterjee, Subrata Mukherjee, Suvendu Adhikari and Iqbal Ahmed, and senior IPS officer S.M.H. Mirza.

Besides mentioning these 13 names in the FIR, the CBI has written 'and others' at the end to add more names, who were involved in the scandal but were not caught in the sting video, there in future, a source claimed.

However, a CBI official told IBNS that a special investigating team is being constituted in New Delhi to probe the matter.

"We have registered the case as we found the sting footage genuine after the primary enquiry and all persons, named in the FIR, will be called soon for interrogation," the official said.

Reacting to this major development in the scam investigation, Narada News's CEO Mathew Samuel, who carried out the entire sting operation, told IBNS: "It's a welcoming move by CBI and the truth will come to light after a proper investigation."

"As a journalist I did the sting operation. I didn't have any personal conspiracy against Trinamool Congress (TMC) and its leaders," Samuel added.

Earlier on Mar 17, a division bench, comprising of Calcutta HC's acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre and Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty, directed the CBI to begin probe into Narada sting case in next 24 hours and to submit the preliminary report by 72 hours.

Days later, TMC leaders and the state government moved to the Supreme Court against Calcutta High Court's order.

Rejecting the appeal, country's apex court directed the CBI to continue investigation into it and extended Calcutta HC's 3-day deadline for CBI to 30 days.

Since Mar 14 last year, news portal- Narada News- released several sting operation footage, where TMC's leaders, ministers, MPs and MLAs were exposed while allegedly taking bribes.

From the beginning, TMC leaderships had claimed that the sting footage was doctored and conspiracy of oppositions.

Following West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's direction, Kolkata Police's Special Investigation Team (SIT) had started investigation into the matter.

Demanding CBI or ED probe into Narada case, at least three Public Interest Litigations (PIL) were filed before the High Court.

After authenticity of the Narada sting tapes were confirmed by two Central forensic laboratories (CFCL) in Hyderabad and Chandigarh, hearing in the case completed months ago and the order was reserved by the division bench.

(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)
Islamabad: Upping the ante, Pakistan's Army on Monday ruled out consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, days after India had made a strong case for the access to the Indian prisoner on death row.

Jadhav, 46, was awarded death sentence by the Field General Court Martial last week, evoking a sharp reaction in India which warned Pakistan of consequences and damage to bilateral ties if the "pre-meditated murder" was carried out.

"Under the law we cannot give consular access to Khubhushan who was involved in spying," Pakistan Military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor told reporters.

However, Indian officials in New Delhi maintained that there was no communication from Pakistan on the denial of consular access.

Pakistan has denied India's request for consular access to Jadhav over a dozen times in the last one year.

On Friday, Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad Gautam Bambawale had met Pakistan Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and demanded a certified copy of the charge-sheet as well as the army court order in the Jadhav case, besides seeking consular access to the retired Indian navy officer.

Addressing the media in Rawalpindi today, Maj Gen Ghafoor said that Jadhav was involved in anti-state activities so he had to face court martial.

"It was duty of the army (to apprehend and punish him). We have not compromised on it and awarded him punishment. We will not compromise on this issue in future also," he said.

He said all legal requirements were fulfilled in the trial of Jadhav which resulted in his conviction.

"The court martial is based on such evidence which cannot be refuted at any forum," he said.

He said the Indian man can appeal against the judgement in the army appellate court and then to the army chief against the decision of the appellate court.

The spokesman said the convict can also file an appeal to the Supreme Court and the president of Pakistan.

"We will defend his conviction at every forum," he said.

Pakistan claims its security forces had arrested Jadhav from the restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran. It also claimed that he was "a serving officer in the Indian Navy."

The Pakistan Army had also released a "confessional video" of Jadhav after his arrest.

However, India denied Pakistan's contention and maintained that Jadhav was kidnapped by the Pakistan authorities.

India had acknowledged that Jadhav had served with the navy but denied that he has any connection with the government.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court took strong note on Monday of huge vacancy in police force in six states, including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, and asked their Home Secretaries to either personally appear or depute an officer to assist it.

A bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar referred to the vacancy in the states -- Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, and summonsed the home secretaries or officers not below the rank of the joint secretary authorised by them for assisting it on Friday.

The bench, also comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul, said that the data, mostly pertaining to 2013, indicates that there are huge vacancies in police force in various states and said, "We endeavour to monitor the filling up of vacancies."

It said that there are more than 40,000 and 1.5 lakh vacancies in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, respectively.

The six states have been asked to provide the roadmap as to how they endeavour to fill up the vacancies with the apex court fixing the plea filed by Manish Kumar for monitoring by it on April 21.
Allahabad: An incident has triggered panic in an area of UP's Allahabad.

Reportedly, a calf head was found on the premises of Akhileshwar Mahadeo temple in Allahbad's Shivkuti locality on Saturday morning and this triggered panic in the area.

The temple's priest - Akhilesh Pandey - after spotting the calf head informed the police, according to a report in TOI.

Soon after the incident was reported Hindu organisations started staging a demonstration, demanding arrest of the accused, the report added.

Police officials have assured the action. Reportedly, forces from four police stations were rushed to the temple.

A private school situated near the temple was closed as a precautionary measure so as to avoid any untoward incident.
New Delhi: Amid outrage in Kashmir over the controversial 'human shield' video, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Monday reminded top army commanders about the 'strong image' of the force and called for efforts to reinforce it further.

Gen Rawat was speaking at the Army commanders' conference, which deliberated on an array of issues including the evolving security situation, modernisation of the force and logistical difficulties for troops in conflict zones.

In his address on the opening day of the three-day conference, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley hailed the army for tackling challenging situations, and said modernisation of weapons and other critical systems for it is the government's "top-most" priority.

He complimented the commanders, saying "Whenever the challenges multiply or their nature changes, Indian Army has always outperformed itself", the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

The conference will deliberate in detail on the prevailing security scenario, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, besides "strategic" and "actionable" issues to ensure effective combat edge over adversaries.

"He (Gen Rawat) observed that Indian Army continues to hold a strong image and a professional reputation. He exhorted all ranks to endeavour to further strengthen the same," the Ministry said.

The video, showing a man tied to an Army vehicle purportedly as a shield against stone-pelters during polling in the Srinagar Lok Sabha by-election, has triggered a public outcry prompting civil and army authorities to launch separate investigation.

The Army commanders' conference is an important event in the planning and execution of various key decisions relating to the country's security and strategic interests.

The issue of Non-Functional Upgrade (NFU) also figured during the deliberations. There has been demand for implementing NFU in the armed forces.

Under the NFU scheme, officers in central group A category get automatic time-bound pay promotions. Pay hike under NFU scheme are independent of organisational requirements and vacancy.

Addressing Army Commanders' Conference, New Delhi, April 17, 2017 pic.twitter.com/8IdFF7JPxv April 17, 2017

2/2 #COAS at #ACC17 , operational readiness, effective conduct of operations in synergistic manner on top of agenda. pic.twitter.com/iT6fRRWJsN  ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) April 17, 2017

(With PTI inputs)
Jammu: A case has been registered against the Army for tying a man to a jeep allegedly as a "human shield" against protesters who took on security forces in the Kashmir Valley over by-elections held last week.

Reports said on Monday that the FIR against Army has been registered by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, .

The Jammu and Kashmir Police had on Sunday issued an advisory to its personnel to exercise extreme caution while visiting their hometown, especially in south Kashmir.

The FIR was registered after a video of the incident went viral this week, drawing widespread condemnation, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had sought a detailed report from the state police.

The Army also began an internal investigation into the incident. Reacting to the incident, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured that he would look into the matter.

Police sources said that the charges being considered against the Army include kidnapping and endangering the man's life.

Security sources said the video was filmed when polling officers faced a mob of stone-throwers on April 9, when by-polls were held for the Srinagar parliamentary constituency.

"They would have been lynched by 400 people," the sources said, saying that the man tied to the fender of the jeep acted as a shield and was not harmed.

Officials investigating the incident said that the man was identified as Farooq Ahmad Dar, a resident of Sitaharaan village in Khag tehsil of Budgam district in central Kashmir and the army unit involved is 53 Rashtriya Rifles.

During the investigation, Dar claimed he was picked up when he was on way to his sister's house, where a relative had died, after casting his vote. He alleged he was picked up by an Army contingent that wanted to enter Beerwah village with the polling staff.

Eight people died and nearly 100 were injured in unprecedented violence during the Srinagar by-polls held in the shadow of threats and a boycott call by separatists. Electronic Voting Machines or EVMs were damaged and burnt and the voters' turnout was the worst in 30 years.

An earlier video that went viral showed a mob kicking and slapping a jawan of the Central Reserve Police Force or CRPF, who keeps walking without reacting to any provocation. Five persons were arrested for the incident
Kalsian: A fresh ceasefire violation by the Pakistani troops was reported in Jammu and Kashmir's Nowshera sector on Monday.

According to reports, the Pakistani troops initiated indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars along the Line of Control (LC) targeting the Indian border posts.

The Indian Army, however, retaliated strongly and effectively.

The firing is presently on.
Anantnag: Raising an alarm over possible rise in militancy in the days to come, the security forces have warned that the number of local youths joining militancy in Jammu and Kashmir since a fresh agitation erupted in July last year has shown an alarming increase.

According to reports, nearly 250 Kashmiri youths have since joined militant outfits 250 till March.

The J&K police, however, remains tight-lipped over the disturbing trend and maintains that they were assessing the reports of missing youths, but officials in the security agencies said the situation on the ground, especially south Kashmir, was worrisome and action was needed to be taken at the earliest.

The spurt in locals joining militancy began after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen terror groups poster boy Burhan Wani in an encounter in south Kashmir on 8 July last year.

According to officials in the security agencies, the difference between the present day militancy and that during the early 1990s is that the ideological conviction of the present lot of militants is far more superior than that of the terror groups during the early days.

Kashmir is witnessing a trend of Pan-Islamisation where the young boys are opting for the path of terrorism knowing fully well that they are at the risk of being killed, the officials said.

The main affected areas from where youths were reported to be missing included Shopian, Kulgam, Pulwama and parts of Awantipora in south Kashmir and certain areas of downtown Srinagar, the officials said.

Movement of foreign terrorists has also been reported in various areas of south Kashmir accompanied by locally trained militants who are well aware of the topography of the region, the officials said.

The officials said that capturing militants or engaging with them has become far more difficult as a local network of over ground workers (OGWs) in the Valley has been strengthened and terrorists are being forewarned about movement of the troops.

Daily intelligence briefs prepared by various agencies invariably has a new name added to the list of new recruits to militancy on a daily basis causing a deep sense of worry to the police in these areas, the officials said.

They said that militants infiltrating from Pakistan are equally distributed among the various local militant groups who make them aware of the topography and escape routes besides providing them the mobile numbers of over ground workers in the region.

A recently arrested militant of Hizbul Mujahideen, Amir Wagay, significantly, has warned about heightened militancy in the coming months.

According to his interrogation report, he claimed that the militants had clear instructions to keep the Kashmir issue boiling round the year. However, he could not provide any insight into the plan as he was a locally trained militant who had joined the terror group only last year, the officials said.

The main recruiters for the youths were Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashker-e-Taiba while other Pakistan-based groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed were using them as guides, they said.

South Kashmir, a traditional bastion of ruling PDP which is having an alliance government with the BJP, has turned into a virtual breeding ground for militants with many youths joining their rank and file or becoming their sympathisers.

While Jammu and Kashmir police appears to adopt a reticent policy on the emerging situation as it is stumped by the new challenges, the officials said that militants are concentrating on two axes in south and north Kashmir.

An axis from Tral to Yaripora in south Kashmir is witnessing a dominance of terror group Hizbul Mujahideen while in the other axis, from Pattan to Sopore, this group and few militants of Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashker-e-Taiba are calling the shots, the officials said.

The leadership of every terror group in the Valley is with the local Kashmiri boys, who have joined the ranks of the militancy recently, the officials said.

Security analysts said that local recruitment, which had come down to a trickle, has picked up suddenly from January 2015. The missing boys mainly belong to the average middle class and are being described as the new faces of terrorism in Kashmir and they are believed to be waiting for delivery of arms for all of them.

With PTI input
Malappuram: Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) strongman and sitting legislator PK Kunhalikutty on Monday won the by-poll to Malappuram Lok Sabha seat.

With 5,15,330 votes, Kunhalikutty won with the margin of 1,71,023 lakh votes.

In second place was Communist Party of India-Marxist`s local body member and youth leader MB Faisal (3,44,307 votes), while the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate N Sreeprakash (65,675 votes) was a distant third.

Six independents were also trying their luck from the constituency.

Kunhalikutty won from all the seven Assembly constituencies of Kondotty, Manjeri, Perinthalamann, Mankada, Malappuram, Vengara, and Vallikkunnu

Meanwhile, Kunhalikutty said that "literate Kerala has voted for secular politics".

A beaming Kunhalikutty told reporters that this was a huge margin of victory in a by-election.

"I will say literate Kerala has voted for secular politics. Kerala`s vote has never ever been on communal lines. Instead, it has always been a political vote."

"The BJP has turned out to be the biggest loser. Personally for us, the IUML, we have been able to come back strongly in two Assembly segments -- Perinthalmanna and Mankada."

In the 2016 Assembly polls, the IUML only scraped through in these two constituencies. Kunhalikutty said: "This time we have dramatically increased our lead there. This clearly shows that the Left has performed very poorly."

The total turnout at Malappuram by-election on April 12, was 71.33 percent.

The by-poll was necessitated following the demise of E Ahamed, a former Union Minister and leader of IUML, a key partner in the Congress-led UDF Opposition in the state.

A former minister, Kunhalikutty is a member of the state assembly from Vengara constituency.

This is his maiden foray to Parliament.

The Election Office said that final declaration would be made after getting necessary clearance from the Chief Election Commissioner.

Malappuram district is the citadel of the IUML. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Ahamed had won the seat by a margin of 1,94,739 votes against CPI(M)'s PK Sainaba.

But during the 2016 Assembly Elections, the margin of the IUML legislators, who won in all the seven Assembly constituencies, came down to 1.18 lakh votes.

The outcome of the poll could well be the first indicator on how well the 10-month-old Pinarayi Vijayan government has functioned.

(With Agency inputs)
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has ordered an inquiry into photographs circulating on social media, purportedly showing some women in the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple despite a ban on their entry.

Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran directed the Devaswom Vigilance to initiate a probe and find out the veracity of the photographs.

There are restrictions on the entry of women between 10- 50 years of age in the hillock shrine, where the presiding deity, Lord Ayyappa is considered as a 'naishtika brahmachari' (perennial celibate) by devotees.

The minister said he had received a complaint that a Kollam-based businessman had got special privileges for conducting darshan at the shrine, located in Pathanamthitta district.

"As per the complaint, some women of banned age group had allegedly visited the shrine along with him. There are no restrictions for women to offer worship at Sabarimala, adhering to the tradition of age limit," Surendran said.

It is illegal if anyone has tried to gain any favours in the name of VIP darshan, he said, adding that action would be taken to stop such practises.
New Delhi, Apr 17 (IBNS): President Pranab Mukherjee attended an event to commemorate the centenary of Mahatma Gandhias Champaran Satyagraha, at Patna on Monday where he honoured freedom fighters.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that we are today commemorating the hundred years of Champaran Satyagraha. Champaran in Bihar served as the laboratory of Satyagraha and National Freedom Movement.

He said that the symbolic significance of Champaran Satyagraha was much greater than what actually happened in Champaran.

Along with the Kheda Satyagraha of 1917-1918, the Champaran Satyagraha was the movement responsible for putting Gandhi on the front seat of the Indian nationalist movement and making satyagraha a powerful tool of civilian resistance.

The President said that the Government of Bihar deserves appreciation for commemorating the centenary of the Champaran movement and for organising the event to felicitate the freedom fighters of India.

It is a true homage to our roots  the freedom fighters, who under the able and inspiring leadership of Gandhiji laid the foundation of a resilient Indian freedom movement.

The event is not only to recognize the contribution of our freedom fighters but was also important because it is necessary that we know our history and are acquainted with our roots.

He said that we must celebrate our diversity and should make efforts to ensure that India reaches at rightful place in the comity of nations.
Silvassa: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that the nation belonged to each and every Indian and there was "no question of discrimination against anyone."

He also said, "This is not a Congress government but Modi's govt. Here you've to work for public."

Addressing a public meeting in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, he added, "Yes, as PM I am coming for the first time and it is after years that a PM has come here. But, I have been here many times in the past. When we assumed office, I sought details on impact of development schemes in Dadra and Nagar Haveli and we worked on areas needing attention."

"Every Indian must have access to housing facilities. Earlier, do you remember how tough it was to get gas connections? One had to approach the local MP and the wait period was so long. In less than a year, Ujjwala beneficiaries crossed two crore. People in Dadra and Nagar Haveli have also got cookers," PM Modi emphasised.

He further said, "Our government will never allow the poor and the middle class to be looted. Make your mobile phones your bank. I urge you all to download the BHIM App."

Earlier, today, PM Modi had urged all citizens to serve the nation with their hard work and had said that India cannot be run by the government without the support of its people.

"Our nation was neither built, nor can it be run by governments, kings and politicians, but only by the service and hard work of its people," he had said while addressing a public meeting in Surat.

The Prime Minister had also said that India always had a culture of service which started fading away after Independence.

"Since Independence, people wanted the government to do everything. But that has never been the nature of our nation," PM Modi had said.

"Our nation has been built on the sentiment of our collective social responsibility," he had added.

He had also said that so many `dharamshalas` (rest houses), wells, `gaushalas` (cow sheds) and libraries were built across the nation not by the government but by the people.

"After Independence, the sentiment (of collective social responsibility) started to fade away. But now we are again moving in the direction to revive that sentiment and people again want to do something good for the nation and its people," PM Modi had said.

The PM dedicated a 550-bed Kiran Super-specialty Hospital to the nation built at a cost of Rs 400 crore.

(With IANS inputs)
New Delhi: The burning issue of 'Triple Talaq' has invited debate and discussions on various platforms for past few days. A day after the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) made clear that abusers of Triple Talaq shall be socially boycotted and that the board is working on formulating a code of conduct, the famous writer and lyricist Javed Akhtar expressed his anger on the subject.

Javed Akhtar, who has several awards and honours to his credit tweeted about how this decision is a 'hoax'.

He wrote:

AIMPLB call for boycotting abusers of triple talaq is a hoaxTriple talaq it self is an abuse n should be banned They are trying to stall it  Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) April 17, 2017

What is the meaning of "misuse of triple talaq" . Tomorrow we may hear of misuse of molestation. Misuse of rape misuse of wife beating .  Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) April 17, 2017

According to PTI, the AIMPLB General Secretary Maulana Wali Rehmani said that the board has decided to issue a code of conduct and warned that those who give talaq (divorce) without 'Sharia' (Islamic law) reasons will face social boycott.

"A code of conduct for talaq is being issued. With its help, the real picture of Shariat directives will be brought out on the talaq issue. If talaq is given without Shariat reasons, those involved will be socially boycotted," Rehmani told reporters.

The board is issuing appeals to all maulanas and imams of mosques to read out the code of conduct during Friday 'namaz' and emphasise on its implementation, he said.

The board has made it clear that it will not tolerate any interference in the Shariat laws, and claimed that majority of the Muslims in the country do not want any change in their personal law.

The Union government had on October 7 last year opposed in the Supreme Court the practice of triple talaq, 'nikah halala' and polygamy among Muslims and favoured a relook on grounds like gender equality and secularism.

(With PTI inputs)
New Delhi: A high-level committee, headed by finance secretary Ashok Lavasa, which was asked to examine the 7th Pay Commission recommendation on allowances, is likely to submit its final report to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley this week.

The final recommendations on allowances will benefit over 47 lakh central government employees and 53 lakh pensioners.

The Lavasa Committee was constituted in June last year after the government implemented the recommendation of the 7th Pay Commission.

The 7th Pay Commission had earlier proposed the rate of House Rent Allowance (HRA) at 24 percent, 16 percent and 8 percent of the Basic Pay for Class X, Y and Z cities respectively.

The Commission had also recommended that the rate of HRA will be revised to 27 percent, 18 percent and 9 percent when DA crosses 50 percent, and further revised to 30 percent, 20 percent and 10 percent when DA crosses 100 percent.

The existing rates of HRA for Class X, Y and Z cities and towns are 30 percent, 20 percent and 10 percent of Basic pay (pay in the pay band plus grade pay).

Population of City DA above Present Proposed 50% 100% Above 50 lakh (Class X) 30% 24% 27% 30% 5 lakh to 50 lakh (Class Y) 20% 16% 18% 20% Below 5 lakh (Class Z) 10% 8% 9% 10%

Assumingly, if the Committee accepts the bare recommendations of A K Mathur-led 7th Pay Commission then the HRA component of central government employees will increase ranging between 106 percent and 122 percent.

Take, for instance, a central government employee at the very bottom of the pay scale, where the basic pay (pay of pay band + grade pay) is now Rs 7,000, would currently be entitled to an HRA of Rs 2,100 in a Class X city. As per 7th Pay Commission, the new entry level pay at this level is Rs 18,000 per month against which the new HRA for a Class X city would be Rs 4,320 per month, that is 106 percent more than the existing level.

Similarly, at the highest level of the pay scale, the Cabinet Secretary and officers of the same rank have a basic pay of Rs 90,000, which means they are entitled to current HRA of Rs 27,000 in Class X towns. After the revised pay scale, the new basic pay is Rs 2.5 lakh, for which the HRA would be Rs 60,000, meaning a hike of 122 percent.

Existing Basic Pay (6th CPC) HRA (6th CPC) Proposed Entry Pay as per 7th CPC Proposed HRA as per 7th CPC Class X Class Y Class Z Class X Class Y Class Z 7000 2100 1400 700 18000 4320 2880 1440 13500 4050 2700 1350 35400 8496 5664 2832 21000 6300 4200 2100 56100 13464 8976 4488 46100 13830 9220 4610 118500 28440 18960 9480 90000 27000 18000 9000 250000 60000 40000 20000

As far as Transport Allowance (TA) is concerned, Pay Commission had proposed no increase.
Jaipur: The wildfire that broke out at Mount Abu continued to blaze at scattered places in the region on the fourth day on Monday.

The sole hill station of Rajasthan, frequented by scores of tourists, had witnessed the massive fire which broke out April 14 morning close to famous sunset point and honeymoon point on Mount Abu in the Aravali hills prompting the district administration to seek IAF's assistance.Rajasthan, frequented by scores of tourists, had witnessed the massive fire which broke out April 14 morning close to famous sunset point and honeymoon point on Mount Abu in the Aravali hills prompting the district administration to seek IAF's assistance.

The flames spread near inhabited areas yesterday due to winds but the IAF helicopters in the air and the Army troops, police and forest department personnel prevented them and controlled the fire.

"Today, the fire is under control yet it is raging at scattered places and can be controlled by the fire fighters on the ground therefore the helicopters did not take off for the operation today, Circle Officer Abu Parvat Vijay Pal Singh told PTI.

He said that the situation is likely to be controlled fully today.

Defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Ojha said the IAF helicopters are on stand by to take up any mission, if called for.

When the situation will be fully under control, the helicopters will fly for their respective units- Phalodi (Jodhpur) and Jamnagar (Gujarat).

"The fire is still raging in some areas though it is under control. The fire spread near to inhabited areas yesterday due to winds but it was controlled," SHO of Mount Abu, Bhupendra Singh said.

He said the fire was in the forest area of the hills.

The two MI-17 VS helicopters have flown and sprayed close to four lakh liters of water at various locations to douse the flames since Friday.

The IAF crash fire tenders are also fighting fire at various locations on the ground.

The Army was also roped in yesterday to provide assistance in critical areas of Chipa Beri and Sat Ghum along Mount Abu road for combating the fire.

"Apart from the IAF helicopters, two well equipped columns comprising of over 100 army personnel from the Konark Corps braved the intense smoke and fire at Sunset Point, Chipa Beri, Saat Ghum View point yesterday," the defence spokesperson said.
New Delhi: In February this year, China announced plans to launch its first cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-1, using a heavy rocket to carry supplies

for its experimental space laboratory.

On Monday, officials announced the dates for the launch, which is scheduled for some time between April 20 and 24 to dock with the orbiting experimental space station.

Consisting of a cargo capsule and a propellant capsule, the spacecraft has a take-off weight of about 13 tonnes, up to six tonnes of which is

payload.

The cargo spacecraft was transferred with a Long March-7 Y2 carrier rocket from the testing centre to the launch zone in Wenchang, southern

China's Hainan Province, a statement from the office of China's manned space programme said today.

"The completion of the transfer signals the Tianzhou-1 mission has entered its launching stage," state-run Xinhua quoted the statement as

saying.

China currently is in the process of building permanent station by 2022 to rival Russia's International Space Station (ISS).

Technicians have performed several tests during the assembling of the spacecraft and rocket since February, it said.

In the following days, technicians will continue testing the spacecraft and rocket and inject fuel before the launch, it said.

Tianzhou-1 is the first cargo ship independently developed by the country.

It is expected to dock with the orbiting Tiangong-2 space lab and conduct in-orbit refuelling, the report said.

The cargo spacecraft will also carry out space experiments, including one on non-Newtonian gravitation, before falling back to earth, it said.

The launch of Tianzhou-1 will be a crucial step for China in building a space station by 2020, as cargo spacecraft are required to ship necessities to astronauts aboard the station.

China plans to conduct a "record" number of 30 space launch missions this year as part of its efforts to expand its ambitious space programme.

(With PTI inputs)
New Delhi: A team of six Indian students led by a Barodian successfully completed the NASA's Human Exploration Rover Challenge at the US Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

As per a report on TOI, the team, which comprises six undergraduate students, represented India at NASA in the recent rover challenge.

The Indian team known as 'Team Technovators' was led by Tirth Shah, who is currently studying at NMIMS Mukesh Patel School of Technology Management and Engineering in Mumbai.

As part of the challenge, students were required to design, build, test and race human-powered rovers, driven by one male and one female team member. The nearly three-quarter-mile course boasts 17 grueling obstacles that simulate terrain found on Mars, as well as other planets, moons and asteroids throughout the solar system.

A total of 99 teams including those from Brazil, Russia, Japan, Germany and Mexico participated in the challenge, apart from those within the US.

We had designed, fabricated and tested the rover which is capable of operating at the harsh terrains of various celestial bodies of the solar system. The challenge included designing, constructing and testing technologies for mobility devices to perform in environments of different celestial bodies of the solar system. It also included developing an advanced telemetry system along with features for astronaut safety, Shah was quoted as saying.

He said that the design of their rover was appreciated by Dr Gerald Fishman, chief scientist at NASA.

"Just the way astronauts retrieve samples from other planets and moons, a mechanism for retrieval of samples was also to be made. The rover was tested at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama where the surface of Mars and Moon were simulated. The rover is human powered," he added.

Shah added that because of its unique nature, the team has also filed for a patent for the design of the rover.

Besides Shah, five other Indian students who took part at the rover challenge are - Anyun Sharma from Vadodara, Birva Ghodasara from Rajkot, Chirag Kulkarni from New Delhi, Dishit Kalsaria from Mumbai and Sarthak Agarwal from Mumbai.

The Rover Challenge highlights NASAs goals for future exploration to Mars and beyond. Inspired by the lunar roving vehicles of the Apollo moon missions, the competition challenges students to solve engineering problems, while highlighting NASA's commitment to inspiring new generations of scientists, engineers and explorers.
In our country diverse population co-exists in harmony and there are several gods and goddesses worshipped according to Hindi religion. The Yamai Devi Temple situated in Aundh, Maharashtra is seated in a hill complex area.

The legend has it that the goddess Yamai got the name after Goddess Mahalaxmi of Kolhapur and Shri Rama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu addressed her as 'Ye Mai' in Marathi which literally translated into 'Come Mother' when said in English. Therefore, the goddess of Aundh became famous as Yamai Devi.

The Yamai Devi idol is made of black stone and is in a cross-legged seating position almost 2 meters high. It is the Devi Mahishasur Mardini Yamai goddess idol.

Interestingly, the Yamai Devi temple happens to be the family shrine of several Marathi families, also known as Kula-Daiwat in the local language. There are several idols of Hindi gods and Goddesses at the top of the temple.

You can reach the top of the hill either by using steps which start at the bottom of the hill or by car using a rather perilous road.

There is one more temple of Devi Yamai located in the town; apart from the one on the hill.

The goddess blesses the devotees who come with pure heart and seek her blessings.

Jai Yamai Devi!
New Delhi: Chinese handset maker Transsion Holdings will introduce its smartphone brand 'Tecno' in India this month, further intensifying competition in one of the world's largest mobile phone markets.

"India is our top priority market across the group and the 58 countries that we operate in, including Middle East and Africa," Transsion Holdings Vice President Arif Chowdhury told PTI.

He added that the company is examining prospects of setting up local manufacturing and a research and development team in India to tap into the opportunity here.

Chowdhury, however, declined to comment on investment details and market share that the company was aiming for in the Indian market.

Transsion had launched its 'itel' brand in India last year and is now exploring the potential of launching its third brand -- Infinix -- in the country.

In the past few months, India has seen Chinese mobile phone brands like Lenovo, Vivo and Oppo swarming the market and gain market share.

With a new player coming in, competition in the multi- billion Indian handset market is set to intensify further.

According to research firm IDC, 25.8 million smartphones were shipped to India in October-December quarter of 2016. Of this, the share of China-based vendors stood at 46 per cent.

Apart from Korean player Samsung that led the market in the said quarter, others in the top 5 tally -- Xiaomi, Lenovo, Oppo and Vivo -- were all Chinese players.

Transsion's 'itel' brand stood at the second spot in the overall mobile phone market in the last quarter of 2016.

"We will launch four smartphones i3, i3 Pro, i5 and i5 Pro in the Indian market and then, our flagship in May, in the Rs 8,000?15,000 price range," Chowdhury said.

Except for the entry-level model, all other devices will have a fingerprint scanner and improved selfie technology with front and back LED flashes.

"These products have been developed exclusively for India, these are not available in any other country," he said.

While these devices will initially be available in Rajasthan, Punjab and Gujarat, the company will go pan-India by the end of the year.

"We have a complete 'offline' focus. In the three states where we are starting, we have partnered about 10,000 retailers through 129 local distributors," he said.

Chowdhury added that the company would also look at setting up its own service centres in India, a model it has followed in other parts of the world.
New Delhi: A day after Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel`s purported disinterest in expanding business to "poor countries" like India created controversy in social media, parent company Snap Inc denied the allegation, saying no such remark was made, reports said on Sunday.

US-based news website Variety on Saturday quoted Snapchat`s ex-employee Anthony Pompliano as saying that Spiegel in September 2015 told him that "the app is only for rich people. I don`t want to expand into poor countries like India and Spain".

But the company denied the remarks reports of which had resulted in the rating of the popular app dropping to a "single star" from an apparent "five star" on the App Store.

"The simple fact is that he (Pompliano) knows exactly nothing about Snap`s current metrics. He and his lawyers are -- not to put too fine a point on matters -- just making things up," Variety reported Snap`s attorneys as saying.

Denying the claims of Snapchat being termed as a `rich people`s app`, the attorneys termed Pompliano a "disgruntled employee fired for poor performance".

The portal YourStory published an official statement from Snap that said: "This is ridiculous. Obviously Snapchat is for everyone! It`s available worldwide to download for free."

Meanwhile, the rating of the popular app dropped to a "single star" from "five star" on the App Store.

According to the app info on App Store, the "Customer Ratings" of the current version of the app was "single star" (based on 6,099 ratings) and all versions` rating was "one and half star" (based on 9,527 ratings) as on Sunday morning.

The rating for the app on Android Play Store was "four star" (based on 11,932,996 ratings).

Indians did not take the comment lightly and took to social media to lash out at the statement from the CEO. As the ratings of the app dropped, the criticism of the CEO and the app increased.

"First of all, I didn`t even want to give any freakin` star to this app. Evan (CEO of Snapchat) shows how stupid he is by saying this. I bet 3/4th of his company is run by Indian employees. If he didn`t want to expand it to poor countries, then why is this app free? Why didn`t he put any charges on it?" a user wrote on App Store, condemning the CEO.

Some users wrote, "Poor India & Spain need better than Snapchat", "Good bye, My Snapchat Account and Snap Inc. You`ll be product of gone by era and derision", and "Poor Evan Spiegel".

The app was also trolled on Twitter. #boycottsnapchat became the most trending hashtag on Twitter overnight.

"I haven`t seen any Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians etc Tweets yet. Thanks @Snapchat for Uniting us," a user tweeted.

"I was addicted to @Snapchat but I love my country more than this app. Let`s see how you earn without Indians. @evanspiegel #boycottsnapchat," another user wrote on twitter.

Some users even flagged the app for hateful content and left a message, "Dear @snapchatsupport, flagged you for hateful content. #boycottsnapchat".

According to a report in Forbes on Thursday, Facebook`s photo-sharing app Instagram surpassed Snapchat in daily active users of "Stories" feature, though the format was first launched by Snapchat in 2013.

Instagram`s "Stories" feature was now used by more than 200 million people every day -- an increase of 50 million since January.

On the other hand, Snapchat which launched the "Stories" format in October 2013, had 161 million daily active users in February.

"Stories" feature is an ephemeral chain of photo and video clips with filters and special effects. More recently, Facebook and WhatsApp also introduced the feature, imitating Snapchat.

Snapchat has more than four million users in India.
Former 'Bigg Boss' contestant and popular face on Indian television, Karishma Tanna has a huge fan following. The tall and talented actress will soon be seen doing a cameo in Ranbir Kapoor starrer the 'Sanjay Dutt biopic'.

We all know how well she can dancethanks to her several performances and dance reality shows to her credit. But do you guys know, she loves to travel? Well, yes at least her Instagram suggests so.

The Deepika Padukone of television (as she fondly addressed at times) took off to Paris, Prague and Milan. While surfing her account we found some interesting picture and videos which will inspire you to plan your next holiday destination.

So peeps, check out her pics below and decide which one is your favourite place:

She captioned one video as: "M in love wit this city #Milano"
Guwahati, Apr 17 (IBNS) : The Assam State Election Commission would likely to announce the poll dates of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) in this week.

A high level source of the state election commission said that, the commission is all set to hold the poll in the month of May.



The state election commission had recently held a crucial meeting for the KAAC polls and to finalise the poll dates, the source said.



The source also said that, the commission has decided to hold the polls by the ballot papers.



On the other hand, the state election commission has directed the Deputy Commissioner of West Karbi Anglong district and Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil) of Bokajan to procure the required ballot boxes.



In a letter (SEC.60/2016/17) sent to the DC of West Karbi Anglong district and SDO (Civil) of Bokajan, the state election commission said that, 70 numbers big size ballot boxes are required by the DC of West Karbi Anglong district and 52 numbers boxes required by the SDO (Civil) of Bokajan.

The state election commission has directed the DC of West Karbi Anglong district to procure the required ballot boxes from the available stock of the DC of Nagaon district and the SDO (Civil) of Bokajan to procure the required boxes from the stock of the DC of Golaghat district.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)


Lucknow: In a surprise twist to the infamous Jawaharbagh incident, in which over two dozen people, including two senior police officers were killed in Mathura last year, a forensic lab report says that the DNA of prime accused Ram Vraksh Yadav, reportedly found dead, does not match with his son's.



The Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), Hyderabad, in its report has inferred that the DNA picked from the corpse supposedly of Ram Vraksh does not match with his son's DNA.



A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ashwani Upadhyaya had petitioned the Allahabad High Court, seeking a DNA test on the body of Ram Vraksh to ascertain whether the allegedly dead person was him or not.



Following this, the High Court had ordered a DNA verification by the CFSL, report of which was submitted before the court on Monday.



Yadav and his men had encroached upon a multi-acre park in the centre of Mathura and when on orders of a court, police went to clear them out in June last year, the police team was fired upon in which SP (City) Mukul Dwivedi and SO Santosh Kumar Yadav were killed.



Later, as many as 24 persons, including many encroachers, were also killed in the violence that followed.



The incident had made international headlines for the scale of violence and the fact that senior police officials were also killed.



After the DNA report, police now suspect that Ram Vraksh might be alive and hiding, and the body considered as his was of somebody else.


Lucknow: Amid the ongoing nationwide debate over triple talaq, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday called for an end to the Muslim practice.

The Uttar Pradesh CM further said that the politicians who are maintaining silence on the issue of 'triple talaq' were equally responsible as those practising it as he equated the Muslim practice of divorce to the disrobing of Draupadi in the Hindu epic Mahabharata.

"These days there is a new debate in the country. Some people are maintaining a silence on this issue. This reminds me of the scene in the Mahabharata in which Draupadi is being disrobed in an Assembly and she asks a question to the gathering as to who is responsible for this?" he said.

"...No one was able to utter even a single word. At that time Vidur said people who have committed the crime, those who are the accomplices and those who maintained silence on this issue are equally responsible," Adityanath said, referring to the practice of 'triple talaq'.

Speaking at an event to mark the 91st birth anniversary of former prime minister Chandrashekhar, Adityanath also called for an end to the Muslim practice of 'triple talaq' and advocated implementation of a common civil code in the country.

He slammed those who were against uniform civil code, questioning why should there be two laws when the entire country was one.



Adityanath also said that politics should be practised under the constitutional limits and pointed out that the late Chandrashekhar was also a votary of common laws.



The Chief Minister said Chandrashekhar had the courage to speak the truth even if it was bitter and that despite being a socialist by heart he was a spiritual man as well.



The Bharatiya Janata Party government in Uttar Pradesh has already said that it would get a referendum conducted among Muslim women on the issue of triple talaaq.

His remarks came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi dubbed triple talaq a "bad social practice".

The PM made a strong pitch against the divisive issue of 'triple talaq', insisting that the exploitation of Muslim women should end and justice be done to them.talaq', insisting that the exploitation of Muslim women should end and justice be done to them.

Modi had, however, deprecated any attempt at creating a "conflict" within the Muslim community on the issue and suggested tackling it through social awareness.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has asserted Muslims have a "constitutional" right to follow their personal law of which 'triple talaq' was a part.

Also Read: Javed Akhtar calls AIMPLB's boycotting 'abusers of Triple Talaq' a HOAX!

AIMPLB general secretary Maulana Wali Rehmani had yesterday said that the board had decided to issue a code of conduct and warned that those who give 'talaq' (divorce) without following the 'Sharia' (Islamic law) will face social boycott.

(With Agency inputs)
Panmunjom: The United States is ruling nothing out in its dealings with North Korea, Vice President Mike Pence said on Monday during a visit to the heavily militarised border between the two Koreas.

Washington wants to achieve security "through peaceable means, through negotiations. But all options are on the table as we continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of South Korea," he said at the border village of Panmunjom.

Pence, speaking at Freedom House, a few metres from the military demarcation line that he described as a "frontier of freedom", said America's relationship with South Korea was "ironclad and immutable".

"The message of the people of the United States of America is that we seek peace, but America has always sought peace through strength and my message here today standing with US forces Korea, standing with courageous soldiers from the Republic of Korea is a message of resolve.

"The people of North Korea the military of North Korea should not mistake the resolve of the United States of America to stand with our allies."

Pence's visit to the DMZ comes a day after North Korea's latest missile test failed when the rocket exploded seconds after blast off.
Berlin: German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday urged Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to seek "respectful dialogue" within the country after his narrow win in a referendum extending his powers.

"The (German) government expects that the Turkish government will now seek respectful dialogue with all political and social forces in the country, after this tough election campaign," Merkel said in a statement issued jointly with Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel.

The `Yes` camp won with 51.41 percent in Sunday's vote on giving Erdogan sweeping new powers, according to near-complete results, but angry opposition groups have cried foul and demanded a recount.

Merkel said Germany "respected the right of Turks to decide on their constitution", but added that "the close result shows the extent to which Turkish society is deeply divided".

During the referendum campaign, Erdogan lashed out at Germany and the Netherlands, accusing them of acting like the Nazis when they barred rallies for the 'Yes' camp.

Merkel called for political discussions with Ankara "as quickly as possible".

International observers from the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) are due to give their preliminary findings on the referendum later Monday.
Houston: A bride and groom headed for their wedding were booted from a United Airlines flight here after they relocated to empty seats three rows up without permission, the latest public relations headache for the major American company.

Michael Hohl and Amber Maxwell boarded Flight 1737 on Saturday, from Houston to their wedding in Costa Rica, along with friends to find a napping man sprawled across their assigned seats, 24B and 24C, they were quoted as saying by the local TV KHOU.Com.

They relocated to empty seats three rows up, 21B and 21C, with Hohl saying they were "simply in an economy row a few rows above our economy seat" on the apparently half-full flight.

Hohl said after complying with the flight attendant's demand to return to their assigned seats, a US Marshall came onto the plane and asked them to get off. They left the aircraft without incident, the report said.

United, however, offered a different account in a statement KHOU obtained.

"These passengers repeatedly attempted to sit in upgraded seating which they did not purchase and they would not follow crew instructions to return to their assigned seats," the airline said. "We've been in touch with them and have rebooked them."

"They said that we were being disorderly and a hazard to the rest of the flight, to the safety of the other customers," Hohl said.

They were rebooked for another flight the next morning, but Hohl said they won't be flying United again and described the whole situation as "quite strange."

"I think customer service and the airlines has gone real downhill," said Hohl. "The way United Airlines handled this was really absurd."

United Airlines recently made headlines and remains under scrutiny following its treatment to the Vietnamese-American passenger, David Dao, who was physically dragged off an "overbooked" flight when he refused to give up his seat for United crew members on a flight from Chicago to Louisville.
Istanbul: The result of the referendum that grants sweeping new powers to the President of Turkey is valid, the head of the electoral body said on Monday.

Sadi Guven, the chairman of the Supreme Election Board (YSK), was speaking after the main opposition Republican People`s Party (CHP) cited irregularities, including the use of unstamped ballot papers, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan`s push for an executive presidency succeeded with over 51 per cent votes for the "Yes" campaign.

In a news conference in Ankara, Guven said the "voting papers and envelopes that were claimed to be void and disputed are YSK-made, real, legitimate, non-fake ballots."

During Sunday night`s count, the YSK announced that unverified votes -- which had not been verified as genuine by election officials -- would be allowed.

He said a similar procedure had been used in past elections.

This led to a protest by the main opposition Republican People`s Party (CHP), which said it would contest the count and complain about other violations during the vote.

CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu said: "We respect the nation`s will but the decision on unsealed ballots overshadowed it."

The CHP demanded a recount of 60 per cent of the votes.

The win was met with both celebrations and protests across Turkey.

Three of Turkey`s biggest cities - Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir - all voted "No" to the constitutional changes, BBC reported.

Opposition supporters took to the streets of Istanbul to bang pots and pans, a traditional form of protest, in a series of noisy demonstrations.

Meanwhile, flag-waving supporters of Erdogan celebrated as their President praised them for their "historic decision" that could keep him in office until 2029.

With 99.97 per cent of ballots counted, the "Yes" campaign had won 51.41 per cent of the votes cast, while "No" had taken 48.59 per cent.

The turnout was said to be as high as 85 per cent.

Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said there would be no early elections following the result.

Responding to Sunday`s result, the European Commission issued a statement saying it was awaiting the assessment of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the ODIHR International Observation Mission.

It urged Erdogan to respect the closeness of the vote and to "seek the broadest possible national consensus" when considering the far-reaching implications of the constitutional amendments.

The US said it is following the results and but won`t comment on them until the OSCE releases its report.

Former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, who heads the liberal group of MEPs in the European Parliament, said Erdogan needed to change course, noting the result was very tight.

Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said on Twitter that "it shows how divided the country is. Collaboration with the EU will be even more complex."

The final referendum results will be released within 12 days.
YEREVAN, APRIL 17, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is productively cooperating with NATO in strengthening human rights in the Armed Forces, fight against corruption and peacekeeping missions, Andrzej Klimczyk, Political Officer of NATO Liaison Office for South Caucasus said, who took part in the Armenia-Turkey normalization of relations: Challenges and Prospects seminar in Tsakhkadzor, organized by the Civil Accord NGO. The seminar was held with the assistance of the Embassy of Great Britain in Armenia.

These directions of cooperation are planned under the NATO-Armenia Individual Partnership Action Plan. Our main goal is conveying NATO standards and positive experience to partner countries, the NATO official said.

He emphasized that NATOs cooperation with partner countries is due to the desires of these very counties.

We have a wider cooperation with Armenia in the peacekeeping field. Armenian peacekeepers are in Afghanistan and Kosovo within the framework of NATO missions, he said.

He stressed that for instance Azerbaijan isnt interested in peacekeeping, it is rather interested in decision-making standards on the command level.

We give the chance to cooperate with NATO to all willing countries. Armenia is a sovereign country and it is the one that decides to what extent to cooperate with NATO or with any other structure, he said.
YEREVAN, APRIL 17, ARMENPRESS. After Turkeys constitutional referendum, Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland on Sunday called on the Turkish government to consider its future strategy "carefully.

The Turkish electorate has voted on the amendments to the Constitution. In view of the close result the Turkish leadership should consider the next steps carefully. It is of utmost importance to secure the independence of the judiciary in line with the principle of rule of law enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights. The Council of Europe, of which Turkey is a full member, stands ready to support the country in this process, Jagland said in a statement as reported by the Council of Europe website.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared victory in the referendum on Turkeys constitutional reform package, RT reports.

With most of the ballots opened, over 51 percent of voters have supported expanding the powers of president.

Turkeys largest cities however, Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, voted no.

The head of Turkeys Electoral Board has confirmed the result of the referendum, saying the yes vote has won.

The final results of the plebiscite on amending the constitution to significantly expand the countrys presidential powers are to be announced in 11 or 12 days, he said.

Erdogan said that unofficial results of the plebiscite showed that around 25 million people said yes to the constitutional amendments, beating the no vote by 1.3 million.

He called the yes vote a historic decision by the Turkish people, expressing hope that it will benefit the country.

"Turkey for the first time in its history has decided with the will of the parliament and its people on such an important change. For the first time in the history of the Republic, we are changing our ruling system through civil politics. That is why it is very significant, he said.

Turks living abroad have played a major part in the success of the referendum, which will pave the way for one of the most important reforms in the countrys history, Erdogan said.

Kemal Klcdaroglu, president of the Republican People's Party, announced over 1.5 million votes have been counted as yes as result of fraud.

After the release of the constitutional referendum results, Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced readiness to re-initiate death penalty in the country
Srinagar, Apr 17 (IBNS): The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday ordered the closure of all the universities, colleges and higher secondary schools in Kashmir on Tuesday following the unprecedented protests by students across the Valley, authorities said.

Colleges, universities and other higher education institutes in Kashmir will remain closed on Tuesday following the protests.

All examinations scheduled for Tuesday have also been postponed, an official said.

Earlier in the day, the authorities suspended internet facilities to prevent uploading of pictures from the protests by youths on the social media.



(Reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri)


YEREVAN, APRIL 17, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijani Armed Forces began large-scale military exercises.

The Azerbaijani APA reported the goal of the exercises is to check the combat readiness of the Armed Forces, organization of management of the Armed Forces and their partnership during combat operations.

Up to 30 thousand soldiers, more than 250 tanks, over 200 various caliber missile-artillery systems, multiple rocket launchers, 25 gunships, UAVs and new radio-electronic reconnaissance devices are involved in the military exercises.

Various modern warfare scenarios will be simulated during the exercise, as well as operations in difficult terrain.
YEREVAN, APRIL 17, ARMENPRESS. Irans defense minister Hossein Dehghan expressed hope for a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

The Iranian minister made the remarks during a meeting with Azerbaijans defense minister Zakir Hasanov in Tehran, Mehr reported.

Taking into account the current situation, we believe the region cannot resist another crisis and threat. Therefore, we hope Azerbaijan and Armenia will assume obligation to reach the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict and will prevent the further escalation of the crisis, by not allowing external and irrelevant interference, the Iranian defense minister said.
YEREVAN, APRIL 17, ARMENPRESS Protests erupted in Turkeys Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and other cities after the constitutional referendum results were published.

The protestors chanted This is just the beginning, we will continue the struggle, Sozcu news agency reported.

The demonstrators namely protested the countrys electoral commission, which counted the unmarked ballots as valid.

Outside the commission HQ, the protestors were shouting Announce the true votes, Turkey is secular, and will remain so. Police were on heightened patrol at the electoral commissions HQ.

Elsewhere the demonstrators called on the government to resign, shouting NO everywhere, resistance everywhere.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared victory in the referendum on Turkeys constitutional reform package,.

With most of the ballots opened, over 51 percent of voters have supported expanding the powers of president.

Turkeys largest cities however, Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, voted no.

The head of Turkeys Electoral Board has confirmed the result of the referendum, saying the yes vote has won.

The final results of the plebiscite on amending the constitution to significantly expand the countrys presidential powers are to be announced in 11 or 12 days, he said.

Erdogan said that unofficial results of the plebiscite showed that around 25 million people said yes to the constitutional amendments, beating the no vote by 1.3 million.

He called the yes vote a historic decision by the Turkish people, expressing hope that it will benefit the country.

"Turkey for the first time in its history has decided with the will of the parliament and its people on such an important change. For the first time in the history of the Republic, we are changing our ruling system through civil politics. That is why it is very significant, he said.

Turks living abroad have played a major part in the success of the referendum, which will pave the way for one of the most important reforms in the countrys history, Erdogan said.

Kemal Klcdaroglu, president of the Republican People's Party, announced over 1.5 million votes have been counted as yes as result of fraud, and said they will dispute the results.

After the release of the constitutional referendum results, Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced readiness to re-initiate death penalty in the country.












YEREVAN, APRIL 17, ARMENPRESS. Austrian foreign minister Sebastian Kurz commented on the initial results of Turkeys constitutional referendum, saying the Turkey-EU cooperation will get more difficult after the referendum.

The referendum results created a divided country. The EUs cooperation with this country in the future will become more difficult, he said.

With most of the ballots opened, over 51 percent of voters have supported expanding the powers of president.

Turkeys largest cities however, Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, voted no.

The head of Turkeys Electoral Board has confirmed the result of the referendum, saying the yes vote has won.
YEREVAN, APRIL 17, ARMENPRESS. The Turkish constitutional changes referendum cannot in any way be called reforms, Bagrat Estukyan, editor-in-chief of the Armenian language department of Istanbuls Agos weekly told ARMENPRESS.

Estukyan added as result of the referendum the President will have autocratic powers.

AS result of all this, there will be dictatorship power in Turkey, therefore the constitutional referendum cannot in any way be called reforms, he said.

Estukyan said the Armenian community of Turkey was against the constitutional changes, and everyone voted no.

But unfortunately yes won, which was expected. After all of this the political situation in the country will be more difficult, he said.

Asked what was the reason that voters mostly voted against the changes in major cities, Estukyan said because Turkey isnt a homogeneous country.

There are national minorities in Turkey, people of different religion. For instance in Dersim, which is a mainly Alevi populated city, no won by 80%. And in general, the Christian population of Turkey mostly voted against the changes. This is how the voting differences in different parts of the country can be explained, he said.
YEREVAN, APRIL 17, ARMENPRESS. The 16 April constitutional referendum in Turkey was contested on an unlevel playing field, and the two sides in the campaign did not have equal opportunities, the international observers concluded in a statement released today, OSCE reported.

While the technical aspects of the process were well administered, voters were not provided with impartial information about key aspects of the reform, and limitations on fundamental freedoms had a negative effect, the statement says.

On referendum day there were no major problems, except in some regions, however we can only regret the absence of civil society observers in polling stations, said Cezar Florin Preda, Head of the delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. In general, the referendum did not live up to Council of Europe standards. The legal framework was inadequate for the holding of a genuinely democratic process.

The referendum took place in a political environment in which fundamental freedoms essential to a genuinely democratic process were curtailed under the state of emergency, and the two sides did not have equal opportunities to make their case to the voters, said Tana de Zulueta, Head of the ODIHR limited election observation mission. Our monitoring showed the Yes campaign dominated the media coverage and this, along with restrictions on the media, the arrests of journalists and the closure of media outlets, reduced voters access to a plurality of views.

Although the Supreme Board of Elections (SBE) adopted regulations and instructions to address some aspects of the process, the legal framework, which is focused on elections, remained inadequate for the holding of a genuinely democratic referendum, the observers said. Provincial governors used state-of-emergency powers to further restrict the freedom of assembly and expression.

A state of emergency should never be used to undermine the rule of law, Preda said.

The legal framework for the referendum neither sufficiently provides for impartial coverage nor guarantees eligible political parties equal access to public media, and gives preference to the ruling party and the president in the allocation of free airtime, while the SBEs authority to sanction for biased coverage was repealed, the statement says.

The law limits full participation in the referendum to eligible political parties and does not regulate the involvement of other stakeholders, the statement says. Further, the SBE decided that civil society organizations and professional associations were not permitted to hold campaign events.

The campaign framework was restrictive and the campaign imbalanced due to the active involvement of several leading national officials, as well as many local public officials, in the Yes campaign, de Zulueta said. We observed the misuse of state resources, as well as the obstruction of No campaign events. The campaign rhetoric was tarnished by some senior officials equating No supporters with terrorist sympathizers, and in numerous cases No supporters faced police interventions and violent scuffles at their events.

Referendum day proceeded in an orderly and efficient manner in the limited number of polling stations visited by international observers. In some cases, access for ODIHR observers during the opening and voting in polling stations was either denied or limited. Police presence was widely reported both in and outside polling station and, in some cases, police were checking voters identification documents before granting access to the polls. The SBE issued instructions late in the day that significantly changed the ballot validity criteria, undermining an important safeguard and contradicting the law.
This article originally ran as the cover story of the April 2017 issue of AVN magazine. Click here to see the digital edition.

Fetish. Masculinity. Primal urges. Power play. Pushing boundaries. Testing limits. These are all words that immediately come to Nick Foxxs mind when thinking of Skuff, the iconic series from Hot House that began with Downright Dirty in 1999.

You will find all of these things in every scene, says the director. I think Skuff was so successful in its time because Hot House was introducing fetish to mainstream in a big way. With Hot Houses video production value and killer quality photos, they really played an important role in the industry moving fetish to the main stage.

The first four installments were directed by founder Steven Scarborough, with the original followed by Downright Filthy in 2003, Downright Wrong in 2005 and Downright Fierce in 2009. With Falcon Studios Group reviving the Falcon Spokes line as part of the studios 45th anniversary celebration, it made sense to join the party. Foxx helmed the two-part Rough Trade to resurrect the hit series.

Talking to Sister Roma, a key player in the history of Hot House, and [President] Tim Valenti, we thought it would be a wise idea to look back on a great success for the company and bring it to the future of Hot House, Foxx says. Have me put my take on the line, my take on mainstream fetish and make something incredible and sexy for our viewers new and old.

He notes that he recently visited the series before filming to inspire his new vision.

I loved the styling, lighting, wardrobe and the action. The first of the line, Skuff: Downright Dirty, was my main inspiration for the continuation. Im a big Doug Jeffries fan, and thought his scene with the fog and billowing light coming into the foreground from the background was very sexy. The other scene that really stuck out was with Kyle McKenna wearing tighty whities with Fuck Here written in Sharpie. Kyle Reardon rips them apart and goes to town; that really made an impact. Very key inspiration I was able to use, says Foxx.

I only watched that first movie because I didnt want to subconsciously use influence from too many scenes. I needed it to really be mine. I wanted to get a feel for the heart of the first movieand feel the excitement Steven Scarborough must have felt filming it. That was the inspiration I wanted to take away.

He notes that getting Rough Trade off the ground took a group effort. Once the set and cast was done, he talked to each model about their turn-ons and limits. They choreographed scenes from there with specific kink and fetish in mind.

Its how the scenes were so authentic. The guys werent ever going through the motions, they were really into it. The editing style was important to me, too. I wanted to really enhance the color of the scenes and make them stand out from anything else that has been filmed recently. The reds and blues pop brilliantly, the smoke and highlights are brilliant. That, mixed with the awesome fucking, really was the whole package for me.

Foxx says that setting the stage for the film was vital: Creating a modern, visually appealing sex space to set the tone for the movie provided the roots of the film. Selecting performers who were open to fetishand had personal ties in leather and gearworked best for him during casting.

They also had to have that Hot House wow factor. They are all a total wet dream. The wardrobe was a key factor of the film. Rough Trade Gear LA is my favorite modern gear supplier. They put their modern twist on classic leather, and I have that inspiration for my scenes. The whole idea was to create something new and exciting from classic roots.

It was also fitting that Foxx was able to draw upon the experience of two studio vets to help keep the series cohesive.

The best way for me to pay homage to the Skuff line was to keep it as dark, sexy and as exciting as possible. Working with David Hall and Scott Caswell was essential to this film. They are Hot Houses set designer and lighting technician from the beginning. With our combined vision, we really exceeded the challenge.

The outstanding scene with Micah Brandt and Jordan [from Part 2] is my most obvious homage made to the franchise. A setup taken from the first Skuff film, with my twist, was my nod to the franchise. To make it mine, my performers go faster, fuck harder, sweat more and are relentlessly going at each other from beginning to end. I didnt want to just meet the energy of the franchise, I wanted to blow it away. And I can safely say in every scene, in every shot, the guys are doing just that.

Foxxs standout memories from filming include Adam Champ stroking his massive cock, getting his head shaved by Johnny V, seeing Sebastian Kross in all white leather, having Brandt come uncontrollably multiple times in both of his scenes and seeing Jimmy Durano (the sweetest person in the world) find his dom side handling Derek Bolt.

Every day on set was super fun for everyone, Foxx says. The Skuff line will definitely continue! Im filming the next one in a few months. Im also hoping to make The Trainer as a new franchise. Ill be filming the second installment of that toward the end of the year. Im super stoked on it! Always a good balance of light and dark for success.

Above, clockwise from top left, Jimmy Durano, Johnny V., Mikoah Kan, Jordan, Sebastian Kross and Adam Bryant.
NEW YORKBoy Butters CEO said the company and cable provider Comcast have come to an agreement that will allow the manufacturers commercials to air during RuPauls Drag Race.

Im happy to announce that the subsequent press coverage and the rightly directed indignation thrust upon Comcast brought forth those winds of change, Boy Butter CEO Eyal Feldman wrote in a new blog post. Chicagoans themselves will soon see what all the fuss was about when they tune in at 8/7 central to VH1s Rupauls Drag Race.

After only six days since my article was posted Comcast graciously reached out to me and we amicably worked out a fair resolution, Feldman added. They released a positive statement regarding the matter, which highlights our budding Comcast/Boy Butter relationship; We recently connected with the advertiser, and we are working together to revisit their campaign needs based on what is available in the local Chicago market. If this is not an affirmative outcome I dont know what is. It just goes to show you that Boy Butter can fight more types of friction than we ever expected.

The commercialwhich features Seth Fornea wearing just a yellow apron with the Boy Butter logo on it and working a wooden butter churnwas banned by the cable company from airing during the current season of RuPauls Drag Race. The commercial continued to air on VH1 in Los Angeles, San Diego, New York City and nationwide in Canada on OutTV.

I wanted to send my thanks to all those who amplified our voice and supported Boy Butter in this struggle, Feldman wrote. We received heartfelt support worldwide from fans of the product, the gay community, members of the press and folks who never heard of my product before but thought we needed to be given a fair shake. This was a victory for the right thing to do and we are forever grateful that the playing field in the Midwest, and the rest of country got a little more equitable through this experience.

For the entire post, click here.

For more on Boy Butter, a brand of personal lubricants geared specifically toward gay men, visit BoyButter.com.
PORTLAND, Ore.Filmmaker/author Magnus Sullivan will discuss male masturbation and why the topic remains a taboo subject when he presents a reading from his new book, Better Than the Hand, at 7 p.m. on June 10. It will be part of The Mystery Box Show storytelling series at Alberta Rose Theatre in Portland, Oregon.

The Alberta Rose Theatre is located at 3000 NE Alberta St., Portland, OR 97211. A reception with the author follows the event for VIP ticket holders.

For too long masturbation has been in the shadows and marginalized and thankfully today were slowly moving away from that with a better understanding of its role toward a healthy life and better sex, Sullivan said. This reading and discussion that follows it will give attendees a better rounded view of masturbation and how it improves sex, our relationship with our partners and our overall wellness.

The event, which will also includes other noted authors, will feature the filmmaker-turned author reading passages of his book Better Than the Hand. In it, Sullivan discusses how a better understanding of self-pleasure can also be a path to personal growth and empathy for otherstraits that are increasingly unrealized among more and more straight men. He then contrasts societys widespread acceptance for female masturbation versus its equally wide shame of the same activity by men.

Best known for the 2015 AVN Award-winning movie Marriage 2.0, which earned numerous awards for blending mainstream cinema with explicit sex scenes, Sullivan wrote Better Than the Hand to take male masturbation out of the shadows and into the proverbial light with a positive sexual health message.

The premise of the book supports his male-centric retailer ManShop.com, where Sullivan offers visitors a unique space that features a variety of sex products as well as access to the latest sex toys, informational blogs and a rewards program for valuable savings on purchases.

To attend the reading, click here. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 on the day of the show. VIP Packages are $55, which includes an after-show reception with the authors and gift bags.

For more on Magnus Sullivan and his book, visit ManShop.com or its sister site, BetterThanTheHand.com.

Better Than the Hand is now available via Kindle on Amazon and ManShop.com.
Northampton-based bakery Oliver Adams has closed its 17 outlets resulting in 150 employee redundancies.

Insolvency experts BRI has confirmed that trading has ceased after Oliver Adams failed in its attempts to save the company.

A Compulsory Voluntary Arrangement had been signed on 1 June last year, which aimed to pay off the companys debts, but Oliver Adams has failed in its efforts, BRI told British Baker.

As supervisors of the arrangement, we have certain obligations. When it fails, we have to petition the courts for a compulsory liquidation. The director [of Oliver Adams] has instructed another non-local firm of insolvency practitioners to take the required steps to put the company into voluntary liquidation with a meeting of creditors being held on 13 April.

Ian Cooke, insolvency manager for BRI, has been working to keep the business afloat over the past year. He revealed to British Baker that, according to external sources, six of the sites have been taken over by organisation Bakery Organic.

Adams is a traditional craft bakery that had originally been managed by the family line since 1856, but was passed over to director Mark Jarvis over two years ago by Thomas Adams.

Oliver Adams was a member of the British Society of Baking organisation and chairman Paul Turner told British Baker that it was a sad situation for the established and well-known craft bakery to close down.

British Baker has contacted Oliver Adams and Bakery Organic for comment.

In May 2016, Oliver Adams closed nine of its bakeries for restructuring and claimed it was "losing money hand over fist".
Official Facebook page of Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata, Apr 17 (IBNS): Reacting to the FIR lodged by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against 13 Trinamool Congress leaders, Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee called it a political game played by the Centre for TMC's opposition to several of the central government's policies and said that her party would fight it politically, media reports said on Monday.

"This is a political game. We will fight it politically. There is nothing to worry about," the West Bengal CM said.

Mamata Banerjee vehemently opposed the central government over demonetisation issue and the TMC was seen to take a major role in the oppositions' protest outside the Parliament.

Mamata didn't give much importance to the FIR lodged by the CBI against several TMC leaders, which also includes some of her present ministers.

"So what if there is an FIR? An FIR doesn't mean anybody is guilty," she said.

After completing its preliminary enquiry into Narada sting operation, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday registered an FIR against 13 persons, who were seen taking bribes in the sting footage, in New Delhi.

According to CBI sources, the central probe agency has lodged the FIR under IPC section 120B (Criminal conspiracy) and several sections of Prevention of Corruption Act against as many as 12 influential leaders, cabinet ministers, MPs and MLAs of West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress, including Mukul Roy, Firhad (Bobby) Hakim, Sultan Ahmed, Sougata Roy, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Aparupa Poddar, Prasun Banerjee, Madan Mitra, Shovan Chatterjee, Subrata Mukherjee, Suvendu Adhikari and Iqbal Ahmed, and senior IPS officer S.M.H. Mirza.

"We have registered the case as we found the sting footage genuine after the primary enquiry and all persons, named in the FIR, will be called soon for interrogation," the official said.

Reacting to this major development in the scam investigation, Narada News's CEO Mathew Samuel, who carried out the entire sting operation, told IBNS: "It's a welcoming move by CBI and the truth will come to light after a proper investigation."

"As a journalist I did the sting operation. I didn't have any personal conspiracy against Trinamool Congress (TMC) and its leaders," Samuel added.

A web portal named Narada News released a video footage of their sting operation where several TMC leaders including current minister Firhad Hakim, mayor Shovan Chatterjee, former minister Madan Mitra were seen to accept money, a month before the commencement of assembly election in 2016.

Though the sting footage raised a storm in Bengal politics, could hardly affect TMC in the assembly polls of the state in 2016 since Mamata had a landslide victory.

Earlier on Mar 17, a division bench, comprising of Calcutta HC's acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre and Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty, directed the CBI to begin probe into Narada sting case in next 24 hours and to submit the preliminary report by 72 hours.

Days later, TMC leaders and the state government moved to the Supreme Court against Calcutta High Court's order.

Rejecting the appeal, country's apex court directed the CBI to continue investigation into it and extended Calcutta HC's 3-day deadline for CBI to 30 days.

From the beginning, TMC leaderships had claimed that the sting footage was doctored and conspiracy of oppositions.

Following West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's direction, Kolkata Police's Special Investigation Team (SIT) had started investigation into the matter.

Demanding CBI or ED probe into Narada case, at least three Public Interest Litigations (PIL) were filed before the High Court.

After authenticity of the Narada sting tapes were confirmed by two Central forensic laboratories (CFCL) in Hyderabad and Chandigarh, hearing in the case completed months ago and the order was reserved by the division bench.

However, a CBI official told IBNS that a special investigating team is being constituted in New Delhi to probe the matter.

"We have registered the case as we found the sting footage genuine after the primary enquiry and all persons, named in the FIR, will be called soon for interrogation," the official said.

Besides mentioning these 13 names in the FIR, the CBI has written 'and others' at the end to add more names, who were involved in the scandal but were not caught in the sting video, there in future, a source claimed.
In Maryland, a rapist has the right to stop his victim from putting her child up for adoption. He can also legally involve himself in the child's (and thus mother's) life until the child turns 18 years old. Basically, because there is no law preventing it, a rapist has paternal rights. This madness could have ended last week with a bill, but a panel of five legislators, all men, hit their deadline without finalizing the bill's text. Rapists get to keep their rights.

According to The Daily Beast:

Maryland is one of seven states without a law allowing women to terminate parental rights for their rapists, if their child was conceived as a result of sexual assault, according to reproductive rights organization NARAL. The state's current policy forces survivors to negotiate child custody and adoption issues with their attacker. In a bid to update the draconian policy, Maryland Delegate Kathleen Dumais introduced legislation that would allow a woman to cut her rapist's parental rights. But while the bill passed both Maryland's House and Senate, the bill's text varied between the two legislative bodies. On Monday, the last day of legislative session, a five-person negotiating group was set to decide on the bill's final text, the Baltimore Sun reported. Instead, the five-man group let the bill fall by the wayside, running out the legislative session's clock without finalizing the bill's text.

This was Del. Kathleen Dumais' ninth time trying to pass the bill. She's been working on it for 10 years. She wasn't allowed to vote on the committee, and no other women were asked.

According to Baltimore Sun:

"Although I have great respect for my colleagues, not having women on the committee was tone-deaf," Sen. Cheryl Kagan said. The Montgomery County Democrat stood over the men at the conference with her arms crossed, overseeing the group with Sen. Delores G. Kelley, a Baltimore Democrat. "I wanted to watch as the conscience for women and rape survivors," Kagan explained. The committee members were chosen by Del. Joseph F. Vallario Jr., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Robert Zirkin, chairman of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee.

Image by Kevin Galens
Even the most adventurous traveler is generally not prepared to gamble with their life while on vacation  but that doesnt mean that its necessary to avoid places some people may consider dangerous.

In fact, the very idea of dangerous travel, can be manipulated depending on different statistical approaches.

Last month, Priceonomics published a report on the worlds most dangerous countries for Americans. The report examined the number of travel warnings issued by the state department, number of Americans killed abroad and the efficacy of these warnings.

Although the State Department issued the most travel warnings for Mexico, Mali, and Israel over the past few years, Americans were actually much more likely to find harm in Honduras, Thailand, or Pakistan.

From 2009 to 2017, Mexico topped the list of most travel warnings issued  even though touristy areas like Mexico City and the Yucatan Peninsula are generally considered safe. However, for Americans who head off the beaten path, things can get a bit more dicey. In that same time period, Mexico also had the highest number of Americans killed on their soil, but Priceonomics is quick to note that many more Americans travel to Mexico than anywhere else on the list.

When the data is adjusted to account for Americans per capita, Pakistan turns out to be the most dangerous country. After that, Thailand, the Philippines, Haiti, and Honduras round out the five most dangerous countries.

Most dangerous countries according to Priceonomics

The rest of the dangerous countries on the list are generally ones battling international conflict, terrorism, or drug cartels.

However, Americans are able to safely visit these countries every year. For more localized information on specific areas to avoid in each country, check the State Departments travel alerts and warnings.

And for more data about which countries have the most travel warnings (and whether or not these warnings are actually effective), see Priceonomics' full report.
TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan said on Monday it was prepared to review a petition for asylum from a Chinese activist who left his tour group in Taiwan without notice last week. Local media reported on Sunday that Zhang Xiangzhong, whose whereabouts remain unknown, has said he will make an asylum request on Tuesday with the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), Taiwan's China policy-making body. "If he submits a political asylum request, we're ready to review it," MAC chairwoman Chang Hsiao-yueh told legislators in a parliament session. "It is too early to say if we will allow it... We're looking for him. He has not contacted any government agencies." Zhang, 48, is from Shandong province and was jailed for three years for participating in the New Citizens Movement in China, the reports said. He was released in 2016. China has jailed several people for involvement in the group, which advocates working within the system to press for change, including urging officials to reveal their assets. Chang said Taiwan does not offer political asylum to Chinese, but that Taiwan can offer "long term stay", providing a visa to remain in Taiwan without officially calling it "asylum". Chang said the government will review any request with the immigration authorities. Zhang has said that a source of inspiration for his asylum request was the wife of Taiwanese activist Lee Ming-che, local media reported. She has been attempting to free her husband currently being detained by China on suspicion of activities harmful to national security. Lee's detention and Zhang's potential defection could further exacerbate tensions between Taiwan and China. Relations have strained since Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, whose party has advocated independence for Taiwan, took office in 2016. China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, which it deems a wayward province. (Reporting by Faith Hung; Editing by Michael Perry)
Pfizer Inc. said drugs that can be used to execute inmates by lethal injection were sold to the Arkansas Department of Corrections without its knowledge by the distributor McKesson Corp. , in violation of the drugmakers policy.





The statement followed a report in the New Yorker that the state of Arkansas was planning to execute seven people before the end of April, after which the lethal injection drugs will expire.





Pfizer and other companies have attempted to block the use of their products in lethal injections. In this case, according to Pfizer, the drugs were sold to the state by San Francisco-based McKesson, one of the U.S.s largest distributors of pharmaceuticals.





Without Pfizers knowledge, McKesson, a distributor, sold the product to the Arkansas Department of Corrections, Pfizer said in a statement . This was in direct violation of our policy. The drugmaker said it twice asked the state to return the drugs.





We considered other means by which to secure the return of the product, up to and including legal action, Pfizer said in the statement. After careful consideration, we determined that it was highly unlikely that any of these means would secure the timely return of the product and thereby prevent this misuse.





In a statement Thursday, McKesson also said that Arkansas intentionally sought to circumvent McKessons policies and that vercuronium bromide was procured under the auspices that it would be used for medical purposes. McKesson requested that the product be returned and refunded, Kristin Hunter, a spokeswoman, said in the statement. The company is now considering all possible means by which to secure the return of the product, up to and including legal action.





The Arkansas Department of Corrections didnt respond to a request for comment made after business hours. Rachel Hooper, a spokeswoman for New York-based Pfizer, declined to say whether Pfizer would take any other action against McKesson for violating the policy.





Source: Bloomberg, April 14, 2017





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La relacion de Ben Affleck y Jennifer Lopez continua dando que hablar, incluso meses despues de sellar su amor en una ceremonia tan intima como romantica en la finca privada del actor en Georgia. Uno de los temas de conversacion que sigue surgiendo es precisamente la decison de la cantante de cambiarse el apellido para adoptar el de su nuevo marido, por lo que pasa legalmente a llamarse Jennifer Affleck en julio tras su enlace en Las Vegas. Una tradicion muy arraigada en los paises anglosajones
New Delhi, Apr 17 (IBNS): The Supreme Court asked for an auction of Sahara group's 8,900-acre Aamby Valley City which is situated near Pune, following the group's chief Subrata Roy's failure to repay Rs. 5092.60 to the investors, according to media reports on Monday.

A bench in the apex court headed by Justice Dipak Misra asked Roy to appear before the court on Apr 27 and said, "We can give enough indulgence. If you can't pay, go to jail."

Subrata Roy, chief of Sahara Group, was arrested in 2014 over the failure of its two group companies to return 24,000 rupees to its investors, which was a court order.

Roy was also warned earlier in this month and asked to repay the certain amount of money, failing which he would have to go to jail.
DailyFX.com -

Talking Points:

Gold prices rise as North Korea tensions spook risk appetite

Hawkish comments from Feds Fischer may gap gold gains

Crude oil prices look to EIA output data for direction clues

Gold prices rose as a dour mood prevailed in thin holiday trade. Stocks in Japan  one of the few major markets not closed for the Easter Monday holiday  declined in a move that appeared linked to geopolitical jitters after North Korea conducted a ballistic missile test (albeit unsuccessfully).

Investors appear concerned about escalation after reports emerging Friday said the administration would adopt a policy of maximum pressure and engagement in their approach to relations with Pyongyang. US Vice President Mike Pence is on a 10-day trip in the region to, among other things, pitch the new approach.

The US Dollar fell alongside benchmark US Treasury bond yields and the priced-in 2017 rate hike path implied in Fed Funds futures flattened. Not surprisingly, this helped the relative appeal of anti-fiat and non-interest-bearing assets.

Scheduled comments from Fed Vice Chair Stanley Fischer are in focus from here. Reaffirmation of the central banks intent to continue tightening amid signs of a significant slowdown in the first quarter may weigh on the yellow metal, though downward follow-through may be limited as political concerns persist.

Meanwhile, crude oil prices will look to the monthly EIA Drilling Productivity report for direction clues. Traders will look to the document for clues about the extent to which the rebound in US output will offset upward price pressure from an OPEC-led production cut scheme.

What will drive gold price trends through mid-year? See our forecast to find out!

GOLD TECHNICAL ANALYSIS  Gold prices continue to push higher, with buyers setting their sights on the $1300/z figure. Breaking above the 1302.90-08.00 area (76.4% Fibonacci expansion, former support) on a daily closing basis exposes the 100% levelat 1336.19. Alternatively, a move back below the 61.8% Fib at 1282.31 targets the 1263.87-65.66 region (50% expansion, February 27 high).

Story continues

Gold Prices Rise as North Korea Tensions Keep Markets on Edge

Chart created using TradingView

CRUDE OIL TECHNICAL ANALYSIS  Crude oil prices are waiting for fresh catalysts after recoiling from a one-month high. Support is marked by the 38.2% Fibonacci expansionat 52.04, with a daily close below that targeting the 23.6% level at 50.14. Alternatively, a move above the 50% Fibat 53.57 exposes the 55.10-21 area (January 3 high, 61.8% expansion).

Gold Prices Rise as North Korea Tensions Keep Markets on Edge

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



original source

DailyFX provides forex news and technical analysis on the trends that influence the global currency markets.

Learn forex trading with a free practice account and trading charts from IG.
NEW YORK, April 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Greystone & Co., Inc., a real estate lending, investment and advisory company, today announced it has established a presence in Phoenix, AZ for multifamily and commercial real estate lending. Eric Jones, Director, heads up this location with a focus on Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, and CMBS real estate finance, serving multifamily owners nationwide from the new outpost.



Having joined Greystone in 2016, Mr. Jones most recently served as a Vice President at Aries Capital LLC, where he was based in Phoenix, AZ for nine of his 14 years at the firm. While there, he established the companys Agency small loans platform and originated or contributed to over $440 million in permanent and bridge multifamily financing. Mr. Jones is a graduate of Arizona State University.

Recent examples of transactions Mr. Jones has closed include:

$1.4 million Freddie Mac Small Balance Loan to refinance a mixed-use property under construction on Haley Street in Santa Barbara, CA . The owner converted a vacant property into a 5-unit residential building with two commercial spaces. A 10-year loan with 2-years of interest-only and 30-year amortization, this transaction marked the fourth loan closed by Mr. Jones for this property owner.



. The owner converted a vacant property into a 5-unit residential building with two commercial spaces. A 10-year loan with 2-years of interest-only and 30-year amortization, this transaction marked the fourth loan closed by Mr. Jones for this property owner. $2.1 million Freddie Mac Small Balance Loan to refinance a converted 14,000-square foot commercial space into a two-story, 13-unit apartment building on N. Clark Street in Chicago, IL. The 10-year financing included 3-years of interest-only with a 30-year amortization.

Im thrilled to help expand Greystones presence in the Southwest, and to help multifamily owners nationwide learn more about Greystones position as a leader in Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA multifamily lending, said Mr. Jones. With the ultimate aim in helping our clients achieve their business goals, Greystone serves as a true partner in a growing range of solutions, including acquisitions, refinancing and a complete suite of real estate advisory services.

About Greystone

Greystone is a real estate lending, investment and advisory company with an established reputation as a leader in multifamily and healthcare finance, having ranked as a top FHA and Fannie Mae lender in these sectors. Our range of services includes commercial lending across a variety of platforms such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, CMBS, FHA, USDA, bridge and proprietary loan products. Loans are offered through Greystone Servicing Corporation, Inc., Greystone Funding Corporation and/or other Greystone affiliates. For more information, visit www.greyco.com.
GLEN ELLYN, Ill., April 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Omar Escamilla sought out every available opportunity at College of DuPage and received several impressive awards, including the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, the largest private national scholarship for two-year and community college transfer students.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ea739e1a-4c27-4b74-8bb4-8061ba5bafcb

Now a student at DePaul University, where he is finishing his bachelors degree in Organizational Communication and a double minor in Education Studies and Intercultural Communication, Escamilla has earned the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Scholarship. This will provide up to $50,000 a year for up to four years as he pursues a masters degree.

I am grateful to the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation for this second honor, the Hanover Park resident said. This will motivate me to push myself even further with my education and career.

In high school, Escamilla was looking forward to the experience at a four-year school but felt pressured to pick a major so he wouldnt enter as undecided. He also worried about the cost of tuition and living expenses beyond the scholarships he earned.

While attending a college fair at College of DuPage, Escamilla was surprised at the size and beauty of the campus. He kept COD in the back of his mind even after being accepted at another school. When he returned to CODs campus and spoke with current students, he decided to take a chance and switched schools.

Even before taking his first class, Escamilla learned about the Colleges Living Leadership Program and attended a Leadership Retreat at George Williams College the summer before his first semester. This allowed him to meet a variety of student leaders and faculty while giving him assurance that he selected the right school.

In 2015, Escamilla was one of approximately 85 students nationwide to receive the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, which consisted of $40,000 annually for up to three years. He also was named a Fulbright Summer Institute participant and attended the Scotland Summer Institute, a five-week cultural and academic program at the University of Dundee in Dundee and the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.

Click here to read more.
Quote:

A. Have community activists in other towns successfully campaigned against the opening of a SaveAll store on the outskirts of their towns?

Quote:

B. Do a large percentage of the residents of Morganville currently do almost all of their shopping at stores in Morganville?

Quote:

C. In towns with healthy central shopping districts, what proportion of the stores in those districts suffer bankruptcy during a typical five-year period?

healthy

Quote:

D. What proportion of the employees at the SaveAll store on the outskirts of Morganville will be drawn form Morganville?

Quote:

E. Do newly opened SaveAll stores ever lose money during their first five years of operation?

The passage begins with the conclusion: "If Morganville wants to keep its central shopping district healthy, it should prevent the opening of a huge SaveAll discount department store on the outskirts of Morganville."The activist bases this conclusion on the following evidence: "Records from other small towns show that whenever SaveAll has opened a store outside the central shopping district of a small town, within five years the town has experienced the bankruptcies of more than a quarter of the stores in the shopping district."Sure, this doesn't PROVE that the same thing will happen in Morganville. However, the evidence seems to suggest that if Morganville opens a SaveAll on the outskirts of town, then we would expect more than a quarter of the stores in the central shopping district to experience bankruptcy within five years.According to the author, these bankruptcies would indicate that the central shopping district is no longer healthy (here "healthy" means "flourishing" or "prospering"). The author believes that this effect can be avoided if the town prevents the SaveAll from opening.The answer to which of the following would be most useful for evaluating the community activists reasoning?Perhaps community activists have thwarted the opening of SaveAll stores in other towns. So what? Maybe if we knew that the bankruptcy rates were LOWER in those towns, then we would have information relevant to the argument.But simply knowing the answer to (A) doesn't help us evaluate the author's logic. Regardless of the answer, the author would still be concerned about the evidence from the towns in which a SaveAll DID open. (A) is irrelevant and can be eliminated.We don't care whether residents do all, most, some, or very little of their shopping at stores in Morganville. Whatever the percentage, we would simply want to know whether that percentage will CHANGE if a SaveAll is opened.Knowing whether the percentage will increase or decrease in Morganville's shopping district would certainly be useful, but simply knowing the current percentage would not help us evaluate the argument. Eliminate (B).Let's say we find out that roughly a quarter of stores in a HEALTHY central shopping district suffer bankruptcy during a typical five-year period. This would be evidence that losing a quarter of the stores to bankruptcy is NOT a sign that a shopping district is "unhealthy". In that case, the records from the other towns would simply show that, DESPITE having a SaveAll, the shopping districts maintainedbankruptcy rates.So, the fact that a quarter of stores in Morganville's central shopping district will likely experience bankruptcy is no cause for alarm. This is what we would expect in ANY healthy central shopping district. So, based on the evidence, there is no reason to expect that opening a SaveAll will negatively affect the health of the central shopping district.Answering this question would certainly be useful in evaluating the argument, so hang on to (C).We don't care about the staff at the SaveAll. The argument is not related to employment/unemployment stats. Maybe most of the employees are from Morganville and maybe not. Either way, will opening a SaveAll cause an unhealthy level of bankruptcies? (D) does not help us evaluate the argument, so eliminate this one.Maybe they do and maybe they don't. In either case, the SaveAll stores could negatively affect business in the central shopping districts and cause bankruptcies within five years. (E) is irrelevant and can be eliminated.(C) is the best answer._________________
megafan wrote:

To qualify for federal funding, a local school district must keep their ratio of certified teachers to non-certified teachers above \(9:2\). If the school district employs a total of 600 teachers, what is the maximum number of non-certified teachers they can employ and qualify for federal funding?



(A) 99

(B) 109

(C) 111

(D) 116

(E) 133

Hello,Let me try helping you with this one.This problem states that the ratio of certified teachers to non certified teachers must be kept above 9:2 for the school to qualify for federal funding.The total number of teachers is 600.We need to find the maximum number of non certified teachers that can be employed so that the school still qualifies for federal funding.Now, when we try to increase the ratio above the minimum stated ratio, our split up of teachers into the two categories changes so that the number of non certified teachers reduces.For example, let us take the ratio to be the minimum ratio, 9:2. Thus the number of certified teachers=9x and the number of non certified teachers is 2x.9x+2x=600x=54.542x~109If we increase the ratio to 10:2, our total number of teachers becomes=12x and the number of non certified teachers becomes 100.12x=600x=502x=100Thus, any increase in the ratio will work towards reducing the number of non certified teachers. The minimum ratio of certified to non-certified teachers needs to be used in order to get the maximum number of non-certified teachers.Hence, the maximum number of non certified teachers that the school can employ and still qualify for federal funding is 109.Hope this helps! Let me know in case of any further question.
Quetta, Apr 17 (IBNS): A grenade attack in Quetta's Killi Barat area of Pakistan killed at least one child on Monday, media reports said.

Two other children were injured in the blast, reports said.

The three children were playing in the street when unidentified assailants lobbed a grenade near them, police official Izzat Ali was quoted as saying by Dawn News.

The police reached the spot after the grenade blast.

The area has been cordoned off.

An investigation into the matter is currently underway.
Legit.ng gathered that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has declared a Nigerian man identified as Kelechi Declan James, wanted for perpetrating scams worth N2 billion.

According to reports posted on the FBI official website, Kelechi has been scamming people and has so far managed to make $5 million (N2,025,000,000) off unsuspecting victims.

The FBI has since declared him wanted, and even went further to offer a reward in exchange for information on his whereabouts.

The general public has been offered a reward of $1,000 (N405,000), to anyone with valuable information.

READ ALSO: Man handcuffs wife to generator overnight in Ogun state

Kelechi Declan James

Here's what they shared on their website:

"FBI agents are looking for the publics assistance in locating Kelechi Declan James. He has federal criminal charges against him from an investigation by FBI New Yorks Cyber Crime Task Force. James is known to frequent the Brooklyn neighborhoods of East New York (Crescent Street and Loring Avenue; Vermont Street between Blake Avenue and Dumont Avenue), Brownsville, Bedford-Stuyvesant (MacDougal and Hull Streets), Crown Heights (Park Place and Utica Avenue), Flatbush (E 29th and Avenue D), and East Flatbush (East 51st and Winthrop Street). The FBI is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to his arrest.

READ ALSO: Nigerian bishop shares photos of his customised church, the first in the world

James is 32 years old, 6'0" tall, and approximately 175 pounds. He is a Nigerian national, has brown eyes and black hair, and may have a beard. Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of James is urged to contact law enforcement immediately. The FBI can be reached 24 hours a day at (212) 384-1000. He is not considered to be violent in nature.

As alleged in a complaint sworn out of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, James, along with four other co-conspirators, ran a business e-mail compromise scheme that resulted victim losses of more than $5 million for their victims.

READ ALSO: Student killed for asking "too many questions" about Islam

As part of scheme, James and his co-conspirators defrauded victims across the U.S. by tricking them into wiring money to bank accounts the victims believed were owned by family members, friends, or business associates. They did this in two ways: by overtaking an e-mail account of an individual trusted by the victim and then requesting money be wired to a bank account; or by developing a relationship of trust with victim like an Internet romance and then asking the victim to wire money. As soon as the money was wired, it would be moved from one account to another, and the funds would be withdrawn. Jamess role in this scheme was to withdraw the money from bank accounts."

Meanwhile, Nigerians have declared popular Ponzi scheme MMM, a fraud, see video below:

Source: Legit.ng
- Anja Ringgren Loven, the Danish aid worker married to a Nigerian has found another abandoned girl

- The little girl was accused of being a witch and was tortured

- Loven and her husband were notified when the girl was seen in the street

Following the enrollment of Hope, the little boy accused of being a witch into school, another abandoned child has been found. Anja Ringgren Loven came to the aid of the poor boy who was a walking corpse as at the time she took him in and nurtured him to health.

Loven reported the discovery of another girl child who was abandoned on the street and left in a critical condition. According to her, David, her husband rushed out of the center after he got a call about the case of the girl.

The abandoned girl was rushed to the hospital immediately they found her. The police have been involved in the case as they found it gruesome that anyone would do that to a child irrespective of the crime.

The abandoned little girl found by Loven and her husband.

READ ALSO: Pastor says God revealed to him that a Nigerian celebrity will jump into the lagoon soon

Loven said the girl was in great pain because of the condition in which she was found. She also said the girl has parents thus; they would not be taking her in. However, her treatment bill is being taken care of. The embittered Danish aid worker said justice must be sought as the girl was treated badly.

As a way of protecting the girl, Loven made dark marks on her pictures to blur the face.

See more pictures of the girl below:

1. In bad shape

READ ALSO: 21-year-old man stuck inside the 6-month-old baby because of unknown illness

2. Cruel treatment

The Legit.ng video below shows Samuel Ajibola, he is a great lover of kids:

Source: Legit.ng
YMCA Greater Toronto, Next Stop Canada

Toronto, April 17 (IBNS): The YMCA of Greater Toronto, started a new service called aNext Stop Canadaa since beginning of April, with the aim to help immigrants know and learn about the settlement services in Canada prior to their arrival in Canada.

The pre-arrival program is funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for those who have been approved for permanent residence status.

Pony Huang, Program Coordinator explains, The programs primary objective is to provide quality settlement services to new immigrants before they arrive to Canada.

The staff at Next Stop Canada, being immigrants themselves, have firsthand experience in the settlement experience, and bring with them a unique and insightful perspective on the settlement process. This allows clients to receive complete and comprehensive pre-arrival settlement support, which addresses all their questions and concerns, says Huang.

Enrolling in this pre-arrival program can help alleviate many of the fears and misconceptions that new immigrants may encounter while preparing for their journey.

We understand the anxiety, excitement and uncertainties that come with immigrating to a new country. We therefore help people feel more confident about settling in their new home, adapting to Canadian culture and building a network before their arrival with Next Stop Canada, explains Huang.

Next Stop Canadas services focus on the different needs of adults and youth as they prepare for their new lives in Canada. Jaskaran Gill, Certified Information and Referral Specialist explains, As a result clients who register their children can take advantage of the only youth pre-arrival service designed to better prepare immigrant youth for their transition to school in Canada.

The youth program, intended for youth 12 to 19 years old, provides access to self-directed learning modules, interactive videos and a mentorship program which connects youth to other successful Canadian immigrant youth, she adds.

People who register with the adult services have access to the unique live chat feature, which allows an Information and Referral Specialist to assess their situation and provide them with a personalized settlement plan based on their individual needs.

Clients also have access to information about various aspects of life in Canada, including finding a place to live, the Canadian health system, banking and finance, community services, and much more, explains Huang.

However, Huang points out, To be eligible for these services and to register for the program, clients must have received an official invitation to immigrate to Canada, be residing outside of Canada, and must be able to submit the required documentation.

Although immigrants prefer populous cities and better liveable areas like British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, people who have been selected by the government to to settle in Alberta, Manitoba and Atlantic Canada are also assisted via Next Stop Canada pavilion.

Huang says, Next Stop Canada works vigorously to develop their platform to encompass pan-Canada wide resources and information to deliver quality services for their clients. We hope to develop more partnerships with service providing organizations across Canada to assist clients in various aspects of the settlement process. The ultimate goal is to increase client registrations and help even more immigrants prepare for life in Canada.

It is like you have one of your family members living in Canada, so you never get better than that, explains Mohamad, who sought Next Stop Canadas help from Kuwait. He further adds, Next Stop Canada is ready to help you at any time, ready to offer full information about everything, ready to give the maximum help with honesty, and I really felt very comfortable with you guys.

Next Stop Canada has now assisted over 350 clients from 44 different countries to prepare for their new lives in Canada. In addition, they have guided thousands of individuals through their social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Followers can find updates on networking events, helpful tips about life in Canada, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), and informative blog posts.

(Reporting by Debarati Mukherjee)
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
On 3-5 October 2017 Kyiv is going to host the Space and Future Forum to network international experts and youth, many of whom will also participate at the first CosmoHack in the world. Joinfo provides media coverage of the Forum, and some of its topics were already discussed ...
Neurological disorders like Parkinson's, the aftermath of stroke, limb loss and paralysis significantly diminish the length and quality of lifeaffecting about one in six people worldwide. But a growing number of biomedical innovations, driven in large part by an aging population dealing with debilitating health issues, are improving both cognitive and motor function.

A new National Science Foundation (NSF) Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) will focus on developing and testing new neuraltechnologies with the potential to dramatically enhance patient function across a wide range of diseases and injuries while both lowering costs and increasing accessibility.

The BRAIN Center (Building Reliable Advances and Innovation in Neurotechnology) will be led by researchers from Arizona State University and the University of Houston and, working with industry partners, will speed technologies to market.

BRAIN will focus on developing and testing neurotechnologies designed to address a wide range of sensory, motor and cognitive functions. Such neuraltechnologies could save an estimated $400 billion in future costs, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"The BRAIN Center is a way to bring together top faculty at both institutions to address critical challenges in the biomedical field," said Jose Luis Contreras-Vidal, professor of electrical and computer engineering at UH. "The best way to do that is working with industry."

Contreras-Vidal and Marco Santello, director of ASU's School of Biological Health Sciences, will lead the project, which involves more than 50 researchers from both institutions, along with 14 members from industry, including several hospital systems. The researchers come from a wide range of disciplines, from engineering to law, data science and physiology. More information is available on the center websites, https://brain.engineering.asu.edu/research/ and http://brain.egr.uh.edu/

"Medical advances have dramatically increased life expectancy in the 21st century," said Santello. "The BRAIN Center will enable us to develop safe, reliable neurotechnologies to address the rise in chronic, degenerative diseases associated with an aging population."

The BRAIN Center was launched with a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation, shared equally by the universities; industry collaborators pay $50,000 a year to partner with faculty, using university laboratories to co-develop and validate new technologies.

With dedicated space on both campuses, the center will host two meetings a year, starting with a summer meeting in Phoenix and a second meeting in Houston this fall. Industry/faculty teams will present proposals for developing collaborative research projects. Research areas range from Big Data to neurorehabilitation and neuromodulation device development, to robotic-assisted therapy and regulatory science.

The NSF grant also includes a workforce training component, with a focus on recruiting and training students from underrepresented communities in undergraduate programs.

"We are training the next workforce," said Contreras-Vidal. "The technology is so new, we don't have enough people to design, repair, validate and prescribe these technologies."
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Everybody loves those rare "aha moments" where you suddenly and unexpectedly solve a difficult problem or understand something that had previously perplexed you.

But until now, researchers had not had a good way to study how people actually experienced what is called "epiphany learning."

In new research, scientists at The Ohio State University used eye-tracking and pupil dilation technology to see what happens as people figured out how to win a strategy game on a computer.

"We could see our study participants figuring out the solution through their eye movements as they considered their options," said Ian Krajbich, co-author of the study and assistant professor of psychology and economics at Ohio State.

"We could predict they were about to have an epiphany before they even knew it was coming."

Krajbich conducted the study with James Wei Chen, a doctoral student in economics at Ohio State. Their results were published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Most decision-making research has focused on reinforcement learning, where people gradually adjust their behavior in response to what they learn, Chen said.

"Our work is novel in that we're looking at this other kind of learning that really has been neglected in past research," he said.

For the study, 59 students played a game on a computer against an unseen opponent. On the screen were 11 numbers (0 to 10) arranged in a circle (like a rotary phone, for those old enough to remember). The students chose one number and then their opponent chose a number. The details of how they won are somewhat complex (it had to be complex for them to have something to figure out), but essentially the optimal game strategy boils down to picking the lower number. Therefore, picking zero was always the best choice.

The participants played 30 times in a row, always against a new opponent. The researchers created an incentive to win by awarding small payments for each victory.

An eye-tracker sitting under the computer screen could tell what numbers they were looking at as they considered their options during parts of the experiment.

After each of the trials, participants had the option of committing to playing one number for the rest of the trials. They were encouraged to do so by the promise of an extra payment. Participants were then reminded what number they chose, what number their opponent had chosen, and whether they had won or lost.

The goal for the researchers was to see when players had that epiphany, that "aha moment," in which they realized that zero was always the best choice and then committed to playing that number for the rest of the experiment.

The results showed that about 42 percent of players had an epiphany at some point and committed to playing zero. Another 37 percent committed to a number other that zero, suggesting they didn't learn the right lesson. The remaining 20 percent never committed to a number.

The researchers could tell when a player had an epiphany.

"There's a sudden change in their behavior. They are choosing other numbers and then all of a sudden they switch to choosing only zero," Krajbich said. "That's a hallmark of epiphany learning."

These participants gave clues that they were about to have that aha moment, even if they didn't realize it. The eye-tracker showed they looked at zero and other low numbers more often than others did in the trials just before their epiphany, even if they ended up choosing other numbers.

"We don't see the epiphany in their choice of numbers, but we see it in their eyes," Chen said. "Their attention is drawn to zero and they start testing it more and more."

Those who had the epiphanies also spent less time looking at their opponents' number choices and more time considering the result of each trial - whether they won or lost. The researchers said this suggests they were learning that their choice of a low number was the key to victory.

A key to epiphany learning is that it comes suddenly, which was evident when the researchers looked at eye-tracking results on the commitment screen. This was the screen where participants could choose to commit to zero (or another number) for the rest of the trials.

"Those who showed epiphany learning weren't building up confidence over time. There was no increase in the amount of time they looked at the 'commit' button as they went through the trials, which would have indicated they were considering committing," Krajbich said.

"They weren't paying a lot of attention to the commit button until the moment they decided to commit," Chen added.

Findings on pupil dilation provided additional evidence that epiphany learners were reacting differently than others.

"When your pupil dilates, we see that as evidence that you're paying close attention and learning," Krajbich said. Results showed those who experienced epiphany learning experienced significant pupil dilation while viewing the feedback screen (telling them whether they won or lost) before they made the commit decision. The dilation disappeared after they committed.

"They were showing signs of learning before they made the commitment to zero," Krajbich said. "We didn't see the same results for others."

These results suggest that you have to look within to truly experience epiphany learning.

"One thing we can take away from this research is that it is better to think about a problem than to simply follow others," Krajbich said.

"Those who paid more attention to their opponents tended to learn the wrong lesson."
Natasha Corrigan is making international headlines after giving birth to a 13-pound, 4-ounce babyor a "fat little man," as she called him.

Brian Liddle Jr. is one of the biggest babies ever born in Australia, and is twice the average birthweight. Corrigan gave birth to Brian after seven hours of a natural labor, which she said extra staff members had to help with due to the baby's size.

Corrigan isn't the first person to give birth to a larger-than-average baby:

* The biggest baby ever was born 22 pounds in Ohio, according to the Guinness World Records. Sadly, the boy, named "Babe," died 11 hours later.

* Last year, a Perth, Australia, woman gave birth to a 13-pound baby through cesarean section.

* Just weeks after, an Indian woman had a 15-pound baby girl, also via a c-section.

There has been a 15 to 25% increase in babies weighing 8 pounds and 13 ounces or more in the past two to three decades in developed countries, according to 2013 report from medical journal The Lancet.Those babies and their mothers face some additional risks.

Though the average birthweight is 7 pounds and 11 ounces and more than 10 pounds is considered fairly large, "What the right size is for any mom or baby is quite a big range," according to Dr. Hyagriv Simhan, director of maternal-fetal medicine at Magee-Women's Hospital at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

There are certain health conditions, such as diabetes, or gestational diabeteswhich develops during pregnancythat predispose women to having babies over 10 pounds, Simhan said. A baby that weighs more than 10 pounds poses the risk of delivery complications such as excessive bleeding for the mother, increasing the likelihood of long-term nerve injuries or needing a c-section. Even then, the risk of bleeding and delivery complications loom.

Long-term health complications to the baby include obesity in childhood and potentially beyond, he said

How some babies get so big

Multiple factors contribute to large birthweight, including diabetes or family history. A woman who is 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds is more likely to have a larger baby than a 5-foot-3 woman who weighs 100 pounds, Simhan said, adding that physicians attempt to predict birthweight using traditional methods such as ultrasounds and physical exams.

"We have to use these inaccurate methods of gauging size," he said. "In women who are undergoing labor, if we think a baby is larger than average, we'll definitely follow the labor," and potentially suggest a c-section if progress is slow or stalled.

The c-section delivery rate in the U.S. declined for the third year in a row to 32% of births in 2015, the lowest rate since 2007, according to the Centers for Disease Control. More than 2.7 million babies in the U.S. were delivered through vaginal birth in 2015.

Additional risks posed by larger babies

Immediate risks of a large birthweight for the mother are delivery complications such as vaginal and rectal laceration or postpartum hemorrhage, according to Dr. Clark Nugent, a professor of gynecology and obstetrics at the University of Michigan. Long-term risks include high risk of pelvic floor disorders or prolapse, he added.

For the baby, there's also a higher risk of shoulder dystocia, or when the baby's head delivers but the shoulders don't, and oxygen takes too long to deliver.

"Any time that someone is delivering a baby, we have to be prepared for shoulder dystocia," Nugent said.

Other potential health complications include low blood sugar or an elevated blood count, which could lead to the baby being admitted to a neonatal all-intensive nursery.

Women remain in the hospital after delivering a baby with a large birthweight via c-section for 3-4 days should there be no complications, which is standard, Simhan said. Recovery time after vaginal deliveries depends on complications, including tears or injuries, which are more common with large babies.

2017 USA Today

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Babies of Technology: Assisted Reproduction and the Rights of the Child, by Mary Ann Mason, was published in April 2017. Credit: University of California - Berkeley

In a time when the fertility business in the U.S. is booming and so much is possibleartificial insemination, in vitro fertilization (IVF), surrogacy, and potentially, bioengineering of embryosthere are few, if any, laws that protect the children from these less traditional origins.

But there should be, says Mary Ann Mason, a professor of the graduate school at UC Berkeley and a faculty affiliate of the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology. She advocates for strict regulation of the multibillion-dollar fertility industry in her new book Babies of Technology: Assisted Reproduction and the Rights of the Child.

Berkeley News spoke with Mason about the state of assisted reproduction in the U.S. and how it needs to change.

What rights do you believe children born through assisted reproduction should have?

Mary Ann Mason: All children have a right to know who their biological parents are and the culture they come from. We are our genes. There is a great need to know where you come from. It's considered a human right in the U.S. and a children's right in the U.N. In 1989, there was a U.N. conference on the rights of a child. All the countries came to the conference, including the U.S., and we signed the treaties. But we're the only country that didn't ratify it because we didn't believe in children's rights.

What are some of the hardships that these kids face?

Right now in the U.S., sperm donors are promised anonymity. They can give hundreds of donations, so they could have a lot of kids out there who don't know who their biological father is. Also, when children do know who the sperm donors are, perhaps because it was a friend or family member, other problems might arise. There was a U.S. Supreme Court case where a Florida man who had testicular cancer froze his sperm and his wife had a set of twins with his sperm after he died. The children born after he had died weren't considered to be survivors, so they didn't qualify to receive Social Security benefits.

If you have too many embryos implanted, the chances are high of having multiple children with a low birth weight. The mortality and disability associated with low birth weight are prevalent in IVF. In Europe, they limit the number of implantations. Europe is better regulated on all fronts.

Then, we have the prospect of the gene-edited baby. It's not all bad. It means you can edit out terrible diseases. But it does change the human species when you gene edit. And I think the temptation will be once you get rid of bad diseases, you can change height, intelligence, looks, all kinds of things.

Why is California considered a prime destination for fertility tourism?

California has laws that greatly favor the intentional parentsthe people who sign the contract. The surrogate mom doesn't have many rights. States have different laws. People from across the world, especially Asia, will find a surrogate in California, so their baby is born in the state and a California citizen. It's a great advantage to them.

What do you propose?

The U.S. should create a federal administrative agency that would control all aspects of reproduction, instituting guidelines and maintaining records of all procedures performed across the country. Sperm and egg donors shouldn't be promised anonymity, and the donors shouldn't be paid. They already have it in England.

What is your ultimate stance on assisted reproduction in the fast-moving technological age?

We're not going to get rid of assisted reproduction. We just need strict rules. We've already had one child born using the DNA from three parents. The door is open. It's not bad. It just has to be controlled with regulations that are pro-child. The constitution says a citizen is a person born here. Those are the people we really want to protect. We, as a country, need to take children's rights seriously.
Human chromosomes during metaphase. Credit: Steffen Dietzel/Wikipedia

After nearly 40 years of searching, Johns Hopkins researchers report they have identified a part of the human genome that appears to block an RNA responsible for keeping only a single X chromosome active when new female embryos are formed, effectively allowing for the generally lethal activation of more than one X chromosome during development. Because so-called X-inactivation is essential for normal female embryo development in humans and other mammals, and two activated X chromosomes create an inherently fatal condition, the research may help explain the worldwide human sex ratio that has slightly favored males over females for as long as science has been able to measure it. The results appear online in the April 12 issue of the journal PLOS ONE.

In each cell, most humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes, for a total of 46. Twenty-two are so-called autosomes and are the same in both males and females. The 23rd pair is composed of the sex chromosomes, either two X's, in the cases of females, or an X and a Y, in the case of males. Sex chromosome researchers have long known that the vast majority of human and other mammalian females have two X chromosomes, while the vast majority of males have a single X and a Y, and only one X chromosome is active in females.

Studies done elsewhere identified the mechanism behind the silencing of X chromosomes: a gene called Xist, short for X-inactive specific transcript. Located on the X chromosome itself, Xist produces a protein that spreads up and down the chromosome during female embryonic development, turning off its genes.

However, says Barbara R. Migeon, M.D., professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a pioneer in X-inactivation research, she and her colleagues reported nearly four decades ago that in some human embryos with triploidya condition in which there are three sets of chromosomes instead of the usual twotwo copies of the X chromosome remained active.

The most likely explanation for this phenomenon, Migeon reasons, was that a protein that represses the X chromosome silencing activity of Xist was working overtime, allowing more than one X chromosome to remain activated. However, she says, the gene responsible for this repressor, or even its approximate location in the human genome, has been unclear.

To identify the likely location of the repressor protein and the gene that codes for it, the researchers started by looking at cells from human embryos with different forms of chromosomal trisomy, a condition in which cells carry three copies of a particular chromosome instead of two. For example, Down syndrome in humans is marked by a trisomy of chromosome 21.

Because having two active X chromosomes is lethal very early in developmentbefore a new embryo even implants into the uterine wallMigeon and her colleagues focused on autosomal trisomies.

The research team reported finding examples of trisomies in every chromosome in embryos that survived at least until later stages, except chromosomes 1 or 19. "Trisomies of these chromosomes were missing, suggesting that the repressor might be located on one of them," says Migeon.

Delving deeper, the researchers turned to two different genetic databases: the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man, developed and maintained at Johns Hopkins; and the University of California, Santa Cruz, Genome Browser, to look for genes or genomic regions of chromosomes 1 and 19 thought to produce proteins that interact with Xist.

The researchers hunted for genes responsible for adding or subtracting so-called epigenetic marks, which attach to DNA and affect whether a cell can use a given gene. They narrowed their search to a few candidate regions, then turned to a third database, Decipher, which makes it possible to compare human genome variants on tens of thousands of patients with genetic disorders worldwide. On Decipher, the research team looked for genes in the "candidate" regions that showed skewed sex ratios linked to the number of DNA duplications and deletions they could count.

The team reasoned that if the repressor was in a region that was duplicated, it would work overtime and turn off Xist on both X chromosomes, leaving both the X chromosomes active and selectively changing the survival of male vs. female embryos.

Only one section of the human genome fit the bill with these criteriaa stretch of DNA on the short arm of chromosome 19. "We now believe the repressor gene must be located there," Migeon says, "because we've eliminated all the other possibilities."

She explains that a gene or gene cluster in this region of the genome, which extends for eight megabases, or 8 million of the 6 billion nucleotides that make up all DNA on the human genome, could hold the key to understanding why the worldwide ratio of males to females is skewed at 1.05-1.06-to-1.

"Any genetic glitch that causes a trisomy or partial trisomy of that specific region on chromosome 19 would effectively eliminate a resulting female embryo," Migeon suspects, although it's impossible to know how often such genetic mistakes occur. Virtually all government-funded experiments on human embryos are prohibited by law in the United States, but some are allowed in some European countries, Migeon notes. By eliminating or adding in extra copies of genes in the candidate region that she and her team identified, she says, other researchers might be able to eventually identify the specific gene or genes that encode Xist's repressor.

Migeon's career, spanning nearly six decades at Johns Hopkins, has centered on the X chromosome and how the doses of proteins generated by the genes on this chromosome equilibrate between the sexes. Along with her husband, retired Johns Hopkins pediatric endocrinologist Claude Migeon, M.D., the pair has made numerous discoveries related to sex chromosomes and sex differentiation.

More information: Barbara R. Migeon et al. Embryonic loss of human females with partial trisomy 19 identifies region critical for the single active X, PLOS ONE (2017). Journal information: PLoS ONE Barbara R. Migeon et al. Embryonic loss of human females with partial trisomy 19 identifies region critical for the single active X,(2017). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170403
Immunohistochemistry for alpha-synuclein showing positive staining (brown) of an intraneural Lewy-body in the Substantia nigra in Parkinson's disease. Credit: Wikipedia

Julie Torrence clearly remembers the emotional jolt she felt the day her father, Clyde Hill, failed to recognize her at his Kansas care center.

For nearly three decades, Parkinson's disease had afflicted Hill in a growing number of ways, from the muscle rigidity and walking difficulties that forced his retirement from farming to the more recent hallucinations and delusions that had him trying to break out of the care center. Now he thought his oldest child was his sister.

Torrence cried.

About two months later, she met her father at his doctor's office after he'd spent four weeks on a new drug, the first approved to treat Parkinson's psychosis. Now he knew her name, his doctor's name and the names of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Even better, he seemed happy again.

In the doctor's office, Torrence cried again.

"You've given us our father back," she told Hill's doctor, Rajesh Pahwa, the director of the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorder Center at the University of Kansas Health System.

Most people recognize Parkinson's patients through tremors, slow body movements and other motor problems. Yet up to half of patients develop psychosis at some time during the disease's course, often in the later stages and sometimes as a side effect from drugs prescribed to help motor skills.

Tackling the psychosis has proved difficult, in part because doctors struggled for decades to address the motor problems, Pahwa said. As gains happened there, the nonmotor problems became a bigger and bigger challenge to manage, he said.

Some hallucinations or delusions stay mild or happen infrequently enough that patients can handle them. But others are so scary or difficult to manage that they consume patients and overwhelm their caregivers.

Perhaps a patient has been happily married 50 years but now bitterly believes his or her spouse is having an affair. Or patients may become driven by a fear that strangers or authorities want to hurt them. Some grow so agitated they try to flee their homes or accuse family of colluding with the bad people.

New Yorkers complain of non-existent rats in their apartments. Kansans are more likely to report non-existent cattle in their backyards. One of Pahwa's patients argued with his wife over what he saw in a tree. The patient took a photo to Pahwa to prove that a girl had been sitting there. Pahwa saw only a tree branch.

Antipsychotic drugs used for schizophrenia don't help because they block dopamine in the brain, which also is what Parkinson's does as it damages motor functions.

Researchers searched for a chemical compound that could treat psychosis without impairing motor skills. Acadia Pharmaceuticals first synthesized a solution, pimavanserin, in 2001.

It took 15 years to get the product to the market under the brand name Nuplazid, which the Food and Drug Administration approved a year ago this month. Though the drug is expensive, with a one-month wholesale cost of $1,950, insurance often covers most of that. Acadia offers financial assistance for those lacking insurance coverage.

"The biggest thing with the Nuplazid is, it still does not help every patient," said Pahwa, who participated in Nuplazid's clinical studies and serves as a speaker for Acadia.

Because about one in four patients does not improve after taking the drug, research continues on more options. Two other chemical compounds are being developed or tested, Pahwa said.

Of patients who report benefits from Nuplazid, about half experience a dramatic improvement, he said.

That includes the 78-year-old Hill, who lived most of his life on a farm near Weston. His father also suffered from Parkinson's disease.

As a young child, Torrence watched Hill's father - her grandfather - struggle with hallucinations and delusions. He would pick things out of the air, call out names of people not present or grow fearful of something and take off running, even though he normally couldn't run because of the disease. Yet there he was, in his 80s, running from his farm home with a daughter or grandchild giving chase.

Torrence's grandfather didn't live as long with Parkinson's as her father has. Not as many helpful drugs existed then.

Symptoms began hitting Hill at about age 52, when he developed difficulty reaching to get his wallet out of a back pocket. Drugs helped for about a decade, allowing him to keep farming, running his construction business and staying active in the Weston community, where he had served as school board president during Torrence's senior year and built a ball field for the high school.

By his early 60s, with his mobility limited and falls increasing, he had to sell the construction business, retire from farming and give up driving. Deep brain stimulation surgery gave his body a reprieve for several years, but the disease kept progressing until he turned to a wheelchair to get around.

One evening about two years ago, he looked across the floor in his house and asked, "Do you see that puppy jumping in and out of the box?" Torrence told him no and explained that his Parkinson's might be causing him to see the puppy. Next, he saw a non-existent horse on the lawn.

"It got to the point he thought the CIA or bad guys were in the house," Torrence recalled. "He had to get out of there."

Last fall, Hall began getting out of bed two to three times a night, dressing and trying to leave. "It's not safe here," he would say. If one of his children tried to talk him out of leaving, he'd accuse the child of colluding with the bad guys.

The situation forced his children to tearfully search out a care center.

One night last fall, staff at Twin Oaks Health & Rehab in Lansing, Kan., found Hill trying to ram his wheelchair through the glass entry doors because he thought he needed to escape drug dealers. Two of Torrence's brothers got there before Torrence, who lives farther away. Dad insisted to his boys that he had to feed the cows and move the bulldozer. They calmed him by promising to handle the chores.

Not long after that, Hall stopped recognizing some people and remembering the names of others. He also grew combative with the nurses. Torrence called Pahwa seeking help. The doctor already had prescribed Nuplazid to about 25 patients. He talked it over with Hill and explained it might not work. Hill agreed to try it.

After Hill spent four weeks on the new drug, his turnaround stunned Torrence. Her father noticed the difference, too. One recent day, he volunteered to a care center visitor, "I'm on a new drug."

Hill still experiences some mild delusions, Torrence said. His legs have swollen - a side effect some patients develop - but Torrence considers that much better than the psychosis problems.

"It's a miracle drug, as far as I am concerned," she said.

More research is needed to find ways to help more patients, Pahwa said.

"This is still a pretty unmet need," he said. "One drug doesn't help everyone."

2017 The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.)

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Dr. Daryl A. Scott is an associate professor ofMolecular and Human GeneticsBaylor College of Medicine. Credit: Baylor College of Medicine

In a study published today in PLoS ONE, a team of researchers reports solving a medical mystery in a day's work. In record-time detective work, the scientists narrowed down the genetic cause of intellectual disability in four male patients to a deletion of a small section of the X chromosome that had not been previously linked to a medical condition.

Even with the current technological advances, solving medical mysteries such as this one usually entails a much longer period of research. "We found it very interesting how fast we went from knowing nothing about the genetic cause of one patient's condition, to discovering the cause and finding three more individuals with the same problems," said senior author Dr. Daryl A. Scott, associate professor of molecular and human genetics at Baylor College of Medicine. "It took us a year to get all the documentation for writing and publishing the report, but the actual discovery was within hours. It was essential to our discovery that we had at our disposal technology to find and search genomic databases, and to connect electronically and exchange information with other researchers around the world."

Modern day medical detective work

It all began on a Thursday, Scott's day to visit patients with developmental disabilities in clinic. "For one of the patients, a young male with intellectual disability, developmental delay, macrocephaly (enlarged head) and very flexible joints, our genetics lab indicated that the patient did not seem to have any known genetic changes that could explain his condition," said Scott. "I saw a relatively small deletion in the X chromosome, identified as Xp11.22; it had only a few genes in it. The lab indicated that there had been no previous reports about this particular part of the genome causing any kind of medical problems."

Two of the genes in the delete section of the patient's X chromosome were MAGED1 and GSPT2. "To have an idea of what these genes might do, I searched a database that describes the functions of genes in the mouse and found that mice that have a deletion of the Maged1 gene have neurocognitive behavioral abnormalities. This caught my interest as it related to my patient's condition."

To make his case that deletions in Xp11.22 caused the clinical features of his patient, Scott needed to find more patients presenting similar clinical conditions and deletions. He searched two large genomic databases looking for more patients.

After searching the DECIPHER database, Scott found one patient carrying almost the exact same deletion as his patient, but there was no information about the individual's clinical problems. Scott immediately sent an electronic message to the physician, co-author Dr. Alex Henderson, at The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals in England, in order learn more about the clinical characteristics of his patient.

Then, Scott contacted co-author Dr. Seema Lalani, associate professor of molecular and human Genetics at Baylor and assistant laboratory director of cytogenetics at Baylor Genetics. Lalani searched the Baylor Genetics database of 60,000 cases for patients with the deletion.

After carrying on this detective electronic work, Scott went to see his patient. By early afternoon, he was back in his office checking his email. He found a message from Henderson. He had two male patients (siblings) with the deletion, and intellectual disability, developmental delay and super mobile joints! Shortly after, Lalani informed Scott that co-author Dr. Patricia Evans, professor of pediatrics, neurology and neurotherapeutics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas had a patient with the Xp11.22 deletion and the same clinical features as Scott's patient.

"In a day's work we identified four patients in two continents, involving 3 families and it was all put together within 8 hours," Scott said. "None of the patients and their families had an explanation for the condition before this work. Our findings allowed us to provide them with a genetic diagnosis."

"In every case the mothers are carriers for these deletions but they do not have any apparent symptoms," said Scott. "Yet, they can have male children that have significant problems. With this information, we can say to the parents that they have a 50 percent chance of passing this X chromosome with the deletion to a male child. Female children have a 50 percent chance of being carriers. This represents a significant change for the parents; they can now make informed decisions about future family planning."

More information: Christina Grau et al, Xp11.22 deletions encompassing CENPVL1, CENPVL2, MAGED1 and GSPT2 as a cause of syndromic X-linked intellectual disability, PLOS ONE (2017). Journal information: PLoS ONE Christina Grau et al, Xp11.22 deletions encompassing CENPVL1, CENPVL2, MAGED1 and GSPT2 as a cause of syndromic X-linked intellectual disability,(2017). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175962
(HealthDay)A sizable minority of patients need to make contact with health services after outpatient surgery, most often due to inadequate pain management, according to a study published online April 10 in Anesthesiology.

Lone D. Brix, a Ph.D. candidate at Horsens Regional Hospital in Denmark, and colleagues surveyed patients who had undergone one of five common outpatient surgical procedures (knee or shoulder arthroscopy, surgical correction of hallux valgus, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, or a laparoscopic gynecological procedure) one week and eight weeks after surgery.

Based on 732 responses, the researchers found that within the first eight weeks after surgery, one in five patients had made unscheduled contact with health care professionals, most frequently due to pain in the first postoperative week. Risk factors for seeking unscheduled contact included female sex, unemployment, and laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The most frequent contact was with a general practitioner (46.4 percent), and further information and guidance was the most frequent outcome (41.2 percent).

"This finding should be considered when planning postoperative monitoring and care, and developing postoperative patient education," the authors write.

Copyright  2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
People living with Rheumatoid Arthritis have experienced significant improvements in their daily lives which is probably down to early and more aggressive treatment of the disease, according to new research from The Universities of Manchester and East Anglia.

James Gwinnutt, first author of this study from The University of Manchester, conducted the Arthritis Research UK study, led by Dr Suzan Verstappen University of Manchester, into the devastating disease which examined 20 years of data from 1990 to 2010.

The 602 patients in this study, Published in Arthritis and Rheumatology, were recruited to the Norfolk Arthritis Register (NOAR: Chief Investigator Professor Alex MacGregor University of East Anglia) and assessed at regular intervals over the course of 20 years.

The team found that patients who were prescribed disease modifying drug therapies such as sulfasalazine, methotrexate and steroids within 6 months of symptom onset experienced significantly better ability to walk, grip and dress themselves over the course of 20 years compared, to patients who were treated later.

And patients who received these disease modifying drug therapies within the first 6 months had a lower risk of dying, after controlling for the severity of the disease.

Mr Gwinnutt said: "This research shows that patients who received treatment early after symptom onset had similar levels of disability over the subsequent 20 years compared to patients who were judged by clinicians not to require treatment, after accounting for the differences in disease severity between the groups.

"Though there is a broad range in terms of how people are affected by the disease, the number of patients whose lives have improved has increased thanks in part to early treatment."

He added: "The good news is that early intervention has become more and more common in the NHS over these past 20 years.

"In the early 1990s early intervention would happen in about 30% of cases. Nowadays, that figure is probably more like 60-70%.

"There's no reason why this improvement could not extend further."

Dr Natalie Carter, head of research liaison and evaluation at Arthritis Research UK, comments;

"Rheumatoid arthritis is an incredibly painful condition that can be diagnosed at any age and can have an impact on a person's everyday life. This study confirms how important early diagnosis and the commencement of treatment is. It is also encouraging to hear about the progress that has been made over the last 20 years.

Now the scientific community must continue to build on this so that together we can continue to harness the power of exceptional science and make everyday life better for all people with arthritis."

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes joint inflammation and pain.

It is the second most common form of arthritis in the UK and around 1% of the adult population suffer from it.

There have been major advances in available treatments and strategies for the management of RA over the past 20 years.
A view of the "folds" of the brain's second largest region, the cerebellum. Using virtual microscopy, educators and students can zoom into any region of such images, going from an organ-level to a tissue-level to a cell-level view. Credit: University of Michigan Histology and Virtual Microscopy Learning Resources

A medical student in Michigan. A nursing student in Ghana. An anatomy professor in Brazil. A researcher in Australia. All need to learnor teachabout the human body at the most basic level.

For all of them, nothing beats a microscope-level view of healthy organs, tissues and cells. That view sets the stage for learning how these structures change because of mutation, disease or the passage of timeand how to prevent, slow or stop those changes.

Until recently, only those with access to microscopes and libraries of glass slides, each with a tiny sample of preserved tissue, were able to study cells and tissues at the microscopic scale.

Now, students and teachers everywhere can see the human body in fine detail, thanks to "virtual microscopy," which has opened the body's secrets to a much wider audience of students and teachers.

The University of Michigan Medical School was one of the first places to use virtual microscopy for teaching students about normal tissue morphology, a field called histology.

The U-M histology teaching team digitized hundreds of slides from the U-M collection for use by the university's medical and dental students. Later, these images were made freely accessible online on the U-M's histology website and "Histology Lite - SecondLook," a free mobile app.

In any given week, tens of thousands of people from more than 170 countries visit the site. With a few clicks, anyone can zoom in to view images at higher and higher magnification, ranging from an entire organ down to a single cell.

In recent years, other universities and research institutes have also digitized their histology glass slide collections.

A new database

Now, a new website called the Virtual Microscopy Database has launched to bring these collections together and make it easier to find high-quality images of particular structures.

With a grant from the American Association of Anatomists, the VMD is now accepting free registrations from educators or researchers affiliated with an academic institution who want to view, download and use digital microscopic images.

Michael Hortsch, Ph.D., from the U-M Medical School and colleagues from the University of Colorado and Drexel University, led the effort to pull together images from many institutions. They will introduce the new VMD resource at the Experimental Biology meeting in Chicago.

"I want my students to analyze and interpret micrographs they have not encountered previously in lectures, labs or textbooks. The VMD gives me a rich collection of images that I can use for tests and examinations," says Hortsch, an associate professor of cell and developmental biology and of learning health sciences who teaches histology to all U-M medical and dental students as well as graduate and senior undergraduate students.

The global potential of the resource also excites Hortsch.

"I'm frequently asked for help by colleagues from all over the world, who want to use virtual microscopy to teach their students histology, so I realized that there is a great demand for high quality microscopic images in a digital format," he says. Over the past few years, he has shared the entire contents of the U-M virtual microscopy library with colleagues worldwideto the tune of more than 200 gigabytes of data each time.

"As no single slide collection is complete and flawless, pooling image collections from many different schools and making them available to all histology educators and researchers in form of an electronic database is a perfect solution."

He hopes that the new resources will help more schools, colleges and universitiesincluding those in the developing worldavoid having to purchase and maintain microscopes and glass slides.

"Virtual microscopy is like Google Earth, just at the microscopic scale," he says. "It's not just about looking at pictures. It's also a way to connect structure with function. Because we are visual animals, it's easier for us to understand what is happening inside our bodies if we can see it with our own eyes."

More information: Visit the Virtual Microscopy Database at Visit the Virtual Microscopy Database at www.virtualmicroscopydatabase.org/ See virtual slides and other materials available from the University of Michigan at histology.sites.uofmhosting.net/ Get the SecondLook mobile applications available from U-M here: secondlook.med.umich.edu/
Government spending on military research has resulted in science and engineering breakthroughs which benefit many people today.

Like the spin-offs invented by NASA, many technologies originally developed for military applications trickle down to consumers and become household items.

We have featured nine of the most famous military inventions below.

GPS

The Global Positioning System was created by the United States Air Force to serve as a navigation system.

The system is still operated by the United States government, which can choose to deny access to selected recipients  including entire countries.

Microwave

The invention of the microwave oven is related to radar systems used by militaries.

The technology was designed to be used for air defence and early warning systems, and in 1945 an American engineer discovered that the microwaves from a radar emitted enough energy to cook food.

Jet Engines

The German and British air forces both developed the first jet engines for use in World War II.

The technology was quickly adopted by military powers worldwide and became ubiquitous among military aircraft.

Aviators

Aviator sunglasses were originally developed by Bausch & Lomb in 1935 to protect the eyes of pilots, replacing flight goggles.

The sunglasses became popular due to their large lenses and were eventually trademarked as Ray Bans.

Duct Tape

Duct tape was invented by Revolite during World War II and was used as an adhesive tape for creating a waterproof seal for ammunition cases.

The product was useful for many other applications and quickly became popular among consumers.

The Internet

While a lot of networking and research was required to refine the Internet, the United States government funded the first building block of the global network.

The Advanced Research Projects Agency Network was funded by the US Department of Defense and eventually adopted TCP/IP as its standard networking protocol.

Super Glue

Super Glue was discovered by scientists attempting to create clear plastic gun sights during World War II.

The scientists created a substance which stuck to everything it came in contact with, and the strong adhesive was born.

Jeep

Jeep originally manufactured its iconic vehicles for the United States military during World War II.

Following the war, the company began producing civilian models.

Drones

The first drones appeared following World War II and included unmanned jets and various UAV designs.

Since then, militaries around the world have improved the design of their UACVs (Unmanned Aerial Combat Vehicles), with the technology filtering down to commercial units.

Now read: US military launches Space Mission Force
CIA Director Mike Pompeo has called WikiLeaks a hostile intelligence service, using his first public speech as spy agency chief to denounce leakers of classified information.

Pompeo, in an address at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think-tank on Thursday, called WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange a fraud and a coward.

It is time to call out WikiLeaks for what it really is, a non-state hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors like Russia, Pompeo said.

He said Russias GRU military intelligence service used WikiLeaks to distribute material hacked from Democratic National Committee computers during the 2016 US presidential election.

US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia stole the emails and took other actions to tilt the election in favour of eventual winner Donald Trump, a Republican, against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

Pompeo and Trump, who chose him to head the CIA, have not always been so critical of WikiLeaks. During a campaign rally last October, Trump praised the group for releasing hacked emails from the DNC by saying, I love WikiLeaks.

In July, Pompeo, then a Republican member of the House of Representatives, mentioned it in a Twitter post referring to claims that the DNC had slanted the candidate-selection process to favour Clinton. Need further proof that the fix was in from Pres. Obama on down? BUSTED: 19,252 Emails from DNC Leaked by Wikileaks.

WikiLeaks has published secret documents from the US government and others and says its mission is to fight government secrecy and promote transparency. Pompeo said it has encouraged its followers to find jobs at CIA in order to obtain intelligence.

Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London since 2012, after taking refuge there to avoid extradition to Sweden over allegations of rape, which he denies. Damaging leaks

Pompeos speech on Thursday follows a series of damaging leaks of highly sensitive CIA and National Security Agency material.

In March, WikiLeaks published thousands of pages of internal CIA discussions that revealed hacking techniques the agency had used against iPhones, Android devices and other targets.

Pompeo compared WikiLeaks and Assange to leakers of the pre-internet days like former CIA official Philip Agee.

Agees exposing the identities of undercover CIA agents was blamed for the assassination of the agencys Athens station chief in 1974.

Pompeo also had harsh words for Edward Snowden, the former National Security Administration contractor who downloaded thousands of documents revealing some of the electronic eavesdropping agencys most sensitive programmes and shared them with journalists.

More than a thousand foreign targets, people, groups, organisations, more than a thousand of them changed or tried to change how they communicated as a result of the Snowden disclosures, Pompeo said.

That number is staggering.

US intelligence agencies have struggled to deal with insider threats  their own employees or contractors who steal classified materials and, in some cases, publicise them.

News24

Now read: WikiLeaks to share CIA hacking tools with tech firms
U.S. officials secretly ask major banks to continue doing business with some Russian firms

19fortyfive: Is America tired of the war in Ukraine?

EU replaces pipeline Russian gas with imported Russian LNG

Kommersant: China split the 'unity' of the West

Expert estimates level of Azerbaijan's information attack on Armenia in September, comparing it to 44-day war

UK wants to work more with the U.S. on gas supplies

Donald Trump votes in Florida midterm elections

EU admits: It is impossible to set a ceiling on gas prices that will not affect contracts or security of supply

Most valuable metal of year is named

Mehr: Nikolai Patrushev arrives in Tehran

Turkish TV company confesses that Ankara and Israel were arming Azerbaijan against Armenia

Who is Baku threatening? Armenia's former deputy defense minister decodes Aliyev's statements

Army Commander-in-Chief: Even those who claim to be superpowers do not dare to attack Iran

Iran and Russia to build joint pipeline

India to continue buying Russian oil

Businessman Zhong Shanshan becomes richest man in China

Armenia and Poland emphasize OSCE role in promoting stability in South Caucasus

Banks are searched in Germany in case of money laundering by Russian businessman

Armenian President reacts to Aliyev's speech at League of Arab States summit

Armenia increases trade with EEU member states by $1.2 bln

Cavusoglu: Sweden and Finland have not yet fulfilled all Turkey's conditions

Oldest member of Rothschild dynasty die in Britain

Armenian National Security Council head and Polish Secretary of State discuss regional security issues

Stepantsminda-Lars highway faces restrictions

Kyiv realizes if China starts supplying ammunition to Russian troops it will be terrible

State Department: U.S. remains committed to supporting peace in South Caucasus region

Iran condemns thousand protesters and calls for retaliation against rest

Delegation from Israel visits Museum-Institute of the Armenian Genocide

Media: London is close to agreement with Washington on LNG supplies

Aliyev in fact confirms fact of Azerbaijani aggression against sovereign territory of Armenia

Toivo Klaar: Important meeting held in Washington between Armenia, Azerbaijan FMs

Aliyev switches from threatening Armenia to insulting foreign leaders

Karabakh ombudsman: Todays occupation does not change status of Shushi

Envoy briefs Kazakhstan human rights commissioner on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Armenia

Dollar, euro continue to rise in Armenia

U.S. Ambassador to UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield arrives in Kiev

EU partners welcome justice sector reforms in Armenia

Armenia government to have academic city project development working group

Rybar: Publication of Iranian film about 'skeletons' of Aliyev family is blow to positions of Aliyev family

Zelenskyy to attend G20 leaders' summit

Voting for midterm elections to Congress begins in U.S.

Russian MFA offers Tehran and Riyadh to mediate dialogue

Survey: Georgia residents say Armenia is their friend

Arman Yeghoyan to Poland colleague: Armenia needs support from European platforms

State Department official: American side is impressed by Armenia Police reforms

Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte: I realized that this project is the right one

Heads of general staffs of CSTO countries armies to discuss military cooperation development

President: Climate change agenda continues to remain priority for Armenia despite challenges, security concerns

Armenia discusses issue of EEU citizens' stay in country for more than 180 days

Economy minister: 74% of Diaspora Armenians ready to invest in Armenia

Constitutional Court of Georgia revokes ban on pornography

158 people die in Philippines storm

Close to $7.5M allocated for Armenia scientific infrastructure, material, technical base modernization

Byblos Bank Armenia finances the construction of two major solar parks

Bloomberg: EU mechanism to provide Ukraine with $18 billion implies conditions

Turkey voices its full and unconditional support for Azerbaijan

Ombudsperson attends Armenia-EU Human Rights Dialogue session, presents facts recorded in her ad hoc reports

Israeli embassy congratulates Azerbaijan on 'Victory Day'

World gold prices going down

Ankara offers its storage capacity for Russian grain

Zelenskiy calls key conditions for talks with Russia

Bitcoin price goes down

Copper price goes down

World oil prices dropping

Blinken: Armenia and Azerbaijan are taking courageous steps to achieve peace

Newspaper: What changes expected in "Brussels package" of Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization talks?

13 billion cubic meters of natural gas found off Israel coast

State Security Service of Azerbaijan is scared by YouTube video about situation in Nakhichevan

Newspaper: There were serious problems in organizing Global Armenian Summit

MFA: Armenia, Azerbaijan FMs agree to expedite their negotiations

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
Speculations are that both factions of AIADMK may merge after former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Jayalalithaa loyalist O Panneerselvam said that if he is invited, he is ready to talk about merger.

By India Today Web Desk: Late night drama unfolded in Chennai when at least 25 leaders from AIADMK party held a meeting for over an hour, hinting at the merger of two factions of AIADMK - O Panneerselvam and VK Sasikala camps.

Addressing the media after the meeting, minister D Jayakumar said, "We welcome OPS's statement about unifying the party. 123 MLAs and all ministers have only wished that Amma's rule should continue," adding that they discussed two issues in the meeting namely submitting the affidavit on two leaves symbol and that party wants Amma rule.

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Jayakumar cleared that Sasikala has not resigned from the party yet.

"We discussed on the OPS statement of merging together. We welcome that, will hold talks," said Jayakumar after meeting.

He said they welcome all talks between EPS and OPS and are ready for merger.

Meanwhile, Dinakaran has taken special permission to meet Sasikala in Bengaluru jail.

The unscheduled late night meet was chaired by Electricity Minister K Thangamani at his official residence at the Greenways Road.

Ministers including Health Minister C Vijayabaskar, who is under the Income Tax scanner, were present at the meeting. Chief Minister K Palaniswami was however absent.

Vijayabaskar's presence is significant as it was speculated that his resignation was demanded by some senior ministers.

Ruling party legislators have also been asked to be available in the city on Tuesday, sources said.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister K Palaniswami too held talks with his Cabinet colleagues. The meetings were held after Panneerselvam spoke about merger talks.

Earlier, Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai said that Dhinakaran faction was ready for talks with Panneerselvam for a patch-up.

Incidentally, Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao also arrived in the city earlier in the day.

Earlier today, AIADMK deputy General Secretary TTV Dinakaran was booked in a bribery case filed by the Delhi Police's Crime Branch.

Dinakaran was allegedly told by Sukesh Chander, the mediator, that the AIADMK party symbol - which was frozen by the Election Commission last month ahead of the RK Nagar bypoll - would go to the Dinakaran-Sasikala camp if he was paid Rs 50 crore.

Dinakaran was allegedly in direct touch with the accused, and will be sent a summons asking him to join the probe. Sukesh has been arrested.

AIADMK symbol row: After arresting middleman, Delhi Police asks Dinakaran to join probe

AIADMK's TTV Dinakaran charged with offering Rs 50 crore to middleman to buy party's 'two leaves' symbol

--- ENDS ---
The latest proposal comes less than a month after Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad assaulted a staffer of the national carrier at the airport here.

By Press Trust of India: National carrier Air India is considering imposing a penalty of up to Rs 15 lakh on unruly passengers for flight delays.

The latest proposal comes less than a month after Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad assaulted a staffer of the national carrier at the airport here.

Now, the airline is mulling to penalise passengers who delay flights and the amount could be up to Rs 15 lakh.

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A fine of Rs 5 lakh would be levied for delay up to one hour and the amount would be Rs 10 lakh in case the delay is between one to two hours, airline sources said.

The fine would be Rs 15 lakh for more than two hours delay.

Since the incident involving Gaikwad on March 23, the national carrier as well as the government have been exploring ways to bolster the existing mechanism to rein in unruly passengers.

ALSO READ:

Consumer court holds Air India guilty of deficient service over choked, stinking toilet

Air India lifts travel ban on Ravindra Gaikwad, but Shiv Sena MP takes train to Delhi

ALSO WATCH:

Ravindra Gaikwad has given undertaking, will not misbehave again, tweets MoS Jayant Sinha

--- ENDS ---
Lawyers Propose Split of Deepwater Horizon Case Fees

Two law firms in New Orleans and Lafayette, La., that led the plaintiffs' case are slated to receive $87.7 million each if the proposed allocation is approved.

Law firms that participated in the class-action litigation of the Deepwater Horizon case have proposed how they will share about $680 million in fees, with two firms in New Orleans and Lafayette, La., that led the plaintiffs' case to receive $87.7 million each, Katherine Sayre of nola.com reported April 13. The document listing the proposed fee allocation was filed April 11.

A committee made up of six of the plaintiffs' firms reviewed fee requests and conducted interviews in order to develop their recommendation.

U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier of New Orleans had awarded fees to the plaintiffs' lawyers last October, saying in his order that the allocation would be decided later. Judge Barbier and John Perry, a special master for fees appointed in the case, must review the proposal, Sayre reported.

Barbier's order spelled out how much work was one in the litigation to resolve claims after an explosion in April 2010 caused the loss of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig and a major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. "Petitioning Attorneys have performed an immense amount of work in this MDL [multi-district litigation]," Barbier wrote in the order. "Counsel expended over 527,000 hours on common benefit work. Counsel took hundreds of depositions and analyzed over 90 million pages of documents. Furthermore, they did something that rarely happens in class actions: they actually went to trial. Counsel engaged in a massive, two-phase trial effort in pursuit of the claims assigned to the class by BP and the expressly reserved claims of individual class members. The demands of this case not only precluded other employment, it required many common benefit attorneys to move to New Orleans and devote their entire practice to this MDL for years. These lawyers spent days and weeks away from their homes and families. This resulted in a high level of collaboration, benefitting not only class members, but the entire litigation."
The Anti-Corruption Bureau raided the house of B Jagadeshwar Reddy, who is a chief engineer with Andhra Pradesh Education Welfare and Infrastructure Development Corporation.

By Ashish Pandey: In a crackdown on a top government official, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Andhra Pradesh has raided the residence of a chief engineer with the state's education and welfare infrastructure development corporation.

Acting on a complaint, the ACB raided the house of B Jagadeshwar Reddy, who is a chief engineer of Andhra Pradesh Education Welfare and Infrastructure Development Corporation (APEWIDC).

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HERE IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE ANTI-CORRUPTION BUREAU CRACKDOWN: The Anti-Corruption Bureau is carrying out searches at eight locations, including the house of B Jagadeshwar Reddy. Raids are on at Hyderabad, Vijaywada, Mahbubnagar and Suryapet districts in Telangana, and at a location in Chennai too. So far, huge amounts of cash, gold and silver ornaments, expensive cutlery, and several property related documents have been recovered. ACB sleuths believe that the senior government officer owns properties worth several crores of rupees. The raids, which started around 6.30 am, are still on. Further details are awaited.

ALSO READ:

Raid Raj: Changes in Income Tax law allow sleuths to raid at will, cite no reasons for suspicion

Delhi: Lawyer watches own house getting raided on phone, Rs 2.62 crore found in new notes

In fresh crackdown on black money, Income Tax notice to 60,000 entities

ALSO WATCH

--- ENDS ---
Miss Mollys Cafe & Pastry Shop is slated to open by mid-summer at 9201 W. Center St. in the former home of Pattaya Thai restaurant.

The bakery and cafe will be owned and operated by Molly Sullivan, pastry chef at Black Shoe Hospitality, operators of Blues Egg, Maxie's and Story Hill BKC. Sullivan, who has operated a wedding cake and catering business for the past five years, had her eyes on opening a shop in Washington Heights last year; however, when plans to purchase the building fell through, she put her plans on hold indefinitely.

However, things changed when Sullivan saw a "For Rent" sign in the restaurant on Center Street.

"About two years ago, I considered opening a tasting room for my catering business in the same building," she says. "But, in the end, I put that on hold in favor of pursuing the cafe concept. But, Id gotten to know the owner of the building, so I called him and asked if it was still available."

Sullivan says the shop was inspired by some of the "really beautiful" cafes she encountered when she studied abroad in Paris during college.

The counter-service cafe will offer scratch-made bakery items including muffins, scones and coffee cake, along with desserts like layer cakes, tarts and other pastries.

Breakfast and lunch will be primarily grab-and-go items, with an emphasis on seasonal, local and healthy options, as well as dishes for both vegan and vegetarians, says Sullivan. Options will include ancient grains breakfast bowls, housemade granola and lunch items like baked corn chips with vegan dips. Sullivan also plans to cure her own salmon, which shell use for sandwiches and to serve with house-made bagels.

She has also applied for liquor license, which will allow Miss Mollys to offer beer or wine during lunch, as well as mimosas on weekends.

"The space is also really conducive to small parties," she adds. "So well also offer the space for rent in the evenings, along with catering like appetizers, beer and wine."

Sullivan says that changes to the space will be mostly aesthetic. The fireplace will remain a focal point for the cafe, but shes hoping to augment the warm, comfortable feel with the addition of wainscoting and a fresh coating of paint on the walls. A sidewalk patio will seat about 20 or so diners during the summer months.

Sullivan, who grew up in Wauwatosa, says one of the best things about the new cafe is its location.

"I went to grade school across the street," she notes. "And I still know a lot of the families in the neighborhood. So, it feels really great to be coming back to my old neighborhood to do this."

Sullivan says that, if all goes well, she hopes to have the new cafe open by mid-July. Proposed hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

You can follow Miss Molly's Pastries on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
17 April 2017 Phuket, Thailand  The Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation and its partners organized the 8th annual Mai Khao Marine Turtle Release Ceremony on Songkran day, April 13. With five hundred hotels guests, Phuket residents, tourists and provincial dignitaries gathered at Marriott Phuket Resort & Spas beachfront and were welcomed by General Manager of the hotel, Mr. Oriol Montal.

The ceremony, presided over by Vice Governor of Phuket Sivaporn Chuasawas alongside with guests of honour among Acting Sub Lieutenant Vigrom Charktee, Thalang Sheriff; Dr. Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong, Director of Phuket Marine Biological Center; Captain Suthisak Cheu-Muang-Pak, Director of Department of Civil Affairs, 3rd Naval Area Command; Mr. Vitoon Dechpramualpol, Intendent of Sirinart National Park; Mrs. Juttarat Ninlahut, Asst. Director of The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Phuket Office.

This is a fantastic day and phenomenal way to begin the Thai New Year by releasing 53 new batches of rehabilitated green turtles into the Andaman Sea and Its become our traditional event during Songkran Festival by now. Sea Turtles represent longevity in Thai culture and releasing animals to nature is believed to bring good luck to the participants. The hotel guests were delighted as this is distinctive experience of their Phuket holiday said, Mr. Oriol Montal, General Manager.

All monies have raised through donations during the event, it went towards supporting the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation and its partners: the Phuket Marine Biological Centres injured Turtle Rehabilitation Program and the Third Naval Area Commands Turtle Hatchery Program.

Furthermore, the Mai Khao Turtle Foundation also organized the exclusive Turtle release programs on April 15 and 16 from 9 am  10 am together with IUCN once again this year. The event was supported by the Phuket Marine Biological Center, The Royal Thai Navy, Department of Marine & Coastal Resources and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

For more information about the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation, please contact Mr. Sean Panton, Co-Chairman & Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, Marriott Thailand Business Council, email sean.panton@marriotthotels.com or Khun Kittipan, Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation Manager, via email info@maikhaoturtlefoundation.org or call 076 338 000 ext. 3383
In this Dec. 10, 2015 file photo, President Barack Obama signs the "Every Student Succeeds Act," a major education law setting U.S. public schools on a new course of accountability, in Washington. States are grappling with as they are working to submit blueprints of how they will implement the Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA, a landmark education law meant to help struggling schools. The law allows states greater flexibility in dealing with low performing schools, but the flexibility also comes with the risk or doing too little, too much or too differently. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

How often do students miss school? Are they ready for college? Are they physically fit? Is their school a welcoming place?

States are beginning to outline new ways to evaluate their schools, rather than relying just on traditional measures such as test scores.

The plans are required under a federal education law, the Every Student Succeeds Act, which was signed by former President Barack Obama in 2015 and takes effect in the coming school year.

Under the new law, states are focusing more on academic growth, meaning not just whether students have achieved a certain academic level in reading and math, but whether they have improved over time.

Mike Petrilli, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, said that's a big change from the No Child Left Behind Act, the previous version of the education law. "Schools and educators should feel good about that; that will be a fairer way to measure school quality," he said.

But while most experts praised the flexibility and innovation offered by the new law, some think that in the absence of federal guidelines some states may overlook groups of students who need additional support, such as minorities, students with disabilities and English-language learners. The Republican-controlled Congress moved swiftly this year to rescind key federal accountability guidelines passed by the Obama administration to help states implement the new law.

So far, nine states and the District of Columbia have submitted their accountability plans to the Education Department for review, and seven states are completing their blueprints. The remaining states will submit their plans in September. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos will decide whether to accept or reject them. She has said her goal is state and local flexibility in education and indicated that she might use the process to advance school choice.

When evaluating school quality, states are experimenting with new indicators. Almost all of the first-round states have adopted chronic absenteeism, or how many students miss more than 10 percent of the school year, as a key metric.

In this April 11, 2017 file photo, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is seen in the State Department Library of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington. How to spot a troubled school and how to help it? What does it mean to be a good student? What should report cards look like? These are some of the questions states are grappling with as they are working to submit blueprints of how they will implement the Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA, a landmark education law meant to help struggling schools. The law allows states greater flexibility in dealing with low performing schools, but the flexibility also comes with the risk or doing too little, too much or too differently. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Connecticut and Delaware, among others, also will be tracking college readiness, or whether high school students are taking advanced classes and how successful they are on college admission tests like the SAT.

Tennessee wants to give every public school in the state a grade from A to F, which state Education Commissioner Candice McQueen says would give parents better information about schools. The grade will take into account such things as how well English language learners are doing and whether disabled students are being served. The schools will also be graded on chronic absenteeism rates, and if students are ready for college or the military and whether traditionally underserved students are performing well. Graduation rates also will count.

Nevada outlined a system that focuses on student growth measures, including test scores, English language proficiency, and graduation rates. Massachusetts will be paying attention to academic results in ninth grade.

In New Mexico, the state will begin tracking the need for additional tutoring in college and linking those back to high schools where the students studied. The state also will look at how students do in science in ranking schools.

Some states are getting creative. Vermont and Connecticut want to make physical fitness another sign of school quality, while Connecticut also believes access to arts education should be another measure. Illinois wants to conduct "climate surveys" asking whether children feel they are in a safe and welcoming environment.

"There is a lot more than just tests that matter for student success," said Natasha Ushomirsky with the Education Trust. "Tests are important and looking at progress is important, but states are getting a better picture of how schools are serving students."

Another common thread that has emerged from the first round: States are doing a better job of involving parents, teachers and community activists in the process. "They've been very proactive to engage anybody who has an interest in the plans," said Kirsten Carr with the Council of Chief State School Officers.

But Marc Magee, CEO of 50Can, an education nonprofit, expressed concern that "if everybody doesn't hold up their end of the bargain, we could go back to that era where certain populations of students become invisible inside schools even if they are struggling mightily and not getting the opportunity that they deserve."

And Lindsey Tepe, senior education policy analyst at New America, said there is so much variation in how states want to evaluate their schools that national comparisons could be difficult. "Without the guidance, there isn't really a recipe to follow," said Tepe.

 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
The sensor patch can be embedded into the dressing that fixes a cannula in place. Credit: A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics

A new adhesive sensor can save patients the discomfort and pain resulting from leaky intravenous drips.

A significant number of hospitalized patients require the insertion of a thin tube, called a cannula, into a vein, usually in their hand or arm, to facilitate easy and sometimes lengthy delivery of drugs. If the vein is small or fragile, such as is often the case in infants and the elderly, or the cannula is misplaced or moves, the drugs can leak into the surrounding tissue, causing swelling, pain, and sometimes, in severe cases, death of the tissues and impaired function of the limb. Clinicians and nurses do monitor the cannula site for leakage, but this can sometimes be challenging and very small leakages can be missed.

Researchers at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Institute of Microelectronics in collaboration with clinicians from KK Women's and Children's Hospital in Singapore have developed an adhesive sensor that can detect as little as two millilitres of leaked fluids. The sensor can be incorporated into the dressing normally used to fix a cannula in place.

It is made of very thin electrodes embedded between two elastic polymer substrates. The electrodes stretch when a leakage into the tissues stretches the skin. This in turn changes the resistance in the sensing electrode, which is detected by a 'reader' connected to the sensor. The reader is battery-run and reusable, while the sensor patch is disposable and does not require a battery.

The team has successfully tested its sensor in lab experiments. The researchers next plan to develop a wireless module that can wirelessly alert healthcare workers of a leakage through a mobile application, allowing for immediate intervention.

They will also work on making the sensor more cost-effective: they expect it to cost less than US$1 per sensor patch. Further work will include conducting more comprehensive clinical trials for the sensor patch system.
A comparison of IP3R cytosolic domain structures in the absence of IP3 (colored) with one in the presence of IP3 (gray). Domain organization. Suppressor domain (SD), yellow; IP3-binding core (IBC), red; helical domain 1 (HD1), green; helical domain 2 (HD2), blue; helical domain 3, wheat. Credit: RIKEN

Researchers at the RIKEN Brain Science Institute have determined the atomic resolution structure of a key molecule that translates signals from a cell's local environment into a language that the cell can understand and use. The determination of the architecture of the Inositol Tris-Phosphate Receptor (IP3R) had long been considered a major goal in biomedical research because of its strategic role inside cells as a molecular train station for transferring signals that control many cell functions.

Culminating a nearly 10 year effort, researchers have determined the atomic resolution structure of a key molecule that translates signals from a cell's local environment into a language that the cell can understand and use. The determination of the architecture of the Inositol Tris-Phosphate Receptor (IP3R) had long been considered a major goal in biomedical research because of its strategic role inside cells as a molecular train station for transferring signals that control many cell functions. The structure is expected to contribute to the development of better therapeutic approaches for many diseases. The work was conducted by a team at RIKEN Brain Science Institute under the direction of Professor Katsuhiko Mikoshiba, whose laboratory cloned the first IP3R gene in 1989.

In all living cells, chemical signals are harnessed for intracellular communication. The inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) is one such signal that binds to the IP3 receptor (IP3R) to release calcium ions (Ca2+) from intracellular Ca2+ stores such as the endoplasmic reticulum. The IP3R-embedded Ca2+ stores are distributed in various microdomains within cells and have pivotal roles in processes as diverse as neural communication, differentiation, plasticity, and metabolism. Of the three genes identified, the brain dominant type 1 IP3R (IP3R1) is genetically causative for spinocerebellar ataxia 15/16/29 and Gillespie syndrome, and regulates cellular waste disposal processes implicated in the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease. Although the important roles of IP3R in normal and disease conditions are well known, understanding how IP3 signals trigger the opening of the Ca2+ channel was elusive.

The new IP3R1 crystal structure reveals a rich cosmos of atomic scale details on its function. IP3R1 is a micromachine of 20 nm in diameter that contains two functional sub-structures, an IP3 binding site and a Ca2+ channel pore. The distance from the IP3-binding site to the channel pore is 7 nm, the longest among similar ion channels, and the fundamental question of how IP3-binding physically opens the channel from a long range has been unanswered in the decades since the gene was cloned. X-ray crystallography of the large cytosolic domain of a mouse IP3R1 in the absence and presence of IP3, at the RIKEN SPring-8 ion beam factory, pinpointed a long-range mechanism involving an IP3-dependent global movement of a part of the receptor called the curvature -helical domain that serves as a bridge between the cytosolic and channel domains. Mutagenesis of this bridge revealed the essential role of a leaflet structure in the -helical domain that relays IP3 signals to the channel, and may help to explain how long-range coupling from IP3 binding to the Ca2+ channel occurs.

The findings reveal similarities and differences with a recently published report on the IP3R using a completely different method called cryo-electron microscopy. In the related study, a group led by Irina Serysheva from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston proposed that channel activation by IP3 may occur by direct binding of the C-terminus and IP3-binding domain and coupling from the IP3-binding domain to neighboring subunits. The current data disagree with these conclusions, instead suggesting that IP3-binding site to the leaflet region underlies the dynamic structural changes by IP3. A comparison of the two structures reveals agreement on an immobile part of the curvature helical domain and a variable arrangement of other helical domains. The authors hypothesize that the immobile section would act as a rigid-body conducting a torque from IP3-binding sites to the channel domain, whereas the flexible regions would contribute to the dynamic properties of IP3R function.

Resolving the long-standing mystery of long-range communication that allows IP3 to open the channel will aid future rational drug design targeting the receptor that could allow a more diverse range of therapeutic avenues. The findings may also clarify IP3R roles in cellular senescence and tumor suppression linked to selective vulnerability of cancer cells. Surprisingly, the study also clarifies a role of IP3Rs in the function of pathogenic unicellular organisms like Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite of Chagas disease, and brucei, that causes African trypanosomiasis or sleeping sickness. The team identified an amino acid sequence in the leaflet that is conserved in parasites, suggesting structural insights that may assist in drug discovery for these devastating conditions.

More information: Hamada K, Miyatake H, Terauchi A, Mikoshiba K (2017) IP3-mediated gating mechanism of the IP3 receptor revealed by mutagenesis and X-ray crystallography. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences DOI: 10.1073/pnas1701420114 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Provided by RIKEN
The terminus of the glacier Kangerlugssuup Sermerssua. Credit: Tim?Bartholomaus

Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have identified glaciers in West Greenland that are most susceptible to thinning in the coming decades by analyzing how they're shaped. The research could help predict how much the Greenland Ice Sheet will contribute to future sea-level rise during the next century, a number that currently ranges from inches to feet.

Scientists at The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) led the study, which was published in Nature Geoscience on April 17.

"There are glaciers that popped up in our study that flew under the radar until now," said lead author Denis Felikson, a graduate research assistant at UTIG and a Ph.D. student in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics. UTIG is a research unit of the UT Jackson School of Geosciences.

The Greenland Ice Sheet is the second-largest ice sheet on Earth and has been losing mass for decades, a trend scientists have linked to a warming climate. However, the mass change experienced by individual coastal glaciers, which flow out from the ice sheet into the ocean, is highly variable. This makes predicting the impact on future sea-level rise difficult.

"We were looking for a way to explain why this variability exists, and we found a way to do it that has never been applied before on this scale," Felikson said.

Of the 16 glaciers researchers investigated in West Greenland, the study found four that are the most susceptible to thinning: Rink Isbr, Umiamako Isbr, Jakobshavn Isbr and Sermeq Silardleq.

Tim Bartholomaus, an assistant professor at the University of Idaho and former research associate at UT Austin's Institute for Geophysics (UTIG), and Dan Duncan, a UTIG research scientist associate, are disassembling a GPS antenna tower on the glacier Kangerlugssuup Sermerssua. Credit: Denis Felikson

Umiamako Isbr, Sermeq Silardleq and Jakobshavn are already losing mass, with Jakobshavn being responsible for more than 81 percent of West Greenland's total mass loss during the past 30 years.

Rink has remained stable since 1985, but through shape analysis researchers found that it could start to thin if its terminus, the front of the glacier exposed to ocean water, becomes unstable. This is a strong possibility as the climate continues to warm.

"Not long ago we didn't even know how much ice Greenland was losing. Now we're getting down to the critical details that control its behavior," said Tom Wagner, director of NASA's cryosphere program, which sponsored the research.

The analysis works by calculating how far inland thinning that starts at the terminus of each glacier is likely to extend. Glaciers with thinning that reaches far inland are the most susceptible to ice mass loss.

Just how susceptible a glacier is to thinning depends on its thickness and surface slope, features that are influenced by the landscape under the glacier. In general, thinning spreads more easily across thick and flat glaciers and is hindered by thin and steep portions of glaciers.

The research revealed that most glaciers are susceptible to thinning between 10 and 30 miles inland. For Jakobshavn, however, the risk of thinning reaches over 150 miles inlandalmost one-third of the way across the Greenland Ice Sheet.

This graphic depicts surface elevation change and mass loss for a selection of glaciers in Greenland from 1985 to the present. Labels pertain to glacier names. Ice is in white, ocean in light gray, and bedrock is in dark gray. Circle areas are proportional to dynamic mass gain (blue) or loss (red). Credit: Denis Felikson

Felikson said these calculations will help improve estimates on how much Greenland can contribute to future sea-level rise. However, while the method can point out vulnerable areas, it can't predict how much mass loss is likely to occur.

Still, knowing which glaciers are the most at risk can help scientists allocate limited resources, said co-author Timothy Bartholomaus, an assistant professor at the University of Idaho and former research associate at UTIG.

"The approach we demonstrate here allows us to identify which outlet glaciers are not yet changing rapidly, but might," Bartholomaus said. "With that knowledge, we can anticipate potential sea-level rise and set up the observational campaigns in advance to understand these glacier changes."

Ginny Catania, an associate professor in the Jackson School and research scientist at UTIG, said the group has plans to apply the shape analysis technique to other glaciers.

"Our plan is to extend the analysis so that we can identify glaciers in Antarctica and around the rest of Greenland that are most likely to be susceptible to change in the future," she said.

More information: Inland thinning on the Greenland Ice Sheet controlled by outlet glacier geometry, Nature Geoscience (2017). nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/ngeo2934 Journal information: Nature Geoscience
Rice University researchers (from left) Chen Luo, Anshumali Shrivastava and Juan Jose Gonzalez Espana published a paper on location detection for navigation with Krishna Palem (not pictured). Credit: Carlyn Chatfield/Rice University

Rice University computer scientists are mapping a new solution for interior navigational location detection by linking it to existing sensors in mobile devices. Their results were presented in a paper at last month's 2017 Design, Automation and Test in Europe (DATE) Conference in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Six months ago, the same researchers published a paper on their first technology for a new indoor mobile positioning system called CaPSuLe. The navigational location detection system began as a solution for mobile device users inside large indoor spaces like office complexes or shopping malls where GPS navigation falters under poor signals that quickly deplete battery life.

Both CaPSuLe and the DATE paper technology rely on machine learning for location detection. Both increase the speed of calculations and decrease energy expenditure in comparison with existing location technologies. But CaPSuLe depends on image matching techniques and uploaded data, while the new technology taps into sensors that already exist in most mobile devices.

Chen Luo, a graduate student working with assistant professor of computer science Anshumali Shrivastava, said the team was not satisfied with the initial performance metrics of its sensor-driven technology.

"The original idea is to just use the gyroscope and accelerometer data for indoor-location detection, but the results were poor," Luo said. "After we added in some mapping information to our model, the performance improved significantly. The moment that the experiment shows high improvement is very unforgettable."

The gyroscope and accelerometer sensors are already built into most mobile devices and require little energy to run, Shrivastava said. Unfortunately, the sensors also pick up a lot of extraneous data.

"We're building a solution that uses cheap existing sensors, such as gyroscope and accelerometer," he said. "These sensors track acceleration and rotation, but the location signals are 'noisy' because of irrelevant movements. For example, we can use information from these sensors to track walking movements, but the sensors also pick up swinging arms and waving hands. So when we try to apply physical laws of motion to compute the final location, the result is an accumulation of errors."

In addition to sensor data, the scientists also drew on studies of standard human movements.

"Human motion has a lot of structure that we were able to utilize with the otherwise-noisy sensors to produce accurate estimations," Shrivastava said. "Humans don't typically make erratic movements; they usually walk in a near-straight line. For our machine learning algorithm, this means that if the starting point is known, and there's a precondition for traveling in a straight line with limited opportunities for possible left and right turns, then the location where someone stops can be accurately estimated even with noisy sensors."

The idea of estimating answers rather than working with precise calculations is a novel energy-efficient approach and one Krishna Palem, Rice's Kenneth and Audrey Kennedy Professor of Computing, first began exploring in 2003. Palem later became intrigued by Shrivastava's work.

"My original research was in large-scale machine learning and efficient computing," Shrivastava said. "I met Krishna when I moved to Rice, and he started asking me questions about my research direction. We quickly realized we had a unique opportunity to work together on energy-saving approaches to computing problems."

Shrivastava's research in machine learning and data mining also attracted the attention of Chen Luo, a first-year graduate student at Rice who was seeking a computer science adviser. At the same time, Shrivastava realized that Luo's previous work in time-series mining could benefit the research he and Palem were undertaking.

Luo said, "Time-series mining is used for analyzing data with temporal order information. The research presented in the DATE paper required analysis of the gyroscope and accelerometer data and each of the data sets is exactly time-series data.

Similarly, Palem's research to improve energy efficiency using estimated calculations captured the attention of Juan Jose Gonzalez Espana, a graduate student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Gonzalez Espana took two courses taught by Palem, became intrigued with his approach and was invited to join the navigational location detection project.

He said, "Krishna's work in 'clever' inexactness has multiple important applications in daily life. The kernel of our current location detection solution may also have wide applications for daily use across a variety of fields including marketing, health care and pet care among others. For example, marketers could extend product offers based on the current location of the user or the places they frequent. In health care, the solution could be used to trigger alarms if patients approach potentially harmful areas. In pet care, missing dogs or cats could be located through this technology."

Gonzalez Espana said that by aggregating all the information, the team "demonstrated a solution that is twice as accurate as GPS services, while being around 27 times cheaper in terms of energy, which directly translates into battery life."
During human evolution, our cerebral cortex increased in size in response to new environmental challenges. The cerebral cortex is the site of diverse processes, including visual perception and language acquisition. However, no accepted unitary theory of cortical function exists yet. One hypothesis is that there is an evolutionarily conserved neural circuit that implements a simple and flexible computation. This idea is known as the "canonical circuit." As Gary Marcus, Adam Marblestone, and Thomas Dean note in a perspective piece in Science, there is still no consensus about whether such a canonical circuit exists nearly four decades later. Researchers argue that there is little evidence that such a uniform structure can capture the diversity of cortical function in simple mammals.

What would it mean for the cortex to be diverse rather than uniform? Marcus and his colleagues propose that the brain may consist of an array of elementary computational units, which act in parallel as a microprocessor. To probe at questions on cortical circuitry, collaborative endeavors engaging scientists and engineers have emerged. In parallel with the Human Brain Project in Europe, the Brain Research through Advancing Imaging Neurotechnologies Initiative is developing tools to view the brain at superior spatial and temporal resolution. Researchers aim to directly study the relationship of a neuron's function to its connections. This can be accomplished by mapping neuronal connections in conjunction with acquiring functional activity data.

Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up

Researchers can scale up from the study of neurons and synapses to those of neural circuits and networks. However, this bottom-up approach may not be the best way to understand the neural basis of human cognition. Psychologist Frank van der Welde argues that this confuses the nature of understanding with the way to achieve understanding. He provides an analogy to physics. To understand the universe, a bottom-up approach would begin with an understanding of elementary particles, how these particles combine to make atoms, and how atoms to combine to make molecules. However, physics did not begin with the study of elementary particles. It began with a study of the solar system, which provided the first law of motion. In summary, understanding can proceed from top to bottom as well as bottom to top.

To understand human cognition, neuroscientists should combine top-down and bottom-up approaches. One top-down approach is generating a large-scale simulation of neural processes that generate intelligence. This project intersects neuroscience and artificial intelligence. For instance, a research team at IBM represented 8 x 106 neurons and 6400 synapses per neuron on the IBM Blue Gene Processor, and ran 1 s of model time in 10 s of real time. Large-scale simulations provide a tool to investigate the brain not limited by the experimental and ethical limitations of in vivo work. Through such virtual models alongside neuroscience studies, researchers may arrive at the neural basis of intelligence.

The Rise of Artificial Intelligence

As neuroscience details the anatomy and activity of the brain, artificial intelligence seeks to develop an independent, non-biological path to intelligence. Researchers of both fields can agree that artificial intelligence is not the equal of natural intelligence in most important tasks for human cognition such as vision, motor manipulations, and natural language understanding. However, this is not to say that artificial intelligence won't ultimately achieve principles of natural intelligence. I met with Ernest Davis, a professor of computer science at New York University, to learn more about artificial intelligence.

Advances in artificial intelligence have been incredible, from IBM Watson to Google DeepMind AlphaGo. Davis believes that AI will continue to advance and be used for positive and negative applications. For instance, AI can be used for improving the quality of medicine and building self-driving cars. "The impact of that will be largely positive though there will be a negative impact on employment. It will also be used for military purposes, and the immediate effects of that are mostly negative," Davis says. Nevertheless, artificial intelligence is far from building programs that retain human-level intelligence. The human brain has an unsurpassed ability to do complex, real-time interactions in a dynamic world.

To implement reasoning in artificial intelligence, Davis explains different techniques available by example. For instance, chess-playing program Deep Blue did reasoning by thinking through a large number of paths to the future and determining what solution works out. A second example is software verification programs. These algorithms search for bugs in programs through logical reasoning. The program provides users with a formal proof that a program doesn't have a certain kind of bug. A third example is taxonomic reasoning, which is a simple form of logical reasoning by category. This type of reasoning has been done in programs called semantic nets, which have been in use for 50 years.

A New Century of the Brain

Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft, has funded two distinct research projects in neuroscience and artificial intelligence. The Washington Post aptly describes it as Allen's $500 million quest to dissect the mind and code a new one from scratch. Elon Musk has funded a rival company called NeuroLink to create human-computer hybrids. To build an artificial brain, Davis believes:

"The replica of the human brain can mean either the ability to do human-level tasks, which I think in principle is possible, or algorithms that are an imitation of the brain. We don't yet know which direction is the best way to pursue AI. There's an awful lot we don't understand about the brain so it may be pre-mature to try the latter."

Neuroscience and artificial intelligence both aim to identify architectures of intelligence and cognition. Michael Gazzaniga states that cognitive neuroscience asks: what are the algorithms that drive structural neural elements into the physiological activity that results in perception, cognition, and consciousness? Likewise, artificial intelligence asks: what are the algorithms that can generate human-like intelligence in machines to perform reasoning, planning, and learning? Both fields describe mechanisms of intelligence as "algorithms."4 To uncover human intelligence and cognition, intersections in neuroscience and artificial intelligence are necessary. Perhaps only then can we can understand what makes us human.

Provided by PLOS Blogs

This story is republished courtesy of PLOS Blogs: blogs.plos.org.
Nearly a fortnight ago, several reports had claimed that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wanted the government to foot the bills raised by his lawyer Ram Jethmalani in defending him in the defamation case filed by Arun Jaitley.

By India Today Web Desk: The Delhi High Court has refused to entertain a plea that sought to restrain the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government from paying Rs 1.22 crore to Ram Jethmalani for appearing on behalf of Arvind Kejriwal in a defamation case filed by Arun Jaitley.

The court said the issue of payment to Ram Jethmalani is already pending before the Lieutenant Governor, and called the petition a "waste" of court's time.

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Nearly a fortnight ago, several reports had claimed that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wanted the government to foot the bills raised by his lawyer Ram Jethmalani.

Ram Jethmalani, one of the biggest names in the legal fraternity, had reportedly charged Rs 1 crore as retainership and Rs 22 lakh per appearance.

HERE IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE CONTROVERSY AND WHAT THE COURT SAID: Senior advocate Ram Jethmalani had reportedly sent Arvind Kejriwal bills to the tune of Rs 3.4 crore for representing him in the defamation case filed against the Delhi chief minister by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. It was reported that Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had signed the bills and forwarded them to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal for clearance. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Anu Malhotra today said the issue raised through the petition was already pending before the Lieutenant Governor. "If the authorities concerned are not taking any action against the issue raised by you, then you can move the court. The LG is already seized of the issue. Therefore, there is no need of interference by this court," the bench said, and called the petition a "waste" of court's time. Petitioner Alakh Alok Srivastava, also an advocate, withdrew the plea. The petition sought direction to the Delhi government and Lieutenant Governor to refrain from making any payment from public money towards the December 1, 2016 invoice or any other bill raised by Ram Jethmalani towards professional services rendered to Arvind Kejriwal in the defamation case. The petition also sought a direction to the Delhi government and the Lieutenant Governor to immediately withdraw the December 21, 2016 file which approved the legal bills of Ram Jethmalani. The Delhi government has defended bearing the legal expenses of the defamation case and said that the case Arvind Kejriwal is fighting against Arun Jaitley is a public and not a private issue. "There were allegations of corruption in DDCA. Our government formed a committee to probe this and free cricket from corruption," Manish Sisodia said. The Opposition, however, attacked the Delhi chief minister for using public money to pay bills of Ram Jethmalani. "There are seven defamation cases against him (Kejriwal) as far as I know. This may total up to Rs 100 crore. Will he make the people of Delhi pay the Rs 100 crore," Union minister and BJP leader Prakash Javadekar had asked. Following the controversy, Ram Jethmalani had offered to fight the case for Arvind Kejriwal for free. "I charge only the rich, but for the poor I will work for free. If the Delhi (government) doesn't pay or he (Kejriwal) cannot pay, I will appear for free," Ram Jethmalani said. Ram Jethmalani had hit out at Arun Jaitley, alleging that the row over the Delhi government's move to clear his bills has been "instigated" by the Finance Minister as "he is afraid of my cross-examination". Ram Jethmalani has been appearing for Kejriwal in the Rs 10-crore civil defamation suit filed by Jaitley against Kejriwal and five other AAP leaders for accusing him of financial bungling in the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA).

(with inputs from PTI)

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--- ENDS ---
The unique conditions of waters around Shikine island off Japan mimic what scientists say will be the impact of unchecked carbon emissions on the world's oceans by 2100

The key to the survival of the world's threatened coral reefs may lie in the waters surrounding a small volcanic island off the coast of Japan, scientists say.

The seabed of Shikine island is a "living laboratory" for researchers aboard the schooner Tara, a French-led scientific expedition, who are looking for clues to help protect coral from the damaging effects of climate change.

While coral reefs cover less than 0.2 percent of the ocean surface globally, they host some 30 percent of marine animal and plant species, serving as a source of food and offering protection from predators.

"Losing these reefs would be horrifying," said Sylvain Agostini, an expedition coordinator and professor at Japan's University of Tsukuba.

Shikine's unique conditionscreated by underwater volcanoes that flood some of its coves with CO2 and make it less alkalinemimic what scientists say will be the impact of unchecked carbon emissions on the world's oceans by 2100.

The build-up of CO2 due to greenhouse gas emissions or underwater volcanic activity raises the temperature and transforms the chemistry of ocean waters, in a process known as acidification.

Researchers say the waters in parts of Shikine, located 160 kilometres (100 miles) south of Tokyo, offer a glimpse of how marine lifeincluding coralscan fare in less alkaline water.

Researchers say the waters in parts of Shikine offer a glimpse of how marine lifeincluding coralscan fare in less alkaline water

Japan's corals, the northernmost in the world, could offer important data to bolster knowledge about marine life, as Australia's Great Barrier Reef faces a threat to its survival.

Last week, scientists said the famous reef was at serious risk from bleachinga process in which stressed corals expel the algae that live in their tissue and provide them with fooddue to warming sea temperatures.

They warned that coral bleached for two consecutive years at the World Heritage-listed site had "zero prospect" of recovery after researchers detected another round of mass bleaching after an earlier event in 2016.

Very troubling

"I've been studying corals for 20 years and what I'm seeing is a large-scale decline," Maggy Nugues, a senior lecturer at the prestigious French research institute Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, told AFP aboard the ship, which departed France in May 2016.

Graphic highlighting Japan's corals, which scientists say can provide important clues for the survival of threatened reefs worldwide

"There is a 50 percent to 80 percent reduction in coral cover in the Caribbean and the Pacificthis is very troubling."

Half a dozen researchers on the vessel want to see how an underwater ecosystem, including corals, plankton, seaweed and fish, fares in Shikine's seemingly inhospitable environment.

Early comparisons with another bay on Shikine that boasts vastly different conditions suggest corals do much better in more alkaline water.

"We're hoping that these higher latitude zones can serve as a refuge," Agostini said.

"But the question remains about the acidification of the oceans and it's here, in Shikine, in these natural laboratories that we hope to find the answer," he added.

The 36-metre (120-foot) long Tara has gained fame for previous scientific expeditions, including a 500-day trip in the Arctic

Built in 1989, the 36-metre (120-foot) long ship has gained fame for previous scientific expeditions, including a 500-day trip in the Arctic, and in 2001 when its former owner, New Zealand skipper Peter Blake, was shot dead on board by pirates in the Amazon.

The current two-year expedition will head to Australia and New Zealand before hitting Indonesia and the Philippines.

Nugues warned that the speed of climate change, fuelled by human activity, was making it tough for animals to adapt.

"The planet has evolved under relatively stable conditions, letting organisms and animals adapt," she said.

"But here we're speeding things up, maybe faster than nature's clock."

The 36-metre (120-foot) long Tara has gained fame for previous scientific expeditions, including a 500-day trip in the Arctic

 2017 AFP
Images captured by the European Space Agency's Sentinel2 satellite in 2015 and 2016 show a dramatic drop in the Slims River's flow. The receding toe of Kaskawulsh Glacier is seen at the bottom. Kluane Lake can be seen at the top of the 2016 image. Water now flows east and then south via the Kaskawulsh River. Credit: European Space Agency

The massive Kaskawulsh Glacier in northern Canada has retreated about a mile up its valley over the past century.

Last spring, its retreat triggered a geologic event at relatively breakneck speed. The toe of ice that was sending meltwater toward the Slims River and then north to the Bering Sea retreated so far that the water changed course, joining the Kaskawulsh River and flowing south toward the Gulf of Alaska.

This capture of one river's flow by another, documented in a study led by the University of Washington Tacoma and published April 17 in Nature Geoscience, is the first known case of "river piracy" in modern times. "Geologists have seen river piracy, but nobody to our knowledge has documented it happening in our lifetimes," said lead author Dan Shugar, a geoscientist at the University of Washington Tacoma. "People had looked at the geological recordthousands or millions of years agonot the 21st century, where it's happening under our noses."

River piracy, also known as stream capture, can happen due to tectonic motion of Earth's crust, landslides, erosion or, in this case, changes in a glacial dam. The new study documents one of the less-anticipated shifts that can occur in a changing climate.

A Sept. 2, 2016 aerial photo shows the meltwater stream along the toe of Kaskawulsh Glacier, seen on the left, that is diverting fresh water from one river to the other. Credit: Dan Shugar/University of Washington Tacoma

Shugar and co-authors Jim Best at the University of Illinois and John Clague at Canada's Simon Fraser University had planned fieldwork last summer on the Slims River, a geologically active system that feeds Kluane Lake in the Yukon. When they arrived in August, the river was not flowing. River gauges show an abrupt drop over four days from May 26 to 29, 2016.

By late summer, "there was barely any flow whatsoever. It was essentially a long, skinny lake," Shugar said. "The water was somewhat treacherous to approach, because you're walking on these old river sediments that were really goopy and would suck you in. And day by day we could see the water level dropping."

The research team puzzled about what to do next. They got permission to use their mapping drone to create a detailed elevation model of the glacier tongue and headwater region. The resulting paper is a geological postmortem of the river's disappearance.

"For the last 300 years, Slims River flowed out to the Bering Sea, and the smaller Kaskawulsh River flowed to the Gulf of Alaska. What we found was the glacial lake that fed Slims River had actually changed its outlet," Shugar said. "A 30-meter (100-foot) canyon had been carved through the terminus of the glacier. Meltwater was flowing through that canyon from one lake into another glacial lake, almost like when you see champagne poured into glasses that are stacked in a pyramid."

A close-up view of the ice-walled canyon at the terminus of the Kaskawulsh Glacier, with recently collapsed ice blocks. This canyon now carries almost all meltwater from the toe of the glacier down the Kaskawulsh Valley and toward the Gulf of Alaska. Credit: Jim Best/University of Illinois

That second lake drains via the Kaskawulsh River in a different direction than the first. The situation is fairly unique, Shugar said, since the glacier's toe was sitting on a geologic divide.

Clague began studying this glacier years ago for the Geological Survey of Canada. He observed that Kluane Lake, which is Yukon's largest lake, had changed its water level by about 40 feet (12 meters) a few centuries ago. He concluded that the Slims River that feeds it had appeared as the glacier advanced, and a decade ago predicted the river would disappear again as the glacier retreated.

"The event is a bit idiosyncratic, given the peculiar geographic situation in which it happened, but in a broader sense it highlights the huge changes that glaciers are undergoing around the world due to climate change," Clague said.

The geologic event has redrawn the local landscape. Slims River crosses the Alaska Highway, and its banks were a popular hiking route. Now that the riverbed is exposed, Dall sheep from Kluane National Park are making their way down to eat the fresh vegetation, venturing into territory where they can legally be hunted. With less water flowing in, Kluane Lake did not refill last spring, and by summer 2016 was about 3 feet (1 meter) lower than ever recorded for that time of year. Waterfront land, which includes the small communities of Burwash Landing and Destruction Bay, is now farther from shore. As the lake level continues to drop researchers expect this will become an isolated lake cut off from any outflow.

The Kaskawulsh River as it exits the lower terminus of Kaskawulsh glacier and lakes. The river has gained new discharge since its piracy of the Slims River waters in 2016, and now flows into the Kaskawulsh valley with increased flows. Credit: Jim Best

On the other hand, the Alsek River, a popular whitewater rafting river that is a UNESCO world heritage site, was running higher last summer due to the addition of the Slims River's water.

Shifts in sediment transport, lake chemistry, fish populations, wildlife behavior and other factors will continue to occur as the ecosystem adjusts to the new reality, Shugar said.

"So far, a lot of the scientific work surrounding glaciers and climate change has been focused on sea-level rise," Shugar said. "Our study shows there may be other underappreciated, unanticipated effects of glacial retreat."

The Kaskawulsh Glacier is retreating up the valley because of both readjustment after a cold period centuries ago, known as the Little Ice Age, and warming due to greenhouse gases. A technique published in 2016 by UW co-author Gerard Roe shows a 99.5 percent probability that this glacier's retreat is showing the effects of modern climate change.

"I always point out to climate-change skeptics that Earth's glaciers are becoming markedly smaller, and that can only happen in a warming climate," Clague said.

More information: River piracy and drainage basin reorganization led by climate-driven glacier retreat, Nature Geoscience (2017). nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/ngeo2932 Journal information: Nature Geoscience
Bullethead parrotfish is shown. Credit: Katie Davis

It's a fish-eat-fish world out in the ocean, and prey species usually fear the predators that would make them into a tasty snack.

Looks like someone forgot to tell the parrotfish, though.

According to new research by UC Santa Barbara marine scientists, Chlorurus spilurus, known as the bullethead or daisy parrotfish, barely reacts to the presence of predators. The findings appear in the journal Oecologia.

Working in the waters off Moorea and the Palmyra Atoll, the researchers observed almost constant competitive interactions between predators and bullethead parrotfishthe Pacific Ocean's most abundant parrotfish speciesand other herbivorous fishes. "They were constantly chasing each other, and this affected their feeding rates," said lead author Katie Davis, a research scientist in UCSB's Caselle Lab. "However, predators such as sharks, snappers and groupers frequently swam past the parrotfish without eliciting any reaction. Our research indicates that competition among grazers is the real force in structuring both the space use patterns and the feeding patterns of these parrotfish."

Working on Palmyra 1,000 miles south of Hawaii, the researchers first tested the influence of predation risk on prey foraging behaviors in an unexploited predator community that includes a variety of sharks and other fishes. Then, to contrast how predation risk and competition affect space use, they conducted a comparative study on Moorea, where both predatory species and herbivorous species like the bullethead parrotfish are fished.

The investigators found that competition influenced space use more than predation risk, which did, however, impact feeding rates.

"Nearby predators may not have as strong an effect on the behavior of some prey species as previously thought, especially in a place like Palmyra where encounters between predatory species and prey species on the reef are frequent," said Davis. "If prey species such as parrotfishes really limit their movements due to fear effects, we would expect to see fish using much more space to forage in Moorea, where predators are rare, compared to Palmyra, where predators are abundant. But that's not what we saw."

Davis and colleagues used mobile GPS units to quantify the space use of bulletheads. Following individual parrotfish they mapped out their activities throughout their territories, recording where they ate, the location of territorial disputes and bathroom use. The scientists also examined the concentration of feeding activities from site to site over a gradient of predation risk and competition. Counting parrotfish bites, they considered how predator encounters, competitive interactions and the abundance of algae on the reef might influence their feeding rates.

Other notable differences between the two islands may be related to fishing practices in Moorea. In certain habitats at Moorea, for instance, the researchers were unable to conduct their study because the parrotfish were skittish in the presence of the observers. Parrotfishes in Moorea are targeted by spear fishermen, which may influence their perception of humans as a threat.

In addition, the size structure of the two populations differed: the largest specimens were found in Palmyra but absent in Moorea. This also could be due to spearfishing, which usually targets the largest individuals of a population.

Parrotfishes are thought to be important to coral reef health because they eat algae that competes with coral for space on the reef. However, exactly what these fish eat has yet to be determined. According to Davis, they primarily bite low-lying red-turfing algae as well as other species of macroalgae. However, the algae itself may not be their primary food source.

"New research in the field of parrotfish biology has suggested that they may target bacteria that grow on top of and inside of the coral skeletons," Davis explained. "These findings provide us with some new ways to think about how these fish forage, and it could help explain some of the space use patterns that we've observed in this species. Our future research will further explore how these ideas relate to parrotfish foraging behaviors and how parrotfish foraging affects the fine-scale interactions between algae and corals on reefs."

UCSB co-authors are Peter Carlson, Darcy Bradley, Robert Warner and Jennifer Caselle.

More information: Kathryn Davis et al, Predation risk influences feeding rates but competition structures space use for a common Pacific parrotfish, Oecologia (2017). DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3857-9 Journal information: Oecologia
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

What kind of wine did Jesus serve at the Last Supper?

Patrick McGovern, a specialist in ancient beverages at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, has a few ideas.

Rich, concentrated wines, flavored with spices and fruits, were common in the Jerusalem area 2,000 years ago, McGovern tells the Independent, the London-based news site.

McGovern is renowned for his study of ancient vessels that yield clues to the beverages they once contained.

By analyzing chemical residues, he has identified chocolate-based elixirs from long-ago Central America and a honey-tinged beverage from a tomb that is thought to be the final resting place of the father of King Midas.

The Dogfish Head brewery in Delaware relied on his findings to create a modern-day equivalent of the latter, called Midas Touch.

But the Last Supper remains an unknown, noted McGovern, the scientific director of Penn's Biomolecular Archaeology Project for Cuisine, Fermented Beverages, and Health.

The wines of the Middle East from that era were commonly flavored with pomegranates, mandrakes, saffron and cinnamon, McGovern told the Independent.

A better answer would be possible if someone found the vessel in question, he said.

"If someone can find me the Holy Grail and send it to my lab, we could analyse it and tell you," he said.

2017 The Philadelphia Inquirer

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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
FILE- In this Friday, April 14, 2017 file photo, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani smiles as he attends at the Interior Ministry to register his candidacy for the May 19 presidential elections, in Tehran, Iran. Over 1,600 people registered to run. Under Iranian law, there's no fee for registering. Hopefuls only must believe in Iran's form of government and be Shiite Muslims. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Iran's upcoming presidential election likely will pit incumbent President Hassan Rouhani against a variety of contenders, but first all must be vetted by a panel as part of the Islamic Republic's one-of-a-kind government.

So how does it all work and what happens next?

WHY ARE THERE SO MANY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES?

Over 1,600 people registered to run. Under Iranian law, there's no fee for registering. Hopefuls only must believe in Iran's form of government and be Shiite Muslims. That gives gadflies and publicity seekers the chance to smile and wave to gathered journalists. It's still a lot of candidates, though. The last similar turnout was Iran's 2005 election, which saw more than 1,000 register. Some think more people register under moderate or reformist governments as they are less repressive.

WHO ARE THE TOP CONTENDERS?

Rouhani, whose moderate administration negotiated the nuclear deal with world powers, is seeking another four-year term. Former hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who ignored the supreme leader's warning that his candidacy could expose lingering wounds from the unrest surrounding his contested 2009 re-election, registered. Hard-line cleric and judge Ebrahim Raisi, a favorite of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who allegedly was involved in the 1988 mass execution of thousands of prisoners , signed up as well. Others include a brother of late President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Tehran's mayor.

WHAT ARE ROUHANI'S CHANCES?

Though accurate public polling remains difficult in Iran, Rouhani remains the favorite of analysts. Every Iranian president since Khamenei himself took the presidency in 1981 has won re-election. That's not to say it will be easy for Rouhani. The average Iranian still hasn't seen the benefits of the nuclear deal, which saw some international sanctions lifted in exchange for Iran limiting its uranium enrichment. For voters, the economy matters.

Story continues

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

All the candidates will be vetted by the Guardian Council, a 12-member panel half selected by the supreme leader and half nominated by the judiciary and approved by parliament. The council controls elections and must approve all laws passed by parliament. It has never allowed a woman to run for president and routinely rejects candidates calling for dramatic reform. The panel also declared Ahmadinejad won the 2009 election despite widespread fraud allegations.

WHAT POWER DOES THE SUPREME LEADER HAVE?

At the heart of Iran's complex power-sharing government created after its 1979 Islamic Revolution is the supreme leader. The supreme leader also serves as the country's commander in chief over its military and the powerful Revolutionary Guard, a paramilitary force involved in the wars in Iraq and Syria that also has vast economic holdings across Iran. An 88-member elected clerical panel called the Assembly of Experts appoints the supreme leader and can remove one as well, though that's never happened.

SO IS IRAN A DEMOCRACY?

Iran describes itself as an Islamic Republic. It holds elections and has elected representatives passing laws and governing on behalf of its people, though the supreme leader has the final say on all state matters. However, those who led Iran's Green Movement after Ahmadinejad's disputed 2009 re-election remain under house arrest. Iran does not allow international observers to monitor its elections. Security forces answering only to the supreme leader also routinely arrest dual nationals and foreigners, using them as pawns in international negotiations.

___

Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellap. His work can be found at http://apne.ws/2galNpz .
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's foreign minister said on Sunday it was good that the acrimonious Turkish referendum campaign was over and urged people to stay calm with the 'Yes' vote for constitutional change to expand President Tayyip Erdogan's power narrowly ahead. President Tayyip Erdogan celebrated what he said was a clear result but opponents said they would challenge the vote count, which gave a narrow 51.3 percent lead to Erdogan's supporters. The head of the Turkish electoral board said the 'Yes' vote won. "We'd be well advised to keep calm and to proceed in a level-headed way," Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said in a statement. "It's good that election campaign, which was fought so bitterly, including here in Germany, is now over," said Gabriel, a member of the Social Democrats (SPD) - the junior partner in Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition. During the campaign, Erdogan repeatedly attacked European countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, accusing them of "Nazi-like" tactics for banning his ministers from speaking to rallies of Turkish voters abroad. Peter Altmaier, Merkel's chief of staff, said on German broadcaster ARD that the result showed there was a "very lively political debate" in Turkey, but it was necessary to wait for official results before commenting further. He said there were election observers in Turkey and the German government "would of course respect a result that came about in a free and democratic vote". Asked if the vote was free and democratic, Altmaier said the German government would discuss the result once it was official and election observers would look at whether it was fairly conducted. Manfred Weber, the German leader of the conservative bloc in the European Parliament, told German broadcaster ZDF that Turkey was heading in the wrong direction, pointing to mass dismissals in the wake of July's failed coup and the jailing of journalists and civil servants. "Now that Turkey has obviously taken the wrong path from a European perspective, we need to re-evaluate our relationship, and specifically that means that the EU accession talks with Turkey that we're still having can no longer be continued." Germany has about three million residents of Turkish background, about 1.41 million of whom are Turkish citizens who were eligible to vote in the referendum. Senior SPD member Axel Schaefer said majorities reached in democratic votes could turn against democracy itself, pointing to the 1933 elections in Germany, when support for Adolf Hitler's Nazis surged. "The Brexit vote is pushing Britain into the sidelines, the presidential election of (U.S. President Donald) Trump is taking the USA on an adventure, the Erdogan referendum is leading Turkey into absolutism and the 1933 German parliamentary election led Germany into the abyss," he said. Cem Ozdemir, a leader of Germany's opposition Greens who is of ethnic Turkish origin, said on Twitter it was a "black day for Turkey" but added: "Almost 50 percent voted for democracy and against dictatorship. We stand by their side." Beatrix von Storch, a member of the European Parliament for Germany's anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party said on Twitter: "All Turks with a German passport who today voted in favour of an Islamic dictatorship in Turkey are very welcome to leave Germany." (Reporting by Michelle Martin; Editing by Robin Pomeroy, Larry King)
At least nine lakh fake accounts from Bangladesh was suspended by social media networking platform Facebook in the last three days.

By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: At least nine lakh fake accounts from Bangladesh was suspended by social media networking platform Facebook in the last three days. Media is being told that Facebook took such a measure after the Bangladesh government requested for it.

A source from the Bangladesh government said that at least three crore Facebook users are active in the country, and that the government found that at least three per cent of these accounts are fake. The government fears those behind the fake Facebook accounts are associated with militants and involve in provocative activities against the government. Complaints were filed by the government against the fake Facebook accounts and asked the social media giant to act up on it.

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Facebook published a notification saying they are shutting down fake accounts due to security concerns and claimed that Bangladesh tops the list of countries that have maximum number of fake accounts.

Seeing a rise in the number of genuine accounts being shut down as part of this scrutiny, Facebook said people can get their accounts up and running after a verification process. Bangladesh's State Minister for Post and Telecommunication Tarana Halim said that the fake accounts are used to provoke people on the basis of their religion and that rumours are rife about people behind such accounts being involved in militant activities.

Stating that Prime minister Sheikh Hasina, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and many other politicians are being demeaned through such fake Facebook accounts, Tarana said it is when this came to notice that the government organised a meeting with the Facebook authority and requested a crackdown of fake accounts.

--- ENDS ---
The Latest: Turkish leader gets call from Trump after vote

ANKARA, Turkey (AP)  The Latest on Turkey's referendum on presidential powers (all times local):

1:40 a.m.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office says the Turkish leader has received a congratulatory telephone call from President Donald Trump following his country's referendum on expanding presidential powers.

Turkish voters narrowly approved constitutional reforms in a vote Sunday that will change the country's system of government from a parliamentary to a presidential one. Opposition parties have cited a series of irregularities and called for the vote to be annulled.

A statement issued by Erdogan's office early Tuesday said Trump called Erdogan following the vote to offer congratulations on his victory. The statement said the two also discussed recent developments in Syria, which borders Turkey, and touched upon the U.S. response to the April 4 chemical attack on Syria's Idlib province.

The U.S. launched airstrikes against a government air base from where the attack was believed to have been launched in retaliation. Erdogan has for years called for Assad to be removed from power.

___

11:35 p.m.

Turkey's Council of Ministers has decided to extend for a further three months a state of emergency declared in the wake of a failed July 2016 coup.

Government spokesman Numan Kurtulmus made the announcement Monday, saying the extension would come into effect from April 19, when the previous state of emergency was to expire. The decision will now go to parliament for approval.

The state of emergency includes the granting of greater powers to security forces in detentions and arrests.

Kurtulmus said that combatting terror organizations "must continue without mercy." He mentioned the followers of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who lives in the U.S. and who the Turkish government has blamed for the failed coup. Turkey considers Gulen's movement a terrorist organization.

___

10:20 p.m.

Turkey's National Security Council is recommending an extension to the state of emergency, declared following a failed coup last summer.

Story continues

The council announced its recommendation "to ensure the continuity of precautions to protect the principle of the state of law and the rights and freedoms of our citizens." It didn't specify a timeframe. The state of emergency was to expire April 19.

The move comes a day after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan narrowly won a referendum on expanding his powers.

Turkey imposed the state of emergency to crack down on the network of U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, accused of orchestrating the July 15 coup attempt. Gulen denies any involvement.

If approved, it will be the third extension of the state of emergency in Turkey.

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8:40 p.m.

Turkey's president has renewed suggestions that the country could hold referendums on its bid to join the European Union and on reinstating the death penalty.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the comment while addressing supporters in Ankara a day after winning a referendum on expanding the powers of his office.

Erdogan said he isn't concerned about possible EU objections to Turkey's restoring capital punishment.

He accused the EU of keeping Turkey "waiting at the gates for 54 years," adding that a referendum could be held on whether Turkey should proceed with the accession process.

Erdogan said that "the decision is the people's. We'd go to our nation."

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8:15 p.m.

Hundreds of people are demonstrating in two separate neighborhoods of Istanbul, protesting a narrow win for President Recep Tayip Erdogan in a referendum granting him greater powers.

Holding banners reading "No, We will win" and chanting "thief, murderer, Erdogan," demonstrators marched through the neighborhoods of Besiktas on the European side of Istanbul and Kadikoy on the Asian side.

Opposition parties have called for the referendum to be annulled, complaining of a series of irregularities in the vote.

An electoral board decision to allow as valid more than a million ballots cast without the official stamp has caused particular outrage. An international electoral monitoring mission from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe also reported a series of irregularities, and said the electoral board decision undermined safeguards against fraud.

___

7:45 p.m.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has rejected international monitors' criticisms of Turkey's referendum, insisting the vote was the "most democratic election" seen in any Western country.

Addressing supporters outside his palace in Ankara, Erdogan said Monday that Turkey would ignore the findings of the OSCE monitors.

Erdogan said: "First, know your place! We won't see or hear the politically motivated reports you prepare."

The monitors said the procedures used in the vote on expanding the president's powers "fell short" of international standards. They also said a Turkish electoral board decision to allow as valid ballots that did not bear official stamps undermined important safeguards against fraud.

Unofficial results have shown a narrow win for Erdogan, who had backed the "yes" side.

___

7:30 p.m.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel says despite a landmark referendum in Turkey that will grant sweeping new powers to the nation's president, Turkey should not leave NATO.

Gabriel told German daily Bild on Monday that "we want to keep Turkey close and not push it into isolation when it comes to foreign affairs or even into the direction of Russia."

Regarding the country's bid for European Union membership, Gabriel said, "It's up to Turkey ... Turkey should not distance itself further from Europe, also in its own interest."

The foreign minister was also concerned that the Turkish referendum led to a political polarization of Turks living in Germany.

Gabriel condemned Turkey's disruptive influence on Germany's 3 million Turkish immigrants, saying "we will not allow a division of the society in Germany."

___

7:05 p.m.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry has rejected international monitors' findings on its referendum, saying it was "saddened" by what it called "politically-motivated and accusatory" statements.

In a statement Monday, the Foreign Ministry said the observer mission's findings that the referendum procedures "fell short" of international standards "were unacceptable."

The statement alleged the OSCE observer mission had "arrived in Turkey with prejudices and ignored the principles of objectivity and neutrality."

The monitoring group earlier Monday cited a series of irregularities in the referendum Sunday, including a skewed pro-vote campaign. The group also said a Turkish electoral board decision allowing as valid ballots that did not bear official stamps undermined important safeguards against fraud.

___

6:55 p.m.

The United States is urging Turkey's government to protect basic rights and freedoms as Turkish officials work to resolve the contested results of a referendum on increasing the president's powers.

U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner is pointing to concerns raised by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which monitored the Turkish referendum Sunday. He says Monday there were irregularities both on voting day and during the campaign that led to an "uneven playing field" for the "no" side.

The OSCE has criticized a Turkish electoral board decision to allow ballots that did not bear official stamps, saying that undermined efforts to fight fraud.

Unofficial results have shown a narrow win for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had backed the "yes" side.

The U.S. says it's calling on supporters and opponents of the vote's results to work together and keep talking while the OSCE finished it report on the vote.

___

6:40 p.m.

The leader of a Turkish group in Germany has expressed concern that so many Turkish immigrants in the country have voted in favor of expanding Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's powers in a referendum.

Gokay Sofuoglu from the Turkish Community in Germany association told German news agency dpa on Monday "it's alarming, that so many people of the second and third generation of guest workers living in Germany have voted for a system that spurns all democratic rights."

According to Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency, 63.1 percent of the Turks in Germany voted in favor of Erdogan's plans to greatly expand his presidential powers. Overall in Turkey, 51.4 percent of voters cast a "yes" ballot, while the "no" vote saw 48.6 percent support.

Some 1.4 million of the 3 million people of Turkish origin in Germany were eligible to vote.

___

4:25 p.m.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he was forced to put a tough fight against the "powerful nations of the world" who opposed his campaign for a yes vote in a referendum to expand the powers of his office.

Addressing supporters at Ankara airport Monday on his arrival from Istanbul, Erdogan said he was "attacked" by nations with the "crusader mentality" as well as by their supporters inside Turkey.

It was not clear if he was aiming at European nations, including Germany and the Netherlands, where authorities restricted government ministers' plans to hold campaign rallies to court Turkish expatriate votes.

Erdogan said: "We did not give in, we did not give up. As a nation we stood strong."

___

3:50 p.m.

Italy's foreign minister is calling for Turkish opposition forces to be involved in reforms following the weekend's referendum, which revealed Turkey to be heavily divided.

Angelino Alfano in a written statement Monday also called for a "cooling of internal tensions."

Alfano said Italy takes note of the referendum outcome and is awaiting the "final evaluation of the observers" by international monitoring bodies.

The minister added: "In the meantime, coherent with Turkey's membership in the Council of Europe, we are hoping for a cooling of internal tensions in the country, and, in addition, involvement of the opposition in the implementation path of the reforms."

___

3:40 p.m.

An observer mission that has been monitoring the Turkish referendum campaign and vote on expanding presidential powers says the procedures used "fell short" of international standards.

Tana de Zuleta of the OSCE said Monday that a Turkish electoral board decision to allow as valid ballots that did not bear official stamps undermined important safeguards against fraud.

The monitoring group described a series of irregularities in the referendum, including a skewed pre-vote campaign in favor of the "yes" vote, intimidation of the "no" campaign and the fact that the referendum question was not listed on the ballot.

Unofficial results have shown a narrow win for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had advocated the 'yes' vote.

De Zuleta of the OSCE said the procedures "fell short of full adherence" to the standards Turkey has signed up for.

___

2:55 p.m.

An official of Turkey's governing party says they will invite President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to rejoin the party that he co-founded.

The deputy chairman of the AKP, Mustafa Elitas, told private broadcaster NTV Monday, "It would be a great honor if he accepts it."

Erdogan had to give up his party leadership when he was elected president in 2014 because of a law that requires the country's president to be independent of a party.

Under one of the constitutional amendments approved in Sunday's referendum, that law has been annulled.

Elitas said the membership invitation would come after election results are published in the Official Gazette, expected in 10-11 days.

"It's a truly important event that he's a member of the party he is a leader and founder of," Elitas said.

___

2:45 p.m.

Germany's foreign minister says the European Union should draft a new strategy and look for new formats of negotiations with Turkey.

Sigmar Gabriel spoke on Monday in Tirana, where he was to meet with senior Albanian officials.

Gabriel said that, though many EU member countries may be "rigorous (in their stand on Turkey) due to their domestic policies," Brussels should intensively work to find the channels of dialogue on "how to impact so that Turkey remains a democratic country."

Gabriel said the EU would first wait for the opinion of international observers of Turkey's referendum, adding that "We will be able to assist Turkey in its economic development only if it remains a democracy" and not if it reintroduces the death penalty.

___

1:55 p.m.

French President Francois Hollande says the Turkish referendum results show a divided nation and is urging Turkish authorities to respect opposition voices and European values.

Hollande said in a statement Monday that France "takes note" of accusations of substantial voting irregularities in Sunday's referendum giving Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sweeping powers.

While the French leader said "it's up to Turks, and them alone, to decide their political organization," he added that France will "follow with the greatest attention" outside observers' evaluations of whether the vote was free and fair.

The French leader warned that if Turkey reinstates the death penalty, that would "constitute a rupture" with Turkey's pledges to respect human rights as part of efforts to join European institutions.

___

1:35 p.m.

A day after winning a referendum on expanding the president's powers, Turkey's government is focused on extending a controversial state of emergency by a further three months.

Turkey's National Security Council is scheduled to meet on Monday to recommend renewing the state of emergency, which expires on April 19. It would be followed by a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan where the recommendation is expected to be endorsed.

Turkey declared the state of emergency to facilitate its crackdown on the network of followers of U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey blames for the a failed coup attempt in July.

Critics say the government has used the emergency powers to jail other opponents.

More than 40,000 people have been arrested and an estimated 100,000 people have been purged from government jobs under the state of emergency.

___

1:30 p.m.

A leading German lawmaker has called on Turkish immigrants to show more commitment to Germany's democratic values after a clear majority of the 1.4 million Turkish immigrants who were eligible to vote in the Turkish referendum cast their ballot in favor of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

According to state-run Anadolu Agency, 63.07 percent of the Turks in Germany voted in favor of Erdogan's plans to greatly expand the powers of his office.

Cem Ozdemir, one of the heads of the Green Party and a son of Turkish immigrants himself, told German news agency dpa on Monday the strong support for Erdogan was also the result of decades of failed integration policies in Germany, which as a society never gave Turks a sense of fully belonging.

___

1:20 p.m.

A Greek Cypriot official says that irrespective of the outcome of Turkey's referendum on expanding presidential powers, the Cyprus government is hopeful that Turkey will "positively and effectively" contribute to ongoing talks aimed at reunifying the ethnically divided island.

Cyprus government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides told The Associated Press Monday that it's hoped Turkey's stance will move the peace talks forward toward the stated goal of reunifying the island as a federation.

Christodoulides said Turkey should refrain from throwing up obstacles to the process, like making the "unacceptable demand" of granting Turkish citizens the right to relocate and transfer money, services and goods to Cyprus as part of any peace deal.

The spokesman added that Turkey should also cease making "provocative statements" in opposition to the island's offshore oil and gas search.

Cyprus peace talks resumed last week after a two-month halt that diminished trust and drained momentum from the process.

Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup by supporters of union with Greece.

___

12:50 p.m.

Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party has called on the country's electoral board to cancel Sunday's referendum that approved a proposal to grant sweeping powers to the nation's president.

Bulent Tezcan, deputy chairman of the party known by its Turkish acronym CHP, cited irregularities in the conduct of the vote.

He said there was "only one way to end the discussions about the vote's legitimacy and to put the people at ease, and that is for the Supreme Electoral Board to cancel the vote."

The board's unprecedented decision to accept as valid ballots that didn't bear the official stamp has led to outrage among opposition parties.

Tezcan said it was not possible for authorities to determine how many ballot papers may have been irregularly cast.

___

12:45 p.m.

Bulent Tezcan, deputy chairman of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party, is citing irregularities in Sunday's referendum which approved constitutional changes that will grant the country's president greater powers.

The party has said it will contest the result of the referendum.

Tezcan told reporters in Ankara Monday that counting of the ballots initially took place in secret in several polling stations. He said observers were not allowed to watch the proceedings for at least 1 hours until the party's complaint was accepted.

He also said an unprecedented decision by the country's electoral board to accept as valid ballots that didn't bear the official stamp was taken following a complaint by an official from the governing party.

"It was implemented at a moment when it was felt that the no votes were ahead of the yes votes," Tezcan said.

___

12 p.m.

Germany has called on the Turkish government to engage in a "respectful dialogue with all political and civilian forces of the country" after "the narrow outcome of the referendum showed how deeply Turkish society is divided."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said in a joint statement Sunday the German government respects the Turkish people's right to decide over their constitution. But the two German leaders also said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan carries "big responsibility" for the country's next steps.

They pointed out that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe had already last week expressed doubt about the whether the conditions for the vote were fair. Merkel and Gabriel said that Turkey  as an OSCE member and European Union candidate country  needs to consider these concerns.

___

11:20 a.m.

The head of Turkey's electoral board has rejected suggestions of fraud in Turkey's referendum that will grant the president vast new powers.

Two opposition parties have complained of a number of irregularities in Sunday's vote, including an electoral board decision to accept as valid ballots that did not bear the official stamp.

Sadi Guven, who heads the Supreme Electoral Board, defended the decision, telling reporters Monday that it was taken to ensure that voters who were by mistakenly given unstamped ballot papers would not be "victimized."

He insisted none of the ballot papers that were declared as valid was fake or fraudulently cast.

___

10 a.m.

Turkey's main opposition party is preparing to contest the results of a referendum that gave a narrow victory to President Tayyip Erdogan's wishes to greatly expand the powers of his office.

The "yes" vote got 51.41 percent in Sunday's referendum, while the "no" vote got 48.59 percent, according state-run Anadolu Agency's results. Turkey's electoral board confirmed the "yes" victory.

Opposition parties complained of a number of irregularities in the voting, including an electoral board decision to accept as valid ballots that did not bear the official stamp.

Legislator Utku Cakirozer told the AP that his Republican People's Party would on Monday file objections to results at local electoral board branches, before taking their case to the Supreme Electoral Board.

Cakirozer said: "At the moment this is a dubious vote."
WASHINGTON (AP)  Highlights of Vice President Mike Pence's trip to Asia (all times local):

2 p.m.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has spoken with China's foreign policy chief about North Korea.

The State Department says Tillerson called Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi (yahng jee-uh-CHEHR') over the weekend from Washington to discuss reducing tensions.

Nations have been on alert in recent weeks after a series of North Korean missile tests and fears that Pyongyang may detonate another nuclear weapon.

The Trump administration has repeatedly called on China to increase pressure on North Korea to comply with U.N. demands that it halt nuclear and missile tests.

Tillerson plans to raise North Korea again when he hosts a meeting of foreign ministers at the U.N. Security Council late next week in New York.

___

7:30 a.m.

Russia's foreign minister says he hopes the U.S. will not take unilateral action against North Korea as it did recently in Syria.

Sergey Lavrov is responding to Vice President Mike Pence's statement Monday in South Korea that the "era of strategic patience is over" with regard to North Korea's efforts to build nuclear weapons.

Lavrov told journalists in Moscow that if Pence's words can be understood as a threat to take unilateral action against North Korea, "then this is a very risky path."

He said, "I hope there will be no unilateral actions like those we saw recently in Syria and that the U.S. will follow the line that President Trump repeatedly voiced during the election campaign."

___

4 a.m.

China is urging a return to negotiations over North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons after Vice President Mike Pence warned that the U.S. has lost its patience with the regime.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Monday that tensions need to be eased on the Korean peninsula to bring the escalating dispute there to a peaceful resolution.

Lu says China wants to resume multi-party negotiations that ended in stalemate in 2009. He suggested plans to deploy a U.S. missile defense system in South Korea were damaging its relations with China.

Story continues

Pence said during a Monday visit to South Korea that the North needs to abandon its weapons program and stop testing ballistic missiles.

A North Korea missile exploded during launch in the latest test on Sunday.

___

2:55 a.m.

Vice President Mike Pence says the U.S. commitment to South Korea is "iron-clad and immutable" in the face of North Korea's work to advance its nuclear and ballistic missile program.

Pence is noting in a statement alongside South Korean Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn that President Donald Trump recently launched airstrikes in Syria. Pence says, "North Korea would do well not to test his resolve."

The vice president reiterated Monday that "all options are on the table" to deal with the threat posed by North Korea. He says any use of nuclear weapons by North Korea will be met with "an overwhelming and effective response."

___

1:24 a.m.

Viewing his adversaries in the distance, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence traveled to the tense zone dividing North and South Korea and warned Pyongyang that after years of testing the U.S. and South Korea with its nuclear ambitions, "the era of strategic patience is over."

Pence made an unannounced visit to the Demilitarized Zone at the start of his 10-day trip to Asia in a U.S. show of force that allowed the vice president to gaze at North Korean soldiers from afar and stare directly across a border marked by razor wire. As the brown bomber jacket-clad vice president was briefed near the military demarcation line, two North Korean soldiers watched from a short distance away, one taking multiple photographs of the American visitor.

___

Follow Ken Thomas on Twitter at https://twitter.com/KThomasDC
By Daniela Desantis ASUNCION (Reuters) - Paraguay's President Horacio Cartes said on Monday he would not be a candidate in next year's election in order to preserve stability in the South American nation, regardless of whether Congress passed an amendment to allow second terms. In a letter to the Archbishop of Asuncion that was shared on Twitter, Cartes, a former soft-drink and tobacco executive, said his decision not to run was inspired by Pope Francis's call for peace and dialogue in Paraguay. Protesters set fire to Congress On March 31 after the Senate secretly voted in favour of the amendment, and police later stormed an opposition political party and killed a protester. The lower house has not yet voted on the proposal. Investors favour Cartes's low-tax policies and credit him with spurring one of the fastest economic growth rates in Latin America, but business groups had urged him not to seek another term in order to avoid more riots in the world's No. 4 soy exporter. "I hope this gesture of renunciation will result in a deeper dialogue aimed at strengthening the republic," Cartes's letter said. Paraguay's constitution has prohibited second terms since it was passed in 1992 after a brutal dictatorship fell in 1989. Many citizens in the land-locked nation of 6.8 million, long one of South America's poorest, are fiercely opposed to any sign of trying to hold on to power. Senator Lilian Samaniego of Cartes's Colorado Party said the president's allies would continue to seek approval from the lower house, though a popular referendum would be required for reelection to be implemented. However, Pedro Alliana, the head of the Colorado Party, said the house was now unlikely to vote in favour of the proposal. "If he (Cartes) is not a candidate, I can assure you that the chance of the amendment passing in the lower house are minimal, practically impossible," said Alliana. Changing the constitution without Cartes on the ballot would benefit former leftist President Fernando Lugo, who Congress ousted in 2012. His speedy impeachment on the grounds he failed to maintain social order following a bloody land eviction was criticized abroad. Cartes, a political neophyte who said he had never voted in an election before casting a ballot for himself, was elected to a five-year term in 2013. Without Lugo or Cartes there are currently few clear candidates for next year's election. (Reporting by Daniela Desantis, writing by Caroline Stauffer; Editing by Bernard Orr and Andrew Hay)
Othman Wok (left) with Yahoo Singapore journalist Safhras Khan in 2009. Yahoo Singapore file photo

by Rachel Chan and Nicholas Yong

Othman Wok, a member of Singapores first Cabinet formed by Lee Kuan Yew and one of the 10 men who signed the Independence of Singapore Agreement, has died. He was 92.

Othman, who served as the Minister for Culture and Social Affairs Minister between 1963 and 1977, passed on Monday (17 April). A statement on the Peoples Action Party Facebook page called him one of the earliest proponents of multi-racialism in Singapore and an integral member of independent Singapores first Cabinet.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong also praised him as one of the multi-racial team of founding leaders who built Singapore.

Othman Wok was born on 8 October, 1924 to a Malay language-teacher-father and a housewife mother in Singapore. Othman attended Sekolah Melayu Telok Saga, Radin Mas English School, and Raffles Institution. While his grandfather frowned upon his sons choice of an English education for Othman when the latter was a child, Othmans bilingualism proved to be very useful later on in his political career.

During the Japanese Occupation (1942-45), Othman avoided being enlisted in the Japanese army by enrolling in a Japanese school. He also worked as a laboratory assistant in a Japanese anti-plague laboratory and as a clerk at the Harbour Board.

In 1946, he was personally offered a position as a reporter by Yusof Ishak, one of the founders of Malay daily Utusan Melayu and later Singapores first President.

By the time Othman joined the PAP shortly after its inception in 1954, he was a prominent journalist at Utusan Melayu. He was also the secretary of the Singapore Printing Employees Union (SPEU). It was in this capacity that he met Lee Kuan Yew, who was then SPEUs legal advisor and later became Singapore first prime minister. He helped translate Lees speeches into Malay.

In the 1950s, when politics was often fought along racial lines, taking sides with the PAP instead of the Malay-dominant United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) earned Othman the epithet traitor from his own community. He lost his first election in Kampong Kembangan, in 1959.

Story continues

He stood for election again in Pasir Panjang, after Singapores merger with Malaya in 1963, and won. He was the only Malay to make it to Lees first Cabinet, and was appointed the first Minister for Home Affairs and Social Welfare. In 1965, he became Minister for Culture and Social Affairs, and retained the position until 1977. He was then appointed as the ambassador to Indonesia, but continued as minister without portfolio until his retirement from politics in 1981.

Among his achievements, Othman was involved in the implementation of Administration of the Muslim Law Act 1966, under which the central governing body for Muslim affairs Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) was constituted. Together with Lee and other Malay MPs, he also implemented a Mosque Building Fund in 1975, allowing Muslims to make voluntary donations from their Central Provident Fund towards the building of mosques in new housing estates.

Writing remained a love of Othman. He had a penchant for horror stories, having contributed them to his school magazine while at Raffles Institution, and working as a journalist at Utusan. After retiring from politics, he became a regular writer of horror tales for a Malaysian weekend paper and compiled his previously published short stories. He also published his biography, Never In My Wildest Dreams, in 2000.

Othman is survived by his second wife, Lina Abdullah, and four daughters Saffiah, Dahlia, Lily and Diana. He will be buried at Choa Chu Kang Muslim Cemetery on Tuesday.

According to the Prime Ministers Office, the Government will accord him the honour of being borne on the ceremonial gun carriage for his final journey from Sultan Mosque to Pusara Abadi at the Choa Chu Kang Muslim Cemetery.

A memorial service organised by OnePeople.sg will be held on Wednesday. The Government has ordered that the State flag on all Government buildings be flown at half-mast until the memorial service is over.
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has said that leaders should listen to protesters who have taken to the streets demanding that President Jacob Zuma resign or be removed after a cabinet reshuffle triggered damaging credit downgrades. Zuma is to step down as head of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) in December but his second term as president only expires after a general election in 2019. Ramaphosa and Zuma's ex-wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma are the leading candidates vying to replace him. Zuma is widely believed to support his ex-wife's candidacy, while Ramaphosa, a wealthy businessman and former trade unionist, has the backing of the ANC's labour allies. "People of our country are taking to the streets. They're raising their concerns, and I think what we should be doing as leaders is to listen to some of the concerns that are being raised," Ramaphosa told the eNCA news network on Sunday after attending an Easter church service in northern Limpopo province. Ramaphosa's remarks are a marked contrast to Zuma's. He has accused the marchers of having racist motives. The protests have had mixed racial profiles, and drew tens of thousands to Pretoria on Wednesday and nationwide on April 7. Zuma, who turned 75 on Wednesday, has survived previous protests. But the main opposition party Democratic Alliance (DA) and other parties believe they can drum up support to force Zuma from office following his dismissal of respected Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in a cabinet reshuffle. Fitch and S&P Global Ratings have downgraded South Africa's debt to "junk", citing Gordhan's dismissal as one reason. South Africa's top court is considering whether a parliamentary motion of no confidence against Zuma should be taken by secret ballot. Opposition parties have said the motion would be more likely to succeed if held by secret ballot. (Reporting by Ed Stoddard; Editing by Alison Williams)
By Andrew Chung WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court sidestepped a turbulent debate over illegal immigration on Monday, turning away an appeal by a group of asylum-seeking Central American women and their children who aimed to clarify the constitutional rights of people who the government has prioritized for deportation. The families, 28 women and 33 children ages 2 to 17 from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, had hoped the justices would overturn a lower court's ruling preventing them from having their expedited removal orders reviewed by a federal judge. That Philadelphia-based court said the status of the families, all apprehended in Texas and later held in Pennsylvania, was akin to non-citizens who are denied entry at the border and they were not entitled to a court hearing to challenge that decision. Immigration has become an even hotter topic than usual in the United States since President Donald Trump took office in January. His administration has ordered construction of a border wall with Mexico intended to curb illegal immigration, and plans to expand the number of people targeted for expedited removal, a process that applies to non-citizens lacking valid entry documents. The families have said they were escaping threats, violence and police authorities unable or unwilling to help in their home countries. Lead plaintiff Rosa Castro fled El Salvador to escape years of rape, beatings and emotional abuse by the father of her son, who was 6 years old when they arrived in the United States in 2015, according to court papers. Lesly Cruz, who also arrived in 2015, fled Honduras to protect her daughter from sexual assault by members of the Mara Salvatrucha armed gang, the court papers said. The families were apprehended in Texas within hours of illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexican border. After claiming asylum, they were determined by immigration judges to lack "credible fear" of persecution, and placed in expedited removal proceedings. The families were detained at Berks County Residential Center in Leesport, Pennsylvania, where 12 women and their children remain. The others have been released under orders of supervision, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing them. The women challenged in federal court the rejection of their asylum claims, alleging a violation of their right to due process under the U.S. Constitution. In August, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia said they may be treated the same way as non-citizens seeking initial admission to the United States, who do not have any constitutional rights of review if denied entry. The women appealed to the Supreme Court. There has been a 93 percent drop since December of parents and children caught trying to cross the Mexican border illegally into the United States, which U.S. officials attribute to the Trump administration's tough policies. (Reporting by Andrew Chung; Editing by Will Dunham)
Its been a bad week for United Airlines. After a video of a passenger being violently removed from a plane by police went viral, youd think the airline would be trying to stay out of the headlines.

United Airlines had U.S. marshals escort bride and groom Amber Maxwell and Michael Hohl from a flight en route to their wedding this weekend. (Photo: Getty Images)

In the latest passenger-PR nightmare, a couple flying United to their destination wedding in Costa Rica were booted from their plane on Saturday. Michael Hohl and Amber Maxwell were traveling with family and friends when confusion over seating landed them back in the terminal.

The wedding, planned for Thursday, will still happen, but the couple are  quite understandably  not happy with how United handled the situation. We thought not a big deal, its not like we are trying to jump up into a first-class seat, Hohl told News13, an ABC affiliate. We were simply in an economy row a few rows above our economy seat.

The couple had flown into Houston from Salt Lake City. After a layover at George Bush Intercontinental airport, they boarded United Flight 1737 bound for Liberia, Costa Rica. When they went to sit down, they found a man stretched out and sleeping in their row.

According to the couple, they jumped up a few rows on the mostly empty plane and didnt think much of it. When a flight attendant asked them why they werent in their assigned seats, the trouble started.

The airline and the couple have two different versions of events. According to the couple, they tried to explain there was someone sleeping in their assigned seats. Even after they complied with the flight crew and woke the sleeping man, an air marshal approached them and told them they had to get off the plane.

United Airlines in a statement said: Were disappointed anytime a customer has an experience that doesnt measure up to their expectations. These passengers repeatedly attempted to sit in upgraded seating, which they did not purchase, and they would not follow crew instructions to return to their assigned seats. Weve been in touch with them and have rebooked them on flights tomorrow.

Story continues

Hohl and Maxwell deny they were being disorderly. I think customer service and the airlines have gone real downhill, said Hohl. The way United Airlines handled this was really absurd.

The stepfather of the bride to be, Michael Gallagher, told KUTV 2News Utah in an interview: Truthfully, we all worried that maybe something would happen in Costa Rica, and we were willing to deal with that. Never in our wildest dreams did we think United was going to screw it up in Houston, Texas.

Read more news from Yahoo Style + Beauty:




A recent study has predicted by 2020 40 percent of American workers will be employed by the Gig Economy, working as independent contractors rather than employees. Theyll get none of the old school benefits and security previous generations enjoyed.

While there are no gold watches at the end of the road for these Americans, the flexibility and independence offered in industries like manufacturing by this new small business project-to-project model attracts them nevertheless.

Firms like MS Companies have added an IT element to the mix with a mobile app that augments their cloud-based staffing solution. They leverage the Gig Economy by providing a pre-screened, pre-trained workforce.

Chris Reffett is executive VP of sales. He offered his thoughts on 10 ways the Gig Economy can help small manufacturing businesses cover the 2 million U.S. manufacturing jobs expected to go unfilled by 2025.



How Can the Gig Economy Help Manufacturing Businesses?

Millennials Like It

Part-time freelance work which is the focus of the Gig Economy is just what Millennials are looking for.

Millennials enjoy being paid by the project and not necessarily working for the same company for a long period of time, Reffett says.

This gives small manufacturers a big swath to choose from. In fact, the Pew Research Center reported this generation became the biggest slice in the American workforce pie in 2015.

Automation Likes It

As more and more manufacturing in the United States gives way to automation, specialized people are needed on contracts that keep the machines running. These new manufacturing skill sets fit in well with the notion of the Gig Economy.

That skill set of people that are able to program and troubleshoot the automation are needed although thats not necessarily full time, Reffett says.

These contracts are often for the duration of a setup period.

The Gig Economy Fills Flexible Demands

Small businesses can adjust their workforce according to demand with the Gig Economy. As opposed to hiring temporary workers who come in untrained, firms like MS Companies offer a mobile connectivity that offers overviews and ongoing training for each client.

The result is a flexible workforce thats familiar with a variety of different tasks.

Gig Workers are Connected

This small business model for manufacturing also has the advantage of having an engaged and connected workforce. Through laptops, smart phones and social media, workers can get the information they need about any given manufacturer. This in turn helps them to find the kind of work they want in life which leads to better productivity.

Startups Draw from a Wider Base

Small manufacturing startups might not get the kind of personal employee connection in the Gig Economy they would in older more traditional models. However, they can draw from a wider base of specialized people. For example, if a small manufacturing business gets a rush order they need to fill quickly, the Gig Economy can supply them with the machinist who already has experience.



More People Get to Work

Just by virtue of the fact the Gig Economy has such a wide reach through technology, more people will have a chance to work. Apps have been a real boon to help small manufacturers who are looking to spread the net wide.

Reffett explains how MS Companies has jumped on board.

Weve found a lot of success through our employee engagement app where each employee has a dashboard that tells them how much more training theyll need to get to a certain level or pay rate, he says.

The Gig Economy Breeds a Positive Outlook

Everyone who works for a living has a set of goals theyd like to achieve. The Gig Economy allows todays workforce more control over which ones they set and how they accomplish them. Through apps and what industry insiders call gamification, scoring and even competition are used to breed enthusiasm.

The Gig Economy Can Help Your Small Business Clear a Backlog

Todays economic landscape has been called by turns volatile and disruptive since 2008. Quite often that means feast or famine for small manufacturing companies. Being able to call on workers during a spike in orders who already understand whats needed is invaluable.



It Provides a Test Run Both Ways

Employees can pick and choose the kind of opportunities they want to work for, Reffett says. The Gig Economy allows the employer to test run some people too. It allows both sides to get a little feel before theres any full time commitment.

See Also: 9 Ways Digital Fabrication Benefits Small Manufacturing Businesses

The Gig Economy Provides a Change of Pace

Variety is the spice of life and thats just what the Gig Economy provides. In a small business manufacturing model, each company and market is different with various peak seasons appealing to a wide variety of people looking for work.

There are lots of people who really like the new projects and environment, Reffett says.

If there is one area for concern in this new Gig Economy it has to do with the classification of these workers. The United States Department of Labor is concerned about what it calls the misclassification of employees as independent contractors and how some of these workers might not get the protections they are entitled to. And this is something for small businesses to consider too when immersing themselves in the gig economy ethic
One of the latest threats was a fake clone of the Financial Administrations website.

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Nowadays, when about three quarters of Slovaks use internet and the technology is spreading to many items of everyday use, malware threats are greatly increasing their power.

Though in the past Slovakia differed in the number of attacks compared to other EU countries mainly due to the lack of direct internet payments, new methods of assaulting the latest vulnerabilities are already affecting the market. Better chances to harm users lead to greater interest of hackers, who today often take attacks as a gainful activity, according to IT expert community.

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Attackers are more or less extortionists who deploy code for disk encryption and if you do not pay you will lose your data, Ondrej Macko, editor-in-chief of the TouchIT.sk website, told The Slovak Spectator.

Hence the amount of malicious code on both desktop PCs and mobile platforms constantly grows. Eset anti-virus software company records about 300,000 new, never analysed samples of malware every day.

The number of Android platform threats has more than doubled in the past two years, spokesperson of Eset Zuzana Hosalova told The Slovak Spectator.

Mostly ransomware

From among the many variations of malicious code in cyberspace, security companies record the most sensitive jump in ransomware. This malicious code spreads itself through email attachments as invoices or fake notifications on emails. After infection it prevents the users access to the computer and generally requires a ransom.

While a huge business with ransomware attracts many attackers to huge gains, there are also more phishing attacks of which 90 percent serve the dissemination of ransomware, according to Michal Salat, security expert of Czech IT security company Avast.

Two years ago, the public almost did not hear about ransomware and today it is one of the most disputed security topics, Salat told The Slovak Spectator.

Attack on tax office

Slovak internet users do not avoid ransomware attacks. One of the latest harmful attacks was false website financnasprava.digital which abused the appearance of the Financial Administrations original website to spread malware. After encryption of all users connected drives, the attacker demanded a ransom of 0.8 bitcoin (about 900).

Whereas the attack occurred in late February, its author clearly wanted to exploit the period in which companies and households begin to submit tax returns, according to Robert Lipovsky, security researcher at Eset.

The official website of the Financial Administration allows for submitting tax returns, VAT statements and control statements, Lipovsky told the SITA newswire.

An anonymous hacker spread the ransomware through a false email address again with a similar name to that of the state office, and registered his fake clone of a web portal in Panama, the Sme daily reported.

Social engineering appears too

In the early months of 2017, Slovaks also struggled with links to fake shopping vouchers of Tesco and Lidl retail stores that attackers disseminated via social networks. The case represents a so-called social engineering attack without malicious code which simply fools people, said Hosalova.

No one needs any sophisticated methods to send you a deceptive email about a too good to be true message claiming that it gives you money, Hosalova said.

Hosalova pointed out that in the long term such attackers exploit names of prospering companies and state organisations because many people do not doubt the authenticity of emails which act as, for example, official messages from banks. These are similar cases as emails from Nigerian princes, for example, she said.

Other new threats

While in general Macko pointed to new Android operating system viruses stealing phone numbers, contacts and short messages, Hosalova listed campaigns of fake e-shops on social networks, misuse of user profiles and infected apps that tried to exploit the popularity of the Pokemon GO game at the end of summer 2016.

Read also:

Read also: Eset unveils new security products for home users Read more

In addition, Avast recorded other attacks on routers and Internet of Things devices including the Mirai malware which forces devices to report to a central control server, turning them into a bot that can be used in distributed denial-of-service offences.

No spatial differences

Given that internet space is a global entity, the situation in central Europe is very similar to that in other European countries, according to experts. There are prevailing attacks like redirections to various quizzes, false chances to win tablets, spam and changes to the Domain Name System records which is the database of information about websites, ransomware, adware advertising viruses and botnet clients.

In the Czech Republic, attackers try to persuade mobile device users through emails to download fake applications for mail tracking, according to Salat.

People should download mobile apps only from the official stores for their platforms, said Salat.

Users are very careless

Users themselves often alter their devices and become easy targets for hackers. One of the problems is that they do not back up data or they have backup media constantly connected to computers that ransomware may impair, said Salat.

Salat pointed out that attackers can monitor un-encrypted communication through mobile networks when phones automatically connect to stored networks.

If someone sets up a malicious network of the same name, phones will try to connect to it and therefore will open themselves to attackers misuse, explained Salat.

Statistics confirm weak precaution of users as they have more than half (52 percent) of the most used applications out of date and are easily vulnerable, according to Avast PC Trends Report. The most obsolete apps are Java extension for the web, mainly the old Runtime 6 and 7 versions which more than 24 million users around the world still use, Flash Active X and Foxit Reader. On the contrary, people mostly update Google Chrome and Opera browsers and Skype.

Fight against ramsomware

To prevent ransomware attacks, Hosalova recommends to not open email attachments from unknown senders, alert colleagues about possible attacks, regularly update operating system and programmes, wipe out unused programmes and regularly back up your devices content without continual connection of external drive to the device.

Companies and organisations should regularly train employees about threats and test whether and how they know to get their backups, Hosalova said.

Read also:

Read also: Mobile malware is on the attack Read more

Salat emphasised that the only means of protection against phishing attacks are digital signature and knowledge about the methods of verifying authenticity of websites.

Precaution is a keystone

For basic protection, people should be sure to have an updated antivirus programme, often free of charge, which does not slow down the computer. While antivirus in combination with a firewall can prevent the vast majority of attacks, VPN services can ensure communication via PCs and mobile devices, according to Salat.

All experts, however, see the most powerful tool in people themselves. Users should use complex passwords and two-factor authentication that in case of a log-in by an unknown device, it sends an additional verification code via short text message, said Hosalova.

Linking accounts with phone numbers is already common on Gmail and Facebook, Hosalova said.

Common sense and disabling users from clicking on everything they see is at the forefront of protection, said Macko.
In exercise for this topic we focus on skill: Presentations.

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This exercise is prepared by the Leaf Academy. It is part of the Spectator College programme and it is linked to the articles: Mortgage state bonus: How the young can cut their living costs and Natural gardens  a piece of nature in town.

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CONTENT

EXERCISE 1: Mortgage state bonus: How the young can cut their living costs

EXERCISE 2: Natural gardens  a piece of nature in town

Recommended Usage and Format for exercises

EXERCISE 1 linked to the article: Mortgage state bonus: How the young can cut their living costs

Lesson Objectives

Read text and demonstrate understanding (comprehension, analysis, connection, and transfer)

Analyze position

Respond to argument and work with evidence

Read article (10 minutes)

a. Underline any words you do not recognize or understand. Understanding: (5 minutes) Have each student share word(s) they dont know and define them. Summarize/Monitor Understanding/Research (15 minutes) Explain the benefits of home ownership. Focused Free Write: (5 minutes writing, 5-minute discussion) Prompt: Given the current interest rates are below 2% (see example at Tatra Bank link below) and that young people are eligible for government bonus (mortgage for the youth), any gainfully employed young person should purchase a home or flat in 2017. Agree or disagree with this statement and use evidence from the article and Tatra Bank website to support your position. http://www.tatrabanka.sk/en/personal-banking/loans/mortgage/calculator.html Discussion (10 minutes) Discuss the pros and cons of home ownership. Discuss the financial differences, pro and con, of taking a mortgage versus paying a lease.

EXERCISE 2 linked to the article: Natural gardens  a piece of nature in town

Lesson Objectives

Read text and demonstrate understanding (comprehension, analysis, connection, and transfer)

Analyze position

Respond to argument and work with evidence

Read article (5 minutes)

Underline any words you do not recognize or understand.

Understanding: (5 minutes) Have each student share word(s) they dont know and define them.

Summarize/Monitor Understanding/Research (10 minutes) Explain the criteria for and benefits of natural gardens.

Group Activity: (15 minutes) Working in groups of three, and using information from the article, design and propose a natural garden for your school or community.

Share and Discussion (10 minutes) Each group should take one minute to share key aspects of their natural garden. Find similarities and differences. Determine if a group of students would like to take this on as an activity.

Recommended Usage and Format for exercises

We believe a discussion-based format is best for achieving the learning objectives. We also believe that using the technique Writing as Thinking helps students to formulate their ideas and practice their writing in advance of the discussion. The degree of facilitator and adult involvement will vary according to student background and secondary objectives.

Writing

Model by being willing to write along with students and also to share your writing with the class.

Let them know before writing if they will be asked to share their writing out loud.

Here writing is first thoughts, so poor spelling, punctuation or conventions are not the focus.

Focus on engaging with ideas.

They do not need to apologize for the quality of their writing.

Discussion

Set expectations for active listening and body language

Engage introverts and extroverts, be mindful of dominant voices

Be mindful of how much you are speaking

Manage time

Encourage students to respond directly to each other, and not through the facilitator, using evidence- I agree with Igors point because

Encourage everyone to draw from evidence in the text to support their points, avoid generalizations

Can you point to a line in the text

Can you help me to understand

Could you give an example

Use techniques to encourage other voices

Lets hear some other thoughts

Lets hear from someone who hasnt contributed yet...

Techniques for managing time/discussion

Put this in the parking lot and move on

Lets pause here

Parts of the lesson

Focused Free Write- an opportunity for students to write freely, but about a specific prompt.

Reflection- an opportunity to think about the lesson, what they have learned and hopefully how it will help them or how it connects to their life

Underlining words- this strategy is a good habit for students and it also allows them more ownership of their vocabulary.

This exercise is prepared by the Leaf Academy and it is part of the Spectator College, a programme created by The Slovak Spectator.
Army Chief Bipin Rawat said the priority of the forces was to maintain peace in the Valley but it would not compromise on safety and security of troops.

By Manjeet Negi: At the Army Commanders' Conference that started today, General Bipin Rawat assured the army that he would fully back the troops on ground and keeping their morale high was his first priority. The Army top brass was also of the view that the priority of the forces is to maintain peace in the Valley but it would not compromise on safety and security of troops.

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The Army commanders also mulled ways of strengthening vigil in the Kashmir Valley to plug the infiltration of terrorists crossing the LoC as inputs have been received that there would be concerted attempts by the ISI to push more terrorists, to add to the troubled atmosphere there.

The Army Chief also emphasised that all systems were working well and complimented all those working on the ground. He observed that the Indian Army continues to hold a strong image and a professional reputation. He exhorted all ranks to endeavour to further strengthen the system.

Defence Minister Arun Jaitley also stated that stone-pelters had changed the narrative in Kashmir Valley and they were getting help from across the border. Jaitley told the officers that 'whenever the challenges multiply or their nature changes, Indian Army has always outperformed itself'.

During the recently held by-polls, the Army intelligence agencies had forewarned that ISI will use stone-pelters to step up attacks on the troops and polling process to disrupt electioneering. NSA Ajit Doval has also backed the Army on ground for carrying out operations against the stone-pelters, who have become a bigger menace for maintaining law and order in the state.

Also read: Plastic bullets to replace pellet guns for stone-pelters in Kashmir

Also read: Kashmir: Students turn stone-pelters against police, dozens injured in clashes

--- ENDS ---
Employers call for a formula with pre-set indicators for calculating an annual increase of the minimum wage.

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Trade unions would like to see the minimum monthly wage increased by 57 to 492 in 2018. This would mean an increase of 13.1 percent from the current 435. Positive macroeconomic developments, as well as the economic condition of both the public and private sectors, speak in favour of minimum wage growth of this magnitude, argue trade unions.

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Even politicians are not hiding that economic indicators in Slovakia are good, said Jozef Kollar, president of the Confederation of Trade Unions (KOZ) as cited by the TASR newswire.

KOZ announced their recommendation on April 13, adding that after levies and taxes are deducted, the increase would be only 36.

Even with the minimum wage increased like this, we will still belong to the tail end of EU countries in terms of the minimum wage level, said Kollar as cited by the TASR newswire.

While the Labour, Social Affairs and Family Ministry supports the hike, it says that the rise must be agreed with social partners. Employers warn that such a high increase would make it difficult for low-earners to find jobs and they have called for a scheme to calculate the hike in the minimum wage.

The third Robert Fico government has declared that the minimum wage will grow to 500 by 2019. The minimum wage has been increased for the past couple of years in Slovakia. In 2015 it amounted to 380, while it was 405 in 2016.

Around 210,000 people currently receive the minimum wage or a sum similar to it in Slovakia, i.e. they earn about 450 per month, according to KOZ.

The Labour, Social Affairs and the Family Ministry is pushing for as high and appropriate a rise in the minimum wage as possible each year.

First of all, however, a rise in the minimum wage must be agreed on by the social partners, and the law-prescribed deadline for doing so is July 15, explained Veronika Husarova, spokesperson of the Labour Ministry. Social partners include trade unions, the government and employers. In case they fail to agree on the rise, as has happened during the last few years, it is the government that decides by the end of July.

In response to KOZs initiative, the Federation of Employers Associations (AZZZ) suggested a different tack. Given that the annual talks between the social partners fail to produce an agreement on the minimum wage, said AZZZ, a formula should be put in place whereby the minimum wage increase would be based on pre-set indicators. This would make it possible for employers to predict the costs related to this several years in advance, said AZZZ spokesperson Miriam Spanikova.
For about a century and a half, the territory of modern Slovakia was a direct neighbour of the expanding Ottoman Empire. The southern regions of Slovakia especially suffered from Turkish behaviour.

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However, if there was a region to be selected as the most impacted by the ravaging of the aggressive neighbour, it would probably be Novohrad. Here, the Ottomans settled for many years and terrorised the wider surroundings from there. Not even the system of defence castles  the most important being Modry Kamen / Blue Stone  helped Novohrad against them.

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Ottomans even conquered it in 1575 and kept their presence there until 1593 when they were defeated in a massive attack of the army of Miklos Palffy and Kristof Tiefenbach. Before they fled the castle, they still managed to set it on fire and create an explosion. Its owner, Zsigmund Balassa, ordered it repaired and put into its original state but during the next Ottoman war it was agin left a ruin.

In 1730, half a century after the final defeat of the Ottomans, Gabriel Balassa let a mansion in the baroque style be construed in the lower part of the castle. Fortunately, this has been preserved until today. Currently, the Museum of Puppetry Culture and Toys resides there, the only one of its kind in Slovakia. This nice postcard from the 1920s captures the ruin of Modry Kamen with a part of the town.
An astonishing 98% of cloud services are adopted without any IT oversight. And when your employees act as their own tech professionals to use their favorite chat, cloud storage, and other insecure apps, thats more than just conducting shadow IT, its directly putting your network at risk. Read more...
An attempt to prosecute Tony Blair over the Iraq War is to be blocked by Britain's top law officer, it has been claimed.

Attorney General Jeremy Wright, who is a Cabinet minister, is reported to have formally asked to join the hearing and for the bid to prosecute Mr Blair and his senior ministers to be thrown out.

The private prosecution, based on last year's Chilcot Inquiry report, is being brought by a former chief of staff of the Iraqi Army, General Abdul-Wahid Shannan ar-Ribat.

It seeks to prosecute the former prime minister, his then foreign secretary Jack Straw and the attorney general at the time, Lord Goldsmith, for the crime of "aggression", according to legal papers seen by The Guardian newspaper.

His lawyers are seeking a fresh hearing after a judge ruled last year that Mr Blair had immunity from a criminal charge and that bringing a prosecution could "involve details being disclosed under the Official Secrets Act", according to the documents.

Mr Wright, who is supported by the three former Labour figures, is said to believe the case is "hopeless" because the crime of aggression does not exist in English law, although it does exist in international law.

A spokesman for his office said: "It is not unusual for the Attorney General to intervene in cases in order to represent the public interest. He has sought to intervene in this case because it raises issues about the scope of the criminal law."

The case relates to the 2003 war, which the Chilcot report found was not a last resort after all peaceful options had been exhausted, and that the case for weapons of mass destruction was exaggerated.

Sir John Chilcot's report did not rule on the legality of the war, but families of some of the soldiers also called at the time of his report last summer for Mr Blair to face criminal charges.

Imran Khan, for General Ribat - who served until 2003 under Saddam Hussein and is understood to live in exile - said his client was "baffled as to why it is that despite the Chilcot report making it very clear that the war was illegal, attempts are below made to prevent those responsible from entering a court, let alone being prosecuted for what they did".

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Mr Khan added: "I really don't think it's a matter for the Attorney General. It sounds a rather defensive approach, one that wants to nip it in the bud, but it's a bit disingenuous as it should be left to the court to decide.

"It sounds like we're on to something here, otherwise why would the Attorney General want to get involved at this early stage?"

An application was made to Westminster Magistrates' court in November last year for a summons to be issued against Mr Blair.

But it was refused by district judge Michael Snow, who said: "Implied immunity as former head of state and government ministers, therefore offence not made out.

"Allegations involve potential details being disclosed under the Official Secrets Act for which attorney general and director of public prosecutions consent are required", the newspaper reported.

General Ribat's legal team, including Michael Mansfield QC, believe the judge was wrong to say the three senior ministers could not be prosecuted and that there are "overwhelming grounds" to challenge the decision.

In his pleading, Mr Wright said he wanted Parliament, not the courts, to make criminal laws and believes "the basis on which this claim for judicial review is mounted is hopeless".

Opponents of Mr Blair - including Alex Salmond and Jeremy Corbyn when he was a backbencher - have in previous years called for him to be put on trial for war crimes.

But the International Criminal Court does not rule on the decision to launch a conflict, only decisions made on the battlefield.

The court in The Hague has said the decision by the UK to go to war is "outside the court's jurisdiction".
TIRANA, Albania (AP)  Germany's foreign minister on Monday called on Albania's opposition to end a parliamentary boycott, not block the launch of justice reforms and take part in the June parliamentary election.

Sigmar Gabriel, visiting Albania's capital, said that Germany and the European Union couldn't understand the opposition's request for a caretaker government only weeks before the June 18 vote.

The Democratic Party-led opposition says that it will boycott the parliamentary election unless a caretaker government takes the country to the polls. It says the Cabinet will manipulate the vote with drug money, and has declined to negotiate. Since mid-February, its supporters have blocked the main boulevard in Tirana, raising a tent in front of Prime Minister Edi Rama's office.

Gabriel said that it was "totally absurd" to block the road and that opposition lawmakers should instead try to implement change at parliament.

"Let them go to parliament where they are members (and do that)," Gabriel said at a joint news conference with Albanian counterpart Ditmir Bushati. "The federal government believes that a parliamentary boycott isn't an acceptable way to express the will (of the people)."

The opposition's boycott of parliament is also blocking the launch of judicial reform, considered as key to the start of EU membership negotiations with Brussels.

Corruption in Albania's judiciary has been a main obstacle to Albania's post-communist development.

Judicial reforms unanimously approved last year, and prepared with assistance from EU and U.S. experts, have been hampered by the opposition boycott. Parliament needs to create the vetting bodies that will evaluate the backgrounds of around 800 judges and prosecutors. The opposition says that those bodies could be subject to manipulation.

Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders, visiting Tirana as well on Monday, also called on the opposition to end the boycott.

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"The vetting, judicial reform is absolutely key in the whole process of integration into European structures. It is high time to be implemented. There is an urgency to do this," he said at a news conference with Bushati.

Main opposition Democratic Party leader Lulzim Basha met with both ministers, saying he explained to them how they weren't blocking judicial reform, as the vetting couldn't be held by a prime minister and that the opposition was excluded.

He also insisted that "the only way is through a technical (caretaker) government ... to take the country to free and fair elections."

Gabriel warned that those who "boycott parliament to hamper judicial reform damage the country and its reputation," adding that will only "make the path toward the EU longer and Albanians' lives more difficult."

"Europe is a synonym of the rule of law, of the power of law and not the power of force," Gabriel said at a news conference with Rama.

The governing left-wing coalition has asked Europe's center-right parties, of which the country's opposition is a member, to convince the opposition to sit down to talks and take part in Albania's parliamentary election.
By Sofia Menchu GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - A former Mexican state governor on the run from police for more than five months who has come to symbolize corruption within the country's ruling party was arrested on Saturday night in Guatemala and now awaits extradition. Javier Duarte, wanted on charges of graft and organized crime, was detained in a hotel lobby in the picturesque lakeside town of Panajachel, 80 miles (130 km) west of Guatemala's capital, the national police said in a statement. Local television footage showed a calm Duarte, formerly governor of Veracruz state, being led by police outside the hotel on Saturday night, his hands cuffed behind his back. Duarte, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, was at the hotel for a couple of days using an assumed identity along with his wife; she has not been charged with any crimes. "He wanted to pass as a Mexican tourist," said Stu Velasco, deputy director of Guatemala's national police. Duarte likely entered Guatemala by land sometime in early November, and used private planes within Guatemala while on the run, said Omar Garcia, chief of criminal investigations within Mexico's attorney general's office, at a Sunday news conference at the Mexican embassy in Guatemala. He declined to detail Duarte's travels in the Central American country, or who was helping him, but said he had kept a low profile in Panajachel. "He didn't leave his hotel room," said Garcia. Duarte, 43, was transferred early on Sunday to the Matamoros prison in downtown Guatemala City, a facility known for holding drug traffickers and former Guatemalan government officials charged with corruption. Rodrigo Sandoval, a Guatemalan lawyer representing Duarte, visited him at the prison later on Sunday morning. "I had the opportunity to talk with Mr. Duarte, and he says he's waiting for his extradition and for his lawyers in Mexico. My understanding is that he will accept extradition," said Sandoval. Agriculture and oil-rich Veracruz, on Mexico's Gulf coast, is one of Mexico's largest states, and it has historically been a stronghold of President Enrique Pena Nieto's Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI. Elected governor in 2010, Duarte presided over a sharp deterioration in security in the state punctuated by the discovery of mass graves and a spate of killings of journalists during his watch. He has been accused of carrying out massive personal enrichment schemes with illicit resources, potentially totaling in the hundreds of millions of dollars and involving assets in Mexico and abroad. Duarte is charged with using ghost companies to transfer and hide public funds. Once seen as a rising young star within the PRI, Duarte was expelled from its ranks in October as accusations of graft mounted. He resigned as governor that same month, a few weeks before his six-year term was due to end. In June, Miguel Angel Yunes of the opposition National Action Party won a hotly contested race to succeed Duarte in a stinging defeat for the PRI, long the political party of the state's governors. "He plundered our state, and left us in a financial disaster," said Yunes at a news conference in Boca del Rio near Veracruz city, celebrating the arrest. Yunes said 1.2 billion pesos ($65 million) had been recovered from Duarte's illicit diversion of public funds and added that "billions of pesos" still remain in the possession of Duarte family members, former officials and criminals who posed as businessmen. Several of Duarte's top cabinet officials have been arrested on corruption charges, while others are being investigated. (Additional reporting by Dave Graham, Anahi Rama and David Alire Garcia; Writing by David Alire Garcia; Editing by Steve Orlofsky and Bill Rigby)
By Roberta Rampton and Sue-Lin Wong SEOUL/PYONGYANG (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence warned North Korea on Monday that recent American military strikes in Syria and Afghanistan showed President Donald Trump's resolve should not be questioned, but Pyongyang vowed to continue missile and nuclear tests. After a huge display of missiles in Pyongyang and a failed North Korean missile test during the weekend, U.S. officials praised China for stepping up efforts to rein in North Korea, Beijing's neighbour and ally. But Pence and South Korea's acting president, Hwang Kyo-ahn, said they would proceed with the early deployment to South Korea of the U.S. THAAD missile-defense system, in spite of Chinese objections. At a White House Easter celebration on Monday, Trump was asked if he had a message for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and replied: Gotta behave. But senior North Korean officials remained defiant. North Korea's deputy representative to the United Nations, Kim In Ryong, accused Washington of creating a situation where nuclear war could break out an any time and said Pyongyang's next nuclear test would take place "at a time and at a place where our headquarters deems necessary." North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Han Song-Ryol told the BBC that missiles would continue to be tested on "a weekly, monthly and yearly basis." Kim Song Gyong, director general of the European Department of North Korea's Foreign Ministry, told Reuters in Pyongyang that if Washington made "the slightest movement" to make a nuclear strike on North Korea, Pyongyang would strike first and "destroy the aggressors without any mercy. He went on to clarify that the approach of a U.S. naval strike force led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Carl Vinson to Korean waters would not be considered enough to constitute the slightest movement. Korean tensions have escalated following repeated North Korean missile tests and concerns that Pyongyang may soon conduct a sixth nuclear bomb test in defiance of U.N. sanctions. Washington is increasingly worried about North Korean efforts to develop a nuclear-tipped missile that could hit the U.S. mainland. Speaking alongside Hwang, Pence said the world had witnessed Trump's resolve in the past two weeks, which saw a U.S. missile attack on a Syrian airfield and the dropping of a powerful non-nuclear bomb on Islamic State in Afghanistan. "North Korea would do well not to test his resolve or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region," Pence said on what was his first stop of a four-nation Asia tour intended to show that Trump is not turning his back on the increasingly volatile part of the world. Pence, whose father served in the 1950-53 Korean War, visited the North-South border on Monday and said Washington would stand by its "ironclad alliance" with South Korea. "All options are on the table to achieve the objectives and ensure the stability of the people of this country," he told reporters as tinny propaganda music floated across from the North Korean side of the so-called demilitarized zone (DMZ). The Trump administration has said that military action remains an option for dealing with North Korea. But mindful that this would likely trigger massive retaliation and casualties in South Korea and Japan and among U.S. troops there, U.S. officials say the Trump administration's main focus is on tougher economic sanctions to try to get Pyongyang to abandon its weapons programs. Trump himself, when asked on Monday if he was considering military action, told Fox News Channel he didn't want to "telegraph" his plans like the previous administration. "Well see what happens. I hope things work out well," he said but added that the United States had tried to engage the North Koreans in talks for a long time. On Sunday, Trump's national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, said that the United States, its allies and China were working on a range of responses to North Korea's latest missile test, citing what he called an international consensus to act. He indicated Trump was not considering military action for now, despite the dispatch the carrier group. U.S. officials say tougher sanctions could include an oil embargo, a global ban on North Korea's airline, intercepting cargo ships and punishing Chinese banks doing business with Pyongyang. They say greater Chinese cooperation is vital. NO 'RED LINES' White House spokesman Sean Spicer said China had taken some "very helpful" steps, although it remained to be seen how effective these would be. Asked if Trump had a "red line" on North Korea, Spicer said the president did not believe these worked. Susan Thornton, acting U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asia, said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and China's top diplomat, State Councilor Yang Jiechi, agreed in a phone call on Sunday on the need for strict enforcement of U.N. resolutions and for international action to press Pyongyang "to cease provocative actions and recommit to peaceful denuclearisation. Thornton said any new North Korean nuclear test "would draw a pretty significant international response." "Were definitely not seeking conflict or regime change," she said. "But we are committed to defending our people and our allies should it be necessary. Pence is expected to discuss Korean tensions with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday when he travels to Tokyo for economic talks with Finance Minister Taro Aso. He will also visit Jakarta and Sydney. His economic discussions will be closely watched to see how hard a line Washington is prepared to take on trade. Trump campaigned on an "America First" platform, and has vowed to narrow big trade deficits with nations like China and Japan. But Trump has also shown willingness to link trade to other issues, saying he would cut a better trade deal with China if it exerts influence on North Korea. China has appeared increasingly frustrated with Pyongyang, speaking out against its weapons tests and supporting United Nations sanctions, while repeatedly calling for talks. China banned imports of North Korean coal, the country's most important export, in February, and Chinese media have raised the possibility of restricting oil shipments to the North. However, Beijing says the crisis is one between the United States and North Korea. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said the situation was "highly sensitive, complicated and high risk" and all sides should "avoid taking provocative actions " (To view a graphic on 'The Carl Vinson group' click http://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/rngs/USA-NAVY-NORTHKOREA/010040LK1BH/USA-NAVY-NORTHKOREA.jpg) (To view a graphic on 'Nuclear North Korea' click http://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/rngs/NORTHKOREA-MISSILES/010031V7472/index.html) (Additional reporting by Sue-Lin Wong in Pyongyang, Jack Kim and James Pearson in Seoul, Daniel Trotta in New York, Lucia Mutikani, Caren Bohan, David Brunnstrom, Matt Spetalnick, Lesley Wroughton and Steve Holland in Washington and Michael Martina in Beijing; Editing by Robert Birsel and Alistair Bell)
By Press Trust of India: Bhubaneswar, Apr 17 (PTI) Congress today hit out at ruling BJD in Odisha and BJP, stating that both the parties were equally responsible for poverty, backwardness and misrule in the state.

"While BJD is to be blamed for Odishas poverty, backwardness and misrule, BJP is also equally responsible for this," Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Prasad Harichandan said here.

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Launching a scathing attack on both the parties, a day after BJPs national executive meeting, Harichandan said, "If BJD is Duryodhan (mythological character) for Odisha, BJP can be described as Dusashan."

The OPCC chief said BJD and BJP shared power in Odisha for nine long years between 2000 and 2009.

Describing Prime Minister Narendra Modis two-day visit to Odisha as "highly disappointing", the Congress leader said, "The PM did not utter a word about Odisha."

"People expected him to announce a special package for Odisha but Modi completely ignored the interests of the state as his focus was to safeguard BJPs interests," Harichandan alleged.

Slamming the BJP over Mahanadi river water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh, the Congress leader said the Centre failed to stop the construction of barrages on Mahanadi upstream by the BJP regime in Chhattisgarh .

"It was unfortunate that he (Modi) kept silent on Odishas rights over Mahanadi water which is adversely hit due to the construction of barrages on upstream of the river by Chhattisgarh," the OPCC chief said.

"The demand for formation of a tribunal to resolve the river water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh has also gone unheeded by the Centre," he said.

"Modi failed to make his stand clear on the Mahanadi issue, which happens to be the lifeline of Odisha," Harichandan said.

Stating that BJP has forgotten its poll promise of 2004, he said the prime minister should have declared "special category state status" for Odisha and a special financial package on the pattern doled out to Bihar.

Referring to the condition of farmers in the state, Harichandan said, "I had earlier demanded hike in the minimum support price (MSP) on paddy from Rs 1,470 to Rs 3,000 per quintal. However, no step has been taken by the Modi government to mitigate the plight of peasants."

"It also took no step to order a CBI probe into the multi-crore mining scam in Odisha as recommended by M B Shah commission of enquiry," he said. PTI SKN AYP SRY

--- ENDS ---

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It has been nearly three years since Don Chalmers passed away. Now his namesake dealership, Don Chalmers Ford, is being honored with a 2016 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, an achievement that Chalmers worked his entire career to get.

We started with a design and a vision, said Don Chalmers Ford President Gary Housley.

When we came out here in the early 90s, we thought, there has to be a different way to do business. Then we designed the building around that vision. Don was a big believer in quality.

Housley, who moved to Albuquerque from Tulsa, Okla., in 1994, came with Don Chalmers and together they developed a vision for quality in business that has helped the Ford dealership gain national attention.

Don Chalmers Ford employs 182 people and recorded $126 million in gross sales in 2015.

Congress established the Malcolm Baldrige Award in 1987, and the Commerce Departments National Institute of Standards and Technology manages it in cooperation with the private sector.

Like everything worth doing, Housley said, they wanted to do it right, and that takes time.

Winning the Malcolm Baldrige Award is a complicated and time consuming process.

It begins at the state level, where Don Chalmers Ford submitted a 50 page application to Quality New Mexico, which handles the Quality Awards for the state. If a company achieves the highest marks, it is given the Zia Award.

In New Mexico, you have to get the Zia Award in order to apply at the national level, which is the Malcolm Baldrige Award, Housley said. Don Chalmers Ford received the Zia Award in 2005.

The next stage involves sending in the application to NIST for review. A panel of judges looks over the application and grades it against the Malcolm Baldrige Framework, a complex list of benchmarks involving things like workplace safety, proliferation of the companys message through all employee levels and most recently, cybersecurity.

If a company receives enough points, Housley said, it receives a site visit (from NIST volunteer inspectors).

The inspectors then submit a report to NIST judges, who select a winner in each of six categories: manufacturing, service company, education, healthcare, nonprofit and small business. Don Chalmers Ford won in the small business category and became the first domestic car dealership to receive the Malcolm Baldrige Award, according to Housley.

Don Chalmers Ford also has self-imposed criteria. For us, we have to win the Presidents Cup, which is Fords highest Award, explains Housley.

2016 was the third time Don Chalmers Ford had applied for the Malcolm Baldrige Award.

Though Housley believes that Don Chalmers Ford should have won in 2012, he admits that there are areas where it needed to improve.

Housley said that he implemented new cybersecurity measures and a program for employees to survey the company, allowing them to give feedback and for upper management to monitor how well the company message is being disseminated to front-line employees.

One of the aspects Housley is most proud of, and something which the inspectors noted in determining the companies score, is its on-site health and wellness clinic.

One of the things that the Baldrige criteria teaches us is that you gotta have a happy workforce, Housley said. I mean you want happy customers, but if you dont have happy employees, you dont have happy customers. We realized that it is hard to take time off work if you have a sick child. Here, you can just take your child in to see Nurse Rhonda. We cover the cost, and there is no wait.

Caring about its employees has allowed Don Chalmers Ford to boast a 71.4 percent employee retention rate. The national average for non-luxury car dealerships is 26 percent, according to an NIST news release.

Like the Zia Award, the Malcolm Baldrige Award is only given if a company achieves all benchmarks.

In 2016, 34 businesses were up for the Malcolm Baldrige Award. but only four received the honor: Don Chalmers Ford, Momentum Group of Irvine, California, Kindred Nursing and Rehabilitation of Kellogg, Idaho, and Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital of Sugar Land Texas.
Quality New Mexico, an organization that helps local businesses achieve high levels of excellence in accordance with the Malcolm Baldrige Framework, will be holding its 23rd Annual Learning Summit & NM Performance Excellence Awards Ceremony this week at Isleta Resort & Casino.

Quality New Mexico goes back 24 years, but its roots, according to President and CEO Julia Gabaldon, stretch back to 1991, when New Mexico Sen. Jeff Bingaman invited a senior executive with Motorola, Chris Galvin, to speak at an event in Las Cruces.

The next year, Galvin invited Gov. Bruce King, two senators and over 30 New Mexico business leaders to a seminar on quality in business.

Galvin challenged New Mexico to become a quality state, Gabaldon says.

After the seminar, Charles Tapp, director of quality improvement at Sandia Labs, came up with the idea for state quality awards using the Malcolm Baldrige criteria. Gabaldon, who was working for Sandia Labs, was asked to lead the initiative. We really started from scratch, she said.

The Malcolm Baldrige Framework is a complex set of benchmarks for companies to meet in areas such as customer satisfaction and employee engagement. Businesses that achieve the benchmarks are presented with the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

The U.S. Commerce Department manages the awards  the nations highest Presidential honor for sustainable excellence through visionary leadership, organizational alignment, systemic improvement and innovation, according to the departments National Institute of Standards and Technology.

The 23rd Annual Learning Summit & NM Performance Excellence Awards Ceremony kicks off Tuesday with a networking and registration session before Dr. Gary Sanchez, CEO of the WHY Institute, takes the stage. Sanchez, who also operates Sanchez Dental Associates in Albuquerque, will speak to the attendees about finding their personal and professional WHY.

Sanchezs WHY program was developed in 2010 after viewing a Ted Talk by Simon Senik, an author and marketing consultant. After contacting Senik, Sanchez said he learned that the most successful companies connect to customers by explaining why they do what they do, rather than just explaining what they do.

I realized seven years ago, after speaking with hundreds of people and companies that there are only really nine essential WHYs. And I help people discover their WHY, Sanchez said

After Sanchez speaks, the attendees will have a choice of speakers to visit with.

We are excited to have eight Malcolm Baldrige Award winners, said Gabaldon.

The summit will conclude on Wednesday with the awards ceremony. Quality New Mexico applies the Malcolm Baldrige Framework to a tiered award system, called the New Mexico Performance Excellence Program.

The program begins at level one with the Adobe Award, followed by Pinon and Roadrunner. If a business meets all benchmarks as set forth by the Malcolm Baldrige Framework, it is awarded the Zia Award.

The Zia Award is only given in years in which a company meets all benchmarks. The last Zia Award was presented to Lovelace Westside Hospital in 2012. Don Chalmers Ford received the Zia Award in 2005.

After receiving the Zia Award, a business may apply for the Malcolm Baldrige Award.

Don Chalmers Ford won a Baldrige Award in 2016 .

Applications are now being accepted for consideration for the 2017 New Mexico Performance Excellence Program. An intent to apply form can be found at www.qualitynewmexico.org and is due no later than May 31. The self-assessment application is due no later than July 10. For more information, call Quality New Mexico at (505) 944-2001.

2016 QUALITY NM AWARD WINNERS

What: Learning Summit & NM Performance Excellence Awards Ceremony

Where: Isleta Resort & Casino

When: Tuesday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

How much: $399 for partners, $475 for non-partners, $75 for general session only, $75 for awards ceremony and luncheon only

*Registration still open

Level 3 Roadrunner Award

Motor Vehicles Division, NM

Security & Emergency Management SNL, Albuquerque

Level 2 Pinon Award

District Three DOT, Albuquerque

Human Resources Division LANL, Los Alamos

New Mexico Philharmonic, Albuquerque

Level 1 Adobe Award

Accounts Payable Division SNL, Albuquerque

Accounts Resolutions Service Bureau TRD, NM

Budget & Strategic Partnership Projects SNL, Albuquerque

CFO/Business Operations SNL, Albuquerque

Data Capture & Records Management TRD, NM

Del Norte Credit Union, Santa Fe

General Services Division, Bernalillo County, NM

Indirect Financial Management SNL, Albuquerque

Legal Prime Contract Division SNL, Albuquerque

Mission Support & Corporate Governance SNL, Albuquerque

Moss Adams LLP, Albuquerque

Postal Processing Bureau TRD, NM

San Juan Regional Medical Center, Farmington

Treasury & Travel Services SNL, Albuquerque

U.S. Eagle Federal Credit Union, Albuquerque
A license to practice law implies a certain basic level of professional competence. It also functions as a business license. Obtaining one is a regulatory hoop that any would-be legal entrepreneur must jump through before hanging out a shingle, though why anyone would want to do that to a shingle is a mystery only etymologists can solve.

The New Mexico Supreme Court sits atop the states judicial hierarchy. It runs an entire branch of government with offices in every county. It also regulates the private profession of the law. One of the courts agencies is the Board of Bar Examiners, which oversees admission to the bar. Another is the Disciplinary Board, which oversees expulsion from it. No one legally practices law in New Mexico without permission from the state Supreme Court.

The courts Rule 24-101(A) claims to hereby create and continue an organization known as the State Bar of New Mexico, a historically curious claim since the State Bar existed before the rule was promulgated. Be that as it may, one of the State Bars purposes, as defined by the Supreme Court itself, is to promote the interests of the legal profession in the State of New Mexico.

That means the Supreme Court serves the public interest as a governmental agency while simultaneously promoting the private interests of lawyers. Consumers of legal services, a category that includes many if not most business owners, might wonder if those goals ever come into conflict.

Business people have a strong interest in obtaining quality legal services at a low cost. The legal profession, by contrast, is only hurt by low prices. Business people in the market for legal services have an interest in choosing from the largest possible pool of competing providers. Members of the bar, by contrast, benefit from a monopoly.

Both of these potential conflicts are functions of supply and demand. It is in the interests of the legal profession in the State of New Mexico for our court to limit the ability of out-of-state lawyers to practice within our borders.

Until 2015, the Supreme Court prohibited any lawyer from obtaining a New Mexico license unless he or she first passed the states bar exam. To lay people, that might seem reasonable. It wasnt. The bar exam is a multi-day ordeal during which the applicant is asked scores of questions about a wide variety of legal issues. The only correct question to any of the questions is, Let me do some research and get back to you, which is not an option. Instead, the applicant must provide off-the-cuff responses under extreme time pressure. The professional conduct necessary to pass the bar exam would be malpractice in real life.

The exam requires superficial knowledge about a wide variety of legal topics. Thats useful in determining whether a recent law school graduate stayed awake in class. But for experienced practitioners who want to change residence or practice across state lines  something increasingly feasible in our electronic age  the bar exam presents a bizarre challenge. You might be an acknowledged master in your chosen field of law but you cant pass unless you demonstrate a novices superficial grasp of unrelated fields. A criminal defense lawyer must be able to spit back sections of the Uniform Commercial Code. A tax professional needs to be able to spout off about litigation procedure. Whats being tested for isnt professional competence but feats of memorization.

There can be little doubt the bar exam requirement discouraged some experienced, ethical, competent lawyers from relocating to New Mexico. That, I suspect, was its real purpose. But finally in 2015, our Supreme Court joined a nationwide movement allowing experienced lawyers in good standing in one state to be admitted elsewhere by motion  without taking the exam. In practical effect, we agreed to allow other states bar exams to substitute for our own. The general term for this form of bar admission is reciprocity because it extends only to lawyers in states that extend the same courtesy to New Mexico lawyers. Currently we have reciprocity with 36 states.

Still, an experienced lawyer who wants to avoid the New Mexico bar exam must pay a fee five times greater than that paid by exam-takers. His or her application must include all the extensive documentation demanded of recent law school grads, plus more. The heavy cost and onerous paperwork requirements seem like holdovers from the old program of discouraging competition. So while barriers to entry into our legal market have recently been reduced somewhat, they remain in place, with all the economic effects that occur when constant demand meets limited supply.

Joel Jacobsen is an author and recently retired from a 29-year legal career. If there are topics you would like to see covered in future columns, please write him at legal.column.tips@gmail.com
Last week, as the 2017 state legislative session concluded, Gov. Susana Martinez was presented with a clear choice: defend domestic abusers or protect victims of domestic violence. In a stunning betrayal of innocent New Mexicans, she chose to side with abusers by vetoing SB 259  a bill that would have required abusers subject to certain types of domestic violence protective orders to surrender guns and prohibited purchase and possession of guns for the duration of the order.

The bill aimed to protect New Mexican women given the well-documented link between guns and domestic violence deaths. More than half of all women murdered in the United States are killed by an intimate partner with a gun, and the chance of being murdered by an abusive partner increases five-fold if there is a gun in the home. Removing guns from domestic abusers reduces the likelihood that domestic violence will turn deadly.

Due in large part to the tireless efforts of New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence, especially co-president Miranda Viscoli, the bill passed both the House and Senate with bipartisan support and was considered a common-sense measure by legislators on both sides of the aisle. After all, who prioritizes abusers guns over the lives of abused women? Apparently, Gov. Martinez does.

In addition to implicitly denying the relationship between guns and domestic violence, the governors reasoning for the veto illustrates a stunning lack of leadership and compassion. In a statement released to legislators, Martinez states that domestic abuse incidents are complex and very difficult and emotional for everyone involved.

This is the language of apologists. This is the language abusers use to defend their actions. This is the language that conditions victims to blame themselves and stay in abusive relationships, excusing an abusive partners actions as an emotional outburst or a reaction to a complex situation. Relationship dynamics may be complex, but when a woman is being physically and/or emotionally abused, the blame falls squarely on one person: the abuser. By dismissing domestic violence as too complex and difficult to address, Gov. Martinez minimizes abuse, dodges her responsibility to protect her constituents and ensures victims of domestic violence will continue to live in fear of armed abusers.

Later in her statement, Gov. Martinez further justifies her veto by stating,  judges already have the power to prohibit individuals that are subject to a civil restraining order from possessing a firearm.  It is true that judges issuing domestic violence protective orders can currently order the removal of firearms and prohibit purchase of guns for the duration of the order. However, doing so is not mandatory, and judges are either hesitant to invoke this provision or unaware the option exists, as firearm prohibition is never explicitly mentioned under current law.

In other words, abuse victims safety is at the discretion of a judge and their well-being is not guaranteed. SB 259 would have established mandatory protections for victims of domestic violence in New Mexico. There is no reason a victim of domestic violence should be required to live in fear. There is no reason an abuser should be able to purchase or possess deadly weapons when a protective order is in effect.

Gov. Martinez seems to think that deciding whether to sign this lifesaving bill was a difficult and complex decision. But this decision was nowhere near as difficult as the decisions that abuse victims must make every day: whether to leave an abusive partner, how to best protect themselves and their children, whether to seek help from advocates, law enforcement, or the court. Restricting abusers access to firearms would have helped protect those who face these heart-wrenching decisions. The decision to sign this bill should have been easy.

Kelly Roskam advised during the drafting process of SB 259.
The Wilderness Society and its state director, Michael Casaus, recently issued a misguided report to the news media titled New Mexico lands and outdoor opportunities lost to the highest bidder, in which they assert I am part of some sort of land grab and supposedly dont value New Mexicos favorite wild places. As usual, Casaus is creating fake news to support his own propaganda against my tenure in the state Land Office, so I appreciate the opportunity to set the record straight.

Contrary to Casaus claims, New Mexicos state trust lands  managed by the Land Commissioner and the Land Office  are not public lands. The United States Congress granted certain lands held by the federal government to New Mexico before and upon statehood. These lands have always been held in trust and managed by the land commissioner for the sole purpose of generating revenue to support public education and New Mexicos schoolchildren.

As part of my mission to generate more revenue for education from state trust lands, I have proposed a plan to create the Early Childhood Land Grant Permanent Fund. The intent is to transfer unleased federal mineral estate under privately held lands to the state Land Office. Proceeds from leasing the minerals would then flow into the fund, providing a long-term, sustainable endowment and funding stream for early childhood education and programs.

This proposal is not a land grab. Land access would not change, since private landowners already manage the surface estate. However, the proposal would absolutely generate more income for New Mexicos public schools.

Casaus contends that four million acres of state trust lands have been sold to private interests, extractive industries and a few well-heeled individuals. Since 1899, 24 land commissioners have sold 4,223,275 acres to homesteaders, ranchers, farmers, municipalities, state agencies, school districts, universities, energy companies, and even the Catholic Church. The very first land commissioner  Alpheus A. Keen  who served from 1899 to 1906, sold 70,298 acres. E.S. Johnny Walker, who served 1953-1956, sold the most  2.1 million acres. My predecessor, Ray Powell, who served 1993-2002 and 2011-2014, sold 758 acres. However, Casaus fails to mention that I am the only land commissioner who has not sold state trust lands.

While Casaus spews ancient history, he fails to note that proceeds from the sale of state trust lands are always paid directly into the Land Grant Permanent Fund, which distributed nearly $656 million last year to public schools and universities, among others.

As for our states favorite wild places, Casaus knows that I have invested millions of dollars to protect the health and viability of state trust lands. Since I took office in 2015, I have spent nearly $3.134 million on 59 projects pertaining to rangeland, forest and watershed remediation, wildlife habitat improvement, illegal dump site cleanups, and cultural resource stabilization across 18,554 acres of state trust lands.

Early in the 2017 legislative session, I proposed a measure to create the State Trust Lands Restoration and Remediation Fund  a funding mechanism to reclaim damaged surface lands and watersheds, mitigate catastrophic events like fires and floods, and protect priceless archaeological sites. The bill unanimously passed both chambers of the Legislature and was recently signed into law by the governor  no easy task in this political environment.

Unlike Casaus and his comments from the peanut gallery, I have been working diligently with leaders from both parties to ensure the health of our state trust lands for the benefit of future generations. While Mr. Casaus puts the partisan whims of his special interest group first, I am instead working as land commissioner is to ensure that every lease, right-of-way and recreational access permit involving State Trust Lands supports our public schools and improves the quality of life for every child in New Mexico.
BOSTON  Those of us who hail from Massachusetts are proud of our special patriotic holiday, formally celebrated only in our state and Maine  which was part of us until 1820  though Wisconsin and Florida pay it some honor as well. Patriots Day commemorates the rebels at Lexington and Concord who fired the shot heard round the world on April 19, 1775.

For tragic reasons, the holiday commanded the nations attention on April 15, 2013. Two homemade bombs exploded 12 seconds apart at 2:49 p.m., killing three people and injuring hundreds of others.

This city will never forget the dead and severely injured. But it will also remember the heroism of its citizens, including the first responders and medical professionals who saved countless lives. A sense of solidarity arising from the love of a place and its people gave birth to the slogan, Boston Strong. The worst Patriots Day in history produced an outpouring of local patriotism.

This years celebration of Patriots Day comes when another impulse jostles with patriotism as the definition of dedication to country.

Nationalism, its true, runs deep in American history, as the brilliant and ideologically idiosyncratic writer Michael Lind often reminds us. Its not just a Donald Trump or Steve Bannon import. It was, after all, Theodore Roosevelt, a hero to many progressives, whose forward-looking program was memorialized as the New Nationalism.

Yet nationalism rankles, partly because of its association with the evils of Nazism and Fascism, and partly because its claims are so sweeping. As George Orwell wrote, patriotism stems from devotion to a particular place and to a particular way of life. Nationalism, by contrast, is inseparable from the desire for power.

Its worth noting that even patriotism makes some uncomfortable. They often see it in the same light as the word chauvinism, which is defined as excessive or prejudiced loyalty or support for ones own cause, group or gender. Its a mistake, however, to view patriotism as nothing but chauvinism in bright colors.

My own love of the United States is rooted in the profound debt I feel to this place and to my fellow citizens, and in a deep attachment to our habits, customs and what I see as our exceptional capacity, over time, to correct our flaws. But just as the special love I feel for my family does not prevent me from admiring other families and individuals, so my allegiance to the United States does not stop me from offering respect and affection for other peoples and places.

There is also a quality to American patriotism that is commonplace to note but absolutely central to our identity: Ours is not a loyalty to blood or soil. It is an embrace of a series of powerful propositions.

Last week, I spent time with the gifted young political theorist Yascha Mounk, who had just become an American citizen. He told an audience at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs that while he did not discount our countrys problems, particularly the costs of a racial hierarchy, the United States was genuinely different because it rejected a mono-ethnic and mono-cultural definition of nationality. In America, he said, there is an idea that you can have an accent and be American, you can have immigrated and be American. Its another reason I love this country.

Earlier this year, in a useful exchange published in the conservative magazine National Review on the relative merits of patriotism and nationalism, Mona Charen of the Ethics and Public Policy Center had it exactly right when she argued: Patriotism is enough  it needs no improving or expanding. She called nationalism a demagogues patriotism more likely to be converted into something aggressive.

And the columnist Jonah Goldberg caught something important when he wrote that nationalism is ultimately the fire of tribalism, having too much of it tends to melt away important distinctions, from the rule of law to the right to dissent to the sovereignty of the individual.

Lind  with whom I usually agree more than I do with Goldberg  would argue back that forms of liberal nationalism have been just as committed to these values. He would also remind us of the national commitments of Hamilton, Clay and Lincoln.

Fair enough. But if both nationalism and patriotism can get out of hand, nationalism strikes me as far more perilous. I love my country, as I love Boston, and love can be ruined by an overweening will to power. The patriot is more likely to be alive to this danger than the nationalist.

Dionnes columns, including those not published in the Journal, can be read at abqjournal.com/opinion  look for the syndicated columnist link. Copyright, Washington Post Writers Group; e-mail: ejdionne@washpost.com. Twitter: @EJDionne.
The New Mexico Public Education Department has unveiled its federally required plan outlining how the state will educate its elementary and secondary school students for years to come. It builds on past successes; fine tunes some requirements; addresses 50 concerns that came directly from New Mexico parents, teachers and communities; and calls for two years of consistency and stability for students, teachers and administrators before implementing changes.

In short, it capitalizes on the states nascent positive momentum and fuels it with input from some of the people who have already made our K-12 public education system better.

And while the overall student proficiency numbers are dismal, they are better. Though they lag the nation, graduation rates are up to 70 percent, PARCC math results are up 14.4 percent, PARCC English results are up 4.9 percent, school grades are up with more A and B schools, Advanced Placement testing is up with the state ranked second in the nation for growth in test-taking and teacher evaluations are up with 30 percent more teachers rated highly effective and exemplary.

There is no question we remain at the bottom of most education stats nationally, but progress must start somewhere.

The federal Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA, replaced the No Child Left Behind Act in 2015 and requires states to submit accountability plans to the U.S. Department of Education; the inaugural plans will start in the 2017-18 school year. These plans must address proficiency on tests, English-language proficiency and graduation rates, and they must try to close achievement gaps and graduation rates between all groups of students.

PED Secretary Hanna Skandera says the state is in a great position to move forward because of the groundwork laid over the past six and a half years. Rather than having to come up with teacher evaluations and school grades like some states, New Mexico is able to take stakeholder feedback and modify its existing systems, as it did earlier this month when it combined best practices with teacher concerns to drop the weight of student improvement on standardized tests in teacher evaluations from 50 percent to 35 percent.

Yet predictably, the unions have been quick to attack the plan, claiming teachers were marginalized in its development and it doesnt address their concerns. That simply does not square with PED spending late 2016 and early 2017 visiting 21 schools, hosting a summit with 700 teachers or holding 25 community and parent events  which gave anyone with an interest in education a chance to weigh in.

Predictably, reform-avoidant Albuquerque Public Schools  along with six other districts and 15 charter schools  held a separate forum, ostensibly to influence the ESSA plan from the outside. But to put that in proper context, it should be noted that:

 Districts that have worked with PED have made strides in student growth (Skandera singles out Farmington as a standout in taking advantage of improvement programs and making them pay off),

 APS agreed in an email to the move to 35 percent on evals and

 ESSA compliance is the law of the land.

At the end of the day, APS Superintendent Raquel Reedy and her separate-forum cohorts should put aside their politics and commit to working with PED to achieve the goals laid out in the ESSA plan.

Those include: Gradually increasing the benchmark on PARCC scores to ensure competency for high school graduation, ensuring that fewer high school seniors need remedial education to enter college and increasing the overall graduation rate to 80 percent by 2020. How can APS and the unions possibly oppose this?

The plan also calls for English-language learners to be fluent within six years and the closure, reconstituting or hiring of outside management for very low-performing schools that fail to show considerable improvement after four years of intervention.

All make sense and have student well-being at their core.

PEDs ESSA plan  available online at ped.state.nm.us/ped/ESSA.html  is a well-researched, data-driven road map for improving elementary and secondary education in our state that incorporates suggestions and addresses concerns from many of our states front-line educators. New Mexico can continue to look back and listen to the naysayers who have dismissed the many improvements to date.

Or it can face forward as a whole and continue to make New Mexico a leader when it comes to ensuring the Every Student Succeeds Act applies to every child in each of the 89 school districts in the Land of Enchantment.

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.
Albuquerque police on Sunday said they are investigating a suspicious death in a northeast Albuquerque neighborhood.

Officer Simon Drobik said police were called to a home on Madeira, near Prospect and San Mateo, around 7 p.m.to investigate a death. They have taken a man into custody, Drobik said.

Drobik did not provide further details or call the death a homicide.

Investigators Sunday night were canvassing the area and interviewing witnesses and planned to remain on scene through the night escorting neighbors to the dozen or so houses inside the area blocked by police tape.

Elsie Cordova, who lives doors down from the crime scene said shed just returned home when she heard shouting, followed by a door slam and what she believed were fireworks.

My sons the one that says, Those arent fireworks, those are gunshots,' Cordova said.
In retaliation to Snapchat CEO's Evan Spiegel's alleged uncomplimentary comments on the restrictive mushrooming of the app's domain in India, some hackers claim to have leaked data of 1.7 million users.

By Shashank Shekhar: Anonymous Indian hackers claim to have leaked database of 1.7 million Snapchat users, which they hacked last year.

The move by Indian hackers came in retaliation to Snapchat's CEO Evan Spiegel's remark on expanding the business to "poor countries" like India. According to Indian hackers, they had found vulnerability in Snapchat database last year and had siphoned details of 1.7 million users. Hackers leaked and made this data based available on the darknet to mark their resentment against company's remark for India.

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Indian hackers are among the top bugbounty hunters in the world working of IT giants finding bug in their system. Hackers said that they had found the bug earlier but never used the data but "arrogance" of the Snapchat CEO had miffed them. They have further threatened to carry out intensive strike against company on the virtual world till the CEO apologies for his remark.

SNAPCHAT DENIES LEAK OF DATA

However, Snapchat has not confirmed any successful hack and leak yet. The incident also set social media on fire where the app was trolled. Venting out their anger, Indian users have started negative campaigning against the app due to which the rating of the popular app dropped to a "single star" from an apparent "five star" on the App Store. After the reports of Spiegel's alleged claims surfaced, Snapchat faced heavy backlash from users and #Uninstall-Snapchat and #BoycottSnapchat started trending on Twitter. Those who haven't even used the app are going to app stores to give it a 'thumbs down' vote after Variety magazine quoted a former employee claiming that Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel had said in a meeting in September 2015 that this app isn't meant for poor countries like India and Spain.

Following the controversy and massive outrage online, Snapchat said the employee who made the claim was "fired for poor performance," three weeks ago and has been involved in a lawsuit with the company".

"This is ridiculous. Obviously, Snapchat is for everyone! It's available worldwide to download for free," an international spokesperson of Snap said in a statement. "Those words were written by a disgruntled former employee. We are grateful for our Snapchat community in India and around the world," the statement added.

Snapchat may not be as big as Facebook or WhatsApp in India, but is quite popular. According to several media reports, Snapchat's user based in India is around 4 million. Currently, Snapchat is under immense pressure to improvise as its several iconic features are being ripped off by social networking giants - Facebook and Instagram.

Also read: #BoycottSnapchat: Twitter rages after Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegal's apparent 'India is too poor' comment

Also read: Snapchat ratings drop from 'four stars' to 'one star' on App store after CEO remark row

Watch video: Snapchat CEO draws flak after reportedly calling India 'a poor country'

--- ENDS ---
TWO WAYS TO LOSE YOUR LICENSE:

Thats what Johnny Whelan encountered last fall when he was informed he had to get an interlock for a year under New Mexico law after a DWI arrest  even though he says his DWI case was dismissed.

Its because New Mexico has a two-track system, with both the Motor Vehicle Division and the courts having the authority to revoke a license. According to the MVD website:

If you are arrested for DWI, your license will be confiscated on the spot if your breath test is at or above the legal limit (0.08 percent), or if you have refused to take the test. The police officer takes away your license and notifies the Motor Vehicle Division, which then revokes it for up to one year. (You can request a protest hearing within 10 days.) This action is called an Implied Consent or an administrative revocation and is completely separate from anything that happens when you go to court for DWI. If you are convicted in court, your license will also be revoked in a separate court action.

WHEN HEALTH AFFECTS THE INTERLOCK: So Johnny says he tried to get an interlock, but because he has COPD from lung damage during Vietnam, he hasnt been able to get an interlock that will work with his limited pulmonary capacity. He says he has been to vendors in Rio Rancho and Los Lunas as well as a Fast MVD site, and all have said the machines cannot be adjusted down.

And that, apparently, is incorrect.

Emilee Cantrell, public information officer for the New Mexico Department of Transportation, says NMDOTs Traffic Safety Division can authorize a breath reduction on the required breath sample. The individual is required to provide documentation from a physician explaining why the breath reduction is needed and how it limits their ability to provide the required breath sample.

For assistance with this matter, your readers can call NMDOTs Ignition Interlock Office at (800) 541-7952.

CAN WE GET A CLEANUP SO I CAN SEE AROUND THE CORNER? That request comes from Koda3628 who asks in an email when or why city of Albuquerque zoning has stopped enforcing the city ordinance prohibiting trees, shrubs and fences over the height of 3 feet to be grown in the required clear sight triangle on corner lots of both residential and commercial property? Todays streets are dangerous enough without adding these visual obstacles.

Melissa Perez, public information officer for the citys Planning Department, says enforcement and cleaning of the areas/items described by your reader are a coordinated effort between the Planning Department, Department of Municipal Development and Solid Wastes Clean Cities Division.

She adds that Plannings Code Enforcement Division enforces the 3-foot front yard wall maximum height and if residents see a wall that they feel is in violation of this requirement of the Citys Comprehensive Zoning Code, they may call 311 or utilize the 311 app to let us know. Code enforcement then sends out an inspector, and if there is a violation we will work with the property owner to get them into compliance.

As for landscaping that blocks site triangles, Perez says there are no regulations within single family residential zones so we do not enforce there. However, there are regulations we can enforce upon for multifamily housing zones and industrial zones  which allow us to enforce upon trees or shrubs that block the sight triangle in driveways or intersections connected to parking areas.

And again, residents should call 311 or use the 311 app to report concerns.

Over at Solid Waste, marketing manager Donna Domenici says whenever a citizen sees an issue with the public right of way, streetscape or in the medians we encourage them to call 311 or utilize our 311 app to report the concern. By using the 311 app, we can pinpoint the location and get a Solid Waste Clean Cities crew out there quicker.

Editorial page editor DVal Westphal tackles commuter issues for the Metro area on Mondays. Reach her at 823-3858; dwestphal@abqjournal.com; or P.O. Drawer J, Albuquerque, N.M. 87103.
Shortly after the Defense Nuclear Weapons School opened 70 years ago at Kirtland Air Force Base, students dubbed it the Kremlin because of its tight security, and the name stuck.

As the nuclear program shifted to civilian control in 1947, Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves, director of the Manhattan Project, recognized the need for a school to teach military personnel to manage the nations nuclear stockpile.

You have to be a good steward of that kind of destructive power, and I think weve done a good job with that, U.S. Air Force Col. Mark Bowen, commandant of the Defense Nuclear Weapons School, said at a news conference this month to announce the schools 70th anniversary.

The school today remains at Kirtland, where it began in a row of Quonset huts in 1947. By 1953, the school had moved into a windowless vault-like structure that helped earn its nickname, the Kremlin.

The schools early mission was to train military technicians to maintain atomic bombs and to safely recover explosives and radioactive components, particularly after accidents.

The schools mission has evolved over the decades but remains focused on protecting people from the hazards of radioactive materials, Bowen said.

Today, most students are first responders, both military and civilian, who may arrive at the scene of an accident involving nuclear weapons.

They include police officers, firefighters, medical personnel and National Guard members, including personnel outside the U.S.

The thing we understand is that people have an innate fear of anything that is nuclear, said U.S. Air Force Maj. Bruce Hill, an instructor at the school. We teach to the radiation stigma that is out there.

The school offers 36 courses, ranging from an introductory course for radiological and nuclear incidence response to advanced courses for nuclear weapons operators and policymakers.

The school trained an estimated 20,000 students in 2016, in both face-to-face and distance-learning courses.

In the history of nuclear weapons, there has never been an accidental nuclear weapon explosion, or nuclear yield, anywhere in the world, Bowen said.

But there have been hair-raising moments, including two in New Mexico.

In 1957, a bomber on approach to Kirtland accidently dropped a large hydrogen bomb on Mesa del Sol, just south of Albuquerque. The weapons plutonium core had been removed before it fell, and there was no nuclear blast.

And in 1950, a B-29 with a nuclear weapon aboard crashed in the Manzano Mountains. The nuclear yield didnt explode, but the high explosive in the weapon blew up, scattering radioactive materials, Bowen said.

Those events are among 32 serious accidents involving U.S. nuclear weapons, which explains the schools purpose.

Its never gone nuclear, but we have had accidents with nuclear weapons, Bowen said.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

Whether called sick leave or personal leave, the lawsuit claims, it is private property that is created by the provisions of a teachers contract and the policies of the respective school board.

And under the New Mexico Constitution, Private property shall not be taken or damaged for public use without just compensation.

That is the crux of a class-action lawsuit filed by Logan Municipal Schools teacher Angela Medrow over the states policy of penalizing teachers in their evaluations if they take more than six days of sick time over the course of the school year  even if their contracts allow for more. Named as defendants are the New Mexico Public Education Department and PED Secretary Hanna Skandera.

The suit was filed March 30 in the 1st Judicial District Court in Santa Fe by attorney Warren F. Frost, representing Medrow and the other class-action plaintiffs.

As with every other employee in the state, whether public or private, sick leave and personal leave days are part of their compensation and benefits, Frost told the Journal on Friday. In this situation, it is the government trying to take these benefits and property away. Its no different than if the government wanted to put a road through private property. The government would have to pay, or provide compensation to the property owner.

Skandera issued a statement Friday, saying only: We received the lawsuit. Its being reviewed.

In 2012, PED adopted new regulations evaluating teacher effectiveness using a five-tiered system. Teachers identified as minimally effective or ineffective were to be placed on a growth plan after which they could be terminated unless sufficient improvement was demonstrated. Teacher absenteeism was among factors considered in the evaluation as part of a teachers overall effectiveness.

Last August, Skandera issued a memorandum to all districts and charter schools informing them that teachers who missed three days of school or less would not have those absences counted as a negative in their evaluations; and teachers missing four or more days would have all their missed days  including the first three  scored against them in their evaluations.

Earlier this month, Skandera and Gov. Susana Martinez announced that teachers will be able to take six sick days, rather than three, before it impacts the attendance portion of their evaluations.

But six days is still less than the maximum provided for under policies of the Logan Municipal Schools, for which plaintiff Medrow began working during the 2004-2005 school year.

According to the districts sick leave policy, a teacher can earn one day of sick leave per month of employment.

Teacher contracts are nine months, therefore a teacher can earn nine days of sick leave annually, the lawsuit says. A teacher may accumulate a maximum of 90 days of sick leave, at which point no more sick leave can be earned until the teachers use of sick leave causes the total to be reduced below 90.

In addition, the school district provides teachers four days of personal leave that can be used at the discretion of the teacher.

Under Logans policy, two days of personal leave are provided with no reduction in pay, and two days of leave result in the reduction of pay in the amount of the cost of a substitute to fill in for the teacher, the lawsuit says.

Personal leave cannot be accumulated and is available for use only during the year for which it is granted.

In addition to asking the court to certify the lawsuits class-action status, Frost is asking for an injunction to prevent PED from considering teacher sick leave as part of a teachers evaluation.

Its not clear who might be part of the class-action suit, but during the 2014-2015 school year, Frost noted in the lawsuit, PED identified 21,800 teachers in the state who were subject to the evaluation system.

The lawsuit also asks for damages for all members of the class for the value of their earned leave that they were deprived of.

Frost told the Journal he was using a March 9 House executive message from the governor as the starting point for damages.

In that message addressed to the state House of Representatives, Martinez said she was proud that during the 2015-2016 school year alone, the state and school districts saved $3.6 million by reducing the number of teacher absences, which required the use of fewer substitute teachers.

If the state claims to have saved more than $3 million then it stands to reason that the teachers are out that $3 million and thats our starting point for damages, Frost said.

Charles Bowyer, executive director of the National Education Association New Mexico, declined to comment specifically on the lawsuit brought by Medrow.

But our position remains that the sick leave penalty has no place in a fair evaluation system aimed at improving student success, he said. Teachers must be allowed all contractual compensation without penalty.

Further, he said, PEDs rule undermines the authority of local school boards to determine contract language for their teachers.

Teachers serve in one of the most stressful jobs, and its made harder by the administrative sick leave penalty that does not improve student success, said NEA-NM President Betty Patterson, a special education teacher.

It remains wrong to devalue teaching done when an educator is healthy, simply because like other human beings, they or their own children may be sick from time to time.
PITTSBURGH  A Cuban national has pleaded guilty to his role in an international conspiracy to file more than 900 phony federal tax returns seeking $2.2 million in refunds by using employee information stolen from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Yoandy Perez Llanes, 33, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and aggravated identity theft Monday before a federal judge in Pittsburgh.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Melucci said Llanes role was to track phony tax refunds that were to be paid as Amazon.com credits and to receive cellphones, computers and other electronics bought with the credits that were shipped to him in Venezuela. The service that converts tax refunds to the merchandise credits is offered by online filing service Turbo Tax and is known as monetizing.

Llanes, through an interpreter, told U.S. District Judge Mark Hornak that he didnt realize at first that the shipments were part of an illegal scheme.

I simply accepted a job to make some extra money, Llanes said. But Llanes acknowledged learning, at some point, that the refunds and shipments were accomplished using stolen tax information from U.S. citizens, according to his federal public defender, Thomas Livingston.

Melucci said the larger investigation into the hacking and filing of the tax returns is ongoing.

According to the indictment, Llanes and at least three others who have not been publicly identified were part of a group who used the hospital employees information to collect phony tax refunds. After the credits were used to buy the easily re-sellable electronics, they were shipped by others based in Miami to people like Llanes in Venezuelan cities, including Maracay and Maracaibo. The items were re-shipped to make them harder to trace.

Those in Venezuela then sold the devices through online merchants or auction sites or kept them for personal use. Llanes received an unspecified payment for his role, Melucci said.

UPMCs computers were hacked in January 2014, and at least 939 bogus returns were filed in the next couple of months. The scheme was halted after almost $1.5 million of the $2.2 million in refunds sought through the bogus tax returns had been paid out with about $885,000 of the refunds being monetized through the Turbo Tax/Amazon.com system, Melucci told the judge.

UPMC is a 21-hospital network with thousands of doctors and dominates western Pennsylvania. UPMC officials said as 27,000 of its 62,000 employees lost personal information to the hackers.

As part of his eventual sentence, Llanes has agreed to forfeit more than $696,000 in unredeemed Amazon gift credits.

Llanes faces up to 20 years in prison for the money laundering charge and a mandatory two years tacked onto that for the identity theft charge when hes sentenced Aug. 18.

Another man, Justin Tollefson, a staff sergeant at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma, Washington, is scheduled to plead guilty next week to a charge of filing false claims against the United States. Hes accused of using hacked information from four UPMC employees to file four tax returns seeking more than $56,000 in bogus refunds. He was unsuccessful.

Melucci said Tollefson used some of the hacked information, but wasnt part of the larger scheme involving Llanes and the others. Hacked information is often sold on the dark web, a series of encrypted internet sites used to share criminal information. Tollefsons attorney didnt immediately comment Monday.
One of the most jarring experiences of Nazia Alis life began at the end of a dream, 10-year anniversary trip with her husband, Faisal Ali.

After almost a week soaking in the ambient romance of Paris in July 2016, the Alis boarded a return flight to their Cleveland home. The short walk to their second-row seats left time to store their bags, remove their shoes, and murmur a few words of prayer asking for safe travel. That prayer ended with inshalla, God willing in Arabic.

But after 45 minutes, Ali noticed, the usual orders about electronic devices and tray tables hadnt come. A Delta staffer approached.

Mr. and Mrs. Ali, I need you to get off the plane with me,' recalled Nazia Ali, a Pakistani-American who wears a hijab over her hair. He said, Please grab all of your things. You are no longer taking this flight.'

The passenger removal that captured national attention last week  one in which law enforcement officers peeled David Dao from his seat and dragged him, bleeding, up the aisle  united Americans in righteous indignation. But cases in which airlines force passengers to surrender their seats are regulated and in a long-term pattern of decline. What appears to be a growing phenomenon  but less closely monitored by regulators  is the kind of passenger removal the Alis say they encountered, one driven by racial, ethnic or religious profiling.

While the Department of Transportation tracks removals due to full flights, the agency doesnt log those tied to complaints of discrimination. But advocacy groups say that the number of civil rights complaints filed by people removed after flight crews or passengers raised security concerns related to innocuous conversations in a foreign language or other matters tied to skin color or religion spiked in 2016.

That year, passengers filed 94 civil rights complaints against U.S. airlines and those flying into the country, according to federal data. Thats up almost 45 percent from 2015.

The Alis story was among several removals that became public last year: the olive-skinned economics professor reported by a passenger for working on a mathematical equation; the man with a generous beard ejected after a passenger complained that he appeared Arabic and scary; the seven black passengers who werent traveling together removed after two had a dispute with a flight attendant; the Muslim woman who joined another passengers complaint about a five-hour tarmac wait; the black minister and civil rights activist escorted off a plane after nearby passengers lobbed race-themed insults his way. In each case, the airlines insisted security concerns alone motivated events.

The uptick in these cases could represent a new and intense round in the tug of war between national security and civil rights. But they have garnered little outrage, often freighted with nebulous proof of prejudice or indifference to it. Unlike Daos situation, theyre not the kind of customer service disasters that could ensnare any passenger and end in dramatic confrontations on video.

The argument really boils down to my fears are more important than your rights, said Corey Saylor, director of the Council on American Islamic Relations department that monitors and combats Islamophobia. Its better to not have a constitution and still be alive  thats how I would sum this logic up.

Airlines for America, an industry trade group, points out that there was one civil rights complaint filed against U.S.-based airlines per 10.3 million passengers in 2016.

The countrys air carriers are committed to offering the highest levels of customer service and our members do not tolerate discrimination in any form, the organization said in an emailed statement to The Washington Post.

Many civil rights organizations argue that bias-driven plane removals are underreported, because passengers fear complaints will lead to future trouble on flights, dont know how to file a case, or are overwhelmed by the paperwork. By comparison, news reports of Daos dragging prompted a federal transit probe the same week.

Hina Shamsi, director of the ACLU National Security Project, wants airline passengers to make no mistake: Whats happening here matters.

When airlines remove passengers based on how they look or the language that they speak, Shamsi said, they contribute to a climate that has grown recently and that most certainly does not add to security. They take our entire country to a place where people who believe in equality should not want to be.

Nazia Ali says profiling has become a part of flying for her. She and her husband privately joke about how shes subjected to random additional TSA screening every time she flies. But what happened last year was different. Nothing they said to the crew or law enforcement waiting on the Jetway mattered. A decision had already been made.

Delta first told reporters that a flight attendant had grown uncomfortable with the Alis because Faisal Ali was sweating, Nazia Ali was wearing a headscarf and at least one of them had used the word Allah. Then, the airline issued a statement affirming Deltas commitment to equality, promising to refund the Alis money (they were rebooked on a direct flight to Cleveland the next day) and investigate the incident with care. Later, the airline emailed the Alis their findings: No discrimination occurred.

The couple was so troubled that, last year, they drove to Canada and Florida to avoid flying. They also contacted CAIR and filed a civil rights complaint.

We would not accept this in any other industry, said Ahmed Rehab, executive director of CAIR Chicago, but because of the magic word  security  that they can flash, that shuts a lot of people up.

Thats the word that United used to explain why the airline removed Eaman and Mohamed Shebley and their three children from a plane at Chicagos OHare International Airport en route to a spring break trip to Washington, D.C., in March 2016. The couple, who are Lebanese-American, say United Airlines and its partner operator SkyWest gave them conflicting information about using a booster seat for their 2 -year-old daughter. After Mohamed Shebley spoke to crew members on the plane, one began asking questions Shebley found alarming.

They started asking all sorts of odd things, he recalled. Where did you buy your tickets?'

Eaman Shebley put the booster away. Over the next hour, flight attendants and then the captain told the family to leave the plane. The couple asked repeatedly for explanation. Some in first class began to stand and point. A United crew member said the next step was police.

Nearby strangers tried to convince the crew the Shebleys hadnt been a problem. But another passenger, a white man, yelled Get off the plane, you all are going to jail, Eaman Shebley said.

One of the couples children dissolved into tears. The Shebleys walked off the plane.

Understand that had it not been for that decision, said Rehab, this could have been another dragging.

On the Jetway, the pilot told the Shebleys they were noncompliant, a disruptive kind of security risk. Not long after, United had the Shebleys booked on a different flight to D.C.

After the trip, the couple contacted CAIR Chicago, and filed a civil rights complaint and a lawsuit.

In an emailed response to The Washington Post, United said, Both SkyWest and United hold our employees to the highest standards of professionalism and have zero tolerance for discrimination. In a separate statement, SkyWest added that we ensure that all employees participate in training that supports our zero tolerance for discrimination.

In the months since that flight, the Shebleys son has been anxious, a 9-year old who needs every logistical detail before they travel. At school, some kids tease him for getting kicked off a plane.

Fair-skinned and blue-eyed, Eaman Shebley wonders if her family would have been treated differently if she hadnt worn a hijab.

That tangle of concerns is magnified across millions of Muslim-Americans, Rehab said.

These incidents do not happen in a vacuum, said Brenda F. Abdelall, a staff member with the civil rights organization Muslim Advocates. They are byproduct of the world around us.

Planes are like social microcosms: Whatever dynamics exist in the country show up, said Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants, a union representing half the U.S. flight attendant workforce. These days, Americans are bringing their politics and politicized anxieties into increasingly tight spaces.

I dont know that we have ever seen tensions like we see today, said Nelson, that are really more related to the political environment than an actual security situation or risk.

In November, at the request of civil rights groups and after input from Nelsons union, the Department of Transportation began making public more detailed data about civil rights complaints. Days before President Barack Obama left office, department officials updated the Passenger Bill of Rights, reinforcing that removing a passenger for sporting a beard, reading another language, or appearing Muslim is illegal. The agency also issued the first new must-follow guidance to airlines regarding discrimination issued since November 2001.

Some say a need for stronger regulation remains. In letters to federal transit officials last year, three organizations  CAIR, the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and Muslim Advocates  asked the Department of Transportation to mandate anti-bias training for flight crews and expand the events that prompt an official investigation.

Nelson agrees better training is key.

Airlines have always made cultural awareness part of flight crew training, she said. After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a spike in removals and transit agency action taken against certain airlines, almost all added training on implicit biases, judgment and distorted assessments of risk. Some provide more than others.

But flight attendants are always trained to keep potential problems on the ground.

Ideally, that (training) would equip a flight attendant to remove actual security risks, Nelson said, and offer a passenger who reports someone for simply speaking Arabic the option of taking another flight.
TUCSON, Ariz.  A judge sentenced a former Arizona fire captain to two life terms in prison on Monday for killing his ex-wife, her mother and another person in a case that remained unsolved for over a decade.

David Watson, who worked for the Tucson Fire Department, cried as he told a Pima County judge that he was innocent.

Were clear that well never know what truly happened, Watson said. There are people in this courtroom and obviously this court who think I was the one who did all that.

The court previously said that his sentence was for 66 years. It revised its statement later on Monday, saying the judge had not read the full sentence in court. Watson got a life term with the possibility of release after 25 years for the killing of his ex-mother-in-law, Marilyn Cox, followed by another life term for the killing of her friend, Renee Farnsworth, that will begin after he serves the first one.

He was also sentenced to 16 years for the killing of his ex-wife, Linda Watson, in 2000.

Watson, 48, was found guilty in March after prosecutors said he killed his ex-wife, Linda Watson, during a custody battle.

Linda Watson went missing in 2000. Her body was found in the desert three years later, but it wasnt identified until 2011 through DNA testing because of a backlog at the medical examiners office.

Three years after she went missing, her mother, Marilyn Cox, was embroiled in a legal battle with David Watson over visitation rights involving her granddaughter.

Cox and her friend, Renee Farnsworth, had just dropped off the girl after a court-ordered visitation when they were gunned down in 2003.

A jury deadlocked in November after a months-long trial that included testimony from Watsons second ex-wife, who said she had lied when she provided him an alibi during the attacks.

Watson was tried for a second time this year and found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder.

He worked for the Tucson fire department for 20 years and in 2007 was promoted to captain. He resigned shortly after his arrest in April 2015.

___

This post has been corrected to show that Watson was sentenced to two life terms, not just 66 years.
RALEIGH, N.C.  Bank of America settled a decades-old case that accused its predecessor company of systematically discriminating against black applicants for entry-level jobs in Charlotte, the U.S. Labor Department said Monday.

The largest U.S. consumer bank settled the 1993 case against its Charlotte-based predecessor NationsBank by agreeing that 1,027 people who applied for clerical, teller and administrative positions a generation ago would share $1 million in back wages and interest, the department said.

Bank of Americas penalty roughly corresponds to what a Labor Department review board last year determined it should pay, according to court documents. The bank challenged the decision in federal court before reaching the settlement. A district court judge delayed that case until Bank of America fully complies with the settlement.

Although much time and effort has gone into this case by all parties, the department is pleased that the matter has been resolved, Thomas Dowd, the agencys acting director for federal contract compliance programs, said in a statement.

NationsBank merged with San Francisco-based Bank of America in 1998.

Bank of America did not respond to emailed questions about why it fought the case for so long or why it settled now. The bank said in a statement: We remain committed to fair hiring practices. While we continue to disagree with the Department of Labors analyses, we are pleased to have resolved this nearly-25-year-old matter.

The dispute began during the first year of former President Bill Clintons administration, when the department decided to check whether NationsBank was living up to its legal requirement for doing business with the federal government to not discriminate in employment because of race, color, religion or other conditions.

Labor Department inspectors found a disparity in the percentage of minority applicants compared with white applicants.

The Labor Department filed an administrative complaint against NationsBank in 1997 seeking to cancel all federal contracts until the bank complied with federal law.

NationsBank countered that the agency violated its constitutional rights by repeatedly targeting the company for audits and said it believed it was illegal to demand race-based quotas in the companys hiring practices.

The Labor Department said it is looking for some of the affected applicants and is urging black jobseekers who were not hired in 1993 to find more information at its website .

___

Emery Dalesio can be reached at http://twitter.com/emerydalesio
A fresh $3 million round of venture funding could help Albuquerque-based Boomtime extend its online marketing and branding services to a lot more small businesses nationwide.

The company, which previously raised $3.5 million from the Verge Fund and angel investors, custom builds and manages websites to help small and medium-sized businesses market themselves at an affordable price.

Its clientele has grown to 3,000 customers following an overhaul in business strategy that helped increase the impact of Boomtimes web-based marketing tools. Now, with fresh funds for expansion, the company aims to broaden its reach.

Well expand our network and scale up our sales and fulfillment capabilities for customers, said CEO Mark Canon.

Verge led the new Series B round, joined by Saba Investments in El Paso and angels in Texas and New Mexico, said executive board chair and company co-founder Bill Bice.

The company has reinvented itself since launching in 2005. It started out helping restaurants and spas with online promotions such as gift certificates. It later segued into a concentrated focus on the spa-based health and beauty market.

In 2014, it merged with Smug Cloud, a company that Canon started to provide greater labor efficiency to reduce costs for online marketing and promotion. Boomtime combined its web-based marketing platform with Smug Clouds labor-efficient focus to create automated systems that now allow businesses to run customized software with little direct human intervention.

Normally, a business will buy software and then hire people to run it for them, Bice said. This is a marketing tool that does all that for them.

The software collects data from all online transactions and learns from that to pursue marketing leads, including referrals from current clients for potential customers.

Boomtime has a network of 200 independent web developers and copywriters who use the automated system to extract information about a customers strengths to design customized websites and promotional strategies, Canon said.

Larger businesses will often spend from $60,000 to $100,000 a year for a website and people to run it, Canon said. This is a do-it-yourself, automated sales platform that typically costs about $1,000 per month.

The company generally targets businesses in the $1 million to $10 million revenue range. It currently employs 45 people in Albuquerque, three in El Paso, and 15 back-office developers in the Philippines and Serbia.

Our marketing automation strategy has really fueled our growth, Bice said. Now, weve raised more money to really scale everything up to the next level.
From the time Brian Colon formally announced he was entering Albuquerques mayoral race, it was clear he would be a formidable candidate, already having amassed more than $200,000 in campaign contributions at that point.

Since his announcement in January, Colons campaign war chest has grown even larger, with more than $308,000 cash on hand as of March 31, according to a campaign finance report filed with the City Clerks Office over the weekend. And that doesnt include the $43,000 his campaign has already spent or the $32,000 in contributions he said he has raised since March 31.

My campaign has raised $389,834.53 to date, Colon said Monday in a statement.

I have long valued my community ties in the great city of Albuquerque and am pleased to have received support from some of the areas key stakeholders, Colon, the former chairman of the state Democratic Party, said.

But when it comes to cash on hand, Colon has competition from a local businessman who built a national company and just last week filed paperwork with the city clerks office to launch a mayoral run.

Ricardo Chaves, founder of Parking Company of America, has $300,000 cash on hand  money he loaned to his campaign.

Ive been a taxpayer for 50 years, and Im for the taxpayers, said Chaves, a Republican. He said government wastes too much money.

Of course, in order to get on the Oct. 3 ballot, Chaves will need to gather at least 3,000 signatures by April 28. Chaves acknowledged Monday that his late start will make that a challenge.

Three mayoral candidates have already secured the necessary signatures to secure a spot on the ballot: City Councilor Dan Lewis, State Auditor Tim Keller and Michelle Garcia Holmes, former chief of staff for the New Mexico Attorney Generals Office and a retired Albuquerque police detective.

Besides Colon and Chaves, other mayoral candidates who reported significant cash on hand as of March 31 were City Councilor Dan Lewis, former Bernalillo County Commissioner Deanna Archuleta and current Bernalillo County Commissioner Wayne Johnson.

Lewis, a Republican, reported a carryover cash balance of $90,000 and contributions of nearly $101,000 from Jan. 15 to March 31. He spent nearly $45,000 and had a little more than $146,000 in the bank on March 31.

But Lewis points out that because he is already a city elected official, his latest campaign finance report didnt capture a full three-month period. He said he has raised more than $250,000 as of Saturday.

Our campaign reflects a large grassroots movement of people from every area of our city and small business leaders that are concerned about our future, Lewis said in a statement. This sends a strong message that the people in our city are willing to invest in a new leader who will make Albuquerque No. 1 for the worst place in the country to be a criminal, who will create a booming city economy and who will fix our schools.

Archuleta, a Democrat, reported raising nearly $141,000 in cash contributions. She spent $47,000 and had nearly $94,000 cash on hand.

Johnson, a Republican, raised nearly $89,000 and spent $422. That left him with a balance of $88,500. Johnson also reported in-kind contributions totaling nearly $22,000, more than any other mayoral candidate.

I am pleased and extremely grateful for the support my campaign has received from those who trust in my common-sense, bi-partisan leadership to build a safe and prosperous city, Johnson said in a statement. During his campaign announcement earlier this month, he told his supporters, This is going to be a million dollar race. I need as much financial support as you are willing to give me.

Of the 16 candidates currently running for mayor, only Keller is running a publicly financed campaign. Keller has received roughly $380,000 in city funds, minus the seed money he raised, to run his campaign.

Prior to this year, privately financed candidates for mayor who werent already holding public office, didnt have to file campaign finance disclosure statements until about 12 weeks before the election. But the City Council last month voted to require candidates for mayor and council to file quarterly reports, with April 15 being the first deadline.

Other mayoral candidates who filed a quarterly report were:

 Garcia Holmes, who reported cash contributions of $6,120 and in-kind contributions of $9,900; she reported cash on hand of $5,532.

 University of New Mexico undergraduate Augustus Gus Pedrotty, who reported cash contributions of $1,707 and in-kind contributions of $48; he has $1,506 on hand.

 Retired Old Town resident Stella Anne Padilla, reported cash contributions of $3,495, expenditures of $2,872 and cash on hand of $622.

 Susan Wheeler-Deichsel, founder of the civic group Urban ABQ, reported cash contributions of $1,583, in-kind contributions of $475 and expenditures of $2,287. Her campaign had a negative balance of $704.

 Elan Colello, CEO of a virtual reality company, reported that he had received no contributions as of March 31. Florida native Jacob Shull and movie theater worker Rachel Golden also reported no contributions.

Garcia Holmes, an independent, said she isnt surprised by the amount of money flowing to some candidates.

People associated with a (political) party tend to raise quite a bit of money, she said. Garcia Holmes said her focus has been on getting on the ballot, and now that she has accomplished that, she will work on raising money.

Im not worried about other people raising money, she said.

Mayoral candidates Lamont Davis, Scott Madison and Ian Page, who only recently filed to run, had not submitted a quarterly report as of Monday morning.
Albuquerque police are searching for a person who was speeding and crashed into an Albuquerque police officers patrol car before running away in southeast Albuquerque Monday afternoon.

The officer was not injured in the crash, which happened near Florida and Ross SE, according to spokesman Fred Duran. And it appears that the other driver was also not seriously injured, Duran said.

I have a good indication the other driver is doing okay as they felt well enough to hit our officer then run from the scene on foot, he said.

He said officers do not know who that driver is but are searching for him or her.

The driver failed to yield and was speeding, Duran said. He said the cause of the crash is still under investigation.
By Press Trust of India: From Aditi Khanna

London, Apr 17 (PTI) British MPs today wrote to Home Secretary Amber Rudd, seeking revocation of the citizenship of Asma al-Assad, the UK-born wife of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, for her support to his regime on social media.

"The first lady of Syria has acted not as a private citizen but as a spokesperson for the Syrian presidency... [UK foreign secretary] Boris Johnson has urged other countries to do more about Syria, but the British government could say to Asma Assad, either stop using your position to defend barbaric acts, or be stripped of your citizenship," Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson, Tom Brake said.

advertisement

Brake is leading a group of his party MPs calling on Rudd to use her powers to withdraw Asma Assads citizenship for her support to Assads regime on social media.

"This is a barbarous regime, yet Asma Assad has continued to use her international profile to defend it, even after the chemical weapons atrocity," he said.

Conservative party MP Nadhim Zahawi backed the call, saying she was "very much part of the propaganda machine that is committing war crimes".

After a US strike, Asma Assad posted a message on one of her accounts saying: "The presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic affirms that what America has done is an irresponsible act that only reflects a shortsightedness, a narrow horizon, a political and military blindness to reality and a naive pursuit of a frenzied false propaganda campaign."

The 41-year-old was educated in Britain and worked as an investment banker before she married in 2000. Withdrawing her passport would not leave her stateless, however, because she is thought to be a dual British-Syrian national.

Social media accounts in Asma Assads name have some 500,000 followers and are used as pro-regime tools. PTI AK KJ

--- ENDS ---
With the MCD elections around the corner, all key political parties are engaged in a fierce battle to win at the hustings. As the national capital prepares for the civic polls that are happening right after the two-month-long political slugfest in five key states including UP, News18 India brings Delhi ka Dangal a special and extensive programming on these polls.

The power-packed programming includes Bhaiyaji Kahin which provides a platform to the voters to interact with their local leaders/candidates at a ward level. The channel will also telecast a day-long special on 15th April highlighting the ground realities in various parts of the city. The channels team of reporters will go to the various wards in North, South and East Delhi and speak to the voters about their top most concerns and expectations.

With extensive coverage on polling day, special debates & exclusive interviews and counting day coverage, the channel will ensure that viewers get a ring side view of these elections.

Catch all the updates on MCD Elections, 2017 on News18 India:

Bhaiyaji Kahin: Daily at 6 PM

Delhi Ka Dangal- Election Bulletin: Daily at 5 PM

Delhi Ka Dangal- Reality check: 15th April, through the day

Polling Day Coverage: 23rd April

Counting Day Coverage: 26th April
Dentsu Media has been awarded the media planning & buying for the entire portfolio of brands for Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL). The mandate starts in April and was finalized following a multi-agency pitch earlier this year. MSIL is by far the largest automobile company in India and is amongst the top 3 advertisers in the country. Dentsu Media will handle all media duties for Maruti Suzuki Corporate, Existing Channel & Nexa brands. A significant team comprising existing Dentsu Media members & handpicked experienced talent has been put together to handle this massive mandate. The scope of this mandate is a holistic integrated media & platform agnostic communications approach.

Dentsu Impact & Isobar, the other arms of the Dentsu Aegis Network already handle large portions of the creative, digital & CRM business. With this win, Dentsu Aegis Network has further consolidated its position as one of the leading integrated marketing communication companies in India. Speaking on the development, Sanjeev Handa, Vice President, Marketing Maruti Suzuki India, said, Our partnership with Dentsu Aegis Network is a strategic one. We wanted to have an integrated and synergistic approach for our business to improve productivity and overall effectiveness. And with alignment of media services to Dentsu Aegis Network, we are looking forward to improving our overall marketing efficiencies.

Speaking on the win, Divya Karani, CEO, Dentsu Media, said, We are delighted and honored to be chosen as the preferred media partners for MSIL, a clear market leader in the category and one of the most exciting and innovative marketers in the country. We have put together a very experienced and balanced team of media, advertising & marketing professionals who will leverage our global capabilities, tools and resources to help MSIL further enhance its market leadership. We are truly excited about this win.
India has been battling the air borne disease Tuberculosis, since decades and more. The disease has been a taboo and paucity of open conversation around it has led to high mortality and morbidity. 1 person dies every minute due to TB in India and the country has the highest global burden with every 1 in 4 TB patients being Indian. Earlier, the government has made several attempts to create awareness about the symptoms, cure and eliminate the stigma around it. The two key issues faced are that a lot of people do not take the symptoms seriously or dont get early diagnosis for TB and once they avail the treatment, many patients drop out without completing the course. This results in drug resistant TB, which is complicated and often fatal.

The main objective therefore, is not only to create awareness about TB symptoms and the need for early diagnosis but also to emphasize that incomplete treatment can be more serious & complicated. DDB Mudra North partnered with the government for creating a campaign which would galvanize the nation towards the mission of ending TB. The campaign is thus aptly titled #IndiavsTB, where it calls to the nation to unite against Tuberculosis. The objective of the campaign is to build momentum around the mission of making India TB Free.

Given the stigma around TB, the campaign had to be powerful yet sensitive towards the patients suffering from it. Hence, the face of the campaign is no other than Mr. Bachchan who not only survived the deadly disease but is also completely cured from TB. What makes the campaign credible and highly relatable is the fact that Mr. Bachchan is open and willing to talk about his own ailment and his struggle around it.

DDB Mudra North partnered with The International Union against TB & Lung Disease to create a 360-degree campaign comprising of TVC, digital, radio and newspaper activations. The films mainly focus on recognizing symptoms of TB, the importance of completing TB treatment and the challenge of MDR TB while highlighting the fact that free testing facilities are provided by the Government. In one of the films Mr. Bachchan, plays the role of a local barber who humorously associates the incomplete grooming of the beard with the incomplete course done for TB. In another one, Mr. Bachchan plays the role of a garage mechanic, and expresses surprise at a customer who seems to be oblivious of his TB symptoms. The 3rd film, talks about the fatal consequences of drug resistant TB. All the ads lay emphasis on free testing and treatment facilities provided at Government hospitals and Health care centres. Mr. Bachchan, as the face of the campaign makes the fight against Tuberculosis, a national issue where TB harega, desh jitega (TB must lose and India must win).

These films have been currently hosted on a YouTube Channel called- Call to Action For a TB-Free India and have been showcased in cinema screens across the country. These films will soon be released on television along with a series of digital films, print and OOH activations.

According to Kavita Ayyagari, Project Director, Challenge TB  The Union, The campaign #INDIAVsTB is part of The Call to action for TB Free India and has been made by The International Union against TB and Lung Disease supported by USAID  Challenge TB. DDB Mudra North has come up with a campaign that touches the hearts of people and communicates key messages on symptoms of TB and the challenge of drug resistant TB due to incomplete treatment through Mr. Bachchan. We are grateful to Mr. Bachchan for his wholehearted support to our campaign. Together, we can bring TB out of the closet, talk about it and help make India TB Free.

As per Sonal Dabral, Chairman and CCO, DDB Mudra Group, The brief for the campaign was to build communication that can help eradicate TB by 2025. This campaign not only deals with the symptoms of TB and the need for treatment but emphasizes on complete treatment. Large number of TB patients in India drop their treatment without being totally cured of it and this results in MDR TB which is dangerous and often not treatable. They drop it as its extremely difficult to manage and the duration is long too.

Agency Credits

Agency: DDB Mudra North

President and Managing Partner, DDB Mudra North: Vandana Das

Chairman and CCO, DDB Mudra Group: Sonal Dabral

Creative: Shivil Gupta, Subhashish Datta, Amarjeet Panesar, Saket Srivastava

Account Management: Urvashi Guha, Mohit Kumar, Rakshit Behel
Google purchased 1,210 acres of land in Nevada valued at $29.1 million last week, which could be used to house a massive data center and serve as a potential testing site for self-driving cars according to a new report. Documents for the industrial park property filed Friday reveal that the site is just east of Reno and located a few miles south of Teslas massive gigafactory complex. Even though Google has not revealed any plans to build a data center on its recent property acquisition, its suggested that a data center may only be part of Googles future in Nevada.

Another possible use for Google parent Alphabet to use the land for is to house a testing facility for its Waymo unit. Waymo is responsible for Alphabets and Googles autonomous driving efforts. The move to Nevada will help Google accelerate its work on self-driving cars, since Nevada has fewer regulations than neighboring California. Theres still a lot of speculation on how Google will use its land. 1,200 acres seems way too big for a data center, and plans for an autonomous vehicle test site on Nevadas relaxed regulatory climate seem to fit. While California imposes a 35 MPH limit 0n self-driving cars, for example, Nevada doesnt have such a speed restriction. This could potentially allow Google to test autonomous vehicles at higher speeds in Nevada. Google and Nevada already have a good relationship together when it comes to autonomous vehicles. In 2012, Nevada made history as the first state to approve a license for autonomous vehicles, and Google became the first company to receive that license.

Waymo reported that since Google began its autonomous driving initiative, the company has logged more than 2 million miles in test drives, which is the equivalent of over 300 years of human driving experience. Many of those miles, according to Google, were driven on large city streets. On Waymos website, Google counts Kirkland, WA, Mountain View, CA, Phoenix, AZ and Austin, TX as cities where it currently tests its self-driving cars. Given the Nevada propertys close proximity to automaker Teslas gigafactory, its unclear if a partnership between Google and Tesla in the automotive space is also in the works.
The new Android companion app for Samsungs Gear 360 (2017) camera was launched on the Google Play Store earlier this month. The South Korean tech giant started rolling out the app on Friday, meaning the mobile tool should already be available for download worldwide. While the app was primarily designed to accompany the Gear 360 (2017) camera, its also compatible with the original Gear 360 gadget that was announced at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in 2016. The revised version of the camera was officially unveiled simultaneously with the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus in late March and will soon be available for purchase in most key markets, so it isnt surprising that Samsung already debuted its dedicated mobile app.

Regarding the offering itself, Samsungs latest app is officially titled Samsung Gear 360 (New) and was specifically designed to serve as a remote control for the Gear 360 (2017) camera, allowing users to record, view, broadcast, and otherwise share content captured with Samsungs new 360-degree camera. While the app supports both the original Gear 360 and its upcoming successor, some features are exclusive to the new Gear 360 (2017). For example, the vanilla version of the app can only be used for live broadcasts when paired with Samsungs new portable camera, and as the Seoul-based consumer electronics manufacturer continues expanding the functionality of the app, that list of exclusive features might also grow in the future.

For the time being, the Samsung Gear 360 (New) is compatible with the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy A5 (2017), and the Galaxy A7 (2017). Naturally, the app also supports the upcoming Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus that are scheduled to hit the market this Friday, April 21. Its currently unclear whether Samsung is planning to expand the list of compatible devices in the future, at least in terms of its older Android devices, though the Galaxy Note 8 thats expected to hit the market later this year will almost certainly support this new companion app. You can download the app by following the Google Play Store link below even if your Galaxy-branded device has yet to receive the update to Android 7.0 Nougat, as the tool technically only requires Lollipop to work.
The upcoming Moto Z2 Force smartphone wont be a Verizon exclusive as the device is said to be sold by a number of other wireless carriers in the country including T-Mobile, industry insider Evan Blass claims. The source made that assertion yesterday on Twitter but provided no further details on the matter. However, the wording of the claim suggests the Moto Z2 Force wont only be sold by Verizon and T-Mobile but should also be available through at least one other mobile service provider in the country, i.e. its possible that customers of AT&T, Sprint, US Cellular, and some other carriers will also be able to purchase the device later this year. While theres still no way to confirm the aforementioned claim, previous reports suggested the Moto Z2 Force will be sold by Sprint, so this isnt the first source claiming Motos upcoming phone wont be a Verizon exclusive. Finally, Blass also shared whats said to be the new logo of the Moto Z2 Force depicted on a yellow background  as shown below  which might suggest the fourth largest wireless carrier in the country will indeed be carrying the device.

The Moto Z2 Force is said to be Motos upcoming Android flagship thats rumored to be officially announced in the coming months. According to recent reports, the Lenovo-owned phone maker is looking to release two high-end handsets in 2017  the Moto Z2 and the Moto Z2 Force. Both devices are expected to be announced around June and are said to be hitting the market in late Q3 2017, though actual details on their hardware are still scarce. Most industry watchers agree that the Moto Z2 and the Moto Z2 Force will likely be powered by Qualcomms latest flagship chip, i.e. the Snapdragon 835, while the devices are also expected to sport at least 4GB of RAM. Furthermore, unlike last years Moto Z Force, the Moto Z2 Force is expected to feature a 3.5mm audio port and also sport Lenovo branding.

Regarding the aforementioned report, while Verizon apparently wont have exclusive rights on selling the Moto Z2 Force, the Big Red will possibly retail a special edition of the device that might be called the Moto Z2 Force Droid Edition, similar to its predecessor. More details on the device are expected to surface soon.
A group of Welsh scientists is currently developing a smart bandage with sensors that can connect to 5G networks and are planning to trial their invention within a year. Researchers from the Swansea Universitys Institute of Life Science are leading the development of the device which will take advantage of 5G networks to effectively monitor medical conditions and progress of patients through connected devices. The smart bandage features nanosensors that monitor important vital statistics of a patient and the device is intended to be 3D-printed with the goal of achieving lower manufacturing costs. Smart bandages aim to reduce patient treatment times and allow for the development of individualized treatments that will include not only prescriptions and surgery but also lifestyle changes, scientists revealed. Smart bandages may also allow for rapid modifications of treatment protocol depending on the progress of healing through quicker and more comprehensive monitoring.

The use of smart bandages is just one of the new use cases based on 5G networks. As 5G networks support lower latency and increased bandwidth compared to existing solutions, more sensor-equipped devices can be connected to the Internet. For example, Southwestern Wales, the region where researchers developing the smart bandage plan to conduct their testing, has a population of around a million people and the rollout of smart bandages to a substantial portion of its population requires a more capable network that can relay important medical information to doctors taking care of the patients in a timely and reliable manner.

The development of 5G technologies is now moving more quickly than ever before, as wireless carriers continue to test 5G equipment and implementation solutions. While regulators are yet to determine final standards, initial tests of 5G networks are already showing some promising results. In Finland, Nokia and Elisa recently tested 5G technologies in the 3.5GHz band, a frequency which allows for both massively improved internet speeds and larger coverage area. In the United States, major carriers have been testing their 5G networks and are planning to commercialize them, albeit in a limited scale, by 2020. In fact, AT&T and Verizon already started rolling out their 5G testing equipment in certain urban areas.
In an exclusive conversation with India Today, Chetan Shah categorically said that "he is not an Interpol agent".

By Virendrasingh Ghunawat: At Mumbai Zonal Office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), it was a quite normal day, but for Chetan Shah, it was another grilling session. Since last week, diamond merchant and now alleged to be a fake Interpol agent, Shah has been visiting the ED office to face interrogation in a loan default case.

In an exclusive conversation with India Today outside the ED office, Shah categorically said that "he is not an Interpol agent".

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Shah said, "This fake ID card which was seized by the ED officials on April 1, 2017 was created in 2008 by my friends in Bangkok. It was a theme party and every person was supposed to play some kind of role for fun. Some played a police officer and I played a secret agent of Interpol. After that party, this card was never used by me for any other activity. In fact, how this fake ID card remained in my ipad, I am still surprised."

The day ED officials found the fake ID card at Shah's premises, a criminal complaint was filed against him under section 419 of IPC. From that day, he was under the radar of all investigative agencies including Mumbai Police. Although Shah remained absconding for ten days.

Last week, with the support of his legal team, Shah presented himself before the Mumbai Police to face the arrest. He got the bail next day, but soon after the ED officials summoned him. He has till date recorded his statements thrice.

"I am feeling like a harassed person. Earlier, the I-T department alleged that I had stripped before female officers during searches in 2014, and now this fake Interpol agent issue. Everyday, news coming against me is discrediting and tarnishing me and my family's image," Shah said.

However, Mumbai Police has not given a clean cheat to Shah yet. It would be examining the fake ID card with the help of cyber team and forensic experts.

LOAN DEFAULT CASE

But Shah has no complaints against the ED officials, who have been probing a Rs 342 crore loan default case against him. Shah's loan amount turned into a non-performing asset (NPA) in 2016.

Admitting that he had taken a loan from banks, Shah said, "I accept that I had taken loans from four banks keeping my properties under mortages. But it is business and I am into import and export of diamonds. We faced huge losses and therefore, could not repay the loan amount."

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Shah, however, denied having any shell companies. He added that of almost 15 companies, seven are inactive due to losses, and some of them are operating but with no profits. "None of the company is a shell company, in which me and my wife Hema Shah are/were the directors," Shah said.

Off late, the consortium of four banks, headed by Dena Bank had issued a public notice under SARFAESI Act 2002, against Decent Dia-Jewels Ltd., Chetan Shah, Hema Shah and all guarantors, with a deadline of 60 days to repay the money. If all these parties fail to meet the deadline, the banks would have all the authority to auction the collateral properties worth crores.

Shah is aware about it, but showed his helplessness due to financially instability. "I would not be able to do much, even if banks auction all my mortaged properties," Shah admitted.

At present, the ED is investigating the case to check whether the bank loan has been diverted and the proceeds of crime, if generated through the layers of active and inactive companies, are bogus. The agency is also verifying Shah's movable and immovable properties which is valued in crores.

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Also read: ED interrogates fake Interpol agent being probed in Rs 342 crore loan default case

Also read: Enforcement Directorate raids over 100 locations in 16 states, uncovers 2300 shell companies

--- ENDS ---
A post shared by #PTSRS | Will Lee (@ptsrs) on Apr 5, 2017 at 8:35am PDT

Ladies and gentlemen drivers, meet chassis #980 (with a total of 991 units being produced, the factory is almost done with this derivative of the Neunelfer).You should know that this is the final Paint To Sample example of the clutch-gifted machine. The thing is dressed in Signal Yellow (this matches the yellow brake calipers), using Green main stripes. The latter hue is also featured on the Porsche badging adorning the doors, while the side stripes come in black.Profanes might look at this Zuffenhausen machine and see a... banana, while those who are kept awake at night by the Porsche crest will want to know that this is the only PTS 911R in Thailand and one of the two that can be found in Southeast Asia.The cabin of the rear-engined delight we have here brings Signal Yellow to the attention of the driver, since the hue is used for the air vent slats and contrast stitching. The textile elements replacing the door handles, as well as the seat belts come dressed in silver.Porsche Center Bangkok is the dealer that had the pleasure to deliver this piece of eye candy to its owner, so, if you happen to be traveling to that part of the world, you know where to find the naturally aspirated machine.Those of you worried about the inevitable drop in the number of Porsche 911 R spottings will be reminded that the German automaker is working to bring us at least two other uber-special Neunelfers that will flood social media once they hit the streets.We're talking about the 991.2 GT3 RS , as well as about the new GT2 . And since both are expected to make their debut by the end of the year, we're eager to bring you the real-world pics of the Porschas.
After a reprieve over the weekend with the bellyflop of the North Korean missile test, experts warn that tensions with the U.S. will "remain dangerously high for the indefinite future."

Why it matters: Just 12 days from Trump's 100-day mark, his biggest test (including of his vow to both talk and act tough) is unfolding in real time  with massive global consequences.

The New York Times captures it most memorably in a front-page analysis by David Sanger and Bill Broad: "What is playing out, said Robert Litwak of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, ... is 'the Cuban missile crisis in slow motion,' but the slow-motion part appears to be speeding up."

We can hear that unmistakably in remarks today by Vice President Pence inside the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea  at Freedom House, a few meters from the military demarcation line, which he described as a "frontier of freedom," per a pool report by AFP's Andrew Beatty:

"Asked his message to the people of North Korea, VPOTUS said: ... 'the era of strategic patience is over.'"
President Trump made a strategic miscalculation by telling China's President Xi that he'll get a better trade deal if he helps out on North Korea, says Richard McGregor, an authority on Chinese internal politics. (McGregor wrote the seminal book "The Party," which Trump has reportedly said is his favorite on China.)

McGregor told Axios:

"For Trump to have a modicum of credibility, he couldn't trade off advances on North Korea against the concerns of the people who put him in the White House in the first place... The Chinese often talk about win-win outcomes, which, the cynics joke, means the Chinese win twice. By linking trade and North Korea, Trump is only making that outcome more likely."

Why McGregor thinks Trump is foolish to link trade negotiations with North Korea:
North Korea is quickly becoming President Trump's biggest challenge, but it long predates the new administration. Below is a timeline of how the U.S. and its allies have tried to push North Korea away from building a nuclear arsenal.

October 2006: North Korea claimed to have conducted first nuclear test. The United Nations responded with sanctions.

2007-2008: After start-stop attempts at a deal, the UN backed off sanctions on North Korea in exchange for stripping down its nuclear program.

May 2009: North Korea conducted second nuclear test, received new sanctions.

February 2013: North Korea conducted a third nuclear test, and received more sanctions.

2015: Former President Obama stepped up U.S. cyber attacks on North Korea's missile programs.

2016: North Korea held its 4th and 5th nuclear tests, and conducted more than 14 rounds of ballistic-missile tests  almost all of which failed  and fired 30 different rockets, Business Insider counted up.

November 2016: WSJ reported that the Obama administration told the Trump administration that North Korea was the biggest international threat to the U.S.

March 1, 2017: South Korea and the U.S. held a military exercise  "Foal Eagle" together.

March 6: North Korea fired four ballistic missiles into the sea near Japan.

March 15: The U.S. holds a flight test of a nuclear bomb.

March 22: North Korea had another failed missile launch on its east coast.

Sunday, April 9: The U.S. deployed a Navy strike group to the waters off the Korean Peninsula, which included two guided-missile destroyers, one guided-missile cruiser, and an aircraft carrier.

Tuesday, April 11: Trump tweeted: "North Korea is looking for trouble. If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we will solve the problem without them! U.S.A."

Wednesday, April 12: Seemingly in response to the U.S. strike group, satellite images suggested North Korea was going to conduct its sixth nuclear test.

Thursday, April 13: The US placed two Tomahawk cruise missiles carriers in the area  one of them 300 miles from the North Korean nuclear site and NBC reported that the U.S. was preparing to launch a preemptive strike on North Korea. Officials then told AP that those reports were false.

Saturday, April 15: In the morning, North Korea held a military parade, showing off their new ballistic missiles. In the evening, North Korea launched a missile test, which failed.

Sunday, April 16: Mike Pence speaks in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea. "North Korea would do well not to test [Trump's] resolve ... all options are on the table ... the era of strategic patience is over."
By Press Trust of India: Morigaon, Apr 17 (PTI) Chinas Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui today visited Pobitora wildlife sanctuary, which has the worlds densest population of Great Indian one horned rhino, and praised its bio-diversity.

Luo Zhaohui, who is leading a six-member high level official team, appreciated the bio-diversity of the 38.8 sq km sanctuary in central Assam, which has other animals such as leopard, wild boar, barking deer, wild buffalo, birds and reptiles, official sources said.

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The Chinese diplomat, however, declined to take questions of waiting journalists on Sino-India relations, the recent visit of the Dalai Lama to Tawang and dams on Brahmaputra in his country.

Zhaohui went around the sanctuary with his wife looking at rhinos and migratory birds in Pobitora which has the worlds densest population of the one-horned rhinoceros in only 16 sq km effective rhino habitat, said official sources.

The Chinese ambassador also visited the World War II memorials and monuments in Tinsukia district during his two-day official visit to Assam, the sources added.

Meanwhile, former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told reporters that he had raised his concern about the construction of big dams in China whish is affecting the flow of rivers in Assam during his meeting with Zhaohui during the day.

The Chinese ambassador, Gogoi said, had assured him that China would do no such thing and that the dams there will not affect Assam.

Zhaohui also said his country has never given shelter to any Assam-based insurgent outfit, including the Paresh Baruah-led ULFA(Independent, he added. PTI ESB KK KK

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: Morigaon, Apr 17 (PTI) Chinas Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui today visited Pobitora wildlife sanctuary, which has the worlds densest population of Great Indian one horned rhino, and praised its bio-diversity.

Luo Zhaohui, who is leading a six-member high level official team, appreciated the bio-diversity of the 38.8 sq km sanctuary in central Assam, which has other animals such as leopard, wild boar, barking deer, wild buffalo, birds and reptiles, official sources said.

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The Chinese diplomat, however, declined to take questions of waiting journalists on Sino-India relations, the recent visit of the Dalai Lama to Tawang and dams on Brahmaputra in his country.

Zhaohui went around the sanctuary with his wife looking at rhinos and migratory birds in Pobitora which has the worlds densest population of the one-horned rhinoceros in only 16 sq km effective rhino habitat, said official sources.

The Chinese ambassador also visited the World War II memorials and monuments in Tinsukia district during his two-day official visit to Assam, the sources added.

Meanwhile, former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told reporters that he had raised his concern about the construction of big dams in China whish is affecting the flow of rivers in Assam during his meeting with Zhaohui during the day.

The Chinese ambassador, Gogoi said, had assured him that China would do no such thing and that the dams there will not affect Assam.

Zhaohui also said his country has never given shelter to any Assam-based insurgent outfit, including the Paresh Baruah-led ULFA(Independent, he added. PTI ESB KK SNP

--- ENDS ---
Donald Trump says 'life always triumphs over death with God's grace' in Easter Sunday address

Donald Trump used his weekly address to describe America as a "nation of believers" and said that the source of its hope was that "life always triumphs over death ... with God's grace."

This Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ and the promise of eternal salvation," Trump said in his weekly address. "It is a holy day of reverence and worship; it is a sacred time that fills the spirit of our Nation with the faith of our people ... America is a Nation of believers."

The president added, "With God's grace, life always triumphs over death, freedom overcomes oppression, and faith extinguishes fear. This is the source of our hope  and our confidence in the future."

Trump noted that America has always been "a place that has cherished the freedom of worship."

Like his predecessor Barack Obama on occasion, Trump chose to use the the term "freedom of worship," and not "religious freedom."

"That is the promise the first settlers saw in our vast continent  and it is the promise that our bravest warriors have protected for all of our citizens in centuries since, a long time ago," continued Trump, who was raised a Presbyterian.

The president noted that "many around the globe do not enjoy this freedom  and one of the gravest threats to religious freedom remains the threat of terror."

Trump condemned the Islamic State's attack on two churches in Egypt on Palm Sunday, which killed at least 45 people and injured over 100 others.

"We condemn this barbaric attack," the president said. "We mourn for those who lost loved ones. And we pray for the strength and wisdom to achieve a better tomorrow  one where good people of all faiths, Christians and Muslims and Jewish and Hindu, can follow their hearts and worship according to their conscience."

He also said he is committed to "those struggling Americans who have felt for too long the bitter taste of hardship."

"I want you to know: this White House is fighting for you. We are fighting for every American who has been left behind. We are fighting for the right of all citizens to enjoy safety and peace  and to work and live with the dignity that all Children of God are entitled to know."

In conclusion, Trump said, "As long as we have faith in each other, and trust in God, we will succeed... Have a Happy Easter, and a Happy Passover. God bless you. And God bless America."

Meanwhile, it remained unclear if the president, who is spending this holiday at Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Palm Beach, Florida, will attend a church service on Sunday.

"I believe one of the reasons he has not established a home church is it will become larger than life," the Rev. Darrell Scott, a pastor from Cleveland who supported Trump's candidacy and serves on a faith advisory board, told The Washington Post.

The Rev. Roger Gench, the senior pastor at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church near the White House, said, "Churches in D.C. tend, not all, but tend to be a little more liberal. It's a hard sell." He added that while all are welcome to his church, they have not reached out to Trump. "The policies of Trump are counter to the views of most of the people in the church."

But the president's words and deeds are also important, said Bob Vander Plaats, president of the conservative Iowa group the Family Leader.

"When he announced our action as it relates to Syria and he also used the words, seeking God's wisdom, that's an encouragement to me," Vander Plaats said, according to The Associated Press. "I also think faith leaders and people of faith are not looking for him to be somebody he's not."

This article was originally published in The Christian Post.
How To Make Britain (Really) Great Again  And America Too

Comedian Trevor Noah, host of the hugely popular US TV Daily Show, has had a few things to say recently about how Britain has responded to rising immigration. He has come across a lot of people who have been expressing to him along these lines why they voted for Brexit:

'This b***y country is going to the dogs and we want Britain back... These immigrants they come over here and they are up to no good. I wish they would go back to where they came from... I hate them because they don't even try to be British. They come here they bring their own culture, their own food and they try to take over the whole place.'

His response: 'Well, that sounds British to me.'

Noah was born in South Africa and the African experience of British colonialism means some of the anti-immigration rhetoric around immigration sounds like poetic justice. The British colonised a good part of the world; our was 'the empire on which the sun never sets'. We imposed our culture, food, rules and dress code on the world as we 'civilised the savages'. We extolled the wonders of our way of life and so perhaps it is little wonder that people want to come to the so-called best place on earth, the greatest of all the countries in the world  Great Britain. Certainly we should not be surprised that when they need to escape poverty or terror or life-threatening atrocities, for many their first choice is to go somewhere where they at least understand something of the language and culture, a host country that is long overdue a return visit.

It is not only in our colonial history that we exported our message of greatness. We have continued to do so. We export our British culture to the world through our movies, our broadcasting and our literature. We boast about our royal family, our health service, our education systems, our progressive views and our economy. Is it any wonder that many people want to come here? And why should we be surprised, when they not only admire these benefits as tourists, but seek to enjoy them as refugees and residents?

Of course, many of our much-prided national treasures are not really ours to claim in the first place. The Europeans gave us our language, the Romans brought us infrastructure, and the Irish facilitated the expansion of the Victorian economy. Fish and chips were introduced into Britain by Jewish refugees from Portugal and Spain. Chicken tikka masala, another invention by immigrants, has been voted Britain's favourite food. Our cosmopolitan cities reflect global community at its best.

Perhaps we forget all this as we fearfully consider the next wave of immigration  not only how much Britain has benefited from immigration in the past, but how the world has suffered as a result. Recently Indian academic Shashi Thashoor, the former UN under-secretary and member of India's Parliament, was interviewed by John Snow on Channel 4 News. He lamented British 'historical amnesia about what the [British] empire entailed. British children are not being taught about how the UK financed the industrial revolution from the deprivation of its colonies'. He explained that 'Britain came to one of the richest countries in the world [India] in the early 18th century and reduced it, after 200 years of plunder, to one of the poorest.'

As Britain seeks to make trade deals after the Brexit vote, I suspect our colonial past may come back to haunt us. I can imagine a difficult conversation when British diplomats try to make trade deals with our former colonies, asking for a good deal when the colonial past is still freshly remembered. As we are forced to renegotiate our position in the world, where will be the good will?

At the same time the US is redefining its place in the world too. President Donald Trump has issued a new executive order to ban travel for people from six predominantly Muslim countries. The New York Times described it as 'the most significant hardening of immigration policy in generations'. He has also slashed the overseas aid budget and reduced the US's commitment to reducing climate change. Instead he has increased military spending and focused on jobs for Americans. The strategy of 'America First' at the expense of its neighbourly commitments to the world in an attempt to make a nation 'great' is seriously flawed.

While these changes take place across the Atlantic the UK seems to be trying the same tactics. We have now closed our borders to unaccompanied refugee children by voting to close the Dubs route for lone vulnerable asylum-seeking children to have safe passage into the UK. Lord Dubs, who himself was a refugee in World War II fleeing the Nazi persecution and extermination of Jews, campaigned for the UK to help our fair share of the children displaced and orphaned by wars around the world. The government has closed his scheme after only 350 of the expected 3,000 children have arrived, despite many Conservative MPs calling on the government to show compassion.

Can Britain be great again? There are skeletons in the cupboard of our history but there is great treasure in our heritage too. One of our finest moments was the willingness to receive 10,000 vulnerable children fleeing the Nazis in 1939. Some have balked at the connection between lone child refugees fleeing ISIS, people traffickers and bombs and children fleeing the Nazis. Some MPs have described those who speak in these terms as 'sentimentalists'. But it was Prime Minister David Cameron who first made the connection, calling Britain's response to the refugee crisis 'a modern-day Kindertransport'.

I believe Britain can be great again not through closing borders to the vulnerable but through great hospitality and great compassion to those in greatest need.

Jesus had something to say about what makes for something truly great. He said 'Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends' ( John 15:13). I wonder if that could apply nationally? Making a nation great is more than just looking after the welfare of its citizens. It's helping those citizens demonstrate sacrificial compassion on behalf of others.

Dr Krish Kandiah is the founding director of Home for Good. His latest book, 'Paradoxology: Why Christianity was never meant to be simple' is published by IVP USA.
Iraq's Christians celebrate Easter, dream of returning home

Hundreds of Iraqi Christians gathered on Sunday in a church damaged by Islamic State north of Mosul, celebrating Easter there for the first time since 2014.

'God willing, the celebration of the resurrection of Christ will also mark the return and rising-up of the Christians in Iraq,' said Kyriacos Isho, 75, who was accompanied by his 12 children and grandchildren at Mar Gewargis (St George) Chaldean Catholic church in Tel Esqof.

Tel Esqof, or Bishop's Hill in Arabic, did not sustain the same amount of damage as other Christian towns overrun by the militants three years ago in the plain of Nineveh.

Kurdish Peshmerga fighters dislodged the hardline Sunni militants from Tel Esqof just a week after it had fallen, in August 2014. On Sunday, they stood guard around the church.

The militants had smashed the church's windows, though a new cross has now been put up in place of the one the militants took down.

A fresh breeze on Sunday cooled the white chapel as the choir sang hymns in Chaldean, a language close to the Aramaic spoken by Jesus.

The mass ended with a festive distribution of soft drinks and coloured eggs in the inner courtyard by a French group, SOS Chretiens d'Orient.

Islamic State targeted all non-Sunni Muslims living under its rule and inflicted harsh punishment on Sunnis who refused to abide by its extreme interpretation of Islam.

The region's Christians were given an ultimatum: pay a tax, convert to Islam, or die by the sword. Most of them fled to the autonomous Kurdish region, across the Zab river to the east.

More than 350 families returned to Tel Esqof, which has been more secure since October, when US-backed Kurdish and Iraqi forces launched an offensive to dislodge the militants from Mosul, taking back dozens of villages and towns along the way.

For many, though, Tel Esqof is not really home, but simply a place where they feel safe in the company of relatives or friends.

Madeleine Roufael, a 70 year-old widow, is still waiting to return to Mosul, about 20 km (12 miles) to the south.

'Thank God,' she repeats, grateful to be celebrating Easter once again. 'God willing, we will return home.'

Six months into the Mosul offensive, the front line in the battle has moved well into the city, with Islamic State fighters surrounded in a few districts on the western side of the Tigris river.

The militants there are dug in among civilians.

Several hundred thousand people are estimated to remain in areas of the city that are still under militant control, complicating the battle plans of the Iraqi army and the US-led coalition providing air and ground support.

It was from a Mosul mosque three years ago that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a 'caliphate' also spanning a part of Syria.

'I wish peace for Iraq, for Syria, for Lebanon,' said Aws Hermez, the church's deacon, referring to countries with substantial Christian communities.

'Peace for the whole world.'
Prince George to attend Christian private school

Prince George will attend a Christian school in September, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have announced.

George, currently three-years-old, will turn four in July shortly before he starts at Thomas's Battersea in September. The 6,100 per term private school is a few miles from where the family will be living at Kensington Palace.

The preparatory school is Christian, its website states, and is 'open to children of all faiths'.

Pupils are discouraged from having best friends because it may lead to others feeling ostracised, the school adds, and the first rule is 'be kind'.

A statement from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, George's parents, read: 'Their Royal Highnesses are delighted to have found a school where they are confident George will have a happy and successful start to his education.'

The school's headmaster, Ben Thomas, said: 'We are honoured and delighted that their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have chosen Thomas's Battersea for Prince George.

'We greatly look forward to welcoming him and all of our new pupils to the school in September.'

Currently based in Norfolk where Prince George goes to nursery at Westacre Montessori School, the family have announced they will move back to London as Prince William prepares to step up his royal duties.

Princess Charlotte, who will be two in May, is expected to start nursery in the summer.
Scottish churchgoing sees dramatic fall, further decline predicted

A dramatic drop in churchgoing in Scotland has been revealed by figures in the latest Scottish Church Census, conducted in May 2016.

The census showed Scotland now has around 390,000 regular churchgoers, down from 854,000 in 1984. Around 42 per cent of these are aged over 65, around twice the figure for the general population.

The number of evangelical churchgoers is up at 35 per cent of churches compared with 26 per cent in 1994, while another third (32 per cent) were Catholic, with 16 per cent Broad/Liberal, 13 per cent Reformed and four per cent Low Church.

However, while numbers have continued to decline, the rate of decline has slowed significantly. Lead researcher Peter Brierley said in his analysis that the figures were 'better than expected' and that it was not a 'pessimistic story of inevitable decline'. Some denominations and regions have shown signs of growth, partly due to an influx of immigrants and partly to the growth of Pentecostal-style churches. Numbers attending midweek services are increasing.

Furthermore, while they were outnumbered by churches that closed, some 300 new churches have been started since 2002 attended by around 12,000 people. Brierley said: 'Many of the new churches have the characteristics of being led by local lay people, often without theological training, informality in worship, sometimes food, certainly a warm welcome, full fellowship, enterprise, borrowing of premises, with a deep concern for reaching out to others and making sure the worship service is relevant and in the appropriate language.'

If trends continue, numbers could fall below 300,000 by 2025.

Reverend Colin Sinclair, Chair of the Scottish Church Census Steering Committee and Moderator of the Presbytery of Edinburgh, said: 'Whilst there are a number of challenges facing Christian churches in Scotland, including a broadly aging demographic and ministering in an increasingly individualised culture, these are similar challenges facing society at large both in Scotland and across Western Europe.'

He argued attendance at 'mass cultural activities', such as the cinema, was generally falling.

'Indeed, in an atomised society to be part of a formal community worship is unusual and countercultural,' he said. 'Yet, the fact that many people stay and frequent the same church for over 20 years is an indication of the stability they bring to a community. As well as being sacred places of worship, our churches act as hubs for the community to come together and provide vital social capital to the wellbeing of our society.'

The Church of Scotland referred in its response to 'green shoots of growth' in churches across the country. Rev Norman Smith, convener of the Church's Mission and Discipleship Council, said changes in working patterns, leisure activities and family life had all contributed to decline, as had increasing secularisation and the loss of family churchgoing traditions. He said the Church's response to the situation was 'not driven by numbers' but by the Great Commission of Jesus.

'The primary task of the Cchurch has not changed throughout the ages but the way we tackle that task continues to evolve,' he said. 'In the midst of decline you can find growth and in the midst of growth you can find decline. That is how it has always been.'

The census report contains tools to help congregations respond to the challenge of decline.
Turkey in furious 'holy war' threat after EU headscarf ruling: 'This is a clash between cross and crescent'

Turkish President Erdogan has accused Europe of fuelling a 'clash' between Islam and Christianity after an EU court ruling allowed employers to ban headscarves and other religious symbols in the workplace.

'Shame on the EU. Down with your European principles, values and justice,' Erdogan told supporters in Sakarya. 'They started a clash between the cross and the crescent, there is no other explanation.'

In a toxic war of words that alluded to the Crusades, Erdogan spoke amid an ongoing row after Turkish ministers were barred from holding rallies designed to whip up support for a constitutional referendum.

Erdogan referred to a ruling by the European Court of Justice that said employees can be prevented from the 'visible wearing of any political, philosophical or religious sign' including Islamic headscarves.

His speech comes after the his foreign minister warned 'holy wars will soon begin' in an aggressive tit-for-tat exchange after Dutch and German authorities banned Turkish political campaigning.

'When you look at the many parties you see there is no difference between the social democrats and fascist [Geert] Wilders. All have the same mentality,' said Mevlut Cavusoglu. 'Where will you go? Where are you taking Europe? You have begun to collapse Europe. You are dragging Europe into the abyss. Holy wars will soon begin in Europe.'

The Turkish foreign minister was due to hold a rally in Rotterdam on Saturday but Dutch officials withdrew his permission to land.

Erdogan and other government figures have called the Dutch ministers 'fascists' and 'Nazis' in response with EU leaders retaliating saying the allegations were 'detached from reality'.

The dispute has sparked protests in Turkey and around Europe ahead of a referendum on April 16.

Ministers are targeting Turkish voters in Europe who could swing the decision and see Turkey's parliamentary system replaced with an executive presidency. The possibility has caused alarm among human rights groups concerned with the sweeping powers it would hand Erdogan.
Understanding the Atonement: Why Did Jesus Die?

A fundamental belief of the Christian faith is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on the cross for the sins of the world.

But why did Jesus have to die on a cross, as opposed to hypothetically living a long life and passing away of natural causes?

Throughout the history of Christianity, many theories and sub-theories on the doctrine of the atonement have manifested to explain the why of Jesus' death.

These atonement theories, sometimes called models or perspectives, often overlap and can be at times confusing to differentiate.

Adonis Vidu, associate professor of Theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, told The Christian Post that these ideas should be considered part of "larger families of theories, rather than single theories."

"Each theory is trying to preserve important biblical motifs. The contemporary discussion isn't so much about which theory is the right one, but about how the various models of the atonement are to be logically related to one another," explained Vidu.

"We have moved beyond thinking that we have to make a choice of one theory. Almost each theory affirms important truths; the question is how all of these truths weave a coherent and biblically faithful tapestry of the work of Christ."

There are four major categories of atonement models that are generally agreed upon by most theologians.
US won't tolerate more North Korea nuclear tests, says VP Pence

US Vice President Mike Pence put North Korea on notice on Monday saying neither the United States nor South Korea would tolerate further missile and nuclear tests, with US attacks in Syria and Afghanistan showing its resolve.

Pence and South Korean acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn, speaking a day after a failed missile test by the North and two days after a huge display of missiles in Pyongyang, also said they would strengthen anti-North Korea defences by moving ahead with the early deployment of the THAAD missile defence system.

Pence is on the first stop of a four-nation Asia tour intended to show America's allies, and remind its adversaries, that the administration of President Donald Trump was not turning its back on the increasingly volatile region.

In a joint appearance, Pence said North Korea should mind the actions and intent of the president.

'Just in the past two weeks, the world witnessed the strength and resolve of our new president in actions taken in Syria and Afghanistan. North Korea would do well not to test his resolve or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region.'

The US Navy this month struck a Syrian airfield with 59 Tomahawk missiles. On Thursday, the US military said it had dropped 'the mother of all bombs', the largest non-nuclear device it has ever unleashed in combat, on a network of caves and tunnels used by Islamic State in eastern Afghanistan.

North Korea's KCNA news agency on Monday carried a letter from leader Kim Jong Un to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad marking the 70th anniversary of Syria's independence.

'I express again a strong support and alliance to the Syrian government and its people for its work of justice, condemning the United States' recent violent invasive act against your country,' Kim said.

On a visit to the border between North and South Korea earlier in the day, Pence reiterated that the US 'era of strategic patience' with Pyongyang was over.

Pence, whose father served in the 1950-53 Korean War, said the United States would stand by its 'iron-clad alliance' with South Korea and was seeking peace through strength.

'All options are on the table to achieve the objectives and ensure the stability of the people of this country,' he told reporters as tinny propaganda music floated across from the North Korean side of the so-called demilitarized zone (DMZ).

'There was a period of strategic patience but the era of strategic patience is over.'

The United States, its allies and China are working together on a range of responses to North Korea's latest failed ballistic missile test, Trump's national security adviser said on Sunday, citing what he called an international consensus to act.

But Pence and Hwang said they were troubled by retaliatory moves by China against the deployment in South Korea of a US anti-missile system known as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD).

'The United States is troubled by China's economic retaliation against South Korea for taking appropriate steps to defend itself,' Pence said.

South Korea, which accuses China of discriminating against some South Korean companies working in China, and the United States say the sole purpose of THAAD is to guard against North Korean missiles. China says its powerful radar can penetrate its territory and undermine its security and spoke out against it again on Monday.

Trump's national security adviser, HR McMaster, indicated on Sunday that Trump was not considering military action against North Korea for now, even as a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier strike group was heading for the region.

'It's time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully,' he said on ABC's This Week program. 'We are working together with our allies and partners and with the Chinese leadership to develop a range of options.'

The Trump administration is focusing its strategy on tougher economic sanctions, possibly including an oil embargo, a global ban on its airline, intercepting cargo ships and punishing Chinese banks doing business with Pyongyang, Reuters reported last week, citing US officials.

While Trump has employed tough rhetoric in response to North Korea's recent missile tests, the president's options appear limited in dealing with a challenge that has vexed his Oval Office predecessors.

Most options fall into four categories: economic sanctions, covert action, diplomatic negotiations and military force.

Pence landed in South Korea hours after the North's failed missile launch. His visit came a day after North Korea held a military parade in its capital, Pyongyang, marking the 105th anniversary of the birth of founding father Kim Il Sung.

What appeared to be new long-range ballistic missiles were on display in the parade.

Tensions have risen as Trump takes a hard rhetorical line with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has rebuffed admonitions from China and proceeded with nuclear and missile programmes seen by Washington as a direct threat.

Trump acknowledged on Sunday that the softer line he had taken on China's management of its currency was linked to its help on North Korea.

Pence said Trump was hopeful China 'will take actions needed to bring about change in policy' in North Korea.

'But as the president has made very clear, either China will deal with this problem or the United States and our allies will,' he said.

China has spoken out against the North's weapons tests and has supported UN sanctions. It has repeatedly called for talks while appearing increasingly frustrated with the North.

China banned imports of North Korean coal on February 26, cutting off its most important export. China's customs department issued an order on April 7 telling traders to return North Korean coal cargoes, trading sources said.

Pyongyang has conducted several missile and nuclear tests in defiance of UN sanctions, and regularly threatens to destroy South Korea and the United States. North and South Korea are technically still at war because their 1950-1953 conflict ended in a truce, not a treaty.

The North has said it has developed and would launch a missile that can strike the US mainland, but officials and experts believe it is some time away from mastering the necessary technology, including miniaturising a nuclear warhead.
How did the eight CRPF personnel who were heckled and stone-pelted at while returning from bypoll duty manage to remain unfazed? Was it wilful resilience or were the men in uniform just dog-tired?

By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: A video showing some youth heckling a group of CRPF men in Srinagar went viral last week triggering a massive debate in the country.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police registered an FIR on April 14 on a complaint filed by the CRPF over the video clip which showed the jawans being heckled and beaten up during by-election to the Srinagar parliamentary constituency on April 9.

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WHAT HAPPENED ON APRIL 9:

The eight CRPF personnel were on four month-long election duty and over stretched. The team originally from West Bengal were previously deployed for UP Assembly elections for two months and later redeployed in Manipur for state Assembly elections.

The CRPF requested the Indian Air Force to airlift the soldiers to Kashmir for swift deployment in Kashmir. The Air Force agreed to bring the men sans their mess arrangement and utensils. "The soldiers who landed in Srinagar had to wait for hours before they were deployed at the polling booth," a senior officer told India Today.

Sources said that due to inclement weather, all Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) had requested the air force to airlift the jawans stuck in Jammu to Srinagar. The air force expressed its inability to do so as a result of which 25 companies meant for deployment for election duty could not make it to the April 9 Srinagar bypoll.

It was early in the morning of April 9 that the CRPF men were moved to the polling booth allotted to them. The CRPF jawans were heckled, hit and kicked by a mob in Nashrullahpora, Budgam. The incident was recorded by locals.

"Incidents like these are case study for us. 2-3 personnel received injury and were provided medical aid. An FIR was lodged based on the complaint. The company commander, sectional commander and the soldiers were made available to record the statement," a senior officer said.

Sources also said the police have identified the youths who attacked the CRPF personnel and action against them is expected soon.

Also read: Jawans assaulted in Kashmir: CRPF set to lodge FIR against locals who attacked men

Also read: J-K: FIR against hecklers who hit CRPF jawans returning from bypoll duty

Also read: Jammu and Kashmir Police files FIR against Army for tying man to jeep

--- ENDS ---
On Good Friday evening, just as the Easter rush was starting, Amtrak and NJ Transit experienced their third major breakdown in less than a month when a NJ Transit train lost power in the Hudson rail tunnel, stranding passengers on the train for three hours and causing massive delays at Penn Station. What resulted was a highly charged atmosphere in which frustrated passengers apparently became unruly and police tasered one man, sparking widespread panic as erroneous reports spread that shots had been fired.

Much has been said, including by City Journal, over the last several weeks about the operating inadequacies and wrongheaded spending priorities of both Amtrak and NJ Transit. Still, the mistakes keep coming. The Hudson rail tunnel has suffered from a lack of investment, but that doesnt excuse the fact that Amtrak maintenance inspectors had apparently discovered the deteriorating tracks that would cause the April derailment but hadnt fixed them quickly because they underestimated the severity of the problem. On Friday, passengers had to sit in the stranded NJ Transit train for three hours because the combined agencies couldnt seem to agree on the best plan to extract them. Several riders needed treatment from emergency medical personnel. That should be an unnecessary cross for commuters to bear on any day.

Some critics have tried to blame Congress for underfunding Amtrak. For far too long, Amtrak has been tremendously undercapitalized to the point that they now have an over $28 billion state-of-good-repair backlog, New York senator Chuck Schumer said recently, comparing Amtraks funding woes with disinvestment by New York in its subway system during the 1970s. Expect to hear more of this in the aftermath of Fridays accident.

Heres the reality that a New York representative like Schumer should certainly understand. The safety and convenience of passengers on the heavily traveled Northeast Corridor of Amtrak, including NJ Transit and Long Island Rail Road commuters who ride on trains using Amtrak infrastructure, are being sacrificed for the quixotic notion of maintaining a long-distance national rail system. That system, which includes many lightly traveled lines, has drained Amtrak of its resources for years, sending hundreds of millions of dollars in profits that Amtrak actually earns in the Northeast Corridor to other areas of the country and requiring the train system to go to Congress when it needs money for additional infrastructure investment.

While Schumer and other Amtrak advocates complain about funding, passengers in the Northeast must understand just how carelessly their interests are treated in Washington. For one thing, Congress consistently ignores calls to trim Amtraks most heavily subsidized operations because Amtrak is really a jobs program to some legislators. As Clark Whelton reported in City Journal several years ago, 2012 Congressional hearings on Amtrak revealed that the railroad was losing $80 million a year just on its food-service operations. When congressional critics suggested that Amtrak might license that business to a private operator who could sell food for cheaper prices, attract more customers, and turn a profit on the trains, Democratic congressman Nick Rahall commented, Its a whopper of an idea, trading good-paying jobs for cheaper hamburgers.

Passengers in the Northeast also suffer because of the influence of environmentalists who believe America has a moral duty to operate a national long-distance rail systemeven if few people are willing to travel, for instance, between Chicago and San Francisco by train. Whatever the real virtues and appeal of mass transit in a densely packed city like New York, the number of cars taken off the road by passengers switching to Amtraks long-distance lines is minuscule, and the impact on the environment is negligible. Yet when proponents of Amtrak beat back an attempt to cut funding for seldom-used lines in 2009, a spokesman for the National Resources Defense Council intoned, Congress is clearly catching up with public support for more and cleaner transportation choices. Thats a statement at odds with reality, as ridership figures show.

Despite the powerful interests backing Amtrak, theres a real opportunity for reform now. In his recently released budget, President Trump has proposed reducing funding for Amtraks heavily subsidized long-distance lines and allowing more money generated by the profitable but undercapitalized Northeast corridorwhich hosts more than 11 million riders annuallyto stay in the area. Add those 11 million riders to the approximately 175 million trips that local commuters from NJ Transit and the LIRR take annually on trains that use Amtrak tracks and Penn Station, and the logic of funneling more money into Northeast becomes inescapable. Its the kind of idea that should cheer local train passengers and unite our representatives in Washington, as well as the governors of New York and New Jersey.

That Trumps proposal hasnt generated this kind of enthusiasmat least, not yetis a reminder of how the interests of tens of millions of train riders in New York and New Jersey are still not a priority in Washington.

Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Stacy Daniel-Murphy, owner of Frameology Optical, has moved her business to the Chimneys Plaza at 5781 Bridge St. in DeWitt. It had previously operated at 756 S. Crouse Ave. in Syracuse. Eric Reinhardt/BJNN

DeWITT, N.Y.  Frameology Optical, a business that specializes in filling prescriptions for and fitting glasses and contact lenses, has moved from a space near Syracuse University to a new location in DeWitt.

Frameology Optical is the doing-business-as name of Market Beads, Inc., a business that owner Stacy Daniel-Murphy formed in 2006. She launched Frameology Optical in 2014 and no longer maintains the bead business.

Frameology Optical now operates in a 1,450-square-foot space in the Chimneys Plaza at 5781 Bridge St. in DeWitt, having opened there in early January.

It was previously located in a 1,300-square-foot space at 756 S. Crouse Ave. on the Syracuse University hill. Daniel-Murphy leased the space from John and Jerry Dellas. Her business was situated above Ellie Mia Boutique in the same building that currently houses Varsity Pizza.

The Move

Daniel-Murphy says her lease was up. Although she didnt have to move, she decided to find a new space for a couple reasons.

First, the demolition of the Hoople Special Education Building across South Crouse Avenue forced the closure of the parking lot at the corner of South Crouse Avenue and Marshall Street. The demolition is part of the preparation work for construction of Syracuses National Veterans Resource Complex.

They were eating up about 30 spaces, so it was getting harder for my customers to park, says Daniel-Murphy.

Second, she also realized that the building that houses Varsity Pizza could come down at some point in a proposed redevelopment project. I didnt want to relocate  temporarily and then come back, says Daniel-Murphy. She called the whole situation for the move good timing. When asked what she liked about the new location in DeWitt, Daniel-Murphy replied, Actually everything. But the available parking, she admits, is the best thing.

In addition, Frameology Optical previously operated in an upstairs space, but in the Chimneys Plaza, her business has a street-level view, visible from Bridge Street. That visibility is huge, she adds.

Her business attracts customers from Syracuse, Jamesville, DeWitt, Fayetteville, Manlius, and Cazenovia, says Daniel-Murphy.

New Space

Daniel-Murphy says she found the space by simply driving past the Chimney Plaza and seeing a for-lease sign. She had her broker, Barton Feinberg of Sutton Real Estate Company, LLC, call about it and secured it. I immediately knew that this was the spot, she says. Daniel-Murphy leases the space from Frank Pavone of Pavone Associates.

Chuck ONeil, a contractor based in Phoenix in Oswego County, completed the interior build-out for the business. Craig Polhamus, an architect from Fayetteville, handled the design work on the space, says Daniel-Murphy.

Daniel-Murphy spent about $50,000 to move her business, which included $35,000 in loans, she adds. Frameology Opticals sales rose 42 percent in 2016 compared to 2015, and she is projecting a further sales increase of 45 percent this year. Daniel-Murphy declined to disclose dollar amounts.

About the Business Owner

Daniel-Murphy is a licensed optician, a position she describes as the pharmacist of the optical world. She specializes in lenses and prescriptions, and helping customers navigate the many available options.

Im totally independent. I dont have a doctor. I dont take any kind of insurance, so with that, my hands arent tied to anybody, she says. The business has two part-time employees.

Most of the brands that Frameology Optical carries are exclusive, she says, so no one else in about 150-mile radius can carry the brands. Daniel-Murphy says she didnt pursue certification as a minority and woman-owned business enterprise for Frameology Optical because she doesnt believe it helps retail businesses like hers.

Daniel-Murphy was born in Conneaut, Ohio and moved to the Syracuse area when her father started working at the Anheuser-Busch plant in Lysander. She graduated from Baker High School in Baldwinsville in 1986. She then attended Erie Community College in Buffalo because it offered a program in optical dispensing, which enabled her to become licensed optician.

From there, she went to work for Pearle Vision for 12 years, which included a move to Atlanta, Georgia. While in Georgia, Daniel-Murphy obtained her bachelors degree in finance from Kennesaw State University. She returned to Central New York in 2002, and eventually decided to leave Pearle Vision for a job in the office of Dr. Anthony Mondo, an optometrist with offices in Clay and Cicero.

Along the way, she launched her bead business in 2006, which continued through 2012. She went back to working for Dr. Mondo for a year before deciding to open her own business to sell European eyewear in 2014.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com
04/14/2017

Photo (c) ibreakstock - Fotolia The medical community is scrambling to try to encourage consumers to get their immunizations. Recent studies have suggested making exemption policies more difficult, citing the return of diseases like measles and mumps.

And they may have a point. Earlier this year, a mumps outbreak spread across five counties in the state of Washington, infecting hundreds of people. And now, the Texas Department of State Health Services is issuing an advisory for the mumps, saying that cases have reached a 20-year high.

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is advising health care providers to be on alert for mumps in their patients as the state experiences a 20-year high in mumps cases. State, regional and local health departments are currently investigating multiple outbreaks throughout the state, the agency said in a release.

Worrying uptick in cases

The recent uptick in mumps is certainly troubling. DSHS says that Texas has had 221 mumps cases this year, which is the largest total since the 234 reported cases in 1994.

The agency states that one potential outbreak has been tracked to South Padre Island, which is a popular spot for students on spring break. DSHS was notified of 13 mumps cases connected to people who visited the island between March 8 and March 22.

Mumps is a highly contagious disease that is spread from person-to-person through coughing, sneezing, and the sharing of cups and utensils. Symptoms include swollen or tender salivary glands, swollen or tender testicles in men, low fever, fatigue, and muscle aches. Symptoms usually manifest 16-18 days after a person has been exposed to the virus, but reports indicate that the incubation period may last up to 25 days.

Consumers who believe they have been infected by mumps are urged to contact their healthcare provider immediately and to stay home so that the infection is not spread. Currently, the mumps vaccine is the best way to prevent infection; officials state that it is 88% percent effective.

Apart from that, consumers can help prevent the mumps by covering their mouth and nose when sneezing and coughing, washing their hands frequently with soap and water, and not sharing food and drinks.
04/17/2017

Photos (c) Amy Martyn and M. Aaron Martyn Even veterans of the oil and gas industry are dismayed at the ease with which an energy company can seize a persons land, especially in the state of Texas. "They're very aggressive, says Rex White, an 82-year-old Texas attorney who has represented oil and gas companies for decades. Now he is pushing back against oil interests, lobbying for state legislation that would give more power to landowners who typically have no choice other than to allow development on their land.

There are a number of landowners out there who are subject to condemnation proceedings that are not over, White says of a new pipeline project crossing private property called the Trans-Pecos pipeline. And yet the pipeline has taken possession," he tells ConsumerAffairs. Under the Texas property code, an oil and gas operator can begin building on private property even before the company has settled on a payment that both it and the landowner agree on. Thats why I decided I wanted to change that law."

Cutting Texas off from Mexico, but sending over natural gas

The United States' relationship with Mexico plays a contrasting role in eminent domain fights along the border. In March, the Department of Homeland Security began sending landowners a notice, Declaration of Taking," also known as a condemnation letter.

The Department of Homeland Security, they explain in the notice, is ready to pay landowners in exchange for the ability to build President Trumps multibillion dollar border wall through their private property. If the property owner doesn't agree to the terms, the feds are going to build the wall through their land anyway, the notice spells out, using the power of eminent domain.

Yet at the same time that the government is preparing to build a new barrier between the United States and Mexico, federal and local agencies are also allowing pipeline operator Energy Transfer Partners to seize sections of Texas ranchers' land for the Trans-Pecos Pipeline. The project delivers natural gas to Mexico as part of a deal with Mexico's utility commission and Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim.

As Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners explains of its project; The Trans-Pecos Pipeline is a Texas intrastate pipeline designed to transport 1.4 billion cubic feet per day of clean-burning natural gas as part of an agreement with Comision Federal de Electricidad, Mexicos federal electricity commission.

Though Energy Transfer Partners has told federal and local authorities that the Trans-Pecos pipeline would also benefit Texas communities along the route, and has rationalized its use of eminent domain by styling itself as a local public utility, there is minimal evidence that Energy Transfer Partners actually intends to supply the natural gas to the Texas towns the project passes through, as ConsumerAffairs reported several months ago.

Now concerns about losing sections of land to further oil and gas development or to a border fence are spurring local lawmakers and advocates to try to strengthen landowners rights. "I just find it odd that the most powerful nation in the world is so uncomfortable it has to build a fence to protect itself, White remarks.

Farmers, hunters and conservationists unite against wall and lax land seizure

A coalition of hunters, conservationists, farmers, and ranchers are lobbying Texas lawmakers to support a bill that would reform the states eminent domain laws and offer landowners more protections against industry and the federal government. While not revoking an energy companys rights to begin construction while dollar amounts are still in dispute, Senator Lois Kolkhorst's SB740 would at least give landowners facing condemnation more rights during the construction process, such as ensuring that landowners be compensated for all damages to their crops and for land experts' and attorneys fees.

The bill demands that companies lock and close all gates and fences as necessary to prevent damage to or destruction of livestock and repair and restore areas used or damaged outside the easement area to their original condition or better.

Currently, ranchers complain that companies do little to offset the disruption to their land and in testimony have praised SB740 as a measure that would help landowners get adequate compensation. "A growing state with a strong appetite for new development has put a target on Texas private property, writes the Texas Farm Bureau on its website, leaving landowners searching for a fair offer and process in eminent domain cases.

Hunters also have a vested interest in keeping the land pristine and protecting wildlife habitats. The Texas Wildlife Association, the group representing state ranching and hunting interests, has expressed similar concerns about a border walls effect on the local ecology. Such a wall, the TWA said, would interrupt landowner/livestock/wildlife access to water from the Rio Grande, harm property values, and impair critical wildlife movement corridors for species such as black bears, mountain lions, white-tailed and mule deer, and desert bighorn sheep, among others.

And park rangers note that one massive section of the Texas-Mexico border lies in the middle of a federally-recognized park, the Big Bend National Park. A natural barrier exists in the form of the vast Chihuahuan desert and mountain ranges on either side. The actual border is drawn along the Rio Grande River, raising further concerns about the walls effect on the local environment. The dangers to the local ecology are uniting an unlikely coalition of environmentalists and conservative Republican landowners.

Were really witnessing a rise in real Republicans, says Nicol Ragland, a filmmaker who is filming and producing a documentary about the Trans-Pecos Pipeline and eminent domain laws in Texas.

Slow change

But SB740 does not go as far as some would like. Rex White, the oil and gas attorney, recently crafted a proposed amendment that would force companies to delay construction until all of the legal proceedings are complete. However, White doubts his amendment will get tacked on thanks to the heavy political weight that oil and gas interests still carry. Most of the oil and gas associations are against any change, he says.

Any reform for now is likely to remain slow and still favorable to industries, or at least the oil and gas industry. Texas Governor Greg Abbott several years ago appointed Energy Transfer Partners CEO Kelcy Warren to serve on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Board, a move showing the strong hold that energy interests have over the states environmental and conservation regulations. The wildlife board itself has still not officially approved the nomination.

Last week, Sierra Clubs Texas director testified against Warrens appointment to the board. We dont know how many existing or proposed pipelines either intersect or otherwise affect Parks and Wildlife land that are associated in one way or another with Energy Transfer Partners, its parent - Energy Transfer Equity - or other entities connected to its parent," he said.
Tampa resident Eric Moore never suspected that when he registered for a sweepstakes with his credit union last year he would receive a phone call several months later informing him of his win. Eric was randomly selected as one of the winners of PSCUs Credit Union Magic Minute, where he received an all-expenses-paid trip to Chicago for a 60-second shopping cart dash!

This past December, Eric traveled to the Windy City, along with a representative from his Tampa-based credit union, GTE Financial. He and his running partner and wife, Stephanie, collected $5,000 worth of items including MacBook Airs, TVs, game systems, cookware, Go-Pros and iPad Minis. Eric, a GTE Financial member for nearly 20 years, never expected something like this to happen.

PSCUs Credit Union Magic Minute Loyalty Sweepstakes gives its Owner credit unions a no-cost opportunity to reward their members with a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This sweepstakes dash is an easy and fun way for credit unions to experience increased growth and loyalty, as well as interchange revenue  one of the most important drivers of a credit unions card portfolio.

Credit unions that participate in Magic Minute see an average lift of $3.25 per credit member and $2.76 per debit member. The additional $32,500 per 10,000 enrolled cards represents a substantial contribution to a credit unions bottom line. Equally significant is the five percent increase in response rates credit unions see on average from members that have never before redeemed their reward points.

In addition to optimizing interchange, Magic Minute also helps Owner credit unions maintain top-of-wallet card status with their members. On average, participating credit unions see increased card spend of $189 with 4.5 more transactions on credit cards throughout the sweepstakes period, and increased card spend of $213 with six more transactions on debit cards.

Credit union members from APCI Federal Credit Union (Lehigh Valley, Pa.); Baltimore County Employees Federal Credit Union (Towson, Md.); Citadel Federal Credit Union (Exton, Pa.); Founders Federal Credit Union (Lancaster, S.C.); GTE Financial (Tampa, Fla.); Tinker Federal Credit Union (Oklahoma City, Okla.); and TruMark Financial Credit Union (Fort Washington, Pa.) were all selected in random drawings to participate in the 2016 Magic Minute. Each team collected an average of $5,000 worth of high-end items.

The Credit Union Magic Minute is a thrilling and memorable perk of PSCUs Total Member Loyalty rewards program, as it engages members and strengthens relationships. There is no doubt that credit union members now look forward to this event each year, and that the lucky members selected as sweepstakes winners become loyal advocates of their credit union for life!
Its taken some time, but Mountain America Credit Union thinks they have finally figured out the Millennial puzzle.

In 2010, with Millennials representing less than 30% of it membership, the $6 billion credit union based in West Jordan, Utah began a more focused strategic push to reach the critical demographic.

Today, Millennials account for 41% of MACUs 600,000 members. In 2016, Millennials represented half of the credit unions total member growth. Millennials now also make up about 70% of MACUs workforce, with 45% of its workforce falling between the ages of 18 to 29.

Its a constant work in progress says Jeremy Nelson, VP of direct marketing at MACU. He says the credit unions success with Millennials isnt the result of one decision or initiative, but rather it came from a series of various strategic moves made throughout the organization over time.

MACU first started by investing in research. But rather than just rely on standard surveys and typical focus groups, the credit union established advisory councils at local high schools. These young ambassadors would meet monthly to discuss bankings pain points and how theyd like to engage with their financial institution. The credit union would also proactively seek their input on design concepts or a rewards program for Millennials.
By Press Trust of India: (Eds: Updating death toll)

Colombo, Apr 17 (PTI) The death toll in the giant open garbage dump which collapsed and buried dozens of houses near the Sri Lankan capital has climbed to 30 after rescuers pulled out more bodies from the rubble today.

At least seven children were among 30 people killed in the collapse of the garbage dump in Meetotamulla area in Kolonnawa near Colombo, local media quoted officials as saying.

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According to the Disaster Management Centre, at least 625 people belonging to 180 families had been displaced due to the tragedy, the report said.

Survivors of the garbage dump site blamed politicians for the tragedy.

"I lost my three children. My wife is in a critical condition. My battle has ended," said N Keerthiratne, who as the Convenor of the movement People Against the Meethotamulla Dump has led many protest since 2009 when the dumping of heaps of Colombo garbage began at the site.

"Please do not report this as a natural tragedy, please say this was a planned massacre, relatives of the victims cry hoarse," he said.

"Is this my fate?, Now I only have to live for my grandson," Keerthiratne, a retired prison official sobbed looking at the rubble that is left of his two storied house.

The military said 1,000 security personnel, including police and special task forces, have been deployed for rescue operation. It said troops from the Sri Lanka Light Infantry, Commandos, Gemunu Watch and Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment were carrying out relief operations, the Colombo Gazette reported.

The National Building Research Organisation said the site of the accident be declared a "danger zone" and people living in over 130 houses in the area must be relocated for safety.

Officials said hundreds of people have been moved to temporarily shelters and the government will soon begin shifting more people.

Since, the residents of the north Colombo Bloemendhal ward were protesting against the dump site there, the Supreme Court ordered that it should be relocated at Meethotamulla, limited to two acres.

"What was limited to be just two acres continued to expand. Two acres have now become 18 acres. We protested but were beaten up by the police using tear gas," Stanley Silva, a resident said.

"In 2011, several houses began to crack open because of the dump. We protested in January, August 2012 and throughout 2013. We represented the matter to the former Rajapaksa government and the current government. Prime Minister promised to give a solution within 6 months. But nothing happened," Nuwan Bopage, a lawyer who had led the protests, said.

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Nearly 80 houses completely destroyed while 17 more have suffered partial damage, officials said.

Schools and others facilities will be moved as well, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Harsha De Silva said.

He said the dumping of garbage at the site has been banned. Ironically, the government had signed agreements a few weeks ago to convert the waste into energy, he said in a post on Facebook.

Police were investigating whether the collapse of the 91 -metre open garbage pile could be a sabotage. A 10-member team of geologists, officials from mining and excavation divisions, have been sent to the spot.

More than 600 people had to flee in the aftermath of the mishap on Friday.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in a statement has apologised for the delay in relocating the garbage dump.

The residents near the dump had been protesting for months, demanding that the garbage dump be relocated.

The authorities, however, claim that they had given enough warning to the slum dwellers to relocate themselves.

"We had even paid compensation to them to relocate," De Silva said. He said the state will bear the funeral expenses of the dead.

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The massive garbage caught fire and collapsed on dozens of homes as the residents celebrated the traditional New Year. Police said the true scale of the damage remained unclear.

Sri Lankas Parliament was recently warned that 23 million tonnes of garbage at Kolonnawa dump was a serious hazard. About 800 tonnes of garbage were added to the dump daily. PTI UZM/CORR AMS MRJ

--- ENDS ---
Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi has written to Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad urging him not to delay release of fund for procurement of VVPAT. According to Zaidi, the delay will lead to non-deployment of VVPATs in 2019-Lok Sabha polls.

By Sanjay Sharma: Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi has made another request to the Narendra Modi government for providing fund for purchase of Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) without any delay.

Addressing his letter to Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, CEC Nasim Zaidi said that use of VVPATs can't be delayed under 'prevailing environment'.

However, Zaidi did not elaborate on 'prevailing environment' phrase. But, the reference seems to have been made in the context of Opposition parties raising doubts about the incorruptibility of the electronic voting machines (EVMs).

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WHAT CEC NASIM ZAIDI SAID

Writing to Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Zaidi reminded him of an earlier letter, shot off in January this year, wherein he had requested the government to release the necessary fund for VVPATs by February.

Zaid wrote, "if order for supply of VVPAT was not placed by February 2017, it would be difficult for the manufacturers to supply VVPATs by September, 2018, to meet the requirement of next general elections."

"Commission stands fully committed to deploy VVPATs along with EVMs in all future election so that transparency of electoral process is enhanced. It is felt that the process of procurement of VVPATs cannot be delayed any longer given prevailing environment," Zaidi said.

THE EVM ROW

Soon after the election results were announced for the five states, where Assembly polls were held, BSP chief Mayawati alleged that the EVMs were tampered with in Uttar Pradesh to benefit the BJP.

AAP convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal too alleged that EVMs were tampered in Punjab polls to defeat his party.

Kejriwal further said that the EVMs could be hacked challenging the Election Commission to give him a machine for 72 hours to show the poll panel the requisite proof.

Later, a delegation of 13 Opposition parties met CEC Nasim Zaidi expressing lack of faith in the EVMs.

ALSO READ |

Local body polls on ballot paper in UP? State Election Commission demands new EVMs

ALSO WATCH | UP Election Commission asks for new EVMs ahead of urban body polls

--- ENDS ---
The J-K Police had filed an FIR last week after the killing of a protestor allegedly by an ITBP trooper, who fired at a stone-pelter in Budgam during the Srinagar bypoll.

By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: The Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in its initial report to the Ministry of Home Affairs denied that its paratrooper was involved in the killing of a stone-pelter at point-blank range in Budgam on April 9. The Jammu and Kashmir Police had filed an FIR last week after the killing of a protestor allegedly by an ITBP trooper, who fired at a stone-pelter in Budgam area resulting in the death of the youth during Sunday's bypoll. The incident sparked massive outrage.

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The force is filing its reply based on a factual report sought by the headquarters from its company commanders after the incident came to light. The report states that ITBP was deployed in 27 places across the state. In 14 locations, ITBP was forced to open fire. The troops fired as many as 500 rounds to prevent assault on polling booths.

The video shot from inside a security vehicle shows that a clear shot was taken. According to a source the area also saw a deployment of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Border Security Force (BSF), besides ITBP, and hence is unfair to blame the latter.

The force reached four days before the polls but were deployed only on the last day. The ITBP troopers said that they were surrounded by a hostile group consisting 600-800 people after which they had to fire in the air in at least 14 booths.

While the ITBP sources said that they are not on the back-foot as there is no FIR registered against them, sources in Jammu and Kashmir Police said that a general FIR has been filed which does not name ITBP but the investigation is underway.

ALSO READ | Srinagar by-poll: 7 killed in clashes, lowest turnout in 30 years with 6.5 % voting

ALSO WATCH | Battle for Srinagar Lok Sabha seat: 50 paramilitary companies deployed, internet services suspended

--- ENDS ---
Celeste Williams knew from the time she was a child that she wanted to study dentistry, medicine or psychiatry. For a long time, however, she didnt know which way the chips would fall.



Now a third-year Dentistry student, Celeste has clearly made her decision. But how did she discover on which side of the fence her talents and aspirations lay  not to mention, what she sees herself doing after her degree?



Celeste says one of her cousins, Dr. Chadwick Williams, was a role model for her.



He was the first from our community [East Preston] to study to become a medical doctor, she says. He encouraged me and told me that if he could do it, I could do it.



She also had the opportunity to shadow her own dentist, Dr. Gordie Rudolph (DDS 89). "That experience helped me realize that dentistry was something I wanted to do long-term, says Celeste.



Learning by hand



What swayed the balance in favour of dentistry over psychiatry, she explains, is the hands-on element. I like working with my hands, she says. That also explains why she chose chemistry for her first degree. It was the hands-on experiments that appealed to her.



After graduating from Dal with a BSc in 2013, Celeste returned to take the three pre-requisites required for the dentistry program and completed the Dental Aptitude Test. In 2014 she began to study dentistry in earnest.



First semester was tough, she admits, with a lot of material to absorb and many exams to prepare for. I got used to it, she says cheerfully, and my classmates were super helpful. Wed compile our notes and distribute them with study tips.



Soon, Celeste and her classmates were cleaning each others teeth in preparation for working on patients. I was so nervous. Most of my classmates were given simple cleanings to do, but my first patient had a chipped tooth, so right away I was doing a filling. Once I got started, the nervousness disappeared. I felt prepared and I knew what I was doing.



Third year finds Celeste in the thick of it. She has six clinic blocks each week, with one or two patients in each block. She has been taught how to do fillings, debridement, X-rays, oral surgery, and dentures. Root canals will follow at the end of the year.



A community legacy



During Reading Week, Celeste volunteered at the North End Community Health Centre (NECHC), where fourth-year students go on regular rotations throughout the year. The Reading Week clinic enables dentistry students from other years to gain experience with patients who struggle to get access to care. Celeste was excited to have completed her first two extractions there.



The NECHC experience fits neatly with Celestes plans for the future, which she hopes will involve both public health dentistry and pediatrics.



In the summer after her second year, Celeste worked as a summer research student in the Faculty of Dentistry on a topic that combined both areas of interest.



It was also closely linked to me, she says. She looked at the work of the North Preston Dental Clinic over its 20 year history. Opened in 1995 in Nelson Whynder Elementary School, the clinic is the result of a collaboration between the Faculty of Dentistry, the North Preston community, and the school board, prompted by Nova Scotia Department of Health statistics that revealed children in North Preston had the highest prevalence of dental caries  cavities  in the province.



For her project, Celeste delved into nearly 400 patient charts and presented her findings at her Table Clinic presentation in January. Even though the Canadian Dental Association recommends that children visit the dentist within six months of their first tooth erupting or at least by age one, Celeste found that on average over a span of 20 years, most children visited the clinic at age five  when they started attending Nelson Whynder school. In 2016, the age had dropped to around three. Overall, there has been an increase in the number of children seeing a dentist at an earlier age, however improvement is still required.



Making a difference



Thanks to her research, Celeste can see the need to advocate more strongly to get children to see a dentist at age one and educate parents and guardians about the importance of oral health. A lot of people  particularly those in somewhat isolated communities  dont seek treatment on a regular basis, says Celeste.



She plans to visit health fairs in the community and to conduct more community outreach sessions. Id like to see more avenues and support for the community, health-wise, that residents can access, she says.



Celestes research has also made her determined to pursue a career that combines public health and paediatrics.



To me, they go hand-in-hand, she says. I see myself working in those fields."
1. A single high-sensitivity troponin T result could quickly and safely rule out MI in the ED

Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M16-2562

URL goes live when the embargo lifts

High-sensitivity assays for cardiac troponin T can quickly and safely rule out myocardial infarction (MI) in patients presenting to emergency departments (ED) with possible emergency acute coronary syndrome. A single troponin T concentration below the limit of detection in combination with a nonischemic electrocardiogram (EKG) means that MI is unlikely and patients can be safely discharged. The findings of a collaborative meta-analysis are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Only 10 to 20 percent of patients who present to EDs with suspected cardiac-related chest pain are diagnosed with acute MI. High-sensitivity assays for cardiac troponin T have been used to rapidly rule out acute MI, but studies advocating this approach have several limitations. If findings can be validated across multiple studies that are free of these limitations, then this approach could enable safe discharge of many more patients than is achieved in current practice.

Researchers at Christchurch Hospital in Christchurch, New Zealand reviewed published data to test the utility of a single high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T measurement combined with an ECG to safely identify patients at low risk for MI on presentation to the ED. To address limitations of previous studies, the review included 11 clinically and geographically diverse cohorts. The data showed that in most, but not all settings, patients investigated for acute coronary syndrome with the cardiac troponin T assay had very low risk for acute MI or for major adverse cardiac events within 30 days. This means that MI could be ruled out in a substantial proportion of patients after only one blood draw, allowing for safe, early discharge to outpatient management.

Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Cara Graeff. To reach the lead author Dr. Martin Than, please contact Amy Milne at Amy.Milne@cdhb.health.nz or 03 364 4122 or ext: 62122.

2. Pregnant teens more than twice as likely as their nonpregnant cohorts to use marijuana

Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/L17-0067

URL goes live when the embargo lifts

Data obtained from females aged 12 to 44 years who participated in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health suggests that marijuana use is more than twice as prevalent among pregnant teenagers as it is among their nonpregnant cohorts. A summary of the findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Despite recommendations from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists that pregnant women discontinue marijuana consumption, its use increased among pregnant and nonpregnant women between 2002 and 2014. This is a concern because marijuana use may have negative effects on fetal neurodevelopment, especially during the first trimester.

Researchers from the National Institute on Drug Abuse studied survey data obtained between 2002 and 2015 to examine the prevalence of past-month marijuana use among U.S. females by pregnancy trimester and sociodemographic characteristics. Among 14,400 pregnant and 395,600 nonpregnant respondents, self-reported marijuana use was less prevalent among pregnant women than among nonpregnant women (3.82 percent vs 7.54 percent) except among pregnant teenagers. Marijuana use was more than 2-fold higher among pregnant teens aged 12 to 17 than nonpregnant ones. Pregnant women that used marijuana were more likely to do so in the first trimester than in the second and third. In both pregnant and nonpregnant groups, self-reported marijuana use was lower among females aged 26 years or older. Among pregnant females, black respondents had a higher prevalence of marijuana use than other racial/ethinc groups.

Because marijuana use was self-reported, this study may underestimate its use. The authors suggest that enhanced prevention against marijuana use and efforts to promote general health should target women attempting to get pregnant or those who are already pregnant, youth, and socioeconomically deprived persons.

Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Cara Graeff. To speak with the lead author, Nora Volkow, MD, please contact Kim DiFonzo at media@nida.nih.gov or 301-443-6245.

3. Annals editors: 'Alternative facts have no place in science'

Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M17-0878

URL goes live when the embargo lifts

The editors of Annals of Internal Medicine, one of the most widely cited medical journals in the world, have a message for the current administration: Alternative facts have no place in science. Their commentary is published in Annals in advance of the 2017 March for Science scheduled to take place at over 300 U.S. locations on April 22.

The editors suggest that the politicization of science, in which parties select the knowledge they are willing to pursue and the data they are willing to promote or denigrate, is a peril that must be faced head on. Medical science faces particularly dire threats due to misleading messages from the Trump administration and its pundits about climate change, vaccines, gun violence, and health insurance. This apparent disregard for science is reflected not only in attitudes, rhetoric, and regulatory actions, but also in a shrinking commitment to support biomedical research. The budget President Trump released in mid-March 2017 proposes to reduce the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget by $5.8 billion -- a 'draconian' 18.3 percent cut. The proposed NIH cut, along with the proposal to eliminate the Agency for Health Care Quality and Research (AHRQ), exemplifies that the administration fails or chooses not to recognize the importance of science to the health of the U.S. and its citizens.

"Good medicine is defined by the evidence produced by good science. And good science cannot occur or its rewards reaped when we choose to pursue only the data and knowledge that seem to support our ideologies and denigrate the rest as 'fake.' Science doesn't work that way," writes Christine Laine, MD, MPH, editor-in-chief of Annals.

Dr. Laine and her colleagues from Annals and the American College of Physicians (ACP), Annals' parent organization, will be among the many entities standing up for science during the April 22 march.

Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Cara Graeff. To speak with the lead author, Christine Laine, MD, MPH, please contact Angela Collom or Cara Graeff.

###

Also new in this issue:

Development of a Research Agenda to Identify Evidence-Based Strategies to Improve Physician Wellness and Reduce Burnout

Liselotte N. Dyrbye, MD, MHPE; Mickey Trockel, MD, PhD; Erica Frank, MD, MPH; Kristine Olson, MD; Mark Linzer, MD; Jane Lemaire, MD; Stephen Swensen, MD, MMM; Tait Shanafelt, MD; and Christine A. Sinsky, MD

Ideas and Opinions

Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M16-2956

Inpatient Notes: Human Factors Engineering and Inpatient Care-New Ways to Solve Old Problems

Lauren Clack, MSc, and Hugo Sax, MD

Annals for Hospitalists

Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M17-0544

The Development and Performance of After-Hours Primary Care in the Netherlands: A Narrative Review

Marleen Smits, PhD; Martijn Rutten, MD; Ellen Keizer, MSc; Michel Wensing, PhD; Gert Westert, PhD; and Paul Giesen, MD, PhD

Medicine and Public Issues

Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M16-2776

Solutions Not Problems: A New Era in After-Hours Care?

David Dunt, MBBS, PhD and Rosemary McKenzie, PhD, MPH

Editorial

Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M17-0821
Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (ACGT), the nation's only nonprofit dedicated exclusively to cell and gene therapies for cancer, is celebrating its anniversary with a Gala on Wednesday, April 19, 2017, at 6:30pm at The Harvard Club of New York City. Dr. John Lahey, president of Quinnipiac University, will be honored at the event with the first ever Edward Netter Award for Business and Industry for his contributions to ACGT and the community. Gala speakers also include: ACGT research fellow Dr. Robert Vonderheide of the University of Pennsylvania, who will speak on the exciting breakthroughs using immunotherapy for the treatment of solid cancers; and Doug Olson, one of the first three patients treated in the groundbreaking cancer immunotherapy CAR-T clinical trial developed by ACGT research fellow and Scientific Advisory Council member, Dr. Carl June. Tickets for the ACGT Gala are $750 and are available at acgtfoundation.org/events/ or by emailing Barbara Gallagher, ACGT national director of philanthropy at bgallagher@acgtfoundation.org.

Barbara Netter of Greenwich, ACGT's honorary chairman of the Board and co-founder, will present the first-ever Edward Netter Award for Business and Industry to Dr. John Lahey, president of Quinnipiac University and an ACGT Board member since 2004. Dr. Lahey embodies the qualities prized by ACGT co-founder Edward Netter: intellect, creativity, tenacity, curiosity and compassion. He is the eighth President of Quinnipiac University, a private university located in Hamden, Connecticut. Upon his arrival at Quinnipiac in March of 1987, Dr. Lahey initiated a strategic planning process that has resulted in the growth of student enrollment from 2,000 to nearly 10,000 students. He also expanded Quinnipiac from a college to a university, which now offers more than 100 programs in its nine schools and colleges: Arts and Sciences, Business, Communications, Education, Engineering, Health Sciences, Law, Medicine and Nursing.

"I'm so thrilled to honor Dr. John Lahey," said Barbara Netter. "He has worked closely with Edward and me over the years to guide ACGT and to fund some of the most innovative and breakthrough cancer research in decades. I know Edward would be extremely proud to know what ACGT has been able to accomplish these years under the stewardship of John Lahey."

ACGT research fellow, Dr. Robert Vonderheide, will speak about his current work in immunotherapy that is targeting pancreatic cancer and other solid tumors at the Abramson Cancer Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Vonderheide's translational work tests novel approaches such as vaccines, antibodies, and adoptive T cells for the treatment of patients with melanoma, pancreatic cancer and other cancers. ACGT funded Dr. Vonderheide's early research work in immunotherapy.

Doug Olson of Tinicum Township, PA will share the details of his experience as "patient #2" in the first CAR-T 19 immunotherapy trial in September 2010 at the University of Pennsylvania. The treatment for the trial was developed by ACGT research fellow, Dr. Carl June. Doug was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in July 1996 and has remained in remission since completing the trial.

"This Gala offers the opportunity to celebrate the successes of ACGT research fellows and honor those who make it all possible," said John Walter, CEO and president of ACGT. "With our donors' support, ACGT has been able to be a part of finding and funding some of the most exciting cancer treatment breakthroughs, several of which we anticipate coming to market this year."

###

Founded by Greenwich residents Barbara and Edward (1933-2011) Netter, ACGT is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. As a national non-profit, ACGT has provided nearly $27 million in funding for cancer cell, gene and immunotherapy research in North America. Since its inception, ACGT has funded the underlying science resulting in the formation of four companies who are in the final stages of bringing groundbreaking new treatments to patients: Novartis, Ziopharm, Juno Therapeutics, and Turnstone Biologics.

About Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (ACGT)

Established in 2001, ACGT is the nation's only non-profit dedicated exclusively to cell and gene therapy treatments for all types of cancer. One hundred percent of contributions go directly to research. ACGT has funded 52 grants in the U.S. and Canada since its founding in 2001 by Barbara Netter and her late husband Edward, to conduct and accelerate critically needed innovative research. Since its inception, ACGT has awarded 36 grants to Young Investigators and 16 grants to Clinical Investigators, totaling nearly $27 million in funding. ACGT is located at 96 Cummings Point Road, Stamford, Connecticut 06902; 203-358-5055. To learn more, visit acgtfoundation.org or join the ACGT community on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube at @acgtfoundation.
MINNEAPOLIS - (April 17, 2017) - Analysis of 900 intervention and usual care patients shows LifeCourse participants have fewer costs and better experiences. LifeCourse is an Allina Health care model that supports people's medical and non-medical needs during the time between advanced illness diagnosis and end of life.

"After finding strong 'Triple Aim' results, including an eight-to-one return on investment and improvements in quality of life, our leaders were propelled to apply LifeCourse broadly," said Paige Bingham, LifeCourse director for Allina Health.

LifeCourse expanded from focusing on critically ill patients after discharge from Abbott Northwestern Hospital to Allina Health care management, the Givens Brain Tumor Center and Minneapolis Heart Institute. Additionally, LifeCourse has been implemented at NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center to address late-life care disparities in an underserved community.

LifeCourse was created using national palliative care guidelines and feedback from patients, caregivers, and providers. Lay healthcare workers, called care guides, meet with patients monthly in their homes. They work to understand patients' goals and what matters most to them and connect them to medical and community-based resources.

###

The study will be presented April 21 in Orlando, Fla. at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement 18th Annual Summit on Improving Patient Care in the Office Practice and the Community. The LifeCourse Research Study was performed by Allina Health and funded by the Robina Foundation.

About Allina Health

Allina Health is dedicated to the prevention and treatment of illness and enhancing the greater health of individuals, families and communities throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. A not-for-profit health care system, Allina Health cares for patients from beginning to end-of-life through its 90+ clinics, 12 hospitals, 15 retail pharmacies, specialty care centers and specialty medical services, home care, senior transitions, hospice care, home oxygen and medical equipment and emergency medical transportation services.

For more information, visit us at allinahealth.org, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Healthy Set Go.
Aurora, Colo. (April 17, 2017) - Recent research from Children's Hospital Colorado (Children's Colorado) has shown the effectiveness of a unique type of antimicrobial stewardship program in the fight against antibiotic (antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial) resistance. The research examined the impact a strategy known as "handshake stewardship" could have on the use of antibiotics in a freestanding children's hospital. This strategy was characterized by:

A lack of the restriction and pre-authorization commonly found in antimicrobial stewardship programs

A daily pharmacist-physician review of every inpatient antibiotic prescription, including dosages, type of medication and type of infection

Daily rounding on inpatient floors by a pharmacist-physician team to monitor antibiotic usage and give advice in-person to every unit in the hospital that is using antibiotics

The program was dubbed "handshake stewardship" because of the personal contact, trust and sealing of deals associated with handshakes.

Led by Sarah Parker, MD, pediatric infectious diseases physician and medical director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at Children's Colorado, the research retrospectively measured antibiotic use hospitalwide and by unit before, during and after the implementation of the handshake stewardship program to determine the effectiveness of such an approach. All antibiotics prescribed to inpatients between October 2010 and September 2014 were included in the review. The study found that handshake stewardship led to a 10.3 percent decrease in antibacterial use hospitalwide, a 12.1 percent decrease in antifungal use, and a 16.4 percent decrease in antiviral use, for an overall decrease in antimicrobial use of 10.9 percent hospitalwide. The study results were published in The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.

"Very few hospitals have a medical doctor involved in the day-to-day running of this kind of program," Dr. Parker says. "And very few programs review every single antibiotic prescription. However, the risks associated with antibiotics require that we find an effective way to limit their use. Not only do 30 percent of children who take antibiotics experience a side effect such as diarrhea, but antibiotics can also kill good bacteria in the body, which can lead to more serious illnesses down the line. And perhaps most compelling, according to the CDC, more than 23,000 deaths and $20 billion in indirect health care costs are attributed to resistant bacteria in the United States each year."

"This type of stewardship also helps ensure the appropriate use of antibiotics - that is, that they are only used when needed, and that they are given at the right dosage for the right duration of time," continues Parker. "Ultimately, this leads to better patient outcomes."

###

A PDF of the full study is available upon request.

About Children's Hospital Colorado

Children's Hospital Colorado (Children's Colorado) has defined and delivered pediatric health care excellence for more than 100 years. Founded in 1908, Children's Colorado is a leading pediatric network entirely devoted to the health and well-being of children. Continually acknowledged as one of the nation's outstanding pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report and ranked on its Best Children's Hospitals 2016-17 Honor Roll, Children's Colorado is known for both its nationally and internationally recognized medical, research, education and advocacy programs, as well as comprehensive everyday care for kids throughout Colorado and surrounding states. Children's Colorado is the winner of the 2015 American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize, and is a 2013-2016 Most Wired hospital according to Hospitals & Health Networks magazine. Children's Colorado also is recognized for excellence in nursing from the American Nurses Credentialing Centers and has been designated a Magnet hospital since 2005. The hospital's family-centered, collaborative approach combines the nation's top pediatric doctors, nurses and researchers to pioneer new approaches to pediatric medicine. With urgent, emergency and specialty care locations throughout Metro Denver and Southern Colorado, including its campus on the Anschutz Medical Campus, Children's Colorado provides a full spectrum of pediatric specialties. For more information, visit http://www.childrenscolorado.org and connect with Children's Colorado on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Children's Hospital Colorado complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.

ATENCION: si habla espanol, tiene a su disposicion servicios gratuitos de asistencia linguistica. Llame al 1-720-777-9800.

CHU Y: N?u b?n noi Ti?ng Vi?t, co cac d?ch v? h? tr? ngon ng? mi?n phi danh cho b?n. G?i s? 1-720-777-9800 http://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/section-1557
Pakistan Army initiated indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars on Indian posts on the Line of Control (LoC) in two villages of Naushera sector in Rajouri district at around 8 am

By Ashwini Kumar: Eight Pakistan Army soldier were killed and several injured as Indian Army retaliated to unprovoked ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir today.

Pakistan Army started heavy mortar shelling and firing at two Indian positions in Jhanger and Sher Makedi village near the LoC in Naushera, triggering of a gun duel, a defence official said.

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"Pakistan Army initiated indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars on Indian posts on the LoC in two villages of Naushera sector in Rajouri district at around 8 am. Indian Army posts are retaliating strongly and effectively," said Defence Ministry spokesman, Lt Col Manish Mehta.

According to the defence sources, mortar shell fired by the Indian Army fell into an Army camp across the border and Pakistan suffered maximum causality.

Pakistani helicopters and ambulances were seen from across the border to shift the injured and dead Pakistan Army soldiers to near by hospitals.

These areas normally remain calm but Pakistan is now using soft areas for infiltration of armed terrorists from old routes. The Pakistan Army is giving cover fire to terrorists so that they can infiltrate to kick-up violence in the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, defence officials said.

Intelligence agencies have already alerted the Army and the state police that this summer will be hot and more than 100 terrorists are waiting on launching pads near Line of Control to cross over to the Indian side.

--- ENDS ---
New research by Adam Anderson, professor of human development at Cornell University's College of Human Ecology, reveals why the eyes offer a window into the soul.

According to the recent study, published in Psychological Science, we interpret a person's emotions by analyzing the expression in their eyes - a process that began as a universal reaction to environmental stimuli and evolved to communicate our deepest emotions.

For example, people in the study consistently associated narrowed eyes - which enhance our visual discrimination by blocking light and sharpening focus - with emotions related to discrimination, such as disgust and suspicion. In contrast, people linked open eyes - which expand our field of vision - with emotions related to sensitivity, like fear and awe.

"When looking at the face, the eyes dominate emotional communication," Anderson said. "The eyes are windows to the soul likely because they are first conduits for sight. Emotional expressive changes around the eye influence how we see, and in turn, this communicates to others how we think and feel."

This work builds on Anderson's research from 2013, which demonstrated that human facial expressions, such as raising one's eyebrows, arose from universal, adaptive reactions to one's environment and did not originally signal social communication.

Both studies support Charles Darwin's 19th-century theories on the evolution of emotion, which hypothesized that our expressions originated for sensory function rather than social communication.

"What our work is beginning to unravel," said Anderson, "are the details of what Darwin theorized: why certain expressions look the way they do, how that helps the person perceive the world, and how others use those expressions to read our innermost emotions and intentions."

Anderson and his co-author, Daniel H. Lee, professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Colorado, Boulder, created models of six expressions - sadness, disgust, anger, joy, fear and surprise - using photos of faces in widely used databases. Study participants were shown a pair of eyes demonstrating one of the six expressions and one of 50 words describing a specific mental state, such as discriminating, curious, bored, etc. Participants then rated the extent to which the word described the eye expression. Each participant completed 600 trials.

Participants consistently matched the eye expressions with the corresponding basic emotion, accurately discerning all six basic emotions from the eyes alone.

Anderson then analyzed how these perceptions of mental states related to specific eye features. Those features included the openness of the eye, the distance from the eyebrow to the eye, the slope and curve of the eyebrow, and wrinkles around the nose, the temple and below the eye.

The study found that the openness of the eye was most closely related to our ability to read others' mental states based on their eye expressions. Narrow-eyed expressions reflected mental states related to enhanced visual discrimination, such as suspicion and disapproval, while open-eyed expressions related to visual sensitivity, such as curiosity. Other features around the eye also communicated whether a mental state is positive or negative.

Further, he ran more studies comparing how well study participants could read emotions from the eye region to how well they could read emotions in other areas of the face, such as the nose or mouth. Those studies found the eyes offered more robust indications of emotions.

This study, said Anderson, was the next step in Darwin's theory, asking how expressions for sensory function ended up being used for communication function of complex mental states.

"The eyes evolved over 500 million years ago for the purposes of sight but now are essential for interpersonal insight," Anderson said.

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Cornell University has television, ISDN and dedicated Skype/Google+ Hangout studios available for media interviews. For additional information, see this Cornell Chronicle story.
CAMBRIDGE, MA -- MIT researchers have developed a way to make extremely high-resolution images of tissue samples, at a fraction of the cost of other techniques that offer similar resolution.

The new technique relies on expanding tissue before imaging it with a conventional light microscope. Two years ago, the MIT team showed that it was possible to expand tissue volumes 100-fold, resulting in an image resolution of about 60 nanometers. Now, the researchers have shown that expanding the tissue a second time before imaging can boost the resolution to about 25 nanometers.

This level of resolution allows scientists to see, for example, the proteins that cluster together in complex patterns at brain synapses, helping neurons to communicate with each other. It could also help researchers to map neural circuits, says Ed Boyden, an associate professor of biological engineering and brain and cognitive sciences at MIT.

"We want to be able to trace the wiring of complete brain circuits," says Boyden, the study's senior author. "If you could reconstruct a complete brain circuit, maybe you could make a computational model of how it generates complex phenomena like decisions and emotions. Since you can map out the biomolecules that generate electrical pulses within cells and that exchange chemicals between cells, you could potentially model the dynamics of the brain."

This approach could also be used to image other phenomena such as the interactions between cancer cells and immune cells, to detect pathogens without expensive equipment, and to map the cell types of the body.

Former MIT postdoc Jae-Byum Chang is the first author of the paper, which appears in the April 17 issue of Nature Methods.

Double expansion

To expand tissue samples, the researchers embed them in a dense, evenly generated gel made of polyacrylate, a very absorbent material that's also used in diapers. Before the gel is formed, the researchers label the cell proteins they want to image, using antibodies that bind to specific targets. These antibodies bear "barcodes" made of DNA, which in turn are attached to cross-linking molecules that bind to the polymers that make up the expandable gel. The researchers then break down the proteins that normally hold the tissue together, allowing the DNA barcodes to expand away from each other as the gel swells.

These enlarged samples can then be labeled with fluorescent probes that bind the DNA barcodes, and imaged with commercially available confocal microscopes, whose resolution is usually limited to hundreds of nanometers.

Using that approach, the researchers were previously able to achieve a resolution of about 60 nanometers. However, "individual biomolecules are much smaller than that, say 5 nanometers or even smaller," Boyden says. "The original versions of expansion microscopy were useful for many scientific questions but couldn't equal the performance of the highest-resolution imaging methods such as electron microscopy."

In their original expansion microscopy study, the researchers found that they could expand the tissue more than 100-fold in volume by reducing the number of cross-linking molecules that hold the polymer in an orderly pattern. However, this made the tissue unstable.

"If you reduce the cross-linker density, the polymers no longer retain their organization during the expansion process," says Boyden, who is a member of MIT's Media Lab and McGovern Institute for Brain Research. "You lose the information."

Instead, in their latest study, the researchers modified their technique so that after the first tissue expansion, they can create a new gel that swells the tissue a second time -- an approach they call "iterative expansion."

Mapping circuits

Using iterative expansion, the researchers were able to image tissues with a resolution of about 25 nanometers, which is similar to that achieved by high-resolution techniques such as stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM). However, expansion microscopy is much cheaper and simpler to perform because no specialized equipment or chemicals are required, Boyden says. The method is also much faster and thus compatible with large-scale, 3-D imaging.

The resolution of expansion microscopy does not yet match that of scanning electron microscopy (about 5 nanometers) or transmission electron microscopy (about 1 nanometer). However, electron microscopes are very expensive and not widely available, and with those microscopes, it is difficult for researchers to label specific proteins.

In the Nature Methods paper, the MIT team used iterative expansion to image synapses -- the connections between neurons that allow them to communicate with each other. In their original expansion microscopy study, the researchers were able to image scaffolding proteins, which help to organize the hundreds of other proteins found in synapses. With the new, enhanced resolution, the researchers were also able to see finer-scale structures, such as the location of neurotransmitter receptors located on the surfaces of the "postsynaptic" cells on the receiving side of the synapse.

"My hope is that we can, in the coming years, really start to map out the organization of these scaffolding and signaling proteins at the synapse," Boyden says.

Combining expansion microscopy with a new tool called temporal multiplexing should help to achieve that, he believes. Currently, only a limited number of colored probes can be used to image different molecules in a tissue sample. With temporal multiplexing, researchers can label one molecule with a fluorescent probe, take an image, and then wash the probe away. This can then be repeated many times, each time using the same colors to label different molecules.

"By combining iterative expansion with temporal multiplexing, we could in principle have essentially infinite-color, nanoscale-resolution imaging over large 3-D volumes," Boyden says. "Things are getting really exciting now that these different technologies may soon connect with each other."

The researchers also hope to achieve a third round of expansion, which they believe could, in principle, enable resolution of about 5 nanometers. However, right now the resolution is limited by the size of the antibodies used to label molecules in the cell. These antibodies are about 10 to 20 nanometers long, so to get resolution below that, researchers would need to create smaller tags or expand the proteins away from each other first and then deliver the antibodies after expansion.

###

This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health Director's Pioneer Award, the New York Stem Cell Foundation Robertson Award, the HHMI-Simons Faculty Scholars Award, and the Open Philanthropy Project.
More Americans than ever before suffer from serious psychological distress, and the country's ability to meet the growing demand for mental health services is rapidly eroding.

Researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center analyzed a federal health information database and concluded that 3.4 percent of the U.S. population (more than 8.3 million) adult Americans suffer from serious psychological distress, or SPD.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which conducts the National Health Interview Survey on which the research is based, SPD combines feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and restlessness that are hazardous enough to impair people's physical well-being. Previous survey estimates had put the number of Americans suffering from SPD at 3 percent or less.

The findings -- believed to be the first analysis of its kind in more than a decade -- were published in the journal Psychiatric Services online April 17. More than 35,000 U.S. households, involving more than 200,000 Americans between the ages of 18 and 64, in all states and across all ethnic and socioeconomic groups, participate in the yearly survey.

Among the study's other key findings is that, over the course of the surveys from 2006 to 2014, access to health care services deteriorated for people suffering from severe distress when compared to those who did not report SPD.

"Although our analysis does not give concrete reasons why mental health services are diminishing, it could be from shortages in professional help, increased costs of care not covered by insurance, the great recession, and other reasons worthy of further investigation," says lead study investigator Judith Weissman, PhD, JD, a research manager in the Department of Medicine at NYU Langone.

Weissman says the situation appears to have worsened even though the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) include provisions designed to help reduce insurance coverage disparities for people with mental health issues. She adds that the new report can serve as a baseline for evaluating the impact of the ACA and in identifying disparities in treating the mentally ill.

Comparing self-reported SPD symptoms across nine years, the NYU Langone research team estimates that nearly one in 10 distressed Americans (9.5 percent) in 2014 still did not have health insurance that would give them access to a psychiatrist or counselor, a slight rise from 2006, when 9 percent lacked any insurance. About 10.5 percent in 2014 experienced delays in getting professional help due to insufficient mental health coverage, while 9.5 percent said they experienced such delays in 2006. And 9.9 percent could not afford to pay for their psychiatric medications in 2014, up from 8.7 percent in 2006.

"Based on our data, we estimate that millions of Americans have a level of emotional functioning that leads to lower quality of life and life expectancy," says Weissman. "Our study may also help explain why the U.S. suicide rate is up to 43,000 people each year."

She says her group's next research report will detail how underdiagnosis of SPD impacts physician practices and encourages overuse of other health care services.

Senior study investigator and NYU Langone clinical professor Cheryl Pegus, MD, MPH, who also serves as director of general internal medicine and clinical innovation, says physicians, especially in primary care, can play a bigger role in screening people and detecting signs of SPD and potential suicide.

"Utilizing tools at the time of intake on all patients allows us to collect important data and devise strategies for care," says Pegus. "Our study supports health policies designed to incorporate mental health services and screenings into every physician's practice through the use of electronic medical records, and by providing training for all health care professionals, as well as the right resources for patients."

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Besides Weissman and Pegus, other NYU Langone researchers involved in this analysis, which took four years to complete and was self-funded by NYU Langone, are Jeannette Beasley, PhD, MPH, RD; Melanie Jay, MD, MS; and Dolores Malaspina, MD, MS, MPH. Additional research support was provided by study co-investigator David Russell, PhD, at the Visiting Nurse Service of New York.

Media Inquiries:

David March

212-404-3528

david.march@nyumc.org
A new NASA-funded study has identified which glaciers in West Greenland are most susceptible to thinning in the coming decades by analyzing how they're shaped. The research could help predict how much the Greenland Ice Sheet will contribute to future sea level rise in the next century, a number that currently ranges from inches to feet.

"There are glaciers that popped up in our study that flew under the radar until now," said lead author Denis Felikson, a graduate research assistant at The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) and a Ph.D. student in The University of Texas Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics. Felikson's study was published in Nature Geoscience on April 17.

The Greenland Ice Sheet is the second largest ice sheet on Earth and has been losing mass for decades, a trend scientists have linked to a warming climate. However, the mass change experienced by individual coastal glaciers, which flow out from the ice sheet into the ocean, is highly variable. This makes predicting the impact on future sea-level rise difficult.

"We were looking for a way to explain why this variability exists, and we found a way to do it that has never been applied before on this scale," Felikson said.

Of the 16 glaciers researchers investigated in West Greenland, the study found four that are the most susceptible to thinning: Rink Isbrae, Umiamako Isbrae, Jakobshavn Isbrae and Sermeq Silardleq.

Umiamako Isbrae, Sermeq Silardleq and Jakobshavn Isbrae are already losing mass, with Jakobshavn being responsible for more than 81 percent of West Greenland's total mass loss over the past 30 years.

Rink has remained stable since 1985, but through shape analysis researchers found that it could start to thin if its terminus, the front of the glacier exposed to ocean water, becomes unstable. This is a strong possibility as the climate continues to warm.

"Not long ago we didn't even know how much ice Greenland was losing, now we're getting down to the critical details that control its behavior," said Tom Wagner, director of NASA's cryosphere program, which sponsored the research.

The analysis works by calculating how far inland thinning that starts at the terminus of each glacier is likely to extend. Glaciers with thinning that reaches far inland are the most susceptible to ice mass loss.

Just how prone a glacier is to thinning depends on its thickness and surface slope, features that are influenced by the landscape under the glacier. In general, thinning spreads more easily across thick and flat glaciers and is hindered by thin and steep portions of glaciers.

The research revealed that most glaciers are susceptible to thinning between 10 and 30 miles inland. For Jakobshavn, however, the risk of thinning reaches over 150 miles inland--almost one-third of the way across the Greenland Ice Sheet.

"Jakobshavn is particularly vulnerable to thinning because it flows through a very deep trough that extends deep into the ice sheet interior, making the ice thick and the surface flat," Felikson said.

Felikson said these calculations will help identify which areas of Greenland may be most susceptible to melting and thus contribute most to future sea level rise. However, while the method can point out vulnerable areas, it can't predict how much mass loss is likely to occur.

Still, knowing which glaciers are the most at risk can help scientists allocate limited resources, said co-author Timothy Bartholomaus, an assistant professor at the University of Idaho. "The approach we demonstrate here allows us to identify which outlet glaciers are not yet changing rapidly, but might," Bartholomaus said. "With that knowledge, we can anticipate potential sea-level rise and set up the observational campaigns in advance to understand these glacier changes."

Among other sources of data, Felikson and his team used a bedrock topography map created with data from NASA's Ocean Melting Greenland project to determine the thickness of the ice and a digital elevation model from the Greenland Ice Mapping Project, which uses measurements from the Japanese-provided Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument on NASA's Terra satellite, to separate glacier catchments.

Ginny Catania, an associate professor in the University of Texas Jackson School of Geosciences and research associate at UTIG, said the group has plans to apply the shape analysis technique to other glaciers. "Our plan is to extend the analysis so that we can identify glaciers in Antarctica and around the rest of Greenland that are most likely to be susceptible to change in the future," she said.

###

Study collaborators include researchers at Iceland's Institute of Earth Sciences, the University of Copenhagen, the University of California, the University of Kansas, Oregon State University and the University of Oregon. The research was funded by NASA and The University of Texas Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Department.

Read the study here: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2934
LISA Pathfinder, a mission led by ESA (the European Space Agency) with contributions from NASA, has successfully demonstrated critical technologies needed to build a space-based observatory for detecting ripples in space-time called gravitational waves. Now a team of NASA scientists hopes to take advantage of the spacecraft's record-breaking sensitivity to map out the distribution of tiny dust particles shed by asteroids and comets far from Earth.

Most of these particles have masses measured in micrograms, similar to a small grain of sand. But with speeds greater than 22,000 mph (36,000 kph), even micrometeoroids pack a punch. The new measurements could help refine dust models used by researchers in a variety of studies, from understanding the physics of planet formation to estimating impact risks for current and future spacecraft.

"We've shown we have a novel technique and that it works," said Ira Thorpe, who leads the team at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "The next step is to carefully apply this technique to our whole data set and interpret the results."

The mission's primary goal was to test how well the spacecraft could fly in formation with an identical pair of 1.8-inch (46 millimeter) gold-platinum cubes floating inside it. The cubes are test masses intended to be in free fall and responding only to gravity.

The spacecraft serves as a shield to protect the test masses from external forces. When LISA Pathfinder responds to pressure from sunlight and microscopic dust impacts, the spacecraft automatically compensates by firing tiny bursts from its micronewton thrusters to prevent the test masses from being disturbed.

Scientists call this drag-free flight. In its first two months of operations in early 2016, LISA Pathfinder demonstrated the process with a precision some five times better than its mission requirements, making it the most sensitive instrument for measuring acceleration yet flown. It has now reached the sensitivity level needed to build a full multi-spacecraft gravitational wave observatory.

"Every time microscopic dust strikes LISA Pathfinder, its thrusters null out the small amount of momentum transferred to the spacecraft," said Goddard co-investigator Diego Janches. "We can turn that around and use the thruster firings to learn more about the impacting particles. One team's noise becomes another team's data."

Much of what we know about interplanetary dust is limited to Earth's neighborhood, thanks in large part to NASA's Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF). Launched into Earth orbit by the space shuttle Challenger in April 1984 and retrieved by the space shuttle Columbia in January 1990, LDEF hosted dozens of experiments, many of which were designed to better understand the meteoroid and orbital debris environment.

The different compositions, orbits and histories of different asteroids and comets naturally produce dust with a range of masses and velocities. Scientists suspect the smallest and slowest particles are enhanced in Earth's neighborhood, so the LDEF results are not representative of the wider solar system.

"Small, slow particles near a planet are most susceptible to the planet's gravitational pull, which we call gravitational focusing," Janches said. This means the micrometeoroid flux near Earth should be much higher than that experienced by LISA Pathfinder, located about 930,000 miles (1.5 million kilometers) closer to the sun.

To find the impacts, Tyson Littenberg at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, adapted an algorithm he originally developed to search for gravitational waves in data from the ground-based detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO), located in Livingston, Louisiana, and Hanford, Washington. In fact, it was one of many algorithms that played a role in the discovery of gravitational waves by LIGO, announced in February 2016.

"The way it works is that we come up with a guess of what the signal might look like, then study how LIGO or LISA Pathfinder would react if this guess were true," Littenberg explained. "For LIGO, we're guessing about the waveform, the peaks and valleys of the gravitational wave. For LISA Pathfinder, we're guessing about an impact."

To map out the probability of likely sources, the team generates millions of different scenarios describing what the source might be and compares them to what the spacecraft actually detects.

In response to an impact, LISA Pathfinder fires its thrusters to counteract both the minute "push" from the strike and any change in the spacecraft's spin. Together, these quantities allow the researchers to determine the impact's location on the spacecraft and reconstruct the micrometeoroid's original trajectory. This may allow the team to identify individual debris streams and perhaps relate them to known asteroids and comets.

"This is a very nice collaboration," said Paul McNamara, the LISA Pathfinder project scientist at ESA's Directorate of Science in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. "This is data we use for doing our science measurements, and as an offshoot of that, Ira and his team can tell us about microparticles hitting the spacecraft."

Its distant location, sensitivity to low-mass particles, and ability to measure the size and direction of impacting particles make LISA Pathfinder a unique instrument for studying the population of micrometeoroids in the inner solar system. But it's only the beginning.

"This is a proof of concept, but we'd hope to repeat this technique with a full gravitational wave observatory that ESA and NASA are currently studying for the future," said Thorpe. "With multiple spacecraft in different orbits and a much longer observing time, the quality of the data should really improve."

LISA Pathfinder is managed by ESA and includes contributions from NASA Goddard and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. The mission launched on Dec. 3, 2015, and began orbiting a point called Earth-sun L1, roughly 930,000 miles (1.5 million km) from Earth in the sun's direction, in late January 2016.

LISA stands for Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, a space-based gravitational wave observatory concept that has been studied in great detail by both NASA and ESA. It is a concept being explored for the third large mission of ESA's Cosmic Vision Plan, which seeks to launch a gravitational wave observatory in 2034.

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Rice University computer scientists are mapping a new solution for interior navigational location detection by linking it to existing sensors in mobile devices. Their results were presented in a paper at last month's 2017 Design, Automation and Test in Europe (DATE) Conference in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Six months ago, the same researchers published a paper on their first technology for a new indoor mobile positioning system called CaPSuLe. The navigational location detection system began as a solution for mobile device users inside large indoor spaces like office complexes or shopping malls where GPS navigation falters under poor signals that quickly deplete battery life.

Both CaPSuLe and the DATE paper technology rely on machine learning for location detection. Both increase the speed of calculations and decrease energy expenditure in comparison with existing location technologies. But CaPSuLe depends on image matching techniques and uploaded data, while the new technology taps into sensors that already exist in most mobile devices.

Chen Luo, a graduate student working with assistant professor of computer science Anshumali Shrivastava, said the team was not satisfied with the initial performance metrics of its sensor-driven technology.

"The original idea is to just use the gyroscope and accelerometer data for indoor-location detection, but the results were poor," Luo said. "After we added in some mapping information to our model, the performance improved significantly. The moment that the experiment shows high improvement is very unforgettable."

The gyroscope and accelerometer sensors are already built into most mobile devices and require little energy to run, Shrivastava said. Unfortunately, the sensors also pick up a lot of extraneous data.

"We're building a solution that uses cheap existing sensors, such as gyroscope and accelerometer," he said. "These sensors track acceleration and rotation, but the location signals are 'noisy' because of irrelevant movements. For example, we can use information from these sensors to track walking movements, but the sensors also pick up swinging arms and waving hands. So when we try to apply physical laws of motion to compute the final location, the result is an accumulation of errors."

In addition to sensor data, the scientists also drew on studies of standard human movements.

"Human motion has a lot of structure that we were able to utilize with the otherwise-noisy sensors to produce accurate estimations," Shrivastava said. "Humans don't typically make erratic movements; they usually walk in a near-straight line. For our machine learning algorithm, this means that if the starting point is known, and there's a precondition for traveling in a straight line with limited opportunities for possible left and right turns, then the location where someone stops can be accurately estimated even with noisy sensors."

The idea of estimating answers rather than working with precise calculations is a novel energy-efficient approach and one Krishna Palem, Rice's Kenneth and Audrey Kennedy Professor of Computing, first began exploring in 2003. Palem later became intrigued by Shrivastava's work.

"My original research was in large-scale machine learning and efficient computing," Shrivastava said. "I met Krishna when I moved to Rice, and he started asking me questions about my research direction. We quickly realized we had a unique opportunity to work together on energy-saving approaches to computing problems."

Shrivastava's research in machine learning and data mining also attracted the attention of Chen Luo, a first-year graduate student at Rice who was seeking a computer science adviser. At the same time, Shrivastava realized that Luo's previous work in time-series mining could benefit the research he and Palem were undertaking.

Luo said, "Time-series mining is used for analyzing data with temporal order information. The research presented in the DATE paper required analysis of the gyroscope and accelerometer data and each of the data sets is exactly time-series data.

Similarly, Palem's research to improve energy efficiency using estimated calculations captured the attention of Juan Jose Gonzalez Espana, a graduate student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Gonzalez Espana took two courses taught by Palem, became intrigued with his approach and was invited to join the navigational location detection project.

He said, "Krishna's work in 'clever' inexactness has multiple important applications in daily life. The kernel of our current location detection solution may also have wide applications for daily use across a variety of fields including marketing, health care and pet care among others. For example, marketers could extend product offers based on the current location of the user or the places they frequent. In health care, the solution could be used to trigger alarms if patients approach potentially harmful areas. In pet care, missing dogs or cats could be located through this technology."

Gonzalez Espana said that by aggregating all the information, the team "demonstrated a solution that is twice as accurate as GPS services, while being around 27 times cheaper in terms of energy, which directly translates into battery life."

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The Rice research team's international collaborators include Moon Yongshik, Soonhyun Noh, Daedong Park and Seongsoo Hong, all of Seoul National University in South Korea. The research was supported in part by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

The 2017 DATE paper, "Location Detection for Navigation Using IMUs with a Map Through Coarse-Grained Machine Learning," is available upon request.

This news release can be found online at news.rice.edu.

Follow Rice News and Media Relations on Twitter @RiceUNews.

Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 3,879 undergraduates and 2,861 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for happiest students and for lots of race/class interaction by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance. To read "What they're saying about Rice," go to http://tinyurl.com/RiceUniversityoverview.
A new study from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai provides important insights into how the body regulates its production of heat, a process known as thermogenesis that is currently intensely studied as a target of diabetes and obesity treatment in humans.

While researchers had previously hypothesized that macrophages, a class of white blood cells, played a major role in thermogenesis, the new study suggests that the main driver of thermogenesis is the sympathetic nervous system, which is chiefly controlled by the brain. The results were published online today in Nature Medicine.

The Mount Sinai research team led by Christoph Buettner, MD, PhD, senior author of the study and Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Bone Disease) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, focused on catecholamines, hormones released by the sympathetic nervous system to activate brown fat tissue. Brown adipose tissue is a type of fat tissue that burns energy to produce heat and keep us warm. Catecholamines can also convert white fat tissue, the more familiar kind of fat tissue that stores lipids, into a tissue that resembles brown fat. The researchers tested whether macrophages could provide an alternative source of catecholamines, as had been proposed in recent years.

"Thermogenesis is a metabolic process that receives a lot of interest as a target of drugs that allow you to burn energy and hence reduce obesity and improve diabetes. It turns out that macrophages are not that important, as they are unable to make catecholamines, but clearly the brain through the sympathetic nervous system is," says Dr. Buettner. "Therefore, it is very important to study the role of the brain and the sympathetic nervous system when it comes to understanding metabolism."

The ability to generate heat is critical for the survival of warm-blooded animals, including humans, as it prevents death by hypothermia. "This evolutionary pressure shaped the biology of humans and that of other warm-blooded animals, and may in part explain why humans are susceptible to developing diabetes in the environment in which we live," says Dr. Buettner.

According to Dr. Buettner, while a lot of effort has been invested in targeting the immune system to cure diabetes and insulin resistance, as of yet there are no anti-inflammatory drugs that have been shown to work well in humans with metabolic disease. "Our study suggests that perhaps the key to combating the devastating effects of diabetes and obesity in humans is to restore the control of thermogenesis and metabolism by the brain and the autonomic nervous system," says Dr. Buettner.

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This study was performed collaboratively between Mount Sinai and eight other institutions from around the world, most prominently with the group of Timo D. Muller, PhD, Institute for Diabetes and Obesity at the Helmholtz Center Munich in Germany.

This work was further supported by grant from the German Research Foundation DFG-TS226/1-1, DFG-TS226/3-1,SFB1123, Nutripathos Project ANR-15-CE14-0030, European Research Council ERC AdG HypoFlam no. 695054 (to M.H.T.); DFG He3260/8-1, the EU FP7 Network "DIABAT," the EU ITN Network "TRAIN" 721531 (to S.H.); NIH R01AA023416, DK082724 and a career-development award from the American Diabetes Association (to C.B.); NIH R01DK099222 (to S.D.); NIH DK17844 (to S.C.W.); the Israeli Science Foundation and European Research Council (AdvERC grant 340345) (to S.J.) and the Swedish Research Council and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (to J.N. and B.C.).

About the Mount Sinai Health System

The Mount Sinai Health System is an integrated health system committed to providing distinguished care, conducting transformative research, and advancing biomedical education. Structured around seven hospital campuses and a single medical school, the Health System has an extensive ambulatory network and a range of inpatient and outpatient services -- from community-based facilities to tertiary and quaternary care.

The System includes approximately 7,100 primary and specialty care physicians; 12 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more than 140 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. Physicians are affiliated with the renowned Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, which is ranked among the highest in the nation in National Institutes of Health funding per investigator. The Mount Sinai Hospital is in the "Honor Roll" of best hospitals in America, ranked No. 15 nationally in the 2016-2017 "Best Hospitals" issue of U.S. News & World Report. The Mount Sinai Hospital is also ranked as one of the nation's top 20 hospitals in Geriatrics, Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Nephrology, Neurology/Neurosurgery, and Ear, Nose & Throat, and is in the top 50 in four other specialties. New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked No. 10 nationally for Ophthalmology, while Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai St. Luke's, and Mount Sinai West are ranked regionally. Mount Sinai's Kravis Children's Hospital is ranked in seven out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report in "Best Children's Hospitals."

For more information, visit http://www.mountsinai.org/, or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Warmest congratulations to Charlotte Miton1 and Zach Schaefer2 (Figure 1), the recipients of the Protein Society's Year 2016 "Best Paper" awards. At the beginning of each year, two "best papers" are selected from articles published in Protein Science during the preceding 12 months. A junior author (typically the first author) is designated as the award winner and invited to give a talk at the following Annual Protein Society Symposium.

Charlotte Miton has already been something of a world traveler. Following completion of her Master's degree in France, she participated in research projects in Mexico and Italy before undertaking her Ph.D. in Cambridge with Drs. F. Hollfelder and M. Hyvonen.

As Charlotte then narrates "Following my PhD work, I joined Dr. Nobuhiko Tokuriki at UBC in Vancouver, with whom I share a passion for tracking and elucidating the mechanisms behind functional transitions, mutational interactions and conformational changes that result from evolutionary selection. We had worked together during my time at Cambridge and felt that there were many potential pathways we could explore. This led to the core motivation behind the paper in Protein Science: based on the data being generated in the field on single evolutionary trajectories, how prevalent were the trends we were observing in the laboratory and to what degree could we use that information to make inferences from their protein structures? We felt that a general consensus on the role of mutational epistasis, i.e. non-additive interactions between mutations, based on a quantitative survey of its type and prevalence, remained to be established. By 2016 we were able to gather, analyse and compare complete mutational data from nine evolutionary trajectories curated from the literature. This analysis revealed that epistasis plays a major, albeit hidden, role constraining evolutionary trajectories: about half of the mutations fixed during these nine trajectories were neutral or detrimental in the original WT background and only became positive at later rounds of evolution, following the prior fixation of permissive mutations." 2

Dr. Tokuriki describes Charlotte as a "bona fide" scientist. She is, he says, an "old-school scientist", but meant in the best way. "She is really meticulous and dives into every detail of the project...which often led to exciting findings". Nobu explains that for some time he and Charlotte have had the idea to characterize and compare various examples of mutational epistasis during adaptive evolution, building on the milestone 2004 paper of Weireich and Harl. He says that Charlotte led their paper and brought it to a level that he did not anticipate at the beginning.

The second Best Paper awardee, Zach Schaefer, worked with Tony Kossiakoff, who describes Zach "in a nutshell" as follows: "Zach was an undergrad at Reed. After graduation, he decided to take a year or two off to 'find the meaning of life'. That sounds very Reed-like, you get the picture. He applied to my lab as a technician to see whether science was his thing. I usually don't like to be part of this type of experiment, but his mentor at Reed thought he was a good bet. So did I, and it was a good bet. He spent a couple of years with me and I put him on a number of hard projects. Interestingly, the work that is described in the Protein Science paper was completely initiated by Zach and a postdoc, Luke Bailey. They worked together on this, mainly in the background of other things. They had been working on projects that required Fabs to be coupled in a bivalent format and found that some of the best Fabs for an application actually became highly aggregated when put in this form. So, developing the polar ring was an important step leading to the ability to make bivalent Fab constructs.

As a good boss, I was happy to take a victory lap with them. But, as I said, I was really only a spectator during the process."

Zach, himself, adds the following: "I have held a long-term interest in how the extraordinary diversity of life and its capabilities could have emerged from the limited palette of biological molecules. After graduating from Reed College as chemistry major, I was eager to explore how structural features constrain and direct the roles of proteins within the cell. More specifically, I wanted to understand how molecular features of proteins allow them to coordinate with and contribute to biological processes.

Joining the laboratory of Dr. Anthony A. Kossiakoff at the University of Chicago was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the chemical basis of molecular recognition--a protein's ability to selectively interact with a target partner in the complex milieu of the body's interior. Dr. Kossiakoff's research contributed extensively to our understanding of the molecular determinates for specific and high affinity protein-protein interactions. With this knowledge, the lab has developed a powerful minimalist synthetic antibody discovery platform, which provided new models to explore the basis for protein interaction specificity. Our findings shed light on the mechanisms governing an important constraint for all cellular proteins, which is the requirement to maintain interaction specificity. This research has important implications for the design of affinity reagents, and demonstrates that protein interaction specificity can be directly targeted without compromising affinity.

Currently, I am a graduate student of microbiology in the laboratory of Dr. Steven S. Blanke at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. My research focuses on the mechanisms by which bacterial toxins subvert host cellular physiology. Like antibodies, bacterial toxins are hard-wired to target specific biological features, and the proteins that I study possess the ability to traverse the interior of the host cell and target specific sub-cellular compartments. My current research is to identify and understand molecular determinates that allow the genotoxin, cytolethal distending toxin, to efficiently pass through at least five cellular compartments to target the host nucleus. Understanding the process underlying this behavior will hopefully provide insight into the features of other toxins that allow for targeted delivery of proteins to different areas of cellular physiology. In the future I hope to continue to study protein structure-function relationships that relate to important human health outcomes. As knowledge in this field develops, there is increasing opportunity to address 3 critical deficiencies in our toolkit to treat and cure illness and disease. As a researcher, I hope to contribute to our understanding of protein interactions and their role in the basic functions of life."

Also looking toward the future, Charlotte feels that "The extreme complexity of biological systems will always require detailed studies if we are to identify the key molecular factors that drive functional transitions. In an era of big data reliant on high-throughput systems, I believe that "more" will not systematically provide "all" the answers we seek, by which I mean that exploring molecular evolution and epistasis through the systematic comparison of small but diverse sets of alternative trajectories will be the key to uncovering the molecular mechanisms of evolutionary change. These trajectories can be derived from both natural evolution and parallel experimental evolution that is repeatedly started from a unique genotype, or from various orthologous genes, toward distinct targets or under slightly different conditions (alternative cofactors, environments, etc.).

The real challenge now resides in combining the approaches and insights from studies that 'zoom out' and broadly characterize many genotypes with studies that 'zoom in' and uncover, in great detail, the molecular functions of a small subset of highly interesting genotypes. In the future, I would like to further collaborate with labs investigating higher order interactions (such as cases of long-term organismal evolution or natural evolution, including human lineages). Only this way will we unveil the complex historical and ongoing mechanisms that cause evolutionary changes to occur. It's all about exploring the small picture embedded within the big one!"

###

Background Information

All articles published in Protein Science are candidates for the "Best Paper" awards. No nomination statement is required. At the same time, if authors submitting a manuscript feel that it will be a strong candidate for a "best paper" award, they are very welcome to include a brief note in the submission letter explaining why the contribution is especially worthy of consideration.

Brian W. Matthews Editor

References

1. Miton CM, Tokuriki N (2016) How mutational epistasis impairs predictability in protein evolution and design. Protein Sci 25:1260-1272.

2. Schaefer ZP, Bailey LJ, Kossiakoff AA (2016) A polar ring endows improved specificity to an antibody fragment. Protein Sci 25:1290-1298.

Figure Caption

Figure 1. Award winners. (A) Charlotte Miton. (B) Zach Schaefer
Marine scientists find that the space bullethead parrotfish use is influenced more by competition than by fear of predators

It's a fish-eat-fish world out in the ocean, and prey species usually fear the predators that would make them into a tasty snack.

Looks like someone forgot to tell the parrotfish, though.

According to new research by UC Santa Barbara marine scientists, Chlorurus spilurus, known as the bullethead or daisy parrotfish, barely reacts to the presence of predators. The findings appear in the journal Oecologia.

Working in the waters off Moorea and the Palmyra Atoll, the researchers observed almost constant competitive interactions between predators and bullethead parrotfish -- the Pacific Ocean's most abundant parrotfish species -- and other herbivorous fishes. "They were constantly chasing each other, and this affected their feeding rates," said lead author Katie Davis, a research scientist in UCSB's Caselle Lab. "However, predators such as sharks, snappers and groupers frequently swam past the parrotfish without eliciting any reaction. Our research indicates that competition among grazers is the real force in structuring both the space use patterns and the feeding patterns of these parrotfish."

Working on Palmyra 1,000 miles south of Hawaii, the researchers first tested the influence of predation risk on prey foraging behaviors in an unexploited predator community that includes a variety of sharks and other fishes. Then, to contrast how predation risk and competition affect space use, they conducted a comparative study on Moorea, where both predatory species and herbivorous species like the bullethead parrotfish are fished.

The investigators found that competition influenced space use more than predation risk, which did, however, impact feeding rates.

"Nearby predators may not have as strong an effect on the behavior of some prey species as previously thought, especially in a place like Palmyra where encounters between predatory species and prey species on the reef are frequent," said Davis. "If prey species such as parrotfishes really limit their movements due to fear effects, we would expect to see fish using much more space to forage in Moorea, where predators are rare, compared to Palmyra, where predators are abundant. But that's not what we saw."

Davis and colleagues used mobile GPS units to quantify the space use of bulletheads. Following individual parrotfish they mapped out their activities throughout their territories, recording where they ate, the location of territorial disputes and bathroom use. The scientists also examined the concentration of feeding activities from site to site over a gradient of predation risk and competition. Counting parrotfish bites, they considered how predator encounters, competitive interactions and the abundance of algae on the reef might influence their feeding rates.

Other notable differences between the two islands may be related to fishing practices in Moorea. In certain habitats at Moorea, for instance, the researchers were unable to conduct their study because the parrotfish were skittish in the presence of the observers. Parrotfishes in Moorea are targeted by spear fishermen, which may influence their perception of humans as a threat.

In addition, the size structure of the two populations differed: the largest specimens were found in Palmyra but absent in Moorea. This also could be due to spearfishing, which usually targets the largest individuals of a population.

Parrotfishes are thought to be important to coral reef health because they eat algae that competes with coral for space on the reef. However, exactly what these fish eat has yet to be determined. According to Davis, they primarily bite low-lying red-turfing algae as well as other species of macroalgae. However, the algae itself may not be their primary food source.

"New research in the field of parrotfish biology has suggested that they may target bacteria that grow on top of and inside of the coral skeletons," Davis explained. "These findings provide us with some new ways to think about how these fish forage, and it could help explain some of the space use patterns that we've observed in this species. Our future research will further explore how these ideas relate to parrotfish foraging behaviors and how parrotfish foraging affects the fine-scale interactions between algae and corals on reefs."

UCSB co-authors are Peter Carlson, Darcy Bradley, Robert Warner and Jennifer Caselle.

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Bollywood lyricist, script-writer and former Rajya Sabha member Javed Akhtar has ridiculed the All India Muslim Personal Law Board's suggestion for social boycott of those misusing triple talaq.

By India Today Web Desk: Noted lyricist and former Rajya Sabha MP Javed Akhtar has termed the All India Muslim Personal Law Board's (AIMPLB) call for boycott of abusers of triple talaq a hoax.

Javed Akhtar accused the AIMPLB of trying to stall a ban triple talaq altogether. Taking to Twitter, Javed Akhtar said, "AIMPLB call for boycotting abusers of triple talaq is a hoax. Triple talaq, itself, is an abuse and should be banned. They are trying to stall it."

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Lashing out at the AIMPLB for apparently trivialising the issue, Javed Akhtar said, "What is the meaning of 'misuse of triple talaq'. Tomorrow we may hear of misuse of molestation. Misuse of rape, misuse of wife beating."

WHAT AIMPLB SAID

The AIMPLB yesterday said that it had decided to issue a code of conduct for triple talaq. AIMPLB general secretary Maulana Wali Rehmani had said the code of conduct will clarify the Shariat reasons for triple talaq.

AIMPLB call for boycotting abusers of triple talaq is a hoaxTriple talaq it self is an abuse n should be banned They are trying to stall it- Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) April 17, 2017

Rehmani said that those violating the code for triple talaq would have to face 'social boycott'. The statement came at the end of the two-day executive meeting of the AIMPLB governing body in Lucknow.

Speaking on the occasion AIMPLB president Mohammaed Rabey Hasan Nadwi said, "If some people misuse it (triple talaq), the need is not to change the law but to correct such people."

What is the meaning of "misuse of triple talaq" . Tomorrow we may hear of misuse of molestation. Misuse of rape misuse of wife beating .- Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) April 17, 2017

TRIPLE TALAQ IN COURT

The matter of triple talaq is being heard by the Supreme Court. The apex court has set up a constitutional bench for adjudicating the matter.

The Centre has opposed the practice of triple talaq while the AIMPLB has defended it saying it is protected by the right to freedom of religion under the Constitution.

The Centre has argued that triple talaq violates the right to equality guaranteed under the Constitution as the practice negates the principle of gender equality.

The constitutional bench of the Supreme Court will hear the triple talaq matter on May 11.

ALSO READ |

Narendra Modi: Triple talaq causing difficulties for Muslim women

Triple talaq: How it affects lives of India's 90 million Muslim women

ALSO WATCH | UP: Woman refuses to accept triple talaq over phone, suffers acid attack at hands of in-laws

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--- ENDS ---
Chapel Hill, NC - HIV cure research to date has focused on clearing the virus from T cells, a type of white blood cell that is an essential part of the immune system. Yet investigators in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine have found the virus persists in HIV-infected macrophages. Macrophages are large white blood cells found in tissues throughout the body including the liver, lung, bone marrow and brain. The discovery of this additional viral reservoir has significant implications for HIV cure research. These findings were published in Nature Medicine on Monday, April 17.

"These results are paradigm changing because they demonstrate that cells other than T cells can serve as a reservoir for HIV," said Jenna Honeycutt, Ph.D., lead-author and postdoctoral research associate in the UNC Division of Infectious Diseases. "The fact that HIV-infected macrophages can persist means that any possible therapeutic intervention to eradicate HIV might have to target two very different types of cells."

Last spring, this laboratory lead by J. Victor Garcia, Ph. D., professor of medicine, microbiology and immunology at UNC School of Medicine, demonstrated the ability of tissue macrophages to support HIV replication in vivo in the total absence of human T cells. But how macrophages would respond to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and whether macrophages represented a reservoir for HIV after treatment were unknown.

Macrophages are myeloid lineage cells that have been implicated in HIV pathogenesis and in the trafficking of virus into the brain. Using a humanized myeloid-only mouse (MoM) model devoid of T cells, Garcia and his team showed that ART strongly suppresses HIV replication in tissue macrophages. Yet when HIV treatment was interrupted, viral rebound was observed in one third of the animals. This is consistent with the establishment of persistent infection in tissue macrophages.

"This is the first report demonstrating that tissue macrophages can be infected and that they respond to antiretroviral therapy," Honeycutt said. "In addition, we show that productively infected macrophages can persist despite ART; and most importantly, that they can reinitiate and sustain infection upon therapy interruption even in the absence of T cells -- the major target of HIV infection."

Now that Garcia and his team know HIV persists in macrophages, the next step will be to determine what regulates HIV persistence in tissue macrophages, where in the body persistently infected macrophages reside during HIV treatment and how macrophages respond to possible therapeutic interventions aimed at eradicating HIV from the body.

###

The UNC School of Medicine team collaborated with scientists in UNC's Department of Biostatistics, the Theoretical Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, and the Departments of Medicine and Pathology at the University of California at San Diego. This study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

The mission of UNC's Institute for Global Health & Infectious Diseases is to harness the full resources of the University and its partners to solve global health problems, reduce the burden of disease, and cultivate the next generation of global health leaders. Learn more at http://www.globalhealth.unc.edu.
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have identified glaciers in West Greenland that are most susceptible to thinning in the coming decades by analyzing how they're shaped. The research could help predict how much the Greenland Ice Sheet will contribute to future sea-level rise during the next century, a number that currently ranges from inches to feet.

Scientists at The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) led the study, which was published in Nature Geoscience on April 17.

"There are glaciers that popped up in our study that flew under the radar until now," said lead author Denis Felikson, a graduate research assistant at UTIG and a Ph.D. student in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics. UTIG is a research unit of the UT Jackson School of Geosciences.

The Greenland Ice Sheet is the second-largest ice sheet on Earth and has been losing mass for decades, a trend scientists have linked to a warming climate. However, the mass change experienced by individual coastal glaciers, which flow out from the ice sheet into the ocean, is highly variable. This makes predicting the impact on future sea-level rise difficult.

"We were looking for a way to explain why this variability exists, and we found a way to do it that has never been applied before on this scale," Felikson said.

Of the 16 glaciers researchers investigated in West Greenland, the study found four that are the most susceptible to thinning: Rink Isbr, Umiamako Isbr, Jakobshavn Isbr and Sermeq Silardleq.

Umiamako Isbr, Sermeq Silardleq and Jakobshavn are already losing mass, with Jakobshavn being responsible for more than 81 percent of West Greenland's total mass loss during the past 30 years.

Rink has remained stable since 1985, but through shape analysis researchers found that it could start to thin if its terminus, the front of the glacier exposed to ocean water, becomes unstable. This is a strong possibility as the climate continues to warm.

"Not long ago we didn't even know how much ice Greenland was losing. Now we're getting down to the critical details that control its behavior," said Tom Wagner, director of NASA's cryosphere program, which sponsored the research.

The analysis works by calculating how far inland thinning that starts at the terminus of each glacier is likely to extend. Glaciers with thinning that reaches far inland are the most susceptible to ice mass loss.

Just how susceptible a glacier is to thinning depends on its thickness and surface slope, features that are influenced by the landscape under the glacier. In general, thinning spreads more easily across thick and flat glaciers and is hindered by thin and steep portions of glaciers.

The research revealed that most glaciers are susceptible to thinning between 10 and 30 miles inland. For Jakobshavn, however, the risk of thinning reaches over 150 miles inland--almost one-third of the way across the Greenland Ice Sheet.

Felikson said these calculations will help improve estimates on how much Greenland can contribute to future sea-level rise. However, while the method can point out vulnerable areas, it can't predict how much mass loss is likely to occur.

Still, knowing which glaciers are the most at risk can help scientists allocate limited resources, said co-author Timothy Bartholomaus, an assistant professor at the University of Idaho and former research associate at UTIG.

"The approach we demonstrate here allows us to identify which outlet glaciers are not yet changing rapidly, but might," Bartholomaus said. "With that knowledge, we can anticipate potential sea-level rise and set up the observational campaigns in advance to understand these glacier changes."

Ginny Catania, an associate professor in the Jackson School and research scientist at UTIG, said the group has plans to apply the shape analysis technique to other glaciers.

"Our plan is to extend the analysis so that we can identify glaciers in Antarctica and around the rest of Greenland that are most likely to be susceptible to change in the future," she said.

###

Study collaborators include researchers at Iceland's Institute of Earth Sciences, the University of Copenhagen, the University of California, the University of Kansas, Oregon State University and the University of Oregon. The research was funded by NASA and The University of Texas Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Department.
Nanotechnology, including nanomedicine and nanomaterials, is an increasingly important tool in the treatment of many diseases, and a new grant will allow The University of Texas at Arlington's Bioengineering Department to take the lead in training doctoral students to develop and use those tools to battle cardiovascular and pulmonary ailments.

Kytai Nguyen, a UTA bioengineering professor with extensive experience in healthcare applications for nanotechnology, recently was awarded a National Institutes of Health T-32 grant totaling more than $1 million over five years to recruit and train outstanding doctoral students. The grant will pay for a stipend, tuition and travel.

"While nanotechnology has been used extensively in cancer research, its use against cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases is a newer trend," Nguyen said. "There are no other training grants in North Texas, so this grant will allow us to recruit highly qualified students who will pursue collaborative research in new areas."

The program will offer collaboration opportunities with UT Southwestern, as well as UTA's Computer Science and Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Physics Departments, and College of Nursing and Health Innovation. This has important implications for future research, according to Nguyen.

"Students' collaborations with other disciplines and their successes in the classroom and the lab will lead to new research partnerships. They will have truly multi-disciplinary training, which will lead to innovative ideas and, ultimately, more research funding and greater discoveries," Nguyen said.

The program's goals include providing an integrative nanoengineering program, enhancing students' expertise and knowledge in broad-based nanoengineering areas, and developing the next generation of leaders in the field. As a result, students will be able to bring multidisciplinary fields together to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases.

The research is just one example of how UTA contributes to health and the human condition, a theme of the university's Strategic Plan 2020: Bold Solutions | Global Impact.

"I was very excited to learn that our department has received this highly prestigious grant," said Michael Cho, the Alfred H. and Janet R. Potvin Endowed Chair in Bioengineering and Chair of the Bioengineering Department. "Dr. Nguyen's efforts in creating a competitive program to train bioengineering graduate students in the areas of nanomaterials, nanoengineering and nanomedicine have resulted in a 'game changer' for UTA, allowing us to take a leadership role in the field and focus on training the next generation of top-notch biomedical engineers." Current UTA research in medical nanotechnology at UTA includes:

Nguyen's work to develop a nanoparticle drug delivery system that will help stimulate lung growth and function after partial lung removal or destructive lung disease.

Physics Professor Wei Chen's discovery that Cu-Cy nanoparticles, combined with X-ray exposure, significantly slow tumor growth in lab studies. Chen is co-director of UTA's Center for Security Advances Via Applied Nanotechnology.

Nguyen's $1.4 million National Institutes of Health grant to create a nanoparticle system to shore up arterial walls following angioplasty and stenting procedures to treat coronary arterial disease.

Electrical Engineering Associate Professor Samir Iqbal's $480,000 National Science Foundation grant that led to a novel cancer cell detection method that will improve early diagnosis through a tool that tracks cellular behavior in real time using nanotextured walls that mimic layers of body tissue.

Yaowu Hao, a Materials Science and Engineering associate professor, received a $477,000 R15 grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop radiotherapeutic nanoseeds that will work from inside inoperable solid tumors and cause less damage to healthy cells.

Iqbal's $400,000 National Science Foundation Early Career Development Program award to create a nanoelectronic microfluidic biochip to detect biomarkers.

###

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.
HOUSTON - The HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN), which includes McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), has launched a study to evaluate whether a new injectable medication can work as well as an existing oral pill to safely protect against HIV among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW) who have sex with men.

The trial will help determine whether a new HIV prevention drug called cabotegravir, which can be injected into the body every two months, is as safe and effective as Truvada, a daily oral pill that contains tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and emtricitabine. Cabotegravir is an integrase inhibitor, which blocks an HIV enzyme and prevents the virus from multiplying. Researchers believe that the long-lasting nature of the injectable drug may make it easier to adhere to than a daily oral medication.

"We are very excited to bring access to a prevention trial with a promising long-acting drug for Houstonians at risk for HIV infection. This novel prevention strategy aims to improve adherence, which is directly linked to efficacy," said Roberto C. Arduino, M.D., professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth and principal investigator of the Houston site, which will enroll 100 participants in the trial.

Trial participants will be enrolled through Harris Health System's Thomas Street Health Center, an outpatient clinic in Houston where UTHealth physicians see patients. Arduino will collaborate with Baylor College of Medicine researchers in the enrollment and follow-up of participants for the study.

People who are at risk of becoming infected with HIV will be assigned randomly to either the injectable drug or the oral drug group. Study participants will be transitioned to local HIV prevention services when their participation in the study ends. Participation in the trial could range from 1.5 to 4.5 years, depending on when a person enrolls in the trial.

The United States, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Thailand, Vietnam and South Africa are among the countries participating in the clinical trial, which will enroll 4,500 participants and last up to four and a half years.

The study is jointly funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, and ViiV Healthcare. Study drugs are provided by ViiV Healthcare and Gilead Sciences, Inc.

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For more information about the Houston site of the trial, please call 713-500-6751.

-adapted from a news release by the HIV Prevention Trials Network
Our world seems to grow smaller by the day as biodiversity rapidly dwindles, but Mother Earth still has a surprise or two up her sleeve. An international team of researchers were the first to investigate a never before studied species -- a giant, black, mud dwelling, worm-like animal. The odd animal doesnt seem to eat much, instead it gets its energy from a form of sulfur. The findings, led by scientists at the University of Utah, Northeastern University, University of the Philippines, Sultan Kudarat State University and Drexel University, will be published online in the Apr. 17 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

From Monster Myth to Reality

People have known about the existence of the creature for centuries. The three- to five-foot long, tusk-like shells that encase the animal were first documented in the 18th century. "The shells are fairly common," begins lead investigator Daniel Distel, Ph.D., a research professor and director of the Ocean Genome Legacy Center at Northeastern University, "But we have never had access to the animal living inside."

The animal's preferred habitat was unclear, but the research team benefitted from a bit of serendipity when one of their collaborators shared a documentary that aired on Philippine television. The video showed the bizarre creatures planted, like carrots, in the mud of a shallow lagoon. Following this lead, the scientists set up an expedition and found live specimens of Kuphus polythalamia.

With a live giant shipworm finally in hand, the research team huddled around Distel as he carefully washed the sticky mud caked to the outside of the giant shipworm shell and tapped off the outer cap, revealing the creature living inside.

"I was awestruck when I first saw the sheer immensity of this bizarre animal," says Marvin Altamia, researcher at the marine sciences institute, University of the Philippines. "Being present for the first encounter of an animal like this is the closest I will ever get to being a 19th century naturalist," says the study's senior author Margo Haygood, a research professor in medicinal chemistry at the University of Utah College of Pharmacy.

Because the animal had never been studied rigorously, little was known about its life history, habitat, or biology. "We suspected the giant shipworm was radically different from other wood-eating shipworms," says Haygood. "Finding the animal confirmed that." Altamia continues, "Frankly, I was nervous. If we made a mistake, we could lose the opportunity to discover the secrets of this very rare specimen." The scientists were then faced with an interesting dilemma explain why Kuphus is so unusual.

Stinky Mud Makes Good Eats

The answer may lie in the remote habitat in which it was found, a lagoon laden with rotting wood.

The normal shipworm burrows deep into the wood of trees that have washed into the ocean, munching on and digesting the wood with the help of bacteria. Unlike its shipworm cousins, Kuphus lives in the mud. It also turns to bacteria to obtain nourishment, but in a different way.

Kuphus lives in a pretty stinky place. The organic-rich mud around its habitat emits hydrogen sulfide, a gas derived from sulfur, which has a distinct rotten egg odor. This environment may be noxious for you and me, but it is a feast for the giant shipworm.

And yet Kuphus themselves don't eat, or if they do, they eat very little. Instead, they rely on beneficial bacteria that live in their gills that make food for them. Like tiny chefs, these bacteria use the hydrogen sulfide as energy to produce organic carbon that feeds the shipworm. This process is similar to the way green plants use the sun's energy to convert carbon dioxide in the air into simple carbon compounds during photosynthesis. As a result, many of Kuphus's internal digestive organs have shrunk from lack of use.

The Origin Story

The giant shipworm's lifestyle lends support to a hypothesis proposed by Distel almost two decades ago. Acquiring a different type of beneficial bacteria could explain how shipworms transition from a wood-eating organism to one that uses a noxious gas in mud to survive.

The research team will continue to examine the role wood plays in the unique transition between the normal shipworm and the giant shipworm. "We are also interested to see if similar transitions can be found for other animals that live in unique habitats around the world," said Distel.

The discovery of this flagship creature expands on our understanding of biodiversity in the Indo-Pacific region, which was made possible through collaborative nature of this interdisciplinary, international research group.

###

This work is an important component of research grants provided by the International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups program. The program helps researchers conduct projects in developing countries to identify unique, novel compounds for future drug development, while building research capacity and conserving biodiversity in the host country.

Distel and Haygood collaborated with colleagues from University of Utah, Drexel University, Second Genome in San Francisco, Ecole Normale Superieure, France and the University of the Philippines, the Sultan Kudarat State University and the Philippine Genome Center in the Philippines.

The research was funded by National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and U.S Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute.
The massive Kaskawulsh Glacier in northern Canada has retreated about a mile up its valley over the past century.

Last spring, its retreat triggered a geologic event at relatively breakneck speed. The toe of ice that was sending meltwater toward the Slims River and then north to the Bering Sea retreated so far that the water changed course, joining the Kaskawulsh River and flowing south toward the Gulf of Alaska.

This capture of one river's flow by another, documented in a study led by the University of Washington Tacoma and published April 17 in Nature Geoscience, is the first known case of "river piracy" in modern times. "Geologists have seen river piracy, but nobody to our knowledge has documented it happening in our lifetimes," said lead author Dan Shugar, a geoscientist at the University of Washington Tacoma. "People had looked at the geological record -- thousands or millions of years ago -- not the 21st century, where it's happening under our noses."

River piracy, also known as stream capture, can happen due to tectonic motion of Earth's crust, landslides, erosion or, in this case, changes in a glacial dam. The new study documents one of the less-anticipated shifts that can occur in a changing climate.

Shugar and co-authors Jim Best at the University of Illinois and John Clague at Canada's Simon Fraser University had planned fieldwork last summer on the Slims River, a geologically active system that feeds Kluane Lake in the Yukon. When they arrived in August, the river was not flowing. River gauges show an abrupt drop over four days from May 26 to 29, 2016.

By late summer, "there was barely any flow whatsoever. It was essentially a long, skinny lake," Shugar said. "The water was somewhat treacherous to approach, because you're walking on these old river sediments that were really goopy and would suck you in. And day by day we could see the water level dropping."

The research team puzzled about what to do next. They got permission to use their mapping drone to create a detailed elevation model of the glacier tongue and headwater region. The resulting paper is a geological postmortem of the river's disappearance.

"For the last 300 years, Slims River flowed out to the Bering Sea, and the smaller Kaskawulsh River flowed to the Gulf of Alaska. What we found was the glacial lake that fed Slims River had actually changed its outlet," Shugar said. "A 30-meter (100-foot) canyon had been carved through the terminus of the glacier. Meltwater was flowing through that canyon from one lake into another glacial lake, almost like when you see champagne poured into glasses that are stacked in a pyramid."

That second lake drains via the Kaskawulsh River in a different direction than the first. The situation is fairly unique, Shugar said, since the glacier's toe was sitting on a geologic divide.

Clague began studying this glacier years ago for the Geological Survey of Canada. He observed that Kluane Lake, which is Yukon's largest lake, had changed its water level by about 40 feet (12 meters) a few centuries ago. He concluded that the Slims River that feeds it had appeared as the glacier advanced, and a decade ago predicted the river would disappear again as the glacier retreated.

"The event is a bit idiosyncratic, given the peculiar geographic situation in which it happened, but in a broader sense it highlights the huge changes that glaciers are undergoing around the world due to climate change," Clague said.

The geologic event has redrawn the local landscape. Slims River crosses the Alaska Highway, and its banks were a popular hiking route. Now that the riverbed is exposed, Dall sheep from Kluane National Park are making their way down to eat the fresh vegetation, venturing into territory where they can legally be hunted. With less water flowing in, Kluane Lake did not refill last spring, and by summer 2016 was about 3 feet (1 meter) lower than ever recorded for that time of year. Waterfront land, which includes the small communities of Burwash Landing and Destruction Bay, is now farther from shore. As the lake level continues to drop researchers expect this will become an isolated lake cut off from any outflow.

On the other hand, the Alsek River, a popular whitewater rafting river that is a UNESCO world heritage site, was running higher last summer due to the addition of the Slims River's water.

Shifts in sediment transport, lake chemistry, fish populations, wildlife behavior and other factors will continue to occur as the ecosystem adjusts to the new reality, Shugar said.

"So far, a lot of the scientific work surrounding glaciers and climate change has been focused on sea-level rise," Shugar said. "Our study shows there may be other underappreciated, unanticipated effects of glacial retreat."

The Kaskawulsh Glacier is retreating up the valley because of both readjustment after a cold period centuries ago, known as the Little Ice Age, and warming due to greenhouse gases. A technique published in 2016 by UW co-author Gerard Roe shows a 99.5 percent probability that this glacier's retreat is showing the effects of modern climate change.

"I always point out to climate-change skeptics that Earth's glaciers are becoming markedly smaller, and that can only happen in a warming climate," Clague said.

###

Other co-authors are Christian Schoof at the University of British Columbia, Michael Willis at the University of Colorado and Luke Copland at the University of Ottawa. The study was funded by the University of Washington Royalty Research Fund, Parks Canada, Yukon Geological Survey, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the University of Ottawa and the University of Illinois.

For more information, contact Shugar at dshugar@uw.edu or 253-692-4926 or Clague at jclague@sfu.ca or 778-782-4924.
The devastating impact suffered by farmers and crofters is being highlighted in a new sheep-wise campaign warning the public against failing to control their dogs in the countryside.

The campaign, launched this week by the National Sheep Association of Scotland and Quality Meat Scotland, will include a short film featuring powerful first-hand accounts of the devastation caused when dogs worry sheep.

The launch coincides with the Easter weekend, when thousands of people and dogs venture into the great outdoors.

Narrated by a dog lover, the film articulates the anguish which dog owners face, along with potential criminal prosecution, if they fail to control their dogs properly in the countryside.

It also describes the devastation of seeing lambs and ewes attacked and killed by dogs.

'Heart-breaking'

Kathy Peebles, NSA Scotland vice-chairman, said: For farmers, as well as lost income, it is heart-breaking to witness horrendous injuries in the sheep they work hard to look after.

For pregnant ewes, the result of being hounded by dogs can be miscarriage of unborn lambs and for ewes with young lambs at foot the result can be offspring getting separated from ewes and dying of hypothermia or starvation."

This united awareness follows a recent radio advertising campaign by Scottish Natural Heritage and the on-going Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime (SPARC) livestock worrying campaign.

'Nightmare'

Scottish SPCA Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn urged people to ensure their dogs were kept secure at home because in many cases the source of the problem is dogs which are unaccompanied and allowed to stray.

The Scottish countryside is a great place for people to enjoy with their dogs but, by failing to think and take simple steps, dog-owners run the risk of a carefree walk turning into a nightmare.

It can be hard for people to believe that their loyal, loving pet can change so dramatically when they start to chase sheep. The message is clear  dont risk it.

Be sheep-wise and keep your dogs under control in the countryside.
If you buy organic carrots from a major retailer in the UK, they have likely been washed with water filtered through a reed bed at Produce Worlds factory in Yaxley, near Peterborough.

Agri-Tech East, the UKs largest membership organisation for agri-tech, is holding a Water SIG (Special Interest Group) visit to the Yaxley site on 17 May, where attendees can learn about the installation and maintenance of a reed bed.

89% of water used by Produce World is processed through the natural filtration system which holds 12,000 cubic metres of water. The reed species used are the Common Reed (Phragmites Australis) and Bulrush (Typha Latifoli).

As an organic facility, the decision to install a reedbed was more about narrative than economic benefits, says Jamie. However, when you break it down, the site was spending about 50,000 a year on chemicals. For a large site, our water bill is now relatively low.

How does the reed bed system work?

Jamie explains: Dams slow the flow of water as it travels along the river. The water is then passed through four separate gravel filtration processes, giving solids in the water time to settle.

The reeds transfer oxygen to their roots, which is utilised by diverse microorganisms. These microorganisms enhance the biological treatment function of the system. Water soaks through four individual pea gravel beds to be pumped into a holding lagoon. Its a closed loop system, so clean water goes into the factory each morning for washing the vegetables, and the dirty water is returned to the lagoon in the evening for processing.

There is little need for maintenance, other than managing the flow rate.

Jamie believes that with enough space, a reed bed could be used by agribusinesses that use high volumes of water. Visitors will get a feel for the size during the upcoming Agri-Tech East event.

A sustainable source of good quality water is critical in agriculture, comments Dr Belinda Clarke, Director of Agri-Tech East.

So we are excited to provide the opportunity to see Produce Worlds reedbed at Yaxley, allowing participants to understand its benefits and how to install one for their own business. Places are strictly limited, so register your interest asap!
Sandeep Toshniwal and his wife Ashrita are all set to get divorced soon.

By India Today Web Desk: Karisma Kapoor's ex-husband Sunjay Kapur married Priya Sachdev in a private ceremony in Delhi, and now Lolo and her boyfriend Sandeep Toshniwal might be the next Bollywood couple to have a happily-ever-after. If reports are to be believed, Sandeep's wife Dr Ashrita has finally decided to divorce her husband.

Initially, Ashrita was unwilling to divorce Sandeep, but according to Spotboye.com, after months of staying separately, she has changed her mind and agreed to divorce her estranged husband. The report suggests that the preliminary divorce proceedings have already begun.

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In the alimony, Ashrita will get Rs crore 2 crore and their Delhi home. In addition to this, their two daughters will get Rs 3 crore each.

The custody of the children will be with Ashrita, however, no word is out on Sandeep's visitation rights.

Ashrita, who married Mumbai-based businessman Sandeep in 2013, had accused him of adultery. However, Sandeep's advocate Toban Irani defended his client by saying, "Dr Ashrita is suffering from a psychological disorder where she feels that people are doing something to her, and she even tends to get aggressive. We have doctor certificates on that, she did not take treatment when the same was detected. This made it difficult for (my client) Toshniwal to continue his marriage with her."

In fact, Karisma was recently spotted with Sandeep in Mumbai when the couple was chilling with friend Amrita Arora Ladak and Shakeel Ladak.

While Karisma has not openly admitted to being in a relationship with Sandeep, but their frequent public appearances are enough proof. And if things go as planned, Karisma and Sandeep might soon tie the knot.

It was during Taimur Ali Pataudi's birth that the rumours of Karisma's engagement started doing the rounds. A picture of Lolo flaunting a big rock on her finger sparked the rumours. However, reportedly the two did not make if public as Sandeep was already married. But it seems their relationship has got a green signal as the divorce proceedings have already begun.

ALSO READ: Karisma Kapoor's ex-husband Sunjay Kapur ties the knot with Priya Sachdev

ALSO READ: Karisma Kapoor-Sandeep Toshniwal relationship official to the Kapoors now?

ALSO READ: Karisma Kapoor engaged to Sandeep Toshniwal? Looking back at the relationship

ALSO WATCH: Sunjay Kapur's father's Mumbai house transferred in Karisma's name

--- ENDS ---
Doing Homework on Vaccines this Back-to-School Season? Here are 10 Ways to Separate Fact from Fiction.
The ransacked university hostel room of slain Pakistani student Mashal Khan has posters of Karl Marx and Che Guevara still hanging on the walls, along with scribbled quotes including one that reads: Be curious, crazy and mad.

The day before, a heated debate over religion with fellow students broke out at the dorm and led to people accusing Khan of blasphemy against Islam. That attracted a crowd that grew to several hundred people, according to witnesses.

The mob kicked in the door, dragged Khan from his room and beat him to death, witnesses and police said.

The death in the northwestern city of Mardan is the latest violence linked to accusations of blasphemy in Pakistan. Those who knew Khan described him as an intellectually curious student who openly professed devotion to Islam but asked many questions.

Whatever he had to say, he would say it openly, but he didnt understand the environment he was living in, said one of Khans teachers at Abdul Wali Khan University, who declined to be named for fear of retribution.

Aziz ur Rehman, a caretaker at the hostel who witnessed Khans debate with his fellow students, said he brought up arcane subjects such as whether the offspring of Adam and Eve  the original humans in Islamic texts as well as Judeo-Christian ones  would have married each other, raising the issue of incest.

Crimes related to blasphemy are a serious offence in Muslim-majority Pakistan, and penalties range from small fines to the death sentence.

At least 65 people have been murdered over blasphemy allegations since 1990, according to figures from a Center for Research and Security Studies report and local media, and dozens more convicted of the crime are currently on death row in Pakistani jails.

The Pakistani government has yet to comment publicly on Khans killing.

In March, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif issued an order for the removal of blasphemous content online, and said anyone who posted such content should face strict punishment under the law.

Police say they have arrested 20 suspects involved in Khans murder and have found no evidence to substantiate blasphemy allegations.

Imam refuses last rights

Rehman, the caretaker, said Khan was alive when the police arrived, but that they did not approach the hostel until it was too late.

They could have easily saved his life but they stood away from the mob  I heard one officer say its good that they sent this non-believer to hell, he said.

Mardan police chief Mohammad Alam Shinwari denied the allegation that officers did not do enough to save Khan.

When we entered the campus, he had already been killed and the mob was trying to burn his body, he said. In Khans home town of Swabi, around 60 km south of Mardan, his father, Iqbal Shaer, said the accusations of blasphemy were unfounded. First they killed my son and now they are adding salt to our wounds, he told Reuters.

Shaer, who runs a small business selling biscuits and chocolates to local retailers, said he had always been a lover of poetry and literature and encouraged his children to express themselves and appreciate the arts.

He added: My wife told me this morning that she spent her life taking care of her son, but those who killed him have wasted that long struggle.

At Khans funeral, the imam at the local mosque refused to read the last rites, according to Swabi resident Salman Ahmed. A technician who was asked to do so in the clerics place was confronted by several people afterwards. Khan has since been buried.

Source : DNA
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1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge Celebrates Grand Opening

1 Hotels and mindbodygreen have partnered to celebrate the hotel's grand opening on Earth Day, Saturday April 22, with a free, public mindfulness event at 1 Hotels' newest property in Brooklyn Heights.

The partnership will see a headline Earth Day event take place at 1 Hotels' flagship property 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, with supporting satellite activations at other 1 Hotel locations including Central Park, New York and South Beach, Miami.

"The World Around Us Is Beautiful and We Want to Keep It That Way"

"Every year, the world pays tribute to our planet on Earth Day, utilizing it as an effective advocacy vehicle to build a healthy, sustainable environment, address climate change and protect the Earth for future generations," says 1 Hotels' Vice President of Sustainability, Amanda DeSantis. "At 1 Hotels, our core philosophy is that the world around us is beautiful and we want to keep it that way, so it was a natural alignment for us to host this nationwide first event that facilitates awareness of the world's largest environmental movement."

Yoga, Meditation and a Performance by BELLA GAIA

Curated by mindbodygreen, the Brooklyn event will host a variety of activities including rooftop yoga led by Los-Angeles based instructor Caley Alyssa, group meditations led by Light Watkins and 1 Hotels' in house meditation leader Biet Simkin, astrology readings with Bess Matassa of Mojave Rising and one-on-one sessions with Treatment by Lanshin, a Brooklyn-based wellness studio. Additionally, there will be a musical and visual performance by BELLA GAIA and live panel discussions facilitated by CEO and Founder of mindbodygreen, Jason Wachob around sustainability, which will be livestreamed at Facebook/mindbodygreen.com.

Brooklyn vendors including Keap, Natchie, Matchaful, Devocion and more will be selling and sampling locally-made food, beverages, gift items, beauty and wellness products. Additional refreshments will be available for purchase through 1 Hotels, along with local vendors from the new DeKalb Market Hall, opening later this spring, including Ample Hills Creamery, Bread & Spread and Jianbing Company.



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"Environmental sustainability is in our DNA at mindbodygreen! We strive to help people live their best life mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally and environmentally," said CEO and Founder of mindbodygreen, Jason Wachob. "We're proud to be partnering with 1 Hotels this Earth Day to bring our community together to inspire them with information that will drive action to protect our environment."

Event Details:

Situated at Pier 1, just south of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, in Brooklyn Bridge Park, the property features 194 guest rooms, including 29 two- to six-bedroom suites and The Riverhouse, its Presidential Suite, with most rooms offering panoramic views of the East River, the Brooklyn Bridge and the New York City skyline.

1 Hotel and mindbodygreen's headline event will take place on Earth Day (Saturday, April 22) at 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge (60 Furman Street, Brooklyn NY) and in nearby Brooklyn Bridge Park from 12:00PM-9:15PM.

FULL SCHEDULE:

12:00-8:00PM: Astrology readings with Bess Matassa and wellness sessions with Joanna Coates of Treatment by Lanshin (free appointments, first-served); marketplace of local Brooklyn vendors and food purveyors open to the public.

12:00-12:45PM: Group meditation in Brooklyn Bridge Park led by Vedic Meditation teacher Light Watkins.

1:00-2:00PM: Group yoga class on the 1 Hotel rooftop hosted by Los Angeles yoga instructor Caley

Alyssa.

3:00-4:30PM: Panel discussions around the future of sustainability as it pertains to:

Business: Christiana Peppard, Ph.D. and Drew Fitzgerald of JUST Water

Fashion: Fashion designer Mara Hoffman, Scott Mackinlay Hahn of Loomstate and Deb Johnson of the Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator

Food: Dr. Robert Graham

Activism: Barry Sternlicht, 1 Hotels Chairman & CEO and Rhea Suh, President of the Natural Resources Defense Council

5:00-5:45PM: Discussion with astronaut Ron Garan and filmmaker Guy Reid and an exclusive premier of their film, Planetary

6:00-6:45: Group meditation on the 1 Hotel rooftop with Biet Simkin

8:00-9:15pm: Free performance in Brooklyn Bridge Park by BELLA GAIA

Satellite Events:

Supporting activations at 1 Hotel Central Park and 1 Hotel South Beach will entail:

1 Hotel Central Park  1 Hotels and mindbodygreen will commission a custom Earth Day installation by local florist Denise Porcaro of Flower Girl that invites pedestrians to stop, appreciate the beauty of nature and snap a photo to benefit the NRDC. The installation will live in or outside 1 Hotel Central Park and its restaurant, Jams, in the days leading up to Earth Day. 1 Hotel Central Park will also provide opportunities for guests to give back and do good:

GET ACTIVE  1 Hotel Central Park is partnering with our friends at New York Restoration Project for a community clean up activity this Earth Day in collaboration with Columbia Sportswear and Bronx Brewery. Activities will take place in the Meatpacking District of New York City. After volunteering, everyone is invited to the nearby Columbia store for a seed planting workshop and complimentary beer tasting by the Bronx Brewery.

1 Hotel Central Park is partnering with our friends at New York Restoration Project for a community clean up activity this Earth Day in collaboration with Columbia Sportswear and Bronx Brewery. Activities will take place in the Meatpacking District of New York City. After volunteering, everyone is invited to the nearby Columbia store for a seed planting workshop and complimentary beer tasting by the Bronx Brewery. GO GREEN  1 Hotel Central Park's Lobby Farmstand will host a tree stand for the week of Earth Day, offering guests packets of seeds to plant after their stay.

1 Hotel Central Park's Lobby Farmstand will host a tree stand for the week of Earth Day, offering guests packets of seeds to plant after their stay. GIVE BACK  Stop by the bar at Jams to enjoy a special seasonal cocktail benefitting the New York Restoration Project. The Don't Believe the Florist cocktail is made using basil from a NYRP community garden and is available for $17 with $1 of each cocktail going to NYRP.

1 Hotel South Beach  The brand's Miami property will present a day of eco-celebrations and wellness activities highlighting Soul, Being, Mind and Movement:
Whilst year-on-year growth in profit per room at hotels in Dublin slowed to 4.5 per cent for year-to-date 2017, the remarkable story of growth in top and bottom line performance at hotels in the Irish capital continues, according to the latest data from HotStats.

Whilst year-on-year growth in profit per room at hotels in Dublin slowed to 4.5 per cent for year-to-date 2017, the remarkable story of growth in top and bottom line performance at hotels in the Irish capital continues, according to the latest data from HotStats.

Having become accustomed to the huge profit growth recorded at hotels in the Irish capital in recent years, which has included a 30.1 per cent increase in 2015 and 19.9 per cent in 2016, the year-to-date growth is more subdued but still remains amongst the fastest growing in Europe.

Room occupancy at Dublin hotels dropped by 2.3 percentage points this month, but this was more than compensated for by the 6.9 per cent increase in achieved average room rate, to 144.84. As a result, the upward trajectory of RevPAR (Revenue per Available Room) for hotels in the Irish capital was maintained, with a 3.7 per cent increase for the month contributing to a 3.8 per cent year-to-date increase for 2017, to 100.75.

Hotels in Dublin will have their work cut out to maintain top line performance, as the number of forthcoming additions to supply is significant, including 18 projects over the next three years comprising 1,610 bedrooms, the most notable of which are the 202-bedroom Aloft Dublin City and 178-bedroom Clayton Hotel Charlemont.

For the moment though, the growth in top and bottom line performance remains considerable, with a 48.6 per cent increase in RevPAR recorded over the last 36 months, fuelling a 77.5 per cent increase in profit per room, to 79.40 in the 12 months to February 2017.

Non-Rooms Revenue Drives Profit Growth at Frankfurt Hotels

Despite hotels in Frankfurt virtually flatlining in RevPAR this month, hotels in the German city recorded a 3.7 per cent increase in profit per room thanks to growth in non-rooms revenue.

Hotels in Frankfurt posted a 0.4 percentage point increase in occupancy, but this was wiped out, almost in its entirety, by a 0.4 per cent decline in achieved average room rate, to 158.42.

However, the 0.1 increase in Rooms Revenue at Frankfurt hotels was supplemented by growth in non-rooms revenue, including Food and

Beverage (+5.3 per cent) and Conference and Banqueting (+8.7 per cent), which contributed to the 1.6 per cent increase in TrevPAR (Total Revenue per Available Room).

And despite a 2.1 per cent increase in Payroll per available room, a 0.6 per cent saving in Overheads on a per available room basis contributed to profit per room increasing to 56.49, equivalent to a profit conversion of 34.6 per cent of total revenue.

Troubled Fall into

Hotels in Istanbul recorded a profit per room of -2.71 in February, as year-on-year profit levels dropped by 50.6 per cent this month, led by a 14.8 per cent drop in RevPAR to 30.55.

The drop in RevPAR this month was due to a 4.2 percentage point decrease in room occupancy, to just 39.7 per cent, as well as a 5.9 per cent decline in achieved average room rate, to 77.03.

The commercial segment has been the hardest hit in recent years, with the residential conference and corporate segments comprising 38.6 per cent of accommodated roomnights in the 12 months to February 2017, which is well down from 51.7 per cent in the 12 months to February 2014. For the average hotel polled in our sample for Istanbul, the decline is equivalent to a drop of approximately 15,000 accommodated commercial-related roomnights per annum over the last 36 months.

The recent poor performance means there is little room for further cost cutting and payroll levels at hotels in Istanbul increased by a further 0.9 percentage points to 57.4 per cent of total revenue, wiping out more than half of hotel profits. The remaining revenues were hit by overhead costs, which accounted for 48.5 per cent of total revenue.

Click here ( Adobe Acrobat PDF file) to view full the report.

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Sources said Enforcement Directorate had conducted investigations into the foreign investments received by Vasan Health Care Pvt. Limited, a leading Health Care firm in Chennai, both in the primary market as well as secondary market on the basis of inputs received by them about suspected contraventions under FEMA.

Preliminary Investigation revealed that the said company had received investments from the funds of Sequoia and WestBridge, a company based in Mauritius and also through investment arms of M/s GIC, Singapore.

The Overseas investors acquired shares of M/s Vasan Health Care Pvt Limited by acquiring Compulsorily Convertible Preference Shares (CCPS) directly from the company by investing a total amount of Rs.432 Crore in different rounds of investments from February 2009 to November 2014. The Shares were acquired by the Overseas investors on the face value at Rs.100 each.

In addition, the Overseas Investors instead of acquiring equity shares from the company directly, which would have added more liquidity to the company, chose to acquire the same in the secondary market, from the existing share holders of the Company including its promoter A.M.Arun, M/s AMA Associates (a partnership firm belonging to the promoter A.M.Arun and his father in law Dwarakanathan) and M/s Advantage Strategic Consulting Pvt Limited, a company whose activities are found to be in the control of Karti P Chidambaram.

The first tranche of sale took place in the end of 2010, when the shares were sold at Rs.7500 per share. The second tranche of sale took place in March and May 2012, when the shares were sold at Rs.5242 per share. The total amount invested by the Overseas investors, which ultimately benefited the above mentioned existing share holders is Rs.357.72 Crore.

One of the overseas investor of the Sequoia group, who invested in the CCPS of M/s Vasan in the first round of investment in February 2009, sold their stake worth around Rs.25 Crore in March 2012, to one of the investment arm of GIC Singapore for Rs.177.40 Crore, getting a return of more than seven times of their investment.

Arun, promoter of M/s Vasan who was allotted Equity Shares of face value of Rs.100 each on payment of premium of Rs.100 transferred 300000 Equity Shares to her father Dwarakanathan without receiving any consideration. Arun immediately organized the transfer of 150000 shares from Dwarakanathan to M/s Advantage Strategic Consulting P Limited, which was never connected to the activities of the company till that date.

Although the shares had a total face value of Rs.1.50 Crore and was acquired by the original allottee for Rs.3 Crore, which included a premium of Rs.1.50 Crore, M/s Advantage Strategic Consulting P Limited, paid to the transferor Dwarakanathan Rs.50 lakh only and that too after a period of more than one year from the date of transfer of shares.

Arun, while negotiating with the Overseas Investors in selling his stake, also facilitated and ensured that shares held by M/s Advantage are also sold. M/s Advantage out of the said 150000 shares, sold 30000 Shares to one of the investors from the Sequoia group and received consideration of around Rs.22.50 Crore. It was only after the receipt of the consideration, they transferred the remaining amount of Rs.1 Crore to Dwarakanathan.

Sources said during the investigation it was revealed that various agreements were entered from time to time between the Company, promoters, investors and seller of shares. The CCPS were issued to the overseas investors wherein the price/conversion formula had not been determined upfront at the time of issuance of the shares.

Further, as per the agreements, the overseas investors were given assurance of the returns in one form or other. Such assurance of returns and non determination of the price/conversion formula upfront are not permitted and are in contravention of FEMA.

Further the parties in the agreement, agreed to a profit sharing mechanism through which the transferee agrees to pay the transferor, a "sale profit" derived during the exit mechanism/mode. Such clauses are similar to "deferment of payment" and are not permitted without the approval of Reserve Bank of India.

M/s Vasan Health Care Private Limited have not followed any of their statutory obligations as envisaged under FEMA, 1999 in their reporting mechanism to Reserve Bank and failure on their part also resulted in contravention of FEMA, 1999. Similarly A.M.Arun has also not followed the statutory obligations of reporting in the shares transferred by him to the overseas investors.

The total amount of contravention identified to have been committed by M/s Vasan Health Care Private Limited and its overseas investors on different counts in the investments received from overseas investors is around Rs.2100 Crore.

During the investigation it was also noticed that M/s Vasan had transferred around US$ 6.80 million with intimation of setting up a wholly owned subsidiary at Singapore. However, M/s Vasan have not received the mandatory share certificates to confirm the investments made abroad. Further, during investigation it was noticed that subsequent to the transfer of amount from India to Singapore, further onward transfers were made to Dubai and Srilanka and setting up of step down subsidiaries.

However, the regulatory authorities have not been informed about the same. The resultant acts have led to contraventions in the ODI Scheme by M/s Vasan to the extent of around Rs.162 Crore.

Show Cause Notice has been issued to M/s Vasan Health Care Private Limited, its promoter Director Arun, his wife, Dwarakanathan and also to the overseas investors for the alleged contraventions.

The total amount of contravention identified on different counts and found to have been committed by M/s Advantage Strategic Consulting P Limited in the sale transaction of shares of Vasan to Overseas Investors is around Rs.45 Crore.
ConnXus Awards InfoMart for their Diversity

Posted by Press Releases on Monday, 04-17-2017 6:16 am

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InfoMart, a WBENC-certified global background screening provider, won the ConnXus Grin and Win award.MARIETTA, GA (PRWEB) APRIL 14, 2017InfoMart, a WBENC-certified global background screening provider, won the ConnXus Grin and Win award. ConnXus focuses on diversity, with a portal that connects minority-owned suppliers to Fortune 2000 companies. The Grin and Win competition judges organizations based on the diversity of their teams and the individuality of their workspaces."As a certified woman-owned business, InfoMart promotes diversity across the board," says Tammy Cohen, InfoMart's president and founder. For 27 years, the company has upheld diverse hiring decisions in their workforce, their vendor relationships, and their community at large. "We believe that it's not just good business; it's the right thing to do," she continued. "Building our company on inclusion and respect has helped us develop more creative solutions to the problems in our industry."...

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itSMF USA Awards Celebrate 20 Years of Excellence in Service Management

Posted by Press Releases on Monday, 04-17-2017 6:08 am

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The itSMF USA Awards celebrate the 20th Anniversary of itSMF USA by recognizing individuals, teams and Local Interest Groups / Communities of Interest for service management excellence in 2017.HOUSTON, TX (PRWEB) APRIL 13, 2017itSMF USA, a chapter of itSMF International and the premier independent professional organization and forum for IT Service Management professionals in the U.S., has opened the 2017 nomination period for the Next Generation of itSMF USA Awards.The Next Generation of itSMF USA Awards celebrate and recognize success in service management in individuals, teams and Local Interest Groups/ Communities of Interest in a changing IT Eco-System.Nominations are open for:Service Management in Action Award: This award recognizes and celebrates excellence in Service Management (SM) relevance and business outcomes.Contributor of the Year Award: This award recognizes and celebrates individual Service Management excellence and participation in the SM industry and itSMF.LIG/CoI Exc...

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Skill or Will: New Data About Sales Training Success

Posted by Priya Sharma on Monday, 04-17-2017 2:28 am

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Originally contributed as a guest blog on SellingPower.com By Mike Esterday If youre like most sales leaders, youre constantly hunting for the secret sauce of sales success. Youre convinced that, once found,that secret sauce will put your organization over the top and into the rarefied group of consistently top-performing companies. Look no further. Chances are good that you already have all the ingredients you need. Youve just added them to the sauce in the wrong proportions. We recently conducted a research studyin partnership with the Sales Management Association to find out what top-performing companies focus on thats different from the others. The answers were revealing and, in some cases, surprising. We surveyed leaders at more than 200 sales organizations. We asked them to rate how a salespersons achievement drive that is, their attitudes, beliefs, and passions affects their performance. Likewise, we asked the same of them about how a salespersons product kno...

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The Denver Post Honors Donor Alliance With Colorado Top Workplaces Award For Fourth Consecutive Year

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The federally designated, non-profit organization that facilitates organ and tissue donation in Colorado and most of Wyoming ranked 19th on the list of top small companiesDENVER, CO (PRWEB) APRIL 13, 2017Donor Alliance has been awarded a 2017 Top Workplaces honor by the Denver Post. The federally designated, non-profit organization that facilitates organ and tissue donation in Colorado and most of Wyoming ranked 19th on the list of top small companies.The Top Workplaces lists are based solely on the results of an employee feedback survey administered by WorkplaceDynamics, LLC, a leading research firm that specializes in organizational health and workplace improvement. Several aspects of workplace culture were measured, including Alignment, Execution and Connection, just to name a few.The Top Workplaces award is not a popularity contest. And oftentimes, people assume its all about fancy perks and benefits, said Doug Claffey, CEO of WorkplaceDynamics. But to be a Top Workplace, organ...

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We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector

We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector

We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector

We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector
The students were protesting against the alleged high-handedness of security forces while dealing with a similar protest at the Pulwama degree college on Saturday.

By India Today Web Desk: Leaving dozens of students and policemen injured, clashes broke out between security forces and agitating students in different parts of the Kashmir Valley. The protesters even resorted to stone-pelting against the forces.

Incidents were reported from Srinagar, Bandipora, Baramulla, Anantnag, Pulwama, Kupwara, Kulgam and Shopian districts.

The students had called for protests against Saturday's incident in Pulwama town in which over 50 students were injured in fighting with security forces after objecting to the setting up of a security post outside the college.

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Security forces had entered the Pulwama college on Saturday.

A group of students were holding a protest rally near Sri Pratap (SP) College on Moulana Azad Road close to the Lal Chowk city centre this morning, a police official said.

STONE-PELTING

He said security forces asked the protesters to disperse but they did not budge and started pelting stones on the forces, leading to clashes.

Security forces used tear smoke shells to chase away the protesters, the official said.

Students' groups had called for protests against the "brutality perpetrated by forces on students" of Degree College Pulwama in south Kashmir, where clashes with security forces left many injured.

Students of SP College in Srinagar blocked the Maulana Azad Road on Monday as police used tear smoke in a bid to clear it.

The students resorted to massive stone pelting at the police, resulting in injuries to the Station House Officer of Kothibagh police station and two of his guards.

Three students were also injured in the clashes.

Police used dozens of tear smoke shells to disperse the students who kept regrouping to engage the police on the streets.

GIRL STUDENTS TOO JOIN PROTEST

Girls from a women's college in Srinagar also joined the protests as police battled hard to bring the situation under control.

Markets in neighbouring Residency Road and Lal Chowk areas closed as tension spread.

Protests and clashes also erupted between students in Pulwama town despite the authorities having ordered the closure of the college there for two days following Saturday's incident.

Students also indulged in heavy stone pelting at the security forces in Baramulla, Shopian, Kulgam, Anantnag, Dooru, Kupwara, Ganderbal, Tral and Bandipora towns.

Protests took place inside the Kashmir University and the Central University here but these were peaceful.

Reports said over three dozen students and two dozen security men were injured in Monday's clashes in the Valley.

Police said they were maintaining "extreme restraint" while dealing with the student protests.

In the meantime, National Conference's working president Omar Abdullah questioned the handling of students' protests by the Jammu and Kashmir government.

Why could all colleges/universities not have been closed for a few days after the Pulwama clashes? Is @MehboobaMufti not alert to situation? https://t.co/K0rkqS26dY

; Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) April 17, 2017

I hope @MehboobaMufti has thought through the implications of mass student protests across the valley. This is a deeply worrying situation. https://t.co/P5hgLqxqDI- Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) April 17, 2017

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(Inputs from PTI, IANS)

Also read:

Kashmir tense: Youth killed in firing in Srinagar, 54 injured in clashes with security forces in Pulwama

Cycle of violence in Kashmir: Spike in civilian deaths, injuries to security forces in Valley

--- ENDS ---
A emergency education conference was held on April 15, 2017 to discuss and debate the attacks on public education including the growing privatization and outsourcing of education. Also the conference discussed and debated the idea of reforming charters which is being pushed by the CTA/NEA and CFT/AFT.

The Struggle To Defend Public Education, Privatization, Union Democracy & Education WorkersOn April 15, 2017 an emergency education conference was held at UCB to discuss the attack on public education and the fight against privatization from charters to outsourcing.The conference also discussed the fight for democratic unions that are critical to challenge the assault on the right to public education. The panel also discussed the pernicious role of privatization and charters and the fight to repeal the California charter school law.The opening speakers at the conference included:Blanca Misse, San Francisco State CFA memberKristyn Jones, UTR Member and Delegate To 2017 NEA ConventionBeezer De Martelly UAW 2865 UCBJohn Penilla Undergraduate Workers Union UCBNina Deerfield, Parent DFPNFor more media:For more information:Production of Labor Video ProjectEducation Democracy, Privatization & Charters CFA, CTA & CFTAn California emergency education conference sponsored by Labor Rising Against Trump was held on April 15, 2017 at UCB. One of the worships was on "Organizing to Build Power: How to Prepare for a Strike in your Contract". Two of the speakers at the panel Ann Robertson who is a California Faculty Association member at SF State and Joel Jordan who is with UTLA Special Projects gave presentations and attendees raised questions about democracy and the role of the bureaucracy in the CTA and the CFA.For more information on:Production of Labor Video ProjectPresentation by Kristyn Jones, UTR Delegate To 2017 NEA ConventionKristyn Jones UTR Anti-Privatization Organizer & DFEN Richmond Opening Plenary Speech At CA Emergency Education Conference At UCB 4/15/17Opening Plenary Speech At4/15/17 UCBEmergency CA Education Conference & The Fight To Defend Public EducationBlueprints for a Future: Transforming Education ConferenceCharter schools are the biggest threat to public education right now. Betsy Devoss, and the threat of vouchers are looming just around the corner, but the dog on our heels presently are the charter schools. Which are not a product of the far right or even the Republican Party but have been championed by California Democrats.Jerry Brown in fact owns two charter schools in Oakland.Every piece of legislation, sponsored by Democrats to make charters more accountable or transparent. Has been vetoed in fact by Jerry Brown.But the fact is charter schools are wrong on principle. They are wrong because they are taking pubic money and diverting it into private hands. They are using public money and even call themselves public schools but are not under the governance of the publically elected school board. Instead their boards are often made up of folks form the business community.They are wrong because they use public money but do not have to take all students. They in fact cherry pick the best and brightest students. They often dont take their fair share of special education students and when they do take them they are often students with mild disabilities such as speech impediments, rather than the severly handicapped or learning disabled.They are wrong because they use public money but do not hire union. Charter schools in the state of California have spent billions of dollars of non union construction with tax payer money. There was a charter school built near Hilltop Mall in Richmond California that flew in non union labor from Nevada.Charter schools are taking money away from public schools and threaten to bankrupt districts.The Cost of Charter Schools- LA Unified Report, charters cost LA unified a half billion dollars last year.OUSD- Has announced a spending freeze. There will be a 25 million dollar budget deficit this year.WCCUSD-There are about ten charter schools serving about 4,000 students. There numbers are increasing . Old schools that need to be rebuilt have been left to languish. The jury is still out on the financial impact. A new charter called Voices was just approved this past Wednesday, former Trustee Tod Groves said, By approving Voices, the BOE cemented a $10 million revenue loss, equivalent to the Measure T parcel tax.We need to have straight talk about the effect on remaining students. $10 million will hurt deeply. ELD and SPED populations are not shrinking and rightfully will consume ever greater shares of diminishing funds, as will pensions.Charter expansion is creating a fiscal crisis while in no way offering new solutions to educating our most needy students. This conversation must happenSo, can charter schools be reformed? The answer is no. If something is wrong on principal it cannot be reformed, it must be destroyed completely, abolished. Imagine if people like Jim Brown, Frederick Douglass had tried to reform slavery by making the hours shorter or the food better, that would have been ridiculous! Likewise it is ridiculous to try and reform charter schools, we need a movement for abolition.I see several paths towards abolition, First place to start are Calls for moratorium. We need to get unions and cities to pass moratoriums.The NAACP in fact has called on a moratorium. We are calling for a moratorium on the expansion of the charter schools at least until such time as:(1) Charter schools are subject to the same transparency and accountability standards as public schools(2) Public funds are not diverted to charter schools at the expense of the public school system(3) Charter schools cease expelling students that public schools have a duty to educate and(4) Charter schools cease to perpetuate de facto segregation of the highest performing children from those whose aspirations may be high but whose talents are not yet as obvious.Then bringing a law suit against Prop. 39. What is prop 39 you might be wondering? It is the cornerstone of this charter school sham in California. Charter schools were granted rights to public school facilities through Proposition 39, which was passed by California voters 12 years ago. This means that public schools have to share facilities with charter schools. There are some schools in Oakland and Richmond that actually house two different schools, a charter school and a public school. Independence High in San Joses Alum Rock School district actually has 3 charters in one public high school. this is a recipe for disaster that is right of the playbook of Betsy DeVos.Proposition 39 is unconstitutional.1. It prevents school districts from taking action to protect their financial integrity by requiring approval of charters regardless of the financial impact. This violates the California constitution which requires fiscal integrity of governmental agencies.2. Proposition 39 violates equal rights to protection of California students by allowing charters to opt out of the Field Act in protection of public school students. This is discriminatory for charter school students who deserve the same protection as public school students at non-charters.We need to get unions and school boards and city councils to protest these illegalities and to support legal and action to repeal prop 39 and the California charter law. The other thing is that the Washington State NEA chapter actually sued in the court against the charter laws and won and we need to demand that the CTA and CFT take the same stance We need to united parents, students and teachers statewide against the damaging policy of co-location which steals room, facilities and land from public schools to bring in more charters.The other path forward is preparing to in fact repeal the charter school law in 2018. We need 200 committed people to collect 2,000 signatures to get this on the ballot. This is the only way we can get rid of the charter school parasite once and for all.So, clearly we need the unions on board. The problem is that the unions are top down anti-democratic tools of establishment politics and not worker run institutions. The unions for the most part have not educated their members about the threat of charter schools to public education. For example at the National Education Association conference last year I tried to bring a resolution asking for NEA to stop referring to charter schools as public schools and to investigate the financial impact of charter schools and I was blocked by my own California Caucus. Terry Jackson, a member of United Teachers of Richmond, CTA,NEA told me that in fact charter schools are public school because they take public money. There were many other resolutions brought to the NEA last year and all of them were referred to committee. So, NEA affectively sidestepped making any major policy decisions on charters last year. However this year the issue will be remerge in Boston in a major way.My local United Teachers of Richmond UTR did however pass a resolution calling on an end to the expansion of charter schools in our district and in the nation, and effective moratorium. This resolution was passed by the 1600 members though our rep council. Resolution emerged from struggle and dialogue among members of the E board and our rank and file. It is a beautiful shining product of dialogue and struggle. It will forever live on in history as a testament to labor power and unity. It a talks about poverty, calls out charters for being anti-union. However, this resolution was suppressed, a substitute resolution was posted on the website and members were never educated about the threat of charters. Our union leadership in fact rather than promoting our rank and files resolution aligned with the California Alliance for Community Schools. This group put out a platform to reform charter schools. They claim to have the support of 50,000 teachers statewide. But it is a top down paid organizer inititative. The platform is weak and in distinguishing private and public charters, under regulated versus regulated charters, confuses people into thinking there are good charters and bad charters. No, we need to stop all charters.So, there is a fight against charters, and a fight within our unions to make them more democratic. There needs to be a political education campaign in not just education unions but all unions and among all working people about the cancer. This is the fight that I have taken on, that my group Defend Public Education Now has taken on. We are a group of workers who are on the battlefield for real public schools, and are committed to staying there until we win. Today lets start a statewide campaign to expose the pernicious affects of these co-locations. Those who say that DeVos is somehow different from the California Charter School Association and we can make these privatizes are politically disarming the real fight against charters and privatization and we need to tell the truth about the financial conflicts of interest which are inherent and also the systemic corruption which is being covered up by politicians like the California Attorney General and most District Attorneys. They are stealing money from our kids and schools and they need to be prosecuted and jailed. So, we ask that you join us!One of the obstacles is the need to organize politically against charters and privatization and that is what DPEN has been working on statewide.Kristyn JonesUnited Teachers Of Richmond UTR Delegate To 2017 NEA ConventionDefend Public Education Now Richmond
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By IMEMC. |  

Thousands of Christian followers of the Orthodox and Catholic faiths from all over the world, gathering at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalems Old City, celebrated Easter Holy Saturday with the emergence of the holy fire from the location of the tomb believed to be that of Jesus Christ.

However, according to WAFA, only a few privileged Palestinian Christians, mainly those living in East Jerusalem or Israel, were able to attend the celebrations. Thousands of their brethren from the locked West Bank and Gaza Strip, only few kilometers away from Jerusalem, were not able to attend them.

Israel does not allow Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza to reach the wall-in East Jerusalem without special army issued permits.

As with every year, Israel issued a number of permits for West Bank and Gaza Christians to enter Jerusalem during Easter. But, then, it imposed a week-long closure on the occupied territories for the Jewish Passover holiday, which coincided with Easter celebrations, thus deeming all permits void for this week.

At the same time, Israeli police set up blockades around the Old City of Jerusalem and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, preventing thousands of pilgrims from reaching their holy sites.

Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III emerged from the recently renovated tomb, known as the Edicule, with lit candle sticks to indicate the appearance of what Christians of all sects call the holy light.

Once the patriarch has emerged from the tomb, the thousands waiting since the morning hours and carrying candles lit them from the holy fire. The light is then taken to churches around the country and the world.

Christians marked, on Friday, the annual Easter Good Friday procession with thousands of pilgrims from all over the world congregating on Jerusalem to walk the path Jesus Christ had walked to his crucifixion.

Orthodox and Catholic churches marked Easter, this year, at the same time when, usually, each mark it a different time from the other.

Via IMEMC
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By Jim Lobe | FPIF | (Originally published in Lobelog) |  

Many architects of the Iraq War openly hope Trump will go further in pursuing regime change in Syria  and then Iran.

After the pre-dawn cruise-missile strike against Syrias al-Shayrat airfield, neoconservative hawks, many of whom beat the drums for war in Iraq 14 years ago, are feeling the warm spring breezes of renewal and rejuvenation. Suddenly hopeful that Donald Trump may yet be coming around to their worldview, neoconservatives are full of praise for the action, which they (like many liberal interventionists) insist was long overdue.

Not surprisingly, neocons are pressing for more.

The strike, which marked a dramatic reversal by a president who had strongly opposed any similar action by Barack Obama in 2013, coincided with a number of reports that Steve Bannons influence on Trump was on the wane amid intensified infighting between Bannons nationalism and Jared Kushner and Gary Cohns globalism. The potential eclipse of Bannon has only added to the giddiness of the neocons as they anticipate what might now be possible.

For now, at least, its the generals  in the form of National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and Pentagon chief James Mad Dog Mattis  who appear to be masters of the moment both with respect to the decision to strike and the specificity of the target. The principal justification for the strike  to uphold the international ban on chemical weapons as opposed to, say, the broader aim of regime change  was also narrowly drawn, reflecting the militarys determination to avoid being drawn into yet another Middle East civil war.

Nonetheless, the neocons, who have rarely met a slippery military slope they werent tempted to roll down, embraced wholeheartedly both the strike and its justification. They view it as a first  but absolutely necessary  step toward a new phase of U.S. interventionism of precisely the kind that Bannon and his nationalist and Islamophobic allies abhor. The perceived decline in Bannons influence gives them an opening that, until this weeks events, they thought was out of reach.

Thus, the dominant theme for neocons in the strikes aftermath was applause for what they see as an abandonment of Obamas post-Libya policy of military restraint and, quite possibly, the restoration of Washingtons credibility as the global hegemon newly resolved to impose its will anywhere it sees a threat to its vital interests very broadly defined.

Neocons Exult

Elliott Abrams, a top Mideast aide to Bush who Trump rejected as deputy secretary of state reportedly as a result of Bannons opposition, thus exulted in the Weekly Standard over Thursdays strike with the kind of capitalized flattery that appeared as carefully targeted at Trumps enormous ego as the most sophisticated cruise missile. No doubt, Abrams still entertains hopes of getting a top post in the administration if Bannons declining influence is true.

The president has been chief executive since January 20, but this week he acted also as Commander in Chief. And more: he finally accepted the role of Leader of the Free World.  And the strike will have far wider effects [beyond Syria]. It was undertaken while Chinese president Xi was with Trump in Florida. Surely this new image of a president willing to act will affect their conversations about North Korea. Vladimir Putin will think again about his relations with the United States, and will realize that the Obama years of passivity are truly over. Allies and friends will be cheered, while enemies will realize times have changed. When next the Iranians consider swarming around an American ship in the Gulf, they may think again.

Bill Kristol  the Standards editor-at-large and co-founder and director of the Project for the New American Century (PNAC), which did so much to coordinate with the Bush administration in rallying elite support for the Iraq invasion  declared Abramss analysis a must read in a tweet issued Friday morning.

Indeed, prominent neocons clearly saw their opportunity after the lethal chemical attack on Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province Tuesday to press their agenda on the administration.

None other than Paul Wolfowitz, Bushs deputy defense secretary and a chief architect of the Iraq invasion and disastrous aftermath, suggested in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that statements by Trumps senior officials suggesting that Washington was reconciled to Assads continued rule over the country may have emboldened the Syrian leader to test the limits.

Let us hope Mr. Trump will reassess the impact of recent statements by members of his administration indicating that the U.S. is prepared to live with the Assad regime. The Syrians  and their Russian and Iranian backers  might well have interpreted this as a signal that they could continue terrorizing the population.

Encouraged by Trumps initial verbal condemnation of the gas attack, Wolfowitz made clear that action was required:

President Trump may have initially believed that he could avoid the fork in the road presented by the Assad regimes use of chemical weapons in Syria by simply blaming the crime on Barack Obamas failure to enforce his red line four years ago. Fortunately it seems he has reconsidered.

To drive the point home, the Journal editors headlined the op-ed For Syria, Words Wont Be Enough: Trump says attacking civilians crosses many lines. Will he back it up?

Meanwhile, the looniest among the neocons, former CIA director James Woolsey  who was one of the first to publicly claim a connection between Saddam Hussein and 9/11  was urging trump to do much, much more than a simple retaliatory strike.

This at least gives us an opportunity to do something that is tied to the Syrian events, and that would be to use force against the Iranian nuclear program  If we want to change the nature of the threat to us in that part of the world, what we have to do is take out the Iranian nuclear program  if we can without hitting any Russian units  and some of the Syrian capability.

Pump Up the Volume

Although most other neocons were not quite so explicit about their fondest desires, they made perfectly clear that the cruise-missile strike should only be a first step toward a larger regional strategy designed to roll back Iranian (and Russian) influence (much as PNAC warned after 9/11 that taking out the Taliban in Afghanistan should only be a first step in the war against terror). Writing in the New York Daily News, Fred Kagan of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) argued that

President Trumps decision to attack the airfield from which the most recent chemical attack was launched must be the start of a new strategy. It must begin a campaign to drive the Assad regime to compromise. It must be the start of an effort to regain the confidence of Sunni Arabs in Syria and around the world that the U.S. stands with them against all those who would attack them, ISIS and Al Qaeda as well as Iran and its proxies.

Katherine Zimmerman has also echoed this theme of backing the regions Sunni states. Like both Wolfowitz and Kagan, Zimmerman is based at AEI, the neoconservative think tank that not only led the public campaign for invading Iraq but played a critical role in planning the post-invasion occupation.

The US cruise missile strikes are the first step to restoring Americas credibility within the very population  the Sunni Arabs  that it must win over to secure its strategic interests in the Middle East. The action against the Assad regime starts to chip away at al Qaedas narrative that it alone is the defender of the Syrian Sunni. But an isolated response will not achieve systemic effects. It is impossible to defeat al Qaeda and ISIS without the support of the Sunni, and re-establishing Americas credibility will certainly be difficult.

(The irony of AEIs strong backing for Sunnis throughout the region is particularly rich given its historic role in enhancing the influence of Ahmad Chalabi in the run-up to the Iraq invasion. Once re-installed in Iraq, Chalabi, a Shiite, was the principal driver of the de-Baathification that principally victimized Iraqi Sunnis.)

The same message was conveyed Friday by Christopher Griffin, the executive director of the Foreign Policy Initiative (FPI), PNACs lineal descendant, in a bulletin entitled Syria Airstrike Necessary But Insufficient in which he argued for reviving U.S. efforts to empower a moderate opposition to Assad with the larger ambition of diminishing Irans influence.

It may now be possible for the U.S. to coordinate a meaningful coalition that brings together its Sunni Arab allies and potential partners within the Syrian opposition. Since 2014, a major constraint on that coordination has been Washingtons insistence on supporting only military operations against ISIS, and not the Assad regime. If American policy is revised, it will create new opportunities to protect the Syrian people from the Assad regime and to legitimize non-extremist alternatives to the ISIS and al Qaeda affiliates in Syria.  If American pressure can limit Russian support while bringing together a more effective anti-Assad coalition, the United States may be able to isolate Iran and place one of its few allies in the Middle East at risk. The United States should not hesitate to seize such an opportunity.

Neocon Overlap with Trump

Of course, this is precisely where the neocon agenda overlaps with that of Pentagon chief James Mattis who, of all the members of the Cabinet, seems to enjoy the greatest influence with Trump at the moment.

Since serving as chief of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), he has said on numerous occasions that Tehran poses the greatest long-term threat to U.S. interests in the Middle East (although, unlike many neocons, he strongly supports complying with the 2015 nuclear deal). Late last month, the current CENTCOM commander, Army Gen. Joseph Votel, repeated that threat assessment and even suggested that he was eager to confront Iran militarily, presumably short of war. We need to look at opportunities where we can disrupt [Iran] through military means or other means their activities, he said.

CENTCOM, of course, has always been cozy with  and relied on  the regions Sunni autocrats, whose seemingly insatiable appetite for sophisticated U.S. weaponry has the added benefit of profiting U.S. arms producers (on whose boards retired brass often serve).

With Mattis at the Pentagon, Obamas notion that Washington can help bring about some kind of equilibrium between the Sunni-led Gulf states to begin stabilizing the region is long gone. Washingtons clear alignment with the Emiratis and Saudis in their catastrophic Yemen campaign since Trump took power makes that particularly clear. And, with Netanyahu publicly boasting about Israels growing security cooperation with the Gulfies, especially with the United Arab Emirates, out of their mutual hostility toward Iran, the convergence between the neocons and the Pentagon, at least insofar as the Middle East is concerned, is growing.

At the same time, however, the military has learned through painful experience, notably in Iraq, that indulging neocon notions such as regime change and nation-building is the road to perdition. If the neocons want to gain influence with the ascendant powers in the administration  Mattis, McMaster, and the brass  they have to proceed delicately, one step at a time.

For example, Kristols tweet Saturday afternoon  Punishing Assad for use of chemical weapons is good. Regime change in Iran is the prize  is not going to help their cause. Similarly, if youre looking for slippery slopes, look no further than the advice proffered by Kristols partner-in-hegemonism at PNAC and FPI, Bob Kagan, who argued for a slew of follow-up steps in a column entitled What Must Come Next in Syria in the Washington Post.

Griffin was one of about 150 mainly neocon national-security wonks who signed letters insisting that they would never serve in a Trump administration, an act that probably disqualifies him for consideration. Some prominent neocons  including Abrams, Fred Kagan, former Cheney national security adviser John Hannah, former Undersecretary of State Paula Dobriansky, former assistant secretary of state Stephen Rademaker, and Abrams Mideast aide on the National Security Council Michael Doran, to name a few  decided against signing. Given the scores of senior foreign-policy positions that remain unfilled under Trump, this may be their moment.

Indeed, if Bannon and the nationalists are truly in eclipse, even some of those who signed those letters may now be back in consideration.
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By Ira Chernus | ( Tomdispatch.com ) |  

You could hear the deep sadness in the preachers voice as he named the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today  my own government. With those words, the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., launched a scathing indictment of Americas war in Vietnam. It was April 4, 1967.

That first antiwar sermon of his seemed to signal a new high tide of opposition to a brutal set of American policies in Southeast Asia. Just 11 days later, unexpectedly large crowds would come out in New York and San Francisco for the first truly massive antiwar rallies. Back then, a protest of at least a quarter of a million seemed yuge.

King signaled another turning point when he concluded his speech by bringing up something even more disturbing  something that would deeply disturb the developing antiwar movement as well. The war in Vietnam, he said, is but a symptom of a far deeper malady within the American spirit.

Many of those who gathered at antiwar rallies days later were already beginning to suspect the same thing. Even if they could actually force their government to end its war in Vietnam, they would be healing only a symptom of a far more profound illness. With that realization came a shift in consciousness, the clearest sign of which could be found in the sizeable contingent of countercultural hippies who began joining those protests. While antiwar radicals were challenging the unjust political and military policies of their government, the counterculturists were focused on something bigger: trying to revolutionize the whole fabric of American society.

Why recall this history exactly 50 years later, in the age of Donald Trump? Curiously enough, King offered at least a partial answer to that question in his 1967 warning about the deeper malady. If we ignore this sobering reality, he said, we will find ourselves marching and attending rallies without end. The alternative? We as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values.

Like many of my generation, I feel as if, in lieu of that radical revolution, I have indeed been marching and attending rallies for the last half-century, even if there were also long fallow periods of inactivity. (In those quiet times, of course, there was always organizing and activism going on behind the scenes, preparing for the next wave of marches and demonstrations in response to the next set of obvious outrages.)

If the arc of history bends toward justice, as King claimed, its been a strange journey, a bizarre twisting and turning as if we were all on some crazed roller-coaster ride.

The Trump era already seems like the most bizarre twist of all, leaving us little choice but to march and rally at a quickening pace for years to come. A radical revolution in values? Unless youre thinking of Trumps plutocrats and environment wreckers, not so much. If anything, the nation once again finds itself facing an exaggerated symptom of a far deeper malady. Perhaps one day, like the antiwar protestors of 1967, anti-Trump protestors will say: If the American system we live under can create this atrocity, there must be something wrong with the whole thing.

But thats the future. At present, the resistance movement, though as unexpectedly large as the movement of 1967, is still focused mainly on symptoms, the expanding list of inhumane 1% policies the Republicans (themselves in chaos) are preparing to foist on the nation. Yet to come up are the crucial questions: Whats wrong with our system? How could it produce a President Trump, a Republican hegemony, and the society-wrecking policies that go with them both? What would a radically new direction mean and how would we head there?

In 1967, antiwar activists were groping their way toward answers to similar questions. At least we have one advantage. We can look back at their answers and use them to help make sense of our own situation. As it happens, theirs are still depressingly relevant because the systemic malady that produced the Vietnam War is a close cousin to the one that has now given us President Trump.

Diagnosing Our Deep Sickness

The Sixties spawned many analyses of the ills of the American system. The ones that marked that era as revolutionary concluded that the heart of the problem was a distinctive mode of consciousness  a way of seeing, experiencing, interpreting, and being in the world. Political and cultural radicals converged, as historian Todd Gitlin concluded, in their demand for a transformation of national if not global (or cosmic) consciousness.

Nor was such a system uniquely American, they discovered. It was nothing less than the hallmark of Western modernity.

In exploring the nature of that far deeper malady, Martin Luther King, for instance, turned to the European philosopher Martin Buber, who found the root of that consciousness in modernitys I-It attitude. From early childhood, he suggested, we learn to see other people as mere objects (its) with no inherent relation to us. In the process, we easily lose sight of their full humanity. That, in turn, allows us free rein to manipulate others (or as in Vietnam simply destroy them) for our own imagined benefit.

King particularly decried such dehumanization as it played itself out in American racism: Segregation substitutes an I-it relationship for the I-thou relationship and ends up relegating persons to the status of things. But he condemned it no less strongly in the economic sphere, where it affected people of all races. The profit motive, when it is the sole basis of an economic system, he said, encourages a cutthroat competition and selfish ambition that inspire men to be more I-centered than thou-centered Capitalism fails to realize that life is social.

Another influential thinker of that era was a German-American philosopher, Herbert Marcuse. (Some radicals even marched in rallies carrying signs reading Marx, Mao, Marcuse.) For him, the dehumanization of modernity was rooted in the way science and technology led us to view nature as a mere collection of things having no inherent relation to us  things to be analyzed, controlled, and if necessary destroyed for our own benefit.

Capitalists use technology, he explained, to build machines that take charge both of the workers who run them and of aspects of the natural world. The capitalists then treat those workers as so many things, not people. And the same hierarchy  boss up here, bossed down there  shows up at every level of society from the nuclear family to the international family of nations (with its nuclear arsenals). In a society riddled with structures of domination, it was no accident that the U.S. was pouring so much lethal effort into devastating Vietnam.

As Marcuse saw it, however, the worst trick those bosses play on us is to manipulate our consciousness, to seduce us into thinking that the whole system makes sense and is for our own good. When those machines are cranking out products that make workers lives more comfortable, most of them are willing to embrace and perpetuate a system that treats them as dominated objects.

Marcuse would not have been surprised to see so many workers voting for Donald Trump, a candidate who built his campaign on promises of ever more intensified domination  of marginalized people at home, of bad hombres needing to be destroyed abroad, and of course, of nature itself, especially in the form of fossil fuels on a planet where the very processes he championed ensured a future of utter devastation.

One explanation for the electoral success of Trump was the way he appealed to heartland white working-class voters who saw their standard of living and sense of social status steadily eroding. Living in a world in which hierarchy and domination are taken for granted, its hardly surprising that many of them took it for granted as well that the only choice available was either to be a dominator or to be dominated. Vote for me, the billionaire businessman (famed for the phrase Youre fired!) implicitly promised and you, too, will be one of the dominators. Vote against me and youre doomed to remain among the dominated. Like so many other tricks of the system, this one defied reality but worked anyway.

Many Trump voters who bought into the system will find themselves facing even harsher domination by the 1%. And as the Trumpian fantasy of man dominating nature triggers inevitable twenty-first-century blowback on a planetary scale, count on growing environmental and social disasters to bring disproportionate pain to those already suffering most under the present system. In every arena, as Marcuse explained back in the 1960s, the system of hierarchy and domination remains self-perpetuating and self-escalating.

The Long and Bitter But Beautiful Struggle for a New World

Whats the remedy for this malady, now as lethally obvious at home as it once was in Vietnam?

The end of domination [is] the only truly revolutionary exigency, Marcuse wrote. True freedom, he thought, means freeing humanity from the hierarchical system that locks us into the daily struggle to earn a living by selling our labor. Freedom means liberating our consciousness to search for our own goals and being able to pursue them freely. In Martin Luther Kings words, freedom is the opportunity to fulfill my total capacity untrammeled by any artificial barrier.

How to put an end not only to Americas war in Vietnam, but to a whole culture built on domination? Kings answer on that April 4th was deceptively simple: Love is somehow the key that unlocks the door The first hope in our inventory must be the hope that love is going to have the last word.

The simplicity in that statement was deceptive because love is itself such a complicated word. King often explained that the Greeks had three words for love: eros (aesthetic or romantic love), philia (friendship), and agape (self-sacrificing devotion to others). He left no doubt that he considered agape far superior to the other two.

The emerging counterculture of those years certainly agreed with him on the centrality of love to human liberation. After all, it was the love generation. But its mantra  If it feels good, do it  made Kings rejection of eros in the name of self-negating agape a non-starter for them.

King, however, offered another view of love, which was far more congenial to the counterculture. Love unites whatever is separated, he preached. This is the kind of love that God uses in his work. We, in turn, are always called upon to imitate God and so to transform our society into what King called a beloved community.

Though few people at the time made the connection, Kings Christian understanding of love was strikingly similar to Marcuses secular view of erotic love. Marcuse saw eros as the fulfillment of desire. He also saw it as anything but selfish, since it flows from what Freud called the id, which always wants to abolish ego boundaries and recover that sense of oneness with everything we all had as infants.

When we experience anyone or anything erotically, we feel that we are inherently interconnected, tied together in a single garment of destiny, as King so eloquently put it. When boundaries and separation dissolve, there can be no question of hierarchy or domination.

Every moment that hints at such unification brings us pleasure. In a revolutionary society that eschews structures of domination for the ideal of unification, all policies are geared toward creating more moments of unity and pleasure.

Think of this as the deep-thought revolution of the Sixties: radically transformed minds would create a radically transformed society. Revolutionaries of that time were, in fact, trying to wage the very utopian struggle that King summoned all Americans to in his April 4th speech, the long and bitter but beautiful struggle for a new world.

50 Years Later: The Thread That Binds

At this very moment 50 years ago, a movement resisting a brutal war of domination in a distant land was giving birth to a movement calling for the creation of a new consciousness to heal our ailing society. Will the resistance movement of 2017 head in a similar direction?

At first glance, it seems unlikely. After all, ever since the Vietnam War ended, progressives have had a tendency to focus on single issues of injustice or laundry lists of problems. They have rarely imagined the American system as anything more than a collection of wrong-headed policies and wrong-hearted politicians. In addition, after years of resisting the right wing as it won victory after victory, and of watching the Democrats morph into a neoliberal crew and then into a failing party with its own dreary laundry lists of issues and personalities, the capacity to hope for fundamental change may have gone the way of Herbert Marcuse and Martin Luther King.

Still, for those looking hard, a thread of hope exists. Todays marches, rallies, and town halls are packed with veterans of the Sixties who can remember, if we try, what it felt like to believe we were fighting not only to stop a war but to start a revolution in consciousness. No question about it, we made plenty of mistakes back then. Now, with so much more experience (however grim) in our memory banks, perhaps we might develop more flexible strategies and a certain faith in taking a more patient, long-term approach to organizing for change.

Dont forget as well that, whatever our failings and the failings of other past movements, we also have a deep foundation of victories (along with defeats) to build on. No, there was no full-scale revolution in our society  no surprise there. But in so many facets of our world, advances happened nonetheless. Think of how, in those 50 years just past, views on diversity, social equality, the environment, healthcare, and so many other issues, which once existed only on the fringes of our world, have become thoroughly mainstream. Taken as a whole, they represent a partial but still profound and significant set of changes in American consciousness.

Of course, the Sixties not only cant be resurrected, but shouldnt be. (After all, it should never be forgotten that what they led to wasnt a dreamed of new society but the Reagan revolution, as the arc of justice took the first of its many grim twists and turns.) At best, the Sixties critique of the system would have to be updated to include many new developments.

Even the methods of those Sixties radicals would need major revisions, given that our world, especially of communication, now relies so heavily on blindingly fast changes in technology. But every time we log onto the Internet and browse the web, it should remind us that  shades of the past  across this embattled Earth of ours, were all tied together in a single worldwide web of relations and of destiny. Its either going to be one for all and all for one, or its going to be none for 7.4 billion on a planet heading for hell.

Today is different, too, because our movement was not born out of protest against an odious policy, but against an odious mindset embodied in a deplorable person who nonetheless managed to take the Oval Office. Hes so obviously a symptom of something larger and deeper that perhaps the protesters of this generation will grasp more quickly than the radicals of the Vietnam era that Americas underlying disease is a destructive mode of consciousness (and not just a bad combover).

The move from resisting individual policies to transforming American consciousness may already have begun in small ways. After all, love trumps hate has become the most common slogan of the progressive movement. And the word love is being heard in hard-edged political discourse, not only on the left, but among mainstream political voices like Van Jones and Cory Booker. Once again, there is even talk of revolutionary love.

Of course, the specific policies of the Republicans and this president (including his developing war policies) must be resisted and the bleeding of the immediate moment staunched. Yet the urgent question of the late 1960s remains: What can be done when there are so many fronts on which to struggle and the entire system demands constant vigilant attention? In the age of a president who regularly sucks all the air out of the room, how do we even talk about all of this without being overwhelmed?

In many ways, the current wave of regressive change and increasing chaos in Washington should be treated as a caricature of the system that we all have been living under for so long. Turn to that broader dimension and the quest for a new consciousness may prove the thread that, though hardly noticed, already ties together the many facets of the developing resistance movement.

The largest mobilization for progressive politics since the Vietnam era offers a unique opportunity to go beyond simply treating symptoms and start offering cures for the underlying illness. If this opportunity is missed, versions of the same symptoms are likely to recur, while unpredictable new ones will undoubtedly emerge for the next 50 years, and as Martin Luther King predicted, we will go on marching without end. Surely we deserve a better future and a better fate.

Ira Chernus, a TomDispatch regular, is professor emeritus of Religious Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder and author of the online MythicAmerica: Essays.



Follow TomDispatch on Twitter and join us on Facebook. Check out the newest Dispatch Book, John Dowers The Violent American Century: War and Terror Since World War II, as well as John Feffers dystopian novel Splinterlands, Nick Turses Next Time Theyll Come to Count the Dead, and Tom Engelhardts Shadow Government: Surveillance, Secret Wars, and a Global Security State in a Single-Superpower World.

Copyright 2017 Ira Chernus

Via Tomdispatch.com
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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

Turkeys historic referendum on Sunday will move the country from a parliamentary to a presidential system. Many observers are sounding a death knell for Turkish democracy as a result, but the move to presidentialism in and of itself isnt the problem.

Interestingly, Erdogan won with a similar demographic profile to that of the 2016 US presidential election. Erdogans constitutional change largely triumphed on the basis of rural and provincial voters but was rejected by the big cities. Turkeys equivalent of the Red States drove the change.

Turkey is in essence moving from a British parliamentary system to a French presidential one.

In a parliamentary system, there is no strong separation of powers, since the prime minister represents the executive but he is elected by and functions within the legislature.

In a presidential system, the is a separation of powers and parliament is not so beholden to the executive.

Although some political scientists have argued that parliamentary systems are more stable than presidential ones, others have complained that his generalization is skewed (most presidents were in Latin America, e.g.).

The 18-point referendum even has a few areas where it is more democratic. The age at which candidates can serve in parliament was lowered from 25 to 18!

The real problem with Turkish democracy is not that it is parliamentary or presidential. It is that it isnt functioning very well and that the executive is grabbing extra-constitutional powers.

The July 15, 2016, failed coup, gave Erdogan the pretext to declare a state of emergency suspending civil liberties. (National states of emergency have always struck me as fairly stupid. The nation never needs its rights more than when there is an emergency). He has by decree just fired over 100,000 people from government jobs, has fired large numbers of university professors, has dissolved entire universities. In most instances there has been no judicial procedure.

There apparently hasnt ever been any real freedom of the press in Turkey. This sad state of affairs was revealed with the Gezi Park protests in 2013, when it became obvious that the press was afraid to cover them or to offer a point of view on the protests differing from that of the government.

Since the failed coup, things have of course gotten dramatically worse, with many journalists jailed or chased out of the country. But these steps were taken in a parliamentary system, after all.

Then there is a tyranny of the majority. Tayyip Erdogan doesnt believe in minority rights and Turkey has no Connecticut Compromise. Erdogans center-right, religiously-inflected Justice and Development Party (AKP) appears to have the reliable support of a bare simple majority of the population. But he is typically also supported by the rightwing nationalist party, the MHP. Between the two of them he typically has had about 2/3s of parliament behind him.

As long as that configuration remained stable (and it has been true since 2002), Erdogan and other AKP leaders have had virtually no checks, even in a parliamentary system.

Actually, in this referendum Erdogans typical coalition broke down slightly, so that he was not able to get 2/3s but only a simple majority. The larger cities all defected (Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir), even though Ankara and Istanbul had in the past been strongholds of AKP. So Erdogan won his referendum almost entirely on the basis of the rural Sunni Turkish vote. Rural Kurds in the southwest (many of whom had been in his parliamentary majority) also defected.

So Turkeys system has been changed by provincial Turkish Sunnis, over the objection of urban people and of rural Kurds and Alevis.

. h/t Hurriyet

There are, of course, anti-democratic implications of some of these changes. Under the old system, the president was symbolic and could not remain head of a political party, so that Erdogan faced the possibility of losing control of the AKP. Now he can be president and party head at the same time (as the US president is). In essence, Erdogan has gained a potential political longevity under the new system that was not assured to him under the old. Since Erdogans actual aim is to move Turkey to a dictatorship Lite, what some call illiberal democracy, his new shot at remaining in power for a decade or more gives him plenty of time to implement that project. (I say this as someone who argued since the early 2000s that the AKP and Erdogan should be given a chance to build a pluralist society. You could say I was always wrong. Or you could say Erdogan abruptly changed on me. Either way, I havent come to this conclusion glibly).

He also can now shape the judiciary unilaterally, which bodes ill for the future. He will almost certainly pack the courts with, if not fundamentalists, then very conservative judges who lean toward religion.

In that sense, sure. Turkeys brief experiment with pluralistic democracy is definitively over with. But probably it has been dead for a while, and some at the funeral were too polite to say so.



Related video:

Turkey referendum: Erdogan wins vote to expand presidential powers  BBC News
TORONTO, April 17, 2017 /CNW/ - Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd. (CVE: BGM) (the "Company" or "Barkerville") is pleased to announce a new discovery from the ongoing 130,000 metre Phase II Island Mountain and Valley Zone exploration drilling program at the Company's flagship Cariboo Gold Project. Detailed drilling results, a drill hole location plan map, vertical section and longitudinal section are presented at the end of this release.

New High Grade Stockworks Intersected at Shaft Zone

The Company is very pleased to announce that Island Mountain Shaft Zone drillhole IM-17-072 has discovered a formerly unidentified wide network of high tenor veining grading 19.20 g/t Au over 54.40 metres including 32.06 g/t Au over 30.70 metres. This new intersection consists of several higher-grade intervals including 272.00 g/t Au over 0.50 metres, 760.00 g/t Au over 0.85 metres, 64.20 g/t Au over 0.50 metres, 42.80 g/t Au over 0.50 metres, 65.40 g/t Au over 1.50 metres and 15.80 g/t Au over 1.15 metres. An intensely silica altered and pyritized sandstone package hosts this dense network of mineralized veining. Located 250 metres vertically below surface in the Shaft Zone, this auriferous occurrence is untested by drilling above and below the intersection and is open for expansion. In addition to the aforementioned intersection, IM-17-072 also established auriferous veining grading 25.00 g/t Au over 2.85 metres located 25 metres below surface, 16.55 g/t Au over 5.45 metres 100 metres vertically below surface, followed by 9.41 g/t Au over 3.30 metres 110 metres below surface.

Additional High Grade Stockworks Intersected at Shaft Zone

Situated 180 metres vertically below drillhole IM-17-072 which intersected 19.20 g/t Au over 54.40 metres including 32.06 g/t Au over 30.70 metres, drillhole IM-17-078 has discovered another broad occurrence of sandstone hosted stockwork veining averaging 11.42 g/t Au over 28.55 metres including two subintervals of 30.76 g/t Au over 6.60 and 12.10 g/t Au over 8.15 metres. These new intersections occur at vertical depth of 420 metres below surface, and are open for expansion in all directions due to the extremely limited drilling at this depth.

Because these standalone drillholes constitute two widely separated intercepts that cannot be confidently corroborated by additional drillhole pierce points, the geometry and hence true width of the potential mineralized zone cannot be assuredly concluded at this time.

Chris Lodder, President and CEO of Barkerville Gold Mines, comments, "These intersections are some of the best to date on Island Mountain that continues to produce new zones of higher grade, wide zones of gold mineralization. We will be following up with both wide spaced step out and closer infill drilling in this area to better determine dimensions of this potentially strongly mineralized vein corridor".

About the Phase II Program

The 130,000 metre 2017 Phase II exploratory and delineation drill program on Island Mountain is intended to determine the extent of the vein systems that were historically never explored, and is aimed at discovering new vein systems and sulphide replacement bodies that will ultimately inform a maiden resource at Island Mountain. Seven drill rigs are currently operating on Island Mountain, with an eighth rig testing for additional mineralization below the former Aurum and Cariboo Gold Quartz Mines which have never been explored since mining operations ceased circa 1960.

Qualified Persons

Exploration activities at the Cariboo Gold Project are administered on site by the Company's Exploration Manager, Maggie Layman, P.Geo. As per National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, Paul Geddes, P.Geo. Vice President Exploration, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has prepared, validated and approved the technical and scientific content of this news release. The Company strictly adheres to CIM Best Practices Guidelines in conducting, documenting, and reporting its exploration activities on the Cariboo Gold Project.

Quality Assurance - Quality Control

Once received from the drill and processed, all drill core samples are sawn in half, labelled and bagged. The remaining drill core is subsequently stored on site at the Company's secure facility in Wells, BC. Numbered security tags are applied to lab shipments for chain of custody requirements. The Company inserts quality control (QC) samples at regular intervals in the sample stream, including blanks and reference materials with all sample shipments to monitor laboratory performance. The QAQC program was designed and approved by Lynda Bloom, P.Geo. of Analytical Solutions Ltd., and is overseen by the Company's Qualified Person, Paul Geddes, P.Geo, Vice President Exploration.

Drill core samples are submitted to ALS Geochemistry's analytical facility in North Vancouver, British Columbia for preparation and analysis. The ALS facility is accredited to the ISO/IEC 17025 standard for gold assays and all analytical methods include quality control materials at set frequencies with established data acceptance criteria. The entire sample is crushed and 250 grams is pulverized. Analysis for gold is by 50g fire assay fusion with atomic absorption (AAS) finish with a lower limit of 0.01 ppm and upper limit of 100 ppm. Samples with gold assays greater than 100 ppm are re-analyzed using a 1,000g screen metallic fire assay. A selected number of samples are also analyzed using a 48 multi-elemental geochemical package by a 4-acid digestion, followed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS).

About Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd.

The Company is focused on developing its extensive land package located in the historical Cariboo Mining District of central British Columbia. Barkerville's mineral tenures cover 1,164 square kilometres along a strike length of 60 kilometres which includes several past producing hard rock mines of the historic Barkerville Gold Mining Camp near the town of Wells, British Columbia. The QR Project, located approximately 110 kilometres by highway and all weather road from Wells was acquired by Barkerville in 2010 and boasts a fully permitted 900 tonne/day gold milling and tailings facility. Test mining of the Bonanza Ledge open pit was completed in March of 2015 with 91,489 tonnes of ore milled producing 25,464 ounces of gold. The Company has completed a number of drilling and exploration programs over the past 20 years and is currently compiling this data with all historical information in order develop geologic models which will assist new management and provide the framework to continue to explore the Cariboo Gold Project. An extensive drill program is currently underway with the goal of delineating additional high grade gold mineralization.
Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 17, 2017) - Carube Copper Corp. (TSXV: CUC) Jeff Ackert, President and CEO is pleased to confirm that Carube Copper has received the official transfer documents from the Jamaican Ministry of Transportation and Mines for seven Special Exploration and Prospecting Licences previously held by OZ Minerals. Carube Copper now has 100% ownership of eleven Licenses covering 535 square kilometres in Jamaica.

Mr. Ackert emphasized, "Now that the Licenses are 100% in the company's name, we can move forward with aggressive exploration programs on our flagship Bellas Gate Project and the newly acquired highly prospective licences. Armed with the $14M exploration data package from OZ Minerals as well as our recently closed $1.6M financing, we plan to start our programs immediately."

Figure 1: Carube Copper's 100% owned licences in Jamaica totalling 535 square kilometres.





Jamaica is a highly favourable, stable jurisdiction for exploration and mining with strong support from the relevant Ministry as well as the Commissioner of Mines and Geology. The country's Cretaceous aged inliers host numerous copper and gold porphyry occurrences.

To date, Carube Copper has identified seven porphyry centres at the Bellas Gate Project alone. Many identified prospective areas on all Licenses have yet to be drill tested. Drill results have indicated strong and consistent mineralization in well altered porphyry style sequences. Highlights of drilled intersections are given in the following table.

Table 1. Selected drill intersections from the Bellas Gate project

Hole ID Zone From To Interval Cu (%) Au (g/t) CuEq (%) CON-14-001 Connors 39 299 (EOH) 260 0.44 0.19 0.55 Including 75 299 (EOH) 224 0.49 0.22 0.61 Including 91 198 107 0.59 0.34 0.78 CON-14-003 Connors 34 331 297 0.4 0.24 0.53 Including 57 189 132 0.5 0.38 0.70 Including 86 141 55 0.67 0.59 1.00 Including 252 321 69 0.55 0.22 0.68 Including 279 306 27 0.85 0.32 1.03 CON-14-005 Connors 7 301 294 0.41 0.27 0.56 Including 7 103 96 0.68 0.57 1.00 Including 181 254 73 0.48 0.21 0.60 PVT-16-001* Provost 29 111.1 (EOH) 82.1 0.37 0.16 0.46 including 61 111.1 50.1 0.4 0.19 0.51 and including 82 111.1 29.1 0.49 0.24 0.63 PVT-16-002 Provost 29 368.15(EOH) 339.15 0.28 0.12 0.34 including 80 93 13 0.41 0.16 0.50 including 138 148 10 1.28 0.90 1.79 including 189 204 15 0.38 0.24 0.52 CH12-007 Camel 47 254 207 0.27 0.15 0.35 Including 192 206 14 0.46 0.34 0.66

The reported intervals do not necessarily indicate true width of mineralization, as its geometry is not known. Intervals calculated using unlimited internal dilution. Copper equivalents are calculated using a US $3.00/lb. copper and a US$1200 per ounce gold price assuming 100% recovery of both metals. For a full description of QC on matters pertaining to assaying of drill hole, please refer to press release dated October 7, 2014 and January 14, 2015 on the company's web-site or its SEDAR filings.

For the company's high priority drilling plans at Bellas Gate, please refer to press release dated January 12, 2017. For a review of the exciting news on the company's Main Ridge project see press release dated March 6, 2017. For more details on the acquisition of the OZ Minerals licences see press release dated January 11, 2017.
MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - April 17, 2017) - Oceanic Iron Ore Corp. (TSX VENTURE:FEO) ("Oceanic", or the "Company") is pleased to announce its intent to appoint DRA/Met-Chem as part of the future Owner's team during the Front End Engineering Design ("FEED") phase of the Hopes Advance project.

DRA/Met-Chem has been integral to the earlier work associated with the Hopes Advance project and has a detailed understanding of the conceptual design for the project. DRA/Met-Chem was intimately involved in the preparation of the Company's previously announced pre-feasibility study ("PFS") which was recently validated by the Engineering Procurement Construction ("EPC") proposal received from Power China Huadong Engineering Company on March 30, 2017.

The Company believes that the involvement of DRA/Met-Chem in the FEED work from an owner's oversight context and a view to contributing further in the evolution of the Hopes Advance project will be beneficial. No costs will be incurred by the Company in respect of DRA/Met-Chem's appointment until the funding of the FEED is arranged.

Alan Gorman, President CEO remarked: "DRA/Met-Chem has provided some very good work in the earlier development of the project and we are pleased to have them participate further as we move forward. With the addition of DRA/Met-Chem on the owner's side, working in cooperation with Power Construction Corporation of China and SNC-Lavalin, I am satisfied we are assembling a team for the future work that will ensure the project's execution is defined by cooperation, excellence, and innovative approaches to the optimization of the detailed design and delivery of the Hopes Advance project.

There is great enthusiasm being generated among those joining the effort to transform the Hopes Advance project to a reality and in doing so to establish a model and context under which Canada and China's vision for cooperative bilateral relations may occur. We intend to define a best in class example that we intend will be a benchmark for other efforts undertaken within the context of bilateral trade between Canada and China."

About DRA/Met-Chem:

Met-Chem Canada Inc. was originally established in 1969 to design and construct the Mount Wright Iron Ore facilities for Quebec Cartier Mining Company. In 2016, DRA Americas acquired control of the Canadian businesses carried on by Met-Chem Canada Inc. and Met-Chem Inc. DRA/Met-Chem provides expert advice to clients in over 30 countries worldwide involving iron ore, pelletizing, steel, precious metals, base metals, industrial minerals, diamonds, lithium, bauxite and coal.

DRA/Met-Chem is a multi-disciplinary engineering and project management company comprised of engineers and technicians in geology, mining, metallurgy and mineral processing, civil, structural, mechanical, piping, HVAC, electrical and instrumentation/automation. It also has the necessary support staff in project controls, procurement, estimating, scheduling and administration.

DRA/Met-Chem is committed to conduct its business in compliance with all applicable safety & industrial hygiene. Conducting business ethically is vital to the long-term success of our company. Our strong reputation is a result of our integrity as well as our world-class products and services.

About the DRA Group:

The DRA Group is a diversified, multinational engineering project delivery and asset management group operating across major global finance markets. DRA has an extensive track record, having successfully delivered over 1,000 projects across five continents and operated more than 50 sites worldwide. This has been achieved through DRA's extensive global footprint, comprising 20 offices with over 3,300 people. DRA is represented in Canada by DRA Americas, with offices located in Toronto and DRA/Met-Chem with offices located in Montreal comprising over 45 employees. DRA Americas has successfully executed a number of landmark projects in Canada, most notably its recent project completed for Stornoway Diamonds.

OCEANIC IRON ORE CORP. (www.oceanicironore.com)
By Press Trust of India: Colombo, Apr 17 (PTI) Sri Lanka today relocated hundreds of families to temporary shelters after a mountain of garbage collapsed on dozens of homes near the capital two days ago, as the death toll in the tragedy climbed to 26.

Seven children were among 26 people killed in the collapse of the garbage dump in Meetotamulla area in Kolonnawa near Colombo, Daily Mirror quoted officials as saying.

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According to the Disaster Management Centre at least 625 people belonging to 180 families had been displaced due to the tragedy, the report said.

The military said 1,000 security personnel, including police and special task forces, have been deployed for rescue operation. It said troops from the Sri Lanka Light Infantry, Commandos, Gemunu Watch and Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment were carrying out relief operations, the Colombo Gazette reported.

The National Building Research Organisation said the site of the accident be declared a "danger zone" and people living in over 130 houses in the area must be relocated for safety.

Officials said hundreds of people have been moved to temporarily shelters and the government will soon begin shifting more people.

Schools and others facilities will be moved as well, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Harsha De Silva said.

He said the dumping of garbage at the site has been banned. Ironically, the government had signed agreements a few weeks ago to convert the waste into energy, he said in a post on Facebook.

Police were investigating whether the collapse of the 91 -metre open garbage pile could be a sabotage. A 10-member team of geologists, officials from mining and excavation divisions, have been sent to the spot.

More than 600 people had to flee in the aftermath of the mishap on Friday.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in a statement has apologised for the delay in relocating the garbage dump.

The residents near the dump had been protesting for months, demanding that the garbage dump be relocated.

The authorities, however, claim that they had given enough warning to the slum dwellers to relocate themselves.

"We had even paid compensation to them to relocate," De Silva said. He said the state will bear the funeral expenses of the dead.

The massive garbage caught fire and collapsed on dozens of homes as the residents celebrated the traditional New Year. Police said the true scale of the damage remained unclear.

Sri Lankas Parliament was recently warned that 23 million tonnes of garbage at Kolonnawa dump was a serious hazard. About 800 tonnes of garbage were added to the dump daily. PTI UZM AKJ UZM

--- ENDS ---

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VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - April 17, 2017) - Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. ("Fortuna" or the "Company") (NYSE:FSM)(TSX:FVI) today provided an update on the ongoing regulatory review of the Company's 2015 annual filings by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC").

As previously announced, Fortuna is delayed in filing its annual audited financial statements and related MD&A for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, the related Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer certificates, and its annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2016 (collectively, the "Annual Financial Documents") due to an ongoing review by the SEC on the Company's use of inferred resources for the calculation of depletion expenses in its audited financial statements contained in the Annual Report on Form 40-F for the year ended December 31, 2015 (the "SEC Comments"). In connection with the delayed filing of the Annual Financial Documents, the Company applied for and received management cease trade order ("MCTO") from the British Columbia Securities Commission and other Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities (collectively, the "Securities Regulators"). The MCTO prohibits certain executive officers of the Company from trading in securities of the Company until the Company completes the required filing of the Annual Financial Documents.

Fortuna reports that the SEC's review of the Company's 2015 annual filings is ongoing and that it continues to work diligently and devote all necessary resources to address the SEC Comments, and finalize and file the Annual Financial Documents as soon as practicable. The Company expects to be in a position to complete the filing by May 5, 2017.

This status update is provided pursuant to the alternative information guidelines in National Policy 12-203 Management Cease Trade Orders ("NP 12-203"), which require the Company to provide bi-weekly updates on its affairs during the period of the MCTO. In accordance with such requirements, the Company advises that: (i) except as previously disclosed and as disclosed herein, there have not been any material changes to the information contained in the Company's March 20, 2017 and April 3, 2017 news releases; (ii) there has not been any failure by the Company in fulfilling its stated intentions with respect to satisfying the provisions of the alternative information guidelines of NP 12-203; and (iii) no (actual or anticipated) specified defaults have occurred subsequent to the Company's March 20, 2017 news release or the default of the Company resulting from its delay in filing the Annual Financial Documents. Other than as described herein and the related news releases of the Company on March 20, 2017 and April 3, 2017, there is no other material information concerning Fortuna and its affairs that has not been generally disclosed as of the date of this update.

About Fortuna Silver Mines Inc.

Fortuna is a growth oriented precious metals producer focused on mining opportunities in Latin America. The Company's primary assets are the Caylloma silver mine in southern Peru, the San Jose silver-gold mine in Mexico and the Lindero gold project in Argentina. The Company is selectively pursuing acquisition opportunities throughout the Americas and in select other areas.
QUEBEC, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - April 17, 2017) - Nemaska Lithium Inc. ("Nemaska Lithium" or the "Corporation") (TSX:NMX)(OTCQX:NMKEF) is pleased to announce the first shipment of lithium hydroxide solution (equivalent to 1.2 tonnes of lithium hydroxide monohydrate) is ready for delivery to a client for evaluation. The Phase 1 Plant is now in continuous production mode from lithium sulphate.

Join Jean-Francois Magnan, Technical Manager and Nicolas Laroche, Electrochemical Process Optimization Engineer, for an explanation on Nemaska Lithium's innovative process.

Phase 1 Plant Commissioning

Below are the steps that have been completed to date as well as upcoming steps:

Step 1 - Pressure Testing and Electrical Systems Start-up - Completed

Step 2 - Membrane Electrolysis Start-Up - Completed

Step 3 - Hydromet Start-Up - Completed

The Company is currently producing lithium hydroxide on a continuous basis using lithium sulphate provided by a client. To do so, the Company commissioned the purification and membrane electrolysis systems of the Phase 1 Plant. The lithium hydroxide produced to date is exceeding purification expectations of Nemaska Lithium's technical team for this stage of plant commissioning. This is a critical achievement for Nemaska Lithium as the systems commissioned to date are covered by the majority of the patents filed or granted to Nemaska Lithium on its proprietary process. To date, the Company's proprietary process is performing at or above expectations.

Below is a simplified flow sheet highlighting the sections of the Phase 1 Plant commissioned in Step 3.

Step 4 - Lithium Hydroxide Samples sent to a customer - Ongoing

A lithium hydroxide solution, equivalent to 1.2 tonnes of lithium hydroxide monohydrate, is ready for shipment to the first client. The lithium hydroxide has been produced using lithium sulfate provided by that client. The client is evaluating the lithium hydroxide solution for use in its process to make cathodes for lithium ion batteries. Nemaska Lithium will continue to ship lithium hydroxide to this customer as it is produced.

Step 5 - Crystallization - Ongoing

The next step will be to crystalize the lithium hydroxide solution. This step involves changing the lithium hydroxide solution into lithium hydroxide monohydrate (solid form). The crystallization section acts as a final purification step removing alkali metals such as sodium and others from the lithium hydroxide. The crystallizer will be commissioned prior to commencing Step 6.

Below is a simplified flow sheet highlighting the sections of the Phase 1 Plant commissioned in Step 5.

Step 6 - Lithium Hydroxide from Whabouchi Concentrate - On Target

The Corporation intends to start processing spodumene concentrate from the Whabouchi Mine into lithium hydroxide samples in Q2 2017 after the commissioning of the calcination and roasting sections of the process. These samples will be sent to numerous potential customers globally.

Below is a simplified flow sheet highlighting the sections of the Phase 1 Plant commissioned in Step 6.

About Nemaska Lithium

Nemaska Lithium intends to become a lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate supplier to the emerging lithium battery market that is largely driven by electric vehicles, cell phones, tablets and other consumer products. The Corporation is developing in Quebec one of the most important spodumene lithium hard rock deposit in the world, both in volume and grade. The spodumene concentrate produced at Nemaska Lithium's Whabouchi mine will be shipped to the Corporation's lithium compounds processing plant to be built in Shawinigan, Quebec. This plant will transform spodumene concentrate into high purity lithium hydroxide and carbonate using the proprietary methods developed by the Corporation, and for which the Corporation holds four granted patents and several patent applications that are pending in different countries, covering different aspects and improvements of its proprietary technology for preparing high purity lithium hydroxide and carbonate.
U.S. Vice President Mark Pence, second from right, along with his wife Karen, two daughters and U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Vincent Brooks, left, walk toward a memorial altar to pay their respects at the National Cemetery in Dongjak-dong, Seoul, Sunday. South Korea is the first leg of Pence's four-nation trip that will also include Japan, Indonesia and Australia, lasting until April 25. / Yonhap



By Yi Whan-woo

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence arrived at the U.S. air base in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday, kicking off a three-day visit to South Korea amid heightened tension on the Korean Peninsula.

After arriving, he visited the National Cemetery in Dongjak-dong, Seoul, and spent the rest of Easter Sunday with American troops, their families and South Korean military personnel.

"Pence attended a worship service with U.S. soldiers and had Easter Sunday dinner with them," a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said.

From Monday to Tuesday, Pence is scheduled to meet acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn and National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun.

He also plans to visit the Demilitarized Zone and deliver a speech at the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea before wrapping up his tour here. This is his first stop on a four-leg trip to the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan, Indonesia and Australia.

Pence is the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit South Korea under the Donald Trump administration. South Korea is also the first Asian country he has traveled to as vice president.

His trip is expected to send a strong warning to North Korea on its cycle of nuclear and ballistic missile tests, while reaffirming Washington's commitment to the security alliance with Seoul, according to analysts.

They said Pence's visit may help placate escalating concerns over a possible war on the peninsula as the Trump administration is stepping up its saber-rattling toward the Kim Jong-un regime, and Pyongyang has pledged to "hit back" against any U.S. attacks.












By Andrei Lankov





Dear readers, I am sorry to say so, but this seems to be the last regular column on North Korea I shall publish in The Korea Times. Professional and personal issues have left me little choice but to cut down on the amount of journalistic writing, and from now on, I will write on North Korea only for some other specialized websites.



The column has been around for nearly 15 years, with hundreds of pieces published by The Korean Times. I would like to express my gratitude to my editors and, of course, my readers. However, I will continue to contribute articles on topics that are not related to North Korea.



Leaving the hospitable pages of The Korea Times as a regular columnist, I have to assure my readers that the topic of North Korea is not going anywhere. North Korea's future is difficult to predict, but all conceivable scenarios are likely to be painful and costly  both for the North Koreans and their neighbors.



It is absolutely possible that North Korea will become another "development dictatorship" in East Asia  this seems to be what its current leaders want and, objectively speaking, it might be the least unacceptable future. However, it is not going to be perfect.



While fast economic growth will improve the lot of the vast majority of the North Koreans (like it has in reforming China and Vietnam), the elite have to maintain political stability  and the only way to do so is to remain repressive. This means that while millions of common North Koreans will be lifted out of poverty, tens of thousands will live hellish lives in the prison camps, where many of them have already and will perish.



Last but not least, the success of a "development dictatorship" in East Asia will probably make the countries' division permanent. The North Korean elite, firmly in control, will have no reason to unify with a much stronger South for many decades, and then the two societies will probably drift too far apart to be merged.



The second possibility is a regime change that almost certainly will result in unification with the South  or, rather absorption of the North by the South. The transition, alas, is unlikely to be another velvet revolution  the North Korean elite see themselves as cornered, and will fight to the death, like the cornered Alawite elite is doing right now in Syria. Things might be complicated by involvement of the neighboring great powers  above all, the United States and China  and, in the worst-case scenario, the internal turmoil in North Korea might even trigger an international war fought on Korean soil, with Koreans being its main victims.



However, even if such threats are avoided, and regime collapse is relatively non-violent, with merely a few thousand people being killed (an optimistic scenario, actually, given the situation), post-unification reconstruction is going to be very, very painful. The huge gap between the North and South Korean economies will take at least a generation to be bridged, and until it is, the North Koreans will remain third-class citizens in the unified state, with low incomes and little power. The frictions and distrust between the former North and former South will last for decades, poisoning the atmosphere of post-unification Korea.



At any rate the Korean Peninsula remains a flashpoint  and now this flashpoint is seriously going nuclear. While the Kim family has thus far loved their palaces and banquets too much to start a war, one cannot completely rule out the possibility of a conflagration of forces in the near future. A technical mistake or a false alarm might trigger a war. It is also possible the Kim family will choose to deliver a nuclear first strike if they, rightly or wrongly, see themselves as under attack, a victim of South Korean or American provocation. For example, a mass uprising in Pyongyang could be interpreted as a CIA or NIS plot, with predictably grave consequences for people in Seoul, but also, perhaps, in Tokyo and San Francisco. This is, of course, a low-probability scenario, but not beyond the realm of the possible.

And, no matter what the future holds, the North Korean government will have virtually no choice but to play the high-stakes diplomatic games that hold the best chances for their survival, but that can still get out of control.



So, as a regular columnist I am bowing out, but the "North Korean issue" is here to stay  perhaps, for decades. Alas, the problem can be mitigated and even gradually dealt with, but no fast and sure solution exists, no matter what ideologues and pundits of all colors tell you.





Andrei Lankov was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and teaches at Kookmin University in Seoul. Reach him at anlankov@yahoo.com.
The issue is not just that digital advertising needs to heed the same standards as its more established siblings. The deeper issue is that the digital advertising model is increasingly audience-driven  we buy custom audiences either directly or through automated exchanges, without making a distinction about where those audiences are found.

As we shift to a media model that is purely audience-driven, and where editorial context is not considered, we risk placing brands in environments where they can come to serious harm.

The most glaring example of this harm was the discovery by the Jaguar marketing clients in the UK that their ads were running next to ISIS recruitment videos on YouTube. This has led to Jaguar suspending its entire digital advertising budget for a day. A recent Times of London investigation found that many clients in the UK have their brands in unsafe places, from a brand association perspective.

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One of our UK clients had digital ads running on a neo-Nazi site. This was not intentional, of course, and was quickly stopped. These ads were bought programmatically and simply followed our audience to the darkest corner of the Internet.

So we find ourselves at a crossroads.

The benefits of taking an audience-driven approach in advertising are profound: more relevance, less waste, and better transactional results. But the risks to brand health and safety are becoming too big to ignore. Of course, no one should believe Jaguar is looking to attract ISIS followers, but one screenshot of that ad next to a beheading and the grisly association is permanent.

And the scale and exploding growth of the digital advertising ecosystem means we need to get serious  and quickly.

What are we to do? At UM, we are implementing, immediately, SAFE (Sites Automatically Filtered & Excluded), a brand safety blacklist of wsites that will be excluded from all digital media buys, programmatic or otherwise, for all our clients. This list includes all the obvious candidates based on topic  sites promoting racism, anti-Semitism, neo-Nazism, homophobia, misogyny, violence, terrorism, pornography  and others based on intent  fake news sites, clickbait farms, bots.

All our digital media buying platforms and partners will have to verify these Web sites are not part of any client media buy. Further, UM will not rule out blacklisting ad tech providers whose code appears on sites on the SAFE blacklist, too.

The SAFE blacklist will be automatic for all our clients, which means they would have to put in writing to UM that they dont want to be part of this program  and then opt out. We would try to talk them out of opting out, but ultimately we are agents to our clients.

Why havent we done this before? We have blacklists for many of our clients currently, but they are ad hoc and have been built up over time reactively in response to bad experiences. They arent systematic nor comprehensive. The SAFE blacklist will combine all these ad hoc blacklists into one agency-wide
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, April 17, 2017

Google's focus on cleaning up spam and falsehoods across the Internet sparked a series of blog posts in which long-time search expert Mike Blumenthal suggests researchers at the Mountain View, California company misled the public with research that seems to show a low level of fake listings across Google Maps.

Blumenthal, the author of the blog "Understanding Google My Business & Local Search," has been following the problem of fake information for more than nine years. He says Google is not doing enough to clean up the spam and fake reviews in Google Maps, which has become an important utility for businesses and consumers, and that the company needs to stop publishing "weak research" that "misleads the public."

Referring to the Google research released April 6, 2017, Blumenthal said a careful review of the findings demonstrates the conclusions were not warranted by the study. "Google typically does not speak to these issues but if and when they do, it should be accurate information and not deceptive or disingenuous," he told Search Marketing Daily, explaining that the problems in the research are the same ones that existed in 2007, 2008 and 2009 -- service industry spam, affiliate spam and fake reviews.

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In Blumenthal's latest example -- which details how false information on Google Maps has continued to increase in the past 10 years, rather than decline -- he outlines Philippines-based Shazedur Rahman's year-long international struggle through her published reviews.

Rahman sits on top of one of the largest review spam networks that Blumenthal has seen, and because of its size, has been unable to find its end. "Worse, I have been unable to get it removed from Google," he wrote in a blog post.

In the article -- titled "The Largest Review Spam Network Ever Or... Who is Shazedur Rahman and why should you care?," scheduled to publish Monday -- Blumenthal acknowledges that it is difficult to quantify the amount of fake reviews in Google Maps, but continues to build out an extensive spreadsheet of reviewers and the businesses in which they have commented on.

"If I were to guess I would put the businesses in the many hundred or perhaps thousands and the fake reviews in the tens of thousands and maybe in the hundreds of thousands range," he wrote.

One thing is for certain -- the fake reviewers have a pattern of writing reviews for overlapping businesses. And by looking at a spreadsheet that Blumenthal started, it's clear that Google's algorithms and human reviewers seem to miss the connection. For example, Charlz Alexon, Jen Mathieu, and Ginger Karime have all reviewed The Joint Chiropratic, Bedoy Brothers Lawn & Landscape, and Texas Car Mechanics.

Google has banned reviewers who have left fake reviews in the past, but Blumenthal is calling on the company to penalize businesses that use them.

"If their advanced verification is what it takes to solve the problem then stop testing it and start using it," Blumenthal said. "And use it beyond the plumbers and locksmiths. If lawyers consistently abuse the system then dont exclude them just because they have white collars. Or whatever reasoning Google is using to enforce in one segment and not the other."
by Tanya Gazdik , April 17, 2017

NEW YORK  The launch of the 2017 Maserati Levante offers a textbook case of how to bring a new vehicle to market without wasting a penny of your marketing budget.

Joseph Barbagallo, manager, marketing communications, Maserati North America, took the audience through the process during one of the keynote addresses at the second annual MediaPost Marketing:Automotive conference at the New York Auto Show.

Maserati North American leveraged Facebooks advertising solutions to drive early awareness, consideration and purchase intent for the Levante SUV while navigating the challenges of low brand awareness, limited budgets, limited assets, scarce digital tools and a highly competitive landscape, Barbagallo said.

The Levante was the most critical launch in the automakers 102-year history.

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Luxury automotive shoppers have myriad influences. Online video is the most influential channel for luxury vehicle shoppers with 60% of online video content consumed on a mobile device. Furthermore, 69% of luxury buyers used their mobile to research before a purchase.

Tying online and offline is the task at hand, he says. Other challenges the automaker faced when launching the Levante included low brand awareness.

We are not top-of-mind when thinking about a next luxury vehicle purchase, he says. We were a late player to the space. And theres never enough in the budget.

The brand had to make sure the timing was right. In order to capitalize on the momentum following global and local reveals, the campaign for the Levante was launched right after the 2016 New York Auto Show.

The automaker partnered with Facebook to create a two-phase campaign: first, branding and second, lead generation.

Over 4 million people were reached on Facebook and Instagram with 1.23 million engagements at a 13.2% engagement rate. There were over 1 million video views. Over 21,000 generated leads and 127 Levantes sold through generated leads.

Facebook helped bring down the cost per lead, he said, adding that it was 180 times more efficient than the next most cost-efficient channel.

One of the key learnings was that video branding works, he said.

Leading with branded video created intrigue that drew the consumer through the full funnel, he says.  Shoppers like to see the product, experience the product. Nothing does that better than video.
by Thom Forbes @tforbes, April 17, 2017

Computer scientist Robert Taylor pushed the development of Arpanet, the precursor to the Internet, predicted in 1968 that we would someday be able to communicate better with each other through machines than face-to-face and offered key support for the development of the mouse. Suffering from Parkinsons disease, he died last week in Woodside, Calif., at 85.

In a 2009 story for the Los Angeles Times under the hed, Why Robert Taylor is one of the most important figures in the history of computer science, Michael Hiltzik writes that the launch of the Internet on Oct. 29, 1969, should begin with Taylor because his role reminds us that sometimes private enterprise isn't always up to the task of advancing technological progress, and sometimes even gets in the way.

Taylor, with a background in psychology and mathematics, was inspired by the idea of expanding human interaction using computer technology, Guy Raz noted in an interview profiling Taylor in 2009, writesNPRs Emma Bowman.

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In the 1960s, Taylor was a researcher at the Pentagon's Advanced Research Projects Agency, or ARPA, where his frustration with what he saw as inefficient communication led him to envision an interconnected computer network, Bowman continues. At ARPA, Taylor had three separate computer terminals in his office to communicate with his colleagues across Berkeley, MIT, UCLA and Stanford. Each terminal connected to a different computer in a different part of the country, he told Raz.

To get in touch with someone in Santa Monica through the computer, I'd sit in front of one terminal, but to do the same thing with someone in Massachusetts, I would have to get up and move over to another terminal, Taylor said. You don't have to look at this very long to realize this is silly. This is stupid. So I decided, OK, I want to build a network that connects all of these.

Taylor later worked at Xeroxs Palo Alto Research Center  PARC  where he led a team that helped create the Alto.

The Alto supplied each researcher with an individual workstation instead of sharing time on a room-sized mainframe. It was designed to use a graphical user interface, which enabled the user to command the device through icons, windows and menus instead of typing text commands in computer language, according to the Associated Press obit. The technology inspired Microsofts Windows software and the Apple computers.

Taylor became a central figure in a book the L.A. Times Hiltzik wrote about PARC. After writing the paper The Computer as a Communication Device with J.C.R. Licklider, Taylor tried to interest private industry in his project, but the companies he approached dismissed the idea. IBM told him its computers already talked to one another, completely missing his point that their computers should talk to everyone elses, Hiltzik tells us.

AT&T, then the monopoly proprietor of the phone system over which the network would operate, fought Taylor's project tooth and nail, contending that the network's packet switching technology (a method of transmitting data in discrete blocks) wouldn't work on its phone lines and might even damage them. Packet switching remains the Internet's governing technology to this day.

As for his role in the development of the mouse, Taylor was a project manager at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in Washington in 1961 when he decided to pump more money into work Douglas C. Engelbart was doing at Stanford Research Institute that led directly to Engelbarts invention of the mouse, which would be instrumental in the design of both Macintosh and Microsoft Windows-based computers, John Markoff writes for the New York Times.

Any way you look at it, from kick-starting the Internet to launching the personal computer revolution, Bob Taylor was a key architect of our modern world, Leslie Berlin, a historian at the Stanford University Silicon Valley Archives project, tells Markoff.

Taylor was awarded the National Medal of Technology in 1999 and the Charles Stark Draper Prize in 2004, the highest award of the National Academy of Engineering, according toPalo Alto Online. He was inducted into the Computer History Museum Hall of Fellows in 2013.

Taylor planned to be a Methodist minister, like his father. He ended up an evangelist for an idea that changed the world: easy-to-use computers that talk to each other, Marc Weber wrote in a profile for that induction.

I was never interested in the computer as a mathematical device, but as a communication device, Taylor said.

Three sons  Kurt, Erik and Derek  and three grandchildren, survive.
By Press Trust of India: From Shirish B Pradhan

Kathmandu, Apr 17 (PTI) Nepals Madhesi parties have warned the government that they would disrupt the May 14 locals election if their demands, including proportional representation in Parliament, are not addressed.

The Federal Alliance, a grouping of seven Madhesi and ethnic parties, said they would hold a fresh round of protests from tomorrow across the country.

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The alliance said their protests would include sit-ins, rallies and general strikes.

Alliance coordinator and chairman of Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal Upendra Yadav said yesterday the government did not consult them before tabling the Constitution amendment proposal in the Parliament.

The government, however, claimed the amendment was tabled to address the demands of Madhesis relating to the proportional representation and the redrawing of federal boundaries.

Yadav said the government did not table the amendment proposal which it had showed them.

But, Prime Minister Prachanda, according to party sources, has told ruling CPN (Maoist-Centre) leaders that the alliance has tricked him.

Yadav claimed that the amendment proposal the government tabled in the parliament did not propose to bring the local federal units under the provinces.

He warned the government it would not be able to hold the polls on May 14, if they do not include their demands.

The Madhesi parties, who claim to represent the interests of inhabitants of the southern Terai region who are mostly of Indian origin, demand that the Constitution promulgated in 2015 be amended to revise the provisions of citizenship and re-demarcation of the provincial boundary before going to the May polls.

Om Gurung, the alliance spokesman, said their other concern relate to what he termed was the discriminatory structure of the National Assembly - the upper House of the parliament.

The protest programmes include torch rallies in the district headquarters tomorrow, lathi and whistle rallies on Thursday; and mass meetings in Janakpur, Udaypur, Birgunj and Kavre on Saturday, a weekly public holiday in Nepal.

They also announced shutdowns on April 28 in the Tarai, Tharuhat and the East and a nationwide shutdown on April 29.

The indefinite general strike is said to begin on May 10. PTI SBP ABH AKJ ABH

--- ENDS ---
by Karlene Lukovitz @KLmarketdaily, April 17, 2017

In the latest extension of Jennifer Anistons longtime brand rep role for Coca-Colas Smartwater, the star is depicted with the water in hand in downtime moments, as well as glamorous, job-related activities.

The campaign  which includes print magazines, digital and social platforms, and out-of-home across the country, but no television  focuses on Smartwaters purity and clean taste.

The images show Aniston backstage before going on a talk show (above); hitting the red carpet; on a canyon hike with her dog, and serving Smartwater sparkling (launched last year) during a dinner party with friends.

Shot by Tom Munro, the images are black-and-white except for the blue elements on the Smartwater bottle.

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The campaign, from lead agency Chandelier Creative, will also include events and partnerships over the summer.

The concept is to celebrate the authentic role that Smartwater has in Jennifer Aniston's life, a partner as she moves through both relatable and aspirational moments of progress  from fitness to fashion to dinner with friends, summed up the brands group director, Caroline Kibler.

Smartwater commands about 45% of the U.S. premium bottled water segment by volume, followed by Wonderful Companys Fiji (19%) and Nestles San Pellegrino (12%), according to Beverage Digest.

But with per-capita bottled water consumption by volume, which rose 8% last year to 39.3 galls, to officially eclipse carbonated soda consumption (38.5 gallons) for the first time, competition is heating up.

Coca-Cola arch rival PepsiCo launched its own premium entry, Lifewtr, in February. And both Lifewtr and Fiji invested in Superbowl ads this year (30- and 15-second ones, respectively).
by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, April 17, 2017

COMvergence is out with a new advertising/marketing M&A report for the first quarter, which has found that WPP was the most acquisitive group during the period with seven acquisitions.

The WPP deals included the acquisition of Hispanic specialist Zubi Advertising Services and Chinese digital shop 3Ti Solutions. WPPs acquisitions during the period added 640 employees to the firm.

The COMvergence report covers M&A activity by ad holding companies and top consultancies like Accenture on a quarterly basis.

Dentsu struck five M&A deals during the quarter, including the purchase of Swiss digital transformation specialist blue-infinity. According to the report, Dentsu added 1,400 employees via its M&A activity during the quarter, the most of any group.

Havas Group acquired four small- to mid-size agencies, including French digital shop Agence79, while Accenture bought a 62% stake in German digital agency SinnerSchrader.

According to the report, of the 24 agencies/groups acquired, 14 were digital-focused, while six were creative shops, two were media agencies and two were holding companies (in Indonesia and Sri Lanka) both acquired by Dentsu.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, April 17, 2017

Google's antitrust battle with the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) led by Russian search rival Yandex came to a close Monday with the Mountain View, California company reaching an out-of-court deal.

As part of the agreement, Google will develop a tool that allows users to choose a default search engine on Android devices -- no longer demanding exclusivity for its applications, according to the FAS Web site.

The devices running Android currently being used in the Russian Federation territory will receive a "selection Window" for the Chrome browser after the next software update that will give users a choice to change their setting to run another search engine. The change will open opportunities for applications developers who have should have equal rights and opportunities for the devices that run on the Android operating system, per the FSA.

The news, first reported by Reuters, suggests that the term of the deal is for 81 months.

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The FAS in August 2016 imposed a $7.8 million fine for violating local competition rules, which stems from a ruling in 2015 that Google abused its search-market dominance.

The financial loss of non-exclusivity will be more difficult to bear compared with the multimillion-dollar fine. "Competition breeds innovation," Yandex CEO and co-founder Arkady Volozh wrote in a blog post. He outlined the events that took place since the filing and explained Yandex's "desire to participate in a market where users can choose the best services available."

Some 55 million Russian Android users now will have a choice of search engines on their mobile devices, per the terms of the agreement. Smartphone manufacturers also will have more freedom to select the apps they preinstall on devices.

In the early 2000s, Yandex requested the FAS initiate an investigation into Googles business practices, and in 2015 the organization found Googles practices to be anti-competitive and in violation of Russian antitrust laws.

Prior to this ruling, Google required Android smartphone manufacturers to ship devices with the Google search as the default engine and place the Google search widget on the default home screen, and limited the placement of competing applications on Android devices.
by Sara Guaglione , April 17, 2017

Total followers and likes for magazine brands on social-media platforms  across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and Pinterest combined  has reached 1.1 billion in the first quarter of 2017, up nearly 5% compared to last quarter.

That's according to the latest Magazine Media 360 Social Media Report from MPA  The Association of Magazine Media.

Facebook continues to be the most popular social-media platform for magazines, with a 43% share among the five networks tracked.

MPA also says Facebook has more than twice as many likes for magazine pages than Twitter followers of the same brands. Facebook has 472 million likes across magazine media brands, while Twitter has 252 million followers.

However, this is the sixth consecutive quarter that Facebooks growth rate has slowed compared to the prior quarter. MPA says this is likely due to the sheer size of the platform.

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Instagram is the fastest growing of the social media platforms for magazine media, according to the report. Instagram added 20 million more new likes/followers this quarter, while Facebook and Twitter had 14 million and 18 million new likes/followers, respectively.

Despite Facebooks dominance, there are certain editorial categories that rely on other platforms for their social media base.

For example, Twitter has more followers/likes for the categories of Business & Finance, Spectator Sports, and Health. Instagram is more popular for travel, popular culture, adventure and outdoor recreation, participatory sports, and womens fashion/lifestyle categories,

Pinterest, on the other hand, does well for shelter and womens service magazine titles.

The top five magazine brands with the most total likes or followers across social networks are National Geographic Magazine, ESPN The Magazine, National Geographic, Vogue and The Economist.

The Social Media Report is based on data provided by SocialFlow and reports on 200 magazine brands across 37 companies.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, April 17, 2017

In a blow to Uber, another federal judge in California has refused to dismiss a lawsuit accusing the company of engaging in false advertising by promoting its ride-sharing service as safer than taxis.

U.S. District Court Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo in the Southern District of California rejected Uber's arguments that statements touting its service were "puffery" -- meaning that they were the kinds of exaggerations that wouldn't be relied on by consumers.

The ruling came in a false advertising complaint filed last year by Delux Cab, which operates seven taxis in San Diego.

Delux pointed in its complaint to several statements by Uber, including an April 25, 2014 blog post by Lane Kasselman, former head of communications for the company. "Unlike the taxi industry, our background checking process and safeguards are consistent across the United States and often more rigorous than what is required to become a taxi driver," Kasselman allegedly wrote.

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The complaint also noted that between April 2014 and March 2016, Uber charged a $1 "safe rides fee" to people using the Uber X service.

Uber asked Bencivengo to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the statements weren't actionable. She rejected those arguments, noting that a different federal judge, Jon Tigar in the Northern District of California, ruled in a separate case that L.A. Taxi Cooperative could proceed with similar claims against Uber.

"As noted by Judge Tigar, many of the alleged statements do include 'specific' assertions that seem to describe 'absolute characteristics' of Uber's services that could be tested," Bencivengo wrote. "As further noted by Judge Tigar, a reasonable consumer reading these statements in the context of Uber's advertising campaign could conclude that an Uber ride is objectively and measurably safer than a ride provided by a taxi or other competitor service."

But not all judges have sided against Uber on whether its boasts amount to false advertising. U.S. District Court Judge Frederic Block in Brooklyn dismissed two taxi companies' lawsuit against Uber last September, ruling that its safety boasts weren't actionable.

"No doubt, these statements are intended to convey the impression that Uber takes the safety of its passengers seriously. But they do so in terms that clearly fall within one or more of the accepted definitions of puffery," Block wrote. "The overall tone is boastful and self-congratulatory."

Last year, Uber agreed to pay $25 million to settle a consumer protection lawsuit brought by law enforcement officials in Los Angeles and San Francisco, who accused the company of false advertising and adding extra fees to consumers' bills. The company also reached a $28.5 million settlement with consumers over claims of misleading ads and fees.
Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. operates bookstores for college and university campuses, and K-12 institutions in the United States. It operates through three segments: Retail, Wholesale, and Digital Student Solutions. The company sells and rents new and used print textbooks, digital textbooks, and publisher hosted digital courseware through physical and virtual bookstores, as well as directly to students through Textbooks.com. It also offers First Day and First Day Complete access programs; BNC OER+, a turnkey solution for colleges and universities, that offers digital content, such as videos, activities, and auto-graded practice assessments; and general merchandise, including collegiate and athletic apparel, school spirit products, lifestyle products, technology products, supplies, graduation products, and convenience items. In addition, the company sources, sells, and distributes new and used textbooks; and sells hardware and a software suite of applications that provides inventory management and point-of-sale solutions to approximately 350 college bookstores. Further, it offers direct-to-student subscription-based writing services; and bartleby, a direct-to-student subscription-based offering that includes textbook solutions, expert questions and answers, and writing and tutoring services. The company operates 805 physical college and university bookstores; 622 virtual bookstores; 8 True Spirit e-commerce websites; pop-up retail locations; 73 customized cafes and 11 stand-alone convenience stores; and a media channel for brands targeting the college demographic. Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Basking Ridge, New Jersey.
According to state meteorological director Anupami Kashyap, the hot winds that cause heat wave like conditions have stopped temporarily, even as maximum temperatures hovered around 42 degrees in most parts.

By Hemender Sharma: Even as maximum temperature hovered around 42 degrees in most parts of Madhya Pradesh, the heat wave like conditions have stopped temporarily.

According to Madhya Pradesh meteorological department Director Anupami Kashyap, the hot winds that cause heat wave like conditions have stopped temporarily, even as maximum temperatures hovered around 42 degrees in most parts of the state.

A maximum temperature of 45 degrees was recorded in Hoshangabad while Khargone, Badwani and Burhanpur recorded a maximum temperature of 43 degrees.

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Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalapur and Mandla recorded a maximum temperature of 42 degrees, while Indore, Rewa and Satna recorded a maximum temperature of 41 degrees.

"We have issued heat wave warnings in isolated pockets of Gwalior, Satna and Indore divisions but this is confined to only around 30 per cent of the state. 10 days back heat wave conditions were spread across 70 to 75 per cent of the state," Kashyap said while talking to India Today.

"There is no weather pattern which is affecting the state right now. It is normal to have such temperatures during this part of the year and as we move into peak summer, the temperatures are likely to rise further," Kashyap added.

Also Read:

IMD issues heat wave alert for Central Maharashtra, Marathwada

Heat wave sweeps parts of Raj, Jaisalmer hottest at 45.6 deg C

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Duke Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy company in the United States. It operates through three segments: Electric Utilities and Infrastructure, Gas Utilities and Infrastructure, and Commercial Renewables. The Electric Utilities and Infrastructure segment generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electricity in the Carolinas, Florida, and the Midwest; and uses coal, hydroelectric, natural gas, oil, renewable generation, and nuclear fuel to generate electricity. It also engages in the wholesale of electricity to municipalities, electric cooperative utilities, and load-serving entities. This segment serves approximately 8.2 million customers in 6 states in the Southeast and Midwest regions of the United States covering a service territory of approximately 91,000 square miles; and owns approximately 50,259 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity. The Gas Utilities and Infrastructure segment distributes natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial, and power generation natural gas customers; and owns, operates, and invests in pipeline transmission and natural gas storage facilities. It has approximately 1.6 million customers, including 1.1 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, as well as 550,000 customers in southwestern Ohio and northern Kentucky. The Commercial Renewables segment acquires, owns, develops, builds, and operates wind and solar renewable generation projects, including nonregulated renewable energy and energy storage services to utilities, electric cooperatives, municipalities, and corporate customers. It has 23 wind, 178 solar, and 2 battery storage facilities, as well as 71 fuel cell locations with a capacity of 3,554 MW across 22 states. The company was formerly known as Duke Energy Holding Corp. and changed its name to Duke Energy Corporation in April 2005. The company was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.
By Press Trust of India: Mumbai, Apr 17 (PTI) The Congress in Maharashtra is maintaining a studied silence over the issue of sulking leader Narayan Rane, who is said to be contemplating leaving the party.

Earlier this week, speculation was rife that the 64- year-old Shiv Sainik-turned-Congressman was headed towards the BJP camp. However, both sides denied any such development but that was not enough to quell the speculation.

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The former Chief Minister has been for long critical of the party leadership and often boasted that he has an "open invitation" from the BJP.

The Congress, however, is refraining from speaking publicly on the Rane issue.

"Individuals cutting across party lines can meet each other. Officially Rane and the BJP have not said anything about the likelihood of the former joining the ruling party. There is no curiosity among the party rank and file on what decision Rane will take since he has been critical of the party and its leaders," a senior Congress functionary said.

Another party office-bearer said he has no comments to offer. But he cryptically added, "No comments is in itself a comment", apparently indicating the party is not too much bothered about the maverick leaders moves.

Last week, news channels flashed pictures of Rane and his MLA-son Nitesh accompanying Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis during his Ahmedabad visit. The Ranes were said to on their way to meet BJP President Amit Shah who was that time in Ahmedabad.

However, both Rane and Fadnavis denied meeting each other in Ahmedabad.

Top Congress leaders in the state are currently on the second leg of their `Sangharsh Yatra demanding farm loan waiver. Rane has stayed away from the yatra though he attended the concluding rally of the first phase at Panvel.

Ranes elder son Nilesh, a former Lok Sabha MP, has demanded removal of State Congress President Ashok Chavan.

The BJP appears to be in two minds on inducting the Congress leader, who is prone to making controversial statements.

A Maharashtra BJP office-bearer said any decision on Rane will be taken by the partys central leadership. "There are two views on inducting him in the party. But a final decision can only to taken by the central leadership."

Rane lost the 2014 Assembly polls from Malvan, while his son Nilesh was defeated from the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg seat in the Lok Sabha elections held the same year.

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Rane made an attempt to enter the Assembly in April 2015 in a by-election from Bandra (East) but lost to the Shiv Sena. He was later rehabilitated in the Legislative Council.

BJP leaders said despite his electoral defeats and waning clout, the Congress leader still holds sway in parts of the coastal Konkan region.

Meanwhile, political observers said if Rane quits, it will be a setback for the Congress, which may lose the post of Leader of Opposition in the Assembly.

"The Congress has 42 MLAs and the NCP 41. If Rane quits Congress, his son Nitesh and close aide Kalidas Kolambkar, who is also an MLA, too, will resign. This will lower the Congress tally in the Assembly and the Leader of Opposition post would go to the NCP," they said.

Similarly, the Congress would lose power in the Sindhudurg Zilla Parishad in Konkan where the party, led by Rane, had bagged a majority in the just-held elections.

According to Congress sources, when Rane took his grievances to party Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, the latter asked him about the complaints state leaders have against him.

A section in BJP feels Ranes entry will strengthen the saffron party in Sindhudurg district and also help in the 2019 Assembly polls. However, BJP leaders from Konkan are said to be not too enthusiastic about his entry. PTI MR RSY BAS

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Actor Clifton James, who appeared as Sheriff JW Pepper in two James Bond films, has died at the age of 96.

He died close to his childhood home in Gladstone, Oregon, on Saturday due to complications from diabetes.

James was best known for appearing alongside Sir Roger Moore in the Bond films Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun during the 1970s.

His daughter Lynn said: He was the most outgoing person, beloved by everybody.

She added: I dont think the man had an enemy. We were incredibly blessed to have had him in our lives.

James appeared alongside Sir Roger Moore in The Man with the Golden Gun

In 1973 James played Louisiana sheriff JW Pepper in Live and Let Die, in which he made a memorable appearance in a chaotic boat chase sequence.

His character proved so popular he was asked to reprise the role in 1974s The Man with the Golden Gun, involving another car chase, in Thailand, and a scene where he gets pushed into water by a baby elephant.

Paying tribute on Twitter, Sir Roger wrote: Terribly said to hear Clifton James has left us. As JW Pepper he gave my first two Bond films a great, fun character.

You only appear twice

While many James Bond characters either feature once or have recurring roles in the series, Sherriff Pepper is among a select few characters to have featured in just two different titles.

Here are four others:

Sylvia Trench: A love interest of Bond played by Eunice Gayson. She appeared alongside Sir Sean Connery in the 1962 film Dr No, as well as 1963s From Russia with Love.

Jaws: One of Bonds most famous villains, Jaws was played by the late Richard Kiel. The character appeared with Sir Roger Moore in the 1977 film The Spy Who Loved Me and later in 1979s Moonraker.

Valentin Zukovsky: An ex-KGB agent turned Russian mafia head who was portrayed by Robbie Coltrane. He featured with Pierce Brosnan in the 1995 film GoldenEye and 1999s The World is Not Enough.

Rene Mathis: A French intelligence operative played by Giancarlo Giannini. He appeared alongside Daniel Craig in the 2006 film Casino Royale and 2008s Quantum of Solace.

James grew up just outside Portland during the heart of the Great Depression, in which his family lost all their money.

He served as a soldier with the US Army in the South Pacific during World War Two, for which he was awarded two Purple Hearts, a Silver Star and a Bronze star.

His acting career spanned five decades and included stints on stage, TV and film.

Other credits include appearing in the TV series Dallas and films Superman II and The Bonfire of the Vanities.

His last film credit was a 2006 comedy, Raising Flagg but he had also been cast to star in an upcoming independent film called Old Soldiers, according to IMDB.


The People's Choice Practitioners Awards, organised by Media Men Ghana, last Friday, honoured a number of Ghanaian individuals and groups contributing to the learning and practice of health delivery in Ghana.

The event, graced by his Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, brought together distinguished personalities to the Golden Tulip Hotel in Kumasi.

The maiden edition of the awards, is a national medico-social initiative geared towards celebrating excellence in the health sector.

Prominent among the awardees is renowned heart surgeon and Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng who was awarded Legend of the Year and musician and Hepatitis B icon, Okyeame Kwame who received the Outstanding Health Ambassador honour.

The scheme saw other notable Ghanaian winners in varying disciplines of health which includes Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, DCOP Dr Ebenezer Ewusi-Emmim, Dr Mike Agyekum Addo, Dr. Bryite Asamoah, Dr. Ellen Boakye, Dr. Kwaku Oteng, Dr. Osei Kwame Despite, Dr. Richard Selormey, Sara Nana Yeboah and Ellen Boakye and many others.

The ultimate chief celebrant, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng is the pioneer of Ghanas first cardiothoracic centre.

He was presented with a 24-karat medal gold medal and a brass bust of him. He was also named after a state of the art first aid centre constituting three ultra-modern Ambulances and a helicopter ambulance.

The Outstanding Health Ambassador honour will be one of other numerous laurels for the versatile rapper and philanthropist Okyeame Kwame for his corporate social responsibility through his Hepatitis B initiative which he started in 2009. A month ago, he, for the same reason received the key to the city of Cincinnati.

See full list of awardees below:

CATEGORIES Social Media Health Advocate Benson Owusu Health App Bisa App Forces Clinician Dcop Dr Ebenezer Ewusi-Emmim Health AdvocateSocial Event Despite Group Blood Donation Pharmacist of the Year Dr Agyekum Addo Versatile Clinician Dr Mrs Gyikua Plange-Rhule Medical Officer Dr Tabitha Botchway Health AdvocateClinician Dr. Bryite Asamoah Specialist Clinician Dr. Daniel Kwesi Sabbah Private Practice Clinician Dr. Edward Mahama Medical Student Dr. Ellen Boakye Herbal Clinician Dr. Kwaku Oteng Health Citizen Dr. Osei Kwame Despite Locally Produced Drug EFPAC Local Pharmaceutical Institution Ernest Chemist Health Intern Faustina Awuni Teni House Officer Dr. Caleb Otu-Ansah Physician Assistant Gloria Cabornu Health Food Product Herbalife Private Health Facility Holy Trinity Medical Centre/Spa Pharmaceutical Rep Kwesi Pratt Yamoah Certified Registered Anesthetist Samuel Assibi Akparibo Health AdvocateMedia Program Vodafone Healthline Associate Clinician  Allied Sciences Naana Debrah Health Ambassador Okyeame Kwame Unparalleled Rural Health Facility Pediatorkope Hospital Health AdvocatePharmaceutical PFIZER Legend of the Year Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng Herbal Health product Pure Noni Juice PCP Clinician Leadership Award Richard Selormey Most Urbanised health Facility Ridge Hospital Associate Clinician  Ward Sara Nana Yeboah Health Management Team Tamale Teaching Hospital Most Prescribed Foreign Drug Tot'hema Longest running Media health event TV3 Blood Donation Exercise Health AdvocateMedia Institution UTV Philanthropic and health Support Institution Vodafone Ghana

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com
The General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Alexander Kumi-Larbi, has called on Christians to let their Christianity go beyond religious rituals such as fasting and prayers, Church attendance, and piety in the church auditorium, to also reflect Christlikeness in every facet of their daily living. Stressing that Christianity is not a religion but a way of life.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi was speaking at the climax of a four (4) day celebration to mark the Easter festivity by the Church of Pentecost, Achimota Area; Achimota Zone, on Sunday 16th April 2017 at the Achimota Park on the theme:  Remember, Christ our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed , curled from 1 Corinthians 5:7

The death of Christ and His resurrection is the foundation and pillars on which the Christian faith rest and hold together.

Such an essential landmark in the Christian faith is marked every year in April under the name Easter, and celebrated worldwide as public holidays in most nations.

However Apostle Kumi-Larbi believes that Easter should not be limited to a mere religious feast marked annually but the essence of the death of Christ which is celebrated during Easter should reflect in businesses, family, social, economic and our political lives to fight national corruption. Stating that it is a sad narrative to have so many professing Christianity yet doing very little about galamsey, corruption at the Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority, DVLA, including all other social vices which are gradually destroying the very foundation of Ghana.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi has therefore challenged Christians to follow in the example of Jesus Christ, their mentor and Savior, who used just three years and 12 disciples to change the world. We can do better if we constitute 70% of the population. He concluded.

The program which brought together several important dignitaries including the Deputy Greater Accra Regional Minister, Hon. Deaconess Elizabeth Sackey, the Radio Pastor of the Church of Pentecost, Pastor Daniel Tetteh Tarkie, and the Achimota Area Secretary of the Church, Pastor Jones Awuah Afrifa, also witnessed beautiful song ministrations from the Evangel Choir of Achimota English Assembly and the Shekinah Glory of New Achimota Church of Pentecost.

Brother Benjamin Asomani of the New Achimota District prophesied about the efficacy of the blood of Jesus during an inspiring call to worship by Mrs Gifty Bremansu, an assistant counselor with the Pentecost University College.

The program which was attended by about 2000 members of the church, also witnessed soul winning, holy ghost baptism and divine healing.

However the program was not without incident. On Friday morning, service was nearly disrupted by heavy rains , which saw both the members and the pastors running to seek cover in a nearby church of Pentecost building.

Daniel Koranteng Kwagyiri | ahotoronline.com| Ghana
Galamsey is a Ghanaian parlance for surface mining, especially, illegal surface mining. Galamsey has been going on in Ghana for quite sometime now. For about the past eight years or so, the menace of galamsey to our ecology has intensified astronomically.

The youths of Ghana have now woken up to the unrestrained damage galamsey is doing to our farmlands, water bodies, and the air that we breathe. It is about time galamsey is stopped in all its forms or shapes to save the country from total annihilation.

What makes it more nonsensical and senseless is how our leaders, both traditional and public, are the masterminds orchestrating the galamsey in the nation. They have allowed illegal Chinese to flock into the nation to engage in extensive and very destructive forms of surfacing mining to the extent of having the audacity to shoot and kill our own Ghanaian compatriots who stand up to challenge them.

This cannot be allowed to continue. The rate at which the youths are peeved, seeing the dangers posed by the unrestrained galamseying is very alarming. If the galamsey is not stopped outright by the government, they will surely rise up themselves to rescue the nation from the hands of these foreign and local destroyers of our ecosystem.

There are several YouTube videos expressing the anger of the Ghanaian youths towards the nonchalance of our traditional and political leaders while the Chinese are spoiling our lands, water bodies and polluting the air. They are resolutely determined to take up arms if possible, to fight to save Ghana from the destructive hands of these foreign human vermin.

Watch one of such videos below.



Ghanaians cannot continue to sit on the fence while some greedy and visionless chiefs and politicians condone and connive with the Chinese to wreak irreversible havoc to our lands, water bodies and the air that we breathe.

I am supportive of any movement by discerning Ghanaians to stopping galamsey in the country. Forward ever but backward never with our declaration of war on galamsey!

Rockson Adofo

(Written on Monday, 17 April 2017)
Government has began processes aimed at restructuring Ghana's public debt stock, the Vice President, Mahamadu Bawumia has said.

Debt reprofiling is a form of financial restructuring where more expensive debts are replaced with less expensive ones. In some cases, short debt terms are replaced with long term ones, ostensibly to reduce the debt stock.

As part of measures to ensure that government successfully implements its debt reprofiling plan, the Vice President revealed that Ghana issued a total of 2.25 billion dollars in four bonds.

Last Friday Ghana issued a bond essentially to do this reprofiling and in that context we raised some 2.25 billion dollars of investment that came in to buy this cedi denominated bond. There was a cedi bond which was issued for 15 years tenure and that brought in 2.25 billion.

What is so remarkable about this transaction is that we have been able to reprofile our debt, get more foreign exchange without increasing our debt stock and that is so remarkable.

Speaking at Joy FMs town hall meeting , the Vice President also sought to dismiss claims that government was rather increasing the debt stock through these bonds, saying Many people did not quite understand the transaction and they thought that we had gone to borrow 2 billion dollars to add to Ghana's debt. No, we are actually replacing more expensive debts with less expensive ones.

Gov't raises 2.25 billion in four bonds

A few weeks ago, government issued a total of 2.25 billion dollars in four bonds.

The first two bonds, totaling 1.13 billion dollars was issued at 15 and 7 years period with the same coupon of 19.75%.

In addition, the Ministry of Finance raised the cedi equivalent of USD1.12 billion in 5 and 10 year bonds via a tap-in arrangement.

This issuance represents the largest amount issued by a sub-Saharan African country in a day.

The issuance attracted a number of global portfolio investors including a very substantial investment in the 15-year bond by a very well respected global financial investor.



By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @EfeAnsah
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has presented what he says are significant achievements of the Akufo Addo administration within its first one hundred days in office.

Speaking at a town hall encounter organised by Accra-based Joy FM, the Vice President said they have delivered beyond expectation, even though they did not tie any promises to their first hundred days in office.

We did not make any promises for 100 days , we made promises for what we wanted to deliver to Ghana during our term in office. Notwithstanding that, the government, under the leadership of what I can say is our workaholic President, can point to some significant achievements in these last 100 days.

Galamsey: We have suspended issuance of mining license

Speaking on illegal mining, popularly known as Galamsey, the Vice President expressed governments commitment to deal with the menace.

There has been a massive public outcry against the menace following media campaigns led by Citi FM and other civil society organisations.

In its #StopGalamseyNow campaign, Citi FM demanded an immediate seizure of issuance of licenses for small scale mining, while parliament has referred a petition on the campaign to a joint committee.

Dr. Bawumia revealed that government has taken a major step by halting the issuance of mining licenses.

We have suspended the issuance of mining licenses so that we can restructure the sector. We have developed a five year multilateral mining integrated project to improve the management of small scale mining to protect the environment, but at the same time to allow Ghanaians to mine in a regulated and sustainable manner under this five-year multilateral mining integrated project, we will be identifying prospective areas for small scale mining where we will then direct the small scale miners to those particular areas so that they are not just mining haphazardly. We are also banning mining around water bodies and making sure there is surveillance around those water bodies and also establishing a processing plant for gold processing.

Well deal with Delta Force, other vigilante groups

Vice President Dr Mahamadu Bawumia also re-iterated government's resolve to deal with acts of political violence such as the recent Delta force court raid without fear or favour.

He said government will not shield offenders in the name of partisan politics.

The message that he [The President] has sent as a result of the arrest, remand, fining of these people who broke the law is a clear message to the country that regardless of your political party, you cannot hide behind the cover that I am an NPP member so I can break the law with impunity. If you break the law you will be dealt with. You will not see Ministers lining up to sign petitions to release them.



By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @EfeAnsah
By India Today Web Desk: She is separated, and he is single. That's enough to set tongues wagging. If their closeness has raised eyebrows, their friendship has been questioned. Arjun Kapoor and Malaika Arora's proximity has been under the radar for some time now. In fact, their closeness has been attributed as one of the reasons behind Malaika and Arbaaz Khan's split. But that's just a rumour, or at least Arbaaz and Malaika say so.

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When after 18 years of marriage, once-upon-a-time happy couple Malaika and Arbaaz decided to call it quits, their fans were in for a shock. And it was then the name of Arjun made way to the juicy columns of tabloids. More than often, Arjun's name was taken in the same breath as that of Malaika-Arbaaz's separation.

Soon enough, the rumours of an affair between the two started doing the rounds. In fact, buzz has it that Boney Kapoor had asked Arjun to stay away from Malaika for some time because he didn't want his son to rub Salman Khan the wrong way. The Ki and Ka did pay heed to his dad's advice and stayed away from Malaika for some time. But the actor soon decided to throw caution to wind when he was spotted outside Malaika's house at wee hours of the night last year. After her separation with Arbaaz, Malaika has been living in Tuscany Heights with their son Arhaan. While Arjun's team had apparently vehemently denied the rumour, the reports of them rekindling their romance spread like wildfire.

Malaika later cleared the air and in an interview to DNA said, "Arjun is a very good friend of mine. But people give a very different meaning to it, which isn't true."

In fact, in an official statement Malaika and Arbaaz said, "We are not separated because of a third random person, like there were stories of a friendship between a businessman and Malaika."

But that did not lead to the rumours dying down. While the two decided to keep a low profile, they kept on meeting at various events on and off. However, it's been a while since the two were spotted together.

But it all changed this weekend when Arjun and Malaika were seen under the same roof. The rumoured lovebirds attended a party in Mumbai on Saturday.

While Malaika looked stunning in a white shirt and blue top, Arjun sported a casual look. However, the two carefully avoided being photographed together.

(Photos: Yogen Shah)

ALSO READ: Has Arjun Kapoor's father asked him to stay away from Malaika Arora?

ALSO READ: Did Malaika Arora-Arjun Kapoor pretend to ignore each other on seeing Sohail Khan?

ALSO WATCH: Ranbir-Katrina to Brangelina, the celebrity splits of 2016

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Johannesburg (AFP) - Congolese pastor Joseph Mukungubila Mutombo, wanted in his homeland for alleged involvement in violence more than three years ago, has obtained asylum in South Africa, his spokesman said Monday.

"He has obtained political asylum following a March 30 decision" to that effect, Charlie Mingiedi said.

"It is a relief. He can now once again involve himself in political life," Mingiedi said of the controversial Mukungubila, who claims to be a prophet.

South African officials, who had previously rejected the pastor's asylum requests, made no immediate comment on the said approval.

Kinshasa wants to question Mukungubila, who has described himself as God's "last envoy to humanity", over violence which left more than 100 dead.

The Congolese government blamed him for orchestrating a spate of attacks in December 2013 on the airport, the main army headquarters in the capital and in the second city of Lubumbashi.

He fled to South Africa, where he was arrested in May 2014 on an Interpol warrant issued at Kinshasa's behest at his house in the suburbs of Johannesburg before being released on bail.

At the time his lawyer said he stood accused of murder, intentional and aggravated assault, malicious destruction, as well as illegal and arbitrary detention.

South African authorities eventually dropped the case, citing lack of evidence.

Mukungubila, who denies the allegations against him, stood against President Joseph Kabila, whose regime he has bitterly criticised, in 2006 elections.

According to Mingiedi, the pastor will not return home but keep up the pressure on Kabila from abroad.

"There is no return to RDC but he will continue to mobilise the Congolese people against the dictatorship ruling the country," his spokesman said.
Part of the one million dollars allocated to constituencies under the one million dollars, one constituency policy should be used in buying Ambulances, the vice president has advocated.

That is the only way to save the Ambulance service from total collapse, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia suggested.

He was answering a question from a viewer during the Multimedia organised 100 days with the vice president, Monday.

The programe was to assess the performance of the Akufo-Addo regime in 100 days.

The vice president in his opening remarks outlined what he said were 103 achievements chalked in 100 days by the new administration.

He cited major strides made in the economy, education and energy sectors.

In a town hall format, the president answered questions from moderators- Joy FM's Evans Mensah and Kojo Yankson and answered same from the specially invited audience present at the Law Court complex in Accra venue for the town hall meeting.

Questions were also taken via whatsapp and other social media networks from Ghanaians around the country.

One of the questions on whatsapp video suggested that the Ambulance Service was in total collapse and that the fleet of ambulances bought in 2012 had either broken down or were on the verge of breaking down.

The questioner wanted to find out from Dr Bawumia what the government was doing to resolve the looming crisis at the Ambulance Service.

Ambulances are instrumental in providing first aid to victims of accidents and other health related challenges before they are sent to hospitals.

In his answer, the Vice president said the reason for the one constituency, one million dollars policy is to ensure that the various constituencies across the country can be able to resolve pertinent issues affecting them without waiting for the central government to intervene.

"If you wait for the Central Government, the money will never come," he suggested, pointing out that the constituencies can each take from the one million dollars, an amount of money to buy a new ambulance for use by the constituency.

Dr Bawumia said he will specifically ensure that the ambulances are bought for use in the various districts and constituencies.

The vice president answered questions on a wide range of issues including galamsey, economy, vigilante activities and the IMF deal.

He was optimistic, that given the challenges the new government inherited, it is on track to meeting its promise of building a Ghana beyond aid.

Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com|Nathan Gadugah
The Vice President has attributed the cedis recent robust performance on the interbank market to a massive increase in Ghanas foreign exchange reserves, secured in just 100 days of the current administration.

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia explains that when the Nana Akufo-Addo government took the reigns of power in December last year, it moved to neutralise the harsh economic effects of Ghanas high indebtedness by re-profiling the countrys public debts.

Debt re-profiling usually involves financial restructuring to replace expensive debts with less expensive ones.

The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, earlier this month led a team of government officials to raise about 2.25 billion dollars through various domestic bond issuances, constituting a total of $1.13 billion through the issuance of 15 and 17-year bonds at a coupon rate of 19.75%.

A statement released by the Finance Ministry shortly after the deal said an additional 1.12 billion dollars in 5 and 10-year bonds was raked in via a tap-in arrangement.

The two transactions, according to the ministry, are the largest amount issued in the sub-region and indicates renewed investor confidence in the country.

These moves by the Finance Ministry, according to Bawumia, forms part of Ghanas public debt re-profiling drive.

Speaking at the Multimedia 100 days Town Hall event at the New Court Complex in Accra, the Vice President, who is the keynote speaker, said contrary to criticisms that more debts have been added, the action by the Finance Ministry has shored up Ghanas foreign exchange reserves.

From independence in 1957 to end of 2016, Ghanas total foreign reserves was some 6 billion dollars, in less than 100 days we have increased this reserves to 8 billion dollars, he said to an applause from hundreds of audience at the event.

Deputy Finance Minister, Cassel Ato Forson, had said the stability of the cedi was artificial because it has been made possible on the back of borrowing, a move he said would soon haunt the country.

He said, giving away a 15-year bond at 19.75 interest is too expensive because the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) government got that same interest for a 7-year bond.

However, Dr Bawumia disagrees. He sees far-reaching benefits for the debt re-profiling.

The remarkable revelation about the transaction, which he called the deal of the year, is that Ghana has been able to get more foreign exchange without increasing its debt stock.

That is indeed remarkable, he said.

The public debt ended at 122 billion Ghana cedis in 2016. And so, we [current administration] as a matter of strategy, begun re-profiling our debts," he said.

Many people didnt quite understand the transaction and they thought we have gone to borrow two billion dollars to add to Ghanas debt. No, we are actually replacing more expensive debts with less expensive debts, elongating it and making it better for this country, he said.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | George Nyavor | [email protected]
The management and inmates of the Mama Laadi Foster Home in the Upper East Region, have lauded the Citi FM Easter Orphan Project, saying it remains their major source of assistance for survival.

As an annual ritual, the project has since 2008, supported the Foster Home in kind and cash through contributions of corporate organizations, philanthropists and Citi FMs cherished listeners.

The Foster home this year (2017), received valuables including several bags of rice, millet, detergents, cartons of milk, large quantity of confectionery and sanitary pads worth Ghc7,000, and an amount of Ghc4,000.

Citi FM's Richard Mensah on Easter Monday presented the items to management of the Foster Home.

He said the stations management remained committed to assuaging the plight of the destitute in society through the Easter Orphan Project and other channels.

Richard Mensah urged the children never to lose hope in life and strive to become responsible citizens through education.

The team also mentored the children on how to discover themselves outside the orphanage.

Two other orphanages, Baptist School Complex (BASCO) an orphanage at Trotor, near Suhum in the Eastern Region, and the Handivangelism Orphanage at Haatso in Accra, will also receive separate donations.

In 2013, the station through the support of its listeners and corporate Ghana, built a vocational training center for BASCO, and the centre is intended to cater for training in carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, hairdressing, and masonry.



By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
The Vice President says government will not shield any New Patriotic Party (NPP) supporter who disrupts public peace by visiting mayhem on innocent citizens.

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia said they will not support miscreants against the law as was demonstrated by the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.

"If you break the law you will not see ministers lining up to sign a petition," he told a gathering at JOYNEWS' 100 days Town Hall meeting at the Law Court premises in Accra Monday.

There have been strings of attacks on state institutions and innocent citizens perpetuated by some vigilante groups linked to the governing NPP.

The Invincible and Delta Forces - the two main pro-NPP vigilante groups - have attacked offices, opponents across the country shortly after the Presidential Candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was declared winner of the presidential poll.

The attacks started with the seizure of some toll booths from some persons linked to the NDC regime right to the assault of Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator, George Agyei by members of Delta Force.

Operations of vigilante groups were said to have reached a "nuisance level" after some 50 members of Delta Force besieged a Kumasi Circuit court to release 13 suspects who were standing trial in connection with the assault of Mr Agyei.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), David Apeatu has said the 13 were aided to escape through the back of the court that is reserved for the judge.

The 13 turned themselves in after repeated threats by the IGP and Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery to take serious punitive measures if they did not report themselves.

Each accused person has been granted a bail bond of GHS10,0000 with two sureties and they are also to report to the police regularly.

The incident has been widely condemned by the NPP, NDC and civil society organisations.

Reacting to the issue for the first time since he was sworn in as the Vice President, Dr Bawumia said they have announced to NPP supporters that anyone who misbehaves will will face the law.

"The point should be overall you have to obey the law," he said, charging Ghanaians to operate within the legal framework.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brako-Powers | [email protected]
17.04.2017 LISTEN

Hwereso, (Ash), April 17, GNA - Mr. Kwabena Owusu-Aduomi, Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, has urged everybody to find space to contribute to the development of their communities.

He asked that nobody sat on the sidelines, saying, it would require the active involvement and support of all to achieve the transformation agenda of the government.

The Deputy Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ejisu, was speaking at separate meetings held with the chiefs and people of Hwereso and Boankra in his constituency.

This was part of his tour of the area to say 'thank you' to the people for massively voting for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the last general election.

It provided the opportunity for him to brief them on policies and initiatives taken by the government to hasten socio-economic development - to make things better.

Mr. Owusu-Aduomi gave the assurance that the government would keep faith with Ghanaians and fulfill the election campaign promises made to them.

He therefore asked that they gave it their strong backing, continued to show goodwill and understanding, as it worked hard to put the economy on the path of real growth.

He added that the constituency was going to receive its fair share of development.

He applauded the people for their self-help and communal spirit and urged them to ensure that this was sustained.

The people of Hwereso appealed to him to assist expand the water supply system and provide additional sanitation facilities in the community to effectively cope with the pressure on these facilities brought by population increase.

They also want the streets upgraded to check erosion in the town.

At Boankra, the residents called for the government to speed up work on the Inland Port project to create jobs and wealth for them. GNA

By Kwabia Owusu-Mensah, GNA
Kumasi, April 17, GNA - The church has been urged to join the fight to stop the growing destruction of the environment through unrestrained illegal mining.

Bishop J. N. K. Boateng, General Overseer of the Gospel Revival Church of Christ (GRCC), said it should use the pulpit to educate and help people to appreciate the enormity of the harm being caused by the miners.

He warned that the degradation of the forest and pollution of the water bodies could have dire consequences for 'our very survival' and said, this could not continue.

Speaking to journalists as part of the celebration of 40 years of the establishment of the GRCC at Sofoline, in Kumasi, he added that, 'we should not all perish' because of the greed and selfishness of the few.

He encouraged everybody to give strong support to the government to end the illegal mining (galamsey) menace.

Bishop Boateng asked the government to be bold and refuse to give in to the threats by people profiting from the illegality.

The theme chosen by the church to mark the anniversary is 'Celebrating 40 years of God's goodness'.

The General Overseer discouraged the youth from engaging in anything that could endanger their lives and that of other people.

It was important for all to put the collective good of society ahead of personal comfort and convenience, he stated.

Bishop Boateng gave thanks to God for what he said had been 40 years of fruitful and productive evangelization.

The church, he said, during the period was able to plant 13 branches, built schools and had been providing support to the needy and the poor.

GNA

By Sampson Adu-Poku, GNA
Half-Assini (W/R), April 17, GNA - Members of the Half-Assini St Patrick Catholic Church in the Western Region organized a procession as part of the Easter festivities.

More than 300 people including children and the elderly, mostly dressed in white attire participated in the event.

The one and half hours procession led by the Catholic Women Association (CWA) and Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus Societies of the Church, started around 05:00 hours and ended after 06:30 hours.

The participants carried candles danced and sang Easter songs amidst brass band music and went through the Old Market, Adwoman Bridge, Akenya Egyanebo, Enosi, Captain William's Street, Old District Administration, Police Station and ended in the Chapel where it was climaxed with a service.

Reverend Father Michael Owusu, the Parish Priest, urged Christians to emulate the good example of Saint Peter and Mary Magdalene, Apostle and Disciple respectively of Jesus who first announced his resurrection from the dead.

He said the Jews used money to buy and kill Jesus and also used money to conceal his resurrection when they bribed the guards at the tomb by telling them to inform the public that the disciples of Jesus had stolen his body from the tomb.

Father Owusu urged Christians to bear in mind that their good deeds would always be counteracted by Satan with misdeeds but that they should not relent till the second coming of Christ.

Drinks and assorted foods were served for all who participated in the programme.

GNA
17.04.2017 LISTEN

Newsfile is undoubtedly one of the best and leading Political show in the country with a fine legal brain as it's host.

The platform indisputably enjoys a high intellect audience, but as to it being ahead of Kwame Sefa Kayi's Kokrokoo, Kwadwo Asare Baffour's Acheampong's Ekosi sen and many others as the nation's leading political show is debatable.

Wading into the brouhaha over the host of the show, Lawyer Samsom Lardi Anyenini's comment on the denial by the editorial team to allow the two reps of the ruling party on to the show.

I personally do not miss the show every Saturday due to its respectable panelists and the fabulous intellectual arguments on the show.

The host's unique style of moderating the show cannot be left out as he is always seen to be on top of issues, notwithstanding his bad days on the show.

Back to the comment, describing Mr. Eric Amoako Twum and Mr. Henry Nana Boakye commonly known as Nana B who were the two ruling party's rep last Saturday as substandard was a serious insult not only to the personalities of the two young men but also to the ruling party.

I wouldn't be mischievous if I say the host's comment made the ruling party looked as if it they didn't know what they were up to. Maybe the selector was kind of high last Saturday that's why he/she selected a "team B" reps of the party for the show.

Mr. Eric Amoako Twum and Henry Nana Boakye are the Deputy Chief Executive of Ghana Export Promotion Authority and Deputy Director of National Service Scheme respectively.

The two young men are undoubtedly among the finest of the ruling party hence the uproar by followers of the ruling party followers on social media. Nobody will be happy with anyone who describes their Wizkid as a substandard when the same platform you believe they couldnt meet harbors those seem to be lesser than the two ruling party reps.

Multimedia group published an unsigned apology after the ruling partys Ag. General Secretary John Boadu released a statement demanding for an apology. The apology which will be described as substandard in my view should have brought the matter to an end.

Surprisingly, the host Mr. Anyenini took to his facebook wall to make this post, Pray - If you run with wolves, you will learn how to howl. But if you associate with eagles, you will learn how to soar to great heights. A mirror reflects a man's face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses. Don't know the authors, but these hold familiar scriptural truths. #STAYINGPOSITIVEISACHOICE"

Yes, Mr. Anyenini is a tough brain and I dont expect him to give up easily on the issue. My little advise with regards to his Facebook post is, When the eagles are filled with pride they don't soar high; and when your friends are filled with arrogance, you will surely display their traits. "A wise man has associate but not friends." Define your friends, don't let them define you! You ain't perfect like any man, but humility, when we are wrong, gives us grace to be loved again.

"Any man who puts others down for their grace and heights, never see when they are falling. A humble heart defines a man's image and just like a dog is humble when given a bone".

Enjoy your Easter Monday #MrStandard.

From a loyal listener Hans Boachie
17.04.2017 LISTEN

Past week the whole world has seen with disgust the news footages about innocent children dying in the arms of helpers in Syrias Gas attack. They were rushed into Hospitals and attended to by concerned Doctors to move the hearts of the most hardened Politicians trying to bring an end to the atrocities caused by the 6 year ongoing conflict.

The quite cemetery of the posh Hamburg-Blankenese/Germany has a secluded section away from the burial stones of the Millionaires where Teddy Bears, Red Hearts in Plastic or Textile and Toys surrender like a caring cloth the tomb of new born or small children that died in Hospitals, in the Hospitz in Hamburg-Rissen from Cancer, fell victims of car crashes or while playing in a swimming pool and drowned.

In Africa and other underdeveloped countries statistics about child death are vague or incorrect and the small dead bodies equally are laid to rest in graves under tears of parents that will always remember their lost children even in certain cultures child birth is an expected risk of giving birth with the focus on replacing them. Whatever the individual case might be, pain in the parents hearts will never vanish completely even they have the chance to find certain closure by visiting the childs grave with the Christian hope GOD know best what he does and that they are with him in a better place.

In developing countries Organizations take care of families that lost a child, give them emotional, legal support and physiological support in small local groups to share the greave caused with families that understand the traumata parents go through in such instances.

It is estimated in Germany each year 25 000 children are born as Kuckuckskinder, children in a marriage in which the husband is not the biological Father of the child but another man unknown to him, but very much known to the Mother. Africa has no statistic or estimate how many children see the light of this world each year but do not know their real father. Realizing the fact that African men like to cheat on their spouses more than in the world of the white man, limited use of contraceptives and DNA testing, it is more difficult to find out the high numbers of such children especially when the childrens body features do not differ too much from the once of the mother or father. In such cases the real biological father will never be found or even suspected, the child will be raised emotionally and financially by the legal father alone with the secret in the mothers heart kept forever.

In Europe and USA Feminists raise their voices for equal rights for women in society and at the work places. Governments support respective initiatives, Political Parties rally behind the voiced demands by Feminist and other women Advocates. The legal systems recognizes these childrens problems and has provisions in place to deal with the matter. Once the situation is exposed and clarified, the legal father has the right to be taken out of the Birth Certificate and can sue the biological father for compensation of the money spend for a child of another man.

Looking around the world, there are no voices of Feminists, Women Advocates, Political Parties, Human Rights organizations, UN Departments, Doctors, Nurses and Midwives etc. that are demanding from women around the world to stop delivering such children and pretending they are the children of their husbands. The woman is the only person in these daily unfolding dramas in their numbers occurring around the world and tearing families apart, which know the truth all along. Only the women are the first and best address to stop the emotional traumata caused to men as no man has deserved such pain done to him. Women can easily stop this harmful practice by being honest to their husbands or in case of relationship conflicts separate themselves from the husband to find a better relationship.

Feminist constantly demanding their rights but not delivering moral standards to ensure the rights of men from not emotional harm done to them by feminists/women cannot be a morally acceptable force in a constantly morally improved society. Such ongoing practices by women over centuries must finally stop in a modern world or at least be started to diminish in numbers. What is a woman gaining when delivering a child that is not the child of her husbandnothing! In such circumstances everyone is a looser, the woman will always have a feeling and sense of guilt during the hiding of the truth process with the inner will to neglect her wrong doing to the effect that her husband is guilty of the wrong childs birth in the first place by not providing her with what she wants, the husband that finds out sooner or later about the truth of such a child, the child that finds out the truth about his own existence and the extended family that causes a Grand Mother to lose a Grand Child while another woman out of the blue gets a child ready-made wanting to be embraced.

When my ex-wife, Emma Heerde (born Jaoko) from Kenya delivered via operation on December 22nd 2008 a healthy Baby Boy Alexander with white skin and African nose my heart jumped to the Hospital ceiling. Laying half naked on the Hospital bed following the Midwifes instruction, I felt the small body in my chest. For half an hour I was nervous not to brake anything of the warm body on my chest that was giving to me to be bonded to me. Nine months of only intellectually following the pregnancy of my ex-wife, finally the much asked for son had arrived in my arms and his heart beat was beating onto my heart beat. Fear, joy and tears of emotional relief had captured the silent atmosphere in the hygienic and in white decorated room. Six months later DNA testing on white paper revealed the truth, Alexander was the son of Joern Biehl, another White Hamburger. A legal battled followed in which course the biological father threatened me face to face not to touch or interact anymore with his son. How can a man like him that never took any financial or emotional responsibility for his actions, expect from a devastated legal father to forget about a child that was born as his very own child and laid into his arms?

Stories like mine are seen each year in their  unnecessary and avoidable  numbers especially heart breaking when the age of the children is quite advanced and children and wrong fathers have gone through many stages in life. The voices and outcry of these children and fathers are not heard in public but the persons involved morn and cry in private, yet it is a serious society problem. 25 000 Kuckuckskinder in Germany each year means in a Generation (25 years) 625 000 such children are born, and live among us, effecting directly 2, 5 Mio. people (mother, child, biological and legal father) with endless numbers of the extended families affected. These figures in Africa and other developing countries are certainly much higher. Do societies really care about these vast numbers of peoplesadly not.

A child in a grave can be visited and mourned about, the destiny is certain; the closure can be worked on, while the wrong child never dies.

Author: Dipl.-Pol. Karl-Heinz Heerde, Sakumono, Tema West, Ghana, [email protected] , phone +233(0)265078287, 13.04.2017
By India Today Web Desk: The Khan-daan may be seem like a picture-perfect family, but beneath the shiny exterior, former bahu Malaika Arora and Sohail Khan's wife, Seema Khan reportedly can't see eye-to-eye. According to DNA, the two steered clear of each other during their recent trip to Maldives, where Malaika chose to spend time with the kids, while her sister Amrita Arora bonded with the family.

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Apparently, Malaika was not there to show her support to her sister-in-law when she launched her new collection. While Amrita attended the do, Malaika gave it a miss and headed straight for Karan Johar's bash later that night.

The report quotes a source as saying, "Even during the family's holiday in Maldives (to celebrate little Ahil's first birthday), Malaika was not seen much with the Khan family except a photo-op here and there. Her sister Amrita is more popular with the Khan-daan. Amrita was even seen sporting an outfit from Seema's newly-launched collection at Karan's party."

ALSO READ: Did Malaika Arora-Arjun Kapoor pretend to ignore each other on seeing Sohail Khan?

ALSO READ: So THIS is the reason behind Malaika Arora and Arbaaz Khan's split

ALSO WATCH: Malaika Arora and Arbaaz Khan confirm their separation

--- ENDS ---
Notably, property tax was last revised in the year 2002. As it turns out, the property tax accounts for a substantial part of the total revenue MCD generates.

By Rakesh Ranjan: While the BJP's populist manifesto for the civic polls has spared Delhiites from any hike in existing or new taxes, it remains silent on bringing nearly three-fourth of properties in the Capital in the tax net.

Not just BJP, other political parties too are on the same page as none of them has suggested in manifestos the ways to augment the revenue of the cash-strapped civic bodies. The Aam Aadmi Party has gone to the extent of announcing waiver of property tax, the single biggest source of revenue for the local bodies.

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This comes at a time when the three municipal corporations are struggling to manage their funds and thus the civic amenities coming to standstill in the city. The corporations are unable to pay salaries to nearly 45 per cent of employees. According to MCD officials, property tax default causes the civic bodies revenue loss to the tune of Rs 800 crore per year.

In total, the North and East Delhi Municipal Corporations have been suffering losses of approximately Rs 2,000 crore annually. Official sources said, out of estimated 40 lakh residential and commercial properties in Delhi, only 10-12 lakh property owners pay the tax. The ambitious project to bring all properties in tax net by issuing them a unique property identification code was started by the unified MCD in 2005-06 but in over a decade this has partially been implemented in South Delhi Corporation areas.

The two other civic bodies are yet to implement it.

Notably, property tax was last revised in the year 2002. As it turns out, the property tax accounts for a substantial part of the total revenue MCD generates.

WHAT BJP HAS IN STORE FOR DELHI

In the year 2016, of the total Rs 8,351 crore revenue the Rs 1,371 crores came from the property tax. Sources said BJP's promise of not increasing taxes will only add to the financial crisis. The three corporations have also opposed a steep hike in parking charges as recommended by the special task force constituted by the Delhi High Court followed by recommendations of the high powered committee on Delhi's decongestion formed by the Union Urban Development Ministry. The BJP promised that no new tax will be levied or rates hiked if it is voted to power. This comes in the backdrop of the Aam Aadmi Party's allegation that power and water tariffs will go up, if the BJP wins the MCD polls.

"Kejriwal is trying to scare people. We will neither levy any new tax nor hike rates. We won't even allow anyone else to do it. We will strongly resist any such move," said Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari.

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With an eye on victory in the MCD polls for the third consecutive time, the BJP doled out sops to woo voters. Taking a cue from Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, the manifesto, described by BJP leaders as the charter of commitment, promised to provide meals for `10 through the civic bodies. The exemption from getting building plans approved for plots measuring up to 105 square metres will now be extended to plots measuring up to 500 square metres, Tiwari said. The manifesto promised a transparent and corruption-free rule. It also promised to regularise the temporary sanitation workers, digitalisation of citizen services, putting pressure on the Delhi government for regularisation of unauthorised colonies.

It also promised a Rs 10 lakh insurance cover for the students in the MCD schools, health cards for citizens, open gymnasiums, scrapping factory licences, promoting enterprises run by women under the Centre's Startup India scheme, special arrangements to address the problems faced by the people of north-east in the city. It also promised autorickshaw and taxi stands with restrooms for drivers and issuance of licences to hawkers.

Also read: Living in South Delhi might get more expensive: SDMC proposes hike in property tax, netas oppose

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Also read: MCD polls: AAP releases 'Most Corrupt Department' booklet to expose BJP's corruption

Also read: At national executive meet, BJP dares 'hacking CM' Arvind Kejriwal to hack EVM

--- ENDS ---
- The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has said that will honour all those killed in Asaba during the war on Tuesday, May 30

- The group called on all its members to observe a two-minute silence for these people at exactly 12 noon the slated date

- Powerful Emma said that there would be special prayer sessions at the Okikirka Grammar School in Rivers state

- Emma also said holy men and women will pray in strategic sites on that day

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has said that will honour all those killed in Asaba during the war on Tuesday, May 30.

Legit.ng gathered that the group called on all its members to observe a two-minute silence for these people at exactly 12 noon the slated date.

A statement by the IPOB's media and publicity secretary Powerful Emma said the two minute silence is to pay tribute to the deceased for the ultimate sacrifice made towards to freedom of Biafra.

READ ALSO: Why I supported my radical daughter for slapping a man  Sanusi

Emma said: "Also those who paid ultimate sacrifice in the field battle and protests in our land for this present generation might live will be honored and remembered, including those massacred in Asaba in 1968. They will be honoured with a 2 minute silence immediately the clock strikes 12 noon on that day."

We expect every man, woman, child and businesses to observe this great annual event by staying at home and never involve in any business activity on that day. There will be no movement in Biafraland both human and vehicular while Biafrans in diaspora will take the streets of their respective countries of residents around the globe.

However, that will be the least we can do to show them and God Almighty Chukwu Okike Abiama that these generation of IPOB and those to come will remain indebted to them that gave their lives to stop the elimination of Biafrans from the face of the earth," he said.

READ ALSO: Wike presents 'evidence' to prove Amaechi allegedly owns money found in Ikoyi apartment (Documents)

Emma also said that there would be special prayer sessions at the Okikirka Grammar School in Rivers state.

IPOB called on all its members to observe a two-minute silence for these people at exactly 12 noon the slated date.

He said that the session will be held in the hometown of late Chief Frank Opigo who advised the supreme leader of the Biafran Armed Forces Chukwuemeka Ojukwu and the members of Eastern Consultative Assembly on Biafra.

"Holy men and women will pray at the ancient and spiritual sites of Arochukwu and Enugu on that day.

"The people of Otukpo/Idoma/Igede in Benue State, Igala in Kogi State, Igbanke in Edo State, Calaber, Yanegua, Warri, Uyo, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Abuja etc, will shut down on that fateful day for the 50th year anniversary Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and his second in Command late Major General Philip Effiong declared for the independent state of Biafra on the 30th May 1967," the IPOB said.

Watch this Legit.ng video of a Biafra supporter who claimed he is 'God':

Source: Legit.ng
- A source has disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari is aware that the money recovered from the Ikoyi apartment belongs to the National Intelligence Agency

- The source says the director-general of NIA had a conversation that lasted about one hour with acting EFCC chairman, Ibrahim Magu, prior to the invasion of the house where the money was kept

- According to the source, the NIA operatives avoided a shoot-out with EFCC operatives to avert embarrassing the government

A Source has disclosed that the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) is planning to officially apply to reclaim the $43 million, 27,000 and N23 million recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from a building on Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

READ ALSO: Ndume reveals details of why Senate suspended him

The source told Vanguard that President Muhammadu Buhari was aware that the money was NIAs and had even inspected some of its covert operations on which part of the money was spent.

Legit.ng recalls that operatives of the EFCC, acting on a tip-off on Wednesday, April 12, said they found $43,449,947, 27,800 and N23, 218,000 hidden inside an apartment at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi.

The funds are valued at N13 billion based on prevailing exchange rate set by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The money recovered from Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, is valued at N13 billion based on prevailing exchange rate set by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The NIA laid claims to the money after some top personalities denied ownership of the money

According to the source, the director-general of NIA had a conversation that lasted about one hour with acting EFCC chairman, Ibrahim Magu, prior to the invasion of the house but was ignored.

The source said NIA operatives avoided a shoot-out with EFCC operatives to avert embarrassing the government.

READ ALSO: Wike presents documents to indict Amaechi for allegedly embezzling N500 billion

Explaining why the money was kept in a building in a residential area, the source said: Such monies are kept in safe houses in residential areas so as not to arouse suspicion. It is the practice everywhere in the world.

The source also dismissed claims by dismissed claims by Governor Wike that the money was that of Rivers state governments money.

Legit.ng recalls that Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state who had at the weekend laid claim to ownership of the N13 billion found in a building at Ikoyi by the EFCC, asked Christians in the state to pray fervently to God to intercede for the state to recover the money.

Wike made the call days after he warned that he could take legal actions against the federal government if the $43 million recovered recently was not returned.

The governor said the recovered fund was part of the money looted by former Governor Rotimi Amaechi, now the minister of Transport under President Muhammadu Buhari.

In the video below, Legit.ng decides to make someone happy this Easter period.

Source: Legit.ng
By India Today Web Desk: Looks like 2017, much like 2016, is the year of television weddings. After actors like Anas Rashid, and Pooja Singh announced their wedding plans to their respective partners; Meri Aashiqui Tumse Hi co-stars Gautam Gupta, and Smriti Khanna have now announced their engagement.

The couple have been dating for quite some time now. And on a recent trip to Goa, Gautam proposed to the actress.

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The couple were in Goa to celebrate Gautam's birthday when the actor popped the million dollar question to Smriti.

Also read: Wedding bells for Diya Aur Baati Hum's Sooraj aka Anas Rashid

And Smriti took no time to declare her love for Gautam on a social media site.

Even friends of the actors, like Bollywood actor Jackky Bhagnani took to Twitter to congratulate the happy couple.

Check it out:

Congratulations, Gautam and Smriti!

--- ENDS ---
- A 14-year old girl has narrated how some Boko Haram terrorists invaded their house in Bama community and threatened her father if he failed to let her go with them

- Aisha (not her real name) said the terrorists pointed a gun to her father's head and threatnedn to kill him

- She said she was held alongside other women and young girls in the terrorists den

- Aisha said she was forcefully married off to a Boko Haram soldier while in captivity

A 14-year old girl Aisha (not real names) has narrated how some Boko Haram terrorists invaded their house in Bama community and threatened her father if he failed to let her go with them.

Aisha narrating the turn out of events since the past two years she was taken away by the terrorists told United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) that she was held captive with many other girls by Boko Haram elements.

On the day she was taken away, Aisha said her village was set on fire by Boko Haram.

READ ALSO: Easter disaster averted as part of 3rd mainland bridge catches fire (Photos)

She said: I was taken from my home, when my town of Bama was set on fire by Boko Haram. They put a gun to my fathers head and said they would kill him if he didnt let me go. Then they took me.

She was further thrown into a vehicle and taken away to a building guarded by members of the group.

There she met other girls who have also been held captive for months.

They put a gun to my fathers head and said they would kill him if he didnt let me go.

They were subsequently forced to change location frequently for fear of invasion by troops of the Nigerian military.

READ ALSO: Emir Sanusi reveals why he allegedly supported his daughter for slapping a man

"When the Nigerian army came close, Boko Haram made us walk through the forest at night and sleep in the day so we could get far away. I didnt know where I was. I saw no houses or roads, just forest. We walked for two months," Aisha said.

Since the abduction, Aisha has been forced to stop learning as a child should. She was constantly abused and forced into marriage by a Boko Haram terrorist.

Fortunately, having managed to escape from the terrorists' den, Aisha now lives in Dalori Displacement Camp in Maiduguri were she receives support from UNICEF.

Although at 14, she is currently pregnant, the teenager is now safe and manages to rebuild her life with support from her family members.

Like Aisha, many women and young girls including the 194 Chibok school remain in the captivity of the terrorists.

READ ALSO: NIA moves to officially reclaim Ikoyi cash from EFCC

Aisha said while in captivity, the women barley talk to each other for fear of being killed by the terrorists.

She said: While we were walking, the men would say to us, This is Gods work, it is difficult. God is testing you and you have to be strong. I didnt know if my parents were still alive. My town had been burnt down. I wanted to die.

Legit.ng gathered that Aisha said she wanted to die especially after she was forced to marry a young Boko Haram soldier.

She could not talk to anyone in the terrorists' enclave.

If you told anyone that you wanted to escape, they would call you an unbeliever, then punish or kill you so I kept my thoughts to myself.

Things changed for Aisha at the enclave when after her marriage, she was allowed to move around the Boko Haram infested area.

She narrated how she met an old woman in the village who she managed to tell about her plight.

I spoke to her about my problems and she felt sorry for me. At first, I was I scared to tell her how unhappy I was, but then I realized I could trust her.

One day she told me she would help me escape; we pretended to visit someone in a nearby village. We sneaked past the border, and then walked for a day to reach the next town. When we arrived, the Nigerian army was conducting an operation, so there was total chaos. I merged into the crowd and made my way to safety. I havent seen that lady again but I know that she is safe in Bama," she said.

READ ALSO: 7 key questions FG must answer concerning the recent fund recovery by the EFCC

The teenager found out her father died shortly after her abduction when reunited with her mother and bother.

currently receiving medical attention and counselling, Aisha has also come to terms with her ordeal while in captivity.

The last thing my father said to me as I was being kidnapped was, This is the most difficult moment you are going to face, but you will come back to me.

READ ALSO: Documents reveal how Ibori, former governor of Delta state allegedly robbed the state blind

I speak to my close family about what happened, some understand, some dont. They say to me, if it was me, I would have killed them all or you should have escaped sooner," she said.

When I found out I was pregnant I was sad, but now I realize it is gift from God. Others that have experienced this are facing the world proudly," Aisha said.

Aisha also hopes that one day, she would go back to school to continue her education while taking proper care of her child.

Recall that the Bring Back Our Girls campaign group on Friday, April 14, launched its annual lecture on the Chibok Girls.

The group has since 2014, advocated for the safe rescue of 194 school girls kidnapped from their hostel in Government Secondary School, Chibok in Borno state and other abductees of Boko Haram.

Watch this Legit.ng video of the three years anniversary of the missing Chibok school girls below:

You can also watch this documentary video of the return of the Chibok girls:

Source: Legit.ng
Disaster was averted on the Third mainland bridge on Monday, April 17 after fire broke in the cables on the bridge.

Legit.ng gathered that it took the quick intervention of combined officials of the Federal Road Management Agency (FERMA) and the electricity generation companies (Gencos) to stop the fire from getting bigger.

The Rapid Response Squad unit of the Lagos State Police Command confirmed the incident by tweeting real-time pictures on Monday.

READ ALSO: Emir Sanusi reveals why he allegedly supported his daughter for slapping a man

FERMA officials hosing out the fire inside one of the compartments on the third mainland bridge with water on Monday

Due to the Easter holidays, the ever-busy bridge was largely empty, making the job slightly easier for the officials.

It took some time for the fire to be put out in the compartment

READ ALSO: Wike presents documents to indict Amaechi for allegedly embezzling N500 billion

The compartment was opened up and the problem with cables which caused the fire was assessed

A brave electricity official taking his time to repair the damage

Watch Lagos residents react to the proposed ban of commercial motorcycles (okada) in the state.

Source: Legit.ng
- Onochie, President Buhari's aide on new media says Ozekhome is also a corrupt man which explains his complaints

- She said Ozekhome has benefitted from the proceeds of corruption and would no doubt defend the corrupt system

- Onochie said Ozekhome is 'scum' that 'speaks from both-sides of the mouth'

Lauretta Onochie, a presidential aide on new media to Nigeria's leader Muhammadu Buhari, has lambasted prominent lawyer Mike Ozekhome for faulting the government's anti corruption war.

In series of tweets in reply to followers on her Twitter handle on Monday, April 17, Onochie accused Ozekhome of being double-mouthed.

READ ALSO: CBN finally speaks on N13b seized by EFCC as Jonathan keeps mum

She said the lawyer to Ekiti state governor Ayo Fayose was part of the corrupt people fighting against the anti-corruption war of President Buhari.

Lauretta Onochie says Ozekhome's criticisms are informed by the fact that he is part of the corrupt elite

She tweeted:

Legit.ng recalls that Ozekhome, a senior advocate of Nigeria, faulted the approach of the President Buhari-led administration in the fight against corruption in the country.

Onochie believes that Ozekhome is complaining about anti-corruption war because it is not business as usual for allegedly corrupt people like him.

Ozekhome while speaking at the Sunrise Daily show by Channels Television said the present administration lacks transparency and openness towards the ordinary Nigerians.

READ ALSO: Wike presents documents to indict Amaechi for allegedly embezzling N500 billion

"I am one of those who believe that some of these recoveries are simulated propaganda," Ozekhome said.

"Where is the openness, the transparency as to how these monies are being used for the common man and woman. All the monies that we have been hearing that is being recovered in the last 2 years, where is the money, why are we so poor?" he queried.

Watch APC chieftain Timi Frank warn President Buhari that the ruling party could be voted out of power in 2019.

Source: Legit.ng
- The Clydesdale Bank has featured images of territories in Akwa Ibom, Cross River state and Arochukwu

- The imagery is meant to commemorate the life and work of Mary Slessor

- She ended some customary practises such as the killing of twins

As the agitation for Biafra continues, different arguments and facts have come up. Among the recent revelations are the images of some territories claimed by agitators as part of the Biafra in the Scottish 10 note.

Legit.ng however learnt that the featured territories are not that of Biafrans but from southern Nigeria of Akwa Ibom, Cross River state and Arochukwu

READ ALSO: Wike presents documents to indict Amaechi for allegedly embezzling N500 billion

Chinasa Nworu, a Facebook user who posted the images online claimed that the existence of the territories on the Scottish pound is an indication of existence of Biafra years back.

The Clydesdale Bank featured images of Biafran territory on Scottish ten pound notes. The images feature areas are Akwa Ibom, Cross River State and Arochukwu

She wrote: "The imagery is meant to commemorate the life and work of Mary Slessor (a missionary in Calabar) who lived with the indigenous ethnicities, learned their language, and ended some customary practises such as the killing of twins.

"She adopted many Biafran children (particularly twins) who had been left to die. When Biafra became a British Protectorate, she became the first ever female Magistrate in the British Empire.

READ ALSO: Emir Sanusi reveals why he allegedly supported his daughter for slapping a man

"That means they know Biafrans are indigenous people but they claimed we are Nigerians they claim Nigeria Boundary integrity as if there was Nigeria back then."

The imagery is meant to commemorate the life and work of Mary Slessor

However, an unidentified writer who wrote on the issue said: Last Year, I was in Scotland and whilst alighting from a Cab, the driver asked, are you from Nigeria to which I responded with a BOLD YES, he then GAVE ME A 10 Scotland Pound and said your towns are in there.

"In Scotland, currency denominations have different designs and one of the design they dedicated a Town In Nigeria called Calabar where Mary Slessor stopped the Killing of Twins.

In the video below by Legit.ng, a man who claims to be a Biafran says he is God.

Watch the video below:

Source: Legit.ng
- Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen have attacked the Asso Community in Jemaa local government area of Southern Kaduna

- The attack occurred on Saturday, April 15, shortly after a peace and reconciliation meeting between the natives and the Fulani

- Governor Nasir El-Rufai extends his condolence to the victims and their families, while affirming that security operations are being ramped to rid the forest areas of the bandits

A renewed attack on the residents of Asso Community in Jemaa local government area of Southern Kaduna by suspected herdsmen has left 12 persons dead and several others injured.

READ ALSO: Easter disaster averted in 3rd mainland bridge fire

The Punch, citing an account by a source, reports that the attack occurred on Saturday, April 15, when gunmen invaded the community and opened fire on residents of the area.

According to the source, the invaders shot sporadically as they entered the village, at 6.00pm shortly after a peace and reconciliations meeting between the natives and the Fulani.

Those injured, according to him, were rushed to the Kafanchan General Hospital, in Jemaa LG for medical treatment.

Nigerian Tribune reports that the attackers were heavily armed, and that the operation lasted for about 30 minutes without any help from the security agencies deployed to the area.

Though the attack has been confirmed by the Kaduna police command, it stated that it was yet to receive details of the casualties as at the time of filing thus report.

READ ALSO: CBN finally speaks on N13b seized by EFCC as Jonathan keeps mum

Legit.ng had earlier reported that the attack on Asso community in Jemaa local government area of the Kaduna state occurred as Nigerians were beginning to heave a sigh of relief over the Southern Kaduna crisis.

Samuel Aruwan, the spokesperson to Nasir El-Rufai, said the governor condemned the act.

The governor extended his condolence to the victims and their families, while affirming that security operations are being ramped to rid the forest areas of the bandits.

He charged security agencies to redouble their efforts in fishing out those behind the killings, and to act promptly on carefully vetted intelligence.

Legit.ng visits Southern Kaduna where residents narrate how herdsmen allegedly prevented them from getting Red Cross relief materials. Watch:

Source: Legit.ng
Bharatiya Janata Party has intensified its protest against the Muslim reservation by Telangana government.

By Ashish Pandey: Hundreds of workers of Bharitya Janta Party's Telangana unit today held a demonstration in front of Hyderabad collector's office against the passage of a bill by the state legislature increasing reservations for backward sections of the Muslim community.

Traffic on the busy Nampally road was affected due to the protest. Police immediately intervened and took the protesting BJP leaders and workers into preventive custody.

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In a special sitting on Sunday both the houses - Telangana Legislative Assembly and Telangana Legislative Council passed the bill increasing reservations to Muslims under BC-E group under the Telangana Reservation Act-2017.

The speaker of Legislative Assembly had suspended all 5 BJP MLAs including its floor leader G Kishan Reddy for showing placard and entering into well during the proceedings.

The BJP state president K Laxman has announced that the party will hold protests across the state against the Reservation Act which does not have any 'technical and legal validity' and questioned single act for two groups.

State unit chief reiterated that his party is not against the development of Muslims but providing reservation based on religion is highly condemnable and it might create threat to communal fabric of the country.

Meanwhile, Bhartiya Janta Party's national president Amit Shah will visit Hyderabad on May 23 on a three day tour to participate on various party programs.

The Party has planned several meetings of party president across the state and it is very likely that Amit Shah too will target Telangana Ratra Smiti government on several issues including minority reservation in his address.

Also read:

Bill for 12 per cent Muslim quota passed in Telangana Assembly, 5 BJP MLAs suspended

K Chandrashekhar Rao clears Telangana State Reservation Bill, Muslims to get 12 per cent quota

--- ENDS ---
Editors note: The recent discovery of the mystery money in Ikoyi Lagos totaling N13billion by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has sparked outrage among Nigerians. A new twist was, however added to the unfolding drama when Governor Wike and the Nigeria Intelligence Agency both lay claim to the money.

Legit.ng editor-in-chief, Bayo Olupohunda, in this sarcastic piece also claims the recovered loot belongs to him, asking the EFCC to return his money.

Dear Nigerians, since the massive and shocking discovery of the goose pimples inducing crisp dollar notes, some Nigerians have been engaging in media roforofo fight (apologies to Fela) to claim the money either for themselves or demand that it is returned to so-called state coffers as they claim the money was stolen from the treasury! Chai! What people do for money?

READ ALSO: Wike presents documents to indict Amaechi for allegedly embezzling N500 billion

Fellow Nigerians, the unending claims and counter-claims for the money may have just begun as I have officially joined governor Wike and the Nigerian Intelligence Agency to stake a claim to what rightfully belongs to me. Abeg who no like money?

Yes, you heard me right.

I hereby disclose to Nigerians and to the whole world that the Ikoyi apartment loot belongs to me. So I am giving the EFCC seven days ultimatum to return my money or face legal action  I am putting Oga Mike Ozekhome on notice. Yes, again you heard me right. This high profile lawyer seems to have the legal 'grace' to defeat the EFCC, so I am engaging his expertise.

Let me also send a warning to the tough talking governor Wike. Forget the money sir; you cannot use Ikwerre sense to obtain my sweat. And to the NIA, please do not use what the Yoruba people call ogboju (strong arm tactics) to deprive me of my hard earned money.

I worked hard to get the Benjamins. Let no one ask me how I got the money or I will invoke Amadioha. Why probe me when you cannot ask the thieving politicians how they become rich overnight?

I insist the money is mine. Why would they break into a private flat of a law abiding citizen and forcefully take the money he worked so hard to get? Is it a crime to keep money at home? What effrontery? Governor Nyesom Wike and NIA please back off.

But now talking seriously and sarcasm apart, let's ask the contenders some questions as this matter continues to dominate public discourse. Why is it convenient to claim the money now that it has been discovered? Why did governor Wike in particular not find out during the probe of former governor Amaechi's tenure that such a humongous amount of money was missing from the states treasury?

Is it possible for such money to have disappeared from Rivers state purse without someone not sounding the alarm bell? What are we even talking about? The entire money uncovered in the Ikoyi flat is put at N13billion according to the current Central Bank of Nigeria exchange rate. That is a lot of money to have disappeared.

But I can understand why politicians are queuing up to claim the money. The allure of dollars is just too hard to resist, isnt it? Naturally, our politicians love money and one is not surprised at the sudden turn of event.

Perhaps the most surprising claim for the loot is the one by the Nigerias Intelligence Agency. Does it not surprise Nigerians that as soon as the money was uncovered, the Nigeria secret service quickly told us that the it was approved to the agency by the former president Jonathan for a covert operation?

READ ALSO: Jonathans minister declares support for Buharis anti-corruption war, says looters must be prosecuted

Now if we may ask what covert operation did the former president approve that has not been carried out two years after he left office? Why should money meant for official purpose be found in a private apartment?

Now the bubble has burst as even the Central Bank of Nigeria has denied that it ever issued such fund to the agency. In the wake of the discovery, several politicians including ordinary Nigerians have been speaking. Many are saying President Buhari should speak on the matter. But what do they expect the president to say?

If the president himself does not know that such an amount is hidden somewhere in a country he governs and he is still scrambling for funds to kick start an economy that has entered recession and convulsing then what are we talking about?

But we all remember that this is not the first time such a huge amount of money was discovered in the most bizarre of places. How about the naval chief who dug a massive hole to keep dollars in his backyard? The amount was enough to cause a heart attack.

Have we also forgotten the former Group Managing Director of NNPC who stacked away millions of dollars in his country home? The question Nigerians are asking now is: How many more of such discoveries are to be made?

Where next is the whistleblower going to sound his whistle? How much Nigerian money has been stolen and buried in obscure corners of the country and in private homes?

Just recently, the minister of Information Lai Muhammed revealed that the fight against corruption is making some corrupt Nigerians bury stolen money in farms, burial grounds and other odd places.

But I have a few questions to ask: What is the role of the Central Bank in all of these cash busts? Can the CBN really claim it does not know when these incredible amounts of money left its safes?

Or do people have money making machines in their homes? It is indeed scary that we have such amounts in circulation with the regulatory authorities having no clue how they got out. What these discoveries portend for the fiscal well-being of our country is better imagined.

Sometimes I wonder why we are still debating how our economy entered recession. When a few individuals hold money that is bigger than the entire budget of one state, then we should know that the economy will not survive the financial chaos it is currently enmeshed. Who else is holding our money and where next it will be discovered is one puzzle that needs to be solved.

A few months ago, I wrote a piece and asked a rhetorical question about why Nigerians are so corrupt? Well the answer seems obvious  greed. Unfortunately, it has become a culture. However, each passing day throws up new drama of the absurd that cements our place in the hall of infamy as one of the worlds most corrupt nation.

Who will save us from ourselves? A point needs to be made however, that corruption is fighting back in the most vicious and virulent form.

READ ALSO: CBN finally speaks on N13b seized by EFCC as Jonathan keeps mum

Where does one begin from? All the agencies and arms of government are neck deep in sleaze. Everybody wants a share of the cookie jar. Can our country survive this unprecedented looting and greed of its rulers?

One thing is clear, if Nigerians do not resolve to fight corruption or stop celebrating the corrupt, this country may just cease to exist or implode either way, we will all be doomed.

Bayo Olupohunda, Legit.ng Editor-in-Chief

This article expresses the authors opinion only. The views and opinions expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Legit.ng or its editors.

In this Legit.ng video, a former NNPC GMD Andrew Yakubu appears in court over fraud allegation, watch it:

Source: Legit.ng
A NIST-led research team spent more than 18 months collecting data from four different smartphone models to facilitate the development of indoor navigation apps. The data, which includes smartphone sensor readings, radio frequency (RF) signal strengths and GPS fixes, should help developers create better apps to assist users in finding their way inside unfamiliar buildings.

Such indoor localization tools could help emergency responders find victimsor each otherwhen seconds count. They also could assist with locating specific works of art in large museums or misplaced equipment in hospitals, factories, or warehouses.

In the future, if you ask your smartphone where you are, it will create the answer using many bits of disparate informationamong which are signals received from Wi-Fi access points and local cell towers that it can use to triangulate your location. It will also use its internal sensors, such as accelerometers and gyroscopes, which tell it how far you might have moved and in which direction since its last signal check. But the lack of validated testing has made their results untrustworthy.

The user community has expressed the need for careful testing of indoor localization solutions, said Nader Moayeri, NISTs principal investigator on the project. Fire departments, for example, strongly desire ways to find a comrade whos fallen inside a burning building, and who may die because he cannot determine the exit location due to low visibility from smoke or some other reason. Fire departments need to know how well these solutions are going to work before they invest their limited financial resources in them.

The people who first responders are seeking to help need a solution just as badly. The FCC estimates that more than 10,000 lives can be saved annually with better and timely location information for 911 calls placed from cellphones, many of which are made from indoor locations.

The NIST team walked the smartphones along 30 different set courses in four different buildings, including factory, warehouse and subterranean settings. At numerous predetermined locations along each course, the researchers created timestamps on all the phones corresponding to the times the person collecting the data was going over test points on the floors, whose locations had been professionally surveyed. The resulting data is now freely available online to the general public for developing smartphone indoor localization apps.

To encourage their development, NIST is sponsoring a competition called PerfLoc to generate the best apps from the developer community. Developers have until August 17, 2017, to create computer algorithms that can make sense of the data and to submit their estimates of the smartphones locations along the courses. The team has developed a methodology to evaluate the algorithms performance over the internet.

By making the data available to everyone, NIST is giving a chance to individual app developers and smaller companies that may not have the resources to collect their own data. In addition, by using the same data sets for developing the apps and evaluating their performance, it will be possible to compare the performance of the resulting apps.

NIST is offering cash prizes of $20,000, $10,000 and $5,000 to the top three submissions. The grand prize winner will also be flown to a conference in Japan to present their idea and do a live demonstration of their app.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a 550-bed super-specialty hospital in Surat. He chose to address the gathering in Hindi rather than Gujarati. Here's why.

By India Today Web Desk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on whirlwind 2-day tour of his home state Gujarat. After receiving a Bollywood-star like reception in Surat where he held a 11km-long roadshow on Sunday, PM Modi inaugurated a slew of projects along with a super-specialty hospital.

Prime Minister Modi preferred to speak in Hindi rather than his mother tongue Gujarati to address the people after inaugurating the 550-bed Kiran super-specialty hospital. The PM had his own reason to pick Hindi over Gujarati.

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HERE'S ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW:

"While coming here, I was confused whether to speak in Gujarati or Hindi. But the massive work you've done... the country should know and see our work," PM Modi said while inaugurating the hospital which has been built by a trust owned mainly by Patidars, a community which has been at the loggerheads with the state government demanding reservation in jobs and education. "Our nation was neither built, nor can it be run by governments, kings and politicians, but only by the service and hard work of its people," he said. The Prime Minister also said that India always had a culture of service which started fading away after Independence. "Many dharamshalas (rest houses), wells, gaushalas (cow sheds) and libraries were built across the nation not by the government but by the people," the PM added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also pointed out why some pharma companies were upset with him. "Many pharma companies are unhappy with my decision of cheaper stents, medicines," he said. Prime Minister Modi also inaugurated a part of Rs 12,000 crore irrigation project to bring Narmada river water in over 100 dams of the parched Saurashtra region of Gujarat. On Sunday, PM Modi received a grand welcome in Surat as thousands emerged during his 11km-long roadshow. Standing through the sunroof of his SUV, PM Modi waved to people chanting "Modi, Modi" and "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" all along the route during the roadshow which lasted over 2 hours. The PM's convoy was led by a group of 25,000 bikers. The rock-star like show also included 3D laser shows. This is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's eight visit in nine months to Gujarat, where Assembly elections are due later this year. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking to form government in the state for the fifth straight term. However, the ruling party has had a tough time ever since Narendra Modi moved to Delhi. The party was forced to remove CM Anandiben Patel as she failed to control the Patidar protest. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will fly back to Delhi later in the evening today.

(With PTI inputs)

WATCH: PM Narendra Modi gets grand welcome in Surat

ALSO READ:

PM Narendra Modi inaugurates multi-specialty hospital in Surat on Day 2 of Gujarat visit

Waiting for Narendra Modi, Surat holds 'I am India' rally, removes speed-breakers

--- ENDS ---
The US Air Forces new B-21 long-range strike bomber under development will feature flexible technology that will allow its capabilities to be modernized over time to stave off obsolescence, a top acquisition general testified to a Senate panel.

The military will be able to upgrade the aircrafts software systems as technology evolves or make changes as adversaries evolve, Air Force Lt. Gen Arnold Bunch Jr., military deputy of the office of the assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, told the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Airland.

That so-called open-architecture system of the aircraft is significant given each B-21 stealth bomber is expected to cost about $500 million and will likely be in service for decades. Having a more open platform will allow the electronics and software to be upgraded much more rapidly.

The emerging B-21 will introduce new stealth technologies better suited to elude cutting-edge air defenses, Russian media reports have recently claimed that stealth technology is useless against their air defenses. Russia is now working on an S-500 system able to destroy even stealthy targets at distances up to 125 miles.

The air force plans to field the new bomber by the mid-2020s. The Air Force plans to get as many as 80 to 100 new bombers for a price of roughly $550 million per plane in 2010 dollar.
Heres a look at whats coming up this week.

BANKING

Will Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley keep pace with peers?

Two of Wall Streets top investment banks, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, are scheduled to report first-quarter earnings this week. Analysts and investors will look to see whether their investment banking operations show the same sort of lift that peers like JPMorgan Chase demonstrated last week. Michael J. de la Merced

ECONOMY

Housing and industrial production data are on the way.

Two reports to be released on Tuesday morning should better illuminate how the economy was performing as the first quarter drew to a close. At 8:30, the Commerce Department will release data on housing starts last month. According to Bloombergs consensus forecast, new starts are expected to drop by 3.3 percent to an annual rate of 1.245 million. The data does not suggest a deeper problem in the housing market. Instead, a combination of strong growth in prior months and winter storms in some parts of the country probably held back activity slightly.

At 9:15., the Federal Reserve will disclose data on industrial production for March. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg are estimating that overall industrial production rose by 0.5 percentage point, as colder weather prompted utilities to raise output after an unseasonably warm February. Manufacturing industrial production, which can be a more reliable indicator than overall production, is expected to be flat. Softer auto production probably weighed on factory activity. Nelson D. Schwartz

The International Monetary Fund will meet in Washington.

Finance ministers, central bankers and financiers from around the world will gather in Washington this week for the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund. On Tuesday, ahead of the meetings, the I.M.F. will release its latest forecasts for global growth. The faster-than-expected recovery in emerging markets and the implications for global growth are likely to be major topics during the week. This will also be the first I.M.F. meeting since President Trump was elected. The president has nominated Adam Lerrick, a conservative economist with a long history of criticizing the fund, for a top post at the Treasury Department. Landon Thomas Jr.
As soon as I turned on a television here I wondered if I had arrived through an alt-right wormhole.

Back in the States, the prevailing notion in the news was that Mr. Assad had indeed been responsible for the chemical strike. There was some reportage from sources like the conspiracy theorist and radio host Alex Jones  best known for suggesting that the Sandy Hook school massacre was staged  that the chemical attack was a false flag operation by terrorist rebel groups to goad the United States into attacking Mr. Assad. But that was a view from the fringe.

Here in Russia, it was the dominant theme throughout the overwhelmingly state-controlled mainstream media.

On the popular Russian television program Vesti Nedeli, the host, Dmitry Kiselyov, questioned how Syria could have been responsible for the attack. After all, he said, the Assad government had destroyed all of its chemical weapons. It was the terrorists who possessed them, said Mr. Kiselyov, who also heads Russias main state-run international media arm.

One of Mr. Kiselyovs correspondents on the scene mocked Western propagandists for believing the Trump line, saying munitions at the air base had as much to do with chemical weapons as the test tube in the hands of Colin Powell had to do with weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

That teed up Mr. Putin to suggest in nationally televised comments a couple of days later that perhaps the attack was an intentional provocation by the rebels to goad the United States into attacking Mr. Assad. RT, the Russian-financed English-language news service, initially translated Mr. Putin as calling it a false flag. The full Alex Jones was complete.
Dear Diary:

A heap of discarded scratch-off lottery tickets filled an entire seat on the subway car. I reached over to inspect them.

Are you serious? my college boyfriend asked, shooting me a look.

He was a Brooklyn native, and I, a newly naturalized United States citizen and first-time visitor to New York City, thought better of challenging him.

At some point during the long ride, though, I found myself glancing again at the scratched-off tickets.

What do you know? I thought, focusing on one of them. The cherries all line up. Bingo! I pulled a partly hidden ticket out of the pile to see if there was a prize. There was. Cherries: $1.
SAN FRANCISCO  Last year, Airbnb underwent a rough regulatory patch.

The short-term rental company became a Federal Trade Commission target last summer after three senators asked for an investigation into how companies like Airbnb affect soaring housing costs. In October, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York signed a bill imposing steep fines on Airbnb hosts who break local housing rules.

The two actions appeared unrelated. But one group quietly took credit for both: the hotel industry.

In a presentation in November, the American Hotel and Lodging Association, a trade group that counts Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide and Hyatt Hotels as members, said the federal investigation and the New York bill were notable accomplishments.

Both were partly the result of a previously unreported plan that the hotel association started in early 2016 to thwart Airbnb. The plan was laid out in two separate documents that the organization presented to its board in November and January. In the documents, which The New York Times obtained, the group sketched out the progress it had already made against Airbnb, and described how it planned to rein in the start-up in the future.

The plan was a multipronged, national campaign approach at the local, state and federal level, according to the minutes of the associations November board meeting.
Carousel, one of the greatest of American musicals, is returning to Broadway next season with an all-star cast that includes an opera diva and a creative team that includes a ballet world wunderkind.

The producers Scott Rudin and Roy Furman plan to revive the show next spring, with Jessie Mueller as Julie Jordan, Joshua Henry as Billy Bigelow, and Renee Fleming as Nettie Fowler. Ms. Fleming, of course, is a renowned soprano who might be stepping away from staged opera after a production of Der Rosenkavalier that just opened at the Metropolitan Opera; Ms. Mueller won a Tony Award for Beautiful; and Mr. Henry is now starring as Aaron Burr in the touring production of Hamilton.

The revival, scheduled to open on March 23 in an unspecified theater, is to be directed by Jack OBrien, a three-time Tony winner (for Hairspray, Henry IV and The Coast of Utopia) who is now directing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Broadway. And it will be choreographed by Justin Peck, the 29-year-old dancer who is a resident choreographer of the New York City Ballet.

Its one of the greatest American scores of all time, said Mr. Peck, who had first encountered Carousel via the 1956 movie, and had since watched a 1994 Lincoln Center Theater revival on video and attended a 2015 production at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
The police in Cleveland were searching for a suspect after a man was fatally shot on Sunday in an act that was posted to Facebook and viewed thousands of times before the video was removed.

In a separate video  on a Facebook account under the name Stevie Steve  the gunman claimed he had killed 15 people.

Police officials confirmed that a body had been recovered after the shooting video was posted on Facebook around 2 p.m. Sunday, but Chief Calvin D. Williams of the Cleveland Police said at a news conference that investigators knew of no other killings.

Image Steve Stephens Credit... Cleveland Police Department

The suspect was identified as Steve Stephens. In a video posted on the Facebook account of Stevie Steve before the shooting, a man was shown holding an ID card, with the name Steve Stephens, from a mental health clinic where he claimed to be a case manager. By late afternoon, the videos had been removed from Facebook and the account was deactivated.
WASHINGTON  All the elements of the North Korean nuclear crisis  the relentless drive by Kim Jong-un to assemble an arsenal, the propaganda and deception swirling around his progress, the hints of a covert war by the United States to undermine the effort, rather than be forced into open confrontation  were on vivid display this weekend.

There was the parade in Pyongyangs main square, with wave after wave of missiles atop mobile launchers, intended to convey a sense that Mr. Kims program is unstoppable. Then came another embarrassing setback, a missile test that failed seconds after liftoff, the same pattern seen in a surprising number of launches since President Barack Obama ordered stepped-up cyber- and electronic-warfare attacks in early 2014. Finally, there was the test that did not happen, at least yet  a sixth nuclear explosion. It is primed and ready to go, satellite images show.

What is playing out, said Robert Litwak of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, who tracks this potentially deadly interplay, is the Cuban missile crisis in slow motion. But the slow-motion part appears to be speeding up, as President Trump and his aides have made it clear that the United States will no longer tolerate the incremental advances that have moved Mr. Kim so close to his goals.

Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson has said repeatedly that our policy of strategic patience has ended, hardening the American position as Mr. Kim makes steady progress toward two primary goals: shrinking a nuclear weapon to a size that can fit atop a long-range missile, and developing a hydrogen bomb, with up to a thousand times the power of the Hiroshima-style weapons he has built so far.
KABUL, Afghanistan  Talks between the United States and Afghanistan wrapped up here on Sunday, as the Trump administration reviews its options in the 15-year American presence in Afghanistan in the face of a resurgent Taliban.

Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, President Trumps national security adviser, met with Afghan leaders, including President Ashraf Ghani, in talks that came days after the United States dropped a huge bomb on a honeycomb of Islamic State caves in eastern Afghanistan.

But the greater problem in Afghanistan is the strengthening of the Taliban. In an interview with the Afghan television channel ToloNews, General McMaster said, What is necessary at this point is to consolidate gains and to deal with what is a big security problem now. He did not comment on whether the United States would add more troops, saying it was for President Trump to decide, really, what is the best course of action to begin to accelerate progress in the war.

Afghan forces have struggled against a resurgent Taliban in the past couple of years, losing territory and suffering record casualties, while American strategy on the conflict is largely considered stagnant here. The insurgent group controls large parts of the countryside and threatens several cities. In a sign of the American militarys concern, the commander of American and NATO forces in Afghanistan has asked for thousands of more troops to be deployed in the country to advise and assist Afghan forces.
TOULOUSE, France  One man gives shivers to banks, businesspeople and the bourgeoisie. One man has been rising rapidly in polls, threatening the front-runners a week before the first round in Frances presidential election. One man has suddenly turned the French contest, locked for months between two favorites, into a four-man race.

That one man is Jean-Luc Melenchon, admirer of Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez, sworn enemy of NATO and high finance, and candidate of his own France Unsubjugated movement, who has been drawing tens of thousands to his rallies, especially the young, as he did here Sunday at Toulouse on the banks of the Garonne River. They came to hear a veteran French politician give them a dousing of old-fashioned Robin Hood-revolutionary rhetoric, with promises to tax the rich hard, give to the poor and start a citizen revolution.

The formula, delivered in fiery anticapitalist phrases, and peppered with learned philosophical abstractions, has put him within spitting distance of earning a spot in the elections decisive second round on May 7.

Melenchon: The Insane Program of the French Chavez, the right-leaning newspaper Figaro blared in a front-page headline last week. The candidate was delighted by this jittery jab.
If BJP has to win Gujarat again, winning over the Patels and Patidars is the first move. In Surat, PM Narendra Modi today inaugurated the Kiran Multi-Speciality Hospital constructed by a trust dominated by the Patidars.

By Kumar Shakti Shekhar: The Gujarat Assembly elections are about eight months away but BJP has already started making concrete moves to retain power for the fifth consecutive term since March 1998. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah have embarked on the strategy to not allow power to be wrested from the party in their home state.

For BJP, if it has to win Gujarat again, winning over the Patels and Patidars is the first move. This OBC community has been on the warpath against the BJP government in the state under the leadership of 23-year-old Hardik Patel for about two years now.

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Under the banner of Patidar Anamat Andolan, Hardik Patel has been demanding reservation for Patels and Patidars in government jobs and educational institutions. Constituting over 12 per cent of Gujarat's population, Patels and Patidars are economically and agriculturally dominant but socially backward castes in the state.

Demanding quota, Hardik has pledged to uproot the BJP government in the state. He has sought to make the movement national by seeking support of similar castes, such as Keoris and Kurmis of Bihar. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who belongs to the Kurmi caste, is considered a Hardik sympathiser. Patels are a successful community abroad, particularly in the US. Hardik is believed to be getting moral and financial support from Patels also in the US.

MODI'S SYMBOLIC GESTURE

In a symbolic gesture to win back the Patidars, PM Narendra Modi took a step to woo back the community. In Surat today, he inaugurated the Kiran Multi-Speciality Hospital constructed by a trust dominated by the Patidars.

Besides, apparently to have his message sent across in the country and abroad, PM Modi chose Hindi over Gujarati to address the gathering. The Prime Minister described the effort devoted towards making the hospital as "commendable", and added that the state-of-the-art hospital would benefit citizens.

Winning Uttar Pradesh was most crucial for BJP as it is the most populous state in the country. It has the maximum seats in the Assembly (403) and it sends the most numbers of MPs in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

But registering a victory in Gujarat is no less vital than capturing UP, because the former is PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah's home state. A defeat in Gujarat would be most embarrassing for them because they are heading the government and the ruling party respectively. This could have a bearing on the morale of the party workers. This could affect BJP's performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

A victory in Gujarat at this crucial juncture is also significant because the state is considered the laboratory of the Sangh Parivar. A loss here would be a loss of face for the Sangh Parivar.

To win UP, it was necessary for BJP to garner the support of non-Jatav Dalits and non-Yadav OBCs besides the upper castes. PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah successfully made all efforts to win over these castes.

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Similarly, victory without the support of the Patel-Patidars would be extremely difficult in Gujarat. With today's event, PM Narendra and Amit Shah have embarked on the move to isolate Hardik Patel and win over the community.

ALSO READ | Why Narendra Modi was confused over Gujarati vs Hindi in Surat: 10 points

ALSO READ | Narendra Modi writes about freedom fighters: Who they are and why you should know about them

ALSO WATCH | Surat's grand welcome for PM Modi

--- ENDS ---
If any anniversary should still resonate today, its the one surrounding the verdicts in the beating of Rodney G. King 25 years ago this month and the events that followed. Three television specials in the next few days revisit that dismaying moment in American history, but all seem reluctant to spend much time exploring the connections between 1992 and more recent headline-making events in various cities that have left black residents dead. Maybe the producers felt theyd be stating the obvious; maybe they were just seduced by the fascinating but oft-told tales from 1992. Either way, it leaves the specials feeling incomplete.

First up, Tuesday on A&E, is L.A. Burning: The Riots 25 Years Later, directed by One9 and Erik Parker, with the filmmaker John Singleton (Boyz N the Hood) as an executive producer. Its an assemblage of recollections from people who were at the heart of things when a jury declined to convict four white Los Angeles police officers in the 1991 beating of King, setting off a wave of violence that left parts of the city in flames.

It recreates the moment, beginning with the voice of King (who died in 2012) and an interview with George Holliday, who shot the video seen round the world of police officers beating King after stopping his speeding car. Today, of course, that video would be all over the internet within minutes, but back then news-media saturation took a little time.
Its a Francophiles delight with shivery roles from two major stars  Isabelle Huppert in Elle and Catherine Deneuve in Repulsion  and an animated Parisian cat.

Whats Streaming

ELLE (2016) on iTunes and Amazon. Isabelle Huppert earned her first best actress Oscar nomination  and won a Golden Globe  as Michele Leblanc, a video-game executive (and, perhaps not incidentally, the daughter of a serial killer) who is raped and then turns the tables on her attacker as he returns, again and again. You may find yourself in an argument about just what kind of movie you saw, A. O. Scott wrote in The New York Times about Paul Verhoevens masterpiece of suave perversity. He added: Its a psychological thriller, a strangely dry-eyed melodrama, a kinky sex farce and, perhaps most provocatively, a savage comedy of bourgeois manners. Mostly, though  inarguably, I would say  it is a platform for the astonishing, almost terrifying talent of Isabelle Huppert.
Its the story of a wildly dysfunctional and spirit-crushing campaign that embraced a flawed strategy (based on flawed data) and that failed, repeatedly, to correct course. A passive-aggressive campaign that neglected to act on warning flares sent up by Democratic operatives on the ground in crucial swing states, and that ignored the advice of the candidates husband, former President Bill Clinton, and other Democratic Party elders, who argued that the campaign needed to work harder to persuade undecided and ambivalent voters (like working-class whites and millennials), instead of focusing so insistently on turning out core supporters.

Our failure to reach out to white voters, like literally from the New Hampshire primary on, it never changed, one campaign official is quoted as saying.

There was a perfect storm of other factors, of course, that contributed to Clintons loss, including Russian meddling in the election to help elect Trump; the controversial decision by the F.B.I. director, James Comey, to send a letter to Congress about Clintons emails less than two weeks before Election Day; and the global wave of populist discontent with the status quo (signaled earlier in the year by the British Brexit vote) that helped fuel the rise of both Trump and Bernie Sanders. In a recent interview, Clinton added that she believed misogyny played a role in her loss.

The authors of Shattered, however, write that even some of her close friends and advisers think that Clinton bears the blame for her defeat, arguing that her actions before the campaign (setting up a private email server, becoming entangled in the Clinton Foundation, giving speeches to Wall Street banks) hamstrung her own chances so badly that she couldnt recover, ensuring that she could not cast herself as anything but a lifelong insider when so much of the country had lost faith in its institutions.

Allen and Parnes are the authors of a 2014 book, H R C, a largely sympathetic portrait of Clintons years as secretary of state, and this book reflects their access to longtime residents of Clintons circle. They interviewed more than a hundred sources on background  with the promise that none of the material they gathered would appear before the election  and while its clear that some of these people are spinning blame retroactively, many are surprisingly candid about the frustrations they experienced during the campaign.
Any start-up looking to shake up an industry will inevitably face a regulatory thicket, and Airbnb is no different.

The hotel industry has declared war on the short-term rental company by raising regulatory concerns, even as hotel executives have tried to play down the effect Airbnb has had on their businesses.

The tussle is heating up before a possible initial public offering of Airbnb.

Brian Chesky, Airbnbs chief executive, has said that the company will be ready to go public in a year, and investors estimate its value to be about $30 billion. By comparison, Hiltons market capitalization is $19 billion, and Marriotts is $35 billion.

The American Hotel and Lodging Association, a trade group that counts Marriott and Hilton among its members, has a multipronged, national campaign approach at the local, state and federal level to thwart Airbnb, according to minutes of the associations board meeting in November.
It is not clear that sacking people makes a difference, either.

On April 11, KPMG announced that it had fired five partners and an employee who received confidential information about impending inspections by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the main regulator for accounting firms. The information gave the firm advance notice to clean up any potential flaws in audits it conducted at companies that would be targeted, which might help improve an auditing record that has been hardly stellar the last two years.

An editorial in The New York Times pointed out that the proper response to fearing a bad grade is to improve performance, not succumb to the lure of cheating on the test. Among those terminated was the head of KPMGs audit practice in the United States, a crucial position to ensure that it meets the high standards of the profession.

These were not lower-level employees caught cheating, which might have allowed KPMG to claim the misconduct was traceable to mere rogue employees.

Pinning the blame for bad behavior on others is common practice in the corporate world.

That was the explanation offered by Volkswagens chief executive in the immediate aftermath of revelations that the company used defeat devices to evade emissions standards  it was just a few rogue engineers behind the scandal. We now know that senior management knew of Volkswagens cheating for years.

Companies and the Justice Department often refer to the tone at the top as a way to develop a good corporate culture. Barclays Bank will need to figure out how the actions of its chief executive, James E. Staley, will affect its culture as it deals with the revelation last week that the British authorities are investigating him for trying to unmask the identity of an anonymous whistle-blower. Mr. Staleys actions raise troubling questions about whether the banks leadership reflects a do as I say, not as I do mentality.

A similar mentality seems to be dogging Fox News as it deals with another bout of sexual harassment accusations. After dismissing Roger Ailes, the former Fox News chairman, last year, 21st Century Fox must now deal with claims involving Bill OReilly, the host of its top-rated program, which has seen a precipitous drop in the number of advertisers.

The company is also responding to an investigation of its accounting for settlements paid out to former employees. Prosecutors are reported to have offered immunity to a former financial officer.
A damaged BP oil and natural gas well that had been venting gas vapors on Alaskas remote North Slope since Friday morning has been brought under control, the company and state officials said on Monday.

No injuries or harm to wildlife were reported, and apparently only a limited amount of oil sprayed with the gas from the well. Still, environmentalists expressed concern about the leakage of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.

A response team including state and federal agencies identified two leaks on the production well. One leak was halted on Sunday, officials said, and the second was repaired overnight.

The leak has been completely stopped, both the crude leak and the natural gas leak, which is great news for the North Slope, said Candice Bressler, spokeswoman for the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, a state regulatory agency.
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. The news of the world may be grim running to grimmer, but still we make time to cook, hoping that the practice can bring a balm to wounded souls.

Take as an example Melissa Clarks recipe for a roasted carrot salad with arugula and pomegranate. Make it tonight while listening to Laura Marling, while enjoying a glass of wine, while talking to the children about school or your roommate about how weird the cat gets when the birds return each spring. Make it while puttering around the kitchen looking at the mail. But make it, with a spray of toasted walnuts over the top, and see how easily beauty can intrude on the mundane business of a Monday dinner, and how happy that can make you and more important others, in mid-April, 2017.

Tomorrow you can amp up the heat with this excellent recipe for chicken diavolo, which Kim Severson scored from Ruth Reichl, who adapted it from a dish she once had at the restaurant Lupa in New York. I like it with a roasted potato hash, spice on spice, and some simple braised greens.
Biochemists may have discovered a type of antibiotic that sounds like something out of a fairy tale: It is based on dragon blood.

Scientists from George Mason University recently isolated a substance in the blood of a Komodo dragon that appeared to have powerful germ-killing abilities.

Inspired by the discovery, they created a similar chemical in the lab and dubbed it DRGN-1.

Tests on mice that were given skin wounds infected with two types of bacteria showed that DRGN-1 had three valuable properties: It punched holes in the outer membranes of both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, it dissolved the biofilms that glue bacteria together, and it sped skin healing.

The researchers study was published last week in the journal Biofilms and Microbiomes. The work was paid for by the militarys Defense Threat Reduction Agency, but the discoverers are now seeking drug-industry backing, too.
Until there is more evidence to show the program works, he said, my attitude is skeptical hope.

Despite the lack of data, young adult courts are gaining traction. Last year, the federal National Institute of Justice tallied six such courts around the nation, in places as diverse as Idaho, Nebraska and New York.

The Center for Justice Innovation, a British charity, is about to start a pilot program of five young adult courts in England and Wales. Staff members visited the San Francisco and New York courts in February to learn more.

The San Francisco court is the type of model we would want to see, said Brent J. Cohen, a former senior policy adviser at the Department of Justice, now managing director of Public Service Consulting Group. I think its probably the first model in the country that really takes into account the neuroscience and does robust training for its staff based on that.

Shaquille is scheduled to graduate in the next few months. He plans to continue pursuing his ambition to become a licensed security guard  a dream that would evaporate with a felony record.

While he regrets impulsively punching the other driver, he said the courts therapy classes had helped him with emotional restraint. When things get overwhelming, he said, I can look at things before I react.

A few months ago, after meeting with a case manager to fill out housing applications, Shaquille heard someone yell a racial epithet at him on a street corner. Shaquille felt the anger well up, but this time he kept walking.

It aint even worth it, he said.
The horrors are both consuming and exhausting. For me at this point they center on an erosion of equality. This by no means downplays Trumps incessant lying, the outrage of his draining the Treasury for his personal junkets, or his disturbing turn toward war. But somewhat below the radar, or at least with less fanfare, our access, inclusion and justice are being assailed by a man who lied on the campaign trail promising to promote them.

Image

As a candidate, Trump blasted Jeb Bush, who while answering a question about defunding Planned Parenthood suggested that the federal government had overfunded womens health care.

On MSNBCs Morning Joe, Trump prattled to Mika Brzezinski: The womens health issue, which Jeb Bush so amazingly blew about four or five days ago when he said no money going to womens health issues or essentially that. With me, Mika, I would be the best for women, the best for womens health issues.

Well, last week that very same man quietly signed legislation aimed at cutting off federal funding to Planned Parenthood and other groups that perform abortions, according to The New York Times. As The Times explained, the bill would allow state and local governments to withhold federal funding for family planning services related to contraception, sexually transmitted infections, fertility, pregnancy care, and breast and cervical cancer screening from qualified health providers  regardless of whether they also performed abortions.

As a candidate, Trump claimed to be a better friend to the L.G.B.T. community than Hillary Clinton, tweeting of that community I will fight for you, and saying during an interview on NBCs Today show that transgender people should use the bathroom that they feel is appropriate.
By Press Trust of India: From Shirish B Pradhan

Kathmandu, Apr 17 (PTI) Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari left for India today on her first foreign visit, during which she will hold talks with the top Indian leadership to strengthen bilateral ties.

She left for New Delhi in a special Nepal Airlines flight from the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. The TIA had yesterday announced a 35-minute flight restriction from 10:30am to 11:05am local time for security reasons.

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Nepal government has announced a public holiday today to mark her visit. As per custom, public holidays are announced in Nepal whenever the head of the state embarks on an official foreign visit.

April 22, when she returns home, will also be a public holiday in Nepal.

She is visiting India at the invitation of President Pranab Mukherjee and will stay at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

It will be Bhandaris first official visit abroad after assuming the office in October 2015. A high-level delegation comprising several ministers and MPs is accompanying her.

In the past six months, there have been several high- level visits between Nepal and India. Nepal Prime Minister Prachanda visited India twice - in September and October - and President Mukherjee visited Kathmandu in November.

Bhandari, 55, was scheduled to visit India in May last year, but the trip was cancelled after the then Cabinet did not endorse her visit programme, citing lack of preparations on the part of the government.

In India, she will hold talks with President Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow, exploring ways to expand cooperation between the two neighbours whose ties were strained over the agitation by the Madhesi community last year.

Vice President Hamid Ansari, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will also call on the Nepal president.

The bilateral ties between the two countries faced turbulence last year due to the Madhesi agitation and the subsequent blockade of border trading points which halted the supply of essential goods to landlocked Nepal from India.

Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin, had been demanding that the new Constitution be amended to include their concerns about adequate political representation and redrawing of federal boundaries.

MEAs Joint Secretary (North) Sudhakar Dalela said in New Delhi yesterday that Bhandaris visit will reflect the priority that India attaches to strengthen the "age-old and unique partnership with Nepal, shared cultural and historical linkages, and strong people-to-people relationship."

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Tomorrow, she will attend a business event organised by industry chambers CII, FICCI and ASSOCHAM. She is also scheduled to visit Gujarat and Odisha and pay obeisance at temples of Dwarka, Somnath and Puri. PTI ABH AKJ ABH

--- ENDS ---
To the Editor:

Once a Child Soldier, Now Fighting to Find His Way Back (news article, April 5) profiled Duop, a child soldier from South Sudan.

While the article mentioned that the American military has trained South Sudans army, it did not mention that there is a United States law that is supposed to protect children like Duop from the trauma he experienced.

The Child Soldier Prevention Act cuts off American military aid to countries that recruit and use child soldiers. Unfortunately, since the law has taken effect, the United States government has gone out of its way to get around it.

Since 2010, more than $1 billion in American military assistance has been delivered to governments that prey on children. In South Sudan, $99 million has been earmarked for military assistance, but only $1.2 million has been withheld.
If theres one thing that brings Americans together, its our hatred of the giant companies that sell us high-speed data services. Consumers routinely give Comcast, Charter (now Spectrum), Verizon, CenturyLink and AT&T basement-level scores for customer satisfaction. This collective resentment is fueled by the sense that we dont have a choice when we sign up for their services.

By and large, we dont: These five companies account for over 80 percent of wired subscriptions and have almost total power in their territories. According to the Federal Communications Commission, nearly 75 percent of Americans have at most one choice for high-speed data.

Its about to get worse: President Trumps F.C.C., under the leadership of its fiercely deregulatory chairman, Ajit Pai, wants to let these companies become even more powerful by letting them do whatever they want and allowing them to merge with one another.

Mr. Pai has already pushed Congress to erase rules that would have constrained these companies from using and selling our sensitive online information. And he is getting ready to wipe out the classification of high-speed data services as a utility  even though, without this legal label, the F.C.C.s authority to require these five companies to treat their customers fairly will be fatally undermined.
Theres no question that past presidents have lied. And Trump is nothing if not a cynical manipulator. But Trumps relationship to the truth seems novel, if only because he doesnt try to hide his relativism. Mexican immigration, Islamic terrorism, free trade: For Trump, truth is always more about how people feel than what may be empirically verifiable. Trump admits as much in The Art of the Deal, where he describes his sales strategy as truthful hyperbole. For Trump, facts are fragile, and truth is flexible.

Trump and Stephen K. Bannon probably dont spend evenings poring over Jean Baudrillards Simulacra and Simulation or Michel Foucaults The Archaeology of Knowledge (although Bannons adviser, Julia Hahn, did write her undergraduate thesis on the psychoanalytic theorist Leo Bersani). But the parallels between Trumps attacks on accepted knowledge and critical philosophys insistence that we interrogate truth claims suggest that not all assaults on the authority of facts are revolutionary.

Indeed, the social theorist Bruno Latour saw Trump coming back in 2004. In his essay Why Has Critique Run Out of Steam? Latour observed that conservatives had begun using methods similar to those of critical theory to muddy debates around issues, like climate change, that required immediate and decisive action. Conservatives were casting doubt on the reality of planetary warming by pointing to the lack of scientific certainty around the issue. Latour had made a career questioning scientific certainty and worried that his critical weapons had been smuggled to the other side:

Entire Ph.D. programs are still running to make sure that good American kids are learning the hard way that facts are made up, that there is no such thing as natural, unmediated, unbiased access to truth, that we are always prisoners of language, that we always speak from a particular standpoint, and so on, while dangerous extremists are using the very same argument of social construction to destroy hard-won evidence that could save our lives.

Some liberals have argued that the best way to combat conservative mendacity is to insist on the existence of truth and the reliability of hard facts. But blind faith in objectivity and factual truth alone has not proven to be a promising way forward.

Even if we felt comfortable asserting the existence of something like truth, theres no going back to the days when Americans agreed on matters of fact  when debates about policy were guided by a commitment to truth and reason. Indeed, critique shows us that its doubtful that those days, like Trumps great America, ever existed.

For this very reason, these strategies remain useful, however much something like them may be misused, and however carelessly some critical theorists and philosophers have deployed them. Even in a post-truth era, a critical attitude allows us to question dominant systems of thought, whether they derive authority from an appearance of neutrality, objectivity or inevitability or from a more Trumpian appeal to alternative facts that dispense with empirical evidence. In a world where lawmakers still appeal to common sense to promote regressive policies, critique remains an important tool for anyone seeking to move past the status quo.

This is because critical ways of thinking demand that we approach knowledge with attention and humility and recognize that, while facts might be created, not all facts are created equal.
The outpouring of outrage across the country in response to Donald Trumps election has created a significant opening for flipping Republican-held House seats. This wave of progressive activism has found its way to the campaign coffers of Jon Ossoff, the leading Democrat in the Georgia congressional special election on Tuesday to fill the vacancy created when Tom Price joined Mr. Trumps cabinet.

A combination of Democratic enthusiasm and Republican complacency has created the conditions for change in Georgia and other forthcoming congressional races. In the Kansas special election last week, Republican turnout was down 62 percent from November, while Democratic turnout dipped only 32 percent  conditions that nearly brought an upset for James Thompson, the Democratic candidate.

To seize this opportunity, however, Democrats must fight their addiction to consultant-driven paid ads that seek to persuade supposed swing voters and instead invest significant resources in getting core Democratic supporters to the polls.

Mr. Ossoff has raised an astounding $8.3 million since announcing his candidacy in January. If he doesnt emerge with 50 percent of the vote in the crowded primary tomorrow, he will require smarter and more data-driven spending to win the runoff election in June.
As a candidate, Donald Trump seemed to pay no more attention to North Koreas accelerating nuclear weapons program, which his predecessor has warned is Americas most urgent threat, than he did to other complex foreign policy issues. Now he is paying attention, but not in a helpful way. His intemperate talk is adding to regional tensions, unnerving allies and likely reinforcing North Koreas longstanding fear that it could one day be attacked by America  the very reason North Korea invested in a nuclear arsenal in the first place.

It would be risky for Mr. Trump to let overconfidence and bombast, expressed in tweets and public statements, box him into some kind of showdown with the Norths ruthless leader, Kim Jong-un, who has displayed similarly macho traits. South Korea, Japan and even Russia have urged both sides to avoid a devastating miscalculation.

That the weekend came and went without North Korea conducting its sixth nuclear test in a decade was a relief. American and South Korean Intelligence agencies had detected evidence of preparations for such a test and it was assumed the country would go forward on a politically significant date. Saturday was the 105th anniversary of the birth of Mr. Kims grandfather, who founded the state in 1949.
To the Editor:

Re The G.O.P. and Fear of Crowds, by Arthur C. Brooks (Op-Ed, April 13):

There is a delicious inherent irony in Mr. Brookss prescription for defusing angry crowds attending town hall meetings held by Republican members of Congress. To wit: Congress itself is an angry dysfunctional crowd, and those attending town hall meetings are treating its members as individuals.

By doing so, the crowd is trying, as Mr. Brooks puts it, to help forge a path toward civility and intelligence in Congress.

BARRY MARCUS, SACRAMENTO
It was a jarringly unorthodox moment even for Donald Trump. At a rally in Colorado last October, an audience member handed him a gay pride flag that bore a handwritten endorsement: LGBTs for TRUMP. The candidate smiled as he unfurled the flag, displaying it for a few seconds. A spokesman later said Mr. Trump was proud to carry the L.G.B.T. for Trump rainbow flag on stage, since he was campaigning to be president for all Americans.

It didnt take long for prominent gay Republicans to proclaim that the Republican Party had, at long last, turned a corner on gay rights under Mr. Trump. After he was elected, some gay rights activists held out hope that Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, the presidents daughter and son-in-law, would be staunch allies in the West Wing, considering that they had traveled in liberal circles in New York.

Yet, the nomination of several key officials, who have disparaged the L.G.B.T. community and sought to curtail the rights of its members, has exposed the narrative that Mr. Trump would be a champion of gay and transgender people as a fallacy. It has been a catastrophe, said Mara Keisling, the executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality and a leading strategist behind a string of legal and policy victories the community achieved during the Obama administration. Every twitch weve seen from the administration has been anti-L.G.B.T.

At the Department of Justice, where former Attorney General Loretta Lynch last year delivered an impassioned speech telling transgender Americans, We see you; we stand with you, her successor, Jeff Sessions, wasted no time reversing course. The Justice Department in February withdrew guidance issued to schools on the treatment of transgender students, signaling that it would no longer consider their rights to be protected under a 1972 civil rights law.
Sverdlovs last letter to Egon-Besser arrived in Petrograd in late February 1917. He was 32 and married to a fellow revolutionary; she was 18 and prone to thoughts of suicide. He arrived soon after his letter.

One evening in late March, wrote Egon-Besser in her memoirs, the doorbell rang. When I heard the sound of his familiar booming bass coming from the entryway, I came running and saw Yakov Mikhailovich. He kissed me on both cheeks.

At about the same time, the economist Valerian Osinsky wrote a letter to his lover, Anna Shaternikova. He was 30 and married to a fellow revolutionary; she was in her mid-20s and, in Osinskys view, young, tall, intelligent and beautiful. They had met a few months earlier in a hospital in Yalta, where he read Knut Hamsuns Victoria to her.

They, too, knew that their happiness depended on the coming of the final act of the human tragedy. They were certain that it was near, but did not know that it had already reached Petrograd. Communism, like Hamsuns novel, was the kingdom of eternal love.

Over there, wrote Osinsky, love would reveal without shame all of its profound tenderness.

Vladimir Mayakovsky met his love in Odessa, in 1914. Her name was Maria Denisova. He was 21 and an avant-garde poet; she was 20 and absolutely extraordinary: tall, shapely, with magnificent, shining eyes. She promised to come to his hotel room, but did not. He appealed to God:

You, the almighty, came up with a pair of hands, made sure everyone got a head, so why couldnt you come up with a way for us to kiss and kiss and kiss without this torture?

God had nothing to say. The poet promised to slice him up as part of a general apocalypse. He said it would come in 1916.
Muslims in America have been in perpetual crisis mode in recent years, dealing with the aftermath of the 2015 Paris attacks, followed by President Trumps campaign, election, inauguration and travel ban, said Dr. Rania Awaad, the director of the Muslims and Mental Health Lab at Stanford University and the clinical director of the San Francisco Bay Area branch of the Khalil Center, a Muslim counseling center. In November, the center offered a support group for young people, some of whom had been harassed at school, but their parents wouldnt leave  they wanted help too. Eventually, they went to a corner of the conference room and created their own little support group, Dr. Awaad said.

Not everyone can find support in the wake of a hate crime. Dr. Prabhjot Singh, now the chair of the department of health system design and global health at the Mount Sinai Health System, felt angry and depressed after he was attacked in New York in 2005, when he was in graduate school. He reached out to mental health services at his university, but they werent much help, since they were geared toward people with severe psychiatric illness. When he was attacked again a few years later, his anger, depression and sense of isolation deepened. He dealt with them by throwing himself into work. He also began practicing his Sikh religion more actively, growing his beard and waking up before dawn to meditate.

Then, in 2013, he was attacked by a group of young men who called him Osama and terrorist and punched him in the face, breaking his jaw. That attack got significant media attention, and people began to email him asking for advice after they or their loved ones experienced hate crimes. The volume of recent messages has been a sign for him that hate crimes are on the rise. I just hear it in my inbox, he said.

Sometimes Dr. Singh can help the people who write to him, and sometimes he cant. He sees a lack of resources for people who have been victims of hate crimes: I dont think theres really a good way for people who have had this type of experience to find useful community.
On todays episode:

 We begin with sabotage. We talk with my colleague David E. Sanger, who is just back from Russia.

 And then theres diplomacy. On Sunday, President Trumps national security adviser, Lt. General H. R. McMaster, pointed to one foreign power in particular whom the United States sees as a key diplomatic partner in battling North Koreas nuclear program: China. We called the Interpreters, Max Fisher and Amanda Taub, to talk about the relationship between China and North Korea.

Background reading:

 News analysis by Mr. Sanger and William J. Broad on the situation in North Korea, which one expert called the Cuban missile crisis in slow motion.

 North Korea may be preparing its sixth nuclear test, according to satellite images.

 The Interpreter column from March on the risks of pre-emptive strikes against North Korea.

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.
By Press Trust of India: From Shirish B Pradhan

Kathmandu, Apr 17 (PTI) Amid widespread criticism, the Nepal government today decided to withdraw its decision to declare a public holiday on Friday, the day when President Bidya Devi Bhandari returns after concluding her state visit to India.

The Ministry of Home Affairs said it has revised the notice issued yesterday which had granted a public holiday on coming Friday, April 21.

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MoHA statement made it clear that no holiday would be observed on the day of the arrival of President Bhandari from New Delhi after completing her five-day state visit to India.

Yesterday, while granting the holiday for today to mark the departure of the President, the government had announced that the holiday would be observed on Friday as well.

The decision, however, was widely criticised, Nepalease media reported.

Leading a 33-member delegation, President Bhandari arrived in India today on her first overseas tour during which she will hold talks with top Indian leadership to strengthen bilateral ties. PTI SBP KJ AKJ KJ

--- ENDS ---
In the blink of a geological eye, climate change has helped reverse the flow of water melting from a glacier in Canadas Yukon, a hijacking that scientists call river piracy.

This engaging term refers to one river capturing and diverting the flow of another. It occurred last spring at the Kaskawulsh Glacier, one of Canadas largest, with a suddenness that startled scientists.

A process that would ordinarily take thousands of years  or more  happened in just a few months in 2016.

Much of the meltwater from the glacier normally flows to the north into the Bering Sea via the Slims and Yukon Rivers. A rapidly retreating and thinning glacier  accelerated by global warming  caused the water to redirect to the south, and into the Pacific Ocean.
Scientists and science advocates are expected to fill the streets of more than 500 cities across the world on Saturday in support of scientific research, which they feel has increasingly come under attack, especially during the Trump administration.

Since its inception in late January, the March for Science has transformed from a grass-roots social media campaign into a bona fide force of scientific advocacy, attracting support from more than 220 official science organizations. But the marchers and the activists who organized them will soon have to address what follows the demonstrations. In addition to channeling the energy theyve built, they will also need to contend with tensions that have emerged within the scientific community over this political turn.

We have no intention of letting this stop after April 22, said Dr. Caroline Weinberg, a public health researcher and co-chairwoman of the march. I will have considered it pretty much a failure if after April 22 all of this movement and all of this passion dissipates.

Most eyes will be on Washington, where the main march will occur. But there will also be rallies in medical hubs like Boston, technology centers like San Francisco and even in the heart of oil and gas country, Oklahoma City. The strength of these satellite events could be important indicators of where the activism generated by the march will head in the future.
But Daniel Bullock, a professor of psychological and brain sciences at Boston University, who will march with his wife and son in Washington, said that the event could help scientists better connect with the public.

The march is a first chance to work on how to frame key messages and how to organize a nationwide campaign to broaden understanding of inconvenient truths that are being ignored by many policy makers, he said.

But getting organized as scientists was also important to some participants, who said that it was time to assert their role as a group.

Communities are not taken seriously politically until they act as a group and make noise, Mary Mangan of Somerville, Mass., who is the president of OpenHelix, a company that trains people to use genomics software.

I dont think quiet reserve is serving us well anymore. Health issues, food issues, climate issues, energy issues  we have as much right to speak to these as anyone else, and added responsibility to do so, in my opinion.

And ultimately, some said, doing nothing was not an option.

Im tired of saying we must make the best of a bad situation, said Emily Nicholson, a geologist for an engineering firm in New Jersey who is driving down to Washington for the march.

I recently became a scientist in order to leave a positive mark on the world, and its time I try harder to.
To talk to Ovelia Transtoto about her year-old clothing brand isnt to speak of fashion; in fact, the designer, 37, doesnt find the f-word particularly useful. I dont know what fashion is anymore  is it the industry itself? Is it trends? she asks. The definition is blurry. For me, creative expression takes the form of clothing  an object that someone can wear. You take two-dimensional fabric and turn it into a three-dimensional thing, and the number of stitches or the angle of the cuff can completely change the garment.

Transtoto began to obsessively tinker with things while growing up in Jakarta, Indonesia. I was driven by a desire to transform whatever was in front of me, she says. She remembers following her own so-called recipes and concocting homemade sweets, or drawing on blank address labels and selling them as stickers to her friends. She took up pottery and studied under the ceramic artist Keng Sien Liem, but moved to London at age 26, where she earned a degree in fashion design from Central Saint Martins.

After graduation, she freelanced  mainly creating and consulting on prints for other brands  met an adept pattern-cutter (shes my lifeline, she can make anything happen, she says) and found a top-notch local factory. During this period, Transtoto fine-tuned her creative process. She calls herself not so much of a mood-board person, and instead likens herself to a D.J. A D.J. takes a song that you mightve heard before, and he puts it in his mix and it becomes entirely new, she says. Its something that comes from the past but feels fresh, and it can change how you feel about that particular music, she continues. She says she designs with Zaha Hadid in mind because architects see that clothing is more than a piece of cloth. They can read objects and can understand the story behind things  they would probably be able to understand what my clothing is about.

Image The designer Ovelia Transtoto. Credit... Jacky Suharto

In March of last year, Transtoto packed a small collection into a suitcase and went to Dover Street Market in London, where she worked as part-time shop assistant. Each of the six womens wear designs she brought was somehow adjustable; for example, tugging on the straps of a jacket turned a oversize silhouette into a tighter, body-conscious style. I wanted to give people options so they could make the garments their own, she says. The store picked up her debut collection for the fall 2016 season.
At first, the two flights were identical in every respect, flying nonstop for about three hours, at a cost of $204. For a casual airline traveler with no brand loyalty, we could expect this decision to come down to a coin flip, and for those who said they had not heard of the United scandal, it did: 49 percent chose the United flight, and 51 percent chose the American flight.

But among respondents who had heard about the passenger who was dragged off the United flight, the result was wildly lopsided, with just 21 percent of those respondents picking United.

The researchers pressed on this preference further, testing the strength of respondents aversion to United by making changes to the choice. One variation gave the American flight a layover in Cleveland, adding about three hours of travel time. Another option increased the cost of the American flight by $66. A third did both these things, asking people to choose between a nonstop United flight for $204 and a one-stop American flight for $270.

These changes did push some people to prefer United, but others still would not budge. About 44 percent of respondents who said they had heard of United recently preferred to fly American even when the journey cost $66 more and took an additional three hours.
Congressional Republicans have recently revived efforts to overhaul malpractice laws, including capping certain kinds of suits at $250,000. A perennial argument of supporters of such measures is that many claims are frivolous, clogging the court system and driving up health care costs for everyone. But does the evidence support this?

You dont have to look too hard to find backing for the notion that some malpractice claims lack merit. A 2006 New England Journal of Medicine study reviewed a random sample of 1,452 claims from five malpractice insurers. Its authors found that 37 percent of these cases involved no errors, and 3 percent involved no verifiable injuries.

Its also undeniable that defending against malpractice suits gets costly. Other research shows that providers and hospitals spent $81,000 to $107,000 (in 2008 dollars) to defend cases that went to verdict, on average. Even defending claims that were dropped, withdrawn or dismissed cost $15,000 per claim.

But it is not so clear that the best way to solve malpractice lawsuits is through changes focused on the legal system rather than the medical one.
VARNER, Ark.  After a pair of court defeats, the state of Arkansas was forced late Monday to abandon its plan to carry out its first execution in more than a decade. The canceled execution of a condemned prisoner here was a significant setback for the state, which had sought to put eight men to death this month, before its stock of a lethal injection drug expired.

On Monday afternoon, the State Supreme Court stayed the execution of Don W. Davis, who was convicted more than a quarter-century ago of a murder in northwestern Arkansas. Then, about 15 minutes before Mr. Daviss death warrant was due to expire, the United States Supreme Court refused to overrule the Arkansas jurists, who had voted 4 to 3 to halt the execution.

The decisions do not affect five other executions that are scheduled this month at the Cummins Unit.

Until word of the decision from Washington reached the prison here in rural southeast Arkansas, state officials were optimistic that the justices would allow them to proceed. Witnesses moved across the darkened campus toward the death chamber, and Mr. Davis waited for a lethal injection for hours after he was offered what he had planned as his last meal.
WASHINGTON  For the first time in more than a year, nine justices heard arguments at the Supreme Court on Monday. The new member of the court, Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, sat on the far right side of the bench, in the spot reserved for the most junior justice.

If Justice Gorsuch experienced first-day jitters, he did not betray them. He was an exceptionally active questioner, displaying an easy familiarity with the issues in the three minor and technical cases before the court. He asked crisp and colloquial questions, and he kept asking them if he did not find the lawyers answers satisfactory.

There was no acknowledgment inside the courtroom of the bitter fight that led up to the seating of the new justice. But his presence was noted by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. at the start of the day.

Before we commence the business of the court this morning, it gives me great pleasure on behalf of myself and my colleagues to welcome Justice Gorsuch as the 101st associate justice of this court, Chief Justice Roberts said. Justice Gorsuch, we wish you a long and happy career in our common calling.
BENSALEM, Pa.  One after another, the gamblers totter along the twisting walkway, bathed in artificial purple light  burdened, at least occasionally, by the instinct that they should have known better.

Usually, this pathway outside Parx Casino is reserved for self-flagellation, a private lament at the last hundred lost. But lately, as with most any gathering place around here since late January  the checkout line, the liquor store, the park nearby where losing lottery numbers are pressed into the mulch  patrons have found occasion to project their angst outward, second-guessing a November wager.

Just like any other damn president, sighed Theresa Remington, 44, a home-care worker and the mother of two active-duty Marines, scraping at an unlit cigarette. She had voted for Donald J. Trump because she expected him to improve conditions for veterans and overhaul the health care system. Now?

Political bluster, Ms. Remington said, before making another run at the quarter slots. She wondered aloud how Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont might have fared in the job.
WASHINGTON  Thousands of people flocked to the South Lawn on Monday to attend President Trumps first White House Easter Egg Roll, an affair about half the size of last years that unfolded without incident after scheduling and organizational challenges had threatened to scuttle it.

On an overcast morning punctuated by showers, Mr. Trump emerged on the White House balcony with his wife, Melania, and youngest son, Barron, along with the Easter bunny, to greet attendees of the annual springtime festival. The elaborate and labor-intensive Egg Roll is among the most daunting social events a presidential staff has to plan, and a late start by Mrs. Trumps still-skeletal team made its execution a struggle.

But on Monday, girls in frilly dresses and boys in pastels rolled and hunted eggs on the White House grounds, mingling with a life-size Elmo and the bespectacled bunny, and seeming not to notice the pared-back nature of the celebration. The South Lawn appeared far emptier than it has in recent years, and activities that drew hourslong lines in the past had no more than a few minutes wait.

Mr. Trump turned the event into a pep rally of sorts for his nearly 100-day-old administration, telling guests that the 139th Egg Roll was unfolding at a time of greatness for the country.
By Press Trust of India: From Aditi Khanna

London, Apr 17 (PTI) The UK has set up a new specialist police unit to monitor growing incidents of unmanned drones dropping contrabands like drugs and mobile phones into prisons.

"We are absolutely determined to tackle the illegal flow of drugs and mobile phones into our prisons and turn them into places of safety and reform," said UK Prisons Minister Sam Gyimah.

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"The threat posed by drones is clear, but our dedicated staff are committed to winning the fight against those who are attempting to thwart progress by wreaking havoc in establishments all over the country. My message to those who involve themselves in this type of criminal activity is clear; we will find you and put you behind bars," he said.

There has been a sharp increase in incidents involving drones in the recent years, with gadgets being detected in or around jails in England and Wales 33 times in 2015, according to official figures.

This is up from two the year before and there were no recorded incidents in 2013.

The new squad of prison and police officers will work with law enforcement agencies and HM Prison and Probation Service to inspect drones that are recovered in a bid to identify those involved in attempts to smuggle in contraband.

Investigators will bring together intelligence from across the prisons and the police to pin-point lines of inquiry, which will be passed to local forces and organised crime officers. PTI AK KJ AKJ KJ

--- ENDS ---
WASHINGTON  Justice Neil M. Gorsuch is by all accounts the soul of courtesy, and he may have a hard time elbowing his way into the judicial crossfire that is the modern Supreme Court argument.

Justices interrupt one another all the time, and it may not be easy for the new justice to find his place and to raise his voice this week, when he hears his first arguments.

But a new study suggests that Justice Gorsuch has two things going for him: He is conservative, and he is male.

Conservatives interrupt liberals at significantly higher rates than liberals interrupt conservatives, the study, to be published in The Virginia Law Review, found.
Modern human habits, she said, can interfere with this early exposure at every turn; babies may be born by cesarean section, without exposure to the birth canal and its bacteria; they may be bottle-fed instead of breast-fed; they may sleep far away from their mother; and they may well be treated with antibiotics for one infection or another. (The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for the first year of life, and recommends that infants should sleep in the same room as their parents but on separate safe surfaces to reduce the risk of sleep-related deaths.)

In a study published in 2016, on which Dr. Dominguez-Bello collaborated, scientists profiled the microbial development of a group of babies in the United States, examining the ways in which their bacterial populations were affected by mode of birth, by formula feeding versus breast-feeding, and by antibiotic exposure. In her research in the Amazon basin of South America, she said she has found that in rural houses and huts, most of the bacteria are related to the surrounding environment. In such settings, she said, the mother is more likely to carry the baby, and to sleep with the baby, both of them exposed to bacteria from plants and soil.

As houses become more enclosed and more subdivided, she said, spaces are increasingly separated by areas of use, and the speed at which outside air replaces inside air is decreased. What happens is, we reduce the exposure to external environmental bacteria, so we become the main source of bacteria, our skin, our mouth, we shed bacteria, and the house becomes highly humanized, most of the bacteria in a house in a city will be human, she said.

Walls, she said, are the best bystanders, revealing what is going on in a house, because they are not usually cleaned. After many years, she said, you find highly oral bacteria near the sink, fecal and vaginal bacteria near the toilet, and skin bacteria in the rest of the house.

So we need to study the health consequences of the built environment, even the more modern and more hygienic built environment, which is a complicated place, and by no means sterile.

We used to live in much dustier environments, said Marsha Wills-Karp, a professor of environmental health and engineering at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. Still, she said, though houses are cleaner, the built environment contains many components, including chemicals and airborne particles, not just microbes.

Studies have shown that priming or seeding of the microbiome in the child is absolutely critical, she said. While you dont want to go out and expose your child to aggressive infections, you dont want to create such a sterile environment that their immune system doesnt develop normally; it puts them at risk of developing immune diseases.

And what we have learned, Dr. Gilbert said, is that early life exposure to microbes can shape not only the immune system, affecting a childs likelihood of developing autoimmune conditions like eczema and asthma, but also the endocrine system, and even the childs neurodevelopment.
Ms. Saghari, the television anchor, was harassed often  by her apartment building attendant, colleagues, social media users. When she turned down the men, they quickly made up their own reasons.

They would say, She is a lesbian, or that she is feminist; all feminists are like this  they do not have sexual needs, Ms. Saghari said.

Perhaps the biggest challenge for divorced women like Ms. Yaganah and Ms. Saghari is navigating the neighborhoods they live in. They have to constantly find a balance: fend off advances from male neighbors, yet go out of their way to declare their male visitors to avoid rumors.

When Ms. Yaganah has male guests over, she feels obliged to knock on neighbors doors with some excuse  to borrow additional teacups, for instance  to be transparent about her visitors. When her brother or other close relatives visit with their children, she shows them off to signal, she says, that she is a decent family woman.

Even though renting a home remains a major hurdle because landlords require a man to sign, Ms. Yaganah has had a breakthrough.

This year, I have an achievement: I signed the lease myself for the first time, she said. But I told the owner of the house that my husband went to Germany as refugee  I did not tell him that I was divorced.
JAKARTA, Indonesia  The banner hanging at the entrance of a conservative mosque in eastern Jakarta carried a curt message: It is forbidden in Islam to vote for a non-Muslim as a leader  in this case of the capital of the worlds most populous Muslim-majority nation.

To drive home the point, the banner threatened that anyone who voted for Jakartas incumbent Christian governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, in the runoff election scheduled for Wednesday would be denied a customary prayer ritual for dead family members.

The citys public order agency tore down the banner and similar ones at other mosques around the capital, and warned hard-line religious leaders against making claims that Muslim voters are not permitted to vote for non-Muslims. Indonesia has a secular government and Constitution.

But the messages of racial and ethnic discrimination continue to loom large over the bitterly contested race for governor in Jakarta  and larger still across Indonesia, where a pluralistic tradition and nascent democracy are facing a stern test from hard-line Islamic sentiment.
Mr. Pollack emphasized that North Korea probably saw this as a long-term goal to be accomplished over many years, rather than something to demand up front and all at once.

Still, he said, North Korea may see this as the only way to reduce the existential threat that its weapons program is meant to curb.

Any partial or full American withdrawal would risk sending the American relationship with South Korea and Japan into crisis, empowering North Korea and weakening American influence in Asia.

Even if a president deemed these costs worthwhile, he or she might find the politics of such a deal insurmountable.

A Drift Toward Disaster

As time goes on, analysts say, the risks only grow.

If the current action-reaction cycle continues, Daryl G. Kimball, the executive director of the Arms Control Association, wrote in a recent policy brief, it will not only diminish the prospect of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, but it will increase the risk of a devastating nuclear war.

John R. Bolton, the Bush administrations ambassador to the United Nations, told Fox News this week that the only way to end North Koreas nuclear weapons program is to end North Korea by bringing about the governments total collapse.

Mr. Pollack, asked if he agreed, at first dismissed Mr. Bolton as a hard-liner, saying a war would risk nuclear devastation, but then he acknowledged that the assessment of North Koreas determination was probably correct.

Theyre not gonna give this stuff up, Mr. Pollack said.
SEOUL, South Korea  South Koreas recently impeached and ousted president, Park Geun-hye, was formally indicted on Monday on charges of collecting or demanding $52 million in bribes, becoming the first leader put on criminal trial since the mid-1990s, when two former military-backed presidents were imprisoned for corruption and mutiny.

Prosecutors arrested Ms. Park on 13 criminal charges in March. They have questioned her five times in her jail cell outside Seoul. In the indictment on Monday, the number of criminal charges against Ms. Park increased to 18, including bribery, coercion, abuse of office and illegal leaking of government secrets.

The indictment, a widely expected follow-up to Ms. Parks arrest, will prompt the Seoul Central District Court to open a trial. The court is expected to assign the case to a three-judge panel soon.

The judges will then set the date for the first hearing in what will become the biggest court trial since the former military dictator Chun Doo-hwan was sentenced to death and his friend and successor, Roh Tae-woo, was sentenced to 22 years in prison on bribery, mutiny and sedition charges in 1996. (Their sentences were later reduced, and they were pardoned and released in 1997.)
MANILA  The Philippine militant group Abu Sayyaf has beheaded a Filipino hostage, the countrys armed forces announced Monday, just days after a clash in the central Philippines left five militants and four members of the security forces dead.

The military identified the victim as Noel Besconde, a fisherman seized by Abu Sayyaf in December.

He was killed on Thursday in the southern Philippines, about 48 hours after Abu Sayyaf gunmen fought with government forces on the popular tourist island of Bohol, in the countrys midsection. The authorities suspected that the militants had been looking for hostages to hold for ransom.

Abu Sayyaf was once affiliated with Al Qaeda and has since declared allegiance to the Islamic State, the Philippine authorities have said, although it is now believed to operate primarily as a profit-driven criminal enterprise.

Mr. Besconde was seized four months ago in the Celebes Sea and was taken hostage by an Abu Sayyaf commander, whom the military identified only as Sadjawaan.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan  The Pakistani military said Monday that a high-profile militant leader had surrendered, calling it a significant victory in efforts against the remnants of the Pakistani Taliban.

The militant, Sajjid Mohmand, is more widely known by his nom de guerre, Ehsanullah Ehsan, and was the main spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban. He had gained prominence through his ambitious media campaigns, savvy use of social media networks and frequent phone calls and text messages to local journalists and news media outlets to claim responsibility for terrorist attacks.

He is in our custody, Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor, the spokesman for the Pakistani military, said at a news conference in Rawalpindi. The general, however, offered no details about the circumstances in which Mr. Mohmand surrendered to the Pakistani security forces.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka  The death toll in last Fridays catastrophic collapse of a garbage dump in the Sri Lankan capital mounted to 28 on Monday, and it was expected to increase as rescuers dug for a fourth day through debris that buried part of a residential neighborhood.

Thirty people have been reported missing, according to Pradeep Kodippili, the deputy director of Sri Lankas disaster management center.
WASHINGTON  Vice President Mike Pence issued a fresh warning to North Korea on Monday not to test Americas resolve. But behind the threatening talk, the White House is taking a more calculated approach, giving the Chinese government time to show whether it is ready to use its influence to curb its erratic, nuclear-armed neighbor.

The disparity between the Trump administrations blunt public statements to Pyongyang and its growing reliance on Beijing has been put in sharp relief by Mr. Pences visit to South Korea, which included a stop at the demilitarized zone that divides the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea should not test the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region, Mr. Pence declared in Seoul, the South Korean capital. Yet in Washington, the White House said President Trump would not draw any red lines with North Korea. And officials expressed hope that China was finally playing a more active role in pressuring the North  a strategy that, if successful, could obviate the need for American military action.

Theres a lot of economic and political pressure points that I think China can utilize, Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, said at his daily briefing. Weve been very encouraged with the direction in which theyre going.
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Apr 17 (PTI) NLC India Ltd has no plans to acquire coal mines overseas as the three blocks alloted to it by the government were sufficient to meet fuel requirement of its power plants, a top company official said.

"We have no plans to acquire coal mines overseas as three coal blocks alloted to us -- two in Odisha and one in Jharkhand -- were enough to meet the coal requirement of our power plants," NLC India Ltd Chairman and Managing Director S K Acharya told PTI.

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The company would continue to focus on the blocks allotted to it in line with government of Indias mission of Make in India

Companys coal-based plants "with 1,000 mw capacity were running, while 2,000 mw (plants) were under construction and around 4,000 mw were in the planning stage," the CMD said.

Around two years back, "we had invited expression of interest...to find out commercial viability and to find out whether it would make good business sense for us to go abroad but now we are not thinking that," he said. The main activity of NLC India is mining (coal and lignite) and power generation of thermal and renewable energy. The companys present mining capacity (lignite) is 30.6 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) and the present power generation capacity, including JVs is 3,240 mw.

At present, NLC India has four open cast lignite mines namely Mine I, Mine II, Mine IA and Barsingsar Mine.

The lignite mined out is used as fuel to the linked pit-head power stations. Also, raw lignite is being sold to small scale industries to use it as fuel in their production activities. PTI SID ABI

--- ENDS ---
In one striking example, Sputnik and RT reported in February  citing what they said was an interview by the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, with the newspaper Izvestia  that WikiLeaks had interesting information about Mr. Macron and was preparing to release it.

Assange will pour oil on the fire of the French election campaign, RT reported.

But a spokesman for WikiLeaks said that Mr. Assange had never given such an interview and had merely sent a short email responding to a question from an Izvestia reporter.

Murkier still are the thousands of cyberstrikes against the Macron campaigns website and hundreds of attempts to gain access to its email accounts through so-called phishing attacks. The same tactic was used to gain entry to the Democratic National Committees servers last year.

Yet Damien Bancal, a French journalist who founded and runs the website Zataz, which focuses on digital security, said that attributing such activities to Russia was wild conjecture. The Macron campaigns computer system is like a Swiss cheese, he said, open to attack not only by Russia but also by any 15-year-old with a computer.

The government has nonetheless taken the danger seriously, with Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault warning Moscow that this kind of interference in French political life is unacceptable, and the countrys equivalent of the National Security Council in Washington holding a special meeting to discuss cyberthreats.

Francois Heisbourg of the Foundation for Strategic Research in Paris said he doubted that any Russian efforts, whatever their nature, would have much impact on the election. While at times highly skilled at planting false information and creating confusion, they often burn themselves while trying to burn down the house, he said.
But nothing gets added without Mr. Gallegos approval, particularly if it jars with the arches and other circular designs that he loves, which are loosely based on the Romanesque style.

Thats really not going to look good anywhere around here, Mr. Gallego said, as he studied a blue dove made of raffia given as a donation, but which Mr. Gallego left lying on the floor.

While some have wondered about Mr. Gallegos mental health, his supporters dispute theres anything unhealthy about his obsession.

Do you really think somebody mad could have built something like this? said Pablo Cantuel Gallego, a nephew, 64, who has been helping his uncle since he was a child. The only problem with my uncle is that he belongs to a different century. He thinks and works like nobody could now imagine doing.

It is notable that Mr. Gallegos building is on a street named after Antoni Gaudi, the architect of Barcelonas world-famous and unfinished basilica, the Sagrada Familia.

Gaudi died in 1926, but other architects have taken over and hope to finish his basilica in 2026, for the centenary of his death. Mr. Gallego, on the other hand, has no timetable and not even a single sketch of his cathedral project. But he does have one trusted assistant, Angel Lopez, who said that he would take over the works when Mr. Gallego died.

The only plan is made in my head, drawn day by day, Mr. Gallego said, with a grin that revealed several missing teeth. But Jesus Christ is the one who makes the real plans and decides what eventually should happen.
BERLIN  The long flirtation may finally be over.

For decades, the European Union dangled the possibility of membership before an eager suitor in Turkey. But it was never a perfect match. Too many Europeans had reservations about having a predominantly Muslim state, with porous and volatile borders and a checkered human rights record, come inside the tent. The interest was often unrequited, leaving Ankara feeling bitter, resentful and disrespected.

The result of Turkeys referendum on Sunday could snuff what was left of that European Union-Turkey courtship, several analysts said on Monday. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed a victory that strengthens his already extraordinary, near-authoritarian powers.

Depending on the view, the result either fulfilled the worst suspicions the Europeans had harbored of Turkey for so long, or it was the unavoidable outcome of their snub. In any case, the question now is what kind of relationship it will be.

Austrias conservative foreign minister, Sebastian Kurz, urged Europeans to recognize at last that it was fruitless to pursue closer ties with Turkey.
For several days, Queen Elizabeth II maintained her predecessors traditional  critics would say stony  reserve. But as people worldwide mourned Diana, who had been distinguished by her charisma and poise, Buckingham Palace came under criticism for its silence, and the queen finally broke her silence by making a live broadcast to the nation acknowledging the overwhelming expression of sadness and praising her former daughter-in-law as an exceptional and gifted human being.

In the podcast, Prince Harry said he had tried to cope with the tragedy by not talking about it.

My way of dealing with it was sticking my head in the sand, refusing to ever think about my mum, because why would that help? he said. He recalled thinking:  Its only going to make you sad; its not going to bring her back. So from an emotional side, I was like, Right, dont ever let your emotions be part of anything. 

Prince Harry, who spent 10 years in the British armed forces and served two tours in Afghanistan, said in the interview that his struggles had consumed much of his 20s. (He was 27 in 2012, when tabloids published images of him naked while partying in Las Vegas, which prompted him to apologize for having let my family down.)

The prince also praised the virtues of getting professional help.

Some of the best people or easiest people to speak to is a shrink or whoever  the Americans call them shrinks  someone you have never met before, he said. You sit down on the sofa and say: Listen, I dont actually need your advice. Can you just listen? And you just let it all rip.

Asked about counseling, he said he had received it more than a couple of times, but its great.

He credited his brother with telling him: Look, you really need to deal with this. It is not normal to think that nothing has affected you.

Prince Harry also said that boxing had helped.

That really saved me because I was on the verge of punching someone, so being able to punch someone who had pads was certainly easier, he said.

He added that staying quiet about emotional suffering in distress was only ever going to make it worse, and he urged people in such situations to seek help. You will be surprised, firstly, how much support you get, he said.
Islamic State militants overran the Christian town of Qaraqosh nearly three years ago, smashing every crucifix they found and using the walls of churches for target practice. Residents fled by the thousands, and the few who stayed were forced to spit on images of the Virgin Mary.

This weekend, my colleagues and I attended Easter service in Qaraqosh, which has long been a center of Christian life in Iraq, hoping to find signs of rebirth. Instead, we drove through what looked like a ghost town.

I have been traveling to Iraq frequently over the past few months, and when I visit Muslim districts in areas of eastern Mosul that were recently liberated from the Islamic State, I mostly feel hopeful for the future of the region. Life is returning.
JERUSALEM  More than 1,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons joined in a hunger strike on Monday, demanding better conditions in an unusually large protest led by Marwan Barghouti, the most prominent prisoner and a figure often seen as a future Palestinian leader.

Later Monday, there were unconfirmed reports by both Israeli and Palestinian news outlets that Mr. Barghouti had been moved from his usual prison, Hadarim, near Haifa, and placed in solitary confinement at another prison.

The reports said his offenses were the strike and the act of smuggling out of prison an essay that he wrote, which was published as an Op-Ed article on Sunday in The New York Times.

The essay asserted that Israel has established a dual legal regime, a form of judicial apartheid, that provides virtual impunity for Israelis who commit crimes against Palestinians, while criminalizing Palestinian presence and resistance.
President Trump has taken fewer trips, and in a more limited travel radius, than his most recent predecessors. He has rarely strayed far from the White House or his Mar-a-Lago retreat in Palm Beach, Fla. Here is a look at where he has traveled for public appearances outside of the Washington area during his first months in office, compared to Barack Obama and George W. Bush during the same time period.




Unfolding the mysterious North Korea, known for public executions, concentration camps and a history of dictatorship. This is why the world needs to help North Koreans.

By Neha Vashishth:

North Korea is a country full of mysteries, and we all know it. With strict regime, public executions and concentration camps, North Korea is a country where millions of people are struggling to lead a life which we call "normal".

Talk is cheap

Cases of atrocities in North Korea have come out many times but there was hardly anything done about it. Distressed refugees have shared their lifelong trauma with the world but to no avail. The rules and regime followed in the country violate human rights but people in North Korea were never helped.

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Recently, a young North Korean Refugee shared the atrocities she and her family were put through and is sadly the lives of millions, take a look:

These are the reasons why we NEED to talk about North Korea:

Entertainment:

There is only one channel on TV which only airs propaganda shows, films etc.

North Korea does not have internet, you might freak out if your internet goes off for 10 minutes.

North Koreans have their own operating system known as, the Red Star, which has IP addresses a little above 1,500 while the population of North Korea is 25 million.

Punishments:

Three generation punishment system is followed in North Korea. If a person commits a crime, the next three generations might be punished or maybe even executed.

Families are sent to Kaechon internment camp, a labor concentration camp, as punishment. The second and third generations mostly take birth and die inside the same concentration camp as there is no chance of release.

Also read: In Pictures: Life inside North Korea's top-secret military

There is absolutely no source of entertainment, no press, no films and no songs. Visitors to the country from abroad aren't allowed to get anything "Hollywood-like" to the country.

Unauthorised international calls can lead to execution.

Showing the world another side:

A fake propaganda village called Kijong-dong was built in the 1950's after the Korean war to put up the front of a peaceful, prosperous place and to encourage people from the South to defect.

In the last 60 years, 23,000 North Koreans have defected to South Korea while only two South Koreans went back to North Korea. While the government claims that the village has multilevel buildings where 200 people live happily and normally, in reality, no one really lives there except for labourers who come occasionally to clean up the place. The windows of the buildings have no glasses in them and lights inside are operated using timers.

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Elections take place once in five years but there is only one name on the ballot list. But, if someone wishes to vote for someone else, they can. The anonymity of the person isn't guaranteed.

Electricity is scarce in North Korea after Soviet Union stopped supplying them electricity in 1990.

When your government says something, you do it:

People are "forced" to excrete and provide human excreta to the government sometimes because North Korea has run out of resources and human faecal matter are used instead of fertilisers. According to the government orders, every person has to defecate and produce hundreds of kilograms of poop. The shortage of chemical fertilisers is so grave that sometimes entire toilets are stolen out of houses.

Also read: For US, bombing North Korea 'may be an option' after Kim Jong-un tested nuclear missiles

Students have to pay for their own desk and chair along with heating fuel during winters.

Women are used as commodities in North Korea, they even have a 'Pleasure Squad' having 2,000 women who provide sexual services to top officials.

Bow down to the leader:

After every 3.5 km there is a statue of Kim II Sung, the citizens are ordered to wear a badge, with his face on it, as a sign of respect to the leader. It is such a strict ritual that the badges are even sold in black market for hundreds of NKW.

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School children are given false information to condition them with the propaganda that their leaders are god-like. While men aren't allowed to keep their hair long, married women can only keep them short. Earlier, there were only 28 hairstyles that were "allowed" as haircuts but since 2011, the rules have been relaxed a bit.

It's not 2017 in North Korea because the country uses Juche calendar which was introduced in 1997. The calendar marks the first year as April 15, 1912 and it is known as Juche 1. Right now, it is year 106 in North Korea.

Travel:

There is no public transport for citizens because a special permission is needed to travel from one town to another.

Taking pictures of soldiers, construction sites, workers etc. is forbidden.

It is not allowed to travel on your own.

Passport is taken away the very moment you reach North Korea.

Selling women:

North Korean refugee women are sold for as little as $200.

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Why should people in North Korea suffer the way they do? Why cannot the United Nations and the powerful countries in the world, including India, come together and put an end to their suffering? Why are human rights organisations failing to make the lives of people in North Korea better?

Why is the dictator and his family more equal than other people who they claim are equal?

Also watch: North Korea's major nuclear test causes earthquake

--- ENDS ---
Stephens broadcast the murder video live on the social media network on Sunday afternoon. It was up for about three hours before it was removed. Stephens Facebook page also has been removed.

This undated photo provided by the Cleveland Police shows Steve Stephens. Cleveland police say they are searching for Stephens, a homicide suspect, who broadcast the fatal shooting of another man live on Facebook on Sunday. (Photo: AP)

By AP: An Ohio man claimed to be angry at a woman when he shot and killed an elderly passerby on Sunday afternoon while streaming the murder on Facebook. Police urged the suspect to turn himself in, but he remained on the loose into the night.

Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as Steve Stephens, and Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said officers were searching for him in the Cleveland area and beyond.

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The victim was identified as 74-year-old Robert Goodwin Sr.

In the video, which appears shaky, Stephens gets out of his car and appears to randomly target Goodwin, who was holding a shopping bag. Stephens says the name of a woman, whom Goodwin does not seem to recognise.

"She's the reason that this is about to happen to you," Stephens told Goodwin before pointing a gun at him. Goodwin can be seen shielding his face with the shopping bag.

MAYOR URGES SUSPECT TO SURRENDER

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson publicly urged Stephens to turn himself in to police and not to "do any more harm to anybody."

"Any problems he is having, we can have a conversation," Jackson said.

In a separate video, Stephens claimed to have killed more than a dozen other people. Williams said police have not verified any other shootings or deaths.

"There are no more victims that we know are tied to him," he said.

The chief also said they've been talking with family and friends of Stephens, who is employed at Beech Brook, a behavioral health agency headquartered in Pepper Pike, near Cleveland.

"We are shocked and horrified and we don't know anything more about it," agency spokeswoman Nancy Kortemeyer told WOIO-TV. "We hope and pray that he is arrested as soon as possible and we hope and pray for a resolution quickly."

It was not immediately known what Stephens does for the agency, which said it will serve more than 18,000 children and families this year, according to its website.

Authorities said Stephens broadcast the video live on the social media network Sunday afternoon. It was up for about three hours before it was removed. Stephens Facebook page also has been removed.

SOCIAL MEDIA USED REPEATEDLY FOR LIVE STREAMS

This is not the first time Facebook Live has been used to broadcast violence or death. In January, four people in Chicago were arrested after they allegedly beat and taunted a mentally disabled man live on the social media site. Then in March, a 15-year-old Chicago girl was apparently sexually assaulted by five or six men or boys on Facebook Live, and none of the roughly 40 people who watched the live video reported the attack to police, authorities said.

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"This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook," said a spokesperson for Facebook. "We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety."

Police say Stephens should be considered armed and dangerous.

The FBI is assisting in the investigation.

Also Read:

40 people do nothing but watch 15-yr-old's gangrape, live on Facebook: Welcome to 2017

For over three years, Kim murder suspect lived mystery life in Malaysia

Video shows deadly assault on North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's half-brother

Sweden: 3 men arrested for gangraping woman, broadcasting live on Facebook

How more and more Indian couples are live streaming sex to earn quick money

Watch this video by Steve Stephens that is being circulated on Facebook:

--- ENDS ---


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Tania Vojvodic was Team Trump 2016 National Team Leader and Texas Congressional District Co-Chair. She is now off of the train and one of the most avid opponents of Donald Trump.

Tania Vojvodic gave me a heartfelt interview explaining the reason why she is now completely off of the Donald Trump train. She did not pull any punches.

A few months ago Tania released a video that went viral that I wrote about titled "This is what makes Trump scary, his followers." She was not happy about the article, and she found me and called me. I do not believe Tania expected that she would have a civil conversation with "this liberal, " but she had one. I wrote about that phone call we had last May where, while we disagreed, were able to communicate at least and exchange ideas.

This morning she called me to let me know she was leaving the Trump train altogether. She was disappointed with his appointments and his reversal of many of the promises he made. The full interview is above. However, after the interview, we spoke a bit more. She had a heartfelt moment that clearly indicated how she felt used, in her terms, trumped by Trump.


Education is All

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If it is true that Brian Bauer, aka Brian Bayer, was accidentally recorded as the owner of the house on Zelzah, it is unclear why it took three and a half years to correct the mistake. The Governing Board is responsible for the $440,000 spent on the property and should have immediately noticed that the deed to the property had "accidentally" been given to their Executive Director. The charter is subject to a yearly "independent" audit, but these auditors also seemed to miss this major problem. As the authorizer for GHCHS, the LAUSD is responsible for oversight and conducts annual reviews. For three and a half years they also missed the problem.

This is just one example of how the systems in place for charter oversight were not enough to protect the taxpayers or the students at GHCHS. Those responsible for ensuring accountability had also failed to notice as the administration misused funds belonging to the student body, illegally charged students for graduation caps and gowns, and improperly punished students whose parents had exercised their right to opt them out of standardized testing. It probably also explains why the charter describes an attempt to increase oversight as "an extreme anti-charter resolution."

The resolution that has drawn the ire of GHCHS is entitled "Accountability and Transparency for Equity and Access at Charter Schools" and will be considered by the LAUSD School Board on Tuesday. While there are many steps the District needs to take in order to improve its performance as a regulatory agency, this resolution doesn't take any real action. Instead, it simply expresses support for three bills that are before the California State Legislature and "directs the Office of Government Relations to employ its advocacy resources in support of AB 1360, AB 1478, and S[B 808]."

While GHCHS does not specifically detail specific complaints about these proposed laws, it does state that it will "threaten our schools' funding, flexibility to implement the programs best for our students, and our ability to continue serving our families." Apparently, they do not want to "ensure equal access to interested pupils at charter schools and prohibit practices that discourage enrollment or disproportionately push out segments of already enrolled pupils." This seems to contradict the charter industries' self-described mission of providing choice to parents. They also do not explain why they think that they will be unable to run a school in an environment where "charter school governance is transparent" and "monitoring and oversight of charter schools are conducted to protect the public interest." Apparently, GHCHS only wants to be a "public school" in name (and funding sources) only.

Granada's administration does single out SB-808 and its provisions that would "eliminate the appeals process through Los Angeles County and the State of California." This opposition is not surprising considering Executive Director Brian Bauer chairs the State's Advisory Commission on Charter Schools. Under Bauer, this commission overlooked the fact that both the LAUSD and the Los Angeles County Board of Education had found that one charter, International Studies Language Academy, provided "an unsound educational program" and recommended the charter for approval by the state. The State Board of Education also overturned both levels of local authorities and approved charters run by the Celerity Educational Group. The LAUSD and county were later vindicated when the FBI raided the charter management group. The State Board has also been caught neglecting their regulatory functions by failing to perform any oversight visits for a charter under its jurisdiction.

GHCHS does not show the text of the email that it is asking its parents to sign, but it allegedly lets LAUSD Board Members know that "we expect our local elected officials to support high-quality schools." If they expect their charter to be included among those schools deserving of support, they should spend less time avoiding proper oversight and more proving that it is not needed. Avoiding any more scandals would be a good place to start.

____________________________________________

Carl Petersen is a parent and special education advocate and was a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race. He was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action and Diane Ravitch called him a "strong supporter of public schools." His past blogs can be found at www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com.

(Article changed on April 18, 2017 at 04:29)
The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Sunday (April 16) achieved victory in a historic referendum on a package of constitutional amendments that will introduce presidential form of government like France and the United States.

In a press conference in Istanbul following his party's declaration of victory, Erdogan said that unofficial results showed there were about 25m yes votes, 1.3m more than no.

Erdogan said foreign powers should respect the referendum's outcome. "For the first time in the history of the Republic, we are changing our ruling system through civil politics," Erdogan said, referring to the military coups which marred Turkish politics for decades. "That is why it is very significant."

Under the changes, most of which will only come into effect after the next elections due in 2019, the president will appoint the cabinet and an undefined number of vice-presidents, and be able to select and remove senior civil servants without parliamentary approval.

Supreme Electoral Council President Sadi Guven also confirmed that the "yes" votes had prevailed, according to unofficial results. He said official results would arrive in about 10 days, after any objections had been considered. The yes campaign won 1.25m more votes than the no campaign, with only about 600,000 votes still to be counted, Guven told reporters in Ankara.

Results carried by the state-run Anadolu news agency showed the yes vote had about 51.3% compared with 48.7% for the no vote, with nearly 99% of the vote counted. Turnout exceeded 80%.

The country's three largest cities -- Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir -- voted against the changes, and so did the vast majority of Kurdish voters and many of the coastal cities, indicating a general decline in the ruling party's support.

Constitutional Reforms

The package of 18 amendments would abolish the office of prime minister and give the president the authority to draft the budget, declare a state of emergency and issue decrees overseeing ministries without parliamentary approval. The draft states: 1.The next presidential and parliamentary elections will be held on November 3, 2019. 2.The president would have a five-year tenure, for a maximum of two terms. 3.The president would be able to directly appoint top public officials, including ministers. 4. He would also be able to assign one or several vice-presidents 5.The office of prime minister, currently held by Binali Yildirim, would be scrapped. 6. The president would decide whether or not impose a state of emergency.

The current constitution, written by generals following a 1980 military coup.

President Erdogan says the changes are needed to address Turkey's security challenges nine months after an attempted coup, and to avoid the fragile coalition governments of the past. The new system, he argues, will resemble those in France and the US and will bring calm in a time of turmoil marked by a Kurdish insurgency, Islamist militancy and conflict in neighboring Syria, which has led to a huge refugee influx. Speaking at one of his final rallies in Istanbul's Tuzla district, President Erdogan told supporters the new constitution would "bring stability and trust that is needed for our country to develop and grow".

Critics of the proposed changes fear the move would make the president's position too powerful, arguing that it would amount to one-man rule, without the checks and balances of other presidential systems. Opponents say it is a step towards greater authoritarianism in a country where around 40,000 people have been arrested and 120,000 sacked or suspended from their jobs in a crackdown following a failed coup last July, drawing criticism from Turkey's Western allies and rights groups.

Cautious Western Reaction

The West offered cautious reaction to President Erdogan's referendum victory

The European Union (EU) urged the Turkish government to seek the broadest possible national consensus. "In view of the close referendum result and the far-reaching implications of the constitutional amendments, we also call on the Turkish authorities to seek the broadest possible national consensus in their implementation," said a statement issued by European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker, EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini and EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn.

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#Syria #Assad and the west's true mission

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Reprinted from www.truthdig.com

It's been more than a week since the Trump administration abruptly switched out of "America first" mode and into intervention mode by dropping 59 Tomahawk missiles on a Syrian airfield. As Chris Hedges and Alternet journalists Max Blumenthal and Ben Norton argue in this episode of "On Contact With Chris Hedges," the American public has been lacking something very important before--and after--that strike.

Simply put, that would be context. More specifically, it comes down to crucial questions that are not being addressed publicly by members of the U.S. government or the mainstream media.

Take these questions, for example: What's the relationship between the regime change in Libya, encouraged and enabled by the Obama administration in 2011, and the ongoing refugee crisis? Or between that crisis and Brexit? Who are the White Helmets? How are all these questions related to the current conflict in Syria, and the role of the U.S. in that conflict? What role do Iran and Saudi Arabia, in addition to Russia, play in Washington's stance toward Syrian President Bashar Assad?

Hedges opens the discussion by pointing to the contextual vacuum that American media outlets and government officials aren't in a hurry to fill. He notes how U.S.-backed campaigns for regime change "have a long history."

Norton, who reports for Alternet's Grayzone project with Blumenthal, remarks that there has been "no independent international corroboration" of the official Western account that the Syrian government was behind the alleged lethal gassing of Syrian civilians on April 4, which spurred Trump to order military action.

Below, watch Hedges and his guests connect the dots about "The Uncivil War," as the episode is titled:


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Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee was one of the featured speakers at Tax March Houston. She came as close as I have ever heard her come to imply impeachment is on the table for Donald Trump.

Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) was deliberate as she called out Donald Trump using the constitution as the basis for her admonitions. At points, she read, something she seldom does to ensure she was as accurate as possible.

"You must know the fitness of the person who holds the office," The Congresswoman said. "Trump must make a choice. Either he should release his tax returns and divest all of his financial interests and tell the American people that he is in charge of consulting with the military in making decisions that are best for the national interest, and not throwing us into a world war, or relinquish the office he holds due to his inability to ensure that the laws are faithfully executed and to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States."

After Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee's speech, I interviewed her. I wanted to follow up on the statements she made in her speech. It was the closest statement I had ever heard her make implying Trump's possible removal from the presidency.

Tax March Houston was a resounding success on the official Tax Day, April 15th. The march was staged at the Houston City Hall mall. It was a beautiful day for the event.

Protesters demanded that Donald Trump release his taxes like all modern-day president had. They had many signs pointing that out in no uncertain terms.

Many marchers took the opportunity to call out Trump both verbally and with their signs for all his acts that make him unfit to be the President of the United States.

Elle Church was the lead organizer with the participation of many progressive groups including Indivisible Houston and other segments of the Indivisible movement. The event started out with various speakers followed by a march throughout downtown Houston.
The Dream of Reason Produces Monsters

The logic of mass murder is perverse: For the US military, the term "militants," which means "enemy justified in killing," includes all males of military age in a strike zone. According to this logic, the US has killed thousands of militants, with drones and other bombing methods, without actual knowledge of who they are. This logic has led the US to declare in 2016, that there were no civilian casualties from drone attacks: not one. Because all those killed were "militants."

Reaper drones = robots without conscience

According to this same logic, the sources of many claims of Syrian atrocities, such as the recent allegations that Syria, against all other logic, dropped "chemical bombs" on the same people it was fighting to liberate from the militants (al-Nustra, in this case, sometimes ISIS), are enemy, since they are military age males in combat zones "in effect counts all military-age males in a strike zone as combatants, according to several administration officials, unless there is explicit intelligence posthumously proving them innocent."

Counterterrorism officials insist this approach is one of simple logic: people in an area of known terrorist activity, or found with a top Qaeda operative, are probably up to no good. "Al Qaeda is an insular, paranoid organization--innocent neighbors don't hitchhike rides in the back of trucks headed for the border with guns and bombs," said one official, who requested anonymity to speak about what is still a classified program.

This counting method may partly explain the official claims of extraordinarily low collateral deaths. In a speech last year, John Brennan, Mr. Obama's trusted adviser, said that not a single noncombatant had been killed in a year of strikes, according to Glen Greenwald

Militant = any male of military age killed in strike zone.

Strike zone = any area where males of military age are killed.

The strike zone in the Global War on Terror

The same people (variously described as "activists" and White Helmets) who are believed and are forming the justification for military strikes against Syria are, according to the simple logic of counterterrorism officials, are the same people who, if killed by US strikes, would be called "militants."

If those killed by US strikes are called militants and deserving to be killed, then why does the same government, using the same simple logic, consider them reliable sources when, operating in "rebel territory" and with the approval of al-Nustra or ISIS, or other designated terrorist grooups, they give us reports that the US then uses to justify military strikes.

I suggest that you can't have it both ways. Those whose killings are justified by their presence in rebel territory cannot then be taken as credible sources to justify US military action when they send out reports to groups like the Syrian Observatory and others, which not only the government but the media then repeat without challenge.

Either those in rebel territory are enemy militants, and US attacks are "justified" or they are not. They cannot be both militant terrorists AND reliable sources of information. It is simple logic to see that those who are, according to the logic of our counterterrorism policies, considered enemies cannot be taken as credible sources to justify US strikes.

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Image from tax protests in Washington

With President Trump sending a carrier task force-calling it an "armada"- steaming towards the Korean peninsula over North Korea's recent ballistic missile tests, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson having announced "the policy of strategic patience has ended" while saying the "military option is on the table" such US provocations have brought the world to the brink of the worst crisis since the Cuban Missile crisis in 1962.

Finian Cunningham puts the crisis this way, "Whether a nuclear war breaks out within the next few days...the entire world is being held hostage by American military madness". [1]

To Andre Vltchek, "The West has brought the world to the brink of total collapse, but its citizens, even its intellectuals are stubbornly refusing to grasp the urgency". [2]

To Paul Craig Roberts, "It has become embarrassing to be an American". [3]

Touche to all three.

The huge difference between the crisis now and 1962 is back then there was real diplomacy between President Kennedy and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev with neither man wanting to unleash a nuclear holocaust.

Today where are the diplomats in the Trump administration including the belligerent impulsive "Donald" himself twittering away his every impulsive urge then launching a ballistic missile barrage two weeks ago against Syrian President Bashar Assad for his alleged gassing his own people with no conclusive evidence, no desire for an independent investigation as to the perpetrators of this crime and no approval of Congress making it a war crime the supreme act of aggression which from the time of the 1945 Nuremburg war crimes tribunal is the worst crime of all. And now provoking a nuclear armed North Korea even threatening to assassinate its leader Kim Song un.

But what is most unsettling to this observer is the seeming disconnect of the American people to the real possibility of a nuclear conflagration and the US being the perpetrator of the unthinkable.

We should be in the streets protesting demanding no war against North Korea, Syria, Iran, Russia or China. That should be our immediate focus, preventing an actual nuclear war.

Yet we're not in the streets for the real urgency before us. If we are in the streets it's calling for Trump to release his tax returns, a sign stating "Trump and Putin still in love" and in Berkeley, CA. a pro and anti Trump Patriot Day rally with conservatives shouting, "We are the champions" and "USA, USA" with the anti Trump throng shouting and fighting against them. How's that for misdirected disconnect.

It's as if we reside in a separate universe completely disconnected from the real world fast approaching Armageddon.

But we're sure obsessed with Trump, not for his belligerence in Syria, Yemen and soon to be North Korea but his tax returns, his detente with Russia and Putin- now seemingly broken- and conservatives and liberals fighting against each other in Berkeley.

Robert's was right on the mark, "It's embarrassing to be an American".

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US president Donald Trump sounded sincere when he described how he felt after seeing pictures of "beautiful little babies" allegedly killed by a Syrian government chemical weapons attack on April 4.

"These heinous actions by the Assad regime cannot be tolerated," said Trump, and hours later, the US launched nearly 60 tomahawk missiles in response to the allegations.

But what about the beautiful little babies killed by US bombs since Trump became president? Is Trump not concerned about those children because they were killed by his missiles, and not Assad's alleged chemical weapons?

In the first three months of his presidency, Trump has dropped bombs -- and killed children - in Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq. Here are a few of the instances:

An eight-year-old girl was killed during a US raid in Yemen in January. The girl, Nora al-Awlaki, was a US citizen and the daughter of Anwar al-Awlaki, a New Mexico-born Muslim who was killed by the Obama administration in 2011 for his purported ties to al-Qaeda. In 2015, Nora's older brother, 16-year-old Abdulrahman al-Awlaki, also an American citizen, was killed by a US airstrike in Yemen. Nora al-Awlaki was shot in the neck by members of US SEAL Team 6 as they raided houses of suspected al-Qaeda members. Several Yemeni women were also killed in the raid.







At least 18 civilians, mostly women and children

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Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"We're at a paradigm-shift moment in history, where we will look back at it and realize that a particular model of how we govern our affairs together became outdated. Kall's book Bottom-Up offers great alternatives and solutions that are not found in conventional governing models."



Carne Ross , is a former British diplomat, a strategy coordinator for the UN, and author of the book, The Leaderless Revolution.
Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) legislator PK Kunhalikutty, who on Monday was elected to the Lok Sabha from Malappuram, said literate Kerala has voted for secular politics.

By Indo-Asian News Service: Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) legislator PK Kunhalikutty, who on Monday was elected to the Lok Sabha from Malappuram, said "literate Kerala has voted for secular politics".

The IUML strongman won by 171,023 votes. He got 515,330 lakh votes, the highest anyone has secured in the constituency.

A beaming Kunhalikutty told reporters that this was a huge margin of victory in a by-election.

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"I will say literate Kerala has voted for secular politics. Kerala's vote has never ever been on communal lines. Instead, it has always been a political vote.

"The BJP has turned out to be the biggest loser. Personally for us, the IUML, we have been able to come back strongly in two assembly segments -- Perinthalmanna and Mankada."

In the 2016 assembly polls, the IUML only scraped through in these two constituencies. Kunhalikutty said: "This time we have dramatically increased our lead there. This clearly shows that the Left has performed very poorly."

In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, however, then IUML candidate E Ahamed, whose death led to the by-election, was above 1.94 lakh.

The CPI-M's M.B. Faisal got 344,307 votes and the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate N Sreeprakash was a distant third with 65,675 votes.

Kunhalikutty secured 55.04 per cent of all votes, compared to Ahamed's 51.28 per cent.

The Left's vote share went up from 28.47 per cent in 2014 to 36.77 per cent. The Bharatiya Janata Party's vote share dipped from 7.59 per cent to 7.01 per cent.

The turnout in the Malappuram by-election on April 12 was 71.33 per cent.

Also Read:

Malappuram by-election result: IUML's PK Kunhalikutty wins by over 1.5 lakh votes

Kerala: CPM youth wing activist hacked in Palakkad, BJP workers named in complaint

--- ENDS ---
It was Gandhi who said: "An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it."



A hasty conclusion based on tenuous evidence from the April 4th incident and the mainstream media, the neocons, the liberal interventionists, all pile on. Ignore the fact that Bashar al-Assad had nothing to gain and everything to lose by deploying chemical weapons in a war he is winning. Ignore the denials, pooh pooh Russian claims, fire the Tomahawks to escalate the situation -- perhaps gain a few points or stop the constant decline in poll ratings. And send Tillerson to Moscow, after consultation with NATO allies ... for this is so serious.



This week Dr. Theodore Postol, a Professor Emeritus at MIT and a renowned authority on weapons technology, took it upon himself to investigate the incident and found gaping holes in the White House report (washingtonsblog. com ) It again looks like a put-up job by the rebels much like what happened four years ago. He finds the evidence faked; the men inspecting the site immediately after the incident protected so poorly, they would have died had sarin gas been around; the photo of the tube container showing a depression in the middle consistent with a small explosive above to push out the gas from the ends -- but not with a device dropped from a plane (https://www.scribd.com/ document/344995943/Report-by- White-House-Alleging-Proof-of- Syria-as-the-Perpetrator-of- the-Nerve-Agent-Attack-in- Khan-Shaykhun-on-April-4-2017# from_embed ).



It made no difference. After all, the mainstream media still blames Assad for 2013 when the investigation's conclusions pointed to the rebels. So it was that Secretary of State Tillerson found himself in Moscow and a frosty reception. Putin kept him waiting ... and waiting, and Sergei Lavrov wagged a very undiplomatic finger at him with the warning that if they ever did this again, there would be serious consequences.




Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"At 350.org we've always wanted to work from the bottom up, and it's good to see people assembling a theoretical framework for understanding this decentralized approach! "



Bill McKibben, founder 350.org, author of The End of Nature
Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

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"Rob Kall's must-read book offers a VIP look at todays many "connection revolutions," plus key suggestions for bottom-up leadership in each one."



Susan Strong, author of Move Our Message: How to Get America's Ear
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By now it is clear that Roman Zadorov is held in life imprisonment following framing by police, false prosecution and false conviction in the murder of 13-year-old Tair Rada in 2006. Zadorov is confined with neither lawfully made judgment records nor lawfully made arrest decree. Anybody who cherishes liberty must stand up to corruption of the courts in Israel.



(Image by Public) Details DMCA



Figures: Roman Zadorov - the Ukrainian Mendel Beilis in Israel. The Jew Mendel Beillis was accused a century ago in the murder of a Ukrainian boy. Only following intense international pressure he was released from false arrest and false conviction. Even law professors openly expressed their protest. Prof Boaz Sangero wrote: "Conviction with no real evidence." Prof Mota Kremintzer wrote: "Conduct of the State Prosecution in the Zadorov case is scary ... when you add to it the position of the Supreme Court and conduct of the Attorney General, we are left with a justice system that is primarily busy defending itself." Prof Daniel Friedman wrote: "It is impossible that the Attorney General would say, the State is me. He cannot determine what the law of the land is, to shut up the entire state, and not allow anybody to express his opinion."

________



(Image by Public- State of Israel) Details DMCA



Figures: State Attorney Shay Nitzan and Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit prevent the investigation of criminal complaints against police, prosecutors and judges for their conduct in State of Israel v Roman Zadorov (502-07) in the Nazareth District Court. In parallel, Mandelblit and Nitzan insist on their right to pervert the affidavit of an expert witness in the murder trial, if the State Prosecution finds it useful for its purpose...

______



(Image by Public- State of Israel) Details DMCA



Figures: The Supreme Court, and in particular Justice Yoram Danziger, serve as fig leaves for the unprecedented corruption, which was exposed in the Zadorov affair. First - in conducting for five (5) years a fake/simulated appeal process, with no judgment records of the District Court, and now in conducting a fake/simulated petition process in Ometz v Attorney General and State Attorney regarding perversion of expert witness Dr Hen Kugel.

_____

OccupyTLV, April 16 - in the latest episode of the Roman Zadorov affair, [] repeat demand has been filed today with Prison Service Governor, commander Ofra Klinger for a lawful due response on a Freedom of Information Request (the complete filing below).



(Image by Public- State of Israel) Details DMCA



Figures: Prison Service Governor, commander Ofra Klinger. The evidence indicates that the Prison Service admits persons into prison custody, including Roman Zadorov and others with no lawfully made arrest decree - serious violation of the Human Right for Liberty, and typical of dark regimes.

______

A. The Prison Service has refused for over 2 years to provide a due FOIA response on a request pertaining to the fundamental Human Right for Liberty.

The original FOIA request pertains to admission procedures following the implementation of electronic record systems in the courts (Net-HaMishpat case-management system) in general, and in the Roman Zadorov case in particular. The request also seeks a lawful appointment record of a FOIA Officer in the Prison Service.

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This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here.

[Note for TomDispatch Readers:I want to remind you that, as President Trump escalates America's wars in the Greater Middle East, our newest Dispatch Book, John Dower's The Violent American Century: War and Terror Since World War Two, only becomes more relevant. In fact, today's TD author, Ira Chernus, just published a vivid piece on this country's warring state of mind at CommonDreams, focused in part on Dower's book, which he describes thusly: "It's a small book; you can read it in one evening. But don't expect to sleep well that night. Because it's densely packed with disturbing facts and figures that directly challenge those supposed experts who confidently tell us that murderous wars are becoming a relic of the past." Remember that you can pick up a copy by clicking here or, by going to the website of Haymarket Books at this link, where it's available at an exclusive TomDispatch discount of 50% off. In either case, you get a remarkable work by a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, while offering the crew at TomDispatch support in our modest endeavors to change the way all of us think about our world. Tom]

Recently, historians Samuel Moyn and Stephen Wertheim wrote an interesting New York Times op-ed on why the last 15 years of failed American wars across the Greater Middle East seem to have taught our military and civilian leadership absolutely nothing. Hence, the recent 59-missile strike against a Syrian airfield -- just the latest act that has "this can't end well" written all over it. One small thing in their essay, however, caught my attention on a personal level. As a point of comparison for America's twenty-first-century wars, in which lessons were the last thing to be drawn, the authors point to this country's "long reckoning" with the consequences of the Vietnam War with which they are evidently impressed.

That comment hit a nerve in me, since the "reckoning" was, to my mind, largely one by the military high command, which proceeded to draw the lesson that protesters in arms were not the military force it had in mind and so junked the draft and the concept of a true citizen's army. Similarly, the Reaganite right redefined Vietnam as a "noble cause" and then went about its war-making business (though -- lessons learned, assumedly -- largely by proxy), while Congress, which did indeed pass the War Powers Act in 1973 before Vietnam was even over, theoretically limiting the scope of presidential war-making powers, thereafter gave up the ghost of its own war powers. As a result, by my calculations, Americans had all of four war-less years (1975-1979) before the Reagan administration started all over again in Afghanistan (and, speaking of lessons unlearned, you know where that led in blowback terms). America's two Afghan wars -- with just over a decade off between the Soviet withdrawal from that country and 9/11 -- have now lasted almost three decades with no end in sight. Then there were the three Iraq Wars, starting with Desert Storm in 1990-1991. The most recent is still underway. And don't forget the Central American Contra wars of the 1980s, the invasion of Grenada (1983), the intervention in Lebanon (1983), the invasion of Panama (1989-1990), the Bosnian intervention (1992-1995), conflicts in two phases in Somalia (the early 1990s and post-9/11), and of course the present ongoing conflicts in Yemen, Libya, Syria, and so on.

In other words, those four years of "peace" aside, the years from 1975 to 2017 have been a veritable war fest for Washington. So let it not be said that, in the post-Vietnam era, we have ever truly come to grips with war, American-style, and what to make of it, no less what lessons to draw from it.

This came to mind because, in today's post, TomDispatchregular Ira Chernus plunges into movements past and oh-so-present, including the antiwar movement of the Vietnam era, and the degree to which they either have or, in the age of Trump, may come to grips with the deeper maladies of American society. It led me to remember my own experience in those Vietnam years. From perhaps 1968 to 1973 or 1974, I worked incessantly against America's wars in Southeast Asia in a variety of ways. It was an essential part of my life. When Vietnam ended, however, like much of the antiwar movement of that time, I essentially moved on. It's a great sadness, looking back, to realize that such a large-scale mobilization of the American spirit against the grimmest of wars, a movement whose members plunged deep into questions of American war-making and the nature of a society that could pursue such a conflict, somehow didn't make it beyond the war years with its conclusions intact and so didn't help prevent the endless wars to come. In that spirit and in the memory of what wasn't, I hope Chernus's piece sparks some thought about what could be. Tom

Trump, A Symptom Of What?

A Radical Message From a Half-Century Ago

By Ira Chernus You could hear the deep sadness in the preacher's voice as he named "the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today -- my own government." With those words, the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., launched a scathing indictment of America's war in Vietnam. It was April 4, 1967. That first antiwar sermon of his seemed to signal a new high tide of opposition to a brutal set of American policies in Southeast Asia. Just 11 days later, unexpectedly large crowds would come out in New York and San Francisco for the first truly massive antiwar rallies. Back then, a protest of at least a quarter of a million seemed yuge. King signaled another turning point when he concluded his speech by bringing up "something even more disturbing" -- something that would deeply disturb the developing antiwar movement as well. "The war in Vietnam," he said, "is but a symptom of a far deeper malady within the American spirit." Many of those who gathered at antiwar rallies days later were already beginning to suspect the same thing. Even if they could actually force their government to end its war in Vietnam, they would be healing only a symptom of a far more profound illness. With that realization came a shift in consciousness, the clearest sign of which could be found in the sizeable contingent of countercultural hippies who began joining those protests. While antiwar radicals were challenging the unjust political and military policies of their government, the counterculturists were focused on something bigger: trying to revolutionize the whole fabric of American society. Why recall this history exactly 50 years later, in the age of Donald Trump? Curiously enough, King offered at least a partial answer to that question in his 1967 warning about the deeper malady. "If we ignore this sobering reality," he said, "we will find ourselves... marching... and attending rallies without end." The alternative? "We as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values." Like many of my generation, I feel as if, in lieu of that radical revolution, I have indeed been marching and attending rallies for the last half-century, even if there were also long fallow periods of inactivity. (In those quiet times, of course, there was always organizing and activism going on behind the scenes, preparing for the next wave of marches and demonstrations in response to the next set of obvious outrages.) If the arc of history bends toward justice, as King claimed, it's been a strange journey, a bizarre twisting and turning as if we were all on some crazed roller-coaster ride. The Trump era already seems like the most bizarre twist of all, leaving us little choice but to march and rally at a quickening pace for years to come. A radical revolution in values? Unless you're thinking of Trump's plutocrats and environment wreckers, not so much. If anything, the nation once again finds itself facing an exaggerated symptom of a far deeper malady. Perhaps one day, like the antiwar protestors of 1967, anti-Trump protestors will say: If the American system we live under can create this atrocity, there must be something wrong with the whole thing. But that's the future. At present, the resistance movement, though as unexpectedly large as the movement of 1967, is still focused mainly on symptoms, the expanding list of inhumane 1% policies the Republicans (themselves in chaos) are preparing to foist on the nation. Yet to come up are the crucial questions: What's wrong with our system? How could it produce a President Trump, a Republican hegemony, and the society-wrecking policies that go with them both? What would a radically new direction mean and how would we head there?

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One of our long-lost designers came up with the original XYZ mountain bike design. It was kinda like this ugly-duckling of ridiculousness. With no one to explain it to us, we decided to bring it back and interrogate it for secrets. Thats how the YYZ was born.  Steve Mitchell, renowned bike collector, and Devincis B.C. Sales Rep.

These were the first attempts at core mountain bikes. They marked the start of the long twisty road weve been on in the industrylots of swings and hits plus a few misses. The XYZ may not have been a sales home run but its one of the most intriguing Devinci designs from the era.  Steve Mitchell

SRAMs Tyler Morland found himself interested in YYZ and helped us out with parts to make this dream-build possible. We wanted the old school to meet new standards. That also includes Boost, a good reach, slack head angles, and short chainstays.  Julien Boulais, Devinci Marketing Manager

This year marks three decades in the bike-building business for Devinci. And as we throttle it into our dirty thirties, were partying like its 1987 with a limited-edition rollout of an extra-retro experiment: The YYZ.A story of creation, YYZs roots hearken back to the late 80s when Devinci was an infant brand bench-making aluminum frames at its headquarters in Chicoutimi, Canada. The mountain bike scene was similarly milk-fed back then, in the process of meandering from Marin County, California to Vancouvers rugged North Shore. The geographical gear-shift spurred big changes to bike designs in general. And around the same time that New Kids On The Block was making little girls scream, the bike industry was jumping on the mountain bike bandwagon with a deluge of neon-spewing hardtails.The reincarnated YYZ riffs off the original XYZ with assorted 90s flavors such as crossover top-tubes, triangles galore, and an elevated chainstay. Beyond the frame, the 30th anniversary build fires up the flux capacitor with componentry that vibes toward the contemporary. SRAM, also celebrating an anniversary in 2017, has been a project co-conspirator since the get-go. YYZ drivetrain operations are powered by the Chicago-based companys XX1 Eagle weaponry. Its cockpit, on the other hand, comes courtesy of Chromag out of Whistler. Finally, a RockShox fork and stylin Maxxis skinwall tires complete the look.In the late 80s, the XYZ was a cutting-edge prototype with the kind of artistry youd appreciate while ogling it through your bitchin Oakley Blades. Todays YYZ is the party-on incarnation, representing decades of team and trail-driven innovations. This bike will remain an experiment project with a limited production of three scratch-made frames. Overall were just a bunch of passionate riders with a factory at our disposal, Boulais says. Weve been creating, and building bikes here for the past 30 years and were still having a hell of a good time doing it.Get a first glimpse of the neo-retro YYZ this April at the Sea Otter Classic.@devinci / @SramMedia
Central to the Met Breuer's new Marsden Hartley retrospective is a quote from the modernist painter to his dealer (and celebrated photographer) Alfred Stieglitz: "I want so earnestly a 'place' to be." A collaboration with the Colby College Museum of Art, Marsden Hartley's Maine organizes Marsden's legacy as he himself might have wanted it, establishing him primarily as a painter of New England landscapes and manscapes. Inside Hartley's geography of hills, trees and pleasant enough hunks is an unveiling of queer anxiety inside an American heartland, one the exhibition smartly juxtaposes: mountains here, homoerotic takes on Cezanne there. En masse, it presents a statement not just on a painter's evolving style, as any retrospective is wont to do, but collectively tackles a painter's wrestling with the limits of representation and gives us a sense of how that world was fleshed out mentally and were contained inside their life's work.

For instance, after leaving art school, Hartley would not take to figure painting in any meaningful capacity until late in his career but the exhibition sees no reason to wait until then. Marsden Hartley's Maine begin charismatically with a selection of graphite drawings Hartley made of himself and other local residents as a young draughtsman. They're not very interesting but a tenuous connection is drawn between them and the folksy hunks that the Breuer has arranged as the exhibit's centerpiece, the heavy-set blue-collar types that would take Hartley's fancy. A more compelling reach, on the other hand, could be found in one of Hartley's earliest professional works, which the Breuer borrows from a public library in Hartley's hometown: "Shady Brook" (1907). A haunting piece of gothy realism, Hartley observes the mouth of a brook with minimal eye for abstraction, are those Monet's water lilies in the foreground?

The French expressionists and impressionists that he, like much of his generation, diligently revered are mentioned alongside archetypical New England painters like Winslow Homer and Albert Pinkham Ryder, who most immediately influenced his work. The Breuer, which opened last year, has made an interesting habit of underlining its connection to the Met by whipping out items from the world of old masters housed a few blocks away in order to visually lay out a curator's argument for where influences lay. In last year's Kerry James Marshall show, for instance, a tidy collection of Ingres, Seurat and some Japanese woodblocks were segregated into a little room for quiet contemplation. This time around, the Breuer takes on the more active role of placing, say, Homer's "Northeaster" (1895) next to a collection of Hartley paintings of waves. Those Japanese woodblocks make another appearance. The Met's collection cannot contain it all, however, and only a small illustration of Cezanne's "The Bather" (1885) is produced in the vicinity of "Canuck Yankee Lumberjack at Old Orchard Beach, Maine" (194041). Hartley would know it well, a wall caption reads, "from visits to New York's Museum of Modern Art."

The show's chronology begins with a few rooms of his impressionist renditions of Maine's great outdoors: the state's tourist-trap of falling leaves becomes explosions of power and light meant to rival any French Riviera. "Carnival of Autumn" (1908) is the clear masterpiece: a Fauvian palate that transcends Matisse's accomplishments across the Atlantic and wrestles out of them something that buzzes like city lights. Nearby is a a study in contrasts: "Maine Woods" (1908) and "Winter Chaos, Blizzard" (1909), are a set of abstract forestry that make Hartley something of a primordial woods spirit, here for the sun and here for the snow. But, after a brief dabbling in glass Ogunquit folk art (an anecdote on the wall suggests it as an unfinished frontier in Hartley's oeuvre, after some uncontrolled smashing he "never had the courage to take it up again"), one turns to the delicious centerpiece of the exhibition: those hubba hubba hunks.

Previous Next One of Hartley's earliest surviving works, "Shady Brook" (1907): Are those Monet's water lilies in the foreground? (On loan from the Lewistown Public Library) Previous Next Marsden Hartley's Maine presents the otherwise unrelated "Maine Woods" (1908) and "Winter Chaos, Blizzard" (1909) as a parallel study of Hardley's capacities as an impressionist (on loan from the National Gallery of Art, Washington and the The Philadelphia Museum of Art, respectively) Previous Next "Carnival of Autumn" (1908) is the clear masterpiece of Hartley's early, impressionism-influenced work (On loan from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) Previous Next Hubba hubba: of the model, Hartley wrote: "I went down into the bowels of the Y.M.C.A. and pulled up this 'true beaut'"

(on loan from the Art Institute of Chicago) Previous Next Common in the Breuer's short history is their use of the Met's resources to make arguments for artistic influence. Winslow Homer's "Northeaster" (1895), far right, is juxtaposed with a series of Hartley paintings made toward the end of his life. (Hartley paintings on loan from the Worcester Art Museum)

It was around this time, the placards tell us, that Hartley had declared himself "the painter from Maine," with an emphasis on the possessively definite article. After some decades in Europe, he had decided home was where the heart was or, at least, used to be. Academics at the time liked to call it an establishment of self-conscious regionialism, an American version of Monet suddenly choosing to chase haystacks. But Marsden Hartley's Maine wants us to read it as something else: "Hartley associated his elusive search for a permanent home with a regional symbol of loss and vulnerability" is one of the prettier curatorial touches. Until we enter a small empire of strapping chests and Schwarzenegger jawlines, Hartley's art is, notably, barren of flesh. The landscape motif, that little human painter in the corner so common in the Hudson School, is unused by Hartley, and suggests that his relationship with the land is personal and his alone. Yet, suddenly, people are here. "The Bather" is the smart analogue to drawHartley adored Cezannebut there is something of postcard photography here, those black and white chests you buy in the gas stations of tourist towns. A narrative of possessiveness comes across in some of the quotes that the Breuer pulls from Hartley's writing (e.g: "I went down into the bowels of the Y.M.C.A. and pulled up this 'true beaut'") but the paintings themselves insist on grander emotions at work. Filled with life, with light and with an energetic intensity that for decades had been read as folk art homage touched by Whitman, we can now finally read as reverent love. "Lobster Fisherman" (1940-41) is a Village People of maritime fun, a world of self-containment. Another quote of hisHartley was published as a poet, as wellappears on the wall: "I do want so much to swing out a littlefor a few days as it seems too bad not to enjoy so lovely a spectacle as that five mile beach covered with handsome humanity."

Among the Met's possessions not in view is probably Hartley's most well-known work, "Portrait of a German Officer" (1914)the First World War abstraction of military imagery meant as a tribute to its titular German officer which Hartley took on as a lover while living in Berlin until 1916. The officer, a Karl von Freyburg, would die alongside nine million others; within a year of Hartley's departure, our doughboys would be in the trenches as well. A number of Hartley's male colleagues would similarly die: the poet Hart Crane would jump off a steamship and two people identified by the curators as dear chums "Alton and Donny Mason" would die in a sea storm. The wall text suggests these events to be behind the series of turbulent waves and maelstroms that occupied Hartley in the early 1940s, shortly before his own death in 1943. Gathered in a single room, they evoke nothing less then sea monsters, devouring the horizon line and any sight of land. A good home is all too hard to find.





Marsden Hartley's Maine will run at the Met Breuer until June 18th.

Admission is pay-as-you-wish. For more information, visit the museum's website.

Oh yeah, art:



Andrew Karpan is Popdust's resident hunk. His body is occasionally on view at MoMa, the Whitney and wherever good vibes are sold. Follow him on Twitter

Art under totalitarianism: chasing the Revolutionary Impulse at MoMa

'Pierce, Mark, Morph' explores body modification and identity

Georgia O'Keefe's lessons on 'Living Modern'
Writings on the Wall

Many years ago, I got a phone call from Troy Torres at a political candidates office. He had seen an election estimate I had written and didn Read morePower of polls and weekend talks
After Pakistan foiled major terrorist attack, there are claims that the female terrorist arrested by Pakistani military may be the MBBS student who went missing from Hyderabad.

By India Today Web Desk: According to Pakistan's military security forces, they foiled a "major terrrorist attack" on minority Christians on Easter Sunday. They conducted a special intelligence-based operation near the Punjab Housing Societies in Lahore.

In a statement, the military revealed that a terrorist was killed while a female suspect was arrested in the operation.

Four soldiers including two officers were injured, while a suicide vest, detonators, and arms were seized from the terrorists in the hour-long operation.

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The joint operation was carried out against "terrorists affiliated with TTP and their facilitators holed up in a hideout in Basti Dadwani near Choti Zerin, 15 Km South of DG Khan early morning today", the ISPR said.

Sources said that police, security and intelligence agencies conducted the joint combing operation in Lahore's Factory Area.

Although, no militant group claimed responsibility for the attack, there are claims that the female terrorist arrested may be the medical student from Hyderabad who joined Islamic State.

The identity card of the female's father has also been recovered from the park they were planning to attack on Easter Sunday. However, it is still unclear that the female terrorist is Naureen Jabar (MBBS student who went missing from Hyderabad).

Naureen Jabbar, a second-year student at Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, went missing on February 10, 2017 and did not return from university.

Also read: On Good Friday, Pope Francis expresses 'shame' for scandals related to Catholic Church

Naureen's family is shocked and denied that Naureen had any tie-ups with any extremist groups.

Afzal, Naureen's brother had recieved a message on Facebook from an unknown account claiming it was Naureen which read, "Brother, I am Naureen, hope you all are well. I am also well and happy. I am sending this message to tell you that I have migrated to the land of caliphate. I hope with the blessings of Allah, you people will also someday migrate."SSP Hyderabad Irfan Baloch claimed that during an investigation her friends and classmates told the police that she was in contact with terrorist groups and had extremist behaviour.

There is also a video of a woman claiming to be Naureen and confessing her involvement with the terrorists on the internet going viral.

Here's her confession:

Noreen Laghari who was detained in Lahore says she was to be used as a suicide attacker, pic.twitter.com/XUyaudWHAL- Shabbir Wahgra (@iShabbirWahgra) April 17, 2017

Also read: Save Dina Ali: Saudi woman seeking asylum in Australia 'forcibly' put on plane and sent home

But, Naureen's family shrugged off the claims and said there is no proof of that Naureen had extremist tendencies.

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Also watch: Is Pakistan's threat of a nuclear war real?

--- ENDS ---
Lee Smith is a Weekly Standard senior editor and Hudson Institute fellow. He also writes a weekly column for the online site Tablet. He is a sober and serious analyst of the foreign policy scene and related matters.

Smiths April 5 Tablet column hasnt gotten the attention it deserves. In it Smith asks: Did the Obama administrations abuse of foreign intelligence collection start before Trump? Smith argues that the Trump/Russia narrative replays Obamas abuse of FISA to smear political actors opposing the administration in the lead-up to the Iran deal.

The predicate for Smiths inquiry is derived from a December 29, 2015 Wall Street Journal article describing how the Obama administration had conducted surveillance on Israeli officials to understand the campaign that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials intended to wage against the Iran deal. The Journal reported that the targeting also swept up the contents of some of their private conversations with U.S. lawmakers and American-Jewish groups.

Smith argued in another Tablet column at the time that the Obama administration had merely used the appearance of spying on American lawmakers to corner opponents of the Iran Deal. Spying on U.S. citizens would be a clear abuse of the foreign-intelligence surveillance system, Smith explains. It would be a felony offense to leak the names of U.S. citizens to the press.

Smith now confesses his belief that he erred in the previous column: I believe the spying was real and that it was done not in an effort to keep the country safe from threatsbut in order to help the White House fight their domestic political opponents.

Smith quotes a participant in the political battle over the Iran deal:

At some point, the administration weaponized the NSAs legitimate monitoring of communications of foreign officials to stay one step ahead of domestic political opponents, says a pro-Israel political operative who was deeply involved in the day-to-day fight over the Iran Deal. The NSAs collections of foreigners became a means of gathering real-time intelligence on Americans engaged in perfectly legitimate political activismactivism, due to the nature of the issue, that naturally involved conversations with foreigners. We began to notice the White House was responding immediately, sometimes within 24 hours, to specific conversations we were having. At first, we thought it was a coincidence being amplified by our own paranoia. After a while, it simply became our working assumption that we were being spied on.

Smith comments:

This is what systematic abuse of foreign-intelligence collection for domestic political purposes looks like: Intelligence collected on Americans, lawmakers, and figures in the pro-Israel community was fed back to the Obama White House as part of its political operations. The administration got the drop on its opponents by using classified information, which it then used to draw up its own game plan to block and freeze those on the other side. Andwith the help of certain journalists whose stories (and thus careers) depend on high-level accessterrorize them. Once you understand how this may have worked, it becomes easier to comprehend why and how we keep being fed daily treats of Trumps nefarious Russia ties. The issue this time isnt Israel, but Russia, yet the basic contours may very well be the same.

Smith has much more, all of it worth reading, in this troubling column.
North Korea put on quite a show Saturday, parading an impressive-looking array of nuclear missiles accompanied by the obligatory goose-stepping soldiers. According to the Washington Post, experts were stunned at the sheer number of new missiles on display during the parade  including, apparently, a new and previously unknown type of intercontinental ballistic missile.

However, the day ended badly for Kim Jong Un when North Koreas latest missile launch, touted as both an act of defiance of and a warning to the U.S., ended in total failure. The missile blew up almost immediately, according to South Korean and U.S. military officials.

The New York Times suggests that credit should go to former president Obama:

Over the past three years, a covert war over the missile program has broken out between North Korea and the United States. As the Norths skills grew, President Barack Obama ordered a surge in strikes against the missile launches, The New York Times reported last month, including through electronic-warfare techniques. It is unclear how successful the program has been, because it is almost impossible to tell whether any individual launch failed because of sabotage, faulty engineering or bad luck. But the Norths launch-failure rate has been extraordinarily high since Mr. Obama first accelerated the program.

Kim Jong Un almost surely will redouble his nuclear efforts in order to overcome the embarrassment of Saturdays failure. Thus, we should all hope that the U.S. has developed the ability to sabotage North Korean launches.

However, the Times suggestion that the U.S. sabotaged todays, or any other, launch is speculative. Neither the Washington Post nor the Los Angeles Times raises this possibility in its account of the failed launch.

The Trump administrations response to North Koreas failure was unusually matter of fact. Defense Secretary Mattis stated: The president and his military team are aware of North Koreas most recent unsuccessful missile launch. The president has no further comment.

The Times says this response left hanging the question of whether the United States played any role in the latest launchs failure. One might also view Mattis second sentence as wishful thinking.

My favorite part of the Times story is its concluding paragraphs:

One surprise from the parade was the re-emergence of Gen. Kim Won-hong, the former chief of the powerful secret police, the State Security Ministry. South Koreas National Intelligence Service had said that General Kim was dismissed and demoted in January on charges of corruption and abuse of power. In recent months, he has been absent from state functions, spurring speculation that he might have been purged and sent to a re-education camp. But on Saturday, he was among the generals on the reviewing stand. His uniform bore his four-star insignia, but he appeared to have lost weight.

The scientists held responsible for Saturdays failed launch should be so lucky.
This Washington Post story about a journalism dispute between Bob Woodward and ghost writer Barbara Feinman Todd is of little interest qua dispute. However, it pertains to a remarkable story about which I had forgotten  Hillary Clintons imaginary conversations, during her time as First Lady, with Eleanor Roosevelt and Mahatma Gandhi.

As far as I can tell, the matter was not raised or noted by the mainstream media during the 2016 presidential campaign. I didnt mention it either, but would have had I remembered it.

If there were evidence of Donald Trump communing with the dead, even if twenty years ago or more, the mainstream media very likely would have been aired the story. It would have been touted as evidence of Trumps weirdness.

Clintons seance, which her defenders call a psychological exercise, is evidence of her weirdness. According to Woodward, Hillarys ghost writer, the aforementioned Feinman Todd, told him she found the seance, which she witnessed, troubling. She must have, or else its unlikely she would have violated her contractual obligation of confidentiality by disclosing the seance  a violation that probably explains why Clinton did not credit her with having contributed to It Takes a Village, which she ghost wrote.

The mainstream media portrayed the 2016 election as a contest between an unstable egomaniac and a tested, even-keeled leader. I take no position here on whether the two candidates fit these descriptions in 2016.

But the fact that the pressure Hillary Clinton experienced as First Lady (not President) caused her to commune with the dead is strong evidence that she was badly rattled during her husbands presidency. This has some bearing on her present ability to handle intense pressure, and surely would have been viewed as such if Trump had done the communing.

Yet, the mainstream media declined to bring Hillarys seance to the voters attention last year.
Say what you will about the red-diaper babies of the old left decades ago: at least they wore diapers. Todays un-diapered left is dropping its s everywhere. I missed the latest riot in Berkeley yesterday (I was out of town), but I may well get another chance when Ann Coulter is scheduled to come to campus later this month for a speech sponsored by the Berkeley College Republicans. This will be a test of whether the Berkeley administration is in fact committed to free speech, or whether theyll just go through the motions before crumpling before a mob as they did with Milo in February.

Jillian Kay Melchior reports yesterday at Heat Street about anonymous flyers appearing at Berkeley calling for lynching Berkeley College Republicans. Melchiors story notes that This semester, the Berkeley College Republicans have hosted speeches for other controversial speakers, including Charles Murray and Heather Mac Donald. Theres more to this story, however. In both cases I was actually the person who invited Heather and Charles to campus, and I invited the Berkeley College Republicans to co-sponsor and publicize the eventsbut with a twist. Heather spoke on the subject of the future of free speech (not her book The War on Cops) in an event that was public, but not widely advertised. In the case of Charles Murray, after the Middlebury assault we decided that we needed to sneak him on campus and have him speak to my large class with no prior public announcement (even to my class, whom I told not to tweet out during class who was visiting), while the College Republicans quietly invited its members to attend since I have enough extra seats in my large lecture hall to accommodate 40 more people. It has come to this: conservative speakers have to be brought to campus clandestinely.

I can add some additional detail to Melchiors reporting. I frequently notice that when the Berkeley College Republicans set up their table on Sproul Plaza, sometimes a group of lefty hecklers will set up right across from them as the Berkeley Collage Republicans, and spend their time mocking the CRs. Here they are in actionyou can see their incoherent collages on the walkway:

Question: What do you think would happen if a group of students set up an LGBT table for Liquor, Guns, Bacon, and Trump across from one of the regular LGBT groups that also set up tables in Sproul Plaza, or mocked a Latino or Arab group table? Theyd probably shut down the campus for a week for sensitivity rallies and investigations into hate crimes. But if its only the College Republicans, then, well, no harm, no foul.

The Berkeley College Republicans take it all in strideno snowflakes in this groupas they attract all manner of hostile comment and live trolls shouting at them on a regular basis. I have no doubt it makes them tougher, and theyll be better suited for the real world after graduation.
Samantha Power served as Americas permanent representative to the United Nations from 2013 until President Trump took office, but she made her name as the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning 2002 book A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide. In the book Power indicted and convicted the United States of passivity in the face of genocide. The book is a polemical history. As a polemic, the book advocates the use of American power to prevent or mitigate ethnically based mass slaughters, going to back to Turkeys extermination of Armenians during and after World War I.

Reading the book, one awaits Powers reconciliation of her advocacy of military action with articulation of the American national interest in some form. One waits in vain. In the words of Laura Secors laudatory New York Times review of Powers book: Self-interest trumps humanitarian concern in United States foreign policy with striking consistency, Power demonstrates. For this she won a Pulitzer Prize.

I find it hard to square Powers claim to fame with her service in the Obama administration. If she were serious, she would have resigned loudly on principle somewhere along the way. The administrations actions offered many opportunities for her to put up or shut up, yet she soldiered on, making a fool of herself and of the United States in the process.

Obamas farcical resolution of the issue of Syrian chemical weapons represents a good example. Here the Assad regime had shown itself to posses the means of mass slaughter and the will to use the means. The Assad regime famously crossed Obamas red line in dramatic fashion, yet Obama found the fig leaf of an excuse to do nothing real. This farce played out to tragedy with added dollops of boasting and lying sufficient to revolt a person of average sensibilities, let alone a high priestess of moral indignation such as Power.

In the interest of fairness, I should add that Obamas reluctance to intervene militarily on humanitarian grounds in Syria is what one would reasonably expect from reading the book. Obama more than lived down to the history recounted by Power. Accommodating and empowering and financing the truly genocidal ambitions of the Iranian regime, however, Obama has earned a new chapter in Powers famous book if only Power would write it. If only.

So what has Power had to say about the Trump administrations limited military reprisal against the Assad regime for the recent sarin gas attacks? Inquiring minds want to know.

The Weekly Standards Ethan Epstein sets out to answer the question in The Power of silence. The pun in Epsteins headline spoils the plot, but the suspense isnt exactly high in this case. Epstein found that Power had maintained an unusual silence on her Twitter account following the reprisal. Epstein contacted Power by email directly for comment. Power has not responded to Epsteins inquiry. She has chosen discretion as the better part of hypocrisy, or something.

But wait! Power has broken her silence. Epstein has updated his column: Power broke her Twitter silence earlier Thursday to share her excitement about teaching at Harvards Kennedy School of Government and School of Law, and to complain about reports that the U.S. anti-semitism envoys office will remain unstaffed. She has yet to tweet about the attack on Syria.

NOTE: Seth Mandel gives Power the treatment she deserves in the Commentary essay The cautionary tale of Samantha Power.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-04-17 13:03:01

MONTREAL, April 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The paradigm shift that has occurred through the expansion of the WFH Humanitarian Aid Program has resulted in significant improvements in the lives of those living with bleeding disorders in developing countries throughout the world. This is as a direct result of the significant level of donations committed by Bioverativ and Sobi, 500 million international units (IU) of clotting factor concentrates (CFC) treatment products, over 5 years, along with their substantial financial support for the operational needs of this program.

The WFH Humanitarian Aid Program was established in 1996, with more than 462 million IUs of treatment products channelled since it began, to more than 100,000 people in need, in 90 countries. Prior to the expansion of this program, donations were sporadic and existing commitments allowed for only emergency relief in dire situations.

In 2014, 21 million IUs of treatment products were channelled through the WFH Humanitarian Aid Program. In 2016, the donations rose to 122 million IUs, with this level per year to remain consistent until at least 2020. This translates into a rise from 2,119 patients treated in 2014 to over 12,300 patients reported just in 2016.The projected number of patients to be treated each year with this donation from Bioverativ and Sobi is expected to be approximately 21,000.

"The WFH Humanitarian Aid Program has transformed, over the past two years, into one of the most effective global programs in addressing the significant treatment gaps that occur for those living without much needed care," said Alain Weill, WFH President.

The cost of treatment is prohibitively expensive for the majority of those affected with a bleeding disorder. Due to the limited access to diagnosis and treatment in many developing countries, people with severe hemophilia in these areas often do not survive to adulthood.

The direct impact of this sustainable and predictable model demonstrates significant transformation within the global bleeding disorders community. Life and limb-saving surgeries have climbed from 21 in 2014, to a total of 795 in 2016. As of the end of March 2017, this number has risen to over 1000. The immediate impact on quality of life is evident for those living with debilitating effects of joint damage, or having to put off other necessary surgeries due to the lack of treatment products.

Moreover, prior to the expansion of this program, people with bleeding disorders in developing countries had no opportunity to be put on a prophylaxis treatment regime, the standard of care in most of the developed world. In 2016, 852 people were placed on prophylaxis, with an additional 129 added onto this regime so far in 2017.

Last year, the WFH and WFH USA called for action to address the need for Treatment for All through the WFH Humanitarian Aid Program. This meant not only the commitment of donated treatment products, but also the financial support to allow for this program to become operationally successful.

In addition to these donations, the WFH Humanitarian Aid Program provides a wide range of integrated clinical training programs to ensure the local infrastructure and medical expertise are available to optimize use of donated products.

"The WFH Humanitarian Aid Program is an integral part of addressing the major gaps that exist for the majority of people in the world living with a bleeding disorder," said Mark Skinner, WFH USA President.

The ongoing support of Bioverativ and Sobi to this program demonstrates strong leadership in providing certainty to those most in need. We continue to work with all our global partners to come together to further strengthen the success of the WFH Humanitarian Aid Program.

About the World Federation of Hemophilia

For over 50 years, the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH), an international not-for-profit organization, has worked to improve the lives of people with hemophilia and other inherited bleeding disorders. Established in 1963, it is a global network of patient organizations in 134 countries and has official recognition from the World Health Organization. Visit WFH online at www.wfh.org.

WFH USA advances the global mission of the World Federation of Hemophilia in the United States.

About the WFH Humanitarian Aid Program

For many developing countries, product donations are often the only source of treatment product for patients with hemophilia and other bleeding disorders. The WFH receives requests, many urgent in nature, from WFH national member organizations (NMOs) and from recognized hemophilia treatment centers (HTCs) around the world. An increasing number of collaborators within the global bleeding disorders community have accepted the challenge of providing a sustainable and predictable supply of donated products. Through the donation by Bioverativ and Sobi to the WFH Humanitarian Aid Program of up to 500 million IUs within five years, the Grifols eight-year commitment totaling 200 million IUs, the three-year agreement with CSL Behring for a total of 10 million IUs, and the agreement with Green Cross for 6 million IUs, there will now be a more predictable and sustainable flow of humanitarian aid donations to the global community. In addition, the initiatives of Project WISH and Project Recovery allow for the manufacturing of clotting factor concentrates from previously discarded cryopaste which provide treatment products to countries most in need.
Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the  Food And Beverage Air Filtration Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2017-2027report to their offering.

Food And Beverage Air Filtration Market Size

PR-Inside.com: 2017-04-17 09:29:13

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Protecting people's health and well-being are the primary concern for regimes worldwide. Food & beverage production has become the one area that is stringently regulated by them to eliminate all possible risks related to product contamination at production facilities. Air filtration is an essential application for sterile food & beverage processing systems. Though, airborne bacteria is a major concern for food processors. Food & beverage air filtration provides a safe and efficient economic method to remove impurities and aids in enhancing the shelf life of consumable goods. Food & beverage air filtration helps in minimizing airborne contamination of consumable products, lower the overall filtration cost, control odors, ambient temperatures, and humidity during the production procedure. Moreover, air filters capture the very tiny particles and help to maintain consistent airflow throughout the process, thereby creating a significant impact in the food & beverages air filtration market in the near future.Food & Beverage Air Filtration Market:Drivers and RestraintsFood & beverage air filtration market is witnessing maximum growth owing to the advanced technology used during food & beverages production process, increasing installation base of air filters in food & beverages industry, growing demand for custom design, high quality, reliable and cost-effective air filtrates, and growing demand among consumers for improved food quality. Moreover, air filtration properties such as decreasing the level of micro-organisms, removing the viruses & germs along with improved air quality during food & beverages production process and growing demand for processed foods & beverages among health conscious people are some of the factors which is anticipated to strengthen the growth of food & beverages air filtration market over the forecast period. However, stringent government regulations for developing hygiene in the food & beverages industry, high cleanliness standards, and stringent contamination control issues may hamper the growth of food & beverage air filtration market in near future.Request Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2965 Food & Beverage Air Filtration Market:OverviewFood & beverage air filtration market revenue is expected to grow at a rapid growth rate, over the forecast period. The market is anticipated to perform well in the near future owing to the rise in the consumer preference for healthy foods & beverages. Moreover, air filters help in eliminating airborne pathogens and moistures during food & beverage production processrs that can produce sterile air. Moreover, repair air filters consistently aid in maintaining proper function of the system and retain the low cost of energy. Based on filters type, high-efficiency particulate arresting filters (HEPA) is anticipated to grow at a significantly high CAGR over the forecast period due to the use of these filters in the variety of applications to minimize the contamination risks, control airborne pathogens, and provide quality air products to consumers.Food & Beverage Air Filtration Market: Region-wise OutlookDepending on geographic region, food & beverage air filtration market is divided into seven key regions: North America, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Western Europe, Japan, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America dominates the food & beverage air filtration marketfollowed by Europe and Asia Pacific owing to the high awareness about health safety which in turn encouraged the manufacturers to improve their production process Moreover, the presence of key players along with established R&D facilities in these regions also drives the market. Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa hold huge potential and show substantial growth in terms of rising demand for quality and improved foods & beverages along with growing consumers health concern, and changing consumers lifestyle. Moreover, increase in per capita spending of middle-class income people on processed foods and increase in environmental concern coupled with reducing energy consumption are some of the factors which strengthen the growth of food & beverage air filtration market throughout the forecast period.Request For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-2965 Food & Beverage Air Filtration Market:Key PlayersSome players of food & beverage air filtration market are Donaldson Company, Inc., APC Filtration Inc., Parker Domnick Hunter, General Electric Company, Pall Corporation, Air Filters, Inc., 3M, Camfil Group, Delta Filtration Ltd., Nordic Air Filtration, Total Filtration Services, Inc., and Porvair Plc.
The university's decision to hike the fees of various courses by 12.5 percent for the 2017-18 session sparked protests in the campus which turned ugly on April 11 when students clashed with police.

By Manjeet Sehgal: The chain hunger strike being observed by the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) activists against fee hike by Panjab University authorities on Monday entered 14th day today.

NSUI leaders accused the university administration of working under the influence of the union government and said the authorities wanted to deprive the students from studies by increasing the fees.

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"We are observing a chain hunger strike from last 14 days against the fee hike. We had planned a big protest as the university is an autonomous institution but the students were brutally cane charged besides slapping sedition charges which were later dropped. Some vested interests want to kill the institution systematically besides controlling the universities with a remote control. We appeal the union government to release adequate grants. A delegation will also meet the Vice-President of India to apprise him of the situation," NSUI leaders said.

The university's decision to hike the fees of various courses by 12.5 percent for the 2017-18 session sparked protests in the campus which turned ugly on April 11 when students clashed with police.

66 students were named in the FIR who also faced sedition charges besides others. The sedition charges were however dropped later.

Some student leaders have accused the Chandigarh police of ill-treatment, torture and derogatory comments during the custody.

Governor V P Singh Badnore has asked university authorities to review the hike. Chandigarh administration has also announced its support to the authorities.

It is worth mentioning here that the university authorities were under pressure to increase the fees from University Grants Commission (UGC) which had advised it to find other ways and means to improve revenue generation.

One of the oldest institutions of the country, Panjab University has been facing a resource crunch from last 3-4 years. Against an annual budget of Rs 502 crore, the university had a budget deficit of Rs 277 crore.

Last year there were also reports that the university may face a closure if it failed to get sufficient grants. The university authorities had also approached the UGC to increase the grants but it was turned down.

The matter also reached the Punjab and Haryana High Courts last year which had slammed UGC for suffocating the institution.

ALSO READ:

Pb Governor asks Panjab University to review fee hike

Panjab University fee hike: Complaint withdrawn, sedition charges against 66 students dropped

Panjab University students oppose fee hike, clash with police

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Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the Mining Equipments Market: Latin America Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2014 - 2020" report to their offering.

Latin America Mining Equipments Market

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The mining industry is expected to witness growth with a single digit CAGR over the next six years on account of the further expanding demand for metal and mineral commodities. Latin America accounted for about 8% of the global mining equipment demand in 2013 and its contribution towards global mining equipment sales was registered at 15% for the same year. The region serves as the prime destination for mining exploration and investment at a global level.Request For Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-la-68 The key reason which has accelerated the growth of the Latin American mining equipment market is the enhanced demand for the consumption of natural resources. Presently, the region produces about 45% of the global copper, 21% of the global zinc, 50% of the global silver and 26% of the global molybdenumproduction. In addition, foreign investment, especially from China, US, Canada and Australia, plays a significant role in the growth of the Latin American mining equipment market. Further, other operations such as the Panama Stock Operation (PSO), CSR activities, and introduction of next generation mining equipment such as Autonomous Haulage System (AHS) also serve as driving factors for the growth of the mining equipment market in Latin America. Among these, CSR activities primarily focus on rehabilitation and support programmes, promotion of healthy lifestyle and awareness programmes for the adoption of green technology. However, in the past few years, the mining industry and hence the mining equipment industry has been facing an economic crisis on account of the requirement for budget allocation in the maintenance of the mining industry and equipment, etc. Illegal mining operations at some locations and the risk associated with the mining industry serve as further constraints for the Latin American mining equipment industry.Surging demand and abundant availability of natural resources(including the worlds top three metal and mineral reserves of copper, zinc and silver rapid technological advancement, modernization of mining plants, stable legislations with a motivating legal environment, and the efficient budget allocation with aftermarket revenue generation will serve as opportunities for the development of the Latin America mining equipment market.Market segmentation of Latin American mining equipment can be done on the basis of equipment, application and countries. On the basis of equipment, the Latin American mining equipment market includes mineral processing equipment, surface mining equipment, underground mining equipment, mining drills and breakers, crushing and screening equipment, etc. On the basis of applications, the Latin American mining equipment market segmentation includes metal ore mining, coal mining and mineral mining. Chile, being the largest producer of copper, serves as a lucrative market for copper-based mining equipment. Colombia is an active exporter,and is the first Latin American coal-producing country alongwith the production of metals such as gold, silver and platinum and hence is the opportunistic market for the associated mining equipment market. On the basis of countries, the Latin American mining equipment market includes Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Panama, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia and Venezuela. Chile is known for the adoption and introduction of advanced technologies such as autonomous haulage system. Peru is the reserve of key minerals and has been witnessing a surging demand for copper and hence the expansion of the associated mining equipment market. Brazil has an integrated approach for the production and sale of mining equipment. Panama has an active stock operation (PSO) for the support of the mining industry. In line with the positive future of the Latin American mining equipment industry, Peru and Chile are expected to receive double digit foreign investment in $ Bn in the next six years.Request For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-la-68 Some of the prominent players of the global mining equipment market include Sandvik AB, Hitachi Construction Machinery, Komatsu Limited, Atlas Copco Ab Joy Global Inc. Breaker Technology, Astec Industries, Bucyrus International, Caterpillar Incorporated, China Coal Energy Company Limited, Tecpalsa, Tecmap, Tiesa and Igaretta. Among these, Komatsu Limited in the whole of Latin America, Tecpalsa in Colombia, Tecmap and Tiesa in Panama and Igaretta in Argentina are active players in the Latin American mining equipment market.
Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the Feed Mycotoxin Detoxifiers Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2017-2027 report to their offering.

Feed Mycotoxin Detoxifiers Market Value

PR-Inside.com: 2017-04-17 09:33:47

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Mycotoxins are small secondary metabolites (a collective group of natural chemicals) of moulds that can cause toxic effects on humans as well as animals which are referred to as mycotoxicoses. Some mycotoxins are used in growth promotions, antibiotics, and other types of drugs owing to its pharmacological activities. The major concern with mycotoxin as feed contaminants which are potentially removed by detoxifiers. The main mycotoxins are aflatoxins, Fusarium toxins, and ochratoxin. Detoxifiers aid in counter the direct or indirect effects of mycotoxin and other toxic agents. Moreover, kaolin, zeolites, and bentonite are used as a supplement to animal feeds which act as a gut protectants and considered as excellent adsorptive materials of heavy metals as well as bacteria. One of the technique to reduce the exposure of mycotoxins is to reduce the bioavailability in the livestock feeds by introducing various mycotoxin adsorbent agents which will decrease the intake of mycotoxins among animals.Feed Mycotoxin Detoxifiers Market:Drivers and RestraintsFeed mycotoxin detoxifiers market are witnessing maximum growth owing to increasing focus on animal health, enhancing the quality of animal feeds, rising demand for hygiene & animal products safety, growing awareness among farmers for the benefits of mycotoxin detoxifiers as feed additives in livestock production, and expanding livestock industry worldwide. Moreover, continuous feed safety issues due to the presence of mycotoxin, rise in focus on decontamination of livestock feeds, and advanced enzymatic deactivation technology are some of the factors that can boost the demand for feed mycotoxin detoxifiers over the forecast period. However, harmful environmental effect with the use of inorganic absorbents, requirement for precise inactivators for each mycotoxin, and limited techniques to analyze the prevalence of mycotoxin & eliminate them safely among producers may hamper the growth of feed mycotoxin detoxifiers market in near future.Request Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2978 Feed Mycotoxin Detoxifiers Market:OverviewFeed mycotoxin detoxifiers market revenue is expected to grow at a rapid growth rate, over the forecast period. The market is anticipated to perform well in the near future owing to the fact that it reduces animal feed contamination from mycotoxin & its harmful effects such as immune system, organ damage and reproduction of livestock, increasing use of mycotoxin detoxifiers in livestock feed additives for better quality, and growing demand for better quality meat & processed food worldwide. Moreover, increasing livestock population, and government initiatives for animal welfare are some of the factors that can accelerate the market revenue growth of feed mycotoxin detoxifiers during the forecast period. Based on product type, binders is anticipated to grow at the fastest CAGR over the forecast period attributed to prevent the animals intestinal tract from the absorption of mycotoxin through adsorbing toxins to their surface. Based on animal type, poultry account for largest share in the feed mycotoxin detoxifiers market over the forecast period owing to rising consumer predilections for poultry meat and high presence of aflatoxins in poultry feeds that contaminate feeds & reduce chickens body weights are some of the factors that boost the demand for feed mycotoxin detoxifiers in near future.Feed Mycotoxin Detoxifiers Market: Region-wise OutlookDepending on the geographic region, feed mycotoxin detoxifiers market is divided into seven key regions: North America, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Western Europe, Japan, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America dominated the feed mycotoxin detoxifiers marketowing to the high preference for poultry products, better understanding among farmers for the use of feed mycotoxin detoxifiers in feed additives, and the presence of active players in these regions. Asia Pacific holds huge potential and shows substantial growth in terms of rising meat consumption along with production of local meat, increasing demand for quality food, growing awareness towards food safety, increasing per capita spending on meat related products, and expanding industrialization of animal industry in these regions.Request For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-2978 Feed Mycotoxin Detoxifiers Market:Key PlayersSome players of feed mycotoxin detoxifiers market are Bayer AG, Alltech Bio-Products Co. Ltd., Poortershaven Industrial Minerals BV, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Cenzone Tech Inc., Belgium Impextraco, AMLAN International, Chr. Hansen Holding A/S, Kemin Industries, Inc., Biomin Holding GmbH, Adisseo France SAS, Novozymes A/S, Tesgo International BV, Evonik Industries AG, Nutreco N.V., and Zoetis Inc.
Future Market Insights has announced the addition of the Pneumonia Diagnostic Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2017-2027 report to their offering.

Pneumonia Diagnostic Market Trends

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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

Pneumonia occurs due to swelling and inflammation in the lungs that is caused by bacterial, fungal, and viral infection. People gets affected by most common bacterial pneumonia that occurs due to Streptococcus pneumoniae. The common signs and symptoms for pneumonia are high fever, cough, shortness of breath and fatigue. People having age over 60 and under 2 are more suspected by pneumonia. Pneumonia kills than any other diseases, over 2 million children die every year due to pneumonia. The joint UNICEF and WHO integrated global action plan examines epidemiology evidence on distribution and burden of pneumonia and assess the current levels of treatment and prevention. There are several types of pneumonia discovered in people such as community acquired pneumonia, hospital acquired pneumonia and ventilator associated pneumonia, aspiration pneumonia and atypical pneumonia. Community acquired pneumonia is most common type of pneumonia that occurs mostly during winter, in many cases of community acquired pneumonia requires hospitalised treatment. Hospital acquired pneumonia is more severe than community acquired pneumonia cause most people catch pneumonia in hospitalised condition for another illness. Aspiration pneumonia occurs due to excessive consumption of alcohol or drugs that can cause lung abscesses.Pneumonia Diagnostic Market: Divers and RestraintsThe major drivers for global pneumonia diagnostic market is raise in prevalence and new pneumonia diagnosis to encourage the industry, research and development centers to develop and improve the perfection and productivity of diagnosing pneumonia will drive the market over the forecast period. Regardless advancements and new developments, perfect solution and device has yet to be discover to meet the requirement of boosting in perfectly diagnosing and characterizing the different types of pneumonia. Barriers for global pneumonia diagnostic market is that there is no protocol available to detect the pneumonia as its clinical symptoms overlap with diseases like bronchitis, common cold and asthma.Request Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2970 Pneumonia Diagnostic Market: OverviewGlobal pneumonia diagnostic market is projected to grow over the forecast period under the influence of rising geriatric population throughout the world and high prevalence of pneumonia among the new born babies and children under the age of 5. Major players in pneumonia diagnostic market are focusing on influential strategies such as development of innovative diagnostic systems, dispensing services aimed and focusing on developing regions at better patient quality & information of life with better approach for market penetration.As of September 2016, WHO (World Health Organization) stated that pneumonia accounts 16% of all deaths of children under age of five, WHO has started a global action plan for pneumonia speed up control with combination of involvement to protect, prevent and treat pneumonia so there is huge scope for major as well as emerging players to penetrate the market and increase market share.Pneumonia Diagnostic Market: Regional OverviewPneumonia Diagnostic Market is classified into seven regions namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa. North America has the largest dominating market share in the pneumonia diagnostic market due to factors such as increasing resistance to multi drugs by microorganisms in viral infections between the rising geriatric population and children. Similarly, rising aging population in Europe and Japan will drive the pneumonia diagnostic market over the forecast period as elder people are responsive to develop symptoms of pneumonia compared to normal people. Several countries including India, Bangladesh, Zambia, Uganda and Kenya are the key countries to penetrate the pneumonia diagnostic market. Pneumonia is most prevalent disease in South Asia and African countries.Request For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-2970 Pneumonia Diagnostic Market: PlayersAbbott, Glaxo Smith Kline, Affymetrix, Beckman Coulter/Danaher, Becton Dickinson, bioMerieux, Bio-Rad, Cepheid, Diamedix/Erba, Dia Sorin, Eiken Chemical, Elitech Group, Enzo Biochem, Hologic/Gen-Probe, Kreatech/Leica, Lonza, Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Qiagen, Roche, Scienion, Sequenom, Sera Care, Siemens, Takara Bio, Thermo Fisher/Life Technology, Wallace/PE, Wako. The rising competition amongst the key players will drive the market growth over the forecast period.
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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Wi2Wi Corporation--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Toronto, Ontario (FSCWire) - Wi2Wi Corporation (TSX Venture:YTY). has issued a press release with the following headline:Wi2Wi Announces WM828CC6 the Best in Class Multiprotocol WLAN Combo ModuleTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Wi2Wi Corporation, or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Wi2Wi CorporationSource: Wi2Wi Corporation (TSX Venture: YTY, WKN: A1KCTZ, ISIN: CA9774862085)Date: April 17, 2017Time: 9:00 AM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Wi2Wi Corporation and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
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.




By Press Trust of India: Chandigarh, Apr 17 (PTI) With Panjab University facing "financial crisis", the Congress government in the state today assured help to the institute and accused the previous SAD-BJP dispensation of not providing adequate funds to it.

"We will try and help them (Panjab University)," state finance minister Manpreet Badal said.

However, any decision regarding providing financial support to the Panjab University will be taken after the government comes out with a white paper on the states finances, he said.

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"First, we will release the white paper. Then whatever we can do we will certainly do for PU," Badal said.

The Congress government had announced that it will come out with a white paper on the states finances.

Notably, PU Vice Chancellor Arun Kumar Grover has written to the Punjab government seeking a meeting to apprise the government about the universitys financial situation.

"I have got a letter from the VC and I will try to meet him," Badal said, adding he felt sad at the events that unfolded in Panjab University.

The finance minister regretted that the state had frozen the funds meant for Panjab University.

"Every year Punjab gives Rs 20 crore to PU and this amount has been frozen," he said and accused the previous SAD-BJP government of not properly prioritising the allocation of funds which led to the financial mess.

"Can you imagine that the last government spent Rs 2,000 crore on monuments and memorials? They spent Rs 180 crore on Tirath Yatras and gave just Rs 20 crore to PU. Priorities of the last dispensation were wrong," Badal said.

"The Vice Chancellor of PU is right that the Punjab government should have provided more support," he said.

With PU in a financial mess, it has been getting Rs 20 crore per annum for the last several years after Punjab froze its share to this amount despite it was supposed to bear 40 per cent of the PUs fiscal deficit.

Gasping for funds, the Panjab University has now demanded 12 per cent hike in allocations from the state government to meet the rising expenditure.

"We are demanding that you (Punjab government) must increase the fund being allocated by 12 per cent from this year. Every year, expenditure on employees salary, DA allowances and other expenses has been rising," PU Registrar Guljit Singh said.

With a total budget of about Rs 500 crore, the Panjab University has projected a deficit of about Rs 250 crore for fiscal 2017-18. Last month, the university senate raised the tuition fee for several courses which was strongly opposed by the many students organisations.

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On April 11, violence erupted at PU campus after students clashed with police during a protest against the fee hike.

Meanwhile, National Students Union of India (NSUI) chief Amrita Dhawan said a delegation of students will meet Vice President M Hamid Ansari, who is also the Chancellor of PU, to apprise him of the situation.

"We will seek time from Vice President and apprise him of situation," Dhawan said, adding the Centre should intervene and provide sufficient funds to the university.

Strongly condemning the fee hike, she said with this, poor students will not be able to get university education.

"Education should not be made commodity," Dhawan said. PTI CHS VJ NSD

--- ENDS ---
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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.
The Pardee RAND Graduate School (PardeeRAND.edu) is home to the only Ph.D. and M.Phil. programs offered at an independent public policy research organizationthe RAND Corporation.
Non-penetrative plastic bullets are likely to be used in Jammu and Kashmir for crowd control or stone-pelting mobs to reduce collateral damage during counter-insurgency operations.

By Praveen Shekhar: As unrest rocks Kashmir Valley, the government has asked security forces deployed there to use plastic bullets in crowd control operations instead of pellet guns.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has asked security forces to use plastic bullets against the stone-pelters in the Valley and pellet guns to be used only as a last resort, agencies report said.

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Government sources, however, said pellet guns will continue to be used as the last resort in the non-lethal category.

Senior Home Ministry officials said thousands of plastic bullets have already been produced and sent to the Kashmir Valley for use by the security forces deployed there. These bullets are said to be non-penetrative and can be fired from INSAS rifles.

SUPREME COURT

The move comes after the Supreme Court had last month asked the Centre to consider effective means other than the use of pellet guns to quell stone pelting mobs in the state.

On December 14 last year, the apex court had said pellet guns should not be used "indiscriminately" for controlling street protests in Jammu and Kashmir and be resorted to only after "proper application of mind" by the authorities.

A bench headed by the then Chief Justice T S Thakur had issued notices to the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir government while seeking their replies on a plea alleging "excessive" use of pellet guns in the state.

The apex court had also sought the assistance of Attorney General on the issue and asked him to submit a copy of the report submitted by the Expert Committee constituted for exploring other alternatives to pellet guns.

The Opposition National Conference has been criticising the Mehbooba Mufti-led government over the handling of students' protests in the Valley.

Pellet guns fire cartridges consisting of hundreds of small metal balls but their extensive use to quell unrest in the Valley after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8 last year led to hundreds of cases of eye and facial injuries, often causing partial or total blindness. The CRPF and state police faced severe criticism and there were calls to ban pellet guns.

For the last eight months, security forces have been facing massive violent protests by locals and organised stone-pelters in Kashmir valley when they are engaged in gunfight with militants, who at times manage to escape with the help of the crowd.

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So far, security forces were using PAVA shells and pellet guns, the last option in the non-lethal category before the use of assault rifles, to control the mobs.

PAVA (Pelargonic Acid Vanillyl Amide) is a chilli-based ammunition, which is less lethal and immobilises the target temporarily.

Other less-lethal weapons used include dye marker grenade, which causes sensory trouble to the target once fired. It leaves a dye mark on troublemakers for easy identification.

Also read:

Kashmir: Students turn stone-pelters against police, dozens injured in clashes

Stone pelters on hire in Kashmir: India Today nails Valley's insidious villains

Srinagar bypoll violence: ISI funded stone-pelters in Kashmir, says military intelligence

Also watch:

Kashmir: 3G, 4G mobile internet services suspended following fresh violence

--- ENDS ---
30 year old biker girl, Nikki Misurelli from Alaska hopes to inspire and motivate bikers around the world to pursue their dreams and not let any negative statements stand in their way.

Nikki always wanted to tour the world on a motorcycle, like a true biker by heart. Thats all she ever needed as motivation. Soon she collected enough money, and set-off on a world solo trip.

Travelling on her Honda CBR 600RR sport bike, Nikki sold off all her possessions and worked part time to fund this trip. She then set off from her home state of Alaska, traveled to the Panama in Central America. She visited 9 countries over the next 6 months and experienced many cultures and studied the people of the lands she traveled to.

She travelled over 12,000 miles across Europe, Northern Africa and to the rest of the world. She led a nomad life, clicked selfies of herself at different locations, posting photos on Instagram which has earned her much attention.

Nikkis future plans involve rides to the Middle East and Northern Africa. She does not have an exact route planned and takes to the road at random. She is thankful for her mental and physical strength that has stood her in good stead over these adventures while she has also learned a great deal about herself.

UPDATE  Social media is abuzz with stories that Nikki did this road trip because her boyfriend had stated that she cannot do it as she is a girl. That is not true. Below is what Nikki posted on her facebook page 

Hey everyone! Im sure many of you have seen articles about me all day. Remember, this is social media, so of course it is going to go viral and the stories get a little twisted, but no worries. Just understand that some of these companies never actually reached out to me or interviewed me, they just wrote whatever they wanted in their articles. :-/

This link below is from CNN, Travel and Leisure, who actually reached out to me and did an interview and got the facts, so be sure to check this one out! Its not so negative and twisted like some of these other ones!

And just to clarify, I NEVER told anyone that I did this trip out of spite of my ex boyfriend or for revenge. My ex is simply the one who gave me the brilliant idea that it is possible to travel cross-country on a motorcycle, and I had the time and funds to go for it solo! I am grateful and thankful for this ex for being my inspiration and motivation! No anger, no revenge, no hate, just love and thanks.

Below are ome beatiful photos form her world trip 

To see more images, head to her instagram account  alaskamotogirl
Uttar Pradesh saw the maximum increase in number of road deaths which increased from 16,004 in 2013 to 22,256 in 2018, while there are lessons to be learnt from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh; wherein there have been a significant decrease in road fatalities.

2018 saw a total of 4.61 lakh road accidents across India as compared to 4.65 lakhs in 2017. Though the number of road accidents have dipped marginally, the same cannot be said where road fatalities are concerned. This figure which stood at 1.51 lakhs in 2016, dipped to 1.48 lakhs in 2017, which went up to 1.49 lakhs in the past year.

Road accident statistics in India have revealed that the state of Uttar Pradesh has registered the maximum increase on road fatalities. Road deaths in the state increased by more than 2,000 in 2018 as compared to that noted in 2017 while at the other end of the spectrum, the state of Tamil Nadu has registered the most declines in road fatalities by as much as 25 percent with 3,941 fewer road deaths occurred in 2018 as compared to 2017.

Following highest number of road deaths recorded in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat came second followed by Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab and Chhattisgarh. However, states such as Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Goa and have put some check on the number of road deaths.

To see this from another perspective, the International Road Federation, a Geneva based body working towards safer roads has expressed concern over the rising number of road accidents. Statistics reveal that India accounts for more than 11 percent of global road accident fatalities. India is also a signatory to the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety that targets a 50 percent reduction in road fatalities by 2020.

T Krishna Prasad, DGP and chairman of Telangana Road Safety Authority, cites the need to identify the reasons for high number of road fatalities and the need for an action plan. The State Police Chief of Tamil Nadu has gone a step further and designated an additional SP in each district with a Commissionerate as a nodal officer for road safety. Their performance is recorded in the Performance Appraisal Report while highway patrolling has been ramped up with a dedicated safety control room at the Police HQ along with monthly meetings held to address related issues.

While the authorities are taking all steps to reduce accidents in general and road fatalities in particular, the onus lies primarily on the road users. It is by stringently following road safety regulations, in terms of over speeding, drink driving, road rage and speaking on mobile phones, that these figures can be brought down significantly.
Hondas 2020 CB-F Concept is based on the current CB1000R naked i4 but with an 80s twist

The global automotive industry is not going through the best of times and many manufacturers are losing millions with each passing week. COVID-19 has taken its toll on almost all kinds of businesses but it seems the world of automobiles is one of the worst affected. Many reputed automotive shows or events have been either postponed or cancelled due to COVID-19 outbreak. However, automakers have taken social media as an effective platform to introduce their new products for the 2020 model year.

Now, Honda Motorcycle has unveiled the new CB-F Concept which is set to make its global debut at 2020 Tokyo Motor Show in November. Despite being a concept, Hondas new machine has impressed motorcycle enthusiasts across the globe with its styling that showcases a tasteful throwback to the 80s.

Honda has taken the 2020MY CB1000R neo-retro naked motorcycle as base for its new CB-F Concept. Among motorcycle enthusiasts, Hondas CB series of products (especially those from the 70s and 80s) acquire a special place. While the Japanese motorcycle brands current line of CB products is quite good, purists are in the opinion that they have lost their previous charm. Thanks to aesthetic details shared with the good old CB750, CB900F and a few other names, Honda Motorcycles 2020 CB-F Concept is aimed to break that notion.

The concept has been finished in a neat shade of brushed silver with a pair of blue highlights. Minimalism and originality are two design considerations that have gone into its making and the overall result is too good not to be a production motorcycle (albeit with a licence plate). Of course, its internals are in line or better than that of many other popular players from Japan available at present. Honda Motorcycle has also added a single-sided megaphone exhaust system to complete its visuals.

As mentioned before, the platform is shared with Hondas latest CB1000R avatar. The 998cc in-line four-banger churns out 141.4bhp @ 10,500rpm and 104Nm @ 8,250Nm. Compared to its previous version, peak power and torque figures have gone up by 16% and 5%, respectively. Honda Motorcycles engineers have also shortened its transmission ratio by 4% for better acceleration. The motorcycle has become 12kg lighter as well and boasts of 20% better power-to-weight ratio.

Though not sales toppers, modern classic genre of motorcycles have a certain appeal. In fact, they find takers from all age groups. In India, we have Royal Enfields 650 Twins as two extremely desirable modern classics. Hondas reimagination of its iconic CB models from the past has definitely raised a lot of interest but will that be enough to get a green signal for production?
In physics, the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam-Tsingou (FPUT) problem -- which found that certain nonlinear systems do not disperse their energy, but rather return to their initial excited states -- has been a challenge that scientists have tackled repeatedly since 1955.

The challenge within the FPUT problem was that the scientists expected the system to achieve a relaxed state, possibly equilibrium, but instead it never relaxed.

Numerous papers have narrowed the focus of the problem, finding that weak nonlinear systems can reach a type of equilibrium. But the question of strongly nonlinear systems reaching full equilibrium has remained a mystery.

Now, a discovery by an international team of scientists, published in March in the journal Physical Review E, has found that such a system can reach equilibrium, provided certain conditions are met.

"That is a big deal," said Surajit Sen, PhD, a physics professor in the University at Buffalo's College of Arts and Sciences and co-author of the paper, "because in a very convoluted way, it confirms what [Enrico] Fermi had thought probably should happen."

Sen has been studying solitary waves, generated in a chain of solid spheres -- or grains -- held between stationary walls, for more than two decades. In 2000, he discovered how such waves can break into smaller "baby" solitary waves. Further research by others found that these solitary waves, under certain conditions, could reach a state of quasi-equilibrium, a generally calm state, but with large kinetic energy fluctuations.

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Yet whether these strongly nonlinear systems could relax beyond this quasi-equilibrium phase, where the large kinetic energy fluctuations settle to much smaller equilibrium values, remained uncertain.

"What we are finding is that when these solitary waves continuously break down during collisions, they start to break down and reform. When this breaking down and reforming become comparable, that's when you get to the quasi-equilibrium phase," Sen said.

When the number of solitary waves running around the system become too large to even count, that is when the quasi-equilibrium ever-so-slowly goes over to true equilibrium where energy is roughly equally shared by all the particles.

Sen concedes that it is reasonable to ask: What does it matter? On one level, Sen says, this is pure science, with few immediate practical applications. However, there may be practical applications for materials science.

"I think it has implications in materials modeling," Sen said. "Suppose I want to make a material capable of withstanding enormous amounts of heat, or one that converts a mechanical vibration to electrical current. To make them, I have to have a really good understanding of how these materials transfer energy, and this research cuts right to the heart of it."

The breakthrough in the research came when Michelle Przedborski, a PhD student at Brock University in Canada, examined the specific heat of the chain of solid spheres by considering the collisions between the spheres. The specific heat behavior and the energy fluctuation, due to the collisions as predicted by the equilibrium theory, agreed exactly with the results predicted by dynamical computer simulations.

"That was the 'aha!' moment," Sen said. "They come from two different routes. Nothing can be sweeter than this, because when you have an agreement of this magnitude and of this level of exactness, you know the system is in equilibrium. There are no 'if, ands or buts' about it.

"What we have managed to show -- in the context of the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam-Tsingou problem, where the question was raised whether non-linear systems would go to equilibrium, over which there has been this 60-plus year debate -- is that strongly non-linear systems such as these do go to equilibrium."

Among the conditions required for the equilibrium state to be reached are that solitary waves must interact, or collide with each other, and the system must be gently perturbed, rather than violently shaken.
Photosynthesis requires a mechanism to produce large amounts of chemical energy without losing the oxidative power needed to break down water. A Japanese research team has clarified part of this mechanism, marking another step towards the potential development of artificial photosynthesis. The findings were published on February 27 in the online edition of The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters.

The team was led by Professor KOBORI Yasuhiro (Kobe University Molecular Photoscience Research Center) and PhD student HASEGAWA Masashi (Graduate School of Science) with Associate Professor MINO Hiroyuki (Nagoya University Graduate School of Science).

During the water-splitting reaction in photosynthesis, plants produce oxygen by converting solar energy into chemical energy, providing the energy source necessary for their survival. This reaction is carried out by a protein complex in chloroplasts (located in leaves) called the photosystem II complex.

In 2015 Professor Kobori's research team succeeded in analyzing the electronic interactions and 3-dimensional placement of the initial charge separation produced directly after photoreaction in the photosynthetic reaction center of purple bacteria, which do not cause the oxidation potential for water-splitting. However, in the photosystem II complex for higher plants, the configuration of the initial charge separation state was unclear, and it was a mystery as to how it led to an effective water-splitting reaction while retaining the high oxidative power.

The scientists extracted thylakoid membranes (where the photoreaction takes place in photosynthesis) from spinach, added a reducing agent, and irradiated the samples. This enabled them to detect microwave signals from the initial charge separation state to a degree of accuracy of a 10 millionth of a second. They developed a method of analyzing the microwave signals using spin polarization imaging. For the first time it was possible to carry out 3D view analysis of the configuration of the electric charge produced directly after exposure to light as a reactive intermediate. This was done with an accuracy to within 10 millionth of a second, as consecutive photography. Based on this visualization, they also quantified the electronic interaction that occurs when electron orbits overlap for molecules with electric charges.

The initial electric charge separation structure clarified by this analysis was not very different from the structure before the reaction, but the imaging analysis showed that the positive electric charge that occurred in the pigment as a reactive intermediate existed disproportionately in chlorophyll single molecules. It suggests that there is strong stabilization caused by electrostatic interaction between the charges.

It has been revealed that the return of the negative charge is suppressed, since the overlap between electron orbits is greatly limited by the insulating effect of the vinyl group terminus. This means that it becomes possible to use the high oxidizing powers of the positive charge in chlorophyll (PD1) for the subsequent oxidative decomposition of water.

Based on these findings, researchers have unlocked part of the mechanism to effectively produce high amounts of chemical energy without loss of the oxidative power needed to split water in photosynthesis. These findings could help to design an "artificial photosynthesis system" that can provide a clean energy source by efficiently converting solar energy into large amounts of electricity and hydrogen. The application of this principle could contribute to solving issues with energy, the environment and food shortages.
A University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences molecular biologist has found Zika RNA in a type of mosquito not often associated with the virus.

UF/IFAS entomology associate professor Chelsea Smartt led a research team that found Zika RNA in Aedes albopictus. That's not the species -- known as Aedes aegypti -- most often associated with Zika. But scientists have never discounted Aedes albopictus as another possible carrier of the potentially deadly virus.

Brazil has the highest number of reported Zika virus cases worldwide, with more than 200,000 as of December 2016. So, Smartt set her sights on tracking down Zika-infected mosquitoes in Camacari, Brazil, near the Atlantic coast.

Smartt and her research team collected 20 female and 19 male Aedes albopictus mosquitoes as eggs, raised them to adults and tested the adults for the Zika virus RNA. They found five of them positive for Zika RNA, Smartt said.

"These results are important because they are the first to show that Aedes albopictus can be infected with Zika virus RNA," said Smartt, a faculty member at the UF/IFAS Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory in Vero Beach, Florida. "Also, this study found Zika virus RNA in male mosquitoes, which we can infer also means the Zika virus RNA came from the mother. We need to determine if live Zika virus can also be transmitted in Aedes albopictus."

The findings show that mosquitoes, like Aedes albopictus, in an area with a high density of Zika virus, can contain Zika virus RNA and then these mosquitoes must also be tested for live Zika virus before transporting them to a laboratory for further experimentation to ensure they are not able to transmit live Zika virus.

Since researchers and the media started seriously chronicling the Zika virus in the U.S. in 2015, Aedes agypti mosquitoes have received a lot of attention. Scientists have found that Aedes aegypti is the main type of mosquito that spreads Zika, dengue, chikungunya and other viruses, while Aedes albopictus is less likely to spread Zika and other similar viruses.

Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes abound in Florida, throughout most of the Southeast and in all the states along the southern border of the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The range of Aedes albopictus expands into the Midwest. Its role in being able to transmit Zika virus is largely unknown.

Currently there is no vaccine available for Zika virus. To try to avoid mosquito bites, scientists and public health professionals urge people to stay indoors or wear long-sleeve shirts and pants if they're outdoors, especially during the day, when mosquitoes that might transmit the Zika virus are more likely to bite. They also urge people to apply mosquito repellent containing DEET and remove mosquito-breeding habitats by removing water from containers because that's where mosquitoes lay their eggs and the immature stages develop.

Smartt's research is published in the Journal of Medical Entomology.
Everybody loves those rare "aha moments" where you suddenly and unexpectedly solve a difficult problem or understand something that had previously perplexed you.

But until now, researchers had not had a good way to study how people actually experienced what is called "epiphany learning."

In new research, scientists at The Ohio State University used eye-tracking and pupil dilation technology to see what happens as people figured out how to win a strategy game on a computer.

"We could see our study participants figuring out the solution through their eye movements as they considered their options," said Ian Krajbich, co-author of the study and assistant professor of psychology and economics at Ohio State.

"We could predict they were about to have an epiphany before they even knew it was coming."

Krajbich conducted the study with James Wei Chen, a doctoral student in economics at Ohio State. Their results were published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Most decision-making research has focused on reinforcement learning, where people gradually adjust their behavior in response to what they learn, Chen said.

"Our work is novel in that we're looking at this other kind of learning that really has been neglected in past research," he said.

For the study, 59 students played a game on a computer against an unseen opponent. On the screen were 11 numbers (0 to 10) arranged in a circle (like a rotary phone, for those old enough to remember). The students chose one number and then their opponent chose a number. The details of how they won are somewhat complex (it had to be complex for them to have something to figure out), but essentially the optimal game strategy boils down to picking the lower number. Therefore, picking zero was always the best choice.

The participants played 30 times in a row, always against a new opponent. The researchers created an incentive to win by awarding small payments for each victory.

An eye-tracker sitting under the computer screen could tell what numbers they were looking at as they considered their options during parts of the experiment.

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After each of the trials, participants had the option of committing to playing one number for the rest of the trials. They were encouraged to do so by the promise of an extra payment. Participants were then reminded what number they chose, what number their opponent had chosen, and whether they had won or lost.

The goal for the researchers was to see when players had that epiphany, that "aha moment," in which they realized that zero was always the best choice and then committed to playing that number for the rest of the experiment.

The results showed that about 42 percent of players had an epiphany at some point and committed to playing zero. Another 37 percent committed to a number other that zero, suggesting they didn't learn the right lesson. The remaining 20 percent never committed to a number.

The researchers could tell when a player had an epiphany.

"There's a sudden change in their behavior. They are choosing other numbers and then all of a sudden they switch to choosing only zero," Krajbich said. "That's a hallmark of epiphany learning."

These participants gave clues that they were about to have that aha moment, even if they didn't realize it. The eye-tracker showed they looked at zero and other low numbers more often than others did in the trials just before their epiphany, even if they ended up choosing other numbers.

"We don't see the epiphany in their choice of numbers, but we see it in their eyes," Chen said. "Their attention is drawn to zero and they start testing it more and more."

Those who had the epiphanies also spent less time looking at their opponents' number choices and more time considering the result of each trial -- whether they won or lost. The researchers said this suggests they were learning that their choice of a low number was the key to victory.

A key to epiphany learning is that it comes suddenly, which was evident when the researchers looked at eye-tracking results on the commitment screen. This was the screen where participants could choose to commit to zero (or another number) for the rest of the trials.

"Those who showed epiphany learning weren't building up confidence over time. There was no increase in the amount of time they looked at the 'commit' button as they went through the trials, which would have indicated they were considering committing," Krajbich said.

"They weren't paying a lot of attention to the commit button until the moment they decided to commit," Chen added.

Findings on pupil dilation provided additional evidence that epiphany learners were reacting differently than others.

"When your pupil dilates, we see that as evidence that you're paying close attention and learning," Krajbich said. Results showed those who experienced epiphany learning experienced significant pupil dilation while viewing the feedback screen (telling them whether they won or lost) before they made the commit decision. The dilation disappeared after they committed.

"They were showing signs of learning before they made the commitment to zero," Krajbich said. "We didn't see the same results for others."

These results suggest that you have to look within to truly experience epiphany learning.

"One thing we can take away from this research is that it is better to think about a problem than to simply follow others," Krajbich said.

"Those who paid more attention to their opponents tended to learn the wrong lesson."

This research was supported by a National Science Foundation Career Grant to Krajbich.
The rule comes into force as President Pranab Mukherjee has accepted the ninth report of The Committee of Parliament on Official Language.

By India Today Web Desk: Very soon, President of India and ministers will be heard delivering their speeches only in Hindi. President Pranab Mukherjee has given his assent to the recommendations of the Committee of Parliament on Official Languages in this regard.

The new rule would be applicable to all dignitaries if they can read and speak Hindi, according to reports.

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The rule comes into force as President Pranab Mukherjee has accepted the ninth report of The Committee of Parliament on Official Language. The recommendations were submitted by the then finance minister P Chidambaram in 2011.

The ninth report had made 117 recommendations on the ways in which Hindi could be made more popular.

The other recommendation accepted by President Pranab Mukherjee includes use of Hindi by the national carrier Air India. As per the recommendation, Hindi would be used on Air India tickets and availability of magazines and newspapers in the language on board for passengers.

HINDI COMPULSORY FROM CLASS VIII TO X

President Pranab Mukherjee has accepted in principle another recommendation seeking to extend Hindi as a compulsory subject from class 8 to class 10 in all CBSE and Central schools.

The HRD Ministry would also give an option to the students for opting Hindi as their language to write examinations or to appear for interviews.

The government would also seek to simplify Hindi and make some words easy to use. For instance, a more popular term like "notebandi" could be used for "vimudrikaran", the Hindi of "demonetisation".

President Pranab Mukherjee also rejected some recommendations of the Committee of Parliament on Official Language. One of them is the mandatory use of Hindi for correspondence in public shareholding companies and all private companies for providing information about products in Hindi.

ALSO READ:

Why Narendra Modi was confused over Gujarati vs Hindi in Surat: 10 points

--- ENDS ---
It's a fish-eat-fish world out in the ocean, and prey species usually fear the predators that would make them into a tasty snack.

Looks like someone forgot to tell the parrotfish, though.

According to new research by UC Santa Barbara marine scientists, Chlorurus spilurus, known as the bullethead or daisy parrotfish, barely reacts to the presence of predators. The findings appear in the journal Oecologia.

Working in the waters off Moorea and the Palmyra Atoll, the researchers observed almost constant competitive interactions between predators and bullethead parrotfish -- the Pacific Ocean's most abundant parrotfish species -- and other herbivorous fishes. "They were constantly chasing each other, and this affected their feeding rates," said lead author Katie Davis, a research scientist in UCSB's Caselle Lab. "However, predators such as sharks, snappers and groupers frequently swam past the parrotfish without eliciting any reaction. Our research indicates that competition among grazers is the real force in structuring both the space use patterns and the feeding patterns of these parrotfish."

Working on Palmyra 1,000 miles south of Hawaii, the researchers first tested the influence of predation risk on prey foraging behaviors in an unexploited predator community that includes a variety of sharks and other fishes. Then, to contrast how predation risk and competition affect space use, they conducted a comparative study on Moorea, where both predatory species and herbivorous species like the bullethead parrotfish are fished.

The investigators found that competition influenced space use more than predation risk, which did, however, impact feeding rates.

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"Nearby predators may not have as strong an effect on the behavior of some prey species as previously thought, especially in a place like Palmyra where encounters between predatory species and prey species on the reef are frequent," said Davis. "If prey species such as parrotfishes really limit their movements due to fear effects, we would expect to see fish using much more space to forage in Moorea, where predators are rare, compared to Palmyra, where predators are abundant. But that's not what we saw."

Davis and colleagues used mobile GPS units to quantify the space use of bulletheads. Following individual parrotfish they mapped out their activities throughout their territories, recording where they ate, the location of territorial disputes and bathroom use. The scientists also examined the concentration of feeding activities from site to site over a gradient of predation risk and competition. Counting parrotfish bites, they considered how predator encounters, competitive interactions and the abundance of algae on the reef might influence their feeding rates.

Other notable differences between the two islands may be related to fishing practices in Moorea. In certain habitats at Moorea, for instance, the researchers were unable to conduct their study because the parrotfish were skittish in the presence of the observers. Parrotfishes in Moorea are targeted by spear fishermen, which may influence their perception of humans as a threat.

In addition, the size structure of the two populations differed: the largest specimens were found in Palmyra but absent in Moorea. This also could be due to spearfishing, which usually targets the largest individuals of a population.

Parrotfishes are thought to be important to coral reef health because they eat algae that competes with coral for space on the reef. However, exactly what these fish eat has yet to be determined. According to Davis, they primarily bite low-lying red-turfing algae as well as other species of macroalgae. However, the algae itself may not be their primary food source.

"New research in the field of parrotfish biology has suggested that they may target bacteria that grow on top of and inside of the coral skeletons," Davis explained. "These findings provide us with some new ways to think about how these fish forage, and it could help explain some of the space use patterns that we've observed in this species. Our future research will further explore how these ideas relate to parrotfish foraging behaviors and how parrotfish foraging affects the fine-scale interactions between algae and corals on reefs."

UCSB co-authors are Peter Carlson, Darcy Bradley, Robert Warner and Jennifer Caselle.
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National restaurant chain Texas Roadhouse has agreed to pay $12 million to settle an age discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967 protects workers ages 40 and older from workplace discrimination based on age. The EEOC alleged that Texas Roadhouse violated the ADEA by rebuffing older workers for front-of-the-house positions, such as server, host and bartender.

As part of the settlement, the restaurant chain agreed to change its recruiting and hiring practices.

"Notably, Texas Roadhouse did not admit any wrongdoing in its settlement," said Kimberly Hodges, an attorney with Ogletree Deakins in Memphis, Tenn. "However, from a prevention perspective, it is critical for employers to have robust policies and procedures in place that ensure older applicants are provided the same opportunities as younger ones."

She noted that employers also need to be diligent about treating older workers fairly after applicants become employees. "Employers should carefully examine policies regarding discipline, promotions, raises and benefits to ensure consistent treatment for both younger and older employees," she said.

[SHRM members-only HR Q&A: What commonly asked questions should not be on an employment application?]

Agreement Reached Before Retrial

The settlement was announced on March 31 after a four-week trial resulted in a hung jury. A retrial had been scheduled for May.

The settlement will provide monetary relief to workers ages 40 and older who applied to Texas Roadhouse for a front-of-the-house position between Jan. 1, 2007, and Dec. 31, 2014. Under the agreement, the restaurant chain will have to appoint a diversity director and a compliance monitor who will ensure that the terms of the agreement are met.

"The settlement was not an admission of guilt but rather a business decision," according to Travis Doster, the senior director of public relations for Texas Roadhouse. "After seven years of litigation, including a recent mistrial, we still faced a prospect of many more years of legal bills, trials and appeals."

Doster said the restaurant chain "is and always will be an equal opportunity employer."

"I am pleased to see this matter come to a mutually agreed-upon resolution," said EEOC Acting Chair Victoria Lipnic in a press statement. "As we mark the 50th anniversary of the [ADEA] this year, it is as important as ever to recognize the very real consequences of age discrimination and the need for job opportunities for older workers."

Key Points for Employers

"Applicants rarely know that they have been denied a job because of their age," said Mark Penze, one of the EEOC's lead trial attorneys for the case. He added, "When the [agency] uncovers such evidence, it will act aggressively and doggedly to remedy the violation."

So how can employers ensure their policies and practices are fair to older workers?

When hiring, employers should have a consistent process that treats older workers the same as other candidates, Hodges said. (Applicants of all races, genders and national origins should also be treated the same.)

"Managers and recruiters should be trained to conduct the hiring process with an eye solely upon hiring the best qualified candidate, irrespective of age," she said.

Employers should also take steps to ensure that only objective, age-neutral criteria and processes are used. "For example, employers should take a close look at recruiting materials, selection criteria, interview questions and interview scoring processes," Hodges noted. "All of these stages of the hiring process should be examined for language or requirements which might disproportionately impact older applicants."

Hiring managers should note that age discrimination issues can arise from vague references to age. "An interview question regarding whether a candidate would mind working under a younger supervisor or if a candidate had enough energy for long hours can lead to inferences of age bias," Hodges said.
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The government offensive along the west coast has driven the rebels away from nearly all of the 450 kilometer Yemeni Red Sea coastline. In January the rebels had access to nearly all of it and now they dont. At this point the Shia rebels are largely confined to using the Red Sea port of Hodeida. This has been the main port for the delivery of foreign aid for civilians in rebel held areas and, in theory, government controlled areas. Government forces are closing in on Hodeida and that will make it more difficult for the rebels to smuggle in military supplies.

The rebels have prevented UN personnel from inspecting aid shipments (for weapons and other contraband) and the government claims the rebels have been seizing aid shipments and preventing UN personnel from verifying that the aid is going to civilians. The rebels are putting up a strong defense around Hodeida and that slows down the advance but cannot stop it.

The rebels have been pushed out of smaller ports like Midi (north of Hodeida) and Mocha (south of Hodeida) and are concentrating on the defense of Hodeida and, 150 kilometers to the east, the national capital Saana. Government forces are now within 20 kilometers of Saana and about to take the airport there.

Government forces are also pushing inland from Mocha to open a land route to Taiz. The major obstacle is the Khalid bin al Waleed military base, which was surrendered to the rebels two years ago by soldiers loyal to the former dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh. The base is 30 kilometers east of Mocha. Government forces are also advancing from east of Taiz as well in order to surround the Khalid base and force it to surrender. East of the capital (Saana) government forces have taken high ground within sight of the city and established positions to observe and call in accurate artillery and rocket fire when large groups of rebels assemble or move. The fulltime observations posts also make it easier to keep track of the pro-government Sunni militias also operating in the area but not willing to operate like a military unit (and do what the senior army commander wants).

The fighting is most intense at night, when government air support is less effective. The rebels have learned how to minimize the government airpower advantage. Since late 2015 much of the violence has been in Taiz province, which has always been heavily fought over mainly because it has a lengthy Red Sea coastline which enabled smugglers to bring in weapons and other aid for the Shia rebels. There is still a lot of fighting around inland areas, like the city of Taiz. Most of the Red Sea coast of Taiz is now under government control. Fighting is low key but constant.

Scary Foreign Aid

In 2017 the United States has increased the use of air support and aerial surveillance for the government forces. In the last month there were about two American air strikes a day and about one a day has been with UAVs. There were only 39 UAV attacks for all of 2016 and the in the peak year (2002) there were only 41 attacks. So 2017 is already a record breaking year for American UAV missile attacks. In addition there are more American airstrikes using manned aircraft and smart bombs.

There are apparently more foreign (American, Moslem, European) special operations troops in Yemen. These operate in support of Arab operators who carry out a growing number of raids. The increased aerial surveillance and intelligence assistance has led to locating more targets for air strikes or raids (to take prisoners, obtain information and disrupt terrorist operations). The result has been heavy losses for Islamic terror groups, fewer attacks and more of those that do happen fail. The Arab coalition believes this has significantly reduced the number of Islamic terrorists operating in Yemen.

As has been the case since 2015 most of the Islamic terrorists in Yemen belong to AQAP (Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula). Some 5-10 percent are with ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant), which splits it efforts between attacking government and AQAP targets as well as the Shia (rebels or civilians). The ISIL/AQAP conflict is to determine which version of a religious dictatorship should rule Yemen. Since mid-2016 AQAP and ISIL appear to have temporarily stopped attacking each other and concentrated on more threatening foes, like government forces (troops and tribal militias) and Shia rebels.

The increased American contributions to counter-terrorism operations is mainly to prevent Yemen from becoming a base for AQAP or ISIL attacks elsewhere in the region and in the West. But at the same time the Islamic terror groups have a lot of local support in Yemen because of the religious, regional and tribal animosities. Yemens long history is mainly one of constant internal strife, not unity, peace and prosperity. The Islamic terrorists provide Holy Warriors to fight for these local causes and the foreigners are seen as unjustified interference.

Frightened Foreign Aid

The government has had less success dealing with the growing problems involved with caring for the general population. In this case the enemy is not external but within. The UN has documented the extent of the disaster. Since the civil war began in early 2015 nearly 8,000 have died (some estimates are 25 percent higher), over 40,000 were wounded and more than ten percent of the population (about three million people) has been driven from their homes and are still unable to return. About half the population is in need of food and medical aid and most of the population is dependent on foreign aid to one degree or another. Yet the UN obtains only a fraction of the money for this from the usual donor nations. The main problem is the chronic corruption in Yemen and the fact that even with so many (over 15 million) Yemenis dependent on food aid, a lot of this aid gets diverted by corrupt officials and local (often tribal) leaders.

Pledges to deal with the corruption was what initially got the Shia rebels support from non-Shia Yemenis. That support has since faded because the Shia have demonstrated they are less concerned with reducing corruption than they are with expanding their own power. UN pleas for aid get some response from the oil rich nations backing the government and rebels, but this appears to be mainly to obtain some positive publicity in a situation where most of the news is relentlessly negative. The UN and other aid organizations have long played down the corruption angle (because it angers heavily armed locals who will kill aid workers if sufficiently provoked) and instead pressured the donor nations to provide the money and tolerate the corruption losses. That no longer works as the extent and nature of the corruption has become more widely known and led donor nations to simply direct more of their aid money to areas where most of the aid gets to where it is intended. The message here is for aid groups to pay more attention to the corruption but that idea has not caught on in a big way yet. Arab nations have become major aid donors in Yemen but they have an edge in that can supply more qualified people on the ground to ensure that most of the aid gets to where it is needed. Even that capability has its limits and sometimes Arab donors will cut off aid to areas where corruption remains intense. Yemen has long been one of the most corrupt and self-destructive states in the region.

The UN peace efforts have been crippled by the fact that both the Arab oil states and the Iran coalition (including allies China and Russia) have long been the main practitioners of corruption in the UN and have achieved a stalemate in obtaining official UN backing for their cause in Yemen. This is one of the most active theaters of the Sunni-Shia war, which the UN wont even admit exists. Two years of fighting in Yemen have made it clear what an all-out war between Shia and Sunni would do; destroy lots of mosques. Both sides go after mosques, especially when they are full of worshippers. Since 2015 nearly a thousand mosques have been destroyed in Yemen.

Unwelcome Foreign Aid

Iran has a pretty realistic attitude towards the situation in Yemen. That explains why Iranian support is a low cost and largely covert operation. Iran always urged the Yemeni Shia to adopt a more cautious and gradual strategy. That advice was ignored and when the Yemeni Shia had an opportunity to seize the capital and declare a new government in 2015 they did so. It didnt work but came close enough to encourage Iran to spend a lot of what little cash they had to support the Yemeni Shia. Iran knew that the Yemeni Shia, or at least some of them, would be grateful for this support and that would benefit Iran long-term. In the meantime the situation in Yemen, where the outnumbered and outgunned Shia are holding out against the Sunni majority and their Arab (led by the Saudis) allies hurts Iranian enemies (the Sunni Arab Gulf states and the West) while providing the Iranians with excellent media opportunities to criticize the Arabs and the West. Iran is making the most of the fact that the Arabs, even with greater numbers and superior weapons, are unable to defeat fellow Arabs who just happen to be Shia. Iran, the largest Shia majority nation in the world, considers the Shia form of Islam superior to the Sunni variants (which over 80 percent of Moslems follow). Iranian media plays up the suffering of Yemenis in general and manages to keep itself too low profile for the media to pay attention to.

April 16, 2017: In the north a Shia rebel landmine killed a Saudi soldier (and wounded three others) across the border in Jizan province. Shia rebels sneak across the border to plant landmines although most of the casualties on the Saudis side of the border are caused by mortar and machine-gun fire from Yemen. Since early 2015 year about 130 Saudis, mostly military and police, have died in this border violence, most of it in Jizan province.

April 11, 2017: Off the east coast a Yemeni patrol boat seized a small cargo ship from Oman that was carrying weapons, apparently for the Shia rebels in western Yemen.

April 8, 2017: In the south (Aden) security forces took video of a checkpoint incident where a suicide bomber in an army uniform calmly approached. A nearby plainclothes policeman confirmed that the man was a suicide bomber and an officer at the checkpoint shot him dead. The video then shows soldiers approaching the body and removing the explosive vest. The dead suicide bomber belonged to one of several Islamic terror groups that still operating in and around Aden. The police have been successful in tracking these groups and in this case were able to spot and track a suicide bomber and take him down before he could reach his target (which was apparently unclear for a while, thus the plainclothes police tailing the bomber).

April 6, 2017: Since 2015 the Saudi Arabian Air Force has carried out its first sustained combat operation in Yemen and some of the pilots are getting worn out. So the government has awarded 60 percent pay raises to combat pilots and 35 percent raises to all aircrew. Other, unannounced, bonuses have apparently also been provided. The Saudis have also had to hire more foreign technicians to help maintain the warplanes, which have never been used this intensively before. The Saudis have always used a lot of foreigners to maintain their warplanes although the percentage of Saudis trained and able to do the work has been increasing. Nearly all the aircrew are Saudi, or are supposed to be.

March 28, 2017: In the south (Abyan province) an American UAV used a missile to kill four AQAP men in a vehicle. Elsewhere in the south (Bayda province) a known AQAP leader was also killed by a UAV. In the southeast (Hadramawt province) a raid by Yemeni special operations troops captured Abu Ali al Sayari, a senior AQAP leader along with three other AQAP members. Two other AQAP men were killed during the night raid on a remote village where the AQAP men had been hiding. Sayari, like many Islamic terrorist leaders, is a Saudi citizen whose family was originally from Yemen and he maintained ties with the kin in Yemen.

In the northwest Shia rebels fired four ballistic missiles at cities in southwest Saudi Arabia (Asir province). Saudi Patriot anti-missile missiles intercepted them. The Arabs point to these Iranian ballistic missiles and Iranian UAVs as pretty clear evidence that Iran was still smuggling weapons in. Iran denies everything and when confronted with physical evidence insists that the Yemeni Shia made they stuff locally, obtaining technical help via the Internet.

March 22, 2017: Four UAVs that Yemen Shia rebels used to attack Saudi and UAE air defense radars were not locally made as the rebels claimed but were smuggled in (disassembled) from Iran via Oman hidden in truckloads of non-military goods. The four UAVs were identified as Ababils which are made in Iran and provided to several Islamic terror groups so far. In Yemen the Ababils are used to try and incapacitate Saudi Patriot air defense systems. If you know where the air defense radars are you can use the GPS guidance of the Ababil to send the UAV, armed with an explosive warhead, to destroy or damage the radar. Ababil is an 83 kg (183 pound) UAV with a three meter (ten foot) wing span, a payload of about 36 kg (80 pounds), a cruising speed of 290 kilometers an hour and an endurance of 90 minutes. The Ababil under radio control can operate as far as 120 kilometers from its ground controller. But it also has a guidance system that allows it to fly a pre-programmed route and then return to the control of its controllers for a landing (which is by parachute). The Ababil can use its GPS guidance to fly over 300 kilometers in cruise missile mode.

March 17, 2017: In the north, off the Hodeida province coast, a Yemeni smuggler boat carrying Somalis was attacked at night by a helicopter and a warship as it moved near the coast with its lights out. The attackers were apparently from the Arab Coalition blockade off Yemen, established in 2015 to prevent Iran from smuggling weapons and other military supplies to the Shia rebels in Yemen. Soon after the smuggler boat came under fire passengers waved flashlights to indicate that the boat was full of illegal migrants not Iranian weapons. The helicopter gunship and warship went away and the shot up smuggler boat returned to Yemen with survivors. At least 42 people on the crowded boat were killed. The smugglers said they were trying to reach Sudan. Until the Yemen civil war broke out in 2015 people smuggling from Somalia (Somaliland) and Djibouti was a major criminal enterprise with over 10,000 foreigners arriving each month and then being moved north. The smuggling gangs had arrangements, especially with tribal leaders, throughout Yemen to allow the movement of the smuggled foreigners, for a fee. After 2015 the traffic began to go both ways with thousands of Yemeni refugees reaching Somaliland (often on smuggler boats that had carried African refugees to Yemen) each month. Meanwhile the movement of Somalis (and other Africans) to Yemen continued with 100,000 arriving in 2015 and 115,000 in 2016. The civil war keeps most of these illegal migrants in UN supported refugee camps. Those with money can hire smugglers to take them across the Gulf of Aden to Sudan and from there to the Mediterranean coast and another boat to Europe.
Snapchat ratings drop from four stars to one star on App store after CEO remark row

Soon after news broke about alleged derogatory comments against Indians by the CEO of Snapchat Evan Spiegel, a storm brew on Twitter and that storm has now culminated in the rating of Snapchat spiraling to hit rock bottom.

A lone Star

According to information available from the App store, the customer ratings of the current version of Snapchat has fallen to a single star from around 6,099 ratings overall and for all version of the app has fallen to one and a half star based on 9,527 ratings as of Sunday morning. These figures arent real time and may change even while youre reading this.

This backlash comes after Anthony Pompliano , a former employee of the company said that the CEO of Snapchat had mentioned to him that the app is only for rich people. I dont want to expand into poor countries like India and Spain. Were not sure about poor countries, but Indians seem to have taken this bitterly With some users writing, Poor India & Spain need better than Snapchat, Good bye, My Snapchat Account and Snap Inc. Youll be product of gone by era and derision, and Poor Evan Spiegel.

Twitter Storm

When negative news about your company becomes a talking point on social media, its never good news. When your company starts trending on Twitter for negative news, its significantly worse. Snapchat mustve realized this when the hashtag #boycottsnapchat became a top trend. One user even reported the app for hurtful content leaving a comment Dear @snapchatsupport, flagged you for hateful content. #boycottsnapchat. Some of the more popular tweets on the topic being :

I havent seen any Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians etc Tweets yet. Thanks @Snapchat for Uniting us, a user tweeted. I was addicted to @Snapchat but I love my country more than this app. Lets see how you earn without Indians. @evanspiegel #boycottsnapchat, another user wrote on twitter.

Mistake Acknowledged

Snapchat has since seemed to have realized the hurt the statements have caused and have released a statement brushing off the comments as untrue. The Hindustan Times quoted the company as saying, This is ridiculous. Obviously Snapchat is for everyone! Its available worldwide to download for free.

If the Spiegel did genuinely think that, he might have missed a very crucial detail. India, is one of the biggest phone markets in the world. Mobile phone subscribers in India are already in 100 millions with a majority of these users accessing the internet through the smartphones. Some reports have predicted the number of users accessing internet through smartphones in India to hit 730 million by the turn of the decade. A majority of Indian citizens, are teenagers and young adults, that makes the potential mobile users in the country over 350 million  close to the entire population of the United States. Ignoring such a major market might turn out to be suicidal for a company that relies completely on mobile use.

We cannot be sure if these are the actual views of the Snapchat CEO or not, but the damage has definitely been done.

Source:Indiatoday
As PM Modi's car was passing by in Surat he saw a little girl trying to meet him.

By India Today Web Desk: Breaking all security protocol, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today surprised everyone when he stopped his car midway to grant the wish of a little girl who was waiting to see him in Surat during his Gujarat tour.

Modi was on his way from the Circuit House to inaugurate Kiran Multi Super Specialty Hospital and Research Centre, built by a private trust, when he noticed a crowd of young boys and girls shouting and waving at him.

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Amid the chants of 'Modi, Modi' from the crowd, an excited four-year-old girl managed to come out and get close to his cavalcade but was promptly stopped by SPG commandos. She was asked to go back.

Nancy's day was made when her enthusiasm caught Modi's attention and he got the car stopped, opened the door of his vehicle to call the girl inside.

Video grab

After giving her a hug, Modi exchanged few words with her and then the girl was again taken back to her parents.

Later on when caught by the media about the meeting, the girl said, "I met Modi dada. He asked my name and I told her Nancy Gondolia".

This is Modi's second visit to his home state this year. He had visited Gandhinagar on March 8 to address women sarpanchs from across the country on International Women's Day.

Earlier this year also the Prime Minister had broken security protocol to greet citizens at Rajpath on Republic Day. Also, earlier this month, he travelled to New Delhi airport in normal traffic to receive Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina.

Also read:

Why Narendra Modi was confused over Gujarati vs Hindi in Surat: 10 points

Narendra Modi writes about freedom fighters: Who they are and why you should know about them

Also watch:

Gujarat: PM Narendra Modi stops cavalcade to meet a little girl

--- ENDS ---
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.
A search party out looking for a man who may have drowned in Greenfield, California, came across someone else in need of help - a lost pit bull, stranded on a pile of debris in the middle of the Salinas River.

Jessica Barraza

The poor pup had been stuck out there for several days, but no one was quite sure how to help. Finally, a local animal rescuer heard about the dog's plight and immediately went out to see how she could help him. "I'm known in the community as an animal rescuer," Jessica Barraza told The Dodo. "A friend who is also involved in animal rescue heard of the dog's situation and got in touch with me immediately. When we got there the next morning, he looked friendly and eager to be out of that situation."

Dodo Shows Little But Fierce Pocket-Sized Kitten Grows Up To Be A Wild Woman

Jessica Barraza

One of the women began collecting branches to use to try and make the pile of debris a little taller so that the dog could maybe try and climb out on his own. She found one large, sturdy branch too, and tried to get the dog to use it like a ladder, but he was too scared to move. Finally, Barraza decided to carefully climb down to the dog ...

Jessica Barraza

... and she and her fellow rescuers were then able to lift him back to safety.

Jessica Barraza

Barraza thought at first that the poor dog may have been dumped there by someone who no longer wanted him - but luckily, that turned out not to be the case at all.

Jessica Barraza

"He had gotten loose and his family had been looking everywhere for him, driving around and posting on lost and found pages," Barraza said. "How he ended up in the river is a mystery, but this dog definitely had angels watching over him."

Jessica Barraza
Prime Minister Modi was on his way to the airport in Surat when he noticed a little lady fan and stopped his SUV to meet the 4 year old baby girl.

By India Today Web Desk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi surely knows how to keep everyone happy.

While he was on a two day tour in Gujarat, he stopped his convoy to meet a little lady who could not contain her excitement and ran towards PM Modi's car.

The 4-year-old girl, known as Nancy was stopped by commandos as she approached the Prime Minister but was called back by PM Modi, who wasn't afraid to break the security protocol.

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PM Modi was seen coming out of his vehicle to meet the little lady in the video. He talked to the 4-year-old before sending her back to her parents.

The video has gone viral since the adorable meeting happened.

Here's the video:

Video Courtesy: Aajtak

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The eight accused in the paper scam involve Head of Department of Rajasthan University, Principal of a government college, two lecturers and several others.

By Dev Ankur Wadhawan: The Special Operation Group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police has unearthed a major paper leak scam involving several senior functionaries of different universities of the state. The SOG team has arrested eight people, including Head of Department of Rajasthan University, Principal of a government college, two lecturers and several others.

The accused were allegedly involved in leaking of several papers including M.Com (Final) paper of Bikaner University held on April 5, 2017, first question paper of BA (Part 3) of Geography of Rajasthan University held on April 10, 2017 among others.

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As per Dinesh MN, IG, SOG, "We were receiving some complaints for one-and-a-half months before and we put all surveillance that we could on these people and then we collected some evidence. We registered an FIR and then we arrested them. We have registered three cases. In two cases, we have arrested about eight people. In another case, the paper of Bikaner university was leaked and two in Rajasthan University case. And in the third case, investigation is still on."

The arrested persons are: Govind Pareekh, Professor, Commerce Department, Rajasthan University; Jagdish Prasad Jat, HOD, Geography Department, Rajasthan University; BL Gupta (Retired Professor), Geography; NS Modi, Principal, Government College, Khajuwala, Bikaner and Convenor, Bikaner University; Shambhudayal Jhalani (SSG Pareek Girls College, Chomu); Kalicharan Sharma (Agrasen College, Hanumangarh); Sharad (Employee, Ramesh Book Depot) and Nipun Modi, Bikaner Resident.

The modus operandi, as per the SOG, followed by the accused involved getting to know who was formulating the paper, then that person was contacted. The paper was taken from that person and at some places, paper was set by their own people. It involved leaking of paper by those setting it, the custodian and the convenor. These people used to do it for their own people. As per the SOG, there will be more arrests made soon. Investigations into leaking of papers is currently on.

Also read: Physics question paper leak: 6 arrested in Manipur

Also read: Education in a mess in Bihar: After BSSC exam leak, now university forgets to print question papers

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Sarah Blakely recalls feeling some trepidation when she and her husband shelled out more than $300,000 for a modest 1 -storey house in a less-desirable part of Toronto.

Seven years later, they found themselves on the right side of a hot housing market, with values tripling in a neighbourhood suddenly considered up-and-coming for young families seeking detached homes.

They recently sold that renovated three-bedroom for more than $1 million and now expect to live mortgage-free in a four-bedroom purchase in their hometown of Ottawa.

The 34-year-old says it made sense to cash out of a city that was draining their finances, energy and family time.

My husband and I saw an opportunity to take advantage of the recent gains in real estate and to move to a less expensive city to live mortgage-free, support our savings for retirement and also to be closer to family, says Blakely, whose new home has nearly twice the square footage.

And they may have taken action at just the right time.

Read more:

Buyers, sellers brace for an unprecedented spring real estate season in Toronto region

Wynne to meet mayors on housing affordability

Scotiabank executive says government action may be needed to cool Torontos housing market

Blakelys real estate agent Josie Stern says the market appears to be cooling, and doubts Blakely could fetch that same jackpot sale today.

A little bit of air has been let out of the bubble, she says.

Many buyers and sellers are waiting to see what will come of Tuesdays scheduled meeting between Finance Minister Bill Morneau, Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa and Toronto Mayor John Tory, who are expected to discuss ways to rein in Torontos hot housing market.

Meanwhile, the Ontario government is promising to announce affordability measures soon.

Stern says some buyers are delaying their purchase in anticipation of possible fixes.

Buyers have been in such a stressful situation for so long that now they think somebody is going to save them and theyre waiting, says Stern. Theyve dug their heels in, theyre tired of competition and then theres those that are still proceeding, but theres been quite a big pullback from buyers.

Sellers whove bought new homes are rushing to list their old property, she adds, but many are not getting the high bids seen a month ago.

The Toronto market has been astonishing, with the average sale in the Greater Toronto Area skyrocketing last month to $916,567. Thats up 33.2 per cent from a year ago.

With strong demand and limited supply, it wasnt uncommon for bidding wars to result in sales hundreds of thousands of dollars above asking. And a lot of those sellers took those dollars out of the Greater Toronto Area where they can get more acreage, less congestion and still pocket a fair bit of cash.

Were finding that a lot of people are leaving the city, says Stern, who estimates that about a third of her 35 sales this year involved sellers either downsizing to condos or moving to more affordable markets.

Its empty-nesters, its (couples with) babies, its all kinds of people that are doing this.

Even with a new uncertainty in the air, its still a sellers market, she adds.

One of her biggest sales was a $2-million listing that went $575,000 over asking in February. The sellers moved to the commuter city of Burlington, Ont.

Theyre joining buyers priced out of the Toronto market who have gone looking for cheaper housing in smaller communities across the Golden Horseshoe, spurring other sales spikes in the region  Hamilton-Burlington homes jumped 22.6 per cent during the first two months of 2017 compared to a year earlier.

Still other buyers are looking farther afield.

Remember that relatively inexpensive Nova Scotia mansion that dominated Facebook last month?

Real estate agent Wanda Graves of Eastern Valley Real Estate says its sparked more inquiries from Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and B.C. house hunters suddenly hip to Eastern Canadas charms.

Nova Scotia sellers are taking notice, and are marketing to out-of-province buyers now considered increasingly likely to make an offer.

They know that there are buyers out there and now its, How do we reach them?  says Graves.

Before selling for $455,000, the mansion in Newport Landing, N.S., drew more than one million views on her companys website and 36,000 shares on Facebook.

Its a story Vancouver real estate agent Melissa Wu knows well.

Years of record-setting sales saw Vancouver homeowners cash out for smaller markets with more space.

But that changed after the B.C. government introduced a 15 per cent foreign buyers tax last summer, which Wu says especially soured interest in west Vancouver luxury homes priced at more than $4 million.

Detached homes in the $1-million to $2-million range in east Vancouver are doing well and still notching close to record highs, says Wu.

Her recent sales included a $2-million get for a century-old home owned by a retired couple. Their plan is to downsize to an older condo costing less than $500,000. The rest of the proceeds will go to their kids and retirement fund.

She says the sale was a record high for the neighbourhood, but it took an agonizing three weeks to secure  longer than it would have last year, she says.

She advises Toronto homeowners thinking of selling to take advantage while they can.

Theres always a shift coming in, she says of this hot market. Sell before it corrects.

Stern would like to see a crackdown on real estate speculators in Toronto, citing one buyer who bought 15 properties in the last two years.

And she cautions those tempted to cash out that theres always a risk the market wont co-operate.

People have been asking themselves that question since the year 2000: Should I sell? Should I cash out?

And there have been people who have cashed out and have regretted it because theyve seen what the market has (done)  theyve never been able to rebuy the houses that theyve sold.

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Regular physical activity goes a long way toward improving our kids physical health  but did you know it might help protect against depression as well?

As a child and adolescent psychiatrist and researcher, I recently completed a study exploring the potential protective effects of physical activity. We looked at 40 studies involving 90,000 healthy children between 8 and 19 years old and we found a relationship between being more active and having fewer depressive symptoms in the future.

Of course, like many illnesses, a number of factors can play a role in the development of depression.

A family history of depression  especially in a parent  can place a child at higher likelihood of developing the illness. We also know kids who dont feel like they fit in with their peers or silently struggle at school are at higher risk. This can sometimes be the result of having an undetected learning disability, being bullied or socially excluded, or being in an academic program that doesnt recognize their strengths.

On the other hand, having solid social supports and feeling connected with family and friends is known to have mental health benefits. Sufficient, good quality sleep is also known to improve a childs mood.

In my clinic, I see the effect of depression and other mental illnesses on kids and families  but I also see the potential we have to make an impact on their lives when they receive the help they need. Some people worry that talking about sadness or other symptoms of depression will make the problem worse. But that is a misconception; it simply isnt the case.

Sometimes people also think that when children experience depression, their behaviours are somehow wilful or voluntary. But the more we learn about mental illness, the more we understand that these are symptoms of disorders that affect brain and the body that need treatment, like any other illness.

More than 3 million youth between the ages of 12 and 19 are at risk for developing depression. Depression can also occur alongside other conditions, including anxiety disorders or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Research also suggests that these kinds of problems continue as children grow older. More than 70 per cent of adults with mental illness experienced their symptoms for the first time as a child or youth.

We know more today than ever before about the toll depression can take on children and adolescents, but there is still a lot of work to do. Compared to the impact this illness has on the young people who live with it, funding for research into the cause and the treatment of depression is still relatively small.

But depression can have a devastating impact on children and their families, and the research is needed. At SickKids, my colleagues and I are leading studies to learn more about the risk factors and the causes of depression, and what the most effective interventions might be. Those are just a few examples.

If youre concerned your child might be depressed, the first step is to talk with him or her. Ask how theyre feeling, listen, and offer your support. Dont be afraid to reach out to your family doctor or pediatrician and ask for help.

Watch for these signs:

A change in mood, such as sadness or irritability.

Less interest in the friends, activities or clubs that they usually enjoy.

Decreased interest in school, or falling grades.

Changes in sleep habits.

Low energy.

Decreased or increased appetite.

Changes in ability to focus or concentrate.

Dr. Daphne Korczak is an assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Toronto and a member of the Institute of Medical Science. She is the director of the Childrens Integrated Mood and Body (CLIMB) Depression Program and a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Hospital for Sick Children. Doctors Notes is a weekly column by members of the U of T Faculty of Medicine. Email doctorsnotes@thestar.ca .

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Ahead of the release of SS Rajamouli's Baahubali: The Conclusion, Rana Daggubati took to Instagram to share of picture of him on the sets.

By India Today Web Desk: With just 11 days left for the grand release of Baahubali: The Conclusion, expectations it has among fans is huge. The first part released in 2015 and became one of the highest grossing Indian films of all time. After the release of Baahubali: The Beginning, fans have been waiting with bated breaths to witness the sequel. More importantly, the know the reason behind the most-asked question: 'Why Katappa killed Baahubali'?

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Rana Daggubati, who plays the mighty Bhallala Deva in the film, took to Instagram to share some candid pictures on the sets of Baahubali 2. It must be noted that Rana worked rigorously to turn stronger for the second part. The highlight of the film is the face-off between Prabhas and Rana, which is touted to be made on a epic scale.

Blessed to be in the esteemed company of these fine men!! #BaahubaliTheConclusion #JoyofWorkingincinema A post shared by Rana Daggubati (@ranadaggubati) on Apr 17, 2017 at 4:26am PDT

Baahubali 2 is facing stiff protest from pro-Kannada groups, which has demanded Sathyaraj to apologise for his remarks on Kannadigas during the Cauvery row.

Speaking about the issue, Rana, in an exclusive interview with India Today, said, "That's something he (Sathyaraj) said 10 years ago. Baahubali part 1 released in Karnataka and everybody loved it. It was huge in Karnataka. I mean, they're just trying to make news again."

Made on a lavish budget of Rs 250 crore, Baahubali is touted to have earned more than Rs 500 crore even before its release through its satellite and distribution rights.

Directed by SS Rajamouli, Baahubali 2 takes the story forward from where Baahubali: The Beginning ended. Also starring Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah, Ramya Krishnan and Sathyaraj, the film is slated to, release on April 28 this year.

ALSO READ: SS Rajamouli discussed Mahabharata with Aamir before Baahubali 2

WATCH Baahubali vs Bhallala Deva: Prabhas and Rana Daggubati arm-wrestle it out ALSO READ: Tamannaah on Baahubali 2- The franchise has changed the way people look at Indian Cinema

ALSO WATCH: SS Rajamouli, Rana react to Baahubali 2 Karnataka issue

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CHIANG MAI, THAILANDWere weaving through the streets of San Sai chasing after what promises to be the best bowl of Chiang Mai noodles (a.k.a. khao soi) here, and  given the flavourful dishs popularity and provincial origins  likely the world.

The guide is Andy Ricker, chef-owner of Pok Pok, known in the West as the American Thai food guru. As a long-time student in Thai cuisine, Ricker has spent more than two decades researching its food and building his Pok Pok restaurant empire. The paw khrua (father of the kitchen, a.k.a. male cook and Rickers social media handle) is fittingly Thailands first Culinary Ambassador.

While most of us only associate the Land of Smiless cooking with pad thai and green curry, Rickers outposts in Portland and Brooklyn (Michelin-starred) instead serve laap muu khua phrae (northern-style minced pork salad) and the night market staple, hoi thawt (broken crepe with mussels).

Weve been criss-crossing and backtracking for 40 minutes; everyones phone is lit with Internet search results. Im certain were lost, but it turns out were not.

Related story:8 foods you must try in Thailand

Piling out of the car, a bare-bones concrete space adorned with a couple banners and a side-flanking kitchen with a string of basic boilers greets us. This is where we meet husband-and-wife team, Worakarn Keng and Busarin Amm Yu Yang Thai.

Named after nearby Prince Royals College, the original Khao Soi Prince has built a loyal following since 1965. (Rickers been a fan of the family-run Thai-Muslim restaurant since 1992.) The business moved with little notice last year to a second location; our frantic search was due to a third unpublicized move to an address-less building  a fraction of the size of its predecessor  in the subdistrict of Nong Han.

We get right down to business, ordering Rickers favourite renditions of beef and chicken khao soi. When he tries to add khao mok gai (chicken biryani), Rickers devastated to learn that its dropped off the menu. The reason was simple: with fewer customers and a staff of two, the smaller business simply couldnt afford to offer it. Amm tells us that the couples hasty move was motivated by the need to be closer to Kengs ailing mother.

With Rickers guidance, I start to appreciate how distinct northern and northeastern cuisine is from the rest of the country, and from what the world knows of as Thai food.

The regions cooler climate permits the growth of a wide variety of seasonal vegetables and herbs. The result is food thats distinctly bitter, herbaceous, tart and funky. Theres less emphasis on chili, and a unique profile of spices unlike those in the south, due to the regions trading past with Burma and China.

Taste those influences in Khao Soi Prince Maejos namesake dish: from flat homemade wheat noodles that point to its Chinese-Muslim origin to the flavourful curry broth, sweetened slightly with a splash of coconut cream  a common ingredient in the south, but present in a handful of northern dishes  it bathes in.

The thin-looking gaeng (Muslim-style curry) is based on a recipe by Kengs father, Sompong Yu Yang Thai, and made with a masala-like spice with beef or bone-in chicken. Flavour-wise, it starts off mild but bursts of complexity by the time Im scraping the bowl.

Capped with fried egg noodles for texture, the dish is served with a refreshing side of pickled mustard greens (a Chinese ingredient sourced from the same market vendor), hunks of raw shallots, lime wedges and ground chili.

The Kingdom of Thailands layered flavours are a reflection of its diverse makeup. In contrast to the north, the south is a balance of sweet, hot, salty and sour. As one of the major trading ports between India and China, Phuket was heavily influenced by Indian culture. Its why you find curries and spicier foods there, local guide Theerapakorn Oak Wongkamhaeng tells me.

The food at out-of-the-way Mor Mu Dong in east Phuket is a prime example.

Dining in one of the rustic open-air salas (bamboo huts) that sits over a tiny crab-infested mangrove swamp is less romantic than it sounds, but were here for the seafood and their specialty, pla pao. Bloated with a chili-spiced forcemeat-like stuffing, the deboned salt-crusted mackerel is grilled until golden crisp and marvellous.

Try everything, Ricker shares. Food is a window into the past  the people here are proud of their cuisine, and are more likely to share it if youre open to it. Be inquisitive, and dont assume you know what things are. By the latter, hes referencing foods like the khanom jeen nam ya pla chon he discovered on this trip.

Thai cuisine cant be compartmentalized. Theres always more to learn and even more to taste. Its comforting to know that even part-time residents like Ricker are still discovering unfamiliar foods.

Back in Chiang Mai, on a side street at Laap Kao Cham Cha, under the raintree the restaurant is named after, we feast on a spread of grilled offal, flavourful yum so o (pomelo salad) and laap were picking up between thumbfuls of sticky rice.

A plate arrives to the table, and without much fanfare Ricker says its deep fried frog. Showered by minced garlic and MSG, the bony morsels have been grilled and then flash fried, which results in a seaweed chip-like skin thats delicious and addictive. It reminds me of the shattering-crunchy frog skins I had months earlier at Bangkoks Soei.

My dining companions try a piece each, but I polish off the plate  until I see what appears to be a stretched out shrunken face. Its the only time I leave something untouched.

Yeah, theres everything in there, muses Ricker. Bones, legs the head.

Renee S. Suen was hosted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, which didnt review or approve this story.

When you go

Get there:Cathay Pacific (cathaypacific.com) flies daily from Toronto Pearson to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi with a stopover in Hong Kong. Regional airlines, including Nok Air and AirAsia, have multiple flights a day connecting the cities of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen and Phuket.

Stay: There are many choices for budget accommodations, but pamper all senses at the Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai (fourseasons.com/chiangmai ) which showers attention on everything from the manicured landscape to the luxurious rooms  mine with a view overlooking the propertys rice paddies, and incomparable hospitality. Luxury and comfort can be found at Banyan Tree Bangkok (banyantree.com/ca/ap-thailand-bangkok ), an urban resort with an award-winning spa, and some of the best (and highest) views of the city. Set in the Phuket rainforest, Keemala (keemala.com) enchants guests with different themed villas and cottages, each with their own plunge pool, plus a thoughtful holistic and culinary program.

Do your research:tourismthailand.org, pokpokrestaurants.com

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OTTAWASixty-six years ago this month, John Bishop was one of hundreds of Canadians who fought to keep the South Korean city of Seoul from falling back into North Korean hands.

The battle of Kapyong was a turning point in the Korean War, but as tensions escalate anew in the Korean Peninsula, Bishop isnt sure Canadians could play such a pivotal role in the region again.

I dont think Canada, no matter what we did or could do, would change the situation at all, he said.

(U.S. President Donald) Trumponly listens to himself and he keeps changing his mind.

But so too has Canada, one former Canadian diplomat suggests.

Marius Grinius served as Canadas ambassador to both North and South Korea between 2005 and 2007. He said he would travel back and forth and share the information and observations he gathered in Pyongyang with Canadian diplomats as well as those from other countries.

Then, under the previous Conservative government, Canada adopted a controlled engagement policy with North Korea. The move effectively cut off all diplomatic ties to the country and Canada lost its ear on the ground and the cachet that it could be using now, Grinius said.

Canadas trade with Asia is booming and it has strong and deep cultural ties to the region thanks to the diaspora here, while the legacy of its wartime contribution lives on through the U.N. Korea command to this day, he said.

But we, Canada, have been running hot and cold for decades in terms of substantive commitments on the security side and we should be very interested in long term stability and security, he said.

North Korea conducted two nuclear tests and 24 ballistic missile tests last year, defying six Security Council resolutions banning those activities, and it has conducted additional missile tests this year including one that failed last weekend.

That weekend test loomed over a visit Monday by U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence to the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea, where he warned Pyongyang that after years of taunting the U.S. and South Korea with its nuclear ambitions, the era of strategic patience is over.

Read more:

Mike Pence stands at Korea border and warns North, U.S. patience is over

On North Korea, Trump must get beyond bluster: Editorial

North Korea has responded by accusing the United States of turning the Korean Peninsula into the worlds biggest hot spot and creating a dangerous situation in which a thermonuclear war may break out at any moment.

The countrys deputy U.N. ambassador also said the Trump administrations deployment of a nuclear carrier task group to waters off the Korean Peninsula again proves the U.S. reckless moves for invading (North Korea) have reached a serious phase of its scenario.

For his part, Korean War veteran Doug Finney said the suffering of the North Korean people  and the risk the same could befall South Koreans if outright conflict resumes  is the reason Canada must act.

Some international aid agencies estimate that about 41 per cent of the North Korean population are undernourished and roughly seven million people are believed to lack access to clean drinking water.

Otherwise, the legacies of the 27,000 Canadians who served in the war and the 516 who died is at risk, Finney said.

I cant see us standing by now and not doing anything, he said.

Canada does bear humanitarian obligations, said Tina Park, co-founder and executive director of the Canadian Centre for the Responsibility to Protect and a longtime scholar of Canada-Korea relations.

As an architect of the responsibility to protect doctrine, a political commitment made by all UN member states to prevent crimes against humanity, Canada ought to address the fact those crimes are being committed in North Korea, she said.

If we really mean Canada is back, this is a prime time for the Canadian government to show what we mean by responsibility to protect, she said.

With files from The Associated Press

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OTTAWAWhen Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai was speaking in Parliament last week, Kellie Leitch gave her seat to Conservative leadership rival Erin OTooles daughter Mollie so she could bear witness to history alongside her dad.

Leitch didnt mind  she found a much better place to sit, right in front.

The two Conservative MPs may be seat mates in the back row of the House of Commons these days, but their campaigns to take over the permanent leadership of the party couldnt be much farther apart.

Leitch is on the populist path; the centrepiece of her campaign is a requirement that all newcomers be interviewed to verify their Canadian values. She rails against out-of-touch elites, though some suggest the former cabinet minister and pediatric orthopedic surgeon is one herself.

I talk about Canadian values, one of those values being hard work. I think when Canadians work hard they are extremely generous back, Leitch said recently during a roundtable interview with The Canadian Press.

Thats different than having an elitist attitude of thinking you know best and you can tell people what to do. Thats not what I share.

Every day on the campaign trail, she said, she hears about the disconnect between working Canadians and their government. Closing that gap, she believes, requires getting government out of the way with common sense policies like spending caps and no carbon taxes.

Read more:

Kellie Leitch says marijuana is a dangerous drug, vows to undo Liberal plan to legalize it

U.S. anti-Immigration policies a silver lining for Canada: Kevin OLeary

To anyone who watched last years U.S. election campaign, it might all sound a bit familiar.

Harping on elites, cracking down on immigration, promising to stand up for workers  all were hallmarks of how U.S. President Donald Trump seized on the schism between the working class and Washington, riding that wave of alienation all the way to the White House.

OToole, meanwhile, isnt convinced that what happened in the U.S. is transferable to Canada, which is why hes on a different road.

A lot of people in our race have been trying to say, How can we tap some of the potential that was disrupted in the U.S.,  he said in a separate interview.

I havent tried to focus on any of that. I think the experience between Canada and the U.S. is very different  we didnt have hundreds of thousands of people disaffected, because we had Stephen Harper.

If Letich frames her campaign as being about values, OTooles is based on ideas, including a lengthy policy platform thats intended to take Canada into the future.

He does see the potential for young Canadians to become disaffected, however, which is why his platform targets them with Generation Kickstart, a program that would increase the basic personal tax exemption in their first three to five years out of school.

Winning over millennial voters is also a big part of front-runner Kevin OLearys campaign strategy, even though the celebrity investor has yet to deliver them much of a platform. OToole, meanwhile, finds himself polling firmly in the middle of the 14-candidate pack.

He chalks it up to OLearys celebrity status, something he expects will fade by the time ballots are being counted May 27.

You cant build a strong future for millennials or young people just based on social media, OToole said. If so, theyd be all secure with Mr. Trudeau, who is very good at social media.

OToole, a year younger than Trudeau, doesnt pooh-pooh social medias political power. He just thinks policy is more powerful. I think Conservatives win when we have ideas that fit with what our grassroots want to do for the future of our country.

Leitch and OToole will spend the next six weeks trying to win over upwards of 100,000 party members. Neither expects to win on the first round of ranked-ballot voting, so theyre also keen to be seen as the best choice for second or third as well.

OToole needs support from those backing other Ontario rivals, like Lisa Raitt or Chris Alexander, whose ridings are rich with members. Alexander and OToole are two of only a few people to whom former justice minister Peter MacKay has offered to lend his support.

Leitch, whose French is a work in progress, needs help from Quebec. There, those helping Quebec MP Steven Blaney could be wooed; the two share similar positions on immigration.

Leitch has faced criticisms from some fellow Conservatives, including former cabinet colleague Jason Kenney, who say the immigrant-screening idea never came up when they were in government, which suggests its just an easy way to get votes.

Others can speculate on who they think I am, but they are not close personal friends, and last I checked they are not me, Leitch said. I am going to continue to talk about this because it is an important issue.

OToole, meanwhile, believes his ideas resonate because hes been talking about them a long time. His position on marijuana, for example, ran contrary to the official party line for years  he supported decriminalization when the Conservative government had no intention of going in that direction.

The Liberal plan to legalize will be impossible to reverse, he suggested, so best to focus instead on public health issues and proper enforcement. Leitch, for her part, would reinstate the existing pot prohibition.

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Indigenous activist Maggie Cywink, who has campaigned tirelessly to call attention to murdered and missing indigenous women and girls, including her own sister Sonya, will act as Ontarios special advisor between the province and the families as the historic national inquiry begins.

Cywink, from Whitefish River First Nation on Manitoulin Island, has spent the last several months trying to find and contact as many Ontario families as she can, to let them know she is the bridge between them and the province and all its departments and agencies, as the national inquiry into murdered and missing indigenous women and girls gets set to start on May 29 in Whitehorse, Yukon.

This is a passion. It is not just a job for me. I want to keep the needs of the families in the forefront of my mind. They must walk ahead of me and I must follow their lead, Cywink said in an interview.

As the national inquiry struggles to overcome logistical issues and ensures it has proper counseling and health supports in place before the hearings begin, Ontario says it is ready to go.

Ontario has set up and opened its family information liaison unit (FILU) office, which intends to provide families and survivors with support. The unit will also act as a bridge to government agencies including the police, child welfare, and the provincial coroner. The FILU is headquartered in Toronto but there are three field offices  one each at Shkagamik-Kwe Health Centre in Sudbury, Anishnawbe Mushkiki in Thunder Bay and Equay-wuk (Womens Group) in Sioux Lookout, according to the provincial Ministry of the Attorney General.

The units were promised by the federal Department of Justice as part of the MMIW inquiry process and $16.7 million was set aside so they could be created across the country.

But, so far, many of the provinces and territories are still in the process of creating the units and $9 million in funds over three years has been approved to support the FILUs, said Ian McLeod, a spokesperson for the federal Department of Justice.

Ottawa has been working closely with the provinces and territories to move their funding applications forward, McLeod said, adding the majority of applications are approved and some jurisdictions are preparing to launch their FILUs.

We look forward to providing an update with specifics soon, McLeod said.

Alberta is ready to start helping families, said Jason van Rassel, a spokesperson for Albertas Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General. The province recently hired four people to be family liaisons and they can contact the FILU by calling (1) 780-427-3460, said van Rassel.

British Columbia is currently in a provincial election and calls from the Star were referred to the federal government for comment on the FILUs.

One of the biggest complaints families have is that when they have questions, they do not know who to contact inside a vast government bureaucracy.

It takes time to develop trust relationships with the families, said Cywink. It is traumatic answering questions with strangers they dont know.

Cywink knows how difficult it is to navigate these waters. Her sister Sonyas body was found outside London at the Southwold Earthworks, a national historic site in Elgin County on August 30, 1994. Sonya was last seen on August 26th, 1994, in the Dundas and Lyle St. area of London. Her murder remains unsolved.

Cywink said her role as special advisor helps her own healing journey as she deals with her sisters death. It will be ongoing for the rest of my life. It makes me able to clearly see the issues. The pain, it never goes away, she said.

Francyne Joe, interim president of the Native Womens Association of Canada, has been publicly calling for proper supports to be put in place before the hearings can begin.

Last Friday, Joe told the Star she welcomed the news that the two pre-inquiry hearings scheduled for this week in Thunder Bay and Edmonton, had been put on hold in order for the inquiry to pause and focus on how it can better support the families.

However, previous to the pause, it has been very disappointing to see the lack of communication and planning surrounding the inquiry, said Joe.

It is like a bad follow-up movie. It had all this hype coming out and we are waiting for some results. We are waiting for proper communications to come out from the commissioners. We cant keep on being put off, Joe said.

Culturally sensitive measures need to be put in place to allow for the inquiry to make sure it is indigenous led in every aspect, she said.

When a family member calls the 1-800 number to see what is going on, they should be talking to a trained indigenous person at the other end, they shouldnt be talking to a lawyer, they should be talking to someone who understands us, indigenous people, Joe said.

Mental health supports need to be fully in place before the hearings, during and afterwards, Joe added. There will be an influx of families and people who will need the resources, she said. People will have to take time off work before and after. They are going to have to be supporting their other family members who are going.

The NWAC was not recognized in any formal role in the upcoming inquiry, but it will continue to support families and survivors even though it is stretched to capacity. The previous Conservative government slashed NWACs budget in half.

We were down to 12 employees and when you are working on missing and murdered, child welfare, health and housing, our staff is getting stressed, Joe said, adding NWAC has applied to Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada to hire more staff.

We have a number of government departments asking for our input from the perspective of indigenous women but we need more people. We could probably have a small unit of indigenous people strictly for monitoring north, south and east and west, specifically for the inquiry, she said.

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A dispute in the heart of Niagara-on-the-Lakes booming wine country is consuming the picturesque town. Some residents fear a GTA builder is trying to exploit the regions success. The developer believes hes being turned into a convenient villain.

At 43.5 degrees north  the same latitude as southern Frances Bordeaux region  Niagara-on-the-Lake is an ideal location for producing wine varietals desired around the world. The old towns colonial architecture is surrounded by hundreds of acres of vineyards and dozens of wineries. Each year more than three million people visit the area. Investors, many with new money, have followed.

Benny Marottas aptly named Two Sisters winery opened in the town in 2014, with his daughters at the helm. For decades, Marotta has made his fortune building family homes across southern Ontario with his company, Solmar Development. Wine, he says, was always his other passion. He has become enamoured with the Niagara area, recently building a sprawling family estate near his vineyard.

But now there are worries of GTA-style subdivisions as Marotta buys up properties around his winery. He questions why some people are raising concerns about his activities, and fears hes being turned into the enemy by those opposing growth in a town seeking a United Nations world heritage site designation.

Here are the key players in this unfolding story:

The developer

They should put a sign outside the town saying, Developers or investors not welcomed in Niagara-on-the-Lake. But then they have no one to attack to become popular.

Benny Marotta is upset. Its a Tuesday, the morning after a town council meeting where concerns about trees he removed from a property next to his winery  under a forestry permit  were publicly aired.

He feels hes being attacked, by one councillor in particular, who questioned if Marotta had additional trees removed and is assembling adjacent lands because he wants to build subdivisions, even on protected areas within the Greenbelt, where such development is not allowed.

She misrepresented (the position of) her own councillors, Marotta says of Betty Diseros comments at the meeting, explaining that council knows his tree removal permit was for the eventual expansion of his vineyard. In February, Disero brought forward a motion seeking answers to questions such as whether Marotta received approval from the property owner next to his winery to remove trees, before his deal to buy the property is finalized in November.

The Star obtained the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authoritys permit for the tree removal and its letter explaining that Marotta had written approval from the current owner in preparation for agricultural activity.

The authoritys letter also states an emerald ash borer infestation required the removal of additional trees, that a forester examined the site and that the work was routinely monitored. The authority said it has no grounds to pursue any action against Marotta.

Its not the only business Solmar has recently done in town. It had previously bought the rights to a 235-unit subdivision outside the old town area. It is sold out and near completion. Marotta has another townhouse development underway in the historic old town.

But much of his energy is now spent on the winery.

With its neoclassical Italian architecture, Two Sisters rises like a fortress above its surrounding vineyards, where grapes for Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are grown. Reservations at its restaurant are filled at least two weeks in advance.

Marotta says he has not yet decided what he will do with the land next door, once its his, beyond the work to extend the vineyard on a small portion of it.

If local politicians work with developers, investors, to try to do something that complements the existing, and the politicians work with them, I think great things can be achieved, he says.

Theres something called progress, which makes the world go around. Unless you get new blood, new money in a community, it will deteriorate.

Marotta wants residents and elected officials to sit down with him to work constructively.

They need to work with newcomers and make things happen positively. Niagara, for me, its like a paradise, and I would like to make it better.

The councillor

So lets figure out how we got here today, to this issue thats become polarized, Councillor Betty Disero said on Monday at the council meeting, regarding the property next to the Two Sisters winery on the edge of the historic old town.

I wanted members of council to understand why the public is so upset by the clear-cutting thats been going on there.

I went to the developer, who is here with us this evening, and said to him, Mr. Marotta, you should be ashamed of yourself with what you did with those trees in that area.

Disero pressed on, pointing out that council members opposed to her stance on the issue had voted in October to ask the province for an urban boundary expansion. At the time, Queens Park was conducting a review of policies to protect the Greenbelt from continued growth-related pressures. That council vote to support urban expansion into what are now provincially protected Greenbelt lands included the entire property next to Two Sisters winery that Marotta is set to acquire.

Disero pointed out that, about the same time, Marotta was working to get his tree removal permit. It allowed for the clearing of areas  currently within the Greenbelt  on the property next to his winery.

She also pointed out that Marotta supported the towns initiative to take that area of the property he was acquiring out of the Greenbelt.

All of a sudden the trees were coming down, she told council. People were in a panic  thats why I came to you in (February), asking, Lets get some answers. But her motion in February to get the answers she was seeking was defeated 6-1, and her council colleagues have continued to point to the approval for the tree removal by the conservation authority.

Disero told the Star in an email that her February motion and her continued questioning of Marottas actions are to find out what is being planned for the lands surrounding the winery.

I had heard different stories from our planning department, from the developer, the residents and the (conservation authority), so I wanted to get everything documented and to figure out what the real explanation was.

Asked why Solmar sent a letter in October in support of the towns request to remove all of the property being acquired next to the winery from the Greenbelt, Marotta said it was for future considerations.

He said the support of the towns initiative to bring all of the property out of the Greenbelt was for future use  in 20 years, in 30 years, you can use it.

Things change, he said. I dont know if Im going to own it. To me it was strictly a suggestion to the town.

The other councillors

Its almost to the point now where were saying to the developers, You know what, we really dont want you in town. It almost seems like were heading in that direction and thats the concern that I have. Those were the words of Niagara-on-the-Lake Councillor Terry Flynn during Monday evenings council meeting, when the issue of tree removal, in most cases for already approved developments, was being debated.

He told those gathered in the chamber that he supports the regeneration of trees and forested areas that are removed where development is occurring, but he fears sending the wrong message about the towns willingness to partner with investors.

Councillor Paolo Miele stood up after his colleague and echoed that sentiment.

We need developers, he said. You cant grow a community without them. Who the heck is going to build?

Lord Mayor Pat Darte was asked by the Star why he did not support Betty Diseros motion in February to get further clarification about the removal of trees next to Two Sisters winery, including how a tree removal permit was issued on the request of the winery, even though its deal to acquire the property next door where the trees were removed does not close until November.

I voted against Councillor Diseros motion as I felt the issue had already been dealt with at great length by NPCA (the conservation authority) as they are the governing body, Darte wrote in an email. Darte sits on the authoritys board of directors.

It is my understanding the land that was cleared was mainly dead or dying ash trees. There is a plan to replant the area with a vineyard. This practice happens regularly on farms as crops are rotated.

Darte was asked about the concerns of residents that growth and development pressures are challenging the towns unique character and some of the natural features that are protected under various local, provincial and federal policies.

Niagara-on-the-Lake is a fiercely independent, economically empowered town offering a rich tapestry of recreational, historical, cultural and educational opportunities, public green spaces and a uniquely valuable agricultural area, he responded, citing an official vision statement.

Our stunning landscape offers a rich experience where the journey equals the destination. We are a community for everyone. We are a resilient, distinctive and dynamic town in which to live, work and learn. Through responsible stewardship, we preserve the balance of values that makes us a world-class destination. Although we dream big, we stay true to our small town roots.

The resident

Weve never had this much development at once, says Tom Elltoft, a local real estate agent who grew up in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Yes, were going to get growth, but  we are a Greenbelt community. We are restricted as to what can become urbanized.

Elltoft, one of many residents raising concerns about Marottas plans, points to a paragraph at the top of the NPCA permit that was issued to Two Sisters winery for the tree removal on the adjacent property it has moved to acquire.

It states: The woodland where harvesting is planned has been designated as a Key Natural Heritage Feature: Significant Woodland within the Provincial Greenbelt Plans Natural Heritage System.

Elltoft was so concerned about the removal of trees from this natural heritage feature that he hired an Ottawa-based ecologist and forestry consultant to analyze what had happened.

The actual tree-clearing, however, substantially exceeded the cut area identified in the permit, Brunton Consulting Services reported. Although it has been suggested that the majority of the trees were dead ash (by an NPCA forester and bylaw officer), the woodland habitat formerly dominating the subject property appears to have been ecologically sound.

The report was raised at Mondays council meeting, but Diseros motion to have the provincial Ministry of Natural Resources look into its findings and concerns was deferred to a meeting in June.

Elltoft describes the problem with mismanaging ecologically sensitive lands. If its paved and tarmacked and the watersheds altered and everything else is gone from it, you wont be able to grow on it. Its gone.

He believes Niagara-on-the-Lake is at a tipping point, a collision between its past and its future.

This could be that transformation. Over 200 years of its history, its slowly grown. You would see some little extra spurts here and there, but over the last 10 years and the next 10 years the growth is going to surpass past growth by so much. Ive already said that weve preserved it for 200 years, were going to ruin it in 10, and thats what its starting to feel like.

If you can take out a natural heritage system forest, then no forest is safe.

SHARE:
Father Andrew Maderak says he didnt give it much thought when a man introduced himself a few weeks ago as a former parishioner of St. John the Evangelist Church in Weston.

But Maderak has thought a lot about that encounter since learning the man is suspected of throwing burning liquid through a window of the Roman Catholic church Sunday morning, igniting a fire and forcing the cancellation of Easter services.

I dont know if it was a cry for help, or, sometimes, people with mental illnesses, they want to get help but they cant get it, Maderak told reporters standing outside the church on Monday.

Maderak doesnt recall his conversation with the suspect and said it was several parishioners who made the connection. The impromptu meeting has made Maderak reflect generally on the care and time people make to respond to one another.

Sometimes it makes us reflect, is there something I could have done differently, Maderak said. Is there a better way of responding sometime, giving somebody attention. All these things go through my mind.

Neil MacCarthy, a spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Toronto, said in a tweet on Sunday that the church sustained some damage and will remain closed for several days.

A woman who is an altar server at the church discovered the damage when she was opening the building, said the Weston Historical Society in a Facebook post.

On Monday, Mayor John Tory surveyed the 65-year-old church while workers continued to clean up inside.

The city is in solidarity with the people in this parish, the people in this community, as we are when these kinds of things happen that are so hurtful, especially on Easter, Tory said.

The mayor also praised Maderak for not only bringing spiritual guidance to the parish, but also for being tech savvy and handy since he installed the cameras that captured images of the suspect.

Maderak said some other vandalism prompted the move.

After Toronto police released surveillance photos, provincial police officers in Huntsville arrested Marc Porlier, 43, on Monday. He has been charged with arson and mischief over $5,000 and is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.

Toronto Police Det. Shawn Gilbert would not discuss what was thrown into the building. The suspect is known to police, he said.

With files from Ebyan Abdigir

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The Gardiner Expressway remained busy during the afternoon rush hour after one of its most-used downtown ramps was closed Easter Monday morning.

The eastbound off-ramp to Yonge, Bay and York Sts. will be demolished and remain closed until January 2018, when the City of Toronto says a replacement will be ready.

City of Toronto traffic cameras showed a line up of slow-moving cars exiting the Gardiner at the Spadina Ave., Jameson Ave. and Jarvis St. ramps.

Although traffic was heavy, Toronto Police Services did not report any major incidents in the area.

The York-Bay-Yonge ramp is more than 50 years old and in poor condition, the City of Toronto says. The construction, which will cost about $30 million, will result in a shorter ramp connecting the Gardiner to Lower Simcoe St., the addition of an extra lane on Harbour St. and a redesign of park space east of York St.

The closure begins the same day as game three of the Toronto Maple Leafs playoff series against the Washington Capitals at the nearby Air Canada Centre, an event that would cause traffic snags even at the best of times.

The timing of traffic signals in the area has been adjusted to minimize congestion, the city says.

Meanwhile, the return of warm weather means construction season is here. The City of Toronto said about 130 kilometres of road will be resurfaced this year, along with 310 kilometres of sewer and watermains. The work is expected to cost a total of nearly $700 million.

Opinion:York-Bay-Yonge ramp demolition will equal traffic chaos for downtown Toronto: McDonald

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There had been no evil to mar that propitious night, because she had listened; there had been no voice of evil; no screech owl had quaveringly disturbed the stillness. She knew this because she had listened all night.  John Joseph Mathews, Sundown

The Vanishing

In April, millions of tiny flowers spread over the blackjack hills and vast prairies in the Osage territory of Oklahoma. There are Johnny-jump-ups and spring beauties and little bluets. The Osage writer John Joseph Mathews observed that the galaxy of petals makes it look as if the gods had left confetti. In May, when coyotes howl beneath an unnervingly large moon, taller plants, such as spiderworts and black-eyed Susans, begin to creep over the tinier blooms, stealing their light and water. The necks of the smaller flowers break and their petals flutter away, and before long they are buried underground. This is why the Osage Indians refer to May as the time of the flower-killing moon.

On May 24, 1921, Mollie Burkhart, a resident of the Osage settlement town of Gray Horse, Okla., began to fear that something had happened to one of her three sisters, Anna Brown. Thirty-four, and less than a year older than Mollie, Anna had disappeared three days earlier. She had often gone on sprees, as her family disparagingly called them: dancing and drinking with friends until dawn. But this time one night had passed, and then another, and Anna had not shown up on Mollies front stoop as she usually did, with her long black hair slightly frayed and her dark eyes shining like glass. When Anna came inside, she liked to slip off her shoes, and Mollie missed the comforting sound of her moving, unhurried, through the house. Instead, there was a silence as still as the plains.

Mollie had already lost her sister Minnie nearly three years earlier. Her death had come with shocking speed, and though doctors had attributed it to a peculiar wasting illness, Mollie harboured doubts: Minnie had been only 27 and had always been in perfect health.

Like their parents, Mollie and her sisters had their names inscribed on the Osage Roll, which meant that they were among the registered members of the tribe. It also meant that they possessed a fortune. In the early 1870s, the Osage had been driven from their lands in Kansas onto a rocky, presumably worthless reservation in northeastern Oklahoma, only to discover, decades later, that this land was sitting above some of the largest oil deposits in the United States.

To obtain that oil, prospectors had to pay the Osage for leases and royalties. In the early 20th century, each person on the tribal roll began receiving a quarterly cheque. The amount was initially for only a few dollars, but over time, as more oil was tapped, the dividends grew into the hundreds, then the thousands. And virtually every year the payments increased, like the prairie creeks that joined to form the wide, muddy Cimarron, until the tribe members had collectively accumulated millions and millions of dollars. (In 1923 alone, the tribe took in more than $30 million, the equivalent today of more than $400 million.) The Osage were considered the wealthiest people per capita in the world. Lo and behold! the New York weekly Outlook exclaimed. The Indian, instead of starving to death ... enjoys a steady income that turns bankers green with envy.

The public had become transfixed by the tribes prosperity, which belied the images of American Indians that could be traced back to the brutal first contact with whites  the original sin from which the country was born. Reporters tantalized their readers with stories about the plutocratic Osage and the red millionaires, with their brick-and-terra-cotta mansions and chandeliers, with their diamond rings and fur coats and chauffeured cars. One writer marvelled at Osage girls who attended the best boarding schools and wore sumptuous French clothing, as if une tres joliedemoiselle of the Paris boulevards had inadvertently strayed into this little reservation town.

At the same time, reporters seized upon any signs of the traditional Osage way of life, which seemed to stir in the publics mind visions of wild Indians. One article noted a circle of expensive automobiles surrounding an open campfire, where the bronzed and brightly blanketed owners are cooking meat in the primitive style. Another documented a party of Osage arriving at a ceremony for their dances in a private airplane  a scene that outrivals the ability of the fictionist to portray. Summing up the publics attitude toward the Osage, the Washington Star said, That lament, Lo the poor Indian, might appropriately be revised to, Ho, the rich redskin.

Gray Horse was one of the reservations older settlements. These outposts  including Fairfax, a larger, neighbouring town of nearly 1,500 people, and Pawhuska, the Osage capital, with a population of more than 6,000  seemed like fevered visions. The streets clamoured with cowboys, fortune seekers, bootleggers, soothsayers, medicine men, outlaws, U.S. marshals, New York financiers, and oil magnates. Automobiles sped along paved horse trails, the smell of fuel overwhelming the scent of the prairies. Juries of crows peered down from telephone wires. There were restaurants, advertised as cafes, and opera houses and polo grounds.

Although Mollie didnt spend as lavishly as some of her neighbours did, she had built a beautiful, rambling wooden house in Gray Horse near her familys old lodge of lashed poles, woven mats and bark. She owned several cars and had a staff of servants  the Indians pot-lickers, as many settlers derided these migrant workers. The servants were often black or Mexican, and in the early 1920s a visitor to the reservation expressed contempt at the sight of even whites performing all the menial tasks about the house to which no Osage will stoop.

Mollie was one of the last people to see Anna before she vanished. That day, May 21, Mollie had risen close to dawn, a habit ingrained from when her father used to pray every morning to the sun. She was accustomed to the chorus of meadowlarks and sandpipers and prairie chickens, now overlaid with the pock-pocking of drills pounding the earth. Unlike many of her friends, who shunned Osage clothing, Mollie wrapped an Indian blanket around her shoulders. She also didnt style her hair in a flapper bob, but instead let her long, black hair flow over her back, revealing her striking face, with its high cheekbones and big brown eyes.

Her husband, Ernest Burkhart, rose with her. A 28-year-old white man, he had the stock handsomeness of an extra in a Western picture show: short brown hair, slate-blue eyes, square chin. Only his nose disturbed the portrait; it looked as if it had taken a barroom punch or two.

Growing up in Texas, the son of a poor cotton farmer, hed been enchanted by tales of the Osage Hills  that vestige of the American frontier where cowboys and Indians were said to still roam. In 1912, at 19, hed packed a bag, like Huck Finn lighting out for the Territory, and gone to live with his uncle, a domineering cattleman named William K. Hale, in Fairfax. He was not the kind of a man to ask you to do something  he told you, Ernest once said of Hale, who became his surrogate father. Though Ernest mostly ran errands for Hale, he sometimes worked as a livery driver, which is how he met Mollie, chauffeuring her around town.

Ernest had a tendency to drink moonshine and play Indian stud poker with men of ill repute, but beneath his roughness there seemed to be a tenderness and a trace of insecurity, and Mollie fell in love with him. Born a speaker of Osage, Mollie had learned some English in school; nevertheless, Ernest studied her native language until he could talk with her in it. She suffered from diabetes, and he cared for her when her joints ached and her stomach burned with hunger. After he heard that another man had affections for her, he muttered that he couldnt live without her.

It wasnt easy for them to marry. Ernests roughneck friends ridiculed him for being a squaw man. And though Mollies three sisters had wed white men, she felt a responsibility to have an arranged Osage marriage, the way her parents had. Still, Mollie, whose family practised a mixture of Osage and Catholic beliefs, couldnt understand why God would let her find love, only to then take it away from her. So, in 1917, she and Ernest exchanged rings, vowing to love each other till eternity.

By 1921, they had a daughter, Elizabeth, who was 2 years old, and a son, James, who was 8 months old and nicknamed Cowboy. Mollie also tended to her aging mother, Lizzie, who had moved in to the house after Mollies father passed away. Because of Mollies diabetes, Lizzie once feared that she would die young, and beseeched her other children to take care of her. In truth, Mollie was the one who looked after all of them.

May 21 was supposed to be a delightful day for Mollie. She liked to entertain guests and was hosting a small luncheon. After getting dressed, she fed the children. Cowboy often had terrible earaches, and shed blow in his ears until he stopped crying. Mollie kept her home in meticulous order, and she issued instructions to her servants as the house stirred, everyone bustling about  except Lizzie, whod fallen ill and stayed in bed. Mollie asked Ernest to ring Anna and see if shed come over to help tend to Lizzie for a change. Anna, as the oldest child in the family, held a special status in their mothers eyes, and even though Mollie took care of Lizzie, Anna, in spite of her tempestuousness, was the one her mother spoiled.

When Ernest told Anna that her mama needed her, she promised to take a taxi straight there, and she arrived shortly afterward, dressed in bright red shoes, a skirt, and a matching Indian blanket; in her hand was an alligator purse. Before entering, shed hastily combed her windblown hair and powdered her face. Mollie noticed, however, that her gait was unsteady, her words slurred. Anna was drunk.

Mollie couldnt hide her displeasure. Some of the guests had already arrived. Among them were two of Ernests brothers, Bryan and Horace Burkhart, who, lured by black gold, had moved to Osage County, often assisting Hale on his ranch. One of Ernests aunts, who spewed racist notions about Indians, was also visiting, and the last thing Mollie needed was for Anna to stir up the old goat.

Anna slipped off her shoes and began to make a scene. She took a flask from her bag and opened it, releasing the pungent smell of bootleg whiskey. Insisting that she needed to drain the flask before the authorities caught her  it was a year into nationwide Prohibition  she offered the guests a swig of what she called the best white mule.

Mollie knew that Anna had been very troubled of late. Shed recently divorced her husband, a settler named Oda Brown, who owned a livery business. Since then, shed spent more and more time in the reservations tumultuous boom towns, which had sprung up to house and entertain oil workers  towns like Whizbang, where, it was said, people whizzed all day and banged all night. All the forces of dissipation and evil are here found, a U.S. government official reported. Gambling, drinking, adultery, lying, thieving, murdering.

Anna had become entranced by the places at the dark ends of the streets: the establishments that seemed proper on the exterior but contained hidden rooms filled with glittering bottles of moonshine. One of Annas servants later told the authorities that Anna was someone who drank a lot of whiskey and had very loose morals with white men.

At Mollies house, Anna began to flirt with Ernests younger brother, Bryan, whom shed sometimes dated. He was more brooding than Ernest and had inscrutable yellow-flecked eyes and thinning hair that he wore slicked back. A lawman who knew him described him as a little roustabout. When Bryan asked one of the servants at the luncheon if shed go to a dance with him that night, Anna said that if he fooled around with another woman, shed kill him.

Meanwhile, Ernests aunt was muttering, loud enough for all to hear, about how mortified she was that her nephew had married a redskin. It was easy for Mollie to subtly strike back because one of the servants attending to the aunt was white  a blunt reminder of the towns social order.

Anna continued raising Cain. She fought with the guests, fought with her mother, fought with Mollie. She was drinking and quarrelling, a servant later told authorities. I couldnt understand her language, but they were quarrelling. The servant added, They had an awful time with Anna, and I was afraid.

That evening, Mollie planned to look after her mother, while Ernest took the guests into Fairfax, five miles to the northwest, to meet Hale and see Bringing Up Father, a touring musical about a poor Irish immigrant who wins a million-dollar sweepstakes and struggles to assimilate into high society. Bryan, whod put on a cowboy hat, his catlike eyes peering out from under the brim, offered to drop Anna off at her house.

Before they left, Mollie washed Annas clothes, gave her some food to eat, and made sure that shed sobered up enough that Mollie could glimpse her sister as her usual self, bright and charming. They lingered together, sharing a moment of calm and reconciliation. Then Anna said goodbye, a gold filling flashing through her smile.

With each passing night, Mollie grew more anxious. Bryan insisted that hed taken Anna straight home and dropped her off before heading to the show. After the third night, Mollie, in her quiet but forceful way, pressed everyone into action. She dispatched Ernest to check on Annas house. Ernest jiggled the knob to her front door  it was locked. From the window, the rooms inside appeared dark and deserted.

Ernest stood there alone in the heat. A few days earlier, a cool rain shower had dusted the earth, but afterward the suns rays beat down mercilessly through the blackjack trees. This time of year, heat blurred the prairies and made the tall grass creak underfoot.

In the distance, through the shimmering light, one could see the skeletal frames of derricks. Annas head servant, who lived next door, came out, and Ernest asked her, Do you know where Anna is?

Before the shower, the servant said, shed stopped by Annas house to close any open windows. I thought the rain would blow in, she explained. But the door was locked, and there was no sign of Anna. She was gone.

News of her absence coursed through the boom towns, travelling from porch to porch, from store to store. Fuelling the unease were reports that another Osage, Charles Whitehorn, had vanished a week before Anna had. Genial and witty, the 30-year-old Whitehorn was married to a woman who was part white, part Cheyenne. A local newspaper noted that he was popular among both the whites and the members of his own tribe. On May 14, hed left his home, in the southwestern part of the reservation, for Pawhuska. He never returned.

Still, there was reason for Mollie not to panic. It was conceivable that Anna had slipped out after Bryan had dropped her off and headed to Oklahoma City or across the border to incandescent Kansas City. Perhaps she was dancing in one of those jazz clubs she liked to visit, oblivious of the chaos shed left trailing in her wake. And even if Anna had run into trouble, she knew how to protect herself: she often carried a small pistol in her alligator purse. Shell be back home soon, Ernest reassured Mollie.

A week after Anna disappeared, an oil worker was on a hill a mile north of downtown Pawhuska when he noticed something poking out of the brush near the base of a derrick. The worker came closer. It was a rotting corpse; between the eyes were two bullet holes. The victim had been shot, execution-style.

It was hot and wet and loud on the hillside. Drills shook the earth as they bore through the limestone sediment; derricks swung their large clawing arms back and forth. Other people gathered around the body, which was so badly decomposed that it was impossible to identify. One of the pockets held a letter. Someone pulled it out, straightening the paper, and read it. The letter was addressed to Charles Whitehorn, and thats how they first knew it was him.

Around the same time, a man was squirrel hunting by Three Mile Creek, near Fairfax, with his teenage son and a friend. While the two men were getting a drink of water from a creek, the boy spotted a squirrel and pulled the trigger. There was a burst of heat and light, and the boy watched as the squirrel was hit and began to tumble lifelessly over the edge of a ravine. He chased after it, making his way down a steep wooded slope and into a gulch where the air was thicker and where he could hear the murmuring of the creek. He found the squirrel and picked it up. Then he screamed, Oh Papa! By the time his father reached him, the boy had crawled onto a rock. He gestured toward the mossy edge of the creek and said, A dead person.

There was the bloated and decomposing body of what appeared to be an American Indian woman: she was on her back, with her hair twisted in the mud and her vacant eyes facing the sky. Worms were eating at the corpse.

The men and the boy hurried out of the ravine and raced on their horse-drawn wagon through the prairie, dust swirling around them. When they reached Fairfaxs main street, they couldnt find any lawmen, so they stopped at the Big Hill Trading Company, a large general store that had an undertaking business as well. They told the proprietor, Scott Mathis, what had happened, and he alerted his undertaker, who went with several men to the creek. There they rolled the body onto a wagon seat and, with a rope, dragged it to the top of the ravine, then laid it inside a wooden box, in the shade of a blackjack tree. When the undertaker covered the bloated corpse with salt and ice, it began to shrink as if the last bit of life were leaking out. The undertaker tried to determine if the woman was Anna Brown, whom hed known. The body was decomposed and swollen almost to the point of bursting and very malodorous, he later recalled, adding, It was as black as a n----r.

He and the other men couldnt make an identification. But Mathis, who managed Annas financial affairs, contacted Mollie, and she led a grim procession toward the creek that included Ernest, Bryan, Mollies sister Rita, and Ritas husband, Bill Smith. Many who knew Anna followed them, along with the morbidly curious. Kelsie Morrison, one of the countys most notorious bootleggers and dope peddlers, came with his Osage wife.

Mollie and Rita arrived and stepped close to the body. The stench was overwhelming. Vultures circled obscenely in the sky. It was hard for Mollie and Rita to discern if the face was Annas  there was virtually nothing left of it  but they recognized her Indian blanket and the clothes that Mollie had washed for her. Then Ritas husband, Bill, took a stick and pried open her mouth, and they could see Annas gold fillings. That is sure enough Anna, Bill said.

Rita began to weep, and her husband led her away. Eventually, Mollie mouthed the word yes  it was Anna. Mollie was the one in the family who always maintained her composure, and she now retreated from the creek with Ernest, leaving behind the first hint of the darkness that threatened to destroy not only her family but her tribe.

Excerpted from Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann Copyright  2017 by David Grann. Excerpted by permission of Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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CLEVELANDAn Ohio man claimed to be angry at a woman when he shot and killed an elderly passerby Sunday afternoon and posted the murder on Facebook. Police urged the suspect to turn himself in, but he remained on the loose into the night.

Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as Steve Stephens, and Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said officers were searching for him in the Cleveland area and beyond.

The victim was identified as 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr.

In a statement Sunday night, Facebook said the suspect did go live on the social media site at one point during the day, but not during the killing. Police earlier Sunday had said that Stephens had broadcast it on Facebook Live.

In the video, which appears shaky, Stephens gets out of his car and appears to randomly target Godwin, who was holding a shopping bag. Stephens says the name of a woman, whom Godwin does not seem to recognize.

Shes the reason that this is about to happen to you, Stephens told Godwin before pointing a gun at him. Godwin can be seen shielding his face with the shopping bag.

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson publicly urged Stephens to turn himself in to police and not to do any more harm to anybody.

Any problems he is having, we can have a conversation, Jackson said.

In a separate video, Stephens claimed to have killed more than a dozen other people. Williams said police have not verified any other shootings or deaths.

There are no more victims that we know are tied to him, he said.

The chief also said theyve been talking with family and friends of Stephens, who is employed at Beech Brook, a behavioural health agency headquartered in Pepper Pike, near Cleveland.

We are shocked and horrified and we dont know anything more about it, agency spokeswoman Nancy Kortemeyer told WOIO-TV. We hope and pray that he is arrested as soon as possible and we hope and pray for a resolution quickly.

It was not immediately known what Stephens does for the agency, which said it will serve more than 18,000 children and families this year, according to its website.

The video of the killing was up on Facebook for about three hours before it was removed. Stephens Facebook page also has been removed.

This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook, said a spokesperson for Facebook. We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety.

Police said Stephens should be considered armed and dangerous. Late Sunday, police issued an aggravated murder warrant for him and in a statement said that he may have travelled out of state.

The FBI is assisting in the investigation.

Correction: This story has been corrected to the show that Facebook now says the killing was recorded and uploaded to Facebook, not broadcast live.

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MEXICO CITYMexicos president dashed to the airport to greet a planeload of deportees. The education minister rushed to the Texas border to meet Mexicans being kicked out of the United States. Mexico Citys labour secretary is urging companies to hire migrants who abruptly find themselves sent back home.

Unlike whats happening in the United States, this is your home, the labour secretary, Amalia Garcia, told deportees in the audience at a recent event for the citys jobs programs.

For years, as the Obama administration sent back thousands of Mexicans each week  more than two million altogether  Mexicos establishment barely reacted. All but invisible, the deportees were left to cope on their own with divided families, uncertain job prospects and the poverty that had pushed so many north in the first place.

Now, Mexican politicians are eagerly embracing them, portraying deportees as the embodiment of U.S. President Donald Trumps hostility toward their country and their people  even though deportations of Mexican citizens actually fell in the opening months of his term.

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We have something to thank President Trump for, which is this sudden awakening to this reality that we were kind of ignoring, said Cecilia Soto, a legislator who met recently with migrants in Chicago and Los Angeles.

We gave lip service to the migrants in the past, she added, and now you have a sector of society that is really moved by this reality and trying to do things.

But to some, the sudden rise in concern for migrants feels like political opportunism, taking advantage of the public fury over Trump before Mexicos elections next year.

Its promotional. Its really self-serving, said Nancy Landa, 36, who was pulled over by immigration agents in Los Angeles one morning in 2009 and, after 20 years in the U.S., dumped across the border in Tijuana before nightfall  with only a cellphone and $20 (U.S.)

Elections are coming in 2018, and if migration continues to be an issue, theyre going to use migrants as a political flag, she added.

According to statistics from U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, the number of Mexican citizens deported from the U.S. in the first three months of 2017 dropped by nearly 20 per cent from a year earlier.

The Mexican governments statistics also show a slowdown in Mexican citizens being kicked out of the U.S. during January and February, with fewer deportations in those months than during any month last year. (March figures were not yet available.)

The number of deportations often fluctuates considerably from month to month, for a variety of reasons, and an official with the U.S. immigration enforcement agency cautioned against drawing any firm conclusions from the recent decline.

But whatever the pace of deportations under Trump turns out to be, he has already provoked a nationalist surge in Mexico, uniting the country across political and economic divides in outrage at his stance on immigration, trade and border security.

Carlos Bravo, a historian at CIDE, a Mexico City university, said Mexican politicians were clearly trying to respond to  and perhaps gain from  that popular anger. Rallying to the side of Mexicans kicked out of the U.S. offers them an easy way to score points at home, with few political risks.

The cause of deportees has very few costs, he said. Its a noble cause in the eyes of most Mexicans.

Even businesses, which have long shied away from hiring deportees out of fear they were criminals or would be more assertive about their labour rights, are changing their attitudes. Garcia, the Mexico City labour secretary, said Trumps aggressive language about Mexicans has paradoxically been generating a lot of solidarity to incorporate migrants.

Along with the surge in attention has come some tangible assistance, like additional money to help undocumented immigrants in the U.S. with legal issues.

Mexico City and several states are welcoming deportees by easing their way into social programs like public health insurance or small loans to start businesses. The western state of Jalisco is adding services to cut through bureaucracy, certify skills and encourage companies to hire migrants.

And lawmakers in Congress pushed through a measure to simplify school enrolment for U.S.-born children.

When signing the legislation last month, Mexicos president, Enrique Pena Nieto, said of the migrants, As a society and as a country, we have the ethical and moral duty to receive them with open arms, to treat them with affection, respect and dignity.

Mexico is still bracing for an increase in deportations from the U.S. The Trump administration has tightened immigration enforcement, vastly expanding the number of migrants considered priorities for deportation and promising to hire 10,000 immigration and customs agents.

High-profile arrests, including those of parents handcuffed and driven away in front of their children, have provoked terror in immigrant communities, and the Mexican news media has closely followed the cases.

After Guadalupe Garcia de Rayos was summarily deported from Phoenix in February, she became a minor celebrity in her home state of Guanajuato, where the governor personally handed her new Mexican identity documents.

Many deported migrants fall into a vacuum when they return, with no connections, no work history, no home, no papers. They often face a social stigma. A Mexican federal government program, Somos Mexicanos, or We Are Mexicans, offers to link deportees with public services and job banks, but advocates say its scope is limited.

Mexican society has to open itself up to the fact that they are from the same country, said Claudia Masferrer, a migration expert at the Colegio de Mexico. Mexico has no integration policy.

Rene Alvarez, who returned to Mexico last year after two decades in the U.S., has started over with a truck, a workshop and new tools he bought with a loan of about $2,600 from the Mexico City government.

If we could do it there, we can do it here, Alvarez said at the jobs event in Mexico City, surrounded by the mayor and other dignitaries.

Alvarez, 46, had built a construction business, bought a house and raised four daughters in Georgia. Since he was detained and deported  accused of drunken driving  he has lost it all. They destroyed me, he said.

His rural hometown has been taken over by drug gangs, but he and his wife, along with their three youngest daughters, who were born in the U.S., are living with his wifes parents on the southern outskirts of Mexico City.

The government has behaved well to migrants, he said. We contribute to the economy of both countries. We arent bad people like Donald Trump says.

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The Ambedkar Bhawan, where Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar had started the 'Buddha Bhushan Press' was in the middle of a huge controversy, after it was demolished in June last year.

By Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: The issue of Ambedkar Bhawan demolition has once again resurfaced in Maharashtra. State Chief Information Commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad was assaulted by members of a political party led by Dr Ambedkar's grandson.

On Monday afternoon, a group of Bharatiya Republican Party workers stormed inside the Subhedari guest house of Aurangabad. Alleging that Gaikwad was responsible for the demolition of Ambedkar Bhawan in Mumbai, the unruly mob badly assaulted Chief Information Commissioner.

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Gaikwad was escorted to the airport by the police, after the attack. A case has been registered at the Begumpura Police Station and four men and two women have been arrested for attacking the Chief Information Commissioner.

The Ambedkar Bhawan, where Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar had started the 'Buddha Bhushan Press' was in the middle of a huge controversy, after it was demolished in June last year.

Ratnakar Gaikwad who was part of the People's Improvement Trust was in midst of the controversy for ordering the demolition of Ambedkar Bhawan. The Ambedkar family alleged that the trust wants to demolish the historic structure to build a 17-storey structure.

Maharashtra has witnessed several protests over the issue, some of which have even turned violent followed by a huge 'morcha' at Azad Maidan.

Though Anandraj Ambedkar, grandson of Dr Ambedkar has called the attack unfortunate, he said the assault was a reaction of the anger. "There was seething anger amongst the community over the demolition. People are still angry over the way they are delaying the repairs of the building. This is a reaction. It's the public outrage that has come out. The incident however is unfortunate, and I appeal the followers to not take the law into their hands," Ambedkar added.

Prakash Ambedkar who heads the BRP-Bahujan Mahasangh refused to comment on the issue.

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A young Saudi womans plea for help after she was stopped in an airport in the Philippines en route to Australia where she planned to seek asylum has triggered a firestorm on social media and drawn attention to the plight of female runaways.

For runaway Saudi women, fleeing can be a matter of life and death, and they are almost always doing so to escape male relatives.

Under Saudi Arabias conservative interpretation of Islamic law, a male guardianship system bars women from travelling abroad, obtaining a passport, marrying or even leaving prison without the consent of a male relative. Most Muslim-majority countries do not have similarly restrictive guardianship laws.

The mystery around what triggered Dina Ali Laslooms cry for help has only added to concerns for her safety.

In a video that appears to be shot with a mobile phone, the 24-year-old says her passport was taken from her at Manilas international airport in the Philippines on Monday on her way to Australia. She alleges that Philippine airport officials confiscated her passport at the request of Saudi diplomats until her relatives could arrive to take her to Saudi Arabia.

If my family come, they will kill me. If I go back to Saudi Arabia, I will be dead. Please help me, she pleads in the video. Lasloom says she is recording the video at the airport so the public know that Im real and here.

Wearing a beige coat, the woman does not show her face in the video. Most women in Saudi Arabia cover their face with a veil known as a niqab. Many do so believing it is a religious obligation, in addition to covering their hair and body. Some also cover their faces due to social pressure.

I am kept here as a criminal. I cant do anything, Lasloom says in the video. The Associated Press could not independently verify the videos authenticity.

Womens rights advocates in Saudi Arabia say Lasloom was ultimately forced to board a plane to the kingdom with two of her uncles, who flew from Riyadh. They said authorities then took her to a womens shelter because of the attention around her case.

She cannot leave, however, without a male guardians permission. Activists say only officials and relatives can contact her there.

Although there are no official statistics, anecdotal evidence from cases reported in Saudi media and from human rights advocates suggest dozens of Saudi women  some with their children  have attempted to flee abroad in recent years. These publicized cases have brought increased attention to what activists say has become a trend.

This is despite gains made in recent years for Saudi women, including the right to run in, and vote in, local elections in 2015, and a government effort to increase womens participation in the workforce.

Women who have managed to flee abroad say they were barred from marrying or forced into marriages. Others have told rights groups that male relatives were abusive and confiscated their salaries.

Many of them, they just want to be free, said Moudi Aljohani, who says she spoke with Lasloom when she was at Manila airport. Aljohani herself fled the kingdom last year and is seeking asylum in the U.S.

Aljohani, 26, says her family felt shed become too Americanized after a year of study in Miami. What was supposed to be a weeklong visit home turned into months of confinement, she says.

The eight months of being locked in Saudi Arabia has created an angry, rebellious person inside of me that I dont want to be silent anymore, she said. What happened to me in Saudi Arabia created a person who just wants to speak out.

For the past 15 years, four of the late King Abdullahs daughters, Princesses Jawaher, Sahar, Hala and Maha  all in their 40s  have allegedly been held in a royal compound in Saudi Arabia. Their mother, who lives in London, has spoken out in the British press to try to bring attention to their plight. Two of the princesses managed to release videos in recent years pleading for help.

Saudi courts have heard numerous cases of women asking for a transfer of their guardianship to more sympathetic male relatives  in some cases to their own sons.

A Saudi womens rights activist reached by phone in Riyadh said Lasloom was apparently trying to flee relatives in Kuwait who threatened to send her to live in Saudi Arabia.

There have been a lot of Saudi girls who sought asylum abroad, but now its a trend. A lot of younger girls in their 20s are seeking asylum, she said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.

When they say honour killings do not exist, its not true. Its just invisible, she said, referring to the killing of daughters in the name of family honour.

Sarah Leah Whitson, the Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, says Saudi women fleeing their family can face so-called honour violence if returned against their will. She called on Saudi authorities to protect Lasloom from her family.

According to the Philippines Inquirer news website, Lasloom was barred from her Australian-bound flight by Saudi Embassy officials in Manila who asked airport officials to stop her.

The Saudi Embassy in the Philippines wrote on Twitter that what occurred was a family matter in which a girl was returned with her family to the homeland.

When asked by The Associated Press whether Saudi diplomats in the Philippines had requested that authorities in Manila stop Lasloom from boarding a flight to Australia, Foreign Ministry official Osama Nugali said: Saudi embassies abroad respect the institutions and laws of host countries and do not interfere in their affairs.

Manila Airport general manager Eddie Monreal told the AP he had no knowledge about the case. An immigration official reached by the AP said the airports immigration officers neither detained nor held any passenger under that name.

In Saudi Arabia, activists tracking her plea for help attempted to meet Lasloom at Riyadh airport overnight Wednesday. They say instead, another activist, Alaa al-Anazi was detained by security officials at the airport and transferred to a girls detention centre in the capital.

The Interior Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A Human Rights Watch report released last year on guardianship laws in Saudi Arabia found that even with greater opportunities for women in the kingdom, a womans life rests largely on the good will of her male guardian.

Powerful clerics in the kingdom support male guardianship based on a verse in the Quran that says men are the protectors and maintainers of women. Other Islamic scholars argue this misinterprets fundamental Quranic concepts like equality and respect between the sexes.

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WASHINGTONJane Bilello, a retired teacher in North Carolina, wants a wall on the Mexican border and a ban on Syrian refugees and just about everything else Donald Trump promised.

One afternoon last week, Bilello, the leader of the Asheville Tea Party, sat in her spare bedroom for two hours and fired off tweets in support of the people Trump was attacking.

#StandWithHFC, she wrote again and again during the tweetfest.

The House Freedom Caucus, a group of about three dozen of the most right-wing people in the House of Representatives, had just helped to defeat Trumps plan to replace Obamacare. Living up to its reputation for inflexibility, the caucus simply ignored Trumps pleas and threats.

Trump launched a series of angry Twitter salvos at the caucus and its leader Mark Meadows, portraying them as betrayers of the party. But in Meadowss district around the Great Smoky Mountains, where Bilello lives, Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan were themselves being called sellouts.

Whats hurting the party is the GOP. We are disgusted with the GOP leadership, Bilello said. The way they govern is you sit down, shut up and be quiet. The reason this countrys circling the drain: we know where the Democrats stand; the problem is, the GOP caves to the left. They constantly do that. We have a voice, we the people, in the Freedom Caucus. And we will stand behind them.

The unwavering backing of Tea Party groups is one of the reasons the Freedom Caucus has managed to keep defying the people who are theoretically in control of the Republican party while some of those same people call them misguided, unrealistic and extreme. A year and a half after engineering the ouster of House Speaker John Boehner, a two-year-old group representing just one-seventh of the Republican delegation in the House is now a thorn in the side of Ryan and Trump.

The Freedom Caucus has little fear of either man. Which means that while the most visible opposition to Trump might come in the form of liberals street demonstrations and town-hall swarms, Republican congressmen in suits may prove to be among his most effective short-term antagonists.

A lot of these members have built fundraising and grassroots infrastructures outside of the party structure. So theyre quite independent, said Matt Kibbe, former president of a top Tea Party group and now president of the libertarian group Free the People. Because they were elected with Tea Party support, theyre more independent of Republican leadership, theyre more independent of presidential arm-twisting. And theyre also anchored to these ideas, and they feel accountability to the people that put them there.

Of 32 Freedom Caucus members studied by the political website FiveThirtyEight, 27 did even better in their districts in the 2016 election than Trump did. And in part because of conservative gerrymandering of district boundaries, almost all of them represent deeply conservative communities whose voters are unlikely to punish them for being too far right.

If somebody can get to the right of me in the primary, God bless him, Arizona Rep. Trent Franks, shrugging off Trumps attacks, told Roll Call in March.

The official Freedom Caucus membership list is secret, but the caucus is understood to be made up entirely of men, all but one of them white. The majority live in the south and southwest.

Meadows, 57, is an affable former restaurateur and real estate developer. The original caucus leader, Jim Jordan, 53, is a former Ohio state legislator and wrestling champion. Prominent member Raul Labrador, 49, is a Hispanic lawyer from Idaho who crossed the country to campaign for Trump.

The Freedom Caucus will hurt the entire Republican agenda if they dont get on the team, & fast. We must fight them, & Dems, in 2018! Trump wrote on Twitter in March.

Freedom Caucus stood with u when others ran. Remember who your real friends are. Were trying to help u succeed, Labrador responded.

The caucuss ability to influence legislation reflects the severe partisan polarization in the House. If Trump and Ryan have no hope of securing votes from Democrats and little appetite to try, they need almost the entire Republican delegation on board to pass bills  which means any organized group within that party conference can hold you hostage, said Sarah Binder, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Many of their fellow Republicans would not be so polite as to call the Freedom Caucus hostage-takers. When Meadows successfully led an extraordinary effort to shove out Boehner in 2015, Republican Rep. Peter King said: This is a victory for the crazies. When Meadows and other future Freedom Caucus members successfully pushed the party in 2013 to shut down the government rather than fund Obamacare, conservative pundit Charles Krauthammer dubbed them the suicide caucus.

Freedom Caucus members say they stand for liberty, small government, the Constitution and the rules of the House. To followers like Bilello, they are authentic conservatives rather than the so-called RINOs  Republicans in name only.

To Norm Ornstein, a veteran scholar of Congress at the American Enterprise Institute think tank, they are radicals.

Ornstein laughed at the argument, made by conservative writer George Will in the Washington Post on Thursday, that the caucus cares about protecting the institution of the House.

The way the institution works is through negotiation and compromise, Ornstein said. Two words that are utter anathema to the Freedom Caucus.

The health care bill failed in part because of united Democratic opposition, in part because other Republicans were concerned about the loss of insurance coverage for more than 20 million people. But Barack Obamas signature legislation was also saved in part because the Freedom Caucus believed that the bill didnt go far enough: it wasnt the full repeal they had run on.

Their strange bedfellows in the battle against the legislation, the liberal Indivisible movement, could hardly bring themselves to acknowledge they had shared a bed at all. The advocacy group was started by Democratic former congressional staffers in the wake of Trumps victory.

The people that we were working with were acting to save as many people as possible, trying to preserve as much access to health care. And this other group of members was basically trying to be as mean and as nasty as possible, said Indivisible co-founder Angel Padilla. So we would never consider ourselves to be on the same side.

Indeed, the Freedom Caucus will not be part of the resistance to most of Trumps initiatives. Caucus members support his tax-cutting, regulation-slashing agenda, and their libertarian streak does not extend to support for immigrant-friendly immigration reform.

But there may well be more intraparty battles to come.

Trump, who has shown little commitment to right-wing orthodoxy, shifted toward the establishmentarian centre this week on several issues. One of the flip-flops was to support the Export-Import Bank, an entity the Freedom Caucus wants abolished. Members of the caucus have sounded skeptical of the tariffs and border adjustment tax Trump has floated.

Trump has not yet figured out how to deal with them. The self-styled master negotiator has seemed confused about how to persuade a group that is more interested in making points than making deals.

A half-joking Trump threat to come after Meadows if he didnt fall in line on health care was a crucial misreading that only steeled the congressmans resolve, Politico reported. And the caucus was dismayed, Politico reported, when Trump cut off a discussion of the provisions of the health-care bill by telling them to forget about the little s--t.

The Freedom Caucus first made its name railing against Boehners leadership on arcane procedural grounds. They alleged that he was circumventing the rules of the House in order to curb the power of rank-and-file members.

These guys care about the small s--t, said Kibbe. Its not about politics, its not about passing the bill. Its about getting it right. And you cant sort of BS your way past that.

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On Sunday morning, before he gained an unwanted fame on Facebook as a homicide victim, Robert Godwin, 74, visited his son, Robert Godwin Sr.

He hugged my wife and me and said Ill see you guys next time,  Godwin Jr. told Cleveland.com. I said OK, enjoy your Easter. 

The retired foundry worker, with nine children and 13 grandchildren, was in the wrong place at the wrong time while out looking for aluminum cans, which he collected.

Just before fatally shooting him in a video uploaded to Facebook, the individual identified by police as Steve Stephens asked him, Can you do me a favour? Can you say Joy Lane? 

Joy Lane? Godwin, appearing confused, responded.

Yeah, Stephens said. Shes the reason why this is about to happen to you.

He pulled the trigger.

The camera spun around. When the picture came back into frame, Godwins body was on the pavement, an enormous streak of blood beside him.

The shooter zoomed in with his camera on Godwins bloodied face.

I havent watched the video, his son told Cleveland.com. I havent even looked at my cellphone or the news, I dont really want to see it, he said.

Killed for nothing. The shooter didnt even know him, police say.

That motherf----- dead cause of you, Joy, the shooter said before he walked back to his car.

Its just the latest example of a growing horror.

He was chosen on a whim, by a man looking for attention, or trying to send a sick message to someone else, and perhaps to the world. It certainly seemed Stephens planned it. When visiting his mother Maggie Green on Saturday, he told her, If you see me again, itll be a miracle, as she recounted to CNN. She hasnt. Police said he might be as far as Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana or Michigan.

The sudden popularity of live-streaming video services like Facebook Live and Twitters Periscope  along with the ability to upload previously shot videos to the platforms  has been increasingly been accompanied by the sharing of violent acts such as slayings, rapes and suicides and even torture. The videos are posted by people seeking attention, even feelings of empowerment. Now, experts worry now about copycat offenders and, worse, people seeking to one-up the gruesomeness of the last viral video.

Cleveland police were searching for a suspect they said broadcast video of himself on Facebook killing a person on Sunday and who also claimed that he had murdered others.

As Cleveland police and the FBI launched a manhunt Sunday, Facebook officials removed the original video of the slaying from its platform.

This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook, a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement. We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety.

But removing a video from the internet is nearly impossible. In mythology, soldiers battling the multi-headed Hydra faced a problem: for each head they sliced off, two more grew in its place. Authorities attempting to scrub the internet of certain videos face much the same problem. Copies of a deleted video still multiply and spread at lightning speed.

Thus the latest video joins a list of horrific scenes floating around on the internet, such as the Chicago teenager gang-raped on Facebook Live, and the many, many suicides. All, of course, can still be found. But why did they exist in the first place?

People who engage in this behaviour, particular those posting it to social media, characterized by feeling disempowered, James Ogloff, the director at the centre for Forensic Behavioral Science at Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia, told The Washington Post.

In the latest case, he clearly hoped a specific person  identified by him as Joy Lane, which some outlets have reported was a former romantic partner  would watch him kill an elderly man. Stephens directly addressed Joy in the video.

Ogloff said that Stephens addressing Joy, presumably someone he was angry with, suggested he was seeking a feeling of empowerment. He committed a murder and wanted her to pay for it through the guilt she might feel.

Neighbourhood residents and others are stopping by to pay their respects at a makeshift memorial for a Cleveland man who was fatally shot in a video that was posted to Facebook.

Before online streaming services, though, Ogloff said, someone like Stephens might have merely stopped at fantasizing about hurting someone. Instead, he seemed to have planned a murder.

Just thinking of what you can do to someone youre angry with is pretty empowering, he said. But social media adds a new layer: a captive audience.

Theres no such thing as an accident without a crowd gathering and standing on tiptoes in order to see the person lying on the ground, Henry Seiden, a clinical psychologist, told Broadly. There is a fascination with others pain because its only one gesture removed from our own pain. We could be the one lying on the pavement.

With each new viral video, the idea that showing heinous acts leads to attention is reinforced.

The largest asset online, that everyone is fighting for, is other peoples attention, Vincent Hendricks, the director of the Center for Information and Bubble Studies at the University of Copenhagen, told The Washington Post. Attention is a natural currency for human beings. We like attention; we like to be recognized.

One thing we know that grabs other peoples attention is anger or fear, Hendricks added.

Theres an easy stock exchange on this  how many likes are you going to get out of it? Hendricks said.

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Last year, for example, an Ohio teenager live-streamed the rape of her 17-year-old friend. She got caught up in the likes,  the prosecutor said.

As more people watch, meanwhile, the more normalized such violent videos become. Ogloff said he has worked with many young people who are very desensitized to violence by exposure to the internet.

Indeed, that seems to be the case. In January, for example, three people were arrested in Sweden after allegedly live-streaming a three-hour gang-rape of a partially conscious woman. One person who viewed the rape told Swedens Expressen he thought it was a poorly orchestrated joke.

It could get worse. Both Hendricks and Ogloff mentioned the idea of violent offenders not just committing copycat crimes but potentially attempting to one-up each other. Or, as Ogloff put it, trying to make your perverted behaviour more shocking than the last.

Since horrific things tend to spread online, Hendricks said, the more horrific a video is the largest audience it will likely garner.

It becomes a race to the bottom, he said.

There will be a small but core group that will watch this and sympathize with this guy, Ogloff said of Sundays slaying, adding that group will likely be young people who love being in the media. They love being in the newspaper, or being online. That can perpetuate the cycle.

Stopping the cycle might prove difficult. Ogloff noted that though Stephens life, if he is indeed caught and found guilty, will likely only get worse, essentially no one will care what happens to him.

The problem is this guy will now be immortalized in that video, Ogloff said.

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PANMUNJOM, SOUTH KOREAThe White House displayed a tough and unyielding approach to North Korea and its nuclear ambitions Monday, with President Donald Trump warning that Kim Jong Un has gotta behave and Vice-President Mike Pence sternly advising Kim not to test Americas resolve and military power.

Trump, in Washington, and Pence at the tense Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea, signalled a forceful U.S. stance on North Koreas recent actions and threats. But no one was predicting what might come next.

Behind the heated rhetoric, in fact, Trumps strategy in the region looks somewhat similar to predecessor Barack Obamas  albeit with the added unpredictability of a new president who has shown hes willing to use force.

Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump

Pence, inspecting the DMZ, warned Pyongyang that after years of testing the U.S. and South Korea with its nuclear ambitions, the era of strategic patience is over. Appearing later with South Koreas acting president, Hwang Kyo-ahn, the vice-president pointed to Trumps recent military actions in Syria and Afghanistan as signs that the new administration would not shrink from acting against the North.

North Korea would do well not to test his resolve  or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region, Pence said at the start of a 10-day trip to Asia.

Pences remarks also came with hope for a diplomatic path. Washington, he said, was looking for security through peaceable means, through negotiations.

In the meantime, North Koreas deputy U.N. ambassador accused the United States of turning the Korean Peninsula into the worlds biggest hot spot and creating a dangerous situation in which a thermonuclear war may break out at any moment.

Kim In Ryong told a news conference Monday that U.S.-South Korean military exercises being staged now are the largest-ever aggressive war drill. He said North Koreas measures to bolster its nuclear forces are self-defensive to cope with the U.S. vicious nuclear threat and blackmail, and he said his country is ready to react to any mode of war desired by the U.S.

Americas implied threat of force isnt new, nor is hope for engagement. Previous presidents have repeatedly left all options on the table while trying to enlist Chinas help to pressure North Korea to pursue diplomatic solutions. The Trump administration has labelled this policy maximum pressure and engagement, although officials acknowledge there is no current engagement with Pyongyang.

Read more:

On North Korea, Trump must get beyond bluster: Editorial

War clouds gather over Koreas  but Pyongyang residents barely notice

Experts stunned at sheer number of new North Korean missiles

Until recently, it has been Trumps confrontational tone that has drawn attention rather than his action. But then he ordered the unilateral missile strike against Syria, even after dismissing talk of deeper U.S. involvement in that nations civil war.

There is both greater unpredictability and decisiveness from President Trump, said Victor Cha, the director of Asian Studies at Georgetown University and a former adviser to President George W. Bush. Cha noted Pences reference to strategic patience, an Obama administration strategy in which diplomatic and economic pressure from sanctions were given time to change the Norths behaviour.

Strategic patience signalled indecision and predictability  not a good combination in Trumps eyes, Cha said.

The White House did not offer a sense of when Trumps patience might run out.

I dont think that youre going to see the president drawing red lines in the sand, but I think that the action that he took in Syria shows that, when appropriate, this president will take decisive action, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said.

North Koreas latest missile test fizzled over the weekend, but its weapons development has appeared to make steady progress in recent years. The North conducted two nuclear test explosions and 24 ballistic missile tests in 2016, and experts predict it could have a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland within a few years.

Pence said after meeting with South Koreas acting president that the U.S. and its allies have attempted to peacefully dismantle North Koreas nuclear program for more than two decades. But at every step of the way, North Korea answered our overtures with wilful deception, broken promises and nuclear and missile tests.

Former President Obama, too, tried to persuade China to use its influence over Pyongyang.

It remains unclear the extent to which China might step up. Trump and his advisers have pointed to Beijings move to restrict coal imports from North Korea as a sign Beijing is listening, and the U.S. says China has turned back some shipments in recent days. But some of those restrictions merely put in place U.N. sanctions passed last year with Chinas support  before Trump took office.

In a phone call with reporters Monday, Susan Thornton, the acting assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, said the president has made clear to the Chinese that they should view North Korea as a liability, not as an asset, and that this is an urgent global threat that must be addressed by all peace-loving nations, but especially by China, when they have so much leverage.

Weve seen some tangible indications that theyre working toward this end, but its still quite early, she said.

Trump himself appeared to reinforce the stern U.S. message at the White House, replying Gotta behave when a CNN reporter asked what message he had for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

China also made a plea for a return to negotiations, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang saying Beijing wants to resume the talks that ended in stalemate in 2009. He suggested that U.S. plans to deploy a missile defence system in South Korea were damaging its relations with China.

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A 17-year-old girl died Monday after she was seriously injured in a shark attack as she surfed, with her mother and sisters looking on, off the southern coast of Western Australia.

The girl was surfing with her father just east of Esperance during an Easter holiday when she was attacked at Kelp Beds surf break, a popular spot for surfers near Wylie Bay.

Paramedics treated her on the beach, according to ABC Australia, but she died at a hospital, with Yahoo 7 reporting that she had suffered massive injuries to one of her legs.

Police confirmed that the teen had died, but did not disclose her identity, saying only that she was from Mandurah, which is near Perth.

Sharksmart, the West Australia website that tracks shark activity, reported sightings of a great white shark in the area in the past week, according to The West Australian. There were two fatal shark attacks in West Australia last year.

Surfers have been advised to avoid the area for the next 48 hours and Wylie Bay Beach has been closed until further notice.

Our advice to water users is to not undertake surfing, swimming or diving activities in the Wylie Bay area for at least the next 48 hours, Department of Fisheries said.

Kelp Beds, known as Kelpies, is a popular surf break also used for camping and four-wheel driving, according to Caitlyn Rintoul of the Esperance Express.

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ISTANBULTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has finally fulfilled his long-held ambition to expand his powers after Sunday's referendum handed him the reins of his country's governance. But success did not come without a cost.

His victory leaves the nation deeply divided and facing increasing tension with former allies abroad, while international monitors and opposition parties have reported numerous voting irregularities.

An unofficial tally carried by the countrys state-run news agency gave Erdogans yes vote a narrow win, with 51.4 per cent approving a series of constitutional changes converting Turkeys political system from a parliamentary to a presidential one. Critics argue the reforms will hand extensive power to a man with an increasingly autocratic bent, leaving few checks and balances in place.

Opposition parties called foul, complaining of a series of irregularities. They were particularly outraged by an electoral board decision to accept ballots that did not bear official stamps, as required by Turkish law, and called for the vote to be annulled. International monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, who also listed numerous irregularities, said the move undermined safeguards against fraud.

Read more:

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a popular but divisive figure

Turkeys opposition urges electoral board to cancel Erdogans referendum win

Erdogan claims victory in historic Turkish referendum, as opponents warn of dictatorship

The referendum campaign was heavily weighted in favour of the yes campaign, with Erdogan drawing on the full powers of the state and government to dominate the airwaves and billboards. The no campaign complained of intimidation, detentions and beatings.

In Istanbul, hundreds of no supporters demonstrated in the streets on Monday, chanting thief, murderer, Erdogan and banging pots and pans.

We are protesting today because the results announced by the government are not the real ones. Because actually the no we voted won. But the government is announcing it as yes has won, Damla Atalay, a 35-year-old lawyer, said of the voting irregularities.

Erdogan was unfazed by the criticism as he spoke to flag-waving supporters in the Turkish capital, Ankara.

We have put up a fight against the powerful nations of the world, he said as he arrived at the airport from Istanbul. The crusader mentality attacked us abroad. ... We did not succumb. As a nation, we stood strong.

In a speech before a massive crowd at his sprawling presidential palace complex, Erdogan insisted Turkeys referendum was the most democratic election ... ever seen in any Western country and admonished the OSCE monitors to know your place.

The increasing polarization of Turkish society has long worried Turkey observers, who note the dangers of deepening societal divisions in a country with a history of political instability.

The referendum was held with a state of emergency still in place, imposed after an attempted coup in July. About 100,000 people have been fired from their jobs in the crackdown that followed on supporters of a U.S.-based Islamic cleric and former Erdogan ally who the president blamed for the attempted putsch. Tens of thousands have been arrested or imprisoned, including lawmakers, judges, journalists and businessmen.

On Monday, the countrys Council of Ministers decided to extend the state of emergency, which grants greater powers of detention and arrest to security forces, for a further three months. It had been due to expire April 19. The decision was to be sent to parliament for approval.

The way (Erdogan) has closed the door on the opposition, there is likely to be increased political unrest, said Howard Eissenstat, associate professor of Middle East history at St. Lawrence University in upstate New York. Forty-eight per cent of the population is being told that their voices dont matter.

There is also the risk of increased international isolation, with Erdogan appealing to patriotic sentiments by casting himself as a champion of a proud Turkish nation that will not be dictated to by foreign powers in general, and the European Union in particular.

Turkey has been an EU candidate for decades, but its accession efforts have been all but moribund for several years.

They have made us wait at the gates of the European Union for 54 years, Erdogan told his supporters at the presidential palace. We can conduct a vote of confidence on this as well. Would we? What did England do  they did Brexit, right?

Either they will hold their promises to Turkey or theyll have to bear the consequences, he added.

Erdogan has also vowed to consider reinstating the death penalty  a move that would all but end prospects of EU membership. But, he insisted, other nations opinions on the issue are irrelevant to him.

Our concern is not what George or Hans or Helga says. Our concern is what Hatice, Ayse, Fatma, Ahmet, Mehmet, Hasan, Huseyin says, he thundered as the crowd of supporters chanted for the return of capital punishment. What Allah says. Thats why our parliament will make this decision.

President Tayyip Erdogan declared victory in a referendum on Sunday to grant him sweeping powers in the biggest overhaul of modern Turkish politics, but opponents said the vote was marred by irregularities and they would challenge its result.

Both Germany and France expressed concern about possible election irregularities and called on Erdogan to engage in dialogue with the opposition.

The narrow result of the vote shows how deeply split the Turkish society is, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said in a joint statement. This implies a big responsibility for the Turkish government and President Erdogan personally.

President Donald Trump, meanwhile, ignored the concerns about voting irregularities and congratulated Erdogan on his referendum victory. The two leaders also discussed Turkeys support of the U.S. response to a Syrian chemical weapons attack and efforts to counter Daesh, according to the White House statement on their phone call Monday.

The White House previously sidestepped questions about how the referendum was conducted, but the U.S. State Department had echoed the concerns raised by the OSCE, with spokesman Mark Toner pointing to observed irregularities on voting day and an uneven playing field during the campaign.

Such concerns are unlikely to move Erdogan.

The referendum approves 18 constitutional amendments to replace Turkeys parliamentary system with a presidential one.

The president will be able to appoint ministers, senior government officials and to hold sway over who sits in Turkeys highest judicial body, as well as to issue decrees and declare states of emergency. They set a limit of two five-year terms for presidents.

The new system takes effect at the next election, currently slated for 2019. Other changes are to be implemented sooner, including scrapping a requirement that the president not be a member of any political party. This would allow Erdogan to rejoin the governing AK Party he co-founded, or to lead it.

Erdogan dominated the national media. He imposed a very restrictive environment for the no camp, said Fadi Hakura, a Turkey specialist at the London-based Chatham House think-tank. He secured a thin majority of 1 per cent. This suggests that Erdogan will become more robust and more challenging to deal with.

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We are wasting money on prisons in Canada. Not that we should remove them, but they are certainly being overused.

Prior to the mid-1990s it was widely accepted that imprisonment is a necessary evil that should be used sparingly. Today, imprisonment is viewed as the number one way to deal with criminals. Any methods other than imprisonment are typically considered too lenient. What has changed?

In recent years, we have been told that a tough-on-crime approach is the only way to deal with crime effectively, and that prisons can keep our streets safe because they keep criminals off them. However, this so called safety is temporary.

In 2013-14, of all the guilty findings that resulted in a prison sentence only 3.4 per cent of them were sentenced to a federal prison (a sentence longer than two years). The remaining 96.6 per cent have received sentences shorter than two years, with most getting sentences of six months or less (87.7 per cent). Further, of the inmates in federal prisons in 2014-15, 50.4 per cent were serving sentences shorter than five years and 70 per cent shorter than 10 years. Most prisoners will be released at some point, many of who will be released in a relatively short period of time.

Ideally, criminals will serve their sentences, be released from prison and live a productive, crime-free life. Unfortunately, this is not always the way it works. There is no evidence to show that prisons have a rehabilitative effect (in fact, there is some evidence that suggests the opposite), and the transition from prison back into society is not an easy one.

This is the role of parole  or at least its original role. After serving one-third of their sentence, a prisoner becomes eligible for parole (released from prison with a list of conditions that must be followed for the remainder of their sentence). The purpose is to facilitate the peaceful reintegration of prisoners back into society. When it works, it is a win-win scenario for both the prisoner and the community.

However, parole is on the decline. Fifty years ago, around 1 out of 5.4 federal prisoners were released on parole and 1 out of 3.6 provincial prisoners. Comparatively, in 2012-13, 1 out of 14.7 federal prisoners were released on parole, and 1 out of 35.9 provincial prisoners. Further, it is uncommon for those who are released on parole to actually be released at the one-third mark. Rather, on average, parolees are released at the 46 per cent mark of their sentence. The parole system is merely a shell of what it once was.

What is happening? The purpose of parole has shifted from the gradual reintegration of prisoners into society to a merit based system that rewards those who are judged to pose no risk to society. This is in complete contrast to the original purpose of parole.

Today, those who (in theory) need the most time and help to reintegrate back into society are given the least amount of time and help to do so. Parole boards are not allowed to grant parole to anyone who they think might reoffend. It is said that this enhances public safety. Given that many of the prisoners who are too dangerous to be granted parole will eventually be released, it can be argued that this actually reduces public safety.

It is understandable why parole boards would be hesitant to release prisoners. They are held accountable for any parolee who reoffends while on parole. When considering public safety, it may be better to release some prisoners too early, than release a lot of prisoners too late.

It was mentioned earlier that we are wasting money on prisons. Here is why. On average, it costs $115,310 per year to keep an offender in a federal prison. Conversely, it would cost only $34,432 to maintain that same offender in the community. The misuse of parole is both a public safety and economic issue.

The argument here is not that all prisoners should automatically be granted parole. Rather, parole needs to be used more, scrutinized less, and used for the right reasons. The current parole system is a waste of tax dollars, and if it remains in its current state we are better off abolishing parole altogether. Without the appropriate use of parole, imprisonment serves the sole purpose of punishment, without any consideration for rehabilitation and prevention.

Nathaniel Schutten is an MA candidate in criminology and sociolegal studies at the University of Toronto.

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Shares of spectrum holding company Straight Path Communications (STRP) shot higher Monday after the company disclosed that a rival suitor may top a $1.6 billion acquisition offer by AT&T (T) .

The mystery suitor told the company and its bankers that it is exploring an offer that would top AT&T's bid, Straight Path said in an SEC filing late Thursday after the market close, ahead of the long weekend. Speculation centered on Verizon (VZ) , after a Reuters report identified the telecom as the challenger, citing sources familiar with the matter. Verizon declined to comment.

AT&T last week agreed to pay $95.63 per share in stock for Straight Path, a 162% premium to the company's April 7 closing price. Shares of the target company jumped more than 13% to $103.70 on Monday morning on anticipation of a potential new deal and higher deal price.

Straight Path, which telecom and payments company IDT Corp. (IDT) spun out in 2013, owns a portfolio of licenses to millimeter wave wireless spectrum. The licenses cover high-frequency spectrum that telecoms plan to use for 5G wireless services, the coming generation of wireless technology designed to boost capacity and extend the Internet to medical devices, street lamps, cars and other machines and devices.

The company had been under pressure to find a buyer.

The FCC slapped Straight Path with a potential fine of $100 million in January for spectrum squatting, or failing to build out infrastructure to operate spectrum. Straight Path would pay an initial $15 million fine and another $85 million if it could not sell its spectrum by the end of the year. Additionally, the U.S. Treasury will take 20% of the eventual sale price as a civil penalty.

Straight Path hired investment bank Evercore to advise on a sale after the FCC fine.

AT&T, Verizon and others have all targeted millimeter wave spectrum as they plan to build out their 5G networks.

In January, AT&T said it would buy FiberTower Corp., which has similar licenses. Verizon gained access to millimeter wave spectrum in its $1.8 billion purchase of the fiber network business of XO Holdings, which closed in February. Verizon can lease XO's spectrum with an option to buy the licenses.

Outside the large wireless companies, spectrum-hungry satellite TV company Dish Network (DISH) gained similar spectrum in a deal with EchoStar (ECHO) .
President Trump just made a pair of appointments that could mean billions of dollars for companies like Boeing (BA) and General Electric (GE) .

The White House on Friday announced plans to make two appointments to the Export-Import Bank, the government credit agency that backs U.S. exporters. The announcement marks a major step toward rendering fully-operational an agency that has been functioning at limited capacity for nearly two years and signals a potential for billions of dollars to be unleashed in the months and years to come.

Trump nominated former Congressmen Scott Garrett (R-NJ) and Spencer Bachus (R-AL) to serve as president and member of the board of directors, respectively, for a four-year term at the Ex-Im Bank. Both positions require Senate confirmation.

If Trump's nominations are confirmed, it would mark a return to normalcy at the Ex-Im Bank, which hasn't been fully operational for quite some time. Congressional Republicans refused to reauthorize the bank in July 2015. When a bipartisan agreement was reached to revive it later that year, its five-member board lacked a quorum, restricting it from granting loans of more than $10 million.

The big winner, should all go as planned, would almost certainly be Boeing, which has been the Ex-Im Bank's biggest beneficiary far and away. In 2014, the last year the agency was operating at full capacity, Ex-Im authorized $10.8 billion in long-term loan guarantees, $7.4 billion of which went to Boeing. Of the $20.5 billion in total authorizations across all Ex-Im programs that year, 40%, or $8.1 billion, went to Boeing.

"The existence of a fully-operational Ex-Im Bank helps Boeing get purchase orders from foreign airlines that they may not have gotten otherwise, and that ultimately has a downstream effect that's helpful to Boeing's suppliers as well, and, by virtue of that, domestic jobs in the U.S.," said Peter Cohn, senior analyst at Washington, D.C.-based Height Securities LLC.

Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg reportedly helped convince Trump to back the Ex-Im Bank in the first place. The president criticized the agency on the campaign trail, in 2015 telling Bloomberg it was "featherbedding" politicians and companies. Last week, he changed his position, telling the Wall Street Journal he believes it's important.

Boeing isn't the only company likely to applaud the Ex-Im Bank's revival. General Electric (GE) , Caterpillar (CAT) and Applied Materials (AMAT) , among numerous others, have benefited from it as well.

Garrett, who served in the House from 2003 to 2015, has been a fierce critic of the Ex-Im Bank in the past, joining other hardline conservatives in characterizing it as "corporate welfare." His nomination fits a pattern in the Trump administration of appointing individuals to lead agencies who haven't exactly been fans of them in the past -- e.g., Scott Pruitt at the EPA.

"The idea there is to say to critics of that agency that we have a reformist approach now at some of those agencies, including the Ex-Im Bank, which has been a real boogeyman for the right wing of the Republican Party for a long time," Cohn said.

Isaac Boltansky, policy analyst at Compass Point Research & Trading, in a note on Monday said the odds of Garrett winning Senate confirmation are "slightly below 50/50" at the moment. When in Congress, Garrett voted against reauthorizing the agency twice and said it "embodies the corruption of the free enterprise system."

"From a practical perspective, a lengthy nomination battle could further elongate the absence of a quorum on the Ex-Im Bank's board, which constrains its ability to approve transactions over $10 million in value," Boltansky said.

Boeing and others likely have their fingers crossed Garrett and Bachus will get through.
The Trump administration is weighing the possibility of ratcheting up existing sanctions imposed on Iran, including a much stricter interpretation of the nuclear agreement between global powers and Tehran, according to Foreign Policy.

Trump's administration is inclined to "adopt a more rigorous application of the tools at its disposal," a senior White House official told Foreign Policy.

Expanding U.S. sanctions to cover much larger parts of the Iranian economy linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. is among the options.

Iran and the six governments that negotiated the nuclear deal with Tehran will meet in Vienna on April 25 for a quarterly review of the accord.

(What will move markets this quarter and how should investors position themselves ahead of time? Jim Cramer sat down with four of TheStreet's top columnists recently to get their views. Click hereto listen to his latest Trading Strategies roundtable with them and read their advice for stocks, bonds, forex and gold.)
Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who was accused of assaulting an Air India staffer, said that he has five duplicates working for him. Gaikwad told India Today that the look-alikes are so real that even BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha mistook the duplicate as the original.

By Pankaj P. Khelkar: Lok Sabha MP from Osmanabad in Maharashtra Ravindra Gaikwad, who was accused of assaulting an Air India Staffer last month, has been able to play hide and seek with media and people since March 23, when he allegedly assaulted an Air India staffer.

Now, it has emerged that he did with the help of five supporters, who resemble him. These five people have similar appearance and look like Ravindra Gaikwad.

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They sport similar beard and dress the way this Member of Parliament does. Ravindra Gaikwad claims his look-alikes are so similar to him that even BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha mistook one of them for Shiv Sena MP and waved at him.

India Today spotted Ravindra Gaikwad today at a Latur pan shop in Marathwada. Sitting next to the Lok Sabha MP was his driver, who looked liked him only.

The India Today team followed Ravindra Gaikwad to the government circuit house. Another Gaikwad look-alike was spotted here walking along side the controversial MP. This man was Pradeep Madney, who is a teacher by profession. Madney resembles Ravindra Gaikwad so much that it is difficult to single the original MP out.

LOOK-ALIKES ARE THERE BY CHOICE

Talking to India Today, Ravindra Gaikwad explained why he felt to have look-alikes with him.

While heading back to Delhi after March 23-Air India controversy that Ravindra Gaikwad thought of using his duplicate to fool media-persons, who were trying every bit to locate him for an interview. However, Gaikwad used other trick like getting off the train before reaching Delhi to avoid persisting media-persons.

Gaikwad feels pride in using his look-alikes. This tactic was used by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj while escaping from the Agra fort, Gaikwad says. He is happy that media could not get to him before he reached Parliament.

SHATRUGHAN SINHA, RAJDHANI PASSENGERS GOT CONFUSED

Ravindra Gaikwad explained how fellow passengers in the Mumbai Rajdhani Express took his look-alike Ratnakar Sagar as the real Osmanabad MP.

Ravindra Gaikwad had his supporter Sagar travelling in his name. Passengers of the Rajdhani Express even clicked photographs and selfies with Sagar.

Gaikwad claims that even BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha spoke to Ratnakar Sagar and waved at him thinking he was the Shiv Sena MP.

'COMMITTED NO WRONG'

Now after 23 days of March 23-incident, Ravindra Gaikwad is still firm on his stand that he has not done anything wrong with the Air India staffer.

His latest narrative to India Today is this: He tried to hit the Ai India staffer but he was stopped by an Air Hostess. After some time, when the senior Air India staffer was getting down, he used abusive language. Following this, Ravindra Gaikwad went up to the door of the plane and caught the staffer with his collar. Gaikwad tried to push him but the other Air India staffers caught hold of MP Gaikwad and took him aside.

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Gaikwad maintains that putting him on the no-fly list by Air India was wrong. He said that without conducting an inquiry the Civil Aviation Ministry took the decision, which was wrong.

Ravindra Gaikwad argued that there had been two prior incidents, when TDP legislators ransacked the Air India office, broke furniture and equipment at one of the airports, but the Civil Aviation Ministry did not take any action against them. Air India and Civil Aviation Ministry were biased in his case, Ravindra Gaikwad feels.

ALSO READ |

Why Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad is not travelling by Air India

Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad who beat up Air India staff is repeat offender

ALSO WATCH |

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Regions Financial Corporation, a financial holding company, provides banking and bank-related services to individual and corporate customers. It operates through three segments: Corporate Bank, Consumer Bank, and Wealth Management. The Corporate Bank segment offers commercial banking services, such as commercial and industrial, commercial real estate, and investor real estate lending; equipment lease financing; deposit products; and securities underwriting and placement, loan syndication and placement, foreign exchange, derivatives, merger and acquisition, and other advisory services. It serves corporate, middle market, and commercial real estate developers and investors. The Consumer Bank segment provides consumer banking products and services related to residential first mortgages, home equity lines and loans, consumer credit cards, and other consumer loans, as well as deposits. The Wealth Management segment offers credit related products, and retirement and savings solutions; and trust and investment management, asset management, and estate planning services to individuals, businesses, governmental institutions, and non-profit entities. The company also provides investment and insurance products; low-income housing tax credit corporate fund syndication services; and other specialty financing services. As of March 01, 2022, it operated through a network of 1,300 banking offices and 2,000 automated teller machines across the South, Midwest, and Texas. Regions Financial Corporation was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama.
Conagra Brands, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a consumer packaged goods food company in North America. The company operates in four segments: Grocery & Snacks, Refrigerated & Frozen, International, and Foodservice. The Grocery & Snacks segment primarily offers shelf stable food products through various retail channels in the United States. The Refrigerated & Frozen segment provides temperature-controlled food products through various retail channels in the United States. The International segment offers food products in various temperature states through retail and foodservice channels outside of the United States. The Foodservice segment offers branded and customized food products, including meals, entrees, sauces, and various custom-manufactured culinary products packaged for restaurants and other foodservice establishments in the United States. The company sells its products under the Birds Eye, Duncan Hines, Healthy Choice, Marie Callender's, Reddi-wip, Slim Jim, Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP, Duke's, Earth Balance, Gardein, and Frontera brands. The company was formerly known as ConAgra Foods, Inc. and changed its name to Conagra Brands, Inc. in November 2016. Conagra Brands, Inc. was founded in 1861 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte won the 2017 TIME 100 poll after consistently leading the survey, the magazine said.

By Indo-Asian News Service: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte won the 2017 TIME 100 poll after consistently leading the survey, the magazine said.

The poll had asked readers who should be included on this year's TIME 100 - an annual list of the world's most influential people, a report published in the magazine said.

Duterte received five per cent of the total "yes" votes in the poll, which closed Sunday night.

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Since taking office in June, Duterte has waged an aggressive war on drugs that has killed more than 8,000 people in the Phillippines, according to media reports.

The controversial anti-drug campaign has faced growing opposition from human rights groups and some political leaders, including Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo.

Closely following Duterte in the TIME 100 poll were Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Pope Francis, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg - all of whom received three per cent of the total "yes" votes.

US' Bernie Sanders won the reader poll in 2016 while Russian President Vladimir Putin took the lead in 2015.

The official TIME 100 list, which is selected by TIME's editors, will be announced on April 20.

Also Read:

Philippines likely to resume direct flights to India in 2018

Duterte orders military to occupy, fortify all Philippine-held islands in South China Sea

--- ENDS ---
Militants launched 22 attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in ATO area in Donbas over the past day.

This is reported by the ATO press center.

In Mariupol direction, the enemy used 120mm and 82 mm mortars and heavy machine guns to shell positions of Ukrainian marines near Pavlopol. In addition, militants launched attacks on ATO troops outside Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) and Hnutove (19km north-west of Mariupol), using 120mm mortars, grenade launchers and small arms.

In Donetsk direction, terrorists shelled Ukrainian positions near Avdiivka (18km north of Donetsk), using grenade launchers and heavy machine guns. Militants also launched attacks on Ukrainian strongholds outside Zaitseve, using antitank missile systems, grenade launchers.

In Luhansk direction, the militants fired 120mm mortars and grenade launchers on the defenders of the villages of Katerynivka. Ukrainian soldiers also came under grenade launcher fire near Novooleksandrivka (65km west of Luhansk).

ish
An infrastructure for the functioning of the land market and the improvement of the state cadastre has been prepared in Ukraine. The work on relevant draft law is being completed.

Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Taras Kutovyi said this during a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Economic Policy.

"We have already organized consultations with the public and other interested participants of the agrarian market on an optimal model for introduction of the land market," he said.

According to the minister, the work on the draft laws "On agricultural land turnover ", "On land consolidation" and "On amendments to the Budget Code of Ukraine regarding introduction of the turnover of agricultural land" is being finalized.

The minister also informed about the introduction of information technologies in land relations.

ish
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko will visit the United Kingdom on April 19 to take part in the conference "The Battle for Ukraine: Leadership and Solidarity" at Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs.

This has been reported on the website of the Institute.

"President Poroshenko will outline the challenges ahead and offer his views on what kind of leadership is needed, how to consolidate solidarity, restore peace, reinforce wider European security and sustain the transformation of Ukraine," the report said.

This event will be livestreamed. The livestream will be made available at 09:30 BST on April 19.

ish
The release also says that the police have been very strict while dealing with other communities during Ganeshotsav, Navratri and other festivals.

By Divyesh Singh: The right wing organisation Sanatan Sanstha's members are under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation, Maharashtra Police and Karnataka Police for alleged murders of rationalists like Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and MM Kalburgi. It's sister organisation, Hindu Janjagriti Samiti(HJS) has now released a press note.

The press release mentions its subject as 'Mosque's loudspeakers mightier than law'.

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The release mentions that the Mumbai High Court took serious note of the sound pollution caused by illegal loudspeakers installed in mosques and that it ordered that the loudspeakers be taken down.

However, despite the order, Mumbai police didn't take any action against any such mosque in the city.

The release mentions that a reply to an already filed RTI query on January 28 this year, reveals that no action had been taken against any mosque as it could have led to law and order problems.

The release also says that the police have been very strict while dealing with other communities during Ganeshotsav, Navratri and other festivals.

It is further mentioned that Sonu Nigam's statement that 'Azaan sounded from mosques is goondaism' is a sentiment that rings true. Also, that the administration should not test the patience of crores of Hindus.

The press release also states that when it comes to triple talaq, the community vigorously objects to change, claiming that the practice has been a part of Shariat since the inception of Islam.

The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti says that if a communist government like China can adopt a stringent policy on the issue, then the BJP government should also put an end to goondaism. The HJS also cited that earlier the Congress government invited SUCH things for the appeasement of Muslims.

--- ENDS ---
For the second time in as many votes, the Islamic factor is expected to play a key role in the outcome of Jakartas gubernatorial election. The latest local poll suggests that a run-off vote for the city's de-facto mayor on Wednesday is too close to call.

The run-off quickly became a continuation of a struggle that emerged in the initial vote, when moderates favoring a pluralistic society faced off against conservatives eager for Islam to dominate politics and society in Indonesia's huge capital city.

Violence and protests marked campaigning before a three-way vote in February that left the current governor, Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, who is ethnically Chinese and a Christian, pitted against Anies Baswedan, who is Muslim. With only 164,255 votes separating the two, and third-place candidate Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono holding a 17-percent share of the vote, neither Purnama nor Baswedan won a majority, and a run-off was required.

This stage of the campaign has been punctuated on social media by the frequent use of a word once heard only rarely in public discourse in Jakarta  kafir, or heathen, to describe Purnama and the voters supporting him, even those who are Muslim. Banners commanding Don't vote for a heathen hang throughout Jakarta, the capital of a Muslim-majority nation that recognizes all citizens' right to freedom of religion.

The change in the tone of the campaign reflects Baswedan's changing views. The former education minister in the government of President Joko Widodo has courted conservative and hard-line Muslims. While he once described the Defenders of Islam Front (FPI) as a radical group, photos of him with the FPI chairman taken in January remain popular on social media. After the first round of voting, local media reports said he suggested there may have been fraud at polling stations in predominantly ethnic-Chinese areas.

Baswedan has changed his views very much on issues of pluralism and tolerance, said Sarah Shair-Rosenfield, an assistant professor at the School of Politics and Global Studies at Arizona State University, who studies Indonesian elections.

The election, for many, seems like a sort of question for Jakarta  and perhaps to a wider extent for Indonesia  about whether or not it is acceptable to have a non-Muslim as governor of the countrys largest city.

Purnama, popular with middle-class residents for his work to curtail corruption and improve the quality of life, is a so-called double-minority in a majority-Muslim nation. He was accused of blasphemy, a criminal offense, last year, and his trial before a panel of judges continues; a verdict has been delayed until the day following the run-off vote. Purnama has apologized for his comments and denied any wrongdoing.

Protests by hardliners against Purnama have left many concerned about the future of pluralism in Indonesia, said Jeremy Menchick, an assistant professor at the Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, whose book Islam and Democracy in Indonesia: Tolerance without Liberalism was published last year. Theres also a perception that intolerance is winning.

Shair-Rosenfield suggested that while public support for groups such as the FPI fluctuates, it is a little concerning to see candidates who are willing to make deals with hardliners.

Both academics said the race is close, a perception borne out by a survey conducted between March 31 and April 5 by Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC). It puts Baswedan as the front-runner, based on 47.9 percent of the respondents saying they would vote for him. Purnama stood at 46.9 percent, and the survey noted that 5.2 percent of voters remained undecided.

The gap between them is too narrow, so we cannot say that Anies [Baswedan] is leading, SMRC researcher Deni Irfani said on Wednesday.

According to the survey, 32.4 percent of Baswedans voter base cited similar religion as the reason they would vote for him. More than 40 percent of Purnamas base credited his track record in governing the city as the factor that earned their votes.

Local media have reported the Jakarta Military Command, the Jakarta police and the Jakarta Public Order Agency will have as many as 64,000 officers deployed for Wednesday's vote.

"Each polling station will be guarded by a police officer and an army officer," and other personnel will be stationed throughout the capital, the military commander of Jakarta, Major General Jaswandi, has told reporters.

This report originated from VOA's Indonesian Service.
Filmmaker Shakeel Noorani in his complaint has alleged that he had been threatened by gangsters to settle a financial dispute pertaining to a film for which Sanjay Dutt had taken the signing amount.

By Saurabh Vaktania: Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt appeared before the Andheri Magistrate Court on Monday, for the bailable warrant issued against him on Saturday by the court. The case date backs to several years back when filmmaker Shakeel Noorani alleged that Dutt took 50 lakh for his film, 'Jaan ki baazi' which he never did. Later, Noorani received threats from the underworld on behest of Dutt.

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After repeatedly being unavailable for court proceedings, the Andheri Court on Saturday issued a balaible arrest warrant in a case where Dutt is accused of intimidation. As per Dutt's lawyer Subhash Jadhav, the warrant was issued due to miscommunication and the issue is sorted. On the other hand, Noorani's lawyer, Neeraj Gupta said that Dutt was not given exemption by the case and he has been asked to be present on August 29.

Court Magistrate CV Patil accepted Mr Dutt's application and cancelled the arrest warrant. "The process was initiated by Magistrate Patil during the hearings concerning a cheque bouncing case filed against Mr Dutt by producer Shakeel Noorani in 2013. We apologised to the court for not being present for hearings. A warrant was issued because Dutt's counsel who was not present in previous hearings. We didn't ask for any kind of exemption. Noorani has lost the case against us in High Court and later, moved to the Magistrate court alleging intimidation," said Jadhav.

It took around 10 minutes for Dutt to complete the formalities after the hearing. Dutt quickly moved out of the court premises, avoiding contact with the media.

Dutt's lawyer Rizwan Merchant had earlier said that as per a high court judgement, Dutt doesn't have to be present in the court for cancellation of warrant, but the actor did show up. Source close to him said that after media reports about a non-bailable warrant against him, Sanjay Dutt wanted to make sure that he is present in the court.

Neeraj Gupta, lawyer of Noorani said, "Next hearing has been scheduled for August 29, wherein evidence put up by Noorani will be examined. Dutt has been given bail on a Rs 500 bond and has been asked to appear before the court in the next hearing."

Shakeel Noorani in his complaint has alleged that he had been threatened by gangsters to settle a financial dispute pertaining to a film for which Mr Dutt had taken the signing amount but failed to honour further commitments of playing the lead role in 'Jaan Ki Baazi'.

"The High Court case was different. This case was filed for the threat which I received at Dutt's behest. Will go ahead with the case," said Shakeel Noorani.

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Also Read:

Non-bailable warrant against Sanjay Dutt over threat to filmmaker Shakeel Noorani

Dia Mirza upset over Ranbir Kapoor's leaked photos from Sanjay Dutt biopic

--- ENDS ---
In his drive to dismantle President Barack Obamas regulatory legacy, President Trump has signed executive orders with great fanfare and breathed life into a once-obscure law to nullify numerous Obama-era regulations.

But his administration is also using a third tactic: Going to court to stop federal judges from ruling on a broad array of regulations that are being challenged by Trumps own conservative allies.

These cases were filed long before the election. Now, Trump administration officials, eager to flip the government position, want judges to put the cases on hold and give federal agencies time to revise or shrink the Obama-era regulatory regime.

Trump officials are also asking judges to keep any existing stays in place so that the contested regulations do not go into effect while the new administration considers its deregulatory strategy.

Much is at stake. The Environmental Protection Agency persuaded an appeals court to give it a chance to revise existing limits on street-level smog. The EPA also wants a court to let it rewrite the Clean Power Plan that Obama showcased at the 2015 Paris climate conference. And the Justice Department has sought to review a Department of Health and Human Services regulation that prohibits health-care providers from discriminating against people on the basis of gender identity, sex stereotyping or the termination of a pregnancy.

The legal strategy is a critical part of the administrations battle to reverse rules enacted in the final years of Obamas tenure.

[How Trump is rolling back Obamas legacy]

For the Trump administration, getting the regulations back for reconsideration is also the surest way to stave off court rulings  especially those from liberal-leaning benches  that could hinder its ability to unwind rules adopted by the previous administration.

If the courts uphold the previous administration, you still have the discretion to change things, but youve lost the argument that you were forced to do it or that the previous administration exceeded legal bounds, said Richard Lazarus, a law professor at Harvard University. He said that if Trump officials were confident the courts would rule against the Obama rules, you wouldnt see them trying to hold cases in abeyance.

While some presidents  including Obama  have used this legal tactic in the past, Trump has expanded on the strategy.

When Obama took office, his administration asked federal courts to hold in abeyance at least half a dozen cases regarding EPA regulations and permits, saying it needed more time to decide whether to defend, revoke or revise the matters.

This time, however, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is calling on courts to send back rules that he had sought to overturn while serving as Oklahomas attorney general before taking up his current post two months ago.

The Trump team is trying a shortcut, said David Doniger, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council who has been a leading defender of the Clean Power Plan. He said that because the Supreme Court has issued a stay in the power plan case, the Trump administration could effectively kill the plan with a prolonged reconsideration without going through the established guidelines for undoing a rule.

A tactic used before

But administration backers note that Democrats and Republicans alike have deployed this legal strategy.

This is actually pretty routine, Jeffrey R. Holmstead, a lawyer at the Bracewell law and lobbying firm and an EPA official under President George W. Bush, said in an email. When the Obama Administration [officials] took office, there were a number of Bush Administration rules being challenged that they didnt want to defend.

Lawyers on both sides say fundamental principles are at stake. Before Trumps election, lawyers for the states challenging the Clean Power Plan said that basic federalism meant that the federal government cannot compel states to undertake potentially costly energy programs. But lawyers for environmental groups say legislation adopted by Congress gives the federal government the power and obligation to set limits on emissions from power plants while paying attention to states rights in designing plans to carry that out.

Some liberals have used federalist arguments to block Trump initiatives, such as the Trump administrations efforts to compel cities to implement immigration laws by threatening to cut their federal funding.

In some cases, the Trump administration has made a court case moot, such as when the Justice and Education departments rescinded guidance that informed school districts that they had to accommodate students access to facilities based on their chosen gender identities.

In another case, the Justice Department asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit on April 4 for more time to respond to a lawsuit challenging the HHS regulation on health-care providers and discrimination.

The rule reflects the previous administrations interpretation of Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act and was challenged by five states as well as several religious groups who said it represented federal overreach and should have included a carve-out for religiously affiliated medical providers.

A federal judge in Texas stopped two provisions of the rule, pertaining to gender identity and the termination of a pregnancy, from taking effect Jan. 1, while other aspects of it were allowed to go forward.

Certainly, asking for additional time can be a very strong signal that the administration intends to change course on the subject of litigation, said Sarah Warbelow, legal director of the Human Rights Campaign. Thats very concerning to us.

The most frequent use of the strategy involves Obama-era environmental regulations.

[Trump signs order to dismantle core of Obamas environmental record]

The Clean Power Plan court battle is one of the highest-profile cases. The plan was issued by the Obama administration EPA on Aug. 3, 2015. A group of 28 states  led by Pruitt  sued to block the plan, and that case has been argued before a full 10-member panel of the liberal-leaning U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. On Feb. 9, 2016, the Supreme Court issued a stay preventing the plan from going into effect while it makes its way through the appeals court.

Now the EPA wants the appellate court to hand the regulation back without ruling on it.

Theyve filed a motion asking the ten-judge panel to hold the case in abeyance  i.e., put it in the deep freeze  and thus not to issue its decision, until the Administration is done with its multi-year review and rulemaking, Doniger said. Theyre saying whatever you do, dont decide anything.

Deadlines spur action

Pressing deadlines have pushed the administration to take action.

On April 11, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit granted the EPAs request to delay a long-scheduled April 19 hearing in cases challenging standards used to limit ground-level ozone, which is formed when emissions from industrial facilities and vehicles interact with sunlight and is linked to lung and heart ailments, including asthma.

We are thankful to the court for granting our motion to postpone oral argument, EPA spokeswoman Liz Bowman said in an email, adding that it would allow the agency to ensure the rules broad implications . . . in light of President Trumps pro-growth agenda.

The EPA has also asked a three-judge appeals court panel to hold in abeyance a challenge to the agencys rules that new power plants meet carbon dioxide emissions standards. A Trump executive order directs the EPA to rewrite that standard. Oral arguments scheduled for April 17 were postponed.

The EPA rule designed to stop the pollution of tributaries of major rivers is in the Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit. The Obama administration already filed a brief in the case, a roughly 170-page defense of the law and science that it said justified the rule. The case was postponed because the Supreme Court wanted to rule on a narrow jurisdictional issue. Here, too, the Trump EPA wants to review and rescind or revise the rule.

The Interior Department indicated in court filings in mid-March that it planned to withdraw a 2015 rule restricting hydraulic fracturing on federal and tribal lands, which had been stayed in court; less than two weeks later, Trump issued an executive order calling for the rule to be rewritten.

While some departments, such as the EPA and Interior, have asked the courts to return contested rules to them so they can take a second look, others  including the Labor Department, which still does not have a secretary in place  have not.

Many business officials, who have challenged some of the Obama-era rules, said they support the new administration reclaiming the regulations.

If the courts rule in favor of the rule that was issued [under Obama], it would be allowed to go into effect, said Dan Bosch, senior manager of regulatory policy for the National Federation of Independent Business, in an interview.

Bosch noted that not only would his groups members have to start spending money to comply with the existing rule, but also, at that point, its a lot harder to make it go away.

David Weil, who headed the Labor Departments wage and hour division under Obama, said in an interview that he hoped the legal challenge to the federal overtime rule continued because he believed it would be upheld. That rule, which was issued last year, is subject to a nationwide injunction.

I do feel very confident in the regulation, said Weil, now a Boston University professor of management. It was a responsible use of our regulatory authority.

juliet.eilperin@washpost.com
Given how long the lines are for the Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors exhibition, why doesnt the Hirshhorn Museum simply make more of the small, mirrored rooms that are attracting the longest lines?

Because one essential feature of the contemporary art world is artificial scarcity. Even though theres nothing particular about an Infinity Room that would prevent making multiple versions of it, the artist doesnt allow it. Unlike an exhibition of old master paintings or ancient sculptures, Kusamas Infinity Rooms give the visitor an optical effect, but theres nothing special or unique about any one room in the same way that there is only one example of many famous paintings or sculptures. The important thing about the room is the design and construction, which could easily be repeated multiple times without changing anything essential about the individual experience.

So theoretically, the Hirshhorn could line its ringed galleries with four or five versions of each room. More people could see them, and more people could experience the effect for longer periods. Except that Kusama has defined her rooms as unique art works, and that ultimately diminishes their reach and impact. A spokeswoman for the Hirshhorn explains: Similar to prints, they are created in the artists studio to specifications, but each one is considered its own artwork and has variations. For many rooms, there are just two in existence, or in some cases a single room.

This, of course, adds greatly to the exchange value of the rooms, the price that collectors or museums have to pay to own them. Once upon a time, prints had a special value because there were only so many prints that could be made before the quality of subsequent ones began to deteriorate. But in the digital age, thats no longer true. And when it comes to Kusamas boxes, which are functional objects with little or any sense of the artists hand or personal imprint, the only way to keep their market value up is to limit the number that are made.

So what happens to the boxes when the Hirshhorn is done with them? They will continue on to other venues on the Kusama tour. Ultimately, five of the rooms will go back to Kusamas studio, and one will be returned to the Victoria Miro Gallery in London.
Lukas Geniusas placed second at the Chopin International Competition in 2010, and again at the Tchaikovsky in 2015. Whatever the value of those judgments, Geniusas (the name is pronounced with a hard G, GEN-yu-shas) made a spectacular Washington debut Sunday at the Phillips Collection.

The young Russian blew past the first benchmark to meet, technical prowess, with an explosive rendition of Bartoks Three Burlesques. His Quarrel movement was vituperative, but the other two movements were more than virtuosic, the Slightly Tipsy movement drenched in swirling color and the Capriccioso lost in a daydream.

Geniusas took risks with the fast tempos of Prokofievs second piano sonata, making the Scherzo an exercise in anxiety. In the tumultuous Vivace, so fast it had the chaotic atmosphere of a circus, he attacked the repeated notes with savagery. But the moody rubato approach to the first movement and the inner voicings of the slow movement, pedaled hazily, made the performance unique.

Subtlety distinguished his set of Chopin mazurkas, a velvety touch evoking folk music instruments such as bagpipes, hurdy-gurdies, or shepherds pipes. Geniusas savored the dissonances and blue notes of these pieces, best in the melancholy Op. 30 No. 4. An eclectic range of musical interests also came out in two fascinating encores, Griegs Drommesyn and Leonid Desyatnikovs jazzy Foxtrot (in the pianists own transcription).

All of these qualities combined to optimal effect in Schumanns Faschingsschwank aus Wien. Often pianists have either the technical fortitude for the outer movements or the discernment to make the three inner movements sing. Geniusas excelled at both, capturing the works frenetic energy, razor wit and despondent gloom. The eponymous carnival prank is probably Schumann thumbing his nose at Viennas imperial censors, who had denied him permission to publish his music journal there, with a sly allusion to the banned melody of La Marseillaise.


(Wren McDonald for The Washington Post)

They call it retargeting. Using cookies to track your Internet shopping and browsing, advertisers bombard you on every page you surf with images and links to the very things you were last considering. Annoying from a consumers point of view, sure, but from the advertisers perspective its smart  and often, I have no doubt, effective.

What does this have to do with restaurants? Well, the most irritating form of retargeting ads online are the ones that try to sell you not only things youve considered buying, but also things youve actually bought, sometimes mere moments before. It happened to me just last week when I ordered a litter box. An hour later, wasnt I the very least likely customer for another one?

Streghe in their own branded bag at Sfoglina in Van Ness. (Deb Lindsey /For The Washington Post)

I thought about all this a few months ago when I ate at Sfoglina, the otherwise-delightful pasta restaurant in Van Ness from the masterminds behind Fiola and Fiola Mare. Practically everywhere I looked reminded me of the name of the place: Sfoglina on the welcome mat in front of the host stand, Sfoglina on the wall, Sfoglina on the lampshades, a bread bag, pillows.

At &pizza, everything down to the employees bodies  tattooed with the & symbol  reminds you where youre eating. When the late, great Michel Richard opened Central, he made sure one wall featured a giant portrait of himself, but given his mercurial personality it seemed more charming than anything. Perhaps the most egregious cases involve larger corporations: At Benihana in Bethesda (and Im sure at other locations, too), you enter to find a huge TV screen playing a looping infomercial  for Benihana.

I can understand the need for branding: a consistent color palette, coordinated materials and finishes, an initial or the logo on a napkin, check or receipt. But the subtler, the better. Too much more, and to me the place, especially an independent one, runs the risk of seeming like a vanity project, even when its anything but.

Advertising a restaurant in every way but that one makes sense. Signage outside helps people out there know whats in here. But in here, whats the point? As a customer, I not only have found the place, I also am spending money in it already. Consider me the converted, at least for the moment, and stop preaching to me.

Once Im back outside, I suppose, thats another story, and Im fair game for retargeting. Because while I might not need another litter box anytime soon, Ill be hungry again tomorrow.
A reader used the abrasive side of a kitchen sponge to clean the glass on this window, and in the process, scratched the panes. (Reader photo)

Q: I have a large kitchen window that was installed around 1986. I dont recall the manufacturer, but it could be Andersen. The window is single-pane glass with 16 panes, eight over eight, with an overall size of about 5 feet by 5 feet. Two of the panes had stubborn stains, so I, unfortunately, used the abrasive side of a kitchen sponge to clean the glass. In the process, I scratched the panes.

Replacing the window would cost about $2,500, so I dont want to do that. Is it possible to replace just the two panes? A few years ago, I had a company put medium-dark film over the 16 panes to reduce the strong sun that comes through the window, so I would have to replace that as well as the panes.

Is there a company that would be able to fix my window? If so, how much do you think it would cost?

Alexandria

A: Before you resort to replacing the glass, try rubbing the scratched area with paste wax  the kind youd use on furniture. Rub on just a little, wait for it to haze over (a sign that the solvent in it has evaporated), then polish with a clean cotton cloth. If youre lucky, the wax will fill in the scratches and make them far less noticeable.

A reader wants to know what caused this shutter paint to bleed onto the vinyl siding, and what to do about it. (Reader photo)

If you still see more scratches than you are willing to accept, the next step is to figure out whether your window consists of individual panes or whether it is one big sheet of glass with dividers on one side. If there are individual panes, a local glass company can replace them. Delray Glass in Alexandria (703-683-1114; delrayglass.com), for example, will send someone to your house at no charge to assess the situation and offer an estimate. Delray can also recommend companies that can match the tinted film on your window. Delrays minimum charge for glass and labor to replace a single pane is $295, but the price per pane drops as you add more sections.

However, Tina Ray, an estimator, cautioned that the company does not replace glass on Andersen or Pella windows. We cant even get into the frames to get to the glass, she said. They dont tell you that when they sell you these windows.

If your window was made by Andersen Windows & Doors (800-426-4261; andersenwindows.com), one of the corners will have an upside-down triangle with the letters AW inside. Andersen has been marking its windows that way since the 1950s. Next to the symbol would be numbers or letters  a code for the year the window was made and the type of glass. Armed with the code, you can call Andersen and order what you need. A customer service representative, who declined to give her full name, said it would probably cost several hundred dollars for a window the size of yours.

Home Depot, which carries Andersen windows, can also order replacement glass through a different vendor, according to Grant Brauser, who works in the millwork department at Home Depots Alexandria store. He said that a window 5 feet by 5 feet probably has two framed sections, each about 5 feet by 30 inches. Replacing one section with double-pane glass would cost $398, plus $30 if you opt to have argon between the sheets to boost the windows energy efficiency. You might also need a replacement grill that you could install on the inside to mimic the look you have now.

Whether you order from Andersen or Home Depot, you probably would also need a contractor to remove the old glass and install the new piece. Home Depot can refer you to licensed contractors who have experience with this, but only once you are placing an order, Brauser said. Home Depot does offer window installation directly, but only for replacing whole windows, not just the glass. The company offers free consultations for that, however, so you might want to arrange for a visit to explore your options. A new window the same size could cost as little as $350 or up to $800, Brauser said. Its often cheaper to replace the whole window, he said. I know it sounds crazy.

Q: My red-painted shutters have bled onto our vinyl siding. The shutters have not been repainted in 20 years (at least). Is this the result of power-washing the vinyl siding? More important, how do I fix it?

Potomac

A: Yes, the red stains on the siding are almost certainly coming from the red paint on the shutters, through a process known as chalking. Spray from power-washing undoubtedly played a role in accelerating this process, which was probably already occurring slowly on its own.

Chalking occurs because the resin that binds pigment particles in paint gradually breaks down over time. This frees the pigment particles, so they wash away. If you were to wipe a white cloth across a shutter, you would undoubtedly see some of the color on the cloth. Chalking, in moderation, is actually a desirable feature of paint; it means the house can eventually be repainted without adding so much to the thickness of the paint. That reduces the risk of peeling.

Chalking is just surface dust, so you should be able to wash it off using a little household detergent in water. Or, if its very stubborn, you could use TSP or a TSP substitute, said Joe Turkoc, a customer service representative for the paint manufacturer Sherwin-Williams (800-474-3794; sherwin-williams.com).

Repainting the shutters will help keep the problem from recurring. Paint chalks more as it ages, so having a new coat on top should stop it for quite a few years. Also, oil-based paint, which was typically used on exterior trim 20 years ago, chalks more than latex paint, which is what you would probably use today. Just be sure to use a good-quality exterior paint, and follow the recommended prep steps listed on the label.

If for some reason you cant remove the stains on the siding, it is possible to paint over them with latex paint matched to the color of the siding.
All at once, Bill OReilly is fighting for his TV life. The future of OReillys long career at Fox News may hinge on a sexual-harassment accusation raised by a woman named Wendy Walsh, who has alleged that OReilly propositioned her in a Los Angeles hotel in 2013, then retaliated against her when she rebuffed him.

Walsh, a Los Angeles radio personality and author who offers relationship advice, hasnt sued or sought compensation  just validation that she and other women were wronged by the blunt-spoken host of The OReilly Factor. Her accusation came on top of the disclosure earlier this month that OReilly and Fox News have settled five harassment allegations since 2002, paying $13 million to former network employees for their silence.

Yet Walshs allegation is potentially the most explosive of all: Fox News was apparently unaware of it until she raised it for the first time in an interview with the New York Times this month. Her complaint has triggered an investigation at Fox by the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, the same firm that uncovered widespread harassment allegations against Fox News chairman Roger Ailes last summer, leading to his ouster. A similar fate could await OReilly; a negative finding by the law firm could force the hands of Fox News Chairman Rupert Murdoch and his sons, James and Lachlan, who run Foxs parent company.

[At Fox News, a wall of silence surrounds Bill OReilly]

(Erin Patrick O'Connor/The Washington Post)

In view of the stakes involved, OReillys camp is vigorously contesting Walshs allegation, in an unusually public way. His advocates have challenged details of her story, as well as some of the media reporting about it.

OReilly himself has remained silent; he started an abrupt two-week vacation last week amid a steady exodus of advertisers from his program. The originator of the No-Spin Zone has instead left his public defense to a well-known spin doctor, Mark Fabiani, a former spokesman for president Bill Clinton.

According to Walsh, 54, OReilly dropped her as a regular guest on his show and reneged on a promise to help her secure a paying position as a Fox News commentator after she turned down his invitation to visit his hotel suite during a dinner meeting in Los Angeles in February 2013.

However, OReillys defenders say OReilly never made a job offer and did not retaliate against her. Instead, they say, OReilly was continuously helpful to Walsh after their meeting at the Hotel Bel-Air.

OReilly, for example, continued to invite her on his program for four months after the hotel encounter. During several of her appearances, which focused on relationships and behaviorial issues, OReilly plugged Walshs book, The 30-Day Love Detox, a valuable bit of promotion, given OReillys large audience.

But Lisa Bloom, Walshs attorney, said Walsh continued to go on OReillys program because she hoped to become a paid contributor to Fox News. Bloom called the Fox News host a mean-spirited bully who put Walsh in a no-win situation when he allegedly asked her to go to his hotel room.

OReilly, she said, has a history of attacking women who complain about his sexual harassment.

[Is this the end of Bill OReilly? Thats a complicated question.]

As for OReillys help in promoting Walshs book, Bloom said, Life is not black or white. Wendy does not contend that every action he took was retaliation. . . . She [was] trying to stay very friendly with him to salvage that chance for the job. She wanted him to see her as nonthreatening. She wanted him to be professional and get over it.

Walsh was a guest on The Factor 13 times after her meeting with OReilly in Los Angeles, appearing almost weekly from late February until mid-June of that year. He mentioned her book four times after it was published in mid-April and repeatedly showed its cover on the air.

OReilly also was apparently instrumental in securing for Walsh an appearance on the daytime chat program The View in mid-April during which she also promoted her book.

That year, Walsh wrote to one of OReillys producers in mid-April, asking him for further promotional help. Please, please, pretty please, can we do a segment on my book on the 25th???, she wrote in an email, proposing several potential ideas for discussion. OReilly didnt take up her suggestions, but Walsh did travel from Los Angeles to New York to appear on the Fox News set with him for her regular segment that day.

Another email is from Walsh to OReillys assistant in September 2013, seven months after the hotel meeting.

Specifically, please convey to the boss [OReilly] that I am deeply grateful for his professional kindness, Walsh wrote. His media power is immeasurable and his call to [The Views executive producer] really launched my book tour on a high note. Cant thank him enough.

Bloom did not dispute the emails authenticity.

According to both sides, the programs producers told Walsh in mid-June that her regular weekly segments  titled Are We Crazy?  would be ending. Walsh was identified as a human behavior expert on the segments, which covered such topics as online dating, helicopter parenting and declining moral values.

Theres some dispute about exactly when her appearances would end. Bloom contends that Walsh was told that her segment would be suspended during the summer vacation period and that there was a chance it could return in the fall. But Bonny Forrest, a psychologist and lawyer who appeared with Walsh each week, said it was clear in June that she and Walsh were finished.

Forrest said Walsh made no mention of the hotel episode or of retaliation by OReilly when they spoke about the potential demise of their segments that June.

[Advertisers flee The OReilly Factor amid sexual-harassment claims against host]

In an interview, Forrest said Walsh first raised the hotel episode with her in vague terms in September 2013, when it was clear to Walsh that Fox did not intend to bring them back on the air.

Forrest said Walsh told her then that she suspected their cancellation was due to the hotel encounter. But Walsh didnt mention then that OReilly had offered and then rescinded a job, Forrest said.

I heard the allegation from her in September, and what she related to me was very different from whats in the press now, Forrest said.

Forrest  who has been interviewed by investigators representing Paul Weiss  added: I take sexual harassment and racial discrimination very seriously. But I also believe in this instance there are some statements made in press that arent consistent with my experience.

According to Bloom, Walsh told a number of friends about OReillys alleged behavior since 2013. She declined to come forward last summer when Paul Weiss was investigating sexual-harassment complaints at Fox News on the assumption that the inquiry was focused on Ailes, not OReilly. Her first formal mention of it to anyone at Fox News came last week, when she and Bloom made a formal complaint to a company hotline set up for harassment complaints.

When a New York Times reporter called Walsh late last year, she was reluctant to go on the record, but ultimately decided to speak up, Bloom said.

She was scared, she said. But she knew that we can never change the epidemic of sexual harassment unless we speak out.

OReilly has never admitted to sexual harassment. He said he settled the complaints against him to spare his children from negative publicity about himself. Walsh decided to come forward out of concern for her children, too, Bloom said: She did it for her daughters.
I am in good health and dont want anyone freaking out, but I have been wondering what to say to my children and grandchildren on my deathbed. Old people ruminate on such stuff occasionally, and it has inspired a new thought about school visits.

When I am about to go I want to tell my kids and grandkids how much I enjoyed watching them in action  talking, writing, building, playing. It helped me understand the essence and individuality of their lives.

But I have relatively few memories of them in school. Our education system does little to encourage parent observations. The few times I was allowed to watch my children in class taught me things and left vivid recollections. I wonder why schools dont try harder to make that happen.

Many educators have the view that parents can be nuisances and their school contacts should be limited. Usually there is just one back-to-school night a year. Parents sitting and watching in the back of a classroom doesnt fit ordinary school culture. Organizations tend to avoid practices they havent tried before.

Alyssa Rafa, policy researcher for the Education Commission of the States in Denver, was able to find for me only two states, California and Washington, that have given all parents the right to observe classroom activities. Some states have rules allowing parents of certain kinds of children, such as those with disabilities or disciplinary problems, to watch classes. But thats it.

Not all parents want to observe, but those like me who do are at the mercy of varying local laws, guidelines and habits. Even the schools that allow parental observations rarely publicize or encourage them. This goes for public and private schools.

What of those few schools that welcome parents into classrooms? At Breakthrough Montessori, a public charter school in Northwest Washington, We strongly encourage family members to observe their childs classroom at least twice during the school year, said spokeswoman Emily Hedin. They can come more than that if they like.

This is part of Montessoris 110-year tradition. All of my kids attended Montessori schools in their early years. My wife and I were encouraged to observe, although we were bothered that our older son spent all his time on practical skills and never wanted to trace his letters.

Some schools have told me they consider such visits disruptive and a drain on teachers time and energies. I asked Hedin about that. We work closely with families to establish guidelines and expectations for their time in the classroom, she said, and limit each visit to 30 minutes. Classroom visits do not have to be like school musical performances, where there are often more cameras lit up than at White House news conferences.

I dont put parent observations in the same category as parent volunteering. Schools seem more comfortable having parents do chores in classrooms. It is a fine way to save money and keep families involved, but it is different from being able just to sit and watch what the children and the teacher are doing.

This has become a contentious issue for the parents of children with disabilities, who are sometimes told that the federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act bars them from observing in school because that would violate the privacy of the other children there. Attorneys in the field say that is a misreading of the law. Schools can set guidelines but cannot keep parents away.

Schools resistance to observations is even stronger when parents ask to sit quietly in a classroom before they decide to enroll their child. Schools often tell me they cant handle the demand for such observations, but then admit they havent ever determined how many parents would request them.

Breakthrough Montessori in the District invites parents just curious about the school to sit and observe. Schools should remember what parents often tell their children: perhaps you should try something that might be useful before saying you cant do it.
Effingham, an 18th-century manor house in Nokesville listed on the National Register of Historic Places, will be the centerpiece of a winery if Fauquier County vintner Chris Pearmunds plans come to fruition. A group of nearby residents, however, have concerns about the proposed business. (Jonathan Hunley for The Washington Post)

Effingham, an 18th-century manor house in Nokesville, began its life as the home of a Revolutionary War figure, but the next chapters of its history may be decided by conflicts in courtrooms and government offices.

Chris Pearmund, a vintner from Fauquier County, wants the two-story white home, built in the Tidewater architectural style, to be the centerpiece of a winery and event center, and he said last week hes spent more than $3 million on the venture so far.

But a group of nearby homeowners maintain that Pearmund cant use the building and its associated 16 acres for a business. The group has hired lawyer Sharon Pandak, Prince Williams former county attorney, and filed suit.

Effingham was built for William Alexander, a great-grandson of John Alexander, for whom Alexandria was named, according to Virginia Department of Historic Resources records. William Alexander was a civic leader and a lieutenant colonel in the Prince William militia during the Revolutionary War.

When Effingham was built is somewhat in question, state records say; family tradition holds that Alexander built the home in 1765 when he married, but deed records indicate he didnt purchase the tract until 1777.

Whats in dispute now, however, are the plans of Pearmund, who is well known in Virginia wine circles and is the managing partner for Effingham as well as for Pearmund Cellars and Vint Hill Craft Winery in Fauquier.

He wants to grow grapes at the Nokesville property, produce wine there and hold events in a 3,000-square-foot ballroom hes built next to the historic manor house.

Its the natural continuation of Effinghams agricultural heritage that dates back some 250 years, Pearmund said.

Wineries belong in agricultural districts, he said.

Halle Raisigel, who lives in Effinghams subdivision, does not agree that Pearmunds operation belongs in her community.

Raisigel, the homeowners association president for the Alexander Lakes subdivision, says that before she took office, the previous association leadership improperly agreed to exempt Effingham from subdivision rules and allow Pearmund to use Trotters Ridge Place, a private road in the community, for commercial traffic.

Trotters Ridge Place was constructed only for residential traffic, she said, not for the higher volume of vehicles that could come with a business.

The subdivision covenants are so strict that a property owner couldnt even offer piano lessons because customer traffic to home-based businesses isnt allowed, she said.

So under those circumstances, an Effingham winery should be a no-go, Raisigel said, although she thinks Pearmund already has been conducting business there without the proper approvals, playing a catch-me-if-you-can game.

So we dont feel hes been a very good neighbor to us, she said.

Pearmund, however, adamantly denies Raisigels claims.

We have never sold a bottle of wine on the property, he said.

Pearmund has applied for a Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control license that would allow him to make and sell wine at the Effingham property, but no decision on his application had been made last week. Hearings on the subject were held March 9 and 10, and the Virginia ABC has 90 days to rule on the case, agency spokeswoman Valerie Hubbard said.

The winemaker and his company also would need a special-use permit from Prince William County to conduct business inside the Effingham house, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, said Board of County Supervisors Vice Chair Jeanine M. Lawson (R-Brentsville).

Effingham is in Lawsons district, and its also in the Rural Crescent, an area set aside by Prince Williams government for only limited residential development.

The supervisor previously expressed misgivings to the Virginia ABC about Pearmunds plans, and she made similar comments last week.

As a strong supporter of the Rural Crescent, I have encouraged agritourism; however, the Effingham case has unique circumstances, she said in a statement. This winery is proposed to be centered in a quiet rural residential community on private roads. Based on the anticipated impacts that will affect the surrounding community, I have concerns.

Pearmund said hes concentrating on getting the ABC license and hasnt decided what his next steps will be regarding application for a county permit.
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Apr 17 (PTI) Irked over non-submission of money, the Supreme Court today decided to sell Rs 34,000 crore worth properties of the Sahara Group at the Aamby Valley and sought Subrata Roys presence next week when it could consider sending him back to jail.

"As no amount has been deposited by the contemnor (Roy), we are inclined to go ahead with auction for the Aamby Valley City near Lonavala, Maharashtra," a bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra said.

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Making its mind clear, the bench, which also comprised Justices Ranjan Gogoi and A K Sikri, said the interim orders granting reliefs, including parole to Roy, "shall remain in force till April 27, as on that day, this court may rethink of varying the interim order of bail and think of sending the contemnor (Roy and others) to custody."

During the hearing, the bench said, "Enough is enough. You cannot say something today and resile tomorrow" and took strong note of the non-submission of money.

The bench also cautioned Roy from playing with the courts order and said non-compliance of its order would invite the wrath of the law.

The court agreed to amicus curiae Shekhar Naphades suggestion that Official Liquidator (OL) of the Bombay High Court be directed to conduct the sale and asked Roy and market regulator SEBI to provide necessary details of Aamby Valley properties to the OL within 48 hours of receipt of the order.

It directed the apex court registry to send a copy of its order to the OL, who, in turn, "must complete the exercise of valuation within ten days and send a report to this court".

"Arvind P Datar, senior counsel being assisted by Pratap Venugopal, counsel appearing for SEBI, shall provide necessary details of the said property to the OL, who with his team, shall make the valuation and proceed with the auction.

"Counsel appearing for the contemnor (Roy) shall provide all necessary details of the property also to the OL within 48 hours," the bench said.

Taking serious note of Roys parole extension, it said he should have been taken into custody after conducting last rites of his mother and "indulgence" was granted for repayment of money in the SEBI-Sahara account.

"We are absolutely sure that the contemnor (Roy) shall be guided by the affidavit that has been sworn and filed before this court and not play truancy with its contents.

"He who plays truancy with the Majesty of Law, invites the wrath and, may, ultimately, has to suffer the peril," the bench said.

Senior advocate Salman Khurshid, appearing for Sahara Group, said the company has shares in Aamby Valley and he will put every details regarding them before the court.

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The bench also took strong note of the affidavit of one Prakash Swamy, power of attorney holder of MG Capital Holdings LLC, New York, USA, that there was "difficulty to go with the transaction" of purchasing Saharas Hotel Plaza.

It took note of the fact that the company did not deposit Rs 750 crore with the SEBI Sahara Refund Account to show its bonafide in purchasing the Hotel Plaza, valued at USD 550 million.

"As an affidavit of this nature was filed before this Court, we would like Rana Mukherjee, senior counsel appearing for Union of India, to intimate Ministry of External Affairs, so that Dr Prakash Swamy does not leave India.

"The UOI shall also issue a Red Corner Notice against Dr Prakash Swamy in the course of the day. It is further directed that Dr Prakash Swamy shall deposit a sum of Rs 10 crore in the SEBI Sahara Refund Account, which shall be forfeited towards costs," it said.

It directed that Rs 10 crore be deposited within ten days, "failing which this court may issue non-bailable warrants of arrest against Prakash Swamy".

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The apex court also asked Swamy, a Chennai resident, to deposit his passport before the Regional Passport Officer, Chennai, Shastri Bhawan, by tomorrow.

Swamy will have to appear before the court on April 27, it said adding that the Superintendent of Police of Chennai be informed to ensure his presence.

Responding to todays court order, Sahara group, in a statement, said "Sahara is committed for making the payment of Rs 10,000 crore plus within July/August 2017. But the Court is not accepting it, but asking for auction of Aamby Valley.

"Since last three hearings, the court is insisting about Aamby Valley auction. The market valuation of Aamby Valley is above Rs one lakh crore, so auctioning under distress will be undue favour/benefits for any bidder," lawyer Gautam Awasthi said on behalf of the group.

The group also said it "has deposited around Rs 12000 crore in last 4 years, which comes on an average to Rs 250 crores per month deposit in SEBI-Sahara account. By any Indian Corporate standard Rs 250 crore every month for 48 months is huge amount. So Sahara should be appreciated for obedience of courts order".

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It also said Sahara has made these payments despite the fact that it "has already repaid more than 93 per cent of our liability of OFCD of the two companies M/s Sahara India Real Estate Corporation Limited and M/s Sahara Housing Investment Corporation Limited."

"Meaning more than Rs 22,000 crore of liability Sahara has already paid and this Rs 12,000 crore is in addition, that is duplication of payment," it said adding "the court should understand and do justice, otherwise 39-year old company with 12 lakh workers earning their bread and butter shall collapse."

The apex court had on April 6 warned the Group that if it failed to deposit Rs 5092.6 crore in SEBI-Sahara refund account by April 17 in pursuance of its order, it will be "compelled" to auction its property at the Aamby Valley.

The court had on November 28 last year asked Roy to deposit Rs 600 crore more by February 6 in the refund account to remain out of jail and warned that failure to do so would result in his return to prison.

It had on May 6, 2016 granted a four-week parole to Roy to attend the funeral of his mother. His parole has been extended by the court ever since. Roy was sent to Tihar jail on March 4, 2014.

Besides Roy, two other directors -- Ravi Shankar Dubey and Ashok Roy Choudhary -- were arrested for failure of the groups two companies -- Sahara India Real Estate Corporation (SIRECL) and Sahara Housing Investment Corp Ltd (SHICL) -- to comply with the courts August 31, 2012 order to return Rs 24,000 crore to their investors. Director Vandana Bhargava was not taken into custody. PTI SJK ABA MNL RKS ARC

--- ENDS ---
In February, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents apprehend a person during an operation aimed at immigration fugitives, re-entrants and at-large criminal aliens in Los Angeles. (Charles Reed/Immigration and Customs Enforcement via AP)

Immigration arrests rose 32.6 percent in the first weeks of the Trump administration, with newly empowered federal agents intensifying their pursuit of not just undocumented immigrants with criminal records, but also thousands of illegal immigrants who have been otherwise law-abiding.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 21,362 immigrants, mostly convicted criminals, from January through mid-March, compared to 16,104 during the same period last year, according to statistics requested by The Washington Post.

Arrests of immigrants with no criminal records more than doubled to 5,441, the clearest sign yet that President Trump has ditched his predecessors protective stance toward most of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.

Advocates for immigrants say the unbridled enforcement has led to a sharp drop in reports from Latinos of sexual assaults and other crimes in Houston and Los Angeles, and terrified immigrant communities across the United States. A prosecutor said the presence of immigration agents in state and local courthouses, which advocates say has increased under the Trump administration, makes it harder to prosecute crime.

My sense is that ICE is emboldened in a way that I have never seen, Dan Satterberg, the top prosecutor in Washington states King County, which includes Seattle, said Thursday. The federal government, in really just a couple of months, has undone decades of work that we have done to build this trust.





A spokeswoman for ICE said her agency remains sensitive to victims and witnesses and helps them obtain visas or stays of deportation in some cases. But she said anyone in the United States illegally could be deported.

ICE focuses its enforcement resources on individuals who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security, spokeswoman Jennifer Elzea said in a statement. However, as [Homeland Security] Secretary [John F.] Kelly has made clear, ICE will no longer exempt classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement.

Nearly three-quarters of the immigrants arrested from Jan. 20 to March 13 had criminal convictions, an increase of 15 percent over the same period last year.

But the biggest spike is the arrest of immigrants with no criminal records, with immigration field offices in New York, Boston and other places doubling or tripling their numbers from last year.

ICEs Atlanta office arrested the most immigrants who had never committed any crimes, with nearly 700 arrests, up from 137 the prior year. Philadelphia had the biggest percentage increase, with 356 noncriminal arrests, more than six times as many as the year before.

The ICE field offices with the largest total number of arrests  more than 2,000 each  were in Dallas, which covers north Texas and Oklahoma; Atlanta, which includes Georgia and the Carolinas; and Houston, which spans Southeast Texas.

Immigration detainers  voluntary requests from ICE to law enforcement agencies to hold those arrested beyond their normal release so that agents can take them into custody and deport them  also rose, to 22,161. That was a 75 percent jump from the year before. But many were issued in areas that do not necessarily comply with ICE requests.

(Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post)

Overall, deportations are down by 1.2 percent, to 54,741 in January, February and March, compared to the same period last year. Elzea said it can take time to remove someone from the United States, but the number of noncriminals deported is higher this year, while the number of criminals who were deported fell. Despite his pledge to send criminals packing, Trump has struggled to get countries such as China to take their citizens back.

[Like Obama before him, Trump faces obstacles in deporting criminals ]

Some say criticism of Trumps policies seems politically charged, noting that President Barack Obama deported thousands of immigrants without criminal records. And arrests this year are lower than Obamas first weeks in 2014, when agents arrested 29,238 immigrants, including 7,483 noncriminal ones.

The mayor of Miami-Dade County said in a recent interview that he has fielded more protests over the citys immigration policies this year than under Obama.

Its all got to do with the president, said Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez, a Republican who said he voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton in the presidential election. Most of it has to do with politics. Its sad.

But Anabel Barron, an immigrant activist in Ohio, said she is facing deportation even though she is a domestic-violence victim who applied for a visa. She said ICE officials have affixed an electronic-tracking device to her ankle.

Im scared to go back to Mexico, she said. Im losing hope.

Others fear ICE is arresting immigrants in retaliation for asserting their rights, such as two dairy worker advocates in Vermont, who have since been released on bond, and a community activist in New York, who is detained.

I honestly believe that ICE wants to send a message that this is what happens when you speak out, said Boston immigration lawyer Matt Cameron, who represents the Vermont activists.

ICE said the three immigrants were targeted because they violated immigration laws. The New York man illegally re-entered the United States after he was deported, Elzea said. ICE does not target individuals based on political beliefs or activism, she said.

Advocates for immigrants say they also criticized Obama as the deporter in chief and waged a national campaign to create sanctuary cities to shield immigrants from deportation.

But they said Obama sought to avoid deporting longtime immigrants with roots in their communities and American-born children. He also lobbied Congress to create a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants and granted work permits to more than 700,000 undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children.

And in a November 2014 memo, Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson restricted immigration arrests mainly to criminals and those who recently crossed the U.S. border, and immigration arrests plunged.

Since the election, Trump and his officials have sent conflicting signals on how much he would intensify immigration enforcement.

On the campaign trail, Trump said anyone in the United States illegally could be deported. After the election, however, he told 60 Minutes he would focus on criminals and said he would decide later what to do with undocumented immigrants who are terrific people.

In January, he issued executive orders that made all undocumented immigrants at risk of deportation. In February, Trumps press secretary said the shackles were off immigration and border agents, whose unions backed Trump in the election.

I think the instruction is, Go about your business in terms of apprehending immigrants, said Joanne Lin, senior legislative counsel with the ACLU. Its wherever they can find them.
BLOOD DONATIONS

Blood drives Friday, 1:30-6 p.m., James Episcopal Church, 14 Cornwall St., Leesburg; April 26, 1:30-6:30 p.m., Foxcroft School, 22407 Foxhound Lane, Middleburg; April 29, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Sterling United Methodist Church, 304 E. Church St., Sterling, 800-733-2767.

Inova Blood Donor Center Mondays noon-8 p.m., Tuesdays 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Fridays 6 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sundays noon-4 p.m. Dulles Town Center, 45745 Nokes Blvd., Sterling. 866-256-6372 or inova.org/donateblood.

FIRST AID

First aid/adult, infant and child CPR/AED (Automated External Defibrillator) Fauquier Health Medical Office Building, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. Call for schedule. 540-316-3588. Registration required.

HEARING

Disability Resource Center Technical assistance through the state Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and presentations to businesses, groups and schools. Third Tuesdays 2-5 p.m., Workplace, 205 Keith St., Warrenton. Call for an appointment, 800-648-6324; TDD, 540-373-5890. Free.

MENTAL HEALTH

Counseling for sexual violence survivors Provided by Loudoun Citizens for Social Justice. 703-771-9020. Crisis Intervention Treatment and Assessment Center Provides emergency mental-health, substance-use and developmental services to Loudoun residents. Daily from 7 a.m.-11 p.m. 102 Heritage Way NE, Suite 102, Leesburg. Emergency services are available 24 hours a day at 703-777-0320.

Crisislink Suicide and crisis intervention. Community education, a volunteer crisis response team and CareRing, a telephone outreach program for the elderly and disabled. 703-527-6016, volunteer@crisislink.org or crisislink.org.

Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services This mental health nonprofit organization is accepting clients from ages 16 to 30 for a coordinated services program with Loudoun County to help young people with their first experience of psychosis find hope and recover. For information, call Lisa Beran at 703-388-6572 or go to prsinc.org.

Piedmont Chapter, National Alliance on Mental Illness Serves Fauquier, Orange, Madison and Rappahannock counties. Support group, education classes and events for people living with mental illness and their family members. First Wednesdays 7-9 p.m. Fauquier Hospital, 500 Hospital Dr., Sycamore Room A, Warrenton. 571-426-8213.

Mental health first-aid A public education program offered by the Loudoun County Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services to help residents understand mental illness and seek intervention. Go to loudoun.gov/mhfirstaid.

Northern Virginia Chapter, National Alliance on Mental Illness Support group, classes and programs for people living with mental illness and their loved ones. naminorthernvirginia.org.

PREGNANCY, PARENTING

Adoptive family preservation Adoptive families discuss common experiences; registration required. Third Tuesdays 12:30-2 p.m., Ashburn Library, 43316 Hay Rd. Call 703-941-9008, Ext. 23, or email jmellario@umfs.org.

Birthright of Loudoun County Free pregnancy tests, baby clothing, transportation and support throughout pregnancy, 823 S. King St., Leesburg. 703-777-7272.

Bond Between Us A nonprofit organization that offers support to birth parents when children have been placed for adoption. Fourth Tuesdays 7:30 p.m. Call for location. 703-771-7844.

Breastfeeding support Mondays 9:30-10:30 a.m., Fauquier Hospital Family Birthing Center, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-3588.

Dad support New and expectant fathers share ideas. First Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg. 703-858-6360.

For the Childrens Sake A group for separating or divorcing parents to share advice. Four-hour session weekly. Information: 703-391-8599 or fitsfoundation.org.

La Leche League Mother-to-mother support and breastfeeding information. 10 a.m. second Wednesdays in Warrenton, 540-351-6103. Third Fridays 10:15-11:45 a.m., call for location, 703-444-7386. Second Fridays 10:15 a.m., Ashburn Library, 43316 Hay Rd., 703-829-0349; Thursdays 10 a.m.-noon, Panera Bread, 43670 Greenway Corp. Dr., Ashburn, lllashburn@gmail.com. Third Fridays 10:15 a.m., Christ the Redeemer Church, 46833 Harry F. Byrd. Hwy., Sterling, 540-338-4637.

Loudoun Fatherhood Program Fathers discuss the joys and challenges of being a parent. Meets every other Saturday for two hours for four months; sponsored by Northern Virginia Family Service. 571-748-2796. Free.

Loudoun Nurturing Parenting Program Positive parenting techniques; children attend with parents. Registration required. Call 703-771-3973, Ext. 27, or email nurturingprogram@lcsj.org. Free.

Mothernet/Healthy Families Loudoun Program links first-time parents with medical, social and educational resources to give children a socially and physically healthy start in life. Family support workers meet with participants in homes. English-Spanish translation provided. 703-444-4477, Ext. 217, or inmed.org.

New mother support Wednesdays 9:30-11:30 a.m. Inova Loudoun Medical Pavilion, 224 Cornwall St., Leesburg. Babies welcome. 703-858-6360.

Young parent services Support for teenage parents. Loudoun County Department of Family Social Services, 52 Sycolin Rd., Leesburg. Call for times. 703-771-5375.

Online childbirth education program Inova Loudoun Hospitals Web-based program uses animation, videos and interactive activities to guide users through the basics of childbirth, breastfeeding and caring for newborns. 703-858-6360 or thebirthinginn.org/classes.

Parenting Alone group For parents of school-age children who have lost a spouse or partner to cancer. Second Tuesdays 5:30-6:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. Call 703-698-2536 or email jennifer.eckert@inova.org.

Pregnancy and childbirth support Childbirth Solutions Resource Center, 8393 W. Main St., Marshall. 571-344-0438.

SENIORS

Chair yoga Age 55 and older. Mondays 11 a.m.-noon, Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. Wear comfortable clothes. Bare feet or socks are encouraged. 571-258-3400. $2 drop in.

Exercise equipment Age 55 and older. Weights, treadmills, bikes and a cardio-glide. Instruction provided. Weekdays 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039. Free.

Eye care LensCrafters staff members clean glasses and make minor repairs. Second Wednesdays 1-2 p.m. Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling. 703-430-2397. Free.

Inova Loudoun mobile van Blood pressure checks. Second and fourth Tuesdays 9:30 a.m.-noon, Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling, 571-258-3280; first Wednesdays 9:30 a.m.-noon, Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039.

Laughing yoga for seniors Improve flexibility and balance. Thursdays 9:30-10:30 a.m. Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039. Free.

Loudoun Adult Day Centers For seniors with physical limitations or memory loss, a safe and social environment, therapeutic activities, individualized care and respite for caregivers. Limited transportation. Sliding-scale fees. Weekdays in Leesburg, 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., 703-771-5334; Purcellville, 571-258-3402; and Ashburn-Sterling, 571-258-3232.

Senior Outreach Services Free and confidential assistance from an Area Agency on Aging case manager. Call for an appointment or sign up at the Senior Center at Cascades. First and third Wednesdays 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling. 571-258-3280.

Senior Outreach Services Free and confidential assistance from an Area Agency on Aging Elder case manager. Sign up in the Leesburg Senior Center lobby. Second and fourth Thursdays 11 a.m.-noon and 12:30-4:30 p.m. Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039. Free.

Senior Outreach Services Free and confidential assistance from an Area Agency on Aging Elder case manager. Call for an appointment or sign up at the Carver Center. First and third Mondays, 12:30-5 p.m. Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. 703-737-8741. Free.

Tai chi for seniors Stretching and strengthening movements. Mondays 11 a.m. Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039. Free.

Zumba gold class Age 55 and older. Wear rubber-soled shoes and comfortable clothing; bring water and a towel. Tuesdays 11 a.m., Tuesdays and Fridays 1 p.m. Senior Center of Leesburg, 102 North St. NW, Leesburg. 703-737-8039. $24 per month.

Zumba For people 55 and older learning Zumba for the first time, or those who prefer a lower-impact version. The fitness program combines Latin and international music with dance.Thursdays 11 a.m. Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling. 571-258-3280. $12.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Al-Anon Service Center of Northern Virginia A volunteer is available 24 hours with information for spouses, family members and friends of problem drinkers. 703-534-4357 or 877-339-8350. Mondays 8 p.m. Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 125 W. Washington St., Middleburg, 540-554-2747; Tuesdays 7:30 p.m. St. James Episcopal Church, 14 Cornwall St. NW, Leesburg, 877-339-8350; Fridays 8:30 p.m. Grace Episcopal Church, 6507 Main St., The Plains, 800-344-2666; Tuesdays 12:15 p.m. Warrenton Church of Christ, Route 29 N., 540-347-7448; Tuesdays 7 p.m. and Saturdays 8:30 p.m. Warrenton Presbyterian Church, 91 Main St., 800-344-2666.

Alcoholics Anonymous Various meeting times and locations in Loudoun County. 800-208-8649 or 703-876-6166. nvintergroup.org.

Alzheimers caregiver support For those who care for people with Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia. Fourth Wednesdays 4-5:30 p.m. The Villa at Suffield Meadows, 6735 Suffield Lane, Warrenton. 540-316-3800.

Alzheimers caregivers support For those caring for people with Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia. Second Mondays 7-8:30 p.m. Galilee United Methodist Church, 45425 Winding Rd., Sterling. 703-430-9229. galileeumc.org.

Alzheimers caregivers support Emotional, educational and social support for family members and friends of people with the disease. Third Saturdays 10 a.m. Loudoun County Area Agency on Aging, 20145 Ashbrook Pl., Ashburn. Call 703-771-5407 or email lesley.katz@loudoun.gov.

Alzheimers caregiver support group Fourth Thursdays 3-4 p.m. Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. 540-903-6831 or alz.org.

Alzheimers support First Tuesdays 10-11 a.m. Spring Arbor Assisted Living, 237 Fairview St. NW, Leesburg. 540-338-6520.

Alzheimers support First Wednesdays 4 p.m. Leesburg Adult Day Center, 16501 Meadowview Ct., Leesburg. 703-771-5334.

Alzheimers support Fourth Thursdays 3-4 p.m. Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. 571-258-3400.

Talk About Curing Autism A nonprofit organization educating and supporting families affected by autism. tacanow.org.

Autoimmune support Last Thursdays 6:30-7:30 p.m. Jackson Building, 209 Gibson St., Leesburg. autoimmunesupport@hotmail.com.

Bereaved parent support One-on-one counseling is available. Spiritual Care Support Ministry Center, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814 or scsm.tv.

Bereavement support Age 18 and older. Third Mondays 1 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Chestnut Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. Sponsored by Capital Caring. 703-957-1800.

Breast cancer support Fourth Tuesdays 7-8 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Tower, Chestnut Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-349-0588.

Breast cancer support For those with new diagnoses or starting treatment. Register if attending for the first time. Fourth Mondays 5-6:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. 703-858-8857.

Breast cancer support For those who have finished treatment, have had a recurrence or have metastatic breast cancer. Register if attending for the first time. Fourth Mondays 6:30-8 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. 703-858-8857. Free.

Breast Cancer Support Assistance Fund Loudoun County residents who have received a diagnosis or have undergone treatment in the past 12 months are eligible to apply for financial assistance. Areas included are wigs, bras, puffs and prostheses, mammograms and medical bills, food and help with utilities, rent or mortgage, and transportation costs. The Pink Assistance Fund has been established by the Loudoun Breast Health Network. lbhn.org.

Cancer support Oncology nurses, social workers and spiritual-care providers offer education and support to patients, families and caregivers. Second Mondays 5:30-6:30 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Sycamore Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-2273.

Cancer support Life with Cancer, for patients, family members and friends. Second Thursdays 7 p.m. Ashburn Presbyterian Church, Room 202, 20962 Ashburn Rd. 703-729-2012 or ashburnpresbyterian.org.

Caregiver support Emotional, educational and social support. Encourages caregivers to maintain their physical and emotional health while caring for people with dementia or other chronic illness. Fourth Thursdays 3-4 p.m. Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. 540-903-6831.

Caregiver support and resource group Wednesdays 10:30 a.m.-noon (no meeting first Wednesdays), Spiritual Care Support Ministry Center, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814. scsm.tv.

Caring for Aging Parents Support group. Confidential. Fourth Wednesdays 7:30 p.m., Family Focus Counseling Service, 20-B John Marshall St., Warrenton. 540-349-4537.

Chadd parents support For parents of children with ADD/ADHD. Fourth Sundays 3 p.m. KinderCare, 44051 Ashburn Village Shopping Plaza. chadd.novaloudoun@gmail.com.

Chronic illness support Tuesdays 1:30-2:30 p.m. Spiritual Care Support Ministries, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814 or scsm.tv.

Coffee and Conversation Support for those discouraged because of illness, bereavement, caregiving or a loved one in the military. Thursdays 10 a.m.-noon. Spiritual Care Support Ministry Center, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814.

Compassionate Friends For parents who have experienced the death of a child. First Wednesdays 7:30 p.m. St. James Episcopal Church, 14 Cornwall St. NW, Leesburg. 540-882-9707.

Creating and Connecting Two-hour art therapy and relaxation workshop for cancer patients. Every other month, 12:30-2:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. Call for dates. 703-858-8850.

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance of Western Loudoun Saturdays 3 p.m. Purcellville Library, 220 E. Main St., Carruthers Room. Call 703-431-7160 or email kathy@dbsanca.org.

Drop-in grief support Second and fourth Wednesdays 1-2 p.m. St. Davids Episcopal Church, 43600 Russell Branch Pkwy., Ashburn. Sponsored by Capital Caring. 703-597-1781.

Families Overcoming Drug Addiction Support group. First and third Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Sycamore Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. myfodafamily@gmail.com or 540-316-9221.

Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth and parent support A group in partnership with Metro DC PFLAG. Fourth Sundays 4-6 p.m. Unitarian Universalist Church, 22135 Davis Dr., Sterling. 703-328-6518.

Griefshare Open to anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one. Tuesdays through May 23 from 7-8:30 p.m. Purcellville Baptist Church, 601 Yaxley Dr., Purcellville. Call 540-338-0918 or email caring@purbap.org. Workbook, $15.

Griefshare Nondenominational seminar and support group. Tuesdays 7:30-9 p.m., and Wednesdays, 1-2:30 p.m. Spiritual Care Support Ministry Center, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814. Free.

Grief support Sponsored by Hospice Support of Fauquier County. Individual counseling available. First and third Thursdays 3:30-5 p.m. Hospice Support Office, 42 N. Fifth St., Warrenton. Registration required. Email hospicesupport@verizon.net or call 540-347-5922.

Grief support Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.-noon, Spiritual Care Support Ministry Center, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814.

Hospice support Free medical-equipment loan facility for Fauquier County residents. Especially needed are donations of wheelchairs, bedside commodes, rolling walkers, electric hospital beds, shower benches and chairs, adult diapers, lift chairs, Ensure and hospital bed mattresses. 540-347-5922.

Look Good, Feel Better For women undergoing or emerging from cancer treatment. Every other month, 6:45 to 9 p.m. ,Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. Call for dates. 703-776-2820. Free.

Loudoun CHADD support Led by Children and Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Third Thursdays 7 p.m. Leesburg Town Hall, lower-level conference room, 25 W. Market St. 703-669-2445.

Lyme disease support Fourth Sundays 2-4 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Conference Room A and B, Leesburg. Go to natcaplyme.org or email loudounlymeadvocates@

gmail.com.

Lyme disease support Third Thursdays 7-9 p.m. Warrenton Church of Christ, 6398 Lee Hwy. Access Road, Warrenton. 540-341-8245 or email phillipsgeo@comcast.net.

Lyme disease support Age 18 and older. First Tuesdays 6:30-8 p.m. Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. Email charphealy@yahoo.com.

MADD Loudoun victim support For those who have been affected by drunken driving. Third Wednesdays 7:30 p.m. 210 Wirt St., Leesburg. 540-338-6491.

Man-to-Man Cancer Support Sponsored by Loudoun Cancer Care Center, for prostate cancer patients and their families. Second Tuesdays 6:30-8 p.m. Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling. Call 703-858-8857 or email karen.archer@inova.org.

Menopause support Third Thursdays 6:30-9 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg (second floor, Patient Education Room). 703-858-8060.

Mens grief support Second Mondays at 7 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Sycamore Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 703-568-3346. Free.

Multiple sclerosis support Saturdays 10:30 a.m. Fauquier Hospital Chestnut Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-349-2826.

Multiple sclerosis support Last Sundays, September-June, 2-4 p.m. Cascades Library, 21030 Whitfield Pl., Potomac Falls. Call ahead to confirm. 703-771-4256.

Nar-anon family support For those affected by loved ones with addiction. Meaningful Mondays, 7-8 p.m., Galilee United Methodist Church, 45425 Winding Rd., Sterling. 703-203-9792; Wisdom Wednesdays 7-8 p.m., St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, 37730 St. Francis Ct., Purcellville, 703-606-7125; Serenity Thursdays, 7-8 p.m. Leesburg Presbyterian Church, 207 W. Market St., Leesburg, 703-606-7125.

Overeaters Anonymous For fellowship and support. For locations and times, call oa.org.

P arkinson social Coffee and conversation. Third Wednesdays 10 a.m.-noon, Tribute at One Loudoun, Welcome Center, 20618 Easthampton Plaza, Ashburn. 703-378-7221 or parkinsonsocialnetwork.org. Free.

Parkinson's support Open to those with Parkinson's disease, their family members and caregivers. First Tuesdays 1:30-3 p.m. Call for Ashburn location. 571-442-8851.

Post-partum support Second and fourth Wednesdays 1-2:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Cornwall Campus, 224 Cornwall St., Leesburg. Call 703-909-9877 or email lamckeough@gmail.com. Registration required.

Reach to Recovery Home visit program for mastectomy and lumpectomy patients. Temporary prostheses, exercise instruction and encouragement. 703-938-5550.

Sexual assault and incest survivors group counseling Services provided by Loudoun Citizens for Social Justice and the Loudoun Abused Womens Shelter are free and confidential. 703-771-9020.

Sexual assault survivors empowerment support Sponsored by Sexual Assault Victims Volunteer Initiative. Child care available with 48 hours notice. Mondays; call for times and locations. 540-349-7720.

Spiritual support group For cancer patients, family members and friends. Third Tuesdays 6:30-8 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. 703-858-8850.

Stroke survivors and caregivers support Second Wednesdays 11 a.m.-noon, Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg, second floor, Patient Education Room. 703-858-6199 or jill.lieb@inova.org.

Suicide counseling Third Wednesdays 7-8:30 p.m. Leesburg Town Office, Conference Room 2, lower level, 25 W. Market St., Leesburg. 703-587-1618 or survivorsofsuicidelossleesburg@gmail.com.

Womens support Sponsored by Services to Abused Families. Tuesdays 6:30-8 p.m. Confidential location. 540-825-8876.

Widows and widowers support Third Mondays 11 a.m. Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039.

Womens cancer support Woman to Woman, first Wednesdays 6:30-8 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. Registration required. 703-858-8850.

MISCELLANEOUS

Ask the Expert lecture: Coping with Sensory Processing Disorders Monday 6-7:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg, Conference Rooms A and B. 855-694-6682. Free.

Brain trauma survivors brown-bag lunch For survivors and caregivers. First Tuesdays, noon-1:30 p.m., Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg, second-floor Patient Education Room. Call 703-737-3150 or email jberg@braininjurysvcs.org. Free.

Child Abuse and Neglect: Signs and Reporting Guidelines Friday 10 a.m.-noon, INMED Family and Youth Opportunity Center, 21630 Ridgetop Cir., Suite 130, Sterling. Workshop with Laurie Warhol, program manager, Loudoun County Child Protective Services. Register by calling 703-729-4951. mvasquez@inmed.org. Free.

Child developmental screenings For ages 2-5. Children may not be kindergarten-age-eligible. Sponsored by the Loudoun County public schools Child Find Center. 571-252-2180.

Cholesterol screenings Weekdays from 6 a.m.-8 p.m. Fauquier Health LIFE Center, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-2640. Registration required. $35.

Conversation in Ethics: Compassion Fatigue Noon-1:30 p.m. Wednesday Fauquier Hospital Sycamore Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. Panel discussion about compassion fatigue and coping mechanisms for overwhelmed caregivers. 540-316-4490 or kullej@fauquierhealth.org. Registration required.

Disability and Transition Fair Opening Doors through Partnerships, Wednesday 3:30-7 p.m. Fauquier High School, 705 Waterloo Rd., Warrenton. Featuring workshops on Medicaid waivers, IEPs, preparing for college, post-grad options and special-needs trusts. Local agencies and support organizations will provide informational resources. Sponsored by the Fauquier County Public Schools Parent Resource Center and the Office of Special Education. prc@fcps1.org or lpayne@fcps1.org.

Emergency food supplies Loudoun County residents in need can receive a free three-day supply of groceries. Supplies are distributed Mondays through Saturdays by Loudoun Hunger Relief. Call 703-777-5911 or go to loudounhunger.org.

Family health fair April 29, 9 a.m.-noon, Fauquier Hospital, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-3588. Free admission.

Fauquier free walk-in medical clinic Call Thursdays from 12:30 to 1 p.m. to register for the clinic, which begins at 5:30 p.m. Patients are seen by appointment Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Fauquier and Rappahannock residents only. Bring proof of address for the first visit. Patients cannot have Medicaid, Medicare or private insurance. Information: 540-347-0394 Tuesdays or Thursdays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Fauquier Hospital Bistro Senior Supper Club Nutritious meals and fellowship for people 55 and older. Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:30-6:30 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Bistro on the Hill, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-3588. $5.49.

HEROES (Hometown Enabling Relationships, Opportunities and Empowerment through Support) is a program for military families. Support to military members and families, from pre-deployment up to two years post-deployment. Assistance includes financial help, job placement, family care and mental-health services. caring@purbap.org or heroescare.org.

Loudoun Cares information and referral help line Call 703-669-4636 for help in finding resources for county residents on issues of eviction, utility cut-offs, health care and employment.

Medication and sharps collection Saturday 9 a.m.-noon, Fauquier Hospital Medical Office Building, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-3588.

Motor skill screenings Birth to 21 months. First Thursdays, Blue Ridge Speech and Hearing Center, 19465 Deerfield Ave., Suite 201, Lansdowne. Call for an appointment. 703-858-7620. Free.

Northern Virginia long-term care ombudsman Call 703-324-5861 for help with complaints related to long-term-care facilities.

Road to Recovery Free rides to appointments for cancer patients. Call 410-781-6909 or email jen.burdette@cancer.org. Free.

Safe sitter classes For girls and boys ages 11-14. First Saturdays except for holiday weekends. 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg. To receive a Safe Sitter Certificate, students must pass practical and written tests on babysitting and handling an emergency. Take a lunch from home or buy one in the cafeteria. $70, includes handbook and snacks. Registration required. 703-858-8818 or charlene.martin@inova.org.

Seven Loaves Food Pantry Individuals and families can receive a three-day supply of food, distributed Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m.-noon. Go to sevenloavesmiddleburg.org or call 540-687-3489.

Tree of Life Food Pantry Serving western Loudoun County. Food is delivered Wednesdays and Saturdays. 703-554-3595.

Understanding and Responding to Dementia-Related Behavior For adults. Saturday Cascades Library, 21030 Whitfield Pl., Potomac Falls. Bob Bell of the Alzheimers Association National Capital Area Chapter will help decode behavioral messages, identify triggers and provide strategies to cope with challenges associated with Alzheimers disease. 703-444-3228. Free.

 Compiled by Sandy Mauck

TO SUBMIT AN ITEM

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Mail: Health Calendar, The Washington Post, 104 Dry Mill Rd. SW, Suite 101, Leesburg, Va. 20175

Loudoun County and Fauquier County health calendar

Loudoun County and Fauquier County health calendar

Loudoun County and Fauquier County health calendar

Loudoun County and Fauquier County health calendar
MARYLAND

Woman is killed in Forestville attack

A woman was fatally stabbed early Sunday in Forestville, Prince Georges County police said.

When police arrived at the scene in the 3300 block of Springdale Avenue about 8:25 a.m., they found the unidentified woman in critical condition. She was taken to a hospital, where she died. Her identity has not been released pending notification of family, a police spokesman said.

No suspect has been identified, and the circumstances of the incident were under investigation.

 Fredrick Kunkle

Two killed in ery Charles County crash

Two people were killed and six were injured late Saturday in Charles County in a fiery rear-end collision, state police said.

The dead were identified as Michael Lee Simms, 49, of Linden, Va., who was driving the car that ran into the vehicle in front of him, and one of Simmss passengers, Lashawnia Inez Hagan, 49, of Waldorf.

The collision occurred on Leonardtown Road in the Hughesville area, police said. After the collision, according to police, Simmss car went off the road and over embankments. It continued into a wooded area, where it struck trees and severed a telephone pole.

It overturned and caught fire, police said.

Aided by witnesses, one of whom suffered minor burns, four people escaped the vehicle. They were all taken to hospitals for treatment, along with the driver of the car that was struck and her front-seat passenger.

Police said speed, driver error and alcohol were thought to have caused the crash.

 Martin Weil

THE DISTRICT

Woman arrested at White House fence

A woman was arrested after attempting to climb over a temporary barrier on the Pennsylvania Avenue sidewalk outside the White House on Sunday, authorities said.

The incident occurred about 2 p.m. and the woman was charged with unlawful entry, said Nicole Mainor, a Secret Service spokeswoman.

The sidewalk was shut down and reopened about 45 minutes later, she said.

It was not clear why the woman wanted to climb the crowd control barrier. The barriers are about 40 inches tall and are placed a few feet in front of the main fence that encloses the White House grounds.

 Martin Weil

Fatal stabbing on Capitol Hill

A man was fatally stabbed Sunday in a Capitol Hill rowhouse, D.C. police said.

The victim was stabbed several times in a house in the 600 block of C Street NE, they said.

The man was not identified immediately, and no motive was released in the stabbing. However, a police lieutenant said the attacker was possibly known to the victim.

The house is just east of Stanton Park, on a street between Massachusetts and Maryland avenues NE.

Separately, a police vehicle traveling to the crime scene was involved in a crash nearby, police spokeswoman Margarita Mikhaylova said. Police said no one was injured.

 Faiz Siddiqui and Martin Weil
A man who was found fatally stabbed inside a rowhouse Sunday afternoon near Stanton Park on Capitol Hill has been identified, and a 21-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the slaying, D.C. police said.

David Norwood, 79, of Northeast Washington was pronounced dead at the scene in the 600 block of C Street NE. His body was discovered about 1:40 p.m. The house is between Massachusetts and Maryland avenues.

Police said Monday that Norwood suffered multiple stab wounds. A police lieutenant, commenting on an Internet community bulletin board, told residents that the attacker was possibly known to the victim.

Malcolm Amir, 21, of Northeast Washington was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed.

This comes as the District has had more than 30 homicides so far this year, according to a tracking by The Washington Post.
Two men were found recording the latest installment of the Fast and Furious movies with cameras under their shirts at a Maryland movie theater last week, police said.

Officers arrived at Hoyts Movie Theater on Nursery Road in Linthicum about 7:30 p.m. Friday, after an investigator with the Motion Picture Association of America called authorities, Anne Arundel County police said in a statement.

The movie association investigator said he saw the two known piracy suspects enter the theater and start recording an early screening of The Fate of the Furious, police said.

Officers found the men in the theater with recording equipment harnessed under their shirts filming the movie, police said.

Police identified them as Troy Montgomery Cornish, 38, of Baltimore, and Floyd Lee Buchanan, 35, of Dundalk. They have been charged with unauthorized recording in a movie theater.

Officers later seized the illegal recording equipment and harnesses, police said.
Arkansas

Inmates le lawsuit over executions timing

Arkansas inmates who had been set for execution in a series of double executions this month said Sunday that a federal appeals court should take up their claim that the compressed timetable would violate evolving standards of decency.

U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker granted the inmates stays of execution Saturday, but she rejected their arguments that too little time between executions violated their constitutional rights. Arkansas originally planned to execute eight inmates between Monday and April 27 because its supply of one of the three execution drugs, midazolam, expires April 30 and the state says it does not have a supplier to replenish it.

Lawyers for the state appealed Bakers ruling immediately with the hope of beginning the executions Monday. In its filing Sunday, the inmates legal team said the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit should review Bakers decision to reject part of the teams arguments.

The lawyers said it was wrong for Baker to write that the inmates did not establish a significant possibility of success on the merits on their claim that the compressed execution schedule is contrary to the evolving standards of decency.

Baker had said that although the Supreme Court has referred to evolving standards, particularly when punishments are so disproportionate as to be cruel and unusual, the Arkansas death row inmates were unlikely to prevail.

The attorney generals office said it will respond to the filing after full arguments are put before the appeals court.

Baker said it is possible that the inmates could successfully challenge the execution protocol based on other arguments. She said that although the state demonstrated that it does not plan to torture the inmates, they have a right to challenge the method of execution in an attempt to show that it creates a demonstrated risk of severe pain.

 Associated Press

Colorado

3 found dead were targeted, police say

A home in the foothills northwest of Denver where three people were found dead was targeted, investigators said Sunday.

Deputies conducting a welfare check found two men and a woman dead in the house Saturday, and investigators quickly ruled out murder-suicide.

Cmdr. Mike Wagner with the Boulder County Sheriffs Office said that someone targeted the home and that there is no general threat to the public. No information about a suspect or a possible motive has been released.

On Sunday evening the Boulder County Coroners Office identified the victims as Wallace White, 54, of Golden, Colo.; Kelly Sloat-White, 56, also of Golden; and Emory Fraker, 39, of Broomfield.

Investigators earlier said that the bodies showed signs of trauma.

 Associated Press
Kathrine Switzer,who made history as the first female entrant in the Boston Marathon 50 years ago, runs it again as she crosses the finish line in the 2017 Boston Marathon. The 70-year-old finished in 4:44:31. (Elise Amendola/Associated Press)

ENVIRONMENT

Court rejects ban on trade in giant snakes

U.S. wildlife officials cant legally stop interstate trade of giant exotic snakes such as Burmese pythons, which threaten to eat all the native mammals in the Florida Everglades, an appeals court has ruled.

However, snake owners are cautioned not to move their reptiles just yet, as other legal challenges may remain. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing the ruling.

The North Carolina-based United States Association of Reptile Keepers sued the U.S. government in 2013, asking a federal court in Washington to overturn a nationwide ban on importing certain constrictor species or transporting them across state lines.

The first ban on the giant snakes was announced in 2012 in the Florida Everglades, where officials say tens of thousands of Burmese pythons have decimated populations of native mammals that had never before encountered such a large predator. The ban was extended to reticulated pythons, DeSchauensees anacondas, green anacondas and Beni anacondas in 2015.

The ruling does not change the ban on importing these snakes or other injurious species, nor does it affect state laws such as Floridas prohibition against keeping pythons as pets.

In an April 7 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld a lower courts ruling that the wildlife service didnt have authority under the Lacey Act to restrict interstate trade of these snakes. The court said the act only gives the government the authority to stop trade between the continental United States and Hawaii or other territories  not shipments within the contiguous 49 states.

 Associated Press

MICHIGAN

Genital procedure was religious, doctor says

A Detroit-area doctor charged with performing genital mutilation on two 7-year-old girls is denying the allegations, saying it was a religious practice for families in a Muslim sect.

A lawyer for Jumana Nagarwala told a judge Monday that the doctor agrees that genital mutilation is inappropriate. Attorney Shannon Smith said Nagarwala removed mucous membrane from two Minnesota girls in February and then handed the gauze to the family for burial.

Smith said Nagarwala is a member of the Dawoodi Bohra community, a Muslim sect concentrated mostly in India. The group has a mosque in suburban Detroit.

A judge ordered Nagarwala to jail without bond, saying she is a threat to the public. Federal prosecutors say it is the first time someone has been charged with violating a U.S. ban on genital mutilation.

 Associated Press

WEST VIRGINIA

Dealer who caused overdoses gets 18 years

An Ohio man who sold heroin laced with an elephant tranquilizer that caused more than two dozen overdoses in West Virginia was sentenced to more than 18 years in federal prison Monday.

Bruce Lamar Griggs, of Akron, was in this just for the money when he sold the heroin mixture that sickened 28 people on Aug. 15 in Huntington, U.S. District Judge Robert Chambers said.

Griggs, 22, apologized to the community and to his family. I have made some costly and stupid decisions, he said.

Laboratory tests of the victims blood and urine showed heroin mixed with fentanyl and carfentanil  considered cheaper synthetic opioid alternatives that heroin dealers use to stretch their supplies.

The Drug Enforcement Administration issued a warning in March 2015 that fentanyl, a powerful prescription painkiller, was a threat to public health and safety. And last September, the DEA warned the public and law enforcement about the health and safety risks of handling carfentanil, which is considered 10,000 times stronger than morphine. It is used as an elephant tranquilizer and is not approved for human consumption, the DEA said.

 Associated Press


Russell Paulson shows up for coffee at the Quik Mart in Kiron, Iowa. Regulars gather one by one each morning and afternoon, except Sundays. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

Russell Paulson had already heard by the time he arrived at the Quik Mart for his afternoon coffee. Walt Miller had died.

Died last night, huh? someone was saying as Russell pulled up a chair.

Yeah, last night, another man said.

Russell listened; he had known Walt. At the age of 80, he knew almost everyone in Kiron, a town of 229 people, one of whom is U.S. Rep. Steve King, who has a house on the edge of town. Russell knew King, too, knew that he was the sort of person always stirring controversy, often by raging against what he called cultural suicide by demographic transformation. More recently, King had said that we cant restore our civilization with somebody elses babies, a comment embraced by prominent white supremacists and widely condemned around the country as demonizing Latino and other non-European immigrants.

There was little controversy across Kings district, though, a swath of rural America made up of tiny towns with tiny, aging white populations that routinely elected King with more than 70 percent of the vote. In Kiron, people brushed it off as King being King, a man they all knew, expressing a plain truth they all understood: The white population was shrinking, and towns like theirs were vanishing, with the few exceptions being places such as Denison, a pork-processing town 20 minutes down the highway where population growth was being driven by immigrants from Mexico and Central America.

Kiron, meanwhile, was losing steam. According to the most recent census figures, the population included nine Mexicans; the other 220 were all white, and their numbers were decreasing by 10 or so each year, and now, on a Wednesday, by one.

Oh, Walt Miller? He did pass? Dwain Swensen, 67, said, sipping his coffee.

Whatd he have, pancreatic cancer or something? said Ron Streck, 70.

Liver, said Herman Kohnekamp, also 70. I think thats what it was, wasnt it, Russell?

I knew he passed but didnt know any details, Russell said.

It was a quiet afternoon, the ritual 3 p.m. coffee in a place where, as one regular put it, you can figure out Steve King by understanding all of us. Every day but Sunday, the bell on the front door rang as they arrived. The wood-paneled backroom was waiting. The Bunn-o-Matic and the Styrofoam cups. The space heater humming. The clock with the squinting Merit cigarette man on one wall, the calendar on the other, the cracked blinds dangling over the window where the view through the slats was a sea of farm fields, and on a hill in the distance, a stand of evergreens where the cemetery was. Now the bell on the front door rang again, and Russell looked up.

Oh, Ron said under his breath, seeing who it was. Here comes trouble.

***



Coffee time for the regulars in the wood-paneled backroom of the Quik Mart. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

It was Kevin Lloyd, 52, who came in occasionally, and had been in the day before, all riled up about the latest Steve King situation, waving his hands and going on about how people had misunderstood what hed meant about other peoples babies.

If youre American, you got to take care of America! he had said then. I love that people want to come here from Mexico, from Ukraine, from the Middle East, but they need to come here legally.

Dwain, Ron, a woman named Jane Gronau and Russell had been there, sipping their coffees, as Kevin had continued that he had no idea why people would call King a white supremacist, or, for that matter, why people would call President Trump racist. Now, is Barack Hussein Obama a Muslim? In my opinion, yes, he had said, and that had brought him to the other thing he figured King meant about babies. He had meant Muslim babies of the Muslims that Obama had allowed into the country.

And here, Im going to quote a great president, Abe Lincoln, he had said. He said the fall of America will come from the inside. Well, if youre allowing all these children in, and if they hate America, how long is it going to be before were not the United States of America anymore?

Jane had nodded: If you study the number of Muslims, there are going to be so many here, and theyre going to have so many kids, theyre going to be able to take over that way.

Dwain had nodded: They say freedom of religion but if youre Muslim, and you become Christian, youre ousted. Sometimes, they kill em.

They behead em, Kevin had said into a quiet Iowa afternoon.

I think what King was trying to get across is, look: We can only grow so many hogs, so much beans and so much corn, Kevin had said. If we let everybody in, were going to be without a food source. And what happens when thats gone? Then were all in trouble.

Chaos, beheadings, starvation, the death of one America and the rise of another  that was the trouble Kevin had raised the day before, and now he was back, interrupting the conversation about Walt Miller.

What are you up to, Mr. Paulson? he said to Russell.

Just listening and learning, Russell said, looking at the floor, holding his coffee. Every once in a while, I learn something here. Every once in a while, I learn something about myself.

So how old was Walt? Ron continued.

Mid-60s, Id say, said Herman.

Died last night, Ron said again.

Last night, Herman said again.

After a while, Russell asked, I wasnt sure if he was home?

Yeah, he was at home, Herman said, and Russell was quiet the rest of the afternoon.

***



Paulson holds a portrait of his wife, Glenda, who had died 18 months earlier. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

The next day, Russell had his morning coffee and got into his car.

He stopped by the bank where hed been going since the 1940s.

Hi, Russell, the one teller said to her one customer.

He got back into his car and drove one block to the edge of town, turned onto the two-lane highway, then one long gravel road after another, straight lines stretching out into still-fallow fields.

Some of the roads have been abandoned, he said. Because theres not as many people living out here, the roads just disappeared.

He knew the roads better than anyone. His own familys roots in the area stretched back to the 19th century, when the U.S. government was aggressively removing Native American tribes to make way for one of the largest immigration waves in American history. The Swedes came, the Germans came, the farms, the towns and generations of babies, one of whom was Russell Elmer Paulson, born in 1937. He was raised on his mothers family farm in rural Kiron and never left other than a stint in the Army, and one in Dubuque.

It wasnt for me, he said, driving along.

He and his wife, Glenda, inherited land when Russells parents died and lived on it until they retired and moved into town. Russells work had been farming and insurance adjusting. His culture was being a Methodist and a Mason and listening to polka, though most of that had fallen away. The church he and Glenda had gone to died for lack of people and money, he said. There were hardly any Masons left. Polka was not enjoying a revival. His kids had left for jobs in other areas. Glenda had died last year.

See that ridge? Thats the old railroad bed, he said now, driving along, squinting through his gold-rimmed glasses.

My aunt bought this, he said, passing a stand of trees where farmhouses had been.

Walt would go there, he said, pointing out a repair shop where Walt Miller had coffee, and soon he turned onto a narrow dirt road leading to the farm where he and Glenda had lived, a collection of storage buildings where Russell now kept his old tractors, and one he used as an office, where he went these days to work crossword puzzles or just sit and think.

Commune with God and the birds, he said. Well, not too many birds now.

He glanced around at the old buildings, now shuttered and locked, though someone had broken into one of them recently.

They stole a bunch of tools and such, Russell said, pulling back onto the gravel road. No need to get all worked up about it.

He had a huge bag of peppermint Life Savers on the console, and he unwrapped one and put it in his mouth. He passed a rotting barn and a bird on a stretch of barbed wire, and after a while, a gray house with a huge American flag.

This is Steve Kings house here, he said, looking at it.

He had known King a long time and saw no reason to be bothered by something or other he said. He supported King  I have no reason in the world to dislike the man  but wasnt one to rant about politics. He had no computer, no smartphone. His television had no cable. He watched a half-hour of national news, a half-hour of local, followed by Wheel of Fortune and Lawrence Welk. He ate chicken tenders and food he described as American.

Hes just kind of one of us, Russell said of King, driving on past a field where a church had burned down, and the home of a man whod died last year. It began to rain.

When it comes down like its doing now, its just wonderful, he said.

He drove past fields and more fields until he came to another stand of trees on a hill.

This is the cemetery, he said, pulling in.

He drove slowly past the headstones. A lot of these people I knew, he said and began reading names.

Larson.

Lind.

Gustafson.

Paulson  this would be my folks right here, he said, and then he noticed the time, almost 3 p.m.

He headed back to town, pulling onto Main Street where a wooden sign said, Kiron, Blessed with the Best.

After King had made his comment about babies, some out-of-town protest group had put up another sign below that one that said, White Supremacist.

The sign didnt make any sense to Russell, and, after it was removed, his main worry was that the protesters might have damaged the town sign, which had started to rot a few years ago.

Russell had taken on the job of maintaining it. He had trimmed the tree branches that had grown through the wood. He had taken down Blessed with the Best and repainted each of the letters. He went to a lumberyard and had a new K, I, R, O, and N made, painting each letter several times and spraying them with wood preservative. One year, he and Glenda had planted a bed of petunias and geraniums.

I dont think we will ever have a better display of flowers, he said now, and soon he was pulling up to the Quik Mart for the afternoon coffee. As he walked inside, he saw a funeral notice on the front door with a photo of a smiling man in gold-rimmed glasses.

Oh, Russell said, pausing for a moment. Theres Walt.

He glanced at the funeral information for Walt Miller, poured his fourth coffee of the day, and sat down in the backroom. Dwain and Charlie Harm were already there, but they werent talking. A car swooshed by. An eighteen-

wheeler swooshed by. Charlie tapped his nails on the table.

***



The Kiron Cemetery sits on a hill overlooking the tiny town. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

The next day, the bell rang as the door with the funeral notice swung open, and it was Dwain, then Bob James, then Herman, then Russell. The Merit cigarette clock showed a few minutes after 3 p.m. Russell got the coffee pot and poured. The bell rang again, and it was a man named Glen Ballantine.

Time for plowing? Herman asked the 84-year-old farmer.

Two weeks, Glen said, sitting down.

Bob was reading the paper. Russell was sipping his coffee, looking out the window.

Got the visitation tonight, Herman said.

He didnt have to mention Walt Millers name because they all knew what he meant.

They went back to talking about plowing, and Glen was saying how different farming was now than when he was a young man, which for some reason reminded him of one of his first jobs, digging graves.

For 18 bucks, he said.

You dug a regular grave for 18 bucks? said Dwain.

Oh yeah, and we had to fill em back up again, said Glen.

I helped dig one once, said Russell. You know, manually. Only one. I dont know what I got paid. But. Thats a long way down to the bottom of that.

If there was frost in the first foot, you got $1 more, said Glen.

Whatd you use to get through the frost? asked Bob.

Pickax and sledgehammer, said Glen. And when wed fill em, wed fill em in 14 scoops. We were just little kids, more or less.

We had more dirt than we needed, Russell said. And had to 

Had to haul that away, said Glen, finishing his sentence.

Had to put that on the pickup, said Russell, and they went on talking like that until Herman got up to leave. It was after 3:30 p.m.

Funeral home starts, what, at 4? Herman said.

Four till 7, it says on there, Russell said.

The funeral home was in Denison, and the sun was going down as Russell turned onto the two-lane highway toward one of the only towns in Steve Kings district that was growing, and which appeared in the distance as a cluster of lights and rising steam from the pork-processing plant.

Russell turned by the Walmart, bustling on a Friday payday, and turned again into a neighborhood where Latino kids were playing in a yard. Up a hill, he parked in front of the funeral home, where people were still streaming in near 7 p.m.

Russell made his way through the receiving line, his hat off, comb lines visible in his gray hair. He shook hands with Walts family, who thanked him for coming, and inched forward until he reached the open casket.

He stood there a moment. He looked at Walt. He looked at the light-blue satin lining and the farm scene etched into it. A man stood next to Russell.

Went fast, he said of Walt, who had passed away soon after his diagnosis. Thats what you hope for.

I do, said Russell, still looking at Walt, and soon, he headed back to Kiron.

***



The fresh grave of Walt Miller at Kiron Cemetery. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

The funeral was the next day at Zion Lutheran Church in Denison, and more people came from Kiron and other vanishing towns like Odebolt and Ida Grove. They sat in jeans and dresses and suits on the wooden pews of a church founded in 1872, and read about Walt in the program, where it was said that farming and fixing equipment and household items were his favorite things to do, and soon the church bells began ringing.

The pews creaked as everyone stood and watched the pallbearers roll in the coffin draped in a white cloth with a red cross, and a procession of dozens of family members that included exactly one baby, a girl with a black ribbon around her head.

Your world has changed, the pastor began.

When it was over, people got back into their cars and drove 20 minutes up the highway to the cemetery in Kiron, a long procession of headlights passing through fields and more fields, then turning right, then heading up the hill to the stand of evergreens, and afterward, at 3 p.m., the bell on the Quik Mart door began ringing.

It rang for Herman, who arrived with a loaf of homemade bread. It rang for Dwain, for Bob, and for Charlie, who shuffled into the backroom and said, Buried a nice guy this morning.

It rang for Russell, who poured his coffee, walked back into the wood-paneled room, and pulled up a chair.

Strawberries come to life this time of year, Russell? Dwain asked.

I dont know, Russell said.

They talked about the frost, and when spring might arrive.

Well, I better get moving, Charlie said and headed out.

I got things to do, too, Russell said, but then he didnt leave, not yet.

He got up and sat where Charlie had been, closer to the window.

Well, I gotta go, Herman said.

See you, Herman, Russell said.

Bye, Herman, Dwain said, and now there were just the three of them left.

Dwain cleared his throat. A car passed by. The space heater hummed. Bob finished his coffee. Russell swallowed the last of his.

You want more coffee, Mr. Bob? Russell asked.

Do you? said Bob.

Yeah, Russell decided, and walked over to get the coffee pot.

He poured some into Bobs cup. He poured some into Dwains cup. He filled his own and sat down again. He tapped his thumb on the table. Eventually he stood up and walked toward the door, where Walts funeral notice no longer was.

See ya, Russell, said Dwain.

See ya, Russell, said Bob.

I hope so, Russell said.
MEXICO

Fugitive ex-governor detained in Guatemala

A former governor of Mexicos Veracruz state who is accused of running a corruption ring that allegedly pilfered millions of dollars from state coffers was detained in Guatemala after six months as a fugitive.

Javier Duarte, who was a member of the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, was brought Sunday to a prison in Guatemalas capital.

The Mexican federal attorney generals office said Duarte was detained Saturday with the cooperation of Guatemalan police and the countrys Interpol office in Panajachel, a tourist town in Guatemalas highlands.

Duarte, 43, was governor of Veracruz from 2010 until he left office Oct. 12, 2016, two months before the scheduled end of his term, saying he was doing so to face the allegations against him.

At the time he denied having links to phantom businesses that allegedly won state contracts and said he had not stolen a single peso of state money or diverted government funds overseas. He then promptly disappeared. Earlier this year, Interpol issued a notice for his capture.

The government has found millions of dollars purportedly linked to Duarte, frozen more than 100 bank accounts and seized property and businesses tied to him.

 From news services

SYRIA

Evacuation delayed in wake of deadly blast

The evacuation of more than 3,000 Syrians that was scheduled to take place Sunday from four areas as part of a population transfer has been postponed, opposition activists said, a day after a blast that killed more than 120 people, many of them government supporters.

The reasons for the delay were not clear. It came as shells fired by the Islamic State militant group on government-held parts of the eastern city of Deir al-Zour wounded two members of a Russian media delegation visiting the area, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency. Russia is a main backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The transfer deal involves residents of the pro-government villages of Foua and Kfarya and the opposition-held towns of Madaya and Zabadani. All four have been under siege for years.

Rami Abdulrahman, the pseudonym for the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, and opposition activist Hussam Mahmoud said the evacuation has been delayed. Abdulrahman said no permission was given for the evacuation to go ahead. Mahmoud said it has been delayed for logistical reasons.

Abdulrahman said Saturdays blast killed 126. He said the dead included 109 people from Foua and Kfarya, including 80 children.

No one has claimed the attack, but both the Islamic State and Jabhat Fatah al-Sham have targeted civilians in government areas in the past.

 Associated Press

SOMALIA

2 pirates killed while trying to hijack ship

Foreign naval forces in international waters off Somalias coast fatally shot two pirates and wounded another when the bandits attempted to hijack a ship, a Somali official said Sunday.

The men were among nine pirates in a boat approaching an unidentified ship near the Gulf of Aden when a naval force opened fire, said Ahmed Abdullahi, an official with the anti-piracy force in Puntland, a semiautonomous part of Somalia. The six other pirates escaped, he said.

In recent weeks, there has been a resurgence of piracy off Somalia, after five years of inactivity.

In another incident, a roadside bomb struck a convoy carrying officials from the World Food Program on the outskirts of Mogadishu, injuring two bodyguards, a U.N. official said.

 Associated Press

Death toll in Sri Lanka garbage dump collapse rises: The death toll from the collapse of a massive garbage mound near Sri Lankas capital has risen to 26, and activists said 20 others could still be buried. The mound collapsed as people were celebrating the local new year. Maj. Gen. Sudantha Ranasinghe, who is heading the rescue efforts, said 78 houses were destroyed and more than 150 were damaged.

Legislators target British citizenship of Assads wife: A group of British legislators is urging the government to rescind the citizenship of Syrian President Bashar al-Assads British-born wife. Some Liberal Democrats in Parliament have sent a letter to Home Secretary Amber Rudd, saying that Asma al-Assad should not retain British nationality. Lawmaker Tom Brake said Assad should either stop defending Syrias barbaric acts or lose her citizenship.

 From news services
The comments seem like a complete turnaround after reports of improving relations between Shiv Sena and BJP.

By Sahil Joshi: BJP President Amit Shah's comments about holding power from panchayat to Parliament has struck the wrong chord with Shiv Sena it seems. In its mouthpiece Saamana, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray slammed the BJP suggesting the party was neglecting its allies.

"If this is what you are planning then what was the reason for calling 33 NDA partners for dinner in Delhi," asked Thackeray in an editorial piece.

advertisement

The comments seem like a complete turnaround after reports of improving relations between Shiv Sena and BJP.

The reports of good relations emerged after Uddhav Thackeray attended a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for BJP's alliance partners in Delhi last week. Uddhav had also praised the work done by PM Modi.

Through its editorial piece, Shiv Sena has raised questions over the motives of BJP.

BJP DIFFERS FROM PM'S IDEA OF PROGRESS

"On one hand the prime minister is saying that they do not want the progress of BJP but want to strengthen progress of country and on the other hand Amit Shah is stating that there should be BJP government everywhere. What should one make out of this?" read the editorial.

Uddhav in his editorial piece also raised questions on the tactics behind efforts to win elections.

"Whoever is talking against BJP is being termed as anti-nationals this should be stopped. Modi and Amit Shah is taking efforts to have BJP government across the states, but on the other hand violence in Kashmir is yet to stop. Farmers are committing suicide and unemployment has not gone down," he wrote in the editorial.

The editorial also slammed Amit Shah's statement that BJP's golden era will begin when it rules from panchayat to Parliament. Thackeray said that golden period happened only with the help of alliance partners. "The BJP should once for all clarify if they need alliance partners or not?" asked the editorial.

Also read:

Uddhav Thackeray tells how Shiv Sena's equation with BJP has changed

Amid Gaikwad no fly row, Amit Shah calls Uddhav Thackeray, invites him for NDA meet

BJP's national executive meet: Party wants Modi to head next govt too. 15 developments

--- ENDS ---
ISRAEL

Palestinian prisoners begin hunger strike

Hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli prisons launched a hunger strike on Monday, in what their leader behind bars called a new step in the Palestinians long walk to freedom.

Activists said that more than 1,500 of about 6,500 Palestinians held by Israel as security prisoners joined the open-ended protest and that it was the largest such strike in five years. The strikers immediate demands included better conditions and an end to Israels practice of detentions without trial.

In the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, thousands staged solidarity marches to mark Prisoners Day in the Palestinian areas.

The hunger strike was led by Marwan Barghouti, a prominent figure in Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbass Fatah movement.

Barghouti was arrested in 2002 during the Palestinian uprising. Israel charged him with directing suicide bombings. He was convicted and sentenced to five life terms.

Barghouti is one of the best-known among thousands of Palestinians jailed on a wide variety of charges, including stone-throwing, membership in groups outlawed by Israel, and attacks that wounded or killed Israelis.

The strike was launched as the approaching half-century mark of Israeli rule over Palestinians appeared to generate renewed interest in the long-running conflict, which in recent years has been often overshadowed by turmoil elsewhere in the region.

 Associated Press

KASHMIR

Scores injured in clash with Indian troops

At least 100 students were injured Monday in anti-India demonstrations and clashes with government forces in the divided Himalayan region of Kashmir.

The unrest began in Indian-controlled Kashmirs key city of Srinagar when hundreds of college students took to the streets to protest a police raid in a college in southern Pulwama town on Saturday in which at least 50 students were injured.

Police said the first clash occurred after officers tried to stop hundreds of students from marching in the citys main commercial hub.

The protests soon spread to several colleges in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir, leading to pitched battles between rock-throwing students and government forces firing shotgun pellets and tear gas. At least 100 students were reported injured. Officials said some police officers also were hurt.

Kashmiris have been seething since April 9, when eight people were killed by troops during clashes as voting in a special election for the Srinagar parliamentary constituency was occurring. Only about 7 percent of the areas nearly 1.3 million voters cast ballots.

Rivals India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the Himalayan territory in its entirety.

Since 1989, rebel groups in Kashmir have been fighting for independence from India or merger with Pakistan. About 70,000 people have been killed in the uprising and a subsequent Indian military crackdown.

 Associated Press

Chilean court upholds payment to ex-political prisoners: Chiles Supreme Court said the government must pay $3.2 million to 71 former political prisoners who had been held by the military dictatorship of 1973 to 1990. The ruling upholds a lower-court decision rejecting the governments contention that the statute of limitations had expired. The plaintiffs were among nearly 37,000 former prisoners of the military regime led by Gen. Augusto Pinochet certified by a special commission.

Russia arrests suspect in subway blast: Russias Federal Security Service, or FSB, said it has arrested a person suspected of organizing the April 3 suicide bombing in the St. Petersburg subway, which killed 14 passengers. The FSB said the suspect was arrested just outside Moscow. It said the suspect had a pistol and was of Central Asian origin, but it did not elaborate. The bomber in the blast was from Kyrgyzstan. At least eight others have been arrested in the attack.

Pakistan arrests 22 in blasphemy lynching: Pakistani authorities said they have arrested 22 people in the lynching of a university student accused of blasphemy. Sixteen students and six university employees are suspected to have incited or taken part in the mob that killed 23-year-old Mohammed Mashal Khan in the northwestern city of Mardan, a provincial police official said. Police said no evidence has been found to indicate that Khan committed blasphemy against Islam, which is punishable by death in Pakistan.

 From news services
OBAMACARE IS dead next month if it doesnt get that money, President Trump told the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday in a barely veiled threat to defund a crucial part of the Affordable Care Act. The president delivered this threat even though he has no viable replacement plan. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), the president said, should be calling me and begging me to help him save Obamacare.

No. Mr. Trump should be working to preserve the Affordable Care Act, which is delivering health insurance to millions of Americans.

The presidents comments came after he reanimated the drive to repeal and replace Obamacare on Fox Business earlier Wednesday: We have to do health care first to pick up additional money so that we get great tax reform, he said. So were going to have a phenomenal tax reform, but I have to do health care first.

More desperate than clever, Mr. Trumps talk of annihilating Obamacare, for which he would be justly blamed, is unlikely to coerce Democrats into supporting anything like the House Republican repeal-and-replace plan he backed, which failed to attract enough GOP support to pass the House. The indecency of Mr. Trump taking millions of Americans health care hostage is compounded by his suggestion that repeal-and-replace is about freeing budgetary space for Republicans to tinker with the tax code rather than about fixing health care. Even posing his threat, meanwhile, is astonishingly reckless.

After House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) dropped a repeal-and-replace bill favored by Mr. Trump and GOP congressional leadership, the quixotic effort to end Obamacare seemed to be over. Were going to be living with Obamacare for the foreseeable future, Mr. Ryan admitted. With reform stalled, Republicans now in control of the government had no responsible choice but to administer a system that has provided health coverage to millions and requires competent stewardship.

(Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)

But, weeks later, it remains unclear whether Republicans will sustain the law or sabotage it. Insurance companies are terrified that Republicans will pull money from subsidies that help Americans pay out-of-pocket health-care costs, subsidies that help keep health-care markets stable. Without them, insurers would have to hike individual market premiums by some 19 percent, likely leading to the market meltdown that Republicans have warned against.

Continuing these payments is only the first and most obvious step Mr. Trump must take to shore up the health-care system. The president should continue fighting a lawsuit charging that spending on these cost-sharing subsidies is illegal absent further congressional appropriations, and he should press lawmakers to make those appropriations. He should also direct his administration to enforce Obamacares individual mandate, which requires Americans to obtain health-care coverage, so long as the system depends on the mandate to keep markets viable.

Instead, the Trump administration has cultivated uncertainty, giving up on repeal-and-replace then putting it back on the agenda, signaling that it would continue funding Obamacare subsidies then threatening to end them. In a health-care system that relies on cooperation between private insurance companies and the federal government, uncertainty can be fatal. Insurers must soon decide whether to stay in Obamacare markets and how much to charge if they do. They cannot like what they are hearing.
Most foreigners arriving in the United States are greeted by Customs and Border Protection officers asking routine questions, such as the reason for the trip, where theyre staying and who theyre visiting. But the Trump administration is now considering a far more intensive screening process for visitors and visa applicants from some of our closest allies.

The new process would allow Homeland Security officials not only to go through social media content, but also to inspect cellphones for suspicious contacts. The process under consideration could apply to visitors from a broad cross-section of countries, possibly including the 38 countries whose citizens can usually enter the country without a visa per the Visa Waiver Program, such as Britain, France and Japan.

Even more alarming is a potential entrance questioning on ideology that would assess a visitors beliefs on issues such as the treatment of women in society, ethics in military conflict and the sanctity of life, according to the Wall Street Journal. Some have argued that these policies represent the presidents effort to fulfill his campaign promises of extreme vetting.

Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly succinctly articulated the administrations considered approach for the seven countries included in the administrations travel ban during a February congressional hearing: If they come in, we want to say, what websites do they visit, and give us your passwords. So, we can see what they do on the Internet . . . If they truly want to come to America, then they will cooperate. If not, next in line. And while its too early to tell what the final policy will look like, the proposed procedures would, if adopted, set a dangerous precedent for privacy.

The proposal represents a marked break from core American values. As a model of democracy, we must protect both our citizens privacy and the privacy of non-citizens. We cant cherry pick which values we embrace and to whom we apply them.

And not only is it bad for democracy, but also its bad for business. In 2014, international travel and tourism generated more than $1 trillion in spending around the world. We host many visitors each year in Las Vegas for CES, where more than 180,000 attendees  including more than 60,000 international attendees  gather to do business and drive the global technology market. Visitors to the United States not only buy American products, they stay in American hotels, eat in American restaurants and participate in American culture.

If we make it harder for international travelers to come to the United States we not only discourage business and tourism but also encourage a retaliatory response from other nations. How many of us would travel outside the United States if we had to give up our passwords, contacts and perhaps other information on our cellphones?

Whats more, social media screenings so far have resulted in dead-ends as a security tool. Last December, former U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services director Leon Rodriguez told Congress that most information acquired through such screenings had not been helpful. And he recently pointed out how easy it would be for terrorists to fly under the radar: The real bad guys will get rid of their phones. Theyll show up with clean phones.

Every day we get better tools to weed out the visitors who mean us harm  tools that don't require giving up a password from what could well be a bogus account or asking everyone to share their private conversations and content. We can do gait analysis and facial recognition to confirm identities. We can employ biometrics to determine stress levels. We can use algorithms to analyze facial micro expressions to tell law enforcement whether someone is being deceptive. And apps such as Moodies and others can listen to a voice for as little as 20 seconds and determine the speakers emotion.

By combining the smart use of technology with modern questioning techniques such as those used by Israel to remarkable effect in their airports, smart security can strike a balance between our need for privacy and our need for safety. We can debate the privacy issues surrounding such use of these technologies, but certainly we can agree these are less immediately invasive  and more effective  than demanding passwords for cellphone and social media access.

The United States unique role as a model for democracy, a home for free enterprise and a beacon for the world's best and brightest has been the reason for our global lead in innovation and our consistently strong economy. If we are to prosper, we must resist the urge to shut our doors and instead develop innovative ways to reduce the risks of imported terrorism.
The Trump administration is working hard to come up with a comprehensive strategy for Syria after striking the forces of Bashar al-Assad earlier this month. To that end, congressional leaders are preparing a new push to get their old ideas for pressuring the Syrian president, Russia and Iran to the presidents desk.

The administrations ongoing policy review on how to defeat the Islamic State hasnt reached a consensus on what to do about the larger Syria conflict. Nobody expected President Trump, who campaigned promising to stay out of Syria, to intervene militarily in his first 100 days in office. Now that Assads chemical weapons attack has changed Trumps mind, his government is committed to playing a more prominent role in solving the civil war.

The Trump administration needs tools to pressure Assad and his partners to engage in real negotiations on the way forward. Simply asking Moscow to abandon Assad without any real leverage is the same strategy the Obama administration pursued unsuccessfully for years. Thats where Congress comes in.

When lawmakers return from their recess next week, they will quickly begin moving several bills designed variously to sanction the Assad, Iranian and Russian governments, several lawmakers and congressional aides told me. Some of the bills are being reframed as ways to try to stop Assads atrocities, including one aimed at cutting off support for Irans ballistic missile program by House Foreign Affairs Committee leaders Edward R. Royce (R-Calif.) and Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.).

(Adriana Usero/The Washington Post)

This legislation will give the administration much-needed diplomatic and financial leverage to help stop Assads slaughter of innocent Syrians, Royce told me. It encourages real negotiations by targeting Assads backers, Putin and the ayatollah, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Irans supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.

The House and Senate, led by Rep. Peter J. Roskam (R-Ill.) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), also each have bills ready to go that would seek to isolate three Iranian commercial airlines, all of which are suspected to be funneling arms and fighters to Assad.

As the main benefactor of Bashar al-Assad  whose regime has once again used chemical weapons to kill scores of men, women and children  Iran has consistently used commercial aircraft to transport the weapons and troops that have fueled the conflict in Syria which has claimed the lives of nearly 500,000 people, Rubio and Roskam wrote to Trump on April 10.

Under this legislation, airlines that continue to engage in illicit activities on behalf of terrorist groups or rogue regimes would be placed back on the sanctions list that the Obama administration removed them from after the Iran nuclear deal was signed.

Republican lawmakers also want the Trump administration to cancel licenses that allow U.S. companies such as Boeing to do business with these Iranian airlines. The chief executive of Iran Aseman Air, Hossein Alaei, is a prominent and longtime member of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Rubio and Roskam wrote.

The leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee also have a newly introduced Iran bill that would apply terrorism sanctions to the entire Revolutionary Guard. That legislation was meant to support the Trump administrations previously announced effort to increase pressure on Iran, but now has new relevance.

Trumps reversal on Syria makes it much easier for Congress to pass sanctions that had long been opposed by the Obama administration, said Mark Dubowitz, executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Given that Syria is a front-burner issue now and given the heavy involvement of Iran in Syria, this provides an easy predicate for Congress to move new legislation and for the administration to crack down on Iranian mischief, he said.

The most directly relevant legislation is the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, a bill that would sanction Assad, Russia and Iran for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The bill is named after the Syrian military photographer who defected with more than 55,000 photos showing the torture and killing of more than 11,000 civilians in custody. The House passed the Caesar bill last year unanimously. Senior congressional aides told me they are prepared to do so again.

There are obstacles to Congresss emerging strategy. Some Democrats are concerned that sanctioning Iran could put the nuclear deal at risk. Theres no agreement between the House and Senate yet on the way forward. The Trump administration also does not have the staffing or the policy process needed to incorporate Congresss efforts into a larger diplomatic approach.

We just dont have a dancing partner on the administration side, one senior congressional aide lamented.

Sanctions are only one part of a real Syria strategy. But if the Trump administration is serious about not repeating President Barack Obamas mistakes in Syria, it will accept the leverage that Congress is offering and use it to compel Syria and its partners to get serious about finding a way to end the slaughter.

Read more from Josh Rogins archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
Vice President Pence warned North Korea on Monday not to test U.S. military might by pursuing its nuclear weapons program, citing recent strikes in Syria and Afghanistan as proof of American strength and resolve.

The stark warning, delivered in Seoul after the vice president went to the military demarcation line that separates the two Koreas, could revive speculation that the White House is considering military action against the regime in Pyongyang.

Pence said the Trump administration wants to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons through peaceful means, but he repeated the administrations warning that all options are on the table.

In Washington, President Trump told CNN at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll that North Korea has got to behave.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said that Trump would not be drawing red lines in the sand with North Korea.

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He holds his cards close to the vest, and I think youre not going to see him telegraphing how hes going to respond to any military or other situation going forward, Spicer said. I think that the action that he took in Syria shows that when appropriate, this president will take decisive action.

Spicer later cautioned reporters not to make too much of an analogy between Syria and North Korea.

A State Department official said Monday that the United States will continue trying to further isolate North Korea economically, politically and diplomatically.

The pressure will keep ratcheting up until Pyongyang stops conducting missile tests and demonstrates that it is willing to engage in negotiations, said Susan Thornton, the acting assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs.

Were looking for some kind of signal that they realize the current status quo is unsustainable, she said. They have to make a final decision about getting rid of illegal programs in order to turn the page and have a more normal relationship with the international community.

We have not seen that signal, she added.

Pence arrived in South Korea just hours after North Korea launched its latest ballistic missile  which exploded within a few seconds  and amid a weekend of fanfare in North Korea, during which the regime showed off what appeared to be new missiles designed to reach the United States.

There, during a trip to the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea and later in remarks to journalists, he issued strong warnings to Pyongyang.

Just in the past two weeks, the world witnessed the strength and resolve of our new president in actions taken in Syria and Afghanistan, Pence said after delivering a statement to the news media alongside Hwang Kyo-ahn, South Koreas acting president. Neither took questions.

North Korea would do well not to test his resolve or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region, Pence said.

[N. Korea didnt test a nuclear weapon, but it did try to launch another missile]

Earlier this month, on Trumps command, the U.S. military launched 59 cruise missiles at a Syrian military airfield in retaliation for a chemical attack that killed scores of civilians.

Then, less than a week later, the U.S. military dropped a 22,000-pound bomb  the largest non-nuclear bomb ever used in combat by the United States  on Islamic State forces in eastern Afghanistan.

With Kim Jong Uns regime conducting a steady stream of ballistic missile launches and signs of activity around its nuclear test site, the Trump administration has raised the rhetoric on possible military action to stop it in its tracks.

But any strikes against the North would probably bring the United States into a diplomatic crisis with China, the Norths main economic lifeline.

In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang called for international talks with North Korea to ease tensions.

Russia, too, warned that the Trump administration was on what Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called a very risky path.

I hope there will be no unilateral actions like those we saw recently in Syria, Lavrov told reporters in Moscow.

Both Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who visited South Korea last month, and Pence have stated that strategic patience  the Obama-era policy of putting pressure on North Korea and waiting for it to return to negotiations  is over and that military action is an option to make North Korea desist.

The U.S. Navys decision to reroute an aircraft carrier strike group destined for Australia to the western Pacific sparked speculation it was heading to the Korean Peninsula, adding to the jitters in the region.

The strike group left Singapore on April 8. Photos released by the Navy on Saturday showed that the carrier passed north through the Sunda Strait, the passage between the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java  about 3,500 miles from the Korean Peninsula, Defense News reported.

The Navy declined to give The Washington Post a more precise location than the western Pacific except to rule out the waters around South Korea or Japan.

As our secretary of defense made clear here in South Korea not that long ago, Pence said Monday, we will defeat any attack, and we will meet any use of conventional or nuclear weapons with an overwhelming and effective response.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis visited Seoul in February.

[North Koreas 5 nuclear tests and how Washington has responded]

Hwang, the acting president until the election to replace Park Geun-hye, said South Korea would ensure the early deployment and operation of an American-backed anti-ballistic missile system called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).

The plan has been controversial in South Korea, with some worried that it would make the South more of a target for North Korean missiles and others concerned about economic revenge being exacted by China.

The front-runner to replace Park in a snap presidential election to be held May 9, progressive politician Moon Jae-in, has promised to review the previous governments decision to host THAAD.

[North Koreas display of new missiles is worrying, analysts say]

Beijing strongly objects to the antimissile system because it worries that the United States will use its batteries associated radar to snoop on China. China has imposed a painful economic boycott on South Korean exports and is making life difficult for South Korean companies in China.

Pence said the United States will press ahead with the THAAD deployment and chastised China for its efforts to put pressure on South Korea to change its mind.

The United States is troubled by Chinas economic retaliation against South Korea for taking appropriate steps to defend itself, he said. The better path would be for China to address the North Korean threat that is actually making such defensive measures necessary.

While issues like [THAAD] remain, the president and I have great confidence that China will properly deal with North Korea, but as President Trump made clear just a few short days ago, if China is unable to deal with North Korea, the United States and our allies will, the vice president said.

anna.fifield@washpost.com

Carol Morello, John Wagner and Brian Murphy in Washington contributed to this report.

Read more:

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For decades, South Koreans have lived in a technical state of war with a hostile brother country that considers them traitors and imperialist lackeys. Throughout verbal attacks and periodic military ones, this nation of 50 million people has brushed off tensions, much as one might ignore a combative uncle at Thanksgiving.

Its similar this time around, as North Korea launches missiles and fires off increasingly incendiary threats, and as the United States responds with stark warnings and the strategic placement of an aircraft carrier.

But now, there is one new wild card that South Koreans havent had to factor in before: President Trump.

I think Ive become desensitized because North Koreas nuclear threats have been going on for such a long time, and even though North Korea is a rogue state, they have to think about their survival, said Kim Jin-young, a 20-year-old political science student at Yonsei University in Seoul.

For this reason, she doesnt worry much about what Kim Jong Un might do.

(Reuters)

But Trump is capable of a lot of things, and his words have a huge impact on the economy and defense policy of South Korea, she said while studying in the campus cafeteria on a rainy Monday. I hope he doesnt make decisions by himself and that he doesnt abuse his power.

[ Pence tells North Korea not to test American resolve ]

In the three months he has been president, Trump has proved himself quick to hit the send button on his early-

morning tweets and willing, in Syria and Afghanistan, to order surprise airstrikes.

Vice President Pence said in Seoul on Monday that North Korea should take note of Trumps decisiveness in those cases and warned Pyongyang not to test his resolve.

Kim Min-seob, an IT worker stopping for a coffee break with his colleague, said this concerned him. Both Trump and Kim Jong Un are escalating the tensions by speaking about a possible war, he said.

So the situation has become more serious under Trump. We know he does not stop at talking, said Kim, 53. He showed that by bombing Syria for using chemical weapons.

The Internet has delighted in comparing Kim Jong Un and Trump, as off-base as that might be. But both leaders have a decidedly blunt way of putting things.

South Koreans stage a rally welcoming the visit of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence to Seoul. Pence declared Monday the "era of strategic patience is over" with North Korea, expressing impatience with the unwillingness of the regime to move toward ridding itself of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. But some South Koreans worry about the Trump administrations seeming impulsiveness. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) (Ahn Young-Joon/AP)

Trump speaks very aggressively, but I think its because of his lack of diplomatic experience, said Song Baek-beom, a 26-year-old senior at Yonsei University. He talked loudly during the campaign about prosecuting Hillary [Clinton], but he chose not to press charges against her. I dont think Trump will turn all of his aggressive remarks into actions.

[ N. Korea didnt test a nuclear weapon, but it did try to launch another missile ]

The fact that South Korea hasnt even had a president since Trump took office  the previous one, Park Geun-hye, was busy getting impeached, and the next one wont be elected until May 9  hasnt helped.

Although the leaders of Japan and China have been to Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., South Koreas acting president has had only a few phone calls with Trump. South Koreans noticed when the president didnt even mention them during a hasty news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the night in February when North Korea launched the first ballistic missile of his administration.

But for every South Korean whos worried about the uncertainty that Trump injects into this equation, theres another who knows that the American president is surrounded by generals to whom he actually listens.

I heard Trump is a hard-liner, but would he take actions that would put South Korea in danger? asked Kim Yoo-hwan, 60, who runs a printing store. If the U.S. attacks North Korea, the North will hit South Korea in return, and then were in a war situation. So I dont think Trump would start a war that easily.

[ A timeline of North Koreas five nuclear tests and how the U.S. has responded ]

And what about Kim Jong Un, who has shown himself to be hotheaded and ruthless? South Koreans are not so sure what the 33-year-old might do.

I worry more about Kim Jong Un than Trump, as it seems hes willing to risk a war if attacked, said Lee Ji-hoon, the manager of a dog cafe and hotel.

The recent assassination of Kim Jong Nam shows what Kim Jong Un is capable of, Lee said. I really hope it doesnt happen, but Im worried that Kim Jong Un might start a war if he comes under an attack.

But despite the new questions Trump has introduced, its business as usual in Seoul right now.

The cars are caught in their regular traffic jams, the sidewalks are full of people staring into their cellphones, and the barbecue restaurants suffer their normal 6:30 p.m. rush of office workers.

Were safe here! Lee Ok-soo, who runs a dry-cleaning store with her husband, said, and laughed when asked whether she is concerned about the tension on the Korean Peninsula.

I support what Trump is doing now, the 58-year-old said. I hope he ties up the hands of North Korea so they cant develop nuclear weapons anymore.

Fifield reported from Tokyo.

Read more

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Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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China's president, Xi Jinping, arrives for the third plenary session of the National People's Congress in Beijing on March 12. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)

More than half a century ago, hundreds of thousands of Chinese troops died in the Korean War, fighting on the side of their communist allies in the North against the U.S.-backed South. Yet today, China finds itself in the uncomfortable position of falling out with both sides on the Korean Peninsula.

On Monday, South Korea announced that it would press ahead with the swift deployment of a U.S. missile defense system despite vociferous Chinese opposition.

In February, China said it was cutting off coal imports from North Korea in accordance with sanctions imposed by the U.N. Security Council in a bid to persuade the North to abandon its nuclear and missile program. On Sunday, North Korea ignored Chinas pleas not to raise regional tensions by conducting another missile test, albeit one that failed.

China has also imposed unofficial and unilateral sanctions against South Korea to persuade it not to deploy the missile defense system, experts say. On Monday, as Vice President Pence warned North Korea not to test U.S. resolve, South Koreas acting president, Hwang Kyo-ahn, vowed to rapidly deploy that system, known as Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).

[Pence tells N. Korea not to test U.S. resolve, offers Syria, Afghanistan strikes as examples]

(The Washington Post)

Even before the United States upped the tempo, China was in the unusual position of having really very bad relations with both the North and the South  thats something of an accomplishment, said Euan Graham, director of the International Security Program at the Lowy Institute in Sydney. Its peninsula policy was in tatters, and things have only got worse since.

China is not alone in struggling to construct a successful policy toward North Korea, as the United States can attest. But the failure of its approach has seldom been more starkly outlined, as Pyongyang presses ahead with its nuclear program, the United States sends an aircraft carrier strike group to the region and fears of military conflict mount, analysts say.

Beijing and Washington share the same goal  a peninsula free of nuclear weapons  but they often appear to be trying to realize that goal in mutually incompatible ways.

Under President Barack Obama, the United States tried to isolate and pressure North Korea economically, an approach that China argues has raised tensions and forced its leader, Kim Jong Un  and his father before him  into a corner.

China had banked on a different approach, believing that building up North Koreas economy would gradually bring about more moderate politics. That policy, though, has simply given North Korea the resources and the technology to build up its nuclear and missile programs, experts say.

[Kim Jong Uns rockets are getting an important boost  from China]

Nor has it brought Beijing the leverage it desires: Kim has never met Chinese President Xi Jinping, and channels of communication between the two governments have never been thinner, experts say.

Chinas hope-based approach has encountered Kim Jong Uns Ill have my cake and eat it approach, Graham said. Whats changed in the political relationship is Kim Jong Uns total willingness to humiliate China, to slap it in the face, not to give China even the ritual obeisance his father did.

China believes that the deployment of THAAD, with its sophisticated radar and missile defense capabilities, on its doorstep will allow the United States to spy on it and undermine its national security interests.

It has whipped up nationalist outrage against South Korea over the issue, with the sale of package tours to the country abruptly halted in March and tourist numbers plunging. State-run media has called for boycotts of South Korean businesses and goods, and primary-school children have even been encouraged to stage protests. South Korean films were barred from a recent international movie festival in Beijing, and music videos were blocked on streaming services.

Lotte, a South Korean conglomerate that turned over land for THAAD use, has faced huge losses as 87 of its 99 stores in China reportedly have been closed, mostly for ostensibly breaching fire regulations.

But even as Beijing tries to persuade Seoul to cancel the deployment of THAAD, Pyongyang shows utter disregard for Chinas interests by launching missile after missile, making the case for the defense system ever stronger.

Now, Beijing has a new headache  brinkmanship not just from Kim but also from President Trump, experts say, with the threat of U.S. military action against North Korea on the table.

There is little doubt this has focused minds in Beijing.

Trump spoke to Xi about North Korea by telephone last week. He later said that China is working with us on the North Korean problem.

But despite its frustration with Pyongyang, is Beijing really prepared to turn up the heat on its old ally?

There appear to be some within the Communist Party who think it should.

The nationalist Global Times newspaper argued in an editorial Sunday that China should send a clear message to North Korea: If you conduct a sixth nuclear test, we will cut off the vast majority of your oil imports, through stiffer U.N. sanctions.

Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University of China, said Beijing is still hesitant to take such a radical step, one that would threaten the fuel supplies that keep the North Korean military running.

Indeed, if the United States continues to turn up the heat, with more verbal threats or an even more robust naval presence, China could flip the other way, Shi argues  decide that Washington is the real threat to stability on the peninsula and shift from suppressing North Korea to opposing the United States.

Even though coal imports from North Korea appear to have been cut, and Air China canceled some direct flights between Beijing and Pyongyang this week, overall imports and exports between the two countries were up sharply in the first quarter of this year, data released by Chinese customs showed.

In the final analysis, some experts say, the legacy of the Korean War and the survival of the regime China backed at the cost of so much blood remain paramount.

China may marginally increase economic pressure on North Korea by cutting down trade, tourist flows or food aid, but its primary goal is to placate Washington, said Yanmei Xie, a politics and foreign policy expert at Gavekal Dragonomics. Beijing has reasons and means to discipline Kim but is more concerned with ensuring the survival of his regime, thus maintaining a buffer against U.S. military presence in the South.

Congcong Zhang contributed to this report.

Read more

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Chocolate cake and chemistry repair U.S.-China ties. But will N. Korea spoil the party?

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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After Snapchat's CEO Evan Spiegel was accused of saying that he didn't want to expand to 'poor nations' like India and Spain, people started to downrate Snapdeal instead of the chatting app.

By Devina Gupta: For a team that is trying to hunt for a white knight to save its company from a Rs 3300 crore loss, a cruel joke is the last thing they needed this weekend.

It all started with a call to boycott and uninstall the messaging chat app Snapchat after its CEO Evan Spiegel was accused of saying that he didn't want to expand to 'poor nations' like India and Spain.

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It sparked off a boycott movement for 'Snapchat' but caught unaware in this storm was the Indian e-commerce portal 'Snapdeal'. Social media users are mistakenly downloading Snapdeal app, down rating its services and threatening to stop using it.

"People asking us to make statement that @snapdeal is not @snapchat was possibly the last thing I thought I would ever need to do," tweeted Kunal Bahl, CEO, Snapdeal.

Timing couldn't have been worse with Snapdeal trying to evaluate merger offers from Paytm and Flipkart. Though the team is yet to comment on any financial losses from this confusion, it is dealing with a flurry of media queries.

"We are getting non-stop calls since Sunday evening. I have never seen this kind of social media outburst for a wrong news," said an official from Snapdeal.

"While Snapchat took a weekend to give clarification, you have Snapdeal team reacting instantly and quelling the controversy. So, I don't think there will be any impact on Snapdeal. Meanwhile, what Snapchat needs to learn is the 'power of now'. How the social media reacts fast and you have to move as information comes real time," said Dilip Cherian, Image Guru.

Looking at the lighter side, the Snapdeal CEO has reposted social media parody tweets too. He re-tweeted a message from @filtercopy which has a scene from Queen with a message 'We feel you, Snapdeal'.

The ridiculousness of the situation aside, this snippet is funny beyond belief. https://t.co/G2oEomZjQh; Kunal Bahl (@1kunalbahl) April 16, 2017

And then from @thekartikkhanna, Gotta feel for @snapdeal. I think we all should contribute and buy this 'Plushie' in support for the founders, tweeted Bahl.

Gotta feel for @snapdeal. I think we all should contribute and buy this 'Plushie' in support for the founders. @1kunalbahl #snapchatindia pic.twitter.com/ivBK3mpXfA; Kartik Khanna (@thekartikkhanna) April 17, 2017

"There need to be checks and balances in social media as well. One person does it and the rest follow. While a clarification can come in a while and controversy is sorted, the immediate impact is for the brand to bear," said Renu Aggarwal, Principal Consultant, Wazir Advisors.

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Come to think of it, Snapchat could take a cue from its crisis in 2015. Snapdeal's then brand ambassador Aamir Khan's remark on intolerance debate had unleashed a social media storm. Snapdeal not only scrapped Khan's contract but pumped in Rs 200 crore for a brand makeover too after the incident.

Commenting on the controversy, Aniruddha Atul Bhagwat, Co-Founder and Director Ideosphere Consulting said, "Snapdeal distancing themselves from comments made by their then brand ambassador and subsequently, choosing not to renew Aamir Khan's contract was a demonstration of the ideals the brand believes in, and this showed the brand's users that they are associated with principles and one that will stand up for what they believe in. Things will be said, misconstrued, and at times even meant in a state of frustration, but this can be a double-edged sword for any brand. A brand that responds swiftly will be respected, and a brand, which does not even choose to react, will see its brand image erode, and therefore, its business."

Also read: #BoycottSnapchat: Enraged Indians are uninstalling Snapdeal mistaking it for Snapchat

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Also read: What's in a name: It's not just Sonu Sood or Snapdeal, Hitler and ISIS faced mistaken identity crisis too

--- ENDS ---


Tatyana Chaynikova, 68, stands in her apartment in a khrushchevka building in the Belyayevo district of Moscow. (Max Avdeev/For The Washington Post)

The Soviets built Margarita Smurovas five-story apartment building  and tens of thousands more like it  with an expiration date thats long since passed.

She thinks the building is still in fine shape and could last a few more years, but Moscow has different plans.

Look out her window and youll see what those are: two identical apartment houses razed, a mountain of debris left scattered as if in the wake of a hurricane or bomb blast.

Nearly all of Smurovas neighbors have left, but shes holding out, unsatisfied with the replacement apartment offered to her by the government (her mother is in a wheelchair), and is battling the city in court. Meanwhile, the gas to the building has been cut. Thieves are looting the vacant apartments.

I really think the city is trying to kill its own people, evicting them like this, she said, leading a reporter up the stairs into an abandoned fifth-floor apartment with a balcony overlooking the wreckage.

For Smurovas parents, who moved into this building from a communal apartment in 1965, it was a chance for a new life with privacy at home and green public spaces outside. Today, the khrushchevka, named for the former Soviet leader who ordered its earliest design, is better known by Russians as a symbol of aging Soviet-era infrastructure.

I love my five-story house; its practically a pathology, joked Tatyana Chaynikova, 68, Smurovas neighbor, the busybody of the condemned apartment block. After my husband died, I put everything I had into this apartment. And now that theyre moving me out, what will I have left?



Low-rise housing in the Polezhaevskaya district of Moscow. (Max Avdeev/For The Washington Post)

In 1954, the Soviet Union under Nikita Khrushchev began what may have been the largest urban development project in history. Facing a severe housing shortage and a booming postwar population, the communist leader commissioned a prefabricated apartment house that would transform the country. By the time he was ousted from power in 1964, as many as 54 million Soviet citizens  a quarter of the population  had moved into new apartments, a number that would grow to more than 127 million in the five years that followed. In 1961, for the first time, the Soviet Unions urban population surpassed its rural population.

Cutting-edge for their time because they were quick and cheap to build, but also because of the effort to include green space around them, the apartments were not known for their aesthetic appeal. Some early versions were built with cheaper materials meant to last only 25 years, or until the Soviet Union had successfully built communism and would replace them with something better.

We are not against beauty; we are against superfluity, Khrushchev said, ordering state architects to try to make them as pleasing as possible, given their limits.

Now, in Moscow, their time is up. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin in February announced what may be historys largest urban demolition project, eliminating nearly 8,000 buildings, mostly five-story building stock including structures built under Khrushchev, in a resettlement project that will ultimately transplant 1.6 million people.

Smurovas apartment building, which has just been slated for demolition under a project approved in 1999, shows how messy those disputes over housing can become in Russia.



A recently demolished khrushchevka building in the Belyayevo district of Moscow. (Max Avdeev/For The Washington Post)

The project is part of a sweeping, although contentious, change for many Muscovites, whose city is growing wealthier even as it is run by an administration that rarely seeks public consensus before launching large beautification projects such as parks and road works.

Critics say its a handout to Russian property developers.



I know the mood and expectations of Muscovites, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Sobyanin during a televised meeting in February, greenlighting the project. They expect these buildings to be torn down and new housing to be built in their place.



Some are happily bidding farewell to aging apartments, known for their low ceilings, thin walls and faulty plumbing.

But khrushchevki were a major step forward for urban planning, said Kuba Snopek, a Polish architect who did research in Russia and wrote a book called Belyayevo Forever about the importance of self-contained, midcentury Soviet housing developments called mikrorayony, or microdistricts, which regulated urban expansion by ensuring access to green spaces, public transportation and municipal buildings.

Its very easy to communicate the flaws of this architecture, said Snopek, who sought to have Belyayevo, a region of Moscow, put on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its vulnerable because it is ugly and doesnt look precious. But its hard to communicate its values because theyre invisible.

When they first appeared, the apartment buildings were hailed as a revelation. In the 1962 musical film Cheryomushki, based on an operetta by Dmitri Shostakovich, a young couple literally sings the praises of the new apartments. The whole apartment is ours, ours. The kitchen is also ours, ours. The windows are ours, the doors are ours. I cant believe my eyes, they sing.

But Russian attitudes toward the prefab housing grew darker in later years, particularly as the apartment buildings grew larger and the infrastructure decrepit. In the 1988 movie Autumn, Chertanovo, about a Moscow microdistrict that served as a testing ground for experimental architecture, fatalistic graffiti daubed on a wall during the film reads: I was born here, I will die in Chertanovo.



Margarita Smurova, 55, stands on a balcony with a just-demolished khrushchevka building behind her. (Max Avdeev/For The Washington Post)

Nowadays, these Soviet buildings have become shorthand for working-class neighborhoods. The 2012 miniseries Princess from a Khrushchevka is a fish-out-of-water story about a young woman from the outskirts of Moscow who lives with her father, a plumber, and finds a job as a housekeeper for a wealthy magazine editor.

But love them or hate them, residents worry about getting decent new apartments if their old ones are torn down. Some are organizing for a legal and political battle.

We owners are not going to just give away our apartments for what they give us, said Kari Guggenberger, an IT developer who also runs a Facebook group called Muscovites against the demolition.

In two months, there are going to be lists of houses to be torn down. So in two months, theres going to be a storm.



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Dont you look away from me!: How a Russian diplomats tirade broke U.N. tradition

When innocent mans picture is circulated as Russian bombing suspects, it upends his life

In a reimagined Moscow, Soviet-era buildings  and apathy  would vanish

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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Anyone wishing to know how far advanced the return of German militarism is behind the scenes should read the Suddeutsche Zeitung s guest opinion piece from last Tuesday. It was a direct appeal to the German general staff to intervene once again into foreign and domestic affairs so as to rearm Germany and lead it in the direction of war.

Under the headline Citizens in uniform, military historian Sonke Neitzel urged, The German army is in a crisis. Now is the time for the generals to raise their voice.

Neitzel connected his demand with crisis situations at the international and national level. He wrote, The army has not concerned the people as much as it has done over recent days for a long time. Trump, Putin, ISIS, Mali and then Pfullendorf. The full range of issues are affected: from the grand strategy to rearmament problems, the sensitive topic of Germanys role in misdirected air strikes in Syria, and domestic leadership.

In times of war, the general staff, meaning those close to 200 top officers in the pay brackets B 6 to B 10, are simply better politicians, according to Neitzel. Journalists and scholars may be able to comment on the conflicts of our time more or less intelligently, he commented. But military experts are in a much better position to determine what is going on in Syria, Iraq or Mali. Their opinion should therefore be heard, and not just in small trusted circles, but also from society, which ultimately pays these men (and two women) with its taxes.

As a military historian, Neitzel knows very well the grim traditions upon which he is basing his demand. Under the Kaiser and in the Weimar Republic, Germanys general staff took on the role of a state within a state, which contributed significantly to the rise of authoritarianism and the coming to power of Hitler, and brutally suppressed all domestic opposition to this.

Following the horrific crimes of the Supreme Army Command (OHL) during the First World War, General Ludendorff participated in the 1920 right-wing Kapp putsch and played a leading role three years later in Hitlers march to Munich. General Paul von Hindenburg became German president in 1925 and appointed Hitler as chancellor in January 1933.

After the catastrophe of World War II, even national conservative historian Friedrich Meinecke declared that German militarism was the historical power  which did the most to promote the construction of the Third Reich. And the archconservative post-war Chancellor Konrad Adenauer felt compelled to promise in parliament in 1954 that there would never be such a central position for the ambitious officer corps of the past in Germany.

This is now to change. Neitzel stated, It was certainly never intended that the general staff play a major role in public discourse or even in the politics of the Federal Republic. But then he added provocatively, However, 60 years after the founding of the army, the misgivings about the general staff are no longer appropriate. No reasonable person can doubt the loyalty of this small state elite. As a social group, they perhaps have their own idiosyncrasies, but this applies no less to other groups. It is simply a waste of their competencies if they dont speak up and remain cut off from the public.

Neitzel, in fact, effectively admits that the idiosyncrasies of the German generals remain the same as they were on the eve of World War I and World War II. At issue is the rearmament of the military and preparations for war.

Neitzel complained, This army is a shadow of itself, as we are always quietly being told by foreign militaries. It is at best adequate for small training and stabilisation missions, and a demonstration of poweras long as everything stays quiet and no serious fighting is required. Even with rising military budgets, it will take eight to 10 years before the army has large units capable of being deployed.

Nobody should underestimate these words. There can be no doubt that Neitzels comment was prepared in consultation with the highest circles in politics and the military, which have been working feverishly for some time to make Germany Europes leading military power, in spite of the widespread opposition to this within the population.

Neitzel has played a key role in this. In 2015 and 2016, he contributed to the drafting of the armys White Paper 2016, Germanys official military doctrine, which called for more foreign military interventions and the use of the army domestically. The study programme War and conflict studies, which he oversees at the University of Potsdam, is based on direct collaboration with the armys Centre for Military History and Social Sciences (ZSMBW).

As a historian, Neitzel plays a similar role as the two professors from Humboldt University, Herfried Munkler and Jorg Baberowski. Like them, Neitzel is working systematically to rewrite the history of the World Wars I and II so as to whitewash the crimes of German imperialism and prepare for new ones.

Significantly, Neitzel jointly authored an article in Die Welt in early 2014 titled, Why Germany wasnt solely to blame, which sharply attacked historian Fritz Fischer (1908-99) and claimed that the German leadership had mainly been pursuing a defensive goal, driven by fears of decline and concerns about being encircled. In his best known work, Grab for World Power, Fischer demonstrated Germanys responsibility for the outbreak of World War I and the continuity of German war aims between the first and second world wars.

Neitzel is also involved in efforts to downplay the crimes of the Nazis. On the 75th anniversary of the Wehrmachts invasion of the Soviet Union, Neitzel appeared alongside Baberowski on public television broadcaster ARD to call into question the historical fact that the eastern offensive was part of a planned war of annihilation. When he was asked by the moderator of the discussion, Was it the completion of Hitlers long-conceived plan for Lebensraum in the east, or was he mainly responding to the conflict situation? Neitzel answered, It was a bit of both. The question is always whether we actually believe that Hitler had a plan.

Today, Neitzel is going a step further and downplaying the Nazi leader himself. In line with the comments of Donald Trumps press secretary Sean Spicer, Neitzel made the outrageous statement in a Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung article a few days ago that Hitler did not use chemical weapons during the Second World War. Outlawed internationally since the Geneva Protocol of 1925, even Hitler didnt use it during World War II, even though his arsenal was well stocked with the nerve gas sarin, among other things, he wrote.

While Spicer was strongly criticised around the world, nobody in the media or official politics was troubled by Neitzels comment. Nor did his appeal to the general staff, which in essence violates Germanys Basic Law, meet with any criticism. On the contrary, the same political circles which have been planning the resurrection of German militarism behind the backs of the public for three years are now desperately trying to suppress mounting opposition to it.

At Berlins Humboldt University, the presidium has declared any criticism of the positions of Neitzels colleagues, Baberowski and Munkler, to be unacceptable. The current president of Humboldt University is none other than the Social Democrat politician Sabine Kunst, who, as science minister in the Brandenburg state government, appointed Neitzel to the position of professor of military history and cultural history of violence at the University of Potsdam in 2015.
By Kate Murphy

Neil Gorsuch is the conservative judge whose Supreme Court nomination sparked a brutal showdown between Senate Republicans and Democrats.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-K.Y., said then, Its really time for our friends on the other side to get over the election. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said, The answer isnt to change the rules. Its to change the nominee.

The political battle came to a historic end when Republicans invoked the so-called nuclear option, forever changing the justice nomination process. Republicans came out on top when Gorsuch was confirmed as the 113th Supreme Court justice.

Gorsuch is a self-proclaimed originalist, which means he interprets the words of the Constitution as they were understood at the time they were written.

During his nomination hearing, he said, The Constitution doesnt change; the world around us changes.

But Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., expressed her concern about his judicial philosophy, saying, If we were to dogmatically adhere to originalist interpretations, then we would still have segregated schools and bans on interracial marriage, women wouldnt be entitled to equal protection under the law, and government discrimination against LGBT Americans would be permitted.

So as Gorsuch prepares to take the ninth seat and restores a conservative-leaning Supreme Court, what impact will he have on upcoming Supreme Court cases?

Well, for starters, he may play a decisive role in one of the most anticipated cases involving separation of church and state.

In Missouri, a church-affiliated school is challenging the state for refusing to let it participate in a program that gives grants to nonprofits for playground safety materials.

As a judge in the lower courts, Gorsuch sided with Hobby Lobby and a religious nonprofit which argued it shouldnt have to provide contraceptive insurance coverage under an Obamacare mandate.

Religious freedom also is at the heart of a pending case on whether a business can, on religious grounds, refuse to provide services for same-sex marriages. A bakery owner in Denver refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple because of his religious beliefs. The court hasnt agreed to hear the case yet, but Gorsuch could provide the fourth vote needed to accept it.

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Another case thats awaiting action centers on whether the Second Amendment provides the right to carry guns outside the home. Although Gorsuch cant vote on cases that have already been argued, he still could play a role if the court is deadlocked. The justices could schedule a new round of arguments, which would allow him to participate.

President Trumps travel ban on refugees and immigrants from several Muslim-majority countries may also end up before the Supreme Court. Gorsuch may cast the deciding vote  for or against the order of Trump, who nominated him in the first place.

Conservatives are also anxious to see where Gorsuch stands on the issue of abortion, taking hints from a book he wrote in which he argued against assisted suicide. He wrote in the book, All human beings are intrinsically valuable and the intentional taking of human life by private persons is always wrong.

So as the vacancy of the ninth Supreme Court justice is filled by Gorsuch  at least when it comes to his potential impact on upcoming cases  you can say: Now I get it.
If religion is the opiate of the masses, these countries know how to get high.

According to data from the 2017 Best Countries rankings -- a characterization of 80 countries based on a survey of more than 21,000 global citizens -- Saudi Arabia is perceived to be the most religious country in the world.

The largest nation in the Middle East, ranking No. 9 among the world's most powerful countries, is a theocratic monarchy with a legal system based on Islamic Shariah law, where citizens can receive harsh punishments, including death, for apostasy and blasphemy.

Since 2004, Saudi Arabia has been designated as a "Country of Particular Concern" under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for participating in "severe violations of religious freedom," according the U.S. Department of State's International Religious Freedom Report for 2015.

Data shows Islam is spreading, on track to surpass Christianity as the world's biggest religion. While the world's population is projected to grow 32 percent in the next few decades, the number of Muslims is expected to increase by 70 percent -- from 1.8 billion in 2015 to nearly 3 billion in 2060, a recent Pew Research Center report shows.

Meanwhile, the Jewish homeland of Israel comes in second for its perceived religiosity -- though the actual devoutness of its population is up for debate.

About 65 percent of Israelis report being either not religious or convinced atheists, compared to 30 percent who say they are religious, according to a 2015 report from WIN/Gallup International.



Lauren Boyer is Social Media Manager at U.S. News & World Report. Follow her on Twitter, connect with her on LinkedIn or reach her at lboyer@usnews.com.
London (AFP) - Twelve people were injured when a corrosive substance was sprayed inside a packed London nightclub, police and fire services said, amid a sharp rise in acid attacks in Britain's capital.

Two of the victims, both men in their twenties, are in a "serious but stable condition" and 10 others suffered "minor injuries", police said in a statement.

A London Fire Brigade spokesman told AFP an "unknown corrosive substance" was thrown in Mangle, a club in east London, in the early hours of Monday.

It was identified as "an acidic substance" from testing, he said, adding that there were around 600 people in the club at the time.

Police said the incident was not believed to be terrorism or gang related but the result of a dispute between two groups of people in the club.

They said the fight led to "a noxious substance being sprayed by a male suspect directly at Victims 1 and 2" -- the two men with the more serious injuries.

"Other people inside the venue suffered the effects of the substance," the statement said, adding that no arrests have been made and appealing for witnesses.

Police were called to the scene at around 0010 GMT.

The streets around the club have been closed to traffic as the investigation continues.

London has seen a sharp rise in acid attacks in London in recent years.

There were more than 1,800 reports of attacks involving corrosive fluids in London since 2010, according to police data cited by the BBC last month.

In 2016, corrosive fluids were used in 454 crimes, compared to 261 in 2015.

Some experts have suggested that criminal gangs may be switching from carrying knives to acid because it could lower the risk of prosecution.

In an acid attack in north London earlier this month, a 40-year-old father, 36-year-old mother and their three-year-old son were hurt.

The woman and child were later discharged from hospital but the man suffered "life-changing injuries", police said.
By Press Trust of India: Guwahati, Apr 17 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today met Chinese Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui here and discussed various issues of mutual interest and concern.

Sonowal said that "since Assam has geographic proximity with China, they can be natural allies in furthering business interests which can be beneficial to the people of both the sides."

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Seeking cooperation from the Chinese Ambassador in sending a delegation from the state to study the successful management of Huang Ho River in China, Sonowal said, "Managing Brahmaputra River is a big concern for Assam and the state would be benefitted by learning from the Chinese how the Huang Ho has been turned into a resource from a problem."

Responding to Zhaohuis request to reopen the Stilwell Road, Sonowal said, "The Centre has taken keen interest in developing the Northeast region as a major trade hub of South East Asia under the Act East Policy and opening roadways with the neighbouring countries is high on the agenda."

The Chinese Ambassador also extended invitation to Sonowal to attend the Trade Summit in Kunming in June this year.

Accepting his invitation, Sonowal too informed the Chinese Ambassador of the Global Business Summit to be held in November this year and urged him to facilitate participation of Chinese companies at the summit.

Sonowal also stressed on the need to increase people to people contact and cultural exchange which will bring people of Assam and China closer and facilitate an environment of growth and prosperity.

Referring to Chinese traveller and scholar Hiuen Tsangs historic visit to the state, Sonowal said that the age old ties between China and Assam must be revived for scripting the future growth story. PTI ESB AYP

--- ENDS ---
Photo credit: Mate Petrany/Road&Track

From Road & Track

A 740 horsepower, all-wheel drive Lamborghini Aventador SV is probably the worst car to have in New York City. Croatia's ultra-limited electric hypercar, the Rimac Concept One also has all-wheel drive, but it packs a whopping 1224 horsepower and 1180 ft.-lb., a hundred percent of which is available from zero revs in race mode. Yet thanks to it being from the future, the Rimac works even in the city with the biggest potholes on the planet, accelerating off the line at an unparalleled rate.

Photo credit: Mate Petrany/Road&Track

New Yorkers trying to guess what they see but can't hear called it a Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, only for one guy to declare that it's just a Corvette. We reached the top when somebody shouted DeLorean. I did not see that coming, but then again, the same could be said about the car itself. The Concept One is an electric techno extravaganza designed and built in the most unlikely place. It packs a very advanced torque vectoring system to balance out the weight penalty that comes with the batteries, and although we did not need to improve our cornering speed in the heart of Manhattan, its electrically raised suspension came very handy. When it comes to the roads, NYC literally looks like a war zone.

Photo credit: Mate Petrany/Road&Track

Rimac's first car cost well over a million dollars, and only eight were built, since the Concept One's main purpose was to demonstrate what they can do. Half of those eight were sold to America, two went to the United Kingdom, while the remaining pair headed to the Middle East. This silver example lives in Florida, and its owner has put over 6000 miles on it. Hot climate testing, done.

Inside, the Concept One feels exactly like the name suggests: a concept for something totally new, turned into a fully functional product. It's tiny on the outside, tight in the cabin, and there's not much greenhouse to look out. The carbon tub you sit in is rigid as a nuclear bunker, and with its short wheelbase and high-performance tires, the suspension can't make you forget that this is a 220 mile per hour car, not necessarily designed to do urban off-roading at 20. But unlike most really fast cars, it can do that as well, always finding traction via controlling each of its wheels individually.

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Photo credit: Mate Petrany/Road&Track

On paper, having the world's highest power density motor system on board means more than 90 percent efficiency, full torque at zero speed and a very wide power-band. As wide as 1224 horses. In New York traffic, you might not reach sixty in 2.5 seconds every time you decide to leave the world behind, but 2.8 feels roughly the same, and its utterly impressive.

In race mode, the Concept One doesn't turn into a fire-spitting, obscenely loud neck breaker. All it does is provide maximum performance whenever you need it, sending more power to the rear, sharpening up the gear changes and taking its brake regeneration efforts lightly.

Photo credit: Mate Petrany/Road&Track

The Rimac is almost as low as its powertrain's torque curve is flat. It makes the totally new experience of out-accelerating everybody this side of a Demon on slicks look almost normal, repeating the stunt over and over again without any fuss. Apart from the usual EV Jetsons noise and the tires rolling, Rimac's hypercar only makes a sound when its inverters kick in, as a gentle reminder that you're sitting in the automotive equivalent of a small power station.

A sexy, clean, fast and driftable power station.

Photo credit: Mate Petrany/Road&Track

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Today marks the 228th anniversary of Benjamin Franklins death, which drew many different responses from the citizens of Philadelphia (who mourned in droves) and the U.S. Senate (which refused to mourn Franklin).

Franklin had been ill for some time, and his last major public appearance was at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. He knew his time was short in April 1790 and worked to make sure that the proper obituary was written in advance.

The Pennsylvania Gazette announced his passing. Another contemporary newspaper, the Federal Gazette, summed up public opinions about the Founding Father in its brief obituary.

Died on Saturday night, in the 85th year of his age, the illustrious BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. The world has been so long in possession of such extraordinary proofs of the singular abilities and virtues of this FRIEND OF MANKIND that it is impossible for a newspaper to increase his fame, or to convey his name to a part of the civilized globe where it is not already known and admired.

Reportedly, Franklins last words were, A dying man can do nothing easily. Newspapers in Boston said that Franklin had been ill for several weeks, and they made sure readers knew that Franklin was born there.

His passing was duly noted in Europe. Franklins reputation as a scientist, inventor, author, and statesman extended there for decades, where the French considered Franklin a true Renaissance man.

The French National Assembly went into mourning. He was able to restrain thunderbolts and tyrants, said Count Mirabeau.

Franklins funeral was on April 21, 1790, and at least 20,000 people attended it. By current estimates, the population of the city of Philadelphia in 1790 was 28,000.

His coffin was carried by the most powerful men in the state of Pennsylvania and escorted to Christ Church by a crowd of citizens that included a contingent of printers and members of the American Philosophical Society, which Franklin founded. Absent from the event was President George Washington and members of Congress, who were in New York City.

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Thomas Jefferson had returned from France in 1790 and visited with Franklin in Philadelphia about one month before his death. In his eulogy for Franklin, Jefferson told the story about his response to people in France who asked if he was really in that country to replace Franklin.

I generally answered no one can replace him, Sir; I am only his successor, Jefferson said. He said that there was more respect and veneration attached to the character of Doctor Franklin in France than to that of any other person in the same country.

James Madison also recalled Franklin with respect: I had opportunities of enjoying much of his conversation, which was always a feast to me. I never passed half an hour in his company without hearing some observation or anecdote worth remembering.

Franklin had written his epitaph in 1728, which reappeared after his passing.

The Body of B. Franklin, Printer; like the Cover of an old Book, Its Contents torn out, And stript of its Lettering and Gilding, Lies here, Food for Worms. But the Work shall not be wholly lost; For it will, as he believ'd, appear once more, In a new & more perfect Edition, Corrected and amended By the Author.

Nationally, newspapers covered the funeral of the most famous of all Americans.

And in France, it was assumed that Congress and the president would join the French government in mourning Franklin.

Count Mirabeau stated, The Congress has ordained throughout the United States a mourning of one month for the death of Franklin, and at this moment America is paying this tribute of veneration and gratitude to one of the fathers of her Constitution.

That wasnt true.

Madison asked his colleagues in the House of Representatives to wear symbols of mourning for one month, and they agreed.

The Senate declined. The chamber was influenced by John Adams, who disliked Franklin, as did Richard Henry Lee. The Senate also ignored tributes about Franklin sent by France. Franklin, in his lifetime, had been critical of a government that had two houses of the legislature, and his grandson, Benjamin Franklin Bache, was a newspaper publisher openly critical of the Federalists who controlled the Senate.

Jefferson lost an argument with President George Washington for the executive branch to wear mourning symbols. Washington feared the act would set a precedent for all Founding Fathers and that it was too similar to how royalty was honored in Europe.

The first official eulogy for Franklin in the United States didnt happen until 1791.
If you ever wondered if U.S. officials really paid attention to all those questions on immigration forms, here's your answer.

A 3-month-old baby was summoned to the U.S. embassy for an interview after his grandfather accidentally ticked "yes" to a question reading, "Do you seek to engage in or have you ever engaged in terrorist activities, espionage, sabotage, or genocide?"

SEE ALSO: Please don't name April the giraffe's baby Harambe

The grandfather, Paul Kenyon, didn't find out about the mistake until baby Harvey Kenyon-Cairns was refused travel, according to the Guardian. Kenyon had made the mistake on the form for ESTA, which is an online system the U.S. uses to determine if people can travel there from visa-waiver countries like the UK.

I couldnt believe that they couldnt see it was a genuine mistake and that a 3-month-old baby would be no harm to anyone, Kenyon said.

So instead of going on his first overseas trip to Florida, baby Harvey was brought from his home near Manchester in northern England, down to London for his embassy interview.

Luckily, his grandfather kept a sense of humour about the whole thing.

Some of the questions on the application.

Image: estausa.com/screenshot

"Baby Harvey was good as gold for the interview and never cried once  I thought about taking him along in an orange jumpsuit, but thought better of it. They didnt appear to have a sense of humour over it at all and couldnt see the funny side," he said.

"Hes obviously never engaged in genocide, or espionage, but he has sabotaged quite a few nappies in his time, though I didnt tell them that at the U.S. embassy."

The "whole sorry mess" ending up costing about an extra 3,000 ($3,777) and half the family had to fly out to Florida later than planned.

Kenyon also said what everyone is probably thinking about the whole thing.

If you were a terrorist, I suspect youd not be ticking yes on the ESTA form anyway, he said. Good point.

WATCH: Princess Charlotte and Prince George's balloon game reminds us of what childhood's really like
Video by Brian Prowse-Gany

Maggie Selmeski, 4, lives with her parents, Rachael, 34, and Shawn, 38, and younger brothers, Maddox and Miles, in Littleton, Colo. She and her family are what have become known as medical marijuana refugees, as they came to Colorado from Tennessee in pursuit of legalized pot. Thats because it wound up being the only effective treatment for Maggies form of epilepsy, known as intractable epilepsy, which can cause her to have up to 500 seizures a day.

Before making the big decision to move, the Selmeskis had held out hope for a cure and for a normal life for Maggie. But during one of her hospitalizations at just 4 months old, doctors told Shawn and Rachael that their daughter probably wouldnt live very long.

That point in their lives, Rachael recalls, was the lowest of the low.

Thus began a period of trying countless pharmaceuticals in hopes of finding a way to get Maggies seizures under control and give the girl a shot a having some quality of life. But doctor after doctor told the couple that there was nothing that could help Maggie, and that all that they could do was love her and accept that her life would not be a long one.

Shawn says that he lost faith in Western medicine in the process. And while he and Rachael continued to seek out effective treatment, he admits now, he was preparing in my heart for my daughter to die.

And as Maggies condition worsened and she lost all voluntary movement, Rachaels search for help eventually led her to Cannabis sativa  and evidence that it had been found to reduce and control seizures, even in children.

Were not giving our 1-year-old marijuana! Are you nuts? Shawn recalls telling Rachael when she shared her discovery.

Though Rachael says she was naive enough at the time that she had no idea that Cannabis sativa was marijuana, she also says that if you had asked her before then about medical marijuana, she would have called it a joke, and an excuse for stoners to get high.

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They were not alone. Americans, overall, debate whether or not marijuana should be allowed to be prescribed to children for medical purposes even if it were legal. According to an exclusive Yahoo News/Marist Poll, 47 percent of Americans believe parents should have the option, and 46 percent think medical marijuana should not be prescribed to children.

Still, Rachael recalls, When it became our daughter [in need of medical marijuana] and it was a viable option  and one of the only viable options left  we said, Its worth it. Well give it a shot.' Since they could not do that in their own state, it meant moving to Colorado when Maggie was 17 months old. There, they could legally obtain and administer to Maggie a drug called Charlottes Web  the extract of a strain of locally grown cannabis thats low in psychoactive THC but high in cannabidiol (CBD), which is known for its medicinal properties.

The impact was significant and fast.

Since making the move from their small, tight-knit Christian community in Tennessee, Maggie has come to now suffer from only 15 to 20 seizures a day  a marked improvement  and has begun preschool. She is also beginning to express herself, which she could not do before, due to the effects of the medical marijuana patch she now wears daily and the Charlottes Web oil she takes orally.

Our 4-year-old has done more drugs than anyone we know, Shawn jokes of the treatment that has effectively given his daughter a second chance at life. He says the move to Colorado was an obvious one for their family, as they had exhausted all other options.

The Selmeskis arent the only ones who have had success in medical marijuana as an effective epilepsy treatment for a child.

Nine-year old Charlotte Figi  the little girl for whom Charlottes Web oil is named  found marked improvement in her Dravet syndrome, a form of epilepsy, as a result of medical marijuana, even after other forms of traditional treatment had failed.

A 2016 study published in The Lancet Neurology found that other people with epilepsy have had similar results. The study, by Orrin Devinsky, MD, a neurologist at New York Universitys Langone Medical Center, looked at 162 epilepsy patients treated with an extract of 99 percent cannabidiol (CBD), a nonpsychoactive chemical in marijuana, for 12 weeks, on top of patients existing forms of traditional medication. With the CBD, seizures were reduced by 36.5 percent  a rate similar to that of existing epilepsy drugs  and two percent of patients stopped having seizures altogether. And despite 79 percent of patients reporting adverse side effects like sleepiness and diarrhea, only three percent of participants dropped out of the study due to adverse effects.

But a subsequent analysis of these findings in The Lancet Neurology (by researchers not involved in the study) warned of the studys limitations, including the placebo effect and interactions between medical marijuana and patients existing medications.

When it comes to existing medical marijuana research, the placebo effect is always a concern: A 2015 study conducted by a team at the University of Colorado found that 47 percent of medical marijuana patients who had moved to Colorado for cannabis-based epilepsy treatment reported improvement. In comparison, however, only 22 percent of epilepsy patients receiving cannabis-based treatment who were already Colorado residents said they saw improvement in their condition. Researchers in the community hope to engage in further blind and placebo-controlled studies on the use of CBD to better control for and understand the real effects of cannabis-treatment for epilepsy patients.

There are still major lessons to be learned from Maggies story, according to Heather Jackson, CEO and founder of Realm of Caring in Colorado Springs, Colo.  a nonprofit that provides research, education, and advocacy support for medical marijuana and connects families to Charlottes Web and its local community.

We are in the pioneering phase of using cannabis with children like Maggie, even though there is documented medicinal use of the plant with epilepsy for over 2,000 years, Jackson tells Yahoo Beauty. We are only now discovering the true potential of a virtually nontoxic option, while collecting more solid data and research in the last 40 years  particularly the last five years, when families like the Selmeskis have brought to light the need to have common sense and compassion-based conversations on the topic.

She adds that its unfortunate that parents in such situations would be forced to relocate because of their own state laws; indeed, while many more states have been legalizing medical marijuana and at least medicinal CBD oil, six states still outlaw it altogether. It is hard to imagine that in 2017, Jackson says, our ZIP code dictates and prohibits us from caring for our loved ones in the most compassionate way.

_____

Read more from the Yahoo Weed & the American Family series:

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Congress two-week Easter recess has begun, so many lawmakers are back in their home districts.

Theyll have a busy week when they return on April 24, with just four days to decide what to include in a so-called continuing resolution due later that week- a must-pass bill to prevent a government shutdown. There will be more talk about repealing Obamacare, and debate over President Trumps strikes in Syria.

The recess is a rare opportunity for voters to ask their representatives direct questions about their views and legislative agenda. Though some members of Congress are avoiding town halls with constituents, many are holding meetings in their districts.

Here a couple of questions you can ask your local lawmaker, whether they are a Democrat or a Republican.

Do you believe President Trump needs to seek authorization from Congress the next time he wants to strike Syria? Would you vote to authorize military force against Syria?

Congress is responsible for declaring war, according to most readings of the Constitution, but the last time that happened was World War II under President Franklin Roosevelt. Since then, Congress has authorized military engagements like the ones in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Congress did not authorize President Trumps strike ordered against the Syrian government last week, however, and many members of Congress are calling for greater input for future military actions. Led by senators like Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican Rand Paul, some are calling for a new Authorization for Use of Military Force, a formal congressional approval of military action in Syria. A vote, however, would put lawmakers in a tough spot and require them to either support or oppose broadening U.S. involvement in the Middle East in the midst of a humanitarian crisis there.

Would you support an Obamacare repeal bill that allows states to opt out of requiring insurers from providing Essential Health Benefits?

After Republicans failed to repeal Obamacare in March, many members of the conservative Freedom Caucus said the bill collapsed because it kept in place the so-called Essential Health Benefits, regulations set out by the law that required insurers to provide certain services. Those benefits included covering prescription drugs, mental health services hospitalization and maternity and newborn care.

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Conservatives said the regulations drove up the price of insurance; others said it ensured a base level of decent-quality coverage. Republicans in Congress are now considering a measure that would allow individual states to exempt insurers from the Essential Health Benefits requirement.

Would you vote for an Obamacare repeal bill that allows states to opt-out of community rating?

Perhaps one of Obamacares most important measures was a rule called community rating that prohibited health insurance companies from charging higher prices to sick people. Instead, insurance premiums are determined primarily by age, meaning that sick people are better able to avoid health insurance. Community rating goes to the core of Obamacare: that insurers cannot discriminate against those with preexisting conditions.

Conservatives argue that because community rating raises the cost of insurance for everyone, states should be allowed to opt out and put their sick in a high-risk pool, coverage provided by a lump state fund. Many moderate Republicans and nearly all Democrats argue that this would hurt people with preexisting conditions and gut a key Obamacare provision.

How much, if anything, should Congress be willing to budget for the border wall?

It was Trumps big campaign promise: he was going to build a wall on the Mexican border, and Mexico would pay for it.

Now, Congress is discussing how the United States should pay for the wall - if there is a wall at all. At first there was talk about including border wall funding in the spending bill due April 28, but Republicans are backing away from that proposal since Democrats promised to sink the spending bill if it included that.

The wall divides Republicans: many in the House want to see it built, but senators tend to be more skeptical, with those like Texas Sen. John Cornyn opposed to it because of eminent domain issues that would arise from building on landowners property. If the wall does get funding, the question to ask would be when, and how.

Do you want to see Planned Parenthood defunded as part of the continuing resolution due on April 28?

Most Republicans want the federal government to stop funding Planned Parenthood, but theres disagreement about how to do it. The more vociferous voices want to defund Planned Parenthood as soon as possible, perhaps as part of the April 28 spending bill, which needs to pass in order to keep the government open. Republican leadership has signaled, however, that they want to defund Planned Parenthood as part of a separate measure in order to prevent Democratic opposition and a government shutdown.

This article was originally published on TIME.com
Protect the planet and support local communities in a place with an eco-minded ethos.

Forget renting a gas-guzzling car, carrying plastic bottles or cranking up the air conditioning at a lavish resort. Instead, embark on an eco-minded getaway where you can empower local communities, aid conservation efforts and reduce your carbon footprint. With forward-looking hotels, tour companies and destinations putting sustainability at the forefront, it's easier than ever to travel responsibly. "Focus on what will really make a difference in the destination," says O'Shannon Burns, a sustainability officer for National Geographic Expeditions. Wherever you go, champion initiatives that benefit residents and support natural resources, she adds. With that in mind, here are eco-friendly spots where you can make a difference -- just in time for Earth Day.

Kenya

For a far-flung African safari that balances sustainable-development practices with one-of-a-kind wildlife-viewing opportunities, head to Kenya, says Leigh Barnes, regional director of North America at adventure tour outfitter Intrepid Travel. Kenya is a leader in ecotourism and began banning plastic bags in 2017, he explains. Plus, "you can connect with wildlife in an educational way," he adds. On Intrepid Travel's eight-day Kenya Wildlife Safari, you can catch sight of exotic animals and engage with members of the Maasai tribe in the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Meanwhile, small-tour travel outfitter G Adventures' eight-day round-trip safari (part of G Adventures' Jane Goodall Collection), helps women learn new skills through G Adventures for Good project at Ubuntu Cafe.

Bhutan

When it comes to ecotourism, "It isn't just the planet," says Steve Lima, G Adventures' director of marketing for the U.S. "It's trying to help and empower the people living on it," he adds. "With tourism, there's an ability to give back to these regions," he explains, pointing to Bhutan, the world's first carbon-negative country, as well as Norway and Costa Rica, which have both pledged to be carbon-neutral. Bhutan's verdant forests uniquely capture carbon, and the area also champions socioeconomic development and cultural preservation. On G Adventures' 10-day trip, which starts in the town of Paro, you can hike to legendary temples and monasteries and soak in dramatic views of the Himalayas while contributing to the local economy and conservation funding.

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British Columbia, Canada

For an off-the-beaten-track destination that's sustainability focused, visit British Columbia. At Nimmo Bay Wilderness Resort, one of National Geographic's Unique Lodges of the World, you can see the rainforest in a pristine environment, Burns explains. From sea lions to migrating salmon, wildlife-viewing opportunities abound, thanks to the resort's perch in the Great Bear Rainforest. The resort has been a trailblazer for its sustainability initiatives, including a water turbine energy system that generates electricity and provides an off-grid renewable energy source, giving guests the chance to decrease their impact on the environment and "literally tread lightly," Burns adds. You can book adventure trips with a wide range of venerable outfitters, including Maple Leaf Adventures and G Adventures.

The Galapagos

It's hard to resist the appeal of exploring the Galapagos Islands' diverse ecosystem. You can observe iconic giant tortoises, sea lions and birds, Burns explains. On National Geographic's small-ship cruise expeditions, you'll visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to learn about the area's endangered species and enjoy guided nature walks and hikes across diverse isles in the archipelago. A variety of other venerable tour outfitters offer eco-excursions to the Galapagos that aid conservation initiatives. G Adventures not only offers eco-minded trips, but the outfitter also aids community-driven tourism projects that support wildlife conservation and teach Floreana Island residents hospitality-management training through the Planeterra Foundation, its nonprofit arm.

Myanmar

With a mix of colonial buildings, beautiful pagodas and centuries-old Buddhist landmarks, it's easy to swoon over Myanmar's rich heritage and local charm. For a low-impact getaway, consider Intrepid Travel's 15-day trip. Beginning and finishing in Yangon, the trip takes visitors through the storied city of Bagan, past sacred religious and historical sites and into isolated villages. From Bagan, you can immerse yourself in the local culture at an off-the-beaten-track community lodge near Myaing and participate in Intrepid's ActionAid Myanmar project. What's more, Intrepid relies on local transportation options and funnels money into carbon offset programs. In fact, on this trip, Intrepid offsets 557 kilograms of carbon per traveler, making treading lightly and reducing carbon emissions a breeze.

Costa Rica

"In the summer [wet season], people don't necessarily think of Costa Rica as a great destination," Burns says. But with astounding biodiversity -- the country accounts for roughly 5 percent of the globe's animal species -- it's a can't-miss year-round destination for eco-conscious visitors. Costa Rica has made profound commitments to protect its local biodiversity and offset greenhouse gas emissions, and has pledged to become carbon-neutral by 2021, she adds. Consider retreating to Lapa Rios Eco Lodge, which was built to reflect its surroundings on a 1,000-acre reserve filled with animals such as howler monkeys and scarlet macaws. The lodge also works with a nonprofit to build solar panels, implement water pumps and provide electricity to local areas.

Liz Weiss is the Travel editor for Consumer Advice at U.S. News, where she writes and edits consumer-focused travel content that offers trip-planning inspiration and helps consumers make smarter travel decisions. She has been covering the travel industry for nearly five years at U.S. News & World Report. She also manages the En Route blog, and has been interviewed on a variety of outlets, including MarketWatch and Fortune. Prior to joining the Consumer Advice team, Liz oversaw the development and content creation for U.S. News Travel's Best Cruises, Best Travel Rewards and Best Vacations franchises. A native of Washington, D.C., she received a bachelor's degree from George Washington University. You can follow Liz on Twitter or email her at eweiss@usnews.com.
On his podcast, Nate Butkus has talked radiation with a US government scientist, evolution with a Harvard researcher, and, most recently, genome-editing with MITs Kevin Esvelt. But ask him his favorite moment from the 28 episodes so far, and it has to be when he belched during a taping.

So it goes when the podcast host is 6 years old.

With help from his producer (his dad, Eric Butkus), Nate has parlayed what he says has been his passion for science since birth into a podcast downloaded about 4,000 times each episode and even an appearance on Ellen DeGeneress show.

On the podcast, Nate injects a curiosity, excitement, and, yes, adorableness  he sang I Wanna Be Sedated with an emergency medicine doctor, for cutenesss sake  into what can suddenly become technical discussions about how radiation mutates DNA, the effects of sugar on the brain, and, on a Christmas-themed episode, the physics of invisibility. All that, and at least in early episodes, plenty of Ws in place of Rs and Ls.

Adam is a mawine biowogist, and I like Adam, Nate says in the second episode of The Show About Science, focused on sea creatures. He then goes on to ask Adam: What do you know about whales?

Read more: College students try to hack a gene drive  and set a science fair abuzz

The show was born in 2015 when Nate, then 5, told his dad he wanted to start a podcast.

Eric Butkus works in multimedia at the Journal of the American Medical Association, and the Butkuses, who live outside Chicago, had played around with the recording equipment there. (As Eric explained the history of the show in a recent phone call, Nate interrupted with an important update: By the way, I just got a new fish!) Eric, a former recording engineer, also had equipment stored away in the closet, so when the show began, he set it up for them in the attic.

Nates first guest was his mom (He said, Who do you want to call? and I said, My mom! explained Nate, who is an only child) and then he had some family friends on. But since then, hes spoken with scientists such as Yale ecologist Adam Rosenblatt, University of Michigan biologist Monica Dus, and Harvard Medical School geneticist Clifford Tabin. (He has a PhD and everything, Nate said as he introduced Tabin on the show.)

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Most of the time, Nate picks a topic and Eric finds a guest, generally a scientist or author. But for one episode, they were contacted to see if they would talk with Huban Gowadia, then the director of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office. Nates response: Who says no to the government?

And the guests all seem delighted to be talking with Nate.

Thats a great question, they tell him over and over, a bubbliness in their voices. And even when he asks maybe not the most scientifically relevant questions  Do alligators get headaches? And what happens when they get approached by a turtle?  the guests use them as launching pads to discuss other fascinating questions: Do you know how alligators communicate? (Males bellow to attract females.) Do you know how strong their bites are? (Perhaps the strongest of any animal thats ever lived.)

In a way, the basic questions Nate poses poke at the core elements of the subjects that made the scientists fall in love with their fields in the first place.

Nate is a sort of pure and undiluted incarnation of the awe and wonder that only the luckiest scientists manage to preserve into their professional careers, Esvelt wrote in an email to STAT. Listening to him rekindles that sense of astonishment that resides in the heart of everyone [who] ever loved science. Which, because all of us once were young, is just about everyone.

On their episode, Nate and Esvelt discussed the genome-editing technology CRISPR and whether it could be used to make a creature Nate had designed for a homework assignment, one with flaps of skin on its face, antennae, wings, a squiggly tail, and spikes on its back like a hedgehog.

Nate first heard about CRISPR on YouTube, and when asked by STAT why he wanted to do a show about it, Nate first provided a lesson: First of all, it stands for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats. He then added: I just love clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats.

On early episodes, Nate would repeat almost word-for-word what his guest had said, but now  perhaps both as a result of experience and being almost two years older  the show is much more of a conversation. During car rides, Nate and Eric would practice the skill of coming up with follow-up questions.

The show has been successful, Eric said, because talking to a 5- or 6-year-old forces scientists to explain their work in the most basic terms, with a sense of amazement for it all. It turns out that its enjoyable and enlightening to listen to those explanations, even as an adult.

Theres an understanding that happens, even with complicated topics, Eric said. And Nate makes it fun. Its that combination.

Nate has plenty of ideas for future episodes, including natural disasters and paralysis, and he hopes to one day talk with Bill Nye, and also Michael Phelps about the physics of swimming.

Long term, Nate said he wants to become a biochemist. But in the meantime, hes enjoying what hes doing.

At the end of one episode, one guest concluded: Thanks, Nate, that was fun. Nate responded: I bet it was.
By Hadley Keller. Photos courtesy of High Point Market and Mr. Brown.

Each April and October, the design world sees a migration of sorts. Much as certain species of bird and butterfly flock south for the winter, designers, editors, bloggers, publicists, and the design-savvy of all stripes board planes bound for North Carolina for the annual High Point Furniture Market for a week (or more) of seeing the latest furniture designs and doing more than a little hobnobbing. In anticipation of this season's market, which begins April 22, we take a fond look at the hilarious, frustrating, lovely, and downright odd details that bind marketgoers together and make High Point a truly unique experience.

1. Running into everyone you've ever worked with on the plane

If loungewear is your usual apparel of choice for travel, you may want to rethink that, and not for the sake of a certain airline's controversial rules: You're sure to run into everyone you've ever worked with, for, and around, or are hoping to impress on a single-aisle jet to Greensboro that somehow carries the entire design industry. A plane to the South hasn't been full of this much New York City black since the days before color film.

2. Running into everyone else you know at the Proximity

Just when you think you've said your hellos to everyone you could possibly know in the state of North Carolina, you check into the Proximity only to bump into someone new at the ice machine. Truly, who's holding down design showrooms across the country?

3. Pimento cheese, egg salad, and chili at the Parson's Table

Admit it: You were a bit skeptical the first time you were ushered into a church basement in downtown High Point with assurances that it held the best lunch in town (we all were). Lo and behold, the women of High Point's First United Methodist church do not disappoint: With their Southern hospitality and gentle-but-firm maternal urging, you're sure to leave stuffed with pimento cheese and more desserts than you'd care to count. When in Rome.

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4. Eating like you'll never see the South again

The food fest continues beyond the parish hall, no urging necessary. Whether your vice of choice is a Cookout milkshake, a Bojangles biscuit sandwich, or some good old-fashioned southern BBQ, one thing is certain: There's no juice cleansing in High Point.

5. Shopping

From the biannual Mottahedeh sale to Mr. Brown's warehouse and the barn at Schwung Home, there are endless opportunities to add to the weight of your carry-onor to make use of no fewer than 14 tote bags you're likely to have accrued by the end of the week.

6. Wishing you could live in the dorms

A sight especially jarring to those visiting from New York: the stately brick dorms at High Point University, replete with wrought-iron gates, neatly trimmed hedges, and, rumor has it, private pools. If you weren't already rethinking your cramped studio with its "charming" view of the restaurant below's air shaft (and all the accompanying smells), you are now. Is it too late to apply?

7. Getting lost in Market Square

No matter how many Aprils and Octobers you've spent at High Point, the lower levels of Market Square are a labyrinthine passage that seem to change with every turn like the stairwells at Hogwarts. Just give in to the confusion and stop to do some vintage shopping. No one will notice if you're late, anyway; everyone knows "High Point time" means 15 to 30 minutes behind.

8. After-hours at Printworks

Though you'll swear you're too exhausted for an after-hours drink, the bar at Printworks Bistro will inevitably beckon. Watch out for the infamous lady in the sofa-shaped hat as you toast to another successful market amid a sea of designers, editors, and publicists that reads like something between a high school reunion and an office Christmas party. You'll soon be secretly counting down the days until the next.

More: How to Make a Bed Like an Interior Designer

This story originally appeared on Architectural Digest.

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10 Incredible Dream Closets

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Jesce Horton is the owner of Panacea Valley Gardens, a cultivation center and boutique edibles line serving cannabis patients in Portland, Ore. (Photo: Robbie McClaran/Redux for Yahoo News)

Jesce Horton still remembers the advice his father often imparted to him while he was growing up.

Dont talk back to police, for example. Or, Dont reach for your wallet.

Marijuana, said the 34-year-old Horton, was always a big part of those conversations. It was something that can be used to hurt [you], to ruin your life.

For Horton, who grew up mostly in Virginia and South Carolina, this warning was more than just a hypothetical. His father had spent time in prison for a marijuana-related charge, and the consequences of that experience weighed heavily on his family.

According to an exclusive Yahoo News/Marist Poll, 86 percent of African-Americans support legalizing marijuana for medical use, while 53 percent support legalizing it for recreational use  percentages consistent with overall national opinion. But for African-American families, for whom both religion and the devastating impact of the war on drugs wield strong influence, warming up to weed has been a bit more complicated.

Black parents in this country have long sort of had the talk and had to instill in their children that what may be to other kids [just a] youthful indiscretion can have dire consequences for them, given the climate and the context of their lives, said Alyssa Aguilara, co-executive director of Vocal-NY, a grassroots organization that advocates for low-income communities affected by HIV/AIDS, the war on drugs and mass incarceration throughout New York state.



James L. Taylor, director of the African-American studies program at the University of San Francisco, studied the attitudes toward legalization of African-American voters in California as one of the co-authors of the book Somethings in the Air: Race, Crime, and the Legalization of Marijuana.

Contrary to what many people might perceive in pop culture and mass media, African Americans are very conservative in the state of California on the issue of legal marijuana  at least African American voters, who, Taylor points out, are not necessarily representative of the entire community. Those who tend to turn out and vote are middle class, bourgeois. Voters tend to be affiliated with black religious organizations.

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Overall, Taylor found that religion, more than anything, tends to shape attitudes around marijuana legalization.

That was certainly the case for Jacob Plowden, whose Southern Baptist family generally viewed weed as a taboo topic as he was growing up in Virginia Beach, Va., and later New York City.

You smoke, youre going to hell, Plowden said of his mothers views on marijuana. If you do drugs, youre obviously a bad person.

Even on his fathers side of the family, which was less religious, if anyone was using marijuana, they certainly didnt talk about it. In addition to their religious beliefs, Plowdens family was acutely aware that marijuana was illegal.

For his parents generation, weed was one of those things that you stayed away from because you didnt want the connotation of being a drug user or  [affiliated with a] criminal element.

Jacob Plowden of Cannabis Culture in April 2016. (Photo: Scott Bernstein)

By the time Plowden was born in 1991, marijuana had become a source of immense strife within the black community, with young black men in particular being incarcerated in disproportionate numbers owing to the war on drugs.

Since he was a kid, every time Plowden left the house, he said, his mom would warn him, Remember, youre black.

She still says that, said Plowden, now 26, laughing as he repeats his mothers three-word mantra meant to urge caution in virtually any situation, including those involving marijuana. Remember, youre black.

Despite their parents warnings, both Plowden and Horton experimented with marijuana and found it beneficial as well as enjoyable. For Plowden, it soothed the migraines and insomnia hed suffered ever since a major concussion at 12. For Horton, it helped him focus on schoolwork.

I think I had some form of ADD when I was younger, and it was just really hard for me to sit down and study that math problem, said Horton. But when I started consuming cannabis, things really changed a lot academically for me. Marijuana advocates cite anecdotal evidence of people self-medicating with pot for attention-deficit problems, but the National Institute on Drug Abuse adheres to the mainstream view that the drug is not conducive to academic achievement.

Horton credits marijuana with helping him earn a degree in industrial engineering from Florida State University. But at home, it remained a source of tension between Horton and his parents.

Horton said his father used to drug-test me in high school.

I would get home and my mom would be trying to look in my eyes to see if I was smoking, he said. It was really bad. We had a really bad relationship for a while just because of weed.

Their fears were hardly unwarranted. Before he became involved in Oregons legal cannabis industry more than four years ago, Horton had been arrested three times for marijuana possession.

Horton compares the prevalence of marijuana arrests in the black community to cancer, in that a lot of families have someone close to them whos been affected.

If you were to fill a room with people of color and ask, Do you know anyone whos been arrested for cannabis or spent time in prison as a part of the war on drugs? chances are, Horton suggested, youre going to see most of the hands raised.

So his parents unsurprisingly were less than thrilled when Horton quit his six-figure sales position at a major global engineering corporation to embark on a new career in Oregons burgeoning legal cannabis industry.

To his parents, the idea of giving up corporate success for cannabis was crazy. They cautioned, The white people there may be able to do that and be OK, but you know that if anything happens, youre kind of on your own. Youre the first one thats gonna get caught.

It definitely concerned me, without a doubt, Horton admitted. But Id spent a little bit of time in the market; I went around to all the conferences, and I just felt like the industry was legitimate enough that I wouldnt have to worry as much as I did when I was riding around in my car with a blunt.

As Horton began to explore the world of legal weed, however, he was struck by how white it was. After getting his own cultivation center and dispensary off the ground, Horton shifted his focus to figuring out how he could help more people of color do the same. He collaborated with minority business owners from different parts of the country and last year co-founded the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA), a national nonprofit that is equal parts advocacy organization and business networking association.

In addition to providing a network of contacts and educational resources for aspiring entrepreneurs of color, MCBA advocates for legislative changes to state and local policies that impose legal and financial barriers to legal weed for many would-be business owners and consumers of color.

Beyond its being a slap in the face to the communities hurt most by marijuana enforcement, Horton sees the legal industrys lack of diversity as a real hindrance to its potential for growth.

Its not just about doing the right thing and doing the moral thing, he said. But I think were in a unique industry where doing the right and the moral thing means more money, means more growth, means more sustainability.

Meanwhile, in New York, Plowden and his fellow co-founders at the nonprofit Cannabis Cultural Association are hoping to get ahead of this issue by educating people of color on the evolving city and state marijuana policies, and encouraging minority involvement in the ancillary products of the cannabis industry, such as vaporizers and hemp products.

We know we cant do the same things as California or Portland can do, but, Plowden insisted, its important to start having these conversations about diversity now.

The industry is coming, but if we dont have somewhat of a structure set up, we can stumble and put ourselves back 20 years, he said.

For both men, their missions to reshape the black communitys relationship with marijuana have led them to change the conversation within their own families.

About a year or two ago, Plowden broke his familys long-standing dont ask, dont tell policy and asked his great-aunt Molly if she smoked weed. Yes, she answered, adding, youre the first one in the family to honestly ask me that question. A few months later, she spoke at one of CCAs events about her experience with marijuana and the effects of drug laws on her family.

Even Plowdens mother has recently begun exploring medical marijuana as an option for dealing with skin cancer. However, she continues to implore her son to use caution, reminding him, Youre still a black man who is promoting something thats federally illegal.

More than four years after he gave up his comfortable corporate career, Horton says, his parents are very, very excited about his success in the legal cannabis industry.

Jesce Horton in the grow room at Panacea Valley Gardens in Portland, Ore. (Photo: Robbie McClaran/Redux for Yahoo News)

My dad sees that Im an entrepreneur now, he said. Im much, much happier than I was when I was in corporate.

Horton has also opened the door for other members of his family, like his cousin and brother, who both moved to Oregon to work with him. More than anything, though, marijuana is no longer the cause of family strife.

My dad is a cannabis consumer; he always has been, Horton said. Now we can finally smoke together.

_____

Read more from the Yahoo Weed & the American Family series:
TIRANA, Albania (AP)  Albania's prosecutor's office says 10 police officers and eight customs officials have been arrested for organizing illegal drugs traffic to nearby Italy.

A statement Monday said those arrested "had a form of cooperation" in two cases when trucks in Italy were found with 10 metric tons (11 tons) of cannabis after crossing from or through Albania.

They face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of drug trafficking.

Last year, Albanian authorities destroyed about 2.5 million marijuana plants, four times more than the year before, and seized several metric tons of cannabis at border crossing points or from boats bound for neighboring Greece and Italy.

But despite increased measures this year, dozens of tons of the drug have been seized in Italy or Greece after passing through Albania.
Military intelligence officers pointed out that separatist groups such as Hurriyat Conference have been calling for boycott of elections since early 1990s but this time the focus was on physical disruption and not boycott.

By Ajit Kumar Dubey: The stone-pelting protesters that attacked polling stations in Kashmir during April 9 byelections were no flash mobs but part of a coordinated attack planned by Pakistani spy agency ISI and their overground operatives in the Valley, sources in the military intelligence told Mail Today.

The polling registered lowest-ever voter turnout in the history of Jammu & Kashmir which also left eight civilian dead and over 100 security personnel injured. Radio intercepts with the Army establish that the violent disruption of electoral exercise was initiated from across the border, the sources said.

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"The Pakistani ISI and various Pakistan-backed terrorist groups had directed their network of over-ground workers to ensure that the electioneering process for Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency and Anantnag assembly seat were disrupted to showcase their capability to calibrate insurgency here," the sources said.

ISI MASTERMINDED THE CHAOS?

Military intelligence officers pointed out that separatist groups such as Hurriyat Conference have been calling for boycott of elections since early 1990s but this time the focus was on physical disruption and not boycott. "And they have been successful in doing so as less than eight per cent people voted in the Lok Sabha election in Srinagar while the Assembly poll had to be postponed till May 25," the officers admitted.

"We heard the chatter between ISI operatives and the terrorist leadership operating in the Valley. However, the messages were later spread by word of mouth to the local youth. Apparently, the network placed its faith on local stone-pelters to protest overtly who also threatened the workers of mainstream parties," the officers said.

EVIDENCE NAILS PAK'S ROLE

Hizbul Mujahideen commander Zakir Rashid Bhatt alias Moosa, the successor of slain terrorist Burhan Wani, issued warnings in localities to ensure that no one stepped out to vote, the sources said. According to Army estimates, there are 140-150 active terrorists of three main jihadi outfits, including Lashkar-e-Toiba with around 60 terrorists, a significant number of which belong to Pakistan, followed by the Hizbul with 40-50 operatives and the rest with Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Sources said PDP workers in Pulwama district were beaten up publicly by separatists to deter others from voting. At least two fresh videos have surfaced in the Valley in which a worker of the ruling PDP and a trader apologised for being associated with the mainstream party and were made to chant anti-India slogans at gunpoint.

In one of the videos, PDP worker Wali Mohammad Bhat said he should be forgiven for his past mistakes.

An AK-47 rifle can be seen held by a person off the camera. "I announce my disassociation from the party and urge people not to be associated with it," said a visibly scared Bhat who was made to shout anti-India slogans by the gun-toting men not visible in the frame.

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In the second video, a trade union leader, Bashir Ahmad Wani, said he would dissociate from all democratic activities. Wani also chanted anti-India slogans under duress. On polling day in Srinagar, mobs took to streets at different places across the Lok Sabha constituency. "The mobs even set ablaze a polling station and attempted to set afire two others which created an atmosphere of fear among the locals who did not take the risk of coming out to vote," the sources said.

Also read: Jammu and Kashmir: Security forces worried as stone-pelting incidents rise in rural areas

Also read: Pakistan condemned Kulbhushan Jadhav, but India provided fair trials to 27 Pakistani spies: sources

--- ENDS ---
Alex Jones speaks during a rally in support of Donald Trump near the Republican National Convention in 2016. (Photo: Brooks Kraft/Getty Images)

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones is just playing a character on his popular Infowars broadcast, according to his lawyer.

The question of whether or not Jones believes the myriad conspiracy theories he espouses daily or is simply putting on a performance has become an issue in a custody hearing between Jones and his ex-wife. Kelly Jones, who has been divorced from Alex Jones since 2015, is suing in Texas court for partial or sole custody of their three children.

According to an Austin American-Statesman report on the pretrial hearing, Jones attorney Randall Wilhite said that inferring Jones character based on his Infowars broadcasts would make as much sense as judging Jack Nicholson based on his performance as the Joker.

Hes playing a character, Wilhite said of Jones. He is a performance artist.

The judge, Orlinda Naranjo, said the case would not be about Infowars, which she said she had never seen or listened to until last week.

Infowars is one of the most popular conspiracy websites on the Internet. Among other claims he has advanced, Jones has suggested that the 9/11 attacks were an inside job perpetrated by the American government, that aspects of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre were faked, and that a Washington pizzeria was the headquarters of a pedophile ring involving Hillary Clintons campaign chief John Podesta. (Jones later apologized for his role in the Pizzagate theory after a frequent Infowars listener who said he was investigating the charges fired off shots inside the restaurant.)

Jones claims to have the ear of President Trump, and Trump the candidate did partake in a 30-minute interview with Jones in December 2015. Trump incorporated a few of Jones favorite theories into his campaign stops, including a riff on how the California drought was a hoax.

Your reputation is amazing, said Trump to Jones during the conversation. I wont let you down.

Jones wife is saying theres no difference between her former husband and the on-air personality who has threatened to beat up both actor Alec Baldwin and California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff in recent months.

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Im concerned that he is engaged in felonious behavior, threatening a member of Congress, said Kelly Jones during the pretrial hearing, per the American-Statesman. He broadcasts from home. The children are there, watching him broadcast. Jones children are aged 14, 12 and 9.

Jones said his comments about Schiff  whom he called a goddamn son of a bitch earlier this month  were clearly tongue-in-cheek and basically art performance.

One of Jones latest theories actually involves children  the children of former President Barack Obama. On Fridays edition of Infowars, he sat down with Mike Cernovich, the alt-right conspiracy theorist whom Donald Trump Jr. recently suggested should win the Pulitzer. Via Media Matters, Jones said, The word is those arent even his kids, in reference to Malia and Sasha Obama, to which Cernovich replied, Ive heard that too.

Journalist Jon Ronson, who has known Jones for nearly two decades and chronicled him in Them and The Elephant in the Room, told Yahoo News that he didnt think there was a difference between the performer and person.

Ive been talking to people close to Alex, and they have expressed surprise, said Ronson in an interview with Yahoo News. Theyve said to me, Thats not the Alex I know; Alex is exactly the same off camera and on camera. When I went to visit him in the summer, I noticed he was exactly the same off camera to on camera.

He added, Even 20 years ago at Bohemian Grove, there wasnt an on Alex and an off Alex. He was always the same. I honestly think the Alex you see on TV is Alex.

Beginning Monday, a jury will be selected at the Travis County Courthouse to sort out whether there is a difference between the public Jones and private Jones, and whether, when it comes to his fitness as a parent, it matters.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Photo credit: Getty

From Delish

Two of your favorite TV chefs are duking it out over pizza.

After the hot debate about putting pineapple on pizza set Twitter ablaze last month, Gordon Ramsay decided to finally weigh in. During an appearance on The Nightly Show, he told the audience "you don't put f*cking pineapple on pizza!"

GORDON RAMSAY HAS SPOKEN! PINEAPPLE DOESN'T BELONG ON PIZZA YOU PEASANTS pic.twitter.com/J1TKGgPRgj - Herbo (@HerbMcDerb) March 30, 2017

The colorful declaration made headlines for obvious reasons: One of the industry's most notable leaders had seemingly settled the age-old debate of whether Hawaiian style pizza is a beautiful masterpiece or a horrible tragedy. (We have to agree with Ramsay that it's definitely the latter.)

This, of course, only sparked the debate to grow even more, with brands like DiGiorno tossing in their two cents.

But now Alton Brown - the lovable Good Eats know-it-all and Cutthroat Kitchen host - has stuck his iron in the fire, clapping back to a tweet from People.com that claimed Ramsay had officially ended the argument.

"If I want pineapple on my pizza, I'll by God have it," he wrote. Whoa. Damn. Okay, Alton, no one is messing with your favorite tropical fruit.

@PeopleFood If I want pineapple on my pizza, I'll by God have it. - Alton Brown (@altonbrown) April 10, 2017

Unsurprisingly, the new flood of responses to both chefs' controversial statements have been pretty wild.

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@GordonRamsay @lucyamorris Oh and I suppose you're some kind of 'expert' on food are you?? - Leigh in Space (@leighformayor) April 4, 2017

Meanwhile, Ramsay maintains that this isn't really a battle. "It's not a war ... it's the truth," he wrote on Twitter. But when two big wigs are in direct opposition of one another - and each feel so passionately about their opinion - you can't help but assume they're low-key fighting.

At least this isn't nearly as bad as dipping slices of 'pizza in milk. That *still* makes us shudder.

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Photo: Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

More Americans favor some form of marijuana legalization than oppose it, an exclusive new Yahoo News/Marist Poll, Weed & the American Family, found.

And thats especially true for medical marijuana. According to the survey of 1,122 adults conducted March 1 through 7, more than eight in 10 (83 percent) support legalizing pot for medicinal purposes. Nearly all marijuana users (98 percent) back legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes, including 94 percent of those who have tried marijuana at least once. And 88 percent of millennials agree.

When it comes to recreational marijuana, the country is much more divided. According to the poll, 49 percent of Americans support legalizing marijuana for recreational use, while 47 percent oppose it. But a majority of parents (53 percent) oppose recreational use. Those who support legalization of recreational marijuana include an overwhelming 89 percent of pot users and 70 percent of people who have tried using it.

By way of comparison, a Gallup Poll in October 2016 found the highest-ever level of support for legalizing marijuana  60 percent  although that question didnt distinguish between medical and recreational use.

Currently, 29 U.S. states and the District of Columbia have laws legalizing medical marijuana. Eight, including Colorado, Washington and Oregon, plus D.C., have now legalized recreational marijuana.

Meanwhile, a majority (65 percent) of Americans surveyed by the Yahoo News/Marist Poll think the Trump administration should either continue the Obama administrations policy of allowing states to decide their own policies toward recreational marijuana or loosen up federal pot restrictions. Thirty percent think the Trump administration should be tougher when it comes to enforcing those laws.

And while there is broad support for medical marijuana, Americans are split on whether pot should be prescribed to children if it is legal and medically indicated. According to the Yahoo News/Marist Poll, 47 percent of adults  and 48 percent of parents  believe that it should be allowed, compared with 46 percent of Americans and 44 percent of parents who disagree.

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One thing most Americans agree about is pot and pregnancy: 69 percent of Americans do not think it is acceptable for a pregnant woman to use marijuana to ease the discomfort of her pregnancy, including nearly half of pot users.

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Read more from the Yahoo Weed & the American Family series:
By Andrew M. Seaman (Reuters Health) - Antidepressant use right before and during pregnancy may be linked with a higher risk of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children, hints a new analysis of past research. But pregnant women on antidepressant medications should not stop taking them, because the data that tie their use in pregnancy to ASDs are weak, said the study's senior author. Additionally, there could be consequences to not treating depression during pregnancy. "Each prescription should be evaluated individually," said Dr. Florence Gressier, of the Bicetre University Hospital in Le Kremlin-Bicetre, France. Gressier and colleagues write in JAMA Pediatrics that up to 15 percent of women have depression during pregnancy. Women with untreated depression are at an increased risk of complications and poor follow up for a number of chronic health conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. The use of antidepressants during pregnancy is increasing around the world, write the researchers. The most popular ones, known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are linked to a number of risks and some benefits during pregnancy. The researchers add that other research suggests children exposed to antidepressants in the womb are at an increased risk for ASDs, which the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health says are a group of developmental disorders that may affect communication, social and other skills. For the new analysis, the researchers combed academic databases for studies that examined the link between antidepressant exposure in the womb and the risk of ASDs. They found 10 studies with mixed results. When the researchers looked at six studies with 117,737 participants that compared people with autism to people without, they found that children were 81 percent more likely to be diagnosed with an ASD if they were exposed to antidepressants during pregnancy. Some of that excess risk, however, could be explained by the mothers' past history of mental illness. The researchers found similar results when they looked at antidepressant exposure during specific trimesters. There was no link between antidepressant use during pregnancy and ASDs when the researchers looked at two studies that followed 772,331 children over time. Data from four studies did show 77 percent higher odds of ASDs among children born to women who used antidepressants before pregnancy, however. "I think this is one of these situations where this gets a lot of attention in the media, but the results are actually pretty challenging to interpret," said Dr. Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele, of the Columbia University Department of Psychiatry in New York. "In some ways, the strongest association with preconception exposure and increased risk of ASDs suggests to me at least there is something hidden here." Veenstra-VanderWeele, who was not involved with the new analysis, told Reuters Health it's difficult to account for several factors that may also explain the increased risk of ASDs. For example, the researchers can't control for the severity of the mother's mental illness and how resistant it is to treatment. "From my perspective, the data on antidepressant use during pregnancy in relation to autism risk would not prevent me from prescribing these medicines," he said. More detailed data are required, Gressier told Reuters Health. For example, researchers should collect data on - among other things - the mothers' depression during pregnancy, depression severity, if the mothers are taking their medications, the dose of the medication and use of other substances. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2nWhjXs JAMA Pediatrics, online April 17, 2017.
CAIRO (AP)  Egypt's Copts, one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, marked a solemn Easter this year, a week after suicide bombers struck churches in two cities, killing dozens of worshippers.

Pope Tawadros II presided over Easter Mass late Saturday at St. Mark's Cathedral in Cairo, with several government ministers in attendance, but cancelled the normally joyous Easter morning celebrations out of mourning for the 45 people killed on Palm Sunday.

It's a dark chapter in the history of a community that traces its roots back to St. Mark, an apostle of Jesus and a Gospel author. Tradition holds that Mark established the Coptic church just a decade or two after Jesus' death and resurrection, which Easter commemorates. Today the Copts make up around 10 percent of Egypt's 92 million people.

A look at Egypt's Coptic community, its traditions and challenges in the Middle East:

WHAT COPTS BELIEVE

Copts believe in the Ten Commandments and practice sacraments such as baptism, confession and confirmation and the intercession of the saints. But the Coptic Orthodox Church split from other Christians in 451 A.D. over a dispute about the nature of Christ. Unlike Roman Catholics, they do not believe in papal infallibility or purgatory. They believe in the immaculate conception of Jesus, but not of the Virgin Mary. Their priests can marry.

Copts celebrate Christmas according to the Julian calendar, meaning it falls on Jan. 7. The run-up to the holiday is marked by a 40-day period of fasting when red meat, poultry and dairy products are forbidden. Copts break the fast with feasting and celebrations after a Christmas Eve liturgy that ends near midnight. Easter is preceded by a 55-day fast where no meat, fish or dairy is eaten.

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PERSECUTION IN MODERN TIMES

In modern times, relations with Muslims have been generally good, although changes started to come about since the hyper-nationalism of the 1950s stoked by military strongman Gamal Abdel-Nasser. In Nasser's drive to liberate the country from Western influence and purify the Arab nation, Christians  whose religion is more often practiced in the West  began to take on a less favorable light among the majority Muslim masses.

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Many Copts consider themselves to be descendants of the ancient Egyptians, with a direct connection to pre-Arab times  hardly a view that made them popular in the days of pan-Arabism. As conditions in Egypt worsened following a series of Middle East wars, the Copts began an exodus. President Anwar Sadat's overtures to Islamists and his addition of references to Islamic Law, or Shariah, to the constitution spurred on the departures, and millions of Copts live as expatriates today.

Although generally allowed to practice their religion inside Egypt, Copts face restrictions on inter-religious marriage and are banned from proselytizing to Muslims. Activists say Copts are discriminated against and kept from high office, and have campaigned to have religions removed from Egyptian ID cards.

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TARGETED BY EXTREMISTS

While sectarian killings did happen as early as the 1970s, they have been mostly sporadic over the years, with the exception of the 1990s, when the state battled an Islamic insurgency and Copts faced some retaliation.

On New Years' Eve 2011, a bomb in an Alexandria church killed over 20 people  the first major assault with a high death toll in living memory and a crime still unsolved to this day. Attacks picked up in the aftermath of the army's overthrow of an elected but divisive Islamist president in 2013.

Last December, an Islamic State suicide bomber killed 30 people at Cairo's Coptic Cathedral. The extremist group pledged more attacks on the Christian minority, which it views as an ally of the West in a war against Islam.

In February, a series of murders and killings claimed by IS in northern Sinai led hundreds of families to leave the area for safer parts of Egypt.
North Korea paraded its intercontinental ballistic missiles in a massive military display over the weekend, with ruler Kim Jong Un looking on with delight as his nation flaunted its increasingly sophisticated military hardware amid rising regional tensions. Kim did not speak during the annual parade, which celebrates the 1912 birthday of his late grandfather Kim Il Sung, North Korea's founding ruler, but a top official warned that the North would stand up to any threat posed by the United States.

In other images from the Asia-Pacific region last week, two young women accused of poisoning Kim Jong Nam appeared in court as their lawyers said Malaysian police still have not handed over security camera footage and documents crucial to the defense. Siti Aisyah, from Indonesia, and Doan Thi Huong of Vietnam are the only suspects in custody in the Feb. 13 killing of Kim, the estranged half brother of North Korea's ruler. Four North Korean suspects fled the country the day of the murder, police say.

Security forces in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir opened fire on crowds of people who attacked polling stations where voting for a by-election was taking place, killing five and injuring at least a dozen.

Trained elephants sprayed motorists and passers-by with water in Thailand's old capital city of Ayutthaya welcome in the Buddhist New Year, known as "Songkran." The jumbos from an elephant camp in Ayutthaya were brought out to rake passing traffic, soak passengers in open vehicles and spray anyone foolish or brave enough to venture within range.

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This gallery was curated by Associated Press photo editor Toru Takahashi in Tokyo.
According to The Doctor, books are the best weapons in the world.

So Whovians should take great pleasure in knowing that the Oxford English Dictionary is adding one of the most important wibbly wobbly, timey wimey terms from Doctor Who as an official word.

Yes, it's truecome June 2017, the dictionary will define the famous extension of The Doctor himself, his go-to tool: the sonic screwdriver.

SEE ALSO: This beautiful crystal TARDIS is a fine send-off for Peter Capaldi's Doctor

Oxford Dictionaries announced the exciting news in a brilliant blog post, reminding us all that much like the Tardis, an Oxford English Dictionary is magical, blue, and far more expansive than it appears from the outside.

As you can see from the preview image below, the versatile tool is defined as "a (hand-held) electronic device which uses sound waves to perform various mechanical and technical functions. Originally and chiefly in (or in reference to) the British television series Doctor Who."

Image: oxford dictionary

It should also be noted the tool was recently referenced in WikiLeaks dump, which proves it truly is all the rage right now.

The screwdriver will be joining several of the dictionary's existing Doctor Who entries, like TARDIS, Dalek, and Cyberman. We've got a feeling it won't be the last.

12th Doctor's sonic screwdriver.

Image: BRITTANY HERBERT/MASHABLE

After all, in over 900 years of time and space, The Doctor has never come across a word that wasn't important. 

WATCH: If the Doctor had a bad day on 'Doctor Who'
(PANMUNJOM, South Korea) - Viewing his adversaries in the distance, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence traveled to the tense zone dividing North and South Korea and warned Pyongyang that after years of testing the U.S. and South Korea with its nuclear ambitions, the era of strategic patience is over.

Pence made an unannounced visit to the Demilitarized Zone at the start of his 10-day trip to Asia in a U.S. show of force that allowed the vice president to gaze at North Korean soldiers from afar and stare directly across a border marked by razor wire. As the brown bomber jacket-clad vice president was briefed near the military demarcation line, two North Korean soldiers watched from a short distance away, one taking multiple photographs of the American visitor.

Pence told reporters near the DMZ that President Donald Trump was hopeful that China would use its extraordinary levers to pressure the North to abandon its weapons program, a day after the Norths failed missile launch. But Pence expressed impatience with the unwillingness of the regime to move toward ridding itself of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

Pointing to the quarter-century since North Korea first obtained nuclear weapons, the vice president said a period of patience had followed.

Read More: The Trump Administration Has a New North Korea Strategy: Maximum Pressure

But the era of strategic patience is over, Pence declared. President Trump has made it clear that the patience of the United States and our allies in this region has run out and we want to see change. We want to see North Korea abandon its reckless path of the development of nuclear weapons, and also its continual use and testing of ballistic missiles is unacceptable.

The vice president visited a military installation near the DMZ, Camp Bonifas, for a briefing with military leaders. He also met with American troops stationed at the joint U.S.-South Korean military camp, which is just outside the 2.5-mile (4.02-kilometer)-wide DMZ. Under rainfall, Pence later stood a few meters from the military demarcation line outside Freedom House, gazing at the North Korean soldiers across the border.

Story continues

Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, speaking to a parliamentary session Monday, said: Needless to say, diplomatic effort is important to maintain peace. But dialogue for the sake of having dialogue is meaningless.

We need to apply pressure on North Korea so they seriously respond to a dialogue with the international community, he said, urging China and Russia to play more constructive roles on the issue. deforested stretch of North Korea from a lookout post in the hillside.

Pences visit, full of Cold War symbolism, came amid increasing tensions and heated rhetoric on the Korean Peninsula. While the North did not conduct a nuclear test, the specter of a potential test and an escalated U.S. response has trailed Pence as he undertakes his Asian tour.

Read More: President Trump: China and the U.S. Are Working Together on North Korea Problem

Trump wrote Sunday on Twitter that China was working with the United States on the North Korea problem. His national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, said the U.S. would rely on its allies as well as Chinese leadership to resolve the issues with North Korea.

McMaster cited Trumps recent decision to order missile strikes in Syria after a chemical attack blamed on the Assad government, as a sign that the president is clearly comfortable making tough decisions. But at the same time, McMaster said on This Week on ABC that its time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully.

Pence told reporters that the North Korean people and military should not mistake the resolve of the United States of America to stand with our allies, calling the alliance iron-clad. He said the U.S. and its allies would deal with the situation through peaceable means or ultimately by whatever means are necessary.

After a two-month policy review, the Trump administration settled on a policy dubbed maximum pressure and engagement, U.S. officials said Friday. The administrations immediate emphasis, they said, was to be on increasing pressure on Pyongyang with the help of Beijing.

The officials werent authorized to speak publicly on the results of the policy review and requested anonymity.

Read More: A Row With China Over U.S. Missiles Is Devastating South Koreas Tourism Industry

Pence sought to explain the policy in meetings with South Korea Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn and other top officials in Seoul at the start of the trip, which will also include stops in Japan, Indonesia and Australia. He will aim to reassure allies in South Korea and Japan that the U.S. will take appropriate steps to defend them against North Korean aggression.

The concerns were exacerbated after a North Korean missile exploded during launch on Sunday, U.S. and South Korean officials said. The high-profile failure came as the North tried to showcase its nuclear and missile capabilities around the birth anniversary of the Norths late founder and as a U.S. aircraft carrier neared the Korean Peninsula.

The Trump administration is hoping that China will help rein in North Korea in exchange for other considerations. Last week, Trump said he would not declare China a currency manipulator, pulling back from a campaign promise, as he looked for help from Beijing, which is the Norths dominant trade partner.

Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem? We will see what happens! Trump tweeted on Sunday.

Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem? We will see what happens! - Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 16, 2017

Along with the deployment of the U.S. aircraft carrier and other vessels into waters off the Korean Peninsula, thousands of U.S. and South Korean troops, tanks and other weaponry were deployed last month in their biggest joint military exercises. That led North Korea to issue routine threats of attacks on its rivals if they show signs of aggression.

The White House foreign policy adviser traveling with Pence told reporters that the type of missile that North Korea tried to fire on Sunday was medium-range, and that it exploded about 4 to 5 seconds after it was launched.

The North regularly launches short-range missiles, but is also developing mid-range and long-range missiles meant to target U.S. troops in Asia and, eventually, the U.S. mainland.

North Korea has conducted five nuclear tests, including two last year. Recent satellite imagery suggests the country could conduct another underground nuclear test at any time.

This article was originally published on TIME.com
Your favorite bunch of a-holes will return, and so will their faithful captain.

Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 writer and director James Gunn has confirmed he'll be back to write and direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which has not yet announced a release date.

SEE ALSO: A chat with Kurt Russell, aka Ego the Living Planet in 'Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2'

Gunn dropped the announcement on his Facebook page, explaining that he'd only come to the decision after a lot of thought. "I needed to know it was, in my heart, what I truly felt called to do," he wrote. "I have never made choices in my career based on anything other than passion and love for the stories and characters, and I didnt want to start now."

He continued:

This is the closest thing we've gotten to an official confirmation that Vol. 3 is happening  not that it should come as a surprise. The first Guardians was a smash hit and there's every reason to believe the second will do even better.

However, Vol. 3 sounds like it could be the end for the Guardians, or at least for this team of Guardians with this filmmaker at the helm.

Although next month's Vol. 2 represents the 15th(!) entry in the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe, the franchise has yet to go beyond a third film for any of its standalone franchises. There's no Captain America 4 or Thor 4, at least not yet.

That's not to say it can't happen, or that these characters can't continue on in some other capacity. Iron Man, for example, may not have had a solo film since Iron Man 3 in 2013, but since then he's appeared in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War, and he'll pop up again this summer in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

In other words, don't get to mourning the loss of Baby Groot just yet  who knows, he could yet stick around after Vol. 3.

Disney has not announced an official release date for Vol. 3, but if they continue churning out these films at the usual rate, we're probably looking at a target date around 2020.

Story continues

And Gunn, for one, sounds eager to hit the ground running. "I wake up every day pinching myself that theyd allow this punk rock kid from Missouri to help create this wonderful universe, and to not only allow but encourage creative freedom while doing so," he wrote.

"I cant fricking wait to get started."

WATCH: Go behind-the-scenes of this homemade 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' trailer
A pirate is lurking in northern Canada, and global warming is only making it stronger.

The Alsek River recently stole water flowing into the Slims River and took it for itself, a phenomenon known as "river piracy"  which scientists blame on a massive retreating glacier distributing water in new ways.

The development is the first known case of river piracy in the modern era, and it's the first to be pinned in part on climate change, researchers wrote in a study published Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience.

It also points to an unexpected consequence of human-caused global warming.

SEE ALSO: NASA photos capture a strange new crack in a massive Greenland glacier and we might be doomed

"So far, a lot of the scientific work surrounding glaciers and climate change has been focused on sea-level rise," Dan Shugar, the study's lead author and a geoscientist at the University of Washington, Tacoma, said in a news release. "Our study shows there may be other under-appreciated, unanticipated effects of glacial retreat."

A Sept. 2, 2016, photo shows the meltwater stream along the toe of Kaskawulsh Glacier, on the left, that is diverting fresh water from one river to the other.

Image: Dan Shugar/University of Washington Tacoma

The river piracy began last year at the edge of the massive Kaskawulsh Glacier, which spans some 15,000 square miles across Canada's Yukon territory. For hundreds of years, the glacier poured meltwater into river basins of the Slims, which ends in the Bering Sea, and the Kaskawulsh, which empties into the Gulf of Alaska.

Researchers found that a new, 100-foot canyon in the glacier's toe had abruptly rerouted meltwater away from a glacial lake that feeds the Slims River and instead delivered that water to the Kaskawulsh River, which feeds the Alsek River.

As a result, the Alsek River  a popular whitewater rafting destination  ran higher than normal last summer, bloated with stolen water.

The Slims River, meanwhile, was rapidly reduced to a trickle. Kluane Lake, which is fed by the river, was so low that residents struggled to launch their boats. Dust swirled in the parched valley, making it hard to fly on certain days, Yukon News reported last June.

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Satellite images in 2015 and 2016 show a dramatic drop in the Slims River's flow. The receding toe of Kaskawulsh Glacier is seen at the bottom. Kluane Lake isseen at the top of the 2016 image.

Image: European space agency

Shugar and his co-authors, including Jim Best at the University of Illinois and John Clague at Canada's Simon Fraser University, had originally planned to study the Slims River in August 2016.

Instead, they found "a long, skinny lake," Shugar said. Gauges showed that the river, once 10 feet deep, had dropped suddenly from May 26 to 29, not long after the canyon was formed in the glacier.

"Day by day we could see the water level dropping," he said.

Scientists said there are two main reasons why the Kaskawulsh Glacier has retreated by about mile over the last century. After expanding during a cold period centuries ago, known as the Little Ice Age, the glacier is naturally readjusting its size in these warmer times.

But it's also melting in part because of greenhouse gases. The team found only a tiny probability  0.5 percent  that the glacier's retreat could have happened in a "constant climate," meaning there's a 99.5 percent probability that the glacier is responding to modern climate change.

The ice fields of Ellesmere Island, Canada, are retreating due to warming temperatures.

Image: Mario Tama/Getty Images

"I always point out to climate-change skeptics that Earth's glaciers are becoming markedly smaller, and that can only happen in a warming climate," Clague, one of the co-authors, said in the news release.

Canadian scientists who observed this river piracy last year were more ambivalent about the role of human-driven global warming in the glacier's retreat.

"Would this particular event have happened without anthropogenic climate change? Probably," Kristen Kennedy, a geologist with the Yukon Geological Survey, told the Yukon News last summer.

"It's neat to see. It's really just an interesting natural phenomenon that's happening right before our eyes, and not very many people get to see something like this," she said.

But outside scientists praised Monday's study and said it was significant.

Richard Alley, a glacier expert at Pennsylvania State University who wasn't part of the study, told the Associated Press that the findings reconfirm "that climate change has large, widespread and sometimes surprising impacts."

WATCH: NASA timelapse shows just how quickly our Arctic sea ice is disappearing
Sharmila had gone to her parent's place in Senthurai where she had a heated argument with them over her affair.

By Pramod Madhav: A seven-month pregnant woman was killed by her parents at Ariyalur district of Tamil Nadu for having an illicit affair.

26-year-old Sharmila had gone to her parent's house in Senthurai to get her son with her to Chennai. She was found dead the next day with blood oozing out of her eyes and nose at her relatives house.

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Upon investigation, it was discovered that Sharmila split with her husband with whom she had her first child 3 years ago and was now living with her lover Kalairajan in Chennai. She had conceived again and had gone to meet her son in Senthurai and bring him to Chennai with her. An altercation took place between her parents, who demanded that she leave her lover, abort her child and go back to her husband.

Her parents insisted that Kalairajan being her relative was her brother and their relationship was unacceptable.

Sharmila blatantly refused to listen to her parents. Police claimed that out of rage, Sharmila's parents attacked her. Four members of the family have been arrested by Senthurai police in the case including Sharmila's father and mother.

Also read: Tamil Nadu: Sivagangai Jallikattu attempts Guinness record, ends in tragedy with 2 deaths

Also read: Delhi: Personal enmity biggest cause of murders in city

--- ENDS ---
If you live in Arizona, give a nice warm welcome to your newest police officer: a lizard.

That's right, the Avondale Police Department has officially sworn in Iroh the bearded dragon, and have given him a badge and everything. Photos of the momentous occasion were shared on the department's Facebook page.

SEE ALSO: Badass bird stuntin' for security camera is definitely up to something

Iroh first came into police work last year, when the police department announced on April Fool's Day that the bearded dragon would be joining their ranks with a specialty in dug detection.

"Research has shown that reptiles possess a strong sense of smell making their ability to detect certain illicit drugs possibly more accurate than K9s," the Facebook announcement read.

Even though having a bearded dragon on the force was obviously a prank, Iroh became somewhat of a fixture within Avondale police. Pictures were posted on Facebook of the lizard sitting in on paperwork and even working the radar gun.

Officer Iroh has clearly earned his badge. We have no doubts he will wear it with honor and distinction.

WATCH: Why get a puppy when you can have a snuggly lizard instead?
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP)  The U.S. Supreme Court blocked Arkansas from beginning a series of executions Monday. But the state has vowed to press ahead with plans to execute several inmates before the end of April, when its supply of a key lethal injection expires.

Arkansas' death penalty protocol includes two drugs that are typically used in surgery and one that benefits cardiac patients.

A look at the drugs:

___

MIDAZOLAM

Midazolam is the key drug in the procedure and one that Arkansas hasn't yet used in an execution. It would be the first of the three drugs administered and would be used to sedate the inmate. Because the state's supply reaches its expiration date April 30, Arkansas scheduled eight executions before then.

At normal adult doses of around 4 mg for routine surgery, midazolam can slow or stop breathing to the point that medical literature advises doctors to monitor patients closely. With a 500 mg dose listed in the state's execution protocol, Arkansas expects that the inmates will not be aware they are dying.

In federal court testimony last week, doctors differed on whether midazolam is an appropriate execution drug, though the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in 2015 that it is.

U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker had said Saturday that Arkansas' execution protocol doesn't outline what would happen if the inmate were to remain conscious even if given a double dose. She also said the protocol doesn't lay out what executioners intend to do to ensure that the inmates are unconscious. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday reversed her decision.

In typical medical settings, midazolam relaxes people and produces amnesia.

Using redacted drug labels, The Associated Press identified West-Ward Pharmaceuticals Corp. as the likely manufacturer of Arkansas' midazolam supply.

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VECURONIUM BROMIDE

The second drug, vecuronium bromide, is a muscle relaxant, but not in the typical sense. Rather than being prescribed for tightness or muscle pain, vecuronium is used to prevent muscles from moving so they don't interfere with surgeons. After receiving the drug, patients must be on a ventilator or they will suffocate because their diaphragm cannot move.

Story continues

One doctor testified that being given vecuronium bromide without sedation and ventilation would be equivalent to being held underwater. The typical dose is up to .1 mg/kg intravenously, or 8.5 mg for the typical inmate set to die this month. Under Arkansas' protocol, executioners would administer 100 mg, or more than 11 times the typical dose, five minutes after the midazolam is administered and once the inmate is unconscious.

The AP last year used redacted drug labels to identify Hospira, which was purchased by Pfizer, as the likely manufacturer of Arkansas' vecuronium bromide. The supplier McKesson Corp. has said it sold Arkansas the drug for use in inmate health care, not executions.

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POTASSIUM CHLORIDE

Potassium is essential for maintaining a proper heart rhythm, and levels that are too high or too low can cause heart trouble. Medical experts who testified before Baker said that the final drug, potassium chloride, causes considerable pain when injected and is typically diluted when given to patients.

A typical dose is 20 milliequivalents delivered over several hours. Arkansas plans to use 240 mEq immediately after the inmate is injected with vecuronium bromide.

The director of the Arkansas Department of Correction, Wendy Kelley, testified last week that Arkansas was not charged for its current supply of potassium chloride. She said the supplier wished to remain anonymous and did not want to generate a bill of sale so there would be a smaller chance of being identified.

Fresenius Kabi USA, a subsidiary of the German company Fresenius Kabi, said last week that it appeared to have manufactured the potassium chloride the state plans to use.

___

Follow Kelly P. Kissel on Twitter at https://twitter.com/kisselAP and go to http://bigstory.ap.org/author/kelly-p-kissel to see his work.
Asian markets moved cautiously Monday even as Chinese economic growth data beat expectations, with geopolitical concerns weighing on sentiment.

China's economy grew 6.9 percent in the first quarter of 2017, government data showed, marking the second quarterly improvement since the final three months of 2014.

The reading was better than the median analyst expectation of 6.8 percent in an AFP poll, and up on the fourth quarter figure.

But tensions on the Korean peninsula continued to affect markets Monday as US Vice President Mike Pence warned North Korea not to test President Trump's resolve during a visit to the heavily militarised border between the two Koreas.

Relations between Pyongyang and Washington have reached new lows in recent weeks as a series of North Korean weapons tests have prompted warnings from Trump's administration.

Trump last week ordered a naval strike group led by the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier to the region, though the vessels remain a long way from the peninsula.

Shanghai fell 0.7 percent, Singapore dropped 0.8 percent while Manila and Jakarta were also down.

"China's financial regulation coupled with geopolitical risks surrounding North Korea have heightened risk aversion and put pressure on stocks," Ken Chen, an analyst at KGI Securities Co. in Shanghai, told Bloomberg News.

But he added that "the downside should be limited as first-quarter figures showed economic fundamentals remained sound."

Monday's figures also showed China's industrial output growth rose to 7.6 percent year-on-year in March, beating a Bloomberg estimate of 6.3.

The readings follow data showing robust foreign trade and a further expansion in factory activity driven by a pickup in production and demand last month.

Elsewhere, Hong Kong and Sydney were closed for a holiday, but Seoul rose 0.5 percent.

Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei 225 index -- which closed at a 2017 low on Friday -- also snapped a four day losing streak to gain 0.1 percent.

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Shoichiro Yamauchi, an equity market strategist at Nomura Securities, told Bloomberg that bargain buying helped drag the Japanese market out of the red.

"Japanese shares already declined over the possibility of military action over North Korea last week, and they're fairly cheap," Yamauchi said.

"Technical indicators are signalling shares are in oversold territory, and some investors appear to be short-covering."

Jittery traders nonetheless continued to push into the yen, which is seen as a safe investment in times of turmoil or uncertainty.

In Tokyo, the dollar weakened to 108.37 yen from 108.91 yen in Asia on Friday.

Oil also fell below $53 a barrel amid tensions in the Korean peninsula and on news of increased US drilling activity.

- Key figures around 0730 GMT -

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.1 percent to 18,355.26 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng: CLOSED

Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.7 percent to 3,222.17

Euro/dollar: UP at 1.0639 from $1.0616

Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2539 from $1.2523

Dollar/yen: DOWN at 108.29 yen from 108.91 yen

Oil - West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 40 cents to $52.78

Oil - Brent North Sea: DOWN 42 cents to $55.47

New York - Dow: DOWN 0.7 percent at 20,453.25 (close)

London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.3 percent at 7,327.59 (close)
Berlin (AFP) - Miko from Berlin may only be five, but he already has 1,000 euros ($1,063) per month to live on -- not from hard graft, but as part of an experiment into universal basic income.

He is one of 85 people, including around 10 children, chosen by startup Mein Grundeinkommen (My Basic Income) to receive the payments for a year since 2014.

Founder Michael Bohmeyer has set out to prove to a sceptical public in Germany and further afield that the universal basic income (UBI) idea is workable.

"Thanks to my first startup, I got a regular income, my life became more creative and healthy. So I wanted to launch a social experiment," 31-year-old Bohmeyer told AFP.

And he wasn't alone in wanting to test the idea, as some 55,000 donors have stumped up the cash for the payments in a "crowdfunding" model -- with the final recipients picked out in a "wheel of fortune" event livestreamed online.

Mother Birgit Kaulfuss said little Miko "can't really understand, but for the whole family it was exhilarating" when he was chosen -- offering a chance to live "in a more relaxed way" and take a first-ever family holiday.

- Trying things out -

"Everyone sleeps more soundly and no one become a layabout," Bohmeyer said of his beneficiaries.

Recipients' experiences range from a welcome spell without financial worries to major turning points in their lives.

"Without day-to-day pressures, you can be more creative and try things out," Valerie Rupp told public broadcaster ARD in a recent interview.

She was able both to take care of her baby and start a career as a decorator -- even as her husband, newly arrived from Mali, was taking German lessons.

Winners have left jobs that were doing little more for them than put bread on the table to become teachers, taken time out to address chronic illness, broken alcohol addiction, taken care of loved ones, or paid for children's studies.

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"It's at once a gift and a prompt" to make a change, explained Astrid Lobeyer, who used the money to give eulogies at funerals and studied the therapeutic Alexander technique, a method for relieving stress in the muscles.

Bohmeyer's experiment has fascinated social media and boosted discussion about a universal income in Germany.

At the same time, Finland is testing the idea with 2,000 homeless recipients and the idea is a flagship policy for French Socialist presidential candidate Benoit Hamon.

- Reward for laziness? -

In 2009, the German parliament flatly rejected a petition from some 50,000 Germans demanding a universal income.

Nevertheless, some 40 percent of the public still think it's a good idea, according to a survey last June by pollsters Emnid.

Supporters have formed a campaign group called "Buendnis Grundeinkommen" (Basic income federation) with their sights on September's legislative elections, but so far no major party has taken up the cause.

There are pockets of support among left-wingers, the right, Catholic organisations and even industry leaders, whose reasoning ranges from fighting poverty to simplifying bureaucracy or smoothing the transition into the digital era.

Resistance to the idea is more focused, centering on how UBI would change people's relationship to work.

Right-wingers dismiss it as a "reward for laziness", while the Social Democratic Party (SPD) worried in 2006 about unemployed recipients being "labelled useless" rather than getting help to find jobs.

Meanwhile, major unions like IG Metall and Verdi denounce the idea as a "liberal Trojan horse" that would "boost inequality" by paying millionaires and poor people alike.

- Thankless jobs -

Mein Grundeinkommen is "poorly thought out" as a response to broader social questions, University of Freiburg economist Alexander Spermann told AFP.

The startup's 20 employees eat up "60 percent of the budget", founder Michael Bohmeyer admits -- while the idea of basing the funding on curiosity or activism by thousands of donors is hardly applicable on a large scale.

For Spermann, the Berliners' experiment has only succeeded in answering the question "what would I do with a blank cheque if I got one for Christmas?"

People's choices in terms of qualifications or work if they were guaranteed the payments for life are the real mystery, the economist argues.

"Who will take on the exhausting and sometimes less attractive tasks, like emptying bins or taking care of the elderly?" asked Werner Eichhorst of the Bonn Centre for the Future of Work (IZA) in 2013.

UBI supporters argue such jobs would either be taken over by robots or find a new place of honour in society if the policy were enacted.

"No machine will take over working for us and pay our taxes at the same time," Eichhorst and opponents shoot back.
A new nonprofit is helping women tackle one of the most common but often overlooked challenges during eating disorder recovery: building a new wardrobe.

The Garment Project provides women in recovery with brand-new, tagless, sizeless clothing for free. The goal of the Pittsburgh-based organization, which launched in February, is to give clients a starter wardrobe of new clothing to get them through the first six months of the recovery process.

SEE ALSO: 7 easy ways to champion body positivity

By removing sizing information, Garment helps women leaving recovery to focus on their health, rather than size labels that can be triggering and cause setbacks. It also removes the sizable financial burden that comes with completely replacing your closet.

"This is something that's missing," said Garment cofounder Erin Drischler. "No one else is providing this."

Drischler knows these challenges firsthand. She lived with an eating disorder for 14 years, until she completed a recovery program in her early 20s that mended her relationship with her body and food.

Along with her business partner and fiance Jordan Tomb, Drischler launched Garment to help women like her address the wardrobe-related pressures after treatment and during recovery.

"I was still giving my clothing too much power over my ability to recover," she said. "My closet ranged in sizes because my weight fluctuated severely throughout my struggle. Items that still fit led to panic and discomfort due to the number on the label. Going to the mall and trying on clothes was overwhelming and quickly revealed my new size or sizes depending on the store."

Image: Courtesy of the garment project

Here's how the program works: Garment partners with treatment facilities around the country to connect with women in recovery. When a woman nears the end of in-patient treatment, her treatment team sends her measurements  which are usually logged for insurance purposes  to Garment, leaving the woman out of the process.

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Through partnerships with stores like ModCloth, Rue21, and local Pittsburgh brands, Garment has a stocked inventory with a detailed log of true measurements for every item. This ensures the items will fit a given client, so they can cut out all labels and sizing information in the process.

Once the nonprofit matches the measurements, each woman receives a package of basics, including T-shirts, bras, underwear, and jeans. They also receive a curated, individualized, and secure online shopping page to find additional items to fit their personal styles  again, all for free.

Tomb and Drischler, creators of The Garment Project.

Image: Courtesy of The Garment PRoject

Garment encourages clients to try their new items with a trusted treatment facility staff member, who can offer support if needed. Any unwanted items can be shipped back to the nonprofit for free in a pre-paid box.

"Our partnerships with the treatment centers give us a platform to find out about women who are at the right point in their recovery process to utilize Garment," Tomb said. "It's the foundation for making sure we are able to provide a service that is simple, secure, and most importantly keeps the focus on healthy recovery."

A post shared by Garment (@thegarmentproject) on Mar 29, 2017 at 4:41pm PDT

About 20 million women in the U.S. will experience a clinically significant eating disorder at some time in their life. According to Garment, only one in 10 of those women will receive costly treatment, which can run up to $30,000 per month.

This free service, then, is especially ideal for women who are already struggling to afford the high price-tag of treatment.

"To return home to a closet full of clothes that are too small or too big or that I used at one point as a tool to measure my own body wasn't healthy," Drischler said. "Not having the financial stability to replace a lot of those items so I could feel confident going back into work or going back to school  there's too many people going through that."

So far, Garment is working with six treatment facilities around the country, but the team hopes to broaden its network as the project grows. They also plan to include men's clothing in the future, hoping to serve the estimated 10 million men recovering from eating disorders in the U.S.

"Recovery is possible for everyone," Drischler said. "A few years ago, I could not say that sentence out loud, let alone believe it true for myself ... Although each person has a different story and struggle, it is truly possible to live a fully recovered life, free from your eating disorder."

If you want to talk to someone about your experience with disordered eating, text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Organizations like the National Eating Disorder Association (U.S.), National Eating Disorder Information Centre (Canada), The Butterfly Foundation (Australia), the National Centre for Eating Disorders (UK) and We Bite Back can also offer support.

WATCH: This app is asking women to report areas where they feel unsafe
By Taylor Harris. Photo by: William Waldron.

Even though Brooke Shields admits she's far from a professional art dealer ("I consider myself an amateur just because I'm always learning more about it," she tells AD), she concedes she could be developing a habit: "I keep buying art. And I rotate them. I just keep seeing things that I love and my husband [screenwriter and producer Chris Henchy] says, 'You have too much!' And I say, 'No, I'm going to rotate it out, like a living gallery.'"

Henchy is at least partially to blame for Shields' hobby. Even though the model says she "grew up knowing a lot of artists and I've had many conversations about their work and their perspective and that's where my taste comes from," her husband added fuel to the fire on their tenth wedding anniversary in 2011. "My husband commissioned artist Will Cotton," says Shields, who had been introduced to the New York painter through a friend. "I had torn out a little picture of a little girl with a cupcake on her head out of a magazine and I said, 'Babe, if we can ever find out who this artist is, it would be amazing to see our girls like this,' because the picture was so sweet and so funny. And without me knowing my husband contacted Will through one of my girlfriends. So I got two Will Cotton portraits for my anniversary. I cried when I saw them."

If Shields's little-known secret is that she's an art junkie, then Cotton's may be his expensive taste in furniture. At the Tribeca Ball to benefit the New York Academy of Art, an event that honored Cotton (an Academy faculty member), he shared that his New York City home has three Pierre Jeanneret Chandigarh chairs. "You know, I sat on one, and I immediately broke it," Cotton reveals. "I had them re-caned. Well worth it."

More: Kourtney Kardashian's Tips for Designing the Ultimate Kids' Rooms

This story originally appeared on Architectural Digest.

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Inside Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian's California Dream Homes

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By Andrew Osborn MOSCOW (Reuters) - As Russian hopes of swift detente under President Donald Trump have fizzled, state media, which hailed his election win, have made a U-turn. On Sunday, they said he was scarier than North Korea's Kim Jong-Un. Trump's decision to launch a missile strike against Syria, a Russian ally, drop a giant bomb on Afghanistan, and stick with Obama-era policies on Crimea, mean Russian hopes of him befriending the Kremlin have been on the slide for a while. If state TV is a guide, his tough talk on North Korea's nuclear program and decision to despatch a naval strike force to the region appear to have buried any Russian hopes that he might intervene less in foreign affairs than his predecessors. Dmitry Kiselyov, anchor of Russia's main weekly TV news show "Vesti Nedeli," on the Rossiya 1 channel, is widely seen as the top pro-Kremlin presenter. He had already began to dial back the Trumpomania and start criticizing the U.S. president. But on Sunday, his first broadcast since Rex Tillerson's maiden visit to Moscow as U.S. secretary of state, Kiselyov, who once praised Trump for his "independence" from the U.S. political establishment, removed the proverbial gloves. "The world is a hair's breadth from nuclear war," said Kiselyov. "War can break out as a result of confrontation between two personalities; Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un. Both are dangerous, but who is more dangerous? Trump is." Kiselyov went on to say that Trump was "more impulsive and unpredictable" than the North Korean and to say both men shared some of the same negative traits: "Limited international experience, unpredictability, and a readiness to go to war." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to say whether Kiselyov's views chimed with the Kremlin's, but said his opinions weren't necessarily always interchangeable with the official position. "His position is close, but not every time," said Peskov. The fact that Kiselyov is being given free rein to use such tough rhetoric about Trump is nonetheless likely to reflect how deep the Kremlin's anger runs about what it sees as Trump's failure to deliver on his pledge of better ties with Moscow. Speaking in front of a picture of the North Korean leader and military commanders juxtaposed next to Trump's image, Kiselyov said Kim Jong-Un was less scary than the U.S. president because he was ready for talks, had not attacked other countries, and had not sent a naval armada to the U.S. coast. "He (Kim Jong-Un) is after all on his home territory. He doesn't plan to attack anyone just for the sake of it," said Kiselyov, who was a cheerleader for state TV's strong anti-American tone under the Obama administration and once said Moscow could turn the United States into radioactive ash. Delivering a personal jibe, Kiselyov sarcastically told viewers that the North Korean leader's young daughter did not, unlike Ivanka Trump, have an office in her father's official residence. Other state-controlled and pro-Kremlin media have walked back their initial euphoria for Trump in recent weeks too, but Kiselyov tends to set the tone for everyone else and his intervention is the most robust on Trump yet. RUSSIANS GO COLD ON TRUMP Polls suggest state TV's U-turn over Trump has filtered through to the public, most of whom get their news from TV. A survey by state pollster VTsIOM showed on Monday that the percentage of Russians who hold a negative view of Trump has jumped to 39 from seven percent in a month, and that feelings of distrust and disappointment towards him have grown too. "The U.S. missile strike on Syria was a 'cold shower' for many Russians," said Valery Fedorov, the pollster's general director. "Donald Trump's aggressive behavior has resurrected distrust and ill-will towards America, something that has characterized Russian society for the last two decades." Despite annexing Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014 and continuing to back pro-Russian separatists in east Ukraine, Moscow has long criticized successive U.S. presidents for interfering in other countries' affairs. Like many others, it bought into Trump's pre-election "America First" rhetoric. Though things have not worked out as it hoped, officials say they still want to try to improve ties with the United States, something they badly need to try to get financial sanctions imposed over Ukraine eased. The Kremlin realizes however, those same officials say, that the process will be harder and take longer than originally thought and the result is likely to be more limited in scope. Officials privately say they regard many of Trump's policy positions as no different to, or tougher than, Obama's. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticized Pyongyang for its "reckless nuclear actions" on Monday, but made clear Moscow wanted Trump to de-escalate. "I really hope that the kind of unilateral action we recently saw in Syria won't happen (in North Korea) and that the USA will follow the line which President Trump repeatedly set out during his pre-election campaign," said Lavrov. (Additional reporting by Maria Tsvetkova and Polina Devitt; Editing by Anna Willard)
Somewhere in a suburban New York basement there is a small, unused bag of marijuana, a last attempt to help an elderly father in his final days.

Always a muscular construction worker, the man had been fit and hearty even into his early 90s. Then, seemingly overnight, came a rush of ailments, turning him into a frail shell of his former self.

One day last spring, in one of his series of hospital rooms, his family  a wife and four grown children  argued over what straws they might grasp to build his strength.

If only he had an appetite, his wife said.

Pot could help with that, said his son.

Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos; Getty Images.

The wife objected for a while, refusing the more straightforward route of asking for a prescription card. Yes, he qualified under several of the illness categories in New York State, but that would mean talking about cannabis with a doctor, which the 85-year-old woman refused to do. Eventually she agreed to the more hush-hush route, on two conditions  that her son never tell her where he procured the weed and that he hide it in the basement where the police could never find it.

It might be a changing world, but not for my mother, her daughter says now. Shes still living in the one where its a crime.

Medical marijuana may be bought and used legally in 29 states and the District of Columbia at the moment, by Grandpa or anyone else with a qualifying condition, and it is often used illegally in other states by those who believe it helps them with a variety of ailments. But that doesnt mean Grandpa is ready to buy it.

An exclusive Yahoo News/Marist Poll found that the Silent and Greatest generations  those over age 69  are least likely to support the legalization of medical marijuana (65 percent favor it, compared with 83 percent of Americans overall) and even less likely to say they themselves would use it, even if it were legal. Only six percent of Americans over 69 say they would use it if it were legal; 13 percent say they would self-prescribe for pain; and just 40 percent say they would use it if it were prescribed by their doctor. This compares with 28 percent, 38 percent and 66 percent, respectively, for adults overall. The over 69-age group is also most likely to think the use of marijuana is a health risk (73 percent), compared with baby boomers (59 percent), Gen X (52 percent) and millennials (35 percent).

Story continues

Yet people who are over 69 are also most likely to suffer from many of the conditions for which marijuana can be prescribed  cancer, terminal illness, chronic pain, Parkinsons disease  a dynamic that leads to many in younger generations suggesting, cajoling and smoothing the way for members of older generations to use pot.

Of course, there are older patients who use it without reservation. Last month, for instance, 76-year-old actor Patrick Stewart credited the use of cannabis-based sprays, ointments and edibles for relieving his severe arthritis. And the AARP, after years of shying away from discussion of medical marijuana, now runs articles in its magazine about its growing use in assisted living communities.

But as in any moment of change, there is a spectrum of opinion.

Jason Good, a Minnesota writer, did not have to persuade his father to use weed medically as much as keep him company while he did. Diagnosed with leukemia four years ago, 69-year-old Michael Good, a political science professor in Oakland, Calif., was no stranger to weed  he had smoked some as a hippie in the 1960s but not much since then. He then turned a blind eye to his sons use as a teenager, but now, 20 years later, he insisted that Jason come along for his first visit to a dispensary. When one location would not allow the son inside with the father, they found another that would. Once inside, Jason says, It was a fun experience for us. There was something subversive about it. He was sort of giddy.

After a consultation about how Michael would like the weed to make him feel (he chose up and creative over mellow down on the couch, Jason says), they bought two different blends and a vaporizer, then headed home to use it together. He had a tremendous time; I was a nervous wreck, Jason says, adding that while pot lightened his mood back in high school, it had begun to make him jittery in the years since.

Some parents are even more insistent that their children play go-between. One elderly man in L.A. whose appetite was diminished by kidney disease had all but stopped eating, so his grown children urged him to try medical marijuana.

No, he said. If his name were on record anywhere, word could leak out in his former industry, where he had been well known. So his daughter got herself a card, instead  a relatively simple process in California, which has the broadest list of qualifying conditions in the country.

I went to a little clinic called 420 Doc and sat in the waiting room with a combo of young stoners and people in their 60s who looked like they had arthritis, she says. When it was her turn, she told the doctor her fathers symptoms, identifying them as her own.

I have no appetite. I need something to relax at night and give me the munchies, she said.

He looked at me, at my very, very curvy frame, and said Really, dear? The munchies? she remembers. I said, Call it anxiety? and he said, OK, were going with anxiety.

He wrote her an order for an 8:1 ratio of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), the two major chemical components of the cannabis plant, one of which does, in fact, increase appetite. But when she got to the dispensary, having learned from her clinic experience, she played things the opposite way.

How hungry does this make you? she asked the clerks about each product, acting as if increased appetite was a problem. Then she bought the ones that would make her (and presumably her father) the hungriest.

Did it work?

When her father knew the cannabis drops were being added to his food, he insisted he was not hungry, but when he didnt know, he seemed to eat more, his daughter says, though not in a way that can be proved by scientific measurement. Its been about a year and hes still alive, so somethings working, she says. His weight has remained steady, albeit at a near-skeletal 118 pounds.

In other families, though, no amount of suggestions or offers of assistance will persuade an aging parent to try something they still call by names that went out decades ago.

I tried so hard to talk my Dad into the reefer in his dying days, says Amy Cohen, who runs the SteamPunk Coffeebar in the Los Angeles area. It came to the point where whatever I gave him to eat, he would ask Does this have Mary Jane in it? I would answer: Dad, Im not going to dose you. Youll have to ask me for it.

She herself is a daily user, both to treat her multiple sclerosis and because she enjoys it, and she regularly asked her father to partake. Shed bring candies and cookies from a dispensary and leave them out for him to see, hoping they would be tempting. But he was from a different generation; he was not open to change, Amy says. The pain pills they were pumping him full of, and that werent working, were OK, but not weed.

Then, one day she came home from work and found him nibbling a cookie.

Where did you find that? she asked.

In a container in the freezer, he said.

The one that says Do not eat? The one where I drew a skull and crossbones so no one would eat it by accident? Dad, thats marijuana, she said.

I guess its too late now, she remembers him saying, as he finished the cookie. She adds, He had a great nights sleep after a bout of really, really bad nights.

Amys father never tried weed again. He died soon afterward, in 2014, and she still keeps the container that held those cookies, in his memory.

Jason Goods father died in the same year. What remained of his fathers marijuana supply is now in a cabinet above Jasons refrigerator, way in the back, Jason says, in a container made for Williams-Sonoma peppermint bark.

And in that New York suburb, the son who kept his promise, and never told his family where hed gotten a small bag of pot, also never got to give it to his father, because, in the end, the patients wife ordered it to disappear.

The man died just under a year ago, and the marijuana is still hidden somewhere in his wifes basement.

_____

Read more from the Yahoo Weed & the American Family series:
Wiz Khalifa, Miley Cyrus, and Rihanna are vocal about their support for weed. (Illustration: Instagram/FilmMagic/Danny Miller/Yahoo Celebrity)

When Woody Harrelson revealed that he had stopped smoking pot, it did not go unnoticed. After all, the Hunger Games actor has long been known as one of Hollywoods biggest marijuana supporters, serving on the advisory board for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, alongside Willie Nelson, for years and even attempting to open his own legal marijuana dispensary in Hawaii in 2016.

I actually stopped smoking pot almost a year ago, he recently explained to Vulture, adding that he still considered weed a great drug.

So why did Harrelson quit?

Just 30 solid years of just partying too f***ing hard, he said.

As surprising as it was, the announcement probably didnt affect many peoples view of the star. An exclusive new Yahoo News/Marist Poll finds that most Americans  74 percent  say it makes no difference to them whether their favorite celebrity uses marijuana. The number increases to 81 percent among millennials, ages 18 to 34. Most Americans also have no problem with a celebrity publicly supporting the legalization of marijuana. About 56 percent approve of that, compared with 38 percent who do not approve.

Most Americans don't care if celebs use marijuana. (Photo: Yahoo News/Getty Images)

The data is part of a new special report from Yahoo News that delves into the subject of Weed & the American Family. The Marist Poll conducted interviews of 1,122 adults, ages 18 or older, on mobile or landline phones throughout the continental United States on March 1-7.

According to the results, a majority of Americans dont hold using marijuana against celebrities because many of them have tried the drug for themselves. Fifty-two percent of adults 18 or older have at least tried marijuana, and 44 percent of the people who have tried it currently use it.

Most Americans approve of a celebrity supporting marijuana legalization. (Photo: Yahoo News/Getty Images)

Still, slightly more than one in five Americans (22 percent) say they would have less respect for their favorite celebrity if they found out the celeb uses marijuana in his or her personal life. (Its worth noting that people are more likely to hold marijuana use against athletes; just under three in 10 people, or 28 percent, say they would think less of their favorite pro athlete for using marijuana recreationally. At the same time, nearly seven in 10 Americans, 69 percent, approve of those athletes using the drug to alleviate pain.)

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Weve certainly come a long way from then-presidential candidate Bill Clintons infamous claim that he didnt inhale. Today, eight states and Washington, D.C., have legalized marijuana for recreational use, while more than half the country has made it legal for people to use marijuana for medical purposes. No wonder celebs including Wiz Khalifa, Whoopi Goldberg, and Melissa Etheridge have gotten in on the cannabis craze, launching their own marijuana brands.

When these grow then you'll see the vision. A post shared by Wiz Khalifa (@wizkhalifa) on Mar 18, 2017 at 8:59am PDT

And no wonder few people batted an eye when noted pot fan Miley Cyrus threw a weed-themed bash for fiance Liam Hemsworth and younger sister Noah in January, which included a weed bar for guests stocked with Snoop Doggs line of weed, Merry Jane. (Back in November 2013, Cyrus also lit a joint on stage while accepting an award at the 2013 MTV Europe Music Awards roughly three months after she infamously danced with Robin Thicke to his Blurred Lines hit at the VMAs stateside. People were arguably more upset about the twerking.)

@merryjane hooked it up! Wowzyyyyyyyy! Thanks Uncle @snoopdogg for being such a dope ganja innovator A post shared by Miley Cyrus (@mileycyrus) on Jan 14, 2017 at 12:15pm PST

Snoop, who runs a lifestyle website for cannabis users, has proclaimed, Theres certain things that marijuana does that really can help out the community if you put it together the right way.

Weed advocate Susan Sarandon touts the medicinal benefits of the drug. The Yahoo News/Marist Poll indicated that 83 percent of Americans support legalizing marijuana for medical reasons.

Its absurd that more states havent legalized it, Sarandon said in the August 2015 issue of the pro-marijuana publication High Times. It can be an important source of revenue. You also see the reports on kids who have seizures that are prevented by medical marijuana. You see the relief it gives to vets.  Its also a lovely way to socialize and be with people  and to be with yourself and de-stress.

Even Harrelson, in the very interview in which he admitted changing his smokin ways, continued to talk up weed.

I dont have a problem at all with smoking, the former Cheers star said. I think its great. I think its a great drug.

Clearly, a lot of Harrelsons fans agree with him  or at least they dont disagree strongly enough for it to keep them away from his movies.

_____

Read more from the Yahoo Weed & the American Family series:
Lok Sabha MP and the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao worked today at cloth showroom to earn money in her parliamentary constituency of Nizamabad.

By Ashish Pandey: After Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao's son K Tarak Rao, it was the turn of daughter Kalvakuntla Kavitha to earn money for their party, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS).

Participating in the 'Pink Coolie Week', Kavitha was seen selling sarees in Nizamabad, which is her parliamentary constituency. She is an elected member of the Lok Sabha from this constituency.

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Nizamabad MP K Kavitha arrived at LVR Cloth showroom in Nizamabad this morning to sell sarees. As the word spread in the city, large number of people thronged the shop to get a piece of fashionable cloth from the hands of their leader.

Unusual rush at the store helped Lok Sabha MP Kavitha earn fat. She reportedly 'earned' Rs 7 lakh by selling sarees to customers. However, she stayed at the store for only a few hours.

WHY KAVITHA SOLD SAREES

CM Chandrashekhar Rao's daughter Kavitha sells sarees

The ruling party of Telangana, TRS is said to be short of funds to celebrate its formation day on April 27 in Warrangal.

The party leaders want to make it a grand function, for which Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao suggested that all the leaders, including himself, and the party workers should do two days of labour to raise fund.

K Chandrashekhar Rao, himself, vowed to work as a coolie for two days and earn money for the plenary function of the party.

Following the appeal of K Chandrashekhar Rao, the ministers and TRS leaders are in a sprint for earning more and more money for formation day function.

WHO ALL ARE DOING WHAT

KCR's son K Tarak Rao sold ice-cream and juice last week at a famous joint in Hyderabad. KT Rao is a powerful minister in his father's cabinet in Telangana.

KCR has requested 75-lakh strong party cadre to earn money by doing manual work to meet the expenditure for food, water and travel for the party's formation day celebrations and plenary.

Telangana energy minister G Jagdish Reddy spent few hours as a labourer in Nalgon district and raised Rs 3 lakh for the party.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao is likely to work as a 'Gulabi Coolie' in Mahabubnagar district on Wednesday.

ALSO READ |

Telangana CM Chandrasekhar Rao's son earns Rs 7.5 lakh by selling ice-cream

Bill for 12 per cent Muslim quota passed in Telangana Assembly, 5 BJP MLAs suspended

ALSO WATCH | Telangana Assembly passes Muslim quota bill, BJP accuses KCR government appeasement

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--- ENDS ---
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A hazardous material spill at Tesla Inc's Gigafactory battery plant in Nevada on Monday was being investigated by emergency workers but there were no serious injuries, the company said. Tesla spokesman Dave Arnold said a drum of "standard construction cleaning solvent" was spilled at a loading dock and a small area of the building was evacuated. "Out of an abundance of caution, a couple of employees who may have been exposed are being transferred to the local hospital," said Arnold. He said Tesla anticipated no effect on production. "There was no threat to the public, no plumes or anything," said Joe Curtis, director of emergency management for Nevada's Storey County. He said the fire department was on the scene identifying the spilled hazardous material. The factory outside of Sparks, Nevada, has not yet been completed but production has begun on lithium-ion battery cells to be used in Tesla's energy storage products and upcoming Model 3 sedan. (Reporting By Alexandria Sage; Editing by David Gregorio)
BEIJING (AP)  Automakers face a dilemma in China's huge but crowded market: Regulators are pushing them to sell electric cars, but buyers want gas-guzzling SUVs.

The industry is rattled by Beijing's proposal to require that electric cars make up 8 percent of every brand's production as early as next year. Consumers are steering the other way: First-quarter SUV sales soared 21 percent from a year earlier to 2.4 million, while electric vehicle purchases sank 4.4 percent to just 55,929.

"It's tough for someone with an EV to come and take away market share from SUVs," said Ben Cavender of China Market Research Group.

The Shanghai auto show, which opens to the public on Friday, will showcase work on electric models meant to appeal to Chinese drivers who are wary of the unfamiliar technology's reliability and cost.

The pressure for electrification in China is an added headache for automakers at a time when sales growth is slowing and competition heating up in a market they are counting on to drive global revenue.

Sales growth fell to 1.7 percent in March from last year's 15 percent. SUVs made up 40 percent of sales, while sedan purchases fell 4.9 percent.

At the Shanghai show, the industry's biggest marketing event this year, almost every global and Chinese brand plans to display at least an electric concept car, if not a model ready for sale, alongside its latest SUVs and sedans.

General Motors Co.'s Buick unit announced plans last month for Chinese sales of its Velite 5 gasoline-electric hybrid sedan. Buick also sells a hybrid LaCrosse in China.

This month, Ford Motor Co. said it will sell an all-electric SUV and a plug-in hybrid Mondeo Energi sedan in China. Ford's joint venture with state-owned Changan Automobile Co. will manufacture the Mondeo.

Ford said by 2025 it plans offer electric versions of 70 percent of its models sold in China.

"We are prioritizing our electrification efforts on China to reflect its importance as a global electrified vehicle market," Ford CEO Mark Fields said in a statement.

Story continues

NextEV, a Shanghai-based startup, says it will display 11 vehicles in Shanghai from its all-electric NIO brand. They include the two-door EP9, a contender for the title of fastest electric car, with what the manufacturer says is a top speed of 194 mph (310 kph).

Volkswagen AG plans to announce its electric vehicle plans for China and unveil an electric concept car. Honda Motor Co. will show its new NeuV, a futuristic concept car the company has suggested might get an electric drivetrain.

Government planners see electric vehicles as a sector where China can lead, and a Cabinet technology development plan issued in 2013 calls for two of the top global brands in 2025 to be Chinese.

Hence the proposal, released in September, calling for electric or gasoline-electric hybrids to make up 8 percent of every automaker's output next year. That would rise to 10 percent in 2019 and 12 percent in 2020.

Manufacturers failing to meet those targets could buy credits from companies that produce more electrics, helping to subsidize development.

People in the industry say manufacturers have warned Beijing those targets are too ambitious. News reports say regulators might have agreed to lower or delay them in an updated plan due out this year, but there has been no official confirmation.

China's stand-out EV success so far is BYD Auto Co. It sells all-electric vehicles to taxi and bus fleets in China and abroad and gasoline-electric hybrid SUVs and sedans to Chinese consumers.

BYD Auto says last year's sales rose 70 percent over 2015 to 100,183 vehicles. That would make it the biggest electric brand for a second year, with Tesla Inc. next at 76,230 vehicles sold.

Other Chinese brands offer plug-in electrics but most sold only a few hundred vehicles last year. That is partly because their vehicles cost up to 350,000 yuan ($50,000), or two to three times the price of equivalent gasoline models.

Even Great Wall Motors Ltd., which became China's most profitable auto brand by making almost nothing but SUVs, has unveiled an electric compact sedan, the C30 EV, which looks almost comically small next to its hulking other vehicles. It has yet to say when sales will start.

Some brands promise a range of up to 200 kilometers (120 miles) on one charge. But industry analysts say that is too much money and too short a distance for most drivers, who have few places to recharge.

"The biggest worries for people buying an electric car are lack of convenience for charging and the miserable range most electric cars have," said Zhang Xin, an independent auto industry analyst.

To ease such "range anxiety," the Cabinet has ordered the state-owned power industry to step up installation of charging stations.

Government plans call for China to have 100,000 public charging stations and 800,000 private stations by next year, up from a total of 50,000 at the start of 2016. Longer term, the government wants a network that can support 5 million vehicles by 2020.

The government also is trying to nudge buyers toward electrics by exempting them from sales taxes and from license plate fees and lotteries imposed by Beijing, Shanghai and some other cities to curb congestion.

Aside from BYD, Chinese manufacturers are waiting to see what price regulators set for credits before deciding whether to buy them or develop their own technology.

"Even by 2020, it's not going to be a profitable business," said John Zeng of LMC Automotive.

"The industry has to prepare for the worst case," said Zeng. "That means who you have to have all the technology ready in case you need it, but on the other hand they don't want to commercialize it now, because it is not profitable."
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's top insurance regulator has been removed from his position for suspected serious disciplinary violations, the official Xinhua News Agency reported, a week after the country's top anti-graft body said he was under investigation. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) announced its investigation into Xiang Junbo, the most senior financial regulator to be probed as part of a government fight against graft, on April 9. Citing an official with the Communist Party, Xinhua said Xiang had now been removed as chairman of the China Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC). CCDI said that Xiang, who also served as a member of the central bank's monetary policy committee, was suspected of "serious disciplinary violations", a phrase that usually refers to graft. Xiang's name and position were removed from CIRC's website, www.circ.gov.cn, shortly after last week's announcement. Xiang, 60, took control of the insurance regulator in 2011 after serving as chairman of Agricultural Bank of China Ltd, one of the four biggest state banks. He was also a former vice chief at the National Audit Office. Previously, the most senior official hauled in during the anti-graft campaign was Yao Gang, a former deputy head of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, who was put under investigation in late 2015 following a stock market crash. (Reporting by Matthew Miller and Beijing Monitoring Desk; Editing by Richard Borsuk and John Stonestreet)
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Tianjin Port Co Ltd will impose measures to curb the trucking and storage of coal months earlier than expected, as one of the nation's busiest ports complies with government orders in its war on smog, a customer notice shows. By Wednesday, the port will stop receiving coal by truck and by the end of the month it will clear its storage warehouses of the fuel, a notice to customers dated April 16 said. A manager at the port's logistics division confirmed the authenticity of the document which was seen by Reuters on Monday. In March, Beijing called for a ban on transporting coal in Hebei, China's top steel producing province, and the city of Tianjin by the end of September, forcing consumers, miners and traders to use the railroad. A spokesman for the port declined to comment. A Tianjin based trader estimated that a couple million tonnes of coal has been sitting at logistic facilities at Tianjin port. "It is almost impossible to clear all the cargoes before the deadline. A trader won't be able to find enough downstream buyers in such a short time period," he said. The government plans to turn the coal storage spaces into storage centers for imported vehicles, according to the trader. The step is an "important political task", the port notice said, as China's central government aims to cut pollution in Beijing, Hebei province and Tianjin, one of the smoggiest regions of the country. Tianjin's rival Tangshan Port Group Co Ltd, located 130 km (81 miles) to the north, is expected to benefit from shipments of coal being diverted away from Tianjin as a result of the move. (Reporting by Meng Meng and Josephine Mason; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
ANKARA (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan told crowds of flag-waving supporters on Sunday that Turkey could hold another referendum on reinstating the death penalty, as he claimed victory in a vote that will hand him sweeping new powers. Addressing crowds in Istanbul, Erdogan said he would "immediately" discuss the issue of bringing back the death penalty with Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and the leader of the nationalist opposition. Such a move would spell the end of Turkey's accession talks with the European Union. Erdogan also said votes in favour of constitutional changes to replace Turkey's parliamentary system with an executive presidency stood at 51.5 percent. He said everyone should respect the nation's decision, and added Turkey would "shift gears" in the coming period. (Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Nick Tattersall)
EL-ARISH, Egypt (AP)  Three people were injured in clashes between militants and local tribes in the Sinai peninsula in a fight that began when militants shot at a truck smuggling cigarettes, Egyptian security officials said Monday.

The officials told The Associated Press that Islamic State group militants launched RPG attacks on Sunday in their stronghold around the city of Rafah in response to the kidnapping of three IS fighters by local tribes.

The unrest started when militants shot at a truck smuggling cigarettes into the area, where the IS imposes a strict version of Islamic law that prohibits the sale of tobacco, tribal sources said.

The government officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to brief the media. The tribal sources requested anonymity for fear of reprisal.

The incident marks an escalation in tension between the two sides over the imposition of Islamic Law in northern Sinai.

Last month, female teachers commuting from the region's urban center, El-Arish, to Rafah reported being stopped by militants twice in one week and were asked not to take the road without a male relative in compliance with Islamic law. Locals said the militants had previously intercepted trucks carrying cigarettes and punished passengers with flogging.

Northern Sinai residents have been caught in a violent battle between militant groups who have expanded their activity in the Peninsula since the removal of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in 2013 and security forces waging war against them.

Militants have beheaded locals accused of collaboration with authorities and recently stepped up their attacks against the peninsula's Coptic Christian minority, forcing hundreds to flee following a string of killings in the city of Arish in February.
(Reuters) - Cleveland police urged a suspect who they said posted video of himself on Facebook killing an elderly man on Sunday to turn himself in to authorities.

Officials in the Ohio city said they were looking for Steve Stephens in connection with the one confirmed killing but had found no evidence to support what police said was a claim he made in the video of having killed more than a dozen other people.

"Everybody is out there looking for Steve," Calvin Williams, the Cleveland police chief, told a news conference, where he joined Mayor Frank Jackson in asking Stephens to turn himself in. They said Stephens might be driving a white or cream-colored Ford Fusion, and that he was armed and dangerous.

"We want this to end with as much peace as we can bring to this right now," Williams said, adding police knew of no other victims.

Late Sunday night Cleveland police issued a aggravated murder warrant for Stephens, and warned that he could have crossed state lines into Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana or Michigan.

Police said Stephens used Facebook to post video of him killing the man, who police identified as 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr. Stephens is not believed to have known Godwin, police said.

The world's largest online social network, used by more than 1.2 billion people every day, condemned the accused killer's action.

"This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook," said a spokesperson for the company. "We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety."

It is not the first time a serious crime has been posted on Facebook. In January, four black people in Chicago were accused of attacking an 18-year-old disabled white man and broadcasting the assault on the service while making anti-white racial taunts.

A month later, the suspects pleaded not guilty to assaulting the man.

(Editing by Chris Michaud and Michael Perry)
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper in the Colorado State Capitol. (Photo: Carl Bower for Yahoo News)

When the people of Colorado voted in 2012 to legalize recreational marijuana, they instantly transformed their governor, John Hickenlooper, into Americas most reluctant pot pioneer. Citing various risks, the rangy Democrat warned Coloradans not to break out the Cheetos or Goldfish too quickly.

If it was up to me, I wouldnt have done it, Hickenlooper admitted. I opposed it from the very beginning.

But the governor didnt have a choice  and now, after nearly five years of overseeing what has become a $1 billion industry, he considers himself cautiously optimistic.

We were worried about everything, Hickenlooper tells Yahoo News. We were worried about kid usage going up, people coming into work high, the branding of the state. We havent seen anything negative in regard to any of those things.

In early April, Hickenlooper spoke to us about the factors and forces that have softened his stance, how Colorado families are benefiting from legalization, and his own experiences with marijuana as both a son and a father.

Excerpts:

YAHOO NEWS: You opposed Amendment 64, saying it wasnt worth the risk. What were you afraid would happen if Colorado legalized recreational marijuana?

GOV. JOHN HICKENLOOPER: I was afraid that we would see a spike in teenage use and a rapid increase in overall use. And a big part of my reluctance was that, as a governor, you dont want to be in conflict with federal law. Even Amsterdam never fully legalized marijuana  they set up a regulatory system to tax it. To do something that literally no one in the world had ever done before  its a steep hill.

You have a teenage son. He was 8 at the time. How did being a father influence your views on legalization?

Obviously having a son whos just coming into the age when a lot of the brain scientists believe that this high-THC marijuana is most damaging  that was difficult. They say theres a high probability that youll lose a sliver of your long-term memory every time you use this high-THC marijuana. So I was worried that teenagers like my son would think that if the adults have legalized this, it must be OK.

Story continues

Nearly five years have passed since Colorado embarked on this experiment. What were you right to worry about? What were you wrong to worry about?

We were wrong to worry about a dramatic spike in overall usage and teenage usage. Basically, the people who were smoking marijuana before it was legal still are. The people who werent smoking marijuana before it was legal still arent.

We were worried about everything. We were worried about kid usage going up, people coming into work high, the branding of the state. We havent seen anything negative in regard to any of those things.

Havent some studies shown that teenage use is up?

Not in Colorado. People fight over which data sets to use, but the largest database we have  its thousands of kids  shows that teenage use is essentially flat.

In fact, its the same thing across all age groups  with the exception of senior citizens. More senior citizens appear to be smoking. Not a huge amount, but more. A 5 or 6 percent increase.

Thats interesting. Why?

Were not sure if its pain mitigation or if its just baby boomers remembering their high school days. [Laughs] I dont know what that is.

Would you support Amendment 64 today, knowing what you now know?

You know, its hard to say. What Ive said before is that if I had a magic wand when it first passed and I could have reversed the vote, I would have. Now if I had a magic wand Id probably put it back in the drawer for a couple of years. Id want to see more data. Im not sure Id vote for it yet.

But certainly the old system was a train wreck. So if I had a do-over  and I tell other governors this  Id wait a couple of years. Lets get more data in to see whether this thing really works.

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper in the Colorado State Capitol. (Photo: Carl Bower for Yahoo News)

What data do you want to see? What do you need to know before you declare legalization an unqualified success?

Id like a couple more years on teenage use, just to make sure. Id also like more data on overall usage. And theyre finally beginning to do scientific experiments. The fact that we dont have good data on the effects of prolonged high-THC marijuana use  what it does to your long-term memory  that is, to me, very frustrating.

If no state was willing to take the first step, though, wed never get these answers.

Thats fair. Louis Brandeis was the first to say the states are laboratories of democracy. This is a classic example.

Has being the governor in charge of recreational legalization made it harder to talk to your son about pot?

No. If anything, its been easier. I bet I dont go two weeks without having a discussion with him. Hes in ninth grade now, so he just went into one of the big public high schools here in Denver. Within three weeks of being there, somebody offered to sell him some pot. He came back and told me and I said, Well, you didnt buy it, did you? And he laughed and went, Dad, youre so square. Of course I didnt buy it. Youre the governor. I cant do that.

Hes politically aware.

[Laughs] Well, its politically aware, but really what he meant is that hes heard about it so much that it wasnt even something that hed considered. And he said that none of his friends had even considered it. Its not something any of them are looking forward to experimenting with.

Why not?

We spent a bunch of time and a bunch of money trying to market some of the risks of this high-THC marijuana to teenagers. We took the tax money and prioritized it toward the unintended consequences of legalization. This year well spend $10 million on TV ads and radio ads and promotions.

When I was a kid, there was an old movie called Reefer Madness. It was hysterical, and by hysterical I dont mean hysterically funny. They were so over the top in terms of what would happen if anyone ever dared to touch marijuana. So I graduated from high school in 1970. In my senior class, 95 percent of the kids had tried marijuana before they graduated  they did a poll.

Wow.

Now it was much, much weaker. They say it was one-sixth to one-eighth the intensity of the marijuana out there today. But it was pretty commonplace.

So it was kind of weird. Reefer Madness and all the hysteria that surrounded marijuana in the 1950s and earlier made us so cynical about the whole thing  and that lesson tempers how we market the risks to teenagers so that theyll hear it.

Did your mother ever talk to you about marijuana?

She never talked to me about it in terms of dont use it, its dangerous. She never said one thing or another. We did end up having discussions, though, because I tried it and she found a little bit in my room. Then we had a serious discussion. Her point was, Listen, if you want to break the law, dont do it in my house. Youre 18 years old, I cant control everything you do. But I think youre being stupid, and whatever you do, you cant break the law in my house. Its not fair.

Did you listen to her?

She was exactly right, and I never did again.

But pot is something you experimented with when you were younger  just like 95 percent of your high school classmates?

Yeah, exactly.

What were your feelings about it before you became a politician?

I was aware that it was out there. I was always surprised  sometimes youd be at someones house for dinner and someone would light up a joint after the meal. I was like, Wow, I never thought they smoked pot! [Laughs]

When you speak to families  parents, kids, husbands, wives  what do they tell you about legalization and how its affecting them?

Its all over the map. There are some parents who still, no matter what the data says, they think its the worst thing thats ever happened to the state and that their kids are at risk  unreasonable risk. And I tell them, Talk to any teenager. Before it was legalized, any kid who wanted it could get it cheap. And they go, Not like it is now. And I say, Thats not what the data says. But people feel that way.

A lot of people are still worried about their employees. But its just like drinking. Drinking is legal, but you cant come in drunk. Same with marijuana  you cant smoke it at work, you cant come in high. If it affects your work, your boss has the right to fire you.

Do families seem to be registering any of the positive impacts?

There are people who are engaged in the community  especially civic-minded people  who welcome the change because the old war on drugs was such a failure. We were sending so many low-income kids to prison, giving them a felony on their record. That was the wrong way.

The son of a friend of mine interviewed me for a school project about two years ago. He was 17. Afterwards I asked him, Do you think its more likely that your friends will try marijuana, use marijuana, now that its legal?

And he looked at me and smiled, and said, Are you kidding? Drug dealers dont care who they sell it to, so we could always get marijuana. If you guys tax it right and figure out how to get rid of the black market, the drug dealers, then youll actually make it harder for us kids to get access to it.

Was your friends son right?

We have some anecdotal evidence that there are fewer drug dealers on the street. Which makes sense. They estimated that marijuana was 40 to 50 percent of the drug trade. If you take 40 to 50 percent of any retail sales product out of circulation, youre not going to be able to support the same number of distributors. I had never really thought about that.

Donald Trump recently said, Theyve got a lot of problems going on right now in Colorado, some big problems. It sounds like you think Trump is wrong.

He is. Every state has problems. The big problems are the ones you dont know how to deal with.

How have you dealt with the problems that have arisen from legalization?

In most cases, the things we should have worried about more, weve been able to come back and legislate.

A friend, his 12-year-old kid was at a movie, went into the restroom, and some other kid offered him a gummy bear infused with marijuana for $5. Thats just not right. Thats the kind of stuff we didnt anticipate.

But since then weve really come down on it. Now you cannot infuse anything that looks like candy  anything that looks like its meant for kids. No little gummy bears, no animals, no faces, none of that.

Like most states, we have caregiver rules that allow people to grow marijuana if theyre providing it to people for medical reasons. Our original law allowed these caregivers to grow up to 99 plants. Ninety-nine plants? Youre a factory. Thats not a caregiver. So this year we cut it back to 12 plants.

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper in the Colorado State Capitol on April 4, 2017. (Photo: Carl Bower for Yahoo News)

What challenges remain? There are two bills working their way through the Colorado Legislature right now, one allowing home delivery and one allowing pot clubs. Where do you draw the line?

We knew there would be a large group of people with a self-interest in continuing to normalize pot use. I personally think its too early to be delivering marijuana, especially because of Attorney General [Jeff] Sessions clear opposition to recreational marijuana. Ive been saying, Hey, lets just take a deep breath here.

What about the pot clubs?

Theres a possibility some people will interpret them the wrong way, as somehow making pot easier for kids to get. I dont see that great a risk there. That horse is out of that barn.

A pot club, youre not going to be able to smoke it. You cant smoke anything. We have a statewide indoor health law. So at a pot club you can sit around and eat edibles. Big deal. They can do that right now.

The attorney general just ordered the Justice Department to review its policy on pot. What are you going to do if Sessions tries to crack down on marijuana in your state?

Well, you know, Amendment 64 passed 55 percent to 45 percent here. Polls show its over 60 percent approval now. I took a solemn oath to uphold the Constitution of the state of Colorado. Our voters put marijuana into our Constitution. I dont really have too much choice, the way I look at it.

_____

Read more from the Yahoo Weed & the American Family series:
By Press Trust of India: social tension: BJP

New Delhi, Apr 17 (PTI) The BJP today hit out at the Telangana government over its decision to increase by three- fold the quota for Muslims, saying the TRS dispensation was "communalising politics" and the decision will create "social tension".

Terming as "unconstitutional" the decision, BJP National Secretary Muralidhar Rao said the move defies the laid down principles of affirmative action on the reservation of SC, ST and OBC, based on social and economic factors.

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Both Houses of Telangana Legislature yesterday passed a Bill which increases the reservations for Scheduled Tribes and backward sections among the Muslim community.

As per the Bill, quota for STs would be increased to 10 per cent from the existing six per cent, while that for BC-E category (the backward sections among the Muslim community) would go up to 12 per cent from the existing four.

Claiming that Muslims in Telangana have never faced social discrimination or economic deprivation, the BJP, in a statement said "this decision of appeasement, based on religion, will create social tensions."

"The step is against the fundamental principles of the democracy and the unity of the nation. TRS is communalising politics out of desperation and following the Congress model of divisive politics aimed at vote bank," Rao was quoted as saying in the statement.

He said it was a "black day" for Telangana and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has malafide intentions.

The people of Telangana wishes to celebrate September 17 as Liberation day, when the state was liberated from despotic rule of the Nizam, he said.

By opposing the public demand for Liberation day, TRS government is following the same attitude of Nizam and Razakars, he alleged.

However, he said BJP supports empowerment of Muslims, but not on the basis of religion and as a common citizenship.

He said the BJP will fight the divisive politics of TRS based on religion.

The party also condemned the arrest of BJP Telangana state president K Laxman, state assembly floor leader Kishan Reddy and others who were protesting against the TRS governments decision. PTI JTR SMJ

--- ENDS ---
Brandon Scott Wolf didn't ask to be a leader. He's asking you to be a follower.

The NYC-based comedian and creator of DateBrandonScottWolf.com and FightBrandonScottWolf.com has now launched FollowBrandonScottWolf.com: his attempt to increase his Twitter following to 100,000 in order to make a convincing case to the government that his Twitter account is a religion. Added benefit: He can then file as a religion and not pay taxes.

SEE ALSO: 8 Twitter improvements that could actually help out

"It's a religion for everyone," he says. "Even the people who say, 'Brandon, what you're doing is offensive."

If Wolfwho currently has a decidedly not-a-religion 8,473 followersis successful in hitting the 100,000 mark, he plans to "file the necessary paperwork under Internal Revenue Code ("IRC") section 501(c)(3) to be viewed as an actual religion in the eyes of the United States government."

This isn't as wild as you might think: John Oliver did something similar in 2015, creating a legally recognized church called "Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption." Oliver eventually shut the project down, and all donations to the church ultimately went to Doctors Without Borders.

"With enough followers, I'm pretty sure it's possible to legally transition my 'fan base,' which is comprised primarily of my mom's friends, into a tax-exempt 'religion'," Wolf says.

In Wolf's eyes, his timeline is church and his Tweets are the Bible.

"Just look at other legitimate religions like Judaism, Scientology, or that weird one with the spaghetti monster God," he explains. "They're all religions. Religions that have successfully transitioned from small, devout fan bases like mine to being recognized as real religions. Real, legitimate, tax-exempt religions. FollowBrandonScottWolf.com is no different."

Salvation is only a click away.
Although most MBA students start business school with a significant amount of work experience, there are a select few who begin their MBA programs immediately after college.

Business school alumni who have made the jump from college to an MBA program say that this option is not for everyone. Some say that in hindsight, they wish they had waited to attend business school until after gaining more work experience, but others say they are glad they went directly from college to business school because it allowed them to fast-track their careers.

Alissa Zito, a vice president of communications at Step Up Women's Network, a youth mentoring organization, says she has no regrets about starting business school immediately after she finished college.

"I was really eager to just continue straight through and make sure I completed my personal goal to get that graduate degree," says Zito, who earned her MBA from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

[Find out the typical traits of MBA students at ranked programs.]

She says one significant advantage of taking that path is that recent college graduates are already accustomed to being full-time students.

But others who took the direct route say there are disadvantages.

"There are so many things that you learn having real-world experiences that can be applied using principles learned in MBA programs," Will Schneider, a Texas-based executive who earned his MBA from the University of Colorado--Denver, said in an email. "However, if you haven't had those experiences yet, while you can understand them in theory, they don't 'stick' as well as they do when you can truly apply them from life experiences."

[Learn about business schools that provide a direct path from college to M.B.A. programs.]

Here are three tips experts have for college students evaluating whether to enroll directly in an MBA program.

1. Evaluate the strength of your argument for attending business school immediately: Business school deans say for most MBA applicants, working before business school is advisable, but there is a notable exception to this rule: college students who have firm career plans and who offer a compelling case for why they need an MBA as soon as possible.

Story continues

"There are some applicants to an MBA program who are extremely motivated, who have a very high potential, who have a very aggressive timeline for themselves and have demonstrated things that are above and beyond what you would normally see in someone coming from an undergraduate program," says Isser Gallogly, associate dean of MBA admissions with the Stern School of Business at New York University.

As part of its highly selective Berkley Scholars Program, Stern offers a full-tuition MBA scholarship plus living expenses to college seniors seeking an MBA.

[Submit a business school application with limited work experience.]

"These are people who are movers and shakers, and they are not the kind of people who want to sit around, wait a couple years and then come back to it," Gallogly says.

Anjani Jain, senior associate dean for the MBA program and professor in the practice of management at the Yale School of Management, says any college senior applying to an MBA program should understand their goals and calling, even if those will evolve over time.

"It's important to think through those aspirations carefully and to have a clear sense of where the MBA fits in and why the substance and nature of an MBA program is critical to advancing those aspirations."

2. Identify MBA programs that embed work opportunities into the curriculum: "I would certainly look at programs that are very applied, because you need that practical experience," says Dawn Edmiston, clinical associate professor of marketing with the Mason School of Business at the College of William and Mary.

Edmiston says MBA students without post-college work experience will later have a disadvantage in the job market if they do not gain substantive work experience during their MBA program.

"Look for programs that provide you with practical projects, potentially consulting projects and opportunities to do field consultancies within the program," she says.

Some business schools, like the Yale School of Management, offer a program tailored to the needs of early-career students. Yale's Silver Scholars program includes an extended internship after the first year so students can gain work experience before graduating.

3. Don't settle for a low-quality MBA program: David Schein, director of graduate programs and an associate professor with the Cameron School of Business at the University of St. Thomas--Houston, says these applicants sometimes make the mistake of choosing non-competitive business schools because they think it will be easier to gain admission at these schools without work experience.

"If you're a good student and you're an ambitious person, which is why you're getting an MBA, pick a competitive program," he says, "and I think that's going to be more important than whether you did it direct from college or you did it afterwards."

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.




Michael Hohl Amber Maxwell

It's been a rough week for United Airlines.

That deluge didn't let up on Sunday, when KHOU reported that a couple had been kicked off their United flight as they were headed from Houston to Costa Rica for their wedding.

Michael Hohl and Amber Maxwell had allegedly boarded their flight on Saturday and were about to take their seats when they said they saw a passenger napping across the row they were assigned to.

Hohl said that instead of waking up the man who was sleeping, he and his fiancee decided to sit a few rows in front of their assigned seats.

"We thought not a big deal, its not like we are trying to jump up into a first-class seat," Hohl told KHOU, the CBS affiliate in Houston. "We were simply in an economy row a few rows above our economy seat."

Hohl said that after he and Maxwell sat down, a flight attendant asked if they were in their assigned seats. When the couple said no and explained why they had moved, Hohl said the attendant declined their request for an upgrade and asked them to return to their original seats.

Hohl said that although he and Maxwell did as they were told, a US Marshall later boarded the flight and asked them to get off the plane. The couple said they complied with that demand as well, but found the overall experience "strange."

"They said that we were being disorderly and a hazard to the rest of the flight, to the safety of the other customers," Hohl said. "I think customer service and the airlines has gone real downhill. The way United Airlines handled this was really absurd."

United has disputed Hohl's version of events, saying the couple had repeatedly tried to sit in upgraded seats and refused to comply with requests to move back to their assigned seats.

"We're disappointed anytime a customer has an experience that doesn't measure up to their expectations," United said in a statement to KHOU. "These passengers repeatedly attempted to sit in upgraded seating which they did not purchase and they would not follow crew instructions to return to their assigned seats. We've been in touch with them and have rebooked them on flights tomorrow."

Story continues

United has been engulfed by controversy since a viral video emerged depicting 69-year-old David Dao being violently dragged off a United Airlines flight after refusing to give up his seat to make room for crew members. Dao sustained injuries and plans to file a lawsuit against the airline.

After the incident involving Dao, United enacted a new rule stipulating that crew members will no longer be allowed to displace passengers already on board the plane, the Associated Press reported.

United spokeswoman Maggie Schmerin said in an email to the AP on Sunday that the change is an initial step in a review of policies and it's meant to ensure that situations like Dao's never happen again.

Related:

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

NOW WATCH: Timeline of a crisis: How United's passenger-bumping debacle unfolded





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Photo credit: Getty

From Redbook

Pregnancy - it's widely considered one of the most magical times in the life of any woman who chooses to become a mother. Pregnancy glow, sexy pregnancy hormones, and the general "OMG I'm growing a whole person inside me" vibes all contribute to this view of pregnancy as a beautiful thing.

And celebrity moms are often held up as this idealized version of pregnancy, especially as they try to maintain their #flawless, aspirational lives in the spotlight. But every so often, the darker truth about the often unglamorous aspects of pregnancy, childbirth, and post-baby body struggles comes out.

Kim Kardashian, a very public figure, hasn't been shy about detailing her traumatic pregnancy and fertility experiences. For the reality star, neither of her two pregnancies was a magical experience...though that hasn't stopped her from considering a third. Regardless of how you feel about the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star, there's no denying that her candor about the harsh reality of fertility and pregnancy is refreshing.

November 2011: After splitting from Kris Humphries after just 72 days of marriage, Kardashian worried about whether or not she'd ever have kids of her own. "I always wanted what Mom and Dad had. And at first I was like, I want 6 kids. Then I went down to 4, then I was down to 3and now I'm like, maybe I won't have any. Maybe I'll just be a good aunt," she told Glamour. "At this moment in my life, I feel like maybe I'm not supposed to have kids and all that."

Photo credit: Getty

December 2012: Kardashian confirmed her first pregnancy (with then-boyfriend Kanye West) on New Year's Eve - and also said it wasn't a piece of cake. "I wouldn't say it's been easy," she said. "When people say that pregnancy is fun and they love it, I would have to disagree ... Even my sister has made it look easy, but it's not as easy as people think. I heard it's all worth it so I'm looking forward to that."

Story continues

January 2013: Early pregnancy was morning sickness-free for Kardashian, according to what the star told People shortly after the news of her first pregnancy broke. "It's been so exciting. We're very, very happy," she said. "I've felt good. I've felt no morning sickness, but it isn't the easiest. People always say pregnancy is so easy and fun. It's definitely an adjustment. It's learning about your body, but I've felt really good."

Photo credit: Getty

March 2013: Kardashian got candid about initially struggling with the way her body changed while she was pregnant. "I'm not going to lie and be like, 'Oh, it's been amazing and I've adjusted great,'" she told Extra. "At the beginning, it was tough for me when your body changes so much  but once you kind of grasp that and embrace it, it's amazing."

The reality star also admitted that pregnancy had been tougher than she thought it would be - especially when compared with her mom's and sister Kourtney's experiences. "Being pregnant is not as easy as my sister [Kourtney] made it look or as my mom [Kris Jenner] has made it look," Kardashian said. "It's a little painful. I've gotten sick a couple times, and that puts you out." She also revealed that she'd been craving healthier food, like carrots and ranch dressing. At the time, she also "still want[ed] to be chic, wearing heels," according to an E! News interview.

On an episode of KUWTK that filmed in March and aired several months later, Kardashian was raced to the doctor after experiencing abdominal pains and vowed never to get pregnant again. "I can never do this again," she said through tears. "It hurts so badly."

April 2013: Stars - they're just like us! Especially in that they Google all of their strange pregnancy symptoms and freak themselves out thinking something's really wrong. "I was waiting for this amazing experience where I can just do whatever I want, eat whatever I want, feel great...and it hasn't been that way," Kardashian admitted to Ryan Seacrest. "I've had a lot of pain everywhere. I'm in pain, physically. I get really paranoid [and] I start Googling things. The things that come up are really scary. It just freaks me out all the time."

Photo credit: Getty

May 2013: Near the end of her first pregnancy, Kardashian was startled to glimpse her huge belly while modeling lingerie during an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians Season 8. She asked a question that a lot of heavily-pregnant women will find familiar: "How the fuck did I get like this?"

June 2013: North West was born on June 15.

January 2014: The reality star spoke about her first pregnancy woes during an appearance on The Ellen Show: "The pregnancy, I wouldn't really wish that upon anyone. Anyone... It's all worth it in the end, so I would definitely suffer through that, but pregnancy was not a good experience for me. At all. My labour was easy, but just the whole pregnancy was so... I had a few medical issues, so it was really tough, and I gained a lot of weight. It was really hard mentally on me."

September 2014: By later that year, Kardashian was already thinking about giving North a sibling, telling Ellen DeGeneres that she wanted between two and 4 kids total. "I'll go for two - but then again, I have so many siblings and I love it. They're my best friends. I would want that for my kids. So I'm going to do two and see how it is," she said. "[Pregnancy] was not a beautiful thing with me. People are lying to you [when they say you get a pregnancy glow]. Kourtney looks so beautiful pregnant. She has the best pregnancy style. I couldn't figure it out and I'm just dreading when I have to figure it out again." Despite the challenges, she said that having North was "worth it."

December 2014: Kardashian spoke in retrospect about her significant pregnancy weight gain, joking that she blamed God for it. "I'd think God was doing this for a reason. He was saying: 'Kim, you think you're so hot, but look what I can do to you,'" she told Elle UK. "My body just went crazy. After 5 months, I swore I'd never get pregnant again. I got so huge and it felt like someone had taken over my body."

Photo credit: Getty

April 2015: On an episode of KUWTK, Kardashian addressed the irony of trying hard to conceive a second child after such a rough first pregnancy. "I complain so much about how I hated being pregnant, and I never thought I would be begging to be pregnant," she said. "Trying for baby number two is just not fun like baby number one. I'm like, 'I'm ovulating in 5 minutes! Get over here!'"

In an appearance on the TODAY show, Kardashian also revealed that doctors had suggested she consider using a surrogate for her second pregnancy. "They have recommended to me to get a surrogate, and I would like to hold out a little bit longer, and still try," she said. "I still have hope, so I'm just going to keep on trying. Never say never. I mean, we haven't talked about adopting..."

June 2015: Shortly after confirming her second pregnancy, the mom was candid about her fertility struggles while trying for baby number two and why she opted to document that journey on KUWTK. "I didn't know that I was going to be so open with [my fertility challenges]," she told Glamour. "But meeting people at my fertility doctor's office who are going through the same things I'm going through, I thought, why not share my story?"

Kardashian continued: "It's been really emotional. One doctor told me I would need my uterus removed after I had another baby - I could only have one more. One was like, 'You should get a surrogate.' The other one was like, 'Oh, no, you'll be fine.' Then I called my doctor, and he's like, 'You know what? I believe - we'll get through it.' The waiting and waiting has been a roller coaster."

Photo credit: Getty

August 2015: Kardashian opened up to C Magazine about the complications during her first pregnancy complications that impacted her ability to have baby number two. "It was over a year of trying, and I had so many complications. I had this condition called placenta accreta [where the placenta attaches itself too deeply into the wall of the uterus]," she said. "There were a couple of little operations to fix all that, so that created a little hole in my uterus, which I think made it really tough to get pregnant again. It was a long road. I would go to the doctor in Beverly Hills every day at 5 in the morning to get tested to see if I was ovulating. I was trying everything: I did acupuncture and got a nutritionist to eat healthier, thinking that was an issue."

She also opened up to the magazine about being body-shamed while pregnant (something which led her to post that infamous naked pregnancy selfie to "prove" that she was really pregnant): "Everyone would say, 'She can't stop eating.' I delivered at 180, and they were like, 'She's 210 pounds. She's getting dumped because she's too fat' and all these ridiculous stories. It really took a toll after the fact, when I was losing weight. I gained 50 pounds, and it's tough to get it off. I was dedicated, but also, it changed the way I viewed wanting my picture taken. Before I was always smiling, and so into being out and about. After I had the baby, I was like, these are the same people that made fun of me, and posted the stories that were so awful, calling me fat for something I couldn't control. I don't want to smile for them. I don't want to be out."

October 2015: Just weeks before giving birth to Saint, Kardashian was over it. "I'm gonna keep it real: For me pregnancy is the worst experience of my life! LOL! I don't understand one moment of it and I don't understand people who enjoy it," Kardashian wrote on her website. "I'm not sure why I don't like the experience like others do. Maybe it's the swelling, the backaches or just the complete mindfuck of how your body expands and nothing fits... I just always feel like I'm not in my own skin. It's hard to explain. I don't feel sexy, either - I feel insecure and most of the time I just feel gross."

November 2015: Shortly before giving birth to her son, Kardashian told Ryan Seacrest that she was 100% done with having kids naturally. "I said this last time. I said I am done. Don't ever make me go through that again. I am so honest about pregnancy. I think sometimes they (people) think I am ungrateful for being pregnant," Kardashian said. "It was really hard this time for me to get pregnant. How miserable it is, swollen feet and heartburn. It is the worst."

She also told E! News that she feels like she's run the gamut of every possible high-risk pregnancy complication, including preeclampsia (which introduced the possibility of needing a hysterectomy immediately after delivery). "Every medical issue that you could probably have I feel like I get and I worry so much about it," Kardashian said. "This pregnancy, I have a little bit more anxiety just because I know what's to come and it's really inevitable some of the issues that I'm going to have. You know, I have a high-risk delivery and all of that gives me such anxiety."

Photo credit: Getty

December 2015: Saint West was born on December 5. Days prior to his birth, Kardashian had a procedure to turn the breech baby. "This weekend I checked into the hospital and underwent a procedure called an ECV (External Cephalic Version, or a Version), which is done to manually turn the baby from a breech position to a head-down position," the reality star wrote on her website. "They don't give you any pain medication, and let me tell you: This was soooooo painful. Probably more painful than childbirth. BUT it worked!!!"

July 2016: In a TMI conversation with her maybe-sorta-ex-brother-in-law Scott Disick, Kardashian shared the reason she's done having kids - because she's worried about what a third baby will do to her vagina. "I was like, 'I don't think I can carry another one.' I just think, 'Ugh, I'll never be the same down there.' Kanye says it feels the same," she said. "It's like the same house but the furniture is rearranged."

November 2016: In yet another change of heart, Kardashian revealed that she wanted to "explore surrogacy" in order to have a third child. On a November 13 episode of KUWTK, she even met with a woman who had both carried a child and used a surrogate and seemed to be seriously considering using one. "If the two doctors I trust have told me it would not be safe to get pregnant again, I have to listen to that," she said. Kardashian's BFF Chrissy Teigen even offered to be her friend's surrogate.

March 2017: Despite earlier suggestions that she was coming around to the idea of surrogacy, the TV personality recently revealed that she's determined to have a third child naturally and is considering uterus surgery in order to conceive - despite the fact that doctors have warned her about how high-risk another pregnancy would be. "Having more kids is definitely going to be a struggle," she said. "I've gone through so much with really bad deliveries that the doctors don't feel like it's safe for me to conceive again myself. This surgery is really the one last thing I can try. I want my kids to have siblings and I want to know that I did everything that I could to make this happen."

Photo credit: Getty

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New York (AFP) - Delta Air Lines has increased the maximum possible payout to passengers to nearly $10,000 if they voluntarily give up a seat on an overbooked flight, the company told AFP Monday.

The boost is part of the airline industry's response to the global outrage sparked by last week's violent removal of a customer from a United Airlines Chicago flight after he resisted being "bumped" by the carrier.

Delta customer service employees will be permitted to offer up to $2,000 in these cases, up from the prior cap of $800.

Supervisors will be able to grant up to $9,950, up from the prior limit of $1,350.

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

The increases came after United came under fire after it called security officers to forcibly remove passenger David Dao from an overbooked flight in order to seat crew members for another flight.

Video of the episode went viral, sparking calls for greater scrutiny of airlines from politicians.

United, which is undertaking an audit of its practices, already amended some policies, saying it will require employees to be booked at least 60 minutes prior to departure. United evicted Dao and three other passengers from the flight to make room for employees.

The incident shined a new light on the practice of overbooking, which airlines increasingly rely upon to avoid losing money on seats left when some passengers do not show up for scheduled flights.

Delta has described overbooking as a necessary industry practice, in part because of weather uncertainty, and said the process can be managed effectively.
The father of one of the teen burglars killed in a home invasion in Oklahoma says his son was not a thug, as he's been portrayed.

"Jacob was a good kid," Michael Redfearn told Inside Edition. "This was not the typical Jacob. It's really hard to see all the comments and all the things people have said in regards to my son."

Read: 911 Call Released in 'Make My Day' Home Invasion Killings

Jacob Redfearn, who would have turned 19 this week, was shot dead on March 27 when he broke into a home in Broken Arrow along with two friends, 19-year-old Maxwell Cook and 16-year-old Jaykob Woodriff.

Michael Redfearn also revealed that he lost his wife the same week as his son. She died of a bacterial infection, he said.

"Both my son and my wife were cremated and I'm going to take them with me on a road trip," he said. "Just have some time with them and let this all sink in."

After breaking in, the three teenagers were shot dead by the homeowner's son, 23-year-old Zach Peters. Authorities say Peters was defending his home and will not face charges.

"It's hard to swallow," Redfearn said, "but at the same time it was expected. We live in Oklahoma. We have a 'stand my ground' law."

Redfearn said he "wholeheartedly" believes the driver of the teenagers' getaway car, Elizabeth Rodriguez, was the one who came up with the crime.

"She was definitely the ringleader," he told Inside Edition. "She's the one who set this whole thing up."

Rodriguez, 21, has been charged with three counts of murder, but has pleaded not guilty. Her next court appearance is May 11.

Read: Woman Arrested in 'Make My Day' Home Invasion Case Has 'a Lot of Regrets'

When Inside Edition spoke to her from jail, she wept and repeatedly said, "I'm so sorry."

She has also said that the teenagers had been involved in a string of break-ins, but Redfearn's father insists that's not true.

Story continues

"This is completely out of his nature and a first-time incident for him that happened to cost him his life," he said.

Authorities said none of the teens had criminal records.

Watch: 13-Year-Old Boy Dies After Accidentally Shooting Himself on Instagram Live

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Driver Gets Six Years for Motorcyclists Death

A California woman has been sentenced to six years in prison for the 2015 killing of a motorcyclist in a road rage incident.

Motorcyclist Zacharias Buob, 39, was killed after getting into a May 28, 2015, altercation with motorist Darla Renee Jackson. The altercation led to a high speed chase spanning two San Diego freeways during which Jackson displayed "outrageously reckless" behavior, according to sentencing Judge Francis Devaney.

According to a report in the San Diego Union Tribune, the dispute began when Jackson passed Buob on the freeway. Both vehicles were in the fast lane at the time, which appeared to upset Buob. He reportedly gestured at Jackson, she swerved her car toward him, and he responded by kicking her car's door. Jackson then followed him as he sped away.

Reaching speeds in excess of 90 mph, the chase came to an abrupt end when Buob, a Navy chief petty officer, ran into traffic that had slowed in front of him. He was thrown from his bike and run over by Jackson, who had been swerving to avoid his motorcycle, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.

Jackson pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter earlier this year, a charge that could have carried a maximum penalty of 11 years. At her sentencing hearing last week she was visibly shaken  sobbing and repeating the word "No."

Speaking at the sentencing, Deputy District Attorney Laura Evans said that regardless of who had started the altercation, Jackson must accept responsibility for Buob's death.

"Whatever the purpose, she chased," Evans said of Jackson. "She sped. She followed too closely. and she hunted him down."
It is hard to overstate the hullaballoo that is the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, unfolding Monday on the South Lawn. In the Obama years, the Egg Roll was the day when the president read Maurice Sendaks Where the Wild Things Are to a group of assembled children, when sunburned interns supervised roving gangs of six-year-olds, and when the likes of Big Bird and the Easter Bunny were required to report to the South Lawn by sunrise, just in time to appear in the morning news shows footage. For one joyful day, the routinized business of the West Wing takes place practically under the feet of thousands of screaming children zigzagging across the presidents backyard.

While Obama-era egg rolls tended to have about 35,000 attendees, this years egg roll is expected to be much smaller, with only around 21,000 attendees anticipated for the event, according to NBC. First Lady Melania Tumps spokeswoman said that the reason for the smaller size is Melanias desire to focus on the historic aspect of the Easter Egg Roll.

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And yet, the most historic aspect of the White House Easter Egg Roll is its enormous size. It is one of the last vestiges of an original mode of invitation-free White House entertaining, gone since the postwar era, which dictates the president fling open the doors and welcome inside anyone who lines up.

The Presidents House by William Seale, the most authoritative history of the White House, gives a vivid account of the first and not particularly sedate White House Easter Egg Roll. Washington children had been rolling eggs down Capitol Hill for decades when in the 1870s Congress barred them from trampling the lawn year-round, including during the Egg Roll.

In 1879, during the Rutherford B. Hayes Administration, Capitol police enforced the law and hundreds of children flocked to the grounds of the White House South Lawn to continue their egg rolling in protest. Seale quotes The Washington Stars account describing the event: They [the children] laughed, yelled, and playedin rolling down with their eggs the girls  some of them a pretty good size, too  were totally regardless of the extent of striped stockings displayed. The activity is interrupted by the appearance of a ragged and dirty boy of 14 who steals a basket of Easter eggs and is chased down by the police through town, with the other children trailing in pursuit of the action.

Story continues

But such an influx of citizenry used to be commonplace in the White House. For over a century, the Egg Roll was just one of many annual White House occasions that saw thousands of ordinary Americans flow through the house to shake the presidents hand. (President Trump seems content to avoid the hand shaking part of things, if his recent behavior while greeting a tour is any indication.)

Recommended: President Trump's 'Substitute Teacher' Problem

Running through Seales books is a current of purposefully crowded White House entertaining.

On the Fourth of July, Thomas Jefferson and his Cabinet stood on the steps of the White House and surveyed the traveling circus that had materialized on the south grounds at dawn. Thousands of people mingled and bought food, drink, baskets and rugs, watched horseraces, cockfights and military drills. After taking in the scene, Jefferson invited the crowd into the White House to, as Seale paraphrases, partake of this hospitality and his thanksgiving for the preservation of independence.

People stood in lines around the block to attend Andrew Johnsons receptions, enduring the hot sun and aching feet, just to shake the Presidents hand. To better the traffic flow, the White House staff built a rolling staircase that could be rolled up to a lifted window to instantly transform it into a door.

John Tyler served just one term, but a sturdy marble table he purchased for $100 served an important function for dozens of presidentsit became a barrier between him and the crush of people clamoring for his hand in the Blue Room.

Among those who benefitted from the table was Abraham Lincoln, who would shake thousands of hands in any one reception. Following the events, he would routinely retire to the residence, where Mary Todd Lincoln would soak and rub her husbands badly blistered hand. One of these took place on New Years Day in 1863, the day on which Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

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I never in my life, he said, felt more certain that I was doing right, than I do in signing this paper. But I have been receiving calls and shaking hands since nine oclock this morning, till my arm is stiff and numb now this signature is one that will be closely examined If they find my hand trembled they will say, he had some complications. But any way it is going to be done. Seale observes that while the signature did betray a tremor, with it, three million slaves were freed.

For much of its history, the front door of the White House was open to hundreds of daily visitors, who arrived in the foyer with the objective to see the president and spent the rest of the appointed visiting hours lolling there.

Charles Dickens, on his tour of America, described this perennial crowd.

We entered a large hall, and, having twice or thrice rung a bell which nobody answered, walked without further ceremony through the rooms on the ground-floor, as divers other gentlemen (mostly with their hats on, and their hands in their pockets) were doing very leisurely. Some of these had ladies with them, to whom they were showing the premises; others were lounging on the chairs and sofas; others, in a perfect state of exhaustion from listlessness, were yawning drearily. The greater portion of this assemblage were rather asserting their supremacy than doing anything else, as they had no particular business there, that anybody knew of. A few were closely eyeing the movables, as if to make quite sure that the President (who was far from popular) had not made away with any of the furniture, or sold the fixtures for his private benefit.

At various points, the White Houses south grounds were open to the public in seasons of warm weather. Seale recounts a story in which one man approaches Franklin Pierce, and asks, Mr. President, cant I go through your fine house? Ive heard so much about it that Id give a great deal to see it. Pierce replies, Why my dear sir, that is not my house, its the peoples house, and you shall certainly go through if you wish. With that, he summoned a doorman to give the man a personal tour.

The assassination of several presidents and the event of two World Wars caused the end of this era of open entertaining. The Fourth of July and New Years Receptions were permanently ended, and the Egg Roll temporarily suspended by wartime presidents Wilson and Roosevelt, only to be brought back by Harding and Eisenhower twice, after WWI and II.

The business of presidential entertaining is rooted in the questions George Washington posed earnestly in letters he wrote Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and John Adams, to ask if the President should live in constant communication with all kinds of company or in total seclusion from society?

Would it be sufficient to receive publicly one day a week, or would even so limited a public exposure not merely invite impertinent applications and embarrassing situations insulting to the office of the President? Many things which appear of little importance, Washington continued, may have great and durable consequence for their having been established at the commencement of a new general government.

As the Trumps prepare to welcome a decidedly smaller crowd to todays egg roll, Washingtons question seems more relevant than everhow open should a White House be? How many people might call on the president at various stages of the year? And which part of White House history should the Trumps be seeking to emulate as they move through the events that appear of little importance?

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
In the course of composing this paragraph, which is theoretically about Elon Musk, I've been thinking about neuroscience and about electrode arrays. I've been thinking about a friend's job hunt. I've been thinking about an article I once wrote on artificially intelligent robots, about whether I should get a snack or just hold out until lunch, about something I just read on a famous essayist's new memoir, about whether my editors are going to appreciate me inserting the word "I" into this article.

And above all, I've been imagining a network of electrodes clinging to my brain, trying, with increasing mechanical desperation, to unwind all of these thoughts and figure out what to do with them.

That's what tech guru Elon Musk wants: neural implants that would connect to the human brain and merge the mind with a machine. The idea, as he's put it in several talks and conferences in recent months, is to connect with ultrasmart artificial intelligence, lest AI eclipse humanity entirely. As a first step, Musk recently launched a company called Neuralink Corp., which appears poised to join the medical device market for implants designed for injured or diseased brains. [Super-Intelligent Machines: 7 Robotic Futures]

When The Wall Street Journal first broke the news of the rocket-and-electric-car-entrepreneur's new venture, media outlets (including Live Science) quickly made the connection between Musk's ambitions and recent advances in neural prosthetics that let people move bionic body parts with their brains and even feel with false limbs. Potential applications include brain implants that ease the symptoms of epilepsy and Parkinson's disease with miniature electric shocks.

This litany might make it seem like Musk's "neural lace" technology is mere steps away. But it's a long walk from moving a prosthetic limb with the motor cortex to plugging a healthy brain into a smartphone. How would an electrode array record the brain's many wandering thoughts? Even if it could capture them, how would it decode which were important? And would a human brain even be able to process whatever the artificially intelligent network sent back?

Story continues

Reading minds

Little is known about Musk's plans for Neuralink, but it has been registered as a medical research company, which suggests that the first goal will be to break into the neural implant market for neural injuries or degenerative nervous system disorders. Wired compared this presumed plan with Musk's strategy of building low-cost rockets as a stepping stone toward Mars colonization.

Rockets, however, had already been invented before Musk started SpaceX. Neuralink's researchers won't have so much to build on. Current neural prosthetics have come a long way, but they still manage only a limited range of motions, said Brad Wyble, a professor of psychology at Pennsylvania State University who studies visual cognition. For someone who has a severed spinal cord from an accident, any mobility is fantastic; for someone able-bodied, the spinal cord is far more advanced, Wyble said.

"We already have the peripheral nervous system," he said. "That's the gadget you've got to beat."

Musk is on the record as complaining that human interactions with devices are inefficient, and it's true that thumb-typing on a smartphone is not humanity's most effective use of dexterity. Nevertheless, the spinal cord is like the neural lace of sci-fi writers' dreams, Wyble said. It is more than just a relay cable. It takes the burden off the brain by handling reflexes on its own; it also does some of its own processing in dealing with more complex inputs. A 2011 study published in the journal Magnetic Resonance Imaging, for example, found that spinal cord activity in response to a sensory input (painful heat, in this case) is different depending on whether a person is distracted or focused on his or her senses. In other words, higher-order mental processes can influence the way that very basic sensory processes work.

If mimicking the spinal cord is currently out of reach, figuring out the brain is somewhere in the stratosphere, Wyble said.

"We have barely scratched the surface as far as how hard it is to think," Wyble said.

Beyond the very basic coding in the sensory or motor cortex, neuroscientists haven't cracked the brain's processing language. No one knows how thoughts or intentions are structured in neuron impulses and action potentials. An electrode array couldn't read my relevant thoughts about what I'm about to type next, much less differentiate them from my flittering ruminations on lunch. And those random thoughts are not insignificant. One study found that people spend about 47 percent of their time thinking things that are not related to the task at hand.

Integrating the brain

Nor is thought a simple input/output sort of process, which might make integrating the mind with machines additionally challenging. Wyble cited the example of Spritz, a speed-reading app that is purported to make reading faster by presenting words directly in the center of vision, so the eyes wouldn't have to move across the page. [5 Intriguing Uses for Artificial Intelligence (That Aren't Killer Robots)]

"The problem with that line of thinking is the brain is doing stuff constantly while you're reading," Wyble said. The limitation isn't how fast the eye can move, but all the processing that goes on within the brain. Cramming more information into the visual system more quickly won't necessarily improve performance, Wyble said.

"The brain is probably very well-adapted and finely tuned to the pace of information that the peripheral nervous system delivers," Wyble said.

Even if scientists could translate complex feedback loops between the brain and a digital device, what hardware would do the job?

"There aren't very many electrodes that you can insert into the brain that will record individual neurons over long periods of time," said Randolph Nudo, director of the Landon Center on Aging at the University of Kansas Medical Center, who is working on brain implants designed to bridge communication gaps in the brain after brain injury or stroke. The best technology available now is the Utah array, which allows for up to 128 electrodes to connect with neurons in the sensory or motor cortex  not the presumed millions of neurons you'd need to decode higher-order processing. Even with this top-of-the-line tech, the electrodes stop working after a few months, Nudo said. Scar tissue builds up around the insertion points, degrading the electrical signal.

Nudo said he and his colleagues hope to use their implants to nudge the brain to rewire, removing the hardware after the connections have been re-established. But Musk's neural lace would need to be permanent, Nudo said.

"Not only do you have the risk to the patient of infections and so on, the device may not last a lifetime," Nudo said. No one has a clear idea of how to make a device that could safely interface with the brain in a sophisticated enough way to be useful, he said.

Nudo, it so happens, once owned the name Neuralink. He and his partner Pedram Mohseni recently sold the name to a person they only later found out was representing Musk. Nudo and Mohseni are still working on the brain-implant technology with funding from the U.S. Department of Defense, and hope to be able to prove that it works in primates within two years, Nudo said. So far, they've tested implants only in rodents.

The regulation game

One of the greatest challenges to brain-implant development, Nudo said, is gaining approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). To get approval to even test a medical device in humans, developers have to develop a prototype and show that it won't be dangerous.

"It's a huge economic hurdle to get that done, and tens of millions of dollars are often spent in that process of getting even a simple device through the FDA process," Nudo said.

Venture capital is usually the only way to raise that kind of cash, Nudo said. But venture capitalists do expect a return on investment. That's another potential stumbling block for Musk, Nudo said. The people most likely to be willing to test out a brain implant are those who have the least to lose  people with neurodegenerative disorders or nervous system injuries that affect their movement or speech or other basic functions. But in the grand scheme of things, that's not that many people, Nudo said.

"If you have a small population of patients that could benefit from it, the bottom line is that you will have a very hard time making money," he said.

Despite all these hurdles, no one wants to discount Musk's ideas. The entrepreneur is famous for pushing technology forward with dramatic pronouncements and short development timelines, and Nudo and Wyble agreed that Musk's ability to direct the public spotlight to neuroscience research could be a godsend.

"Applications like this are always a tremendous driver of public interest," Wyble said. "The danger comes when we make unrealistic promises of what will soon be possible, because those unfulfilled promises can lead to a backlash and a loss of confidence in science."

Original article on Live Science.

Editor's Recommendations
By Press Trust of India: it: Adityanath (Eds: Incorporating fresh inputs, CMs quotes on uniform civil code and recasting the 2nd para.)

Lucknow, Apr 17 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today said those maintaining silence on the "burning issue" of triple talaq are as "guilty" as those practising it.

Drawing an analogy between the silence of politicians on triple talaq and that of the nobles during the disrobing of Draupadi in the Mahabharata, he said, "Those in the political class that are keeping mum need to be put in the dock along with the perpetrators of the crime and their accomplices."

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Reacting sharply, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) termed Adityanaths remark as "jaahilaanaa" (foolish).

"These days, there is a new debate in the country on a burning issue. Some people are maintaining silence on this issue. This reminds me of the scene in the Mahabharata in which Draupadi is being disrobed and she asks a question to the gathering as to who is responsible for this incident, this sin?" Adityanath said.

"No one uttered even a single word. Only Vidur said people who have committed the crime, the accomplices and those who maintained silence on this issue are equally responsible," he said, referring to the practice of triple talaq.

Adityanath made these remarks at an event to mark the 91st birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar.

Calling for an end to the Muslim practice of triple talaq the Chief Minister advocated a uniform civil code in the country.

His remarks came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch against the divisive issue of triple talaq, insisting that exploitation of Muslim women should end and justice be done to them.

Modi had, however, deprecated any attempt at creating a "conflict" within the Muslim community on the issue and suggested tackling it through social awareness.

On Adityanaths statement, AIMPLB General Secretary Maulana Wali Rahmani said, "I dont know how to react to the jaahilaanaa (foolish) statement. He is linking talaq with a greater issue -- the disrobing of Draupadi. No sane person will do so. He is looking at things using a different lens (doosraa chashmaa)."

The AIMPLB at its meeting here yesterday had asserted that Muslims have a "constitutional" right to follow their personal law of which triple talaq was a part.

Rahmani had said the board has decided to issue a code of conduct and warned that those who give talaq (divorce) without following the Sharia (Islamic law) will face social boycott.

Adityanath today also referred to the issue of the uniform civil code and said, "Former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar had advocated the need for a common civil code in the country. When our issues are similar, then why the laws pertaining to marriages cannot be similar."

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"Chandra Shekhar had a clear understanding of the Common Civil Code. For him, the interest of the nation was more important than his own ideology. Our politics should not revolve around attacking the nations interest, but should be within the framework of the Constitution.

"The day we start working by remaining within the ambit of the Constitution, the situation of conflict and collision will not occur. And, then no one will dare to take law into their own hand," he said.

All India Shia Personal Law Board spokesperson Maulana Yasoob Abbas said, "Comparing talaq with disrobing of Draupadi is wrong. Triple talaq is wrong, and the also the tendency to remain silent on this issue. Inflicting talaq (divorce) on a woman is a sin, but it cannot be equated with disrobing."

President of the All India Muslim Woman Personal Law Board Shaista Amber said, "Talaq should not be compared to disrobing of Draupadi. Our Hindu sisters are also beaten up for dowry, the PM and the CM should comment on this issue as well."

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"Watching a crime being committed is also a crime and there should be stringent laws to deal with criminal elements," she said.

On the AIMPLBs statement that those who give triple talaq without valid Sharia reasons will face social boycott, Amber said, "Social boycott merely will not suffice as it will not give justice to the oppressed woman." PTI NAV SMI NSD SK NSD SK

--- ENDS ---
Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed victory on Sunday in a referendum on a proposal to massively expand his power, while dismissing the objections of opposition parties who challenged the outcome of the vote.

Erdogans victory sets in motion a transformation of Turkish politics, replacing the current parliamentary system with one dominated by a powerful presidency. According to preliminary results, a small majority of Turkish voters approved the set of 18 constitutional amendments that limits parliaments oversight of the executive, eliminates the office of the Prime Minister, and expands presidential power over judicial appointments. Erdogan and his supporters say the constitutional changes are needed to ensure stability, while opponents denounced the amendments as a step toward an era of autocracy.

The narrow, disputed outcome of the vote also sets the stage for a bitter struggle over the validity of the referendum results. According to Turkeys state news agency, the yes vote won by a margin of 51.2% to 48.8%. However, two opposition parties said they would challenge the result, citing violations in the vote-counting procedure. The campaign also took place in the wake of a vast political crackdown in Turkey following a failed military coup last July. The questions about the referendums results now promise to sow even more division in a country already deeply polarized over the figure of Erdogan and the merits of his proposed presidential system.

Addressing his supporters on Sunday night, Erdogan brushed aside questions of legitimacy, claiming a definitive victory in the referendum. The discussion is over. Yes has won.

Throughout the referendum campaign, Erdogan has argued the new system of government would introduce political stability and security. It certainly promises to make Erdogan the undisputed leader of Turkey for years to come, inviting comparisons to Vladimir Putin of Russia and other populist autocrats.

Story continues

Whos going to stop Erdogan? There never was anyone to stop Erdogan, but now, even the formal possibility of there being something is erased from the law, says Selim Sazak, a fellow at the Delma Institute, an Abu Dhabibased think tank.

The dispute over the outcome of the referendum centers on a last-minute decision by the state election board to count ballots that did not receive an official authenticating stamp. The countrys largest opposition party says that as many as 1.5 million ballots did not receive such a stamp, a number that would more than account for the margin of victory in the margin of victory of 1.3 million reported by the state news agency. At least half the country said no to constitutional change. This shouldnt be carried against the publics will, said Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the centrist Republican Peoples Party, in a televised address on Sunday night. Angry demonstrations erupted late Sunday night in neighborhoods of Istanbul where the opposition is heavily represented.

This is a very close call, so I dont think people are going to let it go necessarily. It will probably be talked about for some time, says Selim Koru, an analyst at the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey. He adds, The President is obviously going to continue and try to enact a transition to make everything irreversible as quickly as he can.

The entire referendum campaign took place amid political crackdown in the aftermath of a deadly military coup last July that failed to dislodge Erdogan and killed more than 200 people. After surviving the coup attempt, Erdogan moved to consolidate power, with authorities jailing thousands and dismissing tens of thousands of civil servants, soldiers, police officers, teachers, justice officials and others from their jobs. In a parallel set of court cases, hundreds of members of one major opposition party - the Peoples Democratic Party - have been imprisoned on terrorism charges, among them Members of Parliament. The government accuses the party of ties to outlawed Kurdish militants who are engaged in a long-running war with the Turkish state.

The results of the national vote also suggest some weaknesses in the Presidents base of support. In Istanbul, Turkeys largest city, where Erdogan came of age and rose to stardom as the elected mayor in the 1990s, the no votes edged out the yes votes. The no campaign also won the capital, Ankara, as well as Izmir, a major coastal city. A significant number of supporters of Erdogans own party, the Justice and Development Party (AKP), voted against the constitutional changes, signaling distrust with a the expansion of the power of a President who already has unrivaled control.

In Istanbuls Kasimpasa neighborhood, where Erdogan lived as a teenager and a young man, some of the Presidents supporters said they voted no.

A presidential system doesnt sound right to me, said Nazli Kaya, 32, standing outside a polling station in a school in Kasimpasa. I believe in diversity. I dont want a one-man system, she says.

This article was originally published on TIME.com
Ankara (AFP) - Donald Trump called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to congratulate him on winning a referendum granting him sweeping new powers that exposed bitter divisions in the country.

The White House said they also discussed a US missile strike in Syria and the fight against the Islamic State group.

Trump's congratulations on Monday were in contrast with EU leaders who have been reserved in their reaction to the narrow victory and even his own State Department, which earlier noted concerns expressed by international observers over the "uneven playing field".

Returning in triumph to his presidential palace in Ankara, Erdogan angrily rejected the criticism, telling the monitors: "Know your place."

The referendum was seen as crucial not just for shaping Turkey's political system but also the future strategic direction of a nation that has been a NATO member since 1952 and a European Union hopeful for half a century.

Showing no sign of pulling his punches, Erdogan said Turkey could hold further referendums on its EU bid and re-introducing the death penalty.

The "Yes" camp won 51.41 percent in Sunday's referendum, according to complete results released by election authorities.

But the opposition immediately cried foul, claiming a clean vote would have made a difference of several percentage points and handed them victory.

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) said they would challenge the results from most ballot boxes due to alleged violations.

"There is only one decision to ease the situation in the context of the law -- the Supreme Election Board (YSK) should annul the vote," the Dogan news agency quoted CHP deputy leader Bulent Tezcan as saying.

The referendum has no "democratic legitimacy", HDP spokesman and lawmaker Osman Baydemir told reporters in Ankara.

There were protests in Istanbul with a few thousand people crowding the anti-Erdogan Besiktas and Kadikoy districts, blowing whistles and chanting "We are shoulder to shoulder against fascism".

Story continues

- 'Unlevel playing field' -

The opposition had already complained of an unfair campaign that saw the "Yes" backers swamp the airwaves and use billboards across the country in a saturation advertising campaign.

International observers agreed the campaign was conducted on an "unlevel playing field" and that the vote count itself was marred by procedural changes that removed key safeguards.

"The legal framework... remained inadequate for the holding of a genuinely democratic referendum," the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) monitors said in a statement.

The Turkish opposition was particularly incensed by a decision by the YSK to allow voting papers without official stamps to be counted, which they said opened the way for fraud.

"Late changes in counting procedures removed an important safeguard," said Cezar Florin Preda, head of the PACE delegation.

But Erdogan said Turkey had no intention of paying any attention to the monitors' report.

He added: "This country held the most democratic polls that have never been seen in any other country in the West."

- 'End of the dream' -

Erdogan earlier congratulated cheering supporters at Ankara's airport for "standing tall" in the face of the "crusader mentality" of the West.

Getting back to business as usual, his cabinet swiftly extended by another three months the already nine month state of emergency imposed after last July's failed coup.

There were also signs of a looming crisis with the EU.

Erdogan reaffirmed he would now hold talks on reinstating capital punishment -- a move that would automatically end Turkey's EU bid -- and would hold a referendum if it did not get enough votes in parliament to become law.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said that if Ankara were to bring back the death penalty, the move would be "synonymous with the end of the European dream".

In an interview in the Bild newspaper to be published Tuesday, he warned Turkey that "joining would not work right now".

Erdogan said Turkey could hold a referendum on the membership bid. "What George, Hans or Helga say does not interest us," he said, using typical European names.

- 'Big cities say No' -

Turkey's new political system is due to come into effect after elections in November 2019, although Erdogan is expected to rapidly rejoin the ruling Justice Development Party (AKP) he founded but had to leave when he became president.

It would dispense with the prime minister's post and centralise the entire executive bureaucracy under the president, giving Erdogan the direct power to appoint ministers.

Erdogan's victory was far tighter than expected, emerging only after several nail-biting hours late Sunday which saw the "No" result dramatically catch up.

Turkey's three largest cities -- Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir -- all voted "No" although "Yes" prevailed in Erdogan's Anatolian heartland.
Ankara (AFP) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan must heal a divided country after narrowly winning a contested referendum, but it is unclear whether he is interested in forging the compromises needed for reconciliation, analysts say.

After months of campaigning, with the 'Yes' side dominating the airwaves and posters on the streets, 51.41 percent of the electorate voted for an executive presidency, expanding Erdogan's powers.

But some 48.59 percent on Sunday voted against, according to nearly-complete results from election authorities.

The 'No' was in front in 33 of Turkey's 81 provinces, notably in major cities.

The campaign polarised the country. Erdogan railed against enemies abroad and traitors at home with his usual combative style, even accusing European countries of "Nazi practices" last month during the crisis in relations with the European Union.

Videos shared online by pro-government journalists and social media users made comparisons between Kurdish separatists and former far-right nationalist party members voting for 'No', suggesting "terrorists" were against constitutional changes.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said at the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) headquarters on Sunday night said "no one's heart should be broken" after the 'Yes' won.

"There are no losers in this referendum, the winner is Turkey, the winner is the dear people," Yildirim told supporters.

But Erdogan ignored warnings from the EU over bringing back the death penalty and repeated he would approve any bill for its return and even could hold a referendum on the issue if necessary.

He urged "other countries and institutions to show respect to the decision of the nation", and did not show a softening in his rhetoric against the West.

Meanwhile, two main opposition parties, the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) said they would challenge the result, alleging major violations.

Story continues

- 'Continue robust approach' -

Analysts agreed even with such a "razor-thin" mandate and opposition challenges, Erdogan would defiantly continue his style of politics.

"I don't think Erdogan will change the robust and muscular approach to politics that he has adopted so far," said Fadi Hakura of the British thinktank Chatham House.

"If anything, I suspect he will double down on his very hardline and tough and uncompromising style of politics."

Aykan Erdemir, a former Turkish main opposition party lawmaker, said Erdogan would probably conclude that he should "entrench" and "strengthen his one-man rule machine".

But Erdemir, a senior fellow at Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, noted that Erdogan was still unable to muster more than 51 percent of the vote, despite the advantages of the 'Yes' campaign plus the imprisonment of high-profile 'No' campaigners.

"He has to find new mechanisms" to consolidate his rule, Erdemir added.

There will now also be intense attention over whether Erdogan moves to resume the peace process with Kurdish militants or works to try to simply destroy the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

- Lost political base -

Pro-government Hurriyet daily columnist Abdulkadir Selvi wrote on Monday Turkish leaders were trying to "defuse the tensions" with their messages.

In the most significant blow to his authority of the referendum, Erdogan lost the support of the country's biggest cities: Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.

While the Aegean city of Izmir has often opted for the CHP, Erdogan has always seen Istanbul as his territory after serving as mayor in the mid-1990s.

"I would classify this as at best a Pyrrhic victory for him," Hakura told AFP, adding Erdogan "lost the base of his support".

"Beyond the political polarisation, what we are seeing is an economic polarisation," Erdemir agreed.

"The AKP has been associated with economic dynamism, strong export growth. but now, all of those actors that are key to Turkey's economic performance are sceptical about a centralised presidential system."

The tight result is likely to raise questions for investors, whom the government has previously said were awaiting the result before putting funds back into to Turkey.

"The referendum result raises at least as many questions for investors as it provides answers," Neil Shearing, chief emerging markets economist at of Capital Economics, said in a note to clients.

He said questions remained for investors over Erdogan's behaviour and whether the result pushes Erdogan towards more conciliatory policy positions, or whether it "accelerates the slide towards autocracy".
On Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan achieved a narrow victory in a referendum to amend the Turkish constitution and consolidate power in the presidency. Opposition parties are contesting the results, objecting to a decision by the election board to lift a rule requiring ballots to have official seals and citing discrepancies between vote totals released by the election board and a state-owned news agency. A preliminary report by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) observation mission noted an unlevel playing field and restrictive campaign framework. In a country with a history of generally free (if not always fair) elections, allegations of fraud question the legitimacy (if not the practical result) of the vote. It is far too early to assess the aftermath, but heres what to watch for in the weeks ahead.

What is the impact on Turkish domestic politics?

Although polls were forecasting a win, the final results were surprisingly close. For starters, many assumed a wider margin of victory, given the governments near-complete control of media, uncoordinated opposition campaign, and prevailing climate of fear, including a state of emergency. Furthermore, Erdogan notably lost in the countrys three largest commercial centers  Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir. Defeat in Istanbul, where he began his political career as mayor, is a painful blow. This suggests hes vulnerable in a fair race in the 2019 presidential elections and could create political space for a more unified opposition in the near term.

There is a case to be made that a yes vote provides short-term political stability (albeit at a high price socially and democratically), given fears a no vote wouldve provoked Erdogan to rerun parliamentary elections or find another way to achieve reform. Results show he lost support within his base and failed to rally nationalists. It remains to be seen whether the narrow margin of victory restrains his ambitions or causes him to double down on perceived threats. In the near term, Erdogan will be warily watching street protests in Istanbul and elsewhere across a deeply divided country. In the medium term, the narrow result raises questions about whether opponents can unify into a meaningful resistance.

The international community has already warned Turkey about the need for fair implementation of the new measures. For example, the Council of Europe cautioned leaders to consider the next steps carefully and encouraged respect for judicial independence. Similarly, the European Union noted the reforms would be assessed in light of Turkeys obligations as an EU candidate country and called on leaders to seek the broadest possible national consensus in their implementation.

Does Turkey give up on the EU?

One of the biggest geopolitical questions emerging from the referendum is how Erdogan will approach the EU. Already tense relations soured during the campaign when Erdogan picked a fight as a means of rallying nationalist voters, accusing the Netherlands and Germany of Nazism after they prevented his officials from holding pro-referendum rallies for Turkish expats. At the same time, Europeans arguably benefitted electorally from anti-Turkism. Austria and Germany blocked campaign rallies, while Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was buoyed in his re-election bid by standing up to Erdogans threats. Notably, the diaspora in Austria, France, Germany, and the Netherlands voted yes.

Some observers hoped Erdogans demonization of Europe would end after a successful referendum. However, it may signal the start of a permanent shift in Turkeys perspective. During the campaign, Erdogan said Turkeys EU membership would be on the table after the poll. In his victory speech on Sunday, he repeated his campaign pledge to reinstate capital punishment and offered to hold a referendum if parliament didnt support his plans. (Turkey abolished the death penalty in 2004 as part of its EU accession bid.)

Reactions from leaders across Europe were subdued, noting deep divisions within the country. Both Germany and France expressed concern about possible election irregularities and called on Erdogan to engage in dialogue with the opposition. They also warned that reinstating the death penalty would end EU negotiations.

If Turkey surrenders (or forfeits) its bid for EU accession, two orders of business will likely remain on the table. First is the refugee crisis, with EU leaders having a vested interest in maintaining arrangements negotiated last summer to stem flows. If accession talks lapse, Turkey and the EU may conduct transactional negotiations on other shared interests, such as terrorism. The second is economic. The sides may dispense with unpleasant discussions about rule of law and focus instead on strengthening their customs union and potentially negotiating a free trade agreement.

What are the prospects for U.S.-Turkey relations?

The Trump administration has not released a statement on the referendum, nor have any senior American officials commented. The State Department has responded to press queries by providing lines from the acting spokesman, which note the OSCE report and encourage voters and parties on both sides to focus on working together for Turkeys future and to maintain a meaningful political dialogue. While there may be understandable reluctance to become a pawn in Turkeys domestic politics as has happened before, American silence is striking.

Two thorny issues remain at the center of U.S.-Turkey relations. First is the extradition of Fethullah Gulen, the Muslim cleric who resides in Pennsylvania and is blamed by Erdogan for last summers coup attempt. The day before the referendum a Turkish prosecutor launched investigations into 17 individuals accused of fomenting the coup, including former CIA chief John Brennan, Senator Chuck Schumer, and former district attorney Preet Bharara. In the absence of compelling legal evidence (and former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, who was on the Turkish governments payroll and sympathetic to its concerns), Gulens return to Turkey seems unlikely.

The second matter is disagreement over which forces should lead the charge against the Islamic State in Raqqa, Syria. While the Pentagon wishes to use Syrian Kurdish fighters  the Peoples Protection Units, or YPG  Ankara views the YPG as synonymous with the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK (a designated terrorist organization engaged in a decades-long fight with the Turkish government) and advocates Syrian Arab fighters instead. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made no progress during his oddly timed visit to Ankara two weeks before the referendum, while Turkeys defense minister pressed the case with Defense Secretary James Mattis last week. The Trump administration appeared deferential to Turkish political sensitivities before the referendum, but the Pentagon appears anxious to move and seems unlikely to find alternative troop arrangements sufficient. If the administration proceeds with plans to support a YPG-led assault on Raqqa, it will hope Erdogans referendum win softens his undoubtedly negative reaction.

Photo credit: ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images
Ankara (AFP) - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday said Turkey could hold a referendum on its long-stalled EU membership bid after Turks voted to approve expanding his powers in a plebiscite.

"For 54 years, what did they make us do at the EU's door? Wait!" Erdogan told supporters outside the presidential palace in Ankara, referring to Turkey's long-standing membership bid.

He hit back at threats by EU leaders to freeze accession talks, adding: "We will sit down and talk, and we can hold a referendum for that (EU bid) too!"

Erdogan added such a vote would be like that in the UK where last year, Britons voted to leave the bloc in a similarly close result.

He repeated the refrain he used often in speeches during the referendum campaign that it did not matter what the EU thought.

"What George, Hans or Helga say does not interest us," he said, using typical European names. "What counts for us is what Ayse, Murat, Mehmet, Hatice says. What Allah (God) says!" he added, using Islamic-rooted Turkish names.

Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern said earlier Monday that Brussels should end talks after the results of Sunday's referendum in which 'Yes' won by 51.41 percent.

"With what happened yesterday, (Turkey's) membership prospects are buried, in practical terms," Kern said.

Erdogan repeated in his speech that he would approve the death penalty if a bill was submitted to him, adding there could be a referendum on capital punishment as well if necessary.

The EU has been quick to warn Turkey any return of the death penalty would mean the immediate end of its membership bid.

Turkey abolished the death penalty in 2004 as part of its bid to join the bloc.
By Gulsen Solaker, Tuvan Gumrukcu and Daren Butler ANKARA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A defiant Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan denounced the West's "crusader mentality" on Monday after European monitors criticized a referendum in which he won sweeping new powers. Erdogan, whose narrow victory laid bare the nation's divisions, told flag-waving supporters that foreign election observers should "know their place" and Turkey did not "see, hear or acknowledge" criticism that the vote did not live up to international standards. (Graphic showing results so far: http://tmsnrt.rs/2oNBvKv) Sunday's vote ended all debate on forging a stronger presidency, said Erdogan, who argues that concentration of power is needed to prevent instability. Opponents accuse him of leading a drive toward one-man rule in Turkey, a NATO member that borders Iran, Iraq and Syria and whose stability is of vital importance to the United States and European Union. The main opposition party rejected the result and called for the vote to be annulled. Thousands of people marched through at least three neighborhoods of Istanbul, some chanting "Thief, Erdogan", "no to the presidency" and "this is just the beginning" after calls on social media for protests in several cities. Late on Monday, cabinet extended a state of emergency by three months, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told reporters - the third such extension since a failed coup attempt last July. DEEP DIVIDE Election authorities said preliminary results showed 51.4 percent of voters had backed the biggest overhaul of Turkish politics since the founding of the modern republic. Sources in Erdogan's palace said U.S. President Donald Trump had telephoned to congratulate him. But the narrowness of his victory could add to volatility in a country that has lately survived an attempted coup, attacks by Islamists, a Kurdish insurgency, civil unrest and war across its Syrian border. The result laid bare the deep divide between the urban middle classes who see their future as part of a European mainstream and the pious rural poor who favor Erdogan's strong hand. Erdogan reiterated his readiness to restore the death penalty at several appearances on Monday, which would effectively end Turkey's decades-long quest to join the EU. He said it was not important if the EU suspended Turkish accession talks. "The crusader mentality in the West and its servants at home have attacked us," Erdogan told a crowd as he arrived at Ankara airport, referring to the foreign monitors' assessment. "We neither see, hear, nor acknowledge the political reports you'll prepare," he said later at the palace. "We'll continue on our path. Talk to the hand. This country has carried out the most democratic elections, not seen anywhere in the West." The mission of observers from the 47-member Council of Europe, the continent's leading human rights body, said the referendum was an uneven contest. Support for "Yes" dominated campaign coverage, and the arrests of journalists and closure of media outlets silenced other views, the monitors said. "In general, the referendum did not live up to Council of Europe standards. The legal framework was inadequate for the holding of a genuinely democratic process," said Cezar Florin Preda, head of the delegation. While the monitors had no information of actual fraud, a last-minute decision by electoral authorities to allow unstamped ballots to be counted undermined an important safeguard and contradicted electoral law, they said. Turkey's foreign ministry dismissed the observers' criticism as lacking objectivity and impartiality. The U.S. State Department said it had taken note of the European monitors' concerns and looked forward to a final report, urging the Turkish government to protect the rights and freedoms of all citizens, however they voted. RISING POWER Erdogan, a populist with a background in once-banned Islamist parties, has ruled since 2003 with no real rival, while his country emerged as one of the fastest-growing industrial powers in both Europe and the Middle East. He has also been at the center of global affairs, commanding NATO's second-biggest military on the border of Middle East war zones, taking in millions of Syrian refugees and controlling their further flow into Europe. He vowed Turkey's recent incursion into northern Syria would not be its last such venture in the region, saying it would carry out as many military operations as necessary, wherever necessary, in its fight against terrorism. The two largest opposition parties both challenged the referendum, saying it was deeply flawed. The pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples' Democratic Party said it presented complaints about unstamped ballots affecting 3 million voters, more than twice the margin of Erdogan's victory. The main secularist opposition People's Republican Party said it was still unclear how many votes were affected. "This is why the only decision that will end debate about the legitimacy (of the vote) and ease the people's legal concerns is the annulment of this election," deputy party chairman Bulent Tezcan said. The president survived a coup attempt last year and responded with a crackdown, jailing 47,000 people and sacking or suspending more than 120,000 from government jobs such as teachers, soldiers, police, judges or other professionals. The changes could keep him in power until 2029 or beyond, making him easily the most important figure in Turkish history since state founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk built a modern nation from the ashes of the Ottoman empire after World War One. The result triggered a 2 percent rally in the Turkish lira from its close last week. Germany, home to several million Turks, said it was up to Erdogan himself to heal the rifts that the vote had exposed. "The tight referendum result shows how deeply divided Turkish society is, and that means a big responsibility for the Turkish leadership and for President Erdogan personally," said Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel in a joint statement. Relations with Europe were strained during the referendum campaign when Germany and the Netherlands barred Turkish ministers from holding rallies. Erdogan provoked a stern German response by comparing those limits to the actions of the Nazis. Under the changes, most of which will only come into effect after the next elections, due in 2019, the president will appoint the cabinet and an undefined number of vice-presidents, and will be able to select and remove senior civil servants without parliamentary approval. (Reporting by Reuters bureaux in Istanbul and Ankara; Writing by Daren Butler, David Dolan and Dominic Evans; Editing by Mark Trevelyan, Larry King)
By Gulsen Solaker, Tuvan Gumrukcu and Daren Butler ANKARA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A defiant Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan denounced the West's "crusader mentality" on Monday after European monitors criticised a referendum in which he won sweeping new powers. Erdogan, whose narrow victory laid bare the nation's divisions, told flag-waving supporters that foreign election observers should "know their place" and Turkey did not "see, hear or acknowledge" criticism that the vote did not live up to international standards. Sunday's vote ended all debate on forging a stronger presidency, said Erdogan, who argues that concentration of power is needed to prevent instability. Opponents accuse him of leading a drive towards one-man rule in Turkey, a NATO member that borders Iran, Iraq and Syria and whose stability is of vital importance to the United States and European Union. The main opposition party rejected the result and called for the vote to be annulled. Thousands of people marched through at least three neighbourhoods of Istanbul, some chanting "Thief, Erdogan", "no to the presidency" and "this is just the beginning" after calls on social media for protests in several cities. Late on Monday, cabinet extended a state of emergency by three months, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told reporters - the third such extension since a failed coup attempt last July. DEEP DIVIDE Election authorities said preliminary results showed 51.4 percent of voters had backed the biggest overhaul of Turkish politics since the founding of the modern republic. Sources in Erdogan's palace said U.S. President Donald Trump had telephoned to congratulate him. But the narrowness of his victory could add to volatility in a country that has lately survived an attempted coup, attacks by Islamists, a Kurdish insurgency, civil unrest and war across its Syrian border. The result laid bare the deep divide between the urban middle classes who see their future as part of a European mainstream and the pious rural poor who favour Erdogan's strong hand. Erdogan reiterated his readiness to restore the death penalty at several appearances on Monday, which would effectively end Turkey's decades-long quest to join the EU. He said it was not important if the EU suspended Turkish accession talks. "The crusader mentality in the West and its servants at home have attacked us," Erdogan told a crowd as he arrived at Ankara airport, referring to the foreign monitors' assessment. "We neither see, hear, nor acknowledge the political reports you'll prepare," he said later at the palace. "We'll continue on our path. Talk to the hand. This country has carried out the most democratic elections, not seen anywhere in the West." The mission of observers from the 47-member Council of Europe, the continent's leading human rights body, said the referendum was an uneven contest. Support for "Yes" dominated campaign coverage, and the arrests of journalists and closure of media outlets silenced other views, the monitors said. "In general, the referendum did not live up to Council of Europe standards. The legal framework was inadequate for the holding of a genuinely democratic process," said Cezar Florin Preda, head of the delegation. While the monitors had no information of actual fraud, a last-minute decision by electoral authorities to allow unstamped ballots to be counted undermined an important safeguard and contradicted electoral law, they said. Turkey's foreign ministry dismissed the observers' criticism as lacking objectivity and impartiality. The U.S. State Department said it had taken note of the European monitors' concerns and looked forward to a final report, urging the Turkish government to protect the rights and freedoms of all citizens, however they voted. RISING POWER Erdogan, a populist with a background in once-banned Islamist parties, has ruled since 2003 with no real rival, while his country emerged as one of the fastest-growing industrial powers in both Europe and the Middle East. He has also been at the centre of global affairs, commanding NATO's second-biggest military on the border of Middle East war zones, taking in millions of Syrian refugees and controlling their further flow into Europe. He vowed Turkey's recent incursion into northern Syria would not be its last such venture in the region, saying it would carry out as many military operations as necessary, wherever necessary, in its fight against terrorism. The two largest opposition parties both challenged the referendum, saying it was deeply flawed. The pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples' Democratic Party said it presented complaints about unstamped ballots affecting 3 million voters, more than twice the margin of Erdogan's victory. The main secularist opposition People's Republican Party said it was still unclear how many votes were affected. "This is why the only decision that will end debate about the legitimacy (of the vote) and ease the people's legal concerns is the annulment of this election," deputy party chairman Bulent Tezcan said. The president survived a coup attempt last year and responded with a crackdown, jailing 47,000 people and sacking or suspending more than 120,000 from government jobs such as teachers, soldiers, police, judges or other professionals. The changes could keep him in power until 2029 or beyond, making him easily the most important figure in Turkish history since state founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk built a modern nation from the ashes of the Ottoman empire after World War One. The result triggered a 2 percent rally in the Turkish lira from its close last week. Germany, home to several million Turks, said it was up to Erdogan himself to heal the rifts that the vote had exposed. "The tight referendum result shows how deeply divided Turkish society is, and that means a big responsibility for the Turkish leadership and for President Erdogan personally," said Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel in a joint statement. Relations with Europe were strained during the referendum campaign when Germany and the Netherlands barred Turkish ministers from holding rallies. Erdogan provoked a stern German response by comparing those limits to the actions of the Nazis. Under the changes, most of which will only come into effect after the next elections, due in 2019, the president will appoint the cabinet and an undefined number of vice-presidents, and will be able to select and remove senior civil servants without parliamentary approval. Click http://tmsnrt.rs/2oNBvKv for graphic on Turkish referendum results (Reporting by Reuters bureaux in Istanbul and Ankara; Writing by Daren Butler, David Dolan and Dominic Evans; Editing by Mark Trevelyan, Larry King)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed a narrow victory Sunday in voting on constitutional amendments that replace the countrys parliamentary government with a strong president.

The opposition Republican Peoples Party, however, planned to file an objection to the results, claiming they were manipulated. "We will pursue a legal battle. If the irregularities are not fixed, there will be a serious legitimacy discussion," deputy party chairman Bulent Tezcan said.

Read: Turkey Threatens To Send '15K Refugees A Month' To Germany And Netherlands

The pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party also pledged to challenge the vote.

Today, Turkey gave a historic decision on its governance system which has been an immemorial matter of debate for 200 years, Erdogan said, hailing the vote, which followed a two-month campaign.

Read: Assad Winning As US, Russia Join Forces Against Turkey

The package of 18 amendments was approved 51 percent to 49 percent. Erdogan said the changes were needed to address the countrys security concerns.

Erdogan called for the changes because the current constitution was written by the nations generals following a 1980 military coup. Since he was elected in 2014, Erdogan has taken what was largely a ceremonial position and made it more consequential. Before becoming president, he led the country as prime minister.

A failed coup attempt last year has led to the arrests of tens of thousands of Turks.

"This is our opportunity to take back control of our country," Bayram Seker, 42, told Reuters after voting "Yes" in Istanbul.

"I don't think one-man rule is such a scary thing. Turkey has been ruled in the past by one man," he said, referring to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who founded modern-day Turkey.

Opponents said the changes open the way to authoritarianism.

The constitutional amendments give executive power to the president and vice president, and merge the presidency and the prime ministry for a more functional and effective system of governing. The measures also lower the age of parliamentary candidates from 25 to 18 and increase the number of seats to 600 from 550. The Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors also will be overhauled, reducing their number from 17 to 15 and abolishing military commissions and courts.

Story continues

General elections will be held every five years instead of four, with the presidential election held concurrently. The amendments also abolish the Cabinet but allow the president to appoint ministers. Parliament will have the power to discuss and change executive decrees, but the president will be able to dissolve Parliament.

turkey

Photo: Reuters

Voting began at 7 a.m. but there was no question on the ballot, just an option for yes or no. Three people were shot to death near a polling station in southeastern Turkey, reportedly in a dispute over how they were voting.

Turkey expert Simon Waldman of Kings College in London wrote in a Globe and Mail op-ed the vote left Turkey more divided than ever.

Erdogan will now claim legitimacy to the power he has already seized and enjoy the additional perk of appointing government ministers without parliamentary consultation. He will be able to lead a political party, giving him sway over the legislative process, Waldman wrote, saying the changes will allow Erdogan to rule without checks and balances.

Waldman predicted a purge against opposition leaders, more EU bashing and reinstatement of the death penalty, as well as expansion of Islamic schools and no reconciliation with the Kurds.

The Council of Europe advised Turkeys leaders to consider their next steps carefully, Reuters reported.

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By Michelle Martin BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany and France said on Monday the close result in Turkey's referendum on expanding President Tayyip Erdogan's powers showed the division in Turkish society, while others questioned Europe's relations with the country. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said it was a big responsibility to bear for Erdogan, who declared a narrow victory in the vote that marked the biggest overhaul of modern Turkish politics. The result prompted renewed calls by Austria for Turkey's EU stalled accession talks to be halted. Germany's Gabriel called for a new format for talks with "our neighbour", comments echoed by the conservative bloc in the European Parliament. Erdogan's opponents said the vote was marred by irregularities and they would challenge the result. The Council of Europe rights organisation said it did not live up to its standards, citing an inadequate legal framework and late changes in ballot counting. OSCE observers made similar comments, which were dismissed by Turkey. "The German government ... respects the right of Turkish citizens to decide on their own constitutional order," Merkel and Gabriel, whose country has about 3 million residents of a Turkish background, said in a statement. "The tight referendum result shows how deeply divided Turkish society is and that means a big responsibility for the Turkish leadership and for President Erdogan personally." They expected Ankara to have a "respectful dialogue" with all parts of Turkish society. The United States also called for all citizens' rights to be respected. France's President Francois Hollande said: "It's up to the Turks and them alone to decide on how they organise their political institutions, but the published results show that Turkish society is divided about the planned deep reforms." EU TALKS On Sunday, the European Commission said Turkey should seek a national consensus on the constitutional amendments, given the narrow majority and the extent of their impact. In March, the Venice Commission, a panel of legal experts at the Council of Europe, said the proposed changes to the constitution represented a "dangerous step backwards" for democracy. Merkel and Gabriel pointed to the Commission's reservations and said that, as a member of the Council of Europe and the OSCE security and human rights watchdog and an EU accession candidate, Turkey should quickly address those concerns. "Political discussions about that need to take place as quickly as possible, both at the bilateral level and between the European institutions and Turkey," Merkel and Gabriel said. France also called on Turkey to respect the European Convention on Human Rights and its ban on the death penalty. Erdogan told supporters on Sunday that Turkey could hold another referendum on reinstating the death penalty. Such a move would spell the end of Turkey's EU accession talks. Austria, which has repeatedly called for halting membership talks, called once more for them to stop. "We can't just go back to the daily routine after the Turkey referendum. We finally need some honesty in the relationship between the EU and Turkey," said Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, adding the bloc should instead work on a "partnership agreement". Gabriel said during a visit to Albania that too many people in Europe, some for reasons related to domestic policy, would now urge a rigorous attitude towards Ankara and call for an end to talks but he said he wanted to find "new formats for talks instead because Turkey is still our neighbour". Turkey has been on a decades-long quest to join the EU. Turkey and the bloc last year reached a deal to help stem the flow of migrants to Europe's shores. The head of the European People's Party in the European Parliament, Manfred Weber, called for "a new approach to a partnership between friendly neighbours". "We should offer Turkey a thematic partnership, for example on the fight against terrorism, migration and economic policy, as well as student and cultural exchange. However, this also means that Turkey's EU membership is off the table," he said. During the campaign, Erdogan repeatedly criticised European countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, accusing them of "Nazi-like" tactics for banning his ministers from speaking to rallies of Turkish voters abroad. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek told Reuters on Monday he expected the "noise" between Ankara and Europe should die down after the European elections cycle. The French vote for a new president begins on Sunday. Germany votes in September. (Reporting by Michelle Martin, Maria Sheahan, Silke Koltrowitz, Leigh Thomas, Robert-Jan Bartunek and Reuters TV in Berlin; Editing by Alison Williams)
(Reuters) - A federal judge in Arkansas has blocked plans by the state to carry out a rapid series of executions, questioning the state's use of midazolam, one of the drugs it planned to use for lethal injection.

The case underscores a national issue for prisons: starting about six years ago, pharmaceutical makers have forbidden sales of their products to prison systems for use in lethal injections due to moral and ethical concerns.

Here is the state of play for the role of the drug industry in executions.

What drugs are used for lethal injections?

States have different protocols for lethal injections. Texas and four other states use only one drug for injections: pentobarbital, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Arkansas planned to use three drugs: midazolam, vecuronium bromide and potassium chloride in its executions. The use of sodium thiopental for executions stalled after its U.S. maker restricted manufacturing in 2011 and the European Union banned its export for this purpose.

Which companies make these drugs and why?

While some of the drugs being used now for lethal injection have come to be known as execution drugs, they also have other uses. For example, Vecuronium bromide, which is made by Pfizer Inc, is used in general anesthesia. Last year, Pfizer imposed new controls to block the sale of its drugs for executions.

Fresenius Kabi USA, which is part of Germany's Fresenius, and West-Ward Pharmaceuticals Corp., a part of Jordan's Hikma Pharmaceuticals, also make drugs they said were to have been used in the Arkansas execution and filed a brief in that case saying they were not to be used.

Midazolam, widely used in three-drug execution cocktails, is a sedative and considered by the World Health Organization an essential medicine that nations should have on hand. Small batch drug makers called compounding pharmacies have stepped in to produce pentobarbital, which had been made by Denmark-based Lundbeck and U.S.-based Akorn Pharmaceuticals, after those companies restricted use of the drug in 2011 and the only U.S. maker of a similar drug, sodium thiopental, stopped producing it.

Story continues

What are compounding pharmacies and why are they involved?

As drug companies - led on by large investors and advocates like London-based Reprieve - have clamped down, states have turned to pharmacies that make drugs. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, at least 10 states have used or planned to use these pharmacies - including South Dakota, Missouri, Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma and Virginia.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration regulates drug manufacturers but not the thousands of compounders, which are overseen only by state pharmacy boards. The FDA has increased inspections after a deadly fungal meningitis outbreak several years ago brought the pharmacies to national attention. The light oversight has fed legal challenges that these drugs are untested and unsafe.

Which states are actively using lethal injection?

There have been six executions by injection in 2017 - four in Texas, one in Virginia and one in Missouri - and all used drugs made by compounders, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. In 2016, there were 20 executions: nine in Georgia, seven in Texas, two in Alabama, one in Florida, and one in Missouri.

What now?

Of the 31 states that have capital punishment, some have adopted laws that allow them to shield the identity of makers of their execution drugs, making it possible for them to obtain the drugs from compounders who fear retribution.

States have other methods for capital punishment. Oklahoma in November 2015 passed a low allowing the use of nitrogen gas while Utah allows for a firing squad, although it has not used that method since 2010.

(Reporting by Caroline Humer; Editing by Bill Trott)
The viral photo of Salman Khan with Ronja Forcher sparked rumours that the two might be seen together in Tiger Zinda Hai.

By India Today Web Desk: A picture of Playboy model Ronja Forcher with Salman Khan on the sets of Tiger Zinda Hai broke the internet a few days ago. The viral photo which was clicked in Austria also fuelled the speculation that Ronja might be seen in a cameo in Ali Abbas Zafar's directorial venture.

But there is some bad news for all those who thought that this foreign import will share screen space with Bhai in Tiger Zinda Hai. According to a report in The Asian Age, Ronja won't be seen in Salman's film.

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In fact, the Austrian actor is a big fan of Salman and dropped by on the sets only to meet her idol.

It was during the brief meeting that the two got a picture clicked which later went viral. Soon the rumours of them working together in Tiger Zinda Hai started doing the rounds. But it seems that's not true.

The report suggests that even the director rubbished the rumours and said that Ronja is huge fan of Salman and came to the sets only to meet him.

Tiger Zinda Hai is the sequel to 2012 film Ek Tha Tiger. It is after a gap of five years that Katrina Kaif and Salman will be seen together in a film.

VIRAL PHOTO: Salman Khan with Playboy model Ronja Forcher on sets of Tiger Zinda Hai

ALSO READ: Ex-lovers Salman-Katrina should DEFINITELY sign another film post Tiger Zinda Hai. Here's why

ALSO READ: Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif in Tiger Zinda Hai's first photo from the sets

ALSO WATCH: Is Salman Khan new to controversies, asks Katrina Kaif

--- ENDS ---
The hoverboard fad may be largely over but authorities in Florida have blamed the once-popular toy for yet another fire.

This one, in Plant City, broke out Saturday afternoon and forced a family out of their home as it filled with smoke.

Watch: Million-Dollar Mansion Destroyed in Fire Started by Hoverboard

It could have been a tragic Easter weekend for the family had it not been for the valiant efforts of the Haines City Fire Department.

"A fire had ignited through an electronic Hoverboard and was growing rapidly before the crew of E611 made an aggressive interior attack saving the structure," the department wrote in a statement.

According to fire officials, the fire started just after the owners plugged in the hoveboard to charge.

While serious smoke damage throughout the home forced the family out Saturday, the Haines City Fire Department said the outcome could have been far worse.

"We are proud of the outcome that resulted from the aggressive, offensive attack by Engine 611," the department wrote.

The Haines City Police released photos of the smoke damage in the home as well as the charred remains of a hoverboard.

Since the hoverboard "craze" began back in 2015, many dwelling fires have reportedly been attributed to the motorized boards.

Videos of the toys spontaneously bursting into flames are all over YouTube and the faulty batteries behind most of the fires have led to hoverboards being recalled by some companies as well as bans on them by many establishments, air carriers and public transit systems, according to reports.

Watch: 16-Year-Old Girl Shot By Men Trying to Steal Her Hoverboard, Police Say

While homes have been claimed, it took until just last month for reports a person has died from a hoverboard fire to emerge.

That person, 3-year-old Ashanti Hughes, died in a Pennsylvania hospital burn unit on March 10 after authorities say a hoverboard sparked a fire at her Harrisburg home and sent six people total to a hospital.

Story continues

Watch: Little Girl Crashes Into Wall After Losing Control Of Hoverboard

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Video by Brian Prowse-Gany

It was Thanksgiving afternoon in Madison, Conn., four years ago, and the Cecchi family was getting ready for dinner. Just before the turkey was served, Paige Cecchi, then an 18-year-old college freshman, gave her older sister, Lauren, the look, Paige remembers. Then we realized Dad had caught the look, she says of her father, Mike, who is now 66. And Aunt Denise picked up on the look.

Wordlessly, and much to their collective surprise, about half of the assembled guests headed out to the chilly patio, where they lit up a joint and smoked marijuana together as a family for the first time. Pass, pass, puff, Mike describes it. Pass, pass, puff. Everyone is looking out the window at us.

Whom do you smoke with? That is one measure of social acceptance of weed, and when it comes to parents smoking recreationally with their children, an exclusive Yahoo News/Marist Poll finds it to be far more common than one would think, but not nearly as common as, say, families sharing a bottle of wine.

The younger the children, the less likely this is to happen. Of those parents in the survey who say they use marijuana (which is 18 percent of all parents), 93 percent say they do not smoke in front of children younger than 18 years of age. In contrast, nearly half of parents of adult children  47 percent  say they have used marijuana with and/or in front of their kids. On the flip side, only 26 percent of adults say they have used the drug with or in front of their parents. This discrepancy likely reflects the fact that a greater proportion of millennials currently use marijuana than baby boomers.

So while its not the norm, the family that smokes together is a glimpse of a possible future, should trends toward legalization and acceptance continue. The survey reveals that it is less taboo now for Americans who have had experience with marijuana to be open with family and friends.

Its more relaxed than when I was their age, Mike Cecchi says of the fact that he could not imagine sharing a joint with his own father when he was a teenager in the 1960s but now does so regularly with his daughters. Theres still a stigma, because the law hasnt changed everywhere, but its so much less than it used to be.

Story continues

In that way, he is typical of his generation, the poll finds, because 72 percent of baby boomers say their parents did not even talk about marijuana with them, while today, only 28 percent of parents say they have not had that talk with their kids.

Mike began using weed in 1966, when he was 18, he says, and has continued to use it throughout his life, though he hid it from his children for many years  smoking only in his bathroom and opening the window to dissipate the smell. In retrospect, there were hints, his daughters say now. (Paige and Laurens grown brother smokes rarely and declined to be interviewed for this article. Their mother, who the family says prefers wine to weed, also chose not to be included.)

First Lauren, now 28, started to notice that when I was in high school  when I had a party, I might find [Mike] outside with the high school crowd. Then there was the time that Paige, now 23, vacationed in Jamaica with her parents when she was a high school sophomore. They took a tour of Bob Marleys house, Paige remembers, and my dads the first on line at the cannabis store there.

Thats when I first started to figure out he might have some experience with the drug. She would not be the first to figure such a thing out. Many Americans who use marijuana, 62 percent, think their parents have at least tried it.

After the Jamaica trip, Mikes use became a sort of open secret in the Cecchi house. He continually reminded his children that possession of the drug was (and still is) illegal in Connecticut and that they should not drive while under the influence of any substance. At the same time, though, we had this quiet understanding that we all enjoyed cannabis, Paige says. But we kept it to ourselves.

Agrees Mike: I didnt go out of my way to say, I have it, so you can have it. They were going to have to find their own.

Other parents report the same dont ask, dont tell dynamic. But, in fact, 60 percent of parents who use marijuana say their children are aware of it, and 72 percent of adult users say their parents are aware.

Until the past couple of years, we have persisted with the slightly awkward, slightly humorous lie to our children that we dont indulge, says a Los Angeles lawyer, the father of two college-aged children, who, like many interviewed for this story, asked that his name not be used because even though possession of marijuana was made legal in California on Election Day of last year, he feared a possible tightening of federal enforcement under the Trump administration. It was this knowing charade.

The transition from unspoken to out in the open varies from one family to the next. For the Cecchis it came when each daughter was in high school, and Mike told them directly, I know what youre doing, Lauren remembers. He made no effort to stop them from smoking, she says, but he did make it clear that they should do so carefully. The family rule was that a cellphone call from Mom or Dad must be returned within 15 minutes, the Cecchi parents way of monitoring their childrens partying. If Dad called you and you were so messed up that you couldnt speak, that would have been the end, Lauren says.

Paige, Mike and Lauren Cecchi. (Photo: Yahoo News)

For the L.A. lawyer, the moment of acknowledgment came when his then-high-school-aged daughter came home one night and found me smoking out back with a buddy. After that, they developed a winking goodbye routine when she went out for the evening.

Dont drink and drive, he would say.

I dont drink and drive, she would answer.

Dont smoke weed and drive.

I dont smoke weed and drive.

Dont do coke and drive.

I dont do coke.

The step beyond, to parents and children smoking together, is apparently still a greater hurdle, as evidenced by the fact that the majority of parents say they never cross it.

When theyre little, you tell them there are things that are just for grownups, says one Colorado mother of two young adults, who have hinted that they would like to indulge as a family. At least she thinks they are hinting. She hasnt allowed the conversation to proceed far enough to be sure. Yes, hers is one of eight states plus Washington, D.C., in which recreational use of the drug is legal, but she is still reluctant.

Now they are adults, so I guess now I think there are things that are just for grown-er grownups, she says. I wouldnt have sex with my kids in the room, and I feel the same about getting high.

That would be weird, said a 30-year-old medical marijuana patient outside the New England Treatment Access dispensary in Brookline, Mass., one of seven currently operating in that state, of using weed with ones family. Though he assumes that his parents have used weed recreationally, he says he has not told them that he has a prescription card for the drug. (He would not say what condition he is being treated for. Massachusetts has a short list of named illnesses that qualify for medical marijuana and also a provision that covers other debilitating conditions as determined  by a patients certifying physician.)

Im not sure my family is evolved enough to do it together, he said.

For the Cecchis, the decision to do so was spontaneous, when they went out to the patio before Thanksgiving dinner. It wasnt just us, Mike says, noting that a number of aunts, uncles and cousins joined in. There was enough of us out there that it had to be half the party.

Now the family members not only use cannabis (their preferred term, as it has more medicinal connotations and fewer stoner ones, they say) when they gather socially but are going into the cannabis business together. Paige works for Women Grow, a group that encourages female ownership of cannabis-based companies, and also is developing her own line of marijuana accessories. Lauren is a handbag designer whose line includes designs that incorporate the symbol of the marijuana plant. And Mike, whose career has been in pharmaceutical sales, is an adviser and investor.

Not so for the L.A. lawyer. Smoking with the parents was his older daughters idea, he says. His wife was neutral on the subject, and he was at first reluctant, but he agreed because his daughter seemed to think it would be a bonding experience.

It was not.

After a short while, she left us and went out with her friend, he says. She wasnt really interested in the experience of it with us as much as she wanted to check it off her bucket list.

_____

Read more from the Yahoo News Weed & the American Family series:
Social media users reacted to the Facebook Live video of a shooting incident in Ohio, requesting people not to share the footage showing the killing of an elderly man. On Sunday, police said a man in Cleveland, identified as Steve Stephens, killed Robert Godwin Sr. and broadcast it on Facebook Live.

This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook. We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety, the social networking site told reporters.

Cleveland police have launched a massive manhunt for Stephens, who authorities described as a black male with a full beard, 6-feet, 1-inch tall weighing about 244 pounds. Stephens was last seen wearing a dark blue and gray or black striped polo shirt and was spotted driving a white Ford Fusion with an Ohio temporary nameplate E363630.

Apart from the live video of the fatal shooting, Stephens uploaded two other clips claiming to have committed more than 12 homicides. He also reportedly said in the video that he was going to kill as many people as I can. Facebook shut down Stephens' account after the incident came to light.

Read: Who Is Steve Stephens?

While Facebooks policy prohibits content that glorifies or incites violence, the real-time feature of sharing videos and photos makes it difficult to enforce it. The social networking site's Facebook Live feature has been misused by several users as they have broadcast heinous crimes.

Police told residents of states of Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana and Michigan to be on alert as the suspect could be in any of the states.

"We ask that the public remain aware and report any suspicious activity to police immediately. Officers and agents continue to investigate leads as they come in," police said in a statement, adding that the other killings claimed by the suspect in the videos are yet to be verified.

Story continues

Here are some social media reactions to the Facebook Live killing:

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Lisbon (AFP) - Five people died when a Swiss-registered light aircraft crashed into a supermarket warehouse in the Lisbon suburbs on Monday, rescue services said.

The fatalities comprised the pilot and all three passengers -- a Swiss and three French nationals -- who were aboard the aircraft, plus a man who was at the warehouse at the time, they said in a statement.

Three other people were slightly injured.

The warehouse, operated by the Lidl supermarket chain, is located about a kilometre (half a mile) from an aerodrome at Tires, in the district of Cascais about 20 kilometres (12 miles) from central Lisbon.

The twin-engine Piper PA-31 plane had just taken off on a flight to the southern French city of Marseille when it crashed, hitting a truck parked at the warehouse.

About 90 firefighters mobilised to fight a blaze, which was quickly put out. A neighbouring house was also damaged.

The aerodrome issued a statement saying that the plane belonged to Symbios Orthopaedics, a company based near Lausanne, Switzerland that specialises in orthopaedic prosthetics.
While some brands channel natural inspirations with their summer fragrances and others focus on sensual and gourmand aromas, 2017's spring/summer releases also take the senses on a voyage to far-flung lands. A host of men's, women's and unisex fragrances bring aromas from exotic destinations to this year's summer scents, from Brazil to California, Cadaques and New Mexico. Here's a look at five of this season's fragrances with a vacation vibe.

"Fiesta Carioca" by Escada

Escada is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its limited-edition summer scents with "Fiesta Carioca," inspired by vibrant and colorful Brazilian festivities. The fragrance takes the senses on a journey into summer with its brightly-colored bottle and notes of Brazilian passionfruit, raspberry, passion flower, orange blossom, musk and cedarwood. The eau de toilette is accompanied by a body lotion.

Limited edition.

Price: from 40 for 30 ml.

Website: www.escada-fragrances.com

"Sunrise in Cadaques" by Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali captures the light of Cadaques, a Spanish fishing port on the Mediterranean, in a sunny fragrance that whisks you to a joyful destination. Created by perfumer Vincent Ricord, this fresh floriental mixes notes of mandarin orange, bergamot, elemi and pink pepper with a floral bouquet of iris, jasmine and immortelle flower. Base notes bring more sensual aromas of musk, patchouli, labdanum and Balsam of Peru. The distinctive bottle has a translucent finish that fades from orange to pink to blue.

Out now from accredited retailers and online.

Price: from 30 for 30 ml.

Website: www.parfums-salvadordali.com

"CK One Summer 2017" by Calvin Klein

Calvin Klein has unveiled a 2017 edition of "CK One Summer," a unisex fragrance inspired by desert festivals and partying until sunrise. The campaign was shot in the dramatic landscape of White Sands National Monument in the northern Chihuahuan Desert in the US state of New Mexico. The fragrance is a fiery and spicy blend of lime, citron and cucumber, a hot trio of peppers, creamy musk, guaiac wood and saffron. The bright blue shade of the bottle evokes a summery vacation theme.

On sale from April 2017.

Price: 59 for 100 ml.

Website: www.calvinklein.us

"GUESS 1981" by Guess Parfums

Guess has a new female fragrance called "GUESS 1981," a musky floral scent created by perfumer Stephen Nilsen. Described as sophisticated, elegant and graceful, the scent evokes the essence of the Guess girl and her California dreams. It has notes of violet, ambrette, jasmine petals, pear, sandalwood, cedarwood, amber and musk. The round bottle reveals a powder pink concoction within.

On sale from April 2017.

Price: from 24 for 30 ml.

Website: www.guess.eu

"La Fille de l'Air edition Monoi" by Courreges

Courreges presents a new edition of its "La Fille de l'Air" fragrance, taking the senses on a trip to the Pacific Islands with aromas that stir vacation vibes. Perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin captures the mood with notes of bergamot and neroli with orange blossom absolute. Base notes bring addictive aromas of monoi oil and vanilla.

Out from May 2017 via Courreges fragrance stockists.

Price: from 71 for 50 ml.

Website: www.courreges.com
Would you want to know if your financial advisor was a criminal? What about if they'd ripped off another client? Or if they've been incentivized to sell you products that aren't in your best interest?

Of course you would. And that's why financial advisor disclosures came into being -- and why you should care about them.

Disclosures can also show you exactly how (and how much) you're paying your advisor. Unfortunately, it's not as straightforward as you might think. Here are the major financial advisor disclosures, what they cover, why they matter, and where you can find them.

[See: 7 of the Best Stocks to Buy for 2017.]

What do financial advisors disclose and how? Form ADV is one of the more revealing disclosures that advisors must file with either the Securities and Exchange Commission or their state, depending on their location. Both registered investment advisory firms and advisors themselves are required to file them.

Form ADV Part 2A pertains to the advisory company, and is required to be provided to clients in a brochure before they sign on.

"It contains information regarding the firm's owners, the services offered, the fees the firm charges, legal and/or disciplinary issues the involving the firm, and all conflicts of interest," says Mario Chilin, chief compliance officer of EP Wealth Advisors in California.

Form ADV Part 2B pertains to the financial advisors themselves, who must also provide it as a brochure to potential clients before they enter into an agreement. It describes the education, disciplinary history and business experience of the professional.

The other major disclosure form for financial advisors is Form U4, which is used by broker-dealers and investment advisors, and includes similar information.

However, the information here can be a little juicier.

Not only does it contain disciplinary and work history, it contains criminal and civil judicial records. Regulatory and customer disputes would also be on here, showing the allegations, dates, resolutions and penalties your advisor may have lurking in their past. Advisors have to submit their fingerprints to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA (you can't see those, sorry), for this form.

Story continues

Other disclosures are generally more minor and commonplace.

Prospectuses, oral disclosures, and initial service agreements are all fairly routine. Before signing on with an advisor you should ask for an itemized list of all costs, fees, and commissions, direct or indirect, that you'll be charged, says Benjamin M. Greenfeld, chief investment officer of Waldron Private Wealth in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania.

"This list of fees should be included in your agreement with the advisor so that there can be no misunderstandings down the road," Greenfeld says.

As for Form ADV and Form U4, just knowing about them doesn't do much good -- you need to know how to access them!

[Read: 7 Times You Need to Talk to a Financial Advisor.]

How to find financial advisor disclosure documents. Both ADV Part 2A and Part 2B must be delivered as brochures to clients, but if you want to do some digging, or are afraid to ask your advisor or financial management firm for copies, you can find the filings online.

You can search by your advisor's name, an identification number called the CRD#, or the management firm name on the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure (IAPD) website, found at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov, to find Form ADV.

That's the good news.

The bad news? When it comes to big advisory firms like Raymond James or Merrill Lynch, these forms can run hundreds of pages long. Sadly, pages of fines and court cases are pretty common with the industry's biggest firms. If you find a small-time advisor with a litany of conflicts and rulings against it, however, you're far more justified in your concern.

"At a minimum, an investor should review the firm's Form ADV Part 2A and the Part 2B of their advisor with whom they'll work and research them on the IAPD website," Chilin says. "A quick Google search is always a good final check."

Form U4 can be found on a different website, run by FINRA. Since even your advisor's fingerprints and Social Security Number shouldn't be plastered all over the internet, you won't find the original Form U4 in your search results, just a summary of the non-redacted information.

The website, called BrokerCheck, can be found at brokercheck.finra.org.

At the end of the day, if you can't find the necessary financial advisor disclosures on either of the above websites, if you don't have any brochures or emails, if Google (ticker: GOOG, GOOGL) searches have failed you, and if your advisor has rebuffed your requests for transparency, you need a new advisor.

[Read: 3 Things to Know About Finding a Financial Advisor.]

The bottom line. Frankly, most advisors and financial management companies should be open to and understanding of requests for transparency. It's in their own interest to be trusted and forthcoming with their clients.

"We feel as though 90 percent of our job is educating the client so that they're comfortable in working with us, and comfortable making decisions regarding their financial goals and the path to achieving those goals," says Michael Zovistoski, managing director at UHY Advisors New York.

You should be able to know anything and everything (within reason!) you want to know about your financial advisor. From the basics like what you're invested in and how they're getting paid to the behind-the-scenes data regarding complaints and conflicts of interest, it's all potentially germane to your own financial goals.

And now that you know where to find it, it's all yours to scour.

John Divine is an investing reporter for U.S. News & World Report, where he covers financial markets and the economy, with a focus on individual stock analysis. He has been an investor himself for over 10 years, and has been writing professionally about stocks and investing for the last five years. He previously wrote about the stock market for The Motley Fool and InvestorPlace, and his work has appeared on Yahoo! Finance, MSN Money, and AOL DailyFinance. He graduated from Appalachian State University in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in finance and banking. At Appalachian, he was a member of the Bowden Investment Group, a team of students that ran a real-money portfolio worth over $100,000. You can follow him on Twitter or give him the Tip of the Century at jdivine@usnews.com.
Paris (AFP) - The two frontrunners in the French presidential election, far-right leader Marine Le Pen and centrist Emmanuel Macron, staged rival rallies in Paris on Monday, seeking to stay ahead in a tightening race just days before the vote.

Macron staged his biggest rally of the campaign so far, attracting 20,000 people to the Bercy national indoor arena while a topless woman protester briefly interrupted Le Pen's speech to 6,000 supporters at a concert hall.

After weeks of twists and turns, the unpredictable race has narrowed dramatically, with surveys suggesting four candidates are in contention to win one of the top two spots in the vote next Sunday and progress to the run-off a fortnight later.

Scandal-hit conservative Francois Fillon and radical leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon are steaming up behind the two frontrunners, and with around one in four of the electorate still undecided, candidates are scrapping for every vote.

Macron and Le Pen, who have both scored as high as 25 percent in voter surveys, stood at 23 percent and 22.5 percent respectively in the latest Ifop poll updated daily, while Melenchon has surged to 19.5 percent, equal with Fillon.

Macron delivered an upbeat speech that focused on his vision of France in five years' time.

"We are going to turn the page on the last 20 years because our generation is ready for change," he told a crowd who chanted: "We're going to win."

Related:

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

- 'We need the EU' -

The 39-year-old former Rothschild banker and economy minister gave a strong defence of the European Union in the face of attacks from Le Pen, who wants to withdraw from the bloc.

"We need Europe, so we will remake it," Macron told the crowd. "I will be the president of the awakening of our European ambitions."

His European Union would be "less bureaucratic" and would protect both "industrial and agricultural interests", he vowed.

Story continues

In a reference to Le Pen, Macron said French voters had the choice of "hope and courage over resignation".

The fast-growing score of Communist-backed Melenchon -- and the possibility he could square off against Le Pen in the May 7 decider -- has sparked alarm over the future of the EU as both advocate leaving the bloc.

Some observers predict that if Le Pen becomes president it could strike a mortal blow to the EU, already weakened by Brexit.

Dominique Dusart, 57, who heads Macron's En Marche (On the Move) movement in the Yonne area south of Paris, admitted supporters were worried his support could fall off in the crucial final days.

"We're a bit worried by Melenchon's breakthrough," she said. "It has been a bit of a slap in the face because we weren't expecting it."

Demonstrators briefly scuffled with police outside the Zenith hall in northeast Paris where Le Pen held her rally. And 15 minutes into her speech, a female protester burst onto the stage clutching a bunch of flowers with illegible slogans scrawled on her torso before she was bundled away by security guards.

"These left-wing extremists have got it all wrong," Le Pen said. "A total inversion of values has disrupted this speech by the only woman who defends women."

The National Front (FN) leader promised to tighten France's borders and crack down on immigration.

"Behind mass immigration, there is terrorism," she said.

- Melenchon's canal cruise -

Melenchon, 65, chose the quirkiest campaign event of the day, sailing through northeast Paris on a barge, making stops along the way to greet supporters.

Addressing supporters from the boat-deck, the leftist railed against the "fear mongering" of his rivals and the media about his big-spending programme and sympathies for the leaders of nations like Cuba and Venezuela.

"They make up things about us on a daily basis," he complained. "Keep the fire of rebellion burning inside you," he urged.

For his part Fillon, dogged by a fake jobs scandal that has seen him charged with abuse of public funds, said he was confident he would upend the polls.

"I can see things clearly. I am absolutely sure I'll be in the second round because there is a strong desire for change in our country and I am the only one proposing serious and reasonable change," the 63-year-old told reporters in the southern city of Nice before giving a speech to supporters.
(GUATEMALA CITY) - A former governor who had become a symbol of government corruption in Mexico was transferred to a Guatemalan military prison on Sunday hours after being captured in a hotel following six months on the lam.

Ex-Veracruz state Gov. Javier Duarte looked pale and visibly tired as he was brought to the military base in Guatemalas capital guarded by two dozen police officers. Prosecutors in Mexico directed the Foreign Relations Department to request his extradition to his homeland, where he is wanted on suspicion of money laundering and organized crime.

Duarte, 43, captured Saturday in Panajachel, a picturesque tourist town on Lake Atitlan in Guatemalas highlands, with the cooperation of that countrys police and Interpol office, a statement from Mexicos federal Attorney Generals Office said.

I have no comment, thank you, the former Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, governor said to a question from The Associated Press as he entered the prison.

Duarte is accused of running a corruption ring that allegedly pilfered millions of dollars from Veracruzs coffers. State officials say schools, hospitals and other public institutions were stripped of resources under Duartes government and that of his predecessor.

Manuel Noriega, deputy director of Interpol in Guatemala, said Duarte would be presented before a judge to consider his possible extradition.

Political analyst Alejandro Hope said it is difficult to judge whether Duartes capture - the second in a week of a high-profile, fugitive former PRI governor - will boost PRI President Enrique Pena Nietos image in fighting corruption.

In the best case it will give him a small boost in the short term but it also draws attention to the corruption of the governors, said Hope. And he knows a lot of things about a lot of people.

Duarte was governor of Veracruz from 2010 until he left office Oct. 12, 2016, two months before the scheduled end of his term, saying he was doing so in order to face the allegations against him.

Story continues

At the time he denied having links to phantom businesses that allegedly won state contracts, and said he had not stolen a single peso of state money or diverted government funds overseas.

I dont have foreign accounts, he said last year. I dont have properties anywhere.

Duarte promptly disappeared and had been sought by Mexican authorities ever since. Earlier this year, Interpol issued a notice for his capture.

The Mexican government has found millions of dollars purportedly linked to Duarte, frozen more than 100 bank accounts and also seized property and businesses tied to the former governor. A reward of 15 million pesos ($730,000) had been offered for his capture.

While on the lam, Duarte was supported by a network of Mexicans who helped him evade justice, Omar Garcia Harfuch, head of the Criminal Investigation Agency in Mexicos Attorney Generals Office, told a press conference Sunday.

Garcia Harfuch said investigators identified many homes, telephone numbers and vehicles related to people who supported Javier Duarte from Mexico City in the logistics of his stay and movement in Guatemala.

During the investigation, it came to light that various private airlines offering services to the region were charged with transporting (Duarte) to different points in Guatemala, he said.

Authorities were tipped off to his presence in Guatemala by the Nov. 10, 2016 detention of a person at the airport in the border city of Tapachula. The person was carrying two passports with photographs of the ex-governor and his wife but with different names.

Garcia Harfuch did not provide the names of the people helping Duarte from Mexico City. But authorities in Mexico vowed to recover the money Duarte allegedly stole and bring to justice his accomplices.

Justice will be done, said new Veracruz Gov. Miguel Angel Yunes, a bitter critic of Duarte. Let there be no mercy for those who were merciless to the people of Veracruz. There will be no pardon.

The detention comes a week after Tomas Yarrington, the former governor of Mexicos Tamaulipas state, was arrested in Italy, also on allegations of organized crime and money laundering.

Another ex-governor, Cesar Duarte of Chihuahua state, is also wanted on suspicion of corruption and is said to have fled to El Paso, Texas. He is not related to Javier Duarte.

All three ex-governors were members of Pena Nietos ruling PRI.

The party, which expelled Javier Duarte on Oct. 25, 2016, and has sought to distance itself from him, applauded the arrest.

The PRI calls for all the relevant investigations to be carried out and, respecting due process, for the ex-governor of Veracruz to be punished in an exemplary fashion, as well as anyone who is confirmed to have taken part in his criminal ring, the party said in a statement.

Duarte became a powerful symbol of alleged corruption during midterm elections last year in which the PRI lost several governorships, including Veracruz, that it had held uninterrupted since its founding in 1929.

Duarte also has been widely criticized for rampant violence in the state during his administration, as drug cartels warred for territory and thousands of people were killed or disappeared into clandestine graves in cases that mostly remain unsolved. The dead include at least 16 journalists slain in Veracruz during his six years in office.

This article was originally published on TIME.com
Georgias 6th congressional district is filled with homey, community charm: tree-lined streets, meandering rivers and picturesque parks. Its solidly red politics are usually just as tranquil.

But Tom Price, the districts longtime Republican U.S. House member, stepped down earlier this year to join President Donald Trumps Cabinet. That sparked Tuesdays special election to fill his seat, which has suddenly made the district the unlikely focus of national political interests willing to spend unprecedented amounts of money.

The barrage of TV ads, email messages and robo-calls, often from organizations headquartered hundreds of miles away, have left some district residents feeling like pawns, not players, in their own congressional election  and some candidates as if theyve lost control of the race.

Im concerned that the election could be decided by the influences coming from the national level and not from within Georgia, said Liz Hausmann, director of public affairs for the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce.

Federal campaign finance disclosures bolster that notion: Through Sunday, super PACs, nonprofits and other groups independent of any candidates campaign have spent $9 million on the Georgia 6th race.

Just one of these outside groups spending money to influence the Georgia 6th election  Athens, Georgia-based Better Georgia Inc.  is headquartered within state lines. Better Georgia Inc.s $1,070 in spending, all to support Democratic front-runner Jon Ossoff, accounts for less than one one-thousandth of overall non-candidate spending.

Said another way: When the candidates own campaign money is excluded, the Georgia 6th special election has attracted about one Georgia penny for every $10 in national cash, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis of federal campaign finance disclosures.

Price, who is now Trumps secretary of health and human services, had cruised to re-election every two years since he first won the seat in 2004, which means this special election is the first time the district has seen more than negligible spending by outside groups.

Story continues

Many cash-flush organizations such as the pro-Republican Congressional Leadership Fund, the National Republican Congressional Committee, the 45 Committee, the National Rifle Association and Planned Parenthood, are spending money in the district for the first time this century.

This story is part of Federal Politics. News about ethics, campaign finance, lobbying and influence in the federal government. Click here to read more stories in this series.

Don't miss another Politics investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email.

The Congressional Leadership Funds ad blitz has been particularly scathing, with one spot panning Ossoff for his college glee club stylings and dressing up as Star Wars Han Solo. The super PAC is funded in large part by GOP megadonors such as billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Miriam Adelson; Houston Texans owner Robert McNair and fossil fuel giants Chevron and Devon Energy.

So far, Ossoff has raised far more money than any of his 11 Republican opponents. In fact, hes raised more than all of them put together.

But outside organizations have rushed in to make up the difference: about 65 percent of all non-candidate money spent so far  $5.8 million has gone toward opposing Ossoff.

This is a new experience for Georgia, said Amy Morton, chairman of the Better Georgia, a nonprofit. Georgians arent used to this saturated political environment.

Even though Georgias 6th district has traditionally been safely Republican, Ossoff  a 30-year-old documentary filmmaker, small business owner and national security staffer for Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Georgia  is making a serious bid to win without a runoff election, a feat that would require him to get more than 50 percent of the vote Tuesday. Polls show him within striking distance of that mark.

His campaign message reflects the races national tinge: Make Trump Furious. And a big chunk of his own $8.3 million campaign war chest comes from people who dont live in the Peach State.

About $4 out of every $5 dollars Ossoffs own campaign has raised from big-dollar donors  those giving more than $200  come from outside of Georgia, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis of federal campaign finance records. Thats a sign of the high stakes the race has for Democrats nationwide who are eager for a win.

William Pearce, a California professor who gave Ossoff $240, said hes hoping his contribution helps counteract megadonors who give outside groups seven-figure checks.

I wish all politics were truly local, where local money would go to local elections, but thats just not the system that campaign finance laws have given us, Pearce said.

Ossoff has also raised $5.6 million from small-dollar contributors who arent required to publicly disclose their names or addresses.

Keenan Pontoni, Ossoffs campaign manager, said that the average contribution to Ossoffs campaign for a small-dollar donation is $42. Pontoni sees this average as proof of Ossoffs grassroots support base.

In contrast Republican candidates are relying more heavily on home-grown donations, but theyre getting far fewer.

For example, just 23 percent of Republican candidate Karen Handels big-dollar contributions  more than $200 per donor  came from out-of-state sources, but shes only raised $421,000. About 44 percent of the big-dollar donations Republican candidate Bob Gray received came from outside the state  hes raised just over $230,000.

The Republicans, though, are getting far more outside help. The Congressional Leadership Fund and the National Republican Congressional Committee, both headquartered in Washington, D. C., have funneled millions into Georgia, mostly in the form of television advertisements to either boost a candidate they like or malign one they dont.

The NRCC has invested in this race because we intend to keep the seat out of Jon Ossoffs hands, NRCC spokeswoman Maddie Anderson said.

The NRCCs partisan counterpart, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, hasnt spent money on TV ads or other pro-Ossoff messaging, according to records filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Nevertheless, the DCCC has been firing off a string of Georgia 6th-themed fundraising messages to supporters, such as one Monday with a subject line that whines: "kiss all hope goodbye." The message reads: Its going to take a tremendous wave of grassroots support to fund the resources were rushing to Georgia TONIGHT. Will you pitch in $1 before midnight to defeat Republicans in Georgia and nationwide?

A DCCC representative did not return requests for comment.

Pontoni, Ossoffs campaign manager, says national conservative interests are spending big simply because theyre afraid of someone with a background of rooting out corruption threatens their stranglehold over purse strings in Washington. Therefore, he added, it is not surprising that theyve spent millions of dollars on cynical, partisan attack ads in a desperate effort to distract voters and prevent us from having a substantive discussion of the issues.

Handel, the leading Republican candidate in the crowded special election field, has benefitted from more than $1 million spent by conservative super PACs to boost her.

But not all conservatives do: right-leaning group Club for Growth Action has put in nearly $440,000 to oppose her, mostly in the form of negative television and online ads. Handels campaign did not return the Center for Public Integritys request for a comment.

Keith Grawert, another Republican candidate, is concerned that the fractured Republican field and independent spending by Republican-allied outside groups will splinter the voter base, giving Ossoff the victory.

Its not value-added stuff, said Grawert, who argued negative attack ads from outside groups distract from the problems of the people in his district.

Grawert added that money is drowning out the opportunity for the people of Georgia have their voices heard.

Cobb County, Georgia, resident Amber Harris said she saw pro-Ossoff campaign advertisements on TV and decided to vote for him.

I usually vote Republican, but I think they are turning a blind eye to what Trump is doing. Im angry and I know a lot of other women feel the same way, said Harris, who said her vote is motivated by her strong opposition of Trump, not necessarily her support for Ossoff. I see a lot of Ossoff yard signs on lawns of people I know usually vote Republican.

If Ossoff fails to win more than half the vote Tuesday, a special election runoff between the top two finishers would be scheduled for June 20  giving national political groups more than two more months to fight their proxy battle in suburban Atlanta.

This article was co-published by TIME and Salon.

This story is part of Federal Politics. News about ethics, campaign finance, lobbying and influence in the federal government. Click here to read more stories in this series.

Related stories

Copyright 2017 The Center for Public Integrity. This story was published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C.
From Delish

Oftentimes, Twitter is where ideas go to die. It's the perfect place to word vomit your hopes, dreams, and fears to hundreds of millions of people who may or may not be listening. But that wasn't the case for Kansas State senior Claire Daniels who put this wish into the ether back in December:

I really just need to have a Dr Pepper fountain installed in my house. That would probably be cheaper than how much I spend on it currently - Claire Daniels (@MsClaireDaniels) December 17, 2016

We completely understand the desire to have your favorite liquid on tap - and apparently the folks at Dr Pepper do, too. One of the brand's managers, Lyndsay Loomer, saw Daniels' tweet and slapped together a team of engineers and artists to make it a reality. "We were really inspired by her love of the brand and wanted to have a fun twist on what exactly that means for her," Loomer shared with the college's paper.

Photo credit: Associated Press

They reached out to Daniels a month after she tweeted, asking if they could visit Manhattan, KS, to surprise her as a reward for her loyalty. Last night, the team finally pulled through on their promise: They set up the fountain and a crew to film the reveal on Daniels' front yard while her friends distracted her upstairs. And if the fountain Daniels had in mind was the kind you see in a restaurant, then the finished product must have blown her mind. The structure can hold its own against Europe's most beautiful bubblers: It's a six-foot tall, three-tiered fountain, with the soda pouring out of maroon bottles. The thing holds a whopping five gallons of soda, and Dr Pepper gifted Daniels with another 1,200 cans to keep it flowing.

Photo credit: Associated Press

The timing couldn't be more perfect, since Daniels gave up Dr Pepper for Lent, which comes to an end this Sunday. "It's going to be bad," Daniels laughed.

Story continues

Follow Delish on Instagram.

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Park authorities found that the first batch of 1,500 rolls of toilet paper, provided free under the nationwide "toilet revolution" campaign, disappeared in seven days.

By Indo-Asian News Service: China's notorious toilet paper thieves have struck again, stripping a park in Sichuan province of 1,500 rolls in just one week, the media reported on Monday.

As a part of efforts under the nationwide "toilet revolution" campaign, management at the People's Park in Chengdu city started providing free toilet paper in all its stalls on April 8, the Global Times reported.

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However, park authorities found that the first batch of 1,500 rolls of paper disappeared in seven days, according to Chengdu Business Daily.

Feng Huiling, secretary of the park's Party branch, told the daily that an investigation found that 30 bathroom stalls were emptied of paper in just one hour. Toilet paper use far exceeded expectations.

The toilet paper thieves may cost the park up to 100,000 yuan ($14,520) a year, said Feng, adding that some tourists were caught dismantling toilets' pedal flush handles to "sell them for money".

FACE SCANNERS TO REGULATE USE

Feng said that if the problem continues, they may follow the example of Beijing's Tiantan Park and install machines with face scanners to regulate use, reports the Global Times.

Tiantan Park, home to the Temple of Heaven, introduced six high-tech dispensers that give out toilet paper only after conducting a facial scan.

The pilot programme began after Tantan authorities faced an increasing number of local residents raiding the park's restrooms for toilet paper.

Tourists now must allow the machine to scan their faces before it dispenses a 60-cm serving of toilet paper.

The software will deny the same person another helping of toilet paper within nine minutes of their first scan.

ALSO READ:

Tissue issue: China installs cameras to stop toilet paper theft

--- ENDS ---
Masada (AFP) - Hundreds of Druze on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights marched Monday for Syrian independence day, carrying portraits of President Bashar al-Assad and chanting anti-Israel slogans.

"God save Syria!" they shouted as they rallied in the town of Masada. "Down with the occupation!"

Israeli officials say there are about 20,000 Druze on the strategic plateau seized by the Jewish state from neighbouring Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War.

Israel subsequently annexed the 1,200 square kilometres (460 square miles) of territory in an action never recognised by the international community.

But the vast majority of Golan Druze have retained Syrian nationality.

The civil war which has ravaged their homeland for the past six years is reflected in local divisions, with Masada opponents of the Assad regime refusing to march behind his picture.

But both sides are united in their opposition to the Israeli occupation, residents told AFP.

"We retain our Syrian identity and follow the path of national resistance," said Nasser Ibrahim, one of the organisers of Monday's march.

"With the crisis in Syria, Israel has increased its measures on the Golan," said Assad opponent Ayman Abu Jabal, referring to what he called Israeli-ordered changes to the Golan school curriculum.

Israel and Syria are still officially in a state of war, but Israel says it has no wish to get involved in the fighting.

It does, however, carry out strikes against its Lebanese foe Hezbollah, which fights for Assad in Syria.

Last month, Israel struck what it said were Hezbollah targets in Syria, drawing Syrian anti-aircraft missile fire in the worst flare-up between the two governments since the Syrian civil war began in 2011.
By Andrew Mambondiyani TARKA FOREST, Zimbabwe (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Thousands of unemployed Zimbabweans have turned to illegal gold panning in a bid to survive the country's deteriorating economy, leaving a trail of destruction that has alarmed farmers, timber plantation owners and the country's environmental authorities. Peasant miners have set up makeshift mines on farmland and timber plantations in the country's eastern provinces, which border Mozambique where gold fetches a higher price. Deep tunnels have been dug beneath roads, railways and buildings in the Kwekwe area of the Midlands province. In some parts of Manicaland province, waterways have been diverted and roads destroyed. With more illegal miners likely to exploit the area as the economy continues to slump, and the state placing responsibility to act on landowners, farmers are fearful of irreversible damage to their land, and the risk of losing their livelihoods. "Kwekwe is under siege from illegal miners and some of these miners are very violent. We don't know what to do," resident Jonas Dube told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Simon Simango, an illegal gold miner in Chimanimani, Manicaland province, acknowledged that the excavations were having a negative impact on the environment. But many workers had run out of options, he said. "This (illegal mining) is our only source of livelihood. Look, there are no jobs in the country," Simango told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "We sell most of our gold to illegal buyers from Mozambique who are offering us very good prices." Miners report that buyers in Zimbabwe paid around $30 per gram of gold while buyers in Mozambique were paying, double at around $60 per gram. Zimbabwe has never fully recovered from an economic slump that began in 2000 with the violent seizure of thousands of white-owned farms. Unemployment runs at 80 percent, and even those with jobs face unpaid wages and an acute shortage of cash. There is no official data on the number of illegal miners in Zimbabwe. However, a report by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization estimated that between 2007 and 2012, some 500,000 illegal, artisanal gold miners were operating in the country. Experts believe these numbers could grow as the economy continues to falter. "SHOCKING" In Tarka Forest, a timber estate owned by Allied Timbers in Chimanimani district, more than 600 hectares of prime timber have been damaged to make way for the illegal digs, according to company executives. Manicaland's minister of provincial affairs, Mandi Chimene, said in February that illegal gold mining in Tarka Forest had reached "alarming levels", and resulted in the pollution of streams and rivers, and destruction of standing timber. "What is happening in Tarka (Forest) is shocking," Chimene said. "We wonder who is benefiting from the illegal gold because as a country, we are not. Such gold is not going to the legal market." The government says it is the responsibility of landowners or affected businesses to evict the illegal miners. "If it's a forest plantation, it is the responsibility of the timber companies to remove the illegal miners," Minister for Mines and Mining Development Walter Chidhakwa told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "If an area belongs to the timber plantations, the government cannot legalise gold mining in the area. The companies must put measures in to stop illegal mining in their plantations." The same rule applies to illegal miners on privately-owned farmland, he said. Darlington Duwa, CEO of the Timber Producers Federation, warned of lasting damage as a result of the disappearing forests and water pollution caused by illegal mining. "It (illegal mining) reduces the timber resource, thus affecting direct and indirect employment, economic development, foreign currency earnings and leads to environmental degradation and reduced resilience to climate change effects," Duwa told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "In some areas illegal miners (settlers) uproot young trees that have been planted," Duwa said. "At this rate, the industry is bound to suffer irreversible damage." (Reporting by Andrew Mambondiyani, Editing by Paola Totaro; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit news.trust.org)
Paris (AFP) - Five days before France votes in the first round of the presidential election, fast-rising Communist-backed Jean-Luc Melenchon took to a barge and joint frontrunner Emmanuel Macron attracted a big crowd in Paris.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, vying with Macron for the lead ahead of Sunday's first round of voting, was briefly interrupted by a topless woman protester.

Here's what happened in the campaign on Monday:

- Melenchon navigates through race -

Communist-backed candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon chose the most eye-catching campaign platform of the day -- a barge on a Paris canal.

"Here you are on an Easter Monday listening to a guy on a boat. There's something in the air!," the 65-year-old self-styled revolutionary declared.

Melenchon has roared through the bottom half of the field and is now scoring 19.5 percent, equal third with conservative candidate Francois Fillon of the mainstream Republicans party.

The barge was another example of the original style that has made the most of a small campaign budget -- on Tuesday he will speak in the central city of Dijon while appearing in six other cities by hologram.

- Woman protester halts Le Pen -

A topless woman protester briefly disrupted Marine Le Pen's speech to 6,000 supporters at the Zenith concert hall.

Clutching a bunch of flowers and with illegible slogans scrawled on her chest, the woman was quickly bundled off the stage by security guards.

"These left-wing extremists have got it all wrong," the 48-year-old National Front (FN) leader said. "A total inversion of values has disrupted this speech by the only woman who defends women."

Several dozen left-wing protesters clashed with police outside the venue before the speech.

- 20,000 crowd for Macron -

Independent centrist Emmanuel Macron gave a speech to his biggest crowd of the campaign so far, attracting 20,000 supporters to the Bercy arena in Paris.

"We are going to turn the page on the last 20 years because our generation is ready for change," the leader of En Marche (On the Move) told the crowd.

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The 39-year-old former Rothschild banker and economy minister said France's future lay in the European Union.

"We need Europe, so we will remake it!," Macron told the crowd.

He also aimed a barb at Melenchon, saying he wanted to turn France into "Cuba without sun or Venezuela without oil".
The photo tugged at heartstrings across the world. It showed a young boy leaning against a tiny tombstone with his head bowed. Buried below him was his twin brother who had entered the world with him but not alive.

Five-year-old Walker Myrick had come to Center Hill Cemetery in Lexington, Ala. to tell his brother, Willis, about his first day in kindergarten.

My brother died, Walker, now 10, told TIME in a recent interview. I wanted to share how it went and tell him what I did.

The poignant image went viral in February - about five years after it was taken - when Walkers mom posted it on Facebook. It has since raised global awareness for Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS), a little-known and potentially fatal disease that can affect identical twins in the womb.

Brooke Myrick, the boys mother, had been carrying identical twin boys for six months in 2007 when she arrived at her doctors office for a routine ultrasound and received devastating news.

Willis didnt have a heartbeat, she said. Its just a shock. I was told everything was fine. How did this happen?

Walker Myrick (l) and Brooke Myrick

Two months later, Myrick delivered both babies. But only one was breathing. Looking back, I dont even know how I handled it. I think about it now and I get upset to think that I went through that, she said. I just had to focus on Walker.

After the birth, Myrick finally let herself grieve. And then she made two promises: Walker would always know Willis name, and the world would learn about TTTS.

The disease of the placenta affects about 10% of identical twin pregnancies, according to Mary Slaman, president of The Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome Foundation, an Ohio-based nonprofit she founded after losing her own baby to TTTS.

The syndrome causes one twin to receive more blood flow than normal from the placenta and the other to receive less. Both scenarios are dangerous and can result in heart failure, as one twins heart is forced to work on overdrive and the other becomes anemic, Slaman said. Theyre both equally at risk for heart failure. Theyre both in trouble, she said.

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TTTS is not hereditary or genetic, said Slaman, who called it a random occurrence. In many cases, there are no severe threats to either baby if the blood flow between them is balanced. But that balance can tip at any time of the pregnancy up until birth and can become life-threatening in 24 hours, according to Slaman.

Thats why its important for mothers carrying identical twins or triplets to receive weekly ultrasounds to constantly monitor the situation, she said. Theres no safe zone in your pregnancy, Slaman said. But when the imbalance of blood flow is detected early, it can be treated, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Its about empowering parents, not scaring them, Slaman said. It could save a life or two, or three or four.

Walker Myrick

Slaman praised Walker for his role in spreading the word. The 10-year-old has raised more than $10,000 to donate to The Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome Foundation in the last four years through fundraising walks he organizes every March on Willis and his birthday.

Once a twin, always a twin. I think thats his message, too, Slaman said.

Walker, a fourth grader, said hes happy that hes helping babies and believes his brother would be proud of him.

I feel that hes happy in heaven, and hes watching over me, he said.

Myrick said she has been posting the photo of Walker at the cemetery on Facebook on the twins birthday every year since 2014, when she began building support for his first fundraiser. It only went viral this year after a U.K. news outlet heard about it and interviewed Myrick for a story. Soon, the photo made headlines in dozens of newspapers and news sites around the globe, including in Japan, Israel, Indonesia, Slovakia and Germany. It was front-page news in the local Times Daily, with the headline: Brothers Keeper.

Myrick said the attention has helped heal the familys wound. Knowing it went all over the world, that just gave me so much peace, she said. And I know it did [for] Walker because he told me that the world finally knew Willis name. I feel almost like a burden has been lifted.

Every mother who has lost a child wants to feel like her child didnt die in vain, she added. I will never stop missing him, but I know now that we will save lives with our story and in his memory.

This article was originally published on TIME.com
If you want something done right, sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands.

That appears to be what this New Jersey teen had in mind when she asked herself to prom.

Read: I'm Falling for You! Teen Skydives Out of a Plane to Ask His Girlfriend to Prom

The whole promposal scene was lacking a bit of comic relief, 17-year-old Lily Bilgrey of Freehold said. I thought that I could help with that.

Bilgrey, a high school junior at SciCore Academy, told InsideEdition.com that she was tired of seeing over-the-top invitations to what she called a glorified school dance on social media.

So she decided to poke fun at the elaborate ritual by posting a series of photos, in which she appeared to ask herself to prom.

since none y'all willin to take one for the team A post shared by   (@lilybilgrey) on Mar 27, 2017 at 5:02pm PDT

"I didnt want to miss out on the fun promposal so I decided to ask myself," Bilgrey said. I knew I would say yes.

Bilgrey said her high school does not actually hold a prom for their students, but she wanted to take part in the teenage tradition anyway.

"I really want people to think that its not about who you go with or how you get asked  its about going and having fun, she explained, adding that she knew many students who declined going to prom just because they didnt have a date. Its about experiencing a rite of passage for teen life.

Read: Emma Stone 'Completely Blown Away' by 'La La Land'-Inspired Promposal, but Turns Him Down

And to follow through with her promise, Bilgrey said she will not be bringing a date to her schools Spring Formal, but instead will be going by herself.

I dont think its about the date, she said. I think its about having fun.

Story continues

Watch: Senior Brings Bag of Doritos to Ask Teen With Down Syndrome to Prom

Related Articles:
(PARIS) - Hundreds of demonstrators in France marched on Sunday to protest far-right National Front leader and presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, saying that basic freedoms would disappear if she were elected.

Some protesters threw firebombs at police during the march from suburban Aubervilliers to a Paris neighborhood where Le Pen is scheduled to hold a rally on Monday. Officers responded with tear gas during the small skirmishes.

Fernanda Marrucchelli said Le Pens anti-immigration party is fighting our essential freedoms, our rights, no matter if we are French or immigrant.

A banner at the front of the march read Paris-Suburbs Against the National Front. Marchers handed out tracts denouncing xenophobia and racism that they allege Le Pen and her anti-immigration party represent.

Anti-racism activist Omar Slauti said the fight against Le Pen should be in the streets, not the ballot box, denouncing the extreme-right populism that has spread around Europe.

Le Pen, who wants to pull France out of the European Union, is one of the top contenders in Frances first-round presidential vote on April 23. A presidential runoff is being held May 7 between the top two-vote-getters.

The far-right leader has worked to erase the image of racism and anti-Semitism that for years defined her party.

She wants to restore a French identity that she claims has been erased by massive immigration, mainly from former French colonies in Muslim North Africa.

This article was originally published on TIME.com
Indias finance minister, who is also Indias defense minister, has some financial business to attend to this week in United States. And then hes got some defense matters to deal with  in Russia.

According to official sources, Arun Jaitley will be in the Washington for World Bank-IMF meetings from April 21 to 23. From there, he will head straight to Moscow for a two-day visit to tighten military ties.

Is India playing the two countries  both of which wail about U.S.-Russia relations being at an all-time low  off one another?

Not exactly. But it is a residual effect of Soviet days, and a reminder that, for all of Prime Minister Narendra Modis apparent move toward the United States and its allies, India values above all freedom of action in its foreign policy.

After India gained its independence in 1947, the United States was New Delhis strongest partner, said Rick Rossow of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Only two decades later, after the United States decided to privilege partnerships with China and Pakistan, did Russia offer overt support, opening the spigot on supporting India with military gear.

But the United States is again, much like the days after Partition, clearly the number one partner for India, said Sadanand Dhume of the American Enterprise Institute. This particular visit to Moscow, likely planned long before Jaitley became defense minister, is different in nature than those that took place during the Cold War, when a visit to Washington was immediately followed by a reassuring trip to Moscow.

Still, despite Modis overtures to the United States, one of the durable vestiges of Soviet days is Indias military relationship with Russia. There are only a handful of countries with the advanced defense technology that India covets, and that are willing to share, Rossow noted.

And, though the United States (and Israel) have made inroads  including promises from the Pentagon to share more advanced technology for next-generation aircraft carriers  Russia is still Indias the main arms supplier. Modis Made in India campaign seeks to onshore all sorts of domestic manufacturing, but surface to air missiles and stealth frigates for the Indian navy will be made with help from Russia.

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Military assistance from Russia, as opposed to the United States, comes with fewer strings: Moscow is less likely care just how or against whom India uses those weapons.

Strategic autonomy is what India values above all else in its foreign policy. Modis government may have preferred a successful rapprochement between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, just as American resistance to Chinese aggression would be most welcome in New Delhi. But it can live with a chilly U.S.-Russian relationship and a seemingly chummy start to Trumps relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping  as long as Washington never demands that India stop working so closely with Russia.

Had that been the cost of doing business, Dhume said, thered much smaller constituency for closer U.S.-India relations.

Photo credit: PRAKASH SINGH/AFP/Getty Images
JAKARTA, Indonesia -- The scene last week here in Indonesia's capital was surprisingly cordial. Officials for Nahdlatul Ulama, the country's largest Muslim organization, opened their doors and warmly greeted Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, the capital city's first Christian governor in decades.

"We don't discriminate between Muslims and non-Muslims," says Said Aqil Siradj, the leader of the organization, also known as NU, a 50-million strong moderate Muslim civil society group. "We wish [Ahok] a long life, health, and God's blessings."

The warmth displayed by this senior Muslim figure stands in stark relief to the massive Islamist protest movement against Ahok that has periodically paralyzed Jakarta since October last year. Conservative Islamic groups' anger toward Ahok stems from comments he made last autumn, where he strongly critiqued the way conservative hard-line Muslim leaders interpreted the Quran. Ahok is now standing trial on blasphemy charges over his comments.

The outcry Ahok's comments stirred have taken on greater significance as he seeks victory in the April 19 runoff election for governor of Jakarta, a race that has transfixed this nation of 255 million people, and drawn interest from outside of the country. The blasphemy case against Ahok, the large scale of protests against him, and the attacks on his Chinese ethnicity are threatening the reputation of Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim democracy, as a model nation for practicing a moderate form of Islam.

"It's a new era for the state," says I Ketut Putra Erawan, executive director of Indonesia's Peace and Democracy Institute. "Identity issues are creeping now."

Concern here also is rising that Indonesia's centuries-long moderate Muslim tradition is steadily giving way to more fundamentalist strains of the religion. At the same time, the Islamist campaign against religious pluralism -- voiced in the protests against Ahok -- has awakened a moderate Muslim reaction that is deeply opposed to religious hard-liners. With polls showing an extremely tight race, the question on Election Day will be whether NU's support is enough to push the embattled Ahok to victory.

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Ahok, a blunt-speaking Chinese-Indonesian Christian, is the rare double minority to rise in Indonesian politics, a career that began in the early 21st century. He became Jakarta's deputy-governor in 2012 as the running mate of Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, who was elected governor. In 2014, Ahok became Jakarta's first ethnic Chinese and Christian leader to hold the Jakarta governorship, elevated to the position after Jokowi became president in the 2014 general election.

His election victories have sparked a backlash. Since he ran for deputy-governor in 2012, hard-line Muslim organizations have argued that the Quran forbids Muslims from selecting non-Muslims as leaders, in an effort to attack the ambitious, highly popular pluralist politician.

Ahok has fought back against conservative Islamists. He was charged late last year for insulting Islam after he warned Jakarta residents to ignore imams who told them that the Quran forbids non-Muslim leadership. Ahok's words succeeded in alienating many Muslims, who make up more than 85 percent of Jakarta's sprawling population of more than 9 million people.

Today, hard-line Muslim leaders accuse Ahok of disrespecting the Quran, insulting Muslim religious leaders and being an infidel.

"He always insults Islam, he has such a crude mouth," says Muhammad Al Khaththath, the chairman of the Islamic community group Forum Umat Islam and a key leader of the anti-Ahok movement. Al Khaththath, like many hard-line leaders involved in the February protest, wants to see Indonesia's secular constitution replaced by the stringent application of Sharia law, and says non-Muslim leaders should be forbidden from senior government posts.

That stands in contrast to NU, which was founded in 1926 with a primary mission: oppose puritanical Salafi Islam coming from the Middle East. The organization was built by traditionalist leaders who wanted to preserve Indonesia's unique Muslim traditions. Over the decades, NU opposed both Indonesian leftists who wanted to push for a secular society as well as Salafi Islamists who wanted the state to be run by hardline interpretations of Sharia law.

In the social unrest that has preceded Jakarta's election, large and ponderous NU, with its traditional, tolerant Islam, was outmaneuvered by smaller hardline organizations that had the clear and unwavering agenda to challenge Ahok.

"It turns out that NU isn't really effective at influencing organizations" that are demonstrating, says Alissa Wahid, an activist descended from NU's founder. That began changing a few weeks ago, after President Joko Widodo, a close ally of Ahok and a Muslim who is loosely affiliated with NU, started pressuring political parties with ties to the organization to support Ahok over hardline Muslim forces.

Prominent NU officials began making their opposition to Islamic extremism known earlier this month, even if they were still lukewarm on the blunt-talking Ahok. Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, the head of NU's youth division, endorsed the Christian candidate.

"The reason isn't that I love Ahok," he says, adding that he was more bothered by Ahok's opponent, Anies Baswedan, who has courted hard-line Muslim forces.

NU today is continuing to play its role of opposing Islamist forces that have ideologies sourced from the Middle East says Tobias Basuki, a researcher at the Center for International and Strategic Studies in Jakarta. "The cleavage we're seeing now is a cleavage from the past," he says. "This political Islam that we see is a co-option of Indonesian Islam."

Many members of NU are far more worried about the rise of right-wing Islamist groups in Indonesia than they are about Ahok. "NU is aware that if Anies wins, the [right-wing Islamist] Prosperous Justice Party will benefit politically, socially, and financially," says Savic Ali, a progressive activist who edits NU-affiliated websites. "That will have the effect of making the Prosperous Justice Party stronger, which is of deep concern to NU."

Said Aqil Siradj, the NU leader, has aggressively promoted the local form of Islam, called Islam Nusantara, which he says matches better with Indonesian traditions and culture than more austere Arabic forms of the religion. "It's Islam Nusantara that protects the nation, not radical Islam, not Arabized Islam," he told an audience earlier this month.

Said's concern about radical Islam may just be enough to get Ahok over the finish line, according to Marcus Mietzner, an associate professor at Australia National University. "Ahok is not a close NU ally, he's an enemy of NU's enemies. And in elections, that sometimes makes for good friends," Mietzner wrote in an email.

If Ahok manages to win this week's election it will be because Indonesia's moderate Muslims chose the imperfect Christian candidate over the hard-line Muslim alternative.

"Given how close this election is, even shifting a few thousand votes can matter," Meitzer says. "It certainly will not guarantee an Ahok victory, but if he does scrape over the line, the NU votes may have helped."

Jon Emont is a journalist based in Jakarta, Indonesia. You can follow him on Twitter here.
Sukesh Chandrasekhar, who is alleged to have told TTV Dinakaran that the AIADMK symbol would go to his faction if he were to pay a bribe of Rs 50 crore, is a serial conman.

By Rohini Swamy: Sukesh Chandrasekhar, the man alleged to be Sasikala nephew TTV Dinakaran's middleman, was arrested by the Delhi Police's Crime Branch and Rs 1.3 crore were recovered from him.

Sukesh Chandrasekhar allegedly struck a Rs 50-crore deal with TTV Dinakaran for helping the AIADMK faction keep the 'two leaves' symbol--a symbol frozen by the Election Commission.

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Chandrasekhar is not new to such allegations. He is better known as actor Leena Maria Paul's partner and the duo were famously known as the real 'Bunty and Babli'.

THE GRANDSON OF M KARUNANIDHI

A luxury car addict, he was apprehended by police in Kolkata a few years ago for cheating people of crores of rupees. There are nearly 50 cases against him in various states.

In his criminal career, he has posed as a relative of nearly all the chief ministers of the southern states. He had several cases against him in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh when he landed in Chennai in 2010 and claimed he was the grandson of DMK supremo M Karunanidhi.

He did not stop at that, and tried cheating people by claiming that he is M K Alagiri's relative.

According to police, Chandrasekhar used bodyguards and cars with beacons to convince his "victims" that he was an influential person and hobnobbed with politicians.

A LUXURY VILLA AND ASTON MARTIN

A native of Bengaluru, Chandrasekhar led a life of crime since his teenage years. An expert drag racer, it was Chandrasekhar's love for fast cars that reportedly led him to con people; he used the money to buy luxury cars.

Chandrasekhar was smitten by Leena Maria Paul, who he befriended when she arrived in Bengaluru to learn dentistry. She wanted a career in movies and Chandrasekhar promised her a break.

He reportedly organised a meeting for Leena Paul in Chennai with Tamil actor Mahendran.

At some point, Leena Maria Paul reportedly joined him in his 'conning' exploits.

In 2015, the Delhi Police arrested Leena Paul and Sukesh Chandrasekar while they were in hiding. They were staying at a luxury villa and paid a rent of Rs 4 lakh per month.

They had a fleet of luxury cars, including several Aston Martin, a Rolls Royce, a Land Cruiser, a Hummer, a BMW, and an Audi.

A glib-talker, Chandrasekhar studied till Class X but could speak in eight languages including Tamil, Gujarati and Spanish.

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SOME OF THE CASES AGAINST CHANDRASEKHAR

Actor Leena Paul and Sukesh Chadrasekhar were accused of a Rs 19-crore fraud involving a Chennai-based business couple and a nationalised bank in March 2013. Chandrasekhar posed as a Karnataka government official who wanted a Rs 132-crore sanitary napkin machine order from a company called Future Techiniks Private Limited.

In 2011, Sukesh was arrested in Bengaluru based on a tip-off from Leena Paul. The Bangalore Crime Branch received a complaint from her which said that Chandrasekhar cheated her by promising her a job in the film industry.

In another incident, Chandrasekhar conned two people, a spa owner and a Tamil actor, of Rs 5 lakh after promising to help them purchase government cars at a lesser price.

Sukesh was arrested in August 2007 on charges of cheating a senior citizen of Rs 1.4 crore by promising to help him with a land deal. He claimed that he was a friend of Nikhil Gowda, son of former Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy.

(with inputs from Shalini Maria Lobo)

ALSO READ:

AIADMK's TTV Dinakaran charged with offering Rs 50 crore to middleman to buy party's 'two leaves' symbol

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Madras Cafe actress Leena Paul held in fraud case

First Monica, now Leena. Another tinseltown wannabe caught in conman boyfriend's web

ALSO WATCH

--- ENDS ---
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urged North Korea on Monday to refrain from taking further provocative actions, comply with U.N. resolutions and abandon its nuclear missile development. Tensions on the Korean peninsula have escalated as U.S. President Donald Trump takes a hard rhetorical line with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has rebuffed admonitions from China and proceeded with missile tests. North Korea launched a ballistic missile on Sunday but it blew up almost immediately, the U.S. Pacific Command said. Abe told parliament he would exchange views on North Korea with Russian President Vladimir Putin when they hold a summit meeting later this month. He also said the government was considering measures to respond to contingencies stemming from a potential crisis on the Korean peninsula, including floods of refugees and how to evacuate Japanese citizens from South Korea. "We assume a series of responses in case of evacuees into Japan, such as protecting them, a process of landing, housing facilities and their management, and a screening whether our nation should protect them," Abe said. Japan's National Security Council discussed how to evacuate its nearly 60,000 citizens from South Korea in the event of a crisis, a government official said on Friday amid rising concern over North Korea's nuclear weapons programme. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence visited the demilitarised border between North and South Korea on Monday and reiterated that the U.S. "era of strategic patience" with Pyongyang was over. (Reporting by Kaori Kaneko and Teppei Kasai; Editing by Michael Perry and Paul Tait)
Aboard the schooner Tara (Japan) (AFP) - The key to the survival of the world's threatened coral reefs may lie in the waters surrounding a small volcanic island off the coast of Japan, scientists say.

The seabed of Shikine island is a "living laboratory" for researchers aboard the schooner Tara, a French-led scientific expedition, who are looking for clues to help protect coral from the damaging effects of climate change.

While coral reefs cover less than 0.2 percent of the ocean surface globally, they host some 30 percent of marine animal and plant species, serving as a source of food and offering protection from predators.

"Losing these reefs would be horrifying," said Sylvain Agostini, an expedition coordinator and professor at Japan's University of Tsukuba.

Shikine's unique conditions -- created by underwater volcanoes that flood some of its coves with CO2 and make it less alkaline -- mimic what scientists say will be the impact of unchecked carbon emissions on the world's oceans by 2100.

The build-up of CO2 due to greenhouse gas emissions or underwater volcanic activity raises the temperature and transforms the chemistry of ocean waters, in a process known as acidification.

Researchers say the waters in parts of Shikine, located 160 kilometres (100 miles) south of Tokyo, offer a glimpse of how marine life -- including corals -- can fare in less alkaline water.

Japan's corals, the northernmost in the world, could offer important data to bolster knowledge about marine life, as Australia's Great Barrier Reef faces a threat to its survival.

Last week, scientists said the famous reef was at serious risk from bleaching -- a process in which stressed corals expel the algae that live in their tissue and provide them with food -- due to warming sea temperatures.

They warned that coral bleached for two consecutive years at the World Heritage-listed site had "zero prospect" of recovery after researchers detected another round of mass bleaching after an earlier event in 2016.

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- Very troubling -

"I've been studying corals for 20 years and what I'm seeing is a large-scale decline," Maggy Nugues, a senior lecturer at the prestigious French research institute Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, told AFP aboard the ship, which departed France in May 2016.

"There is a 50 percent to 80 percent reduction in coral cover in the Caribbean and the Pacific -- this is very troubling."

Half a dozen researchers on the vessel want to see how an underwater ecosystem, including corals, plankton, seaweed and fish, fares in Shikine's seemingly inhospitable environment.

Early comparisons with another bay on Shikine that boasts vastly different conditions suggest corals do much better in more alkaline water.

"We're hoping that these higher latitude zones can serve as a refuge," Agostini said.

"But the question remains about the acidification of the oceans and it's here, in Shikine, in these natural laboratories that we hope to find the answer," he added.

Built in 1989, the 36-metre (120-foot) long ship has gained fame for previous scientific expeditions, including a 500-day trip in the Arctic, and in 2001 when its former owner, New Zealand skipper Peter Blake, was shot dead on board by pirates in the Amazon.

The current two-year expedition will head to Australia and New Zealand before hitting Indonesia and the Philippines.

Nugues warned that the speed of climate change, fuelled by human activity, was making it tough for animals to adapt.

"The planet has evolved under relatively stable conditions, letting organisms and animals adapt," she said.

"But here we're speeding things up, maybe faster than nature's clock."
Hey France, don't f*ck up, too.

That's John Oliver's message to French people, as he broke down the upcoming elections on Last Week Tonight. (If you can't view the video in your region, here's another version of it. The segment starts at about 11:30 in.)

SEE ALSO: John Oliver is buying ads on Fox News again, this time to teach Trump about sexual harassment

He discusses the eccentricities of the political hopefuls, including one candidate's very funny lack of Star Wars knowledge.

But it's far-right candidate Marine Le Pen Oliver is most worried about. Her National Front party has captured several national and local seats and the supporters are very motivated. There are also ramifications for the future of Europe as Le Pen could possibly support taking France out of the European Union.

Oliver ends the show with a passionate plea  in French. "Marine Le Pen ishow do you say in French? A demagogic asshole," he says. C'est magnifique!
AMMAN, Jordan (AP)  Jordan's foreign minister has assured his Iraqi counterpart that the kingdom seeks to maintain good relations, after Jordanian protesters burned pictures of Shiite Muslim leaders, including a former Iraqi prime minister.

The official news agency Petra says Ayman Safadi told Iraq's Ibrahim al-Jaafari that those involved were detained and would face trial.

Sunday's phone call came 10 days after Jordan's King Abdullah II criticized the regional ambitions of Shiite-led Iran in an interview. An Iranian official reportedly dismissed the king's comments as "silly and careless." Jordan summoned Iran's ambassador in protest.

On Friday, several dozen protesters in northern Jordan burned photos of Shiite Muslim leaders in the region in an anti-Iran protest.

Iran exerts a strong influence over neighboring Iraq. Jordan is part of the region's Sunni Muslim camp.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP)  A Santa Clara County judge has dismissed a rape charge against former San Francisco 49er Ray McDonald after prosecutors said the woman who made the allegation refused to testify.

Judge David A. Cena dismissed the charge  one count of rape of an intoxicated person  on Monday. Santa Clara County prosecutor Chris Lamiero said in a statement he tried to convince the victim to testify, but she refused.

The woman said she slipped and fell on a pool deck at McDonald's San Jose home in December 2014 and continued to fall after that because of her initial head injury and alcohol consumption. She accused McDonald of carrying her upstairs to his bedroom and sexually assaulting her.

McDonald faced a maximum of eight years in prison.
By Sarah B. Boxer

While the nation remains divided on whether recreational marijuana should be legalized, an exclusive new Yahoo News/Marist Poll finds that 83 percent of American adults  even 81 percent of parents  believe that medicinal marijuana should be legalized.

But as perceptions of pot as it relates to the American family shift, a member of one of Americas most prominent families is speaking out.

Former Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) says that lobbyists pushing for the legalization of medical marijuana are trying to sell the public on a Trojan horse  making the drug seem more normalized and acceptable in society, though it still has dangerous impacts on minors. The public health doesnt stand a chance in this fight, because were up against money that is going to continue to grow as this industry spreads, Kennedy concedes, likening marijuana proponents to the big tobacco industry.

Through his organization Project SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana), Kennedy is trying to educate the public and offer other solutions available in the medical industry. He points to the FDA-approved medication Marinol, a synthetic form of cannabis, as an alternative to the real thing.

Right now, no one knows what theyre buying  that can be a hazard to public health, Kennedy tells Yahoo News and Finance Anchor Bianna Golodryga. Referring to natural marijuana, he says, If someone needs the beneficial effects of some component in this plant, then we know what to do. We dont eat willow bark from a tree, we buy aspirin. We have a process for doing that. Its called the FDA. The reason we do is we want to protect the publics health. Were doing nothing of the sort by just calling it, in a blanket sense, medicine.

Our country is susceptible to addiction, Kennedy tells Golodryga. I just dont know how much sense it makes to try to allow another intoxicating, addicting substance to be sold in the marketplace.

Kennedy argues that lack of regulation in the pharmaceutical and alcohol industries is a prime example of why marijuana could be just as dangerous if legalized. What do you say to those who argue  that alcohol has far more deadly consequences and addictive consequences than marijuana? asks Golodryga.

Story continues

I dont disagree with that. Two wrongs dont make a right, responds Kennedy. Alcohols already legal, and theres no putting that horse back in the barn. Lets stop this horse from getting out of the barn. Its a question of, what floor do they drop you from  the 10th floor or the fourth floor? Youre still in trouble.

Kennedy also bristles at the notion that there is less to worry about with pot than with opioids because fewer people are dying from the former. I just dont think we should relish the thought that any American is kept from their God-given potential.

In Rhode Island, where the district he represented in Congress is located, drug overdoses are a public health crisis. The opioid crisis is at the root of that epidemic, but Kennedy argues that marijuana usage needs to be examined just as carefully.

What I worry about is marijuana sapping the motivation and cognition of our young people. So, they might not end up on a slab because they ODd on fentanyl, because they were originally addicted to OxyContin, but their lives may end up becoming permanently disabled. Essentially, theyre missing in action. Theyre not killed in action. Theyre missing in action.

_____

Read more from the Yahoo Weed & the American Family series:
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean prosecutors on Monday charged ousted president Park Geun-hye and Lotte Group chairman Shin Dong-bin with bribery in the latest twist to a corruption scandal that rocked the country for months. Prosecutors charged Shin without detaining him. The retail giant Lotte, with interests ranging from hotels and retail to food and chemicals, becomes the second conglomerate mired in the political scandal after Jay Y. Lee, the chief of the biggest, Samsung Group, was arrested suspected of bribing Park and her friend, Choi Soon-sil. Lee, Park and Choi are being held at detention centers. Lotte, South Korea's fifth-biggest conglomerate, is grappling with the Chinese shutdown of dozens of its stores in China, after it agreed to provide land for the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system outside Seoul. South Korea, which accuses China or discriminating against some South Korean companies working in China, and the United States say the sole purpose of THAAD is to guard against North Korean missiles. China says its powerful radar can penetrate its territory and undermine its security and spoke out against it again on Monday. Lotte's chief Shin is also on a separate graft trial involving family members charged with embezzlement and breach of trust. Prosecutors accused Park of colluding with Choi to receive 7 billion won ($6.16 million) from Lotte for favors, they said in a statement. Park was also charged with abuse of power and coercion by pressuring big businesses to contribute funds to non-profit foundations, the prosecutors said. Park is also charged with taking bribes worth about 29.8 billion won from Samsung scion Lee in exchange for supporting his succession, according to the prosecutors' statement. Lotte denied allegations that it made improper deals with Park, or those linked to her, for favors, but said it would explain itself at court to resolve suspicions. "We find the decision on the indictment regrettable," Lotte Group said in a statement. Park, Lee, Choi and Samsung Group have also denied wrongdoing.($1 = 1,136.3700 won) (Reporting by Ju-min Park and Christine Kim, additional reporting by Joyce Lee,; Editing by Nick Macfie)
The Supreme Court will likely end hearing arguments for its current term in two weeks, but some court followers are looking ahead to the big cases that could be in front of the nine Justices starting in October.

The Court could still accept a big case about religious freedom and gay rights, Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. The question in that case centers of a Colorado cake maker who declined to design a cake for a same-sex wedding party on religious grounds.

But a potential landmark case about partisan gerrymandering could take the cake, in literal terms, for next years Supreme Court term if the Justices accept it before October.

In March, the state of Wisconsin filed an appeal to the United States Supreme Court seeking to overturn the decision of a federal district court in Whitford v Gill.

The 41-page petition from state attorney general Brad Schimel asks the Supreme Court to overturn the lower-court decision based on five points, including the concept that partisan gerrymandering isnt justiciable, or a matter that a court can even decide, as related to this one case.

In November 2016, the three-judge federal panel in the Western District of Wisconsin ruled otherwise, in a 2-1 vote, that voting district maps drawn in 2011 heavily favored Republican political candidates.

The plaintiffs have established  that the defendants intended and accomplished an entrenchment of the Republican Party likely to endure for the entire decennial period, the court said. They did so when the legitimate redistricting considerations neither required nor warranted the implementation of such a plan.

The dissenting judge argued that there can never be a partisan gerrymander unless the legislature, in drawing new maps, creates oddly shaped districts that violate the traditional principles of having compact, contiguous districts that respect political boundaries and zones of political interest. The 2011 map, he argued, was true to all of those principles, so that should be the end of any oversight by a court.

Story continues

Court observers at the time seemed certain Whitford v. Gill would wind up at the Supreme Court sometime in 2017.

The case probably will reach the Court for action after there is a ninth Justice to fill the existing vacancy on the bench, said our Supreme Court correspondent, Lyle Denniston, at the time.

Bernard Grofman from the University of California-Irvine, who specializes in this subject area, also wrote in the Washington Post that Whitford v. Gill has the potential to be a landmark case destined for a big court date.

Whitford was the first time a federal court has ruled a single-member district plan a partisan gerrymander. When there is an appeal of that decision, it will almost certainly be heard by the Supreme Court and has the potential to be a game-changer, Grofman said.

Grofman noted that the Whitford case succeeded with at least two federal judges because it was based on a First Amendment freedom of association test rather than a 14th Amendment equal protection test.

Another factor, Denniston said, is that the Wisconsin decision involves a proposed formula to test for partisan gerrymandering.

The Supreme Court from time to time has shown some interest in the question of when too much partisanship has gone into drawing up new election maps, but it has never found a formula for answering that question. The Wisconsin ruling is the first to accept an answer suggested by lawyers and political experts, he said back in November.

That test factor, based on a legal and political theory called the efficiency gap, would be a critical factor to Justice Anthony Kennedy, who would likely be the deciding justice in the case if and when it reaches the Court.

It was Justice Kennedy, in a decision called Veith v. Jubelier from 2004, who said that the courts could possibly consider partisan gerrymandering cases in the future; in the Veith case, Kennedy agreed with a plurality of Justices that the Veith case itself wasnt justiciable, but he wrote his own concurring opinion.

In Veith, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote that no formula could be found to settle partisan gerrymandering claims since they were political issues in nature and not subject to a court decision. That no such standard has emerged in this case should not be taken to prove that none will emerge in the future, Kennedy said. If suitable standards with which to measure the burden a gerrymander imposes on representational rights did emerge, hindsight would show that the Court prematurely abandoned the field. That is a risk the Court should not take.
When the French Fifth Republic was launched by Charles de Gaulle in 1958, and embraced by a crisis-rocked nation, it was powered by two engines: a constitution to codify de Gaulles vision and a party to carry out de Gaulles will.

By then, the general had accepted the need for the latter  but only grudgingly. Modern Frances most legendary politician was deeply allergic to political parties. Having lived through the twilight years of both the Third and Fourth Republics, one could hardly blame him. Frances surrender to Germany in 1940 and its precarious hold on Algeria in 1958 were, he insisted, the result of the political parties seeking particular and selfish goals.

Parties, de Gaulle believed, led to parliamentary paralysis and national division. Gaullism  a term the general himself used sparingly indeed  by contrast, rejected partisanship and particularism. It was a national platform large enough for everyone, regardless of province or profession, race or religion. It was a means to prolong the epiphany of Aug. 26, 1944, when de Gaulle walked down the Champs-Elysees in liberated Paris. In the vast throng of men and women who nearly submerged him like the sea, de Gaulle later wrote, he witnessed one of those miracles of national consciousness which, at times, illuminate our history. In the crowd, there was just one thought, one elan, one cry while all differences gave way and individuals disappeared.

Even in France, de Gaulle nevertheless discovered, one still must govern in prose and, thus, through parties. The new president of a new republic required a vehicle to produce the votes that could carry out his popular mandate. And so, de Gaulle oversaw the building of a new political party, LUnion pour la nouvelle republique, or Union for the New Republic (UNR). Over the course of the 1960s, the UNR allied with other conservative and centrist parties, creating the ideological stew that, despite the various name changes it underwent, always simmered in the same pot  and always claimed to be the generals heir.

Today, the current iteration has been dubbed Les Republicains. And it, along with the Fifth Republic itself, appears to be crumbling.

But crumbling implies there was once something solid. Some specialists have long wondered if there is such a thing as Gaullism  whether it is, as some have put it, an ism in search of an ideology, whether there was ever anything to it besides the man himself. Frederic Grendel, an early Gaullist himself, pronounced: In Gaullism, there is de Gaulle. The rest is silence. Less portentously, the renowned specialist of French politics Stanley Hoffmann dismissed Gaullism as ideologically empty. But if Gaullism were simply a silent void, the current collapse of Les Republicains would not be such a noisy and dense affair. Something real, if elusive, is being lost.

At its most basic level, Gaullism entailed a strong and highly centralized state, one prepared to nationalize key industries and intervene in the national economy. Led by a president invested with vast powers  de Gaulle rightly called his republic an elective monarchy  under Gaullism, the states ultimate raison detre was to yoke the nation to les grands travaux (great projects) that would unify the people and maintain France among the premier rang, or first rank of nations.

Since de Gaulles death in 1970, various politicians in France could reasonably lay some claim to this legacy. During the 1980s and 1990s, for instance, there were larger-than-life political figures like Philippe Seguin and Charles Pasqua, who represented the left and right wings of the movement, respectively. Seguin stressed the social element to Gaullism, the state as guarantor of health and social rights; Pasqua, on the other hand, emphasized the authoritarian facet to Gaullism, the state as the guarantor of social stability (which, in Pasquas case, was often aimed at keeping immigrants in their place). In 2003, Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepins speech at the United Nations, denouncing the George W. Bush administrations rush to war, also channeled the Gaullist spirit by affirming Frances independence and willingness to criticize allies.

With the presidency of Nicolas Sarkozy, the meaning of Gaullism became even more elusive. Though Sarkozy made a great show of his attachment to the man and movement, his presidency revealed little more than a feverish attachment to power and its perks. The radical Gaullist Jean-Pierre Chevenement observed that whereas de Gaulle was equal to his statue, Sarkozy is not for the simple reason that he doesnt have a statue and has difficulty being equal to his duties.

The process of ideological fission has now reached critical mass with Sarkozys former prime minister and Les Republicains current presidential candidate, Francois Fillon. As the French now know, Fillon is a man incapable of saying non to family members seeking fat paychecks for sketchy work, as well as to shadowy figures showering him with suits and watches whose price tags dwarf the monthly salary of most French workers. In the best of circumstances, these instances  now being investigated by the French courts  would taint an authentic Gaullist, which Fillon vociferously claims to be.

But Fillons indifference to certain political principles distances him from Gaullism, as much as his personal sleaziness, and this indifference, in turn, distances Les Republicains yet further from its founding father. Fillons campaign vows to make France great again would be accomplished on the backs of public and private sector employees. His pledges to cut taxes on the wealthy and unshackle industry from state regulations, as well as pare down the welfare state, run counter to the social Gaullism espoused by Seguin. Though a devout Catholic, de Gaulle never posited Catholicism as a defining trait of Frenchmen or women or made his faith a campaign issue; though a French patriot, de Gaulle warned that while patriotism is the love of ones own country, nationalism, of the sort that Fillon has encouraged, is the hatred of others.

Fillon appeared to make one last effort to channel the general when, last month, faced by mounting judicial pressures, moribund polling figures, and metastasizing doubts within the party, he invoked the crisis that confronted de Gaulle in 1968. Fillon trumpeted that he would not resign as the candidate for Les Republicains and called upon the people to help him defend democracy by rallying behind him  a pantomime of the events of 1968 when de Gaulle, faced with rebelling students and striking workers who had paralyzed the nation, vowed to defend democracy against tyranny and rallied nearly a million supporters in Paris, who surged down the Champs-Elysees, singing La Marseillaise and chanting De Gaulle is not alone. Miraculously, the political tide turned and swept away the barricades. It was the last time de Gaulle would prove equal to his myth.

Fillons rallying efforts, too, served their purpose, to a degree: On March 5, about 40,000 supporters gathered under pelting rain at the Place du Trocadero in Paris to support their beleaguered candidate. Though far fewer than the 200,000 announced by his spokesperson, not to mention the 1 million who backed de Gaulle, there were enough to silence Fillons critics within the party, who fell back into line. The larger effect, however, drew an even starker contrast between the general and the party that now claims to guard his legacy: As the astute political observer Claude Askolovitch puts it, in 1968 Charles de Gaulle was the state and rightly presented himself as its last rampart against chaos. Fillon, however, is a candidate who, caught in a pathetic trap of his own making, has attacked the state itself, casting doubt on the work of the police and courts. Fillon has thus stood Gaullism on its head, Askolovitch says: A besieged right, instead of defending the republic, now challenges it.

The polling numbers, for a while, at least, suggested that French voters knew a faux Gaullist when they saw one. Last fall, the widespread assumption was that Fillon was Frances next president in waiting; polls showed him winning 32 percent of the vote in the first round. Following the series of revelations about his misdeeds, however, Fillons standing plummeted; an Ifop poll published on April 11 showed that he risked finishing as low as fourth, putting him still behind Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen, and even behind Jean-Luc Melenchon, the candidate of the far-left La France Insoumise.

In the days since, Fillon appears to have recovered some ground, and the first round of voting this Sunday looks poised to be a nail-biter. But even if he successfully salvages this election, the fate of Les Republicains, and the partys relationship with the founder of modern France, will remain unresolved. Torn between those, like Alain Juppe, who defend its inclusionary and universal calling and those, like Fillon, who rally to its exclusionary and sovereignist tendency, the party lacks a figure who, like de Gaulle, projects a clear and powerful dedication to the general interest of the republic. There is no one, at least for now, who seems a likely heir to the Gaullist legacy. (In fact, the one figure who can invoke the general without igniting laughter or yawns is Melenchon. No other figure speaks as persuasively as does Melenchon about the republic and its people, and no other figure can electrify as he does the entire gamut of social and professional classes. As more than one observer noted about his remarkable speech at the Bastille on March 18, Melenchon rose to Gaullist heights in his gestures and language.)

But even the general himself would be hard-pressed to bridge the abyssal divisions in todays France. As president, he always aspired to represent not only a majority of French, much less a political party. At the heart of Gaullism beats the ideal of national unity without exclusion. But with the ephemeral exceptions of 1944 and 1958, this inevitably proved to be an impossible ideal. In 2017, this ideal is even more far-fetched, especially when the Gaullist candidate aspires to unite through exclusion while representing barely a majority within his own party. It may well be, after the first round of the presidential election, that the heartbeat of Gaullism will stop altogether.

Photo credit: Getty Images/Foreign Policy illustration
BOULDER, Colo. (AP)  The Latest on the killings of three people in a home in the foothills northwest of Denver (all times local):

7:10 p.m.

The Boulder County Coroner's Office has identified the three people found slain in a home in the foothills northwest of Denver.

The office says the victims are Wallace White, 54, of Golden, Colorado; Kelly Sloat-White, 56, also of Golden; and Emory Fraker, 39, of Broomfield, Colorado.

They were found dead in the house by deputies conducting a welfare check Saturday at the request of a worried acquaintance. Cmdr. Mike Wagner with the Boulder County Sheriff's Office says investigators have ruled out the possibility of murder-suicide.

The bodies showed signs of trauma, but sheriff's officials have not said how the three were killed.

No suspects have been identified.

The home southwest of Boulder is set about 100 feet back from the road in a wooded area. No immediate neighboring homes are within view.

___

1:27 p.m.

Investigators say a home in the foothills northwest of Denver where three people were found slain was specifically targeted.

Two men and a woman were found dead in the house by deputies conducting a welfare check Saturday at the request of a worried acquaintance. Cmdr. Mike Wagner with the Boulder County Sheriff's Office says investigators have ruled out the possibility of murder-suicide.

The sheriff's office has identified the victims but will not release their names until their families are notified. The bodies showed signs of trauma, but sheriff's officials have not said how the three were killed.

No suspects have been identified.

The home southwest of Boulder is set about 100 feet back from the road in a wooded area. No immediate neighboring homes are within view.
TVF CEO Arunabh Kumar who has been booked for sexual harassment in two different cases has been granted an anticipatory bail by the Dindoshi Sessions Court.

By Vidya : After playing hide and seek for long with the media, CEO of The Viral Fever online portal finally appeared before the Dindoshi Sessions Court. The court today granted an anticipatory bail to Kumar.

The court heard Kumar's anticipatory bail application in the cases of sexual harassment filed against him by a former employee and another woman who alleged that he behaved inappropriately when she went to his office.

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Arunabh's lawyer Abad Ponda told the court that not only were these cases falsely registered against him but there were no merits in the cases which were registered more than an year after the alleged incidents.

The prosecution also told the court that Kumar had been interrogated at least eight times since the cases were registered.

Considering that Arunabh has been cooperating with police in their investigation, the court granted the anticipatory bail. About 10 days ago, the same court had granted interim relief to him.

ARUNABH ASKED TO COOPERATE WITH THE PROBE

Arunabh has been asked by court to appear before the investigators as and when called and to cooperate with the investigation. Immediately after the order Arunabh left the Dindoshi court premises.

A fortnight ago the Mumbai Police had registered two cases against Arunabh Kumar after women came forward and accused the TVF CEO of sexual harassment.

The first case was filed on March 29, while the second was filed the following day. Kumar was booked under sections 354 A (causing sexual harassment), 509 (intending to outrage a woman's modesty by indecent words, gesture or acts).

Both the cases were registered in Versova, Andheri. Kumar had founded TVF in 2011.

Also read:

Another case against TVF's Arunabh Kumar? 'Indian Fowler' says she has lodged formal complaint

After TVF's Arunabh Kumar, ScoopWhoop co-founder Suparn Pandey accused of sexual harassment

WATCH | The Viral Fever CEO Arunabh Kumar gets anticipatory bail

--- ENDS ---
VATICAN CITY (AP)  The Latest on Pope Francis' Easter message. (all times local):

11:0 p.m.

On Christianity's most joyful day, Pope Francis lamented the horrors generated by war and hatred, delivering an Easter Sunday message that also decried the "latest vile" attack on civilians in Syria.

Both in his impromptu homily during Mass in St. Peter's Square and later in his formal "Urbi et Orbi" Easter message delivered from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, Francis reflected on a litany of suffering in the world, including wars, oppressive regimes, human trafficking, corruption, famine and domestic violence.

He encouraged people to hold fast in their "fearful hearts" to faith, acknowledging that many people wonder where God is amid so much evil and suffering in the world.

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

Some 60,000 people, including multi-national throngs of pilgrims and tourists, endured tight anti-terrorism security checks  and, later, a brief downpour  to hear Francis and receive his blessing.

The crowd size, cited by the Vatican security forces, was smaller in comparison to some other Easters, when about 100,000 turned out for the occasion.

After Mass, Francis toured the square in his open-topped, white popemobile and waved back to well-wishers.

In his balcony address, Francis prayed that God would sustain those working to comfort and help the civilian population in Syria, "prey to a war that continues to sow horror and death."

He cited the explosion Saturday that ripped through a bus depot in the Aleppo area where evacuees were awaiting transfer, killing at least 100 people.

"Yesterday saw the latest vile attack on fleeing refugees," the pope said, also praying for peace in the Holy Land, Iraq and Yemen.
Lincoln is experimenting with a program to offer owners and lessees a taste of the finer things in life as it begins testing its latest service simply called "Lincoln Chauffeur." As the name implies, the program allows Lincoln drivers to become the driven with a personal driver and shopping assistant.

The brand states it has worked with a third party to train chauffeurs and prepare them to wine and dine the owner with whatever is deemed necessary. Want to look good for your date? Have the driver deliver you in style while relaxing in the rear seat of your Continental. Do the kids need to be picked up from school? Your chauffeur can skedaddle on down to the school in your Navigator. The options are pretty endless.

It's a generous service, too. Lincoln will allow eight hours of Chauffeur to give owners a taste of the lifestyle of the rich and famous. After that, the marque plans to charge $30 for every extra hour the driver is needed.

Lincoln is simply testing the new program right now and the service is only available in Miami, Florida. However, after Miami, the brand plans to launch Lincoln Chauffeur in San Diego, California, to continue ironing out any wrinkles that may present themselves along the way. Plans for a nationwide launch have not been discussed at this time.

We suppose there will always be those who simply cannot stand time behind the wheel. For those consumers, Lincoln may really have something for you here. You'll just need to be cool with a stranger behind the wheel of your car.

_______________________________________

Follow Motor Authority on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Most profile photos that people choose for themselves  whether it's on Facebook, a dating hub or a career-building site  are not flattering, a new study finds.

But there is hope for profile-picture glory. Simply ask a stranger to look at a few photos of yourself, and ask him or her to select the best one, the researchers said.

"Strangers consistently selected more flattering pictures than people chose of themselves," said lead study researcher David White, a postdoctoral research fellow of psychology at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. [Top 10 Golden Rules of Facebook]

White and his colleagues chose to use online profile pictures in their study because the first impression someone has of your face is incredibly important. So, most people want to choose a flattering image of themselves  one that shows the best version of themselves to viewers  but no one had studied exactly how these decisions play out, he said.

To investigate, the researchers examined whether people do, in fact, "put their best face forward" when selecting a profile photo, White told Live Science in an email.

In the experiment's first phase, White asked more than 100 university students to download 12 images of themselves from online galleries, including those from Facebook, Flickr and Instagram. Then, the researchers asked the students to choose images that they would most likely use as profile pictures on the following social networks: Facebook, Match.com and LinkedIn.

Next, the students performed the same task, but for a stranger in the group who was of the same gender.

Each of the students selected 12 photos of themselves for the experiment. White, D., et al. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications (2017)

In the second phase, the researchers used Amazon Mechanical Turk, an online crowdsourcing platform, to invite the people in the study to give their first impressions of these photos. Participants rated each of the chosen profile photos for several social traits, including trustworthiness, competence, confidence and attractiveness.

Story continues

They found that the participants were able to choose images of themselves that accentuated the trait they wanted to emphasize for each site. For instance, they picked the trait of attractiveness for a dating site and professionalism for a career site.

However  and somewhat unexpectedly  the crowdsourced responses tended to favor the profile photos that were chosen by strangers rather than those chosen by the people themselves.

"People were relatively poor at making these choices [for themselves]," White said. "And that limited the positive impressions they made online."

But why are strangers better at this task?

The online participants rated the photos they liked best and least. White, D., et al. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications (2017)

It's not entirely clear, but one idea is that people tend to perceive themselves more positively than others do. This may interfere with their ability to discriminate when trying to select a photo that gives a positive impression, White said.

Another idea is that strangers are better at choosing "authentic" images that capture a person's current appearance than are the people themselves, White found in a 2015 study published in the British Journal of Psychology.

"It seems we're bad at discriminating between images of our own face," White said. "We suspect this is because our face is overly familiar to us. This familiarity seems to make it harder to choose the specific shot that best portrays us." [7 Unexpected Ways Facebook Is Good for You]

Moreover, it appears that people overemphasize the trait of attractiveness compared with other traits, such as trustworthiness and approachability, despite the potential benefits that these traits might have on these sites, he said.

Still, there are a number of lingering questions to be answered. "We have not yet begun to examine the factors that predict which photo will be selected, or which photos make good profile images," White said.

He did, however, have these words of advice: "If you want to put your best face forward, you should ask someone else to choose your next profile picture."

The study was published online today (April 14) in the journal Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications.

This diagram details the experiments. David White/University of New South Wales, Sydney/CC-BY

Original article on Live Science.

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Associated Press

There has already been two coaching changes halfway through the NFL season with Indianapolis firing Frank Reich this week four weeks after Carolina did the same to Matt Rhule. The NFL had a record-tying 10 coaching changes last offseason and three-quarters of the teams have changed head coaches at least once in the past five years. Here's a look at some coaches who figure to be on the hot seat if things don't turn around in the second half of the season and some assistants who could be in line for head coaching jobs.
Uday Chopra has, almost always, been trolled for the statements he makes on Twitter and the situation was not any different this time either.

By India Today Web Desk: Actor Abhay Deol, known for speaking his mind, gave the fight against propagating that only fair-skinned people are "beautiful" a boost when he called out Bollywood A-listers for endorsing fairness creams. From Shah Rukh Khan to Deepika Padukone, Abhay spared no one and accused them of promoting racism in the name of fairness creams.

As India debated the technique used by advertisers and marketers to sell fairness products by riding on the deep-rooted mindset that dark-skinned people are "ugly" and have less chances at being successful, actor Uday Chopra joined too.

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Rubbishing the idea that fairness creams propagate racism, Uday Chopra tweeted, "What is this nonsense with fairness creams. If fairness creams are racist then so is hair color. It's a personal choice!" and added "#NotRacist".

What is this nonsense with fairness creams. If fairness creams are racist then so is hair color. It's a personal choice! #NotRacist- Uday Chopra (@udaychopra) April 14, 2017

On fairness creams. If you need to use it, do it. It's not a race issue, it's a self esteem issue. Don't do it if you think you are fine!- Uday Chopra (@udaychopra) April 14, 2017

Also read: From SRK to Sonam, Shahid to Deepika, Abhay Deol destroys B-Town stars who act in racist fairness cream ads

Here's what happened on Twitter:

@udaychopra Hair colour brands don't say red hair is better than black/brown - fairness cream try to set beauty standards, hair colours don't.- Neelendra Nath (@Ithrahim) April 14, 2017

@udaychopra It starts from as early as birth, n ppl want fair bride/grooms for their kids..it's our mindset..and it needs to be changed..all these big/- Mickey (@ScotchAndMe) April 14, 2017

@udaychopra Stars propagating further wont let it go away ever.- Mickey (@ScotchAndMe) April 14, 2017

@udaychopra last time i checked people wanted "fair" wives for their sons, not wives "with diff hair color" but no, obviously its not racism. tsk- meera damji ? (@meeradamji) April 14, 2017

@udaychopra You clearly missed the point what @AbhayDeol had to convey.- Vishal Maheshwari (@breezingwinds) April 14, 2017

Uday Chopra believes that if fairness creams establish skin colour-based racism, hair colour products do too. Uday Chopra proves he does not get what celebrities like Abhay Deol, Nandita Das and Sonal Sehgal are fighting for.

Uday Chopra doesn't get that when the ultimate choice of using a fairness cream is an individual's, the marketers and advertisers behind the various brands sell their products by telling dark-skinned people they are not good enough, that they cannot be successful if their skin is dark, that they do not look "handsome" or "beautiful" if they are not fair, that they might not get marriage proposals if they don't get rid of their dark skin.

Uday Chopra thinks making people insecure about their skin colour is not an issue that needs to be addressed. He thinks it's like getting your hair coloured. Uday Chopra wrote, "if you NEED TO use it, DO IT", which clearly explains what he thinks about people who are dusky.

Despite getting the "it's a self-esteem issue" part right, Uday Chopra loses the argument saying "don't DO IT if you THINK you are FINE".

He also started a question and answer session on his official Facebook page to discuss "fairness creams and racism", interacted with social media users but only to be heavily called out for his ignorance. You can read the Facebook Q&Ahere.

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Lets talk in this fairness cream topic - https://t.co/nZZC7RzWcm- Uday Chopra (@udaychopra) April 14, 2017

Also watch: Abhay Deol's attempt to decode women

--- ENDS ---
A 20-year-old Louisiana man was arrested after he screamed the word f**k within earshot of a 75-year-old woman, according to the Ouachita Parish Sheriffs Office.

Read: John Oliver Bashes the U.K. After 'Brexit' Vote: 'There Are No F***ing Do-Overs'

Jared Dylan Smith was charged with disturbing the peace and disorderly conduct by deputies who responded to a call from the elderly woman.

While standing next to my 75-year-old complainant, Jared yelled the word fk and clearly disturbed her peace, stated the April 8 arrest report.

Read: Shaken Mom Takes Video of Man She Says Attacked Her Over Breastfeeding: 'You F***ing Wh**e'

There were no other witnesses, the statement said. Smith denied saying the word in front of the unnamed woman, the document said.

Smith was booked at the Ouachita Correctional Center and released on bail, the arrest report said.

Watch: Suspect Accused of Killing Pregnant Ex-Girlfriend and Cop Tells Judge 'F**k You'

Related Articles:
A 22-year-old man who set off a rash of overdoses last year in West Virginia was sentenced by a federal judge Monday to more than 18 years in prison, concluding a case that drew national attention and focused wider attention on the danger of synthetic opioids.

Bruce Griggs, of Akron, Ohio, who faced a maximum sentence of 20 years, had reached a plea agreement with prosecutors after being arrested in connection with the episode, during which 26 people were reported to have overdosed within a few hours in the city of Huntington. Griggs acknowledged distributing heroin  later found to have been laced with synthetics including fentanyl and carfentanil  and causing multiple overdoses.

The exact sentence was 220 months, or 18 years and 4 months. He was sentenced in Huntington.

Ahead of the sentencing, Griggss family had appealed to Judge Robert Chambers for leniency, saying that Griggs was a devoted family man with three young children who had helped his own single mom raise his three younger siblings. They said he began dealing drugs because he fell in with the wrong crowd.

Read more: A rash of overdoses in West Virginia made national news. This is the story of the man who caused it

His attorney, Carl Hostler, contended Griggs never intended to hurt anyone and was unaware that the heroin he was dealing contained fentanyl and carfentanil. Hostler argued that the real culprit in the overdoses was the person who mixed the drugs, whose identity Griggs does not know.

Giving Griggs a strict sentence is not going to alter supply and demand for heroin or make any dent in the opioid epidemic, Hostler wrote in court documents.

But some in Huntington, including family members of people who overdosed, called for the maximum sentence, noting that whatever Griggss intentions, he still threatened the lives of dozens of people.

Just hours after Griggs sold drugs near a public housing complex in Huntington last August, 26 people overdosed, all of whom survived. But in the following days, authorities reported two fatal overdoses and initially said they were investigating if they were connected.

As part of a deal with prosecutors, Griggs pleaded guilty to a charge of heroin distribution. The plea agreement did not mention the fatal overdoses.
The revolution will be on-brand, it seems. In addition to the academic and nonprofit partners of the March for Science, the event has recently been backed by a number of companies eager align with its pro-environment, pro-science message. These partners  including biotech companies, a salon chain, and a local soap producer  are providing fundraising help and brand endorsement for the event, which in its meteoric rise has struggled with internal divisions and a series of public gaffes.

One of the biggest brands to embrace the April 22 event is salon and hair products company Aveda. The company, a subsidiary of cosmetics giant Estee Lauder, is not a formal partner but have independently been vocal supporters of the March, according to Julia MacFall, the fundraising coordinator for the March for Science. A recent post on the companys blog included a quote from a march co-chair and encouraged its customers to donate to the event  either directly, or by using their Aveda loyalty points.

Dave Rapaport, Avedas vice president of earth and community care, said that associating with the march was an authentic expression of our values.

Every formula we create, every ingredient we select is chosen based on a scientific decision that has determined that it is the most appropriate formula or ingredient, he said in an emailed statement.

Read more: Are you marching for science? Send us your signs

Other forms of corporate endorsement have benefitted the various satellite marches across the US and globally. Companies that have joined in to help fundraise for local marches include a brewery in Chicago and a soapmaker near Boston, Some companies, like Cambridge, Mass.-based drug development firm Warp Drive Bio, have formally sponsored their local satellite marches. (The satellite events dont receive funding from the organizers hosting the march in Washington.)

More expected corporate supporters  biotech and life sciences companies  have also gotten on board. Alnylam and its CEO, John Maraganore, have come out in support of the march, as has Jeff Albers, Blueprint Medicines CEO, and Sobi North America president Rami Levin. All of the companies cited sciences role in helping patient populations affected by diseases for which they produce pharmaceuticals as reasons why they were supporting the march.

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The event aligns with activism that, in many cases, the companies are already engaging in. Executives from all three companies were among the 166 biotech leaders who signed an open letter criticizing Trumps immigration order published on a Nature Biotechnology blog in February. Blueprint continues to participate in the #ActualLivingScientist campaign on Twitter, intended to raise public awareness about scientists after a survey showed most Americans could not name a single living scientist.

Read more: March for Science is a movement that looks far beyond Trump, honorary co-chair says

For both companies and activists, corporate endorsements can be a fraught endeavor  risking, on the one hand, diluting a movements message, and on the other, politicizing a brand. Avedas Rapaport expressed no hesitation about the marchs explicit political (though non-partisan) goals. Participating was an easy decision for us because it just makes sense with who we are and what we stand for, he said.

March organizers have put together a pledge for participants which highlights the events intended peaceful nature and refrains from using specific partisan labels. However, recent social media posts indicate that the march may still be grappling with getting their political tone right. The main marchs Twitter account deleted tweets last week, in response to the recent strike in Afghanistan, that referred to the role of science in developing bombs. Organizers apologized for the posts partisan nature.

However, the risk to brands endorsing the march is still very low, said David Hessekiel, president of social marketing organization Engage for Good.

I think that there is a tremendous body of companies whose existence is based upon science, technology, engineering and mathematics, Hessekiel said. And so, within that world and within their customer base, I dont think theres going to be a huge controversy about them saying that science is core to their business.
At the end of March, organizers of the March for Science named Lydia Villa-Komaroff as one of its three honorary co-chairs, along with science guy Bill Nye and pediatrician Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, who helped raise the alarm about lead in the Flint, Mich., drinking water.

In the 1970s, Villa-Komaroffs work in the lab of Nobel laureate Walter Gilbert led to the use of bacteria to make human insulin and set the stage for the emergence of the biotechnology industry. Since then she has served as vice president for research at Northwestern University, vice president for research and CEO of the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge, Mass., and as a senior executive and board member of several biotechnology companies. One of the first Mexican-American women to receive a doctoral degree in science in the US, Villa-Komaroff is a cofounding member of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS).

I talked with Villa-Komaroff by phone. The conversation that follows has been edited and condensed.

How did you get involved in the March for Science?

I learned about the march early on through the media. Some of my colleagues at SACNAS asked me if it would be OK if they submitted my name as a possible speaker, since I have been working for years to help make the science community more diverse. I was a little surprised to get a phone call from march organizer Caroline Weinberg asking if I would serve as one of three honorary co-chairs, but I immediately agreed.

Read more: George Church gives a sneak peek of his March for Science speech

Some call this a pro-science march, others an anti-Trump march. How do you see it?

President Trumps policies certainly sparked the feeling that we need to have a strong voice for science. But I think that the organizers have been pretty clear that this is a pro-science movement that looks far beyond the current administration.

Support for science has been falling for quite some time. And discussions about whether or not science is valid have been going on since long before Trump entered the political scene. These two trends have been building to the point where many of us feel that we need to make the case for science in as nonpartisan a way as possible.

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Many people who have said they will be taking part in the march tend toward the liberal progressive end of the political spectrum. But I know a lot of conservative scientists who support the feeling even if they arent sure about marching. And I also know many progressive scientists who arent certain about the value of a march.

In your opinion, what would make the march a success?

Among scientists, there has always been a tension between doing science and publicly talking about this work. Scientists have generally been reticent about doing the latter. To be fair, when you are focused on your work, it takes time and energy to explain what you are doing, why you are doing it, and what it means to people outside of your usual circles. But we need to do just that to help educate our fellow Americans who arent interested in science and to rally support for this wonderful endeavor.

I hope the march will help more scientists do this.

Read more: A lot of Americans dont know a single scientist. We need to fix that

Will you be speaking at the march?

I will be speaking in Washington. My goal is to make two points in my two-minute time slot. Im not quite sure how Ill do that since each one is worthy of a longer talk.

The first point is the importance of supporting fundamental research. You just never know where it will go. The work that we did in Wally Gilberts lab to get bacteria to make insulin could only have been done because, in the 1960s, several researchers got interested in why some bacteria seemed to be able to protect themselves against certain viruses that infect bacteria (bacteriophages). Those organisms had nothing to do with human disease or health as far as anyone knew. It was a quirky piece of biology off in a corner. But it led directly to the entire biotech industry.

We have to find a way to support creative science that we dont know the value of. When we learn something wonderful about how the world works, it expands the realm of possibility for all of us, from artists to patients to the average citizen.

The second point is that virtually everything today has somehow been touched in important ways by science. Our society couldnt exist without science. So its the duty of scientists to explain the connection between science and society to nonscientists.

Read more: Are you marching for science? Send us your signs

The march is a one-day event. What do you hope will happen afterward to keep the momentum moving forward?

I hope that more scientists will be empowered to publicly make the case for why science, especially basic science, is important and should be encouraged. To be sure, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society for Cell Biology, and other groups have sponsored days on Capitol Hill for scientists to talk to lawmakers about their work. I hope the march will energize more of us to do that kind of outreach for science.

I also hope the march will nudge people to get outside of their comfort zones and provide straight talk about the importance of doing science when they give lectures to their peers, students, and nonscientists in their communities. More of us need to get involved in outreach, which means leaving the bubbles of our laboratories and engaging with our communities.

And theres one more thing on my wish list for the march: I hope it prods more scientists to vote in local, state, and federal elections. Thats an essential way to make our voices heard.
Illustration: Erik Mace for Yahoo Beauty

Melissa Vaughn, a 37-year-old stay-at-home mom in the Boston area, believes that brownies saved her baby. Specifically, those made with Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie Mix  and pot-infused butter.

Before she baked her first batch, she tried everything else she could find to alleviate her severe morning sickness, called hyperemesis, which began around four weeks into her first trimester and got progressively worse.

I would constantly vomit, Melissa (not her real name) tells Yahoo Beauty. I couldnt keep any food down. I couldnt keep any water down. I was totally incapacitated, in bed, unable to function. And I lost 12 pounds in seven days.

Desperate for a solution, Melissa went to her obstetrician and got prescriptions for several medications, including Zofran, which gave her a migraine so terrible, she says, I wanted to rip my eyeballs out of my head. A suppository she tried made her groggy as hell, she adds, and I was still sick with it. Meanwhile, her husband, Nick, who works in advertising, took 10 days off to care for Melissa as well as their preschool-aged daughter.

He was trying to push as many fluids into me as he could, but then Id throw up, she says. I was waifish. My skin started losing its color; my cheeks were sinking in.

It was at that point that Nick began reading online about the medical benefits of marijuana and came back to Melissa with an idea: What about smoking some pot? I talked to my friends neighbor, who is a midwife, and she said that that was the only thing that got her through her first trimester, Melissa says. So I smoked a little bit of weed. I coughed, and the coughing made me throw up. But after that, the symptoms just disappeared. It was amazing.

After repeating this trial over a couple of days, she decided to try an edible, to cut out the smoking and coughing entirely. The medical-grade chocolate she tried was too strong, but Betty Crockers mix was the perfect vehicle for delivering small amounts of Blueberry Headband, a hybrid strain of marijuana that she bought from a friend.

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I figured out how I could curb the nausea but not feel like a stony-pony, says Melissa, who ate three to four mini pot brownies a day  the equivalent of one whole brownie. There were no side effects. It completely stopped my nausea.`

Melissa, by the way, is not a pot smoker. I dont like being high, she says, but for at least a few weeks during her pregnancy, she counted on her friend Mary Jane.

And her story, while extreme, isnt as unusual as you might think. According to a recent study published in JAMA, American women are increasingly ingesting marijuana during their pregnancies to stop morning sickness and other conditions, including anxiety and depression. The number of pregnant women willing to report their pot use is low: In 2014, less than 4 percent of pregnant women said they had used marijuana in the past month, up from 2.4 in 2002. But some researchers believe the real figures are much higher.

So why the secrecy? Even though many states have legalized marijuana in recent years, there is still a social stigma around toking up. (Remember: I didnt inhale.) More proof of it came recently through a new exclusive Yahoo News/Marist Poll, which found that only about one in five Americans, 21 percent, believe its OK for a pregnant woman to use marijuana for easing nausea or pain (a figure that jumps to 40 percent among regular users of weed).

And not enough is known about the effects of marijuana exposure on offspring. Its one of those things where it is still so hush-hush, because you dont want people to look at you like you put your child in danger, says Melissa, who asked for anonymity in this story precisely because of the potential judgment. Still, she adds, I was more nervous about the pharmaceuticals than I was about the marijuana, because it is a natural substance.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists disagrees, and recommends that pregnant women and women hoping to become pregnant be encouraged to discontinue marijuana use. And studies have raised questions about the link between prenatal marijuana exposure and adverse offspring outcomes that include low birth weight and impaired neurodevelopment.

But much more information is needed, says Dr. Shayna N. Conner, a maternal-fetal medicine physician at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and co-author of a recent report reviewing 31 previously published studies on marijuana use during pregnancy.

Conner and her team concluded that marijuana was not an independent risk factor for adverse neonatal outcomes after adjusting for confounding factors, such as tobacco and alcohol consumption. Still, while her particular study was reassuring in terms of immediate neonatal effects, she says, it doesnt give a complete picture. Studying marijuana in pregnancy is very hard because we cant ever do a randomized controlled trial where we say, All right, this group of patients, you have to smoke marijuana, and this group of patients, you dont. That would never happen. In the meantime, researchers are relying on imperfect studies and screens.

Both have biases that come with the results, Conner says. If you rely on women to tell you whether or not they use marijuana, the results arent always true. A woman might say she didnt use marijuana when she did, for instance. Also, urine or blood drug screens might be negative  say they didnt use  when they did, [but] earlier on in pregnancy.

Back in 1994, Dr. Melanie C. Dreher, former dean of nursing at Rush Medical Center in Chicago, made waves with an ethnographic study looking at prenatal marijuana exposure and neonatal outcomes in Jamaica over the course of five years. She and her team concluded that children who had been prenatally exposed to marijuana even benefited from it. Im not saying smoking MJ during pregnancy will make a healthier baby. The way I explained it was that women who were users had a social and economic competence that permitted them to be better moms and create a more wholesome neonatal environment, she recently told weed historian Joe Dolce in an interview posted to Medium.

Still, the Jamaica Study, as it is known, is relatively small-scale. And women arent exactly lining up to confess their prenatal pot habits for fear of being judged, stigmatized, or even punished by social services once the baby is born. As doctors, we want our patients to be completely honest with us, says Conner, but theyre very hesitant to discuss things like that for fear of judgment and legal action. We have a hard time identifying all those patients.

Thats what is missing: real stories, adds Dolce, author of Brave New Weed: Adventures into the Uncharted World of Cannabis. And until the stigma is removed, its unlikely that those stories will be heard to full effect. Dolce cites a recent article in the New York Times, Pregnant Women Turn to Marijuana, Perhaps Harming Infants. The headline could have said, Pregnant Women Turn to Marijuana Because They Dont Think Theres Any Harm. It didnt say that, he tells Yahoo Beauty. It said, Perhaps Harming Infants. Words matter. Perhaps is one of those words. It implies evidence, but the evidence theyre citing is so deeply flawed. The same day the article appeared online, the Times tried to collect more anecdotal evidence with a survey.

For Melissa, the question of whether or not to ingest pot while pregnant eventually came down to a careful risk analysis. Absolutely I was worried about it, she says, but then again, [it seemed like] less of a risk than the defects associated with the other pharmaceutical drugs. You had to do your research and decide which risk you were willing to take.

One of those risks was a legal one, Melissa later found out at the hospital. At one of her prenatal visits, she nervously told her doctor that marijuana stopped her morning sickness. At this point, I was literally a day away from being hospitalized to stop the nausea with more IV drugs, she says, so when I finally was able to keep solids and liquids down, I said, This is what actually worked. 

The doctor said he was glad it worked for her, but he also entered the information into her record. When my son was born, they had to collect his meconium to get it tested and make sure there was no THC in his system  because then I was going to have to go to social services, Melissa says. Isnt that horrible? In the end, no THC was found because she had been able to taper off at the beginning of her second trimester. But the idea of criminalizing a mother for being in such an impossible situation seemed brutally unfair. I was being threatened with social services because I had to take marijuana to get rid of my vomiting, Melissa says.

Conner has seen patients in similar situations, using marijuana for hyperemesis or even epilepsy prior to getting pregnant. And then they get pregnant, she says. It is a hard situation: How do you counsel these patients? What do you tell them? I think its hard to say, Oh, its just fine, there are no worries. For now, she recommends stopping marijuana use and finding an alternative therapy, though some patients continue anyway.

Uncontrolled epilepsy doesnt have good effects on pregnancy, either, so they kind of weigh the risks and the benefits of taking marijuana for them, Conner says. The takeaway should be that right now, based on the limited knowledge that we have, marijuana use should not be encouraged. I wouldnt recommend anybody take up marijuana for severe morning sickness or other medical reasons during pregnancy until we have more knowledge. Now, that being said, in the future we might clarify some results, and there might be medical conditions that require it. Every substance that we give in pregnancy has pluses and minuses that we have to weigh.

The risk, at least for Melissa, was worth taking. I was getting to the point where it was starting to get dire for him too, she says, holding her baby boy in her arms. Marijuanas what saved my pregnancy, basically.

_____

Read more from the Yahoo Weed & the American Family series:

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By Lisa Rapaport (Reuters Health) - More than 8 million American adults suffer from serious psychological distress, and theyre less likely to access healthcare services than other people, a U.S. study suggests. People with serious psychological distress, which includes any mental illness severe enough to require treatment, are three times more likely to be too poor to afford care and 10 times more likely to be unable to pay for medications, the study found. Adults with serious psychological distress are more likely to experience delays in healthcare, insufficient money for needed healthcare, change their place of health care, and change their place of healthcare due to insurance, said lead study author Judith Weissman of New York University Langone Medical Center. They are also more likely to have limitations in ability to work, and in activities of daily living compared to adults without serious psychological distress, Weissman said by email. For the study, researchers examined survey data on health care use from 2006 to 2014 for a nationwide sample of 207,853 U.S. adults ages 18 to 64. About two-thirds of participants were white and almost one-third had at least a college education. To assess how many people had serious psychological distress, researchers focused on questions that examined how often participants experienced feelings like exhaustion, hopelessness, nervousness, restlessness, sadness and worthlessness. Overall, about 3.4 percent of adults, representing more than 8.3 million people, reported serious psychological distress in 2014, up from roughly 3 percent at the start of the study, researchers report in the journal Psychiatric Services. By the end of the study, 9.9 percent of adults with serious psychological distress couldnt afford to see a mental health care provider, up from 8.7 percent in 2006, the study found. The pattern was reversed for adults without these mental illnesses; 8 percent couldnt afford to see a mental health care provider in 2014, down from 10.7 percent at the start of the study. Over that same time, the proportion of mentally ill adults who couldnt pay for drugs climbed from 8.7 percent to 9.9 percent. For people without serious psychological distress, the proportion of adults unable to afford medications dropped from 10.7 percent to 8 percent. Access and affordability appear to have worsened for people with serious psychological distress despite two U.S. laws designed to do the opposite: the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare, the researchers note. One limitation of the study is that researchers only had one year of data under the ACA, which might not fully account for changes in access or affordability in subsequent years, the authors note. Researchers lacked data to examine how different states approaches to expanding Medicaid coverage through the ACA might influence whether mentally ill adults could get needed care. There is overwhelming evidence that untreated mental illness impacts people's jobs and performance in school, which in turn influence their ability to access health care, said Dr. Joseph Puyat of the Center for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences at the University of British Columbia. Even when access is provided for by publicly-funded insurance coverage, people with untreated mental illness face challenges adhering to their treatment, Puyat, who wasnt involved in the study, said by email. At the same time, dealing with the complexities of the U.S. health care system can prove daunting for people with mental illness, said Benjamin Cook, director of the Health Equity Research Lab at Cambridge Health Alliance and a researcher at Harvard Medical School. Some with symptoms of depression have a very difficult time mustering up the energy to leave the house, so you can imagine how difficult it is to generate the motivation to understand and navigate the complicated healthcare system, Cook, who wasnt involved in the study, said by email. For others, seeking medical care raises anxiety and exacerbates symptoms. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2oPCmdI Psychiatric Services, online April 17, 2017.
Guatemala City (AFP) - Mexico has asked Guatemala to extradite a fugitive former governor suspected of embezzling hundreds of millions of dollars, officials said.

Javier Duarte, of Veracruz state, was arrested arond 8:00 pm at a luxury hotel in the tourist resort town of Panajachel on Saturday, Guatemalan police said.

Mexico filed its extradition request later that night.

"Now there is a 60-day period in which bilateral extradition issues are looked at. Then the judge will determine if the necessary conditions are met and that he should be extradited," Mexico's top prosecutor Omar Garcia said at a briefing at Mexico's embassy in Guatemala City.

Duarte had been staying at the four-star hotel for at least two days, where he paid with cash, used a false name and was accompanied by his wife, deputy director of Guatemala's police Stu Velasco told Milenio television.

The agents handcuffed the ex-governor, who at the time of his capture was wearing a blue shirt, a dark vest and glasses. He had gained weight since fleeing six months ago.

Duarte, 43, was handed over to a counternarcotics court.

Mexican authorities issued an arrest warrant against Duarte in October for his alleged responsibility in organized crime and embezzlement. Interpol also issued an international arrest warrant against him.

Duarte, of the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), resigned last year before the end of his term and then went into hiding.

Duarte is not the only Mexican ex-governor to face justice: Tomas Yarrington, governor of the northern state of Tamaulipas between 1999 and 2005, was arrested a week ago in Italy for ties to drug trafficking.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Mexico has a long history of corrupt fugitive governors, including one who was arrested in Italy just last week, but former Veracruz Gov. Javier Duarte stands out.

Since his arrest in Guatemala Saturday, a video clip from 2012 has been circulating in which then-presidential candidate and now President Enrique Pena Nieto names Duarte as part of a new generation of politicians from the Institutional Revolutionary Party that will be its future.

Duarte, 43, was part of a wave of PRI governors in 2010 that would later propel Pena Nieto  himself also a young PRI governor  into the presidency two years later.

But things spiraled out of control for Duarte and his collapsed state of Veracruz. On Monday, he was waiting in a Guatemalan military prison for his initial appearance before a judge scheduled for Wednesday and eventual extradition to Mexico. He was arrested at a hotel in Panajachel on Lake Atitlan where he was staying with his family.

How much Duarte allegedly stole from his state's coffers is still a matter of debate and the theft alone would not distinguish him from other looting governors.

Alberto Olvera, a researcher at Veracruz University, said Duarte also did not stand out as a cunning politician or particularly brilliant thinker, but he left Veracruz with a staggering debt that Olvera put at over $1 billion and widespread violence, the scale of which is still being discovered in secret graves around the state.

"The Veracruz government in the time of Duarte spent much more than it had and to be able to spend incurred a growing debt," Olvera said. "So it isn't just a problem of theft, but of misuse of public funds that has generated a financial catastrophe, a fiscal crisis unparalleled in the history of the state."

Authorities have been excavating secret graves in Veracruz, which was swept by a vicious wave of drug cartel violence, and last month had already found 253 skulls or complete bodies in one area. And at least 16 journalists were killed during Duarte's term alone, Olvera said.

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The state's former police chief was arrested in February on charges of illegal enrichment. He has denied any wrongdoing.

The PRI stripped Duarte of his party rights in September. Duarte stepped down as governor on Oct. 12, weeks before the end of his term, to face the charges against him, but then promptly disappeared. The PRI lost Veracruz's governorship for the first time in its history last summer.

In late November, Mexico's Attorney General's Office said it had found about $20.5 million linked to Duarte that had been funneled to two businesses. The government said it froze more than 100 bank accounts and seized properties around the country tied to Duarte.

In February, Miguel Angel Yunes, Duarte's elected successor from an opposition party, stood in a warehouse with large framed portraits of Duarte and his wife conveniently in the background. He said an anonymous tip had led authorities to the warehouse where they found not only works of art and other collectibles, but also dozens of wheelchairs and boxes of school supplies and handwritten diaries allegedly kept by his wife that documented their properties around the world.

It is unclear what will happen to Duarte.

Yunes campaigned on a promise to lock him up. Pena Nieto is using the arrest of the man he once signaled as the future of the party as a sign that the PRI will not tolerate corruption.

And Duarte is just one such test facing Pena Nieto. Another PRI governor from the class of 2010 wanted on corruption charges, Cesar Duarte of Chihuahua, no relation, is considered a fugitive and believed to be living in El Paso, Texas. And former PRI Gov. Tomas Yarrington of Tamaulipas state was arrested in Italy on April 9.

On Monday, Pena Nieto said the arrests of Duarte and Yarrington were a "firm and overwhelming message from the Mexican state against impunity."

But Olvera is not counting on any resolution of Javier Duarte's case soon.

"The most likely thing is that ... Duarte's trial happens after the 2018 election," he said.

__

Perez contributed from Guatemala.
The removal comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of the airline's approach to customer service after a video emerged a week ago showing security officers dragging a bloodied passenger off an overbooked United Express flight in Chicago.

By Reuters: An engaged couple flying on United Airlines from Houston, Texas, to their wedding in Costa Rica were removed by a federal law enforcement officer from the flight on Saturday amid disputed circumstances, according to media reports.

The removal comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of the airline's approach to customer service after a video emerged a week ago showing security officers dragging a bloodied passenger off an overbooked United Express flight in Chicago.

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United said the couple repeatedly tried to sit in more expensive seats for which they had not paid and would not follow flight crew instructions, according to the KHOU 11 New channel in Houston.

United, owned by United Continental Holdings Inc, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday evening.

Michael Hohl and his fiancee, Amber Maxwell, gave a different account. Hohl said he and Maxwell found another passenger sleeping sprawled across their seats after they were the last to board the flight, according to an interview with KHOU.

Soon after moving to other, empty seats in the economy cabin a few rows up, flight crew denied their request to pay a supplement for the seats, which United sells as "economy plus", and told them to move back to their original seats, Hohl said.

NOT TRYING TO JUMP INTO FIRST CLASS

"We thought not a big deal, it's not like we are trying to jump up into a first-class seat," Hohl told KHOU. "We were simply in an economy row a few rows above our economy seat."

They then cooperated with an officer from the US Marshal's Service who boarded and told them they had to get off the plane, Hohl said.

The couple were rebooked on a flight on Sunday, KHOU reported.

Dr. David Dao, the 69-year-old Vietnamese-American doctor who was seen in video being dragged off a United flight a week ago, will likely sue the airline, his attorney said on Thursday.

After the incident triggered international outrage, United Chief Executive Oscar Munoz apologized to Dao, his family and its customers, saying the carrier would no longer use law enforcement officers to remove passengers from overbooked flights.

WATCH | Video of police dragging passenger off United Airlines aircraft goes viral

Also Read:

United in another spot of bother after passenger says scorpion stung him during flight

--- ENDS ---
(CAMP BONIFAS, South Korea) - President Donald Trump asserted on Sunday that China was working with the United States on the North Korea problem, and his vice president visited a military base near the Demilitarized Zone separating the Koreas a day after the North conducted a failed missile launch.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, who has called the failed missile launch a provocation, arrived at Camp Bonifas on Monday morning for a briefing with military leaders and to meet with American troops stationed there.

The joint U.S.-South Korean military camp is just outside the 2.5-mile-wide DMZ. Pences visit, full of Cold War symbolism, comes amid increasing tensions and heated rhetoric on the Korean Peninsula.

While the North did not conduct a nuclear test, the specter of a potential escalated U.S. response trailed Pence as he began a 10-day trip to Asia amid increasing tensions and heated rhetoric.

Trumps national security adviser cited Trumps recent decision to order missile strikes in Syria after a chemical attack blamed on the Assad government as a sign that the president is clearly comfortable making tough decisions. But at the same time, H.R. McMaster said, its time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully.

Read More: The Trump Administration Has a New North Korea Strategy: Maximum Pressure

In a broadcast interview that aired on Sunday, McMaster said the U.S. would rely on its allies as well as on Chinese leadership to resolve the issues with North Korea. I mean, North Korea is very vulnerable to pressure from the Chinese, McMaster said on ABCs This Week.

The bottom line, McMaster said, is to stop the Norths weapons development and make the Korean Peninsula nuclear-free: Its clear that the president is determined not to allow this kind of capability to threaten the United States. And our president will take action that is in the best interest of the American people.

Story continues

After a two-month policy review, officials settled on a policy dubbed maximum pressure and engagement, U.S. officials said Friday. The administrations immediate emphasis, the officials said, will be on increasing pressure on Pyongyang with the help of Beijing.

The officials werent authorized to speak publicly on the results of the policy review and requested anonymity.

Pence will be tasked with explaining the policy in meetings with leaders in South Korea and Japan during the trip, which will also include stops in Indonesia and Australia. He will aim to reassure allies in South Korea and Japan that the U.S. will take appropriate steps to defend them against North Korean aggression.

A North Korean missile exploded during launch on Sunday, U.S. and South Korean officials said. The high-profile failure came as the North tried to showcase its nuclear and missile capabilities around the birth anniversary of the Norths late founder and as a U.S. aircraft carrier neared the Korean Peninsula.

Read More: The U.S. Contemplated a Nuclear Confrontation in North Korea in 1953. We Can Learn From That Moment

A White House foreign policy adviser traveling with Pence said no U.S. response to the missile launch was expected because there was no need for the U.S. to reinforce the failure. The adviser spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the administrations initial understanding of the launch.

Trump, spending the Easter weekend at his Florida resort, reinforced his commitment to the armed forces under his control. Our military is building and is rapidly becoming stronger than ever before, he tweeted.

More directly on North Korea, the president returned to a theme of placing much onus on China for reining in the North. Last week, he said he would not declare China a currency manipulator, pulling back from a campaign promise, as he looks for help from Beijing, which is the Norths dominant trade partner.

Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem? We will see what happens! Trump tweeted on Sunday.

Deputy national adviser K.T. McFarland briefed the president on the failed missile launch. She advised patience with China on the issue.

North Korea is a liability to everybody and its a threat not just to the United States, not just to South Korea, not just to Japan, not just to Russia, but its actually a threat to China as well, McFarland said Sunday on Fox News Sunday.

Into this tense environment, Pence made his first trip to the region since taking office in January. After arriving in the South Korean capital, he placed a wreath at Seoul National Cemetery and then worshipped with military personnel at an Easter church service at the U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan.

During a fellowship meal after the services, he said the tensions on the Korean peninsula had put into sharp focus the importance of the joint U.S.-South Korean mission.

Read More: A Row With China Over U.S. Missiles Is Devastating South Koreas Tourism Industry

This mornings provocation from the North is just the latest reminder of the risks each one of you face every day in the defense of the freedom of the people of South Korea and the defense of America in this part of the world, said Pence. Your willingness to step forward, to serve, to stand firm without fear, inspires the nation and inspires the world.

Along with the deployment of the U.S. aircraft carrier and other vessels into waters off the Korean Peninsula, thousands of U.S. and South Korean troops, tanks and other weaponry were deployed last month in their biggest joint military exercises. That led North Korea to issue routine threats of attacks on its rivals if they show signs of aggression.

The White House foreign policy adviser traveling with Pence told reporters that the type of missile that North Korea tried to fire on Sunday was medium-range, and that it exploded about 4 to 5 seconds after it was launched.

The North regularly launches short-range missiles, but is also developing mid-range and long-range missiles meant to target U.S. troops in Asia and, eventually, the U.S. mainland.

North Korea has conducted five nuclear tests, including two last year. Recent satellite imagery suggests the country could conduct another underground nuclear test at any time.

This article was originally published on TIME.com
North Korea has angered several countries  mostly South Korea, Japan and the U.S.  over its repeated nuclear and missile tests. These tests have resulted in stricter sanctions by the United Nations and world powers, but the reclusive nation continues to carry out such launches in defiance.

On Sunday, Pyongyang test-fired a missile but the launch ended up in failure as the projectile blew up almost immediately, according to the U.S. military. The launch came ahead of Vice President Mike Pences official visit to South Korea.

However, this is not the first test-firing of a missile by the Kim Jong Un-led country. In all, it has carried out three missile test-launches this year and several others in previous years. Heres a timeline.

1984: Under Kim Il Sungs rule, North Korea test-fired its first Scud-B missile.

1990: Pyongyang test-launched its first Rodong missile.

1994: The countrys founding leader Kim Il Sung died in July. Following the death, his son Kim Jong Il took over the control of the governance.

1998: The reclusive country fired a Taepodong-1 missile. However, the North said it was a satellite launch.

2003: Pyongyang withdrew from the Non-Proliferation Treaty and started gathering weapons-grade plutonium from spent fuel rods.

2005: The country announced that it has nuclear weapons.

2006: The North test-launched Taepodong-2, Rodong and Scud missiles in July that year. In October, the countrys official Korean Central News Agency announced a successful nuclear test.

2009: In April, North Korea fired a Taepodong-2 missile, but said it was a satellite launch. The following month, the country conducted a second nuclear test and in July that year, it test-fired Scud and Rodong missiles.

2011: North Koreas leader Kim Jong Il died in December, allowing his son Kim Jong Un to assume power.

2012: The country test-fired Unha-3 rocket in April, but the launch was a reported failure. In December that year, Pyongyang successfully launched the Unha-3 rocket  the countrys first satellite into space.

Story continues

2013: In February, North Korea carried out its third underground nuclear test.

2014: Ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinpings visit to South Korea in July, the North carried out missile tests.

2015: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said in December that his country is ready to detonate a hydrogen bomb.

2016: The year witnessed a series of nuclear and missile tests from the isolated nation. In January, North Korea said it successfully tested a hydrogen bomb. The impact of the test was so strong that it triggered a 5.1-magnitude artificial earthquake near Pyongyangs main nuclear test site.

In February, the country launched the Kwangmyongsong-4 satellite into orbit.

Following the satellite launch, the country fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile in August.

In September, Kim Jong Uns regime fired three ballistic missiles with at least one of them reportedly entering Japans air defense zone. In the same month, it carried out a fifth nuclear test.

In October, North Korea fired a ballistic missile, which exploded immediately after the launch.

2017: In February, North Korea test-fired a medium-range ballistic missile into the East Sea. The missile launch was the countrys first since Donald Trump took office as the U.S. president in January.

In March, the reclusive nation fired four ballistic missiles as a part of, what it claimed, drills targeting U.S. military bases in Japan.

On April 16, North Korea fired an unidentified ballistic missile. However, the launch was reportedly a failure.

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(Reuters) - North Korea did not respond this month to requests from senior Chinese diplomats, including the country's foreign minister, to meet North Korean counterparts, amid rising tension with the United States, Bloomberg reported on Monday. Citing unidentified sources, the report said China's special envoy for the North Korea nuclear issue, Wu Dawei, was the other official whose requests for meetings went unanswered. China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report. Last week, the ministry twice said it had no information to provide on whether Wu would be going to North Korea. Tension has risen as U.S. President Donald Trump takes a hard rhetorical line with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has rebuffed admonitions from China and pursued nuclear and missile programmes that Washington sees as a direct threat. (Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
Controversies over Islam take somewhat different shapes in Europe and the United States. While France attempts to ban burkinis, or full-body bathing suits worn by some Muslim women, U.S. state legislatures attempt to ban the use of sharia law in American courts.

And yet, argues Nadia Marzouki in her new book, Islam: An American Religion, anti-Islam arguments in the West have become surprisingly standardized. Its no longer possible to discuss Islams place in Western societies without systematically invoking a series of normative oppositions: good/bad, moderate/radical, faith/law, West/Muslim, modernity/tradition, and so on, she writes. For a majority of Americans and Europeans, Islam remains an opaque object that one is unable to think of in any way other than as a problem, threat, or retrograde legal code.

Its not enough to understand this simply as Islamophobia, argues Marzouki, who is a research fellow at Harvard Universitys Belfer Center and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in Paris. She believes Islam has become a cipher in Western societies for the tough questions of secular, liberal democracies: how much to champion liberty over equality, for example, and whether legal rights should entitle Muslims to fully express their faith in public. As much as Europe and the U.S. have different histories and legal traditions, she claims, anti-Muslim groups in both places share their discomfort with these challenges.

At the same time, Muslims in the U.S. have become distinct from other Muslims around the world, Marzouki says: They have embraced the American tradition of civil religion, which mixes a sense of transcendent purpose with a sense of civic duty. Understanding Islam as an American religion, and understanding why anti-Muslim groups react to Islam the way they do, she argues, is the only way to deescalate the tension surrounding the religion in America and abroad.

Recommended: The Easter Egg Roll and the Bygone Era of White House Openness

I spoke with Marzouki about attitudes toward Islam in America and Europe. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Emma Green: What are the fundamental differencesand similaritiesbetween attitudes toward Islam in Europe and in the United States?

Nadia Marzouki: I wanted to go beyond this notion that you have two distinct models of understanding Islam in Europe and in the U.S. I wanted to focus on the increasing convergence between modes of argument about Islam in Europe and the U.S. due to right-wing organizations that have been working together.

You have very different Muslim communities and populations in the U.S. and in Europedifferent ethnic backgrounds, national backgrounds, forms of socioeconomic status, occupations, and number and percentage in the population. Despite all these very important differences, you end up having debates that are organized around the same stereotypes: the invasion of Muslims in the suburbs of America or Europe, the oppression of women, mosques turning into breeding camps for terrorism, stealth jihad, sharia.

I want to suggest that anti-Muslim movements are maybe not just an effect of distinct historical and legal traditions. These debates about Islam say something more profound about an unease among parts of the public toward democracy and the meaning of political community.

Green: People in the U.S. sometimes refer to Europe as an example of what can happen in America if Muslims dont assimilate into their broader communities. President Trump, for example, has pointed to Sweden and France as examples of disordered Muslim communities.

Recommended: Why Trumpism Will Outlast Steve Bannon

Why do you think that comparison is so common?

Marzouki: The notion that the Muslim population is replacing the old European population has been very common in the discourse in right-wing and anti-Muslim movements in the U.S. Arguments do not spread just by themselves. They have been manufactured by specific organizations. Theres been an important back-and-forthsome people from the U.K. or the Netherlands or Switzerland have been invited and brought these arguments to the U.S.

Green: Dont some of these anti-Muslim figures in Europe, including Marine Le Pen and Geert Wilders, have very different coalitions than those in the U.S.including support from some members of the European LGBT community?

Marzouki: One major difference between Europe and the U.S. is that anti-Muslim arguments in the U.S. havent been very prominent within the Democratic Party or the left. Maybe you can find a few exceptions here and there, but broadly speaking, its mostly people from the right wing of the Republican Party. In Europe, some of the arguments about the fear of Islam, etc., have been endorsed by the right, but also by the left.

Green: You describe a process all religious groups go through in America: They start taking responsibility for the countrys founding myth of pluralism, which says that every religious group should have the freedom to worship in the U.S. Do you think the American Muslim community has gone through that process?

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Marzouki: Major American Muslim organizations have been focused on defining their struggle as belonging to this mythology of American pluralism. In speeches, Muslim leaders will say things like, Yes, Muslims right now are going through difficult and challenging times, but we should not despair of what the American constitution and political system offer us. This is the price to pay. All communities have been through this kind of challenging time of suspicion and discrimination.

When two students were murdered at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, it was a tragic murder, but at the same time it was interesting to see the response of American Muslims. They were insisting that these students were brilliant and about to be extremely good contributors to their country and society. Their profile was defined in order to celebrate, even in these tragic circumstances, the American idea of a pluralist society.

Its not enough to dismiss them as Islamophobic. You have to take seriously this claim that they are being offended.

Green: You also argue that all American religions also get neutralized into faith and spirituality. What do you mean by that?

Marzouki: The strategy of American Muslims to be recognized, accepted, and integrated has been to argue that Islam is primarily just a form of ethics and faithits inoffensive, harmless, and has no impact on the public sphere. Muslims are normal citizens, normal humans, who just happen to have a different ethics, and do not have any intention to transform, invade, or hijack the constitution or American politics.

This nicely fits in the mythology of the American civil religion. Acceptable religious practice in America is primarily invisible and private. Expressing your faith in a more public and political way is a threat to democracy and modernity.

This begs the question of whether Muslims can make political interventions that are not immediately cast as dangerous or un-American.

Green: Other groups, like Mormons, have gone through intense periods of persecution and suspicion in American history. These days, Mormons are widely accepted as a religious group. Why hasnt that happened with Muslimssome of whom have been in the U.S. longer than the Mormon church has existed?

Marzouki: Islam has been constructed consistently in an ambivalent way at once as an ultra religion and as a non-religion. Its an ultra-religion in the sense that it embodies too much of religion, too much legal obligation. Islam is always defined or reduced to sharia by these anti-Muslim groupsan indication of fear that Islam is too legalistic.

Islam, at the same time, has been constructed as a non-religion. All the legislators supporting anti-sharia bills argue that sharia is not part of a religionits an ideology. They do this for various reasons. One is to suggest that if Islam is not a religion, Muslims do not have the right to claim the protection of the First Amendment.

Despite the fact that Muslims have been around since they were slaves from Africa, theres always this discrepancy between reality and the public construction of Islam.

Green: You argue that anti-Muslim demonstrators are objecting to more than just Islamtheyre reacting to the world, and more specifically to the values of a secular, liberal democracy. What do you mean by that?

Marzouki: I was intrigued by the arguments of people opposing the Islamic Center in New York in 2010. It was not about rights; it was about what is right. Anti-mosque people were not saying, We hate Islam, we dont want Muslims, or you dont have a right to build a mosque. What they were saying was more specific: We dont deny you the right to build an Islamic center. But we think this is inappropriate. This is not the right place or time.

One could argue that this is all rhetorical, but I dont think so. Its not enough to dismiss them as Islamophobic. You have to take seriously this claim that they are being offended.

These arguments about appropriateness have been very prominent in European debates. For example, a lot of women opposed to Muslims wearing the burka in public have said, Well, you can practice your religion the way you want, but it causes some kind of disgust or fear when we see a woman in a burka. Its this notion of uneaseits not just a discussion about rights.

Whats at stake is not just a hate of Islam or a hate of Muslims. Its an unease toward the capacity of abstract language to capture their sense of being disgruntled, or being perceived as losers, or as people who have been hurt or offended. Understanding the role of emotions and affect is important, because it helps us better understand why people consider certain things sacred, like the constitution, or some territory where a mosque should be constructed. Focusing just on law is not enough to address whats really at stake.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
By Akankshita Mukhopadhyay (Reuters) - OncoMed Pharmaceuticals Inc's shares were jolted for a second time in a week after the company said on Monday its experimental lung cancer drug failed a mid-stage study. The company's stock was down 22 percent in early trading. Including those losses, OncoMed's market valuation has halved since the company said last week it would discontinue a trial testing another cancer drug. "Based on the events of today and last week, we will be undertaking a comprehensive portfolio prioritization review immediately," said Chief Executive Paul Hastings. The company said on Monday the mid-stage trial was testing a combination of its drug, tarextumab, and chemotherapy, compared with chemotherapy and a placebo. The main goal for Tarextumab, which the company is developing in partnership with GlaxoSmithKline Plc, was to slow the progression of the disease. The company said the tarextumab study also failed the secondary goal of overall survival benefit. OncoMed's management will need to focus on rebuilding the research and development pipeline in a capital-efficient manner, Leerink Partners analyst Michael Schmidt wrote in a research note. OncoMed also said on Monday it would also discontinue enrollment in an early-stage trial testing its drug, brontictuzumab, in combination with chemotherapy in patients with colorectal cancer due to toxicity issues. The company said last week it would discontinue a trial testing demcizumab as an initial treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer. Dealing another blow last week, Germany's Bayer AG said it would not exercise an option to license two of OncoMed's other experimental therapies, vantictumab and ipafricept, for "strategic reasons." OncoMed had cash and short-term investments totaling about $156.9 million as of the first quarter of 2017. Lung cancer (both small cell and non-small cell) is the second most common cancer in men and women and is by far the leading cause of cancer death, according to the American Cancer Society. (Reporting by Akankshita Mukhopadhyay in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)
Asuncion (AFP) - Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes said Monday he will no longer seek re-election next year, after his bid to change the constitution triggered deadly riots.

Cartes said in a statement he will "in no event" try to run in the April 2018 vote, seeking to end a political crisis unleashed by his push to remain in power another five years.

Presidential re-election has been taboo in the South American country since the 35-year dictatorship of General Alfredo Stroessner ended in 1989.

After senators passed an amendment last month to change that, opposition activists stormed Congress, ransacking lawmakers' offices and setting them on fire.

Police shot dead one opposition activist in a raid during the riots. Hundreds of people were injured and more than 200 arrested.

That triggered calls for crisis talks, backed by Pope Francis. But they fell apart when the main opposition, the Liberal Party, boycotted them.

Cartes said he hoped his "gesture of renunciation" would "deepen the dialogue aimed at strengthening this republic's institutions."

But the opposition said the conservative president's Red Party had not gone far enough.

"The only way to believe the president's statements is if the ruling party shelves its attempt to amend the constitution," said the speaker of Congress, Liberal Party lawmaker Roberto Acevedo.

But Red Party spokeswoman Lilian Samaniego said party leaders had decided against withdrawing the amendment.

Cartes's attempt to change the constitution had the backing of his leftist rival Fernando Lugo, who was president from 2008 to 2012 and also wants to run again.

But the Liberal Party bitterly opposes changing the 1992 constitution's limit of a single five-year term.

Cartes's change of heart came as international pressure mounted against his re-election bid.

One of US President Donald Trump's top envoys for Latin America, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Francisco Palmieri, is headed to Paraguay for talks on Tuesday.

And the secretary general of the Organization of American States, Luis Almagro, is expected on Thursday.
By Daniela Desantis ASUNCION (Reuters) - Paraguay's President Horacio Cartes said on Monday he would not be a candidate in next year's election in order to preserve stability in the South American nation, regardless of whether Congress passed an amendment to allow second terms. In a letter to the Archbishop of Asuncion that was shared on Twitter, Cartes, a former soft-drink and tobacco executive, said his decision not to run was inspired by Pope Francis's call for peace and dialogue in Paraguay. Protesters set fire to Congress On March 31 after the Senate secretly voted in favor of the amendment, and police later stormed an opposition political party and killed a protester. The lower house has not yet voted on the proposal. Investors favor Cartes's low-tax policies and credit him with spurring one of the fastest economic growth rates in Latin America, but business groups had urged him not to seek another term in order to avoid more riots in the world's No. 4 soy exporter. "I hope this gesture of renunciation will result in a deeper dialogue aimed at strengthening the republic," Cartes's letter said. Paraguay's constitution has prohibited second terms since it was passed in 1992 after a brutal dictatorship fell in 1989. Many citizens in the land-locked nation of 6.8 million, long one of South America's poorest, are fiercely opposed to any sign of trying to hold on to power. Senator Lilian Samaniego of Cartes's Colorado Party said the president's allies would continue to seek approval from the lower house, though a popular referendum would be required for reelection to be implemented. However, Pedro Alliana, the head of the Colorado Party, said the house was now unlikely to vote in favor of the proposal. "If he (Cartes) is not a candidate, I can assure you that the chance of the amendment passing in the lower house are minimal, practically impossible," said Alliana. Changing the constitution without Cartes on the ballot would benefit former leftist President Fernando Lugo, who Congress ousted in 2012. His speedy impeachment on the grounds he failed to maintain social order following a bloody land eviction was criticized abroad. Cartes, a political neophyte who said he had never voted in an election before casting a ballot for himself, was elected to a five-year term in 2013. Without Lugo or Cartes there are currently few clear candidates for next year's election. (Reporting by Daniela Desantis, writing by Caroline Stauffer; Editing by Bernard Orr and Andrew Hay)
By Press Trust of India: From Yoshita Singh

New York, Apr 17 (PTI) The US is in the "best position" to defuse tensions between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir issue and it can play a "leadership" role before crises between the two neighbours explode, Pakistans top diplomat to the UN has said.

"Somebody needs to play this role and the United States is in the best position to do that," Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi told the Washington-based think-tank World Affairs Council, in a television programme broadcast yesterday.

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She said the US was in a unique position to defuse the rising tensions between India and Pakistan over the decades- old Kashmir issue as it has good relations with both India and Pakistan, according to a press release of her remarks issued by Pakistans Permanent Mission to the UN.

She added that such a role required a more balanced policy on part of US, several Pakistani media quoted her as saying in the programme.

At this point of time the situation in Kashmir is once again inflamed; the situation is grave, it poses a critical threat to regional peace and security and again, she said.

"What we would like to see is the US not coming in as a fire brigade to put out a fire but to play a role to avert any kind of crisis from brewing and flaring up," she said.

"I am not suggesting thats about to happen but I am saying that before the next crisis happens this is a role of leadership that the US can play," she said.

Lodhi pointed out that in recent years, people in Pakistan have felt that the US lacked balance in its approach to South Asia, and "as a result we lost something in the relationship."

She said the lack of balance was best represented by the nuclear deal - the civilian nuclear deal that the Bush administration concluded with India - which was a discriminatory nuclear policy towards the region and had consequences for it.

On the Kashmir issue, she said, "This is no piece of real estate that Pakistan and India are fighting over, this is about people, it is about the self-determination of the people, and their right to their self-determination is enshrined in the UN charter, in UN declarations and in UN Security Council resolutions, so all we say is allow the people of Kashmir to decide their future."

Lodhi stressed the need for a dialogue to resolve the Kashmir and other issues between the two countries. PTI YAS ZH AKJ ZH

--- ENDS ---

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GOOCHLAND, Va. (AP)  Virginia authorities are investigating the death of an Army veteran, paralyzed from the waist down, who was found early Monday in a wheelchair outside his apartment complex.

Paul Chisholm, 38, showed no signs of trauma other than to his feet, which apparently dragged under his wheelchair, leaving a trail of blood from his apartment, Goochland County Sheriff Jim Agnew said. The blood pooled outside other apartment doors, where he may have sought help.

A newspaper carrier found his body.

Chisholm's mother said he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and was medically discharged after he was injured in Afghanistan, where he served with the 101st Airborne. After returning from Afghanistan, he was struck by a car, leaving him paralyzed from the upper chest down, Alice Farley said.

She described her son as a sweet, thoughtful person who played piano by ear, loved to fish and appreciated a good haircut.

"It's a really tragic time for the family," Farley told The Associated Press on Monday evening.

Army service records show he received six awards during just over two years of service.

Agnew said the sheriff's office is not looking for any suspects. The medical examiner was working to determine how Chisholm died.

Farley said she had no idea what happened to Chisholm.

"It's all speculation right now," she said. "The family is waiting to hear, ourselves."
The butt of every Don Rickles insult - whether it was initially aimed at a black, a Polack, a Jew, a gypsy, a Puerto Rican, Scotsman, Italian, elderly, gay or Martian - was Rickles himself.

A lot of the words I listed between those hyphens are problematic or insensitive. Theyre crude, and belong to an era where things were easy for a small slice of a small slice of the American public. The casual racism tossed off as punchlines and the exclusion disguised as insight can be wince-inducing. Especially when viewed through our clearer, more focused 2017 eyes. Not that the ugliness is forever behind us. A lot of that ugliness has been re-tooled into a faux, desperate punk rock stance by the same small slice of the small slice who feel their world and privileges are shrinking.

Don Rickles, who died on Thursday at age 90, was above and beyond it all - all of it, the incorrectness of yesterday as well as todays hand-wringing about it. Gay Talese, writing about frequent Rickles target Frank Sinatra for Esquire magazine, said of Don, His humor is so rude, in such bad taste, that it offends no one - its too offensive to be offensive. The saddest victims of racism, sexism and ignorance are, ultimately, the people who have to live the limited, blinkered lives of a bigot. Don understood that, but knew that simply stating it would get him ignored. But if he became a fire alarm-mouthed demon of bad taste? Now he could do some damage.

Don wasnt making fun of the blacks - he was making fun of the sweaty lout who would place African Americans in such a childish category. Whether or not his audience was laughing for the right reasons wasnt his concern. If the audience was too stupid to see that Don was making fun of racism by personifying the most desperate aspects of racism? Then they were part of the joke, too. His attacking of celebrities like Sinatra, and Ronald Reagan and Johnny Carson or whomever else hover into his acidic view? It wasnt to bring them down. It was to make fun of his own jealousy and self-loathing.

Story continues

Frederick M. Brown-Getty ImagesThe author (third from left) and Rickles stand next to one another during the installation ceremony for director John Lasseter's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Nov. 1, 2011 in Hollywood, California.

Some people say funny things - but I say things funny. Sometimes the things Don said werent even jokes - they werent even nonsense. They were bursts of half worked-out id that he was spitting out in front of audiences who werent craving authenticity. He was his own target, and even if he landed in the outer rings of the bullseye it still made a thud. Ive seen him live three times and met him twice. The last time I saw him was when John Lasseter got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Don grimaced and addressed Lasseter and the other celebrities in the crowd: Im the biggest name here.

It was hilarious. And it was true. Rude, but true.

I love you, Don. I cant believe Im getting the last word in here.

Correction: The original version of this story misquoted Don Rickles. At John Lasseters Hollywood Walk of Fame induction, he said Im the biggest name here, not Im the biggest star here. This is pathetic.

This article was originally published on TIME.com
By Roberta Rampton and Sue-Lin Wong SEOUL/PYONGYANG (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence warned North Korea on Monday that recent American military strikes in Syria and Afghanistan showed President Donald Trump's resolve should not be questioned, but Pyongyang vowed to continue missile and nuclear tests. After a huge display of missiles in Pyongyang and a failed North Korean missile test during the weekend, U.S. officials praised China for stepping up efforts to rein in North Korea, Beijing's neighbor and ally. But Pence and South Korea's acting president, Hwang Kyo-ahn, said they would proceed with the early deployment to South Korea of the U.S. THAAD missile-defense system, in spite of Chinese objections. At a White House Easter celebration on Monday, Trump was asked if he had a message for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and replied: Gotta behave. But senior North Korean officials remained defiant. North Korea's deputy representative to the United Nations, Kim In Ryong, accused Washington of creating a situation where nuclear war could break out an any time and said Pyongyang's next nuclear test would take place "at a time and at a place where our headquarters deems necessary." (Graphic - Carl Vinson strike group: http://tmsnrt.rs/2pqOMWA) (Graphic - North Korea's nuclear program: http://tmsnrt.rs/2n0gd92) North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Han Song-Ryol told the BBC that missiles would continue to be tested on "a weekly, monthly and yearly basis." Kim Song Gyong, director general of the European Department of North Korea's Foreign Ministry, told Reuters in Pyongyang that if Washington made "the slightest movement" to make a nuclear strike on North Korea, Pyongyang would strike first and "destroy the aggressors without any mercy. He went on to clarify that the approach of a U.S. naval strike force led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Carl Vinson to Korean waters would not be considered enough to constitute the slightest movement. Korean tensions have escalated following repeated North Korean missile tests and concerns that Pyongyang may soon conduct a sixth nuclear bomb test in defiance of U.N. sanctions. Washington is increasingly worried about North Korean efforts to develop a nuclear-tipped missile that could hit the U.S. mainland. Speaking alongside Hwang, Pence said the world had witnessed Trump's resolve in the past two weeks, which saw a U.S. missile attack on a Syrian airfield and the dropping of a powerful non-nuclear bomb on Islamic State in Afghanistan. "North Korea would do well not to test his resolve or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region," Pence said on what was his first stop of a four-nation Asia tour intended to show that Trump is not turning his back on the increasingly volatile part of the world. Pence, whose father served in the 1950-53 Korean War, visited the North-South border on Monday and said Washington would stand by its "ironclad alliance" with South Korea. "All options are on the table to achieve the objectives and ensure the stability of the people of this country," he told reporters as tinny propaganda music floated across from the North Korean side of the so-called demilitarized zone (DMZ). The Trump administration has said that military action remains an option for dealing with North Korea. But mindful that this would likely trigger massive retaliation and casualties in South Korea and Japan and among U.S. troops there, U.S. officials say the Trump administration's main focus is on tougher economic sanctions to try to get Pyongyang to abandon its weapons programs. Trump himself, when asked on Monday if he was considering military action, told Fox News Channel he didn't want to "telegraph" his plans like the previous administration. "Well see what happens. I hope things work out well," he said but added that the United States had tried to engage the North Koreans in talks for a long time. On Sunday, Trump's national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, said that the United States, its allies and China were working on a range of responses to North Korea's latest missile test, citing what he called an international consensus to act. He indicated Trump was not considering military action for now, despite the dispatch the carrier group. U.S. officials say tougher sanctions could include an oil embargo, a global ban on North Korea's airline, intercepting cargo ships and punishing Chinese banks doing business with Pyongyang. They say greater Chinese cooperation is vital. NO 'RED LINES' White House spokesman Sean Spicer said China had taken some "very helpful" steps, although it remained to be seen how effective these would be. Asked if Trump had a "red line" on North Korea, Spicer said the president did not believe these worked. Susan Thornton, acting U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asia, said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and China's top diplomat, State Councilor Yang Jiechi, agreed in a phone call on Sunday on the need for strict enforcement of U.N. resolutions and for international action to press Pyongyang "to cease provocative actions and recommit to peaceful denuclearization. Thornton said any new North Korean nuclear test "would draw a pretty significant international response." "Were definitely not seeking conflict or regime change," she said. "But we are committed to defending our people and our allies should it be necessary. Pence is expected to discuss Korean tensions with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday when he travels to Tokyo for economic talks with Finance Minister Taro Aso. He will also visit Jakarta and Sydney. His economic discussions will be closely watched to see how hard a line Washington is prepared to take on trade. Trump campaigned on an "America First" platform, and has vowed to narrow big trade deficits with nations like China and Japan. But Trump has also shown willingness to link trade to other issues, saying he would cut a better trade deal with China if it exerts influence on North Korea. China has appeared increasingly frustrated with Pyongyang, speaking out against its weapons tests and supporting United Nations sanctions, while repeatedly calling for talks. China banned imports of North Korean coal, the country's most important export, in February, and Chinese media have raised the possibility of restricting oil shipments to the North. However, Beijing says the crisis is one between the United States and North Korea. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said the situation was "highly sensitive, complicated and high risk" and all sides should "avoid taking provocative actions " (Additional reporting by Sue-Lin Wong in Pyongyang, Jack Kim and James Pearson in Seoul, Daniel Trotta in New York, Lucia Mutikani, Caren Bohan, David Brunnstrom, Matt Spetalnick, Lesley Wroughton and Steve Holland in Washington and Michael Martina in Beijing; Editing by Robert Birsel and Alistair Bell)
By Roberta Rampton and Sue-Lin Wong SEOUL/PYONGYANG (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence warned North Korea on Monday that recent American military strikes in Syria and Afghanistan showed President Donald Trump's resolve should not be questioned, but Pyongyang vowed to continue missile and nuclear tests. After a huge display of missiles in Pyongyang and a failed North Korean missile test during the weekend, U.S. officials praised China for stepping up efforts to rein in North Korea, Beijing's neighbour and ally. But Pence and South Korea's acting president, Hwang Kyo-ahn, said they would proceed with the early deployment to South Korea of the U.S. THAAD missile-defence system, in spite of Chinese objections. At a White House Easter celebration on Monday, Trump was asked if he had a message for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and replied: Gotta behave. But senior North Korean officials remained defiant. North Korea's deputy representative to the United Nations, Kim In Ryong, accused Washington of creating a situation where nuclear war could break out an any time and said Pyongyang's next nuclear test would take place "at a time and at a place where our headquarters deems necessary." North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Han Song-Ryol told the BBC that missiles would continue to be tested on "a weekly, monthly and yearly basis." Kim Song Gyong, director general of the European Department of North Korea's Foreign Ministry, told Reuters in Pyongyang that if Washington made "the slightest movement" to make a nuclear strike on North Korea, Pyongyang would strike first and "destroy the aggressors without any mercy. He went on to clarify that the approach of a U.S. naval strike force led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Carl Vinson to Korean waters would not be considered enough to constitute the slightest movement. Korean tensions have escalated following repeated North Korean missile tests and concerns that Pyongyang may soon conduct a sixth nuclear bomb test in defiance of U.N. sanctions. Washington is increasingly worried about North Korean efforts to develop a nuclear-tipped missile that could hit the U.S. mainland. Speaking alongside Hwang, Pence said the world had witnessed Trump's resolve in the past two weeks, which saw a U.S. missile attack on a Syrian airfield and the dropping of a powerful non-nuclear bomb on Islamic State in Afghanistan. "North Korea would do well not to test his resolve or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region," Pence said on what was his first stop of a four-nation Asia tour intended to show that Trump is not turning his back on the increasingly volatile part of the world. Pence, whose father served in the 1950-53 Korean War, visited the North-South border on Monday and said Washington would stand by its "ironclad alliance" with South Korea. "All options are on the table to achieve the objectives and ensure the stability of the people of this country," he told reporters as tinny propaganda music floated across from the North Korean side of the so-called demilitarized zone (DMZ). The Trump administration has said that military action remains an option for dealing with North Korea. But mindful that this would likely trigger massive retaliation and casualties in South Korea and Japan and among U.S. troops there, U.S. officials say the Trump administration's main focus is on tougher economic sanctions to try to get Pyongyang to abandon its weapons programs. Trump himself, when asked on Monday if he was considering military action, told Fox News Channel he didn't want to "telegraph" his plans like the previous administration. "Well see what happens. I hope things work out well," he said but added that the United States had tried to engage the North Koreans in talks for a long time. On Sunday, Trump's national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, said that the United States, its allies and China were working on a range of responses to North Korea's latest missile test, citing what he called an international consensus to act. He indicated Trump was not considering military action for now, despite the dispatch the carrier group. U.S. officials say tougher sanctions could include an oil embargo, a global ban on North Korea's airline, intercepting cargo ships and punishing Chinese banks doing business with Pyongyang. They say greater Chinese cooperation is vital. NO 'RED LINES' White House spokesman Sean Spicer said China had taken some "very helpful" steps, although it remained to be seen how effective these would be. Asked if Trump had a "red line" on North Korea, Spicer said the president did not believe these worked. Susan Thornton, acting U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asia, said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and China's top diplomat, State Councillor Yang Jiechi, agreed in a phone call on Sunday on the need for strict enforcement of U.N. resolutions and for international action to press Pyongyang "to cease provocative actions and recommit to peaceful denuclearisation. Thornton said any new North Korean nuclear test "would draw a pretty significant international response." "Were definitely not seeking conflict or regime change," she said. "But we are committed to defending our people and our allies should it be necessary. Pence is expected to discuss Korean tensions with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday when he travels to Tokyo for economic talks with Finance Minister Taro Aso. He will also visit Jakarta and Sydney. His economic discussions will be closely watched to see how hard a line Washington is prepared to take on trade. Trump campaigned on an "America First" platform, and has vowed to narrow big trade deficits with nations like China and Japan. But Trump has also shown willingness to link trade to other issues, saying he would cut a better trade deal with China if it exerts influence on North Korea. China has appeared increasingly frustrated with Pyongyang, speaking out against its weapons tests and supporting United Nations sanctions, while repeatedly calling for talks. China banned imports of North Korean coal, the country's most important export, in February, and Chinese media have raised the possibility of restricting oil shipments to the North. However, Beijing says the crisis is one between the United States and North Korea. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said the situation was "highly sensitive, complicated and high risk" and all sides should "avoid taking provocative actions " (Additional reporting by Sue-Lin Wong in Pyongyang, Jack Kim and James Pearson in Seoul, Daniel Trotta in New York, Lucia Mutikani, Caren Bohan, David Brunnstrom, Matt Spetalnick, Lesley Wroughton and Steve Holland in Washington and Michael Martina in Beijing; Editing by Robert Birsel and Alistair Bell)
Seoul (AFP) - US Vice President Mike Pence arrives in Tokyo on Tuesday bringing a renewed commitment to Japan's security amid a growing threat from a nuclear armed North Korea.

Throughout his bareknuckle election campaign, US President Donald Trump repeatedly called into question a mutual defense treaty between Japan and the United States, suggesting Tokyo should pay for its own security.

But now, Pence will try to reassure his jittery hosts that those decades-old security commitments are ironclad, a necessity made more acute as tensions rise over Pyongyang's latest missile test and Washington's refusal to rule out military action against the regime.

Defying international pressure, the North on Sunday test-fired another missile and fears are growing it may also be preparing a sixth nuclear test.

North Korea could react to a potential US strike by targeting South Korea or Japan, and officials in Tokyo and Seoul have been ill at ease with the more bellicose language deployed by Trump's administration.

During a visit to the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea on Monday, Pence pointed to the new president's recent strikes on a Syrian airbase and an Islamic State complex in Afghanistan as a warning to Pyongyang not to underestimate the administration's resolve.

"All options are on the table" in pushing for an end to Pyongyang's nuclear programme, Pence said, adding that the era of US "strategic patience" in dealing with the regime was over.

Washington is worried that North Korea may soon build a nuclear-tipped missile that could reach the United States.

Like South Korea, Japan already faces a direct threat from the secretive regime.

In February, the North simultaneously fired four ballistic missiles off its east coast, three of which fell provocatively close to Japan, in what it said was a drill for an attack on US bases in the country.

Pence's Japanese hosts will likely be cautious about any US military action that could trigger a broader regional conflict.

Story continues

Their hope is that the White House will focus on pressuring China, Pyongyang's only major ally and biggest trade partner, to redouble its efforts to rein in the regime and prompt North Korea to return to the negotiating table after it abandoned the six-party talks in 2009.

"With close coordination, I expect we will strongly demand North Korea to refrain from taking provocative actions and to adhere to UN Security Council resolutions," said Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga.

Pence's trip will also feature a heavy economic focus.

Trump's decision to scrap a 12-nation trans-Pacific trade deal was a blow to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who expended substantial political capital to get the deal passed at home.

In Tokyo, there is still hope that the core of the agreement, thrashed out between the United States and Japan and intended to counterbalance China's regional economic power, can be salvaged in some form.

But US officials say expectations of an ambitious bilateral trade deal may be premature.
In 1977, the Explorers Club in New York received an unusual gift. Unable to attend a whaling exhibition that the club was hosting, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick S. Schauffler sent their regrets in a note  along with a sperm whale foreskin, stuffed and mounted on an oak base.

The penis stood out during a media tour of the club's headquarters in New York City related to the Explorers Club's 113th Annual Dinner in March. On the top floor, in a room called the Gallery, the cetacean phallus pointed skyward.

Frederick S. Schauffler was an Explorers Club member and U.S. naval captain, said Lacey Flint, the club's archivist and curator of research collections, who led the tour. Flint noted that according to the foreskin's record, it came from the collection of an individual named Edward Sanderson. Who Sanderson was and how Schauffler might have acquired the odd collectible, Flint did not know. [Photos: Inside the Explorers Club Headquarters]

According to a report by the Nantucket Historical Association, Sanderson was born in Ohio in 1874, but he lived his final years on the Massachusetts island of Nantucket. Sometime in the 1920s, he bought a historic Nantucket home and began filling it with whaling artifacts, such as "harpoons, boarding knives, cutting spades and bomb lances, as part of a careful interior restoration of that house," Aimee Newell wrote in the NHA report.

In 1929, Sanderson's collection outgrew his building, so he donated the trove to the NHA, which runs the Nantucket Whaling Museum. Sanderson's gift formed "the core of the NHA's whaling exhibits," Newell wrote. Apparently, Sanderson's collection also included a taxidermied sperm whale penis.

It seems that a Schauffler-Sanderson connection formed at least 15 years prior to the donation. In 1915, Sanderson, a minister, was in Brooklyn, New York, where he cofounded the New York branch of Goodwill Industries with a Rev. Dr. Henry Park Schauffler, according to Goodwill's history page. This may have been how the two met. Or the men may have met even earlier, as both Sanderson (in the late 1890s, according to NHA) and Schauffler (according to a 1930 article in The Brooklyn Daily Eagle published after Schauffler's death) attended Amherst College in Massachusetts and then Hartford Theological Seminary, and their studies may have overlapped.

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Schauffler was survived by his wife, Grace Jarvis Schauffler, and five children, including a Frederick S., The Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported. So it seems that Sanderson's Goodwill co-founder, Henry Park Schauffler, was the father of Frederick S. Schauffler, who would, years later, donate an object from Sanderson's collection to the Explorers Club.

But school and business were not the only Sanderson-Schauffler connections. In 1934, according to Newell's article, Sanderson married Grace Jarvis Schauffler, who was the widow of Sanderson's former business partner, Henry Park Schauffler. Sanderson became stepfather to Grace Jarvis Schauffler's children, including, of course, Frederick S., whose middle name, it turns out, was Sanderson (he went by "Sandy," according to articles published in a Nantucket newspaper, the Inquirer and Mirror, including this 1941 letter to the editor from Sandy himself.).

And it seems that it was under the name of "Sandy" that Schauffler became known as an accomplished skier. According to, among other sources, the "Legends" page of the Thunderbolt Ski Runners, a Massachusetts ski club, Sandy Schauffler was selected as a member of the U.S.'s Olympic ski team in 1940, but that year both summer and winter Olympics were canceled due to World War II, according to Wikipedia. By December, 1940, Schauffler had joined the Navy, according to an Inquirer and Mirror article. After the war, Sandy Schauffler was one of two men hired to survey Colorado for potential ski sites; he went on to cofound the Arapahoe Basin ski resort in that state, according to the resort's website. So although the Explorers Club does not have a record of why Schauffler was invited to join, Schauffler seems to have had his share of adventures.

Edward Sanderson died in 1955, according the Newell article. The whale penis from his collection continues to stand tall at the Explorers Club.

Original article on Live Science.

Editor's Recommendations
Good morning, everyone, and nice to see you again after our week-long sojourn. Such breaks are always welcome, but, of course, are followed by a serious game of catch-up. To cope, we our back to the usual routine of quaffing cups of stimulation and invite you to join us as we dig in for another busy week. On that note, here is the latest batch of tidbits. Hope you have a successful day and do keep in touch. We enjoy tips and documents 

Lannett continues to raise prices on older, off-patent drugs by large amounts, despite an inquiry from the Justice Department and an investigation by the Connecticut attorney general, the New York Times informs us. And at industry conference last week, Lannett chief executive Arthur Bedrosian maintained the price-hike business model is not over. One Wall Street analyst called the company the last of the pricing Mohicans.

Read the rest...
By Nick Mafi. Renderings courtesy of Framery.

Anyone who has worked in an office can relate to the many distractions fellow colleagues can produce. From loud conversations to pungent wafts of lunch foods, coworkers are often real roadblocks to productivity (you might even be experiencing it at your desk right now). Indeed, a study from researchers at the University of Sydney found that office noise was cited as the most frustrating aspect of the work environment by about 50 percent of employees in open offices. What's more, Oxford Economicsan independent global advisory firmfound that 53 percent of office employees complain that workplace noise reduces their satisfaction and productivity.

It's these findingsand working in office environments themselvesthat compelled the founders of technology start-up Framery to create a device that solves this age-old problem. And ironically, the Finnish firm looked back a few decades for its solution: phone booths.

Framery's soundproof office booths allow staff members to easily step away from their noisy, nonproductive work environment and into a serene and sleekly designed mini workspace. The booths, which resemble traditional phone booths, come equipped with a table top, an adjustable stool, an electric socket, and LED lighting. An integrated air ventilation system ensures the user will remain at a comfortable temperature even when using the booth for long periods of time. They are also available in a variety of colors and sizes; there are single-person booths or larger options that house two people at the same time. And the idea is catching on: After selling 2,800 phone booths in 2016, Framery has set a lofty goal of selling 8,000 booths in 2017.

In fact, Microsoft recently installed Framery office phone booths throughout its headquarters in Seattle. The feedback from users has been very positive. In fact, we plan to replace one-third of traditional phone rooms with Framery booths in three new buildings in our headquarter campus in Seattle, said Riku Pentikainen, Microsoft's director of Global Workplace Strategies, in a statement.

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More: This High-Tech Tent Could Be the Future of Camping

This story originally appeared on Architectural Digest.

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Pope Francis used his Easter Sunday message to denounce the latest vile attack on Syrian civilians as thousands gathered at the Vaticans St. Peters Square to hear him speak.

In his formal Urbi et Orbi message, which means to the city and the world, Pope Francis spoke against oppressive regimes and war, according to the Associated Press. He highlighted the latest bombing in Syria where at least 100 people were killed at a bus depot near the city of Aleppo amid the ongoing mass evacuations happening in the besieged area.

May [God] sustain the efforts of those who are actively working to bring comfort and relief to the civilian population in beloved Syria, who are greatly suffering from a war that does not cease to sow horror and death, the pontiff said, according to BBC.

Speaking from the central balcony of St. Peters Basilica, Francis did not specifically mention specific governments, but offered his support for those that work for justice and peace.

In the complex and often dramatic situations of todays world, may the Risen Lord guide the steps of all those who work for justice and peace, he said. May he grant the leaders of nations the courage they need to prevent the spread of conflicts and put a halt to the arms trade.

This article was originally published on TIME.com
Kushner's aim is to divest himself of his private business activities so that no conflicts of interest exist, given his role as a close adviser to the President.

By Indo-Asian News Service: Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump, is in talks to sell his stake in a technology company focusing on the real estate sector, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

The talks to sell his stake in WiredScore are underway within the framework of Kushner's aim to divest himself of his private business activities so that no conflicts of interest exist, given his role as a close adviser to the President, EFE news cited the Journal.

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Sources close to the negotiations confirmed to the daily that the discussions were underway, although they did not specify precisely how much money the sale could make for Kushner.

Previously, the young real estate magnate, who is married to Trump's older daughter Ivanka, had valued his stake in WiredScore at between $5-25 million.

The Journal reported that, despite the talks and other similar negotiations for other business interests, critics of the Trump administration feel that neither Kushner nor the President have done enough to de-link themselves from their private business affairs.

TALKS COULD END WITHOUT ANY AGREEMENT

Kushner, who comes from a wealthy New York family with millions of dollars in real estate holdings, has become one of Trump's closest advisers on a wide range of issues.

WiredScore, develops tools to assess the speed and quality of office buildings' Internet connections, according to the Journal.

Kushner is pursuing the negotiations with a group of investors including the Los Angeles-based Fifth Wall Ventures although the talks have not been finalised and could end without an agreement.

ALSO READ|

Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner met executives of US sanctioned Russian bank, will testify

Trump's son-in-law Kushner to become senior White House adviser

--- ENDS ---
By Lisa Rapaport (Reuters Health) - Adolescent girls are more than twice as likely to smoke marijuana if theyre pregnant, a U.S. study suggests. While previous research has tied teen drug and alcohol use to higher odds of multiple sex partners and pregnancy, the current study offers fresh insight into marijuana use among young women. About 14 percent of pregnant girls ages 12 to 17 smoke marijuana, compared to roughly 6 percent of their non-pregnant peers, the study found. By contrast, older pregnant women were at least half as likely to smoke pot as their peers. Among all pregnant women ages 12 to 44 in the study, about 6 percent reported marijuana use during the first trimester, while 3 percent said they smoked pot in the second trimester and about 2 percent use the drug in the third and final trimester. These findings should be considered in a broader context in which young people increasingly view marijuana not just as a benign, but even as a beneficial drug, said lead study author Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse in Bethesda, Maryland. The higher prevalence of marijuana use observed in the first trimester as opposed to later in the pregnancy, suggests that some women are likely to resort to marijuana for managing their nausea, Volkow added by email. Doctors advise women to completely avoid marijuana during pregnancy because it may have negative effects on fetal neurodevelopment, especially during the first trimester. For the study, researchers examined survey data on marijuana use reported by 410,000 women aged 12 to 44, including 14,400 who were pregnant. The national survey data was collected from 2002 to 2015. Overall, about 4 percent of pregnant women and almost 8 percent of non-pregnant women reported using marijuana, researchers report in the Annals of Internal Medicine. In both pregnant and non-pregnant groups, women who were at least 26 years old were less likely to use marijuana than younger women. Among pregnant women, black women were more likely to report marijuana use than other racial and ethnic groups. One limitation of the study is that it relied on women to accurately report their drug use, which may mean the results underestimate how much people use it, the authors note. Even so, the findings are a reminder that despite declining teen pregnancy rates, parents and doctors should still keep in mind that these young women may be more likely to engage in risky behaviors than their peers, said Patricia Cavazos-Rehg of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. We have known for some time that certain groups of adolescents are prone to deviant behaviors, but we need to know more about the unique environmental and/or biological vulnerability factors that influence the tendency for risk behavior engagement at the outset, Cavazos-Rehg, who wasnt involved in the study, said by email. The trouble with pot smoking for pregnant teens is it may be even more dangerous for them than for older women, said Dr. Nathaniel DeNicola of George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Drug use, and marijuana use specifically, is underreported by all age groups, and there is reason to think this is higher among teens, DeNicola, who wasnt involved in the study, said by email. But the bigger issue: marijuana use is different among teens - it's more dangerous, DeNicola added. There are more adverse and consequential impacts on the still-developing brain. For some teens, just telling about the risk of pot during pregnancy may be enough to get them to stop, noted Dr. Seth Ammerman of Stanford University and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital in California. Some of these adolescents who are using do not initially realize they are pregnant, but once they find out and are counseled to stop use, a significant number do, so rates decrease from the first trimester on, Ammerman, who wasnt involved in the study, said by email. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2oF6436 Annals of Internal Medicine, online April 17, 2017.
Turkey fell farther into President Recep Tayyip Erdogans grasp this Sunday, when a referendum designed to increase the powers of the presidency passed.

The opposition has said it will contest at least a third of the votes counted and official results are still to come. But Erdogan has declared victory, and with 99.8 percent of votes counted, over 51 percent were apparently in favor of the referendum.

That referendum turns Turkey from a parliamentary system into a presidential one and allows the president to hold executor powers and publish decrees. It also permits the president to be a member of a political party and makes it such that five of 13 Supreme Court justices are appointed by the president. God willing, these results will be the beginning of a new era in our country, Erdogan said. For many, that is exactly the concern.

Meanwhile, in the United States, U.S. President Donald Trump wondered aloud on Twitter who had paid those protesting for him to release his tax returns on Saturday, Americas tax day.

Elsewhere, in North Korea, a missile test set off early Sunday local time failed. The president and his military team are aware of North Koreas most recent unsuccessful missile launch. The president has no further comment, U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis said.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence arrived in South Korea just hours after the test. After Easter church services at the U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan, Pence said the test was the the latest reminder of the risks each one of you face every day in the defense of the freedom of the people of South Korea and the defense of America in this part of the world.

Pence addressed the troops on Sunday, and, early Monday local time, headed to a base in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea. He is also expected to meet with South Koreas acting government during his ten day trip to Asia. Pence will then visit Japan, Indonesia, and Australia.

Whether Pence can cool heads as the United States and North Korea threaten one another  and mend bridges with Australia, a traditional U.S. ally, the government of which Trump argued during his first presidential phone call with that country  will be seen in the week ahead.

Photo credit: OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images
Avdiivka (Ukraine) (AFP) - Oleksandr and Ruslan drove their dusty grey minibus across a field pock-marked with shell craters, venturing into the no-man's land of Ukraine's volatile frontline.

Part of a team from a local factory, they can often be found risking life and limb in the east Ukraine conflict zone to repair damage to power lines that regularly plunges their hometown Avdiivka into darkness.

"When I see the flash of shelling in the direction of Avdiivka, I begin to count off the seconds before an outage," 45-year-old Ruslan Kolesov, the transport director at the town's coking coal plant told AFP.

"I can determine where the shell fell with an accuracy of 200 metres (yards) only by the length of time and the noise."

The government-held town of Avdiivka and the factory where Kolesov works regularly get caught up in shelling between Ukrainian forces and the Russian-backed rebels on the other side.

Four power lines, vital for both operations at the factory and lighting the town, run across the frontline from thermal power plants located in rebel-held territory.

That means that cables often get cut by the fighting and the repairmen have to tool up.

"The plant is the heart of the city. It provides light and heating to all residents of Avdiivka. If they interrupt the supply of electricity to the plant then the entire city is without light," Kolesov explained.

- 'Green corridor' -

Before the search team can even reach the power lines, Kolesov and his colleagues have to go through the fraught process of getting the agreement of both Ukraine's military and the rebels to hold fire.

"We start only when both sides give us a 'green corridor'. But even if both sides promise it, it does not mean that we will not come under fire," he said.

In 2015 members of the team were detained as saboteurs at one of the insurgent's checkpoints before being blindfolded and taken for questioning after their phones were seized.

Story continues

The men were eventually released after a few tense hours when militants learned who they were.

The team was recently given kevlar helmets and body armour by the Ukrainian army but they are often reluctant to wear the gear -- preferring their old white plastic helmets and overalls for fear of appearing like combatants.

"When we wear khaki-coloured bulletproof vests, it's hard to explain that we are not saboteurs," said 37-year-old driver Oleksandr Korovan.

- Drawing lots -

Some of the team insisted they are now inured to the danger as Ukraine's low-level war wears on towards a third year, having cost some 10,000 lives already.

But Korovan and another driver still draw lots to decide who will take the wheel for each risky mission.

"One counts only on intuition in our work," Korovan, a father of two children, said. "Every time it is scary."

The men do not get any extra money for the risks they run but insist they have no plans to quit their jobs all the same.

"Our city and our factory are like a big anthill," said the other driver Sergey.

"They are trying to destroy our anthill with shellings, but we, like ants, fix it all together, bring back the light, and it lives again."
Only about 51 percent of voters supported Turkeys national referendum, and the opposition is vowing to fight the results. But that hasnt stopped Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans from declaring victory.

The Western world attacked us. But we did not stop. Erdogan said on Sunday. He called on foreign parties and countries to respect the results.

The referendum would greatly expand Turkish presidential powers, giving the president authority to issue decrees and appoint five or Turkeys 13 Supreme Court justices (it also moves Turkey from a parliamentary to a presidential system). It has been widely seen in the West as a power grab and rollback of democratic hopes many had for the country in the early days of Erdogan. The vote was marred by allegations that unstamped ballots were counted, despite the oppositions protestations.

Clearly, [hes] sensitive on the issue of foreign acceptance, Bulent Aliriza, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies Turkey Project, told Foreign Policy. But the other result of the referendum is this: Turkey is going to further isolate itself from the European Union and the United States.

The United States and the Europe Union withheld comment until hearing from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which has 57 partner countries (including every EU member state). The OSCE took little time to weigh in. It issued a withering 14-page report on the Turkish governments handling of the referendum on Sunday in which it blasted not only the campaign and media environment but also the governments handling of voter registration and elections observers.

The referendum took place on an unlevel playing field and voters were not provided with information about key aspects of the reform, the OSCE said. The group suggested that any democratic process would have been problematic due to the diminishment of freedoms and restrictions on the democratic institutions since the state of emergency put in place after the July 2016 failed coup attempt.

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Erdogans response to the OSCE? Know your limits.

The report was unusually harsh which puts the United States and Europe in a bind in the very short term in how theyre going to interpret that, argued Nate Schenkkan of Freedom House. Indeed, in the statement issued after the report, the United States, through acting State Department spokesperson Mark Toner, thanked the OSCE and said it looked to the Turkish government to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of all its citizens.

The cloud over the vote is likely to cost Erdogan abroad. His argument on the international stage is that, while he may call European governments Nazis and jail journalists, he wins legitimate elections. These, however, were really, really bad elections, which may lead the United States and European countries to work not with but around Erdogan, Schenkkan said.

The most direct impact will be on Turkeys relationship with the European Union. The EU will likely halt negotiations for Turkish accession, although they likely wont be formally suspended, Sinan Ulgen of Carnegie Europe said. Formal suspension is tantamount to ending negotiations, which would require unanimity to begin anew, he explained.

Erdogans vows to reinstate the death penalty will be a deal breaker for the EU, halting accession talks. Many thought talk of the death penalty was a political ploy to capitalize on the nationalist vote before the referendum, after which it would be sidelined, Ulgen said. But Erdogan vowed to bring it back on Sunday night.

The European Union is also now increasingly unlikely to allow visa-free travel from Turkey, which will lead Turkey to continue to threaten to break off the refugee deal that has helped curb migration to the EU.

The referendums impact on U.S.-Turkish relations is murkier, but it certainly isnt positive. Turkish expectations were high for President Donald Trumps administration, Aliriza said. Erdogan had soured on Trumps predecessor, President Barack Obama, who was working with the Kurds in Syria and refusing to extradite Erdogan bogeyman Fetullah Gulen to Turkey. But so far, the Trump administration hasnt reversed course.

The U.S. doesnt have to announce rupture with Turkey, David Phillips, a Turkey expert at Columbia University. But it might not be as friendly as it would if Turkey were working to cement its democracy. Why would we bend over backwards to accommodate his dictatorship? Phillips asked.

Those tensions could create a spillover out of NATO capitals and into NATO itself, either through less NATO cooperation or even by viewing Turkey as something less than a NATO ally.

The idea that Turkey is an indispensable security partner is wrong. We need options, Phillips said. He noted, We should recall that NATO is just more than a security alliance. Its a coalition of countries that share values.

It is perhaps worth asking: why would Erdogan, who was already amassing power without a move that threw his electoral legitimacy into question, determine it was worth it to hold a referendum that would further polarize his own country while isolating it from its traditional allies?

I dont know if he knows another playbook. Its his playbook, and its the one he always goes back to, Schenkkan said. He definitely thinks it works.

Photo credit: Gokhan Sahin/Getty Images
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Lisa Murkowski. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Zach Gibson/Getty Images, Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call, Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images, Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP, Background art: AP, Getty images, Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)

Rep. Carlos Curbelo is a two-term Republican from a South Florida district that was once the epicenter in the countrys war on drugs. But last month Curbelo, one of a new generation of Cuban-Americans in Congress, did something that, not too many years ago, would have been unthinkable. He co-sponsored a bill that is the top priority for the nations booming marijuana industry.

Dubbed the Small Business Tax Equity Act, Curbelos bill would let legal pot dealers take advantage of the same tax deductions and credits as any other business, a move that industry experts say would slash the effective tax rates for weed dispensaries in half.

One of my goals in Congress is to ensure the law treats all enterprises with fairness and equity, he said in a statement explaining his decision to join a liberal Oregon Democrat, Earl Blumenauer, in co-sponsoring the measure.

It didnt hurt Curbelo that his move won instant plaudits from influential GOP tax reform guru Grover Norquist  a longtime champion of legalized pot  who decries the arbitrary and punitive treatment of legal marijuana dealers in the tax code. Nor is it likely to hurt Curbelo back home: Last November, 71 percent of Florida voters approved a medical marijuana measure on the ballot, making the Sunshine State one of the latest in a long line of states that have either legalized pot altogether or allow it to be sold for medicinal purposes.

Look  its increasingly clear people in our country are accepting of marijuana, Curbelo said in an interview with Yahoo News. Millions and millions of voters have decided they want marijuana use to be legal for medical purposes or, in some cases, for recreational purposes. For those of us who are small-c conservatives who believe in the Tenth Amendment, we should defer to the people of Florida and other states  we shouldnt get in the way.

The efforts of Republicans like Curbelo and Norquist are one reason why Attorney General Jeff Sessions hopes of reimposing strict enforcement of federal marijuana laws are likely to meet strong bipartisan resistance  and may ultimately go nowhere. Ever since he took over the Justice Department, the 70-year-old Sessions, an unrepentant drug warrior, has made clear his disdain for pot. I dont think America is going to be a better place when people of all ages, and particularly young people, are smoking pot, he told reporters in February shortly after being sworn in.

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And now Sessions seems to be doing something about it. He released a memo to the countrys U.S. attorneys unveiling a Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety whose mission is to review department policies on charging, sentencing and the current enforcement of marijuana laws.

Everything is on the table; well be looking at everything, said a senior department official when asked what the task forces goals will be when it comes to marijuana enforcement. The official, however, declined to offer any clues to what Sessions specifically has in mind, saying little more than we may be able to say something more by June.

To be sure, the sale and even possession of marijuana remains a federal crime, punishable by prison time and hefty fines  even in states that have repealed their own pot prohibitions. But just how far Sessions will be able to go in implementing his anti-pot agenda is far from clear, given the shifting political winds on the issue. Thanks to changing cultural attitudes and the steady march of legalization initiatives at the state level, the pro-pot cause is only gaining momentum, making it increasingly harder for foes like Sessions to slow it down, much less stop it.

Its not even clear Sessions will get the cooperation of his fellow cabinet members. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, questioned on Meet the Press Sunday, said that marijuana is not a factor in the countrys drug problems and that arresting a lot of users was not the answer.

Its absolutely powerful now. This is a political movement, said Norquist, who is quietly lobbying to get Curbelos proposal slipped into the massive tax reform bill that President Trump wants Congress to pass by this summer. There are now guys in coats and ties making the case  not just guys in tie-dyed T-shirts.

The strength of that movement was underscored recently after White House press secretary Sean Spicer first suggested that the Trump administration was looking at greater enforcement of the marijuana laws. Within days, eight senators  led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska  fired off a letter to Sessions urging him to stand down and to stick with the Obama Justice Department policy, embodied in the so-called Cole memo (signed by former Deputy Attorney General James Cole) that, as a matter of prosecutorial discretion, urged U.S. attorneys to lay off legal pot dealers in states that have set up their own regulatory schemes to supervise them. Even as Sessions was about to sign his new memo earlier this month, four state governors (of Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington) launched a preemptive strike, sending their own letter to Sessions and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin making a similar request. As governors, we have committed to implementing the will of our citizens, they wrote.

What weve seen is a lot of pushback from both sides of the aisle, said Taylor West, communications director for the National Cannabis Industry Association, the major trade group for the countrys pot sellers. A couple of times now, there have been statements coming out of the administration, from Sessions or Sean Spicer, that seemed ominous for legal marijuana programs. But when follow-up is done and questions are asked, there is not a clear statement of policy changes. The clearest thing to come out of these episodes is the opposition to the idea that they might change the policy.

So far, eight states (Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon and Washington) and the District of Columbia have passed laws legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. Twenty-nine states plus the District of Columbia have medical marijuana laws. All this has led to a thriving, and steadily growing, domestic marijuana industry  meaning a new anti-pot crackdown would cost states tax revenue and jobs. A new study by Arcview, a market research firm, estimates there were $6.7 billion in sales of legal cannabis products in 2016, up 34 percent from the year before. Industry sales are projected to more than triple to $21.5 billion by 2021. The Arcview study notes that there are only two obvious cases in recent decades in which industries have experienced that kind of supercharged growth: cable television in the 1980s  and broadband Internet access in the 2000s.

The marijuana surge has produced an increasingly potent pro-pot lobby in D.C.: Wests National Cannabis Industry Association, which represents 1,200 legal pot sellers, employs high-profile lobbyists (Hillary Clinton super-bundler Heather Podesta was until recently under contract), has its own political action committee and throws fundraisers at a tony Capitol Hill wine bar where a growing number of members of Congress show up to schmooze and collect campaign checks. When the group recently announced it would be holding its annual lobby day this year on May 16, more than 300 members signed up to fly in  more than twice as many as last year  to press the industrys case on Capitol Hill.

Part of this years pot industry lobby day agenda will be to play defense against any possible moves by Sessions. In the worst-case scenario, says West, the Justice Department could rescind the Cole memo and direct prosecutors to start cherry-picking businesses tied to the legalized pot trade  by suing landlords that lease to them, for example  or even raiding dealers themselves for violations of federal law. But she says her groups members are not panicking. An even bigger part of this years agenda will be to play offense: pressing for changes in Treasury Department rules that would, for example, permit federally regulated banks to accept the business of marijuana dispensaries. (Right now, most wont, out of fear of being accused of accepting income that is illicitly gained under federal law, forcing most dispensaries to do all their business in cash.)

The other top-of-the-agenda item is the Curbelo-Blumenauer tax bill  a big-ticket issue for the legal weed industry. As a result of a 1981 court case involving a convicted cocaine trafficker, businesses involved in selling illegal drugs under the Internal Revenue Service code are barred from taking the same standard deductions  for rent, office equipment, depreciation and the like  that any other business does. The pot industry badly wants that changed  and Norquist and Curbelo have a strategy to help them do it: Push the measure as part of a tax overhaul package, arguing that the current rule is a job-killer that amounts to a 35 percent sales tax on legal weed. I do think its a candidate for inclusion, said Curbelo, who conveniently sits on the Ways and Means Committee and is positioned to make it happen. This legislation is without question consistent with the goal of Ways and Means Republicans of simplifying the tax code and making it more coherent and more fair. (A similar bill has been introduced in the Senate by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.)

Norquist even allows himself to hope that including the pot measure could bring some Democrats on board for a Trump tax reform bill. It may be far-fetched, but, Jeff Sessions notwithstanding, there are those who believe marijuana might turn out to be one issue on which a divided Washington can come together.



_____

Read more from the Yahoo Weed & the American Family series:
Much attention has been focused recently on President Trumps new foreign policy.

This policy change is symbolized by the U.S. missile attack on Syrias Shayrat airfield, which followed Syrian President Bashar al-Assads alleged chemical weapon attack on rebels in that countrys Idlib province.

The National Security Council has also been restructured. Former Director Michael Flynn resigned after lying about his meetings with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. Deputy K.T. McFarland was cashiered and became U.S. ambassador-designate to Singapore. They have been replaced by retired General H. R. McMaster as director, and his deputy for strategy, Dina Powell. The removal of Trump adviser Steve Bannon from the principals committee of the council also represents an apparent move to follow more traditional foreign policy-making.

What is driving this apparently positive change? The movement toward an apparently more traditional approach suggests the greater influence of Trumps daughter Ivanka, who was recently named a regular employee of the White House, and her husband Jared Kushner, a senior adviser to the president over Bannon. Both may be trying to repair what The Gatekeepers author Chris Whipple has called the most dysfunctional White House chief of staff and presidency in U.S. history.

The two family members have strengthened a White House faction Bannon describes, not admiringly, as the New Yorkers or simply Goldman Sachs. Bannon himself leads an opposing faction that is more nationalist, isolationist and populist.

However this rivalry plays out, what has been clear during the honeymoon phase of the Trump presidency is that influential individuals have created an incoherent, impulsive style of governance, dominated by personal decision-making processes, such as the overnight decision to bomb Syria. This spasmodic style, ignoring interagency reviews, is new in the modern presidency, even among presidents like Kennedy and Clinton, who involved family members in their administrations. Trump relies on personal relationships, rather than the institutions of democracy.

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As a comparative political scientist who studies different types of governments, Im interested in how personal rule linked to family can erode democratic institutions in favor of authoritarianism. Academics call this sultanism.

Let me explain.

What sultanism means

It was over a century ago that the famous political sociologist Max Weber developed the concept of sultanism, which, he wrote, operates primarily on the basis of discretion.

Sultans, or kings, of the Ottoman Empire were absolute rulers, their power made legitimate by theology. They used arbitrary and despotic powers. Their lifestyles were lavish and decadent. And over time they lost their power. While rival European empires such as the Hapsburgs Austro-Hungary and Webers native Germany were rising in the 19th century as they developed impressive civil and military bureaucracies and procedures, the Ottoman Empire was declining.

Alfred Stepan and the late Juan J. Linz of Columbia University argued that sultanism is both a regime type (like democracy and authoritarianism) and an adjective describing a style of personal rule that is possible under all regime types, including democracy. They wrote:

The essence of sultanism is unrestrained personal rulership  unconstrained by ideology, rational-legal norms, or any balance of power.



Sultanism, in other words, is most common under authoritarian and autocratic rule, but it can also be present in democracies, when leaders personalize decision-making instead of following established institutional or legal processes.

Some might assume it irrelevant to compare any U.S. leader to classic sultanistic rulers such as the Duvaliers of Haiti, Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines or Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union. These regimes were nondemocratic and dominated by a single personality with family members intensely involved.

However, like the U.S., South Korea is a democracy and its president, Park Geun-hye, was impeached Dec. 9 for corrupt activities, many connected to a close family adviser. The adviser, allegedly a shaman, is herself the daughter of another Rasputin-type religious figure who had also secretly advised the presidents father during his 18 years in office.

Another example can be found in Nicaragua. President Daniel Ortega  who packed his Supreme Court to allow him a third consecutive term  has as his vice president his wife, Rosario Murillo. She is one of the few leaders he trusts, having alienated much of his party.

American precedents

For its part, the U.S. has had sultanistic tendencies of its own in the past.

President John F. Kennedys closest adviser and his attorney general was his younger brother, Robert, indispensable during the perilous time of the Cuba Missile Crisis. And JFK, while in office and sometimes with his brother Robert involved, took enormous risks in having flings with women with dubious political connections - from a socialite with links to the mob to a possible East German spy. This is not mere indiscretion.

The reaction of Congress to all this was to pass, in 1967, the Anti-Nepotism Statute  nicknamed the Bobby Kennedy Law  to make sure close relatives no longer assume official positions. Some suggest, however, that the law does not exclude unofficial advisers.

Another example of sultanistic practices is Hillary Clinton, who was her president-husbands lead and unpaid adviser on health care reform.

And then, in George W. Bushs Cabinet, the two most powerful foreign policy advisers  Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney  were both alumni of George H. W. Bushs administration. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Rumsfeld and Cheney, with Bushs approval, established arbitrary policy that permitted torture, warrantless surveillance and targeted assassinations.

These Bush-era law-free zones in national security matters, which some have called dictatorial, were based on the legal concept of the unitary executive. The idea is that the judicial and legislative branches cannot check or regulate the president on executive matters, especially those involving national security.

The unitary executive facilitated sultanism by asserting that the president monopolizes all executive power, however exercised. As some noted constitutional scholars have said, this theory basically places the president above the law.

What makes Trump different

Most modern American presidents have risen through the institutions of U.S. democracy  state political parties, Capitol Hill, the military. They have been vetted and embedded in institutional rules, attitudes and relationships. Someone like Trump, coming in from the cold, in contrast, brings his family and close associates and makes decisions outside of those formal and informal institutions.

Having masterminded his unexpected victory based on an unconventional campaign, Trump has already shown a tendency to trust his instincts on major decisions of governance, creating impulsive, unpredictable decisions. His past record as CEO and his outsider status make Trump self-reliant and assured that most of the world is misguided and only he and his few trusted advisers, including his family, have the answers.

When questioned, for example, on his pledge to ban Muslims from entering the country until our countrys representatives can figure out what is going on, Trump said:

What Im doing is no different than FDR. If you look at what he was doing, it was far worse  and hes one of the most highly respected presidents  they name highways after him.

Here Trump was evoking the 1944 Korematsu decision, which upheld almost unlimited executive powers over immigration to permit the detention of Japanese-Americans without any evidence (and none existed) of subversion. This decision is considered by many constitutional scholars as the most ignominious in Supreme Court history, a tragic mistake that we should not repeat. Even the late Justice Antonin Scalia disavowed it as an error.

The U.S. presidency has always been prone to sultantistic tendencies, but under a Trump presidency what were once isolated incidents have predictably become a way of governing. When the closest advisers, both institutional (like Ivanka and Kushner) and informal (in the case of his two adult sons), are dominated by family members, the decision-making process will not only be erratic and possibly influenced by private family interests but also tend to ignore legal procedures that have also met the test of time.

Instead of a team of rivals under the rule of law, the Trump presidency may be akin to medieval monarchy, with decisions made by court politics, not legal procedures.

Editors note: This piece updates Sultan Donald Trump?, which originally ran on Jan. 20, 2017.

Henry F. (Chip) Carey, Associate Professor, Political Science , Georgia State University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

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Photo: The Conversation

The Conversation

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Sea level rise is typically thought of as a coastal problem, with cities from New York to San Francisco pondering new coastal defenses such as sea walls and sturdier buildings.

However, by making large swaths of the U.S. shoreline uninhabitable by the end of this century, sea level rise could reverberate far inland, too. In fact, every single U.S. state will be affected by climate change-induced sea level rise, a new study found.

SEE ALSO: This March was the second-warmest March in 137 years, because why stop now?

If the global average sea level rises by 1.8 meters, or nearly 6 feet, by 2100  which is well within the mainstream projections from recent studies  13.1 million Americans could migrate away from coastal areas during this time period, according to research published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change.

Miami under a 6-foot sea level rise scenario.

Image: climate central

The biggest net population gain would be in Texas, which would see migrants from Louisiana, Virginia, and low-lying areas in the Lone Star State, the study found. In particular, the Austin and Round Rock area of Texas could see a net gain of as many as 820,000 people, depending how well coastal areas adapt to sea level rise.

Orlando and Atlanta are also projected to receive more than 250,000 climate migrants through 2100. Phoenix and Las Vegas, both of which are already struggling to keep up with water and electricity demand, could also see an influx of people.

The biggest population-losing cities are not that surprising: New Orleans and Miami.

In Florida, the area from West Palm Beach south to Miami is projected to lose as many as 2.5 million people by 2100 due to sea level rise-related flooding, the study found. Some 2 million people could still flee the area even if climate change adaptation measures are undertaken, such as building sea walls, raising coastal roads to prevent them from flooding regularly, keeping salt water from entering water supplies, and other projects.

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Nine states could see a net population loss, including Massachusetts, South Carolina, California, Virginia, New Jersey, Louisiana, and Florida.

The study, by Matt Hauer of the University of Georgia, claims to be the first to show how climate change may reshape where people live across the country. Most sea level rise studies focus on the risk to coastal residents, but this one goes significantly further by trying to determine the inland areas that may be placed under strain when climate migrants move in droves.

"We typically think about sea level rise as a coastal issue, but if people are forced to move because their houses become inundated, the migration could affect many landlocked communities as well," Hauer said in an email.

Hauer said he was surprised that many people are projected to move from coastal areas hit hard by sea level rise to other more resilient coastal regions  such as from one part of coastal California to another, at least according to the modeling he used for the study.

Globally, climate migrants from sea level rise alone could reach as many as 180 million, the study found. When including other climate change impacts, such as drought, more severe storms, and longer-lasting and hotter heat waves, entire regions of the world, such as the Middle East and North Africa, may be virtually uninhabitable as soon as the end of the current century.

Tick marks show the number of migrants (inflows and outflows) in thousands. States are ordered clockwise by the size of inflows. The top ten outflow states are colored; all other states are in grey.

Image: Hauer, Nature Climate change 2017.

According to the new study, only wealthy households with incomes of greater than $100,000 will remain in coastal areas because they can afford to take adaptive measures to prepare for sea level rise. However, it could also be argued that poorer residents won't be able to migrate because they can't afford to resettle.

Both the study itself and an accompanying article in Nature Climate Change show that there are many uncertainties involved with trying to determine where climate migrants will go once they are displaced from coastal areas. For example, it's not clear where the best economic opportunities will be in 30 to 50 years from now, which would affect migration patterns.

WATCH: Watch how global warming heats up the world from 1880-2016
By India Today Web Desk: Calling for the end of the Muslim practice of triple talaq, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today equated it with the disrobing of Draupadi in Hindu epic Mahabharata and slammed the silence of the politicians over it.

"These days there is a new debate in the country. Some people are maintaining a silence on this issue. This reminds me of the scene in the Mahabharata in which Draupadi is being disrobed in an assembly and she asks a question to the gathering as to who is responsible for this?" he said at an event to mark the 91st birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar in Lucknow.

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"No one was able to utter even a single word. At that time Vidur said people who have committed the crime, those who are the accomplices and those who maintained silence on this issue are equally responsible," Adityanath added.

Adityanath slammed those who were against uniform civil code, questioning why should there be two laws "when the entire country was one". He said that politics should be practiced under the constitutional limits and pointed out that the late Chandrashekhar was also a votary of common laws.

YOGI ECHOES MODI

Adityanath's statement marks the continuation of a pro-Muslim women pitch the BJP has been raising, using triple talaq as the cornerstone of that outreach. On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said the BJP would focus on adding new socio-groups into its fold, especially the women and the poor among Muslims.

Dubbing triple talaq a "bad social practice", Modi said such things can be ended by social awakening but stressed that the Bharatiya Janata Party didn't want a conflict on this issue.

"As far as social justice is concerned, our Muslim sisters should also get justice. There should not be injustice to them. No one should be exploited," Union Minister Nitin Gadkari quoted Modi as saying.

Modi added: "We should not allow conflict in the society. We don't want any conflict in Muslim society over the issue. We need to end such bad practices by awakening the society."

Modi's observation came at his concluding remarks of the two-day BJP National Executive meeting in Odisha.

The Narendra Modi government had on October 7 last year opposed in the Supreme Court the triple talaq mode of divorce, 'nikah halala' and the practice of polygamy among Muslims and favoured a relook on grounds like gender equality and secularism.

THE MUSLIM BOARD STAND

Meanwhile, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) asserted that Muslims have the "constitutional" right to follow their personal law and said that those who are using triple talaq recklessly and without justification should be made to face social boycott.

"A code of conduct for talaq is being issued. With its help, the real picture of Sharia directives will be brought out on the talaq issue. If talaq is given without Sharia reasons, those involved will be socially boycotted," AIMPLB General Secretary Maulana Wali Rehmani said on Sunday. ALSO READ | What is misuse of triple talaq? Tomorrow we may hear of misuse of rape, tweets Javed Akhtar

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Don't want conflict in Muslim society over triple talaq: PM Modi

--- ENDS ---
Sofia Vergara definitely knows how to throw a party. The Modern Family actress just shared on social media a couple of snaps from the lavish brunch she prepared for her husband Joe Manganiello, their family and closest friends this Easter Sunday.

Vergara appeared to have started preparing for the Easter party in her house last Saturday. She even posted a snap of the chocolate bunnies and the other gifts she got from Clarissa & Camila Rezende and Stefan Behar Sucre that day.

In a follow-up, Vergara showed off the eclectic design and arrangement of the table she prepared for her guests. In another snap, the 44-year-old actress is seen carrying a large inflatable rabbit, which she said is part of her last-minute decorations for the brunch.

READ: How Sofia Vergara, Joe Manganiello maintain strong relationship

It appears, Magic Mike actor Manganiello was quite pleased with what the actress prepared as he could be seen grinning in one of the posts Vergara shared real time on Instagram. Vergara continued to update her fans of the event by sharing more photos and video clips from the brunch.

A little later, everyone gathered outside to pose with the inflatable rabbit in the lush backyard of the celebrity couples property. The guests then continued the celebration outdoors before the brunch wrapped up. In the end, Vergara thanked everyone for coming to the party.

Vergaras Easter shindig comes just days after the television actress shared a sizzling photo on Instagram for throwback Thursday. In the post, Vergara revealed to her fans that the sun and trans fats were actually the things that made her buttocks look great at the time.

Since its been years since she took the photo, Vergara has moved on to better ways of keeping her body in shape. She previously told SELF: Im aging, and I know that it does make a difference and you can see it in the women and men that work out. Things start to change, and Im like, The only thing to do is go and take care of it.

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Speaking of Vergaras workout routine, the actress personal trainer Jennifer Yates told People: She loves working the butt. We do a lot of squats and deadlifts and a lunges [on the machine], and we do a lot of things off the machine as well.

Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello

Photo: Reuters/Danny Moloshok

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When Ms. N came to Dr. John Hogans office last August, it had been nearly three months since she had felt like herself. Previously completely healthy, the 25-year-old woman had been plagued by shaking chills, fevers, and unremitting fatigue, barely able to drag herself to her job in a Boston-area accounting office. Most troubling, though, was the thin yellow fluid draining from her thighs and the undersides of her breasts. Little did she know this was the beginning of a life-changing saga.

Ms. Ns symptoms had started a little over two weeks after she underwent an operation in the Dominican Republic last May. The cosmetic surgery  known colloquially as a Brazilian butt lift  had entailed sucking fat out of the belly and low back, then injecting it into the buttocks and thighs. She also underwent breast augmentation.

The clinic had looked pristine, Ms. N later relayed. She received a weeklong course of antibiotic pills after the operation, and the surgical wounds seemed to be healing well. As instructed by the doctor, she kept the incisions clean, and didnt swim or use hot tubs.

Just a few days after she returned to her home near Boston, she started draining the fluid from her breasts and thighs.

My first day back at work, I noticed my shirt felt wet, Ms. N said in an interview with STAT. I looked in my bra and saw this thin liquid. Some days, the towels she stuffed into her bra to absorb the fluid became soaked within an hour or two.

Read more: Finding the worlds unknown viruses  before they find us

Around this same time, Ms. N noted large bruises on her legs; these became red and excruciatingly painful, sometimes opening up at night and releasing the same thin fluid.

It stung like something was trying to push through my skin, she said. Sometimes Id wake up soaked in the fluid.

Shed become extremely fatigued  falling asleep at 5 p.m. some days  and was spiking fevers. She was also losing weight without trying to.

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Worried about these symptoms, Ms. N went to see her primary care doctor, who took samples of this draining fluid and prescribed antibiotics, presumably thinking the draining sores stemmed from a standard postoperative infection. Over the next few months, the samples would show just a sprinkling of the types of bacteria that normally live on the skin, such as Staphylococcus aureus. Doctors prescribed Ms. N various types of antibiotic pills, and although her symptoms sometimes improved temporarily, they always returned.

Alarmingly, the silicone breast implants also eroded through her skin about a month after her surgery; they were visible through the incision. The implants were removed at a hospital in the Boston suburbs; the surgeon told Ms. N he thought they might be infected. Although the wounds were rinsed with an antibiotic called cefazolin, no samples were sent for microbiological studies.

Ms. N knew she didnt feel quite right, but her doctors didnt seem concerned.

They were all telling me it was normal, she said.

Putting it all together

By August 2016, Ms. N was fed up. She was then seen by Hogan, a fellow in infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital.

In Hogans office, her vital signs were normal; she did not have a fever. On exam, Hogan noted that the opening in the fold beneath her left breast was draining something that was thinner than pus, but was nevertheless indicative of infection. He was alarmed at the way the infection had bored holes through Ms. Ns flesh.

She had multiple draining ulcers separate from the surgical sites, said Hogan, who has followed Ms. N closely ever since that first appointment. It looked like a deep infection from within the soft tissue making its way to the skin, he said.

Labs showed slightly high white blood cell and platelet counts, both of which can be high when theres an infection or inflammation. Her kidney and liver tests were normal. Looking over Ms. Ns imaging, Hogan noticed what looked like areas of infection in the parts of her breasts seen in a CT scan of her chest  done a few weeks before to look for a clot in the blood vessels of the heart and lungs. Although it wasnt noted in the radiology report, Hogan thought it might show some smudges indicating a collection of infected fluid. He made a mental note to dig deeper into this later.

Given her ongoing fevers, lab results, and skin findings, Hogan felt confident Ms. N was infected. The timing of her symptoms made Hogan fairly certain her infection was related to the surgery. He ruled out other possible sources of infection: Ms. N had no pets. She was not a drug user and never had been. She hadnt traveled out of the country other than her recent trip for the cosmetic surgery.

The question was which microbe was causing the infection, and why the previous treatments hadnt gotten rid of it.

Something didnt quite fit

There were a few options, Hogan thought. Ms. Ns primary care doctor might have treated her with the wrong antibiotics, or for too short a time, for a commonplace bacterial infection. There also might be a walled-off collection of pus inside of her body that the antibiotics couldnt reach. Yet if that were the case, the samples collected from the wounds should have grown a lot more bacteria; a mix of a few bugs commonly found on the skin wasnt exactly a slam-dunk for an infection that just wouldnt quit.

The other possibility, he thought, was an infection different from the usual ones after surgery in the United States. As opposed to fast-moving staph and strep infections, for example, bacteria in the mycobacterial family could cause chronic, draining infections.

At the forefront of his mind were Mycobacterium fortuitum, Mycobacterium chelonae, and Mycobacterium abscessus, which can cause infections of the skin and underlying tissue and are cousins to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which causes tuberculosis. M. abscessus can cause lung infections, and more rarely meningitis or infections in the brain; thankfully, Ms. N did not have any of these. Special material is needed to grow mycobacterial species, so it wouldnt be surprising that previous lab tests hadnt revealed these bacteria.

Read more: My son had a devastating, mysterious illness. The conversation about palliative care knocked me flat

Another clue pointing to a mycobacterial infection was where Ms. N had undergone surgery. Operations performed outside of the United States  known as medical tourism  have been linked to Mycobacterium abscessus infections, particularly after cosmetic surgery, although the infection has occurred domestically as well. In fact, there was a recent outbreak among patients at a major US hospital who underwent a lung transplant or heart surgery.

But Hogan needed microbiological proof of what was causing the infection, so he cast a wide net, sending samples of the fluid from her legs and chest for analysis for fungi, mycobacteria, and nocardia, another rare cause of chronic bacterial infections. He also ordered breast and thigh ultrasounds to look for the hidden pockets of infection possibly seen on the CT scan. Finally, he switched Ms. Ns antibiotic to better treat staph on the off-chance that this was the cause of her symptoms.

At last, a diagnosis

Hogan and Dr. Raj Gandhi, his more senior colleague on the case, were not surprised when the cultures revealed Mycobacterium abscessus. The defining characteristics of the case  from the chronicity, to the sites and nature of fluid drainage, to the preceding surgery, to the recalcitrance of the infection to many antibiotics  pointed to an infection by this bug.

It really was classic for mycobacterial disease, Hogan said.

The tempo of the infection  never disappearing, but never ramping up to the extent that Ms. N developed a life-threatening systemic infection  was also typical. If the staph isolated from her wounds had been causing the infection, for example, Ms. N likely would have become much sicker, much more quickly  progressing over days, instead of lingering for months. The staph bacteria in her samples were innocent bystanders, not the root of her infection.

Another clue pointing to M. abscessus was the way more and more wounds kept popping up; run-of-the-mill postoperative infections tend to solely entail the area where the surgery was originally performed.

This was an inside-out kind of thing, said Gandhi. Something that was inside from the procedure was expressing itself as drainage.

For Ms. N, getting a diagnosis after months of searching felt like a breakthrough.

I was relieved, because at least I had an answer, she said.

Read more: 5 strange disease outbreaks that still puzzle scientists

The story continues

Although Ms. N is improving on powerful antibiotics, the infection isnt gone yet; she has already undergone seven surgeries on her thighs and breasts to combat it, and may need more to eliminate it completely. Unfortunately, the antibiotics have serious side effects, including irreversible hearing loss. And her medical care has become so all-consuming that she had to leave her job. Still, she and her doctors hope shell end up infection-free.

Ms. Ns experience is a good reminder for clinicians of the importance of recognizing when a diagnosis doesnt quite fit a patients constellation of symptoms.

Doctors are taught certain patterns, said Gandhi. What you learn is then what you see, and if you see it a few times, it gets solidified, and that recognition gets easier.

And for Ms. N, her story has driven home how crucial it is to listen to the bodys cues.

Trust yourself and trust your body; you know when something is wrong, she said. I knew from the beginning that something wasnt right.

If you have dealt with a diagnostic puzzle, either as a caregiver or a patient, please email Allison at allisonbondmd@gmail.com.
Photo credit: Erik Thomas Frank

From Popular Mechanics

The raid against the termite colony was a bloodbath. In the tunnels and on the dusty earth, termites fell by the score and warrior ants lost limbs and perished under the pincer shear of terrible mandibles. Yet the ants eventually prevailed.

Now, as the victorious ants survey the battlefield, they spy half a dozen living but injured comrades-many with legs severed clean by the the termite soldiers' viscous maws. Yet these wounded ants are lucky, for they are members of the species Megaponera analis; and unlike other ants, the injured brothers will not be left behind. In fact, after being carried back to the nest, some of these battle-scarred insects will harry forth in future raids later that day.

A team of ecologists and entomologists at the University of Wurzburg, in Germany, have just finished an extensive study on the curious warrior's honor displayed by the Megaponera analis ants. These ants are found across sub-Saharan Africa. Erik Thomas Frank, who led the research team, meticulously tracked 420 raids in warring colonies in the humid savanna woodland in the northern Ivory Coast. The study was published this week in the journal Science Advances.

Leave No Ant Behind

To understand why these ants save their wounded companions, it helps to understand how the Megaponera analis ants conduct a raid. As Frank outlines in his paper, the ants follow a fairy routine pattern.

Photo credit: Erik Thomas Frank

There are basically three castes of ants that take part in raids: the nimble scouts, large earth-mover ants Frank refers to as 'Majors', and the more numerous smaller infantry ants that Frank calls 'Minors'. Raids are initiated by scouts that, after returning to their nest upon spotting a termite colony, recruit "approximately 200 to 500 nestmates and lead them to the termites in a column-like march formation," writes Frank.

As the ants assault the dug-in termites, the Majors lurch to the front, stripping away barricades of "protective soil cover created by the termites, whereas the... Minors rush into these openings to kill and pull out the prey," writes Frank. These raids occur with impressive frequency. The ants wage war two to four times a day. After each raid, injured ants are inspected by their comrades' probing antennae as they curl up into a ball, and members of both battling castes are carried back to their nest to heal.

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Being carried back by their companions, as apposed to trekking alone, is extremely important, Frank's team found. The scientists conducted several experiments that forced handicapped ants to retreat home in solitude after the war party had already departed. They found that roughly 32 percent of the lonesome veterans died en route, largely because they were singled out and attacked by predatory spiders.

Photo credit: Erik Thomas Frank

Back in the safety of their nest, wounded ants are rapidly nursed back to health. They quickly became "accustomed to a four- or five-legged locomotion. and reached running speeds similar to those of uninjured ants 24 hours later," writes Frank, who adds that "nearly all injured ants were observed in subsequent raids." In one case, Frank found a de-limbed ant recover and embark on another raid a mere hour after its original injury! Now that's commitment to the colony.

The Upshot?

For most colonial insects, the utility of a handful of damaged comrades is low, and so it's a rare sight to see creatures like ants tending to their wounded. But Megaponera analis ants form fairly small colonies-between 1,000 and 2,000 strong. Even a handful of saved soldiers (the ants returned an average of 13 battle-scarred brothers per day) makes a difference for such a small colony.

Using a simple computer model, Frank's team estimated how the side of the colony would be affected if injured comrades were left to die on the battlefield, or trek home alone. In part due the continual state of war of the small colonies, reports Frank, the no-brother-left-behind policy helps maintain a 28.7 percent larger colony size.

Frank argues that this boosted colony size is a large enough benefit to explain the evolution of this seemingly-altruistic behavior of saving wounded comrades. Still, we'd like to think that somewhere, somehow, there's an extremely tiny version of Saving Private Ryan taking place right now.

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Hundreds of students clashed with government forces in Indian Kashmir during protests Monday against a police raid on a college, as tensions ran high in the restive region.

Around 100 students were injured as police used batons and tear gas to try to quell the protests, which broke out in the main city of Srinagar before spreading to other parts of the Kashmir valley.

Teenagers in school uniform and women students wearing white headscarves were among the protesters, who chanted anti-India slogans and threw stones at government forces.

A student union had called for protests after police on Saturday tried to raid a college in the southern district of Pulwama to round up suspects in recent violent demonstrations, sparking clashes in which at least 60 students were injured.

"Students are protesting in a few colleges. We are dealing with a situation," a senior police office told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Indian-administered Kashmir has been tense since April 9, when eight people were killed by police and paramilitary troops during election day violence.

On Saturday a street vendor was shot dead by India's Border Security Force and on Sunday three people were killed by suspected rebels, one a former counter-insurgent.

Footage apparently showing a civilian tied to the front of an army jeep to deter protesters from throwing stones at the vehicle has also caused outrage after it was circulated on social media last week.

The army has launched an investigation into the incident and police have registered a case although no arrests have yet been made.

The Kashmir University Students Union, a banned student body, had called for protests in all colleges and universities following Saturday's incident.

Government forces are not supposed to enter college or university premises without special permission, and on Saturday, the union said the police action was designed to help the state "rule by repression and fear".

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Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British rule in 1947. Both claim the territory in its entirety.

Armed encounters between rebels fighting Indian rule and government forces have become more frequent since the killing of a popular rebel leader by security forces last July sparked widespread unrest.

Police and army officials say dozens of local youths have joined the rebel ranks since then.
One of the first questions people ask whenever I prescribe a medication for them is, "What side effects should I be watching for?" In fact, many patients avoid medications for fear of their potential side effects. It's no wonder; advertisements on television, in magazines and online require manufacturers to disclose the side effects of the medication, along with all of the touted benefits clinical trials have demonstrated. These disclosed side effects are not necessarily mild.

Rare side effects have often garnered the attention of the media. In prior years, bisphosphonates (medications used to treated osteoporosis) were in the spotlight when their use was associated with a feared complication of osteonecrosis of the jaw in individuals while undergoing dental procedures. Long-term use was associated with risk of atypical fractures. Though these were very uncommon side effects, the medicine's proven benefit in reducing fracture in at-risk individuals was overshadowed.

[See: How to Break 7 Unhealthy Habits.]

Medications that are Food and Drug Administration-approved require the manufacturer to disclose side effects associated with them. This is meant to allow prescribing physicians and patients who will be taking the medicine to be aware enough to weigh risks and anticipated benefits of these substances. Requirements to disclose are not the same for vitamins and supplements. For these, the FDA requires that they are generally safe and that the labels are not "misleading." Proof of benefit and disclosure of risk is not required from the manufacturer.

A lack of knowledge about the risks of these substances can lead to potential and unforeseen problems. As one example, vitamins are generally considered safe by the general public and used by a large fraction of the population. In one survey, 50 percent of 50 to 64 year olds took vitamins, which rises to 68 percent in those 65 and older. Though vitamin C and vitamin B12 are considered safe in any amount, excessive amounts of certain vitamins are associated with harm. For example, an excess of vitamin A supplements has been associated with higher risk of osteoporosis. Excessive amounts of vitamin B6 can produce a peripheral neuropathy. Vitamin E in doses greater than 400 units daily has been associated with a higher risk of all causes of death. Though it is relatively easy to look at a single supplement to see how much of a vitamin you're taking, this becomes more difficult to track when one is taking multiple vitamin supplements, particularly when the supplements contain multiple components.

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[See: 10 Cold and Flu Myths Debunked.]

For herbal supplements, it's worthwhile to know how they could potentially interact with other supplements and, more importantly, with any prescribed medications. For example, extracts of garlic, ginger or ginkgo could potentially interact with blood thinners to increase the risk of bleeding. St. John's Wort is commonly taken for depression, but it may interact with other antidepressants concurrently being taken and lead to a severe drug interaction call serotonin syndrome.

Herbal extracts/supplements are often metabolized in the liver, and some may have a direct impact on the metabolizing of prescribed medications. The extracts/supplements may cause prescribed medications to either last longer than they're intended to or, conversely, reduce the amount of time they're effective. Supplements that have been known to adversely affect liver metabolism include Echinacea preparations, kava, certain types of cinnamon and maleleuka. Medications that could potentially be affected include statins used to control a person's cholesterol, any number of antidepressants and anti-seizure medications.

[See: Pharmacist Recommended Vitamins and Supplements.]

Consulting your physician may help determine potential interactions. Often, asking the pharmacist about any specific concerns you have about a new supplement is worthwhile, too. It's always better to be safe than sorry.

Ronan Mangcucang Factora, MD, is Staff at the Center for Geriatric Medicine, Medicine Institute; Program Director for the Geriatric Medicine Fellowship, Co-Director of the Aging Brain Clinic; and Associate Professor of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Factora is a diplomate of American Board of Internal Medicine, with added qualifications in geriatric medicine. His clinical interests include dementia and related disorders, normal pressure hydrocephalus, falls and elder abuse.



Dr. Factora received his medical degree from the Ohio State University, College of Medicine and Public Health, Columbus, Ohio. He completed his internal medicine residency at Montefiore Hospital, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Penn. and a geriatrics fellowship at Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland.



He is a member of many professional organizations, including the American Geriatrics Society, and is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians.




By Sue-Lin Wong

PYONGYANG (Reuters) - Syria's ambassador to North Korea denounced what he called U.S. aggression and its "history of interventions" on Monday and said that it sending a "message" to North Korea with an attack on a Syrian airfield was irresponsible.

North Korea has conducted several missile and nuclear tests in defiance of U.N. sanctions and has said it has developed a missile that can strike the U.S. mainland. Its latest missile test on Sunday failed a few seconds after launch.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence warned North Korea on Monday that recent U.S. strikes in Syria, one of North Korea's few close allies, and Afghanistan showed that the resolve of President Donald Trump should not be tested.

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

The U.S. Navy this month struck a Syrian airfield with 59 Tomahawk missiles after a chemical weapons attack. On Thursday, the U.S. military said it had dropped the largest non-nuclear device it had unleashed in combat on a network of caves and tunnels used by Islamic State in Afghanistan.

Syrian Ambassador to North Korea Tammam Sulaiman said the United States was wrong to send messages with attacks on other countries.

"Whatever they do, this is clear aggression. If they want to mention this they ought to do this as a message or whatever, it has no sense to talk about this," he told Reuters, in English.

"Because what is sense is to see whether the U.S. is really serious in finding solutions, whether in Syria or Korea. If they want to keep sending messages, then you are not talking with a responsible state or a responsible administration. It is not about giving messages, it is about taking a position."

A high-level government official at North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Reuters in a separate interview on Monday that North Korea would have been attacked a long time ago like other countries if it did not have strong military capabilities.

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"The Syrian incident proves that our policy to bolster our national defence capabilities by tightening our belts is the correct policy," said Kim Son Gyong, Director General of the European Department at North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Asked whether he thought the U.S. was sending Pyongyang a message by striking Syria, he said: "We are not startled or surprised in the slightest by this kind of act. If the U.S. thinks this kind of thing will startle us, then they have misjudged us."

North Korea's KCNA news agency on Monday carried a letter from leader Kim Jong Un to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad marking the 70th anniversary of Syrias independence.

"I express again a strong support and alliance to the Syrian government and its people for its work of justice, condemning the United States recent violent invasive act against your country," Kim said.

Asked to what extent North Korea supported the Syrian military in its fight against rebel forces, Sulaiman said there was "nothing of military cooperation".

North Korea in 2013 denied it was sending military aid to the Syrian government after media reports said that Pyongyang had sent advisers and helicopter pilots.

Kim Son Gyong declined to comment when asked about the kind of military aid North Korea currently provides Syria.

Sulaiman said the "acquisition of nuclear weapons should not be a goal" for any country.

"But I can understand in the case of North Korea, I can understand why (it) is building its nuclear capabilities to face the American aggression, clear aggression."

(Writing by Nick Macfie; Editing by Alison Williams and Hugh Lawson)
Once a tax return is filed, most taxpayers want nothing more than to get their refund, stuff the paperwork into a file cabinet and forget the whole ordeal until next time. But that can be a mistake, as the fresh return may tell you how to cut your bill next year.

"One of the biggest mistakes people make is not planning ahead to know what their year-end outcome will be," says Greg Rosica, tax partner at Ernst & and co-author of the accounting and consulting firm's annual tax guide.

"Questions you need to ask yourself include: Will you be subject to AMT (alternative minimum tax)? Will your itemized deductions be efficiently utilized? What losses will be allowed?"

While everyone's income tax situation is different, here are some of the items to look at to minimize taxes for next year.

Your W-4. That's the form you fill out with your employer that determines how much federal income tax will be withheld from your check. If you had too little withheld, you may have been hit with a penalty on top of the payment due. If too much, you'll get a refund but gave Uncle Sam an interest-free loan and lost out on the interest or investment earnings you could have earned on that money.

[See: 8 Times When You Should Sell a Stock.]

It's better to have just the right amount of income tax withheld than to get a big refund. But getting it right can be hard to do because certain factors like dividends and capital gains from investments are unpredictable. If you haven't updated this information in years, key items like the number of dependents or your marital or filing status may be out of date.

A form with the correct information filed with your employer obviously will not automatically adjust for money you earn on the side, so you could select the option to increase withholdings a given amount if you have outside earnings with no withholdings.

You can also use numbers from your recent return for the W-4 worksheet on itemized deductions, to minimize any over or under-withholding of income tax on your check.

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"The key to paying the right amount of tax is to update your W-4 whenever you have a major life change such as changing jobs, getting married or divorced or having a baby," says Lisa Greene-Lewis, a CPA for TurboTax, the tax-prep software company. "Contributing to charity or donating goods can also help reduce your tax liability when you file your taxes next year."

Account for children. "Those who have children 13 and under often overlook the child tax credit," says Steven J. Weil, president of RMS Accounting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. "For those who have college students, choosing the wrong education credit can hurt."

So keep track of your options as your children get older.

Maximizing retirement savings. Chances are you can reduce your income tax by putting the maximum allowed into a retirement plan like an IRA or 401(k). So look at the adjusted gross income on your tax return and think about reducing it with bigger contributions.

"It's a documented problem that many people, especially with lower incomes, don't put as much into their accounts as they are allowed to," says Mark Luscombe, principal federal tax analyst at Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting in Riverwoods, Illinois.

[See: 8 Tips for Investing in Your 30s.]

Alternative minimum tax. If you were hit with the alternative minimum tax, which denies many deductions allowed on the standard return, look for reasons like having exercised large employee stock options, claiming lots of dependent deductions or using a home-equity loan for something other than home improvements. You may be able to avoid this tax next time by postponing sales of profitable investments or delaying income from bonuses or bills you send customers for a freelancing sideline, for instance.

The standard deduction. Taxpayers who have taken itemized deductions for years may have lost track of the standard deduction, which this year is $6,350 for singles, $12,700 for married couples filing a joint return. If your itemized deductions are smaller than that, the standard deduction is a better choice.

Older taxpayers, for example, may do better with the standard deduction if they no longer have a mortgage interest deduction, their children are no longer dependents or they've moved to a home with lower real estate taxes, or to a state with no state income tax.

Younger taxpayers may find that with a growing family, a mortgage and other expenses it now makes sense to itemize rather than continue with the standard deduction.

Mutual funds. Many actively managed funds have large year-end distributions that are taxable unless the fund is in an IRA, 401(k) or similar tax-favored account. If you were hit with big distributions, consider switching to funds that behave the same but don't have big payouts, such as index funds or exchange-traded funds.

Bond investors can think about switching from government and corporate bonds to municipal bonds, which are tax-free, notes Lisa R. Featherngill, managing director for planning at the Charlotte, North Carolina office of Abbot Downing, a wealth management firm.

Another common problem is incorrectly booking profits after fund shares are sold by not accounting for reinvested dividends and capital gains distributions, Rosica says. Forgetting to account for this after a sale could leave you with a bigger taxable gain than you should have. Most fund companies and brokerages will calculate a cost basis per share, but it's worth checking.

Booking losses. Most experts say investors who want to sell money-losing holdings should do so as soon as they decide to dump the holding, rather than waiting to the end of the year, as tax issues should not drive investment decisions. Putting losses on the books during the year will make it easier psychologically to book gains on winners you're ready to sell later.

"If losses exceed gains, you can apply up to $3,000 of that against your taxable income to lower your overall liability," says Greene-Lewis. Losses above $3,000 can be "carried forward" to offset gains or income in future years.

Losses booked in 2016 or 2017 can also, in effect, be "carried backward" and used to offset big gains of the past, says Vincenzo Villamena, managing partner of the CPA firm, Online Taxman. That's done by filing an amended return for a prior year, he says.

[See: 9 Psychological Biases That Hurt Investors.]

Finally, experts urge taxpayers to keep abreast of tax-reform moves in Washington. Republicans' vow to cut tax rates and horse-trading could eliminate some deductions, Weil says.

Jeff Brown spent nearly 40 years as a newspaper reporter, columnist and editor, including 20 years writing about investing, personal finance, the economy and financial markets. He spent 20 years at The Philadelphia Inquirer and has been freelancing since 2007.
The search is on for an Idaho teen who vanished following his high school prom over the weekend.

Kristian Perez was reported missing by his mother after failing to return home from the school formal in Orofino, a town of 3,000 in the Nez Perce Indian Reservation, on Saturday night.

Read: Manhunt Underway for Suspect Who Killed Grandfather of 14 in Video Posted to Facebook: Cops

Kristian was driven to the event by a relative but signed out just after 9:30 p.m., according to the Orofino Police Department.

Investigators subsequently found the teen's tuxedo jacket, a shoe and his broken cell phone near that vehicle, according to a police statement.

Police canines tracked Kristian's scent to a parking lot, not far from where the prom was held. However, the scent trail ended there and investigators believe the teen may have entered a vehicle from that point.

Reports of the disappearance have since led to a possible sighting in the town of Lewiston, Idaho, about 40 miles west of Orofino.

Police have not yet confirmed the sighting.

Watch: 17-Year-Old Asks Disney-Obsessed Mom to Prom in the Most Magical Way

Thus far, the Orofino Police Department does not believe Kristian has contacted any friends or family since leaving the prom.

The department is asking anyone with information to call (208) 476-5551.

Watch: High School Senior Battling Rare Blood Disorder Is Thrown 'Great Gatsby'-Themed Prom

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MILFORD, Pa. (AP)  He decided to attack a state police barracks only a few days before squeezing the trigger. He was surprised the manhunt for him wasn't more aggressive. He feared he'd be shot by police but figured he had it coming.

Eric Frein's videotaped statement to police, recorded on the night of his 2014 capture and aired publicly for the first time during his capital murder trial last week, offered new details into what the suspect was thinking and doing before, during and after the deadly ambush that killed one trooper and left a second with devastating injuries.

While chain-smoking cigarettes given to him by police, Frein answered many of the investigators' questions with a nod or shake of the head - and, in the process, implicated himself over and over.

His attorney, Michael Weinstein, told reporters after the video was played in court that "it's not for us to decide if it's a confession." But he added the video showed Frein displayed "legitimate remorse."

The 33-year-old college dropout, who eluded capture for nearly seven weeks after the ambush, faces a potential death sentence if he's convicted in the attack that killed Cpl. Bryon Dickson. He's pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors have said they could rest their case this week.

Some things we learned about Frein from the video and from other evidence presented at his trial:

PLAN DEVELOPED QUICKLY

Frein told police he began plotting the ambush the first weekend of September, only a few days before the Sept. 12, 2014, attack. He used Google Earth to scope out state police barracks near his home in Canadensis, picking the Blooming Grove station because it was surrounded by woods and offered good cover. He said he didn't visit the area ahead of time and knew no one at the barracks.

___

HIDE AND SEEK

Frein wasn't exactly on the run during a large portion of the manhunt. He told police he spent most of his time as one of America's most wanted men living in an airplane hangar attached to a defunct and abandoned Poconos resort more than 20 miles from the shooting scene. It was stocked with everything he needed to live in relative comfort, though he did say he burglarized a home a few days before his capture to steal food. He called it "scary" and "a little bit disconcerting" to be the target of a manhunt but added he didn't care if he got caught.

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___

RELUCTANT TO OFFER MOTIVE

Faced repeatedly with questions about why he did it, Frein demurred. "I don't know," he said at one point. At another, Frein seemed to suggest he was dissatisfied with his life as a 31-year-old man who lived with his parents and had few job prospects. Finally, toward the end, he agreed with the investigators' suggestions that he shot Dickson and Trooper Alex Douglass to "wake people up" and force a change in government. He complained there was no one worth voting for.

Another key piece of evidence - a letter to his parents - lends credence to the idea that Frein was a wannabe revolutionary. He wrote that only another revolution can "get us back the liberties we once had."

___

CLAIMS TO BE RELIGIOUS

Asked if he considered himself a man of faith, Frein nodded his head yes. He talked about Old Testament prophesy and the New Testament book of Luke. He made the sign of the cross when an investigator said "thank God" nobody got seriously hurt during the manhunt. He spoke of his soul and said "there's already enough to answer for."

And, in a handwritten journal recovered from the hangar, he asked Jesus Christ for mercy.

Frein did not square his professions and displays of piety with the sniper who plotted, laid in wait and chose his victims at random.
Of the various companies established by Zakir Naik, Amir Gazdar was director in at least six companies.

By Shivendra Srivastava, Virendrasingh Ghunawat: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a prosecution complaint under the PMLA before a special PMLA court against Aamir Gazdar, a close aide of Zakir Naik. Gazdar has been charged for the offence of money laundering as defined in section 3 of the PMLA.

Earlier, the ED had registered money laundering case against Islamic Research Foundation on the basis of an FIR registered by the National Investigation Agency.

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It was alleged that Naik and his associates were indulging in unlawful activities through provocative utterances, promoting enmity and hatred between different religious groups in India. His inflammatory speeches and lectures have inspired and incited a number of Muslim youths in India to commit unlawful activities and terrorist acts. The Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), Mumbai was also declared as unlawful under sub-section (3) of Section 3 of the unlawful activities.

Based on the investigation conducted, Gazdar was arrested by the ED under Section 19 of the PMLA . He is presently in judicial custody. During the investigation, it was observed that certain dummy companies were established by Naik for routing the proceeds of crime. Out of various companies established by Naik, Gazdar was director in at least six companies. It was also revealed that Gazdar was a close confidante of Naik, was in close touch with him and was also involved in illegalities at the behest of and in the aid of Naik. Gazdar was not only aware of many of his nefarious and illegal activities, but actively collaborated and assisted in such activities.

The ED said that Gazdar went beyond and knowingly assisted Naik and his associated companies in their financial shenanigans by providing "accommodation entries", and utilising these tainted monies through his personal bank accounts and bank accounts of his family members. He had also given an amount of Rs 2.35 crore to Harmony Media Pvt Ltd. However, there was no agreement entered by him for the said transactions. The registered office of Harmony Media Pvt. Ltd. is located at the ancestral building owned by his family.

UNACCOUNTED MONEY

The unaccounted money of around Rs 5.15 crore belonging to Zakir Naik had been handled by Gazdar on the instructions of Naik without leaving any trail on its origin or utilisation within a span of 8 months only. No other person is privy to the source and actual use of this substantial unaccounted cash.

In the instant case, the ED has already attached properties in the form of mutual funds, real estate properties and bank balances of worth Rs 17.45 crores of Islamic Research Foundation and others. On April 13, a non-bailable warrant was also issued by the special PMLA court against Naik for not complying with the summons issued by the ED.

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As Naik has not joined the investigation yet, the ED reserved its right to file supplementary prosecution complaints, if further evidences come into light.

Also read: Zakir Naik's properties worth Rs 100 crore under ED's scanner, attachment begins

Also read: NBW issued against Zakir Naik, ED likely to revoke his passport with Red Corner Notice in pipeline

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It seems as though we only just watched the ball drop in Times Square on New Year's Eve. However, here it is, already more than three months later. That means it's time to follow up on financial resolutions made at the beginning of the year.

"I think you have to check in with yourself periodically, whatever the goal," says Marsha Harris, owner of Unified Wealth & Retirement Planning in Fort Wayne, Indiana. "When you see you have made progress, it's motivating."

Even if you haven't made progress on your financial goals, evaluating what went wrong is an important step to making a fresh start for the remainder of 2017.

[See: 10 Foolproof Ways to Reach Your Money Goals.]

Unrealistic Goals, Poor Motivation May Lead to Failure

There are several reasons people fail at maintaining financial New Year's resolutions. "One is not setting up a cash reserve for unforeseen expenses, and the other is setting goals they are incapable of meeting," says Jack Cooney, principal of Bleakley Financial Group in Fairfield, New Jersey.

While making a complete financial overhaul at the start of a new year can sound appealing, it's also overly ambitious for many people. Trying to fully fund retirement accounts, emergency funds and college savings while recalibrating spending can be overwhelming and demoralizing.

The random nature of New Year's resolutions is another reason people often fail at them. "When you use a day of the year as your motivational technique, that's not [something] a lot of people are able to follow through on," says Bob Gavlak, wealth advisor of Strategic Wealth Partners in Columbus, Ohio. Once the day passes, people may lose their enthusiasm and let their resolutions slip away.

[See: 8 Financial Steps to Take After Paying Off a Debt.]

Pitfalls to Avoid This Time Around

For those committed to getting back on track, it's crucial to avoid the traps that led to failure in the first place. "It boils down to the having the right motivation and mindset," Gavlak says. "If you don't truly want to make a change, it's not going to happen."

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To sidestep a repeat of earlier failures, be sure you have selected the right resolution. Cooney suggests people think about their biggest financial fears to pinpoint what type of financial goal will be most successful. "Start by sitting down and identifying what's keeping you up at night and what you're going to do about it," he says.

Then, make sure your goal is small enough that you can actually meet it. "Instead of resolving to pay off all your credit cards, resolve to pay off one specific card," says Steve Shaw, vice president of strategic marketing, digital banking, for financial technology solutions firm Fiserv. "Plan to do that by paying an extra $50 toward the balance each month."

Accountability is the final piece to be addressed if you want to successfully reset your resolutions. "People are always looking for excuses why not to do something," says Dolph Janis, founder and owner of Clear Income Strategies Group in Charlotte, North Carolina. Determine how you can minimize opportunities to make those excuses. It may mean having a portion of your paycheck directly deposited into savings or finding an accountability partner who can check in periodically.

[See: 13 Money Tips for Married Couples.]

Time to Reset Your Resolutions

Now it's time for action. "Take the most difficult thing and do that first," Harris says. Some people may fear creating a budget. Others may dread having to consolidate accounts or complete financial documents. Whichever task feels the most overwhelming, that's the one to tackle first, Harris says. "Then, everything you do after that feels easier."

Technology can also help keep you on track. Apps such as Mint can make it easy to monitor spending while Acorns allows for painless investing. Meanwhile, any calendar app can be used to set up reminders to conduct periodic financial check-ups.

"You can't choose how you're going to die, but you can choose how you're going to live," Janis says. The next time you're tempted to give up on your resolutions, ask yourself if you're content to spend your life in your current financial situation.
TOKYO (AP)  U.S. Vice President Mike Pence arrived in Japan for talks Tuesday expected to focus largely on trade with America's anchor ally in the region. Concluding a visit to South Korea, Pence told business leaders in Seoul the administration is taking a fresh look at trade agreements as part of its "America First" policy. "We're reviewing all of our trade agreements across the world to ensure that they benefit our economy as much as they benefit our trading partners," Pence told the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea. White House officials said the economic meetings in Tokyo, with Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso and other officials, are meant to forge a framework for future discussions after the U.S.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has arrived in Japan for the second stop of a 10-day Asia tour. His plane touched down Tuesday at the U.S. military's Atsugi base outside Tokyo. The focus of his trip is expected to shift in Japan to trade. North Korea's nuclear and missile development dominated the agenda on his first stop in South Korea. Pence told business leaders before leaving Seoul that the Trump administration is reviewing all trade agreements as part of its "America First" policy. White House officials say the meetings in Tokyo are meant to forge a framework for future discussions after the U.S.

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP)  The clouds of war, it might seem, are gathering around the Korean Peninsula. The North Korean government flaunts an increasingly sophisticated arsenal of intercontinental missiles and launches a midrange version, which apparently fails seconds after takeoff. The U.S. moves an immense warship to the waters off the peninsula in a display of military might. President Donald Trump warns he's ready to "solve North Korea," while North Korea's deputy foreign minister says his country will conduct its next nuclear test whenever it sees fit. And in Pyongyang, where war would mean untold horrors, where neighborhoods could be reduced to rubble and tens of thousands of civilians could be killed, few people seem to care much at all.

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WASHINGTON (AP)  Once soft on Russia and hard on China, President Donald Trump rapidly reversed course in the last weeks, concluding there's more business to be done with Beijing than with Moscow. Trump's evolving views on those two world powers have brought the U.S. back into alignment with former President Barack Obama's pattern of "great power" politics. Though Russia critics welcomed Trump's newly hardened tone, there's less enthusiasm from America's allies in Asia, who fear the U.S. could overlook China's more aggressive posture toward its neighbors. It may be that Trump, the businessman-turned-world leader, is discovering China's transactional approach to foreign relations is better suited to achieving his own goals.

MEETOTAMULLA, Sri Lanka (AP)  Rescuers on Monday were digging through heaps of mud and trash that collapsed onto a clutch of homes near a garbage dump outside Sri Lanka's capital, killing at least 30 people and possibly burying dozens more. Hundreds of people had been living in the working-class neighborhood on the fringe of the towering dump in Meetotamulla, a town near Colombo, when a huge mound collapsed Friday night during a celebration for the local new year, damaging at least 150 homes. By Monday morning, authorities had pulled the bodies from beneath the debris, according to a Disaster Management Center report.

PANMUNJOM, South Korea (AP)  The White House displayed a tough and unyielding approach to North Korea and its nuclear ambitions Monday, with President Donald Trump warning that Kim Jong Un has "gotta behave" and Vice President Mike Pence sternly advising Kim not to test America's resolve and military power. Trump, in Washington, and Pence at the tense Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea, signaled a forceful U.S. stance on North Korea's recent actions and threats. But no one was predicting what might come next. Behind the heated rhetoric, in fact, Trump's strategy in the region looks somewhat similar to predecessor Barack Obama's  albeit with the added unpredictability of a new president who has shown he's willing to use force.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has spoken with China's foreign policy chief about North Korea. The State Department says Tillerson called Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi (yahng jee-uh-CHEHR') over the weekend from Washington to discuss reducing tensions. Nations have been on alert in recent weeks after a series of North Korean missile tests and fears that Pyongyang may detonate another nuclear weapon. The Trump administration has repeatedly called on China to increase pressure on North Korea to comply with U.N. demands that it halt nuclear and missile tests. Tillerson plans to raise North Korea again when he hosts a meeting of foreign ministers at the U.N.

TOKYO (AP)  Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday that Japan's government is drawing up contingency plans in case a crisis on the Korean Peninsula sends an influx of refugees to Japan. Abe told a parliamentary session that the government is formulating measures including protecting foreigners, landing procedures, building and operating shelters, and screening asylum seekers. Abe's disclosure came in response to a question that had been occasionally asked in the past but is now more realistic than ever with North Korea's missile capability rapidly advancing and tension with the U.S. rising. The government has been also working on evacuation plans for about 60,000 Japanese from South Korea in case of a crisis.

UNITED NATIONS (AP)  North Korea's deputy U.N. ambassador accused the United States on Monday of turning the Korean Peninsula into "the world's biggest hotspot" and creating "a dangerous situation in which a thermonuclear war may break out at any moment." Kim In Ryong told a news conference that "if the U.S. dares opt for a military action," North Korea "is ready to react to any mode of war desired by the U.S." He said the Trump administration's deployment of the Carl Vinson nuclear carrier task group to waters off the Korean Peninsula again "proves the U.S. reckless moves for invading the DPRK have reached a serious phase of its scenario." Kim stressed that U.S.-South Korean military exercises being staged now are the largest-ever "aggressive war drill" aimed at his country, formally the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  South Korean prosecutors on Monday indicted ex-President Park Geun-hye on bribery, extortion, abuse of power and other high-profile corruption charges that could potentially send her to jail for life. It is the latest in a series of humiliations for Park, who was driven from office by massive and peaceful popular protests. Park was impeached in December, officially stripped of power in March and has been in a detention facility near Seoul since being arrested last month on allegations that she extorted from businesses, took bribes and committed other wrongdoing, all in collaboration with a longtime confidante.
Six hundred and sixty-two people on Sunday set a world record for the biggest gathering of Charlie Chaplins, each donning the black jacket, shoes, bowler hat, toothbrush moustache and cane of the comic's signature creation, the Little Tramp.

The unusual rally, drawing Chaplin fans of all ages from all over Europe, took place at a museum dedicated to the artist at his former home in Corsier-sur-Vevey, western Switzerland.

"There have been big Charlie Chaplin gatherings in the past, but this is the first to be certified by an officer of the law," Annick Barbezat-Perrin, a spokesman for the museum, told AFP.

Chaplin was born in London 128 years ago on Sunday. He died on Christmas Day, 1977, aged 88, after spending the last decades of his life in Switzerland.

The Chaplin's World museum, which opened a year ago on Sunday, also said that it had had around 300,000 visitors in its first 12 months of operation, far outstripping estimates of 220,000.
President Donald Trump kicked off the nation's 139th annual Easter Egg Roll Monday on the South Lawn of the White House. Despite concerns that the traditional event was not as well planned as in years past, the celebration seemed to go smoothly.

Alongside first lady Melania and son Barron, the president welcomed 21,000 guests and some 18,000 easter eggs to the White House to take part in the tradition that has been around since 1878. Guests were invited to participate in various activities, games and musical events as well as the central Easter Egg Roll.

Read: Sean Spicer's Past Role As The White House Easter Bunny

Families from around the country attended Monday's event to enjoy traditional activities. White House press secretary Sean Spicer, who dressed as the Easter Bunny during the Egg Roll under the George W. Bush administration, took part by reading books to children on the South Lawn.

"I just want to thank first lady Melania Tump," the president said in a speech at the event. "She worked really hard on this. She has been working on this for a long time to make it perfect and we wanted to keep it just right, but before she speaks, I want to congratulate her on this wonderful day we're going to have. Lot of people, lot of people and they're going to have a great time."

The president also thanked Barron for attending the event before inviting the first lady to speak.

"Welcome to the White House. This is the first time that my husband and I are hosting this wonderful tradition and it's great that you are all with us today," said the first lady. "I want to thank [the] military band, all the staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly to ensure that you have memorable experience. I want to thank all the military with us today and all military in this great nation, and servicemen and servicewomen all around the world who are keeping us safe. As we renew this tradition, thank you for joining us. On behalf of the president and Barron, we wish you great fun and beautiful days coming ahead of us, and happy Easter. Thank you, God bless you."

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Photo: Reuters

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PARIS (AP)  The impossible is now possible, French far right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said in celebration after Donald Trump won the U.S. presidency. But the Trump effect may not bring Le Pen the boost she had once expected.

That's in part because Trump has not turned out to be the soul mate Le Pen was counting on. Trump bombed Syria and abandoned support for President Bashar Assad, whom Le Pen backs. He alienated Russia even as Le Pen consolidated her alliance with Vladimir Putin. And Trump's administration has been fraught with internal troubles.

French voters have learned at least one thing from Trump's surprising victory and Britain's surprising vote to leave the European Union: They need to be ready for a surprise.

With only six days left before Sunday's first-round vote, polls show the four leading French candidates are so close in popularity that there's no clear front-runner. The top two candidates advance to a May 7 runoff.

Le Pen, campaigning against immigration and Europe's open borders, has a good chance of reaching the runoff but little chance of winning it - at least according to pollsters, who have suffered their own Trump effect after failing to predict his presidency.

Populists elsewhere in Europe have had mixed success in elections since November. Dutch voters rejected firebrand Geert Wilders, favoring the status quo. Italians voted against the establishment, while Austrian voters rejected a far right presidential contender.

In France, Trump's victory has given new focus to Le Pen's rivals.

Independent centrist Emmanuel Macron is framing himself as a bulwark against the nationalism and protectionism of Trump's America and Putin's Russia. "The world around us is changing. War, terrorist threat, the uncertainty on the other side of the ocean (a reference to Trump), the threat at our borders of several authoritarian regimes. Yes, we will have to be strong, uncompromising," Macron told a big campaign rally Monday.

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Other candidates are warning that Le Pen's dreams of leaving the EU and the euro would wipe out voters' savings and devastate the economy. French media pressured Le Pen last week for questioning whether the French state was really responsible for deporting tens of thousands of Jews to death in World War II during the Nazi occupation.

Le Pen enjoyed a boost from the Trump phenomenon - the rise of anti-establishment sentiment, especially from working classes who lost out from the globalization that transformed the world over the past generation. Le Pen has courted that electorate for years and saw Trump's election as vindication of that strategy.

Hours after Trump was elected, Le Pen said, "What happened tonight is not the end of the world, it's the end of a (certain) world." She called his victory and the Brexit vote "democratic choices that bury the ancient order and are as many stones to build the world of tomorrow."

She also plays to security fears after a string of deadly Islamic extremist attacks on France.

But the Trump presidency has shown that implementing populist promises isn't as easy as it seems. And Trump's own reversals have frustrated Le Pen.

"We have seen that Trump's latest positions are so contrary to what Marine Le Pen had hoped," said Thierry de Montbrial, president of the French Institute of International Relations. Nationalist candidates "no longer recognize themselves" in Trump anymore.

Le Pen distanced herself from Trump after the U.S. missile strikes on Syria earlier this month, angry that he is trying to be "the world's policeman."

Trump's reversal on NATO - which he once called obsolete - also frustrates Le Pen. She wants to pull France out of its command structure and sees the alliance as an unnecessary threat to Russia now that the Soviet Union is defunct.

"If there is a Trump effect on the campaign, it is that in many minds, it's assumed that anything is possible," said Emmanuel Riviere, director of Kantar Public's polling in France. "It's not unreasonable to have a victory of a candidate who is improbably excessive, and unexpected."

Le Pen's electorate is not an exact mirror of Trump's, though they both attract support from "white people whose social standing has fallen," Riviere said.

She doesn't have a powerful party machine like that of Trump's Republicans, and has less support from older generations who supported Trump. But Le Pen enjoys more support from youth.

Riviere said any lingering Trump effect on the French campaign could also favor other candidates, such as far-left Jean-Luc Melenchon, who rails against free trade. Or conservative Francois Fillon, who has adopted Trump-style criticism of the media and a justice system he said is conspiring against him.

"We are in a very unprecedented moment in French politics," Riviere said. "This presidential term will be something we have never seen before."

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President Donald Trump and his wife first lady Melania Trump visited the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea Sunday morning in Palm Beach, Florida, to celebrate Easter along with daughter Tiffany Trump and son Barron Trump.

Trump is the first president to visit Palm Beach for Easter since former President John F. Kennedy spent his last Easter in 1963 at his familys estate there and attended the mass at St. Edward Catholic Church.

Trump visited the Easter service at the church during his seventh visit to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach.

Security Service officers accompanied the president and his family to the church and Trump sat adjacent to the aisle in a pew near the altar.

Worshippers eagerly waited for the 11 a.m. EDT Easter service, clad in floral dresses and wide-brimmed hats. Heavy security was employed for the presidents arrival. Traffic also slowed down in front of the church while the presidential vehicles arrived.

The first lady posted a picture with her husband at the church during the celebrations on her Instagram account.

The last time a president visited Palm Beach during Easter was in April 1963, when Kennedy and his family, including his wife Jackie Kennedy and his children, spent the Christian holiday on the island near his fathers winter home on the north end.

One of Palm Beachs residents recalled how the former first family spent their vacation. The Secret Service was in all these little boats, going crazy, yelling 'stay away,' said Toni Briant Hollis, a 24-year-old Palm Beach real estate agent then, who was also a passenger aboard the sailboat that passed the presidential yacht called Honey Fitz.

We were showing off, going back and forth trying to get the presidents attention. We wanted him to wave at us, Hollis told the Palm Beach Post.

Trump is the first sitting president to visit Palm Beach on Easter in the last 54 years. His predecessor Barack Obama and his family attended Easter service at Alfred Street Baptist Church, a historic Virginia church.

Related Articles
Without immigrants, Silicon Valley would look very different. There would be no Amazon, no eBay. No Reddit, no Intel. Google, Tesla, and Yahoo? Gone. And you can say goodbye to your iPhone.

These are just a few of the biggest names, but half of all billion-dollar U.S. startups were founded by immigrants. Silicon Valley would simply not exist, and the United States position as a global tech leader might never have come to fruition.

Under President Donald Trump, we are not far from this hypothetical. Trumps immigration ban and H-1B visa restrictions will significantly harm the U.S. technology industry, diverting the steady, decades-old stream of foreign tech talent to international competitors.

And theres no country better positioned to welcome this diverse group of innovators than Trumps northern neighbor: Oh, Canada. At the center of the countrys identity is Toronto - the fourth-largest city in North America. Boasting a diverse community, booming tech scene, and forward-thinking government, this city is the leading contender to welcome tech talent and become the next epicenter of innovation.

A Culture of Inclusion

Its easy to talk in generalities when it comes to diversity and inclusion - but Im actually a product of Canadas welcoming stance on immigration. My family emigrated to Canada from Tanzania, East Africa. We fled political turmoil and settled in Canada to build a better life. It would also become the place where I eventually began to flourish as an entrepreneur.

Forty years later, Canada is still a beacon of hope for immigrants, an open society that is welcoming refugees in unprecedented numbers. Toronto was recently named the most diverse city in the world, and has become a cultural haven in which foreign entrepreneurs can pursue innovative ideas. In fact, its easier than ever for immigrants to work up north - capitalizing on Trumps decision to delay H-1 B visas, Canada recently announced an expedited work permit process, allowing foreign talent to be approved for work in a short ten days.

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Toronto recognizes that diversity both breeds innovation and is good for business. As the EVP of Venture Services at a Toronto innovation hub, Ive seen the power of diversity on the startup teams we are advising. Of the roughly 1,000 startups within our ecosystem, 54% have at least one foreign-born founder a higher percentage than Silicon Valley.

So, as America tightens its borders and retreats inward, diversity in cities like Toronto will flourish.

Infrastructure for Innovation

Torontos diverse community has fostered a rapidly growing startup scene. Recently named one of the worlds most innovative cities, Toronto is home to between 2,500 and 4,100 active tech startups, the worlds largest innovation hub, and world-class academic and research institutions.

And with 150,000 full-time students enrolled in universities in the Greater Toronto Area - many focused on science and engineering fields - the region benefits from a robust pool of entrepreneurial and tech talent. Of course, this hasnt always been the case: while Canada has historically been victim to a brain drain of academic talent emigrating to the U.S., Trumps policies will undoubtedly lead to more talent staying in Toronto; and we may start seeing the reverse as Silicon Valley talent leaves to head north. University of Toronto has already seen a 70% increase in applications from American students following Trumps win.

As always, tech follows the money - Torontos rapidly developing venture capital community is setting record investment numbers. VC in Canada hit a 15-year high in 2016, with a total of $3.7 billion invested- a whopping 36% increase over 2015. I havent seen Canadian VC excel at this rate since the dot-com boom, and every day speak with investors from around the world looking to cash in on Canadian ventures. With names like Shopify and Hootsuite rivaling Silicon Valley successes, I can understand why theyre hedging their bets.

The New Wave of Global Entrepreneurship

Where investors see the most potential, however, is in ventures that scale - ventures that tackle tough problems and provide global solutions.

And as someone who works with fellow immigrants every day, I believe that foreign entrepreneurs are more likely to develop these types of solutions, with the broadened worldview necessary to take on global issues. In fact, amongst our ventures with foreign-born founders - over 70% have some social purpose in mind, developing solutions in areas like healthcare and clean energy. A Syrian refugee creating an open approach to drug discovery.

A Mexican immigrant developing digital solutions for mobility impairments. These are the breakthroughs I see from global entrepreneurs in Toronto every single day.

While I believe that Silicon Valley once fostered this type of innovation, somewhere along the way it got stuck in a move fast and break things mentality, promoting innovation for innovations sake. They stopped caring about true progress and started caring about VC dollars - today, youre more likely to see the Valley pump out a new photo editing app or subscription box before a clean energy solution or drug therapy. And with Trumps new restrictive policies, fewer entrepreneurs will be able to come to the U.S. to build the globally impactful ventures that society truly needs.

But as America shuts them out, Canada welcomes them in. Global entrepreneurs can find a home in Toronto - a city that sees beyond borders, and whose tech community leads the world with solutions in cleantech, biotech, and more. For all of Trumps talk about bringing back jobs to America, he may actually be helping to send them to Canada. And just as it once did for my family,

Toronto welcomes this talent with open arms.

This article was originally published on TIME.com
The Trump White House is poised to ratchet up existing sanctions against Iran and is weighing a much stricter interpretation of the nuclear agreement between Tehran and major world powers.

The administration is inclined to adopt a more rigorous application of the tools at its disposal, a senior White House official told Foreign Policy, referring to sanctions policy. Among the options under consideration: broadening U.S. sanctions to include much larger chunks of the Iranian economy linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

No final decision has been taken by the president or the cabinet. But officials said some decisions will need to be taken soon. On April 25, Iran and the six governments that negotiated the nuclear deal with Tehran, including the United States, are due to meet in Vienna for a quarterly review of the accord.

How President Donald Trump decides to proceed on sanctions and the nuclear deal more broadly carries high stakes for the United States, Iran, and the wider Middle East. A concerted U.S. effort to squeeze Iran would represent a gamble that Tehrans regional push for power, particularly in Syria and Yemen, could be checked in part by increasing economic pressure.

But the approach could backfire if it causes tensions with the Islamic Republic to spin out of control or prompts Tehran to pull out of the nuclear deal. Tougher U.S. sanctions would make for a tougher re-election fight for President Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate who championed the 2015 nuclear deal but is under pressure to show Iranians a notable improvement in the economy. And a harder line on sanctions also could drive a wedge between Washington and its European allies.

Sweeping sanctions that cut across economic sectors could jeopardize the nuclear agreement and prompt Iran to withdraw, said Richard Nephew, who was the leading sanctions expert on the U.S. team that negotiated the accord with Iran.

It all really comes down to whether the people making decisions agree that the [nuclear deal] is worth keeping, said Nephew, now at Columbia Universitys School of International and Public Affairs.

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The 2015 agreement imposed numerous restrictions on Irans nuclear program in return for easing an array of sanctions  including U.S. measures  that had badly damaged the countrys economy. President Trump repeatedly blasted the accord as the worst deal and, while on the campaign trail, vowed to tear it up, but now that he is in office, he has not indicated what he will do.

Trump doesnt have to tear up the deal to tighten the screws on Iran. The agreement, which is not a treaty, provides broad leeway to the governments that signed it in interpreting its terms, and the Trump White House is mulling taking a much more forceful stance on enforcing the deal to the letter.

There are already signs that the Trump administration is using existing legal authorities in a more forceful manner than the Barack Obama administration. Last Thursday, the Treasury Department announced it had sanctioned the brother of the powerful head of the special forces arm of the IRGC, Sohrab Soleimani, for his role in abuses at the countrys prisons. And in February, the Treasury Department blacklisted eight organizations linked to the Revolutionary Guards, as well as one of its officials based in Lebanon.

Last weeks move was a further indication that the Trump administration will be taking a much tougher line in applying sanctions than did its predecessor, said Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies who has urged ramping up economic pressure on Iran.

Dubowitz, an influential voice on sanctions policy particularly among Republican lawmakers in Congress, said he also expects the Trump administration to pursue more prosecutions of illicit financial activities linked to the Iranian regime and of attempts to secure prohibited materials related to weapons or nuclear technology.

The sanctions measures imposed since Trump entered office were based on cases prepared by the Obama Treasury Department that were never enacted, said the White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the administrations policy.

We are still going off the work they did not execute, the official said.

And Treasurys recent actions reflect a heightened focus by the administration on the Revolutionary Guards, which wield major military and financial clout in Iran and have interests in numerous Iranian companies. The Treasury actions coincide with a debate within the administration about whether to designate the entire IRGC as a terrorist organization. At the moment, only the groups special forces arm, the Quds Force, is blacklisted.

Apart from designating the entire Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization, the administration is also looking at other options. At the moment, any entity that has a 50 percent ownership stake or more held by the IRGC is subject to sanctions, but the administration is mulling a change that would drop the threshold to a lower percentage.

Such a move would break with long-standing policy at Treasury, which has traditionally defined ownership as above 50 percent for any category of sanctions. A lower threshold would mean blacklisting hundreds and possibly thousands of additional Iranian companies and organizations with links to the IRGC, experts said. That would almost certainly cause a political backlash in Iran and chill any international interest in investing in Iran. European officials  and former Obama administration officials  are worried that if the White House opts for a blanket blacklisting of the Revolutionary Guards, it could effectively kill the nuclear agreement or trigger retaliation against U.S.-led forces in Iraq.

Appetite for a tougher stance isnt just found in the White House. In the Republican-controlled Congress, there is growing bipartisan support for pushing back against Iran through additional sanctions, though most Democrats want to steer clear of measures that would directly violate the nuclear deal. New bills in the House and Senate call for additional sanctions against Iran over its ballistic missile program and its human rights violations and support for terrorist groups.

The Senate bill, which has backing from some Democrats who endorsed the nuclear deal, would slap sanctions on any individual lending material support to Irans missile program. And it would also apply terrorism-related sanctions to the Revolutionary Guards.

The bills supporters say the provisions on the IRGC would merely codify existing presidential executive orders. But some former Obama administration officials argue the legislation could open the door to a sweeping designation of the entire IRGC as a terrorist organization.

The former officials say the sanctions legislation poses a possible threat to the nuclear deal as the measures could wreck the consensus among the countries that negotiated the deal.

Rather than containing Iran, such steps would isolate the United States, several former administration officials wrote in a commentary in FP.

Critics of the deal accused the Obama administration of tolerating Iranian violations of the accord. International inspectors found that Iran last year had twice exceeded limits on stockpiles of heavy water, which is used to cool reactors producing plutonium. Washington chose to resolve the issue discreetly, granting Iran some time to fix the problem. Opponents of the accord are urging the White House to insist on a more assertive interpretation of the deals provisions  and appear to have found a receptive audience.

Administration officials said they are now looking at holding Irans feet to the fire over every breach, however small. One option under consideration is an incredibly strict implementation of the deal, the senior official said.

But the official added that the administration was not inconsiderate of the ramifications of the deal and was carefully weighing the benefits and the risks of a different approach.

The Obama administration, facing complaints from Iran that it was not seeing the promised economic benefits from the accord, had embarked on road shows to reassure European governments and foreign companies that non-U.S. investors could return to the Iranian market without necessarily running afoul of U.S. sanctions. Rouhani is facing an electoral challenge from a hard-line favorite of the mullahs and needs to sell the deal as a success to win re-election next month.

But the road shows convinced few: Banks in particular are leery of diving back into the Iranian market when U.S. sanctions could suddenly snap back or be expanded to other parts of the economy.

Its not surprising to me that financial institutions all over the world are hesitant to re-engage with Iran, said Daniel Glaser, a former senior Treasury official under the Obama administration who crafted hard-hitting sanctions that preceded the nuclear agreement.

Since Trump took office, the outreach effort has been abandoned.

Photo credit: CHAVOSH HOMAVANDI/AFP/Getty Images
Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump took a moment at the White House Easter egg roll Monday to deliver a terse message to North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un: "Got to behave."

Trump made the off-the-cuff comment to a CNN reporter after kicking off the 139th annual Easter egg roll with First Lady Melania Trump.

"Any message for North Korea, sir, Kim Jong-Un?"

"Got to behave," said Trump.

The warning came after a tense weekend during which North Korea celebrated the birthdate of the regime's founder Kim Il-Sung with a massive military parade highlighting its growing missile capabilities.

But a missile test-launched on Sunday exploded shortly after takeoff, and a widely anticipated sixth nuclear test never materialized.

US Vice President Mike Pence was in Seoul, South Korea Monday where he warned the North not to test Trump's resolve, adding "all options are on the table."

Pence also declared that the era of US "strategic patience" in dealing with the North was over, after more than two decades.

US concerns have mounted amid signs of progress in Pyongyang's efforts to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of landing a nuclear warhead on the US mainland.
U.S. President Donald Trump Sunday apparently reversed his position on China as a currency manipulator, tweeting he wouldnt use the term as long as Beijing helps rein in North Korea.

The comment came just hours after Pyongyangs failed missile test and barely more than a week after Trump met face-to-face with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump spent much of the presidential campaign chastising China for currency manipulation and other actions he said hurt the U.S. economy.

Read: Pence Calls N. Korea Missile Test 'Provocation'

"I am going to instruct my treasury secretary to label China a currency manipulator," he said Aug. 24. "Any country that devalues their currency in order to take unfair advantage of the United States will face tariffs to stop the cheating."

But in its exchange rate report to Congress last week, Treasury declined to label China a currency manipulator, saying the trade deficit with China is just business.

Redditors, however, are not as sanguine, pointing up the number of tweets Trump has issued slamming the Peoples Republic, and labeling Trump a hypocrite and liar.

Read: Did Trump Actually Help China By Killing A Trade Deal?





In an interview with the Wall Street Journal last week, Trump blamed the trade imbalance with China on a too-strong dollar.

I think our dollar is getting too strong, and partially thats my fault because people have confidence in me. But thats hurtingthat will hurt ultimately, he said. Look, theres some very good things about a strong dollar, but usually speaking the best thing about it is that it sounds good.

yuan

Photo: Junjiewu99/Creative Commons

Its very, very hard to compete when you have a strong dollar and other countries are devaluing their currency.

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Trump said China stopped manipulating its currency months ago and labeling Beijing a currency manipulator now would jeopardize efforts to contain North Korea.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Trump has it backwards.

In a statement on Facebook, Schumer called Trumps about face unfortunate.

While theyre not manipulating their currency at the moment because it doesnt suit their economic needs, make no mistake about it. As soon as the time turns, they will, Schumer said.

Related Articles
Paris (AFP) - International observers cited flaws in Sunday's controversial referendum in Turkey while European leaders urged reconciliation in a divided country and warned Ankara of its commitments on the death penalty.

The vote, whose outcome was welcomed by Ankara ally Saudi Arabia, has major implications for the long-standing EU bid of Turkey, also a key NATO member.

Narrowly won by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the referendum asked voters to boost the powers of the Turkish head of state -- a move that rights watchdogs have said could fatally weaken democracy in the linchpin country.

Here are some of the main reactions:

- International monitors -

"The referendum took place on an unlevel playing field and the two sides of the campaign did not have equal opportunities," said Cezar Florin Preda of the joint mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

"The campaign rhetoric was tarnished by some officials equating 'No' sympathisers with terrorists," added ODIHR mission head Tana de Zulueta.

- European Union -

The EU noted "the close referendum result and the far-reaching implications of the constitutional amendments" and called on the Turkish authorities "to seek the broadest possible national consensus in their implementation."

The statement was issued by European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker, EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini and EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn.

- Germany -

"The (German) government expects that the Turkish government will now seek respectful dialogue with all political and social forces in the country, after this tough election campaign," said Chancellor Angela Merkel in a joint statement with Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel.

- France -

France warned that if Turkey pushed ahead with a vote on restoring capital punishment, it would be a break with European values.

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"The organisation of a referendum on the death penalty would obviously be a break with (the) values and engagements" that Ankara accepted when joining the Council of Europe, the French president's office said, referring to Europe's top rights watchdog.

Turkey is also seeking to join the EU, which has made clear that any restoration of the death penalty would scupper its accession hopes.

- Switzerland -

The Swiss foreign ministry urged Ankara to engage with 'No' voters in future policy-making "in the interests of stability and national unity in Turkey, using the opportunity to include voters in Turkish society who voted against the referendum."

- Austria -

Austrian leaders said the EU should end talks over Turkey's 30-year-old bid to join its ranks. "With what happened yesterday, (Turkey's) membership prospects are buried, in practical terms," said Chancellor Christian Kern. EU aid to Turkey to help it advance towards membership was now "obsolete," he added.

Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said the referendum meant "collaboration with the EU will be even more complex" and "we can no longer simply return to business as usual."

- Council of Europe -

Thorbjorn Jagland, secretary general of Europe's top rights watchdog, said Turkish leaders "should consider the next steps carefully ... in view of the close result."

It is of the utmost importance, said Jagland, "to secure the independence of the judiciary in line with the principle of rule of law enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights."

The Council of Europe "stands ready to support the country in this process", Jagland added.

- The Netherlands -

"This constitutional change concentrates too much power in the hands of one person," Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said. "The European Union would have to keep a close eye on developments to follow," Koenders added.

- Saudi Arabia -

Turkey's ally Saudi Arabia offered "congratulations to President Erdogan of Turkey and the Turkish people on the success of the referendum regarding constitutional reforms," the official Saudi Press Agency reported, with the cabinet saying it hoped the vote would contribute to "more development success across the country".

- NATO -

A NATO official said that the constitutional referendum in alliance member Turkey "is a matter for the Turkish people".

bur-cw/ri/ach
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's pro-Kurdish opposition said on Monday that the number of unstamped ballots counted as valid in Sunday's referendum had been enough to swing the outcome of the vote and decried what it described as a "coup" by the electoral authorities. Osman Baydemir, spokesman for the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), said around 3 million voters had been affected by the High Electoral Board's (YSK) last-minute decision to accept as valid ballot papers that were not stamped by its officials, unless they were proven to be fraudulent. Baydemir said there were also discrepancies between the data presented by the YSK and data obtained by the HDP regarding vote counts across hundreds of ballot boxes. (Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Writing by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Nick Tattersall)
Photo credit: U.S. Air Force / Senior Airman John Linzmeier

From Popular Mechanics

The United States Air Force staged a massive "elephant walk" yesterday at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. The 18th Wing stationed at Kadena is the largest combat-ready wing in the Air Force, operating two squadrons of F-15 Eagles as well as HH-60 Pave Hawks, E-3 Sentries, and KC-135 Stratotankers.

An elephant walk is a military exercise that involves taxiing entire squadrons of aircraft in close formation as would be necessary in a short-notice wartime situation. The unannounced exercise is to prepare airmen to respond quickly to a threat if necessary, and also to serve as a show of force to potential aggressor nations in the surrounding region.

Yesterday's elephant walk was undoubtedly prompted by growing tensions with North Korea in the past weeks. Pyongyang continues to test its nuclear capabilities, and the U.S. recently sent a carrier strike group to the region. The American military is also amassing several aircraft in South Korea and the surrounding area, including the F-35B, and reports indicate the Trump administration is at least considering a pre-emptive strike in the event of a North Korean nuclear test.

An elephant walk was conducted at Osan Air Base in South Korea about a year ago, and since then tensions in the region have only continued to rise. With this recent demonstration of force, it's clear that Washington wants Pyongyang to know exactly how much air power it has in the Pacific theater.

Photo credit: U.S. Air Force / Senior Airman John Linzmeier

h/t The Aviationist

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By Andrew Chung

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court sidestepped a turbulent debate over illegal immigration on Monday, turning away an appeal by a group of asylum-seeking Central American women and their children who aimed to clarify the constitutional rights of people who the government has prioritized for deportation.

The families, 28 women and 33 children ages 2 to 17 from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, had hoped the justices would overturn a lower court's ruling preventing them from having their expedited removal orders reviewed by a federal judge.

That Philadelphia-based court said the status of the families, all apprehended in Texas and later held in Pennsylvania, was akin to non-citizens who are denied entry at the border and they were not entitled to a court hearing to challenge that decision.

Immigration has become an even hotter topic than usual in the United States since President Donald Trump took office in January. His administration has ordered construction of a border wall with Mexico intended to curb illegal immigration, and plans to expand the number of people targeted for expedited removal, a process that applies to non-citizens lacking valid entry documents.

The families have said they were escaping threats, violence and police authorities unable or unwilling to help in their home countries.

Lead plaintiff Rosa Castro fled El Salvador to escape years of rape, beatings and emotional abuse by the father of her son, who was 6 years old when they arrived in the United States in 2015, according to court papers. Lesly Cruz, who also arrived in 2015, fled Honduras to protect her daughter from sexual assault by members of the Mara Salvatrucha armed gang, the court papers said.

The families were apprehended in Texas within hours of illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexican border. After claiming asylum, they were determined by immigration judges to lack "credible fear" of persecution, and placed in expedited removal proceedings.

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The families were detained at Berks County Residential Center in Leesport, Pennsylvania, where 12 women and their children remain. The others have been released under orders of supervision, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing them.

The women challenged in federal court the rejection of their asylum claims, alleging a violation of their right to due process under the U.S. Constitution.

In August, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia said they may be treated the same way as non-citizens seeking initial admission to the United States, who do not have any constitutional rights of review if denied entry.

The women appealed to the Supreme Court.

There has been a 93 percent drop since December of parents and children caught trying to cross the Mexican border illegally into the United States, which U.S. officials attribute to the Trump administration's tough policies.

(Reporting by Andrew Chung; Editing by Will Dunham)
The law school application process is extensive. In the time since you've taken the LSAT and submitted your applications, circumstances may have changed.

If you have been accepted to law school but are no longer ready to enroll, you may be able to defer. Here's what you need to know about deferment requests.

1. Timing: If you haven't applied to law school yet and aren't 100 percent sure that's what you want, wait until you are ready. Applying with the intention to request a deferral is a bad strategy.

First, there's no guarantee that your deferment request will be granted, particularly if you don't have a compelling reason for postponing enrollment. Second, you will limit your ability to negotiate for scholarship awards and manage potential waitlist results if you also need to factor deferment options into your application strategy.

[Ask these 10 questions before applying to law school.]

One scenario that may trigger the need to apply before you are ready to enroll is if your LSAT score will expire. While the Law School Admission Council will include five years of test results -- including absences and cancellations -- in your score report, some schools may require more recent results.

Some programs are willing to consider applications that indicate an intention to defer. The University of Michigan--Ann Arbor Law School, for example, asks applicants to complete a deferment request and explanation as part of the application.

Such deferment policies, however, are unusual. Admissions committees strongly prefer that prospective students apply with the intention of enrolling. Even the University of Michigan acknowledges that "applications for deferred admission are reviewed with special rigor."

If you know you'll need to defer, start thinking about your requests once you have received admissions decisions. If you have received multiple acceptances, deciding where to put a seat deposit might hinge on the programs that are willing to grant your deferral.

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Do not make a deferment request to all programs where you have been accepted. Narrow your choices to your top two or three picks and then ask those schools how to formalize your deferral request.

[Take these four steps before withdrawing or deferring graduate school admission.]

2. The request process: Before taking action, review a school's deferral policy, which they often include with acceptance letters.

Most programs require applicants to submit a deferment request in writing. Such requests should be made in a timely manner and articulate why you need to defer. Make the strongest case possible and consider multiple factors that demonstrate and legitimize your deferral request.

Some law schools, like Georgetown University and Duke University, explicitly will not grant deferrals except on a case-by-case basis for extenuating circumstances, such as military deployment. For these programs, it is particularly important to establish that your change of circumstance was unforeseeable when you applied.

Other programs are more open-minded. For example, Harvard Law School is willing to defer enrollment for applicants who want to earn another degree or purse an employment or service opportunity. In these cases, explain how your academic, professional or service opportunity will further prepare you for law school and your career goals.

While law schools may vary in their policies, none are required to grant deferral requests. The process is competitive, and only a handful of deferments are approved each year. As the University of California--Berkeley'sGraduate Division policy states, "deferred admission may be offered only to superior applicants."

3. Deferal conditions: Typically applicants can only defer for one year. Two-year deferrals may be granted if there's a specific justification. For example, if you have been accepted to a two-year master's program or fellowship that cannot be delayed for law school.

If your deferal is granted, you are committing to enroll in that law school in the future. As such, you will be required to put down a seat deposit and withdraw from waitlists and pending applications. You will also not be permitted to reapply elsewhere.

[Learn when to graciously withdraw J.D. applications.]

Violating the terms of your deferment contract is considered unethical. Not only will you jeopardize your relationship with the school that granted your request, you could also encounter problems when applying to your state bar upon graduation.

Be aware that scholarship awards may not be transferable for future enrollment. Make sure to ask about scholarship awards when requesting deferment. International students may face additional obstacles if their ability to remain in the U.S. is contingent upon active enrollment.

4. Denied requests: If your deferment request is denied, you still have the option to enroll for the term to which you originally applied and were accepted. Your other option is to withdraw and reapply when you are ready to attend law school.

It is unusual for an admissions committee to deny admission to an applicant who has been accepted in the past, but that remains a possibility. The longer you wait to reapply, the more work you will need to put into reestablishing your qualifications.

Be mindful that LSAT scores do expire and letters of recommendation may not be as relevant. If you plan to reapply, update your application materials to maximize your chances of being re-admitted.

Have questions about deferring admission to law school? You can reach me at lawadmissionslowdown@usnews.com.
As the PR disaster for United Airlines continues to rage on in the aftermath of a passenger being forcibly dragged off a flight, the airline is taking steps to ensure it doesn't happen again.

Now crew members who need to fly must book their seats an hour before departure, the company said in an internal email late Friday and confirmed to Mashable.

SEE ALSO: United kicked off a bride and groom headed to their wedding, obviously

Previously crew members could get seats up until the very last minute  a policy which resulted in the now-infamous video of Dr. David Dao being forcibly dragged out of his seat to make room for a crew member.

"This [new policy] ensures situations like flight 3411 never happen again. This is one of our initial steps in a review of our policies in order to deliver the best customer experience," spokewoman Maggie Schmerin said in a statement.

"Our review continues and we will share the results and additional concrete actions we will take by April 30."

The incident has highlighted the ways airlines handle bumping passengers off flights. At least two other airlines have changed or emphasised policies. Delta Airlines has reportedly authorised employees to give up to $10,000 in compensation to those on overbooked flights who give up their seats. American Airlines has said it won't remove a revenue passenger who is already on board to give a seat to another passenger.

As for United the image problems keep coming. The airline made headlines again over the weekend for kicking a bride and groom heading to Costa Rica for the wedding off a flight. The airline said they refused to leave seats they didn't pay for but the couple disagrees. However it really went down, it's still a headache for United and it doesn't seem like the headaches will go away any time soon.

UPDATE: April 17, 2017, 1:25 p.m. BST Added additional info from United statement.

WATCH: If you give up your seat on a Delta flight you could get almost $10,000
At a time of strained and erratic relations between the United States and China, Ivanka Trump, the U.S. Presidents daughter and, more recently, a member of his administration, has emerged as an unlikely but singularly potent emissary, not to just to Chinas leaders but to many of its citizens. After a clip of her daughter Arabella singing Happy New Year in Mandarin went viral in February, Ivanka brought her children to serenade Xi Jinping during his early April visit to her father Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort.

But Ivanka Trumps appeal goes beyond contrived moments of familial diplomacy. Even Chinese commentators who are utterly skeptical of the President have pointed to Ivanka as the most respectable of an otherwise dubious cohort, Jiayang Fan writes in The New Yorker. And some Chinese netizens nevertheless (contradictorily) accept Ivanka as both a self-made woman and an heir to a powerful dynasty. Why is this? And what does it mean for U.S.-China relations during the Trump administration? The ChinaFile Editors

Rebecca E. Karl, Professor of History, New York University:

Iwanka re (Ivanka fever)  the fawning admiration in which Ivanka Trump is held among some sectors of Chinese society  matters only to the extent that it is a symptom of the convergence of the kleptocratic, nepotistic trends in Chinese elite circles with the same tendencies in elite circles in the United States. No longer can there be any pretense to a purported distance between their so-called crony capitalism and our so-called cleaner version: this distinction was always a misnomer, but the kleptocracy that is embedded in American politics could somehow be concealed better from view. No longer. Ivanka merely personifies the reveal in a very public way.

There has been a cultural strain in China  as in the United States  to both resent and respect those who rise to the top by dint not of hard work but of family background. The fierce political struggles in Chinas recent modern history over the role played by family background and social class are indicative not merely of Maoist excess but of genuine concern and ultimately ambivalence over how birth predestines social success. The dirty secret of American politics and society is that very similar struggles have been engaged over the course of U.S. history, albeit, until recently, in a very different idiom and under very different guises. Those idioms and guises have now more and more become one.

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That a very white, very blond, very patriarchally-inclined woman  who challenges nothing about an extant unjust system of social reproduction that has given her and her family circle every advantage in the world  should become an icon in China (or in the U.S.) is neither surprising nor even shocking. Unfortunately. In my opinion, it heralds nothing substantive about the U.S.-China relationship in our current moment. It is another piece of fluff that seems to forestall for just another few beats asking and attempting to answer real questions in U.S.-China relations, which are real questions in global life and death more generally. These could include the role of bombing and threats of war in maintaining ostensible U.S. military supremacy in the world; the possibilities of financial and/or economic meltdowns due to deregulated and unregulated capital investments, flows, balance of payments, etcetera; the ever-expanding tendency of Chinas and Americas separate and combined global systems of hegemony to direct the concentration of wealth and resources upwards; and perhaps most importantly and alarmingly, the problem of environmental degradation, climate change, and the increasing displacement of those problems onto the global South and/or into urban ghettos and borderland zones of sacrifice (a concept I borrow from my friend Robert Stolz), whose consequent despair and restiveness will require the ever-increasing use of the forces of the national security state. These are among some of the real questions. They demand real discussion and real answers.

Yishu Mao, M.A. candidate, Humboldt Universitat zu Berlin:

Despite his bristly verbal stance on China, Donald Trump and his family have evoked an odd sort of empathy within many Chinese social groups. His gradual restructuring of the administration into a family business has raised criticism in the United States, but many cadres in China are all too familiar with the nuance of this way of wielding power. The seeming discord between Melania Trump and the president during the inauguration ceremony gained spiritual support from many Chinese housewife netizens who are overshadowed and neglected by their husbands. Ivanka Trump, the engine of positive energy in the family, not only is worshiped by Chinese white-collar women who aspire to be beautifully independent and successful, but also is viewed as a role model for Chinas famed bling dynasty and fuerdai, the children of the wealthy elite.

However, the limelight shed onto and the Chinese media gossip surrounding the Trump family seems disproportionate to the coverage of the multifaceted conflicts between China and the United States. Granddaughter Arabellas song echoes in many Chinese households, but still not much is known about the serious talk between Trump and Xi. This phenomenon may be understood on two levels. First, it shows Chinas attempt to divert domestic public attention from impending tough encounters in the bilateral relationship and maintaining calm in its backyard before embarking on the long march of conflict resolution abroad. On a deeper level, just like before a kung-fu fight, two adversaries have to baoquan, folding their fists together in front of a bow to show each other their respect and acknowledgment. Trumps administration has made a friendly gesture, and China has responded warmly.

The growing empathy towards the Trumps in China is a manifestation of the desire for grounds for mutual understanding and commonality between the two countries. The road ahead for U.S.-China relations is certainly full of difficulties, but up to now both governments have decided to start on a gentle note. Whatever they are doing, the Trump team seems to be quite adroit at the Chinese way of fighting. It brings to mind Trumps proud pronouncement of his many years experience doing business in China as his advantage during his presidential campaign.

Linda Jaivin, author:

Performing poppets are a feature of Chinese public relations, propaganda, and diplomacy. As a child, a friend of mine was regularly summoned to Beijing Airport from primary school to stand on the tarmac alongside hundreds of other photogenic little patriots to wave bouquets of fake flowers at visiting foreign dignitaries. Kindergarten children, trained with martial precision, regularly cute-bomb visitors to China with well-choreographed song and dance performances.

As Laura Pozzi observes in Chinese Children Rise Up!, during the May Fourth Movement a century ago, Chinese intellectuals influenced by Darwinian thought idealized children as symbols of the nations hoped-for progress. In films and television shows produced by the Peoples Republic, portrayals of the prepubescent, guided by a sentimental understanding of childhood innocence, tend toward the cloying, precious, and self-consciously adorable. The saccharine fare of so much mass cultural product aimed at children in China (and, indeed, the general public) attests to abiding faith in the notion of children as Blossoms of the Motherland.

Arabella Kushner is the foreign avatar of official Chinas fantasies of childhood. The paradigmatic yang wawa (foreign doll), pretty and expensively dressed, she also exudes an air of listless boredom that lends her an appealing air of guilelessness. As she ploddingly chants Tang poetry and warbles the kind of ditties favored by Party leaders, the Chinese masses take it as a personal compliment: even the granddaughter of the least cultured and most China-hostile American president in memory can see that the future is Chinese.

Ivanka Trump was born to brand. Her Instagram posts of Arabellas Chinese performances, including for Xi Dada and Peng Mama at Mar-a-Lago (a kind of for-profit American Beidahe), present China with a vision of the next stage in human evolution: the Western child practically born with an understanding of the superiority of Chinese civilization, an all-singing, all-dancing future Friend of China and deep-pocketed customer/investor to boot. The oohs and ahhs for Arabella help to drown out the ews and eeks aimed at her grandfather. With the help of Arabella, Ivanka has succeeded, once again, in gilding the turd that is the Trump presidency.

Mark Wilson/Getty Images
New York (AFP) - A federal court in New York on Monday imposed a $2.6 billion fine on Brazil's scandal-plagued construction giant Odebrecht, part of what US authorities describe as a one of the largest-ever corporate settlements for international bribery.

Odebrecht and the petrochemical affiliate Braskem had in December already agreed to pay a total of $3.5 billion to settle the case, in which the companies admitted to paying nearly $800 million in bribes to government officials and political parties to win business on three continents.

US District Judge Raymond Dearie in Brooklyn ordered Odebrecht to pay a total of $2.6 billion, with $93 million going to the United States, $116 million to Switzerland and the remainder to authorities in Brazil.

The December plea agreement had sought to impose a far steeper $4.5 billion but this amount was reduced because Odebrecht was not able to pay it. As part of the agreement, Braskem agreed to pay $957 million.

Brazilian investigators say Odebrecht was one of the ringleaders of a scheme to plunder billions of dollars from state oil company Petrobras. The scandal has rocked Brazil's political and business establishment.
Washington (AFP) - The United States voiced concern Monday over reported persecution of gay men, including torture and murder, by authorities in Chechnya, urging officials in the Russian region long-troubled by unrest to investigate.

"We continue to be disturbed by reports of kidnapping, torture, and murder of people in Chechnya based on their sexual orientation," US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said in a statement.

"If true, this violation of human rights cannot be ignored," she added.

"Chechen authorities must immediately investigate these allegations, hold anyone involved accountable, and take steps to prevent future abuses."

Haley, a member of US President Donald Trump's inner circle, said "we are against all forms of discrimination, including against people based on sexual orientation," adding that such abuse can lead to destabilization and conflict.

Lawmakers from both sides of the US political aisle also spoke out against the apparent crackdown.

Senator Ben Cardin said he was "gravely concerned" about threats facing gays and lesbians in the overwhelmingly Muslim northern Caucasus region.

Cardin, the top Democrat on the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, pointed to reports by the Novaya Gazeta newspaper "that hundreds of LGBT persons, particularly gay men, have been detained and tortured, and at least three individuals killed, by Chechen security forces."

Chechnya's strongman leader, President Ramzan Kadyrov, "has created an atmosphere of terror for LGBT individuals," Cardin added.

"But in the Russian Federation, the buck stops with President Vladimir Putin -- who must immediately signal that any violence against individuals on account of their sexual orientation or gender identity is unacceptable."

Republican Senator Thom Tillis branded Kadyrov a "Putin loyalist" and accused Putin himself of denying that "shameful" human rights violations have occurred.

"Chechnya officials are kidnapping and torturing gay men. I condemn this gross violation of #HumanRights," Tillis said on Twitter.

Chechnya was the scene of two separatist wars in the 1990s and early 2000s, but the region has been largely pacified under Kadyrov's iron-fisted rule.
Munsan (South Korea) (AFP) - Mike Pence arrived at the gateway to the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas on Monday, an AFP correspondent reported, in a show of US resolve hours after North Korea failed in its attempt to test another missile.

The US vice president flew by helicopter into Camp Bonifas, a US-led United Nations command post just a few hundred metres (yards) south of the DMZ. From there, he was expected to move to the truce village of Panmunjom that straddles one of the most heavily militarised borders on Earth.

Tensions between Pyongyang and Washington have soared in recent weeks, as a series of North Korean weapons tests have wrought ever-more bellicose warnings from Donald Trump's administration.

The new and inexperienced US president has indicated he will not allow North Korea to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the western United States.

A top White House foreign policy advisor on Sunday became the latest Trump official to warn that while diplomatic pressure was preferable, US military action is very much on the table.

"We have a wide array of tools at disposal for the president should he choose to use them," the official said.
Seoul (AFP) - US Vice President Mike Pence warned North Korea Monday not to test Donald Trump's resolve, declaring that "all options are on the table" in curbing its missile and nuclear weapons programmes.

Defying international pressure, the North test-fired another missile on Sunday as fears grow that it may also be preparing for its sixth nuclear weapons test.

"We hope to achieve this objective (the North's denuclearisation) through peaceful means but all options are on the table," Pence told a press conference in the South Korean capital after his trip to the tense border with the North.

"Just in the past two weeks, the world witnessed the strength and resolve of our new president in actions taken in Syria and Afghanistan.

"North Korea would do well not to test his resolve, or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region," Pence said at the press conference with South Korea's Acting President Hwang Kyo-Ahn.

Tensions between Pyongyang and Washington have soared in recent weeks, as a series of North Korean missile tests have prompted ever-more bellicose warnings from Trump's administration.

The new and inexperienced US president has indicated he will not allow North Korea to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the western United States.

Asked by a reporter what message he had for North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un in Washington on Monday, Trump replied "Gotta behave."

North Korea's envoy to the United Nations Kim In Ryong said the regime was preparing for "any mode of war" triggered by potential US military action, and said his country would respond to a missile or nuclear strike "in kind".

"If the United States dares opt for a military action... the DPRK is ready to react to any mode of war desired by the Americans," he told a news conference, using the country's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Story continues

"We will take the toughest counteraction against the provocateurs."

Pence declared that the era of US "strategic patience" in dealing with the North was over, after more than two decades.

North Korea "answered our overtures with willful deception, broken promises and nuclear and missile tests", he said.

The United States, which stations 28,500 troops in South Korea, would "defeat any attack and we will meet any use of conventional or nuclear weapons with an overwhelming and effective response".

- Tensions -

Pence's trip earlier Monday to the Demilitarised Zone between the two Koreas -- one of the most heavily fortified frontiers on the planet -- underscored Washington's changing policy towards the isolated state.

Still, White House press secretary Sean Spicer also sought to cool tensions during a news conference in Washington on Monday, saying Trump is not drawing "red lines" that would threaten military action against North Korea.

"Drawing red lines really hasn't worked in the past," he said. "He holds his cards close to the vest, and I think you're not going to see him telegraphing how he's going to respond to any military or other situation going forward."

Pence's visit came after a huge military parade Saturday during which North Korea showcased apparent intercontinental ballistic missiles, and as a US carrier group converges on the Korean peninsula.

It also came the day after North Korea's latest launch -- which failed when the missile blew up seconds after blast-off.

Speaking at the village of Panmunjom inside the DMZ, Pence said America's relationship with South Korea was "ironclad and immutable".

Pyongyang insists it needs a powerful arsenal -- including atomic weapons -- to protect itself from what it says is the ever-present threat of US invasion.

Pence urged the international community to join US and regional demands for an end to the North's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

"It is heartening to see China commit to these actions. But the United States is troubled by China's economic retaliation against South Korea for taking appropriate steps to defend itself," he said, referring to the US THAAD missile defence system.

The system being installed in South Korea is designed to shoot down missiles from North Korea or elsewhere. But China furiously objects to its deployment, saying it could spy on its own defence installations, and has taken apparent retaliatory action against South Korean firms operating in its country.

Pence said he and Trump "have great confidence that China will properly deal with North Korea".

"But as President Trump made clear just a few short days ago, if China is unable to deal with North Korea, the United States and our allies will."

This is Pence's first visit to South Korea -- part of an Asia swing that will also include stops in Japan, Indonesia and Australia -- and although it was conceived months ago, could hardly come at a time of higher tension.
Mike Pence

US Vice President Mike Pence visited the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea on Monday, emphasizing that the US's strategic patience with North Korea was over and that the US was considering the use of military force.

North Korean Vice-Foreign Minister Han Song Ryol shot back hours later, saying if "the US is planning a military attack against us, we will react with a nuclear pre-emptive strike by our own style and method," and threatened "all-out war" in response to any US action.

On a call with reporters, the State Department told Business Insider there would be a "significant international response" if North Korea carried out further nuclear testing.

The exchange, while troubling, has become familiar since North Korea's nuclear and missile-testing programs accelerated, and President Donald Trump has taken a harder line against the Kim regime.

While experts have said with near unanimity that a US military strike on North Korea would present grave danger or an outright nuclear catastrophe, another option frequently brandished by Trump has been leveraging the US's trade relationship with China, North Korea's biggest backer, to act.

But the US may be overestimating China's pull with Kim Jong Un, according to Jenny Town, the assistant director of the US-Korea Institute and a managing editor at 38 North, a website that brings together experts on North Korea.

"China and North Korea relations have not been great to begin with," Town told Business Insider. Unlike Kim's father and predecessor, Kim Jong Un has never been to China to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Town said.

Town said that, in the past, Beijing could have reined in North Korea. But Kim Jong Un has engaged in killing off senior officials with ties to China, thereby insulating himself. Reuters recently reported that the latest calls from Chinese diplomats to North Korea had gone unanswered.

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Kim Jong Un

"In China theyre very frustrated," said Town. "North Korea has progressed further than what theyre willing to accept" and the provocations coming out of North Korea make the relationship very difficult for the Chinese to manage.

Though White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Monday that the burgeoning relationship between Xi and Trump has paid off, Town said that the US calling for China to simply shut off the Kim regime from trade is "a naive oversimplistic view of the situation."

Town said it would be a mistake to assume that North Korea would react to China shutting off trade by crawling back to the table. North Korea could potentially find other trade partners, and even retaliate against China.

"Floods of refugees, some kinds of military coup ... the Chinese arent ready yet to take those risks," said Town.

But while Trump tries to force China's hand against North Korea, where their leverage may be been overestimated, he refuses to give an inch on the US's end.

china bridge north korea

The US lately has completely dismissed unconditional talks with North Korea, instead seeming to float military options with increasing urgency. The US has an aircraft carrier off North Korea's coast and has deployed additional missile defenses to South Korea.

"They need to have some level of exploratory talks," Town said of the Trump administration, adding that they could be undergoing back-channel or secret talks. "Until you get to the table you dont even know whats on the table."

The testy back and forth on Monday between Pence and Han, and the decades of threats flying back and forth suggests that a new approach may be warranted.

"Going straight towards threatening military options is just adding fuel to the fire," Towns said.

NOW WATCH: A Navy SEAL explains how you can escape a carjacking





More From Business Insider


U.S. Vice President Mike Pence declared Monday the era of strategic patience is over with North Korea, expressing impatience with the speed and willingness of the regime to move toward ridding itself of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

Pence told reporters near the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea that President Donald Trump is hopeful that China will use its extraordinary levers to pressure the North to abandon its weapons.

Pence, who has called the Norths failed missile test a day earlier a provocation, said the U.S. and its allies will achieve its objectives through peaceable means or ultimately by whatever means are necessary to protect South Korea and stabilize the region.

Pence visited a military base near the DMZ, Camp Bonifas, for a briefing with military leaders and to meet with American troops stationed there. The joint U.S.-South Korean military camp is just outside the 2.5-mile-wide DMZ.

His visit, full of Cold War symbolism, and his remarks to reporters come amid increasing tensions and heated rhetoric on the Korean Peninsula. While the North did not conduct a nuclear test, the specter of a potential escalated U.S. response trailed Pence as he began a 10-day trip to Asia.

Pointing to the quarter-century since North Korea first obtained nuclear weapons, the vice president said a period of patience followed.

But the era of strategic patience is over, Pence said. President Trump has made it clear that the patience of the United States and our allies in this region has run out and we want to see change. We want to see North Korea abandon its reckless path of the development of nuclear weapons, and also its continual use and testing of ballistic missiles is unacceptable.

Trump himself asserted on Sunday that China was working with the United States on the North Korea problem. His national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, said the U.S. would rely on its allies as well as on Chinese leadership to resolve the issues with North Korea.

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McMaster cited Trumps recent decision to order missile strikes in Syria after a chemical attack blamed on the Assad government as a sign that the president is clearly comfortable making tough decisions. But at the same time, McMaster said on This Week on ABC, its time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully.

The bottom line, McMaster said, is to stop the Norths weapons development and make the Korean Peninsula nuclear-free. Its clear that the president is determined not to allow this kind of capability to threaten the United States. And our president will take action that is in the best interest of the American people, he said.

After a two-month policy review, officials settled on a policy dubbed maximum pressure and engagement, U.S. officials said Friday. The administrations immediate emphasis, the officials said, will be on increasing pressure on Pyongyang with the help of Beijing.

The officials werent authorized to speak publicly on the results of the policy review and requested anonymity.

Meanwhile, Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reiterated his believe that pressure, not only dialogue, is necessary in dealing with North Koreas missile and nuclear threat.

Speaking to a parliamentary session Monday following North Koreas massive military parade and botched missile launch, Abe said: Needless to say, diplomatic effort is important to maintain peace. But dialogue for the sake of having dialogue is meaningless.

He said we need to apply pressure on North Korea so they seriously respond to a dialogue with the international community. Abe also urged China and Russia to play more constructive roles on the issue.

Pence will be tasked with explaining the policy in meetings with leaders in South Korea and Japan during the trip, which will also include stops in Indonesia and Australia. He will aim to reassure allies in South Korea and Japan that the U.S. will take appropriate steps to defend them against North Korean aggression.

A North Korean missile exploded during launch on Sunday, U.S. and South Korean officials said. The high-profile failure came as the North tried to showcase its nuclear and missile capabilities around the birth anniversary of the Norths late founder and as a U.S. aircraft carrier neared the Korean Peninsula.

A White House foreign policy adviser traveling with Pence said no U.S. response to the missile launch was expected because there was no need for the U.S. to reinforce the failure. The adviser spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the administrations initial understanding of the launch.

Trump, spending the Easter weekend at his Florida resort, reinforced his commitment to the armed forces under his control. Our military is building and is rapidly becoming stronger than ever before, he tweeted.

More directly on North Korea, the president returned to a theme of placing much onus on China for reining in the North. Last week, he said he would not declare China a currency manipulator, pulling back from a campaign promise, as he looks for help from Beijing, which is the Norths dominant trade partner.

Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem? We will see what happens! Trump tweeted on Sunday.

Deputy national adviser K.T. McFarland briefed the president on the failed missile launch. She advised patience with China on the issue.

North Korea is a liability to everybody and its a threat not just to the United States, not just to South Korea, not just to Japan, not just to Russia, but its actually a threat to China as well, McFarland said Sunday on Fox News Sunday.

Into this tense environment, Pence made his first trip to the region since taking office in January. After arriving in the South Korean capital, he placed a wreath at Seoul National Cemetery and then worshipped with military personnel at an Easter church service at the U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan.

During a fellowship meal after the services, he said the tensions on the Korean peninsula had put into sharp focus the importance of the joint U.S.-South Korean mission.

This mornings provocation from the North is just the latest reminder of the risks each one of you face every day in the defense of the freedom of the people of South Korea and the defense of America in this part of the world, said Pence. Your willingness to step forward, to serve, to stand firm without fear, inspires the nation and inspires the world.

Along with the deployment of the U.S. aircraft carrier and other vessels into waters off the Korean Peninsula, thousands of U.S. and South Korean troops, tanks and other weaponry were deployed last month in their biggest joint military exercises. That led North Korea to issue routine threats of attacks on its rivals if they show signs of aggression.

The White House foreign policy adviser traveling with Pence told reporters that the type of missile that North Korea tried to fire on Sunday was medium-range, and that it exploded about 4 to 5 seconds after it was launched.

The North regularly launches short-range missiles, but is also developing mid-range and long-range missiles meant to target U.S. troops in Asia and, eventually, the U.S. mainland.

North Korea has conducted five nuclear tests, including two last year. Recent satellite imagery suggests the country could conduct another underground nuclear test at any time.

This article was originally published on FORTUNE.com
A standoff between villagers and Vietnams communist authorities escalated this week after dozens of people were taken hostage, about a third of them police officers, by residents fuming over a land dispute.

Authorities in the capital Hanoi have urged villagers in the suburb of My Duc to release the hostages, who were rounded up on Sunday after several villagers were detained for protesting what they say is an unlawful seizure of their farmlands, reports VnExpress.

More than a dozen of the hostages are believed to be police, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports, though journalists and others are being blocked from entering the area to verify local reports.

People have closed off their villages. No one can come in or out. The police are surrounding the area also, preventing media access. The situation is tense, La Viet Dung, an activist who visited My Duc on Sunday, told AFP.

Read More: Empty Chairs at Embassy Meeting as Vietnam Keeps Activists Away From Obama

Land disputes are frequent in communist Vietnam, where the state owns all land and citizens are vulnerable to seizures for use by government-run conglomerates. In My Duc, activists say Hanoi authorities are trying to seize some 116 acres on behalf of the countrys largest telecom operator, Viettel, which is owned by the military.

But while disputes are common, serious protests are rare in Vietnam, where activists face strict punishment under draconian laws restricting freedom of expression and assembly. In January, prominent land-rights activist Tran Thi Nga was jailed under the countrys notorious Article 88, a section of the penal code broadly criminalizing the spread of propaganda.

[VN Express, AFP]

This article was originally published on TIME.com
Villagers in a Hanoi suburb are holding twelve police officers and more than a dozen others hostage amid a land dispute. The standoff is rare in Communist Vietnam, where land seizures are common but protesters have few rights.

More than 30 people are being held in My Duc, a village outside of the capital. The clash began on Saturday, when local officials detained four villagers after authorities made plans to seize 116 acres of land, allegedly without fair compensation. Local government officials aimed to give the land to Viettel, Vietnams largest telecom firm, which is run by the military, according to the activist-run website Vietnam Human Rights Defenders.

Local residents said they have no intention of releasing the hostages unless the central government intervenes, an activist named La Viet Dung told Agence France-Press after a trip to My Duc on April 16. People have closed off their villages. No one can come in or out. The police are surrounding the area also, preventing media access. The situation is tense.

Land disputes are a major source of conflict between residents and government authorities in the southeast Asian nation. In 2012, land-related grievances comprised 70 percent of all complaints lodged against the government. Local authorities may make deals with developers or state-run firms, evicting small farmers from their land without compensation.

The Communist Party has ruled over a unified Vietnam since 1975, when it implemented Beijing-style farm collectivization and a command-style economy. Beginning in the 1980s, after such policies had mired the country in poverty, the party pursued doi moi, or economic reforms, aimed at creating a socialist-oriented market economy. The subsequent rise of private enterprise and a mixed market economy has sparked rapid economic expansion. In 2016, the countrys GDP growth rate was about 6.7 percent, making it one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.

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But reform remains incomplete. A 1993 land reform law granted land-use rights to private individuals, but no legal framework for true private ownership of land exists. That makes farmers vulnerable to land grabs by state-run corporations as land prices have skyrocketed amid high growth, particularly around urban centers.

Dissent is dangerous in Vietnam, where there are few human rights protections and little freedom of speech. But land seizures and forced evictions touch a national nerve. In some cases, state-run media have backed landholders against authorities. In 2012, local officials evicted a fish farmer named Doan Van Vuon from his land and tore down his home, then detained him after he attempted to defend his land using guns and land mines. Government-backed media outlets ran a series of articles sympathetic to Vuon, arousing public indignation around the country, and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung intervened, punishing local officials and forcing them to return the seized land.

HOANG DINH NAM/AFP/Getty Images
When Michelle, a 40-year-old lawyer from Connecticut, visited her son at college in Colorado, it did not occur to her at first that she would be venturing from a state where recreational marijuana was still against the law to one that had recently voted to legalize it.

But when she did realize it, she decided it would be fun to get high legally  with her son.

Michelle and Schuyler, a 19-year-old organismal biology and ecology major, are pioneers in the brave new world of pot use. (To preserve their privacy, both requested that Yahoo News not use their last name.)

Over the last four and a half years, eight states and Washington, D.C., have legalized pot for recreational use; medical marijuana is legal in 29 states plus D.C. Strictly speaking, selling or possessing marijuana is still a federal crime, although rarely enforced except against large-scale growers or dealers; the new administration may be rethinking that policy. (Across our northern border, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau just introduced legislation that would make Canada the second nation in the world to completely legalize marijuana as a consumer product.) Before long, the U.S. marijuana industry will be creating more jobs than manufacturing  and joints may be as commonplace as pints.

How is this tectonic shift in society affecting our most important relationships? To find out, Yahoo partnered with the Marist Poll to produce an exclusive, in-depth look at weed and the American family, based on a survey of 1,122 Americans 18 and older.

As the law evolves, and as social attitudes evolve along with it, more and more Americans are overcoming old taboos and incorporating pot into their family lives. Marijuana use has become surprisingly open and acceptable in families where adults use marijuana  and, in fact, the majority of Americans who say they use marijuana are parents (54 percent).

Again and again, the research shows that adults who have at least some experience with marijuana  whether they use it regularly or have simply tried it once  are much less likely to be concerned about its effects on themselves or others. This suggests that as weed becomes more widespread in the age of legalization, more Americans and their families will start to feel the same way.

Story continues

Yet these changes are not without their challenges.

Whats clear from the Yahoo News/Marist Poll is that pot is now a bigger part of family life than ever before. Kids arent hiding it from their parents as much as they used to. Many parents arent even hiding it from their kids.

Already nearly half  47 percent  of user parents (people who use the drug at least once or twice a year) say they have consumed marijuana in front of their (usually adult) children, shared it with them or done both. And more than one in four users say theyve consumed marijuana in front of or with their own parents.

On the other hand, there is still a stigma attached to the practice. Seventy-nine percent of Americans say they would have less respect for a parent who uses marijuana in front of their child  and even among those who use the drug occasionally, 64 percent agree.

Fitting marijuana into your family life is, in short, complicated  as Michelle and Schuyler would be the first to admit.

*****

Initially, Michelle had a commonplace reason for flying west: to visit her son at college. But then she realized her friends birthday was coming up, and a couple of additional invitations were extended. Someone mentioned marijuana. Ooh, Michelle thought, that could be nice. Before long, she was booking a 420-friendly Airbnb and browsing nearby recreational marijuana shops on Yelp.

Michelle is hardly a pothead; she probably smokes a couple of times a year, she says, and only with friends. But Michelle did use more regularly as a teenager, and when Schuyler was born, she decided she would handle the drug differently than her own strict Catholic Latino parents had: She would be candid with Schuyler about her experiences and allow him to experiment too  within certain parameters.

For us, pot wasnt going to be a problem in and of itself, but Are you doing well in school? Do you have a good attitude? Fine  you can smoke on the weekends, Michelle explains. If I had just said no, I wouldnt have known what was going on with Schuyler, and thats scarier.

As Michelle planned her Colorado trip, the prospect of getting high with Schuyler intrigued her. I was like, Wow, this is the next phase of our relationship, she says. We can have fun together in an adult way.

Schuyler seemed excited too. Michelle and her friends picked him up at school, then drove to Denver. At the local dispensary, Michelle says she was like a kid in a candy store. I was buying Schuyler whatever he wanted. They had all these different things: gummy bears, chocolates, pot you can smoke to make you happy, another kind for joint pain. We were having the best time.

Schuyler, however, has a different memory of that evening.

I did not enjoy it, he says. My mom and her friends bought way too much stuff. They all just got trashed and were like, Were going to watch Bad Boys II! And Im like, What the f*** is this? Im going outside. They were way more into it than I was.

A few months later, Schuyler finally confronted his mom about her visit. He was like, Yeah, that totally weirded me out, Michelle recalls. I was really disappointed.

Today, Schuyler struggles to describe how disorienting the experience was. I dont know, he mutters. Ive always been mature for my age. And I couldnt help but feel, in that moment, like my mom wasnt as mature as me. It was kind of like, This is not how its supposed to be.

*****

But how is it supposed to be?

When it comes to weed, the American family is entering uncharted territory  and Michelle and Schuyler are not alone in their confusion over the rules theyre supposed to follow and the roles theyre supposed to play.

New laws and new attitudes are making life more complicated for every family that deals with the issue. Some are happily getting high. Some are celebrating the change. Others are dealing with anxiety, uncertainly, even shame. How do I persuade my kids not to experiment with pot when suddenly its for sale  in brownie form  at the corner dispensary? Do I still need to hide my habit from my husband now that its no longer illegal?

The first thing to know is that, according to the poll, most Americans whove tried marijuana at some point in their lives  a whopping 65 percent of them, in fact  now have children. The same goes for occasional users, who use pot at least once or twice a year (54 percent) and regular users, who use it at least once or twice a month (51 percent)  which means that as America transforms itself into a more marijuana-friendly society, families are set to take center stage.

Weve all heard about the mainstreaming of marijuana in recent years, and its true that pot use has become more acceptable overall. (According to the poll, the nation as a whole is now divided  49 percent in favor, 47 percent against  on the question of legalizing marijuana for recreational use). One of the more striking consequences of this mainstreaming is that it is altering our attitudes about children and pot.

Overall, Americans are less worried about children smoking marijuana than they are about children smoking cigarettes, with 24 percent naming cigarettes as their top concern and only 21 percent naming weed.

Thats a far cry from the days of Reefer Madness. So why the change? Perhaps its because most adults now think marijuana is better for you than Miller High Life or Marlboros. (Only one of these substances, after all, is regularly described as medicinal.) By a margin of more than four to one, Americans say that regular tobacco use (76 percent) is a bigger health risk than regular marijuana use (18 percent)  and they say the same thing about alcohol (72 percent vs. 20 percent).

Compare parents whove tried pot with parents who havent, and the shift becomes even starker.

Sure, parents as a whole still cite pot as the top concern for their children (24 percent). But only six percent of parents who actually use marijuana share this view. In fact, both pot users and triers  the 52 percent of Americans whove tried the drug at least once in their lives  put it at the bottom of a list of concerns for their children, behind cigarettes, alcohol, sex and cheating on a test.

A Los Angeles lawyer and his daughter embody how parental priorities are evolving. After each realized the other was also a pot smoker, they developed a winking goodbye routine whenever the daughter went out at night.

Dont drink and drive, he would say.

I dont drink and drive, she would answer.

Dont smoke weed and drive.

I dont smoke weed and drive.

Dont do coke and drive.

I dont do coke.

Across the board, the Yahoo News/Marist Poll shows that Americans who have at least tried marijuana are a lot more likely to feel that the drug is compatible with family life than those whove never touched it. Fifty-six percent of pot triers who are also in a relationship say their spouse or partner would approve of their recreational use if it were legal. Sixty percent of parents whove tried pot think their kids would either approve of their mom or dads recreational pot use or wouldnt care. Among parents who use marijuana, 69 percent support prescribing legal medical marijuana to children  and a full 75 percent consider the drug to be socially acceptable.

Among all parents  including those who dont use or havent tried pot  these numbers are significantly lower.

Even mixing pot with pregnancy isnt the taboo it once was, at least among users. Only about one in five Americans (21 percent) believe its OK for a pregnant woman to use marijuana for easing nausea or pain. But that figure jumps to 40 percent among regular users of weed.

I figured out how I could curb the nausea but not feel like a stony-pony, says Melissa Vaughn, a 37-year-old stay-at-home mom in the Boston area who ate three to four mini pot brownies a day during her pregnancy. There were no side effects. It completely stopped my nausea. Yet for Melissa, the drug did have a downside. At one of her prenatal visits, she nervously told her doctor that marijuana had stopped her debilitating morning sickness  then watched as he entered the information into her record. When my son was born, they had to collect his meconium to get it tested and make sure there was no THC in his system  because then I was going to have to go to social services, she explains. Isnt that horrible?

Still, despite any remaining risks, the Yahoo News/Marist Poll finds that family members who use marijuana have become remarkably open about it. Ninety-five percent say their spouse, partner or significant other knows they use it; the same percentage say their significant other knows how often they use it. Eighty-two percent of users in a relationship have either used pot in front of their spouse, partner or significant other, shared it with them or done both. Sixty percent of parents who use marijuana say their children are aware that they use it, and a majority (54 percent) of them have spoken directly to their kids about their use. Similarly, 72 percent of adult children who use pot say their parents know that they do.

Diagnosed with leukemia four years ago, 69-year-old Michael Good, a political science professor in Oakland, Calif., was no stranger to weed; hed smoked some as a hippie in the 1960s but not much since. Later, hed turned a blind eye to his sons teenage use  but as a senior citizen he insisted that Jason accompany him on his first visit to a dispensary. It was a fun experience for us, Jason says. There was something subversive about it.

At the very least, todays families are discussing pot; 73 percent of parents say theyve had the talk with their kids. But that represents a sharp break from earlier generations. Overall, 60 percent of Americans say their parents did not talk to them about marijuana, and the older the person, the less common those conversations were; 72 percent of baby boomers never had the talk with their parents, and among members of the Silent and Greatest generations (those over age 69), that number climbs to 95 percent. (Perhaps the more surprising statistic is that among this cohort, who grew up in the 1930s, when pot was a furtive indulgence of jazz musicians and assorted bohemians, as many as 5 percent did get a lecture about marijuana from their parents.) Likewise, 73 percent of the over-69 group say marijuana is a health risk, compared with 59 percent of baby boomers, 52 percent of Gen Xers  and only 35 percent of millennials.

*****

Ultimately, the data hints that more and more American families will soon experience what Michelle and Schuyler have already gone through. When Schuyler was a kid, his mom was open with him about her past pot use; when Schuyler first tried marijuana as a ninth-grader, he was open with his mom. Michelle may have been more permissive than most mothers, but she still set boundaries: Get good grades, wait until the weekend to smoke, dont smoke if youre not feeling well (both Schuyler and Michelle struggle with depression)  that sort of thing. And just like most teenagers, Schuyler pushed those boundaries, overindulging at times, getting depressed and demanding to know why, if pot was OK, he couldnt smoke it during the week too.

The whole thing definitely caused friction between me and my mom, Schuyler says. We had different expectations, and they changed all the time. It felt like one day I was allowed to and the next day I wasnt.

Sometimes, Schuyler seemed to wish it was just a straight no, Michelle admits.

The summer after senior year, Michelle finally gave in and let Schuyler and his friends smoke in her sunroom; at one point, she went out and showed them how to roll a proper joint. To this day, Michelles disapproving mother still forwards her news stories about how marijuana is a gateway drug (a view shared by 20 percent of Americans, including 38 percent of those 70 and older).

And yet both Schuyler and Michelle survived  and in some ways, they seem stronger for it. Schuyler is doing well in college; now he only smokes occasionally, and for that he his credits his mom, at least in part. She didnt create this major deal around it, so I never did drugs as a rebellion, he says. When I got to college, I wasnt like some of my friends who drank too much and had a problem. I didnt go crazy, like, What is this marijuana?!

Michelle, meanwhile, says she wouldnt do anything differently. I think, in the long run, Id rather have Schuyler trust me and share with me  even if he sometimes thinks Im an idiot or that Im embarrassing or whatever, she explains. In the end, I always think openness is the better way to go.

_____

Read more from the Yahoo Weed & the American Family series:
From Redbook

Which story was bigger news: Beyonce's internet-breaking twin pregnancy announcement or the news that Hollywood golden couple George and Amal Clooney are also expecting two babies?

If you were more excited about the latter, you'll be interested to know that the jet-setting Clooneys have picked a city where they want to raise their twins. A source told E! News that the "tentative plan" is for Amal to give birth in London, where the pair will "live and nest in their U.K. home for the twins' first years of life." (It's unclear whether that means the kids will be in London long enough to start school there.) The source also told E! that George "is really excited to be a dad" and that Amal, an internationally-renowned human rights lawyer, will "stay low-key for awhile" after their boy-girl twins are born (reportedly sometime in June).

Photo credit: Getty

While the information is coming from an anonymous source and the Clooneys obviously have no shortage of homes all over the world to choose from, London makes a lot of sense as a home base for the couple. Amal works for Doughty Street Chambers, based in London. The couple also recently finished renovations on their jaw-dropping Oxfordshire countryside mansion in Sonning-on-Thames, Berkshire (about 40 miles outside of London) in 2016.

The Clooneys are still a few months away from the birth of their kids (the first for each of them), but the actor can't stop gushing with excitement about his impending fatherhood. "We are really happy and really excited. It's going to be an adventure," he said shortly after the news broke. "We've embraced it with arms wide open."

(h/t E! Online)

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Jill Cummins, the wife of teacher Tad Cummins  suspected of kidnapping his 15-year-old student Elizabeth Thomas  said even though she loves him, she cannot trust him. Tad Cummins, who has a warrant against him for abducting and having sexual contact with the minor, disappeared along with Elizabeth on March 13.

"It's very selfish of him to have done this to us," Jill Cummins said in an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America" on Friday. "I do love him, but I don't trust him anymore. He's totally betrayed me."

Read: Elizabeth Thomas' Father Says Tad Cummins Threatened Her To Go Out With Him

Late last month, Jill Cummins filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences and said that the 50-year-old is guilty of inappropriate marital conduct.

A few days after the student-teacher duo went missing, she urged Tad Cummins to surrender and bring Elizabeth home.

Tad this is not you, Jill Cummins said at the time. This is not who you are. We can help you get through this... your family wants their poppy back. Please do the right thing, turn yourself into police and bring yourself home.

I had no idea my husband was involved with anything that could have led to this, she said. Please do the right thing and turn yourself in to the police and bring Beth home.

There has been speculation that Tad Cummins and Elizabeth had a romantic relationship and a student at their Maury Countys Culleoka Unit School saw them kissing, according to school documents from January. District Attorney Brent Cooper told People magazine last month that Tad Cummins exchanged romantic and troubling emails with Elizabeth.

You could describe it as somewhat intimate in nature, Cooper told People at the time, adding that the emails were not a conversation expected for a teacher to be having with a 15-year-old student.

However, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Director Mark Gwyn said Tuesday the alleged relationship between Elizabeth and Tad Cummins was not romance.

Story continues

"She is 15, a child. He is 50, a grown man. She's a high school freshman. He's a former teacher. This is, and was, not a romance," Gwyn said. "This was manipulation solely to benefit Tad Cummins. This is not a fairy tale. This is a case of kidnapping."

The TBI, which listed Tad Cummins in the states Top 10 Most Wanted List, confirmed the pairs reported sighting March 15. The two were captured on surveillance footage of a Walmart store in Oklahoma City. TBI was informed about the video only two weeks after Elizabeth and Tad Cummins were spotted at the retail store.

Following the alleged kidnapping, Culleoka Unit School  where Tad Cummins was a health teacher  fired him.

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Photo credit: Courtesy of Ashley Hallford

From Redbook

When Ashley Hallford, now 35, was diagnosed with cancer while she was pregnant in 2007, she had no idea what kind of battle she was in for. Ten years later, after doctors predicted she had just weeks to live, Hallford is the mother of three healthy children - and her story serves as a reminder that a devastating prognosis isn't always the end of the road for fertility.

Hallford first discovered the cancer when she was 33 weeks pregnant and felt a bump on her neck, according to TODAY. Doctors didn't want to perform surgery until her delivery, so labor was induced and she gave birth to a healthy baby several days after the diagnosis. The doctors removed the tumor, taking a part of her jaw muscle with it and damaging a facial nerve in the process.

It was unclear at the time what kind of cancer she had. "We could not determine the origin of her tumor," her oncologist, Dr. Debra Miller of Southeastern Medical Oncology Center in Jacksonville, North Carolina, told TODAY. "We consulted with other doctors all over the country, but couldn't figure out what it was."

A few months later, in January 2008, doctors found another tumor in her brain.

"That prompted a full body scan," Hallford said to 11Alive. "And that's when other spots were found. At that point, they stopped trying to figure out what it was, saying, 'We need to start treating her, or she's gonna die.'" Hallford learned the cancer had spread to her lungs and liver - doctors diagnosed it as stage 4, the deadliest type.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Ashley Hallford

Hallford began treatment, and she start preparing messages for her son in case she passed. "They asked me to start taking pictures, videos, and writing a journal for my son," she said to TODAY. "My handwriting was terrible and I could barely see." Her right eyelid had closed as a result of the brain tumor, and she could no longer open it.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Ashley Hallford

Despite the dire prognosis, Hallford learned that she was officially in remission in 2008, and she finished her treatment in 2009. The bad news: All of the cancer treatment caused her body to go into early menopause. In 2010, after seeing a fertility specialist and having doctors recommend a surrogate, Hallford had given up on having more kids.

Story continues

But in 2012, a test revealed that she was pregnant...again. "The day I delivered all of my doctors breathed a sigh of relief," she said to Today.

And this past May, before taking a routine brain MRI (to keep tabs on her remission), she learned she was pregnant again. Hallford gave birth to a healthy boy this past January.

Unsurprisingly, Hallford and her family are thrilled with the events of the past 9 years. "You have to remain positive," she said to TODAY. "Doctors gave me a few weeks to live. Don't give up. I didn't lose hope. Don't ever quit fighting."

Photo credit: Cassie Connelly Photography

(h/t TODAY)

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DAYTON, Ohio (AP)  World War II era bomber planes have rumbled over Ohio to begin events marking the 75th anniversary of an attack on Japan known as the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders' attack.

The B-25 bombers that flew in Monday are on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force near Dayton. The museum says 11 landed Monday and will take part in a flyover at Tuesday's memorial service.

Retired Lt. Col. Richard "Dick" Cole is the last alive of the original 80 Raiders. The 101-year-old Dayton area native plans to take part in the anniversary events, returning to Ohio from his Comfort, Texas, home.

Two B-1 bombers from the 34th and 37th bomb squadrons at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, are to fly over at the end.
HARPURSVILLE, N.Y. (AP)  The long-awaited arrival of April the giraffe's baby has made Animal Adventure Park the second most live-viewed channel in YouTube's history.

April's livestream had more than 232 million live views and 7.6 billion minutes of live watch time since February, second only to League of Legends eSports, which has been around since 2012, YouTube said on Monday.

The channel had its biggest day on Saturday, with more than 14 million live views. More than 1.2 million viewers were watching the livestream simultaneously on YouTube when April gave birth Saturday morning, making it one of the Top 5 most-watched moments.

The not-yet-named male baby giraffe was running around with its mother within three hours of birth at the private zoo in Harpursville, a village 130 miles (210 kilometers) northwest of New York City.

Animal Adventure Park owner Jordan Patch said the baby was healthy and April was recovering "perfectly."

April and the baby will be introduced to the public when the park opens for the season next month.

"We're going to see that baby and mom really develop a beautiful bond," Patch said.

The zoo is holding a contest to name the baby, charging $1 per vote, with proceeds being split among wild giraffe conservation efforts, zoo upgrades and support for families of children experiencing unexpected medical expenses.

April's fans can continue to watch mother and baby on livestream now. But eventually, after the baby is weaned, it will move on to be paired with young females at another zoo, where it will produce calves of its own, Patch said.
A week after United Airlines made headlines around the world for dragging a paid passenger kicking and screaming off of a flight, the airline continues to shoot itself in the foot. Houstons KHOU 11 reports that on Saturday, a bride and groom were kicked off of a flight en route to Costa Rica for their wedding.

Don't Miss: This is supposedly Apples final iPhone 8 design

According to the report, Michael Hohl and his fiance, Amber Maxwell, were coming from Salt Lake City and had a layover at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. The couple were the last to board the plane, but when they reached their seats (24 B and C), they claim to have found a man napping across the entire row. Rather than wake the man, Hohl says that he and Amber decided to grab two seats in row 21 instead, as the flight was nowhere near full and multiple rows on the plane were completely empty.

We thought not a big deal, its not like we are trying to jump up into a first-class seat, Hohl told KHOU regarding the incident. We were simply in an economy row a few rows above our economy seat.

It turns out the Hohl was mistaken  United considers row 21 on Boeing 737-800 planes to be economy plus seating. A flight attendant eventually made the rounds and asked to see the couples tickets, at which point they explained their situation and asked if they could get an upgrade. The flight attendant reportedly declined the offer and asked the two to return to their assigned seats.

Hohl says that they did as they were asked, but that a U.S. Marshal came on to the plane shortly after and told them that they would need to get off of the flight. Confused, they followed the Marshals orders.

They said that we were being disorderly and a hazard to the rest of the flight, to the safety of the other customers, said Hohl. United disagrees with this assessment, and provided the following statement:

Were disappointed anytime a customer has an experience that doesnt measure up to their expectations. These passengers repeatedly attempted to sit in upgraded seating which they did not purchase and they would not follow crew instructions to return to their assigned seats. Weve been in touch with them and have rebooked them on flights tomorrow.

Story continues

Theres clearly some he-said-she-said going on here, and well likely never know which version of the story is closer to the truth, but following such an outrageous incident last week, even relatively small mishaps like these dont look good for United. Well continue to keep an eye out for any further developments.

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What's Inside Samsung Galaxy S8?

Samsung's battery problems have been well-documented, and the company has apologized profusely along with offering a plan to prevent fires and explosions. But what happens when a couple of guys decide to take a saw and razor to the Galaxy S8's battery?

Two prominent YouTube channels, "What's Inside?" and JerryRigEverything, combined forces to see what was lurking inside Samsung's new Galaxy S8. And while they found that the device was assembled well, its glass strong, and its adhesive nearly impenetrable, it was only after they broke it open that the fun started.

The guys took a saw to the top of the device to break through the display and slice it open. They did so, but apparently touched the battery, causing it to start hissing and heat up. They ran the device outside for fear of it exploding in the house. But instead, the battery inflated and -- stopped.

MORE: Galaxy S8 vs. S7 -- What's New, and Should You Upgrade?

Surprised that the battery didn't catch fire or explode, JerryRigEverything decided to take a razor blade to the battery and puncture holes in the lithium-ion pack. They once again expected the battery to catch fire and explode, but again, nothing happened.

Don't try this at home. Credit: What's Inside?/YouTube

Don't try this at home. Credit: What's Inside?/YouTube

Samsung was dealt a serious blow last year when the company's Galaxy Note 7, a flagship handset that was supposed to compete with the iPhone 7, caught fire. Soon after, Samsung was forced to discontinue the handset and recall all units.

Earlier this year, after months of apologies, Samsung said that the Galaxy Note 7's troubles were caused by battery manufacturing defects that caused them to overheat and catch fire. Samsung said that it would institute a range of policies that would all aim at improving the safety of its batteries. Among those policies, Samsung has appointed a battery oversight board and has instituted new checks to ensure safety.

Story continues

The Galaxy S8, the first flagship handset from Samsung to benefit from the new policies, apparently has safeguards in place that prevent it from catching fire and exploding. Stabbing a lithium-ion battery, for instance, is often the best way to ignite it. But when JerryRigEverything did that, the battery remained stable.

It's unknown whether this test was a fluke or not, but it's certainly a good omen as Samsung prepares to release the handset on Friday, April 21.

See also : 8 Reasons Not to Get a Galaxy S8 Right Now
Samsung's Galaxy S8 could have been even better, according to a new leak. And the feature that didn't come to pass may wind up in the company's new flagship device.

An alleged working prototype of the Galaxy S8 has two cameras. Credit: KK

An alleged working prototype of the Galaxy S8 has two cameras. Credit: KK

Eldar Murtazin, editor-in-chief at Russian gadget site Mobile-Review, has published two images from Asian leaker KK, purported to show a Galaxy S8 prototype with a dual-lens camera on the back. The lenses are arranged vertically instead of horizontally like on the iPhone 7 Plus, and don't sit alongside the fingerprint sensor that was unveiled with the actual Galaxy S8 line. BGR earlier reported on the leak.

A heart rate sensor and flash sit beneath the two lenses.

The prototype, which Murtazin said is a working model, is notable. Before Samsung announced the Galaxy S8, the company was rumored to be considering a dual-lens camera design to match the iPhone.

When the Galaxy S8 was actually unveiled, however, the company showcased a handset featuring a single lens. Samsung had also placed the fingerprint sensor to the right of that lens, prompting some to worry that it could cause some smudging problems when users tried to reach for the sensor.

MORE: 9 Reasons the iPhone 7 Beats the Galaxy S8

According to some reports Samsung had hoped to deliver a fingerprint sensor baked into the screen, but it didn't work properly, causing the company to ditch that plan and offer a standard, physical sensor.

Still, Murtazin argues that Samsung still might have use for the alternative design. While he didn't cite a source, he believes dual cameras are coming to the upcoming Galaxy Note 8, a device that Samsung is working on now and could find its way to store shelves over the summer.

According to several reports of late, the Galaxy Note 8 will also likely come with the Infinity Screen offered in the Galaxy S8, and might deliver a bigger screen than the giant 6.2-inch display equipped with the Galaxy S8+. It could be as large as 6.4 inches.

Story continues

For now, then, we can only look at the leaked image and think about what might have been -- and perhaps, what could be.

See also : The Best New Features of the Galaxy S8
The iPhone 8  or whatever it ends up being called  is undoubtedly the most hotly-anticipated smartphone of all time, which makes sense considering itll be the tenth anniversary device in the most popular line of smartphones on the planet.

Pretty much the only thing we dont really know about the device at this point is exactly what itll look like. Now, a new rumor out of Japanese Apple blog Mac Otakara suggests that Apple may have drawn design inspiration for its next smartphone from a rather unlikely source: the Apple Watch.

Don't Miss: This is supposedly Apples final iPhone 8 design

According to the site, the iPhone Edition, which is one of several currently rumored names for the mythical iPhone 8, will feature a rounded metal frame made from a polished stainless steel akin to that of the mid-tier Apple Watch. The steel enclosure would be sandwiched between glass plates, on the front and rear of the device, with the Touch ID sensor hidden underneath a section of the front display (though thats already been disputed).

The rumored design specs also support the theory that Apple will launch the iPhone 8 with dual cameras positioned vertically, and that those cameras will give the smartphone the ability to take VR shots, though its also entirely possible the camera system exists with augmented reality in mind.

Mac Otakara claims to have gotten ahold of the iPhone designs thanks to the documents progressing through the engineering and design verification testing process, though as always these things should be taken with a huge grain of salt.

Related:

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

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Last week, the results of a hugely important Federal Communications Commission auction came out. The Commission was selling the rights to use re-purposed TV spectrum to wireless carriers, and T-Mobile spent $8 billion to buy far more spectrum than anyone else.

The spectrum being auctioned is particularly valuable low-band airwaves that work better in rural areas and indoors  two areas that T-Mobile has struggled with, compared to Verizon, which has long held the licenses to a large amount of low-band spectrum.

Don't Miss: Fresh United horror: ice-cream sundaes stopped after passenger served bowl of glass

But a new analysis of the data shows that while T-Mobile might have spent far more than any other company in the auction, it wasnt just a case of having a bigger purse. Spectrum was sold in seven 10MHz bands, and each band was available for a particular region. For example, T-Mobile could have bought Band G for use in Washington DC, but AT&T could have bought the rights to the same band in New York City.

Overall, T-Mobile spent nearly $8 billion to buy 1,525 licenses. AT&T spent just $910 million, but only acquired 23 licenses. As Fierce Wireless pointed out, that brings AT&Ts per-license spend to nearly $40 million, while T-Mobile spent just $5.2 million per license.

A lot of that difference is probably down to geography. As you can see from the maps from Mosaik included below, T-Mobile bought spectrum in every single market across the country, including a lot of rural areas that were less valuable. AT&T focused its spectrum buys around much more expensive areas, like the Philadelphia-DC metro area, Dallas, Seattle, and San Francisco.

Looking at the raw auction data from the FCC, this becomes even more clear. T-Mobile and AT&T paid exactly the same price in regions like New York, Chicago and San Francisco; the difference is that AT&T didnt even bid on spectrum in Wahpeton, ND, where licenses were sold for $5,000.

But on a strategic level, its still likely that history will show T-Mobile as the big winner from this auction. AT&T only invested in spectrum in urban areas where it already owns bandwidth, seeing it as a short-term way to alleviate network congestion. But in cities, spectrum is less likely to be a big deal in 20 years: solutions like LTE-U and Wi-Fi hotspots, deployed every couple hundred meters and inside buildings, are going to be the only way to handle overwhelming growth in the number of internet-connected devices.

Story continues

So, AT&T paid through the nose for a short-term fix to network problems. T-Mobile, on the other hand, bought up new spectrum nationwide, in many cases in regions that are under-populated, and bought most of that spectrum for dirt-cheap. Just think about how Verizon is able to be competitive these days: it can charge a higher price for a network thats only superior because of spectrum licenses it bought decades ago. In 20 years, AT&T might find itself ruing the day it decided Wahpeton, ND wasnt worth $5,000.

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By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss NEW YORK (Reuters) - Ukraine has partnered with global technology company the Bitfury Group to put a sweeping range of government data on a blockchain platform, the firm's chief executive officer told Reuters, in a project he described as probably the largest of its kind anywhere. Bitfury, a blockchain company with offices in the United States and overseas, will provide the services to Ukraine, CEO Valery Vavilov said in an interview on Wednesday. Ukraine's blockchain initiative underscores a growing trend among governments that have adopted the technology to increase efficiencies and improve transparency. Blockchain is a ledger of transactions that first emerged as the software underpinning digital currency bitcoin. It has become a key global technology in both the public and private sector given its ability to permanently record and keep track of assets or transactions across all industries. Ukraine and Bitfury signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday. Though Vavilov said he was unable to estimate the cost of the project, he said it was by far the biggest government blockchain deal ever. It involves putting all of the Ukraine government's electronic data onto the blockchain platform. "A secure government system built on the blockchain can secure billions of dollars in assets and make a significant social and economic impact globally by addressing the need for transparency and accountability," said Vavilov. There are other countries that have started blockchain programs, but they are smaller in scope involving one or two sectors, such as land titles and real estate ownership. Countries that have launched blockchain programs include Sweden, Estonia, and Georgia. "This agreement will result in an entirely new ecosystem for state projects based on blockchain technology in Ukraine," Oleksandr Ryzhenko, head of the State Agency for eGovernance of Ukraine, said in an emailed response to Reuters questions. "Our aim is clear and ambitious -- we want to make Ukraine one of the world's leading blockchain nations." Ukraine's deal with Bitfury will begin with a pilot project to introduce blockchain into the country's digital platform. The areas being explored for the pilot project are state registers, public services, social security, public health, and energy, Vavilov said. He expects the pilot scheme to launch late this year. Once the pilot is complete, the blockchain program will expand into all areas, including cyber security. This is Bitfury's second government blockchain project. In April last year, Bitfury signed an agreement with Georgia to pilot the first blockchain land-titling registry. (Reporting by Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss; Editing by Tom Brown)
Jimmy Fallon hosted the first Saturday Night Live that aired live from coast to coast, which is quite a milestone for the show. That said, some of the best moments from this past weekend were still based on the same recipe we already saw in many of this years episodes: real life Donald Trump events. Alec Baldwin and Melissa McCarthy both returned to reprise their now-famous impersonations of Trump and Sean Spicer, and the results were hilarious.

Don't Miss: These are the Netflix originals generating the most buzz online

In the cold open, Trump talks with vice president Mike Pence (Beck Bennett) about the many achievements during his first 100 days in office. He then proceeded to choose his next top advisor between Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner in Apprentice-like manner, with Jimmy Fallon playing Kushner. One of them is sent back to hell, and the other gets to sit in the Oval Office  but we wont spoil the surprise for you.

Sean Spicers Easter Message sketch easily tops Baldwins cold open. McCarthy is back playing the White House press secretary, and she does a brilliant job. Again.

This time, Spicer is dressed in a bunny suit right on top of his regular suit, and he addresses some of the events from this past week. He also fesses up to the only mistake he ever made. He then goes on to explain the Hitler comments in the wake of the Syria bombing before moving straight to explaining Passover with props. The sketch winds down after that, but not before Spicer delivers one last great piece of news. The entire thing is absolutely hilarious, and you need to watch it right away:

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The Cinematographers Guild, IATSE Local 600, has filed a lawsuit against former national secretary-treasurer Alan Gitlin, claiming he refused to return $3,301 in union funds and equipment he allegedly absconded with after he lost his bid for re-election last year. Kicked off the national executive board after he bounced two checks to cover the debt, the suit also wants the court to order him to pay the $7,500 fine the union levied against him.

The lawsuit (read it here), filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, claims that when Gitlin left office last June, he converted some 460,277 American Express rewards points  valued at $2,301  accumulated on the guilds card that had been provided to him for official business. The suit also claims he failed to reimburse the guild for a laptop and notebook  valued at $1,000  that had been assigned to the secretary-treasurers office. The lawsuit says he verbally agreed to reimburse the guild for the equipment and points, but notes that two personal checks he wrote to cover the $3,301 bounced.

Last November, the guilds president, Steven Poster, and the guilds national secretary-treasurer, Edward Avila  who had defeated Gitlin in his bid for re-election  brought internal union charges against him for refusing to reimburse the guild for the equipment and points. The guilds national executive board convened a disciplinary hearing on January 21, and found him guilty of violating the constitution and bylaws of the guild and its parent union, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. He was then ordered to pay the guild $3,301, was fined $7,500, and was kicked off the board.

By failing to make the payments required by the national executive boards decision, the suit states, Gitlin has breached his agreement to accept and abide by the constitution and bylaws of the guild and failed to abide by the decision of the national executive board, a lawful tribunal of the guild.

Story continues

Gitlin, who could not be reached for comment, was no stranger to the guilds disciplinary process. In June 2015, he brought charges against Haskell Wexler, the two-time Oscar-winning cinematographer whod been a member of the union for more than 60 years, accusing him of posting the proceedings of a guild membership meeting on an unlisted YouTube account. Wexler died six months later, at age 93, before the trial board could be convened.

Related stories

Cinematographers Guild Says Its Former Treasurer Took Union Funds

The Trial Of Haskell Wexler: Before His Death, The Great Cinematographer Stood Accused By His Union

Cinematographers Guild Reports Ballot Snafu In Recent Film/TV Contract Vote
Shoqiran refers to Obamas previous responses to the Syrian crisis as cold-blooded and mocking because Obama was reluctant to put American troops back into the Middle East, so soon after pulling them from Iraq.

In Shoqirans eyes, while Obama held meetings, devised plans and made statements, Trump acted. However, that isnt entirely fair.

In 2012, public opinion on another US intervention in the Middle East was negative. The last troops had only just been removed from Iraq, the UK didnt want to fight in Syria, and many were arguing that the US was not needed as the worlds peacekeeper (even Trump tweeted at the time for Obama not to attack Syria). Instead, Obama opted to try a diplomatic solution and support the rebels without getting US forces too involved.

Shoqiran wrote: Prominent American figures voiced surprise of this decline and withdrawal from the Middle East and leaving the region for Russia, Iran and their bloody terrorist militias. Americas intervention was thus limited to specific logistical support in Libya.

However, many of those who disagreed with Obamas proposal for US military action agreed with Trumps, including Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, which many suspects to be partisan bias.

This is all history, and nothing can be done to change it, so lets focus on the future: what does Trump need to do now in order to support the Syrian people?

Shoqiran advised that Trump works with US allies, like Saudi Arabia, who oppose Bashar al-Assad and his terrifying war on his own people, to fight terrorism and extremism. He also noted the Trump must show Assad that America will not be backing down, even if this upsets the Russians and the Iranians.

Shoqiran wrote: These are the major results from Americas convergence with its allies amid unprecedented disturbances which are mainly due to neglecting the Syrian crisis and to the state of inhibition which has been produced by Americas foreign policy. However, all this was before [Trump] intervened to put an end to the Syrian regime unprecedented brutal atrocities. The Syrian regime wants to test the patience of the new administration and is about to dig its own grave.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first of six stories in the JG-TC's "State of the University" series focusing on Eastern Illinois University's recent years of declining enrollment, and financial challenges related to the Illinois state budget impasse. This installment examines how the university reached its status today.

CHARLESTON -- There was hardly a moment of doubt for Eastern Illinois University leaders that an Illinois state budget would be passed and passed relatively soon back in 2015.

Even though a budget was not passed by the end of the legislative session May 31 that year, EIU President David Glassman said it was not a worry just yet.

That is not the first time, for the state, that they haven't completed a budget by the end of the session, Glassman said. So, I wasn't particularly concerned because that has happened before.

In 2007, the state lawmakers and the governor at the time, Rod Blagojevich, were at odds, unable to pass a budget for a six-week stint.

The assumption is that it would get done in the next month or couple of months, and then we would have our budget and everything would run as it normally has, Glassman said. We just always assumed a budget would come.

Even for state leaders, the expectation was that it would happen relatively soon.

"I always had it in the back of my head that, you know, it was not going to play out the way it would play out," State Rep. Reggie Phillips, R-Charleston, said. "I always thought, somehow, that we would get some sort of budget."

But days passed, then months and Illinoisans had yet to see their lawmakers pass a budget.

There would be various deadlines that we would hear about, Glassman said. Those deadlines kept getting extended and extended.

State lawmakers said it would be the next month. Then, they would say it would come by the end of the year, but the impasse continued.

And still today, state lawmakers and the governor have yet to come to an agreement on a budget -- one year and nine months into the budget impasse, making this not the first, but the longest time the state has taken to hammer out a budget.

As each month passed, budget tightening at state universities became more frequent.

EIU responded fairly quickly to the news that money would not be coming down the pipeline. After the budget failed to make it through, Eastern furloughed 222 administrative and professional employees.

Soon after, development projects on the campus were halted and layoff notices went out. It would not be until January 2016, though, when the big cuts came. As tuition dollars started running thin and the state seemed none too eager to pass a budget, Eastern leaders made the decision to cut an estimated 200 positions.

This news prompted activism among many people in Charleston and started one of the bigger rallies, of which there have been many now, calling for the state to fund the universities as well as sparking a funding effort to aid laid off workers.

Soon after employees were laid off, a Charleston area group, Support EIU Employees, began to collect funds for those recently laid off employees to pay bills and other necessary items.

After a couple fundraising efforts, the group amassed $16,000 for EIU employees in need.

Andy Eggers, Support EIU Employees member, said it was a swell of surprising support from the community that made the funding efforts possible.

It was impressive to me -- the idea that everyone in the community was a part of it, Eggers said.

Made me realize how many people are dependent on EIU and how many people realize that, he continued.

The group still has funds they are willing to distribute. Leaders have now opened up their parameters to include any EIU employee, former or otherwise, who has fallen on hard times. They can be contacted through their Facebook page.

Another group, Fund EIU, sought to work on state funding for the university. The initial Fund EIU rally on Eastern's campus, along with other rallies at places struggling more at the time, such as Chicago State University, garnered significant media attention and shone a spotlight on what the budget standoff, just months in, had done to universities that rely on state funding.

The Fund EIU rally in February 2016 filled a sizable portion of the university's Library Quad, centering around the Doudna steps, where people spoke out about the need for funding.

Austin Mejdrich, a rally organizer and Fund EIU founder, said he is still amazed thinking about the crowd that surfaced to lend support to the call to action. Hundreds of EIU students, faculty and staff, along with Charleston-area residents, came in support of the university at the time.

A Charleston resident his entire life, the EIU student said he was most shocked and appreciative of the townies that were there. Mejdrich said there is some animosity between the city residents and the university, mainly the students, but that tune changed.

There was much more coalescing in the city, Mejdrich said.

Criticism from state and university leaders of the rallies' effectiveness followed. Glassman said it sounded like a call of desperation, specifically on Eastern, even though it was a state issue.

He continued that the rally also might have resulted in unintended consequences for the Eastern. Even before the rally, though, rumors of the university's possible closure circulated among the campus community and outward to parents of potential EIU students.

It was a perception thing we could just not control, Mejdrich said on the negative reaction to the rally.

However, he noted that those at the rally were largely speaking about the greatness at EIU and how the campus community wanted that stature to remain. He argued that positives outweighed the negatives that surfaced from the rally.

There was almost an immediate reaction from government officials, Mejdrich said.

While a budget was not passed, state lawmakers came under more intense fire to get the universities funding. In April last year, state lawmakers passed Illinois' first stop-gap funding bill to help keep Eastern and other public universities on a financial even keel until they can figure out what to do with the overall, long-term budget.

A couple more funding bills would come later in the year, the last of which was geared toward helping universities through the end of 2016.

Universities have yet to receive additional funding beyond what was given to them by the end of the year.

While Eastern officials have made no mention of cuts either in the near future or down the road, other universities like Southern Illinois University have taken such steps. SIU officials recently announced $30 million in potential cuts to the university to offset the lack of state funding, according to the Southern Illinoisan newspaper.

Another school, Northeastern Illinois University, has been temporarily furloughing employees numerous times in recent weeks, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Today, state leaders are still sparring over the details of Gov. Bruce Rauner's agenda, which includes items like term limits and worker's compensation reform, and the long-term budget impasse appears to have no end in sight.
1. Comments must not be racist, misogynistic, homophobic, or otherwise bigoted.

2. Comments must not involve little more than name-calling and insulting remarks.

3. Comments must not be made by "anonymous" or "unknown".

4. Comments must not try to sneak in some free advertising for themselves (like spam).

I invite anyone who wishes to comment on this blog to do so. I enjoy the comments, whether you agree with what I have said or not. But some people want to abuse the right to comment, and since this is my blog, I have decided to lay down the following rules. If your comment violates these rules, it will not be published.
The Cornhusker Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) held their Twenty First Annual "Excellence in Construction Award" ceremony on March 23, 2017 at The Wick Alumni Center, Lincoln, Neb. The awards competition is designed to publicly recognize the quality and distinction of merit shop construction projects built by Nebraska Contractors during 2016. Entries were evaluated by independent judges on craftsmanship; execution/coordination; budget and scheduling; owner satisfaction; difficult or unusual challenges and safety.

The 10 Eagle Award winners are now eligible to enter ABC's National Excellence in Construction Awards Program.

The 2016 PROJECT OF THE YEAR award was presented to Lund-Ross Constructors, for their project, KETV at Burlington Station, Omaha, Neb., which was entered in the Restoration/Renovation-Less than $25 Million category.

The 2016 EAGLE SAFETY AWARD went to the winning project that demonstrated outstanding commitments toward safety. The winner of this award was, Garney Companies, Inc., for their project, Grand Island Waste Water Treatment Plant Improvements, Grand Island, Neb., which was entered in the Public Works/Environmental category.

The 2016 CHAIRMAN'S PROJECT OF THE YEAR AWARD winner was presented to Cheever Construction Company for the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Lab, Lincoln, Neb., which was entered into the Institutional - $5 to $10 Million category.

The following ABC Member Companies received an Excellence In Construction EAGLE Award at the ceremony: Lund-Ross Constructors, KETV at Burlington Station, Omaha, Neb., Restoration / Renovation - Less than $25 Million; General Excavating, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, Omaha, Neb., Other Specialty Construction - Less than $10 Million; Lueder Construction Company, St. John's Lutheran Church - Bennington, Omaha, Neb., Institutional - Less than $5 Million; Wolfe Electric Co., Inc., The Corvina Apartments, Omaha, Neb., Electrical - Less than $2 Million; NGC Group, Inc., Redevelopment of 52nd and O Street, Lincoln, Neb., Commercial - $5 to $10 Million; Midlands Mechanical, Inc., Kearney High School, Kearney, Neb., Mechanical - More $10 Million; Garney Companies, Inc., Grand Island WWTP Improvements, Grand Island, Neb., Public Works / Environmental; Willmar Electric Service, 8N Lofts, Lincoln, Neb., Electrical - $2 to $10 Million; Cheever Construction Co., Nebraska State Patrol Crime Lab, Lincoln, Neb., Institutional - $5 to $10 Million; Lund-Ross Constructors, Girls, Inc., Omaha, Neb. Community / Public Service

The following ABC Member Company received Excellence In Construction PYRAMID award at the ceremony: Cheever Construction Co., St. Teresa Catholic Church Interior Renovation, Lincoln, Neb., Restoration / Renovation - Less than $25 Million.

Thursday, March 23, 2017 was also the installation of Associated Builders and Contractors - Cornhusker Chapter Board of Directors. Board members installed are: Chairman Steve Bowen, The Durham School, UNL, Lincoln, Past Chair Andy Bailey, Lueder Construction Co., Omaha, Rodney Brase, Brase Electrical Contracting Corp., Omaha, Lori Buchanan, Signature Electric LLC, Omaha, David Chapin, Willmar Electric Service, Lincoln, Mary Fischer, Holmes Murphy, Omaha, Ron Getzchman, Getzschman Heating LLC, Fremont, Roger Larsen, REW Materials, La Vista, Toni Watts McDonald, Watts Electric Co., Waverly, Bruce Petersen, Electronic Contracting Co., Lincoln, Ron Rogers, Overland Constructors, Omaha, Scott Scheef, HBE Becker Meyer Love LLP, Lincoln.

ABC represents over 125 merit shop contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers, manufacturers and associate members throughout the state. There are 70 ABC chapters nationally with over 21,000 member companies advocating the merit shop philosophy, which stresses merit rewards for employee performance and promotes high quality construction at competitive rates.
Morris & Titus is happy to welcome Jordan Mruz as our newest associate attorney. Mruz practiced in the Holdrege area before moving to Lincoln for family reasons. He will practice principally in the areas of family law, criminal defense, estate planning, adoption, child support, guardianships/conservatorships, juvenile law, landlord-tenant and collections and will focus on serving the central and eastern Nebraska communities. More information regarding Jordan Mruz can be obtained from our website at www.morristituslaw.com.
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) said that its sales in Europe rose 14% in March, as the global SUV boom continued to drive growth for the Blue Oval in the Old World.
Last year, oil companies opened their wallets and spent billions of dollars locking up land in the Permian Basin. Driving that spending spree was the fact that producers could still earn excellent drilling returns from the region in the current low oil price environment. However, while its peers were bidding up acreage in core sections of the basin, Apache (NYSE: APA) was quietly leasing land in an overlooked area because it believed that region held an enormous amount of oil and gas resources. Overall, the company bought more than 300,000 net acres for the unbelievable price of $399 million. It's a decision that could pay big dividends in the years ahead.
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 42-year-old Lincoln man was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison Friday for conspiring to sell meth.

U.S. District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Jason Kahler to the prison time, plus five years on supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. He pleaded guilty.

In a news release, acting United States Attorney Robert C. Stuart said information obtained by law enforcement indicated that Kahler was involved in the distribution of at least 11 pounds of methamphetamine in the Lincoln area between 2014 and January 2016.
Nebraska State Patrol investigators on Monday were investigating why a 22-year-old state prison inmate was found unresponsive by his cellmate Saturday night.

Tecumseh State Correctional Institution staff members were summoned by the cellmate of Terry L. Berry of Lincoln, Department of Correctional Services spokeswoman Dawn-Renee Smith said in a news release.

Correctional staff found Berry not breathing at 7:45 p.m., she said.

Staff immediately started CPR, and medical crews took Berry to Johnson County Hospital in Tecumseh before he was transported to Bryan West Campus in Lincoln, Smith said.

Hospital officials didn't have any status information on Berry on Monday.

"The details of the events leading to his being unresponsive are under investigation," Smith said.

Berry is serving three to four years for felony forgery and a jail assault conviction from Platte County.

He has a parole hearing scheduled for next month, and his release date is in December.

Nebraska State Ombudsman Marshall Lux said his staff told him the incident occurred in the special-management unit at Tecumseh, which holds inmates in segregation or solitary confinement.

Smith said she couldn't confirm or deny that report, as state inmate privacy laws prevent the disclosure of an inmate's housing unit.

Prison officials in Tecumseh had previously discussed "repurposing" cells in that unit, which had been used for segregation, Lux said.

Ultimately they abandoned the idea, he said.

News of the incident Saturday in that unit raises questions for Lux.

"Why were there two people in that one cell?" Lux said, noting his staff will be following up with prison officials.

The Tecumseh prison housed an average of 1,032 inmates each day in the last quarter of 2016, operating at 107 percent of its design capacity, according to the department's latest population numbers.
WASHINGTON -- The question of the moment is what to make of the normalization of President Trump. Not normalization in the way used by the Trump resistance -- to argue against becoming inured to unacceptable behavior. But normalization of Trump in the usual sense of the term: that Trump is, if not behaving normally, at least adopting normal positions.

NATO is "no longer obsolete." China was a currency manipulator and would be branded as such in the Trump administration; now, never mind. Syria was not an American problem; now its behavior is America's, and Trump's, "responsibility," and Bashar Assad is a "butcher." The Export-Import Bank, once bad, is now good; same, maybe, with Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen.

These about-faces represent, in part, a Trump Tower-sized version of the realities that confront any new president. Campaign trail proclamations yield to Oval Office sobriety. That's not only to be expected -- it should, for the most part, be welcomed.

Bill Clinton vowed to revoke trade privileges with China because of its human rights abuses; in office, Clinton found himself renewing China's most favored nation status, proclaiming, "we have to see our relations with China within a broader context." George W. Bush promised to usher in an era of "humble" foreign policy and to "stop extending our troops all around the world in nation-building." You remember what happened next.

Barack Obama criticized rival Hillary Clinton's health care proposal because "it forces everyone to buy insurance," then crafted a plan with, yes, an individual mandate. Health care turned out to be complicated -- perhaps not more than Obama knew, but more than he was willing to admit on the campaign trail. Indeed, Obama underwent the same transformation as Trump on the Export-Import Bank, which he derided as a candidate as "little more than a fund for corporate welfare."

Of course, Trump's dizzying string of policy pirouettes is different from the evolving positions of his predecessors. None of them flipped so much, so soon. That's not surprising. Trump's learning curve is steeper. His attachment to any particular position is especially flimsy because he lacks any coherent worldview; his guiding ideology involves only the promotion of Trump.

And the ever-shifting cast of Trump whisperers -- Jared Kushner is up, Steve Bannon is down -- means that what policy prevails in a given week could be upended with the next tweet. Even with a weathervane, you won't necessarily know which way the Trump wind blows.

So no one should count on the current spate of Trump's good judgment to continue. Indeed, to call this week one of good judgment is to ignore concurrent events. While our attention was focused on Mellow Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions was busy reviving a misguided war on drugs, dismantling consent decrees with police departments and cruelly ramping up deportations.

Yet there are reasons to exhale, ever so slightly. The functioning of the federal courts and the dysfunctioning of the legislative branch have worked, so far, to stymie much of the Trump agenda.

A president's greatest powers, and therefore greatest threat, lie in the arena of foreign affairs. Here, the troika of Defense Secretary James Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and national security adviser H.R. McMaster has emerged to present an effective brake on the mercurial president, especially comforting as the North Korean threat looms. A White House with Michael Flynn gone and Bannon neutered is a better place, and the country safer for it. Adults are in the (situation) room.

And Trump, notwithstanding the vastness of his policy ignorance and his evident distaste for remedying that embarrassment, is learning. He has moved from "I alone can fix it" to "Nobody knew health care could be so complicated." Neither statement is true, but the second at least evinces a dawning rationality.

Likewise, Trump's recounting of his conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who seems to have had more success than intelligence briefers at getting the attention-impaired president to sit through a lecture on the region.

"He then went into the history of China and Korea," Trump told The Wall Street Journal. "And Korea actually used to be part of China. And after listening for 10 minutes I realized that not -- it's not so easy."

No, it isn't. Previous administrations weren't full of "stupid people making bad deals." They were staffed, for the most part, by smart people diligently navigating complex situations. If that is beginning to dawn on Trump, however belatedly, we should be relieved. It is possible both to resist the new normal and to give thanks that, for now anyway, it is not far worse.
Bob Evnen said Monday he would support legislation to require voter photo identification in Nebraska if he is elected secretary of state next year and he'd review registration procedures to assure that only citizens can cast a vote.

Evnen formally announced his candidacy at an event in the Capitol Rotunda that attracted a gathering of high-profile Republican figures, including Sen. Deb Fischer.

The show of party support, combined with his previously demonstrated fund-raising skills, stamp Evnen as a formidable front-runner in the 2018 race to succeed John Gale as secretary of state.

Evnen told Monday's gathering that he would "put Nebraskans' safety first" in performing his accompanying duties as one of three members of the State Board of Pardons.

A Lincoln attorney, Evnen was a co-founder and leader of Nebraskans for the Death Penalty, an organization that mounted a successful 2016 referendum drive to repeal the Legislature's earlier action eliminating capital punishment.

The former member of the State Board of Education said that a voter ID requirement is "just common sense," and assurance that only citizens can register to vote is "essential for citizens' confidence" in Nebraska elections.

A longtime party activist, Evnen is assistant Republican state chairman and previously served as the party's general counsel. He has been campaign treasurer for Fischer since 2011.

Among high-profile Republicans on hand for Evnen's announcement were Attorney General Doug Peterson, former Gov. Kay Orr and former State Board of Education member Mark Quandahl, a former GOP state chairman.

Evnen has the endorsement of Reps. Jeff Fortenberry and Don Bacon, along with former Gov. Charles Thone.

Immediately following his announcement, Evnen embarked on a statewide campaign tour that will take him to 16 communities.

State Sen. John Murante of Gretna has introduced and prioritized a proposed constitutional amendment (LR1CA) to create voter ID requirements in Nebraska elections.

Murante, along with Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion, are viewed as potential candidates for the Republican nomination for secretary of state.

Gale announced last month that he will not be a candidate for re-election after serving as the state's top elections official since 2000.

As secretary of state, Evnen said, he would work closely with Gov. Pete Ricketts on efforts to expand Nebraska's global exports, particularly in terms of agricultural products. As protocol officer for the state, he said, the secretary of state serves as Nebraska's ambassador to the world.

Evnen is a partner in Woods and Aitken Law Firm in Lincoln, where he has specialized in labor and employment law representing business clients.
RACINE  Catholic churches are often named for saints, but for the parishioners of St. John Nepomuk the story of their namesake has always been a special one  so special that murals depicting the life and tragic death of the heroic priest grace the archway above the churchs altar.

Now the paintings, which church leaders say date back more than 50 years, have received a much needed facelift.

Last year, church leaders commissioned Illinois-based Religious Arts Corp. and a Greek artist to recreate the paintings, which were damaged eight years ago as a result of a bad roof leak.

Alexandra Grammatikaki  who lives in Heraklion, on the island of Crete, just off the shores of mainland Greece  made four visits to the United States to work on the project between April and June of last year, spending time at the church in Racine and at the Rock Island studio of fellow Greek Jim Stathopoulos, the owner of Religious Arts Corp.

Her last visit, which ended last week, lasted about a month.

On Wednesday, she and Stathopoulos visited the church, 1903 Green St., to put the finishing touches onto the last of the murals.

While basically identical in form to the originals, the new paintings have more detail and color.

After drawing the images, Grammatikaki used a combination of acrylic, wax, milk, and chalk paints to make the images pop.

Gone are the days of toiling day and night on scaffolding to create such murals. For this project, Grammatikaki used large sheets of stretched and primed canvas on which to design and paint the images.

If you see, it has a little shine to it, Stathopoulos said, pointing the painting of St. John Nepomuk and the river he was thrown into for keeping the seal of the confession. The head is highlighted with jewels, the cross; the sleeves. There is a little detail on his robe, right above his feet. These are the little things that make a difference.

Now completed, the paintings, seven in total, will be seamlessly affixed to the wall. One of murals, a painting of the Lamb of God, has already been put up, and Stathopoulos said he expects to have the rest up by the first week in May.

You dont see the lines, Stathopoulos said of the technique.

Seated on part of the metal frame of the scaffold, Stathopoulos chatted animatedly on Wednesday as he held the paint jar for Grammatikaki.

When the Rev. Steven Varghese, pastor of St. John Nepomuk and St. Joseph parishes, cautioned him to be careful, Stathopoulos laughed.

This is my home. I get hurt when I am down there, he said. I have all bruises from pews. Never here, Thank God, Thank God.

For Varghese, seeing the murals completed and ready to mount is a joyous time for both him and the wider church community.

We have been looking at redoing these paintings for six years. So, when I spoke to the people  (they) were very generous, he said. We are so happy that we can do this.
BURLINGTON  A lot has happened since the last time Gov. Scott Walker signed a bill legalizing cannabidiol, a treatment for seizures and other medical conditions also known as CBD oil.

On hand for that first bill signing in 2014 was the Schaeffer family of Burlington, who fought tirelessly for the bill in the hopes of helping their daughter, Lydia, who suffered from a rare seizure disorder.

But Lydia died less than a month later, having never received the treatment.

Advocates soon realized that provisions in the law made it all but impossible for to obtain the oil; CBD oil has faced legal hurdles because it is derived from marijuana. An effort to improve access to the oil last year stalled in the state Senate after objections from a few key senators.

But after more than two years of work, Walker visited Burlington on Monday to sign a new bill that aims to fix whats now known as Lydias Law. The new law drops a prescription requirement, allowing possession with a written certification from a doctor that the oil is for treatment of a medical condition.

Officials say families can now use CBD oil without fear of state or local prosecution.

This is one of those bills that passed with broad-based support in both chambers, both parties, Walker told reporters after the bill signing at Veterans Terrace, 589 Milwaukee Ave. Only one of 132 legislators voted against the bill.

The governor said the bill was yet one more tool to help, particularly, children in this state.

More work ahead

Still, advocates say more work is needed, particularly with allowing production of the oil in Wisconsin. Despite the new law, people still have to travel to states such as Illinois and Minnesota to obtain it.

State Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, who co-authored the bill, has said the legislation was a compromise and written narrowly to avoid concerns over marijuana laws.

It definitely is a step in the right direction for families to have it available and not have fear of prosecution, said Sally Schaeffer, Lydias mother.

Walker praised the Schaeffer family in remarks to reporters, saying they brought an incredible presence to the Capitol three years ago and were persistent when it became clear the law didnt work as intended.

What an incredible testimony to not only their perseverance, but their faith and their kindness for saying, even though Lydias not here, were going to make sure we can help and inspire other families (and) make sure we see this through, Walker said.
MOUNT PLEASANT  A 15-year-old Racine has been charged after he allegedly shot himself in the stomach last month.

According to the criminal complaint:

Desmond A. Lindsey, 15, of the 2200 block of Layard Avenue, has been charged with felony possession of a firearm by an adjudicated delinquent. He was waived into adult court.

At about midnight on March 25, a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed in Mount Pleasant was pulled over in the area of the Walmart Neighborhood Market, 5625 Washington Ave. Police located a teen in the backseat of the vehicle with a gunshot wound.

Police had originally been told that Lindsey had shown up at the drivers residence with the gunshot wound, but as witnesses were interviewed separately, different stories reportedly began to emerge.

At about 1:32 a.m., one witness said that Lindsey reportedly shot himself while playing with a gun in a spare room.

The witness stated that they didnt tell the truth at first because they were reportedly afraid of Lindsey and his family; knew Lindsey was a felon; shouldnt have a gun and could get into a lot of trouble. When police asked where the gun was, the witness stated it could still be in the apartment or the car.

According to the criminal complaint, in a later story, the same witness said there was a fight going on and Lindsey reportedly went to a back room to get a gun. That was when he reportedly shot himself.

According to his criminal complaint, Lindsey was previously convicted of felony substantial battery, party to the crime, in a case in Milwaukee County.
Politics would be so much easier if politicians didnt have to deal with the public.

The voting public. Sometimes referred to as constituents.

So it was refreshing to hear the words of an Oklahoma congressman last week when he set the record straight and told his district residents at a town hall meeting in Jay, Okla., exactly who was the boss.

When a questioner in the audience suggested that his constituents pay him to work in Congress, U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin bristled and said that was bullcrap.

You say you pay me to do this. Bullcrap. I pay for myself. I paid enough taxes before I got there and continue to through my company to pay my own salary. This is a service. No one here pays me to go.

Mullin, a 39-year-old Republican, probably does pay a substantial amount in taxes, since he owns several plumbing companies, according to the Tulsa World. According to other news reports, Mullins federal filings show he made at least $610,000 in 2015.

Depending on his deductions and the work of his accountant that could have incurred a federal tax bill of $190,904, according to online calculators of federal taxes. Plus another $7,300 for Social Security and $8,700 for Medicare.

And that, in theory at least, is enough to cover his congressional salary of $174,000 per year.

So Mullins can, indeed make the argument that he is a self-paid man  or congressman.

But if that line of thought is extended to other taxpayers, it would mean we would get to select the items our federal taxes are used for. Some might decide to fund the Mother of All Bombs, which was deployed last week in Afghanistan. Others might decide their tax dollars should go only to the National Endowment for the Arts  which might need that money very quickly, since it is on the presidents list to be defunded.

But, no, of course, we dont get to make that selection. And neither does Congressman Mullins  well, actually he probably does have a greater say than we do in how federal money is appropriated. We doubt that would include his own personal salary earmark.

When his remark at the town hall meeting got some pushback from the audience, Mullins responded: Im just saying this is a service for me, not a career, and I thank God this is not how I make my living.

Mullin, who represents the eastern part of the state, has won his past two elections with more than 70 percent of the vote, but we expect those numbers might slide in view of his tone-deaf remarks.

In many states, we expect it might even cause voters to decide his service was no longer needed.
If the "Wisconsin Resistance" achieves what past liberal opposition movements have not, activists such as Adam Wood could be among the reasons.

Wood, 34, is an organizer for Indivisible Madison. It's a local chapter of the national Indivisible movement, which launched after the November election as a "tea party of the left."

Wood said the Madison chapter has attracted many like himself: 20- and 30-somethings with little to no political background.

"It's just a lot of people that are completely new to political activism," Wood said. "The November election was a tipping point that brought a lot of people out, and a lot of people in."

In the rubble of the 2016 election, one of the most dispiriting in decades for Wisconsin Democrats and liberals, newly energized activists are pushing back against Republican control of federal and state government. Many embrace the "resistance" label, referring to a loose national coalition that sprung up, postelection, in opposition to President Donald Trump.

Some groups are in their infancy but show early signs of momentum. In many cases, they're more focused on electing like-minded candidates to city councils and school boards than to Congress or the White House.

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin says it has gotten nearly 600 new members postelection, fueled by increases in Dane, Milwaukee, Waukesha and Outagamie counties.

A new political nonprofit, Our Wisconsin Revolution, is building what it hopes will be a permanent presence in the state on the message of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who won the state's 2016 Democratic presidential primary.

The activist groundswell has drawn comparisons to six years ago, when liberals and Democrats mobilized against Gov. Scott Walker's proposal to roll back public sector collective bargaining  what became known as Act 10.

That didn't unfold as organizers had hoped: The proposal became law and Walker survived a recall election and went on to win a second term.

For this to have a different ending, activists on the left are highlighting what they call the lessons of Act 10. Chief among them: avoid splintering, find a way to sustain the enthusiasm over time and don't just oppose someone or something  but offer appealing alternative candidates or platforms.

For now, Indivisible Madison is not endorsing candidates for office. Wood said that could change, and he thinks the group could see candidates emerge from its ranks in 2018 and beyond.

Our Wisconsin Revolution says recruiting and electing local and state candidates will be among its chief aims.

Time will tell if these developments yield progress or more frustration for Wisconsin's beleaguered Democrats. But Michael Basford, chairman of the Dane County Democrats, said a postelection bump of about 200 new members is lifting his group's spirits.

"We've had a significant youth movement," Basford said.

Election results a wake-up call

For Gina Walkington, the November election results were a wake-up call.

They spurred Walkington and three friends in the Kenosha area, all with left-of-center viewpoints, to discuss what to do next. "We were feeling like our fundamental values were in jeopardy," Walkington said.

The four women's social-media discussions blossomed into a new group, Forward Kenosha. Describing itself as nonpartisan and progressive, Forward Kenosha's Facebook group has enlisted more than 1,400 members.

The mission: spurring voter engagement in the Kenosha area and keeping an eye on Trump and the area's congressman, U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Janesville.

Forward Kenosha is having monthly in-person meetings with guest speakers, including state lawmakers. They're doing podcasts. They held rallies on health care, both in support of former President Barack Obama's health care law and in opposition to the American Health Care Act, the failed replacement offered by Trump and Ryan.

Walkington said she did phone calls for Obama's presidential campaigns and for Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton last year. After the last election she decided to go all-in, and not just in an election year.

"I never fully actually understood how making phone calls was not enough," Walkington said. "Engagement needs to be all the time."

Spurring activists to near- constant involvement also is a goal of Indivisible Madison and other Indivisible chapters in Wisconsin, according to Wood.

The group is organizing town hall meetings and group visits to the offices of elected officials. On social media it sends out "calls to action" that include lawmakers' contact information, along with short blurbs about a particular issue or bill.

"It's not a script, but it says: 'Here's the issue and here's what we're asking for,'" Wood said.

Trump as a sustaining force for liberal activists

The January Women's March on Madison, which drew more than 75,000 marchers to State Street shortly after Trump's inauguration, foreshadowed the heightened interest among the party's rank and file, Democratic Party of Wisconsin chairwoman Martha Laning said.

"Without a doubt, we've felt the groundswell of grassroots energy throughout the state," Laning said.

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Black Earth, said his office received more than 7,300 constituent contacts  calls, emails and letters  about the American Health Care Act when it appeared it might receive a U.S. House vote. Virtually all opposed the measure. A typical hot topic triggers 2,000 contacts, Pocan said.

Pocan was in the state Assembly during the Act 10 protests. One of the enduring lessons he said the experience provided was the need to sustain activist enthusiasm all the way to Election Day. In the case of Act 10, more than a year passed between passage of the law and the 2012 recall election, Pocan noted.

Now Pocan predicts a different dynamic.

"Donald Trump has given us many things to sustain people," Pocan said. "There's always something new to be upset with and organize around."

Not all the energy is rooted in resistance. Bernie Sanders supporters hope to convert his popularity in Wisconsin, particularly among Democrats and liberals, into a lasting political movement.

Sanders launched a national organization, Our Revolution, last year after conceding the Democratic nomination to Clinton. Wisconsin is one of seven states where there's enough interest to form a state-level chapter, said Peter Rickman, an organizer and officer for Our Wisconsin Revolution.

The group has big ambitions: develop into a political nonprofit  funded with member dues, with chapters in every corner of the state  that recruits and elects state and local candidates.

Some would run as Democrats; others, as third-party candidates. Many of the local races are nonpartisan.

'Current administration has to be resisted'

Wresting control of state and local Democratic parties, as Sanders enthusiasts have done elsewhere, is not the group's plan here, Rickman said.

"Many of our activists call themselves Democrats. But we're by no means limited to that," Rickman said.

The group's foundation is what Rickman calls the "Sanders platform"  changing how campaigns are financed, health care for all, reducing the cost of college, retirement security and combating income inequality and climate change.

That message has drawn more than 1,000 attendees to the group's 27 regional organizing meetings held throughout the state in recent months, Rickman said.

Political parties also are feeling the impact.

After Nov. 8, Dane County Democrats say their dues- paying membership hit near 1,300, up from about 1,100 on Election Day.

One of the biggest proportional membership increases came in deep-red Waukesha County, which saw a 40 percent postelection increase swell its ranks to more than 400 members.

All figures were provided by the Democratic Party and could not be independently verified.

Alec Zimmerman, a spokesman for the Republican Party of Wisconsin, said it measures success not by party membership but by voter contacts, of which state GOP activists made 4.7 million in 2016. Electoral victories, not party membership, are what count he said.

"Wisconsin Democrats can try to distract from their disarray with meaningless noise all they want, but apparently it's having no impact on fielding serious candidates for state Supreme Court or governor," Zimmerman said.

But it may be having an impact elsewhere. In deep-blue Dane County, Democrats saw results in local races in the April 4 spring election. The county's Democrats endorsed a slate of local candidates who cleaned up, winning in 35 of the 38 races in which the party made an endorsement.

Still, tensions among Democrats, some of which flared during and after the presidential campaign, have not evaporated. Much of it is between those who supported Sanders and those who backed Clinton in the presidential campaign.

But many also feel the urgency of opposing total GOP control in Washington, D.C., and Madison, Basford said.

"The time for squabbling is winding down," Basford said. "People are coming to the understanding that the current administration has to be resisted."
14 injured in Baglung bus accident

At least fourteen persons were injured when a bus they were travelling in met with an accident at Jugepani in Baglung district on Monday.
Aid fragmentation continues as donor agencies scatter funds

Aid money extended by development partners remained fragmented in the last fiscal year as well, as donor agencies continued to scatter financial resources in relatively smaller projects, raising questions on effectiveness of foreign assistance, says a latest report.
Airline bookings slump as peak season wanes

International airlines except Chinese carriers have reported a drop in inbound bookings for the period mid-April to mid-May after seeing an unprecedented rise in occupancy in the preceding one-month period, travel agencies said.
China's first quarter growth beats expectations at 6.9%

China's economy grew by 6.9% in the first quarter of 2017, according to official figures.
Cpt Awale freed on bail

The Department of Revenue Investigation (DoRI) on Sunday released Captain Subarna Awale, who was arrested with undeclared $93,600 from the Tribhuvan International Airport last Sunday,
Dhaulagiri base camp bustling with climbers

The base camp of Dhaulagiri, the seventh tallest mountain in the world at 8,167 metres, is bustling with mountaineers who have come to make an attempt on the summit.
EC concerned over voters ID distribution

Amid ongoing dispute between political parties, the Election Commission (EC) has expressed doubt as to whether voters identity cards could be distributed to all eligible voters on time for the May 14 local level elections.
Free renal transplant service starts with two successful ops

Two patients underwent free kidney transplantations on Sunday following the governments decision to waive the fee for those who cannot afford to pay for the procedure.
Fresh amendments only if Morcha agrees: Nayak

With the Sanghiya Gathabandhan announcing tough protests against the local polls, the fate of the fresh constitution amendment proposal registered by the government with an aim to ensure the Madhes-based parties participation in the vote has become uncertain.
Gathabandhan shares plan to foil local polls

Five days after the government registered a new constitution amendment proposal in a bid to address the demands of the agitating Madhes-based parties, the Sanghiya Gathabandhan has announced protests aimed at foiling the May 14 local elections.
Govt withdraws public holiday on Friday

Amid wide criticism, the government has decided to roll back its decision to declare a public holiday on Friday, the day when President Bidya Devi Bhandari is returning home after completing her five-day state visit to India.
Govt working to increase monetary assistance to cancer patient: Health Minister Thapa

Health Minister Gagan Thapa has said the government is working on a plan to provide financial assistance of Rs 500,000 to cancer patients.